Cynthia Pelayo is is an International Latino Book Award winning author and an Elgin Award nominee. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, a Master of Science in Marketing, a Master of Fine Arts in Writing, and is a Psychology Doctoral candidate. You can follow Cynthia on Twitter. Her family brought her work to […]
Archives for 2020
Act of Revenge by John Bishop, MD
Revenge runs rampant in the third book in the Doc Brady Mystery Series written by John Bishop, MD. The second book in that series, Act of Deception, was reviewed earlier. The Characters Dr. Jim Bob Brady and wife Mary Louise start off the story on the ski slopes of Snowmass Village, Aspen, Colorado. The Doc’s […]
Melissa Millan: update
There is an update in the 2014 Melissa Millan case. Today, William Winters Leverett appeared before Superior Court Judge Shelia M. Prats through a livefeed from from the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield. Due to Covid19, several cases have been pushed back and defendants appear on video screen. The deal from Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney […]
Missing: Deanna Michelle Merryfield
Deanna Michelle Merryfield has been missing since July 22, 1990. In the grid, you can see an age progression from a young Deanna to an estimate made in 2011 (upper right) and 2015. There are no new updates on NamUs, where I found her case. That file was created on Feb 22, 2010. Identification Deanna […]
Ma Duncan by Jim Barrett
She was known as Ma Duncan. Elizabeth “Betty” Ann Duncan became the last woman to be executed in the gas chamber at San Quentin, California. I was at San Quentin many years ago. I can still smell it. Everything is eerie there. The silence and the noise, the odors overpowering the disinfectant, the space and the […]
Nicky Verstappen, trial day 7
Today in the trial in the Nicky Verstappen case, we will hear from the Verstappen Family, the prosecution, the defense, and the last word is for the defendant himself. So let’s go over it. WARNING: this post contains graphic elements. First, I heard from readers who thought that if the defendant remained silent during the […]
Nicky Verstappen, trial day 6
Today, the defense presented their answer to the prosecution’s charges and evidence as presented in court related to the Nicky Verstappen trial. WARNING: this post contains graphic details! The loss of a child as young as Nicky, is horrifying. However, demanding a harsher sentence than the law from that time period allowed for, is unlawful. […]
Nicky Verstappen, trial day 5
Day 5 in the court room in the case of Nicky Verstappen. Defendant Jos Brech is present. WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS. Today, the prosecution presents its case in full. They will follow the case’s time line, presents all forensic evidence again, detail the steps that the police took in the investigation over the […]
Nicky Verstappen, trial day 4
Today is day 4 in the trial against Jos Brech in the case of Nicky Verstappen. We heard victim impact statements from Nicky’s direct family members: his mother Berthie Verstappen spoke also on behalve of father Peter, Nicky’s younger sister Femke, and Peter’s sister Jacqueline. Earlier today, the family had asked the court whether they […]
Nicky Verstappen, trial day 3
Day 3 in the Nicky Verstappen trial against Jos Brech brought forward some interesting details but not the breakthrough to solidify this case. We heard from a forensic expert, we got details about the psychiatric observations at the Pieter Baan Centrum where Brech has been for evaluation, and we got a more detailed look at […]