Prosecutors say KS judge is soft on sex offenders

Story is from Topeka, where a Shawnee County judge has a reputation for giving probation or reduced sentences to people convicted of sex crimes. (The latest was last week, when a 75-year-old got probation, even though he was convicted of sex with two young kids, ages 6 and 7.)

Australian man uses ax to kill wife, 2 grandkids, police say

The only survivor was his daughter, a policewoman who suffered a head wound. The grandkids were practically babies, just 5 and 7.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Keith G in PV!

Woman shot, abducted -- suspect later kills himself, police say

From KCPD:

On Sunday June 29, 2008 at around 11:15pm KCMO Police Officers were called to the Gates Restaurant-1221 Brooklyn Avenue on a man who witnesses reported had abducted a woman at gunpoint. Those witnesses provided officers with a description of the man and his vehicle and license plate information.

Officers then responded to the residence on file for the license given and found the same vehicle that had been described by the witnesses at the restaurant in the driveway of a house located at 3810 east 35th street.

As the officers approached the house a woman who matched the description of the woman abducted from the restaurant ran out of the house and told officers she had just been shot by a man inside the house.

Officers then observed a man matching the description of the one given by witnesses at the restaurant, come out of the house onto the porch smoking a cigarette. The man then went back inside the house. Officers then approached the door of the residence and upon doing so heard what sounded like a gunshot inside. An Operation 100 was initiated and an attempt was made to contact the man with no response.

Tactical officers eventually made entry into the residence and found the man inside who was dead from a single gunshot wound. No officers fired their weapons during this incident.

The woman who was shot was transported by MAST to an area hospital for treatment of her non-life threatening injury.

More information will be released as it becomes available .

Good luck, kid. You're going to need it.

A baby boy has been born to Kim Trenor -- the mother of "Baby Grace," a little girl who was murdered, stuffed in a storage box and then thrown into West Galveston Bay. Trenor and her husband are both facing charges in that case. The newborn has been placed with Texas CPS, the people who brought you the Yearning For Zion raid.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, JUNGLE JIM!

MD trooper pulls over driver for going too slow

He was clocked going 50 mph on the interstate, to be exact. Sounds like he was one of those "hypermilers" ...

"He asked, 'Mr. Conrad why are you driving 50 miles an hour back there on I-95?' I said, 'I'm saving gas?' He said, 'Saving gas?' I said, 'Yeah,' and looked at my readout and said, 'I'm getting 69 miles to the gallon right now.'"

Topeka man facing trial for shooting of Americus hunter

In Emporia, a Topeka man is facing trial on charges that he shot and killed Beau Arndt, 18, of Americus last year while Arndt was hunting. Theron Thomas Kent is accused of involuntary manslaughter -- authorities contend he shot Arndt while Kent was illegally hunting. Closing statements are expected this morning.

MO man wants money after serving 21 month for rape he didn't commit

This is the case of Armand Villasana, who was accused of rape by a woman who was actually trying to cover up her affair with another man. Thanks to some DNA tests, the truth eventually came out. But not before Villasana served 21 months.

So now he's seeking restitution from the state -- about $11K, which seems pretty reasonable, all things considered. (Mostly, he wants the money so he can pay back some family members.) His attorney thought about suing the woman, but he doesn't think they'd ever collect a dime.

Fact: FEMA employees are NOT allowed to beat up random people

A 74-year-old FEMA contractor is accused of nearly running over a pedestrian in Cedar Rapids and, when the man had the nerve to complain, allegedly smacked him with a golf club so hard the club broke, police say.

Koley stopped the car and jumped out, police said. Kramer told him to slow down and that he was in the cross walk. Koley replied that "he didn't have to slow down, he was with FEMA," police said.

Uh, who was watching those watchmen again?

An ICE assistant counsel and wife are accused of taking bribes from illegal immigrants and then filing false paperwork for them. It looks like they made AT LEAST $950K since 2000, the authorities say.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Jaron!

KS authorities look for man in Viola c-store kidnapping

They're looking for a man named Robert Abner, though he has NOT been formally charged.

Are the right people in prison?

Mike McGraw, an investigative reporter for The Star, has just published a story raising new questions about the explosion that killed six KCFD firefighters in 1988 in one of the city's worst tragedies. If you get a chance, McGraw and other staffers have assembled a huge amount of stories, videos and other information about the case.

Carie Neighbors said they threatened to take away her son. Jerry Rooks said they warned him he’d get a stiffer jail sentence. Alan Bethard said they charged him with a more serious crime.

Now, those witnesses and up to 12 others — many speaking publicly for the first time — have told The Kansas City Star that a federal investigator in the firefighters’ explosion case pressured them to lie.

Five who testified in the case admit they lied to the federal grand jury that indicted the defendants or later at their trial. The other witnesses said they refused to change their stories.

“You want me to fabricate some lies, and I don’t want any part of it,” Dave Dawson said he told federal investigators in the case. “That’s when they told me to have a good life in the penitentiary.”

Legal experts said that if investigators used improper pressure, that could mean the five defendants were wrongly prosecuted and convicted, and that a new American Bar Association rule should prompt the prosecutor to reinvestigate the two-decade-old case.

Man killed outside convenience store

Happened about 3:15 a.m. in the 1600 block of West 12th Street -- sounds like it was in the West Bottoms.

From KCPD: On today’s date KC police officers were dispatched to the above address on a shooting. Upon arrival, the male victim was found laying in the parking lot suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by MAST ambulance. As of this time no suspect is in custody.

1 dead, 5 injured in south KC shooting -- shots fired into crowd

From KCPD:

On today’s date at 0048 hrs, Metro and South Patrol officers were called to 5614 E. 87 (Banquet Hall), to assist security in closing down a  party at that location. At 0059 hrs, a large number of shots were fired in the parking lot and in the adjoining parking lot of 8600 Hillcrest lot.

One black female and five black males were shot in this incident, while the parking lots were crowded with people going to there cars. Several officers witnessed part of the shooting and arrested one black male shooter who dropped his pistol while attempting to escape. The weapon was also recovered. Three other black males, who were with the shooter, were also held for questioning.

The six victims were transported to area hospital for treatment. One of the males died at the hospital from a gun shot wound to the head.

 

How Eve Carson died

She was at home, just studying ...

OMG

The inimitable Nice Deb has tracked down photographic evidence of the dude dressed as a penis.

Rapist posed as cop to get inside home, NY police say

Awful story from New York, where a rapist pretended to be a cop, barged into a woman's apartment and raped her three times, pausing only to make her get him beer, police say.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, JUNGLE JIM!

KDHE: Infant was brain-damaged at Olathe daycare

From Jim Sullinger:

An Olathe day care owner has been charged with severely injuring a 7-month-old boy, and her business has been shut down.

Officials of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said the infant, who was not identified, suffered injuries consistent with shaken-baby syndrome.

Julie Lynne Christlieb, owner of Lovable Little People Day Care Home, 633 S. Montclaire Drive, was arrested Friday on a charge of aggravated battery.

In the order suspending the day care’s operation, state officials said medical tests revealed that the baby suffered brain and eye hemorrhages as well as a lack of oxygen.

“The infant suffered brain damage and blindness, can see light but cannot focus, has no responsiveness on the left side of the body and is feeding through a tube,” the report added.

TX Supremes: Exorcism-related injuries are protected under the First Amendment

The Texas Supreme Court has the best job in the world. What a weird case. Snip from the Star-Telegram:

Schubert described a wild night in 1996 that involved casting out demons from the church and two attempts to exorcise demons from her. The incident left Schubert physically bruised and so emotionally scarred she later tried to commit suicide. She was 17 at the time.

Justice David Medina, writing for the majority, said that while Schubert’s argument regarding physical injuries might be tried without mentioning religion, her case was mostly about her emotional or psychological injuries from a religious activity that was sanctioned by the church.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, JUNGLE JIM!

18 DUI arrests at KCPD sobriety checkpoint

From KCPD: The Kansas City Missouri Police Department conducted a Sobriety Checkpoint on June 27, 2008 from 2300 hours to 0400 hours at 4040 Main St. Southbound traffic was checked with total of  792 vehicles stopped.

A total number of  18 DUI arrests were made, along with 1 Possession of a Firearm While Intoxicated, 1 Minor in Possession of Alcohol, 1 Possession of Marijuana, 2 Driving While Revoked, and 4 Hazardous Moving Violations.

Greg Reeves

It's been one year since Greg Reeves, the blog's founder, passed away from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Besides being a great journalist, Greg was also a great person -- warm, generous, with a wicked sense of humor. Just a reminder: There's a fund in Greg's name at Investigative Reporters & Editors, a nonprofit that promotes investigative reporting. (Before he got into blogging, Greg was renowned as a database editor who was part of The Star's investigative team.) If you're interested in donating, visit this site.

Should sex offenders be banned from volunteering at churches?

A new law takes effect next month in Georgia, and it would do exactly that. No church choir, no cooking for church meals, nothing, or else it's a 10- to 30-year sentence. Some sex offenders are suing to stop the law, saying it's unfair. A few churches oppose it, too, saying it contradicts their mission of forgiveness and rehabilitation. Lawmakers say they're trying to protect innocent people from RSOs who might relapse.

Unless he had mind-control powers, I don't think you have a case

A New York woman sued her rabbi because he abused his position by "allegedly persuading her to have sex with him to help her find a husband," the New York Law Journal reports. (As matchmaking strategies go, it's unique.) The rabbi, for his part, denies the whole thing. The case has been dismissed ...

NY officer accused of excessive force, bodyslamming woman

Story is from Yonkers, N.Y., where a police officer reportedly picked up a woman and bodyslammed her to the ground last year, breaking her jaw and putting her in the hospital for four days, The AP reports. It happened during a medical call involving the woman's niece -- looks like the officer was trying to give the EMTs some space.

The woman originally faced a criminal charge, which she beat. She's filed an $11 million suit against the police, and the officer is facing criminal charges.

From The AP: This March 2007 photo released in New York by Certain & Zilberg, PLLC, shows Irma Marquez in her hospital bed bearing injuries she sustained after being body-slammed by a Yonkers, N.Y, police officer. The FBI arrested Yonkers police officer Wayne Simoes on Friday, June 27, 2008, charging him with violating Marquez's civil rights when he used excessive force and put Marquez in the hospital for four days. (AP Photo/Certain & Zilberg, PLLC)

Drink some tea, go to jail

A Florida man, awaiting trial on a burglary charge, got thrown into jail after he reportedly failed a random drug test -- which was a shock to him, because he'd never done coke before. He had, however, enjoyed some tea fixed by his mother. That tea? Mate de Coca, which showed up as cocaine during his test.

His lawyer eventually got him sprung -- more than two months after the fact.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Goshel!

Quote of the day

"I go nuts in jail, but I straight would not do anything different. I know I'm in trouble, but ... I know I changed his mind next time he even thinks whether he should or he shouldn't."

-- Tammy Lee Gibson, 40, a Washington state woman who used a baseball bat to beat up a 7-foot-3 sex offender after he moved into a neighboring trailer park.