Rick Southworth

[rukkus]

If you don't know, now you know - message from Rick Southworth

Michael is my little brother, a man named Christopher Faieta made a detailed confession of killing my little brother, after being picked up by, the Niagara Falls police.Fiaeta states Michael was his drug supplier, and was smoking crack w/ him on Dec.9 the night before the murder. First off Michael did not smoke crack, and to my knowledge did not sell crack cocaine. Chris was up smoking Friday night, on Sat dec.10 He wanted money from Michael, to buy more crack cocaine. My little brother said no to faieta, and then they started to argue. Chris states my brother pulled out a handgun, they struggled and faieta grabbed an air rifle, and beat Michael repeatly, in the head knocking my 19 year old brother out, and breaking the rifle in half. Then Fiaeta made a premeditated decision to strangle Michael w/ a guitar string killing my brother. Then he made another decision to drag Michael up stairs of his house placing my little 19-year-old brother in a bathtub of water. As Michael Bank Jr lay lifeless at 602 30th st, Niagara Falls NY. Fiaeta made a 3rd decision to drive to The Home Depot, to buy a blue tarp, some cleaning supplies, plus a rope. As Michael's body lay dead in a tub, Faieta makes a 4th decision, to drive to Lake Ontario, throws the alleged gun of my brother's into the lake, but fiaeta decides it’s not a good stop for the body. Fiaeta went back to his house 602 30th street, and wrapped my little brother in the tarp, and put his dead body into the back yard, while he cleaned up my 19 year old brothers blood off the walls and floor!!!!!!Then Fiaeta put Michael into his van and droved down the interstate 219 to the border of Erie and Cattaraugus counties! Slid Michael through the bridge rail’s 120 feet down into a 4 foot creek. The NY state police are not doing a good enough job finding Michaels body, in two weeks they only looked three times, using the weather, and ice as their excuse for not constantly looking for my brother's body. Mind you it's only 4 feet of water, and telling my family that we can't help, but were not waiting no more we are going to start looking. Behind closed doors the DA made a low bail deal w/ his attorneys to go to drug rehab of $20,000 10% is 2,000w/ out our knowledge. This man confesses to brutally murdering my little brother. In NY State no rehab places are looked down. Who knows if Fiaeta is going to or has already ran. My family thinks he's a flight risk.Fiatea's family are well known business owners in Niagara Falls. His family must have deep pockets in Niagara country. If it were Black man, who killed a white child, there would not be any bail for rehab!!!!

CAN ANY ONE PLEASE HELP FORWARD TO AS MANY PEOPLE WE NEED NATIONAL ATTENTION TO PUT PRESSURE ON NIAGARA COUNTY NY TO MAKE SURE JUSTICE IS SERVERD WHILE FIAETA IS FREE OUT ON BAIL,MY LITTLE BROTHER IS LAYING LIFELESS IN A CREEK,NOT TO BE FOUND WITH NO STORY TO TELL..WHILE FIATEA CAN SEE HIS FAMILY FOR XMAS.ALL WE HAVE ARE PICTURS W/ NO CLOSURE WAITING FOR HIM TO BE FOUND!!!!!!PLEASE HELP FORWARD, IF YOU CAN HELP CALL ME (Rick Southworth 1-716-440-2093)

[Chris in Parkside]

[rukkus]

Just to let everyone know- I am helping to spread Richard Southworth's word after I heard this VERY sad story which happened recently. I don't believe it is right that a murderer be let out on bail.

[Giambra's smoking habit]

I don't understand why he's out on bail either. He killed someone, dumped the body, and confessed. so what makes him different from anyone else? Something is strange about this or we're not hearing the whole story. There are people in jail being held without bail for sticking up a bank, but an admitted murderer is sitting at home?

[rukkus]

Rumor has it that the murderer is related to some big cheese in Nia Falls with deep pockets....

I mean how do you murder someone, goto Home Depot to buy disposal supplies and then drive 50 some miles and dump someone off the Zoar valley bridge and then get out on a small bail??? To me thats death penalty material (if we had it).

For those who have never seen the Zoar valley bridge on 219- it is very high and to even think to dump someone off that bridge is BRUTAL enough. Sick bastard. Please make sure to spread this story around.

[rukkus]

Please understand I am just learning of this myself and only trying to spread the word... SO I was curious as to how someone walks out of a situation like this on bail but other than the letter written by Southworth, I was unable to find reports of the murderer being let go on bail so easily... I'm not sure of the facts on that... but here is an article I found that tells the story further:

Published: December 15, 2005 11:28 pm

Alleged killer details crime

By Aaron Besecker
Niagara Gazette

Niagara Falls police have released the name of the man they believe Christopher Faieta beat and strangled to death but whose body has not yet been found.

New York State Police are still searching for the body of Michael K. Banks, 19, of Buffalo in Cattaraugus Creek near Route 219 on the Erie-Cattaraugus County line.

Police have searched for two days near a Route 219 overpass after receiving a tip on Tuesday morning from two acquaintances who told police Faieta admitted the killing to them.

Banks, who also had a Falls address of 729 19th St., had just sold Faieta crack cocaine around 7:30 a.m. Saturday when a dispute ensued over more drugs, police said. It was the fifth homicide of 2005 in the Falls.

Police interrogated Faieta, who was present with attorneys, for several hours Wednesday night. He appeared remorseful and assisted police by going through the entire chain of events surrounding the slaying, Detective Capt. Ernest Palmer said.

The detective captain relayed those details to the Gazette Thursday.

The incident began when Banks, who Faieta told police was his drug supplier, refused to sell him more crack while the two were inside Faieta’s 30th Street home. Faieta said he had just smoked all of the crack he purchased from Banks that morning.

Banks pulled out a handgun, which the two men began to struggle over. Faieta then reached for an air rifle which he used to strike Banks with over the head.

As Banks laid unconscious, Faieta continued to beat him with the butt end of the rifle until the gun crumbled into pieces, Palmer said.

After the gun broke and while Banks was unconscious, Faieta strangled him with an instrument cable.

There was a good deal of musical equipment around Faieta’s home because he was a working musician in the Falls area, police said.

After Banks was dead, Faieta dragged his body up to the second-floor bathroom, placed him in the bathtub and tried to clean up the body.

Faieta then left the house and drove to Home Depot to buy a plastic blue tarp to wrap the body in. Upon returning home, he then wrapped the body in the tarp, brought the body downstairs, ultimately pushing the body out a kitchen window into the backyard.

After dragging the body into the garage, Faieta pulled his van into the garage, stuffing the body inside, Palmer said.

Witnesses told police Faieta said he drove to Wilson to dump the body, but did not find a place to do so. He never told police he drove to Wilson, Palmer said.

Faieta told police he drove down Route 219 and dumped the body off a bridge over Cattaraugus Creek near Springville.

Police believe the body fell about 100 feet into the water below when Faieta dumped it late Saturday around midnight.

Investigators found some physical evidence on the bridge, and also in Wellsville, where police found pieces of the smashed air rifle.

A despondent Faieta went to Wellsville on Sunday to the home of two acquaintances — the couple that came forward to police on Tuesday.

At first, the couple encouraged Faieta to turn himself in, which he refused to do. The two had to force Faieta to leave the property, according to police.

The couple also told police Faieta was despondent because his girlfriend had left him.

Faieta, who was captured Tuesday at his parents’ Town of Niagara home, told police he spent all day Monday smoking crack.

State police divers scoured the creek Thursday, but were hindered by icy conditions. Helicopters were also used in the search. Officials will continue the search today.

It’s possible investigators won’t recover the body for some time, Palmer said.

Faieta has no history of violence, while Banks only had previous arrests for vehicle and traffic violations.

Faieta pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Niagara Falls city court Thursday.

He stood silently as Judge Angelo J. Morinello ordered him held without bail until he is due back in court on Feb. 8.

A family member and friend of the victim were removed from the courtroom during Faieta’s arraignment. They began to speak out against Faieta and were ordered by the judge to be removed for their outbursts.

[Ragin]

I don't quite understand your story, rukkas.

The article specifically states he is being held without bail.

Are you saying this is not true?

[rukkus]

regan-
Just above my last post I explained that I am still learning of what actually went down so I pologoze for the confusion. I just wanted to post what the press was saying versus what actually has gone down.

I was just told that the killer was in fact let out on bail. The press has not reported much since this happened, and has not reported the fact that he was let out on bail.

[Ragin]

I'm really sorry about what happened to your friend.
If he is truly out on bail after confessing to murder, there really should be some "noise" made about it.
Get a group of friends & family and head to the media with your story.