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Friday, October 30, 2009

Solving the Somer Thompson Murder: Investigators Leaning on Community

Right: Sommer Thompson
By SARAH NETTER
Oct. 29, 2009

Sheriff Says Killer May Have Scratches, Unnatural Interest in the case.

As police continue their desperate search for the person that killed 7-year-old Somer Thompson experts say that even the most random memory from the day she disappeared may lead to her murderer.

"I'm a strong believer that the community is an incredibly underrated and important resource for solving crimes, especially when the crimes are fresh," forensic psychiatrist Dr. Michael Welner told "Good Morning America" today. "You get the public mobilized to say ... 'What do you remember?'" ...

"We're referring to people associated with the offender in this case," Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler said. They likely don't realize they are associated with the killer, he said.

"Clearly there is a distinction between the pedophiles you see and the pedophiles you don't," Welner said. "The pedophiles you see may violate the children again and again and again. And the pedophiles you don't see violate and destroy."

...The sheriff urged people to alert detectives if they notice certain changes in people's behavior, like "an unnatural interest" in the girl's case, or hiding their vehicle in a shed or giving it away.
"You will recognize the change and even question them about it but not realize it is associated" with the Somer Thompson case, Beseler said.

Beseler said telltale signs of someone who could have been involved with Somer's murder would be a combination of several behaviorial changes, including:
1. Leaving the area unexpectedly.
2. Having missed work or other routine engagements, especially on Oct. 19, the day Somer disappeared.
3. Unexplained injuries such as cuts or bruises on the head, arms and hands.

read article here

Mitrice Richardson--more sightings reported


LA Times
by Shelby Grad
October 26, 2009

Malibu/LA, California--Family members and community activists said there have been new sightings of Mitrice Richardson, who disappeared last month from outside the Mailbu sheriff's station.

According to Richardson's family, people said they saw the woman on Manchester Avenue and Denker Street, Manchester and Western avenues and Florence and Western avenues.
But none of the witnesses called the Los Angeles Police Department, which is searching for Richardson...

Detectives interviewed a group of Geoffrey's diners she joined uninvited -- who described her as odd but entertaining -- and her colleagues at the Mercantile Freight office in Santa Fe Springs who last saw her at work the day of her arrest. LAPD Det. Steven Eguchi said they told him that she was "giddy, really giggly. Out of the ordinary."
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Richardson's odd behavior -- as well as her failure to pay for a steak and a drink -- prompted restaurant staff members to call sheriff's deputies. Richardson was arrested, then released at 1:25 a.m., having no car, purse or cellphone...
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Authorities said they believe Richardson is still alive -- but they don't know where.

Police probe conflicting alibis in Lindsey Baum kidnapping case


KOMO News
October 8, 2009

MCCLEARY, Wash. -- A man's conflicting stories to acquaintances were among the factors that led to the issuance of a search warrant in the Lindsey Baum case, according to an affidavit in support of the warrant obtained by KOMO News. The court documents identify as a person of interest a man connected to the properties searched last week.

Writing in the affidavit filed in Grays Harbor County Superior Court, a detective said he believed Lindsey had been kidnapped and that evidence would be found at the properties. Lindsey disappeared the evening of June 26 while walking home from a friend's house in the small mill town of McCleary.

...A person contacted investigators more than a month after the girl disappeared with information that led detectives to identify the man as a person of interest. The tipster said the man always drove a distinctive car with a loud exhaust, and found it suspicious that the man stopped driving the vehicle after Lindsey disappeared. Another person told detectives that they saw the vehicle near where Lindsey was last seen the night she vanished.

One person told police." (The person said) that his behavior had changed since the day of the disappearance. He had not come around as much," said Sgt. Steve Shumate with the Grays Harbor Sheriff's Office.

But what really sparked the detective's interest is what the young man allegedly told his girlfriend the day after Lindsey disappeared." (He) told her he could not believe that a girl had been taken and cut up and dismembered," according to the search warrant. At that point, however, even detectives didn't believe Lindsey had been a victim of a crime...
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Detectives have not found any evidence to indicate the missing girl is no longer alive. According to the court document, detectives have received multiple conflicting statements about where the person of interest was on the night of June 26. Investigators wrote that the man told them he was working a second job at the time, but the business told detectives he hadn't been there in weeks.

KOMO News is not naming the man since he has not been arrested. The search warrants were served Sept. 25 at several properties in the McCleary area.

At one site, FBI investigators in protective clothing were probing an area near an old, abandoned house and large shed about one mile southwest of McCleary. Among the Items seized were two sex toys, several used condoms, a bag of children's clothing, computers, bed sheets, blankets, and a newspaper with a story about Lindsey...

"It could happen to anyone, and (I) hope they'd be there for me, too," said Rebecca Watts. Volunteers from all over the region, from Packwood to Seattle have joined in the search. Jen Page is a mother who drove 90 miles to help look for Lindsey. "I can easily imagine how hard it is, and this is the least I can do," she said.

Some staff members of "The Oprah Show" met with Melissa Baum earlier in the month, but it is not yet known for certain whether the case will receive national coverage. (I believe it already has--I'm in the central midwest prairie.)

Judge postpones hearing in Cameron Brown case

right: Cameron Brown
The Daily Breeze
by Denise Nix

A judge postponed a hearing this morning for motions in the wake of the second mistrial in the Cameron Brown Rancho Palos Verdes cliff death case. Brown's defense attorneys were expected to ask Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor to reduce Brown's bail and the charges. However, the written motions were not filed in time and the hearing was rescheduled for Dec. 17.

Deputy District Attorney Craig Hum said he anticipates re-trying the case some time next year.
Brown is charged with first-degree murder and the special circumstances of lying in wait and killing for financial gain for the Nov. 8, 2000, death of Lauren Sarene Key...

The last trial ended with a mistrial on Oct. 5. The first mistrial was in August 2006. Cameron Brown remains incarcerated.
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Chavira Brown murder earns Jonell Lloyd the Hard 50 + 10


BY HURST LAVIANA
The Wichita Eagle
Oct. 29, 2009
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A Wichita man was given a Hard 50 prison sentence Wednesday for the death of an 18-month-old girl who was beaten, tied up in plastic bags and left in an attic to die.
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In imposing the sentence, Sedgwick County District Judge Jeff Goering also sentenced Jonell Lloyd, 23, to more than 10 years for child abuse. He ordered Lloyd to serve the sentences consecutively.
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Testimony at Lloyd's trial in July showed that he choked and beat Chavira Brown on July 31, 2008, after she woke up with wet pants. Lloyd had been caring for Chavira at the time in a home he shared with his girlfriend at 15th and Green.
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Under Kansas law, a Hard 50 sentence, which requires an inmate to serve 50 years before seeing a parole board, can be imposed only in cases where the aggravating factors of a crime outweigh any mitigating factors...
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But he said the aggravating factors in the case "vastly outweighed" any mitigating factors.
"Chavira did not die quickly," Goering said in issuing his ruling. "She was left in the attic to slowly asphyxiate over a period of hours."
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...In a brief statement before he was sentenced, Lloyd maintained his innocence, telling the judge, "I didn't do it." Chavira's maternal grandmother, Sheervonda Johnson, said after the sentencing that the sentence was appropriate...
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She said Chavira will always be remembered. "We all love her," she said. "We all miss her.... I'm glad it's finally over with. We can go on with our lives."
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Death for Lemaricus Davidson


Knoxville News Sentinel
By Jamie Satterfield
October 30, 2009
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KNOXVILLE - A Knox County jury this afternoon sentenced convicted torture-slaying ringleader Lemaricus Davidson to death by lethal injection for the January 2007 murders of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom.

The jury of five women and seven men deliberated about four hours before returning its decision to a packed courtroom. “The punishment is death,” the jury foreman said.

The victims' families gasped at the verdict, but Davidson showed no reaction. Criminal Court Judge Richard Baumgartner admonished those in the courtroom to control any outburst.
“The murder was especially heinous, atrocious and cruel,” the foreman said, reading from the verdict form for Newsom...

Davidson's brother, Letalvis Cobbins, 26, was convicted in August and is serving life without parole. He is in a protective safety unit away from the general population at a West Tennessee prison after expressing fears for his safety.

Pending trial are suspects George Thomas, 26, who will face a Hamilton County jury Dec. 1, and Vanessa Coleman, 21, whose case is on hold pending a pre-trial appeal.

A fifth suspect, Eric Boyd, 37, remains uncharged in the killings but is serving an 18-year federal prison term for hiding out Davidson after the slayings...
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My own prediction is that "G" Thomas will end up with life without parole, although I can't remember what DNA evidence the state has against him. Both Cobbins and Coleman stated in the initial interrogation that they heard/saw Davidson hand Thomas a gun and said he needed to do something that would allow Davidson to trust him, leading me to believe it was Thomas who shot Chris Newsom. I don't find Thomas' statement anywhere--maybe he lawyered up fast.
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Coleman probably will end up with life with possibility of parole in 51 years. That will make her about 70 if she lives that long. OK with me. As I see it she deserves that for stupidity if nothing else. What I understand is she was running from a warrant in Kentucky when she left with Cobbins for Knoxville. She seemed to have been taught to 'know her place' i.e., do the cooking, cleaning and provide Cobbins with sex on demand. She would have us believe that from Saturday night until Monday morning she was in an 800 sq. foot house and never heard a peep out of the woman on the other side of a sheet who was being tortured for hours.
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Instead she said she was pissed off that Cobbins was in there having sex with another girl. Particularly stupid is Cobbins telling Coleman he was just checking to see if the girl was alright; Coleman said, "how could she not be alright? She was tied up. Common sense." Did it ever occur to her that simply being tied up made her NOT alright? Or did she just not care, one way or the other?
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And in all the statements, they all claim to have 'humanely' provided Channon with cups of water. And no one yet has claimed any responsibility for anything. Just pointing fingers at the others.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Jury finds Lemaricus Davidson guilty on 46 Counts

News Sentinel
Knoxville News
October 28, 2009

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee - A Knox County jury today put torture-slaying alleged ringleader Lemaricus Davidson on the path to death.

With a sweeping set of guilty verdicts on all murder counts, the five-woman, seven-man jury set the stage for the state's bid Thursday to seek Davidson's life as punishment for the January 2007 deaths of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom.

"The people of Knox County are the ones who took care of our kids today," said Deena Christian, mother of Channon Christian.

"We finally have the justice our kids deserve," said Mary Newsom, mother of Chris Newsom.

Jurors also found Davidson, 28, guilty of the kidnapping and robbery of the couple, rejecting defense claims the pair went willingly to Davidson's Chipman Street house.

They also deemed him guilty of multiple rapes of Christian, 21. They were unable to conclude whether Davidson raped Newsom, 23, and instead returned lesser verdicts of facilitation of Newsom's rape...
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read more from knoxnews.com here
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The only emotion this bastard has ever shown was his bawling during the initial interrogation on January 11, 2007, because he had gotten caught and this afternoon when when the guilty verdicts just kept on coming. He did some heavy blinking to hold back tears--again tears for himself only.
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Where is Davidson's mother? Where is his father? Or does mama know who the father is? Why isn't she in the courtroom supporting her son? Where was she when Cobbin's went down? The family was represented by a sister and a cousin. Even your family doesn't like you, Marcus.
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It will be interesting to see tomorrow who the defense is going to drag into court for mitigating arguments.

Lemaricus Davidson trial: Torture slayings case in hands of jury


Slaying victims’ families preview impact statements
By Jamie Satterfield
October 28, 2009

Knoxville TN--In the final round of closing arguments Tuesday in the trial of alleged torture slaying ringleader Lemaricus Davidson, both sides accused the other of trying to fool jurors with unsupported claims.
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“The prosecution has said they can’t tell you a story,” defense attorney David Eldridge told jurors. “What the prosecution did … was they made one up.”
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“(Davidson’s) story is totally absurd,” prosecutor Leland Price countered. “You haven’t been presented with a story (by the prosecution). What you’ve been presented with is a first-degree murder case.”
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...Eldridge argued earlier Tuesday that Davidson is innocent of all the crimes, including rape, even though the defense concedes DNA proof of “sexual intercourse” between Davidson and Christian. Although Eldridge never used the term “consensual,” the implication was clear.
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...Price told jurors that Christian and Newsom walked out of Washington Ridge apartments with jobs, money, loving families and friends, transportation and bright futures. Davidson, he countered, had none of those things when their paths crossed that fateful night. “He had no job,” Price said. “He had no money. … He had no ride. He had no girlfriend.” When the fatal encounter ended, Price said, the tables had turned.
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“(Christian) lost everything, just like her boyfriend,” he said. “Suddenly things are looking up for Mr. Davidson, because now he’s got (Christian’s) clothes to give to his girlfriend. He’s got a nice ride (in Christian’s SUV). He’s offering money as well to his girlfriend. He took everything they had and everything they were going to have. He took it.”
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...The judge is allowing the families to present photographs of the couple when they were alive, a move denied to them in the August penalty phase hearing in Cobbins’ case. Cobbins’ life was spared by a Davidson County jury, in favor of life in prison
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Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Drew Peterson suing bank for freezing line of credit

Chicago Tribune
by Steven Schmadeke
October 27, 2009

Drew Peterson is suing JPMorgan Chase for freezing a $220,000 line of homeowner's credit he was using to pay for legal and other expenses, according to a lawsuit filed late Monday.

The federal lawsuit alleges Chase -- shortly after Peterson was arrested in May on charges he drowned his third wife -- illegally shut the spigot on the home equity line that Peterson and fourth wife Stacy took out on their Bolingbrook home in 2005.

The bank sent Peterson a letter dated May 15 saying the account was being frozen due to Peterson's "imprisonment." Affidavits filed by Chase executives in response to subpoenas filed by Peterson's criminal defense attorney said it was a "pure banking decision" and that Peterson would be "unable to pay his account if we allowed it to be substantially drawn down."

In his lawsuit Peterson argues that his income has improved since taking out the original line of credit. The former Bolingbrook police sergeant now makes $108,909 a year -- including $2,758 in monthly Social Security benefits and his $6,000-a-month police pension...

Joel Brodsky, Peterson's lawyer, recently said he would not fight efforts by Peterson's homeowner's insurance to remove itself from paying for his legal defense in a civil wrongful death lawsuit filed by Savio's family.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Little Shrunken Sings the Blues

YouTube - Little Shrunken Sings The Blues

Lemaricus Davidson Trial, October 26, Jury retires for night


Knoxville News
By Jamie Satterfield
Posted October 26, 2009
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KNOXVILLE - A Knox County Criminal Court jury chose this afternoon to retire for the night after hearing the first round of prosecutors' closing arguments in the trial of torture-slaying alleged ringleader Lemaricus Davidson. (Great job Ms Fitzgerald!)

Defense attorneys will begin their arguments Tuesday morning, followed by the final arguments from the prosecution...

Jurors did not hear from Davidson, 28, who opted not to testify about the January 2007 slayings...

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Lemaricus Davidson Trial, October 24, 2007

The Prairie Chicken
October 24, 2009

Defense Attorneys for Lemaricus Davidson began the day asking for a mistrial due to the assistant DA's attorney's fainting spell yesterday when photo's of the victims were shown to the jury. She assured the judge it was the testimony as a whole rather than a photo that caused her ailment and the Judge accepted the explanation, instructing the jury to disregard it.

A second Medical Examiner testified that the lack of Channon's saliva being tested was unnecessary, because Channon's DNA would be all over the jeans.

The State rested their case this morning.

First defense witness was Ethel Freeman, a drug buddy of Davidson's who lived in the apartments where Christian and Newsom were kidnapped, and said she had expected him that night but he did not show up. She called him at 3:00am Sunday and said he was out of breath and talking fast. She swore to seeing Christian and Newsom on Saturday night between 9 and 10:00pm at a gas station close to the Chipman house. Interesting, in that the victims were alleged to have been carjacked at about 9:05pm. She had no proof that this ever happened and it reeked of stink, imo.

Next, the defense found a neighbor who testified that he had seen Christian with Davidson days before the crime was committed, getting out of a green Grand Am with another woman and going in Davidson's house. Prosecutor Fitzgerald showed him a picture of Stacey Lawson's green Grand Am and he said that was the car. I don't know how he could mistake a short fat girl with short dark hair for a tall thin girl with long blond hair, but that's me. But Stacy Lawson and her car were gone days before the murders.

The defense continues on Monday, with Davidson having until then to decide if he wants to testify on his own behalf against his attorneys advice, and giving up his secret "priors" if he DOES testify and is still convicted.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Lemaricus Davidson Trial, October 23, 2007


First witness Jennifer Millsap, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. She testifies on DNA evidence found on both bodies, the victims clothing, and the bindings of each. Davidson and Cobbins are both identified on Channon’s body. She testifies that pink panties with Christian’s DNA and that of an unidentified person were found inside Christian’s purse.
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Jurors spent much of today listening to testimony from Knox County Medical Examiner Dr. Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan and viewing the horrific photographs of the injuries suffered by Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom. As the photo’s are shown Mileusnic explained various details, including the damage done to Chris before he was shot to death, and step by step photographs as Channon was removed from the trash can and unwrapped. After being orally, anally and vaginally raped, she was kicked repeatedly in the pubic area. “This is not just a rape”, she said, as assistant to the district attorney's office, attorney Karen Manning fainted.
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Davidson’s attorneys are contending that Channon had consensual sex with Davidson, and his semen everywhere else was caused by “transference”. Unfortunately, in his January 11 interview with Knoxville Police, he denied having ever seen her before in his life.
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The trial will continue in Knox County tomorrow, Saturday, October 24, and Judge Baumgartner expects the case to go to the jury by Monday evening.
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I hope it is going better than it sounds to me, although TK Fitzgerald is doing a very vigilant job of laying out the evidence and rebutting every defense suggestion.

Judge OKs evidence against suspected killer Jordan Brown, 12

Friday, October 02, 2009
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A Lawrence County judge will not toss out key evidence in the case of Jordan Brown, 12, who prosecutors say fatally shot pregnant Kenzie Houk, 26, with a 20-gauge shotgun as she lay in bed on Feb. 20, and who is charged as an adult with two counts of homicide. He was 11 at the time of the killing.

His lawyers, Dennis Elisco and David Acker, wanted Common Pleas Judge Dominick Motto to suppress statements the boy made to a state trooper the day of the killing.

They also wanted Judge Motto to throw out evidence gathered from the New Galilee farmhouse that day, including firearms, bloody and soiled clothing, spent ammunition, fingerprints and DNA.

The judge did grant the attorneys' motion to suppress evidence obtained in a search of Jordan's school records, saying his "personal items, writings, clothing ... psychological examinations and other documented information" cannot be used against him... The boy's attorneys have repeatedly said they plan to ask a judge to move his case to juvenile court.

read entire article here
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/

Pennsylvania law states that a child age 10 or over can be charged as an adult for conviction of heinous crimes, such as this one.

Father of 9-month-old Daisja Weaver faces capital murder charge

This is an excellent, if outdated, article that is
more detailed about what happened to this littlegirl. It is printed here in its entirety, because there was no part I could delete...

Right: Daisja Weaver
The Dallas Morning News
via dallasnews.com
Friday, July 10, 2009
By STEVE THOMPSON

For weeks after Dallas police accused him of tying a sandbag to his dead daughter and tossing her from a bridge, the father of 9-month-old Daisja Weaver sat in jail on a charge of tampering with evidence.
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All the while, he told detectives he felt sure Daisja was alive and wanted to help them find her.
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Police now say the father, 20-year-old Alandus Weaver, will face a charge of capital murder in the girl's June 8 death.
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In an interview last week, detectives say, Weaver told them he accidentally drowned the girl while giving her a bath in the kitchen sink. This, along with gruesome details of what followed, are presented in a police affidavit released Thursday.
From the beginning, investigators were skeptical of accounts given by Weaver and the baby's 19-year-old mother, Tamaira Creagh.
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Creagh called 911 on June 9, saying a man entered the family's Far North Dallas apartment while Weaver was not there, tried to sexually assault her and then kidnapped the child.
Later that week, Creagh and her attorney met with detectives, and she told them a different story. She said Weaver picked her up from work June 8, leaving Daisja home alone. When they arrived, she said, the girl was dead.
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Creagh said the girl had bruises on her eyes, cheeks, stomach and back. When she asked Weaver what happened, he didn't answer. Instead, she said, he bullied her into concocting the kidnapping story with him, and later dumped the child's body from a bridge into Lewisville Lake.
Creagh, who was six months pregnant with Weaver's second child, said he'd been violent with her before and she was afraid of him.
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Police arrested the couple on charges of tampering with evidence, and divers spent days combing the dark waters underneath the Interstate 35E bridge. They battled treacherous conditions, feeling their way through debris for the dead child.
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On June 18, still empty-handed, police called off the search. The same day, Creagh was released from jail on $25,000 bail.
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Several days later, according to the newly released affidavit, Creagh approached detectives with a new attorney and said she wanted to cooperate more fully. She described the hours after her daughter's death.
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She said Weaver put Daisja's body in the back of his car and strapped her face down into the car seat. When they went back inside the apartment, he asked her if she wanted to go get something to eat.
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"She told him no!" the affidavit says. "Later on that night, as he lay in the bed with the suspect, she stated that he attempted to have sex with her, and when she said no, he became angry and told her that she did not love him."
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She told the detectives she couldn't sleep that night, thinking of her dead child outside in the car. She said she tried to sneak away while Weaver slept, but he woke and yelled at her.
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The next day, she said, Weaver took her to work in the car. "She didn't want to get inside, because when the suspect opened the door, the smell of the [child's] corpse made her nauseous," the affidavit says. "Regardless ... she agreed to do so, because she was afraid of what he would to her and her unborn child."
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As she worked, she said, other employees told her they saw Weaver sitting in the car waiting for her.
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They drove toward to the lake, stopping at a construction site for a sandbag, which Weaver tied to the child's leg with a cord he brought from home, Creagh said. They pulled over on the bridge, and he put the hood up as if they were having car trouble. Then he forced her to watch as he threw Daisja's body over the side, she said.
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The detectives asked Creagh whether there were any details she left out. She told them this: As she and Weaver left the construction site with the sandbag, they weren't sure of how to get back on the freeway. They saw a police officer parked along the road and pulled over to ask him for directions.
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Detectives have since tracked down the officer, who confirmed he gave Weaver directions.
A week ago, Weaver asked detectives to meet with him at the Denton County Jail, where he was being held, with bail set at $100,000. He told them again he was sure Daisja was alive.
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But further into the interview, the affidavit says, Weaver said the girl drowned while he gave her a bath. He said he poured at least six cups of water over her head to wash out the soap, and it got into her mouth.
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Later, Weaver left jail with the detectives to show them the spot along the bridge where he said he dumped his daughter's body.
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"After some lengthy discussions with the Denton County D.A.'s office," according to a Dallas police statement Thursday, "they believe there is enough circumstantial evidence to proceed with a case against Alandus Weaver and charge him with capital murder."
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read article here

How Police Found Somer Thompson and How They Hope to Catch Her Killer


October 23, 2009
Posted by Edecio Martinez

ORANGE PARK, Fla. (CBS/AP) Garbage trucks were the key to finding seven-year-old Somer Thompson's body and garbage trucks may be the key to finding her killer. Officials say investigators tailed nine garbage trucks from Thompson's Florida neighborhood to a Georgia landfill and then picked through the trash as each rig spilled its load.
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They sorted through more than 225 tons of garbage before the little girl's body was found. At a news conference, Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler said the quick discovery of Somer's body, two days after she disappeared, may have saved precious evidence that could lead to her killer...
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Somer vanished on her one-mile walk home from school Monday in a heavily populated residential area, about a mile from a stretch of fast-food restaurants and other businesses, in the Jacksonville suburb of Orange Park. Searchers combed the area before investigators, following garbage trucks that collected trash Tuesday, spotted her lifeless legs in a landfill about 50 miles away...

Now as the search for a missing girl turns into the search for her killer, the garbage trucks may again play a pivotal role. Investigators will presumably try to pinpoint the trash bin or garbage can where she was dumped, based on the trash around her and the truck's pickup route. That could hopefully help them piece together a better timeline and offer a firmer direction for the investigation...

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Mitrice Richardson information

For more information about the missing Mitrice Richardson
from an anonymous poster:

Father's website http://www.bringmitricehome.org/

http://www.findmitrice.info/ is not the website of the father but, that of Dr. Hampton.

Interview With Mitrice's Father http://www.reelurbannews.com/main.html?src=%index2.html#2,0

Lemaricus Davidson Trial; Thursday, Oct 22

The Prairie Chicken
October 22, 2009

Testimony today covered the flowered torn sheet that was used for binding both Newsom and Christian and came from a set in Davidson's house. It ties Newsom's death to Christian's, and back to Davidson's house. Daphne Sutton testified yesterday that the sheet set was one she didn't care for and had put in the closet in the back bedroom, off the kitchen.

Tim Schlade of KPD testified on Davidson's palm print recovered from one of the trash bags in which Christian's body was found. Palm print as well as finger prints were abundant on the trash bags. Juror's asked a couple of questions, one being whether there was trash or garbage in the trash can at all, that would explain Davidson's palm print. The answer was they were all fresh bags, containing nothing but Christian's body. The other question involved the time lag between when the prints were placed there and when they were identified as the defendants. I don't understand the significance of the question.

I like Tennessee's ruling that jurors are allowed to submit questions to the judge to be asked of the witness. Yesterday the judge chuckled and said he could not ask the question. I really want to know what the question was...

KPD firearms expert Patricia Resig talked about the slugs found in Newsom's body, two could be matched to each other, but were of a common variety that could possibly be common to many many cheap .22 semi-automatics. Her testimony was moot.

For the rest of the day the courtroom heard Davidson's taped interview at the Knoxville Police Department at about 4pm on January 11. Davidson's attorney had argued against the interview being presented at trial.

TBI agent says use of same cloth links crimes to Davidson's house
Voice mail calls part of mystery in slayings
Web Extra: Read unedited transcript of Lemaricus Davidson's interrogation
Analyst can't prove all bullets in Newsom's body from same gun

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Lemaricus Davidson Trial day 3

Right: Lemaricus Davidson

The Prairie Chicken
October 23, 2009
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Wednesday morning the most interesting testimony came from Lemaricus Davidson's girlfriend Daphne Sutton. She testified that Davidson had called her Sunday morning and asked her to come by and get some clothes that he had "bought" for her. When she arrived she took the items in a Penney's bag only to find out later they were used clothing and too big for Daphne. She says when she was going into the bathroom to pick up some personal items, he stopped her and wouldn't let her enter. In Cobbins trial it was discovered that while Daphne was at the house, Channon was being held by Coleman in the bathroom.
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Daphne testified that Eric "E" Boyd was there that morning and that she didn't like him, because Davidson had told her that Boyd did not like white people. She told what she knew about the guns kept at the house and was fully aware that Davidson sold drugs and robbed small businesses as his way of making a living.
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Kassie Suttles, one of the girls Daphne was staying with, said that Davidson showed up on Monday evening about 10:30pm and spent the night. The news of Newsom's body being found by the railroad tracks was all over the news on Tuesday. Having seen Davidson in a car matching the Toyota and weighing out all of the other information, she asked him to leave (she was facing her own day in court for marijuana sales, and didn't need involved in a murder).
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Two cell phone experts testimony consisted of explaining the cell tower positioning and pings. The last call on Channon's phone was to her dad at 12:33am on January 7 and cell phone records show the call was made from the Chipman house. That phone call pinged from the Cherry Hill tower, which is how the family was able to find her car so soon, they started searching a grid of the Cherry Hill tower service area.
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Barney Waggoner, ATF, testified about the arrest of Cobbins, Thomas and Coleman in Franklin, Kentucky at the apartment of Stacy Lawson, George Thomas' girlfriend. They confiscated her computer and a search of the house found Channon Christian's purse there, the one Coleman said Davidson had given her. He stated that the house was messy and they collected numerous items, including brass knuckles. In yesterday's testimony, one of the defense attorney's confronted her about a letter she had written to Davidson after the murders and arrests, one where she tells him that she wants to have sex with him...
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read more here:
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Gene Patterson's twitter coverage
TBI scientist testifies bleach-like chemical found on victim's clothing
Channon Christian & Chris Newsom Trial coverage

Still No Trace of Mitrice Richardson after more than a month

Woman missing for almost a month now.
myfoxla.com
Saturday, 10 Oct 2009,
Text Story by: CNS
Posted by: Scott Coppersmith

Malibu (myFOXla.com) - ...Mitrice Richardson, 24, was arrested Sept. 16 at Geoffrey's restaurant in Malibu, where she was acting strangely and was unable to pay her $89 bill. The manager at Geoffrey's made a "citizens arrest," preventing her from leaving until Sheriffs deputies arrived.

Sheriff's deputies found a small amount of marijuana in her 1990 Honda Civic, and the Cal State Fullerton graduate, who passed a sobriety test, was booked at the sheriff's station and then released about 1:25 a.m., according to the sheriff's department. Her car was impounded, supposedly with her purse, identification, and cell phone inside.

...Her father, Michael Richardson, has set up a Web site at http://www.findmitrice.info/...
An Anonymous commenter posted this web site: http://www.bringmitricerichardsonhome.blogspot.com
update Oct 21, 2009 8:09pm.

Two searches were conducted in the area stretching from Calabasas to the coast over consecutive weekends, but Richardson was not found, despite reports that she had been spotted everywhere from Los Angeles to Orange County and as far away as San Jose. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is offering a $10,000 reward for information on Richardson's whereabouts...

read entire article here

Girl found in Georgia landfill thought to be Somer Thompson

Right: Somer Thompson
this just breaks my heart

firstcoastnews.com
October 21, 2009


FOLKSTON, GA -- The child found in a Georgia landfill is a female, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
A body was discovered this afternoon while officials searched a Georgia landfill - a routine part of a missing person investigation, said Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler.

"The body of a small child has been found," Beseler said at a 4:15 p.m. news conference. "This is a rapidly unfolding matter."

He confirmed that it is a white child. The medical examiner in Georgia will do an autopsy in Savannah tomorrow.

Beseler said both parents of 7-year-old Somer Thompson who has been missing for two days after disappearing on her way home from school have been informed of the discovery...

read entire article here

CLICK HERE for complete coverage of the search for Somer Thompson from firstcoastnews.com.

also read:
Child's Body Found in Dump Near Where Somer Thompson, 7, Vanished ...
Somer Thompson Found? Cops Find Body In Georgia Landfill
Found body feared to be missing Florida girl Somer Thompson ...

This landfill is where trash from Somer's neighborhood is regularly taken, meaning the murder was probably not done in Georgia, so no federal charge. Investigators followed the trash and although the result is horrifying, at least she is found. Small consolation for a devastated family, but not knowing (Haleigh, Adji, Hasanni) has to be its own kind of hell.

Hopefully they will find items in close proximity to the body that can link her to a suspect. News reports say they will be working all night tonight to carefully remove her.

I have to wonder now, if the report is correct that a woman was driving the car 1 1/2 weeks ago when three people in a blue Nissan tried to trick a little girl to get in their car, what would that woman's involvement be? Is she Cruella herself, or doing the bidding of her significant other?

My heart goes out to Somers family and community.
The Prairie Chicken

Important Information about 2010 US Federal Census Scam

www.census.gov
October 21, 2009
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Phishing, Email Scams & Bogus Census Web Sites
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'Phishing' is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, social security numbers, bank account or credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Phishing is typically carried out by email and it often directs users to enter sensitive information at a fake web site whose look and feel are almost identical to the legitimate one.
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The Census Bureau does NOT conduct the 2010 Census via email or the Internet.
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You may receive an email from the Census Bureau regarding your participation in a survey, however:
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The Census Bureau does not request detailed personal information through email.
The Census Bureau does not send email requesting PIN codes, passwords social security numbers or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts.
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How to report phishing, email scams and bogus Census web sites:
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If you receive an email or find a web site that you suspect is falsely representing the Census Bureau:
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Do not reply or click on any links within the email.
Do not open any attachments. Attachments may contain code that could infect your computer.
Forward the email or web site URL to the Census Bureau at itso.fraud.reporting@census.gov.
After you forward the email to us, delete the message.
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You will not receive a confirmation email after forwarding the information to us. However, the Census Bureau will investigate the information and notify you of its findings. The Census Bureau can use the information, URLs and links you forward to trace the hosting web site and alert authorities to help shut down the fraudulent site.
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Is your survey legitimate?
If you have questions regarding the legitimacy of a survey questionnaire received in the mail, a phone call or visit by a Census Bureau employee, or other concerns of a non-cyber nature, please visit our Are You In a Survey? page.

Misty Croslin and two friends Robbed buying Drugs


October 20, 2009

Officers Say Cummings, 2 Women Robbed At Apartment Complex

PALATKA, Fla. -- Palatka police said Misty Croslin, the former stepmother of missing 6-year-old Haleigh Cummings, and two other women were robbed Monday night.
Police said officers arrived at the Ragsdale Apartment Complex on Moody Road in Palatka at 8:15 p.m.

According to one of the victims, Brandy Steedley, 18, the women had driven to the complex so that one of the girls in the car could make [a drug] contact with a friend.

Police said as the girl was getting back to the vehicle, two or three unidentified men approached the vehicle. They reportedly grabbed Croslin and stole her purse.

Police said Croslin was able to get back in the vehicle, and she and Steedley drove off in the vehicle. The third girl, identified as 22-year-old Melinda Santmyer, ran off on foot...
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Also Art Harris on The Bald Truth has an update regarding an interview with Misty's father.

Kansas wildlife biologists confirm mountain lion sighting


BY COURTNEY LOONEY
The Wichita Eagle

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks officials said a mountain lion was photographed by a deer hunter northwest of WaKeeney, in Trego County.

After more than a century of rumors of mountain lions in Kansas, state wildlife biologists confirmed this week that a live mountain lion has been found in Kansas.

"We have literally dozens and hundreds of mountain lion sightings turned in to us," said Mike Miller, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks spokesman. "Usually the pictures are so blurry, you can't see any detail."

On Oct. 12, a man hunting in northwest WaKeeney in Trego County made not only a discovery, but history, too. The man snapped photos of what this week became the first verified, live mountain lion in Kansas since 1904.

Amber Alert for Somer Thompson 7, another Florida girl

wctv.tv

AMBER ALERT:
ENDANGERED SOMER RENEE THOMPSON
Date Missing: 10/19/2009
Missing From: Orange Park, FL
County: CLAY
Birth Date: 4/5/2002
Age Disappeared: 7 yrs 6 months
Height: 3' 07"
Race: White
Hair: Brown
Weight: 065
Sex: Female
Eyes: Brown

Narrative: A Florida AMBER Alert has been issued for Somer Thompson. She was last seen in the area of West Gano Avenue and Debarry Avenue in Orange Park.

She was last seen wearing a black shirt under a cranberry colored sweat suit with pink stripes running down the arms and legs. She possibly has a red bow in her hair and may have been wearing a white hat and a white scarf.

The phone number of Clay County Sheriff's Office has been updated to 1-877-227-6911
FDLE MISSING ENDANGERED PERSONS INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE1-888-FL MISSINGhttp://www.fdle.state.fl.us

If you have any information concerning the whereabouts of this endangered person, please contact the Clay County Sheriff's Office at 1-877-277-6911 or 911
________________________________________________________________

Massive Search Continues For 7-Year-Old
Abduction Attempted 10 Days Ago

It was reported yesterday, October 20, that Somer had been walking home from school on Monday with her twin brother and older sister, when Somer decided to go ahead of the others. When they arrived at their home, Somer was nowhere to be found. They phoned their mother at work, who came home and the police were notified about 5:00pm on Monday.

It had been report one week before that a woman and two men in a blue Nissan sedan had attempted to get another little girl into their car. She was on her bicycle when the woman driving told her that the child's mother had sent her to pick her up. A driver in another car stopped and interceded, asking the girl if she knew those people and when she said no, the car sped off. It' unknown whether the incident is related to Somer Thompson's disappearance, but seems likely.

The Prairie Chicken

Lemaricus Davidson Trial day 2


The Prairie Chicken
October 20, 2009
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This morning the victims mothers were put on the stand and asked various questions; Channon's mother identified her daughters clothing, discussed the last times she spoke with her daughter and described the futile attempt to get Knoxville Police involved, until Chris' body was found Sunday, mid-morning. By then the family had already found the car based on a grid search of the area of the last cell tower use from Channon's phone.
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Both mom's were asked about their knowledge of Channon and Chris' drug use, which was apparently recreational. Channon had a small amount of alcohol in her system and Adderall, a drug prescribed to her brother. Chris had marijuana in his system and his friend said yesterday that he had removed a small amount from Chris' truck after the murders.
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Channon's golf shoes were found in Davidson's house. What in the hell did he think he was going to do with ladies golf shoes?
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Stacy Lawson took the stand last, after the landlord of the Chipman property that Davidson and his girlfriend Sutton had leased. Stacy is the girlfriend of George "G" Thomas, due to be tried next. Stacy is a rubeneque white woman who had driven Thomas, Cobbins and Coleman down to Knoxville from Kentucky on December 28. She stayed there over New Years and went back alone on January 2, before the murders. Her testimony consisted of the drug usage (everyone), the guns in the house and Davidson having gotten mad at her, threatening her, just prior to her leaving.
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Another question asked and answered was what type cigarettes were smoked by occupants of the house during her stay. She testified that Davidson, Cobbins, Thomas and Coleman all smoked Newports. It was much earlier reported (not in court today) that a Newport cigarette butt was found at the scene of Newsom's death.
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For articles read:
Gene Patterson's Twitter coverage (excellent)--thank you Gene!
Knoxville News
WBIR.com

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Trial set for January in Casey Anthony fraud case

Orlando Sentinel
Sarah Lundy Sentinel Staff Writer
October 16, 2009

The trial for Casey Anthony's check fraud case is set for Jan. 25, according to court officials. A pre-trial hearing will be on Dec. 18. Casey Anthony, 23, is charged with more than a dozen fraud counts, including check forgery. She's accused of writing $662 in checks that belong to a friend, Amy Huizenga. Her defense team has asked that the trial be moved outside of Orange County. Prosecutors wanted the fraud trial to be held before Casey Anthony's murder trial...
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And in other news, Casey emptied out her jail house bank account, even going in debt $10 and some change. As usual, George brought a $50 money order down to the jail, signed by Cindy, to pay off the debt and fund her next case of munchies. She never stops...its incredible.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Lemaricus Davidson trial: Judge warns families about commenting to/on lawyers

knoxnews.com
By Jamie Satterfield
Posted October 19, 2009

KNOXVILLE - A Knox County judge this afternoon threatened to remove from the courtroom relatives of a couple at the center of a torture slaying if they make any more derogatory comments to or about attorneys representing alleged ringleader Lemaricus Davidson...

In a surprising move he publicly ordered the relatives not to make comments about the defense team to the media...

The incident came after Davidson's attorney Trant asked witness Josh Anderson, who was a friend of Newsom's, what he removed from Newsom's truck after the 23-year-old went missing. "We had gotten his weed, his marijuana," Anderson said.

...Defense attorney Scott Green, who represented Davidson's brother, Letalvis Cobbins in August, made it a point to say throughout the trial that he did not intend to sully the reputations of either victim. Trant's question shows that Davidson's defenders are not so squeamish.

In opening statements this morning, Eldridge said the "gang from Kentucky" killed the Knox County couple and set Davidson up to take the fall...Davidson's defense made clear that they will seek to blame Cobbins, Cobbins' pal, George Thomas, and Cobbins' girlfriend, Vanessa Coleman.

Cobbins was convicted of rape and murder but escaped the death penalty.

read entire article here

Transcript of the Jan. 11, 2007 interrogation of Letalvis Cobbins

Transcript of the Jan. 31, 2007, interrogation of Vanessa Coleman

Lemaricus Davidson Trial day 1: Opening statements set today

Right: Lemaricus Davidson
Alleged ringleader of killings in 2007 gets his wish of Knox jury
By Jamie Satterfield
October 19, 2009 am
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Knoxville, Tennessee--
...The courtroom will be packed with family and friends of the slain couple and, authorities expect, more than a few angry gawkers. Davidson himself will be flanked by plain-clothes Knox County Sheriff’s Office deputies and seated with two defense attorneys who have found themselves and their families the subject of death threats serious enough to rate an FBI probe.
And, he will face two prosecutors perched atop a mountain of forensic evidence linking Davidson to the crimes and an account by Davidson...
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The prosecutors themselves handed the defense fodder in the form of two mystery male DNA profiles on underwear saturated with Christian’s DNA. That, coupled with a statement from Cobbins’ attorney that Davidson was claiming in jail calls he had dated Christian, has fueled rumors Davidson might seek to defend himself by trashing the reputation of his victims...
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It could be a clever strategy that will become clear in the next two weeks of trial. Or it could turn out to be just what Davidson lamented to Flores back in January 2007. “Ya’ll know now,” Davidson said of what happened to the couple. “Ain’t nothing I can do … that’s gonna (sic) save me or gonna (sic) help me.”
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Read Lemaricus Davidson January 2007 statement here

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Man Tasered By Deputies Dies in Orlando, Florida

cfnews13.com
Thursday, October 02, 2008

ORLANDO -- Jose Amaro, 45, was Tasered after deputies said he resisted arrest when they tried to stop him from walking into traffic at Landstreet Road and Orange Blossom Trail.
Witnesses said he was foaming at the mouth and waving around a squeegee.

Officers Tasered Amaro three times before they were able to get him into custody. He died a short time later after being taken to the hospital.

"We have to do what we have to do as a law enforcement agency. We will look into this incident and make sure that everything we did was appropriate," said Jim Solomons from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

"Take him down, put the cuffs on him, and put him in the car. Why can't they go back to that? They're going to this Taser thing, being lazy," said Feliz Amaro, the victim’s brother.

Family members said Amaro was drinking and doing cocaine earlier that evening. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday morning. Feliz Amaro said his brother was schizophrenic.

Man dies after police in California use Taser on him

The Associated Press
The Kansas City Star
via kansascity.com
Sunday, october 18, 2009

Police say a 19-year-old man has died in Southern California after officers used a Taser to subdue him at a board-and-care facility.

A San Bernardino police department statement says the man died at a hospital early Saturday.
The department says officers had been summoned to the facility to investigate a fight involving three people late Friday night.

Police say officers separated the trio but "one of the subjects became combative and a Taser was deployed to control him."

The man was having trouble breathing, and police called paramedics. He was pronounced dead at a hospital about an hour later. The man's name and cause of death haven't been released.

Pennsylvania Man Busted With Pot Stuck To Forehead


Police in central Pennsylvania say they've nabbed a real pothead.

Reporter: Associated Press
Thursday, October 15, 2009

They say an officer spotted 29-year-old Cesar Lopez inside a convenience store with a bag of marijuana stuck to his forehead.

Investigators say Lopez was seen peering inside his baseball cap early Saturday morning in Lebanon, about 75 miles northwest of Philadelphia. When Lopez looked up, the officer noticed a small plastic bag appearing to contain marijuana stuck to his forehead.

Police say the officer peeled the bag off Lopez's forehead and placed him under arrest. He has been charged with drug possession. Police do not know whether Lopez has an attorney.

Authorities say the sweatband of a baseball cap is a frequent hiding place for drugs.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

The Haleigh Cummings disappearance saga

The Prairie Chicken
October 17, 2009

For the best coverage on the case, check out Art Harris on The Bald Truth. His articles are much more hands-on than the main-stream media. In the latest piece, Art talks about the verbal tiff between Tim Miller of Equusearch, father of kidnapped and murdered daughter Laura, and Marc Klass, father of kidnapped and murdered daughter Polly.

Klass started it by criticising Tim Miller's involvement with Donna Brock in relocating Misty Croslin to Orlando to get her away from Ronald, who had made verbal death threats against her, and to glean any possible additional information from Misty.

Miller immediately answered by finding, with his company, his 102nd missing person since he started in 2000. The shocker was Miller responding that Klass did nothing but make a living off of his dead daughters name. wow.

From myfoxorlando.com
Lisa Croslin extradited to Florida
Misty Cummings stopped in road rage…
Misty Cummings talks on national TV

From news4jax.com
Cummings' Attorney Talks On National TV
Misty: Family's 'Other Side' Has Haleigh

From Ocala.com
Haleigh's dad, stepmother divorce
Attorney for Misty Cummings steps down

Misty apparently does have an attorney, as this week it was reported that she wants to rescind the restraining order against her brother Tommy. Mom Lisa finally made bond and has been released. She and Tommy are probably not allowed to leave the area without permission, both pending court dates. Her family will pull her back into the fold and they will go on, as families do.

And watch out ladies, Ronald M Cummings is back on the beef-cake market and is on the look-out for his next little girlfriend. Requirements: must be under 18, available to baby-sit and able to accept direction. For his part: he is an unemployed, smoking, drinking, known druggie and suspected drug dealer, who is abusive to women and children, likes to get in fist-fights and act like a tough guy, carries a gun and engages in mind-games and manipulation. And he lives with his grandma. What a catch.

As I predicted last week, when Nancy Grace confronted Ron Cummings on her television show and told him she didn't believe him, I thought we'd seen the last of him there. A lowly woman called him out on national tv. And sure enough, for the rest of the week all she had were clips from previous shows. It appears that the only women who are constant in his life are his mother and grandmother, both of which are apparently willing to financially support his grown-up self, fawn over him and call him Ronnie.

The good news, though, is that the DFS has opened another investigation into Ron Cummings as custodial parent based on Tim Miller's recounting Ron showing Tim an assault rifle, two 32 round clips and stated in front of Jr that Ron would shoot Misty, himself, and take out a couple of people with them. Tim Miller is an impeccable witness. Maybe they will finally see that Jr is in danger and let him go live with his mama.

Fort Worth, Texas: Officer not disciplined in deadly Taser incident

October 16, 2009

By ANGELA K. BROWN
Associated Press
via tbo.com

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- The police officer who used a Taser on a mentally ill man who died as a result of the two high-voltage shocks will not be disciplined and remains on patrol, the Fort Worth police chief said Friday.

Police Chief Jeff Halstead said the administrative investigation into the April 18 death of Michael Patrick Jacobs Jr. is closed but declined to comment on it. He said he turned it over to the district attorney and expects a grand jury to review the case next month.

If Officer Stephanie A. Phillips were to be indicted or convicted, the 17-year police veteran would face disciplinary action, Halstead said. Aww. That's a shame, but they are missing the point that Michel Jacobs is DEAD.

Jacobs' family had called police that day to report a disturbance because he had not been taking his medication for bipolar disorder, relatives have said. Officers said he became combative.

In August the medical examiner ruled that Jacobs' death was a homicide. Phillips stunned the 24-year-old with a Taser twice - the first time for 49 seconds and the second time for 5 seconds, with a 1-second interval between the shocks, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office report.

Neither paramedics at the scene nor emergency room personnel could revive him, and he was pronounced dead about noon - an hour after police used the Taser, the report said.

Tasers issue a 50,000-volt shock that over-stimulates the nervous system and causes muscles to lock up, temporarily immobilizing a person.

An autopsy concluded that the primary cause of death was "sudden death during neuromuscular incapacitation due to application of a conducted energy device," and said no traces of alcohol or drugs, electrolyte imbalances, or signs of heart or lung disease were found - all of which can be contributing factors in a death...

Read article here

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Sheriff's Office Responds to Haleigh Cummings Rumors

firstcoastnews.com
October 13, 2009

PALATKA, FL -- The Putnam County Sheriff's Office has responded about the latest series of rumors regarding the search for Haleigh Cummings...

Calls have come in from as far away as Texas, California and Massachusetts. Calls about sightings in nearby areas come in very frequently. Recently, two sightings -- one each in Georgia and South Carolina were reported. There was videotape evidence for one of the sightings. However, the girl in the video was confirmed to be someone other than Haleigh Cummings.

Sheriff's Office officials say they still follow up on every lead that comes in...well over 4,000 -- officials are still no closer to finding out what happened to Haleigh.
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For complete information on the Search for Haleigh from First Coast News, CLICK HERE.
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Check out a great update from Art Harris at the Bald Truth

Keighley Alyea's Uncle: Second attack killed teen

Right: Keighley Ann Alyea, 18
The Associated Press
via The Wichita Eagle

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —A suburban Kansas City teenager whose body was found earlier this week regained consciousness after she was first assaulted but then was attacked again until she died, her uncle said Wednesday.

Keighley Alyea, 18, of Overland Park was found dead in a farm field in western Missouri on Monday, nearly a week after she had been reported missing. Three men, including a former boyfriend, have been arrested and charged with her murder.

Alyea's uncle, Eddie Frentrop, 42, of Independence, Mo., said authorities told the family his niece's attacker thought she was dead at one point, but that she came to and was attacked again until she died. He did not know how Alyea was attacked...

Police have not released the cause of death or the manner in which she was assaulted.

Three Johnson County men have been arrested and charged in Alyea's death. Dustin Hilt, 18, Joseph Mattox, 21, and Gerald Calbeck, 18, each face charges of first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery. They have not entered pleas, and are being held on $2 million bond.

Frentrop said Alyea, who lived on her own and worked two jobs, had been dating Hilt "off-and-on" for about two years. Zane Todd, lawyer for Hilt, said Wednesday the suspects would likely not enter pleas until November...
The family is planning a funeral service for this weekend.
Also:

Three Men Charged In Overland Park Teen's Death - WDAF

Three Charged With Murder In Keighley Alyea Death - True Crime Report



Sunday, October 11, 2009

Anna Nicole Smith: FBI Investigated Murder Plot



National Ledger
nationalledger.com
By Samantha Lawton
Oct 10, 2009
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Tragic Playboy Playmate Anna Nicole Smith was investigated by the FBI over a plot to kill her tycoon husband's son, it has emerged. Newly-released files show the famously curvy blonde who was battling E Pierce Marshall over his late father's oil fortune, was probed by investigators in 2000 and 2001 over an apparent murder-for-hire plot.
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According to the FBI files, a revolver was recovered from Smith's home during the investigation, as well as a three-and-a-half-inch knife. Ultimately, prosecutors decided there was not enough evidence to charge Smith, who died in 2007 from a drugs overdose.
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E Pierce Marshall has also since died. During an interview with agents on July 3, 2000, "Smith began crying and denied ever making such plans," a report said. "Smith adamantly denied ever contemplating such a crime," an agent wrote. Smith's estate attorney has expressed surprise at the allegations, while representatives for Marshall's estate would not comment.
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Read article here
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Also read:
Foxnews FBI Probed Anna Nicole Smith in Plot to Kill Husband's Son ...
MSNBC.MSN.com FBI probed Anna Nicole Smith in murder plot - Celebrities- msnbc.com
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Anna Nicole Smith's FBI records, obtained by The Associated Press, say the agency investigated Smith in 2000 and 2001 in a murder-for-hire plot that targeted E. Pierce Marshall. He had long fought Smith from collecting his father's oil wealth, valued in the hundreds of millions. Pierce Marshall died three years ago of an aggressive infection.
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It would be hard for this writer, to imagine Anna planning to kill him. She certainly had her vices, but was a gentle soul beneath the glitz and glamour.
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In May, 2006, Anna Nicole had won a ruling by the Supreme Court that said she had a right to pursue an inheritance from the late J Howard Marshall in federal court. That was good news, she could see the fight coming to an end, but through the court, not by killing Pierce.
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Anna Nicole was in South Carolina and Florida (back and forth) with Ben Thompson, Ford Shelley and his family when Pierce died in Houston, Texas on June 23, 2006. Ford had flown to California in early June, 2006 to escort her to South Carolina, where she stayed until Stern, who had stayed in California, came to fetch her in mid July, and by October the live-in lawyer and Smith were in the Bahamas on Ben's dime.
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Howard does not escape my suspicion or scrutiny. By all accounts, Howard K Stern never left Anna's side and beginning in about 1996 gradually gained control of her assets, legal affairs and eventually her life. Why did that change right after the judgement from the Supreme Court?
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I would really like to know where Stern was and what he was doing after Anna Nicole went to South Carolina with Ford Shelley. Especially on June 23, 2006, when E. Pierce Marshall died unexpectedly of an odd aggressive infection. He says he was working on the Supreme Court case. I do not believe him.
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Now I wonder why The Associated Press requested the file. It was reportedly heavily blacked out in some areas, which gives me hope that someone in the media, law enforcement or the district attorneys office is also interested in where Stern was on June 23. We already know that he doesn't mind being "loose" with medications.
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