Rich’s Cup of Tea

Mom Let Out Of Jail To Attend Son’s Funeral Ends Up At Bar

Woman Charged In Son’s Drunken-Driving Death

ERIE, Pa. — A northwest Pennsylvania woman charged in the drunken-driving death of her son went to a bar after his funeral in Ohio instead of reporting back to prison as required, state police said.

A judge had given Erin Howard, 26, of Corry, permission to leave the Erie County Prison for 24 hours to attend her son’s funeral in Ohio, with orders to return to the lockup by 3 p.m. Saturday. Instead, Howard went to a bar called Tailgaters in Hamilton, Ohio, about a mile from the church where the funeral for 6-year-old Samuel Carpenter was held, police said. Howard had been in prison in lieu of $75,000 bail on charges that she was driving drunk when she crashed into a creek bank near Corry, killing Samuel, on June 14 — her 26th birthday. Trooper Mark Van Horn said in a criminal complaint that he was notified at 8 p.m. Saturday that Howard had not returned to prison. State police in Erie found out Sunday morning that Howard had been arrested in Hamilton after her son’s father tipped Ohio authorities to her whereabouts. She was being held in Ohio awaiting extradition to Erie. Howard has now been charged with escape in addition to involuntary manslaughter, drunken driving, child endangerment and other charges related to the crash. Howard told investigators she was celebrating her birthday and had smoked marijuana and drunk liquor mixed with root beer in the hours before the accident, police said. Her son was sitting in the front seat and not wearing a seat belt. “Who would have thought that someone who was extended the courtesy of attending a dead child’s funeral would not comply with the terms and conditions of the furlough?” Erie County District Attorney Brad Foulk told the Erie Times-News. “It is absolutely beyond my comprehension,” Foulk said. A message left for the owners of Tailgaters by The Associated Press was not immediately returned Monday night. State police in Erie said Van Horn or the barracks’ spokesman would not be available for comment until Tuesday morning.

Rich’s Note: One would think that drinking, smoking pot, and subsequently killing one’s son would sober one up pretty quickly. Evidently not. Here’s hoping she’ll never see the light of day again. I say, upgrade the manslaughter charge to murder… But that’s MY opinion.

Source: NewsNet5.com, June 24, 2008.

Tags: General Stupidity by Rich
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STOCKTON, Calif. — San Joaquin County deputies said they are looking for a man who assaulted a clerk with a frozen burrito.

The clerk at New Country Market on North Wilson Way said the man tried to buy the burrito that cost $2.The man only had $1 on him, and when the clerk refused to lower the price, the man got upset and threw the burrito at the clerk, reported KCRA-TV in Sacramento.The junk food thief then stole a bag of chips, officials said. The clerk wasn’t hurt, and the burrito was recovered, they said.

Rich’s Note: Well thank GOD the burrito was okay!

Source: NewsNet5.com, June 18, 1008.

Tags: ...huh? by Rich
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ATLANTA — Federal authorities have arrested a north Georgia man accused of videotaping his sexual abuse of a 9-year-old girl over a four-year period and distributing photos and videos of the alleged incidents over the Internet.

James Bartholomew Huskey was arrested at his home in LaFayette on Monday and faces charges of manufacturing child pornography and uploading it to the Internet. Huskey is being held in federal custody and is scheduled to have a bond hearing before Magistrate Judge E. Clayton Scofield III on Monday. Federal authorities began investigating the case in June 2006, and discovered images of a man sexually assaulting a young girl. “This defendant allegedly produced a notorious series of images of child sexual abuse that have circulated around the world, with demand from the most hard-core and despicable child porn consumers,” said David E. Nahmias, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. “The series of videos depict a girl being abused from the time she was approximately 5 years old until she was 9 years old. Prosecutors said Huskey, 38, admitted abusing the girl and sending the images online. The victim was identified and confirmed the assaults and tapings.

Video and pictures of the abuse were sent by computer around the world. They were well known to members of child porn rings as the “Tara” photos. Police in Australia alerted the FBI about the images two years ago. Huskey’s two children have been taken into protective custody by Georgia authorities. Neighbors said Huskey works as a tennis coach.

Rich’s Note: Yes, you read that correctly. This loser has two kids of his own. Not known at this time if the victim was one of them (not that it matters though). What was he looking for by uploading this to the internet? To be a “guru” of sorts to all his online child porn buddies? Does he not know about computer forensics, that can be used to trace practically anything from anywhere? Oh well, he’ll get what he deserves, hopefully (LWOP, anyone?). Here’s hoping the victim can resume a relatively normal life after what promises to be an extremely long and turbulent recovery.

Source: CNN.com, Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Tags: Crime and Punishment, Criminal Stupidity by Rich
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Police shoot man as he beats toddler

• Man beat child behind pickup truck on dark, rural California road
• Passing motorists tried to stop beating, called police
• Police shoot, kill man
• Boy pronounced dead at hospital

Police killed a 27-year-old man as he kicked, punched and stomped a toddler to death despite other people’s attempts to stop him on a dark, country road, authorities said.

Investigators on Sunday were trying to establish the relationship between the suspect and the child they say he killed Saturday night. The Stanislaus County coroner said the boy appeared to be between 1 and 2 years old based on his size, according to county sheriff’s deputy Royjindar Singh.

“It’s been a long night of wondering, ‘Why?’ — not only for the officers and the passers-by who stopped and tried to help out, but for anyone. Why would somebody do this?” Singh said.

Singh said the coroner does not plan to confirm the identities of the suspect and victim until Monday. Because his injuries were so severe, the child will have to be identified through a blood or DNA test, he said.

Rich’s Note: I’ve had better Mondays. At least this one is over, and we taxpayers don’t have to worry about paying for his room and board.

Source: CNN.com, Monday, June 16, 2008

Tags: Crime and Punishment by Rich
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Authorities released a sketch Friday of a “person of interest” in the shooting deaths of two Oklahoma schoolgirls.

Several witnesses reported seeing a suspicious man on the same dirt road where Taylor Dawn Paschal-Placker, 13, and Skyla Jade Whitaker, 11, were shot Sunday, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said.

Jessica Brown said authorities believed that the man, “who didn’t look like he should have been there,” was on the road before the girls were shot multiple times in the head and chest and left in a ditch.

Witnesses described the man as an American Indian or possibly half-Caucasian with a black ponytail, about 6 feet tall and 35 years old. They said he was standing in front of a white single-cab pickup with chrome striping, possibly a Chevy or Ford model, with Oklahoma tags, Brown said in a press conference.

Rich’s Note: Tips have been coming in from as far away as California! Let’s hope for a quick arrest and swift justice!

Source: CNN.com, Saturday, June 14, 2008

Tags: Not again... by Rich
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Boy tied to tree as punishment dies, parents charged with murder

A North Carolina couple is charged with murder after police say they tied their son to a tree for two nights to punish him for disobedience.

Authorities say Brice McMillan told a deputy that he forced his 13-year-old son to sleep outside Tuesday while tied to a tree.

The boy was released Wednesday morning, but authorities say he was tied up again that night for bad behavior.

He was left there until Thursday afternoon, when the local sheriff says the boy’s stepmother found him unresponsive.

The teen was pronounced dead at the hospital.

An emergency worker who responded to the scene says he doesn’t know the cause of death.

McMillan and his wife, Sandra, are also charged with child abuse. Two other children in their home have been placed in state’s custody.

Rich’s Note: …and what punishment should the parents get for THEIR disobedience?

Source: WKYC.com, Friday, June 13, 2008

Tags: General Stupidity by Rich
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Teen Spits, Curses When Sentenced For Aggravated Murder

HAMILTON, Ohio – An 18-year-old youth spit, cursed and tried to break away after being sentenced to life in prison without parole by a judge in southwest Ohio.

The melee erupted Wednesday when Butler County Common Pleas Judge Craig Hedric announced the aggravated murder sentence against Michael Douglass for his role in a slaying in West Chester. Douglass spit at the judge, and tried to get away wearing handcuffs and shackles. The sentencing resumed with Douglass placed in the jury box, surrounded by deputies. He cursed the judge repeatedly. Douglass is the second teen convicted in the stabbing death of Sabyasachi Debnath, killed in a motel robbery. The other awaits sentencing and a third teen faces trial in August.

Rich’s Note: …then again, he’s already going to spend the rest of his life in a concrete box with no chance for parole, so I guess it isn’t going to HURT him, either. This just sheds light on the true mentality of some of these people. How sad.

Source: NewsNet5.com, Thursday, June 12, 2008.

Tags: Criminal Stupidity by Rich
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Police look for multiple suspects in girls’ shootings

• Police: Two guns used to kill Taylor Dawn Paschal, 13, and Skyla Jade Whitaker, 11
• Oklahoma authorities raise reward to $25,000 in girls’ deaths
• Authorities question young people in the area, look into computer evidence

Two Oklahoma schoolgirls were killed with two guns, leading investigators to believe that more than one person was involved in their deaths, authorities said Wednesday.

Investigators were considering a variety of motives as they searched for suspects, including the possibility of a “random thrill kill.”

“Two little girls can’t go walking down a country lane,” Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations Agent Ben Rosser said. “I think that’s pretty sad.”

Rich’s Note: What kind of “thrill” someone could possibly get out of doing this is beyond me. These girls were simply walking across a bridge during a sleepover (hence the “here we go again” comment), not bothering a soul. When I see stories like this, the letters “DP” reverberate endlessly in my head…

Source: CNN.com, Thursday, June 12, 2008.

Tags: Not again... by Rich
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Tags: Miscellany by Rich
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