True Crime in the City of Oaks

Moved

2008-10-27T15:34:00.000-04:00

I have neglected the crime writing for a bit, but am planning on starting over - here.

Search Warrants Released in Eve Carson Case

2008-06-27T15:06:00.003-04:00

A judge today allowed for the release of search warrants in the Eve Carson murder investigation. Links to the search warrants are below.

From the beginning, I was worried this was going to turn it to be a by-the-book crime: a guy, maybe two, get brave and break the law, then brag about it to someone, get caught and are handed the deserved punishment. I think Demario James Atwater and Laurence Alvin Lovette Jr. both deserve death, the most horrible death allowed, but I won't go down that road.

One of the search warrants I read today said some evidence requested was Pubic hair combings, 50 pubic hairs, 50 head hairs, blood, and saliva and cheek scrapings from Atwater, who she was in the back seat with. A warrant also says police have probable cause to believe "sexual assault of an unknown nature occurred," though neither Lovette nor Atwater has been charged with such an assault. I think the autopsy report is telling on this issue, and is scheduled for release on Monday (June 30).

According to the warrants, both men admitted to a confidential witness (CW) that they entered Carson's home, forced her into the backseat with Atwater and withdrew $1,400 from her bank account over two days. They then each shot her. She died of multiple gunshot wounds. If a sexual assault did occur, it was in the backseat of her car.

If there is a God, these two will be tried, found guilty, and killed in some unimaginable way.

Links to search warrants:

Warrant One
Warrant Two
Warrant Three
Warrant Four
Warrant Five
Warrant Six

UNC Student Body President Murdered

2008-03-06T12:43:00.007-05:00

**Updated 7:15p.m., 3/9**

A beautiful young woman, 22-year-old Eve Marie Carson was a senior, a Morehead-Cain scholar and the Student Body President at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. As a political science and biology major, she had aspirations of attending medical school, and spent Spring 2006 studying abroad in Cuba and Ecuador. She was originally from Athens, Georgia.

Today, she was identified as an apparent random shooting victim who died yesterday morning in the Hillcrest neighborhood.

Police were called to the neighborhood before dawn after reports of gunfire. Carson was shot multiple times, including at least once in the head. She did not have any identification on her, and her 2005 blue Toyota Highlander with Georgia license plate AIV 6690 is missing. There have been no arrests.

The Chancellor released a statement, calling for a gathering to grieve today at 3 p.m.

It is obvious that Carson had a tremendous impact on the UNC community. Her biography is extensive and exemplary, and YouTube has several videos from Carolina Week that feature her during her election campaign. One male student, after admitted attempts to woo Carson, set up a Facebook group to win a date with her through a charity auction.

UNC has suffered a great loss, one that will be hard to recover from. My condolences to all.

Anyone with information about case is asked to call the Chapel Hill Police Department at 919-968-2760.

Update

Chapel Hill Police have released the following photos of a person of interest/suspect:

The person(s) in the photos attempted to use Eve Carson's ATM card, though authorities are not releasing the time they were used. Initially, police said there was only one person in the car, believed to be Carson's. However, the Raleigh Chronicle is reporting there may be a second person in the backseat. Using an enhanced color photo, an investigator determined this from the following photo:

Some message boards, one at courttv.com and at websleuths.com, have rumored that the girlfriend of the suspect in the photo has come forward, saying he was just released from jail and will kill, though this has not been confirmed.

There is also speculation that his hat could signify a gang, but more research is needed.

These photos are good photos, and it should only be a matter of time until this person is caught.

Serial Rapists in Fayetteville, Reno

2008-02-16T19:06:00.005-05:00

Serial rapists commit two or more crimes on unrelated victims at different times. They usually begin their crimes more cautiously, and get more and more bold as their confidence in their abilities to commit their crimes increases. Serial rapists differ from spree rapists, who usually commit several rapes over a very short period of time (for example, Omar Sharpe).

Fayetteville authorities are reporting that there is a serial rapist in the area after reports of three rapes in the area in the last 18 months. The suspect is also linked to a series of peeping tom incidents throughout 2004. Police are not confirming how they have linked the rapes, but believe the suspect stalked the victims in preparation for the attacks.

A 23-year-old woman was jogging near the Ramsey Street and Oates Drive area, was attacked from behind and raped in August 2007. In February 2007, a 45-year-old woman was sleeping when the suspect broke into her house, woke her up and raped her. A third rape occurred seven months later, when a 21-year-old woman's apartment was broken into, and she was raped.

On January 26 of this year, a sexual assault occurred when a woman living on the same street where one of the previous rapes occurred was attacked. Between 2:15 and 3:15 a.m., a suspect broke into the home of a 29-year-old woman and sexually assaulted her.

The suspect was wearing a dark clothes: black shoes, dark jeans and a dark hooded sweatshirt with “Notre Dame” across the chest. This last attack has not been connected to the previous rapes, but police are looking into the possibility.

With the media attention these cases are receiving, every woman needs to be on the lookout. Police have released this information about the suspect:

* White or Hispanic male
* Early 20s or 30s
* Between 5-foot-8 and 6-foot-3
* Medium, slightly muscular or athletic build
* Close-cut, or shaven dark hair

In a related case in Reno, Nevada, Brianna Denison's body was found yesterday; it was confirmed that it was her body today. Denison disappeared January 20 from a friend's house. She was strangled.

Her attacker has been linked to several other rapes and sexual assaults in the area from DNA found on the pillow Denison was using the night she disappeared:

* On October 22, a University of Nevada, Reno student was attacked from behind by a white male, who forced her to the ground in the Brian Whalen Parking Garage on campus. Some reports have said that parking garage is where campus police officers park their vehicles. The victim said the suspect held a black-and-silver handgun to her head while assaulting her.

* November 13: a female was battered and sexually groped in the 400 black of College Drive

* December 16: a female was battered and kidnapped from the 1400 block of North Virginia Street, sexually assaulted and returned home

* January 19: an unknown suspect unsuccessfully attempted to break into the home of the December victim

* Jan. 20: Denison goes missing from a friend’s home. Her body is found February 15.

All of the above-mentioned crimes, with the exception of the October rape that has not definitively been linked to the same suspect, occurred between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m.

The suspect in the Reno case is described as a while male between 28 and 40 years old with a long face and square chin, and facial hair between one-quarter and one-half-inch long. He had brown hair, and was taller than 5 foot 6 inches but not excessively so. His body build was strong but not significantly muscular. He had an "innie" belly button and a shaved pubic region.

Sources: Nevada Sagebrush, News14.com, Fayetteville Observer.

A Marine's Tragic Disappearance, Death - UPDATED 1/12

2008-01-11T13:00:00.000-05:00

While this is not a crime that occurred in Raleigh, I feel it shouldn't be overlooked.

Not much is known about what happened to Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach, though authorities are now saying they have substantial evidence that she is dead and buried somewhere in Onslow County. They do not know where her body is, or if the baby was born, or who the father of the child is. I've pasted a timeline of her case below.

There's much to be said about her case. Lauterbach accused a superior officer, 21-year-old Cpl. Marine Cesar Armando Laurean, of rape, but the investigation had gone sour. The police have named Laurean a suspect in this case, and he currently can't be located.

Recently, Lauterbach's stepmother said she was a compulsive liar and bipolar. I'm wondering if this had anything to do with the investigation not turning out in favor of Lauterbach.

This is all just pure speculation, but if Laurean is the father of the child, and denies sexually assaulting Lauterbach, the child's birth may be detrimental to his side of the story. The fact that Laurean has disappeared does not make him look good. And if this is true, I would say the Naval investigators did a poor job in looking at the allegations and in thinking Laurean was not a flight risk.

To read the search warrants in the case, go here.

Despite everything, this is yet another tragic case. More to come.

Timeline

December 14: Lauterbach's stepmother, Mary Lauterbach, said she had a heated telephone conversation with her about putting the baby up for adoption. This is the last time anyone has heard from her.

December 15: Lauterbach purchases a one-way bus ticket to El Paso, Texas. The ticket has never been used.

December 19: Lauterbach is reported missing by her stepmother, who tells the police department that Lauterbach is 8 months pregnant and bi-polar, and had a history of lying.

December 20: Lauterbach's cell phone is found near the main gate at Camp Lejeune. Her roommate, Marine Sgt. Daniel Durham, is brought in for questioning, though he is not a subject.

December 24: An unidentified white male attempted to use Lauterbach's ATM card at the Marine Federal Credit Union. He attempted to cover the ATM's security camera with a rag.

December 26: Lauterbach misses a prenatal care appointment.

January 7: Lauterbach's car is found at a bus station near Camp Lejeune.

January 11: Authorities say Lauterbach is dead and buried somewhere in Onslow County, though they don't know where. Laurean is a suspect, but authorities cannot find him.

Update, 3:30 p.m.

Authorities have found what they believe to be Lauterbach's remains in a fire pit in the backyard of Laurean's residence. The remains are skeletal, charred, and dental records have been sent to confirm it is Lauterbach's remains. The remains of a fetus were also found.

Police were tipped off to the body by Laurean's wife, who found a letter from Laurean saying Lauterbach came to his place and cut her own throat. There was also a massive amount of blood on one of the walls, as well as some blood spatters on the ceiling and in the garage. It appeared as if someone had tried to clean the blood and paint over it.

Forgive me if I'm not buying Laurean's side of the story, especially since he hasn't been seen since 4 a.m. yesterday. An arrest warrant has now been issued for him.

Lauterbach had a private MySpace page, in which she last logged in on November 3. But she also had an old MySpace page where she last logged in in March, about 9 months ago, around the same time she became pregnant. It has some information about her, such as likes and dislikes.

Laurean also had a MySpace page, but it seems to have been cleared out. He last logged in on October 30.

There were several Facebook pages set up to help find Lauterbach, and some posted their memories of her. Yesterday, one girl wrote:

My best friend and I met Maria one weekend ths past October in Camp LeJeune. We came down to see some friends of ours and Maria, at that time, had lived in the barracks that our friends lived in and was friends with them also. I personally thought Maria was a very nice and welcoming girl, I had talked to her about her thoughts on being a female in the Marine Corps because at the time, I was in the process of making my decision to join. I just recently joined as an officer, and some of the things she said to me during our conversation that night helped me in my decision. We also talked about our fathers, she had told me that her father was a Master Sergeant and my father is a Master Gunnery Sgt, so we laughed and joked around about that together. She had also mentioned her rape to my friend and I, and by looking at her, you could tell she had a little stomach on her. My best friend and I found Maria to be a girl who had been emotionally drained and looking for someone to befriend her. My best friend and I gave her our numbers and told her that if she ever needed to talk, to just give us a call. Wednesday night when i saw her on Fox News Channel, I was in shock and disbelief. I told myself "that can't be the girl we met at LeJeune, it just can't be". Then yesterday when they released more pictures of her, I knew it was the same person. All of the new information released today just absolutely breaks my heart. She was an extremely friendly person and did not deserve anything that allegedly happened to her, including her prior rape. My thoughts and prayers are continuously with her family and friends. Semper Fi.

A horrible ending to the story. Hopefully this man, Laurean, will be caught soon. He's not someone who needs to be running away.

Photos from Wral.com

Drug raid leaves wanted Texas man dead - LAST UPDATED 1/8

2008-01-04T23:01:00.000-05:00

If all is to be believed, Stephen Scott Thornton was a 45-year-old white male, a Texan, and a survivor of thyroid cancer. How he ended up in Wake County, N.C., I don't know. But news reports today say Stephen Thornton, who also goes by the alias Scott Monaco, was killed during a drug raid at a home in North Raleigh.

I haven't found much about Stephen, though the News and Observer wrote that as of yet he has not been identified as a suspect in the two-month long investigation of illegal growing of marijuana. He was identified by fingerprints.

While the police were conducting their raid, one officer, Sgt. Ronnie Byrd, was shot in the leg. He has been released from WakeMed. It is still not clear who shot whom, though a neighbor said he heard four or five gunshots and screaming.

The house where the raid was conducted is 5401 Alpine Drive, and has been a rental home for several years. According to Wake County Real Estate Data, the owner of the home resides in Florida, and the deed was transferred to her name in 2002.

So who exactly is Stephen Scott Thornton?

Well, googling his name provides a post on the Texans for Medical Marijuana website, where the man I'm assuming is the Stephen Scott Thornton in question admitted to growing his own medical marijuana since having his thyroid gland removed 10 years ago. He wrote that smoking and growing marijuana has helped him "go from a 145-pound weakling to a 180-pound healthy man," and he has helped other cancer patients by giving them marijuana, as well.

The post, last updated on September 28, 2006, also describes how he recently got busted, first by Collin County Police and then by the ATF. He wrote that he expected a two-three year federal sentence, in part because he owned a .9mm handgun.

"If I do not plead guilty I could easily get ten years or more prison sentence since I also owned a 9-mm pistol. By pleading guilty I expect a 2-3 year federal sentence. The feds wanted me to narc on the cancer patients I provide with marijuana but I would only narc on myself."

His account of the incident, however, differs from a press release about the case from the Wylie Public Information Office. The release says:

"On May 19 at approximately 9:06 pm, Wylie Police Officers responded to a neighbor disturbance involving weapons in the 1200 block of Silene Court in northwest Wylie. Officers subsequently arrested Stephen Scott Thornton, 43-year-old white male, for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. Thornton was transported to the Collin County Jail and a search warrant was obtained for his residence to search for the weapon that was used in the offense. As Wylie Officers executed the warrant, they observed in plain view, a large quantity of marijuana in the residence."

So Stephen's story on the pro-medical marijuana website sounds a bit different from what police said happened. Though really, it may be impossible to know the truth.

A bit of digging found me at Collin County's Case History service, where I found case 366-81652-05 (search by name), Stephen's still-open case of assault with a deadly weapon, complete with blatant notification of his outstanding warrant. It details the various events of the case from August 2005 through July 2007, in which the motion for counsel withdrawal was approved.

Stephen is also still on the exhaustive list of active warrants, found here (search "Thornton").

While Wake County police did not say if medical marijuana was found in the search warrant execution, one officer has said he saw marijuana plants inside of the house. The shooting is currently being investigated by the State Bureau of Investigation.

More as it becomes available.

Update: 1/5, 4:00 p.m.

A neighbor of Stephen's, 71-year-old Richard Walden, said he was outside when the raid was occurring. He told the News and Observer, "Then I heard someone screaming, 'Get away from me! Get off my property!' The next thing I heard was a banging sound, like an aluminum ladder leaned up against a home." It's safe to assume the banging sounds were gunshots.

I have two big concerns at the moment.

One: Did Stephen know these were cops? Ever since the Peyton Strickland case, my big concerns have been whether law enforcement officials make it known that they are in fact law enforcement officials. From my standpoint, I see a group of armed guys coming towards me, I don't just stand there and take it. And it's easy for law enforcement officials to assume the worst.

Two: This was a "special response team" deployed for a search warrant - why was that necessary? I don't know much about drug raids or the standard precautions, but a search warrant doesn't mean guilt. So, assuming this is unusual, which it may very well not be, why were several armed men executing a search warrant in this way?

Many, many questions in this case.

Authorities today were seen carrying marijuana plants out of the home, and said they've found drug paraphernalia. I'm interested to see if it was all marijuana related, especially considering Stephen's claim in his post that it was medicinal.

At this point I'm assuming Stephen was the only one in the house, as nothing has indicated otherwise. Sheriff Donnie Harrison has said the officials made a forced entry into the house. Who shot first, while maybe perceived as trivial, is an important fact to uncover, at least to me. In North Carolina, someone is permitted to use force (ie, a handgun) against someone is breaking into a home (though a few law enforcement friends of mine have always said to make sure that the intruder falls into the house). Keeping that in mind, if the law enforcement failed to identify themselves as such, Stephen's response was justified.

Though I don't know what went down, and probably won't for a while. It's not fair at this point to say who did what, so I guess it's the just-wait-and-see game for a bit.

Update: 1/8

Reports are now saying authorities confiscated 43 pot plants ("green vegetable material") as well as chemical lights, from Thornton's home. In all, 45 items were taken.

Apparently, Wake County Alcoholic Beverage Control Board officers received a tip that he was making and selling marijuana, and they did surveillance on the house for two months before the raid. Authorities checked the trash on January 3 and found marijuana stems and plant material, which tested positive for marijuana.

Another report was more descriptive about the search warrant: "Among the items seized were 43 marijuana plants in various stages of growth, four plastic bags of what appeared to be marijuana, soil additives, grow lights, plant-growing chemicals, a VHS tape entitled 'Frontline: War on Marijuana' and another entitled 'Pot of Gold.' Officers also seized books and magazines on growing marijuana and books described as anti-government, according to the warrant."

It's interesting to see how "anti-government" books were a factor in this.

Also, the US Marshal's Service had a full extradition order to return him to Dallas when he was arrested. This makes me wonder why they needed to fingerprint him to identify him.

One interesting note in the above-linked story is that Sheriff Donnie Harrison didn't say who shot first or whether Thornton was shot by a deputy. The choice of words is interesting - he "declined" to say. Does this mean he knows? Hopefully this won't be kept hush-hush for too much longer.

Has LeRoy Jernigan's Murderer Been Found? - UPDATED

2007-11-27T09:34:00.000-05:00

Earlier in the month, I wrote an article for the Raleigh Chronicle about LeRoy Jernigan, a man who was killed while cleaning Circus Family Restaurant at 1600 Wake Forest Road in Raleigh. He had been shot once in the head, execution style.

News today says a man, Samuel Cooper, with a significant criminal history has been charged with LeRoy's murder, in addition to four others.

More updates to come, but I have a feeling justice will finally be served for those families.

Update:

Samuel James Cooper, 30, of 2300 Creech Road was arrested after a Garner bank robbery and car chase in Garner. He was then connected to and charged with five murders dating back to May 2006. Here are the warrants.

Those murders, however, are far from when his criminal record started. In 1994, he was 17 when he was sentenced to 20 years in jail for armed robbery. Five years later, while in prison at the Wake Correctional Center, he and two other inmates overpowered a guard and escaped.

While on the run, they carjacked a Buick but ran out of gas on I-40. A sheriff's deputy gave them a ride to a convenience store, not realizing they were escaped inmates. When they asked for rides to Wilmington at a Benson apartment complex, they were arrested.

And again in 1999, after he was sentenced to 26-32 months in prison for the escape, he punched a deputy in the jaw and knocked her to the ground while she was escorting him from a courtroom. He was attempting to pull her service weapon from her holster when others came to her aid.

Chasity Jernigan, LeRoy's sister, has said she is glad that he is off the streets and that LeRoy has some closure. In addition to LeRoy's murder, Cooper has been charged with the murders of the following (for a map, go here:

Tariq Hussain, 52,

Hussain was found dead shortly after 10 a.m. on October 14. He was shot to death behind the counter of his convenience store, Bobby's Grocery, and was discovered by a customer. He was a father of three and an apparent victim of a robbery.

Rickey High, 48
A homeless man, High was found lying on the sidewalk on October 12 about a block from where he lived. He had worked for stores near the St. Augustine's College.

Timothy David Barnwell, 34

Barnwell was shot and killed on April 27 outside his apartment during an apparent robbery at Windsor Falls Apartments. His ankles and wrists were bound, and he tried to escape by jumping over the balcony of his second-floor apartment, but was shot several times when he landed.

Osama "Samuel" Haj-Hussein, 43
Haj-Hussein was shot and killed on May 12, 2006. He was a clerk at the In & Out Mart on Creech Road, and a native of Jordan.

LeRoy Jernigan photo courtesy of Chasity Jernigan; photos of four victims found on Wral.com

Missing From the Queen City

2007-11-23T20:15:00.000-05:00

I'm in Charlotte for the Holiday break and felt like writing, so thought I'd tell Kyle Fleischmann's story.

At 2:30 a.m. on Friday, November 9, security cameras show Kyle Fleischmann leaving Buckhead Saloon in uptown Charlotte at about 2:20 a.m. He has not been seen since.

His sister received a call from his cell at 2:19 a.m., one minute before leaving the bar, then he called two friends: one, friend, Daniel Scagnelli, at 3:28 a.m. and the other, his roommate Bruce, at 3:29 a.m. Kyle didn't leave any messages and his phone was dead by morning. But reports have said the pings from his last cell phone calls hit a tower at 10th St. and Seigle Ave. He did not leave any messages.

His vehicle was not returned, and he did not show up to work later Friday. His debit card and coat were left at the bar, and those involved are assuming he does not have cash.

At 10 p.m. on Nov. 9, a missing person's report was filed. There is a $25,000 reward for information about where Kyle is or about what happened the night he disappeared.

Since his disappearance, friends and family have organized search parties and created a non-profit organization, the Kyle Fleischmann Foundation. They've done a great job of getting the word out, with his story being told as far away as Los Angeles and hitting national news.

This is Kyle's MySpace - from his "About Me" section ("Just like Shakira, my hips don't lie.") and pictures, he seems like the kind of person who was out to live life just to live it. It's also been revealed that his mother, whom he called every day, was to have breast cancer surgery last week, and it isn't like him not to be there.

This is quickly becoming a confusing, but not helpless, case. While the last pings on Kyle's cell were from the tower at 10th and Seigle, I don't know how far away the tower reaches - as in, what is the radius of the tower, how far away do you have to be to ping it? This could be important - was he calling from outside of the bar, or from outside of a hotel, like some have rumored his intentions were?

A thread on CourtTV.com has said Kyle may have been heading to a party at a Holiday Inn, or may have realized he left his belongings in the bar after it had closed, or some other similar situation. In using Google Maps, I found there is a Holiday Inn within one block of the Buckhead Saloon. I hope this has been checked out.

There haven't been any leads yet. I may run downtown tomorrow and take some pics, which I'll post if I do. Below is some information about Kyle:

Description:
Height: 6' even
Weight: about 180 pounds
Eye Color: green eyes
Hair: brown

He was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, jeans, and black dress shoes. His hair was gelled and probably looked a little darker than his natural color.

If you have any information about Kyle, call Crimestoppers - 704.334.1600.

Judith Maxwell: Lexington's Fourth Murder of 2007

2007-11-19T13:03:00.000-05:00

On Saturday night, police were called to Warf Road in Lexington, NC. A man named Richard had called police around 7:25 p.m. about a stabbing. His wife, 47-year-old Judith Maxwell, was found dead on the bathroom floor of her home, an apparent stabbing victim.

After the sheriff's office conducted interviews, 17-year-old Andrea Christine Maxwell, Judith's daughter, along with her boyfriend, 21-year-old Joe Lee Coleman Jr., were each charged with one count of felony murder.

"We (investigators) feel like it was a spur-of-the-moment ... very much like we don't know what we're doing kind of a thing, and we're sort of making this up as we go," said Grice at a press conference on Sunday afternoon.

"We felt like it was a result of a domestic issue," he said. "There's not a lot of indication of a struggle. They both participated in the act."

Andrea was an honor-roll senior at Central Davidson High School, and had been accepted into college. She seemed, by several accounts, to be a normal teenager. But why was she dating a 21-year-old, a man she ran off with several weeks ago, prompting her parents to file a missing persons report.

And even more revealing, why does her MySpace refer to blood, gore and death? Steve Huff at "The True Crime Weblog" has more information.

According to the North Carolina Criminal Court Calendars, both Andrea and Coleman have court dates on the morning of December 1. I'll keep updating as needed.

The Tragic Disappearance of Harmony Jude Creech

2007-10-20T22:33:00.000-04:00

Update: 10.21.07

Johni Michelle Heuser has been arrested and charged with first degree murder in reference to Harmony's death. She is currently being held without bond, and her other three children, all under the age of 5, are in foster care.

"She has been telling us a lot of lies for a long time," Sheriff Rollins said of Heuser. "It finally, through some good interview techniques, brought the truth out."

I will post more as the story continues.

****

Ronald Earl Creech II is a soldier with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg. While he was overseas, his wife gave birth to a daughter, Harmony Jude Creech. Ronald was to see his baby girl for the first time on Friday, Oct. 19 when he returned from a 15-month deployment in Iraq.

Harmony's grandmother picked Ronald up from the airport Friday morning, and when they returned, Harmony was gone. It appeared that Harmony Jude Creech just vanished from her home at 1680 Ray Rd, Spring Lake, NC after her mother, Johni Michelle Heuser, put her down to sleep. A pink sheet, a handful of bibs and nearly all of the child's clothes were also missing.

A window in Harmony's bedroom was open, and the screen was propped against the house outside. The girl was last seen wearing pink footie pajamas with "Daddy's Girl" written on one arm. News releases said she weighs 18 pounds, and is 2 feet, 7 inches tall.

The disappearance of 11-month-old Harmony sparked an Amber Alert that aired on websites like MySpace and on television stations airing football games. An FBI team of child abduction specialists joined local police officers in hunting for Harmony, and the girl's picture and story were found in local news stations' top stories. Tonight, the girl's story is still at the top of the headlines, but for another reason. One day after Harmony Jude Creech was reported missing, she was tragically found.

While speaking with investigators, police said, Heuser told them she found Harmony dead in her crib several weeks ago, and hid Harmony's death out of fear. The remains of the girl were found in the attic of the house she lived in for 11 months.

Neighbors have said a foul smell has bothered them for several weeks, which subsided recently when overnight temperatures dropped. Some neighbors, reacting to the smell, had even searched their yards for dead animals. These same neighbors described Heuser as secretive and private, as someone who rarely left home.

Heuser is still being interviewed and the investigation is still active. Charges against Heuser have not been determined, and an autopsy will be performed on Harmony to determine her cause of death.

"It's a tragic end to a sad situation for this family and for the community as well," Harnett County Sheriff Larry Rollins said.

I'd like to know what the grandparents and/or the other children (all under five years old) know. More pragmatically, I want to know why the grandparents didn't suspect anything, or if they knew anything, why they didn't come forward.

I'm interested to see the charges filed in this case.

I will update this blog as more information becomes available.

Sources: "Leads scarce in search for missing baby," News and Observer, Oct. 20; "Missing Harnett County Baby Found Dead in Attic," Wral.com, Oct. 20; "Body of missing baby found in her home," News and Observer, Oct. 20

Danny Goldston: Homeless Predator

2007-10-06T16:49:00.000-04:00

This is a followup entry to yesterday's "Man in Custody on Rape, Torture Charges Has Previous Arrest Record."

* * * * *

Danny Goldston is accused of cutting and stabbing another man multiple times on the front porch of a church where the man and his female companion, who becomes his victim, were sleeping. The man was stabbed near the center of his chest, was cut on his chin and suffered lacerations on his forehead, right elbow and right wrist.

He then forced the woman into a wooded area, where he raped her and abused her for two days before letting her go.

News reports today have revealed that Goldston was living at the men's homeless shelter near downtown Raleigh, the Wilmington Street Shelter, located at 1420 S. Wilmington Street.

This shelter is not a new place for me. I have done some research about the shelter and its inhabitants, and it is not what I would consider a safe place to be.

The South Wilmington Street Center for men is open to any single man 18 years old or older.This includes sex offenders. Carson Dean, director of the shelter, has said criminal background checks are not performed, and sex offenders are not prohibited from using the shelter.

"Our job is to help guys who want our help to become self-sufficient," Dean said.

The shelter has 234 beds, 110 of which are for the emergency part of the shelter, where anyone who's never stayed there before can come in anytime to get a bed for the night. The shelter is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but most men are not allowed in the shelter for most of the day.

"Most guys can't be in here during the day time," Dean said, "because we want them looking for work or going to doctor's appointments."

As a result, the men leave the shelter after breakfast, and do not return to the shelter until 4 or 5 p.m., when the shelter re-opens.

According to the Sex Offender Registry, 20 convicted sex offenders list the Wilmington Street Center as their place of residence. Of those 20 offenders, two were convicted of first-degree rape, four were convicted of second-degree rape, three were convicted of second-degree sexual offense, one was convicted of sexual battery, one was convicted of sexual offense with certain victims, and nine were convicted of indecent liberty with a minor.

In a screenshot of sex offenders within a 3-mile radius of the shelter, pictured to the left, the Registry lists 137 offenders.

Mike Rakouskas, a parole officer for sex offenders of Wake County, said homeless people don't necessarily stay in the shelter, so there could be others.

"It feels like a problem, I don't know how to classify that," Rakouskas said. "I feel kind of strange knowing that there's a bunch of sex offenders living at this homeless shelter."

The shelter, he said, was at one time a point of controversy, but he doesn't know if it's like that anymore.

"I can tell you that there was a stretch of time where all across the state, that shelter had a reputation for taking in sex offenders," Rakouskas said "So if somebody got released from prison anywhere in the state, if they knew about the shelter, they would … transfer down there."

Rakouskas's understanding is that that process has stopped, that only sex offenders who are convicted in Wake County can reside at the shelter.

"For a while, it seemed like we'd get calls from across the state from [sex offenders] being funneled into that shelter, which I thought was real scary," he said.

Every sex offender placed on probation has a set of conditions he or she has to follow, Raskhouskas said. Among those conditions are obvious ones, such as not communicating with or being in the presence of a victim of an offense and not residing in a household with a minor if convicted of child sexual assault. Parole officers are also required to check on offenders.

"We now do an assessment that tells us the risk level [of offenders], determines how often we see them," Raskhouskas said.

Offenders have to go to the parole offices once a month. If an offender is determined to be low risk, officers have to see them a minimum of every other month at their place of residence. If an offender is classified as high risk, officers are supposed to see the offender every other week, most of the time at their home.

In addition, sex offenders on parole may be required to undergo treatment. The best treatment for sex offenders, Raskouskas said, is group treatment, which is supposedly more effective than a private therapist because offenders can yell at each other and catch each other in lies.

"You might have two or three people who are in the same boat gang up on somebody and say that's not true," he said. "It's considered to be more effective."

Goldston was not a registered sex offender, though he was previously charged with assault on a female. But now, another homeless man who lives at the Wilmington Street Shelter is accused of sexually assaulting a female. Not all homeless people are dangerous, but sex offenders have a higher recidivism rate than all other criminals except drug dealers - sex offenders who are homeless are an extreme threat.

How many more women must be victims of homeless sexual predators before something is done to prevent this from happening?

One of my sources is an article written by me in the Technician entitled "Homeless cause concern, fear for students.

Man in Custody on Rape, Torture Charges Has Previous Arrest Record

2007-10-05T21:18:00.000-04:00

On September 17, Raleigh police arrived at WakeMed to find a woman who had been kidnapped and raped repeatedly over a two-day period. She was forcibly taken from her residence on Hillsborough Street near Glenwood Avenue to an unknown location in woods. The next two days, she was repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted, and was beaten - the man shattered her teeth, then forced her to perform oral sex.

This week, a man was arrested and charged in the crime.

Forty-nine year old Danny (also Dannie) Thomas Goldston was charged with five counts of first-degree rape, two counts of first-degree sex offense, one count of first-degree kidnapping, one count of assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of assault inflicting serious injury. Goldston apparently knew the victim.

But the woman isn't his only victim. The woman told police she went to visit a friend on Sept. 15, but woke up during the night to find Goldston stabbing her friend. Then he kidnapped her.

Currently in custody, Goldston's bail is set at $3 million.

Goldston is not listed on the NC Sex Offender Registry; at least, not that I can find. He does, however, have a prior arrest record.

In June 2005, Goldston was charged with assault on a female, a misdemeanor. The maximum sentence for this crime was a pathetic three months and 10 days; he didn't even serve two months in prison. In 1994, he was charged with drug possession, schedule two, which applies to serious drugs like cocaine and its ingredients. This was a felony, and he served nearly one year in prison.

I understand assault on a female covers a wide range of circumstances, but I'm frustrated that a potentially physical encounter warrants less punishment than possessing an illegal substance. Sexual offenders are more likely to recommit crimes than any other type of criminal, excepting drug users. Why are they given such a lax punishment?

In addition, sexual assault apparently runs in the Goldston family: his son, Danny Goldston, Jr., was also charged in 2006 for assault on a female. He only got parole.

Now, a man who received more punishment for having drugs than for assaulting a woman, is charged with a two-day kidnapping, rape and torture spree. Thank you, justice system, for doing your job and protecting your citizens.

Sheriff Says Michelle Young Case Ongoing

2007-08-16T15:06:00.000-04:00

Nine months after Michelle Young was found murdered in her Raleigh home, Sheriff Donnie Harrison said he has no suspects but the case is ongoing. Young's husband, Jason Young, is also still not cooperating with investigators.

More here: http://www.raleighchronicle.com/2007080901.html

*****

This is my first published freelance story. Critiques are always welcome, as well as any information about the case. :)

The Worst Kind of Justice

2007-08-15T13:03:00.000-04:00

While waiting for information pertaining to a Raleigh murder case, I began wondering how many unsolved murders there actually are in Raleigh. Quite a few at the moment, including two pregnant women, Michelle Young and Jenna Nielsen. But I came across an article in the Oct. 2004 issue of the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin that immediately drew me in.

###

In 2002, Stephanie Renee Bennett was a brown-haired, brown-eyed 23-year-old. She was bright, happy. Her friends said she had the best personality, that she hated exercise and loved dogs, and was about to begin a new adventure with college sweetheart Walter Robinson. Walter said he met her at a sorority party during her freshman year at Roanoke College.

"She was beautiful," he said. "I was speechless."

After earning her business degree, Stephanie announced her desire for independence, and moved into a Raleigh apartment with friends Deanna Powell and Emily Metro in July 2001. The girls initially wanted an apartment on the second floor, but managers said it wasn't available; they instead took a three-bedroom on the first floor.

Stephanie began processing grant applications for an IBM contractor, and enjoyed shopping and playing board games with her roommates every night. She visited Walter in Greenville, SC every weekend.

By April 2002, she had made the decision to move to Greenville.

###

It was the night of May 20 that would forever haunt Stephanie's family and friends.

She was home alone, her roommates in Virginia. She had made broccoli for dinner and had spoken with Emily, Deanna and Walter by phone.

Her body would be found in her bedroom the next day.

Police quickly determined this was a rape-murder case. The killer apparently got into the apartment by removing a screen to an unlocked window, waited, and then jumped her. He bound her wrists and ankles, most probably with handcuffs, and gagged her. He wrapped a rope or wire around her throat, twisted it from behind and strangled her.

Stephanie had been sexually assaulted orally, anally and vaginally.

There was little disturbance within the apartment, and no signs of a struggle. Some pictures and stuffed animals seemed to have been moved deliberately. And a cordless phone was disconnected and placed into the bedroom closet. The killer left with $8 and her stereo.

Several weeks before Stephanie's death, a neighbor reported seeing a man crouching behind bushes and peering through Stephanie's window. A composite sketch of the peeper generated calls but no arrests.

In July 2003, still without suspects, the police released information about evidence left at the crime scene. DNA indicated the killer was white, with 92 percent Indo-European heritage and 8 percent Native American heritage.

In May 2005, police released a description of a person of interest: a thin build with light brown or blond hair. He walked a large dog and was often seen wearing a dark, hooded sweat shirt.

And on Oct. 19, 2005, police got their big break. Drew Edward Planten, 35, was charged with murder.

###

People who knew Drew, or at least knew of him, described him as a loner. Almost 24 hours after his arrest, he hadn't said a word - he didn't answer questions, he refused to life his head for his police photo and wouldn't speak to his lawyer. He wouldn't even walk into the courtroom. Deputies strapped him to a gurney chair and rolled him into court.

At his first trial, it was revealed that Drew lived in apartments next to Stephanie's apartment at the time of her death. He rarely spoke to neighbors, and took his Rottweiler for walks only at night.

One neighbor, Dana Allen, said in the summer of 2004 she had an unnerving experience with Drew. She was unloading groceries from the back seat of her car, when she turned around to find Drew standing behind her, hand on her car door. He attempted to make conversation, but alarmed Dana when he began asking if she lived with anyone.

"He made me so uncomfortable," she said. "I felt like there was something wrong with him," she said.

###

I was scrolling through the "News and Observer" archives on the story, starting from the beginning, feeling relieved that Drew was found, and that he would get to suffer for it.

It was a capital trial. If convicted, he would either face life in prison without parole or the death penalty.

And then, the headline: Suspect in 2002 killing commits suicide.

Not only will questions never be answered about what really happened, but justice will now never be served. He is dead, which is what I would have advocated, but he's dead on his own terms - he still had control.

He had control when he was unresponsive to guards and lawyers, and he was in control when he killed Stephanie.

I believe that's what rape is about: control. This man, if you can call Drew a man, planned everything. He watched the house, looked through windows. He was out walking his dog at night, maybe to scope things out. He was, by all accounts, a monster, and that is too generous.

Murder is a horrible act. Rape is a horrible act. Both together are horrible beyond words. For that, Drew should have had the one thing he apparently needed taken away from him: control. That failed.

What causes a person to commit these kinds of immoral, selfish, unfathomable acts? In Drew's case, at least, we'll never know.

News and Observer, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin

Man arrested in rapes, robberies heads to court

2007-08-12T18:49:00.000-04:00

From June 16-27, Omar Cortez Sharpe, 26, was having the time of his life. And it’s a good thing, because the rest of it will likely be spent behind bars.

On June 28, Sharpe was arrested and charged with one count of first-degree kidnapping, two counts of first-degree rape, three counts of second-degree kidnapping, four counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon and two counts of robbery.

It all began on June 16, when Sharpe allegedly kidnapped a Wilmington woman, brought her to Raleigh and raped her in the woods near Bonneville Court.

Within a week, Sharpe was also considered a suspect in a kidnapping of another woman from her apartment on Hylton Drive. He allegedly pushed the woman into her vehicle, took her car keys and drove around for a while before taking her to the Green Road Park and raping her. The woman escaped and managed to flag down a police officer.

The following Monday, June 25, a woman was abducted from a Wal-Mart parking lot. Sharpe, armed with a gun, forced her to make two withdrawals from and ATM before releasing her.

Sharpe is also accused of hiding inside a sport utility vehicle while a woman and her five-year-old daughter were eating at Pizza Hut at the Tower Shopping Center. When they returned, Sharpe, again armed with a gun, forced her to make two bank withdrawals before letting her and her child go.

He was arrested at Tower Chopping Center one day later, winking and waving for television cameras, and is being held in Wake County Jail on $5.8 million bond. He is also facing rape and robbery charges in Wilmington.

According to his arrest record, he has previous convictions beginning in 1998: two for assaulting females, one for assault with a deadly weapon and one for larceny.

Sharpe has a court date tomorrow morning to address 15 charges. It’ll be in room 3A, if anyone’s interested, which is on the second floor to the right of the elevator. Here’s to hoping he gets what he deserves.

Wral.com

CMS teacher arrested on child sex charges

2007-08-11T22:28:00.000-04:00

While this crime did not occur in Raleigh, it hit close to home and I felt obligated to write about it.

Jerry Wayne Linton, 58, was a US History teacher at my high school, David W. Butler High School. There were lots of rumors about him - that he fought in a war, that he poured whiskey (or vodka, depending on who's telling the story) into the coffee he drank all day, and that he was a sexist, once making a remark that a girl can't possibly have the highest average in the class.

I don't know if any of these are credible. But I do know that Mr. Linton was arrested this week for three counts each of taking indecent liberties with a child, first-degree rape of a child under 13 and first-degree sex offense on a child under 13.

According to reports, he forced two boys and a girl to perform sex games, then forced the girl to give him oral sex. Two of the children involved are apparently relatives of Mr. Linton. He was being held on $375,000 bail.

He resigned from his teaching position at the high school in June when police started investigating. Rumor is he walked into the building (free of students, as it was summer) to resign with a young girl with him. Another rumor is he and his wife were foster parents.

Rumors aside, it's disheartening to know that someone I saw nearly every day for several years could do something so horrible. The same man who would nod at my geeky wave in the mornings has caused irreparable harm to three children, not to mention the rest of his family and the childrens' families.

Having written before about sex crimes, it is my belief that sex offenders cannot be rehabilitated. It takes a significant lack of morals to do something like this to begin with, but studies have shown sex offenders have a higher recidivism rate than all but one other group of criminals - drug users. I also believe sentences for sex offenders are much too generous. A three-time offender can still be punished with only parole.

In this case, I feel no different. Disbelief was my first reaction, but has since been replaced by a complete lack of respect and a small bit of hatred. We'll see what he is served with. Hopefully the justice system won't fail yet again...

Inmate Information; BadBadTeacher.com

Man sought in Cary shooting, robbery

2007-08-09T21:13:00.000-04:00

In mid-June, a 51-year-old woman was making a deposit at a Bank of America ATM in Cary. It was 12:30 p.m., and she was with several co-workers. While making her deposit, a man ran up behind her, robbed her at gunpoint and shot her, fleeing to a getaway car at Cary Towne Center across the street.

The woman, who has not been identified, called her brother while waiting for paramedics.

"[My sister] heard the pop and saw the fire but didn’t realize she’d been shot until she looked at her yellow pants and they were red," said her brother, James Pinnix. The victim has undergone surgery and is doing well.

Officials have made two arrests, but are seeking help from the public to capture the suspected shooter in the robbery.

Phillip Thomas "Scoob" Williams, 34, is wanted for attempted murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. Williams has an address registered in both Greensboro and Camden, NJ.

Police began looking for Williams after arresting Terrance Adam Lyles, 31, and Travis Monique Price, 24, both from Raleigh. Lyles was arrested for robbery with a dangerous weapon, and Price for accessory after the fact to robbery with a dangerous weapon. The two were arrested in Philadelphia, but were placed in the Wake County Public Safety Center on $250,000 bond each.

If Williams is convicted on all charges, he could face life in prison. Lyles could face 183 months in prison, and Price 49 months.

Crime Stoppers pays up to $2,500 for the arrest or indictment of those responsible for committing certain types of crimes. If you have information, contact Crime Stoppers at 226-CRIM(E) or contact Captain Dave Wulff at 919-469-4017.

You may also visit www.carycrimestoppers.net. All calls will be kept confidential at the caller's request.

NC Wanted.com

Student's murderer faces death penalty

2007-07-09T20:37:00.000-04:00

Student's murderer faces death penalty
Byron Waring was found guilty of first degree murder for the 2005 killing of Lauren Redman

A Wake County jury sentenced Byron Waring to death for the first degree murder of former N.C. State student Lauren Redman. On Nov. 8, 2005, Raleigh police officer J.F. Taylor responded to a reported rape and stabbing at the Dominion Walnut Creek Apartments on Gorman Street, according to the police report.

When he arrived, he found Redman, a lab technician and former English major, dead in a breezeway of her building.

According to search warrants, Redman gave a description of the two men she said were responsible before she died. That description led law enforcement to question Waring and Joseph Sanderlin.

Waring and Sanderlin were arrested within days for first degree murder. George Sasser, a former roommate of Redman's, was also arrested for being an accessory after a murder when he warned Waring and Sanderlin the police were looking for them, according to the warrants.

In his confession, Waring said he and Sanderlin went to Redman's apartment to rob her, but when she resisted he held her down while Sanderlin raped her, according to the News and Observer. They each began to stab her with a butcher knife 28 times. They then fled with her cell phone, wallet and car.

During their investigation, detectives located blood drops on the top of Waring's shoes, and officers found an item belonging to Redman in the same area that Waring was questioned.

"Waring confessed to being involved in the murder and rape of Lauren Redman," reads the search warrant. "He further advised that Joseph Sanderlin was the person who committed the rape. He confessed that both he and Sanderlin stabbed the victim."

Sanderlin's trial has not yet begun.

Emily Kiser, Technicianonline.com; Abc11.com

Jenna Nielsen: the diamond that glints on snow

2007-06-26T16:46:00.000-04:00

Friends and relatives of Jennifer "Jenna" Kathleen Nielsen described her as the sweetest person they knew, a woman with a bubbly, happy-go-lucky attitude who was always laughing.

High-school-friend Sarah Watts remembered when Jenna's Volkswagen bug broke down on an exit ramp when they were teens, and how Jenna "howled with laughter" before signaling for them both to start pushing the car at least a quarter of a mile to a gas station.

"She just laughed," Watts said in a News & Observer article. "Nothing stopped her. Nothing stalled her. She just kept going."

Jenna recently moved to North Carolina from Salt Lake City to start a new life with husband Tim and their two sons. The family settled in Fuquay-Varina, about 18 miles from Raleigh, and Jenna's father, stepmother and two brothers joined them.

Within one year, Jenna became pregnant with her third boy and became a newspaper deliverer for USA Today to earn some extra cash. Her relatives said she worked that job so she could have time during the day to spend with her children.

Her morning routine consisted of leaving her house to pick up papers to deliver about 3:30 a.m., delivering them and returning to her home at about 5:30 a.m. when her husband left for work. One of her first stops every day was the AmeriKing Food Mart, located at the intersection of Lake Wheeler Road and Centennial Parkway across from a Farmers Market.

A co-worker, Angela, left a comment on this blog saying she and Jenna would talk about their lives every morning while waiting to pick up papers. On June 14, Angela said Jenna joked about the weight of the papers sending her into labor.

But sadly, neither her nor her unborn child would return home that day.

At around 5 a.m., a newspaper carrier for the "News & Observer" was dropping off papers at the same food mart and noticed a seemingly-abandoned car in the parking lot. The car was a Honda Civic with Utah tags parked in front of the store. Its dome light was on, and newspapers were lying on the ground nearby.

The newspaper carrier called 911, and when police arrived at the scene, they found 22-year-old Jenna lying dead. Her unborn child, whom she had already named Ethen and whom was expected to be born July 8, was also dead.

Police were quick to call her death a homicide and began collecting evidence. They believe she was killed between 3 and 4 a.m. and preliminary autopsy results reveal she was stabbed on the left side of her neck. There were also bruises on her right knee and left shin, and a cut on her left ear.

On June 19, reports said a man walking less than a half-mile from where Jenna was killed found a bloody knife, panicked and threw it over the fence on the same day Jenna was found. Police are not confirming that a weapon has been found or a cause of death, but they are studying surveillance tapes from businesses around the area.

Nearly two weeks later, there are no suspects in the murder, but there is a person of interest. One day after Jenna was killed, law enforcement officers released a sketch of a man who was seen in the area around the time of the murder. The man may be Hispanic and is most probably between the ages of 17 and 20. He is 5 feet, 3 inches tall and about 120 pounds. When he was seen, the man had long black hair pulled into a ponytail and was wearing a dark-colored sleeveless shirt with baggy denim shorts.

To make the case more frustrating, a Spanish-speaking man called police at 1:30 a.m. from a pay phone the night after Jenna was murdered to say he had information, but quickly hung up. Investigators checked the phone booth for fingerprints and other clues, but nothing has come of this phone call.

The phone call is significant for many reasons. If this is the man who killed Jenna, then he is either suffering from guilt or playing games. There have been many killers throughout history who send letters or make phone calls to law enforcement or the media - the Zodiac Killer is one. A person who commits murder is obviously lacking morals or a conscience, but some are even more twisted in that it becomes a game to them, something that gives them a feeling of exhilaration.

It could also be that this man has nothing to do with Jenna's murder, but maybe does have some information about it. The fact that he's Spanish-speaking may mean he's an illegal immigrant, which isn't an unknown problem here, and is hesitant to come forward out of fear of deportation.

Or, even still, it could be that he doesn't know anything but just wanted to cause some kind of stir, a surge in media attention, perhaps.

One of the problems is that law enforcement here is not releasing much information about this case. It could be that they don't have any information, which would be disheartening and disappointing. But it could also be a strategic move to prevent false confessions - a crime that's highly publicized can highlight specific things, such as the cause of death, and if a suspect confesses that he stabbed a woman when she was shot, they know it's a false confession.

But not releasing information is also keeping the public unaware of what to look out for - the sketch was a good start, but more needs to be done.

Police are also saying this was a random crime, but it doesn't make sense why it would be - Jenna had only about $10, all in quarters. And if this was her normal route, it could have been a stalker who consistently saw her and knew her route. If this is true, the murderer also knew the route of the "News and Observer" newspaper carrier, and knew when the best time to strike would be.

No matter what the circumstances surrounding this crime, the heartless, malicious murderer is still out there, maybe even plotting how to take his next victim.

A poster left a comment on another blog about a poem Jenna wrote in 1999 for her grandmother's funeral. It is, like the poster said, only appropriate to share it:

Do not stand at my grave & weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the autumn’s rain.

When you awaken in the mornings hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush,
Of quiet birds in circled flight,
I am the soft star the shines at night.

Do not stand at my grave & cry…
For I am not there… I did not Die!

Sources: "Questions haunt family," News and Observer; Jenna Nielsen Murder Investigation; Bonnie's Blog of Crime.