James Butler (boxer)
Encyclopedia
James Butler Jr. is a former American
light heavyweight
boxer
, and former USBA super middleweight
champion. He had a career record of 20-5-0, with 12 wins coming by way of knockout
, and was nicknamed "The Harlem Hammer".
who beat Butler by unanimous decision.
Butler's next bout earned him infamy on November 23, 2001 at the Roseland Ballroom
in Manhattan
, New York
. The bout was a charity event to benefit surviving New York firemen and police officers of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City. After losing by unanimous decision to Richard "The Alien" Grant
, Butler had his gloves removed and went to Grant's side of the ring for an expected exchange of congratulations. Suddenly, Butler hit the unsuspecting Grant with a right hook to the jaw. Grant suffered a temporarily dislocated jaw and a lacerated tongue that required 26 stitches. Butler was arrested and charged with aggravated assault. Butler was later convicted and served four months at Riker's Island detention facility.
Butler's last bout was a split-decision loss on August 10, 2004 to Omar Sheika
.
) was murdered. (His body was found on October 17). Butler was considered a suspect
; he had been friends with Kellerman for ten years.
On October 20, Butler, accompanied by a lawyer
, sought treatment for his alleged bipolar disorder
.
Butler was arrested for the Kellerman slaying on October 27, and two days later, he pled not guilty to murder and arson
. He was held on $1.25 million bail. Prosecutors claimed that Butler, the only suspect in the case, repeatedly struck Kellerman in the head with a hammer, then torched Kellerman's Hollywood, California apartment in an attempted coverup.
On July 8, 2005, a Los Angeles
judge ruled that there was sufficient evidence for Butler to stand trial on the charges of murder and arson.
On March 27, 2006, Butler pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter
and arson
in the 2004 death of Kellerman. On April 5, Butler was sentenced to 29 years, four months in prison by Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor, according to Deputy Public Defender Jack Keenan.
The suspected motive for the murder was that Kellerman was forcing Butler to move out of Kellerman's apartment. Butler, who was struggling to revive his career and suffering through a difficult relationship with his girlfriend and child, picked up a hammer and killed Kellerman and then torched his house.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
light heavyweight
Light heavyweight
In boxing, the light heavyweight is a weight division above 168 pounds [12 Stone or 76.204 kilograms] and up to 175 pounds [12.5 stone or 79.38 kilograms]), falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight...
boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, and former USBA super middleweight
Super middleweight
Super Middleweight is a boxing and Muay Thai weight division that has a weight limit of 168 pounds .- 1960s–1983 :There was interest in a division between Middleweight and Light Heavyweight in the late 1960s, the mid-1970s, and the early 1980s...
champion. He had a career record of 20-5-0, with 12 wins coming by way of knockout
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
, and was nicknamed "The Harlem Hammer".
Biography
Butler started off his career by scoring 18 wins and only 1 loss in the supermiddleweight division. This led to a title fight against Sven OttkeSven Ottke
Sven Ottke, known as "The Phantom", is a German former professional boxer who was the IBF/WBA super middleweight champion...
who beat Butler by unanimous decision.
Butler's next bout earned him infamy on November 23, 2001 at the Roseland Ballroom
Roseland Ballroom
The Roseland Ballroom is a multi-purpose hall, in a converted ice skating rink, with a colorful ballroom dancing pedigree, in New York City's theatre district, on West 52nd Street....
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The bout was a charity event to benefit surviving New York firemen and police officers of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City. After losing by unanimous decision to Richard "The Alien" Grant
Richard Grant (boxer)
Richard "The Alien" Grant is a former light-heavyweight boxer, and former EBA Light Heavyweight and Super Middleweight champion...
, Butler had his gloves removed and went to Grant's side of the ring for an expected exchange of congratulations. Suddenly, Butler hit the unsuspecting Grant with a right hook to the jaw. Grant suffered a temporarily dislocated jaw and a lacerated tongue that required 26 stitches. Butler was arrested and charged with aggravated assault. Butler was later convicted and served four months at Riker's Island detention facility.
Butler's last bout was a split-decision loss on August 10, 2004 to Omar Sheika
Omar Sheika
Omar Sheika is an American boxer of Palestinian descent. As of October 2010 he holds a professional record of 30 wins and 10 losses.-Amateur career:...
.
Conviction in the killing of Sam Kellerman
On October 12, 2004, writer Sam Kellerman (brother of boxing analyst Max KellermanMax Kellerman
Max Kellerman is an American boxing commentator and sports talk radio host based in Los Angeles. He currently appears as a color commentator on HBO World Championship Boxing and HBO Boxing After Dark and as of January 3, 2011, is hosting a midday talk show on 710 ESPN radio in Los Angeles.Prior...
) was murdered. (His body was found on October 17). Butler was considered a suspect
Suspect
In the parlance of criminal justice, a suspect is a known person suspected of committing a crime.Police and reporters often incorrectly use the word suspect when referring to the...
; he had been friends with Kellerman for ten years.
On October 20, Butler, accompanied by a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, sought treatment for his alleged bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
.
Butler was arrested for the Kellerman slaying on October 27, and two days later, he pled not guilty to murder and arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
. He was held on $1.25 million bail. Prosecutors claimed that Butler, the only suspect in the case, repeatedly struck Kellerman in the head with a hammer, then torched Kellerman's Hollywood, California apartment in an attempted coverup.
On July 8, 2005, a Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
judge ruled that there was sufficient evidence for Butler to stand trial on the charges of murder and arson.
On March 27, 2006, Butler pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter
Voluntary Manslaughter
Voluntary manslaughter is the killing of a human being in which the offender had no prior intent to kill and acted during "the heat of passion," under circumstances that would cause a reasonable person to become emotionally or mentally disturbed. In the Uniform Crime Reports prepared by the...
and arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
in the 2004 death of Kellerman. On April 5, Butler was sentenced to 29 years, four months in prison by Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor, according to Deputy Public Defender Jack Keenan.
The suspected motive for the murder was that Kellerman was forcing Butler to move out of Kellerman's apartment. Butler, who was struggling to revive his career and suffering through a difficult relationship with his girlfriend and child, picked up a hammer and killed Kellerman and then torched his house.