TheTrenchcoat Chronicles

Tag: shooting

  • Ex-Marine arrested in craigslist death

    Murder Shocks Neighbors:

    As you all know you can find just about anything on craigslist. Hacked iPhones, stolen stereos, a human being. Wait, what?

    That’s what 35-year-old Willie Donaldson of Arlington, VA got. He responded to the ad of 32-year-old Matthew Hicks of Sterling, VA. Donaldson hired Hicks and his girlfriend but it was unknown for what but not surprisingly Hicks’ ad was in the erotic services section of craigslist.

    At sometime during the night Hicks and Donaldson got into some kind of argument. Shortly before 4am the ex-marine Donaldson put an end to the argument by allegedly shooting and killing Hicks. Donaldson then called the police and when they arrived at the scene Donaldson turned himself in quietly.

    According to the article, Donaldson looked brutal in his mugshot sporting some blood, a black eye, and a sling. So technically Donaldson could have acted in self-defense. That remains to be seen.

    What you won’t hear the media say is that this is the third murder that was somehow connected to craigslist. The first was Katherine Ann Olson of Minneapolis who was shot and killed when she responded to a fake employment add. The second was Charles Parrish Murphy of Fresno, California. He was found dead after he went to meet someone he was selling a car to on craigslist. That doesn’t even count 19-year-old Donna Jou who disappeared after having a date with a sex offender that she met through craigslist.

    This highlights a big problem with craigslist and its erotic services section. Even after its much-lauded new security measures, it seems that the erotic services section of craigslist is still alive and thriving. If you haven’t figured it out by now I would say that 99% of all erotic services ads are not so thinly veiled ads for prostitution. And prostitution is not a victimless crime as so many would have you believe. Even if prostitution was legal you’d still have the problems of drugs and violence that are associated with it now.

    Even though craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster said that any amount of crime on craigslist is unacceptable he still allows the largest source of crime on its site to continue.

  • Facebook group to keep Ashton Glover’s killers in jail

    Online Networking Group Created to Prevent Prisoner from Parole:

    Katie Ellis of Sugar Land, Texas didn’t know Ashton Glover but she knows enough to want to keep her killers behind bars.

    As I’ve mentioned before Sean Brown was sentenced to 10 years to help Matt McCombs try to dispose of Ashton’s body. But Brown could be eligible for parole as soon as January.

    So Ms. Ellis has started a Facebook group called “Keep Ashton Glover’s Killers in Jail!”.

    It has all the information you may need to let the Texas Board of Parole know that in no way, shape or form should Brown be paroled in January.

  • Teen shot both parents over Halo 3

    Daniel Petric killed mother, shot father because they took Halo 3 video game, prosecutors say:

    17-year-old Daniel Petric of Ohio is on trial for shooting his parents after his father forbade him from playing Halo 3. His father, Mark Petric, survived but his mother, Susan Petric, die from her wounds.

    Petric had snuck out of the house to buy the game when he returned he was caught by his dad who took the game away from him. His father put the game in the same lockbox he kept a 9mm handgun.

    A month later Petric was able to break into the box. He took the gun and shot both of his parents. He told them to close their eyes because he had a surprise for them and that’s when he shot them both. He then placed the gun in his dad’s hand and said “Hey Dad, here’s your gun. Take it.”

    When Daniel’s older sister arrived at the house with her husband Daniel fled the scene taking the game with him.

    He is being tried as an adult.

    Now the question is did the game make him like this. After all Halo 3 is a fairly violent game to non-gamers. However, the answer to that question, of course, is no. I’ve posted various stories about teens who have killed their parents and rarely are video games involved. Usually, it’s over a boyfriend or girlfriend or some other teenage addiction that they allegedly couldn’t live without.

    Unfortunately, this is another case of a teen who thought that their alleged problems were more important than life itself. I wonder how our teens became so selfish.

  • More on Sean Brown’s parole

    Those who want to fax their letters to the Texas Parole Board to keep Sean Huston Brown in jail can fax them at…

    512-406-5482
    Attention: Susan
    Re: Sean Brown TDCJ# 1491487

    Don’t forget the case number as that is critical.

    You can also e-mail the Parole Board at victim.svc@tdcj.state.tx.us

    Remember to keep it professional. It won’t help anybody to have a lot of ranting and raving and cursing.

    For those of you who just joined us Sean Brown was an accomplice in the murder of Ashton Glover. Matt McCombs shot her in the head out of ‘morbid curiosity’. Brown helped McCombs dispose of Ashton’s body and trying to cover up the crime. Both of them tried to flee the country.

    If Sean Brown is granted parole he could be out in January which isn’t nearly enough. Brown was sentenced to 10 years last year but if he were to get out in January that would be less than one year in prison for Ashton’s death.

    Thanks to Chon for the information.

  • Attorneys to use mental defect defense in Katherine Ann Olson’s murder

    Craigslist murder suspect’s attorneys raise possibility of mental illness defense:

    I should have seen this coming yet I was still surprised.

    The attorneys for Michael John Anderson will be filing a motion stating that they might be using a mental illness defense for the murder of Katherine Ann Olson. They’re claiming that Anderson has Asperger’s syndrome. They’re basically claiming that he didn’t know the difference between right or wrong because of his Asperger’s. Last time I checked that’s not one of the effects of Asperger’s and is an insult to people who legitimately have it.

    Asperger’s patients have a hard time interacting socially because they are unable to detect things like sarcasm and some forms of humor. They also can be obsessed over a singular subject. It DOES NOT make you take an ad for a nanny job on craigslist for the sole purpose of shooting someone in the head.

    This is not the first time I’ve read about a lawyer using this defense. For the most part, this defense has been unsuccessful. If lawyers keep using this defense than people will begin to think that Asperger’s does make you criminally violent.

  • Sean Brown eligible for parole

    Sentenced In March, Murder Victim’s Classmate Soon Will Be Eligible For Parole:

    For those of you who have been reading this site for a while now may remember the murder of Ashton Glover. She was the 16-year-old girl from Texas who was shot in the head by her ‘friend’ Matt McCombs. McCombs shot her out of what he called ‘morbid curiosity’. Also in the truck at that time was Sean Brown.

    McCombs was sentenced to 50 years for Ashton’s murder. Brown was sentenced to 10 for helping McCombs try to hide Ashton’s body. But as we all know 10 years doesn’t always add up to 10 years.

    In January of 2009, Brown will be eligible for parole. If paroled that would be less than a year Brown spent in prison on a 10-year sentence.

    Ashton Glover’s mother, Carolyn Sue Smith, is outraged over this and is requesting everyone in her community to write the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Parole Board to try to keep Brown in prison. But why just stick to the community when you can get the whole internet involved.

    Thanks to reader Letha I have all the information you need to send the Texas Parole Board a letter of protest.

    His file has ALREADY been sent to the Huntsville Parole Board Office and they have to respond to him by January 24, 2009. I would write letters and send to both the Austin address and to the Huntsville address or fax to Huntsville.

    Huntsville Parole Board
    P.O. Box 599
    Huntsville, TX 77342
    936/291-2161 Phone
    936/291-8367 Fax

    Texas Board of Pardons & Paroles
    Correspondence Department
    P. O. Box 13401
    Capital Station
    Austin, Texas 78711

    SID # 07789006
    TDCJ # 01491487
    BROWN, SEAN HUSTON
    CURRENT FACILITY: NEWTON COUNTY
    PAROLE ELIGILIBITY DATE 01-24-2009

    You will need to put the offender’s name and TDCJ number under the address and each page of the letter.

    And please people if you are going to write a letter or fax please be professional about it. Please do not use profanity or any kind of threatening mannerisms in your letter.

  • Shooting victim sues craigslist

    Victim sues Craigslist, says shooter got gun through site:

    50-year-old Calvin Gibson of New York was shot by local resident lunatic, Jesus Ortiz, back in July. Luckily Mr. Gibson survived even though he was shot six times.

    Ortiz, who suffers from schizophrenia, confessed to police that he purchased the gun on craigslist. I’m going to assume that this was not what you would call a ‘legal’ purchase.

    So now Mr. Gibson is suing craigslist for $10 Million.

    “Defendant owed a duty to the public at large to monitor and supervise what may be bought and sold and by whom, with respect to its Internet ads,” attorney Paul Dalnoky wrote in the lawsuit filed in Manhattan Federal Court.

    Wait a minute. According to craigslist their users flag ads for illegal sales and that it’s a bastion of users with good moral character. It was hard to type that without busting out into fits of laughter.

    craigslist had their usual response…

    Craiglist did not respond to a request for comment.

    Quelle surprise.

  • craiglist ‘date’ leads to murder

    ONLINE DATE WITH DEATH:

    24-year-old Daniel Brandtof New York City went to a Coney Island apartment to meet what he thought was going to be a woman he met on craigslist. Instead, Brandt was shot in the head and two men ran off. Brandt later died at the hospital.

    Police say they know who the suspects are and are awaiting search warrants.

    Thanks to Gothamist.

  • New evidence in Katherine Ann Olson murder

    New evidence in Craigslist murder case:

    Michael John Anderson may just be the dumbest criminal ever. The suspect in the murder of Katherine Ann Olson actually sent a letter to his parents from jail asking them to pay someone to take the rap for him.

    Anderson lured Olson to his home with a phony craigslist employment ad and then shot and killed her once she was there.

  • Child porn found on craigslist killer’s computer

    Cops: Child pornography found on accused Craigslist killer’s computer:

    While investigating the murder of Katherine Ann Olson police found child porn on the computer of her accused killer, Michael John Anderson.

    In the affidavit for the search warrant, a BCA agent described it as “a photograph of two pre-teen boys, clearly under the age of 18, in the nude.” It describes the boys engaged in a sex act.

    Anderson is accused of placing a phony ad for a nanny job on craigslist. When Olson responded to the ad at Anderson’s house he allegedly killed her.