Sheriff Corey? Those Quotable Anecdotal Crime Records

MoonHowler

Prince William County set the trend for Arizona?  That would be us, real trend setters.  On the news tonight on channel 5 news at 6 pm and again at 11 pm , it was announced that all eyes would be on Prince William County because three years ago they enacted a Resolution similar to that which Arizona recently signed into law.  Well, sort of. 

Channel 5 next interviewed chairman of the board of supervisors, Corey Stewart.  Corey told the viewers that it saved lives when illegal immigrants were identified and deported.  He further explained that enforcing immigration laws in PWC has had a very large impact on reducing crime in the county.   He elaborated that our overall crime rate is at a 19 year low. 

The reporter added that of the 2000 arrests for serious crime, 121 of those arrested were illegal aliens.  Those figures certainly don’t seem to support what Corey just said on the news.  In fact, I am curious about where this all time low in 19 years comes from.  What was happening 19 years ago that we had such a huge crime rate?  Corey seems to be cherry picking his crime statistic once again. Just thinking back on the horrific crimes committed in the past year or so in Prince William County, I don’t see how anyone can say that our crime rate is lower for serious crime. Prince William has seen an increase in urban type crimes. I expect Corey will continue his anecdotal account of how things are here in Prince William rather than relying on empirical data gathered from crime statistics.

His fellow supervisors need to call him out on his shoddy reporting. I wish one of them could call channel 5 and repudiate Corey Stewart’s loose and slippery statistics.  On the other hand, perhaps Corey wants to be the next Sheriff Joe.  meanwhile, I wish he would just stick to accurate facts.

The Washington Post has more details.  While Corey is technically correct about the new low in crime, he fails to tell the entire story and he fails to mention the rise in violent crime.   This report can hardly be correlated to illegal immigration.  To do so is a stretch.

Prince William County Crime Reports

PG County Cops Tape Shows Brutality after Maryland/Duke Game

MoonHowler

Remember our article from the March 3, 2010 melee after the Maryland / Duke game?  Kids went wild, set fire to trash cans and in general celebrated way too much?  Some UMD Students Need to Grow Up showed students too happy over their win over Duke.  Some  footage also discovered what appears to be some serious police brutality on the part of Prince George’s County Police.  At least 2 students had the living hell beaten out of them with night sticks, fists and it appears the one was rammed with the horse. 

I generally don’t  holler brutality.  However, PG County has long had  a reputation from not running with the straight and narrow.  Judging from this video, is sure looks like PG County has a few rotten apples:

 

What do you think?

Roeder Sentenced to Hard 50

MoonHowler
Provider Dr. George Tiller
Provider Dr. George Tiller

 

 

Scott Roeder, convicted killer of Dr. George Tiller of Witchita, Kansas was sentenced to 50 years in prison yesterday. In that neck of the woods, it’s called ‘The Hard 50.’  He would not be eligible for parole until after 50 years. Roeder is 52 years old so he will probably died in prison. He sat quietly in court but has remained arrogant without remorse, according to the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette.

This is a significantly dangerous man,” said Sedgwick County District Attorney Nola Foulston, who argued that Dr. Tiller’s murder was “an act of terrorism” committed by a man who, although perhaps “acting as a lone wolf, has been so affected by terrorist ideas and ideals.”

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Cuccinelli Refuses to Release Murderer Soering Without a Court Order

MoonHowler

This may be the one and only time I agree with the AG.  Someone must have taken leave of their senses. 

Jens Soering
Jens Soering

Jens Soering was convicted of  the 1985 murder of Bedford couple Derek and Nancy Haysom in their Bedford County home.  Soering’s girlfriend Elizabeth Haysom is currently in prison for her role in the murder of her parents.  Soering, a German citizen, is currently serving 2 life sentences.   Background information from the Roanoke Times:

RICHMOND — Gov. Tim Kaine has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to approve the transfer of Jens Soering — who is serving two life sentences for the 1985 murders of a Bedford County couple — to a prison in his native Germany.

Kaine, who leaves office Saturday, approved the transfer request by Soering’s attorney this week after earlier denying a clemency petition from the former University of Virginia honor student. Soering, the son of a retired German diplomat, received consecutive life sentences for the stabbing deaths of his girlfriend’s parents in their Boonsboro home. The case attracted international media attention and Soering has maintained his innocence nearly a quarter century after the murders.

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Bullied Teen’s Tormentors Indicted

MoonHowler

 

Bullying is a serious problem in the United States. It has always been around on playgrounds, at schools, and in the neighborhood. However, with the widespread use of the Internet, bullying has become more pervasive and yes, virulent.  Verbal taunts and physical threats became a way of life for one  young immigrant girl. 

15-year-old Phoebe Prince was the victim of extreme bullying from her peers. Phoebe, who recently moved  South Hadley, MA from Ireland, was bullied by classmates until she hanged herself in January. The bullying was described as relentless and happened in the halls, at school, in the library, in class, via cell phone messages and on the Internet. Nine teenagers   have been indicted for the death of this young girl.

According to the New York Times:

The prosecutor brought charges Monday against nine teenagers, saying their taunting and physical threats were beyond the pale and led the freshman, Phoebe Prince, to hang herself from a stairwell in January.

The charges were an unusually sharp legal response to the problem of adolescent bullying, which is increasingly conducted in cyberspace as well as in the schoolyard and has drawn growing concern from parents, educators and lawmakers

Of course the tormentors bear the main responsibility for the girl’s death. But are others culpable? How about the parents of those kids? How about the school? How about her friends?  Was anyone aware that this was going on? Didn’t some teacher notice that a child was being tortured? How do parents help their children when they are being bullied? This tragedy seems so avoidable.

Tom Perriello’s Brother had Gas Line Cut

MoonHowler

Rep. Perriello from the Charlottesville  area voted for the Health Care Reform bill.  Today officials and the FBI are looking in to how the propane gas line at his brother’s house got cut.  Political opponents had posted his brother’s address on a website, thinking the address was the congressman’s.   According to msnbc.com:

From NBC’s Pete Williams
Virginia officials, aided by the FBI, are looking into how a residential propane feeder line was cut at the home of the brother of a Virginia congressman.

Investigators have reached no conclusions about how or why it happened. But the line was cut after the home’s address was posted on a blog and a Facebook page, both maintained by members of a local Tea Party group who thought it was the home of Rep. Tom Perriello, a Virginia Democrat who voted in favor of the health-care bill.

One said, “This is Rep. Thomas Stuart Price Perriello’s home address,” and added, “I ain’t holding back anymore!!” The other urged readers to “drop by” the home and “express their thanks” for the vote. 

The cut in the gas line, which runs from a propane tank to a gas grill on a screened-in porch, was discovered Tuesday, the day after the address was posted. When they realized that it was incorrect, the operators of the blog and Faceboook page took the address off.

The chairman of the Lynchburg, VA, Tea Party, Mark Lloyd, told NBC News, “I learned what happened after the fact. We made an official statement on our Web site,” saying that that his group “did not request, sanction, or endorse” posting the address, which appeared on a different Web site.

Tea Party member Nigel Coleman, who wrote one of the Internet posts, told the Charlottesville Daily Progress that he was shocked when he heard about the incident.

Rep. Steny Hoyer reports that threats have been made to around ten Congressmen and women who voted yes to HCR legislation.  Shepherd Smith reports that he is waiting for an update from Capitol Police. 

Please note that the material for this post comes from both MSNBC and from Fox News.   Unfortunately incendiary rhetoric meant to gather the troops sometimes sends some of them off the deep end.  All of us, regardless of party affiliation or ideology must be mindful of our audience and what we say.  Civil debate becomes increasingly more important.  Shepherd Smith gave one of his fierce admonitions about settling political unhappiness and discontent at the ballot box.  I feel certain there will be footage of his remarks.  I will post them.  One bad apple can give many black eyes. 

It goes without saying that any  remarks like that would be removed from this blog.  However, no one here would post like that either.  The blogosphere does have the responsibility to maintain civil discussion.

Daily  Progress Story

Paul Powell Meets Old Sparky Tonight

MoonHowler
The electric chair (for death penalty) at the Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt,
The electric chair (for death penalty) at the Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt,

Today is the end of the line for rapist and killer Paul Powell.  It’s over.  He will have his last meal.  He is dead man walking.  All the cliches.  He dies tonight in the electric chair.  It has been a long 11 year process to bring justice for this heinous crime. 

Powell was convicted for raping and killing Yorkshire teen  Stacie Reed.  He also raped her sister and slit her throat.  Her mother will attend the execution. 

Powell will  ‘ride the lightning.’    And after it is over, a mother is still left without a child, and a young woman  is left without her sister.  And all the riding of the lightning in the world really won’t right the wrong that has been done to this family. 

link to the history on this horrific crime.

picture credits above

UPDATE:  Paul Powell was pronounced dead at  9:09 pm  tonight.

Drug Violence in Mexico Gets Worse and Worse: Americans Assassinated by Drug Lords

MoonHowler

The violence caused by warring drug cartels in Mexico is worsening by the day.  Over the weekend, Americans were targeted and killed.  When does it end? 

According to the NYTimes:

UNIÓN, Mexico — Gunmen believed to be linked to drug traffickers shot a pregnant American consulate worker and her husband to death in the violence-racked border town of Ciudad Juárez over the weekend, leaving their baby wailing in the back seat of their car, the authorities said Sunday. The gunmen also killed the husband of another consular employee and wounded his two young children.  

Gunmen killed an American consulate worker and her husband in Ciudad Juárez. Their baby was found in the back seat.

 

Reuters

The New York Times

The F.B.I. was sending agents to Ciudad Juárez on Sunday.

The shootings took place minutes apart and appeared to be the first deadly attacks on American officials and their families by Mexico’s powerful drug organizations, provoking an angry reaction from the White House. They came during a particularly bloody weekend when nearly 50 people were killed nationwide in drug-gang violence, including attacks in Acapulco as American college students began arriving for spring break.

The Mexican govenment has 10,000 troops in border towns. Secretary of Clinton has sent strong warnings to the Meixican government. Triggering the drug trafficking is competition over the American drug market. What steps can be taken to cut down on Americans and American interests being harmed by this continuing violence? it all seems rather hopeless. Americans use drugs, human beings are greedy. Where is the weak link here?

Civil Rights-Era Killings Investigation Ready to Close

MoonHowler
Southern Poverty Law Center Civil Rights Memorial
Southern Poverty Law Center Civil Rights Memorial

Three years after the FBI promised to investigate more than 100 unresolved civil rights-era killings, they have  made some surprising discoveries.  Most of the cases will close without indictments. .  The investigations led to very few indictments even though most of the cases were technically solved.  The passage of time left many witnesses too traumatized by events, witnesses  and perpetrators dead and other problems that are unique to cold cases.

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Puerto Rican–Americans Soon to be Without Birth Certificates

MoonHowler

Last December, in an attempt to curb identity theft, the Puerto Rican government invalidated all previously issued Puerto Rican birth certificates as of July 1. 2010.  This measure leaves many Puerto Ricans living in the United States in a rather uncomfortable position– No birth certificate.

People born in Puerto Rico are American citizens because Puerto Rico is an American territoy.  However, their birth certificates come out of Puerto Rico.   Some background from Yahoo News:

The change catches many off-guard and unaware.

Julissa Flores, 33, of Orlando, Fla., said she knew nothing about Puerto Rico’s law.

“I was planning a trip and now I don’t know,” she said. “Do I need to go get a passport? If my birth certificate is invalid, am I stuck here?”

People born in Puerto Rico, a U.S. commonwealth, are U.S. citizens at birth. Anyone using a stolen Puerto Rico birth certificate could enter and move about the U.S. more easily, which could also pose security problems.

Puerto Rico’s legislature passed the law after raids last March broke up a criminal ring that had stolen thousands of birth certificates and other identifying documents from several different schools in Puerto Rico.

Puerto Ricans on average get about 20 copies of their birth certificates over their lifetimes, said Kenneth McClintock Hernandez, the commonwealth’s secretary of state.

This is because they are regularly asked to produce them for such events as enrolling children in school or joining sports leagues. Schools and other institutions have typically kept copies, a practice prohibited under the new law since January, McClintock said.

As much as 40 percent of the identity fraud in the U.S. involves birth certificates from Puerto Rico, McClintock said he was told by the State Department.

“It’s a problem that’s been growing and as the need in the black market for birth certificates with Hispanic-sounding names grew, the black market value of Puerto Rican birth certificates has gone into the $5,000 to $10,000 range,” McClintock said.

Thus far, there seems to be little effort by the U.S. or Puerto Rican governmentsto educate the 1.5 million people born in Puerto Rico and living on the mainland about the new law.

Government officials in the US and in Puerto Rico have made very little effort to educate native Puerto Ricans about the change in the law, nor have they advised them how to resolve their problem of not having an official birth certificate.  It seems to me that the Puerto Rican government needs to set up an office in every state to assist those people living in the United States.  Certainly they don’t want to force them to return to Puerto Rico just for a birth certificate.  How can millions of people be processed in 5 months. 

This situation seems like a classical case of ‘Beware of unintended consequences.’

Double PW Murder Shrouded in International Intrigue

MoonHowler

Prince William County is reeling from a double homocide where a Bulargian mother and her 8 year old son were brutally stabbed to death in Dale City.  The mother, Slavka  Naydenova , had been married to Lester Wilson  and had an 8 year old son, Paul Wilson.  Police are being very close-mouthed about motive and details of the case.  Some rather disturbing facts have emerged.  Naydenova’s brother had been murdered, execution style,  in 2003. 

According to Manassas News and Messenger:

Naydenova’s family ties don’t appear to have anything to do with her death, Ebert said. In fact, little is known about her, except that she and her first husband — Lester Wilson — bought the house on Hanover Court on Nov. 3, 2000.

Ebert said Naydenova met her current husband in Bulgaria in March 2003, at the funeral for her brother, Iliya Pavlov. Her husband, now a janitor, worked as one of Pavlov’s bodyguards.

Pavlov was Bulgaria’s wealthiest businessman and was alleged to be the head of the country’s mafia. A year before his death, he was named one of 25 billionaires in Central and Eastern Europe, according to the Sofia News Agency in Bulgaria.

He was shot to death in his office in March 2003.

On Wednesday, Pavel Naydenov — father of the Bulgarian tycoon and the slain Dale City woman — was quoted telling the Sofia News Agency that he thought his daughter’s death may have been a mafia hit.

“She could have had problems with making payments to banks, but banks hardly ever kill people over default loans,” said Naydenova’s father.

 

A suspect has been arrested.  A Russian woman named Natalia Wilson who just happens to be married to Lester  Wilson, father of deceased little Paul Wilson,  currently.  The couple has been married about a year.  Natalia has been described as a Russian ‘mail order’ bride.    Again, no motive given.  There have been suggestions of jealously, money, and other things causing friction when families divorce and remarry.  To date, all motives have been speculative.  It is very difficult to sort facts.  Facts seem to vary a great deal between the Washington Post, Manassas News & Messenger, and the Sofia Newspaper, Novinite. 

The more about the father of the deceased woman is quoted in Novinite:

Pavel Naydenov, father and grandfather of murdered Bulgarian Slavka Naydenova, sister of killed Bulgarian tycoon Iliya Pavlov, and her son, 8-year-old Paul Wilson has spoken of his grief.

Naydenov told local journalists that he had failed to do the main duty of a father – to protect his own children. He also added that no one should link the murder of his daughter in the US in a personal fight on Monday with the assassination of his son in Sofia in 2003 and that Darina Pavlova – the wife of Iliya – was also not linked in any way.

Pavel added that Slavka will be buried alongside her mother in the Bulgarian village Mirovyane, near Sofia.

It makes one wonder why this Bulgarian tycoon didn’t help his daughter with the finances he mentions. 

Much has been said on this blog about how the crime in Prince William County has become increasingly urban.  Now we have to add international to our list of descriptors.  Police have been working with the Russian FBI and with Bulgarian interpreters to solve this case.  This is not the time to cut back on cop money.  Make the financial slashes some place else.

Further Reading:

Sofia News

Washington Post

Powell to be Executed–Finally

MoonHowler

Having a big mouth just doesn’t pay sometimes.    Powell stupidly shot off his mouth in a letter to Commonwealth Attorney Paul Ebert and confessed to raping and brutally killing Stacie Reed, thinking that he couldn’t be tried twice.  It didn’t work out so well for him.  He got a stay of execution at the last minute back in July and his case headed for the Supreme Court.  The Supreme Court will not stop his execution.  The wheels of justice sometimes grind very slowly. 

 
Hot off the press from Manassas News and Messenger:

The United States Supreme Court will not stop the execution of a man charged with killing a 16-year-old girl at her Yorkshire home in 1999.

Paul Warner Powell was set to be executed for the murder of Stacie Reed in July but the Supreme Court postponed the execution, saying they needed more time to decide if they would review the case.

The Supreme Court decided this week not to intervene.

A new execution date has not yet been set.

Powell was convicted of capital murder for killing and attempting to rape Stacie at the family’s Yorkshire home on Jan. 29, 1999. He was also convicted of raping and attempting to kill Kristie, who survived.

 

Powell said he killed Stacie because she was dating a black man. He is a self avowed white supremacist.

Now Powell only has 2 things to ponder: Old Sparky or the Big Drip in the Sky. I hope he choses to ride the lightning bolt out of here. It should be painful to be both evil and stupid.  The links below include an interview with News and Messenger reporter Uriah Kiser when he thought the Powell execution was a go.  The News and Messenger has an excellent timeline.

Links

Stay of Execution

Background from News and Messenger   (U. Kiser)
UPDATE FROM MANASSAS NEWS AND MESSENGER

Cleaning up Old Town

MoonHowler

What’s going on in the City of Manassas  with all the loitering, pan-handling and shady goings-on  near Harris Pavillion  and the convenience stores?  I keep hearing as many complaints about these sites as I do about Coverstone 7-11.  It is impossbile to go in to  the Grant Avenue 7-11  (between Center and Church) without being  approached and pestered for ‘change.’  Some of them get aggressive when you ignore them.

The store clerks seem to be afraid of the people that hang out in front of there.  The loiters go in and steal from the store then they hang out and intimidate the approaching customers, that is when they aren’t too busy slithering around back to complete their ‘deals.’ 

This loitering has been an on-going problem for several years.  Maybe it is time for the City cops to start making routine stop-bys and run some of these jokers off.  For the record, my sources tell me it isn’t Latinos.  The people are mainly whites and blacks.  There are very few Latinos loitering.   I have also been told to advise women, both young and old, to not go near that 7-11, especially at night. 

It sounds like it is time for this neighorhood to be cleaned up and for the riff raff to move on.  The City of Manassas has a wonderful Old Town section that is being destroyed by this element.  The City has great cops also.  Perhaps people just move on and don’t complain.  However, if you can’t go in a store or to a pavillion because of the loiterers being obnoxious, this hurts the City and it hurts the City’s revenue.  There are enough good City people who are part of this blog that I know this matter will get the full attention of those who can and will fix the problem.  I have promised my souces this.

Hit and Run Victim’s Family Looks for Car

MoonHowler

Monday night about 7:30 pm, a 50 year old lady was run down in the street, right on Grant Avenue near Byrd Drive in Georgetown South. She was simply crossing the street with a friend. The car that hit her kept on driving without regard for her welfare. The lady’s family is currently looking all over for a car that might have the kind of body damage that happens when it strikes a human.  The lady suffered life-threatening injuries. 

It is horribly distressing to learn that someone in our area is so selfish and callous that they would not even stop after hitting someone with their vehicle. Hit and Run is a felony. What is also disturbing is that I cannot find the lady’s name anywhere in the news. This lady has a name and is currently fighting for her life in the hopital. Can our local news agencies tell us a name so we can wish her well? Can the community help the family with any needs she might have? Can we send flowers or cards? When do we protect privacy to this degree? Something is wrong here. The lady has a name.

UPDATE:  The Manassas News and Messenger has updated its article on Ms. Morton who is struggling for her life at Inova Hospital.  Meanwhile her relatives continue their quest to find the car who hit her.  Ms. Morton was thrown 60 feet through the air.  Full article

This is a horrible story and the driver of this vehicle should be caught and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.  Meanwhile, our thoughts and prayers go out to Ms. Morton and her family.  May she have a full recovery.  Kudos to the Manassas News and Messenger for doing a follow-up story on this heinous crime. 

Westgate Stabbing Friday Night

MoonHowler

Westgate became an armed camp around 5:30 Friday night.  Sirens screamed, a chopper swarmed overhead, Rescue squads streamed down the street as well as fire trucks.  Prince William County police are searching for a man, David Marcelis Frye, age 37 and have issued warrants for him for aggrevated assault and malicious wounding.  Meanwhile, his ex-girlfriend was transported from the  96oo block of Lafayette Avenue to an area  trauma unit with life-threatening injuries from knife wounds. 

Frye is also wanted for making threatening phone calls and for failure to show up for court.  Meanwhile this man is not in custody and is being sought by the police.  He is black, with short hair, around 220 pounds and approximately 6 ft. tall.