Jurors convict man in triple murder Lexington HeraldLeader

Jurors in Clark County on Wednesday convicted a man of killing an Evansville woman and her two daughters while he was high on methamphetamine. Jurors deliberated less than two hours before finding year old Daniel Ray Wilkes guilty on three counts of murder. The jury was set to begin considering Thursday whether the Vincennes man should be sentenced to death. Wilkes was charged in the April deaths of year old Donna Claspell and her daughters Avery Pike and Sydne Claspell . The three victims were found slain in their Evansville home. Autopsies determined that Donna Claspell died from multiple blows to the head and cuts to the neck Avery was strangled and Sydne also died from blows to the head. Wilkes had said Claspell was letting him stay at her house after they spent time in an addiction recovery program. Prosecutors on Monday played a recording of interviews Wilkes gave to media at the Vanderburgh County Jail after his arrest. He said he killed the family but didn t remember details or why he did it. Wilkes said in a taped confession that he was high on meth on the night of the killings and Donna Claspell gave him Xanax and alcohol so he could sleep. A psychologist who testified for the defense this week said someone under the influence of those drugs would be unlikely to remember anything that happened. But Vanderburgh County Prosecutor Stan Levco argued that Indiana law states a person cannot be absolved of guilt due to intoxication. Wilkes lowered his head and nodded up and down twice after the third guilty verdict was read Wednesday. He declined comment to reporters as he was led out of the Clark County Courthouse by deputies. Family members of the victims wept silently inside the courtroom after the crowd dissipated. Levco said he did not know whether jurors would recommend the death penalty for Wilkes. He said he did not plan to call any witnesses during the penalty phase of the trial. Defense attorney Barbara Williams said she plans to call at least six witnesses and added that they would be convincing. We have a lot of people coming in and I think their stories will be compelling she said. The penalty phase is expected to last until at least Friday. Williams had fought unsuccessfully to have taped interviews between Wilkes and police and media kept out of the trial. She argued police used improper tactics in obtaining Wilkes confession. The defense also argued that someone else committed the murders. The case was moved from Vanderburgh County to Jeffersonville about miles away. Information from Evansville Courier Press http www.courierpress.com News Business Sports Entertainment Living Shop Local Classifieds Jobs Cars Real Estate About Kentucky