Petitioner, Dr. Robert Simon, M.D., P.A. Gonzalez exited his patrol cruiser and proceeded to question the vehicle's occupants. I knew Bobby Simon much better than did any of the reporters whose bylines appear on those stories, which is nothing to be proud of. According to their mission statement: We aren't here to pick sides, it is the stories that we find the most interesting. They went up the mountains to another chapters clubhouse to see one of the guys staying up there whom the girl was seeing. 0:53. He didnt get very far. Im gonna kick your pansy ass!, While I was hardly a shrinking violet physically, Yo was some three inches taller and twenty-five pounds heavier than I was. Respondent, Progressive Express Insurance Company ("Progressive"), is the Defendant in the trial court and the Appellee in the District Court of Appeal. Having a reputation to protect, he shot her in the forehead and dumped her body in a water-filled abandoned strip mine. Bobby Simon should have been a high school senior. There were also large center hall stone homes with Lincolns, Cadillacs and Mercedes in the driveways, with colorful gardens and in-ground pools. "From then on, if one cop pulled over a car, a second would come if available," he said, adding that he wasn't sure if directives were changed after Gonzalez's death, but it appeared that way. "I have to do 31 years, four months and 19 days before becoming eligible for parole on Oct. 26, 2026. It wasnt the Iowa Writers Workshop, exactly. Gonzalez's radio request for backup. The club is most prominent in and has significant territory in the Delaware Valley, including Philadelphia, Delaware County, South Jersey, and Wilmington, though they also have a heavy presence . All rights reserved, Police Asking for Public Assistance Finding Person Who Set Fire in Wilmington, Couple on Hawaii Honeymoon Says Snorkeling Tour Group Abandoned Them in the Ocean, Three Men Shot and Killed in Separate Shootings in Philly, Check Your Change! We are men 1st and formost. Police officers recount night of fatal shooting in 10th anniversary column. In 1995, the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole paroled Warlocks bike gang member Robert "Mudman" Simon, disregarding strong warnings from the judge who convicted him. Print length. He casually smashed his face into the brick wall on the side of the store. The Warlocks terrorized people in the 70s with hundreds of members, according to former Pennsylvania trooper William Davis. I was even luckier, I suppose, ultimately spending a great deal more time in close proximity to Simon than Yo did. [1] However, he was ultimately beaten to death at New Jersey State Prison by a fellow death row inmate before he could be executed. "The most dangerous time for police officers is the beginning and end of their shift.". The Bucks County, Pennsylvania, artist and recent Temple University graduate was painting a community mural in Trenton in 1992. The second and final gunshot entered Gonzalez's skull behind his right ear, lodging itself within his brain. But he froze suddenly, looking behind me. Despite pressure from his fellow Warlocks, Simon eventually confessed to the crime and, as a result, was sentenced to death by the State of New Jersey in April 1997. Lee Gonzalez during a traffic stop in May 1995. A man who raped and killed a Pennsylvania artist and who . [17], Simon was paroled in February 1995, having served a total of 12-and-a-half-years of prison time. Give em to your mom. There were rumors of money changing hands, of intimidation. Questions were asked. ``He was a sociopath. They resembled small rose petals in the wind. I eyed the pay phone on the wall, but that didnt offer much of a lifeline in this situation. March 2 (UPI) -- A Minnesota police officer came to the rescue of a raccoon he spotted running around with a jar stuck over its head. Tell you what, he added, slapping me on the back. Like the other 1% gangs, the Warlocks murder, deal drugs, rob, and bat the crap about of people, among other activities. Simon, a member of the Warlocks bikers' gang, was the first to die on death row since New Jersey readopted capital punishment in 1982. While I hated the things that he did and shed no tears over his death, the fact is that The Mudman was also just Bobby Simon from the neighborhood, who made bologna sandwiches at the corner store, adopted and loved stray dogs, protected younger kids from bullies, changed flat tires for senior citizens and helped my mom carry her groceries. In that time the two were together, Simon couldn't get a job, ran out of unemployment benefits and was otherwise having no luck at acclimating to life beyond bars, according to Staples' letter. Sludge Simmons has a fateful encounter with a 300,000-pound locomotive.A price is paid, as it should be. Such is the life of the 1%. Just curious. Of course, none of us. Get up and fight, flower girl!, I was rescued by the timely arrival of a neighbor, Mr. Carr, walking his poodle Trixie. It was the first official 1% outlaw motorcycle club founded in Pennsylvania.The club is most prominent in the Philadelphia and Delaware County area, but they have . Harris repeatedly kicked and stomped Simon before jumping from a table's stainless steel stool and landing on his head, fatally crushing Simon's skull.[27]. "His story is a very tragic story. The fourteen other inmates housed therein, a quirky crew including a shy and sensitive child murderer and a transgender cop killer in a platinum blond wig, looked on. Simon and Staples were then taken into police custody. Simon was a motorcycle gang member who was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of Franklin Township Police Sgt. Beautifully maintained parks and athletic fields. [16], After a total three parole rejections, Simon was recommended for parole in November 1994 by a PBPP hearing examiner under the conditioned that he abstain from alcohol and avoid contact with the Warlocks Motorcycle Club. ', Suspected burglar inside New Brunswick home was a panicked deer. The mud-man first appeared . What the fuck are you doing? he demanded. You didnt know what hed do from one day to the next.. It was a warm, sunny spring afternoon. Brown said the going price was $300. The locks on the front door are shit. A country club. A diner that later served as the setting for a pivotal scene in a popular Oscar-winning film. Harris had a history of attacking guards and prisoners. However, he was acquitted on the grounds of self-defense. was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop by one Robert "Mudman" Simon, a longtime member of the "Warlocks" motorcycle gang and a recent parolee from the Pennsylvania prison system. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. In 1999 death row inmate Robert "Mudman" Simon, who was convicted of killing a police officer, died during a fight. In fiction and in life, people do what they do. Reads flower books? He had a sick sense of humor, Davis said. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23, Lancaster resident found guilty of giving man serious brain injuries during bar fight. He didnt seem like much more of an asshole than most people when you were dealing with him. There are other OMC FB pages, which just seems crazy to me because nothing seems less OMC than FB, except maybe Christmas or quilting. Shit, who aint? The Bucks County artist and recent Temple University graduate was painting a community mural in Trenton in 1992. Dan Lendo, a former Graterford activities specialist, remembers Warlocks gang member Robert "Mudman" Simon being at Graterford for killing his girlfriend. Ippolito "Lee" Gonzalez, 'They shot Lee!' Bobby and the guy returned to her dead. The D&D crowd just loved me. We believe in taking care of our own. He served more than 12 years of a 20-year sentence for shooting his girlfriend between the eyes when she wouldn't have sex with other Warlocks bikers, according to previous reports. Simon had either dropped out of or was expelled from high school. Simon was . Shit., Yo, pointing at me, said, Im gonna kick his ass. [6] He was said to have held the club title of "enforcer", and was utilized by his fellow Warlock co-founders to intimidate the club's rivals. On may 6, 1995 police sgt. A.K.A. On May 6, 1995 Police Sgt. It proved unsuccessful and he ended up back in the slammer. Staples sped off before surrendering. Maybe he wants to be a fuckin landscaper and hes studying on it. Mudman met Squirt Boy on death row. Ambrose Harris, 47, sentenced to death for . OUT OF CONTROLJune 26, 2010. Simon, a member of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Warlocks motorcycle gang, was convicted in 1974 for the murder of his girlfriend, Beth Smith Dusenberg, a 19-year-old stenographer. He refused to let Simon out unless he said, `No more Warlocks. It was New Jersey who didnt monitor him after he was out, Peruto said. Was he? [13] Throughout his prison tenure, he received a total of 49 misconducts, which included drug trafficking in addition to drug use. Ambrose Harris, 47, sentenced to death for raping and killing a 22-year-old artist, attacked Simon, who shot dead a police officer four years ago, said investigators. Simon was convicted in 1974 for killing his girlfriend after she refused to cooperate in her gang rape by Simon's friends and . Publication date. Earl Hamner had the gentle folk of the Blue Ridge. I got your back, no problem.. 'They said, 'If you get any of our friends in trouble, you don't have to worry about going back to Huntington.'' If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Committee Chairman Stewart Greenleaf said the testimony, despite coming from convicted felons, was troubling. After doing so, one of the two Warlock bikers shot Gonzalez a total of two times. "Prison is a violent place," he said. ``Castor is not to be blamed. In order to write about those things, a certain journalistic detachment is required. He was rumored to be both deranged and dangerous. Ippolito Gonzalez, 40 (Franklin Township police) Method of murder:. [10] John Lavelle, the Judge who handled Simon's trial, stated that dozens of Warlocks bikers would circle the courthouse on their motorcycles each day in during 1995 in an attempt to intimidate the jurors quite possibly the reason behind his conviction for second-degree murder instead of first-degree murder. Tattoos decorated both of Muds massive arms. Asbury Park, New Jersey. March 3 (UPI) -- A Kentucky man who stopped to buy some breakfast said he lost his appetite when he won $50,000 from a scratch-off lottery ticket. Clipped by. Simon and the driver of the car, defendant Charles "Shovel" Staples, are members of the "Warlocks . Simon and Staples, both members of the Warlocks motorcycle club albeit from different generations, didn't know each other for very long -- about 11 weeks. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook. Robert "Mudman" Simon, 48, was the first to meet such an end since the moratorium on capital punishment in the United States was lifted 23 years ago. The Warlocks MC, another 1% club, was founded in 1967 right here in Philadelphia. March 3 (UPI) -- A New Brunswick couple who initially thought a burglar had broken into their home discovered the invader was actually a panicked deer. No executions have been carried out because of legal appeals and a tradition of liberalism in the state's supreme court. My mom? 11 weeks after receiving parole he murdered a police officer and received the death sentence. That girl was a good friend of his whom he brought up the mountains to see her boyfriend. He was not, for reasons readily apparent to anyone that ever met the man, or even saw a photograph of him. Your story is one of the few that actually reflects part of Bobbys real personality. Brown said corruption at the suburban Philadelphia prison extends into the upper levels of management and that some guards give special treatment to inmates in exchange for money, drugs and sexual favors. A brief, ill-advised interest in botany led, thorough a curious combination of circumstances, to my initial encounter with The Mudman. While on Death Row, Harris attacked and killed another Death Row inmate, Robert "Mudman" Simon, a beefy, scraggly long-haired and long-bearded 48-year-old outlaw biker, with several previous murder convictions. Simon stood accused of murdering his girlfriend, Beth Smith Dusenberg of Drexel Hill, and dumping her body in a water-filled coal mine pit near Hazleton, where it was . The Mudman could be one seriously disgruntled customer. While in prison, authorities said Harris viciously beat inmate Robert "Mudman" Simon, 48, to death in a recreation area in 1999. It might have been related to a school project. Novelists generally dont have the luxury of making moral judgments, although possibly our moral judgments lie in what happens to characters in the final chapter. The Warlords would eventually merge with another group from Darby to create the Warlocks Motorcycle Club, also referred to as the Philly Warlocks. While in prison, authorities said Harris viciously beat inmate Robert Mudman Simon, 48, to death in a recreation area in 1999. The neighborhood was a bit of a bastard, as neighborhoods went. This case tragically arose on the night of May 6, 1995 when Ippolito "Lee" Gonzalez, a Franklin Township, NJ police officer, was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop by one Robert "Mudman" Simon, a longtime member of the "Warlocks" motorcycle gang and a recent parolee from the Pennsylvania prison system. She was actually one of Bobbys best friends. Ambrose Harris, 47, sentenced to death for raping and killing a 22-year-old artist, attacked Simon, who shot dead a police officer four years ago, said investigators. Asked about the presence of violent motorcycle gangs in the area, Dalton said they still exist throughout the state and region. Maybe shell buy you a can of soup.. The Mudman, who frightened even fellow killers and the toughest veteran cops, was definitely not someone that you wanted to tangle with. Ambrose Harris, 68, died Tuesday at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, the state Department of Corrections said. Lavelle said dozens of Warlocks circled the courthouse on their motorcycles each day of the trial and frightened the jurors, possibly leading to the second-degree murder conviction instead of a first-degree verdict. While on death row, Simon was stomped to death by Ambrose Harris. They described him as one of the worst sociopaths they had ever encountered. About 15 Warlocks live in Williamstown, and about the same number live in Pennsylvanias Delaware County, where the club was founded in the late 60s. As a condition of his parole, Simon was ordered to have no contact with Warlocks members. For some reason, I always got along just fine with people that were deranged and dangerous. In the wake of the shooting, Dalton later co-sponsored legislation that tightened rules surrounding parolees and their eligibility, notification requirements and increasing communication between states. The two bikers had just committed a commercial burglary. A man who raped and killed a Pennsylvania artist and who fatally beat a fellow inmate on New Jerseys death row has died in prison. The mansion was located just yards from the trailer park, which symbolized the bipolar dichotomy, the odd gestalt, of the neighborhood, as well as anything. Neither the judge in Simons murder case, John Lavelle, nor a trooper who knew him years ago expressed surprise. Simon was jailed in 1982 for 10 to 20 years after killing a girlfriend who refused to have sex with gang members. By most accounts, Simon was a career criminal. It was something forced upon him from being through the system as he was. I turned around. Gloucester County Superior Court Judge Joseph Lisa accepted Robert 'Mudman' Simon's guilty plea to the murder of Franklin Township Police Sgt. Read more. I stood near the top of the long grassy slope behind the local public elementary school. He told of guards skimming money from inmate payrolls and operating a black market for drugs, food and cigarettes that reached outside prison walls. [24] A firearms expert would later testify that the weapon found near Simon when during his apprehension was the same one used to kill Gonzalez. Approximately 85 B & W ill., including interior photos of the 1835 prison. Ippolito . I knew Bobby Simon much better than did any of the reporters whose bylines appear on those stories, which is nothing to be proud of. On December 17, 1992, Kristin Huggins, a twenty-two year old graphic artist, left her parents' home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, to paint a mural at the Trenton . March 3 (UPI) -- A 7-year-old Louisiana boy with a firm grasp of baseball rules is seeking a Guinness World Record as the world's youngest umpire. The only thing Bobby was guilty of was helping them to dispose of the body. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Simon strolled out of the store, chewing gum. Simon, originally from Darby and believed to be one of the founders of the Warlocks, had been released from prison after serving more than 12 years for the shooting murder of his young girlfriend after . A Pennsylvania State Trooper, heading home from work, witnesses a car speeding and crashing into trees. 97-2510 (JBS) | Casetext Search + Citator", https://www.upi.com/Archives/1996/02/28/Panel-suggests-prison-parole-reforms/1727825483600/, https://casetext.com/case/mihalick-v-simon, "Panel Wants to Remove Out-of-State Parole Review From Corrections Dept", "Biker Is Sentenced to Death for Killing Officer", "FindLaw's Supreme Court of New Jersey case and opinions", "Where We Live: Crimes worthy of TV shows | Times News Online", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Simon_(biker)&oldid=1142925589, People convicted of murder by Pennsylvania, American people convicted of murdering police officers, American people who died in prison custody, Prisoners who died in New Jersey detention, Prisoners sentenced to death by New Jersey, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Unidentified prisoner at SCI Pittsburgh (alleged), This page was last edited on 5 March 2023, at 01:47. Mudman was paroled somehow. He was there when Harris murdered Mudman . "They're the guys on the street. [15] Despite this, he was classified as merely a "low risk" on parole assessment documents. "That was his lifestyle. On a Saturday when the Delaware County Daily Times' regular courthouse reporter was off, I had to cover Nauss' trial. ``I expressed in as forceful language as I could my strong opinion that Robert Simon should never see the light of day in Pennsylvania or any other place in the free world, said Lavelle, who wrote to the state parole board in 1992 to object to Simons release. TRENTON, N.J. (AP) _ Convicted cop killer Robert ``Mudman'' Simon was killed in prison in a fight with another death row inmate, a spokeswoman said today. BLUE ROUTE Author Ed McGinnis Publishes Third Novel, THE DREAM GARDEN, AND A JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE MIND, UNSOLICITED WRITING ADVICE & THE ILLUMINATED SUBJECT, THE FOREVER FAMILY AND THE GENESIS OF A TITLE, PERSEVERANCE, PERSISTENCE AND THE PWP 3850. He may have redeemed himself, or possibly was just playing it smart to avoid capture, but either, I bet, was of little solace to his victim's loved ones.. 464 Conchester Highway, Aston, PA 19014-3106. The latter, a vice president for the Warlocks' South Jersey chapter, picked him up from prison and put him up in a mobile home community in Williamstown; a stipulation of Simon's parole was that he needed an address in New Jersey. Two busy shopping centers. But even superstars have the odd off day, suffer the career-ending injury. He was unpredictable. While in prison, authorities said Harris viciously beat inmate Robert Mudman Simon, 48, to death in a recreation area in 1999. It was believed they were picked-up in the Warlocks' trolling ground, the old MacDade Mall, but were killed when they refused to participate in the gang's "initiation rites". After that, paroles, like commutations, declined dramatically. I was in sixth grade. People rarely got very far once Mudman Simon stepped into their path. National Park Service: 'Never push a slower friend down' in a bear encounter, March 2 (UPI) -- The National Park Service offered some sage advice for park visitors who encounter bears: "Never push a slower friend down. CarlK90245 said: A 21-Mar-1982 article in the Delaware County Sunday Times details the disappearance of Cheryl Ann Moser Iacovone, and indicates that she is believed to have been murdered by members of the Warlocks. A. Charles Peruto Jr., the lawyer who represented Simon before the board, said New Jersey, not Pennsylvania, should bear the responsibility for allowing him to settle so close to his buddy Staples. Following a lengthy series of felonies and several prison stints, Mudman Simon was convicted of murdering a local girl who had disrespected him at a party. All rights reserved (About Us). ``When I sentenced him, he looked up at me and muttered, `F you and turned his back on me., Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Simon took a different route in his attempt to stay out of prison - murdering a policeman. Hogan said Warlocks activity in Franklin Township was a major issue during his tenure as police chief. There were also outlaw bikers, drug dealers, meth freaks, gamblers, loansharks, burglars and mob guys, as well as businessmen, cops and politicians with some very creative ideas regarding money, law and ethics. Robert "Mudman" Simon, 48, was the first to meet such an end since the moratorium on capital punishment in the United States was lifted 23 years ago. Retired Trenton Deputy Police Chief Joe Constance, who led the team of detectives on the Huggins case, told NJ Advance Media Wednesday that Harris was the most evil person Ive encountered in the 32 years I was on the job.. Harris life was spared when New Jersey abolished the death penalty in 2007. [3] Additionally, Simon was placed into juvenile detention on at least two separate occasions.[4]. As claimed by Mihalick, they both had been unaware of Simon's homicidal history as he misled them to believing he was just a reformed drug dealer. He started in my direction, with obvious enthusiasm. "Harris apparently beat Simon down with his fists then kicked him until he was unconscious," said an investigator. He fell and hit his head on a metal table. Yo-Yo spotted me. Harris life was spared when New Jersey abolished the death penalty in 2007. "The problem Franklin Township always had was officers didn't have much backup on the streets," Hogan said of the 56 square miles of coverage area. Not long before, Mud had burned down a store on the Ocean City, New Jersey boardwalk.