Dead police trainer still subject of child porn investigation

1-16-2010 Vermont:

A criminal investigation is underway at the Vermont Police Academy in Pittsford. State police suspect the academy's training coordinator used a work computer to access child porn and then took his own life after becoming the target of a criminal investigation.

The investigation of a police academy trainer took a turn for the worse Saturday.

State police say 44-year old Dave McMullen of Cornwall committed suicide behind a maintenance shed at the academy, one day after police seized his home computer as part of a criminal investigation.

"All indicators reveal this was a self-inflicted would. An intentional act by Mr. McMullen. There is no indication anyone else was involved," said Major Ed Ledo of the Vermont State Police.

Police believe McMullen used a computer at the academy to view child pornography, something that came to light during an unrelated personnel investigation. While child porn wasn't actually found on the computer, emails suggested it had been accessed.

"As a result of those titles being found in Mr. McMullen's e-mails, is indicated that there was potential. We knew it was pulled in from an outside source based upon further examination of that one computer," said Ledo.

Police are examining McMullen's home computer in addition to four taken from the academy. At this time, police don't believe any others at the academy were involved in the incident.

Amber Alert canceled after mom, 2 kids found safe; suspect shot himself

3-31-2012 Texas:

HOUSTON—A man shot himself after kidnapping a woman and her two children Saturday morning. He is the same suspect involved in a police chase following an assault on the same　victim on Thursday, according to Houston police.

On Thursday, 22-year-old Courtney Dickerson escaped from police after assaulting a woman in the Medical Center. Investigators said Dickerson attacked the victim, who was an ex-girlfriend of the suspect, on her way to work and forced her to drive to an apartment complex by knifepoint. After assaulting her, he stole her car.

Officers chased him through southwest Houston. During the pursuit, he bailed out of the vehicle and took off running. Police weren’t able to catch up with him.

The victim and her 2-year-old and 4-year-old daughters were then abducted around 11:30 p.m. on Friday from the 8100 block of Lawler St. by Dickerson, a registered sex offender. Police issued a double Amber Alert.

Dickerson was spotted near his registered address and again chased by the police. He again fled from his vehicle on foot and shot himself in the head. He was taken to Ben Taub hospital where he died.

The victims were safely located and reunited with family and the Amber Alert has been cancelled.

"(Dickerson) said that he wasn’t going to let them take him alive when they were chasing him," said Diana Walton, the victims’ aunt.

Friends said Dickerson knew the woman for 10 months. Police said she made several reports of abuse against him.

Dickerson was also wanted for the sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl in 2010 but was never arrested. ..Source.. by khou.com

Hospital Administrator, Convicted Child Molester Dies of Lung Cancer

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Mangum man found dead in Jackson County jail

3-24-2012 Oklahoma:

Investigators said Trent Davis hanged himself with a sock Thursday in a Jackson County jail cell. Davis, 19, of Mangum, was awaiting trial on a rape charge filed in 2011.

Trent Davis, 19, was found about 5:45 p.m. hanging from a commissary-issued sock that had been looped through a ventilation vent, Sheriff Roger Levick said.

Davis was alone in his cell, Levick said.

It is not clear exactly when Davis died because he was found hanging above the combined toilet and water fountain fixture — an area that is not covered by the cell's surveillance video, Levick said. Investigators will review additional video footage to make that determination, he said.

Levick said there was no indication Davis was depressed or suicidal.

Davis was charged in June with rape after a 13-year-old girl told police he assaulted and then forcibly raped her in his mother's pickup outside a party in Blair.

At the time, Davis was serving a five-year deferred sentence after pleading guilty in Greer County District Court in 2010 to a felony manslaughter charge for his role in the death of a 13-year-old Mangum girl.

Levick said the body was sent to the medical examiner's office for evaluation.

The state jail inspector's office and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation will investigate the death, he said. ..Source.. by Zeke Campfield

Police: Body Found In River Is Convicted Child Rapist

3-23-2012 Tennessee:

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Metro Police announced Thursday that the body removed from the Cumberland River Wednesday afternoon was convicted child rapist Dwight Farris.

Sources at the scene had previously identified the body as Farris to NewChannel 5 reporters.

Police arrived on the scene just after 5 p.m. Wednesday.

"Fire department and OEM responded and within about 30 minutes they did find a body, possibly a male subject. We believe it might be the person who threatened to commit suicide a couple of weeks ago," said Captain Natalie Lokey of the Metro Nashville Police Department.

The body was found caught up in a fallen tree along the banks of the Cumberland River near the Rock Harbor Marina in west Nashville.

Police said 52-year-old Farris had disappeared on March 8 after fleeing the Davidson County Court House during a sex crimes trial.

In lieu of his disappearance, Farris was convicted of three counts of rape, five counts of sexual battery by an authority figure, five counts of statutory rape by an authority figure, one count of displaying sex acts to a minor and one count of criminal exposure to HIV. The convictions related to his sexual relations with a 14-year-old male family friend.

Officials said that during his trial Farris was free on bond and wearing a GPS monitoring device. When police sought the signal for the device they found it had stopped sending a signal just before Farris fled. Farris was last seen on 1st Avenue North & Gay Street in downtown Nashville.

According to reports, Farris' niece flagged down a police officer that night and informed him her Uncle did not want to go to jail and would jump off a bridge. Police said that there were no reports of anyone jumping from a bridge that night.

Farris was out on a $250,000 bond during his trial, and there was a hearing set later this week to collect that bond. ..Source.. by News Channel5.com

Man Found Dead After Fleeing From Local Police Identified

3-21-2012 Montana:

TEMPLE (March 24, 2012)— A man found dead after a major manhunt Friday night has been identified.

45-year-old Terry Lee Turner was found dead around 8:30 p.m. Friday evening.

Temple police were looking Friday night for a man they described as armed and extremely dangerous who fired a shot as he fled from officers near Wayne’s Kwik Stop at 23118 S.E. H.K. Dodgen Loop.

Police had been working with law enforcement authorities in Montana to locate Mr. Turner on several felony arrest warrants, and had received reports Turner was at the RV park behind the store.

Turner was wanted for two counts of failure to register as a sex offender, two counts of felony sexual assault, and bond forfeiture.

An initial investigation indicates Turners cause of death was an apparent suicide.

His body has been sent to the Southwest Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas for an autopsy.

A handgun recovered by his side only shows to have been fired once. ..Source.. by KWTX.com

Report clears Fond du Lac officers

Posted in Related Deaths

3-20-2011 Wisconsin:

Fond du Lac - The Fond du Lac County prosecutor says Officers were justified in defending themselves and firing at a gunman who had shot and killed a police officer in March, the Fond du Lac County district attorney's office ruled Monday.

A report issued by the DA's office says the gunman, James Cruckson, 30, sexually assaulted his girlfriend and refused to return her 6-year-old daughter. Several police officers responded. The report says Cruckson shot and wounded one officer who entered the home, and he riddled another officer's squad car with bullets.

As a third officer ran to investigate the sounds of gunfire, Cruckson shot him twice and killed him. One shot hit Officer Craig Birkholz, 28, in the abdomen below his bulletproof vest, and the second hit the top of the vest with fragments entering his torso.

Cruckson later killed himself. ..Source.. by DINESH RAMDE

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DOJ releases FdL shooting report

10-5-2011 Wisconsin:

MADISON - The Wisconsin Department of Justice has released more than one thousand pages of documents related to its investigation of the March shooting that killed a Fond du Lac police officer.

The Fond du Lac County district attorney ruled last month police acted appropriately during the shooting.

FOX 11 filed an open records request with the state to obtain the records from that incident. The DOJ handed them over Tuesday.

The department has since posted the report on its website. Click here to read it.

Authorities say James Cruckson shot and killed 28-year-old officer Craig Birkholz as he ran towards the scene. Cruckson also shot Officer Ryan Williams and his K9 officer Grendel, both recovered. Cruckson later took his own life.

As Fond du Lac officers battled his shots March 20, frantic calls poured into to 911.

"I believe I'm hearing gunshots," one caller said. "Yes, stay in your house, stay away from windows," the dispatcher responded.

"I'm on Division and Lincoln," another said.

"You need to stay in your house, we have an incident going on on Lincoln," a dispatcher responded.

The recordings are part of more than 1,000 pages of investigative documents, photos and video, released to FOX 11 by the Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation.

Some information has been removed to protect the victims, Officer Ryan Williams, James Cruckson's former girlfriend and Officer Craig Birkholz.

Dash cam video shows Birkholz racing to the scene. Other officers were already there, including Williams. Bullets were flying.

"Shots fired, shots fired, we got a sniper," officers say over radio.

The video goes black when Birkholz leaves the car. DOJ removed the video, because it captures Birkholz' death.

According to the autopsy report, Birkholz was shot twice.

Newly-released video from the Department is giving us a first look inside the duplex where it all began. Video shows the second floor where police say Cruckson fired nearly 50 rounds through a window.

Hundreds of pages of interviews confirm Cruckson was driven by a crumbling relationship. He spoke with a negotiator ten times during the standoff.

In the report, the negotiator describes Cruckson as having flat emotions. He said Cruckson never yelled during the conversations, but did admit killing an officer and raping his former girlfriend.

However, in audio previously released by Fond du Lac authorities, Cruckson blamed her for everything.

"You lied, that's why those cops got killed, so pretty much you killed those cops," Cruckson said on her voicemail.

Hundreds of photos show the aftermath of Cruckson's attack, Williams' vest pierced in several places, squad cars riddled with bullets and a community and department forever changed.

The report, like the Fond du Lac County district attorney, also concluded that officers acted appropriately to protect the community. ..Source.. by Lindsay Veremis, FOX 11 News

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SPECIAL REPORT - In Their Own Words: FdL Officer Shooting One Year Later

3-21-2012 Wisconsin:

Concerns about 6-year-old prompted police to enter Lincoln Avenue duplex

Jon Gutzmann

Capt. Jon Gutzmann has no regrets about his decisions and actions the morning of March 20, 2011.

He was one of three officers to first enter James Cruckson’s home at 24 S. Lincoln Ave. on the city’s west side after Cruckson’s ex-girlfriend, Josephine Warner, reported a sexual assault and that her 6-year-old daughter was still in the house.

That morning, he saw a bloody Officer Ryan Williams tumble into Officer Zach Schultz on the stairwell leading up to where the armed and suicidal Cruckson was situated.

Gutzmann later heard calls about Officer Craig Birkholz being shot by Cruckson and killed.

During the shootout, Gutzmann left the house in an armored vehicle only to return again with the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team to find Cruckson dead on the first floor of his residence from a single self-inflicted gunshot wound.

“Obviously, I have thought about this a great deal over the last year,” said Gutzmann, who continues to read reports and listen to dispatch tapes. “… Given the information I had that day, no, I would have not made any other decision. In speaking with other (officers) that were in that house, we all agreed that was the best method, given the information we had.

“I said all along that I don’t know if I could go back and sit in my house and look at my children if, in fact, the little girl would’ve have been in that home and harmed. … I took an oath to not let that happen.” ..This is a multi-page article, more in the original.. by Russell Plummer

Suicide victim wanted in Maryland sex crime

3-23-2012 Tennessee:

KNOXVILLE — The man who killed himself Sunday night in the University of Tennessee Medical Center parking lot was facing a sex-crime charge in his home state of Maryland, authorities said this week.

Knoxville police arrived at the hospital, 1924 Alcoa Highway, and found the man's body in his vehicle with an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. Knoxville Police Department investigators identified the man as Daryl R. Baker, 53, of Walkersville, Md., KPD Lt. Dusty Lane said.

Baker had been indicted on a sex-abuse charge in Frederick County, Md., but had not yet served with the indictment, according to the Maryland State Police. Investigators there wouldn't give further details.

Knoxville police said they still don't know why Baker, who had no known ties to East Tennessee, came here to commit suicide. ..Source.. by News Sentinel staff

Escambia Bay body identified

3-19-2012 Florida:

A preliminary identification has been made regarding the body boaters discovered Saturday morning in Escambia Bay.

Investigators used a GPS ankle monitor to tentatively identify the body found as the remains of Patrick Willingham, 29, of Pensacola.

According to Sgt. Scott Haines with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, Willingham was on a GPS monitor through State Probation in Escambia County as he was a register sex offender.

Willingham, who had been reported missing to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office on Dec. 22 of last year by his family.

Officers with the Florida Highway Patrol discovered Willingham’s abandoned vehicle just east of the 17-mile marker on the Escambia Bay Bridge, Dec. 21.

According to Haines, Willingham’s GPS monitor last transmitted on Dec. 20, at 9 a.m. from the top of the Escambia Bay Bridge.

State Probation received a notification that Willingham had travelled too far from his base unit and the monitor could not be tracked.

No foul play is suspected in Willingham’s death, according to Haines, but the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation.

The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit checked the area with boats on Dec. 22 and the Florida Wildlife Commission checked the waterways on Dec. 28, but both searches were met with negative results.

According to Haines, individuals testing a boat discovered the body floating in Escambia Bay around 11:30 a.m.

The boaters, who were not identified by Haines, remained on the scene until units from Avalon Fire and Rescue, Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and Lifeguard Ambulance responded to the scene.

Just before 3 p.m. members of Avalon Fire and Rescue, Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida District 1 Medical Examiners Office left Archie Glover Boat Ramp to recover the body.

A positive identification of the body will be done through further analysis of the remains according to Haines.

According to Haines, the body appeared to have been in the bay for a lengthy period of time.

A fisherman, who would not give his name, said he and a fishing partner caught a couple of red fish early Saturday morning near piling 90. Later Saturday morning they returned to the piling to catch more fish when a boat informed them about it being a crime scene.

Despite the investigation, the Archie Glover Boat Ramp was busy with boats being launched for fishing and boating excursions.

"The fog was really intense this morning," said A.J. Ward of Pace, who was fishing with friends Saturday morning. "The fog finally lifted around 11 a.m., but we were back and forth across the bay between the bridge and the train tracks and didn't see anything all morning.

"Early on it was like our own private lake since visibility in some spots was limited to 20 yards and 100 yards in others since the fog was so thick.” ..Source.. by Santa Fosa Press

Ex-letter carrier indicted

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Broward lawyer Stephen D. Jerome, 61, kills self amid child porn probe

3-14-2012 Florida:

Police say that Stephen D. Jerome jumped from the roof of his Fort Lauderdale office building after they searched his home for child pornography and arrested him for drugs

Stephen David Jerome had a flair for the dramatic.

The Pompano Beach bankruptcy lawyer acted in community theatre, and was known to break into song in the courtroom.

Early Friday morning, he chose a dramatic ending to his own life. Police say he jumped from the roof of the 11-story BankAtlantic building at 1600 S. Federal Hwy., where he kept an eighth-floor office, hours after bonding out of the Broward County Jail on minor drug charges.

A Colorado fugitive who killed himself identified

3-10-2012 Montana:

A Colorado fugitive who killed himself in a Ballantine motel Friday night has been identified.

Brenton David Glaser, 29, of Evans, Colo., was wanted for contempt of court out of Weld County, Colo., and is listed on the county's most-wanted list, according to the Weld County Sheriff's website. Members of the Montana Violent Offenders Task Force and Yellowstone County Sheriff's deputies were attempting to serve him with a felony warrant when he killed himself. The warrant, which does not list a bond amount, lists Glaser's original charge as sexual assault.

Officers responded to Tiger Town Convenience Store and Motel at 2253 S. 16th Road, Room 2, at about 5:30 p.m., to serve Glaser with the felony warrant.

"We received information from the Colorado Task Force on Friday about the suspect possibly being in our area," U.S. Marshal Darrell Bell said. "Once we were given that information, we confirmed his whereabouts."

Sheriff Mike Linder said officers entered Glaser's motel room, but before they could detain him, he had locked himself into the bathroom. When officials forced entry into the bathroom, they found Glaser had "cut himself in the neck causing severe damage and bleeding."

He continued to resist, Linder said, so officials used a Taser in attempt to prevent Glaser from causing injury to officers or further injury to himself.

"He was a really big man," Linder said. "There were state, local, federal and extra sheriff's deputies there. You just never know what's going to happen in these felony fugitive cases, so we took every precaution."

There were no medical or law enforcement personnel injured, and no shots were fired.

Immediately after using the Taser on Glaser, officials applied first aid and called for medical help, Linder said. The Worden ambulance and the HELP Flight helicopter responded, but the helicopter was canceled when Worden medical responders were unable to revive him.

Motel owner Carol Hayes said she checked the man into the room Wednesday. She would not reveal further details.

Linder said as far as officers know, Glaser was traveling alone. ..Source.. by CARMEN DAYE IRISH

Man Shot After Authorities Locate Him

3-9-2012 Montana:

REED POINT - A man is dead after shooting himself near Reed Point Thursday as authorities tried to pull him over on an attempt to locate.

The Bozeman Police Department says the man was wanted out of Bozeman for sexual assault with a weapon. The Montana Highway Patrol spotted the suspect's vehicle near Reed Point.

MHP and Stillwater County pulled over the vehicle driven by the suspect. Authorities say the man shot himself before officers got out of their car. The suspect's name has not been released.

Troopers then shut down the Frontage Road about five miles west of Reed Point.

"At this time, it does not appear that there was any exchange between officers," said Sgt. Jay Nelson with the Montana Highway Patrol.

"During the incident, our detectives developed information that was a very kind of volatile situation that had the potential for becoming a much worse situation," said Lieutenant Steve Crawford with the Bozeman Police Department.

The Montana department of criminal investigations is in charge of the case. The suspect was transported to Billings, but was pronounced dead. ..Source.. by Nicole Grigg

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Man kills himself during I-90 stop, possibly linked to Bozeman sexual assault

More details have been released about the events possibly leading up to a shooting along Interstate 90 on Thursday afternoon between Reed Point and Columbus.

Bozeman police began investing a report of sexual intercourse without consent involving a weapon on Thursday morning, according to Bozeman Police Lt. Steve Crawford.

The incident reportedly took place at a residence on the north side of Bozeman and involved a person who was known to the alleged victim, Crawford said.

Police identified a person of interest and vehicle to look for in the case and notified area law enforcement.

Later in the morning, police received information that the person of interest was possibly in the Billings area and Billings law enforcement was notified.

Authorities then relayed back that they had located a vehicle, a 2001 Ford Ranger with Montana plates, on Interstate 90, and Bozeman police asked them to stop the vehicle.

A Montana Highway Patrol trooper and two Stillwater County deputies spotted the suspect's vehicle around 1 p.m. on Interstate 90 about 10 miles west of Columbus.

According to Montana Highway Patrol Lt. Col. Butch Huseby, the man pulled off the interstate at exit 397 near Reed Point, and before officers could exit their vehicle it appears the man shot himself.

No shots were fired by law enforcement, Huseby said.

The identity of the person has not yet been released.

The MT Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating the incident.

Crawford said that at this point Bozeman authorities have not confirmed that the person of interest in the report of sexual intercourse without consent incident is the same person involved in the shooting.

"We will continue to investigate our part of the incident to fully document what led up to the events that occurred in Stillwater County," Crawford said.

Crawford added that they are not looking for any other suspects in the Thursday morning incident in Bozeman. He said there was not a threat to the general public, adding that the suspect was known to the alleged victim.

We will bring you more information as this story continues to develop. ..Source.. by KRTV.com

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Sexual Assault Suspect Who Killed Himself on I-90 Identified

3-24-2012:

The Stillwater County Sheriff's Office has released the name of the man who shot himself after being pulled over by police.

County officials say 54-year-old William Carl Norman of Livingston died Thursday near Reed Point as authorities attempted to apprehend him.

Norman was wanted in connection to a sexual assault with a weapon case that had been reported in Bozeman.

Montana Highway Patrol identified his vehicle on Interstate-90 Thursday around noon.

Norman shot himself in his own vehicle before officials were able to reach him. ..Source.. by KFBB.com

Alex Marbury

February 2012 :

Alex Marbury was the very heart and soul of RSOL during its formative years. He loved RSOL and its people and, in turn, was the recipient of much appreciation and affection. Hundreds of those now connected to RSOL were first welcomed into the organization by Alex in his role as email contact and member of the Admin Team. He has been sorely missed since his retirement a few years ago.

Alex died in the hospital on Sunday February 19 after a year-long debilitating illness.

All of us in RSOL are deeply indebted for his indefatigable efforts to end the registry and stand against the demonization of people labeled sex offenders. But his work on behalf of human rights for sex offenders was only a small part of Alex’s life and work for social justice and racial equality. No one of any background whose humanity was being violated would fail to receive Alex’s support and love. In next month’s Digest Alex’s good friend and admirer, Paul Shannon, an initiator of the RSOL project, will share a few of the details of Alex’s remarkable life.

This month's RSOL Digest will be dedicated to the memory of Alex. He cared deeply about the Digest and enjoyed nothing more than being asked to write an article for an upcoming edition. His retirement left a gap in our hearts and our lives; the sadness at his passing is only mitigated by the knowledge that he is now at rest and at peace. ..Source.. RSOL Website

2 Killed in Gulfport, Suspected Shooter Found Dead

Posted in Related Deaths

10-11-2011 Mississippi:

GULFPORT, Mississippi -- Police in Gulfport are investigating a double murder-suicide.

Gulfport Police say the crime happened on Monday around 1pm at a home on Kent Ave.

The victims have been identified as a minister's wife 45-year-old Karen Ferguson, and her son 21-year-old Trevor Cole, who has cerebral palsy. Both were found shot to death inside their home.

The alleged shooter, 70-year-old Paul Buckman, was found dead inside an apartment at Creekwood North Apartments on Oneal Road just blocks away. Police say Buckman died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Investigators say Karen Ferguson is the wife of Minister Les Ferguson who works at the Orange Grove Church of Christ. Police say Buckman previously attended their church, but was accused of molesting their disabled son Trevor. Buckman was sent to jail, but bonded out a few days later.

Investigators say the couple's 5 year-old son was also home when the suspect entered the house, but Mrs. Ferguson told the child to run. The child was able to escape to a neighbors house. The neighbor called police.

Police are still investigating the case. News 5 will bring you more details as they are released on wkrg.com and News 5 at 5pm and 6pm. ..Source.. by WKRG Staff

Polk County Jail inmate dies in apparent suicide

3-2-2012 Florida:

An inmate facing child sex abuse charges was found hanging by a sheet in his cell this morning, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

Wilfredo Morales-Torres, 40, had been held in the South County Jail in Frostproof since his extradition in December from Michigan, the agency reported.

He was assigned to a cell by himself and left a suicide note stating he was depressed and wanted to go to sleep. It could not be learned today if Morales-Torres was on suicide watch or how often corrections officers checked his cell.

Morales-Torres had been charged with kidnapping, attempted lewd molestation and false imprisonment of a 14-year-old girl. He also was charged with stealing a car and jewelry and dealing in stolen property. His death remains under investigation. ..Source.. by Henry Pierson Curtis, Orlando Sentinel

Police say man killed self after assaulting woman

3-3-2011 Missouri:

COLUMBIA, Mo. • Authorities say a Lake Saint Louis man sexually assaulted a woman in Columbia and attempted two more assaults before killing himself early Wednesday.

A woman, 22, was forced into a pickup and sexually assaulted outside a Columbia grocery store late Tuesday, police said. The man drove off when she managed to escape.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reported that about 90 minutes later, an armed man threatened a female employee at a Boonville truck stop.

The man drove west and was involved in a brief standoff early Wednesday with Lafayette County deputies on Interstate 70. A county news release says the man shot himself in the head and died at the scene.

The Tribune identified the man as Lake Saint Louis resident Todd Rehkop, 41, who was also suspected in another attempted assault in Columbia. ..Source.. by sltToday.com