All 900+ pages of them can be read here. (pdf format)
I’ll have my thoughts on them later.
Blog
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Records released
Re: Additional Columbine documents to be released:
Who: Jefferson County Sheriff Office
What: The release of 936 pages of documents seized from the Klebold and Harris homes and
vehicles after the 1999 Columbine High School shootings. The documents have been
scanned onto a CD-ROM, which can be purchased by cash, check or credit card for $5.(Additional fees apply if received by mail)When: July 6, 2006 at 8 a.m.
Where: Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office
200 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden
Records Unit, main floor lobbyI’ll give it until noon today before they’re all over the net.
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Witnesses sought in Jamie Lynn Drake case
Detectives seek potential witnesses in Jamie Drake case:
Sheriff’s major crimes detectives are looking for four persons that homicide suspect Kevin Wayne Newland said he spent the day with on the day Jamie Lynn Drake was killed.
According to Newland, he has been living a transient lifestyle and spending nights in city and county parks. On Thursday, June 22, he was at Chief Garry Park at Mission and Greene when he met four people who invited him to go drinking with them.
One of the men was named “John” and drove a dark blue Ford F-150 pickup.
A second man was called “Louis” and a woman was called “Boo.” The fourth person, another male, went unidentified. These last three were in a dark gray or black Acura.
Newland and the four drove to a spot along the Little Spokane River north of Commellini’s Restaurant where they drank alcohol. At some point there was a disagreement and John used his pickup to drive Newland to Jamie Drake’s apartment so he could talk with her roommate who was his girlfriend.
Detective Jim Dresback asks that these four people call him at the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office major crimes unit, 509-477-2714.
In addition to these four potential witnesses, detectives asked that anyone else who had contact with Kevin Wayne Newland on Thursday, June 22, to call the sheriff’s office.
An autopsy was performed late Friday afternoon, but the medical examiner is awaiting further tests before announcing the cause of death in Jamie Drake’s homicide.
Transient yet he has a MySpace profile. Anyway, it sounds like he’s trying to shift the blame to his new drinking buddies, even though he was found driving Jamie Lynn Drake’s car and her body was found in his family’s cabin. If he didn’t kill her, he sure was involved.
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Or maybe one family will appeal
Klebold’s parents forgo challenge:
I guess we’re going to have another lesson in journalism. Previously, it was reported that neither parents of the Columbine killers would appeal the Columbine evidence being released. Now the Rocky Mountain News is saying that for right now only the Klebolds are not appealing…
The parents of Columbine killer Dylan Klebold have decided not to challenge the release of more than 900 pages of documents taken from their home and that of fellow killer Eric Harris, their attorney said this morning.
Gary Lozow said that Tom and Sue Klebold hope that their decision will help bring an end to the litigation that has surrounded Columbine since the two seniors opened fire on April 20, 1999, killing a dozen students and a teacher and wounding more than 20 others.
“I think one of the kinds of thoughts that was important was simply to put an end to all of the litigation,” Lozow said. “Hopefully that will be part of what happens here — we’ll have to see.”
The documents are expected to be released Thursday, the Jefferson County sheriff said.
The Harris family has not yet filed any challenge to Jefferson County Sheriff Ted Mink’s decision to release the documents.
Today is the deadline.
As of what time today remains unknown.
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Killers’ families will not appeal
Lawyers: No Challenge To Columbine Papers Release:
Color me shocked…
(CBS4) LITTLETON, Colo. The families of Columbine gunmen Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold have decided not to challenge a decision to release more than 900 pages of materials taken from their home, CBS4 reported Wednesday.
Wednesday was the deadline for any challenge to be filed.
Attorneys for families of Harris and Klebold told CBS4’s Rick Sallinger about their decision on Wednesday. Jefferson County Sheriff Ted Mink made the decision to release the materials last month.
The gunmen’s families went all the way to the Colorado Supreme Court to try and block the release of the materials from their homes, but failed.
Mink planned to make an announcement soon about when the actual release of the materials would take place.
I almost find it suspicious that they’re not appealing this after fighting for so long to keep it under wraps.
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Henderson evidence in pawn shop
For those of you who may not remember, Richard Henderson Jr. was a 20-year-old man who bludgeoned his family to death on Thanksgiving 2005 and was previously convicted of a school shooting plot in 2001. More information on him can be found here.
Some of the evidence the state could use for its case that Richard Henderson Jr. of Myakka City killed his family is being held in an unusual spot: a local pawn shop.
Authorities say Henderson pawned a TV and videogame console at Value Pawn on U.S. 41 south of Bradenton the day after he bludgeoned his parents, grandmother and brother to death on Thanksgiving Day last year.
And a recent court order means the pawn shop will have to continue holding the items until after the trial concludes.
Authorities photographed the items and would likely have released them to the owners — if any of the owners had survived, said Manatee County sheriff’s spokesman Dave Bristow.
“Since the stuff belonged to people who are dead, we just want to keep it for the trial to show that he did this,” Bristow said. “Whether or not it’s ever brought into the courtroom, I don’t know.”
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Jamie Lynn Drake’s body found
Missing woman’s body believed found:
Jamie Lynn Drake, who I told you about here, has been found but sadly not alive…
ADDY, Wash. — The search for a 19-year-old Mead woman ended Friday in rural Stevens County, where detectives apparently located the body of Jamie Lynn Drake under the floorboards of a tiny cabin.
The suspect, 20-year-old Kevin Wayne Newland, allegedly led detectives to the site in a late-night drive through the forested back roads northwest of Addy, Wash.
“They said, ‘OK, why are we here?’ He walked over and pulled open the hatch and walked away,’” said Sgt. Dave Reagan of the Spokane County Sheriff’s Department.
The discovery of the body, wrapped in a blue plastic tarp, ended the statewide search for Drake, who disappeared on June 23. Reagan said detectives believe that Drake was killed at her apartment and her body moved to the cabin.
Drake’s family released a statement on Friday thanking law enforcement for their work and urging families “to celebrate what they have.”
“We should all be reminded that life is very precious and we should let all of those around us know how special they are to us,” the family said.
After a statewide alert, Newland was arrested Tuesday in King County when he was found driving the Mustang.
According to a search warrant filed in Spokane County District Court, Newland told one acquaintance that he bought the car in Kennewick, Wash., for $3,200 from someone a guy who just got out of prison; he told a second friend that he bought it in a bar.
The court documents said Newland later told a detective that he bought the car from a man male in Spokane named Jamie, who did not have the car’s title.
Arrested on suspicion of possessing stolen property, Newland was transferred to Spokane on Thursday afternoon. Within hours, he led detectives to the cabin, Reagan said.
“They just kept talking to him and chipping away,” Reagan said.
Stevens County sheriff’s personnel guarded the cabin overnight, as Spokane County officers worked to secure a search warrant.
“We had great teamwork throughout the state,” said Spokane Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich, who traveled to the site himself. “It brought this to a very, very short resolution.”
By mid-afternoon on Friday, sheriff’s deputies had finished the recovery at the cabin, which they believe is owned by Newland’s mother. The small red cabin, ringed with white Christmas lights, is on Marble Valley Basin Road.
In Stevens County, Newland has prior convictions for second-degree theft, vehicle prowling and theft of a firearm, according a bench warrant issued on Thursday.
Reagan declined to discuss a possible motive or the cause of death, pending an autopsy.
The Sheriff’s Office said additional charges are expected to be filed against Newland in the coming days.
On Friday, about 70 friends gathered at MEAD Alternative High School, where Drake had graduated in the spring.
“There are a lot of people who were touched by Jamie,” said Dave Vaughn, a counselor at Mead High School. “One person said, ‘If you met Jamie once, you were impacted for life.’ “
After graduation, Drake moved in with her friend Jordan Sheffield at Deer Run Apartments and was looking toward the future.
Newland can now be added to the MySpace Rogues Gallery.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the Drake family.
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911 call will not be heard at Dyleski trial
Daniel Horowitz’ 911 Call Will Not Play During Trial:
MARTINEZ, Calif. — The anguished 911 calls Daniel Horowitz made after he found his wife’s body won’t be played for the jury in the upcoming murder trial of the couple’s teenage neighbor.
A Contra Costa County judge ruled Monday that the tapes are too “disturbing” and prejudicial to defendant Scott Dyleski.
Horowitz called authorities on Oct. 15th after finding the bludgeoned body of 52-year-old Pamela Vitale in their Lafayette home.
The defense has suggested that Horowitz played a role in her death.
Prosecutors sought to play the tapes, arguing that an “almost primordial scream” by Horowitz would prove to jurors that he didn’t kill his wife.
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Leodoro found guilty
Teen found guilty of RHS shooting:
A Douglas County Juvenile Court Judge found Vincent Wayne Leodoro guilty of attempted murder this morning.
The ruling came after brief closing statements by the defense and prosecution. Judge Robert Millikan ruled that Leodoro, 15, intentionally tried to kill Joseph Monti, 16, when the youth shot Monti four times in the back Feb. 23 on the Roseburg High School campus.
“I think that Mr. Leodoro intended to kill the victim,” Millikan said, as the teen sat at the defense table, his gaze lowered.
Leodoro was found responsible for attempted murder, first-degree assault and several weapons charges. Millikan said the boy had a strong grasp of weapons mechanics and must have understood the consequences of his action.
Sentencing was scheduled for July 7. Leodoro could end up in custody until the age of 25.
Here was the defense’s argument…
In his defense closing, attorney Bruce Tower said the teen continually denied trying to kill Monti, saying he only meant to hurt him.
So Leodoro shot Monti once, then as Monti lay on the ground Leodoro shot him three more times. Yet he was only trying to “hurt” him? So I guess Jack the Ripper was only trying to “scratch” his victims.
During the interview with Leodoro, Kaney challenged Leodoro’s claim that he only intended to hurt Monti. When the detective asked Leodoro what he’d expect to happen to someone who’s shot, he replied, “Dies, I guess.”
At that point in the interview, Leodoro began to sniffle, his voice wavering.
“I screwed up,” he said. “I shouldn’t have done it.”Ya think?
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Runaway petition dropped against Katherine Lester
Prosecutors to drop runaway petition against teen:
Another chapter in the ongoing drama of Katherine Lester…
SCARO, Mich. (AP) — Prosecutors on Thursday agreed to withdraw a runaway juvenile petition they filed earlier this month against Katherine Lester, the Michigan teenager who flew to the Middle East to be with a man she met on the MySpace.com Internet site.
The decision was part of an agreement reached between Lester, her parents and the Tuscola County prosecutor’s office that requires her to surrender her passport, finish high school, complete counseling and not leave the state without written consent from her parents or a court order.
If Lester, 17, fails to comply with any of the terms, the prosecutor’s office may reauthorize the petition.
Following her return, Lester had been living with her father, Terry, near Flint, in part to escape media attention following her trip. But Renee Wood, a lawyer who represents Katherine Lester’s mother, Shawn, said she stayed with her mother this week and will be back in shared custody.
The teen is a member of the National Honor Society at Akron-Fairgrove Junior/Senior High School. Wood said Lester and her parents have not decided whether she will attend the school for her senior year next fall or go to a different high school.
Katherine Lester and Jimzawi still talk online, and she has said she wants to marry him.
Wood said Thursday that Shawn Lester is unhappy that the pair continue to communicate, but said she wants her daughter to make informed decisions about her future and to be honest with her.
How long before she bolts again?