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Tuesday, November 13, 2012

[TN] Murfreesboro Police Officer Whitehead accused of beating 9 year old daughter he has custody of


...[Rutherford County Sheriff's] Detective Lisa McCallum investigated the report and presented her findings to a grand jury Nov. 7. Those findings included that [Murfreesboro Police Officer Anthony] Whitehead had disciplined his daughter, causing what McCallum deemed “excessive bruising on her buttocks and ... thighs.” Officer Anthony Whitehead, who was indicted on a single count of misdemeanor child abuse last week, has custody of the daughter he is accused of abusing has been locked in a custody dispute with the girl’s mother... Whitehead was also decommissioned in March 2008 for an incident during a traffic stop... "He made me lay on the ground and kept telling me 'Fight me. Just go ahead fight me, resist me. Make my day.'"... Officials with the Murfreesboro Police Department said Whitehead's personnel file contained disciplinary write-ups throughout his 11 years on the force... Whitehead’s personnel file showed he received numerous disciplinary action and suspended days off without pay...

OFFICER INDICTED ON CHILD ABUSE CHARGE HAS CUSTODY OF GIRL: Facebook users defend officer charged with abuse of 9-year-old daughter
DNJ.com
Written by Mark Bell
9:45 PM, Nov 12, 2012
[Excerpts] A number of Facebook users are coming to the defense of a Murfreesboro Police officer accused of abusing his 9-year-old daughter as he battles with his former wife for custody of the child. Still other posters are saying the judicial system should be allowed to work. Documents obtained by The Daily News Journal reveal MPD Officer Anthony Whitehead, who was indicted on a single count of misdemeanor child abuse last week, has custody of the daughter he is accused of abusing and that he has been locked in a custody dispute with the girl’s mother, Whitehead’s ex-wife, for several months... RCSO Detective Lisa McCallum investigated the report and presented her findings to a grand jury Nov. 7. Those findings included that Whitehead had disciplined his daughter, causing what McCallum deemed “excessive bruising on her buttocks and ... thighs.” While the sheriff’s office and McCallum haven’t said exactly how Whitehead disciplined his daughter, family members of Whitehead’s ex-wife, Christie Neese, have claimed in a public Facebook posting that Whitehead spanked the 9-year-old with a belt... Among the posters defending Whitehead are former MPD Officer Timothy Meeks, the wife of a current Murfreesboro Police officer, and a woman identifying herself as an officer. Another individual, identified by some on the page as a magistrate, also made a comment defending Whitehead. Her identity could not be independently verified by The Daily News Journal... Tracey Elkins, the poster who identified herself as a police officer, wrote, “He (Whitehead) is a good man and a good dad, the truth will come out.”... Murfreesboro Police spokesman Kyle Evans has since confirmed that Tracey Elkins is actually Tracey Womack, an officer with the Murfreesboro Police Department... Whitehead remains employed at MPD pending adjudication of the case. He is on decommissioned status, meaning he has no police powers and that he is not carrying a badge or his service weapon... Whitehead will be arraigned in Rutherford County Circuit Court later this month. [Full article here]

MURFREESBORO OFFICER DECOMMISSIONED AFTER CHILD ABUSE CHARGES
NewsChannel 5 WTVF-TV
Posted: Nov 08, 2012 1:43 PM PST
Updated: Nov 09, 2012 4:01 AM PST
[Excerpts] An officer with the Murfreesboro Police Department has been decommissioned after being indicted on misdemeanor child abuse charges. Police department spokesperson Kyle Evans said Officer Anthony Whitehead, age 39, went to the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office to be served with the indictment rather than be served papers by a deputy. Officials said Whitehead was decommissioned and placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of the case. A report filed on September 16 with the Sheriff's Office said Whitehead was accused of physically abusing his 9-year-old daughter... Whitehead was also decommissioned in March 2008 for an incident during a traffic stop. He was investigated for allegedly going too far during a traffic stop... Whitehead stopped the truck driver and confronted him out of view of the squad car dash camera. Driver James Snowden said he was ordered out of the cab at gunpoint and handcuffed for misdemeanor failure to yield to an emergency vehicle. "He made me lay on the ground and kept telling me 'Fight me. Just go ahead fight me, resist me. Make my day.' I'm thinking ease up now. If I did something wrong I'll take a ticket," Snowden said... Officials with the Murfreesboro Police Department said Whitehead's personnel file contained disciplinary write-ups throughout his 11 years on the force. [Full article here]

UPDATE: MURFREESBORO OFFICER ACCUSED OF MISDEMEANOR CHILD ABUSE
WGNS Radio
Published: November 8, 2012
[Excerpts] A Murfreesboro police officer has been accused of child abuse. Officer Anthony Whitehead was indicted by a grand jury in Rutherford County. The charge Whitehead faces is a misdemeanor charge of child abuse, according to Sgt. Kyle Evans. The Murfreesboro Police Department has decommissioned Officer Whitehead until the court case has concluded. Whitehead has been placed on administrative duty. Whitehead turned himself in at the Sheriff’s Department and was released on bond Thursday afternoon... According to a 2008 article in the Murfreesboro Post, "Whitehead’s personnel file showed he received numerous disciplinary action and suspended days off without pay for missing court, being late to work and abusing the city’s sick leave"... A hearing is scheduled Nov. 19 in Circuit Court. [Full article here]

2008:

OFFICER LOSES POLICE POWERS OVER TRAFFIC STOP 
Murfreesboro Post
By: Lisa Marchesoni
March 6, 2008 - 4:02 PM
[Excerpts] A Murfreesboro Police officer lost his police powers Wednesday after he allegedly cursed a truck driver who pulled his rig out rather than move over for the officer’s siren Feb. 29 onto South Church Street. Chief Glenn Chrisman ordered Officer Anthony Whitehead to be relieved of duty. Under the order, Whitehead was ordered not to carry a firearm on city property, carry a badge, wear a uniform or work in a law enforcement capacity while he’s under investigation by Internal Affairs.... Whitehead pulled in front of the truck on the I-24 bridge. Out of the camera view but on the audio, Whitehead ordered the driver out of the car and onto the ground in an apparent felony stop. Officers routinely draw their weapons during a felony stop... Whitehead told the driver he wouldn’t “get out of my d--- way.” The officer said the city judge will kick out the citation and the county (judge) won’t hear a failure to yield citation. Despite his comments, Whitehead wrote the driver a citation for failure to yield... Whitehead’s personnel file showed he received numerous disciplinary action and suspended days off without pay for missing court, being late to work and abusing the city’s sick leave... [Full articlehere

By: grandefille on 3/10/08 
While the alleged cussing was inappropriate and unprofessional, I'm more concerned that the officer allegedly unholstered his weapon while making the stop. Did he believe the truck driver might be violent or otherwise dangerous? Otherwise, the combination of the cussing, turning a traffic stop into a felony stop and then having to have a supervisor called in to settle things down might smack of a need for some anger-management classes. (I'd suggest those classes for ALL of us who drive in Rutherford County, by the way, myself included.)
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety children divorce child abuse years old tennessee state politics repeat hx history]

[FL] Will Orlando Police Officer Sidders finally be held accountable?


I can't help but wonder who will protect those who live in fear of him.


ORLANDO POLICE OFFICER DANNY SIDDERS WAS ARRESTED AGAIN FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. HE STARTED PREPARING TO BOND OUT ON HOME CONFINEMENT, BUT HE ENDED UP IN FRONT OF A JUDGE AT THE JAIL AGAIN, FACING NEW CHARGES... SIDDERS CALLED A FELLOW OFFICER AND ASKED HIM TO REMOVE A GUN AND AMMUNITION FROM SIDDERS' APARTMENT... THE OFFICER WENT TO SIDDERS' APARTMENT, GOT THE GUN AND TURNED IT OVER TO ORLANDO POLICE AND REPORTED SIDDERS' REQUEST... [SIDDERS] BROKE INTO HIS GIRLFRIEND'S HOME, BEAT HER UP AND SPIT ON HER... HE WAS MARRIED TWICE BEFORE AND BOTH WIVES ACCUSED HIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE... SIDDERS WAS INVESTIGATED FOLLOWING ACCUSATIONS THAT HE BATTERED HIS FIRST WIFE AND EVEN RAPED HER FOLLOWING THEIR SEPARATION... ORLANDO POLICE DID NOT INVESTIGATE ANY OF THE INCIDENTS, AND SIDDERS WAS NEVER DISCIPLINED FOR ANY OF THEM...




PREVIOUS POST:
[FL] Officer Sidders arrested by fellow officers after girlfriend with cuts and bruises reports him - The report states that when she went to bed, Sidders pulled her out of the bed and shoved her down the hallway and she hit the walls and doors. Officers stated the victim was bruised and cut...


From Video:
"...His own department says it caught him covering up that he had a gun in his apartment.. The alleged gun coverup has the jail reconsidering whether he's eligible for home confinement if bonds out... It appears up until now Sidders has sidestepped criminal consequences in spite of facing other accusations of domestic violence, including rape - made by another ex-wife, and an accusation of grand theft... He was investigated another six times here for other violations, was found to have committed all of them, was disciplined six times. He on paid leave, but he is still an Orlando police officer."

NO BOND YET FOR OPD OFFICER ACCUSED OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, WEAPON VIOLATION
WFTV.com
Monday, Nov. 12, 2012
[Excerpts] It's been six days, and jail officials are still trying to decide whether it's safe to allow an Orlando police officer charged with domestic violence to bond out of jail... Sidders is now facing a felony charge for evidence tampering, as well as misdemeanor charges for domestic violence and violating a court injunction. WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said he expects the gun issue to lead to a tighter rein on Sidders if he bonds out, such as GPS monitoring. “If he's released on bond, it needs to be a higher monetary bond, and there needs to be very restrictive conditions of release to ensure the safety of the citizens of this community,” said Sheaffer. Sidders is on paid leave, but he is still an Orlando police officer. [Full article here]

FROM LAST WEEK'S NEWS:

ORLANDO OFFICER ARRESTED AGAIN ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CHARGES
WFTV Orlando
Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012
[Excerpts] An Orlando police officer was arrested for the second time this year on charges of domestic violence. Apopka police said they arrested Danny Sidders on a battery charge Tuesday morning after he broke into his girlfriend's home, beat her up and spit on her. Police said Sidders then got into an altercation with another person inside the home. Sidders was first arrested on battery charges back in January... Court records show he was married twice before and both wives accused him of domestic violence. The most recent wife even got an injunction after she said Sidders threatened to bury her. This is the seventh time Sidders has been investigated. Internal affairs documents show he was also investigated on accusations of sneaking into his ex-wife's home and punching her boyfriend. Orlando police suspended Sidders for a day because of that, and after his arrest in January, took him off the job again for a week. He also made news in 2009 after he said he was forced to shoot his police dog named Viper... [Full article here]

ORLANDO POLICE OFFICER ACCUSED OF DOMESTIC-VIOLENCE FACES NEW CHARGES: Officer Danny Sidders is now facing evidence tampering and firearm charges.
Orlando Sentinel
By Bianca Prieto
November 8, 2012
[Excerpts] Orlando police officer Danny Sidders, who was jailed earlier this week on a domestic violence battery charge, is facing evidence tampering and weapons charges for violating an earlier injunction. Officers were listening in when Sidders made a jailhouse phone call Tuesday night to his neighbor and asked the man to remove a handgun and ammunition from his pantry so a court-ordered inspection team would not find it and hinder his release from the Orange County Jail... An August domestic violence injunction filed by his ex-wife ordered Sidders not to possess any personal firearms... Sidders was initially jailed just after midnight Tuesday, accused of spitting in his girlfriend's face, grabbing her by her arms and slamming her against a wall. It was the second time Sidders was arrested this year on allegations of abusing the same woman. A judge ordered Sidders to be placed on home confinement upon release from the jail. The night of his most recent arrest Orlando Police Chief ordered Sidders be stripped of his police power and placed on paid leave until further notice... Earlier this year, he was ordered to go to a rehabilitation facility to deal with alcohol dependency for seven months. He returned to Orlando in August and days later began harassing his ex-wife... Sidders' ex-wife, whom he marred in 2003, separated from in 2009 and divorced in 2011, told the court their two young sons had witnessed their father physically abuse his girlfriend numerous times, often when he was drunk. Days after he returned from rehab in August, his ex-wife filed a domestic violence petition because Sidders called her and threatened to "bury both you and your mother." "Just because he has yet to give me a black eye does not mean he is not scaring me day in and day out," the woman wrote. "He is violent and has been for a long time"... Rooney cannot yet fire Sidders and must conduct an internal investigation and follow the state statutes and agreement with the Fraternal Order of Police... The earlier criminal charges against Sidders were dropped because the alleged victim failed to cooperate. An internal investigation found he violated a police policy and he was suspended for 40 hours without pay... [Full article here]

ORLANDO POLICE OFFICER ARRESTED AGAIN
WFTV
Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 5:57 p.m.
[Excerpts] Orlando police Officer Danny Sidders' troubles just keep getting deeper and deeper. Sidders was arrested again this week, accused of domestic violence. It happened as he started preparing to bond out on home confinement, but he ended up in front of a judge at the jail again, facing new charges. The new charges came about because officials say he violated a court injunction, ordered three months ago in another domestic violence case, which banned him from possessing a gun unless he was on duty for the Police Department. According to Orlando police, he not only violated that injunction, but he tried to cover it up so it wouldn't interfere with his home confinement... Sidders called fellow officer -- and asked him to remove a gun and ammunition from Sidders' apartment, before the home confinement inspection. WFTV's Kathi Belich learned that [the officer] went to Sidders' apartment, got the gun and turned it over to Orlando Police and reported Sidders' request. Now, Sidders might not get out of jail, and he's been relieved of duty with pay... Sidders was investigated by the Orange County Sheriff's Office after accusations of stealing from the city of Orlando... Sidders pocketed a $1,500 insurance check meant for the city of Orlando... Sidders was also investigated following accusations that he battered his first wife and even raped her following their separation. The reports show that the case was forwarded to the state Attorney's Office, but Sidders was not arrested. Orlando police did not investigate any of the incidents, and Sidders was never disciplined for any of them. Reports show that Sidders has been investigated by his department six times prior to the current investigation. [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse repeat hx history teflon law enforcement public safety professionalism florida politics]

Sunday, November 11, 2012

[AL] 4 years ago today Marshall County Sheriff's Investigator David Lowe was shot and killed by his wife Kathy

4 years ago today Marshall County Sheriff's Investigator David Lowe was shot and killed by his wife Kathy. I thought I'd look up whether the case had been resolved yet and it has. After two mistrials, Kathy Lowe pleaded guilty last March to manslaughter in her husband’s death. Judge Tim Jolley sentenced her to three years probation, and gave her credit for time served in jail.


Previous post:
[AL] Kathy Lowe will be tried 3rd time in shooting death of her Sheriff's Investigator husband, David - Kathy Lowe will face a third trial in November for the November 11, 2008 death of her husband David Lowe. David, a former Marshall County Sheriff's Office deputy and investigator for the Marshall County District Attorney's office, was found shot twice in the back and side, at the Horton home the couple shared.

KATHY LOWE TO PLEAD GUILTY
The Sand Mountain Reporter
By Elizabeth Summers
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
[Excerpts] GUNTERSVILLE — Kathy Lowe was expected to plead guilty to manslaughter Wednesday... David Lowe had served as an investigator for the Marshall County Sheriff’s office and District Attorney’s office prior to his death. “Given the circumstances, this is a fair resolution to the case,” [Blount County District Attorney Pamela] Casey said Wednesday. “Now the state, Kathy Lowe and the families involved can move on with their lives.” Casey said Lowe was expected to be sentenced to 10 years in prison but would be allowed to petition for probation. “I wanted her to have that felony on her record,” Casey said. “We won’t oppose if she asks for probation. “But this way, we will have a resolution, and she won’t be entitled to any of the life insurance money.” Kathy Lowe had been on trial in September 2010 and December 2011. Both trials ended in mistrials after jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict... “I was going to ask she be put in jail until the trial because she was doing things to try and taint the jury pool”... Kathy Lowe admitted shooting David following a day-long argument and alleged she had been held hostage by David most of the day at gunpoint. Her defense attorney, John Paul Burson, also argued Kathy Lowe had suffered emotional and physical abuse at the hands of David Lowe for much of their married life. During both trials, prosecutors countered Kathy Lowe had plotted to kill David Lowe over several months so she could cash in several life insurance policies. Since David Lowe’s death, the family’s Horton home had burned to the ground. The fire, reported just before 3 a.m. on March 4, 2011, was deemed arson by the Marhsall County Arson Task Force. No one has been charged... The couple’s son, Brian, died Nov. 3 following a lengthy battle with a chronic illness. [Full article here]

KATHY LOWE PLEADS GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER
WHNT
by Carson Clark
March 14, 2012
[Excerpts] Kathy Lowe has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in her husband’s death. She entered the plea Wednesday afternoon in Marshall County. Lowe was put on trial twice for the 2008 death of her husband, David Lowe.  However, both trials ended in hung juries. A manslaughter plea carries a sentence of 10 years.  However, Judge Tim Jolley sentenced her to three years probation, and gave her credit for time served in jail.  Lowe will not have to serve another day behind bars. She will have to pay a $5,000 fine. Lowe admitted to killing her husband, David, but claims she acted in self-defense. The crime happened in Marshall County, but the Blount County District Attorney’s office prosecuted the case because David Lowe was an investigator for the Marshall County DA’s office. Prosecutors contend Lowe shot her husband to collect insurance money.  However, the defense says Lowe was a battered wife who couldn’t take the abuse any longer. [Full article here]

‘SLAP ON THE WRIST’: KATHY LOWE GETS PROBATION; SENTENCE UPSETS VICTIM’S BROTHER, HIS WIFE
The Sand Mountain Reporter
By Elizabeth Summers
Friday, March 16, 2012
[Excerpts] Curtis Lowe will always remember his brother, David Lowe, as a friend to many, willing to help in any way possible. But on Wednesday, he felt his brother’s memory was forever tainted when David’s wife, Kathy Lowe, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the case involving her husband’s death in 2008 and received what Curtis feels is a “slap on the wrist” for punishment... [Judge Tim] Jolley then handed down a 10-year suspended jail sentence and ordered Kathy Lowe to spend three years on supervised probation and pay a $5,000 fine, court costs, $750 to attorneys and a $100 victim-assessment fee. “Justice wasn’t served,” Curtis Lowe said... Patricia Lowe, Curtis’ wife, had hoped a third trial would end with a guilty verdict and a sentence of jail time for Kathy Lowe. “I would have liked to have seen a third trial,” she said. “I think she should have served some time in jail. She hasn’t spent a day there yet, that I am aware of. But she will have to face the Lord and she won’t be able to walk away from that.” Lowe pleaded guilty to Marshall County Circuit Judge Tim Jolley to the Class B felony. She was represented by Albertville attorney John Paul Burson... Patricia Lowe said she felt disappointed with the case’s outcome. “We felt she might try to make a plea deal, and that is what she did in the end,” Patricia Lowe said. “Knowing she will have a felony on her record, knowing she won’t ever be able to vote again and knowing she won’t get any of the insurance money means a lot to us”... From the beginning, Kathy Lowe and her defense attorneys maintained she and her children, Amanda and Brian, suffered mental and physical abuse at the hands of David Lowe over the years. She claimed she acted in self-defense that night in 2008, following a daylong fight with David Lowe, where he allegedly held her hostage and threatened her with a gun during the day. Prosecutors painted her as an adulteress who had plotted to kill David Lowe for months as a way to collect on more than $100,000 in life insurance policies... [Full article here]
officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal fatality fatalities murder female perp perpetrator alabama state politics]

Sunday, November 4, 2012

[MO] Dana Ison's police officer husband quit his job, shot her mother, killed Dana, then killed himself

Dana Thompson-Ison

Dana Thompson-Ison's husband Landon quit his 9-year Lamar Missouri police officer job in August of 2012 by just not showing up. Both his friend - Barton County Sheriff Mitchell Shaw, and Landon's boss - Lamar Police Chief Ron Hager, say they didn't pry by asking Landon Ison why he didn't report for work. 2 months later, on October 9th 2012, Landon Ison shot and killed his wife Dana, shot and critically wounded her mother Cheryl Thompson, then left the home with his shotgun and shot and killed himself. Landon and Dana Ison have two sons and yes, they were present at the home at the time of Dana and Cheryl's shooting.



WHERE
COULD
DANA AND CHERYL
HAVE 
TURNED
FOR
HELP?



CHIEF HAGER:
...said Ison had offered no explanation for failing to report in August, thus relinquishing his job, and that Hager had not asked for one...

CHIEF HAGER:
...said Ison was a good officer in the more than nine years he served on the Lamar police force...

SHERIFF SHAW:
...“because of the close personal relationships we all had with Officer Ison”...

SHERIFF SHAW:
...said he was aware that his friend had quit his job with the Lamar police. He said Ison never told him why, and he chose not to force the issue by asking... 

SHERIFF SHAW:
...said he was strongly affected by the events because he went to both death scenes and that he and his family "have known the Isons forever. "This is a terrible surprise, a terrible thing... It was a friendship"...

SHERIFF SHAW:
...acknowledged being a close friend of the couple, said he did not necessarily know all that was going on in their relationship...

Dana, never forgotten
Dana Ison worked at AOK Youth Development Services, an organization that works with under-privileged children... 

...Dana graduated from Pittsburg State College with her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Services and later received her Master’s Degree in Social Services from Missouri State University. She was a social worker for About Our Kids Youth Development Services in Lamar and director of After School care... [LINK]

...Dana was the Director Social Worker for the About Our Kids Youth Development, Director of After School Care and PEP Coordinator in Lamar, Missouri. She always enjoyed working with and helping children... [LINK]


I invite those who pray

to keep Cheryl's recovery,
the Ison children,
and everyone brokenhearted
by this
in your hearts
and on your list. 

Memorial contributions may be made to the Ison Children Fund at Metropolitan Bank, 1105 Gulf, Lamar, Mo. 64759



FORMER LAMAR POLICEMAN INVOLVED IN MURDER-SUICIDE; MOTHER-IN-LAW HAS LIFE THREATENING INJURIES [LINK]
koamtv.com
October 9, 2012
12:11 PM CST:
Authorities are investigating an overnight shooting death in southwest Missouri. The Missouri Highway Patrol is leading the investigation of a shooting outside of Lamar shortly after 1 a.m...
1:50 PM CST:
The Missouri Highway Patrol confirms two people are dead and another person is in critical condition at a Springfield hospital. A press conference is scheduled for 2 p.m...
3:10 PM CST:
A former Lamar policeman has shot and killed his wife [Dana Ison], shot and injured his mother-in-law [Cheryl Thompson], then shot and killed himself... It's unclear why Thompson was at the home but she went to get help from neighbors who called 911 before 1 a.m... Landon Ison's body was found at a different location at about 2:30 a.m.  Authorities say he shot himself with a rifle. In August Landon Ison resigned from the Lamar Police Department, but authorities say he just stopped coming to work. Landon and Dana Ison had two children.  They were at the home at the time of the shooting but were not injured are currently with family...  While the couple was still married, that had separated earlier in October. Dana Ison worked at AOK, an organization that works with under-privileged children
5:15 PM CST:
Statement released by Kathy Jenkins, AOK Board of Directors President: "Dana Thompson Ison was a beloved friend, coworker, daughter, sister and mother. She was an invaluable member of the AOK family as a social worker and school-age program coordinator. She also led the mentoring program and offered counseling and assistance to anyone in need. She loved the children and they loved her. She was passionate about making a difference in their lives and she did. Words cannot express our sorrow at her passing"...

WHERE
COULD
DANA AND CHERYL
HAVE 
TURNED
FOR
HELP?

Lamar Police Officer Landon Ison

ONLINE FIRST: FORMER LAMAR POLICEMAN SUSPECTED IN APPARENT MURDER-SUICIDE
Nevada Daily Mail
By James R. Campbell
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
[Excerpts] A somber panel of law enforcement officers announced Tuesday afternoon that a former Lamar city policeman was suspected of shooting his estranged wife to death, seriously wounding his mother-in-law and then driving to a remote area of Barton County before turning his rifle on himself about 90 minutes later. Landon Ison, 32, a member of the Lamar Police Department for 9 1/2 years until inexplicably failing to report for duty Aug. 7, was found near his blue Ford Explorer by a Barton County deputy sheriff about 2:30 a.m., Tuesday. Reading from preliminary reports, Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Mike Watson said the man was suspected of going to his 33-year-old wife Dana's home about 6 1/2 miles southwest of here shortly before 1 a.m., Tuesday, and shooting her to death. Flanked by Barton County Sheriff Mitchell Shaw and Lamar Chief of Police Ron Hager, Watson said Ison was also suspected of shooting his mother-in-law, 67-year-old Cheryl Thompson of Springfield, who was airlifted to Cox South Hospital in her hometown. Watson said Thompson was listed in serious condition... Cheryl Thompson had managed to walk to a neighbor's house after she was shot and that the neighbor called 9-1-1... The Isons' two juvenile boys were in the home when their mother and grand-mother were shot... Watson declined to say what type of rifle was believed to be the murder-suicide weapon, how many times Mrs. Ison and her mother were shot or what room of the house the shootings were believed to have taken place in. Hager said Ison had offered no explanation for failing to report in August, thus relinquishing his job, and that Hager had not asked for one... The chief said Dana Ison had worked for AOK Youth Development Services in Lamar... Shaw said he was strongly affected by the events because he went to both death scenes and that he and his family "have known the Isons forever. "This is a terrible surprise, a terrible thing," the sheriff said. "Everyone knows the family. They're hard-working, good people. It was a friendship"... [Full article here]

WHERE
COULD
DANA AND CHERYL
HAVE 
TURNED
FOR
HELP?

FORMER LAMAR OFFICER KILLS WIFE, WOUNDS MOTHER-IN-LAW; EX-POLICEMAN TAKES OWN LIFE
The Joplin Globe
By Jeff Lehr news@joplinglobe.com
October 9, 2012
[Excerpts] Landon L. Ison never offered a reason for abruptly quitting his job as a Lamar police officer two months ago. He moved out of the house he shared with his wife and two sons at the start of this month. Then shortly before 1 a.m. Tuesday, emergency responders were called to the troubled family’s home about a mile southwest of Lamar after Ison reportedly shot and killed his wife, Dana I. Ison, 33, and critically wounded her mother, Cheryl J. Thompson, 67... [Lamar police Chief Ron] Hager said Ison was a good officer in the more than nine years he served on the Lamar police force since being hired in January 2003. Before that, he had served as a dispatcher with the Barton County Sheriff’s Department... Barton County Sheriff Mitchell Shaw said he asked the state patrol to serve as the lead investigative agency in the shootings “because of the close personal relationships we all had with Officer Ison”... Landon Ison filed for divorce in January. Court records indicate that Ison and his wife both submitted parenting plans to the court. But the record shows that the case was dismissed by both parties on July 11. Shaw, who acknowledged being a close friend of the couple, said he did not necessarily know all that was going on in their relationship. “Whenever I was around, they seemed to have a good relationship,” Shaw said... The sheriff said he was aware that his friend had quit his job with the Lamar police. He said Ison never told him why, and he chose not to force the issue by asking... Dana Ison worked for AOK Youth Development Services. Kathy Jenkins, president of AOK’s board of directors, released a statement praising her contributions as a social worker and school-age program coordinator. “She loved the children and they loved her,” the statement read. “She was passionate about making a difference in their lives and she did. Words cannot express our sorrow at her passing”... The Lamar Police chief and the Barton County sheriff said there have been no previous reports of domestic violence involving Ison and his wife. [Full article here]

AND REALLY?

THE SHERIFF AND CHIEF
DIDN'T KNOW,
THEY DIDN'T ASK,
THEY DIDN'T TRY,
THEY WON'T ADMIT?
IT DOESN'T
MAKE SENSE. 

JANUARY 2008 CASEWORKER OF THE MONTH DANA ISON
Adoption Exchange Association
Pittsburg, Kansas
We have been lucky enough to have the same worker, Dana Ison, thru all of our adoptions. We are about to finalize our 2nd and 3rd adoptions next month. We have known Dana for over 4 years now. She has always made her self available to anything we need or want. She is always friendly and offers whatever support we need at anytime, and makes time for us no matter what, even if we just need to talk to someone. Dana is great at getting in contact with our children’s workers, when we need or want something and are unable to get in contact with them ourselves. Our children all look forward to visits with her, even our oldest who at one time had a great fear of caseworkers. After some struggles we have witnessed with other families and their workers, we know we are truly blessed to have been given Dana, and hope that with our next adoption we will be able to work with her... [LINK]


TOPIX EXCERPTS  [LINK]
Posted in the Independence Forum

...Statement released by Kathy Jenkins, AOK Board of Directors President: "Dana Thompson Ison was a beloved friend, coworker, daughter, sister and mother. She was an invaluable member of the AOK family as a social worker and school-age program coordinator. She also led the mentoring program and offered counseling and assistance to anyone in need. She loved the children and they loved her. She was passionate about making a difference in their lives and she did. Words cannot express our sorrow at her passing"...

...Dana used to babysit my son and daughter during summer breaks! I never had to worry about my children in her care! She was the sweetest girl! My kids loved her! She will be greatly missed! Prayers go out to Cheryl and the family!...

...Barton County Sheriff Mitchell Shaw said he asked the state patrol to serve as the lead investigative agency in the shootings “because of the close personal relationships we all had with Officer Ison”...

...Does anyone know Cheryls condition?...

...My thoughts and prayers go out to the family, especially those precious boys. Also praying for a full recovery for Cheryl. So very tragic and so so sad...

...wondering if anyone knows how Cheryl is doing? lets continue to pray for her and all this family...

...Cheryl is in a medical induced coma. They have reapplied her tongue and inserted a feeding tube. They plan to ship her to St. Louis for reconstructive surgery. Cheryl graduated from IHS in 63. Beautiful person both inside and out. Please everyone pray for the family as well as Cheryl. Going to be a long haul...

...Dana's service will be Tuesday the 23rd. Please coninue to pray for Cheryl...

...I agree Cheryl is one of the nicest people you could ever meet. I am praying for her and family...

...Thank you so much for the updates on Cheryl. Since many of us do not want to intrude on the family's privacy during these extreme times, it is great that we can be informed about Cheryl and her recovery. Please tell her family many friends and coworkers from Standard Motors think of her and pray for the family daily. Again thanks so much for keeping us informed and God Bless.




EXCERPTS FROM FACEBOOK POSTS:

We have a long road ahead of us. But you guys along with our friends have been our rock. I cant explain, dont have answers as to why this happened...

...She is off the vent. Waking up more...

...Update on Cheryl: she made it thru her first surgery with no problem. They fixed her boned around eyes, cheek, and face. Put metal plates in where needed...

...Cheryls doing great. Alert, awake, writing sentences on paper. She will be moved out of the ICU today to an observation room. Surgery next week will be major. They r building her a jaw/cheek bone...

...These past couple of weeks have made me look at life differently. PLEASE tell ur loved ones that u love them every day. Dont take them for granted. If u fight, make up b4 you leave or go to bed. You never know if its ur last day on earth. God bless!...

...Update on Cheryl: she made it thru her 12 hr reconstructive surgery without difficulty. They were even able to do some skin grafting...

...Cheryl is finally waking up since her 12hr surgery on Wednesday. She is doing good... She is writing up a storm!...

...Cheryl continues to progress well. She is awake and alert. Has been up in her chair. Skin graft is taking. She is well aware of things... I ask for continued prayers for the family...

...Cheryl continues to progress well. She is truely a miracle. She is a woman of faith...
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal fatality fatalities murder suicide missouri state politics relatives children child abuse]

Saturday, November 3, 2012

[WA] Benton County Sheriff's Deputy Abel Campos resigned Friday before he could be fired for allegedly hitting his wife

"It's very difficult for me. Part of me believes when someone does something, they should be fired and not given an opportunity to resign."
~ Benton County Sheriff Steve Keane

PREVIOUS POST:
[WA] Benton Co. Sheriff's Deputy Campos walks away from domestic violence charges Benton County sheriff's Deputy Abel Prieto Campos walks away from domestic violence charge despite hair pulled out of his wife's head and signs of physical assault on the side of her head because she recanted and her mother backed away...

BENTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY RESIGNS
Tri-City Herald, Bellingham Herald
By Paula Horton
Published: November 3, 2012
[Excerpts] A Benton County sheriff's deputy resigned Friday before he could be fired for allegedly hitting his wife earlier this year... Sheriff Steve Keane waited until after the criminal case was resolved to complete the internal investigation and make a decision on any disciplinary action. Keane said he intended to terminate Campos, but Campos turned in his resignation when he reported to the disciplinary hearing Friday morning. "I believe an assault did occur," Keane told the Herald. "I believe Abel assaulted his wife and I believe I had enough to terminate him"... The sheriff said if he had not let Campos resign, the deputy could have filed a grievance and an arbitrator would have decided if the firing was justified. Arbitration is a "very expensive process," and when a witness changes her story five different times, there's no guarantee sheriff's officials could get an arbitrator to agree with the decision, he said. "It's very difficult for me. Part of me believes when someone does something, they should be fired and not given an opportunity to resign," Keane said... "The biggest thing an officer has is his credibility. People want to know you have honest officers," Keane said. "If he's been arrested for a crime and have victims recanting, I think it leaves doubts in citizen's minds. It left doubt in my mind"... The criminal case was dismissed Oct. 12 just before the trial. Richland's prosecutor said he had to drop the charges because the witnesses backed out of testifying... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety recant washington state politics teflon police union arbitration fop]

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

[CA] The Long Beach Police Officer, Brandon Preciado, who brutally, repeatedly beat and tortured wife gets 12 years

...Before sentencing, [former Long Beach Officer Brandon] Preciado's wife, Yessenia, asked Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Craig Richman to consider Preciado's role as the father of three children. "I am not here to make excuses or to say whether he's guilty or not guilty," Yessenia Preciado said. But she cited his military service and work as a police officer and said, "He's a great family man"...


PREVIOUS POSTS:
  • [CA] Long Beach Police Officer Preciado 5-hour stand-off, tools of torture, and 21 domestic violence felonies - with injury to spouse - [Long Beach Police Officer] Brandon Preciado was charged Tuesday morning with a total of 21 counts, including nine felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon and making a criminal threat, all felonies... Weapons allegedly used in the beatings included a flashlight, belt, hammer, broom handle and baton... A protective order requiring Preciado to stay away from his wife was issued by the court, but the court didn't issue a stay-away order for the couple's children... [The news is still all about him. Who is helping her through this? Was that a Long Beach Police issued flashlight and baton?]
  • [CA] Long Beach Police Officer Brandon Preciado ordered to stand trial on 18 felony counts of domestic violence - ...The woman [his wife] testified that she suffered a swollen left eye and bloody lips during the last alleged attack Jan. 12, saying her spouse [Long Beach Police Officer Brandon Preciado] repeatedly slapped her across the face, bent her left pinky back, bit her face and threatened that she should "prepare to die" before she ran to a neighbor’s house to seek help...."

Ex-Long Beach police officer convicted of torturing wife gets 12 years
Long Beach Press Telegram
By Elizabeth Marcellino, City News Service
Posted: 10/29/2012

LOS ANGELES - A 30-year-old former Long Beach police officer was sentenced to 12 years and four months in prison Monday for what a judge called the "physical and psychological torture" of his wife.

Brandon Preciado was convicted Oct. 2 of more than a dozen felonies and a handful of misdemeanors for repeatedly choking, beating and threatening his wife.

The eight-woman, four-man jury, which deliberated for about a day, convicted him of six felony counts of corporal injury to a spouse, three counts each of assault with a deadly weapon and assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury and one count of criminal threats. He was also convicted of five misdemeanor charges - three counts of assault and two counts of battery.

He was acquitted of resisting, obstructing or delaying a law enforcement officer. Before sentencing, Preciado's wife, Yessenia, asked Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Craig Richman to consider Preciado's role as the father of three children.

"I am not here to make excuses or to say whether he's guilty or not guilty," Yessenia Preciado said. But she cited his military service and work as a police officer and said, "He's a great family man."

"I believe he needs help more than he needs prison time," she said.

Deputy District Attorney Amy Pentz countered, "We respectfully disagree with her. This is a man who repeatedly beat, choked and tortured his wife."

Prosecutors said Preciado's attacks on his wife occurred between Sept. 18, 2011, and Jan. 12 at the couple's Pico Rivera home. When one of the couple's children walked in on a beating, Preciado told the child he was just hugging Yessenia, according to Pentz.

Preciado was legally eligible for probation, but Pentz asked for the maximum sentence of 16 years, 10 months.

"A probationary sentence or light sentence is what I would call a bad bet," the deputy district attorney said.

Defense attorney Leo Newton argued that his client had already suffered.

"He's lost his job, he's lost his career," Newton said.

But Richman said the seriousness of the crimes and the fact that Preciado had never expressed any remorse during the trial contributed to his decision not to grant probation and to impose the 12-year, four-month sentence.

He also ordered Preciado to pay $1,266.91 to a victims' compensation fund.

In an interview with police detectives and during a preliminary hearing, Yessenia testified to multiple attacks by her husband, who was a police officer at the time. He threatened to hit her with a work-issued flashlight and to break her jaw if she didn't tell him the truth, and then wrapped a belt around her neck during the first attack.

She said she suffered bleeding from her nose during an attack Nov. 11 in which her husband put her in a headlock. She also said he choked her during a New Year's Day run-in, but he told her he wouldn't kill her at the time because her brothers were in the home.

The woman testified that her husband pushed her into a tile shower wall, struck her with a closed fist, threatened to hit her with a hammer and break her jaw and then struck her with a broom on Jan. 4.

Preciado hit her repeatedly Jan. 9 with his police- issued baton after ordering in an angry voice for her to get "on all fours," and then woke her up a day later with his forearm against her neck, she testified.

The woman testified that she suffered a swollen left eye and bloody lips during the last alleged attack Jan. 12, saying her spouse repeatedly slapped her across the face, bent her left pinky back, bit her face and threatened that she should "prepare to die" before she ran to a neighbor's house to seek help.

But during the trial, Yessenia proved a more reluctant witness, repeatedly saying she didn't remember what had happened.

Sitting in court Monday, she smiled when Richman said he would not issue a protective order because he felt Preciado's long jail term would make another violent attack unlikely.

Yessenia Preciado had asked the court not to grant such an order because she wanted to be free to bring her children to visit their father, Pentz told the judge.

Before leaving the courtroom, Newton handed a notice of appeal to the court clerk.

http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_21881784/long-beach-cop-convicted-torturing-wife-gets-12.html
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal brutal repeat hx history california convicted state politics]

Saturday, October 27, 2012

[GA] Another domestic violence call to Officer Difiore's house

...[Savannah-Chatham Police Officer Ralph] Difiore is at least the fifth metro officer investigated for a domestic violence incident this year... Officers noted that Pooler police had frequently responded to the couple’s residence for domestic disputes... A neighbor says they called police on the couple at least half a dozen times.... 

SAVANNAH POLICE OFFICER ON LEAVE AFTER BATTERY ARREST
Savannah Morning News
By Lesley Conn
Posted: October 26, 2012
[Excerpts] A Savannah-Chatham police officer has been placed on administrative leave following his arrest in a domestic violence incident. Ralph Joseph Difiore, 46, has been charged with battery/domestic violence and disorderly house after Pooler police responded Oct. 20 to a call from a neighbor. Difiore is at least the fifth metro officer investigated for a domestic violence incident this year. Difiore’s girlfriend, Heather Cook Walters, 35, faces the same two charges. A Jan. 17 court date was set for both... Officers responded about 12:40 a.m. based on a neighbor’s concerns that he could hear yelling, things being thrown and a woman crying in the couple’s residence. Officers noted that Pooler police had frequently responded to the couple’s residence for domestic disputes and determined that in this case, “mediation and separation was not the answer”... Their accounts to police differ in the Oct. 20 call. Difiore contends Walters was severely drunk and “stumbling all over the place.” She began swinging and clawing at him when he tried to get her into bed, he told police. When officers questioned Walters, they noted that at no time did she appear unsteady on her feet or falling-over drunk. She denied ever striking Difiore, but said he choked her and threw a foot stool at her... [Full article here]

SCMPD OFFICER PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE AFTER ARREST
WTOC
By Alex Bender abender@wtoc.com
Posted: Oct 24, 2012
[Excerpts] Savannah-Chatham Metro officer Ralph Difiore is on administrative leave... A neighbor says they called police on the couple at least half a dozen times.... They were both released on bond Wednesday. They will be back in court in January. [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety history hx repeated mutual combat alleged georgia state politics]

Friday, October 26, 2012

[PA] Never forgetting Iris Ramos, her life stolen in her cop husband's murder-suicide


In her mother's kitchen Iris Ramos was shot twice in the head by her husband, Philadelphia police officer Orlando Ramos. He then  fatally shot himself. Iris underwent emergency surgery at Episcopal Hospital, but died the following day. "Police said the couple's 5-year-old daughter was in the house at the time of the shooting."
Orlando: November 24, 1984.
Iris: November 25, 1984.
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal fatality fatalities murder suicide pennsylvania state politics]

[AL] Sheriff's Major Sims indicted for murder in the death of wife, Sheriff's Captain Brenda Sims


Randolph County Alabama Sheriff's Deputy Robert Gary Sims Jr. has been indicted by a grand jury for MURDER in the death of his wife, Randolph County Sheriff's Deputy Brenda Joyce Sims. He had said it was an accident when a gun in the rifle bag discharged as it was put down on December 31, 2011.

FROM JANUARY:
[AL] Goodbye to loved Randolph County Reserves Sheriff's Cpt. Brenda Sims - ...Because Mr. and Mrs. Sims worked with RCSO, Sheriff David Cofield called the Alabama Bureau of Investigation to work the case, which is under investigation but at this time appears to have been an accident... Mrs. Sims was a captain in the reserves and Mr. Sims is a major...
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal fatality fatalities unsolved unresolved usur alabama state politics accidental shooting accident]

Thursday, October 25, 2012

[OH] Toledo Police Sgt. Mosley about his roadside domestic argument


"...I just thought people who read these stories on this site should have the facts..."


Previous post:
[OH] Toledo Police Officer Harold Mosely arrested after "argument" with wife. - ...Officer Mosley was yelling very loudly into his wife’s face and using foul language. He apparently ignored the Holland officer’s verbal commands to stop...


Harold E. Mosley
October 22, 2012

"Since when is it illegal for married couples or otherwise to yell at each other. What was not mentioned in the story was that at no time did I threaten either my wife or the officer. As far as I know there are no laws that prohibit married people from using foul lanuage towards each other when there are no other people present.

It was alleged that I was intoxicated and was blocking a lane of traffic, however they felled to mentioned that our vehicle was parked at the curb lane with the flashers on.

They indicated that I was intoxicated but apparentely not charged with DUI. I would like people who read these types of articles to be careful before they judge.

Unfortunatley I am a African American and my Wife is White. In retrospect I am embarrassed that I subjected my family, friends and my department to this unfortunate incident, however I remain convinced that if the Holland Police Officer was interested in my wife's safety as he claimed the second question out of his mouth after asking what the problem was and being told that my wife and I were arguing, should have been him asking her if she was alright.

Instead he told me I couldn't yell at her which is clearly not illegal in the state of ohio. What I was waiting for was for him to say the two of you should probably get into your vehicle and go home, instead he wanted to show me his power.

I have been involved in law enforcement for thirty years and I know what good police work is, and clearly it didn't occurr that night. Since then all charges have been dropped and the record expunged. I just thought people who read these stories on this site should have the facts.

Whenever there is a rush to judgement, justice is sacrificed."

[Sgt. Mosley commented here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse verbal emotional private matter personal law enforcement public safety ohio state politics tpd Toledo Police Department]

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

[OH] Lancaster Police Officer Randy Bartow and Stephanie Jean Seifert murdered by her ex-husband

...[Lancaster Police] Officer Randy Bartow, 56, of Logan, a 19-year member of the police department, was killed, as well as Stephanie J. Adams [Stephanie Jean Seifert], 38, and Kevin J. Adams... Court records showed that Stephanie Adams filed for dissolution in March, and it was granted in May... 

Stephanie Jean Seifert
On Facebook:

Lancaster Police Officer Randy Bartow
On Facebook:

POLICE WORK TO PIECE TOGETHER LANCASTER DOUBLE MURDER, SUICIDE
10TV
Wednesday October 24, 2012
[Excerpts] LANCASTER, Ohio - While police try to determine why three people died in a double murder/suicide on Tuesday, friends and family members remembered the way the victims lived. Police said that 40-year-old Kevin Adams arrived at the home of his ex-wife, Stephanie Adams, and shot and killed her and then her boyfriend, Lancaster Police Officer Randy Bartow, before shooting and killing himself... Brian Darfus said that there was a big void around his office when he arrived at Century 21 Darfus Realty on Tuesday. Stephanie Adams worked there as a realtor for the past eight years. “She’d always stop by my office door and ask me how I was doing, and that’s just the kind of person she was,” Darfus said. “Even when things weren’t good in her life, she always came in and made everybody else smile and always acted crazy.” Those in town also remembered Bartow, who was a decorated and respected Lancaster police officer who had been on the force since 1993. 10TV News looked at Bartow’s personnel records and found them full of compliments from supervisors and citizens. Bartow had been named Officer of the Year twice... [Full article here]


LANCASTER POLICE OFFICER AMONG 3 DEAD IN SHOOTING
Chillicothe Gazette
2:08 PM, Oct 23, 2012
[Excerpts] A decorated Lancaster police officer who was off duty has been identified as the third person killed in a double murder-suicide ... Officer Randy Bartow, 56, of Logan, a 19-year member of the police department, was killed, as well as Stephanie J. Adams, 38, and Kevin J. Adams, 40, both of Lancaster. All three were shot and killed at 196 Cleveland Ave... Neighbors heard yelling, a scream and then a series of “pops,” Bosch said... Stephanie Adams was one of the people who called 911. According to the log, there were screams and she kept yelling at “Kevin” to stop pointing a gun... Court records showed that Stephanie Adams filed for dissolution in March, and it was granted in May... Bartow joined the Lancaster Police Department in 1993 after working with the Logan Police Department since 1978. He initially served as a detective, and transferred to the patrol division in 1999. He was named officer of the year by his fellow officers in 1999 and 2002 and won the Lancaster-Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce’s Markwood Award in 2003. Stephanie Adams worked at Darfus Realty and at Rooster’s in Lancaster.... [Full article here]

COMMUNITY MEMBERS, FRIENDS REMEMBER SLAIN OFFICER
By: NBC4 - NBC4
October 24, 2012
[Excerpts] Members of the Lancaster Police Department remember fellow officer, Randy Bartow, 56, who was killed in an apparent murder-suicide, early Tuesday morning.... Friends and neighbors from his hometown of Logan, Ohio, in Hocking County say they were shocked to learn of his death. “It just about made me sick. Such a terrible thing; such a terrible tragedy,” said Sharon Stimmel, a friend of Bartow and his family... "He was a true professional and a valued member of our agency. His passing is a great loss to the Lancaster community and to Ohio law enforcement. He will be sadly missed, we ask that you keep Officer Bartow’s family and the Lancaster community in your prayers," said Chief Aaron Miller... [Full article here]


"We are extremely saddened by the tragic death of our brother, uncle and friend, Officer Randy Bartow. His kindness and generosity towards others was evident in all that he did. Randy was a proud police officer his entire adult life, and served with pride in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and Ohio Army National Guard. He will be greatly missed by his family, co-workers, friends, and the many residents he touched with his compassion. We are thankful for the outpouring of support during this incredibly difficult time.
Thank you very much,
Lindsay Bartow"


UPDATE:



FRIENDS, FAMILIES STRUGGLE WITH LANCASTER DEATHS
CentralOhio.com
Michelle George and Francesca Sacco
Oct 25, 2012
[Excerpts] LANCASTER — When Ohio University Lancaster student Cheryse Hubbard participates in a two-mile walk today to raise awareness of domestic violence, she will be thinking of a dear friend and co-worker whose life came to an end too soon... “Stephanie was one of those people who, if you needed anything, no matter what, she would do everything in her power to do it for you. She would give you the shirt off her back, anything... She had the hugest heart... Everybody at work loved Stephanie; she’s going to be missed dearly... She was always there to listen and to try and give the best advice. She was never really one to complain about her life and what happened to her.” Across town, [Randy] Bartow’s co-workers at the Lancaster Police Department also were grieving the loss of a friend. Bartow was a decorated police officer who worked in the patrol bureau and was well-known within the community. He was off-duty Tuesday morning when he was killed. “It is very solemn here,” Lancaster Police Chief David Bailey said Wednesday... In his personnel file, there are all kinds of small notes, cards and letters on official stationary, but they all say the same thing — how he went out of his way to help somebody,” Bailey said. “For someone to write a note and mail it down here tells a lot about the impact he had because it takes time to do something like that and people are busy”... [Kevin and Stephanie's niece Amber] Singer said that while funeral arrangements for her aunt and uncle are pending, she hopes that they could possibly be buried together. “They loved each other, “ said Singer. “Our family is very distraught by this. We don’t understand. We have a lot of unanswered questions. But he was an amazing and loving person and nobody is seeing that”... [Full article here]

OFFICER RANDY BARTOW REMEMBERED AS MAN OF HUMOR, COMPASSION
Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
Blake Williams
Oct 28, 2012
[Excerpts] LOGAN — From a 9 a.m. briefing in Lancaster to an 11 a.m. service at the Logan Church of the Nazarene to the burial at Greenlawn Cemetery in Nelsonville, the friends and family of deceased Lancaster Police Officer Randy Bartow dedicated miles and hours to honoring his memory Saturday. Many used the drive to reflect on their lost friend. “I kind of chuckled when we were driving up here,” Bartow’s former partner, Kevin Everhart, said. “Leave it to Randy to find a cemetery back in this location. That’s just the way Randy was, he was a prankster. (During the drive) I was just kind of reminiscing on some of the good times that we had”... Everhart was glad people in mourning were able to find humor during the service, he said, and thought his friend would have appreciated it. “He was laughing at us, trust me,” he said. “That’s the way Randy was. He tried to find humor in everything”... Lancaster was not the only law enforcement agency represented at the funeral. Officers from Lithopolis, Baltimore, Columbus, Logan, Pickerington and Hocking County, among others, attended... Most of those officers stood at attention in spitting rain as Bartow’s casket was transported to the hearse and again at the grave site while the remaining members of the force served as pallbearers. The police officers stood six rows deep at Greenlawn Cemetery below an American flag lowered to half staff with a black bow affixed to its corner... “Randy was unlike most people,” [Lancaster Police Officer John] Hill said. “He was very sincere; he would do anything for anybody regardless of what it would cost him. You can say this about a lot of people and it’s not always meant, that he would give you the shirt of his back, but with Randy, he most definitely would do that.” Bartow also was known for giving people the shirt out of his pocket. In his time as a police officer, he developed a habit of folding dollar bills into origami shirts and giving them to people he encountered whose day needed a lift... [Full article here]


UPDATE:

WALKERS REMEMBER LANCASTER MURDER VICTIMS
myfox28columbus.com
Thursday, October 25 2012
...Several people took part in the two-mile walk, which raised money for the Lighthouse domestic violence shelter. Also on the minds of the participants were Stephanie Seifert and Lancaster Police Officer Randy Bartow, who were killed Tuesday, allegedly by Siefert's ex-husband. Seifert's friend, Cheryse Hubbard, took part in the walk, and says Stephanie "would've wanted something good to come out of [the murders]." Hubbard said a golf outing is being planned to raise money for Seifert's family... LINK

OU-LANCASTER STUDENTS TO WALK IN HONOR OF VICTIM
WOUB
Published Thu, Oct 25, 2012 
Ohio University Lancaster students will honor a domestic violence victim in the "Walk in Their Shoes" event Thursday afternoon. After Stephanie Adams was shot and killed in an incident related to domestic violence early Tuesday morning, several of her friends decided to participate in the walk... Stephanie Adams' friends plan to carry pictures of her during the walk. Adams' friend Cheryse Hubbard said she thinks Adams would be happy to see people participating. "From the situation, most can see that it was domestic violence and I think Stephanie would be proud of everybody who comes out and if something good from this situation can come out of it by somebody getting out of a domestic violence situation because of the walk today, I think Stephanie would be very proud and very happy," said Hubbard... LINK

LANCASTER MURDER VICTIM REMEMBERED ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS WALK
October 25, 2012
Friends of Adams walked with heavy hearts at a bike path behind the Lancaster branch of Ohio University. "If anything was wrong she would tell you it was going to be ok, no matter what was going on in her life," said Jackie Taylor. The two mile trek was called "Walk In Their Shoes." The dozens who showed up talked about the shock of the tragedy and the need for domestic violence to end. "Nobody should  ever touch somebody else with anger love that if you love someone like that and it's just horrifying to think what she went through," said Taylor Adams’ co-workers from Rooster’s said that they can’t believe she is gone. They hope her death will make more people realize that they don’t have to stay in a violent relationship. "Don't be afraid to speak up, don't stay no matter how much you  love, sometimes people don't change"... There were 45 shoes placed along the path which represented a person who is touched by domestic violence every 15 minutes in this country... LINK

OUL WALK REMEMBERS ADAMS AND ALL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS
Ohio.edu / Slideshow
2012-10-25 
About 40 people took part in a walk on the Ohio University Lancaster Campus Thursday afternoon to honor domestic violence victims.  The walk had been planned for several weeks but happened to take place two days after three people in Lancaster were killed in what police are calling a domestic violence incident. Several Ohio University Lancaster students walked in honor of one of the victims, Stephanie Adams. They carried pictures of her with them when walking the Lancaster bike trail near campus... An off-duty Lancaster Police Officer [Randy Bartow] was killed in the incident as well.  Two Lancaster Police Officers took part in the walk in his honor... LINK
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal fatality fatalities murder suicide victim ohio state politics cop as victim good cop visitation viewing]

Sunday, October 14, 2012

[MI] Jennifer Webb's fight for her and her son Braxton's life helped convict Officer Bluew of their murders


...[Saginaw County Prosecutor Michael] Thomas said victim Jennifer Webb's actions on the night of her murder gave them the evidence needed to convict [Buena Vista police officer Kenneth] Bluew. "Jenny Webb convicted this person because without her fighting for her life and biting off his fingertip, we wouldn't have had half the evidence we did"... When family members of Jennifer Webb learned of her death, [told to them to be] an apparent suicide in August 2011, it was amid confusion and shock and without warning... 

Previous post:
[MI] Buena Vista Police Officer Bluew's girlfriend Jennifer Webb and her unborn son Braxton found killed
- ..."She was excited she was going to have a baby," said Steve Wobig. He told us his neighbor, Jennifer Webb had recently celebrated her baby shower. She was so thrilled about the arrival of her new baby, she even posted the ultrasound image as her Facebook profile picture... 


Buena Vista police officer Ken Bluew, who is on unpaid suspension, has been found guilty of first-degree premeditated murder, assaulting a pregnant individual -  intentionally causing miscarriage or stillbirth of a fetus or embryo, and two counts of possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony.

[Mlive.com]


Facebook page: Justice for Jenny
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Justice-for-Jenny/247176081987805



BREAKING: KEN BLUEW GUILTY OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER OF THE PREGNANT JENNIFER WEBB
MLive.com
By Andy Hoag
on October 11, 2012
[Excerpts] Kenneth T. Bluew will spend the rest of his life in prison after a jury this afternoon convicted him of murdering Jennifer Webb, the woman who was eight months pregnant with his son. After deliberating for about two hours, the jury of seven women and five men convicted Bluew, 37, of first-degree premeditated murder in Webb's Aug. 30, 2011, death at North Outer and Hack in Buena Vista Township. The charge carries a mandatory penalty of life in prison without the possibility of parole.... Saginaw County Prosecutor Michael D. Thomas delivered a 55-minute closing argument, telling the jury there was “overwhelming” evidence that Bluew planned to kill Webb, who planned to name her son Braxton. Bluew's attorney, Rod O'Farrell, spent 80 minutes arguing that the Michigan State Police's investigation was flawed and that Webb committed suicide... Bluew elected against testifying on his own behalf. The jury also convicted Bluew, who lived in Saginaw Township, of assaulting a pregnant individual intentionally causing miscarriage or stillbirth of a fetus or embryo and two counts of possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony... [Full article here]


JENNIFER WEBB CONVICTED KEN BLUEW BY FIGHTING FOR HER LIFE, PROSECUTOR SAYS FOLLOWING GUILTY VERDICT
MLive.com
By Brad Devereaux
on October 11, 2012
[Excerpts] Saginaw County Prosecutor Michael D. Thomas commended his prosecution team and investigators who gathered and processed evidence in the murder trial for former Buena Vista police officer Ken Bluew, which ended today with a guilty verdict. But Thomas said victim Jennifer Webb's actions on the night of her murder gave them the evidence needed to convict Bluew. "Jenny Webb convicted this person because without her fighting for her life and biting off his fingertip, we wouldn't have had half the evidence we did," Thomas said moments after the jury's guilty verdict was announced Thursday, Oct. 11... "You look at the police officers in our community and you never think that they could do something like that," Thomas said. The Michigan State Police investigative arm and the Michigan State crime lab deserve credit for the outcome of the case, along with chief assistant prosecutor Jeff Stroud, Thomas said... [Full article here]

“I said, 'My daughter may be dead, 
but she did not commit suicide."
~ Dawn Webb, the mother of Jennifer Webb


JENNIFER WEBB'S MOTHER: CONVICTED MURDERER KEN BLUEW 'KNEW WHAT HE HAD DONE'
MLive.com
By Andy Hoag
on October 11, 2012
[Excerpts] When Dawn Webb's three children were younger and found themselves in trouble, she would make them sit in a room by themselves and think about what they'd done. Now, Webb said late this afternoon, Kenneth T. Bluew will have the chance to do the same thing — for the rest of his life. That's because Bluew, 37, was convicted of first-degree premeditated murder in the Aug. 30, 2011, death of Webb's daughter, Jennifer. The charge carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole... “He was way too smug, like he was going to get away with it,” Webb said of Bluew. “But he knew what he had done”... Bluew, surrounded by nine Saginaw County sheriff's deputies, showed no emotion as the jury foreman read the verdict... Members of both Bluew's and Webb's family wept, albeit quietly, as they heard the verdict... Bluew and fellow Buena Vista Police Officer Tim Patterson found the 32-year-old Webb's body hanging by an extension cord from the roof rack of her Pontiac Aztek at North Outer and Hack in Buena Vista Township. Bluew, who did not testify, told Michigan State Police Detective Sgts. Allan Ogg and Jason Teddy, now a lieutenant, that he had arrived at the scene just before Patterson did. Bluew said he found an “obvious suicide note” in Webb's purse and didn't recognize Webb until he saw her driver's license... a DNA expert from the state police testified that a DNA test showed that Bluew was the father of the baby. Saginaw County Medical Examiner Kanu Virani testified that he ruled Webb's death a homicide by carotid neck compression through the use of a choke hold and not a suicide by strangulation... Dawn Webb said today that part of her relief stemmed from the fact that “it's been a very long year” and thanked Thomas, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Jeffrey D. Stroud, and the state police investigators. “They were very professional,” she said. “We knew that they were in our corner”... “She had so many friends,” Webb said of her daughter. “We received support from Sweden, Hawaii, Venezuela — friends that she had who have moved away. “I don't know how to thank everybody,” she continued. “The support was overwhelming”... [Full article here]


...Angela Webb spoke with her mother just after 2 a.m. Aug. 31, 2011, and learned that police found her sister dead in an apparent suicide. Webb knew that her sister, Jennifer Webb, was “ecstatic” about soon giving birth to a son she named Braxton, and refused to believe that her sister would kill herself. “I said, 'That's bull----'"...


KEN BLUEW FOUND GUILTY IN MURDER OF PREGNANT JENNIFER WEBB; FAMILY OF VICTIM THANKFUL FOR JUSTICE
Mlive.com
By Brad Devereaux
October 11, 2012
[Excerpts] When family members of Jennifer Webb learned of her death, an apparent suicide in August 2011, it was amid confusion and shock and without warning. Following the announcement today that former Buena Vista police officer Ken Bluew is guilty of murder for the then-pregnant Webb, the victim's family members feel that justice has been served, but they still wonder why Bluew thought she had to die.  "There will never be closure, but we know that justice has been done," said Jennifer Webb's aunt, Sharon Meyers... "Two families have been destroyed," she said, "and we still don't know why (Bluew) made the choices he did"... The couple's son and Webb's first cousin, Jonathon Meyers, 28, said when he found out by text message that Webb had committed suicide, it didn't seem right. He said Webb was excited about the baby that she planned to give birth to and she was not suicidal, contrary to what the defense argued during the nearly three-week trial... "It goes to show you there are people out there who think they are above the law"... [Full article here]

JENNIFER WEBB'S FAMILY, FRIENDS REACT TO KEN BLUEW GUILTY VERDICT IN THE PREGNANT WEBB'S DEATH
MLive.com
By Bob Johnson
October 11, 2012
[Excerpts] ...Despite the conviction of first-degree premeditated murder in the Aug. 30, 2011, death of Jennifer Webb, who was eight months pregnant with [Buena Vista police officer Kenneth] Bluew's son, there is no happiness, Webb's aunt said. “There were no winners for (Bluew’s) family or ours," Barb McNally said. "But I’m satisfied with the verdict... I’ve been here since the beginning (of trial), and I will be here for sentencing,” she said... The jury also convicted Bluew, 37, of assaulting a pregnant individual intentionally causing miscarriage or stillbirth of a fetus or embryo and two counts of possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony... [Full article here]

CONVICTED COP KEN BLUEW'S SENTENCING SET FOR NOV. 5; PRISON PERSONNEL TO DECIDE ON 'PROTECTIVE SEGREGATION'
Mlive.com
By Andy Hoag
October 12, 2012
[Excerpts] When a jury convicted suspended police officer Kenneth T. Bluew of murdering Jennifer Webb, his sentence was set by law: mandatory life in prison without parole. A Saginaw County judge is expected to impose that penalty when Bluew appears for sentencing Nov. 5. But where Bluew will serve his term in state prison hasn't been determined, and his status as a former officer could influence where and how he's assigned to a correctional facility... Bluew's status as a former police officer will factor into his placement... the nature of the crime for which he was convicted also is a factor... Other classification factors include his health, mental health, and educational or other special needs... Bluew has remained on unpaid suspension from the Buena Vista Police Department since the days following Webb's death. Sgt. Sean Waterman, the department's acting chief, said Friday he has submitted paperwork to Dexter Mitchell, the interim township manager, for a change of employment status for Bluew, seeking his termination... Every defendant in Michigan who is convicted of a felony after a trial has a right to appeal his or her conviction to the state Court of Appeals... [Full article here]

FROM LAST MONTH:

PROSECUTOR: KEN BLUEW KILLED HIS PREGNANT GIRLFRIEND JENNIFER WEBB AND 'MADE IT LOOK LIKE SOMETHING ELSE'
mlive.com
By Andy Hoag
on September 25, 2012
[Excerpts] Jennifer Webb was “happy, she was healthy, she was having a baby” and “did not commit suicide,” a prosecutor said today. Instead, Saginaw County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Jeffrey D. Stroud told a jury of nine women and five men, Kenneth T. Bluew killed the 32-year-old Webb and “made it look like something else.”... Bluew and fellow Buena Vista Police Officer Tim Patterson found Webb's body... Police treated the death as a suicide until [Sgt. Sean] Waterman spoke with Webb's parents, who told Waterman that Bluew was the father of Braxton and that Webb was excited to give birth to the baby... Bluew's blood was found in various parts of Webb's vehicle and a bloody fingerprint on the passenger side door matched Bluew's right index finger. The fingerprint “had a piece of it missing”... [Full article here]

JENNIFER WEBB'S MOTHER, SISTER TESTIFY IN KEN BLUEW TRIAL ABOUT LEARNING OF HER DEATH
mlive.com
By Andy Hoag
September 28, 2012
[Excerpts] Angela Webb spoke with her mother just after 2 a.m. Aug. 31, 2011, and learned that police found her sister dead in an apparent suicide. Webb knew that her sister, Jennifer Webb, was “ecstatic” about soon giving birth to a son she named Braxton, and refused to believe that her sister would kill herself. “I said, 'That's bull----,' ” Webb testified this morning. Webb and her mother, Dawn Webb, cried together on the phone, and then Webb went to her parents' Bridgeport Township home, where Jennifer Webb recently had moved and prepared her bedroom for her soon-to-be newborn... [Buena Vista Police Officer Ken]Bluew already was at North Outer and Hack in Buena Vista Township about 11 p.m. Aug. 30 when fellow Officer Tim Patterson drove to the area... [Buena Vista Police Sgt. Sean] Waterman was called to the scene and treated the death as a suicide — until he learned of who the father of the baby was. Waterman “got kind of white,” Dawn Webb testified this morning, and said they needed to sit down and continue their conversation... Dawn Webb testified that Waterman called their home and told her that he was standing outside their home. When he entered the home, Waterman told her and her husband, Don, that their daughter's body was found. “I said, 'My daughter may be dead, but she did not commit suicide'” Webb testified... Angela Webb testified that her sister told her that Bluew was the father of the baby. Jennifer Webb eventually decided to name Bluew on Braxton's birth certificate and planned to go to the county Friend of the Court to secure child support,... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal fatality fatalities murder michigan state alleged suicide unsolved unresolved usur politics]