http://www.petoskeynews.com/features/ky3-elderly-farmer-catches-3-thieves-on-his-property-20120308,0,3459274.story
This 92 year old farmer really speaks for himself, so I will simply link to the original report and let him tell his story. What an inspiration this gentleman is!
Showing posts with label true crime. Show all posts
Showing posts with label true crime. Show all posts
Friday, March 09, 2012
Friday, February 18, 2011
A Cry for Innocence - the WM3
Beginning with the viewing of "Paradise Lost", the HBO documentary film which detailed the murder of three boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, as well as the arrest and trial of three teens in relation to the crimes. The whole subject is sad and sickening. The killings themselves, and the subsequent arrest and conviction of three other young men that I simply don't see a single piece of evidence - not one, not even the "confession" of one of the young men - that indicates guilt.
This link is to the CBS News special examining the case, as well as new information in the case. It's worth watching. I can also recommend the definitive resource on the case, this website:
The documentary can be found at:
CBS News presentation on the WM3, as well as new evidence
Now just one more comment about this case: Not only do I believe that these three young men did not commit the crimes, but I am truly frightened by the fact that a man could be sent to death row without a single bit of evidence. If it can happen to him...
I hope you'll watch the video, check out the website, and truthfully, I hope that some of you will offer your support in whatever way you can (I have chosen to post this blog entry where thirty-five thousand readers will have the chance to access information and perhaps start down the road of becoming informed, a road that I can only believe to end at new trials and acquittals.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Monday, November 29, 2010
The Blotter | Killer of celebrity dog trainer to be sentenced Tuesday | Seattle Times Newspaper
Michiel Oakes, who was convicted of murdering Mark Stover, will be sentenced on Tuesday. He had claimed self defense, once enough evidence was presented to show that he was at Stover's home and was seen subsequently in several suspicious circumstances, concluding with comments to his former wife that if police found out what he'd just done he'd go away for life. The jury apparently did not believe his story of self-defense - which would probably have been more believable if he'd called police and an ambulance, filed a report with officers responding, and claimed self-defense from the beginning. Instead, he tried to bleach away the signs of blood, then disposed of the body in an estuary that he knew would likely carry the body out into deeper water, where it may not be found. Though the body was in fact, never found, prosecutors built a strong case building upon witness testimony, some physical evidence and Oakes own comments.
The Blotter | Killer of celebrity dog trainer to be sentenced Tuesday | Seattle Times Newspaper
Saturday, November 13, 2010
101 Pieces of evidence that prove O.J. Simpson murdered Nicole
This is a good summary of the evidence against Simpson in the horrendous murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. He doesn't mention the irregularities in collecting evidence, but in the end, it is damn near impossible to believe that OJ didn't commit the murders,
101 Pieces of evidence that prove O.J. Simpson murdered Nicole
Technorati Tags: OJ Simpson,Nicole Brown Simpson,Ronald Goldrman,Crime,True Crime,Murders,Domestic Violence
Saturday, September 04, 2010
How Cops Really Want to Police - NYTimes.com
From the Freakanomics column in the NYT:
Of course, there can be some problems with this, but God help me I sort of agree – in the hands of a good and honest cop, the idea can work.
That was probably the most controversial thing I have written on the Bully Pulpit since I began…
CBC News - World - Acid-throwing woman sought in Wash.
You’re getting something out of your trunk outside a Starbucks store. You see a woman approaching with a cup. No reason for suspicion there, right? Well, for a particular woman in Vancouver there would be plenty to worry about. The woman with the cup walks closer and asks “Hey pretty girl, would you like to drink this?” and before she knew what was happening, the woman, 28 year old Bethany Storro – an attractive and well-liked Safeway clerk – saw the stranger throw the contents of the cup in her face. Instantly she began to burn, and felt her skin bubbling. Her clothes, where the contents of the cup touched them, began to disintegrate. Miss Storro fell to the ground screaming and her assailant ran off.
I hope that this beautiful and well-liked woman can be made whole again, and that her assailant, (perhaps tracked by the purchase of concentrated sulphuric acid?) is quickly apprehended. No one should have to fear or suffer such an assault and this assailant needs to be off the street.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Tidbits in the Murder of Mark Stover (the Anacortes “Dog-Whisperer”)
Despite the hopes of many of the victim’s friends and family, the court appearance by suspect Oakes did not produce any new information about where Stover’s remains might be located.
I noted a couple of interesting items in court proceedings in the case.
1) The ex-wife of the victim, and her father, have been ordered to undergo depositions in the case. The judge has made remarks suggesting that they may be unwilling to answer some questions under their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. There have been rumors locally that the ex-wife’s father ( Seattle entrepreneur) may have hired the suspect – Michiel Oakes – in some way that relates to the crime. No idea whether that means Oakes was hired to murder Stover, or to intimidate, deliver a message, etc.
2) Police found a .22 bullet lodged in a bullet-proof vest among Oakes possessions. It is unclear whether the vest belongs to Oakes, and how it relates, if at all, to the defense strategy his attorney’s are suggesting will be used at trial: self-defense.
Interesting tidbits, anyway, and with the trial scheduled for just over a month from now, we may learn more soon.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Nekkid but not Nice
This is one of the funnier stories I’ve read. Sad, for a number of reasons – 19 year old thief, toying with the emotions of the lonely dude, etc.) but funny in a way. The couple had been communicating virtually after meeting on MySpace. When the in-person meeting finally arrived, the woman appears to have given the man the impression she was way into him. Enough to get him in the shower, then step out saying she had a surprise for him. And she did. When he finally got suspicious (he says a minute later, I wonder if it was maybe when the hot water ran out, given how much the woman stole), he emerged to find his wallet, cell phone, laptop and then car missing. I’ll be getting the arrest report here if I can…
Monday, December 28, 2009
Pierce Co. deputy wounded in shooting dies - KING 5 TV
Pierce County Deputy Kent Mundell was removed from life support this evening just after 5:00 PM. His wife was at his side and his passing was said to be quick and quiet. The family members of the man who murdered Deputy Mundell and wounded Deputy Housner responded admirably according to this report, saving a wounded Hausner by pulling him into another room and barricading the door, while the murderer's daughter struggled with him trying to get his gun away from him. Deputy Mundell is the sixth Peace Officer shot and killed in the line of duty in the past two months in King County and Pierce County. Were I a more forgiving sort I might say something else, but I cannot do other than wish that they find themselves in the deepest, most Dantesque level of hell.
The memorial service will be Tuesday, January 5 at the Tacoma Dome, at a time which is as of yet TBA.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
'I'm sick like grandpa,' Beacon Hill killer of mother and child wrote (Updated)
This sad, terrible story is a reminder of how the violence and abuse of one generation is often visited on the next. Most abusers and rapists have a history as sexual abuse victims. Many times violent criminals have experienced physical assault in their lifetime.
This sad situation in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood seems to have repeated a terrible family tragedy. Earlier this week, Daniel Hicks shot and killed Jennifer Morgan and the couple’s three-month old daughter, Ema Lyn Hicks. Police recovered more than twenty shell casings at the scene. Morgan and her child were shot and left to die on Monday – the day Ms. Morgan had told her mother that she was going to ask Hicks to leave the house. Morgan’s mother discovered the brutal, bloody scene on Tuesday morning. Hicks left a note to his brother, serving currently in Iraq, saying that he had the same sickness his grandfather had. In 1983, Hicks' grandfather, Dean Hicks, killed his wife, Lona Hicks, and then himself. Thought he couldn’t have memories of the event, Daniel Hicks was an infant at the time.
Hicks has been on the run since the crime was discovered, and there are reports that he called family members collect from the San Jose, CA area. The family member reported the call.
Hicks made the decisions, threatened and then killed Jennifer Morgan. He will bear the cost if apprehended, as the county prosecutor’s office has indicated that they will pursue aggravated first-degree murder charges.
UPDATE 1 (December 29, 2009)
Hicks was arrested without incident yesterday by police in Santa Cruz, CA. Investigators traced a telephone call he made to a relative to his location in Santa Cruz.
The Seattle Times is also reporting that Hicks’ Grandfather murdered an adult son as well as his wife before killing himself in 1983.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Two Pierce County Deputies In Critical Condition After Another Police Shooting – (Updated)
From Seattle Crime.com
The Pierce County Sheriff's office says two deputies responded to an Eatonville home shortly before 9:00 p.m. to deal with an "unwanted guest." Police say they received a call about two brother fighting in the home. Police say after deputies were invited into the home, David E. Crable went upstairs, grabbed a 
One deputy was taken to Harborview, and the other was flown to an army hospital. Both deputies are reportedly in critical condition.
According to Pierce County court records, Crable has previous convictions for assault and malicious mischief, and was named in at least one domestic violence protection order.
Police have released a photo of Crable:
This makes at least 8 cops in the last two months. Unbelievable.
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I am truly nauseous just thinking about this. It has to stop!
This one at first blush looks again like the perp intended to ambush Pierce County Sherriff Deputies when the responded to the domestic call. Thank God the officers were able to terminate with extreme prejudice this bucket of night soil (didn’t want to be too crass). This extreme violence against the men and women of our police forces HAS to stop. Anyone who doesn’t get it that each traffic stop could be a shootout, each domestic call carries with it the volatility to explode into violence like this – in fact, many cops view domestic violence calls as the most volatile and dangerous police call. This is making me feel sick. How do we put an end to this disturbing trend?
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/archives/188944.asp
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/home/index.html
Update:
The statements from the Pierce County Sherriff have been speaking of it in terms of an ambush. The man who shot the deputies was indeed the homeowner's brother. He had been the subject of the call to 911. Everyone in the house was very cooperative and the brother apparently agreed that since he was hammered he's let the deputies drive him to his own home. He went upstairs to get a jacket, returned concealing a firearm and then opened fire on the deputies from 4-6 feet away. He fired ten shots in rapid sequence. Crabbe was shot and killed when deputies returned fire.
For our men and women in uniform, sad to say, there is no safe situation right now. Even a cooperative guy can become an ambusher in the blink of an eye.
Update:
I think that from what my LE friends have heard, the guy was drunk but very cooperative, acted the Otis part. He was not being arrested, and was in fact grateful for the ride home that the deputies had offered him. At least that is what his smiling face and open body language said to the deputies. It was a tactical error to let the guy go get his coat without accompaniment, no doubt. I can only speculate that his demeanor, and the fact that he was gladly accepting a ride home rather than charges made the deputies let down their guard for just that moment. I am hoping against hope that both deputies fully recover and are able to return to duty, and I am glad that albeit in a different way, the deputies gave Cobbe a ride home - straight to hell.
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Officer Richards' wife knew he would do his duty, no matter what
There are times when the written or spoken word offer us a glimpse of the experience of the writer or speaker. Often we simply write and speak in declarations, we make a point or state an opinion. Only now and then do we choose and dare to open the private shutters to our unique experience and point of view. In a beautiful, touching and overwhelmingly sad interview with Lynda Mapes of the Seattle Times, Kelly Richards has offered such a glimpse of her experience right now, days after her husband, Officer Greg Richards was killed when Maurice Clemmons ambushed him and three colleagues as they prepared for their shift at a coffee shop.
Officer Greg Richards
Ms. Mapes did a brilliant piece, allowing Kelly Richards experience speak to us from without being overpowered by a narrative. There are some very powerful insights, things I might not have realized otherwise. When Ms. Richards heard on the news that four officers had been killed at Cafe Forza, her heart sank and she began to frantically search for information. She hoped against hope that her husband was not one of the dead, but then she was struck by a realization. "…what are you hoping, for someone else's wife or husband to be dead?”
Ms. Richards even recounts discussing a situation where her husband might find himself in a life or death encounter:
"I had always told him, come home to us, get out, find a way out, if you can't shoot and kill him," Richards said. But she said she knew, like his colleagues, he would do his duty, no matter what.”
And,it was Officer Greg Richards who was able to wound Clemmons, before succumbing to his own injuries. The owner of Cafe Forza says that Officer Richards shielded customers and baristas by charging Clemmons and forcing him out the door, wounding Clemmons before falling himself. I can only imagine how proud Ms. Richards must be, and how desperately she might simultaneously wish her husband had somehow found a way out – a way home. I’ve linked to Ms. Mapes article below. It is well worth reading:
By the way, on December 8th and 9th, the very generous 40+ Papa Johns Pizza stores in Western Washington will be donating all profits to the families of these men. Don’t you think that you will have a special craving for Papa Johns Pizza on Tuesday or Wednesday? Some additional links to stories which might be of interest:
Details on Tuesday memorial for four slain officers
Sergeant Mark Renninger and his son, about two years ago.
Obituary for Sergeant Mark Renninger
Officer Tina Griswold a stickler for safety
Seattle Times Obituary for Officer Griswold
Officer Tina Griswold Memorial
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Cop killer's suspected get-away driver could face murder charges
Police have taken the man who is believed to have driven Maurice Clemmons away from the murder of four Lakewood police officers into custody and asked that he be held without bail on warrants from Arkansas. He may be charged with murder for his role in the escape. The man, Darcus D. Allen, is wanted in Arkansas for robbery, theft, and parole violations. He was convicted in Arkansas also of participating as driver in a robbery where two people were murdered. It is an eerily similar situation to the one that unfolded on Sunday in Lakeland.
This article in the Tacoma News Tribune also has a chronology of Clemmons movements.
Technorati Tags: Maurice CLemmons,Parkland Police Murdered,Crime,True Crime,Seattle Crime,Tacoma News Tribune
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Cop Killer Maurice Clemmons Shot to Death
Early this morning, despite a series of SWAT activities at locations police believed that Clemmons might attempt to hide himself, it appears that he was seen and identified by an officer on regular patrol. When the officer of Seattle Police located the man who killed in cold blood four Lakewood Police officers, he was armed with the sidearm of one of the officers he’d killed.
Assistant Seattle Police Chief Jim Pugel, speaking to reporters this morning, indicated that a single officer noticed a stolen Acura left running along South Kenyan Street. He approached the car, looked it over and returned to his patrol car to do the paperwork and arrange for the car to be transported. As he sat in his patrol unit, the officer noticed in his side view mirror that a man was approaching him from behind. The veteran patrol officer jumped from the car, ordered Clemmons to halt and put his hands up. Chief Pugel said that Clemmons began to ran. Unwilling to allow the four-time killer to escape, the patrol officer fired three or four rounds, killing Clemmons.
This photo, taken by Joshua Trujillo/seattlepi.com, shows several Seattle Police Officers looking at Clemmons body as it is loaded into an ambulance for transport to the medical examiner. Trujillo and several of his colleagues probably worked almost without a break since Sunday morning, and have used Twitter to keep each other and some of us who follow them on that service up to speed on what each is seeing.
Troyer has said that Clemmons had told several relatives and friends to watch the news on Sunday because he was “going to kill a bunch of cops.” Apparently none of them reported the threat, and the next morning Clemmons acted on it. As suspected all day, Clemmons had been wounded in the torso, severely enough that Ed Troyer was somewhat surprised that he could get away.
A relative treated the wound on Sunday night, before it was joined by three or four additional gunshot wounds when Clemmons approached the Seattle patrol officer from the rear, then ran when the officer spun around and saw him.
Ed Troyer of the Peirce County Sherriff’s Department met with reporters early Tuesday morning. According to Troyer, three arrests have been made for "rendering criminal assistance" to Clemmons in his flight. Additionally, a fourth person is being detained for assisting Clemmons in escaping from the Parkland area after Sunday's shooting. Troyer also said he expects that an additional six or seven arrests will be made: "Some are friends, some are acquaintances, some are partners in crime, some are relatives," Troyer said. "Now they're all partners in crime."
Troyer said that family members were supplying Clemmons with cell phones, money and were working on getting him transported out of state. Troyer has also said that Clemmons had attempted to draw his pistol when the SPD officer ordered him to stop and show his hands.
CLIFF DESPEAUX / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Cliff Despeaux of the Seattle Times, who also must have been working since Sunday morning on this story (Despeaux tweeted that he began his day covering the Seattle Marathon on Sunday before the awful call came in and he headed to Parkland. He worked most of the next 48 hours shadowing SWAT teams as they fanned out to cut Clemmons off from additional aid from family and friends. The above photo is of the location where Clemmons was killed. His twitter account was ‘tweeting’ steadily for both days.
Lakewood Police Chief Bret Farrar came to the site of where Clemmons was killed early this morning. Farar said "I just want to thank all my brothers and sisters in law enforcement," he said. "I just can't say enough about what they've done in the last few days."
Update 1 (December 1, 2009)
Seattle Police Officer Benjamin L. Kelly has been identified as the officer who ended the criminal activities and life of the man responsible for killing in cold blood four police officers on Sunday, as well as a long string of assaults, armed robberies and most recently, charges that he raped a child. "It was incredible police work. He's an incredible officer. He is nothing short of a hero, although he would bristle at being called that," according to Seattle Police Officers Guild president Rich O'Neill. He added that Officer Kelly values his privacy and doesn’t seek the limelight.
"I told him, 'You caught the suspect responsible for the worst police massacre in Washington state history. You need to take a deep breath and soak that in.' ", O’Neill added. “He was alone, and was confronted by this guy, and knew it was him. "He wouldn't put his hands out, and to later find that he had the dead officer's gun on his person, one can only assume what he was approaching (Kelly) for".
Seattle police have said today that it is believed that the scene, beginning with a stolen car parked with the hood up and motor running, certainly suggested an attempt by Clemmons to ambush another officer. Assistant Seattle Police Chief Jim Pugel has said Clemmons approached Kelly from behind, when Kelly noticed him approaching, he jumped from the squad car to disarm and arrest Clemmons.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Seattle Police Do Not Have Suspected Lakewood Shooter Cornered in Leschi Neighborhood or Cowan Park, Relative Arrested After Renton House Surrounded and Cleared (Updated)
Seattle police, following a lead that a relative of Maurice Clemmons – the man Pierce County Sherriff spokesman Ed Troyer has called a person of interest in the shooting deaths of four officers
in Lakewood – lives in a home in the Leschi neighborhood in Seattle, have apparently cornered Clemmons in a trailer at the rear of the home. This is the same neighborhood where officers Brenton and Sweeny of Seattle PD were ambushed last month. Scanner traffic appears to be saying that SWAT is deployed at the property and a police negotiator is in contact with Clemmons. The woman who owns the property has told police that Clemmons came to her home wounded, and went to the trailer shortly after that. No word on how serious his injuries may be.
Update 1 (November 29,2009 2:30 AM)
As I write this, Seattle Swat has moved very close to the trailer and has fired over a dozen canisters of tear gas. Tweets of a Seattle PI photographer indicate that they have been approaching the trailer while waiting for the tear gas to take effect. It is 2:30 in Seattle and the scanner indicates that units from all over Seattle are involved in this situation – blocking the suspect’s egress, sealing off the area streets, organizing evacuation of nearby residents to a safe location – they’ve brought in a bus to give the displaced people a place to wait out the events.
At about 2:34 AM the AP reported shots have been fired, but there is no confirmation of this on the scanner, or by the photojournalist whose Tweets I am following. His name is Cliff DesPeaux, and he is a Seattle Times staffer. The Seattle Times has learned that Clemmons was released on bail on the child rape charge in Pierce County just one week ago. At 2:38 AM police were heard by several reporters to have issued a twenty minute ultimatum to Clemmons – if he does not surrender they will enter the trailer and take him into custody.
Update 2 (November 30, 2009 3:05 AM)
Follow developments live if you wish via scanner at KOMO emergency scanner . A very interesting article about the suspect’s history and recent erratic behavior is found here. The Twitter page for the Seattle Times Cliff Despeaux, who has been tweeting from the scene is at Despeaux Twitter. PI reporter Casey McNerthy (McNerthy Twitter) is saying that Pierce County Spokesman Ed Troyer has said the suspect may be deceased, but no other sources on scene are saying this. Still no confirmation on scene of any shots fired. The reports that the suspect has been shot, and may be seriously wounded or deceased are coming from Pierce County and NOT the scene in Seattle. Pierce County Sherriff spokesman Ed Troyer has indicated that the suspect was wounded, probably seriously, at the scene of this mornings shootings. There is no indication that he has been wounded again where he is holed up in the trailer. Still no confirmation on shots fired. It appears that police negotiator has been speaking to Clemmons through a bullhorn. No indication from here that he has been responding. The woman at the home told Seattle Police that he is in the trailer and had been wounded.
Update 3 (November 30, 2009 3:25 AM)
Seattle Police are also looking for a twenty year old man driving a white Buick, older model type. The man has multiple convictions for assault and drug crimes.
Scanner traffic has dropped WAY off. Police units on the scene have been told that they will be held over for the duration of the situation. Some senior officers believe the standoff will end soon, others think it will last until morning. There is no sign that police are moving into the trailer and no shots have been fired. Speculation that the suspect may be deceased due to the wounds he received earlier in the shootout in Lakewood, if accurate, could account for the non-responsiveness on scene.
As of 3:40 AM, the scene is brightly lit, sealed off by SWAT (including a KCS armored vehicle) and no activity – apparently just waiting.
Pierce County Sherriff spokesman Ed Troyer has confirmed that police are holding several people who are believed to have helped Clemmons today after the shooting. No word on whether they will be charged. Clemmons has been in jail for a couple of months on the child rape charge. He made bail, and has been acting very strangely recently according to reports. The shootings this morning may have been simply because he was enraged over being incarcerated. Which itself may be an indication of state of mind, since he was in jail recently for a total of eight or nine felonies recently, and has been in jail or prison frequently since he was eighteen. His sentence in Arkansas was commuted due to his young age at sentencing (eighteen) and the recommendation of the parole board. I wonder if the presiding judge in the pending cases in Pierce County knew of his extensive record in Arkansas when he set bail at $150,000. That seems low for so many pending felonies.
There are now two reports that the trailer Clemmons had been hiding in at the rear of a relative’s home has been found empty. This is not confirmed yet. As the activity has dropped off, and I got up at 2 for a glass of water, I think I’ll get the water and then I am off to bed. Will update further in the AM, or you may check the Seattle Times or PI websites for any breaking updates. I hope they can pick this guy up soon.
House in Leschi, scene of last night’s SWAT action.
Update 4 (November 30, 2009 4:06)
Seattle Police entered the trailer where multiple murder suspect Maurice Clemmons had reportedly been hiding. Following tear gas and flash bang charges, used to disorient the person inside the trailer, Seattle Swat entered and found the trailer empty. The house and trailer belong to an aunt of Clemmons, who had informed police that he was hiding there. No word whether he had been in the trailer and left prior to police arriving, or the information from the relative was faulty. Police have virtually sealed of the Leschi neighborhood – an unfortunately familiar action since this is also the neighborhood where Timothy Brenton was ambushed last month. Pierce County police and possibly other jurisdictions have taken several people into custody who helped Clemmons today. They have learned from these people that Clemmons was wounded, perhaps seriously, and possibly fatally.
Update 5 (November 30, 2009)
Between blood found at the coffee shop and blood found outside the aunt's house yesterday, police are relatively sure that Clemmons was the shooter, and was present at the house police sealed off last night. He left in the approximately one hour between the time he was dropped off and police reached the home. Two witnesses reported seeing him exiting a bus in the University District (near the University of Washington campus). He is reputed to have had four rifles and a shotgun available to him.
The guy is clearly seriously nuts, having forced members of his immediate and extended family to strip naked and spend at least five minutes every Sunday naked. He also is convinced he can fly, and is Jesus.
With the dearth of sightings today, I am left to wonder if he is indeed laying in a hedge or overgrown ravine today, having lost a great deal of blood. About 1 PM this afternoon, Police near Cowen Place and Ravenna Blvd. have found a blood trail that begins at a King County Metro bus stop and leads off into Cowen Park. It has been searched by K9 and police units. Officers are patrolling the area heavily this evening.
A Tweeter (http://twitter.com/generalgentry) produced this map to illustrate the areas police have been searching and focusing on today:
Map of Renton Location Currently being surrounded.
There are reports of flash bangs being detonated five minutes ago at this address in Renton. KOMO News is on the scene and reporting: http://www.komonews.com/news/78184447.html.
More as warranted.
Update 6 (November 30, 2009)
The Brenton family has issued the following statement through the Seattle Police Department. What a classy family! The statement:
Brenton family statement
The Brenton family has asked the Seattle Police Department to release the below statement in light of the four Lakewood police officers killed in the line of duty.
Our hearts ache for the families of Sergeant Mark Renninger, Officer Tina Griswold, Officer Ronald Owens and Officer Gregory Richards. We pray that they will be granted strength during this time of unbearable grief. Our thoughts are also with the officers of the Lakewood Police Department who continue to provide public safety services to the citizens of Lakewood. Their families are painfully aware of the risks that are inherent in their loved ones’ chosen profession.
We remain hopeful for the swift capture of the monster who robbed them of their husband, wife, father, mother, son and daughter.
Our family has been comforted by the citizens of Seattle, the Pacific Northwest and beyond who have offered their prayers and support over the past weeks. For this, we are thankful.
We will ask for one thing more. Please support the families of the Lakewood officers in the same way you helped us in the days and weeks after Tim’s murder. We have asked that the Brenton Family Assistance Fund be closed. Anyone wishing to provide any financial support should devote it to the Lakewood Police Independent Guild. They will ensure that this will be provided to the families of these fallen heroes.
Donations can be mailed to:
Lakewood Police Independent Guild
PO Box 99579
Lakewood, WA 98499
Donations can also be made on their Web site, http://www.lpig.us
We know that Tim has been joined by Mark, Tina, Ronald and Greg. We will forever hold their memory dear, honoring their love and sacrifice in service to us all.
Update 7 (November 30,2009)
Finally have received confirmation from multiple sources of the report this morning from ABC that police have definitely recovered the murder weapon, matched by ballistics.
SWAT has taken a relative of Clemmons into custody, arrested on charges aiding the suspected multiple murderer in his flight from police. Pierce County Sherriff is on site at the Renton SWAT action. Police have released information that indicates Clemmons was still bleeding when he arrived at the Leschi house police surrounded last night. Police are also indicating that family members and friends of Clemmons may be calling in false tips to throw police investigators off the trail. He had access to several shotgun bean bags
Pierce County Sherriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer has said that the office is considering filing obstruction charges against KING TV and the station’s chopper after the helicopter repeatedly (up to four times) interfered with police activity, and police helicopter flight. The Sherriff’s office indicated that numerous calls to KING were ignored and suggested that if it happens again then all the media present would be removed, and all helicopters held outside the immediate area. He also suggested that media outlets call KING and let them know that such additional violations would be very much unwelcomed by their fellow news teams.
Multiple murder suspect Maurice Clemmons was not found in the Renton house which police and Swat Units responded this afternoon, though a member of Clemmons family was taken into custody for making false statements and impeding the investigation. There are now several possibilities for a wounded Clemmons ranging from on the run in Renton (photo shows SWAT entering a home Clemmons had been reported at CLIFF DESPEAUX / THE SEATTLE TIMES),
dead in an area of underbrush or other cover, or possibly being harbored and receiving limited treatment for his leg wound, possibly by a family member or friend of a family member. The most recent statement from the Pierce County investigators indicates that evidence indicates that Clemmons had been wounded in the abdomen at the coffee shop, and is almost certainly being aided in both remaining alive and in remaining at large. In addition to the Leschi and Renton reports, witnesses have reported sightings of a man resembling Clemmons getting off a bus in the U District, along Phinney Ridge in Greenwood, and even at a former address on Queen Anne Hill.
Below is another photo of Maurice Clemmons, released by KIRO News via a tweet:
Technorati Tags: Breaking News,Crime,Criminals,Seattle true crime,true crime,Lakewood Police Officers Ambushed
Sunday, November 29, 2009
A Sad Hesitation
I took the kids to the movies and as we were leaving the parking garage I saw an officer stocking up his belt with equipment from the trunk of his car. Knowing what a terrible thing had happened earlier, and how hard it must be to pull on a police uniform and go to work, I wanted to say something. I stopped and said “thank you, officer, we are behind you”. He turned and looked, then gave me and my vehicle a careful once over before making eye contact with me and nodding in acknowledgement. I realized at that instant that the first thing that he thought when I spoke was ‘is this guy a threat?’ He checked me out, and noted the kids in the back seat before he nodded. I think he was glad to hear me express support, but I also think I gave him an adrenaline rush while he looked to see if I was going to turn out to be a bad guy.
I wish I had a better vessel to express my appreciation, respect and support for the men and women who serve in our communities. I wish I could somehow bake enough pies, and like Santa I could magically reach each police station during each shift of every law enforcement agency in Western Washington. I’d hand over a warm pie, express my gratitude and support for the thin blue line and the heroes who man it.
The worst thing is, that I bet no one would eat the pies, and rightly so. I’m sure I’d be looked at, and rightly so. It is impossible for me to express my regard and hope that no further attacks occur. I also know that nothing anyone says can make this better. Nine children lost their mother or father today. Two women lost their husbands, one man lost his wife. So many lives forever changed, so much pain. I wish I could do more to support our law enforcement community, to somehow be of service. Still, I understand full well that now and for a while, should I slow or stop my car to quickly express solidarity with officers, I will be scrutinized. Someday, they won’t feel this strong need to check everyone they come in contact with. Someday, I hope, police officers will once again scrutinize lightly company he reaps.
Four Police Officers Killed in Lakewood (Updated)
It is too early to say what the suspect’s motivation was for this ambush of four police officers south of Seattle in Lakewood. This morning about 8:30 as the officers were preparing to go on duty, a man walked into the coffee shop and opened fire. Killed were three men and one woman, from the Lakewood Police Department. The officers identities have not been released pending notification of families. The officers were in uniform, doing pre-shift paperwork on their laptops when the ambush began. All were wearing their bulletproof vests. Spokesman Ed Troyer of the Pierce County Sherriff has said that it is not yet known if any of the officers were able to return fire.
Investigators have tagged and towed a light-colored pickup truck they believe to be the getaway vehicle, and are pursuing multiple search warrants. Troyer has said that police do not suspect gang involvement at this time, saying that it would be very unusual for gang members to call attention to themselves in this way. Police were involved in a standoff in a residence a few blocks from the location at which the pickup was discovered about two hours after the shootings. The suspect is described as a black male between 5’8 and 5’9, in his late twenties or thirties. His facial hair is ‘scruffy’ and he was wearing a black coat and blue jeans. Another man may have been with him and fled with the suspect in the white pickup later recovered.
A $10,000 reward has been offered for information in the case.
Update 1 (November 29,2009)
Police have indicated that the suspect walked into the cafe, past the officers, who were all working on their laptops preparing for their upcoming shift. The suspect walked to the counter and pretended to order. He then opened his coat. The barista saw his handgun and ran out the back door. The man then turned and shot two officers at close range in the head. As a third officer stood to bring a weapon to bear the suspect shot again, fatally wounding that officer. Finally, the fourth officer was shot as that officer brought a weapon to bear. Though officer was fatally wounded, the officer grasped the suspect and struggled with him to the doorway of the cafe. It is uncertain if the officer died there of wounds inflicted as he or she rose from their chair, or if he or she was shot again in the doorway. Investigators believe that the officer got off at least one, and perhaps several shots. It is unknown if the suspect was hit.
Pierce County Sherriff spokesman Ed Troyer indicated that police are looking at an Arkansas man as a person of interest. He is
Maurice Clemmons, and he has a long criminal record for armed robberies, assaults, child rape, assault on a police office. He apparently has been seen in the area and fits the description. Clemmons had been pardoned in 2000 after serving a fraction of his sentence of 95 years. I am looking into the history of the pardon to see what convinced Governor Mike Huckabee to grant the pardon. Clemmons was arrested and charged in Pierce County for third-degree assault on a police officer, and second-degree rape of a child. He has not, to my knowledge, been identified as the shooter, but fits the description and his recent arrest for assaulting an officer makes him a person of interest.
The officers, an entire patrol squad of three officers and their sergeant, have been identified as Tina Griswold, Greg Richards, Ronald Owens, and Sergeant Mark Renninger. More than a hundred officers responded to the radio call from dispatch, and many of them from surrounding jurisdictions were on their own time. A motorcade of dozens of police cars and motorcycles with lights flashing escorted the officers remains to the medical examiner’s office. They passed beneath a large American flag suspended from two ladder trucks – something I had hoped not to see again in the Seattle Area in my lifetime. It has become necessary far too soon after the loss of Timothy Brenton.
The founder of Cafe Forza, a man named Brad Carpenter, is himself a retired policeman. He indicates that several of his staff that witnessed the attack are still meeting with police trying to recreate a timeline and diagram the events as they happened. Needless to say, they are pretty upset and it has been painful for them to go through it in detail.
Police are identifying video surveillance locations and analyzing surveillance videos for any leads they may hold.
http://www.king5.com/news/local/Police-officers-shot-78089882.html
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/archives/186610.asp
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/78088192.html
Technorati Tags: Police officers shot,police ambushed,crime,criminals,murder,true crime,Seattle crime,Tacoma
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Whacker Crimes on the Rise
I remember just after learning to drive there was a string of assaults committed against women driving at night near our suburban home. Not only were the crimes brazen – the perpetrator selected his intended victims as they drove by. He would then would follow them to a less populated or traveled area before assaulting them. All of that was bad enough, but the most chilling thing to me was the method the assailant used to gain access to these women. He posed as a cop.
Over the course of a summer the rumors flew, and police spokespersons confirmed that several such attacks were reported. At first I thought they were just rumors, but after two or three attacks, police realized they had to warn the public and provide some guidance. Police advised motorists who were uncertain about whether the man attempting to pull them over was indeed a sworn officer to drive to a public place such as a grocery store, police station, etc., before pulling over. It was frightening to all of the girls in my drivers ed. class, and regardless of the guidance police offered they wouldn’t really begin to feel safe until the assailant was captured.
Eventually the assailant was captured – in a decommissioned police patrol car which he had outfitted with lights in the front grill and siren. We all breathed a sigh of relief, but I think it was some years before most of us stopped thinking about it when we saw a traffic stop. When I went to college the next year, I was studying in the library one night when I remembered the series of crimes and got curious how often it happened. Looking at microfilm and microfiche of newspaper articles around the country allowed me to get an idea, though it was much more time-consuming than Googling. I found stories in Houston, Dallas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Detroit, Tulsa and Sacramento in addition to the series in the Seattle area. In fact, I found articles from all of those cities detailing crimes which had occurred just in the decade of the seventies. It was the first time I gave thought to the phenomenon that would eventually come to be known as “Wackers” – people posing as cops.
Recently, this came back to mind as a result of the murder for which Christopher Monfort has been arrested. He had sought to become an officer in Los Angeles, and had studied criminal justice back in Seattle before becoming somehow violently disillusioned with police – so disillusioned that he apparently tried to kill random officers in two separate planned attacks – the murder of officer Tim Brenton and wounding of Officer Britt Sweeny – as well as the attempt to kill or injure officers responding to a decoy arson at the city maintenance lot. Monfort drove a decommissioned former police black Crown Victoria, a car commonly used in police service nationwide. Monfort was angry and frustrated, he said, with police brutality. He cited the deputy since dismissed and charged with assault on a teenage girl in a holding cell in the letter he left at the scene of the arson.
Christopher Monfort’s Datsun, which was used in the murder of officer Brenton, and his black Crown Vic with spotlight (penned in by an SPD unmarked)
This behavior made me think of a coworker some years ago who was a real hardcore wacker. He drove an ex-police car, had a ‘replica’ badge, handcuffs, black tactical clothing, gloves and boots consistent with tactical police teams, and spoke frequently about his firearm prowess and the times he had felt compelled to take some action to promote orderly society. At the time I thought his behavior was kind of sad, in the way we all can be kind of pathetic when we insist on being something we aren’t. Some of us have rather harmless ways to manifest this – like telling people what a ladies man we are, or how much we can bench, or how big the fish we catch were. In his case, it was both sad and creepy. Especially since Ted Bundy was in the news a lot then, while on trial in Florida. Handcuffs in the trunk didn’t seem harmless after that. As far as I know, the wacker I worked with really was harmless. The case of Christopher Monfort reminded me of this, and again today the news of criminals posing as police officers to commit crimes made the news in Seattle.
Recently, a series of crimes in Seattle and Tacoma have involved perpetrators posing as cops. Most have been property crimes, small and not-so-small. One included robbery and rape. Seattle television station KING’s Chris Ingalls reported today on this topic, and outlined a group of crimes that certainly seem to indicate that there are multiple criminals using this ploy right now in the Seattle area. The report can be read here: KING 5 News: Police Posers. The story also links to a website which discusses wacker events – crimes by police imposters committed around the country: http://policeposers.com/.
In addition to recommendations made when I was young (drive to a well-lit, public place before stopping), police today recommend calling 911 on a cell phone to verify that the officer stopping you is indeed an officer. If you’re being stopped by an unmarked car, you can request a marked police unit to respond and make the stop – Pierce County Police have suggested this in response to some serious robberies and a rape committed using an unmarked vehicle recently.
Technorati Tags: Cop Wannabe,Police Imposter,Crime,True Crime,Seattle Crime,Seattle True Crime,Christopher Monfort
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Jealous Murderess Attempts to Kill Again
Twelve years ago, Patricia Crowl murdered a woman named Shawn Wallace. Wallace had made the mistake of dating a man Crowl considered to be her exclusive boyfriend. Wallace, who was pregnant when she was killed in the spring of 1997, was bludgeoned and strangled, and her body was dumped beneath Crowl’s house. When it became apparent that leaving remains under her house would be problematic, Crowl enlisted the help of her ex-husband in moving Wallace’s remains to a little-traveled backstreet in Tukwila. Crowl was convicted of second-degree murder and served twelve years in state prison. She was released following a Washington State Supreme Court ruling which declared that an assault which leads to an unintended death cannot be called a murder. If the death is a result of an assault but there is no definite proof of intent to kill, the court ruled that it must be considered manslaughter. This decision in State Supreme Court, caused approximately three hundred cases to be sent back to the trial court for resentencing under the manslaughter guidelines. For Crowl, this ruling meant that she would be released far earlier than her original sentence. Crowl was released from the state prison in 2006.
Last week, Crowl again found herself enraged at another woman. This time, the woman was the ex-girlfriend of a man Crowl began dating this month. According to the man, he had last spoken with his ex-girlfriend early in November when he had called her from Cowl’s cell phone. That seemingly insignificant detail – the man used Cowl’s cell phone to call the ex – proved to be an almost deadly detail for the woman he’d dated for three years before breaking up last month. Crowl used the phone to send a text message to the ex-girlfriend asking her to meet in a parking garage in Kirkland. Because her ex-boyfriend had last called her from the same number she believed she would be meeting him. Instead, when the woman stepped out of her car Crowl ambushed her with a knife, stabbing the victim eighteen or nineteen times.
Crowl fled, and the victim had managed to hang on to her cell phone, and it is likely to have saved her life. She dialed 911 and was able to tell emergency medical and the police where to find her. She is reported to have told the dispatcher that she had been “stabbed everywhere”. The victim was transferred to Seattle and Harborview Medical Center, the region’s trauma center, where doctors treated her for a punctured lung, in addition to her other stab wounds. Fortunately, the victim’s major organs and blood vessels did not suffer major damage and despite the eighteen knife penetration wounds, she was sufficiently recovered to be released from Harborview this week.
The victim’s ex-boyfriend, who had begun dating Crowl only recently, called police to report that Crowl had told him she had to go and turn herself in to police. She did not turn herself in, but was arrested later that night when she sought treatment at Valley Medical Center in Kent for cuts on her hands. Crowl did not speak with police and immediately invoked her right to counsel. In addition to the wounds on Crowl’s hands, the text message sent to the victim specifying the location in which the attack was perpetrated and the statement from the man who was dating her, the woman pointed out Crowl from a photo array. Crowl is being held, with bail set at $3 million, on a charge of attempted first-degree murder. This time, having sent the text message and hidden in ambush, there is no real chance that she will be able to say the attack was merely an assault that went too far.
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Sunshine on Discovery Bay
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