By Star LaBranche

For all my bitching about people being paranoid I have now discovered that I am a terrified convert. I recently moved about an hour away from my hometown to attend graduate school in a much larger city. A much larger city that has a much higher crime rate. As soon as I mention the name of said city everyone feels the need to remind me to "be careful."

As if that wasn't enough, the university sends out e-mails whenever there is a safety issue. So far I've gotten 5 e-mails in under a month. In the last one a student was held up at knife point in the middle of the day five blocks from where I live. Great way to make a single girl living on her own to feel secure.

I now find myself driving to class instead of walking since it's dark by the time my classes are over, walking to and from the parking garage with my keys in my hand, and keeping my apartment door locked at all times. Seriously, all times. Even after doing all this I'm still concerned for my safety. It occurred to me the other day that I really am becoming paranoid.

And to be honest, this whole thing is getting rather old. It is now an accepted assumption that young women, in general, aren't safe. No matter how many self-defense courses (2 years of kickboxing in my case) or safety seminars young women go to it's still considered a given that they are constantly in danger.

I hear the "be carefuls" from everyone and while I appreciate that these people are trying to look out for me, the constant concern is only making me more paranoid and less likely to venture out of my apartment. Especially since I have cable and a comfy couch.

But what is there to do? As long as there is crime in the world, there's a reason to be concerned for your safety. And as long as there is a reason to be concerned for your safety there will be people determined to let you know just how vulnerable you can be.

Kidnapping: not as funny as it sounds

Sports columnist Mark Whicker (pictured left) has apologized for a column he wrote entitled Many odd things have happened in sports the past 18 years. The article is dedicated to Jaycee Dugard, a girl who was kidnapped 18 years ago and recently recovered, in a seemingly light-hearted attempt to catch her up on the last 18 years in sports since, as Whicker observed, "It doesn't sound as if Jaycee Dugard got to see a sports page."

Several of Whicker's comments provoked outrage as he wrote "She [Jaycee] was not allowed to spike a volleyball. Or pitch a softball. Or smack a forehand down the line. Or run in a 5-footer for double bogey. Now, that's deprivation." and ended the article with "Congratulations, Jaycee. You left the yard."

Adults cleared in hazing case

Six players at Robertson High School were accused last year of sodomizing younger players in a hazing ritual at a pre-season camp. While the players will still face charges, the adults connected with the team have had all charges against them dropped.

School district Superintendent Rick Romero, Robertson athletic director Michael Yara, former head coach Ray Woods and former assistant coach Adam Alvarez were all accused of failing to report child abuse. However, the law states that they are not responsible for reporting child abuse when it is at the hands of another child, only the parent or guardian.

Nixmary's law passed in the sentate

Nixmary Brown (pictured left) died in 2006 when she was 7 years old. She was beaten to death after she stole a yogurt from the refrigerator. Her step-father, Cesar Rodriguez, is serving 29 years in prison for beating her to death. Meanwhile, her mother, Nixzaliz Santiago, was sentenced to 43 years in prison for not seeking help for the child. It is believed that Nixmary was constantly starved and beaten throughout her life.

Nixmary's Law, which was recently approved by the New York state Senate, can raise the punishment for individuals who murder children in an "especially cruel and wanton manor" to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole. The bill is now going on to Governor Paterson's desk.

Reading material

Copies of a man's magazine, Maxim, and a novel about the fictional serial killer, Hannibal Lector, were confiscated from Brian Dugan's cell. A search was issued after Dugan wrote letters to the media regarding his sentencing in the murder case of Jeanine Nicarico, who died in 1983.

Dugan alleged that legal documents were also confiscated from his cell, although these claims have been refuted. He is currently serving life in prison for two other murders. A judge stated Dugan might have sent the letters to the media in order to taint the jury pool.

All this over a $20 bill

Vickie Gambrell (pictured left), 53, has been charged with possession of a deadly weapon during a felony, aggravated menacing and offensive touching after she allegedly assaulted a gas station clerk. Gambrell allegedly handed the clerk a $1 bill, believing it to be a twenty. When the clerk would not give her $20 worth of gas she began to argue with him.

When the cashier insisted that she only gave him a dollar she became enraged and punched the clerk in the head, then threatened him with a pair of scissors, while demanding her money back. The clerk gave her two $10 dollar bills in order to appease her. After she left the gas station she spotted the $20 bill that she thought she had given to him in her purse. She drove back to the station where state troopers had already arrived and was arrested.

Chris Brown sentenced

Singer Chris Brown (pictured left), 20, was sentenced to six months community service and five years of probation for the February assault on his then-girlfriend, Rhianna. He is also required to remain at least 50 yards away from the Umbrella singer, unless they are at an industry function where the distance was reduced to 10 yards.

Brown recently issued a public apology via YouTube. Brown pleaded guilty to one count of felonious assault. Charges of making criminal threats were dropped. The singer was also interviewed by Larry King regarding the incident.

What happens on Facebook

Cody Anderson, 28, a police officer from Bozeman, Montana, resigned his position in the police department after some comments he made on his Facebook page became involved in a city lawsuit. Anderson allegedly posted several unsavory statements including that he "mess[ed] with people" and that there were special laws needed for "stupid" people.

Several officers, including Anderson, were named in a lawsuit alleging the violation of fourth amendment rights. His comments were believed to reflect a lack of respect for citizens and a willingness to abuse his position of authority. Anderson apologized for his comments and stated that it didn't "reflect an attitude or atmosphere within the Bozeman police department."

Jackson's death officially ruled a homicide

Fallen pop star Michael Jackson's (pictured left) death has officially been ruled a homicide. The cause of death was stated to be "acute propofol intoxication". Jackson's personal doctor, Conrad Murray, is the focus of the case as he admitted to administering powerful drugs to Jackson in order to help him sleep.

One of the drugs, propofol, is an anathetic that is designed for hospital use only. Meanwhile, Murray has posted a video on YouTube where he thanks his "fans" and friends for their support during the investigation. Murray is said to soon be charged with mansalughter as well as other doctors.

Haleigh is still missing, Misty fails another polygraph test

Haleigh Cummings (pictured left) disappeared from her home approximately six months ago. Her now step-mother, Misty Cummings, 17, who was the last person to see her, has failed her fourth lie detector test. Tim Miller, founder of Texas Equusearch, a group that helped search for the missing five-year-old, said that she "failed miserably" at the polygraph test, was uncooperative during hypnosis and also failed a voice analysis test.

However, Misty stated that she was lied to and believes that the police are "-trying to pinpoint me because they cannot find the right person." Misty has not been charged with any crimes relating to the girl's disapperance, however police believe that she is the key to the case.

Father claims Jenkins is innocent

Ryan Jenkin's (pictured left) father has claimed that his son did not murder bikini model Jasmine Fiore. He states that he believes his son is innocent and will offer a reward for Fiore's real killer. However, a spokesperson for the Orange County DA's office has stated "We feel comfortable that all evidence points to Jenkins."

It has been revealed that Jenkins made several calls and sent text messages after the time police estimated that Fiore was murdered. Police have also discovered hair and blood samples on the back patio of the hotel that Fiore was allegedly murdered at. This leads officials to believe that Jenkins may have removed Fiore's body from the hotel via the patio to avoid being caught on the security cameras.

Nailed

Athena Marie Sidlar, 28, a former psychiatric nurse, pleaded guilty to charges of reckless endangerment. She was charged after it was discovered she had showed an 18-year-old psych patient how to swallow nails and other metal objects. The 18-year-old had to have four nails removed from her stomach.

Sidlar claims to have bipolar disorder and swallows metal objects such as nails for pleasure. She originally denied giving the nails to the patient. If convicted Sidlar could spend 2 years in prison.

David Leonard Wood wins reprieve

Convicted serial killer David Leonard Wood, 52, won a reprieve about 24 hours before he was to be executed via lethal injection. Wood was convicted of murder and is a repeat sex offender. However, Wood claimed that he was not responsible for the deaths of Rosa Casio, Ivy Williams, Karen Baker, Angelica Frausto, Desiree Wheatley, and Dawn Smith. Instead he claims that he is a scapegoat for the crimes.

Defense attorneys seek to prove that Wood is mentally retarded. Even though some of his medical records were missing, Wood has a history of underachieving in work and school as well as garnering low IQ scores. If the defense attorneys convince the state of Texas that Wood is mentally retarded he would no longer face the death penalty.

Police want a murderer

Reality TV show contestant Ryan Jenkins is wanted for the murder of his wife, Jasmine Fiore (pictured left). Jenkins, who appeared on the VH1 show Megan Wants a Millionaire, is accused of strangling Fiore, pulling out her teeth, cutting off her fingers and stuffing her nude body into a suitcase which he then disposed of in a dumpster.

The model was so disfigured that she had to be identified by the serial number in her breast implants. Jenkins previous pleaded guilty to assaulting an ex-girlfriend and was required to undergo counseling. Jenkins is currently on the run from the authorities.

Driving school instructor fail

A driving instructor in New Mexico was charged with driving while intoxicated and careless driving after crashing his vehicle. When he was pulled over the officers stated that he acted as if he was under the influence and he went on to fail several sobriety tests including reciting the alphabet and walking in a straight line.

A BAC test revealed that his blood alcohol content was almost four times the legal limit. This was the man's first arrest.

Safety Concerns

Can we all stop panicking for one minute? Is that really too much to ask for? Can we avoid the hysterics and be rational? Do we really need to actively fear a zombie outbreak?

Zombies aside, I have recently run into an entirely new and annoying streak of paranoia that begs the question "how does anyone survive in this world if it's even half as dangerous as everyone says that it is?" As someone who writes about true crime I've read and written about innocent people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time, children who never had a chance, and horrific crimes that can disgust even the most desensitized person.

However, one thing no one seems to recognize is that the victims of serial killers are rarities. Your chances of being murdered by the next Ted Bundy are astronomically low. So low that you should actively be more worried about being struck by lightening.

It's not illegal, but it should be

1. Marrying underage

If you have to be 18 to get a tattoo, you should be 18 to get married. Parental permission or not, in this day and age there's no reason why people underage have to get married. There are statutory rape laws and age of consent laws for a reason. These laws shouldn't just disappear if someone gets married.

2. Kids on reality TV shows

Reality TV is TV and all laws about child performers should apply. Octomom, I'm talking to you.

3. Paris Hilton

I remember when Hilton was taken to jail for a DUI and several driving violations and only served only minutes in hard time. While she was in prison it was reported that she was suffering from "severe ADD". Does this mean that whenever someone doesn't like being in prison they can get put on house arrest instead?

Psychic detectives?

Someone recently asked me what my deal was with psychic detectives anyway. The short answer: I don't have a problem with someone who can assist law enforcement and solve cases through any ability. I have a problem with people who have no actual psychic powers but convince grieving families and law enforcement officials to involve them in cases where they waste everyone's time and give people false hope.

I also have a problem with people making fraudulent claims about what they've done and charging money to people for services that they can't provide. As for whether or not I believe in psychics at all, I have yet to see substantial evidence that paranormal powers exist. They might, but so far I'm not convinced.

A very serious problem

Kids, I'd like to talk to you all about a very serious problem. This is a problem that we all could suffer from. Some of us aren't really bothered with it at all, some struggle with it occasionally, and some are terrified at the very thought of it. I am, of course, talking about writer's block.

Why it's called writer's block I'm not entirely sure. It's not so much a block, it's more of a blank. A lack of ideas, thoughts and opinions. Sometimes writer's block just takes a few minutes and a Dr Pepper to get over, but other time it's so consuming that even the most controversial topics provoke no response.

Seriously, right now I don't have an opinion on anything and I always have opinions on things. I tried to think up a political topic for once and even that didn't work. Although it could be because I get most of my political commentary from Penn & Teller.

Nowak could be cleared of kidnapping charges

Lisa Nowak (pictured left), a former astronaut who famously drove from Houston to Orlando wearing a diaper in order to allegedly kidnap her love rival, could be cleared of the aforementioned kidnapping charges. It has been revealed that paramedics who attended to Colleen Shipman in 2007 stated that she was not pepper sprayed in the face by Nowak and did not complain of any burning sensations, contradicting Shipman's claims.

With this new information the kidnapping charges, which are the most serious against Nowak, could be dropped.

The train wreck no one can look away from

The police were called out to Jon and Kate Gosselin's house following a screaming match between the pair. The couple, who are divorcing, were said to have started arguing over the babysitter that was helping out with the children.

Officers managed to diffuse the situation. No citations were issues and no one was arrested. Kate (pictured left) was then asked to leave the property in accordance with the couple's custody agreement.

Untouchable

Darryn Walker, 35, has been cleared of obscenity charges over a short story he wrote detailing the rape, murder and mutilation of the English girl group Girls Aloud (pictured left). The story, entitled Girls (Scream) Aloud was originally posted as erotic fiction that depicted the sexual assault and murder of band members Kimberly Walsh, Cheryl Cole, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts, and Sarah Harding.

Concern was raised that young fans of the pop group would access the story however it was demonstrated that in order to find the short story one would have to use "non-innocent" search terms. Walker, who lost his job as a civil servant following his arrest, was cleared of the charges of obscenity.

Parenting fail

Sarah Rose Dillard-Lubin (pictured left), 25, has pleaded not guilty to charges of poisoning her daughter. Dillard-Lubin took the two month old girl into the hospital where it was discovered that the baby had a high amount of opiates in her blood stream. Dillard-Lubin attempted to explain the opiates by stating that she was on pain medication and she must have passed the drug onto the baby through her breast milk.

However, the level of opiates was so high that doctors stated the morphine must have been added to the milk after it was extracted. Dillard-Lubin was previously convicted of Willful Cruelty to a Child when her then 10-month-old son went through a similar situation where he almost overdosed from morphine. She lost custody of her son to his father. It is believed that Dillard-Lubin may have been attempting to seek her daughter's father's attention when she allegedly poisoned the girl.

Catholic ex-priest arrested

James Robinson (pictured left), 71, a former Catholic priest, was extradited back to the UK for multiple child abuse charges. Robinson worked in both Birmingham and Coventry from 1959 and 1983.

Altogether Robinson faces 22 abuse charges including indecent assault, indecency against a child, and serious sexual assault. A police spokeswoman added "A spokesman for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham said it had co-operated fully with the police and would continue to do so."

Convicted killer charged with 5 more murders

Andrew Urdiales (pictured left), 45, has been charged with the murders of five women in California. Urdiales already resides on death row in Illinois for the murders of three women. The California murders took place from 1986 to 1995, around that time Urdailes was stationed as a marine at Camp Pendleton.

He has now been accused of the murders of Robbin Brandley and four prostitutes; Julie McGhee, Maryann Wells, Tammie Erwin and Denise Maney. Prosecutors are unsure if they will opt for the death penalty.

Is wrinkle cream worth going to jail?

Ella Orko (pictured left), 86, was arrested for shoplifting last Sunday after she was discovered to have concealed over $250 worth of merchandise in her pants. Orko was attempted to steal items such as wrinkle cream, cosmetics, and instant coffee.

Meanwhile, this isn't the first time Orko has been arrested for shoplifting. Her first arrest was in 1956. Since then she has been arrested more than 60 times for shoplifting related charges and has been convicted 13 times. Police describe her as a habitual shoplifter.

Unsolved, revisited

Manitoba RCMP are taking the time to review several homicide and missing persons cases with female victims. They are looking for connections between the cases and are attempting to figure out if a serial killer could be behind some of the crimes. So far there is no evidence that a serial killer is responsible.

RCMP set up a five person team to comb through old cases, some of which contain so many files that they fill an entire room, after public concern was raised for the victims of the crimes. Approximately 28 unsolved murder cases are being reinvestigation. Some are decades old.

Tricked out

Thomas Davis, a Carolina Panthers' linebacker, reported his car stolen last Saturday. The car (pictured left) is a 1975 Chevrolet Caprice Classic and features a multitude of upgrades and extras, putting the total value of the car at around $136,000.

The vehicle is easily recognizable as Davis' due to the upgrades, which include the Carolina Panthers logo and his last name engraved on the steering wheel. Davis' car collection was also featured in Dub magazine.

Just hand over the money

Jim Nicholson, 30, was fired from his job as a bank teller after he apprehended a 29-year-old man who had attempted to hold him up. The man (pictured left) demanded money from Nicholson but instead of complying with the would-be robber he lunged at him and chased him down the street.

Nicholson and a passerby managed to subdue the man before police arrived. However, a few days after the incident Nicholson was fired for not complying with the bank's policy on how to handle robberies. Nicholson started that he understood why he was fired but added that chasing down the robber was "-something I almost look forward to. It's a thrill and I'm an adrenaline-junkie person. It's the pursuit."

Octomom in a sea of legal issues

Nadya Suleman AKA the Octomom (pictured left) was under scrutiny again when one of her 14 children accidentally drank a saline solution from a science project volcano kit and began to vomit. Suleman called 911 and the boy was taken to the hospital. He was evaluated and deemed that the incident was handled approrpriately.

Meanwhile, Suleman is petitioning the court to have a law suit against her thrown out. The suit alleges that Suleman violated child labor laws by allowing her children to be filmed for a reality TV show. The law suit was brought by Paul Petersen, a former child performer and child protection advocate.

Amy Winehouse cleared of assault charges

Amy Winehouse, 24, (pictured left) was cleared of all charges regarding an incident between the singer and Sherene Flash, 27. Winehouse was accused of hitting Flash when Flash approached her for a photograph.

Winehouse stated that she felt intimidated by Flash and shoved her away but denied hitting her. The judge felt that he couldn't definitively state that Winehouse hit the woman deliberately and so he said "The charge is dismissed and the defendant discharged."

Chris Brown's apology

Chris Brown has issued a full apology to Rihanna. View below:




The exercise ball fetish

Christopher Neil Bjerkness, 31, has been accused of breaking into a fitness clinic and destroying some of their property. Bjerkness was previously accused of breaking into two other clinics and slashing the rubber exercise balls.

Bjerkness claims he received sexual pleasure from slashing the rubber balls. A psychologist who evaluated him after his 2005 conviction stated that he did not attempt recovery and continues to endanger society.

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.

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-Rasset

RIAA 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.

Distinguishing features

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 Puppy

Krystal 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.

Despite the money that he charges for memberships and readings Ladd constantly claims that his family has financial problems:

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.