Lost In Lima Ohio - A true crime blog

Short on funds? Need cash now? You might be in luck, as the bounty for Brian Laundrie has now reached $30,000.  Sadly, there are few clues to where Laundrie is, so you may have to do a little work to earn that reward.  Where would you start? In a swampy Florida preserve? "Laundrie, who his parents say departed their home with his backpack on September 14 and told them he was headed to reserve, left his cell phone and wallet behind, a source close to the family told CNN on Thursday. The police were told of Laundrie's departure by his parents on September 17, officials said ." This is all theory, based on nothing more than than the shitty cards that are on the table- Brian returned home, sans Gabby Sept 1st. How many times did his parents ask him where the woman that would be their future daughter in law was, where the girl that had lived with them was... why wasnt she calling, why wasnt she texting? How many days would it take to become worried enough to call her family a...

It has been 11 years... dare I say hello to old friends?   There's a new crime, a new missing person, a new murdered woman, a new victim. Nothing has changed. All these years and still - its all the same.   Gabby Petito   She's just one of countless pretty white blonde girls that the main stream media has paraded in front of us, capturing our attention as they lay out the plot that will play across our TVs and phone screens as we wait... first for clues as to where she could be, then for the news she was found, we wait for the reports that it was a homicide, detais on her last encounters... we want to know the cause of death. More than that we want to know where her #vanlife sharing and who most of the world believes was her killer, boyfriend Brian Christopher Laundrie is.   How do they pick which missing person will make the best headlines? How do they determine that Gabby will bring more views than Mary Johnson ? or Dulce Maria Alavez ? Why not ...

For those without access to a police scanner in St Louis, you can listen live online at Radio Reference.com The ABB Power Plant in St Louis came under attack this morning, when at 6:30 a man walked into the transformer plant entered with a AK47 and opened fire. The employees still in the plant are being told by police and rescue workers to stay put via text message and phone calls. It is presently unclear if the shooter was injured, his current whereabouts, but he is believed to be a disgruntled worker who possibly had worked at the plant for 25 years. Neighbors of Power plant saying they heard shooting this morning. That a man with gun shot two employees in the parking lot this morning, at a range of about 8 feet away. About 6:30 a.m. today, police got a call from a woman, very upset, who said that someone came in to the east side of the building and started shooting. "They are still shooting," a dispatcher told police officers rushing to the scene at 6:34 a.m. The scene w...

When I first came across the murder of Andrew Burd , it seemed a simple enough case. The murderer had already been discovered, charged, tried and convicted. It was an open and shut case. Hannah Overton, Andrews foster mother, had given the small child a lethal dose of salt. The resulting death, would have been painful and slow in coming. But the case was over, and we could at least grasp an instant of relief knowing that she would be behind bars for a long time, paying for the heinous crime she had committed against Andrew. Except that Hannah and her church were bound to protest, to put the blame for Andrews death on Andrea himself- and they were taking their fight all the way to the appeals court. They enlisted the onesided, often bias help of a national TV show, started websites in support of Hannah and attempted to discredit the prosecution. I encourage you to take a moment and revisit the link above, to remind yourself of this case, if only to remember Andrew for a moment and sha...

Melecio Camacho, the Mexican national who was living in South Sioux City for perhaps months, who has family still back in Mexico and who was recently arrested, would like a public defender. Not for just another petty crime, but for the vicious rape and murder of a 3 year old girl. "It was an extremely vicious and brutal crime,"said South Sioux City Police chief Scot Ford. He said evidence shows that in the middle of the night, Camacho brutality raped and murdered a 3-year old girl while her parents slept. "The daughter was a victim of an extreme sexual assault," he said. Apparently Camacho knew the family. The attack took place in the home where the little girl lived with her parents, her brother and a months-old sister. Her mother discovered the crime when she woke up to take care of the baby. Ford said the suspect apparently entered the home through a window that didn't work properly, and did not wake the family inside the house. Police say, Camacho fled the h...

In 1996 Kenneth McBride was convicted of a sexual crime against an 8 year old girl. He served his time, and then was released. Now police say he's being charged in the murder of his live in girlfriend. Kenneth McBride, 35, was arrested two weeks ago after Clay County detectives acting on information from a witness found the body of Roberta Laws. "She was covered up and there were items, like some boards and things like that, over the area where the body had been recovered. The body was fairly well-hidden and would not have been easily discovered by anybody who might see the back yard," Clay County Sheriff Rick Beasler said after McBride's arrest. The witness in the case, McBride's new live in girlfriend had been aware of the crime, but waited five weeks to turn him in due to threats he'd made against her life if she ever spoke about the crime. SOURCE

I could ramble the list of "male" crimes off in my head without a second thought. I imagine most people could. There are just certain crimes that seem to have committed themselves to being considered a "mans" crime. If I start talking about a rapist- how many people imagine a man? If I start talking about serial killers- do you envision a male or a female? And, if I told you that someone kidnapped a killed a child they weren't related to- who would you picture the suspect being- a woman or a man? It's strange, yet these seem to be crimes we associate with men. Don't get me wrong- women have earned their own set of crimes that we've resigned to associating with a female perp rather than a male. The case of 8-year-old Sandra Cantu seems to have caught a good deal of people off guard. As horrible as a missing child is- we've slowly grown use to the flash of cute pictures and the stories of towns banning together to hang missing persons fliers every...

Officer John Hege served Oakland California, getting up everyday to put on his uniform and work the streets serving those he swore to protect. And even after his death, Officer John Hege has touched the lives of countless others. SOURCE Oakland police Officer John Hege saved four lives by having his organs donated after being fatally shot in the line of duty Saturday, according to the California Transplant Donor Network. Hege's organ donations saved the lives of four Californians and his tissue donation will enhance the lives of as many as 50 other people, according to the network. The network released a statement saying "we know those who are receiving his gifts thank him and his family with gratitude and a shared sense of loss at his passing. "All of us at the California Transplant Donor Network thank Officer Hege for these generous gifts, and on behalf of the more than 21,000 Californians who desperately wait for the gift of life from those like Officer Hege," th...

In the early morning of Feb 12, 2004, Joy Hayward checked into a motel after getting into an argument with her boyfriend whom she was visiting in Chester Pa. While Joy had checked in around 1:30 am, for unknown reasons she left the hotel and waited nearly 90 minutes before she headed to her room for the first time. During those 90 minutes, Joy's whereabouts and actions are unknown. There are no witness sightings of her during that time, no phone calls- nothing to leave a clue as to what went on. What we do know is that the desk clerk at Days Inn has given statements that after arriving back at the hotel around 3 am, Joy spoke to the desk clerk for a moment, before getting into an elevator to head to her room. The desk clerk has also stated that an unknown black man appeared to follow Joy into the elevator. Soon after, Joy called the front desk insisting she needed help. The phone line went dead, and the desk clerk simply ignored the plea for help. . The next day it was discovere...

In the course of researching Andrew Burd 's death, and the trial of Hannah Overton that followed- it seems the biggest feat to overcoming common misunderstandings on the case is to deal with the actual charges against Hannah Overton. Most people seem to accept the fact that while in the care of the Overton's, Andrew did indeed suffer abuse. But in disagreeing with the conviction they point only to the idea that Hannah didn't abuse Andrew that day with the intention of killing him, and because they believe that- there is a leap they can not make to justify the murder charges. To best explain why the conviction is just, we really have to look closely at the capital murder charge against Hannah Overton . Capital Murder, according to the Texas penal code : Sec. 19.03. CAPITAL MURDER. (a) A person commits an offense if he commits murder as defined under Section 19.02(b)(1) and: (1) the person murders a peace officer or fireman who is acting in the lawful discharge of an offic...

When I was much younger, I found myself in a position where I wanted something from someone who wasn't very eager to cave to my request. In a moment of 18 year old brilliance, I realised all I really had to do was get them to agree to my wishes, with actually knowing they were agreeing. Armed with a list of questions I knew were likely to get me lengthy answers, and a video camera- I took it upon myself to "produce" the desired answer. Using their answers, and my editing skills- it was only a matter of minutes before they were "obliging" my requests. I suppose, looking back now- my actions were quite dishonest. But- sadly, I'm not the only one in the world who has used such antics in order to produce the results they most desire. The news media, ever interested in rating, often uses the power of editing to accomplish this same sort of trickery. We've all seen it.. an interview cut at just the right moment, a question posed at just the right time- with a ...

Andrew Burd , was a rambunctious happy child. He'd lived with his biological mother until chil services removed him from the home due to neglect. His mother, who is reported to have had drug problems couldn't care for Andrew, so he was placed with a foster mother- Sharon Hamil. During the capital murder trial of Hannah Overton , Mrs. Hamil was asked: How would you describe his disposition? She answered: Happy. He was always happy. He was always happy. I didn't find him to have a bad disposition. If he were corrected, he was like any other child. He didn't like it. Then she was asked about his health. Was Andrew healthy? Yes, yes, he was. And as part of your duties as a foster parent, ddo you have to take him for healthy child wellness examinations ? Yes. And also he was on WIC, where he got a check every six months, I think. So he was always healthy. Did he appear to you to have any type of mental retardation? No, no, not at all. Did he appear to you to be intellige...

Andrew Burd , a happy well adjusted four year old foster child was removed from the foster home he'd spent 18 months in, and placed with Larry and Hannah Overton . The only reason for the move was the Overton's had started proceeding to adopt Andrew, who they had learned about from their church. Andrew's adoption would never be final, and the once lively, bouncing little boy would be dead just months after his placement in the Overton home. As a result of his death, both Larry and Hannah Overton were charged in connection to his death- the state alleged that Andrew had sustained abuse at the hands of the Overtons, and on October 2, 2006 Hannah Overton gave Andrew a lethal concoction of a sodium based seasoning mixed with water. After Andrew fell ill from the extremely high levels of sodium that were forced into his body, Hannah and her husband called various people, including members of their church. They failed however, to call 911. And they failed to seek proper medical ...

Andrew Burd spent most of his short life in foster care. He lived with his biological mother for the first two years of his life, before being put into foster care and in the home of Sharon Hamil. The 18 months he spent with Sharon Hamil he was a happy, well adjusted healthy little boy. She had grown children, and her son and daughter in law spent nearly every day with Andrew, and having the benefit of being special education teachers, never saw any problems with him. His foster mother believed that Andrew needed the benefit of being raised in a family- she was widowed and couldn't provide a father figure to the small boy. And so Andrew left her home, and was placed with Larry and Hannah Overton who began the process of adopting him. The Overton's had a strong religious faith, 4 children of their own and by all appearances seemed to welcome another child into their hearts. You'll read a lot about Hannah, how she loves her children, how she's always put her children fir...

Danny Platt didn't like the idea of actually having to support the child he helped bring into this world. And, although many men feel themselves having the same annoyance that "OMG they actually are expected to pay child support for their own offspring", Platt's irritation at the idea went past the normal reaction. Police say that after he had the child for visitation, a right he'd had but repeatedly shunned, he alerted police that men with AK-47's had kidnapped the child. While his story started filling up with more holes than Spongebob- Platt decided to confess the truth to LE. Riley said Platt eventually confessed and told officers where to find the body. At some point, Platt had openly said he'd either kill his former wife or the child, in an effort to avoid having to pay support, although there are no details to when the comment was made. Police are not releasing cause of death, or injuries the child may have received while in Platt's cust...

Police in California are searching for Christina Robledo after ruling the death of her infant was caused by "asphyxia due to overlay during bed-sharing,' police believe that Robledo was under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol when she rolled over on the child and killed her. Full Story.

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...

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...

Richard Cooey said he was too fat to be executed. So, he tried to appeal his death sentence to the Ohio Appeals Court. When that failed, 267lb Cooey took it to the US Supreme Court. They dismissed his request, thus siding with Ohio. SOURCE-- Cooey lost a final appeal earlier Tuesday when the U.S. Supreme Court turned down without comment his complaint that the state's protocol for lethal injection could cause an agonizing and painful death. He wanted the state to use a single drug rather than a three-drug combination, and asked for a stay of execution pending a hearing on that motion. The court on Monday denied a separate appeal based on Cooey's claim that his obesity was a bar to humane lethal injection. The argument also had been rejected by a federal appeals court in Cincinnati and the Ohio Supreme Court, with both courts ruling that he missed a deadline for filing appeals. Cooey is 75 pounds heavier than when he went to death row — the result of prison food and 23-hou...

A case previously posted here , has continued to develop as the investigation into the lives of the children, and their deaths has provided more information to police. The sole surviving child was able to escape Renee Bowman's home by jumping out of a window. A neighbor found the little girl with blood on her shirt and clearly in need of assistance and took her to another home where police were called. The neighbor also ordered food for the child after learning she had not eaten recently. The child was described as being barefoot, having bruises all over her body, "extensive open, infected sores and lesions" and "eyes scarred in the corners." Police found the remains of the other two children in the freezer while investigating the condition of the first child. Montgomery County police Lt. Paul Starks said investigators are working on the premise that Renee Bowman's two adopted daughters were killed while the family was living in Rockville. Bowman'...