Victim's Daughter: I Pity Harlan Drake
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Updated: 7:37 PM Mar 11, 2010
Victim's Daughter: I Pity Harlan Drake
Harlan Drake is found guilty on all four counts, including two first-degree murder charges in the deaths of James Pouillon and Mike Fuoss.
Posted: 6:19 PM Mar 11, 2010
Reporter: Lauren Zakalik
Email Address: lauren.zakalik@wilx.com
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Thirty-three-year-old Harlan Drake smiles slightly as all four guilty verdicts are read. He'll serve four sentences in total for the murders of two well-known Owosso men and the planned murder of a third.

"Now we can try to get over this point and move on," says Sandy Fuoss. She's the ex-wife of Drake's second victim, Mike Fuoss. Sandy is brought to tears by the verdict.

"We have two children, 17 and 20. It's been hard on them going through this again. It's brought us a little closure knowing what happened." Fuoss says.

"It just makes me pity him."

That's the reaction of victim James Pouillon's daughter Mary Jo. She says she's been imagining this day for a long time.

"My prayer now is that he and his family find repentance through the Lord now," Pouillon says.

Shiawassee County Prosecutor Randy Colbry and Chief Assistant Prosecutor Sara Edwards are pleased and believe justice was served in this case.

"We're very satisfied with the verdict. But this isn't a happy day, because nothing that can happen can make these victims families whole or bring them back," Colbry says.

Drake has admitted murdering the two men because they upset his mother. But Drake's attorney Roberty Ashley used the insanity defense, saying Drake was mentally ill when he committed the crimes.

"It appears to me the jury considered that defense and then reached the verdict that we did. I have no problems with the verdict. They decided it as they saw it and I accepted it," Ashley says.

Ashley says it's up to Drake if he wants to appeal. It took the jury three short hours to come to its verdicts. The first two guilty verdicts are for premeditated first degree murder; the second two are for felony weapons charges.

Drake will be sentenced Friday April 23 at 9:30 a.m.


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