Grand jury to investigate BPU over alleged rate-fixing

Mark Wiebe reports it'll start up in March. T.J. Reardon -- who lost a race for a BPU seat -- brought it using the petition method. (See, you can use it for something other than abortion investigations!)

Among other things, Reardon alleges that the utility is fixing its rates, that it misappropriated funds when several employees and board members racked up excessive credit-card expenses and that it failed to report federal clean-air violations to the Environmental Protection Agency — an allegation that appeared in The Star last March.

KCPD officer loses fight to keep his job

The officer's name is Danny Holmes. And it all goes back to the Guy Coombs homicide from 2003 -- the victim was out-of-town businessman whose night on the town ended with him getting killed. Charges have been dropped against the lead suspect, and though prosecutors plan to try again, they say Holmes hurt the case because he ... well, here's what the police had to say ...

The Board’s Finding of Facts state that Holmes unlawfully entered a known felon’s apartment while gathering information on a missing businessman who was later found dead.

Holmes saw a handgun on the floor and put it in the freezer before he exited the apartment. He left it there, along with narcotics and drug paraphernalia in plain view. He did find a box of bullets and took them with him, but he placed them in his duty bag for three years and never recovered them as evidence.

Yeah, I don't remember Columbo doing that, either.

The Findings of Fact further state that Holmes was untruthful with KCPD’s internal affairs investigators and spoke disparagingly about other detectives when speaking with a Jackson County Prosecutor. A special prosecutor has since dismissed the case against the felon suspected of murdering the businessman.

Here's an older Pitch article about Holmes' fight to keep his job.

Raytown PD investigates Taco Bell theft

From Crime Stoppers: On January 27th at about 10:30 a.m., the Taco Bell at 9021 E. 350 Highway in Raytown was held up by two men. No one was injured.

The suspects (photos attached) entered the store about ten minutes before the robbery and asked for water. They then left. They returned and one of the suspects jumped the counter and grabbed a bag of money the manager was preparing for a bank deposit. The suspects then ran out and left the scene in a white car, possibly a Honda.

Anyone recognizing either of these suspects is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 816-474-TIPS. A cash reward is available for information leading to an arrest.

Shooting at Van Horn High School

Just caught KMBC's report. It reportedly happened in the parking lot after a basketball game between Van Horn and Don Bosco. The victim is a teenager, shot in the back, and thank God, his injuries aren't life-threatening. They want to see if it's tied to a driveby earlier tonight in KCMO. Will try to update with more details.

Greg Anderson: Guilty of Rape and Witness Intimidation

From Diane Carroll's report:

A Johnson County jury heard two versions this week of what happened in 2004 after a man and woman played volleyball and had drinks in Westport.

After deliberating almost 10 hours, the jury on Thursday found Gregory A. Anderson guilty of raping the woman, now 39, in his Overland Park apartment.

Several months after Anderson was arrested, prosecutors contended, he promised cash and the use of credit cards to a fellow jail inmate if that inmate could prevent the woman from testifying against him.

The police don't care how much your baby barfs ...

A Tampa woman got a ticket for pulling a U-turn after her 3-year-old kid vomited and Mom needed to stop and make things better. The AP notes how the woman has three kids and a husband who's in Iraq. The police respond that she made an illegal U-turn and, thus, got a ticket.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, John Boy!

MO fire inspector accused of online enticement

Lee E. Johnson, 48, of Warrensburg is accused of trying to entice a minor and transferring obscene images to a minor over the Internet, U.S. Attorney John Wood's office reports. Johnson is a fire inspector with Missouri Department of Public Safety.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Johnson engaged in an online chat with an undercover law enforcement officer, who identified himself as a 13-year-old girl, on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2008.

Johnson, believing that the images were being transferred to a 13-year-old girl, masturbated in front of his Web camera during that chat and again! on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2008. 

Hiker's killer admits to the murder -- gets life with parole

Gary Michael Hilton has admitted that he killed a hiker, Meredith Emerson, earlier this month in the north Georgia mountains. His plea deal gives him life with the possibility of parole after 30 years. The judge said she was OK with the plea because she's pretty sure Hilton will die before then.

I'm still a little shocked how quickly this case has been resolved.

Gary Michael Hilton, left, talks to to his public defender Neil Smith, right, following a first appearance in Union County Magistrate Court in Blairsville, Ga. in this Jan. 7, 2008 file photo. (AP Photo/Ben Gray,Pool)

OP police investigate Crosspoint Bank robbery

From Overland Park PD:

On January 31, 2008 at 2:10 pm, Overland Park Police responded to a bank robbery at Crosspoint Bank, 11200 College Blvd.

Employees of the bank advised the officers a black male entered the bank, displayed a gray colored small hand gun and announced, “This is a robbery, give me your money.” The robber brought with him a plastic grocery bag and had the money placed in that bag. No customers in the bank at the time of the robbery and no injuries reported. The suspect is described as a B/M, wearing a plaid shirt, with t-shirt pulled over his face; he was also wearing a coat and a knit hat. 

The suspect left eastbound from the bank in a silver colored, early 90s Oldsmobile. It is unknown if there were other occupants in the car. Anyone with information on this crime should contact the TIPS HOTLINE at 816-4374-TIPS.

KC man thwarts burglar, but gives him a consolation prize

And by consolation prize, I mean a gunshot wound ...

From Christine Vendel:

A resident reportedly shot a burglar this afternoon in the 7900 block of Troost Avenue.

Police said a man came home about 12:10 p.m. and found three men who had broken into his home. He struggled with one, took away his gun and shot one of the suspects.

Police said the wounded suspect underwent surgery at a hospital. He was expected to survive.

Michael Devlin WANTS to be put in gen pop

Notorious child rapist Michael Devlin -- now cooling his heels at the Cameron prison -- is in administrative segregation, where he can have one book, one magazine and pretty much nothing else. But his lawyer says Devlin would rather be in gen pop:

"He's split on that, but I think he's demonstrated more of a desire to be out in the general population," attorney Ethan Corlija said. "He's commented to me that if something happens to him in the general population, so be it. It's better than being in solitary."

K-State associate coach accused of DUI

Dalonte Hill was picked up early this morning. Blog regular Debby suggests he might have been celebrating something ...

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Debby!

Andrew Sapien

Sapien, 19, has been convicted of sodomizing an 10-year-old girl and a 11-year-old boy when Sapien was 16, Platte County prosecutors report. He could get 60 years in prison.

And it sounds like these weren't the first victims. From the official statement:

Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd said, “I don’t know whether this young man simply won’t stop or whether he can’t stop abusing children. But after he abused one child, the juvenile system gave him the chance to obtain treatment. Instead of changing his behavior, he abused two other children.”

Omaha sniper shooting was racially motivated, prosecutor says

This is the case where a young woman, Brittany Williams, was shot and killed while she was waiting in a drive-through. Williams was black, and the suspect -- Kyle Bormann -- is white. The prosecutor says that, based on Bormann's statement after being arrested, the shooting was racially motivated. From the Omaha World-Herald:

Bormann, who had been drinking, mentioned being upset with the officiating in the New York Giants-Green Bay Packers NFC Championship game, Kleine said. Bormann said something about the officiating favoring the black players, Kleine said.

In a later interview at Central Police Headquarters, Bormann also described being "pissed" at black people but gave no specifics, Kleine said.

Kleine acknowledged that some of Bormann's comments in the interview were contradictory. At times, Kleine said, Bormann denied being racist or shooting Williams based on her race.

The defense attorney says his client isn't racist, and the prosecutor notes they haven't found any racist propaganda or affiliations at Bormann's house.

But the racial motivation could qualify as an aggravating circumstance, which would let prosecutors seek the death penalty.

Somebody's selling Drew Peterson's old windows on eBay

Current bid is $85.99. I really like the seller's note ...

I know it may be pathetic trying to make money on this, but what the heck. If you are some weird chick who is obsessed with guys who may have murdered multiple wives and want something that Drew once owned, this is for you. Maybe you hate this guy and want to own windows from a house Drew once owned just so you can smash them. That's cool too. If you don't care who owned them, but you need two windows go ahead and bid

... PLEASE NOTE; NONE OF THE PROCEEDS WILL GO TO THE DREW PETERSON DEFENSE FUND. I hope they get him!

Mega-Hat-Tip: Many thanks, Linda!

Police: TX mom ran off to Africa, left 8 kids alone for weeks

Mom's back in the United States and in police custody. She reportedly went to Africa so she could marry a man that she met over the Internet. The kids -- who were left with almost no food or money, police say -- are now in state care.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, JUNGLE JIM!

Hookers flock to Phoenix for the Super Bowl

Phoenix police say the Super Bowl has attracted high-priced, out-of-town prostitutes (primarily from Las Vegas) so they've been running stings for the past few weeks to catch as many as possible.

Dear Criminals: If you're going to drive around with $500K in pot ...

... you should probably remember to turn on your headlights. Otherwise, the police might, you know, pull you over.

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

More money coming for local law enforcement? Or less?

Congressional Quarterly says Senators Kit Bond and Tom Harkin are pushing to add $660 million to an upcoming war spending bill, money that would go to local police, courts and prosecutors. (Criminal Justice Journalists say they'd actually be restoring money that was previously cut.)

CQ also says the White House will probably try to cut federal funding for local law enforcement:

In his fiscal 2009 budget request, Bush is expected to propose significant cuts to Byrne grants and other local law enforcement programs, including the Clinton-era Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS. Some conservatives have criticized COPS, saying it takes away federal dollars from homeland security operations.

20 years for killing young couple in drunk wreck

Johnathan G. Edwards was sentenced to 20 years for killing a young Independence couple --Crystal A. Blessing, 18, and Brandon C. Hankins, 20 -- at U.S. 24 and Noland back in 2006. Edwards was not only speeding, but drunk when the crash happened. He told police that he'd had at least eight beers before the wreck. Edwards pleaded guilty; he could've gotten 30 years.

From one of Greg's posts at the time:

Hankins had proposed to Blessing on the night of her senior prom, her family said. She graduated this spring with honors from William Chrisman High School. The couple had planned to marry in two years.
The two had known each other for 13 years and were classmates at Chrisman.

"World's Worst Spider-Man"

Sorry about posting this, it just really cracked me up ...

Pole-dancing woman shocks commuters, disappears into brush

Near San Jose, Calif., commuters reported a woman in a halter top who was pole-dancing with a road sign along a busy interstate. At some point, she also ran across the road while cursing at drivers. Witnesses say she scurried into brush and disappeared in a homeless camp before police arrived.

Open Thread ... Thursday

Howdy, friends -- hope you didn't get snowed in! The Open Thread -- our blog's space for off-topic comments and discussion -- is up and running on a lovely Thursday. If you've seen an interesting story elsewhere, feel free to post a link below.

Please sign your comments, and please avoid profanity, as well as racially and sexually abusive language. And when you sign your comments, please use only one nickname. I read the OT, but if you need to contact me directly, my email is jhart@kcstar.com.

Passenger with hatchet attacks Minneapolis cabbie

OK. Maybe the hatchet was hidden somehow. Otherwise, there's just no excuse for picking up someone who happens to be carrying around a hatchet.

Vermont town will vote whether to arrest Bush, Cheney

Brattleboro, Vt., will have a citywide vote on March 4 asking the public whether the city attorney should draft indictments of President Bush and Vice President Cheney, who would then be arrested if they set foot in town.

Legal experts say, even if this passes, it's simply not enforceable. But it has spurred a lot of comments from outside the community.

"I would like to know how I could get some water from your town," said another. "It's obvious that there is something special in it."

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Bill!