BABE OF THE WEEK

This week's babe is actress Helena Mattsson. Helena hails from the land of Volvos and little meatballs. That's Sweden, by the way.

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: MAY 31, 1964

On this date in 1964, Charles Schimd, the "Pied Piper of Tucson," murdered fifteen year old Alleen Rowe. The 23 year old Schmid--so self-conscious about his small stature that he would put crushed beer cans and rags in his boots to make himself look taller--managed to convince several local teenagers to help him set up Alleen to be killed, and then dispose of her body. His motive: he wanted to see what it felt like to kill someone. Schmid went on to murder two more teenage girls when they threatened to expose him.

Charles Schmid was arrested in November 1965. He was convicted and sentenced to death. His sentence was eventually commuted to life in prison, thanks to our ever-compassionate justice system. In 1975, his death sentence was carried out anyway, compliments of some never-compassionate inmates in the Arizona State Prison yard. They shanked the little psycho (a few dozen times) and left him in a pool of his own blood. Schmid's family refused to claim his remains. He was buried in the prison cemetery.

Schmid was the inspiration for the short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates. If you've never read it, the full text is posted on her website here. Great story.

truTV Crime Library - Charles Schmid, The Pied Piper of Tucson

Wikipedia - Charles Schmid

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: MAY 29, 1979

On this date in 1979, federal Judge John H. Wood, Jr. was assassinated outside his home in San Antonio, TX. Wood, who was nicknamed "Maximum John" due to the harsh sentences he handed out for drug offenses, was the first federal judge assassinated in the 20th century.

An anonymous tip led police to ex-convict Charles Harrelson, father of actor Woody Harrelson. Harrelson had been hired to kill Wood by drug dealer Jamiel Chagra, who was due to be appear before Judge Wood in a narcotics case.

At trial, Harrelson claimed he hadn't killed Judge Wood, but had taken credit for it in order to collect money from Chagra. The jury didn't buy it, and Harrelson was convicted of murder. He was sentenced to two life terms and died of a heart attack in the federal supermax prison in Colorado in 2007.

Chagra's brother Joe received a 10 year sentence for his role in arranging the hit. Chagra's wife also received a prison sentence for her role delivering the payout money. Jamiel Chagra, who was represented by attorney Oscar Goodman (the current mayor of Las Vegas), was acquitted when his brother refused to testify against him. Chagra would later stipulate to his role in the murder in a plea bargain designed to get his wife, who was suffering from ovarian cancer, an early release from prison. His wife passed away before she could be released.

Jamiel Chagra himself would eventually wind up in federal witness protection. He died of cancer in 2008, at the age of 63.

Further reading:

Wikipedia - Charles Harrelson

Wikipedia - Jamiel Chagra

Denver Post - Harrelson wrote of life at Supermax

FRIDAY MOVIE QUOTE

"Gentlemen, prepare to defend yourselves!"

-Sergeant Major Basil Plumley (Sam Elliott), We Were Soldiers (2002)

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: MAY 26, 1977

On this date in 1977, police in New York City arrested George "The Human Fly" Willig on the 110th floor of the World Trade Center. His crime? He climbed the South Tower from the outside. He accomplished this feat, which took him 3 1/2 hours, using clamps he had fashioned to fit into the channel that ran the entire height of the tower for window-washing equipment.

The City, sensing they had a new folk hero on their hands, decided against a hefty fine for Willig. Instead, he was fined $1.10 -- one cent for every floor floor of the tower.

Further reading:

New York Press - "WTC Climber George Willig Would Do It All Again"

Gothamist - George Willig's 1977 WTC Climb

Wikipedia - George Willig

WICKED WEASEL WEDNESDAY

If it be Wednesday, it be time for another Wicked Weasel.

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: MAY 25, 1979

On this date in 1979, six year old Etan Patz disappeared while walking from his home in Manhattan to the school bus. The school never alerted Etan's parents to his absence, and his disappearance wasn't noticed until mid afternoon. An extensive search and investigation followed his disappeared, but Etan was never found.

Several years later, a drifter named Jose Antonio Ramos would become a suspect in the boy's disappearance. Ramos had dated a woman that used to watch Etan for his parents. Prosecutors were never able to make a case against him, but Etan's parents successfully sued Ramos in civil court. Years later, he wound up in prison in Pennsylvania on a conviction for child sex abuse. Ramos is scheduled to be released in November 2012.

Further reading:

truTV - All about the disappearance of Etan Patz

New York Magazine - What Happened to Etan Patz

Wikipedia - Etan Patz

Nation Center for Missing and Exploited Children

BANGKOK DANGEROUS

With the regular TV season at an end, and the summer season not quite underway, I've stepped up my movie watching. I recently caught this one on cable.



Bangkok Dangerous (1999) is the story of a deaf mute hitman in Thailand. It was remade in 2008 with Nicholas Cage in the lead role. I haven't seen the remake, but the original was an excellent movie. It has a John Woo vibe to it, without feeling like a ripoff. Fans of action movies, and Asian action movies in particular, won't be disappointed.

BABE OF THE WEEK

This week's babe is fashion model-turned actress Sara Foster.



Sara is, without doubt, the best thing about the movie The Big Bounce. Here's the trailer:

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: MAY 23, 1934

She was an honor student with a talent for creative writing. He was an ex-con and habitual criminal with a preference for Fords and Browning Automatic Rifles. On this date in 1934, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were ambushed and gunned down by a posse led by (semi)retired Texas Ranger Frank Hamer.


Further reading:

Crime Library: BONNIE & CLYDE: ROMEO AND JULIET IN A GETAWAY CAR

Wikipedia - Bonnie and Clyde

The Bonnie and Clyde Festival in Gibsland, LA

"The Story of Bonnie and Clyde," a poem by Bonnie Parker

Frank Hamer at the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: MAY 21, 1924

On this date in 1924, two spoiled sociopaths committed what they thought would be the perfect crime; all to prove their status as Nietzschean supermen. Nathan Leopold, 19, and Richard Loeb, 18, kidnapped and murdered 14 year old Bobby Franks. They might have gotten away with it, had their perfect crime been just a little more... perfect. But perfection is hard to achieve, especially when you do things like:

-Hide the body where it will be quickly found

-Drop your (very unique) glasses at the body dump location

-Build your alibi around going for a drive in a car that could be shown to be in the shop

It didn't take long for the alibi to break down and for both men to confess. So much for supermen, Nietzschean or otherwise.

Famed trial attorney Clarence Darrow was brought in to defend the indefensible. He couldn't get his clients acquitted, but he did manage to head off a death sentence. Both men were sentenced to life in prison.

Loeb died in prison in 1936, the victim of a razor attack by another inmate. Leopold was paroled in 1958. He moved to Puerto Rico, where worked in a hospital. He died in 1971, at the age of 66.

Further reading:

truTV - Leopold & Loeb

Famous Trials - Illinois v. Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb

FRIDAY MOVIE QUOTE

"Goldarnit, Mr. Lamarr, you use your tongue prettier than a twenty dollar whore."

-Taggart (Slim Pickens), Blazing Saddles (1974)

DON'T MESS WITH BOMBERS

I'm definitely a fan of Bombers Burrito Bar. They make a damn good burrito. And now I have another reason to like them: They don't stand for any shenanigans.

Bombers staff, patrons catch thief with tip jar after foot chase


ALBANY -- The staff of Bombers Burrito Bar works hard for their tips, so when a would-be thief allegedly bolted late Wednesday night with $140 stuffed into a tip can he tucked inside his backpack, they chased after him, joined by loyal patrons of the Lark Street establishment.

After a four-block foot chase through Center Square, the winded crew snatched the backpack as the 24-year-old man climbed a fence to elude capture, only to be met on the others side by others who went around, cut him off and held him until police arrived.

The man allegedly tried to talk his way out of the jam by claiming he was merely pulling a prank.

Tierro Davis, of 201 Virginia Lane in Amsterdam, was charged with second-degree robbery.

Maybe he should have tried Taco Bell. They have a higher tolerance for shenanigans. Even if they do have a lower quality burrito.

WICKED WEASEL WEDNESDAY

Since today's crime history post was another particularly heinous one, I figured another double shot of Wicked Weasels would be suitable brainwash.

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: MAY 18, 1927

On this date in 1927, Bath, MI became the scene of the largest school mass-murder in U.S. history. The massacre began when school board member Andrew Kehoe became upset over an increase in the school tax that he blamed for his financial ruination.

Kehoe began by killing his wife and detonating fire bombs in his farm buildings. While firefighters worked to put out the fires on Kehoe's property, Kehoe went to the Bath Consolidated School, where he detonated bombs he had previously planted in the school.

Kehoe left the scene after the explosion, but returned a short while later. He saw the school superintendent standing outside the school watching rescue and recovery efforts, and called to him. As the superintendent approached the car, Kehoe detonated a bomb inside the car. The blast killed Kehoe, the superintendent, two local men, and an 8 year old boy who had managed to escape the school bombing.

The Bath School Disaster resulted in 45 dead and 58 injured. In 1975, a park dedicated to the victims was built on the former site of the school.

Further reading:

truTV - Hell Comes to Bath

The Bath School Disaster

Wikipedia - Bath School Disaster

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: MAY 17, 1974

On this date in 1974, six members of the Symbionese Liberation Army were cornered by police in a house in Los Angeles. The police announced their presence via bullhorn. An older man and a small child walked out of the house. The man told police that no one else was inside. After several attempts to communicate with the remaining occupants, police fired tear gas into the building. SLA members responded with automatic gunfire. In the ensuing battle, the building caught fire. All six SLA members, the group's leader, Donald "Cinque" Defreeze, Nancy Ling Perry, Angela Atwood, Willie Wolfe, Patricia Soltysik and Camilla Hall, were killed in the shootout.



Further reading:

Crime Library - HEARST, SOLIAH AND THE S.L.A.

CNN.com - Patty Hearst Profile

BABE OF THE WEEK

This week's babe is actress/singer/songwriter Taryn Manning.

BANDITS

In the comments to last Friday's movie quote post, I recommended to Charlie Stella that he check out a movie called Bandits. It stars Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, and Cate Blanchett, and was directed by Barry Levinson (The Natural, Tin Men, and Good Morning, Vietnam). My recommendation put me in the mood to watch it again, so I gave it another viewing Saturday night. I like this movie more every time I see it. If you haven't seen it, it's definitely worth checking out. Here's the trailer.


Bandits (Theatrical Trailer) by NakedBrotha2007

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: MAY 15, 1981

On this date in 1981, Donna Payant became the first female corrections officer in New York State to be killed in the line of duty. Payant, 31, was assigned to the Green Haven Correctional Facility in Dutchess County, NY.

At the end of her scheduled shift, Payant had turned up missing. An exhaustive search was conducted of the prison and the surrounding grounds, but there was no sign of her. Officials expanded their search to a local landfill where trash from the prison had been dumped earlier in the day. They found her mutilated body buried in the trash.

Police and prison officials began an investigation into the murder of Officer Payant. Bite marks had been left, and the medical examiner thought that the pattern looked familiar. As it turns out, he had seen the same pattern on a previous case he had worked: one of the victims of rapist and serial killer Lemuel Smith. Smith was an inmate at Green Haven CF when Officer Payant was murdered.

Once the case was built, Smith was tried for murdering Officer Payant. He was represented by C. Vernon Mason (of Tawana Brawley fame/infamy) and William "Black Rage" Kuntsler. In spite of such big-name legal representation , Smith was convicted of 1st degree murder and given the mandatory death sentence. In 1984, his death sentence was overturned as unconstitutional.

Lemuel Smith is currently incarcerated at Five Points Correctional Facility in central New York. He is eligible for parole in 2029, when he is 87 years old.

Further reading:

Crime Library - Murder Within the Walls

The Officer Down Memorial Page - Corrections Officer Donna A. Payant

Find-a-Grave - Donna Payant

FRIDAY MOVIE QUOTE

"I may be a woman, Sir William, but if I choose I have the heart of a man. I am my father's daughter, and I am not afraid of anything."

Elizabeth I (Cate Blanchett), Elizabeth (1998)

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: MAY 13, 1977

On this date in 1977, mob boss Michael "Mickey" Spillane (no relation to the guy who created fictional P.I. Mike Hammer) had a run of very bad luck on Friday the 13th; he was shot and killed outside his apartment in Queens, NY. Spillane, who headed the Westies gang, had moved to Queens from Hell's Kitchen out of fear for his safety. The previous year, his three top lieutenants had been taken out on orders from Genovese crime family boss Fat Tony Salerno. Salerno coveted control of construction contracts for the Jacob Javits Civic Center, which was being built in Spillane's territory. Spillane's killing was rumored to have been carried out by Gambino crime family associates Roy DeMeo and Danny Grillo. After Spillane's demise, mobster Jimmy Coonan took over as head of the Westies. Coonan had previously challenged Spillane for control of the group. After he took control, Coonan formed an alliance with the Gambino family, in a deal brokered by the newly-"made" Roy DeMeo. Coincidence? Um... probably not.

Further reading:

The Westies, by T.J. English

The Serial Killer Calender - Roy DeMeo

Wikipedia - Mickey Spillane (gangster)

PROGRAMMING NOTE

Blogger has been down due to maintenance issues for the better part of the day. I'm emailing this post in the hope that it will go up eventually. Friday's movie quote might be a little late tomorrow. Comments are apparently down as well. But fear not, posting will resume as soon as the little elves at Blogger have put the finishing touches on whatever repairs they're making.

WICKED WEASEL WEDNESDAY

Is it Wednesday again already? Well then, it must be time for another Wicked Weasel.

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: MAY 10 1924

On this date in 1924, J. Edgar Hoover was appointed head of the Bureau of Investigation, predecessor to the FBI. Hoover would serve as the agency's director until his death in 1972.

Further reading:

Wikipedia - J. Edgar Hoover

truTV - The Life and Career of J. Edgar Hoover

BABE OF THE WEEK

This week's babe is Czech model Denise Milani. For more of the beautiful Denise, czech out her official website and her official Facebook page.

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: MAY 9, 1980

On this date in 1980, the Security Pacific Bank branch in Norco, CA was robbed by five heavily armed men. The robbers were confronted outside the bank by Riverside County Sheriff Deputies. In the ensuing shootout, one of the robbers was killed. The four remaining robbers stole a car from the bank's parking lot and fled the scene.

The pursuit went on for 25 miles and extended into neighboring San Bernadino County. Units from the CHP and San Bernadino County Sheriff's Department, including a helicopter, joined in the pursuit. The robbers fired at officers and civilian vehicles during the pursuit. At one point, the robbers stopped and set up an ambush for police. RCSD Deputy Jim Evans was killed. Officers in the helicopter had tried to warn him of the ambush, but an incompatibility between the RCSD and SBCSD radios prevented him from receiving the warning.

The robbers fled into a wooded area near Lytle Creek, CA. Police pursued the robbers. One of the robbers was killed in a shootout with police. The remaining three surrendered.

The three survivors were tried and convicted of multiple felonies. They're all serving life sentences without possibility of parole.

Further reading:

RCDSA - Norcon Bank Robbery (This site includes a link to a video documentary about the robbery)

RCDSA - A list of the suspects and their weapons

Wikipedia - Norco shootout

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: MAY 7, 1896

On this day in 1896, Herman Mudgett (aka Dr. H.H. Holmes) was well hung. No, that's not quite right. Hung well? No. He was really hung? No, still wrong. How about hung by the neck until dead? Yeah, that'll do.

Mudgett, a pioneer in the field of serial killing (comitting the crimes, not solving them), was one of this country's first identified serial killers. The total number of his victims remains unknown to this day. Estimates range between twenty-seven and two hundred.

Even though Mudgett was more prolific than Jack the Ripper, he never achieved Jack's level of notoriety. I guess he could have used a publicist. Or maybe a reality TV show.

Further reading:

Herman Mudgett article at Crime Library

Herman Mudgett article at Wikipedia

Philadelphia Weekly article

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: MAY 7, 1827

On this date in 1827, farmhand Jesse Strang murdered John Whipple at the Cherry Hill estate in Albany, NY. He was put up to the crime by Whipple's wife Elsie, with whom Strang was having an affair. Elsie even provided Strang with the gun he used, which she stole from her soon-to-be-late husband.

To add insult to (fatal) injury, John Whipple--wise to his wife's affair and fearing an attempt on his life--actually loaded the murder weapon with the bullet that would kill him.

After the shooting, Strang ran to a local store in an attempt to establish an alibi. The police saw through his alibi and arrested him for the murder. He promptly ratted out Elsie, who was then arrested as well. Strang was eventually convicted of murder and sentenced to death. He was executed in the last public hanging in Albany's history. Elsie Whipple was found not guilty and released.

Wikipedia: Murder at Cherry Hill

Historic Cherry Hill

Facebook: I am related to Jesse Strang

FRIDAY MOVIE QUOTE

"Let me get this straight: You think that your client, one of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the world, is secretly a vigilante who spends his nights beating criminals to a pulp with his bare hands. And your plan is to blackmail this person? Good luck."

-Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), The Dark Knight (2008)

WICKED WEASEL WEDNESDAY

Time for another Wicked Weasel here at Nobody Move!

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: MAY 4, 1932

On this date in 1932, "Scarface" Al Capone started his prison sentence for tax evasion. Big Al learned the hard way that there are some lines you shouldn't cross. Lie, cheat, steal, bribe, bootleg, murder--knock yourself out, dude. But you'd damn well better PAY YOUR TAXES!

Capone was released from prison in November 1939 after 7 1/2 years behind bars. The repeal of Prohibition put a hurting on his business. Syphilis put a hurting on his brain. He died of cardiac arrest in 1947.

Lessons learned from Big Al:

1. Pay your taxes
2. Diversify your business
3. Wear a Jimmy hat

Further reading:

Al Capone at Crime Library

Al Capone at Chicago Historical Society

Al Capone on Wikipedia

LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

Apparently, bin Laden's burial at sea violated Islamic custom. My advice to anyone unhappy with the disposition of this asshole's remains is to lighten up, thing's could have been much worse. Imagine what would have happened if a certain big-screen London mobster had been in charge...

BABE OF THE WEEK

This week's babe is British actress/singer India de Beaufort. Her selection as Babe of the Week was inspired--like many previous BotW ladies--by a guest appearance on the TV show Chuck. I have a feeling she won't be the last.

BYE-BYE, BINNY

The cover of the Daily News says it all. Apparently he was buried at sea, so I won't get to piss on his grave. Other than that little disappointment, it looks like it'll be a good day for me. For a Monday, anyway.