The Misery Machine - The Case of Kimberly Cates

Starting point is 00:00:00 Kimberly L. Cates was born on March 6, 1967 in Toledo, Ohio to parents James and Lynette Piaseki. She had two brothers, Jeff and Scott, as well as a niece Nicole and a nephew Christopher. She was tall and slender, with dark hair, dark eyes, and a bright smile. Her husband described her as full of energy, excitement in life, with an infectious smile and a vibrant personality. Kimberly had a passion for nursing and graduated from a nurse. program at Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona. Nursing was the perfect career path for Kimberly as it allowed her compassionate and caring spirit to touch others.

Starting point is 00:00:41 In 1997, she married David J. Cates and a year later, their daughter, Jamie Lynn, was born. Jamie was very close with her mom. Her father, David, expressed, it was more than the usual mother-daughter bond. They were like one. Kim was a warm, affectionate mom who deeply enjoyed spending time with her daughter. and Jamie deeply enjoyed spending time with her mom. Kim loved Jamie eternally. Family friends also said that both Jamie and her mom had a kind, compassionate spirit and were always looking out for others.

Starting point is 00:01:14 In 2004, the Kate's family moved to Baltimore, Maryland, and finally to Mont Vernon, New Hampshire. Mont Vernon is a small, isolated colonial town bordering Massachusetts. In 2009, the population was only 2,000 people. Now, Mont Vernon was thought of as a very safe place to live, with the last act of violent crime occurring more than 160 years ago. The Cates lived at 4-Trow Road and a four-bedroom house surrounded by a large garden in woodland. Kimberly worked at several hospitals in the state of New Hampshire, including St. Joseph's Hospital, Catholic Medical Center, and Milford Medical Center. Family described Kimberly as a loving wife and devoted mother who cherished time spent with her family and had a very outgoing personality. At the time of our story, she was just 42 years old.

Starting point is 00:02:04 Stephen Spader was born on November 9, 1991, to a drug-addicted mother and an unknown father. At birth, he was taken away from his mother by CPS, and five days later was adopted by Stephen and Christine Spader. And Stephen was two, his biological mother became pregnant with his siblings. who was almost adopted by the spaders, but custody ended up being given to the biological father. Stephen had a normal middle-class upbringing in the Massachusetts town of Brookline. It was a Boy Scout, played with other children, went to the local school there. Stephen liked musical theater and played Daddy Warbucks in a school production of Annie, but did not thrive with the academic side of school.

Starting point is 00:02:46 His parents eventually became so worried about their son's future that they hired an advocate to ensure his school wrote him an individualized educational plan, even borrowed money against their home and spent tens of thousands of dollars on leadership programs and residential treatment programs in New York and Utah. Stephen attended Hollis-Brookline High School and dropped out at the age of 17. He also saw multiple psychologists and psychiatrists

Starting point is 00:03:11 throughout his teen years and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and major depression. In 2008, he was hospitalized for mental health reasons on two occasions. At the same year, he briefly attended Adirondack Leadership Expeditions, a character-building camp for troubled teens, but he was asked to leave by counselors who described him as a house of cards who needed a higher level of treatment. Getting into trouble with the police was a common occurrence for Stephen Spader. He once ran away from home with a girl he got pregnant, and police spent days tracking him down. Police files showed he also pointed a knife at his father, rampaged through his parents' home, grabbing counters and throwing food, who's also caught in possession of weed.

Starting point is 00:03:53 Stephen, drugs and crime were cool, in his own words. He would often brag to his classmates about taking drugs and make up stories about him being in a gang and killing people. Stephen had a string of girlfriends whom he treated very badly and lashed out violently at them. Christopher Gribble was a devout Mormon with dreams of one day becoming a church missionary. He worked as a handyman at his local church and seen. like a relatively normal guy on the surface. However, the post he made on Facebook showed a dark side to his life. One such post read, Although everyone has a light and a dark side, mine are very extreme. If I like you, or at least don't dislike you, I'm the sweetest,

Starting point is 00:04:38 nicest person ever. But heaven help you if I truly lose it. It's not pretty. Christopher also served in the ROTC and frequently posted on Facebook about his favorite knives and swords. He was very socially awkward and one of Stephen's ex-girlfriends even named him creepy Chris because he often made unwanted lewd remarks towards women. Quinn Glover was a resident of Amherst, the closest city to Mont Vernon. Several residents of Mont Vernon actually knew Quinn in his family because they all attended the same church, where he liked to sing and play the guitar. William Marks went by the nickname Billy. Not much is known about him other than that he attended the same high school as Quinn Glover and people described him as insecure and angsty.

Starting point is 00:05:21 Stephen Spader, Christopher Gribble, Quinn Glover, and William Marks were all close friends between the ages of 17 and 19 in late 2009. People say the four of them were depressed, angry, and lost in life, and this is probably why they chose to band together. In September of that same year, Stephen formed what he called a brotherhood with his four friends named the Disciples of Destruction, or DoD for short. He described it as a group of like-minded individuals with balls to do crazy shit. The DOD had regular meetings where all members discussed their sick desires to break into homes and murder the people who live there.

Starting point is 00:06:02 Stephen, specifically, talked about how he wanted to incapacitate victims with chloroform, tie them up, and torture them for financial information before finally killing them. Stephen also came up with goals and bylaws of the group lived by. He outlined these goals in a document which heavily focused on the importance of loyalty and brotherhood to the DOD. The association also had its own logo, which Stephen had marked on his back. One month later, on October 3rd, Stephen told his friend, Autumn Savoy, that he was going to do a job that night. He then texted the other members of the DOD, Christopher William and Quinn, and told them to meet him and bring machetes, an axe, a rope, and plenty of trash bags. Christopher would later share that this job was a test. to make sure that we had the balls to do whatever.

Starting point is 00:06:50 Once the DOD were all gathered together, they googled how to make chloroform on Autumn's computer. From the search, they learned they needed ice, bleach, and acetone, and Quinn went out to buy the necessary supplies. He sent a series of text messages to his mom and girlfriend, saying he was at a party and needed some acetone to clean his pocket knife, but he was unable to get any. At around 4 a.m. on October 4th, the DOD got into Christopher's car and Stephen drove them all. all up to Trow Road. He had specifically chosen this road as each home was built far away from its neighboring properties. They selected a house at random, number four. Inside, Kimberly Cates and her 11-year-old daughter, Jamie, were both fast asleep in the master bedroom.

Starting point is 00:07:33 David Cates was not home as he was away on a business trip. Neighbors say Kim was very meticulous about safety and always made sure to lock her doors but left the living room window open that night. Before climbing through the open window, the DOD shut off all the electricity to the home. Then the four men used their iPod flashlight to make their way up to the master bedroom. The men huddled outside the bedroom door. Stephen opened it slowly and shone the flashlight into the pitch black room. Thinking the bedroom was empty, he turned to Christopher and whispered,

Starting point is 00:08:08 No one's here. Feeling disappointed that they had broken into an empty home, the DOD started to walk away. But at that very moment, Kimberly sat up in bed and said, Jamie, is that you? Immediately, Stephen tossed the iPod on the floor and walked toward the right-hand side of the bed where he had heard the woman's voice coming from.

Starting point is 00:08:29 Chris followed him into the bedroom and stood on the left side of the bed. William and Quinn, who were standing in the hallway, covered their ears once they started to hear the loud thumps of Stephen's machete, hacking at the bed, and Kimberly, who was in it. Jamie woke up to her mom screaming. She saw her being hacked to death. She threw herself over her mother to try and protect her. Christopher pulled her off and began stabbing her in the face and the chest,

Starting point is 00:08:54 trying to puncture her heart, though he couldn't see clearly in the dark room. Stephen hacked at Kimberly a total of 32 times all over her body. A post-mortem evaluation revealed her skull had been split in half, exposing her brain. Her upper arm bone in the palms of her hands were also injured as she held. out her arms trying to fend off the blows, which led the coroner to believe she was alive for every wound that was inflicted on her. Stephen then slit Jamie's throat with the same machete and did it with such force that he broke her jaw in the process. He also split open her head and cut off portions of her left foot. Christopher then picked her up and threw her against the bedroom door.

Starting point is 00:09:35 Miraculously, the little girl was still alive, lying completely still, hoping her attackers would believe that she was dead and leave. After all four men scoured the bedroom and the rest of the home for valuables, they left and drove out of Mont Vernon, leaving nothing behind except the carnage they had caused, a piece of paper with the DoD logo drawn on it. She was sure it was safe to do so. Jamie got up and staggered to the phone and called 911 before collapsing and hitting the floor with a thud. Around 15 minutes, the first police officer arrived on the scene. He looked through the window and saw a young girl lying on the floor completely covered in blood

Starting point is 00:10:12 from her head to her toes with major lacerations to her face and part of her foot missing. The officer kicked the door in and rushed to Jamie's aide. I knelt down close to the shaking girl who whispered softly, I think my mommy is dead. The officer then carried her outside and went upstairs to discover Kimberly lying dead on her bed naked from the waist down with extreme trauma to the head. An ambulance soon came and took Jamie to a hospital in Massachusetts. She was put in intensive care for more than two weeks and underwent multiple life-sacept.

Starting point is 00:10:42 saving surgeries. The doctor later testified she would have died of a punctured lung if she had phoned 911 any later than she did. Having fled Mont Vernon, the DOD headed for Hollis and spent the night at the home of their friend Autumn Savoy. They told him about the grisly act they had committed and instead of running to the police, Autumn told them to discard their bloody clothing and clean their weapons of blood. The two killers and their two accomplices set off to the Nashua River and dumped the clothes they had been wearing when they invaded the Kate's home. They also cleaned their weapons with a Burger King bag. About an hour or so later, Christopher updated his Facebook page and wrote,

Starting point is 00:11:22 Had an awesome time with Stephen Autumn. Dexter is such a funny show. The next morning, Stephen and Christopher went on the internet looking for news about the attack they were responsible for. They discovered that Jamie had survived and felt disappointed that they had failed in their mission to kill everyone in the home. So the two of them started making plans to kill again. Within 14 hours of the attack, police had already begun to suspect Stephen Spader, Christopher Gribble, William Marks, and Quinn Glover were the ones involved as they fit the description Jamie Cates gave of her attackers.

Starting point is 00:11:55 However, investigators knew for certain they had the right guys once they discovered them trying to pawn off jewelry belonging to Kimberly Cates. Mr. Glover, I want to turn your attention to about 4 o'clock in the morning on Sunday up. October 4th of last year, were you in Mount Vernon? Yes, I was, sir. Where in Mount Vernon were you? At Fort Trail Road. At the time, did you know the address where you were at? No, sir.

Starting point is 00:12:21 But that was a home? Yes, it was. What is Fort Trial Road or what was Fort Trial Road last October? Fort Trial Road was the residents of Kimberly, David, and Jamie Cates. At the time, did you know the people who lived in that house? No, sir. Did you know their names? No.

Starting point is 00:12:48 Were you alone when you were at that house? No, I wasn't. Who were you with? I was with Billy Marks, Chris Grible, and Steven Spader. Did you enter the house with those three individuals? Yes, I did. How did you enter into the house generally? We broke in.

Starting point is 00:13:12 Was anyone in the house that you and the other three broke into? Yes, there were. How many people? Two. A male, female? There was a woman and her child, a little girl. Were those two people attacked? Yes, they were. Were you in the house when the woman and the young girl were attacked? Yes, it was, sir. Did you actually see the attacks when they initially occurred? No. Where were the victims when they were attacked inside their home? weren't in their bedroom. Who did you see go into the bedroom before they were attacked? Chris Grivel and Seaman Spader.

Starting point is 00:13:56 Were Mr. Grible and Mr. Grible and Mr. Spader armed when they went into that bedroom? Yes, they were, sir. What weapon did the defendant Mr. Spader have when he went into that bedroom? A machete. And when we're referring to Mr. Spader, do you see him here in the courtroom? I do, sir. Please point him out and identify an article of clove. wearing to the right of the table in the blue suit this man right here yes sir

Starting point is 00:14:27 and you're going to reflect that the witness is identified in the time the record will so reflect and you saw this man go into that bedroom with what a machete sir you also saw mr. gribble go into the bedroom I did sir was mr. grible armed yes he was I was mr. grible armed he had a knife sir after you You saw the defendant and Mr. Gribble go into that bedroom. Did you hear any noises? Yes, sir, I did. What noises did you hear coming from that bedroom?

Starting point is 00:15:02 At first, the voice said, Jamie, is that you? Then a response of a higher-pitched voice said, yeah, mom. After that, there were screams, cries for help. What other noises did you hear, Mr. Glover? I heard footfalls and thuds. After you heard the screaming and the thudding, did you see the defendant come out of that bedroom? I did, sir. Did he still have the machete?

Starting point is 00:15:35 Yes, he did, sir. Was anything different about the defendant's machete after he came out of that bedroom? It was covered in blood and hair. Did the defendant say anything to you after you saw him leave the bedroom, after you heard the screaming and the thumpings? He did, sir. What did he say? He said that we made enough noise because two people are dead.

Starting point is 00:16:00 He said that two people were dead. He did, sir. And that's after he came out of the bedroom. Again, how was that machete? It was covered in blood and hair. On October 6th, all four men were arrested on suspicion of murder and detained at Valley Street Jail in Manchester, New Hampshire. When interviewed by police, Stephen blamed everything on his.

Starting point is 00:16:21 friends saying they should get the death penalty for what they had done. However, Christopher admitted to detectives that he and Stephen had wanted to kill someone for a long time and said he was disappointed he didn't feel any emotion that night. Police files from the interrogation noted Gribble stated his only regret was he didn't kill the child because she now had to live with this. Rible stated that if he realized she was alive, he would have killed her. He was recorded asking if Jamie was in a coma and saying, I'm curious to see how she's doing. I kind of feel like, I hope she gets better. Later on, Autumn Savoy was also arrested, as he had helped destroy evidence and had given his friends a false alibi, claiming they had spent the whole night of October

Starting point is 00:17:03 4th at his home in Hollis. All four men were held on a $500,000 cash bail at different prisons to await trial. Cellmates of Stephen Spader said that he regularly spoke about the Montverning invasion, often boasting about how much blood there was and how he butchered Kimberly Cates so badly that her brain was exposed and her eyeball had been ejected from the socket. He also wrote a song about the homicide, and the lyrics read, and I quote, We went up to the room, Mommy is it you? Mommy isn't here. I slit her throat from ear to ear. In the weeks leading up to his trial, Stephen expressed his anger with the public for assuming he was given. writing a letter to the telegraph, everyone in this great country of ours is, and I quote,

Starting point is 00:17:53 innocent until proven guilty. Think for yourselves, people, you brainless, media-driven, conformists. In the same letter, he attacked the widower of his victim, David Cates, for getting upset that Suhagen High School had included William Marks and Quinn Glover in their yearbook, ranting, I feel David Cates had no right to make the big deal that he did, and the school shouldn't have apologized. Whether they are guilty or innocent is not up to Mr. Cates, but a judge and a jury who know everything going on within the case. On November 9th, 2010, Stephen Spader was found guilty of murder in the first degree, conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit

Starting point is 00:18:34 burglary, witness tampering, and attempted murder. He was sentenced to life without parole, with Judge Gillian Abranson telling him, you will stay in that cage for the rest of your pointless life. At one point, Stephen was heard asking his attorney if he thought the jury would sing happy birthday to him, as the trial was on the same day as his birthday. David Cates also read the following victim impact statement at the trial. It makes me sad that this trial is how we will know and remember Kim Cates, for she was so much more than this tragic ending. Kim was beautiful and she will always remain in our hearts. Her spirit will always live on in each one of us so blessed to share her in our lives. Next, I would like to talk about my beautiful daughter, Jamie. She has

Starting point is 00:19:20 had to witness more evil in this world than any human being should ever be made to bear. The emotional scarring Jamie has endured is immeasurable and unknown at this point. Friends and family will continue to surround her with love and the hope that this emotional burden she now carries can be lightened by all who love her. Kim won't be there for all the special events in Jamie's life, such as getting her ready for the prom, taking pride in her graduations, helping plan her wedding, and supporting her through pregnancy and childbirth. Jamie and I will forever miss him, but we still have each other, we still have family. Our family will survive this senseless attack and thrive again. Mr. Cates, in closing, I would just like to thank you for the dignified and

Starting point is 00:20:06 the graceful tone you set here in this courtroom throughout these proceedings. I don't know. how you did it day after day, week after week coming in here and bearing witness to your family suffering. But I thank you for the way that you did it. And I can assure you that your presence here in this courtroom will resonate for a very long time to come. And I want to thank Jamie for coming here today. It is nice to be able to finally meet you. I think it helps everybody here in this courtroom, Jamie, to finally get to meet you and to see you. You are a lovely little girl. that this man and the other men that were involved in this terrible crime can never hurt you again. I hope you understand that.

Starting point is 00:20:50 And I wish you better days. Thank you. After the trial, he was transferred to the New Hampshire State Prison. On Monday, April 22nd, 2013, Stephen Spader attended a resentencing hearing and his lawyers attempted to reduce his sentence of life without parole. They argued with Judge Abramson that their client's sentence was cruel and unconstitutional. punishment because he was only 17 years old when he murdered Kimberly Kate's. Plus, he has a history of mental illness. Stephen, however, asked his lawyers not to lessen his sentence. Instead,

Starting point is 00:21:23 he wanted to, in his words, take responsibility for my actions. He also described himself as the most sick and twisted person you'll ever meet before reading out an apology letter to 14-year-old Jamie and Kimberly's other family members who were all attending the resentencing hearing. The letter which the Kate's family called insulting, read, Through my impulse of actions, I have torn apart families and ruined lives. I am truly sorry for the pain I have caused you. I do not expect forgiveness, nor do I deserve any.

Starting point is 00:21:56 The prosecutor argued that Stephen's mental state suggests that, far from having his sentence reduced, he should, in fact, never be released, emphasizing. He's a psychopath. It's not a phase. It's not something he's going to grow out of. It's who he is. The judge agreed and added 76 years to Stephen's sentence, which was already life in prison without parole.

Starting point is 00:22:19 One of the most disturbing parts of the trial came from the loose-lipped testimony of Christopher Gribble in regards to his part in the murders. We have to warn you that this might be hard to watch. Not necessarily because of the graphic detail in his testimony, but the cold, matter-of-fact way he describes everything, almost coming across prideful at times. Sometimes felt like I was watching something right out of a movie. You can let me know your thoughts, but my takeaway after hearing his testimony is that Christopher Gribble is a cold, blooded killer

Starting point is 00:22:52 who should be locked away for the rest of his life. Yes, it's hard not to be purposefully doing something like that when you stick a knife into someone. He opened the door a little bit and shined it and looked in, and he said something. which to us, I mean, Quinn and Billy seemed to agree with me, that it sounded like he said, no one's here. And so we were like, okay.

Starting point is 00:23:20 And so he started talking a little bit, like, oh, well, this is, you know, all this worry for nothing. And then he turned around like, shh, shh, there's somebody there. And he opened the door a little bit wider. I think it was at that point that Mrs. Cates woke up. I couldn't see too well into the room. I generally have reasonable night vision, but I mean, the iPod was right there ruining my vision. I remember seeing like some form sit up on what was to me the left side of the bed.

Starting point is 00:23:51 As you were facing it from the foot. Yes, as you're facing it from the hallway, it was the left. And a female voice said something like, Jamie, is that you? At that point, I don't remember thinking anything for a little while. It got really weird. And I'm going to have a little trouble describing it because I've never felt that way before. Steve immediately tossed the iPod and went down on the floor

Starting point is 00:24:28 and headed for the right-hand side of the bed. the next thing I knew I was walking towards the other side of the bed. I don't remember thinking I should go over to the other side. It was just like I knew without having to consider what I should do. And I don't remember when I pulled the knife out from the sheath. At some point it was in my hand. I don't remember when I pulled it out. I remember realizing that it was in my hand, but I don't remember pulling it.

Starting point is 00:25:05 out. And I went to the other side and by the time I got to that side of the bed, I remember the girl woke up on the right-hand side of the bed. I don't remember exactly what she said. I remember the feeling that she was groggy, but that's all I really remember about it. She might have said something like mommy or something like that. And then Steve just started hacking at the bed. I don't know that he could see what he was doing, but I could tell he was quacking at the bed because I could hear it thumping against the blankets

Starting point is 00:25:52 and everything. I remember someone started screaming. One point I heard like a shu-and-and-and-then-some-of-the-h-and-some of the screaming stopped and not long after that I kind of reached in and stabbed at the form in front of me. I knew what I was stabbing at, but I can't tell you how because I couldn't really see well. But I knew where it was. I can't explain how I even actually hit what I was stabbing at. Were you stabbing the person at the same time that Steve was happy?

Starting point is 00:26:44 Oh, he never stopped. He just kept going and going and going. It's not like he stopped in between. I just reached in. So you were doing it at the same time that he was happy with you. Yes. But you were managing not to get hit with the machete as he was doing that. Yeah, looking back on that, I don't know how I pulled that off.

Starting point is 00:27:06 To the effect of, you know, now we write up a warrant for arrest. And I asked him on what charge. somehow in there he brought up the idea that I was going to get charged with murder and probably capital murder I didn't understand what capital murder was they had referred to the death penalty before but I didn't make the connection at that point so I asked him what

Starting point is 00:27:35 capital murder was now you said they was that in the part of the interview we were talking about earlier a part of the interview earlier. They had mentioned something about the death penalty. I don't remember the exact reference. Okay. So the part of the interview where you were saying, I didn't do this, I didn't have any involvement with the Fortrow Road,

Starting point is 00:27:55 some mention of the death penalty was made. Yes. Okay. So then back to what was happened during this. Yes. During this conversation with John, he explained to me that capital murder carried a death penalty. And at that point I was like death penalty. Hmm.

Starting point is 00:28:23 And I sort of sat thinking about that for a little while. That was on the point what I, I mean, he didn't seem to have anything else to do. He was just kind of sitting there. He walked back and forth a couple times inside the room. I started talking about like my family and stuff and how I hadn't had such a good childhood and explaining some of the things that had happened. I'm not sure why I started talking about it. I mean, it was just, I was starting to feel kind of like,

Starting point is 00:29:02 well, some of the things they said when I was telling them I didn't have anything to do with it, some of them had kind of queued me into somebody who was saying something. They'd mentioned things that set me off, that there's some things you can infer from a crime scene that I could tell they could infer from it. There were some things that I knew were lies that I heard them say. And there were other things that hit way too close to the mark that they couldn't know without somebody saying something.

Starting point is 00:29:31 Like how Billy had not been able to get out of the basement. That's something that you can't infer from the crime scene to my mind. There were other things. They mentioned something about did we go out and bury something? That specifically hit me. And I was thinking about that while John was walking around in the room during that break. because, as I remembered, only me and Steve knew that we'd buried the weapons, and if he was saying things, then they could have everything.

Starting point is 00:30:10 So it didn't really matter at that point. I was like, hmm, well, if they give me the death penalty, then I'll just be dead and this all I'll be over with anyway. And I went back and forth within the space of like 10 minutes between incredibly angry and incredibly sad and told him exactly how I wanted to torture my mom to death. That admission, Christopher Gribble told the jury, came at a cadet camp in 2006. Speaking softly, the admitted killer outlined for the jury

Starting point is 00:30:38 what he was thinking about in the years before the murder of Kimberly Gates. Gribble claims he was insane when he hacked the Mont Vernon mom to death and severely injured her daughter. Gribble said that during his teen years, he felt like an outcast. He blamed his parents in part for homeschooling him. I wanted to get out and have a real social life. Gribble told the jury it was fair to say he would fantasize about killing his mother.

Starting point is 00:31:03 Under questioning from defense attorney Donna Brown, he said it was difficult yesterday to watch her testify. The jurors might have seen you getting upset yesterday when she testified. Yes, I was very upset. And did you have any urges to hurt her yesterday? Oh, very much so. I know that it is a possibility legally it is possible if I were sent to the secure psychiatric unit that I could get out again.

Starting point is 00:31:32 I don't think it's probable at all. I think the possibility is one of those sort of million to one sort of things. But I know it's possible. And if I did get out, I think it is possible that I could kill again. On March 25th, 2011, Christopher Gribble appeared in court accused of first-degree murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, witness tampering, and conspiracy to commit burglary. He pled not guilty by reason of insanity, but was deemed sane by the jury and sentenced by Judge Abramson to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Starting point is 00:32:11 David Cates also read a victim impact statement at Christopher's trial, same with a heavy heart. I've lived the accounts of Kim's murder, one excruciating blow after another. Through these accounts, I have heard my wife's last breath, heard my dad, daughter screams, seeing my daughter's perfect body mutilated. In 2013, Christopher appealed a sentence, but nothing ever came of the appeal. He is currently incarcerated at New Hampshire State Prison. As she sentenced William Marks to a minimum of 30 years in prison on March 21, 2014, Judge Abramson was quoted as saying, you planned and you watched and you celebrated the unspeakable horrors you inflicted on an innocent mother and child. William had pled guilty to burglary,

Starting point is 00:32:54 conspiracy to commit burglary and being an accomplice to first-degree assault. His father, James Marks, later commented on his son's action, saying, if he could go back and change it, he would. And it's just devastating for every parent of these boys. William also testified that he and his father were going to sell inside details of the homicide to the press. James Marks is still coming to terms with his son's alleged involvement in a home invasion that police say began with a pact to kill anyone found inside. He looks at pictures of young William and wonders what went wrong.

Starting point is 00:33:28 He says he warned his 18-year-old about falling in with the wrong crowd. I just had concerns. You know, any time he was with the gang, I didn't want him. Or not an interesting to say gang, but every time he was with the group, I didn't want him hanging around with, and, you know, he wouldn't come home or whatever. I just concerned. Most of that concern centered on Steve Spader, who Marx calls Stevie. He says recently William attempted to avoid hanging out with him.

Starting point is 00:33:52 He was trying to break away like I've been saying. And he would call her ID and he wouldn't answer it. It comes up Stevie. He wouldn't answer it. Marks says Spader constantly pestered William for rides because he had no car of his own. And William had a hard time saying no. I'm not sugarcoat in his end of anything, but I think he did get mixed in with just some people who are, I don't want to say physically overpowering, but, you know, just personality-wise and self-esteem-esteem-wise.

Starting point is 00:34:21 James Marks claims he is not seeking sympathy for his son. In his opinion, low self-esteem is no excuse for the charges William faces and the horror inflicted upon the Kate's family. You know, what he did was wrong, and my heart goes out to the family. And, you know, what do you say to somebody in that situation? Quinn Glover was also sentenced in March of 2014. He received a minimum of 20 years for robbery, burglary, and conspiracy to commit burglary, with Judge Abramson acknowledging that he was.

Starting point is 00:34:51 He was the least involved in the thrill killing. Quinn has apologized for his crimes and doesn't plan on ever forgiving himself, telling the courtroom, there's nothing that I can do that will ever make up for my despicable actions. Both Quinn and William are jailed at different prisons in Vermont. In April of 2011, Autumn Savoy was given five years for hiding evidence and concocting an alibi. Four years later, in May, he was granted an early release. After leaving prison, he lived with his parents and worked two jobs at the Mall of New Hampshire.

Starting point is 00:35:21 In December of 2022, he posted to social media that he was interested in starting a podcast to help others who have been through the system to change their lives for the better. In January of 2010, Stephen Spader's daughter was born. She was taken from her mother at five days old and placed in the care of her paternal grandparents. Stephen has since written letters to his parents begging to see his child and promising that he would be the best father in the world. Stephen was transferred to New Jersey State Prison in February of 2014, and three months later, he was seriously injured in a prison fight.

Starting point is 00:35:57 In recent years, he said he has made peace with the God and is almost happy. He works out, limits carbs, and speaks with his parents over the phone daily. They visit their son in person every week, often bringing along new photographs of his daughter. After Kimberly's death, the community of Amherst Country Club launched a memorial scholarship in her honor. Golf tournament takes place every October to raise money for students who cannot afford the school fees. Since 2009, the Kimberly Kate's Memorial Scholarship Fund has raised over a quarter of a million dollars in scholarship funds to continue Kimberly's legacy of helping others. Donations were also made in memory of Kimberly to the Vernon Village School, Boston Children's Hospital, and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Two years after her murder, the Kimberly Kate's law was passed by Governor John Lynch.

Starting point is 00:36:46 A new law meant home invasions that result in murder be included in the state's death penalty criteria. However, New Hampshire abolished the death penalty in 2019, so Kimberly Kate's law no longer exists. Jamie was back in school part-time just three weeks after the murder of her mother. Despite her trauma and life-changing injuries, she was a straight-A student and excelled at sports, especially hockey. I think we're doing fine. you know she busts my chops a lot I bust hers and you know bored about me we're we're doing fine my license scary no it's not um I play feel hockey currently I'm going to be doing lacrosse again in the spring 2019 a decade after the violent attack that maimed her Jamie spoke with WMUR TV about what her

Starting point is 00:37:44 like now. Now she's a college senior studying public health at University of North Carolina. She expressed how she still loves playing hockey and is living every day like it's the last. She graduated later that year and went on to work at the Southern New Hampshire Medical Center. I am studying public health. We are on the home stretch just about to graduate. I have an internship left. Yeah, we're playing field hockey. At UNCW, that's fun. I just started that up again. Yeah, just living every day.

Starting point is 00:38:21 Like, it's the last, right? This town, the little town, Amherst, Mont Vernon, I mean, honestly, the state even, I wouldn't even, like, like, everyone has come together and shown so much support. Kimberly Cates's wake took place at the Smith-held funeral home in Milford, New Hampshire. Her funeral service was held

Starting point is 00:38:41 at the first congregational church in Mont Vernon. where she is buried at the Greenlawn Cemetery off of Main Street. She is deeply in forever missed by her husband David and her daughter, Jamie.

The Misery Machine - The Case of Kimberly Cates

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