UK man strangled his wife while dreaming

The prosecution, which wanted to send him to a psychiatric hospital, has dropped the charges, so he's a free man.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Keith G in PV and Cripjak!

Charges filed in Shaniya Davis homicide

From AP: This undated photo provided Friday, Nov. 13, 2009 by the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office shows Mario Andrette McNeill. McNeill already accused of kidnapping 5-year-old Shaniya Davis faces new charges that he raped and asphyxiated her, police said Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. Mario McNeill is being charged with first-degree murder and first-degree rape of a child, Fayetteville Police Chief Tom Bergamine told reporters at a news conference. (AP Photo/Cumberland County Sheriff's Office)

Missing people were killed for their body fat, Peruvian police say

In Peru, police believe that dozens of missing people were ambushed and murdered for their body fat, which was then sold on the black market to cosmetic and pharmaceutical firms in Europe, the BBC reports. Some experts are skeptical of this -- body fat is used in some procedures, but it's almost always from the patients' own body. And besides with SO MUCH fat in the world, you'd think there wouldn't be a huge demand for black-market fat. Investigators, though, say they've got a suspect who described exactly how the victims' fat was harvested.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Goshel!

Jayson Williams to get prison in plea deal?

The former basketball star is charged with reckless manslaughter in the 2002 shooting death of a limo driver, a count that carries a potential 10-year sentence. New Jersey's Star-Ledger reports that Williams may plead guilty to aggravated assault under a plea deal -- a three-year rap that would probably work out to 18 months of actual time served. Williams says the shooting was an accident, but authorities say he was being careless with the gun.

Pentagon plans Fort Hood investigation

Defense Secretary Gates has set a 45-day time limit on the review, which will look at how the military identifies servicemembers who might be dangerous. And they'll look at whether U.S. bases are ready for situations like Fort Hood. It doesn't sound like they'll be dealing with Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan and his emails to a radical cleric.

52 months for drunk driver whose passenger died

From WyCo DA: Howard Lewis, Jr., age 33, of Kansas City, Kansas, was sentenced to 52 months in prison this morning for the January 8, 2007, death of Waynedale Avery. Avery was the passenger is a vehicle driven by Lewis which wrapped around a utility pole on westbound Parallel Parkway, just west of Victory Drive in the early morning hours of January 8, 2007. Lewis pleaded nolo contendere to Involuntary Manslaughter on September 18, 2009. His blood alcohol level was .14, well in excess of the legal limit of.08, and the vehicle was being operated at high speed.

Man killed son over alleged child sex abuse

In Detroit, a man is accused of killing his 15-year-old son after he heard the boy allegedly had "sexual contact" with a 3-year-old girl, the AP reports. The defendant is accused of forcing the boy to strip, marching him to a vacant lot and killing him. His defense attorney is arguing that the man's state of mind, after he heard about the abuse allegation, should be taken into consideration.

Dog blamed for woman's shooting death

In San Luis Obispo County, Calif., a man has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after he shot his wife, who was sitting on their couch. The man says he accidentally fired a handgun after he tripped over the dog.

Man strangled stepson as revenge against kid's mom, Wis. police say

Charles A. Avey is accused of using a necktie to strangle his 14-year-old stepson -- as revenge against the kid's mom for reporting Avey to the police. He'd allegedly used a hammer to beat her.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Searching!

The strange death of Hugues de la Plaza

In 2007, a man named Hugues de la Plaza was found dead in his locked San Francisco apartment -- killed by three stab wounds. Police didn't rule out homicide, but they leaned toward suicide, though investigators couldn't find the knife (or sharp implement) that de la Plaza allegedly used to kill himself.

The case became an international incident because de la Plaza was a citizen of both the U.S. and France. And the French weren't terribly impressed with the suicide theory. Their government did their own review and concluded it was a case of homicide. San Francisco, meanwhile, asked LAPD to look at the case, and while they're not done, they're apparently leaning toward the suicide theory -- though mistakes made by SFPD mean they won't be able to conclusively say so.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Keith G in PV!

Cannibals put the Bob in kebab, Russian police say

In Perm, Russia, three homeless men are accused of murdering a fourth man and eating part of his body, then selling part of the corpse to a kebab shop. (It had apparently been cut up by that point, the BBC reports.) Nobody knows if any customers actually ate the victim.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Man in a Mission!

Alleged Ohio serial killer pleads not guilty

The Associated Press

Suspected serial killer Anthony Sowell was arraigned Friday on charges connected to a woman whose rape led to Sowell's arrest and the discovery of 11 bodies in and around his home.

|Bob Cronkleton

John Allen Muhammad is dead

Mohammad, 48, said nothing from the time he entered the death chamber accompanied by guards at 8:58 p.m.

| Sara Shepherd

Family members of convicted sniper John Allen Muhammad pray outside Greenville Correctional Center in Jarratt, Va., at the scheduled time of Muhammad's execution on Tuesday. Muhammad was executed for sniper attacks that killed 10 people in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., during a 3-week spree in 2002. (AP Photo)

Dad RV'd for months with dead babies

As James might say, possibly the most awful story you'll read today:

Prosecutors contend that Jason Hann, 34, stuffed 2-month-old Montana Hann's body into a trash bag in 2001 then kept it in trailers and motor homes for nine months as he and his girlfriend moved from state to state doing odd jobs.

Hann pleaded not guilty Friday ... to murder and assaulting a child causing great bodily injury after being extradited from Kentucky, where he was serving time for killing his 6-week-old son 10 years ago. Authorities said Hann had trekked around with the boy's body for 18 months.

Hat Tip: Thanks goes to JUNGLE JIM.

| Sara Shepherd

Appeal denied, sniper's execution to go on today

It still appears Muhammad will go to his grave without acknowledging his crimes:

He repeated his assertion that he was an innocent victim of racial bias in a letter to the federal court released last week by his attorneys. Muhammad charged that police and prosecutors "lied to the American people" about his case and withheld evidence that could clear him.

| Sara Shepherd

Fort Hood shooter 'enjoyed strippers'

CBS reports that the devout Muslim man and U.S. Army psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people at Fort Hood last week liked to indulge in lap dances during visits to a local strip joint. From a club manager:

"The last time he was here, I remember checking his military ID at the door, and he paid his $15 cover and stayed for six or seven hours."

| Sara Shepherd

Who was Otis Beckford?

The Orlando Sentinel has a short profile on Beckford, the only person killed during yesterday's office shooting in Orlando. A native of Jamaica, Beckford was an AutoCAD technician, 26 years old, engaged with a young child. Everybody says he was a really good guy who tried to live a quiet life.

This isn't the first mass shooting near Fort Hood

In 1991, the Luby's Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas, was the site of the worst mass shooting in U.S. history -- at least, it was at the time. (The Virginia Tech massacre was worse.) A man named George Hennard rammed his truck into the restaurant, then proceeded to fatally shoot 23 people and injure 20. Hennard then committed suicide. Killeen is the home of Fort Hood, the scene of yesterday's mass shooting.

One of the customers present during the Luby's massacre was Suzanna Hupp, who had brought a gun with her that day, but left it in her car. Hupp's parents were murdered during the massacre, and a result, she later became an outspoken Second Amendment advocate, arguing that she could have saved lives if she were carrying her gun with her. The massacre helped start the push for wider acceptance of concealed carry.

Iowa mother convicted of murdering her son

Michelle Kehoe, who murdered her 2-year-old and tried to kill her older son, was found guilty of all counts Thursday. Kehoe had also tried to take her own life, but lived. At her trial, her defense attorneys had argued an insanity defense, but prosecutors say that Kehoe's attempts to cover up her involvement showed that she knew what she was doing. (Kehoe had claimed that a stranger had tried to kill her and her sons.) The defense presented a long history of mental illness, including two previous suicide attempts.

The older boy had been attacked, but lived and witnessed Kehoe killing his younger brother.

Report: Fort Hood shooter worked in mental health

AP identifies him as Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a psychiatrist who had previously worked at Walter Reed before being transferred to Fort Hood a few months ago. More here.

Okla. pharmacist shoots, kills robber -- will face trial for murder

In Oklahoma City, a pharmacist named Jerome Ersland will face trial for murder after he reportedly shot and killed a 16-year-old robber back on May 19. Surveillance cameras recorded what happened. Ersland, who says he was trying to protect others, shot the robber in the head. What happened next is what got him into trouble, though: Ersland apparently walked over to the teen and fired five shots into his chest. Authorities say those shots were unnecessary because the robber was already down and not a threat. Ersland says the teen was still moving.

Of the shooting, the prosecutor told reporters, "You’ve got someone lying on the floor on their back, unconscious, with their arms out to their side and their palms up, and they’re clearly unarmed, and you walk up and stick a gun about two feet from their chest and you put five bullets into their abdomen, that’s an execution.”

How should 9-year-old killer be punished?

In Arizona, lawyers have worked out a plea deal for a boy who allegedly shot and killed his dad and a family friend one year ago. Under the terms, he would undergo intensive counseling and probation, possibly with some detention. But the judge says he wants the boy to be held by the state DOC. The lawyers are now trying to get the judge removed, saying he's being pressured by the community.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Keith G in PV!

UPDATE: Missing boy, 4, found in neighbor's dryer

In Fresno, Calif., a 14-year-old has been charged with the murder of a 4-year-old neighbor, whose body was found in a dryer in the teen's house. The authorities say the older boy had molested the child and drowned him so the 4-year-old wouldn't tell anyone.

Wrongful death suit in KC native's case

Jasmine Lynn, a Kansas City woman attending Atlanta's Spelman College, was shot and killed by a stray bullet back in September. It happened while she was visiting Clark Atlanta University, and now her parents are suing the school for having inadequate security.

Iowa mom tries insanity defense

In Grundy Center, Iowa, the trial of Michelle Kehoe continues. Kehoe allegedly drove her two sons into the woods, killed her 2-year-old and attempted to murder her 7-year-old before she slashed her own throat. Only, Kehoe and the older boy survived. Kehoe's attorneys are arguing that she can't be held responsible because of mental illness. (They're citing two previous suicide attempts, a major bout with depression and being the victim of child abuse.) From the Press-Citizen:

"She really couldn't think rationally about what she was doing," psychiatrist William Logan said. "She thought she was doing the right thing."

However, Logan told the jury Kehoe was well aware of the nature of her actions afterward.

"She certainly realized after that fact that she had done a horrible thing," Logan said.