Those of us who are forced to take public transit to get to work each day, know full-well the drudgery of the whole endeavor. Exciting things rarely happen on the morning train.

Zoë was 27 years old when she began her daily commute on the train to London. It was, like most commutes on public transit, a less than exciting experience. Then, a dark, handsome stranger came into her life…

Hertfordshire to King’s Cross

Zoë took the same train every day, the 8:21am train from Hitchin, Hertfordshire into King’s Cross Station in London. She worked for a teen magazine in the city and the commute, while not exceptionally long, was beginning to drag her down. The delays, the overcrowding, and worst of all, the fact that everyone seemed to be feeling the same way but never talked to one another.

The Same Faces

She felt like she was seeing the same dreary faces every day. Each morning she stood on the platform in roughly the same spot, and got onto the same compartment with the other familiar and unfamiliar strangers she saw day in and day out. Until one day, Zoë noticed someone different on the platform, and he caught her eye…

Handsome Stranger

There was a new fellow walking up onto the platform, and he was a rather handsome fellow at that. Zoë remembered thinking “he looks lovely” and was instantly smitten with him. After that, her dreary morning commute seemed to brighten up. Even though they hadn’t spoken, his mere presence made the train ride that much better.

Gussied Up

Zoë and the man would exchange hellos now and again, but her progress due to these innocuous and surreptitious flirtations were going nowhere. She decided to amp things up by making more of an effort with her appearance. She got her hair done more often and wore more makeup in an attempt to catch his eye…

Train Man

Zoë took to calling her crush “Train Man” and she told all her work friends about him. Her colleagues were amazingly supportive of Zoë’s new obsession, though it was very likely because they were living vicariously through her experience. Each day they’d ask things like: “How’s train man today?” Or “What was he wearing? Or “Did he look up?”

Love at First Sight

Despite the fact that she knew it was crazy for her to feel that way, Zoë was beginning to think that the things she was feeling for Train Man were what all the story books and romantic comedies talk about all the time. For some reason she knew that she wasn’t just captivated by an attractive man, she was feeling true love at first sight…

Talking Points

If it was true love, she figured she should get to know him better. She made it a point to always sit in the same train carriage as him, and as she did so, she’d take in little bits about him. She took note of his mannerisms, and the books or magazines he was reading. She soon found that they shared the same taste in reading materials.

Make a Move, Girl

This semi-stalking, mostly infatuated behavior continued in that way for over a year. All the while, Zoë’s friends continued to tell her that she ought to make a move and try to ask the man out. What was the worst that could happen? Finally, after several unsuccessful attempts to do so, Zoë got the courage to enact her plan…

The Drop Scheme

One of Zoë’s friends had suggested that she get Train Man’s attention by purposefully dropping her ticket on the ground in front of her. That way, he could help pick it up and they would have the perfect icebreaker to start a more meaningful conversation. It seemed like a real solid plan on paper.

Birthday Gift

In May of 2004, on her birthday to be exact, Zoë decided to act on her crush. She wrote a note for the man and headed to the train station. The note read: “It’s my birthday and I think everyone should do something frivolous on their birthday and this is my thing. I think you look lovely. If you’d like to go for a drink here’s my email address, if not, happy travels and I’ll leave you in peace…”

Exchanging Info

Her heart was in her hand as she gave over the note. The man, whose name she found out was Mark, appeared befuddled at the onset. The note explained all her feelings and included her email address so that he could write her back. She hoped it would work, but the look on Mark’s face was not exactly comforting.

A Girlfriend

Zoë’s workday was excruciating. She waited all day for a reply. Finally, at 5pm she noticed a new email in her inbox. It was Mark, politely declining her offer for a drink. He told her that he was very flattered, but that he had a girlfriend and could not in good conscience accept her proposal. Zoë was crushed, but she understood. After all, if she were with Mark, she wouldn’t want him to be seeing other women…

Obsession of Sorts

What followed was a rather awkward eight months passing between the two star-crossed commuters. They smiled at each other if they saw one another on the train, but that was about it. For her part, Zoë did her best to move on and even went on some dates with other men. Yet she was still so besotted with Mark that she just couldn’t get over him.

Unexpected Email

Then, one day, Zoë got an unwarranted email from Train Man. The email read: ”If you still fancied that drink would you like to go out? My circumstances have changed and it would be lovely to go out for a drink.” Both of them were finally single together. It was the chance she had been waiting for…

Sparkly Eyes

The pair decided to meet up for that drink and though the beginning of the date did have its share of awkwardness, it soon became clear that the two were meant for one another. Mark told Zoë that he too had noticed her on the train from time to time. He had noticed what he called her ‘sparkly eyes’ as well, and knew that those eyes were for him. He just couldn’t act on it.

Whirlwind Romance

Over the next few weeks, Mark and Zoë learned that they had a lot more in common than just reading habits and a mutual physical attraction. Within three months, they were moving in together. What followed was a whirlwind romance. They quit their jobs to go traveling and three years later, while they were in Australia, Mark popped the question…

Two Sons

The couple were married and built a life together. Today, they have two sons: Felix, who is seven, and Max who is five. They currently reside in England, where Zoë continues to do what she loves: write. Recently, she has decided to pen her account of her train-born marriage for posterity.

Life Inspires Art

When she sat down to write a romance novel, Zoë decided that there was no source better than her own love story. Inspired by her own journey to true love, she took details from her life and her experience to tell the tale in a fairly truthful, albeit, much juicier way. But does Train Man approve of their love life as her newest project?

Keeping it From Him

Thankfully for the both of them, Mark actually loves the idea of Zoë writing their story down and sharing it with the world. “Mark loves it actually he didn’t read it until i got my book deal,” she explained. “Mainly it was me stopping him from reading it it’s women’s commercial fiction it might not be his bag.”

Enjoyment

She went on to add that even after he read it, Mark loved the book. He admitted it was strange for him to be fictionalized, but that he appreciates reading all her feelings about him put to the page. Just goes to show you that some people are meant for one another.

Commuter Meets The Love of Her Life In The Most Unlikely Of Places is an article from: LifeDaily

There are a good deal of people out there in the world today who we would consider to be heroes. They are the people who offer up their time, their actions, or in extreme cases, risk their lives to help others.

James wanted to be a policeman, a hero, and he was going to do anything to reach that goal. Yet even as he made his way through the rigorous training it would take to do such a job, he wouldn’t learn what it actually took to be a hero until many years into his career…

Featured photo credit: www.vcgca.org

Service to the Met

Right from the start, James had wanted to be a part of the London Metropolitan Police. Like many young men from his area of the world, the idea of wearing a uniform, fighting villains, and having the respect of your kin, your king, and your country. When he was old enough to join, he did.

Promotion

In 1962, James was inducted into the Metropolitan Police Service as a constable. His beat was the affluent and cosmopolitan neighborhood of Notting Hill, within the City of Westminster. He walked this beat until 1966, when his already stellar service earned him a promotion…

Station Sergeant

After serving the community of Notting Hill with distinction for a few years, James was given the rank of Sergeant and was moved over to Harrow Road. Soon after, he was raised to Station Sergeant and moved to Wembley. But it was in 1974, when he was promoted to inspector that his life finally changed for good…

Traffic Stop

Inspector James Beaton was now serving in Royal Protection, which meant that he was responsible for seeing to the safety of the British Royal Family and their closest associates. It was a great honor for James and his family and it would ultimately, through his heroic deeds, become his claim to fame as well…

Beaton the Bodyguard

Beaton was on bodyguard duty, a task he was now assigned to quite often while working with the Royalty Protection Squad when the incident occurred. He had been assigned as a Personal Protection Officer to a member of the royal family and was given number 11. His charge on this day, was Princess Anne.

Princess Anne

Princess Anne is the second child and the only daughter of the famous Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. At the time of the incident, she had been married to Captain Mark Phillips, who was an English gold-medal-winning equestrian like herself. The incident occurred when the newlyweds were on their way home after a royal engagement…

The Outing

It was March 20, 1974. Princess Anne and her husband Captain Mark Phillips were returning to Buckingham Palace. They had been to a royal engagement in the city center and were anxious to be getting back. Suddenly, their car was blocked by another vehicle blocking its path.

Bump the Car

Alex Callender, the royal chauffeur, was trying to drive around the vehicle but couldn’t seem to navigate around it. The two cars were playing a bit of chicken. One would go left, the other the same way. Just when Callender believed that the other motorist was purposefully messing with him, the man bumped the princess’ automobile…

Diffuse the Situation

Thinking that he might just be dealing with an irate motorist, who had no idea whom he was messing with, Beaton stepped out of the now parked car. He wanted to diffuse the situation, to calm the man down. No sooner had he done so, however, than he was greeted not with politeness, but with violence.

The Criminal

Beaton’s good nature was rewarded by a gunshot wound to the shoulder. The driver of the other car, an unemployed and mentally unstable man named Ian Ball, had contrived the whole “random encounter.” He had purposely planned to put the princess in that precarious position. Beaton meanwhile, shoulder burning, thought they might be in the middle of an IRA attack…

Irate Driver

James Beaton couldn’t be sure if he was dealing with an angry driver or an IRA kidnap attempt, but either way, he wasn’t about to wind up dead. Still, he would willingly give his life it meant saving the princess. Little did he know how close he would actually come to fulfilling that particular oath on that day.

Jammed Up

Beaton drew his own gun, and in true, suspense/action movie fashion, it jammed as he tried to fire. Ball went for the Princess and he did the only other thing he could, he jumped in front of her. Ball fired again just as he did so and the bullet hit Beaton’s hand, shattering it. Things were not looking good…

Shot Twice

Ball then fired again, and this time he hit the prone Beaton square in the chest. He collapsed to the ground and was all-but incapacitated. After that, more shots rang out. Ball had shot the royal chauffeur and even a passing journalist named Brian McConnell who had tried to come over and help. Luckily for all of them, neither the Princess nor Beaton were alone in the fight.

Another Hero

Though they hadn’t directly stopped the killer, James Beaton’s heroic actions did manage to buy the princess more time. Another policeman down the block saw what was happening and came to help, as had a former boxer who also happened to be walking by. Before the other officer could mount any sort of rescue, however, Ball turned and gunned the man down…

Knockout Punch

Gun or not, Ian Ball couldn’t do anything to stop the now enraged boxer’s fists. One good punch later and the would-be kidnapper went down like a sack of potatoes. Emergency workers were called and the unconscious but living Officer Beaton was taken to the hospital to recover. Despite his few wounds, he had suffered quite a bit of damage.

Full Recovery

James Beaton, which you can plainly tell by his selfless actions and fierce dedication to his duty, was not like other member of the Metropolitan Police Service. In addition to being an honorable member of the force, he was also tougher than most. He was shot three times in the chest, hand and abdomen and made a full recovery. He was even honored for his self-sacrifice…

The George Cross

For his bravery in the line of duty, James Beaton was awarded the George Cross, the second highest award of the United Kingdom honors system. The George Cross is awarded for “acts of the greatest heroism or for most conspicuous courage in circumstance of extreme danger. It was a high note in an already stellar career.

Queen’s Gallantry

In recognition of his efforts on the princess’ behalf, Beaton also received the Director’s Honor Award of the United States Secret Service in the same year. As for Callende and McConnell, who were both killed in the act of trying to help the royal family, they posthumously received the Queen’s Gallantry Medal…

Her Guard

After the incident, Beaton was subsequently promoted to Chief Inspector. He remained with the princess for another five years as her Personal Protection Officer until 1979, when he moved on to another assignment and began training as a Chief Superintendent.

Retirement

He made the position of Superintendent in 1983, and then Chief Superintendent in 1985. By the time he retired in 1992, he had received as much honor as a British policeman can achieve. Just goes to show, all it takes to become a hero and achieve true greatness, is to do simply do heroic deeds when called upon to do so.

British Metropolitan Police Officer Responds To Traffic Accident With Heroic Sacrifice is an article from: LifeDaily

People tend to think of themselves as invulnerable. The way we’ve set up our society, most of us never face much danger, while the danger we do face usually comes from other people. But every now and then, a natural disaster happens and reminds us that we’re far from invincible.

Still, we are able to predict and prepare for those disasters, minimizing their impact. But perhaps because of our delusions of imperviousness, we sometimes don’t prepare as well as we should. When one community found itself unprepared, one man would demonstrate outstanding character…

Hurricane Season

Each summer, the changing weather causes severe storms to form in the Atlantic ocean in what is called Hurricane Season. Massive systems of heavy wind and rains can cause unimaginable amounts of damage when those hurricanes make landfall.

Total Destruction

The Atlantic Hurricane Season was one of the most devastating of all time. Several storms battered the Caribbean, killing hundreds, displacing thousands, and doing billions of dollars of damage to buildings and infrastructure. One island — Barbuda — had over 95% of its structures destroyed and became completely uninhabited…

Historic Hurricanes

While unprecedented things were happening on the various islands of the Caribbean, there was also unusual storm activity striking the south and east of the United States. One of those storms, Hurricane Harvey, would end up being one of the most damaging ever to strike the mainland of the US.

Growing In Power

In the areas that would be affected in Texas and Louisiana, people were urged to evacuate but for many people, the storm didn’t seem severe enough to uproot their lives. But as the storm’s intensity continued to rise it came closer to land. Many people found they’d changed their minds but it was too late to get out…

Newcomer

29-year-old Zachary Dearing was one of those people. He had moved to Rockport Texas, a town on a small peninsula protected from the Gulf just 3 months ago in order to live with his father, a cancer survivor. While his father had already evacuated to Houston, Zachary was forced to join others who’d stayed behind in a school that was being used as a shelter.

Unprepared

By the time Zachary had gotten to the shelter on Friday night, the wind and rain were already raging outside. But rather than finding a well organized safehaven, he was shocked to find that the shelter was without any supplies or management to help the over 100 people inside the school walls…

We Need A Hero

Like everyone else in the shelter, Zachary was worried. The storm outside was only growing more intense and things could easily get very bad, especially for some of the more vulnerable people inside the shelter. Rather than waiting around for something to happen, he decided he had to take action.

Working Together

Zachary went around talking to people, looking for people who would be willing and able to help out. He was able to recruit 15 volunteers — most of them between the ages of 16 and 21. He organized them into 30-minute shifts, checking on everyone inside, especially the elderly, the very young, and the injured…

Scrounging

Though no supplies had been arranged specifically for the shelter, Zachary figured there had to be some useful things in the many classrooms of Live Oak Elementary. To gather those things up, he went with some volunteers to “raid classrooms” for things like trash cans, hand sanitizer, and rugs for people to sleep on.

Come Together

He also convinced everyone in the shelter that they should come together and pool their food and water so everyone could be fed. Zachary also got his team to plug leaks caused by the pounding storm…

Going Beyond

Zachary was glad that his efforts helped ensure the safety of everyone inside the shelter and made riding out the storm more bearable, but that wasn’t enough for him. He realized that there had to be more people out there who had tried to make it to the shelter but had gotten stranded outside or pinned down in some inadequate structure.

Into the Storm

To help those people, Zachary organized periodic excursions out into the driving winds of the Category 4 storm to search for and rescue more stranded people. It’s likely that the people he and his thrown-together crew had found may have died without their help…

Good System

At one point, 2 police officers showed up. One said to Zachary “It looks like you have a system here. Just tell us where you need us.” “It was a weird feeling,” he said. “I didn’t realize I had taken control.” The officers stayed to help for a while before they were called elsewhere.

Terrifying Night

Over the night, most folks stayed together in the school’s gym, which seemed to be the most stable part of the school. As Harvey battered the building all through the night, people staring up at the ceiling could see visible waves moving through the structure. The basketball hoops shook all through the night, adding another element of noise to the challenge of sleeping through the night…

Help Has Arrived

It wasn’t until the next morning, after the worst of the storm had passed, that the first state emergency workers pulled up to the shelter. The first thing they did was ask who was in charge. Everyone pointed them to Zachary.

Unlikely Hero

29 years old, wearing shorts, an olive-green T-shirt, with his hair put up into a man-bun, Zachary certainly didn’t look the part. Despite his appearance, he seemed to have a handle on things as he relayed the basic information the emergency workers needed…

Who Are You With?

He told them there were 126 people inside, 6 of whom were medically fragile, 4 needing oxygen, 2 needing hospice care. Everyone was calm because they’d all just been fed. Then Katie Contrera of the Texas Emergency Medical Task Force asked “what service are you with?”

Regular Joe

She was shocked when Zachary told them he was just an ordinary guy with no training that had prepared him for this work or any medical expertise. He was a screenwriter by trade. According to Contrera, he’d done a great job considering the circumstances…

Grateful

“I was very surprised — and so thankful — that someone filled that role,” Contrera said. Still being an untrained person taking on a massive responsibility had taken its toll. After working all day and night on next to no sleep, Zachary was glad someone else could take over.

True Hero

6 hours later, when buses arrived to relocate the shelter residents to Austin, Texas, Zachary was shedding tears of joy at that point, grateful for their rescue. “No one got hurt; the patients are alive,” he said. “These guys answered my prayers.” The feeling was mutual. “That guy is a hometown hero,” said Carlos Alcaron, a state medical task force worker. “That’s my definition of a hero — when someone does something out of the ordinary to help other people.”

‘Hometown Hero’ Steps Up To Help Those In Need Amidst Historic Disaster is an article from: LifeDaily

Today’s advancements in technology make stealing someone’s personal information such as their address or credit card information as simple as a walk in the park. No one is safe when it comes to the web and recent scandals such as the Facebook data scandal have proved it.

But unlike the ease of the internet, the man in the following story was able to steal someone’s identity in a pretty unconventional way. In fact, how he did it is rather chilling…

Nathan Laskoski

Forty-five years ago, Nathan Laskoski passed away and was buried in a Texas cemetery. This happened before he even reached the age of 3 months old. It was safe to say, the entire Laskoski family was devastated.

Ancestry.com

But two years ago, Nathan’s aunt went on Ancestry.com to gather information for the family tree she was creating and discovered something startling. She stumbled on a link with her nephew’s name saying that he was alive…

Another Nathan Laskoski?

Ancestry.com clearly stated that Nathan Laskoski wasn’t dead at all. The description said that he had been married twice before and lived in multiple states. Thinking that this must be a mistake, or there had to be another Nathan Laskoski, she dug deeper.

Suspicious Activity

After doing more research, she discovered that Nathan was issued a Social Security number in Texas in 1996, long after he’d been dead. She asked Nathan’s mother, who said she never applied for a Social Security Card for her son since he was so young when he died…

Social Security Administration

The concerned and confused mother immediately reported the suspicious activity to the Social Security Administration. After conducting a lengthy investigation, authorities were able to determine that a fugitive named Jon Vincent had allegedly stolen the baby’s identity decades ago.

The Charges

Authorities then found Vincent, 44, in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, and charged him with one count of Social Security fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, “Vincent” would face more jail time, a 3-year period of supervised release and a fine of up to half a million dollars…

“He Was Young”

Vincent’s public defender, Felicia Sarner, issued a statement that raised many eyebrows. “Mr. Vincent was a young man when this matter first arose, and he deeply regrets the poor judgment he exercised back then and the distress this must have caused the deceased’s family.”

A New Man?

She continued, “His conduct has not resulted in any financial loss, and throughout all the intervening years, he has not been in any trouble with the law and has lived a quiet, hardworking life.” That life, as Nathan Laskoski began in 1996…

Visited The Cemetery

According to court documents, in 1996, Vincent fled the halfway house where he had been sent after a conviction for indecency with a child. While searching for a new name, Vincent visited a Texas cemetery and read the headstones there, looking for a name with a birth date near his own.

He Was The Perfect Target

Vincent was born in August 1972 and Nathan was born in October 1972, so it was a believable enough match. After learning this, Nathan’s mother told investigators she remembered receiving a “strange” phone call to her home that same year…

Where It All Began

The caller asked questions about her son and also asked his Social Security number. She wound up answering some of the questions, but once she started to ask her own, the man (Vincent) hung up. She called policed and told investigators, who said it was likely a scam and that no further action needed to be taken.

False Identity

But between then and now, authorities allege that Vincent used Nathan’s identity to live in numerous states, including Mississippi, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. Additionally, he married and divorced two women under the name, opened bank accounts, obtained driver’s licenses, secured car loans and even applied for many jobs…

Major Thief

He did all of this under false pretenses. Social security records also show that he earned income across multiple states under Nathan’s name, dating as far back as 1996 when this all began. Investigators also learned that Vincent obtained a nurse’s aide license in Pennsylvania that expires this year, in 2018.

What Is Ghosting?

This type of identity theft, unknown to many, is called “ghosting.” Ghosting is when obituaries, rather than tombstones, are the source of information for thieves. In fact, IRS reports that some 2.5 million deceased individuals have their identities stolen each year. Their information is then used for financial fraud, to get credit cards, open cell phone accounts or to sell to others. But a “ghoster” is a lot different from a typical identity thief…

Ghoster Versus Typical Identity Thief

Usually, a Ghoster is unwilling to sustain their existing identity and take on a new identity to get a fresh start instead. Unlike a typical identity thief, who makes quick profits from one stolen identity and moves on to the next victim, a Ghoster may seek to acquire and maintain a respectable credit rating in their new identity.

Ghosting Is Long-Term

The goal of ghosting is more long-term. Typical identity thieves will steal the credit rating of just about anyone, regardless of age, race, or sex, but not a ghoster. Being that they intend to live with the stolen identity, they usually seek to acquire the identity of a dead person whose physical description strongly resembles their own appearance…

“Buy A Dead Person’s Identity”

In 2012, CNN wrote an article with the headline, “Buy a Dead Person’s Identity from Social Security for $10,” eye-catching to say the least. It explained how for $10, identity thieves can access the deceased person’s full name, Social Security number and other personal information through a list of millions of deceased Americans, known as the Death Master File.

Facilitating Tax Fraud

The Social Security Administration created the file to help financial institutions and businesses prevent identity theft, by using the file to cross-reference applicants or customers. But, the agency is basically “inadvertently facilitating tax fraud.”

Concerning

Allowing anyone in the general public to look up personal details about someone who has passed away and potentially steal their identity is very concerning. Identity theft directly hits home for families and robs taxpayers of their hard earned money.

Will We Ever Be Rid Of Identity Theft?

Over the years, the IRS has been adding protections, like special coding that allows the agency to identify deceased taxpayers whose Social Security numbers were previously stolen. This will hopefully make it harder for identity thieves to slip through the cracks.

Woman Went To Ancestry.com For A Family Tree, But Instead She Found A Stolen Identity is an article from: LifeDaily

Before police officers are assigned to active duty, they have to go through hundreds of hours worth of training so that they will be prepared to handle whatever situation arises no matter how dangerous or stressful.

While responding to a call, 1 police officer learned the hard way that there are certain things that no amount of training can prepare you for. The only reason she survived was because of the brave actions of 1 unlikely hero…

On Patrol

On Monday August 26, 2013, a police officer from the San Francisco Police Department was patrolling the streets of San Francisco like she did every other day while on duty. At around 7 that night, however, she received a call from dispatch and drove straight to the the scene.

The 911 Call

According to dispatch, there was a woman causing trouble and acting aggressively near the 4700 block of Mission Street. When the female officer, whose name has not been released to the public, responded to the call, dispatch warned her that the woman was damaging cars and could be dangerous…

A Warning From Dispatch

“One of our officers responded to the report of a woman jumping up and down on cars, denting them, vandalizing them,” Sgt. Eli Turner said about the violent disturbance that late-summer evening. Even though the officer was working alone that night, she still responded to the call.

Arriving At The Scene

The officer arrived at the scene just minutes later, and found the woman jumping up and down on the roofs of multiple cars leaving them dented and damaged like the 911 dispatcher had warned her. Yet even when the woman saw a police officer had arrived, she didn’t stop…

Keeping The Peace

The female officer wanted to keep the situation as peaceful as possible, so she tried to calm the woman down at first and talk her into climbing down from the car she was stomping on so that they could talk. Sadly, that approach didn’t work like the officer hoped it would.

The Only Option Left

Instead of calming down and peacefully speaking to the cop, the woman vandalizing parked cars started getting even more agitated and aggressive. By that point, the officer knew the time for talking had passed and that she was going to have to arrest the woman…

Subduing The Suspect

The female cop tried to subdue the woman, however, she was massive and easily more than twice the size of the officer. So when the officer went to arrest the suspect and put her in handcuffs, the suspect reacted violently and lunged at her.

Overpowered And Alone

Despite all the training that the cop had received while in training at a police academy, she was no match for the massive woman, who towered over her and weighed significantly more. Not only was the officer overpowered, but she was also completely alone…

Protecting The Public

Even though she didn’t have any backup, the officer bravely attempted to arrest the woman and take her into custody before an innocent bystander got hurt. However, when the woman lunged at her, she was powerless to thwart her assault.

The Attack

The suspect grabbed the officer, threw her against a wall repeatedly, and closed her hands around her throat in an attempt to choke the cop who was just trying to keep the peace. As the brutal attack continued, a crowd started to gather around them…

A Disturbing Realization

Meanwhile, a local homeless man was crossing the street and stopped to figure out what was going on when her saw the crowd of people gathering. When he looked past the group, he saw the officer being attacked and was disgusted that no one was doing anything to help.

A Crowd Of Cowards

“The person had the officer kind of in a choke hold, was kind of, had the officer against the wall, kind of banging, beating her head into the wall,” said Ryan Raso, who stopped in his track the minute he realized that no one was going to put an end to the violent attack…

Time To Intervene

Ryan stood and waited for a few seconds hoping that the officer would be able to take back control of the situation, or that the suspect would stop the assault. Sadly, neither things happened and when the suspect started grabbing at the cop’s gun, he knew someone had to intervene.

A Selfless Gesture

Ryan knew that if the suspect got her hands on the officer’s weapon, she would likely kill the cop and then turn and start shooting at the crowd that had formed around her. So when the woman grabbed at the cop’s holster, Ryan ran up and jumped on the attacker…

An Unexpected Hero

Ryan lunged at the woman, who appeared to be either on high on drugs or drunk, and pulled her off the bruised and bloodied officer. Once he got the woman off the cop, Ryan wrestled her to the ground and managed to pin her down.

Backup Arrives

Shortly after Ryan intervened, more police officers arrived at the scene to provide backup. When they saw the state of their fellow officer, however, they rushed in, placed the suspect in handcuffs, and called for an ambulance since it was clear the female cop needed medical attention…

The One That Got Away

The officers had been so concerned with arresting the attacker and getting the injured cop to the hospital that they didn’t have time to talk to the 1 civilian that was brave enough to intervene and never even got his name. It wasn’t until they were back at the police station, that they realized the mystery hero got away.

The Hero’s Track Record

For the next 4 days, officers from the Ingleside Police Station worked to figure out who the heroic man was that stepped in to help their colleague. Eventually, they managed to track Ryan down and found out the 35-year-old homeless man had been arrested dozens of times for a variety of charges including resisting an officer and armed robbery…

Tracking Down The Hero

When the officers tracked Ryan down, however, they realized he had just had a tough few months and that his father had actually been a cop in New York City. “A law enforcement officer is saying, ‘help me, help me’ when there’s no one else around doing anything,” Ryan said. Even though he’s had his own issues with law enforcement in the past, he knows they’re just people trying to do their jobs. “An officer was being beaten up, a human; so I just did what’s right, you know.”

Support During A Rough Time

After the police spoke with Ryan, they offered to help him find a shelter to help him get off the streets. They also offered to pay for some of his personal items that were damaged while he was wrestling the belligerent woman off the cop. “He has been homeless; he’s had a rough time in recent months,” Sgt. Turner said. “We wanted to reach out to him and let him know he has friends.”

Homeless Man Did What No One Else Would For Cop During Arrest Gone Wrong is an article from: LifeDaily

In school, you are told that there is no intent of playfulness even if a bully says to you that, “I was just teasing,” or “I was just joking.” The bully may laugh while you are simply left embarrassed. But, in adulthood, where do we draw the line with joking or bullying?

The man in the following story explored just that but on a much greater scale. Racist comments are nothing to joke around about, but when he started to hear them at work and his buddies claimed “they were just joking,” he didn’t know what to do. When the line between teasing and taunting gets blurred, all hell broke loose at this police department…

Sergeant From Michigan

For his whole life, Sergeant Cleon Brown, 47, identified as a white male with some Native American blood. Brown, from Hastings, Michigan, says his father had darker skin and black curly hair and often spoke of his heritage which could be traced back to the Blackfeet Nation.

Blackfeet Nation

The Blackfeet Nation is an Indian reservation and headquarters for the Siksikaitsitapi people in the United States. So when people heard the name Cleon (which was also his late father’s name), they naturally assumed he was black…

Questioning His Heritage

Brown never questioned his actual heritage until his daughter, now 18, was born. She was given a diagnosis at birth for an illness that was typically found in African Americans. Sure, the illness could affect other races, but it was very rare.

Getting More Information

Becoming increasingly curious about his background and searching for more answers to help his newborn daughter, Brown decided to take a DNA test with Ancestry.com. When Brown’s wife called him at work to tell him the tests results, he describes being relieved…

The Results

Surprisingly, Brown had zero Native American blood in him, but what he did have was 18% sub-Saharan African. When he learned the news, Brown felt proud and that “the clarity was relieving.” He happily told his colleagues at the police department, but soon, his elation turned to misery.

Racist Comment

Jeff Pratt, the Hastings police chief, turned to Sergeant Brown and said, “Kunta.” What he was referring to was “Roots: The Saga of an American Family,” which is a novel that tells the story of Kunta Kinte, an 18th-century African, captured as an adolescent and sold into slavery in Africa. The was just the first insulting and racist remark that Brown would receive from his colleagues…

Racist Teasing

Some of the members from his department starting whispering “Black Lives Matter” to Sergeant Brown, while pumping their fists as they walked past him. Even the mayor at the time, Frank Campbell, got in on the racist teasing, telling Brown a joke in which he used the word “Negroid.”

Taunting

At Christmas, the department hung stockings with names of the officers on a Christmas tree, and a black Santa Claus figurine with 18% written on its white beard, was put in Brown’s stocking. His peers were taking this too far and Brown took action filing a federal lawsuit…

Lawsuit

He alleged that his state and federal civil-rights were violated and also cited the Whistleblowers’ Protection Act. His claims were intentional infliction of emotional distress. Brown also sued the police Chief Jeff Pratt, the City Manager Jeff Mansfield, the Deputy Chief Dale Boulter, and Sergeant Kris Miller.  

The Ramifications

Insisting he was taunted made the tension between police departments and black communities even more real and relevant to Brown than he could have ever imagined. He recalled thinking at the time, “This is why we have a great divide in this nation.” His department had 13 officers at the time, all who were white, and he soon learned that blowing the whistle on his coworkers had consequences…

Discrimination Complaint

After Brown filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on January 4, the defendants were made aware of the complaint. Brown’s attorney, Karie Boylan says that the chief and deputy chief then “conducted highly coercive, offensive, intimidating employee interviews asking only leading questions.”

Rallying Against Him

Boylan also said the defendants “unfriended” Brown on Facebook and wouldn’t allow him to play in annual charity basketball games. She said the city manager ignored him while the police chief ignored him and was curt. The chief also asked Brown to return to patrol officer, rather than sergeant…

Affecting Brown’s Mental Health

Boylan wrote, “Based on the openly hostile, retaliatory behaviors displayed by the Defendants and tacit approval of Defendant’s conduct by many other Hastings officers, it is more likely than not, Plaintiff will not have adequate back up in the event of an emergency.” She said that the stress has greatly affected Brown’s health and that he may not be medically able to continue working.

Who Was To Blame?

The city, however, disputed the charges saying that it was Sergeant Brown who started joking about race after receiving the test results. They said that Brown fueled the banter by joking with his colleagues saying that he now understood why he “likes chicken so much,” and that “the 18 percent is all in my pants.”

He Said, She Said

Additionally, the department said that Brown told the police chief that he was not upset by the black Santa figurine in his stockings and that it was put there by a colleague that he was friendly with. “The officer who placed the Santa in Brown’s stocking then went to Brown to apologize since he heard he was upset.”

They Alleged Brown Made Rude Comments About Black People

His colleagues were claiming that Brown was the one who had a long history of making rude comments about black people and not them. Brown vehemently denied all of the city’s accusations and said that he has always firmly believed in equal treatment for all. He previously served 7 years in the U.S. Army and was 30% combat disabled…

“Decorated” Police Sergeant

Brown was hired by Hastings in 1998 and he was a “decorated” police sergeant and earned two life-saving awards. But the city stands their ground that Brown is to blame. He told his colleagues that his DNA test results through Ancestry.com revealed that he was 18% African American.

Looking Closer At Ancestry.com

But Ancestry.com’s website doesn’t include “African American” as a possible test result.” They said, “Ancestry.com’s website states that the test results do not definitively reveal where a person’s ancestor’s actually originated…only that there are shared characteristics in genes, which might or might not indicate a person’s ancestors are actually from that geographic area.” Was it possible that Brown identified in his head that he was black and that’s how it came up on the DNA test?

Learning About His History

While we’ll never really know, Sergeant Brown now examines the tensions across the country more critically. He watches plenty of YouTube videos and reads a lot of articles trying to understand why officers make particular decisions in certain instances.

We’ll Never Really Know

He’s also done a lot of personal explorations to learn more about himself. Brown has spoke a lot with his family and they collectively feel that because his father was born in 1940, he didn’t want anybody to know that he had black heritage in him. He even thinks he came up with the Blackfoot Indian thing just to sell it to people hoping that they’d believe it.

After A Sergeant Learned He’s Part Black, He Says He Received Racist Taunts At Work is an article from: LifeDaily

A parent’s job is to do what’s best for their child no matter what the personal cost or sacrifice. For some mothers and fathers, that means not being a parent.

While growing up in Kansas, 1 woman always knew that her birth mother was just trying to do what was best for her when she gave her up for adoption, but it didn’t quell the curiosity she had about her birth father. With only a first name, she doubted she’d ever uncover the truth to her past, however, 57 years later, a message from a Pennsylvania woman changed everything…

Not Ready For Motherhood

When Christine was born in the early 1960s, her mother Donna, who was unmarried and worked as a waitress at a cafe in Fort Riley, Kansas, she knew she wasn’t ready and her life wasn’t stable enough to be the kind of mom that her baby girl deserved.

A Mother’s Sacrifice

So when Christine was just 6 days old, her birth mother decided it would be best to give up her rights as a parent and put her daughter up for adoption in the hopes that someone else would be able to give Christine the life she would never be able to give her daughter…

The Adoption

When Donna’s parents found out what she was going to do, however, they refused to let someone else raise their grandchild. Instead of losing their granddaughter forever, they decided to officially adopt the newborn and raise her as their own child.

A Chance At A Better Life

As a child, Christine’s was raised entirely by her grandparents. Her birth mother wasn’t a part of her life, but Christine understood that Donna was just trying to do the right thing for her since she couldn’t be the mother that she needed to be…

A Missing Puzzle Piece

Christine understood why her birth mother gave her up for adoption, but as she got older, there was always 1 part of the story that she didn’t understand and that was her birth father. She couldn’t help but wonder if he had wanted to give her up as well or if he even knew she was alive.

An Impossible Mission

Despite all the questions Christine had over the years and how curious she was about her birth father, she thought it would be impossible to get the answers she wanted since there was hardly any information about who or where her birth father was…

The Birth Certificate

In an attempt to find out her biological father’s identity, Christine tracked down her original birth certificate but, sadly it was no help. All that was listed under the space where her father’s name should have been was the words ‘unknown father’.

Moving On

Christine’s grandparents only knew that her biological father’s first name was Dorie and that he was originally from Pennsylvania. Without any other information, Christine knew she would never be able to track her father down. Even though her questions remained unanswered, she tried to let it all go…

Ancestry.com

Christine tried to move on with her life. Eventually, she got married and started a family of her own, but no matter what she did, the curiosity about her birth father never went away. Once she heard about Ancestry.com, a site that uses DNA samples to help people trace their lineage, she knew she had to try it.

A Strange Message

Shortly after creating a profile and sending a sample of her DNA, Christine received a message from a woman named Cindy Mostrom who lived across the country in Port Matilda, Pennsylvania and claimed to be related to the 57-year-old mother…

The Cousin

According to Cindy, she saw similarities and connections between their profiles, so she reached out to figure out how they were related. “I messaged her and said, ‘Hey, this is Cindy,’ because she’s a Weaver, I can tell by the DNA,” Cindy said about her first message to Christine.

The End Of A 27-Year Search

“She said, ‘I don’t think I know you.’ And I said, well I can see we’re cousins,” Cindy said. “She said well if we are cousins, i can see from the DNA, and she said I don’t know who my father is. And she said she’s been looking for 27 years, and I said I gotta help a sister out here…”

Gathering The Clues

Cindy told Christine to send her all the information she could gather about her birth and her biological parents. When Christine sent everything to Cindy, she realized that Christine’s father must be her Uncle Dorie since he had moved and lived in Kansas for a few years around the time Christine was born.

Breaking The News

After connecting the dots, Cindy called her uncle to tell him about his secret daughter. “Hi Uncle Dorie, you know I love you,” Cindy said before breaking the life-changing news. “Yes,” Dorie Weaver answered. Then Cindy asked her uncle if he ever lived in Fort Riley, Kansas…

An Old Flame

Dorie replied that he had in fact lived there decades ago. Then Cindy asked her uncle if he remembered a woman named Donna who worked as a waitress at a local cafe that he dated for a short time. “Yes,” he answered again after thinking for a few moments.

The Secret Daughter

“Well Donna had a child, and she gave that child up for adoption. She matches our DNA. She’s been looking for her dad for 27 years, and she’s your daughter,” Cindy told her 81-year-old uncle, who went completely silent as the news sunk in…

‘Unknown Father’

After a few minutes, Dorie collected his thoughts and told Cindy that he was thrilled and told his niece that he hoped Christine would call him ‘dad’ and wanted his name to be added to the birth certificate. “I didn’t want it to say ‘unknown father’ anymore,” Dorie said.

The Reunion

At first, Christine wasn’t sure about calling Dorie ‘dad’. However, she came around to it after speaking for the first time over the phone and getting an official DNA test taken to prove their relationship. In April 2018, the pair finally met in person when Christine was invited to a family birthday gathering in Pennsylvania…

A New Family

Christine traveled 1,160 miles to Port Matilda, where she finally met Dorie, Cindy, and the rest of her family for the first time. “It was pretty emotional,” Christine said. We cried,” Dorie added. “I’m glad I found my other daughter. The daughter I never knew I had.” The reunion was also emotional for Cindy, who the family now calls their ‘DNA detective’. “It was truly a gift from God to be able to put these two together and for him to be so open about it,” Cindy said.

Making Up For Lost Time

Christine and Dorie decided not to dwell on the time lost between them and instead focused on spending as much time together that they could. “We talk on the phone about every other day,” said Dorie, who will travel to Kansas this summer for Christine’s son’s wedding where he will get to meet his son-in-law, his 4 grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren that he never knew he had. “Anything worth having is worth waiting for,” Dorie said.

‘DNA Detective’ Uncovers Secret Relative Hidden From Family For 57 Years is an article from: LifeDaily

Many would say that nothing in this world comes close to the love between a mother and a son. There’s just something special about that bond from birth which solidifies the relationship, but that’s not always the case.

One single mother called Kimberly however, could never have expected what would happen that day, when her son and his two friends were hanging out at home. Last time she checked, they were playing games on the Xbox…

A Good Life

Kimberly lived on the East Coast for most of her life. Having attended Telstar Regional High School​, and graduating in 1988, Kimberly soon moved to Massachusetts, settling in Boston, living a fulfilling and happy life. Sure it wasn’t perfect, but things were okay for her. Even if her biological clock was ticking.

Baby Lukas

When Kimberly reached the age of 34, she decided that it was time for her to become a mother. She knew that her window of opportunity was rapidly closing, and having met a man she liked, Kimberly soon gave birth to a beautiful baby boy who she named Lukas. Things didn’t work out with Kimberly’s partner, but at the same time there were no hard feelings…

New Beginnings

Having lived in Boston with Lukas during his formative years, Kimberly decided she wanted a lifestyle change, and when Lukas was a small boy, she made the long journey to Maine, starting a new career as a cosmetologist. She was great at her job and was described as being a smart, outgoing person, who was also an excellent beautician and great with people.

Anger Issues

Life was good, the new job was paying well, and Kimberly was full of hope, even if she was a single mother and life was sometimes hard to juggle. She coped well with raising Lukas and making good money in her career, but Lukas had some anger issues, and they seemed to only get worse with time…

Wits End

Even though she was keeping it all together, Kimberly was still human. Sometimes, after a hard day’s work, she found herself understandably ratty and short-tempered. Lukas only made matters worse and soon Kimberly was at her wits end with the boy. Vicious screaming arguments ensued and became more and more frequent. Before long, Kimberly realized that her son’s issues were too hard for her to deal with on her own.

Well Loved

There’s no question about it, Kimberly was liked by literally everyone she came into contact with. When she embarked on her new career in beauty, she met with the President of the Aveda Institute in Maine, Anthony Coco. He spoke about Kimberly, and what it was like to meet her, “She was a little more than halfway through the program. She was doing what she wanted to do,” he said. “I originally met with her in the summer. She was looking to make a career change. She was living in Boston and wanted to move to Maine.” Anthony, along with everyone else over at Aveda loved Kimberly, and spoke highly of her…

Catwalk Model

Kimberly was not only popular, she was a looker too, and that gave her the chance to step onto the catwalk herself and strut her stuff. As Anthony explained, “We just had a fashion show two weeks ago. We call it a ‘Trashion Show.’ It is an annual thing we do to create awareness of Earth Day. She was one of the models and looked gorgeous and had a great dress, and her hair and makeup was really fabulous. She was really happy.”

Wicked Plans

On the weekend of April 21, Lukas was hanging out at home with a couple of his buddies, William and Thomas. They were doing what most teens of their age do,  mostly swiping on their smartphones and playing video games on the Xbox. It was a weekend much like any other, or so it seemed…

Unclear Motives

To this day, no one really knows why Lukas did what he did that weekend. What we do know for certain, is that his two friends, William, 15, and Thomas, 13, were very much on-board with Lukas’ plot, and the three boys almost seemed to be brimming with excitement as they discussed the best way to carry out their plan.

Amateur Plotters

The boys casually spoke about killing Lukas’ mother, and discussed ways to end her life. At first, the teens planned to crush sleeping pills in Kimberly’s wine glass, but when they failed to dissolve properly, the kids knew they needed to move to plan B. However, plan B was a lot cruder, more difficult, and a lot more bloody…

Plan B

When the sleeping pill plan failed, the three friends decided they were going to either stab or strangle Kimberly. Lukas, at the tender age of 15, clearly had little understanding of how to carry out a murder and not get caught. Nevertheless, Lukas attempted to cover his tracks, as he donned a face mask and gloves, and grabbed a large knife from the kitchen.

In Her Bed

Kimberly had had a hard week at work, and she was taking an afternoon nap in her bedroom, trying to catch up on missed sleep. When at least two of the boys entered the room, they had only one thing on their mind, something that Kimberly couldn’t have expected from her son even in her wildest dreams; or as it happened to pass, her nightmares…

Horrific Attack

As if they were experienced hitmen, when the boys entered the room where Kimberly was sleeping they simultaneously attacked her, strangling her neck, while her own son Lukas stabbed her with the knife in the neck. The petition relating to the case read, “Thomas Severance, William Smith and Lukas Mironovas discussed causing Kimberly’s death by other means: stabbing and strangling her,” adding, ” (The) boys went into Kimberly’s bedroom, where she was sleeping. Both Lukas Mironovas and William Smith strangled Kimberly Mironovas. Lukas Mironovas also stabbed Kimberly in the neck.”

In Court

Following the murder, and their rapid arrest, the boys were taken to court. All three were represented by different attorneys, having been held at the Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland for the time being. A brief hearing was carried out at the Capital Judicial Center, where it was agreed that the boys could continue to be held at the juvenile center to undergo competency evaluations…

Boys Distraught

According to William’s lawyer, Walter McKee, the competency evaluation is key, saying that his client was deeply affected by what happened. Attorney Kevin Sullivan who is representing the youngest of the three boys, Thomas, said, “My client is completely distraught over what happened and at this point he needs to work through it. He’s 13 years old, and someone died in the home where he was.”

Neighbor’s Shock

Gayle, who lives a few houses down from where the murder took place, said she knew the family personally. She told reporters that she had even taken William and a friend to the railway station to pick up Lukas, as a favor to Kimberly, “They were talking about video games and stuff like that. Nothing particular stuck out in mind. He just looked like a normal 15-year-old,” she said. “The last thing [Lukas Mironovas] said to me was, ‘Thank you so much for the ride.’ I mean what kind of kid who has manners like that does such a thing?” she puzzled.

William’s Father

It’s at this point that this story takes a little turn, and possibly a turn for the worst. Court records show that William’s father had sought emergency custody of him in 2005, after child welfare services learned that his mother had injected heroin and overdosed in front of him, although she didn’t suffer long term effects. This raised difficult questions as to why William may have done what he did on that fateful day.

Juvenile Delinquents?

Some believe that the boys who murdered Kimberly in cold blood should rot in prison. However, there are other people who think these boys just have serious anger issues that need to be dealt with, and are otherwise just normal teenagers. William’s attorney said, “I have been representing young juveniles for many years. I think what is striking when you meet them is their appearance.” McKee added that William, “is a little kid. He’s got braces. Long hair in the front, and sort of short in the back. He looks like any other kid.”

Legal Issues

Due to technicalities with laws in Maine, a judge needs to hold a hearing to ascertain whether the suspects are to be tried within the juvenile system, or whether they will be tried as adults. If the case remains in the Juvenile courts, all the boys will be released when they reach 21. If their cases reach adult courts, they would all face a mandatory sentence of at least 25 years.

Tragic Loss

Coco, Kimberly’s boss, added that the tragic loss of Kimberly has had an effect on him personally, as well as on his dedicated team of staff. Coco said about the day that Kimberly walked down the catwalk, “You could just see a glow about her after she had her hair and makeup done,” Coco said. “She got to be a supermodel.” He also spoke about the very first time he met Kimberly, speaking while holding back tears, Coco said, “She had the heart and talent for this work. I know she would have been really successful.”

Mother’s Fate At The Hands Of Teen Son And Friends Raises Tough Questions is an article from: LifeDaily

When kids become adults and finally make it to college, they and their parents are brimming with excitement and aspirations for the future. Whether they major in art or business, no parent is prouder than the day their child enters into higher education.

That fact makes this story all the more tragic, as 21-year-old Tammy from New Jersey was an extra special students as well as a way above average person. Although, what happened to her during her college years was more terrible than she or her parents ever imagined…

Featured photo credit: www.iowacoldcases.org

College Time

When Tammy set out from her childhood home in New Jersey, driving to Iowa’s Grinnel College for her senior year, she was enjoying the stunning rural scenery as she cranked up the music on her car stereo, full of excitement for the year ahead. Sure there was some trepidation, but that’s natural, and Tammy tended to rise to challenges anyway, no matter what they were.

Nicknamed ‘Zee’

Tammy was loved by everyone she met instantly, she was that kind of girl. She was smart as a button, majoring in art and history, with a special place in her heart for animals, and especially abused ones, and a secret obsession with James Dean. Her friends fondly nicknamed her ‘Zee’ as she had a serious thing for random power naps at any given time of the day or night…

Hot Afternoon

It was extremely hot on that day in August back in 1992. Tammy had set out early to get to college so that she could arrive in time to take preseason photos of her college sports teams, as she was also an avid photographer. Tammy dropped her brother Darren off at Northwestern University on her way to college, as her car repeatedly overheated and the gauge on the dash hit the hot zone a few times. But Tammy wasn’t concerned with that, she just wanted to get to college already.

Car Troubles

Darren was right, there was a serious issue with Tammy’s car, and she was forced to pull over on the side of Interstate 80 near to LeSelle, Illinois. She was frustrated as she didn’t want to miss the preseason pictures at college. Help soon arrived however, when she flagged down a truck who offered to help her with her car…

Strange Man

People at the time said they saw a strange man offering Tammy assistance, but noted that something just didn’t seem right. The man was around 40 years old, and was a daunting figure, standing at more than 6 feet tall. His white truck with strange stripes on the side aroused suspicion, but as usual, people just went on with their lives.

Concerned Parents

When Tammy’s mom found out that her daughter hadn’t made it to college, she was concerned but not overly. She knew what a conscientious and responsible girl Tammy was, and instead of assuming the worst, Tammy’s folks assumed there was a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why she hadn’t made contact in so many hours. At least they hoped that was the case…

Police Called

As the hours went by and nightfall set in, Tammy’s mom had no choice but to report her daughter as missing to the police. The police treated the call as a standard missing persons call, and everyone just assumed that Tammy would show up somewhere soon safe and sound. Sadly, that couldn’t have been any further from the truth.

Car Found

Now alarm bells started ringing in multiple locations, and for good reason. The day after Tammy was reported missing, her white Pontiac 1000 was found abandoned on the Interstate 80 near to Utica. Tammy’s car was locked and had all of her packed bags in the trunk as well as her other belongings. However, Tammy, her car keys and her purse, were all missing…

Body Found

A couple of painstaking weeks passed by, as local authorities frantically tried to find Tammy. Then, on another scorching hot day, a man was walking along the Interstate 44, about 500 miles form Tammy’s car. He came across a dead body which was badly decomposed, and immediately called the police.

Dental Records

It didn’t make sense that the dead body was Tammy as it was so far away from where she went missing initially. However, after the dental records of the body were cross referenced, everyone’s worst fears were finally confirmed. But why would anyone want to kill Tammy?…

Didn’t Want to Suffer

Possibly the most difficult thing to deal with for Tammy’s folks was something that she had previously written in her journal. In that section, Tammy had written that she feared death and that she sincerely hoped that when her time came, her passing would be peaceful and painless. That hope was sadly not the way Tammy died.

Parents Devastated

When Tammy’s autopsy report came through police were shocked, and her parents were understandably devastated. Not only had Tammy been brutally sexually assaulted, she had also been horrifically stabbed seven times around her heart and once in her arm. She had duct tape over her mouth and had been killed elsewhere and then dumped, far from the kill site…

Unclear Motives

Authorities and just about everyone else were left scratching their heads, trying to figure out why this had happened to Tammy. In the end, many just put it down to a sick person who got a lucky opportunity with a girl who was having car troubles. Her expensive Canon camera had been stolen, as well as her watch, and strangely, a St. Giles Soccer Club patch was missing from her shorts.

Lone Suspect

The horrific discovery of Tammy’s body was bad enough, but it made it even worse that police only had one lone suspect. The fact that he may have been the man spotted by eyewitnesses on the side of the Interstate with Tammy and her steaming car hood, didn’t instil much hope in anyone that the perpetrator would be found and brought to justice…

Laid to Rest

While authorities scrambled to find Tammy’s killer, it was time for her to be laid to rest by her family and friends. He college friends also held a memorial for her at the Herrick Chapel, where Tammy’s family said, “We hope some good will come out of this, including the capture of the person responsible. We don’t want him to be able to kill again.” At the funeral, held at the St. John Neumann Roman Catholic Church in Mount Laurel, a friend called Rebecca said about Tammy, “She was the nicest person in the world,” adding, “She was fun-loving and spirited.”

No Closure

Despite numerous suspects filing through police interview rooms, no one was ever arrested or charged with the murder of Tammy Zywicki. In 1992, a possible suspect by the name of James Mackay entered the frame. He had already been arrested in Indiana on charges of attempted rape but there was nothing at all to tie him to Tammy’s death…

Another Suspect

Another suspect, Bruce Mendenhall, was a trucker who had been convicted in 2007 for the murder of 25-year-old Sara Hulbert. While he was in custody he admitted to six other murders but again, police were unable in any way to tie him to the tragic murder of Tammy.

Mother Still Distraught

It’s understandable; No parent should ever have to bury their child, but this case was made all the more harrowing for Tammy’s parents due to the fact the killer was never even nearly found. As Tammy’s mom Joanne said to reporters, “As the years go by, it’s very irritating. There were so many blunders in our case. They lost the case in the first few days.” She also noted that it took cops a full 24 hours to even enter Tammy’s car licence into the police computer.

Public Plea

25 years after the tragic death of Tammy Zywicki, the state police, along with the FBI are reaching out once again to the public in the hopes of reopening the case and finding the killer. Master Sgt. Matt Boerwinkle, who worked the case previously, said, “There have been and continue to be several persons of interest. However, no suspects have been named, and no arrests have been made.” Police are examining 200 items of evidence relating to the case, and hope that with modern-day DNA technology, they may be able to come up with some solid leads.

Some Condolence

While the death of Tammy is an awful event for all concerned, her parents can take some solace from the tremendous outpouring of care and concern from the local community as well as from agents working the case. As Special Agent Amanda Becker said, “No one has forgotten Tammy – not her family, her high school and college friends, and certainly not law enforcement. I am very motivated to find her killer.”

Authorities Struggle To Find New Leads In Missing Girl’s Mysterious Case is an article from: LifeDaily

For centuries, teachers have played a pivotal role in creating the greatest thinkers of all time. Viewed as pillars of society, their vigorous drive and passion to teach have established an unforeseen level of respect. But, oh, how times have changed.

In the current climate, we often finding ourselves reading countless scandalous stories about a teacher’s unlawful and inappropriate behavior, sadly distorting the public’s perception of teachers. In a sleepy town in Iowa, a well respected and liked teacher possessed an inspiring passion for education, gaining the trust of both her students and faculty. But, her true motives would have nothing to do with academics, but something far more sinister…

A Small Town Feel

In the small rural town of Ackley, Iowa, with a population of less than 1,500, the lives of residents have been embedded into its’ roots for generations now. A deeply connected community, the residents know one another on a first name basis, always making sure to shout their hellos as they continue throughout their day.  

All Good Things Come To An End

Nothing out of the ordinary happens in the tiny town, besides maybe on occasion, the local drunk act more erratic than usual. But, like all good things that come to an end, the quiet, uneventful lives of Ackley residents will come to a major halt. Soon enough, a dynamite scandal would rock the sleepy town of Ackley, blowing its’ residents right in the gut, and permanently shattering its’ squeaky clean image.

A Good Girl

In the fall of 2010, a young, enthusiastic 24-year-old would finally fulfill her lifelong wish of becoming a teacher at the high school she had attended years before. Growing up in the sleepy town, Ashley was known as being somewhat of a perfectionist or an overachiever. Friends and family members all describe Ashley as someone who was always eager to learn, dedicated to her studies.

The Favorite Teacher

It wouldn’t come as a surprise when Ashley was hired as a math teacher by the Aplington-Parkersburg School District. Ashley quickly became a favorite amongst the students, who respected her creative teaching approach, but also could relate to her due to the closer age range. Faculty in the school also became loving fans of the bright eyed teacher, spellbound by her beautiful smile and eagerness to lend a helping hand to all. Put don’t let her sweet, innocent exterior fool you because her insides are as ugly and twisted as is imaginable…

The Hot Teacher

Besides her charismatic personality, the boys in the school also admired her pretty face. Some of the boys took her friendly approach as flirtatious and provocative, but they knew all too well that Ashley was off limits as their teacher. But, Ashley’s intentions had nothing to do with the education of her students, but sick and twisted thoughts that would shock the nation. 

Well Respected Teacher

Ashley was quickly elected as one of the head organizers in the prom committee. As a whole, the small town viewed prom the way the rest of the nation anticipated the Oscars. Ashley’s active role in the committee showcased her excellent people skills and encouraged everyone to trust her decisions, positioning her as a respectable figure in the school and community.

The Golden Teacher

Success after success, Ashley had become a driving force in the school, with faculty singing songs of praise, and students always eager to be around the young teacher. At this point, Ashley had become assistant track coach and an advisor for Students Against Drunk Driving. Without a doubt, the young, beautiful teacher was invested in the student body, but apparently it would become too much for her own good..

Secrets Always Reveal Themselves

In any small town, there are no room for secrets. A single wrong move will quickly reveal itself to all. But, it would not be a forgotten mistake or accident, forthcoming allegations will soon rock the sleepy town to its’ core…

A Secret Relationship

At Aplington High School, a student confided in his friend about a dark, perverted secret relationship with a teacher at the building. This teacher would be no other than the school’s admired golden star, Ashley Anderson. The friend of the victim quickly approached another teacher at the building with the disgusting allegations. But, this would not be the only allegation, but one of many.

A Town In Shock

The teacher quickly notified the school administration and local police. Overwhelmed with shock and disbelief, the entire school and town were given a rude awakening. Even tight knit communities who desperately try to steer clear from crimes that usually affect city atmospheres are victim to the evils of the world.

No Denial Of Guilt

Some of Ackley’s residents truly believed that Ashley would strongly deny the allegation, but boy, were they wrong. She quickly resigned from her duties as a teacher without any attempt of denial or explanation. In the eyes of Ackley’s residents, Ashley’s actions or in better words, lack thereof, represented her guilt. 

Skepticism In Teachers

Soon after, the trust placed in teachers would be a thing of the past. Sadly, a rapid mistrust of faculty became the overall sentiment in the tiny town. This sentiment would gain greater traction once another accuser came forward, and another, and then another.

Began With Nude Photos

In one complaint, the victims accused the fallen teacher of sending nude photographs of herself and having sexual contact with them. With allegations mounting against her, in a small town like Ackley, it would be difficult for Anderson to disappear. There was nothing she could do to avoid walking through its’ streets with the looks of disgust and remarks from her local townspeople. Her beauty and smile could no longer mask the predator embedded inside. The town she loved would no longer welcome a perverted soul walking through their streets.

An Illicit Relationship

In another complaint, Anderson is alleged to have first begun a relationship with an 18-year-old who was a student in the math class she taught. The illicit relationship continued in to the boy’s home where they had sex when his parents were not home. As an educator, she was innately responsible for the safety and well being of her students. Sadly, Anderson was more concerned with satisfying her sick and perverted fantasies than the advancement of her students’ studies.

An Array Of Victims

In yet another complaint, Anderson was accused of performing oral sex on three other students. With the school and town already in disarray, the revelation of the details in the complaints fueled a fire already burning. The residents of Ackley were rightfully angry with the former golden teacher, but anger would not subside the betrayal. If it were up to them, they would have posted her to a stake for taking advantage of their trust and most importantly, the innocence of their youth.

Exploiting Her Students

The details of the complaint reveal that Anderson had oral sex with a 16-year-old junior who served on the prom committee and a 16-year-old sophomore. Anderson used her platform in various organizations and clubs to befriend her victims, gain their trust, and then ultimately, sexually exploit them.

A Car Ride To Seduce A Boy

In the final complaint, a fourth relationship with a 17-year-old student began when Anderson offered him a ride home after track practice in the spring. Do not confuse this with an act of kindness. Yet again, the despicable woman used the student’s vulnerability to prey on him. Anderson stopped her car on a gravel road and kissed the victim. This would not be the last sexual encounter. The relationship continued even after he graduated from the school.

Pled Guilty

Ashley has pled guilty to all allegations. Initially, she had been facing up to 15 years in prison after her guilty plea to three counts of sexual exploitation by a school employee. Judge Christopher Foy sentenced her to up to five years in prison, running all three counts concurrent, and imposed a $750 fine.

A Registered Sex Offender

Anderson will also be on supervised probation for 10 years after her prison time and will have to register as a sex offender and submit a DNA sample. Judge Foy also entered a restraining order preventing her from contacting the victims.

A Slap On The Wrist

Infuriated by the outcome, Ackley’s residents have insisted that Anderson’s punishment did not meet the crime. She knew what she was doing. And only stopped now because she was caught. They believe a harsher punishment is rightly deserved and will deter her from committing these perverted acts again. 

Small Town Teacher’s Deceitful Dalliances Spell An End To Her Professional Career is an article from: LifeDaily

Weddings are a time of love and family, happiness, and new life. They take months to plan and thousands of dollars to bring to life. Yet even the happiest of days and the best-laid plans, can be marred by unexpected tragedy.

For one couple, what began as a perfect wedding day, a gathering of friends and family on a placid, picturesque beach, would end in tragedy, the likes of which they could never have predicted…

Off-Duty

The first man on the scene was an off-duty security officer named Michael Lerardi. He was a court officer and he was on his on his way home when he saw what looked like a rather severe car crash on the side of the road. He approached with caution, unsure of what he saw, and dialed 911 as he did so.

Head-On

There had been two vehicles in the crash, and by the looks of the head-on collision, it seemed like at least one of them had been going the wrong way. From his vantage point, all he could tell was that the driver of one of the cars, a limo by the look of it, was already dead. The motor was already on top of him. Soon enough, backup arrived…

Niece’s Wedding

Lt. Michael Tangney had been attending the beach wedding of his niece some hours before. He was back on shift when he heard the report come in that a limousine had been hit on the highway not far from the beach where the ceremony had commenced. Dark thoughts crossed his worried mind, and he did the only thing he could do in that situation, he went to help.

Warned Him

Lt.Tangney remembered the moment that the grim reality of the situation became clear. “I was walking to the rear of the limousine when a gentleman was coming away from it, and he said, ‘Don’t go back there. It’s bad,'” He opened the rear door and realized that his worst fears had come to light: inside the wrecked limousine were the twisted remains of most of his family…

Beach Wedding

Only a few hours earlier, Lisa and David, and their 200 friends and family members had gathered on a Long Island beach to celebrate their long-awaited wedding. Lisa remembered the joy on everyone’s face when her little nieces, 5-year-old Grace and 7-year-old Katie, stood next to them. They looked like little princesses.

Headed Home

The day that followed was one of celebration. When it was all over, Lisa’s parents, Christopher and Denise, along with her sister, Jennifer, Jennifer’s husband, Neil, and their daughters, Grace and Katie, all packed into a limousine and headed home. They had no idea the danger that awaited them in the form of another driver…

Wrong Lane

24-year-old Martin Heidgen had 13 too many drinks before he decided to get in his car that day. At the time, he wasn’t aware of the fact that his blood alcohol level was three times over the legal limit. It wasn’t until he hit the limousine at 70 miles per hour whilst driving down the wrong side of the highway that he realized he’d made a huge mistake.

Wrecked in Heaps

Later that day, Lt. Tangney opened the back door of the wrecked limo to see his brother Chris, lying broken in a heap on the floor and his sister-in-law Denise, unconscious and gravely injured. His niece and nephew, Jennifer and Neil, were both too injured to move, but tried their best to crawl out and find help…

Trapped Within

Jennifer’s foot was too injured for her to move, and yet she managed to crawl around the interior of the limo to find help. Her five-year-old Grace was trapped inside the wreckage, but she couldn’t seem to find 7-year-old Kate. Then, she saw it, the sight that would break the heart and mind of any mother.

Head in Hand

Katie had been decapitated by her seat belt, but it was only Jennifer who knew it then. It wasn’t until she managed to drag herself out of the car that the 70 paramedics and police officers noticed the gruesome memento she had kept with her. Jennifer was holding Kate’s severed head in her hands. She had completely lost it…

Not Leaving Kate

The rescue team and police officers didn’t try to stop her as Jennifer walked to side of the road. She sat down and placed her daughter’s head in her lap, watching with blank and tear-stained eyes as the rest of her family was carefully cut from the wreck. Eventually, Lt. Tangney came over to tell his niece that they had to leave.

Handed Off

Jennifer was lucid, she was calm, but she was not in her right mind. She told her uncle that she wasn’t going anywhere. Lt. Tangney told her that she needed to go because Grace needed her. It was those words, the idea that her only remaining daughter needed her help, that brought her to her senses. She kissed Kate’s head goodbye and handed it over before getting to the ambulance…

Wave Goodbye

David, the groom, recalled his own memory from what was once the greatest day of his life. “I remember looking in on the limo and seeing Kate and waving goodbye and she waved goodbye and never thought that was going to be the type of moment where you’re seeing people for the last time…It’s, I guess, a moment I see every day.”

Left Scarred

It was only Katie and the limo driver, 59-year-old Stanley Rabinowitz, who perished in the terrible accident. The rest of the family survived, though each of them were severely injured, and emotionally scarred by the experience. When it was all said and done, Jennifer and Neil decided that the circumstances surrounding the loss of their daughter had to be told to the world…

Telling Their Tale

The grieving parents felt that no one should have to live the life they did, to know the devastation that they suffered through because of one man’s selfish, bone-headed actions. “Hopefully people are able to see and view the crime of drunken driving as it should be seen and viewed and that hopefully we’ll save lives.” explains Jennifer.

Holding Tight

When recalling that night, Jennifer remembers her back being to the windshield. She had been holding Grace, and Katie was lying down on the seat with he seat belt on. Screaming started and before she knew what hit them, she was crawling around in pain, looking for her daughters. Meanwhile, Neil remembered the moment a little differently…

Didn’t Know

Neil’s back had been broken and he was trying to crawl from the limo. In the haze of pain and confusion, he heard his wife screaming that Katie was dead. At the time, he thought that perhaps she was just severely injured and that Jennifer was just worried she might be dead. He didn’t know what she had discovered.

Keep Them Safe

Jennifer truly believes that people need to understand, more than anything else the repercussions of their actions. “Actions have consequences, and I think everyone needs to know that and recognize it…” she explains. She also wants to see those who drink and drive, punished for their crimes accordingly. So that no one else suffers as she and her family have done. As for the bride and groom, they feel something else about that day as well…

Guilt

As the two of them try to raise awareness of the dangers of drunk driving, Jennifer’s sister Lisa and brother-in-law David continue to feel only guilt about that day. It was the Fourth of July and they knew that statistically it was DWI season and they had done everything they could to ensure that no one had to drink and drive during their wedding.

Best-Laid Plans

“We planned better than most would plan,” explained David. “We had a bus to take people back and forth from the hotel to the reception…We had a whole slew of rooms for people to stay in. We had limousines for parents and family, and even that wasn’t enough.” They could never have accounted for other people but sometimes even the truth doesn’t make the pain go away.

Wedding Day Ends in Tragedy For Police Officer’s Family is an article from: LifeDaily

Nothing can prepare a parent for something terrible happening to their child. Now, imagine if something horrible happened to two of your children?

This was the harsh reality that one mother was faced with, and it all happened in the blink of an eye on one particular night. She remembers it like it was yesterday and she’s sharing her story in hopes that it doesn’t happen to anyone else…

Her Story

Becky Savage speaks at conferences all over the country and she always starts her story the same way. She tells the audience, mostly students, about her two teenage sons, Nick and Jack. She shows them pictures telling them how they enjoyed hockey, loved Taco Bell, and how their favorite thing to do was to hang out late-night with friends.

June 14, 2015

Then, she tells them what happened on June 14, 2015. The Indiana mom’s two oldest sons, Nick and Jack, were up late that night celebrating high school graduation parties. They came home at about 12:30 am and they checked in with their mom, who had been waiting up…

Sunday Morning

The next Sunday morning was like any other and Becky was picking up dirty laundry from 18-year-old Jack’s room. But after one glance at her son, she noticed he wasn’t stirring in his sleep like he normally did so she tried to wake him up.

Unresponsive

Becky shook her son, but he didn’t wake up. She knew to check his pulse since she was a nurse, but he didn’t have one. She immediately performed CPR on Jack and shouted loudly for help, while dialing 911…

Emergency At The Savage Home

Soon Becky heard sirens down her street and she watched as first responders try to resuscitate Jack. She remembering screaming at them when she saw them give up. Then, more first responders were rushed to her basement because a second 911 call had been made from her house at the same time- this one by a friend of 19-year-old Nick.

Now Both Of Her Sons Weren’t Waking Up

He had just finished his freshman year at Indiana University and Nick had spent all night in the basement with friends. But, now he wasn’t waking up either…

Unfathomable Tragedy

Soon, a paramedic came upstairs and asked for a coroner, and that was truly the last thing that Becky could remember that day. Both of her sons, Jack and Nick, were pronounced dead. They had accidentally overdosed on hydrocodone and alcohol.

Two Teens Charged

Someone at one of the graduation parties had passed around the prescription pills. And that next month, two teenagers were charged with providing the pills and drinks that killed the brothers. But after what just happened, Becky felt the bottom drop out of her life…

Picking Up The Pieces

She said it took about one year until she truly felt the pain of her loss. “The first year after, you can’t feel…You can’t even put thoughts together.” For the next year, the Savage family- Becky, her husband Mike and their younger sons, Justin and Matthew, worked on healing and picking up the broken pieces.

Her First Time Speaking Publicly

They didn’t discuss their loss publicly until Becky was asked to speak at a local town hall about underage drinking. She had never spoken publicly before and she thought there would be maybe 20 people there…

The Turn-Out Was More Than She Ever Could Have Expected

To her surprise, over 200 people wound up showing up, and it was then that the family realized the impact that their story could have. After their first speaking engagement, more speaking requests came in and the Savage family decided to turn their tragedy into something completely different- a story of positivity.

Only Two Options

Usually, after such a tragedy as this, there’s only two options. Either you can cave and allow the loss to take over your life while you wallow in the pain. Or, you can take what happened to you and create something positive from it, which is just what the Savage family did. That following year…

Savage Family And The 525 Foundation

The family founded the 525 Foundation, which is named after the boys’ hockey numbers (Jack’s 5 and Nick’s 25). They decided to share their story in the hopes of preventing another family from having to endure the pain they experienced. “We’ve talked to our kids about drinking, but we had never talked to them about prescription drugs.”

“Not My Child”

In fact, drugs weren’t even on their radar. This was something they never thought their boys would do, but, sadly, that’s where they went wrong. Jack and Nick were only two of the 4,235 young adults between the ages of 15 and 24 who died of drug overdoses in the U.S. in 2015 alone! That’s nearly triple the amount since 2000. Parents’ eyes grow bigger when they hear Becky’s story…

Making A Huge Difference

Becky is incredibly relatable; she explains that if it could happen to her kids, it could happen to theirs too. Once Becky starts speaking in front of a group of people, the room goes completely silent. She knows that the audience has questions and once the first hand pops up, more always follow.

Successful Pill Drop

Becky recently organized a pill drop, where with the help of local officials, she collects thousands of pounds of prescription medications. They managed to collect over 1,500 pounds in pills during three events, which is a lot of drugs. “Think of all the lives you could save,” Becky says. She shares that the morning after Jack and Nick died, a young man knocked on their door holding a card and a big bouquet of flowers…

Jack Savage

He had driven all night to see the Savage family and he told them that he and Jack had gone to middle school together, but he had since moved away. He said that Jack had sat with him on the bus when no one else would. This was just many of the incredible qualities that Jack possessed.

Nick Savage

And then there’s Nick. Nick was sharp and a had a love for science, studying chemistry and microbiology in college. One weekend during his freshman year, Nick hitched a ride back with a friend but didn’t tell his mom because he wanted to see the look in her eyes when he surprised her…

Remembering Jack And Nick

It was snowing that night and when he came in through the back door, his family bombarded him with hugs. Becky and Mike always knew their sons would do great things. Now, their two youngest sons ask to go on almost every event to allow their brothers’ story to live on.

What Comes Next

Since the tragedy, the Savage family has become part of an active conversation about what comes next. Becky has made it her mission to talk to teenagers about the dangers of opioid use and really anyone who will listen. Becky speaks at school rallies, parent meetings, and even to strangers who approach her while she’s out to dinner.

Graduation Party Ends In Tragedy For Two Teens And Mother Is Left To Pick Up The Pieces is an article from: LifeDaily

There are a lot of crazy “get rich quick” schemes out there. People will try and sell anything, any cockamamie idea they can in order to make a buck.

One state worker happened upon a genius scheme early in his career and tried it out on a whim. He couldn’t believe it worked, and soon enough, he was repeating the lucrative scheme weekly with little pushback. But all good things must come to an end…

Detention Center

Gilberto had been working at the Cameron County Juvenile Detention Center in San Benito, Texas for over ten years. He would oversee deliveries, help out in the kitchen, nothing too dangerous or complicated. It was a good job, all things considered, and at 53-year-old, he was lucky to have it.

Doctor’s Appointment

As an older man, Gilberto was reaching an age where he had to keep an eye on things medically. It had been a long time since he’d gone in for a check-up and though he didn’t like to take days off work, he decided it was time. He had sick time, after all…

The Fateful Order

That day, as Gilberto sat in the doctor’s office, an incident was brewing at the Cameron County Juvenile Detention Center. The driver of a food service company called “The Kitchen” had arrived in the back with an 800-pound order of fajitas for the inmates. It was an order Gilberto usually signed for.

Refuse the Fajitas

His supervisors, thinking nothing of the order, decided to sign for it, until they realized that the inmates never got fajitas for their meals. Instead of taking the product, however, they chose to refuse it, that way they could ask Gilberto about it when he got back the next day. After all, they didn’t want to be accepting erroneous deliveries…

Nine Years

What they weren’t aware of, was that Gilberto Escamilla had ordered the 800-pounds of fajitas quite deliberately. Indeed, despite the fact that none of the minor inmates at the detention center were never served fajitas, they had been getting a delivery in almost every week…for nine years.

The Plot

That’s right, Escamilla had been accepting deliveries of fajitas for more than nine years. What did he do with hundreds upon hundreds of pounds of fajitas every week? Why, sell them of course, to his own hungry customers who had lined up and ordered them from him in advance. It was a fairly lucrative affair as well: considering he wasn’t paying for it…

The Status Quo

And if Gilberto Escamilla hadn’t taken a day off to go to the doctor, it was likely that pattern of pilfering prisoner food may have continued unabated for another decade. His supervisor did come to him the next day and ask him about the odd shipment of course. As soon as he heard the question, Escamilla knew the jig was up,

Give it Up

Escaramilla decided that the scheme, however lucrative, had gone on long enough. The confrontation with his supervisor had brought that point home: though allegedly it was something he’d been thinking about for some time. As expected he was fired immediately, but that wasn’t all…

Less than a Felony

The single delivery of fajitas, though ample, was for less than $30,000. Therefore, when Escamilla was arrested the next day, he was only charged with a state jail felony offense. It wasn’t a slap on the wrist, but it was nowhere near what he would ultimately be charged with…

Stolen Packs

In the course of their investigation, officers were sent to search Escamilla’s house for any further evidence of fajita-based wrongdoing. What they found was quite telling indeed. The disgraced prison worker had packages of the stolen fajitas inside his fridge. It was evident that he had been doing this for some time…

SNL Skit

District Attorney Luis V. Saenz couldn’t believe what he was hearing when the officers came to him with the case. He thought that they were messing with him, that this was some sort of a practice idea for a Saturday Night Live’ skit, Unfortunately for him and for Escamilla, that was not the case.

Never Seen It

Cameron County Assistant District Attorney Peter Gilman was similarly flabbergasted. He too had never seen a case of this magnitude. We mean magnitude here because after finding out about his nine year scheme, the DA’s office decided to calculate how much taxpayer money he’d spent on fajitas over the years. The fajita haul came to something like $1,251,578…

Plead Out

In the end, there wasn’t much Gilberto could do but plead guilty to the crime. The evidence was impossible to ignore. He was brought before the judge and sentenced for theft by a public servant. But the story didn’t end with his sentencing, not by a long shot.

A Stern Warning

State District Judge J. Manuel Banales was put on the case and had to figure out how best to punish Escamilla for such an unabashed theft of public funds. The judge and the DA decided they wanted Escamilla to serve as a warning to all public servants. To that end, Gilbert Escamilla was sentenced to 50 years in jail…

Strong Message

“We feel a strong message should be sent,” explained Peter Gilman. The DA’s theory is that the type of theft committed by someone like Escamilla harms the people whom he stole from. In this case, the taxpayers who paid his salary. By stealing from them, he broke the trust that the public has for state employees.

Reasons

In most cases where an employees steals less than $300,000, the sentence would not be so stiff. Gilberto Escamilla stole much more than that, millions, which goes beyond the highest class of felony and warrants such a lengthy sentence: even for a 59-year-old man…

Out of Control

For his part, Gilbert expressed extreme remorse for what he did on the day of his sentencing. “It was selfish. It started small and got bigger and out of control. It got to the point where I couldn’t control it anymore.” Still, it was far too late to apologize.

Sad Fans

Eventually, news of the virally famous “Fajita Bandit’s” extreme sentencing broke onto the internet. Fans and admirers couldn’t believe that the District Attorneys and the judge could be so cruel. As a taxpayer, I of course understand where the state was coming from, but the guy is in his early 50’s so it’s essentially life in prison…

Saying Goodbye

Before he was escorted away to begin his sentence, Glbert apologized again and was given the opportunity to say goodbye to his family. There will undoubtedly be appeals, but it is unlikely that he will ever be released.

Payback

Adding insult to injury is also the fact that Escamilla and his family now have to pay back the cost of 10 years of felonious fajitas. That’s over a million dollars in chicken, peppers, onions and tortillas. Just goes to show you, don’t steal from your job: and especially don’t steal from Uncle Sam.

Texas Man’s Fajita Scheme Results In Overly Harsh Sentence From State District Attorney is an article from: LifeDaily

Most of the time when something bad happens to someone else, unless it’s a family member or friend, it’s not that big a deal to us. We may feel bad when we think about it but it’s usually not that hard to move on from emotionally.

But if that someone else is an innocent, completely undeserving of a rough turn in life, it hits us a little bit differently, with more of an impact. And there is no one more innocent than a newborn baby. One young woman found out about a baby in need and she couldn’t let it go by without doing something…

Proud Parents

George and Farra were the proud parents of a baby named Talia. She was their third child, after 7-year-old Mattea and 5-year-old Trey. Their youngest was an adorable little girl with big eyes and even bigger cheeks. Her parents couldn’t have been happier about the newest addition to their family.

Something’s Off

But just a few weeks after she was born, Talia’s pediatrician noticed that her eyes “were off” during a routine check up. Choosing to err on the side of caution, the doctor sent her to a specialist for further testing and a liver biopsy…

Rare Condition

Unfortunately, the pediatrician’s suspicions proved to be correct. It turned out that Talia had a rare condition called “biliary atresia.” Affecting just 1 out of every 18,000 infants, it is “a life-threatening condition in infants in which the bile ducts inside or outside the liver do not have normal openings.”

Temporary Solution

A temporary fix for the infant’s condition was a Kasai procedure, in which part of her small intestine would be used to replace the ducts, allowing the liver to drain into the intestine and preventing a back up of fluids that would permanently damage Talia’s liver…

She Needs A Transplant

But the Kasai was just a temporary procedure and according to some doctors the only cure for Talia’s condition would be a liver transplant. Unfortunately, neither George nor Farra were a match. The only thing they could do was put their daughter on the liver transplant waiting list and hope that a suitable donor would be found quickly.

Don’t Give Up

As the weeks turned to months and a donor wasn’t found, the 2 parents did their best to never give up hope and to make the most of the time they had with Talia. Then, when she was about 9 months old, someone special came into the sick baby’s life…

Connected By A Friend

George and Farra Rosko needed a babysitter and the person they ended up hiring was a 22-year-old college student named Kiersten Miles. “My good friend had known the family for a long time and recommended me to them for a summer nanny position,” Kiersten said. “I knew going into it that Talia had biliary atresia, because my friend told me a little bit of that background.”

Selfless

“About 2 to 3 weeks into watching Talia I became curious about the whole idea of a liver transplant,” said Kiersten. “Before meeting the family I never knew you could donate part of your liver.” The young woman already gave of herself to help others regularly, donating blood at every opportunity…

I Want To Help

“After doing research,” Kiersten said, “I found out that I could potentially donate an organ to anyone due to my blood type.” After some consideration, she decided to tell the Roskos that she wanted to donate part of her liver to save Talia.

Nervous

“I was nervous for some reason,” Kiersten said. “I’m not sure why.” It was uncharted territory for her and for the Roskos as well. “I was very taken aback,” said Farra. “I didn’t know that she was this selfless.”…

Can We Accept?

Blindsided as they were by Kiersten’s offer, the Roskos weren’t sure if they could accept such a sacrifice from her. “We were never ‘looking’ for an organ donor, and we would never ask anyone if they wanted to donate, especially someone we didn’t know that well, said Farra.

Talk To Your Family

“I wanted to be sure she knew this wasn’t like giving blood,” Farra said. “It was a serious surgery and she had to speak to her family about this.” Thankfully, Kiersten’s mother thought that her daughter’s generosity was a beautiful thing…

Supportive Mother

“I talked to my mom after doing the research and then went forward to talking to Farra,” said Kiersten. “My mom has been supportive through this whole process. She keeps saying how proud of me she is and tells people she wasn’t really surprised I wanted to do this.”

Small Price

For Kiersten, what she would be giving up seemed like a very small price to pay to save Talia. “I just had to go through some blood tests, imaging, and talking to a few doctors and then spent less than a week in the hospital. It just seemed and still seems like such a small sacrifice compared to saving a life.”…

Second Thought

But there was one aspect of the donation that gave Kiersten momentary pause. “At one point,” she said, “I found out I would never be able to donate again if I did this. I really had to process that.” In the end, she decided to move forward hoping that if her future children needed the same procedure, someone else would answer the call..

Surgery

After the necessary preparations were made, baby and babysitter underwent a 14 hour procedure at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania. Everything went according to plan and both Talia and Kiersten came out without complications…

Angel

Talia’s parents were overjoyed. “She has turned a hopeless situation into a hopeful situation,” said Farra. “Without Kiersten we would be sitting waiting for a deceased donor to come and save Talia. We would be watching our baby deteriorate.” It was impossible to fully express their gratitude. “She really is an angel on earth,” Farra added. “I know that sounds silly, but she really is.”

Special Bond

After the summer ended, Kiersten no longer babysat Talia but she knows that they will always share a special bond. Both literally and figuratively, she will always be a part of Talia’s life, which shouldn’t end before her second birthday and instead be as long as anyone else’s…

Spreading Awareness

“I definitely think it’s important to spread awareness about living organ donation and organ donation in general,” Kiersten said. “I don’t think many people know you can donate a part of your liver. Most hear only about donating a kidney.”

No Regrets

The young woman said that she had no regrets about helping save Talia’s life. “After going through the entire process from start to finish, I would 100% do it again. I think it’s very important people know exactly what they are volunteering to do and what the recovery is like but it’s such a small price to pay in comparison to saving a life.”

Good Samaritan Doesn’t Hesitate To Give Life-Saving Help To Baby In Need is an article from: LifeDaily

Our Army generals are supposed to be some of the most trustworthy and reliable people in the country. After all, they are responsible for national security issues, and for keeping people safe from threats such as terror attacks.

People just assume that these generals are upstanding people, with stronger moral compasses than most. However, when a Major general from the armed forces was caught living a strange double life, some uncomfortable questions needed to be answered…

Decorated Soldier

The Major General in this story was a highly respected man and a very decorated soldier. Having been posted all around the world, the Major served his country with honor and respect..Or so everyone assumed. Having served across the world, this man had seen a lot of action.

In Iraq

In 2005, the Major was posted to Iraq and given the less-than-glamorous job of handling and processing the remains of American combat fatalities. It certainly wasn’t a job that anyone would want, but the Major was a man of much experience, and could be considered a man who had a thick skin…

“Terrific Smile”

According to his four adult children, as well as just about everyone who worked with him, the Major was a terrific kind of guy. Tall and astute, always looking immaculate in his uniform, with a handsome amount of badges and honors to boot. People who worked with him, said the Major had a “terrific smile.”

Gruelling Work

The posting to Iraq was tough, even for a man like this with all his experience. Seeing death daily, and dealing with the gory remains of young American soldiers and others most likely took its toll on the Major. And the stifling dessert heat in Iraq made life unbearable in the summer…

Making Friends

He may have been a married man but he put his country first. Having been posted abroad for years, the Major, and his wife back home, grew used to being apart, and also grew familiar with being independent and alone. While in Iraq, the Major met 49-year-old Jennifer Armstrong who was a US government worker on assignment in Iraq. The two got along well, and there was no denying the chemistry between them.

The Email

When Jennifer met Major David Haight, she was smitten immediately, and the two had a clear connection which went beyond official US government business. After meeting him for the first time, Jennifer sent an email over, and it’s tone was more than a little flirtatious…

“Hard Part”

Jennifer was attracted to David, and it was hard for her to hide that fact, especially being so isolated over there in the middle east. While Jennifer loved the Major’s smile, she was more impressed with what she called his “hard part,” that side of him that was toughened and rough around the edges from all the conflict and death he had witnessed.

Late Night Trysts

Numerous Emails detailed late night meetings between David and Jennifer, although they also revealed a whole lot more. Not only were the two romantically involved; There were a bunch of other people in the picture too. And you can take that literally. When the pair finished their service in Iraq, they returned as a casual couple to Baltimore, even though David was still married.

‘Extra’ Interests

You may have picked up on the gist of where this little story is headed by now. You guessed it, the Major was a Swinger, and Jennifer was his partner in crime. The pair would meet other couples for late night fun, as well as bringing single women to join them. They also attended a number of Swingers clubs and often ended up leaving with other people to spend the night.

More To It

It wasn’t just late night meetings though, as this couple seemed to care deeply about each other. A handwritten letter was located showing that David cared a lot about his partner as he encouraged Jennifer with her fight against breast cancer. This was more than just a physical relationship but how deep did it go?

Sordid Details

According to all accounts, the couple engaged in Swinging activities for at least a year, where they met with other people on a regular basis. At one point, a friend suggested the couple attend a Swingers club, and that’s where things began to really happen. Sordid parties at Jennifer’s house were also a common thing, with Jennifer describing those encounters as meetings of “non-emotional intimacy.”

Caught In The Act

It was only a matter of time, as these things always come out in the end. As the couple became a little complacent, David’s secret was discovered and the details sent to David’s bosses. Despite that, Jennifer stood by him, telling reporters that she loved the Major, “I gave him the best years of my life,” she said.

Speaking Out

For his part, David had to speak out and release a statement. His job was very much on the line and he was looking at the possibility of a dishonorable discharge which would have been devastating for a man of this stature. In a statement, David said, “I am truly sorry for the pain I have caused my wife and family. On their behalf, I ask that their privacy be respected during this difficult time.”

Potential Blackmail

It’s not that folks care so much about what people like David get up to after hours and between the sheets. It’s all about things like espionage and blackmail which got the Generals’ backs up. A man like David, in a position such as his, cannot leave himself open to blackmail in any way. Just think if a country like Russia would have gotten hold of David’s emails. That could prove to be a big issue, so something had to be done…

Not Alone

If you think that Maj. Gen. David Haight is the only man in the armed forces who engages in this kind of behavior you would be mistaken. Take for example, the case where Defense Secretary Ash Carter fired his senior military adviser, Army Lt. Gen. Ron Lewis for allegations of personal misconduct. That is high level stuff, and it was also because of an affair.

Career Over

Ever since graduating from the Army ROTC program at Brigham Young University, David went on to command elite platoons and battalions in Panama, Iraq and Afghanistan. When 2009 came around, David was in eastern Afghanistan commanding the illustrious 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 10th Mountain Division. But all that war glory was at an abrupt end now…

Poor Wife

At the time, David was interviewed on camera by various media outlets, where he spoke about how much he loved his wife Bonnie. We “provided well and raised our four fabulous children that have all been successful contributors to society,” David said. “They turned out to be much better children than I was a father.” The fact that David made out nothing was going on and that he was a loving husband to his wife wasn’t fooling anyone.

Ranks Stripped

As a result of his callous actions, Maj.Gen. David Haight was stripped of three ranks, according to Army Secretary Eric Fanning. Losing the lieutenant colonel rank will cost Haight a cool $43,000 per year in pension pay, and that’s not to mention the shame and loss of face he has suffered…

Deep Regrets

According to Haight’s attorney, Army Lt. Col. Sara Root, the Major “deeply regrets” the pain he has caused, noting that he has always been totally loyal and dedicated to his country, “He’s 100% devoted to his country,” Root said. “He has sacrificed a lot for his country. He’s not a threat to his country and would never do anything to harm it.”

No Harm Done

Even if Major Haight’s actions were considered immoral by some people, especially considering his position in the army, no actual harm was done. Apart from cheating on his wife, which is certainly questionable activity, no sensitive intelligence secrets were revealed or leaked, despite that potential threat. The fact that David Haight was all but dishonorably discharged, and had his pension seriously cut, is more than enough punishment for a man who otherwise served the American people well.

Army General’s Peculiar Double Life Cost Him Everything is an article from: LifeDaily

When you think of doctors, white coats and stethoscopes are usually the things that spring to mind. If you’re lucky, you’ll even get an appointment sometime in the next week or three, and if you’re really lucky you could even get a smile.

However, in some situations, the very last thing you want from your doctor is a smile. And sometimes, you may even need such a medical professional to save your life in a totally different and unexpected way…

Doctors’ Oath

When people become doctors they take an oath called the ‘Hippocratic Oath.’ This obliges them to swear by a number of medical ethical standards, while adhering to a strict set of rules when it comes to saving human lives. This oath is one of the first things medical students learn, before they get anywhere near their first patient.

Normal Day

It was an otherwise totally normal and uneventful day for Peter, as he headed over to medical school nice and early in the morning, looking forward to another busy day learning to become a family doctor. Peter usually got to school around 6am, but on this day he was already on the road by 4am as he had some assignments to complete…

Something Strange

As Peter drove alone in the early hours, with hardly any cars or people on the road, he noticed something strange out the corner of his eye. As he double checked in his rear view mirror he wasn’t sure that he had actually seen what he thought he had seen.

Double Back

Peter slowed down, aware that there was hardly anyone around at all. He doubled back, and opened his car window. When he heard blood curdling screams coming from somewhere nearby, as his adrenalin started to pump, Peter sped up to what appeared to be a struggle between a man and a woman…

Total Shock

As Peter drew closer to the pair, he noticed that the woman was being dragged, literally by her hair, buy a man much bigger than her, and dressed in black. Peter was more used to the idea of saving people in his capacity as a trainee doctor’s. Hand-to-hand combat was not this Peter’s forte.

“This Isn’t Right”

As Peter Gold, or Dr. Gold as he would soon be called, stopped his car, he said to himself, ‘This isn’t right,” telling reporters, “The next thing I knew I was out of the car and yelling at the guy, ‘Leave this girl alone! Get away from her!’ ” he recalls. It was at that point that the man turned on poor Peter!

Demanding Money

The man attacking the woman, who was later identified as Euric Cain, demanded money from Peter. As he explained, “I didn’t have any cash on me, so I offered him my cell phone, saying, Take whatever you want. Just leave this girl alone and get out of here.” But it was at this point that Peter’s life was in danger.

Serious Threat

The man, who was clearly very agitated and upset, looked angrily at the doctor. As Peter explained, “Then he took a gun out and at point-blank range said, ‘F— you. I’m just going to kill you.” But was it an empty threat just to scare Peter, or with this guy for real?

Doctor Down

This man wasn’t kidding, and instead of just running, he shot Peter in the stomach. “I was on the ground kinda gasping for air,” Peter said, “I felt like I got the wind knocked out of me and it was never going to go away.” Peter explained that the cowardly thief shot him while his back was turned, “My back was to him,” he said. “He tried to shoot me in the head a couple of times but luckily his gun jammed…I was trying to reach over for my phone.”

Survival Mode

Peter, in his capacity as a doctor, knew that he was in serious trouble, and that his very life was at risk here. He grabbed for his cellphone wanting to call his parents to tell them what had happened, “I’d been on the phone with my parents,” Peter said, “I wanted to tell them where I was, what had happened. At that point I was in survival mode trying to get myself help. I didn’t know he was trying to execute me.”

People Help

By now, there was a serious commotion in the otherwise tranquil New Orleans street, not to mention gunshots. The commotion caused people who were in the area and awake at that time to go to the scene to see what was going on. In the injured doctor’s words, “They kept me calm and waited for the ambulance to come,” he said, “It came right away. When I woke up two days later, I was in the hospital. My entire group of family and friends was there.”

Caught On Camera

What the shooter didn’t know was that the whole incident was caught on a surveillance camera in the area. Even though Cain fled on foot, DNA found at the scene matched his, and that fact was enlightening for the police working the case, as Cain has a checkered history…

Other Offenses

Cain was linked from his DNA to a kidnapping and rape of a couple of tourists who were visiting New Orleans on vacation. As a result of trying to kill Peter, and for the rapes he committed, Cain was sentenced to 54 years in prison. In court, Peter was asked to give an impact statement; Something he was in two minds about.

In Hospital

Peter was lucky to be alive, and when he woke up in the hospital surrounded by friends and family, he knew that to be true. Peter needed to spend a nearly two weeks in the hospital recovering from his injuries. But Peter wanted to deal with what he went through, and to face up as best he could to the challenge of just getting back to his normal routine…

Making A Statement

Peter spoke about facing his would-be killer in court, “It was very important for me mentally to face him,” He said, “This guy tried to kill me and I got to stand up and look him in the eye. I told him, ‘I hope if you ever get out of jail you try to do something good with your life… Did he listen? I don’t know. It’s just a true passion for me to try and spend that message now — even for someone like him.”

‘Strong City’

As a result of what happened to him, Peter, who has been hailed a hero for potentially saving the woman’s life, has founded an organization called Strong City, a nonprofit set up to assist children at risk in the local area. “I really want to dedicate a large portion of my life to really focusing on youth in our country, and kids who are falling between the cracks and have missed opportunities [and are growing up] in an environment of violence,” Peter said.

Appreciating Life

Peter spoke about how thankful he is to be alive. He, like so many other people facing near-death experiences, spoke about how he now appreciates all the little things in life that he previously overlooked, “On a micro level, I’m really just thankful to be alive and I appreciate the smaller things in life,” he said. “On a macro level, I’ve been trying to make sense out of what happened in someone’s life that they ended up being able to commit such a violent act with such ease.”

Heartfelt Letter

Even though Peter has no idea who the woman was that he saved, and took a bullet for, he did receive a heartfelt handwritten letter from her recently. In that letter she thanked this hero profusely for saving her life, “It was really nice and special to get a letter from them,” Peter said.

Do It Again?

The story of Peter just gets better, as he said that he had no regrets at all about what he did, and would do it again in a heartbeat, “I saw this thing happening and the next thing I knew I was out of the car,” Peter said, adding. “I hope and feel that my instincts would jump in and I’d do the same thing again.”

Hope For The Future

Peter’s new foundation has given not only him, but so many others hope for the future. Cain’s defense attorney, Mr Woods, said he was thrilled about the good things that could come out from this tragic case, especially because of the new Foundation, “I agree with Mr. Gold’s foundation,” Woods said, “I think it’s fantastic. My client did have a troubled past and not the greatest upbringing and I think a foundation like this could possibly prevent other youths from having an outcome similar to this. Mr. Gold is definitely a strong individual — especially after an incident like this — to come out and speak out and start a foundation.”

Brave Doctor Shot While Stopping Attack On Woman Has No Regrets is an article from: LifeDaily

We all have talents; some people are fairly athletic, some are book smart, even luckier are the people who can be both. Sometimes there are even more amazing talents that people can’t even fathom in their wildest imaginations.

How can a man be passed out and somehow be somewhere else? A twin? A clone? Maybe mistaken identity? What if it was none of those but the man himself was at both places at the same time?

Accidents Happen

It’s no surprise when you hear a story about an innocent man who was imprisoned wrongly for crimes. That happens so often that it honestly doesn’t turn heads much anymore, though the circumstances are always a little different. Mistaken identity is more often the culprit or even a misplaced memory.

Memory Error

Memory is a funny thing after all, if you’re under enough stress the brain doesn’t really process it very well and you can easily convince yourself that a lie is the truth. It isn’t anyone’s fault really, that’s just how these things tend to happen sometimes and everyone is prone to mistakes

Old and New

What isn’t so common is when newer investigative tools fail so badly. Classically, when searching for a suspect, everyone is familiar with some of the more classic ways of matching a suspect to a crime scene. It starts with a witness to some crime, whatever that may be, giving their information to police and then having a sketch get crafted. 

Line Up For Fun

The suspects are lined up, people who look somewhat like the sketch, and the witness is brought in, placed in that stereotypical line up and the likely person is identified and pulled into a separate room for interrogation. Hooked up to a polygraph and made to talk so we can tell if they are really speaking the truth…

Anything Can Lie

That is assuming that they aren’t sweating or nervous or anxious or any other of the hundreds of things that can trick the test. Nowadays, investigators have a new tool at their disposal to help them catch the actual killer, DNA evidence. Even a single hair or a few skin cells can be enough to get all the evidence they need to link you to a crime or crime scene

Unique To You

What is great about DNA evidence as part of a murder or robbery case is that everyone has their own unique sequence, well 99.7% of the population does at any rate as identical twins are perfect genetic copies. But excluding that 0.3% of the population your DNA will be able to link you to you.

1987 Was A Good Year

The first instance of DNA linking someone to a murder case was in England in 1987, involving two murder and rape victims set three years apart. At the time of the crime someone had come forward to confess to the killing of one of the girls but taking a small sample of cells, investigators were able to rule out the suspect, and eventually catch his friend who had actually done it.

Simpson Did It

Probably one of the most famous cases for DNA evidence being used was actually when it was almost completely forgotten about by the jurors during the case of OJ Simpson in the murder of his ex-wife. Here the jury was subjected to such long and lengthy explanations of how DNA testing works that they became numb to the information and disregarded it despite its accuracy and scientific integrity.

Safety First… For Once

In nearly every instance where an investigator uses DNA as part of their evidence, the findings that they make are accurate and the right person is convicted of the crime without risking sending an innocent man to jail just because he might have been at the wrong place at the wrong time and someone thought they saw him nearby.

Superpowers

However, what if someone was never at the wrong place at the wrong time, in fact what if someone was never even near the place at any time and they never knew the victim or that a crime ever happened? How could a man be convicted using DNA, a unique fingerprint, to a crime that he wasn’t anywhere near?

Complex Questions

For Lukas Anderson, a 26-year-old resident of San Jose, that became the biggest question in the room during his court appearance. He was charged with being party to the murder of 63-year-old Raveesh Kumra at his mansion late one night in November along with two other people and a prostitute. None of whom he had ever met before.

People Aren’t Packages

Raveesh Kumra was murdered by unknown assailants during what had originally been a robbery at his home. The victim was tied up and gagged with packing tape which would ultimately be the cause of his death as the amount of tape that was used caused him to suffocate before police or his wife could reach him to remove it…

Catching Up

When paramedics and police did arrive on the scene, Raveesh’s wife, Harinder informed police of what happened and what was taken from their home. In the meantime the paramedics on the scene were dealing with moving the body and removing it from the home so that samples could be taken and the body examined.

The Mystery Man

A week later Lukas was arrested, and spend five months in jail waiting for trial, but something didn’t add up. Lukas as it turned out, and as his lawyer would bring up, had a very strong alibi at the time of the murder. He was drunk and passed out cold in the hospital during the murder, 2 hours before, as well as for another 12 hours after the fact…

Chance Encounter

So how could it be possible that his DNA was anywhere near the crime scene, let alone on the body of a dead man? Could they have mistakenly run into each other at a bar perhaps and never known they had met? A chance encounter that would have let a hair or two get on someone clothes perhaps?

How Was Your Day

That doesn’t seem all that implausible in the grand scheme of things. Think of your day, the walks you take, maybe you went out to eat, or to the store. It wouldn’t be all that hard to imagine that you could have bumped into someone lightly, and it wouldn’t honestly take more than that for a piece of hair to fall…

Missing Link

While that would be all well and good, the DNA in question was found underneath the nails of the victim which did nothing but confuse everyone. What then could these two people, who had never met, possibly have in common? Investigators began their search into the day of the murder for both Raveesh and Lukas

Doctor Please

Amazingly the two had a very unlikely connecting thread, the paramedics. Specifically the same paramedics. Two hours before the paramedics arrived on the scene to address the body of Raveesh, the same pair of medics were helping a very drunk Lukas get to the hospital for his severe drunkenness.

The Carrier Of People

After helping Lukas get to the hospital the medics would have been contaminated with his skin on their gloves, arms, and uniform as they assisted him. When they then went on their second call, to the murder victim, they became the agents that carried the DNA from one location to the next and in doing so placed a drunk man at the scene of a crime he didn’t have anything to do with. 

Wash Your Hands

While investigators are glad that the mystery was solved and they were able to exonerate an innocent man, the lawyers were wondering why there was any cross contamination in the first place. A representative for the company said they follow all safety protocols but wouldn’t comment further. The takeaway from this is that no matter how advanced the test, nothing is perfect, and human error will always play some part in the story. Oh, and you should always wash your hands….Just in case. 

Passed-Out Drunk Accused Of A Murder He Didn’t Attend is an article from: LifeDaily

There’s only so much a person can get away with before it all catches up to them. However, the man in the following story really thought he could fool everyone forever.

For a person in his position to do what he did was really troubling to his entire family, friends, and everyone he worked with. It all came crashing down when one search on this pilot’s computer opened a can of worms that no one was prepared for…

Top Notch Athlete

Harris was an All-American boy, captain of his high school football and lacrosse teams and a pretty great catch for teenage girls. With his father being a retired naval aviator, and grandfather, a two-star admiral, it came as no surprise that Harris was accepted into the Naval Academy in 2001.

Dreams Of Flying Planes

His dreams of being a pilot were slowly coming to fruition. Harris graduated at the top of his flight training classes on his way to becoming a fighter pilot and in 2011, he graduated from Top Gun for naval aviators. This was a lifelong dream of his…

A Dark Secret

Harris’ future looked bright and he was on his way to having it all once he met his wife and had two children with her. But, despite seeming like he had a perfect life, there was something that no one knew, not even Harris’ wife. He was harboring a dark secret.

Sex Offender

The 30-year-old family man and Navy lieutenant was also a sex offender. He spent his evenings scouring the internet for underage girls who he could take advantage of. He’d pose as a preteen boy to gain the girls’ trust…

Blackmail

Once he establishing a trusting rapport with the girls, he would convince them to pose naked in front of webcams. Then, he used the photos to blackmail the girls, demanding they send sexual graphic images and videos to him, or else he would post the initial images online.

Threatening Minors

What was even worse was that Harris also threatened to send the suggestive images to the girl’s family and friends to further humiliate them. Apparently, Harris was harboring more than 800 explicit images and videos of girls on his computer…

Preying On Young Girls

There were more than 275 screen names with which Harris had Skype conversations and at least 45 of the girls made it clear they were underage. Apparently, Harris’ exploits had started as early as 2008.

It Was All A Facade

However, when he bought a new computer in 2011, it became difficult for authorities to prove the extent of his activities. Still, prosecutors called Harris “the victimizer and manipulator of hundreds of girls.” But, the victims weren’t the only ones fooled…

Coworkers Completely In The Dark About Who Harris Really Was

During his time as a pilot, Harris received high marks in fitness reports, and two months before Harris’ arrest in November 2013, he received a great honor. The reviewing officer said that Harris had earned the strongest recognition for promotion, selection for Department Head and VFA Command. “Promote and select now,” were the reviewing officer’s exact words.

Family And Friends Didn’t Believe It

Once family and friends learned about Harris’ double life, they surprisingly came to his defense. Dozens of them in fact wrote and sent character letters to authorities and in courtroom testimony, they expressed shock at the charges against him. Many described Harris as a “role model.”

Lying To Everyone

But things clearly weren’t as they seemed. People thought Harris was a “family man” who was “selfless, compassionate, caring, and trustworthy.” Except, he was fooling everyone. Harris’ father, retired Commander Steve Harris, testified at his son’s July 13 sentencing.

Commander Harris

Commander Harris described his son as a “dream kid,” and a similar sentiment was expressed in taped telephone calls and letters from supporters expressing everything from regret to resentment. However, once the court reached a verdict, everyone’s tune changed…

Disappointment

They lashed out at Harris and his aunt even told him to take responsibility for his actions and apologize. Harris’ grandmother said he “dishonored” the Navy and “should have been man enough to admit it.” But, the most shocking letter came from Harris’ wife, Erin, who did not attend the sentencing.

Erin Didn’t Know The Whole Story

She had been voicing strong support when her husband was arrested and did not want those words to benefit him during sentencing. She admitted her initial reaction to her husband’s wrongdoing came from a place of a hopeful heart, when she had only a fraction of the information…

Filing For Divorce

“My observations were not only wrong but couldn’t be further from the truth…In his world, only he matters.” Erin has since filed for divorce and during Harris sentencing, the U.S. District Court Judge Mark Davis said Harris “sadistically tormented,” “manipulated,” and “blackmailed,” nine victims who ranged in age from 12 to 17.

Devastating Consequences For His Victims

“You essentially raped them,” Davis said. And in some ways, he believed what Harris did was worse because he kept coming back to the victims to further torment them. Once outgoing teens said they sunk into depression after the encounter with Harris, some had to be hospitalized and others became suicidal…

Scapegoat

“He is a sick man who should be ashamed of his actions, but has shown otherwise,” one victim said at Harris’ sentencing. Furthermore, the judge found it very troubling that Harris never admitted any of his activity despite the mountain of evidence against him. Instead, the fighter pilot blamed other people and even created a fake scapegoat named “John Anderson,” to attempt to avoid prosecution. Harris even bribed the wife of an inmate.

Bribing The Chinese Embassy

Harris offered the woman $3,000 to use that alias to send text messages to his family and victims, claiming to have framed him. He hoped he had rid himself of the child porn charges. Then, when all else failed, Harris sent a letter to the Chinese embassy promising military secrets if they broke him out of jail. It was clear Harris had far surpassed desperation…

His Sentence

While the reason why he did what he did was troubling, it didn’t change the facts. Daniel Harris was sentenced to 50 years in prison, with at least 85% of that sentence which must be served with good conduct before he is eligible to be released.

Final Words

Harris kept his eyes forward as he left the courtroom and his father stood by the door and apologized to victims as families made their way out. If only Harris was half the man that his father was, things would have turned out very differently.

Pilot’s Double Life Revealed After Authorities Expose The Dark Secret Hidden On His Computer is an article from: LifeDaily

The most important responsibility parents have is keeping their children safe and protecting them from harm. Their second most important job is raising them to be strong, independent, and intelligent adults.

So when a 7-year-old from Texas told her mother that she wanted to do something that kills around 10 trained adults each year, her first instinct was to say no. However, when the single-mom heard her daughter’s reason, she couldn’t refuse…

The Question

Last year, 45-year-old Hollie was talking to her friends after her sister backed out of a trip to Africa to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. At the time, she had no idea that her 7-year-old daughter was listening in on her conversation when she asked them if they would ever want to climb the mountain.

A Bold Claim

Not long after, Hollie’s daughter, Montannah, announced that she wanted to climb the famous 19,341-foot mountain. “She said to me, ‘Mommy I want to do it too,’” Hollie said. “I didn’t discount what she said but I knew she didn’t know the magnitude so we started researching it and looking at videos…”

Doing The Research

During their research, the pair read about how only ⅔ of the people who attempt to climb the mountain actually make it up, and about 10 people die each year on the mountain. They also read about the dangers involved in the climb, including altitude sickness, storms, and falls. But it did nothing to dissuade Montannah.

An Athlete But Not A Mountain Climber

Hollie, a former professional triathlete, always encouraged Montannah to be active and play sports. However, even though the 7-year-old spent her time outside of school training for triathlons, swimming, running, playing basketball, and playing soccer, Hollie knew she wasn’t strong enough to climb Mount Kilimanjaro…

The Reality Of The Situation

“I was very real with her, explaining that people can get very sick, that we’d have to train very hard and it wouldn’t be an easy task,” said the 45-year-old, who runs a swim coaching business. Montannah promised she would do whatever it took to prepare, so Hollie agreed to train her.

Too Young To Climb

Part of the reason Hollie agreed at first was that the minimum age requirement to climb Mount Kilimanjaro is 10, so she believed she had a few years to train Montannah for the dangerous climb. But then Hollie started reading reports of kids younger than 10 reaching the summit…

A Special Permit

In late January 2018, Hollie found out about an 8-year-old girl from Florida who was the youngest girl to climb to the summit and found out that she had gotten a special permit for kids under 10. “I woke up Montannah the next morning and said, ‘If you want this record, we have to go when you’re still seven,'” Hollie said.

The Plan

“I knew she had spring break in March and we planned the entire trip in a month-and-a-half,” said Hollie, who reached out to experts and nurses on how to ascend and descend the mountain safely with a 7-year-old. During their planning, Hollie considered every scenario that they could face and planned a longer route to ease them into higher elevations to avoid altitude sickness…

The Training Begins

Then, Hollie got Montannah the special permit she would need, stocked up on all the gear they could need and hired a guide. Meanwhile, Hollie had begun their grueling training schedule, which consisted of 4 to 8-hour hikes on the weekends and shorter hikes during the school week.

Training A Child

“When she decided to do this, I knew what kind of training she needed to do and I didn’t want to rob her of her childhood over that month and a half,” said Hollie, who made sure to practice spelling and math problems with Montannah on their hikes, and even invited friends along to make it more fun…

Fighting Past The Exhaustion

“It taught her how to really just stay on her toes with tired legs,” Hollie said. “Which is exactly what you want to do on the mountain.” During their training, the 2 would often talk about what they would experience on the mountain and the reasons they were taking on such a challenge.

An Adventure Seeker

“I want to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro because it would be a fun adventure with my mom, and because it would be really cool to try to break the world record, but I would want to climb it anyway because I don’t care if I break it,” Montannah said when asked about why she wanted to climb the mountain…

Above The Clouds

However, when Montannah found out she would be above the clouds, the first thing she thought about was her dad, who struggled with PTSD and died a week after her 3rd birthday. “When we talked about the mountain being above the clouds, she immediately associated that with heaven and it resonated with her,” Hollie said.

Montannah’s Motivation

“She loved that idea of being closer to her dad and asked me if she was going to be able to see him,” said Hollie, who knew in that moment that Montannah now had the motivation she would need to overcome whatever they faced on the mountain…

Climbing To Heaven

“The higher I go, the closer I am to him in heaven,” Montannah said. In early March 2018, Hollie and Montannah headed to Tanzania and began their ascent up Mount Kilimanjaro from base camp on the 10th with their guides and enough supplies to last them more than the 6 days it would take to reach the summit.

The Challenges

“There were points I thought we wouldn’t make it,” Hollie said. “Beyond the first day, it rained every single day. Everything we owned was wet. By day five, we were putting on wet clothes to go out in the freezing weather.” But no matter what challenges the pair faced, Montannah never got scared or wanted to turn back…

Committed To The Climb

“She never, ever questioned what she was doing,” Hollie said. “Every day I asked Montannah if this was harder or easier than she thought it would be, and every day she answered, ‘Easier.'” During the climb to the summit on the 6th day, it was so cold and slippery that it took 7.5 hours to go 3 miles, but Montannah declared it was the ‘best day ever’ 2 times that day.

Breaking The World Record

Eventually, Hollie and Montannah reached the summit on March 16, and according to Hollie, Montannah really was looking for her dad. “I blew kisses at Dad so he knew I was there,” Montannah said. “I don’t think she understands the magnitude of what she did,” Hollie said about her 7-year-old, who now holds the world record for the youngest girl to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro…

Unforgettable Memories

After descending the mountain, the pair traveled around Tanzania, visited beaches, and went on safari through the Serengeti plains before finally returning home to Texas. “I think that was super exciting for us. It’s something she’ll be able to look back on and smile,” Hollie said. “I’m her only parent and I’m an older parent and I want to build these awesome memories with my child.”

Following Their Dreams

“This was really a cool thing for her and it’s kind of setting her up in life for some pretty amazing things. To be able to provide the ability for Montannah to follow a dream that she wants to do, there’s no price tag,” Hollie said. “Our philosophy in life is to be somebody and to go out there and do something with your life. This goes along with our motto, and we’ll continue this the rest of our life. We want our life to have purpose.”

7-Year-Old Breaks Dangerous World Record To Be Closer To Dad In Heaven is an article from: LifeDaily

Mia was the type of energetic young woman who kept in shape by daily trips to the gym and climbing mountains in her leisure time.

She was a go-getter, a determined and dedicated person who inspired all those around her. Unfortunately, misfortune doesn’t pick and choose who it settles upon, and Mia was about to learn that lesson in the harshest way imaginable…

Featured photo credit: www.mirror.co.uk

Normal Day

It was November 16, and Mia got up just as she did every day. She went to work, as she normally did, then went to the gym afterwards for her daily work out. It was a normal day, her normal routine, and though it was unbelievably mundane, nothing seemed amiss.

Always Tomorrow

That is, besides the fact that her workout seemed a bit more taxing than usual. She felt like things were off, and she told her mom as much when she got home that evening. Her mom placated her in a very momish way, telling her: “There’s always tomorrow.” A few hours later and she would learn how ironic that statement truly was…

Stroke

Later that night, while at her home in Whirral, England, something happened to Mia. She collapsed and was taken to the hospital where doctors believed she had suffered a massive stroke. She was in bad shape and Doctors told her parents to expect the worst. It was very likely she wouldn’t survive the night.

Support Life

Mia’s parents stood around her bedside, looking down at their unconscious daughter, hooked into all manner of life support machines. She made it until the next day, but the prognosis was grim. Then, just as her parents were about to make the decision to withdraw life support, Mia opened her eyes…

Locked-In

Despite her ordeal, Mia was awake…sort of. She was still completely immobile of course, but she could still see, hear, and think as she always could. The doctors were unsure how to describe her new condition, so they began a week’s worth of tests. Seven days later and they determined that the stroke had caused Mia to develop a rare condition called Locked-In Syndrome.

Trapped

Her doctors used a grim description to explain the condition to her family. They called it, “The closest thing to being buried alive.” At 21 years old, Mia couldn’t move from the neck down and had to be fed through a tube. She was heartbroken, but no less determined than she had been before the stroke. She was going to do whatever she could to continue living…

Keeping Occupied

In time, Mia’s parents discovered that she could still communicate, in some fashion anyway. Mia’s family, which included her 32-year-old brother Sam, and her 25-year-old sister Sophie, helped her to learn how to use the spelling device to learn how to communicate.

Special Machine

Her mother Carole spoke openly about watching her daughter use the device. “As you can imagine using the spelling graph took forever, it was very tiring for her…” Soon though, she was given a much more useful and productive special computer. The new device made her transcription much easier…

Tiring Method

Her eyes could move over a spelling chart, and though it was time consuming, Mia had nothing but time. It wasn’t as easy as it looked: not by a long shot, but even she got the hang of it. As she sat in the hospital for 14 months, getting to a point where she could be sent home, she began to use the spelling chart to write down her thoughts.

Her Book

She wrote poetry at first, or short stories, and by the time she had the hang of it, Mia realized she wanted to do something a bit more lengthy. She wanted to be able to express herself, to tell her story. So she began writing a book, using her eyes and the spelling chart to type it out. It was an exhausting enterprise to be sure…

Introduction

It took her over a year to write but she pressed on until it was done. She titled the book, appropriately, “In the Blink of an Eye.” The introduction begins by retelling the tale of the day of the stroke. She tells of the workout that would never be repeated the following day, and the irony of her mother’s statement.

Her Experience

In the book, Mia writes about her experiences during her time locked-in and addresses many of the questions people have about the whole situation: questions that most people are too polite to ask. For their part, Mia’s family has spoken openly about how proud they are of Mia and how driven and brave she has been through the process…

Family Pride

Mia’s father Rick spoke about the book and his daughter’s many accomplishments. “Personally, I feel incredibly proud of Mia. To write a book in quite literally a blink of an eye is outstanding…It took her around one year to write but it was a very laborious task, using her eyes to choose each letter.” he explained.

That’s Not All

As amazing at the book is though, it is hardly Mia’s most incredible accomplishment since her accident so many years ago. Her previously-eluded to determination became clear when she, while still locked-in, completed a criminology course at Wirral Metropolitan College. She also signed up for a subsequent forensics course and another in criminal justice after that…

Launched a Career

Now, it must be noted that before her stroke, Mia Austin worked as a travel agent. This was for several reasons, the main one being that she loved travelling and was happy to reap the fringe benefits of being in the biz. Since her stroke, she has devoted a good deal of her time to charity work, which includes launching a campaign for disabled travelers like herself.

Charitable

In addition to that charity, Mia has also taken part in several challenges to help raise money for several charitable causes. She’s slept rough on the streets of Liverpool to raise awareness about homelessness and has been on aid missions to orphanages in Gambia, and the Calais Jungle. In short, she’s giving back whenever she can…

Giving Back

Mia has explained that this desire to give back to charity is partially so she can repay the kindness she received from charities once she became disabled. It’s also to prove that even with her condition, she can meet challenges. She wants to succeed despite her disability, but anyone with eyes can see that.

Fantastic Response

At only 74 pages long, In the Blink of an Eye has captivated audiences since its release. Almost all the reviews have been overwhelmingly positive and Mia seems to love the feedback. She’s even offered ways for her readers to get in touch with her to share their opinions with her. And if you think inviting direct criticism is brave, check this out…

Mountaineering

Though she hasn’t been able to climb under her own steam since the stroke, Mia’s family and friends knew it was her passion. As a Christmas present, Mia’s friend Richard contacted a search and rescue service to take her up to Moel Famau. She loved the 40 minutes she spent at the peak, taking in the views and feeling like she hadn’t for so many years.

Facebook

Today, Mia spends a lot of her time on Facebook, hearing from fans and keeping the world updated. It just goes to show you that in this day and age, even someone who can’t move can express themselves via social media and technological marvels. Not to mention her insane force of will.

21-Year-Old’s Unexpected Accident Takes Her Life, But She Takes It Back is an article from: LifeDaily