A woman in South Australia has achieved a certain infamy among drivers: she has succeeded in killing two people seven years apart in the same intersection in the same way. Michelle Thiele’s driving skills (or the lack thereof) are the subject of a rather understated response by the coroner.
Continue reading “Woman in Australia Succeeds in Killing Two Men in the Identical Way at the Same Intersection — Seven Years Apart”
Category: Bizarre
Betsy M. Hanks, 25, is a real catch looking for a new husband. The Minnesota woman first shot her common-law husband in the head and then tried to blame the killing on her 3-year-old son.
Continue reading “Hankering for a Better Husband: Minnesota Mother of Four Shoots Husband and Then Blames Her 3-Year-Old Child”
Maryland police Sgt. Eric Janik, 37, may not get the thrust of trick of treat traditions. The Baltimore police officer went to a haunted house called the House of Screams with friends and when confronted by a character dressed as Leatherface with a chainsaw (sans the chain, of course), Janik pulled out his service weapon and pointed it at the man, who immediately dropped character, dropped the chainsaw, and ran like a bat out of Halloween Hell.
Continue reading “A Bit Too Scary: Maryland Officer Arrested For Pulling Gun on Character in Haunted House”
We have previously followed the perils of the press (here), but this videotape shows how reporters can be attacked for simply walking around with a cameraman. Paresh Patel was attacked by drunken thugs in Manchester. What is astonishing is that neither John Nugent, 22, nor David Neville McKenna, 27, will spend time in jail for the unprovoked attack.
Continue reading “Perils of the Press VI: BBC Reporter Attacked By Thugs on Video”
We have previously discussed the dangers of increasing taxation in places like New York city. Now it appears that the city is facing a tax-version of the China Syndrome where over-taxation may be causing wealthier families to flee, which increases the need for higher taxes on those remaining.
Continue reading “Is New York Facing a Financial China Syndrome?”
In light of today’s conviction of the Church of Scientology in France, this story from Australia may be of interest. The Church is being accused of actively subverting an investigation into the death of Australian private Edward Alexander McBride. The Church allegedly ordered that McBride’s “auditing file” be sent to the United States before the arrival of a warrant from coroner John Lock.
Continue reading “Church of Scientology Accused of Hampering Criminal Inquiry in Australia”
Given the recent refusal of a Scientology spokesman to discuss the basis of Church’s beliefs, we are unlikely to get much of a response on the conviction this week of the Church for fraud in Paris. The court convicted the Church and fined it more than 600,000 euros ($900,000). However, the court stopped short in banning the group entirely as demanded by the government.
Continue reading “Church of Scientology and Six Leaders Found Guilty of Fraud in France”
There is an interesting decision out of Springfield, Missouri where federal judge Richard Dorr has ruled that a Bonnet Macaque named Richard is not a “service animal” under the Americans with Disabilities Act and his owner Debby Rose is not disabled.
Continue reading “Disability Claim Found Bananas: Federal Judge Rules Bonnet Macaque Not A Service Animal”
It is very common for “mules” to swallow balloons of heroin or other narcotics — only to be put under observation until they “produce” the evidence. It is one of the least glamorous jobs for police officers. However, Damien Ankrah, 28, showed remarkable tenacity in a case in England where he refused to go to the bathroom for 16 days — clearly hoping that the police could not hold him indefinitely without evidence.
In a surprise verdict, a jury acquitted former judge Herman Thomas of sexual abuse, attempted sodomy, and assault related to allegations that he brought inmates to his chambers for sex and spankings. The judge insisted that he brought the men to his office to “mentor” them, but prosecutors put forward evidence of semen on the carpet and testimony of numerous former inmates that they had sex with him or allowed him to spank them for lenient treatment.
Continue reading “Judge Herman Thomas Acquitted”
Norwegian police had a bit of a surprise when they noticed something moving on the body of a 22-year-old man getting off a ferry. They found a tarantula in a bag during a routine stop and then in a strip search discovered 14 royal pythons and 10 albino leopard geckos taped to his body. This was without the use of baggy pants, here.
Continue reading “Snakes on a Ferry: Norwegian Man Found with Tarantula, 14 Pythons, and 10 Lizards Taped to His Body”
Sandra Simpson, 61, probably thought of a myriad of dangers in London but never saw this one coming. Simpson was killed by officer Malcolm Searles, who was driving his patrol car as fast as 104 mph in a 40 mph zone with his sirens and lights on — to deliver a birthday card to a friend.
While this site often explores police abuse allegations related to overreactions or excessive force by officers (as well as members of the legal community), this video shows the type of hidden dangers that officers face.
Continue reading “Guess Jeans: Video Shows Arsenal Hidden in Baggy Jeans”
There is an incredible story out of Chicago and my alma mater Northwestern University. The Cook County District Attorney has issued a sweeping subpoena to the Innocence Project at the acclaimed Medill School of Journalism — demanding such things as the grades and emails of students who worked on an investigation of the case of Anthony McKinney. The students found compelling evidence of innocence and the prosecutors are now pounding them with demands for personal information and communications. I just completed doing NPR’s Talk of the Nation on the case with Professor Barry Scheck.
Continue reading “Shooting the Messenger: Prosecutors Subpoena Grades and Emails of Students of Innocence Project”
San Bernadino police are under criticism today after the release of this video from a cellphone appears to show officers beating a suspect with a baton without cause. The man, Darren Johnson, 43, is a barber shop owner who was allegedly held without charge for two days and was never booked in the jail system. He says that he was also denied a telephone call to counsel. The department has been previously sued for keeping suspects “on ice” but holding them without booking or access to counsel.