Richard Gear Claims Self-Defense in Shooting Death of Motorcyclist Who Followed Gear's Teen Daughters

February 29, 2008

Police in Bogart, Georgia, arrested 45-year-old Richard Harold Gear earlier this week after he shot and killed 21-year-old Bryan Joseph Mough, a motorcyclist who had followed Gear's teenage daughters home from a Target department store in Athens. Gear claims that the shooting was in self-defense; however, authorities say that the evidence points to murder.

According to police, Gear's two daughters, ages 17 and 19, called their father from their cell phones Monday evening and told him that Mough was following them on a motorcycle. The girls allegedly said that the incident started when they made obscene gestures at him after he cut them off in the Target parking lot. The girls also claimed that Mough had run his motorcycle into the back of their Nissan Sentra.

When the girls pulled up to their family home, Gear was standing in the driveway with a loaded .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun. Mough initially continued driving down the road but then turned around to pass by the house again. When Mough drove by the second time, Gear raised his handgun and fired multiple shots. One of the bullets struck Mough in the back. Gear then called 911 and reported the shooting, allegedly claiming that he had fired the gun in self-defense when Mough attempted to run him over with the motorcycle. When paramedics arrived on the scene, they transported Mough to a local hospital, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival. Afterwards, police arrested Gear and charged him with the murder of Bryan Joseph Mough.

"I don't know how you can legally shoot someone in the back on a motorcycle and then claim that he was trying to run you down," Oconee County Sheriff Scott Berry told ABC News...

To read the complete article, click here.

Police Investigate Alleged Sexual Assault of Infant at Texas Day-Care Center

February 28, 2008

Police in Killeen, Texas, are investigating the alleged sexual assault of a 4-month-old girl at a local day-care center. The incident, which is still under investigation, is horrible in its own right; however, retaliatory actions by the day-care center against the infant's mother are equally despicable and disturbing.

"Officers responded to the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center on Wednesday, February 20, 2008 at 9:45 p.m. in reference to a welfare concern," reads a press release the Killeen Police Department posted to their Web site Monday. "The mother of the victim drove to Darnall after she left the day-care [center] and asked for her child to be checked for unusual bruising. An officer met with doctors at Darnall who advised that the 4-month-old female had bruising consistent with a sexual assault."

The incident allegedly took place at Little Blessings Child Care Center at 803 N. 10th St. in Killeen. Nishea Porter, a caregiver at the facility, told Temple-telegram.com that she discovered the injuries while caring for the infant. Porter pointed them out to the infant's mother, Kristie Simmons, when she came to pick up her daughter.

"When I saw it, I didn't think anything of it," Porter said. "I asked her if the baby had a diaper rash, and she said, 'No.' After I told her, she started pacing around, panting and fanning herself."

Porter denied media reports that police currently suspect a Little Blessings employee; however, Monday's police press release states that they have "identified an employee of the day-care [center] as a suspect in the case." In addition, News8austin.com posted an article yesterday that claimed, "There has been an arrest of an employee at the day-care [center], but charges are pending."

To read the complete article, click here.

Pennsylvania Teacher's Aide Arrested for Allegedly Hosting Teen Sex and Drug Party

February 27, 2008

Police in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, have charged 34-year-old Abbiejane Swogger, a former stripper and special education teacher's aide, in connection with an incident that occurred last week when police found her in a hotel room with drugs, alcohol, condoms, and three teens.

According to police, they went to New Kensington's Clarion Hotel on Feb. 21, 2008, to investigate a reported runaway of two teenage girls. When investigators arrived on the scene, they discovered that Swogger had a room there. They then questioned her about the runaways. Swogger allegedly told police that she had not seen the teens, who had been missing since the previous evening. When investigators asked her for permission to search her suite, she consented, at which time the stunned officers discovered the two missing teens, along with another teen, inside the room with alcohol, crack cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and condom wrappers. Investigators also reported smelling marijuana inside the room...

To read the complete article, click here.

The Missing -- A Weekly Exposé of Lost Souls -- Issue #2

February 26, 2008

In this week's edition of "The Missing," we will be revisiting the mysterious disappearances of Jason "J.J." Jolkowski, a 19-year-old resident of Omaha, Nebraska, who vanished in 2001 and 20-year-old Branson Kayne Perry of Skidmore, Missouri, who also vanished in 2001.

Jason "J.J." Jolkowski

On the morning of June 13, 2001, Jason was called in to work at Fazoli's, a local restaurant at 80th and Cass Streets. Since his car was in the shop for repairs, Jason made arrangements to catch a ride with Teresa Redd, a co-worker at Fazoli's. Jason told Teresa he would meet her at 11:00 a.m. at Benson High School.

After a quick shower and change of clothes, Jason walked out the front door of his family's home at about 10:45 a.m. Jason's 13-year-old brother, Michael, saw Jason dragging the garbage cans back in from the curb before walking away from his N. 48th Street house.

Teresa waited 30 minutes for Jason, but he never showed up at the school. Jason's employer called his house looking for him, but no one had seen Jason since he left earlier that day. Somewhere along the eight-block walk to the school, Jason Jolkowski vanished without a trace...

To read more about Jason's case, click here.

Branson Kayne Perry

Branson disappeared on the afternoon of April 11, 2001. The circumstances of his disappearance remain sketchy and, unfortunately, his father, Bob Perry – a person who may have been able to shed some light on the case – has since passed away.

At about 3:00 p.m. on the 11th, Branson's friend said Branson told her he was going to put some jumper cables in the shed and that he would be right back. For reasons unknown, Branson never returned and he has not been seen or heard from since.

To read more about Branson's case, click here.

If you are a family member of a missing loved one and have a case you would like covered here, contact me via e-mail.

Photo's courtesy of the families

Alleged Teen Rapists Post Gang Rape Video on YouTube

February 25, 2008

During my more than 10-year career as a crime writer, I have covered countless crimes and atrocities. I've developed a pretty thick skin when it comes to covering humankind’s most deviant acts. However, every now and then I still come across a case that makes me take a step back and wonder what the world is coming to. Such was the case with a crime I learned about yesterday in south England involving the alleged rape of a young mother by a group of teens who filmed the incident and posted a clip of it on the popular video-sharing Web site Youtube.com.

The video was roughly three minutes long and showed the unconscious victim, a 25-year-old mother of two, being raped by a teenager. The victim’s children, ages two and four, could be heard crying in the background.

The victim allegedly told police that on the day the incident occurred she had been invited to a friend's house. While there, she was offered a glass of champagne, but shortly after drinking from the glass she felt strange and began to fall in and out of consciousness. It was then, she alleges, that three teen boys, aged 14 to 16, took turns raping her over a 14-hour period...

To read the complete article, click here.

Jacob Jett and Joseph Garcia Arrested in Alleged Plot to Murder Parents

February 21, 2008

Police in Independence, Missouri, arrested 18-year-old Jacob Jett and his co-conspirator, 17-year-old Joseph Garcia, on charges of second-degree attempted murder and armed criminal action. According to police officials, the charges stemmed from an alleged plot to murder Jett's parents, Richard and Robyn Parnell. The apparent motive was Jett's desire to inherit his parents' money.

Court documents indicated that investigators initially became aware of the situation last week after 23-year-old Russell Anderson notified them of the plot. Anderson recently served time at the Clay County Jail for violating the terms of his probation. He reportedly told police that Jett and Garcia contacted him and another friend, 19-year-old Nicholas E. Dobbins, the previous month and asked the men to murder Jett's parents. Anderson reported that the two teens gave Dobbins and Anderson $260 in cash, a debit card, three handguns, and the code for the alarm system at Jett's parents’ home in southeastern Independence. Jett and Garcia also reportedly told the men that they could take additional valuables from the home after they completed the job.

After taking Anderson's statements, police spoke with Dobbins, who confirmed his friend's story. Police officials then took both Jett and Garcia into custody late Monday afternoon. Following the teens' arrests, the Parnells allegedly reported to police that $300 was missing from their checking account, along with three handguns, two .22-caliber pistols, and a .38-caliber pistol from their gun collection.

During police questioning, Jett allegedly confessed to giving the money and other items to Anderson and Dobbins to murder his parents. Garcia also allegedly confessed to knowing about the plot and introducing Jett to Anderson and Dobbins...

To read the complete article, click here.

James Hawkins Accused of Murdering Girlfriend and Forcing 12-Year-Old Daughter to Help Dispose of Remains

February 20, 2008

"I can get you without me even having to touch you. I can get somebody else to get you."

Those chilling words were allegedly told to 29-year-old Charlene Gaither by her boyfriend, 30-year-old James Hawkins (AKA James Thomas), according to a recent request for an Order of Protection filed in Memphis, TN.

On Valentine's Day, Charlene's body--minus her head, hands, and feet--was found in DeSoto County, Mississippi, near the Coldwater River Bridge. According to police, they used DNA tests to positively identify the remains.

When police questioned Hawkins, he denied killing Charlene but allegedly admitted to dismembering her body. The case took an even darker twist yesterday, when police revealed that Charlene and Hawkins’ young daughter had allegedly witnessed the murder and was forced to help dispose of her mother’s remains.

"<Redacted> Thomas, the 12-year-old daughter of James Hawkins, admitted to witnessing her father kill her mother, Charlene Gaither, inside their home on Feb. 9, 2008, and being forced to assist him in disposing of her body," reads the Affidavit of Complaint, filed in a Tennessee court Monday.

To read the complete article, click here.

The Missing - A Weekly Exposé of Lost Souls

February 19, 2008

One of the most difficult aspects of my job is when I have to handle missing person cases. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of them. Generally, writers enjoy having a variety of cases to write about; however, when it comes to a missing person, the job can be very difficult. I am, in essence, determining the cases that will get media exposure and which ones won't. I wish I could highlight all of them, but I simply do not have the time or space to do so.

Mainstream media outlets will never admit this, but most, if not all, have conditions that must be met before they will write a story about a missing person. They prefer cases that involve attractive, white, middle-class females. They also want cases to have an interesting storyline that will draw in readers, such as Lisa Stebic, Stacy Peterson, Natalie Holloway, etc. During my years covering these types of events, I have covered those and similar cases; however, I also like to bring attention to cases that do not fall into this category. When people are missing, their gender, social status, and looks should have nothing to do with how likely it is that their stories are told. With that same token, the age of the case should have no bearing on whether it receives coverage.

Thankfully, here at Investigation Discovery, I am not limited in the cases I can cover and the producers are very open-minded. We place no higher value on one case over any other. Because of this, I would like to take this opportunity to bring some attention to some cases that have either received little media coverage or have simply slipped from the radar of other media outlets. What follows is a brief description of some cases that readers have brought to my attention in recent weeks. Read over each case carefully, and if you think you may have any information, no matter how minute, please contact me or follow the links within the stories and let us know...

To continue reading, click here.

David Tarloff Arrested in Dr. Kathryn Faughey Murder Case

February 18, 2008

Police say bloody palm prints and eyewitness identifications helped lead them to a suspect in the murder of Kathryn Faughey, 56, a New York psychologist who was stabbed to death inside an East 79th Street office building last week.

On Saturday morning, New York City police arrested David Tarloff, 39, after investigators matched his prints to three palm prints found at the Faughey crime scene. Police state that Tarloff's prints had been on file since Feb. 1, when he was arrested at St. John's Episcopal Hospital in Queens for allegedly assaulting a security guard. According to police, Tarloff had violated prearranged conditions regarding visitation with his mother, who is a resident at the hospital.

Following his most recent arrest, Tarloff was transported to the 19th Precinct station house, where three witnesses, including Dr. Kent Shinbach, 70, a psychiatrist who was assaulted while trying to aid the victim, picked him out of a police lineup, according to police.

Tarloff spoke briefly with investigators, during which time he allegedly told them that he initially went to the office to rob Shinbach because Faughey had institutionalized him in 1991. Police say Tarloff wanted the money so he could take his mother out of the hospital and leave the country. Tarloff provided no more information on his motive for robbing Faughey or the circumstances surrounding Faughey’s death, and after just 25 minutes of questioning, he invoked his right to legal representation...

To read the complete article, click here.

Criminal Profiler Warns Suspected Florida Serial Killer Will Strike Again

February 15, 2008

The Broward Sheriff's Office has released a sketch of a man who robbed a woman at the Town Center mall in August. Police believe the same man is responsible for the December 2007 murders of Nancy Bochicchio, 47, and her 7-year-old daughter, Joey. John Walsh, host of the popular television show, America's Most Wanted, recently told WPBF he suspects those murders are also connected to the March 2007 slaying of Randi Gorenberg, 52, whose body was found dumped at Governor Lawton Chiles Memorial Park.

"This is a serial killer. He is good at what he does. It's all about the power trip, and I know that when the cases get closer and closer together, like this pattern has, the killer is on the attack. So I say to everybody, don't let your guard down. It's a game for him," Walsh told WPBF.

Yesterday, I contacted Dr. Deborah Schurman-Kauflin, an expert criminal profiler who has studied and investigated serial killers for over 20 years, to ask for her professional opinion on the case, based upon the details investigators have chosen to share with the media...

To read the complete article, click here.

Police in New York Seek Suspect in the Murder of Dr. Kathryn Faughey

February 14, 2008

Police in New York are searching for a blond-haired middle-aged man suspected of murdering psychologist Kathryn Faughey, 56, inside an East 79th Street office building Tuesday night, February 12.

According to police, the suspect—dressed in a green coat, knit cap and gloves—entered the building shortly after 8 p.m., carrying a suitcase and a smaller second bag. He approached the doorman, said he had an appointment with Dr. Kent Shinbach, 70—a psychiatrist on the same floor as the victim—and then went into the waiting room for Suite 1C.

What happened next is not entirely clear; however, at some point, the suspect entered Faughey's office and attacked her with a meat cleaver and a 9-inch knife. Faughey's screams alerted Shinbach, who ran to her aide, only to be confronted by her deranged attacker, who said, "She's dead," before turning his rage towards Shinbach, slashing at him multiple times before stealing $90 and exiting the office.

The suspect then confronted a female patient in the waiting room and attempted to force her into Faughey's office, but she resisted and kneed him in the groin. The suspect then gave up the struggle and fled down the hall.

Police were called to the scene at approximately 9 p.m.; however, upon their arrival, the suspect was nowhere to be found. When police entered Faughey's office, they found her lying in a pool of blood by the front of her desk.

"The condition of the room was that of a fierce struggle," police spokesperson Paul Browne told The Associated Press...

To read the complete article, click here.

Seedy Internet Trail Uncovered in Case of Accused Sex Predator Gerald Thomas Brennan III

February 13, 2008

Police in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, have arrested 23-year-old Gerald Thomas Brennan III, a resident of Royersford, for allegedly soliciting sex from a teenage boy he met via MySpace.com. Earlier this week, police asked for help from the public in determining whether Brennan had used the Internet to contact other teens. Since then, I have uncovered several other accounts Brennan had on the Internet.

According to Lancaster City Police, Brennan had two profiles on the popular social networking Web site, on which he identified himself as a 16-year-old boy. Using the screen names "jerry122829" and "swimmer2532," Brennan allegedly solicited sex acts from a 14-year-old boy from the Lancaster area. Police say Brennan engaged in conversations with the teen via MySpace, e-mail, and telephone. Brennan also allegedly used a computer to send a nude photo of himself to the teen and then made arrangements to meet for sex.

In January, the teen's parents contacted police and told them their son had been solicited for sex on the Internet. Lancaster City Police, with assistance from the Pennsylvania Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Pennsylvania State Police Area Computer Crimes Task Force, and the Lancaster County District Attorney's Child Abuse Unit, were able to identify Brennan and made arrangements for him to meet the teen at a shopping plaza.

When Brennan showed up for the meeting, he was arrested on felony charges of unlawful contact with a minor, criminal use of a communication facility, attempted statutory sexual assault, and attempted involuntary deviant sexual intercourse. He was also charged with four misdemeanor counts of corruption of a minor, open lewdness, attempted indecent assault, and solicitation of indecent assault.

As a result of the charges, Brennan was booked in the Lancaster County Prison, where he is being held on a $250,000 bail...

To read the complete article, click here.

Caren Kohberger Wanted in Texas on Charges Related to the Stomping Death of Her 3-month-old Son

February 12, 2008

Recently there have been some interesting developments in the case of 21-year-old Travis "T.J." Mullis, a resident of Alvin, Texas, who was arrested earlier this month in the stomping death of Alijah, his 3-month-old son.

To read the complete article, click here.

Belinda Marie Urps Missing From Lacey, Washington

February 11, 2008

According to investigators with the Lacey Police Department, 33-year-old Belinda Marie Urps, a resident of Lacey, Washington, was last seen on Jan. 19, walking away from her car, which was parked at a residence in the 1100 block of Willow Street Southeast. It is not yet clear if foul play was involved, however to date Belinda has not returned to collect her vehicle. 

To read the complete article, click here.

Accused Killer Josh Spearman's Alleged MySpace Page Offers Unique Insight into an Obviously Troubled Mind

February 08, 2008

"It's believed that in order to pull off the perfect crime, everything must be exact. Planed so precise that every scenario has all ready been thought of. This just is not true. Chaotic, random, sporadic…These are the methods used in the perfect crime…" [Sic throughout]

The preceding is part of an entry posted on a MySpace.com blog allegedly belonging to 18-year-old Josh Spearman. Spearman is a freshman at Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville being held at the Walton County Jail. He is charged with two counts of murder for his alleged role in the deaths of his parents, 55-year-old Darryl Spearman and 52-year-old Cherri Spearman.

To read the complete article, click here.

Florida Authorities Use Cyberspace to Seek Tips in Unsolved Murder of Mother and Seven-Year-Old Daughter

February 07, 2008

The Boca Raton Police Department has announced the creation of a profile at the social networking Website MySpace.com, which they are using to release new details about two recent unsolved slayings in Florida that may be linked to other murders in the area.

To read the complete article, click here.

Accused Spouse-Killer Carlos Perez-Olivo Sells Wife’s Personal Effects to Pay for Defense

February 06, 2008

In a strange twist to an already bizarre case, accused spouse-killer, Carlos Perez-Olivo, 59, a disbarred lawyer and neighbor of former President Bill Clinton and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, sold his wife’s belongings at a garage sale in Westchester County, New York this past weekend.

According to NYdailynews.com, items available at the sale included Peggy Perez-Olivo’s clothing, handbags, shoes and various other intimate items – pajamas and negligees – at prices as low as $1 an item.

Perez-Olivo’s defense attorney, Robert Buckley, told the Rockland Journal-News that the money collected from the sale would be used to help pay for Perez-Olivo’s defense.

Perez-Olivo has been behind bars since late last year, when he was charged with second-degree murder in the November 2006 shooting of his 55-year-old schoolteacher wife. Authorities allege Perez-Olivo shot and killed his wife and then shot himself, in an attempt to cover it up...

To read the complete article, click here.

State Police Identify Dismembered Remains Found Along Pennslyvania Interstate

February 05, 2008

Pennsylvania State Police have identified the severed head and dismembered remains that were found scattered along interstates in Monroe and Lackawanna counties late last month as a woman who has been missing since mid-January.

On the morning of Jan. 29, a state Department of Transportation crew was spreading salt on Interstate 380 in Coolbaugh Township when they discovered a trash bag in the median that appeared to contain human remains.

When state police arrived on the scene, they confirmed the discovery and closed down I-380, while approximately 20 state troopers searched a 15-mile stretch of the highway, along with a 5-mile radius along nearby Interstate 80. During the search, a total of eight trash bags – containing human remains and a severed head – were discovered along the interstates...

To read the complete article, click here.

Travis Mullis Arrested in Stomping Death of 3-month-old Son

February 04, 2008

Police have made an arrest in the death of an infant whose body was found dumped along a highway in Galveston, Texas early last week. The man, who has since been identified as the child’s father, turned himself into Philadelphia police Friday, when he allegedly confessed to intentionally stomping the child to death.

On the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 29, Galveston-area residents Jesse Zaro Jr. and his wife, Esmeralda Zaro, were bird watching near the Galveston Seawall when they spotted something peculiar in an elevated, grassy area. At first glance the object appeared to be a doll; however, upon closer examination, the couple was horrified to discover it was the body of a small blonde child, clad in only a diaper. There was also a child's car seat laying in the grass, approximately 20 to 30 feet away. Shaken, Jesse grabbed his cell phone and dialed 911...

To read the complete article, click here.