Snake rapist sentenced to 25 years prison and lifetime extended supervision

One of two men who were found guilty of raping a woman with a live snake last fall was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment by Eau Claire County Judge Paul Lenz on Tuesday, May 24, 2011. 24 year old John Bullock, of Altoona, earned the sentence after a jury convicted him and 25 year old Damonta Jones of Eau Claire, WI of two counts of 1st degree sexual assault last month.

According to the criminal complaint:

The woman told police she was at Jones' residence in the early morning hours of Nov. 11 with Jones, Bullock and two friends.The group was drinking alcohol and dancing. At one point, one of the friends left the residence while the second went to take a shower. Jones then invited the woman into a bedroom to see his children's pictures.

When she walked into the bedroom the woman said she was struck in the head with an unknown object and thrown on the floor before blacking out. The woman said she remembered Jones holding her while Bullock sexually assaulted her. She said she later was sexually assaulted with a live snake.
Bullock told police he had sexual contact with the woman but that it was consensual.

Besides 25 years imprisonment, Bullock will spend the rest of his life on extended supervision and the sex offender registry. He must stay away from the victim, Jones, minors, taverns, and alcohol. He also can't own pets.

The 25 year sentence falls in line with the pre-sentence investigation prepared by the Wisconsin Department Of Corrections, which recommended a 20-40 year sentence, but under Eau Claire County Assistant District Attorney Meri Larson's 30-40 year sentence suggestion. According to Larson, Bullock "attacked a defenseless woman in the most degrading way he and Mr. Jones could think of" and that Bullock "is a great threat to the community."

Before sentencing, Bullock said "I can't apologize about a crime I did not commit...My case is a case ... of media sensationalism and police misconduct. My case has been built on a foundation of lies. I am not a man that sexually assaults women."

Judge Lenz disagreed, saying "Just when you think you've seen every kind of depravity that comes into the mind of a man, there comes along another one."

Jones, still being held on $30,000 bail in the Eau Claire County Jail, will be sentenced August 3 after a pre-sentence investigation is run on him. Both Bullock and Jones have appealed their convictions.

Former Houston officer sentenced to 6 years jail for coercing prostitute into sex

A former Houston police officer was convicted, then sentenced to 6 years imprisonment for raping two prostitutes while on duty. 26 year old Demetrie Trevail Dixon, 26 was convicted by a Harris county jury on two counts of sex assault Tuesday, May 3, 2011. The conviction stems from charges that two prostitutes had been coerced into performing oral sex by Dixon while he was on duty.

Dixon was sworn in as an HPD officer in January 2009. He was arrested June 4 and terminated after an internal investigation Jan. 7 [2011].The north Houston division patrol officer was charged last year with four felony counts of sexual assault and two misdemeanor counts of official oppression.

Internal affairs investigators said Dixon stalked several women while on duty then took them to a secluded area to strip-search them. Prosecutors said he raped two of the women twice over a three-month period. After more than a week of trial and about two hours of deliberating, Dixon was sentenced for raping one of the women twice.

While Harris County Prosecutor Prosecutor Matthew Peneguy asked for the maximum of 20 years behind bars for "using the badge to coerce" sex, Dixon's defense attorney said "We don't need to warehouse this guy, he needs help," but the jury disagreed.

Dixon sill faces sexual assault charges for raping the other prostitute, and faces two misdemeanor allegations that he forced two other women, one of them an undercover police officer, to submit to strip searches under threat of jail. 

Woman charged with biting boyfriend's lip off during fight

A 26 year old Las Cruces, NM woman is facing a third degree felony charge after biting her "boyfriend's" lip off during an argument on Sunday May 1, 2011. Aurelia Lorena Reyes, 26, is charged with one count of aggravated battery against a household member causing great bodily injury, a third-degree felony.

At around 11 p.m. Sunday, Las Cruces police were called to the Coachlight Inn at 301 S. Motel Blvd., where officers found the victim with a bloody face. The 35-year-old man was taken to a local hospital and then, because of the severity of his injuries, to University Medical Center of El Paso. His injuries are not life-threatening.

According to Las Cruces police, Reyes had an argument with her boyfriend, who told her to leave. Reyes became angry, so she grabbed the victim's head and bit off his upper lip, which was found about two feet from the entrance to their shared apartment. After hiding out in a neighboring school parking lot, Reyes turned herself it Monday, May 2 morning. Reyes is currently being held on $10,000 bond in the Dona Ana County Detention Center.

Teacher who faced 10 years behind bars for "relationship" with 19 year old student gets 10 months

(Original Post 5-29-10)
A 28 year old Shelby, NC teacher is facing a decade behind bars for an "affair" with a 19 year old student at the school she worked at. Nichole Chapman, a married mother of three daughters was arraigned at the Cleveland County Law Enforcement Center Thursday morning. Chapman was charged with two counts each of indecent liberties with a student and sex offense with a student.

The judge set Chapman's bond at $75,000 and ordered her not to have any contact with the victim, 19 year old Vavaughia Snipes. This may be a problem since instead of listing her estranged husband, Chapman listed Snipes' mother, Chella Whisnant as her nearest relative during booking.

Chapman and Snipes began their "relationship" about a month ago at North Shelby School, a school for special needs students between 3 and 21. All encounters took place at his home, and he claimed to have started the relationship. Snipes said that "I ain't no victim...I love her and she loves me, so as far as that goes. They are not going to stop me from seeing her so it don't matter,” he said. He suffers from seizures and a learning disability.

Chapman said she believes she was arrested and charged “Probably because I'm white and he's black." Jeff Ledford, the Shelby police chief, disagrees. "That teacher-student relationship, that's where it's at. That's where your issue lies. The age goes out the window when you are talking about a teacher [and a] student,” because North Carolina law considers teachers to be guardians of students.

(Update 5-2-11) Chapman was sentenced to 10 to 12 months in jail for indecent liberties with a student and sex offense with a student. In December, Cleveland County (NC) Superior Court Judge Forrest D. Bridges accepted Chapman's pleas. On Monday, May 2, it wasn't Judge Bridges, but Judge James W. Morgan who formally sentenced Chapman. Bridges ordered psychatric evaulations for Chapman, conducted while at a psychiatric hospital in Butner, NC. The evaluations stated that she was competent to stand trial.

Chapman’s lawyer, Katherine Haen, said the former teacher was on medications to treat her various disorders at the time of the incident. Haen said this “cocktail” of medicine affected her behavior.

Chapman’s mother and father sat in the courtroom during the proceedings. Haen said Chapman’s parents drove to Raleigh on a regular basis to visit their daughter over the three months she was at the psychiatric hospital. Haen said it was over the course of her stay at the psychiatric hospital that Chapman changed.

"I think she’s gotten to know herself. She actually thanks Judge Bridges for putting her through that program...She has three daughters she hasn’t seen since December. I hope that the court will allow her to be released today to start a new life, a new direction. This experience has really transformed her.”

Chapman echoed her lawyer's statement. “I’m not the same Nicole. I can tell, and my family can tell, I’m a different person thanks to the help I’ve gotten.”

Missing mother abducted from parents' house by estranged husband - husband sentenced to life without parole

By Rex Hall Jr.

Kalamazoo Gazette

April 26, 2010, 5:03PM

COLON TOWNSHIP — Police are searching for a missing St. Joseph County woman who is believed to have been abducted Monday morning by her estranged husband, authorities said.

 

Venus Rose Stewart, 32, was taken some time between 7:10 and 8:30 a.m. from her parents’ home in the 55000 block of Driftwood Drive in Colon Township, according to Michigan State Police. Police said Stewart, who was last seen wearing pajamas, may be with her estranged husband, Douglas Harrie Stewart, 29.

“We have information to believe she did not leave voluntarily,” said Lt. Mike Risko of the State Police Post in White Pigeon.

Police said the Stewarts may be traveling in a 1998 silver Mercury sedan with Virginia license plate XNP1453 or a silver full-size Dodge Ram with four doors and Virginia plate XNP1301. Douglas Stewart lives in Newport News, Va., and police believe the two may be headed there.

Risko said Venus Stewart formerly lived in Newport News but had moved back to Michigan where she was living with her parents and children. He said Venus Stewart’s father and children were asleep at the house in Colon Township at the time that she is believed to have been abducted. The lieutenant declined to say Monday what information police have that leads them to believe that Venus Stewart did not leave her parents’ home willingly.

Police described Venus Stewart as a white female, 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighing approximately 130 pounds with brown eyes and dark hair. Douglas Stewart is described as a white male, 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing approximately 250 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.

Police ask that anyone with information about the Stewarts’ whereabouts to call the White Pigeon post at 269-483-7611 or the State Police Regional Dispatch Center in Rockford.

(Update 5-2-11)

Two weeks ago, Doug Stewart was sentenced to life without parole after being convicted of kidnapping and killing his wife. Stewart was sentenced to life without parole on counts of 1st degree intential murder, and conspiracy to commit first degree inentional murder. A St. Joseph jury convicted Douglas of these charges on March 11 after a three week trial.

During the sentencing, which took place on April 18, Venus' brother Dustin Jasper read a statement by their mother, Therese McComb. Jasper was angry at his former brother-in-law for not telling his family where Venus' McComb's body was.

“Don’t you miss her? Don’t you realize how much Brook and Rachel need their mother? This just shows how much you didn’t love them and saw them as pawns to hunt Venus. You’re hurting Mom by not telling where she is at to have a proper burial.”

Jasper then called his sister's murder a sociopath who lied and seduced his sister into the marriage. "He never served in Afghanistan or was a sniper...A pathological liar lies to get sympathy, to look better, to save his butt...A sociopath will quickly proclaim that you are their true love and soulmate,” Jasper said. “They want to move in together or get married quickly.”

St. Joseph County Circuit Judge Paul Stutesman presided over the trial and sentencing.

A week ago, on April 26, 2011,  a vigil was held for Venus McComb in Centreville, MI. It was led by Pastor Don Smith of Firm Foundation Ministries and attended by about 100 people. Pastor Smith said “It was a special day for me. My mother had also dedicated her life to the Lord and was going to be baptized that day...You could see the joy in her face in the midst of the struggles she was going through. Today, the biggest question is, ‘what are we supposed to do without Venus?’ How can something good come out of something so tragic?...We see the life in her legacy just by looking at her daughters. There’s nothing wrong with crying over Venus tonight. We need to mourn.”

Theresa McComb, the victim's mother said, “She made my life complete...She was a free spirit. She loved her little girls more than anything in the world.”

Hitman sentenced to life for murder at behest of victim's wife

A hitman hired by the victim's wife to kill for a $500,000 life insurance policy was sentenced to life plus 25 years in a Fulton County, GA courtroom for the killing. Jean Pierre Devaughn, 29 of suburban Atlanta, was sentenced by Judge Stephanie Manis Monday, April 11, 2001 for the murder of his cousin, 35 year old Eric Clark of Alabama. According to the Fulton County District Attorney's Office, Clark's wife, Constance Shinell Clark, hired Devaughn to kill her husband for his life insurance.

Clark had driven to Atlanta the day he was murdered with $500 cash to get discounted alcohol for a party he was bartending, prosecutors said. Authorities learned that in the months before he died, Clark's wife had secured a $500,000 life insurance policy on her husband, prosecutors said.

The victim's mother, Janice Clark, spoke for her son during the sentencing."Not seeing his lovely face and smile has been hard for our family. Eric was loved so much and he was brutally murdered and left like trash. This man has taken his life and shown no remorse...He destroyed our son and we will never be the same."

The wife is currently serving time in federal prison for identity fraud, but is scheduled to be tried for her husband's murder.

St. Paul weight trainer accused of sexual misconduct with 16 year old - stipulated facts trial leads to probation

(Original Post 12-4-09)

A 25 year old weight room supervisor at Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul, MN was charged with two counts of 3rd degree criminal sexual conduct for a sexual relationship with one of her 16 year old students which took place back in 2008. Gail E. Gagne is alleged to have engaged in sexual contact with the 16 year old several times, including at her Bloomington, MN home and at a hotel near the Mall Of America.

Hotel records and Gagne's credit card receipts show that on Sept. 13-14 of that year, she spent the night at LaQuinta Hotel on Nicollet Avenue south in Bloomington, the complaint said.

The principal at the private Catholic school told police that Gagne was hired in November 2007 as an assistant basketball coach. From January through September 2008, she was a substitute teacher. In the summer of 2008, she worked in the weight room, and in late September 2008, she was hired as a full-time teacher, the complaint said.

Gagne is not in custody because she is believed to be in Chicagoland. Hennepin County District Judge Ron Abrams issued an arrest warrant Tuesday, December 1. Her attorney, Earl Grey, said his client will plead not guilty. Third degree CSC is a 15 year felony in Minnesota.

(Update 12-13-09) Gagne turned herself in at the Hennepin county Jail 3:30 Thursday, December 10, but made her $50,000 bond four hours later, according to jail records. She appeared for her preliminary hearing before District Court Judge Thomas Sipkins Friday, December 11, where she was ordered to stay away from the alleged victim.

(Update 2-8-11) A "stipulated facts" trial heard by a judge only will decide the case of Gagne. He jury trial was supossed to have started yesterday, February 7, 2011. This means that the prosecution and defense attorney has gone to agreement on facts without having a formal plea agreement. Also like a plea agreement,  a count of 3rd degree CSC was dropped and a second count of 3rd degree CSC was reduced to 5th degree CSC, a gross misdemeanor.

Under the agreement, prosecutor Judith Hawley will prepare a statement of the facts in the case and she, Gail Gagne and Gagne's attorney, Earl Gray, will sign it and submit it to Judge Richard Scherer on Wednesday. A sentencing hearing is set for March 28 if she's convicted.

According to Professor Joseph Daly of Hamline University Law School, such a legal arrangement meant it was a near certainty that Gagne would be convicted during the bench trial.

(Update 3-29-11) Yesterday, Gagne was sentenced to a year in jail, suspended, and two years probation by Hennepin County District Judge Richard Scherer. Gagne did not speak, but her victim's mother did. The mother said that she had hoped to send her son to Cretin-Derham to "provide a safe, loving environment," but that Gagne had betrayed her trust and damaged her family's lives. "His family is left holding the dirty laundry of the defendant's unprofessional, self-serving actions."

After the hearing, both sides used the words "reasonable" and "appropriate" to describe the outcome. Then again, they had both agreed to what it would be last month when they filed a "stipulation" with the court laying out what the facts were.

"I thought it was a reasonable disposition of the case," defense lawyer Earl Gray said afterward. "Although I thought I could win it, you can also lose."

"I think we had an appropriate resolution to a very unhappy situation," said Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman. He said he believed the verdict and sentence would send a message to teachers, coaches and others with authority over youths that having sex with students has strong consequences. "Society doesn't permit it, and morality doesn't permit it," Freeman said.

Gagne has moved to California.

Serial criminal sentenced to 88 years for rape, confinement of 78 year old woman

Friday, March 4, 2011

By Anna Rochelle, Staff Writer [Greene County [IN] Daily World]

The wheels of justice turned tough Friday [March 4, 2011]on Alex C. Callison, a Bloomfield man who entered several pleas of guilty in a case involving the rape and confinement of a 78-year-old woman in October. He's headed to the Indiana Department of Corrections for 88 years in prison. Even if he racks up good time credit, it would still be 44 years before his release. Callison was 28 years old when he was arrested on Oct. 31.

When Greene Superior Court Judge Dena Martin pronounced the sentence on each of four criminal counts, she ruled that the sentences will be served consecutively, or one after the other.

During a change of plea and sentencing hearing early Monday, Callison entered a plea of guilty to, and was sentenced to:

* Burglary, a class A felony, 47.5 years (the maximum allowed by law is 50 years)

* Rape, a class B felony, 19 years (maximum of 20 years)

* Criminal deviate conduct, a class B felony, 19 years (maximum of 20 years)

* Intimidation, a class D felony, 2.5 years (maximum of 3 years)

Callison was represented in court by Attorney James Riester, serving as a public defender. The State's case was argued by Greene County Deputy Prosecutor Keven McIntosh.

The case initially filed against Callison included five other criminal counts which were dismissed under the terms of a negotiated plea agreement. The agreement left sentencing up to the discretion of the judge.

After the hearing, McIntosh said the Prosecutor's Office was pleased with the sentences. "He got roughly what he would have gotten had this case gone to trial and if he had been found guilty by a jury," said McIntosh noting that under Indiana's sentencing guidelines, some of the charges would have been merged for sentencing purposes.

"I'm happy with the outcome and I think the victim's family is happy with the outcome," said McIntosh.

The defense did not share that satisfaction and requested that a state public defender be appointed to represent Callison in an appeal of the sentence. Since Callison plead guilty, by law he cannot appeal the conviction, but he can appeal the sentence.

McIntosh said the victim did not ever want to see the defendant again and she didn't want to have to go through a trial. But she told him if it became necessary, she would testify. The victim did not attend the sentencing hearing, but was represented by four members of her family who all took the stand: Three daughters and one granddaughter.

 "They did a tremendous job conveying to the judge how this has affected their mother and grandmother and their entire family," said McIntosh. "They should be commended for their heartfelt testimony."

Callison was accused of breaking into a home where the elderly victim lived alone. She thought she heard a knock on her door at 3:30 a.m. but chose not to answer it due to the time of night. Moments later Callison broke in and made his way into her bedroom.

Callison stayed in the home until the next afternoon. During that time, the victim was attacked again and again, forced to make breakfast for the man and she was threatened with knives out of her own kitchen.

She was able to give police a description and later identified Callison in a photo lineup. Crime scene technicians seized numerous items of evidence including the knives, Coke cans he drank from and other materials with DNA evidence and/or fingerprints.

When the victim was first interviewed, a detective said she was "visibly shaken" and became physically ill. During the hearing, two interviews were replayed, one with the victim and one with Callison.

Callison's criminal history was also brought out -- he had one previous conviction on his record, a class C felony burglary involving a break-in at a barber shop in Daviess County. Callison was on parole for that conviction when the current crime was committed.

McIntosh said he thought the defendant did seem sorry for what had happened but that didn't make up for what he did to the victim.

"I do not think that Callison is just a predator. I think this incident was fueled by drugs and alcohol," said McIntosh. "Appearances can be deceiving, but in court, he seemed remorseful. And by admitting guilt, he did save us going through a trial."

When asked about the victim's recovery, McIntosh said this had been a very difficult experience for her. "Since this happened, she's no longer able to stay by herself -- this changed her life greatly," said McIntosh. "She's tough, but this has affected her deeply. I hope she will overcome this, I think she will overcome this. I know she's a resilient lady."

© Copyright 2011 Greene County Daily World. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Semen squirting sicko sentenced to probation

A suburban DC man was sentenced to probation Thursday, February 24 for squirting semen onto 5 female shoppers. The gooey attacks took place between November 2009 and July 2010. Montgomery County District Court Judge Stephen P. Johnson sentenced 28 year old Michael Wayne Edwards Jr. to counseling and regular status hearings, but not sex offender registration. The perp plead guilty in November 2010 to 2 counts of 2nd degree assault and the three years probation are for those counts running concurrently.

Officers from the Gaithersburg Police Department arrested Edwards July 29 after investigation showed that he had followed a woman out of the Giant Food grocery store at 842 Muddy Branch Road on July 15 and sprayed human semen on her back from a small plastic bottle, police said.

He was freed on $4,000 bail until Montgomery County Police arrested him again Aug. 2 and charged him with spraying semen on another woman in November 2009 at the Michaels craft store in the Kentlands neighborhood of Gaithersburg.

He was charged with three additional assaults after police found video recordings on his cell phone of similar attacks on unknown women, but those charges were not prosecuted. Two of the attacks filmed on the cell phone occurred July 2 as women were leaving the Muddy Branch Giant, police said. Edwards sprayed one woman at about 8 a.m. and another at about 8:20 a.m., according to police charging documents. On July 8, he went back to the store and sprayed a woman as she left at about 3:15 p.m. Those victims did not come forward.

Defense attorney Barry Helfand said those attacks were not prosecuted because egg white and vinegar mix, not semen, was squirted during those incidents.

Prosecutor Amy Bills recommended 1 1/2 years imprisonment, but said she thought the judge's decision was fair. Judge Johnson cited to lack of previous criminal history and his feeling that incarceration would not give Edwards any more insight into his crimes than intensive supervised probation.  The judge prohibited Edwards from going to the neighborhoods or the supermarket chains where the semen soakings occurred.

To the victim at the Michael's store, Edwards said, "I apologize to all for my actions. I've had a lot of time to think about this and reflect on this." After the sentencing, he said, "I'm ashamed. It's a shameful act. I'm very apologetic and it won't happen again."

"Monster" sentenced to 18 years, 8 months for attemped stabbing murder of wife

A man who stabbed his wife 63 times in front of their two children was sentenced to 18 2/3 years of imprisonment yesterday, February 28, 2011. 29 year old Brian Rolstad plead guilty to single counts of attempted murder causing great bodily injury, felony spousal abuse and two counts of felony child endangerment. The attack on his wife, Rachel, happened last spring at their Chula Vista, CA home. At sentencing yesterday, Rachel described as she drifted in and out of consciousness and saw fear on her sons' faces as their father attacked their mother.

The assault at the home in the 1300 block of Granite Springs Drive was reported shortly before 8 p.m. last June 14, according to Chula Vista police. A motive was not disclosed.

Officers arrived to find the assailant gone and the victim suffering from multiple stab wounds, most of them to her upper body. Rolstad was found about 7 the next morning, sitting in his car near Chula Vista Police Department headquarters.

"The torture was excruciating, horrifying and ruthless. I could feel each stab as it entered into and out of my body. He stabbed me over and over and all I could do is curl up in a fetal position to protect my heart while begging and hoping he would stop...You only care about yourself. Look how you washed yourself, changed your clothes and made sure you were nice and clean but left our kids crying, with blood smeared on their poor little faces, traumatized… while you left to go hide...When I see you, I see a monster."

To Superior Court Judge Esteban Hernandez, Rachel said that  "Brian Rolstad is a cold-hearted, senseless human being… I see an angry man with no remorse… a vicious criminal who I believe will take revenge after his release. If he tried to kill me once, who's to say he won't try it again...He's not crazy but I'm afraid he will come back to get me when he’s released."

The perpetrator was ordered to get mental health treatment while incarcerated, something that may take place at one of California's state hospitals.

Man convicted of bathtub drowning murder of wife

Associated Press
LEBANON (OH): A man found guilty of murder in his third trial over his wife's bathtub drowning buried his face in his hands as he heard the verdict Tuesday and continued to maintain his innocence, telling the judge he loved his wife and ''would never have hurt her.''

A Warren County jury deliberated about 12 hours over two days before convicting Ryan Widmer, who was in tears as the verdict was read. Judge Neal Bronson sentenced him to 15 years to life in prison. ''Judge, I did not do this,'' Widmer said, breathing heavily. ''I don't know why this has to keep going on. I mean, my life has been ruined.''

It was the second time Widmer was found guilty. The verdict from his first trial was thrown out over juror misconduct, and his second trial ended in a hung jury. Defense attorneys didn't comment on appeal plans or return an after-hours call seeking comment.

The couple had been married for about six months when she died. Ryan Widmer told a 911 dispatcher that his wife had fallen asleep in the bathtub.

Prosecutors in this trial for the first time had asked jurors to consider the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter. The judge had instructed jurors that a murder conviction meant they believed Widmer purposely killed his 24-year-old wife, Sarah, in 2008. Involuntary manslaughter would mean they agreed that he assaulted his wife and caused her death but didn't mean to kill her.

Prosecutors had argued that bruises on his wife's neck supported their contention that Widmer killed his wife at their Hamilton Township home by grabbing her and forcing her head underwater.

The defense attributed the bruising to rescue workers' efforts to revive her and said she may have suffered a medical problem before drowning. Defense attorney Jay Clark said investigators made mistakes, took shortcuts and made assumptions, and he suggested that the death of an elderly woman in a bathtub under similar circumstances wouldn't have resulted in charges.

The trial featured a new prosecution witness, who testified that Ryan Widmer confessed to her in a phone call. Jennifer Crew, 36, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, testified that Widmer told her on Oct. 26, 2009, that he killed his wife after she said she was going to leave him. Crew said Widmer was crying and so upset he could barely talk.

Crew said she had never met Widmer in person but sent him e-mail and text messages because she thought he was innocent after she saw a Dateline NBC episode about the case that aired after Widmer's first trial.

Man gets 25-50 years for shooting "girlfriend" to death

A “boyfriend” who shot a 6 months pregnant woman to death has pled guilty to second degree murder Monday, February 7, and is scheduled to serve 25-50 years in prison.

Rollon Michael Marko, a 27 year old Portage, MI man, was sentenced by Kalamazoo County Circuit Judge Alexander C. Lipsey to the term for 2nd degree murder and assault on a pregnant individual causing miscarriage or stillbirth. These charges were in place of a 1st degree murder charge, which carries an automatic life without parole sentence.

Marko, who had been drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana on May 22, shot Courtney Delano, 19, in his apartment. She and the fetus died of the single gunshot wound to her chest and shoulder.

Marko, who’s trial was to start Tuesday on charges of open murder and assault as well as the firearms charges, faced up to life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted.

Troy Delano, father of the victim, 19 year old Courtney Delano told his daughter’s murderer, “You’re going to be raped in prison everyday. I hope you enjoy it. Eff you.”

Lake Forest, CA man convicted of raping 5 women faces life imprisonment

A Lake Forest, CA man was convicted of raping 5 Orange County women and sexually assaulting a sixth on Wednesday February 2, according to the Orange County District Attorney's office. 32 year old Sekayi Rudo White was found guilty of 14 counts of rape, sexual assault, making criminal threats, and burglary. White faces a maximum sentence of 119 years to life when he is sentenced April 15, 2011.

[White's] 14 felony counts includ[ed] attempted rape and forcible rape for Jane Doe No. 1; assault with the intent to commit rape, sexual battery by restraint and criminal threats for Jane Doe No. 2; forcible rape and dissuading a witness by force for Jane Doe No. 3; first-degree residential burglary of an inhabited dwelling and two counts of forcible rape for Jane Doe No. 4; forcible rape, criminal threats and first-degree residential burglary of an inhabited dwelling for Jane Doe No. 5; and forcible rape for Jane Doe No. 6.

He has also been slapped with sentencing enhancements and allegations for sexual crimes against multiple victims, rape with the use of a deadly weapon, rape in the commission of a burglary, non-accomplice present during a residential burglary, personal use of a deadly weapon, use of a deadly weapon during a sexual offense, being armed with a deadly weapon during a sexual offense, and crime-bail-crime (which means he allegedly committed a crime while out of custody on bail for another criminal case).

The attacks started in late summer 2002, when White raped a 22 year old passed out woman (Jane Doe 6)at a Santa Ana hotel. The woman woke up while White was raping her, and could not remember drinking alcohol or entering the hotel room. After the attack,  Afterwards, White harassed her at home and work.

In December 2005, White met a 44 year old woman (Jane Doe 1) at an Irvine, CA bar and drove the woman to her home in Newport Beach. He used the ruse of asking to use the bathroom to emerge naked with an erect peniswhile he tried to remove her pants as he was pinning her down. White threatened to kill her if she told about the attack.That victim successfully fought him off. In August 2006, he picked up a 22 year old woman (Jane Doe 2) at a Huntington Beach bar, bringing her back to his home where he raped her.

White was indicted for the three assaults on September 2006. Even though he was held on $250,000 bail, he made bond, and raped three more women between January and April 2007, when he was arrested again and held without bond.

Jane Doe No. 3

On March 31, 2007, White is accused of going to a bar in Lake Forest, where 28-year-old Jane Doe No. 3 was celebrating her birthday. The victim had met the defendant a few months prior. At approximately 2:30 a.m. on April 1, 2007, Jane Doe No. 3 was dropped off at home by a friend. White is accused of showing up at the victim's home and knocking on her door. The victim, who was intoxicated due to alcohol consumption, opened the door, and White is accused of entering. Jane Doe No. 3 passed out in her bed. When the victim woke up, White is accused of forcibly raping her as she struggled and told him to stop. The victim punched White in the face and was able to get up and attempt to call 911. White is accused of following Jane Doe No. 3 and stopping her from calling the police. The victim ran outside and called 911 from a neighbor's home.

The defendant was re-arrested and charged April 4, 2007, with the rape of Jane Doe No. 3. The Orange County district attorney's office issued a press release about White that day, and several media publicized the case. As a result of the media coverage, three additional victims who had previously been frightened to report the crimes against them came forward to police.

Jane Doe No. 4

Jane Doe No. 4 met and began dating White in 2006 when she was 22 years old. In February 2007, White is accused of beginning to send threatening messages to the victim and spying on her by peering through the blinds into her home. On Feb. 21, 2007, White is accused of breaking into Jane Doe No. 4's home when she was alone, pushing the victim to the ground, and stepping on her chest as he removed her pants and panties. He is accused of forcibly raping the victim as he held a large hunting knife to her neck.

Jane Doe No. 5

Jane Doe No. 5 was renting a room from Jane Doe No. 4. The victim frequently locked her bedroom door using an eye-hook because she had seen White in the apartment before and was alarmed by his aggressive behavior toward her roommate. One night in January 2007, Jane Doe No. 5 locked her bedroom door and went to sleep. White is accused of breaking the lock off the door, entering the bedroom and forcibly raping Jane Doe No. 5. He is accused of threatening to kill her if she reported the rape.

Hopefully, White will get the maximum sentence for his crimes. This will insure that women in bars will not have to put up with White's lures and violence again.

Former teacher gets year in prison and lifetime SO registration for "relationship" with 18 year old girl

Ryan Spicer, a 30 year old ex teacher from Crooksville, OH, was sentenced to a year in prison and lifetime registration as a Tier 3 sex offender for a count of sexual battery. Perry County Common Pleas Court accepted his plea November 16 to a Bill Of Information regarding a count of sexual battery. The victim was a 18 year old girl who Spicer met as a business teacher at Crooksville High School. Spicer was also employed as the assistant football coach at the high school, and worked there from July 24, 2007, to May 20, 2010. Spicer cited "personal" reasons for his resignation.

Kyle Newton, superintendent for the Crooksville Exempted Village School District Board of Education, said once Spicer had resigned, the school was removed from the situation. Newton did say the girl was the only student who has reported any incidents with Spicer.

Although Newton said he and Spicer had a conversation just before Spicer's resignation last year, he would not state what had been discussed. Newton said Monday that when he learned of the situation, he dealt with Spicer as quickly as he could.

According to Newton, Spicer surrendered his taching credentials last month.

DNA database hit leads to Minneapolis rape suspect, two trials, acquittal

(Original Post 5-9-08)
A Brooklyn Park man was arrested after a DNA hit linked him to the kidnapping and rape of a woman from a Minneapolis nightclub last summer. Duncan Nyanaro Osoro, 24, has been charged with 1st degree criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday.

The woman told police she was at the Karma nightclub on August 26, 2007 in Minneapolis when a friend became sick and threw up after only two drinks at a nightclub. This friend had never became sick after drinking before.

Between 2 & 10 AM, the victim was unconscious in a grassy area near I-94. When she came to, blood was on her white shirt, hands and knees, and a subsequent sexual assault exam at the Hennepin County Medical Center revealed the rape. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s DNA database matched osoro to the evidence at the scene.

(1-7-11 Acquittal) After two trials, Osoro was acquitted of kidnapping and rape charges against him. The final acquittal came December 23 after a three week trial and an hour of deliberation. Osoro was held in jail for 16 months, according to his attorney, Joseph Fru, who suspects race played a role. Despite the acquittal, Hennipin County Prosecutor Mike Freeman maintained the peosecution was just. "The jury made its decision, we believe in the system, and we accept the decision. We're moving forward."

Girl's basketball coach charged with child seduction for "affair" with 17 year old sentenced to house arrest

(Original Post 12-20-09)

An Indianapolis girls' basketball coach was charged with child seduction Friday, December 18 for having an "affair" with a 17 year old girl. Investigations believed that Sara Strahm, a 28 year old Pike High School basketball coach, began the "relationship" with her charge earlier in the fall. Pike officials notified police about the alleged relationship.

Sgt. Paul Thompson of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said his agency will give more details of the case Monday, when formal charges are filed. "We believe there were five instances of sexual contact between these two individuals. State law clearly states that if you're under 18, you can't give consent if it's a relationship with someone in a position of trust such as a school official." The Metro police department wants others to come forward just in case there are more victims.

Pike Township School Board member Nancy Poore stated that "I'm saddened to hear of an arrest. I'm not passing judgment on whether this is accurate information or whether anything will be proven against this person. . . . But I'm always saddened when I hear there's a problem related to one of our staff members."

Joe Johnson, a parent of a Pike student, said that "A lot of these parents work a lot of hours, and a coach is like a second family. When you get that trust and you break that, it's really disturbing."

Strahm was released on $5000 bond last night after processing at the Arrestee Processing Center.

(Update 12-24-09) Strahm was officially arraigned on six child seduction charges in an Indanapolis courtroom yesterday. There are more details about the allegetions which led to her arrest.

The affidavit said the 17-year-old student who reportedly was involved with the coach told Tiffany Thomas, another member of the school coaching staff. That information on the allegations was given to Pike Township Schools police and then passed along to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, which started its investigation Friday, the affidavit read.

An e-mail that had been sent to the Pike athletic director tipped investigators to the case. The athletic director, James Perkins, is quoted in the affidavit as saying there had been allegations about teacher and student earlier this autumn, that Strahm had denied the relationship, and that he had warned Strahm about contact with members of the basketball team. Both women initially denied, then admitted to the relationship, according to the affadavit.

The victim claimed she loved Strahm, according to the complaint. "She (the student) said she loves Ms. Strahm and did not want to get her in trouble." Strahm has been replaced by her assistant David Barlow,
father of a former standout.

(Update 12-9-10) Strahm was sentenced to a year in jail, with 185 days suspended and the rest on house arrest after pleading guilty to two counts of child seduction. The guilty plea took place November 22, 2010. In Indiana, child seduction carries a 1 to 3 year prison sentence and occurs when a person in a position of trust has sexual contact with a teen between 16 and 18.

The Marion County Prosecutor's Office said Strahm will be on probation for 185 days and must undergo sex offender treatment. She has a no-contact order with the victim. Strahm was ordered to give up her teaching license. Her felonies will be reduced to misdemeanors if she successfully completes probation.

Besides the above consequences, she was also ordered to undergo 240 hours of community service and fired from her coaching job in January.

Bay Area serial rapist gets life for attacking four women

A Richmond, California man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for a rape spree committed against four women between 2007 and 2009 in his hometown and the nearby city of Oakland. Michael Edward Stevens, 30, was sentenced to 165 to life for 15 felonies and 2 misdemeanors. His conviction took place in July, and the sentencing took place Friday, November 5, presided over by Contra Costa County Superior Judge Laurel Brady. Crimes which merited the lifelong sentence included rape, rape in concert, various other sex crimes, false imprisonment and robbery.

Prosecutor Dana Filkowski argued at trial that Stevens is a serial rapist who took sexual pleasure in terrorizing the victims -- some of them prostitutes -- by using a gun and pretending to be an off-duty police officer after sweet-talking them into his car.

One of the victims was a deaf-mute homeless woman who testified Stevens kidnapped her off the street. Another said Stevens left her naked on the side of a road, after which she cloaked herself in a garbage bag and huddled in a portable toilet while she waited for police.

One woman said she was gang-raped by Stevens and a second man who had been hiding in Stevens' trunk when she first got into the vehicle. The second assailant was recently identified at Stevens' nephew, who was 14 when the New Year's Eve 2008 attack occurred.

The nephew, Frank Stevens Dean, now 16, is currently jailed in another county for an unrelated matter, Filkowski said. Once that case is resolved, he will be brought to Contra Costa County, where he has been charged as adult with six felonies, including rape and firearm enhancements.

One of Stevens’ victims said, ”I thank God that the victims are alive, and myself," she said. "I am happy to never see his face again." As for Stevens, just before sentencing, he said, "Murder me today, see me tomorrow... if not in this life, the next." Stevens said. "I assume that's not a threat," Brady said. "That's a promise," he replied.

Jealous northern England man sentenced to life without parole for at least 30 years for murder of nurse

By Peter Magill [Burnley chief reporter]

FORMER ambulance technician who murdered his ex-girlfriend while on bail for her rape was jailed for a minimum of 30 years today. Ambulance technician and bouncer Jonathan Vass, 30, launched a frenzied knife attack on nurse and mother-of-one Jane Clough, 26, as she arrived for work at Blackpool Victoria Hospital in July. She was admitted to the hospital’s accident and emergency unit where she worked as colleagues tried in vain to save her.

Vass, described as “manipulative and controlling”, was freed to kill after being given bail while awaiting trial over allegations that he had repeatedly raped her. The rape charges were dropped after the murder. John and Penny Clough, her parents, were angered by both decisions - first to free him and then to let the rape charges lie on file. They sat in the public gallery just yards from Vass in the dock as he was jailed for life at Preston Crown Court after pleading guilty to murder at an earlier hearing.

Judge Anthony Russell QC handed down the mandatory life sentence before telling Vass he will serve a minimum of 30 years before he can be considered for release. Vass wept uncontrollably, covering his face his hands as he was told he would only be eligible for parole in 2040.

The victim’s parents and family wept and hugged each other as the court heard for the first time that, after stabbing and slashing Miss Clough with a 3in (7.6cm) blade, he walked away momentarily, then went back seconds later to finish her off.

”As she lay bleeding you walked away but then returned and slowly, deliberately and cold-bloodedly slit her throat,” Judge Russell said as he passed sentence. ”It is difficult to imagine a more horrific crime than this murder. Furthermore it was a crime motivated by real hatred and revenge. This was a deliberate, brutal and callous murder for which you have shown no remorse and no care for your own daughter. Jane Clough was a nurse who devoted her life to the care of others. She had the misfortune to become involved with you. She bore your child and then you murdered her, leaving your infant child without a mother and with the prospect of growing up to learn one day that her father murdered her mother.”

The court heard that Miss Clough kept a diary, detailing her abuse and fears of Vass and what he might do.

She and her family, who held a protest outside court before the case began this morning, were “rocked and devastated” when he was bailed on the rape charges, leaving Miss Clough “extremely concerned for her safety”.  She left home to live with her parents and recorded in her diary that she was worried “Johnny was going to do something stupid”.

He had been relying on her to drop the charges.

Another entry read of fears he would “get his revenge”, adding: “What’s he going to do?”

Dennis Watson QC, prosecuting, said it was clear the motive for the murder was to prevent Miss Clough giving evidence. Mr Watson said the couple met while both working at the hospital but their relationship was troubled because of Vass.

”He was a jealous man who wished to dominate and have complete control over Jane despite the fact that, unknown to her, he was carrying on a relationship with two other women at the same time,” Mr Watson told the court. By early 2009 Miss Clough was pregnant but Vass had become controlling and “sexually demanding”.

In November that year she plucked up courage to report him to police, telling officers of the months of physical and sexual abuse and the repeated rapes even when she was seven months pregnant.

Text messages between the pair were read out.

Miss Clough sent him a message saying: “You have hurt, raped and reduced me to tears on countless occasions... and you want to get engaged and have more kids? Why?” He replied: “We are staying together regardless of our problems.” A second text read: “Why should you come back? To push me about, grab me, rip my clothes off, make me cry...” Another said: “You physically and sexually abuse me. You threatened to kill me the other night.”

Vass’s replies read: “Please can I come home... best behaviour promise”, and “I do love you Janey. Either get pregnant or engaged. Your choice.”

Vass was charged with nine rapes and assault in November 2009 and told a work colleague, an ex-boyfriend of Miss Clough, if he was found guilty he would kill her - but the threat was dismissed as “bravado”. When it became clear she was prepared to give evidence in court Vass decided to take “retribution”, the court heard.

Bangor, ME woman gets six years for scalding, sexually assaulting man

A 28 year old Bangor, ME woman was sentenced to 6 years in the Maine prison system yesterday for sexually assaulting, then scalding a now 43 year old man. Laura M. Smith plead guilty in June to elevated aggravated assault and gross sexual assault for scalding her victim with boiling water and sexually assaulting him with a wooden dowel on November 28, 2009.

The 43-year-old man, who is not being identified by the Bangor Daily News, was passed out at a party at Smith’s First Street apartment in Bangor. In addition to suffering second-degree burns on his back, the man’s bowel was perforated, according to court documents. The victim also suffered a broken ankle when Smith and another man moved him to his apartment. He was hospitalized for more than a month, according to previous reports.

Superior Court Justice William Anderson sentenced Smith to 18 years in prison with six to serve and four years probation afterwards. Penobscot County district attorney Michael Roberts and  defense attorney David Bate agreed on the 18 year sentence, but Roberts believe only 6 years of the sentence should be suspended. Bate did not give a sentencing recommendation.

Just before the sentencing, Smith said “I am truly sorry for the pain and suffering I caused. I truly, truly am sorry for all that you have been through.” The victim was not present during Smith's sentencing. Smith also tried to partially excuse herself by claiming the attack was due to her alcoholism.

The following is Judge Anderson's sentencing statement. “Although this was a barbaric and depraved act, I can’t conclude it was done for sexual gratification as the statute defines the crime. It seems to have begun as a cruel, painful and degrading prank. The person who did it was not really aware of how horribly painful this was going to be to the victim. There’s absolutely no reason in the world for this to have happened.”

Smith will be credited for the time she has served in the Penobscot County Jail. After release, she will have to register as a sex offender for a decade.

"Shotgun Bandit" sentenced to life for rape, attempted murder of woman

A suburban Dallas-Ft Worth man was sentenced to life for the rapes of two women Thursday, September 16. Stanley Vernell Ledbetter Jr., a Muscogee, OK native and a Plano, TX resident, was sentenced to life for aggravated sexual assault in a April 10, 2007 sexual attack. Jurors took half an hour to convict Ledbetter of aggravated sexual assault and another 20 minutes to assess him the maximum sentence - life with a $10,000 fine.

Testimony opened on September 15 with the then 29 year old's account of the attack.

The woman, who is not being named because she is a sexual assault victim, told jurors she was in her pajamas watching television about 2 a.m. when the glass on her patio door exploded.  "I screamed," she said. "I saw a dark figure coming through the door right at me."


The man, holding a short-barreled shotgun, dragged her by her hair to the bedroom. She testified he made her dump out her purse and turn over hundreds of dollars in cash she had earned from her waitress job. He also forced her to give up her debit card and the personal identification number.
He made her stay in the bathtub as he searched the place. What he was looking for, she didn't know, she told jurors. Then the attacker took her to her bedroom, where he forced her to perform a sex act. If she didn't, he threatened to blow her head off, she testified.
The attacker used zip ties to bind her hands behind her and laid her on the bed. He stuffed a sock into her mouth and held it there with duct tape. Then he covered her face with a pillow and stabbed her three times.
"I couldn't believe this was happening," she said. "The pain was unreal."

The woman said she played dead as he checked her wrist for a pulse. She rolled her eyes back as he lifted each lid to check for signs of life. He removed the sock and duct tape. She said she heard her front door open and then close. She waited about five minutes and then went to her kitchen to try to cut the ties with a knife. When she couldn't free herself, she went to get help.

She met her attacker at the front door. "You didn't think I wouldn't see the kitchen light come on?" she recalled him asking. There was a struggle. She told jurors he pushed her down and stabbed her two more times. He locked the door behind him as he left.

The woman said she lay there for 30 to 45 minutes "to make sure he was gone."

During the trial, Ledbetter's defense attorney attempted to introduce reasonable doubt by sugessting that his client wasn't the one who stabbed the victim. The defense conceded the DNA evidence proved Ledbetter raped the victim. The only defense witness, Denise Ledbetter, was the attacker's mom. She portrayed her son as a devoted son and asked jurors to give him less than life so "That I have more time with my son."

The 2007 attack victim's impact statement followed the penalty phase of the trial, and went like this. "No matter how much pain and anguish you caused, not once would I let you get the best of me. I will never let you steal my strength or my perseverance. ... I'm the reason you were caught. I got you. ... May you rot in jail for life."

During the punishment phase of the trial, jurors got a clearer picture of Ledbetter, known before his arrest as the shotgun bandit because of his choice of weapon in some of the crimes.


A former Garland woman testified about a man breaking into her home through the patio door on June 1, 2005. He forced her to drive to two automated teller machines and withdraw $500 while he sat in the back seat of her Jaguar with a sawed-off shotgun jabbed in her side. "I was petrified," she told jurors.

A former Southern Methodist University student testified under a pseudonym about a man dressed in black and wielding a shotgun who broke into the Dallas apartment she shared with a friend on June 4, 2005. Both were sexually assaulted. A DNA expert testified that trace evidence from the Jaguar's back seat and the Dallas attack matched Ledbetter's DNA.
A 41-year-old woman testified about being sexually assaulted by Ledbetter on Nov. 7, 2005, at her Plano apartment. Several details matched the other attacks.

Prosecutor JoDee Neil told jurors: "There is no why," she said. "This is evil, plain and straight."

First Assistant District Attorney Greg Davis said Ledbetter deserved the maximum of life without parole
"so that no other woman will have to look at Stanley Ledbetter again and fear for her life."
 
Ledbetter, known as the "Shotgun Bandit," was already serving two life sentences on similar criminal convictions. Ledbetter is suspected in attacks on 7 women that took place between May 2005 and April 2007, and is suspected in at least 19 home invasions. The presiding judge was State District Judge Webb Biard. The convictions, from Dallas County, are under appeal.