Yesterday evening a hiker found decomposed human remains in Eno River State Park and reported it to Durham Police. No information yet on race, gender, or cause of death. Police say the remains have been there a very long time.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1631876.html
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=6945236
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE August 4. -- It's a MAN.
http://www.ncwanted.com/ncwanted_home/story/5724335/
and some more to read.
http://blogs.discovery.com/criminal_report/2009/08/human-skeletal-remains-found-in-durham-nc.html#more
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE August 25 -- IDENTIFIED!
It is Jonathan Richard Gardenour, missing Durham man.
http://wwwcache.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/5864277/
Monday, August 03, 2009
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Probation Reform Bill
From WRAL News
Governor signs probation reform bill.
Posted July 30, 2009
Raleigh, N.C. — Gov. Bev Perdue has signed a bill that will give law enforcement and probation officers the authority to perform warrantless searches in certain situations and give probation officers limited access to juvenile records.
"With these reforms, I really do believe, we in North Carolina are on the right pathway to make sure we do all that we can do to help these 115,000 to 120,000 people who are on probation in our system understand we mean business," the governor told a crowd outside the Raleigh Police Department Thursday afternoon.
"When you're on probation, you're still a ward of the court, you're still a ward of the system, and we'll put you back in a city minute, if you play outside the box."
The new law allows any law enforcement officer to perform a search of a probationer without court permission, if he or she has reasonable suspicion that a probationer is involved in criminal activity or has a weapon.
"We're going to draw a strong box around that search," Perdue said. "It’s not going to be used for anything other than what it is."
Effective immediately, all warrants for parole-commissioned violators will also be expedited immediately, regardless of the infraction.
"We've eliminated the idea of routine under this administration," Perdue said. "There is absolutely no warrant in this state that should be deemed routine. Every warrant is important to somebody."
The legislation also allows officers to examine juvenile records of a probationer for offenses that would have been felonies had they been committed while the offender was an adult. Juvenile records are usually sealed.
The disclosed records will help a probation officer determine what kind of supervision the adult probationer needs.
"This is important stuff," Perdue said. "You've seen what's happened."
Problems with the probation came to light in the wake of the 2008 shooting deaths of Duke University graduate student Abhijit Mahato in January and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student body president Eve Carson in March.
Laurence Alvin Lovette Jr. and Demario James Atwater, who are charged in Carson's death, were on probation at the time.
Officials later said Lovette – who is also a suspect in Mahato's death – was charged with nine different crimes during six weeks while he was on probation but that he never met with his probation officer.
Atwater's case was handled by 10 different staff members who failed to follow procedures between 2005 and 2008, the state has said.
Atwater was twice ordered to be placed under intensive probation, which includes mandatory curfews, weekly contact and warrantless searches, but the officers handling his case never did so.
Carson was killed a few days after Atwater was first scheduled to appear on a probation violation resulting from firearms charge to which he had pleaded guilty eight months earlier.
He was sent to the wrong courtroom and the probation hearing was delayed.
Reviews of the probation system – both internally and by the National Institute of Corrections – found that inadequate staffing, high turnover rates, case reassignments and lack of training led to deficiencies in supervision.
Two other high-profile cases this summer – including a man in North Carolina recently paroled from prison whom authorities believe killed five people in South Carolina before he was shot and killed in Gastonia – have also highlighted strains in the state's probation and parole system.
--------------------------------------------------------------
See the rest of the story here.
http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/5690269/
Governor signs probation reform bill.
Posted July 30, 2009
Raleigh, N.C. — Gov. Bev Perdue has signed a bill that will give law enforcement and probation officers the authority to perform warrantless searches in certain situations and give probation officers limited access to juvenile records.
"With these reforms, I really do believe, we in North Carolina are on the right pathway to make sure we do all that we can do to help these 115,000 to 120,000 people who are on probation in our system understand we mean business," the governor told a crowd outside the Raleigh Police Department Thursday afternoon.
"When you're on probation, you're still a ward of the court, you're still a ward of the system, and we'll put you back in a city minute, if you play outside the box."
The new law allows any law enforcement officer to perform a search of a probationer without court permission, if he or she has reasonable suspicion that a probationer is involved in criminal activity or has a weapon.
"We're going to draw a strong box around that search," Perdue said. "It’s not going to be used for anything other than what it is."
Effective immediately, all warrants for parole-commissioned violators will also be expedited immediately, regardless of the infraction.
"We've eliminated the idea of routine under this administration," Perdue said. "There is absolutely no warrant in this state that should be deemed routine. Every warrant is important to somebody."
The legislation also allows officers to examine juvenile records of a probationer for offenses that would have been felonies had they been committed while the offender was an adult. Juvenile records are usually sealed.
The disclosed records will help a probation officer determine what kind of supervision the adult probationer needs.
"This is important stuff," Perdue said. "You've seen what's happened."
Problems with the probation came to light in the wake of the 2008 shooting deaths of Duke University graduate student Abhijit Mahato in January and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student body president Eve Carson in March.
Laurence Alvin Lovette Jr. and Demario James Atwater, who are charged in Carson's death, were on probation at the time.
Officials later said Lovette – who is also a suspect in Mahato's death – was charged with nine different crimes during six weeks while he was on probation but that he never met with his probation officer.
Atwater's case was handled by 10 different staff members who failed to follow procedures between 2005 and 2008, the state has said.
Atwater was twice ordered to be placed under intensive probation, which includes mandatory curfews, weekly contact and warrantless searches, but the officers handling his case never did so.
Carson was killed a few days after Atwater was first scheduled to appear on a probation violation resulting from firearms charge to which he had pleaded guilty eight months earlier.
He was sent to the wrong courtroom and the probation hearing was delayed.
Reviews of the probation system – both internally and by the National Institute of Corrections – found that inadequate staffing, high turnover rates, case reassignments and lack of training led to deficiencies in supervision.
Two other high-profile cases this summer – including a man in North Carolina recently paroled from prison whom authorities believe killed five people in South Carolina before he was shot and killed in Gastonia – have also highlighted strains in the state's probation and parole system.
--------------------------------------------------------------
See the rest of the story here.
http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/5690269/
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Introducing NamUs
From KnoxNews.Com
Names, the missing matched on NamUs
By Jim Balloch
Posted July 19, 2009 at midnight
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, or NamUs, is the first national system designed to compare information about unidentified remains with missing persons cases.
Funded by the U.S. Justice Department, it is available, free of charge, to law enforcement and the public, at www.namus.gov
"This has the potential to truly revolutionize the handling of cases of missing persons and unidentified remains," said Todd Matthews, the Southeast regional director for NamUs. "It is a huge step forward for investigators, and it gives the families and friends of missing persons a chance to become part of the process of finding their loved one."
Victims' families, police agencies, medical examiners, coroners and the general public can search for possible matches between missing persons and unidentified decedents.
To keep ongoing investigations secure, part of NamUs is set aside for law enforcement access only, so investigators can post and share information or details they do not wish made public, Matthews said.
NamUs has two databases: One has information about unidentified bodies, entered from medical examiners and coroners. It can be searched using characteristics such as sex, race, tattoos or other distinct body features, and dental information. The other contains information on missing persons cases.
Law enforcement users will have the ability to automatically cross-reference the two databases, reducing the time it takes an investigator to search them. If a close match is found, the investigator can turn to forensic services to conduct further testing, such as a dental records check or a DNA test.
NamUs only began taking records in January and is still in the growing stages. While the FBI's National Crime Information Center, or NCIC, will have around 100,000 missing persons cases listed as "active" at any given time, NamUs currently has 1,828 such cases, plus cases of 5,329 unidentified human bodies, according to Justice Department spokeswoman Sheila Jerusalem. But 43 states and 225 law enforcement agencies have started participating, and more are expected to enroll as they become aware of the program, she said.
The News Sentinel asked the Justice Department when and if current cases in the NCIC database would be added to the NamUs system, but that information was not provided in time for inclusion in this series.
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/jul/19/names-the-missing-matched/
Names, the missing matched on NamUs
By Jim Balloch
Posted July 19, 2009 at midnight
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, or NamUs, is the first national system designed to compare information about unidentified remains with missing persons cases.
Funded by the U.S. Justice Department, it is available, free of charge, to law enforcement and the public, at www.namus.gov
"This has the potential to truly revolutionize the handling of cases of missing persons and unidentified remains," said Todd Matthews, the Southeast regional director for NamUs. "It is a huge step forward for investigators, and it gives the families and friends of missing persons a chance to become part of the process of finding their loved one."
Victims' families, police agencies, medical examiners, coroners and the general public can search for possible matches between missing persons and unidentified decedents.
To keep ongoing investigations secure, part of NamUs is set aside for law enforcement access only, so investigators can post and share information or details they do not wish made public, Matthews said.
NamUs has two databases: One has information about unidentified bodies, entered from medical examiners and coroners. It can be searched using characteristics such as sex, race, tattoos or other distinct body features, and dental information. The other contains information on missing persons cases.
Law enforcement users will have the ability to automatically cross-reference the two databases, reducing the time it takes an investigator to search them. If a close match is found, the investigator can turn to forensic services to conduct further testing, such as a dental records check or a DNA test.
NamUs only began taking records in January and is still in the growing stages. While the FBI's National Crime Information Center, or NCIC, will have around 100,000 missing persons cases listed as "active" at any given time, NamUs currently has 1,828 such cases, plus cases of 5,329 unidentified human bodies, according to Justice Department spokeswoman Sheila Jerusalem. But 43 states and 225 law enforcement agencies have started participating, and more are expected to enroll as they become aware of the program, she said.
The News Sentinel asked the Justice Department when and if current cases in the NCIC database would be added to the NamUs system, but that information was not provided in time for inclusion in this series.
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/jul/19/names-the-missing-matched/
Friday, July 17, 2009
Something to think about
"Life doesn't cease to be funny when people die, any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh."
George Bernard Shaw
1856 - 1950
"It has been said that man is a rational animal. All my life I have been searching for evidence which could support this."
Bertrand Russel
1872 - 1970
"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
Martin Luther King Jr
1929 - 1968
George Bernard Shaw
1856 - 1950
"It has been said that man is a rational animal. All my life I have been searching for evidence which could support this."
Bertrand Russel
1872 - 1970
"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
Martin Luther King Jr
1929 - 1968
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Kristin Lodge-Miller Memorial
Even with the help of the people at the Rape Crisis Center, I still had trouble finding this. Originally, I was told the memorial marker was at the spot where the shrine (or pile of flowers) used to be, which was on the other side of the street, near Phillips Middle School, on Estes Drive in Chapel Hill.
Actually, it is near the driveway of the Orange County Rape Crisis Center, which is next door to Amity Methodist Church. It's tucked back a ways from the sidewalk, in the shade of some trees, and it's easy to walk by without seeing it.
When I first wrote about Kristin Lodge-Miller 2 years ago in this blog, I reported that I was unable to find very much about her on a Google search. Now there's quite a bit in there. I think the Eve Carson case had a lot to do with bringing this story back into the news of Chapel Hill. For me, this will be a part of our local history I will always remember.
Be safe out there, and remember the date of July 15, 1993.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Missing Persons - The Band
If you go to YouTube and type in "Missing Persons," you are likely to find material on the 1980's rock band, before you find the videos made by the Missing Persons Network, the Doe Network, Missing Pieces, and such as that.
This song I wish to dedicate to a whole lot of folks.
I hope you know who you are!
Peace and Blessings;
BW
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The Silence of the Blogs
The story you are about to read is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is entirely intentional.
In some North Carolina town a person outside the state has probably never heard of, a pretty young sophomore from a university in the next town was found murdered. The local police receive a 911 call from a person on a watercraft. He was jet skiing along the river and found a car and a body. Unfortunately for the local police, the caller was unable to tell them how to get to his location by land. I guess the local police didn't have a boat, or a GPS system to trace the cell phone.
It took them a while to find the place. During the search, police moving along the river found a couple of guys fishing. They told them they were looking for a body, and the two guys told them they were just fishing. The police got their names, addresses, and, who knows?, maybe a DNA sample from them as well, before moving along their way.
After they had finally arrived at the crime scene, and figured out where they were, they were able to call in and report the location of the road the car was on before it came down here.
A mother of a young woman who went missing from that area a month earlier wanted to know if this was her daughter they had found, but it was not. We don't even hear about that case until later. What we do hear is that the victim was a student at the university, which was about 30 miles away, and that this person's name is very well known on the campus, and in another NC town she had come from before attending university.
Very quickly the local police find out this person is very well known and loved. People show up from everywhere to talk about this pretty young sophomore, including her family who want to talk to the police in person. News stations from all around are covering the story, and throughout cyberspace the blogs came rolling in.
The local police figure that they need to solve this murder case, but they don't know how to do it. They never heard of this person before, and it didn't seem to occur to them to ask the hundreds of people who showed up on her behalf. They could have called in the SBI, but perhaps they didn't want to admit they needed help. They tell the press they are making progress, but they can't give any details about it now. It buys them some time.
But the time runs out. Seven months later they still have no clues. The local police are desperate. They need a suspect to arrest. This will make them look like they have made progress. They remember the two guys who were fishing down on the river that day. Why not arrest them?
Now a whole lot of people in that town could have told us that not only are these two guys innocent, but if the local police were to call them and ask them to come on down to the station, they would have willingly complied with the request. But the local police decide they want to be more dramatic than that. They show up at their homes at 4:30 in the morning, with lots of fire power.
At first everyone is excited, thinking this was good news. They are all singing and dancing about how the killers have been caught. But after seeing what these two guys look like, and hearing what they had to say, and what their neighbors had to say. people began to have some doubts about them arresting the right people.
All of the forums and all of the blogs that were involved in discussion of the case were saying the local police had no clue what they were doing. This went on until there was a second hearing, (mistakenly referred to as a trial) and everyone found out a whole lot of details of the investigation that were kept secret until then.
And then, something very mysterious happened. Forums began to close. Websites were no longer accessible. No one was talking about the pretty young sophomore anymore. The news media never mentioned another word about it. The case remains unsolved.
Meanwhile, back in the town she came from, some friends of the pretty young sophomore have some ideas about what happened, but no one listens to them. People figure these kids are too young to know what they're talking about. They are about the same age as the victim. With no one to listen to them, they made their statement by releasing a bunch of balloons.
Anyone out there who can tell the rest of the story, please be my guest.
In some North Carolina town a person outside the state has probably never heard of, a pretty young sophomore from a university in the next town was found murdered. The local police receive a 911 call from a person on a watercraft. He was jet skiing along the river and found a car and a body. Unfortunately for the local police, the caller was unable to tell them how to get to his location by land. I guess the local police didn't have a boat, or a GPS system to trace the cell phone.
It took them a while to find the place. During the search, police moving along the river found a couple of guys fishing. They told them they were looking for a body, and the two guys told them they were just fishing. The police got their names, addresses, and, who knows?, maybe a DNA sample from them as well, before moving along their way.
After they had finally arrived at the crime scene, and figured out where they were, they were able to call in and report the location of the road the car was on before it came down here.
A mother of a young woman who went missing from that area a month earlier wanted to know if this was her daughter they had found, but it was not. We don't even hear about that case until later. What we do hear is that the victim was a student at the university, which was about 30 miles away, and that this person's name is very well known on the campus, and in another NC town she had come from before attending university.
Very quickly the local police find out this person is very well known and loved. People show up from everywhere to talk about this pretty young sophomore, including her family who want to talk to the police in person. News stations from all around are covering the story, and throughout cyberspace the blogs came rolling in.
The local police figure that they need to solve this murder case, but they don't know how to do it. They never heard of this person before, and it didn't seem to occur to them to ask the hundreds of people who showed up on her behalf. They could have called in the SBI, but perhaps they didn't want to admit they needed help. They tell the press they are making progress, but they can't give any details about it now. It buys them some time.
But the time runs out. Seven months later they still have no clues. The local police are desperate. They need a suspect to arrest. This will make them look like they have made progress. They remember the two guys who were fishing down on the river that day. Why not arrest them?
Now a whole lot of people in that town could have told us that not only are these two guys innocent, but if the local police were to call them and ask them to come on down to the station, they would have willingly complied with the request. But the local police decide they want to be more dramatic than that. They show up at their homes at 4:30 in the morning, with lots of fire power.
At first everyone is excited, thinking this was good news. They are all singing and dancing about how the killers have been caught. But after seeing what these two guys look like, and hearing what they had to say, and what their neighbors had to say. people began to have some doubts about them arresting the right people.
All of the forums and all of the blogs that were involved in discussion of the case were saying the local police had no clue what they were doing. This went on until there was a second hearing, (mistakenly referred to as a trial) and everyone found out a whole lot of details of the investigation that were kept secret until then.
And then, something very mysterious happened. Forums began to close. Websites were no longer accessible. No one was talking about the pretty young sophomore anymore. The news media never mentioned another word about it. The case remains unsolved.
Meanwhile, back in the town she came from, some friends of the pretty young sophomore have some ideas about what happened, but no one listens to them. People figure these kids are too young to know what they're talking about. They are about the same age as the victim. With no one to listen to them, they made their statement by releasing a bunch of balloons.
Anyone out there who can tell the rest of the story, please be my guest.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Class of 2009
In my rural Chatham neighborhood, the most popular resident is Alex Ross. Alex is graduating from Northwood High School today.
At the age of 12 Alex had started his own newspaper.
At the age of 13, Alex came over to my house to show me how to use my new (to me) computer. I was embarrassed to have to admit that even though I am more than 3 times older than Alex, I only know less than half as much about computers. But young Alex was easy on me. He didn't make me feel dumb when he had to explain things to me. I will always appreciate that.
As a teenager Alex learned all about video equipment, and has made himself a major contributer to this website. He always knew what to do with pictures, and I got him to film "Storm Front at Carrboro Day," for my musician friends' first YouTube video. Alex also made excellent video for me from when we were on NC Wanted.
If you can find "Local Computer Care" in my Links list, you can find the website of Alex Ross. You can contact him to help with any video or computer projects you may have planned.
Because of his many contributions to my cause, I feel duty bound to bid him congratulations on his graduation.
Here's to you, Alex!
Now just imagine what he'll be doing once he's into UNC!
http://friendsofdebbie.blogspot.com/2008/07/storm-front-live.html
At the age of 12 Alex had started his own newspaper.
At the age of 13, Alex came over to my house to show me how to use my new (to me) computer. I was embarrassed to have to admit that even though I am more than 3 times older than Alex, I only know less than half as much about computers. But young Alex was easy on me. He didn't make me feel dumb when he had to explain things to me. I will always appreciate that.
As a teenager Alex learned all about video equipment, and has made himself a major contributer to this website. He always knew what to do with pictures, and I got him to film "Storm Front at Carrboro Day," for my musician friends' first YouTube video. Alex also made excellent video for me from when we were on NC Wanted.
If you can find "Local Computer Care" in my Links list, you can find the website of Alex Ross. You can contact him to help with any video or computer projects you may have planned.
Because of his many contributions to my cause, I feel duty bound to bid him congratulations on his graduation.
Here's to you, Alex!
Now just imagine what he'll be doing once he's into UNC!
http://friendsofdebbie.blogspot.com/2008/07/storm-front-live.html
Monday, June 01, 2009
Birthday for FDK
June 1st is the birthday of the FDK website.
We are now 2 years old.
Once again I have been contemplating if I should continue or not.
In the beginning I said I would quit the website if no one showed up for the candlelight vigil. Attendance was good, so I kept on going.
Last year was very successful with getting media attention, so I didn't even have to think about it.
This year I asked for feedback from some friends to help me decide.
There's a female friend I am rather fond of, so I tend to listen to her. She reminds me of how, on the first part of the journey, I wanted to write about plants and birds and rocks and things, but ended up writing about crime instead. It was sad to think that everyone I write about is dead.
(Thank you, America)
This person says there are more pleasant things I could be writing about.
And then there was the opposite extreme.
There was this person who suggested that a website about a murdered or missing person should be more "serious," and have less of the "Funny Little Bunnies," and other goofy stuff I like to do.
I've decided that too many of us have a dreadfully negative attitude towards death, and I should try to make a positive example.
For this reason, I have selected this tune by Mike Oldfield to offer in response.
-----------------------------------------------------
RIP - Paul Kemp
May 23 1958 - May 26 2009
Another Friend of Debbie Key
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Dalzell Pleads Guilty
Hey Folks! Sorry I'm late!
Thanks NC Wanted!
What would we do without you?
http://www.ncwanted.com/ncwanted_home/story/4465792/
Well whatta ya know?
He didn't try to BS his way out of it again.
I wonder why?
Thanks NC Wanted!
What would we do without you?
http://www.ncwanted.com/ncwanted_home/story/4465792/
Well whatta ya know?
He didn't try to BS his way out of it again.
I wonder why?
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Remembering Ira
It has now been a year since the world was robbed of the life of Ira Yarmolenko.
We were still in recoil from the death of Eve Carson in March, when the word came around.
Ira had lived in the Chapel Hill area since 1998. It comes as no surprise that a person of her charisma should have so many friends in the area. Still, I was amazed how much I was able to learn about her in a short time.
Listening to the testimonies of people who have known her, I began to wonder if a sweeter person has ever lived.
It is sad that murder rarely weeds out the worst of us, but more often targets the best of us. To lose Eve Carson and Ira both is a great loss to humanity.
Everything I have heard about Ira has been positive. To this day, I have never yet heard a negative about her.
This is a trend I am glad to see. Friends of Debbie Key had to fight pretty hard against the "blame the victim" syndrome.
IRA = Is Really Awesome
Ira was a one-of-a kind person, a unique individual who has touched so many lives it's barely believable. It boggles the mind to imagine the impact she would have had on the world if she had lived longer, considering the impact she has had in just 20 years, on nearly everyone she has encountered.
I am sorry to say, I am not impressed with the Gaston County Police.
They have been way too secretive in their investigation, when every detail is a potential clue. With so many friends, family, and fellow students willing to co-operate with law enforcement, they still end up arresting a most unlikely pair, after 7 months, who picked a bad day to go fishing.
I believe we can solve this case.
I believe we collectively have all the information we need. We only need to communicate with each other, and fit our pieces of info together. Too many clues have been ignored. Let's try picking them up.
I have learned more about the details of the investigation through 'Topix' than through any other source. I have much more confidence in the bloggers of this case than in the police. I want to see the forums open back up. Good slueths have always said that someone knows something. I say, especially in this case, that everyone knows something. With so many people who knew Ira, who are dedicated to seeking justice, it appears to me that we already have a very good start.
"The world is a dangerous place.
Not because of the people who are evil,
but because of the people who don't do anything about it."
-- Albert Einstein
We were still in recoil from the death of Eve Carson in March, when the word came around.
Ira had lived in the Chapel Hill area since 1998. It comes as no surprise that a person of her charisma should have so many friends in the area. Still, I was amazed how much I was able to learn about her in a short time.
Listening to the testimonies of people who have known her, I began to wonder if a sweeter person has ever lived.
It is sad that murder rarely weeds out the worst of us, but more often targets the best of us. To lose Eve Carson and Ira both is a great loss to humanity.
Everything I have heard about Ira has been positive. To this day, I have never yet heard a negative about her.
This is a trend I am glad to see. Friends of Debbie Key had to fight pretty hard against the "blame the victim" syndrome.
IRA = Is Really Awesome
Ira was a one-of-a kind person, a unique individual who has touched so many lives it's barely believable. It boggles the mind to imagine the impact she would have had on the world if she had lived longer, considering the impact she has had in just 20 years, on nearly everyone she has encountered.
I am sorry to say, I am not impressed with the Gaston County Police.
They have been way too secretive in their investigation, when every detail is a potential clue. With so many friends, family, and fellow students willing to co-operate with law enforcement, they still end up arresting a most unlikely pair, after 7 months, who picked a bad day to go fishing.
I believe we can solve this case.
I believe we collectively have all the information we need. We only need to communicate with each other, and fit our pieces of info together. Too many clues have been ignored. Let's try picking them up.
I have learned more about the details of the investigation through 'Topix' than through any other source. I have much more confidence in the bloggers of this case than in the police. I want to see the forums open back up. Good slueths have always said that someone knows something. I say, especially in this case, that everyone knows something. With so many people who knew Ira, who are dedicated to seeking justice, it appears to me that we already have a very good start.
"The world is a dangerous place.
Not because of the people who are evil,
but because of the people who don't do anything about it."
-- Albert Einstein
Saturday, April 18, 2009
More on Allison Foy
On the night of Good Friday, Dateline NBC aired an episode on the unsolved murders of Allison Jackson-Foy and Angela Rothen.
Lisa Valentino, Allison's sister, had sent me a message to make sure I see it. She was not the only one to notify me of this, (Thank you, Friends!) but I was especially glad to hear from this one. Lisa has impressed me with her devotion to solving her sister's case.
Check it out here.
http://insidedateline.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/04/08/1885505.aspx
NC Wanted, as I expected, was also in on it.
Here's what they had to say:
------------------------------------------------
Allison Jackson Foy disappeared in July 2006. Then, 18 months later, her remains were found in Wilmington. Autopsy results show that Allison was the victim of a violent stabbing.
Posted: Apr. 16, 2009
Updated: Apr. 16, 2009
NEW HANOVER COUNTY — When Allison Jackson Foy disappeared in July 2006, it seemed like a classic case of a woman in trouble walking away from her life.
But Allison’s sister, Lisa Valentino, couldn’t believe it. Despite the difficulties, Allison never would have walked away from her life. She had two daughters she loved very much, and always spoke up when she was in trouble.
“If she ever needed help she would pick up the phone,” said Lisa Valentino, Allison’s sister. “If things were bad where she was, she would have taken her daughters with her. She would have never left her kids behind. Never in a million years.”
A harrowing discovery in April 2008 proved Valentino’s suspicion correct. It took months for DNA analysis to confirm the remains were Allison, but Investigator Mike Overton with the Wilmington Police Department said he knew right away it was her.
But the shocking discovery didn’t end there. Allison’s weren’t the only remains found in a wooded, out-of-the-way area in Carolina Beach. Angela Nobles Rothen disappeared some 18 months after Allison vanished and police, although hesitant to use the term ‘serial killer,’ say there’s no doubt the same man killed both.
Like Allison, Rothen struggled with addiction and left children behind. Both women died by violent stabbing.
"I don’t know what that world is going to be like,” Valentino told NC WANTED after the remains were preliminarily identified as Allison. “I mean, I imagine it is going to be difficult to know that somebody took my sister’s life and they have no idea who did it. And that person is still out there somewhere."
Within two months of the discovery, police search a house, car and storage unit belonging to 47-year-old Timothy Craig Iannone, a cab driver who frequented the area where the remains were found.
According to the search warrants, Iannone has a criminal history. In August 2007, he was arrested for the kidnapping, rape and assault of a prostitute in the area near where the remains were found. He is currently on probation.
Earlier this year, the Star News of Wilmington reported that Iannone had been cleared as a suspect, and in an interview he told them he was weary of being watched all of the time.
More recently, though, police have changed their stance.
“The time I last talked to the press, we’d pretty much done everything we could at that time with him,” Overton told NC WANTED in a phone interview. “Since that time, we’ve had some additional evidence come to light for us, and he’s back on our radar. There could be other suspects out there and we are looking at other people, but Mr. Iannone is definitely back on our radar as a potential suspect.”
According to her family, Allison left work around 10 p.m. that evening and went to a friend’s house. She left a while later, and went to the Junction Pub and Billiards on Carolina Beach Road. Investigators say Allison appeared to be in good spirits when she met a friend there at 11 p.m. After staying for a few hours, witnesses say, she left the bar around 2 a.m. Police found her car in the bar’s parking lot.
Witnesses who were at the bar the night Allison disappeared have different accounts of when they last saw her. Some say the bartender called a cab to take her home and when the driver came inside, she left. Others claim Allison never left in a cab and she was seen sitting on the front steps of the bar, crying. Phone records show that she made a call to a friend in New York at 2:03 a.m.
Police feel confident Allison was killed the night she disappeared.
If you have information on this case, call NC WANTED toll free at 1.866.43.WANTED (1.866.439.2683) or click on "Report a Tip" Your identity can be kept confidential.
http://www.ncwanted.com/ncwanted_home/story/4963943/
------------------------------------------------------------
Allison Jackson Foy's website, maintained by her sister, Lisa Valentino, may be found via the Links List on this page.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Atlas Fraley Update
We still don't know the cause of Atlas Fraley's death.
But that doesn't mean we have to find someone to blame it on.
While we must be careful not to assume too much, I think it's fairly safe to assume, at this point, that Fraley had a medical condition that no one knew about.
When a young person dies in such a mysterious way, it's a natural human thing to respond to it with a lot of questions, and a lot of anger. I don't blame anyone for being angry. I confess, I am guilty of the same thing myself.
On Wednesday, March 18, the day after St. Patrick's Day, I saw about 15 seconds worth of news coverage on TV about the newly released statement from the medical examiner. I was quite disturbed that the autopsy findings were "inconclusive." (Is someone trying to cover his butt?)
Going online, nothing new in there either. I check again Thursday and Friday, and it's more news articles that say the same old thing. All of them are very short, just a few sentences, none of them telling us anything we didn't already know.
I am ready to scream, "What the hell's going on?" while visions of angry mobs dance through my head.
Then on Saturday, March 21, I find this in the News & Observer.
http://www.newsobserver.com/264/story/1451303.html
Kudos to staff writer Jesse James DeConto, for having the sensitivity to respond to everyone's nagging questions.
Why was he left alone?
Why weren't his parents notified?
Why wasn't he taken to the hospital?
Finally, we get some answers.
The next thing I know, I find myself developing a whole new perspective.
So I was about to write this up, when I get yet another incoming angry message.
But this one isn't a message attacking the Orange County 911 Emergency Medical Service, but one defending them, with every bit as much anger.
A reader says that I shouldn't need to be reminded that our EMS is very dedicated to saving lives and aiding the injured, and they deserve a whole lot more credit than they are getting.
I was pretty knocked back by this. I need some time to recover, and to decide how to respond. Until then, all the angry messages I've received were directed against the EMS. Feeling defensive, I want to know why this reader thinks it's my fault the EMS is under fire. I want to fire back, but I have to think about it instead.
I know someone who works as a dispatcher for 911. In the wee hours of the morning during March of last year, I received a message saying Chapel Hill Police have found a dead body of a young white female, in the Hillcrest area of Chapel Hill. This was later identified as the body of Eve Carson. How thankful I should be to have people who can deliver important news to me, before the news media has time to write it up.
Gee, I guess I do owe them something.
I did not know Atlas Fraley, but since last August I have read a lot about him, and have heard a lot about him from people I have met. I am under the impression that this young man was a big lovable bear with a great big heart that was just so full of love for everyone. I don't think he would be too happy to see us slinging mud at each other in his wake, especially over something that happened that no one could see coming.
There was this guy named Jesus who said,
"Blessed are the peace makers..."
It must be worth a try, don't you think?
But that doesn't mean we have to find someone to blame it on.
While we must be careful not to assume too much, I think it's fairly safe to assume, at this point, that Fraley had a medical condition that no one knew about.
When a young person dies in such a mysterious way, it's a natural human thing to respond to it with a lot of questions, and a lot of anger. I don't blame anyone for being angry. I confess, I am guilty of the same thing myself.
On Wednesday, March 18, the day after St. Patrick's Day, I saw about 15 seconds worth of news coverage on TV about the newly released statement from the medical examiner. I was quite disturbed that the autopsy findings were "inconclusive." (Is someone trying to cover his butt?)
Going online, nothing new in there either. I check again Thursday and Friday, and it's more news articles that say the same old thing. All of them are very short, just a few sentences, none of them telling us anything we didn't already know.
I am ready to scream, "What the hell's going on?" while visions of angry mobs dance through my head.
Then on Saturday, March 21, I find this in the News & Observer.
http://www.newsobserver.com/264/story/1451303.html
Kudos to staff writer Jesse James DeConto, for having the sensitivity to respond to everyone's nagging questions.
Why was he left alone?
Why weren't his parents notified?
Why wasn't he taken to the hospital?
Finally, we get some answers.
The next thing I know, I find myself developing a whole new perspective.
So I was about to write this up, when I get yet another incoming angry message.
But this one isn't a message attacking the Orange County 911 Emergency Medical Service, but one defending them, with every bit as much anger.
A reader says that I shouldn't need to be reminded that our EMS is very dedicated to saving lives and aiding the injured, and they deserve a whole lot more credit than they are getting.
I was pretty knocked back by this. I need some time to recover, and to decide how to respond. Until then, all the angry messages I've received were directed against the EMS. Feeling defensive, I want to know why this reader thinks it's my fault the EMS is under fire. I want to fire back, but I have to think about it instead.
I know someone who works as a dispatcher for 911. In the wee hours of the morning during March of last year, I received a message saying Chapel Hill Police have found a dead body of a young white female, in the Hillcrest area of Chapel Hill. This was later identified as the body of Eve Carson. How thankful I should be to have people who can deliver important news to me, before the news media has time to write it up.
Gee, I guess I do owe them something.
I did not know Atlas Fraley, but since last August I have read a lot about him, and have heard a lot about him from people I have met. I am under the impression that this young man was a big lovable bear with a great big heart that was just so full of love for everyone. I don't think he would be too happy to see us slinging mud at each other in his wake, especially over something that happened that no one could see coming.
There was this guy named Jesus who said,
"Blessed are the peace makers..."
It must be worth a try, don't you think?
Saturday, March 14, 2009
History of St. Pat's Day
A 7th grade teacher of mine said there are 2 kinds of people in this world:
"The Irish, and those who wish they were Irish."
Before I came to North Carolina, I used to believe it was true.
You can always count on me to remember March 17.
(Did I mention my mother's maiden name was O'Bryan?)
Friday, March 06, 2009
Remembering Eve Carson
Remembering Eve Carson
From WRAL.com
Posted: Mar. 5, 2009
Updated: Mar. 5, 2009
Eve Carson, the slain University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student body president, was a Tar Heel through and through.
She loved Carolina basketball, going to Franklin Street and playing intramural sports. Friends say James Taylor's "Carolina in My Mind" was one of her favorite songs.
As a student leader and prestigious Morehead-Cain scholar, she personified what retired UNC Chancellor James Moeser last year called "the Carolina spirit." She was "compassionate, inclusive in her dealings with everyone … fairness, justice and tolerance."
The biology and political science major found time to tutor and teach science at a local elementary school. On summer breaks, she studied in Havana and volunteered in Ecuador, Egypt and Ghana.
Carson's enthusiasm for community service was contagious, friends say, and so was her ability to get people involved. Friends say that she was ready to conquer the world.
"Just whatever she was going to do, she was going to be great just being herself," said UNC junior Katherine Novinski, a Morehead-Cain scholar whom Carson mentored.
Instead, the world has come to know her in a much different way.
The 22-year-old native of Athens, Ga., was kidnapped at her campus rental house in the early morning of March 5, 2008, robbed, shot and killed in a neighborhood near the UNC campus.
Two men – Demario James Atwater and Laurence Alvin Lovette Jr. – face state and federal charges in connection with her death, which Chapel Hill police have called a random act of violence.
The crime sent shockwaves through the university community, which hadn't experienced a tragedy of such magnitude since 1995, when a law school student went on a shooting rampage and killed two people.
Within hours of hearing of Carson's death, thousands gathered on campus for a memorial service and a candlelight vigil.
"Something happened that day at UNC," said junior Hogan Medlin, also a Morehead-Cain scholar whom Carson mentored. "It was a literal coming together of the student body."
One year later, UNC is turning its grief into action, having already started a scholarship in Carson's honor – the first recipient was named last month – as well as a variety of other projects.
At a remembrance on Thursday, Chancellor Holden Thorpe will ask students, faculty and staff to give back to the community during the month of March.
"What matters most is who did you inspire? Where did you make your mark in this world?" Medlin said. "Eve made her mark, and it's evident in every person you can talk to."
Lisa and Emily Martin are living Carson's legacy of service. The women and about 80 other students will spend spring break in New Orleans. They plan to rebuild communities still recovering from Hurricane Katrina.
“Eve Carson made a big difference on this campus. You can tell by the people who were affected by her death. So, I think it's really cool how we have the opportunity to make a difference in society as well as she did,” said Emily Martin, UNC student.
“I think it speaks about her life and what she meant to do,” said Lisa Martin, UNC student.
Carson's family has grieved privately, but her younger brother has taken on a very public cause that started before she died.
Andrew Carson helped produce an award-winning documentary called "Darius Goes West," which has sold nearly 22,000 copies and raised more than $1.5 million for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research. The goal is to sell 1 million DVDs in one year.
The film follows the quest of 15-year-old muscular dystrophy patient Darius Weems, who sets off on a cross-country quest to get MTV's "Pimp My Ride" to customize his wheelchair. Along the way, Weems touches the lives of those he meets and shares his story.
Friends say Eve Carson encouraged the project.
"She would take the time to ask you the questions that others wouldn't ask," Medlin said. "She would meet you and immediately ask you what your passions are."
Thursday's remembrance begins in The Pit on the UNC campus at 4 p.m. with music starting at 3:45 p.m. It is expected to last about 30 minutes and feature remarks by Thorp and a performance by student a cappella group, The Clef Hangers.
"For many of us, the loss of Eve Carson continues to occupy our thoughts," Thorp said. "This ceremony gives us a chance to remember and celebrate Eve together after a difficult year."
Also on Thursday evening, friends will gather at Carson's alma mater, Clarke Central High School in Athens, for a moment of silence.
Copyright 2009 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://www.ncwanted.com/ncwanted_home/story/4675337/
From WRAL.com
Posted: Mar. 5, 2009
Updated: Mar. 5, 2009
Eve Carson, the slain University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student body president, was a Tar Heel through and through.
She loved Carolina basketball, going to Franklin Street and playing intramural sports. Friends say James Taylor's "Carolina in My Mind" was one of her favorite songs.
As a student leader and prestigious Morehead-Cain scholar, she personified what retired UNC Chancellor James Moeser last year called "the Carolina spirit." She was "compassionate, inclusive in her dealings with everyone … fairness, justice and tolerance."
The biology and political science major found time to tutor and teach science at a local elementary school. On summer breaks, she studied in Havana and volunteered in Ecuador, Egypt and Ghana.
Carson's enthusiasm for community service was contagious, friends say, and so was her ability to get people involved. Friends say that she was ready to conquer the world.
"Just whatever she was going to do, she was going to be great just being herself," said UNC junior Katherine Novinski, a Morehead-Cain scholar whom Carson mentored.
Instead, the world has come to know her in a much different way.
The 22-year-old native of Athens, Ga., was kidnapped at her campus rental house in the early morning of March 5, 2008, robbed, shot and killed in a neighborhood near the UNC campus.
Two men – Demario James Atwater and Laurence Alvin Lovette Jr. – face state and federal charges in connection with her death, which Chapel Hill police have called a random act of violence.
The crime sent shockwaves through the university community, which hadn't experienced a tragedy of such magnitude since 1995, when a law school student went on a shooting rampage and killed two people.
Within hours of hearing of Carson's death, thousands gathered on campus for a memorial service and a candlelight vigil.
"Something happened that day at UNC," said junior Hogan Medlin, also a Morehead-Cain scholar whom Carson mentored. "It was a literal coming together of the student body."
One year later, UNC is turning its grief into action, having already started a scholarship in Carson's honor – the first recipient was named last month – as well as a variety of other projects.
At a remembrance on Thursday, Chancellor Holden Thorpe will ask students, faculty and staff to give back to the community during the month of March.
"What matters most is who did you inspire? Where did you make your mark in this world?" Medlin said. "Eve made her mark, and it's evident in every person you can talk to."
Lisa and Emily Martin are living Carson's legacy of service. The women and about 80 other students will spend spring break in New Orleans. They plan to rebuild communities still recovering from Hurricane Katrina.
“Eve Carson made a big difference on this campus. You can tell by the people who were affected by her death. So, I think it's really cool how we have the opportunity to make a difference in society as well as she did,” said Emily Martin, UNC student.
“I think it speaks about her life and what she meant to do,” said Lisa Martin, UNC student.
Carson's family has grieved privately, but her younger brother has taken on a very public cause that started before she died.
Andrew Carson helped produce an award-winning documentary called "Darius Goes West," which has sold nearly 22,000 copies and raised more than $1.5 million for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research. The goal is to sell 1 million DVDs in one year.
The film follows the quest of 15-year-old muscular dystrophy patient Darius Weems, who sets off on a cross-country quest to get MTV's "Pimp My Ride" to customize his wheelchair. Along the way, Weems touches the lives of those he meets and shares his story.
Friends say Eve Carson encouraged the project.
"She would take the time to ask you the questions that others wouldn't ask," Medlin said. "She would meet you and immediately ask you what your passions are."
Thursday's remembrance begins in The Pit on the UNC campus at 4 p.m. with music starting at 3:45 p.m. It is expected to last about 30 minutes and feature remarks by Thorp and a performance by student a cappella group, The Clef Hangers.
"For many of us, the loss of Eve Carson continues to occupy our thoughts," Thorp said. "This ceremony gives us a chance to remember and celebrate Eve together after a difficult year."
Also on Thursday evening, friends will gather at Carson's alma mater, Clarke Central High School in Athens, for a moment of silence.
Copyright 2009 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://www.ncwanted.com/ncwanted_home/story/4675337/
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Chandra Levy
One Question:
Why did it take 8 years?
Now here's the catch:
Any way you answer that will generate more questions.
Friday, February 06, 2009
Thank You, God!
I promised someone that I would open my next post with the above 3 words. As to who it is I made that promise to, I'll let you guess.
Sometimes it is very hard to believe in God.
Like when someone near and dear to you is taken from you, in a senseless act.
It doesn't help when those who claim to be His followers are such idiots that you try to avoid them.
But sometimes it is very easy to believe in God.
Like when you're sitting at home watching TV and, suddenly and unexpectedly, there's something in the news you were waiting for so long, you forgot you were waiting for it.
Add to it that it was the very next day after the Yarmolenko trial, and my mind begins to wonder if some mysterious forces may be at work.
Andrew Dalzell has been arrested.
We were all waiting for the time he would get in trouble again. It was bound to happen, we all said. (I know I did!) He has always gotten in trouble before, and he will certainly get in trouble again. Getting in trouble is one thing he does well. The day will surely come,
but...
lets hope and pray that when the day comes, the slippery fish doesn't slip through the cracks again.
So I get online, and look at all these messages.
John Allore picked up the story before I did. It certainly wasn't the first time, and likely won't be the last.
A message from Carolyn Hutchison, Carrboro Police Chief.
A reporter named Kevin Ellis with the Gaston Gazette wants me to call him.
Several messages from Joy and other friends, one of them telling me how Joy was "captured" by WRAL News.
My heart is beating fast as I take this all in.
Moisture forms in the corners of my eyes.
Do I dare believe...?
Would Dalzell more likely get a fair trial in Buncombe County than in Orange?
It's hard to argue with that, especially considering that he didn't really get a trial at all in Orange County.
Now that right there is the thing that's messed up the most about it.
Dalzell was the one who should have been on trial, but the Carrboro Police were the ones on trial.
Hey, what's wrong with this picture, Folks?
I mean, weren't the CPD the ones doing everything they could to solve the case?
I have it on good authority that the CPD has made the sincerest efforts. I have always and will always stand by them on their efforts. It was the DA who opposed them in a double-cross that is to blame.
So what was that question again?
Oh yeah,
Will they make it stick next time?
Throw enough of it at the wall, and just maybe...?
One thing I know for sure.
If they slap his wrist and let him go, the public outcry would be downright frightening!
Special thanks also to the Buncombe County Sherrif's Office.
http://www.gastongazette.com/news/county_30091___article.html/dalzell_buncombe.html
http://www.wral.com/news/local/video/4479316/
-------------------------------------------------------
Now here's a new link.
http://www.gastongazette.com/news/dalzell_30138___article.html/key_police.html
Sometimes it is very hard to believe in God.
Like when someone near and dear to you is taken from you, in a senseless act.
It doesn't help when those who claim to be His followers are such idiots that you try to avoid them.
But sometimes it is very easy to believe in God.
Like when you're sitting at home watching TV and, suddenly and unexpectedly, there's something in the news you were waiting for so long, you forgot you were waiting for it.
Add to it that it was the very next day after the Yarmolenko trial, and my mind begins to wonder if some mysterious forces may be at work.
Andrew Dalzell has been arrested.
We were all waiting for the time he would get in trouble again. It was bound to happen, we all said. (I know I did!) He has always gotten in trouble before, and he will certainly get in trouble again. Getting in trouble is one thing he does well. The day will surely come,
but...
lets hope and pray that when the day comes, the slippery fish doesn't slip through the cracks again.
So I get online, and look at all these messages.
John Allore picked up the story before I did. It certainly wasn't the first time, and likely won't be the last.
A message from Carolyn Hutchison, Carrboro Police Chief.
A reporter named Kevin Ellis with the Gaston Gazette wants me to call him.
Several messages from Joy and other friends, one of them telling me how Joy was "captured" by WRAL News.
My heart is beating fast as I take this all in.
Moisture forms in the corners of my eyes.
Do I dare believe...?
Would Dalzell more likely get a fair trial in Buncombe County than in Orange?
It's hard to argue with that, especially considering that he didn't really get a trial at all in Orange County.
Now that right there is the thing that's messed up the most about it.
Dalzell was the one who should have been on trial, but the Carrboro Police were the ones on trial.
Hey, what's wrong with this picture, Folks?
I mean, weren't the CPD the ones doing everything they could to solve the case?
I have it on good authority that the CPD has made the sincerest efforts. I have always and will always stand by them on their efforts. It was the DA who opposed them in a double-cross that is to blame.
So what was that question again?
Oh yeah,
Will they make it stick next time?
Throw enough of it at the wall, and just maybe...?
One thing I know for sure.
If they slap his wrist and let him go, the public outcry would be downright frightening!
Special thanks also to the Buncombe County Sherrif's Office.
http://www.gastongazette.com/news/county_30091___article.html/dalzell_buncombe.html
http://www.wral.com/news/local/video/4479316/
-------------------------------------------------------
Now here's a new link.
http://www.gastongazette.com/news/dalzell_30138___article.html/key_police.html
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Dalzell Arrested
Andrew Dalzell was arrested yesterday in Asheville, NC for soliciting a minor online.
Read all about it here:
http://www.ncwanted.com/ncwanted_home/story/4465792/
and here:
http://whokilledtheresa.blogspot.com/2009/02/andrew-dalzell-arrested-in-child-sex.html
Special thanks to NC Wanted and WRAL News for being the first to call this to our attention.
Read all about it here:
http://www.ncwanted.com/ncwanted_home/story/4465792/
and here:
http://whokilledtheresa.blogspot.com/2009/02/andrew-dalzell-arrested-in-child-sex.html
Special thanks to NC Wanted and WRAL News for being the first to call this to our attention.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Yarmolenko Murder Hearing
It appears, my dear readers, that we now have another suspect.
A Mecklenburg County inmate has sent his confession to a Charlotte newscaster.
The two people on jet skis who found the body said they did not see anyone fishing nearby.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/crime_safety/story/1391754.html
Nothing more for me to say here.
A Mecklenburg County inmate has sent his confession to a Charlotte newscaster.
The two people on jet skis who found the body said they did not see anyone fishing nearby.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/crime_safety/story/1391754.html
Nothing more for me to say here.
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