Lost In Lima Ohio - A true crime blog

John Evander Couey, the man convicted in the heinous kidnapping and murder of 9 year old Jessica Lunsford will more than likely be sentenced to death- if the judge proceeds with following the recommendation of the jury which convicted him. The jury, on a 10-2 vote, brushed aside pleas for mercy and a life sentence from defense lawyers based on claims that John Evander Couey, 48, is mentally retarded and suffers from chronic mental illness. Jurors deliberated for about one hour. The final decision on Couey's fate will be made in several weeks by Circuit Judge Richard Howard, who is not bound by the jury's recommendation but is required to give it "great weight." One of the more interesting comments from the proceedings : "No matter what you do, John Couey is going to die in prison," said defense attorney Alan Fanter. "No child should have to die the way Jessica Lunsford did. But justice is not vengeance." Justice is not vengeance? I have to stand ba...

My Life of Crime held this weeks Carnival of the True Crime Blogs , so please take a moment to click over and see what your favorite crime bloggers have been working on over the past week.

A five year old girl was removed from her mothers home at the scum bag mother failed to report that the child was being sexually abused by a 20 something year old man last year. As if the child hasn't had it bad enough, the home she was sent to belonged to her grandparents, including her grandfather who is..(drum roll) a sexual offender. The Department of Family and Protective Services says the child's family didn't tell investigators that the 53-year-old grandfather is a registered sex offender. Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino says the three children were removed from their grandparents' home Sunday night and placed in the custody of a family friend who has been fully vetted. The family didn't tell them? They expected the family, the very same mother than didn't report the sexual abuse of her child to begin with, to offer up information as important as "grandpa is a sex offender"? Really? Are you joking me? I suppose we should just be happy that t...

In 2004 Charles Schuttloffel Sr. called in a fire at his home. Inside the burning building was his three and two year old sons. The boys perished in the blaze. Schuttloffel became a suspect shortly after the fire, Williams said because much of the evidence in the case had been burned, the arson investigation was tedious and Schuttloffel was not charged until recently. On Wednesday, a San Mateo County criminal grand jury formally charged Schuttloffel with one count of arson and two counts of murder. UPDATE Death is off the table. Trial set to April 17 In jail, no bond at this time. For more info: Dad accused of torching sons won't face death

The revised juvenile petition against Jerome Hunt of Parker includes four counts of second-degree rape and seven counts of attempted rape. Some are alternates so he can't be convicted of all charges. Hunt, who won the state Class B wrestling championship last year at 160 pounds, is also accused of being a child in need of supervision and faces unrelated misdemeanor drug and alcohol charges. Full story...

Yesterday I posted on a six year old Georgia boy who has been missing for days. It now seems like police have been in a goose chase leading no where , thanks to the handy work of a registered sex offender, and the offenders mother. Update

Donald Witt sat in court and said he was "sorry", while being sentenced to 10 years in jail, and then 10 years probation. Forgive me for being a tad unaccepting of his apology... but something tells me that curiousdaytonman, as Witt was known online, was really only sorry because he got caught . In March 2004, Witt held the 4-month-old girl in front of his Web cam and removed her diaper, U.S. Attorney Gregory Lockhart said in a news release. Prosecutors said U.S. customs agents began investigating after interviewing a Texas man arrested on charges of possession of child pornography. The suspect told authorities about being in an online chat room in which he saw a child held by a man using what turned out to be Witt's screen name, "curiousdaytonman." Witt was arrested at his home last May 4. He pleaded guilty July 6 to one count of transportation of materials involving the sexual exploitation of a minor. The thing that gets me, his wife had a daycare. We have no ...