Archive for the ‘True Crime’ Category

Sometimes truth is far more difficult to swallow than fiction. Would you believe…

Brunswick, Ga. -  A former Appling County Georgia deputy sheriff, Richard W. Crosby, has been sentenced to two years in prison for alerting a drug dealer that deputies were on the way to his residence to serve a search warrant.

Dulles, Va. - Synthetic drugs such as Spice, Eight Ballz, and K2 are now so rampant the DEA has a chemist specifically assigned to delve into the new drugs, learning their compositions. His purpose is to alert officials so they can stop the sale of these extremely dangerous products.

The DEA lab is located in a Virginia suburb just outside of Washington D.C. It’s a tightly guarded facility that’s surrounded by a twelve-foot fence smartly decorated with lots of surveillance cameras, with guards patrolling the perimeter. Why the super-tight security? Well, the facility also conducts tests on real drugs, such as meth, cocaine, and heroin, meaning those drugs are stored within the compound. Scientists check out samples from a steel vault each day and return them at the end of their shift.

There’s a problem, though, with the testing of synthetic drugs…there’s only one scientist assigned to the task and there are thousands of chemicals available for the market. And, there are, well, who knows how many illegal drug-makers out there, but you can be sure the number is much greater than one.

Augusta, Ga. - Cell phones were at the root of a dozen incarcerated gang members being sent to the hospital with various injuries. It seems the phones were smuggled into the prison for the purpose of helping to start a gang-related riot. I wonder if any of the injured used the devices to call 911?

Chattanooga, Tenn. - It could have been filmed for an episode of Officers Gone Wild, when Officer Dennis Hughes shot fellow officer Chris Mason in the hand while Officer John Hammond, in a prescription-pill-induced high, looked on. The shooting incident launched an investigation that revealed a much larger problem, such as the officers’ regular abuse of pills without prescriptions and having sex with 14- and 16-year-old girls. To make matters worse, the town’s police chief allegedly knew of the illegal activities and did nothing about it.

Kingston, N.Y. - Two kids (4- and 6-years-old), rang up 911 and asked to speak to Santa…or the police chief.

Toronto - A Toronto police officer, Const. Salameh Marji, was found guilty of grabbing and squeezing the testicles of a motorist after a traffic stop. The officer, it seems, squeezed “the fruit” not once, but twice, and he used enough force to lift the screaming driver off his feet. Ironically, at the time, Marji was assigned to Toronto’s Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy.

Gary Haugen - Eurasiareview photo

Salem, Oregon - A two-time murderer, Gary Haugen, called Gov. John Kitzhaber a “paper cowboy” for commuting his death sentence to life in prison. Haugen felt the governor was “too chicken” to allow his execution to go forward. The inmate is now pursuing legal options that would allow his death to take place as scheduled. “Man, this is definitely cruel and unusual punishment,” said Haugan.

St. Louis, Mo. - The Knockout Game is all the rage in the Gateway City. The rules of the game are simple. A group of teens hang out on the street until an older person passes by. Then, one of the teens shouts out, “Knockout King!” and sucker-punches the unsuspecting pedestrian. The game is so much fun to the youths that after the victim falls to the ground the rest of the group joins in by throwing a few punches and kicks of their own. Last month, a 72-year-old man died as result of injuries he received during one of these “games.”

San Francisco, Ca. - Sarah Boushey , 41, the loving mother that she is, took her 4-year-old daughter to see the latest Smurf movie. And, like many of us, smuggled in her own snack. Well, her idea of a snack was a bottle of vodka which she apparently chugged throughout the entire two hours of the tiny, singing, blue peoples’ antics.

On the way home with her precious cargo, the woman sideswiped two cars and hit a median before police managed to get her stopped. She was so intoxicated she couldn’t remember her name or what had happened. Her little girl, though, summed it all up for police when she calmly said, “He name is Sarah Boushey and she’s drunk.”

I wonder who’s feeling “blue” now?

History is plagued by all types of crime, but crimes of passion, in particular, have caused a great deal of heartache and have left so many people asking “why?” Crimes of passion typically involve assault or murder and are fueled by rage, heartbreak, and revenge. Out of all the tragic crimes of passion that have happened, these nine are the most notorious.

1. Murder of Phil Hartman

   On May 28, 1998, comedian Phil Hartman was shot and killed by his wife, Brynn, who committed suicide hours after the murder. The shocking murder-suicide that left the couple’s two children orphaned stunned family and friends. The Hartmans had been married for 10 years, but Brynn was deeply troubled and the marriage was suffering because of her drug use. On the night of the murder, Brynn returned home intoxicated and got into a heated argument with Phil. He threatened to leave her if she started using drugs again. While Hartman was sleeping, Brynn shot him three times with a handgun. After the shooting, Brynn drove to a friend’s house and confessed to her crime, but he did not believe her. When they returned to Brynn’s home, her friend called the police and she went into the bedroom, where she committed suicide.

2. Dismemberment of John Wayne Bobbitt

   One of the most bizarre and unforgettable crimes of passion occurred on June 23, 1993, when Lorena Bobbitt attacked her husband and cut off approximately 2.5 cm of his penis after he allegedly raped her. According to her court testimony, Lorena left the house and threw his severed penis along the side of the highway. She realized the seriousness of the incident and called 911. Surgeons were able to reattach Bobbitt’s penis. and the jury found Lorena not guilty due to her husband’s sexual abuse — and her insanity that spurred this wild crime of passion.

3. Attempted murder of Mary Jo Buttafuoco

   The infamous love triangle between Joey Buttafuoco, his wife Mary Jo, and his mistress Amy Fisher became one of the biggest news stories of the ’90s. Joey Buttafuoco, a New York auto body shop owner, was having an affair with 17-year-old Amy Fisher, who subsequently shot his wife, Mary Jo, in the face. On May 19, 1992, Fisher, then nicknamed the “Long Island Lolita,” had an accomplice take her to Joey’s house to confront the wife. Mary Jo answered the door and Amy told her that Joey was having an affair with her 16-year-old sister. When Mary Jo brushed her off and told her to leave, Amy came inside and shot her in the head. Mary Jo survived the shooting and suffered a loss of hearing in one ear and partial paralysis on one side of her face. Fisher’s jealousy turned deadly and she served seven years in prison for first-degree attempted murder. Joey served six months in jail for statutory rape.

4. Steve McNair murder

   The brutal murder of Steve McNair was a crime of passion that shocked the sports world and beyond. On July 4, 2009, McNair was shot and killed by his 20-year-old girlfriend Sahel Kazemi, who immediately turned the gun on herself. Detectives said Kazemi was struggling to make ends meet and had recently been arrested for driving under the influence. She also made comments to co-workers about ending her life. Kazemi discovered that McNair was in another extramarital relationship and she decided to take his life in revenge.

5. Arturo Gatti Murder

   On July 11, 2009, Canadian boxer Arturo Gatti was found dead in a Brazilian hotel while on vacation with his wife, Amanda, and their infant son. Amanda spent 10 hours in the hotel before realizing that her husband was dead, and her blood-stained purse strap led authorities to believe she murdered him. His widow vehemently denied the allegations and claimed Arturo committed suicide. Brazilian police let her go and ruled his death as suicide, but the Canadian government required further investigation. In 2011, private investigators reported Arturo’s death as a homicide, but no arrests have been made.

6. Lisa Nowak

   In 2007, astronaut Lisa Nowak was arrested and charged with attempted kidnapping, burglary, and battery of Colleen Shipman, a woman who was involved with Nowak’s love interest. In a rage of jealousy, Nowak drove from Houston to Orlando to follow Shipman from the airport and talk to her about her relationship with Navy Cmdr. William Oefelein, pilot of the 2006 Discovery flight. The crazed Nowak packed a wig, trench coat, pepper spray, a BB gun, knife, and garbage bags on her trip to see Shipman. A disguised Nowak followed Shipman to her car and sprayed her with a chemical. She was caught and arrested by police and was later charged with attempted first degree murder.

7. Marvin Gaye murder

   Famous singer-songwriter Marvin Gaye was killed by his father during a heated argument at his parents’ LA home. Marvin Jr. and his father, Marvin Sr., had a long history of conflicts that were worsened by the singer’s personal problems. Tension continued to grow between the two men, and Marvin Jr. began collecting guns to protect himself. On April 1, 1984, the two men got into a heated argument that quickly turned physical. The fight was broken up by Gaye’s mother, but Marvin Sr. returned with the .38 pistol that his son gave him and shot his son in the chest and fired again. Marvin Sr. killed his son in the heat of the moment and he was sentenced to five years of probation.

8. Murder of Alfred T. Elliot

   Crimes of passion became more common during the Great Depression, and the murder of Alfred T. Elliot became one of the most notable cases. Bibeau murdered Elliot because he was having an affair with Elliot’s wife and he wanted him out of the picture. What further spurred this crime of passion was the fact that Elliot was handling some of Bibeau’s finances, which could have turned detrimental if Eliott found out about their secret romance.

9. Murder of Philip Barton Key

   U.S. Congressman and Union general Daniel Sickles committed a crime of passion when he killed his wife’s lover, district attorney Philip Barton Key, son of Francis Scott Key, in 1859. Sickles shot and killed Key in Lafayette Park, which is across the street from the White House, because he was having an affair with his wife. Sickles is also famous for being the first person to use “temporary insanity” as a legal defense. Sickles’ defense told the jury that he was driven insane by his wife’s infidelities and he was later acquitted of his crime of passion.

* Today’s post courtesy of criminaljusticedegreesguide.com