The Associated Presss
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - A child pornography suspect who allegedly said “killing people would be justified and enjoyed” was indicted on federal charges of murdering a Broward County sheriff’s deputy during a raid at his home.
A federal grand jury in Fort Lauderdale indicted Kenneth Wilk on Thursday on first-degree murder charges. He intentionally and maliciously shot and killed Deputy Todd Fatta, 33, who was part of a joint local-federal raid to detain Wilk on child pornography charges, the indictment said.
Wilk, 43, who listed his hobby as “hunting cops,” had told his gay partner Kelly Ray Jones that he had weapons around their house, the indictment said. Jones had already been arrested on child pornography charges and was in jail during the Aug. 19 raid in Fort Lauderdale.
If convicted of murder, the only possible sentences for Wilk are life in prison or the death penalty, U.S. Attorney Marcos Jimenez said. He could not say whether U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft might approve any request to seek the death penalty.
Federal prosecutors in Florida have never obtained a death sentence from a jury. If federal prosecutors don’t succeed in obtaining a death sentence, state prosecutors could try, Jimenez said in Miami. Wilk was scheduled to appear in court next Thursday in Fort Lauderdale.
The 18-page indictment offered new details of the partners’ correspondence while Jones was in jail.
“I want to hurt someone,” Wilk wrote Jones on Aug. 11. “I have lost so much respect for people’s lives, it’s like killing people would be justified and enjoyed.”
The following day, he wrote: “I know that picking fight with cops is insane, but I need to vent my rage over an injustice ... have several weapon just laying around in case one of the nut jobs actually show up.”
Broward County Sheriff Ken Jenne said Thursday that law enforcement officials did not know about the correspondence or threats when they went to the house to serve the warrants. Authorities said Wilk used a high-powered weapon to kill Fatta.
Wilk was also accused of attempting to murder a second deputy, Sgt. Angelo Cedeno, as well as using a firearm to commit a violent crime, possession of child pornography and obstructing a federal investigation. Fatta died when a bullet pierced his protective vest near his heart; Cedeno was shot twice and lost a finger.
Also Thursday, Jones, 39, pleaded guilty in federal court to scheming to obtain and distribute sexually graphic images of children. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to 20 years, as well as a $250,000 fine. Sentencing was set for Jan. 14.
Jones has offered to assist prosecutors building a case against Wilk, but his plea agreement does not require it.
“I just want to put this situation with Mr. Wilk behind me and get on with my life,” Jones told U.S. District Court Judge James Cohn.
Wilk was previously charged with threatening an FBI agent and a St. Lucie County sheriff’s detective, but was not prosecuted.