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Albuquerque Officials Investigating Three Separate Murders

Albuquerque Officials Investigating Three Separate Murders


On October 10th and 12th, the Federal Bureau of Investigation asked for the public’s assistance in three different murders in the Albuquerque area.  The public is encouraged to provide the FBI with any information that may help the investigations of the murders.  


The FBI and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety asked the public for information concerning the death of a Shiprock teenager.  The teenagers name is Brittany Hadley, and she was 19 years old at the time of her death.  She was found around 4 a.m. on September 26, 2012 at mile marker 30 along U.S. 64 in Hogback, New Mexico.  The FBI believes she may have been a victim of a hit-and-run.


The FBI is asking for information from witnesses or anyone who saw suspicious behavior on the night of September 25 or the morning of September 26.  


The FBI and the Pueblo Zuni Police Department are also asking for information about the death of a Zuni man who was 48 years old.  Marty Fabian Mahkee’s body was found at mile marker 30.3 along Highway 53 between Ramah and Zuni on August 31, 2012 around 4 a.m.  A witness saw him walking along the highway about half an hour before he died.  He is believed to be the victim of a hit-and-run accident.


The last investigation involves the death of Dale Johnson.  The FBI reports he was missing for over a week before his body was found near Mescalero, New Mexico on July 8, 2011.  His body was found in the remote mountainous area north of the Feast or Ceremonial Grounds on the Mescalero Apache Reservation.  The FBI is still investigating the man’s death and asking the public for helpful information.  


If you have information about any of these deaths, you need to call the Albuquerque FBI at 505-889-1300 immediately.  


Sources: Federal Bureau of Investigation

Indian Reservation Murders: Three Defendants, Two Different Murders

Indian Reservation Murders: Three Defendants, Two Different Murders

On October 12, 2012, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced that Tana Chris Lawrence and Angeldedith Saramaylene Smith of Warm Springs were charged with first degree murder before U.S. Magistrate Judge Janice M. Stewart in the city of Portland.

The charge stems from the death of Faron Kalama.  According to the indictment, Lawrence and Smith killed Kalama on the reservation on September 29, 2012.  The murder occurred after Lawrence and Smith attempted or engaged in burglary, kidnapping, and sexual abuse.  Each of the defendants faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office also announced that Curtis Lamont Brown made an appearance on the same day for second degree murder.  During the initial appearance, Brown admitted that he shot Jonas Miller, another Warm Springs member, on a remote part of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation.  Brown faces two maximum penalties of life in prison—one for second degree murder and another for discharging a firearm during a violent crime.

Brown was also arraigned on the same day for one count of accessory in the murder of Faron Kalama.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that Brown tried to help Lawrence and Smith avoid authorities and conviction of the crimes.  The maximum sentence for accessory in a first degree murder is 15 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshal stated, “These homicides are a deep tragedy for the victims’ families and for the entire Warm Springs community.  My office, together with tribal and federal law enforcement, will devote the necessary resources to bring these defendants to justice.”

The cases were investigated by the Warm Springs Police Department and the Bend FBI Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Billy Williams and Craig Gabriel are prosecuting both of the cases.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation

Cowlitz County Jail

Cowlitz County Jail

Cowlitz County Jail is located at 1935 1st Avenue in Longview, Washington. The Cowlitz County jail is a relatively small facility that houses many non-violent criminals who have repeatedly failed to exhibit moral behavior in society. The majority of inmates within the confines of the Cowlitz rehabilitation facility were found guilty of drug use or drug possession. 
As a result, the Cowlitz County jail works closely with the city’s drug courts and numerous drug programs which are created to educate individuals towards the dangers and legal consequences of drug use. The Cowlitz County jail houses roughly 150 inmates at a time, although this number fluctuates as a result of the constant traffic between the facility and others within the area. A full roster of inmates can be found online, at the Cowlitz County jail website. The roster includes all the active inmates, their respective locations within the facility, the date of their incarceration, and a list of all their charges.
The Cowlitz County jail contains 8 specific cell blocks. Labeled A through H, the cell blocks each contain roughly 20 inmates. As a result of the minimal security level, the majority of inmates are allowed to interact with each other, and most of them have cellmates. With the increased interaction however, comes increased security. 
The inmates are under constant patrol and monitoring from remote locations as well as patrolling security officers. The goal of Cowlitz county jail is not to simply confine wrongdoers, but to rehabilitate them, so their re-entry into society is streamlined.

The Truth About Death Row Inmates

The Truth About Death Row Inmates

Death row inmates are individuals who have been convicted of committing capital crimes and have been sentenced to the death penalty as punishment. In many instances, there are separate facilities to house death row inmates, however, this is not always the case. A death row inmate will remain “on death row” until the appeals process has been complete. 
Subsequently, if his/her sentence is not overturned, his/her execution will be scheduled. While awaiting his/her execution, a death row inmate will remain in a maximum security prison. In many instances, an individual will be required to remain incarcerated for many years before his/her fate is decided and his/her execution is carried out. For example, it is possible for an inmate to remain on death row for over ten years, with the longest recorded stay being thirty five years.
Unless their sentences are overturned, death row inmates will eventually be executed by lethal gas, lethal injection, firing squad, hanging, or electrocution. Currently, the majority of Texas death row inmates, and death row inmates throughout the country, are executed by lethal injection. 
Texas has one of the largest populations of death row inmates in the country, along with Florida and California. As of 2008, there were of 3,500 people on death row. Only 61 of these inmates were women. Death row inmates have been convicted of murder, though the specific aspects of each case vary greatly. For example, an individual who shot another person, whether purposely or accidentally, during a robbery, can be on death row with a serial murderer. 

Retribution Quick Overview

Retribution Quick Overview

In penology, retribution is a justice theory that considers a proportionate punishment a moral response to crime. Retribution focuses on the satisfaction and psychological benefits that exacting punishments can bestow on the victim of the crime, the close associates of the victim, and society as a whole.
The philosophical approach that supports Retribution can be understood as “letting the punishment fit the crime.” In ancient times, retribution was the guiding principle of legal systems, such as the Code of Hammurabi. However, it is difficult to determine whether or not the punishment is an appropriate response to the crime. Part of the difficulty lies in determining how harsh or severe a punishment should be in order to considered a proper example of retribution.
Although it is generally agreed that a convict in a case of murder should be punished more harshly than a convict in a shoplifting case, the difficulty lies in determining when the level of retribution is appropriate. A criminal justice system based on retribution does not require the punishment to be equivalent to the crime.
Under a retributive system of penology, it is important to determine if the proportion will be determined based on the amount of harm, on the unfair advantage, or the moral imbalance that has developed as a result of the crime that was committed. 
Critics claim that retribution is a poor basis for a criminal justice system due to the maxim that “two wrongs do not make a right.” 

Kitsap County Jail

Kitsap County Jail

The Kitsap County jail is located at 505 Bay Street in Port Orchard, Washington. The facility is a minimum to medium security facility and typically holds 200 to 250 inmates.The typical inmate at Kitsap County jail is charged with multiple misdemeanors or non-violent crimes. 
As a result of the non-violent nature or history of most of the inmates, the interaction between incarcerated individuals within the Kitsap County jail is typically permissible when compared to other institutions within the state. Most of the cells within the Kitsap County jail possess two beds, enabling multiple inmates to share a cell. 
Inmates are allowed to roam the premises for multiple hours a day, play cards, weight train, and watch television. Although the Kitsap County jail is more lax in terms of security measures than other rehabilitation centers it still aims to fully rehabilitate its inmates and teach them life lessons to advance progression within their lives.
A Kitsap County jail roster, which offers the names of all inmates to the public, is available on the prison and Sheriff’s website. The Kitsap County jail roster allows a loved one, fried, or victim associated with the inmate to view the booking date, the location, and the name of all incarcerated individuals within the facility. In addition, the Kitsap County jail roster lists the expected amount of bail, the people released over a period of 24 hours, and bookings that took place over the past 72 hours.

Stearns County Jail

Stearns County Jail

The Stearns county jail of Minnesota has been around since 1921; however, in 1987, the jail went through a much needed remodeling, in order to break up the living sections in a more effective manner. 
Furthermore, with the remodeling, there can an increase in the number of beds that could be provided, making the Stearns county jail more accessible to an increase in inmates.
The increase in bedding and area separation has helped to make the jail more organized and accessible. There are a total of 108 beds that can be found shared throughout 6 different housing units. 
There are 12 holding cells for individuals who have been booked but need further processing, 8 separation cells, and a couple of medical cells for individuals who are injured or are ill. There is also a section of the Stearns county jail which is for the housing individuals who have been admitted into the work release program.
The Stearns county jail is used as a holding facility for those who are awaiting transfer into another detention facility; it is also an facility used for inmates who are serving sentences that are a year or less in duration of time; and is even used as a holding place for individuals who are awaiting their trials and subsequent ruling. It is broken up into the two basic types of jail setting: maximum and minimum security sections. 
The minimum security sections hold those who are under the work release program, and those who have been convicted of lesser offense crimes. For those who have been charged with more violent crimes, or are considered dangers, the maximum security section provides ample security.
Furthermore, one of the most utilized aspects of the jail is the Stearns county jail roster. The Stearns county jail roster is a log that is updated frequently to provide information about those who have been booked in the Stearns county jail. 

New York Man Hacked into AT&T’s Servers

New York Man Hacked into AT&T’s Servers


On November 20, 2012, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey announced Andrew Auernheimer was convicted for breaching AT&T’s servers and stealing email address and other personal information of 120,000 iPad 3G users.  Auernheimer gave the stolen information to an Internet magazine.  


Court documents indicate that AT&T linked all iPad 3G user’s email addresses to an Integrated Circuit Card Identifier (ICC-ID) number when a person registered their iPad.  When AT&T’s website recognized the number and email address, the person was directed to a faster and more user-friendly website.  


Hackers soon discovered that AT&T’s website was displayed in the plain text of the site URL.  The hackers then wrote a script called “iPad 3G Account Slurper” and used it in AT&T servers.  The website was attacked for several days, and from June 5, 2010 to June 9, 2010, the hackers stole about 120,000 ICC-IDs and email addresses.  


The information was immediately sold to the website called Gawker, and the information was published in a dedacted form.  Famous people’s email addresses were hacked including Diane Sawyer, Harvey Weinsten, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Rahm Emanuel—the former White House Chief of Staff.  


Auernheimer was convicted of accessing AT&T’s servers without authorization and disclosing the information to Gawker.  He faces up to five years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 for each charge.  The co-defendant, Daniel Spitler, was convicted of the same charges and is currently awaiting sentencing as well.  


Special agents with the FBI under the direction of Michael B. Ward, Special Agent in Charge in Newark, led the investigation.  Numerous other agencies helped during the investigation and prosecution.  Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Martinez and Assistant U.S. Attorney Zach Intrater with the Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Section under the U.S. Attorney’s Economic Crimes Unit led prosecution.  


Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation
 

Man Receives Life in Prison for Role in Murder of Witness

Man Receives Life in Prison for Role in Murder of Witness

On November 9, 2012, the Department of Justice reported that Frank Marfo was sentenced to life in prison for conspiracy to murder a bank fraud investigation witness.  He was convicted on the following counts: one count of conspiracy and committing murder for hire, one count of conspiracy and murdering a witness, one count of using a gun that resulted in death, and one count of conspiracy and committing bank fraud.

Court documents show that Marfo, Tavon Davis, Bruce Byrd, and others were involved in a bank fraud scheme from May 2009 to November 9, 2011.  The scheme let the defendants collect over $1 million in money orders.

Cortez Callaway worked with Davis during the scheme, but Cortez was arrested by the Baltimore County Police on December 29, 2010 for possessing counterfeited documents and theft.  He admitted his role in the bank fraud scheme and told the police he was hired by Davis and others.

Between December 29, 2010 and January of 2011, Marfo, Davis and Byrd discussed the possibility of murdering Callaway to prevent him from testifying during the bank fraud trial.  Marfo was going to commit the murder himself, but he and Davis eventually hired Byrd to commit the murder.

From April 5 to April 11 in 2011, Davis called Byrd 68 times and many of the calls discussed the murder.  Davis finally told Callaway that Byrd wanted to meet with him on the 1700 block of Crystal Avenue in Baltimore on April 11 to discuss the testimony.  Byrd shot Callaway when he was in his driver’s seat with a 10mm handgun, and Davis met with Byrd shortly after.

The two men traveled to Marfo’s residence and Davis paid Byrd $2,000.  Byrd and Davis have since pleaded guilty to the crime.  Byrd was sentenced to 40 years in prison, and Davis currently awaits sentencing.

Source: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Jared Lee Loughner Sentenced for Tucson Shooting

Jared Lee Loughner Sentenced for Tucson Shooting


On November 8, 2012, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced that Jared Lee Loughner was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole for killing six people and wounding 13 others—including Congresswoman Gabrielle D Giffords—on January 8, 2011.  


During his plea hearing, Loughner admitted traveling to the Safeway grocery store in Tucson with a semi-automatic pistol and 93 rounds of ammunition with the plan to kill Giffords and her supporters.  He was able to fire 33 rounds before he was subdued.  


He pleaded to a total of 19 charges in the superseding indictment on March 3, 2011.  The charges are listed below:


•    attempted assassination of Gabrielle D. Giffords
•    murders of federal employees John M. Roll and Gabriel M. Zimmerman
•    attempted murder of federal employees Ronald S. Barber and Pamela K. Simon
•    the murders of Christina-Taylor Green, Dorothy J. Morris, Phyllis C. Schneck, and Dorwan C. Stoddard
•    seriously wounding Bill D. Badger, Kenneth W. Dorushka, James E. Fuller, Randy W. Gardner, Susan A.     Hileman, George S.     Morris, Mary C. Reed, Mavanell Stoddard, James L. Tucker, and Kenneth L. Veeder, Sr.
•    gravely endangering multiple other federal aides and public supporters


Loughner is serving a total of seven life sentences and a 140 sentence.  


Attorney General Eric Holder stated, “Today’s sentence—life in prison without the possibility of release—means Jared Loughner will never again be free to hurt or menace the American public.  For the victims, their families, and the larger community impacted by this tragic event in our nation’s history, it is my sincere hope that this conclusion will help in their journey toward physical and emotional recovery.”


Giffords was shot point-blank in the back of the head and miraculously survived.  She has since participated in interviews but has retired from public service.  


Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation