The Wicked Boy by Kate Summerscale describes the life and crime of Robert Allen Coombes (1882-1949). The book is a journalistic overview of the crime and trial that followed but it also explores human behaviour. Yes, Coombes killed his mother but what moved him isn’t as clear-cut as it seems in the beginning of the story. At […]
Archives for July 2016
Zeigler’s touch DNA request denied
On Monday July 18, 2016 Judge Whitehead denied William Thomas Zeigler’s latest DNA request. It asked for testing of evidence with modern technology with emphasis on touch DNA. From the Orlando Sentinel: “In the 30-page ruling, Orange-Osceola Circuit Judge Reginald Whitehead held that Zeigler’s petition for DNA testing was too similar to others that he’s […]
Hernando County Jane Doe 1972
The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office (Florida) needs help with a 1972 cold case. It involves the remains of a woman found July 19, 1972. She was near High Corner Road and Cortez Boulevard (State Road 50) in Brooksville. “The replica skull was created from scans of the original at USF’s vision center. Using the recreated skull, a forensics team […]
Adam Gray: a case to watch
In Adam Gray’s case we see the same flawed and overhauled technology that gave Cameron Todd Willingham a death sentence. Gray’s story has eerie similarities to Kenneth Richey’s case. We are talking about forensic arson detection, of course. From the Chicago Tribune: “Prosecutors in State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez’s Conviction Integrity Unit concluded in recently filed court papers […]
Possible link to Beaumont Children
This arrest may or may not lead to a better understanding of the missing Beaumont Children‘s case. Several newspapers note the arrest of a 71-year-old man. From 7News: “The 71-year-old was arrested yesterday and charged with a range of crimes against several victims dating back to 1962. Among the charges, three counts of buggery, two of […]
New book: Terror in Ypsilanti
A new book, Terror in Ypsilanti comes out this month about a string of murders in the late 60s. These murders took place in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area of Southeastern Michigan. Women between the ages of 13 and 21 were abducted, raped, beaten, and murdered. After they were stabbed or strangled, their bodies were sometimes mutilated […]
The Second Girl by David Swinson
The Second Girl by David Swinson is the first in a series featuring retired cop Frank Marr. He is damaged like the cop in Swinson’s first book “A Detailed Man.” Marr is worse though. Marr is a junkie. Even when faced with a chained scarcely clad teen his mind drifts. Whether it is the pain in […]
Case of the Month: Theresa Marcelina Ramirez
Theresa Marcelina Ramirez (Oct 8, 1958 – Dec 4, 1993) features as Case of the Month for July. She was found murdered in a burning field around 840am on December 4, 1993 in Roswell, New Mexico. Theresa has no web presence. Lucky for me, her family saved a newspaper clipping (see below). The picture isn’t […]