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Veillette indicted on 15 counts in deaths
34-year-old could face death penalty if found guilty of killing his 4 kids and wife.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
LEBANON — A Warren County grand jury on Friday, Feb. 15, handed up an indictment that could bring the death penalty against Michel Veillette in the stabbing of his wife and the killing of his four children who died in a fire at their house.
The grand jury returned 15 counts, under various statutes, against Veillette, 34, of Mason, said county Prosecutor Rachel Hutzel, whose office will now try to convince a jury that Veillette deserves the death penalty.
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To be indicted for the death penalty, the defendant must be charged with aggravated murder and one or more aggravating circumstances.
In Veillette's case, the jury found that all five deaths were committed with prior calculation and design and that he committed an aggravated arson in an attempt to cover up his wife's slaying. The fact the children were under the age of 13 is another death penalty qualifier.
The jury did not specify the death penalty on the aggravated murder count relative to Veillette's wife, Nadya Ferrari-Veillette.
Asked if 15 counts was excessive, Hutzel said, "We have four little ones under the age of 8 that are dead. I don't think there is any way for this to be ... (excessive)."
Hutzel said she cannot discuss any of the evidence presented because she intends to keep the case in the county. She hopes trial will begin in April.
"If we put too much of this out there, Warren County doesn't get to try this case," she said. "This was a horrible crime."
Veillette originally admitted to setting fire to the family home on Brackenview Court after stabbing his wife to death on Jan. 11. His children — Marguerite, 8, Vincent, 4, and 2-year-old twins Mia and Jacob — died from carbon monoxide poisoning.
At a pretrial hearing last month, Mason police Detective Jerome Deidesheimer said there were blood drops that led from the master bedroom where the couple struggled to the garage where Veillette allegedly grabbed a gasoline can. County Coroner Russell Uptegrove testified that Nadya was dead when the fire was started.
Veillette — currently incarcerated in the Warren County Jail — will next appear in court at a video arraignment at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20.
