Violence Against Women and Children News Central

Special Education Aide Christopher French Likely to Plead Guilty in Rape Case

2009-10-05T06:12:00.000-07:00

A teacher’s aide from Winchester is expected to plead guilty to charges he used the Internet to lure girls into pornography and sex, raping one 14-year-old.

Christopher French, who was an special education aide at McCall Middle School, was charged last year with one count of rape and 17 other charges, including possession of child pornography and enticement of a child under the age of 16.

Prosecutors said the 29-year-old French groomed girls through online chats, sending and receiving naked photographs. In one case, he is accused of raping a 14-year-old girl at her house...

Dry Cleaner Ralph G. Klosterman Charged with Rape

2009-10-05T06:10:00.000-07:00

The owner of a dry cleaning business was arrested and charged over the weekend with raping a woman at his home in the 3700 block of Crestknoll Lane.

Ralph G. Klosterman, 52, owner of Klosterman's Cleaners, 5538 Colerain Ave., faces a rape charge. He was held overnight on $25,000 bond at the Hamilton County jail.

James Robert Ward Shot His Wife Dead, in the Head

2009-09-22T16:06:00.000-07:00

Orange County Sheriff’s Office Homicide investigators have charged 61-year-old James Robert Ward with second degree murder in the shooting death of his wife, 55-year-old Diane Elizabeth Ward.

Detectives say the shooting happened Monday night in the Isleworth Country Club community. They say the wife was found in the master beadroom with a gunshot wound to the head. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators say they recovered a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum handgun from the top drawer of a nightstand next to the bed in the master bedroom...

**Blog Author Note: Florida WTF? 3rd one in 5 days!!!!!

This one (Collier County)

This one (Flagler County)

Mesac Damas is a Fugitive After Killing His Wife and 5 Children in Florida

2009-09-20T15:17:00.000-07:00

UPDATED!! 9/21 They caught the muthafucker!!!

Investigators in two countries are searching for answers in a family slaying that Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk called the most "horrific and violent" act the community had ever seen.

"This is the worst of the worst," Rambosk said.

Mesac Damas, 33, the father and "person of interest" in the case is believed to be in Haiti following a Friday morning flight. Investigators in the country are currently looking for Damas for questioning, Rambosk said.

The bodies of Damas' five children and his wife, Guerline Damas, were found in different locations in the home, at 864 Hampton Cir., Rambosk said.

The sheriff did not describe the nature of the scene, except to say multiple rooms were involved. He said the scene inside the home and the nature of the case made it the worst he'd ever seen...

**Blog Author Note: Please find this muthafucker. Florida, this is the second killing in days. Was there any history of violence? Strange things going on with the children at school? Isolated wife? Maybe those pro-life "pregnancy center" funds need to be directed elsewhere.

Bingo, found what I was suspecting:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,552710,00.html

Damas Sr. also said his son and his wife have had domestic problems

Records on the Collier County Clerk of Courts Web site reportedly show Damas has prior arrests for domestic violence.

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/sep/20/five-children-woman-found-slain-north-naples-apart/

The neighbors said there had been prior disputes in the home.

Records on the Collier County Clerk of Courts Web site show Damas has prior charges for domestic violence in June 2005 involving his wife, Guerline Dieu, and children -- Mesack Obo Damas, Maven and Marven.

Damas also brought charges against Dieu for domestic violence, the Web site records show, but the November 2006 case never moved forward because he failed to appear in court.

Another Restraining Order Unserved, Rodney Morris-El Sr Shoots His Children's Mother in Front of Them, then Himself

2009-09-20T08:08:00.000-07:00

A woman seeking court protection against the father of her four children was fatally shot in front of the youngsters in what police called a murder-suicide.

Melissa Amerson, 26, was loading the children into her minivan just after 8 a.m. Friday when she was shot.

Police said her attacker, Rodney Morris-El Sr., 37, then walked about 30 feet into the yard and turned the weapon on himself.

Officials said the children, who range in age from 10 to 5, weren't harmed.

Neighbor Aaron Foster said he heard children screaming and the oldest child ran to his apartment and said, "Please help me. My mom has just been shot."...

**Blog Author Note: This is the second story in 2 days involving an unserved restraining order.

Note to certain commentors on the original article: Mothers cannot BOTH protect themselves and their children (natural instinct and given right) AND foster a relationship between the children and their father (as ordered by the family court system and promoted by social service agencies and the rest of "the system"). Which is it going to be?

Brian Hughes Benedict Kills His Ex-Wife Over a Child Custody "Dispute"

2009-09-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

UC Irvine graduate student accused of killing his ex-wife on the university campus Sunday during a custody dispute over their 4-year-old son had his arraignment postponed Tuesday until Oct. 2.

Brian Hughes Benedict, 35, is charged with murder with a sentencing enhancement of using a firearm. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.

Benedict appeared in court Tuesday afternoon, where he opted to delay his arraignment until the attorney his family has hired, Ronald Cordova, returns from a trip outside the country. A friend of Cordova, attorney Mike Jacobs, appeared on his behalf and requested the arraignment be delayed. Prosecutors released more details of what allegedly happened after 7 p.m. Sunday in UCI’s Verona Place housing facility...

**Blog Author Note: Way to be a role model, dad! If dad doesn't get a life sentence, he will probably ask for custody of his son later. And some dumb fuck judge will say that Brian Hughes Benedict's actions toward the mother do not reflect his feelings for, or ability to care for his son. Really, I wish I was kidding.

Charles Edwin Gordon Tried to Kill His Wife So She Wouldn't Testify Against Him in a Domestic Violence Case; Restraining Order in Place

2009-09-18T19:07:00.000-07:00

A South Salt Lake man is accused of trying to kill his wife after he tackled her outside a building and attempted to strangle her at her workplace earlier this month.

Charles Edwin Gordon, 35, was charged in 3rd District Court on Tuesday with first-degree felony attempted murder, first-degree felony aggravated burglary, second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse and stalking, a second-degree felony, in connection with assaulting his wife Sept. 8 in West Valley City.

According to charging documents, Gordon went to his wife's workplace at the Discover Card Building, 2500 South Lake Park Blvd., to confront her. The couple had separated and the wife had filed a co-habitant abuse case against Gordon in June, court records show.

A judge granted the woman a protective order from Gordon in July...

**Blog Author Note: Restraining Orders, Restraining Orders...see previous notes...

Carl Martin Shots His "Estranged" Wife, and then Himself; Restraining Order Unable to be Served

2009-09-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

A woman and a man are dead in an apparent Flagler County murder-suicide after she was shot as she ran to a neighbor's house, then again when she was inside.

The shooting just before 7:15 a.m. Wednesday also caused a nearby school to lock down, authorities said.

Shannon Martin, 35, had been granted a restraining order on her estranged husband, Carl Martin, 50, but deputies had not been able to find him to serve the paperwork, Flagler County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Debra Johnson said. They had an incorrect address, she said...

**Blog Author Note: As if the restraining order would have stopped him. Apparently, he had her address. Florida has had a numerous amount of murder-suicides this year. Something different needs to be done.

James Mulvaney Kills His Children and Then Himself

2009-09-18T18:26:00.000-07:00

Distraught over his divorce and the loss of his job, James Mulvaney did the unthinkable, Ventura County authorities say.

Sometime after his ex-wife dropped their two children off at his Thousand Oaks apartment Tuesday, Mulvaney stabbed 12-year-old Jason and 7-year-old Jennifer to death in their bedrooms.

The 52-year-old father then took his own life by overdosing on prescription pills, a preliminary review Thursday by the county medical examiner's office indicates...

**Blog Author Note: Dear Catherine Saillant, how do you know this killer father was "distraught over his divorce and the loss of his job?" According to how you ordered your title, it would appear that this father killed his own children as a result [of his distraughtness]? How do you know this? How can you prove this? You do these dead children and their grieving mother a complete disservice. In fact, this is disrespectful.

Frank Frisco Killed His Former Fiance, and Himself, After Being Released from Jail on a Restraining Order Violation

2009-08-14T06:42:00.000-07:00

A day after he got out of jail, a 36-year-old Toms River man killed his former fiance before committing suicide in the home the couple had once planned to share, authorities said yesterday.

Investigators said Frank Frisco killed 30-year-old Letizia Zindell, also of Toms River, at her King George Layne residence early yesterday afternoon, then returned to the home they once shared on Lafayette Avenue and hanged himself in a garage detached from the home.

A family friend hoping to borrow cleaning supplies from Zindell discovered her body in the back seat of her 2005 Acura around 2:30 p.m., Toms River Police Chief Michael Mastronardy said.

The chief was not sure how Zindell was killed and that remained unknown as of last night, pending an autopsy by the Ocean County Medical Examiner's Office.

After Zindell's friend informed police of her grim discovery, authorities began a frantic search for Frisco, said Mastronardy. Police discovered his body around 4 p.m...

**Blog Author note: This is at least the second restraining order violation in the news this week. This murderer was a repeat offender. Restraining orders create paper trails--they don't stop murder.

Jeffrey Perry Has Been Having Sex with a 12 Year Old Boy

2009-08-12T07:42:00.000-07:00

Police investigating a possible arson in Haverhill say they have stumbled upon a much more serious crime — child sexual abuse.

Police Detective Carl Rogers and state police Sgt. Paul Zipper were interviewing the residents of a Haverhill apartment building that had been the site of three fires Sunday morning.

While interviewing other occupants of the unit where the suspect lived, they found that a 39-year-old male resident and a 12-year-old boy were sharing a bed...

John D. Orlowski Gets 22 1/2 Years for Murder for Hire

2009-08-12T07:16:00.000-07:00

A federal judge sentenced a Beverly man to 22 1/2 years in prison yesterday for scheming to hire a cellmate to kill his estranged wife, young daughter, and mother-in-law in a “chilling’’ plot that only failed because the would-be hit man cooperated with authorities.

Federal Judge Douglas P. Woodlock said the egregiousness of John D. Orlowski’s offense called for harsher sentencing than recommended by federal guidelines, which would have required him to serve at least 20 years in prison. Woodlock had also rejected a tentative plea agreement in April, whereby Orlowski would have served 12 years in federal prison.

“The short of it is that I cannot conceive a more heinous crime that was not in fact carried out but was a planned attempt,’’ Woodlock said at a morning hearing in US District Court in Boston...

Blog Author Note: Had the protection order, which John violated, had not been taken seriously (he had to serve 60 days), and had the inmate not "snitched," we would have been reading about another "sudden" and "tragic" murder of an "estranged" wife. These murders are calculated...premeditated.

Dondra Bullock Murders His Wife After Argument, Kids Are Home

2009-08-10T18:54:00.000-07:00

Authorities have charged Dondra Bullock, 32, with murdering his wife, Angela Bullock, 35.

This murder, like most others in the area, stemmed from domestic violence.

In this case, Lowndes County Sheriff Chris Prine says a Bullock shot and killed his wife Sunday evening following an argument at their home in South Lowndes County.

Prine says Bullock shot his wife six times while their two children were at home.

Following the shooting, the Bullock called 911 for help...

7-Year Police Officer Christopher Sullivan Assaults His Wife; Suspended Without Pay

2009-07-20T07:13:00.000-07:00

VERNON - An off-duty Hartford police officer was arrested early Friday by Vernon police on domestic violence charges.

Christopher Sullivan, 34, of Old Town Road, was arraigned Friday in Superior Court in Rockville on charges of first-degree burglary, third-degree assault, second-degree threatening, breach of peace and unlawful restraint.

Vernon police said they were called at 2:33 a.m. to an apartment on South Street on a report of a domestic violence assault. The woman they met told them that she and Sullivan had had an argument that escalated into an assault. She told officers that Sullivan held her down and threatened her...

Repeat Domestic Violence Offender Shawn Sinclair Assaults Two Women and Shoots Two Police Officers

2009-07-20T07:04:00.000-07:00

Police have identified a man who they say wounded two city officers in a shootout Saturday as Shawn Sinclair, a 34-year-old West Baltimore resident with a history of domestic assault accusations. Sinclair, who was also injured in the shootout, remained hospitalized Sunday but was expected to be charged with attempted murder and domestic violence-related counts, said Baltimore police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

The shooting happened before noon Saturday in the 2400 block of Harlem Avenue, as police tried to arrest Sinclair on charges that he assaulted two women he knows earlier that day.

Police on Sunday also identified the wounded officers. A 17-year veteran of the force, Officer Jerome Shaurette, 44, remained in stable condition Sunday night at the Maryland Shock Trauma Center, said Officer Nicole Monroe, a police spokeswoman. He was shot three times, once in the abdomen.

Officer Curtis McMillion, 42, who has been on the force for three years, was shot once in the buttocks and was released from the hospital Saturday night. Both officers were wearing protective vests, police said...

**Blog author note: Police forces are known to use domestic violence monies (grants) for equipment to protect themselves when they respond specifically to domestic violence calls. However, in 2005 the Supreme Court determined that police are not obligated to protect victims with restraining orders (Castle Rock v Gonzales).

The most dangerous time for a woman is when she finally decides to leave the relationship.

Restraining orders are just pieces of paper, without enforcement.

Domestic violence does hurt everyone.

Great Guy Richard Owen Kills His Mother, the Dog, and Himself

2009-07-20T06:42:00.000-07:00

NEW PORT RICHEY — After Richard Owen, his elderly mother and their pet chihuahua didn't venture outside their home for several days, one of their neighbors placed a call to the authorities.

People were getting worried.

"We got called out on a welfare check," said Kevin Doll, a spokesman for the Pasco County Sheriff's Office. "The neighbors hadn't seen them in a few days and they started to smell decay."

When deputies arrived at the home at 4455 Grandwood Lane Saturday night, the neighbors' worst fears were confirmed: Owen and his 87-year-old mother, Joan Owen, were both dead inside, apparently of a murder-suicide...

Father Katron Walker of Indiana Pleads Guilty to Murder, Abduction and Attempted Murder of His Sons

2009-06-22T20:48:00.000-07:00

An Indiana man has pleaded guilty to abducting his two young sons at knifepoint and killing one of them just days after his wife told him she wanted a divorce.

Katron Walker pleaded guilty to murder and attempted murder as part of an agreement entered in court Monday in Terre Haute.

Prosecutors dropped their request for the death penalty, and a judge scheduled a sentencing hearing to begin Aug. 18...

Daddy Joseph L. Warnock Stabbed Mommy on Father's Day and is On the Lam

2009-06-22T20:20:00.000-07:00

Police searched Monday for a man wanted for allegedly killing his wife as she slept with their two daughters, one of whom told a 911 dispatcher, "Daddy stabbed mommy."

Joseph L. Warnock, 41, faces an arrest warrant alleging murder in Sunday's death of Angela Warnock, 38, who police said was fatally stabbed in her bed.

He remained at large Monday night after police scoured the area around the couple's home just west of Indianapolis, using a bloodhound at one point in their search, said Lt. Roger Call of the Hendricks County Sheriff's Department...

Father's Day Coward Ryan Peters Kills Himself and His 3 Year Old Daughter

2009-06-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

Sheriff’s deputies are investigating an apparent murder-suicide involving a father and young daughter.

A deputy found the bodies of 29-year-old Ryan Peters and his 3-year-old daughter Teigan Peters, both from the Phoenix-area, shortly after midnight on Monday. They were discovered in the area of Parissawampitts Point off Highway 67 leading to the north rim of the Grand Canyon.

Mesa police officers called the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday after a relative of Ryan’s called police and said they were concerned for Ryan and Teigan’s safety. The relative described Ryan as “despondent” and possibly suicidal as the result of a divorce and a custody decision.

**Blog Author note: Why was this child in the custody of the father if he was suicidal and despondent? Wake the hell up people!!!!**

Joe Harvey Jr of Illinois Has Raped an Infant

2009-06-21T21:07:00.000-07:00

Authorities say a 27-year-old suburban Chicago man has been charged with sexual assault and abuse of an infant.

The Kendall County Sheriff's office says Joe Harvey Jr. was charged after the mother noticed injuries to the child last week and went to an Aurora hospital.

Other details aren't available, including the gender and age of the infant.

Harvey's a former boyfriend of the 20-year-old mother. On Saturday night, the Montgomery man was still in jail on a $250,000 bond. His arraignment's Monday...

Father Myron Stenhouse Kills His Wife; Arrested Holding His Child

2009-06-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

A man accused of killing his estranged wife was arrested Friday, holding their 14-month-old daughter in his arms.

Myron Stenhouse, 45, called 911 Friday afternoon, asking officers be sent to his home at 6236 20th Way South. He mentioned something about a knife and put the phone down, leaving the line open, police said.

When he returned to the phone, he said his wife was lying on the floor...

**Blog Author note: I will keep saying...the most dangerous time for a victim is when she leaves the relationship**

Wife Dies from Injuries Sustained from Being Set on Fire in April; Tom Wilcox is Now a Murderer

2009-06-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

Friends, family and neighbors are gathering Friday to remember Amy Wilcox.

Wilcox died last week from the injuries she suffered after prosecutors say her estranged husband set her on fire back in April.

Tom Wilcox was indicted Thursday on seven counts, including aggravated murder...

Divorced for Only One Month, Michael Stayer Beats His Ex-Wife to Death with a Hammer with the Children Home

2009-06-18T05:24:00.000-07:00

A Whitestown nurse died a day after police said she was beaten bloody and unconscious with a hammer in her upscale townhome.

Her ex-husband will be charged with murder next week, authorities said.

Michael Stayer, 31, Zionsville, had called police to report he'd been beaten with a hammer by his wife, but paramedics and authorities found more than his injured hand. Beth Stayer, 32, was unresponsive in her 2-year-old child's bedroom in the new townhome they shared with her 5-year-old, police said...

Another neighbor, Bob Jordan, 47, is a pastor who moved in across the street from Beth Stayer last month. Jordan said he hopes the "tragic" event underscores the need for battered women to seek help...

**Blog Author note: Battered women need to seek PROTECTION not "help", when they have already left like this woman, Beth Stayer, did.

Batterers, are the people who need to seek "help."**

Kerry Peck Stabs His Wife and Child with an Ice Pick

2009-06-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

Authorities say a 50-year-old Hudson Valley man has been charged with attempted murder after he stabbed his wife and teenage daughter with an ice pick.

The Dutchess County Sheriff's Office says Kerry Peck stabbed his wife and 16-year-old daughter in the neck at 1 a.m. Tuesday inside their home in the town of LaGrange, near Poughkeepsie.

Officials say the injuries weren't life-threatening...

Agapito Lao Found Guilty of the Strangulation Death of His Wife

2009-06-17T09:39:00.000-07:00

A Boston man has been convicted a second time of strangling his estranged wife.

Prosecutors say 50-year-old Agapito Lao was found guilty in Suffolk Superior Court on Tuesday of first-degree murder for beating and strangling 40-year-old Alicia Lao in her Chelsea apartment on May 2, 2000. She died about two weeks later.

Authorities say he killed her two days after she filed for divorce because she was involved in another relationship...

**Blog author note: I will keep saying it: Violence escalates when the victim finally decides to leave. It is not the beginning of abuse, but merely the continuation of it--even if a history of violence is unknown to family and friends. Judges must continue to issue protective orders when women ask for them. Law enforcement must act quickly upon violations. Safety plans must be in place.

We must stop this fixation on "false allegations."**

Warren Powell Gets Life Sentence for Strangling Pregnant Wife and Dumping Her Body

2009-06-17T09:34:00.000-07:00

His first murder conviction was overturned, but Warren Powell didn't fare any better the second time around.

A dozen years after his first trial, Powell was sentenced Tuesday to the maximum of life in prison for strangling his pregnant wife. The sentence of 25 years to life begins after he serves 15 to 30 years for an unrelated drug conviction.

The 1997 murder verdict was overturned by an appellate court in 2004 because of an error in jury selection...

Tommy Gutierrez Shot His Wife in the Back at a Party

2009-06-17T09:27:00.000-07:00

A night of partying and hanging out turned tragic late Sunday night as a woman is dead and her husband is in jail.

A domestic dispute between Patricia and Tommy Gutierrez boiled over into murder. Patricia's sons Jacob and Jesus Gonzales along with several other family member watched the tragedy unfold at 1207 Sycamore Street around 1:45 AM.

They told me that the family was hanging out and laughing, Tommy then left, came back with a shotgun, shot Patricia in the back, then said "Who will get the last laugh now and I'll bury her"...

Jacksonville's Oscar Hernandez has been Charged with the Murder of His Wife

2009-06-17T09:22:00.000-07:00

A man from Jacksonville has been arrested and charged with murdering his wife back in 2007.

Deputies arrested Oscar Hernandez, 67, Monday afternoon on a charge of second-degree murder.

His wife, Maria E. Martinez, 51, was found partially clothed in a ditch by two men working for the Department of Environmental Protection as they were testing soil in the area.

Hernandez had reported his wife missing the day before with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office after he said she went on an early morning walk and never returned...

Hilton Shaw Get 12 Years for the Murder of His Wife

2009-06-17T09:17:00.000-07:00

A 59-year-old man was on Sunday sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for the murder of his wife at their Lyndhurst Lake home, in Nottingham Road, in 2007.

Judge Vivienne Niles-Duner, sitting in the Pietermaritzburg High Court, found Hilton Shaw responsible for the death of his wife, Susan Margaret Shaw, 36, on June 3, 2007...

Distraught Father Pedro Enrique Rosabal Shoots His Children and Himself, but He Lives

2009-06-17T06:48:00.000-07:00

Original story (without father's name) here http://www.sacbee.com/827/story/1953022.html

A father was suspected of shooting and killing his two children on Tuesday and then turning the gun on himself in an apparent attempted suicide, police said.

Police had been looking for the 8-year-old girl and her 6-year-old brother after their mother reported to authorities that "her estranged husband had called saying he had picked the kids up from the school and planned to drive them to an unknown location and kill them," spokesman John Cannon said.

A short time later, officers were called to an apartment complex in southwest Houston after a resident and a maintenance worker became concerned when they saw two children and a man in a car with its engine on...

Nice Guy Jonathan Ray Pearson Beat the Hell Out of His Girlfriend with Golf Clubs, in Ocala

2009-06-17T06:18:00.000-07:00

The room where an Ocala woman was brutally beaten with two golf clubs on Sunday looked like a murder scene.

A blood-soaked mattress was on the floor, surrounded by blood-spattered walls. A few specks of blood dotted the ceiling. More blood, likely spat by the 22-year-old victim, was on the wall near the head of the bed.

Ocala police say the woman was struck at least 10 times with a driver and putter. She was still hospitalized Tuesday, recovering from a seven-hour surgery...

**Blog author note: Aggravated domestic violence? NO!

Attempted murder? Hell YEAH!

What is wrong with the legal system?**

Matthew Morris Kills His Wife, Who Had Been Hiding from Him, and Himself

2009-06-17T05:55:00.000-07:00

For the second time in less than a month, Henderson County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating an apparent murder suicide where a estranged wife was killed by her husband.

Sheriff Ray Nutt said deputies were dispatched to 11276 Loop 60 in LaRue in reference to a shooting about 4:30 p.m. Monday.

“When they got there they found a female victim who had been shot and witnesses said a white male had run into the woods armed with a rifle and a handgun,” he said...

“They have been having some family issues and had been separated. We don’t know why she came back to the area, but we do know that Anderson County has been looking for him to serve him with a protective order,” he said....

The couple had been having marital problems and were separated...

**Blog author note: Second story this morning in which the victim was trying to leave**

Possessive and Controlling Domestic Abuser Brian Sebastian Kills His Girlfriend and Himself in Utah

2009-06-17T05:49:00.000-07:00

A tragic ending to allegedly months of domestic abuse for a Utah County couple; officials say a man shot his girlfriend and then turned the gun on himself.

46-year-old Brian Sebastian and 40-year-old Jeanie White were found by Springville police late Monday night in their bedroom, both with a single gunshot wound to the head.

Police had been called out to the house by Jeanie's daughter, who became worried when she hadn't heard from her mother...

Last Friday, another fight broke out after it's believed Sabastian had discovered Jeanie's plan to move out. ...

**Blog author note: And we say time and time again, the most dangerous time for a victim of violence, is when she decides to leave. Is anyone listening?**

In Alabama, Tyrone Hicks Stabbed His Wife to Death While the Four Children Were Home

2009-06-16T05:34:00.000-07:00

A former Forrest City resident died last week from stab wounds allegedly inflicted by her husband at their home in Tuscaloosa, Ala.,

Captain Loyd Baker, with the Tuscaloosa County Metro Homicide Unit, said Shanta Shinell Holland Hicks, 28, died Friday morning from stab wounds she suffered Thursday night during an attack by her husband, Tyrone Hicks, 28.

Hicks drove to an Alabama State Police office near his home shortly after the attack and turned himself in without incident. “He told the dispatcher he had just killed his wife, and he was taken into custody,” Baker said.

According to reports, the Hicks shared a home with their four children and her 18-year-old brother, who police have not identified, according to a report by the Tuscaloosa News...

Jerome Usher, of Virgina Beach, Pleads Guilty to the Murders of His Ex-Girlfriend and Her Partner

2009-06-16T05:13:00.000-07:00

A 46-year-old man pleaded guilty today to stabbing to death an estranged girlfriend and a male acquaintance in 2007.

Jerome Usher, of Virgina Beach, pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder in the Nov. 4, 2007, killings of Brenda Gregory Burnett and James Vass.

Usher faces life in prison when he is sentenced Sept. 23...

Walter E. Lassa Pleads Guilty in the Shooting Death of His Girlfriend in Wisconsin

2009-06-16T05:09:00.000-07:00

Walter E. Lassa, 54, of the town of Dewey, agreed to plead guilty this morning to first-degree intentional homicide charge in the shooting death of Robin Dunwoody, 39, of Schofield.

In exchange for the plea, the state dropped charges of false imprisonment and making threats of harm.

Wausau police said that Lassa admitted fatally shooting Dunwoody Jan. 3 outside of her workplace in Wausau. Dunwoody was shot twice with a 12-gauge shotgun at close range outside Wausau Manor, a senior housing facility where Dunwoody was about to begin work, according to court records. Dunwoody died at the scene, and Lassa was arrested in Portage County.

Curtis Brandon Carter Kills His Girlfriend and Himself with a High-Powered Rifle

2009-06-16T04:42:00.000-07:00

Police believe a 26-year-old man shot and killed his live-in girlfriend Sunday night before taking his own life with a high-powered rifle.

Chief Tim Schweder of the Monett Police Department said in a news release that officers were called at 9:45 p.m. Sunday to 805 N. Euclid St. in reference to a domestic disturbance. A female friend of the couple who lived at the address met officers outside the home...

In Binghamton, New York, Keng Thongthip Murders His Wife and Himself

2009-06-16T04:35:00.000-07:00

A Binghamton couple is dead. Police say it's a murder-suicide inside their apartment.

Their 2 sons were home and heard the gunshots.

As Action News reporter Gabe Osterhout tells us, it's a shock because there's no history of violence between the couple.

Binghamton police were called to this home at 60 Lake Avenue around 11:15 Sunday night...

Loving, Wonderful Father and Husband J.D. Wood Decided to Kill His Wife, Kids, and Himself, in Florida

2009-06-16T04:15:00.000-07:00

Just after 11:00AM Monday morning Seminole County Deputies responded to a call from a cleaning lady who found a man unresponsive in his Heathrow home.

When deputies arrived at 1214 Trentwood Court, they found 41-year-old J.D. Wood, 40-year-old Cindy Wood, and their two children Aubrey(12) and Dillion(10) dead inside the home in an apparent murder-suicide.

"It's a huge tragedy," said Seminole County Sheriff Don Eslinger...

**Special note from blog author: Dicks [Sporting Goods], which is relatively new to Florida, is a horrible company to work for. They don't give a fuck about their employees. They hire people as full-time, but give them part-time hours so that they work just enough NOT to qualify for unemployment when they continuously cut their hours. Write corporate/headquarters all you want, no one will respond to your complaints. Local stores run their employees like slaves. No growth within as they work you until you quit, then, they just hire someone else. Racial discrimination applies.**

Darren John Bridgeman in Jail for Life for Murdering His Ex-Girlfriend in Florida

2009-06-15T05:00:00.001-07:00

A Worcestershire man who fled to Britain after murdering his former girlfriend in Florida has been jailed for life. Darren John Bridgeman, aged 37, from Malvern, was convicted of first-degree murder for shooting Tracy Bennawit He was also found guilty of attempted second-degree murder for wounding her new boyfriend....

The court rejected arguments that Bridgeman was only guilty of manslaughter because he acted in the heat of passion...

Dedrick Labee II Shot Girlfriend in the Face in Lousiana

2009-06-15T04:57:00.000-07:00

A man was charged with attempted murder on Sunday after his girlfriend was shot in the face in an apparent domestic dispute, police said.

The shooting happened in an apartment in Chalmette, St. Bernard Parish Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Police said 20-year-old Dedrick Labee II was living with the 20-year-old victim, who was in critical condition at University Hospital in New Orleans after the 10:30 a.m. shooting...

Eugene Tupuola Arrested for Attempting to Murder His Estranged Wife at a Party in Hawaii

2009-06-15T04:50:00.000-07:00

Eugene Tupuola remains in a police cellblock tonight after being arrested on Friday night on charges of attempted murder.

The 40-year-old man was arrested at 11:30 p.m. Friday in Kapolei. Honolulu police say he showed up at a party on June 4 where his estranged wife was attending. He asked to speak to her and they began to argue...

Barber Cuts Wife's Throat in New York Murder-Suicide

2009-06-15T04:43:00.000-07:00

A 76-year-old Queens barber slashed his wife's throat with a butcher knife Sunday, then turned the knife on himself as their developmentally disabled son watched in horror, cops said.

The bloody murder-suicide occurred about 7:35 p.m. in the Ozone Park apartment that the killer, Eusebio Salazar, shared with Geraldina Salazar, 51, and their grown son, who was born with Down syndrome.

"My mom! My mom!" cried the son, who ran downstairs to get deli owner Darrio Urquijo, 50.

Urquijo said he found the husband and wife on the floor of their bedroom, a brown-handled knife sticking out of the man's chest.

"I go with the kid and I see the guy on the floor, the wife, too, and he has a knife in his chest," Urquijo said. "There was a lot of blood on his hands."...

Neighbors said Eusebio Salazar suffered a stroke recently and had been depressed.

"They were wonderful people," neighbor Sandra Liciaga said. "They looked happy. That's why I'm so shocked."...

Man sought in alleged child sexual assault

2009-06-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

Two girls from southern Ohio say they were brought to Toledo against their will

It is every parent's nightmare and it has happened here. Two young girls were lured to Toledo through an internet relationship ending with a sexual assault.

Toledo police say two girls were sexually assaulted by someone they met on MySpace...

Sgt Harris warns internet crimes can be avoided; parents just need to pay attention. "The first line of policing is watch what your kids are doing on the internet. A 12-year-old and 13-year-old. I can't imagine why they would be on MySpace chatting with people."

Atkins man pleads guilty to sexual assault

2009-06-04T17:57:00.000-07:00

An Atkins man pleaded guilty May 19 to second-degree sexual assault and has been sentenced to three years and six months in the Arkansas Department of Correction by Circuit Judge William M. Pearson.

Robert L. McCabe, 39, was arrested in March 2008 after the Pope County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) received information he may have engaged in sexual contact with a 3-year-old girl.

According to charging documents filed in circuit court, the alleged victim told her parents McCabe “pinched” her inappropriately...

Man arrested after sexual assault at Forest Lake High School

2009-06-04T17:54:00.000-07:00

A 19-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a Forest Lake High School student in a school entryway.

The man is being held on suspicion of 1st degree sexual assault for the incident, which occurred on Wednesday after classes ended, police said.

Police said a female student let the suspect into a locked door, and that he assaulted her just inside the door...

Man charged with hotel sexual assault faces new charge

2009-06-04T17:52:00.000-07:00

Police said the man charged with the sexual assault of a woman at an Austin hotel now faces additional charges.

Thursday police charged Jason Wayne Sutton with impersonating a public servant.

According to an affidavit, Sutton responded to the woman's online advertisement for "sensual rubdowns" and arranged to meet her at the hotel...

Man faces murder counts in slaying of wife, child

2009-06-04T17:46:00.000-07:00

The Maricopa County Attorney's Office has filed a criminal complaint against a man suspected of killing his wife and daughter and injuring his son.

Michael Miller, 29, of Glendale, is accused of two counts of first degree murder and one count of attempted first degree murder. The complaint was filed Tuesday.

Miller is suspected of stabbing his wife, 10-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son with a kitchen knife last Saturday. His wife and daughter died. His son was injured, underwent surgery at a local hospital and is expected to recover...

Miller told police that the stabbing stemmed from an argument he had with his wife about not getting enough sleep the night before.

There was Talk of Divorce, but Marc McRae Went Ahead and Killed His Wife Instead, and Himself

2009-06-03T06:01:00.000-07:00

Authorities say the couple had been having family problems and there was talk of a divorce. But, when deputies arrived at a small camper Sunday afternoon they found the couple dead of an apparent murder-suicide.

Henderson County Sheriff Ray Nutt said his deputies responded to a location on County Road 4712 8 a.m. Sunday morning where they found the bodies of 50-year-old Marc McRae and his estranged wife, 46-year-old Lori McRae...

**Blog author note: After separation, violence often increases.**

WA sheriff's deputy shot in hand

2009-06-02T06:03:00.000-07:00

A Pierce County sheriff's deputy was shot in the hand as he responded to a domestic violence call involving a Spanaway, Wash., woman who said she'd been tied up overnight.

Sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer says his office got a 911 call Monday afternoon from a neighbor after a 71-year-old woman freed herself, climbed over a fence and asked for help. The spokesman described the woman as the girlfriend of a man at the house.

When two deputies arrived, they were greeted by a man armed with a 12-gauge shotgun, who fired at them. Troyer says the injured deputy was treated by paramedics...

Police in Barrow investigate apparent murder-suicide

2009-06-02T05:39:00.000-07:00

North Slope Borough police are investigating an apparent murder-suicide in Barrow.

Police got a report of shots fired and a woman lying in the street early Saturday morning. They found 19-year-old Frederick Igtanloc and a 16-year-old girl both suffering from gunshot wounds.

Police say Igtanloc shot the girl in the chest and head before turning the gun on himself...

Another one here http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/rural/story/815551.html

Children Find Parents Shot to Death in Apparent Murder-Suicide

2009-06-01T18:14:00.000-07:00

Three children found their parents shot to death inside their Encino home in an apparent murder-suicide, police said.

Investigators say the couple's 12-year-old son reported the shooting in the 4800 block of Haskell Avenue at about 12:35 p.m. Sunday.

Officers responding to the call found Pedro Papias, 41, and Rosa Valencia, 35, shot to death inside the home, according to Officer Sara Faden.

The couple's two other children -- a 10-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl -- were also home at the time of the shooting...

Father, two children dead in apparent Oregon murder-suicide

2009-06-01T18:08:00.000-07:00

Police in Oregon say a 45-year-old father found dead with his two children along a hiking trail is believed to have shot them before killing himself.

The bodies were found at a nature preserve Friday. A medical examiner confirms that all three were shot with a 9mm. handgun and authorities recovered such a gun from the site.

A police spokesman tells KGW news that detectives have interviewed family members and believe the father had emotional issues linked to his divorce. He had no criminal record but was unemployed...

Pinellas County couple's death a murder-suicide

2009-06-01T17:46:00.000-07:00

William Brown Wood Jr. said if he ever took his own life, something might also happen to his ex-wife.

Wood also told his longtime girlfriend that if he killed himself he wouldn't burden her by leaving behind his body — or his two beloved dogs.

Tragically, authorities say he was a man of his word.

His ex-wife, Donna Aline Havard Wood, 54, was found shot to death in her Snell Isle home at 1927 Brightwaters Blvd. NE on Friday night, St. Petersburg police said...

Attempted Murder-Suicide in North Tonawanda

2009-06-01T17:41:00.000-07:00

An attempted murder-suicide sends a North Tonawanda woman to the hospital with eight gunshot wounds. Police later found her ex-boyfriend dead.

Buffalo Police found 48-year-old Richard Hance's body inside his car, which was parked in a parking lot off the I-190 near the Niagara River. North Tonawanda police tracked him down by triangulating his cell phone signal. They say he had shot himself after attempting to kill his ex-girlfriend.

A desperate 9-1-1 call from a woman at an apartment on Falconer Street in North Tonawanda came in early this morning. "She gave us the name of who her shooter was. When officers arrived we found her with multiple gunshot wounds to the torso," said North Tonawanda Police Chief Randy Szukala....

This incident, however, is just the latest one in a strong of violent and deadly domestic violence attacks on women here in Western New York. "Since last July of 2008, we've had 13 murders in Erie and Niagara counties and now this latest attempted murder," said Linda Ray, Executive Director of the Family Justice Center in Erie County....

"What we know is that the economy, poverty, crisis doesn't cause domestic violence, it certainly can exacerbate it, which may be the case in these situations," said Ray.

Man held in deaths of his wife, daughter

2009-06-01T17:38:00.000-07:00

A Glendale man is suspected of killing his wife and 10-year-old daughter and seriously injuring his 4-year-old son early Saturday morning in a domestic-violence incident, police said.

Michael Miller is being held on two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder, said Sgt. Jim Cunningham, a Glendale police spokesman.

Miller, 29, is accused of stabbing to death his 28-year-old wife, Adreana Miller and their daughter at their home in the 7700 block of West Vermont Avenue, Cunningham said...

Hillsborough sheriff's officials say man killed his wife in a murder-suicide

2009-06-01T16:25:00.000-07:00

A man shot and killed his estranged wife in her home, then drove to a nearby shopping center in Carrollwood and killed himself, authorities said Sunday.

The shootings appear to have taken place late Saturday or early Sunday, but it will take an autopsy to narrow down the time, Hillsborough County sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway said.

Sheriff's officials did not release the couple's names Sunday because they were relying on law enforcement authorities outside Florida to notify their relatives, Callaway said...

2 women killed at gas station by jilted ex-lover

2009-05-31T05:21:00.000-07:00

Authorities say two women were gunned down at a Broward County gas station by a former boyfriend who was later found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on the side of the road.

Plantation police say 27-year-old Jillian Hauck and 22-year-old Brooke Pazo were shot at early Friday. One died at the scene; the other at a hospital.

The suspect is identified as 30-year-old Robert Vaughan, who was found dead hours after the shooting. He had a gunshot wound to the head...

2 found dead in Lorton home

2009-05-30T20:09:00.000-07:00

A Lorton couple have been found dead in their home in an apparent murder-suicide, Fairfax County Police say.

Police were called to the home in the 9600 block of Hagel Circle at about 2 p.m. Friday after a concerned relative went to there. They found 45-year- old Jacqueline Neal and 54-year-old Robert Neal Jr., dead in the home...

Suspect in Carol Mould murder a father, volunteer

2009-05-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

The killing of Carol Mould in September 2004 drew extra attention.

Some people speculated it could be the latest grisly work of the BTK serial killer, who had preyed on Wichita-area residents since 1974. When BTK -- Dennis Rader -- was arrested months after Mould's death, the world learned that BTK was a husband, father, former Boy Scout parent volunteer and church leader.

Mould's killing would remain unsolved.

But last week, Butler County investigators made an arrest in the case: William "Bill" Wherry Moore -- another husband and father who has been active in his community, including volunteering with the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts...

Argument preceded murder-suicide

2009-05-24T08:20:00.000-07:00

A woman and her boyfriend, found dead Saturday in their Wells Street home had been arguing, police say.

Ronnique Burton, 37, was shot in the head shortly before 3 p.m. by her boyfriend, Michael Jarrell, 31.

Burton was found lying on the floor of a second-story bedroom in the Wells Avenue house. Jarrell was also found lying on that bedroom floor. Both had single gunshot wounds to their heads.

Police said Jarrell shot Burton, then turned the gun on himself....

Some neighbors said they often saw the man and the children playing outside in their yard with other kids from the neighborhood. They said the man was polite and talkative, and the couple showed no signs of a combative or violent relationship.

“He was so nice. He would be so active with his kids, throwing balls and running around,” said Debbye Powello, who lives in an apartment across the street. “He seemed to be a very nice man.”

Randy Gray, who lives a few doors down, said he spoke the man several times and he seemed to get along fine with everyone.

“They were just real nice people,” Gray said...

Day care director charged with sexual assault

2009-05-18T17:48:00.000-07:00

Authorities have charged the director of a North Texas Christian day care with the sexual assault of a child at the school.

Garland police arrested 55-year-old Cesar Najera-Zavala on Monday. Officials say the victim was a girl under 10 years old.

Najera-Zavala goes by Pastor and is the director of the Amiel Christian School...

2 Killed In Possible Murder-Suicide

2009-05-14T08:18:00.001-07:00

Police in Fruitland Park are investigating an apparent murder-suicide at a bait and tackle shop.

Police responded to the Cain Pole South Bait and Tackle on US 441 and state Road 27 after reports of shots being fired.

The couple who owned the shop, Ronnie and Tonya Warren, was found dead...

Two Dead in Apparent Murder-Suicide

2009-05-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

IMPD is investigating an apparent murder- suicide in Franklin Township.

Officers were called to an apartment at 5445 Boggs Creek Court on Wednesday morning to check the welfare of a woman who lives there. The woman's sister had been trying to reach her and was unable to do so.

Officers arrived shortly after medics. The fire department had forced entry and found two bodies in a rear bedroom.

Police say the woman, 21 year old Caitlin Walter, appeared to have been shot by 28 year old Matthew Ford, who then turned the gun on himself...

3 dead in apparent double murder-suicide in Texas

2009-05-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

Police say a couple and their son are dead after an apparent double murder-suicide in a Houston suburb.

Authorities on Wednesday night found the bodies of Lewis Cantrell III, his father, Lewis Cantrell II, and stepmother, Gayle Cantrell.

Sgt. John Jordan with the League City Police Department tells the Houston Chronicle that a .38 caliber pistol was found near the younger man's body...

Police searching for homicide suspect

2009-05-06T18:16:00.000-07:00

Louisville Metro Police need your help in finding a man they say brutally killed a Louisville woman.

Police named a suspect. They believe he was her boyfriend and say he has a history of domestic violence.

“We did receive a 911 call in the alleyway at the 2525 Duncan address. Found the body next to a garage there and that’s how the investigation began,” says Lt. Barry Wilkerson with LMPD’s homicide department...

Man, 75, dies in apparent murder-suicide attempt

2009-05-06T18:13:00.000-07:00

Investigators with the Flagler County Sheriff's Office and Florida Department of Law Enforcement are investigating an apparent murder-suicide attempt Tuesday at a home in the Plantation Bay development west of Interstate 95.

Investigators believe Richard Nickel, 75, shot his wife, Gail, 72, with a .22-caliber gun and then turned the weapon on himself inside the couple's home on Kingsley Lane. .

Deputies said Nickel left a note saying he was concerned about his wife's frail health. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His wife was transported in critical condition to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach. She was listed in critical but stable condition Tuesday night...

Family begs judge to send dad to prison

2009-05-06T07:05:00.000-07:00

Family member after family member stood up and railed against Ronald A. Dority at his sentencing Friday, telling Erie County Common Pleas Judge Tygh Tone that Dority must go to prison for the brutal kidnapping of his estranged wife.

The words carried weight with Tone, who sentenced the 44-year-old Bellevue man to 12 years in prison. He faced a maximum of 23 years behind bars.

Dority terrorized his now ex-wife Beth the night of June 16. He broke into her Herr Road home in Margaretta Township, where he found Beth in bed and choked her, according to police. He then dragged her to the garage, wrapped a chainsaw chain around her wrists, pushed her into a Chevrolet Suburban, then drove her around until he needed to stop for gas...

Jurors selected in case from '95

2009-05-06T06:59:00.000-07:00

Jurors will begin hearing evidence today in Caroline County Circuit Court in the murder trial of a man accused of killing his wife, who has been missing for 14 years.

Commonwealth's Attorney Tony Spencer told the jury that his evidence will be solely circumstantial as he seeks to prove that Lawrence Peter Gaudenzi, 45, killed his wife and destroyed her body.

Spencer said even though Lisa Gaudenzi's body was never found and he has no physical evidence, there is enough proof that Lawrence Gaudenzi killed her...

Missing 2-year-old returned to mother

2009-05-06T06:57:00.000-07:00

A 2-year-old boy taken from his mother at gunpoint today has been returned home unharmed.

Police say the boy's non-custodial father, Terrance Talley Sr., took the child from the apartment where he lived with his mother and grandmother...

3 found dead in apparent murder-suicide in Calif.

2009-05-06T06:55:00.000-07:00

A couple and their toddler son have been found shot to death in their Orange County apartment in an apparent murder-suicide, police said Wednesday.

An apartment manager who hadn't seen the family in several days called police, who arrived Tuesday afternoon to find a 44-year-old man, his 42-year-old girlfriend and their 2- or 3-year-old son each dead with a single bullet wound to the head, Orange police Sgt. Mike Monjaraz said.

Investigators found a gun near the man and a suicide note he had apparently written, Monjaraz said...

California Contractor With Money Woes Kills Girlfriend, Son, Himself in Murder-Suicide

An electrical contractor who was having financial problems shot to death his live-in girlfriend and 3 1/2-year-old son before killing himself, police said Wednesday.

Officers called to an apartment Tuesday afternoon found the bodies of Craig Rubin, 44, and Mary Striley, 42, on beds in separate bedrooms while the body of their son, Jake, was in a high chair in the kitchen, Sgt. Dan Adams said.

Each had been shot once in the head.

Kamwenge father chops two kids

2009-05-05T17:35:00.000-07:00

A 42-year-old man in Kamwenge district has been arrested after he hacked to death his two children during a row with his wife over land ownership.

Vanansio Begumana of Rwentura village in Ntara sub-county later attempted to commit suicide by taking poison. He is currently under Police surveillance at a private clinic.

The CID officer of Kamwenge, Mwanga Kyaligonza, told The New Vision that the man committed the gruesome murder on Thursday after disagreeing with one of his wives, Joy Kyomukama, over a plan to divide a piece of land...

City man held in murder case in Michigan

2009-05-05T11:52:00.000-07:00

How does a man described as a good neighbor and loving father end up a suspect in a double murder in which the victims may be his relatives?

That's what those who know city resident Johan A. Vanniekerk are wondering since two bodies were found in a Marshall, Mich., Comfort Inn around 5:30 p.m. Friday. Vanniekerk, 40, was preliminarily charged with two counts of murder and an immigration violation Sunday and was being held without bond at the Calhoun County Jail. He was scheduled to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. today at 10th District Court in Battle Creek, Mich.

Fort Wayne Police believe Vanniekerk drove to Marshall with his mother and one of his three young daughters after being accused of beating his wife, Donna J. Vanniekerk, according to a news release from Officer John Chambers, a Fort Wayne Police spokesman. Police have not said why Vanniekerk stopped in Marshall, a town of about 7,300 located about 90 miles north of Fort Wayne.

Death sentence for dad who killed 4 kids

2009-05-05T11:44:00.000-07:00

A judge has ordered the death sentence for a Vietnamese refugee convicted of murdering four young children by tossing them from a 24-metre-high bridge to "torture" his wife.

Circuit Judge Charles Graddick handed down the death sentence to Lam Luong on Thursday and said he would order prison officials to show Luong photographs of the four children each day he is on death row.

Luong, 38, was convicted in March of killing the children on January 7, 2008. The unemployed shrimper was accused of dropping the four from atop the Dauphin Island Bridge after an argument with their mother, Kieu Phan, 23....

Domestic Violence Homicide

2009-05-04T18:55:00.000-07:00

State Police say a 17 year old Limestone boy has been arrested and charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of his three month old daughter.

Nicklas Jones made his first court appearance Monday afternoon, after being taken into custody Friday night in Caribou.

Jones is charged in the death of Joselyn Jones, who died last Monday at a Bangor hospital from injuries she received on April 23. State Police say the infant died from blunt force trauma to the head. Police believe her teenage father threw the baby into her crib to stop the infant from crying...

Husband, Wife Dead In Alleged Murder-Suicide In Lenoir

2009-05-04T18:43:00.000-07:00

Lenoir police said they discovered a murder-suicide when they were called to an apartment early Sunday.

Officers arrived shortly after 9 a.m. at the Meadowood Garden apartments after a neighbor found a handwritten note on the door of apartment No. 21 that said, “Call 911. Do not go inside.”

Inside the apartment, officers found Robin Lovada Jarvis, 50, and Larry Eugene Jarvis, 53, dead of apparent gunshot wounds...

Judge delays preliminary hearing for man charged for two murders

2009-05-04T18:40:00.000-07:00

A judge delayed the scheduled preliminary hearing on Monday for a man charged with killing his pregnant wife and infant son. A judge ruled more time is needed for a psychiatric evaluation of Dan Andrews.

Andrews is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action for the stabbing deaths of Mary Burchel and their son, Tayler, on March 16. Detectives say Andrews confessed to the murders at the family's home about five miles west of Ava...

Divorce filing and arrest come before Dade City couple's murder-suicide

2009-05-04T06:23:00.000-07:00

In a matter of days, things seemed to go from bad to worse for Terry Wayne Scott.

Scott spent four days in the Pasco County jail after an April 17 arrest on charges of grand theft. Two days after his release, Scott's wife of 10 years filed for divorce.

At some point, apparently, it became too much to handle.

According to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, Scott, 59, fatally shot his wife, Veronica, and then killed himself Saturday at their Dade City home...

4 dead in Fla. family slaying; teen son escapes

2009-05-04T06:20:00.000-07:00

A 34-year-old man shot and killed his wife and two young sons and fired on another son before killing himself in the front yard of their home on Sunday night, authorities said.

Investigators were still searching for a motive for the slayings that followed a fight late Sunday between Troy Ryan Bellar and his wife, Wendy Bellar, 31.

Authorities believe Wendy Bellar tried to leave the home in Lakeland, located between Tampa and Orlando, with two of the children after the fight, Polk County Sheriff's Department spokesman Scott Wilder said in a statement...

Murder suspect has long criminal history

2009-04-30T06:50:00.000-07:00

The California native and parolee accused of killing his Muskegon Heights girlfriend Tuesday has a long history of criminal activity stemming back to the early 1980s, authorities said.

But it's unclear whether any of his nine felony convictions rose to the level of physical violence that authorities say led to the death of Dianne Joy Preston-Aguilar, 47, of 3036 Eighth.

The accused, Robert Lee Shine, 49, who lists the same address as his alleged victim, was arraigned Wednesday on the charge of open murder and as a fourth-time habitual offender before Muskegon County 60th District Court Judge Maria Ladas Hoopes...

Professor makes 'Most Wanted' list

2009-04-30T06:44:00.000-07:00

Accused murderer George Zinkhan III now is one of America's Most Wanted.

Authorities don't know where the University of Georgia professor fled after he shot and killed his wife and two men in Athens on Saturday, or even if he still is alive.

But the "America's Most Wanted" television show added Zinkhan to a list of fugitives on its Web site Wednesday, and the program might produce a segment about the slayings...

2 students dead in murder-suicide at Michigan community college

2009-04-30T06:28:00.000-07:00

A 20-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man were killed during a murder-suicide at Henry Ford Community College Friday, police have confirmed.

The two were in a theater class together today, but police were unable to substantiate any relationship between the two, Dearborn’s deputy police chief, Gregg Brighton, said.
Dearborn police identified the two as 20-year-old Asia McGowan of Ecorse, Mich., and 28-year-old Anthony Powell of Detroit.

Earlier Friday, police responding to a 12:40 p.m. report of a campus assault were inside the fine arts building when a shotgun blast was heard. Police then entered Room F-111 and found the bodies...

Two die in apparent murder/suicide at Braintree motel

2009-04-30T06:25:00.000-07:00

Two people died in an apparent murder-suicide at a Union Street motel notorious for drawing drugs and prostitution to town.

The victims were identified as a man in his 50s and a woman in her 40s. A motel worker discoved the bodies after entering a room in the rear of the Motel 6 at 125 Union St. about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday.

“Evidence at the scene indicates the male may have been the aggressor,” said David Traub, a spokesman for Norfolk District Attorney William Keating. “The man and woman are known to each other.”..

Man gets life term for wife's murder on daughter's testimony

2009-04-30T06:07:00.000-07:00

Relying primarily on the testimony of a nine-year-old girl, a sessions court here has convicted her father, a naval officer, for murdering his wife.

Upendra Rai (35) was been sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday for murdering his wife Vandana (32) on October 24, 2005 on suspicion of having an illicit relationship.

On the day of the incident, the accused came to his residence in an inebriated state around 2330 hours and picked up a fight with his wife and started assaulting her physically...

Ewa man convicted of murder, again

2009-04-30T05:50:00.000-07:00

An Oahu jury convicted Darnell Griffin, 50, of second-degree murder in the strangulation death of Evelyn Luka in 1999.

The jury returned its verdict this afternoon after getting the case Friday afternoon.
Griffin had no reaction as the verdict was read in court.

Griffin was charged with second-degree murder and first-degree sexual assault. On the morning of Sept. 6, 1999, Luka was found unconscious near the Ka Uka Boulevard onramp of the H-2 freeway.

Luka remained in a coma at the Queen’s Medical Center with brain damage. She was taken off life support on Oct. 2 after she failed to regain consciousness...

Alabama police kill man they say killed 3, wounded 1

2009-04-30T05:45:00.000-07:00

A man who blamed his estranged wife for their 4-year-old son's death in a traffic accident shot her and killed three people she'd been staying with, then died in a gunbattle with police, authorities said Monday.

The initial shootings late Saturday happened within sight of a small white cross on the side of a rural highway marking where the boy had chased a skateboard into the path of a neighbor's pickup truck.

William Odell Wood II tried to elude officers who spotted him a county away Sunday and opened fire on them after getting out of his car on Interstate 10, Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran said...

Prosecutor Wants To Charge Sex Offender In 4th Death

2009-04-30T05:42:00.000-07:00

A prosecutor in Cincinnati says he is seeking another murder charge against a registered sex offender already scheduled for trial in the strangulation death of a teenage girl.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters says he will take new evidence to a grand jury involving the death of a woman whose charred bones were found about 10 months ago. The woman’s name has not been released...

20-Year Sentence in Virginia Baby's Death

2009-04-30T05:39:00.000-07:00

Michelle Leete dropped off her 21-month-old son at a day-care provider's home, then got a phone call four hours later saying he had been beaten to death.

The pain has scarcely subsided for the Fairfax County woman since that day in September 2006. She wept again in court yesterday as she recalled Myles Simon as a "jovial child who loved to smile and giggle and was a delight to his parents and grandparents."

After her testimony, a Fairfax Circuit Court judge sentenced Mohammad A. Ahmad to 20 years in prison as part of a plea bargain on a second-degree murder charge. The sentencing concluded a tortuous case that featured one murder trial, the erasure of its verdict, the dismissal of its prosecutors and the arrest of its main witness on perjury charges on the eve of the retrial...

Ex-soldier bragged about Iraqi rape, deaths

2009-04-29T05:31:00.000-07:00

A former U.S. soldier on trial in the gang rape of an Iraqi girl and the murder of her and her family in the war zone in 2006 was caught in a "perfect storm of insanity," his lawyer told a jury on Monday.

But government prosecutors in the same courtroom said former Private 1st Class Steven Green, alleged ringleader of the slayings, was only interested in killing Iraqis "nonstop" and bragged during a barbecue celebration later that what he had done was "awesome."

Green, 23, is being tried in federal court as a civilian since his arrest came after he was discharged from the U.S. Army later in 2006 for a "personality disorder."...

$300,000 bail set in stabbing

2009-04-27T15:07:00.000-07:00

The Superior man accused of stabbing three people in a Catlin Court residence Wednesday remains in Douglas County Jail on $300,000 cash bail.

A bail hearing for Donald L. Christopher, 40, took place Thursday. No criminal complaint has been filed in the case, which is set for an initial appearance Friday. Christopher is expected to face three charges of attempted homicide, according to Sgt. Derrick Hughes of the Superior Police Department...

Man confesses to killing ex-wife, another man

2009-04-27T14:57:00.000-07:00

New Orleans police have arrested a man in connection with the late Saturday night slaying of his ex-wife and another man.

NOPD Deputy Chief Marlon Defillo said they arrested 43-year-old Jackie Green after spotting his vehicle, which matched reports of the purple vehicle fleeing the crime scene, on I-10 near the Twin Spans.

Police initially found 40-year-old Marilyn Green lying on the sidewalk outside of a home in the 13600 block of North Cavelier Street in New Orleans East. Police pronounced her dead on the scene after she was found with a gunshot wound to the chest. They also found found 51-year-old Lionel Nelson inside of the home with a gunshot wound to the chest, Defillo said. They transported him to a hospital, where he later died...

Two dead in Castro Valley shooting

2009-04-27T09:38:00.000-07:00

Two people are dead in a murder and officer-involved shooting at a Castro Valley triplex today.

Authorities are still at the scene of the shooting which occurred at 22415 North Fifth Avenue around noon.

Deputies were called by friends of the female victim who were concerned about her welfare. The triplex was locked when deputies arrived, but they later entered the unit by climbing a ladder provided by the Alameda County Fire Department...

Woman shot, killed outside daycare in murder-suicide

2009-04-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

A Roanoke Rapids man shot and killed his girlfriend in front of a daycare, then turned the gun on himself in a murder-suicide Friday afternoon, said Police Chief Jeff Hinton.

Authorities said that Dawn Taylor, 38, of Roanoke Rapids, picked up a young child from a daycare in the 800 block of Franklin Street and put the child in her car around 4 p.m....

Boston University med student arrested in Craigslist slaying

2009-04-22T06:27:00.000-07:00

A Boston University medical student was arrested Monday in the shooting death in a hotel of a masseuse and the robbery of another woman who both advertised their services on Craigslist.

Phil Markoff, 22, was arrested during a traffic stop Monday afternoon on Interstate 95 in Walpole, south of Boston, Police Commissioner Ed Davis said at a news conference to announce the arrest. He is also suspected of being connected to an assault on a Las Vegas exotic dancer in Rhode Island last week.

"We are very, very happy to have this man off the street in such a timely way," Davis said...

Murder-suicide claims city workers

2009-04-22T05:36:00.000-07:00

An 11-year-old girl was forced to watch yesterday as her mother was killed in a murder-suicide in West Oak Lane around 7:30 a.m.

Angela Jeffreys, 34, was shot in the head after she got into her car to take her daughter to school. Police said Aleem Ali, 45, who had a previous "domestic relationship" with Jeffreys killed her and then turned the gun on himself in the middle of the street.

Homicide Capt. James Clark said that the two had a previous relationship and that there was a disturbance a week ago. Jeffreys and Ali worked together in the city's Department of Human Services — along with Ali's wife — before Jeffreys transferred to a job as a court clerk...

Hotel Dead Were N.Y. Family in Murder-Suicide

2009-04-22T05:30:00.000-07:00

The four people who were found dead Monday in a Towson hotel room were identified yesterday as William Parente, 59, his wife, Betty, 58, and their children, Stephanie, 19, and Catherine, 11. Police said the deaths appeared to be a murder-suicide.

The family lived in Garden City, N.Y., and the father was a lawyer with a Manhattan firm. Stephanie was a sophomore at Loyola College in Maryland in Baltimore, and the other three had apparently come to the area to visit her...

Broward Sheriff's Office identifies woman killed in Deerfield Beach murder-suicide

2009-04-22T05:24:00.000-07:00

Broward Sheriff's Office officials have released the identity of a woman killed in a murder-suicide over the weekend in a retirement community.

The woman victim is Emilia Debrophy, 57, according a news release by the Sheriff's Office late Tuesday.

Debrophy and her live-in boyfriend Francisco Dacunha, 68, were found dead Sunday inside their Century Village condominium in the 1000 block of Farnham N.

Someone who looked through the couple's window that morning saw blood and called 911 to check on the couple...

Couple, their 3 kids found dead in Maryland home

2009-04-18T14:48:00.000-07:00

A father killed his wife and their three young children before fatally shooting himself in a northwest Maryland home, authorities said Saturday.

Christopher Alan Wood, 34, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Frederick County sheriff's office spokeswoman Jennifer Bailey said. His wife Francis Billotti Wood, 33, and their three children suffered "traumatic cuts," but the causes of their deaths weren't immediately confirmed.

Two boys ages 5 and 4 were found in their beds, and a 2-year-old girl was found with the mother in the master bedroom. The father's body lay on the floor at the foot of the bed in the master bedroom...

Police arrest boyfriend suspected of killing Cal State Long Beach student

2009-04-08T05:44:00.000-07:00

Police have arrested a 20-year-old Mission Viejo man suspected of killing his girlfriend, authorities said Saturday.

Kate Sue Yi, a 20-year-old Cal State Long Beach student, was found dead in her apartment on the 700 block of Bellflower Boulevard at about 7:20 p.m. Thursday, said Long Beach Police Officer Jackie Bezart.

Bezart said Yi's roommate discovered the body...

Mexico arrests US man accused of raping 19 women

2009-04-07T07:59:00.000-07:00

A Texas man has been arrested for allegedly raping 19 women across the border in the northern Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez, authorities said Monday.

Jorge Alberto Mendez, 42, was arrested Saturday while trying to cross into Mexico from El Paso, Texas, where he lives, said regional Deputy Attorney General Alejandro Pariente.

Pariente said the investigation began in April 2008 with the rape of a 15-year-old girl. Similar cases were subsequently reported.

One of the victims managed to write down the license plate number of her assailant, which eventually led to Mendez's arrest, Pariente said...