Northwest Indiana Discussion

Two Brothers Remain Jailed Without Bond in Double Slaying at Steak'n Shake

Friday, November 14, 2008

ST. LOUIS — Two Illinois brothers remain jailed without bond after being charged with killing two restaurant workers in a shooting authorities say they admitted.

Anthony Akins Jr., 20, and Oundr'e Akins, 19, are charged with robbing a Steak 'n Shake restaurant in south St. Louis County, where they worked six months ago, and killing two employees.

The victims, 44-year-old waitress Tammy Cantrell, and 24-year-old cook Mark Gerstner, were found dead early Monday.

A police affidavit says the Akins brothers admitted to the shootings and robbery.

St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch says Anthony Akins, housed in the St. Louis County jail, may appear in court Friday. Oundr'e Akins is jailed in St. Clair County, Ill., but is expected to be brought to Missouri.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,452026,00.html

Marine,

I will see your two jagoffs and raise you a Reverend

Audit: Sharpton Campaign Owes U.S. Nearly $500G

Federal auditors determine Rev. Al Sharpton owes $486,803 to the U.S. Treasury because of his 2004 campaign's taking improper donations.


WASHINGTON – Federal auditors have concluded the Rev. Al Sharpton's 2004 campaign owes the government nearly $500,000 for illegal donations and other financial improprieties. Sharpton has been feuding with the Federal Election Commission for years over his accounting in his failed run for president, for which he received $100,000 in so-called government matching funds that authorities later concluded he did not deserve because he hadn't followed campaign laws.

The auditors have now determined that Sharpton owes $486,803 to the U.S. Treasury because of his campaign's taking improper donations, largely from the National Action Network, a not-for-profit corporation that Sharpton leads but is separate from his campaign committee.

Sharpton will appeal the finding, aides said Friday, which would extend an already years-long fight with the government over how he raised and spent money to run for president.

The audit report is "a gross violation of Reverend Al Sharpton's right to perform his paid duties as president of the National Action Network, a traveling minister, lecturer, and an author who was promoting a book during the time period being audited," said his spokeswoman, Rachel Noerdlinger.

Sharpton's campaign finances came under scrutiny as he campaigned, speaking at churches where he collected "love offerings" that are common to traveling preachers.

At the same time, he was campaigning for president, and paying for much of it with his personal American Express card.

Some of the costs were paid by the National Action Network, some by a different company called Rev-Als Production Inc.

"Virtually no effort appears to have been made by Sharpton 2004, the candidate, NAN, or Rev-Als. Production Inc. to keep any sort of detailed records demonstrating what payments paid for which travel," the report found, noting what it called the campaign's "nearly complete failure to produce any information on this subject in the course of the audit."

The FEC audit is just the latest in a long list of money problems for Sharpton.

Last summer, federal prosecutors decided not to seek criminal charges against him over unpaid taxes after a lengthy grand jury investigation.

The IRS obtained a $931,397 lien against Sharpton. City and state officials said he owned them another $933,577. Separately, the National Action Network said in its most recent tax filing that it owed at least $1.9 million in payroll taxes and related interest.

TYPICAL

Bastards.

Trial begins for Gary man accused of murder

BY MARISA KWIATKOWSKI
mkwiatkowski@nwitimes.com
219.662.5333 | Tuesday, November 18, 2008 | No comments posted.

CROWN POINT | Gerald Smith walked outside and turned around for Gary police officers, repeating "I have no weapons," before he admitted there was a dead man on his couch, a Gary police officer testified Monday.

Smith, 56, of Gary, is on trial this week in Lake County Criminal Court for the 2006 murder of Anthony Dennison.

Dennison's body was found sitting on Smith's couch, his hands clasped over a small bullet wound in his chest, court records allege.

Gary police Cpl. Kenneth Etchinson testified Monday that he responded to a disturbance call -- not a murder -- when he arrived in September 2006 at Smith's Pennsylvania Street residence.

Etchinson said he didn't realize it was a homicide until Smith told him about the body.

"I didn't want to shoot him," Smith is quoted as having told Gary police at the scene. "But he wouldn't leave when I told him to leave, so I popped him."

Smith told officers he fired six warning shots into the wall, then Dennison approached him, defense attorney T. Edward Page said Monday in court.

Deputy Prosecutor Joe Curosh III pointed out Smith had no injuries or wounds.

Page said Smith called 911 twice for help, and there were 11 minutes between his call and the call being dispatched to officers.

In court Monday, Etchinson could not offer a reason for the time lag, suggesting the question be posed to dispatchers.

The trial is expected to continue today.

If convicted, Smith faces up to 65 years in prison.

Typical.

Freak.

East Chicago man, 23, charged with murder

An East Chicago man has been charged with murder in the shooting death of another man last week.

Shaundell David Gordy, 23, of the 3500 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, is charged with fatally shooting Jason Rodgers at about 4 p.m. Thursday in the 3500 block of Guthrie Street, East Chicago.

A witness told police as she let a friend in her apartment she saw a man walking up the stairs whom she knows as Gordy. She also saw another man who lives in a nearby apartment standing outside an apartment talking on the phone.

The woman said she heard what sounded like three gunshots. When she opened the door, she saw Rodgers, who had been talking on a cell phone, lying on the floor and Gordy walking away "real fast like someone was chasing him," court records state.

Arriving police officers saw Gordy jump from a second-floor apartment.

Police found a .357-Magnum revolver with four live rounds and two spent rounds.

Typical

Police search for suspects in South Holland carjacking

BY TIMES STAFF | Tuesday, November 18, 2008
SOUTH HOLLAND | Police are looking for two suspects who hijacked a car in South Holland this afternoon.

The hijacking happened at about 1:21 p.m. at 14735 Perry Ave., South Holland, Illinois State Police Master Sgt. Luis Gutierrez said.

The vehicle is a white Mercury Milan with an Illinois license plate number LMGW33, he said.

One suspect is described as a black male approximately 20 years old, 5'9, and 160 pounds, wearing dark clothing, Gutierrez said. He displayed a black revolver, he said.

A second male black was about 20 years old and wore a black hoodie, Gutierrez said.

"They were last seen eastbound on Sibley (Boulevard) from Perry," he said.

FBI releases photos of suspect in Hammond bank robbery







HAMMOND | The FBI is investigating the robbery of a downtown Hammond bank Monday afternoon and has released surveillance photos of the suspect.

The man showed a small, dark semi-automatic handgun and used a note to demand money in the robbery at the Chase Bank in the 5900 block of Hohman Avenue about 12:30 p.m. Monday, according to a news release from FBI Special Agent Michael S. Welch.

The robber is described as a black male in his early 20s, 5-foot-10 with a slight build, a light complexion and some facial hair on his chin, Welch said. He carried a black backpack and wore a black hooded sweatshirt and blue knit hat, Welch said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI at 219-###-#### or the Gang Response Investigative Team at 219-885-1055.

typical.

Yep. Typical POS.

R. Kelly's nephew charged in Cal City robbery, shooting

MARKHAM | A judge Friday set bond at $200,000 for R&B singer R. Kelly's nephew, who was charged in an armed robbery earlier this month at a Calumet City barbershop.

Brayel Kelly, 16, of Calumet City, has been charged as an adult with attempted murder, attempted armed robbery and aggravated discharge of a firearm, Calumet City police Capt. Dan Zorzi said.

Cook County Judge Reginald Baker at the Markham couthouse set the bond and scheduled a preliminary hearing for Brayel Kellyon Dec. 3, said Andy Conklin, spokesman for the Cook County state's attorney's office.

"On Nov. 6 at about 11:47 a.m. at 804 Burnham in Calumet City, Kelly went to Marvelous Cuts Barbershop and received a haircut," Conklin said. "Upon completion of the haircut, Kelly stood and pointed a handgun at the victim and demanded money and jewelry from the victim. The victim then put the requested items in a bag provided to him by Kelly, and (the victim) displayed his own handgun in self-defense, at which point Kelly fired one gunshot directly at him. The victim returned fire, striking Kelly one time. He fled the store and was located by responding officers a few blocks away."

Kelly was not present for the bond hearing. He suffered a gunshot wound to the back. Zorzi said he remains hospitalized at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn


TYPICAL

New charge leveled against white supremacist
By Lawrence Buser
Thursday, November 20, 2008

One of two white supremacists charged with planning a racially motivated killing spree, with President-elect Barack Obama as their final target, now is also charged with shooting into a church in Brownsville, authorities said today.

Daniel Cowart, 20, of Bells, Tenn., and Paul Schlesselman, 18, of West Helena, Ark., were named in a new 10-count indictment that adds charges against Cowart of damaging religious property.

The indictment adds additional penalties for allegedly planning crimes that target members of a specific race.

The men face weapons charges, planning to rob federally licensed firearms dealers and threatening a major presidential candidate.

They allegedly had contacted associates in Texas and California seeking places to stay during the racially targeted killing spree, authorities said.

The new indictment also alleges that on Oct. 21, Cowart damaged Allen Baptist Church in Brownsville by shooting at the church.

The two, who are being held without bond, were arrested the following day by the Crockett County Sheriff’s Office.

Defense attorneys have filed motions to dismiss the indictments, alleging that their clients’ rights were violated because the federal grand jury was mostly black and did not reflect a cross-section of the community where they were charged.

Their next court date is Dec. 12 in federal court in Jackson.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/20 ... printer=1/

19-year-old Abraham K Biggs commits suicide live on webcam

A TEENAGER has apparently committed suicide in front of a live webcam after being encouraged by people online.

19-year-old Florida resident Abraham K. Biggs, who went by the screen names "CandyJunkie" and “Mr Biggs”, told users on a bodybuilding forum he would be committing suicide that night and invited them to watch the live video.

The forum moderators allegedly ignored the post – assuming it was a prank – while other users posted insults and even egged him on.
Suicide help and advice is available from www.sane.org

The teen used the "lifecasting" website Justin.tv – designed to let users share the minutiae of their everyday lives – to stream footage from his bedroom.
Related Coverage


Biggs was seen taking several pills before lying on the bed with his back to the camera.

He didn't move, and users claim they realised it was serious a few hours later when they saw he wasn't breathing. Moderators then traced Biggs's location and informed authorities.

The webcam was still streaming live footage of the teen's body as police entered the room. A laser-guided weapon was pointed at the body and an object was thrown at the bed.

Authorities then appeared on the video as they approached the teen's body, checked for a pulse, and covered up the webcam.

Biggs’s death was reportedly confirmed by the Broward County medical examiner.

Justin.tv chief executive officer Michael Seibel told online video news website NewTeeVee.com the service relied on users to report inappropriate content.

"As for the broadcaster incident last night, we don’t comment on individual videos, however, our policy prohibits inappropriate content on Justin.tv," he said.

"We rely on the community to flag videos that they feel are objectionable. Once a video is flagged, it is reviewed and quickly removed from the system if it violates our Terms of Use."

Some forum users allegedly began deleting their posts after the incident and an official thread – including Biggs' full name – was posted by moderators.

Biggs's friends have posted "RIP" messages on his MySpace page, with some still asking him to pick up his phone, and others changing their statuses to "devastated".

The teen described himself as a "good hearted guy" on his social networking profile.

"I care a lot about my friends and my family and I would do almost anything for them," he said.

"I am very goal oriented, I know what I want to do with my life and I am working towards it."

Biggs last posted on MySpace three days before he committed suicide in a wall post about taking sleeping pills. A week ago he left a message about closing a chapter in his life and apologised to his friends for his behaviour.

The circumstances of the teen's suicide are similar to another incident last year, when a man hung himself in front of a live webcam as internet users egged him on.





TYPICAL