Posted on: Tuesday, December 16th, 2008 by: Meg |
 
Police announced today what they have long suspected, that Ottis Toole abducted and murdered six-year-old Adam Walsh in 1981. The decades old investigation is now officially closed, according to Hollywood, Florida police chief Chad Wagner.
A news conference today brought the official pronouncement. According to Wagner, “this case could have been closed, should have been closed years ago.” He apologized to John Walsh and Reve Walsh for “lapses” in the investigation.
Adam accompanied his mother to a Sears store across from the Hollywood, Florida police station on July 27, 1981. She left him playing video games in the toy department while she shopped. When she returned he was gone. His severed head was found floating in a canal some 120 miles away. His body was never recovered.
John Walsh, a tireless advocate for missing children, said, “For 27 years, we have been asking ourselves, ‘Who would take a 6-year-old boy and murder him and decapitate him?’” We needed to know. The not knowing has been a torture but now that journey is over. It is only fitting that it ends here at this police department.”
Toole, a convicted pedophile and killer who died in prison in 1996, was in Hollywood, Florida at the time Adam disappeared. He had twice confessed and then recanted. He provided many credible details but had apparently also confessed to other murders that police knew he had not committed. A valuable piece of evidence, a bloody piece of carpet that was removed from Toole’s car, was lost long before DNA testing was available.
Walsh left his mainstream executive job after Adam’s murder to begin a new mission with television show America’s Most Wanted. He was also instrumental in pushing for the passage of the federal Missing Children’s Assistance Act of 1984 which established the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Check out photos and the news conference video below.
Read more…
Related Articles:
Posted on: Tuesday, December 16th, 2008 by: Andrea |
Stevie Wonder is set to become the first blind contestant on Dancing With the Stars.
“I think it’d be fun – working on my little stomach thing here and losing some more weight, the singer said during a radio interview. “I’d do dancing. I’d win the contest.”
Confirming that he has been approached by producers of DWTS, the 58-year-old says he is considering the offer. “It’d be fun. It’s not impossible, but right now it’s just a thought,” he said.
The ABC hit show has featured deaf actress Marley Matlin and amputee Heather Mills.
Related Articles:
Posted on: Tuesday, December 16th, 2008 by: Meg |
Brittany Zimmerman was just 21-years-old and wanted to be a doctor. The University of Wisconsin-Madison college student was attacked and murdered on April 2, 2008 after placing a frantic 911 call that went unheeded.
Officers did not arrive at Zimmerman’s home until 48 minutes after the 12:20 p.m. call because the Dane County emergency dispatcher did not deem the call an emergency. A replay of the 911 tape told a different story. There were screams, gasps and what sounded like a struggle.
When officers arrived they found the young woman’s fiance, Jordan Gonnering on the scene. He told police that he had been out when Zimmerman arrived home from classes and he found her lifeless body when he returned. She had suffered multiple stab wounds to her chest and heart and had been beaten and strangled.
The crime is still unsolved but police believe the attacker was a stranger who made a forced entry, as evidenced by her damaged apartment door. Friends and family have not been able to come up with any motives that might have trigger the attacker. Brittany had no known enemies.
Neighbors reported seeing vagrants in the neighborhood around the time of the murder. Police believe that the killer probably used a two to five inch long knife. DNA samples taken from Brittany Zimmermann’s body may offer a future break in the case.
Brittany’s family has offered a $14,000 reward and Crime Stoppers is offering $1,000 for tips leading to an arrest and conviction.
According to Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, an independent agency has just finished up a two phased audit of Dane County 911. There were several findings of understaffing, which will be remedied. The immediate recommendation is: “If there is any doubt, ever, on the other end of the line that there is a public safety issue, we will dispatch police.”
Several Madison area media outlets have sued in order to force the release of the audio tape of the call. Dane County Circuit Court Judge Richard Niess is due to rule on the merits as early as today. He has also been asked to rule on releasing Jordan Gonnering’s 911 call. Zimmermann’s parents have requested that their daughter’s tape remain sealed. Her fiance has taken the same stance with regard to his subsequent taped call.
Photos below.
Read more…
Related Articles:
Posted on: Tuesday, December 16th, 2008 by: Missy |
The crowd in Washington Square Park had their hopes dashed when Pete Wentz and the Fall Out Boy impromptu concert got nixed by police.
In town to promote their latest CD Folie a Deux, Pete and the boys were going to give an unscheduled performance but were told that without a permit they couldn’t play and officials went as far as to threaten them with arrest.
Wow, New York is a tough gig. From the photos it looks like the guys made the best of their appearance before a large group of fans who turned out for the non-event.
Check out the photo gallery below.
Read more…
Related Articles:
Posted on: Tuesday, December 16th, 2008 by: Meg |
  
The Screen Actors Guild is planning to call for a strike vote on January 2, that would have their ranks curtailing their current television and movie projects, and undoubtedly putting scores of others out of work in the process. Their contract with Alliance of Motion Picture and TV Producers expired on June 30, 2008 and SAG members have been working without a new agreement for the past six months.
The issues get dicey in the midst of an economy that is in the toilet. A good share of actors ‘get that’ and have drafted a petition that has been sent to SAG National President Alan Rosenberg asking the board to cancel the strike-authorization vote for now. Their document said:
“We feel very strongly that SAG members should not vote to authorize a strike at this time. We don’t think that an authorization can be looked at as merely a bargaining tool, it must be looked at as what it is–an agreement to strike if negotiations fail. We support our union and we support the issues we’re fighting for, but we do not believe in all good conscience that now is the time to be putting people out of work.”
Those signing include George Clooney, Tom Hanks, Alec Baldwin, Cameron Diaz, Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner, Charlize Theron, Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman and Eva Longoria Parker. Others include Sally Field, Felicity Huffman, Rob Lowe, Kevin Spacey, Josh Brolin, Pierce Brosnan, Glenn Close, Donald Sutherland, Billy Crystal, Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, Edward Norton, Tobey Maguire, Bradley Whitford and Helen Hunt.
On the flip side, there are 30 prominent actors who have signed a statement supporting a SAG strike vote. They include Mel Gibson, Ed Harris, Holly Hunter, Martin Sheen, Sandra Oh, Jerry O’Connell, Rob Morrow, Hal Holbrook, Dixie Carter, Ed Asner, Elliott Gould, Valerie Harper, Robert Hays, Justine Bateman, Scott Bakula and Diane Ladd.
Chief beefs continue to be new-media residuals and other compensation related issues.
Related Articles:
Posted on: Tuesday, December 16th, 2008 by: Missy |
No surprise that there is already chatter about Paris Hilton and Benji Madden reconciling. It has been a few weeks since we have seen Paris with a man on her side and the holiday’s are fast approaching. Panic must be setting in.
Last night’s grand opening of Dolce & Gabbana boutique on Robertson Boulevard seemed to be an awkward scene for some. Nicole Richie and boyfriend Joel Madden show up on the red carpet for the event to benefit Art of Elysuim. While the couple was posing for photos, Paris strolled by without even saying boo.
Things changed as soon as her old flame Benji Madden showed up. Not only did he interrupt her interview - which was most likely about saving the planet, but they went into the store together and chatted it up privately in the corner. Hilton did tell Ryan Seacrest last month that they were just on a break.
So did they leave together? No, Benji departed with Nicole and Joel while Paris lingered with Nicky Hilton and her longtime boyfriend David Katzenberg.
Photos of the event below.
Read more…
Related Articles:
Posted on: Tuesday, December 16th, 2008 by: Meg |
Dennis Quaid and his wife Kimberly have reached an agreement with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and will be paid $750,000 as compensation for the accidental overdose of their twin babies one year ago, pending approval of a Los Angeles judge.
Thomas Boone and Zoe Grace, born in November 2007, were each given massive doses of the blood thinner Heparin, at 1,000 times the common dose for infants. The babies spent five days in intensive care fighting for their lives. They have reportedly suffered no lasting side effects and are healthy thirteen-month-old toddlers. Cedar-Sinai was fined $25,000 by the California Department of Public Health after an investigation into the incident.
Court papers filed Monday with L.A. Superior Court said, “The settlement is the result of extensive negotiation between the parties and their respective legal representatives, and is intended to avoid the time, expense and uncertainty of litigation.”
The Quaid’s have also filed a lawsuit again Heparin manufacturer Baxter Healthcare Corporation over negligence in packaging adult and pediatric dosages in similar vials. This is believed to be how the mix-up occurred.
Photo gallery below.
Read more…
Related Articles:
|
|
