March 30, 2012
Court Upholds Joseph Edward Duncan's Appeal
The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to overturn an appeal from a man who killed three members of an Idaho family so that he could kidnap their small children. The court decided that it would not hear the case, sending the issue of whether Joseph Edward Duncan III was competent when he decided to waive his appeal in his 2008 death penalty case back to the lower courts. Read more...
The Trayvon Martin Tragedies
What about all the other young black murder victims? Nationally, nearly half of all murder victims are black. And the overwhelming majority of those black people are killed by other black people. Where is the march for them? Where is the march against the drug dealers who prey on young black people? Where is the march against bad schools, with their 50% dropout rate for black teenaged boys? Those failed schools are certainly guilty of creating the shameful 40% unemployment rate for black teens. Read more...
Caller Arrested After Cops Shoot Armed Robber
Pasadena police arrested a 911 caller accused of fabricating an armed robbery story that led to the death of a black college student. Kendrec McDade, 19, was shot dead by police in the city's northwest district. Police were dispatched to the scene after a man, identified as Oscar Carillo, called 911 and said he had been robbed by two armed men who stole his laptop and backpack as he was buying tacos. The 26-year-old claimed one of the men pointed a gun at him during the robbery, but police said Wednesday he lied to officers and that detectives now believe the two men -- who included McDade -- were unarmed. Read more...
Judge Delays Sandusky Sex-Abuse Trial 3 Weeks
The judge overseeing former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky's child sexual abuse case delayed the start of the trial by three weeks to early June, and prosecutors filed a lengthy court document that said the case should not be dismissed. Judge John Cleland said the additional time was needed "to accommodate various logistical contingencies that have arisen," and the attorney general's office supported the postponement. Read more...
Police Investigate Backyard Burial
For months, her friends and daughter kept asking where Barbara Scott's husband was. At first, she said he was back home in Oklahoma, but police reportedly dug up the truth in the backyard of their Tampa Bay home. The man, Benny Scott, was buried in the garden of the couple's Lake Alfred home beneath the oregano, basil and banana peppers. "It's very suspicious to say the least," Jim Elensky, a captian at the Polk County Sheriff's Office, said. Read more...
5 Georgia Players Facing Suspension
Apparently, the University of Georgia athletic department decided to drug test members of the school's football team immediately following spring break. They may now be regretting that decision. Although the university has yet to confirm the reports, as many as five players face suspensions due to failed test, including two starters. Read more...
Lindsay Lohan's Legal Woes End After 5 Years
Lindsay Lohan will not be appearing in court anymore if she continues to obey the law, a Los Angeles judge told her after ending the actress' supervised probation on shoplifting and drunk-driving convictions. The hearing put an end to Lohan's five years of criminal court appearances that saw the actress bounce in and out of rehab and jail for violating her probation. L.A. County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner declared "she did it," in announcing Lohan had completed 480 hours of community service at the county morgue and undergone dozens of therapy sessions. Read more...
March 29, 2012
Couple Charged in Vermont Teacher's Death
A 30-year-old man and his wife has been charged with second-degree murder and improper disposal of a body in connection with the death of a popular boarding school teacher. Allen Prue and his wife Patricia, 33, are accused of luring Melissa Jenkins away from her home by telling her they had car trouble. Allen Prue told investigators they planned the abduction of Jenkins because he wanted to "get a girl." Read more...
Andrea Yates Will Ask For Pass to Attend Church
It has been 10 years since Andrea Yates was first convicted of drowning each of her five children in the bathtub in a Houston suburb. Since then, her murder conviction has been overturned, she has been found not guilty by reason of insanity on retrial, and she was placed in a state psychiatric hospital. Now her lawyer says that she will ask for a pass to leave the hospital two hours a week to attend church, the Houston Chronicle reported. Read more...
Court Turns Down Petition From Duncan
The U.S. Supreme Court won't consider whether a man convicted of kidnapping, torturing and murdering some members of a northern Idaho family was competent when he waived his appeal. The high court rejected the petition from Joseph Edward Duncan III on Monday. Now U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge in Idaho must hold a hearing to determine if Duncan was competent when he decided to waive his right to an appeal in the 2008 death penalty case. Read more...
75-Year-Old Kills Break-In Suspect
Police say a 75-year-old Detroit man fatally shot an armed 18-year-old man who was trying to break into his home on the city's west side with two other people. Detroit police said in a statement that the older man was inside his home when he heard the three people trying to break in through a side door. Police say the homeowner fired a shot, fatally wounding the young man, and the two others fled. They were described by police only as unknown males. Read more...
Teen Guilty of Murdering 2 British Tourists
A Florida teenager is facing a life sentence after a jury convicted him of first-degree murder in the shooting of two young British tourists last April in a case that generated brash tabloid headlines in the U.K. press. Shawn Tyson, 17, sat stone-faced as the jury's verdict was read. It came after two hours of deliberations. Because he is under 18, Tyson is ineligible for the death penalty and is facing a mandatory life sentence. Read more...
Funeral Home Worker Fondled Dead Woman's Body
A Michigan man has been indicted in Ohio on an abuse of a corpse charge following accusations that he fondled a dead woman's body when he worked at a funeral home. Lawrence Clement of Temperance, Mich., was indicted Tuesday in Lucas County. The 57-year-old has been fired from H.H. Birkenkamp Funeral Home in Toledo since the allegations surfaced. The son of a 51-year-old woman who died of multiple organ failure has said he and his sister were told earlier this month that the body was mistreated and another funeral home employee witnessed the fondling. Read more...
New Pseudoephedrine Is Meth-Resistant
A Missouri pharmaceutical company is developing a new form of allergy and cold medication that law enforcement officials say could be a game changer in the fight to curb the illicit manufacture of methamphetamine. The new drug Tarex, to be marketed under the name Releva, cannot be used to make meth, the company claims. Read more...
Pamela Anderson Okay With Sons Experimenting
Former "Baywatch" star Pamela Anderson wrote about her desires for her young ones to "learn to eat right," "honor their instincts," "never bully" and… "We want them to practice safe sex, drink and experiment with drugs in moderation, find true love," the post continued. Read more...
March 28, 2012
Death Penalty Overturned for Killer of 3
The Arizona Supreme Court has set aside the death sentences of a man who bludgeoned to death his girlfriend and each of her two children one at a time with a baseball bat and a pipe wrench as they arrived home from school and work. The court ruled that the crimes of James Granvil Wallace were not legally heinous. Read more...
Police: Zimmerman Story 'Consistent' With Evidence
A slain U.S. teenager and the neighborhood watch captain who shot and killed him exchanged words before the teen punched him in the nose and began banging the man's head on the ground, according to the watch captain's account of the confrontation that led to the shooting. Because 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was black and George Zimmerman has a white father and Hispanic mother, the case has become a racial flashpoint that has civil rights leaders and others leading a series of protests around the country. Zimmerman said he shot Martin in self-defense and has not been arrested. Read more...
Man Gets 25 Years for 1985 California Killing
A California judge has sentenced a man to 25 years to life in prison for deliberately hitting a woman with his car, then running her down and killing her as she limped into an alfalfa field. Then 50-year-old Felipe Guerra Sanchez fled to Mexico after the 1985 killing of 34-year-old Carmen Achutegui. He later returned to California and was working as a truck driver under another name when he was arrested in 2008. Prosecutor say Sanchez deliberately ran over Achutegui on a rural road near San Joaquin. As she limped into a field, Sanchez ran her over again. Read more...
Teacher Charged With Having Sex With Student
A former teacher at a Montgomery County church school has been arrested on charges of having sex with a 15-year-old student she met at the school, Hatfield Township police said. Nicole Jacques, 25, was arraigned on 20 counts each of involuntary sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, and corruption of a minor, as well as 10 counts of unlawful contact with a minor. Jacques got to know the boy when she worked as a teacher at Calvary Baptist School in Lansdale. Read more...
Three DUI's in Three Weeks for Florida Teen
A teenager arrested on DUI and drug charges three times within 17 days was ordered held without bail shortly after another judge released her on bail. Circuit Judge Denise Pomponio revoked bail for Kimberly McCarthy, 18, on felony drug charges. McCarthy was arrested February 24 on charges of driving under the influence and possession of Xanax, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. McCarthy said she was high on marijuana each time she was stopped but wasn't drunk. Read more...
Dennis Rodman Broke, Struggling With Alcoholism
Former Chicago Bulls star Dennis Rodman is struggling alcoholism and flat broke, his lawyer said in court documents filed in Rodman’s on-going divorce case. Rodman’s ex-wife claims in court papers filed this month in the Superior Court of Orange County, Calif., that the former basketball star owes her $808,935 in unpaid child support for the couple’s two children — ages 9 and 10 — as well as $51,441 in unpaid spousal support, tmz.com reported. Read more...
March 27, 2012
Body of Abducted Teacher Found
The search for a missing teacher at a Vermont boarding school ended a day later with the discovery of a body in a remote area near Barnet. The search for Melissa Jenkins was launched after her SUV was found with the engine running and her 2-year-old son inside and unharmed. Jenkins was a teacher and coach at the prestigious St. Johnsbury Academy. Read more...
SF Slaying Suspect Had Been Ordered Deported
The suspect in last week's slayings of five people in San Francisco had been ordered to be deported by an immigration judge six years ago, after he served a prison sentence for armed robbery, federal officials said. But they said he remained in the U.S. because the Vietnamese government declined to provide the travel documents that immigration authorities needed to process his removal. Read more...
2 Bodies Found in Shallow Grave
The bodies of two women found over the weekend in a wooded area in Detroit are those of two best friends reported abducted nearly a month ago, according to the medical examiner's office. Wayne County medical examiner's spokeswoman Brooke Blackwell said the bodies of Abreeya Brown and Ashley Conaway were found gagged and bound with duct tape in a shallow grave. Both women had been shot in the head, Blackwell said. Brown, 18, and Conaway, 21, were abducted Feb. 28 by two armed men outside their home in the nearby enclave of Hamtramck. Read more...
Missing 4-Year-Old Found Dead After Dog Attack
The search for a missing four-year-old Texas boy ended when his body was found near his home, his family confirmed. Kylar Johnson was found dead in Victoria -- about 130 miles southwest of Houston -- from injuries he sustained in a dog attack. He was reported missing Sunday night after he wandered away from his front yard as his father cleaned his car. Read more...
Trayvon Martin's Killer Claims Teen Punched Him
The controversy surrounding the shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin took a new turn when the Orlando Sentinel reported Neighborhood Watch volunteer George Zimmerman told police Martin decked him with a single punch, then repeatedly slammed his head into the sidewalk. The Sentinel said much of Zimmerman's account had been corroborated by witnesses, according to authorities. Read more...
Trayvon Martin's Mom Files Trademark Papers
The mother of slain Florida teenager Trayvon Martin has filed papers seeking to trademark two slogans based on his name. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office filings by Sybrina Fulton are for the sayings "I Am Trayvon" and "Justice For Trayvon." The applications were filed last week. The applications say the trademarks could be used for such things as DVDs and CDs. Attorneys who filed the papers did not immediately respond Monday to emails seeking comment. Read more...
Pot Linked to Trayvon Martin Suspension
Trayvon Martin had been suspended from school for marijuana when the unarmed teenager was shot to death by a neighborhood watch volunteer, a family spokesman said. Martin, 17, was suspended by Miami-Dade County schools because traces of marijuana were found in a plastic baggie in his book bag, family spokesman Ryan Julison said. Martin was shot Feb. 26 by George Zimmerman while he was visiting Sanford with his father. Read more...
Bobby Brown Arrested for DUI
Whitney Houston's ex-husband Bobby Brown spent a few hours behind bars Monday after his arrest in connection with DUI, police said. Brown, 43, was pulled over in Los Angeles' Reseda neighborhood about 12:20 p.m., when cops spotted him driving while talking on a cell phone without using a hands-free device. Officers conducted a field sobriety test, which Brown allegedly failed, police said. Read more...
March 26, 2012
Man Arrested in 5 San Francisco Killings
A man has been arrested in connection with what authorities described as shocking and gruesome murders of five people in a Ingleside home. Binh Thai Luc, 35, has been arrested on five counts of murder two days after the bodies were found near City College in San Francisco. Police said Luc had a relationship with the victims, but he would not elaborate. Read more...
New Search Launched for Ayla Reynolds
A renewed search for missing toddler Ayla Reynolds was launched on Saturday, officials said. The girl vanished from her father's home in Waterville, Maine, in December. Ayla was aged 20 months old at the time. Police are treating her disappearance as a crime, but no one has been charged. Read more...
Woman Says Serial Killer Raped Her in 1961
A 74-year-old woman who says she was raped in California over 50 years ago by the man accused of the serial "Alphabet Murders" could become a key witness in his trial, but said police at the time treated her as if she were to blame. If the woman is called to testify in the trial of Joseph Naso, 78, who is accused of killing two Northern California prostitutes in the 1970s and two more in the 1990s, her testimony could help prosecutors show he has displayed a long pattern of sexual violence. Read more...
Texas Man Confesses to Killing His Family
A 22-year-old man has confessed to fatally shooting his parents and brother in their Texas home, say police. Investigators say Trey Sesler has contacted extended family members since his arrest, saying he was sorry for killing his mother, father and brother. Police found the bodies of 58-year-old Lawton Ray Sesler, his wife, Rhonda, 57, and their son, Mark, 26, in their home in Waller, about 40 miles northeast of Houston. Read more...
Red Sox Pitcher Jenks Apologizes Over DUI
Red Sox pitcher Bobby Jenks has apologized for "distractions" caused by his arrest in Florida on charges of driving under the influence. He was arrested after a sheriff's deputy saw his SUV driving erratically in Fort Myers, Fla. Jenks was released on bail. An arrest report says Jenks told the deputy he took "too many muscle relaxers." The deputy said Jenks was shaking uncontrollably and had a difficult time speaking. Read more...
March 24, 2012
Burned Body Believed to Be Missing Texas Girl
A severely burned body found in Texas is believed to be a missing 15-year-old girl, authorities said. A passerby discovered the body at around 7 a.m. Saturday morning. Police said they believe the body belongs to Moriah Gonzales, of Waxahachie, who was reported missing last week. Police have issued arrest warrants for two people in connection with the girl's death, while they wait for a positive identification to be made by the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office. Read more...
Mississippi Executes Man for 1995 Brutal Murder
A Mississippi man convicted of brutally murdering a convenience store clerk in 1995 was put to death by lethal injection, the second execution in the state this week. William "Jerry" J. Mitchell, 61, sexually assaulted and mutilated Patty Milliken after she disappeared from her job in Biloxi toward the end of her shift in November 1995, jurors found. Mitchell, who at the time of Milliken's death was on parole for a previous murder conviction, was pronounced dead at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman. Read more...
Dog Saves Florida Girl From Attack
A shelter dog is being hailed a hero for saving a Florida girl from an alleged attack by a sex offender. The 17-year-old girl was volunteering for the Friends of Strays animal shelter in St. Petersburg a few weeks ago when she was assaulted. The girl was walking with Mabeline, a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, down a path behind the building when the attacker allegedly grabbed her by her hair and pinned her to the ground, according to the station. The teen was able to break loose from her assailant when the 38-pound dog reportedly scared him away. Read more...
9 Charged With Gang Rape of 14-Year-Old
Nine suspected gang members and associates were charged Friday in a sexual attack on a 14-year-old girl who was forced back inside an abandoned St. Paul house and raped after trying to leave a party last November, authorities said. The girl and her friend were picked up at school by one of the men and lured to a party with suspected members of the TB22, or True Blood 22, street gang, prosecutors said. Read more...
Man Gets 10 Years for DUI
A judge has sentenced a 22-year-old Champaign man to 10 years in prison for a drunken driving crash that nearly killed a 1-year-old boy. Judge Chase Leonhard sentenced Montrell Davis for his conviction on aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol. Davis also was convicted of obstructing justice for lying to police about who was driving. Davis' attorney asked for probation. But in handing down the sentence, the judge criticized Davis, saying he's "unable to admit he did anything wrong." Read more...
El DeBarge Drug Charges Dropped
R&B star El DeBarge will not face charges for his arrest for drug possession earlier this week. The singer was busted by officers in Encino, California and was released on $30,000 bail. The police caught DeBarge and another man in a hand-to-hand narcotics transaction and he was charged with possession with intent to sell. According to official Los Angeles Distict Attorney documents, the case was dropped due to insufficient evidence. The papers say police never gave DeBarge and the other man involved in the transaction a reason for a search, which resulted in them finding a small bag of rock cocaine hidden underneath a nearby car. Read more...
March 23, 2012
Killer of New Jersey Cop Gets Life
On the day a 20-year-old was sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars for killing a New Jersey police officer, the slain patrolman's mother yearned for the kind of Old Testament justice New Jersey courts can no longer provide: an eye for an eye. "He should get the same treatment he gave Christopher," said Jane Calaio, whose son, Christopher Matlosz, was shot to death behind the wheel of his police cruiser on Jan. 14, 2011. Read more...
Lawyer Seeks Dismissal of Charges Against Sandusky
Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky asked a judge to throw out the child sex abuse charges against him, arguing some counts are not specific enough, evidence is lacking in others and the statute of limitations may have run out regarding eight of the 10 alleged victims. The catch-all pretrial motion also sought to delay the May 14 start of Sandusky's trial, saying more time was needed to prepare a defense. Read more...
Body in North Dakota Is Missing Montana Teacher
A body found in North Dakota was identified as a missing Montana teacher kidnapped in January. The identification was made after the body of 43-year-old Sherry Arnold was taken to the Montana State Crime Lab in Missoula. Arnold was grabbed off a Sidney, Mont., street on Jan 7 while jogging at the edge of town. Michael Spell, 22, and Lester Van Waters Jr., 48, were charged with aggravated kidnapping in the case and await trial. Read more...
Missing Bay Area Teen's Purse, Clothing Found
The Santa Clara County sheriff's office confirmed that they found the purse and some clothing of missing Morgan Hill, calif., teenager Sierra LaMar, NBCBayArea.com reported Thursday. The items were found Sunday about two miles away from the girl's home. The discovery has brought investigators back to the area for a second search of the area. Fifty personnel and search dogs will be employed, and the FBI has been called to assist. A cell phone and computer belonging to the 15-year-old were found Saturday, but did not provide police with any clues into her disappearance nearly a week ago. Read more...
Teen Planned to Rob British Tourists
Jurors in the trial of a Florida teen accused of killing two British tourists watched the teen mumble his way through an interview with police detectives and insist that he hadn't left his home the evening of the April 2011 murders. Shawn Tyson, 17, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Defense attorneys have said there was no evidence tying him to the crime and that witnesses testifying against him were not credible. Read more...
Whitney Died From Drowning, Heart Disease, Cocaine Use
The Los Angeles County Coroner ruled that the final cause of Whitney Houston's death was drowning, as well as from effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use. According to Chief Medical Examiner Anthony T. Hernandez's report, there was no foul play involved in the Feb. 11 death of Houston. She was found submerged in a bathtub filled with water at the Beverly Hills Hilton just hours before she was due to perform at Clive Davis' Grammy Party. Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey says the results indicated Houston was a chronic cocaine user. Read more...
March 22, 2012
Body of Sherry Arnold Believed Found
A body found outside of Williston, N.D., is believed to be that of a missing school teacher from Sidney, Mont., officials said. "It is believed the remains are those of Sherry Arnold," the FBI said in a press release, adding that further identification efforts were underway. Arnold, 43, disappeared Jan. 7 during a morning run. Two men were later arrested. Read more...
Guard Arrested in Death Row Escape Plot
Authorities in Tennessee say two men have been arrested, including a former prison guard, for a plot to break out Tennessee's lone female death row inmate, Christa Gail Pike. New Jersey State Police arrested 34-year-old Donald Kohut of Flemington, N.J., who has frequently visited Pike in prison, on a charge of bribery and conspiracy to commit escape. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said that 23-year-old Justin Heflin, a former correctional officer at the Tennessee Prison for women, was receiving money and gifts for his help in the planned escape. Read more...
Body Found on New York's Long Island
Police in Suffolk County are investigating the discovery of a body found in the woods. The remains were discovered by a jogger in Manorville, N.Y. The gender has not yet been determined, according to police. An autopsy will be performed. Police had previously discovered human remains in Manorville on Feb. 21. Read more...
45-Year-Old Florida Woman Missing
Police are searching for a 45-year-old South Florida woman who has been missing since last week. Maria Claudia Murphy's black convertible was located Tuesday evening after a tipster notified police the vehicle was in the parking lot of a Pompano Beach shopping center. The vehicle was towed to the police department for processing. Murphy went missing Friday after depositing $5,000 at an ATM outside a Bank of America in Coral Springs. Frank Murphy called police Friday night when his wife didn't return home. Read more...
7 Arrested in Multi-State Jewelry-Theft Ring
Federal prosecutors say seven people have been charged in connection with operating a jewelry-theft ring based in Virginia. Prosecutors say the suspects based in Richmond stole more than $4.6 million in jewelry from traveling sales representatives in Virginia and at least six other states, including New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Maryland, Tennessee and California. Read more...
Singer El DeBarge Arrested on Drug Charge
Grammy-winning singer El DeBarge, who has struggled with substance abuse, was arrested in Encino on suspicion of drug possession with intent to sell, department officials said. Undercover narcotics officers were conducting an investigation near White Oak Avenue and the 101 Freeway when they spotted the singer and another man acting suspiciously, said LAPD spokeswoman Norma Eisenman. Officers recovered narcotics from an area where DeBarge had been standing, Eisenman said. Read more...
Mike Sorrentino Finally Admits Drug Problem
"Jersey Shore" star Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino confirmed he is in a drug rehab program "to get control of a prescription medication problem I had due to exhaustion." A statement was posted on the reality-TV personality's official website, after denying online reports that he checked into rehab in Utah. "I have voluntarily taken steps to get control of a prescription medication problem I had due to exhaustion," his statement said. "I have spent the past several weeks getting treatment for this problem and recuperating from my work and appearance schedule." Read more...
March 21, 2012
Search Widens for Missing California Teen
Investigators began questioning the friends of a missing 15-year-old California girl and searching her computer and cellphone records for clues to her whereabouts. Sierra LaMar, of Morgan Hill, has been missing since she was last seen Friday morning before leaving home for school at Sobrato High School. Her cellphone was found in a field less than a mile from her home Saturday night. Authorities said her last text message was sent from that phone around 7 a.m. Friday. Read more...
'John Doe' ID'd After 37 Years
A body found naked in 1974 at a California condominium complex is a U.S. Marine from Iowa who had been listed as a deserter from Camp Pendleton, authorities said. The man known for more than 37 years as 'John Doe No. 155' is Oral Stuart Jr of Des Moines, Long Beach police said in a statement. His cause of death, previously listed as undetermined, has been reclassified as a homicide. Read more...
Sandusky Prosecutors Must Turn Over Contacts
Pennsylvania prosecutors were ordered to turn over to Jerry Sandusky's lawyer the phone numbers and addresses of those who have accused the former Penn State assistant football coach of sexually abusing them as children. That includes their phone numbers and addresses back when the crimes are alleged to have occurred. It was a pretrial win for Sandusky's lawyer Joe Amendola, who argued in a filing late last week that it would be very difficult for defense investigators to locate and try to interview them without first getting contact information from prosecutors. Read more...
Fraternity Sued by Parents Over Teen's Drinking Death
The parents of a 19-year-old student who died after binge drinking at a party in Texas have filed suit against a Baylor University fraternity and the bar that hosted the event. Megan Helal was a freshman and volleyball player at Navarro Junior College and was dating a Sigma Chi fraternity member at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, at the time of her death in March 2010. According to the lawsuit, Helal went to a party at Mynar's Bar with her boyfriend to celebrate his fraternity's newest members. Read more...
Meth Mom Sentenced to 6 Years
A 27-year-old California woman, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter after her 5-month-old son died from her methamphetamine-tainted breast milk, has been sentenced to six years in prison. Maggie Jean Wortman could have faced up to 11 years for the death of her infant son. Read more...
March 20, 2012
Parents Sought After 3-Year-Old Boy Found Wandering
Police in Florida were searching for the parents of a 3-year-old boy found wandering the streets alone. The boy, who gave his name as Josaya, was found alone and barefoot in Princeton, Miami-Dade County. "Once a child is involved, I've got to do something, I can't turn my eye," said Christopher Smith, who said he saw the boy and called police. Read more...
Students Want Watch Leader Arrested
College students around Florida rallied Monday to demand the arrest of a neighborhood watch captain who shot an unarmed black teen last month, though authorities may be hamstrung by a state law that allows people to defend themselves with deadly force. Police have described the man who fired the shot, 28-year-old George Zimmerman, as white; his family says he is Hispanic and is not racist. Zimmerman claims he shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin last month in self-defense during a confrontation in a gated community in Sanford. Read more...
Ex-Model Recaptured for Hollywood-Based Meth Ring
An Australian bikini model and Penthouse Pet accused of running a worldwide drug ring was arrested last week after nearly a month on the lam. Authorities found Simone Farrow hiding at a motel on Queensland's Gold Coast. Farrow, the former face of Ed Hardy swimwear, is accused of trafficking crystal meth around the world, often hiding the drugs in bags of bath salts. She was first arrested in 2009, after the Drug Enforcement Agency raided her Los Angeles apartment and found drugs and incriminating documents Read more...
Brooke Mueller Plea Deal: No Jail Time
Charlie Sheen's ex was arrested in December and charged with felony possession of cocaine under 4 grams, felony possession with intent to distribute, and misdemeanor assault. In exchange for a guilty plea, Aspen, Colo., prosecutors have agreed to drop the last two charges. Additionally, the mother of twins will serve no time. Instead, she will spend the next 12 months on probation with a deferred judgment. Read more...
March 19, 2012
1 Adult, 3 Children Found Dead at Campground
Authorities are investigating the killing of a woman and three children at a campground and resort in eastern Missouri as a possible triple-murder suicide. Crawford County Sheriff Randy Martin says in a statement that four bodies were found about 1 p.m. Saturday at a campground about 80 miles southwest of St. Louis. KSDK reported that the shootings happened in a remote area along a gravel road on the property of Blue Springs Ranch & Resort. Martin told the station each victim sustained one gunshot wound and a handgun was found close to the bodies. Read more...
'Sausage Rage' Cited in 7-Eleven Attack
Police in southern New Jersey say a woman began attacking a 7-Eleven employee when she found out the store did not have any sausages. An officer responding to a panic alarm said that as he began to enter the store, he saw the suspect, Brittany Glanville, trying to climb over the counter to go after the clerk, Chief Mark Ott told the paper. Glanville, 25, was immediately arrested and put in the officer's patrol car, where she tried to kick out the vehicle's windows. The officer used pepper spray to subdue Glanville, according to the News. Read more...
Mom Slahsed Son's Throat to Release 'Demons'
A Texas woman was arrested after allegedly slashing her five-year-old son's throat because she believed there were demons inside his body. Daphne Spurlock, 45, now faces a charge of attempted capital murder, the Magnolia Police Department said. Officers made the discovery shortly after 12:00am while conducting a welfare check on the boy at Spurlock's mobile home in Magnolia, about 45 miles northwest of Houston. Read more...
Police Officer Caught Having Sex in Squad Car
An on-duty Memphis police officer was allegedly caught having sex in his squad car, Fox 13 reports. According to the station, there is a copy of a radio broadcast that captured on-duty Officer Dion Anthony allegedly having sex in his squad car. "Anytime you communicate via a handheld or console microphone you want to remain professional. Our job is to make sure all officers follow procedures. In this instance it's possible he didn't follow proper procedure," Sgt. Karen Rudolph said. Read more...
E.R. Docs Don't Recognize Fake Pot Symptoms
As use of synthetic versions of marijuana such as "K2," "Spice," and "Blaze" becomes more common, a growing number of teens are showing up in hospital emergency rooms where physicians are unfamiliar with symptoms caused by the dangerous substances, says a new report. A blend of plant and herbal materials that have been sprayed with chemicals, synthetic marijuana "is still a relatively new drug, and when we started seeing cases, we realized there was very little information available in the medical literature," says Joanna Cohen, an emergency medicine physician. Read more...
March 17, 2012
19 Arrested in 9 States in ID Theft Ring
Nineteen people were arrested in Nevada and eight other states in a Las Vegas-based identity theft and trafficking ring that a federal prosecutor characterized as a sophisticated racketeering organization involving 50 people nationwide. The scheme revolved around the buying and selling of pilfered debit and credit card information on an Internet site called "Carder.su," U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden said Friday in Las Vegas. Read more...
Rutgers Student Convicted in Webcam Spying Case
A former Rutgers University student accused of using a webcam to spy on his gay roommate's love life was convicted of all counts in a case that exploded into the headlines when the victim of the snooping committed suicide by throwing himself off a bridge. Indian-born Dharun Ravi, 20, shook his head slightly after the guilty verdicts were read for all 15 counts, including bias intimidation, a hate crime, and invasion of privacy. Read more...
Daycare Owner Locks baby in Crawlspace
A Connecticut daycare center owner was arrested after police said she locked a 6-month-old girl in a crawl space so a health inspector would not see the center was over capacity. Police in Waterbury arrested 54-year-old Catalina Reyes after an inspector found the baby, crying, inside the crawl space, according to the newspaper. Authorities claim the baby was confined in the space for up to four hours, with no supervision, food or drink. Read more...
Couple Kept 12-Year-Old Boy Locked in Closet
A Florida couple locked up an extremely malnourished boy inside a closet as punishment for stealing food they were keeping from him, according to a police report. The 12-year-old boy also had been strapped to a bed or locked in a bathroom for days or weeks at a time over the past year, the police report said. He was treated at a hospital for malnutrition and dehydration. Read more...
Invisible Children Founder Arrested
San Diego police say Jason Russell, a co-founder of activist group Invisible Children and one of the creators of the "Kony 2012" video, was detained in Pacific Beach after he was allegedly found masturbating in public and possibly under the influence of alcohol. Police say they received calls reporting that a man running through traffic and screaming, while in "various stages of undress." Officers say when they arrived on the scene the film maker was cooperative. Read more...
March 16, 2012
Arrest Made in Disappearance of Samantha Koenig
An Anchorage man connected to the disappearance of 18-year-old Samantha Koenig is in jail after his arrest this week in Texas, but Koenig remains missing, police said. Texas authorities arrested the man, Israel Keyes, in Lufkin, Texas after a traffic stop, police said. He was described in a statement issued by police here Thursday as "a person of interest" in Koenig's disappearance. Read more...
Gang Member Gets Death in Mistaken ID Killing
A San Gabriel Valley gang member has been sentenced to death for killing two people in Whittier, including a man who was stabbed in a case of mistaken identity. Thirty-nine-year-old Gabriel Ronquillo was sentenced for murder with special circumstances. Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Randy Fruto says the judge rejected a motion for a new trial. He says Ronquillo didn't make any statement to the court. Read more...
Trial Starts for NYC Cop Accused of Rape
Opening remarks have begun in the trial of an off-duty New York Police Department officer accused of raping a teacher in upper Manhattan. Prosecutors described how a drunken Michael Pena threatened the woman with his gun and sexually attacked her on the morning of Aug. 19. The defense admitted the assault happened, but said evidence did not prove that Pena had raped the victim. Pena is currently being held on Rikers Island on $500,000 bail. Read more...
Dad Indicted on 31 Counts of Rape
An Ohio grand jury has indicted an adoptive father on charges he raped three boys in his care. The Miami County grand jury action was announced. It follows the 39-year-old Troy man's Feb. 24 arrest in a police investigation that began with an undercover detective talking online with another man who had expressed interest in "taboo" sexual encounters. Read more...
Constable Arrested on Federal Drug Charges
An East Texas constable arrested on federal drug and firearm charges has appeared before a federal judge in Tyler. The U.S. Attorney's office says authorities arrested Benjamin Thomas Ferrell of Henderson, one week after his indictment. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith Guthrie Thursday afternoon. Read more...
March 15, 2012
'Whitey' Bulger's Girlfriend Pleads Guilty
A 60-year-old woman who helped Boston mobster James 'Whitey' Bulger avoid capture for 16 years, has entered guilty pleas to all federal charges filed against her. Catherine Greig pleaded guilty to conspiracy to harbor a fugitive, identity fraud and conspiracy to commit identity fraud. Her sentencing is scheduled for June 7. Read more...
Jaycee Dugard Will Remain in Hiding
Kidnapping survivor Jaycee Dugard made her first public appearance over the weekend at a star-studded New York awards ceremony, but she plans to remain in hiding until her daughters are mature enough to understand what happened to them, she said in a recent interview. Dugard, 31, and her two children, ages 14 and 17, have been living at an undisclosed California location since being found by authorities in 2009 - 18 years after she was abducted from a South Lake Tahoe bus stop. Read more...
Woman Killed, 3 Hurt Outside Courthouse
One person was killed and three wounded by a man who left a courthouse, retrieved a gun from his car and started firing in the parking lot, police in Beaumont, Texas, said. A detective outside the courthouse fired back. He quickly was joined by law enforcement officers from nearby buildings, police said. The gunman retreated to his pickup truck and, still firing, ran over one of the people who had been shot as he drove away. He drove about three blocks and abandoned his truck in the middle of the street before entering a nearby construction business, police said. Read more...
Child Killer Ordered to Court
A mother accused of killing her 6-year-old daughter with scissors refused to leave her jail bed for her first court appearance, drawing angry words from a Las Vegas judge and concern from her lawyer about her mental state. Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Joe M. Bonaventure reset Danielle Yvonne Slaughter's arraignment on a murder with a weapon charge for Friday, telling a jail supervisor by closed-circuit video that he wants Slaughter brought forcibly to court if necessary. Read more...
Police Say Sibling Shooting Was Not Accidental
Police said that a 9-year-old girl pulled the trigger in the fatal shooting of her 7-year-old brother while their parents were briefly away from their Arkansas apartment. The shooting on Monday afternoon was not an accident, Little Rock Police spokesman Lt. Terry Hastings said, but he declined to comment any further. Hastings' remarks come a day after a police spokeswoman said the girl shot her brother and then backtracked to say only that the girl was responsible for the shooting. Read more...
Infant Kidnapped 8 Years Ago Found
A boy who was kidnapped as an infant eight years ago is believed to have been found in Texas, according to authorities. When the boy, Miguel Morin, disappeared in 2004, his former babysitter and godmother, Krystle Rochelle Tanner, was accused of taking him -- but the case went cold in 2006. Read more...
Baby Found After High-Speed Police Chase
A suspected drunk driver was arrested after leading Los Angeles police on a high-speed chase with a baby inside his pickup truck, authorities said. The chase ended when one of the California Highway Patrol cars rammed the male suspect's vehicle in a PIT maneuver on the freeway's off-ramp, video of the incident shows. After the unnamed suspect exited the vehicle and surrendered to police, officers found the infant inside the truck in a child seat. Read more...
Bullpen Catcher Suspended 7 Days for DUI
The Mets say bullpen catcher Eric Langill has been suspended without pay for seven days after being charged in a drunken driving accident Sunday in central Florida. The Mets said in a release that Langill would also be required to seek counseling through the Employee Assistance Program. The 32-year-old Langill was arrested Sunday night after losing control at a traffic circle, crashing into a concrete fountain and flipping his car. Read more...
March 14, 2012
Hudson Suspect Tried to Solicit Alibi
The suspect in the killing of singer Jennfir Hudson's family members tried to get a former girlfriend to provide him with a false alibi for the day that the murders occurred. According to court papers, William Balfour solicited the false alibi from Brittany Acoff-Howard, who now lives in South Carolina. Balfour is scheduled to go on trial next month in the 2008 murders of Jennifer Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, 57; brother, Jason Hudson, 29; and nephew, Julian King, 7. Read more...
Reward Increased in Kelly Rothwell Case
It's been a year since 35-year-old police cadet Kelly Rothwell went missing from her Gulf front condo in Florida. Detectives and her friends and family think she's dead. But they have no evidence, no DNA and no arrests have been made. Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri announced that Rothwell's family is offering a $25,000 reward and his office is offering another $25,000. The money will go to anyone who can lead detectives to the woman's whereabouts. Read more...
Boyfriend of Missing Police Cadet Arrested
The boyfriend of a Florida police cadet who has been missing for over a year has been arrested. David Perry, allegedly the last person to see Kelly Rothwell, 35, before she was reported missing, has been arrested on grand larceny charges in Steuben County. Perry is accused of stealing in excess of $300,000 from New York State retirement disability fund over the past seven years. Read more...
Sandusky's Attorney Vows to Seek Dismissal
A lawyer for former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky vowed to seek a dismissal of child sex abuse charges against his client after a judge refused to force prosecutors to provide more details on the allegations. Judge John Cleland rejected attorney Joe Amendola's request for more information such as exact dates of the purported molestations, details that Amendola said were crucial to building a defense against 52 counts of sexual abuse. Read more...
Child, 4, Attacked by Pit Bulls at Meth House
Deputies in central Florida say a 4-year-old girl is recovering days after being bitten by two pit bulls at a home used to make methamphetamine. Osceola County Sheriff's deputies found the girl with injuries to her face, back and head that required more than 50 stitches. Deputies say the child's mother, 29-year-old Desiree Schultz, was arrested on child neglect charges because she didn't report the child's injuries. Read more...
Mom Arrested After Daughter, 11, Pulled Over
Norfolk police say a 32-year-old woman was arrested after she had her 11-year-old daughter drive her and two friends after a night of drinking. A Madison County jailer said Jennifer Etgen, of Tilden, remained in custody. Police Chief Bill Mizner says an officer saw a pickup driven by the girl almost hit a curb. Read more...
Man Jumps Off Bridge to Avoid DWI
A Louisiana man reportedly leaped off a bridge during a traffic stop in an attempt to avoid his eighth arrest on drunken-driving charges. Thomas Robert Harter, 44, of Folsom, La., was arrested on charges of DWI, resisting arrest and careless driving after leaping 20 feet into Lake Pontchartrain during a traffic stop on the Causeway bridge. Read more...
March 13, 2012
Killer Hints at 72 More Victims
A local television station in Sacramento has received more letters from a convicted serial killer who claims he can lead authorities to dozens of victims of his former codefendant and a third man. Wesley Shermantine claims Loren Herzog, and a man the station is not naming, had as many as 72 victims. Shermantine says he will begin revealing the location of their bodies when he receives $33,000 promised to him by bounty hunter Leonard Padilla. Read more...
Man Pleads Not Guilty to 1989 Beheading
A man has been charged with cutting off his pregnant girlfriend's head on a New York City rooftop in 1989. Philip Ward pleaded not guilty Monday to murdering Veronica Bowen. Ward already is in prison for killing the woman who became his girlfriend after Bowen's death.
Defense lawyer Frank Rothman says Ward has been cooperating with authorities. Rothman says Ward is driven by a desire to build a better relationship with his and Bowen's two children. Read more...
Crime Boss's Companion to Admit Hiding Him
The longtime companion of James "Whitey" Bulger will change her plea to guilty and admit to helping harbor the alleged Boston crime boss as he evaded authorities for 16 years, according to court documents made public. Catherine E. Greig, 60 years old, is expected to say in court later this week that she helped Mr. Bulger avoid capture by using a variety of aliases and stolen identities, according to one of the court documents that was signed by Ms. Greig earlier this month. Read more...
Police Take on Rising Wave of Detergent Theft
Law enforcement officials across the US have been left baffled by a crime wave targeting an unlikely item -- Tide laundry detergent. Theft of Tide detergent has become so rampant that some cities are setting up special task forces to stop it and retailers like CVS are taking special security precautions to lock down the liquid. One Tide thief in West St. Paul, Minn., stole $25,000 of the product over 15 months before he was arrested last year. Read more...
Sandusky's Lawyer Says Abuse Charges Too Vague
Jerry Sandusky would be better prepared to defend himself against charges he sexually abused children if he had clues about when the alleged abuse happened, his attorney said. Any memory from the accusers, like football games where they accompanied the former Penn State assistant coach, could help Sandusky pin down the dates and times of the alleged abuse and determine if he has alibis, attorney Joseph Amendola said during a hearing Monday in Centre County. Read more...
Eric Langill Charged With DUI
New York Mets bullpen catcher Eric Langill was arrested by the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office and charged with driving under the influence with property damage, a misdemeanor, according to a county arrest affidavit. General manager Sandy Alderson said Langill spent the night in jail but has since posted bond and been released. Langill's white Honda Accord crashed into a concrete fountain in the center of a traffic circle and flipped over. Langill tried to leave the scene on foot but was "kept there" until law enforcement arrived, the report stated. Read more...
Georgia CB Branden Smith Faces Suspension
Georgia starting cornerback Branden Smith was arrested for marijuana possession on his way to the beach for spring break, police and Georgia coach Mark Richt confirmed. Smith was pulled over near Headland, Ala.,on U.S. Highway 431 for following too closely and having a tag light out. An officer detected the odor of marijuana in the 2007 Dodge Charger Smith was driving and a bag of marijuana was discovered under a seat during a search of the vehicle, according to police. Read more...
March 12, 2012
'Speed Freak Killer' Sends New Letter
A Sacramento television station has received a second letter from serial killer Wesley Shermantine, with it claiming that he knows of more than 70 murder victims. Shermantine wrote reporter CBS-13 Koula Gianulias saying that his accomplice, Loren Herzog, and a third man killed 72 people. The station did not identify the third man. Read more...
Brothers Seek to Reopen 1987 Murder Verdict
Two brothers serving life without parole for a 1987 drug house robbery and shotgun slaying in Detroit will get a chance to present a witness who says someone else committed the crimes. A judge in Detroit convicted Thomas and Raymond Highers of first-degree murder in the June 1987 death of 65-year-old Robert Karey, who was killed at his home near Detroit City Airport. Wayne County Circuit Judge Lawrence Talon is expected to hear testimony Monday from John Hielscher, who has said in an affidavit that he saw the attackers and they were black. The Highers brothers are white. Read more...
Michael Madsen Arrested After Fight With Son
Actor Michael Madsen, known for roles in films such as "Thelma & Louise," was arrested for child cruelty after getting into a fight with his teenage son, authorities said. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said Madsen, 54, was arrested at his Malibu, California, home on Friday afternoon by deputies investigating a report of a family disturbance. Madsen "appeared under the influence of alcohol," the sheriff's department said in a statement. He was arrested without incident. Read more...
Teens Charged With Robbing Girl Scouts
Two teens are under arrest for allegedly stealing money from a group of Girl Scouts outside a Texas Wal-Mart last weekend. Last weekend, the Girl Scouts selling cookies in front of Wal-Mart told an unbelievable story: suspects driving up in a car and robbing them of their cookie money. "A guy jumped out and just started asking us what kind of cookies do we have, like he wanted to buy some," Girl Scout Aravia Cotton said. "Then out of nowhere he just took the whole box of money that we had." Read more...
Bill Proposes $100 Bounty on Drunk Drivers
State Sen. Robert Calderon, a Montebello Democrat, has proposed legislation that would give tipsters $100 if they report a drunken driver who is convicted. And for a little poetic justice: Calderon would have the court order the drunken driver to pay the reward. "By engaging civilians to report drunk drivers, this bill would directly and immediately lower the number of roadway deaths," Calderon said about the bill. "Killing or injuring someone as a result of drunk driving is a horrendous crime that can easily be avoided. This bill is one step closer to ensuring that our roads and highways are safe from drunk drivers." Read more...
March 10, 2012
Whitey's Girlfriend Rethinking Plea Deal?
The brother of one of reputed mobster James "Whitey" Bulger's alleged murder victims says he's been told by a representative for federal prosecutors in Boston that Bulger's girlfriend Catherine Greig is considering pleading guilty to helping Bulger evade capture. Steven Davis said a federal victim advocate told him that Greig's lawyers indicated she's considering pleading guilty without a plea bargain and prosecutors asked victims' relatives to meet with them Monday. Read more...
Gunman Named in Deadly Campus Clinic Shooting
Police identified a gunman who killed one person and shot several others at a University of Pittsburgh psychiatric clinic as a 30-year-old local man. They said he was armed with two handguns traced to Texas, one of which had been reported stolen. Police still don't have a motive for Thursday's shooting by John Shick, who's believed to have lived in Pittsburgh's Shadyside neighborhood near the hospital. Read more...
Prosecutor: Many Threats Before Hudson Killings
The man accused of killing Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew had threatened to kill members of the family at least two dozen times before the October 2008 slayings, a prosecutor said during a hearing in Chicago. Assistant State's Attorney James McKay said the threats began in February 2008, when James Balfour moved out of the family's house where he had been living with his wife, Hudson's sister Julia. The threats continued right up until the day the bodies were found, on Oct. 24, 2008. Read more...
About $275K Recovered From Armored Car Heist
Authorities have recovered about $275,000 left behind by an armored car guard accused of killing his partner in Pittsburgh and absconding with $2.3 million 10 days ago. Police found about $250,000 stashed under a car at the Dravosburg home Kenneth Konias shared with his parents. That was a day after $24,000 was found at the grave of a family member. Read more...
Nightclub Owner Cited After Gang Shooting
Police have cited the owner of an Arizona nightclub for alleged violations of the venue's security plan after a shooting injured 16 people last weekend. Tempe police said that the owner of the Clubhouse Music Venue violated the city code, which is a misdemeanor. The club's security plan permit has been revoked by police. The owner has five days to appeal the decision and the business can continue to operate during that time. Read more...
Man Sentenced for 25 DUIs in 3 States
A Virginia Beach man who racked up at least 25 arrests for drunken driving in several states has been sentenced to seven years in prison. A judge sentenced 39-year-old Tracy Michael Decker to seven years. Decker is also banned from driving for 20 years after DUI arrests in Virginia, Alabama and Georgia. Read more...
Tight End Prospect Orson Charles Gets DUI
Former Georgia tight end Orson Charles was arrested for drunken driving early Friday morning, police said. Charles, a 2011 AFCA All-American rated by ESPN Scouts Inc. as the 38th-best prospect overall and No. 2 prospect at tight end in this year's NFL draft, was charged with driving under the influence and impeding traffic flow by Athens-Clarke County Police after being stopped at approximately 3 a.m. Charles submitted to sobriety tests, registered a .095 blood alcohol level and was arrested for DUI. Read more...
March 09, 2012
Florida Passes 'Caylee's Law'
The Florida legislature has passed a bill aimed at protecting missing children that was inspired by the Caylee Anthony case. 'Caylee's Law' is awaiting the signature of Gov. Rick Scott. Basically, it increases the penalty for not reporting a missing child. Caylee Anthony was missing for 31 days before law enforcement was notified. Read more...
Court Rules Barbour Pardons Valid
The Mississippi Supreme Court upheld the pardons issued by former Gov. Haley Barbour during his final days in office, including those of four convicted killers and a robber who had worked at the Governor's Mansion. Barbour, a Republican who once considered running for president, pardoned 198 people before finishing his second term Jan. 10. Most of the people pardoned had served their sentences years ago, but crime victims were outraged and created a furor that lasted for weeks. Read more...
Two Dead, 7 Injured, in Psychiatric Clinic Shooting
Gunfire at a psychiatric clinic at the University of Pittsburgh killed two people and injured seven others, the university's medical center said. Police reported one of the dead was the gunman, said University of Pittsburgh Medical Center spokesman Paul Wood. It was unclear whether the wounded people were patients, employees or visiting family members, Wood said. Read more...
Ex-Detective Found Guilty in Cold-Case Murder
A former Los Angeles police detective was found guilty of the 26-year-old murder of the wife of her former lover in a case that hinged on a single piece of evidence — DNA from a bite mark on the victim's arm. The first-degree murder conviction came after a three-week trial that included testimony from a forensic expert who said the DNA was a match to defendant Stephanie Lazarus. Read more...
Remains Found of Missing Soccer Mom, Escort
Colorado authorities have tentatively identified human remains found as a mother of three who was working as an escort when she went missing in 2007. The remains, which were found in a dry creek bed by a hiker in Delta County, Colo., were tentatively identified as 34-year-old Paige Birgfeld using dental records. Personal items were also found near the body. Read more...
'Secret Life of Paige Birgfeld'
Investigators said the attractive single mom who vanished from western Colorado 4˝ years ago was running an escort service, but her father is more blunt. "I think 'escort' is kind of a polite word for prostitution," said Frank Birgfeld, whose daughter's remains were found in a dry creek bed in a Colorado desert this week. Thirty-four-year-old Paige Birgfeld was twice divorced and living with her three children in Grand Junction, about 200 miles west of Denver, when she disappeared in June 2007. Friends knew her as a devoted mom who sold kitchen products and did other jobs. Read more...
Pro Golfer Rachel Connor Arrested for DUI
Sheriff's deputies say they caught two professional athletes — golfer Rachel Louise Connor and Ryan Patrick O'Shea, a minor league player with the Baltimore Orioles — driving drunk on Siesta Key. The arrests occurred several hours apart. Connor had been at a restaurant and nightclub. O'Shea had been drinking at the public beach on Siesta. Read more...
March 08, 2012
Feds Can Continue Loughner Medication
The Tucson shooting rampage suspect will continue to be forcibly medicated by federal prison officials after an appeals court turned down three of his appeals. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the appeals of Jared Lee Loughner to stop his forced psychotropic medication. Loughner has pleaded not guilty to 49 charges related to a Jan. 8, 2011 shooting rampage which left six people dead and wounded 12 others, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
Read more...
Texas Man Executed for Killing Wife
A Texas man condemned for fatally shooting his estranged wife and the neighbor who became her boyfriend denied killing them, moments before he was put to death by lethal injection. Strapped to the gurney inside the death chamber, Keith Thurmond declared, "I didn't kill my wife. ... I swear to God I didn't kill her." His execution for the 2001 slayings near Houston came about an hour after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected arguments to halt the capital punishment, the third this year in Texas. The 52-year-old Thurmond was pronounced dead at 6:22 p.m. — 11 minutes after lethal drugs began flowing into his arms. Read more...
Dead Inmate Killed Up to 20
A man convicted of murdering three women and who died in prison in 1996 killed four other women between 1979 and 1988 and might be responsible for as many as 20 homicides, authorities said. Vincent Groves, a tall hulking athlete who was a member of a state basketball championship team in the 1970s, strangled most of his victims, said Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey. Read more...
Woman Kept Dad's Body in Ice Chest
A Louisiana woman apparently kept her father's severed body in an ice chest at her apartment for at least two years as she collected his Social Security check, police said. At some point, she cut off his hands so that identifying him would be difficult, authorities said, but she never dumped his body as she had planned. The woman and her roommate recently went to police to tell their story after deputies came to the apartment when they wouldn't let maintenance workers inside the home. Read more...
Video Captures Wrong-Way Ohio Driver
A wrong-way interstate driver slammed into a car full of sorority sisters on spring break about one minute after an Ohio trooper received a report about the errant driver, according to dashboard camera video released by the State Highway Patrol. The footage shows the wrong-way driver seconds before the crash that killed the driver and three of the Bowling Green University students on Interstate 75 south of Toledo. The early morning crash also left two other students in critical condition. Read more...
Pat Robertson Endorses Legalized Marijuana
Of the many roles Pat Robertson has assumed over his five-decade-long career as an evangelist - including a voice of the right wing - his newest guise may surprise his followers the most: marijuana legalization advocate. "I really believe we should treat marijuana the way we treat beverage alcohol," Robertson said in an interview on Wednesday. "I've never used marijuana, and I don't intend to, but it's just one of those things that I think: this war on drugs hasn't succeeded." Read more...
Demi Moore Looks Frail After Rehab
A haunted-looking Demi Moore steps off a plane — the first time she has been seen in public since rehab. The frail Ghost actress, 49, was in the Bahamas after being treated for exhaustion, substance abuse and an eating disorder. She stepped off the swish private jet with close friend Eric Buterbaugh after it touched down in Los Angeles at the weekend. Read more...
March 07, 2012
Casey Anthony's Civil Trial Delay Denied
A Florida judge has denied a request by Casey Anthony's attorneys to delay her upcoming civil trial for defamation. Judge Lisa Munyon rejected the delay motion and ordered the trial to begin on April 10 as scheduled. Anthony is being sued by a woman named Zenaida Gonzalez who claims her reputation has been ruined. Read more...
Inmate Known as the 'Lipstick Killer' Dies
A Chicago man who confessed to one of the most shocking slayings in the city's history and paid for it with more years of his life than any Illinois state prison inmate has died. According to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office, 83-year-old William Heirens died Monday at a Chicago hospital after officials at Dixon Correctional Center found him unresponsive in his cell. The office said that an autopsy was scheduled. Read more...
Navy to Give Breathalyzers to Sailors
The U.S. Navy will start giving Breathalyzer tests to Marines and sailors reporting for duty aboard ships and submarines and at squadrons, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced Monday in a worldwide call to forces. The testing is part of a new 21st Century Sailor and Marine initiative -- a multi-prong program aimed at reinforcing healthy lifestyles both on and off-duty. The program emphasizes healthy lifestyles through nutrition, responsible alcohol consumption, zero tolerance for drug use and fitness programs as well as suicide prevention, family and personal preparedness and financial planning. Read more...
Mom Accused of Selling Sex With Daughter, 6
Police accused a Florida mom of selling sex with her six-year-old daughter to pay for drugs. Police began investigating Jacksonville Beach resident Dalina Nicholas, 35, when a homeless man, who had been doing drugs at Nicholas's home, told officers he witnessed child abuse there. Investigators then interviewed the six-year-old girl, who was in the custody of Nicholas's parents, and she told them about sexual attacks by three men, as well as physical abuse. Read more...
Reality Star Tila Tequila Hospitalized
Tila Tequila is facing a serious health scare. The reality TV personality reportedly suffered a brain aneurysm that led her to take two bottles of unspecified heavy prescription drugs to ease the pain. However, the drugs she took nearly cost her life, and she had to be hospitalized for two weeks due to overdosing. "Tila threw up all over her bed after overdosing and felt like she was dying. She was screaming for help, and in desperation, broke her bedroom window and attempted to jump out," a source told Radar Online. "Finally a friend came over after getting a strange text from her and found her convulsing on the bed. He called an ambulance and she was taken to the hospital." Read more...
March 06, 2012
Court Rejects Skakel's Sentence Reduction
A three-judge Connecticut Superior Court panel has rejected an appeal by Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel to reduce his 20-years-to-life sentence for the beating death of Martha Moxley in 1975. The panel ruled that his original sentence was not inappropriate or disproportionate for the murder of his 15-year-old neighbor in Greenwich. Skakel's attorneys argued that he should have been tried and sentenced as a juvenile. Read more...
Loughner Loses 3 Appeals Over Forced Medication
An appeals court denied a request by the Tucson shooting rampage suspect's lawyers to stop their client's forced medication with psychotropic drugs and end his treatment at a Missouri prison facility where experts are trying to make him psychologically fit for trial. The ruling Monday by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals clears the way for authorities to continue to medicate Jared Lee Loughner. He has pleaded not guilty to 49 charges stemming from the Jan. 8, 2011, shooting in Tucson that killed six people and wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 12 others. Read more...
Handyman Charged in Death of Jane Bashara
A handyman has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Detroit marketing executive Jana Bashara, who was found strangled inside her luxury car in January. The Wayne County prosecutor's office said Joe Gentz, 48, will appear in court on charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Read more...
Human Remains Found in Newark Suitcase
A homicide investigation is under way after human remains were discovered in a suitcase near the Passaic River in Newark. Police responded to a telephone tip Monday about the gruesome finding in the vicinity of Raymond Boulevard and Van Buren Street, not far from Penn Station. The Essex County Prosecutor's homicide task force is also investigating. Read more...
Mother Charged in Case of Third-Grade Shooting
The mother of the third-grade boy who brought a gun to school that went off, injuring a classmate, has been charged, as has her boyfriend. Prosecutors say Jamie Lee Chaffin, 34, and Douglas L. Bauer, 50, of Bremerton, Wash., are responsible for Chaffin's son obtaining the .45-caliber handgun. The boy, 9, had told his friends he planned to run away from his uncle's house, where he lives, and that he planned to bring a gun with him for protection. Read more...
Manhattan Madam Who Made Millions Jailed
A petite, green-eyed madam who bragged she made millions running a brothel in New York City has been charged following a five-year investigation into her business. Anna Gristina, 44, a mother of four, was indicted on Feb. 22 by a Manhattan grand jury for promoting prostitution. Prosecutors say they have nearly a hundred hours of audio and visual surveillance that demonstrate Gristina paired prostitutes – some underage – with influential men out of a brothel based in a building on East 78th Street. Read more...
Bullies More Likely to Be Substance Users
School officials who are developing anti-bullying programs and policies may also want to incorporate substance abuse prevention measures for those students who are identified as bullies or victims of bullies. That is because those students who are bullies or bullied in middle school are more likely to be substance users in high school. Read more...
1 Dead in Nursing Home Meth Lab Fire
A fire chief in northeast Ohio says a drug lab in the room of a nursing home resident has caused a fire that killed one person and injured six others. Ashtabula fire Chief Ron Pristera says the man died following the fire at Park Haven Nursing Home. He says the lab was making methamphetamine. Pristera says the man was among three residents and two non-residents hospitalized. Two other people were treated at the scene. Read more...
Marijuana Charge Against NFL's Leroy Hill Dropped
The attorney for free agent linebacker and Georgia native Leroy Hill says charges of marijuana possession in Atlanta have been dropped. Hill and a woman were arrested Feb. 25 at his condominium in Atlanta. Police with scent dogs were responding to calls of a marijuana smell. Officers said they confirmed the smell, obtained a search warrant and found partially smoked blunts and marijuana residue inside Hill's residence. The Tacoma News Tribune reports that in a court hearing Monday, Hill's charges were dropped. Hill's lawyer, Edward T. M. Garland, says urine tests taken after the arrest came up negative. Read more...
March 05, 2012
Company Sponsors 'Jeffrey Dalmer Tour'
A Milwaukee marketing company is selling tickets for a 'Jeffrey Dalmer Walking Tour' that features sites where the serial killer stalked his victims. The tour has drawn complaints from the family members of some of Dalmer's victims. Read more...
Accidentally Freed Killer Has Been Caught
A convicted murderer who was accidentally released from custody while awaiting a court appearance in South Carolina has been apprehended, the York County Sheriff's Office said. Thomas Aaron Whitlock, a 31-year-old with an "extensive" criminal history, was let go Monday afternoon from the York County Detention Center -- which only realized the mistake nearly 24 hours later when arrangements were being made to return him to prison in Windsor, N.C., according to the Sheriff's Office. Read more...
Police Seek Public's Help in Locating Missing Teen
New Hampshire police are asking the public's help in locating a 17-year-old last seen at his high school in Conway a week ago. Conway police say Dalton Blake has no history of running away and has not made contact with family members since Monday, Feb. 27. Conway police Sgt. Alan Broyer says Blake was despondent at the time of his disappearance and that his family is very concerned about his well-being. Read more...
Police Search for Missing Wisconsin Student
Police launched an extensive search for a missing Wisconsin college student using tracking dogs and about 150 volunteers. Eric Duffey, who's originally from Fitchburg and attends the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, was last seen about 1:15 a.m. Saturday leaving Joe's Bar in downtown Stevens Point. The 21-year-old was believed to be heading back to his residence. Read more...
Death Penalty Sought in Bay Toll Plaza Killings
Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against a man charged with killing his ex-girlfriend with a shotgun blast as she worked in a toll booth at a San Francisco Bay-area bridge. Nathaniel Burris of Richmond also is accused of killing a friend of the woman in a nearby parking lot. Burris is accused of killing Deborah Ross while she worked in a booth at the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge toll plaza in August 2009. The other alleged victim was Ross' friend Ersie Everette III, a bus driver for Golden Gate Transit. Read more...
Rockies Pitcher Alex White Arrested for DUI
Rockies pitcher Alex White, 23, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. White was arrested by Scottsdale police at about 9:15 p.m. and released from jail at 10:50 p.m. He spoke with Rockies management and addressed his teammates this morning, apologizing for the incident. White addressed reporters early this afternoon at the Rockies spring training complex at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Read more...
March 03, 2012
Ex-Death Row Inmate Walks Out a Free Man
A mentally disabled man who spent nearly 30 years on South Carolina's Death Row for a stabbing death was freed from prison under a plea deal. A lawyer for Edward Lee Elmore said he maintains his innocence in the death of Dorothy Edwards, a widow he worked for as a handyman, but he pleaded guilty to murder so he could be released from prison. Edwards' body was found in a closet in her home, stabbed 52 times. Read more...
Some Upset About Dahmer Walking Tour
A marketing group in Wisconsin wants to give walking tours of the bar where serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer met and hung out with some of his victims. But when victims' families and others found out about the tours this week through a Groupon promotion for a cut-rate tour, they started calling for the tour, which they described as insensitive and in poor taste, to end. Read more...
'Sweetheart Swindler' Sentenced to 10 Years
A Florida man convicted of conning two women of out of hundreds of thousands of dollars has been sentenced to 10 years in prison. Paul Francois, 57, appeared in court on Thursday and made a tearful apology to one of his victims before the judge gave him his sentence. "I'm sorry, Rose Marie, I'll give you your money back. I want you to have a life and be better," he wept. "I promise I'll pay you back." Read more...
Demi Moore: From Rehab to Vacation?
Actress Demi Moore has checked out of an exclusive rehabilitation center in Utah and is now on vacation at an undisclosed location, sources told E! Online. Moore checked into the Cirque Lodge facility in Sundance, Utah, in early February after she was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital semi-conscious and convulsing on Jan. 23, having allegedly smoked an illegal substance. It is believed 49-year-old Moore was smoking illegal K2 spice, a synthetic cannabis, prior to being hospitalized. Read more...
'Five-0's' O'Loughlin Out for Drug Treatment
Hawaii Five-O will be without its top star for a brief time. Alex O'Loughlin, who plays central character Steve McGarrett, will miss at least one episode of the CBS drama while taking a leave to seek prescription drug treatment. "Alex is taking a short break from Hawaii Five-O to receive supervised treatment for prescription pain medication due to a recent shoulder injury," his representative said. Read more...
March 02, 2012
Armored Car Guard Takes $2 Million
A Pennsylvania armored car company has offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to the capture of a 22-year-old guard who shot his partner and stole an estimated $2 million. Garda has posted the reward for the capture of Kenneth J. Konias Jr., of Dravosburg. Police said Konias shot his armored car partner, Michael Haines, 31, in the back of the head to carry out is robbery plan. Read more...
Teen Charged With Three Counts of Murder
A 17-year-old youth was charged with three juvenile counts of aggravated murder in shooting that killed three students at a high school. Thomas "T.J." Lane was accused of pulling out a semiautomatic pistol he had stolen from his uncle and opening fire in the Chardon High School cafeteria on Monday. Three boys were fatally wounded, and two other students were injured. One is still in the hospital. Read more...
Hostage-Taker Shot, Officers Injured
Police shot through a Buena Park bank's glass doors Thursday afternoon, ending an hours-long hostage standoff. The suspect, described as a man in his 40s, appeared at the door around 3 p.m., apparently coming outside to retrieve something he had demanded, said police, who would not describe the demand. The suspect was seen holding a gun to the bank manager, police said. That's when SWAT officers stormed the building, shooting out the door and receiving fire from the suspect. Read more...
2 New Orleans Police Officers Shot
One suspect is dead and two New Orleans police officers and another suspect were wounded after an early morning traffic stop developed into a gunfight. Police Superintendent Ronal Serpas says both wounded officers required surgery after the shooting. The condition of the injured suspect was unknown. Read more...
Woman Sentenced for Killing Expectant Mother
A Kentucky woman was sentenced to life in prison without parole for slaying a pregnant acquaintance and cutting her baby boy alive from her womb. Kathy Coy of Morgantown agreed to the sentence in a deal last month in which she avoided a possible death penalty by pleading guilty but mentally ill to killing 21-year-old Jamie Stice last year and taking the baby. Read more...
Bones May Be Linked to Infant Death
Authorities have unearthed possible human bones while digging in the backyard of a Minnesota home. Police have been looking for evidence at the home in the suspected death of an infant years ago. Crystal police said that the digging unearthed bones that may be human. A man and woman who lived at the home have been arrested and remain in jail. Authorities have until 4 p.m. Friday to charge the pair. Read more...
Doctor Accused of Murder in Drug Overdoses
A California doctor under investigation for overprescribing drugs has been charged with murder in the deaths of three of her patients. Dr. Hsui-Ying "Lisa" Tseng was arrested Thursday after a lengthy probe which involved undercover work by drug enforcement agents who posed as patients to obtain prescriptions from her. Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley says Tseng is accused of second-degree murder and other crimes in the deaths of three men in their 20s, one of them a University of Arizona student. Read more...
March 01, 2012
Critics Rip Nancy Grace
When Greta Van Sustern's television show on the Fox News channel shifted from her expert coverage of crime and punishment issues to the political arena, we grieved the loss, mainly because all that left us with was Nancy Grace. In other words, we mourned the absence of anything remotely resembling objective crime coverage on cable news television. Read more...
'Texas 7' Prison-Break Gang Leader Executed
The leader of the fugitive gang known as the "Texas 7" was executed for killing a suburban Dallas police officer during a robbery 11 years ago after organizing and pulling off Texas' biggest prison break. George Rivas, 41, from El Paso, received lethal injection for gunning down Aubrey Hawkins, a 29-year-old Irving police officer who interrupted the gang's holdup of a sporting goods store on Christmas Eve in 2000. The seven escapees had fled a South Texas prison about two weeks earlier. Read more...
Murderer on the Run After Mistaken Release
Authorities were searching for a convicted murder with an "extensive" criminal history who was accidentally released from custody while awaiting a court appearance in South Carolina, the sheriff's office says. Thomas Aaron Whitlock, a 31-year-old convicted of second-degree murder in 2009, was let go from the York County Detention Center -- which only realized the mistake nearly 24 hours later when arrangements were being made to return him to prison in Windsor, N.C., according to the York County Sheriff's Office. Read more...
Judge Releases Records on Shooting Suspect
A judge has released seven pages of juvenile court records on a school shooting suspect in Ohio, including an assault case in late 2009 at age 15. T.J. Lane allegedly choked and punched another male. He entered the juvenile court equivalent of a guilty plea to a reduced misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct and was given a suspended sentence of up to 30 days in jail. Read more...
Death Penalty Sought in Serial Slayings
Prosecutors said that they plan to seek the death penalty against a man suspected of killing four prostitutes in rural Northern California. The announcement was made in Marin County Superior Court as Joseph Naso, 78, re-entered not-guilty pleas to four counts of murder. The former Reno photographer is accused of killing Roxene Roggasch in 1977, Carmen Colon in 1978, Pamela Parsons in 1993 and Tracy Tafoya in 1994. All four were found strangled in rural areas of Northern California. Read more...
Man Executed for Killing, Dismembering Mom
Arizona executed an inmate for killing and dismembering his adoptive mother while he was out of prison on furlough for another crime, despite a spate of last-minute appeals over his mental disabilities and how the state has changed and violated its own execution protocol. Just before he was put to death, Robert Henry Moormann used his last words to apologize to his family and to the family of an 8-year-old girl he kidnapped and molested in 1972. Read more...
'Creepy' Embalmer Sold Gold Teeth From Corpses
A Colorado embalmer saw a golden opportunity in dead people's teeth, police say. Adrian David Kline, 43, of Brighton, is accused of stealing gold teeth from bodies and cremated remains he handled at funeral homes and selling them to local pawn shops, the Longmont Times-Call reported. A Boulder County Grand jury indicted Kline on eight counts of providing false information to a pawnbroker and two counts of providing false information to a secondhand dealer. Read more...
Adoptive Father Accused of Raping 3 Children
An adoptive father in western Ohio has been accused of raping three children and allowing other men to have sex with one of them, allegations that a family services official called "heinous." The 39-year-old man was being held on $800,000 bond on three counts of rape and one of compelling prostitution. Read more...
Meth Head Charged for Burning Iconic Tree
Florida cops have busted a 26-year-old meth head they believe set a massive brush fire that burned down one of the oldest trees in the United States last month, according to local reports. Sara Barnes, 26, of Winter Park, was arrested and charged with setting the blaze that destroyed a 3,500-year-old bald cypress, known as "The Senator," at Big Tree Park in Longwood, north of Orlando, last month. Read more...
Lindsay Lohan Says Partying 'Not Her Thing'
Lindsay Lohan says the partying just doesn't appeal to her anymore. In an interview with Today's Matt Lauer, Lohan says, "That's not my thing anymore. I went out, actually, a few months ago with a friend. And I was so uncomfortable. Not because I felt tempted, just because it was just the same thing that it always was before. And it just wasn't fun for me. I've become more of a homebody. And I like that." Read more...