This will be a prelude to a series of posts on killer truck drivers who are serial killers. It has been recently revealed that there are more than five hundred unsolved murders linked to the Interstate network throughout the United States. An Oklahoma Crime Analyst, Terri Turner, was looking into seven unsolved murders, and found all were found very close to Interstate highways, and so put out a request from all Police agencies on unsolved homicides, linked to major roads. Law Enforcement was not prepared for the outcome. The FBI became involved and solved twenty murders attributed to a couple of individuals. Both were truckers. It has been said that there are twenty five incarcerated serial killers who are truckers. One of the most infamous is Keith Hunter Jesperson, convicted of eight murders but has boasted of killing up to 160! He became known as "The Smiley Face Killer."
Most of the victims are prostitutes, who frequent the truck stops. There, at the orders of their pimps, they pester all the truckers for business. Even schoolgirls have been forced into these truckers rest stops by their "caring and loving" pimps, whose only concern is for money. Would they care if one of their girls was murdered? Of course he would. There would be a drop in money in his pocket. These girls are known as "Lots Lizards" by drivers but a group are fighting back by informing authorities of anything suspicious they see. This has resulted in young women being taken away from this lifestyle by authorities. But these killers are only a very tiny proportion of the truckers that operate throughout the USA. There have been a number of murders of drivers, victims of robbery. No doubt, some junkie desperate for money for a fix. The reason prostitutes are killed in high numbers are because, quite simply, they are throwaway victims.
Saturday, 29 November 2014
The Murder of Kathleen Heathcote
Shop Assistant Kathleen Heathcote, 21, had traveled from her home in Mansfield, to her boyfriend`s home in Selston, some six miles away. She vanished on 21st November 1963, some 400 yards from her home. Some of her belongings were found scattered on some waste ground. During the hunt for Kathleen, a Constable recalled finding a car stuck in mud on the waste ground and that he gave a lift to the driver, to a garage. This man was 22 year old Ronald Evans, an Electrician at a nearby Colliery. Police decided to search his home and found some of Kathleen`s possessions. Confronted with this, Evans confessed to killing her. He said that on that night, he had been out drinking and spotted Kathleen making her way home. He stopped his car and attacked her, despite it raining - hence the car getting stuck in mud. He physically attacked her first, beating her unconscious, then he raped her.
But now Kathleen started stirring and groaning, so he put her in his car, intending he claimed, to take her to a hospital - oh what a considerate and thoughtful rapist!! - but she kept groaning, so her dragged her to the boot and put her in. Then he found he was stuck, but a Police car pulled up and the driver gave him a lift to a garage. He stayed away from the car all night, returning the next day. By now, Kathleen was dead. Then a tow truck appeared to pull the car out. Evans then nonchalantly drove home with Kathleen still in the boot. He waited until his wife and his mother went out to bingo, then he drove out to High Peak in Derbyshire and to the Ladybower Reservoir. He then removed all her clothing and dumped her in the water. Frogmen later recovered her body. Evans appeared at Nottingham Assizes in March 1964 and was convicted of murder. As it did not constitute a Capital Crime under the 1957 Homicide Act, he was sentenced to "life" imprisonment but served just eleven years, being released in 1975.
Was that the last of Ronald Evans? No, it was most certainly not! His first move was to relocate himself, moving to Bristol. Then Bristol suffered a string of sex attacks, leading the press to dub the assailant "The Beast of Bristol" but it was the bravery of an undercover Policewoman acting as a decoy. Evans attacked her but she fought back, and colleagues were quickly on him. He was sentenced to nine years for the assaults plus the remainder of his "life" sentence, however long that was meant to be. Back then, life sentences were a joke, and it is only now that real sentences are being handed out, much to the horror of the professional apologists. I know I go at Liberty and the Prison Reform Trust, hammer and tong, but you will NEVER hear them scream from the rooftops about victims, and at the end of the day, if you cannot do the sentence, then do not commit the crime.
Robert Lee Willie - Evil Killer & Rapist
When you read about a person being executed in the United States, you wonder just how bad their crimes have been, and upon researching the killer, you usually find they have left an appalling trail of death and destruction behind them. it is difficult to fathom how anybody can plead for clemency for the condemned person when you discover just what they truly are. Robert Lee Willie was one such person. He went to the chair at Angola Prison, Louisiana, on December 28th 1984, for the abduction, rape and murder of 18 year old Faith Hathaway. His co-defendant, Joseph Jesse Vaccaro, saw the light and made a plea bargain to avoid the chair also. After sentencing, the trail of destruction he left became known.
Faith Hathaway was walking home in the early hours of May 28th 1980, when she was snatched off Mandevile Road by Willie and Vaccaro. She was blindfolded and driven to a quiet area of Washington Parish in Louisiana. She was raped and then stabbed 17 times by her abductors. She was due to enlist in the Army. Then eight days later, Willie struck in a lovers lane, abducting at gunpoint a Madisonville couple and forced them to drive to Alabama. He stabbed and shot 20 year old Mark Brewster, then tied him to a tree. Somehow he survived but ended up paralysed from the waist down. When he went on trial for the murder of Faith, he and Vaccaro blamed each other but he was condemned to the chair. Then, when on trial for the attack on the young couple, he taunted them by blowing kisses to his 16 year old victim and when Mark Brewster was helped into the witness box, he kept making throat slitting gestures to him. The sort of attitude that endears killers to people who campaign for them on death row. Like with the Prison Reform Trust and Liberty in this country, NO victim is as important as the offender! Willie also confessed to the murder of a drug pusher, along with his cousin Perry Taylor. Taylor admitted manslaughter and received 21 months prison. The victim was Dennis Hemby, who was killed near to Covington and the pair stole $10,000 worth of marijuana.
In the chair, Willie told the parents of Faith "That killing is wrong" but it did not stop him. A story was that his father, John Willie, serving a 27 year sentence for manslaughter, battery and rustling, wired up the chair for the prison, the year before, but this has been shown to be untrue. He himself said that his son deserved to die for what he had done to Faith Hathaway. Enough said.
Faith Hathaway was walking home in the early hours of May 28th 1980, when she was snatched off Mandevile Road by Willie and Vaccaro. She was blindfolded and driven to a quiet area of Washington Parish in Louisiana. She was raped and then stabbed 17 times by her abductors. She was due to enlist in the Army. Then eight days later, Willie struck in a lovers lane, abducting at gunpoint a Madisonville couple and forced them to drive to Alabama. He stabbed and shot 20 year old Mark Brewster, then tied him to a tree. Somehow he survived but ended up paralysed from the waist down. When he went on trial for the murder of Faith, he and Vaccaro blamed each other but he was condemned to the chair. Then, when on trial for the attack on the young couple, he taunted them by blowing kisses to his 16 year old victim and when Mark Brewster was helped into the witness box, he kept making throat slitting gestures to him. The sort of attitude that endears killers to people who campaign for them on death row. Like with the Prison Reform Trust and Liberty in this country, NO victim is as important as the offender! Willie also confessed to the murder of a drug pusher, along with his cousin Perry Taylor. Taylor admitted manslaughter and received 21 months prison. The victim was Dennis Hemby, who was killed near to Covington and the pair stole $10,000 worth of marijuana.
In the chair, Willie told the parents of Faith "That killing is wrong" but it did not stop him. A story was that his father, John Willie, serving a 27 year sentence for manslaughter, battery and rustling, wired up the chair for the prison, the year before, but this has been shown to be untrue. He himself said that his son deserved to die for what he had done to Faith Hathaway. Enough said.
Tuesday, 25 November 2014
Double Charge!
The use of the Electric Chair in the USA was seen as the answer to dispatching condemned people successfully, rather than have to rely on a prisoner convulsing on the end of a rope or being decapitated by too long a drop. The chair was first used in 1890 and the unlucky recipient was William Kemmler, who had to receive two charges of electricity. The second ran for four minutes and his body was so hot he had to left for some hours for the body to cool down. More mishaps happened until it was generally regarded as being right. Charles Becker, notoriously corrupt New York cop, had to receive THREE jolts before he died! Then in 1984, this cropped up yet again.
The condemned man was Alpha Otis Stephens, sentenced to die in 1974. He murdered a building contractor execution style. In Jackson, Georgia, in December 1984, he was strapped in the chair and declining a last statement, he received a two minute burst of 2000 volts. The doctors waited for a number of minutes before they were allowed to step into the death chamber. Upon inspection, Stephens was found to be still breathing. Jail Warden Ralph Kemp declared that the execution was not complete and another charge of electricity should be used. He received 2000 volts again for two minutes. This time he was pronounced dead. Did Stephens receive the full voltage for two minutes, or was there a problem with the chair? Prison officials said they were satisfied it worked properly, but the mystery is how he survived for ten minutes after such a massive jolt to his body. Stranger things have happened.
The condemned man was Alpha Otis Stephens, sentenced to die in 1974. He murdered a building contractor execution style. In Jackson, Georgia, in December 1984, he was strapped in the chair and declining a last statement, he received a two minute burst of 2000 volts. The doctors waited for a number of minutes before they were allowed to step into the death chamber. Upon inspection, Stephens was found to be still breathing. Jail Warden Ralph Kemp declared that the execution was not complete and another charge of electricity should be used. He received 2000 volts again for two minutes. This time he was pronounced dead. Did Stephens receive the full voltage for two minutes, or was there a problem with the chair? Prison officials said they were satisfied it worked properly, but the mystery is how he survived for ten minutes after such a massive jolt to his body. Stranger things have happened.
Monday, 24 November 2014
Hurrah! Another Pusher Gets Sent Down!
Sorry for the recent absence but now I am back in the frame and to start off with, a local story involving one of my pet subjects; the conviction of a pusher. This time it is 29 year old Imran Novsarka, who received three years four months for possession heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply, possessing heroin and crack cocaine, and conspiring to smuggle mobile phones into a prison. His bedsit was raided by Police, where they discovered £7,000 worth of heroin and crack, plus £6,000 in cash. His defence was that he was very heavily in debt to loan sharks, and so started selling drugs in order to pay them off.
His Barrister said that Novsarka was simply a man on the bottom rung of the criminal drugs ladder, and was therefore being used by various parties. The Recorder (Judge) was not convinced by this argument, stating that he was found with considerable cash and a quantity of illegal drugs and so set his sentence at 40 months. In the last couple of years, dozens and dozens of pushers have been convicted and jailed in the Bradford area, and hopefully, the Police will keep up the pressure. Contrary to what the apologists would say about legalisation, so far the Police are showing the public they are not wavering on this matter, and if they catch you, you are going down. Good!
His Barrister said that Novsarka was simply a man on the bottom rung of the criminal drugs ladder, and was therefore being used by various parties. The Recorder (Judge) was not convinced by this argument, stating that he was found with considerable cash and a quantity of illegal drugs and so set his sentence at 40 months. In the last couple of years, dozens and dozens of pushers have been convicted and jailed in the Bradford area, and hopefully, the Police will keep up the pressure. Contrary to what the apologists would say about legalisation, so far the Police are showing the public they are not wavering on this matter, and if they catch you, you are going down. Good!
Wednesday, 19 November 2014
Richard Speck - Mass Murderer
I remember many years ago watching the Charles Bronson film "10 To Midnight" about a pathetic looking loser who in reality was a serial killer. After reading about the case of Richard Speck, I wonder if this case inspired the film. The main scene features a slaughter of some nurses in a hospital but one hides under a bed. Sounds very similar to the Speck case. Strangely, these were the only murders committed by Speck. The murders happened in the early hours of Thursday, July 14th 1966 at a nurses hostel in Chicago. A Filipino nurse named Corazon Amurao screamed for help from her balcony, which brought two uniformed cops rushing into the hostel. They could not comprehend the scene they encountered. Eight nurses lay dead. All had their hands tied behind their backs, all had been strangled or repeatedly stabbed. Autopsies revealed no rapes had taken place but one victim had been sexually assaulted.
It was after midnight when Miss Amurao answered a knock at the door, and found herself face to face with a gunman. He then quickly rounded up all the nurses in that particular dormitory, cut sheets with a knife he had on him and tied them up. He assured them they would not be harmed. All he wanted was money. Then another three nurses arrived and they were quickly tied up. He also took all monies from them. Suddenly, the intruder decided to take a girl into another room, then he took another. The nurses heard a cry. Miss Amurao tried to rally the other nurses to try and get free and try to over power the intruder but the others thought he was not being violent. She chose not to find out if he was not violent. She rolled out of sight under a bed. The intruder was coming and going for the next couple of hours, but by 5am an alarm clock rang, and that was when she came from under the bed to be greeted with a scene of horror. She started screaming....
Miss Amurao gave a very detailed description of the intruder, who had left plenty of fingerprints. She remembered a tattoo on his arm with the words "Born to raise hell" and the way he tied knots when binding his victims, suggested to cops he was a sailor. Close by was a labour exchange that saw plenty of seamen go through it. They soon had his name Richard Speck. Nearly a week later, at Cook County Hospital, a man was brought in with slashed wrists. He was examined by a Psychiatrist who saw the tattoo and remembered details given by Police, so he gave them a call. Speck was now in custody. He was given in-depth examinations by medical experts, whilst Police carefully researched his background. It was not pretty. He had married a girl of 15, had a child but they split up. He was drinking heavily and taking Seconal and Amytal pills that gave hallucinations. The previous year - 1965 - he attacked a girl with a knife, in Texas, earning a spell in jail, but when released on parole, he vanished. He was fond of telling people of all the women he claimed to have bedded, but to them all, he was just a "Walter Mitty" character.
He travelled back to Illinois to stay with relatives. This was in April 1966. Coincidentally, a barmaid called Mary Pierce disappeared. She worked in a bar Speck drank in, and that Speck had tried to show an interest in her. Later, her body was found in a hog house, located behind the bar she worked in. This makes Speck a prime suspect but it seems that there was nothing to link him to it. Then he was involved with a nurse but she gradually found him to be slightly strange in that he was a gentle person with her but was full of hate for society. He also talked of wanting to kill his former wife. Significantly, the only nurse he abused, was said to have resembled his former wife. Speck was sent down forever. Why did he do it? Was it prove that he really was a somebody. It is true that when he had a gun and his victims were all tied up, he had total control of not just one woman but a group of them. This wanting control shows, in my view, a completely and socially inadequate man who could only achieve with a weapon and installing fear. Yes, a real man.
It was after midnight when Miss Amurao answered a knock at the door, and found herself face to face with a gunman. He then quickly rounded up all the nurses in that particular dormitory, cut sheets with a knife he had on him and tied them up. He assured them they would not be harmed. All he wanted was money. Then another three nurses arrived and they were quickly tied up. He also took all monies from them. Suddenly, the intruder decided to take a girl into another room, then he took another. The nurses heard a cry. Miss Amurao tried to rally the other nurses to try and get free and try to over power the intruder but the others thought he was not being violent. She chose not to find out if he was not violent. She rolled out of sight under a bed. The intruder was coming and going for the next couple of hours, but by 5am an alarm clock rang, and that was when she came from under the bed to be greeted with a scene of horror. She started screaming....
Miss Amurao gave a very detailed description of the intruder, who had left plenty of fingerprints. She remembered a tattoo on his arm with the words "Born to raise hell" and the way he tied knots when binding his victims, suggested to cops he was a sailor. Close by was a labour exchange that saw plenty of seamen go through it. They soon had his name Richard Speck. Nearly a week later, at Cook County Hospital, a man was brought in with slashed wrists. He was examined by a Psychiatrist who saw the tattoo and remembered details given by Police, so he gave them a call. Speck was now in custody. He was given in-depth examinations by medical experts, whilst Police carefully researched his background. It was not pretty. He had married a girl of 15, had a child but they split up. He was drinking heavily and taking Seconal and Amytal pills that gave hallucinations. The previous year - 1965 - he attacked a girl with a knife, in Texas, earning a spell in jail, but when released on parole, he vanished. He was fond of telling people of all the women he claimed to have bedded, but to them all, he was just a "Walter Mitty" character.
He travelled back to Illinois to stay with relatives. This was in April 1966. Coincidentally, a barmaid called Mary Pierce disappeared. She worked in a bar Speck drank in, and that Speck had tried to show an interest in her. Later, her body was found in a hog house, located behind the bar she worked in. This makes Speck a prime suspect but it seems that there was nothing to link him to it. Then he was involved with a nurse but she gradually found him to be slightly strange in that he was a gentle person with her but was full of hate for society. He also talked of wanting to kill his former wife. Significantly, the only nurse he abused, was said to have resembled his former wife. Speck was sent down forever. Why did he do it? Was it prove that he really was a somebody. It is true that when he had a gun and his victims were all tied up, he had total control of not just one woman but a group of them. This wanting control shows, in my view, a completely and socially inadequate man who could only achieve with a weapon and installing fear. Yes, a real man.
Sunday, 16 November 2014
Fred and Rose West PT2
This is more of an update to my previous post on Britain`s most loving and caring parents. More details keep emerging about the guilt of Rose West, equally as her husband. So this is to comment on various points. The evidence of Caroline Roberts, a former nanny, was crucial in showing that far from being complicit in the murders, she was more the dominant one. Despite the assertions of various Psychologists that Rose went along with events to please her man and was easily manipulated. Just like Myra Hindley and Karla Homolka. Yeah right. It was revealed that a few years before her near murder at Rose`s hands, Caroline was sexually assaulted at the age of 13 by an elderly man. Yet, the Police disbelieved her and sympathised with the man. She lost faith in the authorities. The attitude of cops in "Life on Mars" to sex crimes was already in place in real life. Fred raped her and then begged her not to tell Rose. Strange for a "domineering" man to be frightened to death of his wife. Caroline eventually escaped with her life, and decades later gave vital evidence in court.
Both Wests came from incestuous families, brought on by their parents. Fred was "initiated" by his own mother at 12, and his father showed him to screw sheep!! Another woman survived being them. This was Kathryn Halliday. She was a lesbian and was brought for sex sessions with Rose, but when both Wests started going on about bondage and such, she decided it was time to get out. Kathryn passed away this year from cancer. Despite coming from such backgrounds, I believe everybody knows right from wrong, and they should have known it but I believe they chose to ignore it. She continues to protest her innocence but to do what she did, you have to a Psychopath.
But, as with other notorious cases, this one has attracted conspiracy theories. This one involves witchcraft and sacrificial rites, involving wealthy and influential people. Personally, I think it is a load of bollocks. The claims never have any solid proof to back them up, only coincidence or perceived coincidence. The Wests were providing victims for occultists to sexually abuse then sacrifice them ritually. Some of the bodies had toe or finger digits missing, with them found near the bodies. An occultist trait. Yes, no doubt a method to really instigate fear is to do something like that. If you can mutilate, killing should be easy.
That area was supposedly a hot spot for covens and diabolists. No doubt many women danced naked around fires, goats and chickens regularly slaughtered, and pre-pubescent girls were laid upon an altar for all the men to take turns with. Of course, the Wests were never members of a coven because they were working class, only middle and upper class were allowed in. How the hell(!) did these conspiracy theorists know that? Fred spoke about others that he was not going to name. This means powerful and wealthy people. Crap! I believe they were part of a paedophile ring. Fred obviously received threats from these powerful people about keeping his mouth shut, and so hung himself to keep the secret. So, of course it was not about that his life would not be worth living in prison, and with him out of the way, at least one would go free. One of his brothers` hanged himself. He was alleged to have been involved in some of his brothers` crimes, and so hanged himself to protect the "powerful" people or was threatened. He was facing multiple rape charges. Read that again. Multiple rape. He was going down good style, knowing that unless he got complete segregation, his time in prison, like his brother, would have been dangerous. There will always be people ready to believe any conspiracy theory, because, ultimately, they need something to cling to. Many explanations are far too simple for them to comprehend. Sad.
Both Wests came from incestuous families, brought on by their parents. Fred was "initiated" by his own mother at 12, and his father showed him to screw sheep!! Another woman survived being them. This was Kathryn Halliday. She was a lesbian and was brought for sex sessions with Rose, but when both Wests started going on about bondage and such, she decided it was time to get out. Kathryn passed away this year from cancer. Despite coming from such backgrounds, I believe everybody knows right from wrong, and they should have known it but I believe they chose to ignore it. She continues to protest her innocence but to do what she did, you have to a Psychopath.
But, as with other notorious cases, this one has attracted conspiracy theories. This one involves witchcraft and sacrificial rites, involving wealthy and influential people. Personally, I think it is a load of bollocks. The claims never have any solid proof to back them up, only coincidence or perceived coincidence. The Wests were providing victims for occultists to sexually abuse then sacrifice them ritually. Some of the bodies had toe or finger digits missing, with them found near the bodies. An occultist trait. Yes, no doubt a method to really instigate fear is to do something like that. If you can mutilate, killing should be easy.
That area was supposedly a hot spot for covens and diabolists. No doubt many women danced naked around fires, goats and chickens regularly slaughtered, and pre-pubescent girls were laid upon an altar for all the men to take turns with. Of course, the Wests were never members of a coven because they were working class, only middle and upper class were allowed in. How the hell(!) did these conspiracy theorists know that? Fred spoke about others that he was not going to name. This means powerful and wealthy people. Crap! I believe they were part of a paedophile ring. Fred obviously received threats from these powerful people about keeping his mouth shut, and so hung himself to keep the secret. So, of course it was not about that his life would not be worth living in prison, and with him out of the way, at least one would go free. One of his brothers` hanged himself. He was alleged to have been involved in some of his brothers` crimes, and so hanged himself to protect the "powerful" people or was threatened. He was facing multiple rape charges. Read that again. Multiple rape. He was going down good style, knowing that unless he got complete segregation, his time in prison, like his brother, would have been dangerous. There will always be people ready to believe any conspiracy theory, because, ultimately, they need something to cling to. Many explanations are far too simple for them to comprehend. Sad.
Highwaymen MC
Another look at a 1% bike club. This time it is the Detroit based Highwaymen MC, whose history stretches back to 1954 when it was another motorcycle club. It was in the sixties that it was evolving into a OMG and joined a list of like clubs mentioned in a book brought out in 1966. Over the decades, it has expanded into a number of states, such as Alabama, Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana and Florida. I have come across similarly named clubs in other states but obviously, they must not be connected. Their power base has always the Motor City of Detroit. They have, like many other OMGs, been subject to prolonged Police and FBI investigations into criminal activities. They were investigated in the 1970`s, 1980`s and 2007. Those probes saw members of the club jailed for attacks and bombings on the clubhouses and homes of rival bikers.
2007 saw local and federal authorities arrest dozens of Highwaymen and associates for a number of offences such as racketeering, murder for hire, trafficking drugs, vehicle theft and fraud. This sweep also netted four allegedly corrupt cops, who were all later jailed. One Highwaymen, Randell McDaniel, was arrested for running a chop shop - over here in the UK we call it "ringing" - and was convicted of running a criminal enterprise, a chop shop, theft of vehicles and possession of a controlled substance. I believe it was Marijuana and Vicodin. All this went down after evidence was presented to a Grand Jury in 2008. One problem many OMGs have is rivalry and inevitably, violent confrontations with other clubs, usually over turf and drug distribution. The Highwaymen have had confrontations with the Iron Horsemen. Looking at a Detroit forum, one person stated that cops were more prepared to go after the HMMC but ignore the IHMC, despite they having no hesitation at shooting at cops. They were already involved in one such incident. There will be a post soon about this club, and as ever, any member of a OMG reads my posts about their club, they are entitled to a right to reply. As long as it is not abusive.
2007 saw local and federal authorities arrest dozens of Highwaymen and associates for a number of offences such as racketeering, murder for hire, trafficking drugs, vehicle theft and fraud. This sweep also netted four allegedly corrupt cops, who were all later jailed. One Highwaymen, Randell McDaniel, was arrested for running a chop shop - over here in the UK we call it "ringing" - and was convicted of running a criminal enterprise, a chop shop, theft of vehicles and possession of a controlled substance. I believe it was Marijuana and Vicodin. All this went down after evidence was presented to a Grand Jury in 2008. One problem many OMGs have is rivalry and inevitably, violent confrontations with other clubs, usually over turf and drug distribution. The Highwaymen have had confrontations with the Iron Horsemen. Looking at a Detroit forum, one person stated that cops were more prepared to go after the HMMC but ignore the IHMC, despite they having no hesitation at shooting at cops. They were already involved in one such incident. There will be a post soon about this club, and as ever, any member of a OMG reads my posts about their club, they are entitled to a right to reply. As long as it is not abusive.
Friday, 14 November 2014
Jimmy Tibbs - A Reappraisal
I have just acquired the autobiography of famous boxing trainer Jimmy Tibbs, and he gives his side of the story about him getting a ten year sentence. This came about with a war between the Tibbs family and the Nichols family and their associates. Mr Tibbs does raise interesting questions about the trial and conviction of him, his brothers, father and some friends. Credit where it is due, he puts his hands up to what he did and that he deserved to get put away. But he and his family were not the only offenders. The feud started when George Tibbs, then 65, was battered by one of the Nichols brothers, who was in his early twenties. He admits to the incidents of wounding one of the Nichols Brothers with a shotgun, the attack on Len Kersey, and other incidents. But he raises the point about why nobody was accountable for slashing the throat of his brother, Bob, who nearly died. Then there was a car bomb that almost killed himself and his young son. Just exactly who was responsible for that?
He openly admits that all these incidents were tit for tat retaliations, not part of a gangland war. It was a war. But not an Underworld war. He said he would do anything when family is threatened or attacked. The attack on Len Kersey was supposedly for calling them "Pikeys" but he says it was a part of the ongoing tit for tat. He acknowledges why Commander Bert Wickstead used them as a way of sending a message to the Underworld that warfare will not be tolerated, but was unhappy about a number of things in the Police investigation. His outrage was the fifteen year sentence handed to his father for "Perverting Justice" but I have not seen any explanation in books about what he was supposed to have done. He questions why the Nichols Brothers and their associates were never charged over their crimes, but they were. Over the years, there have been claims that they were going to take over the East End. I remember one quote as "....by gun, knife, boot and hatchet" On a documentary about the Great Train Robbery, former top cop Frank Williams talked about organised crime "...we had problems with the Krays, the Richardsons and later, the Tibbses"
A couple of books mentioned that the Krays never crossed them up. Maybe it was because they were a family that would take no shit from anybody and would fight fire with fire if threatened. Or was that something invented to bolster the perceived image of the Tibbs family. I certainly knew of a couple of families like that. They were not villains but tough people who were not pushed around. One family consisted of five brothers, all hard men, two were seriously hard. So I can understand where he is coming from on that point. But he eventually became not only a top trainer, with world champions around him, but a very respected trainer around the world. What has been written about the Tibbs family concerns the case presented in court - they were the villains of the peace whilst the Nichols` were the victims. He disputes a number of points in the case against him. Attempting to run down the Nichols` in his car. A gun had been left with his prints on it and so went back, slap bang into a load of Police. Not going to do you much good trying to kill somebody with plenty of Police witnesses.
Why have I written this post? Everybody is entitled to a right to reply, and although he has not asked for it, he says he is sick of the incorrect assertions of him and his family. He says it in his book and in interviews. His life has been totally dominated by training young men to be world champions, hardly the actions of a "hardened gangster" and so I put up this post for his side of the story, a story he has now left behind for decades.
He openly admits that all these incidents were tit for tat retaliations, not part of a gangland war. It was a war. But not an Underworld war. He said he would do anything when family is threatened or attacked. The attack on Len Kersey was supposedly for calling them "Pikeys" but he says it was a part of the ongoing tit for tat. He acknowledges why Commander Bert Wickstead used them as a way of sending a message to the Underworld that warfare will not be tolerated, but was unhappy about a number of things in the Police investigation. His outrage was the fifteen year sentence handed to his father for "Perverting Justice" but I have not seen any explanation in books about what he was supposed to have done. He questions why the Nichols Brothers and their associates were never charged over their crimes, but they were. Over the years, there have been claims that they were going to take over the East End. I remember one quote as "....by gun, knife, boot and hatchet" On a documentary about the Great Train Robbery, former top cop Frank Williams talked about organised crime "...we had problems with the Krays, the Richardsons and later, the Tibbses"
A couple of books mentioned that the Krays never crossed them up. Maybe it was because they were a family that would take no shit from anybody and would fight fire with fire if threatened. Or was that something invented to bolster the perceived image of the Tibbs family. I certainly knew of a couple of families like that. They were not villains but tough people who were not pushed around. One family consisted of five brothers, all hard men, two were seriously hard. So I can understand where he is coming from on that point. But he eventually became not only a top trainer, with world champions around him, but a very respected trainer around the world. What has been written about the Tibbs family concerns the case presented in court - they were the villains of the peace whilst the Nichols` were the victims. He disputes a number of points in the case against him. Attempting to run down the Nichols` in his car. A gun had been left with his prints on it and so went back, slap bang into a load of Police. Not going to do you much good trying to kill somebody with plenty of Police witnesses.
Why have I written this post? Everybody is entitled to a right to reply, and although he has not asked for it, he says he is sick of the incorrect assertions of him and his family. He says it in his book and in interviews. His life has been totally dominated by training young men to be world champions, hardly the actions of a "hardened gangster" and so I put up this post for his side of the story, a story he has now left behind for decades.
Thursday, 13 November 2014
Jerry Thompson - Evil Rapist and Killer
Between the mid 1920`s and mid 1930`s, this era was known in the USA as the "Age of Sex Crime." It threw up numerous vicious and sadistic killers. Jerry Thompson was such a person. The end of the road came for him on June 17th 1935 when the body of a young woman was found in a cemetery in Peroia, Illinois. The victim`s underwear was found nearby. It had been ripped from her. She was identified as 19 year old Mildred Hallmark, a waitress at a cafe who had been reported missing after she left work. The autopsy revealed that she had been raped and then strangled. Police issued an appeal for information to the public and several women spoke out about being offered lifts in a vehicle by a good looking young man. He then drove them to secluded locations and attacked them. he threatened them with violence if they did not comply.
Police now knew they had a serial rapist on the loose. he already had one dead victim. Could there be more? They made a much wider appeal using the media. Any women attacked, could come forward and total discretion would be exercised. They were not prepared for what was to come. More than fifty victims came forward. All told the same story of the good looking young man in a car, offering them lifts. He threatened them with violence if they resisted, and indeed, a number of them were repeatedly punched to show he meant it. A number of victims were dragged off the streets. Resistance and screams were silenced by violence. If that was not enough, after the attacks, he would force them to pose for pictures he took, promising them that their names would appear in the newspapers and everybody would know they were rape victims. Some were threatened with having the pictures sent to family and friends. These threats ensured the rapist got away with it and the victims simply had to live their horrific experience.
Then, one day, at a dancehall, a girl was introduced to a young man. She was certain that she had met him before, which he said they hadn`t. She was now certain he was her assailant. His name was Jerry Thompson, a man in his mid 20`s. Police tried to find this Jerry Thompson, without success, but decided to visit Mildred`s father. Yes, he knew Jerry Thompson. He worked in the same factory and was also a neighbour. Mildred would never have gotten into a strange car, but if she knew the driver.... Police now believed they were onto her killer. Taken in for questioning, he denied being a killer or rapist. One of his victims positively identified him in a line up. Thompson also failed a Polygraph. One detective came in and threw the shredded under garment of Mildred`s at Thompson, who then broke down and confessed. He gave her a lift, then drove to the cemetery where he tried to have sex with her. She resisted so he struck her and then started choking her. Then he got her into the rear of the car and raped her. Then he claimed, he discovered she was dead, so he dumped her body and drove off.
A warrant was issued to search his home. They found masses of evidence. Piles of photographs of his victims, plus a very detailed diary of all his attacks. He had been carrying out his assaults from the age of 16. He was also engaged. The case against him was clear cut and he went to the chair on October 15th 1935. Why did he do it? Sorry, but I do not have the time for Freudian explanations. There can be any number of reasons, but he had no hesitation in attacking young women, both physically and sexually. He had no problems holding down a job. As for his looks, nowadays, you have some lawyer saying, "Look at this man. Does he NEED to rape?" Yes, particularly if the women express no interest in him. It is a case of "How dare they reject ME?" They have such a high opinion of themselves and are such egomaniacs that any "affront to their manhood" has to met with sexual violence. I am not a Psychiatrist or Psychologist but I do look at the world with my eyes open and a simple method of explanations.
Wednesday, 12 November 2014
Ronald True - Thank God For Class Bias!
This post was prompted by one of my regular readers in regards to the use of the Mental Health Act to manipulate it so you can commit whatever crimes you want and be allowed to get away with it. Sadly, this has gone on for many decades. Child killer John Straffen may have been subnormal but he still managed to work out how to escape from Broadmoor, and killed children just to "get back at the Police." Sounded like a man who was not quite as retarded as they thought. Or how about one man condemned for some murders but diagnosed as insane by three Psychiatrists. The Prison Doctor, an ordinary quack, said he was not insane but in total control of his faculties. Also, the killer was working class. So he hung.
Now let us look at the case of Angus Ronald True, whose mother married into a very wealthy family. He murdered a prostitute, was convicted, but reprieved because helpfully, three Psychiatrists diagnosed him as insane. No doubt about it, he had severe mental problems, but they did not hinder him in his role as a con man, thief and fraudster, and ultimately, killer. Also, his remarks to a witness showed that he was trying to slow down the discovery of a dead person, and give him more time to escape. But another trial that had just ended had thrown a political spanner in the works. That of Henry Julius Jacoby.
True was born in Manchester in 1891 and was educated at Bedford School. His family found him jobs working overseas due to his increasingly bizarre behaviour. During World War One, his erratic behaviour did not stop him being accepted into the Royal Flying Corps but he had become addicted to morphine and this led to him being discharged the following year. His family had arranged for him to visit the USA in 1912 and in 1917. He married Frances Roberts on his second trip there, where she bore him a child. They returned to the UK where his family gave him an allowance to live on. Over time, his behaviour worsened and he decided to leave his wife and child. He continued to live on the allowance his family provided. He supplemented this with acts of petty theft and fraud. It was in March 1922, that he had been frequenting a 25 year old shop girl and prostitute named Olive Young. He had spent the night with her on a couple of occasions but found him a bit strange and also discovered money missing. She refused to see him again, but he plied with messages and eventually she relented, letting him stay the night with her. It was the wrong decision.
The following morning, he was leaving her flat in Finborough Road, Earls Court, when he encountered her maid. He told her not to disturb Olive as they had been together all night. The maid found her naked, with a dressing gown cord wound tightly around her neck and a towel forced down her throat. He was quickly arrested and charged with murder. His trial took place in May 1922 at the Old Bailey. His defence was one of insanity. Sir Richard Muir led for the Crown and cited the M`Naghten rules stating that as long as a person knows right from wrong, he is not insane. He was convicted and sentenced to death. Home Secretary Edward Shortt ordered a medical examination and three Psychiatrists declared him insane, prompting a reprieve. But Henry Jacoby, an 18 year old working class pantry boy, had just been executed for the murder of Lady White in a London hotel. Jacoby was a simpleton, though not as bad as Derek Bentley, showing that very feeble mental issues does not automatically grant a reprieve. They were both working class also. Lady White was a titled lady, Ronald True came from a wealthy family. Of course class never came into it!!!!!!! True was packed off to Broadmoor and died in 1951.
Now let us look at the case of Angus Ronald True, whose mother married into a very wealthy family. He murdered a prostitute, was convicted, but reprieved because helpfully, three Psychiatrists diagnosed him as insane. No doubt about it, he had severe mental problems, but they did not hinder him in his role as a con man, thief and fraudster, and ultimately, killer. Also, his remarks to a witness showed that he was trying to slow down the discovery of a dead person, and give him more time to escape. But another trial that had just ended had thrown a political spanner in the works. That of Henry Julius Jacoby.
True was born in Manchester in 1891 and was educated at Bedford School. His family found him jobs working overseas due to his increasingly bizarre behaviour. During World War One, his erratic behaviour did not stop him being accepted into the Royal Flying Corps but he had become addicted to morphine and this led to him being discharged the following year. His family had arranged for him to visit the USA in 1912 and in 1917. He married Frances Roberts on his second trip there, where she bore him a child. They returned to the UK where his family gave him an allowance to live on. Over time, his behaviour worsened and he decided to leave his wife and child. He continued to live on the allowance his family provided. He supplemented this with acts of petty theft and fraud. It was in March 1922, that he had been frequenting a 25 year old shop girl and prostitute named Olive Young. He had spent the night with her on a couple of occasions but found him a bit strange and also discovered money missing. She refused to see him again, but he plied with messages and eventually she relented, letting him stay the night with her. It was the wrong decision.
The following morning, he was leaving her flat in Finborough Road, Earls Court, when he encountered her maid. He told her not to disturb Olive as they had been together all night. The maid found her naked, with a dressing gown cord wound tightly around her neck and a towel forced down her throat. He was quickly arrested and charged with murder. His trial took place in May 1922 at the Old Bailey. His defence was one of insanity. Sir Richard Muir led for the Crown and cited the M`Naghten rules stating that as long as a person knows right from wrong, he is not insane. He was convicted and sentenced to death. Home Secretary Edward Shortt ordered a medical examination and three Psychiatrists declared him insane, prompting a reprieve. But Henry Jacoby, an 18 year old working class pantry boy, had just been executed for the murder of Lady White in a London hotel. Jacoby was a simpleton, though not as bad as Derek Bentley, showing that very feeble mental issues does not automatically grant a reprieve. They were both working class also. Lady White was a titled lady, Ronald True came from a wealthy family. Of course class never came into it!!!!!!! True was packed off to Broadmoor and died in 1951.
Tuesday, 11 November 2014
Miles Giffard - Parent Killer
The killing of parents seems to be a bit of a sport in the USA with numerous accounts of children going off the rails and killing them or manipulating a lover to do the deed for you. Here, we have had Jeremy Bamber and Brian Blackwell amongst the best known. There was a case in the 1950`s in which the spoilt son of a well to do couple objected to being told what to do with his life and who he could date. Miles William Giffard was the 27 year old son of Charles and Elizabeth Giffard, a successful couple who resided in St Austell, in Cornwall. Their son was the complete opposite; a total failure. Serving in the Navy, then trying real estate and law but showing an interest, he lived off his parents. Then the problem struck. Miles had begun a relationship with Gabrielle Vallance, but unfortunately Charles Giffard did not approve of her, and Miles was told to end the relationship, whether he liked it or not. Miles confided to Gabrielle that the only answer he could see was to get rid of them both.
November 7th 1952 saw Miles phone Gabrielle to say it was probable that he would be able to travel to London, to see her, for the weekend. He said he would call her back to say if he was definitely going. That evening, he put his plan into action. As his father was putting the car into the garage, Miles walked in clutching a metal pipe and then proceeded to repeatedly beat his father over the head. Thinking he was dead, he then turned and went into the house to give his mother the same. He attacked her in the kitchen, smashing in her skull. Calmly, he picked up the telephone and called Gabrielle to say that his father was letting him use the car and he would be with her. Going back into the garage, Miles was shocked to see his father still alive. He turned to go and check on his mother. She too, was still alive. He returned with a wheelbarrow, placed his mother in it and then took her to a nearby cliff edge, and tipped her over it. He then did the same with his father.
Miles now made his way to London to see his sweetheart. Whilst there, he confessed to her what he had done. However, the next day the bodies were discovered and Police quickly traced Miles in London. There were clothes stained with blood inside the car. He was arrested and charged with double murder. His trial took place in early February 1953 in Bodmin, in front of Mr Justice Oliver. He ran a defence of insanity, and evidence was produced to show that Miles had been seen by a Psychiatrist as a boy and it was determined that there was mental instability. His father was shown to be repressive and very overbearing. A doctor referred to him as "a waster" and a Psychiatrist tried to convince a Jury with Freudian explanations for Miles` actions, but they were not swayed. He was convicted and sentenced to death. He was executed at Bristol Prison on February 24th 1953. Thirty years before, he could have been sentenced to Broadmoor, like Ronald True, as class distinction was still very rife, but this had seriously waned by the 1950`s ans so despite evidence that he had mental health issues, he swung.
November 7th 1952 saw Miles phone Gabrielle to say it was probable that he would be able to travel to London, to see her, for the weekend. He said he would call her back to say if he was definitely going. That evening, he put his plan into action. As his father was putting the car into the garage, Miles walked in clutching a metal pipe and then proceeded to repeatedly beat his father over the head. Thinking he was dead, he then turned and went into the house to give his mother the same. He attacked her in the kitchen, smashing in her skull. Calmly, he picked up the telephone and called Gabrielle to say that his father was letting him use the car and he would be with her. Going back into the garage, Miles was shocked to see his father still alive. He turned to go and check on his mother. She too, was still alive. He returned with a wheelbarrow, placed his mother in it and then took her to a nearby cliff edge, and tipped her over it. He then did the same with his father.
Miles now made his way to London to see his sweetheart. Whilst there, he confessed to her what he had done. However, the next day the bodies were discovered and Police quickly traced Miles in London. There were clothes stained with blood inside the car. He was arrested and charged with double murder. His trial took place in early February 1953 in Bodmin, in front of Mr Justice Oliver. He ran a defence of insanity, and evidence was produced to show that Miles had been seen by a Psychiatrist as a boy and it was determined that there was mental instability. His father was shown to be repressive and very overbearing. A doctor referred to him as "a waster" and a Psychiatrist tried to convince a Jury with Freudian explanations for Miles` actions, but they were not swayed. He was convicted and sentenced to death. He was executed at Bristol Prison on February 24th 1953. Thirty years before, he could have been sentenced to Broadmoor, like Ronald True, as class distinction was still very rife, but this had seriously waned by the 1950`s ans so despite evidence that he had mental health issues, he swung.
Monday, 10 November 2014
The Wolf of Moscow
The notion that nearly all serial killers are located in the USA, although probably the majority are, they are certainly all around the world. More revelations about serial killers operating in the former Soviet Union are emerging. We have had the "Red Ripper" "The Terminator" and The "Chessboard Killer" and I feel inclined to include Stalin and that hero of the left, Lenin. But around the time of these two "heroes," Moscow did have a serial killer operating between 1921 and 1923. A killer that was called "The Wolf" by the Police after Police found twenty one bodies of men. All had been securely bound and put inside burlap sacks and then simply dumped on waste ground in Moscow`s Shabolovki district. Police had found a possible clue because most of the victims were discovered on Thursdays and Saturdays. There was a horse market on Wednesdays and Fridays, so it was reasonable to assume that the victims were people who attended the market. But they were unable to proceed beyond this deduction.
But what led to the downfall of the killer was local gossip amongst the traders on the market. They thought that it was strange that trader Vasili Komaroff was a man who hardly bothered to take horses to the market but he had a good stream of customers leaving with him. This gossip reached the ears of the authorities. Vasili Komaroff was a pleasant and seemingly gentle horse trader who owned some stables in Shabolovki. Despite his gentle nature, enquiries revealed that Komaroff had a violent temper that exploded often onto his family. Police decided to raid his stables and during a thorough search, a body in a burlap sack, tied up, was discovered buried in a pile of hay. Both Komaroff and his wife were arrested and taken in for questioning.
Komaroff confessed to the crimes, saying that he believed he had killed more than thirty men. He led Police to another five bodies, and said that he had also dumped a number of bodies in the Moskva River. They were never found. He was charged, along with his wife, with the murders and both were convicted in June 1923. Both were sentenced to death, and retribution was swift. They were both executed by firing squad on June 18th 1923. What was never made clear was the motive. There did not seem to be one. This brings to mind the not often reported fact that on his way to the chair, Bundy was asked , Why? His reply was "Because I wanted to." Is it too much for society to contemplate that there are many people who kill simply for no reason?
But what led to the downfall of the killer was local gossip amongst the traders on the market. They thought that it was strange that trader Vasili Komaroff was a man who hardly bothered to take horses to the market but he had a good stream of customers leaving with him. This gossip reached the ears of the authorities. Vasili Komaroff was a pleasant and seemingly gentle horse trader who owned some stables in Shabolovki. Despite his gentle nature, enquiries revealed that Komaroff had a violent temper that exploded often onto his family. Police decided to raid his stables and during a thorough search, a body in a burlap sack, tied up, was discovered buried in a pile of hay. Both Komaroff and his wife were arrested and taken in for questioning.
Komaroff confessed to the crimes, saying that he believed he had killed more than thirty men. He led Police to another five bodies, and said that he had also dumped a number of bodies in the Moskva River. They were never found. He was charged, along with his wife, with the murders and both were convicted in June 1923. Both were sentenced to death, and retribution was swift. They were both executed by firing squad on June 18th 1923. What was never made clear was the motive. There did not seem to be one. This brings to mind the not often reported fact that on his way to the chair, Bundy was asked , Why? His reply was "Because I wanted to." Is it too much for society to contemplate that there are many people who kill simply for no reason?
Sunday, 9 November 2014
Grandmother Jailed For Drug Haul
A Liverpool grandmother received an eight year jail sentence when a stash of drugs worth at least £1,000,000 plus a firearm and ammunition was found in her loft. Maria Mellor, 53, had her home in Toxteth searched after Police received a tip off. Their visit clearly ruffled the woman. A search of the loft found a substantial amount of drugs. Five and a half kilos of heroin, valued at between £218,000 to £323,000, 316 grammes of crack cocaine valued at just over £31,000 and a class C drug, TTMPP, 78,000 tablets valued at between £480,000 to £780,000. In addition, a revolver was discovered along with 337 rounds of ammunition.
Also charged with her, was her nephew, 37 year old James Shields, whose DNA was found on the gun. Mrs Mellor claimed that she was forced to hide things for loan sharks, after running up a debt, due to the extortionate interest rates that loan sharks charge. (Are they any different to the plethora of pay day loan companies we see advertised all the time?) She had to resort to this drastic measure after having her benefits stopped. But possession of so much drugs and an illegal firearm and ammunition, are charges that will not go away. Mrs Mellor was given four years for the drugs and another four years for the gun and bullets. James Shields received five years for illegally possessing a firearm. What is strange is that despite possession of a firearm is an automatic prison sentence, there are people who can stand up in court and admit to not only possessing an illegal weapon, but walking about with it loaded, and willing to use it, yet bizarrely, do not face charges. Funny that!
Also charged with her, was her nephew, 37 year old James Shields, whose DNA was found on the gun. Mrs Mellor claimed that she was forced to hide things for loan sharks, after running up a debt, due to the extortionate interest rates that loan sharks charge. (Are they any different to the plethora of pay day loan companies we see advertised all the time?) She had to resort to this drastic measure after having her benefits stopped. But possession of so much drugs and an illegal firearm and ammunition, are charges that will not go away. Mrs Mellor was given four years for the drugs and another four years for the gun and bullets. James Shields received five years for illegally possessing a firearm. What is strange is that despite possession of a firearm is an automatic prison sentence, there are people who can stand up in court and admit to not only possessing an illegal weapon, but walking about with it loaded, and willing to use it, yet bizarrely, do not face charges. Funny that!
A Pause For My Thoughts
I thought it would be nice to have a quick break from the mayhem of life to give some reflections on my thought processes and what has led me to my stand on law and order. My initial interest in crime was sparked at 16 by reading John pearson`s "Profession of Violence" about the Krays. Then I started following newspaper reports on crimes and started reading more true crime books. The interest has always been there over the years but it really exploded over the last 12 years or more - I did a couple of courses on criminology. Now with the Internet, all you need to find out is there at the click of the mouse.
But how has crime affected me over the years? There was a rape of a young girl by two men in the town in 1978. I knew who one of them was, but not personally. Police launched a dragnet which caught them. Then there was a thug regarded as a "top legend" and "proper hardman" by jailbird Michael Peterson - "Bronson" - who lived across the road from me. This thug twice in one night, tried to smash his way into my parents home, to attack my father. Some family members raced there but it was when my brother-in-law and an elder brother turned up, that was when the cowards of the Ellesmere Port Police turned nasty. They refused to arrest this thug, because according to them, "they had not seen him do anything" but when these two turned up, they knew that this thug was on a one way trip to hospital if either gotten hold of him. They were repeatedly threatened for doing nothing! Police instigated a cover up to protect this thug. Then I discovered that this troublemaker was a notorious Police informer. No wonder they bent over backwards to protect him! Much later, one night, my father was walking the dog and this thug thought "here`s my opportunity" but when he saw my elder brother - the hardman of the family - this "proper hardman" lost his bottle. Oh dear, no weapons, no Police buddies, what am I going to do? He did absolutely fuck all. He kept his mouth shut! Then one day, my B-I-L stopped his truck, got out and confronted this "legend" who responded by COWERING! He is frightened to death of my B-I-L`s two elder brothers. This thug committed numerous acts of violence that would have had anybody else doing a long stretch in jail. He has many beatings over the years from the real tough nuts in the town. One of my B-I-L`s brothers got a grip of this "hardman" and warned him that if he ever hurt my father, he was going to put him into the ground! Needless to say, he shit himself! And as for that clown in prison, his claims about this "legend" has produced laughter and ridicule.
On a personal level, before I moved to Yorkshire, I had two cars stolen, cars vandalised and numerous attempts to burgle my home. You could see the climbing marks on the 6 foot high brick wall separating my home from a school next door. I had all the windows and the door very securely bolted. On this level, it is difficult to listen to professional apologists making every excuse for a car thief and burglar. Car thieves also liked to bring Police into chases around the streets where I lived. Usually late at night, when a car come screaming up the street, and the squealing of tyres, you knew it was to get the Police to come after them. And these were not wide streets! If they had killed somebody, which they would have at speeds they went at, or crashed, then as long as they were not hurt, then it would have been "So what!"
Yes, I can go from supporting the Police, to hating them. My view is, if you are guilty, then you are guilty. But every Police force will have it`s unscrupulous officers. Even if it is hardened villain, if he has not done it, then he is innocent. Sounds such a simple philosophy but it is mine. One topic that I will never compromise on, and that is drugs. When you have witnessed destruction and death through these substances, you can do nothing but despise the legalisation wankers. As one Counsellor I know commented, "These people do not want to know the ugly side of drugs. They do not want it in their homes or lives!" Especially if it meant putting their hands into their own pockets to pay for an addict`s fix. And if they were made criminally responsible for an addict. I hate everything the so-called "Counter culture" of the sixties and early seventies stood for, except for the music - I am a classic rock fanatic. I have posted it before, but it is hypocritical to despise "Capitalists" yet openly embrace the ultimate Capitalist - The Pusher. When all that pushers want is money, what does that make them? Do they care if you live or die? No! So long as you are giving them money, so what! I wonder how many pushers or "brothers & sisters" of the "Counter culture" amassed fortunes courtesy of the rock stars and other showbiz people wanting to "Turn on, tune in, drop out!" Share and share alike or "I want money! Lots of it!" Not hard to work that one out. This, dear readers, are just a few of the workings of my mind and the view I have of the world. With my eyes open!
But how has crime affected me over the years? There was a rape of a young girl by two men in the town in 1978. I knew who one of them was, but not personally. Police launched a dragnet which caught them. Then there was a thug regarded as a "top legend" and "proper hardman" by jailbird Michael Peterson - "Bronson" - who lived across the road from me. This thug twice in one night, tried to smash his way into my parents home, to attack my father. Some family members raced there but it was when my brother-in-law and an elder brother turned up, that was when the cowards of the Ellesmere Port Police turned nasty. They refused to arrest this thug, because according to them, "they had not seen him do anything" but when these two turned up, they knew that this thug was on a one way trip to hospital if either gotten hold of him. They were repeatedly threatened for doing nothing! Police instigated a cover up to protect this thug. Then I discovered that this troublemaker was a notorious Police informer. No wonder they bent over backwards to protect him! Much later, one night, my father was walking the dog and this thug thought "here`s my opportunity" but when he saw my elder brother - the hardman of the family - this "proper hardman" lost his bottle. Oh dear, no weapons, no Police buddies, what am I going to do? He did absolutely fuck all. He kept his mouth shut! Then one day, my B-I-L stopped his truck, got out and confronted this "legend" who responded by COWERING! He is frightened to death of my B-I-L`s two elder brothers. This thug committed numerous acts of violence that would have had anybody else doing a long stretch in jail. He has many beatings over the years from the real tough nuts in the town. One of my B-I-L`s brothers got a grip of this "hardman" and warned him that if he ever hurt my father, he was going to put him into the ground! Needless to say, he shit himself! And as for that clown in prison, his claims about this "legend" has produced laughter and ridicule.
On a personal level, before I moved to Yorkshire, I had two cars stolen, cars vandalised and numerous attempts to burgle my home. You could see the climbing marks on the 6 foot high brick wall separating my home from a school next door. I had all the windows and the door very securely bolted. On this level, it is difficult to listen to professional apologists making every excuse for a car thief and burglar. Car thieves also liked to bring Police into chases around the streets where I lived. Usually late at night, when a car come screaming up the street, and the squealing of tyres, you knew it was to get the Police to come after them. And these were not wide streets! If they had killed somebody, which they would have at speeds they went at, or crashed, then as long as they were not hurt, then it would have been "So what!"
Yes, I can go from supporting the Police, to hating them. My view is, if you are guilty, then you are guilty. But every Police force will have it`s unscrupulous officers. Even if it is hardened villain, if he has not done it, then he is innocent. Sounds such a simple philosophy but it is mine. One topic that I will never compromise on, and that is drugs. When you have witnessed destruction and death through these substances, you can do nothing but despise the legalisation wankers. As one Counsellor I know commented, "These people do not want to know the ugly side of drugs. They do not want it in their homes or lives!" Especially if it meant putting their hands into their own pockets to pay for an addict`s fix. And if they were made criminally responsible for an addict. I hate everything the so-called "Counter culture" of the sixties and early seventies stood for, except for the music - I am a classic rock fanatic. I have posted it before, but it is hypocritical to despise "Capitalists" yet openly embrace the ultimate Capitalist - The Pusher. When all that pushers want is money, what does that make them? Do they care if you live or die? No! So long as you are giving them money, so what! I wonder how many pushers or "brothers & sisters" of the "Counter culture" amassed fortunes courtesy of the rock stars and other showbiz people wanting to "Turn on, tune in, drop out!" Share and share alike or "I want money! Lots of it!" Not hard to work that one out. This, dear readers, are just a few of the workings of my mind and the view I have of the world. With my eyes open!
Saturday, 8 November 2014
Charles Becker: Downfall of New York`s Crookedest Cop PT2
Carrying on with the career of Lieutenant Charles Becker, it was in 1912 that gambler Hertman Rosenthal opened the Hesper Club West 45th Street, and upon it`s opening night, Becker made a personal call on Rosenthal. The request was a basic "So what are you offering me?" However, Rosenthal refused to toe the line, telling Becker that this club had the approval of Tim Sullivan. Becker backed off. For a while. Soon Sullivan was seriously ill and unable to issue orders, so Becker came back to Rosenthal and demanded money. Rosenthal started doing the unthinkable. He stood up to Becker, who responded by having a multiple killer named Jack Rose, to work inside the club and skim some of the takings. Rose was a fearsome gangster, but again, Rosenthal refused to pay protection. Then he started complaining about the extortion attempts to Tammany Hall, and in particular, Becker.
Becker was now under pressure from the Commissioner to shut down the Hesper club, which he did. He also kept a man in the premises to make sure it did not reopen. Rosenthal was bitterly angry and took a very drastic step; he went to see the District Attorney Charles Whitman, a very politically ambitious man and the man instrumental in the downfall of Becker. July 15th 1912, Rosenthal met Whitman and told what he knew about Becker, and promised to have a Grand Jury convened. He left Whitman`s office and stayed in a cafe, but news of the visit to Whitman had spread like wildfire. At 2.00am, he was told by a waiter that somebody wanted to speak to him outside. There, he saw four men. Shots rang out and he collapsed in the street. One gunman walked up to him and calmly shot him in the head, then they fled in a car. Soon the street filled up with people as news of the shooting spread. Police were supposed to have chased the getaway car but lost it. Whitman was to allege that Police allowed it to escape, a charge taken up by the media. However, there were witnesses. These were discovered by an investigation run by Whitman. The number of the getaway car was traced to a taxi service. The car had been leased to Jack Rose, one of Becker`s hired thugs. The car had been driven by Bill Shapiro, a petty villain. Witnesses also named two men seen hanging around the cafe, Harry Vallon and Bridgey Webber. Vallon had sent the message to Rosenthal. So Whitman had these two Chinatown opium pushers arrested.
Rose surrendered to Whitman, and told him where to find Shapiro. Shapiro remained silent, so Whitman offered a deal; immunity for all four if they would tell all. Facing a possible death sentence, Shapiro gave Whitman everything he knew and named the four gunmen. Louis Rosenberg, Frank Cirofaci, Jacob Seidenschmern and Harry Horowitz. Webber, Rose and Vallon were all incarcerated together in the notorious Tombs prison and so had the opportunity to rehearse a story for the court. Becker, who had an airtight alibi for the murder, was charged by Whitman with murder and the testimony of the three, was enough to have Becker convicted and sentenced to death. Whitman used this conviction to gain entry to the Governor`s mansion, being politically ambitious. The execution of Becker was a botch job. First off, he was not properly strapped in the chair, and then it took three bursts of electricity to dispatch him. Was he guilty? Opinions are divided, but an overly ambitious man used three men who would have done anything to spare themselves from the same fate as Becker. Becker`s wife remained bitter towards Whitman throughout her life, claiming he had her husband executed to further his career. Whatever, it did nothing to stem the flow of corruption throughout the NYPD.
Becker was now under pressure from the Commissioner to shut down the Hesper club, which he did. He also kept a man in the premises to make sure it did not reopen. Rosenthal was bitterly angry and took a very drastic step; he went to see the District Attorney Charles Whitman, a very politically ambitious man and the man instrumental in the downfall of Becker. July 15th 1912, Rosenthal met Whitman and told what he knew about Becker, and promised to have a Grand Jury convened. He left Whitman`s office and stayed in a cafe, but news of the visit to Whitman had spread like wildfire. At 2.00am, he was told by a waiter that somebody wanted to speak to him outside. There, he saw four men. Shots rang out and he collapsed in the street. One gunman walked up to him and calmly shot him in the head, then they fled in a car. Soon the street filled up with people as news of the shooting spread. Police were supposed to have chased the getaway car but lost it. Whitman was to allege that Police allowed it to escape, a charge taken up by the media. However, there were witnesses. These were discovered by an investigation run by Whitman. The number of the getaway car was traced to a taxi service. The car had been leased to Jack Rose, one of Becker`s hired thugs. The car had been driven by Bill Shapiro, a petty villain. Witnesses also named two men seen hanging around the cafe, Harry Vallon and Bridgey Webber. Vallon had sent the message to Rosenthal. So Whitman had these two Chinatown opium pushers arrested.
Rose surrendered to Whitman, and told him where to find Shapiro. Shapiro remained silent, so Whitman offered a deal; immunity for all four if they would tell all. Facing a possible death sentence, Shapiro gave Whitman everything he knew and named the four gunmen. Louis Rosenberg, Frank Cirofaci, Jacob Seidenschmern and Harry Horowitz. Webber, Rose and Vallon were all incarcerated together in the notorious Tombs prison and so had the opportunity to rehearse a story for the court. Becker, who had an airtight alibi for the murder, was charged by Whitman with murder and the testimony of the three, was enough to have Becker convicted and sentenced to death. Whitman used this conviction to gain entry to the Governor`s mansion, being politically ambitious. The execution of Becker was a botch job. First off, he was not properly strapped in the chair, and then it took three bursts of electricity to dispatch him. Was he guilty? Opinions are divided, but an overly ambitious man used three men who would have done anything to spare themselves from the same fate as Becker. Becker`s wife remained bitter towards Whitman throughout her life, claiming he had her husband executed to further his career. Whatever, it did nothing to stem the flow of corruption throughout the NYPD.
Thursday, 6 November 2014
Charles Becker : The Downfall of New York`s Crookedest Cop PT1
The New York Police Department has had deep rooted corruption fight through it`s history; the blatant links to the political side of old New York, Tammany Hall, up to the Knapp Commission in the early seventies. But it was way back in time that political office dictated how police operated and indeed, which criminals they allowed to flourish. The time of Tammany Hall, and especially a cop named Charles Becker, a Lieutenant in the Manhattan Borough. His beat was known at that time as Satan`s Circus, or nowadays as Times Square. The area had plenty to recommend it, casinos, hotels, restaurants, theatres, etc but it also had a very ugly side. Gangs, prostitutes, street gambling, all paid their dues to the local precinct house and to the politicians in charge. Failure to toe the line resulted in police raids and pressure, or even intimidation, in order to bring the required fees.
Becker was a very powerfully built man who was born in Sullivan County, New York, and moved to the city in 1888. He had various jobs, a barman in the Bowery area, a bouncer, in which his huge build and the fact that he was very tough, make him a man to avoid trouble with. Naturally, this line of work brought him into contact with criminals, including political ones. Monk Eastman, a vicious gangster and killer, and Tim Sullivan, a senator who controlled all corruption in Manhattan. It was Sullivan who helped Becker join the NYPD in 1893. For a few years, Becker`s violent nature led to complaints about brutality and arresting people for no reason. He accidentally shot a bystander whilst in pursuit of a burglar, then tried to show that the victim was a criminal, which backfired on him and resulted in a short suspension. Then in 1898, he was hailed as a hero for jumping into the Hudson River to save a man, but soon the man revealed that Becker paid him to do so. The department decided to punish him by sending him to the worst district in the whole of the city, the 16th Precinct, The Tenderloin District, or Satan`s Circus. Becker had arrived.
In 1907, Becker was promoted to Sergeant by the Police Commissioner. The effect this had was to make him the bagman for his boss, the Captain. He collected all the graft payoffs, and was on a very nice cut, amounting to thousands of dollars a year. Then a specialist squad was formed to take on gangs running rampant throughout Manhattan, with Becker running one team. They met fire with fire, with considerable success, so it was decided that the squad could now concentrate on the illegal street gamblers and gambling dens. But Becker decided otherwise. Why crackdown on them when they could pay him for the privilege of operating. He did not compromise. You paid up or else. There were allegations of resistant gamblers being killed. His influence over the Tenderloin was now immense. Becker was raking in so much cash that he needed help to collect it. He brought in gangsters to help out. Jack Zelig, a killer who was now running the gang of Monk Eastman, after he was shot to death outside a bar. Zelig was assisted by his men, with one of them having a terrifying reputation, resulting in no complaints or late payments. He was a back breaker by the name of Harry Horowitz, or "Gyp the Blood" and he gave many demonstrations in bars, dens or clubs of what happened if you did not fall into line.
But the downfall of Becker began in 1912, when a man named Hertman Rosenthal refused to play ball with Becker. Rosenthal was the proprietor of a club called The Hesper, and it was opened with the express permission of Tammany Hall and Big Tim Sullivan, but later, events with Sullivan, led to Becker flexing his muscles, and to a murder, the consequences leading Becker to the electric chair.
Becker was a very powerfully built man who was born in Sullivan County, New York, and moved to the city in 1888. He had various jobs, a barman in the Bowery area, a bouncer, in which his huge build and the fact that he was very tough, make him a man to avoid trouble with. Naturally, this line of work brought him into contact with criminals, including political ones. Monk Eastman, a vicious gangster and killer, and Tim Sullivan, a senator who controlled all corruption in Manhattan. It was Sullivan who helped Becker join the NYPD in 1893. For a few years, Becker`s violent nature led to complaints about brutality and arresting people for no reason. He accidentally shot a bystander whilst in pursuit of a burglar, then tried to show that the victim was a criminal, which backfired on him and resulted in a short suspension. Then in 1898, he was hailed as a hero for jumping into the Hudson River to save a man, but soon the man revealed that Becker paid him to do so. The department decided to punish him by sending him to the worst district in the whole of the city, the 16th Precinct, The Tenderloin District, or Satan`s Circus. Becker had arrived.
In 1907, Becker was promoted to Sergeant by the Police Commissioner. The effect this had was to make him the bagman for his boss, the Captain. He collected all the graft payoffs, and was on a very nice cut, amounting to thousands of dollars a year. Then a specialist squad was formed to take on gangs running rampant throughout Manhattan, with Becker running one team. They met fire with fire, with considerable success, so it was decided that the squad could now concentrate on the illegal street gamblers and gambling dens. But Becker decided otherwise. Why crackdown on them when they could pay him for the privilege of operating. He did not compromise. You paid up or else. There were allegations of resistant gamblers being killed. His influence over the Tenderloin was now immense. Becker was raking in so much cash that he needed help to collect it. He brought in gangsters to help out. Jack Zelig, a killer who was now running the gang of Monk Eastman, after he was shot to death outside a bar. Zelig was assisted by his men, with one of them having a terrifying reputation, resulting in no complaints or late payments. He was a back breaker by the name of Harry Horowitz, or "Gyp the Blood" and he gave many demonstrations in bars, dens or clubs of what happened if you did not fall into line.
But the downfall of Becker began in 1912, when a man named Hertman Rosenthal refused to play ball with Becker. Rosenthal was the proprietor of a club called The Hesper, and it was opened with the express permission of Tammany Hall and Big Tim Sullivan, but later, events with Sullivan, led to Becker flexing his muscles, and to a murder, the consequences leading Becker to the electric chair.
Tuesday, 4 November 2014
"The Beast of Coatesville"
Last night I came across this notorious Pennsylvania murder that occurred in the 1930`s and thought that this case should be posted as it plainly shows that there are many people who kill just for the hell of it, and is not the result of films, games, internet, Chucky, etc. The victim was sixteen year old Helen Moyer, who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, whilst a young man was searching for a young girl to rape and kill. Yes, that`s right. Rape and kill. This was pre-empted. The killer, 20 year old Alexander Meyer, set off in a green truck to look for his victim. It was the afternoon of February 11th 1937. He was driving along a country road near Coatesville, Pennsylvania, when he spotted girls emerging from a local school. He thought there were too many people about (witnesses!) so he carried on past. Up ahead, he saw a girl on her own. She would do.
Meyer swerved the truck into her, knocking her down and then passing over her. He leapt out and picked up the gravely injured girl, then put her into the back of the truck and drove off. Meyer drove to an abandoned farmhouse, sure in the knowledge that he would not be disturbed. He stripped the girl, then he raped her. Later he was to claim that she had died, so he dumped her body down a well. Then Meyer went home and ate a hearty meal, completely oblivious to what he had just done. Two days later, he returned with two sticks of dynamite, in order to destroy the well and completely cover the body. She had already been reported missing. Police found her shoes and schoolbooks by the spot where Meyer had hit her with his truck. They also found glass fragments from a headlight. Was it a hit and run? And where was Helen?
Two witnesses contacted Police. One had seen a green truck hit a telegraph pole, back up and hit another, then speed off. Then a friend and neighbour of Helen`s told of accepting a lift from a young man in a green truck. But the man stopped in a lane and tried to strip her. She fought him off and escaped from the truck, running to a nearby house. Green paint was found on the telegraph poles, so Police started checking all Ford trucks in the county, and they hit paydirt when they found one belonging to Meyer, which was green and damaged. He fitted the description given by the girl who was given a lift. He was arrested and questioned but denied everything. Confronted with the eye witness testimonies, the damage to his truck and green paint at the crime scene, he admitted that he had knocked Helen down by accident. Later, he confessed all about raping and killing her, then led Police to the well. Her body was not a pretty sight. Charged with murder, Meyer was convicted and went to the chair in April 1937.
Police delved into the background of Meyer and found that he had been in a juvenile reformatory, for shooting at two girls with a rifle. He was from a well off family in Downington, 12 miles away from the abduction site. He was regarded as sadistic, immune to pain, and had a psychopathic inferiority complex. Despite whatever mental issues Meyer had, he made a conscious decision to abduct, rape and then murder a schoolgirl. It was planned and thought out. He also had somewhere to take his victim. He deserved what he got.
Meyer swerved the truck into her, knocking her down and then passing over her. He leapt out and picked up the gravely injured girl, then put her into the back of the truck and drove off. Meyer drove to an abandoned farmhouse, sure in the knowledge that he would not be disturbed. He stripped the girl, then he raped her. Later he was to claim that she had died, so he dumped her body down a well. Then Meyer went home and ate a hearty meal, completely oblivious to what he had just done. Two days later, he returned with two sticks of dynamite, in order to destroy the well and completely cover the body. She had already been reported missing. Police found her shoes and schoolbooks by the spot where Meyer had hit her with his truck. They also found glass fragments from a headlight. Was it a hit and run? And where was Helen?
Two witnesses contacted Police. One had seen a green truck hit a telegraph pole, back up and hit another, then speed off. Then a friend and neighbour of Helen`s told of accepting a lift from a young man in a green truck. But the man stopped in a lane and tried to strip her. She fought him off and escaped from the truck, running to a nearby house. Green paint was found on the telegraph poles, so Police started checking all Ford trucks in the county, and they hit paydirt when they found one belonging to Meyer, which was green and damaged. He fitted the description given by the girl who was given a lift. He was arrested and questioned but denied everything. Confronted with the eye witness testimonies, the damage to his truck and green paint at the crime scene, he admitted that he had knocked Helen down by accident. Later, he confessed all about raping and killing her, then led Police to the well. Her body was not a pretty sight. Charged with murder, Meyer was convicted and went to the chair in April 1937.
Police delved into the background of Meyer and found that he had been in a juvenile reformatory, for shooting at two girls with a rifle. He was from a well off family in Downington, 12 miles away from the abduction site. He was regarded as sadistic, immune to pain, and had a psychopathic inferiority complex. Despite whatever mental issues Meyer had, he made a conscious decision to abduct, rape and then murder a schoolgirl. It was planned and thought out. He also had somewhere to take his victim. He deserved what he got.
Monday, 3 November 2014
Miscarriage of Justice - Andrew Evans
In a switch from condemning killers, this is a case in which a young soldier suffering from mental issues, was convicted of the savage murder of a schoolgirl, and spent the next twenty five years in jail. He confessed to the crime after supposedly seeing the victims face IN A DREAM! There was not a shred of evidence against him, only his confession, and even some of the details did not match the facts of the crime scene. Details of a local crime are reported by the media and it is easy to come by some facts.
Andrew Evans was a soldier awaiting a medical discharge from the Forces, after suffering from an asthma attack. He was semi-literate, very nervous and was socially inept. He was serving at Whittington Barracks near Tamworth, Staffordshire. It was on June 7th 1972, that 14 year old Grammar School pupil Judith Roberts, was cycling along Comberford Lane, from her home in Wiggington, when she was attacked and beaten to death. A massive Police investigation involving two hundred officers, took over 15,000 sets of fingerprints, more than 11,000 statements and knocked on over 11,000 doors. Soldiers were asked to account for their movements on the day in question, at the Whittington Barracks. Evans gave three alibi witnesses but Police could not trace one, and the other two were not at the barracks at the time. Evans had been discharged from service the day before the murder. He was visited by Police at his grandmother`s. Later on, he insisted on going to the Police station, saying that he kept seeing a girl`s face in a dream and wanted to see a picture of the victim. Despite the obviously distressed condition he was in, he was questioned but said he did not know if he had done it. The Police were dismissive at first, but gradually came to believe he was the culprit, despite the complete absence of Judith`s blood on any of his clothes, the fingerprints on her bike did not match his, and no witnesses at all. All there was as evidence was his confession, which he retracted. A drug called Bietal was used to elicit the truth from him, but this drug was later discredited for inducing false memories, the basis of some of his defence. His defence suggested that he witnessed the murder but did not help, and so took on some responsibility.
He was convicted at Birmingham Crown Court in June 1973 and sentenced to life. He was then very thoughtfully informed that he had no grounds for appeal, so he sat back to spend many years in jail. It was in 1994, that through a couple of people, his case was taken up by two men working in Television, and an appeal was launched. In 1997, the Court of Appeal quashed his conviction and cited a number of failings. These included no medical help being offered despite the obvious state of hysteria he was in. He was never asked if he wanted to see a Solicitor - a Doctor or Solicitor would have never allowed him to be questioned or give a statement as he was unfit to. He was never repeatedly cautioned about what he was saying, a psychiatrist at the trial said that Evans was suffering from amnesia, and it was obvious that Evans was under great stress and anxiety. There was no evidence at all to link him to the crime. A print on Judith`s bike was not his. The Appeal Judges said that under the rules now, his statement would have been inadmissible.
Police later said that the inquiry would not be reopened as all leads had been exhausted. They also said that their men followed correct procedure and there was no misconduct on any officers part. In 2000, Andrew Evans received £750,000 in compensation. One point struck me; Judith was dragged from her bike. Just like April Fabb and Genette Tate. Judith was beaten to death. Did she fight back just a little too much, resulting in violence? We know which person has been considered a suspect for these disappearances. Robert Black. Like April and Genette, Judith was attacked in a country lane. Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not.
Andrew Evans was a soldier awaiting a medical discharge from the Forces, after suffering from an asthma attack. He was semi-literate, very nervous and was socially inept. He was serving at Whittington Barracks near Tamworth, Staffordshire. It was on June 7th 1972, that 14 year old Grammar School pupil Judith Roberts, was cycling along Comberford Lane, from her home in Wiggington, when she was attacked and beaten to death. A massive Police investigation involving two hundred officers, took over 15,000 sets of fingerprints, more than 11,000 statements and knocked on over 11,000 doors. Soldiers were asked to account for their movements on the day in question, at the Whittington Barracks. Evans gave three alibi witnesses but Police could not trace one, and the other two were not at the barracks at the time. Evans had been discharged from service the day before the murder. He was visited by Police at his grandmother`s. Later on, he insisted on going to the Police station, saying that he kept seeing a girl`s face in a dream and wanted to see a picture of the victim. Despite the obviously distressed condition he was in, he was questioned but said he did not know if he had done it. The Police were dismissive at first, but gradually came to believe he was the culprit, despite the complete absence of Judith`s blood on any of his clothes, the fingerprints on her bike did not match his, and no witnesses at all. All there was as evidence was his confession, which he retracted. A drug called Bietal was used to elicit the truth from him, but this drug was later discredited for inducing false memories, the basis of some of his defence. His defence suggested that he witnessed the murder but did not help, and so took on some responsibility.
He was convicted at Birmingham Crown Court in June 1973 and sentenced to life. He was then very thoughtfully informed that he had no grounds for appeal, so he sat back to spend many years in jail. It was in 1994, that through a couple of people, his case was taken up by two men working in Television, and an appeal was launched. In 1997, the Court of Appeal quashed his conviction and cited a number of failings. These included no medical help being offered despite the obvious state of hysteria he was in. He was never asked if he wanted to see a Solicitor - a Doctor or Solicitor would have never allowed him to be questioned or give a statement as he was unfit to. He was never repeatedly cautioned about what he was saying, a psychiatrist at the trial said that Evans was suffering from amnesia, and it was obvious that Evans was under great stress and anxiety. There was no evidence at all to link him to the crime. A print on Judith`s bike was not his. The Appeal Judges said that under the rules now, his statement would have been inadmissible.
Police later said that the inquiry would not be reopened as all leads had been exhausted. They also said that their men followed correct procedure and there was no misconduct on any officers part. In 2000, Andrew Evans received £750,000 in compensation. One point struck me; Judith was dragged from her bike. Just like April Fabb and Genette Tate. Judith was beaten to death. Did she fight back just a little too much, resulting in violence? We know which person has been considered a suspect for these disappearances. Robert Black. Like April and Genette, Judith was attacked in a country lane. Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not.
Sunday, 2 November 2014
William Dean Christensen - Serial Killer
It is staggering the amount of serial killers that have roamed the streets of this world, yet, most are unknown names. They are not part of what might be termed the "celebrity" clique. This means Bundy, Gacy, Dahmer, Shawcross, etc in the USA. But these lesser known killers, are as deadly as anybody else. Another name that comes into this category, is William Christensen. It is not clear just exactly how many lives he snuffed out, but there is no doubt he was an absolutely remorseless and sadistic killer. No doubt the usual excuses were put forward for this man`s acts of pure evil - abusive childhood, neglect, isolation, not allowed to watch Andy Hardy films - but thankfully he has been incarcerated for coming on 30 years. Rest assured, he will have been shown more compassion than all his victims were ever shown.
Christensen was born in Bethseda, Maryland, in 1945. He acquired his first major conviction in 1969, and it set a pattern for more than ten years. He had stabbed a young girl in Washington, DC, but did not receive a serious sentence because two years later, in 1971, he raped a go-go dancer in Maryland and was put away for nine years. He served the full sentence was because he was released in 1980. Christensen then moved to Montreal in Canada, using an alias, "Richard Owen" and he was soon back in jail, in April 1981, for an indecent assault. He was released a year later and now Christensen exploded. No sooner was he out, than an horrifically dismembered body, that of Sylvie Trudel, 27, was found in a Montreal apartment. The room had been rented to "Richard Owen." Then Police, 50 miles away, discovered another dismembered body in bin bags, at Mille-Isles. The victim was 26 year old Murielle Guay. Was there a connection between this murder and the Montreal murder? Initially, Police were cautious about saying so, but within days, warrants for murder were issued for Christensen.
Christensen did not hang around in Canada and made his way back across the border, visited his parents in Pennsylvania, got money from them, then he travelled through seven states, drifting. His killings did not end. In Scranton, he murdered Michelle Angiers on September 13th 1982. Michelle was knifed to death. The following year, in Trenton, New Jersey, two men were shot and wounded by Christensen in a bar. Then in December 1883, he had another altercation in a bar. This time it was in Philadelphia, and his ensuing fight with 51 year old Jeff Schrader, left the elder man dead. Police arrested him, and searched his apartment. They found blood, hair and a blood stained hacksaw. Whose blood and hair was it? He was convicted of killing Mr Schrader and given life without parole.
After exhaustive checks of his history, Canadian Police closed the files on the two murders, convinced Christensen had committed them. He was a suspect in two other murders, committed in a similar fashion. Authorities in both the States and Canada believe Christensen could have been responsible for at least thirty murders. Given the fact that killing, and even in the most gruesome fashion, did not bother him in the slightest, does make this possible.
Christensen was born in Bethseda, Maryland, in 1945. He acquired his first major conviction in 1969, and it set a pattern for more than ten years. He had stabbed a young girl in Washington, DC, but did not receive a serious sentence because two years later, in 1971, he raped a go-go dancer in Maryland and was put away for nine years. He served the full sentence was because he was released in 1980. Christensen then moved to Montreal in Canada, using an alias, "Richard Owen" and he was soon back in jail, in April 1981, for an indecent assault. He was released a year later and now Christensen exploded. No sooner was he out, than an horrifically dismembered body, that of Sylvie Trudel, 27, was found in a Montreal apartment. The room had been rented to "Richard Owen." Then Police, 50 miles away, discovered another dismembered body in bin bags, at Mille-Isles. The victim was 26 year old Murielle Guay. Was there a connection between this murder and the Montreal murder? Initially, Police were cautious about saying so, but within days, warrants for murder were issued for Christensen.
Christensen did not hang around in Canada and made his way back across the border, visited his parents in Pennsylvania, got money from them, then he travelled through seven states, drifting. His killings did not end. In Scranton, he murdered Michelle Angiers on September 13th 1982. Michelle was knifed to death. The following year, in Trenton, New Jersey, two men were shot and wounded by Christensen in a bar. Then in December 1883, he had another altercation in a bar. This time it was in Philadelphia, and his ensuing fight with 51 year old Jeff Schrader, left the elder man dead. Police arrested him, and searched his apartment. They found blood, hair and a blood stained hacksaw. Whose blood and hair was it? He was convicted of killing Mr Schrader and given life without parole.
After exhaustive checks of his history, Canadian Police closed the files on the two murders, convinced Christensen had committed them. He was a suspect in two other murders, committed in a similar fashion. Authorities in both the States and Canada believe Christensen could have been responsible for at least thirty murders. Given the fact that killing, and even in the most gruesome fashion, did not bother him in the slightest, does make this possible.
Saturday, 1 November 2014
Child Killer Saved From Death Sentence
In an unbelievably savage bout of jealousy, Richard McTear, 26, killed a baby infant. Why???? Because the child`s mother had the bare faced audacity to leave him. Despite an appalling history of domestic violence, a jury in Hillsborough County, Tampa, decided not to recommend the death penalty for this sick bastard. It was in May 2009 that McTear attacked former girlfriend, 17 at the time. Not content with violence - showing how much of a real man he was - he then snatched her three month old baby son and made off at high speed. Getting on to Interstate 275, he kept up the high speed, and then he threw the infant out of the car!!! Police quickly apprehended him and he was charged with first degree murder and kidnapping.
As usual, his defence spun the crap - bad childhood, violence in the home, etc but this monster could really serve a purpose in prison because he was taking up religious training. I wonder if what some people believe - an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth - would have been considered by his defence, when putting this forward. To do what he did, you are beyond any redemption in my view. My friend Melvin always says "The Chinese have got it right. A bullet to the back of the head." However, the Jury chose to be forgiving. Did they think about the suffering of Jasmine Bedwell and her family? Obviously not.
As usual, his defence spun the crap - bad childhood, violence in the home, etc but this monster could really serve a purpose in prison because he was taking up religious training. I wonder if what some people believe - an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth - would have been considered by his defence, when putting this forward. To do what he did, you are beyond any redemption in my view. My friend Melvin always says "The Chinese have got it right. A bullet to the back of the head." However, the Jury chose to be forgiving. Did they think about the suffering of Jasmine Bedwell and her family? Obviously not.
Twisted Killer Given Death Sentence
Another sick, deviant killer has been given the death sentence for three appalling murders in the USA. The death penalty is still available in around thirty seven states, but it is remarkable just how long the appeals process drag on for. The man, who people will weep for much more than for his victims, is 56 year old William Clyde Gibson. He waived a jury sentencing for his third murder, and let the Judge pass the sentence of death, in New Albany, Floyd County, in Indiana. He found himself in serious trouble when Police in April 2012, dug up his garden. A woman, 35 year old Stephanie Kirk, had been reported missing, and four weeks later they found her. She had been the victim of horrifying violence. Her back had been broken and she had been strangled. She had also been subjected to savage, sexual deviancy.
But this was only the start. In October 2013, Gibson had been sentenced to death for another sexually motivated murder. His victim was 75 year old Christine Whitis. She too, had had her spine broken. She had been subjected to - wait for it - sexual deviancy. Not content with this, he had also hacked off one of her breasts. Her body was discovered in his garage by his own sisters. Thank christ these women were not the sort to cover up for family, regardless of the crime. He claimed that he "had not meant to kill her" but she did rebuff his sexual advances. My god, what kind of world are we living in, when women are rejecting men! Disgraceful!!! His defence came up with the usual garbage, abused as a child, Bi-polar, etc, etc. He claimed that Miss Whitis made a nasty remark about his deceased mother. But did she?
To top it off, Gibson had also been given a 65 year sentence for murdering 44 year old Karen Hodella in 2002. She was found decomposing alongside the Ohio River in October of that year. She had multiple stab wounds. All in all, an extremely unpleasant and dangerous man. This will drag on for years, but for nowhere near as long as the suffering of the victims families.
But this was only the start. In October 2013, Gibson had been sentenced to death for another sexually motivated murder. His victim was 75 year old Christine Whitis. She too, had had her spine broken. She had been subjected to - wait for it - sexual deviancy. Not content with this, he had also hacked off one of her breasts. Her body was discovered in his garage by his own sisters. Thank christ these women were not the sort to cover up for family, regardless of the crime. He claimed that he "had not meant to kill her" but she did rebuff his sexual advances. My god, what kind of world are we living in, when women are rejecting men! Disgraceful!!! His defence came up with the usual garbage, abused as a child, Bi-polar, etc, etc. He claimed that Miss Whitis made a nasty remark about his deceased mother. But did she?
To top it off, Gibson had also been given a 65 year sentence for murdering 44 year old Karen Hodella in 2002. She was found decomposing alongside the Ohio River in October of that year. She had multiple stab wounds. All in all, an extremely unpleasant and dangerous man. This will drag on for years, but for nowhere near as long as the suffering of the victims families.
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