R.I.P. Heath Ledger 1979-2008

January 23, 2008

Australian-born actor Heath Ledger, 28, was found dead in his SoHo apartment yesterday, naked in his bed. As of this writing, his autopsy has yet to be performed, but as mediainfo.com first pointed out yesterday that has not stopped mainstream media outlets from running trumped up stories, full of errors and inconsistencies.

When news of Heath's death first broke, it was widely reported that he was found dead in an apartment belonging to Mary-Kate Olsen. However, New York City police have since revealed that initial information was incorrect. According to police, a housekeeper found Heath unresponsive, in his bed, at approximately 3:26 p.m. yesterday.

A simple mistake by the media? Perhaps, but as soon as it was reveled that sleeping pills were found near his body the media once again went hog wild and began reporting Heath might have died as a result of suicide or drug overdose. Never mind the fact that in a recent interview he admitted to taking sleeping pills to help him fall asleep.

"Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night," Heath said in an interview with the NY Times. "I couldn't stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going."

Also forget the fact that, according to family members, he was ill with pneumonia when he died. But there again, pneumonia does not make for the same catchy headline that suicide does.

According to TMZ.com, Heath's family is angry by the speculation that he committed suicide. The website reports:

"TMZ has been contacted by a rep from Heath's family. The cops told the family Heath's death was accidental and there is no evidence to support the buzz that he may have committed suicide. They are particularly distraught over media reports that he may have taken his own life. The family says he was not that kind of person."

Texas Man Sodomizes Stepson to Avenge Daughter's Rape

January 15, 2008

Of all the case I have ever covered - and there have been some very peculiar ones - I have to say this one is something entirely unique.

On January 2, 2008, an 18-year-old man from Fort Worth, Texas, was arrested and charged with suspicion of aggravated sexual assault. According to police, the teen's stepfather reported him after he caught him sexually assaulting his 8-year-old daughter. During a subsequent examination at the hospital doctors discovered the girl had been sodomized.

"When she went to the hospital, that was when it was determined it was sexual assault," Sgt. Cheryl Johnson, supervisor of the Fort Worth Police Department's sex crimes unit, said in an interview with dallasnews.com.

The stepfather, 32, warned his wife not to help her son get out of jail, however the following day she posted his bond. Later that day, when the teen called to get a ride home, his stepfather answered the phone and told him he would be right over to pick him up. This perhaps should have been an instant red flag to the young man, but he agreed anyway and waited for his stepfather.

James Daniel "Booney" Wade Missing Since Christmas Night

January 07, 2008

ROME, GA - Family members of 28-year-old James Daniel "Booney" Wade, are desperate to find information on their missing loved one, who has not been seen since Christmas night.

"Booney had been really depressed around the holidays because he didn't have money to buy his family, especially his daughter, Christmas presents," Booney's cousin, Jessica Coots, said in an interview with Investigation Discovery.

According to Jessica, Booney was feeling depressed because he was desperate to visit his 11-year-old daughter in Alabama. When he was unable to find a ride there he told a friend, identified only as "Buddy", that he would make it there on his own.

By Dec. 31, 2007, Booney's relatives began to suspect something terrible had happened to him. He never made it to Alabama and he had not been in contact with any of his family members since Christmas, something Jessica said is completely out of character for him. Their worry escalated even further when they discovered Booney had had not taken his cell phone or a change of clothes. After conferring with other family members, Booney's sister, Chassitty Hight, filed a missing persons report with the Rome Police Department.

Booney's profile at MySpace.com lists his last login as Dec. 24, 2007, the day before he went missing. In the "About Me" section of the profile he wrote:

"What up yall, my name is Booney Wade and I'm from Rome, GA. Right now I am in transition. I have a beautiful daughter that is 11-years-old named Alexis and she is my pride and joy above and before anything or anyone else. I am self-employed, and for the most part enjoy life. I have a universal personality so if you want to know more hit me up."

The photo section of the profile includes several photos of Booney's daughter, including one that he captioned: "My whole world in 1."

According to Jessica, her family has received very little help from local police. Friends and family members have conducted the bulk of the efforts to locate Booney and have posted flyers, conducted searches and contacted the media.

"I have talked to the [police] twice since New Years Eve. Once Thursday night and once Today," Jessica said. They told me that there is no investigation because they do not know if there had been a crime.

"The night that the police was called [to his sisters house] one cop told the other, 'Let's go find out what we can't find out.' That's pretty much what they have done. Nothing."

The family was further frustrated this past weekend when the police allegedly put a stop to a private search they were conducting.

"We had a search with friends and family helping us and we had to stop because the police threatened to take people to jail," Jessica said. "They have just been horrible and I think they just don't care about him because of his history and I don't think that's fair."

In a recent interview with the Rome News-Tribune, Chassitty described her brother as having suffered from bouts of drug abuse in the past. However, she also described him as "good hearted" and "very emotional."

A spokesperson for the Rome Police Department was unavailable for comment.

James Daniel "Booney" Wade is described as 5' 6" tall, 150 lbs., with shaved red hair and green eyes. He was last see wearing blue jeans and a yellow jacket. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at (706) 238-5101.

Photo's Courtesy of Jessica Coots