Crime Scene

Waiting for a jury to reach a verdict can be nerve-wracking for prosecutors, defense lawyers and family. And when it’s a murder case, emotions run deeper.

People start playing the old game of trying to guess what 12 people (15 including alternates) are thinking as the clock ticks, as hours go by, as todays turn into tomorrows. As time goes by, prosecutors and defense lawyers start wondering if they did all they could during the trial.

Then when jurors ask for read-backs of … Read more of this entry »

Overall losses due to cyber-crime now exceed the costs of physical crime by some estimates, according to a report released today by the American Bar Association examining trends in criminal justice issues. The report, titled, “The State of Criminal Justice, 2006,” examines the most up to date data available, according to a press release issued by the association. Although the press release contains no details about the methodology used, if the basic data is correct, it would seem to indicate … Read more of this entry »

I came across an interesting online resource recently. A group called Family Watchdog has “online maps here”:http://www.familywatchdog.us that they said records where sexual offenders live in the community. The link, as you’ll see, asks for a city, state and zip code, then maps the area. A toolbar link also provides a simple list.

I emailed the company to inquire if they were part of an official law enforcement agency. The response from their customer service department was that it was a … Read more of this entry »

It was just over three weeks ago that Mamaroneck Village police began the gruesome task of identifying a female torso that washed up on a village beach. Little else has been learned since about the woman, whom police said was likely Hispanic, between 35-50 years of age, weighing 180 to 200 pounds and approximately 5 feet 4 to 5 feet 6 in height. Now comes word of another grisly discovery.

Police in White Plains today reported that human skeletal remains were … Read more of this entry »

....sometimes there’s just a stack of documents.
Hard to make this sound sexy to an outsider. But we’ve been looking for paperwork all month.

See, we’ve been tracking developments in Yonkers that still seem to have more questions than answers. Namely, two federal subpoenas have now been served on City Hall, with few clues because the FBI and the U.S. Attorneys Office won’t confirm or deny that there’s an investigation, although everyone in Yonkers has been speculating over what it’s about … Read more of this entry »

Today’s massive snow storm adjourned testimony in Carlos Herring’s trial on charges of murdering Don Juan Thompson II. The trial is scheduled to continue Monday morning in the County Courthouse in New City.

Herring shot Thompson five times in the chest, stomach, arm, leg and back as he fell to the ground in the parking lot outside Club Horizon in Spring Valley. Herring claims the shooting was justified because he felt his life was threatened. The prosecution claims it was … Read more of this entry »

There is no getting around the occasionally grisly nature of crime reporting. It certainly has been that way for me in the past week, as I have teamed with reporter Leslie Korngold to keep readers updated on the Mamaroneck police investigation of a woman’s torso that washed up at Harbor Island Park on March 3. It doesn’t get much more heart-wrenching than that.

Thus far, police have been frustrated in their attempts to identify the woman, although there are periodic leads … Read more of this entry »

Former Rockland sex crimes prosecutor Karen Riley announced today that she’s been appointed as chief attorney/executive director of the Children’s Rights Society of Orange County in Goshen.

The agency staffs seven lawyers, a social worker, an investigator and four administrative personnel.

The agency is funded by the New York State Office of Court Administration, which handles the majority of the Law Guardian work in Orange County, Riley said.

Law guardians represent child whose parents are involved in custody proceedings, minors in … Read more of this entry »

Maybe the pet blogger should get this one, but she’s busy walking her mutts so it’s left up to the crime blogger.

Anyway, a tiny Bichon Frise got loose on Route 202 yesterday, causing headaches for police and drivers. That’s the police radio chatter earlier this afternoon at 2 p.m. among Haverstraw dispatchers, police officers and the town animal control officer.

The pooch apparently darted under cars, hid and fled when police officers attempted to save its life from moving cars.

At … Read more of this entry »

WILMINGTON, DE – Of course, 30 minutes after I blogged that the jury in the James Cooke capital murder trial hadn’t sent any notes, they sent one.

Esteban Parra, who is covering the trial for The News Journal here in Wilmington, immediately joked that I should blog about not getting a verdict yet.

The note did not shed much light on where the deliberations stand and did not involve the top count, first-degree murder, that Cooke is facing in the detah of Lindsey Bonistall. It asked the judge whether Cooke … Read more of this entry »

The Rockland American Legion will honor police officers from across the county during its annual “Law and Order Appreciation Night� on Thursday, March 15. The ceremony honoring officers for their courage and abilities will start at 7:30 p.m. at the Fred Eller American Legion Post 1447 on Saddle River Road in Monsey.

Following the ceremony, corned beef and cabbage will be served by the American legion post members.

For more information, call Law and Order Appreciation Night Committee chairman Thomas … Read more of this entry »

Haverstraw police will honor its own for dedication, bravery and good work on Monday in Haverstraw Town Hall, 1 Rosman Road, Garnerville. The ceremony starts after the Town Board meeting at 8 p.m. During the ceremony, the following honors will be bestowed:
• Medal for Merit: Sgt. Ian Kaye, Officer Frank Malin, Officer Robert Stuart
• Meritorious Police Duty: Officers Steven Rosado, Michael Matone, Keith Rosario, Concepcion Crespo, Robert Stuart, Edward Devoe, John Gould, Jose Luna, James McNally, Adrian McDonald, David Delarosa.
• ... Read more of this entry »

Nearly 26 years after their murders on Oct. 20, 1981, the memories of Nyack Sgt. Edward O’Grady and Officer Waverly “Chipper” Brown are kept alive for the future through a scholarship fund for college-bound students aspiring for law enforcement careers.

The O’Grady-Brown Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in 1990. Each year, scholarship grants are awarded to high school seniors. The money – ranging from $800 to $1,000 – depends on the number of college-bound students chosen. Last year, eight students … Read more of this entry »

WILMINGTON, DE – So far there’s been no word from jurors in the 26 hours since they began deliberating in the capital murder trial of James Cooke Jr., who is charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of Lindsey Bonistall from White Plains. 

But that isn’t entirely surprising considering how they conduct deliberations here. There is no readback of testimony (jurors took notes during the trial so they rely on those and their recollections)and the jury gets a written copy of the judge’s instructions. ... Read more of this entry »

The leaders of the State Troopers Police Benevolent Association are happy with Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s decision to name State Police First Deputy Superintendent Preston L. Felton as interim superintendent in the wake of the retirement of Superintendent Wayne Bennett.
Specifically, the union is happy that Spitzer chose one of their own, a man who has worked his way up through the department’s ranks.
Felton is also the highest-ranking African-American in department history.
“Felton has extensive field field experience and has served in a … Read more of this entry »

Shortly after 11:15 a.m today, Ryan Ross was sentenced to state prison for 22 years to life for murdering Karesse Ebron, 16, by beating her across the head with a baseball bat on June 13. Her clothed skeletal remains were found June 28 covered by bags of decomposting leaves across from Eugene Levy Memorial Park on Route 45 in Ramapo.

About 30 of Ebron’s family and friends today packed Judge Catherine Bartlett’s courtroom. Sharene McCullough spoke about her daughter’s death and … Read more of this entry »