Robins Airman found guilty on all charges

  • Published
  • By Lanorris Askew
  • 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) --  A military jury here unanimously found Senior Airman Andrew Paul Witt guilty of two specifications of premeditated murder in the July 5, 2004, stabbing deaths of Senior Airman Andrew Schliepsiek and his wife, Jamie.

Airman Witt was also found guilty Oct. 5 of one specification of attempted premeditated murder in the stabbing attack of then-Senior Airman Jason King.

The verdict, which was met by sighs of relief from the families and friends of the victims, came after nearly a full day of closing arguments by the government and the defense, and a day and a half of deliberations.

Jim Bielenberg, the father of Mrs. Schliepsiek, said as the verdict was about to be read he pictured his daughter at age 6.

"I could see her face, and I just said, 'I hope some justice is here for you,'" he said. "I remember her as a little girl and all of the good times I had with her, and she's never coming back. I'm just glad that maybe there's some justice for her and for Andy."

Mr. Bielenberg said the verdict gives a little solace.

"It maybe gives you five seconds of relief, but at the end of the day, they're not coming back and that's the part that's so tough to take," he said.

Mr. Bielenberg said he does not feel justice will be complete if Airman Witt is not given the death penalty.

The Airman’s sentence will be decided during the sentencing phase of the trial which began Oct. 6.

Because Airman Witt was found unanimously guilty on the premeditated murder charge and specifications, the death penalty is an option for the jury and is being sought by the prosecution, said Col. Jeff Robb, staff judge advocate.

The staff judge advocate said the sentencing phase will include the presentation of prosecution evidence followed by defense evidence and any rebuttal evidence.

"The prosecution and then the defense will argue as to what they believe is an appropriate sentence in this case," he said. "The jury will then again deliberate."

Colonel Robb explained that before the death penalty can be imposed, the jury would need to vote that at least one aggravating factor exists and that the aggravating factors substantially outweigh extenuation and mitigation evidence and that death is appropriate. All votes by the jury must be unanimous for the death penalty to be adjudged. (Courtesy of Air Force Materiel Command News Service)