New face of terror: Aqua Teen Hunger Force

Boston authorities spent most of the afternoon locking down their city because a series of suspicious devices were spotted around town. Turns out they were "outdoor marketing devices" for "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" -- which sounds like a terrorist group, but is actually a show on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. The devices were LED signs featuring the Mooninites.

Not everybody on the Internet is your friend

A New York couple allegedly met people over the Internet, videotaped sex with them and then extorted money from their victims to keep the tapes private. Authorities think dozens of people were taken in.

OK mom injects fecal matter into daughter

From MSNBC: An Oklahoma woman has pleaded guilty to injecting fecal matter into her baby girl. She's received a 15-year sentence. Her attorney blames Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

35 cars, 2 semis in I-35 wreck

It's on northbound between 75th and 87th streets in JoCo. Ten people went to the hospital, though thankfully, nobody's in a life-threatening state. Be safe out there, everybody.

(Hat Tip: Thanks, Doc!)

Sex offender wins $14 million

A Florida sex offender has won $14 million in a state lottery drawing. He's the sole winner, and he's decided to take the $8 million lump-sum. So ... have a great day at the office, everybody.

Clue in Raymore murder?

From KMBC: Detectives might have a new lead in the killing of Sheldon Haynes, 31, who was shot to death in Raymore early Monday. He was found with a dark mark on his hand -- what looks like a paw print -- the kind you might get at a bar or a nightclub. They're asking anyone who recognizes the image to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. (Photo of the mark is available through the link.)

New trial in 2003 Raytown homicide

The appeals court has ordered a new trial for Lance W. Livingston, who's accused of shooting and killing Joshua Ivers outside a Raytown bowling alley in 2003. The court ruled that prosecutors were wrong to exclude a black potential juror. This will be Livingston's fourth trial; the first two were hung juries. The Star's story is here. KMBC's story is here.

Pregnant teens on the lam

About two weeks ago in Utah, three pregnant teenagers living at a group home reportedly hit their caretaker over the head with a frying pan, tied her and another pregnant teen up, then hit the road with the woman's van and credit cards. One of the girls has turned herself in. The other two are still on the run.

KC man accused of molesting 4 boys

From The Star: A Kansas City man was charged Tuesday with molesting four boys over seven years. Joseph M. Braughton, 35, was charged in Clay County with five counts of statutory sodomy and one count of child molestation of children ranging from 7 to 11 years old.

He is also accused of molesting another child about four years ago after the child helped him to deliver The Kansas City Star. Braughton allegedly molested the child at his mother-in-law’s beauty salon after finishing the delivery route.

Braughton is not an employee of The Star but has been an independent contractor for eight years.

Alleged rape victim put in jail

A Tampa woman, age 21, went to police to report that she'd been raped, and officers put her in jail because she hadn't made $4,585 restitution on an old theft arrest from when she was a juvenile, about three or four years ago. Moreover, a jail worker wouldn't give her a second dose of the morning-after pill because of the jailer's religious beliefs.

From the department: “Obviously, any policy that allows a sexual battery victim to spend a night in jail is a flawed policy,” police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said. “So our city attorney is writing a new policy right now.”

Missouri: Still No. 1 ... in meth

Missouri had 40 percent fewer meth-lab busts last year, but we still lead the nation, the highway patrol reports. Authorties credit a new law limiting the sale of over-the-counter cold medicine -- a key meth ingredient -- for the decline.

   

From the AP story: Statewide, law enforcement officials responded to, seized or investigated 1,284 meth lab incidents last year, down from 2,252 incidents in 2005, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said Tuesday. But as it has for several years, Missouri again ranked No. 1 in the nation in meth lab busts, ahead of second-place Illinois, which had 759 meth lab incidents in 2006, said patrol spokesman Capt. Tim Hull.

4 dead in Florida shooting

Four people are dead after a shooting in Florida, outside a sheriff's house, and one of the victims is the sheriff's wife, who was killed just after she came home. Weird, weird case. Almost no details about this one -- especially a "why," as Blondie notes. This could be one to watch over the next day or so.

(Thanks, Blondie!)

Update on cafeteria crash in Shiloh, Ill.

- The victim's mom released this statement through a news conference Tuesday, a message to the driver: "You are 84 years old and yesterday you killed my son. I don't know if you're even sound enough to understand what you've done but I have no sympathy for you or any of your family. And I pray EVERY day that you remain on this planet you see my son when you close your eyes."

- The driver, age 84, was on her way to a driving class for senior citizens when the crash happened.

Be your own detective

The Seattle Times has put together a tutorial on using Web tools and public documents to play detective (or stalker, to be frank). Some of it's specific to Washington State, but there's also some interesting advice on search strategies.

Open Thread ... Wednesday

Welcome back to Crime Scene KC's open thread, a good spot for any off-topic comments or links to cool stories. Thanks for posting, and have a good Wednesday!

(Greg Reeves is off this week, but he'll be back Monday. I'm James Hart, one of the paper's crime reporters. If you need to reach me directly, please send email to jhart@kcstar.com.)

Two women charged in child-porn case

This is the first time I've ever seen women accused in a child-porn case, and in this one, Pennsylvania authorities say the women were helping a guy. One woman posed the kids for the pictures; the other was their baby-sitter.

(Hat Tip: Blondie)

Second time's the charm

From The Tulsa World: A Tulsa man has been charged with pointing a gun at a police officer three days after he accepted a plea deal in a stolen-property case that prompted his release from jail.

It's not clear if the prosecutors are going to make him another plea offer.

(Hat Tip: Thanks, Blondie!)

Wrongful death suit against KCPD

From The Star: Two Kansas City police officers repeatedly ignored a pregnant woman’s claims that she was bleeding and needed medical help, a police videotape released Friday shows.

Sophia Salva told officers nine different times during the first five minutes of the stop that she was bleeding or wanted to go to a hospital. After the ninth request, a female officer asked: “How is that my problem?”

Salva requested help at least 12 more times during the 30-minute encounter nearly a year ago. The officers arrested her for traffic violations, including a fake temporary license tag, and outstanding city warrants.

The next morning, after finally being released, she delivered a premature baby boy who lived one minute, according to a lawsuit Salva filed Friday.

The lawsuit prompted police to open an internal investigation. “We want to understand exactly what happened,” department spokesman Capt. Rich Lockhart said Tuesday. “It’s a matter of trust with the community. We want to make sure the community trusts us to get to the bottom of this regardless of the way it reflects on the police department.”

(Video of the arrest tape is available with the article.)

Mom, trying to protect baby, accidentally kills

From the AP: A mother accidentally suffocated her baby while trying to protect him from rats in her rodent-infested New York apartment, a newspaper reported Tuesday.

Gladys Robles said her home had so many rodents, she would have her 8-week-old son sleep in her bed to protect him. But this week Robles rolled on top of the boy and killed him in her sleep, according to the New York Daily News. Robles woke up to find the baby with blue lips, the newspaper reported.

Guilty verdict for boob-job killer

Cynthia Sommer, a 33-year-old mother of four, has been convicted of poisoning her husband for his military benefits. She used part of the $250,000 to pay for breast implants. According to Court TV, prosecutors didn't focus on her access to the arsenic that killed her husband, but instead told jurors about her behavior after he died, including getting the surgery within two months of the death, going to Tijuana to party and entering some wet T-shirt and thong contests.

(Hat Tip: onetime!)

Surprising facts about Hells Angels

New York police searched the Hells Angels' headquarters in Manhattan after a woman was reportedly beaten up there.

A couple of surprising details here: The Hells Angels still exist; I'd thought they broke up after Hunter S. Thompson finally died. Also, they have offices.

(Hat Tip: BS Steve!)

Debora Green says new science will free her

Debora Green is the Prairie Village woman serving life sentences for the deaths of two of her kids, who died when her house burned back in 1995. Green, who originally pleaded no-contest, says advances in science will show the fire wasn't an arson after all. Her case went before the Supreme Court on Monday, but there's no ruling yet.

Shawnee PTA money returned

From the Star: More than $17,000 reported missing from the Bluejacket-Flint Elementary PTA fund in Shawnee has been returned. Last week the organization’s president reported to police that fundraising proceeds had not been deposited in the group’s bank account.

Today, Police Capt. Ron Copeland said the money had been returned by a woman but gave no further details. He said the investigation is continuing.

Airline sued in parental abduction

A former KC man has sued Continental Airlines because it reportedly let his ex-wife (separated at the time) take their 3-year-old daughter to Mexico. Neither mom nor daughter has been seen since. Mexican law and Continental policy requires a notarized letter from an absent parent before the other parent can take any child into Mexico.

(Hat Tip: Thanks, Golfer!)

Update on Kline, prosecutors

One note from yesterday's hearing, which I hadn't realized: The fired prosecutors and investigator are still on Johnson County's payroll, something Kline's attorney would like to see ended sooner rather than later. The fired parties want Kline to participate in a county grievance proceeding. The judge says she'll have a ruling by Monday.