Person Page - 1312

     Her Social Security Number was 107-42-1441.⁵ Angelina Maria "Angie" Acebal was born on June 13, 1952 at Santander, Spain.^1,2,4 As of August 5, 1972,her married name was Acebal-Knowles.² She married William Michael Knowles, son of Norman Elmer Knowles Jr. and Frances Octavia Angle, on August 5, 1972 at Brooklyn, Kings Co., New York.^1,3 Angelina Maria "Angie" Acebal died on March 20, 1996 at Montgomery Co., Virginia, at age 43; Killed in a domestic dispute with her husband.^6,2,7 She A Christiansburg mail carrier was charged with murder Wednesday in connection with the shotgun slaying of his estranged wife and wounding of his teen-age daughter, who tried to stop the attack. Police charged Michael Knowles, 47, with murder, malicious wounding and two charges of attempted malicious wounding of a police officer. He's also charged with breaking and entering to commit malicious wounding and two firearm violations. Longtime Christiansburg resident Angie Knowles, 43, died at 9:21 a.m., about three hours after emergency surgery for a shotgun wound to her abdomen. The incident began early Wednesday when, police said, Michael Knowles broke into 109 Evans St., His wife had been living at that address for just a month. Police answered a 911 call about 6:30 a.m. that shots had been fired and Angie Knowles had been wounded. Three of the couple's four children were inside. The only daughter - Vanessa, a senior at Christiansburg High School - sat bleeding from her finger. She had attempted to block the shotgun blast, family friends said. Police said they saw Michael Knowles in the front window of the house holding a shotgun when they pulled up. They talked to him for about 10 minutes on the phone, trying to convince him to surrender. But Knowles refused, police said, and fired one shot from the back door at Montgomery County Deputy Jeremy Williams, who had heard the call on the police radio and stopped to help. A Christiansburg officer returned fire. No one was hit. Knowles then went back inside the house. He re-emerged a few minutes later and appeared to be unarmed, police said. As Knowles shouted threats at officers, Williams and Officer Mike Epperly tackled him from behind. After the arrest, rescue workers took Angie Knowles and her daughter to Columbia Montgomery Regional Hospital. Knowles died after emergency surgery. Vanessa Knowles was treated and released. Lenore Jackson said her friend Angie Knowles complained of physical and mental abuse by her estranged husband. "She was terrified for her life," Jackson said. With the help and support of friends, Jackson said, Angie Knowles moved out of her home while her husband of 22 years was vacationing in Israel and started her first full-time job outside of the home on March 6. The Knowleses were in Montgomery Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court March 5 for a hearing to set up child support and visitation. The children have been taken in by family friend Betty Ashbrook for now. Knowles is being held in the Montgomery County Jail without bond. on March 21, 1996.⁸ She ACEBAL- KNOWLES, Angelina "Angie", 43, of Christiansburg, died Wednesday, March 20, 1996 at Montgomery Regional Hospital. Born on June. 13, 1952 in Spain, to Jose Acebal-Liano and Angelina Acebal. She was preceded in death by her father, and two brothers, Michael and Joseph Acebal. Surviving are three sons, John-Michael Christian Knowles, Harrisonburg, VA, Dylan Daniel and Ryan Ashley Knowles; one daughter, Vanessa Estrella Knowles; her mother, Angelina Acebal; a brother, Peter Acebal, all of Christiansburg; two nieces, Jeanine and Elaina Acebal, New York. Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 23, 1996 at 11 a.m. at St. Paul's United Methodist Church with Father Harry B. Scott, III officiating. There will be no interment following the services due to her wishes to be cremated. on March 22, 1996.² She JURY SAYS KNOWLES IS GUILTY PANEL SUGGESTS LIFE PLUS 83 YEARS. "Obviously, there's not enough justice for what was done," his daughter, Vanessa Knowles , standing with two of her three brothers, said after the sentencing hearing. "I'm glad it's over. ... It does allow us to go on." A Montgomery County jury convicted Michael Knowles of first-degree murder Thursday in the shotgun slaying last year of his estranged wife, Angie , and recommended a sentence of life imprisonment. Knowles , 48, heard the verdict with the same impassive expression he wore through most of the three-day trial, even on Wednesday when he produced a disposable razor and pushed it against his throat in front of the jury. A deputy restrained him before any serious injury occurred. Judge Ray Grubbs overruled a defense motion Thursday for a mistrial in connection with the incident. The jury added sentences of 30 years for burglary, for breaking into his wife's home before the shooting; 40 years for attempted capital murder, for firing at a deputy outside the home; and a total of 13 years for using a firearm in connection with the March 20, 1996, crimes. Knowles was found innocent of malicious wounding in the shooting of his daughter, Vanessa, 19. She and her mother were struggling with Knowles over the shotgun when he fired it, striking AngieKnowles and injuring a finger on Vanessa's left hand. Knowles claimed he did not mean to hurt his daughter. "Obviously, there's not enough justice for what was done," Vanessa Knowles , standing with two of her three brothers, told reporters after the sentencing hearing. "I'm glad it's over. ... It does allow us to go on." The jury spent about three hours Wednesday and another 11/2 hours Thursday reaching the verdicts, and more than three hours Thursday afternoon deciding the sentences. Grubbs set formal sentencing for 9:30 a.m. July 8, after completion of a pre-sentence report. The defense called Knowles to testify in Thursday's sentencing hearing, but defense attorney Max Jenkins had difficulty keeping Knowles on the subject. Knowles testified during the trial that he has talked to angels since he had a religious conversion at age 16. "Right then an angel stood beside me and told me I would be God's prophet," he said. Knowles was discharged from the Navy after "one year, two months and 21 days," he said, because of these visions. Last year, he made a trip to Israel and Egypt. An angel on Mount Sinai told him that his wife of 22 years had left him, he told the jury. Knowles returned home on Valentine's Day of 1996 to find a note saying she and their children had moved out. Angie Knowles was awarded custody of the children, and her husband was required to pay $410 every two weeks in child support. Knowles told the jury Thursday that on the day of the murder, "I went over there to save the children from my wife. This was going to destroy our home, and I did it because I thought she'd gone off the deep end." Knowles testified that he got into his wife's home on the pretext of signing a support check, then grabbed her computer and fled with it. He said he learned from accessing her e-mail that she had been having affairs. The former postal worker said he was following instructions from an angel when he once tried unsuccessfully to get on the ballot to run for the U.S. Senate. "When the angel shows up and tells me to do something, I have to do it," he said, even when it is something he does not want to do. Under cross-examination by Commonwealth's Attorney Phil Keith, Knowles confirmed his previous statement that he heard no voices on the day of the murder. Jenkins asked Knowles if he regretted what he had done. "Oh - no doubt. There's no doubt," Knowles replied. The judge cut him off when he rambled off the topic and vaguely predicted a "terrible" event in the future. Knowles has filed a federal lawsuit against Ann Landers for printing a letter he sent to her, in which he said he killed his wife. It was published in February in Landers' syndicated advice column. on May 30, 1997.⁹