Person Page 371

Lawrence Edward Kropp, Jr., was born on 17 March 1945 in Lockport, Niagara, New York. He was born on 17 March 1945 in Lockport, Niagara, New York. He died on 13 April 2012, at age 67, in Lockport, Niagara, New York. He was buried on 15 April 2012 in Cremation.

Lawrence Edward Kropp, Jr., was also known as Lawrence Edward (Jr.) Kropp. Linda D. Leighton
leighton345@aol.com
April 2, 2013
CORRECTIONS FOR WINDEMUTH FAMILY VOLUME ONE
Page 269
Lawrence Edward Kropp, Jr. died 13 April, 2012 in Hospice House Lockport, N.Y.
and was cremated.

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http://obits.dignitymemorial.com
In Memory of
Lawrence E. Kropp Jr.
March 17, 1945 - April 13, 2012
Obituary
Lawrence E. Kropp Jr., age 67, entered into rest on Friday, April 13, 2012 surrounded by his loving family at Niagara Hospice House in Lockport. Born March 17, 1945 in Lockport, he is the son of the late Lawrence and Laura (Chase) Kropp Sr.

Lawrence had worked at Barry Rozmann Construction in Akron, NY. He enjoyed woodworking, mowing lawns and gardening.

Lawrence is survived by his wife, Billie J. (Moore) Kropp whom he married August 23, 2011. Dear father of: Lawrence E. Kropp III (Shana) of Holley, Laurie A. Kropp (Ronald) of Appleton, Kevin M. Kropp (Terri) of Middleport, Brian A. Kropp of Lyndonville and Buffy (Solomon) Hill of Lockport. Step- father of: Victoria L. Mosher (Mike) of Middleport, Hope Mosher (Mike) of Albion, Calvin Lee (Lyndsey) Mosher of Albion and Michael G. (Katherine) Moore of Dunkirk. Brother to Howard (Terri) Kropp of Middleport, Albert (Linda) Kropp of Tonawanda, Richard (Linette) Kropp of Medina and the late MaryAnn Westcott. Lawrence is also survived by 24 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. His grandson, Justin, predeceased him. Lawrence is also survived by his two cats, Oscar and Oliver and his dog Misty.

Family will receive friends at the Sherrie-Bream Funeral Home, 4521 Main Street, Gasport, on Sunday, April 15, 2012 from 2 pm until 6 pm. A memorial service will be held immediately following with Pastor Bob Franke officiating.

In lieu of flowers, memorials appreciated to Niagara Hospice, 4675 Sunset Drive, Lockport, NY 14094.

Michael James Kropp was born on 20 April 1994 in Newfane, Niagara, New York. He died on 29 August 1994, at age 0, in Newfane, Niagara, New York. He was buried in Wrights Corners Cemetery, Wrights Corners (Newfane), Niagara Co., New York, USA.

LInda D. Leighton
leighton345@aol.com
April 2, 2013
CORRECTIONS FOR WINDEMUTH FAMILY VOLUME ONE
Page 269
Michael James, son of Lawrence and Mechelle Lawless was born 20 April, 1994 in
Newfane, N.Y. Michael died 29 August, 1994 and is buried in Wrights Corners
Cemetery, Wrights Corners, N.Y.

Justin Michael Kropp was born on 29 June 1989 in Newfane, Niagara, New York. He died on 8 July 2009, at age 20, in Bowling Green, Warren, Kentucky. He was buried on 13 July 2009 in Hartland Cemetery, Hartland, Niagara Co., New York, USA.

LInda D. Leighton
leighton345@aol.com
April 2, 2013
CORRECTIONS FOR WINDEMUTH FAMILY VOLUME ONE
Page 290
Justin Michael Kropp, son of Kevin Michael Kropp and Tina Marie Rutherford was born
29 June, 1989 in Newfane, N.Y. Justin was shot and died 8 July, 2009 in Kentucky. He is
Buried in Hartland Cemetery, Hartland, N.Y. Justin has a daughter Abigail Christina
Lynn Kropp born 17 August, 2008 in Kentucky. Mother is Britney Martin.
______________________________

http://www.bgdailynews.com
Posted: Thursday, July 9, 2009
By JUSTIN STORY
The Daily News, jstory@bgdailynews.com
Scottsville teen killed; arrest made
BG man, 20, charged with second-degree manslaughter

A Scottsville teenager was shot to death Wednesday night and police have arrested a Bowling Green man.

Jacob Whitaker, 20, of Bowling Green was charged with second-degree manslaughter in connection with the death of Justin Kropp, 19, of Scottsville.

Troopers from Kentucky State Police Post 3 responded to a call of a shooting at 11:04 p.m. Wednesday at Whitaker’s residence at 7091 Morgantown Road, where they found Kropp with a gunshot wound to the head. Kropp was taken to The Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 11:54 p.m. Wednesday.

Whitaker was detained at the scene by authorities.

Trooper Charles Swiney, spokesman for KSP Post 3 in Bowling Green, said the two young men were engaged in friendly roughhousing and that it appeared that the gun was discharged unintentionally during the course of the action. “They were hanging out and evidently they got to scuffling and, for whatever reason, one of them had a gun,” Swiney said. Kropp and Whitaker were not that familiar with one another, Swiney describing them as “acquaintances” and adding that Kropp had reportedly visited Whitaker’s residence only once before.

Swiney said the gun involved was a .38-caliber revolver.

Several people were at the residence at the time of the shooting and Kropp appeared to have come to Whitaker’s house with some other people, Swiney said. Swiney said he did not know whether alcohol or drugs were a factor in the alleged incident.

An autopsy was performed today on Kropp at the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s office in Louisville.

Whitaker is in Warren County Regional Jail under a $250,000 cash bond.

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http://www.bgdailynews.com
Posted: Saturday, January 9, 2010
By JUSTIN STORY
The Daily News, jstory@bgdailynews.com
Whitaker found guilty of lesser charge in shooting death
Jury recommends 1 1/2-year sentence for reckless homicide

Jacob Edward Whitaker was convicted Friday of reckless homicide in connection with the death of Justin Kropp. A jury of seven women and five men deliberated for two hours before reaching its verdict, and recommended a sentence of 1 1/2 years for Whitaker, 20.

Two days of testimony from law enforcement and eyewitnesses established that Whitaker and five people were at his residence at 7091 Morgantown Road on the night of July 8. At some point in the night, Whitaker and Kropp, 19, of Scottsville, got into a verbal confrontation that led to Whitaker shoving Kropp twice while holding a loaded .38-caliber handgun in his right hand. During the second shove, the gun discharged, and the bullet struck Kropp in the head. Kropp died later that night at The Medical Center.

“Justin had a daughter, he died nine days before she turned 11 months old,” Kropp’s mother, Tina Schaner, said Friday during tearful testimony prior to the jury recommending Whitaker’s sentence. “When Justin found out he was going to have a baby, he said he didn’t want his daughter raised without a father like he was.”

Whitaker had been charged with second-degree manslaughter in connection with the death and faced up to 10 years in prison if he had been convicted on that charge. Instead, the jury returned a guilty verdict on one count of reckless homicide, a Class D felony punishable by one to five years in prison.

Over the course of the trial, attorneys painted competing pictures of the incident that the jury had to consider. Warren County Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Kristy Vick-Stratton said that Kropp’s death was the result of Whitaker’s risky behavior.

“When someone has a loaded gun, drops it on the floor and it goes off, that is an accident … when someone has a loaded gun, waving it in the air and shoving someone while holding it, that’s knowingly taking a risk,” Vick-Stratton said during her closing argument.

While addressing jurors, Vick-Stratton reminded them that Whitaker knew the gun was loaded and that it worked, bringing up testimony from Trooper Greg Dukes of the Kentucky State Police, who said that he learned in an interview with Whitaker that he and some friends had been shooting with the gun earlier that day.

Vick-Stratton also brought up the testimony of Brittany Martin, Kropp’s girlfriend and the mother of his child. Martin told jurors Thursday that she saw Whitaker take out the gun and that Whitaker told her the gun was loaded when she asked. “(Whitaker) knew the gun worked, but he still had it out, and as Brittany told you, he was careless with it and it was in his hand when he shoved the victim and it went off, killing him.”

Matt Baker, the Bowling Green attorney representing Whitaker, maintained that the death was a tragic accident and an unfortunate outcome between two people who knew each other and had been friends. During his closing argument, Baker brought up the testimony of KSP Sgt. Todd Combs, who responded to the shooting last year as a state trooper. Combs told jurors that he followed a flashing set of headlights toward the Whitaker residence, that it had been Whitaker trying to get the attention of law enforcement and Whitaker fully cooperated and was honest during the subsequent investigation. Baker argued that the incident didn’t rise to the level of second-degree manslaughter due to the accidental nature of the gun firing.

“When you think of someone shooting someone else, you think of someone holding a weapon, pointing it and pulling the trigger,” Baker said. “When I ask you to conjure a mental image of that … you point and you shoot and in this case that just is not so.”

Baker also encouraged jurors to consider Martin’s testimony, specifically when she demonstrated how Whitaker had shoved Kropp. Martin said that Whitaker and Kropp were facing each other during the first shove, and that Kropp had his back turned to Whitaker and had turned his head to face him during the second shove, when the gun discharged and the bullet struck Kropp in the left ear. Baker said that if that were the case, then the bullet could not have traveled the path it went.

“I don’t mean to disparage Brittany, but her testimony about what happened has become clouded by her loss,” Baker said.

James Whitaker, Jacob’s father, was the only witness to testify for the defense. Whitaker told jurors Friday that he was sleeping on a couch in his home when his son came from his apartment on the property where the incident occurred.

“I was sleeping on the couch and Jake came in and woke me up,” James Whitaker said. “He was hysterical. I went to the apartment, dialed 911 and tried to do CPR.”

James Whitaker said his son indicated that the shooting was an accident and told jurors that Jacob was left-handed. Other witnesses testified that the gun was in Jacob’s right hand when it discharged.

Whitaker will be sentenced Jan. 26 by Warren Circuit Judge John Grise.
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http://www.memorialsolutions.com
JUSTIN MICHAEL KROPP
June 29, 1989 - July 8, 2009
BIOGRAPHY
Justin Michael Kropp, age 20, of Kentucky, formerly of Gasport, NY, entered into rest on Wednesday, July 8, 2009. Born June 29, 1989 in Newfane he was the cherished son of: Tina (Ricky) Faulkner of Scottsville, Kentucky and Kevin Kropp of Barker.

He was a self-employed construction worker. Justin was a devoted father and avid hunter and fisherman.

Besides his parents, Justin is survived by his girlfriend, Britney Martin. Justin and Britney have a daughter, Abigail Christina Lynn Kropp, who was born August 17, 2008. Dear brother of: Tiffany Schaner of Kentucky, Rebecca Schaner of Gasport, and Richard “Peanut” Faulkner of Kentucky. Beloved grandson of: Pearl (Don) Morris of Gasport, Paul Rutherford of Gasport, Larry Kropp Jr. of Middleport, Linda (David) Leighton of Wilson and Jim (Erline) Faulkner of Kentucky. Nephew of: Paul Rutherford, Wanita “Beaner” Rutherford, Lisa Rutherford, Filica Rutherford, Larry Kropp, Lori Kropp, Brian Kropp, Candy Hood, Jay Faulkner, Lee Faulkner, Beth Faulkner, Brian Faulkner and Ashley Faulkner. Also survived by several great aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

The family will receive friends on Sunday from 2-4 and 7-9 at the Sherrie-Bream Funeral Home 4521 Main Street, Gasport. Funeral services will be held on Monday, July 13, 2009 at 11:00 am from the funeral home. Interment will be in Hartland Central Cemetery, Gasport, NY.