Man Convicted of Murdering Mother of 3 With an Ax Goes On Rant at Sentencing | Crime Alert 7AM 05.23.25

Authorities reported that Steve Dewitt killed 40-year-old Julie Minogue with an axe in her home in December 2022, while her three-year-old and 17-year-old children were inside. Just days before the murder, a restraining order had been placed against Dewitt.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime Alard hourly update, breaking crime news.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
Now, I'm Nicole Pardon. A man has been sentenced to
forty years in prison for the murder of his ex girlfriend,
a mother of three, in her Milford, Connecticut residence, while
two of her children were present during the sentencing hearing.
On Thursday, family members of Julie Minogue, including her sister, mother,
and eldest son Nicholas, shared their emotional testimonies for the

(00:25):
first time since the tragic event, looking the accused killer
in the eye, telling him he had changed everything. Allison
Minogue's sister looked Stephen DeWitt in the eye and was
the first to speak in court, saying, the evening of
December sixth, twenty twenty two will forever haunt our family.
I wish I could express the profound heartbreak we endure

(00:46):
every day. I often lie awake at night imagining my
sister's final moments, the unimaginable fear she must have felt.
He robbed us of the chance to say goodbye to her.
He robbed us of the chance to say goodbye to
a sister, to a daughter, because he mutilated her before
we could even see her. Our lives have been irreversibly

(01:07):
changed because of you. You're a monster. Nicholas, Julie's eldest son,
delivered the third victim impact statement, saying you are a coward.
You took our mother's life. She was a strong, beautiful
woman who raised three boys alone. You are a hollow
excuse of a man. You are not a man in fact,
are you even human? I don't know, but may you

(01:28):
rot in hell. The final family member to speak was
Gerald Minogue, Julie's father, who had attended every court hearing
related to his daughter's case. He said, quote, while I
find some relief in the conclusion of these proceedings, I
will carry the burden of knowing the fear and pain
you have caused my daughter to endure. I will carry
that forever. You are a monster. May you rot in hell.

(01:51):
Dewit's attorney, Claude Chong, attempted to provide context for Dewit's actions,
citing a combination of alcohol, drug use, depression, and PTSD
as factors that led him to lose control just in
that moment, the attorney said. However, State Attorney's Margaret Kelly
quickly countered, clarifying that DeWitt's actions were not impulsive, but premeditated,

(02:15):
which led to an outburst from the killer in the courtroom.

Speaker 1 (02:19):
This was.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
Cold, cold, calculated, well thought out to the extent that
we the uber. I understand what you may be going for.

(02:46):
I disaster, this is in orderly place. Outburst like that
from saying, I'm left with no other choice but to
ask you to remove you from the courtroom any great continued,
I'm not going to do that. The judge had to intervene,
reminding DeWitt of the courtrooms decorum. Mister DeWitt, I understand

(03:08):
what you're feeling, but this is an orderly environment. If
this continues, I will have you remove, the judge warned.
DeWitt responded with sarcasm. That'd be great, take me out
of here. The judge continued with the sentencing, urging DeWitt
to remain calm. Authorities reported that DeWitt killed forty year
old Juliet Minogue with an axe in her home in
December while her three children, a three year old, seventeen

(03:32):
year old, and fifteen year old were inside. Just days
before the murder, a restraining order had been placed against
a man in November, DeWitt had been arrested for a
suspected assault against Minogue, leading to a protective order. Following
a series of harassing text messages. Minogue was granted a
full no contact restraining order on December one. Tragically, just

(03:54):
five days later, she was found dead. DeWitt faced multiple charges,
including murder, risk of injury to a child, home invasion,
and violation of a protective order. He pleaded guilty to
two of the charges, resulting in a forty year sentence
for murder and a concurrent ten year sentence for the
risk of injury to a child or Crime and Justice

(04:15):
news After this, a woman from Slydale has been arrested
for allegedly aiding a fugitive who is still evading capture
following a significant jail break in New Orleans. This according
to the Louisiana State Police, Connie Wheden, fifty nine, was
arrested in Slydale and booked into the Saint Tammany Parish

(04:37):
Correctional Center on Thursday. She becomes the third person charged
with assisting inmates who escaped from the Orleans Justice Center,
joining several staff members already implicated in the crime. Weeden
faces a felony charge of being an accessory after the
fact for her alleged involvement with Jermaine Donald, one of

(04:58):
the five escapees still at large. Wheden was in communication
with Donald via both phone and text messages prior to
following the escape, stated LSP officials. Investigators found that she
sent him cash through a mobile payment app after the breakout.
Donald remains on the run alongside four other inmates who

(05:18):
escaped from the Justice Center on May sixteen. Authorities have
since recaptured five of the ten original escapees. Law enforcement
officials have issued a stern warning concerning the consequences for
aiding fugitives. Quote. Anyone who helps or hides these individuals
is breaking the law and will be prosecuted, said state police.

(05:38):
Harboring fugitives in dangers community safety and will not be accepted.
According to Louisiana law, being convicted of accessory after the
fact can result in a prison sentence of up to
five years and a fine of up to five hundred
thousand dollars or both. On Wednesday, the LSP reported the
arrest of thirty two year old Courtney Harris and thirty

(06:01):
eight year old Corvanta Baptiste, both charged with felonies for
being accessories after the fact they were booked and incarcerated,
officials confirmed earlier on Thursday, the Orleans Parish District Attorney
issued subpoenas to Sheriff Susan Hudson and other staff members
from the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office as part of the

(06:21):
ongoing investigation into the escape. The subpoenas demanded access to emails,
text messages, and internal communications involving Hudson and OPSO personnel,
including messages to Sterling Williams, a jail maintenance worker arrested
in connection with the jail break. Williams, thirty three, is
accused of disabling a toilet to facilitate the inmates escape.

(06:45):
The inmates, including three charged with second degree murder, managed
to break free after removing the toilet from its mounts.
In connection with the investigation, four other employees have been suspended.

Speaker 1 (06:57):
How could a beautiful, young first grade time teacher be
stabbed twenty times, including in the back, allegedly die of suicide? Yes,
that was the medical examiner's official ruling after a closed
door meeting. He first named it a homicide. Why what
happened to Ellen Greenberg? A huge American miscarriage?

Speaker 3 (07:21):
Of Justice. For an in depth look at the facts,
See what Happened to Ellen on Amazon. All proceeds to
the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Speaker 2 (07:37):
For the latest crime in justice news, follow Crime Alert
hourly update on your favorite podcasting app with this crime Alert.
I'm Nicol Parton.