In the current male bashing hysteria, I thought it might be
interesting to challenge a few of the Feminists more wilder
accusations. Particularly those concerning men being the more violent
of the THE "GENTLER" SEX… OR ARE THEY?
News articles from around the country… Regarding the "gentler sex"…
7-21-98 Reuters
FORMER DOCTOR ACCUSED
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS—A former Little Rock doctor is accused of
shooting and killing her boyfriend. Authorities say Kimberly Davis is
a suspect in the death of William Hurt the third... a death they had
originally considered a suicide. Evidentiary hearings were held
yesterday to decide what could and could not be presented to the jury
for deliberation. Davis' trial is scheduled to begin in September.
7-22-98 Reuters
WIFE'S SWEET TONE HID ALLEGED MURDER PLOT
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO - Robert Sumser says he knew something was up
when his wife started treating him nicely, even cooking him dinner.
But he could barely believe it when police in the northern New Mexico
town of Los Lunas told him his wife, Vickie Gillmore, had offered an
undercover agent $750 to have him killed.
"I knew something was up, but not murder," Sumser told television
station, KOAT late Tuesday.
"She wanted me shot, to suffer? For me to die slow or what?" he
asked. "That's not right. To squeal like a pig?"
Gillmore was arrested last weekend and faces charges of attempted
murder, conspiracy and criminal solicitation.
Sumser said he and his wife have had some rough times and that he
became suspicious in the last few weeks when she started treating him
well and fixing him dinner.
Police allege Gillmore had been looking for someone to kill her
husband when she met an undercover detective and offered him $750 to
carry out the hit, handing over a $250 down payment.
Thinking the man had carried out the hit, 33-year-old Gillmore
allegedly asked if her husband had "squealed like a pig" in his final
moments.
7-23-98 Reuters
AUTOPSY REPORT SHOWS MURDER
GARLAND COUNTY, ARKANSAS—Autopsy reports on a Garland County man show
he did NOT shoot himself as his wife said... he was shot from behind
and bled to death before he could get help. Police say James Stevens
could NOT have shot himself... and they now believe his wife, Annette
Stevens shot him... then wrecked her car on the way to take him to
hospital. Stevens has been charged with second-degree murder but is
free on a five-thousand dollar bond.
7-25-98 Akron Beacon Journal
JUDGE WANTS SUSPECT IN BEATING EVALUATED
A Stark County judge yesterday ordered a woman accused of beating a
nun inside the Sancta Clara Monastery in Plain Township two weeks ago
to undergo sanity and competency evaluations....
7-27-98 AP
WWII CAMP CMDR'S WIFE TO BE TRIED
ZAGREB, Croatia - Croatia has asked Argentina to extradite the wife
of the alleged commander of Croatia's worst World War II
concentration camp, Croatian television reported Tuesday.
The commander, Dinko Sakic, was extradited last year and is in
Croatian custody.
In its extradition request, the Croatian Ministry of Justice said his
wife, Nada Sakic, is wanted on suspicion of crimes against humanity.
Nada Sakic, 76, also known as Esperanza, is believed to have run a
female block at the Stara Gradiska camp, a part of the Jasenovac
concentration camp, starting when she was only 16. Dinko Sakic
allegedly ran Jasenovac.
Tens of thousands of Serbs, Jews, Gypsies and insurgent Croats were
killed at Jasenovac, considered the worst of more than 20
concentration camps run by Croatia's Nazi puppet state.
Nada Sakic was arrested Friday in Argentina, where the couple had
lived since the end of World War II, following an extradition request
from Yugoslavia, which has charged her with genocide.
Croatia apparently requested her extradition to prevent her from
being tried in Serb-dominated Yugoslavia, where she would face a much
tougher trial. The majority of Jasenovac victims were Serbs.
On Saturday, the district attorney in Zagreb requested a criminal
investigation against Nada Sakic, saying she is suspected
of "torturing ... inmates in the camp of Stara Gradiska in 1942-45,
which led to the death of a large, so far unknown number of persons."
The district attorney's office also recommended she be jailed upon
arrival in Croatia.
7-27-98 REUTERS
JEALOUS WIFE BUSTED FOR ARSON
COOPER CITY, FLORIDA—A Hollywood woman is being accused of setting
fire to her estranged husband's apartment. Cooper City police say 28-
year-old Domella Toth was jealous because the man had returned to his
first wife. Investigators say she broke into his home once before...
and has confessed to torching it this time around.
7-27-98 Reuters
DEJA VU MURDER SUSPECT
ORLANDO, FLORIDA—An Orlando woman who gunned down her teenage
boyfriend 16 years ago is back behind bars, accused of killing her
latest companion. They're holding 33-year-old Christina Winfield
without bail in Orange County for the death of 54-year-old Willie
Campbell. Police say they haven't established a motive for the
weekend killing. In 1982... when she was just 17... Winfield was
convicted of manslaughter for shooting her 18-year-old boyfriend in
the head. She served four years in prison.
7-28-98 States News Service
GAS CAN ATTACK
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE—A Nashville woman doused in gasoline and set on
fire is fighting for her life this afternoon. Thirty- eight-year-old
Bille Chinca is in critical condition at Vanderbilt Medical Center.
Metro police say she was set on fire by another woman. Neighbors at
the Shelby Street apartment complex where they live say the two women
had a well-known feud. Thirty-one-year-old Jerry Nelson tried to help
the victim. He suffered minor burns. The alleged attacker, Tammy
Willey, was also burned. Detectives say she fled the scene in a blue
Mazda. She is described as a 38- year-old white female and has burns
all over her body.
7-29-98 San Jose Mercury News
WOMAN CHARGED WITH FIRE ATTACK
A woman has been charged with attempted murder after she allegedly
poured a flammable liquid on her boyfriend and then set him ablaze,
authorities said.
Beverly Cassidy, 40, was charged Monday, said Assistant District
Attorney Jean Daly....
7-29-98 Akron Beacon Journal
LODI WOMAN CHARGED WITH TRYING TO KILL AFTER BREAKUP POLICE SAY
SUSPECT HIT CAR OF EX-BOYFRIEND'S WIFE
A Lodi woman who allegedly attempted to solve a romantic dispute by
ramming her car into a vehicle driven by a rival is being held in
Medina County Jail on a $1 million bond.....
7-29-98 Akron Beacon Journal
POLICE CHARGE TWO IN BEATING
DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, GRANDDAUGHTER DENY ASSAULTING NORTHFIELD RESIDENT.
WOMAN, 78, SUFFERS BROKEN HIP
Police have charged the daughter-in-law and granddaughter of a 78-
year-old resident with felonious assault for the July 7 beating of
the woman known around town as the "garden lady."....
7-29-98 Newswire
WOMAN SETS BOYFRIEND ON FIRE
SAN FRANCISCO—A San Francisco woman who allegedly poured gasoline on
her boyfriend and set him on fire as he lay in bed has been charged
with attempted murder. The 40- year-old woman is also charged with
four other felony counts. The victim is in critical condition with
third- degree burns over 50-percent of his body.
7-29-98 AP
NEWBORN BOY FOUND DEAD IN TRASH BIN
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA—Police searched for clues Wednesday to identify
the mother of a newborn boy found dead in a gas station trash bin.
Police said the infant, with his umbilical cord still attached, was
found early Wednesday morning by a homeless man rummaging through the
bin in an area near Lindbergh Field. The baby was wrapped in a blood-
stained sheet, San Diego police Lt. Jim Collins said.
The infant was left in the bin sometime after Tuesday morning, when
the Dumpster was last emptied.
He appeared to be full-term, and likely was born sometime after
Monday morning. "We're not sure yet whether it was a stillborn or a
live birth," Collins said.
Police had no information on the baby's parents, and were asking
anyone with details to come forward.
7-29-98 Newswire
WOMAN ARRESTED IN MURDER CONSPIRACY
RICHMOND, KENTUCKY—A Richmond woman has been arrested for complicity
to murder in connection with the deaths of her mother and stepfather.
Elisia Sluder is being held at the Boyle County Detention Center on a
more than one-Million dollar cash bond. A Mercer County grand jury
indicted Sluder in the deaths of Leo and Gayle Adkinson in May.
7-29-98 Newswire
WOMAN ACCUSED OF KILLING TODDLER
CHICAGO—A Chicago woman is being accused in the murder of her one-
year-old daughter. Cecilia Gutierrez appeared in court yesterday and
was ordered held without bond on charges she scalded the toddler to
death. The child, Maria Herrera, was brought to the hospital in late
June and died on July 20th. Gutierrez's three other children are in
state custody.
7-29-98 Indianapolis Star/News
HEARING HELD FOR MOTHER CHARGED WITH KILLING KIDS
NEW CASTLE WOMAN, 24, ALLEGEDLY SET BLAZE THAT KILLED 3 CHILDREN;
AFFIDAVIT SAYS SHE CONSIDERED THEM A `BURDEN.'
By Eric C. Rodenberg Indianapolis Star/News
NEW CASTLE, INDIANA—A plea of not guilty was entered late Wednesday
for a 24-year-old mother charged with the arson murders of her three
children.
Henry Superior Court I Judge Michael Peyton entered the not-guilty
plea for Amy Bostick, who is charged with three counts of murder, as
is customary when a defendant does not offer a plea.
She also is charged with arson and sexual misconduct with a minor.
Bostick was returned after the court hearing to the Henry County
Jail, where she will be held without bond until her trial, scheduled
for December.
The judge also appointed public defender David Whitton as her legal
counsel.
Bostick is charged with starting the March 16 early morning fire in
which Jason M. Robinson, 1; Ashley Joy Robinson, 2; and Jessica
Nichole Robinson, 4, died in the bedroom of their home. Autopsy
reports concluded the children died of smoke inhalation.
Bostick and the children's father, Jason Robinson, were separated at
the time and have since divorced.
Henry County Prosecutor Kit C. Dean Crane said he has not decided
whether to seek the death penalty in the case.
In an affidavit filed in court, Crane said investigators found that
an accelerant was used to start the fire in two places that led to
the deaths of Bostick's children. It also noted that
Bostick "admitted that she did tie a belt upon the door knob of the
children's room."
She also admitted that she and a 16-year-old male neighbor were in
bed together at the time of the fire, according to the affidavit.
Witnesses, cited in the affidavit, said Bostick was unhappy with the
children, that she felt as if "her kids tied her down a lot and they
were a great burden on her."
The National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, Profiling and
Behavioral Assessment Unit of the FBI, in assisting in the
investigation, determined that Bostick "fit the profile" of someone
capable of killing their children, according to the affidavit.
"Some parents view their children as a wall between their spouse or
lover," the profile affidavit said. "They believe that if the
children were removed the adults could live happily."
According to the affidavit, Bostick admitted having sexual relations
with the minor since he was 15 years old in December 1997. She had
told a friend she was in love with the juvenile and "that she would
do anything for (him)."
Two days after the funeral, Bostick went to an area restaurant with
her friends, according to the affidavit. "She went out with them,
laughed, and had a good time like nothing was wrong," a friend, Wade
McKenzie, told investigators. "He (McKenzie) stated that it was
though she had no emotions to her now. He concluded by stating, `You
know what I'm saying, just as cold as hell."'
At the time of the fire, Bostick said she was awakened by smoke and
attempted to reach the children but was driven back by heat and
smoke, investigators said. She then ran to a neighbor's house and
dialed emergency 911 shortly before 1 a.m.
Firefighters found the children's bodies in the same positions the
mother said she saw them in when she last checked on them, indicating
they may have been overcome by smoke as they slept, investigators
said.
Since November, there have been 10 violent deaths in Henry County, a
mostly rural county of 48,000 residents. Among them is the June
apartment fire that killed Angela Loften, 19, and her two children,
Angelica, 2, and Brandon, 6 months.
That fire remains under investigation, according to Crane, who has
announced he is considering filing reckless homicide charges against
the owner of the small apartment building.
Although no one was killed or injured, arson was blamed for a Henry
County fire earlier this week that destroyed a 142-year-old church in
Blountsville.
"I suspect that this is the most violent period of history we have
seen in Henry County," Crane said. "I'm not saying all of these
violent crimes are connected, only that it's just been a tragic
series of coincidences for our county."
7-29-98 Newswire
MOM PLEADS NOT GUILTY IN DEATHS
SAN FERNANDO, CALIFORNIA—Los Angeles County prosecutors are seeking
special circumstances in the murder case against a Santa Clarita
mother. Sandi Nieves has pleaded NOT guilty to charges she suffocated
her four daughters with gas from a stove... and tried to kill her
teenage son. Nieves is alleged to have set a small fire in hopes that
it would cover up the killings of her daughters, aged five to 12.
Prosecutors say although they are seeking the special circumstances,
that doesn't mean they are seeking the death penalty against Nieves.
Court documents indicate she was locked in a bitter custody battle
with her ex-husband.
8-1-98 Long Beach Press-Telegram
PASADENA MAYOR'S WIFE PLEADS INNOCENT
COURTS: HOLDEN CHARGED WITH UNLAWFUL SEX ACTS WITH A MINOR.
Pasadena Mayor Chris Holden's wife pleaded innocent Friday to
allegations in an eight-count indictment that charges her with
unlawful sex acts with a minor.
The indictment against Michelle Holden was unsealed during her
arraignment in Los Angeles Superior Court.....
8-1-98 Spokesman-Review
WOMAN ARRESTED IN KNIFE COMPLAINT
A 45-year-old woman was jailed late Thursday following a complaint
that she threatened a neighbor with a knife.
Jo Ann Rawls is charged with aggravated assault. Her bond was set
Friday at $20,000 following her first appearance before a judge, a
Kootenai County Jail deputy said.
Beth Gregory, 34, and Joseph Emerson, 33, told Coeur d'Alene police
officers Rawls came to the door with a knife about 11:15 p.m., yelled
obscenities at them and threatened to kill them. Rawls then waved the
knife at....
8-2-98 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
WOMAN CHARGED IN SHOOTING
A Columbus woman was arrested Friday night after she allegedly fired
multiple shots from her car at a Viking Drive home, police said.
Chavonne Davis, 25, of 1060 Valencia Drive, was charged with two
counts of aggravated assault after at least four shots were fired
from a .38-caliber pistol at 2827 Viking Drive, said Columbus Police
Lt. Randy Hart.
The two people inside the home, 33-year-old Terri Johnson, and 25-
year-old James Johnson, were not injured in the drive-by shooting,
Hart said.
8-2-98 The Macon Telegraph
OVERZEALOUS BOUNTY HUNTERS SENTENCED IN AUGUSTA
Two young bounty hunters have been sentenced to five years probation
and fined $1,000 each for repeatedly firing a shotgun at a car
carrying a woman they were attempting to pick up for missing a court
date.
Rachel Diane Davis, 20, and Daniel Murdie Smith, 18, pleaded guilty
to reduced charges Friday in Richmond County Superior Court.
In addition to the sentence, Judge J. Carlisle Overstreet granted the
pair first-offender status when they pleaded guilty to criminal
damage to property in the first....
8-3-98 The Charlotte Observer
DRUG ENABLES WOMAN TO STAND TRIAL IN 2 MURDERS
A new drug has helped Debra Sprangle find some degree of sanity. And
that means she may stand trial soon for the murder of a boyfriend and
a husband....
8-4-98 States News Service
JEALOUS WIFE RAMS HUSBAND'S CAR
GARDEN CITY, NJ—A jealous wife is behind bars in Nassau County today
after she allegedly rammed her husband's car with a suspected rival
inside. The other woman is in critical condition with a broken
pelvis. Edith Ponce of Hempstead was driving with her son in Garden
City when she saw her husband Alexander driving with another woman.
Ponce reportedly followed the pair and smashed her car into theirs.
Then her car bounced off and smashed into two more cars. Ponce is
being held on a 50-thousand dollar bond.
8-5-98 States News Service
WIFE CHARGED WITH HUSBAND'S MURDER
ALBANY, NY—A Ravena woman has been charged with two counts of second-
degree murder for killing her husband. Frances Boice has been
indicted by an Albany County grand jury and will be arraigned in the
next few days. Boice is accused of shooting her husband, Richard, to
death in their home in June then driving to North Dakota. She is
legally blind and suffers from multiple sclerosis. Boice was caught
in North Dakota days after the murder and just returned to New York
over the weekend.
8-6-98 States News Service
COALITION BACKS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LAWS
HUNTSVILLE—The Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence is
expected to react today to allegations that some women are abusing
the state's domestic violence laws. A Huntsville-based fathers'
rights organization is apparently claiming that some wives are
applying for protection under the domestic violence laws when they
only want a divorce. The coalition is expected to try and debunk
those allegations.
8-6-98 States News Service
KIDNAPPING CASE GOES TO GRAND JURY
BIRMINGHAM, AL—Charges against a baby-sitter accused of kidnapping
and robbing a 92-year-old man are being sent to a Jefferson County
grand jury. Tana Perry is accused of kidnapping Joseph Shear and
forcing him to withdraw ten- thousand-dollars from his bank account
in a series of stops at AmSouth Bank branches last month. Perry was
once a "sitter" for the Shear family but reportedly was fired for
stealing. Shear appeared at the preliminary hearing and identified
Perry as his kidnapper.
8-7-98 States News Service
Wife Sentenced In Husband's Murder
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO—A Colorado Springs woman has been sentenced to
35 years in prison for killing her husband. Cecilia Johnson was
convicted in June in the shooting death of Walter Johnson. Mrs.
Johnson argued she killed Johnson in self-defense and that she was a
victim of domestic violence. Prosecutors say Mrs. Johnson shot her
husband twice in the back because she was angry that he was leaving
her. Authorities say the fatal shots came after an argument over a
two-thousand dollar check.
8-9-98 Detroit News / Katie Merx
SEX WITH TEACHER TOOK BOY'S YOUTH: EXPERTS SAY 13-YEAR-OLD VICTIM MAY
TAKE YEARS TO UNDERSTAND CONSEQUENCES OF ACT
MT. CLEMENS, MICHIGAN—Rebecca Ann Schroeder is behind bars for a
year, but her 13-year-old lover could be dealing with the
consequences of her actions for a lifetime, law enforcement officials
and counselors say.
"He is a victim of tender years," Macomb County Circuit Judge Pat
Donofrio said. "Unfortunately, in situations like this, the victims
often feel they are the cause rather than the victim."
Schroeder, 28, of Roseville, was sentenced Friday to 12 months in
jail, a year on an electronic tether under house arrest and five
years probation for engaging in sexual intercourse with the teen. She
also is prohibited from seeing him and is required to pay for his
counseling.
Dr. Gerald Shiener, a psychiatrist at the Detroit Medical Center-
Sinai, said it's all about control and authority.
"First, you assume the only reason an adult woman would pursue a
relationship with a 13-year-old boy is because she doesn't feel
capable of maintaining a relationship with a man," Shiener said. "It
lets her be in control of the relationship. It gives her authority."
For the child, Shiener said, a relationship with an adult is exciting
and flattering.
"For a male child of that age, especially, it makes him feel like a
man," Shiener said.
But a 13-year-old boy is not a man, and there is a reason the state
has made sex with a minor a crime, Donofrio said.
"The young person does not have the capacity to understand the long-
term consequences or affect on long-term growth (that a physical
sexual relationship will have)," Donofrio said.
An added detriment, when it comes to sex crimes against boys,
Donofrio said, is that society seems to have a gender bias.
"In our society, when roles are reversed, we have a tremendous
support system," Donofrio said. "When the victim is male, we don't
have that same support."
Not only did Schroeder break the law and take advantage of a child,
Donofrio said during her sentencing Friday, she didn't think of the
ridicule the young man would face, the youth she stole from him or
the emotional scars she would leave.
In a letter to Donofrio, the young teen said he loves Schroeder and
asked the judge not to sentence Schroeder to any jail time.
Schroeder, a mother of two who had been rooming with the boy's older
sister, has said that she loved him, and in love letters talked of
marrying him.
While Donofrio took the teen's request and a similar request by his
family to heart, the judge said the job of the judicial system is to
protect society and to punish criminals.
"This court respects the family's request, but to honor it would
defeat the aim that there be retribution for choices made that are
criminal," Donofrio said.
The job now, Shiener said, will be to "help (the boy) to see that to
some extent he was really exploited, without damaging what self-
confidence he has left."
8-11-98 States News Service
Woman Arrested For Smoking On Plane
SAN DIEGO, CA—F-B-I agents and San Diego Harbor police have arrested
a woman accused of causing an uproar on a Southwest Airlines Plane.
Forty-two-year-old Amparo Quintero allegedly screamed obscenities
when flight attendants opened the plane's restroom door when a smoke
alarm went off. Quintero was caught smoking in the restroom, and then
reportedly hit another passenger. If convicted of all charges,
Quintero could face as much as 20-years in prison.
8-11-97 States News Service
Judges Fail To Disclose Finances
PITTSBURGH, PA—An investigation by the "Kansas City Star" newspaper
reveals that three federal judges in Western Pennsylvania have NOT
been candid in disclosing their finances. All federal judges must
fill out a finance statement, but the paper has found the judges left
out stock and bond investments or failed to disclose financial
transactions. Pittsburgh Judge Donetta Ambrose is one of them. She
disclosed to court officials for the first time that her husband co-
owned an interest in Mellon Bank, while she presided over a Million-
dollar racketeering lawsuit that named the bank as a defendant.
Ambrose said she was unaware of the conflict until questioned by the
paper. Another Pittsburgh judge, Gustave Diamond, had a similar
conflict... hearing a case in which his wife owned stock. The
Pittsburgh judges were chosen at random by the Star as part of a
nationwide sampling.
NOTE: Several years ago the Minneapolis Star Tribune did a rather
enlightening article - actually it may have been a couple of
articles. One dealt with the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, and
the other dealt with West Publishing & the U.S. Supreme Court. They
were excellent. As far as I know not a damn thing was done about what
they revealed. But they make good reading for anyone interested.
In the federal courts when someone has a complaint against a judge
they have to file it with the court. Kind of like having someone
accused of rape or assault tried by a jury of their long time
buddies. Apparently however, each circuit is at least supposed to
then file the complaints with some office in D.C., with a description
of the results, etc. The 8th circuit was not even sending most of the
complaints against their judges to D.C. let alone following up with
any semblance of investigation.
West Publishing has somewhat of a monopoly for publishing all sorts
of legal stuff - reporters, etc. The corp. is in the Minneapolis/St.
Paul suburbs. BIG TIME MONEY & POWER. Anyway, the Star Trib revealed
that several members of the U.S. Supreme Court were accepting lavish
vacations from West while they were hearing cases involving West. As
I recall one or two of the judges had some wonderful explanations as
to why that was okay.
8-11-98 States News Service
Police Try To Bring Bank Robbers Back
OLYMPIA, WA—Olympia police say it could be a week before three girls
wanted for a bank robbery are brought back from California. Police
say the girls were part of a five-member female team that robbed the
bank in a heist inspired by the movie "Set It Off". The girls were
arrested yesterday in Vacaville, California. Two Aberdeen women are
being held in Olympia on 500-thousand dollars bail each.
8-11-98 The Virginian-Pilot
STABBING AT ADULT CARE FACILITY BRINGS LAWSUIT SUIT SAYS WOMAN WITH
HISTORY OF VIOLENCE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ADMITTED TO THE SITE.
Two years ago, Pearl E. Giles was sound asleep when someone entered
her bedroom at 2 a.m. and began stabbing her, over and over again, in
the face and body.
Somehow, Giles, 53 and mentally retarded, survived the attack with
six or seven wounds on her neck, face, chest and stomach. She spent
the next four months in a hospital....
8-12-98 States News Service
Grandmother Sentenced For Abuse
AKRON, OHIO—An Akron grandmother is going to prison for 25 years for
abusing her two grandchildren. That's the maximum sentence 44-year-
old Keenya Curry could have received. Authorities say Curry kept her
six-year-old granddaughter and three-year-old grandson in darkened
bedrooms... denied them food... and frequently taped their mouths
shut. A police detective said it was the worst case of child abuse
he's seen in over two decades on the job.
8-12-98 States News Service
Woman Charged In Murder-For-Hire
CHICAGO—The ex-wife of a Chicago multi-Millionaire is being accused
of soliciting his murder. Thirty-four-year- old April Goodman
reportedly tried to hire an undercover police officer posing as a hit
man. The couple was married in 1995 for less than two months. Albert
Goodman's family endowed the famous Goodman Theater.
8-12-98 AP
Teen Sentenced for Torture Death
CLEARFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA - A 14-year-old girl who tightened a noose
around the neck of a shy girl with a learning disability and watched
her killing was sentenced to six months in a juvenile detention
center.
Jodi and Richard Dotts, whose daughter was slain May 10 - Mother's
Day - sat quietly during Tuesday's sentencing of Teresa Wolfe. But
Kimberly's grandfather spoke out.
"She will be home at Christmas and Mother's Day. My daughter's
Mother's Day is not going to be a pleasant one," Joe Fuleno
said. "There's a part of my heart that's been taken out that I cannot
replace."
Kimberly Dotts was shy and overweight. She joined a group of 10 teen-
agers and her distant cousin, 24-year-old Tracy Lewis, some of whom
planned to run away to Florida together. They gathered May 10 at a
clearing in a wooded area called Gallows Harbor.
According to testimony, Ms. Lewis told others in the group that
Kimberly was a "snitch" who told police Ms. Lewis had supplied
alcohol to minors. But District Attorney Paul Cherry has said the
motive for the slaying was not clear.
Whatever the reason, a rope was placed around Kimberly's neck. She
was led around by the rope and hanged until she turned white and then
released. She was hanged a second time until she appeared dead, then
bludgeoned in the head with a rock. Her body was covered with leaves
and branches.
Miss Wolfe admitted she was the one who knotted the rope into a
makeshift noose, although according to testimony she protested the
treatment of Kimberly at least once.
Miss Wolfe, who has agreed to testify against the other defendants,
was charged as a juvenile with hindering apprehension and a
misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment.
Ms. Lewis is charged with criminal conspiracy to commit aggravated
assault and related charges. Three teen-agers are charged with
homicide.
8-13-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Woman Guilty In Teen Sex Case
NEW PORT RICHEY—A 47-year-old Pasco County woman is facing a long
prison term for carrying on a sexual affair with her daughter's 15-
year-old boyfriend. A jury convicted Elizabeth Gallart of New Port
Richey after hearing that she would pose as his mother to sign him
out of school on sick passes and then take him home for drinks,
marijuana and sex. Gallart testified that the boy had raped her, but
detectives said she told them that she craved male company after
being abandoned by her husband. The sexual relationship, described as
consensual, was discovered the day a school nurse called the
teenager's real mother to ask about his supposed illness. Gallart
will face up to 18 years in prison when she's sentenced.
8-13-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Mom Sentenced For Beating Children
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS—The mother of nine children found living in squalor
on Chicago's Northwest Side has been sentenced to more than six years
in prison for beating them. Charmaine Rogers admits burning some of
her children with cigarettes as a punishment... and striking her sons
with a belt. Police found eight of the children surrounded by garbage
and human waste last March. All of them had to be hospitalized for
several days for lice, throat infections... and ringworm.
8-13-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Piledriver Mom Charged With Neglect
DELTONA, FLORIDA—The mother who police say stood by and watched her
boyfriend drop her already injured three-year-old daughter headfirst
to the floor is now charged with aggravated child neglect. Nineteen-
year-old Tricia Banning of Oregon is being held in the Volusia County
Branch Jail. Her boyfriend... 29-year-old Robert Jiminez... is
charged with aggravated felony child abuse. Sheriff's deputies
arrested the New Jersey man August Fifth after they say he performed
a wrestling move on the girl called a "piledriver." She's recovering
from a cranial hemorrhage and is now in state custody. Doctors say
the girl shows evidence of past abuse.
8-13-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Child Dies, Homicide Suspected
MOBILE, ALABAMA—The state Crime Lab in Mobile says that nearly two-
year-old Cody Cowart of Chickasaw died of "multiple blunt force
trauma"... or heavy blows... and his death should be ruled a
homicide. The local Human Resources office is also investigating
Cowart's death. Coward apparently died at a neighbor's
home...accompanied by a 12- year-old baby-sitter.
8-13-98 GARY POST-TRIBUNE (GARY, IN)
`POISON MOTHER' CONVICTED, BUT LATER ACQUITTED
Before the jury in the Anna Cunningham case retired to consider its
verdict, Judge Martin J. Smith ruled out the possibility of a
compromise decision. He declared that the defendant was either guilty
or not guilty of the premeditated murder of her 10-year-old son
Walter....
8-14-98 THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
CABARRUS COUNTY WOMAN CHARGED WITH MURDER IN DEATH OF MAN, 78
A Kannapolis woman was charged with murder Thursday in the death of a
78-year-old man whose body was found in his mobile home near
Kannapolis.
Dannette Eidson Breedlove, 34, was charged with murder and felony
larceny in the death of James Paul Simpson. Breedlove was arrested
after a Kannapolis patrol officer spotted Simpson's car behind a
Kannapolis apartment complex where Breedlove was....
8-14-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Mom Guilty In Teen Sex Case
NEW PORT RICHEY, FLORIDA—A Pasco County jury has found a 47- year-old
woman guilty of carrying on an extended sexual affair with her
daughter's teenage boyfriend. Prosecutors say Elizabeth Gallart would
show up at his school... sometimes in a black evening dress... and
pose as his mother to get him out of classes for medical
appointments. It all came apart the day a suspicious school nurse
called the teenager's real mother to inquire about his illness. The
jury found Gallart guilty of charges that could send her to prison
for 18 years. The 15-year-old boy testified that the sex was
consensual although Gallart claimed on the stand that he had raped
her. ....but detectives said she told them that she craved male
company after being abandoned by her husband.
8-14-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Photos, Receipts Build Mom Murder Case
TAMPA, FLORIDA—Prosecutors in Tampa have released a thick stack of
investigative documents in the murder a 49-year-old mother. Among
them is an autopsy report that shows she received five stab wounds.
Prosecutors say Vicki Robinson was murdered in her home by three
people. The suspects included her 15-year-old daughter, Valessa, her
19-year-old boyfriend, Adam Davis, and his 19-year-old friend, Jon
Whispel. They are accused of stealing Robinson's credit cards and
minivan... and fleeing to Texas where they were captured. The
documents also include security camera photos that show the suspects
using Robinson's A-T-M card to get cash. She was found stuffed in a
garbage can in some woods six miles from her home.
8-14-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Cops Say Dead Baby's Mom Found
MIAMI, FLORIDA—Charges are pending against an 18-year-old woman for
allegedly tossing her newborn baby in the trash. Garbage collectors
found the dead fetus in a trash bag last month. Miami-Dade Police
found discarded documents in the same trash that led them to the
suspected 18-year-old. Investigators say D-N-A tests indicate she's
the child's mother. Now detectives are waiting for the medical
examiner to decide the cause of the baby's death. Police say the
results will determine how the mother is charged.
8-14-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Prosecutor's Niece Is Abuse Defendant
BARTOW, FLORIDA—An out-of-town prosecutor is trying to prove to a
Bartow jury that the niece of Polk County State Attorney Jerry Hill
is guilty of the abuse death of her three-year-old son. The Tampa
prosecutor was brought in because of defendant Allison Harper's close
ties to the Polk County State Attorney's Office. She's accused of
punching her son, Deven, in the stomach so hard that it ruptured his
intestines... eventually causing his death. According to medical
testimony, Deven was also covered with cuts and bruises and had
suffered a skull fracture. Harper's lawyer says the injuries were
inflicted by the boy's father because he argues that a woman could
not have inflicted such extensive injuries "unless that woman were
Godzilla."
8-14-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Murder-For-Hire Suspect Released
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS—Actress and model April Goodman has been released
from jail amid allegations she tried to hire a hit man to kill her
wealthy former husband. Officials say Goodman gave an undercover
officer a one-thousand-dollar down payment to kill multi-millionaire
Albert Goodman. April Goodman was being treated at a clinic in Cook
County Jail since Monday because she reportedly suffers from mental
problems.
8-14-98 AP
Woman Throws Self, Boy Under Train
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - A woman was killed Friday when she jumped
in front of a commuter train with a 5-year-old boy, whose leg was
severed, officials said.
"She jumped in front of the train," police Lt. Walter Rees
said. "There was no time."
The train was arriving at its first stop about 11 a.m. when the
conductor saw the woman scoop the child into her arms, kneel on the
edge of the station platform and dive under the train's wheels,
Caltrain spokeswoman Janet McGovern said.
Police said the train, bound for San Francisco, was traveling about
20 mph at the time. The conductor applied emergency brakes but could
not avoid the woman and the boy, believed to be her son.
Authorities said they had no motive.
The boy was conscious after the accident and transported to Santa
Clara Valley Medical Center, where he underwent surgery. Hospital
officials would not say whether the boy's leg would be reattached.
Ms. McGovern said the incident was the eighth Caltrain fatality this
year. Two of the deaths were ruled suicides.
8-14-98 SAN FRANCISOC EXAMINER / JIM HERRON ZAMORA
2 women accused in Muni assault
Two 20-year-old Muni bus passengers have been accused of assault for
allegedly breaking the jaw of a woman who merely asked them to turn
down the volume on their boom box.
Lamarr McCoy of San Francisco and Trinette Pinson of Marin City
allegedly began beating Rosanne Gervais after she made her request
while they were on a crowded 30-Stockton bus.
They were to appear at a preliminary hearing Friday in San Francisco
Municipal Court on two counts each of felony assault with force
likely to cause great bodily injury.
The incident occurred just before 3 p.m. Dec. 12 as the bus passed
Chestnut and Laguna streets. According to the police report, Gervais
had boarded the crowded bus and the only free place to stand was near
McCoy and Pinson.
After she asked the women to turn down the music, McCoy allegedly
said, "We can do what we want" and began swearing at Gervais.
Gervais, who was wearing a cowboy hat, told The Examiner that her
assailants called her a "dyke from Texas" and hurled a string of
obscenities. She said other youthful passengers cheered the attackers
on.
"I offered to get off the bus," said Gervais, a 31-year-old native of
Canada. "I was willing to leave. It was too late. They wouldn't let
me."
The police report said Pinson grabbed Gervais from behind as McCoy
punched. They knocked her down and McCoy kicked her several times.
Police in a passing patrol car noticed the commotion and boarded the
bus in time to catch both McCoy and Pinson as they were trying to
leave. The officers said Gervais' face was bloody.
"I'm glad they caught them," Gervais said. "No one should have to put
up with this."
8-14-98 SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER / BENJAMIN PIMENTEL
Women Get 12-Year Terms in Molest Case
Two Redwood City women convicted in a bizarre molestation case
involving a 13-year-old boy were each sentenced to 12-year prison
terms yesterday.
One of the women, the boy's mother, was concerned about her son's
sexual maturity and had arranged for him to go to bed with a family
friend.
The mother, 40, whose name was not released to protect the boy's
privacy, and the friend, Deborah Fowler, 39, pleaded no contest to
child molestation charges earlier this year.
"The community at large is appalled by this type of behavior," San
Mateo County Superior Court Judge Carl Holm said after sentencing the
mother.
"You had an obligation that you grossly violated," he said.
The case began in 1996 when the mother decided that her son, now 15,
should learn about sex from Fowler instead of some "girls off the
street," according to court papers.
The boy agreed to have sex with Fowler at least once a week and
sometimes three to four times a week, according to court records.
Police said the mother began joining the two in bed, although a
search warrant affidavit said the mother was clothed and at no time
did she touch her son.
The mother eventually decided that she wanted to end the relationship
between Fowler and her son, but the two refused, police said. The boy
told police that he would not end the affair, because he loved Fowler.
The mother sought the help of a social worker, who notified county
child welfare representatives who then contacted police.
Police arrested the mother, Fowler and the boy's father in July of
last year. Seized during a search of the mother's home were cards and
letters Fowler reportedly sent the boy, according to court records.
The mother's attorney, Sheila Marko, in appealing for probation, said
the woman tried to stop what was happening. "She is extremely
remorseful," she said.
The boy's father was accused of knowing what was going on but failing
to do anything to stop it. He was found guilty in December 1997 of
misdemeanor charges of child endangerment and failing to stop
criminal activity against a child. He was sentenced in February to 60
days in jail.
8-14-98 PRNewswire
Company Press Release SOURCE: Illinois Attorney General's Office,
Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan: Sycamore Woman Arrested In Murder
for Hire Plot
CHICAGO,ILLINOIS—A 41 year-old Sycamore woman has been charged with
attempting to hire an undercover officer to murder her husband,
Attorney General Jim Ryan announced today.
Bonnie Kauten, 1342 Larson, Sycamore, was arrested Thursday in the
parking lot of a Naperville motel after allegedly giving an
undercover officer a $500 down payment for the murder of her husband
Richard. Kauten, a suspect in an ongoing drug investigation,
allegedly offered to pay the officer $25,000 to kill her spouse,
reportedly to collect a $450,000 life insurance policy.
She was charged with one count each of solicitation of murder and
solicitation of murder for hire. Both are Class X felonies with a
penalty range of between 15 and 40 years in prison. DeKalb County
Circuit Court Judge Douglass Engel set bond at $500,000.
The charges stem from an ongoing drug investigation by the Cook
County Metropolitan Enforcement Group, DeKalb County State's Attorney
Tim Johnson, the Sycamore Police, United States postal authorities
and the Attorney General's Statewide Grand Jury Bureau. According to
investigators, the defendant allegedly asked an undercover agent in
late July who she could hire to kill her husband and was given the
phone number of another undercover agent. She allegedly called that
agent and was instructed to send a letter containing the target's
personal data, including photos, to a Chicago post office box. That
letter arrived in early August and Thursday's meeting was arranged in
subsequent phone calls.
The public is reminded that criminal defendants are innocent unless
the government is able to prove its charges in court beyond a
reasonable doubt.
8-14-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Teacher Runs Into Court Trouble
SALISBURY—A woman charged with shooting at a school official in Rowan
County seems to be getting on the judge's nerves as she acts as her
own lawyer. Former Rowan County school teacher Deborah Brogden is
charged with taking a shot at an assistant school superintendent. As
she defends herself in court, her actions are greeted with a chorus
of objections from the prosecution... and at one point yesterday, the
judge pulled the jury from the courtroom. When Brogden's mother took
the stand, she got into a shouting match with the prosecutor. Brogden
has already been found in contempt of court and her bond has been
revoked.
8-15-98 GREENSBORO NEWS & RECORD
HENRY DRAUGHN, 74, MET THE WOMAN CHARGED IN HIS DEATH AFTER HE
ADVERTISED FOR SOMEONE TO HELP WITH HOUSEKEEPING.
In the hours between Henry Draughn's death and the time police
officers found his body, his accused killer told at least five people
that she shot Draughn, according to court testimony Friday.
Penny Elizabeth Jarrett, 34, has pleaded not guilty to charges of
first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon in the July
25, 1997, death of Draughn. Jurors could sentence Jarrett to die if
they convict her of first-degree murder....
8-16-98 SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER
Woman gets 25 years for killing newborn
Visalia, Tulare County A Dinuba woman was ordered to spend 25 years
to life in prison and pay $10,000 in fines for killing her newborn.
Patricia Leal, 21, was sentenced Thursday for second-degree murder
and assault resulting in death of a child.
She smothered the infant in September 1997 in attempts to prevent her
parents from learning of her pregnancy, authorities said. Although
Leal contended the baby was stillborn, autopsy results showed the
infant had breathed a few minutes before he died.
The baby was found in her home bundled in a plastic apron and T-shirt
with a plastic toilet paper bag pressed tightly against his face,
investigators said.
8-17-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Police Search For Kidnapping Suspect
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA—Police in Indianapolis are looking for a 15-
year-old girl who allegedly kidnapped a six-week-old baby... then
left the infant on a stranger's doorstep. Police say the baby's
mother, 25-year-old Arinda Talley, awoke Sunday morning to find the
baby missing and a window screen cut.
After a day long search, police got a call Sunday night from a couple
who said a young woman had knocked on their door and left a basket
containing the baby, who was not harmed. Detectives believe the 15-
year-old suspect is an acquaintance of the baby's parents.
8-17-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Teacher Indicted On Sex Charges
ROME, GEORGIA—A former teacher has been indicted on charges she had
sex with a 15-year-old boy. A grand jury in Floyd County, Georgia
indicted 37-year-old Carolyn Smith for reportedly having sex with the
youth during spring break in April at her home in Saint Augustine
Beach. Smith quit her teaching job in Georgia after she was given the
option of being fired or being allowed to resign.
8-17-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Officer Sentenced To Life In Prison
BARNESVILLE, GEORGIA—A former Barnesville police officer... who once
headed the Domestic Violence Unit at the department... has been
sentenced to life in prison for shooting her husband to death. The
attorney for Ethel Elizabeth Tessmer intends to appeal. Tessmer
claimed her husband was a violent drunk who raped her the night she
killed him.
8-17-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Wife Charged With Murder
BRICK, NEW JERSEY—A Monmouth County woman has been charged with
killing her husband. Sylvia Flynn was arrested at the police station
after reporting that her husband, John, had been shot. Investigators
say 59-year-old John Flynn was killed in his home office and shot
several times. Flynn is free on 100-thousand dollars bail.
8-17-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Girl Suspected In Murder
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN—Milwaukee police have taken a 14-year-old girl
into custody in connection with the shooting death of a 14-year-old
boy. Police say the boy was found shot in the mouth at a north-side
home. Police are still trying to piece together a motive in the
shooting.
8-17-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Murder Charges Expected In Keely Case
NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT—Police in New Haven expect to file murder
charges this week against at least one of the guardians of a six-year-
old boy. Ryan Keely was found dead in the home of his aunt and uncle,
Lynne and Robert Friend. The state Department of Children and
Families appointed the Friends legal guardians of the boy.
Investigators say Keely's death is one of the worst examples of child
abuse ever observed in the state.
8-18-98 REUTERS
"I'm back," woman says, robbing bank again
CRANFORD, NEW JERSEY - Saying "I'm back," a woman robbed a New Jersey
bank for the second time in days, speeding off in a red car with
thousands of dollars, police said Tuesday.
They said the woman walked up to a teller's window just before noon
Monday, her right arm wrapped in a blue T-shirt as if to conceal a
gun.
She told the teller, "I'm back. ... Give me the hundreds and 50s."
Police said it was not known whether the woman actually had a weapon
when she robbed the Roselle Savings Bank in the northeastern New
Jersey town of Cranford. She sped off in a red, two-door car that had
been parked nearby.
Police said the robbery and the first one at the bank Friday had both
been captured on a video surveillance camera and the FBI might have
identified the suspect.
"It's very unusual to have a woman rob a bank. To have a woman rob
the same bank twice in a week is even more unusual," Cranford Police
Sgt. Frank Hanley said.
The woman, described by police as 25 to 30 years old with streaked
dirty-blond hair and scars or sores on her face and arms, made off
with more than $5,000 Monday. She took an undisclosed amount of cash
Friday.
Last year women were arrested in 4 percent of robberies of financial
institutions, burglaries and larcenies nationwide and in 10 percent
of all New Jersey robberies, according to FBI and N.J. State Police
statistics.
8-18-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Third Arrest Made In Cuyler Murder
WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT—A third person is under arrest in the murder of
seven-year-old Jarrell Cuyler (KY'-ler). Twenty-year-old Roberto
Marquez of Hartford is charged with hindering prosecution and
tampering with evidence. Twenty-three-year- old Chastity West of
Windsor and 18-year-old Alexis Grajales (GRA-ha'-les) already face
murder charges in the boy's death. Cuyler was slashed to death while
he slept last month in Windsor.
8-18-98 GREENSBORO NEWS & RECORD
POLICE ARREST WOMAN IN CONNECTION WITH SAILOR'S 1992 KILLING
Henry County authorities have arrested a second suspect in the 1992
suffocation death of a Navy serviceman.
Roxanna Beck Latham, 37, of 901 Ivy St., Roanoke, Va., was arrested
Friday in Salem, Va. She is charged with first-degree murder in the
death of Jerry Allen McClendon and with grand larceny. She was
transferred from the Roanoke County Jail to the Virginia Beach Jail
on Monday....
8-19-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Stepmom Won't Go To Jail
LENOIR, NORTH CAROLINA—A 27-year-old Burke County woman has avoided a
prison term by admitting to a sexual relationship with her 14-year-
old stepson. Sherry Lynn Moretz... who gave birth to a child fathered
by the boy... has pleaded guilty to taking indecent liberties with a
minor... and to sexual activity by a substitute parent. Her 25 to 30-
month sentence was suspended, but she was ordered to undergo five
months of intensive probation. Moretz was indicted in Caldwell County
on a variety of related charges early this year.
8-19-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Woman Shoots Boyfriend
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA—A Lancaster man is dead and his girlfriend
is in jail awaiting a bond hearing for his murder. Forty-two-year-old
Betty Whiteside reportedly shot Max Morris in the heart. They had
been dating for several years. The couple was at a party before the
shooting and witnesses say everything seemed fine when the couple
left.
8-19-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Woman Gets Ten Years For Arson
JOPLIN, MISSOURI—A judge in Joplin is sending a woman who set her own
home on fire to prison for ten years. Letitia Ford pleaded guilty
earlier this year to arson charges for setting her home on fire in
March... while her boyfriend and her child slept inside. The
boyfriend, Brooks Goins, managed to rescue the child and a friend who
was also spending the night.
8-19-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
HIV Woman In Court
SHELBYVILLE, TENNESSEE—A woman accused of infecting dozens of men
with the deadly H-I-V virus faces a Marshall County judge this
morning. Pam Wiser was jailed last month after being accused of
having unprotected sex with men for revenge after testing positive
for H-I-V.
8-19-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Teacher Gets Prison Time
SALISBURY, NORTH CAROLINA—A former Rowan County teacher is going to
prison for firing a pistol at a school administrator. Deborah Brogden
was sentenced to a 20 to 24-month term for the incident last November
at the home of assistant school superintendent Daniel Thomas.
Brogden... angry over losing her job...fired the gun at Thomas,
missing him. Brogden, who acted in her own defense, tried to convince
jurors that she fired in the air to frighten Thomas. The trial in
Salisbury featured rambling questions from the defendant concerning
Princess Diana and Superman... and earned her two citations for
contempt of court.
8-19-98 AP
Calif. Woman Pregnant by Foster Son
ANTIOCH, CALIFORNIA - A woman ordered to stay away from her former
foster son after having the boy's child is again pregnant by the 17-
year-old.
Charlene Wilson of Antioch says she and the boy love each other and
she should not be punished for their relationship. Wilson was 27 and
the foster child 14 when they began having sex.
She gave birth to a boy last year while serving an eight-month jail
term for unlawful sexual intercourse.
Prosecutors want Wilson jailed at least until the boy turns 18 in
March "and has the right to make up his mind for himself" about the
relationship, said Gary Koeppel of the Contra Costa County District
Attorney's office.
"She basically manipulated him into having two children with her,"
Koeppel said. "There is no way he could have appreciated what he was
getting into."
In Wednesday's Contra Costa Times, Wilson said she loved the boy. "I
just want everyone to know that I am not a child molester."
The boy told a probation officer he wants to live with Wilson and
raise their children, according to court records. The probation
officer said the boy's father, who lives in Santa Cruz, supports the
relationship because he "wants his son to be happy."
8-19-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Indictment Possible In Murder For Hire
CLARKSON, NEW YORK—A Niagara County grand jury is expected to indict
a Clarkson woman this week... accused in a murder for hire case.
Annette Monstream is accused of having her husband, John, killed back
in late June of this year. His body was dumped in a Niagara Falls
parking garage. Monstream has been charged with second-degree murder
in the case.
8-20-98 REUTERS / Christine Gardner
New Jersey `prom mom' pleads guilty in baby death
FREEHOLD, NEW JERSEY - A New Jersey woman accused of killing her
newborn son after giving birth at her high school prom last year
pleaded guilty Thursday to aggravated manslaughter.
Prosecutors asked that Melissa Drexler, 20, be sentenced to 15 years
in prison, meaning she could be eligible for parole in just under
three years. Sentencing was set for Oct. 29.....
..."The baby was born alive," she said.
"I was aware of what I was doing at the time that I placed the baby
in a bag, and I was further aware that what I did would most
certainly result in a death of the baby," she said....
...Drexler did not explain her motive.
Afterward, prosecutor John Kaye said: "It's very hard to figure out
what's in her heart ... I would think as a mother you would have to
feel pretty bad about this."...
8-20-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Nurse Figures In Hospital Deaths Probe
WINTER HAVEN, FLORIDA—State officials are demanding a look at the
personnel records of a Polk County nurse whose name has come up in
connection with the mysterious deaths of three patients at Winter
Haven Hospital. The woman has not been identified publicly, but she
worked in a unit where the three died of catastrophic declines in
blood sugar levels. Seven other patients survived similar symptoms.
Investigators say the condition could have been induced by insulin
injections, although none of the patients was diabetic. The nurse was
suspended after the deaths, and later fired for reasons unrelated to
patient care.
8-20-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Mother Guilty Of Misdemeanor For Abuse
BARTOW, FLORIDA—A Winter Haven woman accused of killing her three-
year-old son when she punched him in the stomach has been convicted
of a misdemeanor and will probably escape a prison term. A jury in
Bartow returned the verdict against Allison Harper after several
hours of deliberation last night. The defendant... the niece of Polk
County state Attorney Jerry Hill... was accused of hitting little
Deven Harper in the stomach so hard that it ruptured his intestine
and caused an agonizing, five-day death from untreated infection.
8-20-98 AP
Seven charged in dancers' deaths; slayings linked to gang rite
FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA - Seven young people were accused
Thursday of shooting to death two nightclub dancers in an apparent
gang initiation rite in which the killers used bullets tipped with
blue, the gang's color.
Investigators said the victims, Susan R. Moore, 25, and Tracy R.
Lambert, 18, were selected at random and were shot as they knelt.
The defendants were arrested in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and charged with
murder after officers traced calls made from a cellular phone
belonging to one of victims. One is a 15-year-old girl. The six
others are 18 to 21.
"They referred to themselves as the Crips and they carried their
colors," said Chief Sheriff's Deputy Cuyler Windham.
Blue paint, thought to be nail polish, was found in the victims'
wounds and in bullets at the home where the group lived, deputies
said.
The victims were found shot to death Monday in a field about 15 miles
north of Fayetteville.
8-21-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Woman Sought In Stabbing
(CHICAGO) -- Police are trying to locate a woman for questioning
about the stabbing of her boyfriend on Chicago's North Side. The 41-
year-old UN-named man is in critical condition at Illinois Masonic
Medical Center. Police believe the woman stabbed her boyfriend
yesterday while visiting a friend's apartment.
8-21-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Woman Gets New Arson Trial
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI—A Kansas City, Missouri woman accused of arson
will get a new trial. Thandi Powell is accused of starting a 1997
fire that killed a disabled Central Missouri State University
student. Earlier this year, a jury found Powell guilty of setting a
fire in a university housing complex. A student with cerebral palsy
in one of the apartments, wheelchair-bound David Cogswell, died of
smoke inhalation as he desperately tried to crawl to safety. But a
judge ruled Wednesday that Powell had ineffective counsel for her
first trial... and has ordered a new one.
8-21-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Jailed Woman To Attend Baby's Funeral
PROVO, UTAH—Prosecutors say they have new evidence against a woman
accused of dumping her baby's body at the mouth of American Fork
Canyon... but police are still not saying if they think Darcy Baum is
responsible for the baby's death. A hearing scheduled for Baum
yesterday was postponed. Baum has been charged with desecrating a
human body. She will be let out of jail for a short time today to
attend her baby's funeral. The baby's body was found by a hiker
earlier this month.
8-21-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Woman Sentenced For Death Of Child
SAINT GEORGE, UTAH—A southern Utah woman convicted of killing her
unborn baby with drugs will spend a year in jail and probation in
connection with the child's death. Deena Pittman's child was
stillborn earlier this year. An autopsy later determined that the
baby died of a methamphetamine overdose. Pittman has been ordered to
undergo drug treatment and counseling.
8-21-98 PRNEWSWIRE
Company Press Release SOURCE: Court TV to Premiere `Accident Or
Murder? Lives Cut Short' `Trial Story' Features Exclusive Jailhouse
Interview and Spotlights Teenage Love Triangle That Turned Deadly;
Episode Airs Tuesday, September 1 at 8 pm ET
NEW YORK—Young love is often wrought with angst. Add a two-timing
boyfriend, jealousy and an innocent bystander, and a love triangle
can often turn deadly. Court TV will explore these issues
in "Accident or Murder? Lives Cut Short" on Tuesday, September 1 at 8
pm ET/5 PM PST. This emotionally wrenching story shows how the
actions of 16-year-old Candy McDonald has destroyed two families and
features an exclusive jailhouse interview with McDonald. "Accident or
Murder? Lives Cut Short" airs as part of "When The Bough Breaks"
theme week on Trial Story.
On September 28, 1996, 16-year-old Candy got into a shoving match
with the best friend (Nikki Majeed, 14) of her romantic rival. It
quickly turned into a deadly slashing, when Candy cut Nikki's jugular
vein with a utility knife; she died within minutes. Candy says that
she was holding the utility knife to fix some wires in the car and
that she did not even realize the knife was in her hand when she
swung at Nikki. Was Candy simply trying to get away from Nikki as she
claims? Or was she intent on hurting Nikki? The jury had to decide
between a second degree murder verdict or the lesser charge of
involuntary manslaughter.
8-23-98 AP
Woman Arrested in Cyanide Scare
LOS ANGELES - A woman was arrested Sunday for allegedly trying to
mail 100 envelopes containing deadly sodium cyanide to people across
Southern California and as far away as New York.
The 50-year-old woman was arrested at a post office in Marina del
Rey, about 10 miles southwest of Los Angeles, said Deputy Bob
Killeen, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
The cyanide, in a powder form, was in plastic bags and inside the
envelopes, Killeen said. The envelopes also contained brochures that
claimed the powdery substance was a nutritional supplement, the
spokesman said.
Authorities did not know whether the woman, a resident of Carpinteria
on the central coast of California, had already mailed any of the
envelopes.
Shortly after the woman's arrest, deputies sealed off an area around
the post office. A sheriff's hazardous materials team was sent into
the area, while deputies evacuated nearby streets and a shopping
center, Deputy Steve Wealer said.
People were allowed to return to the area about five hours later.
8-24-98 STATE NEWS SERVICE
Woman Avoids Jail After Stabbing
CHICAGO—Rekindled love is keeping a Chicago woman OUT of jail for
stabbing her boyfriend during a domestic altercation. Forty-one-year-
old Raymond Dixon has refused to sign a complaint against his
girlfriend because he says the two are in love again. He is listed in
serious condition at Illinois Masonic Medical Center with a stab
wound in his abdomen.
9-2-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE / KVEC - SAN LUIS OBISPO
Woman Was Burned Alive
SANTA MARIA, CALIFORNIA—There are some grim details emerging from the
case of a Bakersfield woman who died after being set on fire outside
Santa Maria. A crime expert has testified that Mona Elizabeth Masters
remained conscious for several minutes after being doused with
gasoline and set ablaze. She was severely burned over 95 percent of
her body. Three people, two of them women, are charged in connection
with Masters' murder. Her body was found in a farm field on May 27th.
9-2-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Woman Charged With Boyfriend's Murder
NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY—A central New Jersey woman has been charged
with killing her live-in boyfriend during a domestic dispute.
Michelle Tierney pleaded NOT guilty yesterday. Thomas Harsell was
stabbed to death. Neighbors say the couple fought frequently and
police were a familiar sight at their home in Colonia.
9-2-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Taos Woman Guilty Of Manslaughter
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO—A 25-year-old woman has been found guilty of
voluntary manslaughter for the 1993 shooting death of a Taos woman.
Members of Chris Romero's family shrieked with joy when state
District Judge Michael Vigil read the jury's verdict against Teena
Trujillo. Several family members hugged each other and then embraced
prosecutors Theresa Welch and Jerry Marshak after the jury was
excused. Trujillo now faces three years in prison. Vigil ordered her
to be held under house arrest until her sentencing on September 25th.
The jury, which deliberated for more than eight hours on the case,
could have convicted Trujillo of second-degree murder. But all of
Romero's family members interviewed yesterday say they are satisfied
with the manslaughter conviction.
9-2-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Woman Out On Bail For Murder
LYONS, NEW YORK—Bail has been posted for a western New York woman
accused of running down another Lyons woman with her car after an
argument. Polly Smith is out on 50-thousand dollars bail. The 18-year-
old is accused of arguing with Amanda Leoni over a boy then pinning
her under the car. She died the next day.
9-4-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Woman Pregnant By Foster Son Jailed
ANTIOCH, CALIFORNIA—An Antioch woman... who is having her second
child by a former foster son... has now been jailed for violating the
terms of her probation. She stood trial last year on charges of
having sex with a minor, and was placed on probation. One condition
was to stay away from the boy, who is now 17. But it turns out the
pair have been living together in an apartment for the past eight
months.
9-5-98 AP / MARGARET TAUS
Mother Held for Deaths of Six Kids
ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA - Khoua Her married young and had her first child
by the age of 13. By the time the Hmong immigrant was 24, she was the
mother of six, in a stormy marriage and, friends say, overwhelmed.
Her "was depressed over the amount of responsibility she had," Mai
Xiong, a friend of Her's new boyfriend, told the Star Tribune of
Minneapolis.
Her loved her children but regretted marrying so young, Xiong said.
Police say Her called 911 Thursday night, talking of suicide, and
admitted to killing her three sons and three daughters.
When authorities arrived, they found Her lying inside the doorway of
her public housing apartment, a body of a child behind her. The five
others were found throughout the apartment. Authorities say they were
strangled.
Police identified them as Kouaeai Hang, 11; Samson Hang, 9; Nali
Hang, 9; Tang Lung Hang, 7; Aee Hang, 6; and Tung Ke Hang, 5.
Her was taken to a hospital with unknown injuries. Police said they
believe she tried to hurt herself, but they would not release her
condition. She is in police custody.
"This is a terrible example of domestic violence," Police Chief
William Finney said Friday.
Police were familiar with the family; they had been called to the
apartment at least 15 times in the past 18 months. A social worker
had been dealing with the family for some time, Finney said,
but "there was never any indication the children were in this kind of
danger."
Police said she was estranged from her husband, Kong Hang, who was
not living at the residence.
She had obtained an order for protection against Hang in June after
several years of domestic abuse reports from the couple's home.
Police reports indicate that Her and Hang had accused the other of
instigating violent incidents, the Star Tribune reported today.
In May 1997, Her also sought a restraining order against her husband
because she said he had "threatened to kill her on almost a daily
basis for the last year," according to court documents. Through his
brother, Hang denied the charge.
Hang said his wife had threatened him with a gun several times. But
he said he never imagined she would kill the children.
"I want to tell everyone that it is not I ... who does not love my
children," he said, speaking through an interpreter on KSTP-TV.
Christopher Yang, 27, who lives next door, said Hang told him the two
married young in Laos before ending up in St. Paul, home to an
estimated 25,000 Hmong. Marrying at a young age is common in the
Hmong culture, said Yao Lo, a staff member at the Lao Family
Community of Minnesota Inc.
Her had apparently been in the country for several years.
She left Minnesota for several months this year without the children,
Yang said. When Her was at home, Yang said, she didn't seem to
supervise the children closely, letting them walk alone in the street.
She seemed like "someone who was not really taking care of her kids,"
he said.
Ramsey County authorities have until next Tuesday to charge Her in
the deaths.
The killings rank as one of the worst crimes in St. Paul history.
"This is a tragedy of overwhelming proportion," Mayor Norm Coleman
said. "We're all shaken. The community is shaken. The violence is
inexplicable."
9-3-98 REUTERS
Mother charged with starving kids
PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA - A California mother, said to be an evangelical
Christian, appeared in court Wednesday charged with trying to starve
her two young daughters to death after receiving
telephone "directions" from the Holy Spirit.
Kris Ellen Teixeira, 37, entered a not guilty plea on charges of
child abuse for allegedly failing to feed her two daughters, 9-year-
old Cecelia and 7-year-old Sylveena, for almost a month.
A Sonoma County Municipal Court judge ordered her to undergo a mental
health evaluation before a bail hearing Friday and she was taken to
jail, where she is being held on $50,000 bail.
Teixeira told investigators she moved the girls into an upstairs
bedroom some three weeks ago and cut off all food for the family
after receiving "direction" from a ringing telephone that the Holy
Spirit was preparing to take them to Heaven.
"Teixeira was somewhat disjointed in her statements, as she also
stated she did not actually answer the phone, only took direction
from the way it was ringing," Petaluma police Sgt. DJ Phimister said
in a statement.
Neighbors described Teixeira as an evangelical Christian who led a
Bible study class. They also said that she was a single mother who
had been battling to make ends meet after her husband died several
years ago.
Teixeira and both daughters were taken to a local hospital for
treatment Monday. Teixeira was later released and taken to Sonoma
County Jail.
Her daughters—who had lost between 20 and 24 percent of their body
weight—would remain in the hospital for several days before being
released into protective custody at a local children's home, police
said.
"She was very sweet with the girls, but I know she was struggling,"
neighbor Joyana Brookmeyer told the San Francisco Examiner.
Phimister said the children displayed no evidence of prior physical
abuse, and there were no hints that any religious sect had
orchestrated the incident.
"Although Teixeira's justification appears to be religious in nature,
there is no indication she is a member of any cult-type organization,
or that any other religious organization knew or suggested this type
of action," he said.
9-10-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Teacher Sentenced For Sex With Student
CLAYTON, MISSOURI—A Saint Louis County school teacher and her
boyfriend are headed for prison for having sex with a student. Twenty-
six-year-old Michele Wioskowski and 29-year- old Luciano Silveira of
Chesterfield could spend up to eleven-months in jail on sexual
assault charges. The pair was found guilty last month of having sex
with one of Wioskowski's female students. Wioskowski formerly taught
foreign languages and worked with the cheer-leaders at John -F-
Kennedy High School in Saint Louis.
9-10-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Mother Charged With Drowning Son
DENVER, COLORADO—A Denver mother who told police her three- year-old
son drowned in a bathtub was charged today with her son's
premeditated death. Denver police say the mother, Erika Arroyo, first
told them she found her son face down in the tub last week, but later
confessed to drowning the boy on purpose. She's being held without
bond. Police say Arroyo told them she killed her son to keep a
boyfriend.
9-11-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Teacher Accused Of Sex With Boy
BLOUNTVILLE, TENNESSEE—A Blount County school teacher has resigned...
after being charged with having sex with a 13- year-old boy. Nancy
Ann Grinder taught at Fairview Elementary School, but the victim was
NOT one of her students. Sheriff's investigators say the teacher
became friendly with the boy during summer sporting events and their
families had been friends. The incidents allegedly took place at the
woman's home.
9-17-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Woman Indicted On Murder Charges
CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA—A 19-year-old woman says she was trying to
protect her sister when she allegedly killed a man. Heather Shamblin
has been indicted by a Kanawha County grand jury for the murder of
Brian Kimble at the apartment they shared in Dunbar. Shamblin says
she stabbed Kimble because she thought he was going to attack her
sister.
9-17-99 STATES NEWS SERVICE
High Bond Continues For Hamilton Woman
HAMILTON, OHIO—Bond will stay at a Million dollars for the mother of
the Middletown man accused of killing and dismembering a woman. Ellen
Peck has pleaded not guilty to obstruction of justice and tampering
with evidence, and a Butler County judge has refused to lower her
bail. Police say Peck helped her son, 29-year-old James Lawson, bury
the body parts of Cheryl Durkin, whose torso was found along the
Great Miami River in April. The FBI is still looking for Lawson, who
will be the subject of a segment this Saturday on America's Most
Wanted.
9-17-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Portage Murder Suspect In Court
PORTAGE, WISCONSIN—A Portage woman is due in court today to face a
murder charge. Police say Patti Weed shot her husband to death
earlier this week. Weed was released from a hospital last week after
treatment of depression. Authorities say she tried to kill herself
earlier this month.
9-17-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Murderer Pleads For Clemency
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA—Attorneys for a woman who admits stabbing her
boyfriend to death are in Tallahassee to ask Governor Lawton Chiles
and his cabinet for clemency. Michele Roger says she killed her
boyfriend because she was a battered woman. She claims that before
she killed David Richmond in their Oviedo home he threatened to kill
her and tried to shove her face onto a hot stove. Her father has
admitted helping her dispose of the body by burning it... mixing it
with concrete... and dumping it in the ocean.
9-18-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
West Confessed To Child Murder
WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT—Court documents show a 23-year-old Windsor woman
confessed to killing a seven-year-old boy in July. Chasity West is
charged with capital murder in the death of Jarrell Cuyler (KY'-ler).
She could face the death penalty if she's convicted. The documents
also reveal that while being questioned by investigators, West told
them "shoot me," saying she didn't want to go to jail.
9-18-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Woman Convicted Of Attempted Murder
ELIZABETHTOWN, KENTUCKY—A Hardin County woman is facing 40 years
behind bars after being convicted on two counts of attempted murder.
Melissa Holland was found guilty of shooting her former lover,
Elizabethtown attorney Danny Darnall... and his ex-wife Rebecca.
Prosecutors say Holland became obsessed with the lawyer after having
a relationship with him. She shot the couple after Darnall decided to
reconcile with his wife. Holland will be formally sentenced next
month.
9-20-98 AP
Police Say Wife Crushed Husband
CAIRO, EGYPT—A woman, weighing 352 pounds, sat on her husband's head
until he suffocated to death following a dispute over his will,
police officials said Sunday.
Fawakih Ibrahim Abdel-Latif killed her husband, Sayed Ahmed, - who
weighed 121 pounds - Saturday after discovering he had left more land
in his will for his four children from his first wife than the three
he had with her.
Abdel-Latif, 62, pushed her 84-year-old husband to the ground and
with his face down sat on his head until he suffocated to death, said
the officials, speaking on customary condition of anonymity.
Ahmed was married to both Abdel-Latif and his first wife. Islam
allows men to have up to four wives at the same time.
Police arrested Abdel-Latif, who confessed to killing her husband.
She could face the death penalty if convicted.
9-21-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Judge To Decide Woman's Fate
ROWENA, SOUTH DAKOTA—A South Dakota judge will decide today whether a
former Rowena resident, now living in Ohio, should be brought back to
the state for prosecution on murder charges. The body of Robert Lee
Warner was found buried in an unmarked grave... behind Barbara Lewis
mobile home in Rowena. She was tracked to Ohio where she is also the
target of a police investigation.
9-21-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Shooter Free On Bond
MC NEIL, ARKANSAS—A Columbia County woman is free on 50- thousand
dollars bond after being charged with the first- degree murder of her
estranged husband. Police say Nena Bolton's husband came back to her
residence to retrieve his personal belongings and was shot after they
became involved in an argument. Bolton was treated for shock before
surrendering herself to authorities.
9-21-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Woman Accused Of Killing Aunt
FRESNO, CALIFORNIA—Police in Fresno have arrested an 18-year-old
woman for killing her aunt by running her down with a car.
Authorities say 43-year-old Patricia Bares was hit in the parking lot
of a Fresno motel. Detectives say the driver was her niece... Tara
Jackson... and their investigation reveals it was NO accident.
Jackson has been booked on murder charges.
9-21-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Schultz Trial
AUBURN, CALIFORNIA—His lawyer says an 18-year-old Rocklin man was
defending himself against a history of abuse when he strangled his
mother last year. Defense attorney Jody Feldman will request that
Matt Schultz's jury be given the option of manslaughter among the
charges against him. His trial is scheduled to begin October sixth in
Auburn. Schultz is charged with killing his 40-year-old mother at
their Rocklin home, then dumping her body in a rock quarry.
Authorities say friends helped Schultz dispose of the body.
9-22-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Lawrence Woman Arrested In Shooting
LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS—A 19-year-old Lawrence woman is being held on
100-thousand dollars cash bail following her arraignment on attempted
murder charges. Akeita (uh-KEY'-ta) Burrus is accused of shooting her
ex-boyfriend yesterday. Jeffrey Nassiff is listed in critical
condition at Massachusetts General Hospital... with wounds to his
chest and neck. Authorities say the shooting was sparked by a dispute
over child support payments for their two-year-old daughter.
9-22-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Woman Charged In Kidnapping Scam
BEDFORD, TEXAS—A woman who told Bedford Police she was abducted and
taken to Colorado has apparently made it all up. Khitam Ali's (kha-
TAHM ah-LEE'S) husband and children worried over her whereabouts for
two days. Now, investigators say she apparently left the state with a
boyfriend. Ali has been charged with filing a false report. She was
released from jail after posting a one-thousand- dollar bond.
9-22-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Massey To Be Tried As Adult
MOBILE, ALABAMA—When a Mobile woman goes on trial as an accessory to
attempted murder and robbery, she'll be tried as an adult. Sherri
Massey's lawyer asked for... and was denied... "youthful offender"
status for his 20-year-old client. Massey is accused in connection
with the robbery and shooting of University of South Alabama student
Emily Landers. Co-defendant Robert Allen was convicted earlier this
year of snatching Landers' purse then gunning her down as she ran.
Landers was permanently paralyzed from the waist down by the bullet.
Allen is serving two life sentences.
9-23-98 AP / GENARO ARMAS
Mom Charged in Death of Girl, 6
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - A woman who sobbed on television over
the disappearance of her 6-year-old foster daughter was charged days
later with beating the girl to death, stuffing the body into a duffel
bag and tossing it into a river.
Jacqueline Veney's body was discovered Tuesday along the shore of the
murky Schuylkill River downtown. Hours later, police announced that
Lisa Price, 35, had been charged.
Ms. Price confessed that she became enraged when Jacqueline
threatened to tell Ms. Price's fiance of seeing her with another man,
police said.
Ms. Price had reported the girl missing Friday. She made reassuring
telephone calls to Jacqueline's relatives and sobbed to reporters
when she described last seeing the girl alive on the school
playground.
"I took her to school, she usually finds a group of people to play
with, and that was that," she told WPVI on Sunday. "I pray that she
comes home.'"
In addition to murder, Ms. Price faces charges of endangering the
welfare of a child and abuse of a corpse.
Police also charged Price's 33-year-old fiance, Edward Jones, with
abuse of a corpse and conspiracy. Since Price didn't know how to
drive, police believe she got help in taking the body about two miles
from her home to the highway overpass where the bag was dumped into
the water.
"Here's a child that's placed in foster care, and the very person
who's supposed to take care of her ends up killing her," homicide
Capt. James Brady said. "Sometimes it makes you wonder what's going
on."
Brady said the girl probably was killed a week ago.
Inconsistencies in Ms. Price's story led police to consider her a
suspect from the start, he said.
Byron Thompson, the girl's great-uncle, said Ms. Price had reassured
the family that Jacqueline would be found as police scoured the
neighborhood.
"How could she come to (the press) and cry like a grieving mother
when she knew what she did the whole time?" Thompson said.
Price had foster custody of Jacqueline and her 3-year-old brother for
more than two years. Patricia Bathurst, a spokeswoman for the city
Department of Human Services, said the agency had no indication of
violence in the household.
The girl's biological mother, also named Jacqueline Veney, had
overcome the problems that led her to give up the children and had a
Nov. 20 court date to determine whether she could regain custody,
Thompson said.
9-23-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Woman Charged With Killing Infant Son
DES MOINES, IOWA—A Des Moines woman now faces first-degree murder
charges in the drowning death of her two-week-old baby. Police
earlier charged Heidi Anfinson with child endangerment after
discovering the body of her son at Saylorville Lake. Anfinson told
police her son drowned in the bathtub at home... then she dumped the
body in Saylorville Lake in a "panic".
9-23-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Woman Pleads Guilty To Carrying Bomb
SPRINGDALE, ARKANSAS—A Springdale woman says she didn't intend harm
to anyone with the bomb she carried. Tracy Murphy pleaded guilty
yesterday to criminal use of a prohibited weapon. Police found a bomb
in her handbag in June. Murphy says she only wanted to trade the
device for drugs. She was sentenced to five years probation and will
testify against her drug supplier.
9-23-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Judge Considers Bail For Defendant
FRANKLIN, INDIANA—A Johnson County judge must now decide whether a
woman accused of killing an 18-month-old boy should be released on
bond until her trial. Amanda Marie Vibbart is being held without bond
for the murder of the son of her former fiance, Aaron Emerson. In a
court hearing, witnesses testified that in the weeks before his
death, the boy would run screaming in terror any time Vibbart was
near him.
9-24-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Couple Dead In Murder-Suicide
COLUMBUS, NEBRASKA—A Columbus couple is dead in an apparent murder-
suicide. Authorities say a domestic argument led to deaths of a man
and woman, who were found inside their apartment complex. Authorities
will wait for autopsy results before releasing the cause of death.
The case is prompting domestic violence experts statewide to
encourage couples to talk about their problems and even seek
counseling. If that doesn't work, the other alternative may include
legal intervention. The experts say domestic violence is a growing
problem... pointing to the murders of two Omaha women earlier this
month.
9-24-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Teen Sentenced In Beating Death
WATERTOWN, SOUTH DAKOTA—A fourth teen has been sentenced on an
accessory to murder charge in connection with the beating death of
David Bauman of Watertown. Sixteen-year-old Jason Crocker will spend
three years in the state penitentiary. Judge Robert Timm said he
finds Crocker to be "kind of a con man" and says the teen is more
involved in the crime than he led people to believe. The three other
teens involved in the case are currently in a state prison in Pierre.
Renee Eckes and Jessie Owens are serving life sentences for Bauman's
murder. Stacey Hanson is serving five years as an accessory.
9-24-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Mother Guilty Of Threatening Sons
SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA—The mother of two Sioux Falls boys could go
to jail for up to six months for threatening them with a knife. Mary
Muchow pleaded GUILTY to aggravated assault after being arrested
earlier this year on the charge. Records show that the incident
occurred after the woman was out all night drinking. She apparently
told the two boys, ages 13 and eleven, that she was going to kill
them while they were sleeping. Since the time of the incident,
Muchow's attorney says she has undergone alcohol treatment and
parenting classes.
9-24-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Mom Shopped As Baby Died Alone
ARCADIA, FLORIDA—A 21-year-old Fort Myers woman has been arrested for
leaving her baby daughter to die in her sweltering apartment while
she went shopping. Shawana Crowell was arrested in Arcadia where
she's been living since the death of the eleven-month-old girl.
According to police reports, Jhalisha Davis was left alone in the
apartment as outside temperatures climbed to 98-degrees. The medical
examiner attributed the death to heat and dehydration. Lee County
prosecutors have charged the mother with manslaughter.
9-24-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Mom Charged In Son's Beating
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS—Additional charges are being filed against a
Chicago woman accused of beating her eight-year-old son... and
holding him by his feet from a third-story window. Officials say
Raquelle Sims accused the boy of trying to set fire to their South
Side home. Sims reportedly also beat the boy with a stick and whipped
him with an electrical cord. Sims has been charged with one felony
count each of aggravated battery of a child and aggravated battery
with a dangerous weapon. Bond has been set at 75-thousand dollars.
9-24-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Testimony Begins In Stabbing Case
PULASKI COUNTY, ARKANSAS—Testimony is underway in the case of a
Pulaski County woman accused of trying to kill her boyfriend. Police
say Samantha Pentegar stabbed the man as many as five times as he lay
in his hospital bed. Pentegar has pleaded insanity. The trial is
expected to conclude this week.
9-24-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Scalding Death
PIKEVILLE, TENNESSEE—A Pikeville woman has been ordered to begin
serving a ten-year sentence for the scalding death of her three-year-
old stepson. Thirty-year-old Tracey Pendergrass was convicted of
aggravated child abuse five years ago, but stayed out of jail while
her attorney filed various appeals. Earlier this week, she was
ordered to report to authorities and begin serving her time.
9-24-98 REUTERS
Woman sentenced for rape of 13-year-old boy
NEW YORK - A New York City grandmother who pleaded guilty to raping a
13-year-old boy and bore his child, was sentenced Thursday to five
years' probation.
Carmen Valentin, 35, told police she had a sexual affair with the boy
from mid-1996 until this past January.
The case came to light when the boy told a mental health counselor
that he was having sex with a much older woman.
Valentin was arrested in March and charged with two counts of rape
and endangering the welfare of a minor. She pleaded guilty to the
rape charge on June 25.
Had she been convicted of rape at a trial, she would have faced up to
seven years in prison.
Along with the probation, her name will be included on the state's
registry of sex offenders.
The baby, born in May, has been placed in foster care.
Valentin met the boy through her teen-age daughter, authorities said.
The daughter has a one-year-old son.
10-13-98 THE BALTIMORE SUN
Proving child abuse tricky In Anne Arundel case, officials seek truth
in frustrating gray area
The letters from his 11-year-old daughter told of random punches,
beatings with a belt and the bathroom door she said her mother
slammed in her face. When her mother and her boyfriend found a letter
and tore it up, she mailed the pieces to her father in Los Angeles....
10-14-98 THE BALTIMORE SUN
Mother charged with child abuse is given custody
Carmen Duran, an Odenton mother charged with two counts of felony
child abuse, was awarded conditional custody yesterday of her
daughters Courtney, 11, and Erin, 9, over the objections of the
girls' father and grandmother.....
10-15-98 THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
2 BOYS, THEIR MOM CHARGED IN KILLING
Two young brothers were charged Wednesday with taking part in the
killing of their 6-year-old cousin, who police say was beaten by her
aunt after she got off at the wrong school bus stop.
The boys, ages 11 and 13, "actively participated" in Charnell Smith's
beating Oct. 8, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said. The boys were
charged with first-degree lynching, the legal term in South Carolina
for group violence that results in death. It was not clear whether
the boys will be charged as adults....
10-15-98 DETROIT FREE PRESS
GIRL FACES TESTS BEFORE TRIAL ON RAPE CHARGES
A 12-year-old Pontiac girl charged with raping her younger brother
will undergo psychological testing to determine if she is fit to
stand trial.
Oakland County Chief Circuit Judge Edward Sosnick ordered the testing
Wednesday after talks between prosecutors and the girl's defense
attorney about a possible plea bargain broke down....
10-16-98 WEST COUNTY TIMES
EX-FOSTER MOTHER, TEEN PARENTS OF SECOND SON
ANTIOCH—A 29-year-old Antioch woman, accused of violating her
probation by continuing an unlawful relationship with her former
foster son, gave birth Thursday to the teen-ager's second child,
sheriff's deputies said....
10-16-98 THE STATE
HUNDREDS MOURN 6-YEAR-OLD KILLED IN BEATING
Clutching her sister for support, Loretta Sims stared into the
gleaming white casket ringed by tiny gold angels.
"Such a beautiful child," she said softly, her voice almost lost in
the gospel music coming from a nearby tape player. "She don't have to
worry about being beaten and abused no more."....
10-18-98 THE STATE
DEATH SHOWS TRAGIC TRUTH NO ONE NOTICED DESPAIR OF LITTLE CHARNELL
SMITH
The people who tried to help 6-year-old Charnell Smith after she
missed her bus stop thought something might be wrong. But they had no
idea how wrong things were.
Charnell's neighbors and teachers said they hadn't seen anything they
thought was suspicious about the little girl with the sweet smile and
the spindly legs....
10-20-98 THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
CANDLES SHINE LIGHT FOR THOSE LOST TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Most were shot. One was stabbed. One was beaten. One man, police say,
shot himself after shooting his ex-girlfriend.
Nine people - five women, four men - whose deaths this year involved
domestic violence, police say, were honored at a solemn ceremony
Monday, the sixth annual candlelight vigil for domestic-violence
victims in Gaston County....
10-20-98 WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL
WOMAN GETS 45 YEARS FOR FATAL STABBING
A 21-year-old woman was sentenced Monday to 45 years in prison for
fatally stabbing a man during an argument.
Esmerelda Rivera buried her face in her hands as Portage County
Circuit Court Judge John Finn handed down the maximum sentence on a
first-degree reckless homicide charge in the death of Brad Kromrie,
20, of Rosholt....
10-21-98 AKRON BEACON JOURNAL
POLICE CHARGE MOTHER WITH INFANT'S MURDER
A mother of four who told police she could not afford another child
was charged with second-degree murder after her husband found the
skeletal remains of a newborn boy in a closet in their apartment.
The woman told detectives she gave birth to the baby, named him
Jordan and then squeezed him to death. She allegedly placed his body
in a gym bag and put it in an electrical closet on the apartment
balcony, where it lay for about four months....
10-23-98 DETROIT FREE PRESS
WOMAN CHARGED IN 1984 SLAYING GRAND JURY WITNESSES LINK INMATE TO PLOT
It was winter 1984, and Royal Oak widower Paul Lingnau had had enough
of live-in girlfriend Debra Starr and the one-way ticket the 25-year-
old had taken out of town with his life savings.
Lingnau, 63, filed embezzlement charges against Starr. He told police
he just wanted his $10,000 back from the woman who had manipulated
him into signing over his retirement nest egg under the guise that
she was pregnant with his child....
10-23-98 THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
TEEN COULD FACE ADULT TRIAL IN MOM'S KILLING
Prosecutors have asked that a Greer teen-ager be tried as an adult on
charges she shot and killed her mother last month.
Chase Burnett, 15, was charged with murder in the Sept. 21 shooting
death of Robyn Burnett, 41. The woman was found, shot in the head, in
her locked bedroom...
10-23-98 TAMPA TRIBUNE
2 WOMEN ARRESTED IN ABDUCTION
CLEARWATER - Another suspect in a bizarre kidnapping is arrested. So
is her daughter.
She was the one who rang the doorbell, authorities say, catching a
Safety Harbor man off guard before two accomplices rushed in, bound
him and his wife, then dumped the couple into the trunk of their car
before a 100-mile odyssey....
10-27-98 FORT WAYNE JOURNAL GAZETTE
POISON PLOT BY GIRL, 8, TOSSED FOUND INCOMPETENT TO ASSIST IN DEFENSE
Charges were dismissed Monday against an 8-year-old girl accused of
trying to kill her great-grandmother by poisoning the woman's soft
drink.
Franklin County Juvenile Court Judge Yvette McGee Brown said
psychiatrists had concluded Karen Martocchio of Columbus was not
competent to stand trial and could not adequately assist in her
defense because of her age....
10-27-98 SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS
WOMAN, 28, ACCUSED OF SEX WITH BOY, 14
A 28-year-old Castro Valley woman has been charged with five counts
of statutory rape for allegedly having a sexual affair with a 14-year-
old boy....
10-27-98 TAMPA TRIBUNE
MOTHER NEGLECTED NEWBORN, POLICE SAY
TAMPA - A 19-year-old woman who police say stuffed her newborn baby
in a duffel bag was arrested Monday on charges of child neglect.
A family member heard the baby crying and found the infant on the
afternoon of Oct. 11. The baby girl was in good condition at St.
Joseph's Women's Hospital. Police identified the mother as Tamara
Young of Tampa....
10-29-98 PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
WOMAN, 41, IS CHARGED AS JUVENILE IN MURDER SHE CONFESSED TO KILLING
HER MOTHER WHEN SHE WAS 14, POLICE SAID. COURT OFFICIALS MUST DECIDE
HOW TO TRY THE CASE.
A 41-year-old woman says she killed her mother. She was 14 at the
time. Should she be tried as a juvenile or an adult? And where should
she be jailed?
Juvenile law experts and other court officials are struggling for the
answers in a case they say is unprecedented....
10-29-98 PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS
KIDNAPPER JAILED; TOOK BABY TO SNARE MAN
Tameka Smith told authorities she kidnapped the 2-month-old
Philadelphia baby last year in hopes of holding on to her boyfriend
by claiming he'd fathered the child.
A federal judge in Philadelphia yesterday told Smith her crime
was "reprehensible."....
10-30-98 THE MIAMI HERALD
BABY CLINGS TO LIFE; MOM HELD POLICE CHARGE WOMAN WITH ATTEMPTED
MURDER
A 20-year-old woman, once jailed for breaking the ribs of her first
baby, is in jail again - accused of nearly shaking to death her
second baby....
10-30-98 THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
MOTHER CHARGED WITH HITTING GASTON TEACHER AT MEETING
The parent of a Woodhill Elementary School student was charged with
striking a teacher in the shoulder during an after-school conference
Wednesday.
Teresa Carver Ogle, 28, of Gastonia was charged with assault on a
government official after teacher Angela Buratty told police that
Ogle struck her, an arrest warrant states....
10-30-98 TAMPA TRIBUNE
CELLMATES: TEENS ADMIT KILLING MOM
TAMPA - The defendants' lawyers warn that people in jail are known to
lie to investigators to try to get out of trouble or have their
sentences reduced.
A 15-year-old girl's idea to kill her mother was hatched at a diner
over dinner, coffee and a few hits of acid, according to a court
document released Thursday....
10-30-98 THE BALTIMORE SUN
Mother of baby born at prom receives 15-year prison term Defendant
offers apology for strangling infant
FREEHOLD, NEW JERSEY—A young woman who gave birth in the bathroom at
her senior prom, strangled the baby and returned to the dance floor
was sentenced to 15 years in prison yesterday....
10-31-98 AKRON BEACON JOURNAL
POLICE SAY FLORIDA MOTHER FEARED JOB LOSS, SET FATAL FIRE
A school cafeteria manager who apparently feared she was about to
lose her job after a camera caught her stealing from the cash
register locked herself and her three children in a room, doused it
with gasoline and struck a match, killing them all.
Miranda Shaw, 34, and her children—Valencia Gray, 14, Willie Hudge,
6, and Warren Hudge, 4 -- died Oct. 22. On Thursday, police ruled it
a murder-suicide....
11-2-98 WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL
HEARING SCHEDULED IN NEWBORN'S DEATH
A hearing is scheduled for this week for a woman accused of killing
her newborn baby after giving birth in a Milwaukee alley.
Sharon Walker, 30, was bound over for trial at a court hearing
Friday. A second hearing was scheduled for next Friday before
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Jeffrey Wagner to decide a trial date,
said Assistant District Attorney Mark Williams....
11-2-98 BBC
War crimes suspect arrives in Croatia
A woman accused of running a concentration camp in Croatia during the
Second World War has arived in Zagreb after being extradited.
The woman, Nada Sakic, faces charges including torture and collective
punishment of civilians.
She's alleged to have run the women's section of a camp commanded by
her husband—who's also been extradited from Argentina—between 1942
and 1945 when Croatia was controlled by a Nazi-backed regime.
Tens of thousands of Serbs, Jews, gypsies and anti-fascists were
killed in concentration camps under the Ustashe regime.
11-3-98 TAMPA TRIBUNE
MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE ADDED AGAINST MOM IN GIRL'S DEATH
TAMPA - A woman who investigators said told them she was out buying
crack cocaine when a house fire claimed the life of her 5-year-old
daughter was charged Monday with manslaughter/aggravated manslaughter
of a child.
Brenda Lee Rubio, 37, of 14520 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard was booked
into the Hillsborough County Jail and was being held late Monday with
bail set at $15,000....
The mother...allegedly left her daughter unsupervised at home and
forgot a pan on the stove....
11-3-98 THE MIAMI HERALD
EX-OFFICER PLEADS GUILTY TO DRUG CHARGES
A former Miami-Dade police officer has pleaded guilty to drug
conspiracy charges in federal court and grand theft charges in state
court.
Charlotte Ramos, 31, will serve a total of five years in federal
prison for both sets of charges, defense lawyer Neil Taylor said
Monday....
11-3-98 LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER (Lexington, KY)
MOTHER CONFESSES TO BURNING CHILDREN
CALUMET CITY, ILLINOIS - As far as anyone knew, Sarah Rivera died
five years ago just like her mother said - playing with a lighter
that accidentally set her on fire.
But neighbors and police began to have doubts little more than a week
ago as they watched a firefighter carry Sarah's 4-year-old brother,
Christopher, from the family's home in this working-class Chicago
suburb....
11-3-98 AKRON BEACON JOURNAL
MOTHER IS CHARGED WITH BURNING CHILDREN
A woman admitted setting her 4-year-old son's bed on fire as he
slept, leaving him critically burned, and then confessed to starting
a fire that killed a younger daughter in 1993.
Maria Rivera, 31, was charged yesterday with murder, attempted murder
and two counts of aggravated arson, said Fire Chief Dan Georgevich.
She was jailed without bond....
11-4-98 THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL
MAN SHOT WITH CANDY IN HAND; WIFE ARRESTED
An Atoka man said neither a trick nor a treat emerged when he
answered a knock at the door on Halloween night, but he did get a
gunshot wound to his shoulder.
Steven W. Lorimer, 26, told police he grabbed a jar of candy about
11:35 p.m. Saturday as he answered the door in the Commodore
Apartments, 4528 Langley in Millington. He was visiting a relative
there.
Millington Police Det. Tommy Williams said Lorimer gave this account
of what happened next:
A woman was at the door and yelled "t....
11-4-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Woman Charged In SCISSORS Death
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA—A 35-year-old Gainsville woman faces
manslaughter charges for stabbing her boyfriend in the leg with a
pair of scissors. Police say the scissors came out during an argument
between Angela Mauldin and her boyfriend, 46-year-old Johnnie
Hamilton. Stabbed in the leg but unconvinced he was seriously hurt,
Hamilton refused to go to the hospital. The next morning the landlord
found Hamilton dead on the kitchen floor. Charges against Mauldin
were delayed until an autopsy could prove that the victim died from
loss of blood due to the stab wound. Mauldin faces up to 15 years in
prison if convicted.
11-4-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Prosecutors Take Aim, Throw Book
ORLANDO, FLORIDA—State prosecutors have "thrown the book" at a young
woman accused of killing an Orange County deputy sheriff last May
while fleeing a traffic stop. Orange- Osceola State Attorney Lawson
Lamar filed 15 criminal charges against Shelli Stone in the death of
deputy Grady Braddock. If she's convicted of all the charges, Stone
could face a hefty prison term. Lamar says Stone deserves it because
her actions showed no concern for human life. Defense attorney Tim
Berry says the prosecutor did some "pretty creative charging" and he
predicts some of those charges may not stand up in court.
11-5-98 AKRON BEACON JOURNAL
CAMPAIGN STAFFER INJURED IN STAGE SCUFFLE MANAGER KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS
BY WOMAN WHO CONFRONTS FISHER.
The woman who climbed on stage and interrupted Lee Fisher's
concession speech Tuesday night also knocked out a Democratic
campaign worker before troopers dragged her away, officials said
yesterday.
Fisher, who had just lost the race for governor to Republican Bob
Taft, had been delivering a plea that supporters continue fighting
for their causes....
11-5-98 DETROIT FREE PRESS
WOMAN GETS 8-20 YEARS IN BATHTUB DROWNING OF SON
Edward Aube lost his young son, Mason, a year ago. Wednesday, he lost
his wife.
Despite Aube's pleas to a judge for mercy, Aube's wife, Linda, was
sentenced to eight to 20 years in prison for drowning Mason, 3, in
the bathtub of the family's home in South Lyon....
11-5-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Baby-Sitter Sent To Prison
TROY, NEW YORK—Fracturing an infant's skull by slamming the child
against a counter will cost a baby-sitter three- to six-years in a
state prison. Thirty-year-old Linette Robertson of Wynantskill
pleaded guilty to assaulting Shane Walsh last year when he was five-
months-old. The child now suffers from brain damage.
11-5-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Mother's Day Murder Trial Begins
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA—A 29-year-old woman is scheduled to stand
trial in Martinsville today on charges she killed her infant
daughter. Sharon Alley is charged with first-degree murder for
allegedly stabbing the eight-month-old child in the heart on Mother's
Day. Published reports indicate Alley will NOT claim insanity at
today's trial. She'll also answer felony child abuse charges today
for another incident... in which the baby suffered a fractured skull
from being thrown across a room.
11-5-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Mother Sentenced In Drowning Case
OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN—An Oakland County mother is going to prison
for the drowning death of her three-year-old son. Linda Aube was
originally charged with first-degree murder for drowning her son in
six inches of bath water 14 months ago. She was upset because the
child wouldn't stop splashing water. Aube has pleaded guilty to
second-degree murder and was sentenced to eight to 25 years in prison.
11-5-98 STATES SERVICE
Dead Baby Found In Dumpster
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA—Police are still searching for the mother of a
baby found dead in a trash dumpster on the northwest side of
Indianapolis. Garbage collectors spotted the infant in the loading
bay of their truck while picking up trash at an apartment complex.
Detectives went door to door trying to get leads as to the identity
of the mother. An autopsy is scheduled for today in hopes of gaining
more information about the infant.
11-6-98 PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS
FOSTER MOTHER HELD IN DEATH RECANTS TALE OF SEX LIE THAT LED TO
BEATING
Lisa Price said her 6-year-old foster daughter Jacqueline Veney had
told her live-in boyfriend that Price and another man had showered
together and were having sex.
But in a confession read in court yesterday, Price said it was a lie
that so angered her she beat the first-grader nicknamed "Jackie," who
later died....
11-6-98 PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
GIRL'S REPORT IS FALSE, POLICE SAY THE 17-YEAR-OLD FROM VALLEY TWP.
SAID SHE HAD BEEN ABDUCTED OUTSIDE A SCHOOL AND SEXUALLY ASSAULTED.
Police have filed charges of making a false report against a 17-year-
old Valley Township girl who said she was abducted from in front of
Coatesville Intermediate High School on Monday afternoon and then
sexually assaulted.
Police Officer Jim Shaw said yesterday that charges were filed after
police said they discovered several discrepancies in the girl's
story. Shaw said the girl still maintains she was abducted and
assaulted....
11-6-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Charges Reduced In Woman's Death
ROSWELL, GEORGIA—Charges against a 52-year-old Roswell woman have
been downgraded from murder to manslaughter. Delores Austin is
accused of sealing her elderly mother-in-law in her bedroom (with
duct tape). The 86-year-old woman then fell or jumped from the second
story window. The Austins say they locked Mildred Austin up at night
because she wandered the house and could have fallen down the stairs.
11-6-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Woman Arrested In Baby's Shooting
LAGUNA NIGUEL, CALIFORNIA—A Laguna Niguel woman is arrested in
connection with the fatal shooting of her baby. Shantae Molina had
told Orange County homicide investigators that she shot her eight-
month-old son accidentally on October 16th. She said she grabbed the
gun because she thought she heard an intruder and it went off by
accident. But investigators say there is evidence that the shooting
was no accident. She was arrested at the home of relatives in Ramona
in San Diego County.
11-6-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Child May Have Been Choked, Shaken
HAILEY, IDAHO—Prosecutors say its possible a 20-month-old child was
choked in addition to being violently shaken... and they're pointing
the finger of guilty at a Hailey woman. Michelle Baldwin is on trial
for first-degree murder because of Anthony Northrup's death. A Boise
doctor says the infant was probably choked. He told the jury that
Anthony's neck had to have been compressed for three to four minutes
based on the brain damage. Baldwin was caring for the little boy when
he died.
11-6-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
No Charges For Accused Killer Mom
FORRESTVILLE, MARYLAND—A woman who told police she squeezed her
newborn baby to death and hid the body in a closet for a month will
NOT face criminal charges. Prince George's County prosecutors say
there is NOT enough physical evidence to warrant charges against
Theresa Turner of Forrestville. Prosecutors say they have dropped
second-degree murder charges against Turner because the body found by
her husband was so decomposed it was of little use as evidence. they
could NOT corroborate Turner's statement to police.
11-6-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Tucson Murder Trial Testimony Starts
TUCSON, ARIZONA—Testimony begins today in the trial of a young woman
accused of drowning her newborn baby in a toilet. Twenty-year-old
Marianne Biancuzzo of Tucson is accused of putting the baby in a
coffee can after it died and placing it under a sink. Prosecutors
claim Biancuzzo's personal journal will verify that she knew she was
pregnant.
11-6-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Woman To Be Tried On Murder Charges
DES MOINES, IOWA—A Des Moines woman will go on trial in mid-January
on charges of first-degree murder. Heidi Anfinson is accused of
drowning her infant son... then dumping his body in Saylorville Lake.
Anfinson says she panicked when she discovered her baby had drowned
in a bathtub... and she took his body and put it in the lake.
11-7-98 THE STATE
Woman charged in stabbing death
* Columbia police have arrested a woman in the stabbing death of a
man earlier this week on Main Street....
11-7-98 THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
POLICE PROBE BABY'S DEATH AS HOMICIDE
The death of a newborn baby whose remains were found in woods near
David Cox Elementary School in north Charlotte Thursday is being
investigated as a homicide, police said Friday.
Police said the baby's mother is 15 years old....
11-9-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Southern Indiana Woman Denied Clemency
INDIANAPOLIS—The Indiana Parole Board has recommended that Toni
Lawrence remain in prison for her role in the 1992 torture slaying of
12-year-old Shanda Sharer in southern Indiana. The 22-year-old has
served seven years of a 20-year prison sentence on charges of
criminal confinement. She watched as three friends, beat, strangled
and fatally burned the youngster. With good behavior Lawrence could
be released from prison in 2001.
11-9-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Mother Faces Murder Charge
DENVER, COLORADO—The Denver mother accused of poisoning and drowning
her toddler to prove her love to her boyfriend is due to be arraigned
this morning. Police say Erika Arroyo admitted to holding her son
under water in a bathtub when he failed to die from a brew of
prescription and over-the- counter drugs she mixed. She later took
three-year-old Armando Villalobos to a local convenience store and
called police... saying the boy had drowned. Police say Arroyo's
boyfriend had NOTHING to do with the killing.
11-9-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Mother To Make Court Appearance
PHOENIX, ARIZONA—A Glendale mother who allegedly placed her newborn
in a trash dumpster will be in court today for a preliminary hearing.
Iran Jiminez faces, at minimum, charges of child abuse. The baby
girl, named Sarah by hospital nurses, is in foster care. Kids walking
by the apartment complex dumpster discovered the baby.
11-9-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Mom Held In Daughter's Death
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA—A woman is being held without bond in the
Montgomery County jail on charges of murdering her two-year- old
daughter. Rameena Stoudemire will be arraigned this week on charges
of smothering her daughter, Briana, to death Friday afternoon.
Stoudemire faces capital murder charges due to the infant's age.
11-9-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Mother Arrested In Child's Death
CLAYMONT, DELAWARE—A 22-year-old Claymont woman faces murder charges
in the death of her five-month-old girl. New Castle County police say
Marsha Foraker put cocaine in her daughter's bottle. The toddler was
rushed to Christiana Hospital after she stopped breathing on October
27th. She was later pronounced dead.
11-10-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Murder Suspect Was Abuse Victim
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS—A Little Rock victim of spousal abuse will be
arraigned today for the murder of her estranged husband. Police say
Bobby Baker was stabbed to death as he argued with Phyllis Baker over
furniture he wanted to remove from the house. He was found lying in a
pool of blood, with Phyllis Baker crying that she had NOT meant to
kill him. Police reports show that twice in the past seven years...
Phyllis Baker had filed orders of protection against the man but had
failed to show up in court to have them made permanent. Baker has
been held since Friday in the Pulaski County Jail without bond.
NOTE: Removing furniture is a known classic form of "abuse" - it's a
good thing Bobby was stabbed to death, otherwise he probably might
have gotten the chamber for trying to abscond with the couch.
Could it be that Phyllis failed to show up twice in court "to have
them made permanent" because Bobby didn't really do anything ??? Or
she was actually the perpetrator in those instances as well?? This
brief is a classic in JOURNALISTIC PRESUMPTIONISM. This is the
epitome of the FEMINAZI YELLOW PRESS. The jounalist decided to act as
the judge and jury for those missed court appearances.
11-10-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Special Care For Newborns
MOBILE, ALABAMA—Mobile's four major hospitals are offering special
assistance to mothers of unwanted newborns: a safe place and a good
home. Alarmed by reports of infants being killed at birth by their
mother or abandoned in some public place, the hospitals agreed to a
proposal by T-V reporter Jodi Brooks to take responsibility for the
newborns. D-A John Tyson said the mothers will NOT be prosecuted if
they bring their baby to one of the participating hospitals within
three days of birth. The county Human Resources Office will arrange
for adoption.
11-10-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Baby-Sitter Accused of Kidnapping
ARLINGTON—Bond has been set at a quarter-Million dollars for a woman
accused of kidnapping the Arlington infant she'd been baby-sitting. A
regional alert 42-year-old Sandra Joyce Fallis. Authorities say she
had the sleeping child beside her when her pickup truck was spotted
by an alert citizen. Raye Lee Bradbury was NOT harmed and has been
reunited with her parents.
11-10-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Baby-sitter Charged In Death
BEDFORD, INDIANA—A Bedford Baby-sitter suspected of killing a child
she was supposed to be taking care of has been charged. Eighteen-year-
old Misty White has admitted to putting her hands over the nose and
mouth of the two-year- old... suffocating it. The judge has issued a
gag order on all parties in the case. White is being held without
bond in the Lawrence County Jail.
11-10-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Accused Murderer Denied Parole
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA—A woman who watched while a 12-year-old was
tortured to death has been denied parole. Toni Lawrence was with
three other girls who brutally murdered Shanda Shearer in southern
Indiana back in 1992. She made an appeal to the Parole Board for
early release... but it was denied. The move means Shearer must
continue to serve the rest of her twenty-year sentence.
11-10-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Woman Charged With Murder
MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK—A Mount Vernon woman is in police custody
after being arraigned for her boyfriend's murder. Thirty-three year
old Adelle Gainey is charged with second- degree murder after she
allegedly stabbed 41-year old John Alarcon. He was pronounced dead at
the Westchester County Medical Center. His 16-year-old son was also
stabbed when he tried to step in. The teenager is not seriously
injured.
11-10-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Woman Jailed For Beating Landlord
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA—A Sacramento woman is behind bars for
allegedly attacking her landlord with a hammer and stealing his car.
Loraine Stallings is charged with attempted murder for the attack on
80-year-old John Doglietto last Friday. Police aren't sure why
Stallings allegedly attacked the elderly man, who is listed in
critical condition with severe head wounds.
11-10-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Child-Killing Brings 40-Year Term
FRANKLIN, INDIANA—A 24-year-old Johnson County woman has been
sentenced to 40 years in prison for the death of her ex- boyfriend's
18-month-old son. Amanda Vibbart had pleaded guilty to voluntary
manslaughter and aggravated battery. The child... Aaron Christopher
Emerson... died of severe head injuries in August 1997.
11-11-98 THE VANCOUVER COLUMBIAN / AP
TRIO PROSECUTED FOR TAKING GIRL TO ABORTION CLINIC SETTLE SUIT
PORTLAND—Three women accused of coercing a young woman into having an
abortion four and a half years ago have settled a false arrest and
malicious prosecution lawsuit for $385,000....
11-11-98 AP
Mom Allegedly E-Mailed Nude Photos
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - A woman was charged with child abuse for
allegedly e-mailing nude photos of her 15-year-old daughter to men,
then arranging for the girl to have sex with them.
Police learned of the encounters after the daughter, now 17, confided
in a friend in September, Investigator V.K. Rivera said.
The 44-year-old mother made contact with three men in Internet chat
rooms in 1995 and 1996, posing as a 17-year-old girl, Rivera said.
After e-mailing the photos of her daughter, she arranged to meet the
men at hotels in Charlotte. But instead of going herself, she would
send her daughter and ask the girl to give her details afterward,
Rivera said.
11-11-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Woman Stabs Mentally Ill Sister
PACIFIC, WASHINGTON—A Pacific woman has been jailed on suspicion of
killing her blind and mentally disabled sister. Police say Patty
Waters stabbed her 36-year old sister, Nannette Sherlock, to death
with an ice pick while she slept. Police are looking for a motive.
11-11-98 STATES NEWS SERVICE
Women Arrested On Kidnapping Charges
IOWA CITY, IOWA—Three women wanted in the kidnapping of a 17-year-old
girl have