JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- Three militants awaiting execution for the 2002 Bali bombings plan to challenge the legality of death by firing squad, but it was unclear if the move would lead to a last-minute stay, their lawyer said Tuesday.
Imam Samudra, one of three militants sentenced to death over the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings.
Imam Samudra, one of three militants sentenced to death over the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings.
Mahendradatta, who goes by a single name, said he would file a petition next week at the Constitutional Court arguing that convicts who go before a firing squad sometimes do not die immediately, causing unnecessary suffering.
"We're seeking an execution without pain," said the lawyer, who in the past has argued that his clients would prefer to be beheaded, which they say is more in line with Islamic teachings.
Ali Ghufron, Imam Samudra and Amrozi Nurhasyim were convicted in 2003 of planning and helping to carry out the Oct. 12 suicide bombings targeting two packed nightclubs on Bali island, killing 202 people, mostly foreign tourists.
The three, who have admitted taking part in the attacks, already have exhausted the appeals process.
Attorney General spokesman Bonaventura Daulat Nainggolan declined to say whether the petition would result in an automatic last-minute stay in their executions, which authorities have said would likely be carried out before September.
Mahendradatta acknowledged the executions could well go ahead even if the case was lodged at the Constitutional Court, but said it would be "murder" if they did.
The Bali attacks were carried out by members and associates of Jemaah Islamiyah, a local network of mostly Afghan trained militants, with al-Qaida providing money and some expertise, police and former militants have said.
Islamic militants have carried out three other major attacks on Western targets in Indonesia since then, the last in 2005, also on Bali, when three suicide bombers killed 21 people in restaurant attacks.
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WHAT ABOUT THE UNNECESSARY SUFFERING OF THE VICTIMS IN THE BOMBING THAT DID NOT DIE IMMEDIATELY? CRY ME A RIVER.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Apologize for slavery? WTF?!
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The House of Representatives was poised Tuesday to pass a resolution apologizing to African-Americans for slavery and the era of Jim Crow.
The nonbinding resolution, which is expected to pass, was introduced by Rep. Steve Cohen, a white lawmaker who represents a majority black district in Memphis, Tennessee.
While many states have apologized for slavery, it will be first time a branch of the federal government will apologize for slavery if the resolution passes, an aide to Cohen said.
By passing the resolution, the House would also acknowledge the "injustice, cruelty, brutality and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow," the period after slavery was abolished in which African-Americans were denied the right to vote and other civil liberties. The resolution states that "the vestiges of Jim Crow continue to this day."
"African-Americans continue to suffer from the consequences of slavery and Jim Crow -- long after both systems were formally abolished -- through enormous damage and loss, both tangible and intangible, including the loss of human dignity and liberty, the frustration of careers and professional lives, and the long-term loss of income and opportunity," the resolution states.
The House would also commit itself to stopping "the occurrence of human rights violations in the future," if it passes the resolution.
The resolution does not address the controversial issue of reparations. Some members of the African-American community have called on lawmakers to give cash payments or other financial benefits to descendents of slaves as compensation for the suffering caused by slavery.
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MONEY. IT ALL COMES DOWN TO MONEY. LISTEN BLACK FOLKS, STOP USING YOUR SKIN COLOR AS A CRUTCH,A ND STOP EXPECTING ME TO PAY YOU FOR WHAT SOMEONE DID TO YOUR ANCESTORS. I DIDN'T DO IT, YOU HAVEN'T SUFFERED. GET OVER IT. YOU DON'T HEAR NATIVE AMERICANS BLAMING US FOR WHAT OUR ANCESTORS DID DO YOU? AT LEAST THEY TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEMSELVES. IF YOU ARE POOR, GET A FUCKING JOB LIKE THE REST OF US POOR ASSES.
FUCKING LAZY CRY BABIES. THROW DOWN THAT CRUTCH AND DO SOMETHING FOR YOURSELF. LIKE GET A JOB.
The nonbinding resolution, which is expected to pass, was introduced by Rep. Steve Cohen, a white lawmaker who represents a majority black district in Memphis, Tennessee.
While many states have apologized for slavery, it will be first time a branch of the federal government will apologize for slavery if the resolution passes, an aide to Cohen said.
By passing the resolution, the House would also acknowledge the "injustice, cruelty, brutality and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow," the period after slavery was abolished in which African-Americans were denied the right to vote and other civil liberties. The resolution states that "the vestiges of Jim Crow continue to this day."
"African-Americans continue to suffer from the consequences of slavery and Jim Crow -- long after both systems were formally abolished -- through enormous damage and loss, both tangible and intangible, including the loss of human dignity and liberty, the frustration of careers and professional lives, and the long-term loss of income and opportunity," the resolution states.
The House would also commit itself to stopping "the occurrence of human rights violations in the future," if it passes the resolution.
The resolution does not address the controversial issue of reparations. Some members of the African-American community have called on lawmakers to give cash payments or other financial benefits to descendents of slaves as compensation for the suffering caused by slavery.
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MONEY. IT ALL COMES DOWN TO MONEY. LISTEN BLACK FOLKS, STOP USING YOUR SKIN COLOR AS A CRUTCH,A ND STOP EXPECTING ME TO PAY YOU FOR WHAT SOMEONE DID TO YOUR ANCESTORS. I DIDN'T DO IT, YOU HAVEN'T SUFFERED. GET OVER IT. YOU DON'T HEAR NATIVE AMERICANS BLAMING US FOR WHAT OUR ANCESTORS DID DO YOU? AT LEAST THEY TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEMSELVES. IF YOU ARE POOR, GET A FUCKING JOB LIKE THE REST OF US POOR ASSES.
FUCKING LAZY CRY BABIES. THROW DOWN THAT CRUTCH AND DO SOMETHING FOR YOURSELF. LIKE GET A JOB.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Report: Children Left Mom's Body To Rot
MIDDLEFIELD, Conn. -- A brother and sister who left their mother's corpse to rot in her ramshackle house may not be charged with a crime for keeping her death a secret for more than seven years.
While John and Diane Simmeck acknowledged they allowed Ann Simmeck's body to decompose and did nothing about it, the state law that makes failing to report a death a crime does not require private citizens to contact officials when a relative is discovered dead.
The statute only applies when a body has been officially reported dead.
"I'm not aware of any crime that would clearly apply to their conduct," Todd Fernow, a professor at the University of Connecticut School of Law.
"There really isn't anything that requires a regular citizen to report a death or dispose of a dead body in accordance with a procedure," Fernow told The Hartford Courant, in an article published Sunday.
A 100-page state police case file, recently released to the newspaper, details how the brother and sister made biannual trips to their mother's Middlefield home, stepping over her mummified remains on the floor.
Police believe Ann Simmeck died in late 1999 or early 2000. They discovered her body in June 2007 after an estranged son, Michael Simmeck, had grown worried about his mother's well-being. She was probably 72 when she died of natural causes.
Her remains were so badly decomposed that she was identified by comparing her DNA to Michael Simmeck's DNA.
After spending six months investigating the elderly woman's death, investigators applied for warrants charging John and Diane Simmeck with failing to report a death and improper disposal of a body. But Superior Court Judge Patrick J. Clifford refused to sign them because he did not feel their actions "fit within the parameters of the crimes," according to state police reports.
"It's an odd set of facts," Fernow said. "I don't see the legislature doing a lot to create a statute for something like this because people don't expect this to happen every day."
John Simmeck Jr., in interviews with state police, said he didn't report his mother's death because "he was scared and in trouble with the law in both New Hampshire and Connecticut," according to police documents.
He is facing an identity theft charge in connection with his alleged use of his father's identity in 2003 to set up a cell phone account.
To protect the secret of his mother's death, Simmeck continued for years to pay property taxes on the house and the electric bill because the freezer was stuffed with food. Water was cut off to the house.
His sister, Diane Simmeck, could not provide police with a reasonable explanation for her actions.
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I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY HERE. THIS IS DISGUSTING AND SHOULD BE A CRIME.
While John and Diane Simmeck acknowledged they allowed Ann Simmeck's body to decompose and did nothing about it, the state law that makes failing to report a death a crime does not require private citizens to contact officials when a relative is discovered dead.
The statute only applies when a body has been officially reported dead.
"I'm not aware of any crime that would clearly apply to their conduct," Todd Fernow, a professor at the University of Connecticut School of Law.
"There really isn't anything that requires a regular citizen to report a death or dispose of a dead body in accordance with a procedure," Fernow told The Hartford Courant, in an article published Sunday.
A 100-page state police case file, recently released to the newspaper, details how the brother and sister made biannual trips to their mother's Middlefield home, stepping over her mummified remains on the floor.
Police believe Ann Simmeck died in late 1999 or early 2000. They discovered her body in June 2007 after an estranged son, Michael Simmeck, had grown worried about his mother's well-being. She was probably 72 when she died of natural causes.
Her remains were so badly decomposed that she was identified by comparing her DNA to Michael Simmeck's DNA.
After spending six months investigating the elderly woman's death, investigators applied for warrants charging John and Diane Simmeck with failing to report a death and improper disposal of a body. But Superior Court Judge Patrick J. Clifford refused to sign them because he did not feel their actions "fit within the parameters of the crimes," according to state police reports.
"It's an odd set of facts," Fernow said. "I don't see the legislature doing a lot to create a statute for something like this because people don't expect this to happen every day."
John Simmeck Jr., in interviews with state police, said he didn't report his mother's death because "he was scared and in trouble with the law in both New Hampshire and Connecticut," according to police documents.
He is facing an identity theft charge in connection with his alleged use of his father's identity in 2003 to set up a cell phone account.
To protect the secret of his mother's death, Simmeck continued for years to pay property taxes on the house and the electric bill because the freezer was stuffed with food. Water was cut off to the house.
His sister, Diane Simmeck, could not provide police with a reasonable explanation for her actions.
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I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY HERE. THIS IS DISGUSTING AND SHOULD BE A CRIME.
Iowa asks: Is stripping an art?
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Iowa doesn't have any all-nude strip clubs -- but it does have performing arts centers where women dance naked.
A loophole in Iowa's public indecent exposure law allows nude dancing at "art centers."
A loophole in Iowa's public indecent exposure law allows nude dancing at "art centers."
However, the loophole in the state's public indecent exposure law that allows nude dancing at "art centers" is under attack in the small community of Hamburg, a town of 1,200 just across the Missouri River from Nebraska.
The case pending before a Fremont County judge effects only one business in Hamburg, but if he agrees with the prosecutor, it could eventually threaten the legal standing of nude dancing clubs across the state.
District Judge Timothy O'Grady heard arguments in a one-day trial on July 17 and took the case under advisement.
It all began on July 21, 2007, when a 17-year-old niece of Sheriff Steven MacDonald climbed up on stage at Shotgun Geniez in Hamburg and stripped off her clothing. Owner Clarence Judy was charged with violating Iowa's public indecent exposure law.
Judy responded that the law doesn't apply to a "theater, concert hall, art center, museum, or similar establishments" devoted to the arts or theatrical performances.
"Dance has been considered one of the arts, as is sculpture, painting and anything else like that. What Clarence has is a club where people can come and perform," said his lawyer, Michael Murphy.
Murphy noted that the club has a gallery selling collectible posters and other art, and it provides patrons with sketch pads.
Nonsense, said Fremont County Attorney Margaret Johnson, an underage girl danced naked at the club, and that's illegal.
"Are you saying that minors can't be protected? Can a group of 12-year-olds come down and go in and dance nude and it's OK? I don't think that's what the Legislature had in mind when it made those additional provisions," Johnson said.
Johnson said the intent of the law is to allow movies in a theater where there's brief nudity or for an art gallery displaying paintings of nudes.
Murphy said Judy bans anyone under 18 from entering the five-year-old business. The problem, he said, was "a group of girls snuck in a 17-year-old."
"While she was there, she felt like dancing so she got up and danced on the stage and then she took her clothes off. Trouble with that is she's the sheriff's niece," he said.
Johnson denied that the teen's relation to the sheriff was connected to the charges filed against Judy.
"Her parents were absolutely appalled with the situation," Johnson said.
The sheriff declined to comment. There was no comment from his niece, whose name wasn't given.
As part of his defense during trial, Murphy cited a 1998 ruling that found nude dancing is a form of art. In that case, the owner of the Southern Comfort Free Threatre for the Performing Arts in Davenport was charged under the public indecent exposure law for allowing nude dancing. A judge found owner not guilty.
The current case deals only with Judy and Shotgun Geniez, but there could be an appeal if either side loses.
Johnson said that would take it to the Iowa Court of Appeals and perhaps the Iowa Supreme Court. That would make it a statewide case that could affect dozens of other clubs in the state.
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MAIN POINT HERE: "Her parents were absolutely appalled with the situation," Johnson said. AS THEY SHOULD BE: WITH THIER DAUGHTER, WHO SNUCK INTO AN 18 & OVER ESTABLISHMENT, AND TOOK OFF HER CLOTHES IN PUBLIC. THE FACT THAT SHE IS UNDERAGE IS NOT THE OWNERS PROBLEM. IT IS HER AND HER PARENTS PROBLEM. CHARGE HER FOR PUBLIC NUDITY,SNEAKING INTO A PLACE SHE HAD NO BUSINESS BEING IN, AND GET OVER IT. DANCING IS ART. BARE BODIES IS ART. HELL, WE ALL HAVE EITHER TITS, PUSSIES OR DICKS. DEAL WITH IT.
A loophole in Iowa's public indecent exposure law allows nude dancing at "art centers."
A loophole in Iowa's public indecent exposure law allows nude dancing at "art centers."
However, the loophole in the state's public indecent exposure law that allows nude dancing at "art centers" is under attack in the small community of Hamburg, a town of 1,200 just across the Missouri River from Nebraska.
The case pending before a Fremont County judge effects only one business in Hamburg, but if he agrees with the prosecutor, it could eventually threaten the legal standing of nude dancing clubs across the state.
District Judge Timothy O'Grady heard arguments in a one-day trial on July 17 and took the case under advisement.
It all began on July 21, 2007, when a 17-year-old niece of Sheriff Steven MacDonald climbed up on stage at Shotgun Geniez in Hamburg and stripped off her clothing. Owner Clarence Judy was charged with violating Iowa's public indecent exposure law.
Judy responded that the law doesn't apply to a "theater, concert hall, art center, museum, or similar establishments" devoted to the arts or theatrical performances.
"Dance has been considered one of the arts, as is sculpture, painting and anything else like that. What Clarence has is a club where people can come and perform," said his lawyer, Michael Murphy.
Murphy noted that the club has a gallery selling collectible posters and other art, and it provides patrons with sketch pads.
Nonsense, said Fremont County Attorney Margaret Johnson, an underage girl danced naked at the club, and that's illegal.
"Are you saying that minors can't be protected? Can a group of 12-year-olds come down and go in and dance nude and it's OK? I don't think that's what the Legislature had in mind when it made those additional provisions," Johnson said.
Johnson said the intent of the law is to allow movies in a theater where there's brief nudity or for an art gallery displaying paintings of nudes.
Murphy said Judy bans anyone under 18 from entering the five-year-old business. The problem, he said, was "a group of girls snuck in a 17-year-old."
"While she was there, she felt like dancing so she got up and danced on the stage and then she took her clothes off. Trouble with that is she's the sheriff's niece," he said.
Johnson denied that the teen's relation to the sheriff was connected to the charges filed against Judy.
"Her parents were absolutely appalled with the situation," Johnson said.
The sheriff declined to comment. There was no comment from his niece, whose name wasn't given.
As part of his defense during trial, Murphy cited a 1998 ruling that found nude dancing is a form of art. In that case, the owner of the Southern Comfort Free Threatre for the Performing Arts in Davenport was charged under the public indecent exposure law for allowing nude dancing. A judge found owner not guilty.
The current case deals only with Judy and Shotgun Geniez, but there could be an appeal if either side loses.
Johnson said that would take it to the Iowa Court of Appeals and perhaps the Iowa Supreme Court. That would make it a statewide case that could affect dozens of other clubs in the state.
______________________________________________________________________
MAIN POINT HERE: "Her parents were absolutely appalled with the situation," Johnson said. AS THEY SHOULD BE: WITH THIER DAUGHTER, WHO SNUCK INTO AN 18 & OVER ESTABLISHMENT, AND TOOK OFF HER CLOTHES IN PUBLIC. THE FACT THAT SHE IS UNDERAGE IS NOT THE OWNERS PROBLEM. IT IS HER AND HER PARENTS PROBLEM. CHARGE HER FOR PUBLIC NUDITY,SNEAKING INTO A PLACE SHE HAD NO BUSINESS BEING IN, AND GET OVER IT. DANCING IS ART. BARE BODIES IS ART. HELL, WE ALL HAVE EITHER TITS, PUSSIES OR DICKS. DEAL WITH IT.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Rapids: Family's Weight A Factor In Accident
FAMILY ATTORNEY: RAPIDS RESPONSIBLE FOR POLICING PEOPLE'S WEIGHT
Less than 24 hours after an emergency in the water, the Rapids Water Park in Riviera Beach re-opened for business as usual. Park-goers swarming the slides, enjoying the sun, perhaps not knowing what happened on the Black Thunder yesterday.
An entire family of four, the Lenghan's visiting from New York, rushed to the emergency room after their raft flipped over. Their injuries severe enough that they are still hospitalized dealing with a myriad of bumps, bruises, and cuts. Marc Gottlieb, the Lenghan's attorney said: "The hospital is treating them like they had severe head trauma."
The Rapids went on the defensive Thursday with spokeswoman Tina Hatcher saying: "weight was a factor in the accident that took place." The water park says signs like this one clearly spell out that the weight on the rafts, which can carry up to 4 people, cannot exceed 700 pounds. Hatcher claims ride operators question people if they seem too heavy, but then she said this: "It's the same thing when you go to Disney. They're not going to ask you if your pregnant, do you have seizures or medical conditions? That's why every attraction at every park has signs up at their rides for the rider to read."
The family's attorney, however, told us by phone it's the park's responsibility to police their rules. "When you go to a park like this you are not thinking what your personal responsibility and personal liability is," said attorney Marc Gottlieb. An attorney, not involved in the case, put it this way: "If the ride operator is aware of the fact that participants are not following the rules , it certainly would seem they have some responsibility," said David Sales with Searcy, Denney, Scarola, Barnhart, & Shipley.
We checked in with the state and they say there is no administrative code that deals specifically with enforcement on water slides.
But the Bureau of Fair & Ride Inspections is fully investigating this accident. They plan to look into what the water slides manufacturer recommends for proper protocol.
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THE FAMILY WANTS TO SUE BECAUSE THE RIDE OPERATOR DIDN'T ASK THEM HOW MUCH THEY WEIGH? WHEN THERE ARE SIGNS THAT CLEARLY STATE THE WEIGHT LIMIT? GET REAL. THESE FAT FOLKS WOULD SUE EVEN IF THE RIDE OPERATOR HAD ASKED THEIR WEIGHT. WHY? FOR OFFENDING THEM. IF YOU KNOW YOU ARE FAT, YOU CAN SEE YOU ARE FAT, AND A SIGN CLEARLY GIVES A FAT LIMIT, DON'T OVER FAT IT. YOU TOOK A RISK BUDDY AND LOST. BE A MAN (OR WOMAN) AND BUCK UP AND DEAL WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR ACTIONS.
Less than 24 hours after an emergency in the water, the Rapids Water Park in Riviera Beach re-opened for business as usual. Park-goers swarming the slides, enjoying the sun, perhaps not knowing what happened on the Black Thunder yesterday.
An entire family of four, the Lenghan's visiting from New York, rushed to the emergency room after their raft flipped over. Their injuries severe enough that they are still hospitalized dealing with a myriad of bumps, bruises, and cuts. Marc Gottlieb, the Lenghan's attorney said: "The hospital is treating them like they had severe head trauma."
The Rapids went on the defensive Thursday with spokeswoman Tina Hatcher saying: "weight was a factor in the accident that took place." The water park says signs like this one clearly spell out that the weight on the rafts, which can carry up to 4 people, cannot exceed 700 pounds. Hatcher claims ride operators question people if they seem too heavy, but then she said this: "It's the same thing when you go to Disney. They're not going to ask you if your pregnant, do you have seizures or medical conditions? That's why every attraction at every park has signs up at their rides for the rider to read."
The family's attorney, however, told us by phone it's the park's responsibility to police their rules. "When you go to a park like this you are not thinking what your personal responsibility and personal liability is," said attorney Marc Gottlieb. An attorney, not involved in the case, put it this way: "If the ride operator is aware of the fact that participants are not following the rules , it certainly would seem they have some responsibility," said David Sales with Searcy, Denney, Scarola, Barnhart, & Shipley.
We checked in with the state and they say there is no administrative code that deals specifically with enforcement on water slides.
But the Bureau of Fair & Ride Inspections is fully investigating this accident. They plan to look into what the water slides manufacturer recommends for proper protocol.
_______________________________________________________________
THE FAMILY WANTS TO SUE BECAUSE THE RIDE OPERATOR DIDN'T ASK THEM HOW MUCH THEY WEIGH? WHEN THERE ARE SIGNS THAT CLEARLY STATE THE WEIGHT LIMIT? GET REAL. THESE FAT FOLKS WOULD SUE EVEN IF THE RIDE OPERATOR HAD ASKED THEIR WEIGHT. WHY? FOR OFFENDING THEM. IF YOU KNOW YOU ARE FAT, YOU CAN SEE YOU ARE FAT, AND A SIGN CLEARLY GIVES A FAT LIMIT, DON'T OVER FAT IT. YOU TOOK A RISK BUDDY AND LOST. BE A MAN (OR WOMAN) AND BUCK UP AND DEAL WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR ACTIONS.
Charter Boat Murder Suspect Changes Plea
MIAMI -- One of two men accused of hijack and murder aboard a Miami Beach fishing charter has pleaded guilty.
In Miami federal court Thursday, Kirby Archer -- absent without leave from the military and wanted by authorities in Arkansas -- exchanged his guilty plea for a life sentence with no chance of parole. He was facing a possible death sentence.
"Did you, in fact, do what the government said you did in this case," Judge Paul Huck asked. "How do you plead?"
"Guilty," Archer replied.
Prosecutors have no witnesses and no bodies as evidence in the deaths of Jake Branam, captain of the fishing vessel, "Joe Cool;" his wife, Kelly Branam; crewmember and Jake Branam's half-brother, Scott Michael Gamble; and first mate Samuel Kairy.
The victims' families begrudgingly agreed to the plea so as not to chance a jury trial in a case without witnesses or bodies.
"We all came to the realization that no one's going to come back," said Jonathan Branam, Jake's cousin. "It is what it is. We'd rather have him spend his life in jail than walk."
Kirby's attorney said the plea deal was a best-case scenario for his client.
"We were able to save his life and he pled guilty to do so," said Allan Kaiser as he left the courthouse.
Archer and Guillermo Zarabozo, a then-19-year-old Hialeah resident, initially claimed pirates commandeered the "Joe Cool" and killed the crew.
In open court, prosecutor Karen Gilbert detailed the events of September 2007, beginning with Archer's intended flight from the law. He convinced Zarabozo, whom he had met while stationed in the Cuban refugee tent camp at Guantanamo Bay, to escape with him to Cuba, Gilbert alleged.
They scouted marinas for a charter they could commandeer and offered the crew of the "Joe Cool" $4,000 for a purported one-way trip. At sea, when Archer gave the signal, he shot the Branams on the fishing bridge as Zarabozo shot Kairy and Gamble on deck, Gilbert claimed.
Those were among the details the victims' family members had not yet learned.
"I wasn't aware that, according to Archer, Archer shot Jake and Zarabozo supposedly shot Scott," said Scott's sister, Amie Gamble, who is also half-sister to Jake Branam.
Zarabozo has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors will not seek the death penalty in his case.
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WHAT BURNS ME UP ABOUT THIS CASE IS THAT THE FAMILY IS PROBABLY RIGHT. WITHOUT BODIES, IT WILL BE HARD TO PROVE THE CASE. LIFE IN PRISON IS TOO GOOD FOR THESE MURDERERS, BUT AT THIS POINT, IT IS THE BEST TO HOPE FOR.
In Miami federal court Thursday, Kirby Archer -- absent without leave from the military and wanted by authorities in Arkansas -- exchanged his guilty plea for a life sentence with no chance of parole. He was facing a possible death sentence.
"Did you, in fact, do what the government said you did in this case," Judge Paul Huck asked. "How do you plead?"
"Guilty," Archer replied.
Prosecutors have no witnesses and no bodies as evidence in the deaths of Jake Branam, captain of the fishing vessel, "Joe Cool;" his wife, Kelly Branam; crewmember and Jake Branam's half-brother, Scott Michael Gamble; and first mate Samuel Kairy.
The victims' families begrudgingly agreed to the plea so as not to chance a jury trial in a case without witnesses or bodies.
"We all came to the realization that no one's going to come back," said Jonathan Branam, Jake's cousin. "It is what it is. We'd rather have him spend his life in jail than walk."
Kirby's attorney said the plea deal was a best-case scenario for his client.
"We were able to save his life and he pled guilty to do so," said Allan Kaiser as he left the courthouse.
Archer and Guillermo Zarabozo, a then-19-year-old Hialeah resident, initially claimed pirates commandeered the "Joe Cool" and killed the crew.
In open court, prosecutor Karen Gilbert detailed the events of September 2007, beginning with Archer's intended flight from the law. He convinced Zarabozo, whom he had met while stationed in the Cuban refugee tent camp at Guantanamo Bay, to escape with him to Cuba, Gilbert alleged.
They scouted marinas for a charter they could commandeer and offered the crew of the "Joe Cool" $4,000 for a purported one-way trip. At sea, when Archer gave the signal, he shot the Branams on the fishing bridge as Zarabozo shot Kairy and Gamble on deck, Gilbert claimed.
Those were among the details the victims' family members had not yet learned.
"I wasn't aware that, according to Archer, Archer shot Jake and Zarabozo supposedly shot Scott," said Scott's sister, Amie Gamble, who is also half-sister to Jake Branam.
Zarabozo has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors will not seek the death penalty in his case.
_______________________________________________________________
WHAT BURNS ME UP ABOUT THIS CASE IS THAT THE FAMILY IS PROBABLY RIGHT. WITHOUT BODIES, IT WILL BE HARD TO PROVE THE CASE. LIFE IN PRISON IS TOO GOOD FOR THESE MURDERERS, BUT AT THIS POINT, IT IS THE BEST TO HOPE FOR.
CPS: Protocol Not Followed In Slain Boy's Case
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A social worker did not follow protocol in the case of a boy who was allegedly killed at the hands of his mother's boyfriend, the Sacramento County Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday.
The department's director, Lynn Frank, said Jahmaurae Allen, 4, was the subject of a Child Protective Services case that was opened on June 16, 2008.
Frank said the social worker affiliated with the case did not follow established department procedures and has been put on administrative leave pending further review of the circumstances.
She released the following statement Thursday:
"Although Child Protective Services intervened in this case and did take some steps to protect Jahmaurae, we could have -- and should have -- done more," Frank said. "In the majority of cases, records show our workers make the right decisions. In the case of Jahmaurae Allen, we did not adhere to our own high standards."
Frank said the social worker did take some steps to ensure the boy's safety, but it wasn't enough.
"I'm really horrified by the situation and by the death of this child. I don't understand how with the focus that we've had, how this could have happened again," Frank said.
CPS said it would implement immediate changes. It will now review all 921 current investigations of children ages 5 and younger; have supervisors accompany social workers over the next 30 days to assess their skills; reach out to law enforcement and other experts to improve the system and accountability of employees; and increase quality assurance reviews from quarterly to monthly.
The Sacramento County Coroner's Office said Allen died of blunt-force head and stomach injuries.
Jonathan Lamar Perry, 26, was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon on suspicion of murder and child endangerment.
Perry was supposed to be arraigned Thursday but did not appear in court because of a psychological condition. He is scheduled to be arraigned Friday afternoon.
He is facing murder and assault charges.
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THIS IS A SAD STORY. HOWEVER, IT IS IGNORANT TO BLAME DCS. HAVE YOU ANY IDEA OF THE CASE LOAD THESE WORKERS MAINTAIN? NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOUR SERVICE IS, SOMEONE IS GOING TO SUFFER. IT IS A FACT OF LIFE. PEOPLE NEED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS. NAMELY, THE MURDERER WHO KILLED THIS BABY. END OF STORY.
The department's director, Lynn Frank, said Jahmaurae Allen, 4, was the subject of a Child Protective Services case that was opened on June 16, 2008.
Frank said the social worker affiliated with the case did not follow established department procedures and has been put on administrative leave pending further review of the circumstances.
She released the following statement Thursday:
"Although Child Protective Services intervened in this case and did take some steps to protect Jahmaurae, we could have -- and should have -- done more," Frank said. "In the majority of cases, records show our workers make the right decisions. In the case of Jahmaurae Allen, we did not adhere to our own high standards."
Frank said the social worker did take some steps to ensure the boy's safety, but it wasn't enough.
"I'm really horrified by the situation and by the death of this child. I don't understand how with the focus that we've had, how this could have happened again," Frank said.
CPS said it would implement immediate changes. It will now review all 921 current investigations of children ages 5 and younger; have supervisors accompany social workers over the next 30 days to assess their skills; reach out to law enforcement and other experts to improve the system and accountability of employees; and increase quality assurance reviews from quarterly to monthly.
The Sacramento County Coroner's Office said Allen died of blunt-force head and stomach injuries.
Jonathan Lamar Perry, 26, was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon on suspicion of murder and child endangerment.
Perry was supposed to be arraigned Thursday but did not appear in court because of a psychological condition. He is scheduled to be arraigned Friday afternoon.
He is facing murder and assault charges.
__________________________________________________________
THIS IS A SAD STORY. HOWEVER, IT IS IGNORANT TO BLAME DCS. HAVE YOU ANY IDEA OF THE CASE LOAD THESE WORKERS MAINTAIN? NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOUR SERVICE IS, SOMEONE IS GOING TO SUFFER. IT IS A FACT OF LIFE. PEOPLE NEED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS. NAMELY, THE MURDERER WHO KILLED THIS BABY. END OF STORY.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
'Extreme Home Makeover' House Threatened With Foreclosure
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. -- An Extreme Home Makeover may be going bust. The first metro family who got a new home is facing foreclosure.
Channel 2 followed the progress as an army of volunteers swarmed a Clayton County neighborhood to build a new home for a deserving family on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” in 2005. When the show came to town, no one could have predicted what would happen less than four years later -- foreclosure.
A foreclosure notice appeared last Friday, a $450,000 second mortgage they took out less than 15 months ago was in default.
Patricia Harper, the homeowner, told Channel 2 she and her husband had struck a deal with Chase Home Finance to rescue their "extreme" home. Chase said they couldn't confirm that claim.
“I didn't really know what the circumstances were, I was kind of surprised. I was really surprised to read that,” said neighbor Doris Rhodenizer.
Lake City mayor Willie Oswalt was among the 1,800 volunteers helping "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" build the Harper’s new home 3 ½ years ago. Beazer Homes of Atlanta was the main sponsor. The mayor said he is baffled.
“Beazer gave them $100,000 cash, paid their mortgage off and they still can't make it," said Oswalt.
Harper told Channel 2 they invested the loan proceeds in a construction business and the business hasn’t been good. She didn’t say how much of the money is left.
“What’s going to happen is instead of keep paying my mortgage, I’m going to take my money and not pay my mortgage because I’m being harassed,” said Harper.
Atlanta law firm McCalla Raymer represents Chase. They wouldn’t talk about it except to say federal law bars Chase from talking without Harper’s permission. Harper said that if Channel 2 wanted proof the foreclosure is off, we should show up at the courthouse next month to watch it not happen.
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THEY BUILD YOU A NEW HOUSE, PAY OFF YOUR MORTGAGE, AND GIVE YOU $100,000. THEN YOU TURN AROUND AND WASTE THAT MONEY, TAKE OUT A $450,000 MORTGAGE ON YOUR NEW, FREE HOUSE, AND THREATEN NOT TO PAY BECAUSE YOU ARE BEING HARASSED? YOU HAVE SOME FUCKING NERVE. YOU DESERVE TO LOSE THIS HOUSE. LET SOMEONE HAVE IT WHO WILL ACTUALLY PAY FOR IT, AND APPRECIATE IT. FUCKING COMMON ASS ********.
Channel 2 followed the progress as an army of volunteers swarmed a Clayton County neighborhood to build a new home for a deserving family on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” in 2005. When the show came to town, no one could have predicted what would happen less than four years later -- foreclosure.
A foreclosure notice appeared last Friday, a $450,000 second mortgage they took out less than 15 months ago was in default.
Patricia Harper, the homeowner, told Channel 2 she and her husband had struck a deal with Chase Home Finance to rescue their "extreme" home. Chase said they couldn't confirm that claim.
“I didn't really know what the circumstances were, I was kind of surprised. I was really surprised to read that,” said neighbor Doris Rhodenizer.
Lake City mayor Willie Oswalt was among the 1,800 volunteers helping "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" build the Harper’s new home 3 ½ years ago. Beazer Homes of Atlanta was the main sponsor. The mayor said he is baffled.
“Beazer gave them $100,000 cash, paid their mortgage off and they still can't make it," said Oswalt.
Harper told Channel 2 they invested the loan proceeds in a construction business and the business hasn’t been good. She didn’t say how much of the money is left.
“What’s going to happen is instead of keep paying my mortgage, I’m going to take my money and not pay my mortgage because I’m being harassed,” said Harper.
Atlanta law firm McCalla Raymer represents Chase. They wouldn’t talk about it except to say federal law bars Chase from talking without Harper’s permission. Harper said that if Channel 2 wanted proof the foreclosure is off, we should show up at the courthouse next month to watch it not happen.
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THEY BUILD YOU A NEW HOUSE, PAY OFF YOUR MORTGAGE, AND GIVE YOU $100,000. THEN YOU TURN AROUND AND WASTE THAT MONEY, TAKE OUT A $450,000 MORTGAGE ON YOUR NEW, FREE HOUSE, AND THREATEN NOT TO PAY BECAUSE YOU ARE BEING HARASSED? YOU HAVE SOME FUCKING NERVE. YOU DESERVE TO LOSE THIS HOUSE. LET SOMEONE HAVE IT WHO WILL ACTUALLY PAY FOR IT, AND APPRECIATE IT. FUCKING COMMON ASS ********.
Gays in Iraq terrorized by threats, rape, murder
Editor's note: CNN agreed to change the names of the two men in this article to protect their identities.
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Kamal was just 16 when gunmen snatched him off the streets of Baghdad, stuffed him in the trunk of a car and whisked him away to a house. But the real terror was about to begin.
The men realized he was gay, Kamal said, when he took his shirt off and they saw his chest was shaved.
"They told me to take off my clothes to rape me or they would kill me immediately. This moment was the worst moment in my life," he told CNN, weeping as he spoke of the 2005 ordeal.
"I was watching them taking off their clothes, preparing to rape me. I did not know what to do, so I started shouting loudly, 'Please do not do that! I will ask my family to give you whatever you want.'" Watch the tormented life of gays in Iraq »
His pleas went unheeded. "The other two kidnappers took off my clothes by force and, at that time, I saw them as three dirty animals trying to tear my body apart."
He was held for 15 days, released only after his family paid a $1,500 ransom. He was raped every day. Only once, he said, was he allowed to talk to his family during captivity. "I told my family that I was beaten by them, but I did not dare to tell my family that I was raped by them. I could not say it, it's too much shame."
CNN spoke with Kamal, now 18, and his 21-year-old friend, Rami, about what it's like to be gay in Iraq. Coming out as gay is not easy in any country, but to do so in Iraq could mean a death sentence or torture.
The two men rarely show feelings toward each other in public. They spend a lot of time in Internet cafes in Baghdad, surfing gay chat rooms and seeking contacts with other gay men in Iraq and elsewhere.
Since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, the situation for gays and lesbians in Iraq has deteriorated. Ridiculed under Hussein, many now find themselves the targets of violence, according to humanitarian officials.
Lesbians are also victims of harassment and violence, but not nearly as often as gay men.
It's unknown how many homosexuals have been killed by militias in the lawless streets of Iraq's cities, but some Web sites post pictures of Iraqis they say were killed for being gay.
One photo on the Iraqi Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender site shows a group of men standing around three male bodies sprawled on a street, blood pouring from their heads. "Gay Iraqi victims of the police and death squads," the site says.
A U.N. report on human rights in Iraq reinforces the accusations of violence. Although gays are supposed to be protected by law in Iraq, it says, they face extreme brutality.
"Armed Islamic groups and militias have been known to be particularly hostile toward homosexuals, frequently and openly engaging in violent campaigns against them," the report said, adding that homosexuals have been murdered.
"Militias are reportedly threatening families of men believed to be homosexual, stating that they will begin killing family members unless the men are handed over or killed by the family," it said.
The report was issued at the end of 2006 and is the last U.N. study to touch on the subject.
Human rights experts say homosexuals are targeted for cultural reasons as well.
"Gay men and lesbians in Iraq face a lot of risks right now, because homosexuality is sometimes interpreted by people in Iraq as being a Western import," said Scott Portman with the Heartland Alliance, a group that promotes human rights worldwide. "So they can sometimes be targeted by insurgent groups or militias, in part, because of animosity toward the West and, in part, because homosexuality is not well-accepted in Iraqi society."
He added, "The biggest threats right now are from militia organizations, who will attack and actually sometimes kill gay men and women."
Kamal and Rami say the dangers are all too real in Baghdad -- and they live in secrecy not to shame their families.
"I would rather commit suicide than allow my family to find out I am gay," Rami said.
Kamal said he often pretends to have girlfriends in social settings and tells his friends he's dating girls. "I am also careful with the way I dress -- not to show them that I am gay, especially my family."
What would his family do if they found out?
"They will force me to give it up, and I cannot do that," he said. "The 'normal' people cannot live in Iraq. Imagine how the life is for gays."
Rami added, "I do not know why people hate gays even though so many have this tendency. But still they hate it."
Homosexuality is a touchy subject for many Iraqis. When CNN asked Iraqis in Baghdad how they felt about homosexuals, we found intolerance to be widespread.
One man said he considers gays no different from "criminals and terrorists." Another claimed homosexuality was "illegal under Islamic law, and they [gays] should be punished by law like criminals."
Rami said he once fell in love with a man who was part of the Mehdi Army, a Shiite insurgent group loyal to the radical anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
Their relationship eventually soured.
"One day he told me he would come over to my house and kill me in front of my family," Rami said. "I told him I would come outside and be killed in the street because I do not want my family to find out I am gay."
Both men hope to escape Iraq. They say their ideal destination would be San Francisco, California. For now, both of them keep their feelings secret.
Kamal is still tormented by what happened to him nearly three years ago.
"During my sleep, I only see nightmares and I start crying. My family thought it was because they were beating me."
He paused, "Only my close friend Rami knows about this secret."
______________________________________________________________________
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? IRAQIS CONSIDER BEING GAY A DEATH OFFENSE, A CRIME AGAINST NATURE...AND THEIR SOLUTION IS TO RAPE THEM? HELLO...IF YOU PUT YOUR DICK IN A MAN, YOU ARE GAY. SO...RAPING A GAY MAN AS PUNISHMENT SEEMS A BIT HYPOCRITICAL TO ME. MORONS. ALL THIS DOES IS GIVE GAYS IN IRAQ A LEGAL WAY TO BE GAY WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES TO THEIR LAWS.
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Kamal was just 16 when gunmen snatched him off the streets of Baghdad, stuffed him in the trunk of a car and whisked him away to a house. But the real terror was about to begin.
The men realized he was gay, Kamal said, when he took his shirt off and they saw his chest was shaved.
"They told me to take off my clothes to rape me or they would kill me immediately. This moment was the worst moment in my life," he told CNN, weeping as he spoke of the 2005 ordeal.
"I was watching them taking off their clothes, preparing to rape me. I did not know what to do, so I started shouting loudly, 'Please do not do that! I will ask my family to give you whatever you want.'" Watch the tormented life of gays in Iraq »
His pleas went unheeded. "The other two kidnappers took off my clothes by force and, at that time, I saw them as three dirty animals trying to tear my body apart."
He was held for 15 days, released only after his family paid a $1,500 ransom. He was raped every day. Only once, he said, was he allowed to talk to his family during captivity. "I told my family that I was beaten by them, but I did not dare to tell my family that I was raped by them. I could not say it, it's too much shame."
CNN spoke with Kamal, now 18, and his 21-year-old friend, Rami, about what it's like to be gay in Iraq. Coming out as gay is not easy in any country, but to do so in Iraq could mean a death sentence or torture.
The two men rarely show feelings toward each other in public. They spend a lot of time in Internet cafes in Baghdad, surfing gay chat rooms and seeking contacts with other gay men in Iraq and elsewhere.
Since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, the situation for gays and lesbians in Iraq has deteriorated. Ridiculed under Hussein, many now find themselves the targets of violence, according to humanitarian officials.
Lesbians are also victims of harassment and violence, but not nearly as often as gay men.
It's unknown how many homosexuals have been killed by militias in the lawless streets of Iraq's cities, but some Web sites post pictures of Iraqis they say were killed for being gay.
One photo on the Iraqi Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender site shows a group of men standing around three male bodies sprawled on a street, blood pouring from their heads. "Gay Iraqi victims of the police and death squads," the site says.
A U.N. report on human rights in Iraq reinforces the accusations of violence. Although gays are supposed to be protected by law in Iraq, it says, they face extreme brutality.
"Armed Islamic groups and militias have been known to be particularly hostile toward homosexuals, frequently and openly engaging in violent campaigns against them," the report said, adding that homosexuals have been murdered.
"Militias are reportedly threatening families of men believed to be homosexual, stating that they will begin killing family members unless the men are handed over or killed by the family," it said.
The report was issued at the end of 2006 and is the last U.N. study to touch on the subject.
Human rights experts say homosexuals are targeted for cultural reasons as well.
"Gay men and lesbians in Iraq face a lot of risks right now, because homosexuality is sometimes interpreted by people in Iraq as being a Western import," said Scott Portman with the Heartland Alliance, a group that promotes human rights worldwide. "So they can sometimes be targeted by insurgent groups or militias, in part, because of animosity toward the West and, in part, because homosexuality is not well-accepted in Iraqi society."
He added, "The biggest threats right now are from militia organizations, who will attack and actually sometimes kill gay men and women."
Kamal and Rami say the dangers are all too real in Baghdad -- and they live in secrecy not to shame their families.
"I would rather commit suicide than allow my family to find out I am gay," Rami said.
Kamal said he often pretends to have girlfriends in social settings and tells his friends he's dating girls. "I am also careful with the way I dress -- not to show them that I am gay, especially my family."
What would his family do if they found out?
"They will force me to give it up, and I cannot do that," he said. "The 'normal' people cannot live in Iraq. Imagine how the life is for gays."
Rami added, "I do not know why people hate gays even though so many have this tendency. But still they hate it."
Homosexuality is a touchy subject for many Iraqis. When CNN asked Iraqis in Baghdad how they felt about homosexuals, we found intolerance to be widespread.
One man said he considers gays no different from "criminals and terrorists." Another claimed homosexuality was "illegal under Islamic law, and they [gays] should be punished by law like criminals."
Rami said he once fell in love with a man who was part of the Mehdi Army, a Shiite insurgent group loyal to the radical anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
Their relationship eventually soured.
"One day he told me he would come over to my house and kill me in front of my family," Rami said. "I told him I would come outside and be killed in the street because I do not want my family to find out I am gay."
Both men hope to escape Iraq. They say their ideal destination would be San Francisco, California. For now, both of them keep their feelings secret.
Kamal is still tormented by what happened to him nearly three years ago.
"During my sleep, I only see nightmares and I start crying. My family thought it was because they were beating me."
He paused, "Only my close friend Rami knows about this secret."
______________________________________________________________________
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? IRAQIS CONSIDER BEING GAY A DEATH OFFENSE, A CRIME AGAINST NATURE...AND THEIR SOLUTION IS TO RAPE THEM? HELLO...IF YOU PUT YOUR DICK IN A MAN, YOU ARE GAY. SO...RAPING A GAY MAN AS PUNISHMENT SEEMS A BIT HYPOCRITICAL TO ME. MORONS. ALL THIS DOES IS GIVE GAYS IN IRAQ A LEGAL WAY TO BE GAY WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES TO THEIR LAWS.
NZ judge backs girl over 'embarrassing' name
(CNN) -- A New Zealand judge has made a 9-year-old girl a ward of the court so that her name can be changed from Talula Does the Hula From Hawaii, the country's national news agency reported Thursday.
Family Court Judge Rob Murfitt listed a series of unusual names that New Zealand parents had given their children, and said he was concerned that such strange monikers would create hurdles for them as they grew up.
"It makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability and handicap," the New Zealand Press Association quoted the judge as saying.
Among the names Murfitt cited: twins named Benson and Hedges -- after a brand of cigarettes; Violence; and Number 16 Bus Shelter.
Some parents had named children after six-cylinder Ford cars, the news agency reported.
The Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages said in a statement that it had rejected names including Fish and Chips, Yeah Detroit, Stallion, Twisty Poi -- a staple food in Polynesian cuisine -- and Sex Fruit.
A lawyer for Talula Does the Hula From Hawaii said the girl is so embarrassed by her name that friends know her as "K."
Last month, an judge in the U.S. state of Illinois allowed a school bus driver to legally change his first name to "In God" and his last name to "We Trust."
But an appeals court in the state of New Mexico ruled against a man -- named Variable -- who wanted to change his name to a two-word phrase that contains a four-letter expletive and expresses opposition to censorship.
_________________________________________________________________
STOP GIVING YOUR KIDS IGNORANT NAMES. ARE YOU STUPID? OR DO YOU JUST NOT CARE THAT YOU ARE FUCKING YOUR KIDS MIND UP?
Family Court Judge Rob Murfitt listed a series of unusual names that New Zealand parents had given their children, and said he was concerned that such strange monikers would create hurdles for them as they grew up.
"It makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability and handicap," the New Zealand Press Association quoted the judge as saying.
Among the names Murfitt cited: twins named Benson and Hedges -- after a brand of cigarettes; Violence; and Number 16 Bus Shelter.
Some parents had named children after six-cylinder Ford cars, the news agency reported.
The Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages said in a statement that it had rejected names including Fish and Chips, Yeah Detroit, Stallion, Twisty Poi -- a staple food in Polynesian cuisine -- and Sex Fruit.
A lawyer for Talula Does the Hula From Hawaii said the girl is so embarrassed by her name that friends know her as "K."
Last month, an judge in the U.S. state of Illinois allowed a school bus driver to legally change his first name to "In God" and his last name to "We Trust."
But an appeals court in the state of New Mexico ruled against a man -- named Variable -- who wanted to change his name to a two-word phrase that contains a four-letter expletive and expresses opposition to censorship.
_________________________________________________________________
STOP GIVING YOUR KIDS IGNORANT NAMES. ARE YOU STUPID? OR DO YOU JUST NOT CARE THAT YOU ARE FUCKING YOUR KIDS MIND UP?
CHILD MOLESTER DOES NOT SERVE TIME
(CNN) -- For nearly two years, the South Florida middle school art teacher forced the boy to have sex in a classroom supply closet.
Aaron Mohanlal, here in his sex offender registration photo, was allowed to stay out of prison on bond.
Sometimes, Aaron Mohanlal would call in sick to work, take the boy to his home for sex and drop the seventh-grader back off at school at the end of the day.
To keep the abuse secret, Mohanlal bought the 13-year-old a cell phone and created nicknames for their genitalia. When police arrested him, the teacher was caught on hidden video trying to destroy letters threatening the boy if he ever told.
Last summer, a Broward County jury convicted Mohanlal of 13 counts, including child abuse, molestation and lewd battery, and a judge sentenced him to 43 years.
But a year later, Mohanlal has yet to spend a day in prison.
"I can't understand why he isn't behind bars," said the victim, now 18. The network is not disclosing his name because it doesn't identify sexual assault victims.
"I want to move on with my life. I'm trying to graduate high school and forget about this," he said. "I try not to think about it, but it's hard, because all I can think about is, what if he's out there around other kids?"
Weeks after the trial, Broward Circuit Judge Marc Gold, who presided over the trial and sentenced Mohanlal, granted the teacher a rare bond that allows him to remain free while his case is tried on appeal, a process that could take years.
During the two months CNN has investigated this story, Mohanlal has been working a construction job in Broward County and spending time at a house in Sunrise, Florida, 15 miles from where the boy and his family live, according to the Broward County Sheriff's Office.
He resigned from his teaching job in 2005 after his arrest.
"The idea of that monster being that close to my family again is outrageous," said the boy's father, who is often so overwhelmed with rage and sadness that he drives to a park, leans against a tree and sobs.
"What did we go through a trial for?" he said.
A man who identified himself as Mohanlal hung up on a CNN reporter who called his home in Port St. Lucie, Florida, his address on record with the state's sex offender registry.
Mohanlal's appellate attorney, Tom Odom, refused to comment on the case beyond saying, "Everyone has a right to a first appeal."
Gold gave Mohanlal the right to live, work, travel and attend church in South Florida, according to numerous interviews and documents CNN has obtained. The judge ordered Mohanlal to wear a GPS device, register as a sex offender and surrender his passport.
He stipulated that Mohanlal cannot contact the boy and his family but did not order him to stay away from children, according to a transcript of the July 2007 bond hearing. Read the entire bond hearing
Mohanlal was allowed to post the $610,000 bond using his relatives' properties as collateral, the transcript shows.
Post-conviction bonds are rarely given in criminal trials, but judges occasionally grant them if there was a procedural error during trial that would make a conviction reversal at the appellate level likely, legal experts say.
But there were no procedural mistakes during Mohanlal's trial, both prosecutor Anita White and defense attorney Steve Rossi said.
Under Florida statute, defendants without prior felonies are eligible for post-conviction bond unless they have committed first-degree murder or sexual battery. Mohanlal wasn't convicted of first-degree sexual battery. He was convicted of second-and third-degree felonies, and he had no prior felony record.
Gold refused to talk on record about why he granted the bond. He would only give this statement: "The simple truth is that I had to rule based on what was presented to me during that hearing. And I took everything into consideration and felt a bond was appropriate."
"For a judge to delay jail is highly unusual, but it's especially unusual when you have someone convicted of a serious crime like sexual molestation of a child," said CNN legal analyst and criminal attorney B.J. Bernstein. "One of the concerns is that you have someone who commits a sex offense who, by their employment, seeks to be around children. They have abused that trust between a student and teacher."
A dozen legal experts, including criminal attorneys based in Florida, said they agree with Bernstein. None could recall a single case of a violent offender receiving the same kind of treatment.
Information on how many offenders are out on post-conviction bonds in Florida is difficult to find. There is no entity in the state, including the Florida Department of Corrections, that keeps track.
Last year, the boy's family won $300,000 from the school district after a civil claim that the district failed to protect the student.
Other students in Mohanlal's class testified that their teacher handed them fliers, with the boy's picture and phone number, that falsely accused the teen of having sex with animals. Caught on surveillance camera at a grocery store copying the fliers, prosecutors say Mohanlal had become a disturbed lover scorned when the boy entered high school and began rejecting his advances.
And there was evidence that Mohanlal was grooming other children. One middle-schooler told police that Mohanlal rubbed his arms and back during class; another testified at trial that his teacher gave him his cell phone number, money and hair conditioner.
"This was one of the most disturbing cases I've ever worked on, and there's no doubt in my mind that Aaron Mohanlal is a dangerous person," said Miramar Police Sgt. Jeff Armiento.
The investigator learned that Mohanlal was released on bond when he randomly searched for him on the state's correctional Web site.
"I was astonished, flabbergasted," Armiento said. "I called the state attorney's office to see if it was some kind of mistake. I don't see what would stop him from doing this to other kids."
Mohanlal's GPS device is monitored 24 hours a day by the Broward County Sheriff's Office, meaning his location appears on a computer screen. Otherwise, there is no police agency watching him.
Kristina Gulick, who oversees the electronic monitoring system, said Mohanlal gives the agency weekly itineraries to help police follow his whereabouts.
But 70 days of itineraries from March to June that CNN obtained from the Broward Sheriff's Office are not detailed; for example, some say Mohanlal intends to leave his home at 6:30 a.m. and return at 9:30 p.m. but do not say where he will be or what his plans are.
"We are confident that he is doing what he's supposed to be doing," Gulick said. "We have had no reason to think otherwise."
Because Mohanlal was required to register as a sex offender, he must provide the Florida Department of Law Enforcement with his home address. That home is in Port St. Lucie, about two hours from Broward County. See Mohanlal's sex offender registration
The St. Lucie County Sheriff's Department is required to make four visits to the home each year and verify that Mohanlal is living there based on what he tells deputies, according to department spokesman Mark Weinberg.
"This guy has all the reason in the world to take off," said Florida state criminologist Tom Blomberg, who conducted a 2006 study of sex offenders who are monitored by wearable GPS devices. "He's looking at prison for the rest of his life, and child molesters are almost always victimized in prison. He has to know that.
"This is not effective monitoring. In fact, it's a little bit beyond imagination what's going on here," Blomberg said. "The [GPS] technology works; that's not the problem. Police can only do so much. The question is whether this guy should be out of prison.
"This seems like a system failure on down."
__________________________________________________________________
THIS IS OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM AT IT'S BEST. WHY BOTHER GOING TO TRIAL? WHY BOTHER PUTTING THE VICTIM THROUGH IT? PUT THE ASSHOLE IN JAIL WHERE HE BELONGS.
Aaron Mohanlal, here in his sex offender registration photo, was allowed to stay out of prison on bond.
Sometimes, Aaron Mohanlal would call in sick to work, take the boy to his home for sex and drop the seventh-grader back off at school at the end of the day.
To keep the abuse secret, Mohanlal bought the 13-year-old a cell phone and created nicknames for their genitalia. When police arrested him, the teacher was caught on hidden video trying to destroy letters threatening the boy if he ever told.
Last summer, a Broward County jury convicted Mohanlal of 13 counts, including child abuse, molestation and lewd battery, and a judge sentenced him to 43 years.
But a year later, Mohanlal has yet to spend a day in prison.
"I can't understand why he isn't behind bars," said the victim, now 18. The network is not disclosing his name because it doesn't identify sexual assault victims.
"I want to move on with my life. I'm trying to graduate high school and forget about this," he said. "I try not to think about it, but it's hard, because all I can think about is, what if he's out there around other kids?"
Weeks after the trial, Broward Circuit Judge Marc Gold, who presided over the trial and sentenced Mohanlal, granted the teacher a rare bond that allows him to remain free while his case is tried on appeal, a process that could take years.
During the two months CNN has investigated this story, Mohanlal has been working a construction job in Broward County and spending time at a house in Sunrise, Florida, 15 miles from where the boy and his family live, according to the Broward County Sheriff's Office.
He resigned from his teaching job in 2005 after his arrest.
"The idea of that monster being that close to my family again is outrageous," said the boy's father, who is often so overwhelmed with rage and sadness that he drives to a park, leans against a tree and sobs.
"What did we go through a trial for?" he said.
A man who identified himself as Mohanlal hung up on a CNN reporter who called his home in Port St. Lucie, Florida, his address on record with the state's sex offender registry.
Mohanlal's appellate attorney, Tom Odom, refused to comment on the case beyond saying, "Everyone has a right to a first appeal."
Gold gave Mohanlal the right to live, work, travel and attend church in South Florida, according to numerous interviews and documents CNN has obtained. The judge ordered Mohanlal to wear a GPS device, register as a sex offender and surrender his passport.
He stipulated that Mohanlal cannot contact the boy and his family but did not order him to stay away from children, according to a transcript of the July 2007 bond hearing. Read the entire bond hearing
Mohanlal was allowed to post the $610,000 bond using his relatives' properties as collateral, the transcript shows.
Post-conviction bonds are rarely given in criminal trials, but judges occasionally grant them if there was a procedural error during trial that would make a conviction reversal at the appellate level likely, legal experts say.
But there were no procedural mistakes during Mohanlal's trial, both prosecutor Anita White and defense attorney Steve Rossi said.
Under Florida statute, defendants without prior felonies are eligible for post-conviction bond unless they have committed first-degree murder or sexual battery. Mohanlal wasn't convicted of first-degree sexual battery. He was convicted of second-and third-degree felonies, and he had no prior felony record.
Gold refused to talk on record about why he granted the bond. He would only give this statement: "The simple truth is that I had to rule based on what was presented to me during that hearing. And I took everything into consideration and felt a bond was appropriate."
"For a judge to delay jail is highly unusual, but it's especially unusual when you have someone convicted of a serious crime like sexual molestation of a child," said CNN legal analyst and criminal attorney B.J. Bernstein. "One of the concerns is that you have someone who commits a sex offense who, by their employment, seeks to be around children. They have abused that trust between a student and teacher."
A dozen legal experts, including criminal attorneys based in Florida, said they agree with Bernstein. None could recall a single case of a violent offender receiving the same kind of treatment.
Information on how many offenders are out on post-conviction bonds in Florida is difficult to find. There is no entity in the state, including the Florida Department of Corrections, that keeps track.
Last year, the boy's family won $300,000 from the school district after a civil claim that the district failed to protect the student.
Other students in Mohanlal's class testified that their teacher handed them fliers, with the boy's picture and phone number, that falsely accused the teen of having sex with animals. Caught on surveillance camera at a grocery store copying the fliers, prosecutors say Mohanlal had become a disturbed lover scorned when the boy entered high school and began rejecting his advances.
And there was evidence that Mohanlal was grooming other children. One middle-schooler told police that Mohanlal rubbed his arms and back during class; another testified at trial that his teacher gave him his cell phone number, money and hair conditioner.
"This was one of the most disturbing cases I've ever worked on, and there's no doubt in my mind that Aaron Mohanlal is a dangerous person," said Miramar Police Sgt. Jeff Armiento.
The investigator learned that Mohanlal was released on bond when he randomly searched for him on the state's correctional Web site.
"I was astonished, flabbergasted," Armiento said. "I called the state attorney's office to see if it was some kind of mistake. I don't see what would stop him from doing this to other kids."
Mohanlal's GPS device is monitored 24 hours a day by the Broward County Sheriff's Office, meaning his location appears on a computer screen. Otherwise, there is no police agency watching him.
Kristina Gulick, who oversees the electronic monitoring system, said Mohanlal gives the agency weekly itineraries to help police follow his whereabouts.
But 70 days of itineraries from March to June that CNN obtained from the Broward Sheriff's Office are not detailed; for example, some say Mohanlal intends to leave his home at 6:30 a.m. and return at 9:30 p.m. but do not say where he will be or what his plans are.
"We are confident that he is doing what he's supposed to be doing," Gulick said. "We have had no reason to think otherwise."
Because Mohanlal was required to register as a sex offender, he must provide the Florida Department of Law Enforcement with his home address. That home is in Port St. Lucie, about two hours from Broward County. See Mohanlal's sex offender registration
The St. Lucie County Sheriff's Department is required to make four visits to the home each year and verify that Mohanlal is living there based on what he tells deputies, according to department spokesman Mark Weinberg.
"This guy has all the reason in the world to take off," said Florida state criminologist Tom Blomberg, who conducted a 2006 study of sex offenders who are monitored by wearable GPS devices. "He's looking at prison for the rest of his life, and child molesters are almost always victimized in prison. He has to know that.
"This is not effective monitoring. In fact, it's a little bit beyond imagination what's going on here," Blomberg said. "The [GPS] technology works; that's not the problem. Police can only do so much. The question is whether this guy should be out of prison.
"This seems like a system failure on down."
__________________________________________________________________
THIS IS OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM AT IT'S BEST. WHY BOTHER GOING TO TRIAL? WHY BOTHER PUTTING THE VICTIM THROUGH IT? PUT THE ASSHOLE IN JAIL WHERE HE BELONGS.
Attorney For Missing Girl's Mom Grilled; Family Negotiating Jail Release
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The family of a missing 2-year-old Orlando girl is believed to be working with a bail bondsman Thursday to free the child's mother as a national search for the child continues.
Sources said the bail for Casey Anthony, 22, could be paid as early as Thursday.
Anthony did not report her daughter, Caylee, missing for five weeks, detectives said, and the 22-year-old has been called a person of interest in the child's disappearance.
A judge set a $500,000 bond for Anthony earlier this week but changed the conditions of her bond release order Wednesday.
She's now been ordered to home confinement with an electronic monitoring device and no GPS bracelet.
A bondsman said the change in conditions raises the risk, but also gives Anthony the freedom to roam.
Attorney Grilled During Interview
Meanwhile, CNN's Nancy Grace grilled Casey Anthony's attorney Jose Baez and asked why his client did not report her daughter missing and why she lied to police.
"Don't you think your client should know the last time she was with her own daughter?" Grace asked.
"Since it was so long ago…" Baez said.
"It was last month, it was last month," Grace said.
"Where was your client during the four weeks Caylee was missing?" Grace asked.
"Part of that is some of the things that I simply can't discuss because it is protected by attorney-client privilege," Baez said.
"But why?" Grace said. "Why is that a secret if she wants to find her little girl alive."
"You are an attorney as well and you wouldn't want to violate the attorney-client privledge," Baez said.
"I would want to find the little girl alive," Grace said.
"I'm a little confused why you would ask that question," Baez said.
"Because I want to find Caylee alive and obviously you and your client do not," Grace said.
"She does not know where Caylee is," Baez said.
Baez said rumors that Anthony would talk to police in exchange for immunity were not true.
Billboards Planned
Caylee's grandparents, Cindy and George Anthony are trying new ways to bring in tips in the case.
Local 6 reported that the Anthony family will be putting up 14 billboards across the state asking for help in the case.
They've also organized volunteers to call people in Central Florida to spread the word.
Plus, a $225,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the return of a missing Orlando 2-year-old girl.
About $200,000 of the reward is from Skyview Aviation and Exotic Car Rental and the remaining money is from the Never Lose Hope foundation.
Tipster Questioned
Wednesday night, investigators spoke with a woman who believes she recently spoke with Caylee at Orlando International Airport.
The woman said she spotted the girl boarding a flight to Atlanta and even talked with the girl.
Detectives created a composite sketch but said they would not release it until they firmly believe the tip is credible.
Possible Connection Between Car, Yard
Investigators said similar human decomposition smells found in a yard and a car during a search for a missing Orlando girl indicate the source may have been moved.
Last week, cadaver dogs searched the Orange County back yard of Cindy and George Anthony for signs of their missing granddaughter, who was not reported missing for five weeks.
During the search, cadaver dogs found the smell of human decomposition in the yard, Local 6 learned.
The dogs also hit on the same smell in the trunk of the car the Casey Anthony had been driving, police said.
"We had two different dogs from two different counties that hit on the same exact spot," Orange County sheriff's investigator Carlos Padilla said.
The sheriff's office believes it is possible that whatever produced the decomposition smell could have been in the back yard and then moved to the car, Bolden reported.
"Could it have been a body or could it have been clothes?" Padilla asked. "Again, that is something that has to be investigated."
The investigation includes processing other items found in Anthony's car.
"Because they found hair samples in the trunk of the car that are similar in color and length to that of Caylee and they also found a stain in the trunk that came up under black light that is questionable," Orange County Detective Yuri Melich said. "They also found some dirt inside the car that needs to be processed."
Detectives said they don't have enough evidence to file additional charges against Anthony but it could become a potential homicide investigation.
"Is it something that could later on bring more charges?" Padilla said. "That is a possibility. But right now, we have to process that evidence."
Officers said they still have not ruled out the possibility that Caylee could still be alive.
Anyone with information concerning the whereabouts of Caylee is urged to call Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS.
______________________________________________________________
I THINK THE CHILD IS DEAD AND THE MOM KILLED HER. THERE IS NO REASON WHY A MOTHER OF A MISSING CHILD WOULD NOT REPORT THE KID MISSING. AND IF SHE KNEW WHERE THE KID WAS, WHY WOULDN'T SHE SAY SO? SHE IS A MURDERING LIAR. OUR LAWS ARE TOO DAMN SOFT WHEN IT COMES TO THIS TYPE OF THING. SHE NEEDS A GOOD OLD FASHIONED BEATING UNTIL SHE TALKS. PERIOD. 5 MINUTES WITH HER IS ALL I ASK.
Sources said the bail for Casey Anthony, 22, could be paid as early as Thursday.
Anthony did not report her daughter, Caylee, missing for five weeks, detectives said, and the 22-year-old has been called a person of interest in the child's disappearance.
A judge set a $500,000 bond for Anthony earlier this week but changed the conditions of her bond release order Wednesday.
She's now been ordered to home confinement with an electronic monitoring device and no GPS bracelet.
A bondsman said the change in conditions raises the risk, but also gives Anthony the freedom to roam.
Attorney Grilled During Interview
Meanwhile, CNN's Nancy Grace grilled Casey Anthony's attorney Jose Baez and asked why his client did not report her daughter missing and why she lied to police.
"Don't you think your client should know the last time she was with her own daughter?" Grace asked.
"Since it was so long ago…" Baez said.
"It was last month, it was last month," Grace said.
"Where was your client during the four weeks Caylee was missing?" Grace asked.
"Part of that is some of the things that I simply can't discuss because it is protected by attorney-client privilege," Baez said.
"But why?" Grace said. "Why is that a secret if she wants to find her little girl alive."
"You are an attorney as well and you wouldn't want to violate the attorney-client privledge," Baez said.
"I would want to find the little girl alive," Grace said.
"I'm a little confused why you would ask that question," Baez said.
"Because I want to find Caylee alive and obviously you and your client do not," Grace said.
"She does not know where Caylee is," Baez said.
Baez said rumors that Anthony would talk to police in exchange for immunity were not true.
Billboards Planned
Caylee's grandparents, Cindy and George Anthony are trying new ways to bring in tips in the case.
Local 6 reported that the Anthony family will be putting up 14 billboards across the state asking for help in the case.
They've also organized volunteers to call people in Central Florida to spread the word.
Plus, a $225,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the return of a missing Orlando 2-year-old girl.
About $200,000 of the reward is from Skyview Aviation and Exotic Car Rental and the remaining money is from the Never Lose Hope foundation.
Tipster Questioned
Wednesday night, investigators spoke with a woman who believes she recently spoke with Caylee at Orlando International Airport.
The woman said she spotted the girl boarding a flight to Atlanta and even talked with the girl.
Detectives created a composite sketch but said they would not release it until they firmly believe the tip is credible.
Possible Connection Between Car, Yard
Investigators said similar human decomposition smells found in a yard and a car during a search for a missing Orlando girl indicate the source may have been moved.
Last week, cadaver dogs searched the Orange County back yard of Cindy and George Anthony for signs of their missing granddaughter, who was not reported missing for five weeks.
During the search, cadaver dogs found the smell of human decomposition in the yard, Local 6 learned.
The dogs also hit on the same smell in the trunk of the car the Casey Anthony had been driving, police said.
"We had two different dogs from two different counties that hit on the same exact spot," Orange County sheriff's investigator Carlos Padilla said.
The sheriff's office believes it is possible that whatever produced the decomposition smell could have been in the back yard and then moved to the car, Bolden reported.
"Could it have been a body or could it have been clothes?" Padilla asked. "Again, that is something that has to be investigated."
The investigation includes processing other items found in Anthony's car.
"Because they found hair samples in the trunk of the car that are similar in color and length to that of Caylee and they also found a stain in the trunk that came up under black light that is questionable," Orange County Detective Yuri Melich said. "They also found some dirt inside the car that needs to be processed."
Detectives said they don't have enough evidence to file additional charges against Anthony but it could become a potential homicide investigation.
"Is it something that could later on bring more charges?" Padilla said. "That is a possibility. But right now, we have to process that evidence."
Officers said they still have not ruled out the possibility that Caylee could still be alive.
Anyone with information concerning the whereabouts of Caylee is urged to call Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS.
______________________________________________________________
I THINK THE CHILD IS DEAD AND THE MOM KILLED HER. THERE IS NO REASON WHY A MOTHER OF A MISSING CHILD WOULD NOT REPORT THE KID MISSING. AND IF SHE KNEW WHERE THE KID WAS, WHY WOULDN'T SHE SAY SO? SHE IS A MURDERING LIAR. OUR LAWS ARE TOO DAMN SOFT WHEN IT COMES TO THIS TYPE OF THING. SHE NEEDS A GOOD OLD FASHIONED BEATING UNTIL SHE TALKS. PERIOD. 5 MINUTES WITH HER IS ALL I ASK.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Killed In Afghanistan
U.S. soldiers killed
The Defense Department on Wednesday identified the U.S. soldiers killed Sunday when their outpost was overrun in Afghanistan.
• 1st Lt. Jonathan P. Brostrom, 24, of Aiea, Hawaii.
• Sgt. Israel Garcia, 24, of Long Beach, California.
• Cpl. Jonathan R. Ayers, 24, of Snellville, Georgia.
• Cpl. Jason M. Bogar, 25, of Seattle, Washington.
• Cpl. Jason D. Hovater, 24, of Clinton, Tennessee.
• Cpl. Matthew B. Phillips, 27, of Jasper, Georgia.
• Cpl. Pruitt A. Rainey, 22, of Haw River, North Carolina.
• Cpl. Gunnar W. Zwilling, 20, of Florissant, Missouri.
• Pfc. Sergio S. Abad, 21, of Morganfield, Kentucky.
_________________________________________________________________
Let them in Peter, for they are very tired;
Give them couches where the angels sleep and light those fires.
Let them wake a whole again to brand new dawns fired by the
sun not war time's bloddy guns. And may their peace be deep
Remember where the broken bodies lie --
God knows how young they were to have to die!
Well, God knows how young they were to have to die!
Give them things they like. Let them make some noise.
Give dance hall bands not golden harps, to these are boys,
Let them love Peter, -- for they have had no time --
They should have bird songs and trees, and hills to climb
The taste of Summer in a ripened pear,
Girls sweet as meadow wind, with flowing hair --
And Tell them how they are missed. But say not to fear;
It's going to be alright with us down here.
Let them in Peter, for they are very tired;
Give them couches where the angels sleep and light those fires.
Let them wake a whole again to brand new dawns fired by the
sun not war time's bloddy guns. And may their peace be deep
Remember where the broken bodies lie --
God knows how young they were to have to die!
Well, God knows how young they were to have to die!
Tell them how they are missed. But say not to fear;
It's going to be alright with us down here.
The Defense Department on Wednesday identified the U.S. soldiers killed Sunday when their outpost was overrun in Afghanistan.
• 1st Lt. Jonathan P. Brostrom, 24, of Aiea, Hawaii.
• Sgt. Israel Garcia, 24, of Long Beach, California.
• Cpl. Jonathan R. Ayers, 24, of Snellville, Georgia.
• Cpl. Jason M. Bogar, 25, of Seattle, Washington.
• Cpl. Jason D. Hovater, 24, of Clinton, Tennessee.
• Cpl. Matthew B. Phillips, 27, of Jasper, Georgia.
• Cpl. Pruitt A. Rainey, 22, of Haw River, North Carolina.
• Cpl. Gunnar W. Zwilling, 20, of Florissant, Missouri.
• Pfc. Sergio S. Abad, 21, of Morganfield, Kentucky.
_________________________________________________________________
Let them in Peter, for they are very tired;
Give them couches where the angels sleep and light those fires.
Let them wake a whole again to brand new dawns fired by the
sun not war time's bloddy guns. And may their peace be deep
Remember where the broken bodies lie --
God knows how young they were to have to die!
Well, God knows how young they were to have to die!
Give them things they like. Let them make some noise.
Give dance hall bands not golden harps, to these are boys,
Let them love Peter, -- for they have had no time --
They should have bird songs and trees, and hills to climb
The taste of Summer in a ripened pear,
Girls sweet as meadow wind, with flowing hair --
And Tell them how they are missed. But say not to fear;
It's going to be alright with us down here.
Let them in Peter, for they are very tired;
Give them couches where the angels sleep and light those fires.
Let them wake a whole again to brand new dawns fired by the
sun not war time's bloddy guns. And may their peace be deep
Remember where the broken bodies lie --
God knows how young they were to have to die!
Well, God knows how young they were to have to die!
Tell them how they are missed. But say not to fear;
It's going to be alright with us down here.
Drug Maker Found 'Not' Liable in Motrin Trial
MALIBU -- Jurors in the $1 billion Motrin lawsuit have decided that Johnson & Johnson is not liable for damages suffered by 11-year-old Topanga Canyon girl who claims she was blinded by Children's Motrin in 2003.
"There will be no award," a disappointed plaintiff attorney, Browne Greene, said.
Although jurors found for the plaintiffs in seven of eight questions, on the ninth question they decided it was not proved that Motrin caused the girl's injury.
Corporate responsibility is the major theme of the $1 billion claim made by the Johnsons, whose lawyers contend that Children's Motrin triggered an extremely rare, nearly fatal allergic reaction in the first-grader that caused chemical-type burns in her eyes, mouth and other mucous membranes, eventually blinding her.
The company, facing similar allegations stemming from about 60 cases of the reaction -- ironically called Stevens-Johnson syndrome -- among the billions of doses of Motrin sold annually, has fought back with a message that Motrin is safe and effective.
Company attorneys claim that Sabrina Johnson's illness was not caused by the widely used drug, and that the package labels were federally approved and had adequate warnings.
Lawyers representing the 11-year-old girl said her Stevens-Johnson syndrome is a painful illness that makes the inside of a her eyelids feel as if they are made of sandpaper.
During the trial, Sabrina testified that she spent months living inside a large cardboard box during daylight hours to keep her eyes from erupting in pain.
But doctors testified that there is a one-in-a-million chance of a person who takes ibuprofen having a severe allergic reaction.
Johnson & Johnson and McNeil Laboratories insisted that ibuprofen in general and Motrin in particular are safe and effective, and are used billions of times a year for pain relief.
Sabrina Johnson's family is asking for $14 million in actual damages and $103 million for the girl's and the family's pain and suffering, as well as punitive damages of $950 million.
____________________________________________________________________
SADLY I HAVE TO AGREE WITH THE JUDGE. DRUGS COME WITH WARNINGS. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOMEONE WHO IS ALLERGIC TO A DRUG. IT IS A FACT OF LIFE. EVERYONE'S BODY IS DIFFERENT. 60 CASES OUT OF BILLIONS OF USES? IT IS SAD THAT THE CHILD IS SUFFERING, AND I HOPE THE DOCS CAN DO SOMETHING TO EASE HER PAIN. BUT THE DRUG COMPANY IS NOT AT FAULT. HER BODY'S CHEMICAL MAKE UP IS.
"There will be no award," a disappointed plaintiff attorney, Browne Greene, said.
Although jurors found for the plaintiffs in seven of eight questions, on the ninth question they decided it was not proved that Motrin caused the girl's injury.
Corporate responsibility is the major theme of the $1 billion claim made by the Johnsons, whose lawyers contend that Children's Motrin triggered an extremely rare, nearly fatal allergic reaction in the first-grader that caused chemical-type burns in her eyes, mouth and other mucous membranes, eventually blinding her.
The company, facing similar allegations stemming from about 60 cases of the reaction -- ironically called Stevens-Johnson syndrome -- among the billions of doses of Motrin sold annually, has fought back with a message that Motrin is safe and effective.
Company attorneys claim that Sabrina Johnson's illness was not caused by the widely used drug, and that the package labels were federally approved and had adequate warnings.
Lawyers representing the 11-year-old girl said her Stevens-Johnson syndrome is a painful illness that makes the inside of a her eyelids feel as if they are made of sandpaper.
During the trial, Sabrina testified that she spent months living inside a large cardboard box during daylight hours to keep her eyes from erupting in pain.
But doctors testified that there is a one-in-a-million chance of a person who takes ibuprofen having a severe allergic reaction.
Johnson & Johnson and McNeil Laboratories insisted that ibuprofen in general and Motrin in particular are safe and effective, and are used billions of times a year for pain relief.
Sabrina Johnson's family is asking for $14 million in actual damages and $103 million for the girl's and the family's pain and suffering, as well as punitive damages of $950 million.
____________________________________________________________________
SADLY I HAVE TO AGREE WITH THE JUDGE. DRUGS COME WITH WARNINGS. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOMEONE WHO IS ALLERGIC TO A DRUG. IT IS A FACT OF LIFE. EVERYONE'S BODY IS DIFFERENT. 60 CASES OUT OF BILLIONS OF USES? IT IS SAD THAT THE CHILD IS SUFFERING, AND I HOPE THE DOCS CAN DO SOMETHING TO EASE HER PAIN. BUT THE DRUG COMPANY IS NOT AT FAULT. HER BODY'S CHEMICAL MAKE UP IS.
Missing Child Investigation Turns To Mother's Home
ORLANDO, Fla. -- A search for a 2-year-old girl led investigators near the back yard of the house of the toddler, her mother and the child's grandparents Thursday.
Caylee Anthony has brown hair and hazel eyes and stands about 3 feet tall. The girl has been missing for more than a month, but it was only reported Tuesday.
Click here to find out more!
Sources have told WESH 2 News that K9s and crime scene investigators are at the scene digging near the family's home in East Orlando. Neighbors led investigators to the back yard and told them that they recently saw Anthony at the home without her parents.
Investigators also removed a shovel covered with a paper bag from a neighbor's home earlier on Thursday afternoon.
The toddler's mother, Casey Anthony, 22, said she dropped off her daughter with a friend and babysitter on June 9 and hasn't heard from her since. Investigators later deduced that no one had lived in that apartment for almost five months. They also said they spoke with a Zenaida Gonzalez, the alleged babysitter, and she said she has never met Anthony or Caylee and has never baby-sat for anyone. Anthony said she did not report her daughter missing because she wanted to find the child herself to spare her parents the sadness of their grandchild being missing.
Anthony was arrested Wednesday night and has been a focus in the search and investigation in the case. She made a first appearance in court on Thursday on child neglect charges. The arrest was made after authorities said the child's grandmother called deputies to report the toddler missing.
Earlier on Thursday, investigators removed a computer hard drive from the Anthonys around the same time a judge was conducting Anthony's first court appearance. The judge scolded the young mother for her apparent lack of cooperation in the investigators' attempts to find her daughter.
"You left your child with someone who doesn't exist at an apartment you cannot identify. You lied to your parents. It appears you care so little for your child you didn't report her missing until five weeks later," Judge John Jordan said.
"All I want is to put the word out and show her picture as many places as we can," grandmother Cindy Anthony said.
Cindy Anthony said finding the girl is where the focus needs to be. She said Casey Anthony told her she was going to Tampa for a job. She said she talked to the toddler on the phone around July 11.
"As every hour passes, I get a little bit more nervous," she said.
"It's not about my daughter or what part or role she has played in any of this this, if anything. It's about bringing this little girl home," she said.
"At this point, we don't have any information that the child has been spoken to by the grandparents in some time. The child's grandparents have been very cooperative with us. They seem very concerned about their granddaughter. I think more than anybody they would like us to find that child and return the child to them," Sgt. John Allen of the Orange County Sheriff's Office said.
Detectives said Anthony claimed she lost track of the babysitter and her own child.
"The most important step for us at this point is to try to find the missing girl. You know, is she out there with somebody? If so, where is she?" Allen said.
In an arrest report, investigators said Casey Anthony told friends repeatedly that her child was with a nanny. They said Casey Anthony has told them "repetitive lies."
While her 2-year-old is missing, detectives claimed Casey Anthony has "laughed at the situation" and failed to show any outward signs of remorse or concern. That's why they want her held without bond until the child is located.
"She's a 2-year-old child, and nobody knows where she is," Allen said.
The arrest report indicated a friend of the mother contacted authorities and told them he spent the weekend with Casey Anthony in late June, and at that time, according to the friend and the arrest report, the child was with a nanny.
In addition to confiscating Anthony's computer, investigators said they plan to scour Anthony's car for any clues on the child's whereabouts.
Anthony agreed to take detectives to Universal Studios, where she claimed to work, so they could speak to her co-workers, but while leading them to her alleged office, she stopped in the middle of a hallway and admitted to them she lied and no longer worked there.
Investigators said the best-case scenario at this point may be that the mother gave the child away or possibly even sold her. A judge ordered a mental-health evaluation for Casey Anthony on Thursday, and she is being held without bond.
Allen said the child's father has not been located, but many leads have come in.
Several Web sites through MySpace have been set up to help locate Caylee Anthony with phone numbers to call if anyone has information about her whereabouts.
Casey Anthony is being held without bond in a cell by herself and is expected to be transferred into protective custody because of the high-profile nature of the case.
________________________________________________________________________
ANOTHER ONE? THE MOTHER DID IT WHETHER SHE KILLED HER, OR SOLD HER. I HOPE THE KID IS OK, BUT I DOUBT IT. THE MOM AIN'T TALKING, SO MORE THAN LIKELY THE KID IS DEAD. THE MOM NEEDS TO BE MADE TO TALK.
Caylee Anthony has brown hair and hazel eyes and stands about 3 feet tall. The girl has been missing for more than a month, but it was only reported Tuesday.
Click here to find out more!
Sources have told WESH 2 News that K9s and crime scene investigators are at the scene digging near the family's home in East Orlando. Neighbors led investigators to the back yard and told them that they recently saw Anthony at the home without her parents.
Investigators also removed a shovel covered with a paper bag from a neighbor's home earlier on Thursday afternoon.
The toddler's mother, Casey Anthony, 22, said she dropped off her daughter with a friend and babysitter on June 9 and hasn't heard from her since. Investigators later deduced that no one had lived in that apartment for almost five months. They also said they spoke with a Zenaida Gonzalez, the alleged babysitter, and she said she has never met Anthony or Caylee and has never baby-sat for anyone. Anthony said she did not report her daughter missing because she wanted to find the child herself to spare her parents the sadness of their grandchild being missing.
Anthony was arrested Wednesday night and has been a focus in the search and investigation in the case. She made a first appearance in court on Thursday on child neglect charges. The arrest was made after authorities said the child's grandmother called deputies to report the toddler missing.
Earlier on Thursday, investigators removed a computer hard drive from the Anthonys around the same time a judge was conducting Anthony's first court appearance. The judge scolded the young mother for her apparent lack of cooperation in the investigators' attempts to find her daughter.
"You left your child with someone who doesn't exist at an apartment you cannot identify. You lied to your parents. It appears you care so little for your child you didn't report her missing until five weeks later," Judge John Jordan said.
"All I want is to put the word out and show her picture as many places as we can," grandmother Cindy Anthony said.
Cindy Anthony said finding the girl is where the focus needs to be. She said Casey Anthony told her she was going to Tampa for a job. She said she talked to the toddler on the phone around July 11.
"As every hour passes, I get a little bit more nervous," she said.
"It's not about my daughter or what part or role she has played in any of this this, if anything. It's about bringing this little girl home," she said.
"At this point, we don't have any information that the child has been spoken to by the grandparents in some time. The child's grandparents have been very cooperative with us. They seem very concerned about their granddaughter. I think more than anybody they would like us to find that child and return the child to them," Sgt. John Allen of the Orange County Sheriff's Office said.
Detectives said Anthony claimed she lost track of the babysitter and her own child.
"The most important step for us at this point is to try to find the missing girl. You know, is she out there with somebody? If so, where is she?" Allen said.
In an arrest report, investigators said Casey Anthony told friends repeatedly that her child was with a nanny. They said Casey Anthony has told them "repetitive lies."
While her 2-year-old is missing, detectives claimed Casey Anthony has "laughed at the situation" and failed to show any outward signs of remorse or concern. That's why they want her held without bond until the child is located.
"She's a 2-year-old child, and nobody knows where she is," Allen said.
The arrest report indicated a friend of the mother contacted authorities and told them he spent the weekend with Casey Anthony in late June, and at that time, according to the friend and the arrest report, the child was with a nanny.
In addition to confiscating Anthony's computer, investigators said they plan to scour Anthony's car for any clues on the child's whereabouts.
Anthony agreed to take detectives to Universal Studios, where she claimed to work, so they could speak to her co-workers, but while leading them to her alleged office, she stopped in the middle of a hallway and admitted to them she lied and no longer worked there.
Investigators said the best-case scenario at this point may be that the mother gave the child away or possibly even sold her. A judge ordered a mental-health evaluation for Casey Anthony on Thursday, and she is being held without bond.
Allen said the child's father has not been located, but many leads have come in.
Several Web sites through MySpace have been set up to help locate Caylee Anthony with phone numbers to call if anyone has information about her whereabouts.
Casey Anthony is being held without bond in a cell by herself and is expected to be transferred into protective custody because of the high-profile nature of the case.
________________________________________________________________________
ANOTHER ONE? THE MOTHER DID IT WHETHER SHE KILLED HER, OR SOLD HER. I HOPE THE KID IS OK, BUT I DOUBT IT. THE MOM AIN'T TALKING, SO MORE THAN LIKELY THE KID IS DEAD. THE MOM NEEDS TO BE MADE TO TALK.
Toddler Dies After Being Left In Truck
GREEN OAK TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- Police in Livingston County's Green Oak Township say an 18-month-old girl is dead after being left unattended inside a pickup truck for more than two hours.
Chief Bob Brookins says police and fire crews responding to a call about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday found the girl unconscious and overheated.
National Weather Service data show the temperature in nearby Howell was 88 degrees at the time.
Brookins said that it doesn't appear any windows were cracked while the girl was in the truck in the driveway on Riviera Court.
Investigators said the girl's father was the last person to drive the pickup truck and her mother was at work in the morning. Investigators said at some point, both parents realized the child was in the car.
It is unclear what events led to the child being inside the vehicle.
Family members are cooperating with investigators.
Authorites have not released the names of the parents, who are both in their late 20s, but they did say the victim's name was Alyssa. The couple also shares a 3-year-old child.
One woman's daughter who lives in the neighborhood told her about it and she felt compelled to bring the family a card.
"She called me later on and told me the circumstances. My heart just goes out to them," said Sharon Burmeister.
An autopsy is to be conducted soon.
_____________________________________________________________________________
MY HEART GOES OUT TO THE FAMILY. MY QUESTION IS HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW WHERE YOUR CHILD IS AT ALL TIMES? WHEN YOU GO TO THE GROCER, DON'T YOU MAKE SURE YOU HAVED ALL YOUR FOOD? WHY IS IT SO HARD TO DO THE SAME WITH YOUR KID?
Chief Bob Brookins says police and fire crews responding to a call about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday found the girl unconscious and overheated.
National Weather Service data show the temperature in nearby Howell was 88 degrees at the time.
Brookins said that it doesn't appear any windows were cracked while the girl was in the truck in the driveway on Riviera Court.
Investigators said the girl's father was the last person to drive the pickup truck and her mother was at work in the morning. Investigators said at some point, both parents realized the child was in the car.
It is unclear what events led to the child being inside the vehicle.
Family members are cooperating with investigators.
Authorites have not released the names of the parents, who are both in their late 20s, but they did say the victim's name was Alyssa. The couple also shares a 3-year-old child.
One woman's daughter who lives in the neighborhood told her about it and she felt compelled to bring the family a card.
"She called me later on and told me the circumstances. My heart just goes out to them," said Sharon Burmeister.
An autopsy is to be conducted soon.
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MY HEART GOES OUT TO THE FAMILY. MY QUESTION IS HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW WHERE YOUR CHILD IS AT ALL TIMES? WHEN YOU GO TO THE GROCER, DON'T YOU MAKE SURE YOU HAVED ALL YOUR FOOD? WHY IS IT SO HARD TO DO THE SAME WITH YOUR KID?
Scott Peterson Uses The Internet On Death Row
(CNN) -- Scott Peterson was convicted November 12, 2004, for the deaths of his wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn child. He may be locked up in San Quentin State Prison and facing the death penalty, but he is not cut off from the outside world.
Sharon Rocca, mother of Laci Peterson, says Scott Peterson shouldn't be blogging from San Quentin.
Sharon Rocca, mother of Laci Peterson, says Scott Peterson shouldn't be blogging from San Quentin.
Peterson has a personal Web site that includes photos of him and Laci. It also links to his family's Web site and that Web site includes a blog message from Scott discussing what he calls his "wrongful conviction."
Sharon Rocha, Laci Peterson's mother, appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live" Thursday to talk about his Web site and what she thinks of her former son-in-law.
Some highlights:
Larry King: What do you make of all this?
Sharon Rocha: Well. First of all, I think I could say that being on death row is supposed to eliminate a lot of rights and privileges of the inmates. In the whole scope of things, this is a very minute matter, but it isn't right that they should have access to the Internet, either direct access or through somebody else. Video Watch Rocca discuss Scott Peterson with Larry King »
King: How and when did you first find out about Scott having this Web page?
Rocha: Just a couple of days ago. A friend of mine had told me about it.
King: Have you seen the page?
Rocha: I have. And I understand it's the family blog, which, you know, they're entitled to have that. But I still feel that it's not right that Scott has the ability to speak on the Internet through his family or friends or whomever.
King: So you think a family blog is OK?
Rocha: Everybody's entitled, you know, to their opinion, and I see nothing wrong with having a family blog.
King: He has only two blog entries on his personal page. One says he's encouraged by the mail he receives and he enjoys hearing from people. His prison mail address is also posted. What do you think of that?
Rocha: Well, I think that is public knowledge. There are different Web sites that you can go to get that prison. But as far as being encouraged from other people, I'm sure he is. But the point is I don't think he should be able to access the Internet, either directly or through anybody else.
King: Do you have any qualms about people writing to him? Does it bother you at all?
Rocha: No, it doesn't bother me. To be perfectly honest with you, Larry, I really don't spend a lot of time thinking about Scott. I think about Laci all of the time, but I don't give a lot of thought to Scott.
King: In his first blog posting, Scott writes, "some people have done things to profit off my wife and son having been taken from me and murdered." How do you react to a statement like that?
Rocha: Well, that's true. There have been a lot of people who have profited from that. But I don't feel that he should be one of those because he's responsible for Laci not being here. I know many inmates are claiming that it violates their rights, their right to freedom of speech not to be able to have communication with, through the Internet or what have you. But they are there for a reason and that reason is that they took the right of their victims. They took their freedom of speech away from them and literally slammed the lid on their opportunity to ever speak again.
King: Have you complained to the prison or anybody in authority about all of this?
Rocha: No, I haven't. It's not something that I've even thought about. I read an article in "The (Los Angeles) Times" about victims in other states who attempted to have legislation passed only to have it ruled as unconstitutional by a judge. So I don't know if there's really anything that can be done about it.
King: So you have no recourse, in a sense.
Rocha: At this time, it seems to be that way, unless there's some new legislation that can actually be passed and not ruled unconstitutional.
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King: Frankly, Sharon, you don't seem outraged.
Rocha: Well, it is outrageous for this to even be happening. I just feel that, you know, it just does a great injustice to the victims and their families. They can no longer speak for themselves. And being on death row is supposed to eliminate an inmate's privileges. And this just flies in the face of justice, as far as I'm concerned, that OK, so they said they can't use the Internet, they go around it and they use it in another way. It is outrageous. I am outraged.
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IT SEEMS LIKE A SMALL THING, BUT I AGREE WITH LACI'S MOM. IT IS OUTRAGEOUS THAT SOMEONE ON DEATH ROW FOR MURDER CAN BASICALLY MAINTAIN ALL ASPECTS OF LIVING AS THOUGH HE IS AT HOME ON THE SOFA. HECK, HE IS FED 3 HOTS PER DAY, HAS A FREE BED, CLOTHES, CABLE, USE OF A LIBRARY AND INTERNET ACCESS. EXACTLY HOW IS HE BEING PUNISHED? WHAT EXACTLY HAVE THEY TAKEN FROM HIM? HIS FREEDOM? HELL...HE AIN'T MISSING IT. HE SURE AS HELL AIN'T SUFFERING. WHAT ABOUT HOW LACI SUFFERED? WHAT ABOUT CONNOR'S SUFFERING? OUR LEGAL SYSTEM IS A JOKE. IT IS NO WONDER OTHER COUNTRIES THINK WE ARE PUSHOVERS.
Sharon Rocca, mother of Laci Peterson, says Scott Peterson shouldn't be blogging from San Quentin.
Sharon Rocca, mother of Laci Peterson, says Scott Peterson shouldn't be blogging from San Quentin.
Peterson has a personal Web site that includes photos of him and Laci. It also links to his family's Web site and that Web site includes a blog message from Scott discussing what he calls his "wrongful conviction."
Sharon Rocha, Laci Peterson's mother, appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live" Thursday to talk about his Web site and what she thinks of her former son-in-law.
Some highlights:
Larry King: What do you make of all this?
Sharon Rocha: Well. First of all, I think I could say that being on death row is supposed to eliminate a lot of rights and privileges of the inmates. In the whole scope of things, this is a very minute matter, but it isn't right that they should have access to the Internet, either direct access or through somebody else. Video Watch Rocca discuss Scott Peterson with Larry King »
King: How and when did you first find out about Scott having this Web page?
Rocha: Just a couple of days ago. A friend of mine had told me about it.
King: Have you seen the page?
Rocha: I have. And I understand it's the family blog, which, you know, they're entitled to have that. But I still feel that it's not right that Scott has the ability to speak on the Internet through his family or friends or whomever.
King: So you think a family blog is OK?
Rocha: Everybody's entitled, you know, to their opinion, and I see nothing wrong with having a family blog.
King: He has only two blog entries on his personal page. One says he's encouraged by the mail he receives and he enjoys hearing from people. His prison mail address is also posted. What do you think of that?
Rocha: Well, I think that is public knowledge. There are different Web sites that you can go to get that prison. But as far as being encouraged from other people, I'm sure he is. But the point is I don't think he should be able to access the Internet, either directly or through anybody else.
King: Do you have any qualms about people writing to him? Does it bother you at all?
Rocha: No, it doesn't bother me. To be perfectly honest with you, Larry, I really don't spend a lot of time thinking about Scott. I think about Laci all of the time, but I don't give a lot of thought to Scott.
King: In his first blog posting, Scott writes, "some people have done things to profit off my wife and son having been taken from me and murdered." How do you react to a statement like that?
Rocha: Well, that's true. There have been a lot of people who have profited from that. But I don't feel that he should be one of those because he's responsible for Laci not being here. I know many inmates are claiming that it violates their rights, their right to freedom of speech not to be able to have communication with, through the Internet or what have you. But they are there for a reason and that reason is that they took the right of their victims. They took their freedom of speech away from them and literally slammed the lid on their opportunity to ever speak again.
King: Have you complained to the prison or anybody in authority about all of this?
Rocha: No, I haven't. It's not something that I've even thought about. I read an article in "The (Los Angeles) Times" about victims in other states who attempted to have legislation passed only to have it ruled as unconstitutional by a judge. So I don't know if there's really anything that can be done about it.
King: So you have no recourse, in a sense.
Rocha: At this time, it seems to be that way, unless there's some new legislation that can actually be passed and not ruled unconstitutional.
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King: Frankly, Sharon, you don't seem outraged.
Rocha: Well, it is outrageous for this to even be happening. I just feel that, you know, it just does a great injustice to the victims and their families. They can no longer speak for themselves. And being on death row is supposed to eliminate an inmate's privileges. And this just flies in the face of justice, as far as I'm concerned, that OK, so they said they can't use the Internet, they go around it and they use it in another way. It is outrageous. I am outraged.
____________________________________________________________________
IT SEEMS LIKE A SMALL THING, BUT I AGREE WITH LACI'S MOM. IT IS OUTRAGEOUS THAT SOMEONE ON DEATH ROW FOR MURDER CAN BASICALLY MAINTAIN ALL ASPECTS OF LIVING AS THOUGH HE IS AT HOME ON THE SOFA. HECK, HE IS FED 3 HOTS PER DAY, HAS A FREE BED, CLOTHES, CABLE, USE OF A LIBRARY AND INTERNET ACCESS. EXACTLY HOW IS HE BEING PUNISHED? WHAT EXACTLY HAVE THEY TAKEN FROM HIM? HIS FREEDOM? HELL...HE AIN'T MISSING IT. HE SURE AS HELL AIN'T SUFFERING. WHAT ABOUT HOW LACI SUFFERED? WHAT ABOUT CONNOR'S SUFFERING? OUR LEGAL SYSTEM IS A JOKE. IT IS NO WONDER OTHER COUNTRIES THINK WE ARE PUSHOVERS.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Slurs Revisited
Ok. The word of the hour: NIGGER. Say it with me now: NIGGER. NIGGER. NIGGER. I don't really care for the word either, BUT......let's be reasonable here for a minute. This word has been around for years. As has the word honkey, bitch, cunt, slut, etc. Nol matter how you dress it up: nigga, biotch etc, you are still insulting someone. There is nothing cool about being called biotch or nigga. You look stupid and uneducated. Just like when you wear your pants around your hips and show your ass.
So...if you want people to stop calling you NIGGER, BITCH, CUNT, HEIFER, SLUT, HO ETC...STOP CALLING YOURSELF AND YOUR FRIENDS THAT. I don't buy into the whole "only my homies can call met hat" bullshit. It is either a slur or it isn't.
Period.
So...if you want people to stop calling you NIGGER, BITCH, CUNT, HEIFER, SLUT, HO ETC...STOP CALLING YOURSELF AND YOUR FRIENDS THAT. I don't buy into the whole "only my homies can call met hat" bullshit. It is either a slur or it isn't.
Period.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Long-Haired Boy Denied Entry Into Kindergarten
HOUSTON -- A Houston-area school board will decide if a boy's long hair should keep him from attending school after a superintendent denied the request, KPRC Local 2 reported Tuesday.
The Needville Independent School District said 5-year-old Adriel Arocha's long locks violate school rules.
Adriel's parents said long hair is a sacred tradition in their Native American culture.
Kenny Arocha, Adriel's father, said long hair is a religious symbol for the Apache tribe that should only be cut at the time of a life-changing event.
"It's part of who we are. It's part of what we believe in. It's part of what makes us Native American," he said. "To strip our hair would be to strip our spirit, which is far beyond stripping any religion."
Adriel said he knows that his long hair, which is often kept in braids, is about more than style.
"It tells me how long I've been here," he said.
But Needville ISD officials said a dress code guideline would require Adriel to cut his hair before he can enroll in kindergarten.
Needville superintendent Curtis Rhodes decided in June that the district would not make an exception in the case.
But Kenny Arocha plans to appeal the ruling before the school board on Wednesday.
"You have policies and procedures. Every district has them -- various variations, and to make exceptions, you have to be provided evidence of something, and to this point, I don't feel I've been provided evidence to make an exception," Rhodes said.
Arocha said he provided a DNA test to prove that he is Native American. But he said there is not much else he can do to plead his case.
"They want it in text somewhere, and unfortunately, there is none. All of our traditions were passed down orally, and it's really hard to provide them with something that doesn't exist," Arocha said.
The Arocha family lives in Stafford, but their home in Needville should be completed by next week.
They said they hope their son will be able to enter school with his hair and his beliefs in tact.
"We chose to make that our community and I just honestly hoped for more. I hoped for more tolerance, more understanding," Kenny Arocha said.
"If we have information provided to us that requires an exception be made, we're going to make that exception," Rhodes said.
School officials said that this is the first time anyone has challenged the dress code on the basis of religion.
The school board meeting will take place Wednesday at 7 p.m.
________________________________________________________________
ANYONE WHO PAID ATTENTION IN HISTORY (AND THIS IS A SCHOOL FOR CRYING OUT LOUD) SHOULD KNOW THAT A NATIVE AMERICAN'S HAIR IS SACRED TO THEM. WHY IS THE SCHOOL BOARD EVEN MEETING ABOUT THIS? SO NOW KIDS HAVE A HAIR LIMIT? FIRST IT WAS ROCK BANDS AND WRESTLERS ON TSHIRTS, THEN IT WAS JELLY BRACELETS, THEN IT WAS EARRINGS, NOW IT IS HAIR. AND WE WONDER WHY AMERICAN KIDS ARE BEHIND IN THE WORLD IN TERMS OF EDUCATION. WE SPEND SO MUCH MONEY DECIDING IF A KIDS HAIR IS TOO LONG TO ATTEND SCHOOL THAN PUTTING THAT MONEY WHERE IT BELONGS: IN THE FREAKING SCHOOL ITSELF. I HATE THIS TYPE OF SHIT. ARCHOAS, IF THE SCHOOL BOARD DENIES HIM, SUE FOR DISCRIMINATION. THIS AIN'T THE 1800'S OR EARLY 1900'S ANYMORE. FORCING SOMEONE TO CONFORM TO ONE SET OF BELIEFS IS DONE. OR IT SHOULD BE. OR WOULD BE IF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WOULD BE TOSSED OUT WITH THE REST OF THE STINKY TRASH.
I SWEAR. SOMETIMES I WOULD RATHER LIVE IN BRITAIN.
The Needville Independent School District said 5-year-old Adriel Arocha's long locks violate school rules.
Adriel's parents said long hair is a sacred tradition in their Native American culture.
Kenny Arocha, Adriel's father, said long hair is a religious symbol for the Apache tribe that should only be cut at the time of a life-changing event.
"It's part of who we are. It's part of what we believe in. It's part of what makes us Native American," he said. "To strip our hair would be to strip our spirit, which is far beyond stripping any religion."
Adriel said he knows that his long hair, which is often kept in braids, is about more than style.
"It tells me how long I've been here," he said.
But Needville ISD officials said a dress code guideline would require Adriel to cut his hair before he can enroll in kindergarten.
Needville superintendent Curtis Rhodes decided in June that the district would not make an exception in the case.
But Kenny Arocha plans to appeal the ruling before the school board on Wednesday.
"You have policies and procedures. Every district has them -- various variations, and to make exceptions, you have to be provided evidence of something, and to this point, I don't feel I've been provided evidence to make an exception," Rhodes said.
Arocha said he provided a DNA test to prove that he is Native American. But he said there is not much else he can do to plead his case.
"They want it in text somewhere, and unfortunately, there is none. All of our traditions were passed down orally, and it's really hard to provide them with something that doesn't exist," Arocha said.
The Arocha family lives in Stafford, but their home in Needville should be completed by next week.
They said they hope their son will be able to enter school with his hair and his beliefs in tact.
"We chose to make that our community and I just honestly hoped for more. I hoped for more tolerance, more understanding," Kenny Arocha said.
"If we have information provided to us that requires an exception be made, we're going to make that exception," Rhodes said.
School officials said that this is the first time anyone has challenged the dress code on the basis of religion.
The school board meeting will take place Wednesday at 7 p.m.
________________________________________________________________
ANYONE WHO PAID ATTENTION IN HISTORY (AND THIS IS A SCHOOL FOR CRYING OUT LOUD) SHOULD KNOW THAT A NATIVE AMERICAN'S HAIR IS SACRED TO THEM. WHY IS THE SCHOOL BOARD EVEN MEETING ABOUT THIS? SO NOW KIDS HAVE A HAIR LIMIT? FIRST IT WAS ROCK BANDS AND WRESTLERS ON TSHIRTS, THEN IT WAS JELLY BRACELETS, THEN IT WAS EARRINGS, NOW IT IS HAIR. AND WE WONDER WHY AMERICAN KIDS ARE BEHIND IN THE WORLD IN TERMS OF EDUCATION. WE SPEND SO MUCH MONEY DECIDING IF A KIDS HAIR IS TOO LONG TO ATTEND SCHOOL THAN PUTTING THAT MONEY WHERE IT BELONGS: IN THE FREAKING SCHOOL ITSELF. I HATE THIS TYPE OF SHIT. ARCHOAS, IF THE SCHOOL BOARD DENIES HIM, SUE FOR DISCRIMINATION. THIS AIN'T THE 1800'S OR EARLY 1900'S ANYMORE. FORCING SOMEONE TO CONFORM TO ONE SET OF BELIEFS IS DONE. OR IT SHOULD BE. OR WOULD BE IF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WOULD BE TOSSED OUT WITH THE REST OF THE STINKY TRASH.
I SWEAR. SOMETIMES I WOULD RATHER LIVE IN BRITAIN.
Gay, Lesbian Group Kicked Off Campgrounds
JACKSON COUNTY, Mo. -- A gay and lesbian group who said it was kicked out of a Longview Lake campground plans legal action.
The group, Pride Revolutions, rented about a dozen campsites Friday, but said it was harassed and that on Saturday morning, it was told to leave by Jackson County park rangers and park attendees.
"We're human beings like everyone else, and we just wanted to get together with our friends and have a nice weekend. We weren't trying to cause any trouble," said one of the campers, who didn't want to be identified.
A representative of Jackson County Parks and Recreation said the campers were asked to leave because they were drinking alcohol, had dogs without leashes and committed other campground violations.
The camper said one member of their group violated the rules, not all of them, and she felt as if they were being watched and she felt unwelcome.
"We're just going to move forward," she said. "This shouldn't be tolerated. It's 2008. This is ridiculous."
Jackson County officials released a statement saying they were reviewing the incident to "ensure that all of our staff met the high standards and expectations we set for them in terms of friendliness, respect and professionalism."
They added that Jackson County was the first local government to establish domestic partner registry and domestic partner benefits.
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WHY DOES THE FACT THAT YOU ARE GAY HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU BEING ASKED TO LEAVE FOR BEING DISRUPTIVE AND DISOBEYING RULES? I WANT TO KNOW IS HOW DID ANYONE KNOW YOU WERE GAY UNLESS YOU ADVERTISED IT OR WERE ACTING INAPPROPRIATELY IN PUBLIC? ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE ACTING UP IN PUBLIC, AND THEN WANTING TO SUE AFTER.
The group, Pride Revolutions, rented about a dozen campsites Friday, but said it was harassed and that on Saturday morning, it was told to leave by Jackson County park rangers and park attendees.
"We're human beings like everyone else, and we just wanted to get together with our friends and have a nice weekend. We weren't trying to cause any trouble," said one of the campers, who didn't want to be identified.
A representative of Jackson County Parks and Recreation said the campers were asked to leave because they were drinking alcohol, had dogs without leashes and committed other campground violations.
The camper said one member of their group violated the rules, not all of them, and she felt as if they were being watched and she felt unwelcome.
"We're just going to move forward," she said. "This shouldn't be tolerated. It's 2008. This is ridiculous."
Jackson County officials released a statement saying they were reviewing the incident to "ensure that all of our staff met the high standards and expectations we set for them in terms of friendliness, respect and professionalism."
They added that Jackson County was the first local government to establish domestic partner registry and domestic partner benefits.
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WHY DOES THE FACT THAT YOU ARE GAY HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU BEING ASKED TO LEAVE FOR BEING DISRUPTIVE AND DISOBEYING RULES? I WANT TO KNOW IS HOW DID ANYONE KNOW YOU WERE GAY UNLESS YOU ADVERTISED IT OR WERE ACTING INAPPROPRIATELY IN PUBLIC? ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE ACTING UP IN PUBLIC, AND THEN WANTING TO SUE AFTER.
Family ordered to leave restaurant because of crying child
JACKSON, SC (WIS) - At first, Gail Martin says she wasn't sure who was yelling at her to leave the Buckhead Cafรฉ in Jackson. It turned out to be Jackson Police Chief Dennis Rushton, asking Gail and her family to leave.
"I didn't know what he was doing," Gail's daughter Lauren said.
The family was just about to order when 4-year-old Alyssa began crying; she suffers from autism.
Gail says Chief Rushton yelled across the restaurant again.
"He said, ‘You need to pick her up and you need to get out of here now,'" Gail said.
Lauren is upset with the chief.
"That was very mean to say -- just very mean," Lauren said.
The embarrassment was too much for Gail and her daughters, who soon left the restaurant.
"I wasn't embarrassed of Alyssa's behavior, I was embarrassed of the way it was handled," Gail said.
Chief Rushton would not make a statement, but he did say he felt Mrs. Martin's daughter was being extremely loud and bothering other customers.
Even though he knew the child was autistic, he said he did ask the Martins to leave.
Gail says she feels like Chief Rushton should have been more understanding about what was going on with her autistic daughter.
"We can't just lock them up, they have every right to be out in public like everyone else," Gail said.
Now Gail hopes her story will bring more awareness about autism.
"If it can happen in a small town in Jackson, it can happen anywhere," Gail said.
Chief Rushton says he is open to going through training through the South Carolina Autism Society to help him better understand the condition.
Rushton also says his police commissioner has invited the Martin family to meet with them at City Hall.
The Martins say they are open to meeting with the commissioner.
As you can imagine, people have had plenty to say about this story.
Viewer Roger said, "The family should have known better than to take an emotionally disturbed child into a restaurant. When customers pay to enjoy a nice meal the last thing they want to endure is an uncontrollable child."
Viewer Amanda wrote, "I know what it's like to have one or both of your autistic children start crying for reasons that other people could not possibly understand. I'm not saying children with autism should get a free pass on their behavior. I'm just saying that people should be more understanding because most of these kids can't communicate their needs verbally."
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ONE, VIEWER ROGER IS AN IDIOT AND PROBABLY NEVER GOT LAID LET ALONE HAS KIDS. SOMEONE SHOULD REMIND HIS ARROGANT ASS THAT HE TOO WAS ONCE A SQUALLING KID.
SECOND, IT IS A CRYING KID. GET OVER IT. WHEN DID WE BECOME SO IMPATIENT AND RUDE THAT A CRYING BABY OR CHILDREN WITH MEDICAL ISSUES ANNOY US? IF I WERE THE MOM, I WOULD SUE THE OFFICER. SHE HAD AS MUCH RIGHT TO EAT THERE AS HIS ASS DID. BEFORE YOU START BEING OBNOXIOUS, PUT YOURSELF IN OTHERS SHOES. WHAT IF IT WERE YOUR CHILD?
"I didn't know what he was doing," Gail's daughter Lauren said.
The family was just about to order when 4-year-old Alyssa began crying; she suffers from autism.
Gail says Chief Rushton yelled across the restaurant again.
"He said, ‘You need to pick her up and you need to get out of here now,'" Gail said.
Lauren is upset with the chief.
"That was very mean to say -- just very mean," Lauren said.
The embarrassment was too much for Gail and her daughters, who soon left the restaurant.
"I wasn't embarrassed of Alyssa's behavior, I was embarrassed of the way it was handled," Gail said.
Chief Rushton would not make a statement, but he did say he felt Mrs. Martin's daughter was being extremely loud and bothering other customers.
Even though he knew the child was autistic, he said he did ask the Martins to leave.
Gail says she feels like Chief Rushton should have been more understanding about what was going on with her autistic daughter.
"We can't just lock them up, they have every right to be out in public like everyone else," Gail said.
Now Gail hopes her story will bring more awareness about autism.
"If it can happen in a small town in Jackson, it can happen anywhere," Gail said.
Chief Rushton says he is open to going through training through the South Carolina Autism Society to help him better understand the condition.
Rushton also says his police commissioner has invited the Martin family to meet with them at City Hall.
The Martins say they are open to meeting with the commissioner.
As you can imagine, people have had plenty to say about this story.
Viewer Roger said, "The family should have known better than to take an emotionally disturbed child into a restaurant. When customers pay to enjoy a nice meal the last thing they want to endure is an uncontrollable child."
Viewer Amanda wrote, "I know what it's like to have one or both of your autistic children start crying for reasons that other people could not possibly understand. I'm not saying children with autism should get a free pass on their behavior. I'm just saying that people should be more understanding because most of these kids can't communicate their needs verbally."
__________________________________________________________________________
ONE, VIEWER ROGER IS AN IDIOT AND PROBABLY NEVER GOT LAID LET ALONE HAS KIDS. SOMEONE SHOULD REMIND HIS ARROGANT ASS THAT HE TOO WAS ONCE A SQUALLING KID.
SECOND, IT IS A CRYING KID. GET OVER IT. WHEN DID WE BECOME SO IMPATIENT AND RUDE THAT A CRYING BABY OR CHILDREN WITH MEDICAL ISSUES ANNOY US? IF I WERE THE MOM, I WOULD SUE THE OFFICER. SHE HAD AS MUCH RIGHT TO EAT THERE AS HIS ASS DID. BEFORE YOU START BEING OBNOXIOUS, PUT YOURSELF IN OTHERS SHOES. WHAT IF IT WERE YOUR CHILD?
Video Of Man In OKC Zoo Jaguar Pen Posted Online
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma City Zoo officials are seeking legal advice after a video was posted online of an unidentified man who entered a pen to taunt a jaguar.
Officials say they are worried others, especially children, will try to mimic the video.
E-mails from KOCO to the poster of the video have not been answered.
Zoo director Dwight Scott said, "Jaguars are extremely strong, powerful, stocky animals, and the potential for serious injury is there in a case such as this one."
Scott said the zoo will reexamine the jaguar pen, but he emphasized the difficulty in stopping people who want to break the rules.
______________________________________________________________________
WHAT BOTHERS ME MOST ABOUT THIS STORY IS THAT IF THE CAT HAD ATTACKED AND INJURED OR KILLED THIS IDIOT, THE CAT WOULD HAVE BEEN BLAMED AND KILLED FOR DOING WHAT COMES NATURAL. WHAT A FUCKING MORON.
Officials say they are worried others, especially children, will try to mimic the video.
E-mails from KOCO to the poster of the video have not been answered.
Zoo director Dwight Scott said, "Jaguars are extremely strong, powerful, stocky animals, and the potential for serious injury is there in a case such as this one."
Scott said the zoo will reexamine the jaguar pen, but he emphasized the difficulty in stopping people who want to break the rules.
______________________________________________________________________
WHAT BOTHERS ME MOST ABOUT THIS STORY IS THAT IF THE CAT HAD ATTACKED AND INJURED OR KILLED THIS IDIOT, THE CAT WOULD HAVE BEEN BLAMED AND KILLED FOR DOING WHAT COMES NATURAL. WHAT A FUCKING MORON.
Monday, July 14, 2008
How about a teeny, tiny home?
SEATTLE - Jay Shafer has spent the past decade living in tiny homes, so he knows a thing or two about living in tight spaces.
"I was fed up with taking care of more space than I had to," he said.
He built a 96-square-foot house two years ago.
"There is the freedom of not having to vacuum or do much maintenance and having everything at arm's reach is great," he said.
Now Shafer is sharing his knowledge with like-minded people up and down the West Coast.
"What's too small? What's too big? It's very subjective," he said.
Shafer is in town for a two-day seminar, teaching people how to design and construct their own tiny homes that range from 70 square feet up to nearly 1,000.
He'll also build them for customers for about $40,000.
On Sunday, his students were encouraged to walk through his house, which he drove up the interstate from California, before they began the task of designing their own tiny home.
"I think the idea of it is wonderful. Because I don't think we need that much space. I don't need that much space," said Basha Brownstein of Seattle.
"Everything is just really simple. It's just clean, it's open," said Ethel Sohl of Vashon Island.
"All of the pieces of information that I've gathered over the years, they actually start to make sense in a context, especially seeing his house and actually seeing how he has edited his life down to such a tiny, tiny space," said Brian Gant.
Shafer says living in a tiny home is good both for the environment and for his finances. Utility bills are miniscule, and rent and mortgage woes are a thing of the past.
He can list only one disadvantage.
"I've always tried to come up with a disadvantage. I guess I can't have a large party," he said.
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I GIVE PROPS TO ANYONE WHO CAN LIVE IN THIS LITTLE AMOUNT OF SPACE. I CAN'T IMAGINE NOT HAVING ROOM TO MOVE AROUND IN. WHERE WOULD YOU PUT THE BATHROOM.
"I was fed up with taking care of more space than I had to," he said.
He built a 96-square-foot house two years ago.
"There is the freedom of not having to vacuum or do much maintenance and having everything at arm's reach is great," he said.
Now Shafer is sharing his knowledge with like-minded people up and down the West Coast.
"What's too small? What's too big? It's very subjective," he said.
Shafer is in town for a two-day seminar, teaching people how to design and construct their own tiny homes that range from 70 square feet up to nearly 1,000.
He'll also build them for customers for about $40,000.
On Sunday, his students were encouraged to walk through his house, which he drove up the interstate from California, before they began the task of designing their own tiny home.
"I think the idea of it is wonderful. Because I don't think we need that much space. I don't need that much space," said Basha Brownstein of Seattle.
"Everything is just really simple. It's just clean, it's open," said Ethel Sohl of Vashon Island.
"All of the pieces of information that I've gathered over the years, they actually start to make sense in a context, especially seeing his house and actually seeing how he has edited his life down to such a tiny, tiny space," said Brian Gant.
Shafer says living in a tiny home is good both for the environment and for his finances. Utility bills are miniscule, and rent and mortgage woes are a thing of the past.
He can list only one disadvantage.
"I've always tried to come up with a disadvantage. I guess I can't have a large party," he said.
_______________________________________________________________
I GIVE PROPS TO ANYONE WHO CAN LIVE IN THIS LITTLE AMOUNT OF SPACE. I CAN'T IMAGINE NOT HAVING ROOM TO MOVE AROUND IN. WHERE WOULD YOU PUT THE BATHROOM.
Stripper, 80, still taking her clothes off
LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AP) -- Tempest Storm is fuming. Her fingers tremble with frustration. They are aged, knotted by arthritis and speckled with purple spots under paper skin.
But the manicure of orange polish is flawless and new, and matches her signature tousled mane.
She brushes orange curls out of her face as she explains how she's been slighted.
She is the headliner, you know. She is a star. She is classy.
"I don't just get up there and rip my clothes off," she says.
Indeed, the 80-year-old burlesque queen takes her clothes off very slowly.
More than 50 years ago she was dubbed the "Girl with the Fabulous Front" and told by famous men she had the "Best Two Props in Hollywood."
Since then, Storm saw the art that made her famous on the brink of extinction. Her contemporaries -- Blaze Starr, Bettie Page, Lili St. Cyr -- have died or hung up the pasties.
But not Storm. She kept performing. Las Vegas, Reno, Palm Springs, Miami, Carnegie Hall.
Her act is a time capsule. She knows nothing of poles. She would never put her derriere in some man's face. Her prop of choice is a boa, perhaps the occasional divan.
It takes four numbers, she says adamantly, four numbers to get it all off. To do it classy.
But the producers of tonight's show, just kids, they want her to go faster. She gets just seven minutes.
"I did seven minutes when I started," she says.
They gave her trouble last year, too. They even cut her music before she finished.
There may not be a next time for this show, she says. The threat lasts just minutes.
"No, no. I'm not ready to hang up my G-string, yet. I've got too many fans that would be disappointed."
Dated Elvis, other celebrities.
Stardom and fandom feature prominently in Tempest Storm's life -- and in her neat, two-bedroom Las Vegas apartment.
Visitors are greeted by photos of a young Elvis, her favorite rock 'n' roller and, she says, a former lover.
He met her after her show in Las Vegas and fiddled with her skirt as he introduced himself. The relationship ended about a year later because Elvis' manager didn't approve of him dating a stripper, she says.
But she could not change who she was. Stripping already had made her famous.
It put her in the room with Hollywood's heavyweights. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Mickey Rooney, Nat King Cole.
She dated some, just danced for others. The evidence is framed and displayed on tables and the living room wall.
That's Storm and Vic Damone. Storm teaching Walter Cronkite to dance. Storm and her fourth and last husband, Herb Jefferies, a star of black cowboy films who swept her off her feet in 1957 when such unions were instant scandals. They divorced in 1970.
"When I look at this picture I say, 'What the hell happened between this gorgeous couple?"' she says.
The moment is brief.
Storm is rarely wistful. She has no doubt she still is what she once was. Although she performs just handful of times a year, she would do more, if asked. She chides those who think age takes a toll on sex appeal.
"Ridiculous," she says.
There are just as many recent photos in the room: Storm and her daughter, a nurse in Indiana. Storm and her fiance, who died a few years ago. Storm and a beaming older gentlemen, just a fan who approached her for a photograph.
In others, the petite beauty with the long lashes and glamorous hair is alone, out of focus, in full makeup and smiling wide. In one, she is perched on her living room couch in a red hat and low-cut black suit.
"I took that picture of myself," she says proudly. "I have a self-timer. I took these, too."
Sharecropper's daughter fled abuse.
"That stage saved me," she says as she leaves a sound check hours before the night's performance.
She had been expecting a much smaller space and she is relieved. She's a "walker," she explains. She needs room to move.
It is a direct and once-racy style, the signature work of Lillian Hunt, the choreographer at the Follies Theater in Los Angeles where Storm became a star.
She was Annie Blanche Banks then. The 22-year-old sharecropper's daughter had fled sexual abuse, two loveless marriages and poverty in small-town Georgia, she says.
She was working as a cocktail waitress but wanted to be a showgirl. First, she needed her teeth fixed.
"Do you think my bust is too big for this business?" she asked Hunt at her audition.
Hunt put her in the chorus line, told her not to gain a pound and called a dentist.
In Storm's telling, she didn't stay long in the background. She got a new name. ("I really don't feel like a Sunny Day.") She took to the spotlight quickly. Then and now, she blossomed to the chorus of hoots and cheers.
The trick is having a warm presence, an inviting smile, she says.
When she takes the stage, she lets her mind float back to "Georgie." She imagines herself as a little girl, in her best dress, running down the road to meet her daddy coming home from work.
"I feel that I am that little girl dressed up out there. I got a picture in my whole mind of it. I can see that little girl," she says.
On stage, the image is frozen there.
But it's not the end of the story Storm tells. If she plays out the memory, the little girl is stopped in her tracks as an aunt blurts out a truth that pains her today.
"That's not your real father."
Doesn't smoke or drink, gets religion on TV
On Sundays, Storm tunes in to a televangelist who tells her anyone can overcome odds. It's the only religion she's ever taken to.
She believes this is the lesson of her life. Be a survivor. Never stop doing what you love, it makes you who you are.
"If you want to get old, you'll get old," she says.
There have been men who disappointed her, financial strain, brain surgery.
After it all, she sits on her couch and exercises in front of the television on a small stationary bike. She doesn't smoke or drink or eat much.
"I'm just blessed, I think. And I know when to push myself away from the table."
If some might see all this as chasing after lost youth, she says she cares little. Younger dancers tell her she is an inspiration to them, and she has no reason not to believe them.
"I feel good about myself. And I enjoy it," she says. "I have fun when I'm onstage, and the audience loves it. Nobody ever said it's time to give it up. Why stop?"
Cheers and whistles.
Indeed, no one is dreaming of telling Tempest Storm to give up stripping when she slithers onto the casino nightclub stage for her seven minutes.
"Something in the way she moves ..." pipes through the speakers. Her live drummer, the Ringo Starr on loan from the Beatles tribute show on the Strip, picks up the beat.
The burlesque queen emerges stage right. A slinky purple gown hangs off her shoulders. A rhinestone necklace envelops her decolletage. The snakelike boa pours into her hands.
For a few seconds, her face flashes her nerves.
And then she hears the cheers.
When she performs, Storm smiles, leans back and walks on her heels, leading with her pelvis. Her hands float back and forth as if in water, until they fall below her hips and sweep up in tandem with a full frontal thrust.
More cheers. Whistles.
The boa disappears stage right.
The next number picks up the tempo, letting Storm cock a hip on the down beats. She loses the gloves and steps off stage to put on the negligee. It's gone almost as quickly as it came.
And with two flicks of her orange fingernails, the dress goes, too.
Two-finger whistle. Hollers. Applause.
Staring up at the 80-year-old woman in fishnets, a sheer rhinestone bra and a G-string, a young woman turns to a young man and declares:
"I want to look like that when I'm her age."
_________________________________________________________________
GO GRANNY! TAKE IT OFF AS LONG AS THOSE MEN STICK THOSE DOLLARS DOWN YOUR G STRING. :) THIS IS ONE STORY THAT I LOVED TO READ!
But the manicure of orange polish is flawless and new, and matches her signature tousled mane.
She brushes orange curls out of her face as she explains how she's been slighted.
She is the headliner, you know. She is a star. She is classy.
"I don't just get up there and rip my clothes off," she says.
Indeed, the 80-year-old burlesque queen takes her clothes off very slowly.
More than 50 years ago she was dubbed the "Girl with the Fabulous Front" and told by famous men she had the "Best Two Props in Hollywood."
Since then, Storm saw the art that made her famous on the brink of extinction. Her contemporaries -- Blaze Starr, Bettie Page, Lili St. Cyr -- have died or hung up the pasties.
But not Storm. She kept performing. Las Vegas, Reno, Palm Springs, Miami, Carnegie Hall.
Her act is a time capsule. She knows nothing of poles. She would never put her derriere in some man's face. Her prop of choice is a boa, perhaps the occasional divan.
It takes four numbers, she says adamantly, four numbers to get it all off. To do it classy.
But the producers of tonight's show, just kids, they want her to go faster. She gets just seven minutes.
"I did seven minutes when I started," she says.
They gave her trouble last year, too. They even cut her music before she finished.
There may not be a next time for this show, she says. The threat lasts just minutes.
"No, no. I'm not ready to hang up my G-string, yet. I've got too many fans that would be disappointed."
Dated Elvis, other celebrities.
Stardom and fandom feature prominently in Tempest Storm's life -- and in her neat, two-bedroom Las Vegas apartment.
Visitors are greeted by photos of a young Elvis, her favorite rock 'n' roller and, she says, a former lover.
He met her after her show in Las Vegas and fiddled with her skirt as he introduced himself. The relationship ended about a year later because Elvis' manager didn't approve of him dating a stripper, she says.
But she could not change who she was. Stripping already had made her famous.
It put her in the room with Hollywood's heavyweights. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Mickey Rooney, Nat King Cole.
She dated some, just danced for others. The evidence is framed and displayed on tables and the living room wall.
That's Storm and Vic Damone. Storm teaching Walter Cronkite to dance. Storm and her fourth and last husband, Herb Jefferies, a star of black cowboy films who swept her off her feet in 1957 when such unions were instant scandals. They divorced in 1970.
"When I look at this picture I say, 'What the hell happened between this gorgeous couple?"' she says.
The moment is brief.
Storm is rarely wistful. She has no doubt she still is what she once was. Although she performs just handful of times a year, she would do more, if asked. She chides those who think age takes a toll on sex appeal.
"Ridiculous," she says.
There are just as many recent photos in the room: Storm and her daughter, a nurse in Indiana. Storm and her fiance, who died a few years ago. Storm and a beaming older gentlemen, just a fan who approached her for a photograph.
In others, the petite beauty with the long lashes and glamorous hair is alone, out of focus, in full makeup and smiling wide. In one, she is perched on her living room couch in a red hat and low-cut black suit.
"I took that picture of myself," she says proudly. "I have a self-timer. I took these, too."
Sharecropper's daughter fled abuse.
"That stage saved me," she says as she leaves a sound check hours before the night's performance.
She had been expecting a much smaller space and she is relieved. She's a "walker," she explains. She needs room to move.
It is a direct and once-racy style, the signature work of Lillian Hunt, the choreographer at the Follies Theater in Los Angeles where Storm became a star.
She was Annie Blanche Banks then. The 22-year-old sharecropper's daughter had fled sexual abuse, two loveless marriages and poverty in small-town Georgia, she says.
She was working as a cocktail waitress but wanted to be a showgirl. First, she needed her teeth fixed.
"Do you think my bust is too big for this business?" she asked Hunt at her audition.
Hunt put her in the chorus line, told her not to gain a pound and called a dentist.
In Storm's telling, she didn't stay long in the background. She got a new name. ("I really don't feel like a Sunny Day.") She took to the spotlight quickly. Then and now, she blossomed to the chorus of hoots and cheers.
The trick is having a warm presence, an inviting smile, she says.
When she takes the stage, she lets her mind float back to "Georgie." She imagines herself as a little girl, in her best dress, running down the road to meet her daddy coming home from work.
"I feel that I am that little girl dressed up out there. I got a picture in my whole mind of it. I can see that little girl," she says.
On stage, the image is frozen there.
But it's not the end of the story Storm tells. If she plays out the memory, the little girl is stopped in her tracks as an aunt blurts out a truth that pains her today.
"That's not your real father."
Doesn't smoke or drink, gets religion on TV
On Sundays, Storm tunes in to a televangelist who tells her anyone can overcome odds. It's the only religion she's ever taken to.
She believes this is the lesson of her life. Be a survivor. Never stop doing what you love, it makes you who you are.
"If you want to get old, you'll get old," she says.
There have been men who disappointed her, financial strain, brain surgery.
After it all, she sits on her couch and exercises in front of the television on a small stationary bike. She doesn't smoke or drink or eat much.
"I'm just blessed, I think. And I know when to push myself away from the table."
If some might see all this as chasing after lost youth, she says she cares little. Younger dancers tell her she is an inspiration to them, and she has no reason not to believe them.
"I feel good about myself. And I enjoy it," she says. "I have fun when I'm onstage, and the audience loves it. Nobody ever said it's time to give it up. Why stop?"
Cheers and whistles.
Indeed, no one is dreaming of telling Tempest Storm to give up stripping when she slithers onto the casino nightclub stage for her seven minutes.
"Something in the way she moves ..." pipes through the speakers. Her live drummer, the Ringo Starr on loan from the Beatles tribute show on the Strip, picks up the beat.
The burlesque queen emerges stage right. A slinky purple gown hangs off her shoulders. A rhinestone necklace envelops her decolletage. The snakelike boa pours into her hands.
For a few seconds, her face flashes her nerves.
And then she hears the cheers.
When she performs, Storm smiles, leans back and walks on her heels, leading with her pelvis. Her hands float back and forth as if in water, until they fall below her hips and sweep up in tandem with a full frontal thrust.
More cheers. Whistles.
The boa disappears stage right.
The next number picks up the tempo, letting Storm cock a hip on the down beats. She loses the gloves and steps off stage to put on the negligee. It's gone almost as quickly as it came.
And with two flicks of her orange fingernails, the dress goes, too.
Two-finger whistle. Hollers. Applause.
Staring up at the 80-year-old woman in fishnets, a sheer rhinestone bra and a G-string, a young woman turns to a young man and declares:
"I want to look like that when I'm her age."
_________________________________________________________________
GO GRANNY! TAKE IT OFF AS LONG AS THOSE MEN STICK THOSE DOLLARS DOWN YOUR G STRING. :) THIS IS ONE STORY THAT I LOVED TO READ!
Killer Granny
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (AP) -- Jeff Carstensen was spooked when he learned his grandmother planned to buy him a $100,000 life insurance policy -- and name herself the beneficiary.
Betty Johnson Neumar is shown at her booking. She is being held in a North Carolina jail on $500,000 bond.
Betty Johnson Neumar is shown at her booking. She is being held in a North Carolina jail on $500,000 bond.
"She told me that people of our stature have insurance policies on each other," he said. "That way, if something happens to you, you take care of me, and if something happens to me, I take care of you. It was all too suspicious. So I got out of there any way I could, as soon as I could."
As he and everyone else who came into Betty Neumar's orbit have learned, he apparently had good reason.
The 76-year-old Georgia woman sits in a North Carolina jail, accused of hiring a hit man to kill fourth husband Harold Gentry.
Authorities are re-examining the deaths of her first child and four of the five men she married, including Gentry.
No motive has been discussed, but records and interviews with relatives and police officials paint Neumar as a domineering matriarch consumed by money.
Said Al Gentry, who pressed North Carolina authorities for 22 years to reopen their investigation of his brother's death: "You can't trust her. You can't believe a word she says."
She collected at least $20,000 in 1986 when Harold Gentry was shot to death in his home. A year earlier, she had collected $10,000 in life insurance when her son died.
She also had a life insurance policy on husband No. 5, John Neumar, who died in October. The official cause of death was listed as sepsis, but authorities are investigating whether he was poisoned.
Betty Neumar's attorney has declined requests for comment. A North Carolina judge on Monday refused to lower Neumar's $500,000 bond at a hearing in Stanly County, about 40 miles northeast of Charlotte. Prosecutors called her a flight risk and said other jurisdictions were ramping up their investigations into her past.
To the outside world, family members said, she was Bee -- a friendly woman who operated beauty shops, attended church and raised money for charity.
But Carstensen saw another side: fist fights at family functions, use of obscenities and belittling of relatives, how she would act "one way in public -- especially church -- and another behind closed doors."
Police in Ohio are looking into the death of Carstensen's stepfather, Neumar's son Gary Flynn, who was found shot to death in his apartment in November 1985. It was ruled a suicide, but his family has questions. A decision on whether to formally reopen the case is pending.
Law enforcement authorities told The Associated Press they have struggled to piece together details of Betty Neumar's life because her story keeps changing. But interviews, documents and court records provide an outline of her history in North Carolina, Ohio, Florida and Georgia, the states where she was married.
'We trusted her'
She was born Betty Johnson in 1931 in Ironton, a hardscrabble southeastern Ohio town along the West Virginia border. She graduated from high school in 1949 and married Clarence Malone in November 1950. She was 18, he was 19.
In December 1951, she claimed in court papers that Malone abused her. It's unclear what happened to that complaint or when the marriage broke up. Their son, Gary, was born March 13, 1952.
Malone remarried twice. He was shot once in the back of the head outside his auto shop in a small town southwest of Cleveland in November 1970. His death was ruled a homicide, although police said there were no signs of robbery.
Gary was eventually adopted by Betty Neumar's second husband, James A. Flynn, although it's unclear when she met or married him. She told investigators that he "died on a pier" somewhere in New York in the mid-1950s. She and Flynn had a daughter, Peggy, and his death is the only one officials are not reinvestigating.
Records from Florida show she was living in Jacksonville when she enrolled in beauty college in 1960 under the name Betty Flynn.
At some point, she met her third husband, Richard Sills, who was found dead in his apartment in the Florida Keys in 1965. Neumar told police they were alone in a room arguing when he pulled out a gun and shot himself. Authorities who ruled it a suicide are now reinvestigating.
Three years later, Neumar married Gentry. Five years after he died, she married John Neumar.
It was while living with him in Augusta, Georgia, in the mid-1990s that, former friends and family members said, she persuaded more than 200 people to invest in a get-rich-quick scheme.
She told them they would receive up to $100,000 for every $100 they put toward the legal expenses of a rich European family that had died with no heirs.
Word spread, and people brought money to her beauty shop near Belvedere, South Carolina, near the Georgia border. Her husband's son, John K. Neumar, invested $1,000.
Months later, more than 200 antsy investors met with Betty Neumar at the Augusta Civic Center. She said lawyers in Europe needed more time and their money was safe. It wasn't true. Seven ringleaders in the scam pleaded guilty in 1997, but Neumar was never charged.
"We were rather stupid. I know," said Mary Miller, an investor who lost $500. "But we believed her. We trusted her."
It appears they weren't the only ones.
John Neumar was worth more than $300,000 when he and Betty married in 1991. But nearly 10 years later, they filed for bankruptcy and listed more than $206,000 in debts on 43 credit cards. It's unclear where the money went.
"Before he met her, he always saved his money," said John K. Neumar. "That's what he taught us. So it was a big surprise when I found out he was having financial trouble. It wasn't like he bought anything. She just took all his money."
__________________________________________________________
I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. DAMN GRANDMA. EYE FOR AN EYE. ANOTHER ONE WHO DESERVES THE NEEDLE.
Betty Johnson Neumar is shown at her booking. She is being held in a North Carolina jail on $500,000 bond.
Betty Johnson Neumar is shown at her booking. She is being held in a North Carolina jail on $500,000 bond.
"She told me that people of our stature have insurance policies on each other," he said. "That way, if something happens to you, you take care of me, and if something happens to me, I take care of you. It was all too suspicious. So I got out of there any way I could, as soon as I could."
As he and everyone else who came into Betty Neumar's orbit have learned, he apparently had good reason.
The 76-year-old Georgia woman sits in a North Carolina jail, accused of hiring a hit man to kill fourth husband Harold Gentry.
Authorities are re-examining the deaths of her first child and four of the five men she married, including Gentry.
No motive has been discussed, but records and interviews with relatives and police officials paint Neumar as a domineering matriarch consumed by money.
Said Al Gentry, who pressed North Carolina authorities for 22 years to reopen their investigation of his brother's death: "You can't trust her. You can't believe a word she says."
She collected at least $20,000 in 1986 when Harold Gentry was shot to death in his home. A year earlier, she had collected $10,000 in life insurance when her son died.
She also had a life insurance policy on husband No. 5, John Neumar, who died in October. The official cause of death was listed as sepsis, but authorities are investigating whether he was poisoned.
Betty Neumar's attorney has declined requests for comment. A North Carolina judge on Monday refused to lower Neumar's $500,000 bond at a hearing in Stanly County, about 40 miles northeast of Charlotte. Prosecutors called her a flight risk and said other jurisdictions were ramping up their investigations into her past.
To the outside world, family members said, she was Bee -- a friendly woman who operated beauty shops, attended church and raised money for charity.
But Carstensen saw another side: fist fights at family functions, use of obscenities and belittling of relatives, how she would act "one way in public -- especially church -- and another behind closed doors."
Police in Ohio are looking into the death of Carstensen's stepfather, Neumar's son Gary Flynn, who was found shot to death in his apartment in November 1985. It was ruled a suicide, but his family has questions. A decision on whether to formally reopen the case is pending.
Law enforcement authorities told The Associated Press they have struggled to piece together details of Betty Neumar's life because her story keeps changing. But interviews, documents and court records provide an outline of her history in North Carolina, Ohio, Florida and Georgia, the states where she was married.
'We trusted her'
She was born Betty Johnson in 1931 in Ironton, a hardscrabble southeastern Ohio town along the West Virginia border. She graduated from high school in 1949 and married Clarence Malone in November 1950. She was 18, he was 19.
In December 1951, she claimed in court papers that Malone abused her. It's unclear what happened to that complaint or when the marriage broke up. Their son, Gary, was born March 13, 1952.
Malone remarried twice. He was shot once in the back of the head outside his auto shop in a small town southwest of Cleveland in November 1970. His death was ruled a homicide, although police said there were no signs of robbery.
Gary was eventually adopted by Betty Neumar's second husband, James A. Flynn, although it's unclear when she met or married him. She told investigators that he "died on a pier" somewhere in New York in the mid-1950s. She and Flynn had a daughter, Peggy, and his death is the only one officials are not reinvestigating.
Records from Florida show she was living in Jacksonville when she enrolled in beauty college in 1960 under the name Betty Flynn.
At some point, she met her third husband, Richard Sills, who was found dead in his apartment in the Florida Keys in 1965. Neumar told police they were alone in a room arguing when he pulled out a gun and shot himself. Authorities who ruled it a suicide are now reinvestigating.
Three years later, Neumar married Gentry. Five years after he died, she married John Neumar.
It was while living with him in Augusta, Georgia, in the mid-1990s that, former friends and family members said, she persuaded more than 200 people to invest in a get-rich-quick scheme.
She told them they would receive up to $100,000 for every $100 they put toward the legal expenses of a rich European family that had died with no heirs.
Word spread, and people brought money to her beauty shop near Belvedere, South Carolina, near the Georgia border. Her husband's son, John K. Neumar, invested $1,000.
Months later, more than 200 antsy investors met with Betty Neumar at the Augusta Civic Center. She said lawyers in Europe needed more time and their money was safe. It wasn't true. Seven ringleaders in the scam pleaded guilty in 1997, but Neumar was never charged.
"We were rather stupid. I know," said Mary Miller, an investor who lost $500. "But we believed her. We trusted her."
It appears they weren't the only ones.
John Neumar was worth more than $300,000 when he and Betty married in 1991. But nearly 10 years later, they filed for bankruptcy and listed more than $206,000 in debts on 43 credit cards. It's unclear where the money went.
"Before he met her, he always saved his money," said John K. Neumar. "That's what he taught us. So it was a big surprise when I found out he was having financial trouble. It wasn't like he bought anything. She just took all his money."
__________________________________________________________
I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. DAMN GRANDMA. EYE FOR AN EYE. ANOTHER ONE WHO DESERVES THE NEEDLE.
Husband charged with murdering soldier wife
(CNN) -- The Marine husband of a slain Fort Bragg soldier was charged with murder Monday and another Marine was charged with aiding the crime, a local police chief said.
Authorities have been searching for the missing soldier, Army 2nd Lt. Holley Wimunc, 24, since a fire torched her North Carolina apartment on July 10.
Marine Cpl. John Wimunc and fellow Marine Lance Cpl. Kyle Alden were initially charged with arson, but after police interviews Wimunc was charged with first-degree murder, said Fayetteville Police Chief Tom Bergamine.
Alden was charged with felony accessory after the fact to first-degree murder, Bergamine said.
Both were taken to Cumberland County's jail and held without bond, he said.
Earlier, a witness found a charred body in woods, but Detective Jeff Locklear told reporters that police were still awaiting a positive identification from the medical examiner and could not say for certain it was Holly Wimunc.
The lieutenant's father released a statement about the death Monday in which he said his daughter was a nurse at a military hospital and had two children.
"It is with profound sadness that our family just received the news from authorities that our beloved daughter Holley is dead," Wimunc's father said in a statement released to CNN affiliate WRAL in Raleigh, North Carolina.
"Since last Thursday's shocking news about Holley's burned apartment and her missing person status, our family through the country has nonetheless been holding on to a thin thread of hope that she would be found alive."
Military officials said both Marines were stationed at Camp Lejeune, which is about two hours away from Wimunc's Fayetteville home.
Joe Lenczyk -- resident agent-in-charge for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives -- said Wimunc and her husband were estranged and lived apart.
Wimunc is the second female soldier from Fort Bragg to die under suspicious circumstances in recent weeks.
Spc. Megan Lynn Touma, 23, was seven months pregnant at the time of her death in June, authorities said. Investigators say they are treating that death as a homicide.
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Camp Lejeune also has had a suspicious death of a female soldier this year. Twenty-year-old pregnant Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach's charred body was found January in the back yard of another Marine stationed at the base.
That suspect, U.S. Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean, is being pursued by prosecutors.
__________________________________________________________________
ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS LOOK AT THE SPOUSE FIRST!!!!!! WHAT WAS THE FIRST CLUE? THE DIVORCE? THE ORDER OF PROTECTION? SHE DIDN'T SHOW UP FOR WORK? IT'S THE ARMY PEOPLE. YOU CAN'T JUST CALL IN SICK HERE. YOU CAN'T JUST NOT SHOW UP! ANOTHER FUCKER WHO DESERVES THE NEEDLE BUT WILL GET A LIFE SENTENCE SO HE CAN SIT ON HIS ASS AND WATCH CABLE ALL DAY, GET 3 HOT MEALS, AND MOOCH OFF THE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES WHO ACTUALLY DO NOT COMMIT CRIMES.
WE REALLY NEED TO START EXECUTING THESE FUCKERS. THEN MAYBE THE WIFE BEATERS AND CHILD MURDERERS WILL GET A CLUE.
Authorities have been searching for the missing soldier, Army 2nd Lt. Holley Wimunc, 24, since a fire torched her North Carolina apartment on July 10.
Marine Cpl. John Wimunc and fellow Marine Lance Cpl. Kyle Alden were initially charged with arson, but after police interviews Wimunc was charged with first-degree murder, said Fayetteville Police Chief Tom Bergamine.
Alden was charged with felony accessory after the fact to first-degree murder, Bergamine said.
Both were taken to Cumberland County's jail and held without bond, he said.
Earlier, a witness found a charred body in woods, but Detective Jeff Locklear told reporters that police were still awaiting a positive identification from the medical examiner and could not say for certain it was Holly Wimunc.
The lieutenant's father released a statement about the death Monday in which he said his daughter was a nurse at a military hospital and had two children.
"It is with profound sadness that our family just received the news from authorities that our beloved daughter Holley is dead," Wimunc's father said in a statement released to CNN affiliate WRAL in Raleigh, North Carolina.
"Since last Thursday's shocking news about Holley's burned apartment and her missing person status, our family through the country has nonetheless been holding on to a thin thread of hope that she would be found alive."
Military officials said both Marines were stationed at Camp Lejeune, which is about two hours away from Wimunc's Fayetteville home.
Joe Lenczyk -- resident agent-in-charge for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives -- said Wimunc and her husband were estranged and lived apart.
Wimunc is the second female soldier from Fort Bragg to die under suspicious circumstances in recent weeks.
Spc. Megan Lynn Touma, 23, was seven months pregnant at the time of her death in June, authorities said. Investigators say they are treating that death as a homicide.
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Camp Lejeune also has had a suspicious death of a female soldier this year. Twenty-year-old pregnant Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach's charred body was found January in the back yard of another Marine stationed at the base.
That suspect, U.S. Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean, is being pursued by prosecutors.
__________________________________________________________________
ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS LOOK AT THE SPOUSE FIRST!!!!!! WHAT WAS THE FIRST CLUE? THE DIVORCE? THE ORDER OF PROTECTION? SHE DIDN'T SHOW UP FOR WORK? IT'S THE ARMY PEOPLE. YOU CAN'T JUST CALL IN SICK HERE. YOU CAN'T JUST NOT SHOW UP! ANOTHER FUCKER WHO DESERVES THE NEEDLE BUT WILL GET A LIFE SENTENCE SO HE CAN SIT ON HIS ASS AND WATCH CABLE ALL DAY, GET 3 HOT MEALS, AND MOOCH OFF THE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES WHO ACTUALLY DO NOT COMMIT CRIMES.
WE REALLY NEED TO START EXECUTING THESE FUCKERS. THEN MAYBE THE WIFE BEATERS AND CHILD MURDERERS WILL GET A CLUE.
Husband charged with murdering soldier wife
(CNN) -- The Marine husband of a slain Fort Bragg soldier was charged with murder Monday and another Marine was charged with aiding the crime, a local police chief said.
Fayetteville, North Carolina, police released this undated photo of 2nd Lt. Holley Wimunc.
Fayetteville, North Carolina, police released this undated photo of 2nd Lt. Holley Wimunc.
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1 of 2
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Authorities have been searching for the missing soldier, Army 2nd Lt. Holley Wimunc, 24, since a fire torched her North Carolina apartment on July 10.
Marine Cpl. John Wimunc and fellow Marine Lance Cpl. Kyle Alden were initially charged with arson, but after police interviews Wimunc was charged with first-degree murder, said Fayetteville Police Chief Tom Bergamine.
Alden was charged with felony accessory after the fact to first-degree murder, Bergamine said.
Both were taken to Cumberland County's jail and held without bond, he said.
Earlier, a witness found a charred body in woods, but Detective Jeff Locklear told reporters that police were still awaiting a positive identification from the medical examiner and could not say for certain it was Holly Wimunc.
The lieutenant's father released a statement about the death Monday in which he said his daughter was a nurse at a military hospital and had two children.
Nancy Grace
Nancy Grace tackles the case of another dead female soldier from Fort Bragg.
Headline News, 8, 10 p.m. ET
see full schedule »
"It is with profound sadness that our family just received the news from authorities that our beloved daughter Holley is dead," Wimunc's father said in a statement released to CNN affiliate WRAL in Raleigh, North Carolina.
"Since last Thursday's shocking news about Holley's burned apartment and her missing person status, our family through the country has nonetheless been holding on to a thin thread of hope that she would be found alive."
Military officials said both Marines were stationed at Camp Lejeune, which is about two hours away from Wimunc's Fayetteville home.
Joe Lenczyk -- resident agent-in-charge for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives -- said Wimunc and her husband were estranged and lived apart.
Wimunc is the second female soldier from Fort Bragg to die under suspicious circumstances in recent weeks.
Spc. Megan Lynn Touma, 23, was seven months pregnant at the time of her death in June, authorities said. Investigators say they are treating that death as a homicide.
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Camp Lejeune also has had a suspicious death of a female soldier this year. Twenty-year-old pregnant Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach's charred body was found January in the back yard of another Marine stationed at the base.
That suspect, U.S. Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean, is being pursued by prosecutors.
__________________________________________________________________
Fayetteville, North Carolina, police released this undated photo of 2nd Lt. Holley Wimunc.
Fayetteville, North Carolina, police released this undated photo of 2nd Lt. Holley Wimunc.
Click to view previous image
1 of 2
Click to view next image
Authorities have been searching for the missing soldier, Army 2nd Lt. Holley Wimunc, 24, since a fire torched her North Carolina apartment on July 10.
Marine Cpl. John Wimunc and fellow Marine Lance Cpl. Kyle Alden were initially charged with arson, but after police interviews Wimunc was charged with first-degree murder, said Fayetteville Police Chief Tom Bergamine.
Alden was charged with felony accessory after the fact to first-degree murder, Bergamine said.
Both were taken to Cumberland County's jail and held without bond, he said.
Earlier, a witness found a charred body in woods, but Detective Jeff Locklear told reporters that police were still awaiting a positive identification from the medical examiner and could not say for certain it was Holly Wimunc.
The lieutenant's father released a statement about the death Monday in which he said his daughter was a nurse at a military hospital and had two children.
Nancy Grace
Nancy Grace tackles the case of another dead female soldier from Fort Bragg.
Headline News, 8, 10 p.m. ET
see full schedule »
"It is with profound sadness that our family just received the news from authorities that our beloved daughter Holley is dead," Wimunc's father said in a statement released to CNN affiliate WRAL in Raleigh, North Carolina.
"Since last Thursday's shocking news about Holley's burned apartment and her missing person status, our family through the country has nonetheless been holding on to a thin thread of hope that she would be found alive."
Military officials said both Marines were stationed at Camp Lejeune, which is about two hours away from Wimunc's Fayetteville home.
Joe Lenczyk -- resident agent-in-charge for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives -- said Wimunc and her husband were estranged and lived apart.
Wimunc is the second female soldier from Fort Bragg to die under suspicious circumstances in recent weeks.
Spc. Megan Lynn Touma, 23, was seven months pregnant at the time of her death in June, authorities said. Investigators say they are treating that death as a homicide.
advertisement
Camp Lejeune also has had a suspicious death of a female soldier this year. Twenty-year-old pregnant Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach's charred body was found January in the back yard of another Marine stationed at the base.
That suspect, U.S. Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean, is being pursued by prosecutors.
__________________________________________________________________
TSA launches leak investigation
(CNN) -- Federal officers charged with keeping terrorists off planes are now searching their own ranks for staff who told CNN that few flights were protected by air marshals.
Iraq war veteran Jeff Denning says a TSA investigator called him trying to find out if he spoke to CNN.
Iraq war veteran Jeff Denning says a TSA investigator called him trying to find out if he spoke to CNN.
The Transportation Security Administration rejected as a "myth" CNN's report that less than 1 percent of the nation's daily flights carry armed federal air marshals. Now the agency is conducting an investigation into who talked to CNN and who encouraged other agents to do the same.
A spokesman for the TSA confirmed the investigation.
Spokesman Christopher White said a TSA investigator is looking into the "possible unauthorized release of sensitive and classified information to the news media by covered parties."
"As part of this ongoing investigation, several individuals, both current and former employees, have been contacted as is typical in any investigation," he said in an e-mail to CNN.
CNN spoke to more than a dozen current and former air marshals, pilots and federal law enforcement officials for the report, which aired in March on "Anderson Cooper 360ยบ." Repeatedly, the sources told CNN that as few as 280 of an estimated 28,000 daily flights had armed federal air marshals aboard. That amounts to less than 1 percent.
"That number is absolutely wrong," said Kip Hawley, the head of the agency.
He was speaking earlier this year before Congress, which held hearings into the Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS) in the wake of CNN's reporting.
CNN learned of the TSA investigation from a former federal air marshal and Iraq war veteran, Jeff Denning. He was not connected to the original story.
Denning said he was called by TSA investigator Greg Neiderer a few days after he came back from the front lines of Iraq.
Denning said Neiderer grilled him on an e-mail he received on his personal account while he was in Iraq.
The e-mail discussed plans to expose corruption in the air marshal service. The e-mail encouraged recipients to contact CNN correspondent Drew Griffin if they had information about the hiring of airport screeners as air marshals, the elimination of mandatory psychiatric tests for new hires and managers lying to Congress. Read the e-mail »
CNN only recently received a copy of the e-mail. CNN did not have it when the report aired in March.
Denning said he forwarded the e-mail to current and former air marshals.
Denning said Neiderer wanted to know who sent him the e-mail.
Nothing in the e-mail contained sensitive security information, Denning said, nor did it encourage anyone to disclose information that could endanger the public.
"I was petrified," Denning said of Neiderer's phone call, explaining how he contacted CNN full of dismay that the TSA was harassing him and his family to find out which of his former colleagues had talked to the media.
"In Iraq, there were a lot of dangerous things, but never have I been so scared [as] when the federal government called me on my home phone and said I want to know about your personal e-mail account and what you have been sending."
TSA's Hawley refused repeated requests to be interviewed by CNN. Neiderer did not return repeated calls or e-mails.
In an e-mail, TSA spokesman White confirmed Neiderer's involvement, but denied that the TSA or the Federal Air Marshal Service had accessed anyone's private e-mail accounts, via subpoena or otherwise.
However, he added that "all e-mails sent to government employees on a government system are always eligible to be read and reviewed as is outlined on every computer in TSA, including the FAMS."
White did not say how much the investigation is costing taxpayers or how long it would last.
With a few phone calls, CNN was able to find the author of the original e-mail.
The author is an air marshal who asked that his identity be concealed for fear of retribution by the TSA.
The marshal said he sent the e-mail because for six years, his colleagues have been trying to alert Congress about continuing problems in the air marshal service. Many have left, he said, because of low morale and complaints about management.
A May 2008 report from the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General said that the agency "currently experiences a 17% voluntary attrition rate and low employee morale."
"Congress doesn't want to hear it," the marshal said. "They stick their heads in the sand. We tell them about the corruption. We give them examples and proof and I think they are scared of what they see. And they don't want to deal with it."
The marshal said he had done nothing wrong by sending an e-mail.
"The only thing in my e-mail was my telling these other air marshals that CNN was willing to expose the corruption in the federal air marshal services and Mr. Griffin's e-mail address," he said.
"That's not sensitive security information. That's freedom of speech."
He said he sent another e-mail urging air marshals to contact members of Congress investigating the air marshal service.
Meanwhile, the air marshal service is undergoing a management change.
Shortly after CNN aired its first report, director Dana Brown announced plans to retire. He has since decided to stay with the air marshals in a newly created position of Integrity Officer.
His successor is Robert Bray, current deputy director, who, like Brown and Neiderer, is a former Secret Service employee.
According to the TSA, Brown's job is to ensure that "disciplinary measures and other personnel actions are administered uniformly throughout the organization."
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Former air marshal Denning said he thinks the TSA should spend its time tracking down terrorists instead of former employees' e-mails.
"If they want to tap into someone's personal e-mail because they were going to destroy the Pentagon or kill the president, I could see reasons for contacting someone," Denning said. "But they're contacting me on my personal e-mail that I apparently forwarded to someone else's personal e-mail account. It's outlandish."
_________________________________________________________________________
AGAIN, OUR GOVERNMENT FAILS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AND SAFETY FOR US. THEN HAS THE NERVE TO TRY TO COVER IT UP. NOW, WE GOT PEOPLE TELLING THE WORLD JUST HOW UNPROTECTED WE ARE. WAY TO GO. JUST OPEN THE DOOR AND INVITE THEM IN.
Iraq war veteran Jeff Denning says a TSA investigator called him trying to find out if he spoke to CNN.
Iraq war veteran Jeff Denning says a TSA investigator called him trying to find out if he spoke to CNN.
The Transportation Security Administration rejected as a "myth" CNN's report that less than 1 percent of the nation's daily flights carry armed federal air marshals. Now the agency is conducting an investigation into who talked to CNN and who encouraged other agents to do the same.
A spokesman for the TSA confirmed the investigation.
Spokesman Christopher White said a TSA investigator is looking into the "possible unauthorized release of sensitive and classified information to the news media by covered parties."
"As part of this ongoing investigation, several individuals, both current and former employees, have been contacted as is typical in any investigation," he said in an e-mail to CNN.
CNN spoke to more than a dozen current and former air marshals, pilots and federal law enforcement officials for the report, which aired in March on "Anderson Cooper 360ยบ." Repeatedly, the sources told CNN that as few as 280 of an estimated 28,000 daily flights had armed federal air marshals aboard. That amounts to less than 1 percent.
"That number is absolutely wrong," said Kip Hawley, the head of the agency.
He was speaking earlier this year before Congress, which held hearings into the Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS) in the wake of CNN's reporting.
CNN learned of the TSA investigation from a former federal air marshal and Iraq war veteran, Jeff Denning. He was not connected to the original story.
Denning said he was called by TSA investigator Greg Neiderer a few days after he came back from the front lines of Iraq.
Denning said Neiderer grilled him on an e-mail he received on his personal account while he was in Iraq.
The e-mail discussed plans to expose corruption in the air marshal service. The e-mail encouraged recipients to contact CNN correspondent Drew Griffin if they had information about the hiring of airport screeners as air marshals, the elimination of mandatory psychiatric tests for new hires and managers lying to Congress. Read the e-mail »
CNN only recently received a copy of the e-mail. CNN did not have it when the report aired in March.
Denning said he forwarded the e-mail to current and former air marshals.
Denning said Neiderer wanted to know who sent him the e-mail.
Nothing in the e-mail contained sensitive security information, Denning said, nor did it encourage anyone to disclose information that could endanger the public.
"I was petrified," Denning said of Neiderer's phone call, explaining how he contacted CNN full of dismay that the TSA was harassing him and his family to find out which of his former colleagues had talked to the media.
"In Iraq, there were a lot of dangerous things, but never have I been so scared [as] when the federal government called me on my home phone and said I want to know about your personal e-mail account and what you have been sending."
TSA's Hawley refused repeated requests to be interviewed by CNN. Neiderer did not return repeated calls or e-mails.
In an e-mail, TSA spokesman White confirmed Neiderer's involvement, but denied that the TSA or the Federal Air Marshal Service had accessed anyone's private e-mail accounts, via subpoena or otherwise.
However, he added that "all e-mails sent to government employees on a government system are always eligible to be read and reviewed as is outlined on every computer in TSA, including the FAMS."
White did not say how much the investigation is costing taxpayers or how long it would last.
With a few phone calls, CNN was able to find the author of the original e-mail.
The author is an air marshal who asked that his identity be concealed for fear of retribution by the TSA.
The marshal said he sent the e-mail because for six years, his colleagues have been trying to alert Congress about continuing problems in the air marshal service. Many have left, he said, because of low morale and complaints about management.
A May 2008 report from the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General said that the agency "currently experiences a 17% voluntary attrition rate and low employee morale."
"Congress doesn't want to hear it," the marshal said. "They stick their heads in the sand. We tell them about the corruption. We give them examples and proof and I think they are scared of what they see. And they don't want to deal with it."
The marshal said he had done nothing wrong by sending an e-mail.
"The only thing in my e-mail was my telling these other air marshals that CNN was willing to expose the corruption in the federal air marshal services and Mr. Griffin's e-mail address," he said.
"That's not sensitive security information. That's freedom of speech."
He said he sent another e-mail urging air marshals to contact members of Congress investigating the air marshal service.
Meanwhile, the air marshal service is undergoing a management change.
Shortly after CNN aired its first report, director Dana Brown announced plans to retire. He has since decided to stay with the air marshals in a newly created position of Integrity Officer.
His successor is Robert Bray, current deputy director, who, like Brown and Neiderer, is a former Secret Service employee.
According to the TSA, Brown's job is to ensure that "disciplinary measures and other personnel actions are administered uniformly throughout the organization."
advertisement
Former air marshal Denning said he thinks the TSA should spend its time tracking down terrorists instead of former employees' e-mails.
"If they want to tap into someone's personal e-mail because they were going to destroy the Pentagon or kill the president, I could see reasons for contacting someone," Denning said. "But they're contacting me on my personal e-mail that I apparently forwarded to someone else's personal e-mail account. It's outlandish."
_________________________________________________________________________
AGAIN, OUR GOVERNMENT FAILS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AND SAFETY FOR US. THEN HAS THE NERVE TO TRY TO COVER IT UP. NOW, WE GOT PEOPLE TELLING THE WORLD JUST HOW UNPROTECTED WE ARE. WAY TO GO. JUST OPEN THE DOOR AND INVITE THEM IN.
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