Bateman guilty of Sunoco strangling; Sentenced to spend rest of his natural life in prison

[ Originally published on: Saturday, May 26, 2007 ]

GREENFIELD -- The killer of a pregnant Deerfield gas station attendant was sentenced Friday to two consecutive life sentences plus 30 years after being found guilty of the slaying of Brandy Waryasz and her unborn son named Dane Anthony Hall.

The jury deliberated for only four hours Friday before coming to the conclusion that Dennis M. Bateman, 42, of Greenfield, was guilty of premeditated, felony murder in the case of the 21-year-old Waryasz, and felony murder in the case of the fetus she had carried for seven months. They also found him guilty of armed robbery for stealing the cash register from the Sunoco station on Routes 5 and 10 in Deerfield.

Bateman could be found guilty of felony murder as the killings had taken place during an armed robbery.

The sentences that were imposed upon him for the murders are for the extent of his natural life.

The family of the murdered girl wept with relief when the verdict was read, glad that the long process was finally over.

Waryasz's uncle, Jerry Cousineau, who had gotten her the job at the Sunoco station, said that he was very pleased with the outcome.

'Brandy can finally rest,' he said.

In his victim impact statement, the murdered woman's brother, Brian Cousineau, told the court that his sister and her child had been killed on his birthday. He said that he had planned to bring his sister a plate from the barbecue he was having in celebration, but had not acted soon enough.

'I only wish that I decided to take time away from my friends and go to see her a lot sooner.

'Maybe (Bateman) would never have had the chance to make the choice that he did that day,' Brian said.

The young man told the judge that he keeps a picture of his sister on the wall next to his door.

'I have it by the door so I start off every day seeing her face.'

The younger Cousineau said that he will never be able to forgive Bateman and that the killer is not deserving of forgiveness.

'I think that he is an animal and deserves nothing but the worst things to happen to him for the rest of his life in prison.

'Whatever pain he endures cannot come close to the pain that my family and I go through every day,' he said, breaking down in tears.

Waryasz's mother, Ruth Cousineau, said that her youngest child, who was only 7 years old when her sister was killed, was unwilling to be left alone for more than a year because she was terrified of being murdered. The little girl also did not want other family members to go out at night, lest they meet the same fate.

Ruth Cousineau asked the court to impose the maximum sentence allowed by law.

'Even though I feel that is not much of a punishment for him because he'll still be able to have visits from his family, speak with them over the phone (and) receive mail from them. That's a lot more than he left for Brandy and Dane,' she said.

Before passing sentence, Superior Court Justice John Agostini told the members of Waryasz's family that he appreciated their coming forward to provide him with some background on the victim, which is something he does not always receive.

'I have some powers as a judge, but I have no power to bring comfort to you for the results of this unspeakable act,' he said.

It was on the evening of April 16, 2005 that Waryasz was strangled in the unused garage bay of the gas station where she worked. Her body was found with a black nylon strap tied so tightly around her neck it was difficult for EMTs to slide scissors underneath to cut it off.

Prosecutors say that Bateman, a crack addict and career thief, went to the Sunoco station that day to try to persuade Waryasz, who he knew from social gatherings, to take part in a faked robbery so that he would have money to buy crack cocaine.

When Waryasz refused to join in on the fraud, prosecutors say, Bateman dragged her into the garage, wrapped the nylon strap around her neck and strangled her to death. He then ran off with the cash register.

According to the company which owns the Deerfield Sunoco station, the cash register could not have contained more than a few hundred dollars on the day Waryasz was slain.

After the murder, while smoking crack with some friends, Bateman reportedly said that he had 'messed up real bad.' He spent the next several days talking obliquely about what had happened and trying to set up an alibi for himself, according to prosecutors.

Some court watchers say that Bateman might have had a more survivable case if he had kept his peace and not tried to excuse himself.

Many witnesses in the case testified that Bateman had tried to convince them that he had been with them at the time of the slaying, even though he clearly had not.

According to testimony in the case, Bateman was seen at the gas station by a number of witnesses shortly before the murder. His DNA was also found in large amounts on the murder weapon and under Waryasz's fingernails from where she had apparently tried to fight him off.

Suzanne Bateman, wife of the convicted man, said that she still does not believe that he committed the crime.

'He's still innocent and I will maintain that until the day I die,' she said.

Charles M. Bateman, the convicted man's father, insisted that his son has never been a violent person.

'To jump from stealing to murder is a big jump,' he said.

Dennis Bateman previously served prison time for theft after being sentenced to shorter jail terms for numerous cases of breaking and entering and larceny.

Defense attorney Robert Jubinville said that an appeal will be filed within 30 days.

You can reach George Claxton at: gclaxton@recorder.com or (413)-772-0261 Ext. 279

 

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