Girl's body found in freezer in Belgium

Thursday May 24, 2012

http://www.iol.co.za/news/world/girl-s-body-found-in-freezer-1.1304112

BRUSSELS - A missing four-year-old girl's body parts were found wrapped in plastic bags in the family freezer on Wednesday, a Belgian prosecutor said.

The girl's mother, Juliana Santana Duran, confessed to strangling her daughter Diana on Sunday evening before chopping the body up but gave no reason for the killing, said prosecutor Pierre Magnien.

The find ended a massive search for the little girl, who was reported missing on Monday and whose picture headlined newspapers and TV news all over Belgium, a country still haunted by the deaths of several girls at the hands of pedophile killer Marc Dutroux in the 1990s.

Police suspected foul play after the mother initially reported she had failed to leave school on Monday afternoon, while teachers said she never showed up in the morning. The mother then claimed she had disappeared from inside her car while she was shopping.

But on Wednesday morning she confessed after officers found bloodstained clothes in the washing machine.

~~
Here's another article, with more details...

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/mum-admits-strangling-chopping-up-daughter/story-fn3dxity-1226365458552

A BELGIAN mother confessed overnight to strangling her four-year-old daughter, chopping her up and then stuffing the body parts in the family freezer.
The national Belga news agency said police, who had been searching for the missing toddler since Tuesday, made the gruesome discovery at Juliana Santana Duran's home in Chatelineau, 7km from the southern Belgian city of Charleroi.
Santana Duran first reported on Tuesday that little Diana Farkas failed to leave kindergarten at the end of the day, but then changed her story to say she went missing while they were out shopping. She was arrested on Tuesday.
Prosecutors said overnight that there was no clear motive for the crime.

~~~~

Horrible story, horrible mother. What a despicable act! 

Hair salon shooting leaves 8 dead, 1 wounded in southern California

Thursday Oct. 13, 2011

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/orange_county&id=8390145

SEAL BEACH, California (KABC) -- Seal Beach residents are still reeling after eight people were killed at a salon shooting, which is being called the deadliest shooting ever in Orange County.

Authorities responded to Salon Meritage on the 500 block of Pacific Coast Highway at 1:21 p.m yesterday Wednesday Oct. 12. Six victims were declared dead at the scene. Three people were hospitalized in critical condition; two died at the hospital.

A ninth victim remained in critical condition at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center Thursday.

At 5 p.m. Thursday, Seal Beach Police released identities of the Salon Meritage murder victims.

Buzzo, Victoria Ann (7/21/1957) age 54
Caouette, David (7/14/1947) age 64
Elody, Laura Lee (10/01/1965) age 46
Fannin, Randy Lee (12/11/1948) age 62
Fast, Michelle Daschbach (5/21/1964) age 47
Fournier, Michelle Marie (3/03/1963) age 48
Kondas, Lucia Bernice (2/19/1946) age 65
Wilson, Christy Lynn (6/05/1964)  age 47

The victims' identities were confirmed by the Orange County Coroner's Office and the next of kin contacted.

The ninth victim in critical condition was identified by friends and neighbors as 73-year-old Hattie Stretz.

The suspect, 41-year-old Scott Evans Dekraai of Huntington Beach, was arrested about a half-mile from the scene Wednesday as he was driving his white Toyota Tundra pickup truck. Witnesses said Dekraai told police he had a knife in each pocket and three weapons in his truck. A witness said Dekraai had ammunition in his cargo pants.

During the arrest, officers opened up Dekraai's button-down shirt and found that he was wearing body armor, according to witnesses.

Authorities are still trying to determine a motive, but some witnesses told Eyewitness News that Dekraai and his ex-wife, salon employee Michelle Fournier Dekraai, were involved in a custody battle over their 7-year-old son.

"Scott Dekraai's demeanor throughout this case has been controlled and he never gave any indication that he housed the potential for such destruction and carnage," said Fournier's attorney, John Cate. "Dominic is also a victim and, by one act of a desperate man, has been deprived of both a mother and a father."

According to court documents obtained by Eyewitness News, Michelle Fournier described him as physically abusive and unstable during their marriage.

Additional court documents also show that Scott Dekraai had a restraining order against him that was filed by his stepfather.

At a Thursday afternoon news conference, Seal Beach Police announced a joint news conference with Orange County District Attorney Anthony Rackauckas scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday to give further details of the shooting.

"By far, this is the greatest tragedy that Seal Beach has ever experienced," said Sgt. Steve Bowles of the Seal Beach Police Department. "There will be some grieving time for us, but our mission at this point in time is make sure we get a successful prosecution on this subject for the deaths that occurred, as well as to really comfort the families of the victims."

The salon was packed at the time of the shooting, but some people were able to make it out OK.

"Much of it was luck for many people. Some hid and some left, obviously ran out of one of the exits. We were able to secure a number of witnesses who were in the salon at the time, and we're pursuing those witnesses and their vital information for the prosecution," said Bowles.

Seal Beach resident Debbie Mendoza learned Thursday morning that her neighbor and good friend was one of the victims killed in the shooting rampage.

"That's what I think everybody in our community is trying to cope with is the 'why,'" said Mendoza.

Grieving community members dropped off a steady stream of flowers, cards and stuffed animals throughout the day. A candlelight vigil will be held for the victims at the salon Thursday night.

"Michelle was a good mom. She was in a terrible situation, that's all," said Michelle Fournier Dekraai's friend, Susan Davenport.

Davenport was too distraught to say anything else after finding out that her friend was likely the intended target and was killed.

"I can't stop crying. I barely slept last night," said Mary Sterns, who knows Randy Fannin, the owner of Salon Meritage.

"He was just the greatest guy you'd ever want to meet," Sterns said, adding that when she heard what happened on the news, she instinctively knew Fanin had been one of the victims.

"I knew that he would have been one of them, because I knew he would try to do something, and I heard that he did," Sterns said.

Friends say Fannin began his business 20 years ago and designed the entire salon.

Eyewitness News spoke with a nearby business owner who ran into the salon shortly after the shooting. He described the scene as gruesome and said five people had locked themselves into back rooms in the salon to avoid being shot.

That business owner also said he saw Fannin on the ground near the salon's entrance with his wife at his side trying to administer CPR, but unfortunately, she was not successful.

Neighbors still can't believe that Dekraai, a person they viewed as a nice guy, would go on a deadly shooting spree.

"I'm still in shock. I cannot believe it. He's the nicest guy. He's super-nice. My daughter loves him. He's just the most caring neighbor," said Stephanie Malchow.

Dekraai had moved to his Huntington Beach home three years ago with his son. His neighbors said they were aware that his first marriage ended badly, but they thought he was happily building a new life.

"I've never even heard him speak really bad about the ex-wife. I mean, when it'd come up, I guess he would say he didn't feel like she was a nice person," said Malchow.

Dekraai and ex-wife Fournier divorced in March 2007, a month after a tugboat accident occurred in which Dekraai's leg was severely injured, causing him to walk with a limp.

Neighbors are concerned about the impact of the tragedy on Dekraai's son.

"My heart really goes out to Dominic, his son, because he's a cute little boy, and I'm just thinking I don't know what's going to happen to Dominic from this point forward," said Rivera.

~~
I only live about 5 miles away from Seal Beach... This is so tragic. A good friend of mine told me today that 2 of his co-workers were thought to be victims, though I am unsure of their names. This is horrifying. I feel so bad for the little boy. His dad wanted custody of him, but this was not the way to go about getting it. Violence is never the answer. He wanted custody of his son but the only custody he'll get now is being "in custody". And now the boy has lost both his parents for good. The ex-wife of the suspect, Michelle Fournier, apparently lived just blocks away from me. I have no words.

http://www.ocregister.com/news/authorities-307917-habra-tuesday.html

My 20-year-old cousin Bryan died on Monday July 11, 2011, in a motorcycle crash with a vehicle near his southern California home. He and his best friend were riding their motorcycles down a street when a car, driven by an unexperienced 17-year-old, made a left turn suddenly in front of them. Bryan's friend was able to swerve and miss the car, but Bryan and his motorcycle collided with the car. Bryan died at the scene from his injuries. His motorcycle was shattered; I went to the scene yesterday (July 12) and saw some pieces still lying there. Now, his family and numerous relatives and friends are left to grieve. He was taken way too soon, just like my father was in 2006. I, like many others, am in disbelief and shock. Prayers for the family would be much appreciated at this time. Arrangements are pending; we're to find out more info tomorrow or Friday. I don't know what else to say. He was just a month older than my sister. He and his brother (age 22) are the cousins we're closest with; we saw them pretty often and had so many great times together. It is unreal to think that he is just gone.

Rest in peace, Bryan Hodges. Oct. 15, 1990 - July 11, 2011.

P.S. - thank you to Anne for encouraging me to write this post. 

Derrick Powell sentenced to death

http://www.wgmd.com/?p=24972

Friday May 20, 2011

Convicted cop killer Derrick Powell has been sentenced to die for killing Georgetown Policeman Chad Spicer in September 2009.

In February, Powell was found guilty of first degree felony murder. A jury also recommended (7-5) he receive the death penalty for killing Spicer. That decision weighed heavily on Judge T. Henley Graves’ decision today.

Powell now beomes the 19th inmate on Delaware’s death row.

Attorney General Beau Biden released this statement following the sentence:  “Justice was done today.  Throughout this entire case the Spicer family displayed exceptional courage and their courage is a reflection of Chad’s courage.  Tragedies like this can either bring a family or a community closer together or tear them apart.  The community rallied around the Spicer family and today Georgetown and Sussex County are stronger than ever.  I want to thank Chief Topping and the Georgetown Police Department for standing with the Spicer family.  I also want to recognize the prosecution team of Paula Ryan and Martin Cosgrove for their excellent work, as well as the Delaware State Police for its investigative efforts.”

~
Only 19 inmates on Delaware's row... That's kind of a lot for such a small state. Time to execute someone! Come on Delaware, you can do it... Just follow the examples set by Texas, South Carolina, Mississippi, or Ohio, or any other "willing to execute" state! Enjoy your stay on the row, Powell... I hope you are tormented every day by your actions, though since you're a callous cop killer, you probably aren't. 

Neighbor charged in rape, murder of Pennsylvania girl, 9

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/05/10/national/main20061709.shtml

Late Tuesday, May 10, 2011

SOUDERTON, Pennsylvania - A 9-year-old girl who disappeared while playing outside her suburban apartment building was raped, choked and murdered by a neighbor who claimed he had a "whiteout" and just "snapped," authorities said Tuesday.

Police found the body of Skyler Kauffman in a trash bin behind the Souderton Gardens apartments about five hours after her mother reported her missing Monday evening. A 24-year-old neighbor, James Lee Troutman, was charged Tuesday with murder, kidnapping, rape and other offenses.

Onlookers jeered as Troutman was led in and out of his arraignment at a courtroom across the street from the low-rise units where he and the victim both lived.

Troutman became a suspect after a detective canvassing the building spotted what appeared to be blood on his sneakers, Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said. The detective then searched his apartment and found bloody clothes in a closet, Ferman said.

Detectives also found a pool of blood in the basement of the complex, and a trail of blood that eventually led to Skyler's body being found in a parking lot trash bin, wrapped in a comforter, Ferman said.

Troutman eventually admitted to authorities that he had strangled the girl with his hands and that her head hit the basement floor "a couple of times at least," according to the criminal complaint. Investigators said Troutman told them that "it was like whiteout" and that he "snapped."

An autopsy showed Skyler, for whom an Amber Alert had been issued, died of asphyxia and blunt-force trauma, Ferman said.

Troutman did not enter a plea at his arraignment or speak, except to acknowledge the charges. He is being held without bail.

He had been taken to the courthouse in a police SUV, and two police officers escorted him nearly 20 feet to its door. He was shackled and hid his face with his hands.

Across the street, a crowd of nearly 50 people yelled at him and screamed obscenities as he was led inside.

It was an unusual scene for Souderton, a borough about 30 miles north of Philadelphia that is surrounded by farm fields and newer upscale housing developments, residents said.

"The last thing I would have thought is that they would find this child dead. This is a safe little community," said Wendy Hansen, a 47-year-old mother of three girls who lives a couple of blocks away. "We're not going to tolerate this. It could have been any of our kids."

Josh Piston, 21, lives in the apartment building and knew Skyler, who shared a unit with her mother and grandmother. He described her as "a good kid" and "very rambunctious."

The suspect moved into the complex with his fiancee two or three months ago, Piston said, but he did not know them well.

Skyler's mother reported her missing around 7 p.m. Monday after she failed to come home for dinner. Police responded and began searching the area.

Troutman's fiancee told detectives that she was home Monday evening around 5:45 p.m. when she heard screams and cries of protest coming from somewhere in the building.

Troutman was not home at the time, she said. When she reached him on his cell phone to tell him about the screams, "he responded that he 'hoped everything was OK,"' according to the complaint.

Troutman returned home shortly after 6 p.m. and said he had been exercising, the fiancee told investigators.

Authorities said Troutman and Skyler had also crossed paths about three weeks ago.

Skyler and a friend were near Troutman's apartment on April 18 and needed to use the bathroom. He invited them in, but they got spooked when they saw pictures of naked women on the walls, according to the complaint.

Troutman then made a lewd comment to the girls, and the girls quickly left, authorities said. Their parents reported the incident to police, but no charges were filed, a decision Ferman defended on Tuesday.

She also dismissed questions about whether the Amber Alert procedure went smoothly. Some media outlets reported a delay in receiving the notification.

"Everyone did what they were supposed to," Ferman said. "The crime took place very quickly, and the body was disposed of very quickly, and I can't say that there was anything anyone else could have done that would have been able to prevent this tragic event."

Photo: the scumbag Troutman:

His victim, Skyler Kauffman:

~
What a horrific story... I can't even imagine the terror that little Skyler went through. So sad.
It's too bad this crime happened in Pennsylvania, a state that hasn't executed anyone in over 10 years. But alas, a simple lethal injection is too kind for this guy; he deserves any method of torture available.

Another kind of story that is all too common... :-( So sad.

Coroner: Pregnant Ky. woman killed by sharp object

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=135439204

Saturday, April 16, 2011

A slain pregnant woman died of injuries from a sharp object in an attack earlier this week that her infant son survived, a coroner said Friday. The baby later arrived at a hospital with a woman who's charged with the killing.

Warren County Coroner Kevin Kirby says 21-year-old Jamie Stice had "multiple homicidal sharp force injuries" and was pronounced dead Wednesday. He declined to be more specific about the wounds or how the infant survived.

The baby boy was in good health Friday morning at Bowling Green Medical Center. Hospital spokeswoman Doris Thomas said he was in stable condition.

Kathy Michelle Coy, 33, is jailed on murder and kidnapping charges after hospital personnel called police Wednesday with what they called a "suspicious birth" involving Coy.

Kentucky state police trooper Jonathan Biven says police interviewed Coy at the hospital. Biven says that information led police to a wooded area in Warren County where they found Stice's body. Coy was charged early Thursday morning.

Coy and Stice apparently knew each other, according to Stice's Facebook page, which includes a photo of a pregnant woman's abdomen with the caption "Mommy's Baby Boy." Her list of friends includes a woman named Kathy Michelle Coy.

Commonwealth's Attorney Chris Cohron said he may pursue the death penalty against Coy. Cohron said police investigators are scheduled to testify about the slaying at a preliminary hearing on Tuesday in Bowling Green.

Stice's friends have organized a memorial baby shower Saturday for the infant, according to a page dedicated to the event on Facebook.

"You never would have thought this would happen," said Chastity Wingate, who is organizing the shower. She said the baby's name is Isaiah. Wingate said Stice had chosen Saturday to have her shower, and Wingate decided after her death that she should expand the event in an attempt to bring in money and gifts for the baby.

"He's going to need everything we can give him," she said.

He probably thought he got away with it after so many years. Maybe now his wife's family and loved ones can get some answers.

Man arrested for allegedly killing wife in 1981

http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/news/local/man-arrested-for-allegedly-killing-wife-in-1981-20110413

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Torrance, CALIF. - A former Torrance resident was arrested today at his Huntington Beach townhome for allegedly murdering his wife, who disappeared more than 30 years ago, police said.

Michael Clark, 57, was booked on suspicion of murdering Carol Jeanne Lubahn, who was 28 when she disappeared in March 1981. Her body has not been found.

Clark was charged Tuesday with one count of murder and is set to be arraigned Thursday in Torrance Superior Court.

"We don't have any idea where she is," Torrance police Detective Jim Wallace told the Daily Breeze. "The only reasonable explanation for her disappearance is she is dead."

Carol Lubahn's credit cards and Social Security number have never been used since her disappearance.

The couple, both graduates of North High School in Torrance, had been married 10 years, had two children and lived in the 17600 block of Cranbrook Avenue.

Clark claimed his wife disappeared in the middle of the night, and he divorced her in absentia three years later, the Daily Breeze reported.

For years, Clark claimed his wife left him in the middle of the night.

In a 1997 interview with the Daily Breeze, Clark said he had tried to put his wife's disappearance behind him.

"The whole thing has been real strange," he said at the time. "I don't like to talk about it. So many years go by and you get it out of your mind. You hear a song on the radio and it pops back in your mind. It's weird."

Torrance police have not said what exactly led them to arrest Clark.

However, Sgt. Jeremiah Hart said today that "Torrance Police Department detectives have revisited this case on multiple occasions. Suspect Clark was ultimately arrested based upon the evidence related to victim Lubahn's disappearance."

Hart said that when Clark made a report with the department about his wife's disappearance, "detectives conducted a search for victim Lubahn but were unable to locate her." Anyone with information on the case was asked to contact the department's detective division at (310) 618-5570. The investigation is being conducted by Capt. Brad Wilson, Hart said.

DEA seizes Georgia's supply of execution drug

http://www.ajc.com/news/dea-seizes-georgias-supply-873788.html

March 16, 2011

The Drug Enforcement Administration has seized Georgia's supply of a key execution drug over questions about how it was imported to the United States.

"Drugs were seized today by the DEA from our facility in Jackson," Department of Corrections spokeswoman Kristen Stancil told the AJC.

The seizure comes more than two weeks after an attorney representing a death row inmate from Cobb County wrote a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder saying the Georgia Department of Corrections circumvented federal law in trying to quickly secure a scarce drug used in lethal injections.

"DEA did take control of the controlled substances today," DEA spokesman Chuvalo Truesdell told the AJC. "There were questions about the way the drugs were imported over here."

Truesdell declined further comment, saying it is now "a regulatory investigation."

John Bentivoglio, a former associate deputy U.S. attorney general in Washington, described extraordinary steps the DOC took to get the sedative thiopental, a scheduled III non-narcotic controlled substance, when a shipment for several states, including Georgia, was held by U.S. Customs in Memphis last summer.

The letter said Corrections is not registered with the federal government to import drugs and the agency did not “submit a declaration to the Drug Enforcement Administration when GDC imported thiopental last year.

Stancil told the AJC after the letter was mailed, the agency asked the DEA for assistance "to make sure that the department was in compliance with the way we handled controlled substances."

Like many states that execute criminals, Georgia uses a three-drug cocktail. The first one is a sedative. The second drug paralyzes the inmate. The third drug stops the heart.

But thiopental, the sedative, has been in short supply nationwide because companies in this country and abroad have refused to provide it if it is going to be used in an execution. Several states have had to delay executions because the drugs they have in stock had expired. In Georgia, that same concern has been raised in two scheduled executions, the death of Emmanuel Hammond Jan. 25 and the delayed execution of Roy Willard Blankenship in February.

No execution dates in Georgia have been scheduled and it's unlikely any will be set before the issue is resolved, the Associated Press reported.


~

Yeah, I know a similar article was posted by Kitten Resq in the US Crime News forum but I thought since it relates to death penalty news in Georgia, I'd post this article here. Hopefully that isn't a problem... Here's hoping this issue will be resolved soon.

http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-man-admits-conning-baby-sitters-by-posing-as-autistic-and-wearing-diapers/article/3522781

Oklahoma City man admits conning baby-sitters by posing as autistic and wearing diapers

Dec. 16, 2010

An Oklahoma City man seeking sexual stimulation acted severely autistic and wore diapers to con baby sitters into caring for him, police reported.

He told police he did it “for a sexual purpose,” court records show.

Mark Anthony Richardson Jr., 21, twice this year fooled baby sitters into watching him at their homes in Oklahoma City, police reported. The baby sitters told police he would get sexually aroused when they cleaned him while changing his diapers, police said.

Police said he grabbed the breast of one baby sitter's 18-year-old daughter during an overnight stay in September. Her mother told her “to go back to sleep because he did not know what he was doing,” police reported.

Richardson was charged in October with a felony count of sexual battery and seven misdemeanor counts of outraging public decency. A judge this week scheduled his preliminary hearing for Jan. 5.

The sexual battery count covers the alleged groping of the 18-year-old woman's breast.

The outraging public decency counts cover seven times he allegedly caused a baby sitter to change his diapers. Prosecutors allege four times were on April 8 and three times were over three weeks in September.

Richardson — who is 4 feet 9 inches tall — is being held in the Oklahoma County jail.

Prosecutors allege Richardson found his victims from baby-sitting ads placed online at Craigslist. “This bizarre crime is yet another example of the dangers of letting individuals who we meet online into our homes,” Oklahoma County Assistant District Attorney Jimmy Harmon said Friday.

Richardson was caught when his last baby sitter became suspicious after he stayed repeatedly at her family's home in September.

The woman told police her 18-year-old daughter had placed the online ad. She said a man — using the name “David” — called about watching his autistic son, “Alex.” Police reported the caller described the son as 19 and said he still wears diapers, drinks formula from a bottle and uses a pacifier.

Police now believe the caller was Richardson. The woman chose to baby-sit “Alex” instead of letting her daughter.

The woman reported “Alex” first arrived at the house in a taxi at 2 one morning and stood on the porch saying “4121” over and over. The number is the start of the family's street address.

He had $40 and a typed note from “David” that he needed to be fed, according to a police report of her interview. He was wearing a soiled diaper and very old clothes. He also had a backpack with diapers, ointment, a bottle and a pacifier.

The woman said that on that first night she changed his diaper and got him clean clothes.

She said she read him a bedtime story because he kicked and screamed when she put him in bed.

She said she gave him a bottle with baby formula which he drank “with a straight face.” She later gave him a bottle of Kool-Aid.

She reported that during most stays he would not be still when she changed his diapers.

“He would get up and run around the house. She would have to catch him to finish putting his diaper back on,” police reported.

“Looking back on everything now, knowing he was not autistic while she was wiping him and cleaning him up completely disgusts her,” police reported. “She believed initially she was caring for an autistic person, but he was actually someone using her to get stimulated.”

Police Inspector Priscilla Helm reported in a court affidavit that Richardson on Oct. 5 admitted he “conned this family and did it … for attention.”

“He also admitted to doing this in April 2010 with another woman. He conned her by portraying he was autistic. … He also advised all of these acts were for a sexual purpose.”

He is on probation for a 2008 arson charge.

His mother said Friday he needs psychological help at a mental institution, not to be sent to a hard-core prison with murderers and rapists who could kill him. She would not disclose her name.

“He has some mental disabilities. He's had them since he was born,” she said. “This is not your average, everyday, walking-the-street citizen. … He lives in a fantasy, not a reality.”


~
All I can say is WTF?! This is by far one of the strangest stories I've ever heard of. I have no other words. 

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20022595-504083.html

Possible human remains found at Zahra Baker search site

Thursday, November 11, 2010

HICKORY, N.C. (CBS/WBTV) The investigation into the disappearance of Zahra Baker, the missing 10-year-old hearing-impaired North Carolina girl, took a grim turn Wednesday when search teams came across what officials called "possible human remains" after searching an area reportedly suggested by Zahra's stepmother, Elisa Baker.

Investigators said that search teams in Caldwell County found evidence during a search of Gunpowder Creek, about 70 miles outside Charlotte, that "could provide valuable information in the Zahra Baker case." Officials said the area, which has been searched before, was one of the locations that Elisa Baker suggested search crews look, CBS affiliate WBTV reported.

The evidence has been sent to the State Medical Examiner's office in Chapel Hill. From there it will be sent to the State Bureau of Investigation's lab for DNA testing, according to the station.

Meanwhile, Zahra's father, Adam, reportedly met Thursday with investigators, along with his attorney, for about an hour. Adam Baker was arrested October 25 for assault with a deadly weapon, failure to return rental property, writing worthless checks and other charges unrelated to his daughter's case. He has since posted the $7,000 bond and been released.

Elisa Baker, Zahra's stepmother, was arrested shortly after Zahra was reported missing Oct. 9 on nearly a dozen unrelated charges including communicating threats, writing worthless checks, larceny, and driving with a revoked license. She later allegedly admitted to forging a ransom note that was found at the house, and remains in custody at the Catawba County jail.

Wednesday's grim discovery also coincided with Zahra's birth mother's arrival in the states from Australia, according to WBTV.

A source with knowledge of the investigation told the station police are conducting additional interviews on Thursday, but would not say who is being interviewed.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Hickory Police Department at 828-328-5551.


~
How sad. Let's hope her family can get some sense of closure soon. If her dad and stepmom had anything to do with her fate, let's hope they get what's coming to them.

Previous article: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20021683-504083.html
Apparently Zahra's stepmom wrote letters from jail about her husband's (Zahra's father's) involvement in this case.

Hey everyone,

I'm not a new member, but like I wrote in Anne's topic, I am one who was banned un-necessarily by Jeff, who is now banned himself for his uncalled-for actions. I'd been a member in good standing since December 2009, and had posted a bit since then. However, I discovered on Monday Nov. 1 that I could no longer access the forum, or any part of the website. Indeed, I got a message saying that I'd been banned. I was utterly confused and wondered what it is I could've done to get banned - I'd barely posted, hadn't really made any enemies here, pretty much stayed off the radar and kept to myself except to participate in discussions and the chat room. It was a complete surprise, and not the good kind... Thankfully, with the help of GrannyB, Anne, and Pam, I was able to re-register last night (which happened to be my birthday, Nov. 4th), and today I'm able to post again. Thing is, I have to start all over. Oh well. Just wanted to let you guys know what went on, if you wondered. Hopefully, nothing of this sort ever happens again.

~ Amanda