Pat LaLama Reports: DNA From LAPD's Elite Takes Center Stage

February 10, 2012

[ Pat LaLama's stellar career in broadcast journalism is a chronicle of some of the most iconic events in modern history.  Follow Pat's daily coverage of the Stephanie Lazarus Trial.    Read her Bio >> ]

 

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>>Day 4 of The Stephanie Lazarus Murder Trial<<

 

 

Imagine you are a member of the LAPD’s elite Internal Surveillance Unit, and your job is to tail one of your own.

Such was the case for Detectives Roberto Morales, Dante Palacio and Sgt. Jim Hensley. Back in 2009, the three men followed then LAPD Detective Stephanie Lazarus to a Costco store in Los Angeles. They had one mission….to discreetly snatch a sample of Lazarus’ DNA.

Lazarus didn’t know it, but she was a suspect in a brutal murder case that happened in 1986. At the time, the murder of 29 year old Sherri Rasmussen was determined to be the end result of a burglary gone wrong, perpetrated by two male suspects. But saliva from a bite mark on the victim’s left arm, along with other evidence, was lifted and preserved in the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office.

In 2005, cold case detectives took a new look at the case and the bite mark evidence. Using new DNA technology, it was ultimately determined that the saliva belonged to a woman.  As investigators dug deeper, they determined Lazarus, a highly respected detective, was now a viable suspect. But they needed a sample of her DNA to try and match to the bite mark.

On the witness stand today in The People vs. Stephanie Lazarus, Morales, Palacio and Hensley described the undercover detail they executed on May 28^th 2009, to obtain the necessary DNA.

“She was getting something to eat. There was a food court outside,” said Morales. “She had a white cup. She was drinking out of it.” Morales testified that he watched Lazarus for five to seven minutes before Lazarus stood up. Morales said he was surprised when Lazarus began walking toward him, but she discarded the cup in the trash can just three to four feet from Morales then walked toward the entrance to the Costco.

Morales went to the trash can and recovered two similar cups that were lying on top of the garbage. He picked up both cups which still had lids and straws attached.

Morales then met up with Palacio who placed the cups in an envelope. The envelope was then given to Hensley, who delivered the evidence to the LAPD crime lab.

On cross examination, defense attorney Mark Overland asked Morales if Lazarus was alone. “She was not alone. She was with a little kid,” said Morales.  Morales testified that when Lazarus got up she had two cups in her hand. She discarded one and took the other with her.

Prosecutors told the jury in opening statements that DNA on the bite mark indisputably matches DNA evidence obtained from the white cup.

Except there’s a problem…….at least according to the defense.

The bite mark evidence had been stored in a freezer in the custody of the Los Angeles Coroner’s office since 1986. When property custodians went to look for the evidence in 2004, at the request of the LAPD, the envelope containing the tube that held the swab was in bad shape. “The envelope looked tainted. It was pretty ratty looking,” said Supervising Criminalist Dan Anderson of the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office. The envelope had a big hole toward the top, exposing the screw-on-cap on top of the tube.

Anderson testified that the envelope was “so destroyed with a hole on top” that the tube containing the physical evidence could have fallen out. Anderson placed the torn envelope with the tube inside, into a bigger envelope and secured it.  But Anderson testified that the tube containing the evidence had not been compromised in any way. “Nothing happened to the tube itself”, he told the court.

On cross examination, Overland said the cap could have been unscrewed. “The envelope is supposed to be secured to protect the evidence that’s inside of it”, said Overland.  Overland is trying to show that the chain of custody makes the DNA comparison unreliable.

 

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Photo Credit: AP Photos

Pat LaLama Reports: Resting On A Bite Mark

February 08, 2012

[ Pat LaLama's stellar career in broadcast journalism is a chronicle of some of the most iconic events in modern history.  Follow Pat's daily coverage of the Stephanie Lazarus Trial.    Read her Bio >> ]

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>>Day 3 of The Stephanie Lazarus Murder Trial<<

Former LAPD detective turned accused killer, Stephanie Lazarus, never looks up from the counsel table in the Los Angeles courtroom where she is being tried for the murder of Sherri Rasmussen 26 years ago. The defendant keeps head down and pen in hand— making constant notations, reviewing documents and evaluating the photographic evidence that is shown on a laptop computer on the table—almost as if this once respected cop was investigating her own murder case. I’ve never seen her make eye contact with the jury…not even when her defense attorney Mark Overland is addressing the court.

The only real glimpse one gets of Stephanie Lazarus comes when she is being brought into the courtroom from the lockup where she is held until proceedings begin each day. When she entered on Wednesday morning, Lazarus smiled warmly at her husband, LAPD detective Scott Young who is seated in the right front row of the courtroom, clutching a bible.  Young seems loyal to a fault

Equally loyal is the victim’s family, parents Nels and Loretta Rasmussen, and sister Teresa Lane. They’re seated in the middle of the courtroom.  As a matter of courtesy today, they were forewarned by prosecutors that upcoming autopsy photos could be quite devastating. The Rasmussen family had the option to leave the courtroom. They stayed.

Then came the compelling testimony of Dr. Susan Selser of the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office.  “This individual suffered many injuries”, said Deputy District Attorney Paul Nunez.

 That would be an understatement.

Through graphic pictures and the testimony of Dr. Selser, who performed the autopsy on Rasmussen’s body, the prosecution laid out the details of a horrific murder. They insist the murder was motivated by Lazarus’ jealousy and revenge---NOT by a burglary gone wrong as the LAPD had concluded more than  two and half decades ago.

A large screen depicted a graphic, close up shot of Rasmussen’s chest with three bullet holes. Each one of them fatal, according to Dr. Selser. The bullets penetrated the heart, lungs and spinal cord. All of them were fired at close range. One of the gunshot wounds was particularly disturbing. Dr. Selser testified that black soot and abrasions around the outside of the wound were consistent with a “contact gunshot “. That means the muzzle of the weapon was placed right up against the body—then fired. In this case, right in the middle of the chest.

According to testimony, Sherri Rasmussen had at least 50 other wounds on her body, including contusions, abrasions and lacerations. Her hands, face and skull were riddled with wounds. Dr. Selser testified that Rasmussen suffered blunt force trauma. One wonders if the athletic Rasmussen, who stood 6’ tall and weighed 150 pounds, tried desperately to fight off her attacker.

Dr. Selser testified that wounds on Rasmussen’s wrists were consistent with those caused by a rope or cord. Prosecutors contend Rasmussen may have been tied up by her assailant.

But the prosecution’s most damning evidence may be that of a particular injury pattern found on Rasmussen’s left arm. Dr. Selser identified the wound as being consistent with a bite mark. It was a brutal one--- characterized by bruising and abrasion caused by hemorrhaging of tissue.  Dr. Selser testified that the bite mark occurred at the time of death.

Prosecutors are resting a big part of their case on that bite mark, which didn’t undergo DNA testing until nearly two decades after the murder, when the case was reopened. Prosecutors believe without a doubt, the bite mark belongs to Lazarus. The defense will try to prove that the integrity of the physical evidence was compromised while in the chain of custody.

 

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Photo Credit - Former Los Angeles Police Officer Stephanie Lazarus with her attorney Mark Overland at Los Angeles Superior hearing Wednesday, July 29, (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pat LaLama Reports: Young Lee’s Not-So-Swirly Pinkberry Goodness

January 31, 2012

[ Pat LaLama's stellar career in broadcast journalism is a chronicle of some of the most iconic events in modern history.  Here's her take on a not so sweet Tinsel Town story.    Read her Bio >> ]

 

All you Pinkberry addicts know the hugely successful yogurt company promotes its product as “Swirly Goodness”. Fresh, natural, healthy—a vaulted secret recipe that reinvented the “cultured” craze.

I remember when the first shop opened in West Hollywood, California in 2005. Each day, throngs of salivating Pinkies (as I call them) lined Santa Monica Boulevard desperately waiting to purchase the tangy new treat. Some of my friends compare taking a taste of the frozen dessert to having a religious experience. People jokingly refer to the product as “Crackberry”. (I don’t get all the fuss, personally.)

In any event, Pinkberry has become an international empire of more than 170 stores. But as with most great Hollywood stories there are interesting characters… and dark chapters.

On Monday, I sat in Department 30 of Los Angeles Superior Court to watch the arraignment of 47 year old Young Lee. He’s the very wealthy co-founder of Pinkberry—and a man in a lot of trouble.

Bow tied and bespectacled, Lee is a fashion conscious vision of utter West Coast hipness. (He was known for his designer suits, fine cigars, Porsche’s and Malibu mansion.) He’s red carpet ready. Lee looks 20 years younger than his age— his demeanor is polite. The allegations against him are not…. Assault with a deadly weapon with the special allegation of causing great bodily injury.

The LAPD says Lee chased down a homeless man with a tire iron and beat him. The story goes like this according to cops:

Lee was driving a rented Range Rover in June of 2011. A passenger was seated next to him. Lee spots a transient at a freeway off ramp who was soliciting money from drivers. At one point--and here is where the story gets truly bizarre—the transient changed his shirt and revealed a sexually explicit tattoo. Lee was offended by the tattoo and began arguing with the homeless man. It didn’t stop there. Lee got out of his car, grabbed a tire iron, chased the man down the street and made him get down on his knees and apologize. The transient did as he was asked, but got a beating from Lee anyway. He was hospitalized with a broken arm and several cuts.

Witnesses got the license plate from Lee’s Range Rover and called the police. An investigation began, and Lee left the country. On January 16, Lee was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport upon his return to the U.S.

Keep in mind the above account comes from the LAPD.

A lawyer for Lee insists there is another side of the story. Philip Kent Cohen says Lee felt threatened by the transient who implied he had a weapon. Cohen promises that there are plenty more details that will exculpate his client.

Lee, who has struggled over the years with drug use and a violent temper, pleaded not guilty and is free on $60,000 bond. He’ll be back in court on March 5.

For the record, the other Pinkberry co-founder is Lee’s ex-wife Shelly Hwang. The company claims it has had no involvement with Lee since 2010 and that his present status with Pinkberry is that of an “inconsequential shareholder.”

Now with these latest allegations of a heinous assault, it seems this once idolized yogurt mogul, is headed for a meltdown.

 

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credit: Young Lee, one of the founders of the Pinkberry yogurt chain stands with his attorney Philip Kent Cohen, right, during
his arraignment in the Los Angeles Criminal Courts Building in Los Angeles, Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. City News Service says Lee
was arraigned in the June 15 beating that left a homeless man with a broken forearm and cuts to his head. (AP Photo/Los Angeles Times, Al Seib, Pool)

 

 

 

 

Pat LaLama Reports: Harry Burkhart’s Burning Love

January 26, 2012

[ Pat LaLama's stellar career in broadcast journalism is a chronicle of some of the most iconic events in modern history.  Here's her take on a Tinsel Town case where truth is definitely stranger then fiction.    Read her Bio >> ]

  

This is a true crime story involving  three countries, Nazi conspiracies, Jim Morrison’s former home, fraud, Tantric massage,  and an arsonist on the loose near the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This of course, is Los Angeles where truth is stranger than fiction.

53 year old German national Dorothee Burkhart was arrested last December 28 in Hollywood, California. She’s wanted back in Germany on 16 counts of fraud and three counts of embezzlement involving shoddy real estate scams and skipping out on a $10,000 bill for breast augmentation.

Upon her arrest, Dorothee’s devoted 24 year old son Harry appeared traumatized. At his mother’s hearing in Federal court in downtown Los Angeles, Harry railed on the judge—threw F-bombs and insults at the United States—and professed his undying hatred for each and every American.

Dorothee’s arrest was a long time coming. In 2007 she was in police custody in Germany. After suffering chest pains, authorities brought Dorothee to a hospital for examination. She escaped through a window and ran to a train station.

Since then, mother and son have carved out a vagabond lifestyle that spanned three countries…Germany, Canada (where the pair was cared for by members of the Mennonite community) and by 2010, the United States. Dorothee and Harry had most recently been living in a modest Hollywood apartment building.  No one is certain what either does for a living, but Dorothee is linked to a service that provides “professional” body massages. “Doctor sexologist and tantra goddess” reads the website advertisement.

By all accounts, the two were inseparable. Harry appeared childlike and suffered from myriad mental disorders. Dorothee’s sole mission was to fiercely protect her son from anyone who sought to do him harm.

Just after Dorothee’s December arrest, Los Angeles went up in flames. A good chunk of it anyway. 51 arson fires were set over a four day period—between December 30^th and January 2^nd. Most of the fires started in parking garages, but many spread to nearby buildings including the former home of legendary Doors lead singer, Jim Morrison. No one was seriously injured but the fires caused more than three million dollars in damage. Firefighters were hard pressed to keep up. Cops were on high alert. The city was terrorized. The elusive arsonist was even torching the famed Hollywood and Highland entertainment complex near the iconic Walk of Fame. L.A. residents and throngs of tourists here for the New Year’s holiday were terrorized. Angelinos had not seen a rash of fires like this since the infamous Los Angeles riots of 1992.

Police released surveillance tape from one of the fire scenes. It showed the face of the man they suspected was starting the blazes. Not long after, a keen eyed deputy U.S. Marshall recognized that face when the surveillance video was shown on television. He was certain it was the same young man he had witnessed in federal court a few days earlier displaying the-anti America tirade. Federal agents and L.A. arson investigators joined forces and soon identified the suspect. Harry Burkhart.

In the early morning hours of January 2^nd, reserve Los Angeles Sheriff’s Deputy Shervin Lalezary spotted Harry Burkhart on Sunset Boulevard driving a blue minivan with Canadian plates. Fire-starting materials were found in the van. Burkhart was taken into custody. Later, investigators found newspaper clippings about the fires in Burkhart’s apartment. Police believe Burkhart, distraught over his mother’s arrest and potential deportation, set the fires in retaliation.

On Tuesday, Harry Burkhart pleaded not guilty to 100 arson-related counts in connection with 49 fires that erupted in Hollywood, West Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley. If convicted of all charges he faces 80 years in prison. In defense of her son, Dorothee displayed her own dramatic outbursts, blaming German Nazi’s for the fires. She insists that she and her son have been the target of a Nazi conspiracy that has spanned ten years.

For mother and son the separation is torment. It’s been three weeks since they have spoken. Harry is being held in county jail on $7.5 million dollars bail. He is also suspected of arson in Germany and being investigated for similar crimes in Canada. His next hearing is March 1 in Los Angeles.

Dorothee is in the custody of federal authorities and is due back in court February 7^th.  A lawyer is trying to arrange a meeting between them.

A German lawyer, who once represented Dorothee, described this mother-son relationship as mutually dependent. He told the Los Angeles Times, “They were somehow like one, that one could not exist without the other, all they had was the other one.” At least for now, Dorothee Burkhart’s dreams of protecting her troubled son have been reduced to ashes.

 

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In this image taken from video released on Jan. 2, 2012 by OnScene.tv, arson suspect Harry Burkhart, 24, a German national, is arrested in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. Burkhart was pulled over by a reserve sheriff's deputy and later booked for investigation of arson of an inhabited dwelling. Since the arrest, firefighters have not responded to any other suspicious fires. Police declined to reveal any motive for more than 50 fires that have occurred since Friday in Hollywood, neighboring West Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley, causing about $3 million in damage. (AP Photo/OnScene.tv)

Pat LaLama Reports: The Secret Behind the Badge

January 20, 2012

[ Pat LaLama's stellar career in broadcast journalism is a chronicle of some of the most iconic events in modern history.  Here's her take on the next biggest Tinsel Town case.    Read her Bio >> ]

Hollywood script writers weave some fascinating tales here in Tinsel Town.  But it’s the sensational real life stories that make the most compelling, and might I add, salacious dramas. One is about to unfold in a Los Angeles courtroom on January 30. It’s been years in the making but it’s one of the most highly anticipated trials in Los Angeles history.

Stephanie Lazarus was indeed one of L.A.’s finest. She was a decorated detective with the LAPD, working cases in the department’s elite art theft unit. She had done her time as a respected patrol officer and ultimately worked her way up the ranks.  By 2009, Detective Lazarus was a 25 year police veteran….AND to the shock of her colleagues at the LAPD, a suspect in the horrific murder of a young bride.

In 1986, 29 year old Sherri Rasmussen was on top of the world. The pretty hospital administrator was a dedicated health care worker and newlywed.  John Ruetten, an engineer, was the love of her life.  But it wasn’t long after their marriage, that Sherri, according to friends and family, complained that she was being harassed and threatened by John’s ex-girlfriend….a young patrol officer with the LAPD named Stephanie Lazarus.  Reportedly, Lazarus showed up nearly everywhere Sherri went.

Friends say the situation became incredibly stressful –her family even concedes that Sherri harbored suspicions that her husband’s relationship with Lazarus wasn’t completely severed.  There was a feeling that John Ruetten wasn’t doing enough to stop Lazarus from tormenting his wife.

In February, 1986 John Ruetten came home from work to find his young bride on the floor, beaten and shot to death. There were signs of a desperate struggle—blood was everywhere. It didn’t take long for detectives working the case to draw their conclusion. They believed Sherri was the victim of a botched robbery attempt. Detectives based their conclusion on the fact that electronic equipment had been moved around in the townhouse. Another unsuccessful robbery had occurred in the same neighborhood and that solidified their theory.

Stephanie Lazarus carried on her duties as an officer of the law. She married another cop and adopted a child. Lazarus was apparently NEVER considered a suspect. Sherri’s grief stricken dad claims he begged police to look at Lazarus. He insists his pleas fell on deaf ears. Neighbors and many of Sherri’s friends say they were never interviewed by investigators.  (The lead detective on the case, who is now retired, denies that he was ever informed about Lazarus, and claims he did hundreds of interviews.)  The case went cold.

More than two decades later, detectives took a new look at the Sherri Rasmussen case. They did new DNA testing on a saliva sample lifted from a bite mark on Sherri’s arm. They were shocked to learn that the saliva came from a WOMAN!

Detectives discreetly began trailing Detective Lazarus –lifting DNA from a cup and straw she used. Turns out, the DNA matched indisputably!  It was a disturbing revelation for detectives who were forced now to consider that their friend and colleague may be a cold-blooded” killer with a badge”.  And they would have to be the ones to arrest her.  That would require some trickery.

In June of 2009, Detective Lazarus was working at her desk at LAPD headquarters, just down the hall from the homicide unit. Investigators working the Sherri Rasmussen murder case told Lazarus that a suspect in an art theft case was waiting to speak with her downstairs.  The unsuspecting detective rushed down the elevator and through the metal detector where she had to remove her gun---at that very moment, Lazarus’ fellow police officers were forced to handcuff one of their own. Lazarus was stunned. The once respected and admired detective was now a murder suspect, locked behind bars with bail set at $10 million dollars. Two and half decades after the brutal murder of Sherri Rasmussen, jury selection will begin on January 30th, in downtown Los Angeles in the People vs. Stephanie Ilene Lazarus case.

Apart from the critical DNA evidence from the saliva, prosecutors have built a substantial circumstantial case...evidence that Lazarus was obsessed with John Ruetten and was unwilling to give him up. Also, around the time of the murder, Lazarus had reported that her department issued weapon was stolen. And reportedly, the only thing missing from the crime scene was Sherri’s car and her marriage certificate.

John Ruetten has been for the most part silent, since the murder of his wife 26 years ago. According to Sherri’s dad, Ruetten did admit to having sex with Lazarus while engaged to his daughter... but  Ruetten has been ruled out as a suspect and friends and family don’t believe he had anything to do with Sherri’s murder.

Lazarus’s attorney, Mark Overland cautions anyone who considers this case a slam dunk.  When I spoke to him today, following a pre-trial hearing he told me, “The saliva that was tested is of no evidentiary value. We will prove that in court. It was not kept as it should have been and was subject to contamination.”

As for the allegations that Lazarus stalked her alleged victim Overland says, “It never happened.” When I asked him if he had any thoughts about who killed Sherri he simply states, “I do.” Overland assured me my questions would be addressed in his opening statements.

For prosecutors also preparing for one L.A.’s most high profile murder trials, Stephanie Lazarus once wore the elite badge of the LAPD, but in her case, that badge covered the heart of a killer.

 

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 Credit: Pool/Getty Images News

Aphrodite Jones Reports: Casey Anthony's Revelation

January 17, 2012

[ Aphrodite Jones gives her perspective on the latest Casey Anthony news. Check in for her regular reports.   Read her Bio >> ]

 

The biggest thing that struck me about Casey's revelation to psychiatrists was her statement: "I'll be damned if I'm going to take responsibility for this!" Insistent that George was the culprit, Casey concocted a few variations about how it was George who either found Caylee in the pool -- or perhaps drowned her in the pool -- and was adamant that she was not going to take the blame for her Father's misdeeds. Still, wasn't it her responsibility to call the police -- to get help for her daughter and report the crime or "accident?"

In her typical style, Casey had a number of answers for not calling 911.

>>She FEARED her Dad because of years of alleged sexual abuse, and was told by
    George that  "Daddy will take care of it."

>>She was numb and in shock when George handed her daughter over to her -- wet
    and motionless.

>>She wanted to believe Caylee would still be "okay" somehow -- and hoped that after
    Daddy would "take Care" of Caylee, she might still be alive.

To this I say: huh?

All of this insanity leads me to ask the obvious question: is Casey Anthony crazy? Is she a sociopath? The immediate answer that comes to mind is YES. But the psychiatrists who evaluated her in jail said she was no such thing. One shrink called her a "puzzlement." Neither of the doctors could understand why Casey was appearing "upbeat" and "cheerful" throughout her evaluations. In my view, she's a sick and twisted woman who, while crazy, is also smart enough to have outwitted her parents, her friends, the justice system, AND the trained medical experts around her. No wonder she smiled so much.

Only time will tell when that smile will get pulled off her wicked face...

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>>Read: Casey's Anthony's 4 Minutes Of Fame

Pat LaLama Exclusive: New Sandusky Accuser Says Assault Involved Alcohol

December 23, 2011

[ Pat LaLama's stellar career in broadcast journalism is a chronicle of some of the most iconic events in modern history.  Here's her take on the Penn State sex scandal.    Read her Bio >> ]

 

A civil suit just filed in Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas is the latest legal salvo fired at former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. The newest accuser in the schools sex abuse scandal has a shocking account of a 2004 sexual assault allegedly perpetrated by Sandusky.  It involves whiskey and sodomy. Investigation Discovery has exclusive details.

Attorney Charles Schmidt tells me his client, who will be 20 years old in January, was a participant in Sandusky’s charity, The Second Mile.  According to Schmidt, his client who was 12 years old at the time of the alleged incident was involved in an educational exercise where according to Schmidt, the children were answering questions about current affairs and history. Those who answered correctly were awarded a prize.

Schmidt told me that when his client correctly answered a question pertaining to a presidential quote, Sandusky announced that there were no more prizes but he would see what he could do.

According to Schmidt, Sandusky escorted the alleged victim to his office where the former coach began talking to the boy about his mother’s death the year before. (She suffered from severe diabetes and died as a result.) The boy was under a great deal of stress and still grief-stricken.

Schmidt says that after engaging the boy in conversation for a while, Sandusky brought out a bottle of whiskey, poured a glass and told the boy to drink it. Moments later, according to the accuser’s account, Sandusky “pulled his trunks down and sodomized him.” Then he says, Sandusky “cleaned him off”, gave him a couple of Penn State sports mementos, walked him back to the Second Mile area and handed him off to a counselor.

The accuser said he avoided Sandusky after the incident and never again had physical contact with him.  Schmidt says for years his client was agonized by the incident believing he was the only one who had experienced something so terrible.

When the alleged victim became aware last month of the grand jury indictment against Sandusky, he says he got the courage to tell his story to police. The accuser has been interviewed by the State Attorney General which is investigating the claims. At this point he is not part of the criminal case which involves 10 other accusers.

This latest case is the second civil suit filed against Sandusky.  Schmidt said he wanted to file the suit before the statute of limitations expires.

Other parties named in the suit include Penn State University and The Second Mile.  “We believe our case will hold up in court. Our witness is credible”, says Schmidt.  He adds, “When we interviewed him, he was in anguish. We could see the emotion in his face. It was hard to get him to talk to us. He relives the incident constantly.”

Schmidt says his client is apprehensive about moving forward with the lawsuit because of his fear of the publicity it will generate but “he’s doing it so he can get some sense of retribution. The assault took away part of his childhood.”

At the time of this posting,  Sandusky’s attorney, Joe Amendola could not be reached for comment.

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Related Links:

>>Read: Sandusky's Next Play In The Game
>>Read: Jerry Sandusky Back On The Streets
>>Read: Jerry Sandusky Back In Cuffs
>>Read: Penn State Scandal: A Case of David vs Goliath?

 

04 - The Second Mile, located in State College, PA, is a nonprofit organization for underprivileged youth founded in 1977 by Jerry Sandusky, a former assistant coach at Penn State University. Jerry Sandusky met all of the alleged victims through The Second Mile according to the Grand Jury Presentment. © Matthew O'Haren/Icon SMI/Corbis

Pat LaLama: Everyone Loves A Tinsel Town Mystery

November 21, 2011

[ Pat LaLama's stellar career in broadcast journalism is a chronicle of some of the most iconic events in modern history.  Here's her take on the just reopened Natalie Wood case.    Read her Bio >> ]

We Los Angeles based journalists love a great Tinsel Town mystery. News that the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department is reopening the case involving Hollywood darling Natalie Wood—after 30 years—has shaken this “industry” town like a good old fashioned West Coast earthquake.

Having covered nearly every big celebrity case of the last 25 years, I too am salivating like Pavlov’s dog at the prospect of a compelling new chapter in the great enigma surrounding the great film star’s drowning.

Read All About Natalie Wood's Death

One might believe there’s something substantial for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s department to investigate. It’s the largest, busiest Sheriff’s department in the world—not known for wasting time, energy or resources on frivolous bits of salacious innuendo, rumor or conjecture. Lt. John Corina said the new credible information is coming from “several sources”, not just flip-flopping yacht captain Dennis Davern. He’s got a credibility problem. Was he lying then or is he lying now?

Even though the very capable Los Angeles Sheriff Lee Baca is sometimes accused by the media of being star struck, I’m certain he isn’t the slightest bit motivated by the fact that it’s the thirty year anniversary of the tragedy off Catalina Island. Nor is he interested in playing off the CBS/Vanity Fair collaboration airing this weekend which examines the mystery. I don’t think he cares much about helping Davern sell a few books, either. If the Sheriff has credible info, then it’s a duty to look at the case with fresh eyes. And that’s exactly what they’re doing.

However, let’s cut through the fog of excitement and look at what we have. What’s really changed? We’ve got a boat skipper who claims now that he lied three decades ago. But he hasn’t really told us what exactly he’s lied about. Nor has he told us what the truth is (or his version of it.) When asked specific questions, his answers are coy and vague...as if he’s toying with us. Have we the media and the police taken the bait? Are we unwitting accomplices in his efforts to make waves? And more to the point is this a desperate attempt on Davern’s part to reinvigorate sales of his book?

The talk is that state of the art DNA technology could help solve the mystery. I doubt it. Investigators say they plan to examine the yacht, “Splendour” which is now in Hawaii. While it’s true such technology has advanced light years since Wood’s death, how would DNA be relevant in this particular case? There’s no issue as to who was on the boat and who died. We know there was arguing among all the parties. There doesn’t seem to be any disputed facts that DNA testing would solve. Does anyone really believe there’s a blood-stained fishing knife lying around on the deck thirty years later?

It’s one thing to look for new evidence and hear possible new witness accounts of the circumstances on that horrible night, but we’re a long way away from seeing concrete evidence that would lead to a winnable case. So I wouldn’t hold my breath for another “trial of the century”-- this time starring Robert Wagner or Christopher Walken.

At this point all we have is yet another alcohol fueled, celebrity party gone wrong. Unfortunately in this case, the party ended with the loss of a true Hollywood legend.

 

Photo Credits: Wireimage/Getty Images - Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood during AFI Salute to Fred Astaire at Beverly Hilton Hotel, 1981

Serial Buttocks Slasher May Have Fled Virginia

September 13, 2011

[This article is by contributing writer Ivy Bigbee. She is a Washington, D.C.-based writer.]

Psychiatrist: Perp may harbor multiple “paraphilias”

Fairfax, Va. - The serial slasher allegedly responsible for at least one of nine reported stabbing incidents involving young women in northern Virginia has been identified as Johnny D. Guillen Pimentel, 40, and may have fled Virginia, Fairfax County (VA) Police said on Sept. 7.  

A telephone tip helped authorities to identify the suspect, caught numerous times by store security cameras.  Guillen Pimentel’s attacks have brought an anxiety-provoking, new perspective to “cutting in line” to the Washington, D.C., suburb.

Police: Slasher May Have Fled Northern VA

In their update naming Guillen Pimentel as the suspect, police advised that the retail serial assault suspect could have left northern Virginia and possibly could be driving a blue 2003 Honda Civic with license plate number KLX2689.

“We believe he may have fled the area,” police spokesperson Tawny Wright said.

The most recent slashing was on July 25 at Forever XXI in Fair Oaks Mall, Fairfax, Va.

A Ruse, Then Pain

Feigning a mishap, according to victims’ recounts, the slasher creates a ruse or distraction involving falling merchandise and clothes hangers, quickly cutting young women shoppers from behind with a box cutter or razor and then darting away. 

One 18-year-old victim told police she noticed several items of clothing falling from a rack behind her as she shopped in the Forever XXI store at Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax.

The woman stated she saw a man pick up the clothes, then felt a “sharp pain” in her lower hip area, according to authorities.   Assault victims’ ages range from 15 to 25, none of whom  sustained serious physical injury.  

Initially, the victim thought a coat hanger had hit her backside, but she soon noticed that the rear of her denim shorts had been sliced, FCP spokesperson Lucy Caldwell said.

On further inspection, police said, the victim discovered that her buttocks was cut and bleeding.  She immediately informed store employees about the wound, which was approximately an inch and a half long.  Police were notified.

"Paraphilia," Abberant Sexual Behavior

What deep-seated behavior drives the attacker’s bizarre assaults?  Experts say the slasher may manifest a paraphilia, or aberrant sexual behavior; his cutting or stabbing paraphilia is termed picquerism.

Criminal profiler Dr. Robert D. Keppel also has commented on the slasher, whose cutting attacks ” ... involve picquerism, or obtaining pleasure from manipulating sharp objects; in the case of the slasher, stabbing young women and concealing the crime by creating a ruse or disturbance.”

According to forensic psychiatrist Dr. Stephen J. Hucker, a professor of Law & Mental Health Programs at the University of Toronto, paraphilia (i.e. necrophilia, pedophilia, etc.) is “a medical or behavioral science term for what is also referred to as sexual deviation, sexual anomaly, sexual perversion or a disorder of sexual preference.”

Paraphilias -- Hucker names dozens, such as exhibitionism, fetishism, even rare paraphilias such as autoassassinophilia (staging one’s own murder) and hypephilia (fabrics) — are found almost exclusively in males, beginning in early puberty and reaching full development by age 20.   In brief:

·    Often, there is an overlap of paraphilias, the most common being two to four concurrently present, although cases of up to 10 [abnormal thoughts or practices] have been reported in about 5% of paraphiliacs.
·    The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-IV, states that a paraphilia is considered as a psychiatric disorder when it “… causes distress to the individual or harm to others.”
It’s important to note that in citing the DSM-IV, Dr. Hucker distinguishes paraphilia as a psychiatric disorder when the behavior goes from harmless to harmful to the self or others. 

To learn more about paraphilia prognoses, treatments, and forensic psychiatry, click here.

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Photo: Pictured, Johnny D. Guillen Pimentel, the suspect wanted for attacks on women in the Fairfax, Va., region. Credit: Fairfax County Police Department

Meet the Bleep: Oscar De La Hoya’s Low Blow: Boxer Admits He Cheated, Lied and Dressed in Drag

September 12, 2011

 

Stories of downright dirty deception, exposed

 

credit: Wireimage/Getty Images

 

Meet the Bleep: Oscar De La Hoya

The Betrayal:
Back in 2007, when a stripper released racy photos of a man she claimed was Oscar De La Hoya, clad in fishnets and high heels, the athlete's camp denied that the photos were of him. De La Hoya's team jabbed at the stripper’s story, insisting she was after De La Hoya’s money. 

 

The Break:
But in a recent interview with Univision, Oscar De La Hoya delivered quite a blow to his own credibility, admitting the scandalous photos were of him and that he had cheated on his wife.

Referring to another professional athlete’s extramarital affairs, De La Hoya said:

'We are obviously not talking a Tiger Woods here, but I was unfaithful.’

The former boxer also came clean about his bouts with drugs and alcohol. Talk about a knockdown.

Weigh-in on the full story:

 

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Serial Buttocks Slasher Bulletin: Police Name Suspect in Virginia Stabbings

September 07, 2011

[This article is by contributing writer Ivy Bigbee. She is a Washington, D.C.-based writer.]

FAIRFAX, VA. - Fairfax County Police have issued an arrest warrant for Johnny D. Guillen Pimentel, 40, who previously has been dubbed the “Serial Slasher” and who stabbed nine known young women in Fairfax County, Va., retail settings from February to June 2011. 

Pimentel’s alleged offenses involved a ruse.  According to victims’ recounts, the suspect reportedly created a noisy diversion with hangers and store merchandise, then stabbed young women in the buttocks, using a box cutter or razor.  The nine reported victims — all teens or women in their early twenties — sustained non-life-threatening wounds.

Experts categorize the Pimentel's behavior as piquerism or, deviant behavior where sexual gratification is derived from using sharp instruments to inflict pain. 

Suspect May Have Left Area

Pimentel, who authorities believe may have left the area, may be driving a blue 2003 Honda Civic with the Virginia license plate KLX2689.

The attacks took place this year at various chain stores in Tyson’s Corner, Fair Oaks Mall and a Marshall’s store located in a smaller shopping complex on Route 50 in Fairfax.

The suspect currently is being sought for one attack, although police said they think the same person has stabbed all nine alleged victims.

No additional known attacks have occurred since June 25.

 

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Photo: Pictured, Johnny D. Guillen Pimentel, the suspect wanted for attacks on women in the Fairfax, Va., region. Credit: Fairfax County Police Department

 

Father Throws Crying Child into Newport Harbor

September 05, 2011

[ By Dr. Kenneth J. Ryan, a criminologist at California State University.  Read his Bio >> ]

The sunny, hot Sunday aboard the Newport Harbor tour boat was interrupted by a loud argument between a man and a woman, and the crying of a frightened little 7-year-old boy.  Sloane Briles, 35, of Irvine, Calif., walked away from the fight with his girlfriend toward the front of the boat and the tyke followed him.  It was then that, according to witnesses, Briles struck the child several times, telling him to stop crying.  And now the boy, who had been terrified because daddy was fighting, was now crying because he had been struck.  “Stop crying or I’ll throw you overboard,” the crowd heard Briles threaten.  Doubtless, the child couldn’t have stopped crying if he wanted to.  According to law enforcement, the father of this terrified, injured little boy threw him from the moving boat into Newport Harbor.

Nearby boats immediately came to the child’s rescue, saving his life.  After the child had been pulled to safety the father jumped into the water to save his son.  And with that somewhat belatedly heroic act, he demonstrated that he knew that throwing his son into the harbor was inherently dangerous with potentially lethal consequences.  Being able to stop for a moment to speculate, one might wonder what exactly the father had intended his next move to be having thrown his injured and crying son into the harbor.  I suspect we’ll never know.  Surely we can all be grateful for the quick actions of nearby Good Samaritans for saving the boy.

After the suspect wrestled with local sheriff’s deputies, he was charged with Child Endangerment and Resisting Arrest.  Child Endangerment in California can be either a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the circumstances surrounding the crime.  Or, if we might discuss this matter frankly, the District Attorney’s office has the ability to charge high and plea low.  Briles, the father of the victim in this matter, may be charged with a felony and later plea bargain to the lesser misdemeanor.  According to law enforcement, daddy had been drinking before arguing with his girlfriend, throwing his son overboard and fighting the deputies.  Those of us with some courtroom experience anticipate that Briles will receive a misdemeanor conviction for Child Endangerment, the Resisting Arrest charge will be dropped and probation will be assigned to the defendant with an Alcoholics Anonymous program requirement attached.

It comes to mind that this result falls far short of most peoples’ sensibilities regarding what exactly “justice” should be.  A hundred years ago, one man who did the same thing to another might be hanged, for one extreme example.  But we are more enlightened nowadays and when an adult endangers the life of a child, our courts often do what they can to be magnanimous – to the offender, not the victim.  It would be nice to think that as this unfortunate child grows up, he will continue to be surrounded by Good Samaritans watching over and protecting him.  And, let’s share the same wish for many other children too, because sadly the courts offer little protection at all.

 

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Photo Credit: Peter Glass/plainpicture/Corbis

Meet the Bleep: The Man Who Cried Sick Steals More Than $200,000 from Online Suitors

August 23, 2011

  Stories of downright dirty deception, exposed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

credit: Stockbyte

 

 

Meet the Bleep: Albert Lovering

The Betrayal:
Albert Lovering was a man in need of a little tender love and care cash. To heal his aching pains for money he decided to diagnose himself with a number of severe medical conditions, check into a hospital that never existed, and ask his girlfriend for financial aid to cover his treatments and procedures. Lovering convinced this woman to mail $100,000 to his alter ego, Doug Spencer, a man who swooped in via email claiming to be a friend volunteering to cash checks for Lovering while he was ill.

 

The Break:
As easy as it was for Lovering to send himself to a fake hospital, he couldn’t as easily create a fake bank; security photos show him cashing his girlfriend’s checks during the time he alleged he was in the hospital.

 

Lovering is now looking at a 24-count indictment that accuses him of swindling more than $200,000 from four unidentified ladies in the name of love. Despite being married, this sick man would meet and woo women online and then create an emergency situation to pressure his lovers to lend him money he never ended up repaying.

 

Lovering, dubbed the “love bandit,” pleaded not guilty at his initial hearing; a judge will examine the case at a pretrial hearing in September.

 

Survey the symptoms in the full story

 

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German Ex-Pat Albrecht Gero Muth: A Black Widower?

August 18, 2011

 

[ By Dr. Kenneth J. Ryan, a criminologist at California State University.  Read his Bio >> ]

German expatriate Albrecht Gero Muth, a.k.a. Sheik Ali Al-Muthaba, was arrested on Aug. 16 for allegedly beating and strangling his wife to death.  The murder of former German journalist Viola Drath, 91, occurred at the couple’s Georgetown home and was the tragic end of a long history of violence against Drath dating to 1992.  Muth, who has listed his occupation as “secret agent,” related to an acquaintance that he stood to acquire “tens of thousands of dollars” following the death of his wife.  And so, was Muth a black widower, plotting to murder his wife for her money?

Our own Investigation Discovery is laden with stories of young, beautiful women who attach themselves to unsuspecting, elderly gentlemen of wealth, who plot and scheme to marry their prey, only to murder them and collect the inheritance.  A phenomenon that occurs with some alarming regularity, the term black widow refers to the spider of the same name that mates and then devours her ersatz husband.  And so, is Muth a “black widower?”

It would appear that the answer is no, even in light of some rather hefty evidence to the contrary.  The first evidence of Muth as a black widower is that he is about half the age of his wife, a trait not uncommon among black widows.  Drath was reasonably wealthy, having been involved in high-level German political affairs for much of her adult life and the couple shared a seven-figure mansion in Georgetown.  His means likely were more modest; publicly advertised secret agents aren’t terribly well paid as these things go and neither are Brigadier Generals in the Iraqi Army, his other listed occupation.  The Iraqis have never heard of him and doubtless that could affect his salary.  And so, indeed there are factors in place that might suggest a motive for murder.

But I don’t think so.  Muth and Drath had been married 20 years.  Comparing this to counterpart black widows, who kill then quickly move on to their next victim, Muth would have been a laggard by comparison.  There are no insurance policies for millions of dollars from which Muth could benefit (that we know of) and standing to gain mere “tens of thousands of dollars” is not much of a motive for murder.  The argument just isn’t there.  So what happened?

To begin with, Muth has been arrested and charged and we have a trial yet to see, so his guilt is not assured.  A trial will doubtless reveal a man that has beaten his wife in the past, who had a fondness for head injury.  The trial will reveal a man who lives in a fantasy world of pretend spies and foreign honors, perhaps to compete with his wife’s real accolades.  And in the end, I imagine that we will not see a man of grandiose accomplishment but instead a pathetic man, a delusional man, a wife-beater.  Muth has been charged with Second-degree Murder, suggesting that the D.C. police are well aware of Muth, his violent past with his wife and the vapor that is Muth’s professional past.  He isn’t even a black widower.

 

More on the Web

Viola Drath’s husband, Muth, charged with second-degree murder in her killing
Viola Drath’s husband forged inheritance document, court papers say
Socialite's Death Rivets Capital

 

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Meet the Bleep: Divorce Drives Man into a “Dirty DUI” Set Up

August 15, 2011

Stories of downright dirty deception, exposed

 

credit: Tom Mareschal/Getty Images

 

Meet the Bleep: Court is still out on the biggest bleep, but there’s definitely one somewhere in this story…

 

The Betrayal:
When Dave Dutcher’s Match.com date flashed him her breasts in a bar on their second romantic evening out, and then extended him an invitation to join her and another woman in hot tub paradise, Dave had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.

Perhaps Dave should have also tried to recite his ABCs backwards and walk a straight line before following the women out of the bar and getting into his pickup truck. Shortly after he watched the women speed away in a car in front of him, Dave was pulled over by an officer and slapped with a DUI charge.

The Break:
Two years later, in the midst of a police corruption investigation focused on a private investigator, Dave was offered the chance to wipe the DUI charge off his record. Apparently, Dave’s blond vixen was too good to be true. The woman was working as part of a sting operation run by Christopher Butler, a private investigator who had received money from Dave Dutcher’s ex-wife to study Dave’s drinking habits. It was Butler who tipped off the cop who pulled over Dave on his date night from hell.

Dave Dutcher accuses his ex-wife of concocting this elaborate plan to dirty his reputation shortly before their divorce settlement, and keep him away from his kids. Susan Dutcher acknowledges that she did pay Butler to snoop out the habits of her ex-husband, but believes Dave can blame no one but himself for his decision to drink and drive.

 

Expose the Full Story

 

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Meet the Bleep: A Husband’s Hit-Run Creates Car and (Relationship) Wreck

August 08, 2011

Stories of downright dirty deception, exposed

Credit: Darrin Klimek/Digital Vision/Thinkstock |

 

Meet the Bleep: Ricaury Peña

 

The Betrayal:
Married man Ricaury Peña got a lot of mileage out of his job as a bouncer at a bar in NYC. He was getting more than just a few free drinks from waitress Juana Flores.

The Break:
When Ricaury was involved in an early morning car accident, his concerned wife, Rosa Estevez, arrived at the hospital immediately.

But her worry quickly turned to wrath when she learned the cause of the accident. In the heat of an argument with his girlfriend Juana, a very drunk Ricaury attempted to flee the scene. His getaway was less than clean, as he managed to hit his mistress with his car before he drove away.

Rosa hit the brakes on her marriage and left Ricaury in her rear view.

 

Set the Full Story Free

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Serial Buttocks Slasher Scores Sixth Victim in Virginia

August 03, 2011

[This article is by contributing writer Ivy Bigbee. She is a Washington, D.C.-based writer.]

Fairfax, Va. – A serial buttocks slasher operating in Fairfax County retail stores is the subject of a new complaint filed with police on Aug. 1.  A woman contacted local authorities on Aug. 1 to report an attack she sustained while shopping in a popular T.J. Maxx store at Fairfax Towne Center on June 8.    

A Man Dropping Clothing or Parcels

According to an Aug. 2 Fairfax County Police bulletin received by InvestigationDiscovery.com, a man who allegedly assaulted the woman looks similar to a suspect associated with five previous slashings that have occurred in area retail stores.  The victim, 21, whose identity has not been released, says she “felt a pinch on her buttocks,” and when she turned around, she “saw a man picking up pieces of clothing and thought she may have been cut by one of the hangers.”

The woman said her attacker was wearing long pants and a short-sleeved shirt.

When the woman returned home, she discovered cuts in her clothing, but police say she did not require medical treatment. 

Ruse Masks Attacks

In every case, the suspected slasher creates a distraction by dropping clothing or packages behind his intended victim.  Somehow during the ruses, the heavy-set, male Hispanic, who appears to be in his twenties or thirties, cuts female teens or twenty-something women, wounding them in the buttocks and then slipping away unnoticed after the commotion.

The suspect described by victims also has been recorded by store security cameras. 

Officials are linking the June 8 incident to five previous attacks and predict that more women will come forward.  Police are asking that anyone with information contact Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-Tips/8477, online or text “TIP187” plus your message to CRIMES/274637 or call Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131.     

 

Watch Video

Police released this video of the suspect, captured by a surveillance camera at a retail location.

 

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Amanda Knox: Problems Practicing U.S. Law in Italy

August 01, 2011

[ By Dr. Kenneth J. Ryan, a criminologist at California State University.  Read his Bio >> ]

The convictions of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito are under scrutiny once again amidst charges that Italian police botched the collection and processing of DNA evidence.  Whereas, allegations that the police botched evidence collection are nothing new in criminal trials on either side of the Atlantic, it is important that the charges have been made in Italy.  It’s a distinction that boils down to this: the Italian court system is vastly different from ours; therefore, how the court reacts to new evidence is not as predictable there as it is here.

Simply put, in the United States we have an adversarial court system in which prosecution and defense are expected to face off and play by the rules of court and the law.  In Italy, an inquisitorial court system is in place (as is true throughout most of Europe).  In an inquisitorial system, where the judicial mission is to seek truth, the judge (or judges) jointly occupies the positions of magistrate and chief investigator.  But, in seeking the truth, the defendant is expected to cooperate with the investigative trial process.  And that puts Amanda Knox in a rather awkward position as she faces charges of slander against the Italian police, after earlier falsely accusing an acquaintance of murdering roommate Meredith Kercher.  Although lying to police might have made the defendant appear very clever to a Florida jury, it makes Knox look uncooperative in the eyes of the Italians.  In Italy, being uncooperative is viewed as a sign of deception and, therefore, guilt.

Local thief Rudy Guede already has pleaded guilty to the rape and murder of Kercher, with plenty of evidence to support a conviction.  Therefore, one must wonder aloud how it happens that Knox and Sollecito are even implicated.  DNA evidence, is the Italian police response, although one might logically expect Knox’s DNA and that of boyfriend Sollecito to be found in Knox’s own residence.  The Italian police would point out that Knox confessed to participating in Kercher’s murder.  This is true, but she later retracted the confession saying that the Italian police abused and beat her into confessing.  And that is what the slander trial is all about; nonsense, say the police.  Once again, alleging police abuse puts the prosecution on the defensive in America and it may be perceived as a clever ploy in an Orlando courtroom; however, it forces the defense to prove the allegations in Italy.  Once again, this is not a good position for someone already found culpable in falsely accusing an innocent man.

Several possibilities loom for Amanda Knox and not many are positive.  Indeed, the court may find that the botched DNA evidence has tainted the criminal trial; therefore, the convictions of Knox and Sollecito are vacated.  Or because the court is an investigative body as much as it is a trial court, it may decide that there is sufficient evidence without DNA evidence to uphold the convictions.  Worse, now that the case is reopened, the sentences may be reviewed and prolonged by the Italian court to life imprisonment for either defendant.  And finally, it is equally possible that Knox will be acquitted of murder but convicted for slander. And in Italy, slander is a criminal offense for which one can be imprisoned; back to square one, in other words.

Amanda Knox became ensnared in an Italian murder investigation whilst visions of the American criminal justice system danced in her head.  Being clever in American law may have been her undoing in Italy.

 

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Photo Caption: Amanda Knox chats with her lawyer Luciano Ghirga as she attends a session of her appeal against her murder conviction in Perugia's Court of Appeal on July 30, 2011 in Perugia, Italy. American Amanda Knox and her Italian ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were convicted of the murder of Knox's former British flatmate Meredith Kercher in 2007. Their trial took place in December 2009 with Knox and Sollecito receiving sentences of 26 and 25 years respectively. Rudy Guede, an unemployed man from Ivory Coast, was also convicted of the Meredith Kercher's murder. (Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

Meet The Bleep: He Almost Got Away with Framing His Girlfriend for Armed Robbery

Stories of downright dirty deception, exposed

Credit: Darrin Klimek/Digital Vision/Thinkstock

 

Meet the Bleep: Jerry Ramrattan

 

The Betrayal:
Jerry was loaded with rage. His ex-girlfriend, Seemona Sumasar, refused to drop charges against him for rape. When threats from his friends didn’t intimidate her, Jerry decided to pull out the big guns of revenge. In his mind, the only way to silence her was to frame her for committing a crime, too.

The scorned lover recruited and trained several “victims” who reported they’d been robbed by an armed woman who looked like Seemona and drove a getaway vehicle that matched the description of her Jeep.

Jerry’s trail of false evidence seemed convincing enough to authorities, who arrested Seemona, a woman with no prior criminal history. She was locked up in jail, and bail was set at $1 million.

The Break:
The truths from others eventually set Seemona free, shortly before her trial was set to begin. One of the so-called victims admitted his part in Jerry’s ruthless plot. Now facing charges that include conspiracy, rape and perjury, Jerry is currently smoldering behind bars at Rikers.

Set the Full Story Free

 

Related Links:
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Serial Buttocks Slasher on the Loose in Virginia

July 27, 2011

[This article is by contributing writer Ivy Bigbee. She is a Washington, D.C.-based writer.]

Fairfax, Va. – After a fifth woman was cut on July 25 in a Fairfax County shopping mall, police advise that a serial slasher may be operating in the northern Virginia city, located 18 miles from the nation’s capital.

Suspect Creates Distraction, then Stabs Victims

Fairfax County police say the latest incident happened in a Forever 21 women’s clothing store at Fair Oaks Mall, when a female shopper heard someone behind her drop clothing or a package.  The attack occurred at approximately 5:30 p.m.  After hearing the commotion, the victim, 18, reported feeling a sharp pain and initially thought a falling hanger had struck her.  Shortly, however, she discovered not only had her denim shorts been slashed, but also, her buttocks had sustained a one and one half-inch cut and were bleeding. 

Store employees immediately advised security, which summoned Fairfax County police.

Five Slashings Since February

Detectives believe this attack could be related to four others that have occurred in Fairfax County since February.  The most recent of four prior incidents took place on June 20 in a Marshalls store at Greenbriar Shopping Center.  The other crimes occurred on Feb. 14 at Fair Oaks Mall in a corridor near Champps Americana restaurant, on May 16 at the same mall inside an Ann Taylor Loft and on June 18 at Tyson’s Corner Center in the H&M clothing store.

In each case, the suspect distracted the victim before cutting her; all victims have been female teens or women in their early twenties.

The suspect that police are seeking is a Hispanic male in his late twenties or thirties, approximately five feet, six inches tall and heavy-set.  In the July 25 incident, the attacker was wearing white shorts and a short-sleeved shirt.  (See photo.)

TIP LINES

Anyone with information should contact Crime Solvers by phone at
1-866-411-TIPS/8477, or text “TIP 187” plus your message to CRIMES/274637, or call Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131.  For more information, visit www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org.

 

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Photo Caption: An image of the suspect from surveillance cameras.  Credit: Fairfax County, VA Police

Meet The Bleep: Male Pastor Poses as Female to Solicit Nude Pictures of Young Boys

July 25, 2011

Stories of downright dirty deception, exposed

credit: Thinkstock

 

Meet the Bleep: Daniel Leslie Mooneyham

 

The Betrayal:
Youth pastor Daniel Leslie Mooneyham was seeking more than confessions from his church. Under the guise of a fake Facebook profile, Mooneyham transformed into teenage girl “Terri Smith,” baiting young boys with naked pictures of a topless female in the hopes they’d send naked pictures in return.

Mooneyham even targeted some of the boys in his own congregation.

The Break:
Determined to beat her husband at his own game, his wife Jami created a fake Facebook account of her own, posing as a teenage boy to send messages to her husband. She shuttered his operation by reporting him to the FBI, and then filed for divorce in a flash.

 Get The Full Story

 

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Meet The Bleep: Sleazy Stash of Cash Stowed in the Gun Safe

July 18, 2011

Stories of downright dirty deception, exposed

(Photo Credit: PolkaDot Images)

Meet the Bleep:  Harold

The Betrayal:
Harold stowed away a stash of $100 bills to support his addiction to internet porn and prostitutes. Harold attended “business meetings” turned cheap hotel meet-ups, and sent thank you notes for ladies’ “services".

When first confronted by his wife, Kathryn, about his addiction, Harold pointed the finger at their two sons, claiming they were to blame for the naughty websites that appeared on his computer.

The Break:
Determined to expose the man for his kinky crusades, his family collected a binder full of evidence, and traced Harold’s X-rated online adventures. When Harold claimed he wasn’t interested in counseling, Kathryn kicked the perv to the curb with a divorce notice.

The Full Story Exposed

 

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Aphrodite Jones Reports: Casey's Disturbing Secrets

May 27, 2011

[ Aphrodite Jones gives her perspective as she attends the Casey Anthony Trial. Check in for her regular reports.   Read her Bio >> ]

Last night we heard from Casey's former boyfriend, Tony Lazzaro, outside the presence of the jury. Tony testified that, some time prior to Caylee being "missing," Casey told him a secret. The family secret that Tony revealed  -- had people in the court on edge.

It was creepy to hear that Casey's brother allegedly tried to feel her up -- that is -- according to what Casey confided to Tony Lazzaro. The other thing Casey confided was that her dad, George, allegedly hit her, more than once. Tony did not think Casey ever claimed that her dad sexually abused her -- but oddly -- when confronted with his prior police statement, Tony had to admit that he previously told police he could NOT recall whether the alleged abuse by George to Casey was physical or sexual. Hmmmm. Really horrible stuff to have to even think about -- no less discuss in a court of law with camera's rolling.

Questioning George Anthony

The defense is scoring points this afternoon with their questions to George Anthony.  As a former detective, when he went to the tow yard to retrieve Casey's car, which smelled like death -- why did he not call 911??? Especially when he had not seen Caylee in weeks and was worried about her?? Furthermore, since George testified that the car smelled like there was human decomposition in it, why would he move the car?? Why would he drive it home and air it out rather than keep it contained at the tow yard as a piece of possible evidence? The fact that George drove the car home, aired it out, went to work, and NEVER called police about it -- makes everyone take note. Suddenly, there are more questions about George Anthony than ever before.

 

Related Links:
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Full Coverage : Casey Anthony Case
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Police: Man Complained That Computer Repair Shop Deleted His Child Porn

May 04, 2011

It goes without saying that there is nothing funny about child pornography. The horrific crime, which is one of the fastest-growing offenses committed online, can have devastating physical, social, and psychological effects on its victims. What is funny, however, is when alleged purveyors of such illicit materials place themselves directly in the sights of law enforcement as a result of their own alleged stupidity.

Authorities in Virginia recently arrested Ian Hartney, a shipyard worker from Newport News, on charges of producing, receiving and possessing child pornography. Authorities are currently trying to identify more than a dozen young girls whose pornographic images were allegedly found on Hartney's computers, cell phones and cameras, The Virginian-Pilot reported.

While 20-year-old Hartney's crimes are not unique in the scope of kiddie porn crimes, he did manage to get himself arrested via a bizarre set of circumstances, police said.

Hartney's crime dates back to November, when he took his laptop computer to a Chesapeake computer store for repairs. While fixing the laptop, a store employee copied the contents of Hartney's hard drive to another device and then re-installed the files once the repairs were complete.

When Hartney got his computer back, he was allegedly upset that photos he had on his laptop prior to the repairs were missing. He immediately called the computer store and asked whether his missing images could be located.

The repair shop had not yet erased the copy of Hartney's hard drive, so employees went back and examined it, at which time they discovered child pornography and contacted the police.

In December, local, state and federal agents executed a search warrant at Hartney's home, during which they seized several computers, cameras and cell phones. Forensic analysis of the items allegedly revealed numerous child pornography photos and videos involving more than two dozen females, police said.

 

 

Authorities arrested Hartney on Friday and charged him with numerous counts resulting from the investigation. He is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court for his bond hearing on Thursday.

So far, authorities have identified seven female victims. Efforts to identify the other victims are ongoing.

"One of our main priorities is to identify and assist any additional potential victims," John P. Torres, special agent in charge of the ICE Washington region, said in a statement.

Had Hartley left well-enough alone, chances are the hard drive files would have been erased and no one would have been the wiser about his alleged illegal activities.

Related Links:
Investigation Discovery: Stupid Criminals Roundup
Investigation Discovery: Guess The (Stupid) Truth Quiz

 Photo Credit: freeimages.co.uk

Duke Lacrosse Accuser Charged in Boyfriend’s Slaying

April 21, 2011

Crystal Gail Mangum, the former stripper who accused three Duke University lacrosse players of rape four years ago, has been indicted for murder in the recent death of her boyfriend, according to the Durham District Attorney's Office.

Mangum, 32, was indicted by a Durham, North Carolina grand jury on Monday. Her first court appearance has been scheduled for May 2. The former stripper has been jailed since the beginning of the month.

On April 3, police were called to a home on Century Oaks Drive at about 3:15 a.m. Upon arrival, officers discovered Mangum's boyfriend, 46-year-old Reginald Daye, had been stabbed in the torso. Daye was taken to Duke University Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Mangum, 32, was located in a nearby apartment and taken into police custody.

According to copy of the police report obtained by The Smoking Gun, Mangum and Daye had been arguing when she stabbed him with a kitchen knife. Mangum was originally charged with assault with a deadly weapon and "intent to kill … inflicting serious injury."

On April 13, Daye, who was still hospitalized for multiple stab wounds to the torso, died. The autopsy report has not yet been released.

Mangum's most recent run-in with the law comes a little more than a year after another disturbing incident, in which she was accused of  "scratching, punching, and throwing objects" at her then boyfriend, Milton Walker.

Mangum had also allegedly set fire to Walker's clothing inside a bathtub in the apartment, prompting the evacuation of Mangum, Walker and three children, ages 10, 9 and 3. According to the Durham fire department, no one was injured, but the apartment did suffer heavy smoke damage.

When police attempted to take Mangum into custody, she allegedly resisted arrest and provided police with a fake name and age. As a result, she was initially charged with first-degree attempted murder, arson, simple assault, identity theft, communicating threats, damage to property, resisting arrest and child endangerment. No charges were filed against Walker.

In December 2010, Mangum was convicted on five misdemeanor charges, including child abuse. She was sentenced to 88 days in jail.

In regard to the newly filed murder case, Mangum's defense attorney, Chris Shella, has declined to comment on Daye's cause of death.

"All I can tell you is my client asserts her innocence, and I plan on mounting a vigorous defense on her behalf," Shella told Reuters.

Related Links:
Investigation Discovery: Stupid Criminals Roundup
Investigation Discovery: Guess The (Stupid) Truth Quiz

Photo Credits: Durham Police

Duke Lacrosse Accuser Allegedly Got Stabby

April 04, 2011

Crystal Gail Mangum, the former stripper who accused three Duke University lacrosse players of rape four years ago, is in hot water yet again –- this time for allegedly stabbing her boyfriend.

Authorities in Durham, North Carolina, were called to home on Century Oaks Drive at about 3:15 a.m. Sunday. Upon arrival, officers discovered Mangum's boyfriend, 46-year-old Reginald Daye, had been stabbed in the torso.

Daye was taken to Duke University Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Mangum, 32, was located in a nearby apartment and taken into police custody.

According to copy of the police report obtained by The Smoking Gun, Mangum and Daye had been arguing when she stabbed him with a kitchen knife. Mangum was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and "intent to kill … inflicting serious injury."

In March 2006, Mangum made national headlines when she told police that she was raped by three Duke lacrosse team members at a party for which she had been hired to perform as a stripper.

All three were later exonerated when an investigation by the state attorney general's office found no DNA or other evidence to substantiate Mangum's claims. The investigation also resulted in the disbarment of Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong, for "dishonesty, fraud, deceit and misrepresentation" in his handling of the case. Nifong was sentenced to one night in jail for criminal contempt.

The former stripper's most recent run-in with the law comes a little more than a year after another disturbing incident.

On the night of February 17, a dispatcher in Durham received an emergency 911 call from Mangum's nine-year-old daughter.

"My mom's gonna die if you don't hurry," Mangum's daughter said.

When police arrived at the 2220 Lincoln Street address, they allegedly found Mangum, 31, "scratching, punching, and throwing objects" at her then boyfriend, Milton Walker.

Mangum reportedly said, "I'm gonna stab you mother f----r," court records show.

Prior to the officer's arrival on the scene, Mangum had allegedly set fire to Walker's clothing inside a bathtub in the apartment. When police arrived, she allegedly tried to start another fire.

Mangum, Walker and three children, ages 10, 9 and 3, were evacuated from the single-story duplex while firefighters put out the bathtub fire. According to the Durham fire department, no one was injured, but the apartment did suffer heavy smoke damage.

When police attempted to take Mangum into custody, she "unlawfully and willfully" resisted arrest, court records show. She also allegedly provided them with a fake name, Marella, and age.

As a result of the alleged incidents, Mangum was charged with first-degree attempted murder, arson, simple assault, identity theft, communicating threats, damage to property, resisting arrest and child endangerment. No charges were filed against Walker.

In December 2010, Mangum was ultimately convicted on five misdemeanor charges, including child abuse. She was sentenced to 88 days in jail.

For her most recent charges, Mangum is being held in the Durham County jail on a $300,000 secured bond.

Photo Credits: Durham Police

Stupid Criminals Who Forgot to Hang Up Phone Give Away Their Master Plan

April 01, 2011

Authorities in Ohio recently captured a dynamic duo that had allegedly plotted to pull off a blatantly unoriginal pizza caper. The crime went south, police said, after one of the alleged crooks forgot to hang up his cell phone.

It was about 3 a.m. Monday, when Topper's Pizza in Clifton received an order from a customer who wanted 61 dollars' worth of pizza pies. Something about the call did not sound right, so the employee did not hang up right away. The caller, who was apparently preoccupied with his own plans, neglected to disconnect the line from his end, police said.

"[The Topper's employee] didn’t hang up the phone [and] listened to what they were saying," Assistant Manager Mathew Donnelly told WXIX-FOX19 news. "It was at that point he heard [the caller] ... talking to his buddies [about] how they were going to ... [jump] him in the parking lot once he arrived."

The manager called Cincinnati police and an officer was quickly dispatched to the scene. As crafty as the crooks were, police knew they needed to step up their game, so they made their own plan - dressing up one of their men in a Topper's Pizza uniform. The undercover police officer, with four pizzas in tow, then took off for the meeting spot in the 900 block of Mound Street.

When the undercover officer delivered the pizzas, he engaged one of the perps in a bit of chitchat. For whatever reason, the alleged crooks got spooked and decided to change their plan, police said.

"[The] bad guys grabbed the pizzas [and] took off running," Captain Douglas Weisman told Fox 19.

Unbeknownst to the alleged crooks, a 19-year-old man and a 14-year-old juvenile, authorities had surrounded the area and were able to quickly subdue them without incident.

According to WLWT News 5, the juvenile told police the 19-year-old had intended to punch and rob the delivery driver. Officers charged the elder teen with robbery and assault and the juvenile with robbery.

Brad Lane, the real delivery driver for Topper's Pizza, is thankful police nabbed the alleged crooks.

"It gives me chills thinking about it," Lane told WLWT. "Just an eerie situation. I'm glad it's over with."

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Can You Help the FBI Crack a Murder Victim's Encrypted Message?

March 31, 2011

The FBI is asking for the public's help in deciphering two encrypted notes that were found in a murder victim's pocket more than a decade ago. The bureau's Cryptanalysis and Racketeering Records Unit (CRRU) has been unsuccessful in breaking the code, and officials say this is one of their top unsolved cases.

"We are really good at what we do," CRRU chief Dan Olson said, "but we could use some help with this one."

On June 30, 1999, police in St. Louis, Mo., discovered the body of 41-year-old Ricky McCormick. He had been murdered and dumped in a field. The only clues were two encrypted notes found in the victim's pants pockets.

"Breaking the code," said Olson, "could reveal the victim's whereabouts before his death and could lead to the solution of a homicide."

There's only one problem: neither the CRRU nor the American Cryptogram Association, two agencies who specialize in doing the impossible, have been able to decipher the notes. As a result, Ricky McCormick's murderer has yet to face justice.

Now, the FBI is hoping someone in the general public might be able to step up and assist them. Otherwise, to move the case forward, examiners will need another sample of McCormick's code—or a similar system—that might offer context to the mystery notes or allow the experts to make comparisons.

Want to Try An Easier Detective Puzzle? Play our Homespun Superhero Game.

Investigators believe the notes in McCormick's pockets were written up to three days before his death.

 

 

The more than 30 lines contain a maddening variety of letters, numbers, dashes, and parentheses. McCormick was a high school dropout, but he was able to read and write and was said to be "street smart."

According to members of McCormick's family, he began writing encrypted notes since when he was a boy, but no one in his family knows how to decipher the codes, and no one knows whether anyone besides McCormick could translate his secret language.

According to Olson, breaking any code involves four basic steps:

1. determining the language used;

2. determining the system used;

3. reconstructing the key; and

4. reconstructing the plain text.

For example, consider the following cipher: Nffu nf bu uif qbsl bu oppo.

Now apply the four steps:

1. Determining the language allows you to compare the cipher text to the suspected language. FBI cryptanalysts usually start with English.

2. Determining the system: Is this cipher using rearranged words, replaced words, or perhaps letter substitution? In this case, it's letter substitution.

3. Reconstructing the key: This step reveals how the code maker changed the letters. In Olson's example, every character shifted one letter to the right in the alphabet.

4. Reconstructing the plain text: By applying the key from the previous step, you now have the solution: "Meet me at the park at noon."

Try Another Detective Puzzle. Play Trace Evidence and Bust a Killer.

Over the years, a number of CRRU's examiners have puzzled over the McCormick notes, but "standard routes of cryptanalysis seem to have hit brick walls," Olson said.

 

 

Short of new evidence, Olson said the bureau is hoping that "someone with a fresh set of eyes might come up with a brilliant new idea" to solve the code.

Can you aid the investigation?

Take a look at McCormick's two notes. If you have an idea how to break the code, have seen similar codes, or have any information about the McCormick case, write to CRRU at:

FBI Laboratory
Attn: Ricky McCormick Case
Cryptanalysis and Racketeering Records Unit
2501 Investigation Parkway
Quantico, VA 22135

Olson said the bureau is offering no reward, just a challenge and the satisfaction of knowing that your brain power might help bring a killer to justice.

"Even if we found out that he was writing a grocery list or a love letter," Olson said, "we would still want to see how the code is solved. This is a cipher system we know nothing about."

For more information, click here to visit the FBI's Cryptanalysis and Racketeering Records Unit website.

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Photo Credit: FBI

 

Maryland Semen Attacker Sentenced to Probation

February 26, 2011

A Maryland man who pleaded guilty to squirting semen on two unsuspecting shoppers in the Gaithersburg area has been sentenced.

On Thursday, Montgomery County District Court Judge Stephen P. Johnson sentenced 28-year-old Michael Wayne Edwards Jr. to three years of supervised probation, WBAL-TV reported. The state attorney's office had been seeking an 18-month jail sentence.

According to The Gazette, Edwards pleaded guilty in November to two counts of second-degree assault for squirting fluid from a plastic bottle onto two women in two area stores. During his hearing, his attorney Barry Helfand said his client had been using an egg white and vinegar mixture, not semen. He also said the attacks were prompted by misguided anger following a breakup.

The first incident occurred on Nov. 19, 2009. A woman was shopping in a craft store when she noticed Edwards following her. At one point, he walked behind the victim, and she felt a wet substance strike her back. The liquid was later determined to be human semen, police said.

Roughly eight months later, on July 12, police were summoned to a grocery store to investigate another alleged assault. The victim told police she was walking out of the store when she felt liquid hit her hair. When she turned around, she noticed Edwards standing behind her. When she approached him, he sped off in his car, police said. Investigators later determined that the substance was semen.

When detectives reviewed surveillance footage, they observed a man squirting fluid on the victim. He was also observed filming the incident with his cell phone.

"[Edwards] had used his [discount] card to pay for items he purchased at the store, so police were able to confirm his identity through the use of the card," Montgomery County police spokeswoman Lucille Bauer told Investigation Discovery.

On July 30, Edwards was arrested and charged with one count of second-degree assault. He was released later that day on a $4,000 bond.

Following Edwards' release, authorities submitted his DNA as well as DNA obtained from both victims' clothing to the crime lab. Once the comparison was made, investigators were able to connect Edwards to the assault that had occurred in November, police said.

In August, Edwards was arrested again and charged with a second count of second-degree assault. He was released the following day on a $25,000 bond.

Edwards was later charged with three additional assaults after police learned of similar attacks, but those cases were not prosecuted.

During his sentencing hearing, Edwards said he was sorry for his actions.

"I apologize to all for my actions," he said. "I've had a lot of time to think about this and reflect on this."

Photo Credit: Police file photo

Disruptive Passenger Finds Drinking and Flying Don't Always Mix

February 14, 2011

An Alabama man learned the hard way that it's not always a good idea to partake in booze during long-distance flights.

Robert Wade Prince, 49, of Mobile, pleaded guilty Friday to charges of assault and interfering with the crew during a Continental flight last year from Amsterdam to Houston, Texas.

The incidents occurred on Feb. 13, 2010. Prince reportedly consumed several alcoholic beverages at the beginning of the nine hour flight and displayed loud and obnoxious behavior. A few hours into the flight, he grabbed the arm of a female flight attendant, causing her pain. When the attendant asked him to let go, he refused, stating, "I just got back from the Middle East and I am not going to rape you," the FBI said.

Another flight attendant had to intervene to free the woman. An undercover air marshal was then notified of the encounter.

As the flight progressed, Prince became more disruptive, prompting two young female passengers seated next to him to ask to be reseated. They said they were fed up with the constant harassment and touching to which Prince had reportedly subjected them. The air marshal agreed to exchange seats with them.

When the air marshal attempted to sit next to Prince, he tried to push the air marshal out of the seat and allegedly told him, "You can't sit here. This seat is for my girlfriend."

The air marshal identified himself as a U.S. Air Marshal and asked Prince to calm down. Instead, Prince elbowed the air marshal in his chest. The air marshal then handcuffed Prince and began to escort him to the back of the plane. Prince became even more disruptive and yelled offensive racial slurs at the air marshal for the remainder of the flight.

After accepting his guilty plea, U.S. District Judge Melinda Harmon convicted and sentenced Prince to six months' incarceration on each of the two counts of conviction and further ordered him to pay a $10,000 fine. The sentences are to be served concurrently.

Photo Credits: Prince: Police mug shot; Plane: freeimages.co.uk/

Man Aims to Build UFO Gas Station in Colorado

February 09, 2011

The story you're about to read has no relation to crime but it is certainly interesting, and definitely falls under the category of bizarre.

Phil Hill, a Colorado man who gained notoriety appearing on national radio shows like "Coast to Coast AM" with George Noory and was once greeted by comedian Tom Green during an RV road trip, has announced he is planning to build a mountaintop version of Giza's Great Pyramid on Pikes Peak.

In a message to Investigation Discovery, Hill, who also goes by the name "UFO Phil," claimed ancient Egyptian pyramids once served as massive stone "power stations." He said these monolithic generators were designed and used by extraterrestrials.

On his website and in several videos that have been posted on YouTube, Hill claims he is in possession of "secret blueprints and schematics" that were made centuries ago by humanoids from another galaxy. The blueprints allegedly reveal the formula for using Egyptian pyramids to generate hydrogen gas to "power ships, vehicles and everything."

In a 2010 interview with "Coast to Coast AM," Phil expressed his desire to "beam free energy to the entire world." Then, in January 2011, he revealed that the energy in question would come from hydrogen gas, generated by a full-sized stone pyramid in the Rocky Mountains.

Hill says aliens have also instructed him to erect "energy relay transmitters" on top of San Francisco's Coit Tower, New York City's Empire State Building and at Mount Rushmore, near Keystone, South Dakota.

A second, smaller pyramid would be placed directly behind the Hollywood sign in California and would serve as a backup generator "in case Pikes Peak is compromised," Hill said.

UFO Phil has not given a firm timetable for the completion of his project.

"I've done all the necessary measurements," he said. "I'm just waiting for the government to approve my permits." Hill, however, admits they're not returning his calls.

Want more on Phil? Click here to follow him on Facebook

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Photo Credits: Contributed by Phil Hill

Jasmine Richardson, Canada's Youngest Multiple Killer, Gets Glowing Reviews

February 07, 2011

If you've followed true crime at all in the past few years, you should be familiar with the name Jasmine Richardson -- unless, of course, you live in Canada, where the media is banned from publishing her full name. In that case, you probably know her as J.R.

According to the National Post, Richardson -- a convicted killer who, along with her boyfriend, slaughtered her parents and her little brother -- has received a "glowing" sentencing review from an Alberta judge for progress she has been making while serving an open custody sentence in a Calgary group home.

Richardson has requested more freedom and said she plans to attend a university in the fall, the newspaper reported. A judge will review the case again later this year.

For those of you who don't know or who may have forgotten, Richardson was 12 years old when she became the youngest person ever charged with multiple counts of murder in Canada. It was a brutal crime that sent shock waves throughout the country and made headlines around the world. Both Richardson and her then boyfriend, 23-year-old Jeremy Steinke, were charged in the case.

The investigation into the murders began on April 23, 2006, when concerned neighbors called officers to the Richardson family home in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. Inside, authorities discovered the bodies of Marc Richardson, 42, and his wife Debra, 48, sprawled out on the home's first floor. In an upstairs bedroom they discovered the lifeless body of the Richardson’s son, 8-year-old Jacob, lying on a bed.

Detectives initially thought Jasmine Richardson was missing, and possibly the victim of a kidnapping. However, as the investigation progressed, evidence quickly pointed to her involvement in the murders.

On April 24, 2006, police located Richardson and Steinke, 100 miles away in the town of Leader. Both were arrested at the scene and later charged with three counts of first-degree murder.

Police alleged that Richardson and Steinke's secret relationship was the motive behind the murders. Marc and Debra had recently forbidden the two from having contact with each other, a move that had angered both young lovers.

Richardson pleaded not guilty to all three counts. However, on July 10, 2007, a jury found her guilty and she was sentenced to the maximum 10-year sentence allowed by the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Richardson was required to serve four years of her sentence in a psychiatric hospital.

During his own trial, Steinke was also found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder. However, unlike his younger counterpart, he was sentenced to life without parole for a minimum of 25 years.

Jasmine Richardson, now 17, is scheduled to have another sentence review in August. If all goes well, she could be released into the community as early as September. At that time she would still be under the supervision of the court, but not for long. Due to Canadian laws regarding juveniles, the court will be required to release Richardson once she reaches age 22. At that time, her sentence will be considered complete and her criminal record will be nullified.

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Picture: iStockphoto

They Almost Got Away With It

October 23, 2010

Pretty much the golden rule in true crime is that there is rarely, if ever, such a thing as the perfect murder. Try as they may, the perps always tend to make at least one mistake that ultimately leads to their downfall. Such was the case in the two cases we profile here.

The Bike Path Rapist

Young women are always instructed to travel in groups and to avoid secluded places, and the Bike Path Rapist is a prime example of what lurks out there. Like the infamous wolf in the popular children's story, the Bike Path Rapist waited along paths for the opportune moment to strike.

The attacks, which began in 1981, spanned a 25-year period. The rapist attacked at least 14 women along jogging paths in the Buffalo, New York area. He attacked his victims from behind and often strangled his victims until they lost consciousness.  

Over the years, the Bike Path rapes escalated in violence. In 1990, the first murder attributed to the rapist occurred with the murder of Linda Yalem, a sophomore at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

The second murder occurred in 1992, when the Bike Path Rapist strangled and raped 32-year-old Majane Mazur. The murder prompted national exposure, but then the case went cold for 12 years. 

On Sept. 29, 2006, Joan Diver, a suburban housewife and mother, went missing during a morning jog. Two days later, her body was found. She had been strangled, but there were no signs of sexual assault. Despite the similarities to the previous attacks, her murder was not initially attributed to the Bike Path Rapist.

It was not until months later that police linked DNA found at the scene to that of the other cases. As the case gained new momentum, the old DNA files and notes were reviewed and a suspect by the name of Altemio Sanchez developed.

In January 2007, undercover agents followed Sanchez to a restaurant. After he finished his meal and left, investigators took his dinnerware and had it tested for DNA. The results came back as a match and Sanchez was arrested on the morning of January 15, 2007. During his arraignment, he pled not guilty to two counts of murder.

The DNA evidence was further matched to at least eight of the rape cases associated with the Bike Path Rapist, including two of which another man, Anthony Capozzi, had been convicted. As a result, Capozzi was exonerated after serving 22 years in prison. 

Sanchez eventually confessed and admitted to committing between 13 and 20 rapes from 1981 to 1994. He also confessed to the murders of Yalem, Mazur, and Diver. For the murders, Sanchez was sentenced to 75 years to life in prison. He could not be tried for the rapes because the statute of limitations had already expired. 

Altemio Sanchez led a double life for over 25 years. Had he controlled his desires and not resurfaced, he would probably still be free today.

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Connecticut Man Charged with Sending Anthrax Hoax and Bomb Threat Letters

September 25, 2010

Roland Prejean, aka "Gary Joseph Gravelle," 43, of Morris, Connecticut, has been charged with allegedly sending dozens of anthrax hoax and bomb threat letters to private individuals, post offices, and other state and federal government officials around the country.

"This defendant is alleged to have sent more than 50 letters nationwide, in which he threatened to kill numerous victims, by shooting them, bombing the buildings in which they work or exposing them to a substance that he claimed was, but was not, anthrax," said David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.

Fein added: "The letters victimized both private citizens and public servants, and resulted in the evacuation of a post office, a town hall and a public school. Such threats cause significant diversions of law enforcement resources, inflict fear in the victims, and result in substantial disruption of public and government services, and they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

Prejean was arrested in North Dakota on Sept. 7. Earlier this week he waived preliminary hearings and agreed to be transported to Connecticut to face the charges.

According to the federal criminal complaint, on or about September 3, Prejean began writing a series of threatening letters to numerous recipients, including a private individual, a Connecticut probation officer and a Connecticut Superior Court Judge. In the letters, Prejean allegedly threatened to kill various individuals including a postal carrier from Thomaston, Connecticut; a judge in Salt Lake City, Utah; several individuals from the Connecticut Valley Hospital; a judge in Middletown, Connecticut; and a former roommate. Prejean is also accused of mailing a threatening letter to the Thomaston, Connecticut Post Office.

The letter addressed to the post office was received on Sept. 7. In the letter, Prejean allegedly threatened to kill a particular postal carrier as well as everyone in the post office. The letter also stated that a bomb was hidden inside the building, resulting in the evacuation of the post office as well as the Thomaston Town Hall and a Thomaston Public School, which were in the immediate vicinity of the Post Office. Bomb technicians from the Connecticut State Police Emergency Services Unit searched the post office for explosive devices with negative results.

Additional letters dated September 3 were received by victims in Connecticut. One particular letter, received by a probation officer, threatened to shoot and kill numerous employees at the Connecticut Valley Hospital.

Another letter postmarked September 4, which was sent to a Connecticut Superior Court Judge in New London, included a substance that was represented to be "liquid anthrax."

According to the allegations set forth in the federal criminal complaint, during a cross-country drive from Connecticut to North Dakota, Prejean sent more than 50 such threatening mailings to various recipients nationwide. In some of the letters, he allegedly placed a white powder that was represented to be anthrax, but which was, in fact, baby or talcum powder. Thirty-four threatening letters and 17 threatening postcards that Prejean allegedly attempted to mail from North Dakota were intercepted before delivery. Six of the 34 letters contained a powder inside the envelope, while one contained some sort of paste.

To date, analysis of the substances contained in the mailings have proved negative for any biological or chemical agents.

Prejean has been charged in a federal criminal complaint with mailing threatening communications, and with making threats, through the use of the mail, to kill, injure, or intimidate any individual, or to damage or destroy any building by means of an explosive.

If convicted, Prejean faces a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment on each individual charge.

Woman Who Staged Fake Funerals Found Guilty

September 05, 2010

A bizarre case involving a fraud ring that staged fake funerals as part of an insurance scam recently made headlines in California, when one of the defendant's was found guilty for her involvement in the fraud scheme.

Jean Crump, 67, of South Los Angeles, was found guilty of two counts of wire fraud and one count of mail fraud, charges that cumulatively carry a statutory maximum sentence of 90 years in prison.

According to the FBI, Crump worked at a now-defunct mortuary in Lynwood, where she participated in a scheme to defraud insurance companies. Authorities allege Crump filed fraudulent claims against $1.2 million in life insurance policies for an individual who had not died as claimed.

As part of the scheme, Crump and her accomplices had bogus death certificates prepared, purchased a burial plot and even staged a phony funeral – with paid actors - to play the part of mourners in case anyone was watching. Following the funeral service, authorities say they buried an empty casket in the plot.

When two insurance companies began investigating the claims, Crump and her accomplices exhumed the casket, filled it with a mannequin and cow parts, and had the casket cremated. Crump and her accomplices then filed false documents with the County of Los Angeles, stating that the remains were cremated and scattered at sea.

Crump and her accomplices also defrauded several companies that advance cash to cover funeral expenses in exchange for a portion of the decedent’s life insurance policies. They prepared four fake invoices claiming that the phony funeral was held at three different mortuaries, and two companies advanced costs to cover the phony funeral.

Crump is scheduled to appear in court for sentencing on November 29.

Phlebotomist Faye Shilling, 61, of Hawthorne, who was scheduled to go to trial with Crump, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud shortly before the trial. Shilling is also scheduled to appear in court for sentencing on November 29.

Another conspirator, notary Barbara Ann Lynn, 64, of Los Angeles, previously pleaded guilty in relation to the scheme and was sentenced to serve one year of home detention as part of a three-year period of probation.

A fourth defendant in the case, Lydia Eileen Pearce, the woman who owned and operated the mortuary, pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on November 8.

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Police Search for More Victims of Maryland Semen Attacks

August 22, 2010

Authorities in Maryland say a man accused of squirting semen on two unsuspecting shoppers could be responsible for other assaults in the Gaithersburg area.

"We believe that there may very well be other victims, and, of course, there may well be women that don't even realize that they were victimized in this way," said Montgomery County police spokeswoman Lucille Bauer.

Michael Wayne Edwards Jr., 28, has been charged with two counts of assault for allegedly squirting semen from a plastic bottle onto at least two women in two area stores.

The first incident occurred on Nov. 19, 2009. An unidentified woman was shopping in a craft store when she noticed the suspect following her. At one point, the suspect walked behind the victim, and she felt a wet substance strike her back. The liquid substance was later determined to be human semen, police said.

Roughly eight months later, on July 12, police were summoned to a grocery store to investigate another alleged assault. The victim told police she was walking out of the store when she felt a liquid substance in her hair. When she turned around, she noticed the suspect standing behind her. When she approached him, he sped off in his car, police said. Investigators later determined that the substance was semen.

When detectives reviewed surveillance footage, they observed a man squirting fluid on the victim. He was also observed filming the incident with his cell phone.

"[The suspect] had used his [discount] card to pay for items he purchased at the store, so police were able to confirm his identity through the use of the card," Bauer said.

On July 30, Edwards was arrested and charged with one count of second-degree assault. He was released later that day on a $4,000 bond.

Following Edwards' release, authorities submitted his DNA as well as DNA obtained from both victims' articles of clothing to the crime lab. Once the comparison was made, investigators were able to connect Edwards to the assault that occurred in November, police said.

Last week, Edwards was arrested again and charged with a second count of second-degree assault. He was released the following day on a $25,000 bond.

According to Bauer, investigators said "additional charges" are forthcoming, but she is unsure what they are. Bauer said that to her knowledge the suspect has not offered any explanation for his alleged actions. She presumes it is "just his own perverse nature."

Edwards is scheduled to make his first court appearance in September. If convicted on the assault charges, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail on each count.

In an interview published on Gazette.net, city police spokesman Dan Lane said Edwards admitted to additional incidents during police questioning. As a result, investigators are asking anyone who experienced a similar incident to contact them.

"We [have] put the information out to the public," Bauer said. "If someone does remember [feeling] something on their clothes after someone walked behind them, they have a contact and [can] understand what this man has done."

Anyone who suspects that he or she was a victim of a similar crime is asked to contact the 5th District Investigative Section at 240-773-6237 or the Gaithersburg Police Department at (301) 258-6400.

Fake "Special Agent" Sentenced to Prison Term

June 05, 2010

Ohio resident Frank Svoboda has been sentenced to a 10-month prison term for fraudulently passing himself off as a special agent during a police traffic stop.

"This conviction and sentence sends a strong message that people cannot fraudulently pass themselves off as federal agents," said U. S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio Steven Dettelbach.

In February, a jury found Svoboda guilty of "counterfeiting or forging" a seal of an agency of the United States. During Svoboda's two-day trial, Assistant U. S. Attorney Duncan Brown presented evidence showing Svoboda produced a fraudulent Department of Homeland Security identification card after being pulled over for a traffic violation in June 2009.

During the traffic stop, Svoboda claimed he was employed as a "secret agent," although he later claimed that he was acting as a "sovereign citizen" and that the U. S. government did not have authority over individuals, Dettelbach said.

At the time of his arrest, Svoboda was also in possession of four additional fraudulent identifications.

The investigation into the case was carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Akron, Ohio.

Photo Credit: Investigation Discovery

Facebook Fugitive, Craig "Lazie" Lynch, Continues to Avoid Capture

January 04, 2010

One would think authorities would have a relatively easy time tracking down a fugitive who regularly taunts them using the Internet; however, police in Britain are finding that to be easier said than done.

According to Suffolk police, Craig "Lazie" Lynch, 28, escaped from Hollesley Bay prison in eastern England this past September, where he had been serving a seven-year sentence for aggravated burglary. Since that time, Lynch has continued to evade police, while at the same time allegedly posting status updates to the social networking Web site Facebook.com. Officials at Facebook have since deleted Lynch's profile; however, a fan page he allegedly contributes to remains on the site, with some 43,000 followers.

Lynch reportedly squashed rumors that he was not affiliated with the page by posting a photo of himself holding a turkey in one hand and displaying the middle finger on the other – both 'birds' an alleged message for police and his detractors. On Christmas Day, Lynch allegedly wrote, "Merry xmas i (sic) made it." He purportedly followed up that comment two days later with, "Quick question....HOW MANY COPS ARE IN HERE TONIGHT!?"

The newswire service AFP reports that police are "confident the Craig Lynch featured on Facebook was the on-the-run convict."

Lynch's exploits have turned him into somewhat of an Internet sensation and the media has dubbed him the "Facebook Fugitive." In addition, American country singer Kent Crawford has written a song dedicated to Lynch, which he uploaded to the video sharing Web site YouTube. The song, titled Crazy Craig Lazy Lynch, carries the following chorus:

"Crazy Craig Lazy Lynch, Busted out of prison like it was a sin, The English bounty police are hot on your trails, Can they catch you only time can tell."

In wake of the positive attention Lynch is receiving, several other groups have popped up on Facebook, with titles such as, "Where is Craig 'Lazie' Lynch?" and "We Hate Craig Lynch." Both groups are attracting members; however, the numbers are nowhere near those seen on Lynch's fanpage.

According to CNN, police have been working with officials at Facebook to track Lynch down.

"We have spoken to Facebook and we are trying to trace him from the information we have, but it's one of those things that we're also asking for help from members of the public," Suffolk police spokeswoman Anne-Marie Breach told CNN.

As of this writing, the status update on Lynch's fan page reads, "GUESS WHOS (sic) BACK."

Suffolk police are asking anyone with information on Craig Lynch's whereabouts to contact them at 01473 613 500. (From the United States, dial 011-44 before dialing the remainder of the telephone number.)

Photo Credit: Suffolk Police

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Disturbing New Details Released in Case of Teen Who Was Torched by Classmates

October 19, 2009

Authorities in Deerfield Beach, Fla, have released new details in the case of a Michael Brewer, a 15-year-old who was recently set ablaze by a group of teens, leaving him hospitalized with burns over 80 percent of his body.

"Please, please, please,'' Michael is heard screaming on a 911 recording."Please help me."

It was those agonizing screams that alerted several residents of Lime Tree Village apartments that something terrible had happened on the afternoon of Oct. 12. When they ran outside to investigate, they were shocked to find Michael, with much of his body engulfed in flames. Acting on impulse, one neighbor ran for a fire extinguisher, while another dashed to the boy's aide. Once the flames were extinguished, Michael ripped off his shirt and jumped into the complex's swimming pool. Unfortunately, much of the damage had already been done. According to eyewitnesses, the top layer of Michael's skin was literally falling off his body.

"He's screaming; he's alert," an unidentified caller told a Deerfield 911 dispatcher.

When the caller asked the boy what had happened, he responded by saying, "Somebody poured stuff on me.''

**Warning Graphic Content**Listen to the 911 call

Once the paramedics arrived on the scene and transported the injured teen to the hospital, investigators with the Broward County Sheriff's Office secured the scene and began interviewing witnesses in an attempt to determine what had happened to Michael. It was during this questioning that an unidentified resident of the complex allegedly told an investigator that he or she had witnessed a group of teens surround Michael, and that one of them threw an unknown substance on him moments before flames engulfed his body.

Through the course of their investigation, authorities were able to identify the teens as Matthew Bent, 15; Denver Colorado Jarvis, 15; his brother, Jeremy Jarvis, 13; Steven Shelton, 15; and Jesus Mendez, 15.

According to police, Mendez was the only member of the group to confess to his involvement in the assault. He allegedly told a Broward County Sheriff's Office deputy that he made "a bad decision."

In speaking with the media about the case, Broward County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Steve Feeley said that the assault stemmed from a series of earlier incidents. Michael had allegedly failed to pay Bent $40 that he owed him for a video game. In retaliation, Bent allegedly attempted to get even by stealing a custom-made bicycle that was owned by Michael's father. However, the theft went south when Bent was caught in the act, and arrested.

The following day, neither Michael nor Bent went to school. Bent stayed home after his brief stay in a juvenile facility and Michael, according to his parents, did not attend because he was afraid of retaliation.

Later that day, Michael went to visit a friend at the Deerfield Beach apartment complex at 429 SE 13th Ct. Police say that Bent was also at the complex and, upon seeing Michael, he and the other teens hatched their plan.

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John Forehand Arrested for Allegedly Propositioning Daughter for Sex via Facebook

October 12, 2009

Authorities in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania arrested 39-year-old John Christopher Forehand last week for allegedly using the social networking Web site Facebook to locate and sexually proposition his estranged 13-year-old biological daughter.

According to the criminal complaint, Forehand, using the name "Bad Daddy," recently contacted his daughter and told her that he had been having "inappropriate" dreams about her. He graphically described a variety of sexual acts and proposed meeting her for sex, allegedly telling her, "Not many other fathers and daughters are this brave, so not many of them are so lucky to experience all these pleasures."

Police say the girl did not fully understand everything Forehand was saying to her and that it was not until she looked up the meaning of some of the words that he used that she realized what he was asking; at that point, she reported the situation to her mother, who, in turn, contacted the Ephrata Borough Police Department.

On Oct. 6, an agent with the state Child Predator Unit took over the girl's email account, during which time Forehand allegedly sent multiple messages, urging his daughter to meet him for a sexual liaison. Posing as the girl, the agent agreed to a meeting with Forehand.

"I'll take very good care of my little girl," Forehand wrote, according to the affidavit.

The following day, agents from the Child Predator Unit and Ephrata Police arrested Forehand when he arrived at a predetermined meeting place. During a search of Forehand's vehicle, authorities seized a camera, tripod and box of condoms. A second search, conducted at his home Lititz, resulted in the seizure of several additional items, including a digital camera, a camcorder and computers. Those items are currently being analyzed by the Attorney General's Computer Forensics Unit.

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Controversial Cadaver Sex Show

September 17, 2009

It could be coming to a neighborhood near you!

Since 1995, German anatomist Gunther von Hagens has managed to generate both curiosity and controversy with his traveling Body Worlds exhibition, which showcases preserved human bodies and body parts. Now von Hagens is attempting to up the ante by posing the corpses in sexual positions, a move that is being protested in some countries.

Born in Skalmierzyce in 1945, von Hagens spent much of his youth in East Germany and later moved to Greiz, where he remained until his late teens. Von Hagens enrolled at the University of Jena in 1965. Following a brush with the law, von Hagens continued his medical studies in Lubeck, and in 1975, he received a doctorate from the University of Heidelberg.

In 1977, von Hagens invented a plastination technique used to preserve specimens for medical study. Von Hagen's Web site, bodyworlds.com, describes the process:

"In order to make a specimen permanent, decomposition must be halted.… By removing water and fats from the tissue and replacing these with polymers, the Plastination process deprives bacteria of what they need to survive. Bodily fluids cannot, however, be replaced directly with polymers, because the two are chemically incompatible.… Water in the tissues (which comprises approximately 70% of the human body) and fatty tissues are replaced with acetone, a solvent that readily evaporates. In the second step, the acetone is replaced with a polymer solution.… A specimen is placed in a vacuum chamber and the pressure is reduced to the point where the solvent boils. The acetone is suctioned out of the tissue at the moment it vaporizes, and the resulting vacuum in the specimen causes the polymer solution to permeate the tissue. This exchange process is allowed to continue until all of the tissue has been completely saturated."

Von Hagens initially used the plastination process to preserve small specimens; however, in the early 1990s, he began to plastinate whole bodies. Later, during the mid-1990s, Von Hagens developed the Body Worlds exhibit. Since that time, his specimens have been displayed at dozens of museums throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. The exhibits generally include about 25 whole-body plastinates, both human and animal, in various positions.

"We want to present to the public a comprehensive, multidisciplinary view of the various systems of the body," von Hagens is quoted as saying on the bodyworlds.com Web site.

The exhibits have been an obvious success, drawing nearly 30 million visitors to date; however, they have also caused a lot of controversy, resulting in laws being passed in the UK, Czech Republic, France and United States. Most of the laws control the transportation, sale, display and documentation of the human remains.

According to von Hagens, the bodies that he plastinated were donated, with each individual giving an informed consent. Despite these claims, in Jan. 2004, the German news magazine Der Spiegel reported that von Hagens had acquired corpses of executed prisoners from China. Von Hagens denied the allegations, and in 2004, he obtained an injunction against the magazine.

"I have never plastinated the bodies of executed persons, for, based on my ethical convictions, I disapprove of using such bodies for anatomical purposes," Dr. von Hagens said in a press release.

In addition to von Hagens' statements, an independent review of his practices that was launched by the California Science Center found that von Hagens was committed to ethical practices.

The center's report stated, "In March – April 2004, Dr. [Hans-Martin] Sass traveled to the Body Worlds' offices in Germany (Institut fuer Plastination [IfP] in Heidelberg) where he had extensive conferences with principal IfP staff, and reviewed body donor consent documentation. In addition he visited the Body Worlds exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany. On behalf of the Science Center, Dr. Sass reviewed all deceased body donor consent forms (206), matched the donor forms with death certificates, verified that the body specimens were properly donated for the purpose of public exhibition, and verified that the donor forms met established informed consent standards."

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New Bizarre Crime Articles

September 11, 2009

Asuncion Avila-Villa Indicted for Killing Baby to Avoid Underage Sex Detection

Asuncion Avila-Villa, 26, was indicted by a Butler County, Ohio grand jury at the end of last month for allegedly killing her infant son, 5-week-old Israel Eduardo Santos, purportedly to conceal the identity of the baby’s father, her underage lover...

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It's Not a Good Idea for a Man to Tell His Woman She's Fat

In April 2009, while enjoying a family meal at a restaurant in Barcelona, Spain, a woman's boyfriend told her several times that she was fat and that she should not eat any more food that evening.  He also purportedly told her that because she was fat, she would have to find herself another man.  When the couple returned home at approximately 3 a.m., the woman asked for an explanation of her boyfriend's comments and behavior during dinner.  However, he ignored her and went to bed—a big mistake...

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Help Texas Police Solve Mystery of the Dead Couple in the Park

Shortly before 8 a.m. today, walkers out for a morning stroll made the unnerving and macabre discovery of two dead bodies lying alongside a trail in Texas City's Bay Street Park.  According to Texas City, Texas police, the bodies were those of a black man and a white woman, and visitors to the park—who police did not identify—found them lying next to a picnic table.  Both victims were fully clothed, but each had been shot at least one time.  They both had also been beaten...

Click here to read the whole story.

Photo Credit: Discovery Communications

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Criminal Profiler Pat Brown on the Carol Daniels Murder Case

September 02, 2009

Yesterday, I brought you the story of Carol Daniels, a 61-year-old pastor who was recently found dead inside her Anadarko, Okla., church. According to police, the victim died as a result of "multiple sharp force injuries." It was also discovered that several wounds had been inflicted post-mortem – after she died. Perhaps most shocking of all, police say the killer had posed the victim's body in a "crucifix position." Hearing all these details might lead you to believe that there is much to interpret from the crime. However, according to Pat Brown, a well-known investigative criminal profiler, that may not be the case.

"It looks like [we have] a lot of information, but it actually leaves me with more questions than conclusions," Brown said in an interview with Investigation Discovery. "For example, the police say the body was staged, and if it was, the cross position obviously would correlate to her work as a minister. But, I can't determine if this is something to analyze until I am sure she really was in a cross position and that she didn't end up that way by accident. Sometimes detectives can see things in a way that the perpetrator didn't really have in his mind at all … Let's say we find her body was staged, laid out in the form of a cross. I would still need more details to determine if the guy hated Christians or he just hated this woman and laid her out that way to mock her."

So what about the fact that the victim was nude – does that tell us anything? According to Brown, it actually tells us very little.

"I can't say at this point if the killer had sexually assaulted her, removed her clothes to destroy evidence, or just wanted to own a nice religious frock," she said.

In regard to the victim's post-mortem wounds, Brown says those too are in question.

"These wounds could be post-mortem or they could be ante-mortem [made just before death]. The person who wrote [the report] didn't analyze the wounds properly. They could be perimortem, meaning happening at the time of death and getting us a bit confused. When the wounds occurred does make a difference in determining what kind of character we are dealing with … If the slash wounds are post-mortem, this shows a level of rage, a 'ha-ha, I did you in and I can destroy you even more after death. You can't stop me.' But what does the rage come from? Did she tick the killer off the week before? Or did she just make him mad fighting off a rape or robbery?"

In an effort to catch the killer, Brown says that it is of the utmost importance to look at the victim's lifestyle, personal and business relationships and her daily routine.

"Victimology must be done," Brown said. "Who is this pastor? Who does she know? What is her routine? Who came to her church? Did she carry money? Did she help drug users and homeless men? What kind of people were in the area and who did she serve?"

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Slain Oklahoma pastor, Carol Daniels, was posed in 'crucifix position'

September 01, 2009

Police in Anadarko, Okla., have issued shocking new details about the murder of a local pastor. Newly released documents report that the victim, 61-year-old Carol Daniels, was not only brutally attacked and murdered. She also received multiple post-mortem injuries before the perpetrator posed her nude body in an unnatural position.

According to police documents, authorities received a call on the afternoon of Aug. 23, asking them to come to the Christ Holy Sanctified Church. The callers, an elderly couple, said they were concerned because the reverend's vehicle was parked out front, but the doors to the church were locked. Their repeated knocking on the door went unanswered, and they feared that the reverend might have had an accident.

When officers entered the building, they were shocked to discover Daniels' nude and battered body lying behind the church altar, stretched out in a "crucifix position."

 "I've prosecuted over 50 murders, [and] this is the most horrific crime scene I've ever witnessed," District Attorney Bret Burns told the Associated Press.

Video surveillance footage retrieved from a nearby store shows that Daniels arrived at the church at about 10 a.m. Unfortunately, the footage does not show her attacker entering or leaving the church, suggesting that he or she entered through a back door. As a result, authorities have removed the back door from the building in an attempt to recover the perpetrator's fingerprints.

According to an eight-page medical examiner's report, Daniels died as a result of "multiple sharp force injuries." Severe lacerations were found on her back, chest, hands, neck and stomach. Several of the wounds had been inflicted post-mortem – after she died. The depth of the injuries to her throat had nearly decapitated her, whereas the injuries to her hands indicate that she had fought with her attacker. The autopsy report also noted that Daniels' hair was burned.

Daniels' clothes were not found at the crime scene, suggesting her killer took them either as a trophy or in an effort to hide possible evidence. In addition, chemicals found around Daniels' body suggest the killer attempted to destroy DNA evidence, perhaps to hide a sexual assault or to cover up injuries he or she could have sustained during the attack.

Authorities say they do not believe the murder is linked to a cult; however, they also admit that they do not know who is responsible.

"We have no suspects," Capt. Dwaine Miller of the Anadarko Police Department told Newsok.com. "We have no idea who did this."

In an effort to help track down the killer, Miller has requested the assistance of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the FBI. Both agencies have declined to comment on the status of the investigation.

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Brazilian prosecutor accuses crime TV Host of plotting judge's murder

August 27, 2009

Earlier this month, police in Brazil accused Wallace Souza, the former host of the true crime television show "Canal Livre," of commissioning a variety of criminal acts - including at least 5 murders - to bolster the show's ratings. Since that time, officials have filed multiple charges against Souza and prosecutors are now saying that he even attempted to have a federal judge assassinated.

The most recent accusation in the case was made yesterday by Ronaldo Andrade, the lead prosecutor in the case. According to Andrade, Souza tried to orchestrate the murder of Judge Jaiza Fraxe in 2007, because of Fraxe's role in the arrest of one of Souza's associates. Andrade said the assassination plot was ultimately foiled when Souza's alleged gunman, Luiz Joao Macedo, refused to participate. Macedo was later murdered, leading to speculation that Souza was behind his killing.

Andrade also announced yesterday that his office suspects Souza was involved in as many as 19 killings.

Souza has yet to be arrested on a single murder count; however police have charged him with other crimes; including drug trafficking, gang formation and weapons possession. Despite those charges, Souza, a state congressman, remains free because of legislative immunity. Nevertheless, police say he is still under investigation and a state judiciary committee is expected to determine whether he should face further charges.

Prior to becoming a media personality and congressman, Souza worked as police officer. That career, which began in 1979, came to an abrupt end in 1987, when, according to state police intelligence chief Thomaz Vasconcelos, Souza was fired for his alleged involvement in a series of scams involving fuel theft and pension fraud. Souza has always denied the allegations, claiming that he was forced to resign because of a fraud scheme he was investigating. 

Ten years later, in 1989, Souza launched "Canal Livre," a TV show intended to give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at what he once described as "naked and raw reality" – everything from police pursuits and arrests to homicide cases.

The original reporting, along with Souza's outspoken personality, proved to be popular with viewers, and the show was soon a hit. Banking on his new-found fame, Souza was eventually elected to the state legislature; however, even after winning the position, he continued to host the program.

Souza's TV success did not go unnoticed; eventually, authorities began to question how he was able to get to so many crime scenes ahead of anyone else – including the authorities.

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Brazilian police accuse crime TV Host of organizing murders to boost ratings

August 12, 2009

Authorities in Brazil have accused Wallace Souza, the former host of the true crime television show "Canal Livre," of commissioning a variety of criminal acts - including at least 5 murders - to bolster the show's ratings.

Launched in 1989, "Canal Livre" was intended to give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at what Souza once described as "naked and raw reality" – everything from police pursuits and arrests to homicide cases.

The original reporting, along with Souza's outspoken personality, proved to be popular with viewers, and the show was soon a hit. Banking on his new-found fame, Souza was eventually elected to the state legislature; however, even after winning the position, he continued to host the program.

Souza's TV success did not go unnoticed; eventually, authorities began to question how he was able to get to so many crime scenes ahead of anyone else – including the authorities.

In one particular episode, a reporter filming a freshly burned corpse related to the viewers that it smelled like "barbecue."

A police probe was soon launched into the show, and when the investigation intensified late last year, it went off the air.

According to state police intelligence chief Thomaz Vasconcelos, the investigation revealed that Souza allegedly worked with a gang of former police officers who were involved in drug trafficking. Vasconcelos told the Associated Press that the killings served two purposes – to eliminate rivals and to increase ratings.

"We believe that they organized a kind of death squad to execute rivals who disputed with them the drug trafficking business," Vasconcelos said, adding, "[Souza] would eliminate his rival and use the killing as a news story for his program."

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Oklahoma couple buried, excavated, and kept hiding dead daughter's remains

July 13, 2009

While perusing police and media reports last week, I came across the bizarre case of an Oklahoma couple who allegedly covered up the death of their child for some 15 months. During that time, they buried, exhumed the child, and transported her body across six states nearly a-half-dozen times.

So what drove Abel Travis Wolf, 35, and Denise Ann Wolf, 40, to hide the death of 11-year-old Cheyenne and transport her body a total of 1,900 miles? That's the key question personnel at several law enforcement agencies are trying to answer this week as they continue to sift through the evidence.

According to Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Jessica Brown, authorities became aware of the case on May 9 when relatives of the family contacted Ardmore Police and expressed concerns about Cheyenne's well being, saying that they had not seen her since April 2008. Thus began homicide detective Ruben Garcia's search for answers that led him to six states the family was known to have moved and or travelled to during the 15-month time span. That search eventually led police to a storage facility in Oregon.

On the morning of July 4, detectives with the Umatilla County Sheriff's Office and the Oregon State Police served a search warrant on the Milton-Freewater storage facility, at which time they observed two plastic containers with snap-on lids. Upon removing the lids from the containers, authorities determined the contents were consistent with human decomposition.

"The weight of the containers and the odor that was emitted from them led us to believe there was some type of decaying flesh in them," Umatilla County Sheriff John Trumbo told newsok.com.

Investigators then resealed the containers and transported them 210 miles to the Oregon State Medical Examiner's Office. While awaiting autopsy results, investigators back in Oklahoma tried to determine how the young child, who used leg braces and crutches to walk, may have ended up in the two plastic containers. In an effort to assemble the facts, authorities in Montana – a state the Wolfs recently moved to – picked the couple up and brought them in for police questioning.

According to police affidavits, Abel Wolf said that his family got into an argument one evening in April 2008, when Cheyenne refused to eat her dinner. During the course of the argument, Wolf said that he and another daughter went outside to have a cigarette. Wolf said that roughly 15 minutes later he heard a "thump" and went back inside to investigate, at which time he observed that Cheyenne appeared to be in a daze. Wolf said he examined her pupils and, seeing nothing abnormal, put her to bed.

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New details released in Florida kitty serial killer case

July 09, 2009

A Florida judge has ordered Miami-Dade County prosecutors to make public the arrest affidavit for Tyler Hayes Weinman, an 18-year-old man from Palmetto Bay, Fla., who was arrested last month for his alleged involvement in a series of cat mutilations and killings that occurred in two South Florida communities. The arrest affidavit details 19 of the cat killings and also explains the events and circumstances that ultimately led to Weinman's arrest.

According to the affidavit, investigators had their first contact with Weinman in the early morning hours of May 14. Weinman was walking in the area of Whispering Pines Road in Cutler Bay, when an officer stopped and questioned him. During the brief interview, Weinman was informed of the cat killings, to which he allegedly responded by laughing.

An anonymous source later contacted police and informed them that they saw Weinman walking in the same neighborhood at about 3:00 a.m. Three hours later, a mutilated cat was reportedly found "several feet" from where Weinman had been observed.

The following day, at approximately 12:30 a.m., Weinman was again spotted in the area, this time skateboarding in the direction of Palmetto Bay. He was approached by police a second time and warned about the cat killings, to which he again allegedly responded by laughing. Later that day, police conducted a traffic stop on Weinman when he failed to stop his 2000 Honda Civic at a red light. During the course of the stop, officers found a discarded cutting instrument on the ground near the driver's door. Officers also found a bag containing 1 gram of marijuana. As a result, officers transported Weinman to the Cutler Bay police station, where they booked him on a drug charge and questioned him about the cat killings.

During questioning, investigators noticed Weinman had a "red-colored scratch" on his neck. When questioned about the scratch, Weinman stated that he got it from a stray cat at his mom's house. When asked about other scratches he might have, Weinman said that he had one on his back that he received when a cat climbed on him.

"Weinman was eager to show your affiant these scratches, at which time he removed his shirt and allowed photographs to be taken," the affidavit reads.

During further questioning, Weinman allegedly admitted knowledge of the cat killings and offered information about a biology class he had taken at Palmetto Senior High School, in which students are required to dissect a dead cat.

"Weinman further stated that cats can no longer be obtained for purposes of dissection from a source within the United States," the affidavit reads. "Weinman stated that Mexico is the only source for cats used for the purpose of dissection. Weinman described the size of the felines obtained from Mexico and specified that he had researched the issue and that he learned of the source on the Internet. Your affiant noted that Weinman became excited and animated as he described the cats supplied from Mexico."

Upon sharing his knowledge about the source of feline specimen's, Weinman allegedly demonstrated various methods of dissecting cats and described a "tearing sound" that is made when a cat's skin is torn from its body.

"He elaborated when describing the dissection techniques beyond that which was taught at Palmetto Senior High School that seemed to be consistent with personal experience," the affidavit reads.

When asked what tools the cat killer might be using, Weinman allegedly said he did not know, but suggested they would be "very well hidden." When asked how the cats were being captured, Weinman reportedly said, "They have to be either tranquilized or poisoned."

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Stupid is as stupid does when it comes to crime

July 01, 2009

While perusing police reports and court documents this month, I noticed that there were an exorbitant number of cases that involved – for lack of a better word - stupid criminals. Perhaps the economy or maybe even the summer sun is responsible for the uptick? Whatever the case may be, I have gone through the files and picked a few of the best "alleged" stupid criminals of the summer (thus far anyway).

Hartford, Conn. – Mayor Eddie Perez has taken a strong stance on the value of education (we won't mention his recent arrest warrant for bribery and fabricating evidence) and providing opportunities to Hartford's young people. He is, after all, chairman of the board of education. While Mayor Perez seems to have a unique insight into the problems surrounding the city's education system, I am not quite sure he envisioned that a local school administrator would take it upon herself to head up an undercover drug sting.

According to police, a middle-school principal and a school security officer recently suspected that a student was dealing drugs on campus. Rather than allow police to handle the case, the two "adults" came up with their own plan. They allegedly approached another student, who was facing detention for an unrelated offense, and told him that he could get out of it if he bought drugs from the suspected dope pusher. The principal even provided the kid with the cash he would need to seal the deal.

The sting blew up in the teacher's face when the boy bought the drugs on his own. The amateur sting was subsequently uncovered, and both adults were charged with risk of injury to a minor and lying to police about the plot.

Looks like users aren't the only losers at that middle school.

Sugar Township, Ohio – On June 9, police arrested a man for allegedly harassing people along Little Miami River.

According to eyewitnesses, the man exposed himself on several occasions and chased several people. When police took the man into custody, he was wearing a green one-piece bathing suit. Officers said he had stuffed several other bathing suits into his bra.

As a result of his bizarre antics, the suspect was charged with five counts of public indecency and three counts of menacing. He was then placed in the county jail in lieu of $10,000 bond. He has since plead not guilty to the crimes.

Given the nature of the suspect's alleged crimes, one must wonder whether jail is the right facility for him.

Gardiner, Maine – On June 13, investigators went to the scene of a reported robbery that occurred on Highland Avenue. According to the 58-year-old female victim, she was walking down the street about 10:30 a.m. when a man ran up to her and grabbed her purse, pushing her to the ground as he fled the scene.

These types of crimes can often prove difficult to solve; however, in this particular case, no Dick Tracy wannabe was required, as the suspect left behind two telltale signs.

Apparently, in his attempt to grab some gone, one of the perp's sandals flew off his foot and his wallet fell out of his pocket.  Police were able to identify the alleged goon, who was arrested and locked up less than an hour later.

"We were able to recover, if not all, than most of her money and her purse," Gardiner police chief James Toman told the Kennebec Journal, adding, "Stupid criminals make our jobs easier."

Perhaps the suspect should find a new line of work that does not combine robbery and running.

Kansas City, Mo. – On the same day that Maine police were busy searching for their stumbling/fumbling robber, police in Kansas City police were opening their own investigation into a stolen ambulance.

The incident occurred outside the local research medical center, where a crew was dropping off a patient they had just transported. The transition from the ambulance to the emergency department went off without a hitch; however, when the crew went outside to leave, their ride was nowhere to be found. Nonetheless, the tech-savvy drivers had a trick up their sleeve that the crook had probably not thought of – GPS tracking.

As is the norm today, most emergency vehicles are equipped with tracking devices so that dispatchers can quickly determine the crew's location at any given time. The technology was intended to help save lives -- the fringe benefits of which can also include the quick capture of would-be thieves.

"We were tracking the vehicle. So, that's a nice added feature being able to find addresses to emergency calls, but we can also find our ambulance when it's inadvertently stolen," Aaron Howell, deputy chief of operations for Metropolitan Ambulance Services Trust, said in an interview with Fox News.

It did not take long for cops to locate the vehicle, and a hot pursuit soon ensued. Unfortunately for the driver, the bulky vehicle proved to make for a lousy getaway vehicle and he ended up crashing near Winner Road. The ambulance suffered about $125,000 in damages, so a second ambulance had to be dispatched to the scene to transport the 41-year-old suspect to the hospital. Go figure. He has since been charged with tampering with a motor vehicle.

Melbourne, Fla. – On June 19, police dispatchers received a surprising 911 call from a man who reported that a drug dealer had ripped him off.  

According to the caller, he had approached a dealer and requested 2 ounces of marijuana; however when he took out his money, roughly $550 in cash, the dealer brandished a .380-caliber handgun. The dealer then took the loot and drove off in his car with the drugs and the cash.

"It does happen," Cmdr. Marc Claycomb, spokesman for the Melbourne Police Department, was quoted by UPI News Service. "More often than not, [the victims] don't [call]."

The suspected robber was pulled over shortly after the 911 call and taken into custody. He reportedly told the officers he "didn't think a guy buying drugs would call the cops."

The alleged robber was charged with robbery with a firearm and possession of more than 20 grams of cannabis. Investigators have not yet determined if they will charge the victim; however they did seize the money he gave to the drug dealer. Looks like it was a lose-lose all the way around.

I've saved perhaps the best for last.

Tacoma, Wash. – According to police in Tacoma, they recently arrested a 23-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman for malicious mischief and second-degree assault, all resulting from a very bizarre game they were playing.

The couple, who were arrested on top of a railroad trestle above a highway interstate, allegedly took turns throwing rocks onto vehicles traveling in the southbound lane. Per the rules of their "game," each of them had to shed a layer of clothing for every headlight they managed to break.

All totaled, some 14 vehicles were damaged and at least one person received minor injuries. When police arrived on the scene, the female suspect was reportedly down to her underwear. Both suspects were taken into custody and jailed for investigation of malicious mischief and second-degree assault.

As the saying goes, "You don't have to be smart to be a criminal." Let's just hope that each of these suspects will take that lesson to heart and devote their efforts to more legal ventures. If not, they may very well find themselves the subject of another stupid criminal crime blog.

Photo Credits: Hulton Archive/Getty Images; General Photographic Agency/Getty Images

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Case against accused serial kitty killer based on circumstantial evidence

June 17, 2009

A judge in Miami has approved the supervised release of Tyler Hayes Weinman, an 18-year-old man from Palmetto Bay, Fla., who was recently arrested for his alleged involvement in a recent series of cat mutilations and killings that occurred in two South Florida communities. In addition, new details have surfaced, suggesting Weinman's arrest was based on circumstantial evidence.

During today's court hearing, Judge John Thornton said that the results of a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation showed that Weinman does not pose a danger to himself or the public.

"He is competent to proceed and does not, at this time, appear to be at risk of harming himself or others," Thornton said.

Per the conditions of his release, Weinman must attend psychiatric counseling twice a week and wear an electronic monitoring bracelet while he awaits trial.

"He's an innocent man," said his attorney, Michael Walsh. "There's no evidence. Obviously, there's been a public outcry to solve this crime, and you know that motivates police in certain directions. And now this young man has to sit there and bear the allegations. When the case starts to unfold, you'll see."

Weinman's divorced parents, Douglas and Aiba Weinman, posted his $249,500 bond.

"I'm absolutely sure that he is innocent," Doug Weinman told television reporters outside the courtroom. "Because I've raised a son for 18 years and I know who he is."

Weinman's lawyer and parents are not the only ones claiming he is innocent. Numerous social networking groups have been popping up on the Internet in support of him, and earlier today, the CBS4 I-Team raised serious questions about the case against Weinman, which they say is based "entirely on circumstantial evidence."

According to I-Team sources, a mid-May tip led police to focus on Weinman. When investigators first questioned him, they observed scratch marks on his body, which they felt were consistent with injuries someone would receive while holding a struggling cat. Of further interest to investigators was a "disturbing" description he allegedly gave them regarding a cat dissection that occurred in an anatomy class he had taken at Palmetto High School. Police used this and other circumstantial evidence to convince a judge to allow them to place a GPS tracking device on Weinman's car.

The police tracking device allegedly showed that Weinman was in certain areas that were consistent with the dates and times of the cat killings. When later questioned about his movements, Weinman – unaware of the tracking device – allegedly denied he was in those areas. Investigators found the denials suspicious; however, the areas also include routes he would reportedly travel between his parents' houses.

Based on the above and other unreleased information, investigators secured the search warrants for Weinman's parents' houses and his car. Police allegedly found several knives hidden inside his bedroom, which they confiscated, along with other miscellaneous items, including clothing and a computer, and sent off for forensic testing. Prosecutors are now waiting to see if tests on the knives or clothing come back with a positive match to blood from one of the murdered cats.

It remains unclear why police took Weinman into custody before getting the DNA test results back from the lab. Perhaps public pressure and evidence unknown to the public led them to make that decision. Despite the reason, much of their case appears to depend on the results of the forensic testing. If that is truly the situation, prosecutors appear to have taken a risky gamble, which could result in the unnecessary destruction of an innocent man’s reputation. For the sake of justice, let's hope this does not happen.

Regardless of how circumstantial the evidence against Weinman is, some owners of the feline victims remain convinced of his guilt and are unnerved by his unexpected jail release.

"It's disturbing that they would let him out, knowing that he has killed so many cats," Alicia Glatzer, whose cat, Sarah, was found dead in early May, told the Associated Press, adding, "Although he says he's innocent and his attorney says he's innocent, there haven't been any cat killings since he's been in jail. It's a concern of mine that he's let out, that's he's back on the street."

Weinman was arrested Sunday and charged with 19 felony counts of animal cruelty, 19 misdemeanor counts of improperly disposing of an animal body, and four felony counts of burglary related to the cat deaths.

Since May 11, at least two dozen domestic cats have been found dead in the Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay areas. Many of the feline victims were gutted and skinned, while others were found drained of blood and missing limbs.

Weinman is expected to appear in court for his arraignment on July 6. If convicted on all felony counts, he faces a minimum mandatory fine of $5,000 and six months in prison on each count.

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Related Link:
Florida Police Seek Kitty Serial Killer
Florida Police Arrest Tyler Hayes Weinman in Kitty Serial Killer Case

Photo Credit: Tyler Hayes Weinman: Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office

Please note: Persons appearing in mug shots may not have not been convicted of the charges for which they are accused and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission from Discovery Communications. All quotes must include a link back.