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Guilty pleas in Whitaker murder
MAYVILLE, N.Y. -- The two men being held in connection with the August 2014 shooting death of Greencastle native Mary E. Whitaker have pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the case, rendering moot any need for their scheduled Jan. 12 trial.
An accomplished musician who resided in New York City, Whitaker, 61, was killed Aug. 20, 2014 during a robbery at her Westfield, N.Y., summer home.
Jonathan Conklin, 44, and Charles Sanford, 31, a pair of homeless men with last-known addresses in Erie, Pa., were arrested two days later and indicted on second-degree murder charges in September 2014.
Patrick E. Swanson, acting district attorney for Chautauqua County, N.Y., told the Banner Graphic Sanford pled guilty to second-degree murder under the felony murder section.
"The agreement was that Mr. Sanford was to cooperate with the people in the prosecution of the co-defendant, Jonathan Conklin," Swanson said. "In exchange for his cooperation, Mr. Sanford's sentencing commitment was 15-to-life sentence in New York State Prison to be run concurrently with his federal sentence (for being a felon in possession of a gun)."
However, Conklin has also now pled guilty in U.S. District Court to second-degree murder under the felony murder section. His sentencing commitment of 25-to-life is to be run concurrently with his federal sentence for carjacking, Swanson said.
Sentencing for Sanford is scheduled for Feb. 29, while Conklin will face sentencing at 1:30 p.m. March 10. They remain in federal custody in New York.
Authorities have long considered Conklin as masterminding the plot and the one who shot Whitaker.
Conklin, a homeless man with a violent criminal past, and Sanford, a registered sex offender, are accused of shooting and stabbing the world-class violinist after stealing a rifle from an apartment in town and walking to the rural area where Whitaker's home sits upon a hill.
Conklin "wanted to live like a rock star," according to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal charges.
Sanford reportedly told authorities he knocked on Whitaker's door about 7:30 a.m., telling her his car was out of gas and he needed to use a phone.
Once Whitaker was lured outside, Conklin reportedly came up from behind, displayed the rifle and shot her after she screamed.
In the subsequent struggle for the rifle, Whitaker was shot again in the leg, falling and hitting her head on the garage door. She was then dragged into the attached garage, where Sanford stabbed her in the neck, police reports state.
Acting District Attorney Swanson called it "a horrible, senseless act" when he spoke Friday afternoon to the Banner Graphic, even indicating how unsettling the crime had been personally.
"From my parents' house there in Sherman Line, you can actually see her house on the hill," he said.
After fatally attacking Whitaker, the two stole her 2007 Chevrolet HHR and used her credit cards at various businesses in Erie, Pa.
They were arrested separately two days later after state and federal authorities tracked credit card activity and identified Conklin on a store security camera.
Both men made certain admissions regarding the burglary, though they pleaded not guilty to all state charges in January 2015. Those charges included second-degree murder, first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery, first-degree criminal use of a firearm, second-degree burglary and fourth-degree grand larceny.
In October, Conklin pleaded guilty to carjacking in the U.S. District Court in Buffalo. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000.
Swanson said sentences stemming from state charges will likely run concurrently with federal time and other charges for Conklin and Sanford since they all involve the same event.
In September, Sanford pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
"This case began with senseless and cowardly actions which took the life of one who gave so much to our community," U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. told the Jamestown Post-Journal. "While we unfortunately cannot bring back a woman whose life was dedicated to bringing beauty to the world through music, at the very least we can say we utilized our justice system as a form of deep respect and appreciation for Mary's life."
A 1971 Greencastle High School graduate, Mary Elizabeth Whitaker was the daughter of the late John and Frances Whitaker, who owned and operated Whitaker Funeral Home (now Bittles and Hurt) in Greencastle throughout the 1960s and '70s.
After graduating from Indiana University with a performance degree in violin, she moved to New York City, where for more than 30 years she was associated with major free-lance orchestras, toured regularly and was part of Barbra Streisand's 2006-07 international tour.
A member of the Westchester Philharmonic for 25 years, she played regularly for Broadway shows like "The Lion King" and spent her summers performing with the Chautauqua Symphony.