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Woman implicated in murder facing city shoplifting charge



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By Brent Curtis Staff Writer - Published: September 4, 2009

A Rutland grandmother who served 2-1/2 years in prison for her role in a 2003 murder in Benson is back in jail for allegedly stealing clothes.

Denise A. Bates, 57, is set to be arraigned today in Rutland District Court on a charge of misdemeanor retail theft. Bates was issued a citation to appear in court shortly after the alleged theft on July 14. However, she was behind bars on Wednesday for unknown reasons.

One reason for her return to jail may be that state Probation and Parole officials decided the new charge violated Bates' furlough from jail.

Bates was sentenced in 2005 to 2-1/2 to 20 years in jail and remains on furlough after serving her minimum sentence on convictions of accessory after a felony, concealment of stolen property and impeding a police officer.

An official at the Rutland Probation and Parole office said Wednesday she couldn't speak specifically about Bates' case. However, she said typically new charges result in a revocation of furlough pending a due-process hearing.

Bates once faced a charge of first-degree murder for the beating death of 85-year-old Charles Shlosser. But the murder charge was dropped after reaching a deal that allowed her to plead guilty to the lesser charges in exchange for testifying against co-defendants Jessica Anctil of West Haven and Kenneth Barber Jr. of Fair Haven.

Bates told police that she drove Anctil and Barber to Shlosser's trailer on Lake Road the night of the killing but she said she did not participate in his murder. Items from Shlosser's home, including model trains, military pins and model cars, were later found in Bates' residence.

"Your honor, I am not a criminal. I am a mother. I am a grandmother," Bates said during her sentencing in 2005.

"I've lost just about everything, but mostly I've lost the closeness of my children," said Bates. "I was always there. Now, my grandkids don't know me. I am asking for your mercy, your honor, to help get me back home."

In the new charge against Bates, a security officer at T.J. Maxx in Rutland said he witnessed Bates fill a bag with blouses, shorts, sneakers and lingerie, for which she didn't pay when she left the store. The value of the items totaled $195.88, according to court records.

"I'll never do that again," Bates said after her arrest, according to a police affidavit.

brent.curtis@rutlandherald.com








READER COMMENTS


another one of rutlands "finest" (drug addicts), doing what addicts do! i at one time lived in the same building as ms bates. shes got plenty a clothes. id be willing to put the farm on it wasn't herself she was "shopping" for- dealers will give you a list of what they want and for an exchange of fifty cents on every dollar of merchandise stolen will give the payment in crack. or maybe it was heroin? hah.. thats the real deal in this situ.
-- Posted by erica silber on Sat, Sep 5, 2009, 2:02 am EST

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violate her and throw her butt in jail. "I'll never do that again" yeah, in TJ Maxx. I find a store without security next time. Too old to be doing stupid stuff. I feel bad for the family of this fool. I'll say a prayer for you.
-- Posted by ch mott on Sat, Sep 5, 2009, 1:05 am EST

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Hmmm... let me quote verbatim, "Your honor, I am not a criminal. I am a mother. I am a grandmother." That was in 2005.

Interesting, now it's 2009 and four years later, without a court transcript, I'm wondering if she modified her statement, "Your honor, I am a mother. I am a grandmother. I am a THEIF!"

I am hoping Judge Zonay didn't buy the act. Approximately four years later, and this so called "mother and grandmother" has learned nothing. This tells me that her punishment was not stringent. This woman has been alive long enough to know the consequences of her actions. Poor judgment? Please, this is just like a a dog that keeps going after a porcupine. They never learn, and the owner pays vet fees into the thousands. In this case, Grannie is the dog, and WE are the owners. The insanity really needs to end. Have a nice weekend everyone stay tuned for Monday morning arraignments. Can't wait to see who the repeat offenders will be this week!
-- Posted by Sam Hubert on Fri, Sep 4, 2009, 3:30 pm EST

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If she was going for the sympathy vote here, she failed miserably! What a loser this woman is!! She gets a sweet plea deal, in typical VT fashion, serves only 2 1/2 years for helping to beat an old man to death and now gets arrested AGAIN for shoplifting and whines that she is sorry? Sheeit, she is only sorry she got caught and she is a sorry ass excuse for a Momma and Grandma and who can blame them for not wanting to be near her, she hurt all of them when she participated in the murder and now for stealing? She only thinks of herself! And I agree, there are many places out here where I live that have FREE CLOTHING GIVEAWAYS and you can get some decent ones at that and I am sure in Rutland there are places too, like churches? Now she was probably stealing the clothes to sell them and make a few bucks and every time someone steals from a retailer, the price on the shirt you might want is going up in cost to make up for the scum like her that just take what they want and don't care that TJ Max has had to eat the cost and I am glad she got busted, because I shop at a local one here and they have reasonable prices, but if they get some loser like her, boosting, then the clothing I want goes up in price? Please put this sorry ass excuse for a human behind bars again, I guess she did not learn anything the first time around and maybe 10 years will smarten her up.
-- Posted by Linda Brown on Fri, Sep 4, 2009, 2:46 pm EST

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I just wonder: Is Judge Cashman is here? Of course, he is gone!
-- Posted by Roxanne Shelton on Fri, Sep 4, 2009, 12:44 pm EST

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Good GAWD Granny!

I have to believe the judges must just want to cuff these idiots when they stand there saying that sort of stuff.

It's just pathetic....
-- Posted by Dave None on Fri, Sep 4, 2009, 10:09 am EST

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My memories of my grandmother is cookies...Wondering if she will learn to bake in jail so when she is released, AGAIN, she can create pleasant memories for her loving grandkiddies....

Why is this plea bargin murderer out in public?

Lock her up and throw away the key....
-- Posted by Palin is Sweet on Fri, Sep 4, 2009, 8:21 am EST

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This woman needs to move on from her "id" stage of development and realize that there are other people affected by her actions, instead of being so self absorbed about HER comfort level. You committed these horrible crimes, now be "woman enough" to pay the piper. If youre looking for sympathy ms bates, look in the dictionary between "**** and syphillis" Im sure you will find it.
-- Posted by Linda Walsh on Fri, Sep 4, 2009, 8:15 am EST

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"I'll NEVER do that again" quoted Denise Bates her Rutland Probation and Parole. RIGHT, SURE! Perhaps, Rutland does have FREE clothes for POOR people, is that right or wrong? Think of Denise bates' Grandchildren: ashamed for FIRST DEGREE MURDER: I feel sorry of her grandchildren, not PLEA BARGAIN!

I have to think about MY children for MY future DEFINITELY NOT FIRST DEGREE MURDER. I would never, NEVER WANT TO DO THAT WITH MY RELIGION.
-- Posted by Roxanne Shelton on Fri, Sep 4, 2009, 7:24 am EST

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Prison, prison, and more prison for this lowlife woman.
-- Posted by Smart Thinking on Fri, Sep 4, 2009, 7:12 am EST

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Not a criminal !?? SHE has lost just about everything? She helped beat an elderly person to death and now she wants mercy because she has managed to breed? Wow.
-- Posted by Comfy Anon on Fri, Sep 4, 2009, 5:40 am EST

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