Open Thread ... Friday

The Open Thread -- our blog's spot for off-topic comments -- is up and running on a lovely Friday morning. Thanks for spending part of your day with us. Please sign your comments, and please avoid profanity, as well as racially and sexually abusive language. If you need to reach me directly, send an email to jhart@kcstar.com.

Thanks again for participating, and have a great day!

KCPD investigating dead body at 8700 block of East Roberts Road

From KCPD: Today at approximately 1:30pm, KCMO Police were called to the 8700 block of East Roberts Road in regard to a possible shooting. Upon arrival officers located a white male inside a vehicle with no signs of life.

It appears the vehicle was involved in an accident with a parked vehicle then went off the roadway. Witnesses state they heard the sound of gunshots but did not see anyone near the vehicle. Detectives are on the scene attempting to determine the cause of death. Further information will be released as the investigation continues.

The text-messaging ban that wasn't

Great work, Phoenix City Council! You just passed a ban on text-messaging while driving -- but didn't ban calling or listening to a cellphone. How are police officers supposed to tell if somebody's dialing or texting, since they look pretty dang similar at 35 mph? Who cares! You showed those know-it-all cops who's boss. Awesome!

KS woman tries to change law after grandchild's death

A Miami County woman is gathering a petition to allow negligent homicide as a charge in Kansas, KMBC reports. Her infant granddaughter was burned by boiling water, but died because her caretaker reportedly waited some time before calling for help.

CA man says police aren't taking his rape seriously

A California man says police aren't taking his claim of being raped by his neighbor seriously. Investigators say there's no evidence of an attack, and a voice message left by the woman -- saying it "shouldn't have happened" -- isn't strong enough proof. Though women are usually the victims of sexual assault, it does happen to men. About 10 percent of rape victims in the U.S. are men, the report says.

The Iowa Supreme Court sounds really open-minded

Michael Patrick Nash used to be a Catholic priest in Alaska, but he left the priesthood over allegations of impropriety. Nash was never prosecuted or convicted of anything -- but he did acknowledge giving bare-buttock spankings and making boys do calisthenics in their underwear during the 1980s, the Des Moines Register reports. Anyway ...

Nash wants to take the bar and become a lawyer in Iowa. The Iowa bar says that he's got a character issue that disqualifies him. Which is unfortunate for the bar, because the Iowa Supreme Court says his old behavior -- at this point -- of more than 17 years ago doesn't mean he's not a moral person today. (He also passed a bar-ordered psychiatric exam showing he's no risk for abuse today.)

From the Register's article:

The court said that while Nash’s methods of discipline would be considered inappropriate today, “when viewed in the social and historical context in which they were applied, they appear significantly less sinister,” adding that Nash has also since apologized to the children he improperly disciplined.

The court ruled that, compared with the evidence of Nash’s strong moral character since the 1980s, “The decades-old inappropriate but non-criminal acts admitted by Nash are insufficient to support the board’s denial of Nash’s application to become a member of the Iowa bar.”

Jackson County plans DUI checkpoint for TONIGHT

It'll be somewhere in the east part of the county, operated by the sheriff's department and other agencies.

Second-degree murder charges in Strickland homicide

Terrence J. Doss, 28, faces second-degree murder and other charges in the shooting death of Gregory Strickland, Jackson County prosecutors say. The shooting happened early on Aug. 13 near 60th and Indiana. Strickland and two others drove up when Doss allegedly opened fire on them. The probable-cause statement is here.

(If I'm following the probable cause correctly, Strickland and one victim were able to drive to 64th and Indiana, where they crashed into a pole. When police arrived, Strickland was dead.)

Raymond Wiley

Raymond Wiley, 30, of Kansas City pleaded guilty Thursday to child enticement, Platte County prosecutors report. Authorities say Wiley was using the Internet to line up sex with a 14-year-old girl, who was actually a Platte County investigator.

Wiley will do five years in state -- after he finishes a five-year, three-month sentence in federal prison. The feds arrested him earlier this year for the same crime.

Reward increase in Ray Ninemire case

Another $10K has been added to the reward fund in the Ray Ninemire case. Ninemire was shot and killed while working at a Westwood grocery store in 2003. The new money comes from Ninemire's brother, who lives in Texas. This brings the reward offered through the Crime Stoppers TIPS Hotline to $26,000. The state of Kansas is also offering a $5K reward.

The saddest thing in the world

Sad: Stealing from old people.
Sadder: Stealing from sick old people.
Saddest: Stealing medical marijuana from sick old people. From the husband: "Breaks my heart they took all the good stuff."

Hat Tip: Many thanks, You're A Mean Drunk R2D2!

Independence IDs person shot and killed during pursuit

From Independence PD: The shooting victim in last night's car chase which ended at 39th St. and Selsa has been identified as Alesia M. Evans, 39 years of age from Independence, MO. The investigation is on-going. No other information is being released at this time. 

Knife-wielding pregnant lady was fighting for two

Awesome story from Arizona, where a 3-months-pregnant woman used her pocketknife to slash at a purse-snatcher. (It held her rent money, so she didn't feel like letting go was an option.) Eventually, the mugger, sick of being stabbed, ran away.

From Mom-To-Be: "That's what kept me fighting, knowing that it wasn't just me."

Do you know this man?

From OP Police: The Overland Park Police are seeking a “person of interest” in regard to financial crime. Detectives would like to locate and contact Ronald Hines. Anyone with information on Mr. Ronald Hines is asked to contact the TIPS HOTLINE at 816-474-TIPS or the Overland Park Police at 913-327-6953.

Some headlines just write themselves

I don't think I can improve on this one from The (Plymouth) Herald in the U.K.: "CAT-SHAVING SICKO HUNTED." It's a British site, but a lot of Americans are saying very hurtful, funny things in the paper's comment section.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, You're A Mean Drunk R2D2!

UPDATED: "America's Most Wanted" to feature KCK suspect

It's been two years since Javier Mendoza was charged with the murders of Maria E. Guzman and Diana Tovalin, but the KCK man still hasn't been arrested. So "America's Most Wanted" is going to feature him Saturday night during their "15 Seconds of Shame" feature. One of the show's associate producers, Jenna Naranjo, said they picked up the case after Guzman's mother wrote in.

The shooting happened back in August 2005 near Gilmore and Coy in KCK, when two vehicles exchanged gunfire. A second suspect, Juan Carpio, has already been apprehended.

Mendoza is about 6 feet tall and 145 pounds. He has a tattoo of a star on his left thumb, Naranjo said.

UPDATED: America's Most Wanted has a copy of the letter from Maria Guzman's mother, Martha Sanchez. Snip:

My daughter was shot first. The car had 25 gunshot holes. Maria died instantly. Three of her friends were also shot.

Maria's friend Michael, who was also shot, is now going to be a quadriplegic. Joshua, another friend, was shot five times (once in the face). He is doing OK but he will need some surgery to repair his face. Jodie, 17, was also shot five times in the chest. He was very lucky to survive.

One of the four girls in the Explorer (all of whom were shot) also died.

1 woman dead after pursuit through Independence

We still don't have all of the details, but there was a 30-minute chase last night through Independence. A woman in the suspect vehicle -- possibly wanted on a federal warrant -- is dead. Kevin Hoffmann has more information here.

SC partygoers charged for writing on passed-out man who later died

A South Carolina man was drunk when he crashed his truck on the way home from a party, killing himself, police said. Authorities have charged four people with assault because, earlier in the evening, they allegedly "sexually explicit and graphic statements" on his face, chest, legs and abdomen while the guy was passed out. They reportedly used a permanent black magic marker.

Mandatory dog sterilization in Lee's Summit

Lee's Summit has made sterilization mandatory for dogs 6 months and older, which infuriates breeders, KSHB reports. City leaders say they're trying to reduce the number of aggressive dogs on the streets. They decided to apply it to all breeds, not just pit bulls, which were the initial focus.

IN man accused of stealing false teeth from other man's mouth

Yes, you read the headline correctly. A 62-year-old man is accused of putting another guy, 56, in a headlock and grabbing his false teeth. From the victim: "He said, 'You ain't getting these back.'''

MO woman accused of burning baby says police coerced false confession

Christina L. White, a mid-Missouri woman accused of setting her baby son's blanket on fire and killing him, says police coerced a false confession out of her. From the News Tribune:

A probable cause statement filed with the criminal charges reported White told authorities she had set fire to his blanket while he was laying in his crib on July 11, stating she wanted him to die and that she was under a lot of stress.

The prosecutors say he still has evidence showing that White committed the crime.

A guy named O.J. Simpson pleads guilty in Las Vegas armed robbery

Ah, but not that O.J. Simpson. This one weighs about 370 pounds and is 30 years younger, tmz reports. The case is from 1996. This doppelganger OJ reportedly held up a delivery man.

Mega-Hat-Tip: Many thanks, Amy J!

The Virginia Tech legacy

Delaware State University is shut down today while police look for whoever shot two students early this morning. (One is stable, one is serious.) You can see the difference that Virginia Tech had on university officials: Classes are canceled today at Delaware State. Nobody can leave or enter the dorms. Heck, anytime you pick up a campus phone, you automatically get a recorded message telling you about the situation.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, You're A Mean Drunk R2D2!

Photo via The AP.

Will MO police be trained to ID illegal immigrants?

Gov. Matt Blunt wants to help local police and sheriffs get training so they can identify illegal immigrants and then get them deported, the AP reports. The state might even help pay for the training, he said.

(Recently, the governor announced plans to train and deputize highway patrolmen as federal immigration officers.)

Critics say it's going to lead to more racial profiling. If you've got brown skin, they say, you'll get pulled over just so an officer can check your immigration status. Blunt, though, argues that Missouri has to do something because the federal government isn't addressing the issue.

No time for Sgt. James Kuehnlein

Kuehnlein is the St. George policeman who was recorded by motorist Brett Darrow during a traffic stop. The city's board of aldermen has voted to fire Kuehnlein after the video -- which showed him haranguing Darrow -- became a national news story.