Hitmen Convicted In Slaying Of CU Robbery Witness

- KANSAS CITY, Mo. (06/18/02) -- Two hitmenwere found guilty last week of conspiracy to kill a federal witnessin the 1997 armed robbery at Educator's FCU in Omaha, Neb. CarlHaskell, 24, and Curtis Barfield, 38, were convicted of conspiracyin the 1998 death of John Wayne Hogsett, 33, and Haskell was alsoconvicted of Hogsett's murder and now faces the death penalty.Prosecutors said the murder was ordered by Cornelius Peoples, 38,and Xavier Lightfoot, 39, to keep Hogsett from testifying againstLightfoot in the robbery. Hogsett, who lived as a woman and went bythe name of Jovan Ross, was shot to death in June 1998 in the homehe/she shared with Lightfoot. Prosecutors said Hogsett gaveauthorities detailed information about trips Lightfoot made toOmaha and elsewhere throughout the Midwest to rob credit unions,banks and jewelry stores. A third conspirator, Anthony Hunterpleaded guilty in June 2000 to hiring the two hitmen.