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► ROCKINGHAM COUNTY SUPERIOR COURTTrialstartsOne witness who is asuspect says another suspect joked about murdering one girl.BRENTWOOD (AP) -Jeleniewski laughed as he told his two friends how he tried to rape Kimberly Farrah after stabbing her to death, and even made light jokes about the murder, a witness testified Fridav.“He said he should have cut off one of her legs; then he wouldn't be so hungry,” James Grant said.Grant testified that Jeleniewski told him and Christopher Doucette that he pretended to kick Farrah in jest to get her to let her guard down before stabbing her. Jeleniewski said Farrah put her hands up to block his kick, but that he got her to relax by telling her he was just kidding. Grant said.“He told her, ‘Don't worry. Fm not going to hurt you,’ and she put her hands down,” Grant testified Jeleniewski told him.Jeleniewski, 20, of Lunenburg. Mass., is on trial on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Farrah, 18, of Salem, last September.Her partially clothed body and thebody of her best friend, Leeann0Millius. 17, also of Salem, were discovered at a popular pond in town not far from their homes. Both had been stabbed repeatedly.Grant, 21, of Fitchburg, Mass.. has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Millius' death. He will serve 25 years to life in prison in exchange for testifying against the other men.Doucette, 19, also of Lunenburg, has pleaded innocent to a murder charge, and faces a separate trial inMarch.Jeleniewski's lawyers sav Grantw wmurdered Farrah, and that he is naming their client in the murder in exchange for a reduced sentence.Jeleniewski had pleaded guilty in a plea bargain to murdering Farrah. but changed his plea to innocentwhen a judge rejected the deal that called for a minimum prison term of 35 years. The judge in Rockingham County Superior Court said it should be 55 years.According to Grant, on the day ofthe murders, the three men and the I£rjc two girls had hung out all day atMillius' house. Grant said he stole a knife from Millius' dresser to use as a weapon in robberies the three planned.In the evening. Grant said the five went to a park in Salem, and Jeleniewski told Grant he and Doucette planned to kill the girls. Then they went to the pond, where the boys worked to separate the girls.Grant said Farrah was killed first by Jeleniewski and Millius was killed about two hours later. At one point, Millius became slightly suspicious of Farrah's absence, and “We told her she was across the street with Erie talking. Grant testified.Grant said he and Doucette murdered Millius by holding her down and taking turns stabbing her with the knife he had taken from her home. As Millius lay dying. Doucette began kicking her and yelling “you stupid bitch” because he was angry she had only $10 in her pocket. Grant said.Defense lawyer Andrew Cotrupi told the jury Grant has not hesitated in the past to lie about crimes he committed, including two burglaries in 1996, in order to avoid jailtime.Grant admitted to Cotrupi he told his lawyers he was “going to make the attorney general's office sweat” so he could get a reduced sentence.The defense also pointed toGrant's watch that had Farrah'sblood on it. Grant testified he keptthe watch on the dashboard ofJeleniewski s car, and hardlv ever *wore it.
Newspaper Details
Nashua Telegraph
Nashua, New Hampshire, US
Sat, Oct 17, 1998
Page 19
Full Page
Clipped by
Amy C.
USA 23 Sep 2019
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