Local
Appeals Denied In Smulick Murder
NINE YEARS AGO IN LA CROSSE, A 16-YEAR-OLD BOY WAS BEATEN AS PART OF A RITUAL TO BRING ANOTHER TEEN INTO A GANG…AND THEN HE WAS MURDERED.
FOUR YOUNG MEN ARE STILL IN PRISON FOR THE 2001 DEATH OF JEFF SMULICK. TWO OF THEM RECENTLY ASKED A JUDGE TO REDUCE THEIR SENTENCES OF MORE THAN 20 YEARS. BUT JUDGE DALE PASELL SAYS IT’S NOT IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST TO SHORTEN THE SENTENCES OF JONATHAN CORYELL AND TIMOTHY GOYETTE. ALTHOUGH PASELL COMMENDED THE TWO MEN FOR THEIR REHABILITATION EFFORTS IN PRISON, HE SAYS ANY REDUCTION SHOULD BE CONSIDERED CLOSER TO THE END OF THEIR SENTENCES. JEFF SMULICK’S FATHER ASKED THE JUDGE TO DENY THE REDUCTIONS…SAYING THE APPEAL REQUESTS ARE HURTFUL BECAUSE THEY OFTEN COME AROUND THE TIME OF JEFF’S BIRTHDAY.