Anthony Anderson = homicided

The Med Examiner has ruled Anthony Anderson's death a homicide from blunt-force injury and primarily a pulmonary contusion (bruised lung), fractured ribs, hemorrhaged tissues, a torn spleen and blood from those injuries filling his guts (hemoperitoneum) -- not an overdose or by choking on .
swallowed drugs as the BPD initially reported, though police do say "morphine" was in his system 

(yes, not "opiates," "morphine" in particular. Is the toxicology report finished? If so, where is it?)   Here's the autopsy report released by the family & uploaded by Fenton, and the Fenton story... you may recall that our new presumptive police chief resigned in Oakland after a court found that his department had failed to implement court-ordered policies to control police abuses, that citizens who complained about it faced "cavalier rejection" of their complaints, and that "the agency misused an early-warning system that flags officers who frequently use force or generate citizen complaints." Baltimore, of course, doesn't even have a public system by which to track or address such complaints to begin with, unless you count our citizen review board that's sworn to secrecy and has zero power, or the invisible-to-us internal police "administrative reviews" that the department openly admits take "months or years*" to complete.  

Sooo, why did Oakland get to have federal court oversight and Baltimore never has? We had the "Flex Squad" in the SW planting drugs and framing people,* just like Oakland's "Riders." We've had officers shot in chaotic no-clear-lines-of command incidents,* just like Oakland. So why did the Oakland PD get total federal oversight and Baltimore has never gotten more than a federal visit or two?
In other news, plans for the new youth jail soldier on.* (remind me, is it federal or local money building this jail?)

And thank you Kevin Rector, finally*-- after a slew of confusing rape/ abuction stories a little clarity: three sex assault/ kidnapping/ robbery victims, two perps -- Kenyon Waller and William Campbell -- who're both now in jail. The first incident of a teen kidnapped at gunpoint off the street then robbed and sexually assaulted was Sept. 25, but as far as I can tell only the Catonsville Patch reported it. Wonder why. I'd throw in a dab of snark here about how if it had happened to a blonde girl in Towson you wouldn't have been able to eat your Cheerios without hearing Don Scott recount every filthy little detail, but my outrage fatigue is acting up.

Fifteen years for Timothy Dennison, 22, who bought "sham cocaine" from an ICE Homeland Security Investigations agent (whatever happened to the DEA?)

A scathing report from the Senate found that the Department of Homeland Security has spent about a billion dollars to spy on citizens, while thwarting not a single terrorist attack. Next (or probably already) from Homeland Security: automatically tracking everyone's car's movements using license-plate scanning technology. Grouses a proprietor of a for-profit license tracking service, "I take absolute exception to any government telling me that I can't go into public and take video ... that's taking my freedoms away." 

The ghettobirds thrum songs of love

The sedan driver shot to death on Reedbird Ave in Cherry Hill was ID'd as Queren L. Thomas,* right, 18-year-old Kentrell Brown has been charged.

A student was stabbed in Hertiage High, no Lady Gaga Twitter campaign planned, no promises of security upgrades from school officials.

Two people have been arrested for kidnapping related to incidents of two separate incidents of women being abducted near Edmonson Ave. and Ingleside in Catonsville. And this morning a woman was forced into a vehicle at Greenspring and Dru Hill Aves, and it sounds like a fourth incident happened yesterday as a woman was waiting for a bus-- she was raped and dropped off somewhere, the story is unclear as to where (and were the two people arrested before or after the one or two incidents yesterday?). In any case case, dear BPD, women getting picked off the streets and stuffed into cars at gunpoint is something I'd rather like to hear about sooner than a full week after it happens, thanks. And why is WBAL the only one on this story? You'd think the local news would be all over that.

A mysteriously dead body was found on a porch in SW

A 55-year-old alleged burglar in Roland Park Fell off a porch and died

A firefighter in Landsdowne was charged with sexually abusing two teen boys

A Californian meth supplier got 15 years for shipping his product to his friend Mark Anthony Anglo in Waldorf

Guilty pleas in PA from three suspects charged with buying the Kate Moss from Baltimore's Damion Floyd, including a mom of three and her brother

A man was sprayed with pepper spray in the 5400 block of York Road (where a woman was carjacked not too long ago)

Four people, including a mother an her adult son, were charged with breaking into a vacant home

Mug shots of Eric Ford Sr (who shot his son and his mother) and other rogues in the Patch's rouge's gallery

Pikesville's Knish Shop was burgled

Murder magnet TeeBee's Lounge kept their liquor license and was fined $2,000 at their Liquor Board hearing yesterday

The family that robs together, sobs together-- Fenton Tweets "2nd suspect in Fort Ave McDonald's robbery - where employees forced in freezer - charged: Sharief Bostic,22. Prev charged susp Darryl Bostic" More from the Sun*

'In Defense of Flogging'

Forty years for Terrence Kelley, who tried to kill his babymom's new man

A man, 28, was shot to death yesterday in the 600 block of Belnord Ave after an argument with two men in a grey station wagon with tinted windows

A decade after the D.C. sniper shootings, Lee Boyd Malvo gave a contrite interview to the WaPo.

Nana Mensah

The 19-year-old murder victim was identified as Nana Mensah of Randallstown (left, from FB), she graduated from Randallstown high last year and worked at Shoe City.

Some Fenton Tweets, blogged for posterity:

Justin Fenton ‏@justin_fenton

Court records show police made arrest in the killing of woman last wk in Cherry Hill, yet police tell me they dont have victim's name. Sigh. ...Volunteers cleaning Leakin Park find decomposing body; identity, cause of death pending autopsy http://bsun.md/QGe1zi ... Murder last night in McElderry Park, 600 N Belnord. No details yet.@SafeStreetsBalt ... Fort Avenue McDonald's employees forced into walk-in freezer during armed robbery Ssaturday http://bsun.md/QGcbOW ...

There was a shooting Friday night at Security Square Mall, a teenager, Rickey Freeman, age 17, was arrested and charged as an adult

Oh fer the love of taxpayer dollars: the Sun's Scott Calvert asked the BPD for the agenda and minutes of CitiStat meetings, and was basically told by the city's lawyers to take a long pee up a short rope (see right) then go file a lawsuit. This is why big corporate newspapers are good: they can sue agencies that need some suin'. Though now we're doubly screwed b/c the Sun's short-fingered vulgarian overlord is too broke/gives not enough craps to spend money on such things, and it shows: city agencies seem to be getting more shamelessly opaque by the minute (see BDC's closed-door "public" meetings, the City Center project, Rico J. Singeton's vanishing emails...).

Some good news from Slummy Slumwatch: a new law goes into effect today that lets neighborhood/community associations sue owners of derelict properties.

Bwah! Christopher Perry, age 50, was convicted of Social Security and Medicare fraud for receiving disability benefits ...  while he was employed by the Social Security Administration. Zing!

In Owings Mills, a (human) burglar pooped on the porch. (“Feces on the front porch?” said Lt. Stephen Doarnberger, assistant commander of the Baltimore County Police’s Franklin Precinct. “That’s new.”)

The Harford Dagger's crime blotter is just adorable ("A caller from the 2900 block of Nova Scotia Road reported nine cows in the caller’s front lawn Thursday.")

Glad to see former Baltimore officer and author of Cop in the Hood author Peter Moskos has a new book out (yes, it came out last year, but just noticed) the title = "In Defense of Flogging"

Yech, the vote suppression people have set to work here in MD, claiming a whole bunch of registered voters are actually dead people. You may recall similar efforts in NC, Wisconsin, Ohio, etc. where a fake-nonprofit (linked to "True the Vote," sponsored by the Koch Bros) claimed 27,500 people should have been dropped from the rolls. After taking up many, many hours of the state election board's time, not a single case of voting fraud was uncovered (NC had exactly one case of voter impersonation in the past 12 years).

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Fenton Twitterations:  "Three women shot in past 24 hours RT @BaltimorePolice Shooting reported in Southwest District. 300 blk S Augusta. Adult female reported shot" ... "[Charles Richardson] 28-yr-old Columbia man serving life for killing 7-11 clerk there, found dead from head trauma in his cell at North Branch ... Cell mate was found outside cell holding bloody clothes" ... "‎25 murders this month; 45 this Aug/Sept compared w 32 last Aug/Sept. Hate to say it but zero chance city's annual downward trend continues"

... the woman shot on the 300 block of Augusta has died.* She was 19, sitting in a car. Police don't know if she was targeted or if it was a random act.

A 35-year-old female sedan service driver was shot in the arm and torso at Reedbird and Potee* Sts, she is alive. Before she died she told police she was shot by an unknown passenger.*

Charles David "Face" Richardson IV, the slain inmate, was serving a life sentence for two first-degree murder convictions, the Sun's Kevin Rector says he was "one of the most violent criminals in recent Howard County memory*"

S.T.F.U!! In spite of being caught driving a stolen, LoJacked car, in spite of his photo being picked out of a pile of photos by the victim, a jury acquitted accused carjacker Sidney Brewer of all charges yesterday.

Matt McDermott, a former teacher who made an appearance in HBO's "Hard Times at Douglass High" (and now working in advertising at idfive) notes that murder victim Audie Mickens* was a "key subject" in the 2008 depressyoumentary

Anthony Anderson

Batts met with the family of Anthony Anderson* who died during an arrest in E. Baltimore. There's a public viewing today for Anderson at the March funeral home at 1101 E. North Ave. from 1 - 7:30 p.m.

The Jizz is shocked, shocked I tell you, that video of last weekend's Towson beatdowns were posted online. So thoroughly offended and repelled that they posted the video online themselves, too, so that you may also clutch your pearls in horror. Meanwhile some Towson businesspeople,* including owners of the Sorry-ass saloon across the street, are coming to the Recher family's defense.

Also horrified: the inspector general re. SRB's $673k phone system,* which found that competitive-bidding protocols were breached, lies were told about the purchases and other deliberate concealment went on: "Top administration officials deliberately tried to conceal from [Joan] Pratt and [Jack] Young their plan to replace the phone system. ... About $673,000 in purchases were for equipment and installation of a new phone system, not the other uses that administration officials have contended." SRB's excuse: the guys who bought them, Rico Singleton and Damien Sharp, don't work for the city any more. And of course the reason Singleton doesn't work there any more is b/c he was canned after his ethical lapses from his previous job* in NY came to light after an audit there. Due diligence on potential hires is not this mayor's strong suit, is it?

And the Brew's Mark Reutter tried to go to a public Baltimore Development Corp meeting this morning, only to find himself mostly staring at a closed door, some very nice chairs and a philodenron in desperate need of sunlight. Somebody please find a window for that poor plant.

What's worse than speed cameras? The city spending $$ to study speed cameras. BTW noticed a new one is up at E. Northern Parkway and Waverly Way (between the 21239 post office and Hillen Rd.)

Way to stay on the case, Jayne Miller, we can all rest a little easier now that the city has admitted to taking down a guy's twinky-mannequin yard art.

And you probably already heard that the flea-market Renoir turned out to be stolen from the BMA.

"Doug Gansler

If you smelled something burning last night, that was just me getting roasted by Massachusetts AG Martha Coakley and Nevada AG Catherine Cortez Masto. They tell me that it was to "welcome" me as the new President of the National Association of Attorneys General."

This just in: booze enemas are 'extremely dangerous'. Especially if you don't take the little umbrella out first.

Free shows

The Fenton Tweets "Confirmation hearing for @BaltimorePolice Commissioner Anthony Batts set for 10/17 at 5 p.m., City Hall..." also "man pulled from harbor last night identified as Gerald Sheeran, 63, who had boat docked at marina"

The man shot in Waverly was ID'd as David Ervin, 41

Adam Meister notes that on Tuesday October 9 Morgan State is hosting a debate on both Question 4 and Question 6. Speaking against question 6 will be one Margaret Gallagher, as in, the founder of NOM (the MD Marriage Alliance confirms it). BTW, interesting that unlike some anti-marriage-rights activists, she doesn't think being gay is a choice. Well, that's refreshing. In case you'll have to miss it, here are her talking points. Ps. Ooo "Maryland Juice" got & scanned the full press kit (complete with cards using gay pride parade photos, above) and official filings for "Jump the Broom for Marriage." They're co-treasured by Raymond Henson, some relative of Julius, and claim to have $2.5 million to spend between now and November 6, so expect to see more. 

Five years for Devin Jarmal Smith, aka Sean Jones, the alleged ringleader of an identity-theft conspiracy that stole identifying information from more than 35 seriously ill patients at UMMC and forged checks and took out credit cards in their names. Co-conspirators Wendy Hinton, William White and Kenneth McDowell have all already plead guilty.

Scary daytime front-door bust-in robberies in HoCo

Police say Patina Morehead of AAC tried to run over her husband w a pickup truck

Ah, young love.

Neighbors say two weeks ago a SWAT team was called to the house of the four-year-old and his mother who were shot last night; there will be a Waverly community meeting at 6:30 tonight at JHU at Eastern, 1101 E. 33rd tonight. UPDATE: Police Tweeted: "UPDATE-detectives and patrol worked tirelessly over the night and arrested 26 year old Eric Ford Sr. For last nights double shooting."

Down in TX, James Sweeney, who some sources have claimed was co-founder of Dead Man Inc. with Perry "Rocky" Roark, pleaded guilty for his involvement in the gang's murder and drug-dealing conspiracies* in exchange for avoiding the death penalty. Twenty-one other members of the gang were indicted on 27 assorted  racketeering, drug dealing and gun charges by RR's office last year (and a 23rd, Kevin Bales, was indicted this year*). DMI is a whites-only offshoot of the Black Guerrilla Family, founded because apparently you have to be black to be a Black Guerrilla. El Fenton Tweeted yesterday, "Court records show sentencing in federal court for Perry Roark, who's pleaded guilty to leading DMI gang, has been cancelled. No explanation." Last I heard, Roark was being held in AAC on a murder charge. How modern: DMI has a Facebook page. (though James Sweeney's letter pledging to rescind his plea deal is not on it).

Two teenagers, a 17-year-old boy and a 14-year-old-girl, led PA and MD state troopers on a wackadoodle chase all the way from York County to Charles and Cold Spring, where their wild ride ended with the teens wrecking their Dodge pickup against a pole then attempting to flee on foot. Oh you crazy kids!

Fifteen federal years for Dallas Williams, a felon w/a gun and ammo

After two murders in two months at TeeBee's Place in Parkville (right over the city line), neighbors, state and local officials are pressuring the liquor board to take the bar's booze license. There's a hearing Monday at 1 in Towson, if you happen to be in town please drop by to lend these poor tormented neighbors some moral support.

The Sun's "Dark Room" feature reveals that Old Town Mall wasn't always a notorious heck-hole: once, many moons ago, men in wide collars rode bicycles by its fountains.* Also see Baltimore History: Block by Block on Tumblr

Thanks, Susan Jenkins, I was just wondering about that. Still no charges for blowhard bigot Don Dwyer, whose reckless boat-boozing sent seven to the hospital.

Burglary, robbery, burglary, robbery, theft from auto, mace in the face in the N. Baltimore Patch blotter

Wow, Baltimore city schools used to teach kids local history?! With crime statistics, no less. Amazeballs. 

@FOP3 Tweeted double "domestic related" shooting on Gorsuch, @Baltospectator reports it's a mom & 4-year-old. Update: both are expected to survive. Christian Shaffer reported it's the 900 block in Waverly, just south of what used to be Memorial Stadium

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Man found shot in a house at 3623 Old York Rd; crime has spiked in the Northern 

Oh my, remember the suspicious body of Eric Pendergrass, found floating in the middle branch of the Patapsco? There was talk of ties to the Blackwell brothers, but no one was charged. Now three people, including the original suspect Darryl Nichols plus Sherell Ferguson and a Donta Vaughn have been charged*.

Fenton Tweets that recently-retired Jesse Odom is unretiring at Batts' request*

a floater in Canton

ps. Occupy Baltimore says it's rallying tonight at 6 p.m. at E Biddle & N. Montfort

Instead of getting all Jayne Millery down at Julius Henson's broom-jumping HQ like she does in my dreams, Jayne Miller instead involved herself in a neighborly dispute involving nude mannequins. 

What's that aboot eh?

So Batts' first move as presumptive commissioner was to hire Judy Pal, right, as his communications pro.* Pal was born in Canada and has held jobs with a bunch of police agencies, as well as with Madison Square Garden and the Labatt Brewery of Ontario. Fenton and LinkedIn report that most of her jobs she stayed in for only about a year (and between the time that I started this post until I finished, the security was changed on her LinkedIn profile-- I saved it from the cache and uploaded screenshots here). According to her bio with the Public Agency Training Council, she has "extensive communications experience dealing with sensitive and image-threatening issues such as criminal conduct of police officers, international scandal, fractured community and media relations..." which will no doot come in handy. According to a speaker bio she is also "credited with re-tooling the image of the largest police department in Atlantic Canada." Yesterday Batts was also quietly sworn in as an officer-- the only photo appears to be from somebody's cell phone. He'll officially be be commissioner after the City Council confirms him. Sounds like there's no question that that'll happen, though I think there are some quality reasons to have questions about this guy, eh?

Rage on the East Side after the death of Anthony Anderson,* 46, the guy who police at first said choked on drugs he was swallowing to avoid arrest, then amended to say "its not clear whether he OD'd or died another way." According to witnesses, the "other way" was Anderson was run up on from behind by officers, who lifted him "as high as a basketball hoop" and slammed him to the ground and kicked him. Police acknowledge he had at least one broken bone; autopsy results are pending. Fox has video of citizens and the Baltimore Peoples {sic} Assembly protesting yesterday.

The Ink has details on last week's seven murders

Stephen Gerwitz is back in court for the trial of Sydney Brewer-- sounds like the car Brewer allegedly stole was equipped with LoJack, hyuk

The Justice Policy Institute has a new report out on the various fucktifications of our city's fucktified bail system

The man shot by an officer in Dundalk near Merritt Point Park was ID'd as 22-year-old Joshua Lopez of La Marque, Texas.

Your usual burglaries and violent boyfriends and husbands in the SE Baltimore Guide Blotter, and eww, a woman on Eastern Avenue got pee in her house due to seepage after a drunk guy took a leak on her door.

Ed Ericsson reviews Michael A. Wood Jr.'s Eliot

The trial of Tom Kiefaber has been delayed til November; Kiefaber reportedly told the court he needs more time to arrange for a public defender because he's "basically homeless" 

Er... Kevin Kamenetz is blaming Brian Recher, owner of the Recher Theater, for the bad behavior of his patrons outside. (What would they have him do?) And bad news, ass-humping white girls, Recher responded by postponing the "Barstool Blackout" event that was scheduled for tonight "until this whole thing blows over." 

Interesting poll numbers this morning from Gonzales: 58 percent of MDers willing to opine to strangers on the telephone support the Dream Act (surprisingly high), expanded gambling is at a a virtual tie, and what WBAL is calling "same gender marriage" is favored by a mere 51 percent of poll-takers (which should be worrying to supporters, as people have a way of telling pollsters they support same-sex marriage then voting against it in the booth, aka the Bradley effect). Also the poll margin of error is 3.5 points, so, meh.

'My mommy is my daddy!'

An unidenified man was shot to death next to a minivan on Mosher St. *

Anthony Batts started work today,* after Barksdale left for medial leave and head of criminal investigations Col. Jesse Odon retired, leaving only Deputy Commissioner John Skinner to drive the bus.

A beating victim from 1997 has been added to this years' toll, the Chesterfield Ave victim was ID'd as a former murder suspect*

Police are ISO these two homicide suspects (left & right) for the murder of Clarence Ross on Pulaski St on Sept 16

"Officials Acknowledge Roosevelt Park Drug Dealing."

Hack cabbie to passenger: “I’m not taking you all the way to Columbia. Give me all your money or I’m gonna shank you.”

WJZ has pictures of the Towson disorderlies (though the TJ's-lot-hand-shooter has yet to be found)

New laws for motor-scooter drivers, and starting October 1 kids under 8 all have to be in booster seats. I'm all pro-safety and anti-internal decapitation and such, but the evidence isn't exactly conclusive on the safety advantages of booster seats. If 80% of parents can't install car seats right, wouldn't it make more sense to require cars be equipped with adjustable-height seat belts? But then car companies would have to spend an extra $10 per car, so you know that'll never happen.

El Deuce's Christian Shaeffer tracked down the "Jump The Broom For Marriage" group to their lair. Oh, and lookie look who's behind it: awesome human being Julius Henson. Sounds about right.

Chronic ideopathic asspainitis

Anthony Barksdale is now out on indefinate medical leave*. Fenton Tweets 2/4 of the top command has left

Charles Village's intrepid courtwatcher Steve was on the scene of the robbery/carjacking trial of one Sidney Brewer

Seven years after the suspicious death of Robert Clay, "supporters" want Eric Holder to investigate. (Steve Janis, formerly of the Examiner and Investigative Voice, is now a producer at Fox 45.)

"Bloody Pi"

Four murdered this weekend, including a man killed at 3008 Chesterfield Ave. in what the commander of the NE called a "drug deal gone bad" two blocks from where Dr. Peter Marvit was killed six days ago; Antoine Sellers was found shot to death in the 600 block of Dumbarton Ave; Nabil Epps was stabbed to death on W. North Ave Friday, a man was found shot to death in the basement of a house in the 2700 block of Mura St. on the East side near Kennedy Krieger. And a man shot Thurs was ID'd as Audie Mickens*

City police shot a robbery suspect this morning; county police shot and killed a guy in Dundalk yesterday

Fenton reTweeted a pic of twentysomethings swarming the Recher Saturday night; "que" = Omega Psi Chi (ΩΨΦ) which has chapters at both Towson ("Iota Epsilon") and Morgan ("Bloody Pi") -- though of course note that it's unknown if any of the frat boys had anything to do with the rioting or shooting

Police say a man died after swallowing a bunch of drugs to avoid arrest, Fenton added via Twitter "Clarification/correction on last tweet: they initially believed he choked on drugs,but say its not clear whether he OD'd or died another way"

A couple of bank robbers got Rosensteined

A JZ story on the Aug 6 murder of Anthony Cureton in front of his mom's house in Cherry Hill makes it sound like a murder w/no arrests and no clues from a nearby crime camera is some kind of exception

Security upgrades to social services offices* five months after Pretty Diamond was stabbed by her mother and saved by a social worker who whacked Pretty's mom in the head with a chair; Kenisha Thomas goes on trial next month.

Meister finds a Zen koan of a 'No on 6' flier on Eutaw while out for a run: “My Mommy is my Daddy & my Daddy is my Mommy. So, who is my Aunt?” Urhm, Maggie Gallagher? ... Word on the street is the "Jumping the Broom" group was also out canvassing in Charles Village this weekend, which I'm sure went over like poop in a shoe. Here's their hideously offensive page, or if you have outrage fatigue, the concise summary from the "Holy Bullies" blog: "Maryland online store exploits African-Americans, babies, and slavery to promote homophobia." And is peddling some surprisingly expensive items, like $46 meals for poll workers ... and surprise, surprise, can't find a single "Dr. Sharon Jones" from Maryland on the Internets. 

Requiescat in Prosecutor

A profile of Jason Weinstein in the Sun reads like an obituary.* Remembered about Itchy* but had forgotten about his role prosecuting old Ed. Three Valentine's Day underpants gifts for three different ladies, those were the days.

Anthony Batts' Black-Eyed Past

Goodness. According to the Long Beach Beachcomber, our soon-to-be police chief Anthony Batts was been the subject of five domestic violence complaints in three different CA cities from different women, including two from his then-wife. He was also accused of covering up these complaints by altering police documents, going soft on Long Beach port security officers engaging in illegal lobster diving in order to keep the reports secret, then committing perjury while testifying about "Lobstergate" in court for the same reason. Retired LBPD Lieutenant Joe Rabe wrote to the paper, "“We all knew of his domestic violence issues, but Tony was Teflon coated; the rules didn’t apply to him, both in his mind and unfortunately in the minds of his superiors.” 

And wait, there's more-- when Batts left the Oakland PD, it was on the verge of being put into federal receivership due to noncompliance of a 2003 consent decree.  (Thanks for the links, Cham & disgruntled Patch commentor)

Fenton says he didn't mention the domestic violence/blackmail accusations in his story Sunday* because they couldn't be corroborated. But I do so hope someone will ask Batts about them during his confirmation hearing.

Hampden Attempted Rapist

Police released a flier-- kind of looks like a lot of sexually offensive Hampenites on the registry. As well as a few from the '18, Ernest Rice (right) and Frank Calabrese (left), don't you think?

Another Towson Town Center shooting?!

Freakin rilly? @BaltoSpectator Tweeted @2:23 a.m. "*SHOOTING* Towson Town Center. Confirmed reports of victim shot multiple times in parking lot. Also reports of numerous fights #Homecoming" "one  shooting victim confirmed so far. Possibly separate stabbing & several fights too" "Hearing incidents may have initiated at a party sposored by a fraternithy at Recher Theater. Note this is unconfirmed at this point." "York Rd remains completely shut down in both directions through downtown Towson due to earlier incidents." Update 9/23, wmar has a story up, guy was shot in the hand in the parking lot of Trader Joe's

Fenton delves into the lonely, tormented, redemption-seeking soul of Californian divorcee Anthony Batts* (as surmised from the photo; haven't read the article yet).

A man shot in Pen Lucy*

So Random

Victim of a hit-and-run in West Baltimore, Veronica Grey, has died. Should she be listed on the toll? Homicide, yes, intentional, probably not, but could she been saved if the driver stopped to render aid?

A man was shot in the shoulder by random people* who knocked on the door of his house on Random Road, a 19-year-old was shot on Harford Road, the man shot on Coventry Road was ID'd as Miguel Crosby.

Baltimorean Daquan Davis was charged with killing his girlfriend's six-month-old son in Atlantic City; Davis is due back in Maryland October 1 to face theft charges in Upper Marlboro.

Officer-turned-bail-bondsman Keith Nowlin is facing federal charges from an incident in 2010 in which he used his police computer to run someone's tag number for a friend*-- probably usually not a biggie, but friend was a drug dealer being followed by the feds, and the someone turned out to be an undercover officer. Whups!

Forty years for Bruce Byrd, the triggerman in a conspiracy to murder witness Isaiah Callaway, who snitched on a stolen-money order scheme. (Probably more has happened with the U.S. Attorneys lately, but as has been happening for weeks now their site attempts to load endlessly but won't. Can't help but wonder if some con artist or other disgruntled convict is attacking their server).

Thirty-five years for Steven Langville, who broke into a guy's house while he was sleeping, wrapped his hands around his neck, demanded money and his car keys and rode off in the victim's car.

Police say the Peppers were killed by blunt force trauma from a knife and a dumbbell; Oklahoma Fox affiliate has a photo of their highly suspect grandson Matthew Long, left, who's now out of a coma and in an OK jail.

A lot of missing laptops and a waitress assaulted with a wine glass by a patron over a "dispute about seating" at some restaurant in the 800 block of S Broadway (Max's? Bertha's?) in the Balt Guide's SE blotter.

The Sun recounts a notorious 1956 county murder of a housewife who was snacking on cupcakes and ice cream when a drifter broke into her house and killed her. The moral: snack on what you damn well like, because you just never know.

Good gracious, that Dan McIntosh/Keeghan Leahy trial is still going on down in Greenbelt. 

City homicides to be solved by honor system

The woman found near Oldtown Mall was ID'd as Rasheedah Muhammed.

Whoa. If Cham's research is accurate, the police haven't charged anyone with a homicide in nearly a month--- and the last guy charged, Dominic Gantt, turned himself in. If the chart is accurate and I'm reading it right, all of 2012's 151 homicides, only 40 have resulted in anyone being charged. Could that possibly be? A 25.9% clearance rate? Really??

Another whoa, Rod Rosestein's former right-hand man, Jason Weinstein, has resigned from the Justice Dept. following the Fast & Furious report (aka the "ATF Gunwalking Scandal"); the DOJ says he should have known what was happening and stopped it, Weinstein told the papers that's a load of crap (in classier language).

Former Baltimore Police officer Daniel Redd got 20 years in the federal pen for selling heroin.*

A fire in the NE was reportedly set by a molotov cocktail.

Oh, and by the way, if you have more than two pets, according to the city council you're running a private kennel and owe the city $100.

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The body of a 26-year-old woman was found dumped in the parking lot next to Oldtown Mall. The mall, really just a shopping strip, is a notorious heck-hole; in 1999 it burned down, for years it's been a mostly-vacant eyesore, in 2009 it housed the China Garden restaurant from which the murderers of victim Tien Zin Wang ordered his last delivery.* The woman was shot in the torso.

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A Fenton article in the Sun and WaPo today gives more details on the life and death of scientist and dad Peter Marvit, shot to death in Belair-Edison. (thanks evaline)

David Simon and the City Paper are scandalized about what they say are "new rules" for charging homicides emanating from Gregg Berstein's office, which give the SAO "unilateral" authority to decide to charge suspects with murder. The alleged rules have allegedly tied the hands of detectives and resulted in half as many homi­cide cases being pros­e­cuted by his office than under Jessamy. Simon and Ericsson also accuse the SAO's office of doling out demotions or transfers to any detective who disagrees with the policy, and of providing misleading statistics to reporters, then, when called on it, claiming that the stats don't matter. Bernstein's office denies both that there's a new policy and that homicide prosecutions are down (no word on the retaliatory demotions). Hrm. (If the new policy exists, then surely it's for a reason-- why deny it?)

Anna Ditkoff's Murder Ink recaps last week's seven homicides

Our own little Chris Brown, Aquille Carr, will have his babymom-kicking-and-punching-related charges dropped if he completes a domestic violence program.*

A burglar burgled the offices of 43rd District Reps Maggie McIntosh, Curt Anderson and Mary Washington, making off with a laptop. The Patch notes that 6th district City Council rep Sharon Green Middleton also was burglarized a month ago. And a few blocks away a JHU security officer caught a burglar breaking in to the Moxie Hair Studio.

Police warn Canton residents of (another) string of burglaries, from a brazen thief who likes to strike between 3-11 p.m. by coming right in the front door.

Matthew Long, grandson of the murdered Peppers who drove off in their car and was found in a coma in a Weatherford, Oklahoma Travel Inn, left a note saying "sorry for what I did."

Twenty big fat federal years for Rodney "Rocco" Peters of the Gettis drug organization from Judge Motz. Peters was the 28th member of the organization to plead guilty, others have included "Captain," "Cutty Rock," and "D-Squared."

A drive-by paintball-shooting in Old Goucher

Four bald pot dealers were arrested in Glen Burnie

Police in AAC are looking for a guy who robbed a bank in Annapolis wearing a ... what is that? Charlie Sheen? Matthew Broderick? Rod Blagojevich? ...  anyway some kind of creepy mask of a white guy with a cowlick.

Oh, you knuckleheaded cutup, you...

A must-read for any resident of our pervy town from Malcolm Gladwell in this week's NYker: "In Plain View: How Child Molesters Get Away With It."