Blogcritics

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

True Crime Update 3/28/06

Patfish — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 07:30:42 EST

Sensational and heinous crimes across the nation, notable for the type of crime, the celebrity of the criminal, or both. The Minister's WifeA woman shooting her husband isn't all that odd. Add the component that the husband was a minister beloved by his congregation and the disappearance of the wife and three children after the deed and there's the makings of a true crime that doesn't end with just the facts.Mary Alice Winkler was a substitute teacher at a local school, Matthew Winkler was a minister, and the three daughters are adorable. By all accounts, the family participated in normal social events and always seemed companionable and happy.It's always that way, isn't it?The good news is that Mary Winkler and the three daughters were found safe. It had initially been feared that the disappearance of Matthew Winkler's family after his death could indicate a forced abduction, although that bit about the family van also missing seemed to point to a wife taking off after shooting her husband.Once Mary Winkler was found, speculation abounded. Why did she kill her husband, the handsome cable anchors asked. Where are the children? Why did she run? Where was she going?The latest is that Mary Winkler has been charged with first-degree murder of her husband. That first-degree thing is ominous as it implicates pre-meditation.When reporters queried the police on the whereabouts of the children, the police were oddly mum. "They are at the police station and being questioned gently by authorities," I paraphrase the response. The public was assured that the children did not witness the murder.Now one would suppose that questioning the children was required in this circumstance but it seemed that as a response to every query, the police responded that the children were still being questioned. This went on, as the handsome cable news anchors kept reporting, for over eight hours by my count.Also, the handsome cable news anchors kept reassuring us that the motive for the murder was not infidelity. Now it is softly whispered that Mary Winkler might have killed her husband for abusing the daughters.The crime was not done in the passion of a marital moment of discord else that first-degree thing would not be in effect. Also, the lengthy questioning of the children seemed odd. The children have now been released to their grandparents, the handsome cable anchors report.If speculation proves correct, this could be an interesting case. Will a woman who murdered her husband for abusing their children get a pass? Are the prosecutors fairly certain that this first-degree charge will stick? Will this be a death penalty case?For now it's all naught but speculation, although I'd argue the handsome cable news anchors are fueling the flames. Soon enough Mary Winkler will get an attorney and soon after that the attorney will be all over the airwaves telling of the awful predicament his client was in and there you'll have it. If speculation proves correct, then this is a case that will be tried before the public.From the Jackson Sun: By ANDREW TRAN Jackson Sun Originally published March 24, 2006 SELMER - The wife of a Selmer minister found slain in his parsonage was being questioned Thursday night as a suspect in his death after she and her three young daughters were found unharmed almost 400 miles from home. Mary Winkler, 32, was spotted by police parked along the side of a road in Orange Beach, Ala., in the couple's minivan about 7:30 p.m. The couple's three daughters, Breanna Winkler, 1, Mary Alice Winkler, 6, and Patricia Winkler, 8, "appear to be in good physical condition," and their mother was cooperative with police, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Jennifer Johnson said. There was no one else with the Winkler family at the time they were found, Johnson said. Since Mary Winkler was found with no evidence of trauma and with no extra passenger, authorities said it begs questions about why she was found in Alabama almost 24 hours after her husband was found dead. Aruban Cop Theory on Natalee Holloway-DuhThe Aruban Keystone Kops have a theory on what happened to Natalee Holloway and it isn't that she was murdered. According to the head Keystone Kop, Gerold Dompig, Natalee likely died from a lethal combination of drugs and alcohol. Dompig claims that Joran and that other duo of lies and deceit are still suspects as they likely had something to do with it.According to Dompig, Natalee was seen "in possession" of drugs. No mention on what drugs Natalee had or who the witness is that reported this. Also the Aruban police say they've received reliable information on where Natalee's body is buried and, just as soon as the Aruban police are done with all their press interviews, they damn well intend to go look.It's been speculated for about forever that Natalee might have been slipped a date-rape drug. This is nothing new. I'd buy that the Kalpoe boys and lovely, lying Joran didn't intend to murder Natalee, that a date-rape drug combined with the alcohol may have caused Natalee to unexpectedly die to the boys' lustful horror.I doubt very seriously those "drugs" Natalee was alleged to have in her possession were date-rape drugs. Go on. This is not something a female would keep on hand. I'd guess Natalee had a dime bag of pot or some such and if so, it's a great leap to this fact being affirmation of death by drugs and alcohol; the implication being that Natalee administered the drugs to herself.From CBS news: Cop's Theory: Natalee Wasn't Murdered (CBS) Gerold Dompig, deputy chief of police in Aruba and the man leading the investigation into the disappearance of Alabama teen Natalee Holloway, tells 48 Hours correspondent Troy Roberts he feels strongly that Holloway was not murdered, but probably died from complications involving alcohol and, possibly, drugs as well. Dompig makes his remarks in an exclusive interview this Saturday, March 25 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The chief investigator tells Roberts that he has credible witnesses who say the young woman had drugs in her possession. Dompig also says police have witnesses who claim Holloway was drinking "excessively" on the day she disappeared. Update on Missing Family in Motor HomeAs reported in this column last week, the Stiver family embarked on a trip to the coast in their motor home only to end up missing for over two weeks.The first new information since last week and as a commenter pointed out, the entire family has been found. All were well having gotten stranded on a snowy road but with plenty of supplies to keep them warm and well-fed.But there's another intriguing tidbit about this odd journey. Seems Peter Stivers' mother and step-father were wanted in Arizona for drug charges. From what I've read about the charges, they're not benign, involving the discovery of bags of crack on their property. Mr. And Mrs. Higginbotham have suddenly disappeared from the public stage. Later articles have the couple vowing to clear their name and restore their reputation.From the source of the quote below Peter also declared that he only sees his parents once every eight years or so and this seems odd. He also affirms his parents' "shady past". Yet they all went on this jaunt and under the circumstances should have renewed their acquaintance over the many days they were stranded.It's been asserted that this "disappearance" was planned to keep authorities away from the Higginbothams, although I don't know how this would work because they had to return home someday.From Dailytidings.com: Currently, no one knows the whereabouts of Elbert Higginbotham and Rebecca Ann Bess (aka Becky Higginbotham), according to the family. The pair are wanted in Arizona on drug charges. Higginbotham last met with a Daily Tidings reporter at 2 p.m. Thursday. "He went to the hospital to pick up his medicine," Ed Hill, grandfather of the children who were stranded for 17 days, said at the 3 p.m. press conference. Higginbotham was informed of the warrant earlier in the day. Later, at their home, the Hills said they did not know where Higginbotham and Bess might have gone. "They may have checked into a hotel," said their daughter-in-law Marlo Hill-Stivers, who was stranded in an RV with them. "We haven't heard from them all day." Peter Stivers, son of Bess and step-son of Higginbotham, said he suspected that his parents' shady past would come up as media attention grew. Missing for Ten Years, Now Home AgainTanya Kach was 14 years old when she went missing. She is now 24 and by befriending a deli owner, the "Sparico" referred to in the quote below, she was discovered and re-united with her family.If ever a story had way more to it than currently in the public knowledge, it has to be this one. Her "abductor" is a school security guard, Thomas Hose. Tanya was kept against her will, so she alleges, by Hose, who also lives with his elderly parents.Now for ten years this guy kept Kach captive right under his parents' nose and they didn't notice? Indeed, Tanya was out and about, witness her deli-owner friend. And she couldn't plea for safe release? Further, Hose's attorney is currently all over the airwaves declaring his client completely innocent and this is in "no way" a kidnap case.Getting away from "blaming the victim" mentality, Tanya was only 14-years old at the time of her "abduction." Hose was considerably older and even if he and Tanya were in love or some such, this is still a crime. Yet Tanya is now 24 and if it can't be proven that she was held against her will, do any charges of statutory rape still stand?From ABCnews.com Sparico told "Good Morning America" the alleged captor is a security guard at a school, and that he brainwashed her into thinking that her family didn't want her anymore. He and Kach had allegedly concocted a cover story, telling people that she'd met him when he was 18 and he was working as a security guard at a mall. Sparico said Kach told him she was kept in a bedroom in the house of her captor's parents. She said the parents were unaware she was there, because he locked her in when he went to work. Interesting Littlejohn UpdateBesides having the earmarks of a fledgling serial murder, lies by bar owners, and possible other connected crimes, all reported here on a recent true crime article, the murder of Imette St. Guillen takes another twist. And it's not good.For Darryl Littlejohn, the ex-con bar bouncer and alleged murderer of St. Guillen, is prone to nosebleeds. Which could explain the presence of Littlejohn's blood on those cable ties used to bind St. Guillen's hands.It would seem, as I speculate, that Littlejohn's defense will be that his blood on the cable ties, even the cat hairs on the blanket, are all because he worked at The Falls bar and these items are allegedly from the basement of that bar.So as an employee, and prone to nose bleeds, it's possible that Littlejohn had a nosebleed at some point while rooting around The Falls bar's cellar.From the Boston Herald.com: Source: Bloody nose likely DNA source By Michele McPhee Boston Herald Thursday, March 23, 2006 - Updated: 01:26 PM EST NEW YORK - A history of nose bleeds could explain why Darryl Littlejohn's blood was found smeared on the plastic bindings used to tie up murder victim Imette St. Guillen, a law enforcement said last night, hours after the career criminal was indicted and charged in her macabre murder. The career criminal accused of killing the Boston native claimed in a TV report aired last night that the absence of wounds on his body should raise questions about the blood allegedly containing his DNA found on plastic straps that bound St. Guillen's wrists. But a law enforcement source said jailed suspect Darryl Littlejohn is prone to nose bleeds, easily accounting for the evidence. He is charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, and unlawful imprisonment. In a jail interview with WCBS-TV, Littlejohn, 41, denied killing St. Guillen and said police "have the wrong person." Bi-polar Debra LaFave Goes FreeAnd she's damn mad about the media attention.Her press conference chastised us idiots out here in la-la land who don't get it that bi-polar disorder could cause such odd actions as teachers having sex with a young teen student in the back seat of a car.She's working on her public image, although I wouldn't be surprised to see this young woman as a Playboy centerfold sometime in the near future.The prosecutors settled on a plea deal in this case because LaFave's young victim would not testify. Simple as that. This decision has nothing at all to do with any bi-polar disorder, as LaFave would have us believe.The picture above is from LaFave's wedding day. If You Can't Be Drunk In a Bar, Then Where?Public drinking to the point of intoxication is a problem in that drunks tend to do bad things like drive or engage in any manner of behavior that is not to the public's greater good.So Texas plans on arresting drunk people right at the source. Well it might work.From Yahoo.com: Texas arresting people in bars for being drunk. SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - Texas has begun sending undercover agents into bars to arrest drinkers for being drunk, a spokeswoman for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission said on Wednesday. The first sting operation was conducted recently in a Dallas suburb where agents infiltrated 36 bars and arrested 30 people for public intoxication, said the commission's Carolyn Beck. Being in a bar does not exempt one from the state laws against public drunkenness, Beck said. The goal, she said, was to detain drunks before they leave a bar and go do something dangerous like drive a car. "We feel that the only way we're going to get at the drunk driving problem and the problem of people hurting each other while drunk is by crackdowns like this," she said. With tongue-in-cheek and for leaving with a smile, we humbly offer the following warnings be placed on alcohol containers. Thanks to Granpa Russ email group.WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may make you think you are: Whispering when you are not. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol is a major factor in dancing like a retard. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause you to tell your friends over and over again that you love them. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause you to think you can sing. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may lead you to believe that ex-lovers are really dying for you to telephone them at four in the morning. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may make you think you can logically converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may create the illusion that you are tougher, smarter, faster and better looking than most people. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may lead you to think people are laughing WITH you. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may be a major factor in getting your ass kicked. WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may leave you wondering what the hell happened to your bra and panties. WARNING: The crumsumpten of alcohol may Mack you tink you kan tpye reel gode

Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.

Pat lives in Delaware with her husband. They are owned by four cats, two dogs and one adorable granddaughter. Pat Fish is a published author and her books have drawn attention from her fellow reviewers on Blogcritics. Reviews of Memoirs of Josephine Fish and Mystery and Mirth have been conveniently provided for your reading pleasure.

True Crime Update 3/14/06

Patfish — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 18:54:39 EST

Sensational and heinous crimes across the nation, notable for the type of crime, the celebrity of the criminal, or both. Imette St. Guillen and Darryl LittlejohnThe murder of Imette St. Guillen was first reported in a True Crime Update dated 3/7/06. At that time not much was known about the perp, the crime, or the details, save a strange 911 call by persons unknown about a dead body and where it was located. Since then so much as had been learned and there's some intrigue.A quick review of all that has been learned in a week would include a possible perp, lies by the bar owners, allegations of other crimes by the alleged perp, details on St. Guillen's behavior the night she left The Falls bar, a non-identification of the perp in a line-up and the collection of much incriminating forensic evidence.Let us begin with the reason why this crime captured the attention of the country, not to mention the cable networks. For this crime, initially, was whispered to be the possible beginning of a serial crime spree. All of the elements fell into place and vaunted investigators across the spectrum filled the airwaves explaining the ominous meaning of the 911 call, the strange disposal of the body and other indicators of a serial murderer. And fact is, the speculated perp, Darryl Littlejohn, might well have went on to more horrendous crimes and it's likely he's already involved in many attacks on women in the New York area.First, St. Guillen's timeline on the night she was murdered. At about 3:40 a.m. Imette left her friend at the Pioneer Bar in lower Manhattan. A security tape shows Imette leaving the bar so this time is firm. She then walked several blocks and stopped at The Falls bar in Soho shortly before closing time. Imette's friend phoned her on cell and Imette did verify that she was in another bar.At this point the testimony of witnesses and bar persons in charge gets murky and confused. Darryl Littlejohn was a bouncer at the Falls bar, this we know. What's not clear is how Imette behaved when asked to leave, who left with her, who saw her after she left, where she was, whether a scream was heard.I do know that lawyers representing the bar owner notified the police and supposedly gave a detailed story of what went down. This is odd. Why did an attorney have to phone the police to give a statement?While details of the bar workers' and patrons' statements are still not at all clear, I did see reporters discussing the case on the Dan Abrams' show. The reporters said that the bar's owner was not on duty that night but his brother was. Frankly I don't believe the police have revealed much of the information about the bar owners'/managers' statements and much of the Abrams' discussion was speculation. That bit about an attorney handling the details of the bar owners' statement is still odd. Another odd twist but having nothing to do with nothing, is that building in which the Falls bar is located belongs to the husband of Geraldine Ferraro, a former Vice-Presidential candidate.Whatever the case with conflicting statements of the bar owner and/or brother, there is a problem looming for them for hiring Darryl Littlejohn as bouncer to begin with.Which brings us to Darryl Littlejohn. Who has turned out to be a strange character and is definitely a "person of interest" in this crime.Littlejohn, it seems, might well have been involved in other crimes. From the Boston Herald: NEW YORK - NYPD investigators are probing whether jailed parolee Darryl Littlejohn, the Manhattan bar bouncer being eyed in the slaying of Imette St. Guillen, is connected to the rapes of three New York women who were brutalized by a van-driving man posing as a federal agent, law enforcement sources told the Herald. "There is a serial rapist posing as a federal agent, grabbing women, who has struck at least three times" in the New York City area, an official source said yesterday. "Littlejohn has been known to impersonate law enforcement. He has a van. We are taking a very close look at those cases," the source said. In the three attacks, the rapist identified himself as an immigration officer before pulling the women into the van and throwing a blanket over their heads so they could not identify him, the sources said. He then drove to an underground garage, where the women were raped and sexually assaulted. No DNA evidence was recovered from the three attacks. The victims told investigators their attacker wiped them down after the rape with some sort of disinfectant swabs, the police sources said. Investigators who searched Littlejohn's residence in Queens from Monday evening into yesterday morning recovered alcohol swabs and plastic ties in his home, the sources said. They also took sections of his carpet, hair samples and fibers, a law enforcement source said. We've bolded that bit about the alcohol swabs as it is this sort of commonality that catches a serial criminal of any sort. After a little research it can be ascertained that Darryl Littlejohn is not the smartest criminal in the world.Veronika Belenkaya is a reporter for the NY Daily News. When reports of Imette's muder surface, like any good reporter, Belenkaya ran interviews with the employees of the Falls bar. Darryl Littlejohn was one such employee and some of his statements to Belenkaya are very revealing. He said two police SUVs were parked in front of his house."I'm looking at them right now," he said. "I went to the corner grocery and I came up to them and asked, 'Do you want anything?'" he said. "They pretended they didn't know who I am."The strong police presence inside the bar also struck a raw nerve with Littlejohn. "They're hurting the business," he said. "We're like a family."Then his attention suddenly shifted back to himself. "I'm not taking away what happened to this lady and not to play the race card, but you are singling out the only black guy," Littlejohn said."Do you still want to talk to me?" he asked toward the end of our conversation. "Am I going to see this in the newspaper tomorrow?" "I understand it's your job," he added, before we said goodbye, the friendliness returning to his voice, a tone suggesting we would speak again soon. That bit about whether his statements would be in the paper says something about Littlejohn. This is a man looking for notoriety not unlike the BTK murderer. Consider. Littlejohn was interviewed by a local paper as part of a reporter's initial investigation into the story. Surely Littlejohn knew that the facts would be revealed; that he himself would likely be under investigation. Yet he not only yaks with the reporter freely, he calls her back with more information and queries as to when he might see his wisdom published.This is the sort of perp who couldn't bear to have his perfectly prepared dead victim left undiscovered for the celebration he deserves. This is the sort of perp who would phone 911 to inform police where they could find his work of art.The other odd development on this case this past week is the failure of a former rape victim to identify Littlejohn in a lineup. This victim was allegedly raped by a man posing as an Immigration Agent. The man pulled her into his van, raped her then made her wipe down with these swabs. Swabs of disinfectant that police believed the perp used to eliminate damaging DNA evidence. According to a legal pundit I watched on Fox's Greta Van Sustern's show, this victim identified Littlejohn from a picture but couldn't, or wouldn't, identify him in an actual lineup.I think it's very possible this victim was scared. She had already been victimized by this guy. At the time of the lineup she knew Littlejohn was suspected in Imette's murder. He was being held only for violation of parole as investigators had no other crime for which to hold him. Were I a victim in that situation I'd be leery of pointing fingers at a possible murderer so vicious as to kill Imette so horrifically. Of course the victim might have been unable to identify Littlejohn in the lineup and for now, it's unknown why.Rogue FBI Agent Charged With Complicity in MurdersHere's a development with major implications that boggle my mind.Seems that for a decade approximately from the mid-80's to the mid-90's, the FBI successfully prosecuted members of the Colombo crime family. I vaguely recall this vaunted era of the FBI and these many investigative victories.Only now it seems that one major investigator might have been, intentionally, involved in the murder of three people while this probe went on.R. Lindley DeVecchio was an FBI agent who had evidently cultivated many snitches in the mob subjects of his investigation. Now DeVecchio faces charges that he deliberately leaked the names of FBI informants in the mob to one of his own favored informants, one Gregory Scarpa. Scarpa then arranged or actively participated in, the murder of these informants.From Captainsquarters.com: In a case with stunning implications for both law enforcement and some convicted gangsters, prosecutors have decided to seek murder charges against a former mob-busting FBI agent for involvement in at least three Brooklyn Mafia hits between 1984 and 1992, Gang Land has learned. The Brooklyn district attorney's office has concluded a six-month probe of the scandalous allegations against R. Lindley DeVecchio and will soon ask a grand jury to vote on murder charges against the retired agent, sources said. The move could come as early as today. The implications of all this are major. If DeVecchio is found guilty then all of the mob cases tried during that era can be declared a mistrial. Whatever DeVecchio's reasons for allowing other FBI informants to be killed, the whole thing certainly casts suspicion on any case involving DeVecchio. I also wonder about inter-agency FBI competition and whether DeVecchio's identification of FBI informants was part of his own super-hero campaign to be the FBI guy really bringing home the bacon. Alabama Church Burnings a Joke?In the interest of the greater public good we present for public viewing, the fine trio who thought burning down churches in Alabama would be a grand joke.Such fine representations of youth and vigor they are. Let the world know what they look like, may they not hide from the derision of their stupidity.From CNN.com: Three Birmingham college students were arrested and charged Wednesday in connection with a string of Alabama church fires that is described in court papers as a joke that "got out of hand," authorities said. The students -- Ben Moseley and Russell DeBusk, both 19, and Matthew Lee Cloyd, 20 -- are suspected in nine of the 10 fires last month. The suspects were held on federal charges of conspiracy and setting fire to Ashby Baptist Church in Bibb County. In court filings, all three admitted being involved in the arson fires. No one was injured in any of the blazes. The Strange Case of the Text Messages"Help. I'm scared. I don't know where I am," one of the text messages that Natasha Browne sent her mother said, Stella Browne told The Jersey Journal of Jersey City for Wednesday's newspapers. As of this writing it's still very confusing what might have happened to Natasha except the latest info is that the girl has been found. Now the cloud surrounding this strange case is whether Natasha was playing a hoax on her mother or whether her desperate pleas for help were genuine.For the text message referenced in the above paragraph is benign compared to the many also received by her distraught mother. Several indicated that she was tied up in a basement, at least one indicated she was trapped in the trunk of a Hummer. Hummer's not having trunks as I understand it and this is only part of the strangeness.Natasha did have contact with three older men. Whether this was a pre-arranged meeting is unclear.From Newsday.com: On Thursday, Jersey City said they were questioning three men -- a 20-year-old and two 19-year-olds -- that none had been charged, and they were not involved in the alleged rape. Police said all had been cooperative and truthful. Wisely said the girl had met with at least one of the three men on Monday when she skipped school. The other two live with that man. The girl met the man about three or four weeks ago at a shopping mall and became friends, agreeing to stay in touch by cell phone text messaging, police said. "If it turns out to be a total hoax, quite frankly, I feel sorry for (the girl) and her parents," the chief said. "I would not say that precludes us from bringing any charges." That bit about having met one of the men at a mall three or four weeks before Natasha's strange text messages sticks out like a sore thumb. I also read that a classmate of Natasha's said Natasha told her she would not be at school the day she went missing, that she (Natasha) had a previously planned medical appointment.From the Press of Atlantic City: Police Chief Robert Troy said the 13-year-old girl, who had last been seen by her mother on Monday, approached a person on a Brooklyn street at 1 a.m. Thursday and said she had been raped by two men. The person called police and called the girl's mother, authorities said. Police said the girl did not have serious health problems, that New York police were investigating the rape allegations and it was not clear whether the girl went to New York willingly. "The majority of things she's done since she went out of the house has been voluntary," said Police Capt. Jack Wisely. It's oblique but very telling, the above reference by Captain Wisely, that the majority of things Natasha's done since she went missing has been "voluntary". Young Natasha's going to be in a heap of legal trouble if her whole act was faked. Not to mention the wrath of her beleaguered mother.Driving ReduxI've seen plenty of young women driving down the road applying make-up and combing hairs. So I don't know why those North Wales police couldn't believe their eyes as mine own fine eyes are already jaded from the sight.So okay, this particular driver had both hands off the wheel while the young ladies of my sightings appeared to have at least one hand on the wheel. But why the surprise? Driving is a serious task and such as talking on cell phones, munching on hamburgers and, yes, putting on make-up, provide the one distraction that makes any accident waiting to happen ... happen.From an email list, via Reuters, we have: North Wales police couldn't believe their eyes when a camera at a notorious accident spot caught a driver using both hands to put on her make-up. Donna Maddock, 22, was filmed as she drove along the A499, one of Britain's most dangerous roads. She held a mirror in her left hand and an eye pencil in her right, leaving the steering wheel to itself. A Sex Offender?Came across this on a true crime newsgroup and was taken aback. From the State of Ohio Electronic Sex Offender Site we discover that this odd-looking little fellow is a registered sex offender. One must wonder how he can get close enough to anyone to offend. From the little I've read about this "Mr. Peppers" (yes, that's allegedly his name), he's into really strange stuff.Stupid Criminal AlertThese sorts of stupid criminal compilations are common across the mighty Internet. This most recent one passed through my in-box recently and I thought it might be time for a re-visit. I'd heard the one about the convenience store, but the others are new to me. 8. As a female shopper exited a New York convenience store, a man grabbed her purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately, and the woman was able to give them a detailed description of the snatcher. Within minutes, the police apprehended the snatcher. They put him in the car and drove back to the store. The thief was then taken out of the car and told to stand there for a positive ID. To which he replied, "Yes, officer, that's her. That's the lady I stole the purse from." 9. The Arbor News crime column reported that a man walked into a Burger King in Ypsilanti, Michigan, at 5 a.m., flashed a gun, and demanded cash. The clerk turned him down because he said he couldn't open the cash register without a food order. When the man ordered onion rings, the clerk said they weren't available for breakfast. The man, frustrated, walked away. ******A 5-STAR STUPIDITY AWARD WINNER***** 10. When a man attempted to siphon gasoline from a motor home parked on a Seattle street, he got much more than he bargained for. Police arrived at the scene to find a very sick man curled up next to a motor home near spilled sewage. A police spokesman said that the man admitted to trying to steal gasoline and plugged his siphon hose into the motor home's sewage tank by mistake. The owner of the vehicle declined to press charges, saying that it was the best laugh he'd ever had.

Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.

True Crime Update 2/14/06

Patfish — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 11:52:34 EST

Sensational and heinous crimes across the nation, notable for the type of crime, the celebrity of the criminal, or both. Cindy Gets It WrongNo sooner had the dust settled on Cindy Sheehan's ouster from her front row perch at the State of the Union Speech when out comes Ms. Sheehan's rebuttal to the events of that night.As it would turn out, I have a rebuttal to Cindy's rebuttal.From Truthout.org-an excerpt: I had just sat down and I was warm from climbing 3 flights of stairs back up from the bathroom so I unzipped my jacket. I turned to the right to take my left arm out, when the same officer saw my shirt and yelled, "Protester." He then ran over to me, hauled me out of my seat, and roughly (with my hands behind my back) shoved me up the stairs. I said something like "I'm going, do you have to be so rough?" By the way, his name is Mike Weight. The officer ran with me to the elevators, yelling at everyone to move out of the way. When we got to the elevators, he cuffed me and took me outside to await a squad car. On the way out, someone behind me said, "That's Cindy Sheehan." At which point the officer who arrested me said, "Take these steps slowly." I said, "You didn't care about being careful when you were dragging me up the other steps." He said, "That's because you were protesting." Wow, I got hauled out of the People's House because I was "Protesting." Yes Cindy, you did get dragged out of the People's House because you were protesting. Which is not to insinuate, as you have so smarmily done, that protesting is not allowed in the United States of America. There are plenty of public streets and public parks and public sidewalks. Folks protest upon them all the time. As I recall you once parked your dictator-loving behind under a tent right on the road leading to the private home of the President of the United States. But no, you can't protest in places where the people's work is being done. You can't protest at a presidential inauguration. You can't protest at the State of the Union address as called for in this country's constitution. You can't protest during congressional legislative sessions.For why wouldn't everyone with a grudge, from the spotted owl to defamatory pictures of Mohammed, protest at these high profile functions? Sure, they'd love to. It can't be fun having to set up shop along a hot Texas highway but one choice is not where the people's business is being conducted. I know you don't like that, being Queen Cindy and all. But the same rules would apply to gentle and sweet me, they would apply to Greenpeace, they would apply to the "save the seals" crowd.Oh, and Cindy. I saw you being led out of the "People's House" and your arms were not forced behind your back. Now there's camera angles and such that might have hidden this from my lying eyeballs but I saw what I saw.Not that you would lie or anything.The rest of Cindy's story is at the link.It's Wal-Mart's Fault I Got PregnantI have no idea why Wal-Mart doesn't stock the so-called "morning after" pill in its Boston pharmacies. Though according to the article, Wal-Mart does not provide this pill in any other state besides Illinois, which requires it by state law. Massachusetts requires that pharmacies stock "normally prescribed" medications. Wal-Mart argues that the morning after pill does not fall in that category.Well if you can't drive Wal-Mart out of business by forcing it to provide health insurance to all of its employees as done recently in Maryland, then by all means, have the whole lot of them thrown in jail for causing your pregnancy.For in their endless search for a precious right to abortion, even the day after kind, NARAL and women's groups are suing Boston Wal-Marts for violating that "normally prescribed" law.Whatever happens with this rather frivolous lawsuit, it occurs to the silly me that stocking up on birth control should be small matter. Even that morning-after thing can be stored in the medicine cabinet for the ready when required. Further, according to Wal-Mart, plenty of drug stores in the Boston area do stock the pill and it is Wal-Mart's policy to direct patients to druggists that carry a prescription it does not.What's that? The Wal-Mart pharmacies are open all night and many of its competitors are not? Well if this magic pill is the day after pill, why does it have to be purchased in the middle of the night?Wethinks Wal-Mart should be sued silly for child support.From CNN: BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- Three Massachusetts women backed by pro-abortion rights groups sued Wal-Mart on Wednesday, saying the retail giant violated state law by failing to stock emergency contraception pills in its pharmacies. Remember Andrea Yates? Well she's out of jail.Andrea Yates shocked the nation after she ruthlessly drowned each and every one of her five children. These murders also left the country in a quandary. The assumption was, as any other was too heinous to consider, that the woman is nuts. She needed to be locked away, so went the popular sentiment, but she is so nuts she shouldn't be put to death.Which was well and good until her trial was declared a mistrial due to a really stupid witness for the prosecution. An expert witness offered that Andrea might have been influenced by a then recent Law and Order episode. Only problem being, that particular episode of the series was not shown until after this expert's testimony.The appeals court reasoned that this testimony might have unfairly tainted the jury's deliberations so a new trial has been ordered.Even so far, so good. Except for the little technicality that Yates was free to walk away from her prison of the criminally insane.Now an easily-achievable bond has been set for Andrea. "Voluntarily," as we are to understand, Andrea has chosen to be a patient at a mental health facility until her new trial begins.The concern here: what if her bail is raised and posted? Allegedly the bond as set by the judge was set with the understanding that Andrea would not go free.But she can. Yes she can. Andrea Yates can walk right out of her mental institution a free woman.How likely is this to happen? I'm supposing not likely.Yet it could. And if Yates should walk away from that mental hospital, let us all assume the woman is not crazy, that she was shrewd enough to get out of jail, shrewd enough to get herself released from further confinement. She might be shrewd enough to buy a plane ticket and get out of the country.It's worrisome to me. For if a woman can kill her five children and suffer minimal punishment for the deed, then there is no justice left in this country. Yates' attorney posted her $200,000 bond, releasing her from incarceration for the first time since the five children were drowned in the family bathtub in June 2001. State District Judge Belinda Hill set the bond Wednesday. Baby Rescued from Brazilian LakeTwo months old. Stuffed into a plastic bag and tossed into a lake. Although such things are all too common, this particular discovery is especially shocking in that the discovery of the baby in the bag was captured on tape. (Watch the video in the CNN story) Click the link and watch as the baby's rescuers discover that what they thought was a kitten was a real human baby. Kind of really brings it home.From CNN.com: SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) -- A baby girl remained hospitalized in good condition Sunday after being thrown into a lake in Brazilian park wrapped inside a plastic bag, doctors said.The baby, apparently 2 months old, was rescued Saturday afternoon by a couple who heard her crying in the Pampulha Lagoon in Belo Horizonte, a city about 500 kilometers (300 miles) northeast of Sao Paulo.You Can't Make It Up At times some might consider me paranoid. I say that just because I am paranoid it doesn't mean they aren't out to get me.But I wonder why the poor children of Baltimore, my birth city by the way, need an example of robbers to help them learn math.I begin to suspect the local politicos in this case as Maryland is much like New Orleans; a city populated by the poor who gain attention from the government during election years then are pretty much left on their own until the next time to vote.As such, my paranoid self considers, best to keep reinforcing that poor stereotype and what better way to begin ingraining this than in the fertile minds of the school children? The Saudis and Palestinians have used this method for years.For why else would Baltimore's educational establishment choose criminals, of all things, as an example for math questions? Thankfully there are a few citizens of Baltimore who picked up on this little bit of brain-washing straightaway. Baltimore has since pulled this preparatory test for the Maryland standardized tests. But what would have happened had not some concerned parents caught this obvious stereotype?I simply do not believe it was unintentional.From Sfgate.com: An elementary school worksheet that tells the story of four people who get away with robbing a house and describes how to do a card trick has drawn criticism from a Baltimore mother who sees it as promoting criminal activity.The worksheet, called "The Four Robbers," is part of a booklet designed to prepare children for Maryland's standardized tests in March. It is intended to teach fourth-graders about sequence of events. Pat Fish is a published author and her books have drawn attention from her fellow reviewers on Blogcritics. Reviews of Memoirs of Josephine Fish and Mystery and Mirth have been conveniently provided for your reading pleasure.

Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.

True Crime Update 2/7/06

Patfish — Tue, 7 Feb 2006 07:57:58 EST

Sensational and heinous crimes across the nation, notable for the type of crime, the celebrity of the criminal, or both. Neil, Rachel and Lillian EntwistleAt around 8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21, some friends and family of Neil and Rachel Entwistle showed up at the Entwistle home for a dinner party. They saw lights on inside the house and could hear a television. Alarmed that the party had been a planned event and logic would dictate that someone would be home and answering the door for guests, the police in Hopkinton, Massachusetts were called.The police showed up at the house and did a "well-being" check. Which, I must assume, is a process whereby police check the inside of a home with the permission of family or due to some strong concern. 27-year-old Rachel Entwistle lay dead under a pile of comforters, pillows and blankets, killed by a gunshot wound to her head. 9-month-old Lillian Entwistle lay in her mother's arms under the blankets, killed by a gunshot wound to the abdomen.But the wellness check provided no clues as the Hopkinton police did not look under that pile of blankets.The following day, relatives and friends again showed up at the Entwistle home. Provided the garage door key code by a neighbor, the friends and relatives also did not look under the blankets.Later that day a missing persons report was file on the Entwistles and this time, the police looked under the blankets.Thus began the investigation into what will likely become one of the more intriguing true crimes of the year. It always seems that the beginning of these highly publicized crimes starts with a royal police screw up.Although you'd never know it by the silly excuse provided by the Hopkinton police.The Hopkinton police chief defended his officers' actions per the Boston Herald: Hopkinton's police chief yesterday defended the officers who did not check under blankets for the slain bodies of Rachel and Lillian Entwistle during a well-being check. The officers, Chief Tom Irvin said, were looking to simply help, not investigate a murder. "I think given the same set of circumstances next week, I would have expected the officers to do nothing different," said Irvin. "When we make the decision to go into a house . . . it's not carte blanche to search your papers or go rifling through your closets," he added. That bit about not expecting anything different from the officers given the same circumstances really grates. Never mind the logic of the thing even to us non-police types. The guests showed up for a planned event! Right there is reason to get very suspicious. Folks don't go and plan dinner parties then disappear when the guests show up.But don't listen to me. For I have a source right in the Massachusetts' police department. Said source provided some very interesting information.I was a police officer for 7 years and during that I time received many calls for well-being checks, as we called it. This would mean that the family or friends hadn't seen or heard from a person for maybe a few days or weeks. As a police officer, I always assumed the worst when I received a call like this. I assumed, dead body. I would go to a house and if I couldn't get in, I would call a street supervisor and the fire department. The fire department would gain entry to the house and the supervisor and myself would then search the house. A good police officer would know that a dead body is usually found in or near a bed or bathroom. I'm talking about the fact that if someone collapses on their own, it's usually because they are feeling ill and have gone to bed or to the bathroom. I had dead bodies in the bedroom and in the bathrooms. A thorough search of the premises is definitely an order. Closets, beds bathrooms etc. Call like that is so general that you could be looking for a murder, suicide, accident, etc. Also, a detection of an odor is definitely a clue, which is how they eventually found the bodies. Of course, I was a police officer in [another Massachusetts town]. The murder took place in the town of Hopkinton. [My town] has a population of 42,000, is 10.03 square miles and has a median household income is $37,000. Hopkinton has a population of 14,300, is 27.9 square miles and has a median household income of $89,000. In Hopkinton they haven't had a murder in years and as a result are probably lax when it comes to that. Although, I'm sure they've found a dead body or two. It's a ritzy town and the police may be more worried about upsetting a home or fear that the owner of the house may come home and ask what they are doing there. We don't worry about that in Revere simply because the crime weight outweighs the cops' worries about messing up a home. These people did not even own this home, they rented it. If it were me, I would have went through the house with a fine tooth comb. I had a well-being check once in which I had to call the fire department to take the door off so I could get in. I wasn't worried about the homeowner. It turned out that she was dead in there for about three days. The stench was horrible. We went through that home thoroughly and found thousands of dollars in cash in the house. Someone in the medical examiners office subsequently stole some of the money. That's another story. One other thing a cop does on a well-being check, look up high. My sister had more than a few hangings. My sister and I had a call in which we found a dead body on the floor in the kitchen. It turned out that here sister had found her naked in bed, dressed her up, and dragged her in the kitchen. People do strange things. The sister was mad because my sister and I found out that she flushed some pills down the toilet after she found her sister. We went through the cabinets and she yelled at us for touching her sister's stuff. Meanwhile, the family showed up, went out and got coffee and came back to the apartment with the sister's body still lying there. Unbelievable. Note that part about most people being found dead in or around their beds/bathrooms. This was written by a Massachusetts' police officer. I doubt very seriously that the Hopkinton police chief would do the same thing all over again and to say such a thing publicly is reprehensible. His officers screwed up, pure and simple.Because of this initial police failure, the bodies of Rachel and Lillian Entwistle lay dead in that bed and weren't discovered until 24 full hours later.Meanwhile, the husband of Rachel and father of Lillian was, poof, totally gone.Since the Entwistles are from England, soon enough it was discovered that Neil Entwistle was in England, allegedly staying with his family. So why was Neil Entwistle in England when: a)his wife and daughter were dead in his bed in America and b)when a dinner party had been scheduled for Saturday 1/21/06 and he's out hopping planes to England?According to the Boston Herald, there seems to have been some attempt by Neil Entwistle to cover his sudden disappearance. If a British newspaper report that Neil Entwistle called his father-in-law claiming he was "confused" and did not know how he got to England is true, experts say, he could be laying the groundwork for an insanity defense. If so, several defense lawyers said, it's a bad idea. That only applies, of course, if he is someday charged in the deaths of Rachel, 27, and Lilly, 9 months. The mother and daughter were found executed Jan. 22 and investigators have called Neil a "person of interest." "I think an insanity defense is always a last-ditch effort," said Framingham defense lawyer Mark Helwig. "From what I've read, I don't think he would qualify. You would have to have no concept of what's right or wrong. Blacking out is not enough. From what I have seen, he has many better defenses than that." In yesterday's London Sun, a family source is quoted as saying Neil Entwistle called Rachel Entwistle's family and said, "I can't remember how I got to England. Is it true Rachel and Lillian are dead?" He also reportedly told Rachel Entwistle's stepfather, Joe Matterazzo, he was "confused." "Those comments do not necessarily mean Neil Entwistle is trying to appear insane," Newton defense lawyer Randall Power said. "It sounds like he's trying to lay the groundwork of having no criminal responsibility," said Power. "This is conjecture, but if he wasn't the perpetrator, say if it had something to do with something, maybe he knows who did it and he's scared, and that's his cover. Rachel and Lillian Entwistle were laid to rest this past week. Neil Entwistle was not in attendance. Speculation has it that were Neil to show up he would have been arrested right on the spot.As it is, extradition treaties with England are very liberal. I suspect the investigators are getting their case together, gathering the evidence and taking meticulous time.A precious 24 hours was already lost due to a police screw up. When the evidence is compiled and in order, it will be small matter to get this fellow back to the United States.Although the latest on Neil Entwistle is that he has left his parents' home and is "in seclusion" somewhere else. Let's hope the British police are keeping an eye on this guy.This case has all the elements of intrigue. Allegedly Neil Entwistle was somehow involved in Internet porn and online scams. Then there's the international element.It's also a case where the perpetrator has a damn good chance of walking free.Body Builders Charged With MurderAs first posted on 1/4/06, , two body builders wended their way across country from Las Vegas to Massachusetts. Only problem, the couple, a Craig Titus and Kelly Ryan, left behind their live-in trainer. Who was found dead in Ryan's burned Jaguar.Soon enough this duo, veterans of the body building circuit, were brought back to Nevaada and recently specific charges were made against them. Per KLAS-TV: Titus, 41, who made his first appearance in a Las Vegas court, previously faced murder, accessory to murder and third-degree arson charges. He is also now facing an additional charge of kidnapping. Ryan, 33, had appeared Tuesday on accessory and arson charges in the slaying of 28-year-old Melissa James, a former fitness instructor who moved last year from Lambertville, N.J. to live with Titus and Ryan. Her charred body was found Dec. 14 in the trunk of Ryan's burned Jaguar off a desert highway outside Las Vegas. Neither Titus nor Ryan was asked Wednesday to enter a plea to the amended complaint. They remained shackled to other Clark County jail inmates as they sat two rows apart. At one point in court, it appeared Titus turned to his wife and mouthed the words "don't say nothing." Titus' rippling arm muscles stretched the fabric of his blue jail uniform. He offered a one-word reply when he and Ryan stood and Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Joe M. Bonaventure asked each if they understood the charges. "Absolutely," Titus said. "Yes, sir," Ryan said. Daskas declined Wednesday to describe a motive for the slaying. The complaint accuses Titus and Ryan of using a Taser stun gun, administering morphine or a related drug, and asphyxiating or suffocating James with a fabric or wire around her neck. The newest information here is how the fitness instructor died. It would appear that her murder was very deliberate what with a stun gun, morphine and suffocation the manner of death.In addition, a friend of the couple, Anthony R. Gross, 23, is charged with arson and being an accessory to murder because, authorities allege, he helped Ryan and Titus dispose of the body. This Anthony Gross claims he had no idea why the Jaguar was set on fire, that he took Titus to the spot and for reasons unknown to him, Titus torched the vehicle while Gross watched.Not that setting fire to a Jaguar isn't an odd thing but according to Gross, he and Titus never discussed the matter on the way home.Astute Woman Saves Child from More HorrorBelow this story is a tale of a dead child. A dead child in a home monitored by social service authorities. Below is a story about one woman who followed her gut instinct and brought two child sexual abusers to justice. From NBC News: A woman's hunch exposes child abuse Chance encounter at a convenience store results in two arrests By Ron Mott Correspondent NBC News Updated: 7:34 p.m. ET Jan. 26, 2006 ATLANTA - It was a gut feeling Tracie Dean couldn't shake. At a rural Alabama convenience store 11 days ago, Dean had a chance encounter with a seemingly troubled little girl."I bet you that no one has ever spoken that kindly to that little girl, because she just ate it up," Dean says. "And I think she just really decided I'm going home with her."Dean says the girl tried to follow her out of the store, but then an older man stepped up. Dean felt uneasy enough to scribble down the license plate as the two pulled away."My suspicion was that she didn't belong with that man," Dean says.So, Dean called 911. Police told her everything checked out - it was the girl's grandfather. So she returned home to Atlanta, but for some reason, she couldn't let it go."Every morning I woke up and thought about it. Every night I went to bed and thought about it," she recalls. "And I just told my sister, 'When my heart says to let this go, I'll let it go.'"For a week she checked missing-kids Web sites, called several law enforcement agencies and even contacted the television show "America's Most Wanted." She says no one took her seriously.It turns out there was a reason for suspicion."Mr. Wiley initially and still is wanted in California for arson," says Tracy Hawsey, the sheriff of Conecuh County, Ala.John Wiley and his 40-year-old wife, Glenna Faye Cavender, were arrested and charged with multiple sex crimes against the 3-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy found in a trailer."A 3-year-old girl to have this done to her is unthinkable, and we're not going to tolerate it," says Tommy Chapman, the district attorney for Conecuh County.Tracie Dean's not a mother, but says she has the instincts of one."I just followed my heart," she says. "That's the bottom line."And her hunch saved two children.(c) 2006 MSNBC InteractiveThis Child Not So LuckyThe 4 year old in the story below too had other people concerned about his welfare. Only the people paid to check on such things declared the home "to be in order". Neighbors reported this same family even earlier in the year when the children had been left alone. Child Dies in Bronx, Raising Concerns Anew By TOM HAYS NEW YORK (AP) - A 4-year-old boy found unconscious in a squalid Bronx apartment visited previously by police and social workers died Monday while the city's child welfare agency was still trying to explain another youngster's death three weeks ago. Investigators were questioning 4-year-old Quachon Brown's mother and her boyfriend. Late last year, caseworkers had visited the apartment where Quachon and his siblings lived and deemed it ``to be in order,'' agency head John Mattingly said. The agency investigated the home based on a Nov. 15 complaint from the school of one of Quachon's siblings, who range in age from 5 months to 11, Mattingly said. The nature of the complaint was not disclosed. Also, police said they had gone to Quachon's home last June after neighbors reported that children there had been left there alone. The mother claimed the children's grandmother had agreed to care for them so she could go to Atlantic City, N.J. On Monday, police found Quachon unconscious. The apartment was grimy, with a broken window, no heat and no food in the refrigerator. Quachon and four other children were found without clothes, sleeping in the same bedroom, police said. The mother told investigators that a television fell on the boy on Sunday and that he began vomiting the next day, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said. The medical examiner said results of an autopsy were pending. But there was preliminary evidence that the child had a fractured skull, a damaged liver and atrophied leg muscles, a police official said. The child welfare agency underwent a shake-up after the Jan. 11 death of 7-year-old Nixzmary Brown, who was allegedly tortured, abused and beaten by her stepfather. Reports of her suffering had been made to several agencies, including schools, police and child welfare. Her death followed recent homicides of three other children known to the agency. This lovely mother reports that her son had a television set fall on him. Little Quachon had a fractured skull, a damaged liver and atrophied leg muscles. No television did that damage.The other children were found without clothes, there was no food in the refrigerator, there was no heat. How on earth is this environment considered "in order" by people trained to deduce this kind of thing?There's also the problem about other child deaths when the social service agency failed to detect a problem even after numerous reports to schools, police and child welfare.Why are these people collecting a paycheck? Female Postal Worker Kills Six, Then Shoots HerselfAlthough this story indicates five people shot, later information revealed on Greta indicated another shooting considered part of this former postal worker's deadly rampage.It's a story almost flying completely under the radar. At least five, maybe six, people dead. The shooter was obviously disturbed, having already been put on medical leave for psychological problems. GOLETA, Calif. - A former postal worker who had been put on medical leave for psychological problems shot five people to death at a huge mail-processing center and then killed herself in what was believed to be the nation's deadliest workplace shooting ever carried out by a woman. The attack Monday night was also the biggest bloodbath at a U.S. postal installation since a massacre 20 years ago helped give rise to the term "going postal."Finishing With Two Strange True Crimes From Yahoo News we get this rather hilarious tale of a man stopped for drunk driving. Rather cleverly, the fellow pretended to be an acquaintance. Only the acquaintance had a glass eye.When police discovered this little fact, they shone a flashlight in his eye. At which point the man's pupil obediently responded by contracting. Something glass eyeballs do not do. When asked what happened to his glass eye, the drunk driver responded that he used to have a glass eye but didn't need it any more.Maybe he had an eyeball transplant? BERLIN (Reuters) - Officers soon saw through a German driver who posed as an acquaintance when he was stopped for drunk driving -- he forgot his alter ego had a glass eye, police said Tuesday. Below, a fellow crashes into a house. An inconvenience, evidently. So what's the driver do? He gets out of the car and passes out sound asleep in the homeowner's bed!From WSBTV.com: Car Crashes Into House; Driver Lands In Bed DULUTH -- Police say a drunk driver crashed into a Duluth home early this morning, then made himself at home, falling asleep in the homeowners bed.The crash caused serious damage when the car ended up in the middle of the home at 3021 Cardinal Lake Drive.One person was asleep upstairs at the time of the crash, but was unhurt.After checking to see what had happened Jun Park told police he found the driver of the car sound asleep in his bed."He's crazy," said Park.Police took the driver into custody. Pat Fish is a published author and her books have drawn attention from her fellow reviewers on Blogcritics. Reviews of Memoirs of Josephine Fish and Mystery and Mirth have been conveniently provided for your reading pleasure.

Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.