Lost In Lima Ohio - A true crime blog

It used to be that sexual abuse of children was a topic that was taboo. If you were unlucky enough to have someone in your family that was a child molester- you were also unlucky enough to understand that it wasn't ever going to be a topic that you could openly talk about. There was a shame that pass unduly passed to victims of sexual abuse that meant that even while people were insisting it wasn't your fault, you just weren't suppose to mention it outside the small confines of a tight circle of people who had to know. In the late eighties, and early nineties, thing began to quickly change. Sexual abuse became a day time talk show subject- with even Oprah spilling her sole to millions of people via the cable box. After decades of victims being shamed into silence by the unspoken rule that talking of such things was just improper- survivors starting finding their voices, and encouraging others to stand up and speak along with them. However, despite society's willingn

The following America's Most Wanted cases will air this Saturday at 9pm on your local Fox station: Muammer Aldailam: In a moment of passion, cops say Muammer "Mike" Aldailam shot and killed his girlfriend after she tried to break off their relationship. Authorities believe Aldailam may be desperate to get back to his native country of Yemen, but they need your help in finding him before he gets that far. http://www.amw.com/fugitives/ brief.cfm?id=51985 Jeffrey Marshall: When the short courtship of Elizabeth "Lynne" Waterson and Jeffrey Marshall ended, the ambitious, beautiful Lynne continued to deflect Marshall's unwanted advances. For months, cops say an obsessed Marshall stalked his former girlfriend and refused to take no for an answer until one day in April 2007, when he took his twisted infatuation to a deadly breaking point. http://www.amw.com/fugitives/ brief.cfm?id=51389 Cinthya Rodriguez: Cops in California say that Cinthya Rodri

Kenneth John Freeman, a former fugitive whose case aired on America's Most Wanted, has plead guilty to "production of child pornography and interstate transportation of a minor for the purpose of unlawful sexual activity". Freeman had been wanted on charges that he sexually abused his daughter, video taping the abuse and then distributing it online. After being charged he fled to Hong Kong in early 2006 before moving on to China where he was eventually arrested as he re-entered Hong Kong, and extradited to the United States. The abuse occurred in 2000, when the girl was 10. His daughter, now 19, first told her mother about the abuse in November 2005. In federal court Wednesday, Freeman pleaded guilty to producing child pornography in Washington, and to producing child pornography and having unlawful sexual activity with a minor in Oregon. The Oregon charges stem from incidents where Freeman took his daughter to the Portland area. Several other charges were dropped. W

Although a much kinder gift might be parents with brains. The father of 3-year-old Adolf Hitler Campbell, denied a birthday cake with the child's full name on it by one New Jersey supermarket, is asking for a little tolerance. Thankfully, we learn that the family isn't just another bunch of racists, as they taken to proving this by naming their two month old daughter :JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell. The idiot father of the boy claims that he " named his son after Adolf Hitler because he liked the name and because "no one else in the world would have that name." If only being a dumbass was a crime... source

Especially since the last person in charge of fundraising decided to raise a little fun with a minor in a parking lot near the elementray school after a PTA meeting. A New York PTA official and a 13-year-old boy were allegedly caught in the back seat of an SUV behind an elementary school, police said. Joan Tuckruskye, 44, and the boy were reportedly discovered partially unclothed in the parking lot outside Meadow Elementary School Friday night, according to Nassau County police. She allegedly told officers they were kissing. Tuckruskye, a vice president with the Parent Teacher Association, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child. She was released without bail. The mother of three reportedly has never been in trouble with the law before, and claims to be " well-respected and very active in her community"- personally I'm not sure about the well-respected part, but I will concede that she certainly seemed 'very active'. Full story

NEW DRAMATIC DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SUSPICIOUS DEATH OF AN AMBITIOUS POLITICIAN CBS NEWS “48 HOURS MYSTERY”– SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2 0, 2008 Kathy Augustine was an ambitious and sometimes controversial politician who worked her way up the rankings of Nevada’s government. And with a reputation of being ruthless, she developed a lot of enemies along the way. But were these enemies deadly? In 2004, Augustine became the first state official in Nevada's history to be impeached, when she was found guilty of violating state ethics laws during her 2002 re-election campaign. In 2006, unable to seek a third term as state controller, she ran for state treasurer . But on July 8 Augustine was found unconscious in her home. She died four days later. While a preliminary autopsy found no evidence of a heart attack or other obvious cause of death, the medical examiner did find a suspicious puncture mark. Subsequent toxicology reports confirmed the presence of a powerful drug that paraly

Graydon and Robyn Drown had nine children, which might lead some to mistakenly believe that the Drowns liked children. But, a closer look pretty much proves that it was more than likely the making of the children that these too degenerates were interested in. Marion County prosecutor Sarah Morris told jurors that the children of Graydon and Robyn Drown were beaten with 2-by-4 boards, metal and plastic pipes, spoons and whips. The children, who range in age from infant to 16, hadn't seen dentists or doctors and didn't go to school, Morris said. The children were taken by state welfare authorities after the Drowns were arrested June 19 at their rural home. Each parent faces a 25-count indictment of assault and criminal-mistreatment charges. One of the two children testifying against their 'parents' presented testimony which would seem to support the idea that the father played a leading role in the abuse- but lets face it- no mother would allow her children to be tre

I thought I had heard all the 'ex in law' horror stories out there, but I have to admit- soliciting some idiot to assault your ex son in law almost takes the cake. The only thing that could make it worse, is if you'd made the same offer Wilbur Eichman did:  Assault him, shoot him and while you're at it- please remove his penis for extra money. And you thought your inlaws were bad...

Adam Walsh Murder Case Officially Closed Florida law enforcement officials said Tuesday that the investigation into the 1981 murder of Adam Walsh – AMW Host John Walsh’s 6-year-old son – has been officially closed , and that they believe convicted serial killer Ottis Toole to be responsible for the abduction and killing. “We can now move forward knowing positively who killed our beautiful little boy,†John and Revé Walsh said in a statement. “We, along with our children, Meghan, Callahan and Hayden, pray for the thousands of parents of murdered and still-missing children. We continue to fight for their safety, and to make sure that no child -- especially Adam -- died in vain.†Stay with AMW.com for the latest .

With just ten days till Christmas, one holiday tradition is getting a bit more attention than normal... Every year, tons of letters are written to a jolly old man who is believed to break into homes on Christmas Eve and leave an assortment of toys under a lit tree, before stopping just long enough to steal cookies and milk and heading off to the next home. The letters, which in years past have included sweetly innocent requests like "Dear Santa, I'll be good next year if you bring me a Wii this year" and "Santa, none of that stuff was my fault, please bring me Air Hogs, Games, a computer, a cell phone and seriously- no cloths", are now reportedly asking for more simple things- the homes children's parents lost to foreclosure, a new job for dad, money for groceries. .. and now Santa is reportedly being asked to stop the sexual abuse of children. A 55-year-old Pharr resident was arrested after a young relative wrote a letter to Santa Claus wishing that

Investigative journalist James  Renner ( Amy: My Search for Her Killer: Secrets & Suspects in the Unsolved Murder of Amy Mihaljevic , My Search for Amy Mihaljevic's Killer ) has once again put pen to paper to bring cold cases to the lime light. Renner's newest book, The Serial Killer's Apprentice: And 12 Other True Stories of Cleveland's Most Intriguing Unsolved Crimes covers 13 cases from Northern Ohio, all of which will leave you pondering 'who did it?' and tempted to do a little investigative work yourself. Renner does an excellent job of bring new life to cases many seemed to have given up on, and his clear passion for solving the Amy Mihaljevic murder case seems equally met with his passion for the 12 newly highlighted cases. Picking just one of the 13 (in all) cases  Renner investigated to highlight is difficult, as he's managed to personalize the victims in each case to the reader. But if I have to pick one, I'd be tempted to say the mo

Ricky Allen Robbins broke into a woman's home in 1983 and raped her. The woman was able to escape, and grab a gun and shot Robbins who was later arrested. After serving time for the assault, Robbins was released in 2007 on parole. After his release in 2007, Robbins fled supervision while on parole and traveled to the East Coast. Police in New York investigated two instances where a suspect broke into a home and rubbed the legs of women while they slept. DNA evidence found on a hat near the scene of one of the crimes matched Robbins. Robbins was later arrested in New Orleans for viewing child pornography in a university library. Authorities extradited Robbins back to Oregon and revoked his parole. He had been in prison until last Wednesday. On Friday, Robbins decided to ditch his court ordered supervision, and now is wanted by police. SOURCE

I've heard all sorts of explainations about how people are tricked by stupid cons. But this one, well I'm left unsure what is worse- that this man concieved this plan or that parents evidently actually fell for it. A suburban Cincinnati man has pleaded guilty to molesting children after telling their parents that he was an underwear market researcher. Ben Hawkins pleaded guilty Wednesday to nine charges of importuning and three counts of gross sexual imposition. Prosecutors in Hamilton County say Hawkins looked for boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 16. They say he arranged to meet parents and children at schools, hospitals or at their homes and told parents he needed to measure their children's underwear for research. Sentencing could amount to up to 44 years in prison- giving a sicking theory that more than one child was actually victimized by both his perversions, and their parents complete stupidity. Source

Three short years ago, I mentioned a Vermont case in which a one time family friend has sexually abused a young girl for a number of years. The judge in the case, Edward Cashman had informed the court months prior to sentencing that he was considering a shame of a sentence, to which the family of the victim objected without any effect. The media months later stumbled across the sentence Cashman handed out and paraded a diluge of angery talking heads in front of the judge until he caved under pressure from state leaders and a change in how sexual offenders were handled in prison was made, and reconsidered his sentence. In the end, Hulett will still have served less time in prison than he did sexually abusing the child. And, his sudden freedom from prison seems to be right in front of us. Judge Edward Cashman came under fire from lawmakers, Gov. Jim Douglas and a Fox News commentator in January of 2006 when he sentenced Mark Hulett, then 34, of Williston, to 60 days for sexually ass

CBS NEWS “48 HOURS MYSTERY” PRESENTS NEW DRAMATIC DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CASE OF A CHILLING DOUBLE HOMICIDE IN “INVITATION TO A MURDER,” NOW ALSO AVAILABLE AS A BOOK BY PRODUCER GAIL ABBOTT ZIMMERMAN SATURDAY, DEC. 13 ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK When Mark Winger fatally shot an intruder he was hailed as a hero. The nuclear engineer says he was in the basement of his picturesque Springfield, Ill . home when he heard a thump. Racing upstairs, Winger grabbed his gun and was faced with his worst nightmare when he discovered a man beating his wife Donnah with a hammer in a horrific scene that ultimately ended in the death of both his wife and her killer. It seemed like an open and shut case of self defense and Winger was quickly cleared of any wrongdoing. But one rookie investigator believed that there was more to the story. Unable to let go of this hunch, he relentlessly tried to get the case reopened, but to no avail, until four years later, when a new witness helped put

This Saturday America's Most Wanted: America Fights back will be airing the following case at 9pm on your local Fox Station: Joey Offutt: When Pennsylvania State Police arrived at the scene of a house fire in Sykesville in the early morning hours of July 12, 2007, they weren't prepared for everything they were about to find. Once the fire was extinguished, some shocking details were revealed, and authorities are still struggling to answer all the questions left over from that day. http://www.amw.com/missing_ persons/brief.cfm?id=48408 Liza Gonzales: Liza Monica Gonzales, also known as Liza Campos, is wanted for drug trafficking, as well as murder. She may be in Oklahoma or California, and police consider her extremely dangerous. Call 1-800-Crime-TV if you have seen her. http://www.amw.com/fugitives/ brief.cfm?id=60389 Joseph Allen Garcia: Joseph Allen Garcia, a man wanted on charges of murder, manslaughter, aggravated sexual assault with a deadly weapon and

Diane Downs sat in front of a parole board, pleading her case and hoping that despite her refusal to accept the guilty verdict that sent her to prison nearly 25 years ago, they would grant her request for parole. For around two hours Downs told her story, describing her 7 year old daughter as lovable, and reaffirming her claims of innocence. And telling another version of the night that ended in the death of one of her children, and injuries to the other two. Downs reiterated a story about having a boyfriend who claimed to be in the FBI and said she was on her way to meet someone who had photographs for him. She said she is not sure if the man who attacked her family was the man she was supposed to meet or a stranger who flagged her down. While Downs has always claimed the tragic night occurred at the hands of someone else, her two surviving children and investigators have maintained a much different story: Her 7-year-old daughter, Cheryl Lynn, was killed and her two other child

Noe Torres: On the night of Sept. 15, 2005, 10-year-old Carlos Perez went to bed knowing that he had a big day ahead of him: it was to be his 11th birthday. That night, in his sleep, Carlos was killed in a hail of gunfire in his bed. The accused shooter, Noe Torres, is still at large, and an accomplice who has already been convicted of the crime -- Edward Salas -- has escaped from a New Mexico jail. http://www.amw.com/fugitives/ brief.cfm?id=56475 Chicago Jane Doe: When AMW first told the story of "Chicago Jane Doe" we knew nothing about her. She was a victim without a name but police in the Windy City were determined as ever to solve her case. With the help of a local dentist, Chicago Police identified Jane Doe as teenager Marlaina Reed. You might remember that Jane Doe had distinctive braces on her teeth and it looked like she had tried to pull them off herself. A Chicago dentist and his receptionist saw sketches in a local professional journal and recognized the y

I'm excited to share with you that A&E will be airing a new show- Manhunters: Fugitive Task Force.   You can see more video's on the shows YouTube channel, available here . The following press release has been issued on the show: Welcome to the jungle. A&E NETWORK PREMIERES NEW ORIGINAL REAL-LIFE SERIES MANHUNTERS : FUGITIVE TASK FORCE THROUGH UNPRECEDENTED ACCESS, A&E TAKES VIEWERS ON THE HUNT WITH THE ELITE AGENTS OF THE U.S. MARSHALS FUGITIVE TASK FORCE AS THEY TRACK THE NATION’S MOST DANGEROUS FELONS TWENTY-ONE EPISODE HALF-HOUR SERIES DEBUTS TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9 AT 10PM ET/PT NEW YORK, NY OCTOBER 29, 2008 -- They are the best-of-the-best, hunting down the worstof- the-worst . . . everyone from the DC Snipers and triple-homicide felons to major international fugitives. They are the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, and they are the ultimate "manhunters." Mandated by Congress after 9/11, the Task Force is made up of mult

A FOOTBALL HERO IS USED TO GETTING EVERYTHING HE WANTS, BUT DID HE WANT THE MURDER OF HIS PREGNANT WIFE? TWO LEGAL TITANS BATTLE IT OUT TO FIND THE TRUTH 48 HOURS MYSTERY ON SATURDAY, DEC. 6             In Texas football is an institution where a gifted athlete is a star. In the town of Katy, David Temple was just that. The celebrated defensive linebacker at his high school, Temple went on to attend college on a football scholarship, where he became known as “The Temple of Doom.” As an athlete Temple got everything he desired and his success on the field was mirrored by his success off the field, when he became a football coach with a beautiful wife Belinda an adorable son and a new baby on the way. But when his pregnant wife was murdered in their home, Temple’s picture perfect life began to unravel. This hometown hero seemed to indeed get what he wanted, including a blond bombshell with whom he was having an affair.             With a lack of physical evidence linking Temple to t