OnCrime

No More Nifong!

2007-06-16T17:48:00.000-04:00

Finally... justice is done!

District Attorney Mike Nifong was stripped of his license to practice law in North Carolina!

I would like to see Crystal Mangum charged for lying to police and filing a false police report! SHE is the one who started this mess and should be held accountable for her actions.

In addition, Mike Nifong should pay the state of North Carolina for some of the costs (millions!) the state of NC has spent on this nonsense! Good riddance Mike Nifong.

The "Barbie Bandits" Captured

2007-03-01T11:44:00.000-05:00

Update: 3-2-07
The so-called "Barbie Bandits" were arrested yesterday. Police arrested a couple of "Ken's" too. The AP is reporting:

"Ashley Miller and Heather Johnson, and bank teller Benny Herman Allen III, 22, were charged with felony theft and marijuana possession, said Cobb County Police spokeswoman Cassie Reece. Another man, Michael Chastang, 27, also was arrested in the case and charged felony theft and drug trafficking.

"It was a conspiracy to take money from the bank," Reece said. "They were in on it." Surveillance video shows the robbers laughing and smiling as they handed a teller a note demanding money. Police initially thought the girls were as young as 16.

Police declined to release the contents of the robbers' note and the amount of money stolen. The store is in a strip mall in an upscale west Cobb residential neighborhood, about 28 miles north of Atlanta."

Police are searching for two young women who used nothing but sunglasses to disguise their faces while they robbed a bank inside a Kroger store in suburban Atlanta. The two are shown smiling while they robbed the bank.

The two appear to be between 16 and 24 years old. It isn't clear whether the two had a weapon. Authorities also didn't say what was in their note. The robbery happened around 12:15 pm on Tuesday, Februrauy 27, 2007. Watch VIDEO of the robbery.

Who is Crystal Gail Mangum?

2006-12-22T13:09:00.000-05:00

Crystal Gail Mangum (R) is the 27 year old woman who has accused three Duke Lacrosse Players of rape. Crystal Mangum and Kim Roberts are strippers who were hired to dance for 40 Duke lacrosse players at a house where some of the players resided.

Crystal Mangum claims that on March 13, 2006, three white members of Duke University's lacrosse team beat, strangled, sodomized and sexually assaulted her anally, vaginally and orally. Her father told authorities several weeks later that she was also penetrated with a broom. The three players she fingered have been indicted on charges of first degree forcible rape, first degree sexual offense and kidnapping.

So, who is Crystal G. Mangum?

* She was born on July 16, 1978 to Mary and Travis Mangum.
* She is the youngest of three children raised in a working-class Durham neighborhood.
* She graduated in 1996 from Hillside High School in Durham, NC.
* She joined the Navy in the fall of 1996, signing up for an 8 years- two years of active duty followed by six years in the reserves. She was discharged in 1998.
* She married a man named Kenneth McNeill, who 14 years her senior in the fall of 1997. They were married for 17 months.
* She is divorced with two children. She has gone to court to force the children's father to pay child support.
* She had worked at a nursing facility and on an assembly line making catalytic reducers at $10.50 per hour.
* She went to Durham Technical Community College and graduated in 2004 with an associate degree.
* She is a registered Democratic voter.
* She was a full-time, second-year student at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) this semester. She is a police psychology student with a 3.0 grade average.
* She was living in her parents home with her two children prior to the reported attack.
* She had a nervous breadkdown in 2005.
* She has a criminal record.

Crystal G. Mangum's brush with the law:

* In 2002, she stole a taxi from the man whom she was giving a lap dance. A high speed chase ensued and when the deputy chasing her approached the stolen taxi on foot, she tried to run him over. She pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of larceny, speeding to elude arrest, assault on a government official and driving while impaired. She served 3 weekends in jail and paid restitution. - ESPN

Crystal G. Mangum's past accusations:

* She made a similar rape claim in the past, but she did not pursue it. On Aug. 18, 1996, Crystal Mangum, then 18 years old, told a police officer in Creedmoor she had been raped by three men in June 1993, according to a police document. She did not pursue the allegations. The officer who took the woman's report 10 years ago asked her to write a detailed timeline of the night's events and bring the account back to the police. "Apparently she never returned," Granville County DA Sam Currin said." - The Duke Chronicle

* She told authorities that in 1998, her husband threatened to kill her. However, she did not appear at the court hearing and thus the charges were dropped. - LA Times

Duke Dancers Give Different Accounts

2006-10-12T17:59:00.000-04:00

The dancing partner of the woman who accuses three Duke Lacrosse players of raping her refutes a key part of her partner’s account of the alleged crime.

Kim Roberts (L) who danced at the same party where the alleged rape took place, makes the revelation in an interview with CBS 60 Minutes correspondent Ed Bradley this Sunday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Roberts' answer to Bradley’s question directly contradicts a crucial statement the accuser gave to police. Bradley asks whether she, Roberts, who goes by the stage name "Nikki" when she performs, was holding onto the accuser at the beginning of the alleged crime.

Says Bradley, "In the police statement, [accuser] describes the rape in this way: 'Three guys grabbed Nikki,' 'That's you,'" says Bradley, "'Brett, Adam and Matt grabbed me. They separated us at the master bedroom door while we tried to hold on to each other. Brett, Adam and Matt took me into the bathroom.' Were you holding on to each other? Were you pulled apart?" "Nope," replies Roberts, who says she was hearing this account for the first time.

Roberts also denies the accuser's statement to the police that after the alleged rape, Roberts came into the bathroom and helped one of the rapists dress her. When pressed by Bradley about whether she saw signs of rape from the accuser, such as complaining about pain or a mention of an assault, Roberts says, "She obviously wasn't hurt...because she was fine."

Bradley's report also contains interviews with the three defendants, Collin Finnerty, Reade Selligmann and David Evans, all of whom proclaim their innocence, and others involved in the case.

WATCH IT! SUNDAY NIGHT ON 60 MINUTES!

SC Kidnapper Nabbed

2006-09-17T20:09:00.000-04:00

South Carolina authorities have arrested the suspect in the abduction of a 14-year-old girl who was rescued yesterday. Vinson Filyaw, 37, (R) was arrested early today as he walked along a South Carolina interstate. He is being charged initially with kidnapping, possession of an incendiary device and impersonating an officer.

According to investigators, Filyaw kidnapped Elizabeth Shoaf (L) on September 6th- while she was walking home from her bus stop. Investigators said he threatened her using homemade grenades and a flare gun as he pretended to be a law enforcement officer. He then hid the girl in an underground bunker.

Officers say that bunker contained supplies and weapons, and was about 15 feet deep and 20 feet long. It was dug into a wooded area, and was covered with a makeshift door and leaves.

According to investigators, Filyaw told the girl that he had booby-trapped the place, and she would get hurt if she left. On Wednesday, the victim was able to send a text message while the man was sleeping, telling her family that she was in a hole and could hear trucks. That information helped investigators narrow their search location. The girl was discovered early Saturday morning, and has since been treated and released from the hospital.

Filyaw had been on the run from officers since the spring, when he was charged with criminal sexual conduct against a 12-year-old girl. Investigators think he escaped from officers coming to arrest him at his home by slipping out of a hole in his bedroom and into an underground tunnel.

More Info/Sources: WISTC- Columbia, SC ~ WLTX- Columbia, SC

Texas Realtor Murderer Captured

2006-09-06T19:10:00.000-04:00

UPDATE: 9/6/06- Nearly two months after a house-hunting couple found the body of Sarah Anne Walker in a model home, McKinney, Texas officials said they have a suspect in custody. McKinney Police Capt. Randy Roland said they arrested 25-year-old Kosoul Chanthakoummane (L) in connection with Walker's death.

Roland confirmed Chanthakoummane is the person described in a sketch drawing. Roland said officers arrested Chanthakoummane at 11 p.m. yesterday at his home in North Dallas. He said he could not release the address of the suspect since the investigation is still ongoing at this time. Roland said police received a tip on Chanthakoummane after they released a sketch drawing of him. McKinney Police officers said earlier that the person in the sketch was a "person of interest." Roland said investigators were still questioning Chanthakoummane around midnight Tuesday and that he could not release any details on his role or any evidence they have against him in regards to Walker's murder because it was "too early in the case." Roland said Chanthakoummane faces a charge of felony capital murder and a $1 million bond.

This is not the first arrest for Chanthakoummane. According to this WCNC article: In 1997, Chanthakoummane was arrested and convicted with violent kidnapping and robbery charges in Union County, NC. He was only 16 years old at the time. Investigators in Union County, North Carolina said he and another teen stole a car and led police on a chase through Weddington, NC. The boys later kidnapped two elderly women at gunpoint and stole their car. Chanthakoummane was convicted of second-degree kidnapping. Police suspected all three of the teens of being members of an Asian gang because of their tattoos. Chanthakoummane served eight years in prison for the crime and was released last February. He then moved to Texas to be closer to family.

---------------------------
Forty-year-old realtor Sarah Anne Walker (R) was found dead in a model home on Saturday, July 8th. She was found lying face down in the kitchen of a model home where she worked as a real estate sales representative for D.R. Horton. Dr. William Rohr, Collin County, TX medical examiner, said Walker was stabbed 27 times with a sharp bladed instrument with wounds on her upper body, arms and hands and suffered some blunt force trauma.

According to this article published by The McKinney Courier-Gazette, McKinney, Texas Police Capt. Randy Roland said investigators have been following up on a number of leads and interviewing numerous people from Walker's life. He estimated that police have followed up on approximately 250 leads and conducted interviews with 50-100 people."I guess she (Walker) knew a lot of people," Roland said. "We've done a lot of interviews."

He said they have collected evidence from the scene that is being processed by a state crime lab, but he could not divulge the nature of the items or the evidence. The only pieces of evidence or clues that police have made known to the public so far are that whoever committed the murder stole a gold Rolex Datejust watch and a silver ring off Walker's body that she purchased the evening before she died.

It looks like the police have a DNA sample of the killer. Police have said they believe the killer was cut during the attack since they found some blood at the scene that didn't belong to Walker. Roland said they believe the killer was cut because of the way some of the blood dripped on the surface of the area. Roland said they are still awaiting test results from the state crime lab."We haven't got our lab results back to tell us what we have," Roland said. "We're behind other very important murders as well."

Sources & More Info: Star-Community Newspapers, Fox News, America's Most Wanted,

Drop the Duke Case!!

2006-06-10T00:02:00.000-04:00

Will someone please tell me why the charges against the three Duke lacrosse players have not been dropped yet? The amount of evidence disproving Crystal Mangum's story is enough to show she is a downright liar and she needs to be locked up for her antics!

Why is Nifong continuing to waste NC tax dollars to prosecute this case? I am a NC taxpayer and I am MAD! The DNA tests that failed to conclusively link Duke lacrosse players to the rape cost taxpayers nearly $23,000. That is only for the DNA... think about all the other expenses related to this case and possible restitution the state will have to pay to the persons falsely accused in this case...

On June 8th, Reade Seligmann's attorney filed a motion which included some additional information about the evidence the prosecution has against the men. On June 9th, Collin Finnerty's attorney also filed a motion, with even more information about the case. This "evidence" is quite damning to the prosecution. As far as I see it, the case is XX to 1... Everyone who was there that night -vs- Crystal Mangum, the Duke accuser. It is not hard to see that Crystal Mangum is LYING and CHARGES MUST BE DROPPED!! After that- Mike Nifong should be put in jail for his role in this nonsense!

FIRST PROBLEM: Kim Roberts

Seligmann's motion suggests Kim Roberts, the other stripper who was at the party with Crystal Mangum initially told Durham police that the alleged victim's rape claim could not be true and that it was "a crock." According to the 32-page motion, Kim Roberts, told police that she was with the alleged victim the entire time at the party except for a period of less than five minutes. Of course, Kim Roberts has changed her story since her first report to try and help support her fellow dancer, get off some embezzlement charges and gain some notoriety. Go ahead Nifong- put her on the stand. She is the perfect witness for your case.

SECOND PROBLEM: Six Attempts to Identify the Players

Finnerty's motion, stated the accuser in the Duke Lacrosse rape investigation went through at least six sessions with police, trying to point out her attackers. Finnerty's attorney has requested notes and results from all the line-ups. They suggest there have been discrepancies in the identification process.

According to an article by WRAL, three days after the alleged victim told police she was raped by three lacrosse players at an off-campus house, she was shown a series of pictures of possible suspects. Three weeks later, police conducted another lineup with the accuser. During that session, the woman identified Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann with 100 percent certainty. She also picked Evans with 90 percent certainty and stated he mad a mustache at the time the rape occurred. Defense attorneys for Finnerty say there were at least six lineups, and possibly even more. They want all the reports and police notes from the sessions .

Defense attorneys not related to the case told WRAL it is highly unusual for investigators to conduct so many lineups. Police said they couldn't comment while the case is under investigation.

Links:
* Collin Finnerty's June 9th motion.
* Reade Seligmann's June 8th motion
* Kirk Osborn, Seligmann's attorney has created a page on his website with all the court filings he has made on his client's behalf. (The copies on his site do not hide the Duke accusers name of Crystal Mangum.)

Jerry Inman's Criminal Past

2006-06-08T21:47:00.000-04:00

Jerry Inman is a sick sexual predator! I am so thankful his DNA was in the national database and that he was careless enough to leave evidence behind! I truly believe he would have kept attacking women had he not been caught- he was a total loose cannon.

Why on earth was this guy released from jail? As you will see, he could not live in public without committing crimes- but he had numerous offenses while in jail too! What is wrong with our legal system?

35-year-old Inman faces murder, rape and kidnapping charges for the May 26th strangulation of Clemson University student Tiffany Souers. Inman has also confessed to two other sexual offenses in Alabama and Tennessee, which happened only days before Souers was killed.

Jerry Buck Inman's criminal history began in 1987 in Tampa, Florida. Inman was 17 years old when he broke into an apartment and raped a woman. Inman threatened the woman with a gun and tied her up before stealing her wallet and car. Two days later, authorities found her car in Charlotte, NC.
Inman lived in Charlotte, NC, for four months and was arrested 2 times. According to Charlotte's 6NEWS, police records from 1988 show Inman was arrested for robbing a department store that used to sit off Eastway Drive. His job was listed at the Jiffy Lube across the street. Inman was later arrested for trespassing and refusing to leave the Mecklenburg County Jail.

Inman left Charlotte and moved to Asheville, NC where on March 25, 1988, Inman was picked up on breaking and entering charges. On May 31, 1988, authorities arrested him again after discovering the arrest warrants from Florida. While waiting for extradition in the Buncombe County jail, Inman tried to escape.

On July 10, 1988, Inman, along with several other inmates- sexually assaulted two fellow inmates. Court documents show he forced anal intercourse on one of his victims and made the other perform oral sex. (Search warrant for DNA) He pled guilty and was sentenced to 20 years- lus a year for the escape attempt. In 1991, he tried to escape two more times. He was unsuccessful. He was charged with only one of the escapes and got another year added to his sentence- for a total of 22 years.

According to The State, Inman was no model prisoner in North Carolina. His record shows 24 infractions, including: three escape attempts, six weapons offenses, disobeying orders and provoking assault. However, under old North Carolina sentencing laws, Inman got one day off his sentence for every day he served and he maxed out his sentence after 11 years. When Inman was released, state law mandated he be given a mandatory 90-day parole.

After his 90-day parole, Inman was sent to Florida to serve the remainder of his 30-year sentence on charges of sexual battery with a weapon or force, robbery with a gun or deadly weapon, burglary armed, grand theft motor vehicle, kidnapping, and aggravated assault with no intent to kill. While Inman was in prison in Florida, he was cited for at least 19 infractions in the six years he served.

The offenses include: seven citations for weapons possessions, an armed assault and four citations for disobeying an order. Under Florida's old sentencing laws, inmates automatically got 1/3 off their sentence if they behave. Because of his infractions, Inman lost 150 days of time off his sentence. He received 4,966 days of gain time- the equivalent of 14 years.

Inman was released from prison in Florida on Sept. 1, 2005. He provided an address in Dandridge, Tenn., where he went to live with his mother. He worked for a construction company & apparently did some work in the Pigeon Forge area. Who knows what crimes Inman committed from September 2005 to May 2006, but he wasn't arrested.

On May 22, 2006- Inman raped 28-year old woman in Sevierville, TN. WBIR reported that Inman cased the woman's neighborhood and attacked her after the woman's husband left for work around 6 am. Inman had a knife and he surprised the woman who was still in bed with her 2-year old daughter. The District Attorney is seeking aggravated rape and aggravated burglary indictments.

On May 23, 2006- Inman attacked a woman in Rainsville, Alabama, when she came home for lunch. The Greenville Times reported that the women was in her kitchen getting ready to eat when a man came up from behind and put a knife to her throat. Inman had entered her home through the crawl space and sawed a hole in her floor. He brought string with him to tie up his victim.
The victim Beth Bates described her attack to The Greenville Times:

"He told me if I calmed down, he wouldn't hurt me," the Rainsville, Alabama., woman said. "He told me to lay down face first, and he tied my hands behind my back. He was going to rape me and God intervened and he decided not to," Bates said. "I talked to him about the Lord and told him that God loves him. I talked to him the whole time and he talked to me. He stopped what he was doing to listen to me." He was strangely calm, and even polite, she said.

"He apologized to me, actually, and he even rubbed me on the back and apologized and stuff," she said. After deciding not to rape her, he put her in a closet, hands and feet still bound, and propped a chair in front of the doorknob. "He told me everything he was going to do before he did it,' she said. "He turned the light on in the closet for me. He was real nice about it and all. I know that sounds odd to say. It could have been a lot worse for me."

Before he left in Bates' car, the man stole about $300 that she had raised for her church, a local Church of God. Inman drove her vehicle only a mile before abandoning it, the DeKalb County, AL sheriff said. Witnesses saw a man meeting Inman's description getting into a red and silver Blazer that matched the vehicle he was later captured in, the sheriff said.

Inman has confessed to the crime and has been charged with first-degree attempted rape, first-degree robbery, first-degree theft of property and first-degree burglary in connection with the attack on Bates.

Three days later, Inman raped and killed Tiffany Souers.

According to a Fox 21 article, The officer who arrested Inman told reporters that Inman called himself a 'sick animal' when asked why he killed Tiffany and attacked two others. He said Inman admitted to just driving around looking for women and when he saw Tiffany, focused on her and got "perverted feelings". Inman told investigators that when he saw one particular woman he wanted, he waited until she went to sleep, He said of the attack on Souers: "He thought she was asleep and that's when he entered the apartment."

Links:
Inman's NC Dept of Corrections Info
Inman's 1998 Transcript of Guilty Plea- NC

Captured: Jerry Inman

2006-06-06T20:37:00.000-04:00

UPDATE:

Jerry Inman was captured.

More details to come...

Police issued a warrant for the arrest of Jerry Buck Inman for the murder of Clemson student Tiffany Souers. Inman is a registered sex offender in Tennessee & Florida and he was convicted of a sex crime in NC. He is considered extremely dangerous.

Solicitor Bob Ariail says the case is a "forensic driven case." He said that investigators matched DNA evidence from the crime scene against samples in a national database.

Inman has several vehicles, but investigators believe he is currently driving a red 1990 s-10 Blazer with a stripe. He also owns a green 1997 Chevy Camaro with Tennessee tag SRD-739 and a Ford Econoline van with Tennessee tag THH-062.

Inman is a white male 35 years old, 5' 10" 159lbs. He has brown hair, and brown eyes. He also has numerous tattoos. On his back, a skull; on left chest, Tiger; on left hand, skull pentagram; on left leg, skull dagger; on neck, bat; on right arm, skull dragon cross; stomach, female gun.

His last known address is in Dandridge, TN. Investigators believe he may be in the Pigeon Forge area. If you see Jerry Buck Inman, do not approach him. Call 911 or the Pickens County Sheriff's tip line at 1-800-442-2746 and press #2.

According to an interview The Greenville News had with Jerry Inman's mother, he is bipolar and often suicidal. She claims she saw him this morning and had no idea police were looking for him. (which I find hard to believe)

Inman was released from jail in September after serving 17 years in a Florida prison. He has been living with his mother and her husband. According to Florida sex offender registry records, Inman was convicted in 1989 of sexual battery with a weapon, robbery with a deadly weapon, grand theft auto, kidnapping and aggravated assault with intent to kill. Inman was arrested in Tampa, Fla., five days before his 17th birthday and sentenced to 30 years, records show. He was also convicted in 1988 of second degree sexual offense in Buncombe County, NC.

Sources: The Greenville News, Fox 21

Who killed Tiffany Souers?

2006-06-02T20:05:00.000-04:00

Police investigating the murder of Tiffany Souers, a Clemson University student released surveillance photos of a white male trying to use Tiffany Souers' bank card at an ATM a few hours after she was killed.

Greenville prosecutor Bob Ariail said the man had covered most of his face with bandanas and tried unsuccessfully to use the card six times at two ATM cash machines.

The suspect's face is covered by a bandana with a cross on it. Investigators admit the photo is of poor quality but say they spent the day trying to enhance it.

Police also said the suspect was last seen in a light colored 1982 to 1994 2-door Chevy or GMC SUV.

"Hopefully someone will recognize an individual who has that type of headdress or bandana- who drives a vehicle of this type, who is exhibiting the behavior profile," Ariail said. "The psychological profile suggests the man would begin to withdraw from friends and family and man change his habits," he said.

Ariail also released a profile of the possible suspect. Officials say the attack against Souers was a sexually motivated attack, and the possible suspect is considered very dangerous. They say he may pose a threat to friends, family and other potential victims.

He is aggressive with women, and may have been agressive with women in the Clemson area in the week leading up to the murder. They believe the murder is weighing heavily on him and he may have changed his eating and sleeping habits, and he may be missing work or school.

There have been other developments in the case as well. A Pendelton man, James Lindsey, found Tiffany Souers' license this morning. He was picking up cans on the northbound side of Highway 76 just north of the Tri-County Tech campus, which is between Anderson and Clemson. Authorities now have the license and they'll check it for fingerprints.

Officials have set up a dedicated tip line to handle calls about this case. If you have any information about this case you're asked to call 1-800-442-2746. You may remain anonymous.

Related Links:
Crime Scene Photos
Police Incident Report

The "Other" Dancer...

2006-05-30T22:57:00.000-04:00

Let's not forget about Kim Roberts... the "other" dancer who was at the house the night the alleged Duke rape occurred. She is the one who contacted a New York public relations firm- the same firm that represents Lil' Kim (the incarcerated rapper) of whom Roberts reportedly is a fan.

In an e-mail obtained by Fox News, Roberts wrote:

"Although I am no celebrity and just an average citizen, I've found myself in the center of one of the biggest stories in the country. I'm worried about letting this opportunity pass me by without making the best of it and was wondering if you had any advice as to how to spin this to my advantage. I am determined not to let any negative publicity about my life overtake me."
Signed, The 2nd Dancer

Kim Roberts knows damn well no rape occurred that night but she is more interested in the fame she will gain from this situation. Soon after the rape was reported she said, "I was not in the bathroom when it happened," she told the Associated Press. "So I can't say a rape occurred - and I never will." Later, after her own criminal record was raised, Roberts said, "In all honesty, I think they're guilty...and I can't say which ones are guilty...but somebody did something...that's my honest-to-God impression."

Front Page Magazine could not have said it better about Kim Roberts... a must read. Kim Roberts is not your most trustworthy person. She was convicted in 2001 of embezzling $25,000 from Qualex, a photo-processing company. She worked there as a payroll clerk. Roberts was put on probation and ordered to pay restitution, which she has failed to do.

She was arrested eight days after the March 13th party on probation violations. Court documents say she failed to pay restitution to her former employer, missed appointments with her probation officer and left NC to visit California, without permission.

Today, Kim Roberts appeared in court for those probation violations. When Kim Roberts noticed WRAL's camera in the courtroom, she gave the camera the finger and then stuck out her tongue. I bet Nifong can't wait to get her on the stand! Her actions today further prove my point that she is all about the attention-- not the truth. Watch video of Roberts on the stand.

What do you think?

2006-05-28T11:23:00.000-04:00

I want to know what you think! Did three lacrosse players rape Crystal Mangum?

Where is the evidence?

2006-05-26T19:57:00.000-04:00

Something really stinks when it comes to the Duke rape case. Each day more information comes out that reinforces my opinion on the matter. I do not believe a rape occurred and it makes me more angry each day. I know we are hearing most of the information from defense sources... but when motions are filed containing the same information they released, I would imagine it is true.

So many lives have been ruined by the accusation made by this woman. If it turns out as I think it will, she should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Links to Duke Rape Case Documents:
*Copy of 5/26/06 Defense Motion- Evans
*Copy of 5/21/06 Defense Motion- Seligmann (More definite statement)
*Copy of 5/21/06 Defense Motion- Seligmann (Toxicology Results)
*David Evans Polygraph Test Results
*Transcript of Photo Lineup w/victim
*Duke University Police Report
*Reade Seligmann ATM Photos
*Police Report- Officer 1st on scene- Kroger
*Nifong's Statement about Previous Rape Accusation

Defense: Lacrosse accuser failed to ID defendant in early lineup
The Associated Press

DURHAM, N.C. - 5/26/06- The woman (Crystal Mangum) who has accused three Duke University men's lacrosse players of raping her failed to identify at least one of them in a photo array eight days after the reported attack, then selected him as an attacker more than two weeks later, according to a motion filed Friday by defense lawyers.

The motion filed on behalf of Dave Evans, 23, of Bethesda, Md., asks a judge handling the case to force prosecutors to provide narrative reports on a photo lineup conducted with the accuser on March 21, as well as an earlier lineup done March 16. The woman said the players hired her as a stripper for a March 13 party at Evans' off-campus house and then raped her.

According to the motion, the accuser met with investigators on April 4 to again view photos, which is when she identified Evans. Durham police videotaped that session. Prosecutors provided a copy of the tape to defense lawyers last week, along with nearly 1,300 pages of evidence.

"He looks like one of the guys who assaulted me, sort of," the accuser tells police officers in pointing out Evans, according to the motion. She then says she would be 90 percent sure of the identification if the man had a mustache, the motion said.

Evans' lawyer, Joseph Cheshire, has said repeatedly that his client has never worn a mustache.
Accounts of the earlier photo lineups are among several pieces of information that Cheshire and co-counsel Brad Bannon, say are missing from files given to the defense. Their motion also states that they were not given a report by the Durham police officers who heard the woman's initial claim that she was raped, or complete documents relating to a sexual assault exam report by a nurse examiner.

According to the motion, the woman may have wavered during her initial meeting with police about whether or not she was assaulted. A handwritten narrative report by Sgt. J.C. Shelton that is attached to the motion says the accuser first reported being raped after officers had decided to involuntary commit her. She then reportedly told officers that she was groped by some of the men who pulled her from a car, but was not forced to have sex. According to Shelton, the accuser then told a doctor examining her for evidence of rape that she had been raped.

Since District Attorney Mike Nifong (R) provided defense attorneys with what he said was the state's entire file to date, lawyers for the three players charged in the case have filed three motions claiming that information is being withheld. Also indicted in the case are Collin Finnerty, 19, of Garden City, N.Y., and Reade Seligmann, 20, of Essex Fells, N.J.

Nifong's office has declined to comment on this week's filings and his legal assistant was not available Friday afternoon.

Also Friday, a lawyer who said he represents a lacrosse player not charged in the case said he wants the Durham Police Department to conduct an internal investigation into a poster and flyers that he says unfairly implied all 46 members of the lacrosse team were guilty of rape.

Alex Charns said material distributed around Durham by the CrimeStoppers organization suggested that the entire lacrosse team was guilty of raping the accuser. CrimeStoppers is an organization that acts independent of the police department, offering rewards for information about crimes.

A police spokeswoman, Kammie Michael, said Friday that the department's only connection to CrimeStoppers is through a corporal who serves as a liaison officer and that the department had no control over the group's press releases and flyers. Michael said no investigation is planned.

Mike Nifong...

2006-05-18T17:26:00.000-04:00

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. The photo to the right shows Durham's District Attorney, Mike Nifong LAUGHING when defense attorney Kirk Osborn requested a bond reduction for Reade Seligmann.

What is so funny to Mr. Nifong? These are serious charges and people's lives have been ruined. It shows me the kind of person Mr. Nifong is (if the press conferences he held hadn't already!)

WRAL has a ton of information on the Duke Rape Scandal.

Another Suspect in Holloway Case?

2006-04-17T23:15:00.000-04:00

To be honest, I am still not quite sure what to think about the recent arrest of 19 year old G.V.C. in Aruba. It has been almost one year since Natalee Holloway went missing and now all of a sudden- this kid turns himself in?

I truly hope this is the kid responsible but after watching the Aruban authorities completely botch this investigation, I cannot get all excited yet!

According to this article published by the Associated Press, Dave Holloway feels the same way.

Natalee Holloway's father said Sunday he had not previously heard of the person arrested by Aruban police investigating his daughter's disappearance last year. Aruban authorities would only say that the person arrested is 19 years old and has the initials "G.V.C." In Aruba, when an arrest is announced, officials usually release only a suspect's initials, and not a full name.
Dave Holloway told CNN that he had been told the person's name.

"We're hopeful that something will come out of it," Holloway said. "It's someone new that's name has never been mentioned before."

Mariaine Croes, a spokeswoman for the public prosecutor's office, said Saturday that Aruban authorities were not prepared to disclose why the person was arrested. Croes also would not say how the arrest was linked to Natalee Holloway's May 30 disappearance on the final night of her high school graduation trip to the Dutch Caribbean island.

The 18-year-old honors student from Mountain Brook, Ala., was last seen leaving an Aruba bar with Dutch national Joran van der Sloot and Surinamese brothers Deepak and Satish Kalpoe. The young men were arrested in June but were released after a court ruled there was not enough evidence to hold them.

"I still think that these three original supsects still know more than what they told us," Dave Holloway told CNN.

There have been a number of false leads in the investigation, and at least three other people were detained without being charged in the case.
In recent weeks, Aruban police have searched sand dunes on the northern coast of the island. Dutch Marines, the FBI and hundreds of volunteers have previously searched for Natalee Holloway.

The Sadomasochistic Dungeon

2006-04-03T22:19:00.000-04:00

UPDATE: 4/3/06

The Citizens-Times published an article today showing a screen shot of Richard "Master Rick" Sciara's page on collarme.com. (See below) Some additional details were released today about the case, including how investigators believe at least six men traveled from across the nation and abroad to learn 'slave training' and have thgentilestals mutilated. They also said the three men (Richard Sciara, Danny Reeves and Michael Mendez) were sexual lovers who had a master-slave relationship.

The men were arrested late last week and received court appointed attorneys during a hearing today. The men were dressed in orange prison jumpsuits and wearing leg irons, but appeared calm and at ease, according to the article. Their next court appearance will be on April 12th. Police believe the surgical operations took place from June 2004 - November 2005 and the victims willingly participated.

Also, The Citizen-Times reported that Sciara may have learned his surgical skills while working as a physician's assistant in Kansas, although he has never held a medical license in that state, according to its health board. A 1996 city directory for Topeka lists him as a physician's assistant at the Colmery-O'Neil VA Medical Center, The Capital-Journal of Topeka, Kansas reported today.

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Three men were arrested in Waynesville, NC for performing illegal castrations in their home. The so-called "victims" were actually willing participants in these procedures and they came from all over the country and world to have these surgeries.

The men who were arrested are Michael Mendez, 60 (Left), Richard Peter Sciara, 61 (Top Right) , and Danny Carroll Reeves, 49 (Bottom Right) . All three men resided at the 541 Peace Mountain home in Waynesville.

According to a statement released by the Haywood County authorities:

The men had a website that featured still photographs and video footage of men engaging in sadomasochistic behaviors in a "dungeon." The authorities investigated and found that all the men involved were over 18 and were willing participants in activities that were not against the law.

On March 23rd, police were informed by an anonymous source that illegal castrations were being performed at the house located at 541 Peace Mountain Rd. An investigation ensued and they police were able to obtain a search warrant, which they executed on March 29th.

Some of the items they took into evidence were scalpels, IV's, sutures, bandages, and local anesthesia. They also found CD's, DVD's, video taping equipment and artificial replacement testicles, known as "neuticles."

According to the statement, the suspects have admitted to performing at least 8 surgeries on 6 clients. They maintain that each one was done with the person's consent. None of the men are licensed physicians but they have admitted to performing castrations, testicle replacement, urethra rerouting and penis removals.

The men have been charged with 5 counts of felonious castration and/or maiming without malice, five counts of felonious conspiracy to commit castration and/or maiming without malice and eight counts of performing medical procedures without a license.

The Citizens-Times published an article reporting that Mendez and Sciara moved to Western North Carolina from Topeka, Kan. Reeves moved to the area from Atlanta. Mendez and Reeves worked together at Harrah's Cherokee Casino on the Cherokee Indian Reservation, where Mendez was honored early this year for his work. Mendez received $1,000 and a commemorative crystal award for being named one of the 2005 "Shining Stars of the Year," according to a news release sent to area media outlets in February. Mendez worked at the casino as a Total Rewards representative, providing incentives for guests.

Documents related to case from The Citizens-Times:
- Items seized from 541 Peace Mountain Rd
- Investigation descrition of the case
- Police Report: Michael Mendez
- Police Report: Richard Sciara
- Police Report: Danny Reeves

Seattle Shooting Update

2006-03-28T16:21:00.000-05:00

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The King County medical examiner officially released names of the victims of the Seattle shooting today: They are: Melissa Lynn Moore, 14; Suzanne Thorne, 15; Christopher Williamson, 21; Justin Schwartz, 22; Jason Travers, 32; and Jeremy Martin, 26. The two people wounded in the shooting are listed as in satisfactory condition.

News is being released about what exactly happened on Saturday morning when Kyle Huff decided to kill 6 people. Parents and friends are speaking out and some of the details are heartbreaking.

The News Tribune interviewed Kyle Moore, (R) father of the 14 year old victim, Melissa Moore. (L) He tells the whole story of what happened that night and morning with his daughter. Here is an excerpt:

"... Morning found her sitting on the porch with two young girls she had just met. One was cold, and Melissa offered her coat. The girl took it. In it were Melissa’s camera and cell phone.

Moments later, just after 7 a.m., the hulking gunman arrived. Six-foot-5 and 280 pounds, Aaron Kyle Huff had been at the party that morning. He briefly left and returned carrying bandoliers of ammunition, a pistol-grip shotgun and a handgun, police said.

He blasted Melissa and one of her new friends, 15-year-old Suzanne Thorne (R), in the head, police said. The other girl -- the one wearing Melissa’s coat -- escaped, along with more than two dozen others.."

28 year old Kyle Huff came prepared. He brought three guns, more than 300 rounds of ammunition, a baseball bat and a black machete. Apparently, he said, "There's plenty for everyone," as he was shooting, authorities said.

Deputy Police Chief Clark Kimerer said Huff was "clearly intent on doing homicidal mayhem." However, investigators still have no idea why, he said. "We may be asking these questions over the next year or two," Kimerer said. "Hopefully we will find some answers."

The attack was "clearly a premeditated and well-planned assault on innocent people," Kimerer said earlier. "It is very clear that he had thought out a murderous spree, a campaign." He continued, "What he might have done if he was able to leave this scene and continue this rampage, I shudder to contemplate," Kimerer said.

Huff killed the two girls on the front steps, then killed three more people in the living room and went looking for more victims, police said. He tried to enter a locked bathroom, jiggled the handle and fired a few rounds through the door, missing a frightened couple.

The Stranger has published an article called Saturday Mourning: 'Survivors of the Capitol Hill Massacre on the Rave, the After party, and the Hell that Kyle Huff Unleashed' I encourage you to read this article in its entirety. It has many first hand accounts of what happened by the people who were there.

I've cited a few excerpts from the article that I found interesting. My emphasis is bold.

"...Kyle Huff was wearing a green long-sleeve sweatshirt, blue jeans, black shoes, a hemp bracelet, and a crystal necklace. He was the most conventional looking among them. He tossed in a few bucks for beer, like everyone else. One of them smoked a bowl with him. "He was kind of smiling a bit," said Jesiah. "He wasn't having a bad time."

But he wasn't really blending in either. "I kind of thought he was a cop, because he was so straight," said Anthony. He said so to Jesiah, who told Anthony he was being paranoid.

"I kept my eye on him," said Chavon, a 21-year-old who asked that we not print her last name. "I went up and talked to him because I wanted to make him feel welcome." She says that at one point or another, nearly everyone talked with Kyle. No one argued with him...."

The article continues with details of what happened and where everyone was when Huff was on his rampage. Some of them hiding in the basement, some running out the back door or jumping out windows. One couple hid in a bathroom and a few others hid in the bedrooms and barely escaped death. What happened as Kyle was exiting the house is what is so strange to me...

"......The absence of screams and gunshots created an eerie silence, and everyone who was in the house hiding could hear Kyle's every move. "I heard the reloading, the drop of the clip, the cocking, and then the other clip," says Anthony. "I knew he was reloading, and I thought, 'Oh God..'

Downstairs, a song was playing that the group referred to, only half-seriously, as their anthem: "Cripple Fight." Some dialogue from the cartoon series South Park had been mixed with electronic beats. As he passed through the living room, Kyle stopped to turn up the volume....."

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For the Seattle locals:

** The funeral for Chris Williamson, a victim of the shooting, will be held Thursday at 2 p.m. at Lake City Presbyterian Church, 3841 NE 123rd Street in Seattle.

** Jason Traver's family needs some help to bring his body home from Seattle. Which is why a benefit will be held Saturday, April 8th at the Starting Gate Restaurant, at 55 Watervliet Avenue in Albany. The benefit starts at 3 p.m. Proceeds from the event will be used to help bring Jason home and for funeral arrangements.

** The Church Council of Greater Seattle has planned a Service of Hope, an opportunity for prayer, reflection and remembrance at the site of the massacre, at 6 p.m. Tuesday at 2112 E. Republican St. The public is invited. More information.

Shooting In Seattle

2006-03-27T16:16:00.000-05:00

Updated 3/27/06
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Around 7am on Saturday, March 25th, a man entered a house outside Seattle, Washington filled with 20 young "ravers" and opened fire. Six people have been confirmed dead, including four young men and two young women. One other person was critically injured before the shooter killed himself when he was confronted by police on the steps outside. (KOMO-TV article on the murders) (KIRO-7's Video)

The Seattle Weekly is reporting the name of the shooter to be Aaron Kyle Huff. Huff had been invited to the house party by some of the people he met at the "better off undead" rave. According to the article, the man presumed to have killed four young men and two women was a 28-year-old former Montana man. He has no apparent criminal record but a penchant for guns and hunting, police and other sources say. His twin brother, Kane Huff, was taken into custody in connection with the case but has now been arrested.

The night before the shooting, the houseguests and the shooter attended an "undead" rave at the Capitol Hill Arts Center in Seattle. (See online party posting here) The event was attended mostly by ravers known as "candy kids," who normally wear bright colors, but who dressed to fit the zombie theme of the party held on Friday night. It was disturbing to see how they publicized the rave with the line "Get ready to eat some brains. On the left, I've posted the photo that went along with the party details.

The police have not released names of the victims or the shooter but the online Seattle Ravers community has. After the shootings, the young people scrambled to check amongst themselves and published a "roll call" where the members could post if they were okay or had any information on who was killed. (*) This post @ Northwest Techno delivered the news at 6:50pm yesterday and there is already 29 pages of responses.

You can tell by the posts in forums and on MySpace pages that this was a close knit community and many of these young people came together through online chats and forums dedicated the the Seattle rave and "un-dead" communities.

The first discussion of the March 24th rave I can find was posted on December 9th @ Northwest Techno forum. Posts show the young men and women were really looking forward to this rave, many because they could finally meet their online friends in person. This community is now shaken by a terrible tragedy and many are asking why?

The seven people who are said to be deceased according to posts @ Seattle Ravers Message Board & CandyRave boards are: Jason Travers, 32, Jeremy Martin, 26, Christopher Williamson, 21, Suzanne Thorne, 15 & Melissa Moore, 14. (Click on name for more details on the victim)

* Christopher Williamson

21 years old

(aka Deacon)

Deacon's MySpace Profile

Deacon's LiveJournal

* Jeremy Martin

26 years old

(aka Jeremy Chickenhed)

More photos

* Justin Schwartz (R)

22 years old

(aka Sushi)

Sushi's MySpace Profile

* Jason Travers

32 years old

Jason's MySpace Profile

* Suzanne Thorne

15 years old

(aka Sunshine)

MySpace profile is private

* Melissa Moore

14 years old

(aka China Doll)

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According to this "first hand account" posted at CandyRave.com by a poster only named as "Fred" about what happened Saturday morning:

"I was right here when it happened. it was the scariest hing ive ever experienced. jason was there, my brother, his three friends, it was at an after party at tthis guys house, Jesus and Ian and a couple other people. we all drank and played music and stuff, had a blast, then the party was calming down, some people were out on the front porch smoking, and i thought it was somebody banging really hard on the wall from out thtere over and over again, turned out o be gunshots, a guy opened the front dor to see why people were banging and a guy was laid up against the door with gunshot wounds all over his chest and stomach. he collapsed into the house and ttwo other people came in announced they were shot. then i heard more gunshots so i loked at my brother and said, "come on NOW!" and me him and jason and dar ran out he back dor as fast as we could and jumped a fence to the neighbors house.

Jesus was shot multiple times and maybe even killed, the police wouldnt release information on who was dead, shot, alive or anything. like 15 people, the only non wounded people, spend the entire day at he police station doing interviews and waiting and i guess this girl Suzanne (sunshine) was unaccounted for the whole time, not in the survivors section OR the wounded people. but i heard just in a conversations the a police officer MIGHT have escorted her off the property. i dont know though because she should have been there with us. the guy though after shooting as many people as he could (he had a pistol and a shotgun) he shot himself through the head in the face with his shotgun. ive never seen someones insides exposed like that before, i was terrified, i thought for sure he and maybe even whoever might be accompanying him would bust up in the house right away and shoot up everyone, we just ran the other way as fast as we could. im SO glad to be alive and im also INFINITELY grateful that my brother or jason or none of my brothers friends were hurt...."

(*) According to KING5 Seattle, Relatives of Jeremy Martin, 26, and Christopher Williamson, 21, confirmed that they were among the dead. Martin had been living in the house where the shooting occurred.

The Stranger blog is updating regularly on this subject, if you want to check it out. Also, please visit some of my fellow crime bloggers who have written on this tragedy. Huff's Crime Blog, Postcards from Hell, Look who's Tattling Now

Additional:

* Photos taken at the "Undead Rave" 3-24-06
* MySpace Capitol Hill Memorial Group- Memorial Page

* Post made by Kyle Huff on 2/1 about attending raves

~ Many thanks to G.L. for sending this article along with some other info. Is this the same Kyle Huff??

SERVICE PLANNED:
The Church Council of Greater Seattle has planned a Service of Hope, an opportunity for prayer, reflection and remembrance at the site of the killings, at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Join us at 2112 E. Republican Street. The public is invited. More information.

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Side note:

I am tired of hearing some of the media outlets describe the people who are part of the rave community as druggies, irresponsible and the like. I am not a part of this sub-culture but one thing that I found to be true is that the "rave" community or the fact that these young people went to a rave has NOTHING to do with what Kyle Huff did. I have found this close-knit group of people who are into the rave scene are NOT violent people. If anything, they promote love and kindness. PLUR is an acronym that stands for "Peace, Love, Unity, Respect", which is a credo of the rave culture. If you read any of the message boards I linked above, you will see these kids are NOT violent Zombie Killers, as the media would like us to believe. This is a tragedy through and through and we should be talking about these kids as victims not as criminals!

To be honest, I don't care if these kids were doing drugs and I don't see how it matters. Drug users do not deserve to die because they use drugs. I do not believe because they used drugs, they put themselves in the position to be murdered either. We were all young once, weren't we?

I would also like to squelch the rumors about this group of ravers being "zombies"... The theme of the rave was "Better Off Undead" so they dressed like dead people/zombies for the night! It is sad to see news reports stating these things because it is not true. A raver or candy kid is one who enjoys listening & dancing to electronic music, which is generally used to describe techno music that depends heavily on samples and is high energy, upbeat, and is dance inducing. Ravers are full of expression and will wear lots of bright colors, brightly colored jewelry (candy) and use glow sticks, glowing jewelry, etc. Of course, all ravers are different so the above was just a stereotype... either way, ravers or those associated with the rave community are NOT bad people!

Seattle News Sources: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, KING 5, The Seattle Times, 710 KIRO, KOMO TV

NEXT: Seattle Shooting Update

Littlejohn charged with murder

2006-03-22T19:42:00.000-05:00

It's official! Darryl Littlejohn was indicted today for the brutal rape and murder of 25 year old Imette St. Guillen. Finally! I have to wonder why it took so long to charge him because DNA does not lie. If they matched his blood to the ties Imette was restrained with- isn't it an easy case to prosecute? Apparently not!

According to NY1, the grand jury heard evidence for more than a week before they indicted Darryl Littlejohn on first-degree murder charges for the death of graduate student Imette St. Guillen. Law enforcement sources say the grand jury voted on Wednesday to indict Littlejohn. Once the indictment is filed, he will be arraigned in Brooklyn Criminal Court.

Imette's mother and siblings were seen leaving their Boston home on Wednesday morning with their bags packed. Obviously they were headed for New York in anticipation of Littlejohn's arraignment. I cannot even imagine the sadness her family and friends must feel. It is bad enough to loose a child but to loose them at the hands of a malicious killer is a whole different ballgame.

As Imette's family drove, Littlejohn was busy giving an interview to CBS News from Rikers Island. He is still declaring his innocence. Littlejohn's lawyer believes his client is being scapegoated because police couldn't find the real killer. Puhleeeaze!

"They have the wrong person," Darryl Littlejohn told WCBS-TV's Scott Weinberger. "When they (police) first approached me at The Falls, I provided them with my real name, my real address, social security number, birth date, so on and so forth," Littlejohn told Weinberger from prison.

Of course, authorities have said they collected evidence showing Littlejohn's cell phone was used in the area where the body was discovered and the suspect's blood was found on the plastic ties used in the crime. I am sure they have even more evidence against him that even he does not know about yet.

Littlejohn is your classic career criminal scumbag. His first brush with the law was when he was 17 and he robbed someone with a shotgun. Since then, he has been convicted of various drug and gun charges using names like Darryl Banks, John Handsome and Jonathan Blaze. God only knows what else he has done but wasn't caught!

Additional Articles on the subject:
The New York Times
CourtTV
NY 1
ABC News
Fox News
WABC-TV
USA Today
CNN

Man kills boy for walking on lawn

2006-03-21T19:29:00.000-05:00

I was listening to talk radio on my way to work this morning and they were talking about the man (Charles Martin) who killed a 15-year old boy because he was mad the boy kept walking through his yard. They played a portion of the 911 call and I was flabbergasted at how calm this guy was about it. He only seemed to care about how mad the boy and his family made him and not that a child was dying on his front lawn. What is wrong with people??

According to this Fox 19 Cincinnati report:

"In the call Martin tells the operator that he "just killed a kid" and the operator asks Martin what happened and he talks about his feud with his 15 year old neighbor. "It's just...I've been being harassed by him and his parents for five years, and I just today, just blew up," Martin tells the operator.

Martin filed a complaint with the Union Township, OH police department in 2003 but police say it was nothing specific. "(I) don't believe it was against the victim, he had come to police to seek out advice against neighborhood problems," said Lt. Scott Gaviglia of the Union Township police. That problem ended tragically Sunday.

Police say that 15 year old Larry Mugrage first had an argument about his crossing Martin's lawn. An hour later, Mugrage again crossed Martin's yard, this time with friends. That is when he became a target for Martin's weapon and rage. In the call, the 911 operator asks Martin what happened and Martin talks about the kids harassing him and tearing things up.

Then the operator asks what Martin did and Martin replied, "I shot him with a g*****n .410 shotgun. Then according to the call, Martin said that Mugrage was laying next to his driveway dying from a gunshot wound. Martin told the operator that he would be outside waiting for police unarmed.

Related Articles:
Cincinnati Enquirer
Fox 19 Cincinnati (Includes clip of 911 call)
Cincinnati Post

Mom Murders Children- Update

2006-03-18T17:05:00.000-05:00

On January 17th, I wrote about Lisa Greene, the North Carolina woman who killed her children by setting their house on fire. New details were released on Friday at Greene's hearing...

A judge in Cabarrus County, NC has ruled that 41-year old Lisa Greene, the mother who started a fire that killed her two children, could face the death penalty. On January 10th, her children, Daniel Macemore, 10, and Addison Macemore, 8, died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

It outrages me when I hear about parents killing their children. As a child, we rely on our parents for protection, food, shelter, etc. When a parent or caregiver abuses the trust of a child by abuse or otherwise, it should not be taken lightly. Lisa Greene went beyond abuse and resorted to murder and I agree with the judges ruling. Those children relied on her to get help and she didn't even try! I am more sickened to hear that Lisa Greene is not taking responsibility for her actions. She admitted to police that she set a blanket on fire, leaving it in front of the children's bedroom door and sitting in a recliner to watch the fire escalate. She is now claiming she was under the influence of drugs when she admitted to the murders. Her family is supporting her but I have to wonder if their positions have changed after hearing the evidence against her in court today. Over 20 members of Greene's family were in court Friday to support her.

According to News 14 Carolina, "Ashlie Shanley, Cabarrus County assistant district attorney, described Greene as a woman tired of raising her two children, and who started a fire at her Midland home to suffocate them with carbon monoxide." Based on the defendant's own admissions, she's the one who set it, said Shanley of the Cabarrus County District Attorney's Office. The children "died with their mother telling them: Get on the bed. I'll be back."

The Independent Tribune reported: "Shanley stated that Greene told detectives she placed a blanket on fire outside the door to the children's bedroom. The blanket caught the bookcase on fire and she then closed the door. Shanley said, Greene then went to sit in her recliner chair as the smoke began to build and did nothing to help her children. Shanley said Greene then went outside and waited, not expecting her neighbors dogs to start barking, which alerted Greene's neighbor that was something was going on. The neighbor called 911. A witnesses will say she did not make one move to get up and save her kids, however, Greene did ask for her car to be moved so it wouldn't be burned in the fire."

In addition, The Independent Tribune gives some details of Lisa Greene's defense case.
"Lisa Dubs and Robert Campbell, Greene's court appointed attorneys claim the day she confessed was also the day she was preparing to attend her children's funeral as well as using tranquilizers to stabilize her emotions. Dubs said the statements Greene may have made were done so under duress. During the bond hearing, Dubs played the 911 call from the night of the fire at Greene's home. As the tape played, Dubs placed her arm over the shoulder of Greene, who sat crying in the courtroom wearing a green prisoner's uniform. Her relatives also cried as they listened to the tape of Greene screaming for help after a neighbor called 911.

Dubs said that the night of the fire, Greene fell asleep in her chair and that many witnesses could testify that Addison and Daniel liked to use candles in their room. Dubs said that a smoke alarm woke Greene up on the night of the fire and she tried to reacouldn't children, but couldn't. Dubs said that one report states that during the fire all Greene could say was, "Go get my kids" and "Where are my kids?" She said Greene was taken to NorthEast Medical Center where she was treated for smoke inhalation. She also said that Greene had a third-degree burn to her foot. (This was a discrepancy from the prosecution's records that showed Greene only had a minor burn.)

Greene's mother, Dale Greene, testified Friday. She said Lisa Greene was a photographer who would travel to various schools and take yearbook photos. When Lisa Greene was gone, she would often watch the children. She said Lisa had a good support system. "I watched Daniel and Addison when she was at work." I put them on the bus and I'd watch them when they got off the bus," Dale Greene said. "I was there a lot with them."

Dubs also claims that the day of the fire, the children's bookbags were packed for school, they had snacks and signed papers ready for the next day. "Those are not the actions of a careless mother," Dubs said. "They are certainly not the actions of a mother planning to kill her children."

She said there was no motive for Greene to kill her children because there was no insurance policy on the children and there many family members who could aid with child care. "They were healthy, normal children without any signs of abuse," Dubs said.

She said she may file a motion to submit statements made by Greene the day she was arrested. Dubs said, "some of the statements Shanley was citing were made by Greene to deputies the same day she was arrested. "Dubs also said that when an attorney was contacted by Greene's family, he was not allowed to sit in on the interview." (The prosection says Greene never requested an attorney during the interview.) Those statements are very suspect, Dubs said. She was called to the sheriff's office the day that she was to start receiving (guests) for her children' s funeral.

Prosecutors argued that the murder was committed during an arson. The murder was especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel, they said. And the murder was part of Greene's course of violent conduct toward another person.

Greene, 40, of 10925 Candilara Lane, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of first-degree arson, and one count each of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Greene's motion for bail was denied. She has been held without bond in the Cabarrus County jail since her arrest Jan. 13th.

Kenneth Hinson Captured

2006-03-17T06:59:00.000-05:00

*UPDATE 3/17/06*

Kenneth Hinson Captured

Kenneth Hinson was captured on Friday less than two miles away from his home. Hinson, 47, fled on foot after the girls escaped and called police. Although he was carrying a handgun, Hinson was arrested without incident after a neighbor spotted him, said Deputy U.S. Marshal Tim Stec.

Hinson, who is charged with kidnapping and rape, was captured after a resident saw him go to a house to get some water late Friday afternoon, said Chief Deputy Tom Gainey of the Darlington County Sheriff's Department.

Local, state and federal authorities, believing Hinson had not gone far, had been combing the woods near his rural home, about 50 miles northeast of Columbia, since Tuesday.

Yeah!!!!

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Kenneth Hinson is a 47- year old sexual predator on the run! Police in South Carolina are looking for Mr. Hinson, who is a convicted sex offender and suspected of raping two 17 year old girls in an underground dungeon behind his home.

US Marshal's reported that Kenneth Glenn Hinson was spotted last night near the Darlington-Chesterfield county line, but investigators were not able to catch him. Stec says investigators think Hinson is armed, on foot and still in the area.

Hinson was convicted of second-degree criminal sexual conduct in 1991 and shortly before his release from prison in 2000, the state attorney general recommended Hinson be committed indefinitely to a Department of Mental Health facility as a sexually violent predator. Clearly, that didn't happen.

WTOL News gave further details on the crime:

Police allege that Kenneth Hinson took a 17-year-old girl from a Darlington County mobile home while she was sleeping Monday night. Police say he bound her mouth, sexually assaulted her, then left her in the underground room. It's described as not much larger than a closet with a four-foot ceiling.

Police say Hinson later returned to the mobile home and took another 17-year-old girl, sexually assaulted her, then left.

The teens managed to wriggle free, get out of the shed, walk through some woods and flag down a passing motorist.

Anyone with information about Hinson’s whereabouts is asked to call the U.S. Marshals Service at (843) 662-0750 or (803) 765-5477, or the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office at (843) 398-4501.

Article Links:
WJACTV
The State
Myrtle Beach Online
Fox 21

Darryl Littlejohn in hot water!

2006-03-12T21:18:00.000-05:00

This ABC News article touches on the recent updates of the Imette St. Guillen murder investigation and the evidence against Littlejohn is sure piling up.

Some of the evidence we know about so far:

A conclusive blood DNA match to Littlejohn was found on the back of the plastic ties used to restrain Imette St. Guillen.
Forensic examiners have linked cat hairs found on the floral-patterned blanket used to wrap Imette’s body- to a cat belonging to Littlejohn.
Two witnesses placed Littlejohn with St. Guillen at or outside The Falls bar in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood.
Cell phone records indicate Littlejohn was in the area, around the same time Imette’s body was dumped in Brooklyn.
Carpet fibers found on the old blanket matched red carpet samples taken from Littlejohn's Queens, New York home.

In addition, ABC is reporting the police have also matched DNA evidence linking Littlejohn to at least one other sexual assault.

From the article:
"In addition, Kelly said, other evidence now links Littlejohn to past sexual assaults — rapes and attempted rapes — that help establish a pattern of sexual violence. In those cases, women were bound and washed or swabbed clean by an assailant. St. Guillen's case bears several similarities.

ABC News has learned the evidence includes a DNA match to Littlejohn on the handcuffs used to bind a victim in an alleged attempted rape. Two victims of those assaults failed to identify Littlejohn as their assailant in police lineups held last week."

Imette St. Guillen Murder- Update

2006-03-12T16:04:00.000-05:00

NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly held a press conference this afternoon (video link) to announce there have been developments in the investigation of Imette St. Guillen's murder. New York police say they will seek an indictment against Darryl Littlejohn for the murder of Boston-native Imette St. Guillen.

According to Fox News, Police say they found blood and DNA evidence on plastic ties allegedly used to restrain St. Guillen during her rape and murder last month. They say that evidence links the crime to Littlejohn. Authorities will present their evidence to a grand jury this week.

Eyewitness News reported Sunday afternoon that police have been questioning two homeless people who claimed they saw St. Guillen leave a Soho bar called "The Falls" on February 25th, the night she died. According to published reports, both witnesses say they saw one of the bar's employees, bouncer Darryl Littlejohn, drive St. Guillen away early that morning. The witnesses say they were in a nearby park, about 30 yards away from the bar. Police reportedly are taking their accounts seriously, but they did express concern the stories may have been tainted by media reports.

David Crespi's medical records released

2006-03-12T15:06:00.000-05:00

From News 14 Carolina:
Updated: 3/11/2006 11:10 AM
By: Kate Barker, News 14 Carolina

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- David Crespi, the former bank executive who is accused of stabbing his twin 5-year-old daughters to death, has a long history of depression, according to medical records made public Friday.The documents show that Crespi, 45, of Matthews, has been battling depression for more than 20 years. He even attempted suicide on several occasions.

According to the documents, Crespi started taking Prozac just days before he allegedly stabbed his daughters Jan. 20. He had been taking Paxil, another antidepressant, on and off in the past.

Melinda Harper, a doctor from Queens University of Charlotte, read Crespi's medical records Friday. She said antidepressants, in isolated cases, can lead to erratic behavior."There have been some reported cases of some more extreme side effects, which can include abnormal thinking, hallucinations, increased aggression and hostility," she said.

Paul Whitfield, a defense attorney from Charlotte, predicts that Crespi's lawyers will use an insanity defense. "If I were the defense lawyer, I’d get the very best psychiatrist I could and not let my client talk to anyone but him and me," Whitfield said.

A medical evaluation was done on Crespi three days after his arrest. The doctor said Crespi was severely depressed and constantly having suicidal thoughts.Crespi is being held at Raleigh’s Central Prison on two counts of first-degree murder. He was originally being held at the Mecklenburg County Jail, but his doctors, citing safety concerns, recommended the transfer.“Central Prison has a 144-bed mental health center," prison spokesman Keith Acree said. "It has psychiatrists and psychologists. … Those mental health services are available around the clock."A trial date has not been set.