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24 Aug 2010 20:29

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World: In Colombia, people make Facebook hit lists – and follow through

  • 69 Colombian teens randomly showed up on a Facebook hit list that told them to leave town or face execution
  • three have been killed since the list was first posted August 17; nobody knows why the list was posted
  • 31Colombian teens showed up on a second list on Friday; fear has taken over Puerto Asis source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 May 2010 10:40

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U.S.: Bad sign: Murder is up in many major cities this year

  • 149 murders in New York City so far this year, versus 134 at the same point last year; 13 were kids
  • 120 murders in Chicago
    (111 last year); a major leap in murder last month was a root cause
  • 104 murders in Philadelphia (101 last year); crime is mostly down in Philly this year
  • 103 murders in Los Angeles (100 last year); violent crime is otherwise down this year source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Apr 2010 21:34

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U.S.: Scott Roeder: Decision to kill George Tiller “agonizing and stressful”

  • You have the power to acquit and if you were to obey the higher power, God himself, you would acquit me.
  • Convicted killer Scott Roeder • Regarding the murder of abortion doctor George Tiller, which he still feels is just after a lengthy court trial. He killed Tiller, who performed late-term abortions, after debating it immensely. “It was the most agonizing and stressful decision I have ever had to make,” he said, “and it took years to come to this conclusion, especially with the knowledge that I may never see my son, my daughter or my family again.” Roeder was sentenced to life in prison with possibility of parole after 50 years – the strongest possible sentence under Kansas law. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Aug 2009 09:35

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U.S.: The Manson Family’s crimes still linger 40 years later

  • The murders were probably the most bizarre and far-out in the recorded annals of American time. People are fascinated by the strange and the bizarre.
  • Vincent Bugliosi • The prosecutor of Charles Manson and members of his “family,” on why the murders continue to hold such a prominent place in popular culture. 40 years ago, Manson attempted to fire the opening shot in what he saw as an apocalyptic race war, convincing his family to go to the home of director Roman Polanski, where they killed actress Sharon Tate (who was pregnant) and six others. Despite the problems that California’s legal system is facing, they’re still in jail – the crimes were that insane. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 3 Comments • Permalink

04 Feb 2009 21:55

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U.S.: Authorities prescribe new leads in Tylenol murders

  • What happened? In 1982, a number of bottles of Tylenol were laced with cyanide, killing seven people in Chicago and causing a nationwide recall of the product. The crime was never solved, but its maker, Johnson & Johnson, was able to survive a PR disaster by aggressively recalling the product and creating safer, more secure packaging. (It’s an oft-used example of how to survive a crisis.)
  • Recent developments The FBI searched the Cambridge, Mass. home of James W. Lewis, who sent an extortion letter to the company and was sent to prison. He was never charged in the killings but was always considered a prime suspect. Due to renewed attention after its 25th anniversary, a number of tips led authorities to a major break in the case. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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