Man gets prison time for knifing - September 24, 2004

Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)

2004-10-10

Document text

56 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, October 10, 2004   Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery   SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries   Life   Opinion - Politics   Tempo   AP News   Weather   Classified   Archives   Site Map   SPECIAL SECTIONS   Since We Asked   Outdoor Journal   Menu Guide   How To Guide   Wellness Connection   Readers' Choice   Real Estate Showcase   Joy Magazine   Homelife Magazine   Wedding Guide   Rogue Valley's Finest   EXTRA   Newspaper in Education   Personals   Movie Times   TV Times   E The People   MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad  eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities   Entertainment   Publications   Recreation   Calendar   CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit   Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 24, 2004 Man gets prison time for knifing By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune A White City man was sentenced to 7½ years in prison for inflicting a serious knife wound on a neighbor. Terry Dale Wilson, 41, of the 7800 block of Atlantic Avenue, was convicted of slashing 32-year-old Thomas Gene Ganes with a knife in a July street fight. Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Lorenzo Mejia ordered Wilson Thursday to serve seven years and six months in prison. An argument broke out between Wilson and Ganes when the two crossed paths on July 9 near the intersection of Hale Way and Antelope Road. Wilson said he was headed to a friend’s house with a half-case of beer and testified to being intoxicated. A teenage neighbor told the court that he saw Wilson shove Ganes and then reach into his pants pocket and strike at the man. After the two struggled, they headed in opposite directions. Initially thinking he escaped the encounter unscathed, Ganes saw blood seeping through his shirt as he headed home. Police and paramedics found Ganes at a nearby White City trailer park, his intestines spilling from an approximately 8-inch-long slash extending upward from his navel. Advertisement Ganes spent several days in the hospital and later had to return to treat internal swelling. Investigators said they believe Wilson’s pocket contained a stringing knife, a claw-shaped blade that fits between the knuckles and is commonly used on farms to cut string from hay bales. Wilson testified that he worked on a horse ranch at the time of the crime. Ganes told police that he was stabbed with such a weapon, and his wound was consistent with the design of a stringing knife, said Tim Barnack, deputy district attorney for Jackson County. The weapon, however, was never found. Wilson told jurors that during the confrontation Ganes pulled a knife on him first. Police did find on Ganes a 4-inch-long, curved knife typically used to skin game. Ganes said he carried the blade for protection. Wilson’s sentence was the minimum punishment allowed for first-degree assault under the state’s mandatory sentencing law, Measure 11. Jurors handed down their guilty verdict on Sept. 2. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News  | Sports  | Business  | Obituaries  | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives  |  Site Map   E Southern Oregon  | Classified   Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback   ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities