America's Most Wanted update 06-20-09

Are you interested in some of the cases America's Most Wanted is covering? Do you want to know the latest update? Just click on the name for more details.

This SATURDAY, June 20, 2009, AMERICA’S MOST WANTED will be airing the following cases.

Harlem, New York… CARLOS THOMPSON… New York cops say rapper Carlos Thompson handed a .38-caliber revolver to a 13-year-old boy and ordered him to murder another teen. Now, more than a year later, Thompson is in custody.

Stone Mountain, Georgia… DERRICK YANCEY… Newly-released surveillance video shows Derrick Yancey, a former sheriff's deputy accused of killing his wife and another man, in his first hours on the run. Investigators say Yancey is seen buying a Greyhound bus ticket to California, but his whereabouts are now unknown.

Whitewater, Wisconsin… RICKY HOWARD… Cops in Whitewater, Wisc. say Ricky Howard is a perpetual danger to society. Throughout his life, Howard's been in and out of jail, but cops say in December of 1999, he reached a new low when he violently raped a 12-year-old girl. Nearly ten years later, Howard is still on the run and police need your help to find him.

Garland, Texas… CESAR OROZCO… Authorities are searching for Cesar Orozco, a man who they say shot and killed 26-year-old Joe Castillo last March. Police suspect that Orozco killed Castillo because he thought he was seeing his ex-wife.

Nationwide... JOHN PARIGIAN… After being convicted of wire fraud, cops say Boston con-man John Parigian rented a plane and vanished into thin air – literally. Now, police are piecing together his trail, and believe he could be hiding out in New York or Massachusetts.

Atlanta, Georgia… VERNON COLEMAN… The U.S. Marshals and the DEA have teamed up to bring down the Black Mafia Family, a major drug trafficking organization. They were successful in arresting all but one of the suspects, and the only straggler is Vernon Marcus Coleman, known as Big Wu on the streets.

Anchorage, Alaska… JOHN PEZZENTI KILLER…On December 3, 2007, detectives were called to a two-story shack in Anchorage, Alaska, where they found a body, soon identified as acclaimed wildlife photographer John Pezzenti, Jr. With no signs of forced entry or robbery, cops say John knew who pulled the trigger, and they hope that AMW viewers can help solve the murder.

Nationwide... PATRICIA PARDO… In 2000, cops say Patricia Pardo stole the identity of 17-year-old Joanna Saenz. Eight years later, Pardo was arrested but quickly disappeared after posting bond. Now, Joanna is determined to fight back and help police track down the woman they say changed her life forever. This Saturday, AMW will put Pardo on national TV in hopes of bringing her to justice.

Houston, Texas… TIMOTEO RIOS… In April of 2008, 39-year-old Tina Davila headed to a Cricket store in Houston, Texas to pay her cell phone bill. But before she got inside, cops say she was attacked in an attempted carjacking by Timoteo Rios. With her 4-month-old baby in the backseat, Tina fought back, but police say Rios stabbed Tina in the chest, killing her at the scene. Cops say Rios escaped in his own car, but that this was just the beginning of a crime spree that lasted all afternoon.

Washington, D.C…. TOP COPS 2009… Once a year, the bravest and most heroic police officers -- the nation’s TOP COPS -- are honored in a ceremony hosted by AMW Host John Walsh. This year’s TOP COPS AWARDS showcased some truly inspiring stories, with the night’s top honor going to a Georgia Police Officer who single handedly stopped an armed robbery and saved the life of a cashier who was taken hostage.

America's Most Wanted update 11-15-08

Are you interested in some of the cases America's Most Wanted is covering? Do you want to know the latest update? Just click on the name for more details.

Tina Loesch and Skye Hanson: In 1998, Barbara Loesch was electrocuted and drowned in her hot tub. Two years earlier, her husband was gunned down while working his morning paper route. Cops believe their daughter and her gay lover may have been behind both deaths -- both for revenge, and for $525,000 in life insurance.


Jacqueline LeBaron: The search for Jacqueline Tarsa LeBaron has continued for years, but agents have not given up the search. In fact, a new picture of the fugitive has surfaced, heating up the hunt for the woman Feds are calling a vicious killer.


Joey Offutt: When Pennsylvania State Police arrived at the scene of a house fire in Sykesville in the early morning hours of July 12, 2007, they weren't prepared for everything they were about to find. Once the fire was extinguished, some shocking details were revealed, and authorities are still struggling to answer all the questions left over from that day.


Sarah Pender: Since her expertly-executed prison escape on August 4, 2008, officials have been hot on the trail of Sarah Pender. Now, after a few short months on the lam, U.S. Marshals Service officials have turned up the heat on Pender, and she's the newest addition to their notorious 15 Most Wanted Fugitives List.


Heather Uboh: She's called herself Heather Uboh, along with at least 20 other aliases, and cops across the United States say this Nigerian is an accomplished scam artist, committing identity theft, wire fraud, larceny, passport fraud, forgery, and a variety of other deceptions in Texas, New York, New Jersey, Georgia, Colorado and Michigan.


Lindsay Harris, Jessie Foster, Jodi Brewer, and Misty Saens: On May 23, 2005, police outside of Springfield, Ill., made a shocking discovery when they arrived at a crime scene and found a pair of severed legs. For three years, the Illinois State Police diligently worked the Jane Doe case, and their hard work paid off in May 2008 when an FBI report and a DNA comparison helped to identify the victim as missing person Lindsay Harris.

America's Most Wanted update 11-08-08

Are you interested in some of the cases America's Most Wanted is covering? Do you want to know the latest update? Just click on the name for more details.

Roy “Bubba” Massey
Cops say notorious bad boy Roy "Bubba" Massey led Arkansas State Police on a high speed chase that ended in a fiery crash before he was taken into custody.


Russell McCollum
Police say Russell Victor McCollum appears to be a responsible, straight-laced guy; cops in Tennessee say he's anything but.


Joseph Roman
New York City Det. Kenny Kearns had mixed feelings about pursuing his latest fugitive, Joseph Roman, because Roman once worked in his family's restaurant in the Bronx. "The streets got him," Kearns says, and in turn, cops say Roman got involved in a murder.


Candido Peraza
Cops in Ontario, Calif. are determined to bring Candido Renteria Peraza to justice for the fatal hit-and-run of 7-year-old Nathan Sitompul. Cops say a drunken Peraza struck Nathan, who was riding his bike at the time. Peraza stopped, but when he saw Nathan struggling to get to his feet, Peraza took off, running over Nathan again.


James Perry
Cops want accused North Carolina drug slinger James Ricky Perry off the streets and back behind bars. They say Perry has been dealing since the 1980s, and not even a stint in the slammer could change his ways.


Humberto Fortanelli
Police say Humberto Fontanelli and his cellmate David Ray escaped from a Fordyce, Ark. prison on New Year's Eve 2007. Cops picked up Shannon Ray four days later, but say that Fortanelli is still on the run. AMW sat down with Ray and got a first-hand look at exactly how the escape went down, and where his co-partner in crime, Humberto Fortanelli, could be hiding out.


Shannon Ray
Dental floss and razors might have gotten David Ray out of jail, but they weren't enough to keep him out. Ray was arrested in the early morning hours of January 4, 2008 by cops in Memphis, Tenn.


Unknown Melissa Witt Killer
On January 13, 1995, cops in Arkansas made a gruesome discovery in the Ozark Mountains: the body of beloved Forth Smith teenager Melissa "Missy" Witt, brutally murdered. Now, John Walsh and the AMW team are working to hunt down a killer.


Unknown Ann Pressly Killer
Cops in Arkansas are searching for the unknown suspect who beat a television anchorwoman to death. Anne Pressly, 26, died nearly a week after she was beaten in her home, and as a precautionary measure, cops have distributed pepper spray to local television news personalities who may be targeted as well. Police say the pepper spray was donated by an anonymous donor.


Anthony Forgione
Okaloosa County Sheriff's Deputy Anthony Forgione, 33, was shot and killed by a suspect who had barricaded himself inside a Fort Walton Beach home. Cops say the suspect, Mark Rohlman, was committed for a mental evaluation, but left and hid inside his childhood home with a shotgun. Deputy Forgione entered the home with the Sheriff's Office Special Response Team when he was fatally wounded by the suspect's gunfire, according to police.

America's Most Wanted coverage

On America’s Most Wanted television show Saturday night, there was approximately a five second mention of the disappearance of Destiny Norton. They displayed a photo with an announcer doing a voice over.

By all accounts, her story has been mostly a regional story with little, if any, national coverage. Since her pictures and story have been on the internet for over a week, will a short blurb on AMW help that much?

It is somewhat ironic with the vote on H.R. 4472, the ‘‘Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006’’ and the upcoming 25th anniversary of his death, you might have thought there would have been more coverage of her disappearance.

Doctor, Lawyer,.....

“….According to the Seattle Times, Monday, after an Amber Alert and police manhunts, Riley was back in the hospital and Tina Carlsen was in custody, charged with second-degree kidnapping..”

If she had taken him to a holistic Doctor initially, would she have faced charges if she later “kidnapped” him and took him to a hospital for surgery?

On the rocks

This is another case of a family abduction where the child is found years later. What puzzles me is why you can find several stories on resolved family abductions and few stories where the same diligence is given to non family abductions.

“…Tips lead to girl taken in Tempe by dad in 1996
Jun. 23, 2006 12:00 AM
Cold case of the week: The Arizona Republic published an entry in 2005 about Rebecca Ann Braun, who had been missing since 1996. It spotlighted her as a missing child since she was 2 years old. It began, "Sex: Female. Race: White. Age now: 9. Height/weight: 2 feet 11 inches, 29 pounds at time of disappearance. Hair/eye color: Light brown/ blue..."

Read the story

Deal or Unreal?

How will these scales of justice tip? I am trying to weigh this one and am totally confused how it may be ok for an 11 yr old girl to be with a 20 yr old man for four days. Is the issue really whether she should be considered "missing"? The Police Chief offers good advice but it seems the father knew who is daughter's "friends" are.

Missing Child reported

• Child 11 years old is reported missing by father to police.
• He names 20 yr old male as suspect.
• Police can’t find him.
• She returns four days later.
  

Police Chief Monte Sims concludes she left on her own free will:

• "She apparently returned home on her own,"
• "She was not being held against her will by anyone," Sims said. "Naturally, that was our biggest concern."
• “… to prevent cases of missing children, parents should know where their children are and who they are friends with…”
  
  "Parents should pay closer attention to their children, especially if they are befriended by an older person," Sims said. "In this case, it was an older person she left with."

Best of Both Worlds

The issue of family abductions and the NCMEC response to the previous posts remind me of this song by Van Halen?










“…I want the best of both worlds
And baby I know what it's worth
We can have have the best of both worlds a little
Heaven right here on earth
There's a picture in the gallery of a
Fallen angel looked alot like you
We forget where we come from sometimes
I had a dream it was really you…”

Is a family abduction a missing child only for budgeting and solicitation of funds? Are they part of the calculation and statistics published for the recovery percentage of 96%? Do they count if recovered but not while they are missing?

Play it again…..

“…And when two lovers woo
They still say, "I love you."
On that you can rely
No matter what the future brings As time goes by…

…It's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die.
The world will always welcome lovers As time goes by….”

Maybe if he could have just kept the "family unit" intact for 5 more years.

By MARY ANN GREIER/Salem News staff writer
“…LISBON - A traffic stop in Washington, D.C., at 11 a.m. Thursday ended the search for two missing Lisbon children and their father, with the children safe and Joseph Leroy Moore in custody. "I'm glad the children are safe and sound," Columbiana County Sheriff David Smith said. A police officer apparently initiated a traffic stop on Interstate 295 and then learned about the warrant for Moore's arrest and the fact that the children were considered missing…”

Here's looking at you kids?

"...Larry Upchurch, director of operations for the missing children's division of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said the tip on the location of the children came through the group's 24-hour hotline between Wednesday night and when they were recovered. The center notified police after receiving the tip.

Mr. Upchurch said it's not unusual for children to be found after such a long period of time, especially if they were taken in a family abduction. Often the children are cared for and the family unit is kept together, he said.


"That's why we always keep looking," he said..."

How is the family unit kept together if it is a family abduction?

Holy Toledo Batman...

I saw this article and was amazed that these children were found based on a tip called in after 7 years. Immediately I went to the NCMEC site to view information about them. Thinking there may be aged enhanced photos or some new technolgy used, imagine my suprise when I couldn't even find their posters.

"...Larry Upchurch, director of operations for the missing children's division of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said the tip on the location of the children came through the group's 24-hour hotline between Wednesday night and when they were recovered.

Mr. Upchurch said one out of every six recoveries is a result of someone seeing the missing child on a poster. He is not sure if that was the case for the Martre children..."

I am thrilled these children were found but I would ask Mr Upchurch how would you recognize a child, based on a poster of a missing child taken 7 years earlier, not age enhanced, and evidently not posted on NCMEC?

Does NCMEC count these children statistically as recovered missing children in their stats? Do you think any of these children were one of the 100 million shoppers at a Walmart store each week these past seven years?

Ironically if you google any of the children's names it returns nothing either on the web or as an image?

The devil made me do it....

When visiting websites to educate yourself on the various products and services available to you to protect your children, do you often come away more confused then ever as to their objective? It is a classic example of a good news bad news scenario. The good news is there are many options. The bad news is there are many options. For every site offering legitimate, valuable tools, there are those that remind me of the old adage; “…If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, looks like a duck, it must be a duck...”


Here comes the free advice. Ask yourself, when reviewing the site if you come away with a feeling their goal is to aid in the recovery of lost or missing children or are they out to make a quick buck? It is a good time to use common sense. Does it appear the main focus is on selling something and less on the child? I’ll resist the temptation to direct you to sites that may cause you to pause and reflect by publishing their URL’s. However, sites stressing your financial upside through direct marketing opportunities or how you can increase your personal wealth by becoming a franchisee probably would make the list. Like many other things in life, you’ll know it when you see it.

Hurricane season officially starts

It is the official start of hurricane season. FEMA says they are ready and the levees will hold in New Orleans so time will tell. This is a link to the FEMA site for children explaining various natural disasters and what to do. There is some useful information but you would think there would be more emphasis on following evacuation orders versus riding it out. The story of the “Disaster Twins” , (Julia and Robbie), is interesting. What is confusing is what the father concludes on the family vacation to Florida.

FEMA Kids site

"If we lived here," their father said, "we would have storm shutters to protect our windows and we'd listen to the radio in case we had to evacuate. Hurricanes are dangerous, but we would get warning."

Isn't the issue one of heeding the warnings not that they aren’t given?

Helpful tips from a previous post for being prepared.

Missing Children: A Petition for Public Service

While viewing various missing children blogs, I ran across this request. It may have merit. It was ironic to me based on the recent negative press MySpace has received, that it was directed toward Myspace users. Also every link you click includes a partial page “ad” for the NPNowPublic site (see screenshot below). Non-the-less, it will be interesting to see how/if the concept evolves.

"..A family member has created this site for MySpace. I thought it looked like a great idea..."






http://view.nowpublic.com/

Clean up on aisle 5

Something else that doesn't add up is trying to reconcile the multiple statistics often quoted concerning missing children. The intent is not to question the contribution but merely to understand the effectiveness of the effort. Sometimes I feel like a dunce, sometimes I don't.

Wal-Mart and SAM’S Club

“As a part of our commitment to keeping kids safe, the Missing Children’s Network was formed through a partnership between Wal-Mart, SAM'S CLUB and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Wal-Mart's Missing Children's Network consists of a bulletin board in every Wal-Mart Store and SAM'S CLUB nationwide. Each bulletin board contains 17 posters of missing children, along with relevant personal information, and is updated monthly. The visibility of the Missing Children's Network bulletin boards and pictures featured on Wal-Mart Television Network permeates big cities and small towns in every corner of the country providing tremendous exposure .To date, photos of over 7,200 children have been displayed. 5,763 of these have been recovered and 143 recoveries resulted directly from one of our boards”.

http://www.missingkids.com

What Wal-Mart Does to Help Find Missing Children.
(See previous post) http://www.walmartfoundation.org

Simple math?

Partnership began in 1996 so it is now 10 years old.
Each bulletin board contains 17 posters updated monthly
To date, photos of over 7,200 children have been displayed

17 posters x 12 months = 204 postings/yr
(assumes new missing children posted each month)

204 postings/yr= 2,040 over ten years.

So is the 7,200 number understated or overstated? Are the updates more frequent?

Here or to go?

As I thought about the McDonald’s articles, it occurred to me McDonald’s are in most Wal-Mart stores (at least the ones I have shopped in). So you may be asking ...“What Wal-Mart Does to Help Find Missing Children.” Here is the answer.

http://www.walmartfacts.com/community/walmart-foundation.aspx#a1294

"...Since 1996, Wal-Mart has posted pictures of missing children in the lobbies of all of our facilities. The display boards have featured more than 7,104 children, more than 5,568 of whom have been recovered. From this number, 141 children have been recovered as a direct result of our bulletin boards.

It is a parent's worst nightmare. Yet, thousands of children are reported missing in the U.S. every day. In stores and clubs across the country, Wal-Mart and SAM'S CLUB are proud to be a part of bringing these children home. As a part of our commitment to keeping kids safe, the Missing Children’s Network was formed through a partnership between Wal-Mart, SAM'S CLUB and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). .."



Wouldn’t you think the number would be higher? Either the display boards would appear not to be as effective as they could be or the average Wal-Mart shopper is apathetic toward missing children or both.

100 million: The number of people who shop at Wal-Mart's 3400 American stores every week.

May 25th - National Missing Children's Day

Proclaimed National Missing Children’s Day by President Ronald Reagan in 1983, May 25th serves as an annual reminder to make child protection a national priority.

Please take a few minutes to view the currently missing children at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children site http://www.missingkids.com

Home Sweet Home

Does your home have a fenced yard? Do your doors have multiple locks? Do you have an alarm system? Do you have bars on the windows? Is there a neighborhood watch group? Do you live in a gated community? Is there a security guard? Just as each of these have a role in protecting you and your home, all of the myriad of child identification tools may assist in the recovery and identification of missing children.

When you evaluate which of the various missing child tools you should have, it often can becomevery confusing. Do you need a Child ID card, a Child ID Kit, and a Web based Registry for your children? Depending on the site you visit, each may present their offering as a competing solution. Are they really? Maybe it would be better to look at them as complementary rather then competing.

If you or your children do not travel, more then a few miles from home, then a Child ID Kit or card either cd, pc or paper based offering may serve your needs. If you are organized and can find things especially under extreme duress then they may make sense as well. Yes it will take time to upload the information for web based distribution, but as long as the information is readily available it can be retrieved.

However, do you travel even across town, where returning home would require time? Do you live in an area subject to natural disasters where an evacuation or property destruction may limit access? Have you moved to a new city or town, where every area is new to you or your family? If you answered yes to any of these, then a Web based Registry provides greater value as the information will be available to you under each of those circumstances. Since the first few minutes can significantly impact the recovery efforts, having the right tool available at the right time is critical.

Hurricane Center Predicts Calmer Season

By LAURA WIDES-MUNOZ, Associated Press Writer

MIAMI - A hectic, above-normal tropical storm season could produce between four and six major hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico this year, but conditions don't appear ripe for a repeat of 2005's record activity, the National Hurricane Center predicted Monday.

There will be up to 16 named storms, the center predicted, which would be significantly less than last year's record 27. Still, people in coastal regions should prepare for the possibility of major storms, said Max Mayfield, the National Hurricane Center director.

"One hurricane hitting where you live is enough to make it a bad season," Mayfield told reporters.

Last year, officials predicted 12 to 15 tropical storms, seven to nine of them becoming hurricanes, and three to five of those hurricanes being major, with winds of at least 111 mph.

But the season turned out to be much busier, breaking records that had stood since 1851. Last season there were 15 hurricanes, seven of which were Category 3 or higher.

In the center's detailed 2006 prediction report, meteorologists said water in the Atlantic is not as warm as it was at this stage in 2005. Warm water is a key fuel for hurricane development.

Also, it is not clear whether atmospheric conditions that helped produce the 2005 storms will repeat again this year, forecasters said. And, it appears that the Pacific Ocean water conditions known as El Nino and La Nina will not have any impact on the Atlantic hurricane season this year, forecasters said.

The Atlantic seasons were relatively mild from the 1970s through 1994. Since then, all but two years have been above normal. Experts say the world is in the midst of a 20-year-cycle that will continue to bring strong storms.

Between 1995 and 2005, the Atlantic season has averaged 15 named storms, just over eight named hurricanes and four major hurricanes, according to the National Hurricane Center. Before this latest above-normal cycle, from 1971 to 1994, there were an average of 8.5 named storms, five hurricanes and just over one major hurricane.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

June 1st...the start of hurricane season

It is now ten days until the start of hurricane season. Check out the NCMEC spring 2006 quarterly newsletter "The Front Line". The page 4 article, Safety Tips for Families in Hurricane Preparation, is very informative and provides some practical ideas for any natural disaster preparation plans.

"...Just as people secure their homes and belongings before a storm hits, NCMEC urges parents and guardians to take steps to protect their children and to keep their families together. To prepare for hurricane season and other natural disasters,
NCMEC recommends that:

1. families take storm warnings and evacuation orders seriously;

2. parents/guardians know where their children are;

3. families stay together;

4. families take photos with them if they are evacuated;

5. parents/guardians give children identification to
carry with them (name, date of birth, address, phone numbers); for children who are not able to speak for themselves, parents/guardians should consider writing children’s names, birthdates, parents’ names, home address, and telephone/cell number somewhere on the child’s body in indelible or permanent marker, which can be removed with rubbing alcohol after the emergency;

6. families take digital photos and email them to extended family members;

7. parents/guardians make photocopies of important documents and mail them to a friend or relative in a safe location; and

8. families create plans for what to do if they become
separated during an evacuation..."

For further information, please call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-THE-LOST or log onto our website at: www.missingkids.com.

Consider the value of having the information available to you wherever you are and whenever it is needed.