Man killed in hit-and-run on Heart of America Bridge

From Scott Canon:

A Kansas City man was killed in an apparent hit-and-run accident on the Heart of America Bridge early today.

Kansas City police said the 41-year-old man appeared to have been walking south and was found dead in the road on the bridge about 1:35 a.m. Identification of the man was withheld pending notification of his family.

Police welcome protesters to St. Paul

By raiding their headquarters. The Star-Trib says five people were arrested, though 100 others were handcuffed and questioned before being sent on their merry way. Snip:

In a statement Saturday morning, Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher said the St. Paul raid targeted the RNC Welcoming Committee, a group he described as "a criminal enterprise made up of 35 self-described anarchists...intent on committing criminal acts before and during the Republican National Convention."

"These acts include tactics to blockade and disable delegate buses, breaching venue security and injuring police officers," Fletcher said. Deputies seized a variety of items that they believed were tools of civil disobedience: a gas mask, bolt cutters, axes, slingshots, homemade "caltrops" for disabling buses, even buckets of urine.

I'm a little curious how authorities knew about their plans before they were actually carried out.

More from the Funkhouser-Corwin press conference

KSHB says that homicide and patrol will get more resources, and the mayor plans a "new tools task force" -- more details coming this week, though the idea is to spend more on education and other quality-of-life improvements in troubled neighborhoods.

Local blogger RDM isn't terribly optimistic:

The mayor and the police chief are holding a press conference this morning to discuss the rise in homicides in Kansas City.  I’m not sure what good, if any, comes out of these public displays of inaction. They are more or less just an opportunity to say that more needs to be done and that they will exhaust all resources to ensure that crime is reduced.  Hardy har har.

In the end, nothing really can be done about it.  I mean, let’s be truthful.  Cops nowadays are nothing more than responders to crime.  Very rarely, if ever, do you hear of them breaking up an act of violence.  However, they are real good at stopping people for busted tail lights and California stops.

Innocence Project looks into explosion that killed KC firefighters

From Mike McGraw:

The Kansas City-based Midwest Innocence Project announced Friday that it was launching an investigation into the case of five people convicted in the 1988 explosion that killed six Kansas City firefighters.

... (Executive director Jay Swearingen said recent articles in The Kansas City Star helped prompt the project to begin a review of records in an effort to determine whether the defendants were wrongly convicted and whether the project should petition for their release from prison.

While the firefighters’ investigation will be one of the project’s 300 cases, he said, “it is by far the largest and most prominent of those cases.”

Swearingen estimated that the investigation would cost more than $250,000 — money the project currently does not have. But he said it would try to raise those funds “because it would be an injustice for us not to look into this case.”

KMBC: 1 injured in carjacking early Saturday

Happened outside a Denny's on Blue Ridge Cutoff, near the Sports Complex. The victim was hit in the leg and was in serious condition at last report.

Casey Anthony, back in jail

She was probably thrilled just to get away from the throng of people yelling "babykiller" at her.

Meanwhile ...

If you are really bored, you might check out a guest post I wrote for Criminal Report Daily, a blog over at Investigation Discovery's site. Thanks to David Lohr for the opportunity!

Best Excuse Ever For Speeding

From the Mason City Globe-Gazette:

A Joice man who was injured Thursday when part of a tree branch lodged in his head was stopped by the Iowa State Patrol while on his way to the hospital.

The trooper was perplexed why the man didn't immediately pull over ...

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

2 homicides early Saturday, minutes apart

From KCPD ...

Homicide #82
On Saturday morning at approximately 2:30am, KCMO police were called to a residence in the 6700 block of Paseo in regard to a shooting. Upon arrival officer's located a 19yr old shooting victim in the yard of a residence with no signs of life. He was pronounced dead a short time later. Witnesses state the victim was involved in a disturbance with another male when he was shot. There are no suspects in custody and detectives ask that anyone with information to call the TIPS Hotline.

UPDATED: "#82 occurred 68th and Paseo, 8/30/08, 0228hrs.  Victim-Jarod D. Sesley, B/M, 7-7-89."

Homicide #83
On Saturday morning at approximately 2:40am, KCMO police were called to Armour and Locust in regard to the sound of gunshots. Upon arrival officer's located a 26yr old shooting victim on the steps in front of a residence in the 3400 block of Locust with no signs of life. He was pronounced dead a short time later. Witnesses state they heard the sound of gunshots and observed a white van and a red vehicle leave the scene. There are no suspects in custody and detectives ask that anyone with information to call the TIPS Hotline.

UPDATED: #83 occurred 3421 Locust, 8/30/08,0240hrs.  Victim-Gary A. Mc Elroy, B/M, 1-26-82.

13 DUI arrests during KCMO sobriety checkpoint

From KCPD: The Kansas City Missouri Police Department conducted a Sobriety Checkpoint on August 29, 2008 from 2300 hours to 0400 hours at Blue Ridge Blvd and Holiday Drive. North and Southbound traffic was checked with total of 372 vehicles stopped. A total number of 13 DUI arrests were made, along with 4 Driving While Suspended/Revoked, 1 Interfering, 1 Possession of Marijuana, 1 Hazardous Moving Violation, 4 other traffic charges, and 7 KC Warrants.

Funkhouser, Corwin to address rising number of homicides

From a press release sent out Friday afternoon by police: Tomorrow, Saturday, August 30, Chief of Police Jim Corwin and Mayor Mark Funkhouser will hold a joint press conference at 11 a.m. to address the record breaking number of homicides in recent months.

The press conference will be held at 403 Myrtle Avenue-the site of the unsolved homicide of Michelle Haley who was gunned down the night of March 3rd. This homicide, like many, remains unsolved. Kansas City has recorded 81 homicides this year and 19 in the month of August. This is the highest number of homicides in a single month in more than two decades. Tomorrow morning Chief Corwin will announce his strategy for addressing the unsolved murders of 2007 and 2008.

“Addressing the problem of violent crime in the community requires a holistic approach,” said Chief Corwin. “and that is why we are all here.”

Karaoke is a cruel temptress

From the Ocala (FL) Star-Banner:

The 36-year-old, the first one up before the judge in a crowded courtroom, stood shakily at the lectern, as the judge addressed him. She asked if he might not be intoxicated.

No, he replied, saying he had "his wits" about him.

Might he not have gone drinking the night before and still be intoxicated, she asked him.

To that, Hambach replied with a one-word reply that said it all. "Karaoke," he muttered, as several individuals in the courtroom snickered under their breath.

The Boonie Hat Bandit

The FBI says he's pulled off 11 bank robberies so far in the St. Louis area, and he's back in business ...

Open Thread ... Caturday

Welcome back to the Open Thread, our blog's space for off-topic comments and discussion. This is also a good spot to share links, if you've seen an interesting story somewhere else.

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.

Thanks again, and have a great weekend!

Not remotely crime-related

Mama said knock you out, so I did.

TKC: What's the mayor doing about crime?

Tony's Kansas City says Funkhouser needs to be doing more about the rise in KCMO homicides:

At the beginning of the Summer, everyone knew this would happen. Sadly, the only action Mayor Funky was able to take was a silly press conference that accomplished nothing but an effort (still not signed) to hassle small gun shop owners in a controversial pact with New York Mayor Bloomberg.

UPDATE: Ohio Mom accused of microwaving baby

They've found her guilty. She's eligible for the death penalty, but that won't be determined until next week.

UPDATE: AZ man killed baby who interrupted video game

After the attack, he finished his video game and THEN called 911. He's pleaded guilty.

Fact: Huffing could make your car explode

Especially if you roll up all the windows to your car and decide to light a cigarette after inhaling all that keyboard cleaner. Like these guys did.

Pro-life groups say cops roughed up teen activists in Denver

Two girls, they say, who were writing anti-abortion messages on the sidewalk outside Barack Obama's hotel. The girls were allegedly kneed in the back and dragged off, though they'd reportedly cleared the chalking with local authorities.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Herbert Spencer!

First federal judge to ever face federal sex-crime charges

Story is from Texas, where U.S. District Judge Samuel Kent is accused of making lewd suggestions to his case manager and trying to grab her under her clothes.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, goshel!

Charles Cammisano, One Year Later

It's been almost a year since Cammisano, 52, was found killed in his Riverside home. So far, there have been no charges filed in the case. The reward fund stands near $6,500, Crime Stoppers reports. Cammisano's family plans a vigil for this weekend and hopes to talk to reporters about the case.

More about KCK woman shot and killed Friday morning

KSHB has more details here. The victim was Krystal Dewalt, 19, who was reportedly staying at a house with her boyfriend and his grandparents.

No death penalty in Precious Doe case

A lot of people said, from the get go, that prosecutors wouldn't be able to pull this off. Snip from Christine:

The man charged with killing 3-year-old Erica Green will not face the death penalty, Jackson County prosecutor Jim Kanatzar announced today.

But the first-degree murder trial for Harrell Johnson, 28, still will be heard in Jackson County, not in St. Louis. A judge had agreed to a change of venue for Johnson, but Johnson rescinded his request in exchange for the removal of the death penalty.

... He said his office decided it would be “inappropriate” to pursue the death penalty because it should be used only in cases where the evidence is “clear and beyond any possible argument.”

Acquitted man wins $16 million from wife, her new husband

I think the award should have let him beat the two of them with a hose for a solid hour, but $16 million is good, too. From Mark Morris:

A federal jury awarded $16 million this morning to a man who spent more than five years in prison after his wife and her police officer boyfriend accused him of child molestation.

A jury convicted Theodore W. White Jr. in 1999 of molesting his adopted daughter, but another Jackson County jury ultimately acquitted him after prosecutors disclosed that the lead detective in the case, Richard McKinley, was romantically involved with White’s wife, Tina. She ultimately divorced White and married McKinley.

The jury decided this morning that Richard and Tina McKinley conspired to deprive White of his right to a fair trial.

Lawyers representing White in the civil rights lawsuit contended that his wife and McKinley hid the extent of their romantic relationship from prosecutors. They also contended that McKinley failed to seize a diary kept by White’s daughter that could have been helpful to his defense.