Casey's Future Not As Profitable As She May Think

by Stacy Dittrich

Many are speculating what happens next for Casey Anthony as her date to be set free draws near. I predict they let her out a few days early without alerting the media for security purposes. You can bet your roll of duct tape that this Lord of the Rings fairy (sorry, can’t get past the pointed ears) has her future completely mapped out. I’m pretty confident that the following conversation took place between Tinkerbell Casey and Jose Biased upon the not guilty verdict—or something similar. Just imagine the two of them sitting alone in a room, Casey smiling from pointed ear to pointed ear.

Casey: Jose, I can’t thank you enough (grabs tissue and dabs at a non-existent tear). I knew this would turn out this way, I just knew it!

Jose: You can thank me later, doll face (winks), you know, like you used to back in the old days.

Casey: Gawd, this is really happening. When we decided to throw my dad under the bus, I never thought they’d buy it—I really didn’t! I mean, I knew the jury looked like a bunch of morons, but it turned out they really are! Pinch me. I must be dreaming!

Jose: Ya know, Case, your mom did help you out a little when she lied about the chloroform searches. You really should thank her when you get the chance.

Casey: Oh, please! To Hell with her! The only thing she’s done for me was teach me how to lie like a pro…maybe I’ll send her a card for that? On second thought, no way. I’m famous now; I won’t need their house and money anymore.

Jose: Which brings me to the future…I’ve already got offers coming in. What do you think you’ll do?

Casey: I definitely want to have more children—that’s for sure! But, believe me, I’ve learned my lesson! From here on out, when I go clubbing, I am definitely going to use less chloroform on the kids. I swear I will never going through this again (shudders). Maybe I’ll try using Benadryl first? Definitely no more duct tape—I’ll switch to electrical. So, what are the offers? A million dollar book deal? Movie? I’m so excited!

Jose: Whoa! Slow down there, Superstar! (Laughs) We’ll get to that! You never told me what you thought about the “grief expert” I put on the stand. I can’t even believe I was able to pull THAT one off!

Casey: Where’d you find her?

Jose: She was just a homeless nutcase I found wandering around Jay Blanchard Park mumbling to herself. I cleaned her up, bought her a Mocha Soy Latte—dumped half a dozen Valium into it—and told her what to say on the stand. Voila! It worked! (Slaps knee).

Casey: You truly are a genius, Jose. I mean, attending the third worst law school in the country and having a criminal record, how you pulled this off is simply unbelievable.

Jose: Again, you can thank me later (winks again). Now, let’s get to those offers. I’ve got a book deal from Beaufort Books—they published OJ’s, a guaranteed hit—an offer for a featured stripper tour in Gary, Indiana, a 3-movie porn deal from Murderous Mom’s Porn Company and, “the big one,”…are you ready?

Casey: Tell me! Tell me!

Jose: Charlie Sheen wants you to be his newest Goddess!

Casey: Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Charlie Sheeeeeeen! (Jumps up and dances around). I can’t believe it! (Pauses). Um, what’s a Goddess?

Jose: Oh, I forgot, you’ve been out of touch for awhile. I’ll fill you in on the deets later, but isn’t this exciting!

Casey: Yes! Tell me! How many millions?

Jose: Uh, well, you see, it’s not exactly millions…the total of the offers comes to $8,000.

Casey: (Smile fading, Casey becomes angry and rises in her chair) $8,000!! That’s it! I killed my daughter and all I get is $8,000! What is the matter with you? I’m bigger than OJ! I’m getting letters from millionaires with marriage proposals and all you can do is $8,000! (Picks up nearest chair). 

Jose: Casey, calm down! Put the chair down! Listen! If you knock off another kid in the next year or so, I promise I’ll get you the millions! I promise! Maybe we can get you on Celebrity Rehab for a murder addiction…just please calm down!

Casey: That’s better, (puts chair down). We need to be realistic about this though. I could probably get away with killing just one more—but after that, I might actually go to jail, so you better stick to your word!

... Now, most importantly, where can I find a sperm donor?

Jose: You’re looking at him, sweetheart.

**Okay, so maybe it didn’t happen exactly that way. But, I’ll bet I’m pretty close… sometimes dark subjects require a little humor to make it through.

Tweet

Long Road to Justice for Caylee Anthony

Casey parties after Caylee is gone

by Diane Fanning

This morning, Tuesday at 9 a.m., in an Orange County Courthouse in Orlando, the state of Florida will step to the podium to present the opening arguments in favor of the conviction of Casey Marie Anthony for the murder of her toddler daughter, Caylee Marie Anthony. 

Following that, the defense will present its arguments for a not guilty verdict. Attorney Jose Baez has promised that he will explain why Casey didn't report her daughter missing and answer a lot of other questions in the first three minutes.  Odds are he will claim the death of Caylee was an accident, or he will point the finger of guilt at a member of Casey's immediate family, or perhaps at one of Casey's friends.

The body discovery site

This day of reckoning has been delayed for quite some time. From the moment of Caylee's death in mid-June 2008, her road to justice has been long and full of obstacles. She spent days unnoticed in the trunk of a car driven by her mother, Casey Anthony. She was then dumped in the undergrowth--her location unknown to anyone but her killer.

No one else even knew for nearly five weeks that she was gone.  It was then that her grandmother, Cindy Marie Anthony, reported her missing.  Nearly six months after Caylee was last seen alive, the poor child's decomposed body, with duct tape wrapped around her skull, was found less than half a mile from the Anthony home.

Still, her mother would not admit to what her daughter had done.  She lied again and again and again. Each prevarication more outrageous than the last. And, somehow, Casey seemed to think she would be believed if only she kept lying. 

That string of lies will surely be part of the deliberations of the jury at trial's end.  They'll also consider some controversiaal evidence--the cans of air taken from Casey's car. The defense argued that allowing the jury to smell the contents turns jurors into witnesses. I did not find that argument compelling because it is only a matter of which sense is being invoked. Juries are taken to crime scenes all the time. There they use their eyes to observe. Here the state wants them to use their noses. I can't say that I've seen all that much distance between the two. But as Stacey Dittrich said on the Levi Page Show, the odor from those cans will permeate the area where they are opened. Let's hope for everyone's comfort that they are taken outside to sniff and not expected to smell the odor of decomposition inside a closed space.

Judge Belvin Perry has estimated that the trial will last six to eight weeks.  That length of time seems as optimistic an approximation as his prediction that the jury would be seated in one week; it took twice as long.  Six hundred and forty seven subpoenas have been issued to witnesses--an enormous, time-consuming number. Even if only half of them are called to the stand, it's hard to believe it could be all over before the end of July.  At this point, there is really no way of knowing how long this trial will last.

From June of 2008 until May of 2011 is a long time--nearly three years after Caylee Anthony died. By the time the trial is over, we will be near the date that would have been Caylee's sixth birthday. She's waited a long time for justice. Let's hope Caylee Anthony finds it in the courtroom of Judge Perry.

Diane Fanning is the author of the best-selling Mommy's Little Girl, the only book about the death of Caylee Anthony. Watch for updates about the Anthony case on Diane Fanning's blog, Writing is a Crime,

Tweet

The Jefferson Davis Parish Killer: A Serial Killer You May Not Have Heard Of

by Stacy Dittrich 

Now, here’s one you probably haven’t heard about. In the realm of serial killers in the news, the Long Island serial killer(s) have seemed to throttle their way to the top of the line in terms of publicity. But, as we know, serial killers are working their way through the United States at any given time. The numbers vary, but 50-80 is a fairly safe bet. Granted, media organizations couldn’t possibly feature all of these, otherwise news of Osama Bin Laden’s death would have been pushed to the back of the blogosphere. Regardless, the serial killer that is terrorizing the small community of Jennings, Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana definitely deserves some attention. The JD Killer (I coined that phrase just now; we’ll see if it sticks), has been preying on young women since May, 2005. And, to date, there are eight victims.

Jefferson Davis Parish is an economically depressed area with an estimated 11,000 people. The victims, like in Long Island, were involved in a lifestyle of drug use, prostitution, and ran in the same social circles. In fact, two of the victims, Kristen Elizabeth Gary Lopez, 21, and Brittney Gary, 17, were cousins. Lopez’s remains were found March 18, 2001 (12 days after her disappearance), and Gary didn’t meet the same fate until over a year and half later when her remains were discovered in the grass off of a dirt road on November 15, 2008 (13 days after she first disappeared). In the circumstances surrounding all eight victims, the killer made little attempt to conceal the bodies; instead relying on environmental and animal conditions (for example, alligators) to do the work for him. Some of the victims had their throats slit, others were strangled, some were partially clothed, some were nude, and some were almost completely decomposed.

Here is a list of all eight victims:

May 17, 2005 - Loretta Lynn Chaisson, 28, is last seen. Her body is found in the Grand Marais drainage canal three miles west of state Highway 26, just off La. 1126 three days later. No official cause of death is ever determined, but high levels of alcohol and drugs were found in her body.

June 18, 2005 - The body of Ernestine Marie Daniel Patterson, 29, is found in a canal off La. 102, just six miles away from the location of Chaisson's body. Her death is later ruled as a homicide by a slit throat.

March 6, 2007 - Kristen Elizabeth Gary Lopez, 21, goes missing. Twelve days later her body is found in the Petitjean Canal, ten miles south of Welsh. No official cause of death is determined, but high levels of alcohol and drugs were found in her body.

May 12, 2007 - The body of Whitnei Charlene Dubois, 26, is found just south of Jennings in the same vicinity as the other victims, but on a rural road instead of a canal. The cause of her death was never determined, but high levels of alcohol and drugs were found in her body.

May 27, 2008 - LaConia Shontel "Muggy" Brown, 23, is last seen by her grandmother, hours before her body was found in the middle of East Racca Road near a police shooting range on the edge of Jennings' city limits. She was doused with bleach. Her death is ruled as a homicide by slit throat.

September 11, 2008 - The body of Crystal Shay Benoit Zeno, 24, is found in a dry canal a couple miles southeast of Jennings, but because of the advanced state of decomposition, it took nearly two months to identify her. Her death is ruled a homicide but how she was murdered has not been made public.

November 2, 2008 - Brittney Gary, 17, disappears after walking to a nearby Family Dollar Store to purchase minutes for her cell phone. Gary is known to have done drugs and knew several of the other victims, including her cousin Lopez and best friend Brown. Saturday, November 15, 2008, a family search party finds a Gary in the grass off Keystone Road, a half-mile south of La. 1126 and about four miles south of Roanoke. Her death is ruled as homicide but how she was murdered has not been made public.

August 16, 2009 – Necole Guillory, 27, is believed to be missing. On August 19th JDP law enforcement is notified, at 1:30 pm, about the situation with Necole. By 2:00 pm, the task force is interviewing the person who reported Necole missing. At 2:30 pm, Acadia parish officials are notified that workers weed eating grass on an I-10 embankment had just discovered a dead female. The victim was positively identified on August 20, 2009.

Strangely enough, Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff Ricky Edwards won’t come out and use the term serial killer in the homicides of the eight women. Why? I’ll save the legal mumbo jumbo and resort to Wikipedia to give the general definition of a serial killer:

"…an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time (a "cooling off period") between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is largely based on psychological gratification. Other sources define the term as "a series of two or more murders, committed as separate events, usually, but not always, by one offender acting alone" or, including the vital characteristics, a minimum of at least two murders. Often, a sexual element is involved with the killings, but the FBI states that motives for serial murder include "anger, thrill, financial gain, and attention seeking." The murders may have been attempted or completed in a similar fashion and the victims may have had something in common; for example, occupation, race, appearance, sex, or age group."

All of the women were in their late teens and 20’s, socialized within the same groups, their remains were located in rural areas, and their manner of deaths coincided with one another over a four year period. Sure sounds like a serial killer to me. I highly doubt that in a town that small, eight different people got angry with each of these women and unknowingly murdered and dumped them alike. It just doesn’t happen. I’ve read some media reports that are speculating that Sheriff Edwards is avoiding this term to avoid causing the killer “jubilation and media attention.” I say, “Jubilate and give more attention to the killer than he can stand.” This is where they start to make their mistakes. And, as quickly as you gave the killer attention—cut it off. It will drive him nuts. In fact, Sheriff, he might even write you a letter, or contact the media. No guarantees, but it’s possible. Hiding it and sugar-coating the case clearly isn’t working, and it’s long past time for a new strategy.

There was a strange twist to the case that piqued my interest a little. In December 2007, veteran Jennings Police Department Sgt. Jesse Ewing was arrested by the Louisiana State Police Department for obstruction of justice and malfeasance in office. Ewing was accused of interviewing two female inmates, who asked for him specifically and provided crucial information in the case, and failing to turn the information over to the investigating authorities. He turned the information over to private investigator Kirk Menard instead. Menard was hired by the victims’ families and contends that the reason Ewing gave the information to him was because it contained reference to a high ranking official, and Ewing was hesitant to even give the information to his chief of police. This caused many to speculate that the killer may currently, or has been, involved in the local law enforcement community.

There’s definitely more than meets the eye in the case of the Jefferson Davis Parish serial killer. The victims undoubtedly knew their killer or killers, and acquaintances of the victims most likely know who he is too. Unfortunately, if things don’t progress in this case, they may fall victim themselves before they put two and two together.

Stacy Dittrich will be discussing the case of the Jefferson Davis Parish serial killer on the debut of the new BlogTalk radio show, “Behind the Yellow Tape,” Friday, May 27th at 11 p.m. EST at www.blogtalkradio.com/behindtheyellowtape with host Joey Ortega.

Tweet

Revisiting the First Amendment

by Katherine Scardino

A few weeks ago, one of our very fine contributors, Stacy Dittrich, wrote a blog for Women in Crime Ink about the scumbag (her word, but joined by me!), Phillip Greaves, who wrote the how-to book on being a good pedophile. It is hard to believe that one of our human race could and would write a book about doing harm to our children. I cannot even imagine a more low-class, vile subject for a book available to the world via the Internet and Amazon.com.

However, this vile subject is one that we have to talk about because it reaches far beyond Greaves and the subject of how to be a pedophile. In 1775 and 1776, our forefathers crafted a very powerful document, known as the Constitution of the United States of America, which is the supreme law of the land that we live by today. The First Amendment to the Constitution deals with freedom of speech, and you must note that it is the First Amendment. I believe it could have been decided by these fervent and patriotic men that freedom of speech was the most important right that they wanted their descendants to honor. Why? It is possibly due to the fact that the first Americans fled England because they were not allowed to express their desires or opinions about their personal or political lives. They did not want their new world to evolve into the same type of environment that they had just escaped.

So, today, we are in a quandary. There is a man from Colorado named Philip Greaves, and if you looked up the word pedophile in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, you would probably see this idiot’s photograph. I hate to even write his name in this article, because I would not want to add to his obvious need for publicity. But he wrote a book detailing how to conduct yourself as a pedophile. Truly disgusting!

There are people, as Ms. Dittrich stated, who are “defending this type of behavior, all for the sake of the good old United States Constitution.” I am a person who is defending everyone’s right to freedom of speech, as long as that free speech does not break any existing laws on obscenity and pornography. Yes, I will defend the right of every U.S. citizen to be free to speak their minds on any subject they wish, as long as it is legal. I know of no one who would welcome a world where we, as citizens, could be criticized, or worse, thrown in jail for speaking one’s mind.

Remember back in the early '70s during the Vietnam debacle when 19-year-old college student Paul Cohen was convicted of disturbing the peace when, inside a Los Angeles courthouse, he wore a T-shirt saying “F*** the Draft.” The U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction, and opined that it was not illegal for him to wear that T-shirt since it was his constitutional right to speak his views.

Now, I will openly admit that announcing one’s opinion on a current event via a T-shirt is very different from Greaves’ how-to book. I heard legal affairs writer Jeffrey Toobin state his opinion on CNN last Sunday evening on AC360. Mr. Toobin said he believed it was not against the law for this scumbag to write a book on this subject since it depicted no photographs, only words. Herein lies the issue. What exactly is pornography? U.S. Supreme Court justices have struggled to establish an appropriate balance between the protection of free speech and the laws that are enacted to curtail the spread of pornography.

In the 1982 case of New York v. Ferber, which was also cited by Ms. Dittrich in her article, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of a state statute that prohibited anyone from knowingly producing, promoting, directing, exhibiting, or selling any material showing a sexual performance by a child under the age of 16. It defined sexual performance as any performance that included “actual or simulated sexual intercourse, deviate sexual intercourse, sexual bestiality, masturbation, sado-masochistic abuse, or lewd exhibition of the genitals.” This means that, like obscenity, child pornography enjoys no First Amendment protection and the government can restrict its availability to everyone. In the case of electronic or computer transmission, it is a federal offense to knowingly receive child pornography.

So, what is obscene material? In 1973, the Supreme Court decided in the case of Miller v. California that obscene materials are defined as those that the average person, applying contemporary community standards, find, taken as a whole, appeal to the prurient interest; that depict or describe, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by applicable state law; and that, taken as a whole, lack serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value. The Miller decision provided states greater freedom in prosecuting alleged purveyors of obscene material because, for the first time since prior cases, a majority of the court agreed on a definition of obscenity.

The community standards portion of the decision is of particular relevance with the rise of the Internet, as materials believed by some to be explicit can be accessed from anywhere in the nation, including places where there is a greater concern about obscenity than is found in other areas of the nation. Perhaps the community where this man initially wrote this book (Colorado) is more lenient than the community where he mailed a copy to the FBI agent (Florida) and where he is currently in jail unable to make his $15,000 bond.

I have to ask, however, is it illegal to write a book describing how to be a good prostitute? Prostitution is illegal, just like child pornography and child sexual abuse. Why is it okay for genitalia to be exposed in photographs found in Hustler or Playboy magazines? Just because the subject matter is not one which some of us, although obviously not all of us, find appropriate does not mean it is illegal. The people who enjoy reading and viewing this material have the right to do so. We have the right not to read or view the material or to contribute any money to the sales of these publications.

So, the issue for the legal pundits and authorities will boil down to whether the words written by this imbecile from Colorado constitutes child pornography and is obscene material. I will not read this book, so I cannot state a firm opinion one way or the other. However, I do believe that it is important material for a solid discussion of our First Amendment to the good old United States Constitution, and I always welcome that.

Tweet

America's Dumbest Pedophile vs. The U.S. Constitution

by Stacy Dittrich

We seem to be going backwards in our progress of protecting our children. Within the last two weeks we have seen a vile judge toss out parts of Jessica’s law, and a how-to-guide to victimizing and raping children appear on the internet. What is even more disturbing are the people who are defending this type of behavior, all for the sake of the good old United States Constitution.

Pueblo, Colorado resident Phillip Greaves, 47, created an international outcry when he began selling an e-book on Amazon titled, “The Pedophile’s Guide to Love and Pleasure.” Amazon faced a monstrous boycott from Facebook and Twitter campaigns for allowing the book to be sold. According to Greaves, the book was intended to help children adapt while being molested and that penetration was prohibited; utterly nauseating. Greaves even looks the part of the creeper-next-door.

Understandably, Pueblo law enforcement went on full alert and immediately honed in on Greaves. During an interview with The Smoking Gun, Greaves was asked if he had ever molested a child. While blatantly admitting he had sexual intercourse with young children up until the age of 15, his answer to the question about his current sex life was "could have,” followed by a quick denial when he realized he had just publicly announced committing a heinous crime against children. Some columns are announcing Greaves as harmless because he has never been arrested or convicted of any crimes. Fact check: just because he has never been arrested or convicted does not mean he has never committed a crime, he simply hasn’t been caught. This happens to be the case with many, many pedophiles.

For example, a pedophile I investigated that inspired my book, “The Devil’s Closet,” was in his 50’s and had never gotten so much as a speeding ticket his entire life. However, with one minor slip up, I was able to obtain a search warrant for his home and found what was no less than a house of horrors in the area of child pornography, including modified dolls that he engaged in sex with. Sure, it’s not illegal to have sex with inanimate objects, but he also had a plethora of grossly obscene pornography involving children. Unless Greaves confesses to possessing such material, Pueblo law enforcement is going to have a tough time obtaining a search warrant for his home. But I’d be willing to bet that Greaves has an abundance of child pornography in his home. If so, every time he possesses or views child porn he is committing a crime, he just hasn’t been caught.

I get it that the First Amendment prohibits the United States Congress from prohibiting the right to free speech. But, I missed where it said that a private company like Amazon cannot do whatever the hell they want, including refusing to sell a book. Secondly, in New York vs. Ferber, it was established that child pornography is not considered protected speech even if it is not obscene. Most are making the argument that Phillip Greaves’ book is not child pornography because there are no pictures. The definition of pornography is the depiction of erotic behavior, in picture or words, intended to cause sexual excitement. Yes indeed, it’s a stretch, but I believe that law enforcement could make a strong enough argument to at least obtain a search warrant for Greaves’ home.

Unfortunately, police in Pueblo have to spend equal amounts of time investigating Greaves and protecting him from death threats, etc. Apparently, this imbecile didn’t foresee the uproar his disgusting piece of filth would cause when he began to sell it. Greaves also wrote another revolting “manifesto” titled “Our Gardens of Flesh: From the Seeds of Lust Springs the Harvest of Love.” Gawker posted excerpts of the book on its site and it is truly stomach-churning. However, the title clearly didn’t catch anyone’s eye like “The Pedophile’s Guide…”

Regardless, say what you want about censorship but Amazon undoubtedly took the right action in refusing to sell this garbage.

Tweet

The Palmdale Cult

by Stacy Dittrich

I’d like to clarify. They are not “cult-like.” They are a cult. Reyna Marisol Chicas, 32, (left) is not normal, despite what her neighbors say. They also say she was devout and not a fanatic. Fact check, people: If she is leading her flock of followers to a prophetic mass suicide not only is she a fanatic, she is completely insane.

On Saturday, September 18, 2010, Chicas led a group of five adults and eight children from their homes in Palmdale, California, to an unknown location. Chicas left behind a purse filled with cell phones, property deeds, good-bye letters, and identifications. The letters clearly explained that the group had left to await the Rapture -- a Christian term for the second coming of Christ. The letters also said they would be reunited with dead relatives soon (there’s a clue). Similar events in history have proven fatal with horrific results, and law enforcement officials have been extremely concerned about the fate of these individuals.

Coincidentally, my fourth book in the CeeCee Gallagher series, “The Rapture of Omega,” (debuts May 2011) became available as an e-book this month. The plot revolves around an apocalyptic doomsday cult led by a self-proclaimed female prophet, Illeana Barron. Illeana believes that the biblical character Eve is the true God -- the Omega -- and that the hysteria of global warming is punishment by her. With each catastrophic weather event, Barron delves deeper into her beliefs, bringing her hundreds of followers down with her. They believe that they will only be saved when they offer themselves to Eve. Illeana Barron follows the two-seed line doctrine, a biblical justification for hatred:

Eve was seduced by the snake (Satan) and gave birth to two seed lines: Cain, the direct descendent of Satan and Eve, and Abel, who was of good Aryan stock through Adam. Cain became the progenitor of the Jews in his subsequent matings with non-Adamic races.

The two-seed line doctrine is explained extensively in the FBI report, Project Meggido. Project Megiddo is a comprehensive and detailed report that looks at potential threats against the United States—including apocalyptic cults. The report begins with this:

For over four thousand years, MEGIDDO, a hill in northern Israel, has been the site of many battles. Ancient cities were established there to serve as a fortress on the plain of Jezreel to guard a mountain pass. As Megiddo was built and rebuilt, one city upon the other, a mound or hill was formed. The Hebrew word 'Armageddon' means 'hill of Megiddo.' In English, the word has come to represent battle itself. The last book in the New Testament of the Bible designates Armageddon as the assembly point in the apocalyptic setting of God's final and conclusive battle against evil. The name 'Megiddo' is an apt title for a project that analyzes those who believe the year 2000 will usher in the end of the world and who are willing to perpetrate acts of violence to bring that end about.

The project was aimed at those Y2K doomsday people, but it really pinpoints the danger of the thousand or so active cults currently in the US. Not to mention, with the upcoming “2012” hype, people better start paying attention.

I’ll explain why Chicas is a bona fide cult leader in every sense of the word. In Project Meggido, the report distinctly lays out the components that must be met to form “The Lethal Triad.” If the cult or its leader meets all three components, they are considered extremely dangerous. The components are isolation, projection, and anger.

... isolation causes a reduction of critical thinking on the part of group members who become entrenched in the belief proposed by the group leadership. As a result, group members relinquish all responsibility for group decision making to their leader and blame the cause of all group grievances on some outside entity or force, a process known as projection. Finally, isolation and projection combine to produce pathological anger, the final component of the triad.

Maybe I’m missing the boat here, but leading five adults and eight innocent children to, by all indications, commit mass suicide and and murder -- the children clearly aren’t going to kill themselves — nails all three components of the Lethal Triad. Frankly, I thought I was ahead of the game making the cult leader female in my book. Throughout my research I couldn’t find any. Leave it to society to one-up me on the horrors of crime and disturbing behavior.

I can’t begin to know why Chicas believes the Rapture is going to occur soon. Even the Doomsday Clock has been turned back one minute, placing us further away from destruction (although, with the state of the world today, I have to admit I don’t understand the clock keeper’s logic). In fact, according to the Doomsday Clock, the closest to the end of humanity was 1953. It didn’t even move for 9/11 -- another decision by the clock keepers that I don’t understand. Furthermore, I can’t begin to know why some media outlets are stopping short of calling Chicas’ group a cult and her the leader.

Some sources close to Chicas claim that she was normal and got overly religious after her divorce. I got overly religious after my divorce too -- I danced, celebrated and drank a lot of wine -- just like Jesus told me to when he whispered in my ear at the liquor store.

Now, before I get eviscerated for cracking a joke about a serious issue, I am merely making a point. I’m Catholic, and I’m waiting to hear the perpetual, “See! Them Christians are crazy!” But the point is this: No religion calls for murder or suicide (Jihaddists not included). Clearly, Chicas is using religion as a cover for her own deep rooted insanity like many others has before her -- David Koresh, Charles Manson, Tom Cruise. People of all religions need to pay attention when someone like Chicas pops up. She is volatile, she is dangerous, and most importantly, she took young, innocent children with her.

Good news. As I was writing this, I had to frequently check back to the news to see if there were any updates. The cult has been found alive in a Los Angeles County park praying against school violence and premarital sex. The massive media exposure and search clearly helped. Regardless, law enforcement better hone in on Chicas (I think a criminal charge of inducing panic would fit), because, if they don’t, she will most likely try again. I don't believe the letters and personal items were left for giggles.

And she just might succeed.

Tweet

Jaycee Dugard: One Year Later

by Stacy Dittrich

This past Thursday, August 26, 2010, marked the one year anniversary of Jaycee Lee Dugard’s (pictured left) return to her family. As most people know, Jaycee was eleven years old when she was viciously ripped from her family while walking to her bus stop in South Lake Tahoe, California, on June 10, 1991. This occurred as her step-father, Carl Probyn, watched helplessly. For the next 18 years, Dugard’s captors, Philip Craig Garrido, 58, and his wife, Nancy Garrido, 54, held young Jaycee in a wretched, filthy, compound of tents—well hidden behind their Antioch, California, home. For 18 years, Garrido repeatedly raped Jaycee and she eventually bore two of his children.

On August 26, 2009 the nation came to a virtual standstill when the news of Jaycee’s survival spread like wildfire. Garrido, with Jaycee and their two daughters, ages 12 and 15, was eyed suspiciously by the University of Berkeley police officers when he arrived on campus spewing religious rants. After a highly praised interrogation by the officers, Jaycee’s true identity—and her past—was revealed. The detailed information that followed shocked and sickened humanity. Furthermore, people were angry that such an abomination continued for 18 years without detection. California’s parole system came under intense scrutiny for failing to discover Jaycee in Garrido’s hold. Having been on parole for several decades, Garrido routinely played nice with his parole officers and his home was never searched.

In 1992, a report to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department revealed a man claiming he saw a young girl matching Jaycee’s description staring at a missing poster of herself at a nearby gas station. The caller claims the girl left with a man matching Garrido’s description in a large yellow van (the same vehicle that was later towed from Garrido’s property in 2009). The tip was never followed-up on. Along with the numerous missed opportunities by parole agents, another tip was phoned into the sheriff’s department by one of Garrido’s neighbors. The neighbor claimed that Garrido, a known sex offender and psychotic, had young children living in his back yard. The deputy that arrived to investigate the complaint never even searched the back yard (pictured right). Thus, the unconscionable lack of justice for Jaycee Dugard resulted in a $20 million  settlement from the state of California. Well deserved, but considering that Jaycee, and her daughters’, lifelong therapy is estimated to cost $7 million I’d say she deserved a hell of a lot more than that.

Now, a year later, Jaycee and her daughters live in seclusion with her mother, Terry Probyn, in Northern California. Many wonder what the last year has been like for the newly reunited family, and what does the future hold. The last year for Jaycee has been an onslaught of new beginnings; she obtained her driver’s license, maintains a journal, baked Christmas cookies with her mother and sister for the first time, and even recently went camping with friends. They live in an undisclosed small neighborhood where it has been reported that their neighbors are “fiercely” protective of Jaycee and her family. Rumors have been floating around for quite some time that Jaycee will be writing a book of her time spent in hell, and her mother’s account of her own nightmare is due to be published in late 2010. Regardless, evil Garrido and his disgusting robot-of-a-wife, Nancy, (pictured right to left) are still incarcerated awaiting trial. Most likely both will die in prison. Hallelujah.

A year later, in the rare moments where Jaycee (now 30) is shown in photographs, she is smiling. Personally, I find that to be an extremely positive sign. Although she and her children have a long road ahead, they are back where they belong. Good luck, Jaycee; you and your family will continuously be in our thoughts and prayers.

Tweet

Arrest Long Overdue in Kyron Horman Disappearance

by Stacy Dittrich

It is the tenth week of the exhaustive search for an Oregon boy, seven-year-old Kyron Horman (left). On June 4, his stepmother, Terri Moulton Horman, 40, drove him to Skyline Elementary School in Northwest Multnomah County. The school was holding a science fair, and Terri claimed Kyron excitedly showed her his science project before she watched him walk down the hallway towards his classroom just before 8 a.m.

Around three that afternoon, Terri made the unusual request to her husband—and Kyron’s father, Kaine, 36. She wanted Kaine to accompany her to the bus stop to get Kyron off the bus. As the bus came and went, with no sign of Kyron, Terri made an overly emotional display of panic. Most parents would quickly check with the school to determine whether or not the child missed the bus before completely unraveling. They did check the school, however, and found that Kyron had been marked absent that day. No one had seen him, and he hadn’t made the 10 feet or so to his class as Terri watched him.

There’s another sordid and strange backdrop to this story. Kyron’s mother, Desiree, 38, married Kaine Horman in 2000. But in 2002, when she was eight months pregnant, Desiree filed for divorce. Kyron was born September 9, 2002. The couple shared custody of the newborn, but he mainly lived with Desiree.

In 2004, Desiree suffered debilitating kidney failure and was hospitalized for a significant amount of time in Canada. Kyron moved in with his father, who worked full time and desperately needed child care. Enter Terri Moulton—Desiree’s close friend and confidant. Terri, who now holds a master’s degree in education, was more than happy to oblige. Moving in with her 16-year-old son from her first marriage, Terri quit work to care for little Kyron—and pump up her muscles. In 2005, a huge and odd-looking Terry placed fourth in the Emerald Cup bodybuilding championships.

Meanwhile, Desiree was released from the hospital with a monstrous medical bill, forcing her to move in with her parents. Unable to support Kyron, she felt it best that he stay in the environment he had grown accustomed to -- with Kaine and Terri. Desiree relished the time she spent with Kyron on weekends.

Somewhere between late 2006 and early 2007, Terri and Kaine (yes, you guessed right) fell in love. In an attempt to help out her dear friend, Terri had successfully moved in on Desiree’s former husband and son. Kaine and Terri married in 2007 and went on to have their own child, Kiara, in December 2008. Terri continued to care for the young boy she had raised as a toddler, frequently volunteering in Kyron’s classroom. Regardless, on the morning of June 4, 2010, something clearly went wrong.

Shocking Revelations

Once Kyron was reported missing, a large search ensued. In fact, Kyron’s search has become the largest in Oregon’s history. But a few key facts kept bringing investigators right back to Terri.

The school claimed that Terri had phoned and said Kyron wouldn’t be in class on June 10th because he had a doctor’s appointment. Not so, said Terri. She claimed the appointment was the following Friday—a day when school was closed for the summer. Terri tripped up here, since there would be no reason for her to call, and any parent clearly knows when their child’s last day of school is.

Terri’s reaction to Kyron’s disappearance also had investigators scratching their heads. Just a few days after Kyron disappeared, Terri updated her Facebook page with “Headed to the gym!” And, investigators began circulating pictures of Terri’s white pick-up truck around the community; specifically, at the school. They wanted to know if any parents had witnessed Terri at the school that day—none had.

Furthermore, Terri’s cell phone pinged off a remote island five miles away at the time she claimed to have been at Kyron’s school dropping him off. At this same time, Terri’s close friend, DeDe Spicher, could not account for almost 90 minutes that she was gone from her gardening job that day. During the investigation, police learned that DeDe was providing untraceable cell phones for Terri to use.

Potentially the most shocking information came when investigators found that Terri was text messaging sexual innuendos, aka “sexting,” to Kaine Horman’s close friend just days after Kyron went missing. Investigators then learned the jaw-dropping information from another man Terri had propositioned for sex: Terri had tried to hire the man to kill her husband.

Lies, Lies, Lies

Investigators are now armed with substantial evidence that Terri Moulton Horman obstructed the investigation by lying about her location the day Kyron disappeared—a felony. More importantly, they have Terri conspiring to kill her own husband—a higher felony. And, by far the most important fact, they have a missing seven-year-old boy who was last seen in Terri’s care. Put all of this together and the probable cause for an arrest is overwhelming.

It has been 70 days since Kyron Horman disappeared, and Terri remains free.

To give credit to law enforcement, a grand jury has convened in the matter, and an indictment against Terri Horman seems inevitable. But she could have easily been incarcerated during this time on the other felonies. I understand the sheriff’s department is putting together an airtight investigation and doesn’t want any mistakes, but sometimes this is the type of case smaller law enforcement agencies which aren’t quite used to dealing with. They can become overly careful, all the while allowing someone like Terri Horman to remain free.

They’ve already caught Terri Horman attempting to take Kiara out of a daycare center despite a restraining order prohibiting her from any contact with the child. Another charge—violating a protection order. Who knows what else she is capable of? Hiring hit men, lying to investigators, a missing little boy? This woman is clearly dangerous and needs to be off the streets. If investigators are waiting for Terri to trip herself up while out and about, they should think again. If this were to happen, this educated woman would have done it already. She’s not going to talk—lock her up already!

Resolution

It appears that might be happening.

This past weekend, a large swath of law enforcement searched an area two miles from Kyron’s school as well as the area where Spicher was gardening. According to sources, this tip was based on Spicher’s information to law enforcement.

Regardless, a dangerous woman is still on the streets, and an innocent little boy is missing. It is past time to put Terri Moulton Horman where she deserves to be—in jail.

DeDe Spicher is the key here. Aiding Terri with "burn" cell phones and a place to stay, while being unable to account for her time when Kyron disappeared, she is undoubtedly in the thick of it. Investigators executed a search warrant on Spicher’s residence. DeDe has since retained an attorney (clue!). She no doubt can give investigators the answers they desperately seek. Did Terri hurt Kyron while in the throes of a post-partum-psychosis/steroid rage? Did she hurt Kyron because she couldn’t get to Kaine?

Most importantly, where is Kyron? If Spicher’s involvement is as deep as helping Terri get rid of Kyron’s body or aiding in the killing, chances are Terri is reminding Spicher that if she goes down, they both go down. Investigators need to hammer down on Spicher, even if it means the prosecution offers her a plea deal in exchange for her testimony.

Tweet

Chicagoans Deserve a Fighting Chance

by Stacy Dittrich

The United States Supreme Court got it right. In an overwhelming decision on June 28, 2010, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of McDonald v. The City of Chicago, ending the toughest gun restriction laws in the country. Justices noted that "the plight of Chicagoans living in high-crime areas'' was highlighted by the legislators, who had compared the number of people murdered in Chicago to the number of soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq, while also noting the majority of victims were minorities.

For 28-years, the city of Chicago refused to allow its citizens to honor the second amendment of our own Constitution which gives all citizens the right to bear arms. Residents of Chicago were allowed to have one shotgun in their home and it had to be locked up. They were allowed one handgun, but it wasn’t permitted to be loaded. What the heck is the point? For the unfortunate residents of Chicago that happen to be living among a cesspool of thugs, rapists, burglars, and home invaders their chances of protecting themselves were dismal at best.

“Excuse me, sir? You want to break into my home, rape my wife, and steal my belongings? Oh, can you wait a minute while I look for the key to my shotgun locker and find the bullets to load my handgun?”

It’s ridiculous.

“Readily available” is the point of having firearms inside your home. Chicago seemingly refuses to see that. Now that the Supreme Court has demolished their gun ban, they are going to great lengths to circumvent the ruling. Unveiling a new ordinance just days after the ruling, Mayor Richard Daley (pictured right) relented, but he continues to be a pain in the rear. The new ordinance requires owners to register their guns with the city, undergo an eyesight exam, be fingerprinted, go through extensive training, and keep all but one gun locked up—rules that typically are required for Concealed Carry laws, not owning a gun to keep in your home. Chicago’s crime rates are among the highest in the nation. With a population of over 2 million people, your chances of becoming a victim of a violent crime is 1 in 82—a horrific stat. Mayor Daley claimed the Supreme Court took a cheap shot at his city, which boasts a murder rate so far this year three times higher than New York City.

"To suggest that Chicago's elected officials haven't done enough to protect our city residents shows that many of our highest-level officials don't understand that gun violence pervades America and not just Chicago," Daley said. "Across the country, cities are struggling with how to address the issue. Common sense tells you we need fewer guns on the streets, not more guns."

“We don’t need more guns on the streets” is the repeated mantra. This is what I simply don’t get. It’s not rocket science here folks! The people we fear with guns are the same ones that possess them illegally. They are the crooks—the bad guys. They are the ones that couldn’t pass a background check to save their lives. You can turn a blind eye to the fact that they may, or may not, get their hands on guns, but the hardened truth is they are—and they will continue to do so. Why in the world would we not give John the banker or Susie the homemaker a fighting chance at survival if they find themselves facing some street thug with a handgun?

As a police officer, who do you think I was more leery of: John the banker who readily announces, “I have a concealed carry permit, ma’am,” or Ricky the robber who has outstanding arrest warrants and points an AK-47 at my face?

Perhaps our nation’s founding fathers were slightly more astute then we give them credit for. They drafted the Constitution during an era where people still said, “Please, thank you, and God.” Perhaps—just maybe, they saw our country’s future society dwindling and in great need of firearms for protection; the right to bear arms. Please, Mayor Daley, read the Constitution since you clearly haven’t as yet, and take your head out of the sand. The Supreme Court recognized that your city is in crisis, why haven't you?

Give your citizens a fighting chance.

Tweet

Sandra Cantu: Closure, But Many Unanswered Questions

by Stacy Dittrich

Sandra Cantu (left) died a horrific, slow, agonizing death, according to San Joaquin County Coroner Dr. Bennet Omalu. Melissa Huckaby’s shocking guilty plea on May 10th, and her sentencing on June 14th, finally ended the battle over a gag order that had been in place for more than a year. I felt somewhat relieved; I could resume writing my book on the case, tentatively titled Searching for Sandra. Actually, I've been on a brief hiatus from Women in Crime Ink, working furiously on this book. Immediately after Huckaby’s sentencing, the excruciating details of Sandra Cantu's death, which would nauseate any human being with a soul, were revealed in the almost 2,000-page grand jury transcripts.

On March 27, 2009, Sandra Cantu, eight years old, was last seen on surveillance video, skipping toward her home in Tracy, California. For the next 10 days, an exhaustive search ensued; national media captured every minute of it. On April 6, 2009, Sandra's body was found inside an Eddie Bauer suitcase in an irrigation pond just two miles from her home. On April 10, 2009, police arrested Santu's 28-year-old neighbor, Melissa Huckaby. Huckaby, a Sunday school teacher, was charged with murder, kidnapping, and sexual assault with a foreign object. News analysts worldwide were mystified. Huckaby was a statistical anomaly.

Much of the argument in favor of the gag order was essentially that the gruesome details of the crime are unnecessary for public consumption. I agree with that—to an extent--and I'll refrain from writing about them here. However, I warn you, there are many aspects of this case that raised my eyebrows more than once, and some of it needs to be discussed. Therefore, continue reading at your own discretion, with warning of some graphic content.

I am simply going to break it down into key points and let you, the readers, formulate your own conclusions. I expect to take a significant amount of criticism for my points, but I'm writing what was factual testimony. Period. Let me stress, no matter how families conduct themselves, there is no parent on this earth who should have to endure the emotional trauma of losing a child. What I touch on below is sure to be controversial, but it needs to be addressed:

*Melissa Huckaby asked Sandra’s sister, 11-year-old Miranda, to babysit Huckaby's five-year-old daughter Madison while Huckaby took some items to the Clover Road Baptist Church. So Miranda actually stood by and unknowingly watched Huckaby load the suitcase containing Sandra into her SUV.

*On the night of Sandra’s disappearance, as police were searching, Huckaby sent Maria Chavez (Sandra's mother) a text message, asking her to tell police that Huckaby's suitcase had been stolen. Huckaby had already reported this to the park manager as she drove away from her trailer with Sandra. Maria Chavez had never received a text from Huckaby before and found it odd.

*The day after Sandra’s disappearance, Huckaby handed investigators a note that read: “Cantu locked in stolin (sic) suitcase. Thrown in water on Whitehall and Bachchetti. (signed) Witness.”

*Twenty-four hours after Sandra’s disappearance, Huckaby sent Maria another text, asking if Miranda could spend the night with her. Maria allowed this. During her testimony, Maria testified that Miranda had stayed at Huckaby’s trailer before, so she didn’t find the offer unusual. But when Miranda testified, she said she had never once spent the night at Huckaby’s, and found the request odd. Miranda testified that Huckaby asked if the police had any “evidence or leads.” Huckaby (right) left that night and was not seen until the next afternoon; she claimed she had stomach pains and went to the hospital. It would clearly appear that Maria gave false testimony during grand jury testimony. Why?

*During the autopsy, Dr. Bennet Omalu said that it was likely that Sandra Cantu may have endured prior sexual abuse (Grand Jury Testimony_Page 363.) Family members claimed they were unaware of this.

*Sandra had been suffocated, strangled and sexually assaulted with a rolling pin. One end of the rolling pin held Sandra’s DNA, the other end mixed. Just assume Huckaby didn’t hold the rolling pin in her hands while she was holding Sandra down—that’s my opinion. (I added this so that if you haven’t by now, you can clearly see Huckaby as the sick and evil entity that she is.) Sandra had bruising on her back, indicative of being hit in the back—or held down.

*Dr. Omalu also testified that two puncture wounds on the left side of her head could have either been due to blunt force (her head hitting something) or, possibly, a kitchen fork police found. He couldn’t confirm this. Needless to say, one true fact he could confirm was that Sandra was alive when all these injuries occurred. We can only hope that the generic Valium (a benzodiazepine) in her system, or the rubbing alcohol that had been placed over her mouth, rendered her semi-conscious while she was enduring this horror. Mercifully, Sandra Cantu was not conscious, and most likely not alive, when she was placed in the water.

Now, on to the police investigation…

On January 17, 2009, a mother reported that Huckaby had taken her seven-year old without permission. After the child began acting “drunk,” she was taken to the hospital, where toxicology testing found a benzodiazepine (anti-anxiety medication) in her system.

According to San Joaquin County Prosecutor Tom Testa, “…mother is really upset and wants something done. But the police don't do anything because the mother is into drugs and she's from the wrong side of the tracks and Melissa speaks really well, Sunday school teacher, so on, so forth. And the officer, the detective who was investigating it, decides not to do anything about it, which still burns up the mother to this day. She is still upset that they didn't do anything about it. Well, the detective said, 'Well, we can't prove it,' so it never went anywhere, no one was ever arrested. The mother just made sure her daughter never hung out with Melissa again or Melissa's children."

On March 2, 2009, Huckaby provides her ex-boyfriend, Daniel Plowman, with “vitamin water.” He is conscious of the fact that it tastes like aspirin. Known to all as a non-drinker and non-drug user, the next thing Plowman recalls is waking up in jail for DUI after passing out at a fast food drive-through. All he can utter is, “I was with Melissa Huckaby.” He tested positive for benzodiazepines. Same as the case in January, same as Sandra Cantu.

On March 27, 2009, Sandra Cantu disappears. Huckaby sends Maria Chavez a text about the missing suitcase. Surveillance shows Sandra headed towards the trailer of Huckaby, who has been accused twice in police reports of drugging people—including a child--within the last three months.

The next day, Huckaby hands officials a “note” she claimed she found (on a very, very windy day) that said Sandra Cantu was in a suitcase in a pond off Bachetti and Whitehall Roads. Investigators looked at the pond, but dive teams never searched it. Media rumors said police wrote her off as “an attention seeker.”

I am going to stop here, because it gets much worse. Needless to say, Huckaby’s criminal record and activities were blatantly thrown into investigators' faces from Day One. Though investigators deny it, they never looked at her. They claim they began considering her as a suspect when she "found" the note. Documents prove their claim, but still, they made no arrest until the day a local reporter posted an online article about an interview with Huckaby. The article said that during the interview, Huckaby admitted the suitcase containing Sandra's body was hers. Power of the press -- or coincidence?

I interviewed this reporter, former Tracy Press journalist Jennifer Wadsworth—for hours, and she offered her take:

Jennifer spoke with Melissa Huckaby for upwards of an hour, then quickly wrote an article about the conversation and posted it online. It was breaking news, and other media outlets had the story within hours. Tracy police held twice-daily news conferences, morning and afternoon. On the afternoon of April 10, investigators had wrapped up their search warrants and cleared the area. As Jennifer arrived at the mobile home park for the 3 p.m. press conference, crime-scene trucks and law enforcement personnel came rushing back into the park and to the church, putting crime-scene tape back up and blocking off the area.

Jennifer’s article had only been online for two hours. This led her to believe police saw it and realized they’d erred. Until then, rumor was that investigators were looking into Huckaby’s grandfather, Lane Lawless. No one had mentioned Huckaby’s name until Wadsworth’s article appeared. Law enforcement had, in fact, focused on Huckaby for days. It could be that her admission that she owned the suitcase was the break they'd been waiting for.

There is a spectrum of reasons police might commit such an oversight. I will stop short of shouting out any wrongdoings. Why? I have spoken to them, and they put their heart and souls into this case. Not to mention the Tracy Police Department is rather large. It wouldn’t be uncommon for lines of communication to cross. I stand firm in my opinion that Huckaby should have been criminally charged in the January case, but hindsight is 20/20. Monday morning quarter-backing will do absolutely no good. The men and women in this department took this case home every night—and it ate them whole. They are parents too.

As for Maria Chavez’s testimony, she was probably scared—understandably. Seated before a table of strangers, a prosecutor, and others can be intimidating. She let her other daughter spend the night at the home of the woman responsible for her youngest daughter’s murder. She couldn’t have possibly known, and most likely was embarrassed by her decision. Her inconsistencies should be ignored. I have spoken to the Chavez family (and those close to them), and can assure you, their lives will never be the same. They aren’t doing well at all. I implore you to keep this family in your prayers.

I planted the earlier question in your minds only so I could give you a solution. I am confident other news media will raise these questions, if only to create controversy. I wanted to beat them to the punch and offer the answers most so desperately seek. The only person to blame here is the modern-day daughter of Satan himself—Melissa Huckaby. I can only hope that her time in prison is as horrific as the final moments of Sandra Cantu’s life. Based on my law enforcement experience, I don’t think she will last that long…

But I could be wrong. The murdering mother of two, Susan Smith, happily married her cell mate and is reportedly enjoying her incarceration. I just don’t see the same for Huckaby; she’s weak and unstable. If you think I was contradictory in adding some of the content in this post, believe me, this was light compared to what is actually in the transcripts.

There’s so much in the case of Sandra Cantu it will make your head spin. I couldn’t possibly include it in a blog, but I also have decided not to include graphic, irrelevant details in my book. I want Sandra’s life to be remembered with dignity, and those of the community of Tracy, California, who searched so tirelessly for her. Yes, many, many, questions remain, and I am seeking the answers. Searching for Sandra is currently slated for an early 2011 debut.

I acknowledge one thing: We may never get the answers in this case, especially to the question of why? Regardless, the citizens of San Joaquin County can rest easy now, knowing another monster is off their streets.

Tweet