| NEW YORK Puffy Combs, Body Guard Indicted -- (Newsday) -- Rap artist Sean ``Puffy'' Combs was indicted Wednesday along with his bodyguard on charges of bribing a witness. Combs and Anthony ``Wolf'' Jones are accused of offering Combs' driver, Wardel Fenderson, $50,000 and a diamond ring to say he owned a gun police found as Combs drove away from a New York nightclub where a shooting had occurred. |
| ALBANY, NY Deliberations begin in Diallo shooting trial -- (Court TV) Told that they can acquit the defendants of all charges if they believe the officers acted in self defense, jurors are now deciding the fate of the four policemen accused of murder in Amadou Diallo's shooting death. Diallo jury to resume deliberations Thursday -- (CNN) Jurors will resume deliberations at 9:15 a.m. ET Profiles of Diallo jurors -- (Court TV) |
Arthur Danner - Murderd in 1998 Sylvia Maraman - convicted of 2nd degree murder DADE CITY, FL Woman convicted of killing neighbor seeks retrial -- (St. Petersburg Times) An attorney representing convicted killer Sylvia Maraman demanded a new trial Monday, claiming a judge made serious errors and investigators didn't reveal parts of a taped confession before the trial, as required by state law. |
| MARILYN SHEPPARD - murdered in 1954 DR. SAM SHEPPARD - served time, then exhonerated CLEVELAND, Ohio Man Said Admits Killing Sheppard -- (Las Vegas Sun) Richard Eberling, the man Sam Reese Sheppard believes killed his mother in 1954, confessed to the slaying in a late-night conversation, a woman who once worked with Eberling testified Wednesday. Woman says Eberling confessed to killing Marilyn Sheppard -- (Cleveland Live) Kathie Collins Dyal said Eberling confessed to her in 1983, when she was a home health care worker for an elderly widow. Eberling hired her for the job and later fired her from it. He later was convicted of killing the widow, Ethel May Durkin, and died in prison while serving a life sentence for that slaying. |
Lisa McPherson -Died in 1995 while in the care of The Church of Scientology CLEARWATER, FL Church member's death now called accident -- (St. Petersburg Times) Medical examiner Joan Wood now is calling the 1995 death of Scientologist Lisa McPherson an "accident," a change that is causing prosecutors to rethink their case against the Church of Scientology. |
| ITSUKO ITO, 72 - stabbed to death HAWAII Killer Pau gets life without parole -- (Hawaii Tribune Herald) A Big Island judge on Tuesday sentenced Jefferson Solomon Kauilani Pau to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering 72-year-old Itsuko Ito last year. Pau, 24, was convicted by a jury last month of second-degree murder and auto theft. The jury recommended enhanced sentencing under a provision in the law for crimes that are "especially heinous, atrocious or cruel." PORT HURON, MI Man charged with having sex with teens he met on Net -- (Holland Sentinel) An Ira Township man accused of having sex with two 15-year-old girls he met on the Internet has been charged with four counts of criminal sexual conduct, police said. Police say Richard Edward-Lamont Joseph, 28, posed as a 19-year-old man to lure the girls to his trailer. LORRAIN NICOLA & STEWART AYON - unsolved murders NORCO, CA Female victim identified in slaying at Norco motel -- (Inland Empire Online) A call for Lt. Bill Goree's investigators to visit the city of Norco hadn't come for more than half a year. That changed Saturday morning when Lorrain Nicola was found lying in the parking lot of a Norco motel. Riverside County Sheriff's Department homicide detectives under Goree have been working since then to track down the 39-year-old woman's killer. RIVERSIDE, CA Riverside officers seek man accused of rape -- (Inland Empire Online) An 18-year-old from Mexico says she was held for two months. Her injuries support her story. Police are looking for a man accused of kidnapping an 18-year-old woman and holding her captive in a Riverside apartment, where she was tied to a bed and raped repeatedly over two months. BOSTON, MA N.E. Mob Boss Salemme Gets 11 Years -- (Las Vegas Sun) Reputed New England mob boss Francis "Cadillac Frank" Salemme was sentenced Wednesday to 11 years and four months in prison for charges stemming from a 1995 racketeering indictment. |
JAKE ROBEL, 6 Died during carjacking Kim Davis, 34 Arraigned on 2nd degree murder charges INDEPENDENCE, Missouri Carjacker charged--(The Examiner) A man was arraigned on second-degree murder charges today in the gruesome death of a 6-year-old Independence boy after the carjacking of his mother's sport utility vehicle. The boy was dragged more than four miles at high speeds Tuesday afternoon. Kim Davis, 34, of Kansas City was being held without bond after being arraigned in Jackson County Circuit Court in Independence this morning on charges of second-degree murder, kidnapping and facilitating a felony, abuse of a child, and second-degree robbery. It sinks in: It could have been your child -- (The Examiner) Galen Hoff last saw 6-year-old Jake Robel climbing into his mother's car after school Tuesday. "I handle the car rider dismissal," said Hoff, principal of Glendale Elementary School in Independence. "The last image I have of him is climbing in the car." Boy was screaming for help as he was dragged away -- (Postnet) |
ANN ARBOR, Mich. Community Collaboration, Not Child's Courtroom Testimony, May Be Key to Convicting Child Molesters, Study Shows -- (AScribe News) Despite the importance given to courtroom statements made by victims in cases of child sexual abuse, a child's testimony is not necessarily the key to convicting child molesters, say researchers at the University of Michigan and Western Michigan University. |
PRESTON, Minn. Police Deputy Testifies In Kramer Trial Deputy Said He Gathered Evidence From Kramer's Vehicle--(WCCO TV) A Minnesota criminal investigator testified Tuesday that no promises or threats were made during the interrogation of Harold "Howie" Kramer Jr., who is charged with leaving his 3-year-old son in the woods to die. Kramer confessed to the crime, but his attorney contends his confession was coerced. |
| LAS VEGAS, NV Inmates seek pen pals over the Web -- (Nando) Shannon Grillo 29, is serving two life sentences for the stabbing death of Las Vegas resident Paul Taylor, 73, eight years ago. She is also one of a growing number of inmates in Nevada and across the nation who are placing personal ads on the Web. |
| POTSDAM, Germany German girl arrested in plot of school massacre on Columbine anniversary -- (Nando) German prosecutors on Wednesday were considering attempted murder charges against a 16-year-old girl accused of planning a bloodbath at her school on the anniversary of the Columbine High School shootings. The girl, from Waldsieversdorf near Berlin, was arrested Tuesday. Authorities did not release her identity. |
| REYNOSA, MEXICO Reynosa police chief shot to death -- (Valley Morning Star) Police Chief Juan Cabrera Leal, who was in the process of reforming the police department and had arrested numerous officers on charges of corruption, was shot and killed early Tuesday during a late-night dinner at a popular restaurant frequented by U.S. tourists.Several police chiefs on the U.S. side of the border said they had not dealt with Cabrera Leal much because of his short term in office. |
FAYETTEVILLE, NC Jones found guilty of first-degree murder--(Greensboro News-Record) Joseph Jones was found guilty of first degree murder in the death of 10-year-old Tiffany Long of Burlington. The 15-year-old was sentenced to life plus 25 years in a Fayetteville courtroom late Wednesday. |
| CRESCENT CITY, CA - Prison in Lock-Down One inmate killed, eight wounded in California prison riot -- (CNN) Guards shot nine inmates, killing one, during a riot Wednesday at one of the state's toughest maximum-security prisons, a spokesman said. The half-hour melee at Pelican Bay State Prison involved about 200 inmates using handmade weapons, Lt. Ben Grundy said. He did not know what sparked the violence. Two Pelican Bay guards accused of arranging prisoner attacks -- (SacBee) Pelican Bay State Prison -- (Website) Institution Profile |
| HALL COUNTY, Neb. Neligh man sentenced in sex assault case -- (Grand Island Independent) A Neligh man accused of sexually assaulting a 6-year-old Grand Island girl in July 1998 was sentenced Tuesday morning in Hall County District Court. Hall County District Judge James Livingston sentenced Roger A. Hanson, 28, for felony attempted first-degree sexual assault. He faced up to 20 years in prison. LAWRENCEVILLE, GA One juror saves Fleming's life -- (Gwinnett Daily Post) The man who shot and killed a Gwinnett deputy was spared the death penalty after jurors deadlocked 11-1 in determining his fate Tuesday. Because of the deadlock, Byron Fleming instead was sentenced to life plus five years in prison. MARTINSBURG, West VA Bond denied in Miller slaying case -- (Herald-mail) U.S. Magistrate Judge David L. Core rejected defense attorneys' requests to release on bond Keyston J. West, 22, of Charlotte, N.C., and Casey Michelle Holt, 25, of Inwood, W.Va. They were charged with taking 20-year-old Vatressa Maria Miller into the woods last summer and beating her to death with an ax handle. MORRIS, Ill. Two dead in small-town stabbing -- (Daily Register) A woman and her daughter were found stabbed to death in Morris today, police said. Police Chief Doug Hayse said a man attacked his girlfriend and her mother, killing them both. The suspect was in custody, but no charges had been filed. MARLA HUNTER, 37 - stabbed 40 times SPRINGFIELD, Ill. Man sought in 1993 Springfield killing surrenders -- (Daily Register) A man accused of killing his former girlfriend in Springfield seven years ago is behind bars in Texas. Springfield police said Hinton Deal, 41, approached a security guard at a Houston hospital and asked if he could turn himself in. |
| TREVOR BOLDRA, 6 wks - cause of death not yet determined James Boldra, 21 - in Plymouth County jail on $32,500 bond Le MARS, Ia. Le Mars baby died after dad's arrest -- (DM Register) Trevor died Saturday at a Sioux City, S.D., hospital, one day after his father was charged with felony child endangerment. The cause of Trevor's death has not been disclosed. An autopsy was performed Tuesday. Authorities said James Boldra, 21, of Le Mars was arrested Friday after an employee at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls called police on the suspicion that 6-week-old Trevor had been abused. Autopsy complete on 6 week-old Le Mars newborn -- (MSNBC) |
SHELBY, NC Crawford: Keep telling Asha's story Sheriff urges community to search their land--(Shelby Star) "We have never really had that first good, substantial lead." Cleveland County Sheriff Dan Crawford looked into lights and cameras Tuesday to talk about the disappearance of 9-year-old Asha Degree. Asha's picture goes on national TV--(Shelby Star) No one has seen 9-year-old Asha Degree since Valentine's Day. But on Saturday night, the nation will see Asha's face for 30 seconds. Hopefully, it will be long enough to bring her home. |
TIFFANY LONG -murdered Joseph Jones-on trial Fayetteville, NC Jones: Bynum killed Long--(Burlington Times-News) Joseph Jones testified Tuesday that Dorthia Bynum killed 10-year-old Tiffany Long and his uncle, Harold Jones, sexually assaulted her while he watched. |
| Anita Banks - Under investigation DETROIT, MI Cop says boy told of previous abuse (Detroit Free Press ) Mom faces losing kids in bucket-tying trial |
| RENO, NV Police searching for ways to crack down on road rage (Reno (NV) Gazette-Journal ) As incidents of road rage increase, local police agencies are looking for ways to track and battle the deadly problem. |
| Louise Davis? - One of many aliases DENVER, CO 'I had fun,' says woman, 69, who outran cops for decades (Denver Post ) Louise Davis is her name. Or, at least, one of them. She has 20 monikers, 10 birthdates and eight Social Security numbers. They're the tools of her trade: She's an international jewel thief who authorities believe is responsible for more than 400 thefts, including her latest, in Denver's Cherry Creek mall. |
| ABNER LOUIMA - Victim of police brutality Charles Schwarz - Convicted of restraining victim while another officer sodomized him NEW YORK, NY Schwarz: I Was Never in That Room Ex-Cop testifies he was outside during attack (Newsday (NY) ) former police officer convicted last year of restraining Abner Louima in a police stationhouse bathroom while another officer sodomized him with a broom stick, testified yesterday that he was outside searching his squad car during the attack. Cop says he was not in building for Louima attack (The Record-Hackensack (NJ) ) Matthew Wynne - Charged with assault NEW HAVEN, CT City cop arrested at home skips court; in psych ward (New Haven (CT) Register ) A New Haven police officer faces domestic violence charges and an uncertain future after his arrest last weekend |
INDIANAPOLIS, IN Posing as girls on Net, police rack up arrests (The Indianapolis Star ) The Internet, long dubbed the information superhighway, is a vast place filled with hundreds of useful Web sites, user newsgroups and chat rooms Gregory Michael Bloom - Sentenced for solicting sex froma 13 yr old girl ROANOKE, VA Judge revokes bond of Internet sex offender (Roanoke Times ) A polygraph test showed he was being deceptive on whether he had violated his probation, a prosecutor said |
| Ashley Renae Freeman(16) and Lauria Jaylene Bible(16) - Missing WELCH, OK Rumors spur tests in case of two missing Welch girls (Tulsa World ) Two brothers, a deputy and an undersheriff, pass polygraphs exams regarding the disappearance of two girls. |
| AMADOU DIALLO - Shot to death by police Sean Carroll, Edward McMellon, Kenneth Boss, and Richard Murphy - On trial ALBANY, NY Diallo jury to decide officers' fate (USA TODAY ) The jury will begin deliberations today in the trial of four white police officers accused of shooting West African immigrant Amadou Diallo, killed in a barrage of 41 bullets last year Diallo jury poised to begin deliberating fate of four police officers (CNN ) Diallo Juror Dismissed for Discussing Case (Fox News ) At Diallo Trial, Justice Is Weighed in Different Measures (Time Daily ) |
| JONBENET RAMSEY, 6 - murdered in her home BOULDER, Colorado 'Ramsey' bill would change grand jury rules--(Denver Post) When pundits pontificated last fall about why John and Patsy Ramsey weren't called to testify before the grand jury investigating their daughter's slaying, one theory eclipsed most: Had they been subpoenaed, prosecutors could have been forced to turn over to the Ramseys every statement they had made about the case, along with statements others had made about them. Ramsey book names 'suspects' --(Boulder News) In a book to be released in March, the parents of JonBenét Ramsey name at least three people whom they consider "suspects" in their daughter's death. The couple's book, "Death of Innocence: The Untold Story of JonBenét's Murder and How its Exploitation Compromised the Pursuit of Truth," is scheduled to be released March 17. Related: A Tribute to Panico--(BJ Plasket/MrsBrady's urls) Internet reporter, Wanda "Panico" Cartwright, passed away yesterday. |
UNNAMED GIRL, 6 - injured Patricia Hepworth - mother charged with attempted murder and arson CROWN POINT, Indiana Mother's alleged taped confession might be thrown out --(Post Trib) A taped confession in which a Lowell mother allegedly admits to setting fire to her house where her 6-year-old daughter was severely injured might be thrown out as evidence. PORT BOLIVAR, Texas Bolivar man charged in homicide--(Galveston Cty Daily News) - Shirley Marie Barrow, 56, found beaten to death early Tuesday morning, in her trailer home. Deputies arrested the woman's ex-husband, Michael Fred Armstrong, and charged him with first-degree murder in connection with the killing. GAINESVILLE, Florida Woman says she was raped at UF frat--(Gainesville Sun) Saying an illegal drug may have left her with memory loss about specifics, a woman told police that someone raped her last weekend at a University of Florida fraternity house, police said. EUGENE LeCORN - murdered police academy worker MARION COUNTY, Florida Gainesville man was shot--(Gainesville Sun) Marion County sheriff's deputies said Gainesville resident Eugene LeCorn was killed by a gunshot to his body, which was found in his car along a road in horse farm country Sunday afternoon. LeCorn had worked at Santa Fe Community College's police academy, now called the Kirkpatrick Criminal Justice Institute, for 26 years. |
NICK BRUEGGEN - murdered witness Michael Glynn Beckcom - helped in murder FRESNO, California Beckcom receives 11 years --(Fresno Bee) Beckcom was a key witness in the federal government's case against Mark Crawford, a former Texas mayor indicted here in a bizarre murder and insurance- fraud scheme. CALVIN REDMOND, 29 - beaten and burned Erskin White Jr., 15 - sentenced GAINESVILLE, Florida Teen sentenced in murder case--(Gainesville Sun) Screams erupted from the distraught sister of a Gainesville murder victim during Tuesday's sentencing of a teen-ager linked to the killing. Police say Redmond, 29, was lured to a northwest Gainesville motel room July 14 and beaten to death. His body was found in western Putnam County, tied to a wooden chair that had been set on fire. KRISTIAN SYLVAS - murdered ROBIN SYLVAS - wounded Michael Joseph Smith - plea-bargain GALVESTON, Texas Texas City shooter takes 40-year prison term--(Galveston Cty. Daily News) The three, described by police as friends at the time of the shooting, had become involved in an argument over a radio. |
JAKE ROBEL, 6 - dragged to death INDEPENDENCE, Missouri Man steals vehicle, drags boy caught in seat belt to his death--(KC Star) A man driving a stolen Chevrolet Blazer dragged a 6-year-old Blue Springs boy about five miles to his death Tuesday before a group of horrified motorists chased and caught the driver. Late Tuesday night, police had not released the name of the man arrested in the death of Jake Robel. |
 STARKE, Fla. Man Who Came 12 Hours Away From Execution Speaks to Media--(Tampa Tribune) Anthony Braden Bryan, who came 12 hours away from execution in Florida's electric chair last October, said Tuesday he isn't afraid of dying.Unless he receives a stay, Bryan, 40, is scheduled to die Thursday morning for the murder of George Wilson. |
| LOS ANGELES Officer testifies robber wanted to die in Hollywood shootout -- (The Nando Times) A Fire Department ambulance driver testified Tuesday he left a bleeding bank robber in a street after the 1997 North Hollywood shootout because he thought the gunman was near death and could not be helped. |
| SHELBY, N.C. "Most Wanted" Joins Hunt for Missing Girl -- (NBC6) The search for Asha Degree has moved into a new phase. Monday afternoon, word came that a national television show, "America's Most Wanted," has plans to highlight her case. The Fox network television show is planning to profile the missing 9-year-old, possibly as soon as this Saturday night. |
