Thomas Capano: Difference between revisions
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==Background== |
==Background== |
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Capano is a member of a prominent family of [[Delaware]] real estate developers and building contractors. He became a wealthy, well-connected lawyer, state prosecutor, Wilmington city attorney, counsel to [[Governor of Delaware|Governor]] [[Michael N. Castle]], and political consultant, well known in [[Delaware]]'s political community. In 1994 Capano was a partner at the Wilmington office of the law firm [[Saul Ewing|Saul Ewing LLP]] when he became involved with Anne Marie Fahey, the 28-year-old appointments secretary to then-[[Governor of Delaware|Governor]] [[Thomas R. Carper]]. |
Capano is a member of a prominent family of [[Delaware]] real estate developers and building contractors. He became a wealthy, well-connected lawyer, state prosecutor, Wilmington city attorney, counsel to [[Governor of Delaware|Governor]] [[Michael N. Castle]], and political consultant, well known in [[Delaware]]'s political community. In 1994 Capano was a partner at the Wilmington office of the law firm [[Saul Ewing|Saul Ewing LLP]] when he became involved with Anne Marie Fahey, the 28-year-old appointments secretary to then-[[Governor of Delaware|Governor]] [[Thomas R. Carper]]. |
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==The case== |
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Fahey was last seen on June 27, 1996. At the time of her death, Fahey had been attempting to end her relationship with the married Capano and had begun seeing another man.{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}} Capano murdered her at the house he rented and, with the assistance of his brother, Gerry Capano, dumped her body in the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. Gerry Capano owned a boat and, when it was sold, its two [[anchor]]s were missing. Detectives suspected the boat's anchors were used to weight Fahey's body.{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}} |
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On November 8, 1997, Gerry Capano was interviewed by detectives and told them that Thomas had asked for the boat and then admitted to Gerry that he had murdered someone who was attempting to extort him. They went to [[Stone Harbor, New Jersey]], with a large cooler that contained Fahey's body. As this type of cooler is frequently used by fishermen, it was not considered suspicious. |
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The Capanos went {{convert|62|mi|km}} out to sea and pushed the cooler overboard. However, it floated, even after they shot the cooler. Thomas retrieved the cooler, took the body out, and wrapped the anchor chains around it. Gerry then was asked to help dispose of a blood-stained sofa and carpet in a dumpster, which was managed by another brother, Louis. Subsequently, Thomas ordered Louis to empty the dumpsters. |
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The cooler was found on July 4, 1996, by fisherman Jay Chubb. |
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Investigators did not have a murder weapon or a body, and investigations into Capano's records in buying guns was not revealing. However, Capano's mistress, Debby MacIntyre, had bought a gun and, when questioned by investigators, admitted to supplying the weapon to Capano. |
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==''Habeas corpus'' petition and appeal== |
==''Habeas corpus'' petition and appeal== |
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Revision as of 23:36, 29 October 2009
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Thomas J. Capano | |
|---|---|
| File:Capano mugshot.jpg | |
| Status | Incarcerated |
| Occupation(s) | attorney, political consultant |
| Criminal charge | Murder, 1 count |
| Penalty | Death, commuted to life imprisonment (without parole) |
Thomas J. Capano (born October 11, 1949) is a disbarred American lawyer from Wilmington, Delaware, who was convicted of the 1996 murder of his lover Anne Marie Fahey. The case made headlines because Capano is from a wealthy family and was a former deputy attorney general of Delaware.
Background
Capano is a member of a prominent family of Delaware real estate developers and building contractors. He became a wealthy, well-connected lawyer, state prosecutor, Wilmington city attorney, counsel to Governor Michael N. Castle, and political consultant, well known in Delaware's political community. In 1994 Capano was a partner at the Wilmington office of the law firm Saul Ewing LLP when he became involved with Anne Marie Fahey, the 28-year-old appointments secretary to then-Governor Thomas R. Carper.
Habeas corpus petition and appeal
In April 2008, the U.S. District Court reaffirmed Capano's conviction, rejecting a habeas corpus petition filed by Capano.[1] On September 2, 2008, the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed this decision, making the only avenue left for review of the conviction to be petition for certiorari to the US Supreme Court. Capano did not file this petition, bringing an end to the case.[2]
Portrayals
Several books have been written about the murder case including And Never Let Her Go: Thomas Capano: The Deadly Seducer by Ann Rule, The Summer Wind: Thomas Capano and the Murder of Anne Marie Fahey by George Anastasia, and Fatal Embrace: The Inside Story of the Thomas Capano/Anne Marie Fahey Murder Case by Cris Barrish and Peter Meyer. In 2001, a television movie based on Ann Rule's book was made called And Never Let Her Go with Mark Harmon cast as Capano.