Monthly Archive for September, 2007

Manuel Penaloza: On the evening of October 27, 2006, Heidi was heading home from a visit with her parents in Pasadena, Calif. when her journey came to a sudden halt. Police say a vehicle in the oncoming lane crashed and Heidi got out to help the injured driver. However, her altruistic rescue attempt resulted in her being assaulted and carjacked by a 20-year-old gang member named Manuel Penaloza. Penaloza soon crashed Heidi’s car and cops say he fled the scene on foot. Authorities searched Penaloza’s car and knew that the investigation had only just begun when they discovered two people shot execution style in the abandoned vehicle. Now, we need your help in bringing Penaloza to justice.

[url]http://www.amw.com/fugitives/brief.cfm?id=47371[/url]

Nevada Child Sex Tape: One day after Nye County Sheriff’s Office announced that they found a second girl on a videotape containing disturbing images of sexual abuse involving another underage girl, AMW has learned that the second girl has been identified. In a press release, cops say that not only do they know the identity of the 10-year-old girl, they also state that she is safe and sound. Authorities maintain that she was never harmed by the perpetrator, who is seen elsewhere on the tape committing sexual assaults against a 4 or 5-year-old girl. Police also confirmed that the portion of the video containing the second girl was filmed in Nye County. On Saturday night, we’ll have all the details for you.

[url]http://www.amw.com/features/feature_story_detail.cfm?id=2169[/url]

William Greer: Police say William Greer is responsible for the murder of his girlfriend Tammy Myers. Now, he’s following a pattern that has kept AMW viewers and cops walking in his shadows. But can these near misses turn into a long-awaited capture?

[url]http://www.amw.com/fugitives/brief.cfm?id=43686[/url]

North Dallas Boogey Man: In April of 2007, the Dallas Boogey Man displayed the type of violence no one here had seen. As was his routine, the man smashed through the Frisco, Texas victim’s door and sexually assaulted her. But this time, he did something was different. This time, he didn’t conceal his face. To investigators, that was a significant sign. He did not intend on leaving a witness. But the brave woman survived, and now investigators all over the Dallas area finally have what they’re looking for: the face of their elusive Boogey Man. You can see it on AMW.com, and then this weekend, help us bring down this real-life Boogey Man.

[url]http://www.amw.com/fugitives/brief.cfm?id=48017[/url]

Leo Burt: The Ghost of Wisconsin: Thirty-seven years ago, the sky lit up in Madison, Wisc. Buildings shook, and people 30 miles away could hear the sound of a car at Sterling Hall at University of Wisconsin explode and tear into the night. It was the worst case of domestic terrorism until Oklahoma City in 1995. Of the four accused terrorists, three were caught, convicted, and served their time in prison. But one — Leo Burt — hasn’t been seen or heard from since he fled the country in 1970. Leo’s actions and escape from justice haunt Madison to this day, and Leo has been dubbed “the Ghost of Wisconsin.” Help us put his story to rest on Saturday night.

[url]http://www.amw.com/fugitives/brief.cfm?id=47481[/url]

Gabriel Avila: After years of hunting for Katie Sepich’s killer, cops say they cracked the case with the help of a modern miracle: DNA testing. Police say a DNA match led them to a man who was already in jail for another crime. This weekend, we’ll give you all the details.

[url]http://www.amw.com/fugitives/brief.cfm?id=28946[/url]

BREAKING NEWS:

Chester Stiles: Cops tell AMW that they are now hot on the trail of the man at the center of an investigation into a horrific videotaped sexual assault involving an underage girl. Police have now named Chester Arthur Stiles as the man they believe is seen on the tape performing sexual acts on a 4- to 5-year-old girl who has now been identified only as ‘Madison’.

[url]http://www.amw.com/fugitives/brief.cfm?id=49286[/url]

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Campus Suspect Showed No Warnings of Violence:

According to the NY Times article St. John’s gunman Omesh Hiraman showed no previous signs of wanting to commit violence. However he was rather eager to procure a firearm.

One thing Mr. Hiraman may have signaled was his intention to acquire a gun, if not to use it. In June — several weeks before his back surgery — he walked unannounced into a lawyer’s office in Jackson Heights, introduced himself as a student doing research on gun control, and asked what procedures he must follow to obtain a gun.

Hiraman later on bought the single shot .50-caliber “black powder” rifle that he was eventually arrested with without a permit. Could someone with a better knowledge of firearms than me give me the lowdown on this gun?

His laywer seems to be inferring that his pain meds from his back surgery may have interfered with his psych meds for schizophrenia…

Mr. Hiraman’s mental condition was aggravated in recent weeks after he had back surgery, Mr. Colleluori said. In an adverse reaction to pain medication, he said, Mr. Hiraman vomited repeatedly, and had difficulty digesting the medication that he needs to control the symptoms of his mental illness.

“I believe he has been undermedicated for the schizophrenia,” said Mr. Colleluori, who was joined at the news conference by Mr. Hiraman’s parents, Pat and Vejai Hiraman.

The surgery was a month ago and he bought the gun a week ago so that’s not out of the realm of possibility. Maybe some of the blogging doctors out there can give us an opinion.

The one thing that gets me is that he contacted the lawyer back in June. Was he off his meds then? That remains to be seen. But for right now I’m reeling back my opinion that he was crazy and should have been locked up for now.

Marshfield teen found guilty of helping to plan Columbine-style attack:

Today Tobin Kerns was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and threatening to use deadly weapons. After the verdict Tobin was remanded to a juvenile facility. His sentencing is scheduled for November 5th.

A personal note to Judge Louis Coffin. You have made a tragic mistake and imprisoned an innocent kid.

Tobin, I’m sorry.

Teenybopper Killa’ jailed for online threats:

It’s been a while since we’ve heard about ‘Teenybopper Killa’ Darren Thompson. The last we heard he was being held without bond. To make a long story short he’s a 24-year-old hitel banquet chef who held a long standing grudge with people going back to grade school. He’s a mutant who made various violent threats on the interent. When the police finally caught up with him he had a cache of weapons. Check the link above for all the details.

Well, apparently he was found guilty because he was sentenced to up to three years in prison in Tuesday.

The self-proclaimed “Teenybopper Killa” was sentenced yesterday to prison after admitting in Superior Court that he made online threats against people who had picked on him when he was in high school.

Darren Thompson, 24, of Shrewsbury was sentenced by Judge Kathe Tuttman to 2.5 to 3 years in MCI-Cedar Junction after pleading guilty to a litany of weapons charges.

On Nov. 30, 2006, police searched Thompson’s home at 12 Whitehall Circle in Shrewsbury and seized from his bedroom an SKS assault rifle, ammunition, knives, “A List of People to Kill” (which included his mother) and a homemade “ugly stick” – a baseball bat with protruding nails to be used, in his words, for “bashing people until they are ugly.”

Thompson threatened online to “kidnap, cut up” and “blow off” the heads of what were described as preppies and teenyboppers who bullied him at Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School in Marlborough and in New Castle, Del. On the Internet Movie Database and other Web sites last fall, he also claimed he was stockpiling weapons.

Thompson made 250 printed pages of postings on the IMDb Web site between Oct. 10 and Nov. 27, 2006.

Assistant Attorney General Wendoly Ortiz Langlois yesterday read Thompson’s Sept. 26, 2006, posting on IMDb that stated, “I wanna take my hate off-line and bring it into the real world.”

Langlois urged Tuttman to sentence Thompson to five years in prison, followed by 10 years probation.

The prosecutor said she found it “disturbing that a kid so young could have such demonic views.”

According to authorities, Thompson’s hit list was categorized by school grade, starting in the sixth grade and ending with classmates at Assabet Valley. Thompson’s mother, Janet, and brother, Liam, were also on the list, according to court documents.

You know, there really comes a time when you have to let go. Like the day you get out of high school, not 5 years after the fact. Plus he had a hit list that people on it going back to grade school? Grow up already.

Police also found Thompson’s diary, which included a list of people he likes and dislikes, drawings of guns and violent scenes and pages where he showed his admiration for Columbine High School student Eric Harris, who, along with Dylan Klebold, killed 13 students and a teacher at the Colorado high school in 1999.

Thompson said little in court yesterday. When Tuttman asked him if Langlois’ description of the facts was correct, he replied, “Yes, ma’am.”

Thompson’s probation includes not contacting those on his hit list, electronic monitoring, mental health evaluations and not owning any weapons.

I hope these won’t be Cho Seung-Hui type mental health evaluations. You know the kind, where if the court ordered visits aren’t followed through there’s no repercussions.