Sunday, February 17, 2019
Murder of Kelly Ann Tinyes
The murder of Kelly Ann Tinyes occurred on March 3, 1989. Tinyes was a thirteen-year-old Valley Stream, New York resident who was strangled, stabbed, and mutilated. Her body was discovered in the basement of her neighbor, twenty-one-year-old bodybuilder Robert Golub, who was charged and convicted of her murder. Golub was convicted based on DNA evidence that showed that he matched the genetic markers found in a blood sample discovered on evidence. The trial was the first case in New York state to have a case won by DNA forensic evidence. The case was re-opened on March 3, 2009 to investigate the possibility of an accomplice.
Murder: On March 3, 1989 Kelly Tinyes was babysitting her younger brother Richard when he answered a phone call from someone identifying himself as "John" and asking to speak with Kelly. Shortly after speaking with the other person on the phone, Tinyes told her brother that she was going to go to a friend's house and that she would return shortly. After waiting a short period of time, Richard went to the friend's home and was told that Kelly had not been there. A neighbor child told Richard that he had seen Kelly go into the Golub house. Attempts by Richard to call the Golubs and to knock at their home were unsuccessful. His parents arrived home around 5pm and also attempted to locate Kelly, but were unsuccessful. A friend of Kelly's, Sharon Stonel, also commented that she had seen Kelly go into the Golubs' house. Two detectives visited the Golub house the following day and interviewed several members of the Golub family. The detectives later returned to the house and requested permission to search the property. After gaining permission from the senior John Golub, the detectives searched the home and found the body of Kelly Tinyes in the house's basement.
Arrest, trial and incarceration: Robert Golub was charged with the murder of Kelly and brought to trial in late 1989 after a bloody handprint matching Golub's was discovered. His brother John Golub was suspected of being involved in the murder, but was never formally charged. During the trial Golub's lawyer Salvatore Marinello raised questions over the police search, saying that it was an improper and unlawful search, as well as questioning the DNA evidence's accuracy. Marinello argued that the DNA testing was unreliable, and that the testing process performed on the blood samples might be in question. A supervisor for the testing facility Lifecodes Corporation stated that "the tests on the blood samples were accurate, and asserted that the chances of the blood belonging to someone other than Robert Golub were 1 in 707 million." On April 7, 1990 Golub was found guilty of second-degree murder and was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Golub attempted to appeal the decision, but was turned down. On November 18, 2013, while nearing completion of the 25 year minimum sentence for the crime, he had his first parole hearing. On November 25, he was denied. The parole board said releasing him early would be "incompatible with the welfare of society." Robert Golub maintained his innocence as recently as 2009 in an interview with Newsday calling himself "tragedy #2" with Kelly Tinyes being "tragedy #1." In a parole hearing in November 2013 Golub admitted responsibility for Tinyes' death and stated that he had accidentally knocked Tinyes down the stairs, causing her to fall unconscious, then subsequently beating her and finally stabbing her to death. Golub's parole was denied in 2013, 2015 and 2017. He is eligible for parole consideration again in November of 2019.
Civil suit: The Tinyes family later brought a civil suit against the Golub family in July 1990, stating that the Golubs had "failed to supervise their son properly" and were responsible in part for the murder of Kelly Tinyes. The Tinyes sought $602 million in damages.
Media:
-Author Ronald J Watkins wrote a book about the murder, Against Her Will: The Senseless Murder of Kelly Ann Tinyes, which was published on April 19, 2000.
-The murder was featured on a 1990 episode of Geraldo.
Death of Kathryn Hinnant
The death of Kathryn Hinnant occurred on 7 January 1989 at Bellevue Hospital. Hinnant, a pathologist, was strangled by a homeless man who had been squatting in the hospital.
Background: Kathryn Hinnant worked at the New York University Medical School as a researcher in cytopathology. She had an office on the fourth floor of the pathology wing at Bellevue.
Steven Smith was a homeless man with a history of psychiatric problems and an addiction to cocaine. He had twice been admitted to Bellevue in late 1988 after ingesting rat poison but had been released. He subsequently began squatting in the hospital, dressing as a doctor in order to blend in.
Murder: On 7 January 1989, Hinnant was in her office at Bellevue preparing a lecture. Smith entered her office, beat her, raped her, and strangled her with a cord. Her body was found at 6 the next morning by her husband and a hospital staff member. She was five months pregnant at the time of her death.
Investigation and trial: Mayor Edward Koch referred to the case as "the number one to be solved"; 50 detectives were reportedly tasked with catching the killer, whom the media had taken to referring to as the "Beast of Bellevue". Several days later, Smith was located and arrested with Hinnant's credit cards. Smith was tried on a charge of first-degree murder and presented an insanity plea. The jury did not believe his defense and found him guilty, resulting in a sentence of life in prison. Smith stated he would have preferred to receive the death penalty.
Legacy: The murder was one of several incidents of security breaches at Bellevue Hospital, dating back decades. Hinnant's family sued Bellevue for wrongful death, alleging negligence on the part of the hospital in failing to provide adequate security. The family refused a proposed settlement but the case was ultimately decided against them.
Saturday, February 16, 2019
hilarious
I find it funny (and amazing) that if I'm drinking something and it's in front of 1 of my eyes it doesn't impair me at all but my muscle spasms do. about a year ago I'd walk around campus with whatever and sometimes it would be in front of my face and would partially impair my vision but the worst that happened was spilling a small amount on the shirt.
vegetarian and health
my muscle spasms are 1 of the big reasons for being flexitarian. I occasionally eat meat but leaner meats. one reasons i'm into eating vegan meals it's awesome.
so cute
I was watching videos on little babies who have downs syndrome. they're kind of cute and love being together. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5evMfXVqGk; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBVE4BkKFyg; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmH8ljFgqeo)
so much
my visiting teacher gave me so much leftovers from last night's party. I understand I usually give stuff and rarely take more than a few items I was given 4 platefuls of food and some tortillas. I'm like wow. that's a lot.
ugh
I can't believe I get talked into this type if thing where I do things I'm not planning on. this is usually me going to another ward despite me wanting to skip/ miss church if necessary.
funny
apparently women have been brainwashed since birth not to go into more intense fields such as STEM or the military
Thursday, February 14, 2019
brush my hair
i washed my hair and now it's all messy. i love it. no one noticed my hair was unbrushed
Murder of Clare Morrison
Clare Morrison was a 13-year-old Australian girl who was murdered on 19 December 1992 in Geelong, Victoria. Her near-naked body was discovered by surfers early morning on 19 December near Bells Beach, bashed, strangled and shark-bitten. As of 2018, the murder remains unsolved. Morrison was last seen on the night of 18 December in Geelong Mall telling her friend that she would take the bus home to get money for Christmas shopping. Some witnesses also claimed that she "appeared to be drunk." The only lead the local police obtained was from 18-year-old Shane McLaren who reported that she was seen getting into a blue Commodore with two men. However, several months later, the police discovered that the report was false and McLaren was booked under perjury. McLaren, a self-confessed ice addict, remains the only suspect in Morrison's murder. The police announced a A$50,000 reward in exchange for any information related to the murder. In December 2017, Morrison's brother Andrew, in an interview with Geelong Advertiser, said, "I’ve only just been made aware that on the night they (Clare and friends) were all hanging around town, about eight of them, before they’ve nicked off in one car and all went to Point Addis. That’s where they were all meeting, at the cliff that overlooks Bell Beach. Clare didn’t leave with them though. It was dark and, at this time of year with daylight savings, they must’ve been there past 9pm or 10pm." He added, "My sister was found early in the morning and she must have been in the water a long time for her to be attacked by sharks if that’s true, so I’m thinking they’ve just missed seeing her, it’s a very small window. One of these people, they could be the one who breaks the case right open."
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Great guys
A lot of the elders are great guys. One really "won my heart". He was awesome to me. His companion was sweet
Grady Stiles
Grady Franklin Stiles Jr. was a freak show performer. His deformity was genetic condition ectrodactyly, in which the fingers and toes are fused together to form claw-like extremities. Stiles' performed under the stage name "Lobster Boy".
Family history: The Stiles family had a long history of ectrodactyly, according to his father dating back to 1840. Stiles was the sixth in a line born to Grady F. Stiles Sr. and wife Edna that began with the birth of William Stiles in 1805. Grady Stiles' father was a sideshow attraction in a traveling carnival when his son was born and added his son to the act at the age of seven. Stiles married twice and had four children, two of whom also had ectrodactyly. Stiles and his two children toured together as The Lobster Family. When not traveling with the carnival the Stiles family lived in Gibsonton, Florida where many other carnival performers lived during the winter season.
Murder: Stiles was an alcoholic and was abusive to his family. Due to his ectrodactyly, he was unable to walk. While he often used a wheelchair, he most commonly used his hands and arms for locomotion. He developed substantial upper body strength that, when combined with his bad temper and alcoholism, made him dangerous to others. In 1988 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Stiles shot and killed his oldest daughter's fiancé on the eve of their wedding. He was brought to trial, where he openly confessed to killing the man and was convicted of third-degree murder. He was not sent to prison as no state institution was equipped to care for an inmate with ectrodactyly. Stiles was instead sentenced to house arrest and fifteen years probation. Stiles stopped drinking thereafter, and during this period remarried his first wife, Mary Teresa (Teresa). However, he soon began drinking again and his family claimed that he became even more abusive. In 1992, Teresa and her son from a previous marriage, Harry Glenn Newman Jr., hired a seventeen-year-old sideshow performer named Chris Wyant to kill Stiles for $1500. Wyant was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 27 years in prison. Harry Newman was given life in prison for his role as the mastermind and Teresa was given 43 years in prison for conspiracy to commit murder. Stiles' son, Grady Stiles III, disputes the claim that Teresa had him murdered. According to him, his mother, Teresa, and father were arguing. Teresa had said 'Something needs to be done.' Teresa's son overheard this, and went to a neighbor and repeated it. The neighbor shot and killed Stiles shortly after.
Media-
-Fred Rosen wrote a book on the case called Lobster Boy: The Bizarre Life and Brutal Death of Grady Stiles Jr., and E! made a True Hollywood Stories episode based on the case titled "The Murder of Lobster Boy". A&E Network also made a City Confidential episode based on the case called "Gibsonton: The Last Side Show".
-Stiles' likeness appears on the CD cover for Silverchair's Freak Show.
-A person like Grady, going by the name of "Lobster Boy", appears in a Deadpool comic. Deadpool was hired to assassinate him, but fails when he figures out he is possessed by Xaphan, a fallen angel, and starts possessing the souls. He was later saved by the two Ghost Riders, but at the end is shot again in the head by Deadpool for being cruel to other freaks.
-On HBO's Carnivàle, set on a traveling carnival during the Great Depression, the central character, Ben Hawkins, is sent out by his employers to investigate rumors of Lobster Girl in a nearby town.
American Freakshow: The Terrible Tale of Sloth Boy, a graphic novel published by IDW Publishing, tells the tale of Dante Browning, a carnival sideshow performer with clawed hands who, because of his abuse and cruelty to his family, is shot to death by a hit man hired by his wife and stepson while in his home in Gibsonton, Florida.
-American Horror Story: Freak Show has a Lobster Boy character. It also includes a small statue in the likeness of Stiles in the opening credits. In addition, a snapshot of Stiles is briefly seen at the American Morbidity Museum in the third episode ("Edward Mordrake, Part I").
-John Strohm wrote "Ballad of Lobster Boy," inspired by Grady Stiles and recorded the song for his 1999 album Vestavia.
-Podcasts The Last Podcast on the Left, The Dollop and The Box Of Oddities have had episodes on "The Lobster Boy".
Clinton Avenue Five
The Clinton Avenue Five are five young men who disappeared on August 20, 1978, in Newark, New Jersey. The name is derived from the street where they were last seen. The case eventually went cold. The five teenagers were:
-Melvin Pittman, aka "Ricky", 17
-Ernest Taylor, 17
-Alvin Turner, 16
-Randy Johnson, 16
-Michael McDowell, 16
Thirty years later, in November 2008, while in police custody on an unrelated charge and after a 13-hour interrogation, Philander Hampton confessed that he and his cousin, local contractor Lee Anthony Evans, had lured the teenagers to his former Newark residence (256 Camden Street) with the promise of employment. Angry at the boys for stealing marijuana from his home, Evans had Hampton hold two of them at gunpoint while he rounded up the other three. The boys were led to a third-floor bedroom closet at gunpoint and locked in. Evans then set the house on fire with five gallons of gasoline, and all five boys perished. After making this confession, Hampton led investigators to the site of the fire, where authorities searched the grounds for human remains using sonar equipment, but none were found. To date, the remains of the five boys have not been found.
Arrests: On March 22, 2010, Evans and Hampton were arrested and charged with felony murder and arson. Each was held on $5 million bail at the Essex County Jail. Shortly thereafter, Rogers Taylor, a brother of victim Ernest Taylor, said that in 2008 Evans had confessed to him his involvement in the murder. Despite this confession, Judge Peter Vazquez noted Evans' strong ties to the community, his lack of a criminal record, and the prosecution's difficult case as reasons for his decision to lower bail from $5 million to $1.25 million and then to $950,000. Evans' family posted this amount in the form of three pieces of property. Evans was released from jail on August 20, 2010, the 32nd anniversary of the teens' murders.
Trials: Philander Hampton pleaded guilty to the murders at his August 2011 trial and was sentenced to ten years in prison plus $15,000 in relocation expenses upon his release. He was released from custody on February 27, 2017. In September 2011, Floria Turner-McDowell (not a relative of victim Michael McDowell), mother of victim Alvin Turner, had her son declared dead and filed a wrongful death suit against Evans and Hampton two months later. Lee Anthony Evans represented himself at his November 2011 trial and was acquitted, officially closing the 33-year-old cold case. However, one of the victim's brother Rodgers Taylor, key witness in the case falsely accused a court watcher (Gary Ewing) of going to his house the "night before" and trying to intimidate Taylor about the case. After a small investigation by the Court Judge Costello it was determined that Rodgers Taylor was lying and fabricated the entire event.
In November 2013, Evans filed a lawsuit against the Essex County Prosecutor's Office (EPCO), the Newark police department, and United States Senator Cory Booker, claiming he was the victim of malicious prosecution and that his arrest was a political conspiracy to get then-Mayor Booker elected to a second term in office. State and city officials filed motions on January 22, 2015, to dismiss the complaint, stating that Evans had not provided a factual basis to conclude that any of the ECPO defendants had deprived him of his constitutional rights. A third man has also been considered a suspect in the case. This was Maurice Woody-Olds, who died of natural causes in 2008. All three of the suspects are cousins.
wow
I'm so amazed I've gone 2 months without having a muscle spasm. I was so happy. unfortunately, I've had heart issues by taking so much medication to avoid it.
newer clothes
I love my new clothes. my Aunt and mom has found nicer new clothes for me. some aren't completely new but fit in the new category.
drop
i've tried meeting with multiple sets of missionaries but they've continually dropped. that's fine. annoying but fine.
Burger Chef murders
The Burger Chef murders began at a Burger Chef restaurant in Speedway, Indiana, on the night of Friday November 17, 1978. Four young employees went missing in what was initially thought to be a petty theft by themselves of cash from the restaurant safe. By Saturday morning it became a clear case of robbery-kidnap, and by Sunday, when their bodies were discovered, a case of murder. While investigators believe they have identified some or all of the perpetrators, without physical evidence they have not been able to prosecute those who remain alive.
Suspected robbery and homicides: At some point between 11 pm (closing time) and midnight on November 17, 1978, four employees of Burger Chef restaurant in Speedway, Indiana (at 5725 Crawfordsville Road) disappeared: Jayne Friedt, 20, Daniel Davis, 16, Mark Flemmonds, 16, and Ruth Ellen Shelton, 18. A fellow employee who came by at midnight to visit the four noticed that the restaurant was empty and the back door ajar and raised the alarm. Initially, police did not consider this a serious case, given management reported the loss of only approximately $500 from the safe and no clear signs of a struggle. It was thought to be a case of petty embezzlement, with the assumption that the pilfered cash had been used by the youths to go partying that night. Change had not been taken from the registers. Though the purses of the missing women had been left at the shop, the petty theft theory initially seemed most likely and the scene was cleaned up by employees early Saturday morning. When the four did not show on Saturday morning and Friedt's Vega was found partially locked in town, concerns grew. It became evident that they had been abducted while closing up the restaurant for the night, with the attack possibly beginning as they removed trash bags out the back door. On Sunday afternoon, hikers found the bodies of the four over 20 mi away in the rural woods of Johnson County. Both Davis and Shelton had been shot execution-style numerous times with a .38 caliber firearm. Friedt had been stabbed twice in the chest. The handle of the knife had broken off and was missing; the blade was later recovered during an autopsy. Flemmonds had suffered a blunt-force head injury, which coroners had believed he had suffered when he fled his captors, only to have the misfortune of colliding with a heavy object, possibly a tree trunk, which thwarted his flight. Flemmonds was later determined to have been bludgeoned—possibly with a chain—prior to his death. The leading theory has been that they had been kidnapped during a botched robbery, possibly after one of the victims recognized one of the perpetrators.
Eyewitness sightings: A 16-year-old eyewitness saw two suspicious men in a car outside the Burger Chef just before closing on the night of the murders. Both were white and in their thirties. One man had a beard, and the other was clean-shaven with light colored ("fair") hair. The police had models of the suspects created in clay to assist the investigation.
Initial investigations: Later that year, a man in a bar in Greenwood bragged that he had been involved in the killings. Police subsequently questioned him, and while he passed a polygraph claiming to not have been involved, and officers were unable to bring charges on other grounds, he provided the names of others he suggested belonged to a fast-food robbery gang, who investigators suspected may have been involved. While following up on these leads in Franklin, officers spotted a man who bore a strong resemblance to the 'bearded man' composite. Summoned for a lineup, the man shaved his beard (which he had had for the previous five years) the night before he was to appear. A neighbor of his, who had not been spotted by the original witness, but who had been named by the Greenwood suspect, subsequently went to prison for strongarm robberies committed with a shotgun. Another associate named by the Greenwood suspect who fit the description of the fair-haired man also subsequently was imprisoned for other armed robberies of fast-food restaurants. However, without confessions—despite offers of plea deals to any suspects not directly responsible for the killings—and without direct physical evidence of the involvement of the suspects in the murders, the police were not able to effect an arrest. At the time there was some speculation that the murders were tied to other crimes which had shocked the town over the preceding months, such as the murder of Julia Scyphers and the Speedway bombings. At the time the perpetrator of the bombings was still on the loose. However, these were subsequently found to be unconnected to the November murders.
Later investigations: Investigators continued to follow leads relating to possible suspects as widely as Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Chicago and Dallas. However, they were not able to find any more promising leads, or to locate the evidence they believed would have been most useful: the firearm, the handle of the knife, and the chain used in the murders. Nor have any perpetrators made confessions to police, though the son of the bearded suspect has told police that he confided in him that he had been involved prior to his own death. Ken York, one of the original investigators on the case, has noted that the deaths of the Greenwood suspect and the bearded suspect, from an apparent suicide and a heart attack respectively, came suspiciously close after the release of the armed robber named by the suspect from the Greenwood bar. Despite thousands of hours of police investigation, as well as Burger Chef offering a reward of $25,000 to anyone who could capture the murderers or provide information about their whereabouts, the attackers were never prosecuted, and the case remains officially unsolved. Indiana state police continue to hold the case open, and have reportedly investigated the possible use of new DNA-tracing techniques developed since the initial investigations.
1978 Agoura-Malibu firestorm
The 1978 Agoura-Malibu firestorm was a firestorm fueled by at least eight significant wildfires in the Los Angeles area on October 23, 1978. At around noon that day, an arsonist started a fire that eventually burned 25,000 acres from Cornell to Broad Beach in Malibu. The first fire alarm in Agoura was reported at 12:11 PM, and by 2:30 PM, the fire had reached the Pacific Ocean 13 miles (21 km) south in Malibu. It had been declared a Level 2 (maximum emergency) fire at 1:57 PM. As the fires spread through the canyons of the Santa Monica Mountains over the next four days, a total of 230 homes were destroyed in Agoura and Malibu, and in the Los Angeles community of Mandeville Canyon to the east. At least 254 other structures were also destroyed. The fire was contained on October 25 and controlled on October 27. 136 engine companies, 28 camp crews, 8 bulldozers, 6 helicopters and 6 fixed wing air tankers helped fight this fire. Known at the "Agoura-Malibu Firestorm" and the "Mandeville Canyon Fire", these two major fires were bolstered by winds as high as 60 miles per hour and extremely dry conditions. Residents of Agoura evacuated to a shopping center next to the Ventura Freeway in Agoura Hills, where massive flames could be seen engulfing Castro Peak. Damage caused by the group of fires burning was estimated at US$71.4 million, according to California officials. Three people were killed and 50 were injured, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. A 15-year-old Agoura youth was arrested for starting the fire, and sentenced to be confined in the California Youth Authority until his 21st birthday. Arson investigators determined that he had used a lit cigarette wrapped in a matchbook to set the fire.
back issues
I've been having TONS of back issues of late. my scoliosis hurts me like crazy since: I'm losing weight and I'm stretched out like crazy.
smile
many a boys have smiled at me. I usually don't take any mind to it as that's what's usually expected. the boy who picked up the headband I dropped last time at the ward smiled at me when he saw me. another smiled like crazy when he saw me.
maybe
1 option of a police job my mom would consider me taking is sensitivity training. an example would be me teaching the police officers what happens if someone, like me, has an autistic outburst or a muscle spasm. I'm completely conscious during a muscle spasms and can kind of function but not 100% during a muscle spasm. they're not painful but I lose control of 2 extremities
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
skateboarding
I love skateboarding. I used to it but because my muscle disorder I had to stop. I want to try it after I get my muscle spasms back under control.
muscle spasm
this is something i'm used to. it kinda looks weird to other people but i'm used to it. i don't mind it that much. i don't feel anything unless i'm walking around and trying to function. i once had 2 in the same day. I must've been super tired. I took my medication and I was fine afterward.
accidents
I had 2 accidents. multitasking was the cause of my 2nd accident. I was in a rush down the stairs to a movie and I was having a muscle spasm.
gah
I hate coming back to a ward after I switch for a few weeks. I'm like why? I'm not anyone special. I'm grateful to be looked after and included in things but if I'm busy than I'm busy.
short tempered
I'm much more short tempered these days due to my scoliosis pain. I'm losing weight and stretching out like crazy I'm so sensitive. I want to not be cranky but it's because all the joint pain. i'm trying to be less visibly cranky but there are times I can't contain myself
early
because of the weather i got home half an hour earlier than usual. that's nice. too bad my scoliosis is bugging me.
more stuff
I got more stuff for my criminal justice jobs. I found out a recruiter started out as a dispatcher.
long hair
I love my hair long. I realized a few days ago that if I do it correctly my hair straightens out.
i have a question
so 1 of my professors was asking about my accommodations. I explained I'm mildly autistic and that's why I have the accommodations but 1 of them are for my back issues.
2 piercings
I have 2 earrings in 1 ear. a few people notice but since i'm usually not wearing loud earrings few say anything about it
Murder of Dana Dodd
Dana Lynn Dodd was a formerly unidentified murder victim whose body was found in 2006 in Kilgore, Texas. In 2013 investigators had hoped that a new reconstruction of the victim might uncover more leads. In August 2018, Joseph Wayne Burnette was indicted for her murder, following a confession, stating her name may have been "Ashley." The victim's case was later submitted to the DNA Doe Project, who made an identification in January 2019, 12 years later. While she remained unidentified, she was known by the nickname "Lavender Doe."
Discovery: The body of a white or possibly Middle Eastern female between 17 and 25 years old was found on October 29, 2006 in Kilgore, Texas, lying face-down on a pile of burning brush. The body was severely burnt, but clothing including a purple sweater and a pair of jeans were recovered. A total of forty dollars was found in her pockets. It is believed she died between 8:15 and 10:00 PM on the previous day. Two of her deciduous teeth were still present, which may be of help in determining her identity. She weighed approximately 100 to 120 pounds, was between 5 feet 3 inches and 5 feet 5 inches tall and was most likely from a middle-class household. The victim's hair color was likely reddish or blonde with blonde or red highlights, but may have been entirely strawberry-blonde or light brown. Initially, she was believed to have been as young as 13, and race and sex were considered unknown until further study. Due to the recovery of an empty gasoline can from the scene and the nature of her death, the case is being investigated as a homicide. Semen was found on forensic examination, indicating that she may have been a victim of rape prior to death.
Investigation: According to residents of the area, there were many "suspicious people" in the vicinity of the oil field where the body was discovered and some referred to the location as a "killing ground." Because of the condition of the body, the face was reconstructed three times—with clay, in a sketch by a forensic artist, and in January 2014, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children released a digital composite image produced from a CT scan after the remains were exhumed on October 2, 2013. Despite comparison with the dental records and DNA of a large number of missing persons, the search for her identity long remained fruitless. After the release of the most recent reconstruction, the mother of missing 23-year-old Brandi Wells, who disappeared after going out to a nightclub in Longview, Texas in August 2006, contacted authorities, feeling the composite strongly resembled her daughter. DNA testing eliminated the possibility that the unidentified body could be Brandi Wells. In 2007, a suspect in the case emerged, Joseph Wayne Burnette, then 36, who is a convicted sex offender and was imprisoned for another crime at the time police announced their suspicions that he was the murderer. Burnette previously denied involvement in the murder; however, on August 27, 2018 he confessed to the killing of Lavender Doe, along with the 2018 murder of Felisha Pearson. Burnette claimed he convinced the victim to enter his vehicle when she was selling items from a magazine. In 2018, the DNA Doe Project took on the case to try to uncover Lavender Doe's identity. In January 2019, it was announced that DNA Doe Project had identified Lavender Doe and that her identity would be released after Burnette's trial. Despite this, her identity was released on February 11, 2019. She was last known to reside in Jacksonville, Florida.
Monday, February 11, 2019
Florence Sally Horner
Florence Sally Horner was a girl abducted by a child molester in 1948.
Abduction: In 1948, the 11-year-old Horner stole a 5-cent notebook from a store in Camden, New Jersey. Frank La Salle, a 50-year-old mechanic, caught her stealing, told her that he was an FBI agent, and threatened to have her sent to "a place for girls like you." He then abducted the girl and spent 21 months traveling with her in different U.S. states. According to charges later brought against La Salle, it was during this period that he raped her repeatedly. While attending school in Dallas, Texas, Horner confided her secret to a friend. Later she escaped from La Salle, and phoned her sister at home, asking her to send the FBI. When arrested on March 22, 1950, in San Jose, California, La Salle claimed that he was Florence's father. However, authorities in New Jersey confirmed that Horner's father had died seven years previously. La Salle was tried, convicted, and sentenced to 30 to 35 years in prison under the Mann Act.
Death: Horner died in a car accident near Woodbine, New Jersey, on August 18, 1952. As the Associated Press reported on August 20, 1952: "Florence Sally Horner, a 15-year-old Camden, N.J., girl who spent 21 months as the captive of a middle-aged morals offender a few years ago, was killed in a highway accident when the car in which she was riding plowed into the rear of a parked truck."
Cultural references[ediCritic Alexander Dolinin proposed in 2005 that Frank La Salle and Florence Sally Horner were the real life prototypes of Humbert Humbert and Dolores "Lolita" Haze from Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. Although Nabokov had already used the same basic idea—that of a child molester and his victim booking into a hotel as father and daughter—in his then unpublished 1939 work Volshebnik (Волшебник), it is still possible that he drew on the details of the Horner case in writing Lolita. An English translation of Volshebnik was published in 1985 as The Enchanter. Nabokov explicitly mentions the Horner case in Chapter 33, Part II of Lolita: "Had I done to Dolly, perhaps, what Frank Lasalle, a fifty-year-old mechanic, had done to eleven-year-old Sally Horner in 1948?"
Joel Rifkin
Joel Rifkin is an American serial killer. In 1994, he was sentenced to 203 years in prison for the murders of nine women between 1989 and 1993. He is believed to have killed up to 17 victims between 1989 and 1993 in New York City and on Long Island, New York. Although he often hired sex workers in Brooklyn and Manhattan, he lived in East Meadow, a suburban hamlet on Long Island.
Early life: Rifkin's birth mother was a 20-year-old college student, and his biological father was a 24-year-old college student and army veteran. At three weeks old he was adopted by an upper-middle class Long Island couple, on February 14, 1959. His adoptive father, Benjamin Rifkin, was of Russian Jewish descent and his adoptive mother, Jeanne (Granelles), of Spanish descent, converted to Judaism when she married. Rifkin performed poorly in school due to learning disabilities and was unpopular with classmates due to his poor social skills. He graduated from East Meadow High School in 1977, then attended Nassau Community College, State University of New York, Brockport and State University of New York, Farmingdale, but left before earning a degree. After leaving college, he became self-employed as a landscaper.
Murders: Rifkin committed his first murder in 1989, killing Heidi Balch in his home in East Meadow. He then dismembered her body, removing her teeth and fingertips, putting her head in a paint can and then leaving the paint can in the woods of a golf course in southern New Jersey and her legs farther north, then dumping her remaining torso and arms into the East River around New York City. Balch's remains were unidentified until 2013. Over the next four years, it is presumed he killed 16 more women. After his final arrest in 1993, he was implicated in the murder of a woman whose severed head was discovered on a Hopewell, New Jersey, golf course on March 5, 1989. In 2013, investigators determined this victim, a sex worker named Heidi Balch, was the same woman he described as his first victim. Police finally caught up to Rifkin on June 28, 1993, when New York State Police spotted him driving his Mazda pickup truck without a rear license plate on the Southern State Parkway. A high-speed chase ended in Mineola, New York, when he crashed into a utility pole directly in front of the courthouse where he eventually stood trial. Troopers detected a foul odor from the back of the truck. It came from the corpse of his final victim: sex worker and dancer Tiffany Bresciani, 22, the girlfriend of Dave Rubinstein (a.k.a. Dave Insurgent, a member of the 1980s punk rock band Reagan Youth), Rifkin had picked Bresciani up in his pickup truck on June 24, 1993, where she was working on Allen Street in Manhattan, New York City. During his trial, Rifkin was represented by Mineola, New York-based attorney John Lawrence. He was found guilty of nine counts of second-degree murder in 1994, and sentenced to 203 years to life in prison. His first possible parole date is February 26, 2197.
Prison life: In early 1994, it was reported that Rifkin had engaged in a jailhouse scuffle with mass murderer Colin Ferguson. The brawl began when Ferguson asked Rifkin to be quiet while Ferguson was using a prison phone. The New York Daily News reported the fight escalated after Ferguson told Rifkin, "I killed six devils and you only killed women," to which Rifkin responded, "Yeah, but I had more victims." Ferguson then punched Rifkin. Prison officials decided in 1996 that Rifkin was so notorious, that his presence in the general prison population could be disruptive. He was confined to his cell at the Attica Correctional Facility for 23 hours a day. He spent more than four years in solitary confinement before being transferred to the Clinton Correctional Facility in Clinton County. Rifkin sued, arguing that his solitary imprisonment was unconstitutional. In 2000, a state appellate court determined that prison officials had not violated Rifkin's constitutional rights by housing him in isolation. His lawsuit sought $50,000 for each of his 1,540 days in solitary confinement (totaling $77 million). Had he received any money, it would have been subject to state laws that earmark most of the award for the families of his victims. Corrections officials say that Rifkin is now imprisoned with more than 200 other inmates at Clinton who are not allowed into the general prison population.
In popular culture:
-The 2018 independent film Joel was based on Rifkin’s life and crimes.
-In the Seinfeld episode "The Masseuse," Elaine's boyfriend is named Joel Rifkin and references to the serial killer are made throughout the episode. The crowd's reaction when his name is announced over the loudspeaker at a New York Giants game they were attending prompts Joel to agree to Elaine's suggestion to change his name.
-Tiffany Bresciani was the girlfriend of Dave Rubinstein, singer and co-founder of the New York-based hardcore punk band Reagan Youth. David Rubinstein committed suicide a week after the discovery of Tiffany's death.
-The Howard Stern Show producer Gary Dell'Abate briefly worked with Rifkin at a Record World location in New York.
-Mentioned in list of serial killers in the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Episode "Tortured"
December
in December I was taking a break from the kids. my mom hates me using the words "dropped" "ditched" or "dumped" in the people where I go to worship is because those are people I like being around and they're good people. when I said, "I ditched/ dumped/ dropped" them I use it super loosely. I was asked if I did a "friend fast" when I took a break for about 5 weeks from a ward. I'm like no vacation and divorce schedule. my reason THIS year for taking a break was because I wanted to offer up a sympathetic ear to a family who lost the mom last October. I LOVED being in my home ward. my visiting teacher kept offering me rides every time. my favorite activity I went to was the Christmas party. it was a version of a Christmas carol. that was awesome.
Katie Beers kidnapping
Katherine "Katie" Beers was kidnapped in New York in 1992 at age 10, by a friend of the family, and held in an underground bunker for seventeen days.
Kidnapping: Katie Beers disappeared on December 28, 1992, two days before her tenth birthday. She was lured by the promise of birthday presents to the home of a family friend, John Esposito. She left a message on her godmother's answering machine saying, "I've been kidnapped by a man with a knife." Esposito, almost immediately a suspect due to his own personal history (he had a criminal record for previously grabbing a seven-year-old in a mall in an attempted abduction as well as assaulting Katie's older brother John), falsely alleged that Beers was kidnapped by a third party while at the Spaceplex indoor amusement park, but security cameras disclosed that Esposito entered Spaceplex by himself. Beers was held in a 6-foot-by-7-foot concrete bunker under Esposito's garage in Bay Shore, New York, concealed by a 200-pound concrete trap door. The bunker contained a commode toilet, television set, mattress and chains used to restrain Beers. Beers, along with other children, had played in the dirt displaced by the bunker as Esposito dug it a few years earlier. He told police he had built the bunker for Beers. On January 13, 1993, she was found alive in the bunker after Esposito led police to it. Although he was not charged with it, Beers later said Esposito had raped her during her captivity.
Aftermath: Esposito was sentenced on July 27, 1994 to 15 years to life, a sentence he served at Sing Sing prison in Westchester County, New York. He was found dead in his cell of apparently natural causes on September 4, 2013, just after a parole hearing. Beers was sent to live with foster parents, due to severe neglect from her mother and abuse she had experienced before the kidnapping. She was raised by the foster family until adulthood.
Media:
-In January 2013, Beers published a memoir, Buried Memories (known as Help Me in the United Kingdom) about her ordeal. The book was co-written by reporter Carolyn Gusoff, who had previously covered Beers' case as it was happening. To promote the book Beers shared her abduction on the Dr. Phil talk show in January 2013.
-The season 4 episode of Law & Order, "Nurture", was based on this case. ABC's 20/20 episode "Saved" covered Katie Beers story in February 2013.
Paul Martin Andrews
Paul Martin Andrews is an American rape survivor and an advocate for rape survivors. In 1973, he was kidnapped in his native Virginia and hidden in an underground box by the convicted child abuser Richard Ausley. Thirty years after his ordeal, he went public with his story and became an activist for bolstering Virginia law with additional funding for continued civil commitments for sex offenders after their criminal sentences end. In this case, Virginia did not get a chance to test its new Civil Commitment for Sexually Violent Predators Act. Ausley's sentence was extended by five years after another victim came forward. In January 2004, Ausley was murdered in his prison cell. Andrews later said that he did not hate Ausley, and did not wish his death.
Erica Pratt
Erica Pratt is an American kidnapping victim. She was abducted on July 22, 2002 from a Philadelphia sidewalk, at 7-years-old. There was one witness present, a 6-year-old child named Rani Byrd. Rani tried to help Erica but was pushed to the ground before two men pulled off. When Erica's grandmother called for Erica and her sister, a crying Rani stated that Erica had been kidnapped, but her sister was around the corner. Erica's abductors bound her hands and feet and held her captive in a vacant house until she was able to free herself by gnawing at the tape on her wrists and then smashing a window, a day after the kidnapping. Both Pratt's bravery and the media's handling of the situation attracted considerable attention.
Reaction and recognition: Philadelphia's police inspector William Colarulo commented on Pratt's escape from captivity, stating, "I have twenty-one years in the Police Department, and I have never seen this kind of heroic act of bravery committed by a seven-year-old." Her problem-solving and actions, including her cries for help, have been cited as lessons for others and as an inspiration for African American leadership. She was named Time's Person of the Week "as a reminder that not all abductions end in tears". In May 2003, United States Attorney General John Ashcroft presented her with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's National Courage Award "for her unyielding persistence and boldness." In a year that had already seen several other high-profile kidnappings, including Danielle van Dam, Samantha Runnion and Elizabeth Smart, Pratt's story caused several media outlets to consider whether these crimes were actually becoming more commonplace, concluding that reporting was distorting perceptions of their frequency. This case, especially in comparison to those earlier in the year, led to suggestions that the media was selectively reporting about victims on the basis of racial or social class grounds, a claim sometimes generalised as missing white woman syndrome. Salon writer Margot Magowan also suggested the non-sexual nature of the Pratt kidnapping contributed to the media's attention. "If raped women were granted the same status as Erica Pratt," she wrote, "there would be no reflex to make them disappear."
Kidnappers: Edward Johnson, who performed the physical kidnapping, and James Burns, the getaway driver, were arrested three days after the kidnapping, which they had committed in an effort to collect ransom money from Pratt's grandmother. Johnson pleaded guilty in May 2003 while Burns was convicted a month later.
Blue
I love the color blue right now. I'm not sure if it's because of me being into Harry potter or because I just like the color
Shocked
Once in relief society I was shocked my friend Elizabeth wanted to sit next to me. I'm like ok and then paid attention to the teacher. Afterward, she said have a nice day.
Weight loss
I can tell I lost weight. My body frame is smaller and can tell I'm losing it more as my body is arthritic as it hurts.
Every time
Apparently I have to bring things to every church party. I'm like why? I already bring myself, which is pretty awesome since I'm friends with everyone and can easily work a room.
Why?
My mom asked my why I want to be vegan occasionally? I want to be healthy and help my weight, cholesterol and diabetes
Vegan pancakes
I love making vegan pancakes. Its awesome. Occasionally it is hard to make but if you do it right you'll do it perfectly
Headache
I have a headache and anxiety. Luckily I fixed it. My allergy medicine is helping. I'm likely dehydrated that's why I'm so sick.
Sunday, February 10, 2019
Basketball
I've never been a huge sports fan but last night I was watching a couple basketball games. I'm like great.
numb
when I found out my friend Elizabeth has passed away I was like, "what's that? whoa." I was numb thru her funeral. my mom was sad and allowed me to transfer back. I'm like wow. I was grateful that I could.
shaved
i shaved today after heat therapy. it's nice especially as my legs and arms are super hairy. i haven't truly shaved since December
Kopi Luwak
Kopi Luwak or civet coffee, is coffee that includes partially digested coffee cherries, eaten and defecated by the Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus). Fermentation occurs as the cherries pass through a civet's intestines, and after being defecated with other fecal matter, they are collected. Producers of the coffee beans argue that the process may improve coffee through two mechanisms, selection – civets choosing to eat only certain cherries – and digestion – biological or chemical mechanisms in the animal's digestive tract altering the composition of the coffee cherries. The traditional method of collecting feces from wild civets has given way to intensive farming methods in which civets in battery cage systems are force-fed the cherries. This method of production has raised ethical concerns about the treatment of civets due to "horrific conditions" including isolation, poor diet, small cages and a high mortality rate. Although kopi luwak is a form of processing rather than a variety of coffee, it has been called one of the most expensive coffees in the world, with retail prices reaching €550 / US$700 per kilogram. Kopi luwak is produced mainly on the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali and Sulawesi in the Indonesian Archipelago. It is also widely gathered in the forest or produced in the farms in the islands of the Philippines (where the product is called kape motit in the Cordillera region, kapé alamíd in Tagalog areas, kapé melô or kapé musang in Mindanao island, and kahawa kubing in the Sulu Archipelago), and in East Timor where it is called kafé-laku. Weasel coffee is a loose English translation of its Vietnamese name cà phê Chồn.
History: The origin of kopi luwak is closely connected with the history of coffee production in Indonesia. In the early 18th century the Dutch established the cash-crop coffee plantations in their colony in the Dutch East Indies islands of Java and Sumatra, including Arabica coffee introduced from Yemen. During the era of Cultuurstelsel, the Dutch prohibited the native farmers and plantation workers from picking coffee fruits for their own use. Still, the native farmers wanted to have a taste of the famed coffee beverage. Soon, the natives learned that certain species of musang or luwak (Asian palm civet) consumed the coffee fruits, yet they left the coffee seeds undigested in their droppings. The natives collected these luwaks' coffee seed droppings, then cleaned, roasted and ground them to make their own coffee beverage. The fame of aromatic civet coffee spread from locals to Dutch plantation owners and soon became their favourite, yet because of its rarity and unusual process, the civet coffee was expensive even during the colonial era.
don't be quick to judge
don't be quick to judge. there could be a reason for people doing things. take for example people of a religion who are fasting and other who say they're also members of the same religion aren't fasting. perhaps they have a medical issue and can't fast. perhaps it's an expecting mother and she's pregnant and can't fast. perhaps it's a young child. don't judge others so quickly. I was the victim of "quick to judge". i'd mentioned following the divorce decree despite being over the age of 18. there's a simple reason FOR me doing that: it's easier for me to follow the decree. I can get places (namely school) faster and have more freedom if I do.
Mercy Hospital shooting
On November 19, 2018, a mass shooting took place at the Mercy Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois. An attending physician at the hospital, a police officer, a pharmacy resident, and the perpetrator were killed.
Incident: The incident occurred between 3:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. The incident began in the parking lot of the hospital before moving inside. Police told the media that a verbal argument in the parking lot between an emergency room doctor and her ex-fiancé escalated. The doctor, identified as Tamara O'Neal, 38, was killed by the gunman in the parking lot. An eyewitness claimed that O'Neal ran over to the group for help, and was on her phone attempting to call 911, and told them that the gunman would kill her. The witness also claimed that the gunman demanded a ring from O'Neal, and returned with a gun and shot her six times when it emerged she did not have the ring. Local officers have classified the killing of O'Neal as domestic violence. He continued into the hospital and shot others. Police arrived and exchanged fire with the gunman, who retreated into the hospital and was pursued by officers. A police officer was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, where he later died. He was identified as 28-year-old Samuel Jimenez. The other two victims were identified as O'Neal and 25-year-old Dayna Less, a pharmacy resident. The gunman also died in the shooting. At 4:40 p.m., police had secured the location and all patients were safe.
Perpetrator: Local authorities identified the perpetrator as Juan Lopez, a 32-year-old male and the former fiancé of O'Neal. He was discovered within the hospital at around 3:20 p.m., shot in the head. Lopez had a valid FOID card and a concealed carry gun permit. In the five years prior to the shooting, he purchased four weapons. Lopez had previously threatened to shoot up the Chicago Fire Academy after he had been terminated as a trainee there for improper conduct toward women, and aggressive and improper conduct, five years previous. In 2014, during a separation proceedings, Lopez's wife at the time filed a petition for an order of protection against him, alleging threats and harassment by Lopez as well as Lopez's unsafe and threatening conduct with a gun.
Response: The hashtag #ThisIsOurLane was seen on social media after the shooting with multiple medical professionals rallying for support for those in the hospital, and some echoed anti-gun sentiments as well. The flag of Chicago outside local police stations was lowered to half staff in honor of the killed police officer, and the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation has announced plans to aid in funeral and educational expenses for his family.
my lucky bag
I have a rusty trusty tote bag. it's awesome. many people find it funny because it has a flamingo on it, which I don't get. like why is that funny?
October 2018 United States mail bombing attempts
In late October 2018, sixteen packages containing pipe bombs were mailed via the U.S. Postal Service to several prominent critics of U.S. President Donald Trump, including leading Democratic Party politicians such as former U.S. President Barack Obama, former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. While the packages were initially treated as live bombs, analysis indicated some of them could not explode, though it is unclear if they were "intentional" duds. Other people who were sent packages include U.S. Representative Maxine Waters, U.S. Senators Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, two former intelligence chiefs (ex-CIA Director John O. Brennan and ex-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper), billionaires George Soros and Tom Steyer, and actor Robert De Niro. One package was addressed only to CNN and sent to its world headquarters. The attempted bombings prompted investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. All sixteen confirmed bombs sent were actual improvised explosive devices, though none of them had a trigger mechanism and none of the devices exploded outside of a controlled setting. A suspect, Cesar Altieri Sayoc Jr., was arrested in Florida on October 26 and charged with five federal crimes the following week. The FBI is investigating the case as domestic terrorism.
Mailings-
Monday, October 22: A device was found in the mailbox at the home of George Soros in Katonah, New York. Soros, who is regularly the subject of conspiracy theories and threats by right-wingers, was absent. The employee who found the device carried it away to a wooded area where bomb squad officers safely detonated it.
Tuesday, October 23: A device addressed to former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (misspelled as "Hilary") was intercepted by the Secret Service in Chappaqua, New York. Also a former U.S. Senator and the wife of former President Bill Clinton, she was President Trump's main opponent in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Wednesday, October 24: A device addressed to former President Barack Obama was intercepted by the Secret Service during a mail screening in Washington, D.C. Additionally, a package containing an explosive and suspicious powder was found in CNN's mail room in the Time Warner Center in New York City, addressed to former CIA Director John O. Brennan (misspelled as "Brenan"). CNN reported that law enforcement said the package was delivered by courier. Brennan has served as a senior national security and intelligence analyst for MSNBC and NBC News since February 2018, but has appeared on CNN in the past. The bomb alarm occurred during CNN Newsroom with Poppy Harlow and Jim Sciutto. Along with their colleagues Kate Bolduan and Athena Jones, Harlow and Sciutto left the building, but continued to report via Skype over a cellphone line. A suspicious package addressed to U.S. Representative Maxine Waters was intercepted by United States Capitol Police. Another package addressed to Waters led to the evacuation of a U.S. Postal Service facility in Los Angeles. A package addressed to former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, with a bad address, was returned to the purported sender, the office of U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz in Sunrise, Florida.
Thursday, October 25: In the early morning hours, a package was found in Tribeca, New York City, addressed to actor Robert De Niro via his company TriBeCa Productions. Authorities also found a package in New Castle, Delaware, addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden with his full name, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. It was returned to the post office due to insufficient postage. A second package meant for Biden, this one with a wrong address, was found at a facility in Wilmington, Delaware. The Miami-Dade Police Department and federal authorities believe several of the packages went through a mail processing and distribution center in Opa-locka, Florida, and searched the facility with a bomb squad and K-9 unit.
Friday, October 26: Authorities found four packages similar to previous packages. One addressed to former National Intelligence Director James Clapper (which, like the one sent to John Brennan, had CNN's Time Warner Center address) was found in a New York City postal facility, while another addressed to U.S. Senator Cory Booker was found in a Florida postal facility. Authorities later found a bomb addressed to U.S. Senator Kamala Harris in Sacramento, California, and one addressed to billionaire Tom Steyer in Burlingame, California.
Monday, October 29: CNN President Jeff Zucker issued an alert to employees that a suspicious package sent to the CNN Center was found at a post office in Atlanta, Georgia. Jim Sciutto posted a picture of the package on Twitter and it was similar to the others. Unlike the other two sent to CNN, it was not addressed to a specific person.
Thursday, November 1: A second package addressed to Tom Steyer was found in Burlingame, California.
Devices and envelopes: According to The New York Times, the device sent to Soros's house was constructed from a length of PVC pipe about six inches long filled with explosive powder, and was proactively detonated by bomb squad technicians. Authorities reported that the devices recovered on October 24 were packed with shards of glass. A law enforcement official told reporters that the devices sent to Clinton and Obama were similar in design to the one that was sent to Soros. According to the Associated Press, a law enforcement official said tests have determined that white powder found inside an envelope delivered to CNN along with a pipe bomb was harmless. The bombs also contained pyrotechnic powder but lacked a triggering mechanism; the FBI described them as "potentially destructive devices." Law enforcement officials told the Associated Press the devices contained batteries and timers but were not rigged to explode when they opened.The officials said they're still trying to determine if the devices were shoddily constructed or simply meant to sow fear. At a press conference following the arrest of the suspect, FBI Director Christopher Wray described the bombs as improvised explosive devices, stating that they were "not hoax devices".
All of the devices were sent in yellow manila envelopes lined with bubble wrap. They each had a printed address label and six Forever stamps as well as the return address of U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz's office in Sunrise, Florida. All of the return addresses contained the same spelling errors: Schultz was misspelled "Shultz" and Florida was misspelled "Florids". Each set of labels was typed in all capital letters. The packages were also furnished with a meme parody of the ISIL flag with the inscription "Git 'Er Done", a catchphrase of standup comedian Larry the Cable Guy. Photographs of the packages meant for CNN were posted to Twitter by Jim Sciutto and Jim Acosta.
Investigation: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is leading the investigation, with assistance from the United States Secret Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the United States Postal Inspection Service, the New York City, Los Angeles, Miami-Dade, and Atlanta police departments; and other law enforcement agencies. Images of envelopes taken by the U.S. Postal Service's Mail Isolation Control and Tracking system have been examined as part of the investigation. Several of the mail bomb packages were sent to the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, for inspection. A fingerprint found on one of the packages and DNA on two other packages pointed to Sayoc as the suspect. He was identified through video surveillance near a South Florida post office, and located by tracking his cell phone. He was arrested in the parking lot of an AutoZone store in Plantation, Florida.
party
I went to a party in October. the host was super sweet and very attentive to me. another guest told me he knew my brother
attention
i'm glad i'm getting more boy's attention but now i'm in total agony because of my spine. my back issues seem to begetting worse the more I try to fix them. last weekend a guy smiled whenever he saw me. he was very sweet by picking up my headband i'd dropped.
Disappearance of Kelsey Berreth
Kelsey Berreth was reported missing by her parents on December 2nd, 2018. The search for evidence in the case of a missing Colorado mother authorities say was murdered by her fiancé Patrick Frazee now includes a landfill in Fountain, Colorado. A spokeswoman for the Midway Landfill south of Colorado Springs confirmed the facility recently attracted the attention of investigators in the disappearance and presumed murder of 29-year old flight instructor Kelsey Berreth. Her body has not been found.
Elwyn Crocker Jr and Mary Crocker
Elwyn Crocker Jr. and Mary Crocker were children who were discovered deceased. The children were never reported missing. They were discovered buried in their father's backyard in Effingham County, Georgia. A third child was removed from the home at the time of the adult occupants arrest.
Victims: Elwyn Crocker Jr. disappeared in November 2016, and was 14-years-old at the time of his disappearance, and was the older brother to Mary Crocker who was 13-years old at the time of her disappearance in October 2018. Neither child was reported missing to the police, and were only discovered after a tip was received that Mary Crocker was deceased and then after talking with Crocker, Sr., police began to believe that they should search the grounds of the home. The county coroner told media representatives that Crocker Jr. would be 17, at the time of the bodies discovered which was on Mary Crockers 14th birthday; December 19, 2018. The cause of deaths for the children had not been determined as of December 26.
Suspects: Elwyn Crocker Sr. was identified as the children's father and was arrested, he recently worked in Rincon, Georgia as a Santa for Walmart. Their step-mother Candice Crocker, her mother Kim Wright, Wright's boyfriend Anthony Prater and Mark Anthony Wright the brother of Candice Crocker were also arrested. All of the adults were charged with concealing a death and child cruelty.
Coffee vending machine
the coffee vending machine is a vending machine that dispenses hot coffee and other coffee beverages. Older models used instant coffee or concentrated liquid coffee and hot or boiling water, and provided condiments such as cream and sugar. Some modern machines prepare various coffee styles such as mochas and lattes and use ground drip coffee, and some fresh-grind the coffee to order using a grinder in the machine. The machine was invented in the United States by the Rudd-Melikian company in 1947, debuting as the "Kwik Kafe". Several U.S. companies also began manufacturing the machines in 1947, and by 1955 over 60,000 existed in the U.S. Today, coffee vending machines exist in various areas of the world, and are very common in Japan.
Overview of Coffee vending machines: A coffee vending machine is a type of vending machine that dispenses hot coffee. Some of the machines, particularly older models, utilize powdered instant coffee mixed with hot water, and some of these offer condiments such as cream and sugar. Some newer models fresh-brew the coffee using hot water and ground coffee beans, and some also grind the coffee to order using coffee grinders installed in the machines, as well as providing various condiments. Some modern machines also provide other hot drinks such as tea, espresso, lattes, cappuccinos, mochas and hot chocolate. Some of the machines dispense canned coffee, and some dispense both hot coffee and iced coffee. Public coffee vending machines typically require payment, functioning as coin-operated machines, and some also accept bills and credit cards. Some do not require payment; these are typically found at places of employment, whereby the company furnishes the beverage to employees free of charge. Machines that purvey hot and iced coffee are common in Japan, and many of them are placed in street locations. In Italy, some of the machines purvey up to 18 coffee varieties.
History of coffee vending machines: The coffee vending machine was invented in the United States by the Rudd-Melikian company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1947, and the machine was named the Kwik Kafe. The machine would drop a paper cup through a chute onto a platform and fill the cup with hot coffee prepared using instant coffee and hot water. The Kwik Kafe took five seconds to prepare a cup of coffee. The Kwik Kafe machines were placed in U.S. locations through the process of franchising. At a 1948 convention in Philadelphia, Lloyd K. Rudd, president of the Rudd-Melikian company, stated that Kwik Kafe machines purveyed 250,000 cups of coffee on a daily basis. Additional companies that manufactured coffee vending machines in 1947 in the United States include the Manning & Lewis company, Knapway Devices and the Bert Mills Corporation. Some machines in 1947 used a liquid coffee concentrate that was mixed with boiling water, and one such machine charged a nickel for a cup of coffee and dispensed a wooden spoon to mix the cream and sugar. By the year 1955, over 60,000 coffee vending machines existed in the United States.
Concept machines: Touch screen coffee machines, such as those introduced by Bella, Bravilor Bonamat and La Marquise are becoming increasingly popular as they allow closer engagement with customers. In 2009, Douwe Egberts introduced a conceptual coffee vending machine named BeMoved, which has touch screens with drag and drop features to select ingredients and interactive features such as the ability to access news, weather information and stock prices as the coffee is prepared. The BeMoved machine also has a motion-sensitive video camera that can take an image of the user and remember the user's coffee preferences via personal profile settings, as well as an interactive video game named Shoot-Em-Up, which involves jumping in front of the machine while the camera and software coordinate the jumping with the video game play.
Saturday, February 9, 2019
pain
I've been in total agony as my joints I'm trying to fix I've not used in a long time or they're weak since they're not used as much. I'm massaging my back and the joints in my back are weak. I'm complaining a ton because it hurts. most of the younger kids don't understand my joint and the areas that are hurting are weak and can barely function with what I'm given. I can do SOME thing but it's a struggle to do basic things sometimes.
weird
many people might find me weird if they learn I love learning about serial killers. it's true I love learning about them. once I was in church and I'd heard about Gary Ridgway (the green river killer) as they were talking about forgiveness. there's lots to learn about serial killers. not just in forensic science. in psychology, their forgiveness etc.
Single-serve coffee container
A single-serve coffee container is a method for coffee brewing that prepares only enough coffee for a single portion. Single-serve coffee containers can both reduce the time needed to brew coffee and simplify the brewing process by eliminating the need to measure out portions, flavorings, and additives from large bulk containers. They can also help to keep the unused product fresher by individually packaging portions separately without exposing the entire supply batch to air and light. Paper coffee pods can be functionally identical to plastic and metal coffee capsules, if the paper pods are individually sealed in separate bags.
Variations-
Several different systems exist:
-Coffee pods or coffee pads are pre-packaged ground coffee beans in their own filter.
-A coffee capsule differs from a coffee pod in that the coffee is packed in a plastic or aluminum package instead of a paper filter, and it is usually designed for use with a single brand or system and is therefore not interchangeable with other systems. A patent on the Nespresso system expired at the end of 2012, and there are now rival capsules available for the Nespresso system.
-A variation, coffee bags, were developed to provide the convenience of instant coffee but maintain the flavor of brewed coffee. Modeled after tea bags, they consist of a gauze bag containing a mixture of instant coffee and finely ground roast coffee, which is to be steeped in hot water for approximately three minutes.
Comparison of systems-
-The plastic and metal coffee capsules typically are used in a non-removable receptacle on the brewing device. The capsules have an outer ring or rim that stays dry during use, allowing for removal and disposal after use without getting the user's hands wet or sticky. Handling of a used moist coffee pod is not necessary if the brewing device has a removable filter tray. This tray is removed after brewing and inverted to eject the used coffee pod.
-Coffee pods, bags, and capsules can be sized for individual or multi-serving portions. In food service businesses, pods and capsules used with automatic brewing can help to provide consistency of product strength and flavor for customers.
-Paper coffee pods such as those used in Easy Serving Espresso Pod or Senseo machines have the benefit of being a fully biodegradable product that can decompose naturally, while plastic and metal capsules such as those used in Keurig or Nespresso machines either aren't recyclable, or require additional processing to separate the plastic/metal container from the organic waste products.
-Many capsule machines specifically warn the user to not disassemble the machine or put their fingers inside the capsule receptacle, as the devices commonly use sharp razor-edge tubes or prongs for piercing the coffee capsule during use.
-Different single-cup systems are not interchangeable; some systems force machine owners to buy capsules from a single company (usually the patent owner), locking the machine owner into a single source of coffee. Coffee pods are made by a variety of manufacturers and are interchangeable between brand of pod and model of pod brewer most of the time.
Environmental impact: Environmental activists have said that single-use coffee pods are harmful, as they are often composed of a mix of plastic, aluminium, and organic material (the used coffee) which makes them difficult to recycle. In early 2016 the German city of Hamburg banned coffee capsules from state-run buildings on environmental grounds. There are some capsules that are plant-based and that can be compostable as bio-waste.
Coffee filter
A coffee filter is a coffee-brewing utensil, usually made of disposable paper. This enables it to trap the coffee grounds and allow the liquid coffee to flow through. Paper filters remove oily components called diterpenes; these organic compounds, present in unfiltered coffee are known to be antimicrobial and antiinflammatory. Metal or nylon mesh filters do not remove these components.
History: On July 8, 1908, the first paper coffee filter was created by German housewife Melitta Bentz. She wanted to remove the bitter taste caused by boiling loose grounds or using the typical method of linen to brew coffee. She patented her invention and formed a company to sell the coffee filters, hiring her husband and two sons to assist her as the first employees.
Paper filter: Coffee filters of paper are made from about 100 g/m2 filter paper. The crimping of the sides allows the coffee to flow freely between the filter and the filtration funnel. The raw materials (pulp) for the filter paper are coarse long fiber, often from fast growing trees. Both bleached and unbleached qualities are made. Typically coffee filters are made up of filaments approximately 20 micrometres wide, which allow particles through that are less than approximately 10 to 15 micrometres. For a filter to be compatible with a coffee maker, the filter needs to be a specific shape and size. Common in the US are cone-shaped filters #2, #4, and #6, as well as basket-shaped filters in an 8-12 cup size. Other important parameters are strength, compatibility, efficiency and capacity. If a coffee filter doesn't possess enough strength, it will tear or rupture, allowing coffee grains to collect in the coffee pot. Compatibility describes a filter medium's resistance to degradation by heat and chemical attack; a filter that is not compatible with the liquid passing through it is likely to break down, losing strength (structural failure). Efficiency is the retention of particles in a target (size) category. The efficiency is dictated by the particles or substances to be removed. A large-mesh filter may be efficient at retaining large particles, but inefficient at retaining small particles. Capacity is the ability to "hold" previously removed particles, while allowing further flow. A very efficient filter may show poor capacity, causing increased resistance to flow or other problems as it plugging up prematurely and increasing resistance or flow problems. A balance between particle capture and flow requirements must be met while ensuring integrity.
Other types: Metal filters are used to prepare Vietnamese iced coffee, Indian filter coffee, and other types of drip coffee.
Tasse à café
A tasse à café (coffee cup) is a cup, generally of white porcelain and of around 120 ml, in which coffee is served. It is also sometimes used to serve small portions of rich drinks, such as hot chocolate. The word originates from Arabic ṭās طاس, from the Persian ṭās طاس, meaning cup or bowl. A half-sized cup is called a demi-tasse, literally "half-cup".
Coffee cup sleeve
Coffee cup sleeves, also known as coffee sleeves, coffee clutches, coffee cozies, hot cup jackets, paper zarfs, coffee collars, coffee sleeve, and cup holders, are roughly cylindrical sleeves that fit tightly over handle-less paper coffee cups to insulate the drinker's hands from hot coffee. Coffee sleeves are typically made of textured paperboard, but can be found made of other materials. Coffee sleeves allow coffee houses, fast food restaurants, and other vendors to avoid double-cupping, the practice of using two (or more) nested paper cups for a single hot beverage. Some paper cup holders carry advertisements. The coffee sleeve was invented in 1991 by Jay Sorensen and patented in 1995 (under the trademarked name Java Jacket), and are now commonly utilized by coffee houses and other vendors that sell hot beverages dispensed in disposable paper cups. There are a number of patents that cover various coffee sleeves and their aspects. Other people have claimed to invent the coffee sleeve. There are a number of companies that manufacture coffee sleeves; the top four companies by volume of coffee sleeves sold in the U.S. are, in no particular order, International Paper, LBP Manufacturing, Java Jacket and Labansat & Schulz Manufacturing. The sleeve was invented while Sorensen was driving his daughter Ryeder to school and spilt a cup of coffee in his lap. The java jacket first appeared at the Seattle Coffeefest in 1995 and Sorensen and his wife Colleen were overwhelmed with requests and orders to fill. Coffee cup sleeves can be customized by having logos or brands printed directly on the sleeves. Many coffee shops have custom printed coffee sleeves. Coffee sleeves should not be confused with fixed cup holders.
Friday, February 8, 2019
annoying
when I was studying to become a Mormon the current bishop's wife (this is before he became bishop) said I was always welcome back repeatedly. I'm like ok
nap
I took a nap during my heat therapy. I'm so tired since I woke up when it was dark. also my joints are so sensitive. I'm glad for the nap but man was that annoying that my back hurts
Thursday, February 7, 2019
2019 Sebring, Florida shooting
On January 23, 2019, at around 12:30 pm, five women – four employees and a customer – were shot and killed at the SunTrust Bank in Sebring, Florida. Zephen Xaver, age 21, is accused of murdering the five, after which he called police to report himself.
Incident: At around 12:30 pm, a witness says he saw Zephen Xaver pacing back and forth inside the bank with five people lying side by side on the floor. Shots were later heard, and Xaver phoned the police at 12:36 pm ET, and told responders that he had shot five people. SWAT arrived, trying to negotiate to get the barricaded suspect to leave the bank. When those negotiations failed, members of the SWAT team entered the bank by ramming an armored vehicle through its glass front doors. The suspect eventually surrendered.
The lone survivor of the shooting was a bank employee who had been in the bank's break room just before Xaver walked in. The employee escaped out the back door when gunshots first rang out; after getting outside, he called 911.
Victims: Five women were discovered by police, shot execution style in their heads and backs. They were identified over the week as Debra Cook, Marisol Lopez, Jessica Montague, Cynthia Lee Watson, and Ana Piñon-Williams. Watson was a customer at the bank; the four other women were employees.
Suspect: Zephen A. Xaver, was identified as the perpetrator after surrendering to officers. He was identified as a former Florida Department of Corrections correctional officer trainee, with the Avon Park Correctional Institution near the Avon Park Air Force Range but resigned on January 9, 2019. A former girlfriend told reporters that Xaver "always hated people and wanted everybody to die" and he had been sent to a behavioral health center for having a dream of killing everyone in the class and had threatened it previously. In March 2017 Michigan State Police contacted Bremen Police, that a female student had received messages from Xaver, in which he wrote he wanted to do suicide by cop, and to take hostages, however his mother declined police assistance. Xavier is held by police without bond, and was appointed a public defender as he had no income or assets.
January 2019 Louisiana shootings
On January 26, 2019, Dakota Theriot was suspected of fatally shooting his parents and three other people, in Ascension and Livingston parishes, in the U.S. state of Louisiana.
Incident: A few weeks prior to the incident Theriot was taken in by his girlfriends family, after being kicked out by his own parents. Investigators claim that Theriot killed three victims in Livingston Parish before he stole a truck and drove to the neighboring county and shot and killed his parents. The victims in Livingston Parish were Billy Ernest, aged 43, Summer Ernest, aged 20, and Tanner Ernest, aged 17; Elizabeth and Keith Theriot, both in their early fifties, were killed in Gonzales. The neighbor of the Ernest family told reporters that the two surviving Ernest children; aged 7 and 1 years old, ran to her home to call 9-1-1 and were unharmed in the incident. Police found both Elizabeth and Keith Theriot alive at their house after Keith called 911. Keith reportedly identified his son as the shooter. The couple later died at the hospital. It remains unclear as to the motive of the incident.
Suspect: Theriot has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, illegal use of weapons, and home invasion in Ascension Parish, along with three counts of first-degree murder in Livingston Parish. After a day-long manhunt, Theriot was arrested by the Virginia State Police in Richmond County, Virginia, approximately 1,000 miles from the crime scene, in the driveway of his grandmother's home in Warsaw. While he was arrested outside his grandmothers home, she had checked into a hotel, in fear Theriot would kill her as well. It was reported he had driven there to "hug and kiss his two aunts and grandmother goodbye" and did not fight extradition. In a January 29, 2019 press conference, Ascension Parish Sheriff Bobby Webre and Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard both described Theriot as a "monster."
2018 Scottsdale spree shootings
In May and June 2018 a spree killer sought out and killed six people in Scottsdale, Arizona, United States. The spree began on May 30 and ended June 4, when the shooter killed himself as police closed in. The shooter was Dwight Lamon Jones. The story was covered on Dateline NBC on June 29, 2018.
Shootings: The victims of the initial shootings were a noted forensic psychiatrist, two paralegals, and a counselor; all were shot within 24 hours of each other and within a 10 mile radius in Scottsdale and Phoenix. The other two victims were discovered June 4.
Steven Pitt, a well-known forensic psychiatrist was shot and killed outside his office at 5:20pm on Thursday 31 May. Pitt had examined Jones in connection with a "bitter" divorce. In 2006 Pitt helped the police identify the Baseline killer who had raped and murdered a series of women in Phoenix, Arizona. Veleria Sharp, and Laura Anderson, paralegals, were shot and killed at 2:15pm on Friday, 1 June in the downtown Scottsdale offices of Burt, Feldman, Grenier, the law firm where they worked. A lawyer at the firm had worked on the Jones divorce. By 11:30 pm on Friday June 1, police knew that the same gun had been used to kill Anderson, Sharp and Pitt.
The body of Marshall Levine, a psychologist and counselor, was found just after midnight, as Friday turned to Saturday, June 2, in his Scottsdale office. Levine was subletting his office from a woman who had provided counseling services to his son during the divorce, Jones' intended target. By Sunday afternoon, police had Jones under surveillance as he drove around Fountain Hills in his gold Mercedes Benz. At one point, Jones ditched a small bag containing a .22-caliber pistol, which police later determined to belong to one of two people, 70-year-old Mary Simmons and 72-year-old Bryon Thomas, who were shot and killed inside a Fountain Hills home. Their bodies were not discovered until Monday, 4 June. Police stated that ballistics ruled out the 22-caliber gun from having been used in any of the shootings.
Investigation: The break in the investigation came when a retired Phoenix police officer married to Jones' ex-wife issued a statement saying her current husband, a retired Phoenix police detective, "recognized the connection to my divorce and the three crime scenes and he notified the Phoenix Police violent crime unit on the night of June 2nd." Once the Jones was made a suspect, a DNA sample was obtained from a relative of Jones and matched to a DNA sample from a recovered shell casing.
Perpetrator: The perpetrator was identified as Dwight Lamon Jones who had been previously been arrested. According to Rich Slavin, an assistant chief with the Scottsdale Police Department, Jones was arrested in 2008 or 2009 on charges of domestic violence, alleging that he mistreated his wife and a child. Jones had been living at Extended Stay hotels for the past nine years. His former wife told reporters that she "feared for my safety for the past nine years." In her statement she continued with "He was a very emotionally disturbed person as the court records will confirm." Less than a week before the spree killings Jones used social media to attempt to bring forward allegations that his ex-wife was the abuser and not Jones. Jones created almost 10 hours of content outlining what he viewed as a conspiracy by his ex-wife, psychiatrists, lawyers and the Maricopa County Judicial system to rig a divorce and custody case to steal his son from him.
Charm bracelet
Originally I'd had charms on my medical bracelet. It was a way to make it pretty as I have to wear this thing on a regular basis
Bun
Of late my hair has been long enough to be in a big bun on my head. It's awesome and I can show off my earrings.
Aberdeen, Maryland shooting
On September 20, 2018, three people were shot and killed outside a Rite Aid distribution center in Aberdeen, Maryland, United States. The shooting occurred 30 miles northeast of Baltimore. This was the second mass shooting in Maryland in 2018, following the Capital Gazette shooting.
Incident: The suspect had entered the facility to report to work as usual, before opening fire on victims inside and outside of the facility. The Harford County sheriff stated that calls of "shots fired" came from the Rite Aid distribution center at approximately 9:06 a.m. EDT. Deputies responded at 9:09 am. Officers reportedly never discharged their weapons while responding to the scene. Agents from the Baltimore offices of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI responded to the scene.
Victims: Preliminary reports suggest that at least three people were killed in the attack, although the Harford County Sheriff declined to give a precise number of wounded and deceased victims during the press conference. Two victims died at the scene and a third in the hospital. It was later reported that the suspect died at the hospital due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound to her head. Victims were transported to Johns Hopkins Bayview Hospital in Baltimore and Christiana Hospital in Delaware. Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Trauma Director released a statement that the hospital received four victims with gunshot wounds, and by 2:30 p.m. ET, two patients were stable and two were seriously injured.
Shooter: The shooter was admitted to the hospital, and officials did not immediately identify the suspect. It was confirmed that per initial sweeps of the site the suspect was armed with a single 9-mm Glock handgun. Later, the Harford County Sheriff's Office revealed the identity of the shooter as being Snochia Moseley, 26, an African American woman of Baltimore County. Moseley shot herself in the head and later died of her wounds at the hospital. The Washington Post reported that Moseley "had been beset for years by mental illness as well as emotional turmoil related to her struggle with sexual identity, according to authorities and a close friend."
Response: After the shooting, a reunification center was set up at a fire department in Harve de Grace. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, used Twitter to express his condolences and thoughts on the situation, and tweeted "We are closely monitoring the horrific shooting in Aberdeen. Our prayers are with all those impacted, including our first responders." Rite Aid, released a statement emphasizing their continuation to work closely with authorities as the investigation continued, and the company would provide grief counselors as long as needed. The company also offered their thoughts and prayers to all those involved in the situation.
weird
so when i bore my testimony on Sunday i did a great job. 1 of the leaders thanked me for the spirit i invite. another said it was because it was short and to the point. all i said was what i did in the month i "dropped the ward" (i took a break for various reasons). i'm like thanks?
Safety net
My medical bracelet is what I need as a safety net. I have muscle spasms and luckily haven't had any serious accidents WITH this but its in case as I've got allergies and stuff
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
Pittsburgh synagogue shooting
The Pittsburgh synagogue shooting was a mass shooting that occurred at Tree of Life – Or L'Simcha Congregation in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 27, 2018, while Shabbat morning services were being held. Eleven people were killed and seven were injured. It was the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the United States. The sole suspect, 46-year-old Robert Gregory Bowers, was arrested and charged with 29 federal crimes and 36 state crimes. He pleaded not guilty to all 44 crimes laid against him in federal court. Using the online social network Gab, he had earlier posted anti-Semitic comments against the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) in which Dor Hadash and Tree of Life was a supporting participant. Referring to Central American migrant caravans and immigrants, he posted on Gab shortly before the attack that "HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill our people. I can't sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I'm going in."
Background: Tree of Life – Or L'Simcha Congregation is a Conservative Jewish synagogue. The synagogue describes itself as a "traditional, progressive, and egalitarian congregation". It is located in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1 mile east of Carnegie Mellon University and about 5 miles east of downtown Pittsburgh. The Squirrel Hill neighborhood is one of the largest predominantly Jewish neighborhoods in the United States and has historically been the center of Pittsburgh's Jewish community, with 26 percent of the city's Jewish population living in the area. Originally founded as an Orthodox Jewish congregation in 1864 in downtown Pittsburgh, Tree of Life merged in 2010 with the recently founded Congregation Or L'Simcha. The modern synagogue building, located at the intersection of Wilkins Avenue and Shady Avenue in Squirrel Hill, was built in 1953; it rents space to Dor Hadash, a Reconstructionist congregation; and New Light, another Conservative congregation. The synagogue's main sanctuary has a capacity of 1,250 people. Although Squirrel Hill has a low crime rate and is not generally regarded as racially tense, local rabbinic student Neal Rosenblum was murdered in the neighborhood in 1986 in an antisemitic hate crime. The massacre occurred just after two independent reports from Columbia University and the Anti-Defamation League saw a spike in anti-Semitic activity online, especially on the popular social networking platforms Instagram and Twitter. The immediate rise in the months of August to October was connected to the 2018 US midterm elections, with a similar rise having occurred during the 2016 US election, with the midterms being a "rallying point" for far-right extremists to organize efforts to spread antisemitism among the populace online. The intervening years between 2016 and 2018 saw rising indicators of antisemitism in American public life, including a 57% rise in antisemitic incidents in 2017 in context of rising hate crimes against other groups including Muslims and African Americans as reported by the FBI, a wave of vandalizations of hundreds of Jewish gravestones in Pennsylvania and Missouri, and a multiplication by 2 of antisemitic incidents on university campuses. In 2017, the widely publicized Charlottesville riots featured Nazi symbols, salutes, and the slogan "Blood and Soil" amid explicit and implicitly racist and antisemitic rhetoric. Online, the reports found a large proportion of the antisemitic material was spread through the medium of conspiracy theories concerning wealthy Jewish individuals including billionaire George Soros, with Columbia University's Jon Albright claiming these represented the "worst sample" of all the hate speech he had seen on Instagram.
Timeline: At 9:45 a.m. three services were underway in the Tree of Life synagogue which housed three congregations. Tree of Life and New Light had both just begun separate Shabbat morning service in the Pervin Chapel and basement, respectively. Dor Hadash was near the front of the building before their 10:00 a.m. Torah study session. At 9:50 a.m. EDT, a gunman described as a "bearded heavy-set white male" entered the building, opened fire and was "shooting for about 20 minutes". He was armed with a Colt AR-15 semi-automatic rifle (cited by authorities as an "assault rifle" and three Glock .357 SIG semi-automatic pistols, all four of which he fired, according to authorities. Approximately 75 people were inside the building at the time. The first two shot were the Rosenthal brothers at the main entrance, after which the shooter headed downstairs to New Light. Some hearing the shots did not initially recognize what they were: upstairs Rabbi Jeffrey Myers thought it was a falling coatrack. By 9:54 a.m., police began receiving multiple calls from people barricaded in the building reporting the attack. At 9:55 a.m., the leader of New Light's services, Melvin Wax, was shot after exiting a closet, but the shooter did not notice the other three congregants who remained in the closet. Two other members of New Light (Gottfried and Stein) were killed in the basement kitchen. Dor Hadash lost one member, Jerry Rabinowitz, a physician who had left the congregation at the sound of gunshots to see if anyone had been hurt. At 9:57 a.m., the shooter left the basement and headed upstairs to the larger Tree of Life service. About 13 worshippers had gathered for the Shabbat service of the Tree of Life congregation in an upstairs chapel. Myers helped four of them evacuate the chapel through a side door, but eight of the worshippers remained behind, of whom seven were killed and one wounded by the gunman. Police sources said the shooter shouted at some point during the attack, "All Jews must die!" At 9:59 a.m., police arrived at the synagogue. The gunman fired on police from the entryway, apparently on his way out of the building, and police returned fire, causing the gunman to retreat into the building. At 10:30 a.m., tactical teams entered the building and were again fired upon by the gunman. Officers returned fire and wounded him, leading him to retreat to a room on the third floor of the synagogue. In the exchange of gunfire two SWAT members were also wounded, one critically. At 11:08 a.m., the gunman crawled out of the room in which he was hiding and surrendered. As he received medical care in police custody, he allegedly told a SWAT officer that he wanted all Jews to die, and that Jews were committing genocide against his people, according to a criminal complaint filed in Allegheny County.
Monday, February 4, 2019
Ronny Rieken
Ronny Rieken is a German child murderer and serial killer. In 1996 and 1998, he killed two girls in the area surrounding Cloppenburg, northern Germany. Rieken was the first German criminal to be caught as a result of mass DNA screening. In 1998, he was sentenced to life imprisonment in the Justizvollzugsanstalt Celle.
Murders: On 11 June 1996, Rieken abducted 13-year-old[3] Ulrike Everts from Jeddeloh II as she drove with her pony carriage at the Dortmunder Moorweg in Wardenburg. He abused her in a canal near Kempe, near a meat-processing factory where he had abused an 11-year-old five months earlier. Afterwards, he put her garments on one by one, strangled her with a diaper cloth and disposed of her body 40 kilometres away in the Ipweger Moor. Her remains were found in July 1998. On 16 March 1998, shortly after 5 PM, Rieken saw 11-year-old Christina Nytsch from Saterland, Cloppenburg, a few hundred yards from her parents' house, dragged her off her bicycle and drove her towards the Kempe canal, where he had raped and beaten Everts. When she refused to undress, he beat her and drove her to a forest near Lorup. There he forced her to undress before strangling her with a cable and stabbing the body several times with a knife. Six days later, hunters found Nytsch's body 20 kilometres from her home, barely covered up with branches and covered in hematomas. She had been raped a total of six times. In the largest manhunt in German criminal history, 1,500 square kilometres were searched with the help of thousands of volunteers. The Bundeswehr had also supported the search, surveying with thermographic cameras from the air. Traces of Rieken's semen which were found on Nytsch's body linked him to the 1996 abuse of a 9-year-old. During Easter day of 1988, as a result of a mass DNA screening, Rieken was arrested and convicted. Rieken agreed to the saliva test because his brother-in-law had suggested he should go. He was the first murderer in Germany to undergo a saliva examination and thereby transferred, contributing significantly to the public and legal acceptance of this method. As early as April 1998, when the search for Rieken was still in full swing, the DNA analysis files, a composite application by the Land Criminal Police Offices and the Federal Criminal Police, commenced operations.
Trial and imprisonment: In Rieken's trial before the jury, it was said that he had been abused by his father in his childhood. The presiding judge, who had already sentenced Rieken in 1989 for the rape of his sister, expressed doubts about his father's sexual abuse. Rieken had committed his first rape at the age of 19, on a female neighbor. At 21, he raped his sister, who was two years younger than him. Rieken had choked her with a belt until this was unconscious, who then raped her twice without resistance. During his imprisonment for the act on his sister, he was not treated, but was treated only for an alcoholic disease. His original prison term of ten years had been reduced to five and a half years in the revision. Because of good behaviour, Rieken was released after just three years. A few weeks later, he abused the daughter of his future brother-in-law. The appeal lodged by Rieken against his latest ruling revision was rejected in 1999 by the Federal Court of Justice. The Oldenburg district court sentenced him to life imprisonment, resulting in a minimum detention of well over 15 years. He is now serving his sentence at Celle Prison. In March 2012, it was found that Rieken had not worked up his deeds and therefore will be released by 2021 at the earliest. On 9 May 2012, this decision was confirmed by the Celle Court, making it legally binding.
In prison: Rieken is a three-time family man and a former barge. During his first prison term, he began an apprenticeship as a machinist, which he completed shortly after his premature release.
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