CRIME REPORT

KILLA

Obama's Victim

What's all the hub-bub about? Why is this TV ad being banned? Racist attack ad?

I believe it to be a legitimate question. Should we be killing killers?

Why not answer the question?

Police believe there was more than one killer and said they are following up a host of leads and have not ruled out any motive, including whether the slayings might have been gang-related.

"The bottom line is we need the community's help," said Deputy Superintendent Steven Peterson.
Investigators believe all the victims, in their 20s or teens, knew one another. Their bodies were all found on the main level.

The slayings came to light Wednesday afternoon when a woman trying to visit the house found the bodies. There were signs of forced entry, police said.

The killings come at a time of heightened concern in the city about a recent spate of gun violence. The five deaths brought to 15 the number of people who have been shot to death in Chicago in less than a week.
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley said he plans to meet Friday with more than two dozen officials from religious groups, police, schools and social service agencies to talk about what's causing the violence and how to stop it.

SOME JUSTICE

Headlines in America after the arrest of 7 Marines and one Navy corpsman said, "Iraqis accuse soldiers of kidnapping and murdering civilian Iraqi."

All parties to the case of Hashim Ibrahim Awad al-Zobaie agree that he was shot dead by Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment on April 26 in the small central Iraqi village of Hamdaniyah. But there are differing accounts of his death, and they are at the heart of another investigation into the conduct of American forces in Iraq.

Members of the Marine foot patrol under investigation in the case said they came upon Hashim digging a hole for a bomb near his home in the Sunni Arab village of about 30 homes near Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad. The Marines said they killed Hashim in a brief gun battle and that they found an AK-47 assault rifle and a shovel by his side.

THEN THE TRIAL BEGAN

“A Navy corpsman testified that Marines in his patrol seized an Iraqi civilian from his home, threw him into a hole and put at least 10 bullets in his head and chest after growing frustrated in their search for an insurgent. Petty Officer 3rd Class Melson J. Bacos said he saw a Marine put fingerprints from the victim onto a rifle and on a shovel to implicate him as an insurgent. ‘I was shocked and I felt sick to my stomach,’ Bacos said. Bacos, a medic who had been on patrol with the squad, was charged along with seven Marines in the slaying of Hashim Ibrahim Awad last spring in the town of Hamdania.

HADITHA

In the Haditha cases, where enlisted Marines are charged with murder, defense attorneys assert their clients were following the rules of engagement when they shot 24 Iraqi civilians, including women and children, minutes after a fellow Marine was killed by a roadside bomb in November 2005. Five were pulled from a taxi and killed, and 19 were killed in three nearby houses.

The military officer overseeing the case against a U.S. Marine charged with murder in the November 2005 killings of 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha has recommended in July that the charges be dropped.

Lt. Col. Paul Ware, who heard evidence against Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt during a five-day hearing in June, made the recommendation in an 18-page report to Lt. Gen. James Mattis released late on Tuesday.

Mattis, the top commander of the Marines fighting in Iraq, will decide whether or not Sharratt must proceed to court-martial, the military version of a trial.

"Whether this was a brave act of combat against the enemy or tragedy of misperception born out of conducting combat with an enemy that hides among innocents, Lance Cpl. Sharratt's actions were in accord with the rules of engagement and use of force," Ware said in the recommendation.

PANTANO

These killings occurred on April 15, 2004, near Mahmudiyah, as Lieutenant Pantano led a platoon to search a house suspected of being an insurgent lair. When the marines approached, two men left in a white sedan, according to testimony at the hearing, but were stopped on Lieutenant Pantano's order. No weapons were found on the men, who were handcuffed as a Navy corpsman checked their car for weapons. When he was told that weapons and other contraband were found inside the house, Lieutenant Pantano ordered the men unhandcuffed and then directed them to search their car themselves.

Lieutenant Pantano supervised while the corpsman, George Gobles, and a Marine sergeant, Daniel Coburn, stood facing away as sentries. Lieutenant Pantano said that the men made a threatening move toward him after repeatedly talking with each other in Arabic and that he fired, emptying his M-16 rifle's magazine. He reloaded and emptied the second one, a total of as many as 50 bullets.

He acknowledged placing a hand-scrawled cardboard sign reading "No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy" atop the car, against which the bodies lay. The sign and the number of rounds fired, according to lieutenant Pantano's statement, were meant to send a message to other Iraqis about what happens to those who join insurgents.

The sign and its placement resulted in a formal accusation of desecration, in addition to the two accusations of premeditated murder.

The officer who conducted Pantano's hearing, Lt. Col. Mark E. Winn, recommended in a report to General Huck that criminal charges were not warranted, but sharply criticized Lieutenant Pantano's decision to have the car stopped and to focus so closely on the two men to begin with. Colonel Winn recommended nonjudicial discipline, because the sign and the number of rounds fired were in his opinion unwarranted and excessive. Lieutenant Edwards said, however, that General Huck would not issue any nonjudicial punishment.

MURDER OF HASHIM IBRAHIM AWAD- al ZOBAIE

Hutchins is one of seven U.S. Marines and one U.S. sailor with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, charged in the April 26, 2006, killing of the Iraqi in Hamdania.

Five members of the squad, including the Navy medic, pled guilty to lesser charges in connection with the shooting. A military jury convicted a sixth member, team leader Cpl. Trent Thomas, of conspiracy and kidnapping and sentenced him to reduction to private, forfeiture of all military pay and benefits and a bad-conduct discharge.

A separate military jury on Wednesday found Cpl. Marshall Magincalda guilty of larceny and housebreaking as well as conspiracy to murder.

The jury will now begin considering his sentence.

REWARDS OF KEEPING QUIET

People sometimes get overrun when the shit hits the fan. Panic hits and effects personal judgment and the hanger-on's, lookie-lous and stress junkies pile on top of you offering advice and sympathy when all they actually want is a front row seat to the train wreck, or money. It takes a firm sense of self confidence to handle that storm and to wade your way through it, intact. Not many can do it, Chris Long never really tried.

I have worked in enough situations to know when someone gets steamrolled and when someone looses control of their own situation.

The best and most popular way to deal with the feeling of being overwhelmed is to let someone else tell you what to do. Sit back and just deal with the "me" issues.

In Chris Long's case it is let his father take over. Let Mike McGuinness take over. Let his pastor take over. Chris Long had so many people pulling at him he missed his real opportunity to be a stand up guy and take his medicine like a man.

Now I can understand the desire to avoid conflict. I am a professional pain dodger. But this is something inherently different. This is the taking of a life. Job or no job a life was taken, an innocent life. Chris Long knows that. All cops know that.

How many times have we seen suspects get "lawyered up" when they can afford to do so? How many mothers, fathers, preachers stand in front of microphones to defend and protect a defendant? But what do real men do? If it was a mistake they admit it, in humility. They don't fear civil suits, suspended sentences, misdemeanor convictions. They say, I'm sorry and mean it.

Of course it is extremely possible that Long may have been legally within his rights to have killed the unarmed 18 year old, Peyton Strickland. The latest Grand Jury said he was. But what gets me is that Long purports himself to be a Christian and a family man with children of his own. How then can he not do the right thing and say "I'm sorry!"?

Long froze up under the pressure and the worldwind took him and his sensibility and blew it into the laps of his counsel. And because of a perverse sense of loyalty and obedience Long submitted and was advised to keep his mouth shut, sign on the dotted line and don't question the direction and strategy that would turn his life into a living hell because they pumped fear into him to get him to cooperate. Afterwards, they assured him, it would all be worth it.

Sure Chris Long escaped what would most likely have been a conviction of involuntary manslaughter for his killing of Peyton Strickland. Sure by his keeping his mouth shut about not only his actions but the actions of those who sent him to the door that night, Long has successfully worked to have saved the sheriff and the county money by letting the system work and by being obedient patsy, the fall guy.

Don't you know his heart aches? I mean his spokesman did say that Long fell down in the yard of 533 Long Leaf Acres Drive and cry out to Jesus, and yes I do know that Deputy Long did not write that in his affidavit filed with the court that was supposedly used as a script in his discussions with the Grand Jury but someone thought by saying such a thing about Long that people would believe it so there must be some truth to it right? Heart aches or not I am sure he has placed a good deal of his guilty conscious to rest as he puts in his 70 hours every week at his new business enterprise he shares with his father. In February, Chris Long's father, Harry Long started Southside Chrome at 6132 Carolina Beach Rd. which I believe is one of those places that you see on those "pimp your ride" TV shows by making things on your motorcycle or car shine like "bling-bling". I'm sure they will be very successful pimping up stuff.

It's not impossible to repent publicly. To say you are sorry for damaging the faith and trust built up by dedicated officers who have fought hard to counter the majority of the public's perception that law enforcement officers all stick together behind the "blue line" and lie, cheat and kill knowing they have a privileged fraternal immunity.

A real man will admit his mistake and say he is sorry. When Arkansas State Police Trooper Larry Norman shot and killed Joseph Erin Hamley last year in a case of mistaken identity he took full responsibility. A judge this month sentenced him to 90 days in the county jail, 30 days of community service, a $1,000 fine and a year's probation.

His lawyer, John Everett, asked him why he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor negligent homicide in the death.

"I made a mistake, and I try to take responsibility for my mistakes and teach my children the same," he replied.

Our number on the show is 910-332-6390, we are on from noon till two. If you want to get something off your chest Mr. Long we would encourage you to call in this Saturday.

I sat behind the parents of Chris Long, while we all awaited the deliberation of the Grand Jury, his mother sobbed for 30 minutes straight as Harry Long, the father patted her shoulder. But I noticed Mr. Harry Long was hard and unemotional, even looked angry when Chris Long couldn't control himself immediately after the words, "No Bill" were uttered by Judge Beale. I imagine Long to be more like his mother, and that's a good thing. She knows Chris should say he is sorry. Give us a call, aproximately 16,000 people will hear you say it and I doubt you will ever have to say it again. 332-6390.

FATHERS & SONS

I know the love a father has for his son. I feel it every single day I breathe. I know what it is like to treasure the memories and moments kept in frozen animation on Kodak paper. To touch them is to feel the moment suspended, captured. A walk, a first walk, blowing out birthday candles and tickled pink Cheshire grins. I can go back and see the eyes of spark and flame and project my own desires, wishes, dreams and hopes of a passionate life, fruitful and full of rich ambitions. I know the love of a father for his son is kept in a box, the first thing saved when all looks lost. I know the love of a father and son, one for another it lives under your coat, held close, squeezed so tightly you never miss a beat. I know what love a father has for his son, only though for this past 15 months.

I saw Don Strickland carry this box of evidence with him as he entered the Grand Jury room to testify to the spirit and nature of his 18 year old son whose blood was shed by what the court of justice said was an act of self defense. The killer of this son, our son of primal communal parenting, is said to have felt his life in dangerous peril as he studied and watched in slow motion the son make his way forward. Deputy Chris Long watched over the top of a .45 caliber fully automatic submachine gun, watched through a window set in the front door as his target moved through the light as if the son were a hologram inching his way. Chris Long, Deputy Chris Long was doing what he was instructed to do, even if it was to kill the loved son of a father now holding tightly to a box until he can join in rhythm and sync to a familiar heart beat, feel a smile begin, and touch the taste of a spirit which roams free inches from his grasp. A box exactly like each of us who love our sons carry always and close, a box we open expecting others to capture the life contained within. A box, this slain son's father's box was placed in front of 18 human beings, at least 12 of which saw only that it had two bullet holes in it, nothing inside. They then made a judgement based upon what they think they saw or were told what they saw. A hologram. A target. A suspect. A threat.

Mr. and Mrs. Strickland meet my son Ben. There are a lot of us out here who know or are getting to know Peyton, your son, and Ben will be another.

THEY DID IT

One look at the December press conference seating and it was evident that Sid Causey was having nothing to do with the prosecution of his man Chris Long. You could fit a suitcase full of ill-gotten proceeds from Tampa between them and maybe have room left over for sack of raffle tickets. Causey who said he would take the heat should anything come down because of the shooting had just earlier fired the triggerman who was soon to be formally charged with Second Degree Murder. Body Language tells me Causey can't stand the heat. No wonder Causey often times complaints about his back.

Body Language. Causey has attempted to distance himself from Long by dumping money in Chris Long's lap and encouraging others to follow suit. Deputy Chris Long is a witness, potentially a witness against Causey and those supporting him and his family after he was fired.

Body language tells me differently.

Intimidation or interference by giving gifts, money and support to a government witness is a serious violation of the law. Article 30 14-226 is a Class H Felony.

I noticed the body language of triggerman Chris Long today as he made his way into court. He was anything but comfortable.

When the Grand Jury Foreman released the Jury members without the Judge's permission and perhaps more importantly without the Judge's instructions I noticed the entire court's body language.

Interesting how a body can betray a lie and illuminate the truth. For instance Peyton Strickland's body, tells us that he was shot thru an unopened door. That he was close enough to the door to have gunshot residue and glass particles imbedded in his chest. His body would also show that he was not drunk or under the influence of any drug. He held no weapon. And that he died facing his killer.

Body language convicts us all. Ben David knew back in December that Chris Long had committed a crime, Sid Causey knew it, and paranoid Chris Long's body hasn't stopped talking since he knelt down in the yard of 533 Long Leaf Acres Drive on the Friday evening of December the first.

When Marc met with Peyton Strickland's father the following morning in front of Peyton's house, Don Strickland said, "They murdered my son". Judging by the way Mr. Donald Strickland held his body erect and steady left little doubt that Peyton's dad knew the truth. They murdered his son. They did. They!

COLCOR REDUX

Many people in local media were either not living in this area or are not old enough to remember the Federal Government undercover investigation into COLCOR (Columbus County Corruption) or the huge drug arrests made during the same time by another Federal and State Government investigation called Operation Gateway. SBI Director Haywood Starling said at a press conference in Raleigh back in 1983 that the operation involved seizures of 68 tons of marijuana and methaqualone worth an estimated 37 million dollars.

COLCOR's success was largely due to the deep undercover work by FBI Special Agent Robert Drdak who's testimony to the Grand Jury led to the arrest of a long list of prominent Brunswick and Columbus County citizens. Brunswick County Sheriff Herman Strong (numerous charges of conspiring to smuggle drugs, providing protection to drug smugglers, accepting bribes and 2 incidents of drug smuggling marijuana and methaqualone tablets), Shallotte Police Chief Hoyal "Red" Varnum (conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 1,100 to 1,400 pounds of marijuana) and his brother Steve Varnum (a past Chairman of the Brunswick County Commissioners), Lake Waccamaw Police Chief L. Harold Lowery, (racketeering in connection with taking $1,650 in bribes for protection money), a former Columbus County Commissioner Edward Walton Williamson (who gave the undercover agent money to deal with Star News reporter Judith Tillman and send her back to Alabama), District Court Judge J. Wilton Hunt (racketeering and interstate gambling), State Rep. G. Ronald Taylor, (burning three warehouses belonging to another state senator who was Taylor's competition in the farm-implement business) Senator RC Soles (influence peddling, vote tampering, buying votes for District Attorney candidate Rex Gore, conspiracy to affect commerce by extortion), Lt. Governor Jimmy Green (charged with taking a $2,000 bribe and conspiring to take $10,000 in bribes a month) and an assorted cast of characters right out of some southern gothic horror film.

Over 400 video and audio recordings of transactions and conversations between undercover FBI agents and defendants helped convince the Grand Jury of a need to hand down indictments on some of the regions most politically powerful people and their allies.

Approximately two weeks prior to the arrests the Brunswick Beacon and the Whiteville Newspaper the News Reporter speculated about the Grand Jury and upcoming indictments. Other news outlets followed suit. According to Senior DEA Agent Mike Grimes "I've been an agent for the past 11 years and I've never seen anything like this," he said "The press beat me to the scene-there were helicopters, there were TV Cars, there were newspaper reporters - there were press people everywhere," Grimes said."You might have thought the President was coming to town."

With news of multiple subpoenas being issued to the current Brunswick County Sheriff Ron Hewett, his family, some deputies, DA Rex Gore and a few select individuals and businesses with dealings on his campaign, many are talking, actually whispering about upcoming BRUNCOR (Brunswick County Corruption) indictments.

Whatever it is that is brewing up in the Federal Courthouse in Raleigh can't possibly equal the exciting Hollywood-like events from 1982-83. B-25 bombers landing in fields, dead bodies searched for in hog pits, fake kidnappings, Cuban smugglers, U-Haul trucks with 10,000 pounds of pot getting stuck in a ditch, fake drugs busts, and legislation enacted to make it illegal for the Federal Government to use money to influence a vote. Apparently Columbus County owes it's liquor by the drink to an undercover agent spreading around money.

The current speculation is that Sheriff Hewett may have used taxpayer money to fund a piece of his campaign. For instance deputies handing out yard signs while on duty and using the office of Sheriff as an advertising vehicle in various media outlets, something at least two recent sheriffs have done in New Hanover County. Remember those tongue and cheek anti-drug billboards Sheriff Hewett had all around Brunswick County right at election time? That is the sort of thing being discussed at the Grand Jury Hearings in Raleigh, petty stuff like that is driving this investigation.

Or is it?

A few trivial side notes:

A lawsuit was filed by someone who was not arrested for any crime connected to COLCOR yet he was implicated in an article published in the Wilmington Star News. The newspaper was successfully defended by 2004 and 2008 Presidential candidate John Edwards.

RC Soles was successfully defended by famed Duke lacrosse attorney Joe Cheshire who viciously attacked undercover FBI Agent Drdak's truthfulness. Retired Agent Robert Drdak is currently one of the country's top Polygraph specialists and was hired by Cheshire to persuade Durham DA and Wilmington native Mike Nifong of his client's innocence.

I was an adviser to Lt. Governor Jimmy Green when Green was arrested. Green was also found not guilty.

"Whitey" Durham is One Tree Hill's Raven's basketball coach and also a father figure. Durham is played by actor Barry Corbin. James Walter "Whitey" Durham of Wilmington was sentenced to 21 years in Federal prison for drug smuggling. Durham is also believed to have shot and killed three Cubans that landed an airplane filled with drugs in Columbus County.

Reade Seligmann Testifies

DENIAL-AGATIONS

Rumors quickly circulated that Sheriff Ron Hewett of Brunswick County was arrested after the conclusion of a secret Federal Grand Jury Hearing in Wilmington Thursday. We had heard that as many as 50 deputies were subpoenaed and financial records were seized as part of an investigation into the violation of election laws and by taking money from the taxpayers of Brunswick County by having Deputies work on his reelection while on the clock.

When I called the FBI, the US Attorney, the SBI, DA Rex Gore's office and the Sheriff's office, no one owned up to anything. Best I could tell by the responses I received was that no one knew anything about anything, pushing me from one agency to another and imagine this, all were surprised I called. When I bluntly asked to one person answering the phone up the chain, "has Ron Hewett been arrested?" I was told, "Unfortunately no." not meaning to have said that of course, it was honestly just a slip of the tongue and gave us both a good laugh, but still. Another official said to me in an earlier conversation, "We didn't arrest him, I mean I know, I know why they (a different agency) arrested him ... why they might have ... well I'd call them, I can't say anything more."

At around 5 PM Thursday the Sheriff issued a brief statement claiming that he himself is just as clueless as everyone else is, why anyone would want to investigate him and insisted to the Star News that he was not arrested.

When asked earlier in the day about rumors of federal action involving him, Hewett said he was not going to be arrested. "I will assure you that I am definitely not under arrest," he said.

The question that still needs answering simply is this: Who is running this investigation?

In the meantime, one has to accept, that DA Gore is to be believed when he said, "I am satisfied that we are not looking at a police corruption situation, and there is no reason to believe the citizens of Brunswick County are in jeopardy because the deputies would not be able to do their jobs."

No matter what is actually happening, there is a good deal of energy and effort on the part of some unspecified governmental agency that believes a crime took place and that Sheriff Ron Hewett is responsible. That agency is preparing a campaign against Sheriff Hewett and if in fact the Sheriff has no idea why he has been asked to appear in Raleigh, he better find out pronto and hire himself a damn good lawyer.

SUPERSTARS

In my life I have met all kinds of people. If I were to begin a list of the who's who you wouldn't believe me. Several of the people I've met, drank beer with, shared a meal are super stars, seriously. For my 18th birthday John Lennon and Yoko gave me presents, no lie.

I bring this up for a reason. Marc and I began this radio show a little more than 3 years ago. Since then I have met true superstars, champions, people whose life is unique and inspiring. Most of these people are women, Monica Caison, tireless advocate for missing persons, Heather Baker, the tenacious aunt of murdered 7 year old Kayla Allen, Karen Riojas and Terzel Brown, the mother and grandmother of the stranger abducted and murdered Michelle Bullard, Donny and Linda Beck, hardheaded parents of wrongfully convicted Johnny Beck, Hilarie Scarbro, the guardian of the estate of dead inmate Gary Rummer, Carla Roberts, Yahweh Center's founding director and the life breath to those abused and neglected children that find their way into her arms, and Sharlene Pence, the loving mother of murdered 17 year old Danny Pence.

I have just recently gotten to know Sharlene by sitting behind her for the 3 weeks her son's murderer was on trial. Danny was, as she told Marc back in 1995, "if you looked up the words perfect son in the dictionary you'd find a picture of Danny, he was so perfectly perfect"

Since 1995, the year a stranger repeatedly beat Danny to death, Sharlene has been living surrounded by constant reminders of her great and tragic loss. 2 court trials, 12 years of waiting for justice to prevail. Yet her spirit is bright and her heart is cheerful and full of expectations and hope. Sharlene couldn't wait to open up her pocketbook to show me a picture of her soon to be new daughter-in-law, Danny's brother will take on a bride this fall and Sharlene is beaming with pride.

So when I say I have met, spent time with, gotten to know some of the world's famous, those with their faces on Newsweek from time to time, and I tell you that the greatest people I have ever met are those such as Sharlene Pence, I am dead serious.

The past 3 years doing this radio show has been a hardship and a definite sacrifice, yet it is the most rewarding time of my life. I am truly blessed to have had the opportunity to witness the lives of these remarkable women. Thank each of you for being the people the rest of us think we could never become. Thank you for giving me hope and a reason to fight the fight we do.

God bless each of you, always!

SHAME ON YOU THOMAS WRIGHT

The fall of Thomas Wright began in the Clambake Room of Raleigh's old Holiday Inn, you know, the round building a block or two from the State Capital. The place where the Girls Gone Wild tour bus was loading up just as the State House "Rep Gone Wild" slipped into his chair in front of the members of the Board of Elections who seemed eager to tell the room about campaign money used to buy $400 in undies from Victoria's Secret. The circus like atmosphere soon settled down when charge after charge was shed to light.

Over a quarter of a million dollars of campaign contributions is missing. More than $20,000 was taken out in cash. Campaign co-chair, Karen Davis (Parker) believes signatures on checks, she was asked to look at, were not written or signed by her. Torlen Wade, the Director of the NC Office of Research, Demonstrations and Rural Health Development wrote a false letter to Wright at Wrights request stating that a $150,000 grant was forthcoming. This letter was used to secure credit with a lender. Both Wade and Wright knew this $150,000 would never come. Wright wrote to several large corporations on behalf of the 1898 Foundation to raise funds to build a museum to commemorate the atrocities committed in 1898. Wright received several thousands of dollars, including $5,000 from the company that manufactures Budwieser. The money went right into Thomas Wright's personal account. What a shame!

I have to stop now and will post sometime later tonight. I will be at the Todd Boggess trial today and tomorrow.