LaToya's Conspiracy Theory
LaToya Jackson (pictured left) has stated she believed that her brother, Michael Jackson, was murdered by a "shadowy entourage". She claimed that money and valuables were missing from his home after his death.
She stated in an interview; “I believe Michael was murdered, I felt that from the start. Not just one person was involved, rather it was a conspiracy of people. He was surrounded by a bad circle. Michael was a very meek, quiet, loving person. People took advantage of that. People fought to be close to him, people who weren’t always on his side. Less than a month ago, I said I thought Michael was going to die before the London shows because he was surrounded by people who didn’t have his best interests at heart.”
Just don't insult her cooking
Meredith Hart (pictured left), 66, got into a physical altercation with her common-law husband over a poorly cooked meal. The 71 year old, Richard Jones, complained about undercooked potatoes and burnt bread which started an argument. Hart allegedly threw a telephone at Jones and threatened to kill him.
She was also verbally abusive to police when they arrived to arrest her. Hart was charged with battery on an elderly person. Her bail was set at $15,000. Hart was allegedly intoxicated while she was cooking.
Police investigate Michael Jackson's death
The King of Pop's cause of death has not been announced yet due to the pending toxicology report. The LAPD is currently investigating the singer's death and has started looking into his past medical history. They still have not discerned how Jackson acquired the prescription sedative Diprivan.
Meanwhile, the LAPD has warned fans who do not have tickets to the Michael Jackson memorial service not to go to the event. The police are concerned about crowd control for the singer's memorial and urge those without tickets to watch the events on TV.
Sticky Fingers
An underage boy stands accused of stealing medical supplies from an ambulance while paramedics were treating his mother. The boy, whose name was not released, was charged with theft over $1,000 after an oxygen tank, medical bags, and a paramedic's purse were discovered inside of a camper that he was exiting.
Items that were stolen from a car shortly before the paramedics arrived were discovered nearby. The boy has also been accused of breaking into the car. He was taken to a juvenile detention center.
Whoops!
An elementary school teacher is being investigated for criminal activity after a few seconds worth of homemade pornography was discovered on DVDs that she sent home with students. The DVDs, which teacher Crystal Defanti made, was supposed to contain clips of the children reading stories. However, there was also approximately 6 seconds of footage of Defanti having sex on a couch spliced in as well.
It appears that the sex tape splicing was an accident and although Defanti is being investigated she will probably keep her job. Parents were alerted to the sex tape footage and were instructed to destroy the DVDs.
Overdosin'
No matter how many time I watch this it still makes me laugh. I also love how the news anchors can't keep a straight face. Enjoy!
Clear skin
John Mullarkey, 20 (18 at the time of the killing), has been accused of murdering his on-again, off-again girlfriend Demi Cuccia (pictured left), 16. Mullarkey's defense now includes his use of the acne medication Accutane.
The drug has some notied side effects including depression, suicidal thoughts, and psychosis. Mullarkey claims that he doesn't remember much of what happened the day Demi was murdered and blames the drug for his behavior around that time which included crying spells and depression. Text messages that Mullarkey sent to Cuccia the day she died have also been entered into evidence.
Hope in a Box
Xiomara Gamez (pictured left with a police officer), 25, was arrested after allegedly abandoning her baby daughter in a shoe box inside of an apartment building lobby. The baby, who was nicknamed Baby Hope, was discovered in good health with dental floss tied around the umbilical cord.
Gamez pleaded not guilty to the charges of reckless endangerment, child abandonment and child endangerment. She stated that she was a drug addict and was addicted to cocaine during her pregnancy. Gamez also has 6 other children who currently live with their father.
Making the grade
Caroline McNeal, 39, has been charged with 29 felony counts of unlawful use of a computer and 29 felony counts of tampering with public records after she allegedly altered several high school student's grades. McNeal, who was employed as a secretary at the high school, has been accused of using passwords of other employees in order to boost her daughter's grades and lower the grades of two other girls, in order to raise her child's standing in the class of 2008.
The grade changing, which took place of 4 years, included 193 total changes. A discrepancy was discovered in October 2007 when Brittany McNeal's SAT score was replaced with one almost 400 points higher. The maximum sentence for each charge is 7 years in prison and a $15,000 fine.
Stupid Criminals of the week
A short video, but oh so hilarious.
I'm assuming that readers of In Cold Blog are familiar with the Homolka/Bernardo killings, so I'm not going to rehash their crimes in detail. If you need a better background, check out their entry on Crime Library.The short version is; Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo, also known as the Barbie and Ken killers, were convicted of murdering three teenagers, Tammy Homolka (Karla's younger sister), Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy. Bernardo later admitted to committing a number of rapes. Karla testified against Bernardo in exchange for a plea deal and was released in 2005. Bernardo is in prison for life.
The film, Karla (official website), caused as much controversy as one would expect. The movie was pulled from the Monterey Film Festival, although later the families of the victims viewed Karla privately and stated that they would not protest it. The debate raged whether the filmmakers were exploiting the horrific crimes or attempting to tell their tragic story.
Either way, the film closely follows the reality of couple's life and crimes before they were finally caught. One noticeable difference is that the names of the two schoolgirl victims were changed to Tina McCarthy and Kaitlyn Ross. Although since the movie was so realistic and everyone already knew the names of the victims anyway, it seems somewhat futile.
The film is punctuated by Karla's letters and complimented by the her informational monologue. While lending itself to reality is also shows Karla's detachment. She states that killing Tammy made her and Paul stronger and brought them closer together.
Viewing the movie is conflicting since the viewer is forced to make a judgment about Karla's character while the events play out. There is no disputing that Paul abused Karla. The domestic violence is well documented. However, the movie shows Karla standing at the sidelines, not wanting to be a part of the crimes, but unable to leave because of her sadistic husband's wishes.
It would have been easy for this movie to venture into a genre of horror movies known as gorn (gore porn). The crimes were sexually brutal and while the filmmakers could have indulged in expanding on the sadist events. However, there is minimal nudity and the actual rape scenes are short.
Instead the focus is on Karla. When Bernardo strangles Tina McCarthy the camera remains on his wife. She doubles over in horror and nearly vomits as she tries to look away from murder. A viewer not familiar with the real life crimes might feel a twinge of sympathy for this woman, caught in an abusive relationship, too terrified to leave and too insecure to walk away.
Meanwhile, the reality is not that simple. In the video tapes that Karla and Paul recorded Karla is shown as a willing participant. At times she even held the camera while her husband violated the young girls. In the tapes she is not at all concerned with the girl's suffering. She was noted to casually blow dry her hair after the second victim was dead.
Naturally, it was easy for Karla to claim that she was the victim and that her involvement in the crimes was forced and that Paul scripted everything that happened. True to life, this is shown through the movie and explains how Karla managed her incredibly light plea deal. At the end of the film Karla states that she was not responsible for the murder of the two schoolgirls, but that she did kill her sister, which is the only crime that the film version of the criminal shows any remorse for.
Overall, the film is a disturbing and mostly realistic depiction of the events surrounding Paul Benardo and Karla Homolka. In the end of the film, Karla has her last say about what she did and what she was accused of. The psychologist's evaluation of her is the last shot of the film. It labels her as manipulative and egocentric. It goes on to state that she might have tendencies towards psychosis.
By Star LaBranche
Happy Father's Day!B. Brian Blair (pictured left), 52, former politician and WWF wrestler, was arrested for domestic violence against his two sons, Brett and Bradley. Blair allegedly punched the two boys, 17 and 12, several times and choked them. Both children allegedly received bruises from the beating.
Blair is being held without bail. He goes to court on Monday for charges of domestic violence.
RIAA vs. Thomas-RassetRIAA has won a court case against Jammie Thomas-Rasset (pictured left) over some music that she illegally downloaded over the internet. Thomas-Rasset downloaded 24 songs onto her computer and was charged a total fine of $1.92 million dollars despite the fact that many of the song's download price was .99 cents.
The case originated in 2007 where Thomas-Rasset was accused of sharing 1700 songs. A mistrail was declared due to an error in jury instructions and Thomas-Rasset opted for a new trial. The Minnesota woman plans to appeal the decision.
Eduardo Lazcano (pictured left), 21, was arrested for burglary after he was identified via his dyed hair. A witness saw a man break into a home and steal computer and camera equipment and gave a description to police, including the suspect's fire engine red hair.
Lazcano was arrested shortly afterward. He is charged with burglary and grand larceny. The witness was able to identify Lazcano.
Skinny PuppyKrystal Lynn Lewis, 23, and Austin Michael Mullins, 26, have been accused of killing and skinning a puppy (pictured left), using the pelt to make a belt. Mullins allegedly shot the puppy ten times before the pair skinned it and stretched out the skin on a board.
Both are charged with a felony count of cruelty to animals. The terrier puppy was a gift to Lewis from an ex-lover that she didn't get along with anymore. Lewis and Mullins are being held on $25,000 bond. A mental compentency hearing has been called for both of them.
Rihanna subpoenaed to appear in courtSinger Rihanna (pictured far left), 21, has been subpoenaed to testify against her former boyfriend, Chris Brown (pictured left), 20. Brown was accused of assaulting the singer, leaving her face brusied and bloodied.
Rihanna has stated that she will cooperate with police and will testify against Brown. Eariler this year Brown pleaded "not guilty" to all charges.
Arrested -- the Miami-Dade cat killer suspectTyler Weinman, 18, was arrested on suspicion of being the person responsible for the deaths and mutilation of over 30 cats in the Miami-Dade area. He was charged with 19 counts of animal cruelty, four counts of burglary and 19 counts of improper disposing of an animal body.
Several tips in the neighborhood lead police to put Weinman's house under surveillance. He was later arrested. State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle added "It is expected that the vicious crimes that have plagued these communities will not be repeated."
He wore a purple bra...Jacob Andrew Fast, 20, was arrested while wearing a purple bra and boxer shorts. He has been accused of first-degree home invasion and resisting and obstructing a police officer after he allegedly stole some car keys from his neighbor's house and started rifling through her car.
Fast is being held on $20,000 bond. It is unclear where he obtained the bra from.
Brian Thomas Ladd claims to have psychic dreams where he predicts natural disasters, major events, crimes and even lottery numbers. He states on his website that some of his dreams have been "validated by dozens of major media outlets" yet fails to provide evidence of such. He also worked with Gale St. John as part of The Bodyhunter team, but has resigned.
Ladd claims that he helped solve cases such as Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby. Ladd goes on to state that after he does a reading for the family of a missing person the person "just seem[s] to show up". On his website Ladd lists dozens of missing people as well as closed cases. The webpages contain Ladd's dream diaries, e-mails between himself, team members and others, maps and news stories.
Ladd still has an open case file on the missing toddler, Madeleine McCann, who disappeared in 2007. Ladd claimed that he dreamed about McCann the day that she disappeared, claiming that it was two days before he was informed of it. He proceeded to post dream diaries and communicate with others regarding the case.
Ladd's dream diaries were passed onto authorities and deemed to be of no value to the case. The missing girl's aunt, Philomena McCann, stated "It's nonsense, there's nothing in it. We must have had hundreds of things like that sent to us."
During his investigation Ladd stated that he was willing to break into a suspect's home in order to continue his work. Later, Ladd decided to actually go to Portugal and started raising money to fund his trip. However, a former detective alerted the British and Portuguese police to Ladd's intentions and Ladd was informed that he would be arrested for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice if he went to either country. Ladd stated that he refunded all of the money that had been donated towards his trip and added that he would never accept funds for traveling again.
Meanwhile, Samantha Ladd, Brian Ladd's wife, was named in two court cases. The first is a dispute over three internet domains. The case stated that the domains were acquired in bad faith and the final decision was that the domains would be relinquished to the complainant.
In the second Samantha Ladd was sued by Paramount Pictures Corporation and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. The lawsuit alleged that Ladd and Aaron Rzadczynski had "misused their copyrighted material on digital versatile discs (DVDs)." It goes on to state that "The Defendants have sold computer programs over the Internet which enable users to copy DVDs illegally." Ladd was fined $412,340.57, the estimated amount of money that was made from the sales, as well as lawyer fees.
Ladd's finances has been an area of speculation since he has stated on his website that his family is living just above the poverty line yet Ladd charges for services on his website, while claiming that he hasn't made any money off of his alleged abilities.
-I would post an announcement when I first received payment for any public or private missing person RV, and I'm proud to say that as of today, I still have not charge a dime. (posted February 5, 2007)
So for the critics, I have not earned a single dime helping to locate anyone, anywhere at anytime...and you can put that in writing. (posted March 21, 2007)
Also, as of today, I have never charged a dime for any work I have done on missing persons cases, both private and public. (posted October 6, 2007)
As of today's date, I have not charged a dime for any missing person case or RV, both public or private...and I have given away more than 10,000 free memberships. (December 14, 2007)
I have never ever asked anyone for money for anything I do and I mean ever for anything. Source
So again, just to make it clear (to those who think I'm profiting from this), as of today's date, I have not made any money on any type of remote viewing, or missing person viewing...both public and private. Source
Yet Ladd does charge for his services and access to members only pages of website:
Private Rush Dream Reading: $299 USD
One Month Site Membership: $8.95
One Year Membership: $69.95 USD
Lifetime Membership: $199.95 USD
20 Personal Subliminal CD Offer: $69.95 USD
Source
He also stated that he has made money from his readings "-I have profited about $300 in total..." as well as earned funds from the BriansPrediction website "This months total site's revenue is less than $500, which is average... profits so far this month are around $300."
Despite the money that he charges for memberships and readings Ladd constantly claims that his family has financial problems:
-my family and I live happily and comfortably in a 900 square foot 1 bedroom one bath home worth no more than $40,000 and have a 1995 pickup. Our yearly family income is just above the poverty line- Source
Generally we have enough money to pay the bills, and go out once a week (commonly on Fridays). Sometimes things do get tough, and our power or phone service gets shut off (it's happened 3 times so far), but we always manage to pull through. Source
Again it seems that's our power is getting shut off on the 30th of this month, I called for an extension but it was denied. Source
-we have endured without power and water (well is electric) for over a month...in the winter. I'm also in debt for having children...and no medical insurance...currently I owe some $15,000 in medical bills, and the hospital is known for actually taking peoples cars and homes for not paying. Source
Lights will be out for the next four days, I have a small generator and might be able to get online for a little while. I have managed to get the power bill under control and within our budget now (about $300 a month), and long my wife and I can keep from seeing a doctor, we should be just fine. The power company will not grant a extension for any reason this time...I did try. Source
Ladd also claims to have applied for the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) Million Dollar Challenge eleven times. However JREF states that Ladd has never successfully completed an application. Meanwhile Ladd has mused whether there is a real challenge or not and how psychic ability is supposed to be tested by skeptics.
For more information about Brian Ladd check out my SkepticWiki page: Brian Ladd.
The Death of Claire Wilson
Claire Wilson (pictured left), 22, was murdered after a vicious attack on her way to work at a local Pizza Hut. Both she and her unborn baby daughter were declared dead at the hospital following the knife assault.
A 53-year-old man, Alan McMullan, was detained the day of the assault and has now been charged with her murder. There is no apparent motive for the crime.
Teacher's Pet
Jose Bernardo Fanjul (pictured left), 46, a West High School teacher, was found not guilty of a multitude of charges stemming from an alleged sexual relationship with a 16-year-old girl. The majority of the claims stemmed from phone records and e-mails exchanged between the girl and Fanjul. Phone records show that Fanjul and the accuser spoke frequently over the phone, anywhere from three to 12 times per day.
Last year he was arrested and charged with five counts of forcible sodomy and five counts of forcible sexual abuse. The girl herself testified to dozens of sexual encounters with Fanjul both during school and in his home. However, the judge deemed that there was not enough evidence for a conviction. Following the decision Fanjul stated that he was going to move on with his life and "Go on a world tour with the Spice Girls."
Darwin award winning attempted murder
Strahinja Raseta, 23, a young criminal that was on the run from law, borrowed 15,000 euros from one of his friends. However, he found that he was unable to pay back the money.
Instead of being honest with his friend he decided the only way to deal with the situation was to murder him. Raseta attempted to plant an explosive under his friend's jeep, however the vehicle's muffler was still warm and it detonated the explosive while Raseta was still under jeep. He died in the hospital the next morning.
Kitty killer
The Humane Society and the Miami-Dade Police are offering a reward for information regarding the murder of over 20 cats. More than 20 felines have been killed and sometimes skinned in two Miami subburbs, Cutler Bay and Palmetto Bay. Owners have been instructed to take their cats in at night and round up any strays in the area.
Dee Chess, the founder of a local animal rescue group called Friends Forever, stated, "People who do these kinds of things usually graduate to do other things. They go after children."
Confession via Myspace status
Joseph Northington, 27, was convicted of robbery following a January heist. Northington was accused of stealing over $4,000. Part of the evidence used against Northington was his own Myspace status. He had posted that that he was "On tha run for robbin a bank Love all of yall."
Northington faces a minimum of seven years for his crime and a maximum of life in prison. His current Myspace status reads "Wanted"
Tiffany Toribio (pictured left), 23, has been accused of murdering her 3-year-old son, Tyruss "Ty" Toribio. Toribio has been charged with first-degree murder as well as other child abuse charges and faces life in prison if convicted.
Toribio confessed to murdering her son because she didn't want him to grow up without anyone to care about him, as she stated that's what she felt when she was growing up. The 23-year-old stated that she smothered the boy, but regretted her actions and revived him using CPR. However, after that she smothered him again. When the boy was dead she buried his body in a nearby playground.
Wanted: Alma Beatriz Frias
Mother of seven, Alma Beatriz Frias (pictured left), is wanted on suspicion of abusing her children. Five of her seven children had already been removed by the state due to previous abuse. Frias was being investigated for additional charges of child abuse when she disappeared with her two daughters, a two-year-old and a two-month-old. Child Protective Services went to the home last week to discover that Frias and the two girls were gone.
Frias is a Latina woman, about 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighing about 150 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes. She is in her late twenties to early thirties. Anyone with information is asked to call the Special Victims Bureau at the Sheriff's Department at (866) 247-5877.
Iran's First Female Serial Killer
Mahin, 32, an Iranian woman, has confessed to several murders, earning her the title of Iran's first female serial killer. The woman, who is only identified by her first name, stated that she was inspired by Agatha Christie novels and planned her murders based around the methods in the novel.
Mahin would offer victims a ride in her car but once inside she would drug them, strangle them to death and steal their valuables. Although Mahin claims that she murdered her victims because she was deeply in debt, others believe that she might have killed the older women because they reminded her of her mother, who she allegedly hates.
Hot for Teacher
Mary Kay Letourneau and her husband Vili Fualaau (pictured left) are hosting an event at Fuel Sports Eats & Beats bar called "Hot for Teacher Night". Letourneau will be greeting people and mingling while Fualaau DJs.
Letourneau made headlines in the 1990s when the 34-year-old confessed to having an affair with Vili, her 12-year-old student. The pair maintained their relationship even after Letourneau was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for rape. The couple are now married and have two daughters together.
Note: This is just weird and wrong. I so don't get the female teacher/male student double standard.
By Star LaBranche
Haleigh Cummings: Still Missing
Haleigh Cummings (pictured left), 5, disappeared from her home three months ago and hasn't been seen since. So far the case has no leads and no suspects. Her father, Ronald Cummings, has said that he won't give up on his daughter.
Haleigh Cummings has blonde wavy hair, and brown eyes. She is approximately three feet tall, and weighs 39 pounds. Anyone with information regarding her disappearance is asked to contact authorities at (888) 277-8477.
Skull fractures
David Reed III (pictured left) has been arrested in relation to the death of his girlfriend's 13-month-old daughter. Reed had been watching the child when he called paramedics and informed them that the baby had fallen off of a couch while he was out of the room. However, an autopsy revealed that the girl suffered severe blunt force trauma, including two skull fractures and her injuries were not consistent with those from a fall.
James Goard, 26, the girl's father, had previous informed authorities that Reed had been abusive to the child's mother. The two were in the middle of a custody battle when the the 13-month-old died. Reed also had a 3-year-old with the girl's mother. There were no signs that the other child had been abused.
We made you
Rapper Eminem AKA Marshall Mathers (pictured left) stated that his new album "Relapse" was partly inspired by serial killer's psychology. He explained "I did find myself watching a lot of documentaries on serial killers. I've always been intrigued by them and watching movies like that, and I found that going back through my DVD collection and watching movies about killers sparked something in me."
On the song "It Must Be the Ganja" Marshall Mathers raps "How many people you know that can name every serial killer who ever existed in a row, put them in chronological order, beginning with Jack the Ripper?" Mathers, infamous for making full use of his first amendment right, releases his new album on May 19th.
Father-son bonding
A father was arrested after attempting to purchase a prostitute to take his 14-year-old son's virginity. The 42-year-old decided that he wanted to introduce his son to sex and took him to the red-light district. However, the prostitute that the son selected was actually an undercover police officer.
The father was sentenced to 10 months in prison, which was later suspended. He will have to register as a sex offender for the next five years. The judge stated that he didn't believe the father meant to hurt his son.
By Star LaBranche
Gale St. John is a self-proclaimed psychic medium and psychic detective. She claims to work with the police on missing persons and homicide cases. She also credits herself for discovering the location of Caylee Anthony's body. St. John claims to have discovered the remains of 30 people during her career as a psychic detective. However, there is little to no corroborating evidence for her claims and she, nor any other psychic, has not officially been recognized by the police.
St. John was hired by Cindy Anthony to help locate her missing granddaughter, Caylee. St. John previously predicted that Caylee was near a lake and surrounded by trees and wildflowers . Caylee's body was discovered in water but was not near a lake or surrounded by wildflowers.
Using the "blind drive" technique The Bodyhunter team and two cadaver dogs searched several locations including the area where Caylee was ultimately found. They did not discover her body but instead St. John insisted that she was drawn to the area. She later stated "My reaction was that’s where we said that we felt something." Afterward, St. John and her team continued searching in other locations. Caylee's body was found several months later.
St. John faced heavy criticism for her involvement in the Caylee Anthony case and was also accused of charity fraud by Daily BS Blogger, Sean Krause. Krause investigated St. John's charity Purebred Adoption League (official website now defunct). He stated that the IRS and the Better Business Bureau didn't list PAL as a charity and had no record of them.
If this is true this means that people who donated to what they thought was a tax-deductible charity were giving the money directly to St. John and would be committing tax fraud themselves if they tried to claim the amount on their income taxes. Krause also stated that St. John was being investigated for fraud and provided links for people who donated money to her to file complaints.
Beacon Hell revealed that St. John's cadaver dog is not properly trained and she is not properly trained as a handler. Colleen Klocek, a human remains detection dog trainer, stated that neither Gale nor her dog Hilo passed the necessary classes in order to obtain a certification.
As always, James Randi, founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF), offers a One Million Dollar Prize to anyone who can prove paranormal ability in controlled circumstances where there is no possibility of cheating. Unfortunately, after being established for more than four decades, the challenge is ending next year. Randi first offered $1,000 to anyone who could prove psychic abilities in 1964. In 2009 the prize money is up to one million dollars and no one has even passed the preliminary round.
For more info, check out my SkepticWiki article on Gale St. John. I've also updated my page on Jackie Barrett.
Misconduct
Chris Brown's attorneys are motioning to have the case against their client dismissed due to a photo of Rihanna after the alleged attack (pictured left) was leaked to the media. The lawyers claim that the photo was leaked due to the police's misconduct or bias.
Brown pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and making criminal threats. There is currently an internal investigation going on to try to discover the source that leaked the photo.
The Scottist Pedophile ring
Colin Slaven, Craig Boath, James Rennie and Neil Campbell, Ross Webber, John Murphy, John Milligan and Neil Strachan (all pictured left) have been convicted a multitude of charges of child abuse and child pornography. The men are suspected to be part of a pedophile ring that targeted young children for abuse and creating images of the abuse.
The crime's discovery was part of Operation Algebra. Operation Algebra was a police effort to investigate pedophiles who use the internet to network with other abusers. It uncovered a massive pedophile ring with partisipants from all over the UK.
Death toll: 7
Mahanand Naik (pictured left), 40, admitted to killing Anjani Gaonkar, 28 and Sunita Gaonkar, 31 bringing his suspected death toll to 7. Naik is accused of murdering and robbing women after secuding them with promises to marry.
Additional unsolved murder cases with similarities to Naik's work are being examined. Naik was taken into custody last year after a woman accused him of raping her over a period of three years.
Dressed to impress
A middle-aged paramedic attempted to purchase a bottle of wine from a Tesco supermarket but was refused sale because he was still in uniform. Outraged that the cashier refused to serve him, he exited the store, stripped down to a thong and his socks then approached the cashier again asking if she would now sell him the alcohol.
However, the cashier, shocked at the man's actions, called the police. The paramedic is now facing disciplinary action and possibly suspension. Tesco released a statement that it is against company policy to serve uniformed emergency services members and the cashier acted appropriately.
By Star LaBranche
Terry Nichols, one half of the team behind the Oklahoma City bombing, has filed a lawsuit against the prison he's currently housed in. Nichols alleges that the low-fiber diet that he lives on has caused "chronic constipation, bleeding, [and] hemorrhoids".
He also interviewed other prisoners who agreed that the food caused "constipation, gas, [and] stomach cramps". A judge dismissed his bid for a preliminary injunction however his lawsuit is still pending. Meanwhile, Nichols has helpfully outlined a diet that he would prefer.
Check out the full document on The Smoking Gun.
Epic parenting failShana K. Brown, 32, and her boyfriend Duane Calloway, 40, have been accused of attempting to impregnate Brown's 13-year-old daughter. Brown, who is unable to have children anymore, allegedly wanted another child and asked her daughter to give birth. When the girl refused Brown and Calloway allegedly began to crush up sleeping pills and serve them to the girl in beverages in order to incapasitate her.
The daughter alerted another adult to the attacks, but when Brown was confronted she denied the incidents. She and her boyfriend were arrested afterward. Brown has been charged with two counts of unauthorized administration of an intoxicant, endangering the welfare of children and corruption of minors. In addition, she faces seven counts of criminal conspiracy.
Hooooooooot pocketsJulian James (pictured left), 22, was arrested for breaking into an apartment. James had already attempted to enter six other apartments before he found one that had an open door. When he gained entry James stole $82 worth of frozen chicken wings and hot pockets.
Some of the frozen foods were found in James' apartment when he was taken into custody. He was charged with one count of felony second-degree burglary, six counts of attempted burglary and two counts of theft.
Standards. You needs them.Christina Rianes (pictured left), 24, has broken up with her fiance, Drew Peterson, 55. So far Peterson hasn't has the best track record with women. He's been married four times. The first two marriages were peppered with allegations of domestic violence and according to his second wife, death threats. The third wife was murdered in a bathtub with Peterson noted as a person of interest and the fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, mysteriously disappeared in 2007 and still hasn't been found.
Yet after all of this Drew Peterson somehow managed to snag a new fiance. How I ask you? How could a woman know about Peterson's history of abuse allegations and the death and disappearance of his previous wives and still agree to marry him? Come on, ladies, he's not that attractive and he's living on a pension. He must rival Britney Spears in charisma in order to date the beautiful young women that he does.
The saddest thing is that after the break up was announced Peterson added that there were more fish in the sea. Girls, buying you flowers doesn't dismiss a history of domestic violence and thinking "Oh, that won't happen to me, I'm different" is naive and dangerous. Being too picky can be a bad thing but wanting to date a guy that hasn't been named a person of interest in a murder is not asking too much.
Yay! Chris Brown isn't under Rihanna's Umbrella anymore!More good news for a woman in a dangerous relationship: I've been watching the Rihanna/Chris Brown drama with a saddened cringe, but finally Rihanna has dumped the man accused of viciously assaulting her. Brown pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges and Rihanna has stated that she will cooperate with the police, so the trial moves forward.
Strangely enough, Brown has already moved on and gotten back together with an ex-girlfriend. Didn't this girl just see what happened to his last partner? Does she really think that in a few short weeks Brown has gotten enough counseling and therapy to change his ways? Is she just convinced that it will never happen to her?
Sims' Social Services: you're doing it rightThe Sims 2 is an interesting statement on modern life. Instead of putting the player in charge of quelling zombie rebellions The Sims is supposed to emulate real life. And even in the fantasy neighborhoods of The Sims there are Child Protective Services (CPS).
If only the real CPS could be as efficient as in The Sims. I've only had one child taken into custody, which was a total accident as her dad moved out of the house unexpectedly to be with my Charley Ulchea sim when he was supposed to be watching Jarella. Then her mom went to work and left Jarella home alone for several hours. After a few hours I got a warning that a responsible parent doesn't leave their child but before Victoria got home from work Jarella was taken into custody by social services.
A few hours home alone, that's all it took. The Sims needs were met and she was happily playing a computer game when she was led away by the social worker. After a Sim child has been taken away the adults on the lot can no longer conceive a baby or adopt. If only real life was that easy.
Speaking of CPS and people who live in fantasy lands, Octomom Nadya Suleman is currently in talks to get her own reality TV show. That's right, the woman who said that she kept hoping that the media frenzy would die down is now thinking about broadcasting her entire life and the lives of her children (the youngest of which only just came home from the hospital) on national TV.
However, there is a black cloud of CPS hanging over the Suleman house. So far Angels in Waiting nurses have filed three complaints against Suleman and even Linda West-Conforti, the founder of Angels in Waiting, has stated that Suleman only pretended to care about her children while there were cameras around. As a single mother with 14 children who talks about going back to graduate school she could lose her children if CPS decides that the home is not a safe place for the octoplets and their six siblings.
Due to the negative reaction to Suleman and her brood everyone will no doubt be waiting with bated breath for the next 18 years to see if CPS is going to intervene.
Caylee Sunshine DollJaime Salcedo, maker of the Caylee Sunshine Doll (pictured left), is being investigated for willful misrepresentation. Salcedo, whose company also produced a Micheal Vick dog chew toy, stated that the proceeds from the Caylee doll, who was supposed to memorialize Caylee Anthony, would be donated to charity.
So far it has been verified that $10 has been donated to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, not $5,000 as Salcedo's company allegedly claimed. Although Salcedo denies this.
Sexting could be made legalLegislature in Vermont is now considering a bill that would essentially legalize teen sexting. If the bill is passed then two people between the ages of 13 - 18 could send sexually explicit photos to each other without it qualifying as a sex crime.
However, this exception only applies for those in that age bracket and passing the photos of video onto someone else would still be considered a crime. Several teens have already been labeled sex offenders for sexting. Some believe that this will keep teenagers who are engaging in consensual acts from facing legal action.
So it WAS just a weather balloonChris Russo, 29, and Joe Rudy, 28, masterminds of a UFO hoax, were fined $250 and given 50 hours of community service for charges of disorderly conduct. The pair posted a video on YouTube detailing how they created the hoax. They stated that they wanted to make fun of UFO "experts" and the media who they predicted would validate the prank.
However, the authorities were less than amused, stating that the flares tied to helium balloons posed a fire hazard to the area and could interfere with air traffic. The judge stated "If you were a pair of 17-year-olds, I would tell you to grow up. You're not 17."
Love at first parking ticketSally-Ann Spruce and Aaron Oseland (pictured left) were recently married at St Bartholomew’s Church in Church Hill. The two first met when Oseland issued Spruce a parking ticket for parking on a double yellow line.
Spruce stated; "I know it sounds strange but when he smiled at me I just fell for him. We got chatting and the next we knew we were going out." 22-year-old Oseland reciprocated; "I’ve always been very quiet but when I saw her I knew she was right for me and that gave me the confidence to chat to her." He added "I gave her a £30 fine and my phone number."
Note: Seriously, how freaking cute is that?
Dexter review: Season 1I finally watched Dexter. Everyone kept telling me how much I would love it because I'm into the "whole serial killer thing" so I finally Netflixed the first season and watched the show. And I can report that the series is solidly mediocre. I was mildly amused through the entire viewing and could muster up enough vague curiosity to finish the season.
The show has stock characters such as the tough-as-nails yet soft and gooey on the inside sister, Debra, unimaginative story lines, and enough CSI-esque techno babble to sound interesting. I found it very strange how sociopath Dexter kept harping on about how no one understands him to the point of sounding like a Twlight-watching emo kid. Even counting the uncensored Showtime bonus points this series failed to impress me. I'm not putting season 2 in my queue.
So what do you want to be when you grow up?
19-year-old Edward Ji was sentenced to live in prison after being convicted of two random shootings. Ji, who was also convicted on a charge of deadly conduct, will be eligible for parole in 30 years.
Ji stated that he wanted to be a serial killer and told authorities that shooting Bryan Chevalier was part of a game he was playing called "Ding, dong, die." He shot him twice when Chevalier opened the door to his house. Ji also attempted to harm Peter Reid, who emerged from the attack unscathed.
Ji allegedly told police that he fantasied about cannaiblism and stated on a police video "You know, I am so weird and messed up that sometimes I will actually look at somebody and wonder how they would taste."
The Haleigh Bug Foundation
Haleigh Cummings (pictured left) is still missing. Her mother, Crystal Sheffield, has helped put together the Haleigh Bug Foundation. Volunteers are currently raising money for the foundation to help find the 5-year-old.
Haleigh is three feet tall and weighs thirty nine pounds she has blonde hair, brown eyes, she has a birth mark on her left cheek. Anyone with information regarding her disappearance is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-277-TIPS (8477) or Putnam County Sheriffs Office at (386)-329-0800 or the Haleigh Bug Headquarters at (954) 553-6514.
YouTube you lose
Several young people have been arrested after a video was posted of them setting off Molotov Cocktails in an abandoned building. In the video the participants faces were not only seen but the video helpfully supplied credits at the end of the clip with the names of all those involved.
Police Chief Joseph Massey stated in a press release that the authorities were particularly concerned with two of the individuals in the video due to their prior use of explosives. Four juveniles were charged with arson and burglary. The video has since been removed from YouTube.
By Star LaBrancheOn the first day of sociology class the instructor, after saying that last semester every single student passed her class, started talking about true crime writers. And what horrible people they are. According to her, crime writers are opportunistic vampires that feed off of the misery and torment of innocent people and turn these victims' pain into blood money.
While she is saying this I'm sitting in the back of the classroom telling myself, "Don't say anything. It's just community college. It's not worth it." Sadly, everyone who spoke up in class agreed with her statements about these soulless crime writers while I stayed silent.
A good true crime writer writes in order to report facts and tell the victims' stories because often times they can't speak for themselves. No true crime writer I know gets excited whenever someone is murdered just because they can write a story about it. Instead, the excitement comes when a criminal is brought to justice and a family finally has some form of resolution. There is a morbid intrigue about this genre, but good crime writers don't exploit a victim's pain.
However, there are some people that do. These people are perpetrators of what I like to call "cryptocrime." Crime meaning "unlawful activity" and crypto meaning "the shit we made up". This shit includes The Amityville Horror and A Haunting in Connecticut.
I recently wasted $9.50 on A Haunting in Connecticut (screen shot left). Within the first ten minutes I really began to understand Matt Stone and Trey Parker's point about current horror movies lacking in actual horror and instead relying on startling the audience. But what really annoyed me was the "based off of a true story" tagline.There are a lot of movies that take one basic element of crime or killer and weave a completely different story around it. I'm not going to get in depth about A Haunting in Connecticut as it's so not worth it and I started dozing off after the first hour so I'm not entirely clear on how it ended.
The "true story" behind the film goes something like this: "Paranormal investigators" Ed and Lorraine Warren were called upon by the Snedeker family in the last 1980s. The Snedeker's claimed that there were mysterious and other worldly happenings in the mortuary turned home. The Warrens "investigated" and found enough evidence for them to hire a writer, Ray Garton, to pen a non-fiction novel about the "haunting."
However, the Snedeker's stories didn't match up and when Garton frustratedly told Ed Warren about this Warren allegedly told him to make the story up and "-make it scary." In an e-mail supposedly written by Garton he calls them frauds, states that they are evil and adds that other writers have come to him with the exact same story. He goes on to say that the people they are exploiting have very serious issues to deal with such as substance abuse and mental illness.
*Spoilers* In Haunting the story line (the part that I was awake for) included body snatching, the desecration of corpses for use in demonic ceremonies and arson. Also the mortician kept a box full of human eye lids. In the original house it was only a funeral home. Not nearly as interesting.
One example of sheer exploitation via cryptocrime is The Amityville Horror. Ronald "Butch" DeFeo, Jr. (pictured left) was convicted of the murders of his parents, two brothers and two sisters. He allegedly murdered them all while they slept then left the house. Several years later George and Kathy Lutz moved into the house and claimed that paranormal phenomena started taking place.These occurrences included good old fashion cold spots, the front door slamming in the middle of the night, the inability to hear cars go by the house, cloven hoof prints appeared in the snow outside the house, and Kathy aged very strangely. Apparently. Kathy also alleged that she found a secret "red room" where demonic ceremonies supposedly took place. This lent itself to the theory that Butch had been possessed by demons at the time of the murders. The couple lived in the house for only 28 days.
Enter Ed and Lorraine Warren. The couple investigated the house and then Jay Anson penned the book The Amityville Horror. This book was not written with respect for the victims, it was written to cash in on the recent The Exorcist fad and turn the tragic story of a multiple murder into a trumped up ghost story with a side of demonic possession.
The reason this genre is called true crime is because the information is supposed to be true. Cryptocrimes such as A Haunting in Connecticut and Amityville Horror were born out of the greedy inclinations of two people willing to disrespectfully throw some cold spots and strange smells into a real and horrific crime to make it more interesting. The money they got for it? That is blood money.
Someone please tell me that this is a jokeRyan Heryansyah confessed to 11 murders, including the mutilation and dismemberment of a 3-year-old girl. He is facing the death penalty. Meanwhile, the self-confessed serial killer released his autobiography, Confessions: the Untold Story of Ryan, and has now landed a recording contract.
Heryansyah, a former male model, is planning to release a 12 track record supposedly entitled My Last Performance. He has apparently been gaining a following after approximately 20 school girls came to visit him and pleaded with him to sing for them. Heryansyah obliged by singing an original song entitled "Release Me" and taking photos with the girls.
Heryansyah's defense team attempted to claim insanity, however after he was examined it was determined that Heryansyah was not hearing voices or hallucinating. Instead he is simply a psychopath.
Fake LJ DeathsDr. Marc Feldman coined the term "Munchausen by internet" to describe a person who fakes illness and sometimes even the death of themselves or a loved one via the internet, usually in a blog. This phenomena has become so prevalent that it warranted an entry on Encyclopedia Dramatica and there is even a LiveJournal community, Fake LJ Deaths, dedicated to tracking down frauds.
One of the most well known hoax was that of Kaycee Nicole, a fictitious 19-year-old who had lukemia. Another is girl simply calling herself Sara. After she was exposed as a fraud she "defended" herself by stating that "Humans crave love and attention. We all want to feel loved. We all want to feel that someone actually cares about us."
Octomom on her ownNadya Suleman (pictured left), 33, AKA the Octomom, has fired four volunteer nurses from Angels in Waiting after one filed a complaint against her with child protective services (CPS). The complaint allegedly stated that there were too many people in the house and it wasn't a good environment for the children.
Suleman was so desperate to get the Angels in Waiting volunteers out of her house that she called 911 and asked them to remove Gloria Allred. Since then Allred has critictized Suleman and stated that she only cares about her children while the cameras are on.
Suleman is going to appear on the Dr. Phil show in order to address the controversy. So far there is no word on whether or not CPS will investigate.
Was she trying to set a record?Jo Trilling, 60, was arrested for drunk driving three times in three days. Two days in a row she was pulled over while driving through the same park. The first time she was pulled over her BAC was .21, more than twice the .08 legal limit.
During another her BAC was .16 and she informed the officer that she had had about 4 to 6 cups of wine and was still finishing a box that she had in her car. Trilling's driving privileges were revoked, she was fined $3,000 and sentenced to 30 days in jail.
Crime-stopping vanityThe Layton Burroughs Residents' Association in Mansfield, England has come up with an interesting way of keeping teenagers from loitering. They have installed pink lights in several public areas. These lights, aside from being a girly color, also illuminate pimples and are often used by dermatologists in order to highlight blemishes.
Strangely enough, this idea has worked and the city is now considering placing more lights around town. David Brown, a council man, stated "It's effectively embarrassing them into moving on but they could just see it as a big joke and turn up with balaclavas."
Side note: Way to give the teens the balaclava idea, David.
