TRUE CRIME TUESDAY - Feds Asked to Prosecute Man Who Killed Thousands of Horses. Their Response? Neigh!

Between 2008 and 2012, the Bureau of Land Management, which is responsible for the care of wild horses across the western U.S., sold 1,794 wild horses to a Colorado rancher named Tom Davis, according to an article by Lisa Rein in the Washington Post.  Mr. Davis said he would find homes for the wild horses, descended from Spanish stallions brought to America hundreds of years ago. He even signed a legal contract agreeing to the terms.

Instead, he sold them to slaughterhouses, where the animals suffered under inhumane conditions before being butchered for their meat. When the first reports of his horses being sold to slaughterhouses were made, the law enforcement arm of the Bureau (OLE) investigated and during two separate interviews Davis lied and said the animals went to good homes. Much later, he confessed that the animals were sold for slaughter.

Wanna hear the worst part? (or the best, depending on your point of view). Tom Davis paid just $10.00 a head for the horses. Quite a bargain. Of course, it cost $140,000 dollars to transport the horses to Davis's ranch, so he could turn the animals over the the slaughterhouse buyers. That's a lot of money.

But he didn't have to foot the bill for that. The taxpayers did it for him. That's right. The Bureau paid the expense to transport the animals into the hands of their killer.

Is this a great country, or what? Well, I guess it is if you're a wealthy rancher who violates a legal contract to make a few bucks ($200,000 dollars profit, actually).

To their credit, the Bureau asked federal authorities to prosecute Mr. Davis after their investigation uncovered the truth. But...they declined. I guess they have more important things to do.

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

True Crime Tuesday for March 11, 2014 (Irish Edition)

“Society often forgives the criminal; it never forgives the dreamer.”

                                                - Oscar Wilde

 

 

Drug Lord Shot Four Times, Declares It Was "Just A Misunderstanding"

 

You've really got to hand it to the Irish. We're known for telling outlandish stories, but this one may be a bit of Irish Crime Fiction. Criminal gangster John Gilligan was shot four times in an assassination attempt last week in Dublin. But from his hospital bed, he told police that he has no enemies and that the shooting was "just a misunderstanding".

 

Gilligan, a suspect in the murder of Irish crime reporter Veronica Guerin, was released from prison only 5 months earlier after serving twelve years for drug trafficking. Rumor has it that he has been trying to re-establish his power in the criminal underworld, with mixed success.

 

Read more about this 'misunderstanding' in the Irish Mirror.

 

Prisoners Allowed To Buy Mobile Phones

 

Most prisons struggle to keep cell phones out of the hands of prisoners. But you know how we Irish love to gab. Several prisoners in Loughan House jail have been given permission to buy and use cell phones while serving their sentences, including one man convicted of manslaughter. The Irish Prison Service has recommended the change, and other prisons have already begun offering the benefit in County Wicklow. Not everyone is happy about the new policy, however. Justice Committee member Finian McGrath expressed his displeasure and said, "People have got to get the message that prison isn’t a luxury hotel."

Before you know it, they'll be handing out things like condoms to the prisoners. Oh, wait.

 

Thieves Swipe ATM Machine Through Bank Wall

 

Thieves in Sligo used a digger to break through a bank wall and haul off an ATM machine. Police are asking the public for help in identifying the driver of a white Nissan pulling a trailer in the Teeling Street area between the hours of 4 AM and 6 AMon January 29th. The ATM has been recovered. No word on whether or not the robbers triggered an alarm at the bank, but judging from the size of that hole in the wall, it's hard to believe no one was roused by the event. Just the facts, if you please.

 

Criminals Betrayed By Sweet Tooth

 

It didn't take long for police to apprehend three men who robbed a gas station in Palmerstown. The trio got only a small amount of cash, but helped themselves to plenty of candy. Dropping sweets as they ran, police followed the trail and found the men divvying up their ill gotten gains. They're now sitting in jail awaiting a hearing...without dessert, one hopes.

 

 

 Dublin Cost Of Living Goes Up...Again

 

Finally, this may be the worst crime of all.

 

If you've ever thought of returning to the green fields of Ireland to live or retire, beware. The cost of living in Dublin's fair city is going up. It's now the 21st most expensive city in the world. That's up 13 rungs from last year's spot at 34.

 

Oh, the humanity!