Lost In Lima Ohio - A true crime blog

At the start of the year, I mentioned Jonathon Edington , a 29 year old father and lawyer. Edington had been on vacation with his family, when he decided to return home a few days before them. Sometime after he arrived home, his wife called him from their place of vacation. What she said to him would change the lives of their family, and another family forever. His wife suggested that she believed their neighbor Barry James, had been molesting their young daughter. According to police statements- the parents claimed that after he left, the little girl told her mother that James had visited her at "starry nights". Edingtons reaction to this possible situation was a tragic one- he broke into his neighbors home, and stabbed James to death. He was quickly arrested and later charged with first-degree manslaughter. James' family has long insisted that he did not molest the child, and that there were previous issues with the Edington family. Police concluded that there was no ev...

(Scroll down for updates) So much hype about Jack McClellan... it's hard to keep up with it all, but thankfully- I have a short cut- I just run by girlchat and see what all the pedophiles are complaining about and whining over. Today, there was a new (okay, ALMOST new) player in the game... although he's been a figure in the last few months of the "Jack Saga". It's like a bad soap opera that the network just won't cancel. Via GirlChat : Index Classic Index Post a New Message Archive FAQ To: GC - From: Anthony Zinnanti Posted by BB on Friday, August 31 2007 at 01:04:33pm Tony Zinnanti sent the follow to the moderators address. While we are normally not a messenger service, I feel that he brings up points that deserve to be posted and refuted here. Also, this will be the last such posting on his behalf. I have suggested that he register a nick and post here directly since he seems to have so much to say to our community. He's responded that he w...

A few things to clear up this morning... First, Jack McClellan is second guessing his leaving the beautiful child filled state of Cali: Message from Jack McClellan Posted by Jack McClellan on Monday, August 27 2007 at 06:34:59pm I finally got my computer discs back from the UCLA Police Department today (they had all my e-mail and GC passwords on them), and am planning on leaving California within the next couple of days unless someone in the L.A. area helps me out with shelter and pro-bono legal representation. I tried to stand up to this absurd court order that I'm under as long as possible, but because I'm still living in my car, I feel that it is only a matter of time before I violate the order again no matter how hard I try to obey it. The arrest and jail stay was the most horrific experience of my life, and my rights were violated numerous times in the process, including: UCLA cops destroyed my cell phone -- apparently by slamming it into the pavement o...

This week, Bonnie of MyLifeOfCrime was kind enough to host the weekly Carnival of the True Crime Blogs . She's done a great job of rounding up this weeks best posts, so be sure to stop over and check out what was typed out in the crime blogs this week. For inclusion in future True Crime Carnivals, you can submit your posts on Blog Carnival .

Brief round up of sex offenders in the news: Collage tells sex offender to stay away : A convicted sex offender accepted to the College of Staten Island was told to stay away from the school this week after administrators decided his presence on campus would be inappropriate. And on the opposite side of the fence, it seems the Army opted to open it's arms to a convicted sex offender : Sapp is a registered sex offender, put on probation after serving time for a 2005 incident involving a 15-year-old girl. But with barely enough time to change his mailing address, the Army decided to assume responsibility for Sapp's probation. Assistant State Attorney Jonathan Sacks, who worked on Sapp's case, says he's surprised and troubled that the army has let Sapp back in. Sacks also says he has no idea how a registered sex offender is allowed to fight and be in active duty. GPS proves how worthless it really is : A 23-year-old convicted sex offender was sentenced to the maximum by...

Philly, the city of brotherly love and evidently open forgiveness and unrelenting trust, is home to Beulah Baptist Church and Day Care Center, which has caused a stir among parents after hiring a new employee . West Philadelphia neighbors who said they were disturbed that 41-year-old Lee Anderson was hired and want the man out contacted Harry Hairston and the NBC 10 Investigators. While I believe that organizations have every right to hire whom ever they want... I do believe that they have a serious obligation to think long and hard about what sort of organization they are, and what sort of employee they are desiring to hire. In this case, it turns out that the daycare center and Church opted to hire Anderson- despite his standing as a registered sexual offender. They then went beyond proving that their lights aren't working on the top floor by failing to information parents that their new employee had this criminal history: Hairston made a phone call to the probation office, they ...

This Saturday, September 1, 2007, AMERICA’S MOST WANTED: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK will be airing the following cases on your local Fox station. You can also visit their website, AMW.com for more information on these and other cases. Goose Creek, South Carolina… DAN HIERS …Ever since he was profiled on AMW in March 2005, tips on the whereabouts of accused murderer and child molester Dan Hiers, have been pouring in. This ex-cop is on the U.S. Marshals' 15 Most Wanted List and is one of AMW's Dirty Dozen. Hiers is accused of murdering his wife, Ludimila, in March, 2005 and of molesting a young girl months earlier. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma… KENNETH COFER …AMW tipsters have provided several clues that investigators followed up on, but nothing concrete has panned out in the search for Kenneth Cofer. Cofer is accused of killing Larry Buchanan in an argument over patriotism after the 9/11 attacks. Metairie, Louisiana… EDMUNDO CERDA-ANIMA …A nationwide manhunt is underway for murder suspec...

(this is going to be very long... but don't speed read it) Everyone knows Jack McClellan. He's the pedophile who has been all over the news, the web, and the gossip benches. We all know... Jack likes little girls - in a purely sexual manner. We also know that Jack likes drugs , and used to like hookers . We know that Jack doesn't work because he's depressed. We know he used to have websites telling pedophiles where to find little girls . We know he lived in Washington, and now resides in his car in California , and is considering yet another state move . So, we know Jack, or so we think. I mean, how much can one really ever know about someone else? Jack says he has no victims... but we can't really know for sure. We must assume that there is that possibility that he is telling the truth, as hard as that might be. Today, I received this: This release regards the possible connection between self-described pedophile Jack McClellan and the death of 10 year old Adre...

Steve Huff, of Crimeblog.us has breaking news on a murder spree in Texas: Authorities in Texas are seeking Paul G. Devoe, age 43. Devoe may have murdered 5 people since Friday, including 4 people in a suburban home in little Jonestown, TX. Check out CrimeBlog.US for exclusive info on Devoe and at least three of his alleged victims -- background you won't find anywhere else on the Web or the airwaves, at the moment. A 15-year-old girl who may have been in the home in Jonestown was also among Devoe's MySpace friends.

There are many things in this world that I will never, never be able to understand, or putting a reasonable spin on. The actions of Todd Wayne Hall seem to be in the list of "what the hell is wrong with you people?", and something I will never understand. Todd Wayne Hall, 34, faces a felony second-degree battery charge, said Bentonville Det. Mark Jordan. Jordan said the boy was 5 when Hall bit his toes, causing holes to appear in his toenails. Hall was being held in Benton County jail pending a hearing. Jordan said he's never seen anything like this in his 13-year career. Police arrested Hall in 2000 for the same crime involving his 11-month-old daughter while they lived in Bentonville, Jordan said. Hall was convicted, but paperwork did not show if he served any jail time. The fact that this isn't the first time he's done this is just disturbing.

First it was Washington. Then California . And now, we're sitting back waiting to see just which state Jack McClellan is going to begin haunting this time. "I have to leave the state, really, I can't live here under this Orwellian protocol," he told KABC-TV. "It's nightmarish." I'm sure the fact that he's decided to pick flight over fight makes California citizens feel much better, but it leaves a lingering question about whether or not they actually stopped Jack.... or just pushed him across the border. After all, he's said he is done with the websites, and said he is done stalking children.... but then he also said he'd never done anything illegal- and we all know that's not exactly the truth . Personally, I just am holding out hoping that the lil perv doesn't end up in Ohio.

Despite the fact that he will receive a few dozen years worth of appeals, and likely sit on death row for longer then Jessica was alive- John Couey was sentenced to death for the 9 year old girls kidnapping, rape and murder. Mark Lunsford, Jessica's father, cried off and on when taking questions from reporters after the hearing. “I’m grateful that the outcome was what it was,” Lunsford said, wearing a tie with Jessica's photo on it. “No matter what, it’s not bringing my daughter back.” Related Lunsford has led a national crusade for harsher sentences for child murderers. “Justice was served for this little girl, but what about the rest of them?” Lunsford asked, pleading for state laws to change for harsher sentences for child sex offenders. Read full coverage via FoxNews ...

Butch from 123beta has pointed out a post from TechCrunch linking a valuable service from Vision 20/20 . Techcrunch says: It does seem like a rather logical use for a maps mashup, and it functions well. According to Vision 20/20’s publicity there is 650,000 registered sex offenders in the United States, now everyone can find out where they live. ( available here , is not only impressive to me as a "wanna be informed" concerned parents, but the tech loving side of me is quite impressed with it also- this is better laid out than the Sex Registry site ran by the Gov.

Almost everyone knows what Craigs List is- but for those that don't, it was one mans answer to putting classified ads online. While the idea is appealing- and was ahead of it's time by years and years... it's also been a bit of a problem as people began using the free service as a way to participate in criminal activity. Drugs, theft, prosecution... they are all weekly activities going on thanks to the user submitted ads. Of course, I wouldn't be mentioning Craigs List if I didn't have a good reason to- and thankfully Trench of CrimeNews has given me just that reason. In a spin off of his ever popular MyCrimeSpace blog, Trench has started CraigsCrimeList , a collection of the crimes related to Craigslist users.

Video camera's caught 10 people either peeking out their windows/doors or in the worst case- walking right past the man and woman. Not one offered help. Not one attempted to step in. Instead, the 10 people listened to the woman's screams, watched as she was beaten and sexually assaulted... and then went on with their lives- without giving the woman a second thought. FoxNews A security video from an apartment hallway shows at least 10 witnesses ignored a woman's cries for help for more than an hour as a man beat and sexually assaulted her, prosecutors in Minnesota said. The surveillance video clearly showed men and women looking out their apartment doors or starting to walk down the hallway before retreating as the woman was assaulted for nearly 90 minutes, police spokesman Tom Walsh said. Police said they responded to a call of drunken behavior and found Somali immigrant Rage Ibrahim, 25, and a woman lying unconscious in the hallway early Tuesday. The woman's clothing ...

On March 24, 2004 Kevin Clewer of Chicago, was stabbed 42 times in his own apartment by his unknown killer. There is no suspect, and no motive. His family is hoping that you might have some answers as to why this happened, and who could have done it. They've set up a website, with links to news coverage of his case and a stretch of the last known person to be seen with him. Please take a few moments to click over and check it out. WWW.4CHICAGOKEV.COM

This was 1913 in Lima, during another flood. I wasn't around then. There was some flooding the other night. We escaped most of it, except for a little water in the basement, and a few days of marsh-like yards. We were a lot luckier than Findlay Ohio. I'm just hoping that we're as lucky this time around... since it seems the rain and flash flooding is coming AGAIN. Forecast for Allen Show | Hide Updated: 10:43 PM EDT on August 23, 2007 Flash Flood Watch in effect from 2 am EDT Friday through late Friday night... [nt_rain] Rest of Tonight Partly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Some thunderstorms may produce heavy rainfall. Lows in the lower 70s. South winds 10 to 15 mph.

This week, Trench has kindly buried himself in crime stories just to host our weekly True Crime Carnival . For inclusion in future TCB carnivals, please feel free to submit your crime related post via Blog Carnival .

As shocking as it may be (and I say that with complete sarcasm)it seems that a ever growing number of sex offenders are making headlines across the US lately. Rather than break them down and write about them case by case, I've opted to be lazy tonight and just offer you a quick list to browse through: Gregory Turner, 44, has been arrested after a six year old girl told her father that the registered sexual offender "kissed her genital area". He was released from the Oxford County Jail after posting $50,000 bail. Larry David Lee Jr., 33 is headed back to court (and hopefully prison for a very long time) after charged with first degree rape, lewd molestation, and forcible oral sodomy in regards to his assault against a seven year old girl. He had previously been convicted of second degree rape on March 22, 2000 he received 3 years suspended with 3 months in jail. Patrick Leno has been charged with felony gross sexual imposition after allegedly assaulting a 3 year old ...

This week, America's Most Wanted will be covering the following cases: Tempe, Arizona… PAUL EISCHEID UPDATE …The ATF and police in Tempe, Arizona have charged outlaw biker Paul Eischeid with an act of savagery in the desert. Now, they need your help to get their hands on him. Deer Park, New York; Cranston, Rhode Island; and Chicopee, Massachusetts… UNKNOWN EAST COAST BANDITS …First, it was a bank in Chicopee, Massachusetts; then, Cranston, Rhode Island. Now, the FBI says the same group of thugs has robbed a bank on New York's Long Island. Investigators say these guys are dangerous -- and they're wielding some big weapons. Sturgis, South Dakota…OPERATION FALCON 2007…AMERICA’S MOST WANTED teams up with the U.S. Marshals Tasks Force for Operation FALCON; a nationwide fugitive apprehension operation. Over the course of its history, Operation FALCON has captured more than 30,000 fugitives during three total weeks. This year, John Walsh rides along with South Dakota police as t...

Stephen from CrimeSceneBlog had recently highlighted a new blog, and I'd popped over to see it. I've added the link in my recommended blogs, but I thought that a proper introduction was warranted in this case. It should come as no shock to anyone that if you are a blond woman 18-30 years old, and you come up missing... you have a good shot of making it to national news level, and a extremely better shot in making it compared to anyone else who might be missing. The Nancy Grace's of major media news outlets eat up missing white girl stories... which is great. If your missing loved one happens to fit into that category. If your loved one isn't... well don't expect (Insert any major media news program here) to be offering much help. While there is little we can do, other than complain, about the major networks- we can take steps to ensure that we aren't personally as one sided as them. One blogger has decided that for her, the time was right to step forward and st...

*Warning Personal Blog, Not Criminal* I tend to like to dabble in things- to learn about as many subjects as possible. I've always been this way, and for the life of me... I've never figured out how to put very much of my dabbling to work for me. I just really like learning about stuff. But, it's all useless knowledge. Until now. I was playing with the kids, who all have (thanks to Cartoon Network) imaginary friends. Their friends were doing their thing- working, cleaning the imaginary house, walking the imaginary pets- when I was informed that one friend of my oldest had opened a store. This new development annoyed my youngest, who promptly decided that his friend wanted a job there. Only friend #1 didn't want friend #2 employed there. At a time like this, there is really nothing that friend #2 could do, despite really wanting a job there. I felt bad for friend #2, and my youngest who was clearly heartbroken. And, trying to be fair I issued a "Corporate Warning...

Christina White had a 6 month old son. Last month, she had wrapped him up in his blanket, and then at some point, for a reason I can not even begin to imagine- she lit the blanket on fire, burning the child. The baby died from his burns two weeks later in a hospital. White is due in court Sept 18th , on 1st degree murder charges.

73-year-old James Rivers might have really wanted to catch the local high school football game. That really could be the reason he was caught there, but it wouldn't really help explain the knife that LE says he had in his possession at the game. And, it really really doesn't explain the used and unused condoms that he had stuffed in his pockets when police arrested him for carrying the knife. Of course, this story may not be as interesting if we leave out the part where Rivers is a convicted sexual offender- having served time for first-degree criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping back from a conviction in 1978, and another conviction in 2000 for failing to abide by the the state sex offender registry law. One has to wonder what a sex offender with a history of kidnapping and sexual assault is doing at a high school game, carrying used condoms and a knife. Add to it what deputies later found in his car, and I'm raising an eye brow... Deputies also searched Rivers' car...

Raye Dawn Smith's sentencing hearing has been postponed until Sept 11th at 10 am, at the request of her new lawyer, former Timothy McVeigh attorney Stephen Jones of Enid. Raye Dawn was convicted of enabling child abuse in the death of Kelsey Briggs. Also of importance, I've been informed that Lance Briggs will be on FoxNews (national news, not local) tomorrow at 4:30pm to give an interview on the case.

Just a side note before I get into this case... A sexual interaction between a man and a child under 12 is not just "sex", it's rape. The child can not consent, and therefore the man has no legal right to engage in the activity- thus making it RAPE. It bugs the hell out of me when a reporter belittles the crime by merely referring to it as "sex". Now, onto the case : A man facing up to life in prison for allegedly having sex with a child under 12 posted a $300,000 bond and left jail earlier this year. (wonderfully worded story by By Susan Spencer-Wendel, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer) Domingo Ortiz, 44, alleged child rapist, showed up to appointments with his bondsman, and his lawyer. But, then decided to skip out on the most important appointment- his court date. Go figure. His bondswoman, Alma Mariles, said Wednesday she hasn't heard of a person jumping a bond so steep. Ortiz had always reported regularly and gave no indication he might disappear, she said...

Once again it's time for the weekly Carnival of the true crime blogs, and it appears that I am the lucky host. So, let's get started: Trench of CrimeNews has an interesting update on the trial of killer accused killer Richard Henderson Jr, who is charged with murdering his family, from court testimony to some great commentary: Let me stop Dr. Chalupa right there for a second. Since Henderson's cuts were superficial it sounds like to me he was just an attention whore. Real cutters hide their cuts. And the group suicide plot was more than that, it was also a plan to attack a high school. Which is how I got interested in this case. But let's get back to Dr. Chpotle... Bonnie, of My Life of Crime has an update on the Melissa Shook murder : Unfortunately, I was not surprised to see this turn of events. It seems like lately every time a woman goes missing (and many times she is pregnant, althought not in this case), it turns out to be her HSH of HomeSweetHome has been follo...

John Myers and his family have fought for years to prove that he was wrongly charged with the murder of a 19 year old woman in 2000. They kindly ask that you visit their site for case history and details of why they have fought so hard all these years. http://www.justiceforjohnsite.com/ Brief history by Indiana Daily , which also has documented the case from the start: The Behrman case started six years ago, when 19-year-old IU sophomore Jill Behrman went on a morning bicycle ride in the Bloomington countryside and never returned home. Her disappearance made national headlines, igniting the concern of the town and the university and raising serious questions about safety. In March 2003, hunters in rural Morgan County stumbled upon Behrman’s remains and a grand jury was convened to look into her death. Though information the grand jury procured during the last three years, they were able to indict Myers – who pleaded not guilty – in April 2006.

Belmont Area Detective Division of the Chicago police have released information regarding the suspect in a series of sexual assaults against women in the North Side. Police have described the suspect as being a white Hispanic male, 25 to 30 years old, 5' 6" to 5' 9" and weighing 170 to 200 pounds with short dark hair combed back, a medium complexion and no facial hair. In each of the incidents, the suspect has approached a lone female from behind, knocked her to the ground and attempted to sexually assault them before fleeing on foot. Most of the attacks have occurred during the early morning hours from 2-3:30 a.m., but on Saturday, Aug. 11, a woman was knocked to the ground about 11:30 p.m. as she walked in the 700 block of West Fullerton, the alert said. Anyone with information is asked to call the Belmont Area Homicide, Sex, Gang Crimes Unit at (312) 744-8261. { CBS Chicago } Past Coverage: Another Woman Attacked On North Side Near DePaul (Aug. 14, 2007) Lake...

Joan Green was a friendly woman, a mother of six and a Sunday school teacher. She lived in the house where she'd raised her children, the one her and her husband had spent decades in, in Bellefontaine Ohio. She was preparing for what would have been one of the most cherished events of the year- a Christmas with her family. Her family believed that she was safe in her home, and there was never any sign that they should have been concerned. On December 23, 2006, in a home a few doors down from Joan's, a teenager was reaching his breaking point. Christopher Tindall had been assigned to live in the home- a group home for troubled boys ran by Rick and Mary Burgbacher and overseen by the Logan County Residential Home Board, better known as Logan County Commissioners John Bayliss, Jack Reser and David Knight (by state law commissioners are required to oversee such homes- after being convicted of sexually assaulting a female student at a school he'd previously attended. The entire...