Washington D.C. Tow Truck Driver Charged with Murder after Running Down Man who Robbed Him with a Plastic Pellet Gun

Corey D. Stoddard

Washington Post

Kevin Lewis Crouch walked into a tow lot in Northeast Washington on Tuesday afternoon and asked about a green car. But D.C. police said the 22-year-old man quickly pulled a gun on the tow truck driver who was trying to help him and demanded money.

The driver began to run but tripped and fell, police said, and Crouch struck him twice in the head with the butt of his gun. The driver then heaved his wallet against a fence in the lot on Kenilworth Avenue.

As Crouch went to grab the wallet, police said, the driver climbed into his white Isuzu tow truck and then fatally struck his assailant. On Wednesday, the victim of the armed robbery became a criminal suspect, as police charged Corey D. Stoddard, 35, of Northeast Washington, with ­second-degree murder while armed, his tow truck being the weapon.

Police said that Crouch was dragged along a sidewalk and that authorities found a pellet gun broken into three pieces under his body when they rolled him over to provide first aid. The death was ruled a homicide late Tuesday — the 104th and final slaying in the District last year.

Ohio Woman Who Compelled 10-Year-old Stepson to Kill his Father Gets Life Sentence

The Republic

A prosecutor says a northern Ohio woman who compelled her 10-year-old stepson to kill his father in a shooting initially ruled accidental has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Defiance County prosecutor Morris Murray says 46-year-old Oakwood resident Judith Hawkey was sentenced Thursday.

Hawkey was convicted last month of aggravated murder, insurance fraud and child endangering in Robert Breininger's 2003 slaying. Her attorney hasn't returned a phone call seeking comment on Thursday's sentencing.

Murray says the case was reopened last year after authorities learned of new evidence indicating Hawkey physically and emotionally abused the boy and compelled him to shoot his father and directed him to say it was accidental.

Murray says at least part of Hawkey's motive was nearly $500,000 in insurance money.

The 50 Most Murderous Cities in the World (Chicago Didn't Make the Cut)

From the Trenches

17) New Orleans, United States had 56.13 homicides per 100,000 residents.

Japan Murder Rate

Index Mundi

The value for Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) in Japan was 0.40 as of 2009. As the graph below shows, over the past 14 years this indicator reached a maximum value of 0.57 in 1998 and a minimum value of 0.40 in 2009.

Year	Value
1995	0.54
1996	0.49
1997	0.54
1998	0.57
1999	0.54
2000	0.51
2001	0.51
2002	0.48
2003	0.55
2004	0.55
2005	0.51
2006	0.49
2007	0.45
2008	0.51
2009	0.40

Dear Mr. TS, This is called a reverse correlation. Very few guns - very low murder rate.

Guns vs. Knives

John Henry Spooner Guilty of 1st Degree Murder - Was He Insane?

Chicago Sun Times


A Milwaukee man was convicted Wednesday of fatally shooting his 13-year-old neighbor whom he suspected had broken into his home and stolen weapons. The trial now shifts into a second phase in which the defense will try to prove the 76-year-old defendant was mentally ill at the time of the shooting.

A jury deliberated for about an hour before finding John Henry Spooner guilty of first-degree intentional homicide. Surveillance video from Spooner’s own security cameras showed him confronting Darius Simmons in May 2012, pointing a gun at him from about 6 feet away and shooting him in the chest.

Gun Availability Means Murders for Blacks and Suicides for Whites

The Washington Post

Gun deaths are shaped by race in America. Whites are far more likely to shoot themselves, and African Americans are far more likely to be shot by someone else.
The statistical difference is dramatic, according to a Washington Post analysis of data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A white person is five times as likely to commit suicide with a gun as to be shot with a gun; for each African American who uses a gun to commit suicide, five are killed by other people with guns.

Where a person lives matters, too. Gun deaths in urban areas are much more likely to be homicides, while suicide is far and away the dominant form of gun death in rural areas. States with the most guns per capita, such as Montana and Wyoming, have the highest suicide rates; states with low gun ownership rates, such as Massachusetts and New York, have far fewer suicides per capita.

Now that makes perfect sense, doesn't it? Where there are more guns there are more suicides. Please note they did not say "more gun suicides," they mentioned the suicide rate.

The gun-rights fanatics love to sarcastically say our point is that guns CAUSE people to commit suicide. Of course that's not true.  We understand as well as they do that inanimate objects don't have such power.  But what we understand that they refuse to admit is that suicide attempts with guns are more likely to be successful, therefore where guns are available more suicides take place.

It's really pretty simple.  What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Colorado Head of Prisons Murdered in his Home

BBC

The head of the department of corrections in the US state of Colorado has been shot dead at his home, authorities say.

Tom Clements, 58, was shot on Tuesday evening as he was called to the front door of his home near the city of Colorado Springs, officials said.

"We know of his position and realise that it is a possible motive for a crime such as this," the El Paso County Sheriff's office spokesman told the newspaper.

"It's a quick, rapidly evolving investigation."

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper appointed Mr Clements to the post in 2011. The prisons chief had previously worked for more than three decades in the Missouri Department of Corrections.

Murder Disguised as a DGU

Caleb A. Gordley, 16, was killed inside his neighbor's Sterling, Va., home early Sunday morning. Gordley was a junior at Park View High School, and played for the school's varsity basketball team. (Courtesy of Shawn Gordley) 

Local news reports

The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office says Caleb A. Gordley, 16, was shot by the owner of the home on the 45900 block of Pullman Court around 2:30 a.m. The house's alarm sounded, and the homeowner found Gordley on the stairwell, police say. 

Gordley, a Park View High School student, died on the scene. The homeowner's name has not been released. 

The sheriff's office says Gordley lived on the same street where the shooting took place, and that they believe he entered the home through a window in the rear of the home. 

Gordley had apparently been drinking, and a Twitter account that appears to be his did post about a party happening Saturday night. 

Shawn Gordley, the teen's father, made his comments on Twitter:

This one could very well be another murder disguised as a DGU. Being a drunk 16-year-old and entering someone's house does not merit death. But you won't hear that from the frightened and fanatical gun-rights advocates.  To them, the downside of hesitating is too much.  They shoot to kill as soon as someone dares to violate their sacred boundaries.

And naturally once the delinquent kid is dead, there's only the home owners side of the story which always includes that he felt threatened.  What he usually feels is outrage and anger that some punk would dare to do something like that. He shoots without making any effort to determine if his life is really in danger and he does so totally justified by the law and all the other self-righteous castle-doctrine proponents.

What's your opinion?

Elevator Murder Experiment

Ex-Navy Seal, Author of American Sniper, Chris Kyle, Murdered on Gun Range

Yahoo News reports

Former Navy SEAL and "American Sniper" author Chris Kyle was fatally shot along with another man Saturday on a Texas gun range, a sheriff told local newspapers.

Erath County Sheriff Tommy Bryant said Kyle, 38, and a second man were found dead at Rough Creek Lodge's shooting range west of Glen Rose, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Stephenville Empire-Tribune. Glen Rose is about 50 miles southwest of Fort Worth.

Murder Rates Around the World

First of all, all those countries do not have 100% gun bans.  That's a flat-out lie.  Secondly, when compared to other 1st world countries and not places like Togo and Guinea, the US has a high murder rate.  And finally, so what?  What's the point?  This is like saying that cigarettes and falling down the stairs kill more people than guns.  What's the point, that we should do nothing about the guns deaths?

What's your opinion?  Please leave  a comment.

Chicago Murders are Up in 2012

USA Today

Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy says the city has logged its 500th homicide of the year.

McCarthy issued a statement Friday calling the milestone a "tragic number that is reflective of the gang violence and proliferation of illegal guns that have plagued some of our neighborhoods."

By late Friday, police confirmed 40-year-old Nathaniel Jackson had become the 500th homicide victim when he was fatally shot in the head outside a convenience store on the city's West Side.

The last time Chicago reached the 500-homicide mark was in 2008, when the year ended with 512 killings. City records show Chicago had 435 homicides last year.

The pro-gun crowd actually blames this on the gun control laws. They say if only good citizens were able to protect themselves, as is their constitutional right, there'd be fewer killings.

The only problem with that argument is it's based on a lie.  It's not good citizens who are being killed.  Almost all of the deaths are gang and drug related.

The undeniable fact is gun availability is a major factor in this sad statistic. That's what the gun-rights folks refuse to admit.

The same dynamic is at work in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Oakland and many other cities, murders up, mainly drug and gang related.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Murder Rates Canada vs. The US - With a Pro Gun Spin Job

via Extrano's Alley, a gun blog

The United States homicide rate was 4.7 per 100,000 people. When the United States population is broken down by demographic groups, those rates range from 0.7 to 17.1 per 100,000 population. Since the two neighbors have vastly different demographics, and there appears to be no official breakdown of the demographics of Canadian homicide victims, the United States population and homicide rate must be “normalized” to Canada’s.

Canada’s official “police reported” a total of 676 “violations resulting in death,” that is, homicides, which results in a raw calculated 2011 rate of 1.9 per 100,000 population.

Returning to normalization, the US demographic group with the highest homicide rate, 17.1, comprises 12.6% of the US population, but only 2.5% of Canada’s population.

When the homicide rates among the various US population groups is “normalized,” with the various components of the United States population represented in the same percentage as Canada, the US homicide rate is – 2.0! The difference is not only trivial, both numbers are rounded, Canada’s down and the United States up. The actual difference is 0.07!

Isn't that a riot? The way pro-gun guys twist and rationalize is truly funny. They can take any statistics, like Canada is 1.9 and the US is 4.7 and twist it into the actual difference is 0.07.

The simple and obvious fact is Canada, much like the UK, has a murder rate far lower than the US.  Surely one of the factors in this difference is gun availability.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Lawful Florida Gun Owner Commits Murder

Local news reports

A Brevard County man remained in jail late Tuesday, accused of shooting a teenager dead in an argument over loud music.

Michael David Dunn, 45, and his girlfriend were in Jacksonville Friday for Dunn's son's wedding when they stopped at a convenience store, Jacksonville sheriff's Lt. Rob Schoonover said.

Jordan Russell Davis, 17, and several other teenagers were sitting in a sport utility vehicle in the parking lot when Dunn pulled up next to them in a car and asked them to turn down their music, Schoonover said.

Jordan and Dunn exchanged words, and Dunn pulled a gun and shot eight or nine times, striking Jordan twice, Schoonover said. Jordan was sitting in the back seat. No one else was hurt. Dunn's attorney Monday said her client acted responsibly and in self-defense. She did not elaborate.

Dunn and his girlfriend took off afterward, and witnesses jotted down their tag number, deputies said.

Dunn, a gun collector, was arrested Saturday at his home in Satellite Beach on charges of murder and attempted murder. He was being held without bail.

I'm guessin' this guy was not only a lawful gun owner, but that he had a concealed carry permit. They're easy enough to pick up in Florida, why wouldn't he?   Gun owners in Pennsylvania are getting them through the mail, for crying out loud. The interesting thing is no one is checking and keeping track of how many concealed carry permit holders are actually turning out to be unfit.

What's your opinion?  I think he should try for the "stand your ground" defense.  I mean, an older white guy arguing with a car full of black teenagers, who wouldn't feel threatened?

What do you think?  Please leave a comment.

Washington State Gun Thief Facing 123 Years

The Spokesman-Review reports

A convicted felon from Stevens County now faces a minimum of 123 years in prison after a jury found him guilty today of 21 new felonies that were tied to the slaying last year of a Colville man.

The jury deliberated about three hours before finding Christopher G. Nichols, who turned 27 Thursday, guilty of nine counts of a felon in a possession of a firearm and nine counts of theft of a firearm, burglary, auto theft and trafficking in stolen property in the first degree.

Nichols “was responsible for the theft of the weapon that was used to kill Gordon Feist,” Stevens County Prosecutor Tim Rasmussen said. “We got everybody who was responsible for the senseless murder of Mr. Feist.”

If he ends up getting more than 5 or 10 years I'll call it excessive. Shared responsibility has to be proportionate to the involvement. The guy who pulls the trigger in a murder should get the long years, the others involved should receive some for their part, but not like this.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

9-Year-old Twins and Babysitter Killed in Alabama

via Kid Shootings

9-year old twins, Jordan and Taylor Dejerinett, had been dropped off at their caregiver's place, 73-year old Jack  Mac Girdner, in the morning by their mother.  When she went back that night, all three were missing.  

Both kids and Girdner were found shot to death on a dirt road.

The shooter was quickly tracked down and arrested, 22-year old Deandre Lee, after someone called a tip line.

Spartanburg Waffle House - Scene of a Murder

 Local News reports

Spartanburg County deputies have arrested a man in connection with a fatal shooting that happened at about 5 a.m. Sunday morning.

Hours after the shooting occurred, deputies arrested 27-year-old  Antwon M. Baker, Jr.  He has been charged with the murder of Anthony Terrelle Young, 23. Both men were from Spartanburg.

According to Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright, Baker and Young were familiar with each other. It is believed that Young was murdered as the result of an argument that escalated with gunfire.

Last January there was a shooting at a Spartanburg Waffle House, not sure if it was the same one. That one they called a DGU, this one is just an argument that got out of hand.

They sure know how to come out with the guns in that part of South Carolina.  What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Florida Woman Commits Attempted Murder and Suicide

Local News reports

Maitland police said they responded to a home after neighbors reported that a man was shot in the neck by his girlfriend, who then went back inside the home on Ridgewood Avenue and Orange Place, where another gunshot was fired.

I wonder if the number of these incidents in which the principle actor is a woman is increasing in the same proportion that female gun owners are increasing. What do you think? Please leave a comment.

Murder or Manslaughter

via The Futility Closet

On May 31, 1964, Cyril Church beat Sylvia Nott into unconsciousness. Thinking he’d killed her, he dumped her body in a river, where she drowned.

Is this murder? The deliberate act wasn’t fatal, and the fatal act wasn’t deliberate. “His case is that he genuinely and honestly believed that she was dead,” Justice Glyn Jones told the jury. “I direct you that, if that was his genuine and honest belief, then when he threw what he believed to be a dead body into the river, he obviously was not actuated by any intention to cause death or grievous bodily harm; you cannot cause death or serious bodily harm to a corpse.”

They convicted Church of manslaughter.