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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCrimes-1994 Jury to decide fate of man accused of strangling wife By SANDRA ELLIOTT 31-year old nurse was found three days after her death. Herald Staff Writer t Z' � f'/ Ormiston then took the couple's two small children on a multiple state journey in New England before he SANFORD — A circuit court jury is deliberating the was captured in Pennsylvania. The children are now case of a Winter Springs man who admitted he living with their mother's relatives. strangled his estranged wife to death last year but The Onnistons lived for nearly three years on claims he was intoxicated on drugs prescribed to treat Magnolia Avenue in Sanford before moving to Winter depression.. Springs. Robert Ormiston, 40, is charged with first degree During the closing arguments of the trial, defense murder for killing his wife,Becky,and putting her body attorney who was out of described Ormiston Clme f his sick into the trunk of her car March 18, 1993 near person Ormiston's Winter Springs home. The body of the ❑See Murder.Page 5A Murder - Continued from Page 1A pointing to Ormiston. "He would death of his lie to you to save himself from a mother, the pending divorce, first degree murder conviction." losing a Job and beginning a new Jurors, court personnel and one caused the defendant to spectators, who included friends snap. and family of the victim, sat in "The combined mental stress silence as Tabscott used a timer in his life, depression and intox- to count down two minutes, the Wants of the medications," Haft minimum time the medical ex- said were components of Or- aminer testified it took the miston's voluntary intoxication. victim to die. Several witnesses testified Tabscott argued during that Ormiston said he had taken time. Ormiston made a con- more than the prescribed dos- scions decision and reflection he ages of two medications ranging was killing his estranged wife. from one or two extra pills to Both are components required to dozens more. convict someone of first degree Assistant state attorney murder. Charles Tabscott painted the After showing jurors photo- defendant as a liar noting the graphs of the victim's body, false name he used to rent a car Tabscott noted testimony from in Boston,or statments he made medical experts said bruises to doctors to get out of a hospital were caused prior to death. in St. Augustine following "He just didn't stop and she Becky's death. ended up dead," Tabscott said. This man here would not "She'd been through hell." know the truth if it slapped him The Jury will deliberate until in the face." Tabscott said, they reach averdict today. The Voice - December 8, 1994 Police Reports Winter Springs officer discovers arson fire at Alafaya Woods home On Nov.30 a Winter Springs hurt,but in the course of the in- -- On Dec. 5 a resident on police officer drove past a home at vestigation, the youths missed Bitterwood St. in Winter Springs 1021 Vanessa Dr. in Alafaya their bus,so police took them to heard a banging noise,glass break- Woods and noticed that the door school. ing and what she thought was a was open. As he approached he --Also on Nov. 30 a man on scream. She looked outside and saw smoke coming from inside the Shinnecock Hills Drive heard a saw a man holding a large stick in residence. He entered and found noise in his garage, which was his hand in front of a neighboring the carpets in two bedrooms burn- open.He went out to investigate home. ing. The two fires had been set and was approached by a youth Police found a mailbox knocked intentionally, but they had not who appeared nervous and said down and two front bedroom win- joined and the fire had not spread. he was soliciting donations for a dows smashed. A sliding glass Oviedo FireDepartment extin- charity.The resident sent him on door in the rear was open,but no guished the fires and the fire mar- his way. one answered the door. shal took over the investigation. The young man walked across Fearing injuries,police entered The house was in disarray,with the street and stood on the side- but found no one there. debris on the floor,rotten maggot- walk staring into the garage.Then -- On Dec. 1 a customer pre- ridden food and toilets full of waste he walked back and entered the sensed a prescription for a con- material.There was evidence that garage. trolled narcotic at Walgreen's on someone had been sleeping and The resident confronted him SR 434 in Winter Springs. An drinking beer in the home. and asked again what he wanted. amployee noted that prescriptions The power had been turned off The man said he thoughtthe resi- for the same drug,prescribed by for some time, and there was no dent mighthavechangedhis mind. the same doctor,had been filled on water service in operation.Police The resident sent him away again. each of the two previous nights, had notified code enforcement of Later he discovered that a large and both had been forged. the situation two weeks earlier. speaker had been stolen from the The employee told the customer The owner of the house was in garage. that it would take about 15 minutes Waco, Texas, and police are at- --On Dec.4 a driver pumped and called the police.Apatrol unit tempting to make contact with him. $12.82 worth ofgas at Handy Way arrived almost immediately,but the In other police news... on Lockwood Rd.He went inside suspect had fled. --On the morning of Nov. 30 and handed the clerk$5.00,tell- --On Nov.30 a group of friends two juveniles were waiting for their ing her that he had to get he rest gathered in a home on Lori Anne school bus and playing with some of the money from his friends in Lane for their usual Wednesday coil springs.When one hit the other the van. Then he went out and night chess game.One person left in the leg with the spring,the vic- drove away. a hand-carved chess set when they • tim retaliated.they hit each other In another gas theft incident, left,and another left several coin- with springs and with fists until this time at the7-ElevenonSR600 pact discs. police arrived. in Winter Springs on the same They later learned that their Neither of them was seriously day, a woman filled her tank, friend had moved everything in backed the car up and sat there the house to an unknown address for a minute. Then she drove in the WestPalm Beach area.They away, despite the fact that an don't want to press charges.They employee had been telling her she just want their stuff back. had to go inside to pay. The employee followed her in his own car and confronted her againat the intersection ofSR434 and SR 419.She insisted that she q G had left the money on the counter, / 1,Z O 0 despite reports by two eyewit- nesses that she had never en- tered thestore.7-Elevenwill pros- ecute.