Kendale Robinson, who was arrested for allegedly shooting 16-year-old Al-Taya Conyers in the head on Warren Street and Bond Street in Boerum Hill, is being held without bail. According to the Daily News, the 18-year-old's "lawyer, Steve Chaiken, was concerned because Conyers' mother is a correction officer at Rikers Island and fears for his client's safety when he's in jail."
While there was some thought that Robinson killed Conyers because she was in a spat with another woman (Conyers was charged with harassment after posting a threatening message on Twitter and other social networking sites directed at a woman), the News suggests she may have been killed while being pressured "to drop charges against a man who assaulted her just days before, according to court papers."
The NY Times reports that police are investigating her "tumultuous" life, "According to officials, she had been a victim in a series of domestic violence cases involving the former boyfriend, Walter Glover, 20, whom she had dated for about a year and a half. Officials said Mr. Glover was not the gunman. Investigators on Saturday, however, were trying to determine whether he 'had anything to do with this guy causing her demise,' a law enforcement official said."
Regarding Conyers' messages on Twitter and other social networking sites, the Times adds, "It appeared, however, that the arguments behind those online messages were not a factor in the case, the police said. Outside of court on Saturday, Roberta Perez, 28, said that after the killing, her sister Cristina Rodriguez, 18, was arrested on harassment and other charges over Twitter exchanges involving Al-Taya. But Ms. Perez said her sister had not sent threatening messages to Al-Taya."
Monday, May 31, 2010
Skyway, WA: Skyway man to be tried in girlfriend's slaying
Jennifer Sullivan
A man who allegedly fatally shot his girlfriend in Skyway last summer will be tried in King County Superior Court starting this week.
Louis Guswalter Parker III is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the August death of 19-year-old Markesha Monroe. Opening statements in the case are scheduled for Tuesday morning.
Parker, who goes by the name "Bart," is being held at the King County Jail on $1 million bail, prosecutors said. Parker is a member of the Westside Street Mobb street gang, according to charging papers.
Police and medics were called to a house in the 7600 block of South 125th Street in Skyway on Aug. 6 for a report of a shooting. Authorities found Monroe in a back bedroom with a gunshot wound to her head, according to charging papers. Monroe's housemate told detectives she was sleeping, but heard Parker and Monroe arguing in the bedroom shortly before a gunshot was fired, according to the court documents.
Parker claimed Monroe had been shot while she was playing with a gun, court papers said. Parker jumped out a window but returned a short time later, saying he didn't shoot the victim. He then fled, the charges allege.
A man who allegedly fatally shot his girlfriend in Skyway last summer will be tried in King County Superior Court starting this week.
Louis Guswalter Parker III is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the August death of 19-year-old Markesha Monroe. Opening statements in the case are scheduled for Tuesday morning.
Parker, who goes by the name "Bart," is being held at the King County Jail on $1 million bail, prosecutors said. Parker is a member of the Westside Street Mobb street gang, according to charging papers.
Police and medics were called to a house in the 7600 block of South 125th Street in Skyway on Aug. 6 for a report of a shooting. Authorities found Monroe in a back bedroom with a gunshot wound to her head, according to charging papers. Monroe's housemate told detectives she was sleeping, but heard Parker and Monroe arguing in the bedroom shortly before a gunshot was fired, according to the court documents.
Parker claimed Monroe had been shot while she was playing with a gun, court papers said. Parker jumped out a window but returned a short time later, saying he didn't shoot the victim. He then fled, the charges allege.
Bridgeport, CT: Quick Arrest Made in Bridgeport Double Murder
A 25-year old Bridgeport man is being held on murder charges after police say he killed his girlfriend and her 79-year old grandmother.
Police say domestic violence may have led 25-year old Rey Garcia to stab 23-year old Yelisza Delvalle and Ingnasa Delvalle.
Investigators are awaiting autopsy results. If Yelisza was pregnant, prosecutors could lodge additional charges against Garcia.
He is being held on a $2 million bond.
Police say domestic violence may have led 25-year old Rey Garcia to stab 23-year old Yelisza Delvalle and Ingnasa Delvalle.
Investigators are awaiting autopsy results. If Yelisza was pregnant, prosecutors could lodge additional charges against Garcia.
He is being held on a $2 million bond.
Geneva, NY: Suspect found dead in NY lake a year after attack
Associated Press - May 31, 2010 11:35 AM ET
GENEVA, N.Y. (AP) - One year after a pregnant teenager was stabbed in her home in central New York, the hunt for her missing boyfriend took a startling twist this spring: A size-13 sneaker with a fish-nibbled foot inside washed up on the nearby shore of Seneca Lake.
The next day, a badly decomposed body was spotted bobbing in weeds 14 miles away.
Police now suspect fugitive Alfonso Whitfield, whose remains were recently identified, drowned in a rain-swollen creek in Geneva as he scrambled to evade police minutes after Mercedes McIntosh was attacked in April 2009.
The 19-year-old victim, stabbed and slashed 22 times in the couple's apartment, still managed to call 911 and identified Whitfield as her attacker. She miscarried the next day, but survived.
GENEVA, N.Y. (AP) - One year after a pregnant teenager was stabbed in her home in central New York, the hunt for her missing boyfriend took a startling twist this spring: A size-13 sneaker with a fish-nibbled foot inside washed up on the nearby shore of Seneca Lake.
The next day, a badly decomposed body was spotted bobbing in weeds 14 miles away.
Police now suspect fugitive Alfonso Whitfield, whose remains were recently identified, drowned in a rain-swollen creek in Geneva as he scrambled to evade police minutes after Mercedes McIntosh was attacked in April 2009.
The 19-year-old victim, stabbed and slashed 22 times in the couple's apartment, still managed to call 911 and identified Whitfield as her attacker. She miscarried the next day, but survived.
Lake City, FL: Elderly Couple Found Dead In Home
Police Say Both Had Been Shot, Don't Believe A Third Person Was Involved
POSTED: Sunday, May 30, 2010
LAKE CITY, Fla. -- The Lake City Police Department said an elderly couple was found dead in their home Sunday afternoon.
Officers said they responded to the 1600 block of SW St. James Court to find James Galdraith, 87, and his wife, Margaret Galdraith, 80, dead from gunshot wounds.
They were called to the home by a family member who discovered the couple.
Officers said they began searching the home for evidence, but have no reason to believe anyone else was involved in the incident.
Anyone with information that could help police is asked to call the Lake City Police Department tip line at 386-719-2068.
POSTED: Sunday, May 30, 2010
LAKE CITY, Fla. -- The Lake City Police Department said an elderly couple was found dead in their home Sunday afternoon.
Officers said they responded to the 1600 block of SW St. James Court to find James Galdraith, 87, and his wife, Margaret Galdraith, 80, dead from gunshot wounds.
They were called to the home by a family member who discovered the couple.
Officers said they began searching the home for evidence, but have no reason to believe anyone else was involved in the incident.
Anyone with information that could help police is asked to call the Lake City Police Department tip line at 386-719-2068.
Davidson County, NC: Reidsville man faces murder charge after woman's death
BY STEVE HUFFMAN
The Dispatch
Published: Sunday, May 30, 2010 at 7:05 p.m.
A Reidsville man has been charged with killing his common-law wife Sunday morning near Old U.S. Highway 52 in northern Davidson County.
Beresford Allen Campbell, 52, of 1325 Linville Drive, has been charged with murder. Davidson County Sheriff David Grice said the 48-year-old woman he killed was his common-law wife. Grice said the name of the woman, who is also from Reidsville, is not being released pending notification of next of kin.
Grice said the two apparently have no ties to Davidson County and were just passing through when the killing occurred. The site of the murder is near the Forsyth County line, about a mile north of Gumtree Road.
Grice said a call for help was received at 10:42 a.m. Sunday. When officers arrived they found the woman lying beside a car bleeding from numerous wounds. Grice described the injuries as “edge-weapon wounds.”
The woman was transported to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem where she was pronounced dead. Grice said an autopsy will be performed at the hospital.
An off-duty Kernersville police officer was already at the scene along with about 10 others helping the victim when deputies arrived. Grice said the off-duty officer also detained Campbell until other deputies arrived.
Grice said Campbell reportedly ingested a bottle of prescription medicine at the scene and was transported to Lexington Memorial Hospital where he was treated before being released about 3:30 p.m.
A 6-year-old was in the vehicle when the incident occurred, Grice said. He said the child was not hurt and was taken to the Davidson County Department of Social Services to meet with his grandfather.
Old U.S. Highway 52 was blocked for almost three hours while the death was investigated.
Grice said this is the fourth murder in Davidson County this year.
Steve Huffman can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or steve.huffman@the-dispatch.com.
The Dispatch
Published: Sunday, May 30, 2010 at 7:05 p.m.
A Reidsville man has been charged with killing his common-law wife Sunday morning near Old U.S. Highway 52 in northern Davidson County.
Beresford Allen Campbell, 52, of 1325 Linville Drive, has been charged with murder. Davidson County Sheriff David Grice said the 48-year-old woman he killed was his common-law wife. Grice said the name of the woman, who is also from Reidsville, is not being released pending notification of next of kin.
Grice said the two apparently have no ties to Davidson County and were just passing through when the killing occurred. The site of the murder is near the Forsyth County line, about a mile north of Gumtree Road.
Grice said a call for help was received at 10:42 a.m. Sunday. When officers arrived they found the woman lying beside a car bleeding from numerous wounds. Grice described the injuries as “edge-weapon wounds.”
The woman was transported to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem where she was pronounced dead. Grice said an autopsy will be performed at the hospital.
An off-duty Kernersville police officer was already at the scene along with about 10 others helping the victim when deputies arrived. Grice said the off-duty officer also detained Campbell until other deputies arrived.
Grice said Campbell reportedly ingested a bottle of prescription medicine at the scene and was transported to Lexington Memorial Hospital where he was treated before being released about 3:30 p.m.
A 6-year-old was in the vehicle when the incident occurred, Grice said. He said the child was not hurt and was taken to the Davidson County Department of Social Services to meet with his grandfather.
Old U.S. Highway 52 was blocked for almost three hours while the death was investigated.
Grice said this is the fourth murder in Davidson County this year.
Steve Huffman can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or steve.huffman@the-dispatch.com.
Highland Park, CA: Husband charged in woman's '03 slaying
The L.A. County district attorney's office alleges that Gustavo Alvarez hired a member of the Avenues gang to kill his wife, who was gunned down outside a Highland Park restaurant.
May 30, 2010|By Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times
Richard Hartog, Los Angeles Times
On a warm night during the Fourth of July holiday weekend in 2003, Virginia and Gustavo Alvarez went out for dinner to a Mexican restaurant in Highland Park that was recommended by friends for its guacamole.
As Virginia stepped out of the couple's SUV, a man with a shotgun approached and fatally shot the mother of three in the head. The gunman and an accomplice fled in a small white car.
Alvarez's killing was as mysterious as it was brazen. Was it a botched robbery? Did it involve a personal grudge? Or, was it somehow related to her job as a secretary in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's internal affairs section? Investigators were confounded.
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Seven months after her slaying, the victim's mother appeared at a news conference with half a dozen other relatives, begging anyone with information to call police. "Someone out there knows the truth," Antonia Rivera said.
That person, police now say, is Gustavo Alvarez.
According to court documents obtained by The Times, detectives allege that Gustavo Alvarez hired a member of the notorious Avenues street gang to kill his wife.
"This was a puzzle with a lot of tiny pieces," said Capt. Kevin McClure of the Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery-Homicide Division. "The picture became clearer the more pieces we added."
Ultimately, gang associates and family members helped detectives put it altogether, McClure said.
Jeremy Karpel, Alvarez's defense attorney, said his client is innocent.
According to a search warrant affidavit, the couple was in the process of separating at the time of the killing. On the surface, the split seemed amicable. The couple had agreed to evenly divide their assets. Gustavo Alvarez, 46, a phone company employee, had filed papers signing over the couple's Pico Rivera home, the court documents show.
But Virginia Alvarez, 37, learned that her husband had assets that she had previously been unaware of, including a 61-foot yacht, according to the affidavit and state records.
Rivera told authorities that her daughter already had reason to distrust her husband because he was cheating on her, court records show.
A break came in April 2008, when Gustavo's brother, Jimmy Alvarez, told police his brother had paid an Avenues gang member to deliver the fatal shot, according to the affidavit.
Jimmy Alvarez told police that Joseph Luis Sepulveda, a gang member known as "Pee Wee," shot Virginia Alvarez, according to the court records. Sepulveda and Jimmy Alvarez were old acquaintances who were once arrested for robbery together, the records show.
Sepulveda and Gustavo Alvarez were no strangers either, detectives allege.
An aunt with whom Sepulveda lived told police that Gustavo Alvarez began coming to the house to speak with her nephew.
May 30, 2010|By Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times
Richard Hartog, Los Angeles Times
On a warm night during the Fourth of July holiday weekend in 2003, Virginia and Gustavo Alvarez went out for dinner to a Mexican restaurant in Highland Park that was recommended by friends for its guacamole.
As Virginia stepped out of the couple's SUV, a man with a shotgun approached and fatally shot the mother of three in the head. The gunman and an accomplice fled in a small white car.
Alvarez's killing was as mysterious as it was brazen. Was it a botched robbery? Did it involve a personal grudge? Or, was it somehow related to her job as a secretary in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's internal affairs section? Investigators were confounded.
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Seven months after her slaying, the victim's mother appeared at a news conference with half a dozen other relatives, begging anyone with information to call police. "Someone out there knows the truth," Antonia Rivera said.
That person, police now say, is Gustavo Alvarez.
According to court documents obtained by The Times, detectives allege that Gustavo Alvarez hired a member of the notorious Avenues street gang to kill his wife.
"This was a puzzle with a lot of tiny pieces," said Capt. Kevin McClure of the Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery-Homicide Division. "The picture became clearer the more pieces we added."
Ultimately, gang associates and family members helped detectives put it altogether, McClure said.
Jeremy Karpel, Alvarez's defense attorney, said his client is innocent.
According to a search warrant affidavit, the couple was in the process of separating at the time of the killing. On the surface, the split seemed amicable. The couple had agreed to evenly divide their assets. Gustavo Alvarez, 46, a phone company employee, had filed papers signing over the couple's Pico Rivera home, the court documents show.
But Virginia Alvarez, 37, learned that her husband had assets that she had previously been unaware of, including a 61-foot yacht, according to the affidavit and state records.
Rivera told authorities that her daughter already had reason to distrust her husband because he was cheating on her, court records show.
A break came in April 2008, when Gustavo's brother, Jimmy Alvarez, told police his brother had paid an Avenues gang member to deliver the fatal shot, according to the affidavit.
Jimmy Alvarez told police that Joseph Luis Sepulveda, a gang member known as "Pee Wee," shot Virginia Alvarez, according to the court records. Sepulveda and Jimmy Alvarez were old acquaintances who were once arrested for robbery together, the records show.
Sepulveda and Gustavo Alvarez were no strangers either, detectives allege.
An aunt with whom Sepulveda lived told police that Gustavo Alvarez began coming to the house to speak with her nephew.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Apex, NC: Police: Man kills woman, self at N.C. Target store
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Two dead in apparent murder-suicide at Target store
Shooting took place just after 11 a.m.
Store evacuated following incident
(CNN) -- A man walked into a North Carolina Target store on Sunday and shot an employee he had had a previous relationship with before turning the gun on himself, police said.
"Target is deeply saddened by the loss of one of our team members and the tragic event that took place at our Apex, North Carolina, store shortly after 11 a.m. Sunday morning," Target spokeswoman Brandy Doyle said in a statement. "The store was immediately evacuated following the incident and we are cooperating fully with law enforcement in its investigation."
Apex police spokeswoman Ann Stephens told CNN the victim and suspect had been in a relationship that ended several years ago. She was in the store at her cash register Sunday morning when he came in and shot her, Stephens said. The man died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds, she said.
The store will be closed Sunday "so that we can focus on taking care of our team," Doyle said. Counselors would be made available at the store, she said.
Apex is about 15 miles west of Raleigh, North Carolina.
Two dead in apparent murder-suicide at Target store
Shooting took place just after 11 a.m.
Store evacuated following incident
(CNN) -- A man walked into a North Carolina Target store on Sunday and shot an employee he had had a previous relationship with before turning the gun on himself, police said.
"Target is deeply saddened by the loss of one of our team members and the tragic event that took place at our Apex, North Carolina, store shortly after 11 a.m. Sunday morning," Target spokeswoman Brandy Doyle said in a statement. "The store was immediately evacuated following the incident and we are cooperating fully with law enforcement in its investigation."
Apex police spokeswoman Ann Stephens told CNN the victim and suspect had been in a relationship that ended several years ago. She was in the store at her cash register Sunday morning when he came in and shot her, Stephens said. The man died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds, she said.
The store will be closed Sunday "so that we can focus on taking care of our team," Doyle said. Counselors would be made available at the store, she said.
Apex is about 15 miles west of Raleigh, North Carolina.
Topeka, KS: Topeka man to face capital murder in death of girlfriend
By Associated Press
6:37 AM CDT, May 28, 2010
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Topeka man has been charged with capital murder and rape in the death of his girlfriend.
Shawnee County prosecutors on Thursday charged 55-year-old James Philip Carnoali with capital murder, an alternative of first-degree murder, rape and aggravated criminal sodomy.
He is accused of sexually assualting and killing 44-year-old Terri Lynn Nadeau on March 27, 2009, at the couple's apartment.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Carnoali's trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 7.
Nadeau is the third woman who died while living with Carnoali in the past eight years. Topeka police are investigating the past cases.
6:37 AM CDT, May 28, 2010
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Topeka man has been charged with capital murder and rape in the death of his girlfriend.
Shawnee County prosecutors on Thursday charged 55-year-old James Philip Carnoali with capital murder, an alternative of first-degree murder, rape and aggravated criminal sodomy.
He is accused of sexually assualting and killing 44-year-old Terri Lynn Nadeau on March 27, 2009, at the couple's apartment.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Carnoali's trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 7.
Nadeau is the third woman who died while living with Carnoali in the past eight years. Topeka police are investigating the past cases.
University City, MO: Man Charged With Murder in Death Of Girlfriend and Son Gebar Byrd, Sr. Allegedly Pushed Girlfriend Into River With 23 Month Old Son In Her Arms
UNIVERSITY CITY, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com) - The father of a missing 23 month old boy has been charged in the murder of the little boy and his mother. Gebar Byrd, Sr. 26, is accused of pushing Yasmin Rodriguez into the Mississippi River last March. Police say she was holding little Gebar, Jr. when she went into the river.
Rodriguez's body was found floating in the Mississippi on April 9th, sixteen days after they went missing. The toddler's body has never been located.
Police say Byrd, his longtime girlfriend Rodriguez, and the child were together alond the riverbank at Riverview and Spring Garden Drive on March 23rd. Officers say Byrd, Sr. pushed Rodriguez and Byrd, Jr., "through mud, branches, and logs," into the rushing river waters. Police say the pair went in, mother holding child, and eventually went under, never to resurface.
"It's a bit of closure," says Lupe Rodriguez about charges being filed in her sister's murder.
Rodriguez's body was found floating in the Mississippi on April 9th, sixteen days after they went missing. The toddler's body has never been located.
Police say Byrd, his longtime girlfriend Rodriguez, and the child were together alond the riverbank at Riverview and Spring Garden Drive on March 23rd. Officers say Byrd, Sr. pushed Rodriguez and Byrd, Jr., "through mud, branches, and logs," into the rushing river waters. Police say the pair went in, mother holding child, and eventually went under, never to resurface.
"It's a bit of closure," says Lupe Rodriguez about charges being filed in her sister's murder.
Martinsville, IN: Doctor suspected in death is out of jail
Martinsville -- A physician indicted by a Morgan County grand jury in the death of his live-in girlfriend is free on bond.
Sondra Pressler died in November. Dr. John Reynolds, the county's health officer in charge of signing her death certificate, is charged in her death, according to WTHR (Channel 13), The Star's news-gathering partner.
"A grand jury looked at the case, heard evidence, and today (Friday) they returned with indictments charging Doctor Reynolds with four counts of neglect of a dependent," Morgan County Prosecutor Steve Sonnega said, WTHR reported.
Authorities say Pressler was living with Reynolds when she died, and investigators believe he was acting as her doctor, WTHR reported.
Star reports
Sondra Pressler died in November. Dr. John Reynolds, the county's health officer in charge of signing her death certificate, is charged in her death, according to WTHR (Channel 13), The Star's news-gathering partner.
"A grand jury looked at the case, heard evidence, and today (Friday) they returned with indictments charging Doctor Reynolds with four counts of neglect of a dependent," Morgan County Prosecutor Steve Sonnega said, WTHR reported.
Authorities say Pressler was living with Reynolds when she died, and investigators believe he was acting as her doctor, WTHR reported.
Star reports
Nashville, TN: Nashville police officer indicted in wife's death
Metro Police officer Deon Cartmell was arrested Friday after he was indicted in the death of his wife.
Cartmell, 23, had said that his wife, Shari, 24, shot herself while the two were sitting on the living room couch on March 16 in their home on Saunders Avenue in Madison.
An investigation by Metro detectives Charles Robinson and Norris Tarkington found that Cartmell's account of his wife's death did not match the evidence, according to a police news release.
The gun used in the shooting was owned by Deon Cartmell and was not his service weapon.
Cartmell had been a police officer in the East Precinct for less than a year at the time of his wife's death. He graduated from the police academy in July 2009 and was decommissioned on March 17.
He has been placed on administrative assignment and was in jail Friday night.
— BOB SMIETANA
THE TENNESSEAN
Cartmell, 23, had said that his wife, Shari, 24, shot herself while the two were sitting on the living room couch on March 16 in their home on Saunders Avenue in Madison.
An investigation by Metro detectives Charles Robinson and Norris Tarkington found that Cartmell's account of his wife's death did not match the evidence, according to a police news release.
The gun used in the shooting was owned by Deon Cartmell and was not his service weapon.
Cartmell had been a police officer in the East Precinct for less than a year at the time of his wife's death. He graduated from the police academy in July 2009 and was decommissioned on March 17.
He has been placed on administrative assignment and was in jail Friday night.
— BOB SMIETANA
THE TENNESSEAN
Pewaukee, WI: Delays, suspicions cloud Pewaukee death
Benny Sieu
Tracy Harrington gives her father, Harley Harrington, a kiss after they leave Sheboygan North High School, where they gave a scholarship in honor of Kelly Harrington, who died of a drug overdose in Pewaukee nearly two years ago. The family wants answers about the circumstances of Kelly’s death. At right is Tracy and Kelly’s mother Dorie Harrington.
Woman died from drug overdose
By Gina Barton of the Journal Sentinel
Posted: May 30, 2010 |(4) Comments
Kelly Harrington, the wife of a reclusive millionaire, died almost two years ago.
The Waukesha County medical examiner's office worked for five months but couldn't reach a conclusion about whether the drug overdose that killed her was an accident, a homicide or a suicide.
The Pewaukee Police Department labeled Harrington's death suspicious, but its investigation stalled after investigators encountered only dead ends after 11 months.
When the Pewaukee department disbanded in December, the case fell through the cracks. The Waukesha County Sheriff's Department took over Pewaukee's open cases, but no one alerted it to Harrington's file.
Harrington's relatives are frustrated. They want an explanation for the strange circumstances surrounding her death. And they want someone held accountable, even if it's only for providing Harrington, 45, with the drugs that killed her.
"I would like to see a real investigation," said Harrington's brother-in-law, Rick Halverson.
Otherwise, said her sister, Tracy Harrington, "It's an injustice that will just be forever."
The call to police
At 9:34 a.m. July 16, 2008, Pewaukee police responded to a 911 call from the Five Fields apartment complex. The caller, David W. Mead, said his wife was not breathing and had no pulse, according to a police report. The medical examiner would later determine Harrington had been dead for several hours. Oxycodone, a painkiller; methadone, a liquid used to help wean heroin addicts; cocaine; marijuana; alcohol; and a prescribed seizure medication were found in her system.
Mead, then 56, told police he had last seen his wife around midnight when she went into the bedroom. The couple had been staying at the apartment temporarily while their Muskego home was being repaired after an electrical fire.
Harrington had spent the evening drinking white wine while Mead watched the baseball All-Star Game, he told police the next morning. Although he said the empty wine bottle should be on the kitchen counter, it was never found.
Mead told police he slept on the couch. Around 7 a.m., he woke up and went to Muskego to feed their horses. He said he returned around 9:30 a.m. and checked on Harrington, whom he found on her knees on the floor with her head in her hands. The 911 dispatcher told Mead to turn her over and attempt CPR, which he did, although her body was already cold.
The question
Outside the apartment, a woman approached one of the officers on the scene.
"What's going on?" she asked. "Is everything all right?"
"Everything is fine," Officer J.L. Bertonas answered. "There is no reason to be alarmed."
The woman lived directly below Mead and Harrington in an apartment that was laid out exactly the same way as theirs. She told the officer she often heard the couple talking loudly and slamming doors. That morning around 7:15 a.m. she heard thumping, as well as loud male and female voices, the neighbor said. The thumping was directly above her head as she stood near her bedroom closet - the same area where Harrington's body was found in the bedroom above.
The neighbor said she saw Mead leave the apartment around 7:45 a.m.
But according to Mead's statements, he had left without talking to his wife, and no one else was at the apartment.
Later that day, a friend of the couple, John R. Brown, showed up at the apartment. He told police he had been there the night before Harrington died. She was fine when he left around 10:30 p.m., Brown said.
Only months later, in September, did Mead tell police his wife and Brown had been alone in the bedroom together. Mead suspected the two had been using drugs. In a follow-up interview with police, Brown denied that.
"Based upon the inconsistency in Mead's statements," a Pewaukee detective later wrote in a search warrant affidavit, "this appears to be a suspicious death."
Numerous attempts by the Journal Sentinel to reach Mead were unsuccessful, including mail, telephone calls and a visit to his Muskego home. Brown also could not be reached.
Husband's claims
According to a police report, Mead said Harrington had a history of hearing voices that told her to harm herself. Harrington's mental health issues, her husband suspected, "got the best of her and she purposely took too many drugs," according to a police report.
Mead said the same thing at Harrington's funeral, Halverson said.
Halverson didn't believe it. Nether did Harrington's parents, Harley and Dorie Harrington.
In fact, when the police showed up at their Sheboygan home to tell them of their daughter's death, Dorie Harrington immediately suspected Mead, according to a police report.
"He's responsible for this," she told the officer.
The Sunday before her death, Kelly Harrington went to brunch with her parents and brother, they said. She seemed in good spirits.
The day her body was found, Harrington was scheduled to show up at her brother's office with lunch for him.
"I waited for her, but I had the police instead of my sister," he said.
How they met
Harrington's sister, Tracy, introduced Mead and Harrington at a wedding in the mid-1980s.
"David came up to me and said something like, 'If I could meet someone as wonderful as your sister, I would turn my life around.' " Tracy Harrington recalled.
Kelly Harrington was always popular. She was voted prettiest girl in the class of 1981 at Sheboygan North High School, where she was on the cross country team, her family said. She played the violin, flute, guitar and mandolin. Her love of animals extended beyond her family's dogs and cats. When baby birds fell out of their nests, Harrington would hand-feed them mashed-up worms and oatmeal, her mother said.
Although Harrington was never all that into money, she seemed impressed with the freedom and excitement Mead's $6 million inheritance could buy.
Harrington had been working as a legal secretary when she met Mead, her brother and sister said. After Harrington married Mead in Las Vegas in 1989, she became a professional student, taking classes in everything from American Sign Language to photography.
Mead worked part-time at Alpine Valley and Summerfest. He introduced Harrington to many musicians and celebrities, including the Violent Femmes and Bruce Willis, who told her she was cute, Tracy Harrington said.
Mead also was involved with drugs. In 1996 he was convicted of possessing drugs without a prescription, a misdemeanor, and sentenced to 15 days in jail, according to online court records. In 2001, he was convicted of delivery of cocaine, a felony, and served five years on probation. In a related case, Brown was convicted of possession with intent to deliver cocaine, a felony, and of misdemeanor marijuana possession.
At the time of his wife's death, Mead told police he had been clean since 2001. Brown said he had used drugs only one more time after that arrest, according to a police report.
Harrington used marijuana and possibly cocaine with Mead, but not heroin or methadone, her relatives said.
Mead told police he had been sleeping on the couch for five years. For two years, Harrington lived alone in an apartment while Mead stayed at their home in Muskego, her parents and siblings said. She eventually moved back in with him. At times, she went for long stretches without contacting her family members.
Her brother, Harley Harrington, said he accompanied his sister to an appointment with a divorce attorney, but the lawyer said he could not represent Kelly Harrington because he had done work for Mead's family.
A car crash
About five years before she died, Harrington was involved in a serious car accident in Illinois. Mead believed she plowed her car into a concrete freeway barrier in an attempt to kill herself, according to a Pewaukee police report.
Her family believes it was an accident that occurred as she tried to wrest herself from her husband's control, they said in interviews with the Journal Sentinel. She ended up in a mental hospital.
"They thought she was bipolar," her mother said.
After that, Harrington was plagued by seizures, her family said. She became paranoid that toxic mold growing in her house would kill her, and once told her parents her house was surrounded by men with guns. She heard voices coming from her computer and begged her brother to come over and silence them.
"She would yell at the voices," her brother said. "She would throw stuff out the window at them - objects, money; everything went out the window, telling them to shut up."
Harrington denied using drugs but sometimes called her parents or siblings while under the influence. In desperation, they called the police, hoping that if Harrington were arrested, at least she would be safe. But it didn't happen.
"It was horrifying," her sister said.
Death certificate delay
Although Kelly Harrington died in July 2008, the medical examiner's office did not issue a death certificate until December, according to Deputy Medical Examiner Kristine Klenz.
Although Klenz is certain a combination of drugs and alcohol caused Harrington's death, she can't be sure if it was an accident, a homicide or a suicide.
The witness statements all pointed in different directions, she said in an interview, and none of the accounts can be confirmed by physical evidence.
In January 2009, shortly after Klenz listed the manner of Harrington's death as "undetermined," Pewaukee police officer Brian Fredericks was assigned to do a follow-up investigation.
He realized no one had requested the tape of Mead's 911 call reporting his wife's death. By then, though, the tape had been destroyed.
Fredericks sent a rolled-up $10 bill from the apartment where Harrington died to the State Crime Laboratory. It contained traces of cocaine, one of the drugs found in Harrington's body, which wasn't a surprise.
The officer subpoenaed phone records for the land line in the apartment where Harrington died as well as for her cell phone and those of her husband and of Brown. But there was no useful evidence among the lists of calls.
Fredericks talked with Harrington's family again. He re-interviewed Mead and Brown but learned nothing new.
"At this point, there is no further information available and this case shall thus remain dormant pending new information," Fredericks wrote in a report dated June 22, 2009.
Legal avenues
The family hired an attorney. But the potential civil case - which has a lower standard of proof than a criminal case would - stalled because of the money it would take for a thorough private investigation.
The statute of limitations for filing a civil suit is two years; it will lapse in July.
There is precedent in southeastern Wisconsin for criminal charges against people who provide drugs that cause an overdose.
For example, a charge of delivering non-narcotic drugs, a felony, is pending against Brittany Blue, 19, of Glendale, accused of being the source of pills that contributed to the death of Whitefish Bay teen Madison Kiefer. The statutes of limitations for such crimes vary. There is no time limit for filing homicide charges.
Pewaukee did not flag Harrington's case when it was handed over to the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department, said Karen Ruff, captain of detectives for the Sheriff's Department. It was not on her radar screen until she was contacted by the Journal Sentinel earlier this month, she said.
"I will assign it to one of my detectives," she said. "We will review all the reports, all the work the city did, and see if there's anything else we can do."
Tracy Harrington gives her father, Harley Harrington, a kiss after they leave Sheboygan North High School, where they gave a scholarship in honor of Kelly Harrington, who died of a drug overdose in Pewaukee nearly two years ago. The family wants answers about the circumstances of Kelly’s death. At right is Tracy and Kelly’s mother Dorie Harrington.
Woman died from drug overdose
By Gina Barton of the Journal Sentinel
Posted: May 30, 2010 |(4) Comments
Kelly Harrington, the wife of a reclusive millionaire, died almost two years ago.
The Waukesha County medical examiner's office worked for five months but couldn't reach a conclusion about whether the drug overdose that killed her was an accident, a homicide or a suicide.
The Pewaukee Police Department labeled Harrington's death suspicious, but its investigation stalled after investigators encountered only dead ends after 11 months.
When the Pewaukee department disbanded in December, the case fell through the cracks. The Waukesha County Sheriff's Department took over Pewaukee's open cases, but no one alerted it to Harrington's file.
Harrington's relatives are frustrated. They want an explanation for the strange circumstances surrounding her death. And they want someone held accountable, even if it's only for providing Harrington, 45, with the drugs that killed her.
"I would like to see a real investigation," said Harrington's brother-in-law, Rick Halverson.
Otherwise, said her sister, Tracy Harrington, "It's an injustice that will just be forever."
The call to police
At 9:34 a.m. July 16, 2008, Pewaukee police responded to a 911 call from the Five Fields apartment complex. The caller, David W. Mead, said his wife was not breathing and had no pulse, according to a police report. The medical examiner would later determine Harrington had been dead for several hours. Oxycodone, a painkiller; methadone, a liquid used to help wean heroin addicts; cocaine; marijuana; alcohol; and a prescribed seizure medication were found in her system.
Mead, then 56, told police he had last seen his wife around midnight when she went into the bedroom. The couple had been staying at the apartment temporarily while their Muskego home was being repaired after an electrical fire.
Harrington had spent the evening drinking white wine while Mead watched the baseball All-Star Game, he told police the next morning. Although he said the empty wine bottle should be on the kitchen counter, it was never found.
Mead told police he slept on the couch. Around 7 a.m., he woke up and went to Muskego to feed their horses. He said he returned around 9:30 a.m. and checked on Harrington, whom he found on her knees on the floor with her head in her hands. The 911 dispatcher told Mead to turn her over and attempt CPR, which he did, although her body was already cold.
The question
Outside the apartment, a woman approached one of the officers on the scene.
"What's going on?" she asked. "Is everything all right?"
"Everything is fine," Officer J.L. Bertonas answered. "There is no reason to be alarmed."
The woman lived directly below Mead and Harrington in an apartment that was laid out exactly the same way as theirs. She told the officer she often heard the couple talking loudly and slamming doors. That morning around 7:15 a.m. she heard thumping, as well as loud male and female voices, the neighbor said. The thumping was directly above her head as she stood near her bedroom closet - the same area where Harrington's body was found in the bedroom above.
The neighbor said she saw Mead leave the apartment around 7:45 a.m.
But according to Mead's statements, he had left without talking to his wife, and no one else was at the apartment.
Later that day, a friend of the couple, John R. Brown, showed up at the apartment. He told police he had been there the night before Harrington died. She was fine when he left around 10:30 p.m., Brown said.
Only months later, in September, did Mead tell police his wife and Brown had been alone in the bedroom together. Mead suspected the two had been using drugs. In a follow-up interview with police, Brown denied that.
"Based upon the inconsistency in Mead's statements," a Pewaukee detective later wrote in a search warrant affidavit, "this appears to be a suspicious death."
Numerous attempts by the Journal Sentinel to reach Mead were unsuccessful, including mail, telephone calls and a visit to his Muskego home. Brown also could not be reached.
Husband's claims
According to a police report, Mead said Harrington had a history of hearing voices that told her to harm herself. Harrington's mental health issues, her husband suspected, "got the best of her and she purposely took too many drugs," according to a police report.
Mead said the same thing at Harrington's funeral, Halverson said.
Halverson didn't believe it. Nether did Harrington's parents, Harley and Dorie Harrington.
In fact, when the police showed up at their Sheboygan home to tell them of their daughter's death, Dorie Harrington immediately suspected Mead, according to a police report.
"He's responsible for this," she told the officer.
The Sunday before her death, Kelly Harrington went to brunch with her parents and brother, they said. She seemed in good spirits.
The day her body was found, Harrington was scheduled to show up at her brother's office with lunch for him.
"I waited for her, but I had the police instead of my sister," he said.
How they met
Harrington's sister, Tracy, introduced Mead and Harrington at a wedding in the mid-1980s.
"David came up to me and said something like, 'If I could meet someone as wonderful as your sister, I would turn my life around.' " Tracy Harrington recalled.
Kelly Harrington was always popular. She was voted prettiest girl in the class of 1981 at Sheboygan North High School, where she was on the cross country team, her family said. She played the violin, flute, guitar and mandolin. Her love of animals extended beyond her family's dogs and cats. When baby birds fell out of their nests, Harrington would hand-feed them mashed-up worms and oatmeal, her mother said.
Although Harrington was never all that into money, she seemed impressed with the freedom and excitement Mead's $6 million inheritance could buy.
Harrington had been working as a legal secretary when she met Mead, her brother and sister said. After Harrington married Mead in Las Vegas in 1989, she became a professional student, taking classes in everything from American Sign Language to photography.
Mead worked part-time at Alpine Valley and Summerfest. He introduced Harrington to many musicians and celebrities, including the Violent Femmes and Bruce Willis, who told her she was cute, Tracy Harrington said.
Mead also was involved with drugs. In 1996 he was convicted of possessing drugs without a prescription, a misdemeanor, and sentenced to 15 days in jail, according to online court records. In 2001, he was convicted of delivery of cocaine, a felony, and served five years on probation. In a related case, Brown was convicted of possession with intent to deliver cocaine, a felony, and of misdemeanor marijuana possession.
At the time of his wife's death, Mead told police he had been clean since 2001. Brown said he had used drugs only one more time after that arrest, according to a police report.
Harrington used marijuana and possibly cocaine with Mead, but not heroin or methadone, her relatives said.
Mead told police he had been sleeping on the couch for five years. For two years, Harrington lived alone in an apartment while Mead stayed at their home in Muskego, her parents and siblings said. She eventually moved back in with him. At times, she went for long stretches without contacting her family members.
Her brother, Harley Harrington, said he accompanied his sister to an appointment with a divorce attorney, but the lawyer said he could not represent Kelly Harrington because he had done work for Mead's family.
A car crash
About five years before she died, Harrington was involved in a serious car accident in Illinois. Mead believed she plowed her car into a concrete freeway barrier in an attempt to kill herself, according to a Pewaukee police report.
Her family believes it was an accident that occurred as she tried to wrest herself from her husband's control, they said in interviews with the Journal Sentinel. She ended up in a mental hospital.
"They thought she was bipolar," her mother said.
After that, Harrington was plagued by seizures, her family said. She became paranoid that toxic mold growing in her house would kill her, and once told her parents her house was surrounded by men with guns. She heard voices coming from her computer and begged her brother to come over and silence them.
"She would yell at the voices," her brother said. "She would throw stuff out the window at them - objects, money; everything went out the window, telling them to shut up."
Harrington denied using drugs but sometimes called her parents or siblings while under the influence. In desperation, they called the police, hoping that if Harrington were arrested, at least she would be safe. But it didn't happen.
"It was horrifying," her sister said.
Death certificate delay
Although Kelly Harrington died in July 2008, the medical examiner's office did not issue a death certificate until December, according to Deputy Medical Examiner Kristine Klenz.
Although Klenz is certain a combination of drugs and alcohol caused Harrington's death, she can't be sure if it was an accident, a homicide or a suicide.
The witness statements all pointed in different directions, she said in an interview, and none of the accounts can be confirmed by physical evidence.
In January 2009, shortly after Klenz listed the manner of Harrington's death as "undetermined," Pewaukee police officer Brian Fredericks was assigned to do a follow-up investigation.
He realized no one had requested the tape of Mead's 911 call reporting his wife's death. By then, though, the tape had been destroyed.
Fredericks sent a rolled-up $10 bill from the apartment where Harrington died to the State Crime Laboratory. It contained traces of cocaine, one of the drugs found in Harrington's body, which wasn't a surprise.
The officer subpoenaed phone records for the land line in the apartment where Harrington died as well as for her cell phone and those of her husband and of Brown. But there was no useful evidence among the lists of calls.
Fredericks talked with Harrington's family again. He re-interviewed Mead and Brown but learned nothing new.
"At this point, there is no further information available and this case shall thus remain dormant pending new information," Fredericks wrote in a report dated June 22, 2009.
Legal avenues
The family hired an attorney. But the potential civil case - which has a lower standard of proof than a criminal case would - stalled because of the money it would take for a thorough private investigation.
The statute of limitations for filing a civil suit is two years; it will lapse in July.
There is precedent in southeastern Wisconsin for criminal charges against people who provide drugs that cause an overdose.
For example, a charge of delivering non-narcotic drugs, a felony, is pending against Brittany Blue, 19, of Glendale, accused of being the source of pills that contributed to the death of Whitefish Bay teen Madison Kiefer. The statutes of limitations for such crimes vary. There is no time limit for filing homicide charges.
Pewaukee did not flag Harrington's case when it was handed over to the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department, said Karen Ruff, captain of detectives for the Sheriff's Department. It was not on her radar screen until she was contacted by the Journal Sentinel earlier this month, she said.
"I will assign it to one of my detectives," she said. "We will review all the reports, all the work the city did, and see if there's anything else we can do."
Encino, CA: Comedian Hartman killed by wife
Examiner Staff Writer
May 28, 2010
On this day, May 28, 1998, comic-actor Phil Hartman was shot to death by his wife in their Encino, Calif., home.
Hartman rose to fame after joining "Saturday Night Live," and was perhaps best known for lampooning President Clinton.
On the night of his death, Hartman threatened to leave his wife, Brynn, if she continued to use drugs. He then went to bed. While he slept, Brynn went to the bedroom and shot him in the head. She was drunk and had taken cocaine.
When police arrived, they removed the couple's two children from the home and heard a gunshot. Brynn had killed herself.
Hartman is one of a string of SNL cast members who died tragically, including John Belushi and Chris Farley.
-- Scott McCabe
May 28, 2010
On this day, May 28, 1998, comic-actor Phil Hartman was shot to death by his wife in their Encino, Calif., home.
Hartman rose to fame after joining "Saturday Night Live," and was perhaps best known for lampooning President Clinton.
On the night of his death, Hartman threatened to leave his wife, Brynn, if she continued to use drugs. He then went to bed. While he slept, Brynn went to the bedroom and shot him in the head. She was drunk and had taken cocaine.
When police arrived, they removed the couple's two children from the home and heard a gunshot. Brynn had killed herself.
Hartman is one of a string of SNL cast members who died tragically, including John Belushi and Chris Farley.
-- Scott McCabe
Dayton, OH: Coroner confirms murder/suicide The bodies were found Thursday night
Updated: Friday, 28 May 2010, 5:52 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 28 May 2010, 5:52 PM EDT
Megan O'Rourke
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - Dayton Police found two bodies inside a home at 130 Fernwood Avenue around 9:30 Thursday night.
They've since been identified 31 year-old Nichole Cochran, and her boyfriend, 49 year-old J.B. Jones.
Neighbors, like Steve Tannreuther, are in shock.
"It's awful," said Tannreuther.
At the scene, officers revealed they were looking at this as a possible murder/suicide.
On Friday, the Montgomery County Coroners office confirmed investigators initial suspicions. They said Jones shot Cochran, then turned the gun on himself.
"We're questioning numerous individuals and try to ascertain as much history as we can to try to find out what was going on prior to anything that may have happened here," said Sgt. Dan Mauch.
A gun found inside the house was being tested to see if it was the weapon used.
In the meantime, neighbors are coping and questioning what went wrong.
"We never heard any arguments between them or anything," said Tannreuther.
Both Cochron and Jones do have criminal pasts. In 2007, they were convicted with drug crimes and receiving stolen property. In 2003, Jones was convicted of felonious assault with a deadly weapon.
Police are still investigating the deaths in hopes of finding a motive.
Published : Friday, 28 May 2010, 5:52 PM EDT
Megan O'Rourke
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - Dayton Police found two bodies inside a home at 130 Fernwood Avenue around 9:30 Thursday night.
They've since been identified 31 year-old Nichole Cochran, and her boyfriend, 49 year-old J.B. Jones.
Neighbors, like Steve Tannreuther, are in shock.
"It's awful," said Tannreuther.
At the scene, officers revealed they were looking at this as a possible murder/suicide.
On Friday, the Montgomery County Coroners office confirmed investigators initial suspicions. They said Jones shot Cochran, then turned the gun on himself.
"We're questioning numerous individuals and try to ascertain as much history as we can to try to find out what was going on prior to anything that may have happened here," said Sgt. Dan Mauch.
A gun found inside the house was being tested to see if it was the weapon used.
In the meantime, neighbors are coping and questioning what went wrong.
"We never heard any arguments between them or anything," said Tannreuther.
Both Cochron and Jones do have criminal pasts. In 2007, they were convicted with drug crimes and receiving stolen property. In 2003, Jones was convicted of felonious assault with a deadly weapon.
Police are still investigating the deaths in hopes of finding a motive.
Ballard, WA: Domestic violence murder/suicide in Ballard
By Robinson Newspapers Staff
May 28, 2010
SPD Blotter
At approximately 10:15 p.m. on May 27, officers responded to a disturbance in the 2400 block of Northwest 57th St. The victim and suspect reportedly resided together.
The couple got into some sort of domestic dispute and the suspect beat the victim with a hammer and possibly other objects, mortally wounding her.
The suspect then jumped to his death from the south windows of the sixth-floor apartment. The victim was treated at the scene by Seattle Fire Department and taken to Harborview Medical Center, where she died.
Homicide and CSI were called out to the scene. The area was canvassed and CSI processed the scene for evidence.
May 28, 2010
SPD Blotter
At approximately 10:15 p.m. on May 27, officers responded to a disturbance in the 2400 block of Northwest 57th St. The victim and suspect reportedly resided together.
The couple got into some sort of domestic dispute and the suspect beat the victim with a hammer and possibly other objects, mortally wounding her.
The suspect then jumped to his death from the south windows of the sixth-floor apartment. The victim was treated at the scene by Seattle Fire Department and taken to Harborview Medical Center, where she died.
Homicide and CSI were called out to the scene. The area was canvassed and CSI processed the scene for evidence.
New Albany, IN: New Albany shooting victims identified
Posted: May 28, 2010 6:18 PM EDT
Updated: May 29, 2010 8:57 PM EDT
By Connie Leonard - bio | email
Posted by Charles Gazaway - email
NEW ALBANY, IN (WAVE) - Floyd County Coroner Dr. Leslie Knable released the names of the two victims of Friday's shooting which occurred in the front yard of 108 Greendale Dr. in New Albany.
According to Dr. Knable, Clayton Wrege, 27, who lived at 108 Greendale Dr., died of multiple gun shot wounds while Hugh Bellis-Jones, 25, of Louisville, who was the alleged gunman, died of a self-inflicted gun shot wound.
People who know Wrege tell us he was a person who got caught in the middle of an ex-boyfriend's rage.
The double-shooting happened around 5 p.m. May 28 in the front yard of 108 Greendale Drive. Wrege's close friends say Bellis-Jones shot Wrege and then turned the gun on himself.
"I heard four to six shots," said Robert Arnold, a neighbor.
Arnold is also a gun owner and knew exactly what he had heard.
"It was pop, pop, pop, pop, that quick," said Arnold of the gunfire in his neighborhood. "She was screaming and hollering for somebody to call 911."
We've learned the girl Arnold saw screaming was a friend and roommate of Wrege at the house where the shooting happened. The two worked together at the Sports and Social Club at 4th Street Live! in Louisville.
Friends say after the young woman had some trouble with Bellis-Jones, an ex-boyfriend, her friend and co-worker, Wrege, let her move in with him until she could find a place. Friends and neighbors say the Bellis-Jones slashed their tires and spray painted their home in recent weeks, but the trouble ended Friday on the front lawn of the home when they say the Bellis-Jones showed up and shot Wrege then himself.
"They were disputing over her and it just comes to a head," Arnold remembered.
According to Captain Keith Whitlow, the New Albany Police chief of detectives, when their officers arrived at the scene, both men were dead.
Arnold says another neighbor witnessed the murder-suicide and went to police headquarters to tell investigators what he saw.
"It's a tragedy," said Arnold said. "It really is."
Several friends of the Wrege tell us he was one of the nicest people they ever met. By 10 p.m., his Facebook page was flooded with kind words for him. Many who knew him also sent e-mails to our newsroom about the man.
Updated: May 29, 2010 8:57 PM EDT
By Connie Leonard - bio | email
Posted by Charles Gazaway - email
NEW ALBANY, IN (WAVE) - Floyd County Coroner Dr. Leslie Knable released the names of the two victims of Friday's shooting which occurred in the front yard of 108 Greendale Dr. in New Albany.
According to Dr. Knable, Clayton Wrege, 27, who lived at 108 Greendale Dr., died of multiple gun shot wounds while Hugh Bellis-Jones, 25, of Louisville, who was the alleged gunman, died of a self-inflicted gun shot wound.
People who know Wrege tell us he was a person who got caught in the middle of an ex-boyfriend's rage.
The double-shooting happened around 5 p.m. May 28 in the front yard of 108 Greendale Drive. Wrege's close friends say Bellis-Jones shot Wrege and then turned the gun on himself.
"I heard four to six shots," said Robert Arnold, a neighbor.
Arnold is also a gun owner and knew exactly what he had heard.
"It was pop, pop, pop, pop, that quick," said Arnold of the gunfire in his neighborhood. "She was screaming and hollering for somebody to call 911."
We've learned the girl Arnold saw screaming was a friend and roommate of Wrege at the house where the shooting happened. The two worked together at the Sports and Social Club at 4th Street Live! in Louisville.
Friends say after the young woman had some trouble with Bellis-Jones, an ex-boyfriend, her friend and co-worker, Wrege, let her move in with him until she could find a place. Friends and neighbors say the Bellis-Jones slashed their tires and spray painted their home in recent weeks, but the trouble ended Friday on the front lawn of the home when they say the Bellis-Jones showed up and shot Wrege then himself.
"They were disputing over her and it just comes to a head," Arnold remembered.
According to Captain Keith Whitlow, the New Albany Police chief of detectives, when their officers arrived at the scene, both men were dead.
Arnold says another neighbor witnessed the murder-suicide and went to police headquarters to tell investigators what he saw.
"It's a tragedy," said Arnold said. "It really is."
Several friends of the Wrege tell us he was one of the nicest people they ever met. By 10 p.m., his Facebook page was flooded with kind words for him. Many who knew him also sent e-mails to our newsroom about the man.
Cape Coral, FL: Cape murder-suicide victim identified
Posted: May 29, 2010 6:12 PM EDT
Updated: May 30, 2010 7:28 AM EDT
LEE COUNTY: Cape Coral Police have identified one person killed in a murder-suicide on the 2700 block of SW 2nd Lane.
According to Capt. Lisa Barnes, Kelly Kristen Abrams, 31, had some friends come over to help her pack up her things because she was going to break up with her boyfriend.
Around 4:00 p.m. her boyfriend was supposed to be at work, but he came home on his motorcycle, cutting the engine and coasting in so nobody could hear him, according to reports.
Police say when inside the home the couple began to argue in the back bedroom, he then shot Abrams and turned the gun on himself.
Abrams friends fled the house and called 911.
Abram's two girls were home at time, but were not witness to the murder, according to officers.
The couple moved in together 3 months ago.
Updated: May 30, 2010 7:28 AM EDT
LEE COUNTY: Cape Coral Police have identified one person killed in a murder-suicide on the 2700 block of SW 2nd Lane.
According to Capt. Lisa Barnes, Kelly Kristen Abrams, 31, had some friends come over to help her pack up her things because she was going to break up with her boyfriend.
Around 4:00 p.m. her boyfriend was supposed to be at work, but he came home on his motorcycle, cutting the engine and coasting in so nobody could hear him, according to reports.
Police say when inside the home the couple began to argue in the back bedroom, he then shot Abrams and turned the gun on himself.
Abrams friends fled the house and called 911.
Abram's two girls were home at time, but were not witness to the murder, according to officers.
The couple moved in together 3 months ago.
Smithville, MN: Smithville Couple Dies In What Police Are Calling A Murder-Suicide
Originally printed at
The Smithville couple involved in what was believed to be an attempted murder-suicide earlier this week have died.
56–year–old Michael Peterson and his wife, 50–year–old Kaye Peterson, were both taken off life support after having their organs donated.
Family members told the News Center the Peterson's were going through a divorce.
Police say Michael Peterson shot his wife in the head three times before turning the gun on himself at the couple's 9425 Grand Avenue home.
Kaye Peterson was pronounced dead at 8:55 Thursday morning, Michael Peterson was pronounced dead at 2:30 Friday afternoon.
An autopsy was scheduled to be conducted on Kaye Saturday.
The Smithville couple involved in what was believed to be an attempted murder-suicide earlier this week have died.
56–year–old Michael Peterson and his wife, 50–year–old Kaye Peterson, were both taken off life support after having their organs donated.
Family members told the News Center the Peterson's were going through a divorce.
Police say Michael Peterson shot his wife in the head three times before turning the gun on himself at the couple's 9425 Grand Avenue home.
Kaye Peterson was pronounced dead at 8:55 Thursday morning, Michael Peterson was pronounced dead at 2:30 Friday afternoon.
An autopsy was scheduled to be conducted on Kaye Saturday.
Article: Awareness of pets victimized in domestic abuse cases grows
By Jennifer Golson/The Star-Ledger
May 30, 2010, 6:00AM
Amanda Brown/The Star-Ledger
EATONTOWN — The argument in the motel room in Eatontown last summer was loud and furious.
A Linden man had assaulted his girlfriend and, just as she went to lock herself in the bathroom, she saw her 6-week-old kitten fly across the room.
The gray and white tabby, named Pooter, smashed into a hardwood wall. The blow killed the pet, according to Victor “Buddy” Amato of the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
On April 9 Rodney Shivers, who had thrown the kitten, was sentenced to four months in the Monmouth County jail. Shivers, 19, also must perform 60 hours of community service and undergo anger-management counseling, said Thomas Rosenthal, spokesman for the state Office of the Public Defender.
Previous coverage:
• Linden man is sentenced to 4 months in jail for killing kitten
• Linden man accused of fatally abusing kitten
• Hunterdon County man gets probation for killing family dog
“He went after the animal to hurt the victim,” said Eatontown Police Chief Michael Goldfarb.
Shivers is one jarring example of people who attack pets to hurt the pets’ owners — a cruel twist to domestic-violence disputes. Awareness of the tactic has increased recently, just as more people are becoming aware of animal abuse.
Consider: In October 2007, a former Holland Township man killed the family dog by slitting its throat after his wife asked for divorce. He pleaded guilty to third-degree animal cruelty.
In November, a Forked River man was indicted on charges of beating his ex-girlfriend’s cats, killing one.
And in December, a former employee of the state Juvenile Justice Commission was accused of assaulting his wife and killing the family greyhound.
“The bond between pets and their owners can be very strong, which is exactly why an abuser knows they can exploit the victim’s love of a pet by threatening to injure the animal if the victim speaks up,” said Ida Petkus, director of the Domestic Violence Advocacy Center in Mount Holly.
And while no one knows exactly how many domestic violence cases involve animals, Petkus said family pets have always been used as pawns, just as children have been, and anything else the victim considers important.
Abuse experts and animal advocates say there is a greater need to cross-train law enforcement officials and social service workers to make them aware that when one form of violence is present, another form is likely.
For a woman who wants to escape with her pet from an abusive situation, the options are few, though officials around the country are working to change that through legislation, pet-friendly shelters and greater exposure.
In New Jersey, elected officials also are sponsoring measures that would authorize a court to include animals in domestic-violence restraining orders. Sen. Thomas Kean Jr. (R-Union) and Assemblywomen Connie Wagner (D-Bergen) and Charlotte Vandervalk (R-Bergen) introduced bills this year with the same purpose: “to provide specific statutory authorization for courts to issue orders covering animals in situations where a person abuses or threatens to abuse an animal as part of a domestic dispute.”
Kean said: “Successful enforcement of this bill would remove one of the levels of control that abusers use frequently over their spouse.
“Not only is there a very strong correlation between those that would abuse their pets and those that would abuse others, but in addition, what we have found is the abusers use the pet as an instrument of control over their family members.”
SUSCEPTIBLE TARGETS
Gordon Reibman, accused of beating his wife and killing the family dog.
The day after Gordon Reibman, 60, was accused of punching and kicking his wife, leaving her bruised, police had to return to their Hamilton Township home. The second call concerned Renny, the family greyhound.
Reibman allegedly had turned on the dog last Dec. 7, punching and kicking it to death.
“The victim’s sister received a call at approximately 12:50 p.m. from the defendant,” said Casey DeBlasio, a spokeswoman for the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office. The man allegedly had told his sister-in-law he “went too far with Renny” and said, “I think she’s dead,” according to DeBlasio.
Reibman, who was an education program development specialist with the Juvenile Justice Commission, was indicted this month on third-degree charges of aggravated assault and animal cruelty, which each carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Reibman’s defense lawyer, Robin Kay Lord, did not return repeated calls for comment.
Animals are considered part of the family, and experts say that makes them susceptible to domestic violence.
“If there’s domestic violence going on in a house, there’s a good chance the animals are being abused, also,” said Amato, the Monmouth SPCA’s chief animal cruelty officer. “The pets more so, because of the fact that they can’t speak for themselves. ... A dog can’t pick up the phone and call 911, and a dog can’t make a statement.”
Frank Ascione, executive director of the Institute for Human-Animal Connection, at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work, has studied the correlation between domestic violence and animal abuse.
In 2007, Ascione and his colleagues surveyed 100 battered women at Utah shelters, and 72 of them said their partners had hurt or killed pets or threatened to do so.
“It was important to conduct these surveys, because before all the research was actually conducted and reported, all we had were primarily anecdotal reports from those who work in the field of domestic violence and those who work in animal welfare,” Ascione said.
The attackers don’t hate animals, said Evan Stark, a forensic social worker and a professor in the Rutgers University School of Public Affairs and Administration.
“Most of what these guys do is very calculated and is designed because they know it’s going to have an effect,” Stark said. They exert their power like any other bully, “by picking on something that’s helpless.”
Cynthia Wilcox Lischick says she was 7 or 8 when her stepfather broke a rear leg and front paw of the family’s poodle puppy, Desiree.
“We lived in fear and terror, and so did the dog after that,” said Lischick, who was living with her family in Florida. “We also knew he could do that to us.”
There were more threats than actual violence, but Lischick remembers her mother being battered and the man eventually going to jail for trying to strangle her mother. The experience, she said, played a role in Lischick becoming a licensed professional counselor with a doctorate in cognitive psychology. She is a certified domestic violence specialist, an adjunct in the same Rutgers department as Stark.
“What we did live with was a lot of intimidation and a lot of coercion within the home and a lot of threats, threatening violence if you don’t do something you’re told,” she said. What had brought the stepfather down on the dog was that he had left the closet open and Desiree got a hold of one of his golf shoes, Lischick said.
DEATH OF A CAT
It may be hard to recognize the animal abuse as a crime.
Matt Rainey/The Star-Ledger
Veterinarian Laura Collins (right) still remembers Domino, the cat who came to her office with mysterious injuries and returned a week later -- dead.
Laura Collins still can’t discuss Domino without tears. A veterinarian at Tabby’s Place, a cat sanctuary in Ringoes, Collins recalled meeting the big, friendly black-and-white cat about five years ago, while she was working at an East Brunswick animal hospital.
Domino had suspicious injuries consistent with trauma.
“Initially I thought he might have been hit by a car,” Collins said. The cat’s owner was living with her boyfriend but said she doubted he had been responsible for the injuries.
Two weeks later, Domino was back at the hospital for a necropsy, or an animal autopsy.
“He had multiple fractured ribs, he had a fractured tooth, he had burn marks on the abdomen from previous episodes that had occurred prior to the day of death,” Collins said.
She called the owner at home. “I said, ‘You need to get out of that house.’ I figured she was in danger. ... Then I called the cops and asked them to go check on her.”
The boyfriend would later be prosecuted for a variety of offenses, including stealing the woman’s belongings, Collins said.
Victims of domestic violence are often too afraid to share stories of personal abuse, but they will talk about their animals, said Phil Arkow, a New Jersey-based consultant with the American Humane Association. Arkow has written manuals to cross-train employees of animal shelters, child-protection agencies and domestic violence protection programs.
Experts are training law enforcement officers and social service workers to recognize all forms of abuse, whether human or animal, so they know which agency to call for collaboration, Arkow said.
For seven years, the New Mexico state government has hosted an annual conference on the issue. “The biggest thing we have seen is a huge, huge improvement between the various people in law enforcement, child-services workers and domestic violence workers,” said Tammy Fiebelkorn, a volunteer and animal activist who organizes the event. “They’re all starting to work together now.”
In New Jersey, there has been a lot more interaction than one might know, due to the confidentiality needed, said Heather Cammisa, state director for the Humane Society of the United States.
On March 21 the Animal Welfare Federation of New Jersey held its annual two-day conference at Rutgers University. Cammisa, in a topic titled “Cruelty 101,” encouraged animal welfare professionals across the state to return to their communities and network with social service agencies, domestic violence centers and others.
HAVENS
Even if New Jersey enacts legislation that adds pets to domestic violence restraining orders, there would still be an obstacle for women who want to take their animals with them. Domestic violence shelters typically do not take pets, said Petkus from the Mount Holly advocacy center.
“A number of animal shelters have networks of people who act as foster families in emergency situations,” she said. Her organization runs Project Overnight, placing victims and their pets in a pet-friendly location for three days until they can get a support network in place.
Associated Humane Societies has had a Safe Haven Program for 15 years, where victims of domestic violence can leave their pets for 30 days for free, said Roseann Trezza, the executive director. If the family can’t make other arrangements, the shelter will place the pets up for adoption or, for animals that are harder to adopt because of age or other factors, at their Animal Haven Farm in Forked River.
Chip and Noel have been at the Ocean County facility for about two years, since the two dogs were shipped from North Carolina, where a woman was fleeing her abuser, who would soon be out of jail. She wanted to save herself and her family of five dogs, but she couldn’t take them all. Chip, a reddish-brown husky mix, and Noel, with the black-and-gray markings of a German shepherd, were too big.
The dogs are about 12 years old and must be adopted as a pair, said John Bergman, general manager of the Animal Haven Farm. “We knew their story and we weren’t going to separate them,” he said.
There are ways to address the lack of shelters for survivors of abuse and their pets, said Allie Phillips, public policy director for the American Humane Association. She maintains a national list called the Pets and Women’s Shelters Program, or PAWS. The association helps shelters devise ways to house clients with their pets. The Domestic Violence Advocacy Center in Mount Holly is on the list.
“Families will stay behind in an abusive home to protect their pets, or they may go back into the abusive home if they’ve left their pet behind,” Phillips said. “The PAWS program goes one step further. It acknowledges that even if the person can leave with their pet, they don’t want to be separated from their pet.”
May 30, 2010, 6:00AM
Amanda Brown/The Star-Ledger
EATONTOWN — The argument in the motel room in Eatontown last summer was loud and furious.
A Linden man had assaulted his girlfriend and, just as she went to lock herself in the bathroom, she saw her 6-week-old kitten fly across the room.
The gray and white tabby, named Pooter, smashed into a hardwood wall. The blow killed the pet, according to Victor “Buddy” Amato of the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
On April 9 Rodney Shivers, who had thrown the kitten, was sentenced to four months in the Monmouth County jail. Shivers, 19, also must perform 60 hours of community service and undergo anger-management counseling, said Thomas Rosenthal, spokesman for the state Office of the Public Defender.
Previous coverage:
• Linden man is sentenced to 4 months in jail for killing kitten
• Linden man accused of fatally abusing kitten
• Hunterdon County man gets probation for killing family dog
“He went after the animal to hurt the victim,” said Eatontown Police Chief Michael Goldfarb.
Shivers is one jarring example of people who attack pets to hurt the pets’ owners — a cruel twist to domestic-violence disputes. Awareness of the tactic has increased recently, just as more people are becoming aware of animal abuse.
Consider: In October 2007, a former Holland Township man killed the family dog by slitting its throat after his wife asked for divorce. He pleaded guilty to third-degree animal cruelty.
In November, a Forked River man was indicted on charges of beating his ex-girlfriend’s cats, killing one.
And in December, a former employee of the state Juvenile Justice Commission was accused of assaulting his wife and killing the family greyhound.
“The bond between pets and their owners can be very strong, which is exactly why an abuser knows they can exploit the victim’s love of a pet by threatening to injure the animal if the victim speaks up,” said Ida Petkus, director of the Domestic Violence Advocacy Center in Mount Holly.
And while no one knows exactly how many domestic violence cases involve animals, Petkus said family pets have always been used as pawns, just as children have been, and anything else the victim considers important.
Abuse experts and animal advocates say there is a greater need to cross-train law enforcement officials and social service workers to make them aware that when one form of violence is present, another form is likely.
For a woman who wants to escape with her pet from an abusive situation, the options are few, though officials around the country are working to change that through legislation, pet-friendly shelters and greater exposure.
In New Jersey, elected officials also are sponsoring measures that would authorize a court to include animals in domestic-violence restraining orders. Sen. Thomas Kean Jr. (R-Union) and Assemblywomen Connie Wagner (D-Bergen) and Charlotte Vandervalk (R-Bergen) introduced bills this year with the same purpose: “to provide specific statutory authorization for courts to issue orders covering animals in situations where a person abuses or threatens to abuse an animal as part of a domestic dispute.”
Kean said: “Successful enforcement of this bill would remove one of the levels of control that abusers use frequently over their spouse.
“Not only is there a very strong correlation between those that would abuse their pets and those that would abuse others, but in addition, what we have found is the abusers use the pet as an instrument of control over their family members.”
SUSCEPTIBLE TARGETS
Gordon Reibman, accused of beating his wife and killing the family dog.
The day after Gordon Reibman, 60, was accused of punching and kicking his wife, leaving her bruised, police had to return to their Hamilton Township home. The second call concerned Renny, the family greyhound.
Reibman allegedly had turned on the dog last Dec. 7, punching and kicking it to death.
“The victim’s sister received a call at approximately 12:50 p.m. from the defendant,” said Casey DeBlasio, a spokeswoman for the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office. The man allegedly had told his sister-in-law he “went too far with Renny” and said, “I think she’s dead,” according to DeBlasio.
Reibman, who was an education program development specialist with the Juvenile Justice Commission, was indicted this month on third-degree charges of aggravated assault and animal cruelty, which each carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Reibman’s defense lawyer, Robin Kay Lord, did not return repeated calls for comment.
Animals are considered part of the family, and experts say that makes them susceptible to domestic violence.
“If there’s domestic violence going on in a house, there’s a good chance the animals are being abused, also,” said Amato, the Monmouth SPCA’s chief animal cruelty officer. “The pets more so, because of the fact that they can’t speak for themselves. ... A dog can’t pick up the phone and call 911, and a dog can’t make a statement.”
Frank Ascione, executive director of the Institute for Human-Animal Connection, at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work, has studied the correlation between domestic violence and animal abuse.
In 2007, Ascione and his colleagues surveyed 100 battered women at Utah shelters, and 72 of them said their partners had hurt or killed pets or threatened to do so.
“It was important to conduct these surveys, because before all the research was actually conducted and reported, all we had were primarily anecdotal reports from those who work in the field of domestic violence and those who work in animal welfare,” Ascione said.
The attackers don’t hate animals, said Evan Stark, a forensic social worker and a professor in the Rutgers University School of Public Affairs and Administration.
“Most of what these guys do is very calculated and is designed because they know it’s going to have an effect,” Stark said. They exert their power like any other bully, “by picking on something that’s helpless.”
Cynthia Wilcox Lischick says she was 7 or 8 when her stepfather broke a rear leg and front paw of the family’s poodle puppy, Desiree.
“We lived in fear and terror, and so did the dog after that,” said Lischick, who was living with her family in Florida. “We also knew he could do that to us.”
There were more threats than actual violence, but Lischick remembers her mother being battered and the man eventually going to jail for trying to strangle her mother. The experience, she said, played a role in Lischick becoming a licensed professional counselor with a doctorate in cognitive psychology. She is a certified domestic violence specialist, an adjunct in the same Rutgers department as Stark.
“What we did live with was a lot of intimidation and a lot of coercion within the home and a lot of threats, threatening violence if you don’t do something you’re told,” she said. What had brought the stepfather down on the dog was that he had left the closet open and Desiree got a hold of one of his golf shoes, Lischick said.
DEATH OF A CAT
It may be hard to recognize the animal abuse as a crime.
Matt Rainey/The Star-Ledger
Veterinarian Laura Collins (right) still remembers Domino, the cat who came to her office with mysterious injuries and returned a week later -- dead.
Laura Collins still can’t discuss Domino without tears. A veterinarian at Tabby’s Place, a cat sanctuary in Ringoes, Collins recalled meeting the big, friendly black-and-white cat about five years ago, while she was working at an East Brunswick animal hospital.
Domino had suspicious injuries consistent with trauma.
“Initially I thought he might have been hit by a car,” Collins said. The cat’s owner was living with her boyfriend but said she doubted he had been responsible for the injuries.
Two weeks later, Domino was back at the hospital for a necropsy, or an animal autopsy.
“He had multiple fractured ribs, he had a fractured tooth, he had burn marks on the abdomen from previous episodes that had occurred prior to the day of death,” Collins said.
She called the owner at home. “I said, ‘You need to get out of that house.’ I figured she was in danger. ... Then I called the cops and asked them to go check on her.”
The boyfriend would later be prosecuted for a variety of offenses, including stealing the woman’s belongings, Collins said.
Victims of domestic violence are often too afraid to share stories of personal abuse, but they will talk about their animals, said Phil Arkow, a New Jersey-based consultant with the American Humane Association. Arkow has written manuals to cross-train employees of animal shelters, child-protection agencies and domestic violence protection programs.
Experts are training law enforcement officers and social service workers to recognize all forms of abuse, whether human or animal, so they know which agency to call for collaboration, Arkow said.
For seven years, the New Mexico state government has hosted an annual conference on the issue. “The biggest thing we have seen is a huge, huge improvement between the various people in law enforcement, child-services workers and domestic violence workers,” said Tammy Fiebelkorn, a volunteer and animal activist who organizes the event. “They’re all starting to work together now.”
In New Jersey, there has been a lot more interaction than one might know, due to the confidentiality needed, said Heather Cammisa, state director for the Humane Society of the United States.
On March 21 the Animal Welfare Federation of New Jersey held its annual two-day conference at Rutgers University. Cammisa, in a topic titled “Cruelty 101,” encouraged animal welfare professionals across the state to return to their communities and network with social service agencies, domestic violence centers and others.
HAVENS
Even if New Jersey enacts legislation that adds pets to domestic violence restraining orders, there would still be an obstacle for women who want to take their animals with them. Domestic violence shelters typically do not take pets, said Petkus from the Mount Holly advocacy center.
“A number of animal shelters have networks of people who act as foster families in emergency situations,” she said. Her organization runs Project Overnight, placing victims and their pets in a pet-friendly location for three days until they can get a support network in place.
Associated Humane Societies has had a Safe Haven Program for 15 years, where victims of domestic violence can leave their pets for 30 days for free, said Roseann Trezza, the executive director. If the family can’t make other arrangements, the shelter will place the pets up for adoption or, for animals that are harder to adopt because of age or other factors, at their Animal Haven Farm in Forked River.
Chip and Noel have been at the Ocean County facility for about two years, since the two dogs were shipped from North Carolina, where a woman was fleeing her abuser, who would soon be out of jail. She wanted to save herself and her family of five dogs, but she couldn’t take them all. Chip, a reddish-brown husky mix, and Noel, with the black-and-gray markings of a German shepherd, were too big.
The dogs are about 12 years old and must be adopted as a pair, said John Bergman, general manager of the Animal Haven Farm. “We knew their story and we weren’t going to separate them,” he said.
There are ways to address the lack of shelters for survivors of abuse and their pets, said Allie Phillips, public policy director for the American Humane Association. She maintains a national list called the Pets and Women’s Shelters Program, or PAWS. The association helps shelters devise ways to house clients with their pets. The Domestic Violence Advocacy Center in Mount Holly is on the list.
“Families will stay behind in an abusive home to protect their pets, or they may go back into the abusive home if they’ve left their pet behind,” Phillips said. “The PAWS program goes one step further. It acknowledges that even if the person can leave with their pet, they don’t want to be separated from their pet.”
Dallas, TX: Woman is shot to death
12:00 AM CDT on Sunday, May 30, 2010
From staff reports
SOUTH DALLAS
Woman is killed; boyfriend is sought
A woman was shot to death outside her home Saturday morning during an argument with her estranged boyfriend, police said.
Hazel Kennard, 42, was confronted by the man shortly before 10 a.m. at the home in the 2300 block of Macon Street, near C.F. Hawn Freeway.
Kennard had come to the home to collect her belongings after an argument the previous night, witnesses told police.
The boyfriend, who was not identified, shot her as she tried to leave in her vehicle, police said.
An arrest warrant was issued for the man, who remained at large late Saturday.
From staff reports
SOUTH DALLAS
Woman is killed; boyfriend is sought
A woman was shot to death outside her home Saturday morning during an argument with her estranged boyfriend, police said.
Hazel Kennard, 42, was confronted by the man shortly before 10 a.m. at the home in the 2300 block of Macon Street, near C.F. Hawn Freeway.
Kennard had come to the home to collect her belongings after an argument the previous night, witnesses told police.
The boyfriend, who was not identified, shot her as she tried to leave in her vehicle, police said.
An arrest warrant was issued for the man, who remained at large late Saturday.
Elk Grove, CA: Sacto 9-1-1: Update: Elk Grove woman shot to death in home is identified
By Carlos Alcalácalcala@sacbee.com
last updated: May 29, 2010 10:07:55 AM
A 60-year-old woman shot and killed in her Elk Grove home Friday has been identified as Marian Renee Harry.
Police arrested her husband, Willie Harry, 64, in connection with the shooting on Orchard Hill Way.
Marian Harry was found in an upstairs bedroom with a single gunshot wound to the head and Elk Grove Police officers discovered a rifle believed to be the weapon used in the shooting.
Willie Harry was arrested on suspicion of murder. Police continue to investigate the motive for the shooting. Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the police department communications center at (916) 714-5515.
last updated: May 29, 2010 10:07:55 AM
A 60-year-old woman shot and killed in her Elk Grove home Friday has been identified as Marian Renee Harry.
Police arrested her husband, Willie Harry, 64, in connection with the shooting on Orchard Hill Way.
Marian Harry was found in an upstairs bedroom with a single gunshot wound to the head and Elk Grove Police officers discovered a rifle believed to be the weapon used in the shooting.
Willie Harry was arrested on suspicion of murder. Police continue to investigate the motive for the shooting. Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the police department communications center at (916) 714-5515.
Garner, NC: Garner police: Woman shot, killed husband during argument
Posted: 8:58 a.m. yesterday
Updated: 3:33 p.m. yesterday
Garner police charged a woman with first-degree murder Saturday after she called 911 at about 1 a.m. and said she had shot her husband during an argument.
Ruby Ashworth Gonzalez, 59, shot Abundio G. Gonzalez, 48, in their camper parked behind Staples at 1411 Garner Station Blvd., according to police.
The couple had been living in the RV in various locations throughout the Wake County area.
"This shooting was as a result of a domestic related argument which involved another female," Sgt. Chris Clayton said in a statement.
Abundio Gonzalez died from a single gunshot wound to the chest, police said.
Ruby Gonzalez was taken into custody at the scene without incident. She was being held at the Wake County jail.
"Police do not anticipate any charges against the other female or any other persons in this case," Clayton said.
Updated: 3:33 p.m. yesterday
Garner police charged a woman with first-degree murder Saturday after she called 911 at about 1 a.m. and said she had shot her husband during an argument.
Ruby Ashworth Gonzalez, 59, shot Abundio G. Gonzalez, 48, in their camper parked behind Staples at 1411 Garner Station Blvd., according to police.
The couple had been living in the RV in various locations throughout the Wake County area.
"This shooting was as a result of a domestic related argument which involved another female," Sgt. Chris Clayton said in a statement.
Abundio Gonzalez died from a single gunshot wound to the chest, police said.
Ruby Gonzalez was taken into custody at the scene without incident. She was being held at the Wake County jail.
"Police do not anticipate any charges against the other female or any other persons in this case," Clayton said.
Yreka, CA: Calif. man charged with killing missing girlfriend
Posted: 05/29/2010 09:42:18 AM PDT
YREKA, Calif.—A Siskiyou County man is being held without bail after being arrested with the killing of his missing girlfriend.
Charles Ray Strum is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in Siskiyou County Superior Court.
Siskiyou County deputies say they believe they found have the body of Strum's on-again, off-again girlfriend. Kelly Noelle Jorgenson of Yreka has been missing since mid-April.
Authorities say Jorgenson was last seen at a party at Strum's house.
The 28-year-old Strum was arrested Thursday on suspicion of murder and conspiracy to obstruct justice.
A sheriff's spokeswoman says investigators are trying to determine if anybody else was involved in the woman's death.
It was not known if Strum had retained an attorney.
YREKA, Calif.—A Siskiyou County man is being held without bail after being arrested with the killing of his missing girlfriend.
Charles Ray Strum is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in Siskiyou County Superior Court.
Siskiyou County deputies say they believe they found have the body of Strum's on-again, off-again girlfriend. Kelly Noelle Jorgenson of Yreka has been missing since mid-April.
Authorities say Jorgenson was last seen at a party at Strum's house.
The 28-year-old Strum was arrested Thursday on suspicion of murder and conspiracy to obstruct justice.
A sheriff's spokeswoman says investigators are trying to determine if anybody else was involved in the woman's death.
It was not known if Strum had retained an attorney.
Alleghany County, PA: Ex-Boyfriend Charged In Stowe Twp. Double Murder
Posted: 9:07 pm EDT May 28, 2010
Updated: 9:20 pm EDT May 28, 2010
PITTSBURGH -- Allegheny County Police have charged a man with a double murder in Stowe Township.
Wendell Jones, of Pittsburgh, was charged with two counts of homicide, carrying a firearm without a license and burglary.
Police say he shot and killed his ex-girlfriend, Sonsiarea Watts, and Dahl Palm.
Their bodies were found inside Watts' home on July 4, 2008.
Jones is due in court next month.
Updated: 9:20 pm EDT May 28, 2010
PITTSBURGH -- Allegheny County Police have charged a man with a double murder in Stowe Township.
Wendell Jones, of Pittsburgh, was charged with two counts of homicide, carrying a firearm without a license and burglary.
Police say he shot and killed his ex-girlfriend, Sonsiarea Watts, and Dahl Palm.
Their bodies were found inside Watts' home on July 4, 2008.
Jones is due in court next month.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Boston, MA: Man who killed self after attack identified
May 27, 2010
BOSTON
A 42-year-old man was identified yesterday as the person who stormed into a South Boston housing development on Tuesday, stabbed his estranged wife, set fire to an apartment, and then jumped to his death. Boston police identified the man as Franklin Medina and said that it appeared he was not living in the Mary Ellen McCormack housing development where he attacked his wife Tuesday afternoon. Police would not release the name of Medina’s wife, but said she is recovering from her wounds at a Boston hospital. Police said that the couple’s two children were home at the time and that the state Department of Children and Families is playing a role in their care.
BOSTON
A 42-year-old man was identified yesterday as the person who stormed into a South Boston housing development on Tuesday, stabbed his estranged wife, set fire to an apartment, and then jumped to his death. Boston police identified the man as Franklin Medina and said that it appeared he was not living in the Mary Ellen McCormack housing development where he attacked his wife Tuesday afternoon. Police would not release the name of Medina’s wife, but said she is recovering from her wounds at a Boston hospital. Police said that the couple’s two children were home at the time and that the state Department of Children and Families is playing a role in their care.
Tucson, AZ: Tucsonan admits he killed wife, fled to Canada
Posted: May 26, 2010 5:37 PM EDT
Updated: May 26, 2010 5:40 PM EDT
Reporter: Sheryl Kornman
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Tucsonan Henry Fischbacker admitted Wednesday he beat his wife with a flashlight, held her under water and then fled to Canada. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Pima County Superior Court.
"Fischbacher faces between 16 and 20 years in prison when he's sentenced June 28 at 10:30 a.m.," said David Ricker, spokesman for the court.
Bloomberg News reported this about the case in October 2009:
"Canada's highest court ordered the extradition of an Arizona man accused of murdering his wife in 2006, reversing an appeal court ruling that said U.S. authorities failed to show the killing was premeditated.
The Supreme Court of Canada, in a 9-0 decision, said today the extradition of Henry Fischbacher on a first-degree murder charge in Arizona isn't unreasonable even though a Canadian court found there was only enough evidence to hold him on a second-degree murder charge.
"The 'misalignment' test is incompatible with three key components of extradition law," Justice Louise Charron wrote. The evaluation by Canadian authorities of a foreign state's decision to prosecute amounts to "second-guessing the foreign state's assessment of its own law."
Fischbacher is accused of killing his wife Oct. 5, 2006, at their home in Tucson, Arizona, by striking her with a flashlight several times and, after she fell unconscious, dragging her to a backyard swimming pool and holding her under water. A grand jury indicted Fischbacher the same month and U.S. officials requested his extradition in December 2006.
The Court of Appeal for Ontario said Aug. 1, 2008, under the extradition treaty between Canada and the U.S., a suspect can be extradited only if there is enough evidence to warrant a trial in the country the person is found in on the charges for which that suspect is wanted.
Justice Minister Robert Nicholson had said that in Canada first- and second-degree offenses weren't different and the classification was only for sentencing, an assertion dismissed by the Court of Appeal for Ontario.
The case is Between Minister of Justice of Canada and Henry Fischbacher, 32842, Supreme Court of Canada (Ottawa)."
Updated: May 26, 2010 5:40 PM EDT
Reporter: Sheryl Kornman
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Tucsonan Henry Fischbacker admitted Wednesday he beat his wife with a flashlight, held her under water and then fled to Canada. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Pima County Superior Court.
"Fischbacher faces between 16 and 20 years in prison when he's sentenced June 28 at 10:30 a.m.," said David Ricker, spokesman for the court.
Bloomberg News reported this about the case in October 2009:
"Canada's highest court ordered the extradition of an Arizona man accused of murdering his wife in 2006, reversing an appeal court ruling that said U.S. authorities failed to show the killing was premeditated.
The Supreme Court of Canada, in a 9-0 decision, said today the extradition of Henry Fischbacher on a first-degree murder charge in Arizona isn't unreasonable even though a Canadian court found there was only enough evidence to hold him on a second-degree murder charge.
"The 'misalignment' test is incompatible with three key components of extradition law," Justice Louise Charron wrote. The evaluation by Canadian authorities of a foreign state's decision to prosecute amounts to "second-guessing the foreign state's assessment of its own law."
Fischbacher is accused of killing his wife Oct. 5, 2006, at their home in Tucson, Arizona, by striking her with a flashlight several times and, after she fell unconscious, dragging her to a backyard swimming pool and holding her under water. A grand jury indicted Fischbacher the same month and U.S. officials requested his extradition in December 2006.
The Court of Appeal for Ontario said Aug. 1, 2008, under the extradition treaty between Canada and the U.S., a suspect can be extradited only if there is enough evidence to warrant a trial in the country the person is found in on the charges for which that suspect is wanted.
Justice Minister Robert Nicholson had said that in Canada first- and second-degree offenses weren't different and the classification was only for sentencing, an assertion dismissed by the Court of Appeal for Ontario.
The case is Between Minister of Justice of Canada and Henry Fischbacher, 32842, Supreme Court of Canada (Ottawa)."
Richland, AR: Richland man kills wife, turns gun on himself
Woman's 11-year-old son found bodies
By Stephen Largen
slargen@monroe.gannett.com
A Start man apparently shot and killed his wife and then fatally shot himself Tuesday afternoon, according to the Richland Parish Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff Charles McDonald said Christopher Jarmon, 32, and Tracy Jarmon, 36, were found dead of shotgun wounds in the bathroom of their home at 419 Crew Lake Loop by Tracy Jarmon's 11-year-old son.
"The boy's mother had been shot one time in the back with a 20-gauge shotgun," McDonald said.
"It appears that (Christopher Jarmon) put the shotgun either in his mouth or under his chin and shot himself."
Both bodies have been sent to Little Rock, Ark., for autopsies.
"It appears to be just a domestic dispute gone horribly wrong," McDonald said.
The couple had been married less than a year.
McDonald said the Sheriff's Office had no record of any previous domestic disputes at the couple's home before Tuesday.
But McDonald said friends and relatives of the Jarmons have told investigators the couple had been having serious arguments in the days before the apparent murder-suicide.
McDonald said the purpose of the autopsies is "to confirm what we think we already know."
He said Tracy Jarmon's murder is the first homicide the Sheriff's Office has worked this year.
By Stephen Largen
slargen@monroe.gannett.com
A Start man apparently shot and killed his wife and then fatally shot himself Tuesday afternoon, according to the Richland Parish Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff Charles McDonald said Christopher Jarmon, 32, and Tracy Jarmon, 36, were found dead of shotgun wounds in the bathroom of their home at 419 Crew Lake Loop by Tracy Jarmon's 11-year-old son.
"The boy's mother had been shot one time in the back with a 20-gauge shotgun," McDonald said.
"It appears that (Christopher Jarmon) put the shotgun either in his mouth or under his chin and shot himself."
Both bodies have been sent to Little Rock, Ark., for autopsies.
"It appears to be just a domestic dispute gone horribly wrong," McDonald said.
The couple had been married less than a year.
McDonald said the Sheriff's Office had no record of any previous domestic disputes at the couple's home before Tuesday.
But McDonald said friends and relatives of the Jarmons have told investigators the couple had been having serious arguments in the days before the apparent murder-suicide.
McDonald said the purpose of the autopsies is "to confirm what we think we already know."
He said Tracy Jarmon's murder is the first homicide the Sheriff's Office has worked this year.
Lake Elsinore, CA: Deputies shoot and kill man and his dog in Canyon Hills
11:59 PM PDT on Wednesday, May 26, 2010
By SARAH BURGE
The Press-Enterprise
Sheriff's deputies responding to a domestic violence report late Tuesday shot and killed a 39-year-old Lake Elsinore man and his pit bull outside the man's home, authorities said.
Ashword Codd was behaving aggressively and carried what appeared to be a gun when he came out of his Cypress Glen Court house with his pit bull, authorities said. The home is on a cul-de-sac in the Canyon Hills area.
Deputies shot the dog first, then Codd, said Sgt. Mike Lujan of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.
According to a sheriff's news release, a woman had called deputies for help from a neighborhood doughnut shop shortly before midnight. The woman said that Codd -- with whom she has three children -- had assaulted her.
Sheriff's officials declined to release the woman's name, but court records show Codd has a 2008 domestic violence-related conviction for an assault involving his girlfriend, Reyna Johnston, now 35, and their young daughter.
Deputies arrived at the doughnut shop to find the woman with what appeared to be a broken nose. They went to the couple's home and called for Codd to come outside. At first, he refused, but when he did emerge from the front door he confronted the deputies "in a hostile and aggressive manner," the release said.
Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Joe Borja said Codd was holding a long lighter -- the kind used to light a fire -- as if it were a gun.
Erin McGee, 19, who lives across the street, said she heard a commotion after midnight and went to the window. She saw her neighbor with his pit bull arguing with four deputies.
"A bunch of rounds went off," McGee said. "I just dove in the hallway."
When she looked outside again, her neighbor and his dog had both been shot.
Court records show the man shot by deputies had a 2008 domestic violence-related conviction for an assault.
"It was horrible," she said, adding that her neighbor's body was lying in front of his house well into the morning.
McGee said the family had just moved in around Easter and that Codd seemed like a nice person. Codd had mentioned that he wanted his wife, who is a hairstylist in Orange County, to stay home more with their children, McGee said.
Investigators were still at the scene Wednesday afternoon. Yellow crime-scene tape blocked access to the couple's large two-story home. Multiple bullet holes in the stucco near the front door were visible from the street.
Lujan said the couple's three children were asleep upstairs when their father was shot.
Sheriff's officials did not release the names of the deputies involved but said they have been placed on paid administrative leave, which is routine in such circumstances.
Lujan said Codd worked at an oil refinery in the Los Angeles area. The couple had a 2-year-old boy and two girls ages 3 and 5.
According to court documents, Codd was convicted in connection with an August 2007 incident, during which he threw a cell phone at Johnston while she held their infant daughter, then grabbed Johnston by the hair. He used a knife to cut off some of her hair and in the process injured her shoulder. A month later, Johnston accused him of threatening her with a steak knife while she lay in bed with the baby, court documents show.
Codd was sentenced to 180 days in jail and three years of probation and was required to enroll in domestic violence prevention classes, court records show.
Reach Sarah Burge at 951-375-3736 or sburge@PE.com
By SARAH BURGE
The Press-Enterprise
Sheriff's deputies responding to a domestic violence report late Tuesday shot and killed a 39-year-old Lake Elsinore man and his pit bull outside the man's home, authorities said.
Ashword Codd was behaving aggressively and carried what appeared to be a gun when he came out of his Cypress Glen Court house with his pit bull, authorities said. The home is on a cul-de-sac in the Canyon Hills area.
Deputies shot the dog first, then Codd, said Sgt. Mike Lujan of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.
According to a sheriff's news release, a woman had called deputies for help from a neighborhood doughnut shop shortly before midnight. The woman said that Codd -- with whom she has three children -- had assaulted her.
Sheriff's officials declined to release the woman's name, but court records show Codd has a 2008 domestic violence-related conviction for an assault involving his girlfriend, Reyna Johnston, now 35, and their young daughter.
Deputies arrived at the doughnut shop to find the woman with what appeared to be a broken nose. They went to the couple's home and called for Codd to come outside. At first, he refused, but when he did emerge from the front door he confronted the deputies "in a hostile and aggressive manner," the release said.
Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Joe Borja said Codd was holding a long lighter -- the kind used to light a fire -- as if it were a gun.
Erin McGee, 19, who lives across the street, said she heard a commotion after midnight and went to the window. She saw her neighbor with his pit bull arguing with four deputies.
"A bunch of rounds went off," McGee said. "I just dove in the hallway."
When she looked outside again, her neighbor and his dog had both been shot.
Court records show the man shot by deputies had a 2008 domestic violence-related conviction for an assault.
"It was horrible," she said, adding that her neighbor's body was lying in front of his house well into the morning.
McGee said the family had just moved in around Easter and that Codd seemed like a nice person. Codd had mentioned that he wanted his wife, who is a hairstylist in Orange County, to stay home more with their children, McGee said.
Investigators were still at the scene Wednesday afternoon. Yellow crime-scene tape blocked access to the couple's large two-story home. Multiple bullet holes in the stucco near the front door were visible from the street.
Lujan said the couple's three children were asleep upstairs when their father was shot.
Sheriff's officials did not release the names of the deputies involved but said they have been placed on paid administrative leave, which is routine in such circumstances.
Lujan said Codd worked at an oil refinery in the Los Angeles area. The couple had a 2-year-old boy and two girls ages 3 and 5.
According to court documents, Codd was convicted in connection with an August 2007 incident, during which he threw a cell phone at Johnston while she held their infant daughter, then grabbed Johnston by the hair. He used a knife to cut off some of her hair and in the process injured her shoulder. A month later, Johnston accused him of threatening her with a steak knife while she lay in bed with the baby, court documents show.
Codd was sentenced to 180 days in jail and three years of probation and was required to enroll in domestic violence prevention classes, court records show.
Reach Sarah Burge at 951-375-3736 or sburge@PE.com
Los Angeles, CA: Boy, 16, Charged With Murdering 15-Year-Old Girl
Published May 25, 2010 | Associated Press
LOS ANGELES -- A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murder for the shooting death of a 15-year-old girl at a Los Angeles home.
The district attorney's office said Monday it would seek to have the boy tried as an adult.
Police say the boy claims he accidentally shot Alexis Wallace in the lower back while playing with a gun Sunday night. Police believe the Wallace was the suspect's girlfriend.
The boy was being held Tuesday without bail at a juvenile hall. His identity was not released because of his age.
LOS ANGELES -- A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murder for the shooting death of a 15-year-old girl at a Los Angeles home.
The district attorney's office said Monday it would seek to have the boy tried as an adult.
Police say the boy claims he accidentally shot Alexis Wallace in the lower back while playing with a gun Sunday night. Police believe the Wallace was the suspect's girlfriend.
The boy was being held Tuesday without bail at a juvenile hall. His identity was not released because of his age.
Portage, MI: Courtney Delano, Pregnant Teen, Murdered by Boyfriend Days After Probation for Assault, Say Cops
Posted by Kealan Oliver
Courtney Delano (Personal Photo) PORTAGE, Mich. (CBS/AP) Courtney Marie Delano, a 19-year-old who was six months pregnant, was killed in a shooting at a Portage apartment complex Saturday, and investigators believe her boyfriend, who had been ordered to stay away from Delano, is the killer.
Rollon Marko (WWMT) himself back in court just three days after he got out of jail for assaulting a police officer and for domestic violence in an incident against Delano in April, reports CBS affiliate WWMT.
Now Marko, who's 26, is facing charges of open murder, assault on a pregnant person causing still birth or miscarriage, and two counts of felony with a firearm.
After hearing the charges against, Marko told the judge, "I thought I was being charged with involuntary manslaughter," says WWMT.
Bond was denied, the station says.
Delano's mother, Daniell Reynolds, told WWMT the couple had a history of violence, saying, "You just don't have accidents that leave that many marks, that size, that color, that much, that often."
Courtney Delano had a personal protection order against Marko, but it was dropped on Friday when Marko was given probation for the assault on the police officer, reported WWMT.
Marko has a criminal record including driving violations, minor in possession of alcohol, trespassing, retail fraud and larceny.
He is due back in court on June 2nd.
Courtney Delano (Personal Photo) PORTAGE, Mich. (CBS/AP) Courtney Marie Delano, a 19-year-old who was six months pregnant, was killed in a shooting at a Portage apartment complex Saturday, and investigators believe her boyfriend, who had been ordered to stay away from Delano, is the killer.
Rollon Marko (WWMT) himself back in court just three days after he got out of jail for assaulting a police officer and for domestic violence in an incident against Delano in April, reports CBS affiliate WWMT.
Now Marko, who's 26, is facing charges of open murder, assault on a pregnant person causing still birth or miscarriage, and two counts of felony with a firearm.
After hearing the charges against, Marko told the judge, "I thought I was being charged with involuntary manslaughter," says WWMT.
Bond was denied, the station says.
Delano's mother, Daniell Reynolds, told WWMT the couple had a history of violence, saying, "You just don't have accidents that leave that many marks, that size, that color, that much, that often."
Courtney Delano had a personal protection order against Marko, but it was dropped on Friday when Marko was given probation for the assault on the police officer, reported WWMT.
Marko has a criminal record including driving violations, minor in possession of alcohol, trespassing, retail fraud and larceny.
He is due back in court on June 2nd.
Hanover, VA: Warrant: Hanover woman’s death disguised as suicide
By BILL MCKELWAY
Published: May 27, 2010
A widowed Hanover County woman found dead last week in the home she had shared with a companion was smothered, according to the state medical examiner's office.
Russell C. Chalkley, 48, is being held without bond and is charged with the first-degree murder of Helen A. Dickerson, whose May 20 death was disguised as a suicide, according to court documents filed yesterday.
Dickerson, 67, was discovered after Chalkley called a relative of his about 5:30 p.m. and told her that "he had purposely smothered his girlfriend . . . and then intentionally put pills in her mouth to make it look like a suicide," a search warrant filed yesterday states.
Hanover authorities said the relative called the county Sheriff's Office about 90 minutes later and that investigators then discovered Dickerson's body inside her leased residence in the 6400 block of White Oak Ridge Drive near Cold Harbor. She was found dead on a couch with a pillow nearby "that appeared to have an indentation on it," according to the search warrant.
Dickerson was a familiar figure in the Virginia Center Commons area, where she was a former hostess at an O'Charley's Restaurant and regularly frequented a beauty salon and drugstore.
"We all loved her; she was full of life and as chatty as she could be," said a former co-worker at the restaurant, Angel Glore. She said Dickerson had undergone major weight-reduction surgery and was frequently accompanied by Chalkley, who at 6 feet 6 inches tall towered over her.
But court records suggest a tempestuous relationship between Chalkley and Dickerson, a twice-widowed woman who, Glore said, was meticulous about keeping her hair coifed, her nails manicured and her clothes fashionable. Chalkley, who occasionally worked at area junkyards, had a criminal record with 11 felony convictions.
Dickerson had taken out a protective order against Chalkley in early April and charged him with assault, but he was released on bond April 11, according to court records. The protective order expired in late April.
Dickerson wrote on a complaint form that Chalkley had threatened to kill her, had choked her and was using her credit card without authorization.
"Enough is enough," she wrote. "I am just scared. I don't want to be near drugs!!!"
The medical examiner's office said yesterday that no one has come forward to claim Dickerson's body.
Chalkley was arrested at 9:43 the night of the killing at a truck stop in Caroline County; he was sitting in a truck that contained "a female dress shirt" and a lease agreement for the White Oak Ridge Drive home.
Chalkley is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in August.
Published: May 27, 2010
A widowed Hanover County woman found dead last week in the home she had shared with a companion was smothered, according to the state medical examiner's office.
Russell C. Chalkley, 48, is being held without bond and is charged with the first-degree murder of Helen A. Dickerson, whose May 20 death was disguised as a suicide, according to court documents filed yesterday.
Dickerson, 67, was discovered after Chalkley called a relative of his about 5:30 p.m. and told her that "he had purposely smothered his girlfriend . . . and then intentionally put pills in her mouth to make it look like a suicide," a search warrant filed yesterday states.
Hanover authorities said the relative called the county Sheriff's Office about 90 minutes later and that investigators then discovered Dickerson's body inside her leased residence in the 6400 block of White Oak Ridge Drive near Cold Harbor. She was found dead on a couch with a pillow nearby "that appeared to have an indentation on it," according to the search warrant.
Dickerson was a familiar figure in the Virginia Center Commons area, where she was a former hostess at an O'Charley's Restaurant and regularly frequented a beauty salon and drugstore.
"We all loved her; she was full of life and as chatty as she could be," said a former co-worker at the restaurant, Angel Glore. She said Dickerson had undergone major weight-reduction surgery and was frequently accompanied by Chalkley, who at 6 feet 6 inches tall towered over her.
But court records suggest a tempestuous relationship between Chalkley and Dickerson, a twice-widowed woman who, Glore said, was meticulous about keeping her hair coifed, her nails manicured and her clothes fashionable. Chalkley, who occasionally worked at area junkyards, had a criminal record with 11 felony convictions.
Dickerson had taken out a protective order against Chalkley in early April and charged him with assault, but he was released on bond April 11, according to court records. The protective order expired in late April.
Dickerson wrote on a complaint form that Chalkley had threatened to kill her, had choked her and was using her credit card without authorization.
"Enough is enough," she wrote. "I am just scared. I don't want to be near drugs!!!"
The medical examiner's office said yesterday that no one has come forward to claim Dickerson's body.
Chalkley was arrested at 9:43 the night of the killing at a truck stop in Caroline County; he was sitting in a truck that contained "a female dress shirt" and a lease agreement for the White Oak Ridge Drive home.
Chalkley is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in August.
Richmond Hill, GA: Deaths of man, woman called murder suicide
Author: Jamie Parker
RICHMOND HILL - Bryan County sheriff's deputies responding to a report of shots fired early Tuesday morning discovered a burning house with two bodies inside, both with gunshot wounds to the head.
Sheriff Clyde Smith said deputies were summoned about 1 a.m. to a Smith Road residence to investigate shots fired at the house.
"It was true," Smith said. "They went to the house behind it, located at 20500 Ga. Highway 144, and heard smoke alarms going off. They knocked on the door, but nobody answered. The fire department entered the house, found two bodies in the bedroom on the bed - a male lying crossways across a female."
Smith said Jeffrey Minor apparently used a handgun to fire two shots into the head of his sleeping wife, Gail. He then went outside and fired 10 shots from an assault rifle through the house next door, Smith said. He then went back into his house, ransacked it, set it on fire, returned to the bedroom, and fired a shot from the same handgun he had used on his wife into his own head and fell across her body, Smith said.
The question Smith can't answer is why any of it happened.
Neighbors couldn't add much.
"They had been pretty good neighbors," Smith said. "The neighbors said they had never had any fallings out with the Minors, just a little conversation over a dog visiting from one house to the other. But other than that they had never even spoken to the people."
An all-day investigation by the sheriff's department and a GBI agent didn't reveal many clues.
"I have no idea as to what the motive may have been," he said. "I couldn't begin to tell you. It's very puzzling. We found no note."
Smith said the case is just about closed.
"We've pretty much finished investigating," he said. "We, along with the GBI, worked it all day and I don't know what more we are going to find out. Both the victim and the perpetrator are deceased, we aren't going to get much in the way of statements."
GBI Special Agent Micah Ward said the Bryan County Sheriff's Department handled the bulk of the investigation.
"We have an agent who has extremely good working relations with them. They asked him to come and provide them with an extra set of eyes and see if he saw anything different than they did, but they had it pretty well wrapped up," he said.
RICHMOND HILL - Bryan County sheriff's deputies responding to a report of shots fired early Tuesday morning discovered a burning house with two bodies inside, both with gunshot wounds to the head.
Sheriff Clyde Smith said deputies were summoned about 1 a.m. to a Smith Road residence to investigate shots fired at the house.
"It was true," Smith said. "They went to the house behind it, located at 20500 Ga. Highway 144, and heard smoke alarms going off. They knocked on the door, but nobody answered. The fire department entered the house, found two bodies in the bedroom on the bed - a male lying crossways across a female."
Smith said Jeffrey Minor apparently used a handgun to fire two shots into the head of his sleeping wife, Gail. He then went outside and fired 10 shots from an assault rifle through the house next door, Smith said. He then went back into his house, ransacked it, set it on fire, returned to the bedroom, and fired a shot from the same handgun he had used on his wife into his own head and fell across her body, Smith said.
The question Smith can't answer is why any of it happened.
Neighbors couldn't add much.
"They had been pretty good neighbors," Smith said. "The neighbors said they had never had any fallings out with the Minors, just a little conversation over a dog visiting from one house to the other. But other than that they had never even spoken to the people."
An all-day investigation by the sheriff's department and a GBI agent didn't reveal many clues.
"I have no idea as to what the motive may have been," he said. "I couldn't begin to tell you. It's very puzzling. We found no note."
Smith said the case is just about closed.
"We've pretty much finished investigating," he said. "We, along with the GBI, worked it all day and I don't know what more we are going to find out. Both the victim and the perpetrator are deceased, we aren't going to get much in the way of statements."
GBI Special Agent Micah Ward said the Bryan County Sheriff's Department handled the bulk of the investigation.
"We have an agent who has extremely good working relations with them. They asked him to come and provide them with an extra set of eyes and see if he saw anything different than they did, but they had it pretty well wrapped up," he said.
Anoka, MN: Man Gets 11 Years For Killing Brother's Girlfriend
ANOKA, Minn. (WCCO) ―
A man who was charged with murdering his brother's girlfriend and staging a motorcycle crash in order to cover up her death has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.
Timothy Boland pleaded guilty to one count of felony, first-degree manslaughter for the death of Natasha Leigh Waalen. The 11-year sentence was the maximum number of years Boland could receive.
Waalen's body was found on a road in Andover in September of 2008. At the time, police believed the 28-year-old died of a motorcycle accident.
According to the criminal complaint, Boland allegedly killed Waalen at the Anoka home where Waalen lived with Boland's brother, Ryan Boland. Waalen's body was discovered with her motorcycle on Tulip Street at 168th Avenue in Andover.
After the initial investigation, the Anoka County Medical Examiner reported the injuries were not consistent with an accident.
According to the medical examiner, Waalen died of blunt force trauma as a result of multiple blows to the head. She also had defensive wounds on the back of each hand.
Ryan Boland pleaded guilty to staging the motorcycle accident to help cover up his girlfriend's death in December of 2009. He is facing up to 20 years in prison.
A man who was charged with murdering his brother's girlfriend and staging a motorcycle crash in order to cover up her death has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.
Timothy Boland pleaded guilty to one count of felony, first-degree manslaughter for the death of Natasha Leigh Waalen. The 11-year sentence was the maximum number of years Boland could receive.
Waalen's body was found on a road in Andover in September of 2008. At the time, police believed the 28-year-old died of a motorcycle accident.
According to the criminal complaint, Boland allegedly killed Waalen at the Anoka home where Waalen lived with Boland's brother, Ryan Boland. Waalen's body was discovered with her motorcycle on Tulip Street at 168th Avenue in Andover.
After the initial investigation, the Anoka County Medical Examiner reported the injuries were not consistent with an accident.
According to the medical examiner, Waalen died of blunt force trauma as a result of multiple blows to the head. She also had defensive wounds on the back of each hand.
Ryan Boland pleaded guilty to staging the motorcycle accident to help cover up his girlfriend's death in December of 2009. He is facing up to 20 years in prison.
Prentiss, ME: State Police: Prentiss shooting a murder-suicide
Chris Facchini, Anchor/Reporter Date last updated: 5/26/2010 6:09:42 PM
PRENTISS TWP., Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- State police released the names of the couple found dead in their Averill Road home Tuesday morning. They are Dean and Debbie Meitzler, both 51.
The state medical examiner says the autopsies have confirmed that both died of gunshot wounds.
Police say that Dean Meitzler shot and killed his wife with a rifle and then turned the gun on himself. It happened in the bedroom of their home.
The couple's son, 29 year old Jason Meitzler, reported the shooting to police. He was in another room of the house at the time of the shootings.
State police and Penobscot County Sheriffs deputies responded to the home at 10:30 Tuesday morning.
They found no suicide note and are continuing to investigate what sparked the violence.
Police say this is the seventh homicide of the year in Maine and the fifth involving domestic violence.
PRENTISS TWP., Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- State police released the names of the couple found dead in their Averill Road home Tuesday morning. They are Dean and Debbie Meitzler, both 51.
The state medical examiner says the autopsies have confirmed that both died of gunshot wounds.
Police say that Dean Meitzler shot and killed his wife with a rifle and then turned the gun on himself. It happened in the bedroom of their home.
The couple's son, 29 year old Jason Meitzler, reported the shooting to police. He was in another room of the house at the time of the shootings.
State police and Penobscot County Sheriffs deputies responded to the home at 10:30 Tuesday morning.
They found no suicide note and are continuing to investigate what sparked the violence.
Police say this is the seventh homicide of the year in Maine and the fifth involving domestic violence.
Porter Valley, CA: REGIONAL: Woman arrested for killing puppy
Written by Lake County News reports
Thursday, 27 May 2010
POTTER VALLEY – A Potter Valley woman was arrested Monday for killing her puppy.
Deborah Lawrence, 44, was arrested for animal cruelty, according to Capt. Kurt Smallcomb of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.
On Monday afternoon Mendocino County Sheriff's Animal Control officers were dispatched to 10160 Main St. in Potter Valley regarding a possible animal cruelty investigation, Smallcomb said.
When the animal control officers arrived Smallcomb said they contacted witnesses who stated that they observed Lawrence yelling and stepping on a small Chihuahua puppy. They then observed the suspect open her car door and slammed the puppy inside the door jam causing the door to strike the puppy.
Smallcomb said other witnesses advised the officers that Lawrence had been seen holding the puppy by its neck, as well as kicking the puppy.
When the officers contacted Lawrence, she spontaneously stated, “I just accidentally killed my puppy.”
The officers then requested to view the puppy, who according to witnesses had viewed the suspect place the puppy into a blanket and then placed it into her car, Smallcomb said. The suspect gave the officers permission to enter the car and view the puppy.
The officers located a deceased, approximately 3-month-old Chihuahua wrapped in a blanket, Smallcomb said.
Lawrence subsequently was placed under arrest and booked into the Mendocino County Jail. Her bail is set at $15,000.
Thursday, 27 May 2010
POTTER VALLEY – A Potter Valley woman was arrested Monday for killing her puppy.
Deborah Lawrence, 44, was arrested for animal cruelty, according to Capt. Kurt Smallcomb of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.
On Monday afternoon Mendocino County Sheriff's Animal Control officers were dispatched to 10160 Main St. in Potter Valley regarding a possible animal cruelty investigation, Smallcomb said.
When the animal control officers arrived Smallcomb said they contacted witnesses who stated that they observed Lawrence yelling and stepping on a small Chihuahua puppy. They then observed the suspect open her car door and slammed the puppy inside the door jam causing the door to strike the puppy.
Smallcomb said other witnesses advised the officers that Lawrence had been seen holding the puppy by its neck, as well as kicking the puppy.
When the officers contacted Lawrence, she spontaneously stated, “I just accidentally killed my puppy.”
The officers then requested to view the puppy, who according to witnesses had viewed the suspect place the puppy into a blanket and then placed it into her car, Smallcomb said. The suspect gave the officers permission to enter the car and view the puppy.
The officers located a deceased, approximately 3-month-old Chihuahua wrapped in a blanket, Smallcomb said.
Lawrence subsequently was placed under arrest and booked into the Mendocino County Jail. Her bail is set at $15,000.
Chino Hills, CA: Victim of Chino Hills fatal stabbing identified
By Melissa Pinion-Whitt
Created: 05/26/2010 07:44:54 AM PDT
A woman stabbed to death by her estranged husband in Chino Hills has been identified as 33-year-old Iman Wahid.
San Bernardino County coroner's officials said Wahid died in the 15800 block of Sedona Avenue.
Sheriff's deputies arrested Samir Mustapha Wahid, 39, at the scene and booked him into West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga on suspicion of homicide.
Officials said Samir Wahid moved out of his Sedona Drive home a year ago, but went to visit his wife about 1:35 p.m. Tuesday. He stabbed her during a confrontation.
He then chased her 100 yards in his sport-utility vehicle before leaping out of the vehicle and stabbing her again
Read more: http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_15164604#ixzz0p83BzWgv
Created: 05/26/2010 07:44:54 AM PDT
A woman stabbed to death by her estranged husband in Chino Hills has been identified as 33-year-old Iman Wahid.
San Bernardino County coroner's officials said Wahid died in the 15800 block of Sedona Avenue.
Sheriff's deputies arrested Samir Mustapha Wahid, 39, at the scene and booked him into West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga on suspicion of homicide.
Officials said Samir Wahid moved out of his Sedona Drive home a year ago, but went to visit his wife about 1:35 p.m. Tuesday. He stabbed her during a confrontation.
He then chased her 100 yards in his sport-utility vehicle before leaping out of the vehicle and stabbing her again
Read more: http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_15164604#ixzz0p83BzWgv
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Conshohocken, PA: Man who killed wife found guilty but mentally ill
By Derrick Nunnally
Inquirer Staff Writer
Joseph Vincent Giongo, who pleaded guilty in March to beating and stomping his wife to death in front of their 7-year-old son in their Conshohocken home in December 2007, was found guilty but mentally ill Monday.
Doctors for the prosecution and defense agreed in a Montgomery County Court hearing that Giongo, 46, suffered from severe depression and psychosis, and that his illness played a role in his fatal attack on Bernadette Giongo, 42. Prosecutors said the attack started when Joseph Giongo got angry over the cost of a takeout-food order.
The couple's three sons, ages 7, 10, and 17 at the time of the slaying, have been staying with a grandmother since then, Assistant District Attorney Wallis Brooks said.
Giongo had been found unfit to stand trial in April 2008 and was sent to Norristown State Hospital for treatment. He was cleared to face the charges a year later.
He faces a maximum penalty of 20 to 40 years confinement for the conviction of third-degree murder. Judge Kent H. Albright's finding that Giongo was mentally ill means part of that sentence could be served in a mental institution.
Sentencing is scheduled for September.
Inquirer Staff Writer
Joseph Vincent Giongo, who pleaded guilty in March to beating and stomping his wife to death in front of their 7-year-old son in their Conshohocken home in December 2007, was found guilty but mentally ill Monday.
Doctors for the prosecution and defense agreed in a Montgomery County Court hearing that Giongo, 46, suffered from severe depression and psychosis, and that his illness played a role in his fatal attack on Bernadette Giongo, 42. Prosecutors said the attack started when Joseph Giongo got angry over the cost of a takeout-food order.
The couple's three sons, ages 7, 10, and 17 at the time of the slaying, have been staying with a grandmother since then, Assistant District Attorney Wallis Brooks said.
Giongo had been found unfit to stand trial in April 2008 and was sent to Norristown State Hospital for treatment. He was cleared to face the charges a year later.
He faces a maximum penalty of 20 to 40 years confinement for the conviction of third-degree murder. Judge Kent H. Albright's finding that Giongo was mentally ill means part of that sentence could be served in a mental institution.
Sentencing is scheduled for September.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Westport, MA: Westport man kills self after domestic dispute
By Staff reports
Herald News
Posted May 24, 2010 @ 06:27 PM
WESTPORT —
A 47-year-old man killed himself in his Mouse Mill Road home Friday night after allegedly threatening his wife with a gun and telling her he would set the house on fire if she called the police.
Police said the man, Roger Sartini III, had also threatened his wife with a gun two days earlier but the woman did not call the police, according to Westport police.
“This incident highlights the dangers involved in domestic violence cases, and our heartfelt thoughts are with the victim who managed to survive the argument,” said police spokesman Detective Jeff Majewski. “She was fortunate that she was able to escape and hide outside until the police arrived.”
The woman, who was hiding outside the house, called police at around 10 p.m. to report that her husband was threatening her with a gun, and that he said he would set the house on fire and injure himself if she called police. Only seconds after officers climbed a gate to approach a back door, they heard a gunshot.
Officers tried using a defibrillator and called the fire department for help resuscitating Sartini. He was found in an upstairs bedroom, Majewski said.
According to public police logs, Westport officers had responded to the couple’s home for domestic disturbances in the past. “Westport police are familiar with that address,” Majewski said.
Herald News
Posted May 24, 2010 @ 06:27 PM
WESTPORT —
A 47-year-old man killed himself in his Mouse Mill Road home Friday night after allegedly threatening his wife with a gun and telling her he would set the house on fire if she called the police.
Police said the man, Roger Sartini III, had also threatened his wife with a gun two days earlier but the woman did not call the police, according to Westport police.
“This incident highlights the dangers involved in domestic violence cases, and our heartfelt thoughts are with the victim who managed to survive the argument,” said police spokesman Detective Jeff Majewski. “She was fortunate that she was able to escape and hide outside until the police arrived.”
The woman, who was hiding outside the house, called police at around 10 p.m. to report that her husband was threatening her with a gun, and that he said he would set the house on fire and injure himself if she called police. Only seconds after officers climbed a gate to approach a back door, they heard a gunshot.
Officers tried using a defibrillator and called the fire department for help resuscitating Sartini. He was found in an upstairs bedroom, Majewski said.
According to public police logs, Westport officers had responded to the couple’s home for domestic disturbances in the past. “Westport police are familiar with that address,” Majewski said.
Venice, FL: N.C. man charged in murder of wife at Venice hotel
By Kim Hackett
Published: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 at 1:00 a.m.
Police arrested a North Carolina man over the weekend and charged him with second-degree murder for allegedly smothering his estranged wife at the Holiday House hotel earlier this month.
Kimberly Kane, 37, reportedly died May 14, but the city and police said nothing about it at the time. According to police reports obtained Monday, Scott Christopher Hahn, 39, was detained after authorities found him trying to get Kane's body, wrapped in a blanket, into Kane's rental car in the hotel's parking lot in the 400 block of U.S. 41 Bypass N.
Witnesses told police they saw Hahn carry the body to the parking lot on a luggage rack. A suspicious bystander called 911 to report that Hahn remained at the hotel after saying he was taking his wife to the hospital, according to a police report.
It is the second murder case in the city in two months after more than a decade without a homicide.
Hahn was initially arrested for violating a domestic violence order Kane had filed against him in Charlotte, N.C., last May.
Neither the city or Venice police released information about the homicide until the second-degree murder charges were filed Sunday, following an autopsy.
Police would not comment on the case.
The victim's father, Richard Kane, said his daughter had been separated from Hahn since last year when he "beat her up and put her in the hospital."
Assault charges were filed May 9, 2009, against Hahn, who had been arrested 29 times, mostly for traffic and alcohol-related offenses, including two DUIs. The order was recently amended to allow phone contact between Hahn and Kane.
"We tried to keep her away from him," said Richard Kane, who lives aboard a yacht in Punta Gorda.
He said Kimberly, his only child, had no children. She married Hahn in January 2009, after knowing him briefly.
Kane worked at a restaurant at Fishermen's Village in Punta Gorda for about four months. She recently returned to North Carolina for a job as a social worker. Kane did not know if his daughter was trying to reconcile with Hahn, a man he had never met.
Kane said his daughter had been visiting him for a few days and moved to the hotel because she said the boat was too noisy. He said he last spoke to his daughter the day before she was killed.
"That's when I found out he was down here," Kane said. "I was very upset with her."
According to the police report, Hahn smothered Kane in Room 211 at the Holiday House, then wrapped her body in a blanket, bound it with grey cable and moved it to the parking lot on a luggage cart. Several witnesses told police that they spoke to Hahn as he was moving the body. Hahn reportedly told one witness he was moving trash from his room and another that he was taking the victim to the hospital.
A witness, who reported that Hahn appeared to be intoxicated, called 911 when Hahn was "milling about the area without leaving to get medical help."
The witness relayed the emergency operator's CPR instructions to Hahn, who unwrapped the victim's head but was hesitant to touch it, according to the report.
Her father said Kane was a compassionate person who spent time in the Peace Corps in Kenya after she graduated from the University of Georgia.
"She was a wonderful, giving person," Richard Kane said. "The best daughter you could ever have."
Memorial services are planned in North Carolina and in Indiana, Kane said.
Published: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 at 1:00 a.m.
Police arrested a North Carolina man over the weekend and charged him with second-degree murder for allegedly smothering his estranged wife at the Holiday House hotel earlier this month.
Kimberly Kane, 37, reportedly died May 14, but the city and police said nothing about it at the time. According to police reports obtained Monday, Scott Christopher Hahn, 39, was detained after authorities found him trying to get Kane's body, wrapped in a blanket, into Kane's rental car in the hotel's parking lot in the 400 block of U.S. 41 Bypass N.
Witnesses told police they saw Hahn carry the body to the parking lot on a luggage rack. A suspicious bystander called 911 to report that Hahn remained at the hotel after saying he was taking his wife to the hospital, according to a police report.
It is the second murder case in the city in two months after more than a decade without a homicide.
Hahn was initially arrested for violating a domestic violence order Kane had filed against him in Charlotte, N.C., last May.
Neither the city or Venice police released information about the homicide until the second-degree murder charges were filed Sunday, following an autopsy.
Police would not comment on the case.
The victim's father, Richard Kane, said his daughter had been separated from Hahn since last year when he "beat her up and put her in the hospital."
Assault charges were filed May 9, 2009, against Hahn, who had been arrested 29 times, mostly for traffic and alcohol-related offenses, including two DUIs. The order was recently amended to allow phone contact between Hahn and Kane.
"We tried to keep her away from him," said Richard Kane, who lives aboard a yacht in Punta Gorda.
He said Kimberly, his only child, had no children. She married Hahn in January 2009, after knowing him briefly.
Kane worked at a restaurant at Fishermen's Village in Punta Gorda for about four months. She recently returned to North Carolina for a job as a social worker. Kane did not know if his daughter was trying to reconcile with Hahn, a man he had never met.
Kane said his daughter had been visiting him for a few days and moved to the hotel because she said the boat was too noisy. He said he last spoke to his daughter the day before she was killed.
"That's when I found out he was down here," Kane said. "I was very upset with her."
According to the police report, Hahn smothered Kane in Room 211 at the Holiday House, then wrapped her body in a blanket, bound it with grey cable and moved it to the parking lot on a luggage cart. Several witnesses told police that they spoke to Hahn as he was moving the body. Hahn reportedly told one witness he was moving trash from his room and another that he was taking the victim to the hospital.
A witness, who reported that Hahn appeared to be intoxicated, called 911 when Hahn was "milling about the area without leaving to get medical help."
The witness relayed the emergency operator's CPR instructions to Hahn, who unwrapped the victim's head but was hesitant to touch it, according to the report.
Her father said Kane was a compassionate person who spent time in the Peace Corps in Kenya after she graduated from the University of Georgia.
"She was a wonderful, giving person," Richard Kane said. "The best daughter you could ever have."
Memorial services are planned in North Carolina and in Indiana, Kane said.
Article: Violent Crime Numbers In Huntsville Fall, Domestic Violence Numbers In Madison County Rise Venton BlandinReporter
10:19 PM CDT, May 24, 2010
HUNTSVILLE, AL - The numbers are in for crime in 2009. Violent crime in the nation went down 5.5%. Violent crimes include murder, rape, robbery, and assault. The number of violent crimes in Huntsville was down by more than 50 crimes from last year. The Crisis Services of North Alabama says we had hundreds more domestic violence cases in Madison County than we did in 2008.
Bill Farris is with Crisis Services of North Alabama. One of his primary jobs is helping victims of domestic violence.
"Domestic violence is when you're dealing with someone who says they love you and they turn around and hurt you. It's when you can't even feel safe in your own home. It's when you can't be safe around the person who you're supposed to trust above all others to keep you safe. In dealing with all of that, you're really talking about a horrible crime," said Farris.
Violent crimes are actually on the decline, both across the United States and in Huntsville, according to the FBI.
"We haven't seen those figures translate to domestic violence. In fact, we've had a few more," added Farris.
Farris says victims in Madison County have reported 209 more attacks in 2009 than they reported in 2008.
One of those victims talked to us by phone about the almost 6% national drop in violent crimes.
"I think that's terrific. It sounds to me like police are doing their jobs," said the victim.
The victim's legal case is still on-going, but being victimized has not stopped her from living.
"I'm glad he is still in a place where he can't hurt me, and believe he should suffer the consequences for his behavior. I don't dwell on it, and I don't carry resentment because that would just injure me," added the victim.
The victim says even though she's moved away, she has paid attention to all types of violent crime in our area.
She says the shootings at Discovery Middle School and the University of Alabama in Huntsville are among those that stick out the most.
"I'm still very surprised that kind of thing goes on in Huntsville. It is sad. It makes it hard to believe that the statistics have actually gone down," added the victim.
The FBI crime statistics report also focused on the Birmingham, Mobile, and Montgomery areas. All three of those areas have seen a decline in violent crimes as well. You can view the report by clicking here.
Farris help to those who need it is always just a phone call away. He says people staff the lines 24 hours a day. The number is (256) 716-1000.
HUNTSVILLE, AL - The numbers are in for crime in 2009. Violent crime in the nation went down 5.5%. Violent crimes include murder, rape, robbery, and assault. The number of violent crimes in Huntsville was down by more than 50 crimes from last year. The Crisis Services of North Alabama says we had hundreds more domestic violence cases in Madison County than we did in 2008.
Bill Farris is with Crisis Services of North Alabama. One of his primary jobs is helping victims of domestic violence.
"Domestic violence is when you're dealing with someone who says they love you and they turn around and hurt you. It's when you can't even feel safe in your own home. It's when you can't be safe around the person who you're supposed to trust above all others to keep you safe. In dealing with all of that, you're really talking about a horrible crime," said Farris.
Violent crimes are actually on the decline, both across the United States and in Huntsville, according to the FBI.
"We haven't seen those figures translate to domestic violence. In fact, we've had a few more," added Farris.
Farris says victims in Madison County have reported 209 more attacks in 2009 than they reported in 2008.
One of those victims talked to us by phone about the almost 6% national drop in violent crimes.
"I think that's terrific. It sounds to me like police are doing their jobs," said the victim.
The victim's legal case is still on-going, but being victimized has not stopped her from living.
"I'm glad he is still in a place where he can't hurt me, and believe he should suffer the consequences for his behavior. I don't dwell on it, and I don't carry resentment because that would just injure me," added the victim.
The victim says even though she's moved away, she has paid attention to all types of violent crime in our area.
She says the shootings at Discovery Middle School and the University of Alabama in Huntsville are among those that stick out the most.
"I'm still very surprised that kind of thing goes on in Huntsville. It is sad. It makes it hard to believe that the statistics have actually gone down," added the victim.
The FBI crime statistics report also focused on the Birmingham, Mobile, and Montgomery areas. All three of those areas have seen a decline in violent crimes as well. You can view the report by clicking here.
Farris help to those who need it is always just a phone call away. He says people staff the lines 24 hours a day. The number is (256) 716-1000.
Los Angelos, CA: Teen held in shooting death of girl, 16
From wire service reports
Posted: 05/24/2010 12:48:51 PM PDT
A 16-year-old boy was in custody today on suspicion of murder in the shooting death of a 15-year-old girl believed to have been his girlfriend, police said.
The shooting in a Mid-City home in the 1800 block of Wellington Road was reported at 5:45 p.m. Sunday, said Los Angeles Police Officer Cleon Joseph.
The girl died at a hospital, Joseph said. Her name was withheld, pending notification of her relatives.
The boy was booked on suspicion of murder and was held without bail at Eastlake Juvenile Hall, Joseph said. His name was not released.
According to The Los Angeles Times, paramedics found the girl with a bullet wound to her back. Sources told The Times the two teens may have been playing Russian roulette with a pistol and when she got up to leave, the boy pointed the gun at her and pulled the trigger, unaware there was still a round in the chamber.
Posted: 05/24/2010 12:48:51 PM PDT
A 16-year-old boy was in custody today on suspicion of murder in the shooting death of a 15-year-old girl believed to have been his girlfriend, police said.
The shooting in a Mid-City home in the 1800 block of Wellington Road was reported at 5:45 p.m. Sunday, said Los Angeles Police Officer Cleon Joseph.
The girl died at a hospital, Joseph said. Her name was withheld, pending notification of her relatives.
The boy was booked on suspicion of murder and was held without bail at Eastlake Juvenile Hall, Joseph said. His name was not released.
According to The Los Angeles Times, paramedics found the girl with a bullet wound to her back. Sources told The Times the two teens may have been playing Russian roulette with a pistol and when she got up to leave, the boy pointed the gun at her and pulled the trigger, unaware there was still a round in the chamber.
Los Angelos, CA: Anne Ward, L.A. Homicide No. 115: Elderly Woman Killed in Murder-Suicide
By Christine Pelisek, Monday, May. 24 2010 @ 6:25PM
Categories: Murder was the Case
A 77-year-old woman who was found dead along with her husband in what appears to be a case of murder-suicide has been identified as Anne Ward.
On May 20, at around 9 a.m., Los Angeles Police Department officers discovered Ward and her husband James suffering from a single gunshot wounds to the head in the 7200 block of Cirrus Way.
Los Angeles City Fire Department Paramedics responded and pronounced both victims dead at scene.Anyone with information about the shooting should contact LAPD Topanga Division detectives at (818) 756-3362.
Categories: Murder was the Case
A 77-year-old woman who was found dead along with her husband in what appears to be a case of murder-suicide has been identified as Anne Ward.
On May 20, at around 9 a.m., Los Angeles Police Department officers discovered Ward and her husband James suffering from a single gunshot wounds to the head in the 7200 block of Cirrus Way.
Los Angeles City Fire Department Paramedics responded and pronounced both victims dead at scene.Anyone with information about the shooting should contact LAPD Topanga Division detectives at (818) 756-3362.
Seattle, WA: Apparent murder-suicide at SeaTac Motel 6
A man and woman were found dead at a Motel 6 in SeaTac is what appears to be a murder-suicide.
The manager at the motel at 20651 Military Rd. S. found the man and woman about 12:30 p.m. Monday. It appears the man shot the woman, then killed himself, investigators said.
The investigation was continuing Monday afternoon and King County sheriff's spokesman John Urquhart did not have additional details.
The manager at the motel at 20651 Military Rd. S. found the man and woman about 12:30 p.m. Monday. It appears the man shot the woman, then killed himself, investigators said.
The investigation was continuing Monday afternoon and King County sheriff's spokesman John Urquhart did not have additional details.
Pasco, WA: DEATH: Pasco woman is dead, boyfriend is suspect
By Herald staff
Pasco A 19-year-old woman is dead this morning in Pasco — apparently the victim of domestic violence.
Pasco police are investigating the death following a deadly argument between a boyfriend and girlfriend at an apartment complex at 801 N. 22nd in Pasco, according to initial reports.
Capt. Jim Raymond said they are looking for Gregorio Luna-Luna, 31, for questioning in the woman's death that happened about 4:15 a.m. today.
The cause of the death will be determined by the Franklin County coroner after an autopsy is complete, but it's not known when that will be conducted.
Raymond did say it appears a possible "cutting instrument" was used in the attack.
Luna-Luna is 5-foot-4, 150 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information about Luna-Luna's whereabouts is asked to call Pasco police at 545-3484 or their local police department.
The Tri-City Regional SWAT team also was called out this morning to a house on North Fourth Avenue, near the vacant Airport Motel, on the east side of town.
Investigators thought Luna-Luna may be in the house, but did not find him, Raymond said. They did take two vehicles away from the scene to process for evidence.
From 1998 through May 2010, Domestic Violence Services of Benton and Franklin Counties says 28 women and two children were killed in the Tri-City area as a result of domestic violence.
Earlier this month Shenay Greenough and her unborn child were killed in Pasco.
Check tricityherald.com for updates. And see a full report in Tuesday's Tri-City Herald.
Pasco A 19-year-old woman is dead this morning in Pasco — apparently the victim of domestic violence.
Pasco police are investigating the death following a deadly argument between a boyfriend and girlfriend at an apartment complex at 801 N. 22nd in Pasco, according to initial reports.
Capt. Jim Raymond said they are looking for Gregorio Luna-Luna, 31, for questioning in the woman's death that happened about 4:15 a.m. today.
The cause of the death will be determined by the Franklin County coroner after an autopsy is complete, but it's not known when that will be conducted.
Raymond did say it appears a possible "cutting instrument" was used in the attack.
Luna-Luna is 5-foot-4, 150 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information about Luna-Luna's whereabouts is asked to call Pasco police at 545-3484 or their local police department.
The Tri-City Regional SWAT team also was called out this morning to a house on North Fourth Avenue, near the vacant Airport Motel, on the east side of town.
Investigators thought Luna-Luna may be in the house, but did not find him, Raymond said. They did take two vehicles away from the scene to process for evidence.
From 1998 through May 2010, Domestic Violence Services of Benton and Franklin Counties says 28 women and two children were killed in the Tri-City area as a result of domestic violence.
Earlier this month Shenay Greenough and her unborn child were killed in Pasco.
Check tricityherald.com for updates. And see a full report in Tuesday's Tri-City Herald.
Westmoreland County, PA: Calumet man admits shooting ex-wife, gets life sentence
By Rich Cholodofsky
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Lisa Weightman told a Westmoreland County judge yesterday that her family is struggling with the 2008 shooting death of 34-year-old Debra Zisek in her Mt. Pleasant Township home.
Zisek was shot three times, twice in the back and once in the head, by her former husband, while their 13-year-old daughter, Caitlin, watched nearby in the family's home on Route 981 in the village of Calumet.
"How could a father do such a hurtful thing to his own child? It disgusts me to think that yours was the last face (Debra) saw," Weightman told Dean Edward Zisek Jr.
Her former brother-in-law pleaded guilty yesterday to first-degree murder in the Jan. 11, 2008, shooting of his ex-wife. Westmoreland County Judge John Blahovec sentenced Zisek, 34, to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The life prison term is a mandatory sentence for first-degree murder.
According to court records, the Ziseks were married for about six years and had divorced two years before the shooting. Police were called to the home by a neighbor. Caitlin told investigators that her father had shot her mother.
In court last year, Zisek claimed that he believed his former wife was not really dead. Medical experts have suggested that Zisek suffered from a mental illness.
Earlier this year, Blahovec ordered that Zisek undergo a mental health evaluation to determine whether he was competent to stand trial.
Defense attorney Tim Andrews said yesterday that evaluation determined that Zisek did understand the crimes he was accused of and was able to assist his lawyer at trial.
"It was his desire to enter a plea to spare his daughter the rigors of having to testify," Andrews said.
Weightman, who is now caring for Caitlin, called the crime "unimaginable."
"I will never understand how you can hurt us this bad by taking Debbie away from us," Weightman said.
Rich Cholodofsky can be reached at rcholodofsky@tribweb.com or 724-830-6293.
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Lisa Weightman told a Westmoreland County judge yesterday that her family is struggling with the 2008 shooting death of 34-year-old Debra Zisek in her Mt. Pleasant Township home.
Zisek was shot three times, twice in the back and once in the head, by her former husband, while their 13-year-old daughter, Caitlin, watched nearby in the family's home on Route 981 in the village of Calumet.
"How could a father do such a hurtful thing to his own child? It disgusts me to think that yours was the last face (Debra) saw," Weightman told Dean Edward Zisek Jr.
Her former brother-in-law pleaded guilty yesterday to first-degree murder in the Jan. 11, 2008, shooting of his ex-wife. Westmoreland County Judge John Blahovec sentenced Zisek, 34, to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The life prison term is a mandatory sentence for first-degree murder.
According to court records, the Ziseks were married for about six years and had divorced two years before the shooting. Police were called to the home by a neighbor. Caitlin told investigators that her father had shot her mother.
In court last year, Zisek claimed that he believed his former wife was not really dead. Medical experts have suggested that Zisek suffered from a mental illness.
Earlier this year, Blahovec ordered that Zisek undergo a mental health evaluation to determine whether he was competent to stand trial.
Defense attorney Tim Andrews said yesterday that evaluation determined that Zisek did understand the crimes he was accused of and was able to assist his lawyer at trial.
"It was his desire to enter a plea to spare his daughter the rigors of having to testify," Andrews said.
Weightman, who is now caring for Caitlin, called the crime "unimaginable."
"I will never understand how you can hurt us this bad by taking Debbie away from us," Weightman said.
Rich Cholodofsky can be reached at rcholodofsky@tribweb.com or 724-830-6293.
Jackson, AL: Police arrest man in stabbing death of ex-girlfriend
Police have arrested a man accused of stabbing an ex-girlfriend to death.
Officers arrived at 27 Melton St. at about 11 a.m. Friday and found Gwendolyn Hailey, 55, with two stab wounds to the chest.
Hailey was taken to Jackson Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 1:01 p.m.
Police said that Roosevelt Ashley, 67, of 51 Phillip St. knocked on Hailey’s door and began stabbing her as soon as she opened the door.
Officers found Ashley walking on Phillip Street shortly afterward while still armed with the knife, said Capt. Keith Barnett, a police spokesman.
Ashley refused to comply with officers’ commands and had to be taken into custody with the help of a K9 dog, Barnett said.
Ashley was treated for minor dog bite wounds and then taken to the Montgomery County Detention Facility, where he is being held on $60,000 bond.
-- Scott Johnson
Officers arrived at 27 Melton St. at about 11 a.m. Friday and found Gwendolyn Hailey, 55, with two stab wounds to the chest.
Hailey was taken to Jackson Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 1:01 p.m.
Police said that Roosevelt Ashley, 67, of 51 Phillip St. knocked on Hailey’s door and began stabbing her as soon as she opened the door.
Officers found Ashley walking on Phillip Street shortly afterward while still armed with the knife, said Capt. Keith Barnett, a police spokesman.
Ashley refused to comply with officers’ commands and had to be taken into custody with the help of a K9 dog, Barnett said.
Ashley was treated for minor dog bite wounds and then taken to the Montgomery County Detention Facility, where he is being held on $60,000 bond.
-- Scott Johnson
Palm Springs, CA: 42-year-old accused of killing ex-girlfriend headed to trial
City News Service
A 42-year-old man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and dumping her body in a Palm Springs field must stand trial on a murder charge, a judge ruled Monday.
Ron Martinez is charged in the March 9, 2007, death of Karyn Kleine, whose partially buried remains were found the following September in the dirt field by a man walking his dog.
After hearing testimony from two witnesses, Riverside County Superior Court Judge David Downing ruled there was enough evidence to proceed to trial.
The judge ordered Martinez to return to court June 7 for a post-indictment arraignment.
Kleine was reported missing on March 11, 2007, by her then-boyfriend, 44-year-old Patrick Ross, when she failed to show up for a lunch date and did not answer her phone.
Kleine's car was found six days later in the parking lot at the Indio Fashion Mall on Highway 111 at Monroe Street. Blood droplets found inside the vehicle linked Martinez to her disappearance, police said.
Martinez was arrested in November 2008 in Battle Mountain, Nev., a small community northeast of Reno.
Martinez had quit his job and left the area a short time after Kleine's disappearance, according to the prosecution.
A 42-year-old man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and dumping her body in a Palm Springs field must stand trial on a murder charge, a judge ruled Monday.
Ron Martinez is charged in the March 9, 2007, death of Karyn Kleine, whose partially buried remains were found the following September in the dirt field by a man walking his dog.
After hearing testimony from two witnesses, Riverside County Superior Court Judge David Downing ruled there was enough evidence to proceed to trial.
The judge ordered Martinez to return to court June 7 for a post-indictment arraignment.
Kleine was reported missing on March 11, 2007, by her then-boyfriend, 44-year-old Patrick Ross, when she failed to show up for a lunch date and did not answer her phone.
Kleine's car was found six days later in the parking lot at the Indio Fashion Mall on Highway 111 at Monroe Street. Blood droplets found inside the vehicle linked Martinez to her disappearance, police said.
Martinez was arrested in November 2008 in Battle Mountain, Nev., a small community northeast of Reno.
Martinez had quit his job and left the area a short time after Kleine's disappearance, according to the prosecution.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Bay St. Louis, MS: Bond reduced for man facing murder charge in his wife's 2007 death
By Associated Press
11:23 AM CDT, May 23, 2010
BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (AP) — Bond has been reduced for a Mississippi man charged with murder in the 2007 death of his wife.
In Bay St. Louis, Circuit Court Judge Roger Clark has reduced bond for Leo Lucas Laurent from $1 million to $200,000, according to a story in the Sea Coast Echo.
Laurent is accused of killing his wife, Brandi Hawkins Laurent, in August 2007. Trial is currently scheduled for June 28.
Laurent's attorney, Brian Alexander, said that if Laurent can meet the new bond requirement, which was set Thursday, he'll use his freedom to prepare for trial and spend time with his family. Prosecutors had asked that Laurent's bond be revoked, arguing that he is a flight risk.
11:23 AM CDT, May 23, 2010
BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (AP) — Bond has been reduced for a Mississippi man charged with murder in the 2007 death of his wife.
In Bay St. Louis, Circuit Court Judge Roger Clark has reduced bond for Leo Lucas Laurent from $1 million to $200,000, according to a story in the Sea Coast Echo.
Laurent is accused of killing his wife, Brandi Hawkins Laurent, in August 2007. Trial is currently scheduled for June 28.
Laurent's attorney, Brian Alexander, said that if Laurent can meet the new bond requirement, which was set Thursday, he'll use his freedom to prepare for trial and spend time with his family. Prosecutors had asked that Laurent's bond be revoked, arguing that he is a flight risk.
Jacksonville, FL: Law & Disorder: Man stabbed to death in home, children present
Police say an apparent domestic dispute is the reason for his slaying.
Posted: May 24, 2010 - 5:02am
By The Times-Union
A man was stabbed to death Sunday in the 2900 block of West 11th Street during an apparent domestic dispute.
Times-Union news partner First Coast News reported Jacksonville police called to the house about 9:50 a.m. found a wounded man in his 30s just inside the front door of the residence.
He was taken to Shands Jacksonville, where he died. There were children at the scene when the stabbing occurred and police were questioning the man’s girlfriend, according to First Coast News.
No other details were available Sunday night.
Dana Treen
Posted: May 24, 2010 - 5:02am
By The Times-Union
A man was stabbed to death Sunday in the 2900 block of West 11th Street during an apparent domestic dispute.
Times-Union news partner First Coast News reported Jacksonville police called to the house about 9:50 a.m. found a wounded man in his 30s just inside the front door of the residence.
He was taken to Shands Jacksonville, where he died. There were children at the scene when the stabbing occurred and police were questioning the man’s girlfriend, according to First Coast News.
No other details were available Sunday night.
Dana Treen
Mercedes, TX: Husband Allegedly Shoots & Kills Wife Overnight
Last Update: 6:32 am
MERCEDES - Hidalgo County Sheriff's Deputies are investigating a deadly overnight shooting.
The shooting happened at a house on Guerra Street, located off of Mile 9 North and Mile 1 East in Mercedes.
Deputies found a woman shot to death inside her home at about 11 p.m. Authorities say the alleged gunman was her husband. Deputies are investigating what lead up to the shooting but they say the gunman's wife was reportedly hiding inside the home when she was killed.
The couple's children were also home at the time of the shooting and authorities interviewed them overnight.
The victim's husband was arrested and is expected to face homicide charges.
MERCEDES - Hidalgo County Sheriff's Deputies are investigating a deadly overnight shooting.
The shooting happened at a house on Guerra Street, located off of Mile 9 North and Mile 1 East in Mercedes.
Deputies found a woman shot to death inside her home at about 11 p.m. Authorities say the alleged gunman was her husband. Deputies are investigating what lead up to the shooting but they say the gunman's wife was reportedly hiding inside the home when she was killed.
The couple's children were also home at the time of the shooting and authorities interviewed them overnight.
The victim's husband was arrested and is expected to face homicide charges.
Rockford, IL: Dog killed, man arrested after Rockford standoff
ROCKFORD — A seven-hour standoff today between Rockford police and a 47-year-old man who barricaded himself inside his girlfriend’s house ended with one casualty: a pit bull.
Rickie C. Brown had the dog with him in the home in the 1700 block of Cumberland Street. He released the animal at officers before exiting a side door. Police fired two shots at the dog and killed it.
Police apprehended Brown, who wearing blue jeans and black tennis shoes but shirtless, around 6:45 p.m.
With his hands cuffed behind him, Brown repeatedly shouted at police: “You killed my dog,” as police escorted him through the alley. His daughter, Kizia Brown, quickly ran up to him and hugged him before SWAT officers placed him in an unmarked police car headed to the hospital, where he received a medical evaluation.
Police were called to the scene at 11:30 a.m. on a report from a family member of Brown’s girlfriend. She was concerned that Brown, whom the girlfriend kicked out of the home Saturday night, was in the house and possibly armed with a shotgun. Police said she left the house of her own free will.
Kizia Brown said her father worked with his girlfriend, who operates a cleaning business from her home. Rickie Brown had lived at his girlfriend’s home for months. Kizia Brown described her father as being not mentally stable and under the influence of drugs and alcohol during the ordeal Sunday. Police confirmed Brown was intoxicated, but would not comment on whether drugs were a factor.
“He’s really not a bad person,” Kizia Brown said. “He works every day at the cleaning business, all day long. He’s a little crazy in the head (right now) and sometimes has problems, but he’s not a bad person.”
“He’s a very good person, always willing to help people,” said Barb Lucas, a friend of Brown. “He just got himself in a bad situation.”
Police urged residents in the 1700 block of Cumberland to evacuate their homes or remain away from windows shortly after arriving and securing the scene. Perhaps two dozen people stood or sat behind yellow police tape on nearby street corners in 90-degree weather for hours while police surrounded the brown and tan brick bungalow where Brown was holed up.
“Everyone has kept a close eye on that home,” said Cassandra Anderson who lives on Cumberland. “You just want to keep your neighborhood safe and so for that reason we continue to do that. ... This is something that’s on movies, never in our neighborhood have we seen anything like this.”
Deputy Chief Mike Booker said “substantial resources” were committed to the safe recovery of Brown.
“It was extensive,” he said. “Obviously our mission was to end this incident peacefully and whatever it takes as far as manpower to make sure the residents are safe, that our officers are safe and the subject inside the home is safe, that’s what we’re going to use.”
Brown will be charged with failure to appear in court for a resisting arrest charge that is “several years old.”
Any charges related to the standoff would follow guidance from Winnebago County State’s Attorney Joe Bruscato’s office.
“He’ll be reviewing all the facts of this case and making a determination of charges.”
Reach staff writer Betsy López Fritscher at bfritsch@rrstar.com or 815-544-3452.
Timeline
11:30 a.m.: Rockford officers are dispatched to the 1700 block of Cumberland Street in reference to a domestic dispute. A family member tells police there is a woman inside the house with a man who had been drinking, had a shotgun and was acting “disorderly.” The woman left, but when officers get there, Rickie Brown refuses to exit. Police talk to him via cell phone.
12:30 p.m.: Police continue to negotiate with Brown.
4:50 p.m.: Police set up a Mobile Command Unit on Cumberland Street between Harlem Boulevard and Auburn Street, south of the barricaded home. Cumberland is closed to traffic between Harlem and Ellis Avenue.
5:15 p.m.: Police don their helmets, draw their guns and walk toward the house where Brown has barricaded himself.
6:30 p.m.: A ComEd worker, escorted by two SWAT officers, shuts off electricity to the home. Additional police officers guarded the alley between Cumberland and Oxford Street to secure the rear of the residence.
6:48 p.m.: Brown lets a pit bull out of the house. Police fire two shots at the dog, then inform family members huddled at the southwest corner of Cumberland and Auburn that the dog has likely been killed.
6:50 p.m. to 6:54 p.m.: Brown emerges from a side door in the rear of the home and is arrested by police.
Rickie C. Brown had the dog with him in the home in the 1700 block of Cumberland Street. He released the animal at officers before exiting a side door. Police fired two shots at the dog and killed it.
Police apprehended Brown, who wearing blue jeans and black tennis shoes but shirtless, around 6:45 p.m.
With his hands cuffed behind him, Brown repeatedly shouted at police: “You killed my dog,” as police escorted him through the alley. His daughter, Kizia Brown, quickly ran up to him and hugged him before SWAT officers placed him in an unmarked police car headed to the hospital, where he received a medical evaluation.
Police were called to the scene at 11:30 a.m. on a report from a family member of Brown’s girlfriend. She was concerned that Brown, whom the girlfriend kicked out of the home Saturday night, was in the house and possibly armed with a shotgun. Police said she left the house of her own free will.
Kizia Brown said her father worked with his girlfriend, who operates a cleaning business from her home. Rickie Brown had lived at his girlfriend’s home for months. Kizia Brown described her father as being not mentally stable and under the influence of drugs and alcohol during the ordeal Sunday. Police confirmed Brown was intoxicated, but would not comment on whether drugs were a factor.
“He’s really not a bad person,” Kizia Brown said. “He works every day at the cleaning business, all day long. He’s a little crazy in the head (right now) and sometimes has problems, but he’s not a bad person.”
“He’s a very good person, always willing to help people,” said Barb Lucas, a friend of Brown. “He just got himself in a bad situation.”
Police urged residents in the 1700 block of Cumberland to evacuate their homes or remain away from windows shortly after arriving and securing the scene. Perhaps two dozen people stood or sat behind yellow police tape on nearby street corners in 90-degree weather for hours while police surrounded the brown and tan brick bungalow where Brown was holed up.
“Everyone has kept a close eye on that home,” said Cassandra Anderson who lives on Cumberland. “You just want to keep your neighborhood safe and so for that reason we continue to do that. ... This is something that’s on movies, never in our neighborhood have we seen anything like this.”
Deputy Chief Mike Booker said “substantial resources” were committed to the safe recovery of Brown.
“It was extensive,” he said. “Obviously our mission was to end this incident peacefully and whatever it takes as far as manpower to make sure the residents are safe, that our officers are safe and the subject inside the home is safe, that’s what we’re going to use.”
Brown will be charged with failure to appear in court for a resisting arrest charge that is “several years old.”
Any charges related to the standoff would follow guidance from Winnebago County State’s Attorney Joe Bruscato’s office.
“He’ll be reviewing all the facts of this case and making a determination of charges.”
Reach staff writer Betsy López Fritscher at bfritsch@rrstar.com or 815-544-3452.
Timeline
11:30 a.m.: Rockford officers are dispatched to the 1700 block of Cumberland Street in reference to a domestic dispute. A family member tells police there is a woman inside the house with a man who had been drinking, had a shotgun and was acting “disorderly.” The woman left, but when officers get there, Rickie Brown refuses to exit. Police talk to him via cell phone.
12:30 p.m.: Police continue to negotiate with Brown.
4:50 p.m.: Police set up a Mobile Command Unit on Cumberland Street between Harlem Boulevard and Auburn Street, south of the barricaded home. Cumberland is closed to traffic between Harlem and Ellis Avenue.
5:15 p.m.: Police don their helmets, draw their guns and walk toward the house where Brown has barricaded himself.
6:30 p.m.: A ComEd worker, escorted by two SWAT officers, shuts off electricity to the home. Additional police officers guarded the alley between Cumberland and Oxford Street to secure the rear of the residence.
6:48 p.m.: Brown lets a pit bull out of the house. Police fire two shots at the dog, then inform family members huddled at the southwest corner of Cumberland and Auburn that the dog has likely been killed.
6:50 p.m. to 6:54 p.m.: Brown emerges from a side door in the rear of the home and is arrested by police.
Kalamazoo, MI: Kalamazoo Man Killed Girlfriend and Unborn Baby
Posted Monday May 24, 2010 45 minutes ago
KALAMAZOO (WKZO) - -- A man with a history of domestic abuse will be formally charged today with shooting his pregnant 19 year old girlfriend, killing her and the baby. Twenty-six year old Rollon Marco has been charged before with assaulting 19 year old Courtney Delano, and in fact had appeared in court on Friday on a domestic violence count.
They gave him 6 months probation and Portage Police say hours later, he went to her place in the 700 block of Alfa Court early Saturday morning and shot her to death. She was 7 months pregnant with a boy, she planned to call Logan. He is being held without bond for open murder, causing the death of an unborn baby and felony gun counts.
KALAMAZOO (WKZO) - -- A man with a history of domestic abuse will be formally charged today with shooting his pregnant 19 year old girlfriend, killing her and the baby. Twenty-six year old Rollon Marco has been charged before with assaulting 19 year old Courtney Delano, and in fact had appeared in court on Friday on a domestic violence count.
They gave him 6 months probation and Portage Police say hours later, he went to her place in the 700 block of Alfa Court early Saturday morning and shot her to death. She was 7 months pregnant with a boy, she planned to call Logan. He is being held without bond for open murder, causing the death of an unborn baby and felony gun counts.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Lee County, FL: Alleged Lehigh killer denied bond
Man accused of slaying his infant grandson
Pat Gillespie, pgillespie@news-press.com and Gabriella Souza, gsouza@news-press.com
Find resources, videos and articles on domestic abuse in Lee County
Manuel DeJesus Rosales must now wait to see whether prosecutors believe they can prove he killed his 3-month-old grandson and whether the alleged act warrants the ultimate penalty.
But Rosales, 43, will spend his time waiting in the Lee County Jail after a judge today decided to hold him without bond — the second time he appeared in court in two days.
“I am concerned that he is a flight risk and a danger to the community,” said Lee County Judge Leigh Frizzell Hayes. “And I will hold him no bond.”
Appearing via closed circuit television from the Lee County Jail’s Core facility, Rosales appeared to be wearing a padded anti-suicide suit and was surrounded by three guards. He said “good morning” to the judge when he picked up the telephone in the jail to communicate with Frizzell, who was in the Lee County Justice Center. That was all he said.
He was arrested Thursday by Lee County sheriff’s deputies after they were called to a duplex on Gilbert Avenue South in Lehigh Acres. There, they found his 20-year-old daughter Karminda Rosales Salazar and her 3-month-old son, whose name hasn’t been released, with their throats slashed. According to reports, Rosales allegedly slashed his daughter’s throat, got the 3-month-old and stood over his daughter as she lay bleeding on the driveway and told her, “Here’s your bastard.”
Deputies charged him with two counts of attempted first-degree murder and at a hearing his bond was set at $1 million per count.
But the 3-month-old died Friday afternoon and detectives upgraded one of the charges to first-degree murder. Rosales Salazar was still in critical condition today night, Sheriff’s Lt. Larry King said.
Rosales’ arraignment is scheduled for June 21, but in coming weeks, prosecutors will review detectives’ reports and determine what charges to file against Rosales. If they believe first-degree murder is the most appropriate charge, they will have to convene a grand jury to obtain an indictment for first-degree murder. A panel of prosecutors that includes State Attorney Steve Russell may meet to determine whether the death penalty is warranted in the case.
Court records show the father and daughter have a past of domestic violence. In October 2008, deputies arrived at another Lehigh home where the family lived to find Rosales Salazar’s face swollen and beaten. They placed Rosales in handcuffs and charged him with misdemeanor battery, although the state attorney’s office declined to prosecute, according to the Lee County Clerk of Court website.
9:26 a.m. update –– First court appearance for Manuel DeJesus Rosales
A day after his 3-month old grandson died — allegedly at his hand — Manuel DeJesus Rosales is now being held at the Lee County Jail without bond.
Rosales, 43, was charged by Lee County Sheriff's deputies Friday with one count each of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. They arrested him Thursday and charged him with two counts of attempted first-degree murder after the infant and his 20-year-old daughter were found with slashed throats in the driveway of their duplex on Gilbert Avenue South in Lehigh Acres.
Appearing via closed circuit television from the Lee County Jail's Core facility, Rosales appeared to be wearing a padded anti-suicide suit and was surrounded by three guards. He said "good morning" to Lee County Judge Leigh Frizzell Hayes when he picked up the telephone in the jail to communicate to the judge, who was in the Lee County Justice Center. That was all he said.
Hayes revoked his previous bond of $2 million, which was set Friday morning.
"I am concerned that he is a flight risk and a danger to the community," she said. "And I will hold him no bond."
As of late Friday, Rosales' daughter, Karminda Rosales Salazar, was still in critical condition.
His next court appearance is scheduled for June 21.
From this morning on news-press.com
Karminda Rosales Salazar tried for 19 months to get away from her father.
Her fear of Manuel DeJesus Rosales was realized Thursday night — the same day Rosales Salazar’s protective order against him expired — when he allegedly sliced her throat three times.
Then, deputies allege, he stood over Rosales Salazar as she lay bleeding on the concrete driveway and slashed her 3-month-old son’s throat.
“Here’s your bastard,” he told her.
The baby died hours later.
Rosales, 43, was in jail Friday on $2 million bond and has his first court appearance this morning. He’s accused of first-degree and attempted murder, although a grand jury indictment technically is required for the state attorney’s office to charge him with first-degree murder.
Rosales Salazar, 20, remained in critical condition, although it could not be confirmed Friday night in which hospital she is admitted.
Her child’s death marks the second homicide to result from domestic violence in Lehigh Acres in the past two weeks.
On May 12, Zacarias Jaime Izquierdo, 68, allegedly shot to death his wife, Maria DeLourdes Bauza, 48, at their home on 21st Street Southwest.
On Friday, the driveway at the duplex the father and daughter shared on Gilbert Avenue South in Lehigh Acres was stained with blood and littered with soiled medical supplies. Blood-soaked stretcher cloths floated in the wind next to furniture left outside from the family’s yard sale last weekend.
Investigators are trying to determine why a father would apparently attempt to kill those close to him. They wonder what could motivate a man to commit such a horrific crime and then meet deputies when they arrived, standing against a white van holding another child.
The Department of Children and Families also is investigating.
The neighborhood reeled from Thursday night’s attacks. Residents said they could still hear the whir of the medical helicopter and see flashing police lights.
“I couldn’t sleep all night,” said neighbor Rafael Lebon, who saw Rosales Salazar and the baby minutes after they’d been stabbed.
“When I saw that little baby lying on the ground I knew what happened. It’s terrible,” he added
Deadly argument
The argument started outside the peach-shaded duplex as night settled in the neighborhood.
First there was yelling, according to sheriff’s reports, then the sound of Rosales Salazar being slapped. Rosales Salazar called to her roommate, Mauricio Maldonado, to help her fend off her father.
Maldonado and Rosales Salazar managed to lock themselves in the house with her 3-month-old son and another child, but Rosales smashed through the sliding glass door, according to sheriff’s reports. He grabbed a knife and stabbed his daughter.
Rosales Salazar struggled out the front door with Rosales following. Her blood dripped on the floor as she ran.
Once outside Rosales slashed Rosales Salazar’s throat, sheriff’s reports say. Then he went back inside and found her baby — whose name is not known — brought him outside and cut his throat.
When deputies arrived at 9:30 p.m., they found Rosales Salazar barely breathing. Her right index finger was severed at the middle knuckle.
Her baby son, lying next to her, wasn’t breathing.
Rosales’ shirt and arms were covered in blood. His right index finger spurted blood from a knife wound.
Deputies threw him to the ground and handcuffed him.
This wasn’t the first time Rosales allegedly attacked his daughter.
Deputies arrived at another Lehigh home where the family lived in October 2008 to find Rosales Salazar’s face swollen and beaten. They placed Rosales in handcuffs and charged him with battery, although the state attorney’s office would later drop the charge. It could not be determined Friday why the charge was dismissed.
Rosales, a Honduras native, had tried to stab his daughter before as well, according to court records.
Rosales Salazar’s May 2009 request for a domestic violence injunction tells how her father broke the phone because she was talking too much, then held a knife to her throat after she called police.
“Do you want to die?” he asked.
Rosales Salazar spent time at the Abuse Counseling and Treatment, or ACT, shelter for abused women in June 2009.
At that time, she, too, would be arrested for attempting to stab a fellow resident, although the state attorney’s office dropped that charge as well for reasons that couldn’t be determined Friday.
She continued to live with her father and various family members and roommates at homes throughout Lehigh Acres. If and where Rosales Salazar and Rosales were employed was unclear Friday.
“So many times, people will go back and continue to live with their abuse partners,” said Colleen Henderson, community coordinator for ACT. “As a child, you want to believe that this person is going to love and protect you.”
Neighbor Zarifer King remembers Rosales Salazar as friendly and sweet, waving hello as she walked a young boy to the bus stop each morning.
King remembers Rosales differently.
“He would sit on the porch and drink,” she said. Bud Light bottles sat scattered Friday in a nearby ditch, where neighbors say he used to toss them.
Once, in 2009, Rosales Salazar tried to move away from her father, but he followed her to her new home and choked her, according to court records. Her request for a protective order against him at that time was denied.
Henderson said situations of extreme violence can be triggered when an aggressor feels he loses power and control.
“You really have no way of knowing what that’s going to lead to,” she said.
Henderson wonders what would have happened if Rosales Salazar had an escape plan, a way to protect herself if her father tried to abuse her again.
“If someone doesn’t learn another way to react, then they are going to go back to their old behavior,” Henderson said. “People don’t realize that.”
Pat Gillespie, pgillespie@news-press.com and Gabriella Souza, gsouza@news-press.com
Find resources, videos and articles on domestic abuse in Lee County
Manuel DeJesus Rosales must now wait to see whether prosecutors believe they can prove he killed his 3-month-old grandson and whether the alleged act warrants the ultimate penalty.
But Rosales, 43, will spend his time waiting in the Lee County Jail after a judge today decided to hold him without bond — the second time he appeared in court in two days.
“I am concerned that he is a flight risk and a danger to the community,” said Lee County Judge Leigh Frizzell Hayes. “And I will hold him no bond.”
Appearing via closed circuit television from the Lee County Jail’s Core facility, Rosales appeared to be wearing a padded anti-suicide suit and was surrounded by three guards. He said “good morning” to the judge when he picked up the telephone in the jail to communicate with Frizzell, who was in the Lee County Justice Center. That was all he said.
He was arrested Thursday by Lee County sheriff’s deputies after they were called to a duplex on Gilbert Avenue South in Lehigh Acres. There, they found his 20-year-old daughter Karminda Rosales Salazar and her 3-month-old son, whose name hasn’t been released, with their throats slashed. According to reports, Rosales allegedly slashed his daughter’s throat, got the 3-month-old and stood over his daughter as she lay bleeding on the driveway and told her, “Here’s your bastard.”
Deputies charged him with two counts of attempted first-degree murder and at a hearing his bond was set at $1 million per count.
But the 3-month-old died Friday afternoon and detectives upgraded one of the charges to first-degree murder. Rosales Salazar was still in critical condition today night, Sheriff’s Lt. Larry King said.
Rosales’ arraignment is scheduled for June 21, but in coming weeks, prosecutors will review detectives’ reports and determine what charges to file against Rosales. If they believe first-degree murder is the most appropriate charge, they will have to convene a grand jury to obtain an indictment for first-degree murder. A panel of prosecutors that includes State Attorney Steve Russell may meet to determine whether the death penalty is warranted in the case.
Court records show the father and daughter have a past of domestic violence. In October 2008, deputies arrived at another Lehigh home where the family lived to find Rosales Salazar’s face swollen and beaten. They placed Rosales in handcuffs and charged him with misdemeanor battery, although the state attorney’s office declined to prosecute, according to the Lee County Clerk of Court website.
9:26 a.m. update –– First court appearance for Manuel DeJesus Rosales
A day after his 3-month old grandson died — allegedly at his hand — Manuel DeJesus Rosales is now being held at the Lee County Jail without bond.
Rosales, 43, was charged by Lee County Sheriff's deputies Friday with one count each of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. They arrested him Thursday and charged him with two counts of attempted first-degree murder after the infant and his 20-year-old daughter were found with slashed throats in the driveway of their duplex on Gilbert Avenue South in Lehigh Acres.
Appearing via closed circuit television from the Lee County Jail's Core facility, Rosales appeared to be wearing a padded anti-suicide suit and was surrounded by three guards. He said "good morning" to Lee County Judge Leigh Frizzell Hayes when he picked up the telephone in the jail to communicate to the judge, who was in the Lee County Justice Center. That was all he said.
Hayes revoked his previous bond of $2 million, which was set Friday morning.
"I am concerned that he is a flight risk and a danger to the community," she said. "And I will hold him no bond."
As of late Friday, Rosales' daughter, Karminda Rosales Salazar, was still in critical condition.
His next court appearance is scheduled for June 21.
From this morning on news-press.com
Karminda Rosales Salazar tried for 19 months to get away from her father.
Her fear of Manuel DeJesus Rosales was realized Thursday night — the same day Rosales Salazar’s protective order against him expired — when he allegedly sliced her throat three times.
Then, deputies allege, he stood over Rosales Salazar as she lay bleeding on the concrete driveway and slashed her 3-month-old son’s throat.
“Here’s your bastard,” he told her.
The baby died hours later.
Rosales, 43, was in jail Friday on $2 million bond and has his first court appearance this morning. He’s accused of first-degree and attempted murder, although a grand jury indictment technically is required for the state attorney’s office to charge him with first-degree murder.
Rosales Salazar, 20, remained in critical condition, although it could not be confirmed Friday night in which hospital she is admitted.
Her child’s death marks the second homicide to result from domestic violence in Lehigh Acres in the past two weeks.
On May 12, Zacarias Jaime Izquierdo, 68, allegedly shot to death his wife, Maria DeLourdes Bauza, 48, at their home on 21st Street Southwest.
On Friday, the driveway at the duplex the father and daughter shared on Gilbert Avenue South in Lehigh Acres was stained with blood and littered with soiled medical supplies. Blood-soaked stretcher cloths floated in the wind next to furniture left outside from the family’s yard sale last weekend.
Investigators are trying to determine why a father would apparently attempt to kill those close to him. They wonder what could motivate a man to commit such a horrific crime and then meet deputies when they arrived, standing against a white van holding another child.
The Department of Children and Families also is investigating.
The neighborhood reeled from Thursday night’s attacks. Residents said they could still hear the whir of the medical helicopter and see flashing police lights.
“I couldn’t sleep all night,” said neighbor Rafael Lebon, who saw Rosales Salazar and the baby minutes after they’d been stabbed.
“When I saw that little baby lying on the ground I knew what happened. It’s terrible,” he added
Deadly argument
The argument started outside the peach-shaded duplex as night settled in the neighborhood.
First there was yelling, according to sheriff’s reports, then the sound of Rosales Salazar being slapped. Rosales Salazar called to her roommate, Mauricio Maldonado, to help her fend off her father.
Maldonado and Rosales Salazar managed to lock themselves in the house with her 3-month-old son and another child, but Rosales smashed through the sliding glass door, according to sheriff’s reports. He grabbed a knife and stabbed his daughter.
Rosales Salazar struggled out the front door with Rosales following. Her blood dripped on the floor as she ran.
Once outside Rosales slashed Rosales Salazar’s throat, sheriff’s reports say. Then he went back inside and found her baby — whose name is not known — brought him outside and cut his throat.
When deputies arrived at 9:30 p.m., they found Rosales Salazar barely breathing. Her right index finger was severed at the middle knuckle.
Her baby son, lying next to her, wasn’t breathing.
Rosales’ shirt and arms were covered in blood. His right index finger spurted blood from a knife wound.
Deputies threw him to the ground and handcuffed him.
This wasn’t the first time Rosales allegedly attacked his daughter.
Deputies arrived at another Lehigh home where the family lived in October 2008 to find Rosales Salazar’s face swollen and beaten. They placed Rosales in handcuffs and charged him with battery, although the state attorney’s office would later drop the charge. It could not be determined Friday why the charge was dismissed.
Rosales, a Honduras native, had tried to stab his daughter before as well, according to court records.
Rosales Salazar’s May 2009 request for a domestic violence injunction tells how her father broke the phone because she was talking too much, then held a knife to her throat after she called police.
“Do you want to die?” he asked.
Rosales Salazar spent time at the Abuse Counseling and Treatment, or ACT, shelter for abused women in June 2009.
At that time, she, too, would be arrested for attempting to stab a fellow resident, although the state attorney’s office dropped that charge as well for reasons that couldn’t be determined Friday.
She continued to live with her father and various family members and roommates at homes throughout Lehigh Acres. If and where Rosales Salazar and Rosales were employed was unclear Friday.
“So many times, people will go back and continue to live with their abuse partners,” said Colleen Henderson, community coordinator for ACT. “As a child, you want to believe that this person is going to love and protect you.”
Neighbor Zarifer King remembers Rosales Salazar as friendly and sweet, waving hello as she walked a young boy to the bus stop each morning.
King remembers Rosales differently.
“He would sit on the porch and drink,” she said. Bud Light bottles sat scattered Friday in a nearby ditch, where neighbors say he used to toss them.
Once, in 2009, Rosales Salazar tried to move away from her father, but he followed her to her new home and choked her, according to court records. Her request for a protective order against him at that time was denied.
Henderson said situations of extreme violence can be triggered when an aggressor feels he loses power and control.
“You really have no way of knowing what that’s going to lead to,” she said.
Henderson wonders what would have happened if Rosales Salazar had an escape plan, a way to protect herself if her father tried to abuse her again.
“If someone doesn’t learn another way to react, then they are going to go back to their old behavior,” Henderson said. “People don’t realize that.”
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