Statement Analysis

7 Year Old Dies Alone in Fire

2012-02-11T07:02:00.002-05:00

Trailer fire claims life of 7-year-old boy in Corinth

Amanda Rand (second from left) and her husband Nicholas Rand (on ground) are comforted by Penobscot County Sheriff deputies, Andy Whitehouse (third from left) and Sgt. William Sheehan (third from right) after being stopped at the entrance to their driveway in Corinth on Friday, Feb. 10, 2012 and being informed about the death of their 7-year-old son Christian Rand, who died in a fire at the family's camper trailer.

By Ryan McLaughlin, BDN Staff

Posted Feb. 10, 2012, at 10:11 a.m.
Last modified Feb. 10, 2012, at 7:42 p.m.

View Corinth, Maine in a larger map

CORINTH, Maine — Tragedy struck a local family Friday morning as a camper fire claimed the life of a 7-year-old boy.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office identified the boy as Christian Rand, whose body was discovered in the burned-out trailer just after 9:30 a.m.

When firefighters went to the scene, the trailer was engulfed in flames.

“The cause of the fire is still under investigation,” Sgt. Tim York of the State Fire Marshal’s Office said early Friday afternoon.

York added that officials don’t know where the fire started yet.

The boy’s parents — Amanda and Nicholas Rand — weren’t home when the fire broke out, according to Maine Department of Public Safety spokesman Stephen McCausland. McCausland said the boy was home from school Friday because of illness and was asleep in the trailer at the time of the fire.

Asked whether the boy was alone, York said Friday evening, “I’m not at liberty to discuss the details of the investigation.” However, when asked who reported the fire, York said, “The grandmother in the house next door.”

The camper was located on property owned by a relative of the Rands at 1487 Main St. in Corinth, about a half-mile north of the Kenduskeag town line, York said.

When reporters arrived on the scene just after 10 a.m., a firefighter blocked access to the driveway, and Nicholas and Amanda Rand were seen sobbing and being consoled by members of the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department.

The trailer was not visible from Route 15.

Crews from Corinth, Hudson, Glenburn and Bradford battled the blaze, while state police officers were brought in to aid the fire marshal’s office in the investigation.

The boy’s body will be taken to the state medical examiner’s office in Augusta this weekend for an autopsy, according to York. He said he hopes it will give authorities some leads in the case.

“At this point we’re not exactly sure the sequence of events that occurred,” York said when asked how the fire started. “We’re going to wait for the results of the autopsy.”

The sergeant added it’s unknown whether criminal charges will be filed in the case.

“At this point, it’s something that we’re talking about and I’m not sure that we’ve made a determination on how we’re going to proceed from this point,” York said.

York added that space heaters were used to heat the trailer, which was destroyed in the fire. All that remained of the structure was a lone wall.

The boy was a student at Kenduskeag Elementary School, according to York. He said Christian Rand had an older brother who was in school at the time of the fire.

Traffic on Route 15 was reduced to one lane while crews battled the fire. York said Amanda and Nicholas Rand are staying with relatives.

There was a fire at the same residence on June 27, 2001, according to Bangor Daily News archives. Clyde Richards lived there at the time and the mailbox still has the name “Richards” on it.

Ayla Reynolds: Assessing Risk to Young Cousin

2012-02-10T06:53:00.002-05:00

Note author covers baby Ayla case consistently and presents what should already be known to Child Protective Services: that Ayla's cousin is in a state of risk to her safety and wellbeing as long as she remains in that home.

http://news.yahoo.com/dangers-baby-aylas-home-pose-threat-cousin-gabriella-222400128.html

Do Dangers of Baby Ayla's Home Pose Threat to Cousin Gabriella?

By Carol Bengle Gilbert | Yahoo! Contributor Network – Wed, Feb 8, 2012

As the missing baby Ayla Reynolds investigation extends into a second month, violence continues to mark the family. Ayla's uncle Lance DiPietro faces assault charges after allegedly exiting a vehicle driven by Ayla's father Justin DiPietro Monday and attacking the father of their sister Elisha DiPietro's baby Gabriella. According to NECN, Lance allegedly kicked Justin Linnell in the face.

Police said Lance confronted Linnell with a bat, accused him of "saying stuff about my family," and the two got into a scuffle during which Linnell fell, the Portland Press-Herald noted. While Linnell was down, Lance kicked him in the face, police said.

Waterville Police Deputy Chief Charles Rumsey told Bangor Daily News the dispute was about Gabriella. Linnell had just come from the courthouse where he tried to move up a custody hearing date.

Violence and danger are repetitive themes within Ayla's paternal family. Baby Gabriella lives in the same home from which Ayla "disappeared," with two of three adults police say aren't forthcoming about Ayla's fate. Is she safe among the DiPietros and their associates?

* Ayla suffered a broken arm while living in the DiPietro house. Her mother Trista Reynolds sought primary custody before the little girl's reported disappearance in part due to concerns her daughter may have suffered violence in DiPietro's care. She cited facial bruises, a strained muscle, and a broken arm, all occurring within a 50 day period. While DiPietro told her the injuries were accidental, Reynolds said she had doubts. Elisha was home when Ayla's arm broke, according to Phoebe DiPietro.

* Ayla's blood was found in Justin DiPietro's basement bedroom. The Kennebec Journal reported there was more blood than a small cut would produce. Nancy Grace noted when blood is found with luminol, as with some of baby Ayla's blood, it often indicates a high velocity impact.

* Linnell is barred from seeing Gabriella due to a protection from abuse order, the Portland Press-Herald said.

* Ayla and Gabriella's uncle, Lance DiPietro, was convicted of seven misdemeanors and five civil violations prior to Monday's assault charge, according to the Morning Sentinel. His criminal history includes theft, underage drinking, and allowing a minor to possess alcohol.

* According to Associated Press, Bob Vear is a DiPietro family friend who organized vigils for Ayla. Vear acknowledged on a Find Baby Ayla Facebook page he administers, "I am a pedophile;" the post was removed but can be viewed on internet blogs.

* Vear claimed to have inside information, saying he knew about blood found in DiPietro's room on Dec. 24, weeks before that news became public. That's the same time he invited Lance DiPietro to Christmas dinner. On Facebook, Vear wrote to an unidentified friend, "I know what you know. The 'Gig' is over. It's time to Fess Up. To be a man and do the right thing."

* Violence appears to be the norm in the DiPietro family. When asked about her reaction to learning of Ayla's disappearance, Phoebe DiPietro, Justin's mother, replied, "I...thought that I didn't want my son to go get any of his friends and go kicking in doors looking for her."

Sunday, in an unrelated missing person case, Josh Powell, the sole suspect in his wife's 2009 disappearance, killed his two young sons. Warning signs his sons were endangered included child pornography on his computer and his bizarre account of taking the toddlers camping outdoors in a blizzard the night their mother was last seen. The public ponders today how tragedy could have been averted; perhaps that question should be asked prospectively in high profile missing persons cases.

Lena Lunsford Shows Up at Search Headquarters

2012-02-10T06:48:00.000-05:00

Not unlike Scott Peterson, Lena Lunsford showed up at the search for little Aliayah.

Those looking for missing 3-year-old Aliayah Lunsford got a welcomed surprise when Aliayah's mother showed up at the incident command center this morning.

Aliayah's extended family members tell us that Lena Lunsford showed up by herself at the Eagle's club early Thursday morning, all on her own will.

Those we spoke to say it was a good, unexpected visit. Lena showed up early this morning and stayed for a few hours. During her time there, she prayed with her family and volunteers for her daughter's return and connected with some of her extended family members. Lena hasn't spoken to cameras since her daughter was first reported missing and a lot of her extended family hasn't talked to her either. They say they believe she is truly sincere and wants her daughter home.

While she was there... volunteers continued the physical searches for Aliayah.

They're all doing this in conjunction with the Patriot Outreach PPP Recovery Program team members. This team will be here until Saturday morning. While they're here there's an additional reward on top of the $20,000 being offered by the FBI for the immediate recovery of Aliayah.

If you have information that could lead to that, you can call the incident command center at 910- 627-3244.

Maine Podiatrist Sells Oxy Scripts

2012-02-09T17:06:00.000-05:00

This is how dealers get scripts for oxys to sell...30, 60, or 90 at a time. This is the norm.

How Courtney Robert's sister got her hands on 1,000 puts her, and the apartment she ran business out of, into a very different scenario.

Man arrested after chasing woman who has protection order against him, police say »

Former Portland podiatrist faces drug, fraud charges

The Associated Press

Posted Feb. 09, 2012, at 12:13 p.m.
Last modified Feb. 09, 2012, at 1:22 p.m.

PORTLAND, Maine — A grand jury in Maine has indicted a former podiatrist on drug distribution and health care fraud charges.

U.S. Attorney Thomas Delahanty II said Thursday that 50-year-old John Perry, who now lives in Bridgton, is charged with 43 counts of distribution of a controlled substance, one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and one count of health care fraud.

The indictment alleges that while working at Atlantic Foot and Ankle in Portland in 2009 and 2010, Perry wrote prescriptions with no medical purpose, traded prescriptions for cash and cocaine and made up patient charts to cover up his illegal prescriptions.

Perry’s attorney, Leonard Sharon of Auburn, said he will begin reviewing the evidence against his client. He said Perry’s arraignment is scheduled for Friday.

Ayla Reynolds: 'Bath Salts' Cause of Violence?

2012-02-09T12:09:00.000-05:00

When someone covers up for another, there is always a motive.

The motive may be affection; a wife covering for her husband, a boyfriend covering for a girlfriend, and so on. When this is present in a more serious crime (one in which guilt would be high, and the consequences to the guilty be high), the bond between them, including the secrets kept, must be very strong.

The other motive is self preservation. This is most often stronger than love and affection. Silence between 2 is difficult, but silence between 3 is next to impossible.

What caused the violence that had Alya's blood spilled?

Where there are drugs, there are problems and given the DiPietro history (including most recent) of violence, coupled with drugs, it does not stretch the imagination to grasp what might have happened.

Locals raise a new question:

Were all three of the inhabitants of the house on bath salts?

It is not a stretch, given the nature of the home and the volume of bath salts stories in the local region in and around Waterville.

Justin DiPietro, Elisha DiPietro and Courtney Roberts have all been said to be withholding information from the police.

It is likely a bond of love and affection between all three.

Will all three, rather than two, face the most serious of charges?

Training Announcement: Canada

2012-02-09T08:09:00.000-05:00

http://www.iiirg.org/2012/conference-and-masterclass-2012/

Conference and Masterclass 2012

The Conference and Masterclass is fast-approaching and the deadline for abstracts, symposia and practictioner case studies is the 6th of January 2012 (just the end of this week!!!). If you haven’t already done so, please submit your abstract, symposia, poster, or practitioner case study via our website before the 6th of January 2012, or you will not be able to present anything at the Conference. Below are some important dates for you:

Masterclass dates 22nd and 23rd of May 2012
Conference dates 24th, 25th and 26th of May 2012 (8.30am to 5pm)

Abstract submission deadline 6th of January 2012 (notified by 31st of January 2012)

Masterclass application deadline 6th of January 2012 (notified by 31st of January 2012)

Bursary applications deadline 6th of January 2012 (notified by 31st of January 2012)

Earlybird rate deadline 10th of February 2012

Deadline for conference registrations 1st of May 2012

If you would like to know anything else about the Conference and Masterclass, please go to our website (www.iiirg.org) where you will find further information

Oil Can Admits Drug Use

2012-02-09T07:16:00.001-05:00

Time to churn up orders?

Oil Can’ Boyd Admits To Pitching Under Influence Of Cocaine

February 8, 2012 4:23 PM

Dennis ‘Oil Can’ Boyd. (Courtesy Sean Haffey/Getty Images)

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BOSTON (CBS) – Former Red Sox pitcher Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd admitted on Wednesday that two-thirds of the time he was on the mound, he was under the influence of cocaine.

“Oh yeah, at every ballpark. There wasn’t one ballpark that I probably didn’t stay up all night, until four or five in the morning, and the same thing is still in your system,” Boyd told WBZ NewsRadio 1030’s Jonny Miller in Fort Myers, Fla. “It’s not like you have time to go do it while in the game, which I had done that.

“Some of the best games I’ve ever, ever pitched in the major leagues I stayed up all night; I’d say two-thirds of them,” said Boyd, who spent eight of his 10 major league seasons with the Red Sox. “If I had went to bed, I would have won 150 ballgames in the time span that I played. I feel like my career was cut short for a lot of reasons, but I wasn’t doing anything that hundreds of ball players weren’t doing at the time; because that’s how I learned it.”

Despite that, Boyd said he has no regrets.

“It was something that I had to deal with personally and I succumbed,” he said. “I lived through my life and I feel good about myself. I have no regrets about what I did or said about anything that I said or did. I’m a stand-up person and I came from a quality background of people.”

Boyd, who went 78-77 with 799 career strikeouts with the Red Sox, Expos and Rangers, said he received support from some teammates, but not all.

“All of them didn’t rally around me,” he explained. “All of them knew and the ones that cared came to me. The Dwight Evans and Bill Buckners… It was the veteran ball players. Some guys lived it… They knew what you were doing, and the only way they knew was they had to have tried it too.”

Boyd explained why he believes he got a worse reputation than some others.

“The reason I caught the deep end to it is because I’m black. The bottom line is the game carries a lot of bigotry, and that was an easy way for them to do it,” Boyd said. “If I wasn’t outspoken and a so-called a ‘proud black man,’ maybe I would have gotten the empathy and sympathy like other ballplayers got that I didn’t get; like Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Steve Howe. I can name 50 people that got third and fourth chances all because they weren’t outspoken black individuals.”

Boyd said he was never asked to take a drug test during his playing days.

“I never had a drug test as long as I played baseball,” he said. “I was told that, yeah, if you don’t stop doing this we’re going to put you into rehab, and I told them (expletive) that (expletive). I’m going to do what I have to do, I have to win ball games. We’ll talk about that in the offseason, right now I have to win ball games.”

The retired Red Sox pitcher has been busy as of late. His autobiography, “They Call Me Oil Can,” is scheduled for publication in June. In May, he will be filming his role as pitcher Satchel Paige in a major motion picture about Jackie Robinson, starring Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey, Richard Gere and Chadwick Boseman as Robinson, the first African-American to play Major League Baseball.

Powell 911 Call to be Investigated

2012-02-09T06:57:00.000-05:00

Agency to investigate 911 call in Powell fire

BY MIKE BAKER AND GENE JOHNSON, Associated Press

SEATTLE -- A social worker pleaded with a 911 dispatcher throughout a nearly seven-minute call to quickly get police to Josh Powell's house after he locked himself inside with his two sons.

It took almost two minutes from the start of the call for the dispatcher to learn Powell's address and more than three minutes to understand that she was there to supervise a child custody visit. Near the end of the call, she asked how long before officers could get there.

"I don't know, ma'am," he said. "We have to respond to emergency life-threatening situations first."

She responded: "This could be life-threatening ... I'm afraid for their lives!"

Authorities said the call could have been handled better, and that it was unfortunate for the dispatcher to leave the social worker with the impression no help was immediately on the way. The agency that runs the call center said it would review the matter and start a disciplinary investigation if necessary.

Still, the recordings raised questions about an emergency response to a custody visit that ended with Powell killing himself and his boys.

Pierce County Sheriff's Detective Ed Troyer said deputies appeared to have been dispatched during the call, and he did not believe the conversation caused unnecessary delays.

"Are we unhappy with the etiquette and the manner? Yes," Troyer said. "Did it affect the response time? No. Dispatchers are typing information and addresses while they're on the phone with callers."

Troyer said his department is waiting for a copy of the "call-and-dispatch" log from the 911 center to see exactly how long it took for deputies to respond.

The details of the emergency calls emerged in audio recordings released by the sheriff's office late Tuesday. They did not include time stamps, and the call center did not immediately respond to a public records request from The Associated Press for the dispatch log.

The social worker had driven the Powell boys, 5 and 7, from their grandparents' home to their father's house on Sunday. Josh Powell had lost custody of the boys last fall, after his father, with whom they lived, was arrested in a child pornography and voyeurism investigation.

When she arrived, the boys ran into the house, and Powell slammed the door in her face, locking it.

She called her supervisor and 911 using her cell phone, reaching the call center in Tacoma about ten miles away from Powell's house in Puyallup, authorities said.

In the first minutes of her first 911 call, the woman quickly laid out the situation:

"Something really weird has happened. The kids went into the house and the parent -- the biological parent -- whose name is Josh Powell will not let me in the door. What should I do? ... I could hear one of the kids crying, and he still wouldn't let me in."

Nearly 20 seconds into the call, the dispatcher asked her for the address. The social worker didn't know and needed to look for it. It took her about 90 seconds to find it in her car.

At one point, she asked, "You can't find me by GPS?"

He responded: "No." And then there was a pause of approximately 10 seconds.

Pierce County, the second largest in the state and home to about 800,000 people, has an enhanced 911 system that is designed to give police an approximate location of the cell phone caller. It wasn't immediately clear if the call center used that feature to locate the social worker.

While she's still looking for the address, she said, "But I think I need help right away."

The dispatcher proceeded to question her repeatedly about who she was and her role.

"Who is there to exercise the visitation?" he asked.

"I am," she said. "The visit is with Josh Powell. And he's the husband of ...

"And who's supervising?" he asked.

"I supervise."

"So you supervise and you're doing the visit? You supervise yourself?" he asked.

"I supervise myself. I'm the supervisor here."

"Wait a minute. If it's a supervised visit, you can't supervise yourself if you're the visitor."

After getting it straight, the dispatcher told her: "We'll have somebody look for you there."

"OK, how long will it be?" the woman asked.

That's when the dispatcher responded by saying he didn't know and that they respond to life-threatening emergencies first.

Moments later, the house erupted in flames.

The woman screamed in a separate call: "He exploded the house!"

Authorities also released a 911 call Josh Powell's sister made Sunday, saying she received emails from her brother explaining what to do with his property and saying he couldn't live without his sons.

Alina Powell told a dispatcher she feared her brother was going to do something because of pressure he faced after his wife, Susan, disappeared two years ago in Utah. Authorities considered him a "person of interest" in the case.

Crying, Alina Powell told the dispatcher: "I'm terrified to drive over there. I'm not afraid of him. He's never hurt me. I'm afraid of seeing something I don't want to see."

Teen Stabs Grandma 93 Times

2012-02-09T06:54:00.000-05:00

Another example of deep, personal hatred and the desire to see others suffer:

Florida teen charged with stabbing grandmother over 90 times, wanted to make uncle suffer

Published February 09, 2012

| FoxNews.com

LAKE WALES, Fla. – A Florida teenager was charged Wednesday with murdering his grandmother by stabbing her 93 times and shooting her in the head with a crossbow.

Jasper Aristotle Smiddie, 19, allegedly stabbed his grandmother, 67-year-old Gloria Helfrich, 93 times, hitting her with a wrench and then shooting her with a crossbow.

Authorities say Smiddie decided to kill his grandmother to make his uncle suffer. They say he originally plotted to kill his uncle, but decided to kill Helfrich instead.

"He decided, 'Well, I'll kill my grandmother instead so that my uncle has to live with the death of his mother for the rest of his life,' " Sheriff Grady Judd of the Polk County Sheriff's Department said.

Authorities say they do not know why the teen hated his uncle so vehemently.

Police say Smiddie killed his grandmother in her bedroom in the home they shared. Then, in a bizarre twist. he locked the door and waited for his uncle to get home. The teen then ate dinner and watched television with his uncle, who had no idea his mother lay dead in her bedroom.

Smiddie left the home in the morning, then reportedly called his father in Tampa and told him what he had done. His father called the police, and directed them to the woman's body.

Smiddie was arrested near his girlfriend's home and charged with first-degree murder.

Teen charged with killing his grandmother with a crossbow: MyFoxORLANDO.com

Statement Analysis: Justin DiPietro's Situation

2012-02-08T12:06:00.023-05:00

In commenting upon the assualt involving his brother, Justin DiPietro makes a very important statement.

First, a look at Lance DiPietro.

Simple math test:

If you have been convicted 7 times, and you are only 27 years old, approximately how many times were you likely to have been arrested?

a. 7
b. 7-14
c. 14-21
d. more than 21

For many, the answer will likely be c. (d receives partial credit)

When a young man is this often in trouble, youthful records are often sealed, and the number of arrests or even the number of charges, is often 2-3 times more than the number of convictions. This does not include the number of times he wa not caught.

The following is an article from the Onlinesentinel.com with Statement Analysis and commentary in bold type.

Fight was 'unfortunate,' Ayla's uncle says

WATERVILLE -- The uncle of missing child Ayla Reynolds said he didn't want an altercation Monday.
The uncle, Lance DiPietro, 27, was summoned on a charge he assaulted Justin Linnell, 22, around noon in a Waterville parking lot. DiPietro was in a car driven by his younger brother, Justin DiPietro, when the fight happened.
Lance DiPietro said Linnell had been spreading rumors about the DiPietro family after the disappearance of his brother's daughter, Ayla.

"I don't get in fights," DiPietro said during a phone interview Tuesday. "But, in light of this situation I have to be this person. ... I have to protect my family -- and I will."

Please note "I don't get into fights" is present tense and does not refer to his history of getting into fights. Someone can say this and be truthful if they have just now, made a vow to not get into fights any longer.
Note the word "this" rather than "that"; with "this" showing closeness to the fight.
Note that he does not refer to himself as a man or a guy, but uses the gender neutral "person", which is unexpected.

The language shows an attempt to distance (using gender neutral) yet a real closeness with assaultive behavior ("this" is repeated) which appears consistent with both his records and local reports of his history of cowardly bullying, including while in school.

The incident began while Justin DiPietro was driving on College Avenue toward Fairfield. Lance DiPietro, who was in the passenger seat, said he heard someone shouting at them. DiPietro saw Linnell on the sidewalk across the street, and said Linnell was acting in a threatening manner.

Note that Justin DiPietro pulled the car over for the fight, and drove from the scene, yet was not charged by Waterville Police Department.
Linnell denied shouting at the DiPietros, but confirmed that he had been openly speculating about Ayla Reynolds' disappearance in recent days.

Failed polygraphs, deception, news releases of Ayla's blood will cause some to "openly speculate" about what happened to Ayla. Does this warrant an assault?
Linnell is the father of Ayla's cousin, Gabriella Linnell. He is not married to Gabriella's mother, Elisha DiPietro, Justin and Lance DiPietro's sister. A protection-from-abuse order forbids Linnell from seeing his daughter or her mother, according to court records.
"I just wanted to confront him and maybe have a war of words. It's pretty unfortunate that things escalated the way they did," Lance DiPietro said.

Note that the word "maybe" indicates that he had something else, besides a "war of words" on his mind. Is this why he took his mini baseball bat with him? Is this the same bat used on their own windows?
A short fight ensued. DiPietro knocked Linnell to the ground and kicked him in the face, according to police. DiPietro then got back into his brother's car and they continued toward Fairfield.

According to police, DiPietro kicked Linnell in the face after Linnell was already on the ground.

Justin DiPietro said he was unaware of the fight.

"I didn't see anything that happened," he said. "We didn't discuss what had happened."

Note what someone reports as not happening, nor not discussed; yet note that he uses the word "we" regarding his brother, indicating unity. This will likely remind readers of his mother who did not "hear anything" either. Follow up interview should ask:

"Tell me about what you didn't see..."

DiPietro said he didn't learn about the incident until police questioned him at home. He added he was upset with his older brother.
"Obviously, the situation that I'm in, it's not going to help anything by him going out and doing that," he said.

Please note: "the situation that I'm in" rather than the "situation that Ayla's in". This is a strong verbal indicator that the situation belongs to Justin DiPietro, and not to Ayla Reynolds. Humans are possessive creatures and possessive pronouns do not lie. "I'm in" takes possession of the "situation". It is not "Ayla's" situation, but it is his. This should not be missed by police.

Lance DiPietro said he doesn't know what happened to Ayla and he tries to stay optimistic.
"I want to keep my hopes up and think that she's somewhere smiling and she's warm and happy," he said. "Any other way to think other than that ... it's too hard. I try not to think bad things."

"I want to" does not mean that he does, only that it is a desire.
Note the word "that" shows distance from what he "wants" to think about her "smiling"
Note that which is "too hard" to think is "bad things."
The "bad things" would need to be explored via follow up questions, in particular, about what "bad things" has he considered, including possible consequences for his little brother, whom he feels the need to fight for.

Lance DiPietro's debating skills seem to be consistent with what is known about the family.

Ben McCanna -- 861-9239

bmccanna@centralmaine.com

Teen Found Killing Child Amazing and Enjoyable

2012-02-08T07:32:00.000-05:00

The victim's family will be forced to pay for teen's therapy.

Missouri teen describes killing as 'pretty enjoyable' experience

Published February 06, 2012

| Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A U.S. teenager who admitted stabbing, strangling and slitting the throat of a young neighbor girl wrote in her journal on the night of the killing that it was an "ahmazing" and "pretty enjoyable" experience -- then headed off to church with a laugh.

The words written by Alyssa Bustamante were read aloud in court Monday as part of a sentencing hearing to determine whether she should get life in prison or something less for the October 2009 murder of her neighbor, 9-year-old Elizabeth Olten, in Missouri.

Bustamante, 18, sat silently as law enforcement officers, attorneys and forensics experts read aloud the thoughts she had recorded as a 15-year-old.

A handwriting expert described how he was able to see through the blue ink that Bustamante had used in an attempt to cover up her original journal entry on the night of Elizabeth's murder. He read the entry aloud:

"I just f------ killed someone. I strangled them and slit their throat and stabbed them now they're dead. I don't know how to feel atm. It was ahmazing. As soon as you get over the 'ohmygawd I can't do this' feeling, it's pretty enjoyable. I'm kinda nervous and shaky though right now. Kay, I gotta go to church now...lol."

The journal entry was presented to the judge not long after Elizabeth's mother and other relatives pleaded with the Cole County judge to impose the maximum sentence. Bustamante pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and armed criminal action last month and faces at most a sentence of life in prison. The least she could get is 10 years.

Elizabeth's mother, Patty Preiss, described her daughter as "happy, little girl," when she left her home after begging to go play with Bustamante's younger sister.

"So much has been lost at the hands of this evil monster," Preiss tearfully said.

FBI agents seized the journal from Bustamante's bedroom during a search of her family's home the day after Elizabeth went missing as hundreds of volunteers scoured the rural area.

Elizabeth's body was found concealed under leaves in a grave in the woods behind the Bustamante home.

At a hearing in 2009, Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. David Rice testified that the teenager told him "she wanted to know what it felt like" to kill someone.

Defense attorneys Monday highlighted Bustamante's troubled childhood, referring to numerous references in her journal describing her suicidal feelings and the urge to hurt herself and others

Toddler Points Gun At Cop

2012-02-08T07:26:00.002-05:00

Mom charged after two-year-old boy points loaded gun at police in Memphis

Published February 08, 2012

| NewsCore

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A two-year-old boy pointed a loaded gun at police officers in Memphis after they were called to reports of three children being left unattended in a still-running car.

Police believe the kids -- aged four, two and nine months -- were left in the vehicle last Friday while their mother Erica Rooks had her nails done in a nearby salon, myFOXmemphis.com reported Tuesday.

Returning to the car, Rooks told police she had just gone to use the bathroom. However, investigators said a sign-in sheet at the salon showed she had just finished a full nail service.

When officers asked the 23-year-old for her license, she dropped a bag of marijuana into the car, according to police.

It was then that one of the officers noticed the two-year-old boy inside the vehicle holding a loaded gun and pointing it at them.

Rooks has been charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of an unlawful firearm, and three counts of leaving a child unattended.

She is out of jail on a $5,000 bond.

The three children were released into the custody of Rooks' uncle.

Terry Sandusky Seen Watching Children in Schoolyard

2012-02-08T07:03:00.002-05:00

Prosecutors press for tougher bail conditions after Sandusky is seen watching children in schoolyard

Published February 07, 2012

| Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Prosecutors asked Tuesday to have Jerry Sandusky kept indoors as part of his bail conditions, citing complaints that the former Penn State football assistant was seen outside and watching children in a schoolyard from the back porch of his home, where he remains under house arrest while awaiting trial on child molestation charges.

The state attorney general's office argued in a court filing that Sandusky's bail conditions should be revised so that he is not allowed outside except to seek medical treatment. Prosecutors said they opposed Sandusky's request to be allowed contact with his grandchildren as he awaits trial on 52 child sex-abuse charges.

"Several individuals from the adjacent elementary school have expressed concerns for the safety of children at their school and the adjacent neighborhood," prosecutors wrote. "Such concerns will only mushroom if defendant is permitted to roam at will outside his house."

The allegation he was watching children was outlined in an exhibit attached to the filing, a memo from a state investigator to a county probation officer that said a teacher and intern had reported concern for the children's safety.

"They advised the neighbor that yesterday they had the children outside for recess as it was a warmer day, and that they both witnessed Mr. Sandusky on his rear house deck watching the children play," wrote investigator Anthony Sassano on Jan. 26.

Sandusky's lawyer, Joe Amendola responded to the request to change the bail conditions by saying, "It is unfortunate that individuals continue to complain about the fact Jerry is not incarcerated.... for all practical purposes, he has been a prisoner in his own home since November 5th when he was initially arrested."

It said Sandusky's son's ex-wife "strenuously objects" to her three minor children having any contact with him, and that prosecutors believe Sandusky was fortunate to be granted bail.

"The commonwealth believes that (the) defendant should be in jail," prosecutors wrote. "He has been granted the privilege of being confined in his own home, which is spacious and private and where he can eat food of his own preference and sleep in his own bed at night. House arrest is not meant to be a house party."

That court document, and several motions filed late Monday by Sandusky's lawyer, come ahead of a court hearing Friday regarding his bail modification request.

Sandusky, 68, a former longtime defensive coordinator for Penn State's football team, has maintained he is innocent of the allegations, which claim he engaged in a range of illegal acts with boys over 15 years, from touching their legs to subjecting them to violent sexual assault.

As Sandusky's lawyers prepare for trial, they have asked a judge for copies of secret grand jury testimony, the phone numbers of his accusers and other material. A 37-page pretrial discovery motion sought dozens of records from the state attorney general's office, including subpoenas, photos, unredacted passages of blacked-out documents already provided to the defense, investigative notes and psychiatric records.

Amendola asked for records related to specific young men identified in grand jury reports as Sandusky's victims. Amendola said he was given the names of eight of the 10 alleged victims late last week.

A request contained in the latest defense filings concerned an interview with a former Centre County deputy prosecutor who has said little publicly about the role she may have played in the decision not to prosecute Sandusky more than a decade ago, after a mother complained about contact between Sandusky and her son in a university football team shower.

A state police report, Amendola wrote, "describes an interview with Karen Arnold, a former assistant district attorney of Centre County, wherein she and former District Attorney Ray Gricar had extensive disagreements over a 1998 police investigation regarding the defendant." Gricar disappeared in April 2005 and was declared legally dead last year.

Sandusky wants the phone numbers of his accusers so he can obtain their phone records.

"In many cases, (Sandusky) believes the accusers may have collaborated with each other in making these false accusations," Amendola wrote.

The attorney general's office said Tuesday the defense's discovery motion was under review.

Sandusky wants a list of all witnesses and a narrative of what they are expected to say on the stand, as well as the names of anyone who has come forward as a potential victim "but for various reason(s) did not fit the commonwealth's profile and/or the report was deemed to be false," Amendola wrote.

Amendola acknowledged that state criminal trial rules only require the attorney general's office to provide transcripts of prior testimony of witnesses after they have taken the stand at trial and been questioned by prosecutors.

"The defendant submits his trial in these cases will be repeatedly interrupted for extended periods if lengthy and multiple transcripts of the grand jury testimony of each witness called by the commonwealth are provided to the defendant and his attorneys only at the conclusion of the testimony of each witness," Amendola wrote.

He also asked for a copy of an interview with former football coach Joe Paterno, who died last month.

Amendola said he is opposed to a request by prosecutors to bring in a jury from outside Centre County to hear the case. He said he would file his formal response on that issue later this week.

The scandal resulted in the ousting of Paterno and school President Graham Spanier. Athletic Director Tim Curley was placed on administrative leave, and Vice President Gary Schultz, who was in charge of the university's police department, stepped down.

Schultz and Curley are charged with lying to the grand jury and failure to report to police. They maintain their innocence.

New Search for Baby Aliayah

2012-02-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

Baby Aliayah, 3, unwanted and battered, has a new search team:

NEW SEARCH, NEW REWARDNational Recovery Team In Weston Searching For Aliayah Lunsford
Reported by: Leslie Rubin
Web Producer: Leslie Rubin
Reported: Feb. 6, 2012 9:28 PM EST
Updated: Feb. 6, 2012 10:57 PM EST

EYEWITNESS ONLINE WEBCAST VIDEO
C L I C K T O P L A Y

Weston , Lewis County , West Virginia

New developments in the search for a missing Lewis County toddler.

Aliayah Lunsford, 3, went missing from her Bendale home on September 24, 2011.

On Monday, search efforts resumed, and a new reward is on the table in the case.

A nationally known search and rescue crew just arrived in Weston. Their called P.P.P. Recovery, and their a national program of Patriot Outreach.

P.P.P's group has made it their mission to find Aliayah, and bring closure to a case that's made few known strides almost five months later.

Rachel Jackson is the national director and founder of P.P.P. which stands for "Ponies, Patriots, People." They're a non-profit agency that specializes in finding missing people. Jackson says they rescue horses, ponies, and dogs, with the help of patriots, who in turn, find the missing people.

"We have to be a child's voice. We can't let a child go quiet," says Jackson

"You don't know if she's alive, you don't know if she's passsed and this is just a constant grief," explains Hunter Glass.

Glass and Joe Nicholas (Joe Nick) make up her team. All are highly trained ex law enforcement officers that have taken up Aliayah's case in a quest to dispel fact from fiction and bring the toddler home.

"There's a great chance that we may not find this little girl in five days. A phenominal chance. The odds are not in our favor but at least in five days we can maybe take this book and and cut it in half and make it a more truer novel," explains Nicholas.

The team has set up a command center of the Fraternal Order of Eagles lodge in Weston. They're backed by a group of local volunteers, and they're bringing new life to the search for Aliayah.

"Everyday gets harder, everyday not knowing," says Tina Smith, Aliayah's great aunt.

"We're going to find this child," says Vickie Bowen, another great aunt.

P.P.P announced on Monday that an additional reward is being offered, but they won't specify a dollar amount. This money will be on top of the $20,000 that is already being offered by the FBI.

"I don't care who did what, I just want to know where she's at," says Nicholas.

"We have to come in and be her voice. We have to go looking for her. We have to try to not leave any stone unturned to try to find Aliayah," says Jackson.

Jackson says anyone is welcome to call or text in tips to 910-627-3244.

The group is looking for volunteers for the rest of the week's searches. If you want to help, go to the FOE Lodge on East Third Street off of Route 33 in Weston.

Vickie Bowen would like to extended a special thank you to John Goodwin, with John's Tree Service, who is allowing them to use the FOE lodge. He also helped hang banners with Aliayah's information.

To learn more about P.P.P. Recovery, log on to http://ppprecovery.org

DiPietro: Spotlight on a Culture

2012-02-07T19:50:00.007-05:00

What is the family culture that Ayla entered and exited the world like? We've been given some snapshots and it is not a pretty picture.

It's a place where "Cops are pigs" (according to Linnell), and people will get the impression from this clan that kids from small town rural Maine dress like inner city hip hop, turn their backs on education, live generationally on welfare, and think the status of "baby daddy" is something to aspire to, have chronic "back pain", sell oxys, and play video games.

They cannot read, but can text at lightning speed, and believe that receiving free money is "owed" to them, and when they have more babies, they expect even more money. They think the debating club is a mini baseball bat to carry. They sell half their prescriptions and spend more on cigarettes than most would ever believe and get into fights at Walmart over the "rock star" parking spots. They also get arrested and have CPS knock on their door regularly. If a teacher raises a concern about a child not doing his homework, they blame the school system, rather than teach the child self control and discipline.

When they feel insult, lacking the linguistic skills, they turn to threats and they turn to violence. They are never responsible for anything.

At some point, someone will have to talk, or risk far greater consequence than the involvement demanded.

Someone in the home must be thinking that the next knock on the door might be police with a warrant for an arrest.

Because there is something else that marks this violent, lazy, cowardly and ignorant family culture:

self interest.

Justin DiPietro could not be convinced to take a polygraph, nor could he be convinced to go on television and plead for his daughter's safe return, something instincitve for a father of a kidnapped child to do.

He would not do this for Ayla.

It wasn't until he, personally, felt 'disrespected' by Trista Reynolds that he came out of hiding and released a statement, not so much about Ayla, but about his 'proof' that he gave police that he had, in deed, been texting Trista, as if anyone cared.

This proved what, exactly? Who cared that he had communication with Trista? Who cared about text messages while there was a baby missing?

He did.

If the public wondered where all this started, they did not have to wonder long as they watched the video of DiPietro's mother, Phoebe, casting her eyes down with each denial only to later admit that she slept elsewhere that night, and was never home. It takes strong nerves to go on national television and lie while your granddaughter is 'missing' and Phoebe didn't miss a beat.

Then came the release of the blood, which first frightened the public, but then infuriated them as the family and supporters minimized and even made light of, the possibility that the blood might be Ayla's.

Then police said that it was Ayla's blood.

Suddenly, the crass comments about shaving and having "blood everywhere in my house" didn't settle well with the public...the family needed something to turn the tide of public opinion in their favor.

They called 911 to report someone throwing rocks through their windows.

Problem?

There were no rocks found and people wrote openly about why they were so quick to call 911 about a broken window but waited 24 hours to bring in Ayla for medical care when her arm was broken by her father.

As if things couldn't get worse, Justin and his brother Lance, replete with his long history of arrests and convictions, took to DiPietro justice on Justin Linnell, the father of Elisha's baby, giving him a beat down in the street...just to ensure he got the message.

We got the message.

Disagree with the DiPietros and see what happens.

Poor Ayla.

She may have had a rough life, but how could she have ever known that as bad as it was with the drugs and the Reynolds, it was actually going to get worse.

This poor little girl had little chance of safety in the midst of the drugs, ignorance, machismo, and mindless violence.

The family culture has risen to the surface for the nation to see, and it is not a Rockwellian portrait of small town Maine. It is also an unfair and erroneous portrait of Maine. Maine isn't "Cousin Eddie holding out for a management position".

Maine is a beautiful place to live and it is sad that it is now being highlighted in the nation by such a rotten bunch, misrepresenting its citizens.

Sadder yet is that another day has passed and Ayla has not been located, and the Waterville Three remain uncharged, with children still at risk.

Slandered Into Silence?

2012-02-07T18:50:00.000-05:00

Clancy was reportedly maligned by a ****** relative claiming he has fleas in an obvious attempt to silence analysis.

Although the temperatures have been above normal for Maine due to global warming from cow expenditures, we have had temps down to -10 below zero.

It should be noted that fleas do not survive all that well in such cold temperatures and Clancy was out all night working on Sean's ice rink, and should be, in the least, partially dead.

No way could alleged fleas stop analysis.

Child Abusers With Money

2012-02-07T18:30:00.003-05:00

Article from online Please note that this is not written by Statement Analysis

Pageant Mother Files $30M Lawsuit Alleging ‘Sexualization’ Of Her Child By Media

January 31, 2012 by kniption

AP New York, NY - Susanna Barrett, pageant mother of 5-year-old “Toddlers & Tiaras” star Isabella Barrett, has filed a $30 million libel suit against three media outlets in which she claims that their reporting tried to ‘sexualize’ her youngster’s performance in an online video.

In response to the kindergartner’s ‘innocent’ rendition of the LMFAO song “I’m Sexy and I Know It,” Barrett claims that TMZ.com, The Huffington Post and London’s Daily Mail all “brazenly attempt to sexualize” the girl by “claiming she was gyrating in a nightclub and singing about her sex appeal.”

While the child was singing the song in a nightclub, and the song is a first person account of the singer being sexy, Barrett points out that her daughter does not, in fact, understand “sexiness.” Consequently, the media’s portrayal of her daughter’s performance as ‘sexy’ is, well, just crazy talk!

Isabella Barret and ever-present friend

Not only that… the lawsuit points out that the youngster could not have been gyrating because “she was sitting down.” Well, duh, clueless media outlets!

The video can be seen below this article, if you would like to experience the mother’s outrage for yourselves. In further support of her cause, you can gohere to see another video where the freshly spray-tanned 5-year-old takes a moment to express her contempt for a 3-year-old pageant competitor while pointing out that at least her own mother doesn’t “dress her up like a hooker.” Responsible parenting at its best…

I know that you will all agree that Isabella – shown here in a photo her mother does approve of – deserves better treatment from
her mother
the media. I also know that all of you, as I, want to adopt this woman’s
child
cause in hopes that she can somehow lead a normal life.

Write your congressman… Phone the neighbors… Organize a petition drive… Together we can stop the sexualization of this child that is being orchestrated by the media – but is so valiantly resisted by her mother.

Bishop: School System Monolithic Teaching

2012-02-07T18:30:00.000-05:00

Was the inclusion of the words "Jewish" and "holocaust"intended to silence a viewpoint? Is this akin to the "race card" by imposing inflammatory language in order to squelch an opinion? Is it this silencing of opposing opinions that led to the Holocaust?

Pa. Bishop Does Not Recant Saying that Hitler And Mussolini 'Would Love Our (Public School) System'

By Patrick Burke

February 6, 2012

(CNSNews.com) – The Catholic bishop of Harrisburg, Pa., has apologized for offending anyone with his recent comments that Hitler and Mussolini “would love” the public school system in Pennsylvania, because it is similar to what they sought to create in their totalitarian states.

But in a statement issued by the diocese of Harrisburg, Bishop Joseph McFadden did not retract comments he made during an interview on Jan. 24 with WHTM-TV, the ABC affiliate in Harrisburg.

The bishop made a comparison between the interests of the public school system and totalitarianism, while discussing what he sees as a lack of school choice in Pennsylvania.

“In the totalitarian government, they would love our system,” McFadden said. “This is what Hitler and Mussolini and all them tried to establish -- a monolith; so all the children would be educated in one set of beliefs and one way of doing things.”

Note the absence of reference to the Holocaust; only referencing facist control over education. This was seen in the Hitler youth, the school systems of Italy and Germany, the control over media and the dissemination of propaganda.

McFadden’s comments drew immediate criticism from the Anti-Defamation League and the American Civil Liberties Union – which complained that the bishop had raised the specter of the Holocaust.

"We respect the Bishop and his position in the Church. We appreciate his commitment the education of children and the viability of Catholic schools. However, he should not be making his point at the expense of the memory of six million Jews and millions of others who perished in the Holocaust," Barry Morrison, Eastern Pennsylvania/Southern New Jersey regional director of the Anti-Defamation League.

Note the inclusion of "six million Jews" and "Holocaust"; neither wording nor topic was in the bishop's statement.

"The Holocaust was a unique experience. It does not lend itself to inappropriate analogies. We have an obligation to protect the memory of those who suffered because of it from those who would distort it and undermine and trivialize the history of the Holocaust, however inadvertently. Our role should be to honor those who fought to defeat the murderous Nazis, and not to inappropriately draw reckless comparisons."

Note "inappropriate" analogies.

Note "reckless" comparisons. Is the subject projecting his own actions?

Note that in order to murder millions of Jews a scapegoating of Jews had to be a success. This began in earnest more than a decade before the Holocaust was able to take place, by capturing the minds of the young with monolithic information; at the exclusion of all other teachings, including the scientific challenges to genetic suppositions.

Andy Hoover, legislative director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania, called McFadden’s comments, “completely inappropriate.”

In a statement on the Diocese of Harrisburg Web site, the bishop issued an apology to anyone who was offended by his remarks, but went on to explain and justify his references to Hitler and Mussolini:

“To those who may have been offended by my remarks, I apologize to them assuring them that I purposely did not mention the holocaust,” the bishop said.

Note the inclusion of "holocaust" in response to the allegations.

“The reference to dictators and totalitarian governments of the 20th century which I made in an interview on the topic of school choice was to make a dramatic illustration of how these unchecked monolithic governments of the past used schools to curtail the primary responsibility of the parent in the education of their children,” he said.

“Today many parents in our state experience the same lack of freedom in choosing an education that bests suits their child as those parents oppressed by dictators of the past. I intentionally did not make reference to the holocaust in my remarks,” McFadden added.

By studying the deceptive techniques of Herman Goering, by the same standard, is it insulting to the memory of 6 million Jews? It is also an "inappropriate" comparison? Should the ACLU or ADL be the standard of what is "appropriate" comparisons? Have they trade-marked the phrase "holocaust"?

McFadden said the Catholic Church “recognizes the holocaust as a terrible atrocity and evil emanated against humanity and especially those who were the victims of these crimes,” adding that “I would never minimize or trivialize the devastating suffering that took place.”

Note the defensive posture. Did the Bishop make things worse by apologizing? Did he have anything to apologize for?

But the bishop did not actually refer to the Holocaust in the broadcast -- a fact he pointed out in his letter.

“I used the example of the dictators merely to explain how an absolute monopoly in education, where parents do not have a right or ability to choose the education that best suits their children due to economic circumstances or otherwise, runs counter to a free and open society,” he said.

In Germany, one political party controlled the information given to the public, beginning with the children. The example for this came from Italy.

The very thing that led to the holocaust is being practiced by the ACLU and ADL. Rather than debate the bishop's particular complaints with the public school system, they have sought to silence him, thus showing the weakness of their position. It was the very silencing of opposing views that allowed Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin to commit murder in historical scales. I do not know what the issues are that the Bishop raises, but recognize his right to state them without the attempt to be silenced. I would prefer to debate the specifics rather than to employ demagoguery language to shout him down.

“Our support of a school voucher program has the goal of giving parents something that dictators never would, a choice in which school their children attend by being able to control the portion of the tax dollars that is designated for the education of each child.

Back in December, the Pennsylvania Legislature rejected a proposal backed by by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett that would have created a school voucher program.

If enacted, students in the worst public schools of Pennsylvania would have been given vouchers so their parents could afford to send them to schools of better quality and performance. The measure died.

Jonathan Butcher, education director at the Phoenix-based Goldwater Institute, which champions school choice, told CNSNews.com that choice is essential if students are not to be trapped in schools.

“The goal here is to provide the best quality set of educational options that we can, and that’s going to differ from student to student," Butcher said. "A student who goes to a failing school should not just have to rely on their assigned public school.”

DiPietro Violence and Children

2012-02-07T16:22:00.000-05:00

Violence and children do not mix.

What was the father of a 'missing' child doing pulling his car over for an assault?

It may be that violence predated drugs in the DiPietro home.

A mother said that the DiPietros long held the roles of school bullies, with violence coming as second nature for them. Her own son, smallish in school, was a frequent target of Justin's bullying until one day he could take no more and fought back, defeating Justin, only to find that he was never bothered by him again, other than nasty looks and under-the-breath comments; par for the course for a bully. She remains anonymous, especially after reading about the recent small baseball bat incident.

The DiPietros, it seems, aren't the most eloquent of debaters, instead, using cowardly bullying tactics to press their point of view.

Where there is an element of violence in a home, a child grows up with a close association with violence. For girls, it often takes the form of inward violence, self hatred, or depression. For boys, it takes its toll in the development of masculinity; that is, the ability to sacrifice strength for righteousness sake.

Boxers, for example, that are successful often come from abusive homes and develop a tolerance to pain. NHL "enforcers" (a dying breed) frequently talk about the violent upbringing they experienced. So it is that one may not know just how violent another may be.

This is something my father taught me when I was young and a new driver: you will never know if the man in the other car that is glaring or flipping you the bird has nothing to lose by taking a crowbar to your head: ignore him and drive away. It was wise advice.

When someone is brought up with violence as a way of life, about the last thing they need is drugs.

Drugs impact logic. Withdrawal puts the child at the greatest moment of risk.

Arrogance.

What arrogance does it take to pull the car over to confront someone while your daughter is "missing"? What does this say about his judgement?

For one, it shows his mother was right to be concerned about her son's violent "kicking in doors" reaction.

Lance has had how many convictions since 2002? Please note that what one is charged with and what one is convicted of are often two different things. Please also note that if one has seven convictions, it is likely that there were far more arrests than convictions. At his young age, what does this tell us about Lance?

He is not Tony Soprano.

These street thugs may want to appear like tough hoodlums, but they are setting themselves up for a life in prison, or worse.

Poor little Ayla, caught up in the world of drugs and violence. The blood found in the home removed the thought that she may have died quietly, by an accidental overdose, for example and increases the odds that she met a violent end.

Why didn't Waterville police arrest Justin DiPietro, the driver who pulled over for the fight, who stood watch for the fight, and who drove Lance DiPietro away from the fight? Was this a golden opportunity to help Justin become acquainted with living in a cage with bars, that might have sobered his thinking a bit into revealing Ayla's location? We'll never know since no action has been taken.

Arrests, assaults, blood, knife assaults, baseball bats, drugs, and lies all weave together a story that not only meant the foul play met by Ayla was violent, but that there are still two children at risk; the children of both adults who have been identified by police as deceptively withholding information: the children of Courtney Roberts and Elisha DiPietro.

If the broken windows was a stunt to gain some sympathy for the public, it backfired. How foolish was it to pull out a small wooden baseball bat for an assault just 2 days after the window report?

Bullys are, in nature, cowards. Note how in the 2 against 1 (the threat of the 2nd standing watch) led to the victim lying on the ground, only to then get kicked in the face.

With wild animals, danger is reduced by putting them in strong cages, and keeping safe eye upon them. This seems to be the destiny of the DiPietros.

Ayla will be recovered and laid to rest, and arrests will be made, and after the trials end, memories will fade. Unlike the Sopranos, there will be no credits rolling to pounding music. They'll eventually be mostly forgotten, growing old in prison somewhere.

The legacy of the DiPietros won't be much worth remembering. They've not endeared themselves to the public. They'll be no made-for-tv movie, nor sympathetic books written about them.

People will remember the grandmother betraying Ayla by lying on television, or how they were known for bullying and threatening, but ultimately, they will be remembered for the spilling of Ayla's blood; the ultimate helpless victim for the cowardly clan of bullies, and how no one would stand up and tell the truth, in Ayla's name.