Thursday, May 17, 2012

Must be a big-azz indictment...

From team Bernstein:
To discuss the results of a joint six-month investigation into an alleged murder and drug conspiracy, Baltimore City State’s Attorney Gregg L. Bernstein, Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld, Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge Carl J. Kotowski, and U.S. Attorney for Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein will conduct a news conference tomorrow.
11 a.m. at the Mitchell Courthouse. What could it be? Mass quantities of narcotics? Clown- cars full of conspirators? A white girl? Possibly some newly uncovered conspirators from the McCants-Baker gang re. Cherrie Gammon? ... Money, Miami, Tay and Roland have been indicted federally).
UPDATE: Fenton reports it relates to murdered wrestler/ cancer survivor* Darian Kess, stabbed in the neck during a home invasion*.

National: Jeffrey Toobin on the backstory of Citizens United in the NYker this week

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Oh, the douchery!

Lazy city workers faked water-meter readings*, hosing residents of Homeland and Endor Gardens with a golden shower of quintupled bills. Check your water bills, y'all!

Chrissy Lee Polis: I Want to See Other Things

McDonald's beating victim Chrissy Lee Polis has lost touch with the Trans Panthers and says she needs to get "a life," but sounds too flaky and impulsive* to make the most of the platform she's been given. And her sweet rescuer Vicky Thoms still looks over her shoulder whenever she goes out. Grow up, Chrissy! Stand for something! ... doesn't look like the Trans Panthers have done much either, though, but try to sell adorable purple berets.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

So Much for the Sunday Truce...

More killings this week than there were days, including four murders on Sunday. So here's a recap of the last 10 victims...

65. Quintin Poindexter, an 18-year-old who was a part of the City's gun offender registry, and was awaiting trial on drug dealing charges, was shot to death outside an elementary school on the 5th.

66. Robert Bond, 21, has been identified as the man found dead in an abandoned home in the 3000 Oakley Ave. Bond had recently been released from prison, having been given a three-and-a-half-year sentence in May of 2011.*

67.  Shavar Little, a 28-year-old man with a long criminal history that included several arrests for armed robbery and a conviction related to an Attempted Murder charge, was shot to death  in the 1900 block of Aisquith Street.

68. Terrence Anderson, 19 (Pictured Right)  Was shot dead in the 600 block of North Eutaw St. Anderson had been charged with an armed robbery in the county back in 2009. A link to his memorial page.

69. Cornell Booker, a 46-year-old man, was drunk and arguing with his girlfriend in the 300 block of Whitridge Ave. when his unidentified son knocked him causing Booker to hit his head on the sidewalk and lapse into a coma. He later died. No one has been charged, and the son has not been identified. Booker has a son, also named Cornell Booker, who recently was released from Federal prison earlier this year.*

70. Christopher Jabar Mobley, 28, was the last of four fatalities Tuesday, having been shot dead in the 3400 block of Piedmont Ave.

71. Thomas Weddington, a 34-year-old man, with several convictions for mostly drug-related offenses, was stabbed to death during an argument in the 2600 block of Park Heights Terrace. A suspect has been arrested, but not identified. Weddington was the first of four men murdered on Mothers' Day.

72. Derrick Lawson, a 33-year-old man with prior arrests for attempted murder and armed robbery, as well a several drug-dealing convictions, was shot to death in the 4000 block of West Franklin St.

73. Dominick Brown, a 24-year-old man who does not appear to have a criminal record, was shot to death in the 200 block of Herring Ct, a part of the Perkins Homes public housing development.

74. Lacy Lamb, 19, was shot to death through a basement window as he played video games in his home in the 1600 block of East 32nd St. Lamb did not have an adult criminal record. He was the last of four men killed Sunday,

75. An as of yet Unidentified Male was shot to death Monday in the 1100 block of N. Milton Ave.

This week's Murder Ink has more information on all of these murders. It has also reported that 24-year-old Markez Jones has been charged with the July 2011 murder of Marvin Hayes, stabbed during a game of basketball. 

Monday, May 14, 2012

Prison Rape is No Joke

An ex-con shareholder in the country's biggest prison company has better insights than anyone on the board about the company's business practices, and he's introducing a resolution to hold the corporation accountable for prison rape and sex abuse. This is a great idea if you want to make a difference-- buying a little stock in a rotten company and proceeding to pester them. Nuns have used this technique effectively, though, of course, Alex Friedmann is no nun...

(New link to add to the sidebar: Prison Legal News)

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

.. to jail! Donnell Mackey got 53 years for breaking into a house with a female accomplice, tying up a lady and her nephew and pistol-whipping them. Anybody feel like search guy's record to see how many priors? I'm going to guess.. 19. What do you think...?

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Violent Ex's Turn Out to Be... Violent

A man is in custody after brutally murdering his one-time girlfriend and tying up her young son. Edward Ford, 36, has been charged with the asphyxiation murder of 44-year-old Cheryl Thomas.* Thomas had at one time attempted to get a restraining order from Ford, although she never actually received a full protective order.

The body of a man found shot do death outside Windsor Hills Elementary School has been Id'd as 18-year-old gun registry member Quinton Poindexter.

Several folks were shot in the head this weekend causing two reported fatalities. WBAL reports a man shot in the head at the 600 block of Eutaw Place died, although it hasn't been reported anywhere else. Definitively shot and killed this weekend was 21-year-old Robert Bond, who was shot and killed in the 3000 block of Oakley Ave. Bond, had apparenly just, just, just gotten out of prison, having been sentenced to three and a half years in May of 2011 on an Assault VOP.

Another conviction for team Bernstein, this time it was 34-year-old Antonio Moore, convicted of first degree murder of killing Avon Beasley during a petty squabble back in 2010.

Sure to garner no one's sympothy, 42-year-old career criminal William Bryson was shot by a store clerk during an attempted robbery. Bryson was not fatally injured and faces a bevy of charges related to the holdup try.

40 years in prison for the killing of a 91-year-old woman. Anthony Robinson (Pictured Right), plead guilty to killing 91-year-old Irene Logan in the summer of 2011. Robinson was collared thanks to DNA found on used cigarette near the crime scene.

This weeks Murder Ink attempts to catch up on the multitude of revisions that the City police have thrown out regarding recent homicide tallys. Now the murder of Phylicia Barnes is being moved to it's rightful place on the 2011 tally, bringing last years total up to 197. Also, two more murders have been added to the 2009 tally bringing it up to 240. The deaths of Mia Nichols, killed by her onetime beau Tyrone Webb Jr, and Andrew Giancoli, a 48-year-old man found dead in his car over in AACO back in '09 have been added to that years tally.

Remember the CCBC Essex creeper taking looks under the stalls the ladies room? Well, he's been caught, and surprise surprise, this is not he first time he's been creeping around these parts, not by a long shot. Zachary Campbell, 20, (Pictured Right) has been charged with perverted practices at several local colleges. Since turning 18, Campbell has been charged in six different instances of being a "Peeping Tom," including an ongoing case in the City. Of those 6 cases, he has not once been given any actual jail time and remains off the Sex Offender Registry. If any of you ladies out there (or men, don't know the guy's MO for sure) recognize this guy as a bathroom creeper you've seen, let the police know.

Funeral services have been held in Baltimore for Reverend Mary-Marguerite Kohn, who was among two Ellicott City church workers killed by a disgruntled homeless man last week.

Someone broke into the the Waverly Y.

 As soon as they catch one Robber, another one pops up. Police are ISO a hooded Dundalkian who held up a Quick Mart at knifepoint.

The shootings in Essex seem to be piling up, this time, someone took a slug in the 100 block of Mace Ave early Saturday.

A boatload of burglaries have bungled a bevy of Lutherville businesses.

The Towson Patch has the latest Towson crimes in the slimelight, including a knife-point robbery in the heart of Towson, and an apparent attempted gang rape at the Towson Manor Park, or as locals affectionately call it, the "Baby Ghetto." (And it's doing a swell job of living up to its nickname.)

As the robocall trial is coming to a close, defendant Julius Henson took the stand. Whether he used his time wisely is up for debate, as he spent a good deal of his time shifting the blame onto everyone not named Julius Henson.


A "suspicious package" Tuesday morning put folks in Middle River on high alert. Although no update has been given, it's safe to assume that since the area is not currently swarming with Federal agents, the package in question was in fact, likely not a bomb.

Finally, the most recent crime beat, this one being from the Southeast area, has a purse snatching,  "Project Beat Down," and the robbery of a sex shop.

Towson's "Hipster Bandit" Captured

Remember this guy?



 The goofy hat wearing fella who was robbing the same few Towson banks since November?



Well, He struck the Towson branch of Wells Fargo on the 20th of April. This time though, his choice of disguise left something to be desired...

And sure enough he got busted. The so called hipster bandit is 36-year-old Jason Lee Haldeman, a York, Pennsylvania resident. Haldeman has been charged with 5 separate counts of Armed Robbery.

(A link to the online court records, sign into the Judiciary Case Search first in order to view it.)

Naturally, Haldeman is not a rookie bank robber, having been busted for the same crime back in 2005 in his home state.
 
For as smart as he was, wearing disguises (albeit goofy ones), and robbing a bank far from his home, He slipped up towards the end, robbing a bank with barely any disguise, and to make matters worse, posting a multitude of self shots on his facebook page. You can compare the pictures at the bottom, but it's 99.99% that this is the same guy.

(A full crime update in a bit)

Gansler: DNA Ruling Nnamdi-Pamby

Doug Gansler talks to Kojo Nnamdi about the consequences of the Court of Appeals blocking DNA testing of suspects before they're charged.

(Q. Does this mean people can't be swabbed after they are arrested but before they're indicted, or only after they're indicted, or only after they're convicted? Don't have much time to keep up with the news lately...)

Thursday, May 3, 2012

One bro guilty, one off the hook

The younger, incrementally more awkward brother who helped Tricia Bishop is off the hook, but older brother Eliyahu should have stayed in his Miata instead of trying to "relieve" the freaked-out teenager of the plank he grabbed to defend himself after they followed and confronted him, said Judge White. Makes sense. Eliyahu faces 10 years at sentencing in June. The boy's family has dropped their $6 million lawsuit against the brothers.

No Werdesheim verdict yet?

Judge White was scheduled to deliver a verdict on the Werdesheim brothers at 3, it's 3:35 and no word yet yet, which makes me think no consequences for the boys and the courthouse is bracing itself. ...

Speaking of rioting, 20 years ago today the California riots (aka Rodney King Riots, L.A. riots, 4/29) had been going on for five days -- 13,500 Federal troops had arrived in cities the day before, says el Wikipedia. The rioting started in L.A. and Bakersfield but there was also rioting and looting in Oakland, Berkeley, the Tenderloin of San Francisco and Las Vegas. Van Halen and Michael Bolton shows were cancelled. "Federal troops did not stand down until May 9; the state guard remained until May 14; and some soldiers remained as late as May 27."
City police commissioner Fred Bealefeld III, made a surprising announcement today, stating that he will be retiring this August.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Gun Time Does Not Equal Fun Time

The two boys who killed 13-year-old Monae Turnage in what is described as a gun accident have plead guilty to their roles in the shooting and attempted coverup. According to prosecutors, Monae was still breathing when she was dragged into an alley and hidden under garbage.*

A Towson family is jubilant after a state court ruled that all pit-bulls, regardless of prior violence,  should be considered dangerous, and that their owners can be held responsible for any terror they cause. I'll leave my personal opinions well out of this, but what do you, great readers, think of the ruling?

Ronald Johnson was sentenced to 30 years for murdering Sgt. Chase Love outside the "Hookah Lounge" back in July 2010. 

Two suspicious deaths from this weekend have been announced, including that of Tenneseean Karen Huskey, found dead after raving it up.  It seems the number of announced suspicious deaths have been severely reduced hes past couple years, at least based on the number of ones I add to the homicide tally.

That... is not going to help the prosecution. At the Werdesheim trial a woman passed out suddenly, and who was the first person to jump up and help? Avi Werdesheim. 

It seems we can't go a week in Baltimore without a viral video sparking controversy. This time it's a video of the police's handling of a group of activists that's caused more then a few people to be up in arms. 

A gleeful, shirtless man jumped the field at the Orioles game Friday, before eventually getting tackle by the home plate ump. I went to the game Friday, and sat almost next to, and cheered with, the very, very drunk and enthusiastic man. While I can't recommend that sort of behavior, his actions were the only interesting point in that dud of a game...

A fella in Essex got popped in "A Line Barbers" on South Marlyn Ave.

Four people will be spending a long time behind bars for kidnapping and attempting to murder a woman. 27-year-old Torrence White was sentenced to 40 years, 24-year-old Morris James got 30 years, 23-year-old Keonay Hill got 30 years, and 29-year-old Adesha Richardson is awaiting sentencing.

The firing of Salvatore "Don't Call Me Dude" Rivieri has been upheld by a MD court.

Students are doing all they can to keep pedo John Merzbacher in a prison cell for the rest of his life.

Two out of three of the corrections officers accused of violently beating a woman at Central Booking have been convicted. Larry Morris and Shannon Rivies face serious time when sentenced. Terrance Taylor was acquitted of all charges.

A new robocall trial for former Ehrlich aid Julius Henson has begun. Henson is accused of concocting a scheme to dupe hundreds of thousands of democrats into not voting during the 2010 Gubernatorial election.

The City police department was recently audited, and shockingly enough, the results weren't so great. 

County residents aren't looking very open minded this past week. In the first incident, County resident Billy Ray Pratt, 24, plead guilty to hanging a raccoon on the porch of a home belonging to a family of African immigrants. In the second incident, a rock found it's way through the window of a Muslim community center. 

That's... really gross. Folks at CCBC Essex are on the lookout for a creeper who put his head under several active use stalls in the woman's restroom. 

A few crimes of note in and around Towson, including the robbery of a couple in the Towson Mall parking garage. 

Police are ISO the Dundalk driver who hit and nearly killed a 15-year-old riding his bicycle. 

18th Street gang member Joel Ventura "Clon" Quintanilla was sentenced to Life in the Federal pen  for murdering a 15-year-old and a 24-year-old in separate incidents. Quintanilla was an El Salvadorean immigrant already serving Life in state prison due to his gang shenanigans. He was arrested for the murders thanks to the fact that he had his own nickname tattooed on his stomach. 

Recent Victims ID'd

Updates and ID's on a Whole Bunch of Recent Homicides:

56. Somchanh Sipayboun, a woman with no criminal record was murdered in what police describe as a domestic dispute. No arrest has been made, although Ms. Sipayboun had a prior peace order filed against someone before. It will be interesting to see if that man has anything to do with the murder...

57. Willie Battle, a 19-year-old with an active warrant for drug dealing, was shot dead in the 2700 block of Boarman Ave.

58. Mark Day, 43, was shot in the 1500 W. North Ave. back in August of 2010, before dying this year in March.

59. Floyd Dorsey, a 59-year-old man who doesn't appear to have any local criminal record was shot and killed in the normally quiet 4100 block of Norfolk Ave.

60. Michael Williams, 45, was identified by Murder Ink as the man shot  in the 2500 block of Harlem Ave. Wednesday.

61. Phylicia Barnes, 16, who for some reason was not on the 2011 homicide list, despite her death having been declared a homicide back in May of 2011, has now been officially added to the homicide tally.

62. Cortez Lemon, 23, was stabbed to death near Lexington Market. 21-year-old Troy Harrison has been arrested for the crime.

63. Rayner Veney, 51, died nearly a year after being shot while on a scooter in the 3400 block of Ravenwood Ave.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Shomrim victim wants to drop charges

Murder on Harlem Ave in west Baltimore
Why do you suppose the teen victim in the Shomrim assault case refused to testify and asked to drop charges? 
"The victim, now 16, cried as he mumbled responses to some of Assistant State’s Attorney Kevin Wiggins’ questions. The teen testified he was walking to the bus stop from his grandmother’s home to go to a doctor’s appointment that day. He said he didn’t make the appointment because two men in a red car approached him, looked at him the wrong way and told him he was not supposed to be there. At times, the teen did not answer and would bend over to put his head in his lap."


Alleged pimp Jeremy Naughton, a.k.a. "Jerms Black," indicted for pimping, kidnapping, gun crimes


These teens that are drinking hand sanitizer for a buzz perhaps haven't heard of Annie McCann's death by Bactine®.

Arrest Made in Phylicia Barnes Murder Case

Many more details are sure to come, but at the moment what we know is that a man by the name of Michael Maurice Johnson has been arrested for the murder of 16-year-old North Carolina resident Phylicia Barnes. More details are sure to come Thursday. No online court records have been found regarding an arrest of a Michael Johnson related to the Phylicia Barnes case.

Justin Fenton has offered up more information on the case, including the fact that Michael Johnson was a boyfriend of Phylicia Barnes' sister, and has been a long-time suspect.*

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Someone Watched a Bit too Much Dirty Harry...

A city homicide detective who was the lead detective in the Phylicia Barnes case, was suspended after illegally raiding several houses in search of his missing 11-year-old daughter. While I'm not a father, I can certainly feel for the guy and understand his actions...

Word of advice to any budding Baltimore criminals... if you're going to stick a gun in someone's face, try to avoid doing it in front of two police officers. Daryl Bland, 29, will have the next 25 years to think that lesson through.

Shatia Baldwin
DeAngelo Carter
The internet must be leaping for joy, as two more arrests have been made in the assault and stripping of a Virginia man on St. Patty's day. Police arrested Shayona Davis, 20, for assault and armed robbery for her role in the assault. Also collared was 18-year-old DeAngelo Carter (aka the "teenage teabagger," shown right.) Police are still ISO a third suspect, 21-year-old Shatia Baldwin. also arrested Shatia Baldwin, left, last night.

Not nearly as newsworthy as hurting a dog, but half of the Johnson twins did, you know, try to murder another human being. This time, Travers Johnson wasn't so lucky in the courts, and got slapped with an eight-year sentence.

It's the old adage of "if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is" at its finest. Federal authorities raided a flea market suspected of selling counterfeit clothing by the truckload.

An as-of-yet-unidentified woman was dead in ahome in the 5400 block of Hillburn Ave.

The investigation is ongoing in a suspicious three-alarm fire that caused thousands to lose power.

Another day, another disgraced Baltimore police officer sent to the can. This time it's 40-year-old Osvaldo Valentine, sentenced for participating in the Majestic Towing scandal. 

Two days, two shootings on North Robinson Street.

Maryland prison officials are launching a new program designed to root out the ever-growing number of cell phones found in state prisons.

This week's Murder Ink recounts several recent shootings and arrests, including the previously unannounced arrest of 27-year-old Deante Tucker for the April 8th murder of Robert Laney Jr.

Have you seen Doris Anderson? She's has dementia and has been missing since March.

A downtown Towson branch of Wells Fargo has been robbed. Details are sketchy, but but if you ask me, it seems Towson's own "Hipster Bandit" has struck again.*

Good money is o the table for the person who can provide details on "Billy Evans" wanted by County police for a multitude of burglaries.

Kids these days... several Essex tweens are in trouble after being caught breaking into a house in order to smoke weed.

Remember the great nickel heist from a while back? Two men, Gregg Lee Purbaugh, 50, and Kenneth Trainum, 44, have plead guilty for their roles in the peculiar caper.

Finally, 14 years in the Federal big house for 34-year-old Warren Delano Williams, convicted of robbing seven stores and three banks over a 5-month period.

...I can't say I'm in love with Bloggers new format, then again, maybe I just hate sudden change, only time will tell.
Nope, I hate it.

Baby stabbed by mom

What the freaking hell? WBAL is reporting an eight-month-old infant was stabbed multiple times at the Department of Social Services office at 3031 E Biddle St., Fenton Tweeted the stabber was the baby's mother (!!)


Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge David W. Young sentenced Tyrone Webb Jr. today to life plus 20 years in prison for killing his girlfriend Mia Nichols with two gunshots to the head, dumping her body in the woods, and then reporting her missing.


The Court of Appeals overturns a cold-case rape conviction, questions constitutionality of taking DNA samples from arrestees


Takoma Park residents want a resolution to reject the NDAA's infinite-detention clauses.