[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 21 (Thursday, March 5, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H880]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRAGEDY IN SARASOTA, FLORIDA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Miller) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Madam Speaker, it is with great sorrow that I 
rise today to describe to my colleagues a tragedy which occurred in my 
congressional district of Florida. On the afternoon of November 7, 
1997, in Sarasota, Florida, a 13-year-old girl returned home to 
discover the body of her mother, Sheila Bellush, on the kitchen floor. 
Bellush, a mother of six, including 2-year old quadruplets, had been 
brutally murdered. Her throat was slashed and she was shot in the head. 
When her body was found, her quadruplets were crawling next to her in 
her blood.
  The trail of evidence immediately led to Jose Luis Del Toro, a United 
States citizen born and raised in Texas. Del Toro fled to Mexico where 
he was captured on November 20th.
  I would like to share with Members, Mr. Speaker, an excerpt from a 
message sent to me by my constituents Paul and Anita Marshall: Both my 
wife Anita and I are constituents of yours residing in North Port, 
Florida. We are also full-time law enforcement officers. Recently I 
responded to the Bellush murder scene and had a firsthand account of 
this brutal crime. Having been in law enforcement for 19 years, this 
was the most brutal of crimes I have ever seen.''
  Now, Del Toro has been captured. This should have been an open-and-
shut case. Del Toro should have been quickly deported for illegal entry 
and quickly returned to Florida to stand trial for murder. However, 
when Mexican officials learned of the charges against Del Toro, they 
refused to simply deport him and instead started lengthy extradition 
procedures and declared Del Toro would not be returned unless the 
United States waived the death penalty.
  The Sarasota community I represent was outraged, and rightfully so. 
This move by Mexico is an obstruction of the United States judicial 
process. It is a violation of U.S. sovereignty, and it is an 
abomination that we allow this to happen.
  This was a United States citizen who was accused of committing a 
heinous crime against another United States citizen on United States 
soil, and Mexico apparently feels that it can step right in and prevent 
this murderer from being brought to justice. I am offended by the 
arrogance of any Nation that seeks to dictate to the United States what 
United States judicial policy should be.
  Mr. and Mrs. Marshall, my constituents from North Port, continued on 
in their correspondence: ``How can Mexico dictate what judicial action 
should be taken in our country, especially after all the financial aid 
and other assistance we have given Mexico over the years?"
  I would like to ask the same question. The answer is amazing. The 
United States actually grants Mexico the right to interfere with our 
judicial system in this manner. The U.S.-Mexico Extradition Treaty of 
1978 allows Mexico the right to deny extradition if the individual in 
question may be subject to the death penalty upon return.
  I believe this is a dangerous policy with a bordering country where 
murderers can drive across the border within hours of committing a 
crime. This is why I am introducing a resolution calling for the 
administration to renegotiate our extradition treaty with Mexico. I ask 
my colleagues to join with me and support this resolution.

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