Thread: Man (illegal) charged with killing three at after-hours club

I am happy to report the benefit was a huge success. Pellegrine's was packed. The last total I heard was $2700 raised. That was from the cover, side bar proceeds, and dontations that were taken through out the night. I will be sure to let everyone know the grand total when all of the donations are received.

Thanks.

Good news Steph. I hope someone took up the names, numbers, and email of everyone attending. I should have suggested that BEFORE the event.

We need to get people organized. It appears the people in PA have had their eyes opened quite a bit.

W

Yeah it has been quite an eye opener. Unfortunately, no emails or anything were taken. Honestly, it would have been impossible to do sometihng like that with as many people we crammed into that bar. I did havethe flyers around so that anyone who is interested can check it out.

www.tribune-democrat.com

Published: October 17, 2005 11:25 pm

Suspected killer receives counsel

By KATHY MELLOTT
kmellott@tribdem.com
HOLLIDAYSBURG â€â€

I am certainly glad this is finally going to happen. We have been waiting for this since it happened.

http://www.altoonamirror.com/articles.asp?ID=14475

Public defender: Homicides straining office

By Phil Ray

HOLLIDAYSBURG - Blair County Public Defender Donald E. Speice is preparing to represent homicide suspect Miguel A. Padilla, 25, of Gallitzin during his Oct. 27 preliminary hearing, as he calls for additional funding to support his caseloads.

The homicide case of Paul Aaron Ross was transferred to a private attorney last week, but it is being replaced by Padilla's homicide case, a potential death penalty trial involving the murders of three Altoona residents.

Speice tried to spare the taxpayers the expense of the Padilla trial soon after the construction worker was arrested for killing Alfred J. Mignogna Jr., owner of the United Veterans Association, Fredrick R. Rickabaugh Sr., a UVA doorman, and Stephen M. Heiss, a patron, Aug. 28.

For more details, see Page A1 of the October 19 Altoona Mirror.


Section: NEWS Post Date:Wednesday, October 19, 2005

[/quote]Speice tried to spare the taxpayers the expense of the Padilla trial soon after the construction worker was arrested for killing Alfred J. Mignogna Jr., owner of the United Veterans Association, Fredrick R. Rickabaugh Sr., a UVA doorman, and Stephen M. Heiss, a patron, Aug. 28.

Send the bill for this trial to Bush!

Emotions erupt at Padilla hearing

By Mark Leberfinger and Phil Ray

Staff Writers

The brother of an Altoona man gunned down in August threatened the life of his sibling's accused killer in open court Thursday.

Emanuel Rickabaugh tried unsuccessfully to grab Miguel A. Padilla as he sat in Altoona Central Court.

Padilla is accused of shooting Fredrick Rickabaugh, a doorman at the United Veterans Association club, club owner Alfred J. Mignogna and patron Stephen Heiss Aug. 28.

For details, please see Page A1 in the October 28 edition of the Altoona Mirror.
Section: NEWS Post Date:Friday, October 28, 2005




We finally got him in court. It was quite a day from what I was told by someone who was there. He's going to trial. The date is not set yet, but it will be sometime next year.

From WTAJ -

Triple murder suspect Miguel Padilla will stand trial for a triple murder at the UVA Club in Altoona. Padilla is accused of killing club owner Al Mignogna, doorman Fred Rickabuagh and patron Steven Heiss. The 25 year old Cambria County man faced a district judge Thursday. After hearing from four witnesses, that judge decided that there is enough evidence for the charges against Padilla to stick. Padilla sat just feet away from the families of the three men he's accused of gunning down. Because of death threats Padilla has received while at the Blair County Prison, security at his hearing was perhaps unprecedented. About a dozen Blair County constables and Altoona police officers -- some supervisors -- stood in all corners of the district courtroom. Four witnesses testified: an immigration agent, who said Padilla's applied for U.S. citizenship twice, and been turned down, twice. We also learned that Padilla also has an FBI case number. But the agent didn't explain why. A pathologist described the three victims' injuries. During a break in testimony, a scuffle broke out in the courtroom. Fred Rickabaugh's brother, Emmanuel, threatened to kill Padilla. A constable was knocked on his back during the melee. No one was seriously hurt, but security was tightened even more for the remainder. Most of the victims' relatives were kept in a separate room. Family members allowed in the courtroom wept while two eye-witnesses described an argument moments before the murders. Apparently, they happened because of a hat. Padilla, his friend Travis Shoemaker, and a woman -- believed to be Shoemaker's mother -- weren't allowed right in the club, and Shoemaker was told to take off his baseball cap. While Shoemaker and Mignogna argued, witnesses say Padilla went to a car, got a handgun and came back shooting. Shoemaker tells 10 News he's received death threats. Padilla's mother, step-father and a woman believed to be his girlfriend were under police escort, and didn't want to comment to reporters. Padilla's public defender didn't, either.

Here's an article I ran across.

http://www.tribune-democrat.com


Published: October 28, 2005 12:11 am

Trial ordered in three killings

By KATHY MELLOTT
kmellott@tribdem.com
ALTOONA â€â€