Sen. Stevens found guilty on 7 counts

Ted Stevens, a pillar of the U.S. Senate for over 40 years and the face of Alaska politics almost since statehood, was convicted of a seven-felony string of corruption charges Monday -- found guilty of accepting a bonanza of home renovations and fancy trimmings from an oil executive and then lying about it.

Stevens, 84 and already facing a challenging re-election contest next Tuesday, said he would stay in the race against Democrat Mark Begich.

Though the convictions are a significant blow to Stevens -- the senate's longest-serving Republican -- they do not disqualify him, and oddly enough Stevens is still hugely popular in his home state of Alaska.

The jury found Stevens guilty of all the felony charges he faced, accusations based heavily on the testimony of a wealthy oil contractor who for years had been a fishing and drinking buddy.

Stevens faces up to five years in prison on each count when he is sentenced, but under federal guidelines he is likely to receive much less time, if any. The judge has not set a sentencing date yet.

The month long trial revealed that employees for VECO Corp., an oil services company, transformed Stevens' modest Alaska mountain cabin into a modern, two-story home with wraparound porches, a sauna and wine cellar.

Stevens' conviction hinged on the testimony of Bill Allen, the senator's longtime friend and the founder of VECO. He testified he never billed Stevens for the work on the house and the senator knew he was getting a special deal.

Stevens' conviction is the highlight of a lengthy FBI investgation into Alaska corruption, but prosecutors noted that it is not the end.

Stevens' longtime Republican colleague, Rep. Don Young, remains under investigation for his ties to VECO. Stevens' son, Ben, a former Alaska lawmaker, is also under investigation.

Stevens is the fifth senator convicted of criminal charges. The previous one was Republican David Durenberger of Minnesota, who was indicted in 1993 on charges of conspiring to make fraudulent claims for senate reimbursement of $3,825 in lodging expenses. He later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges and was sentenced to one year of probation and a $1,000 fine.
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D. Brian Blackwell

Another out-of-state kid abandoned in Neb.

A woman drove her 12-year-old son from Georgia to Nebraska to abandon him under Nebraska's safe-haven law, the 20th child left at a hospital since the law took effect in July.

The boy, from the Atlanta suburb of Smyrna, was dropped off at Bryan LGH Medical Center East in Lincoln Saturday night.

The 12-year-old is the third child from out of state driven to Nebraska to be abandoned under the law.

Nebraska's law is the only one in the country that allows caregivers to abandon children as old as 18 at hospitals without fear of prosecution.

The law, intended to protect newborns, was written to include the word "child," which has been interpreted to mean teenagers.

Most of the Nebraska Legislature's 49 senators have agreed to amend the law in January so it applies only to infants up to 3 days old. MORE

D. Brian Blackwell

Channel 7 reporter Anne Pressly dies

Little Rock, Arkansas -- KATV, Channel 7 reporter Anne Pressly died at 7:07 p.m. on Saturday in a Little Rock hospital.

Pressly was found in her home early Monday, brutally beaten around the head, face and neck. She was 26. Over $30,000 has been donated to catch her attacker. MORE

D. Brian Blackwell

Child sex criminal gets 336 years

Castle Rock, Colo. -- A man has been sentenced to 336 years to life in prison after he was convicted of luring two boys into performing sex acts and making child pornography by giving them drugs and money and promising them a drum set.

Delmart Vreeland, 42, was convicted in 2006 of 13 felony charges, including inducement of child prostitution, sexual assault, sexual exploitation of children and distribution of cocaine. Earlier this year, he was convicted of six habitual criminal counts.

Vreeland has over 40 aliases and an extensive criminal history. Investigators say he has made false claims of being a U.S. spy and covert operative and having information on murders and terrorist plots. CBS4Denver.com

Investigator D. Brian Blackwell
Director, Brian Blackwell QI Services, Inc.
BrianBlackwell.com

Terrorist watch lists shorter than previously reported the federal government

The federal government's terrorist watch lists are a lot shorter than has been reported, according to the secretary of homeland security.

Michael Chertoff admitted that 2,500 people are on the "no fly" list and only about 10 percent of those are U.S. citizens. Individuals on the list are barred from boarding aircraft because (so-called) intelligence indicates they pose a threat to aviation.

About 16,000 people are designated "selectees" and most are not Americans, said Chertoff. These people represent a less specific security threat and receive extra security, but are allowed to fly.

Over 1 million names have been placed on the terrorist watch lists since the Sept, 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The FBI, which supposedly manages the Terrorist Screening Database, said in August that there were about 400,000 people on its list, but that approximately 95 percent of those people were not U.S. citizens.

But even if there are only 18,500 names on the no fly and selectees lists, thousands of people not on the lists are mistaken for those who are. They are often subjected to extra security at airports because their name is similar to a person on the lists.

Under a new government program, Secure Flight, travelers will be asked to provide their full name, date of birth and gender when making airline reservations. This information will then be given to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which is suppose to run it against the watch lists.

Department of Homeland Security and TSA claim that this additional information will dramatically reduce the number of people falsely identified as being on a watch list.

The morons in the government should have done this from the beginning. The stupidity of the people in government never ceases to amaze me.

Inv. D. Brian Blackwell
Director, Brian Blackwell QI Services, Inc.
BrianBlackwell.com

Six-state raid on motorcycle gang

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATFE) served several warrants in a multi-state illegal gun investigation that included suspects in the Metro Denver area this morning.

At least 38 members of the Southern California-based Mongols Motorcycle Gang were arrested under a federal racketeering indictment that included charges of murder, attempted murder, assault, as well as gun and drug violations.

During some arrests, police sharpshooters stood guard on surrounding rooftops as motorcycles were lined up and confiscated.

Among those arrested was the Mongols' former national president Ruben Cavazos. Cavazos wrote a memoir titled "Honor Few, Fear None: The Life and Times of a Mongol," published by HarperCollins in June.

Agents served 110 federal arrest warrants in Colorado, California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Ohio.

The sweep was dubbed "Operation Black Rain"

The Mongols are primarily Latino and formed because the Hells Angels refused to allow Hispanic members.

Four ATF members working undercover were fully-inducted members of the motorcycle gang during the investigation.

The agents were required to live away from their families in homes set up to make it look like they lived a Mongols lifestyle. Four undercover women ATFE agents also were involved in the operation, pretending to be biker girlfriends. Women are not allowed to become full members of the gang.

At least 22 motorcycles were on display outside the Los Angeles Police Department's main building this morning. All were modified, chrome-covered Harleys with custom artwort with the Mongols insignia on them.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police served several warrants at homes in southern Nevada, where five men are in federal custody pending an appearance before a federal magistrate.

In 2002, a Mongols member was sentenced to two to five years in Nevada state prison for his part in a deadly casino brawl with rival Hells Angels during a biker rally. Three people died in the fight. MORE

D. Brian Blackwell
Licensed Private Investigator
BrianBlackwell.com

Sex Offenders' Homes to Be Marked With Pumpkin Symbol

Sex offenders in Maryland have been receiving paper signs in the mail that read, "No candy at this residence," which the demented perverts must post on their front doors or possibly be charged with a parole violation.

The signs began arriving last week in the mailboxes of the nearly 1,200 violent and child-sex offenders across Maryland. The signs were accompanied by a letter explaining they must stay at home, turn off outside lights and not answer the door on Halloween.

Maryland is also distributing pamphlets statewide to warn families to stay away from homes with the pumpkin signs.

The letter to sex offenders says, "Halloween provides a rare opportunity for you to demonstrate to your neighbors that you are making a sincere effort to change the direction of your life."

Maryland began the program in 2005. Other states are also imposing restrictions on sex offenders during Halloween.

Maryland's regulations are almost identical to those adopted in Missouri, where four convicted sex offenders and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) are challenging the state law in federal court.

D. Brian Blackwell

Family cremated mom on BBQ, kept benefits

The family of a dead elderly woman cremated her on a makeshift barbecue and continued collecting her retirement checks totaling over $25,000 in Corning, California.

Ramona Allmond's daughter and grandson were arrested Sunday on charges of embezzlement, elder abuse and disposing of a body without a permit.

The two pieces of crap are being held at the Tehama County Jail in Red Bluff on $30,000 bail, with arraignment set for Thursday.

The 84-year-old Allmond likely died of natural causes, though investigators are still trying to determine the cause of death, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Allmond's daughter, 50-year-old Kathleen Allmond, and her grandson, 30-year-old Tony Ray, told Sheriff's investigators they left the body on her bedroom floor for a week before cremating the remains in their backyard fire pit.

They then covered the pit and remains with soil and planted a tree on top. The family's home sits in the midst of a 10-acre olive grove, remote from neighbors.

Investigators say the daughter fashioned a two-inch piece of her mother's skull into a necklace. The grandson took a photo of her wearing the necklace, as well as a beaded wire tiara that she believed would ward off radio waves, to post on a social networking Web site.

They kept collecting her monthly retirement checks amounting to over $25,000 since she died in December.

Sheriff's deputies arrested the pair after the dead woman's son asked deputies for a welfare check because he had not heard from his mother since December, and was suspicious when Kathleen pretended to be the 84-year-old woman when he called.
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Inv. D. Brian Blackwell
BrianBlackwell.com

Nebraska 'Safe Haven' law's unintended results

Over a dozen children have been abandoned under Nebraska's unique safe-haven law, which allows children as old as 18 to be abandoned without fear of prosecution.

But the case of a 14-year-old girl from Iowa stoked fears of an influx of unwanted out-of-state children.

The law, which took effect in July, permits caregivers to leave children at hospitals. Like similar laws in other states, it was intended to protect infants.

But the Nebraska law was written to include the word child, without setting an age limit.

Some have taken the word child in the law to mean minor, which in Nebraska includes anyone under the age of 19.

Others consider child to mean the common-law definition, which includes those under age 14.

And the law the does not preclude people from other states from leaving their children in Nebraska, which leaves uncertainty about its current reach.

So far, 17 children have been abandoned under the law, including nine from a single family.

A 14-year-old girl from Council Bluff, Iowa, was left at a hospital across the Missouri River in Omaha late Tuesday.

The Nebraska Division of Children and Family has declined to say who abandoned the girl and under what circumstances, but say an investigation continues.

Whomever abandoned the 14-year-old girl might be prosecuted in Iowa if a different law, such as child neglect, could be applied to the situation. MORE

Safe Haven law

Sara Kilgore
Brian Blackwell QI Services, Inc.

Marijuana, faith matters to kids

A new study shows that parents that communicate and involved their children in their faith helps to keep their children from falling prey to the temptations of drug use.

The national study, conducted by two sociology professors from Brigham Young University, finds that religious involvement makes teens half as likely to use marijuana as their peers without religious participation.

The study also found individual religiosity helped teenagers resists peer pressure for cigarette smoking and heavy drinking.

"Religiosity" as used in the BYU study, characterizes participation in a religion and not a particular denomination.

The researchers evaluated two data sets for the study: 13,534 students who participated in the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health and 4,983 adolescents in a state-wide survey of Utah schools.

Individual religiosity was measured based on responses to two questions: How frequently do you attend church? and, How do you rate the importance of religion to you?

The study shows that the power of peers is less among youths who are religious, which means if you are religious, the pressure from peers to use drugs will not have as much effect.

The findings show that the protective effect of church and spirituality supplements the influence of parents. The study will be published Oct. 13 in the Journal of Drug Issues.
WorldNetDaily

D. Brian Blackwell

'Smiley Face' Case, Cryptic Messages

Native American Links

[ Reported Here First ]

In Duluth, Minnesota, at the site of two drownings of University of Minnesota Duluth students is a smiley face and cryptic symbols and quotations painted on a bridge that matches other scenes in Minneapolis and La Crosse, Wisconsin and Columbus Ohio and others.

The last known drowning in Duluth occurred in 2004. The smiley face and writings were painted on the bridge that was re-done in 2002. So the smiley face can't be any older than that.

The writings explain why the killers are drowning drunk white male college students, and also explains why some of the smiley faces have devil horns.

Clues left at Duluth drownings

Ken Christiansen, 19, died in Duluth's Chester Creek on Friday, April 13, 2001. Christiansen died on Good Friday, the day of rememberance of Jesus dying on the cross. There is a blue cross and the phrase, "Jesus saves" next to the smiley face.

The phrase "You cant's see what you're not looking for" is painted at scene of the drowning. There is a smiley face inside the letter "o" in the phrase, "You can't see what you're not looking for."

The name Christiansen has "chrisitian" in it. "The Chrisitan has long been dead," quote from a Gary Snyder poem had been written under the Chester Creek bridge. [Gary Snyder poems]

Gary Snyder is a buddhist and embraces other religions that are similar such as Native American and Witchcraft.

In the "Redskins" chapter of the book, Earth House, Snyder wrote "Most tribes apparently achieved these results simply through yogic-type disciplines....." and "One religion tradition of this communion with nature which has survived into historic Western times is what has been called Witchcraft. The altered and pelted figure painted on the cave wall of Trois Freres, a shaman-dancer-poet, is a prototype of Shiva and the Devil."

Snyder refers to this "altered" "painted" figure as the "Devil." This may explain why 9 out of 22 smiley faces have devil horns.

In describing this painted altered devil, Snyder wrote, "the Devil appeared in the likeness of a pretty boy...."

[ Most of the young college guys were good-looking. ]

Hiawatha and Columbus connection

At the scene of a drowning in La Crosse, Wisconsin there is a large statue of Hiawatha.

Native American links

There are many Native American clues connected to the Midwest drownings. They are far too coincidental not be connected.

- Chippewa River and Hiawatha statue involving Wisconsin drownings
- The word, 'Sinsinawa' at a drowning in Iowa
- Chris Jenkins dressed as a Native American on the night he was drowned in Minneapolis
- Many drownings have occurred near a Columbus, Hudson, Native American (Hiawatha) symbol, street, statue, etc.

Christopher Columbus is a person in U.S. history hated by many Native Americans because of his cruel treatment of them. This may be why 'Columbus' has shown up as a clue left at the scene of drownings. Columbus also represents the "white man's" takeover of Native American lands. Because of this, Columbus would also be hated by a Snyder-type cult.

An interesting fact about the bloodhound that located the scent of Josh in Collegeville, Minnesota and Chris Jenkins in Minneapolis, is that the scents of both victims were tracked to a Catholic church on the St. Johns campus in Collegeville. This campus has a Knights of Columbus chapter.

Looking for Hiawatha connections to other drownings, we found a Hiawatha Street in Columbus, Ohio near where Brian Shaffer, an Ohio State University medical student went missing April 2, 2006.

In Duluth, near the smiley face is the word "Ugly" with the "U" being red and shaped like a horseshoe and the rest of the word being gray color. The Ohio State University colors are gray and red and their stadium is called "The Horseshoe" because of its "U" shape. Their stadium looks like a big red "U", just like the one at Chester Creek in Duluth.

Brian Shaffer, 27, an Ohio State University medical student was last seen April 2, 2006, at the Ugly Tuna Saloona (spelled correctly).

Many investigators believe that the drowning of 19-year-old Ohio University student Keith Noble and the disappearance of Brian Shaffer are related.

Streets named "High" are at the locations where both victims were last seen. This street name is also in Duluth near Chester Creek and is near other locations of drownings.

Since quotations from author/poet Gary Snyder were found at the Duluth location of two drownings, the killers may be using Snyder's writings as a demented template for the killings.

The Smiley Face Killers are a cult whose mission is to destroy people (generally white people) they view as being capitalistic and who do not conform to their way of thinking. (See Snyder's poem Smokey The Bear and A Curse On The Men.)

They view humans as less superior than plants and animals. They believe humans hinder life on Earth. (See the book Back On Fire and essay Energy is Eternal Delight.)

They view white college men as capitalists and the source of the problems of the U.S. and around the world. They are compelled to murder these men and believe they are doing the world a tremendous service.

They especially resent white capitalist men who "drink to it" as written about in the poem Money Goes Upstream.

The Smiley Face Killers focus on Snyder's writings as their religion/lifestyle and they could belong to any race, including white. Snyder's writings focus around Native American religion and Buddhism, but also have a mix of other religions as well. Snyder even quotes the Bible occasionally, but is clearly anti-Christian.

Because they feel the need to kill white males, they must do it in a way that they will not be caught. At the same time, they do have a radical message to preach, thus the reason to leave painted messages and taunts i.e., "You can't see what you're not looking for."

The reason for the smiley face is to be comic as indicated in Snyder's Smokey The Bear poem. The smiley face is also the "Face" and the "quiet smile" of those dead "mortals" as indicated in the poem Maitreya The Future Buddha.

The deaths do not happen during full moons. Probably to better conceal the killers.

The Duluth writings are a cryptic link to the Chris Jenkins murder in Minneapolis. The word "Ally" appears next to the smiley face in Duluth and had been written by the same person (same hand writing) who quoted the Snyder poem about killing young white men.

Snyder had a poem called "The Dead by the Side of the Road" which seems to be the template for the Chris Jenkins homicide. Of the many published poems by Gary Snyder, this one happens to be the one published in Minnesota by Ally Press. Too coincidental to not be connected.

Chris Jenkins' body was found in the Mississippi River in Minneapolis just a few miles north of Highway 5, which also acts as an Interstate. He was drowned on Halloween and was wearing a Native American costume with a red feather. The feather was found using a bloodhound next to drops of Chris' blood.

There are many connections between the Chris Jenkins murder, the Snyder poems, and what is written in Duluth -- Snyder's writings, Native American, red feather, Interstate Highway 5, Halloween, Dead by the Side of the Road poem, Ally, Ally Press, ect.

At Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis, there is another Hiawatha statue. Minnehaha Park is almost exactly between where the bodies of Chris Jenkins and Chris Norby were found in the Mississippi River and Interstate Highway 5. There is a Hiawatha Avenue and a Columbus Avenue that runs almost the entire length between Highway 5 and the area of where their bodies were found.

The writings at the other drowning scenes should begin to make sense once applied to Snyder's writings.

Smiley Face investigation initial reports -- report 1 and report 2
Smiley Face Killers Profile

Brian Blackwell

Joshua Szostak 'Smiley Face' Drowning

Josh Szostak, 21, was last seen leaving the Bayou Cafe' in downtown Albany, New York, at approximately 12:15 a.m. on Dec. 23, 2007.

After becoming separated from his friends, he left the bar and presumably walked towards his vehicle parked on Delaware Avenue at Morton Avenue. He vanished.

His body was discovered floating in the Hudson River near Coxsackie by a boater on April 22, 2008. Josh's keys and money were found in his pant's pockets.

Joshua Szostak

His body was sent to St. Peter's Hospital in Albany for an autopsy.

The Medical Examiner said Josh's body showed no signs of foul play or struggle. The M.E. said Josh died from an accidental drowning.

Within minutes of the release of the Medical Examiner's results, Albany police closed the case.

The Albany Police Department did not make use of the extensive resources that are available from the state police and FBI.

Albany police came to a conclusion far too quickly. There should be an investigation into how Josh ended up in the Hudson River.

About Josh

Josh was a student at Plattsburgh and the lead radio jock. He was nicknamed 'the stag.' "You couldn't go anywhere without people recognizing him and talking to him," says Bill Szostak, Josh's father.

Details

Josh called his family's house in Latham the afternoon of Dec. 22 and told his father he was going out with friends. Wearing a Southpole black hoodie with white skulls and cross bones, baggy blue jeans, tan Lugz sneakers and a silver chain with a cross, Josh headed to a downtown Albany bar to do some barhopping around town with friends.

They ended up at the Bayou Cafe' bar. By midnight, the guys were ready to go to the next bar. Before they left, Josh used the men's room. His friends said they waited for him for about 45 minutes. They said they sent him text messages and searched around the bar for him, but didn't see him.

The surveillance video at the Bayou Cafe' shows that Josh bypassed them all, went outside, used his cell phone, looked up and down the street, then walked down the street in the direction of where his vehicle was parked outside the Elbo Room. But Josh never made it to his vehicle. Video shows his vehicle was left untouched.

Albany police say Josh's cell phone was found near the area where a state Department of Environmental Conservation Jeep was stolen.

The stolen DEC Jeep was found damaged and abandoned at the Port of Albany. It had been taken from a downtown parking lot, steps from where Josh's cell phone was discovered laying on the ground in the parking lot.

Police initially labeled Josh a suspect in the auto theft, but later recanted that theory, saying they didn't have any evidence to support their theory. Josh's prints haven't been found in or on the Jeep, which was combed for DNA evidence according to Albany police.

Surveillance video shows the Jeep leaving the parking lot, but doesn't provide a good picture of the driver.

Josh's cell phone can't provide leads because the law bars investigators from reading text messages sent to or from a cell phone.

The Search

Police concentrated the search in the area of South Pearl Street near the Bethlehem town line. Search dogs were deployed to trace Josh's scent. The dogs led the search party down Park Avenue, which is the first cross street in Lincoln Park down by Martin Luther King Monument.

"If you're a block away from your vehicle, why would you be deterred to go down Park Avenue, unless you happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time," Bill Szostak said.

A smiley face symbol was found near Park Avenue and Delaware Avenue, where search dogs lost Josh's scent.

Key Facts In The Case

• Josh was last seen Dec. 23, 2007, leaving the Bayou Cafe', 70 North Pearl Street, Albany, NY
• Recovered from the Hudson River April 22, 2008
• Josh's keys and money were found in his pant's pockets according to police
• Cause and manner of death ruled as an accidental drowning by the New York State Police Medical Examiner.
• Josh's cell phone was found on the ground in a parking lot near where a state Department of Environmental Conservation Jeep had been stolen
• There is a smiley face painted on a large rock in Lincoln Park near Park Avenue and Delaware Avenue, where search dogs lost Josh's scent.

JoshuaSzostak.com

Medical Examiners seldom consider murder when looking at the body of a drowning victim unless there are obvious signs of foul play.

Brian Blackwell

'Smiley Face' Drownings Investigation

The drownings of young college men that have been occurring across the United States for at least a decade now are murders by a well-organized serial killer.

The killer is getting away with murdering young male college students by making the deaths look like accidents. The drownings are taking place between September and April. Police have been saying this is because it's when schools are in session and college parties are in full swing.

It is my professional belief that the victims are killed and placed in the water in colder weather because fewer people would be outside to witness the crime, and because of the icy water, the killers know it will be days or weeks before the body is discovered.

The longer the body is in water, the more forensic evidence is washed away.

Many former law enforcement officers and private investigators across the U.S. support my belief.

Now that winter is approaching, I fear drownings will begin again.

I advise young male college students to drink responsibly and don't leave bars or house parties alone. Never leave a bar or house party alone. Your life may depend on it!

Brian Blackwell

Smiley Face Killers Profile

Initial report

Uncle drugged, sexually assaulted and killed his 12-year-old niece

Federal prosecutors said today that a man charged with drugging, sexually assaulting and killing his 12-year-old niece coerced another girl into aiding his plot by claiming to be part of a child-sex club that sometimes selected girls for "termination."

The federal grand jury in Rutland, Vermont that indicted Michael Jacques also handed up special findings that would make him eligible for the death penalty if he is convicted on the charge of kidnapping with death resulting.

Brooke Bennett of Braintree, Vermont, disappeared June 25 and was found dead a week later. Her disappearance triggered Vermont's first-ever Amber Alert. Her body was found in a shallow grave July 2.

Other charges against the 42-year-old piece of dung (Jacques) of Randolph include five child pornography counts.

Jacques has been in custody since before the girl's body was found, but the indictment contained new details about the murder, including that the victim was killed by being smothered with a plastic bag.

Jacques persuaded a 14-year-old girl identified in the indictment only as "J1" to help kidnap Brooke after telling her that Brooke had been "designated for termination because she was causing significant problems for the juvenile's father, resulting in him becoming suicidal."

Jacques told J1 about a child-sex club called Breckenridge -- a nonexistent group that Jacques made up to coerce her into sex for years and to get her to help with Brooke's abduction.

Beginning in 2003, Jacques intimidated deceived and persuaded a nine-year-old girl (J1) into believing that a powerful organization named 'Breckenridge' would harm or kill her and her family if she didn't engage in sex with him.

Between 2003 and 2008, Jacques caused J1 to engage in sex that he videotaped and shipped around the country.

He used fake e-mail, text and other messages to convince J1 that she was hearing from Breckenridge operatives and "that on occasion, Breckenridge 'terminated' girls. J1 was informed that, while she would not be required to participate in such a termination, she might be required to assist in related planning."

Such assistance was required in May and June of this year, when Jacques ordered J1 to help him plan Brooke's abduction by convincing Brooke that she would be attending a pool party at Jacques' house.

According to the indictment:

- Jacques lured Bennett to his house June 24, saying she would be attending the pool party the next day. The next morning, he took her to a Cumberland Farms store in Randolph and dropped her there within view of its video cameras "to create the pretense that he was ending his contact with her."

- He and J1 picked Brooke up nearby a short time later and took Brooke to Jacques' house. He told J1 to leave before he killed the girl.

- A medical examiner determined Jacques "drugged, sexually assaulted and murdered Brooke Bennett." Prosecutors have not said what drug was used.

Brooke's abduction and murder has triggered calls by the public for toughening Vermont's lax sex offender laws.

Federal authorities have dropped an obstruction of justice charge against Raymond Gagnon, 40, Brooke's stepfather -- a charged lodged in connection with her disappearance.

Gagnon, of San Antonio, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Texas on charges of production and transportation of child pornography. FOX Boston

U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Vermont press release

Inv. D. Brian Blackwell
BrianBlackwell.com

Illegal immigrant caused Aurora triple fatal

The driver of the Chevy Suburban involved in the Sept. 4 crash that killed two women and a toddler at an ice cream shop in Aurora, Colorado ran a red light at 77 mph -- making it impossible for the driver of a pickup truck to avoid the collision, according to an expert who reconstructed the accident.

The SUV driver, Francis Hernandez, hit the Mazda pickup truck at such a high rate of speed and with such force that it pushed the truck more than 100 feet into a Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop, says Donald Fymbo, a licensed insurance adjuster and investigator.

Two women in the pickup truck, driver Patricia Guntharp, 49, of Centennial, and Debbie Serecky, 51, of Aurora, were killed. They were turning left into a Good Times restaurant when they were broadsided by the southbound SUV on South Havana Street (South Havana Street and East Mississippi Avenue). The speed limit on the street is 40 mph.

Marten Kudis, 3, was killed when the careening wreckage snared him from a window seat at Baskin Robbins and dragged him to his death.

The 23-year-old piece of crap known as Francis Hernandez is an illegal immigrant and has a lengthy rap sheet (Aurora and Denver arrests). He is being held in the Arapahoe County jail on charges of vehicular homicide, fleeing the scene of the crash and other charges.

Police cleared Guntharp of wrongdoing and traffic violations based on reconstruction of the crash scene and witness accounts.

Hernandez, who is from Guatemala, entered the U.S. illegally in 1991, had been arrested 19 times in the past five years and had 9 misdemeanor convictions. MORE

D. Brian Blackwell