True Crime and News of the Weird from around the Globe

Drunken Creep Offers Girl Scouts Booze in Exchange for Cookies

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Jerry Swanson thought a bottle of booze in exchange for Girl Scout cookies was a fair trade

ARDMORE, Oklahoma — A drunken stumblebum became one creepy cookie when he approached a group of Girl Scouts and offered to trade them his vodka for a box of Girl Scout cookies.

Police in Ardmore, Oklahoma say 45-year-old Jerry Swanson was busted after making the cringe-worthy request at a shopping mall on Saturday.

“They were trying to sell their girl scout cookies and apparently a male subject approached them, asked them if he could trade vodka for Girl Scout cookies,” Ardmore Police Captain Keith Ingle told KXII-TV.

The girls were unharmed, but when cops got to the scene they say Swanson was so drunk, he could barely stand.

“He didn’t have anything to say about it, he didn’t even know what they were talking about. He was unsteady on his feet and basically had to place him in the police car and barely able to walk,” Ingle said.

When Swanson was arrested, cops didn’t find any bottles of alcohol on him, but say he smelled strongly of booze. He was charged with public intoxication and booked into the Carter County jail.    Court record show that Swanson has at least two prior arrested for domestic abuse.

“You shouldn’t say things like that to underage kids anyway, even if you are joking,” Ingle said.

 

 

Cop Killed at Georgia Sperm Bank After Being Overcome by Fumes

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Greg Meagher was a 33-year veteran of the Richmond County Sheriff’s office

AUGUSTA, Georgia — A veteran Georgia cop was killed after inhaling liquid nitrogen fumes while trying to save the life of an employee of a sperm bank, authorities said.

Richmond County Sheriff’s Deputy Greg Meagher, 57, responded to Xytex Corp. in Augusta on Sunday afternoon to help the employee who had been sickened by the fumes, when he became overwhelmed, police said.

Three other officers were also stricken by the fumes but were able to get out of the laboratory facility and later recovered, officials said. Liquid nitrogen is used to freeze sperm at the bank.

Meagher and the female employee were later pulled out by firefighters, but Meagher had  succumbed to the gas and was pronounced dead. The woman was hospitalized and is expected to live.

Xytex Corp. said the incident appeared to have been triggered by a surge in pressure in the liquid nitrogen supply to the facility, but that none of the storage containers had been affected. The firm offered condolences to the deputy’s family and said they were cooperating with authorities.

Meagher had been a sheriff’s deputy for 33 years and had a distinguished career marked by stints as a drug investigator. In 2004, he was shot in the face during a drug sting, but survived and later returned to work, the Augusta Chronicle reported.

 

 

Man Shoots Cat Because It ‘Looked at Him Like He Owned the Place’

By HardBoiledNews Staff

 

The cat was allegedly shot because he acted “like he owned the place” as he pooped on a neighbor’s lawn

ORMOND BEACH, Florida — A man shot and paralyzed a neighbor’s cat after it took a poop in his yard and “looked at him like he owned the place.”

The animal later had to be put to sleep after the man, 63-year-old Billy Allen, shot it with a pellet gun. He now faces possible animal cruelty charges, WKMG-TV reported.

Heidi Hatheaway, who lives in the same Ormond Beach, Florida trailer park as the alleged cat killer said residents were horrified by what Allen did.

“I was pathetic,” she said.  “It was the most saddest thing to see a little animal, literally tears running down its face.”

According to police, Allen told investigators with the Volusia County Sheriff’s office that he shot the cat on Jan. 25 because, it “looked at him like he owned the place” before relieving itself on his property.

Billy Allen could face animal cruelty charges

“It was just a poor judgment call,” Allen told the news station.  He said he didn’t know it was a neighbor’s pet but admitted shooting at cats before, although he had never hit one.

“It was not my intention to hurt that cat. All I wanted to do was get it out in front of my walkway, stop pooping. For the flies and the smell is just horrendous,” he said.

The Florida state attorney’s office said it is reviewing the case to determine whether to charge Allen with felony animal cruelty.

Tinder Date Gone Awry Leaves Man Robbed and Naked in Motel Room

By HardBoiledNews Staff

SPRINGFIELD, Oregon — Here is a true case of looking for love in all the wrong places.

An Oregon man was robbed and left nude in a local motel where he had gone to meet a woman he had met on Tinder for a tryst.

The man, who was not identified, told cops that he had met a woman named “Lacey” two months earlier using the dating app and had finally arranged to meet up in person at the Village Inn in Springfield on Tuesday.

According to the Register-Guard newspaper in Eugene, “Lacey” told the man to wait in the room with the door unlocked as she would arrive shortly.

While he waited, he decided to take a shower, and when he came out he found all his belongings — including his wallet and all his clothes — had disappeared. Buck naked and embarrassed, the man then called police to report the romantic interlude-turned- robbery.

Unfortunately, he didn’t know “Lacey’s” last name and when he went to show investigators her Tinder profile, it had been deleted.

He did have some photos of a thin, blond woman with blue eyes he had downloaded to his phone, which he showed to cops, and a phone number which investigators say they will use to try to track down whoever was responsible for the theft of the man’s belongings.

Ex-Gang Member ‘Executed’ 2 Months After Obama Commuted His Sentence

By HardBoiledNews Staff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpMNd5S4MjI

SAGINAW, Michigan (Jan. 28, 2017) — Two men armed with assault rifles gunned down a federal prisoner in a halfway house just two months after his 19-year sentence for drug dealing had been commuted by President Obama.

Surveillance video shows the two men, dressed in dark clothes and wearing masks, force their way into Bannum Place, a federal halfway house in Saginaw, Michigan, on the evening of Jan. 23.

As one of them held the other two dozen residents at bay, the other hunted down and killing 31-year-old Demarlon Thomas, shooting him numerous times, including once in the head.

“If you look at the way this was executed, it was no accident — they knew exactly who they were looking for and knew exactly where he was at,” Michigan State Police Lt. David Kaiser told the Saginaw News.

Thomas was a former member of the Sunny Side Gang, a drug outfit that had for years run Saginaw’s South Side. But in 2008, secured convictions against dozens of members of the gang, including Thomas, who was sentenced to 19 years in prison.

But in November, President Obama included Thomas on a list of 79 people across the country whose sentences would be commuted. The agreement shaved about eight years off of Thomas sentence. He was awaiting a full released on March 22.

Demarlon Thomas’s sentence was shortened by President Obama

Thomas, who had been a star football player in high school and attended college on an athletic scholarship, admitted selling just shy of 15 grams of crack cocaine to a confidential informant three separate times. He  also had two previous felony drug convictions.

He had argued in an appeal that was rejected that his sentence was unduly harsh, as he was just a low-level street dealer in the gang.

“He was just happy to be free and have a second chance at life,” childhood friend Carla Robinson told the Saginaw newspaper. “Since he’s been home, all he’s been trying to do is do right. He’s been trying to find a job. He wasn’t a troublemaker, even with his convictions.”

 

Man Who Prefers Prison to Living With Wife Pleads Guilty to Bank Robbery

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Lawrence Ripple finds married life to be more like prison than prison itself

KANSAS CITY, Kansas — He’s trading one ball and chain for another.

A 70-year-old Kansas man who told authorities he robbed a bank last year because he’d rather live behind bars than with his wife has pleaded guilty and could face up to 20 years in prison.

Lawrence John Ripple walked into the Bank of Labor across from police headquarters in Kansas City, Kansas last September with a note stating, “I have a gun, give me money.”

But after the teller handed him $2,924 from the drawer, he went and sat down on a chair in the bank lobby. When a bank security guard approached Ripple, he said he was the guy they were looking for and handed back the cash, according to court documents.

While being interviewed by investigators, Ripple said he had gotten into a fight with his wife at home “and he no longer wanted to be in that situation.” He said he wrote the demand note in front of his wife and told he he’d rather be in jail than continue living with her.

He then walked over to the bank to commit the robbery.

Ripple pleaded guilty without making any agreement with prosecutors for how much time he will serve. He faces up to 20 years in prison.

That means it will be up to the judge to decide what Ripple’s fate will be when he is sentenced at a later date.

Ex-Oral Roberts Prof Holds Saleswoman Hostage, Chases Her Naked Down Street

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Karan Rebitzke had a captive audience to her ranting about God

OWASSO, Oklahoma — She probably regrets getting her foot in this door.

A door-to-door saleswoman was held hostage by an unhinged homeowner who then chased after her naked when she managed to escape.

Owasso, Oklahoma police say Karan Rebitzke, a one-time English professor at nearby Oral Roberts University, invited the salesperson into her home and then started ranting about religion and God.

The saleswoman said she grew uncomfortable and tried to leave several times, but Rebitzke, 44, blocked her from getting out the door.

After an hour, the woman managed to escape, but Rebitzke stripped her clothes and gave chase through the streets, KJRH-TV reported.

Rebitzke eventually gave up and went back to her house. When officers arrived at the home, Rebitzke allegedly opened the door naked and then slammed it in the deputies’ faces several times.

She eventually was arrested and  taken to the Tulsa County Jail. She was charged with kidnapping, assault and resisting arrest and held on $25,000 bond.

Case Dropped Against Deaf Man Accused of Resisting Orders He Couldn’t Hear

By HardBoiledNews Staff

This is what Pearl Pearson looked like after his encounter with Oklahoma police

OKLAHOMA CITY — Prosecutors have dropped charges against a  deaf man who was allegedly roughed up by cops during a traffic stop after he couldn’t understand their orders.

Pearl Pearson, 66, said he had tried to inform the two Oklahoma Highway Patrol officers that he was deaf and can only communicate through sign language. His lawyers said his car has a placard in the window stating that the driver is deaf and that Pearson’s license also notes it.

In court documents, police accused Pearson of resisting arrest. Video from the police stop showed the officers yelling at Pearson and yanking him out of his vehicle. Mugshots taken that day showed Pearson with swelling around his eyes and bruising to his face.

The officers initially were suspended by the department but prosecutors opted not to charge them. Instead, they filed misdemeanor charges against Pearson for resisting arrest.

In the end, prosecutors decided the cost of providing Pearson with interpreters for the trial, which was slated to begin next week, outweighed the “public interest.”

“It is the District Attorney’s responsibility to be a good steward of the taxpayer’s money,” District Attorney David Prater wrote in court filings. “Though it is important to prosecute matters to promote public safety and assure that the State of Oklahoma’s laws are enforced, the financial burden placed on the State to prosecute a matter is a legitimate consideration; especially as in this case, the matter is a misdemeanor.”

Prater had estimated the cost of the trial could exceed $40,000.

Brothers Brawl Over Packers-Cowboys Game Turns Deadly

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Robert (l) and Justin Boyer’s sibling rivalry came to a head over a heated football game

LAS VEGAS  — This gives a whole new definition to the term “sports nut.”

A fight between a pair of brothers over the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys game turned deadly when one of them pulled out a knife and fatally stabbed his sibling, police said.

The skirmish broke out after Green Bay scored a stunning victory with a last-second field goal on Sunday and the two brothers, Robert and Justin Dale Boyer, began arguing.

Things got so heated between the men, one of whom is a die-hard Cowboys fan and both of whom had been drinking, that the two had to be separated, cops said.

But moments later, 40-year-old Justin, who was visiting from North Dakota,, ran at his 46-year-old brother, prompting Robert to pull out a knife and stab Justin several times, police said.

Justin Boyer then fled the house and began pounding on neighbors’ doors, prompting a call to police. When cops arrived they found him covered in blood and rushed him to a local hospital where he later died.

Police have not yet arrested Robert Boyer, who was taken to a local hospital to be treated for injuries he suffered in the fight, as they say they believe he was acting in self defense, although the investigation is ongoing.

KSNV-TV reported that Justin Boyer may have suffered from some kind of mental illness, citing police sources.

‘Black Hawk Down’ Hero Who Innovated Urban Combat and Won Silver Star Has Died

By HardBoiledNews Staff

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, Virginia — Jeffrey Bray,  a hero soldier who was awarded the Silver Star for saving dozens of lives in the famed “Black Hawk Down” battle in Somalia in 1993, has died at age 49.

Bray, an Air Force sergeant, was credited with coming up with a novel defense of the men pinned down by militiamen in Mogadishu, coordinating airstrikes amid close-quarter urban combat and creating methods that would later become a blueprint for U.S. forces in Iraq.

“At the time, there wasn’t a lot of urban warfare and it gave us a really good look at how we conduct operations in an urban environment,” said Tech. Sgt. Tim Wilkinson, who was awarded the Air Force Cross for his role in the battle.

 

Bray was among the soldiers sent to help rescue the crews of two Black Hawk helicopters that had been shot down over the Somali capital. But the rescue teams quickly found themselves surrounded and the a pitched battle ensued that left 18 U.S. servicemen dead and 73 wounded over the course of two days.

The fierce fighting later would become the subject of a book, “Black Hawk Down,” which was adapted into a 2001 film of the same name that starred Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor and Tom Sizemore.

While Bray had not had experience with urban warfare, he quickly came up with a system of distinguishing his men’s positions from those of the enemy, enabling helicopter gunships to provide the trapped men cover without accidentally hitting them.

In some of the the fiercest combat, Bray’s system allowed successful air strikes to be delivered to enemy positions just 35 feet from where his men were holed up, driving the militiamen back.

According to an account he gave in a 1994 Airman magazine,  Bray said he sent runners to mark locations with infrared strobe lights only visible to U.S. aircraft. When the runners spotted target positions, they would relay it to Bray, who plotted the locations and called in airstrikes.

In some cases, when airstrikes would miss their target, Bray braved heavy enemy fire to help pinpoint exact enemy locations.

Officials credited Bray’s actions with saving numerous lives and he was awarded a Silver Star by President Clinton.

“Sergeant Bray’s efforts were paramount in the limitation of casualties and safe evacuation of all U.S. soldiers in an intense 18-hour long firefight. By his gallantry and devotion to duty, Sergeant Bray reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force,” the citation read.

Afterwards, Bray became an instructor in conducting airstrikes in such close-quarter urban combat situations.

“In Mogadishu, Jeff saved dozen of lives: men who were able to come home and either return to their families or someday start a family of their own,” said retired Col. Kurt Buller, a former special tactics officer. “As an instructor, he was exceedingly demanding of our technical skills … his training kept us alive in combat, I’m sure of it.

“The majority of the guys Jeff taught went on to fight post 9/11 and were tested the way Jeff was tested,” Buller said. “Besides being a great person and a great operator — his legacy was the training he provided to the scores of guys at the squadron, who would ultimately go on to be successful in combat as well.”

Bray died on Oct. 24 in Asheboro, North Carolina where he lived with his wife. He was buried in Arlington Cemetery on Dec. 30.

Vicious Thieves Force Family to Pay Ransom For Return of Son’s Ashes

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Ryan Wagner died in 2011 and his ashes were all his family had left

WESTHAVEN, California — A California family was dealt a double dose of tragedy when they were forced to pay a ransom to thieves who had stolen their 6-year-old son’s ashes.

Anita and Joshua Wagner’ say burglars broke into their home in Westhaven, California while they were away over the Christmas holiday and made off with a safe that contained, among other things, an urn bearing the ashes of their son, Ryan, who died in 2011 of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The safe also contained several strings of “beads of courage,” Ryan had received during various stages of his tragic fight for life.

“The ashes are sacred to me and my family,” Anita wrote in a Facebook post in early January offering a $2,000 reward for their return. ”I am in tremendous pain, as if I’ve lost the only part of my son I have left all over again.”

Ryan’s ashes were held in a safe the thieves walked off with while the family was away

They later raised the reward to $5,000 and said they did not wish to press charges against the criminals, as long as Ryan’s ashes were returned.

On Jan. 13, they received word from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s office that a local lawyer had reached out to say that a client of hers knew where the ashes were and wanted to split the reward money with the thieves or else they would “dump them.”

Working through the lawyer, the Wagners finally had their son’s ashes returned, although the reunion was bittersweet.

“Although we are extremely happy to have Ryan back we are further more disgusted by the criminals behind this for holding Ryan ransom because the reward money basically went to the thieves,” the couple wrote on Facebook.

They said they “are still working with authorities and It is our hopes that these criminals can still be brought to justice.”

Serial Thief Targets Georgia Firehouses While Firefighters Are Out on Calls

By HardBoiledNews Staff

LAWRENCEVILLE, Georgia — A brazen thief targeting firehouses broke into cars outside several Georgia stations as firefighters were off battling a blaze.

Gwinnett County fire officials say the Sunday night robbery spree was the second time this year a crook had waited until firefighters were off on a call to break into their vehicles and make off with their belongings.

“Whether they occur at a fire station, shopping center or private residence, these nefarious acts have no place in our society.  Those responsible demonstrate a lack of respect for the personal property of others, especially those who are serving and protecting our community,” said Gwinnett Fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge.

In one of the break-ins, the thief was spotted by a Gwinnett County cop but the suspect fled on foot and was able to get away.  Authorities said the male suspect was wearing dark jeans and a hoodie.

County police said they plan to increase patrols around area firehouse, especially when firefighters are out on calls.

 

Denver Police Horse Dies After Cop Forgets to Leave Food and Water

By HardBoiledNews Staff

MC Hammer had to be put to sleep after developing colic

DENVER — A Denver mounted cop was docked just one day of vacation for leaving his horse without food or water overnight, after which it developed such a severe case of colic it needed to be put down.

Police internal affairs decided to give Officer Joseph Teeter such a light punishment for the death of his horse, MC Hammer, because it wasn’t intentional neglect and they couldn’t determine if the animal’s illness was caused by the lack of food.

“Though not intentional on his part, Officer Teeter’s forgetfulness exposed a live animal to cruel and extreme conditions,” a disciplinary letter obtained by the Denver Post said.

Investigators found that Teeter returned with MC Hammer to the police barn at the end of the day on Sept. 26, tied him to an eye bolt in a stall and removed his saddle. Teeter then went to another room where he got distracted by paperwork, and eventually left without giving the horse water or food.

The next morning, another officer found MC Hammer tied up and gave him food and water. At first, the animal seemed “bright, alert and responsive” for several hours. But the horse began showing signs of pain a few hours later and was taken to an animal hospital.

The next day, the horse was diagnosed with colic and veterinarians determined he would not recover and was euthanized. MC Hammer was 10 years old and had been donated to the force in 2015.

Teeter, who has been with the department since 2004, remains assigned to the mounted unit. The letter said he took full responsibility for the horse’s death.

“The officer feels horrible about this situation,” department spokesman Christine Downs said. “It was an accident. We love our animal partners.”

 

 

4 Kids Dead in Accidental Gas Poisoning in Texas Home

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Authorities don’t know how long the family had been exposed to the lethal gas

AMARILLO, Texas — Four children died in a Texas panhandle home after being exposed to lethal gas unleashed through the accidental mixture of a pesticide and water.

Amarillo fire officials said they were called to the home early Monday morning by a friend of the family living there who had discovered them unresponsive.

Initially officials thought the episode was caused by carbon monoxide poisoning but quickly realized that a pesticide containing aluminum phosphate had recently been applied under the house.

When someone had sprayed water on it to wash it away, it triggered a deadly chemical reaction, releasing highly poisonous phosphine gas into the home. It was not immediately clear how long the family had been exposed.

Neighbors said Peter and Martha Balderas lived inside the home with their eight children, the Amarillo Globe-News reported. He worked in a construction, they said, while she stayed at home to raise the kids.

One child was declared dead at the scene and the other nine family members were rushed to area hospitals where three other children later died, Amarillo Fire Department Capt. Larry Davis said. The children ranged in ages between seven and 17.

“It’s a very lethal chemical,” Davis said. “It causes pulmonary edema, and basically the lungs fill up with fluid. We don’t know that that’s the cause of death so far, but that’s one of the more severe symptoms. It took us a long time to identify the chemicals.”
Police say the poisoning appears to be accidental and that no criminal intent had been determined.

House Sale Falls Through When Buyer Finds Mummified Corpse in Garage

By HardBoiledNews Staff

 

Investigators don’t know how long the mummy had been in the house or even if it was a man or a woman

DETROIT — This will kill a real estate deal fast.

A man looking to buy a house in Detroit made a grisly discovery when he walked into the garage and found a mummified body behind the wheel of car parked there, police said.

The man made the terrifying discovery when he opened the door of a 1990 or 1991 Plymouth Acclaim that sat in the unused garage and found a very badly decomposed body behind the wheel, the Detroit Free Press reported.

Authorities said the body had been there “for years” and it was not immediately possible to even tell what gender it had been. Lloyd Jackson, a spokesman for the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s office said an anthropologist from the University of Michigan would be brought in to examine the remains.

“At this point, they don’t know if it’s male or female, or cause or manner of death or anything like that,” Jackson said. “That’s when the anthropologist comes in and checks it out. They didn’t do an autopsy, they just did an inspection because that’s usually what they do when they get these bodies that have been really badly decomposed or mummified.”

Police say the current renters of the home told investigators that they had never been inside the garage as the owner had told them they did not have access to it.

Police spokesman Dan Donakowski said investigators were in the process of contacting the homeowner.

“This is an open investigation and I know we’re going to do a thorough investigation on it, but we obviously have to find out what went on,” he said. “A lot of the investigation is going to be geared to the findings of the medical examiner’s office so we can actually see what happened and we’re going to go from there.”

The situation is reminiscent of the 1999 discovery by a new homeowner in Jericho, N.Y. of the mummified remains of a woman stuffed into an oil drum hidden a crawl space beneath his new home.

The investigation revealed that the woman had been an immigrant from El Salvador who worked for plastic flower company co-owned by Howard Elkins, who had owned the house 30 years earlier. She had had an affair with the married Elkins and eventually became pregnant with his child, so he killed her.

When investigators eventually approached Elkins, who had since retired to Florida, he committed suicide.

Dad On Christmas Gift Run Killed in Front of Son for Asking Men to Turn Music Down

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Tyrone Griffin’s relatives said he always pulled out all the stops for his family on Christmas

HAYWARD, California — A California dad out buying one last gift on Christmas Eve was savagely stabbed to death in front of his 4-year-old son after he asked two men to turn down the raunchy music they were listening to in the toy aisle of a Target.

Tyrone Griffin, 36, had darted out to make sure each of his four kids had an equal number of presents, relatives said.

Police say that as he walked down the toy aisle with his son, he asked two men, brothers Frankie Archuleta, 22, and Jesse Archuleta, 25, to turn down the lewd rap music they were listening to on their phones as there were children around.

A fight broke out and Griffin was stabbed, cops say. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he tragically died.

“Who would have ever thought these last minute gifts would cost him his life,” Nicole Simmons, Griffin’s girlfriend and the mother of his four kids wrote on the family’s GoFundMe page. “What type of person would take a life in front of a child? My children are fatherless because of a thoughtless act of rage. Something that could have been totally avoided just by walking away.“

“My children wake up on Christmas Day. But their father was killed the night before and I don’t know what to say,” she continued.  “How do I explain to my children that their father will no longer be coming home?”

Police arrested the Archuleta brothers shortly afterwards about a half mile from the scene. Both have been charged with murder. Their father told KRON-TV that his sons acted in self defense after being attacked by Griffin.

Florida Man Charged With Killing Woman, Sleeping with Her Corpse

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Amanda Suarez was shot dead before her killer allegedly defiled her, cops say

OKEECHOBEE, Florida — An unhinged Florida man admitted to cops that he killed a woman who spurned his advances and then had sex with her corpse.

Christopher Shows, 21, was charged with the gruesome Dec. 7 slaying of Amanda Suarez, a 25-year-old mother of four who was attacked inside her Okeechobee home.

“In his confession, it was just he wanted to know what murder was about. Unfortunately, it was no rhyme no reason. He just wanted to know what murder felt like,” Okeechobee Undersheriff Noel Stephen, told WPTV-TV.

The station reported that Suarez’s 2-year-old son was inside the home at the time she was killed.

Police say the bloodshed unfolded when Suarez allowed Shows, who was dating her cousin, into her apartment. They say once inside Shows made sexual advances toward Suarez  towards her. When she rebuffed him, he went to his truck, grabbed a .22-caliber rifle and shot her in the back as she tried to run out of the house.

Cops say Shows then dragged her into the kitchen where he had sex with her body.

Cops say Christopher Shows is one sick puppy

Police caught up with Shows after they were able to track down her missing cellphone which had been dumped outside a church. On it, they found a photo of Shows taken just 30 minutes before Suarez’s slaying.

Shows has been charged with first-degree premeditated murder, armed burglary, desecration of a body, attempted sexual battery, grand theft and tampering with evidence.

Suarez’s children have been placed with relatives.

 

 

 

Dozens Die From Drinking Tainted Hooch in Siberia

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Russian alcoholics often turn to high-alcohol concoctions not meant for human consumption to get their buzz.

IRKUTSK, Russia — At least 49 people in the Siberian city of Irkutsk have died from alcohol poisoning after drinking highly-alcoholic scented bath oil.

Consumption of bogus booze or cheap alcoholic beverage substitutes has long been a rampant problem in Russia’s regions where hard -core alcoholics are known to slug back perfume, after-shave, anti-freeze and even window cleaner to get their fix.

The problem has been exacerbated in recent years by a hard downswing in Russia’s economy stemming from international sanctions and a sharp drop in the price of oil.

“It is a terrible tragedy,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “This type of problem is well known and the president has been informed. Measures must be taken.”

Officials in the city of 1.1 million have declared a state of emergency and have temporarily banned the sale of liquids containing alcohol that are not meant to be drunk by humans.

In all, 57 people have been hospitalized after drinking the methanol-based hawthorn berry concoction known as Boyaryshnika, and 49 have died.

Poisoning from drinking tainted hooch is a common occurrence in provincial Russia, but rarely are so many people affected at one time.

Officials with the agency regulating alcohol sales in Siberia said the bath oil bottles were labeled as containing ethyl alcohol and were marked with warnings that they were not meant to be consumed internally, but in face contained methyl alcohol and antifreeze.

Investigators raided more than 200 shops in the city  and seized 2,000 bottles of the liquid, or 500 liters overall.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has called for tighter controls on the sale of products containing alcohol.

“Persons who are engaged in the sale of such products, especially if it occurs semi-legally, must be held accountable,” he said.

Woman Killed When Giant Tree Falls on Wedding Party

By HardBoiledNews Staff

 

Firefighters used chainsaws to free wedding goers trapped under a fallen tree

WHITTIER, California — One person was killed and five injured when a giant eucalyptus tree toppled onto a wedding party in a California park.

The 100-foot-tall tree, which officials said was “very old” and “very large” landed onto the crowd of wedding participants as they took photos in Penn Park in Whittier, trapping up to 20 people.

“I heard the crackling and I’m looking up and it was just an odd sound,” witness Mary Escarga told KNBC-TV.

Fire crews and police rushed to the scene with chainsaws to cut those trapped beneath the tree. One woman was killed was and five others hospitalized, including a 4-year-old girl who suffered a head injury.

“They were here for a joyous occasion and then unfortunately a very large tree interrupted that,” said John Tripp, deputy chief of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. “This was a pretty traumatic event.”

Penn Incident in Whittier

Posted by Los Angeles County Fire Department on Saturday, December 17, 2016

“It was supposed to be one of the most exciting days of their lives, and instead, it turned into what it turned into,” Whittier Mayor Joe Vinatieri said, according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

Given the size of the tree, which was described as having multiple trunks, Tripp said it was fortunate that more people were not seriously hurt. “It could have been much worse,” he said.

Officials said it was not immediately clear why the tree gave way when it did, but that trees in southern California had been under great stress in recent years due to an extended drought. Heavy rains in recent days could have played some role, Tripp said.

In July 2015, eight children were injured, two of them critically, when an 85-foot-tall pine tree toppled over in Pasadena, following a bout of heavy rain amid years of drought.

 

 

Elderly Utah Couple Dies In Christmas Tree Fire

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Investigators believe a spark from faulty Christmas lights sparked the fatal blaze

WOODS CROSS, Utah — A Christmastime tragedy struck an elderly Utah couple who died after being overcome by smoke from a fire sparked by malfunctioning Christmas tree lights, officials said.

Investigators say 77-year-old Gary and 74-year-old Melba Meacham tried to put out the blaze which had engulfed their artificial tree, with a fire extinguisher, but were overcome by the heavy, toxic smoke.

“We’re talking a hot, thick black smoke that was to the floor,” South Davis Metro Fire spokesman Jeff Bassett told the Deseret News. “Extremely difficult, zero visibility.”

Neighbors tried to get into the home where the Meachams had lived for 49 years, but were driven back by the heat and smoke. Fire crews found the couple unconscious inside. They were rushed to a local hospital but could not be saved.

Bassett said the couple had told neighbors that they had been having trouble with the lights, which came pre-wrapped around their artificial tree.

Investigators believe that chemicals from the burning artificial tree likely overwhelmed the couple, while Christmas presents and logs for their fireplace stacked near the tree added fuel to the fire.

Neighbors described the couple as deeply attached to each other and friendly with neighbors, often giving gifts around Christmas. Gary was a retired upholsterer, while Melba had worked odd jobs over the years.

“It’s terrible it’s Christmastime,” neighbor Carl Bonner told the Salt Lake City Tribune. “But they went together. Maybe the Lord was right there with them. It puts a hole in your heart. We’re going to miss them.”

12-Year-Old Buried Alive in Tragic Snow Pile Collapse

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Rescuers were unable to get to 12-year-old Joshua Demarest in time

GREENWICH, New York — A 12-year-old boy was killed and another miraculously survived after being buried alive in a freak accident when a giant snow pile they were playing on collapsed on them.

The two 12-year-old boys, Joshua Demarest and Tyler Day, had been digging tunnels and building snow forts on Tuesday on the pile which was made up of snow collected off of municipal streets and dumped in a lot.

Day, who survived, told investigators that he heard a snow removal truck arrive in the lot and begin dumping another load and then everything went dark. The road crew had worked on the other side of the pile and did not notice the boys.

When the boys did not arrive home that evening, authorities were alerted and footsteps led them to the pile where they spotted a partly buried sled sticking out of the snow. That led to a frantic effort to dig for the boys.

“They moved an enormous amount of snow,” Greenwich-Cambridge Police Chief George Bell said, according to the Albany Times Union. “By hand, shovel, snow rake … to recover those boys.”

He estimated that crews moved up to seven tons of snow before locating Demarest, who was in poor shape. He was rushed to a hospital in Saratoga Springs but died. Rescuers located Day shortly after, who was able to speak to officers. He was hospitalized overnight and sent home the following day.

Bell said Day explained that he and Demarest  didn’t worry when the heavy machinery pulled into the lot, but kept playing and dug further into the pile.

“This is a true tragedy. It’s an accident,” Bell said.

 

 

 

Alabama Schools Employee Caught With Fighting Dogs, $500K of Heroin

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Cops found 22 fighting dogs in Charles Walker’s house

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — A Birmingham City schools employee was busted with half a million dollars worth of heroin and is believed to run a dog fighting ring, police said.

Charles Walker, 45, who works in technical services and computer services for the school system, was busted last week as part of drug investigation.

Police had postal inspectors deliver a suspected drug package to Walker’s home that had been delivered through the mail. After Walker took custody of the package, agents swooped in and arrested him after a brief foot pursuit.

Authorities executing a search warrant say they found 1,700 grams of heroin and Fetanyl and about $9,000 worth of crack cocaine as well as a handgun and $55,000 in cash at Walker’s home.

But they also discovered 22 pit bulls at the home — 17 adults and five puppies — that were kept in unhealthy conditions and appeared to have been used as fighting dogs.

Walker has been charged with trafficking in cocaine, heroin and a synthetic controlled substance and that he faces additional animal cruelty charges. He was released on $15,000 bond.

The dogs have been taken to a local animal sanctuary and will remain there until a judge decides their fate.

Explosive Find Made After WWII Vet Moves Out of Fla. Mobile Home

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Explosives were found in the vacated home of a WWII vet in this Florida mobile home park

Explosives were found in the vacated home of a WWII vet in this Florida mobile home park

MANATEE, Florida — A woman cleaning a Florida mobile home recently vacated by an elderly World War II vet was dealt the shock of her life when she found a grenade and other explosives he left behind.

Darlene Miller had come to clean up the house after her 82-year-old neighbor, Don Ealand, moved out a few days earlier to move in with his son in Texas.

But when she got to the oven, she was startled to find a grenade strapped to a block of  explosive material called nitrocellulose tucked into the oven. Making matters even more terrifying, one of the stove’s burners had been left on, although the pilot light was off.

“I was like oh my God!  That’s dynamite,” she told WFTS-TV.  I did this — and went out the door!”

She immediately called cops who quickly evacuated the 100 residents of the K & K Mobile Home Park and called in the bomb squad which safely disposed of the explosive material.

Miller said while the situation was terrifying, she understood why it had happened as she had helped take care of Ealand over the past few years. She said he suffers from dementia which was why he was moving to be with his son in Lufkin, Texas.

“He can’t remember a lot of things and lives a lot in the past,” she told WFTS. “I’m just thankful we’re all okay.“

Officers in Lufkin spoke to Ealand and his family and no charges have yet been filed.

 

 

 

 

8-Year-Old Arkansas Boy Killed in Tragic Tombstone Collapse

By HardBoiledNews Staff

An 8-year-old boy died after an old tombstone fell on him

LYNN, Arkansas –An 8-year-old boy died in a freak accident when a tombstone toppled over and crushed him in an Arkansas church graveyard.

The tragic mishap occurred during a birthday party Saturday afternoon at the Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Lynn, when the boy wandered into the graveyard out back.

Officials believe the boy had been playing on a large tombstone when it broke and fell on him, KAIT-TV reported.

The boy was rushed to a local hospital where he was declared dead. Authorities have deemed the death an accident.

Members of the church said they were devastated by the accident.

“Just an eight-year-old rambunctious young man, just like many eight-year-old young men and full of life,” the church’s Pastor Jeff Neely told the station.  “There is definitely a lot of prayer being sent up on behalf of their family.”

The boy’s name has not been released.

 

TRAGIC SELFIE: All Smiles Seconds Before Sudden Death

By HardBoiledNews Staff

 

Kelsea Webster, Essa Ricker and Savannah Webster (l-r) were killed moments after shooting this selfie by the train right behind them

Kelsea Webster, Essa Ricker and Savannah Webster (l-r) were killed by the train right behind them moments after shooting this selfie

SPANISH FORK, Utah — Death was right behind them and they didn’t see it coming.

This tragic selfie captures the final moments before three Utah pals were fatally struck by a passing freight train.

The train is so close its headlight can be seen in the background of the photo bearing down on the smiling  girls.

The photo was published last week by railroad company Union Pacific, as part of a public service campaign warning people of the dangers of taking selfies too close to the tracks.

Kelsea Webster and Essa Ricker, both 15, were killed instantly in the tragic October 2011 accident. Kelsea’s 13-year-old sister, Savannah Webster, died four days later after her parents took her off life support.

The girls had wandered down by the tracks in Spanish Fork Canyon to take picture of the passing trains. Moments before the tragedy, Savannah posted “Standing right by a train ahaha this is awesome!!!!” on her Facebook page.

But as the girls watched a westbound Utah Railway train pass by, they didn’t hear a second Union Pacific train coming towards them from the other direction until it was too late.

“We watched in horror as we got closer,” said conductor John Anderson. “We saw them for about 12 seconds until they disappeared from our sight and the train continued moving forward.”

Investigators believe the girls were struck by the one train and knocked into the other.

Union Pacific Engineer Michael Anderson said the episode haunts him to this day.

“What happened was very intense and I have to carry it the rest of my life,” he said.

Kelsea and Savannah Webster’s mother said she hoped that people would learn from her family’s tragedy that trains are dangerous.

“The accident that took my daughters’ lives was preventable and a good illustration of how close a train can be without hearing it,” she said. “No one should have to go through this and I hope people will seriously think about the campaign’s rail safety message and share it with their loved ones.”