TRUE CRIME TUESDAY - MAY 5, 2014

Man LIKES His Wanted Poster On Facebook And...I think You Know Where This Is Going.

Levi Reardon, wanted on forgery charges, happened to see his Wanted Poster on Facebook. Apparently he thought it was a pretty good picture...so he did what every dumb criminal eventually does to guarantee they are caught.

He "liked" it...on Facebook.

Yeah, you really can't make this stuff up.

DUMB Happens.

He later thought better of his hasty choice, and "unliked" it, but not before the Cascade County Crimestoppers Facebook page captured a screen image of it. It wasn't long before THIS picture appeared on Facebook. Let's hope Mr. Reardon's court appointed attorney has a little more upstairs than his client.

Kansas Denies Victim Compensation to 10 Year Old Girl Murdered in Drive-By

This would be funny if it weren't so tragic and Kafkaesque. The Kansas State Victims Compensation Board has denied financial compensation to the family of a murdered 10 year old, Machole Stewart, to help pay funeral expenses.

The reason? According to the Board, "the victim was likely engaging in or attempting to engage in unlawful activity at the time of the crime upon which claim is based."

In addition, the Board states, "the victim has not fully cooperated with appropriate law enforcement agencies as required for compensation."

It's no surprise that the victim isn't co-operating; she's dead.

And the "unlawful activity" she was allegedly engaging in when she was murdered? She was in her own home watching television when she was gunned down.

So, I suppose she could have been up past her bedtime? Watching a PG-13 rated TV show?

This heartless and insensitive decision goes beyond the pale, even for a conservative Red state like Kansas. How the Board members came to this conclusion defies logic, which is one virtue you would think Board members Suzanne Valdez (an attorney and law professor at the University of Kansas), Nan Porter (therapist with the Wichita State University Counseling Center), and Thomas Williams (Allen County Commissioner and former sheriff) would have in abundance.

If you'd like, you can attend the next meeting of the Victims Compensation Board, perhaps to see how they reach their decisions. The next one is at the State Capitol, Topeka, on May 14th at 10 AM.

Here's their phone number: (785) 296-2359