TRUE CRIME TUESDAY for December 10, 2013

Definitely in the Running For Worst Boss of the Year

You can be sure that car dealer Larry Barnett won't be getting any presents on Boss's Day next year, after he tried to hire a hit man to knock off a former employee. The almost victim discovered the plot quite by accident.  Mr. Barnett was on another phone hiring the assassin when he butt dialed the victim, who overheard the plot and called police.

This economy has been rough on the average working man and woman the past five years, but there was a time when the worst that could happen was being fired. Apparently, a lot has changed in the world of business. It's becoming a lot more cutthroat...literally!


U.S. and British Spies Infiltrate Middle Earth. Will Gollum Have His Phone Tapped?

You have to hand it to our spy agencies. They'll go anywhere to uncover a terrorist plot against America...even if that means chasing down suspects like elves, gnomes and supermodels, according to an article in the New York Times. Spies have targeted World of Warcraft and Second Life, and have gone so far as to create avatars to collect data on players and recruit informants. The theory is that the games may be hotbeds of communication between terrorists. According to one memo,  "Virtual games “are an opportunity!” another 2008 N.S.A. document declared."

It's an opportunity alright...an opportunity to play games and oogle girls (which your taxes are paying for, by the way). Yeah, I can see how super models might pose a threat to national security. Bet they watched the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show this year, too.

TSA Seizes Gun at the Airport...From a Sock Monkey

Seattle resident Phyllis May, who makes sock monkeys and sells them online, got a shock at the St. Louis airport recently when a TSA agent pulled her carry-on bag from the scanner.  The small business owner was told that she had a gun in her bag, and it was seized.

 The gun actually belonged to her sock monkey. The weapon is about the size of three quarters laid end to end. It weighs less than one ounce.

When Ms. May protested, the agent allegedly said, "If I held it up to your neck, you wouldn’t know if it was real or not...". The agent also told her to contact the police about the incident.

Her sewing supplies were also seized, although she got them back, minus the weapon (naturally).

No word on the whereabouts of the sock monkey suspect, Rooster Monkburn, and we have been unable to determine if he was arrested or if bail has been set.

TRUE CRIME TUESDAY for November 26, 2013

Senate Demands Answers on NSA Surveillance, Inspector General Says "We're Broke"

The Inspector General who is in charge of the NSA and other intelligence has replied to a request from Congress demanding answers about the massive data collection on millions of Americans.

Charles McCullough III has told Judiciary Committee Chairman Senator Leahy that the NSA doesn't have enough money to investigate the allegations.

Oh, really? That's convenient.

Maybe the NSA doesn't have the money for an investigation because they're spending it on data centers that are continually suffering from unexplained equipment failures. According to the Wall Street Journal, an NSA data storage center in Utah has had 10 meltdowns in the past 13 months, and no one has been able to figure out why. According to the article, "each incident caused as much as $100,000 in damage". That's 1.3 million dollars in overrun costs.

You can ask a lot of questions during an investigation for 1.3 million dollars. But hey, it's just money...your money.


Santa May Be Running Late This Year

If you've already started putting out the Christmas decorations and hung the stockings over your fireplace, take a break. Santa may not be on time this year. Seems he's been arrested.

According to the Boston Globe, Santa has been charged with groping a female elf. So far, there's been no comment from Kris Kringle, or his spouse, Mrs. Claus.

The good news is, Santa was able to post bail, which is set at 1,000 dollars.

The bad news is, he's due back in court on December 24th...Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve? Uh, can someone point out to the judge that Santa is going to be a bit busy that day?


Tip of the Week - Don't Use Social Media To Taunt the Police

Rolando Lozano will have some time in jail to think about that one after he posted on his Facebook account a challenge daring police to track him down. The cops took the challenge, and he was arrested 15 minutes later. Police had already arrested Lozano's brother Damian as a suspect in a series of car break-ins and were looking for Rolando. He obliged them after seeing his mugshot on the facebook page of the Rosenberg police department.

TRUE CRIME TUESDAY For November 5. 2013

Man Refuses To Stop at McDonald's, Girlfriend Has Big Mac Attack!

The next time your significant other asks you to stop for fast food, think it over before you say no. One man did and his girlfriend ran him over with his own truck. The Hamburglar has nothing on this felonious female. According to the story in the Daily Mail, Crystal Brooks hit the gas after moving into the driver's seat and while her boyfriend was still standing in front of the truck. She struck him two more times, just for good measure.

Naturally, she told the police it was an accident. They weren't buying it, and she is now in county lockup on a $15,000 bond.


Intelligence Chairman Claims No Privacy Violations by NSA - You Didn't Know Anything!

According to Representative Mike Rogers, Chairman of the Congressional House Intelligence Committee, the NSA did NOT, in fact violate the privacy of millions of law abiding Americans,
simply because those citizens were unaware that their privacy was being violated!

This ranks up there with other famous contradictory statements by government officials, such as "We had to destroy the village in order to save it."  and ‎"We are going to have peace even if we have to fight for it."

At the end of the video clip, Rogers suggests they discuss the idea further over a bottle of wine. Judging from the logic of his statement, I think it's quite possible he's already had one too many.


Man Arrested For Overdue Library Book

If you've ever returned a book late to your local library, better beware. Our lending institutions are cracking down on you scofflaws, as one unfortunate man discovered.  Jory Enck of Texas was arrested for failing to return a book he checked out three years ago.

I better check my nightstand. I think I may have a couple of overdue books. Is that a police car in my driveway?




Author Appearances

If you're in Panama City today, stop by the The Purple Grape on Beck Avenue. Michael Lister is having a book signing for his new thriller, Separation Anxiety.  

And Beth Groundwater is releasing a new mystery in her Claire Hanover series on November 8th, A Basket of Trouble. 

If you haven't read their work, check out these events and pick up their books. It would be a crime if you didn't.

TRUE CRIME TUESDAY JUNE 18, 2013

Daughter Tracks Down Her Father's Killer

26 years after her father was murdered in Brooklyn, a daughter has given her family a Father's Day present by tracking down the killer. What makes this story all the more amazing? The cops had hit a dead end in the case, and it was colder than an iceberg.

Joselyn Martinez began her search after social media began to explode on the internet about ten years ago. As she said to the Daily News in an interview, "I wanted to become a prosecutor in college. But then I decided to do what I really wanted to. How could I prosecute other cases when my father's was unsolved?"

After turning over her findings to the police, she was recently told that the suspect is now in custody. Read more about this amazing woman and devoted daughter here.


Senators Skip Classified Briefing on NSA's Spy Program PRISM

The rest of the country seems glued to news stories surrounding the NSA spying and data collection, but not our own legislators. Despite a scheduled classified hearing on the program last Thursday, not open to ordinary Americans, dozens of Senators couldn't wait to dash out the door for a long weekend. According to a story by the Atlantic Wire, "The only senator who confirmed their attendance was Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein. She really had no choice, given her position, and she was furious about the low turnout."

Maybe we need an ordinary American to start a program of spying on the Senate. Wonder if anyone could sneak into one of those hearings disguised as a Senator? There seems to be no shortage of empty seats, at least. Any volunteers out there?


Wildlife Poachers have a New Enemy - Unmanned Drones

As organized gangs threaten to wipeout elephants and rhinos in Africa for the illegal ivory and medicinal trade, park rangers have a new tool in their arsenal. Drones are being introduced in an effort to keep track of poachers across the vast wilderness in national parks, some of which cover tens of thousands of square miles. NPR has a great article on the development, Rangers Turn to Drones To Catch Poachers.


Former Nazi Commander Discovered in U.S., Germany, Poland Show Interest in Extradition

It's been a quiet spring in Minnesota these past few days, but not for Michael Karkoc. The former carpenter living in Minneapolis stands accused of being a commander of a vicous SS squad that murdered thousands of civilians in World War II. According to a story in the Christian Science Monitor, Mr. Karkoc, who is in his mid-90s, could have his US citizenship revoked and be deported. If the evidence of his involvement in wartime atrocities is strong enough, he could also face war-crimes prosecution in Germany or Poland.


Governor Vetoes Background Check Bill, Convicted Felon says "Thanks"

A new law passed by the Nevada legislature, which would have made it harder for mentally ill people to buy a gun, has been vetoed by Governor Brian Sandoval who was quoted saying that it would "do little to prevent criminals from unlawfully obtaining firearms."

Meanwhile, The Courant has published a letter to the editor from a convicted felon currently residing at a super max prison in Colorado, thanking opponents of firearm background checks. He says, in part, "I fully anticipate being able to stop at a gun show on my way home...in order to buy some with which to resume my criminal activities."

Let's hope someone reads this letter at his next parole hearing. The convict's parole hearing, not the governor's.

TRUE CRIME TUESDAY JUNE 11, 2013

Costa Rican Wildlife Monitor Found Kidnapped, Killed

A 26 year old conservationist who patrolled Costa Rican beaches to protect nesting sea turtles and their eggs from poachers has been murdered. Jairo Mora Sandoval was kidnapped last week along with four female volunteers, three Americans and a Spaniard. The women escaped but Jairo was found on the beach the next day, bound and shot in the back of the head execution style.

Turtles eggs have a long tradition in Latin America as a delicacy, but efforts to protect them have grown over the past few decades as their numbers have plummeted. Poaching is a serious problem, and the evidence suggests that drug gangs may now be involved. According to the New York Times, "Sandoval had recently made statements in a national newspaper linking egg poaching to drug traffickers." For more on this story, click HERE.


Criminal Flees From Police, Hides in Police Station

Thank goodness criminals are so dumb...it makes it easier to catch them, and gives us a laugh. Like this example from St. Louis, where a suspect fled after a traffic stop, only to wind up hiding in a building occupied by the St. Louis County Police Dept. According to the story from KMOV, "Lt. Bryan Ludwig and another officer arrested the man after he ran into the police station. Ludwig joked that the man was actually headed for the jail and could have just cut out the middleman (officers) and gone straight to jail."


Indian Tourism Suffers After Rapes of Tourists

The high profile stories of recent sexual assaults against female tourists has caused tourism in India to decline, threatening the jobs of 20 million Indians as well an additional 60 million street vendors who sell trinkets and food to foreign visitors. Government officials have scrambled to boost security and reassure visitors that they will be safe when they visit the Asian sub-continent. Neha Thirani Bagri has an article on the growing problem in the latest edition of India Ink.


Classified Leak of Secret Surveillance by NSA No Big Deal...Until It Is

When the story of the NSA's gigantic data collection on ordinary Americans came to light last week, politicians rushed to explain that the program had been authorized by the government and had been going on since the Bush administration. It was much ado about nothing, they claimed, and much of the public supports it. But now that the leaker has revealed himself, Eric Snowden is a hunted man and pols from John Boehner to Dianne Feinstein are calling for his prosecution as a traitor.  Whether you consider him a Hero or Traitor?, one thing will never change...the political spin that comes out of Washington whenever Congress puts it's hypocritical hoof in its mouth.

The bigger problem may be the private contractors who have access to such sensitive data. According to the Wall Street Journal, in their article Spies For Hire, thousands of private civilians contractors have been paid to shift through the massive amount of sensitive data in an effort to prevent the next terrorist attack. Who controls them and what they can access, is a question that still must be answered.


After Newtown Tragedy, Parents Enter The Lonely Quiet, and Struggle To Survive

The recent political battles surrounding gun access and background checks have died down without any meaningful changes, and most of us have returned to our daily lives. But Mark and Jackie Barden must now continue on without their son, Daniel. Eli Saslow examines their journey in this sensitive piece, The Lonely Quiet. Please continue to keep them, and all the victims, in your hearts and prayers.