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Man pleads guilty to killing 2 postal workers

By WTOP Staff

ADRIAN SAINZ
Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A former corrections officer pleaded guilty Thursday to fatally shooting two workers at a rural Tennessee post office in a deal that allows him to avoid the death penalty and spend the rest of his life in prison.

Chastain Montgomery, 50, changed his plea to guilty in a deal with prosecutors during a hearing before U.S. Senior District Judge Jon P. McCalla in Memphis. The deal was authorized by Attorney General Eric Holder, said Edward Stanton, U.S. attorney for West Tennessee.

Montgomery will be sentenced to life in prison Aug. 12. There is no parole in the federal system.

Montgomery struggled to answer several questions from McCalla during the hearing, consulting with his lawyers for guidance. But when he was asked by the judge if he felt OK, Montgomery smiled and replied, “I feel pretty good.”

Montgomery was charged with shooting Paula Robinson and Judy Spray during an October 2010 robbery of the post office in Henning, about 45 miles northeast of Memphis. Their relatives stared sternly at Montgomery during the hearing.

Prosecutors said Montgomery and his 18-year-old son tried to rob the post office, but they became angry and began shooting after they realized it had just $63 to steal.

“I feel that the outcome that we have is true justice in this case,” defense attorney Michael Scholl said. “It spares families on all sides from having to suffer through a two-month-long trial.”

Federal prosecutors said last year they would be seeking the death penalty against Montgomery because he has shown no remorse and is capable of “future dangerousness.”

Chastain Montgomery Jr. was killed in a shootout with police in Mason in February 2011 after the teen was caught driving a stolen truck. The elder Montgomery was arrested when he went to the crime scene in Mason in what authorities said was the getaway car in the post office shootings and tried to access the stolen truck.

In a videotaped interrogation, Montgomery said he became angry after realizing the post office had little cash and he shot Robinson, who was black. His son then shot Spray, who was white, Montgomery said.

“I lost it, man,” Chastain Montgomery Sr. told postal inspectors on Feb. 15, 2011. “I started shooting. I shot the black lady.”

Montgomery’s defense challenged the confession, arguing that it was coerced by investigators and that his requests for a lawyer were ignored. McCalla ruled that the confession could be used at trial, which has been scheduled for June 9.

McCalla also ruled that Montgomery is not mentally disabled and would be eligible to face the death penalty. Defense attorneys had argued that Montgomery is intellectually disabled and unfit to face the death penalty under the guidelines set forth by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

Psychologists testified in a December hearing that three IQ tests Montgomery took as a child and adult showed he has a mild intellectual disability, with scores of less than 70.

Prosecutors argued that Montgomery’s IQ tests don’t reflect that Montgomery was able to function in society, attend college and hold jobs, including a long tenure at a West Tennessee prison.

In his ruling, McCalla said Montgomery does not suffer from the limitations required for a finding of intellectual disability. Those limitations include the diminished ability to understand and process information, communicate, learn from experience and control impulses.

In the December hearing, which lasted several days, Montgomery had to be restrained twice due to outbursts in court. In one of the outbursts, he threatened to kill a witness who was testifying.

Prosecutors also have accused him of making a knife-like weapon known as a “shank” and planning to escape jail by attacking a U.S. marshal with it.

Montgomery also pleaded guilty to robbing two Middle Tennessee banks with his son after the post office shootings. Deputies found ammunition, a gun and cash stained with red dye in the younger Montgomery’s backpack after the Mason shootout. Banks use exploding dye packs to mark stolen bills.

A 9mm gun used by the son in his shootout with police matched the one used in the post office shootings, authorities said. A 40-caliber weapon recovered from the father’s Chevrolet Impala matched the one used to shoot Robinson.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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