Group Think

by Lucy Puryear, M.D.

It is no longer 1984, but George Orwell was on to something when he penned his classic and prescient novel. Published in 1949, Orwell wrote of an eerie world where individualism was rejected and universal group adherence was mandated. Although the fear that 1984 would resemble "1984" the novel did not come true, many of his concepts are relevant to our culture today.

I would like to talk about group behavior and crime. In 1979, social psychologist Irving Janis coined the phrase "groupthink." He defined groupthink as "a mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members' striving for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action."

I am proposing that groupthink contributed to the financial crisis that we are facing today and allowed white collar criminals like Bernie Madoff and Sir Allen Stanford (pictured left) to swindle large numbers of intelligent investors. Those of us on the sidelines can't imagine how so many were taken in by unrealistic promises of over-the-top financial returns. But I'm certain if I saw the fortunes many of my friends were making I would want to join the party. When Madoff's funds consistently beat the market while others didn't, common sense would demand questions be asked. But no one wants to tell the Emperor he's naked, especially if they're serving caviar and champagne at the party.

It takes a charismatic, talented individual to conceive of and pull off a massive fraud on the scale of Stanford's and Madoff's. But without individuals following, the Ponzi scheme never would have worked. It was only when there were no more investors left with money that the plan fell apart. But we weren't immune to the bandwagon.

The stock market is a prime example of groupthink. We think the economy is doing well and we invest as we see stock prices rising. We think the economy is doing a nosedive and we panic, pulling our money out and stopping our spending. None of really knows what the economy will or won't do, but the group dynamic says we're in really bad shape here whether or not we personally are.

The dominant message from the politicians is restoring consumer confidence. Meaning, if we believe things will get better, we will reinvest and re-spend and the stock market will go up. The stock market often has less to do with real data and more about how people feel. And right now we're all feeling bad.

It is not just financial malfeasance that is made possible by groupthink. Large crimes against

humanity require people to function with a singular group mentality rather than with individual judgement. Why did so many Germans, otherwise good people, tolerate the Holocaust and the torture and slaughter of millions? How is it possible that Jim Jones in Ghana convinced hundreds to drink purple Kool-Aid? David Koresh? Marshall Applewhite (shown right)? All of these men became cult leaders, convincing numbers of usually bright, well-meaning people to follow them, even to their deaths.

Groupthink is frightening and we are all susceptible to it. It takes a unique individual to stand up to the mob and risk being ridiculed, excluded, or worse. Remember what it was like to be a teenage girl, listening to others make fun of your best friend, but deciding to go along so that you could be a part of the cool crowd and not be ostracized from the clique? As the examples above prove, people will choose death over losing their place in the group and being left behind. Most frightening of all, as we become more and more enveloped by groupthink, we begin to think of those thoughts and ideas as our own and lose our ability to think for ourselves.

People are not responsible for the choices criminals make, but in certain situations it takes our cooperation (unconscious though it may be) to become victims. Those charismatic, narcissistic, antisocial individuals know a lot about groupthink, and how to use it to their advantage.

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Table Talk

by Jenna Jackson

I look better on paper.

I just do. I figured that out when a good friend of mine asked me to speak at a recent Table Talk evening for the University of Houston. This was a huge event–about 500 people, mostly women–and she wanted me to be a part of it. I was honored.

But, I told her then, I look better on paper. It sounds really cool to work for 48 Hours, but most of the time, when I show up somewhere, people ask me for ID because I don’t exactly look the part.

She laughed and ignored me, so I said sure I’d do it. All it consisted of was talking to the ten people at my particular table. It was very informal and easy.

I was completely relaxed. Until she told me, a week or so before the event, that I had been assigned the table who bid the highest donation in the entire event. They picked me, she said. I reminded her AGAIN, and this time vehemently, I’m much better on paper!

She again ignored me, and today I went to speak to this table. Once I arrived and saw how many people surrounded us–and how incredible and intelligent my tablemates were–I repeated to them my mantra: "I’m much better on paper. Hope I’m not a disappointment!"

Turns out I was the one with the lesson to learn. I should have known it from the incredible ratings CSI–and even 48 Hours these days–have garnered on a regular basis. People love what I do for a living. They love what we, as a blog, do for a living. People are riveted to crime stories, especially true ones.

These women at my table were smart, lively, charismatic. And curious. They were completely curious about what I do every day–how I get people to talk to me, whether I’m ever scared, whether I believe them. I told them stories about people who I'd met over the years that I didn't even remember.

It was refreshing to me. And having to explain to them why I do what I do on a daily basis made me believe in it all over again. As depressing as it can sometimes be to speak to people who are going through their toughest times, it is also inspiring. These people are courageous. They choose to keep moving and pushing forward, despite the fact that they lost a loved one–or that their loved one is accused of something unthinkable.

In each crime we cover at 48 Hours, each family is a victim. The actual murder victim’s family, clearly, has lost someone beloved to them. I do not know how people survive this and have the strength to move forward. This can never be replaced or understood. And the killer’s family–almost without fail–is shocked, saddened and (many times) in disbelief about the act/s their loved one is accused of committing.

The thing that I learn day after day is that nothing is black and white; almost no one is good or evil. Everything is gray.

And, today, at this luncheon for a very good cause–the University of Houston’s Friends of Women’s Studies–I was reminded of how important it is to know and understand and appreciate human nature and all that goes along with it.

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Going to the Chapel

by Donna Pendergast

After twenty-two years as a prosecutor, I thought that nothing could surprise me.

I was wrong!

Last weekend, Ronald Cummings, the father of Haleigh Cummings— who has been missing since February 10th—popped the question. With family and friends looking on, Cummings, 25, proposed to his 17-year-old girlfriend, Misty Croslin, at Chili's restaurant. She said yes. On Monday, Croslin showed off her ring outside of the Putnam County courthouse in Palatka where the couple went to apply for a marriage license.

What the heck?

As you may recall, five-year-old Haleigh was with Croslin on that night a month ago when she was reported missing from her mobile home in Satsuma, Florida. Left to care for Cummings' two children, Croslin put Haleigh to bed around 8:00 p.m. that night in the bedroom that Haleigh shared with her brother, her father, and Croslin herself.

Croslin has told authorities that someone came into the home to take the girl in the middle of the night. She claims to have discovered Haleigh missing when she woke up to go to the bathroom around 3:00 a.m. The back door was found ajar, propped open by bricks. Haleigh's 4-year-old brother, Ronald Jr., later told family members that a man dressed in black came into the mobile home and took Haleigh from her bed.

An Amber Alert was issued immediately and a massive search initiated using tracking dogs, sonar equipment, and helicopters. The search revealed nothing. Despite investigating thousands of tips, authorities in Putnam County have made no arrests in the case to date. Intense scrutiny has been focused on a number of registered sex offenders who live within a short distance of the 5,000-member Satsuma community.

The case gained attention from the onset with the national press focusing on tawdry family information as much as Haleigh's disappearance. A 17-year-old girlfriend left to care for her 25-year-old boyfriend's children, and a biological mother who is engaged to her stepbrother all make for great fodder on Internet message boards and TV talk shows.

But this family is certainly fanning the fire with their recent escapades. After begging for donations in the frenzy of media attention, Haleigh's father went out of town last week to have a tattoo of Haleigh inked on his leg. This week, news of an engagement and a ring to accompany the "happy" news have caused people to ask where the money is coming from to fund the tattoo, the ring, and the dinner at Chili's.

The most recent Internet speculation—that the marriage is intended to create a spousal privilege so one spouse cannot be compelled to testify against the other—appears unfounded. Florida statutes do not provide for spousal immunity when it relates to a situation where a child is injured.

So why are they doing it? I don't understand. What is with these people? Where are their priorities? How can Cummings even contemplate getting married while his daughter is missing and possibly dead, or in the hands of a sex offender? You would think that any father would be more focused on getting his daughter back than on proposing to an underage girlfriend who had to drag her mother along to the courthouse to fill out paperwork for the marriage. What is going on here?

Cummings has recently been quoted as saying, "Everybody is probably going to take this marriage thing the wrong way, but it's not."

I don't know what it's "not" but I know what it is. In a word, incomprehensible.

Statements made in this post are my own and are not intended to reflect the views, opinions or position of the Muchigan Attorney General or the Michigan Department of Attorney General.

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Arrogance + Stupidity = Life in the Pen

by Connie Park

One of the true advantages of being a homicide detective is seeing people at their best, and at their worst. When I think of people at their worst, Vellar Clark comes to mind.

Houston Police Department Homicide Sgt. Gonzales and I were working Evening Shift on a cold Sunday afternoon in March of 2006. We received a call that a woman had been found shot to death behind a warehouse near Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas.

My partner and I arrived at the scene and found a woman who had been shot in the back of the head. She was sitting on a motorcycle, and was slumped over. Next to the body, we found a white powder substance that resembled cocaine. Whoever committed this horrible killing wanted to make it look like a "dope deal gone bad." Our intuition, however, told us it was not.

We had the onerous task of calling this young woman's mother, and found out that she had been in a relationship with a man named Vellar Clark. We also put a name on the face of the woman we found dead at this lonely and isolated scene. Her name was Gwen Sneed. We resolved to find the person who did this, and we worked tirelessly to bring the perpetrator to justice.

We did not have to look very hard. Gwen's mother informed us that Gwen was happy about finding out she was pregnant. Gwen's mother also told us that Gwen had already lost a child at a young age, so she was thrilled about the prospect of being a mother. Gwen didn't have any enemies, and we knew that there was only one person who didn't want her to have that child. That one horrible person was none other than Vellar Clark.

Clark had gotten Gwen pregnant. He was also the father of Gwen's first child, who had been found dead in his crib under very suspicious circumstances.

We brought Clark in to find out where he was on the afternoon that Gwen was shot. He told us that he had seen her earlier in the day, but they left on good terms and he went home. He denied ever calling Gwen on the day that she had been killed. However, he did not realize that he had left a trail. We cut him loose and obtained his cell phone records. What we found out was telling—he had called her no fewer than six times on the day she was shot in the back of the head. He had initially denied being at the scene, but due to the activity on his phone, we knew that he was less than one-quarter of a mile from the scene when Gwen made a call on her cell phone. He lied to us, and we knew it. He was guilty, and we had to go about proving it.

After working tirelessly on shoring up this case, we developed enough evidence to get an arrest warrant for Vellar Clark. We had discovered that he owned a .45 semi automatic Smith & Wesson, which was consistent with the spent round that was found in Gwen's head.

Months after this killing had taken place, Vellar Clark was arrested. We interviewed him again, and again, he vehemently denied being at the murder scene. He told us that he had dated Gwen Sneed in the past, but denied being told that she was pregnant. We confronted him with his own cell phone records, and he was boxed into a corner.

Clark then admitted to being at the scene, but told us that Gwen had shot herself with his gun because he told her "she couldn't be with him." He had convinced himself that he was so important, Gwen would take her life and that of her unborn child simply because she was depressed about getting dumped. We caught him in so many lies that we lost count. We asked him to reenact exactly how Gwen "shot herself." His explanation was laughable.

Nearly two years later, we went to trial. We worked hard with the prosecuting attorney on the case to find justice for Gwen Sneed. We did. After a five-day trial, it took a jury less than three hours to convict Vellar Clark of Capital Murder. It was a capital murder because Clark shot Gwen in the head, knowing that she was pregnant.

We found out that he did it, basically because he viewed the victim as a nuisance and didn't want to pay child support for her baby. He was already paying child support for two other kids he had fathered out of wedlock. While Gwen was a daughter, a sister, and a very loving person to those who knew her, she was nothing but a financial burden to Vellar Clark.

And guess what, Clark's stupidity and his arrogance caught up with him. He will have the rest of his life in a Texas prison to think about it.

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Women in Crime Ink Celebrates First Year Online

Women in Crime Ink is celebrating its first anni-versary today, and we want to mark this special occasion by thanking all of our contributors—and especially our readers!

It’s been quite a year since we launched on March 10, 2008. Most of the crime news took a backseat to a fiery election campaign, but there was no shortage of crime stories. The Caylee Anthony saga took us by storm and may prove to be one of the most followed crimes of the decade. And the most-publicized crime of the '90s was given a final chapter with last year's conviction of O. J. Simpson. The newly discovered DNA evidence in the JonBenét Ramsey case kept us chirping through several posts, while Women in Crime Ink gave cases like those involving Becca McEvoy, Davina Buff Jones, and Belinda Temple the attention they deserve.

Of course, we haven't forgotten the disappearances of student Natalee Holloway or toddler Madeleine McCann. By offering new theories, we have attempted to keep these and other missing persons cases alive in the public consciousness.

Our regular contributors have also brought you some of our personal stories that led to our respective "lives of crime."

As serious and thought-provoking as we try to keep our posts, occasionally, we like to have fun with our readers. Were you one of those who fell for the April Fool's blog that Jimmy Hoffa's bones had been found in New York? You weren't alone—that prank post spread like wildfire in cyberspace, burning nearly all who read it. (Don't be caught off guard this coming April Fool's Day. . . .)

Also last spring, Women in Crime Ink had the honor of a brief "appearance" on Broadway, at least within the pages of the Playbill for the production of "The Judas Tree," the visually stunning true-crime musical based on the crimes of serial killer Dorothea Puente. (photo credit: Alex Moore)

Early this year, we stepped onto another stage, joining the Facebook frenzy. If you haven’t already, stop on over at our Facebook page and become one of our fans! There you will also find a bookstore where you can browse titles by our contributors.

Our fans and readers have also been contributors to Women in Crime Ink. WCI guest contributors have ranged from homicide detectives to a polygamy survivor. Who can forget our "Independence Day Series," which featured the harrowing first-person account of a man who was nearly executed for a crime he did not commit? And then there have been those special occasions when people we've written about—or their friends and family members—have surprised us with a response. Indeed, sometimes reader comments have taken over our posts. For example, the brief (130 word) announcement that Manson member Susan Atkins is dying of brain cancer has generated 25,000 words. Keep 'em coming. We love hearing from our readers.

So let us know your thoughts about our first year! Use the comments section to tell us what you like about the site . . . what you haven't cared for . . . stories you’d like to see more of . . . and any ideas you have as to how we can improve.

Thanks, everyone, for reading and for contributing to Women in Crime Ink. And a special thank you to Cole Stevenson for designing the site and to Rex White for creating our Justitia logo and original art. These talented men helped the women of WCI get up and running . . . and our contributors and readers have kept us going strong. Thanks!

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Murder in Disguise

by Susan Murphy-Milano

Rhoni Reuter, 42, was 7 months pregnant when Marni Yang, 41, walked into the woman’s Deerfield condominium on August 3, 2007, emptying seven rounds into the first-time mother.

According to police reports, before fleeing the scene, Marni (pictured above left) took a few items. Among them, a silver and pearl bracelet with the word "pregnant" engraved inside.

It is likely the story would not have made front-page headlines if not for the fact Reuter (above right) was carrying the baby of ex-Bears football player Shaun Gayle. The couple had an on again-off again relationship for 17 years.

Out of a true-crime book that could have been penned by any of several WCI contributors, Marni Yang spent months planning Rhoni Reuter's murder. She bought a book on “How to Make a Disposable Silencer," and learned to fire a 9 MM weapon using numerous grips at a shooting range. Using someone else’s credit card, she rented a car and changed the license plates on the car to plates with stolen plates from another. Her disguise consisted of a hairnet, swim cap, and wig. Yang bought one of those disposable cell phones to take with her the day of the murder so it couldn’t be tracked through a cell tower.

How did Marni Yang know where Rhoni Reuter lived? Herein lies part of the problem that the media and law enforcement are not discussing.

Marni Yang was a real-estate broker. She represented ex-Bears player Shaun Gayle (pictured right) on a number of property transactions. Because of her real-estate business, Yang had access to the personal information of the women the football player was dating. She used her computer to send threatening e-mails, and stalked Gayle’s serious romantic interests.

A real-estate person has many tools at their disposal through the Internet. Real-estate companies such as Coldwell Banker, Century 21, ReMax, etc. provide their sales agents with easier access to programs the way a law enforcement officer runs a license plate. A Realtor can access a person's information via property tax, treasurer’s office, and tax identification databases. Yes, this information is public record. But for the layman, it takes longer to research. And, unlike a law enforcement officer who attempts to conduct a private search, there are footprints and accountability when accessing this information. A real-estate agent leaves no trail or footprint.

After the arrest of Marni Yang, people on the Internet left comments pointing fingers at the ex-Bear, implying that he possibly led Marni on, or failed to inform police he was in a romantic relationship with her. It happened as I made media rounds on live radio and television shows commenting on the crime.

We always seem to react and point fingers. The fact is, Shaun Gayle is a tragic victim. Marni Yang murdered this woman and her unborn child all by herself!

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Wiseguy Protection Program—Your Tax Dollars at Work

by Michele McPhee

You want to know the secret ways in which untold amounts of our federal tax dollars are squandered? Recently, I was asked whether I thought Joseph Milano—the owner of a Florida pizzeria named Goomba’s—was really a Mafia hitman named Joey “Crazy Joe” Calco I wrote about in my first book, Mob Over Miami.

I did and it was.

Calco (pictured above) is a confessed killer who was part of the notorious Bonanno crime family’s Bath Avenue Crew. He served six years in prison for murdering two of his pals. He promised federal Judge Edward Korman that if given another chance he “won’t let this court down and I won’t let you down.”

With that, Calco became one of the many in the absurdly expensive federal Witness Protection Program and was relocated to Florida with a girlfriend and his parents.

On January 23rd, two customers came into Goomba’s to complain about a calzone they had purchased. Milano (at right) pulled out a Luger 9mm handgun, jumped over the counter, and pistol-whipped the men. The attack was captured on surveillance tape (below). After the incident, Milano was arrested at his parents’ home and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Two weeks later, once police caught on, Joseph Milano, a.k.a. “Joey Calco,” was rearrested as a felon in possession of a firearm.

In the years since Calco became a maggot in Florida, he has been accused of sexually harassing a teenage girl who worked in the pizzeria and he has logged a battery arrest for slapping another teen employee.

Richie Capie, 35, one of the men Calco attacked, said he has heard the news that he was brutalized by a Mob hitman helped by the government.

“Now that’s in the back of my mind—the guy’s a killer," Capie said.

Calco is not the only wiseguy to get in trouble again after making a deal. Who could forget Sammy “the Bull” Gravano, the Gambino crime family hitman? I guess their contributions help stimulate the economy with police overtime?

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Why Crime History Matters

by Laura James

Unfortunately, the media often errs badly in its crime reporting because some reporters don't know a thing about the history of crime. And I guess they're too lazy to look it up before speaking on the subject.

For some reason, the natural tendency is to make it up—and get it wrong.

And that's too bad, because many times, some historical perspective might inform any given situation.

One example everyone knows: the press has erred badly in its coverage of the JonBenét Ramsey case on one small but perhaps important detail.

"Sex murderers never leave ransom notes." That's what the experts told us in the JonBenét Ramsey case. For years, in fact, that "fact" has been repeated.

It's always dangerous to talk in absolutes when the subject is human behavior, but there you have it.

And it wasn't true. One has to wonder just how much this error colored early perceptions of the case.

William Heirens was a sex killer. He left a ransom note. He kidnapped a little girl from the bedroom of her family home in the middle of the night, and later raped and killed her. Then he went on to kill again.

His name should sound familiar. No other inmate alive in a U.S. prison today has served longer than William Heirens, who went to prison in 1946. That's sixty-two years, and counting, behind bars.

While the press often get their precedents messed up, another type of error is more common: the tendency of some reporters to grossly exaggerate the historical significance of an event that is already, in and of itself, a very shocking crime that requires no exaggeration.

Reporters covering the terrible shooting massacre at Virginia Tech in 2007 called it "the worst massacre in U.S. history." That's a verbatim quote from Newsweek and from Time and from many, many others. No adjectives were omitted. And it was just flat-out a misstatement of fact.

Was it hysteria that caused so many journalists to overstate the matter as they did? Really, "the worst massacre in U.S. history"?

Thirty-two people died at Virginia Tech (Wiki).

That is far less than the Oklahoma City bombing (168 victims), Wounded Knee (300 victims), Mountain Meadows Massacre (100+ victims), or 9/11 (2,998 victims).

Alas, the terrible shootings at Virginia Tech could not even be called the "worst school massacre in U.S. history," though dozens of media outlets in fact did call it that.

It wasn't. A sad record still stands. The worst school massacre in U.S. history remains the Bath School Massacre, which claimed 45 lives in 1927. Not everyone has forgotten them.

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Should I Report Child Pornography?

by Heather Steele, Child Sexual Abuse Advocate

There is almost nothing that can provoke despair and shock as powerfully as the discovery of child sexual abuse images on a computer, iPod, or cell phone of a loved one. Women often confide to me—at presentations, networking events, and cocktail parties—that they have found in their own homes disturbing and revolting images of children being sexually abused.

Apparently, finding child pornography happens to a lot of women.

Many confront their loved one, who is ready for such a circumstance with just the right words of persuasion. Maybe he says the images came from a virus. Or he viewed them just once, they have to do with his abuse as a child, or that he was lured from adult porn sites into child pornography sites progressively. Or perhaps he confesses that he knows his behavior was wrong and will do anything, including therapy, to become healthy. Of course, he swears, he would never touch a child or harm one in any way.

Some women choose to believe these manipulations, preferring to deny the truth of what they have seen. Others remove themselves through separation or divorce.

Yet few find the courage to report the images to the police.

They feel like they can’t bear the public shame, the shock and horror of friends and neighbors, or the pain of seeing a loved one arrested. After all, he was just looking, right? And the children in the pictures are thousands of miles away in Russia or Thailand, right?

Right?

As painful as discovering the images may have been, the truth is far more agonizing.

In fact, those images are evidence photos of children, mostly American children, some as young as infants, in the act of being raped, often brutally.

The U.S. produces 55% of child pornography in the world, and demands even more than it manufactures, making it by far the largest producer and consumer of child sexual abuse images in the world.

Those kids in the photos? They could be yours, or your friends’, or your neighbors’. They are definitely American children, children we as adults are responsible for protecting.

Their abusers? Their fathers, uncles, grandfathers, teachers, coaches, babysitters, youth pastors, troop leaders, or a variety of other trusted adults in our communities.

If child pornography is reported to the police, those kids have a chance of being rescued from the most heinous abuse known to man.

If it’s not, these American kids may never have another chance to escape their living hell.

And viewers of these rape images of our children? There’s a 98% chance he’s taking part in exactly the same type of abuse he loves to watch.

Studies of child pornography possessors in Butner Federal Prison (pictured right) in North Carolina in 2000 and 2006, by Drs. Andres Hernandez and Michael Bourke, show beyond the shadow of a doubt that the vast majority of child sexual abuse image possessors molest children:

Eighty-five percent of possessors in the study admitted to having undiscovered child sexual assault victims; 13% denied having victims, but failed a polygraph at the end of the study; and 2% denied having victims, and passed the polygraph—but admitted if the opportunity had presented itself, they would have sexually abused a child.

Those 85% admitting victims had on average 14 victims before they were incarcerated for child pornography. In the 2000 study, 31 child victims were the average for child pornography possessors, three times as many as those incarcerated for child molestation.

So reporting child pornography saves American children, perhaps even children you know and love.

But even more than that, reporting child pornography saves you. It saves you from a life of shame and guilt, knowing that you could have stopped some child’s nightmare and you didn’t. It saves you by knowing that you did the right thing by helping put a child predator out of commission. And it saves you from becoming an accessory to the rape of even more children in the future.

Because if you don’t report child pornography, you enable child molesters to continue to do what they do best unencumbered and without fear of punishment. And you will never be able to wash away that knowledge. Who should you tell? No matter where you live, you can contact the FBI, which heads up the Innocent Images International Task Force. Click here for the Cyber Tipline or call 1-800-843-5678.

Believe me, as one who knows. No matter what I do, no matter how hard I work to rescue more kids through Innocent Justice, it will never wash away. I experience that unclean feeling every day of my life. I hope you will never have to.

Heather Steele earned her MBA from the University of Chicago and is a passionate advocate for children in the fight to prevent child sexual abuse and provide justice for child victims. Heather is President of the Innocent Justice Foundation, which works to support law enforcement in investigating and prosecuting child pornography crimes.

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Is the Mexican Government Conspiring to Sue American Ranchers Who Stop Illegals?

(picture shows Roger Barnett on his ranch in Arizona)
Hunt for Justice by Cynthia Hunt

I thought I had misread The Washington Times headline:

“16 Illegals Sue Arizona Rancher:
Claim Violation of Rights as They Cross His Land”

It gets worse.

The 16 illegal immigrants sued Arizona rancher Roger Barnett for $32 million. They claimed he violated their civil rights when he stopped them at gunpoint as they illegally crossed his land. The invading illegals said the incident caused them emotional distress.

Now really hold on.

The jury awarded four of the female illegal immigrants $73,000 for four claims of assault and emotional distress.

“I couldn’t believe it,” 64-year-old Barnett told me in a phone interview. “Americans need to get involved. It’s going to be frightening. Pay attention to what’s happening in our country.”

Rancher’s Attorney Believes Mexican Government Money Behind Lawsuit

The Rancher’s attorney, David T. Hardy, says we will see more lawsuits whenever ranchers become too successful at stopping the illegal traffic on their land. Barnett has caught and turned over 12,000 illegal immigrants who were trespassing on his land to border patrol. (picture shows a group of 60 illegal immigrants Barnett found on his land and turned over to border patrol)

“It’s pretty obvious that MALDEF (The Mexican American Legal and Education Fund) targeted Roger because he was so prominent on border issues,” Hardy said.

But Hardy told me something even more disturbing in our interview: “I suspect the Mexican government may have been behind this as well because of the enormous amount of money spent.”

Illegals’ 9 Attorneys Versus American’s 2

Hardy says he and one assistant defended Barnett while the illegal immigrants had nine attorneys on their case. For that small two-person defense team, Barnett has had to spend a large chunk of his own money to pay his almost $100,000 in legal bills.

Also, whoever was behind the lawsuit had to locate all 16 illegal immigrants and get them to testify long after the incident. Do you have any concept how hard that would be?

As a reporter, I covered the railroad serial killer, Angel Maturino Resendiz, as he crossed the border into Texas again and again to kill. He was on the FBI’s Most Wanted List and our government failed to detect him even when he was caught by Border Patrol in 1999. Things have improved some since then, but as a journalist I can tell you it would take power from the Mexican government to track down this many illegal immigrants months after they were deported by Border Patrol. Some would go home, but many would cross back into the United States to work in the shadows of our broken system.

Rancher Says Illegals Killed His Cows, Trashed his Property & Left Dead Behind

Barnett says he is the real victim here. He said illegals dump plastic on his land and, before he can stop it, his cows eat the plastic. He has watched four die a painful death after eating the illegals’ trash. (picture shows trash dumped by illegal immigrants on Barnett's ranch)

Barnett and his wife had refurbished a mobile home and put it on the middle of their large ranch to use as a getaway home. Illegals broke into the home and built a fire on the floor, even though there was a working propane stove. Instead of using the bathroom, they defecated on the floors.

The most disturbing thing to Barnett is that when one illegal dies crossing on his ranch, the rest just leave the body there. “We get phone calls from people from Mexico looking for the bodies of loved ones,” Barnett said.

Why in the World Did a Federal Judge Allow this Lawsuit to Continue?

The relatively few Americans who have heard about this case were outraged that a judge allowed it to proceed. But even Barnett’s attorney Hardy says U.S. laws forced the judge to allow the lawsuit. He says a 1787 law extended federal courts to illegal immigrants, and in 1866, Congress outlawed discrimination against aliens. Barnett says these outdated laws are not the real problem. He cannot believe the federal government, in 2009, isn’t protecting our borders.

“Our government has let myself and citizens down. They haven’t performed their duties like they should. It’s mind boggling they don’t get more serious,” the aging rancher says.

Who Are The Illegals Who Sued the Rancher?

•One man admitted he has illegally entered the United States 8 times. U.S. records document 5 of those.

•Another man had been convicted of felony drug distribution.

•The defense proved the illegal immigrants had been robbed and sexually assaulted by Mexican bandits as they tried to cross the border. They didn’t sue the bandits who committed those terrible crimes. They sued the rancher who stopped them on his land. (picture shows one of the many large quanities of marijuana found with illegal immigrants Barnett has stopped on his ranch).

The Rancher & His Gun & His Appeal

Hardy, a well known Second Amendment expert, says Barnett was well within the laws to pull his gun on the 16 aliens. The law says you may pull a gun when you think you may be in danger, and he says any reasonable American would pull a gun when they ran into 16 illegal aliens.

Hardy says the judge did not give the jury this instruction on self-defense. He expects the $73,000 awarded to 4 illegal immigrants to be turned over on appeal. The attorney says he has bigger concerns about this case. He is convinced our nation has stopped protecting its citizens, and he's concerned the media is failing in its job to tell Americans what is happening on our borders.

“I found the media coverage mystifying. No local papers showed up. The AP reporter showed up the last day,” Hardy said.

What Do You Americans Think?

As a journalist, I’ve lived in Texas for the last decade. I’ve covered stories where homeowners have shot people on their property at night and been legally cleared as they were protecting themselves against an intruder. The so-called Castle Doctrine laws are very protective of a homeowner protecting his life and property so when I read this case I was truly shocked that an American had to spend a small fortune to defend himself against a case that all the facts show was orchestrated.

Every allegation the illegals made the rancher was able to disprove. They told the jury wild stories about their emotional injuries left by this man, yet they had no proof of any of it. The Border Patrol says Barnett was calm when they found him as he usually is when turning over a group. Yet these illegals claimed they had post-traumatic stress disorder from the few minutes Barnett had them. The illegals claimed Barnett told them things in Spanish that he doesn’t even know the words to say.

Barnett says he will continue to protect his land. His wife Barbara rarely stays by herself in their ranch home because of the illegals that our government fails to stop. Barnett continues to drive across his ranch looking for the illegal immigrants who are ruining his land. He carries water with him as they often need help.

Barnett cannot believe the great United States is not protecting its borders.

He cannot believe he had to spend a fortune defending himself against a lawsuit by illegal immigrants and now must rely on a defense fund to help him.

He cannot believe that he has to continue to protect his own ranch as great risk to himself.

He worries about this nation and gave me this warning, “If they don’t to something really quickly, this country is lost.”

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The Murder of Wilma Ward

by Michelle Feuer

I’m reminded this month that sometimes it’s not a bad thing to become obsessed and completely consumed with one’s work or passion. Obsession leads to progress, however uncomfortable it may be. This reminder came because of a coroner whom I met through my adventures with CBS 48 Hours Mystery.

His name is Gary Watts and he is the coroner in Richland County in Columbia, South Carolina. I should mention that he was introduced to me through 60 Minutes über producer Andy Court. You won’t believe the cold case full of twists and turns that Gary Watts and his team cracked open.

On October 17, 1983, Wilma Ward reportedly committed suicide in Cayce, South Carolina, by stabbing herself to death with a letter opener. Yes, you read that correctly, a letter opener! Back in the 1960s and 70s, Wilma, who was an office manager/bookkeeper, was allegedly having an affair with the Capital Sign Company's owner, Lloyd Blackwood—a married man. To conceal their so-called love child, Rachel (formerly Rachel Ward, now Rachel Wadford) was passed off as Wilma's younger sister. Turns out, Wilma was Rachel's mother—not her sister.

All of this would have remained a secret forever had it not been for Rachel's 2007 chance encounter with a former office worker and colleague of Wilma's. He told her about the affair and suggested that Wilma had NOT committed suicide.

Rachel accepted the fact that Wilma had taken her own life, but the circumstances had always troubled her. She never felt that she had all the answers to what really happened. Rachel was confronted with a mystery: Did someone murder her mother, and why?

Rachel called the Richland County Coroner, Gary Watts. Watts (pictured right) was able to recover the original ME's report and quickly doubted the validity of the suicide ruling. How could she have committed suicide by stabbing herself MULTIPLE TIMES? Watts immediately summoned two of Columbia's most experienced investigators, David Bell and Gene Mincey, to form a Cold Case Squad. Mincey was in retirement, but came out to help. With the case files, evidence, and photos all missing, they had to find and re-interview all of the original employees of Capital Sign Company.

In 1983, the original case investigator theorized that 5'3, 100 pound Wilma had attacked her lover (Lloyd) with a metal pipe—and then stabbed herself. Watts and the Cold Case Squad came up with an entirely new theory. Investigators believe Wilma's colleague, Jack Simpson, may have committed the murder. Simpson was a friend and longtime employee of Wilma's alleged lover and boss, Lloyd Blackwood. And the twists kept coming. Mincey and Bell learned there could have been an active IRS investigation into Capital Sign Company where Wilma was the bookkeeper/office manager for Lloyd. One theory is that Wilma was accepting under-the-table payments from Lloyd to stay quiet about their affair (company funds allegedly paid for certain household items of hers). Another theory is that Jack Simpson may have learned about the affair and had been trying to extort money from the company.

On October 20, 2008, Watts led a public Coroner’s Inquest, in front of a sworn-in jury. The jury heard testimony from key witnesses as questioned by Gary Watts. The Inquest lasted a full day, but in under an hour the jury came back with a decision. They concluded that Wilma Ward had NOT committed suicide, but was murdered. They even named the suspect as Jack Simpson who was arrested in November. This 1983 case may now go to the Grand Jury. Confusing to even the most enthusiastic crime buffs? In South Carolina during a Coroner’s Inquest, the jury can actually be asked to name a suspect. Keep in mind there was no defense whatsoever; it was all testimony as called by Gary Watts and his team. Jack Simpson was called to testify, but did not appear.

Something else worth mentioning from the national news lately . . . a couple of weeks ago marked the 20th anniversary of University of Florida student Tiffany Sessions’ disappearance. Let’s never ever forget this extraordinary young woman whose family still searches for answers. Please visit her family’s Web site or their Facebook group, The Tiffany Sessions Project, to learn more.

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WCI Welcomes Two New Contributors

Women in Crime Ink is bringing fresh ink to our page. This week, we are introducing two new regular contributors: true-crime historian Laura James and 48 Hours producer Michelle Feuer.

Online true-crime fans will recognize the name Laura James as the woman behind the acclaimed crime blog CLEWS (the old-fashioned newsie's spelling of "clues"). CLEWS is described as "a literary blog where the chairs rest at the intersection of history, journalism, law, and murder, and the shelves are filled with the finest true-crime literature." As a lawyer, a former reporter, and a life-long crime reader with distinguishing literary taste, Laura fits the bill for a literary blog that caters to the true-crime genre. Her first book, The Love Pirate and the Bandit's Son: Murder, Sin, and Scandal in the Shadow of Jesse James, is scheduled for release in May.

True-crime TV junkies would remember shows produced by our other addition, although Michelle Feuer is a woman who works behind the scenes, rather than on-screen. As a producer for 48 Hours Mystery, she pursues her passion for developing remarkable stories that reach millions of people. Michelle started her broadcast journalism career overseas, covering foreign news while based out of NBC's London bureau. Working for Dateline, she became known for her documentary-style pieces when she embedded with the Bronx Homicide Unit and the Boston Crime Lab. Michelle has been nominated for four Emmy awards and a Gracie, and she won an ABA Silver Gavel award (a distinction shared by WCI's Diane Dimond). At the invitation of WCI contributor Jenna Jackson, Michelle's colleague at 48 Hours, Michelle wrote a guest piece for us in December. We are proud to announce that she will be writing for us regularly.

Please join us in welcoming our newest contributors to Women in Crime Ink. Make sure to read Laura's first piece on Thursday and Michelle's tomorrow. As WCI celebrates our first year online this month, look for another stellar addition to our roster soon!

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What Would You Think?

by Diane Fanning

If someone you loved, or even someone you knew, were accused of a crime would your first response be to seek refuge in denial? I’ve always believed that I’d be able to look truth in the eye and accept it, no matter how distasteful or horrendous. I did, at least, until a recent event occurred just blocks from my home.

For years, we’ve all watched the neighbors and friends of serial killers, mass murderers, pedophiles and others express shock when crimes are disclosed so close to their doorsteps. How many times have we heard: “He was a nice guy, a quiet guy, a good neighbor?” How many red flags sprouted out of his front lawn while no one took note?

Even more amazing to anyone looking at a crime from an objective distance are the family members that never noticed. The estranged husband of Susan Smith stood beside her as she sobbed coast to coast. He believed in her innocence. We, the public, believed in her innocence.

The wife of BTK Dennis Rader claimed cluelessness about her husband’s crime. (below: decades old snapshot of the Rader family)

Many scoffed at her ignorance—others refused to believe she knew nothing. How could she climb into bed with him night after night and not know about his secret life?

Kathleen Peterson had no idea that her husband Michael led a double life—outwardly heterosexual and monogamous but engaging in sex with men at the Y, trolling the Internet for homosexual pornography and even contacting male escorts on-line. Kathleen didn’t know until the last night of her life. Her murder kept Michael’s secret for a while—but not for long.

And yet, when the evidence of his responsibility for this homicide came cascading around him, family members stood by his side refusing to accept his culpability—seeing him as persecuted instead of prosecuted. No surprise that his biological sons since questioned about involvement in the cover-up made public displays of denial in their best interest.

But what of Martha and Margaret? Michael was guardian of those two girls from the time they were very small. They stuck with him through the trial and through his appeals. He was convicted of murdering the mother figure in their lives but he was also suspected of responsibility for the similar death of Martha and Margaret’s biological mother, Liz Ratliffe, sixteen years earlier. And yet, they found their refuge in denial—in the place where facts are irrelevant and emotion trumps evidence.

The proclivity for denial doesn’t end with murder. Many times, stalwart family members hearing accusations of serial rape have stood up denying the guilt of a son, brother, husband or father—even when confronted with the panties of victims stuffed in the corner of his dresser drawer. Learning of charges of pedophilia, some still deny even after learning that their loved one’s computer was filled with thousands of indecent images of children.

So how would you react? How would I? I’d like to think that because of my background, I could be objective and stand always in defiance of the siren call of denial. And then I read the headline about someone I knew—someone I respected—and I stumbled.

The high school Criminal Justice teacher, a man in his sixties, retired from law enforcement, was accused of sexual impropriety with a teenage girl in one of his classes. My denial rose up like floodwaters, bearing indignation on its crest.

I was certain that the student was making it up in typical adolescent drama queen fashion. She didn’t get the grade she wanted or she felt humiliated in class, or she couldn’t get the letter of recommendation she wanted. I knew it had to be her fault, her problem, her vindictiveness. I refused to accept the possibility that this man I knew was at fault in any way.

I remained there for two days, certain of his innocence. Then the newspapers told the story of his text messages to the girl. He expressed his infatuation with her in vivid words. He wanted to leave his wife to be with her. It was like cold water in my face.

My first thoughts were amazement at the stupidity of this man. Former law enforcement and a criminal justice teacher and yet he leaves a text message trail? After assimilating those facts, I was overcome with outrage. Outrage at the teacher for betraying the trust placed in him by the students, the school, the parents—by society itself.

And outrage at myself for my willingness to believe the worst about the girl who had the courage to stand up to his behavior, face the possibility of embarrassment in her community and the ostracizing by her classmates—the girl who was willing to do the right thing.

Yes, my denial only lasted two days but it was a source of inner shame. I suppose I should be more tolerant in my judgment of myself. After all, denial is a natural, protective reaction to stress. I don’t think I can manage to cut myself that much slack but I do know I can do it for others.

After all, perpetrators on all levels strive for stealth—some perform exquisitely, others are bumbling idiots. Who am I to judge those who are taken in by these manipulators?

When I see a parent submerged in a deep well of denial, I’ll be empathetic of their unenviable situation. When I see a spouse certain of their loved one’s innocence, I won’t automatically suspect their involvement in the other’s crime or its cover-up. When I see a mother prostrate from the burden of a child’s guilt, cobbling together a flawed alibi to protect the babe she bore, I will understand.

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