Administrator @ March 22, 2009 # No Comment Yet
By JERRY DeMARCO
Authorities say a couple believed to be the serial robbers nicknamed “Bonnie and Clyde” have been caught and confessed to several North Jersey holdups, after being spotted by a young cop who’s been on the job less than a year.
The couple, sitting in an SUV at a stop light last night, seemed to [...]
Administrator @ March 18, 2009 # One Comment
By JERRY DeMARCO
Police are calling a couple who held up two North Jersey bodegas last week “Bonnie and Clyde.”
Nice try, but a stretch.
Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow roamed the Central U.S., robbing banks and killing at least nine cops, among several murders, in the early 1930s.
Barrow did most of the work, the legend goes, with [...]
Fio @ March 3, 2009 # No Comment Yet
On a recent episode of “Cops,” a bare-chested, shoe-less fool complained that the officers hadn’t read him his Miranda rights. The officers were asking him about a fight that had just taken place. The shoe-less wonder wasn’t a suspect, so Miranda wasn’t necessary.
The common right of inquiry allows law enforcement agents to question civilians—Miranda [...]
Administrator @ February 28, 2009 # One Comment
By Jerry DeMarco
If you believe Terence Lawton, he’s no longer an artful dodger who made millions by heading a burglary ring dubbed the “James Bond Gang.” Now a self-described hard-working laborer, he’s the government’s key witnesses in a federal trial against a high school buddy who helped him commit the crimes.
David Kirkland, like Lawton, [...]
Fio @ February 22, 2009 # 2 Comments
Reading and writing about crime all the time has a way of making you paranoid. I know the safety odds are in my favor, but I like to hedge my bets—so I keep a hammer in my car. I bought it at Target for $2.99. It has a rubber handle and a shiny silver head. [...]
Administrator @ February 18, 2009 # 3 Comments
Veteran crime reporter Jerry DeMarco has covered crime for more than two decades as a reporter and editor. He writes a true crime blog for examiner.com.
BY JERRY DeMARCO
Even wiseguys got hinky around Richard Kuklinski.
By his own account, “The Iceman” shot, stabbed, strangled, and poisoned many of his victims. One was blown to bits by a [...]
Fio @ February 11, 2009 # 63 Comments
My sister called me tonight with terrible news. Her high school friend had been arrested for attempted murder. We were both aghast. According to police, Timothy Gersbeck ambushed Patricia Battisti outside her Long Island home in a botched murder-for-hire scheme last Friday. He stabbed her three times in the neck with a screwdriver before bystanders [...]
Administrator @ February 9, 2009 # No Comment Yet
Veteran crime reporter Jerry DeMarco has covered crime for more than two decades as a reporter and editor. He is Publisher and Editor of Cliff View Pilot.
By Jerry DeMarco
The repercussions of a report that says Megan’s Laws haven’t reduced either the number of child victims or the likelihood that tagged predators will strike again [...]
Administrator @ February 2, 2009 # 2 Comments
From massive fraud schemes to dime-store holdups, extreme behavior is accelerating. One of the more horrifying examples occurred just this week in California, where a man despondent over losing his job killed his wife and five kids, then turned the gun on himself, after losing his job.
Administrator @ February 1, 2009 # One Comment
The oldest of three children, Polifrone grew up in a lower-middle-class Italian enclave. As a boy, he ran numbers for a neighborhood bookie. Later, he became the family’s first college graduate.
“My father worked construction seven days a week. He used to take me out to the job and say, ‘Is this what you want to [...]
Dwyer @ January 28, 2009 # 4 Comments
The fate of former FBI agent John Connolly grows dimmer by the day. Connolly, whose case we covered in True Stories of Law & Order, recently was slammed with a 40-year prison term for helping his buddy, Whitey Bulger, kill John B. Callahan—a criminal colleague of theirs who, Bulger decided one day, knew too much. [...]
Administrator @ January 24, 2009 # 2 Comments
BY JERRY DeMARCO
Grand jurors have indicted a North Jersey man on charges of murdering his teenaged neighbor 27 years ago.
New methods of comparing DNA evidence led to the arrest of Angelo Speziale in the cold-blooded killing of 19-year-old Michelle Mika of Ridgefield Park.
Speziale, now 47, also would have been charged with rape if not for [...]
Fio @ January 21, 2009 # One Comment
The terms psychopath and sociopath are often confused and used interchangeably because the two definitions are similar. However, there are differences between the two.
A sociopath is a habitual offender. Today, criminologists use the term sociopath to describe repetitive offenders who do not respond to treatment or rehabilitation. Some experts believe that a sociopath is made, [...]
Administrator @ January 20, 2009 # 6 Comments
Dwyer & Fio are thrilled to welcome veteran crime reporter Jerry DeMarco as their very first guest blogger. Jerry has covered crime for more than two decades as a reporter and editor. He writes a true crime blog for examiner.com.
By JERRY DeMARCO
As we slide deeper into the ring of hell that is reality television, it’s [...]
Administrator @ January 17, 2009 # No Comment Yet
Kevin Dwyer is a freelance writer based in New York. His first book, Kiss & Tell: A Trivial Study of Smooching, was published in February 2006. He was a contributing author for Failures of the Presidents and History’s Greatest Lies, and several other books.
Kevin has taught writing classes at Hofstra University and Nassau Community [...]
Fio @ January 7, 2009 # 2 Comments
Poison is the weapon of choice for most female serial killers
I spent a good part of last year researching female serial killers. What I discovered was that information on killer ladies is as elusive as the ladies themselves. There’s an abundance of material out there on male serial killers but few good resources on their [...]
Fio @ December 26, 2008 # No Comment Yet
Lady Killers? No, Killer Ladies.
In recent years, serial killers have become unlikely celebrities. Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Ed Gein, and Richard Ramirez—their names and crimes are known around the world. True crime is big business and all the biggest names and offenders are male. But is it serial murder the boy’s club [...]
Fio @ December 26, 2008 # 3 Comments
After seeing the flawed but powerful drama “Irena’s Vow” on Broadway, we thought this post from last December deserved rerunning. The play, which stars Tovah Feldshuh (L&O attorney Danielle Melnick), recounts the true story of a Polish woman who hid 12 Jews from the Nazis in a top ranking German general’s home during WWII.
Recently, I [...]
Dwyer @ November 6, 2008 # 2 Comments
The Last Undercover: The True Story of an FBI Agent’s Dangerous Dance With Evil
by Bob Hamer
Bob Hamer has no shortage of amazing stories to tell. An undercover FBI agent for decades, he spent his career infiltrating just about every type of crime organization in operation today—the Russian mob, the Crips, La Cosa Nostra, the Iraqi [...]
Dwyer @ November 4, 2008 # No Comment Yet
The federal court has had its turn with 45-year-old Joseph Duncan, heaping three life sentences on top of the three death sentences he received from the state of Idaho this past August for the abduction, torture, and sexual assault of Dylan and Shasta Groene, and the subsequent murder of Dylan. He had also received three [...]
Dwyer @ October 28, 2008 # 3 Comments
Book Review
Whisper of Fear: The True Story of the Prosecutor Who Stalks the Stalkers
by Rhonda B. Saunders and Stephen G. Michaud
Before Glenn Close played the ultimate spurned-lover-turned-psycho (turned-superhuman-underwater-breathing-
murderess) in the popular 1987 movie Fatal Attraction, stalking was not a common topic of conversation. Afterwards, though, the term “stalking” entered the American lexicon—and the heart [...]
Fio @ October 23, 2008 # 4 Comments
A few years ago Utah took death by firing squad off the menu of execution choices for death row inmates. Some people decried allowing criminals the state-sanctioned opportunity to “go out in a blaze of glory.” Idaho and Oklahoma still have firing squad on the books, although the condemned usually opt for lethal injection. [...]
Fio @ October 9, 2008 # No Comment Yet
The United States houses a mere 5 percent of the world’s population but a whopping 25% of the world’s incarcerated population. Currently, more than 1 in 100 American adults is serving time in jail or prison. While crime rates have continued to decrease over the last two decades, incarceration rates have increased. Why is this? [...]
Administrator @ October 2, 2008 # No Comment Yet
John Connolly, the disgraced FBI agent whose friendship with Boston’s one man crime wave Whitey Bulgerlost him his badge, was sentenced to 40 years sentenced in prison for the 1982 killing of a Miami gambling executive. According to the prosecutor, Connolly gave Bulger and his gang information to help them murder a suspected police informant. [...]
Fio @ September 27, 2008 # No Comment Yet
Several of the people we wrote about in True Stories of Law & Order are back in the spotlight…
John Connolly, the disgraced FBI agent whose friendship with Boston’s one man crime wave Whitey Bulgerlost him his badge, is on trial in Miami. Currently serving prison time on RICO chages, Connolly is now accused of [...]
Administrator @ September 23, 2008 # No Comment Yet
Robert Chambers, 2008
Earlier this month Robert Chambers pleaded guilty to dealing cocaine out of a Manhattan apartment. In court Chambers looked haggard, old, puffy, and as much of a bad seed as ever. Long gone are the clean-cut good looks that won hearts and fooled parents during his school days—looks that led reporters to dub [...]
Administrator @ September 15, 2008 # No Comment Yet
Fio in front of the Hawaiian Supreme Court in Oahu
It’s so picturesque, you’d think Hawaii would be immune from crime. Nope. Guess they break laws in paradise too….
Administrator @ September 8, 2008 # 6 Comments
Concerned neighbors in Trenton, New Jersey called police last week after hearing cries for help coming from a nearby house. No one answered when the police knocked on the door. Worried that someone inside was injured, the officers broke down the door.
The house was empty—except for Luna, a 10-year old white umbrella cockatoo who [...]
Fio @ September 2, 2008 # 3 Comments
Mug shot of Marjorie Knoller
We thought we had seen the last of Marjorie Knoller but the pet owner from hell is back in the spotlight—and back in jail. Knoller, whose case we covered in True Stories of Law & Order, was convicted in 2002 by a San Francisco jury of second degree murder for the [...]
Fio @ August 27, 2008 # No Comment Yet
Duncan gets death for the murder of Dylan Groene
Three hours. That’s how long it took an Idaho jury last week to decide that serial pedophile-convicted killer Joseph Duncan III should be put to death for the 2005 murder of 9-year old Dylan Groene.
In 2005, Duncan slaughtered three members of the Groene family in order [...]
Fio @ August 17, 2008 # One Comment
The late Harvey Milk, San Francisco’s first openly gay supervisor
My preoccupation with crime (and justice) draws me to some dark places during my travels. On vacation in San Francisco, I’ve made a point this week to visit City Hall, where Dan White assassinated Mayor George Moscone and the openly gay city supervisor Harvey Milk in [...]
Administrator @ August 8, 2008 # No Comment Yet
Alleged killer Vince Weiguang Li in custody
Just when we thought we’d heard it all a new crime occurs that defies belief. This one happened in Canada and is so horrific it seems like a hoax. But it’s not. Last week, a man attacked, killed, decapitated, and then ate parts of a fellow passenger on a [...]
Fio @ August 4, 2008 # No Comment Yet
According to a 1998 report, 1 million women and 370,000 men are stalked each year. Stalkers are often complete strangers to their victims. While stalking is now a crime, this wasn’t always the case. It wasn’t until 1990 that the act was deemed a criminal offense.
Actress Rebecca Schaeffer was murdered outside her California home [...]
Fio @ July 30, 2008 # 6 Comments
Ritchie Coster plays a serial killer on L&O
Law & Order has no shortage of great guest stars and creepy villains. My favorite villain, by far, is serial killer Mark Bruner in the episode “Bodies.” At one point, Bruner tells an atypically quiet Jack McCoy “I’m the un-you.” It’s a terrific line and Bruner follows it [...]
Administrator @ July 24, 2008 # One Comment
Watching the Detectives…
Cartoon courtesy of Bob Eckstein, author of The History of the Snowman.
Bob Eckstein copyright © 2008
Fio @ July 22, 2008 # No Comment Yet
Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo on their wedding day.
You can call him a rapist, a murderer, even a psychopath, but don’t call him a liar—that’s where Paul Bernardo draws the line. Bernardo—whose horrific crimes we covered in True Stories of Law & Order: SVU—is apparently offended that Toronto police suspect he is lying to them [...]
Fio @ July 3, 2008 # One Comment
No Noth? Now that’s a big deal
Yes, it’s true: Chris Noth is leaving Law & Order: CI. Fan favorite Noth is bowing out after three seasons.
The wacky, wonderful, and talented Jeff Goldblum will hit the streets (and the small screen) next season. He’ll split his shift with Vincent D’Onofrio.
“Jeff’s presence will add a [...]
Dwyer @ June 23, 2008 # One Comment
This morning (June 23) the Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC did a fascinating piece about Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Daniel Bibb who recently admitted to purposely losing a hearing to defend the 1990 murder convictions of two men, Olmedo Hidalgo and David Lemus.
Hildago and Lemus were convicted to 25 years for murdering a bouncer [...]
Administrator @ June 16, 2008 # No Comment Yet
True Stories of Law & Order was featured in Newsday and mentioned in the New York Post’s Starr Report. The authors have appeared on Court TV Radio with Vinnie Politan, the Jim & Kim Show on 98.3 KJOY, and were interviewed by the Washington Post and the Mystery Guild Book Club.
Kevin [...]
Administrator @ June 16, 2008 # No Comment Yet
True Stories of Law & Order was featured in Newsday and mentioned in the New York Post’s Starr Report. The authors have appeared on Court TV Radio with Vinnie Politan, the Jim & Kim Show on 98.3 KJOY, and were interviewed by the Washington Post and the Mystery Guild Book Club.
Kevin [...]
Fio @ June 13, 2008 # 3 Comments
To escape the heat last week, I ducked into a chilly movie theater to watch The Strangers. The film tells the story of a couple—Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman—who is terrorized by a trio of unknown psychos while spending the night at a summerhouse. At the start of the film we’re told that 1.4 million [...]
Administrator @ June 3, 2008 # One Comment
This witness is clearly hostile.
During trial, lawyers will often ask for permission to “treat the witness as hostile.” What exactly does this mean? When a witness is called to the stand, his testimony is expected to support the argument of the side that subpoenaed him.
If the witness becomes evasive, or changes his story, the lawyer [...]
Fio @ June 3, 2008 # 2 Comments
A VERY SWEET HEIST
A trucking company is offering a $10,000 reward for the return of 36,000 pounds of stolen candy. The candy haul, which included Bazooka gum, jelly beans, and more, was worth nearly $70,000.
My heart beat a bit faster when I found that interesting tidbit online tonight. Screw the reward, I want the candy! [...]
Fio @ May 30, 2008 # 9 Comments
The other day I watched an old CSI episode in which Gil & the Gang extracted a conversation from a piece of pottery at a crime scene. I was highly doubtful such a feat was possible. Thankfully, it’s not. (Imagine the embarrassing conversations our pots and pans could reveal.) The guys over at Mythbusters later [...]
Administrator @ May 28, 2008 # 3 Comments
On Law & Order, witness identifications in lineups are rarely challenged by the defense. In reality, attorneys often challenge lineup IDs—both through motions to dismiss, as well as during trial.
Lineups are naturally flawed. Given the amount of detail witnesses need to retained in order to make a positive ID, it’s crucial that lineup participants are [...]
Bad burro sprung from Mexican slammer
Administrator @ May 22, 2008 # 5 Comments
After spending three days in a Mexican slammer for assault and battery, Blacky the Donkey is finally home free. Last Sunday, Blacky went on a rampage in Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital of Chiapas state, biting one man on the chest and then violently kicking the good Samaritan who came to the man’s rescue. It [...]
Dwyer @ May 13, 2008 # One Comment
Dennis Farina apologizes for arrest with gun
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Actor Dennis Farina, who was arrested on Sunday at Los Angeles International Airport for carrying a loaded gun on his way to board a plane, has apologized for the incident.
The 64-year-old former policeman who built a Hollywood career playing detectives issued a statement saying he [...]
Administrator @ May 10, 2008 # No Comment Yet
In memory of Cat Detective Koogar Lynn
Fio @ May 3, 2008 # 3 Comments
Despite what reporters and crime writers (like me and Dwyer) may lead you to believe, the odds are that you won’t be attacked or killed in this lifetime. According to The Mythology of Crime and Criminal Justice, in the last decade, “98% of the U.S. population was not the victim of any kind of [...]
