Lost In Lima Ohio - A true crime blog

Brianna Denison Killer: Reno , Nev. cops announced that a pair of thong underwear found near Brianna Denison's body contains both the DNA of an unknown female and that of the serial rapist who kidnapped and raped -- and may have murdered -- the 19-year-old college student. Police do not believe that the black, "Pink Panther" thong belonged to Denison and are hoping that someone will come forward to claim the underwear. http://www.amw.com/fugitives /brief.cfm?id=53281 Ahmet Gashi: Kemal Kolenovic was a New York welterweight champion who took one hit from which he'd never recover on New Years Eve 2006. Cops say a vicious foe, Ahmet Gashi, came at Kemal with some heavy armor, and he's been on the run ever since. http://www.amw.com/fugitives /brief.cfm?id=45323 Unknown New Mexico “Boots” Jane Doe Killer: It was one of New Mexico's most mysterious unsolved Jane Doe cases: a pair of hikers found a murder victim, buried in a shallow grave in the unfor...

A word, I need a word here.. and I can't for the life of me think of it. It's a mix of insanity, stupidity, ignorance, and just is leaving me annoyed beyond belief. This is the headline : Devil-Worshipping Rapist Attacks Fiancée During Prison Leave And this, this is the piece of insanity that I just can't quite accept: The woman told a jury that the relationship took a turn for the worse when the convicted criminal "started saying 'there's no such thing as God,' and then started praying to Satan." I agree, in MOST relationships, that might be the point were the relationship turned bad... but I'm doubting that it's the case in this one. In fact- I'm going to go out on a limb and tell you the very point in this 'relationship' that I believe it 'took a turn for the worst'. In my humble judgement- it would be the very moment that this woman decided that rapist in prison made good boyfriends. I know.. strong words there- but just...

Virginia Police Officer is First 2008 AMW All-Star Finalist Credited With Saving Life At Virginia Tech Massacre February 25, 2008 - A Christiansburg, Virginia police officer who was one of the first to respond to the shooting rampage at Virginia Tech University and is credited with saving the life of a gravely-injured student has become the first weekly finalist in the 2008 America’s Most Wanted All-Star Contest, sponsored by Sprint. The tragedy at Virginia Tech claimed 32 lives. When Officer Gary Fields arrived on the campus on April 16 th , 2007, he was met with a horrible scene: dozens of students dead and injured. But one girl caught his eye when he noticed her blinking. She'd been shot three times and was playing dead to protect herself. Officer Fields realized this, and immediately helped the seriously-injured student. He's credited with saving her life. Officer Fields received a commendation for his bravery that day, and was named 2007's Officer of...

Bobby Weatherton: U.S. Marshals say Bobby Weatherton -- accused of rape, kidnapping, attempted murder and violating his federal probation -- very nearly killed a female friend he'd assaulted and held prisoner. She managed to escape, and now the Feds are hot on Bobby's trail. http://www.amw.com/fugitives /brief.cfm?id=51177 Cops Helping Cops In New Orleans: In August 2005, Michigan Sheriffs responded to the needs of the Gulf Coast. They set up camp at a parking lot and slept in tents when they were not working to preserve peace and rescue and recover victims. Years after she first struck the Gulf Coast, Hurricane Katrina is still wreaking havoc. One organization is working to alleviate some of the pain and get some deserving first responders' homes back functioning and livable for their families. http://www.amw.com/features /feature_story_detail.cfm?id =2539 Edmunda Cerda Anima : The manhunt for accused killer Edmundo Cerda-Anima has gone international. Po...

Annoy... it's not really the right word to use... anger, piss me off... nothing seems to have just the right amount of pending disgust that I need to really get my point across on how deeply I dislike certain members of the human race. First we have Gregory Ray Brooks- he's a convicted sex offender, who Limestone County sent to jail in 2004 for first-degree sodomy on an 8-year-old victim... I'm thinking they didn't do a good enough job keeping this perv behind bars- especially given his recent acts. Brooks, a twenty something no-way-in-hell-he'd-pass-for-a-teenager evidently missed all the fun he used to have at school dances, so he got himself a 14 year old date to gain entry into one held by Athens Middle School. Thankfully, school officials questioned his age, and disagreed with his notion that he was just 17. Athens Middle School faculty members stopped Gregory Ray Brooks at the gym door because he appeared to be much older than his date at the Friday dance, At...

There are things in this world that I've never been able to grasp the logic behind... and this story seems to be filled with those things. James Leshkevich, also know online as Yankee James, or Yankee Jim had a lot going on in his life- an activist with a Neo-Nazi group called National Alliance he could often be found pandering his beliefs to others on forums and blogs . Fellow blogger from Red-Alerts gives a personal description of "Yankee James" stemming from experiences he's had with him: I have had several contacts with “Yankee James” other wise known as James Leshkavich and know him to be a coward, a bully and a creature so corrupted by his love of hatred as to give up the right of being called a man long ago. I received the occasional email or comment where Leshkavich would pretend to be a Jewish supporter of Red Alerts who’d make some outrageous claim designed to make Jews look petty and evil. This, according to the swine he affiliated himself, with was evidenc...

In 1956 Johnny Cash made the song 'Folsom Prison' famous, and in 69 he preformed at the famous prison in a live concert. Being a fan, anytime I hear Folsom- I think Cash... and the melody sort of strums through my head for a moment. Shannon Lee Graling however, has a different connection to the prison which has housed many famous inmates over the years... he called it home. The 53 year old was serving a 400-year sentence, plus a 25-year-to-life sentence at Folsom for a list of sex crimes that included counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 14, failing to register as a sexual offender. He also had prior convictions: six-year conviction from Santa Cruz County under the name Edward Gail Neal for lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 14. Graling will no longer be able to work towards completely his sentencing (not that he'd have ever came close to finishing up those 400 years to begin with) after a recent run in with fellow inmate Steven Matthew Schultz. Schu...

Press Release from author M. William Phelps: February 15, 2007; New York, New York: The case has been profiled on Dateline and truTV’s “Murder By the Book,” Oxygen’s “Snapped” series, and other cable crime programs. Now comes the entire story for the first time, IF LOOKS COULD KILL (March 4, 2008; Kensington/Pinnacle Books and Brilliance Audio), veteran journalist M. William Phelps’s seventh book, detailing the sordid, salacious, fatal tale of the life and death of Akron, Ohio resident Jeff Zack and his long-time lover, Cynthia George’s possible role in that murder. Acclaimed attorney Vincent Bugliosi, author of Helter Skelter and Reclaiming History, calls M. William Phelps “one of America’s finest true-crime writers.” Regarding IF LOOKS COULD KILL, Bugliosi says, “Phelps has written a compelling and gripping book about an intriguing … murder mystery ultimately resolved by circumstantial evidence. Readers will thoroughly enjoy this book.” Jeff Zack was shot in the face at an Akron BJ’...

AMW All-Star: AMW, together with Spring, honors All-Star first responders – law enforcement officers, fire fighters, EMTs and others – who go above and beyond to keep our communities safe every day of every year. This Saturday night, we’ll kick off the 2008 installment of the annual AMW All-Star contest. http://www.amw.com/allstar /2008/ Unknown Randi Gorenberg Killer: In a community where violent crime is nearly unheard of, residents in Delray Beach and Boca Raton, Fl. are fearful knowing a murder mystery remains unsolved. The murder of Randi Gorenberg, a well-liked woman who lived and shopped in these safe neighborhoods, has people wondering whether the killer lives among them. http://www.amw.com/fugitives /brief.cfm?id=44363 Unknown Nancy and Joey Bochicchio Killer: Police in Boca Raton, Fla. are still looking for Nancy and Joey Bochicchio's killer. Cops say their best lead is a composite sketch of a man wanted in another violent attack in Boca Raton: the similarities between th...

I know, I know... I'm slacking here. But- just so I don't seem as if I've gone completely lazy on ya'll... I figured I'd share just a few of the interesting cases I've been reading up on. Steve's doing his homework on a gruesome murder case that is sure to leave you feeling the creepy crawlies on the back of your neck- and that also comes complete with an odd list of 'bring along' supplies. It sounded like the sort of murder a screenwriter might concoct: respected psychologist hacked to death by cleaver-wielding patient. To anyone who entered the office of Dr. Kathryn Faughey after 9 p.m. on Tuesday, it was a terrible reality. Trench is looking into a possible new law that seems as silly as schools accepting a 'note from your mom' explaining you were ill on senior skip day in high school. State legislators in Illinois are trying to pass a law that would require sites like MySpace and Facebook to get written parental permission before kids w...

A sex offender in Hamilton County Ohio seems to have found a new calling in life- bail bondsman.. of course there is a little twist to this new job, and payment for his services might end up costing more than the bail would have been. A judge noticed 28 year old Jason M. Lee lurking in the back of her courtroom during a nearing for a 20 year old woman charged with domestic violence, when the judge became curious as to just who the man was- she got a response that was more than an ear full: When Allen Tuesday asked the woman who Lee was and what his involvement in her case was, the woman’s mother said Lee posted her daughter’s bond even though he was a stranger – and that he got his daughter’s name by searching the Hamilton County Clerk of Court’s web site. Court documents show Lee posted the woman’s $100 bond Oct. 27. “Jason Lee took her that day (her bond was posted) and forced her to have sex with his friends,” the judge said. The friends, the judge added, then gave Lee money and dr...

China Arnold , who LE believes microwaved her baby has been given a gift from Dayton Ohio Judge John Kessler... a new trial. A judge declared a mistrial Monday in the case of woman accused of killing her month-old baby by burning her in a microwave, finding that new defense witnesses bolster her innocence claim. FoxNews... Daniel Snay got lucky when he recently won $10 Million , but the news of his lotto winnings also stirred up a few questions as to why the man labeled a 'dangerous sex offender' wasn't exactly following registration guidelines. Connecticut Trooper William Tate said Snay could face up to five years in prison if convicted of failing to notify authorities of his change of address, a felony. He said Snay hadn't confirmed his address for the Connecticut sex offender registry since May 2004, though that state requires address verification every 90 days. And Amy Fisher, the once upon a time teen who attempted to murder the wife of her lover has decided to air...

A piano teacher, William J. Hosch, who was convicted of sexually abusing an 8 year old girl while he was suppose to be giving her lessons has been sentenced to 3 short years, with 20 years on extended supervision after his release. Assistant District Attorney Corey Stephan, who asked that Hosch spend at least five years in prison, said Hosch groomed the girl by convincing her over time that his practice of bouncing the girl on his lap and fondling her after piano lessons was a game played as a reward for a good job. He was her piano teacher from January 2006 to May 2007. "It was sex for him, a game for her, " Stephan said. The girl 's father told Flanagan that since the assaults ended, the girl has had a difficult relationship with her mother. He said Hosch deserved to be kept in prison for the rest of his life for violating the trust the girl and her family had put in him. "This monster has destroyed our faith in humanity, " he said. Yeah, the slap on the wr...

I've never been one to believe in a "Open Door Policy", allowing people to come and go as they see fit. I mean, I can understand why some places might have them- Churches have a special understanding that a persons need to be close to God might not always fall on a Sunday morning- a hospital would be shamed if they only accepted the injured and sick on a 9 to 5 basis- and lets not even start on the police department or firehouses. But, generally speaking- having open doors is not a good idea for most places. Especially, say... a jail. Abel Morin was sentenced to life in prison for to five concurrent life terms for sexual assault, kidnapping and burglary in the rapes of a mother and daughter. However, he didn't plan on sticking around long enough to serve 24 hours, let alone the entire sentence : A convicted rapist escaped from a South Texas jail by dashing through an unlocked door, just one day after he was sentenced to life in prison. Abel Morin, 24, escaped from the...

Your sitting in your living room, petting one of the two dogs that roam the place you call home while taking in the refreshing smell of dinner cooking in the kitchen, and exhaust fumes bellowing in from up on the roof. Suddenly you're confronted with someone telling you you must leave the only home you now have, and move both yourself and your possessions elsewhere. Even though you might be willing to bow to this demand, you find that you'll have to jump through hoops in order to do so- you can't live in certain areas, can't be within a given distance of particular building structures, and you can't even reside with some of your current roommates. And no one is telling you just how you are suppose to fund this move, pay for this new place- or even find it... rather they just tell you you have to do it. Your objections to this treatment, to this life of being an outcast go unheard... and you resent it. Well buddy, don't feel too bad- there is a good life lesson ...

I've been busier than you can imagine, but I've had some interesting cases come across my desk (read that to mean my email has been working overtime) in the last few days that I couldn't help but share with you. Dallas police are looking for a serial predator, whose sexual attacks date back to 2005. He's known for approaching women while they are near their cars, and most of the attacks have taken place in parking lots of apartment complexes late at night. Police describe the suspect as a 25- to 35-year-old black man who is either bald or has very short hair. He's said to be 5' 8" to 6' tall, weighing 160 to 180 pounds with a heavy build. Police say this is not the same suspect who has struck in other North Texas cities during the same time period, including Plano and Frisco. According to police, that man has struck a total of 19 times in various North Texas cities. SOURCE Registered sex offender Angel Sistrunk has once again been arrested, this t...

BIG NEWS! The 2008 AMW All-Star contest website goes live today! Nominations start on Feb. 6 th . If you have an exceptional first responder in mind that you think is worthy of the AMW All-Star reward, be sure to nominate! Now to the cases… Richard Regalado: When cops in California chased after a bank robbery suspect, they were surprised at the lengths he'd go to avoid capture. But when they found out who they were chasing, it all became clear. http://www.amw.com/fugitives /brief.cfm?id=52277 Gustavo Mares: Thanksgiving Day 2006. Cops in Irvine, California receive a heartbreaking call that a woman has been murdered. Even worse, her body was discovered by her 9-year-old son. Police say that 36-year-old Brandi Mares was stabbed in the back with a screwdriver by her brother-in-law, Gustavo Mares. http://www.amw.com/fugitives /case.cfm?id=43813 Paul Carpenter: Horst Fietze saved for years to afford the vacation that he and his wife took to Santa Monica, Cali...