OnCrime

No More Nifong!

2007-06-16T17:48:00.000-04:00

Finally... justice is done!

District Attorney Mike Nifong was stripped of his license to practice law in North Carolina!

I would like to see Crystal Mangum charged for lying to police and filing a false police report! SHE is the one who started this mess and should be held accountable for her actions.

In addition, Mike Nifong should pay the state of North Carolina for some of the costs (millions!) the state of NC has spent on this nonsense! Good riddance Mike Nifong.

The "Barbie Bandits" Captured

2007-03-01T11:44:00.000-05:00

Update: 3-2-07
The so-called "Barbie Bandits" were arrested yesterday. Police arrested a couple of "Ken's" too. The AP is reporting:

"Ashley Miller and Heather Johnson, and bank teller Benny Herman Allen III, 22, were charged with felony theft and marijuana possession, said Cobb County Police spokeswoman Cassie Reece. Another man, Michael Chastang, 27, also was arrested in the case and charged felony theft and drug trafficking.

"It was a conspiracy to take money from the bank," Reece said. "They were in on it." Surveillance video shows the robbers laughing and smiling as they handed a teller a note demanding money. Police initially thought the girls were as young as 16.

Police declined to release the contents of the robbers' note and the amount of money stolen. The store is in a strip mall in an upscale west Cobb residential neighborhood, about 28 miles north of Atlanta."

Police are searching for two young women who used nothing but sunglasses to disguise their faces while they robbed a bank inside a Kroger store in suburban Atlanta. The two are shown smiling while they robbed the bank.

The two appear to be between 16 and 24 years old. It isn't clear whether the two had a weapon. Authorities also didn't say what was in their note. The robbery happened around 12:15 pm on Tuesday, Februrauy 27, 2007. Watch VIDEO of the robbery.

Who is Crystal Gail Mangum?

2006-12-22T13:09:00.000-05:00

Crystal Gail Mangum (R) is the 27 year old woman who has accused three Duke Lacrosse Players of rape. Crystal Mangum and Kim Roberts are strippers who were hired to dance for 40 Duke lacrosse players at a house where some of the players resided.

Crystal Mangum claims that on March 13, 2006, three white members of Duke University's lacrosse team beat, strangled, sodomized and sexually assaulted her anally, vaginally and orally. Her father told authorities several weeks later that she was also penetrated with a broom. The three players she fingered have been indicted on charges of first degree forcible rape, first degree sexual offense and kidnapping.

So, who is Crystal G. Mangum?

* She was born on July 16, 1978 to Mary and Travis Mangum.
* She is the youngest of three children raised in a working-class Durham neighborhood.
* She graduated in 1996 from Hillside High School in Durham, NC.
* She joined the Navy in the fall of 1996, signing up for an 8 years- two years of active duty followed by six years in the reserves. She was discharged in 1998.
* She married a man named Kenneth McNeill, who 14 years her senior in the fall of 1997. They were married for 17 months.
* She is divorced with two children. She has gone to court to force the children's father to pay child support.
* She had worked at a nursing facility and on an assembly line making catalytic reducers at $10.50 per hour.
* She went to Durham Technical Community College and graduated in 2004 with an associate degree.
* She is a registered Democratic voter.
* She was a full-time, second-year student at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) this semester. She is a police psychology student with a 3.0 grade average.
* She was living in her parents home with her two children prior to the reported attack.
* She had a nervous breadkdown in 2005.
* She has a criminal record.

Crystal G. Mangum's brush with the law:

* In 2002, she stole a taxi from the man whom she was giving a lap dance. A high speed chase ensued and when the deputy chasing her approached the stolen taxi on foot, she tried to run him over. She pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of larceny, speeding to elude arrest, assault on a government official and driving while impaired. She served 3 weekends in jail and paid restitution. - ESPN

Crystal G. Mangum's past accusations:

* She made a similar rape claim in the past, but she did not pursue it. On Aug. 18, 1996, Crystal Mangum, then 18 years old, told a police officer in Creedmoor she had been raped by three men in June 1993, according to a police document. She did not pursue the allegations. The officer who took the woman's report 10 years ago asked her to write a detailed timeline of the night's events and bring the account back to the police. "Apparently she never returned," Granville County DA Sam Currin said." - The Duke Chronicle

* She told authorities that in 1998, her husband threatened to kill her. However, she did not appear at the court hearing and thus the charges were dropped. - LA Times

Duke Dancers Give Different Accounts

2006-10-12T17:59:00.000-04:00

The dancing partner of the woman who accuses three Duke Lacrosse players of raping her refutes a key part of her partner’s account of the alleged crime.

Kim Roberts (L) who danced at the same party where the alleged rape took place, makes the revelation in an interview with CBS 60 Minutes correspondent Ed Bradley this Sunday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Roberts' answer to Bradley’s question directly contradicts a crucial statement the accuser gave to police. Bradley asks whether she, Roberts, who goes by the stage name "Nikki" when she performs, was holding onto the accuser at the beginning of the alleged crime.

Says Bradley, "In the police statement, [accuser] describes the rape in this way: 'Three guys grabbed Nikki,' 'That's you,'" says Bradley, "'Brett, Adam and Matt grabbed me. They separated us at the master bedroom door while we tried to hold on to each other. Brett, Adam and Matt took me into the bathroom.' Were you holding on to each other? Were you pulled apart?" "Nope," replies Roberts, who says she was hearing this account for the first time.

Roberts also denies the accuser's statement to the police that after the alleged rape, Roberts came into the bathroom and helped one of the rapists dress her. When pressed by Bradley about whether she saw signs of rape from the accuser, such as complaining about pain or a mention of an assault, Roberts says, "She obviously wasn't hurt...because she was fine."

Bradley's report also contains interviews with the three defendants, Collin Finnerty, Reade Selligmann and David Evans, all of whom proclaim their innocence, and others involved in the case.

WATCH IT! SUNDAY NIGHT ON 60 MINUTES!

SC Kidnapper Nabbed

2006-09-17T20:09:00.000-04:00

South Carolina authorities have arrested the suspect in the abduction of a 14-year-old girl who was rescued yesterday. Vinson Filyaw, 37, (R) was arrested early today as he walked along a South Carolina interstate. He is being charged initially with kidnapping, possession of an incendiary device and impersonating an officer.

According to investigators, Filyaw kidnapped Elizabeth Shoaf (L) on September 6th- while she was walking home from her bus stop. Investigators said he threatened her using homemade grenades and a flare gun as he pretended to be a law enforcement officer. He then hid the girl in an underground bunker.

Officers say that bunker contained supplies and weapons, and was about 15 feet deep and 20 feet long. It was dug into a wooded area, and was covered with a makeshift door and leaves.

According to investigators, Filyaw told the girl that he had booby-trapped the place, and she would get hurt if she left. On Wednesday, the victim was able to send a text message while the man was sleeping, telling her family that she was in a hole and could hear trucks. That information helped investigators narrow their search location. The girl was discovered early Saturday morning, and has since been treated and released from the hospital.

Filyaw had been on the run from officers since the spring, when he was charged with criminal sexual conduct against a 12-year-old girl. Investigators think he escaped from officers coming to arrest him at his home by slipping out of a hole in his bedroom and into an underground tunnel.

More Info/Sources: WISTC- Columbia, SC ~ WLTX- Columbia, SC

Texas Realtor Murderer Captured

2006-09-06T19:10:00.000-04:00

UPDATE: 9/6/06- Nearly two months after a house-hunting couple found the body of Sarah Anne Walker in a model home, McKinney, Texas officials said they have a suspect in custody. McKinney Police Capt. Randy Roland said they arrested 25-year-old Kosoul Chanthakoummane (L) in connection with Walker's death.

Roland confirmed Chanthakoummane is the person described in a sketch drawing. Roland said officers arrested Chanthakoummane at 11 p.m. yesterday at his home in North Dallas. He said he could not release the address of the suspect since the investigation is still ongoing at this time. Roland said police received a tip on Chanthakoummane after they released a sketch drawing of him. McKinney Police officers said earlier that the person in the sketch was a "person of interest." Roland said investigators were still questioning Chanthakoummane around midnight Tuesday and that he could not release any details on his role or any evidence they have against him in regards to Walker's murder because it was "too early in the case." Roland said Chanthakoummane faces a charge of felony capital murder and a $1 million bond.

This is not the first arrest for Chanthakoummane. According to this WCNC article: In 1997, Chanthakoummane was arrested and convicted with violent kidnapping and robbery charges in Union County, NC. He was only 16 years old at the time. Investigators in Union County, North Carolina said he and another teen stole a car and led police on a chase through Weddington, NC. The boys later kidnapped two elderly women at gunpoint and stole their car. Chanthakoummane was convicted of second-degree kidnapping. Police suspected all three of the teens of being members of an Asian gang because of their tattoos. Chanthakoummane served eight years in prison for the crime and was released last February. He then moved to Texas to be closer to family.

---------------------------
Forty-year-old realtor Sarah Anne Walker (R) was found dead in a model home on Saturday, July 8th. She was found lying face down in the kitchen of a model home where she worked as a real estate sales representative for D.R. Horton. Dr. William Rohr, Collin County, TX medical examiner, said Walker was stabbed 27 times with a sharp bladed instrument with wounds on her upper body, arms and hands and suffered some blunt force trauma.

According to this article published by The McKinney Courier-Gazette, McKinney, Texas Police Capt. Randy Roland said investigators have been following up on a number of leads and interviewing numerous people from Walker's life. He estimated that police have followed up on approximately 250 leads and conducted interviews with 50-100 people."I guess she (Walker) knew a lot of people," Roland said. "We've done a lot of interviews."

He said they have collected evidence from the scene that is being processed by a state crime lab, but he could not divulge the nature of the items or the evidence. The only pieces of evidence or clues that police have made known to the public so far are that whoever committed the murder stole a gold Rolex Datejust watch and a silver ring off Walker's body that she purchased the evening before she died.

It looks like the police have a DNA sample of the killer. Police have said they believe the killer was cut during the attack since they found some blood at the scene that didn't belong to Walker. Roland said they believe the killer was cut because of the way some of the blood dripped on the surface of the area. Roland said they are still awaiting test results from the state crime lab."We haven't got our lab results back to tell us what we have," Roland said. "We're behind other very important murders as well."

Sources & More Info: Star-Community Newspapers, Fox News, America's Most Wanted,

Drop the Duke Case!!

2006-06-10T00:02:00.000-04:00

Will someone please tell me why the charges against the three Duke lacrosse players have not been dropped yet? The amount of evidence disproving Crystal Mangum's story is enough to show she is a downright liar and she needs to be locked up for her antics!

Why is Nifong continuing to waste NC tax dollars to prosecute this case? I am a NC taxpayer and I am MAD! The DNA tests that failed to conclusively link Duke lacrosse players to the rape cost taxpayers nearly $23,000. That is only for the DNA... think about all the other expenses related to this case and possible restitution the state will have to pay to the persons falsely accused in this case...

On June 8th, Reade Seligmann's attorney filed a motion which included some additional information about the evidence the prosecution has against the men. On June 9th, Collin Finnerty's attorney also filed a motion, with even more information about the case. This "evidence" is quite damning to the prosecution. As far as I see it, the case is XX to 1... Everyone who was there that night -vs- Crystal Mangum, the Duke accuser. It is not hard to see that Crystal Mangum is LYING and CHARGES MUST BE DROPPED!! After that- Mike Nifong should be put in jail for his role in this nonsense!

FIRST PROBLEM: Kim Roberts

Seligmann's motion suggests Kim Roberts, the other stripper who was at the party with Crystal Mangum initially told Durham police that the alleged victim's rape claim could not be true and that it was "a crock." According to the 32-page motion, Kim Roberts, told police that she was with the alleged victim the entire time at the party except for a period of less than five minutes. Of course, Kim Roberts has changed her story since her first report to try and help support her fellow dancer, get off some embezzlement charges and gain some notoriety. Go ahead Nifong- put her on the stand. She is the perfect witness for your case.

SECOND PROBLEM: Six Attempts to Identify the Players

Finnerty's motion, stated the accuser in the Duke Lacrosse rape investigation went through at least six sessions with police, trying to point out her attackers. Finnerty's attorney has requested notes and results from all the line-ups. They suggest there have been discrepancies in the identification process.

According to an article by WRAL, three days after the alleged victim told police she was raped by three lacrosse players at an off-campus house, she was shown a series of pictures of possible suspects. Three weeks later, police conducted another lineup with the accuser. During that session, the woman identified Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann with 100 percent certainty. She also picked Evans with 90 percent certainty and stated he mad a mustache at the time the rape occurred. Defense attorneys for Finnerty say there were at least six lineups, and possibly even more. They want all the reports and police notes from the sessions .

Defense attorneys not related to the case told WRAL it is highly unusual for investigators to conduct so many lineups. Police said they couldn't comment while the case is under investigation.

Links:
* Collin Finnerty's June 9th motion.
* Reade Seligmann's June 8th motion
* Kirk Osborn, Seligmann's attorney has created a page on his website with all the court filings he has made on his client's behalf. (The copies on his site do not hide the Duke accusers name of Crystal Mangum.)

Jerry Inman's Criminal Past

2006-06-08T21:47:00.000-04:00

Jerry Inman is a sick sexual predator! I am so thankful his DNA was in the national database and that he was careless enough to leave evidence behind! I truly believe he would have kept attacking women had he not been caught- he was a total loose cannon.

Why on earth was this guy released from jail? As you will see, he could not live in public without committing crimes- but he had numerous offenses while in jail too! What is wrong with our legal system?

35-year-old Inman faces murder, rape and kidnapping charges for the May 26th strangulation of Clemson University student Tiffany Souers. Inman has also confessed to two other sexual offenses in Alabama and Tennessee, which happened only days before Souers was killed.

Jerry Buck Inman's criminal history began in 1987 in Tampa, Florida. Inman was 17 years old when he broke into an apartment and raped a woman. Inman threatened the woman with a gun and tied her up before stealing her wallet and car. Two days later, authorities found her car in Charlotte, NC.
Inman lived in Charlotte, NC, for four months and was arrested 2 times. According to Charlotte's 6NEWS, police records from 1988 show Inman was arrested for robbing a department store that used to sit off Eastway Drive. His job was listed at the Jiffy Lube across the street. Inman was later arrested for trespassing and refusing to leave the Mecklenburg County Jail.

Inman left Charlotte and moved to Asheville, NC where on March 25, 1988, Inman was picked up on breaking and entering charges. On May 31, 1988, authorities arrested him again after discovering the arrest warrants from Florida. While waiting for extradition in the Buncombe County jail, Inman tried to escape.

On July 10, 1988, Inman, along with several other inmates- sexually assaulted two fellow inmates. Court documents show he forced anal intercourse on one of his victims and made the other perform oral sex. (Search warrant for DNA) He pled guilty and was sentenced to 20 years- lus a year for the escape attempt. In 1991, he tried to escape two more times. He was unsuccessful. He was charged with only one of the escapes and got another year added to his sentence- for a total of 22 years.

According to The State, Inman was no model prisoner in North Carolina. His record shows 24 infractions, including: three escape attempts, six weapons offenses, disobeying orders and provoking assault. However, under old North Carolina sentencing laws, Inman got one day off his sentence for every day he served and he maxed out his sentence after 11 years. When Inman was released, state law mandated he be given a mandatory 90-day parole.

After his 90-day parole, Inman was sent to Florida to serve the remainder of his 30-year sentence on charges of sexual battery with a weapon or force, robbery with a gun or deadly weapon, burglary armed, grand theft motor vehicle, kidnapping, and aggravated assault with no intent to kill. While Inman was in prison in Florida, he was cited for at least 19 infractions in the six years he served.

The offenses include: seven citations for weapons possessions, an armed assault and four citations for disobeying an order. Under Florida's old sentencing laws, inmates automatically got 1/3 off their sentence if they behave. Because of his infractions, Inman lost 150 days of time off his sentence. He received 4,966 days of gain time- the equivalent of 14 years.

Inman was released from prison in Florida on Sept. 1, 2005. He provided an address in Dandridge, Tenn., where he went to live with his mother. He worked for a construction company & apparently did some work in the Pigeon Forge area. Who knows what crimes Inman committed from September 2005 to May 2006, but he wasn't arrested.

On May 22, 2006- Inman raped 28-year old woman in Sevierville, TN. WBIR reported that Inman cased the woman's neighborhood and attacked her after the woman's husband left for work around 6 am. Inman had a knife and he surprised the woman who was still in bed with her 2-year old daughter. The District Attorney is seeking aggravated rape and aggravated burglary indictments.

On May 23, 2006- Inman attacked a woman in Rainsville, Alabama, when she came home for lunch. The Greenville Times reported that the women was in her kitchen getting ready to eat when a man came up from behind and put a knife to her throat. Inman had entered her home through the crawl space and sawed a hole in her floor. He brought string with him to tie up his victim.
The victim Beth Bates described her attack to The Greenville Times:

"He told me if I calmed down, he wouldn't hurt me," the Rainsville, Alabama., woman said. "He told me to lay down face first, and he tied my hands behind my back. He was going to rape me and God intervened and he decided not to," Bates said. "I talked to him about the Lord and told him that God loves him. I talked to him the whole time and he talked to me. He stopped what he was doing to listen to me." He was strangely calm, and even polite, she said.

"He apologized to me, actually, and he even rubbed me on the back and apologized and stuff," she said. After deciding not to rape her, he put her in a closet, hands and feet still bound, and propped a chair in front of the doorknob. "He told me everything he was going to do before he did it,' she said. "He turned the light on in the closet for me. He was real nice about it and all. I know that sounds odd to say. It could have been a lot worse for me."

Before he left in Bates' car, the man stole about $300 that she had raised for her church, a local Church of God. Inman drove her vehicle only a mile before abandoning it, the DeKalb County, AL sheriff said. Witnesses saw a man meeting Inman's description getting into a red and silver Blazer that matched the vehicle he was later captured in, the sheriff said.

Inman has confessed to the crime and has been charged with first-degree attempted rape, first-degree robbery, first-degree theft of property and first-degree burglary in connection with the attack on Bates.

Three days later, Inman raped and killed Tiffany Souers.

According to a Fox 21 article, The officer who arrested Inman told reporters that Inman called himself a 'sick animal' when asked why he killed Tiffany and attacked two others. He said Inman admitted to just driving around looking for women and when he saw Tiffany, focused on her and got "perverted feelings". Inman told investigators that when he saw one particular woman he wanted, he waited until she went to sleep, He said of the attack on Souers: "He thought she was asleep and that's when he entered the apartment."

Links:
Inman's NC Dept of Corrections Info
Inman's 1998 Transcript of Guilty Plea- NC

Captured: Jerry Inman

2006-06-06T20:37:00.000-04:00

UPDATE:

Jerry Inman was captured.

More details to come...

Police issued a warrant for the arrest of Jerry Buck Inman for the murder of Clemson student Tiffany Souers. Inman is a registered sex offender in Tennessee & Florida and he was convicted of a sex crime in NC. He is considered extremely dangerous.

Solicitor Bob Ariail says the case is a "forensic driven case." He said that investigators matched DNA evidence from the crime scene against samples in a national database.

Inman has several vehicles, but investigators believe he is currently driving a red 1990 s-10 Blazer with a stripe. He also owns a green 1997 Chevy Camaro with Tennessee tag SRD-739 and a Ford Econoline van with Tennessee tag THH-062.

Inman is a white male 35 years old, 5' 10" 159lbs. He has brown hair, and brown eyes. He also has numerous tattoos. On his back, a skull; on left chest, Tiger; on left hand, skull pentagram; on left leg, skull dagger; on neck, bat; on right arm, skull dragon cross; stomach, female gun.

His last known address is in Dandridge, TN. Investigators believe he may be in the Pigeon Forge area. If you see Jerry Buck Inman, do not approach him. Call 911 or the Pickens County Sheriff's tip line at 1-800-442-2746 and press #2.

According to an interview The Greenville News had with Jerry Inman's mother, he is bipolar and often suicidal. She claims she saw him this morning and had no idea police were looking for him. (which I find hard to believe)

Inman was released from jail in September after serving 17 years in a Florida prison. He has been living with his mother and her husband. According to Florida sex offender registry records, Inman was convicted in 1989 of sexual battery with a weapon, robbery with a deadly weapon, grand theft auto, kidnapping and aggravated assault with intent to kill. Inman was arrested in Tampa, Fla., five days before his 17th birthday and sentenced to 30 years, records show. He was also convicted in 1988 of second degree sexual offense in Buncombe County, NC.

Sources: The Greenville News, Fox 21

Who killed Tiffany Souers?

2006-06-02T20:05:00.000-04:00

Police investigating the murder of Tiffany Souers, a Clemson University student released surveillance photos of a white male trying to use Tiffany Souers' bank card at an ATM a few hours after she was killed.

Greenville prosecutor Bob Ariail said the man had covered most of his face with bandanas and tried unsuccessfully to use the card six times at two ATM cash machines.

The suspect's face is covered by a bandana with a cross on it. Investigators admit the photo is of poor quality but say they spent the day trying to enhance it.

Police also said the suspect was last seen in a light colored 1982 to 1994 2-door Chevy or GMC SUV.

"Hopefully someone will recognize an individual who has that type of headdress or bandana- who drives a vehicle of this type, who is exhibiting the behavior profile," Ariail said. "The psychological profile suggests the man would begin to withdraw from friends and family and man change his habits," he said.

Ariail also released a profile of the possible suspect. Officials say the attack against Souers was a sexually motivated attack, and the possible suspect is considered very dangerous. They say he may pose a threat to friends, family and other potential victims.

He is aggressive with women, and may have been agressive with women in the Clemson area in the week leading up to the murder. They believe the murder is weighing heavily on him and he may have changed his eating and sleeping habits, and he may be missing work or school.

There have been other developments in the case as well. A Pendelton man, James Lindsey, found Tiffany Souers' license this morning. He was picking up cans on the northbound side of Highway 76 just north of the Tri-County Tech campus, which is between Anderson and Clemson. Authorities now have the license and they'll check it for fingerprints.

Officials have set up a dedicated tip line to handle calls about this case. If you have any information about this case you're asked to call 1-800-442-2746. You may remain anonymous.

Related Links:
Crime Scene Photos
Police Incident Report

The "Other" Dancer...

2006-05-30T22:57:00.000-04:00

Let's not forget about Kim Roberts... the "other" dancer who was at the house the night the alleged Duke rape occurred. She is the one who contacted a New York public relations firm- the same firm that represents Lil' Kim (the incarcerated rapper) of whom Roberts reportedly is a fan.

In an e-mail obtained by Fox News, Roberts wrote:

"Although I am no celebrity and just an average citizen, I've found myself in the center of one of the biggest stories in the country. I'm worried about letting this opportunity pass me by without making the best of it and was wondering if you had any advice as to how to spin this to my advantage. I am determined not to let any negative publicity about my life overtake me."
Signed, The 2nd Dancer

Kim Roberts knows damn well no rape occurred that night but she is more interested in the fame she will gain from this situation. Soon after the rape was reported she said, "I was not in the bathroom when it happened," she told the Associated Press. "So I can't say a rape occurred - and I never will." Later, after her own criminal record was raised, Roberts said, "In all honesty, I think they're guilty...and I can't say which ones are guilty...but somebody did something...that's my honest-to-God impression."

Front Page Magazine could not have said it better about Kim Roberts... a must read. Kim Roberts is not your most trustworthy person. She was convicted in 2001 of embezzling $25,000 from Qualex, a photo-processing company. She worked there as a payroll clerk. Roberts was put on probation and ordered to pay restitution, which she has failed to do.

She was arrested eight days after the March 13th party on probation violations. Court documents say she failed to pay restitution to her former employer, missed appointments with her probation officer and left NC to visit California, without permission.

Today, Kim Roberts appeared in court for those probation violations. When Kim Roberts noticed WRAL's camera in the courtroom, she gave the camera the finger and then stuck out her tongue. I bet Nifong can't wait to get her on the stand! Her actions today further prove my point that she is all about the attention-- not the truth. Watch video of Roberts on the stand.

What do you think?

2006-05-28T11:23:00.000-04:00

I want to know what you think! Did three lacrosse players rape Crystal Mangum?

Where is the evidence?

2006-05-26T19:57:00.000-04:00

Something really stinks when it comes to the Duke rape case. Each day more information comes out that reinforces my opinion on the matter. I do not believe a rape occurred and it makes me more angry each day. I know we are hearing most of the information from defense sources... but when motions are filed containing the same information they released, I would imagine it is true.

So many lives have been ruined by the accusation made by this woman. If it turns out as I think it will, she should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Links to Duke Rape Case Documents:
*Copy of 5/26/06 Defense Motion- Evans
*Copy of 5/21/06 Defense Motion- Seligmann (More definite statement)
*Copy of 5/21/06 Defense Motion- Seligmann (Toxicology Results)
*David Evans Polygraph Test Results
*Transcript of Photo Lineup w/victim
*Duke University Police Report
*Reade Seligmann ATM Photos
*Police Report- Officer 1st on scene- Kroger
*Nifong's Statement about Previous Rape Accusation

Defense: Lacrosse accuser failed to ID defendant in early lineup
The Associated Press

DURHAM, N.C. - 5/26/06- The woman (Crystal Mangum) who has accused three Duke University men's lacrosse players of raping her failed to identify at least one of them in a photo array eight days after the reported attack, then selected him as an attacker more than two weeks later, according to a motion filed Friday by defense lawyers.

The motion filed on behalf of Dave Evans, 23, of Bethesda, Md., asks a judge handling the case to force prosecutors to provide narrative reports on a photo lineup conducted with the accuser on March 21, as well as an earlier lineup done March 16. The woman said the players hired her as a stripper for a March 13 party at Evans' off-campus house and then raped her.

According to the motion, the accuser met with investigators on April 4 to again view photos, which is when she identified Evans. Durham police videotaped that session. Prosecutors provided a copy of the tape to defense lawyers last week, along with nearly 1,300 pages of evidence.

"He looks like one of the guys who assaulted me, sort of," the accuser tells police officers in pointing out Evans, according to the motion. She then says she would be 90 percent sure of the identification if the man had a mustache, the motion said.

Evans' lawyer, Joseph Cheshire, has said repeatedly that his client has never worn a mustache.
Accounts of the earlier photo lineups are among several pieces of information that Cheshire and co-counsel Brad Bannon, say are missing from files given to the defense. Their motion also states that they were not given a report by the Durham police officers who heard the woman's initial claim that she was raped, or complete documents relating to a sexual assault exam report by a nurse examiner.

According to the motion, the woman may have wavered during her initial meeting with police about whether or not she was assaulted. A handwritten narrative report by Sgt. J.C. Shelton that is attached to the motion says the accuser first reported being raped after officers had decided to involuntary commit her. She then reportedly told officers that she was groped by some of the men who pulled her from a car, but was not forced to have sex. According to Shelton, the accuser then told a doctor examining her for evidence of rape that she had been raped.

Since District Attorney Mike Nifong (R) provided defense attorneys with what he said was the state's entire file to date, lawyers for the three players charged in the case have filed three motions claiming that information is being withheld. Also indicted in the case are Collin Finnerty, 19, of Garden City, N.Y., and Reade Seligmann, 20, of Essex Fells, N.J.

Nifong's office has declined to comment on this week's filings and his legal assistant was not available Friday afternoon.

Also Friday, a lawyer who said he represents a lacrosse player not charged in the case said he wants the Durham Police Department to conduct an internal investigation into a poster and flyers that he says unfairly implied all 46 members of the lacrosse team were guilty of rape.

Alex Charns said material distributed around Durham by the CrimeStoppers organization suggested that the entire lacrosse team was guilty of raping the accuser. CrimeStoppers is an organization that acts independent of the police department, offering rewards for information about crimes.

A police spokeswoman, Kammie Michael, said Friday that the department's only connection to CrimeStoppers is through a corporal who serves as a liaison officer and that the department had no control over the group's press releases and flyers. Michael said no investigation is planned.

Mike Nifong...

2006-05-18T17:26:00.000-04:00

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. The photo to the right shows Durham's District Attorney, Mike Nifong LAUGHING when defense attorney Kirk Osborn requested a bond reduction for Reade Seligmann.

What is so funny to Mr. Nifong? These are serious charges and people's lives have been ruined. It shows me the kind of person Mr. Nifong is (if the press conferences he held hadn't already!)

WRAL has a ton of information on the Duke Rape Scandal.

Another Suspect in Holloway Case?

2006-04-17T23:15:00.000-04:00

To be honest, I am still not quite sure what to think about the recent arrest of 19 year old G.V.C. in Aruba. It has been almost one year since Natalee Holloway went missing and now all of a sudden- this kid turns himself in?

I truly hope this is the kid responsible but after watching the Aruban authorities completely botch this investigation, I cannot get all excited yet!

According to this article published by the Associated Press, Dave Holloway feels the same way.

Natalee Holloway's father said Sunday he had not previously heard of the person arrested by Aruban police investigating his daughter's disappearance last year. Aruban authorities would only say that the person arrested is 19 years old and has the initials "G.V.C." In Aruba, when an arrest is announced, officials usually release only a suspect's initials, and not a full name.
Dave Holloway told CNN that he had been told the person's name.

"We're hopeful that something will come out of it," Holloway said. "It's someone new that's name has never been mentioned before."

Mariaine Croes, a spokeswoman for the public prosecutor's office, said Saturday that Aruban authorities were not prepared to disclose why the person was arrested. Croes also would not say how the arrest was linked to Natalee Holloway's May 30 disappearance on the final night of her high school graduation trip to the Dutch Caribbean island.

The 18-year-old honors student from Mountain Brook, Ala., was last seen leaving an Aruba bar with Dutch national Joran van der Sloot and Surinamese brothers Deepak and Satish Kalpoe. The young men were arrested in June but were released after a court ruled there was not enough evidence to hold them.

"I still think that these three original supsects still know more than what they told us," Dave Holloway told CNN.

There have been a number of false leads in the investigation, and at least three other people were detained without being charged in the case.
In recent weeks, Aruban police have searched sand dunes on the northern coast of the island. Dutch Marines, the FBI and hundreds of volunteers have previously searched for Natalee Holloway.

The Sadomasochistic Dungeon

2006-04-03T22:19:00.000-04:00

UPDATE: 4/3/06

The Citizens-Times published an article today showing a screen shot of Richard "Master Rick" Sciara's page on collarme.com. (See below) Some additional details were released today about the case, including how investigators believe at least six men traveled from across the nation and abroad to learn 'slave training' and have thgentilestals mutilated. They also said the three men (Richard Sciara, Danny Reeves and Michael Mendez) were sexual lovers who had a master-slave relationship.

The men were arrested late last week and received court appointed attorneys during a hearing today. The men were dressed in orange prison jumpsuits and wearing leg irons, but appeared calm and at ease, according to the article. Their next court appearance will be on April 12th. Police believe the surgical operations took place from June 2004 - November 2005 and the victims willingly participated.

Also, The Citizen-Times reported that Sciara may have learned his surgical skills while working as a physician's assistant in Kansas, although he has never held a medical license in that state, according to its health board. A 1996 city directory for Topeka lists him as a physician's assistant at the Colmery-O'Neil VA Medical Center, The Capital-Journal of Topeka, Kansas reported today.

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Three men were arrested in Waynesville, NC for performing illegal castrations in their home. The so-called "victims" were actually willing participants in these procedures and they came from all over the country and world to have these surgeries.

The men who were arrested are Michael Mendez, 60 (Left), Richard Peter Sciara, 61 (Top Right) , and Danny Carroll Reeves, 49 (Bottom Right) . All three men resided at the 541 Peace Mountain home in Waynesville.

According to a statement released by the Haywood County authorities:

The men had a website that featured still photographs and video footage of men engaging in sadomasochistic behaviors in a "dungeon." The authorities investigated and found that all the men involved were over 18 and were willing participants in activities that were not against the law.

On March 23rd, police were informed by an anonymous source that illegal castrations were being performed at the house located at 541 Peace Mountain Rd. An investigation ensued and they police were able to obtain a search warrant, which they executed on March 29th.

Some of the items they took into evidence were scalpels, IV's, sutures, bandages, and local anesthesia. They also found CD's, DVD's, video taping equipment and artificial replacement testicles, known as "neuticles."

According to the statement, the suspects have admitted to performing at least 8 surgeries on 6 clients. They maintain that each one was done with the person's consent. None of the men are licensed physicians but they have admitted to performing castrations, testicle replacement, urethra rerouting and penis removals.

The men have been charged with 5 counts of felonious castration and/or maiming without malice, five counts of felonious conspiracy to commit castration and/or maiming without malice and eight counts of performing medical procedures without a license.

The Citizens-Times published an article reporting that Mendez and Sciara moved to Western North Carolina from Topeka, Kan. Reeves moved to the area from Atlanta. Mendez and Reeves worked together at Harrah's Cherokee Casino on the Cherokee Indian Reservation, where Mendez was honored early this year for his work. Mendez received $1,000 and a commemorative crystal award for being named one of the 2005 "Shining Stars of the Year," according to a news release sent to area media outlets in February. Mendez worked at the casino as a Total Rewards representative, providing incentives for guests.

Documents related to case from The Citizens-Times:
- Items seized from 541 Peace Mountain Rd
- Investigation descrition of the case
- Police Report: Michael Mendez
- Police Report: Richard Sciara
- Police Report: Danny Reeves

Seattle Shooting Update

2006-03-28T16:21:00.000-05:00

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The King County medical examiner officially released names of the victims of the Seattle shooting today: They are: Melissa Lynn Moore, 14; Suzanne Thorne, 15; Christopher Williamson, 21; Justin Schwartz, 22; Jason Travers, 32; and Jeremy Martin, 26. The two people wounded in the shooting are listed as in satisfactory condition.

News is being released about what exactly happened on Saturday morning when Kyle Huff decided to kill 6 people. Parents and friends are speaking out and some of the details are heartbreaking.

The News Tribune interviewed Kyle Moore, (R) father of the 14 year old victim, Melissa Moore. (L) He tells the whole story of what happened that night and morning with his daughter. Here is an excerpt:

"... Morning found her sitting on the porch with two young girls she had just met. One was cold, and Melissa offered her coat. The girl took it. In it were Melissa’s camera and cell phone.

Moments later, just after 7 a.m., the hulking gunman arrived. Six-foot-5 and 280 pounds, Aaron Kyle Huff had been at the party that morning. He briefly left and returned carrying bandoliers of ammunition, a pistol-grip shotgun and a handgun, police said.

He blasted Melissa and one of her new friends, 15-year-old Suzanne Thorne (R), in the head, police said. The other girl -- the one wearing Melissa’s coat -- escaped, along with more than two dozen others.."

28 year old Kyle Huff came prepared. He brought three guns, more than 300 rounds of ammunition, a baseball bat and a black machete. Apparently, he said, "There's plenty for everyone," as he was shooting, authorities said.

Deputy Police Chief Clark Kimerer said Huff was "clearly intent on doing homicidal mayhem." However, investigators still have no idea why, he said. "We may be asking these questions over the next year or two," Kimerer said. "Hopefully we will find some answers."

The attack was "clearly a premeditated and well-planned assault on innocent people," Kimerer said earlier. "It is very clear that he had thought out a murderous spree, a campaign." He continued, "What he might have done if he was able to leave this scene and continue this rampage, I shudder to contemplate," Kimerer said.

Huff killed the two girls on the front steps, then killed three more people in the living room and went looking for more victims, police said. He tried to enter a locked bathroom, jiggled the handle and fired a few rounds through the door, missing a frightened couple.

The Stranger has published an article called Saturday Mourning: 'Survivors of the Capitol Hill Massacre on the Rave, the After party, and the Hell that Kyle Huff Unleashed' I encourage you to read this article in its entirety. It has many first hand accounts of what happened by the people who were there.

I've cited a few excerpts from the article that I found interesting. My emphasis is bold.

"...Kyle Huff was wearing a green long-sleeve sweatshirt, blue jeans, black shoes, a hemp bracelet, and a crystal necklace. He was the most conventional looking among them. He tossed in a few bucks for beer, like everyone else. One of them smoked a bowl with him. "He was kind of smiling a bit," said Jesiah. "He wasn't having a bad time."

But he wasn't really blending in either. "I kind of thought he was a cop, because he was so straight," said Anthony. He said so to Jesiah, who told Anthony he was being paranoid.

"I kept my eye on him," said Chavon, a 21-year-old who asked that we not print her last name. "I went up and talked to him because I wanted to make him feel welcome." She says that at one point or another, nearly everyone talked with Kyle. No one argued with him...."

The article continues with details of what happened and where everyone was when Huff was on his rampage. Some of them hiding in the basement, some running out the back door or jumping out windows. One couple hid in a bathroom and a few others hid in the bedrooms and barely escaped death. What happened as Kyle was exiting the house is what is so strange to me...

"......The absence of screams and gunshots created an eerie silence, and everyone who was in the house hiding could hear Kyle's every move. "I heard the reloading, the drop of the clip, the cocking, and then the other clip," says Anthony. "I knew he was reloading, and I thought, 'Oh God..'

Downstairs, a song was playing that the group referred to, only half-seriously, as their anthem: "Cripple Fight." Some dialogue from the cartoon series South Park had been mixed with electronic beats. As he passed through the living room, Kyle stopped to turn up the volume....."

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For the Seattle locals:

** The funeral for Chris Williamson, a victim of the shooting, will be held Thursday at 2 p.m. at Lake City Presbyterian Church, 3841 NE 123rd Street in Seattle.

** Jason Traver's family needs some help to bring his body home from Seattle. Which is why a benefit will be held Saturday, April 8th at the Starting Gate Restaurant, at 55 Watervliet Avenue in Albany. The benefit starts at 3 p.m. Proceeds from the event will be used to help bring Jason home and for funeral arrangements.

** The Church Council of Greater Seattle has planned a Service of Hope, an opportunity for prayer, reflection and remembrance at the site of the massacre, at 6 p.m. Tuesday at 2112 E. Republican St. The public is invited. More information.

Shooting In Seattle

2006-03-27T16:16:00.000-05:00

Updated 3/27/06
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Around 7am on Saturday, March 25th, a man entered a house outside Seattle, Washington filled with 20 young "ravers" and opened fire. Six people have been confirmed dead, including four young men and two young women. One other person was critically injured before the shooter killed himself when he was confronted by police on the steps outside. (KOMO-TV article on the murders) (KIRO-7's Video)

The Seattle Weekly is reporting the name of the shooter to be Aaron Kyle Huff. Huff had been invited to the house party by some of the people he met at the "better off undead" rave. According to the article, the man presumed to have killed four young men and two women was a 28-year-old former Montana man. He has no apparent criminal record but a penchant for guns and hunting, police and other sources say. His twin brother, Kane Huff, was taken into custody in connection with the case but has now been arrested.

The night before the shooting, the houseguests and the shooter attended an "undead" rave at the Capitol Hill Arts Center in Seattle. (See online party posting here) The event was attended mostly by ravers known as "candy kids," who normally wear bright colors, but who dressed to fit the zombie theme of the party held on Friday night. It was disturbing to see how they publicized the rave with the line "Get ready to eat some brains. On the left, I've posted the photo that went along with the party details.

The police have not released names of the victims or the shooter but the online Seattle Ravers community has. After the shootings, the young people scrambled to check amongst themselves and published a "roll call" where the members could post if they were okay or had any information on who was killed. (*) This post @ Northwest Techno delivered the news at 6:50pm yesterday and there is already 29 pages of responses.

You can tell by the posts in forums and on MySpace pages that this was a close knit community and many of these young people came together through online chats and forums dedicated the the Seattle rave and "un-dead" communities.

The first discussion of the March 24th rave I can find was posted on December 9th @ Northwest Techno forum. Posts show the young men and women were really looking forward to this rave, many because they could finally meet their online friends in person. This community is now shaken by a terrible tragedy and many are asking why?

The seven people who are said to be deceased according to posts @ Seattle Ravers Message Board & CandyRave boards are: Jason Travers, 32, Jeremy Martin, 26, Christopher Williamson, 21, Suzanne Thorne, 15 & Melissa Moore, 14. (Click on name for more details on the victim)

* Christopher Williamson

21 years old

(aka Deacon)

Deacon's MySpace Profile

Deacon's LiveJournal

* Jeremy Martin

26 years old

(aka Jeremy Chickenhed)

More photos

* Justin Schwartz (R)

22 years old

(aka Sushi)

Sushi's MySpace Profile

* Jason Travers

32 years old

Jason's MySpace Profile

* Suzanne Thorne

15 years old

(aka Sunshine)

MySpace profile is private

* Melissa Moore

14 years old

(aka China Doll)

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According to this "first hand account" posted at CandyRave.com by a poster only named as "Fred" about what happened Saturday morning:

"I was right here when it happened. it was the scariest hing ive ever experienced. jason was there, my brother, his three friends, it was at an after party at tthis guys house, Jesus and Ian and a couple other people. we all drank and played music and stuff, had a blast, then the party was calming down, some people were out on the front porch smoking, and i thought it was somebody banging really hard on the wall from out thtere over and over again, turned out o be gunshots, a guy opened the front dor to see why people were banging and a guy was laid up against the door with gunshot wounds all over his chest and stomach. he collapsed into the house and ttwo other people came in announced they were shot. then i heard more gunshots so i loked at my brother and said, "come on NOW!" and me him and jason and dar ran out he back dor as fast as we could and jumped a fence to the neighbors house.

Jesus was shot multiple times and maybe even killed, the police wouldnt release information on who was dead, shot, alive or anything. like 15 people, the only non wounded people, spend the entire day at he police station doing interviews and waiting and i guess this girl Suzanne (sunshine) was unaccounted for the whole time, not in the survivors section OR the wounded people. but i heard just in a conversations the a police officer MIGHT have escorted her off the property. i dont know though because she should have been there with us. the guy though after shooting as many people as he could (he had a pistol and a shotgun) he shot himself through the head in the face with his shotgun. ive never seen someones insides exposed like that before, i was terrified, i thought for sure he and maybe even whoever might be accompanying him would bust up in the house right away and shoot up everyone, we just ran the other way as fast as we could. im SO glad to be alive and im also INFINITELY grateful that my brother or jason or none of my brothers friends were hurt...."

(*) According to KING5 Seattle, Relatives of Jeremy Martin, 26, and Christopher Williamson, 21, confirmed that they were among the dead. Martin had been living in the house where the shooting occurred.

The Stranger blog is updating regularly on this subject, if you want to check it out. Also, please visit some of my fellow crime bloggers who have written on this tragedy. Huff's Crime Blog, Postcards from Hell, Look who's Tattling Now

Additional:

* Photos taken at the "Undead Rave" 3-24-06
* MySpace Capitol Hill Memorial Group- Memorial Page

* Post made by Kyle Huff on 2/1 about attending raves

~ Many thanks to G.L. for sending this article along with some other info. Is this the same Kyle Huff??

SERVICE PLANNED:
The Church Council of Greater Seattle has planned a Service of Hope, an opportunity for prayer, reflection and remembrance at the site of the killings, at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Join us at 2112 E. Republican Street. The public is invited. More information.

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Side note:

I am tired of hearing some of the media outlets describe the people who are part of the rave community as druggies, irresponsible and the like. I am not a part of this sub-culture but one thing that I found to be true is that the "rave" community or the fact that these young people went to a rave has NOTHING to do with what Kyle Huff did. I have found this close-knit group of people who are into the rave scene are NOT violent people. If anything, they promote love and kindness. PLUR is an acronym that stands for "Peace, Love, Unity, Respect", which is a credo of the rave culture. If you read any of the message boards I linked above, you will see these kids are NOT violent Zombie Killers, as the media would like us to believe. This is a tragedy through and through and we should be talking about these kids as victims not as criminals!

To be honest, I don't care if these kids were doing drugs and I don't see how it matters. Drug users do not deserve to die because they use drugs. I do not believe because they used drugs, they put themselves in the position to be murdered either. We were all young once, weren't we?

I would also like to squelch the rumors about this group of ravers being "zombies"... The theme of the rave was "Better Off Undead" so they dressed like dead people/zombies for the night! It is sad to see news reports stating these things because it is not true. A raver or candy kid is one who enjoys listening & dancing to electronic music, which is generally used to describe techno music that depends heavily on samples and is high energy, upbeat, and is dance inducing. Ravers are full of expression and will wear lots of bright colors, brightly colored jewelry (candy) and use glow sticks, glowing jewelry, etc. Of course, all ravers are different so the above was just a stereotype... either way, ravers or those associated with the rave community are NOT bad people!

Seattle News Sources: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, KING 5, The Seattle Times, 710 KIRO, KOMO TV

NEXT: Seattle Shooting Update

Littlejohn charged with murder

2006-03-22T19:42:00.000-05:00

It's official! Darryl Littlejohn was indicted today for the brutal rape and murder of 25 year old Imette St. Guillen. Finally! I have to wonder why it took so long to charge him because DNA does not lie. If they matched his blood to the ties Imette was restrained with- isn't it an easy case to prosecute? Apparently not!

According to NY1, the grand jury heard evidence for more than a week before they indicted Darryl Littlejohn on first-degree murder charges for the death of graduate student Imette St. Guillen. Law enforcement sources say the grand jury voted on Wednesday to indict Littlejohn. Once the indictment is filed, he will be arraigned in Brooklyn Criminal Court.

Imette's mother and siblings were seen leaving their Boston home on Wednesday morning with their bags packed. Obviously they were headed for New York in anticipation of Littlejohn's arraignment. I cannot even imagine the sadness her family and friends must feel. It is bad enough to loose a child but to loose them at the hands of a malicious killer is a whole different ballgame.

As Imette's family drove, Littlejohn was busy giving an interview to CBS News from Rikers Island. He is still declaring his innocence. Littlejohn's lawyer believes his client is being scapegoated because police couldn't find the real killer. Puhleeeaze!

"They have the wrong person," Darryl Littlejohn told WCBS-TV's Scott Weinberger. "When they (police) first approached me at The Falls, I provided them with my real name, my real address, social security number, birth date, so on and so forth," Littlejohn told Weinberger from prison.

Of course, authorities have said they collected evidence showing Littlejohn's cell phone was used in the area where the body was discovered and the suspect's blood was found on the plastic ties used in the crime. I am sure they have even more evidence against him that even he does not know about yet.

Littlejohn is your classic career criminal scumbag. His first brush with the law was when he was 17 and he robbed someone with a shotgun. Since then, he has been convicted of various drug and gun charges using names like Darryl Banks, John Handsome and Jonathan Blaze. God only knows what else he has done but wasn't caught!

Additional Articles on the subject:
The New York Times
CourtTV
NY 1
ABC News
Fox News
WABC-TV
USA Today
CNN

Man kills boy for walking on lawn

2006-03-21T19:29:00.000-05:00

I was listening to talk radio on my way to work this morning and they were talking about the man (Charles Martin) who killed a 15-year old boy because he was mad the boy kept walking through his yard. They played a portion of the 911 call and I was flabbergasted at how calm this guy was about it. He only seemed to care about how mad the boy and his family made him and not that a child was dying on his front lawn. What is wrong with people??

According to this Fox 19 Cincinnati report:

"In the call Martin tells the operator that he "just killed a kid" and the operator asks Martin what happened and he talks about his feud with his 15 year old neighbor. "It's just...I've been being harassed by him and his parents for five years, and I just today, just blew up," Martin tells the operator.

Martin filed a complaint with the Union Township, OH police department in 2003 but police say it was nothing specific. "(I) don't believe it was against the victim, he had come to police to seek out advice against neighborhood problems," said Lt. Scott Gaviglia of the Union Township police. That problem ended tragically Sunday.

Police say that 15 year old Larry Mugrage first had an argument about his crossing Martin's lawn. An hour later, Mugrage again crossed Martin's yard, this time with friends. That is when he became a target for Martin's weapon and rage. In the call, the 911 operator asks Martin what happened and Martin talks about the kids harassing him and tearing things up.

Then the operator asks what Martin did and Martin replied, "I shot him with a g*****n .410 shotgun. Then according to the call, Martin said that Mugrage was laying next to his driveway dying from a gunshot wound. Martin told the operator that he would be outside waiting for police unarmed.

Related Articles:
Cincinnati Enquirer
Fox 19 Cincinnati (Includes clip of 911 call)
Cincinnati Post

Mom Murders Children- Update

2006-03-18T17:05:00.000-05:00

On January 17th, I wrote about Lisa Greene, the North Carolina woman who killed her children by setting their house on fire. New details were released on Friday at Greene's hearing...

A judge in Cabarrus County, NC has ruled that 41-year old Lisa Greene, the mother who started a fire that killed her two children, could face the death penalty. On January 10th, her children, Daniel Macemore, 10, and Addison Macemore, 8, died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

It outrages me when I hear about parents killing their children. As a child, we rely on our parents for protection, food, shelter, etc. When a parent or caregiver abuses the trust of a child by abuse or otherwise, it should not be taken lightly. Lisa Greene went beyond abuse and resorted to murder and I agree with the judges ruling. Those children relied on her to get help and she didn't even try! I am more sickened to hear that Lisa Greene is not taking responsibility for her actions. She admitted to police that she set a blanket on fire, leaving it in front of the children's bedroom door and sitting in a recliner to watch the fire escalate. She is now claiming she was under the influence of drugs when she admitted to the murders. Her family is supporting her but I have to wonder if their positions have changed after hearing the evidence against her in court today. Over 20 members of Greene's family were in court Friday to support her.

According to News 14 Carolina, "Ashlie Shanley, Cabarrus County assistant district attorney, described Greene as a woman tired of raising her two children, and who started a fire at her Midland home to suffocate them with carbon monoxide." Based on the defendant's own admissions, she's the one who set it, said Shanley of the Cabarrus County District Attorney's Office. The children "died with their mother telling them: Get on the bed. I'll be back."

The Independent Tribune reported: "Shanley stated that Greene told detectives she placed a blanket on fire outside the door to the children's bedroom. The blanket caught the bookcase on fire and she then closed the door. Shanley said, Greene then went to sit in her recliner chair as the smoke began to build and did nothing to help her children. Shanley said Greene then went outside and waited, not expecting her neighbors dogs to start barking, which alerted Greene's neighbor that was something was going on. The neighbor called 911. A witnesses will say she did not make one move to get up and save her kids, however, Greene did ask for her car to be moved so it wouldn't be burned in the fire."

In addition, The Independent Tribune gives some details of Lisa Greene's defense case.
"Lisa Dubs and Robert Campbell, Greene's court appointed attorneys claim the day she confessed was also the day she was preparing to attend her children's funeral as well as using tranquilizers to stabilize her emotions. Dubs said the statements Greene may have made were done so under duress. During the bond hearing, Dubs played the 911 call from the night of the fire at Greene's home. As the tape played, Dubs placed her arm over the shoulder of Greene, who sat crying in the courtroom wearing a green prisoner's uniform. Her relatives also cried as they listened to the tape of Greene screaming for help after a neighbor called 911.

Dubs said that the night of the fire, Greene fell asleep in her chair and that many witnesses could testify that Addison and Daniel liked to use candles in their room. Dubs said that a smoke alarm woke Greene up on the night of the fire and she tried to reacouldn't children, but couldn't. Dubs said that one report states that during the fire all Greene could say was, "Go get my kids" and "Where are my kids?" She said Greene was taken to NorthEast Medical Center where she was treated for smoke inhalation. She also said that Greene had a third-degree burn to her foot. (This was a discrepancy from the prosecution's records that showed Greene only had a minor burn.)

Greene's mother, Dale Greene, testified Friday. She said Lisa Greene was a photographer who would travel to various schools and take yearbook photos. When Lisa Greene was gone, she would often watch the children. She said Lisa had a good support system. "I watched Daniel and Addison when she was at work." I put them on the bus and I'd watch them when they got off the bus," Dale Greene said. "I was there a lot with them."

Dubs also claims that the day of the fire, the children's bookbags were packed for school, they had snacks and signed papers ready for the next day. "Those are not the actions of a careless mother," Dubs said. "They are certainly not the actions of a mother planning to kill her children."

She said there was no motive for Greene to kill her children because there was no insurance policy on the children and there many family members who could aid with child care. "They were healthy, normal children without any signs of abuse," Dubs said.

She said she may file a motion to submit statements made by Greene the day she was arrested. Dubs said, "some of the statements Shanley was citing were made by Greene to deputies the same day she was arrested. "Dubs also said that when an attorney was contacted by Greene's family, he was not allowed to sit in on the interview." (The prosection says Greene never requested an attorney during the interview.) Those statements are very suspect, Dubs said. She was called to the sheriff's office the day that she was to start receiving (guests) for her children' s funeral.

Prosecutors argued that the murder was committed during an arson. The murder was especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel, they said. And the murder was part of Greene's course of violent conduct toward another person.

Greene, 40, of 10925 Candilara Lane, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of first-degree arson, and one count each of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Greene's motion for bail was denied. She has been held without bond in the Cabarrus County jail since her arrest Jan. 13th.

Kenneth Hinson Captured

2006-03-17T06:59:00.000-05:00

*UPDATE 3/17/06*

Kenneth Hinson Captured

Kenneth Hinson was captured on Friday less than two miles away from his home. Hinson, 47, fled on foot after the girls escaped and called police. Although he was carrying a handgun, Hinson was arrested without incident after a neighbor spotted him, said Deputy U.S. Marshal Tim Stec.

Hinson, who is charged with kidnapping and rape, was captured after a resident saw him go to a house to get some water late Friday afternoon, said Chief Deputy Tom Gainey of the Darlington County Sheriff's Department.

Local, state and federal authorities, believing Hinson had not gone far, had been combing the woods near his rural home, about 50 miles northeast of Columbia, since Tuesday.

Yeah!!!!

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Kenneth Hinson is a 47- year old sexual predator on the run! Police in South Carolina are looking for Mr. Hinson, who is a convicted sex offender and suspected of raping two 17 year old girls in an underground dungeon behind his home.

US Marshal's reported that Kenneth Glenn Hinson was spotted last night near the Darlington-Chesterfield county line, but investigators were not able to catch him. Stec says investigators think Hinson is armed, on foot and still in the area.

Hinson was convicted of second-degree criminal sexual conduct in 1991 and shortly before his release from prison in 2000, the state attorney general recommended Hinson be committed indefinitely to a Department of Mental Health facility as a sexually violent predator. Clearly, that didn't happen.

WTOL News gave further details on the crime:

Police allege that Kenneth Hinson took a 17-year-old girl from a Darlington County mobile home while she was sleeping Monday night. Police say he bound her mouth, sexually assaulted her, then left her in the underground room. It's described as not much larger than a closet with a four-foot ceiling.

Police say Hinson later returned to the mobile home and took another 17-year-old girl, sexually assaulted her, then left.

The teens managed to wriggle free, get out of the shed, walk through some woods and flag down a passing motorist.

Anyone with information about Hinson’s whereabouts is asked to call the U.S. Marshals Service at (843) 662-0750 or (803) 765-5477, or the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office at (843) 398-4501.

Article Links:
WJACTV
The State
Myrtle Beach Online
Fox 21

Darryl Littlejohn in hot water!

2006-03-12T21:18:00.000-05:00

This ABC News article touches on the recent updates of the Imette St. Guillen murder investigation and the evidence against Littlejohn is sure piling up.

Some of the evidence we know about so far:

A conclusive blood DNA match to Littlejohn was found on the back of the plastic ties used to restrain Imette St. Guillen.
Forensic examiners have linked cat hairs found on the floral-patterned blanket used to wrap Imette’s body- to a cat belonging to Littlejohn.
Two witnesses placed Littlejohn with St. Guillen at or outside The Falls bar in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood.
Cell phone records indicate Littlejohn was in the area, around the same time Imette’s body was dumped in Brooklyn.
Carpet fibers found on the old blanket matched red carpet samples taken from Littlejohn's Queens, New York home.

In addition, ABC is reporting the police have also matched DNA evidence linking Littlejohn to at least one other sexual assault.

From the article:
"In addition, Kelly said, other evidence now links Littlejohn to past sexual assaults — rapes and attempted rapes — that help establish a pattern of sexual violence. In those cases, women were bound and washed or swabbed clean by an assailant. St. Guillen's case bears several similarities.

ABC News has learned the evidence includes a DNA match to Littlejohn on the handcuffs used to bind a victim in an alleged attempted rape. Two victims of those assaults failed to identify Littlejohn as their assailant in police lineups held last week."

Imette St. Guillen Murder- Update

2006-03-12T16:04:00.000-05:00

NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly held a press conference this afternoon (video link) to announce there have been developments in the investigation of Imette St. Guillen's murder. New York police say they will seek an indictment against Darryl Littlejohn for the murder of Boston-native Imette St. Guillen.

According to Fox News, Police say they found blood and DNA evidence on plastic ties allegedly used to restrain St. Guillen during her rape and murder last month. They say that evidence links the crime to Littlejohn. Authorities will present their evidence to a grand jury this week.

Eyewitness News reported Sunday afternoon that police have been questioning two homeless people who claimed they saw St. Guillen leave a Soho bar called "The Falls" on February 25th, the night she died. According to published reports, both witnesses say they saw one of the bar's employees, bouncer Darryl Littlejohn, drive St. Guillen away early that morning. The witnesses say they were in a nearby park, about 30 yards away from the bar. Police reportedly are taking their accounts seriously, but they did express concern the stories may have been tainted by media reports.

David Crespi's medical records released

2006-03-12T15:06:00.000-05:00

From News 14 Carolina:
Updated: 3/11/2006 11:10 AM
By: Kate Barker, News 14 Carolina

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- David Crespi, the former bank executive who is accused of stabbing his twin 5-year-old daughters to death, has a long history of depression, according to medical records made public Friday.The documents show that Crespi, 45, of Matthews, has been battling depression for more than 20 years. He even attempted suicide on several occasions.

According to the documents, Crespi started taking Prozac just days before he allegedly stabbed his daughters Jan. 20. He had been taking Paxil, another antidepressant, on and off in the past.

Melinda Harper, a doctor from Queens University of Charlotte, read Crespi's medical records Friday. She said antidepressants, in isolated cases, can lead to erratic behavior."There have been some reported cases of some more extreme side effects, which can include abnormal thinking, hallucinations, increased aggression and hostility," she said.

Paul Whitfield, a defense attorney from Charlotte, predicts that Crespi's lawyers will use an insanity defense. "If I were the defense lawyer, I’d get the very best psychiatrist I could and not let my client talk to anyone but him and me," Whitfield said.

A medical evaluation was done on Crespi three days after his arrest. The doctor said Crespi was severely depressed and constantly having suicidal thoughts.Crespi is being held at Raleigh’s Central Prison on two counts of first-degree murder. He was originally being held at the Mecklenburg County Jail, but his doctors, citing safety concerns, recommended the transfer.“Central Prison has a 144-bed mental health center," prison spokesman Keith Acree said. "It has psychiatrists and psychologists. … Those mental health services are available around the clock."A trial date has not been set.

Imette St. Guillen Murder III

2006-03-10T06:46:00.000-05:00

Darryl Littlejohn is the still the prime suspect in the brutal rape and murder of Imette St. Guillen. He has not been charged with the crime but the investigators and crime labs are working hard to see if they can connect Littlejohn to the rape & murder of St. Guillen. Littlejohn is still being held at Rikers Island on a parole violation.

In addition, police are looking to see if Littlejohn is connected to any of the other recent rapes in the area where the suspect fits his description and MO.

Fox News reported the following:
“On Thursday, Littlejohn was removed from a Rikers Island jail and taken to a Queens courthouse, where a judge gave investigators permission to place him in a lineup for a sex attack that happened on Oct. 16, 2005, in the Forest Hills neighborhood.

A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that the Queens case was one of three unsolved sex attacks — including one more in Queens and one on Long Island — that may be linked to Littlejohn. All of them involved a man who abducted his victims late last year using a van, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation had not been completed.

During the lineup at the 112th Precinct stationhouse, the victim asked detectives to order each man in the lineup — including the 5-foot-7 Littlejohn — to shout "Shut up!" before concluding that her attacker was taller than any of them, O'Donnell said.
Prosecutors later confirmed the victim had not made an identification and Littlejohn had not been charged.”

So where do investigators stand now? According to ABC:

“Darryl Littlejohn is certainly not in the clear. He is being investigated, sources say, by federal authorities for his possible involvement in a drug ring that is tied to at least one murder.

As for the St. Guillen case, we're told police are back at his South Jamaica residence tearing up some piping and removing some floors as the search for additional physical evidence continues.”

If you have any information about this case, please contact 1-800-577-TIPS.

Only out of jail 11 days...

2006-03-09T23:10:00.000-05:00

And now he is back in...

Good 'ole Jermaine Hoover- the guy who stole my car on January 20th (see entry here) is BACK IN JAIL. He was released on March 1st and now he committed another crime and is back in jail- where he belongs!!!!

How many times does this kid have to re-offend before he is put away for good or put away at all? He has another Hit & Run charge under his belt as of 3/11/06.

Mecklenburg County is not prosecuting these repeat offenders! This kid is a perfect example of how the justice system fails us citizens.

Here is a copy of an e-mail I sent to many of the local news stations. Kate Barker from News 14 Carolina contacted me but I didn't want to be shown on TV so she stopped calling. hmpfh!

***************************
You have reported several times about the vehicle theft problem in Charlotte. I would also like to call your attention to the lack of prosecution for the suspects the police arrest in these matters and how many are released back on our streets everyday.

I have experienced this personally and after talking to the investigator in the auto theft unit, it is obvious they are having problems charging and convicting these people. She told me she has dealt with some offenders 50 times and they have not been able to charge them for one reason or another. They are released back on the streets to offend again and again! I really hope you will report something on this matter to get the public’s attention and maybe we the public will fight to see some changes to get these people behind bars, where they belong.

I would like to share my personal situation to give an example of how bad this problem is. My vehicle was stolen on January 20, 2006 around 8 am. The suspect left a running vehicle in my apartment parking lot and stole my car. The car he dropped was stolen from person in Mint Hill around 11 pm the night before. The police had the vehicle towed away and come to find out, they never even fingerprinted the car to tie the two together, since it was two different police departments.

Four hours later, the suspect was apprehended after he sped past a police check point on Harris Blvd. He ended up crashing my vehicle into a tree at 70 miles an hour after eluding officers. He ran from the scene but he was found nearby and arrested. He had a fresh bump/cut on his forehead and they charged him with Larceny of a vehicle, Possession of a stolen vehicle, Reckless driving, Hit & Run- failure to stop- property damage, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Failure to heed blue light and siren and Speeding.

My car was totaled and since I was unable to afford full coverage on my vehicle, he basically stole $6,500 from me.

The man who stole my car is 18 year old Jermaine Hoover. According to online arrest records, Mr. Hoover he has been arrested 12 times in the past 11 months for various offenses including: 3 times for communicating threats, 1 time for marijuana possession, 1 time for possession w/intent to distribute, 2 times for hit & run w/ property damage, 7 times for resisting public officer, 2 times for assault on a public officer, 2 times for disorderly conduct, 2 times for second degree trespassing, and 1 time for assault and battery.

Clearly, this kid is on the fast track to becoming a career criminal. This was the first time he was arrested for car theft but his knowledge on how to steal a car only shows he has probably done it before.

I was subpoenaed to court on February 21st for his first appearance. I am the victim but I had to take to take time off work and after 2 hours of sitting in the courtroom, I learned Mr. Hoover was trying to plead insanity and had to have some tests done. The DA told me that Hoover planned on pleading guilty is he was found to be competent, which he was.

As of yesterday, March 1st, Jermaine Hoover is back on the streets. He served 37 days in jail and was released. He was only charged and convicted with some of the offenses he was arrested for. Since the police did not have a witness who saw him steal the car, they were unable to charge him with the felony charge, larceny of a vehicle.

Jermaine Hoover is only one of hundreds of repeat criminals that roam our streets everyday. I sometimes check the daily arrest records and look at the person’s prior arrests and they have so many other arrests but are let out of jail to offend again and again.

I understand these criminals have rights but what about the public’s right to live in a safe place? We rely on our justice system to protect us and it is not happening. Crime in Charlotte is rapidly increasing and something needs to be done.

I truly hope you share this information with the public. If you would like any additional information or details, please contact me by email or phone (704) XXX-XXXX.

Alabama Church Burnings

2006-03-09T17:16:00.000-05:00

Three college students have been arrested and face federal charges for a series of fires that damaged or destroyed nine rural churches in Alabama. One of the suspects said the crime spree started as a joke and then it went too far while the students were deer hunting.

Benjamin Moseley, 19 (right), Russell Lee DeBusk, Jr., 19 (left), and 20-year-old Matthew Lee Cloyd (center) were arrested and charged with conspiracy and arson for five churches in Bibb County, Alabama and four other churches in west Alabama.

According to The New York Times, the fires broke out at five Baptist churches in Bibb County, Alabama on Feb. 3 and four Baptist churches in west Alabama on Feb. 7. The federal Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agency had made the investigation its top priority, with scores of federal agents joining state and local officers.Federal agents traced tire tracks found at some of the churches to one suspect's parents, who then acknowledged their son was involved.

Five churches were destroyed and four damaged. The fires were mostly set in the sanctuary near the altar. No one was injured in any of the fires.

The Burt & Kurt Show website gives some information on the three suspects. http://burtandkurt.com/

Imette St. Guillen Murder II

2006-03-08T06:05:00.000-05:00

*Friends and Family of Imette St. Guillen have launched a website in her memory.

More reports have surfaced about what may have happened to Imette St. Guillen in the early morning hours of February 25th. Bar employees are changing their stories and they all seem to further point the finger at Littlejohn. I never understand why people lie or withhold information from police- especially in a murder investigation but it seems to happen a lot.

Few of the news reports and published articles agree about what witnesses know and how exactly Imette St. Guillen left The Falls. Here are some examples of what is being reported:

One version of how Imette left 'The Falls' as reported by CBS: "The bar manager later revealed that he had instructed Littlejohn to toss her out when she complained that she was not being allowed to finish a drink, a law enforcement official said. The witness said he overheard 'some sort of arguing and a commotion' as Littlejohn took the woman outside, the official said."

Another, somewhat similar version as published in The New York Times: "But early on the police were somewhat stymied in the investigation. They were told at first that Ms. St. Guillen, a student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, had left with other customers, but then were told that she remained at the bar after the security gates had been lowered, that Mr. Littlejohn was asked to make sure she left, and that there was some commotion afterward in a hallway of the bar building at 218 Lafayette St."

The Boston Herald reports even more details on what may have happened: "Dan Dorrian, whose family owns The Falls bar, has told investigators that he pressed St. Guillen to finish her rum and Coke and leave in the hours before she was murdered. Bar managers had initially said the Mission Hill woman left on her own, law enforcement officials said. (Dorrian) tried to take her drink from her and she got argumentative and said she wanted it,one source told the Herald. Moments later, St. Guillen was escorted out by two bouncers whose efforts to remove her caused a commotion in the hallway of the empty bar, police officials said. One of the bouncers, Darryl Littlejohn, 41, is now a suspect in the horrific attack that killed St. Guillen, 24. "

Lastly, Newsday's report on what happened: "The Falls is owned by Michael Dorrian, who at first told detectives St. Guillen had two drinks, then left by herself, sources said, only to later admit he had told Littlejohn to escort St. Guillen out of the bar because she was drunk.Moments later, workers told detectives, an argument was heard in a hallway outside a door to the bar, but no one checked to see what had happened."

Even though I have a hard time believing all the news reports that are published, one thing is for sure one of the leads the police are strongly focusing on is Darryl Littlejohn, the 41 year old bouncer working at The Falls.

According to ABC, investigators are now focusing on a parked minivan found near the home of suspect Darryl Littlejohn.

" Police are trying to determine if it was the vehicle used to transport St. Guillen's body to a field near the Belt Parkway. Initially, police believed that St. Guillen left the bar by herself, but sources say St. Guillen was asked to leave at closing time, and witnesses say she was seen arguing with Littlejohn. Police have been trying to build a case against Littlejohn, who has not cooperated with investigators.

First they seized evidence from The Falls bar, recovering packing tape and cat hair. Similar items were found with the victim. Then Monday night, crime scene units spent hours searching Littlejohn's house, removing items and taking then to the 75th Precinct. At one point, detectives returned to photograph a blue van in the suspect's driveway. Police say it was evidence seized at that house that linked him to the gray van, which is now the focus of the investigation."

Littlejohn continues to be held on Rikers Island for a parole violation- but as of yet, there are no charges in the murder of Imette St. Guillen.

Additional Articles with Updated Information on the Imette St. Guillen murder:

Daily News writer Veronika Belenkaya interview w/ Darryl Littlejohn - 3/8
NY Times -3/8
The Daily News: 3/8
NY Daily News- 3/8
The Boston Herald 3/8
The Boston Herald (#2) 3/8
CBS4 Boston: 3/8
CBS New York: 3/8
Newsday: 3/8
Newsday: Complete Case Coverage

* Don't forget to check out Steve Huff's crime blog for more details and discussion on the Imette St. Guillen murder. *

Imette St. Guillen Murder I

2006-03-07T00:13:00.000-05:00

The New York Times has published details of potential suspect Darryl Littlejohn's criminal record. He does not have any convictions for sex crimes but his rap sheet shows he is a violent, career criminal. Littlejohn has been interrogated for two days and has not been charged with any crime, but the investigation seems to be heading in that direction.

I am sure Littlejohn is not saying a word to police. Most career criminals know how to work the system and he has been in the system long enough to know not to talk. If Littlejohn is the murderer, hopefully police will be able to tie him to this horrible murder by DNA, fingerprints or hair but it will take time for police to go through all the evidence they collected.

Details on Littlejohn's criminal past, as reported by The NY Times:

"He first tangled with the authorities when he was just 17, when he was arrested for armed robbery in Manhattan. He slashed a man and tried to rob another with a shotgun, according to state records. He went to prison for three years.

Using the alias Darryl Banks, he was arrested on a drug charge in 1985, and served a year and two months in jail. In 1987, as Damon Wells, he again served time for drug possession. In 1992, he was arrested in Maryland, where he was using the name Derek Hansen, for unauthorized use of a car among other charges. Mr. Littlejohn was extradited to New York on a warrant for another of his aliases: John Handsome.

As Mr. Handsome, Mr. Littlejohn had been arrested in Queens with a paper bag full of heroin and cocaine and a 9 mm gun, according to a person familiar with that case. He was paroled in October 1995. Within three months, he was in trouble again, this time as Jonathan Blaze. He held up a bank in Farmingdale on Long Island during a blizzard in December. He stole $61,759 and fled, according to state papers.

Mr. Littlejohn pleaded guilty to robbery and criminal use of a weapon, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. On May 11, 2004, he appeared before a parole board. A transcript of the minutes shows that Mr. Littlejohn was hostile and uncooperative, refusing to answer questions posed by the commissioners. He was denied parole. "Your violent and out-of-control behavior shows you to be a menace to society," the decision read. "Your continued incarceration remains in the best interest of society."

But two months later, Mr. Littlejohn, then 39, had served enough of his sentence to qualify for a conditional release. He took a job with a mortgage lender and met with his parole officer, officials said. But he failed to tell parole officials that he was working as a bouncer at a bar, which may have violated the conditions of his parole." - The New York Times

CBS (article & video) stated Littlejohn has a curfew as a condition of his parole and he is not supposed to be out of his house after 7PM. Today, police searched Littlejohn's residence in Rochsdale Village, Queens for any possible evidence.

According to this CBS article, police believe St. Guillen may not have left the building where 'The Falls' bar is located and this is what prompted the search.

"After 4 am they could not find any video of St Guillen from the dozens of neighborhood surveillance cameras. They now believe she never left 218 Lafayette Street alive."

CBS is also reporting about some of the evidence they obtained from the building.

"Sources say police have found tape in the basement of 218 Lafayette similar to the type used to cover the face of the victim. Also there were cat hairs found on the bedspread used to wrap St Guillen’s naked body and there was a cat in the basement of 218 Lafayette Street. The bouncer’s cell phone records indicate that on Saturday morning it was physically on the Belt Parkway near Brooklyn’s Spring Creek Park where St Guillen’s mutilated body was dumped."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

According to reports by Fox News and CBS- police have executed a search warrant inside the building where Imette St. Guillen was last seen at 'The Falls' bar. Police are searching for evidence from the bar as well as the rest of the building the bar is located in.

Police also seized a van located in the commercial parking area of the building, above the bar, to search for evidence. In photos, you can see police dressed in white suits exiting a door near the bar with bags of possible evidence. No 'official' reports have been made by police about the status of their investigation.

The New York Times is reporting the person the police are questioning is a bouncer at the bar where Imette was last seen. The police have not released any details but The Boston Herald has- naming the bouncer in question as Darryl Littlejohn, 41. They describe Littlejohn as a career criminal on probation who was working on the night of Imette's disappearance.

ABC is reporting witnesses told police they last saw the bouncer (Littlejohn) with Imette St. Guillen on the night she disappeared. Littlejohn has been convicted of five different crimes ranging from armed robbery to drug possession but nothing sexual in nature. Police say cell phone records have placed him at The Falls at the time St. Guillen disappeared and around East New York -- where her body was found, two hours later. However, Littlejohn lives only a couple of miles from where Imette's body was found, which could explain his cell records.

Imette St. Guillen's wake was held on Friday in Boston where hundreds of family and friends came to pay their respects. Imette's funeral took place on Saturday in West Roxbury, Mass.

Police are still looking for the 911 caller who reported the body. The New York Post reported the brief exchange with the tipster on Friday.

Operator: "Hello, 911" Caller: "I think there's a body over at Fountain and Seaview."
Operator: "How do you know? What did you see?"
Caller: "It looks like a body. You should send someone to take a look at it."

IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 1-800-577-TIPS.

Child Predator on the loose...

2006-03-06T13:46:00.000-05:00

Have you seen this man?
Marlon J. Winters is currently wanted for:
-5 counts of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child
- 2 counts of Indecency with a Child

Marlon J. Winters is a 45- year old white male, 5'9", 150 lbs. with hazel eyes and brown hair.

Other Physical Characteristics:
-Known to wear glasses sometimes.
-Shaves all of his body hair.
-Takes several showers a day.
-Likes to wear baseball style caps

America's Most Wanted profile

Submit a tip online or call 1-800-CRIME-TV if you have seen this man or have information on his whereabouts.

For Laci

2006-03-04T21:46:00.000-05:00

The murder of Laci Rocha Peterson at the hands of her husband Scott Peterson, has always intrigued me. I could not (and still can’t) understand how and why Scott would kill Laci. I believe he is 100% guilty and even since the trial ended, I have thought often of Laci and her family.

I just finished reading the book “For Laci” written by Laci’s mother, Sharon Rocha. This book is amazing and I highly recommend it. Sharon Rocha did an awesome job of capturing Laci’s spirit and sharing what a wonderful person she was, although she admits she was not perfect. Sharon shared details of the investigation and trial from her standpoint and it was heartbreaking. I watched the news and trial but I never knew what was really going on behind the scenes. I felt horrible for the family and after learning of what they went through, I think of them as amazingly strong people. Sharon Rocha, Dennis Rocha, Ron Granski, Brent Rocha, Amy Rocha and the rest of her family and friends went through HELL. Not only did they loose someone they loved, they had to go through a trial with millions of people watching them. I also read Catherine Crier’s book, “A Deadly Game” and this book has even more details about the investigation and the evidence the police collected. If you are interested in the case, you should check that book out as well.

All the proceeds of Sharon Rocha’s book are going to a fund she set up to help pay for search and rescue organizations called THE LACI AND CONNER SEARCH AND RESCUE FUND. Please donate.

Missing: Jennifer Kesse

2006-03-03T13:06:00.000-05:00

Jennifer Kesse, 24, went missing from Orlando, FL and hasn't been seen since Jan. 23. Her late-model Chevy Malibu was found abandoned on Jan. 26 at the Huntington on the Green condo complex near her home.

Police are investigating this case as an abduction. They are looking for a person of interest seen walking near the apartment complex where Kesse's car was found. Officers say the person is small, between 5-foot-3 and 5-foot-5, but they can't determine if the person is a male or female.
Detectives have confirmed someone other than Jennifer drove her car the night or morning she disappeared.

Det. Glen Gause of the Orlando Police Department described the area where her car was recovered as a drug area. "It's not a nice part of town." Any and all evidence inside the car was sent for further analysis to crime labs operated by the FBI and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

According to WFTV, Investigators do know, from Jennifer's credit card bill, that she filled her gas tank in Ft. Lauderdale before driving back to Orlando. She went to work, then home and should have had about half a tank left. That's about what's there now, so her attacker may not have taken the car very far.

America's Most Wanted also did a show on the disappearance of Jennifer Kesse. Also, please visit the website set up by family and friends of Jennifer Kesse.

Anyone with information in the case can call Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS

Mummy Maniac?

2006-03-01T22:48:00.000-05:00

The recent reports about the murder of 24-year old graduate student Imette St. Guillen have titled the person responsible as the “Mummy Maniac.” More details have recently been released about that case and it tells the story of a sick, sexual sadist at work. Imette St. Guillen, was a graduate student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, and she ended up in the hands of a person desperate to carry out his sick sexual fantasies.

According to The New York Daily News, St. Guillen was last seen at the Pioneer Bar around 3:00am on Saturday. She was out drinking with a friend from high school and they left together but soon parted ways. She spoke with another friend a short time later and told her friend she was at another bar and did not sound distressed.

According to The New York Daily News, a man dialed 911 anomalously from a phone in front of the Lindenwood Diner on Linden Blvd. and told police where her nude body was thrown in the weeds along the side of the road near the belt parkway. Of course, police are eager to track this caller down.

Some details of the murder that have been reported are quite revolting. St. Guillen was beaten, raped, sodomozed and suffocated. Her face was covered with strips of clear packing tape, her hair was cut off, her genitals sliced and she had a tube sock stuffed down her throat.

St. Guillen was found wrapped in a flowered bedspread as shown to the left. It looks like a pattern you would see in a hotel/motel and police believe the bedspread is over 10 years old. They are asking the public to see if they recognize the pattern.

The Boston Globe published an article containing some personal information on Imette St. Guillen. This was a beautiful, successful and smart girl. My heart goes out to her family and friends.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS.

** Please check out the awesome post by Steve Huff at Steve Huff's Crime Blog.

New Crime blog

2006-03-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

I have started a new Crime blog called Crime in Charlotte, NC. If you are interested in local crimes happening in and around Charlotte, North Carolina- check it out.

Natalee Holloway Update

2006-02-24T22:44:00.000-05:00

Joran Van der Sloot, the prime suspect in the Natalee Holloway disappearance was served with a civil lawsuit by the parents of Natalee Holloway. The good thing about this lawsuit is the Holloway's will be able to get Joran and his father back in court to get some unanswered questions answered.

Please visit BLOGS FOR NATALEE to see some great videos & links to various news articles.

The Kidnapping of Sidney Reso

2006-02-18T12:55:00.000-05:00

The Kidnapping and Murder of Sidney Reso - 1992

In the early morning hours of April 19, 1992, Sidney Reso was kidnapped from his beautiful Morris Township, NJ home. Reso, a 57-year old Exxon executive was captured as he walked to the end of the driveway to retrieve his newspaper. Sidney Reso, shown at right, would never come home, thanks to his kidnappers, Arthur and Irene Seale.

I grew up in Hunterdon County, NJ and the kidnapping occurred about 20 miles from where I lived. I was in high school at the time of the kidnapping and I was fascinated with the case. I remember reading The Star-Ledger everyday to see if they had any updates. Hunterdon County is a very rural area as is Morris County, where Reso lived. Crime is not commonplace in either county so a kidnapping was big local news and talk of the town. In addition to the kidnapping, Hunterdon County had two other “famous” crimes happen there. The Lindberg baby kidnapping took place in 1932 and the shooting of Jayson Williams’ limo driver happened in 2002.

When the police arrested Arthur and Irene Seale, the case became more personal. I went to school with Courtney Seale, the daughter of Arthur and Irene Seale. She lived five minutes away on Musconectong River Road in Lebanon Township. She lived with her grandparents and attended Voorhees High School. Courtney stood out in our conservative high school with her “different” style of dress and hairdo’s. She was very quiet, wore all black with dark make-up and nails. Her hair is naturally brown but she sometimes dyed it black and shaved it in the back. At one point I remember her dressing “normal” and wearing colors but that soon faded back to black. Courtney was very friendly with a nice smile. She was one grade level above me but I remember having a few classes with her. She was always nice, rarely participated in class discussions but she was smart and got good grades. I will talk more about Courtney’s current life later.

Arthur and Irene Seale also lived with his parents. They were broke and desperate so they decided to become criminals to get themselves out of debt. Years earlier, Arthur worked at Exxon as a security guard and then as a security advisor. Ironically, he helped develop Exxon’s policy for executive kidnappings. They were living the good life as he was earning a six figure income. The couple bought a $400,000 home and they drove matching white Mercedes convertibles. Arthur was fired in 1987 and he and Irene started their own business furniture business on Hilton Head Island, SC. The business failed within a year and forced them to declare bankruptcy.

The couple and their two children, Courtney and Jason, moved to Vail, Colorado. Arthur worked as a stock broker and Irene worked off and on. They lived the “good life” to the outside but in reality they couldn’t afford it. After a few years, they were broke and moved back to live with Arthur’s parents in NJ. They couldn’t find work and eventually came up with the kidnapping idea. According to some reports, they also considered robbing a bank.

Arthur developed a plan of action. He cased the top Exxon executives to see who the best target would be. He chose Reso because he led a routine life. He always left around the same time in the morning and he always stopped to pick up the paper. Its been said Arthur watched Reso from his van for over a month before he kidnapped him.

On the morning of April 19, 1992, the Seale’s put their plan into action. Irene was behind the wheel of the van and Arthur jumped out to grab Reso as he went to pick up his newspaper at the end of the driveway. His eyes and mouth were taped shut and he was tied with a rope. At some point, Arthur shot him in the arm. He says it was accidental but the investigations think otherwise. They brought Russo to a storage facility in Washington, NJ- about 5 minutes away from where they lived with his parents. Ten minutes away from my house.

Arthur Seale made a wooden casket-like box and drilled holes in it for air. They left him bound and gagged and put him in the box. They did not treat his gun shot wound but gave him aspirin, an orange and some water. Basically, he was left to die. Investigators believe he suffered and then died four days after his kidnapping. After Reso died, the couple drove to the Pine Barrens- another rural area of NJ, which is about an hour and 15 minutes away from the storage facility. They dumped the body off the side of the road.

Shortly after the kidnapping, the Seale’s contacted Exxon and Reso’s wife demanding $18.5 million dollars as ransom. They declared themselves to be an environmental activist group known as “The Rainbow Warriors.” Over the course of the next few days, they made 12 calls and sent 8 letters to police. Even after Reso died, they continued to contact his family and police. The Seale’s led the police on a wild goose chase a couple of times to drop the money and finally the police outsmarted them. They traced the location of Arthur’s payphone call and saw him wearing gloves. The followed him and watched as he met up with his wife. The police followed the couple home, where they arrested them.

The couple ended up turning on each other and Irene struck a deal with police and led them to the body. Police then learned about the storage facility and the box where they kept him. Both plead guilty for their crimes and Arthur Seale was sentenced to life in prison. He is serving his time in North Dakota. Irene Seale got 20 years for her role in the murder and is serving her time in a NJ prison.

Courtney Seale has also turned to a life of crime. According to The Denver Post, Courtney has been arrested more than 60 times for larceny, drugs, assault and prostitution. You can see the many faces of Courtney Seale in this photo. In the lower left photo, Courtney had her jaw wired shut after she was injured in a beating. The upper left photo is how I remember Courtney. It is a tragic end to a tragic story.

I have to wonder if Courtney Seale ever had a chance. After her parent’s crime, Courtney dropped out of school but still remained in the area for a while. She dated an acquaintance of mine when I was a senior in high school and I remember seeing her at parties and get-togethers. Nobody ever mentioned the crime or her parents- at least not when she was around. The last I heard of Courtney, she had moved to Colorado. I did a simple internet search and found out what happened to her and it saddened me.

Please follow any of the links or visit Court TV’s Crime Library for more information.

* This entry was picked as the website of the day on 2/21 on coolpick.com. Check it out.

Homicidal Husbands

2006-02-14T20:48:00.000-05:00

HOMICIDAL HUSBANDS

In recent years, we hear more and more about men who murder their wives, girlfriends and children. Some cases have intrigued me and I would like to recap some of the more famous domestic murders in the news. Please click on the links if you are looking for more information.

Neil Entwistle killed his wife and daughter- 2006

On January 20, 2006, Neil Entwistle shot his wife Rachel and 9 mo old daughter Lilly to death. He then fled the United States for England, his native county. According to court documents, Neil took the gun from Rachel's father- shot his family and drove to his in-laws to return the gun. He later hopped a plane for Europe and did not even attend his wife and child's funeral. Neil and Rachel's DNA were found on the gun and Neil was arrested. He is currently awaiting extradition to the US. Please visit Steve Huff's Crime Blog to read more on this case. The Boston Globe published an interesting article on the Entwistle's here.

Shaun Rudy kills his 6 month pregnant wife- 2005

Shaun Rudy, 23 killed his wife Christine Rudy, 21 on November 12, 2005. He said he dropped his six-month pregnant wife on the side of the road in rural Wisconsin and hasn’t seen her since. Two days before Christine went missing, her husband dropped her off on the side of the road and she had to walk 8 miles to a church where she waited 5 hours for her husband to pick her up.
Police believe Christine was shot in the head and her husband dismembered her body and dropped her in the river. Rudy has yet to be charged in Christine’s murder. He is currently in jail serving time for drugs and weapons charges.

Quinton Ray murders his estranged wife Sueann Ray- 2005

Quinton Ray, 27 murdered his wife Sueann Ray, 26 on August 26, 2005 in Georgia. Ray said his wife left his home to pick up their daughter from his parents' home in a nearby town. Sueann went to his home to have him work on her minivan. Sueann’s car was found in a Walmart parking lot three days later.
Quinton and Sueann had separated seven months before her disappearance and were involved in a custody battle over their 6 year old daughter.
Quinton Ray, was charged with her murder earlier this month after her body was found off a dirt road, near a creek. Police believe other people may be involved and are following all leads. Autopsy results have not been released as to a cause of death. - Jasper, GA

Mark Hacking kills young wife Lori- 2004

Mark Hacking, 27 killed his wife Lori Hacking, 26 on July 19, 2004. He reported her missing as he was buying a new mattress to cover up his murder. Mark Hacking was living a lie. He said he was accepted into medical school in NC but in reality he didn’t even have a college degree. He and Lori, who was 5 weeks pregnant, were packing and getting ready to move to NC when Mark shot Lori in the head. He then proceeded to cover up the crime and reported she went out jogging and never came home.
The day after Lori’s murder, Mark was caught running around naked and sent to a mental facility. He confessed to his brothers about the crime and was subsequently arrested & charged. He was sentenced to 6 years to life in prison in 2005. - Salt Lake City, UT

Fred Neulander hires hit men to kill his wife - 1994

In November of 1994, Rabbi Fred J. Neulander paid $18,000 to have his wife Carol Neulander killed. It took years for the hit men to confess but finally Neulander was charged with his wife's murder. Neulander was having an affair with a local radio host and after two trials, Neulander was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison on Jan. 16, 2003. - Cherry Hill, NJ

Scott Peterson murdered his wife & unborn child- 2002

Laci Peterson was reported missing on Christmas Eve in 2002. Scott Peterson was later arrested and convicted of murdering his beautiful wife Laci and unborn son Conner. The Petersons were known as the "perfect couple" and showed no signs of domestic problems. It turns out, Scott was having an affair & telling people he "lost" his wife. Scott dumped Laci's body in San Francisco Bay and Laci and Connner washed ashore a few months later. Peterson was found guilty of murder in 2004 and sentenced to death in January of 2005. - Modesto, CA

John List Murdered his wife, 3 kids & mother- 1971

In 1971, John List lived with his family in a nineteen room, three-story Victorian mansion in Westfield, NJ. On December 7th, List systematically killed his wife, three children and his 85 year old mother. List planned the murders and informed neighbors and teachers of a family vacation to North Carolina. Nearly a month later, the slain family was discovered in the ballroom of the house. John List's car was found at Kennedy airport, his destination unknown.

List lived on the run for 18 years, changing his name to Robert P. Clark. He married again in 1985 and settled in Virginia with his wife. In 1989, America's Most Wanted aired a segment on the List murders and an old neighbor recognized List and called in. The trial on five counts of murder in the first degree lasted seven days. On April 12, 1990, List was found guilty on all counts. He was given life in prison, five consecutive terms. - Cherry Hill, NJ

Only 30 days?

2006-01-25T22:48:00.001-05:00

Shannon Cook, a 25 year old woman from Illinois, left her three children alone for 9 hours so she could go see The Jerry Springer show with her boyfriend. The three children, two girls and one boy were ages 9 months- 4 years old!!! The 4 year old escaped to alert neighbors 5 hours later and police were called. Cook returned 9 hours later... after midnight.

ONLY 30 DAYS!!!! Are you kidding me? Cook was only charged with misdemeanor child endangerment. How the heck is it that you leave your three kids home alone for 9 hours and only get 30 days in jail? Especially a nine months old baby!

Her excuse was, “I didn’t think I’d be gone that long, according to CNN. Personally, I think she should get more jail time. 30 days is a slap on the wrist for the amount of danger she put her 3 children in.

I feel terrible for the children and I sincerely hope she never gets those kids back. I hope they are able to place all three children together. I hate to see kids suffer because of their parents’ mistakes. Of course, the children are now safe in foster care. Still… what was she thinking? Could she be that dumb? A baby needs to eat, have their diaper changed, etc. A four year old can’t cook! Who knows if she even left any food for them?

Very, very sad!

Another source.

Murder in Matthews, NC

2006-01-23T21:54:00.000-05:00

Murder in Matthews, NC

Father kills twin daughters

This blog seems to have turned to a NC crime blog with all the tragic crimes that have happened here in the past few months. Unfortunately, most of them involve children and it is becoming quite heartbreaking to hear about parents killing their children. What is going on? This tragedy took place in Matthews, NC, which is about 10 miles from where I live. Another recent murder involving a mother killing her two children is about 35 miles from here. She is charged with setting the family home on fire, killing her two children inside. See my blog entry about this tragedy here.

On January 20th, David Lauren Crespi, a 45 year old father of five children, murdered his five year old twin daughters. Tessara and Samantha Crespi, were stabbed to death in their beautiful 4,900 square foot home. Mr. Crespi called 911 just before 1pm and told the operator killed his daughters and wanted to kill himself.

According to friends and relatives, Crespi was a loving father who adored his two daughters and his other three children from a previous marriage. His first wife died of brain cancer in 1993. Crespi was a Senior Vice-President at Wachovia bank in the audit division. All those who knew Crespi are in complete shock over this tragedy and the question everyone is asking is why??

As reported by News 14 Carolina reported: Crespi appeared in an orange jumpsuit with shackles around his ankles and handcuffs on his wrists at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse. The only family member on hand was the suspect’s brother, John Crespi. He addressed the media after the hearing. “Obviously it’s a sad, horrible time for us all,” he said through tears. “I want to express my thanks to the people of Charlotte for your support and prayers – we feel them.”

Crespi spent one night in a mental hospital before he returned to jail. Reports have stated that he suffered from depression and insomnia and it looks like we may see an insanity defense coming along. I cannot say that I disagree at this point. I think any mother or father that kills their child is CRAZY but I still think they should be punished for their crime. More and more we are hearing about parents killing their children and it needs to stop!
More information reported on David Crespi can be found here.

The little girls will be laid to rest Tuesday. This case is absolutely heartwrenching and I feel terrible for the mother, siblings, relatives, friends, and all the others affected by this tragedy.

I'm now a crime victim...

2006-01-21T22:20:00.000-05:00

I live in Charlotte, NC - in a safe (so I thought) neighborhood. On Friday morning, my car was stolen right in front of my apartment. I am the dummy who left the car running- for one minute (and I mean one minute) while I ran inside of my apartment to retrieve something I forgot. Prior to that, I was sitting in my car for about 5 minutes, warming it up to defrost the morning ice. When I originally went out to my car, I saw a man in a running car two spots over but I paid no attention. I figured he was warming up his car or waiting for someone in my building. Never did I think he was a car thief who was about to steal my car! Never did I think this would happen to me... Especially in my neighborhood! Boy, I learned my lesson and an expensive one at that.

The guy who stole my car left another vehicle in its place- running, with the wipers going and it wasn't even raining... When the police arrived, I learned the vehicle was reported stolen at 11 pm the night before from a nearby town. Of course, this was the first car ever stolen from my apartment complex in the 10 years they have been here. Lucky me!

Around 1:30 PM, I received a call from an officer telling me that my car had been recovered; however, it was involved in an accident and had significant front end damage. It was towed to a lot and I went to go take a look. The car is totaled! The whole front end is gone- airbag deployed and the windshield is all smashed up. He advised me they have arrested the guy who stole it and he was being investigated by the detective and will be charged with felony theft, among other charges. I was given his name and additional details of the accident. Apparently, he was about 7 miles from my apartment when the car was spotted by police and a chase ensued. He then crashed the vehicle and was taken into custody.

Of course, I could not wait to look at his mugshot and see the charges against him. It seems as if they charged him with everything they could:

Larceny of a vehicle
Possession of a stolen vehicle
Reckless driving
Hit & Run- failure to stop- property damage
Possession of drug paraphernalia
Failure to heed blue light and siren
Speeding

This kid, Jermaine Hoover, is only 18 and in the past 11 months, he has been arrested 12 times for various offenses including:

3 times for communicating threats
1 time for marijuana possession
1 time for possession w/intent to distribute
2 times for hit & run w/ property damage
7 times for resisting public officer
2 times for assault on a public officer
2 times for disorderly conduct
2 times for second degree trespassing
1 time for assault and battery

Clearly, this kid is on the fast track to becoming a career criminal. 12 arrests in 11 months? And he is on the street? I have to wonder how many charges he had as a juvenile offender. Most of his charges in the past year are misdemeanors butwhy wouldn't nÃ’t the amount of arrests warrant jail time? The longest time he sat in jail was 15 days when he was arrested with intent to distribute marijuana.

I am so disappointed with our legal system. I know jail space is limited and most of his charges were not very serious but it is a known fact that people like this will likely re-offend after being released from jail. Furthermore, the crimes they commit will likely grow more serious. I am curious to know the situations surrounding all the charges, especially the resisting a public officer charges since they were stand-alone charges in two of his arrests.

Of course, I will be looking at this kid pretty close to see when they release him from jail. I will not be happy if it is anytime soon!

Mom murders her own children

2006-01-17T22:02:00.000-05:00

I cannot think of anything more heinous than killing your own child. Lisa Louise Greene, a 40 year old woman from North Carolina is accused of killing her own children by setting fire to the family mobile home.

According to this January 17th article in The Charlotte Observer, Greene told investigators that she told the children to “stay in their room” as she ran out of the house unharmed. A neighbor dialed 911 and two minutes later, Greene called 911 herself. Greene stated that she was sleeping in a recliner when she was awakened by the smoke detectors. She claimed the fire was too hot for her to rescue her children and then she twisted her ankle trying to get out of the house.

At first it seemed like a local tragedy where two children were killed in a house fire... until the Mother of the children was arrested- accused of setting the fire that killed her 8 year old daughter Addison Macemore, and her son, 10 year old Daniel Macemore.

News 14 Carolina reported Lisa Louise Greene was charged Friday with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree arson. She was also charged with possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police have said the children were alive when the fire was set and Ms. Greene’s inconsistent statements led them to suspect her of setting the fire.

A Charlotte Observer article gave more insight into why they suspected the Mother:

"The search warrant, released Monday at the Observer's request, details some of the inconsistencies that Cabarrus County Sheriff Brad Riley said led to Greene's arrest.
Greene first told firefighters she saw fire only inside the children's room. But there was no evidence of burning or charring inside the room, according to the search warrant.
"The origin of the fire was outside the room occupied by the children," the warrant says.
Talking with a 911 dispatcher as the house burned, Greene also said the door to the children's room was closed. She later said Addison was on the bed and Daniel was on the floor. She said they had been watching a movie and had a lit candle in their room.

Greene also told investigators the fire was so severe she couldn't help the children.
But the search warrant says, "The fire could not have reached the level of severity claimed by Ms. Greene at that time, considering the timeframe and the actual damage to the dwelling."
It's not clear whether the children tried to escape even after Greene told them "to stay on the bed."

Firefighters said no one broke the windows in the children's bedroom before fire crews arrived. Riley couldn't say whether the windows worked the way they were supposed to. He also declined to comment on whether the children's bedroom door was closed during the fire and whether it worked properly.

Detectives sought the search warrant to look for propane, gas, kerosene or diesel fuel -- substances that could be used to ignite a fire -- as well as blood and DNA. They also were seeking burned or charred paper, plastics or other objects; unburned furnishings; paperwork; and matches, lighters, candles or other items that could be used to light a fire.
They seized three doorknobs, a candle and candlestick, two sections of drywall and a computer, according to the search warrant inventory.

Other items seized included a fire safe with assorted papers, jewelry and money; photographs; a door casing; sunglasses; a candy wrapper; handkerchiefs; and containers of assorted medications.

During the initial investigation, detectives found a plate with marijuana leaves and three smoking pipes in the modest, one-story house at 10925 Candilara Lane. Detectives have no evidence that Greene was impaired at the time of the fire, Riley said. In court today, Greene is expected to acknowledge the charges and be offered a court-appointed attorney.

This is what she told authorities at the time of the fire:
-She had been sleeping in a recliner in the living room and awoke to a blaring smoke detector. -She tried to help the children, but the fire was too hot.
-She couldn't get to the working phone inside, so she grabbed her purse, which contained her cell phone, and ran out.
-A few feet outside, she fell, twisting her ankle, dropping the purse and spilling its contents. A neighbor found Greene screaming on the ground and called 911, investigators said. "

War on NAMBLA III

2006-01-12T23:12:00.000-05:00

If you haven't already- check out the latest updates to Rikijo's WAR ON NAMBLA blog. A bunch of pedo's have been BUSTED in action. NAMBLA and its members need to be shut down! GO TEAM!

Julie Michelle Bullard

2006-01-05T01:08:00.000-05:00

Where is Julie?

Julie Bullard went missing on Monday, January 2, 2006 when a masked man entered a trailer where Julie and her friends were "hanging out."
The gunman tied up all the girls but left with Julie. She has not been see since. The man who entered the trailer is described as white, in his 30's, approx 5'8."

According to this article, a man named David Wilson committed suicide just hours after the invasion. He was found 6 miles from the trailer where Julie went missing. His truck and clothing were taken by police for analysis.

If you have seen Julie, please contact the Lee County, NC police.

Link to article here.

BROADWAY, N.C. -- Witnesses say a masked gunman snatched a woman from a home in Lee County early Monday morning, but investigators are being tight-lipped about the case. Investigators say Julie Michelle Bullard was last seen hanging out with friends in a home early Monday morning. According to authorities, a masked man surprised the group, breaking through the door with a gun.Detectives say the masked man tied everyone up and left with Bullard. They said there is no indication that any of the victims knew the masked man.
Search crews from Lee, Harnett and Moore counties combed through fields. Divers also checked a nearby pond, but there was no sign of Bullard.Investigators met with family members Tuesday, but investigators will not release details of the meeting or the latest on the search. Bullard's father said he will not rest until she is found. He formed a private search group Monday night with friends and family to keep looking for her. Bullard is described as being 5-feet-2-inches tall and weighs 105-115 pounds. She also has brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans.
According to the family, the suspected kidnapper is in his mid-thirties, he is white, approximately 5 feet, 8 inches tall, wearing a camouflage jacket and blue jeans.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2006-01-01T23:44:00.000-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I wish you all the best in 2006...

On Crime

2006-01-01T15:21:00.000-05:00

Chamber of Horror

2005-12-18T19:02:00.000-05:00

This is really sick. Jerome L. Wigmore, Jr. used a shipping container in his NJ backyard as a torture chamber. According to police, Wigmore held two women captive in the padlocked container, which he had turned into living quarters complete with air-conditioning units. The women, who were picked up off the streets in Camden, NJ were kept on a raised platform bed in a secret back compartment in the container, guarded by a pit bull. Wigmore sexually assaulted and tortured the women, burning one woman's leg with a blowtorch.

Links to articles:
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/new_jersey/13431204.htm
http://www.nj.com/news/gloucester/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1132398917122470.xml&coll=8
http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051118/NEWS01/511180374/1006

War on NAMBLA II

2005-12-13T07:06:00.000-05:00

I would like to direct your attention to two sites with some updates on The War on NAMBLA. The combined efforts of AHM & Crime bloggers is proving quite successful.... YEAH!

The War on NAMBLA by RikiJo
The Darkside by Steve Huff

For more information on "How Pedophiles Operate" - check out this article.

New Blog

2005-12-09T22:26:00.000-05:00

Here is a link to a new blog showing pictures and profiles of men and women posting in forums as young boy/girl lovers.

CHECK IT OUT HERE

War on NAMBLA

2005-12-08T18:19:00.000-05:00

Please check out the following site. It is filled with information on sexual offenders and this groups mission to take them down! I love it!

alt.hackers.malicious: The War Against Nambla..

Take Action

2005-12-04T12:16:00.000-05:00

POWER IN NUMBERS!

JOIN THE CAMPAIGN TO STOP SEXUAL PREDATORS!

It worked before and it can work again! WRITE your congressman/woman or other elected officials and and tell them to TAKE ACTION against sexual offenders.

We all have our own opinions on what should happen to sexual offenders and those who continue to re-offend (aka sexual predators) and it doesn't matter--- LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD.

Our children need to be protected and its up to us to do it for them! Please take a stand and write your elected officials today!

Steve Huff on Dateline

2005-12-02T15:54:00.000-05:00

ATTENTION!

You don't want to miss Steve Huff on Dateline NBC Tonight! December 2, 2005, 10 p.m. EST.

Steve Huff is going to be on *Dateline NBC* tonight discussing his successful investigation into the Peter Braunstien case. Mr. Braunstien is the suspect who posed as a fireman to viciously sexually assault a woman for several hours on 10/31/05 in NYC.

See article here.

Say 'NO' to NAMBLA

2005-12-01T21:03:00.000-05:00

Thanks to my fellow bloggers- Steve Huff, RikiJoe, and Jules- I was introduced to NAMBLA (North American Man/Boy Love Association) Can you believe it... an association actually exists that supports boy-men relationships. Now that I know about it - I'm having a hard time forgetting it!

I found another organization called "Free Spirits" who describes boy-love: It's a phenomenon of attraction to boys that many males exhibit, in which there are erotic, aesthetic, emotional, and spiritual aspects. Many people call it an orientation just like any other.

I'm not quite sure what planet these people associated with NAMBLA are on but here are some facts about what NAMBLA stands for. I had to read through a lot of garbage to get there but here it is.

NAMBLA members do not see anything wrong with men molesting boys.
NAMBLA members think that it is their right to have sex with boys.
NAMBLA members think that they are loving boys and not hurting them.
NAMBLA instructs members how to sexually abuse boys and get away with it.
NAMBLA members try and pass themselves off as gay, they are not, they are pedophiles.
NAMBLA was incorporated as Zymurgy, a non profit, in Delaware and Massachusetts.
NAMBLA members are located in the United States and other parts of the world.
NAMBLA members work hard at hiding who they really are and what they are doing.

As stated on the NAMBLA website, "We (NAMBLA) call for fundamental reform of the laws regarding relations between youths and adults. Today, many thousands of men and boys are unjustly ground into the disfunctional criminal justice system. Blindly, this system condemns consensual, loving relationships between younger and older people. NAMBLA's Prisoner Program, with limited resources, works to provide a modicum of humanity to some of these people."

Another organization, "Butterfly Kisses" is similar to NAMBLA but they describe themselves as "This web site is about and for women who are attracted to pre-teen and adolescent girls."

More to come...

Phillip & Patty Kenley

2005-11-26T09:06:00.000-05:00

WANTED
Phillip & Patty Kenley

This sick couple is wanted for sexually molesting his 11 year old son. Both were involved... she molested and he watched! Arrest warrants were issued in June of 1997 after the couple fled to escape prosecution. Have you seen them?

If you spot these jerks, call the police at (972) 547-5125 or 911.

David Ludwig & Kara Beth Borden

2005-11-18T19:03:00.000-05:00

11-18-2005

* UPDATE *

Law enforcement is still not calling Kara Beth Borden a suspect & I have to admit I may have been wrong... I remember "puppy love" when I was that age and I can't say I would kill my parents for a guy (or with a guy) but I do remember thinking my boyfriend was the most important thing in the world! I imagine the fear in this situation would overpower any rational thinking on Kara's part. I know we will hear more about this case in the coming months. CourtTV has an article posted today about David Ludwig's past, which includes an 18 minute video of he and a friend discussing a late night, armed invasion into peoples homes.

As stated in the CourtTV article, "Ludwig and Samuel P. Lohr, 19, are shown in the video taking guns from Ludwig's house to a home and discussing using them to "shoot and kill family members inside of the residence," according to a search warrant issued Thursday to Warwick Township police. Police said another teen in the 18-minute video told them that the aborted break-in was among several such "late night armed 'plans of forcible entry"' that he and David Ludwig conducted."

Another article I found at Lancaster Online talks more about David Ludwig and his friend:

"David Ludwig and his friend called it “night patrol.” Dressed in dark clothing, the two filmed themselves as they readied to break into a local home with assault rifles and other guns, according to a new court document. In low voices, the two discussed shooting and killing a family inside the home during the chilling 18-minute film. Passing traffic foiled their plan, the court document said.

During the film, they discussed “having sex with Kara and Katelyn Borden, that the sex would constitute statutory rape and the potential to have to shoot a guy named ‘Jonathan’ if he found out about it.” It is not clear from the court document when the film was made, or whether the pair ever did continue on to the Borden home the night the film was made.But the friend did tell police that he and Ludwig had taken guns and gone out on several occasions on “night patrol,” with “plans of forcible entry,” according to the court documents.

As the investigation has unfolded, friends of the young couple have said how Ludwig and Borden were having a sexual relationship and in recent weeks had become more and more withdrawn from others.Ludwig, friends said, told them how he had been sneaking into the Borden home at night to be with his young girlfriend. He also reportedly told a friend that he believed he could “kill someone and get away with it, disappear and nobody would find me.’’

Borden’s Web site revealed a friend’s warning that the relationship with the older teen is a “mistake,’’ and that Ludwig could go to jail. “We couldn’t of told anyone,’’ Kara Borden replied to her friend.

CAPTURED:

David Ludwig & Kara Beth Borden

Eighteen-year-old David Ludwig was captured in Indiana today with 14-year-old Kara Beth Borden. The two led police on a high speed chase before crashing into a tree. As reported by the Associated press, one trooper stated, "Kara Borden was emotional as she left the car, adding "she was just frantic, crying, screaming." Police are questioning Ludwig but the law prohibits them from questioning Kara without an adult present. We haven't heard yet if the girl was abducted or went along willingly with Ludwig.

I have to wonder if Kara exhibits the behavior of one who is being kidnapped. I don't think she does. The one bit of info that struck me was that Ludwig did not have a gun at the time of his arrest. If he were holding Kara hostage, wouldn't he need a weapon to keep hostage? I guess he could have thrown the gun when he saw the police but I am sure the police would have seen it!
I believe Kara Beth could have come out of the car screaming because she was just going 90-95 miles an hour with the police chasing her and then hit a tree! I would be screaming to!

Links:

Steve Huff's The Darkside
FOX
CBS
CNN
ABC

WANTED: Daniel William Hiers

2005-11-12T10:55:00.000-05:00

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MAN?

Daniel Hiers

HIERS is wanted for the shooting murder of his wife and sexual molested of a child. He is a former police officer with 11 years of experience and is proficient in police tactics and procedures. He is also trained in the martial arts and maintains a high level of fitness. He has stated that he will not go to prison, is possibly suicidal and may force an armed confrontation. Use extreme caution, HIERS is believed to be in possession of a .40 glock pistol and and bullet-resistant vest.

Police think Hiers may be in Mexico after his dead wife's car was found abandoned in a hospital parking lot in Laredo, Texas, just miles from the Mexican border. The red Chevrolet Aveo had no license plates and the Vehicle Identification Number had been pried off the dashboard.

Police say Hiers had been sexually assaulting an 11 year old girl who he met at a karate center. Police say she was molested at her home and in his car, and North Charleston police arrested him in late November 2004. He was later released from jail on a $25,000 personal recognizable bond, but was a no-show on March 15, 2005 when he was scheduled to meet his lawyer for his prearranged surrender.

Police say Hiers' wife, Ludimila, was found shot to death in the bedroom on March 15, 2005. She had been shot in the head sometime between 7a.m. and noon. Neighbors say they saw Hiers walking in and out of the house early that afternoon, but by early evening, Hiers was missing along with his wife's car. Two weeks later, investigators were able to gather enough evidence to officially charge Hiers with his wife's murder.

If you see Daniel "Danny" Hiers, call 911 or if you have any information please call 1-800-CRIME-TV.

Missing Persons Blog

2005-11-11T21:43:00.000-05:00

I have a new blog titled MISSING CHILDREN & ADULTS. This blog features missing people (children & adults) in the United States.

Please help find these people and take a look... You never know.

Aruba Boycott II

2005-11-10T18:01:00.000-05:00

The following is a post that was made on Riehl World View a couple of days ago in response to one of Dan's rants about the Aruba Boycott. I contacted the author for permission to use his words because it explains the effects of a boycott as well as a well stated view of this case. Thank you Dan in TX!

"NOTE: this post has been edited accordingly, in response to an excerpt from Scared Monkeys on 11/09/05: "The biggest concern is the fact that 27 percent consider Aruba to be an unsafe place to go to. Aruba has dropped from the second to the seventh place on the list of safe vacation destinations and is now almost at the same level as Jamaica and the Dominican Republic."-Jossy Mansur, Diario

Aruba Now, I can't independently verify this 27 % figure but I will use it in my calculations since it is a hard number at least. About the boycott: it might not be felt much now (though bestbuddy said it was being felt already), but the boycott will be felt in the coming months. So, going back to my recreation and tourism degree:

1. The fact that travel companies are offering discount packages at all is actually a sign of worry on their part. Consider this: let's say that (on average) it costs $100 per night for a 3 star hotel in Aruba. Jossy Mansur says that a 10-day trip to Aruba costs about $1400 per person altogether. Now assume that of this, 50% is hotel lodging- an expense of $70 per day. Let's say that hotel has 100 rooms, has 100% occupancy (very rare for any hotel) and so turns $7,000 a day. Then the boycott hits and in time the occupancy drops to 82% (27% of 70%=about 18% of 100%). Now the hotel only sees $5,740 per day. BUT...what if they offer a 10% discount on all rooms to combat the boycott? Even if their occupancy jumps back up to 100% , at $63 per room per night they are still LOSING $700 per day ($7000-$6300)! In short, offering a big discount on packages and keeping numbers up is better than suffering a flat-out occupancy cut but it is only damage mitigation, NOT a solution. Since Caribbean hotels operate on no more than a 30% profit margin if they're lucky (Source: American Hotel Lodging Association), that means that a 10% discount rate takes away 1/3 of their profit....and if 1/3 of your profit is $7 per hundred your profit margin is dangerously slim anyway.

2. To help recoup these losses and raise occupancy again, the travel industry in Aruba is going to have to spend MORE on more advertising- thus cutting into their profit margin even deeper.

3. A lot of people will be unwilling to cancel their prior reservations to Aruba when the boycott is called due to time constraints or cancellation penalties. The issue is not how many people don't go to Aruba now, it is how many don't go in the coming months. When you consider that Aruba has nothing special to offer over any other Caribbean or Pacific island, things look even worse.

4. As Jossy suggested, if the travel agencies prefer to suggest alternative packages to make up their commissions (see #2 above), then my guess is the cruise lines will also feel this. Remember: the boycott doesn't just affect travel packages, it will affect cruise lines as well. Let's look at this snowball effect for a minute: how many cruise lines will choose to keep stopping in Aruba if the travel agencies that refer guests to them stop referring guests as much, especially given the rising cost of fuel? The same is true for airlines. When one considers this boycott, you have to remember the ripples that a dip in one industry causes to other industries: if Aruban tourism drops- or I should say when (but keep in mind that it will take months for the full impact of this boycott to be felt)- so do the many guided tours in Aruba, the restaurants and clubs and bars, the souvenir shops, even the bordellos! Think about it this way: what would 9/11 have done to the U.S. economy if it were TOTALLY dependent on the WTC businesses? Incidentally, this is where Harry Tho's article on his website http://www.hyscience.com/archives/2005/11/harrytho_aruban_2.php#more is wrong. Look at all the U.S. corporations that he claims might lose business due to an aggressive Aruban boycott. Ask yourself how many are linked to Aruban tourism. Of those, ask yourself which ones will not be able to conduct business elsewhere. Remember, if tourists abandon Aruba and flock to the Bahamas let's say, so will the companies that support the tourism industry. Harry talks as if these companies will go bankrupt if they lose Aruban contracts or at least fail to negotiate new contracts. The truth is, long before they start to lose significant profits through lost contracts in Aruba, they'll have other contracts lined up elsewhere if they're smart. Offshore businesses that profit from Aruban tourism will follow the tourists. To say that the death of Aruban tourism will be anything more than a blip in the U.S. or even Alabama economy is ridiculous. Dan on RWV: 105 million dollars of trade with the U.S. isn't squat. Get a clue- the U.S has a total trade deficit of 400 BILLION dollars. If you think that 105 million dollars worth of trade with the Netherlands Antilles is even a drop in the bucket, then you need to take ECON 101 again.

5. The U.S. makes up 70% of Aruba's tourism income. That means 30% comes from everywhere else. Assuming that all tourists to Aruba spend the same amount (and since the U.S. is, in general, a quite prosperous nation the truth is Americans probably spend the most per person): $1,400 let's say (again, Jossy's number). So for every 100 tourists, $98,000 comes from the U.S. and $42,000 from everyone else (a total of $140,000). What happens if 27% of Americans stop going to Aruba (a total loss of 18% of Aruban tourism)? We get a flat loss of $25,200!

6. The question remains, can Aruba make up this 27% elsewhere? Perhaps, but can they make up the amount of income? Remember, numbers do not equal income. If Aruba can make up the difference from the boycott with European visitors but these visitors spend less than Americans, they're still in the hole. And don't think that just because the Euro is stronger than the USD right now that Europeans will spend more- there's a nasty little thing called inflation that goes along with this that actually robs people of spending power. When the dollar is worth more, everything costs more. And when everything at home costs more, you have less to spend on vacation.

7. Moreso than many businesses, tourism and hospitality tend to pay disproportionately to the managers and owners over the laborers. In other words, in such a strongly service-oriented industry, few people are white collar and most are blue collar. As any economist will tell you, pay cuts hurt the least-paid workers from a standard of living standpoint the most and soonest. Let's say we have an Aruban hotel with one manager, 3 assistant managers, 3 shift supervisors, and 20 maids, cooks, porters, etc. Assume the manager makes $60,000 a year, the assistant managers make $45,000 a year, the shift supers make $30,000 a year, and the others make $15,000 a year. Now let's say that the boycott causes a significant loss of the hotel's business and everyone has to take a 10% pay cut just to keep their jobs. The manager now makes $54,000 a year, the assistant managers make $40,500, the supervisors make $27,000, and- here's the important part-the laborers make $13,500. Assuming a 40 hour work week 50 weeks (allowing for two weeks vacation since Arubans seem to take vacations left and right), that means the laborers went from making $7.50 an hour to making $6.75 an hour. The manager, however, went from making $30 an hour to making $27 an hour. Now- whose lifestyle do you think will be hurt most? Which of these people are living the closest to broke to begin with? Finally, consider this: what percentage of Aruban VOTERS work in the bottom tier of the labor force and will be very upset about the economy very fast? Let me remind you that even in a prosperous nation like the U.S. blue collar jobs outnumber white collar jobs significantly. I imagine this dichotomy is even worse in a Third World country like Aruba.

8. Nobody is going to keep a business open in a financially worthless location or conduct business there (see #4). Do you think that the Marriott or the HI will keep their hotels open for a 25% or even a 50% occupancy rate out of the goodness of their hearts, just to give Arubans jobs? What do you think will happen when the stockholders start crying foul? Most Caribbean hotels and motels operate at a 20-30% profit margin. This means that if you want to make money you can't lower rates more than about 15-25%. But by the time profit margins are down to 10%, most of your stockholders will sell out. So how do you avoid losing money if you're a stockholder with a failing company? You sell and get out (there are other companies to invest in after all), or you close locations that are showing consistent losses.

If you show me a person who criticizes Beth for calling for a boycott and hurting the Aruban people, I will show you an idiot who still thinks the boycott was called because of what happened to Natalee. Beth- and now Dave too bless him- are supporting a boycott because of how the investigation was mishandled and how it continues to be mishandled. Apparently now even Dan the sellout at RWV is beginning to understand that Beth is using the only weapon she has- and she is using it with a vengeance. As a staunch supporter of the boycott on Aruba, I like the numbers I am seeing.

- Courtesy of Dan in Tx

Carlie Brucia

2005-11-09T20:02:00.000-05:00

CARLIE BRUCIA
On Sunday, February 1, 2004, in Sarasota, Florida, 11-year-old Carlie Brucia was on her way home from a sleepover at her friend's house. Her step-father was on his way to pick her up in route but never found her. Carlie, decided to cut through a car wash not far from her home and was approached by a man that led her away... never to be seen alive again. The surveillance camera at the car wash (shown left) pictured a man in a uniform type shirt approaching Carlie, saying something to her, and then leading her away.

After receiving tips as to the identification of the man, the Sarasota police questioned and eventually arrested Joseph P. Smith. Smith, a 39-year-old former auto mechanic and father of three daughters, was charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and capital sexual battery. He has pleaded not guilty. He could be sentenced to death if he is convicted in the slaying. Smith is currently on trial for Carlie's murder. Smith has a past criminal record, including some assault and battery charges but no sex related crimes. Eventually Smith confessed to his Mom & brother and this information led to the discovery of Carlie's body.

It is sickening to me that taxpayer dollars are being spent taking this case to court. They have a video tape of Smith abducting Carlie, Smith's confession that leads them to the body & DNA evidence left on Carlie's clothing! Helllllooooo... Isn't this an open and shut case? Why the heck is this jerk pleading not guilty and wasting money, time & resources of so many people. Sometimes our judicial system is great but sometimes it stinks! I think these criminals want their 15 minutes of fame and enjoy the attention and getting out of the jail cell. Amazing!

Aruba Boycott I

2005-11-07T22:58:00.000-05:00

11/8/05- UPDATE: It happened!
Gov. Riley has called for a boycott of travel to Aruba by US citizens.

"There are no other alternatives to get Aruban authorities to take this as seriously as they should," Riley said. Riley has asked the governors of the other 49 states to join him in urging a boycott of Aruba on behalf of the family of Natalee Holloway. According to KFDX, "Riley said the state house had already passed a resolution on the boycott, and the senate is expected to follow. Riley says he will ask every governor in the United States to boycott Aruba as well."

I was unable to find more information about how the House and Senate is involved. I will update when I do.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wow! This case has turned out to be a real mess! The latest news on the Natalee Holloway case is that the Governor of Alabama (Bob Riley) will call for a boycott from travel to Aruba tomorrow. A press conference is scheduled for Gov. Riley and Beth Twitty to announce the boycott. Check out the argument between Jayne Weintraub, Arlene Schipper & Wendy Murphy on MSNBC. See the Videa as posted on Blogs for Natalee.

A few days ago, Natalee's parents asked the Aruban Gov't to assign a whole new team of investigators/prosecution to the case. They feel the current team has messed up royally. I am sure they believe this case will never be solved if the same people continue to work the case as they have. I could not agree more! Unfortunately, that request was denied. The sad part about this whole case is that the evidence is most likely gone. The authorities did not do what they should've from the beginning and now look where we are. I think the authorities are covering something up or failed to investigate this case on purpose.

Even Dave Holloway is fed up! Two days ago, Dave gave an interview and one thing that Dave stated really stuck "they only do something when the 'heat' from the media is on them.."

Boycott Aruba
View Joran's photo slide show - See Joran in all his glory..

Your comments are always welcome!

Have you seen Maura Murray?

2005-11-06T10:40:00.000-05:00

Missing Person: Maura Murray

The disappearance of Maura Murray is quite strange. She disappeared after she was involved in an accident. A witness spoke with Maura and went to call police. By the time police arrived, Maura was gone! Who came along that night and took Maura?

Maura Murray, a 21-year-old University of Massachusetts nursing student disappeared the night of February 9, 2004, after she was involved in a one-car crash on Route 112 in Haverhill. Maura Murray, a resident of Hanson, Mass., and a junior at the UMass Amherst campus, was driving a black 1996 Saturn at about 7 p.m. when she failed to negotiate a sharp left-hand curve and went off the right side of Route 112 after driving past The Weathered Barn.

A witness stopped and spoke with Maura then called police from their nearby home. When police arrived 10 minutes later Maura was missing. Since February 9th, Maura's bank account, credit cards and cell phone have had no activity. Maura is a 22 year old Hanson, MA native, a UMASS Amherst nursing student and a former USMA West Point Cadet.

Download Maura Murray's Missing Persons Poster

If you have seen Maura or if you have any information regarding her whereabouts, please contact: New Hampshire State Police Major Crimes Unit - Lt. Russ Conte at: 1-603-271-2663

Makes me sick!!

2005-11-05T20:17:00.000-05:00

CourtTV has an article on their website about a woman who was convicted of sexually abusing an 8 year old! Yes, an 8 year old! I do not even have any words to respond to this crime. I am outraged! See article below:

Connecticut woman sentenced to six years for abusing daughter's playmate
Nov. 4, 2005, 4:00 p.m. ET

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) — A 30-year-old secretary was sentenced Friday to six years in prison for sexually abusing her daughter's 8-year-old playmate.
Tammy Imre of Stratford had pleaded guilty to two counts of risk of injury to a minor, a reduced charge that the boy's family accepted to spare both children time on the witness stand.
"I'm truly sorry for everything," she said during Friday's sentencing hearing.
Imre was arrested last November on sexual assault charges after the boy's mother found a love letter that Imre wrote to her son. In the letter, police said Imre told the boy that she doesn't "want anyone but you. Now tomorrow it's supposed to rain, you can come over we can (you know what). Love ya! I want you!" Imre admitted engaging in sexual acts with the boy but said it stopped short of sexual intercourse. "When this was first in the paper, it was almost a joke, because of the role reversal," prosecutor Cornelius Kelly said. "It conjures up thoughts of, 'Oh, that's a young man's dream.' But as we stand here today, we still don't know what damage this will have on the young boy's self-esteem, his interpersonal relationships. We don't know what damage the young girl suffered." Imre's daughter, who witnessed some of the acts, is now in foster care, authorities said. "She has hurt a lot of innocent people, including her own daughter, who not only lost her mother, but her best friend, who was my son," the boy's mother told the judge. Defense attorney Donald Papcsy said Imre is a rape victim and suffers from a mental problem that made it hard for her to know that what she did was wrong. "This sexual trauma had a severe impact," he said. "She's not a wicked person." Besides the prison term, Imre was sentenced to 10 years probation, during which she must register as a sex offender.

http://www.courttv.com/news/2005/1104/imre_ap.html
Article URL: http://www.courttv.com/news/2005/1104/imre_ap.html

Missing Child: Asha Degree

2005-11-04T21:53:00.000-05:00

Asha Degree has been missing from her home in Shelby, North Carolina since February 14, 2000. She was 9 years old at the time of her disappearance. Asha's father last saw her at approximately 2:30 a.m. while she was asleep in her bedroom. By dawn, her parents were unable to locate her anywhere in the house. Along with Asha, her black bookbag and purse were missing from her room.

((---- Asha Degree- Aged Progessed photo to 13 years.

Few leads have developed except that morning motorists reported spotting her walking along North Carolina Highway 18 in Shelby, NC at 4am. It's believed she left on her own, but then met trouble. A massive search began, hundreds of volunteers, law officers, rescue workers, combing dense woods around State Road 18 where Asha was last seen.

In August 2001, Asha's book bag and purse (along with a pair of men's pants and some animal bones) were discovered by a construction worker in a wooded area along N.C. 18, forty miles down the highway on which Asha was last seen, but it yielded no clues to her current whereabouts.

In November 2004, acting on a tip an inmate at the Cleveland County jail, authorities searched an area about six miles from Asha's home and dug up some bones at the corner of Shelby and Rube Spangler roads in Lawndale, but those remains proved to be animal, not human.

This case remains unsolved. If you have information about Asha Degree, call the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office at (704) 484-4888.

An age progressed photo can be found at the Missing Kids website. Asha Degree would be 14 years old today.

Oprah's Show Today

2005-11-02T22:13:00.000-05:00

Today's oprah show really moved me to action! The show was about sexual slavery (child sex slaves) within the US and abroad. She has taken a stand for the children and has implemented a letter (or e-mail) writing campaign to our Senators and congressmen/woman. I really believe in writing campaigns and most of them I have been involved in have WORKED.

Please see Oprah's page with sample letters or an e-mail sample you can copy and paste and e-mail your Senators & Congressmen/woman. Find your states representatives here. I just finished e-mailing my own representatives and it makes me feel good. However, the power is in numbers, so please write today.

I was personally compelled to write an e-mail to President Bush as well- I figure it doesn't hurt, right? Please contact me or post any other letter writing campaigns you know of.

On Crime

2005-11-02T14:52:00.001-05:00

New Website

2005-11-02T14:52:00.000-05:00

I sent up a new domain name to share my blog. Please visit http://www.oncrime.com to access this blog in the future!

I am new at this blogging thing so please bear with me while I learn how to set this up the way I want...

Make it a great day :)

Beth Bashers...

2005-11-02T08:21:00.000-05:00

I understand we all have opinions about the disappearance of Natalee Holloway but what I don't understand is all this hatred towards Beth. What is it about this mother that makes people spew hatred from one blog to another? I notice this when I visit Scared Monkeys , The Political Teen & Riehl World View... among others.
I could not possibly imagine losing a daughter & there is no way I could sit here and tell you how I would react if I did. I don't think anyone could! So what gives these people the right to judge her and what she does?
Lately we have heard numerous rumors about the money Beth has collected from donors & what she is doing with it. We have also heard about Jug Twitty and his supposed 'shady' business transactions. BUT... What the heck does this have to do with Natalee???

Tara Grinstead

2005-11-01T18:40:00.000-05:00

Missing Person Website: Tara Grinstead (www.findtara.com)

Here is what we know about Tara Grinstead from her missing persons flyer: "Tara disappeared from her home and has not been heard from since Saturday, October 22. On October 24, 2005 at 8:50am a report was made to the Ocilla (Georgia) Police Department by neighbors and co-workers who were concerned about her well being. Tara did not show up for work and they were unable to reach her. The last known contact with Tara was on Saturday October 22, 2005 at approx. 11:00 pm. There is no known description of the clothing she was wearing when she disappeared. Her house was locked and her car is parked at her home. The only items known to be missing are her purse and keys."

After reading information on this case from various sites, it is clear that she knew the person she left with. There were no signs of a struggle in her home & she had most likely returned home from the beauty pageant, where was last seen at 11pm. She didnt have her phone with her so I would only assume she left in a hurry & forgot it or she was not planning on going out long... BUT... then I read the lamp in her bedroom was smashed and the alarm clock knocked over. Apparently, Tara was a 'tidy' girl so this kind of unattended mess would be entirely unlike her. What happened to Tara?

Steve Huff writes a good article on Tara's disappearance- so check it out!
America's Most Wanted- "Former Beauty Queen Vanishes"
Crime Library- Tara Grinstead feature by Steve Huff

Pamela Vitale Murder

2005-11-01T09:40:00.000-05:00

I was listening to Nancy Grace last night & heard the "new" theory about how Scott Dyleski's dog was hit by a car and this could have been why he murdered Pamela Vitale... I have to wonder if the media reps are reading blogs.
Here is why. The bloggers were discussing this theory a few days prior to Nancy Grace reporting as 'breaking news.' I have become somewhat of a blog-aholic for this reason... you get all the news before the news! It is amazing what some people dig up...
Steve Huff appeared on Rita Cosby last night to discuss this case. We also got a look at some pictures of Scott courtesy of The Cellar.

Make it a great day :)

Joseph E Duncan III

2005-10-29T20:47:00.000-04:00

The more details I hear about Duncan, the more I hate him. This man is a sick bastard who NEVER should've been walking the streets to begin with. My favorite site to get info on Duncan is The Cellar. This blog has so much information on Duncan and his life.

His victim in 1980, when Duncan himself was but 16 going on 17, was a 14-year-old boy Duncan assaulted at random. Joseph Duncan raped the boy at gunpoint, tortured him with a cigarette lighter, beat him with a stick, and dry-fired the gun at him twice.

Duncan was a known sexual deviant since he was 12 years old. See Report from 1978 discussing Duncans crime. He brutally raped a young boy, tortured him and burned him... terrible, nasty things. Clearly the courts saw a big problem with this man because he was locked up for a long time.

In jail, he was the floor slut and dressed like a woman! He even had a pimp... Incredible. Steve Huff shares some photos of Duncan in drag... Look if you must :)

Natalee Holloway

2005-10-29T02:05:00.001-04:00

We all know the details behind the Natalee Holloway case. The Aruban authorities really piss me off because of the way they handled this case. I believe in my gut Joran is responsible and possibly his two buddies- Deepak & Satish have something to do with it as well. You can always find updated information, videos, chat & opinions at Blogs for Natalee.

Welcome!

2005-10-28T22:59:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my space on the web! My name is Maura. I am very interested in crime stories and discussing these cases on the net. My favorite blog to visit is The Dark Side by Steve Huff!
I could sit here and name several other blogs I frequent but I will save that for another day! Some of the recent cases I have kept up with is the Natalee Holloway case, Taylor Behl murder and the Groene kidnapping & murders. Of course, I always check out Court TV's Crime Library to read all about recent cases as well as the oldies.
Enjoy!