Friday, December 21, 2018

School clothes

My aunt took me shopping twice and both times we got school clothes for me. I wear the old stuff till it's unusable and has to be tossed out. My aunt took me shopping the 1st time saying that. I'm like ok. Now I've got more and I still prefer my old stuff

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Daredevil

What some people don't know is that before my 2 accidents that now cause me so much pain that I have to take medication and physical therapy to fix I used to be a daredevil. Seriously, I was a total daredevil. I'd skateboard with padding, injured my shin bone before going to China at age 15, archery injuries, etc. Now I complain about my scoliosis every other time I speak. Luckily, it's improving. Its much better to the point of me not mentioning my back killing me as much. It'll still killing me but losing weight, getting stretched out (and stronger) has helped. I'm still going to need pain killers as needed but my back is how I became a daredevil in the first place. I wanted to test my limits and I was thrilled I could do what I love while still occasionally getting hurt, which showed me my limits.

Monday, December 10, 2018

Murder of Jessica Ridgeway

Jessica Ridgeway was an American girl who, at the age of 10, was kidnapped in Westminster, Colorado, and murdered by Austin Sigg on October 5, 2012. Her dismembered body was found five days later. Sigg was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder in November 2013. Events: Ridgeway was reported missing on the evening of October 5, 2012 after she failed to return home from school, and an AMBER Alert was issued. Two days later, her school backpack, containing her glasses, was found on a sidewalk. On October 10, her dismembered remains were found in a park in Arvada. Later that month, a 17-year-old boy named Austin Sigg confessed to killing Ridgeway. He told police that he kidnapped her as she walked towards where he had parked his Jeep, and then he bound her wrists and ankles with zip ties and took her to his house. There, he forced her to change out of her clothes and into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt before he strangled her, dismembered her body, and hid her remains in a shed, before dumping them in the park in Arvada. Under a 2005 Supreme Court decision, Sigg was not eligible for capital punishment because he had not turned 18 yet. In the court case, he was tried as an adult. Sigg was sentenced to life imprisonment on November 19, 2013.

Disappearance of Kristal Reisinger

Kristal Anne Reisinger is a resident of Crestone, Colorado that has been missing since July 13, 2016. A mother of one, Reisinger relocated to Crestone from Denver in order to achieve enlightenment and sobriety. While in Crestone, she temporarily worked at the Crestone Brewing Company. Her last known confirmed sighting was on July 13 at her residence in downtown Crestone, but some have stated seeing her at a later date. In 2018, Saguache County Sheriff's Office and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation now believes foul play was involved surrounding Reisinger's disappearance. Personal life: An Arizona native, Reisinger was relocated to Denver to be with her aunt after a difficult childhood upbringing. This arrangement became strained, leaving Reisinger as a ward of the court at the age of 15. At this time, Reisinger moved in with Rodney and Debbie Ervin after dating their son. Thereafter, Reisinger spent a few years with the Ervins before attending Western State College in Gunnison. That is where she met her best friend Michael. During the summer vacations from college she would live with Michael's family and after college she remained living between Michael's family and the Ervins. In 2014, Reisinger moved from Denver to Gunnison, Colorado, teaching a course and taking coursework in psychology and sociology at Western Colorado University. Later that spring, she moved to Crestone in the San Luis Valley. Reisinger was a very spiritual person with interests in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Native American religion. She is also been known to be a clairvoyant and medium that practices tarotology. She has one daughter with her former boyfriend Elijah Guana. Disappearance of Kristal: The Saguache County Police Department was notified of Reisinger's prolonged absence by her landlord, Ara McDonald on July 13, 2016. Once inside the apartment, investigators found Reisinger's cell phone and medication. Numerous Crestone residents claim to have seen her at the Full Moon Drum Circle gathering the night of July 18, 2016. McDonald and multiple sources claim the last person to have called Reisinger is a local man with a criminal history involving drugging and assaulting victims. A $20,000 reward has been issued for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for her disappearance. Media: In August 2018, the podcast Up and Vanished hosted by Payne Lindsey focused on the case in its second season.

Disappearance of Jayme Closs

On Monday, October 15, 2018, a 911 call was received from the Barron, Wisconsin, United States home of 13-year-old Jayme Closs and her parents. Upon arrival by police, Closs's parents were discovered shot to death and the teenager missing. According to police, Closs is believed to have been abducted and is not a suspect in her parent's deaths. Description: Jayme Lynn Closs was 13 years old at the time of her disappearance. An Amber Alert was issued nationwide around 3:30 pm on October 15; Closs was described as 5 feet tall, 100 lbs, with blonde or strawberry-blonde hair. She was last seen on October 14 at a family member's birthday party. The Barron County Sheriff announced she had been found alive on January 10, 2019. Disappearance: The night of the disappearance a 911 call was made from the home of the Closs family around 1:00 am. While the operator did not speak with anyone, they heard a disturbance and a lot of yelling. When the dispatcher attempted to call the number back, they received the voicemail of Denise Closs. Upon arrival four minutes after the call, police noticed that the front door had been kicked in, and her parents, James Closs (56 years old) and Denise Closs (46 years old), were dead from gunshot wounds. The family dog was still in the home when officers arrived, and it was believed that Jayme was home at the time of the shooting, based on details in the 911 call and evidence from the home. No gun was recovered after searching the home. Two vehicles were spotted on surveillance footage near to the home, with police identifying them as vehicles of interest, and as a red or orange 2008 - 2014 Dodge Challenger and a black 2006 - 2010 Ford Edge or 2004 - 2010 Acura MDX. Neighbors also claimed to hear two gunshots around 00:30 am on October 15, but dismissed it as hunting was common around their home and did not call 911. Investigation: Investigators have received more than 2,000 tips in the case and have reviewed a large majority of them. There was an initial search on October 18, where searchers concentrated on the sides of US Route 8, which is near the home. On October 23, 2018 volunteers spent the day searching for the missing 13-year old. A US$25,000 reward for any information leading to the location of Closs was issued on October 24. On October 26, the reward was doubled to $50,000. Recovery: On January 10, 2019, the Barron County Sheriff's Department announced that Jayme Closs had been found near Gordon, Wisconsin and a suspect had been taken into custody. Late on January 10, investigators blocked all roads leading to a cabin in the 14100 block of South Eau Claire Acres Circle as they combed for evidence. A cabin at that address was previously owned by Patterson's parents, but ownership was turned over to the Superior Choice Credit Union about a week after the Oct 15 abduction. In a Facebook post at 7:55 pm, Sheriff Fitzgerald announced that the Douglas County Sheriff's Department had located Closs alive. He stated: "Shortly after this a suspect was taken into custody in regards to this case. We do not have any other details at this time as this is a very fluid and active investigation. We will not be answering any questions or taking calls on this tonight." A KMSP-TV report said the relatives of Closs did not recognize the name of the kidnapper. According to reports by KSTP, a station based in St. Paul, a Douglas County woman was walking her dog Thursday afternoon when she was interrupted by a teenage girl who ran up to her screaming that a man had murdered her parents. The woman took her to a neighbors' house in order to call 9-1-1 and for shelter. Jayme was found in Gordon at 4:43 p.m. and the suspect was taken into custody at 4:54 p.m. Child safety advocate and kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart described the recovery as a miracle and described Closs as a hero, commenting: "What a brave, strong, and powerful survivor! No matter what may unfold in her story let’s all try to remember that this young woman has survived and whatever other details may surface the most important will still remain that she is alive." Suspect: Minutes after Jayme was found, a Douglas County sheriff's deputy spotted a car described by Jayme as belonging to the suspect. Authorities took the driver, 21-year-old Jake Thomas Patterson, into custody. Patterson faces two counts of first-degree intentional homicide and one count of kidnapping. Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said Patterson had no previous criminal history in Wisconsin. Patterson is in custody in Barron County, authorities said at a news conference on the morning of January 11.

Murder of Michelle Busha

Michelle Yvette Busha was a formerly unidentified murder victim discovered in Blue Earth, Minnesota in 1980. Her murder was solved in 1989, but she remained unidentified for years following the confession of Robert Leroy Nelson, who was a former state trooper for Minnesota. Busha's remains were identified in 2015 after a DNA profile was obtained following the exhumation of her remains. Disappearance: Busha and her sister were raised by their mother and stepfather, who were Jehovah's Witnesses and they were home schooled. Consequently, the sisters were "highly isolated." Michelle ran away from home when she was 17. She was found by police over 1,000 miles away in Burlington, Colorado by police, who proceeded to contact her father, Don Busha, Sr. She was later brought to his residence in Bay City, Texas, which she initially refused. Busha, described as having a "rebellious" personality, left home after an argument with her father while living in Bay City, Texas. Don Busha admitted he slapped her and she made the decision to leave Bay City. She was last seen in December 1979 while she was travelling to Louisiana. She made calls to her family from the states of Mississippi and Indiana, between the months of January and May 1980. After the calls stopped, loved ones feared for her safety. On May 9, 1980, she was reported missing. Michelle's father kept the same phone number and address, hoping she would contact him again. Murder: Nelson, while on duty, offered Busha a ride on May 26, 1980 after witnessing her being dropped off by a vehicle near the Bricelyn overpass along Interstate 90. Busha had been raped, beaten, tortured and strangled with a ligature. Her fingernails were removed while she was still alive and her head had been shaved, except for an area in the back of the head, which was left about an inch long. After her murder, the body was moved to a ditch along Interstate 90 and her clothing and personal items were removed and disposed of. The body was later buried in the Riverside Cemetery in Blue Earth in an unmarked grave. The decomposed, face-down and nude body was discovered about three days to one week after her death. Heavy rains had washed her body into a visible area, where it was discovered by a farmer among broken corn plants. The unidentified victim was estimated to be between the ages of 20 and 35. It appeared she was a transient, as her feet were "heavily calloused." She was 5'3" and weighted 128 pounds. Her left ear, at least, had been pierced and she had an overbite. Near the scene, bloodied clothing and a Texas drivers license were found. The blood was later found to be that of an animal and the license was counterfeit. Investigation: After Busha was reported missing on May 9, 1980, various efforts were made to locate her. In February 1984, a potential match was noticed with a set of remains discovered in New York. In May 1984, her dental records were compared to that of an unidentified woman, known as the Cheerleader in the Trunk who was discovered in Maryland in 1982. She was excluded as a potential match to both decedents. The unidentified victim's fingerprint and dental records were compared against missing persons from Colorado and Minnesota but was excluded to be any of the potential matches. Fliers describing the case were distributed nationally. Henry Lee Lucas confessed to killing a young woman along Interstate 90 in the area, but when questioned in prison during 1983, he gave details inconsistent with the murder and was excluded as a suspect. In June 1988, former State Trooper Robert Leroy Nelson confessed to murdering the victim while on duty while in police custody in Smith County, Texas. He claimed he did not know her name, but she apparently was travelling to Idaho or Oregon and she had spent time in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area. He admitted to handcuffing her to prevent her escape. Police found his confession credible, as he stated he had removed her fingernails, a fact that had not been released publicly at the time. He pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, while he was already serving two life sentences. He was sentenced to an additional 86 months on August 25, 1989. Nelson had left Minnesota after becoming involved with a religious cult. Blue Earth resident Deborah Anderson became intrigued by the case in 2002 and made efforts to bring the murder into public eye. Anderson met with officials and presented a plan to raise funds for the victim's exhumation and it was ordered in late July. On August 12, 2014, the body was exhumed for DNA information, which was successfully obtained. The process would have cost approximately $10,000, but the services of exhumation were performed without cost by a local funeral home and construction companies, leaving a $1,000 cost for the DNA testing. In 2004, hairs from the body were examined and a mitochondrial DNA profile was developed, yet the profile was much less specific to a nuclear profile. Authorities had previously taken her dental information and obtained a single fingerprint from the remains to compare against potential matches. Following the exhumation, a new facial reconstruction was created by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children via an MRI scan. Isotope testing was also performed on a tooth by the Smithsonian Institute to identify regions the victim may have lived prior to her death. Results from the examination indicated the victim was 17 to 23 years old and was likely white with a possible African admixture. On March 5, 2015, samples obtained from her family in 2007 were matched to her remains. Additionally, dental records were compared as well. The body was officially identified on March 13. The remains were then cremated and released to the Busha family on April 9, 2015.

Friday, December 7, 2018

bikini

i'm taking a bikini to Florida with me along with another swim suit. the reason i need 2 swim suits rather than just 1 is because 1 is for medical treatment. also i'm not 100% sure how my body will react to the more exposed sunlight on my less adjusted skin. mom said not to wear a bikini as my skin won't be used to it but i'm like you know what? it's for treatment. also i'm going to have my suntan lotion so i can use it to help with my body using the sun. i'm a little excited since i'm losing weight and i'm not in bikini shape but my body is getting slimmer.

Lady of the Hills

The Lady of the Hills is a name given by the media to the body of an unknown female discovered in 2004 on the mountain Pen-y-ghent in Yorkshire, England. The woman was found to have originally come from somewhere in South-East Asia and despite an international police investigation, the identity of the woman, how she arrived at the location and the cause of her death remain a mystery. Discovery: On Monday 20 September 2004 at 11:30 am, a man walking in the vicinity of Pen-y-ghent alerted the police to the discovery of the body of a dead woman. The man had discovered the body in a well-trafficked location on the Pennine Way between Pen-y-ghent and Horton in Ribblesdale in a stream called Sell Gill Beck which flows into a cave called Sell Gill Hole. It was thought that the body had been in the stream for some time and that the woman could have died up to three weeks prior to the discovery. The cause of death was not initially apparent and no signs of violence were reported. Description: The woman was thought to be of South-East Asian origin, had dark, shoulder-length hair and was about 1.5 metres tall (4ft 11ins). She was believed to be aged between 25 and 35. The woman had healthy teeth which had a noticeable gap at the front. She was found wearing green jeans, a green and white striped T-shirt and was wearing a wedding ring. The ring was found to be 22 carat and to have been made in Bangkok, Thailand. The woman had pierced ears but no earrings were found. No shoes, warm outer clothing, personal bags of other effects were found at the scene of the discovery. The woman weighed 10 stone but appeared to have gained weight in the years prior to her death and wore a size 12 dress. Initial investigation: Immediately after the discovery, North Yorkshire Police commenced an extensive investigation. Police questioned walkers using the Pennine Way, conducted house-to-house enquires in the locality and issued letters to local holiday accommodations that appealed for witnesses in multiple languages. Police investigated every sighting in the Yorkshire Dales of women matching the description of the unidentified body dating back to 1 August 2004. A postmortem was undertaken which suggested the woman died between 31 August and 13 September but it did not provide enough information to enable investigators to establish the cause of death. The postmortem indicated that the woman had probably been pregnant at some point during her life. Detective Chief Inspector Pete Martin who was working on the investigation stated that the death was unexplained rather than suspicious. A search of missing persons databases did not produce any matches. A number of countries were identified as the potential origin of the woman. These countries included: Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Analysis of the body indicated that the woman had been in the UK for at least two years prior to her death and that she had probably lived in Cumbria, Lancashire, or the west Yorkshire Dales. Subsequent investigations: In December 2004 the Police produced an e-fit photograph of the woman which was issued to the embassies of a number of Asian countries. At this time time it was believed that the woman could have originated from the Philippines, China or Korea. No meaningful response was received from this appeal. In February 2005 an appeal was made on the BBC programme Crimewatch. In May 2007 the inquest heard that the investigation found no evidence of trauma, assault or drowning and it recorded an open verdict. In 2011 the police announced that they were reopening the investigation of eight unsolved deaths. The 'Lady of the Hills' was one of these cases along with the Sutton Bank Body. In 2018 an appeal was made by the North Yorkshire Police. The appeal was made on Facebook in the Filipino, Thai, and English languages so that the messages could be shared internationally.

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Ali Irsan

Ali Mahmood Awad Irsan is a convicted murderer held on Texas death row. Originating from Jordan and a naturalized U.S. citizen, he was sentenced for the murders of his son-in-law, Coty Beavers, and Gelareh Bagherzadeh, a friend of one of his daughters, in Greater Houston. Multiple media reports described the crimes as honor killings. Background- Ali Irsan and his family: Irsan, using a student visa, came to the United States in 1979, and became a naturalized United States citizen. He lived on a 3-acre property in a rural area, in unincorporated eastern Montgomery County, Texas, near Conroe. Craig Malisow of the Houston Press stated that Irsan "considered himself to be a devout Muslim." Irsan studied in a "medical laboratory" program Kirkwood Community College, receiving his degree in 1978. He stated in court filings that he studied in a medical program at a tertiary institution in Jordan, and he also stated that he had a Houston Community College "diploma of auto -mechanic". Irsan, then 22, married his first wife when she was 17. Robin Dahl first met in 1979 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa while he studied in community college and she worked on her GED. They married circa 1980, and moved to the Houston area by 1984. The couple had four children, with their first being born in 1981. In 1994 Irsan divorced his first wife. When Irsan was 35, he traveled to Jordan and entered into an arranged marriage with a girl Shmou Ali Alrawabdeh, who was approximately 15 or 16. The first wife left the house shortly after Irsan married the second wife. Alrawabdeh, a Jordanian national, arrived in the U.S. circa 1995. In federal court Irsan stated that he married her in Jordan but that he did not legally marry her in the United States. Alrawabdeh had eight children with him while they lived in the United States; including the children from the other wife, the total fathered by Irsan is 12. She naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2001. In 1999 Irsan killed Amjad Hussein Alidam, the husband of Irsan's daughter Nasemah Rachelle Irsan, Irsan's eldest daughter, at Irsan's residence. Alidam was an Iraqi immigrant to the U.S. and a Shia Muslim. Irsan stated that he did the killing in self-defense. Irsan never received criminal charges in that case, as area law enforcement believed him to be innocent. A Montgomery County grand jury no billed possible charges against Irsan. Nasemah was sent back to Jordan. Nesreen Irsan Beavers, Nadia Irsan, Gelareh Bagherzadeh, and Coty Beavers: Two of Irsan's daughters, Nadia, and Nesreen, were children of the previous wife. Nadia is a U.S. citizen, and the family previously educated them through homeschooling. They enrolled in a biology program at Lone Star College-Montgomery. A professor at Lone Star who taught the women stated that, as paraphrased by Malislow in a Houston Press article, Nadia and Nesreen "fought hard to convince their father to let them enroll". In 2010, the younger of the two, Nesreen, met Beavers and his twin brother, Cory, there. Beavers was a Christian, while the girls came from a Muslim family. At the time both wore hijab. The two women and Cory Beavers were admitted to University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center's molecular genetics program, where Nesreen met Bagherzadeh, an Iranian. Bagherzadeh, a medical student and medical researcher, had molecular genetics as her area of study. She was born in France and was from Tehran. She studied biology in Tehran and later attended university in Budapest, Hungary, before moving to Houston in 2007 to join her parents, who bought a house near Uptown Houston (the area around the Houston Galleria) so she could live there; this residence was within the Woodway Point townhomes, and an area street would become the site of her death. Nesreen introduced Cory Beavers to Bagherzadeh. Bagherzadeh publicly protested in favor of women's rights on numerous occasions and criticized the Iranian government. She participated in the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests that were held in Houston and also protested against the Al-Hadi Mosque, which she accused of being connected to the Iranian government. Lomi Kriel of the Houston Chronicle wrote that "she was outspokenly critical of Islam, even becoming embroiled in an argument with her father's bosses about their faith." She was a member of Second Baptist Church, as she had converted to Christianity in 2011. When Nesreen chose to leave Islam and become a Christian, Bagherzadeh gave her support, and Bagherzadeh also suggested that Nesreen marry Beavers. Nesreen and Coty Beavers became romantically involved in secret. Brian Rogers of the Houston Chronicle stated that Nadia felt jealousy over the relationship; Irsan told his daughters that they were not allowed to date. According to court testimony, Irsan threatened the girls with death if they engaged in romantic relationships, and also stated he would kill the boyfriends in that case. According to Texas prosecutors, Nadia wished to be in a relationship with Cory Beavers, but he declined. The relationship between Nesreen and Nadia deteriorated. Kidnapping, escape, harassment, and marriage: Irsan learned about Nesreen's relationship to Beavers while he was in Jordan. In June 2011 Alrawabdeh held her against her will at Irsan's residence; Nesreen accused Nadia of also holding her against her will. The persons/people holding her captive had discovered e-mails, text messages, and voice mails sent to and from Coty Beavers on Nesreen's communication device. She escaped through a window and went to be with Beavers at his residence, then his mother's house in Spring. In November 2011 Cory Beavers and Bagherzadeh became boyfriend and girlfriend. Nesreen stated she was afraid that her father would harm her. Her father and other members of the family looked for her and sent messages to Bagherzadeh, who refused to divulge the information. He remained unaware of the location of her residence. Beginning around fall 2011, Irsan harassed Nesreen, Coty Beavers, and Bagherzadeh, and the group experienced acts of vandalism against their property. Nesreen, who was 23 at the time, got a protective order that banned her father from contacting her, but he continued to look for her. For those reasons she chose not to attend the graduation ceremony for her class. Circa July 2012, Nesreen married Coty Beavers, taking the name Nesreen Irsan Beavers, and only holding a civil ceremony to avoid getting unwanted attention, doing so at the Harris County Courthouse. The two moved to a new residence a significant distance away from their previous one; they were at the Legacy Park Apartments in unincorporated northwest Harris County, which would become the site of Beavers's death. Nesreen and Beavers chose a gated apartment complex specifically for their protection, and they rented a third-floor unit to minimize their possibility of being attacked. Whenever Nesreen left the apartment to travel to and from work, Beavers escorted her to protect her. Federal fraud convictions: Nesreen told authorities that Irsan had committed fraud related to Social Security. The family received money from the Social Security Administration (SSA), called Supplemental Security Income (SSI), for people who are unable to work and do not have resources, but Irsan and his family concealed their resources even though he told the government that beginning in 1990 he was unable to find work. Irsan held his money in multiple bank accounts, with some under the names of his children while having de facto control over them, while also claiming benefits and hiding the true amount of money he controlled. He also possessed multiple false credit cards, some under false names and some in the names of family members. The criminal schemes began in 1995. Agencies investigating included multiple agencies in the federal, state, and local levels, among them the FBI, SSA, the Office of Inspector General (OIG), Homeland Security Investigations, and the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office. A group of police, with the FBI leading, arrested Irsan, Alrawabdeh, and Nadia on May 22, 2014, accusing them of offenses related to fraud perpetrated against the social security system. Irsan was held in the Joe Corley Detention Facility/Joe Corley Processing Center, a private correctional facility in Conroe, Texas, operated by the GEO Group which, in addition to housing immigration prisoners, acts as a detention center for the U.S. Marshals Service. All three suspects were also held at Federal Detention Center, Houston in Downtown Houston. Federal authorities did not allow him to post bond; Alrawabdeh and Nadia were also held. Six of Irsan's children who were still minors were put in the custody of child protective services (CPS). The prosecuting federal attorneys were Jim McAlister and Mark McIntyre. Lawyer John Floyd represented Irsan in regard to his federal prosecution. The FBI raided the house another time on June 5, 2014. Irsan was initially charged with conspiracy to benefits fraud in a continuing scheme, defraud the United States, and theft of public money over $1,000. On April 3, 2015, Irsan pleaded guilty, to "conspiracy to defraud the United States", while and Alrawabdeh and Nadia were convicted of "making false statements". All were sentenced to serve time in the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Irsan received a federal sentence of 45 months and a fine of $290,651 from Judge Lynn Hughes. Alrawabdeh and Nadia each received 24 months. The arrests and prosecutions were not covered in the Jordanian news media. Murders:- Bagherzadeh's murder: Bagherzadeh was murdered while in her father's car, outside of her parents' residence on January 15, 2012. Bagherzadeh was 30 at the time of her death. The triggerperson, using a .380 handgun, shot Bagherzadeh through Alrawabdeh's passenger side window, hitting Bagherzadeh in the head with one bullet that went through the passenger side window of the car she drove. Alrawabdeh stated that Nasim Irsan, Irsan's son, was the triggerperson. Bagherzadeh was driving from the residence of her boyfriend Cory Beavers to her parents' residence, while talking on the telephone with a former boyfriend. Up to three other bullets were fired at her car. Her car hit a townhouse's garage, and police found her body around 12:30 PM; a shooting had been first reported around 11:45 PM. Prosecutors stated that Irsan; Alrawabdeh; and Nasim Irsan, Irsan's son and Nesreen's brother, were together in a car. At 12:30 A.M. Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) officer stopped the car going 79 miles per hour, above the speed limit, on Interstate 45, while it was going back to Montgomery County. Irsan was given a warning and allowed to leave after he stated he was trying to get a drink to deal with a diabetic condition. Initially no leads were announced, and Crime Stoppers stated that there was a $250,000 reward for information that could solve the case. Craig Malisow of the Houston Press described the award as "record-high". This became the highest reward in U.S. Crimestoppers history. Shortly after the killings, Bagherzadeh's allies and friends believed that the Iranian government had Bagherzadeh assassinated. Beavers's murder: Coty Beavers was murdered at his residence at the Legacy Park apartments, on November 12, 2012. According to Alrawabdeh, Irsan personally shot Beavers. He had entered the apartment while it was unlocked and stayed inside while Beavers was with Nesreen; Beavers went with her to her car, before she drove away to her workplace, around 5:45 A.M. Irsan shot him after Beavers re-entered the house. Irsan was in hiding inside a bedroom before he killed his victim, 28 at the time of his death. Alwarabdeh was also present at Beavers's murder. Nesreen found Beavers's body, at about 4:30 P.M. Two days prior to the killing, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO), a suspect asked people in Legacy Park for the whereabouts of Beavers. Cory Beavers stated to the news channel KPRC that his brother "said basically if I'm ever killed or murdered it was Ali Irsan. I mean he was that specific about it." Beavers's mother, Shirley McCormick, stated in Irsan's state trial that "We knew who was responsible, but we didn’t know who all had helped him. I told the police officers it was Ali Irsan, and he also had to be the one who killed Gelareh." Motive: Texas authorities stated that Nesreen's conversion and marrying a Christian man motivated the father to commit the murders. In her court testimony, Alrawabdeh stated that Irsan planned to also kill Nesreen, Cory Beavers, and the Beavers twins' mother. She stated "If a girl ran away from home, it would bring disgrace to the family." Stating that the difference in religion and the element of premarital sex would reflect poorly on Irsan, Alrawabdeh stated, "I’m from an Arabic country and I’m aware of the culture. The family would kill her to clean their honor." According to prosecutors, Irsan wished to kill Nesreen's loved ones first to inflict emotional distress on her, before killing her at a later date. Devon Anderson, the Harris County district attorney in 2015, stated that Irsan "believed that Nesreen and others, including the two victims, had violated his honor as a Muslim." Prosecution- Investigation, arrest, and pre-trial detention: Officers of the Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) searched Irsan's residence nine days after Beavers's death. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted surveillance on the suspects. On the day Irsan was arrested for federal fraud charges, May 22, 2014, Harris County prosecutors announced that Irsan was also being charged for Bagherzadeh's murder. By March 2015 those charges were dismissed, but the Harris County authorities stated they would file additional charges. Harris County district attorney Anderson did not say why the initial charges were dropped with newer ones later filed; Michael Barajas of the Houston Press stated "It appears that decision was purely strategic". After prosecutors established the connection between the two killings, new capital murder charges against Irsan were filed on April 22, 2015, charging him for the murders of both Bagherzadeh and Beavers. According to Texas state law, capital murder can be filed if two killings are connected as part of the same scheme. Irsan's lawyers stated that he had no connection to either murder and the circumstances of the murders were not known. They also stated that the murders of Bagherzadeh and Beavers were not connected. The federal government continued to hold Irsan, Alrawabdeh, and Nadia while Harris County prosecutors announced new criminal charges in 2015. Nadia Irsan received charges accusing her of stalking her sister, a felony to the third degree; the maximum possible sentence, if conviction occurs, is 10 years. Prosecutors can file murder charges against her if they find she helped plan any murders, due to the rule of parties statutes. Nasim, charged with Bagherzadeh's murder, was arrested on April 22, 2015 and moved to the Harris County jail; he was 21 at the time. His bail was set to $500,000. Alwarabdeh also was charged with Bagherzadeh's murder, as she allowed the triggerperson to use her window to kill Bagherzadeh. By May 1, 2015, Nadia remained in federal incarceration while her father and stepmother were moved to the Harris County jail. In the courtroom, Irsan asked for the state to not notify the Jordanian government, citing that he was a citizen of the United States. Later in 2015 Nadia was moved to the Harris County Jail, and she was moved to house arrest in January 2017 with $250,000 bail. Texas State District Judge Jan Krocker marked Nadia's stalking trial for July 2017. In the meantime Krocker chose house arrest since Nadia had been accused of stalking. After state criminal charges were announced, an anonymous person stating to be one of the children of Irsan created a petition stating that "racial prejudice and discrimination" had victimized the family. While Montgomery County authorities stated they were re-investigating the 1999 death of Alidam, they would only file charges on the matter if new evidence is presented. Murder trial and punishment: Irsan's capital murder trial began on June 25, 2018. It was held at the Bob Casey Federal Courthouse in Downtown Houston. The normal venue for state felony cases, the Harris County Criminal Courthouse in Downtown, had sustained damage from Hurricane Harvey in 2017, and the post-storm restoration was not yet complete. The prosecutors sought the death penalty against Irsan, making it the first death penalty prosecution in Houston in 2018, and also the first death penalty case during the tenure of Kim Ogg, the Harris County district attorney since January 1, 2017. Anna Emmons, Marie Primm, and Jon Stephenson were appointed special prosecutors, since Ogg's first assistant, prior to the beginning of the murder trial, represented a suspected co-conspirator in another case; Ogg recused. Allen Tanner and Rudy Duarte were attorneys appointed by the judge to represent Irsan, while Katherine Scardino was the attorney appointed for Alrawabdeh. Jan Krocker served as the state district judge. Nesreen testified against her father, as did Cory Beavers, who lost his twin brother and girlfriend, and McCormick, who lost her son. Alrawabdeh entered into a plea deal that gave her a conviction of kidnapping instead of murder, and as part of the plea deal she testified against Irsan. Alrawabdeh was to be released with time served after the end of the trial. In addition Dahl testified against her first husband, and first daughter Nesemah testified against her father. Two younger sisters of Irsan flew from Jordan to the U.S. to testify in his favor. Two sons of Irsan also testified in favor of their father. Even though his lawyers asked him not to, Irsan testified in his own trial. Irsan was declared guilty on July 26, 2018. The jurors came to this conclusion after 35 minutes of deliberation. In the punishment phase, which lasted two weeks, the jury deliberated between two possible outcomes for a capital murder conviction under Texas law: life without parole or the death penalty. Prosecutors presented a witness who accused Irsan of boasting about murdering Alidam without consequence in 1999. Nesreen testified that Irsan used severe corporal punishment, and that he praised the September 11, 2001 attacks and suicide bombings while living in the United States. On Tuesday, August 14, 2018, Irsan received a death sentence. The jury held a deliberation for nine hours before reaching the sentence. Irsan went into the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) on August 20 of that year. Men sentenced to death under Texas law are normally held at the Polunsky Unit near Livingston, Texas. Aftermath and analysis: Governor of Texas Greg Abbott wrote on Twitter that people who commit honor killings in Texas would be sentenced to death. Brian Rogers of the Houston Chronicle stated that experts considered the case to be unusual because usually only the offending woman is killed in an honor killing, and that the Irsan affair increased attention given to honor killings in the United States. Michael Creed, another brother of Coty Beavers, said "You don’t have to be Muslim to be a victim of an honor crime. These are not infrequent events that happen in some random part of the world. They’re happening in America and they’re on the rise." Beavers's father, Dennis Beavers, also stated "If we in this country are not careful, a tragedy like ours could happen to your family." Relatives of Coty Beavers and Bagherzadeh stated that they became more fearful after the murders, with Cory and another brother of Beavers having guns for protection. On January 23, 2012 Bagherzadeh's funeral was held at Second Baptist Church. Her parents sold their Houston house and moved to Maryland, where their eldest son lived. Ebrahim Bagherzadeh, Bagherzadeh's father, stated that being in Houston reminds them of their daughter and makes them feel sad. The Houston Crimestoppers Memorial in Midtown Houston has a memorial to Bagherzadeh.

Murder of Marlene Oakes

Helen Marlene Major (née: Oakes), best known by her middle name and posthumously by her maiden name, was an American woman who was murdered by her estranged husband in 1980. The victim's partial skull was located near the pair's home not long after her death, but it was not identified until 2001 after mitochondrial DNA testing confirmed the identity of the remains. Disappearance and murder: Oakes was known to have an affair with a man, Glen St. Hillaire, who lived on their property who was also employed by her husband, William "Bill" Major. William Major allegedly "encouraged" the relationship. He had been married to Marlene for nine years and was also rumored to be involved with another woman. Oakes, who kept a diary, wrote at around the time of her murder, she had witnessed her husband sexually assaulting the pair's son, Donald. She made plans to take her son and daughter from the household and travel elsewhere. William Major reportedly told several individuals he would murder Marlene if she was to end their relationship and went into detail of the steps he would take to make her body unidentifiable. Oakes had given St. Hillaire her diaries to ensure their survival. Marlene had written in her diary that Major had agreed to sign divorce papers if the abuse was not made public. Oakes wrote that if he changed his mind, she would tell her mother in law. Major dropped the two children off at a neighbor's residence but claimed to St. Hillaire that Marlene had left and abducted the children. He gave several firearms to another neighbor and expressed the desire to move to Rhode Island. There was no evidence Marlene had taken anything with her, except for her vehicle (now believed to have been disposed of in the Ohio River), yet her drivers licence was left at the residence. Major told Donald and LaLana that their mother had abandoned them due to her involvement with drugs, alcohol and prostitution. Authorities did initially find the suggestion that Marlene left due to an unsatisfactory marriage somewhat plausible but searched the property with no results. Her dental records were frequently submitted to respective agencies when a woman's body would be found matching her description. St. Hillaire and William Major denied to police any involvement in Marlene's disappearance. A partial skull, lacking teeth was discovered a mile from the Major residence by a hunter on November 29, 1981 but could not be identified for years after its discovery. The cause of death was determined to be due to multiple gunshots and through examination, the victim was determined to be a white female around 30 years old. Evidence of dismemberment was also noted. Traditional nuclear DNA testing was determined impossible due to the deteriorated condition of the bone. After William remarried soon after Marlene's disappearance, he remarried in 1981 but his second wife reported the sexual and physical abuse to police in 1984 after his children told her and he had previously threatened to kill the other sibling if one was to report him. He served eleven years, despite a fifteen year sentence. After his release in 1996, he was set to face additional charges but due to the statute of limitations, further action was not possible. Donald and LaLana moved in with Marlene's mother following the conviction. Oakes' mother immediately suspected William for the disappearance. After gaining custody, she told LaLana she presumed Marlene had been dead since her disappearance. LaLana took the initiative to investigate "on her own" and began building knowledge by watching true crime documentaries. When she was twenty, Boone County police gave her access to their file on Oakes' case and began interviewing witnesses. She also searched for additional remains but was unable to find any. "I told him not to touch me ever again. and if he touches Donald, I'll kill him. I could be the biggest whore to walk the streets of Verona and no judge would dare to give him custody of my kids before me." - Marlene's entry in her diary after discovering her husband abusing their son. Identification and conviction: In 2001, LaLana submitted DNA for a mitochondrial DNA test to be compared to that of the unidentified skull. The type of DNA was easier to obtain but less specific in genetic information. The county initially declined to pay for the nearly $20,000 test but eventually changed their minds. Oakes' sister had previously offered to sacrifice her retirement funds to pay for it. The testing concluded that LaLana was maternally related to the individual the skull belonged to. William Major was arrested in June 2001 for the murder of Marlene, following the identification of her skull. Major's father told authorities that he had confessed to him about the murder years earlier. As this statement was insufficient on its own, authorities were given permission to put a phone tap on a telephone at the father's residence as he made a call to William, who admitted guilt in the crime. He later confessed to police and stated he felt no remorse. Major's defense stated a stroke he suffered in 1995 caused him to be "delusional." Major was charged formally in July 2001. The jury deliberated a mere forty-three minutes before releasing a guilty verdict. In popular culture: -Cold Case Files detailed the case in a 2001 episode titled "Daddy Knows Best." -Forensic Files also depicted the case in a 2004 episode titled "A Daughter's Journey."