Charges filed in Claycomo pursuit

From Claycomo PD: The male and female suspect’s involved in a burglary, police chase, and crash on 11/21/09 in Claycomo were identified with charges filed through the Clay County Prosecutor’s office. The female suspect Karie Reynolds was charged with First degree burglary, with a $150,000.00 Bond. The male was identified as Christopher Clingenpeel also issued a warrant for first degree burglary with no bond at this time.

Longer sentence for Kan. nurse who enslaved mentally ill

Remember Linda Kaufman? She's the nurse who ran a group home in Newton with her husband. They were convicted of abusing their mentally ill patients by making them do chores while naked and perform sex acts. Linda originally got seven years -- but the judge decided, in a resentencing, to send her away for 15 years.

Quote of the day

"It was a shock at the start because it was a kangaroo, about 5 feet high, they don't go around killing people."

Hat Tip: Many thanks, cripjak!

FBI needs help to solve killings from civil-rights era

Over the past few years, the federal government has shown more interest in resolving cold cases from the civil rights era, but it's been tough work because so many of the witnesses are dead, dying or losing their memories. (Alvin Sykes, a local activist, has been one of the leading voices in getting the feds to do more.) Today, the FBI announced that it has essentially hit a brick wall in 33 cases because they can't find victims' relatives. They're issuing a public call, in the hope that people will call them.

I wonder if, in some cases, it might already be too late to get justice. Either the killers are already dead -- that, or the people who get them convicted are.

Not-guilty plea in naked videos of ESPN reporter

Michael Barrett, the man accused of secretly videotaping ESPN reporter Erin Andrews while she was naked in her hotel room, entered a not-guilty plea in federal court earlier today. The prosecutors say he took the videos over the course of several months and tried to sell them to TMZ.com.

Barrett's attorney David Willingham has said his client has no criminal record and has deep regret for the circumstances that prompted the charges.

I'm trying to figure out how they'll argue this one. How can he "regret the circumstances" and still say he's not guilty?

Three KC officers to receive Medal of Valor

Congratulations to Officers Travis Hennegin, Michael Merino and Brandon Pegg. They're going to be awarded KCPD's highest honor tomorrow for their work in stopping a shooter in Swope Park back in July 2008. The shooter, armed with an assault rifle, was firing at random cars. That man was fatally wounded by return fire after he fired on the officers.

UPDATE: Police won't treat "ginger beating" as a hate crime

In Calabasas, Calif., police think a Facebook posting declaring Friday as "Kick A Ginger Day" led to a red-haired 12-year-old getting attacked by 14 other students. ("Ginger" is a nickname / slur for people with red hair, light skin and freckles. It became especially popular a few years ago after a "South Park" episode.)

WARNING: There's some mild bad language in the clip above."

UPDATED: The L.A. Times says that police don't consider this a hate crime.

Six clerks tried to cheat "lottery winners," Kan. AG says

From Joe Lambe: The Kansas attorney general today announced charges against six store clerks who allegedly tried to steal lottery winnings. ... Undercover investigators visited stores with lottery tickets known to be winners, he said, and in six cases clerks claimed the tickets were not winners. Then the clerks in five different counties, including one in Johnson County, tried to collect the money personally or through another person.

There are easier ways to get a refund

In Kitsap County, Wash., police were called after a resident complained about a man protesting outside his house. The man's picket sign read, "Meth Dealers Live Here." The one-man rally told police that his girlfriend had paid one of the people inside the house for a $600 laptop, but didn't get the computer. Hence, the protest.

Trustee flees Cass County jail, gets recaptured

From Cass Co. Sheriff: A Cass County trustee walked away from the Cass County Jail Monday morning around 9:15 am. The inmate walked away from the Cass County Jail and allegedly stole a car from a nearby residence in Harrisonville. Harrisonville Police Officers in the area located the vehicle shortly after it was stolen and pursued the vehicle into the county south of the Justice Center. The vehicle crashed and the subject fled into a wooded area 3 miles southwest of Harrisonville.

Deputies and law enforcement officers from Harrisonville and the Missouri State Highway Patrol assisted in a search of the area. The subject was located in a field moments later and taken into custody without further incident around 10:30 am.

Wash. woman accused of attacking boyfriend's ex-girlfriend

In Seattle, a woman named Patricia Lynn Crowl is accused stabbing her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend after using text messages to lure the woman to a parking garage. The ex-girlfriend lived. Police say this is the second time that Crowl has done something like this. Last time, back in the 1990s, she went to prison for killing her boyfriend's girlfriend.

Man killed girlfriend's puppy before Steelers game, Pa. police say

More details here ...

KC homicide count stands at 104

Compared to 119 at the same point last year. KCPD's closure rate is 67 percent right now.

Open Thread ... Monday

Welcome back to the Open Thread, our blog's space for off-topic comments and discussion. If you've seen an interesting story somewhere else, feel free to post a link below.

As always, please follow our standard rules: 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. If you need to reach me, just send an email to jhart@kcstar.com. Thanks again, and have a great day!

Charges filed in pregnant woman's slaying

Lionel Henderson is charged with two counts of second-degree murder for the slaying of Ashley Thomas and her unborn child. (Thomas was 9 months pregnant when she was shot and killed Friday on Armour Boulevard.) Other charges include first-degree assault for the shooting of the man with Thomas. It seems that a fourth person was in the vehicle at the time of the shooting, but fled. (Another blogger, Toellner Tells It, has a post about the case here.)

Father of the Year?

An Ohio man is accused of whipping his son's genitals with an extension cord and shaving off the boy's hair, including his eyebrows. The boy's alleged offense? Stealing Dad's earrings.

Trespassers will be caught

Another local blogger, Old Fat Cowboy, has an interesting post here about trespassers breaking into one of his rental properties and all of the headaches that come with that.

Hat Tip: Saw this via Tony's Kansas City!

How to make life harder for burglars

If you're going to be traveling this winter, it's a good idea to think about making your house a less-attractive target for burglars. Mark Wiesemann, a Lee's Summit community interaction officer, shared a few pieces of advice. This sort of crime happens year-round, he said, but sometimes people can let their guard down because, on the whole, Lee's Summit is a very safe place. "But that doesn't mean things don't get stolen."

1. Don't leave your garage door open. I know, it SEEMS basic, but you'd be surprised how many people get burglarized because they don't follow this rule. In a lot of cases, they don't think it's a big deal because they just have to wander inside for a minute. A thief, though, can run into your garage and grab something valuable -- a set of golf clubs, maybe, or some power tools -- while you're not watching, Wiesemann says.

It probably goes without saying that you shouldn't leave your keys in your car either.

2. Have somebody check on your house. Lee's Summit, for example, has a program where an officer will check your house daily while you're gone, if you call 816-969-1770 to have your name put on a list. It's also smart to have a neighbor or relative check on the property to pick up any mail or newspapers that might have been delivered.

3. Burglars don't like lights. You don't have to have your home lit up like the White House. Keeping a light at your front door and back door should be enough. (Those are the most popular points of entry in most burglaries.) Having those lights on will discourage many burglars. And those who try anyway will run the risk of getting seen by your neighbors. As far as the interior goes, consider getting timers for a few lights and the TV, just to give the appearance of someone being home.

4. Trim the hedges to no taller than three feet.

5. If you're feeling really motivated ... the police recommend a grade-1 deadbolt for exterior doors and 3-inch screws for strike plates.

If you're going to go on a rampage ...

... it's hard to top this one. In 2004, a man named Marvin Heemeyer went on a rampage with an armored bulldozer in the town of Granby, Colo. He was reportedly upset because he'd lost a zoning dispute. (He was upset about a concrete plant being built near his shop.) So naturally, he welded some armor onto a bulldozer and started DESTROYING THE TOWN. The cost of damage was about $7 million, though thankfully, nobody died but Heemeyer, who committed suicide after his Armageddon Machine got stuck. Snip from Wikipedia:

On June 4, 2004, Heemeyer drove his armored bulldozer through the wall of his former business, the concrete plant, the Town Hall, the office of the local newspaper that editorialized against him, the home of a former judge's widow, and a hardware store owned by another man Heemeyer named in a lawsuit, as well as others. Owners of all the buildings that were damaged had some connection to Heemeyer's disputes.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, cripjak!

Is St. Louis really THAT bad?

CQ Press has released its annual list of the worst U.S. cities for crime, and St. Louis is No. 2, worse even than Detroit, a.k.a. the city that brought you Devils Night and General Motors. The publisher says the lists help raise awareness of crime and use the best crime stats available. The Loo's city fathers are incensed, arguing that such rankings aren't accurate because every city measures crime a little bit differently.

Kansas City, by the way, ranked No. 15, slightly worse than Washington, D.C. Independence was 107th.

Kan. suspect uses "sign language" in court, police say

A Salina man -- facing charges of littering and driving with a suspended license -- is accused of pointing at a police officer, while the officer was testifying, and pretending to shoot himself in the head. Also, he allegedly pointed at the judge, prosecutor, the cop and another police officer and made the throat-slitting gesture.

Charges filed in Wilfredo Melgar homicide

I just got done reading the probable cause in the Wilfredo Melgar case. He's the man who was fatally shot while trying to chase down two robbers this weekend on 12th Street. How much did the bad guys get away with? About $83, plus two cellphones and a pack of Newport cigarettes, court records state.

Kan. had more hate-crime reports in 2008 than Mo.

Kansas reported 113 incidents of hate crimes, compared to 99 in Missouri, the FBI reports. (In 2007, Kansas had 110 incidents -- Missouri had 114.)

Overall, almost 7,800 incidents nationally were reported to the FBI. That represents a slight increase, but the FBI warns us against reading too much into that -- because some police departments are a little flaky when it comes to passing their numbers to the feds. Some year, they remember to file a report. Other years, they don't. The bureau is very dubious of ranking cities according to these stats.

For another bit of perspective, we should note that most police departments included in the study -- 84 percent -- had NO reports of any hate crimes.

The feds have a full breakdown of the numbers here.

Toy drive honors Mo. trooper killed in wreck

It's time again for the Trooper Michael L. Newton Memorial Toy Drive. Newton was a Missouri patrolman killed on the job in May 2003. Anyone who donates a new toy worth $10 or more at a local Krispy Kreme will get a dozen free doughnuts. (They're especially looking for electronic games, board games and new books.) The toys will be given to kids at KU Med and Ronald McDonald House. More information is available here.

Should prisons be allowed to cut meals?

One Indiana prison has stopped serving lunch on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. If it works, state officials might try the same thing at other facilities. (They're following in the footsteps of Georgia prisons, which don't serve lunches on weekends. Ohio is mulling over the idea.) The ACLU isn't happy about this, but its Indiana organization hasn't gotten any complaints from prisoners yet. Also, I loved this from the prison spokesman:

DOC officials said inmates can always get chips, cookies and Ramen noodles in the commissary to tide them over between meals. Prisoners have to pay for those.

"You'd be amazed at what prisoners can do with a bag of Ramen," Mulroony said. "It's as good as anything served in a restaurant."