Kitten killer

Danield Collins, 39, was convicted on two felony counts of neglect of a dependent, as well as a count of animal cruelty and sentenced to 18 months in prison. He admitted to forcing his 7-year-old daughter to stab the family cat to death.

Collins stated that he wanted to teach his daughter and his 11-year-old son "to kill." The boy tried to hide the cat, but Collins discovered the kitty and strangled it before forcing the daughter to stab it. The father admitted that he was intoxicated at the time and doesn't clearly remember what happened. In addition to the prision sentence he will not be allowed to own a pet, he will attend parenting classes, and will recieve counseling and substance abuse treatment.

Murder & the microwave

Paris Talley's mother, China Arnold (pictured left), has been found guilty of murder. In 2005 Arnold was accused of putting her one-month-old baby in a microwave and burning her to death.

The defence attempted to prove that a young man walked into the house, and could be responsible for the death. However the mother of the accused boy and her live-in boyfriend both testified that it was not him. It was also reported that Arnold admitted to her cellmate that she killed the child due to her concern that her boyfriend would leave her if he found out that Paris was not his child. The murder allegedly happened after Arnold had a fight with her boyfriend.

Do we notice a pattern?

Terry Raap (pictured left), 21, was recently taken into custody after violating his parole and running off with a 15-year-old girl that he impregnanted. Raap was on probation after a 2005 charge of... impregnanting a 15-year-old girl. He escaped after he managed to remove his electronic thether.

Sherrif Dean Roesler stated, "We consider him dangerous. He's a predatory-type person who preys on young girls." Part of Raap's parole was that he was not allowed contact with udnerage girls. The pair disappeared eariler this month. Raap is being held in custody and the girl has been returned to her parents.

If someone ever meets this woman, throw a copy of The Feminine Mystique at her

Mem Fox, the author of the children's book, Possum Magic, has stated that putting babies into child care is a form of abuse. She said, "I know you want a child, and you have every right to want a child, but does the child want you if you are going to put it in child care at six weeks?"

British and US research has emerged that placing young children in childcare is generally harmful. However, an Austrailian study stated that children became stressed when in a carecenter that had lower standards.

She also stated "To be honest I think our mother's generation had it easier because it was a given that you'd stay at home."

Payne

Reina Gonzales, 24, has pleaded guilty to two counts of second degree murder after admitting to not reporting the abuse of her live-in boyfriend's two children. Ariana and Tyler Payne (pictured left) were living with their father Christoper Payne, 30, when Chris allegedly started abusing them.

Gonzales admitted that she knew her boyfriend had locked the children in a closet and was refusing them food and water. She stated "I told him what he was doing wasn't right and he told me not to worry about it, that these were his children." The 24-year-old added that instead of helping the children, she use heroin in order to blank out what was happening.

If convicted Gonzales will face two concurrent 22 year sentences. After an attempt to prove her mentally disabled failed, she pleaded guilty in return for testifying against Chris Payne. Attorneys are seeking the death penelty for Chris.

Red wine stains

Micheal Gargiulo, 32, has been forensically linked to the murders of three women. He was arrested on an attempted murder and bulgery charge eariler this year. The police later matched his DNA found at the crime scene to the other three murders.

The air-conditioning repair man stated that he had no involvement in the crimes. He made the paranoid statement that the police are out to get him. Gargiulo has pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder and bulgery charges. The alleged serial killer's pre-trial hearing will be on September 4.

Burning books

JoAn Karkos, a concerned citizen from Maine, has stated that she would rather go to jail than allow children to read a book entitled It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex and Sexual Health. The book, aimed at pre-pubesscent children, covers topics such as sexuality (including sexual orientation), pregnancy, birth control, STDs, and the physical, emotional and social changes that take place during puberty.

Karkos claims that the book is a violation of the city's obsicity ordinance (because you can clearly explain sexual development without any nudity in the diagrams. Obviously.). She has had the book for over a year and has been given until Friday to return it otherwise she will be held in contempt of court and could possibly do jail time.

Note: What is it with people refusing to return library books? If it's between an arrest and a book it should be a no brainer.

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