Colorado Hearings Re-Examine '87 murder case

PEGGY HETTRICK (37) - murdered on 02/11/87, body left lying in a field
Tim Masters (15 at the time) - lived next to the field where victims' body was found; arrested in 1998 and convicted in 1999
FORT COLLINS, Colorado
Colorado Hearings Re-examine '87 Murder Case --(New York Times)--The murder of Peggy Hettrick, 21 years ago this February, was a dark chapter in the history of this tidy college town on the edge of Colorado's eastern plains.

Pepper Spray Inc.

12 yr old home alone shot by intruders

EMILY ELIZABETH HADDOCK (12) - home from school with strep throat; was alone when someone broke into the house and shot her several times
Van Roger Smith Jr. (16); Michael Graham Currie (18); and Sherrod Nicholas Harrison (19) - charged with murder and breaking and entering
Perry Ross Schiro (19) 4th suspect also charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of breaking and entering
VASS, North Carolina
State May Seek Death Against Harnett Men Charged In Child's Murder--(Dunn Daily Record)--The Moore County District Attorney's Office is seeking the death penalty for at least one of the five Harnett County teens charged with the Sept. 21 shooting death of 12-year-old Emily Elizabeth Haddock.

Pepper Spray Inc.

Missing Woman

JACQUELINE NICOLE VIENNEAU (32) - Vancouver Canada woman went missing on 03/31/07 in Syria; last seen leaving her hotel room
HAMA, SYRIA
Family's anguish as Vancouver backpacker still missing in Syria--(National Post)-- There is one Christmas gift Matthew Vienneau and his family have been praying to receive this year: news of Vancouver's Nicole Vienneau, the backpacker who disappeared in Syria on March.

Pepper Spray Inc.

College student missing

JUSTIN GAINES (18) - Gainesville College student went missing 11/01/07; last heard from trying to find a ride home from a nightclub
GWINNETT COUNTY, Georgia
Family still lives with not knowing--(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)--It is surely every mother's worst nightmare having a child who doesn't come home.
Holidays Hard for Gaines' Family--(WXIA-TV)--As some are cleaning up in the kitchen others catch up with cousins while others fuss over the newest babies in the family.
More Help in Search for Missing Teen--(WXIA-TV)--Erika Wilson's didn’t have the heart to put up her Christmas tree this year. Her daughter had to do it.
Anyone with information should call the Gwinnett County Police Department at (770) 513-5300. A private investigator hired by the Gaines' family has announced a $12,000 reward for information about Gaines' whereabouts

Pepper Spray Inc.

7 yr old beaten to death by family member

ZOE GARCIA (7) - allegedly beaten to death on 12/06/07 with imitations of moves from the "Mortal Kombat" video game
Heather Trujillo (16) - half-sister charged as an adult on one count of felony child abuse causing death; held on $100,000 bail
Lamar Roberts (17) - boyfriend of Heather also charged as an adult on one count of felony child abuse causing death; held on $100,000 bail
GREELEY, Colorado
History of alleged abuse surfaces--(Denver Post)--The night a 7-year-old girl was killed while left alone with two teens and younger siblings was not the first time Zoe Garcia was placed in questionable circumstances.
Vigil finds 'little girl lost' amid chaos of death--(The Johnstown Breeze)-- In small groups, they walked up the driveway of Letford Elementary School, where the 7-year-old attended first grade, and silently picked up cups lining the front walkway that contained candles burning ever brighter in the settling dusk.
'One of the sweetest'; loved ones remember 7-year-old--(KUSA-TV)--A tearful crowd at Sunday night's candlelight vigil for 7-year-old Zoe Garcia said they'd remember her enduring smile and warm personality.
Days before custody talks, father learns child is dead--(Denver Post)--The father of a 7-year-old who died this month after allegedly being beaten by a half-sister and her boyfriend said he spent three years searching for the girl and was within days of contacting her when he learned of her death.

Pepper Spray Inc.

Mother and Daughter double homicide

ELIZABETH SCHALCHLIN (13) - stabbed in the neck while talking on the phone 12/19/07
ELLEN 'Lori' SCHALCHLIN (41) - stabbed multiple times when she walked into the living area looking for her daughter
Donald Schalchlin (15) - brother/son being held on investigation of rendering criminal assistance; Bail set at $100,000
Joshua Tucker (16) - state ward and repeat runaway had been taken in by the family; being held on investigation of murder or manslaughter; bail set at $500,000
WEST RICHLAND, Washington
Teens held in Benton City slayings--(Tri-City Herald)--Elizabeth Schalchlin was doing what most 13-year-olds typically do -- talking on the phone -- when she was killed Wednesday night.
Original 911 Call in Double Homicide Came from a Cell Phone--(KNDO/KNDU)--It was Ellen Schalchlin or Lori asking for help. Five seconds later, the line went dead.
Ellen Schalchlin's Son Copes With Family's Murder--(KNDO/KNDU)--Ellen Schalchlin's son Steven has a lot of work left to do at the home where he once lived. And picking up the pieces has not been an easy job to do all alone.
Mother and Daughter Killed in West Richland Double Homicide--(KNDO/KNDU)--Both the Benton County Sheriff's Office and the Washington State Crime Lab are investigating after a mother and daughter were killed in West Richland.

Pepper Spray Inc.

Jury finds Montgomery guilty in death of woman whose baby was kidnapped

10/22/2007
BOBBI JO STINNETT (23) - pregnant mom strangled in her home; baby removed from her body 12/17/04
Lisa M. Montgomery (39) - charged with one count kidnapping resulting in death; death penalty sought; convicted
SKIDMORE, Missouri
Jury finds Montgomery guilty in death of woman whose baby was kidnapped--(Kansas City Star)--Turning aside defense claims of insanity, a jury Monday convicted Lisa Montgomery of killing Bobbie Jo Stinnett to kidnap Stinnett’s unborn daughter and claim the girl as her own.
Jury convicts Montgomery--(Topeka Capital Journal)--Melvern woman will be sentenced to death or receive life in prison
Montgomery guilty; sentencing phase begins Wednesday--(Associated Press)--Lawyers for Lisa Montgomery now have a new fight on their hands: keeping her alive.
Pepper Spray Inc.

Interpol Unscrambles Blurred Internet Image in Hunt for Pedophile

PARIS-- He apparently travels the world sexually abusing young boys, but remained unidentifiable — until now.

Police in Europe have unscrambled digitally altered images found on the Internet to reveal the face of a man shown abusing boys in Vietnam and Cambodia.

Interpol released four reconstructed photos of the suspected pedophile on Monday in an unprecedented public appeal for help, hoping that someone, somewhere, will recognize the man whose identity and nationality remain a mystery.

The response has been heartening: about 200 messages in just over 12 hours, Interpol said.

But the decision to unmask the suspect is not without risk: Tipping criminals off to the techniques that police have at their disposal could also prompt them to hide their identities better.

Suspected Pedophile Interpol said 12 boys, apparently ranging in age from 6 to early teens, appeared in about 200 photographs posted on the Internet. But the face of the man inflicting the abuse was disguised in a digital whirl.

Using techniques that neither they nor Interpol would discuss, German police produced identifiable images of the man from the original pictures. The reconstructed photos showed a white man who looked to be in his 30s, with uncombed short brown hair. One showed him wearing glasses, in another he smiled, and another showed that he has a hairy chest. Interpol, which is headquartered in Lyon, southeast France, posted the images on its Web site.

Anders Persson, a Swedish police officer seconded to Interpol's human trafficking unit who oversees its database of images of child abuse, said releasing the photos sent "a quite clear message" to criminals that they can be identified through Web postings.

"We have a lot of responses and they are coming from all over the world," Persson said in a telephone interview.

Some of the estimated 200 messages in the first! wave include detailed information such as names and addresses, he said. Others are simply names and still others are sightings of people met on holiday.

Interpol forwards detailed information to the countries concerned so local police can check, Persson said, adding that local police, too, are getting responses to the appeal.

Persson said he personally had opposed making the photos public because it demonstrated to criminals that police can unblur pictures. But that consideration and the risk that the man could face public humiliation or even violence now that he is recognizable were outweighed by the desire to protect other children from abuse.

"It was a long discussion," Persson said. "We can't just sit here and do nothing. We have exhausted all possibilities within police work to find this man ... This was the last step."

Interpol said the reconstructed images were produced by Germany's Bundeskriminalamt, or BKA, police force. Contacted separately by The AP, a BKA spokesman said the agency did not want to give detai! ls of the process used by its image processing expert "because we do not want to give criminals the opportunity to adjust to the techniques we are using."

Interpol said it does not divulge such information from member countries.

The techniques do not appear very complicated: The Associated Press produced an almost recognizable image of the man from the blurred photo that Interpol also distributed, in just a few minutes using commercially available computer software for editing photographs. The AP image was not as clear as Interpol's, but still showed the outlines of a face rather than a mere blur.

"Techniques are always developing. What is impossible today is possible tomorrow," said Persson. "There were several attempts to clear the face ... We are sure that you can't get better pictures, and the people in his neighborhood — family friends, colleagues, whatever — they will recognize him."

Persson said one of the 200 pictures showed the name of a hotel in Vietnam, but police checks of the guest register tur ned up no clues. Cambodian police recognized locations in other photos.

The photos must date from before December 2004, when they were found on the Internet, and some were digitally stamped as having been taken in 2002 and 2003, said Persson.

The 12 boys have not been located, he added.

Interpol had already circulated photos of the man to police around the world but failed to identify him. Persson said he believes Interpol obtained the first photos around spring 2005, then more and more came in.

"For years, images of this man sexually abusing children have been circulating on the Internet. We have tried all other means to identify and to bring him to justice, but we are now convinced that without the public's help this sexual predator could continue to rape and sexually abuse young children," Interpol's secretary general, Ronald K. Noble, said in a statement.

"We have very good reason to believe that he travels the world in order to sexually abuse and exploit vulnerable children," Noble said.

Distinguishing marks on his body will help police be sure that they have their man if he is eventually caught, Persson said. He did not say what these marks were but said they would be "the final proof if he is the right guy or not."

Interpol asked people who recognize the man or who have other information to contact police or the Interpol bureau in their country. It urged them not to take any direct action themselves.

Pepper Spray Inc.

Update - Phoenix Serial Killer Cases

Mark Goudeau (42) - alleged "Baseline Killer" charged with an additional 74 criminal counts ; including nine murders; five sexual assaults and 12 armed robberies; convicted of a 2005 sexual assault of two sisters; sentencing scheduled 11/06/07; murder trial scheduled 08/06/08
Dale Hausner (33) - alleged "Serial Shooter" charged with seven counts of first-degree murder; death penalty sought
Samuel Dieteman (31) - alleged "Serial Shooter" charged with charged with two counts of first-degree murder; death penalty sought; trial is set for April 2008
PHOENIX, Arizona
Expert: Alleged Serial Shooter Duo Were 'Thrill-Seeking'----An expert on serial killers said Friday that murder suspects Samuel Dieteman and Dale Hausner were looking for thrills last summer as they carried out a shooting spree that killed two people and wounded many others in the Phoenix metropolitan area.
Psychologist: No common motivation in Serial Shooter crimes----A forensic psychologist told a judge Friday it would be a “substantial leap” to assume all the crimes connected to Dale Hausner, a suspect in serial slayings, were done for thrills.
Ring tied convicted rapist to other Baseline Killer attacks----According to police documents released Wednesday, authorities connected Goudeau to several attacks by testing shell fragments found at shooting scenes. In one case, they found a gold ring from one shooting victim in Goudeau's shoe.
Pepper Spray Inc.

Convicted Sex Offender William Joe "Billy Mitch" Mitchell Captured in Virginia

October 9, 2007

WINCHESTER, VA. A Nationwide manhunt came to an end Saturday when Virginia State Police arrested 46-year-old William Joe "Billy Mitch" Mitchell, a convicted sex offender with a violent past, in Winchester, Virginia. Police had been looking for Mitchell since he lured 15-year-old Alyssa Frank away from her family home in Bartow, Florida last week. Fortunately, the teen was able to get away from Mitchell in DeFuniak Springs. From there, Mitchell led police on a manhunt through several states along the East Coast.

The hunt for Mitchell intensified on Thursday, when police in Pennsylvania received a tip that Mitchell's black Chevrolet Lumina with Florida license plate number G025EL had been spotted in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, Mitchell left the area before police could locate the vehicle. The trail went cold from there, but then, on Saturday morning, a second tipster reported seeing Mitchell's car at the Flying J Truck Stop in Winchester, where police were able to take him into custody without incident.

"Virginia State Police swooped down upon him at gun point, arrested him, and he offered absolutely no resistance," Polk County, Florida Sheriff Grady Judd said in an interview with WHSV.com, adding, "Now our goal is to see that he never breathes another breath of air! outside of prison."

Alyssa's father, Roger Frank, was overjoyed when he received new of the arrest.

"When we got the news today about that he was caught, it was absolutely the best joy in the world," Frank told WHSV.com. "We're very happy my daughter's doing fine; she's going to be OK."

Alyssa's parents reported her missing on the morning of October 1, after going to her room to wake her up for school, and discovering her missing. When investigators interviewed Alyssa's friends, they learned that she had been chatting with Mitchell, a man who portrayed himself as a teenager, through the popular social networking website, MySpace.com. Alyssa allegedly told her friends that she had fallen in love with Mitchell, and was going to run off with him.

Authorities immediately issued an Amber Alert, asking for the public to look out for Mitchell's Chevrolet Lumina. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd also held a press conference, at which time he directly addressed Mitchell.

"Don't you dare hurt this young lady. Let her go," Judd said. "Take her to a convenience store. A bus station. But let her go."

As the search for Alyssa intensified, Mitchell apparently felt the heat, and decided that it was in his best interest to part ways with her before going into hiding. After driving to Alabama, Mitchell decided to turn back and head for DeFuniak Springs. There, he stopped at a local Wal-Mart, and told Alyssa that he was going somewhere for about 5 minutes. He also told her that if she sought help, he would kill her. Mitchell then drove away, leaving Alyssa behind. When he failed to return, she identified herself to the authorities, and provided them with information on the events leading up to her separation from Mitchell.

According to court documents, Mitchell is currently on probation. His rap sheet details 14 arrests for crimes including aggravated assault with a weapon, bomb threats, extortion, burglary, "grand larceny and offenses or offers of lewdness and lewd and lascivious behavior."

Mitchell is currently being held in the Frederick County Regional Jail without bond. He is charged with solicitation to commit a lewd act, enticing a child via the Internet, interference with custody, and traveling to meet a minor for the purpose of unlawful sexual contact. Mitchell also faces charges in Alabama for taking the victim across the state line.

Pepper Spray Inc.

Missing Woman found

10/10/2007
SUMMER SHIPP (54) - vanished Dec. 8 2004, last seen conducting a marketing survey in Independence
INDEPENDENCE, MO
Body found in Independence is Summer Shipp’s--(Kansas City Star)-- The Jackson County sheriff’s office confirmed Tuesday night that a skull found along the banks of the Little Blue River in Independence and other remains found nearby were Shipp’s.
Pepper Spray Inc.

Fast Food Pepper Spray attack

OAKLAND PARK, Fla. -- The Broward Sheriff's Office is investigating a fast-food restaurant drive-through pepper spray attack that left several employees irritated.BSO deputies said a blue Toyota Solara with five females inside pulled up to the McDonald's drive-through window at 3073 W. Oakland Park Blvd. at about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.The driver ordered a 69-cent soda, but when the employee told the customer through the intercom that it wasn't available, she became verbally abusive, according to the BSO. The driver then pulled up to the take-out window, and the left back seat passenger pulled out a can of pepper spray and sprayed the inside.Three employees went to the hospital for treatment, while eight other employees complained of residual pepper spray effects but required no treatment.The driver of the car is described as a thin black female with large earrings. The front seat passenger was dressed as a woman, but BSO deputies said the passenger might have been a cross-dressing man with red, white and blue hair accessories. Three other females were in the back seat of the car.Anyone with information is asked to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.
Pepper Spray Inc.

Murder at sea of wealthy Newport Beach couple

10-6-07
THOMAS HAWKS (57) and his wife JACKIE (47) - retired couple vanished after putting their yacht up for sale 11/15/04; their bodies have never been found
Jennifer Deleon (26) - convicted as an accomplice in the crime; sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison without the possibility of parole
Alonso Machain (25) - charged with two counts of accessory to commit murder
Myron Gardner Sr. (41) - charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder
Skylar Deleon (28) and John Fitzgerald Kennedy (42) - charged with two counts of murder and special-circumstance allegations of multiple murder and murder for financial gain; death penalty sought; awaiting trial
NEWPORT BEACH, California
Woman gets life without parole for yacht murders --(Los Angeles Times)--The wife of the alleged mastermind in the murders of Thomas and Jackie Hawks at sea was sentenced Friday to two consecutive life terms in prison without the possibility of parole for participating in the plot to kill the retired couple, steal their yacht and plunder their life savings.
Wife involved in slaying of Newport couple gets life --(Orange County Register) A young mother of two small children was sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison without the possibility of parole Friday afternoon for her role in the murders-at-sea of a wealthy Newport Beach couple in a plot to steal their yacht.
Pepper Spray Inc.

Amber Alert Teen Found Safe

10-6-07

The suspect who caused an Amber Alert Tuesday involving at 15-year-old girl is considered armed and dangerous by Polk County deputies.

Alyssa Frank said she met William Mitchell, 46, on MySpace. After sneaking out to meet with him, Mitchell threatened to kill her and took her to the Alabama border.

Eventually Mitchell abandoned the girl at a Wal-Mart, but remains on the run.

“He's at large,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. “We don't know where he is. We know that he is dangerous. We know he's a predator and a pedophile. We know he lured this 15-year-old away after possibly weeks of communication as it’s described to us."

Mitchell has 14 prior arrests on his record including charges of burglary, assault with a weapon, and lewd and lascivious behavior.

Deputies believe he is armed.

Pepper Spray Inc.

Murder charge filed eight months after pregnant woman dies

EAST CHICAGO, Ind. A man who shot his pregnant girlfriend in the face now faces a murder charge in connection with her death.

23 year old Fabian Gomez of Whiting also is charged with aggravated battery, battery and criminal recklessness. Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter announced the new charge yesterday.

25 year old Jennifer Montejano of East Chicago was eight months pregnant when she was shot Dec. 28. She suffered a .38-caliber gunshot wound that left her in a coma for more than a week before she died.

The night she was shot, doctors delivered a 5-pound, 9-ounce girl by emergency Caesarean section.

Gomez has told police the shooting was accidental.

A jury trial is scheduled for Oct. 22.

Pepper Spray Inc.

Texas Hunt for Man Seen With Student Before Her Burning Death

DENTON, Texas -- Police have issued an arrest warrant for a Denton man who was seen with a University of North Texas student hours before her burned body was found in Carrollton.

The body of 19-year-old sophomore Melanie Goodwin was found Tuesday about 20 miles from a Denton convenience store where she was last seen with Ernesto Reyes earlier that morning.

Police issued an arrest warrant for Reyes, 20, on Wednesday night. He is wanted on suspicion of murder, according to a police news release.

"Based on our timeline, that's the last documented person to see her," Carrollton police Sgt. John Singleton said.

Reyes was photographed by security cameras at the convenience store near UNT early Tuesday morning. Police said he was last seen leaving the store with Goodwin in her car. Denton police said it appeared that Goodwin left willingly with Reyes. Their relationship remained unknown.

Goodwin's burned body was found nine hours later near a Carrollton office complex. The Dallas County medical examiner's office was still investigating the cause of death.

Police found her abandoned car Wednesday afternoon behind a commercial building in Denton, about three miles from the convenience store.

Goodwin was a 2006 graduate of Bowie High School in Arlington and had appeared in school and community theatrical productions. She was majoring in radio-television-film at North Texas.

Matthew Bobo, a spokesman for the Goodwin family, said everything seemed well with Goodwin when her parents last spoke to her on Monday afternoon. The family believes Goodwin was abducted by a stranger, Bobo said.

"She was one of those people who never met a stranger," Bobo said. "Being nice to people can be a bad thing."

Goodwin was the second UNT student to be slain this month.

Two weeks ago, 21-year-old Lorena Sandoval, a senior, was found strangled in her Denton ap artment. Police have charged her ex-boyfriend, Sean Kresse, 24, with murder in the case.

Pepper Spray Inc.

Student Critical After Tenn. Dorm Attack

MURFREESBORO, Tenn.-- A Middle Tennessee State University student attacked another in his dorm room overnight, critically injuring the young woman, university officials said Wednesday.

The 18-year-old freshman was found unconscious in the room of the suspect, who placed an emergency call around midnight, said Bob Glenn, vice president for student affairs.

Kevin Sisco, also an 18-year-old freshman, was charged with attempted first-degree murder after campus police consulted the local district attorney, university Police Chief Buddy Peaster said.

The woman was beaten and sustained trauma to her head, Peaster said. He did not know if the woman had been beaten with a weapon of some kind, although none had been found.

Sisco told police the woman had a medical condition and had fallen down, Peaster said, adding, "His explanation didn't coincide with what we were seeing."

The victim was listed in stable but critical condition Wednesday at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Glenn said.

Police were still waiting on forensic tests to determine whether she might have been sexually assaulted. They released the woman's name, but The Press generally does not report the names of victims of sexual assault.

Sisco was being held without bail Wednesday; information on whether he had an attorney was not immediately available.

Sisco and the young woman lived in the same coed dorm and knew each other, but investigators were still learning details about their relationship, Peaster said.

The university is about 30 miles southeast of Nashville and enrolls about 22,500 students.

Both students' families were notified and the university sent out an e-mail to faculty, staff and students Wednesday morning. The university held a meeting Wednesday afternoon with students living on campus to answer questions about the attack, university spokesman Tom Tozer said.
Pepper Spray Inc.

Pepper spray attacks at Baylor

WACO — Police are looking for the teenagers behind two attacks on Baylor University students in which the victims’ eyes were doused with pepper spray. Baylor Department of Public Safety Chief Jim Doak said the attacks occurred within a couple of hours Saturday night on the school’s campus.

“We’re angry, the students are angry,” he said. “This is just pure evil. We’re just amazed at how low someone will stoop.”

Jordan Belt, 22, said he was driving with his window down when he came upon two boys acting like they “owned the street.” He stopped to let the teens pass but was suddenly sprayed in the eyes.

Later that night, two teens fitting the same description asked a student for directions as the student was leaving the library. The teens then shot the student in the eyes with pepper spray and punched him. The student required stitches, Doak said.

Belt said he believes the attack was random and would forgive his attackers.

“But I would ask them not to do that to anyone else,” he said. “I wouldn’t have any charges pressed against them, but it was a very cruel and painful joke.”

Doak, however, said police would pursue aggravated assault charges if they figure out who’s responsible. The suspects fled both attacks without anyone getting a good look at them.

“It’s just a despicable act. They’re cowards. Absolute cowards,” he said.

Doak sent an e-mail to Baylor students warning them about the attacks. He has also increased patrols on campus.

Student April Fields, 20, said she was surprised by the attacks but believed them to be random.

“What are you going to do? You think, ‘I just won’t go out,’ but you can’t do that. It’s just random.”

This is a case of pepper spray totally being misused.

Pepper Spray Inc.

Three N.C. teenagers charged with murder in shooting death of 12-year-old girl

VASS, N.C. — Three teens were charged in the slaying of a 12-year-old girl whose body was found by her grandfather in her home, authorities said Monday.

All three face charges of first-degree murder and breaking and entering in the shooting death of Emily Elizabeth Haddock, the Moore County Sheriff's Office said.

Van Roger Smith Jr., 16, Sherrod Nicholas Harrison, 19, and Michael Graham Currie, 18, all of Cameron, would be held without bond at the Moore County Detention Center, the sheriff's office said.

The jail and sheriff's department didn't have attorney information for the teens.

Haddock had stayed home from school with strep throat Friday. Her home near Vass was broken into and robbery appears to be the motive, authorities said.Authorities believe they have recovered the .22-caliber pistol used in the shooting.

Pepper Spray Inc.

Chicago woman found dead

CHICAGO — A badly decomposed body found behind several vacant businesses in Calumet City this week is that of a Chicago woman reported missing nine days ago, authorities said Friday.

Dental records were used to identify the body of Nailah Franklin, 28, who was reported missing Sept. 19 after she didn't show up for a work meeting, Chicago police spokeswoman Monique Bond said.

The cause of death has not been determined, though forensic evidence was still being processed, Bond said.

The woman's unclothed body was discovered Thursday not far from where her car was found in Hammond, Ind., last week.

Telephone messages left Friday with family members were not immediately returned.

Bond said investigators have not determined where the woman died, and department investigators are working with the FBI and Calumet City police. She said the case is being characterized as a death investigation, not a homicide investigation, because the cause of death had not yet been determined.

Franklin, a sales representative for Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly, had recently filed a police report about threatening phone calls she received from a man she dated briefly. Chicago police have said they have interviewed someone Franklin dated, but have not named a suspect in her disappearance.

Her disappearance triggered a frantic search. Family members and volunteers papered the city with fliers, took out a newspaper ad seeking the publics help and launched a Web site. The family also offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to her whereabouts.

Pepper Spray Inc.

Girl seen on sex tape found safe

LAS VEGAS - A young girl who was seen being sexually assaulted in a homemade videotape has been found and is safe with relatives and sheriff's officials, an investigator said Friday

"We found the victim. She's safe," Nye County sheriff's Detective David Boruchowitz told The Associated Press.

Widespread media accounts of the case led to the crucial tip that helped find the girl, Boruchowitz said. He did not provide details of her identity, where she lives or how she was located, but a news conference was planned later Friday.

A man being sought for questioning, Chester Arthur Stiles, remains at large, said Nye County Sheriff Tony DeMeo.

"For us, he is a person of interest. We want to talk with Mr. Stiles about the identity of the female victim," DeMeo said in a telephone interview with the AP.

Earlier in the day, authorities put the name "Madison" to the haunting face of the young girl authorities believe was 4 or 5 years old when she was raped and sexually assaulted in the video.

Stiles, 37, whose last known address was Las Vegas, is wanted on an unrelated state warrant on a charge of lewdness with a minor younger than 14 and a federal charge of being a fugitive, DeMeo said.

Investigators determined that the video of the attack was recorded over the video of an 11-year-old girl taped in October 2005 through a window of a Pahrump home, DeMeo said.

Officials identified that girl, now 13, after releasing photos taken from the video and matched to records of a "peeping Tom" report at her home. No one was found outside the girl's home when deputies arrived, and the girl wasn't assaulted, authorities said.

A 26-year-old Pahrump man, Darren Tuck, surrendered the tape to Nye County sheriff's investigators Sept. 8 and told investigators he found it in the desert, Boruchowitz said.

Tuck was arrested on suspicion of promoting child pornography and possession of child pornography, both felonies, and released without bail pending an appearance Nov. 26 in Pahrump Justice Court. The top charge carries a possible sentence of up to life in prison.

Tuck's lawyer Harry Kuehn stressed that the Nye County district attorney had not filed formal charges against his client. He said the tape was found wrapped in a plastic shopping bag and hidden beneath a fallen sign used as a launch pad for jumps and tricks by dirt cyclists.

Another lawyer for Tuck, Thomas Gibson, has characterized his client as an innocent middleman who should be credited for giving the tape to authorities.

The staff at Pepper Spray Inc. is very happy that the girl was returned safely to her family.

Pepper Spray Inc.

Nevada Deputies Looking For 5-Year-Old Girl

September 26,2007

NYE COUNTY, NV. The Nye County Sheriff's Office is seeking the publics help in identifying a young girl who is seen in a video being victimized by an unknown male suspect.

On September 8, a man identified as Darren Tuck, 26, surrendered the videotape to sheriff's deputies after another individual reported viewing it. According to Nye County Sheriff's Detective David Boruchowitz, the tape, which is approximately 30 minutes long, shows an unidentified male sexually assaulting and raping a girl believed to be 4 or 5 years old.

"This is probably the most disgusting thing we've ever seen, especially videotaped as a record of it, it's even worse," Boruchowitz said in an interview with 11alive.com.

Tuck told police he found the tape about six months ago in the desert outside of Pahrump. While investigators do not believe Tuck was involved in the making of the video, they do not feel he is being completely honest about how he obtained it, considering there was no evidence to suggest it had been exposed to the elements.

Due in part to lack of cooperation on his part, Tuck was arrested on September 19 and charged with possessing and promoting child pornography. Tuck was released from jail last week without bail, pending a November 26 arraignment before a Pahrump Justice Court. If convicted on all counts, he could receive a life sentence.

Sheriff's deputies are now focusing all of their investigative efforts on identifying the young girl on the tape and the sick individual who is seen assaulting her.

"Our concern is if this little girl is still in that situation," Boruchowitz told FoxNews.com yesterday. "Our concern is to get her out of the nightmare that she's been living in."

However, Boruchowitz admits the search will not be easy.

"The problem is the unknowns," Boruchowitz said. "We have no idea where he's from, where she's from, and no idea who they are or where they are."

Police are urging anyone with any information regarding the identities and/or whereabouts of either the young girl or the adult perpetrator to immediately contact the Nye County Sheriff's Office at (775) 751-7000 or CrimeStoppers at (702) 385-5555. You can remain anonymous.

Pepper Spray Inc.

9-Year-Old's Killer Gets Death Sentence

INVERNESS, Fla. John Evander Couey looked straight ahead as a judge told him he should be executed for crimes that led to new laws in many states cracking down on convicted sex offenders. The 49-year-old convicted sex offender was sentenced to death Friday for kidnapping 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford, raping her and burying her alive in his yard.

Sheriff's deputies hustled the handcuffed inmate out of the crowded courtroom.

The girl's father, Mark Lunsford, teared up as he listened to Circuit Judge Ric Howard read a detailed history of the case for nearly an hour. He hugged relatives after the sentence was read.

Outside court, Lunsford had a message for Couey: "Skip all these appeals. Take your punishment. Stand up and be a man."

The jury that convicted Couey in March recommended 10-2 that he die for his crimes, but the decision was left to Howard.

An attorney for Couey, 49, had argued that he couldn't legally be executed because he is mentally retarded, but Howard brushed aside that claim in a strongly worded ruling earlier this month. Mentally retarded people cannot be executed under a 2002 U.S. Supreme Court decision.

The jury convicted Couey of taking the girl in February 2005 from her bedroom to his nearby trailer, sparking a massive search. The third-grader's body was found about three weeks after she disappeared in a grave in Couey's yard, about 150 yards from her own home.

Couey, already a convicted sex offender when he committed the crime, was arrested in Georgia and confessed to the killing. That confession was thrown out as evidence because Couey did not have a lawyer present.

Despite the confession being tossed, Couey incriminated himself other times. Jail guards and investigators testified that he repeatedly admitted details of the slaying after his arrest, insisting that he hadn't meant to kill the third-grader but panicked during an intense, nationally publicized police search.

Prosecutors also had overwhelming physical evidence, including DNA from the girl's blood and Couey's semen on a mattress in his room as well as her fingerprints in a closet where investigators said she was hidden.

Howard recounted the evidence in detail, including Couey wrapping her in two garbage bags, putting her alive into a hole then piling a foot of dirt on top of her.

"His actions crushed the very breath and life out of Jessica Marie Lunsford," Howard said.

Pepper Spray Inc.

Police Find Missing Chicago Woman's Car Near Abandoned Building

CHICAGO -- Police have stepped up their search for a missing pharmaceutical company sales representative after finding the 28-year-old woman's car near an abandoned building.

Nailah Franklin was last heard from Tuesday, when she sent an uncharacteristically vague text message to friends and family saying that she was having dinner and that she'd call later. She never did.

Franklin's sister, Lehia Franklin Acox, said the family is trying to stay positive as police search the 2005 Chevrolet Impala for clues that could shed light on her disappearance.

Being positive "is our only option," Acox said Saturday afternoon ahead of a prayer vigil that evening.

"We're all just trying to keep our spirits up, but it's a challenge," she said.

"This is really taking a toll on us, with every day that passes. We're not sleeping well, we're not eating well," she said.

When Franklin didn't turn up for an important meeting Wednesday morning with her boss at Eli Lilly and Co., where she's a pharmaceutical sales representative, co-workers called family, and family called police. Eli Lilly is based in Indianapolis. Franklin's sales territory covered Chicago's suburbs, her sister said.

Acox said it's unusual for Franklin not to contact her friends or family, leading them all to fear that she didn't leave willingly. Last week, Franklin filed a police report about threatening phone calls she'd received, but she declined to file an order of protection against the alleged offender, a man she'd once dated.

Franklin's car, along with some personal items, was found Friday night near an abandoned building in Hammond, Ind., said Chicago Police spokeswoman Monique Bond. She said the car is being transported to Chicago for forensic and evidence processing.

Several jurisdictions, including Chicago, Hammond, Ind., and the Cook County Sheriff's department are searching for Franklin, Bond said. Divers have also been involved in the search.

As cox said the discovery of the car was heartening because it could yield some clue to Franklin's whereabouts, but "on the other hand, it's still maddening because we do not have (her) back with us."

Pepper Spray Inc.

Matthew R. McCombs Pleads Guilty in Ashton Glover's Murder

September 24, 2007

RICHMOND, TX.— On Friday, Matthew R. McCombs, 19, stood before state District Judge Cliff Vacek and entered a guilty plea for his part in the July 2006 murder of 16-year-old Ashton Glover. As part of his plea agreement, McCombs was sentenced to 50 years in prison.

"I was glad that he took the plea," Ashton's father, Terry Glover, said in an interview with the Houston Chronicle. "I was worried about my actions when I started hearing every little detail that went on. I knew I wouldn't be able to handle that."

Ashton's mother, Sue Smith, is also happy the ordeal is over, but admits that the plea does nothing to help her deal with the loss of her daughter.

"We just prayed for justice," Sue stated. "But no amount of justice or anything will ever bring Ashton back to us...There is no amount of time, there is nothing that can bring Ashton back to us and that is our greatest loss."

According to McCombs' confession, he and Sean H. Brown, 19, met Ashton at a coffee shop on July 7, 2006 and invited her to go "mudding" with them. Ashton agreed, and the trio drove to a construction site off Oil Field Road west of Missouri. Once there, everyone exited the vehicle, and McCombs pulled out a handgun and shot Ashton in the head, killing her. There was no rhyme or reason for the murder. McCombs later told authorities Ashton's murder ! was intended to satisfy a "morbid curiosity."

After killing Ashton, McCombs and Brown left the scene and ate breakfast. When they were finished, they returned and buried Ashton's body.

Pepper Spray Inc.

Missing Brooklyn Girl

09/19/2007


STEPHA HENRY (22) - recent graduate of John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York; last seen in Miami on 05/29/07
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida
Brooklyn girl missing since May trip to Florida--(New York Daily News)--She's a Brooklyn girl who loves Coney Island rides and stepdancing with her East New York church troupe, and she volunteered to help clean up Prospect Park.
If you have information about Stepha Henry, call Miami-Dade County Police Department at (305) 471-TIPS.

Pepper Spray Inc

Real Estate Agents shot at model home

09/19/2007

LORI K. BROWN (21) and CYNTHIA WILLIAMS (33) - real estate agents shot multiple times at a model home 11/03/03
Stacey Ian Humphreys (34) - ex-convict charged with murder; death penalty sought; currently on trial
POWDER SPRINGS, Georgia
Juror dismissed in double murder trial--(The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)--A juror in the murder trial of Stacey Ian Humphreys was excused Wednesday morning. The man, one of three on the panel, flashed a thumbs up gesture to a deputy while looking out a second floor window of the Glynn County courthouse.

Pepper Spray Inc.

Home Invasion

JENNIFER HAWKE-PETIT (48); and daughters HAYLEY; (17) and MICHAELA (11) - all murdered during a home invasion and robbery
DR. WILLIAM A. PETIT JR. (50) - husband and father survived the beating
Joshua Komisarjevky (26) and Steven Hayes (44) - each charged with three counts of capital felony murder; death penalty sought; Bail has been set at $15 million each
CHESHIRE, Connecticut
Unforgettable Lives--(Hartford Courant)--Nearly two months after a brutal home invasion left a mother and her two young daughters dead, the pain and shock still resonate deeply in this quiet bedroom community.

Pepper Spray Inc.

Vancouver Serial Murders

60 MISSING VANCOUVER WOMEN - presumed murdered and buried on a pig farm
Robert (Willy) Pickton (57) - accused serial killer; charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of 26 women; charged on six counts of first-degree murder; currently in trial
PORT COQUITLAM, British Columbia, CANADA
Witness outlines defendant's simple life--(The Globe and Mail)--Sandra Humeny has seen a lot of Robert Pickton over the past 35 years. She was in a common-law relationship with his brother Dave and lived at the family farmhouse for five years in the 1970s. She worked for Dave after they broke up in the late 1980s and continuously since 1996.
Former sister-in-law cross-examined at Pickton trial--(Vancouver Sun) The former sister-in-law of Robert (Willie) Pickton admitted under cross-examination today that she is critical of the police investigation into the missing women and is still biased towards the accused.
Robert Pickton On Trial--(Vancouver Sun)

Pepper Spray Inc.

Missing Mother of 3

PAIGE BIRGFELD (34) - mother of three and escort service owner last seen on 06/28/07
Lester Ralph Jones (56) - has also been identified as a person of interest; among others; police said though no more names have been released
GRAND JUNCTION, Colorado
Uphill battles--(Grand Junction Sentinel)--After more than two months of searching, tears and endless media interviews, the days now bleed together for Frank and Suzanne Birgfeld, who literally stopped what they were doing when their daughter, Paige Birgfeld, inexplicably disappeared in late June.

Pepper Spray Inc.

Missing Wisconsin Student

KELLY K. NOLAN (22) - missing college student was last seen 06/23/07; remains found 07/09/07
MADISON, Wisconsin
Police: No suspects in Nolan killing--(The Capital Times)--Madison police on Monday said they believe Kelly Nolan 's killer is still somewhere in the area, but maintained they have no suspects in the investigation. How both of those things could be true -- how detectives can have a hunch about the location of someone they say they have not identified -- was not fully explained in the first public briefing on the case since July 12.
Reviving the Kelly Nolan murder case--(Wisconsin Radio Network) The family of Kelly Nolan has stayed out of the media spotlight ever since Nolan's body was discovered in a wooded area of Dane County two months ago. But now that the case has dropped from the media spotlight and police have no known suspects, they're back asking for help.
Family, Police Raise Reward To $12K In Nolan Slaying--(WISC-TV) The reward for information in the search for who killed the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student who disappeared from downtown Madison earlier this summer has increased to $12,000.

Pepper Spray Inc.

*Man pleads guilty to kidnapping girl, 14, sexually assaulting her in bunker

BEAUFORT, S.C. — A man accused of kidnapping a 14-year-old girl and raping her in an underground bunker pleaded guilty Tuesday, moments before his trial was to begin.

The girl was rescued after more than a week when she talked her abductor into letting her play games on his cell phone and instead sent a text message for help.

Vinson Filyaw, 37, stood in court Tuesday with his arms clasped behind him as he quietly answered "Yes sir" when the judge asked him if he was freely pleading to the charges. The victim sat with family members, her mother's arm around her.

Filyaw could spend the rest of his life in prison. He pleaded guilty to kidnapping and all 10 counts of criminal sexual conduct, one for each day prosecutors said he held the girl captive a year ago in Kershaw County. Each criminal sexual conduct charge carries a sentence of up to 30 years in prison.

He also pleaded guilty to impersonating an officer and possession of an incendiary device.

Prosecutors said Filyaw wore a homemade uniform when he led the girl away from a school bus stop by telling the teen she was under arrest. They also said he placed what he claimed to be a necklace of explosives around her neck that he said would detonate if she tried to escape.

Judge G. Thomas Cooper told Filyaw that he faces a possible 421 years in prison. Sentencing was set for Wednesday.

The victim, her family members and friends exchanged hugs after the guilty plea. They declined to speak with reporters.

Opening arguments in the trial had been scheduled for Tuesday morning, but on Monday evening WLTX-TV reported that Filyaw had sent a manuscript that said he stalked the girl and admired her ingenuity in gaining his trust to get his cell phone.

On Tuesday morning, Cooper ruled that the manuscripts could be used during the trial. One of Filyaw's attorneys said that influenced the decision to plead guilty.

"It all cascaded from there," attorney Jack Duncan said. "Vinson did express than he did not want to force the young lady to take the stand. Since he has been receiving his psychotropic medications, he is a new man."

In the writings, Filyaw allegedly said he had watched the girl walk from her bus stop to her Kershaw County home before deciding to kidnap her. "I actually felt guilty for what I knew she was about to endure," he wrote, according to WLTX.

Prosecutors said Filyaw kept the girl in a hidden bunker built into the side of a hill for 10 days. According to the manuscript, he wrote that he felt a bond growing between them and started to trust her enough to let her out of the bunker to help him wash clothes and dishes.

The girl asked Filyaw if she could play games on his cell phone, and he let her, according to the manuscript. The girl sent a text message to her mother which rescuers were able to use to find the bunker, authorities said.

"After a year of careful, meticulous planning I had let her win. I literally gave her the phone to call the police. It was as simple as that," Filyaw allegedly wrote. "I couldn't be mad at her. She had done what any person in her situation would have done and probably better! She had won my trust and defeated me."

Filyaw had left the bunker before police arrived. He made it several miles away before deciding to surrender. "If I gave up, I would have full medical coverage, three meals a day and never have to work again," the manuscript said.

The case was moved nearly 200 miles to Beaufort County, in the state's southern tip, for fear publicity would interfere with Filyaw getting a fair trial.


Pepper Spray Inc.

Campus Safety Tips

Most college students are living away from home for the first time. Often they assume they have the same level of security on campus or in their off campus apartment that they have at their parent’s home.

The truth is, college students are the targets of criminals just because of that naivety. Dorms can be broken into and apartments can be invaded. Thousands of students each year become the victim of various types of crime.

Students must take measures to protect themselves and their valuables in order to have a safe, productive and happy campus life. For more information about staying safe on and off campus, check out: Safe Campuses Now.

Please be safe from the staff at Pepper Spray Inc.

Missing College Student found dead

September 10, 2007

PROVO, UT (Crime Library) — At 3:31 p.m., yesterday, a search and rescue team found the body of 22-year-old Camille Cleverley at the base of a 200-foot tall cliff, approximately 1,000 yards east of Bridal Veil Falls. Investigators identified Camille by her clothing and other items found on her person.

"We had hoped to find her alive," Provo City Police Chief Craig Geslison said at a press conference yesterday evening. "It's regrettable, but at least we can ! bring the family some closure."

According to Geslison, members of the search and rescue team spotted Camille's body when they were repelling down a cliff approximately 1,000 yards east of Bridal Veil Falls.

"If she had been 10 feet to the right, they may not have seen her," Geslison said, adding, "There's a sense of relief. This brings some sort of closure."

Camille's family took the news very hard. For the last ten days, they have held on to the hope that she would be found alive.

"They are so strong and they have so much faith," family spokesman Robert Grossman told Kutv.com. "They were all locked in an embrace... and they were inseparable, and I could see they just gained strength from each other. They are going to get through this."

This turned out to be a tragic ending. The staff at Pepper Spray Inc. would like to extend our condolences to Camille's family and friends.

College Student comes home to man in her room

August 2007

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Officers responded to a call at 815 University St. An employee of Place Properties advised that a student had informed her that she came home from class on Aug. 20 and discovered a man standing in her apartment. The man claimed to be with maintenance and left after talking with the student. Police spoke with Place Properties and they advised that no one should have been inside the apartment. Police told Place Properties to call them if they see anyone suspicious hanging around the apartments.
It's better to be safe than sorry. Always carry Pepper spray or stun guns for good non-lethal protection. This incident could have easily turned into a tragedy. Thank goodness it didn't. This student was lucky.

Missing College Student

September 5, 2007

PROVO, UT (Crime Library) ?— Last week, 22-year-old Camille Cleverley left her apartment south of the Brigham Young University campus and has not been seen since. She left with her pocketbook, keys, and a silver and purple Schwinn mountain bike. Where she was heading is unknown, and her whereabouts since that time remain a mystery.

On Saturday, September 1, Camille's roommates called her family to report that they had not seen her since Thursday afternoon. Concerned, Camille's sister-in-law, Staci Cleverley, filed a missing persons report with the Provo Police Department. When investigators went to Camilla! 's apartment, they found no signs of a struggle, and nothing struck them as out of the ordinary.

"I think she probably went out on her bike and either had an accident or somebody took advantage of her because she's trusting," Staci reportedly told ABC's Provo affiliate yesterday.

Provo Police Chief Craig Geslison initially told ABC News that he had no reason to suspect foul play, but in an interview with FoxNews.com yesterday, he said his department was open to all possibilities.

Crime still happens everyday, and everywhere this is a good example why it is always good to carry some form of protection with you such as pepper spray.