True Crime-Precious Doe; Remember Jonbenet Ramsey? Week Passed-the Laura Bush Comedy; TV-American Idol Update

 


Lisa Montgomery on Suicide Watch

Lisa Montgomery murdered Bobbie Jo Stinnett then cut her baby out of her womb. It was a horrific crime. Now there is concern that Montgomery might be suicidal.

Story on this Blog Here

From The Associated Press :

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The woman charged with strangling an
expectant mother and cutting the baby from her womb was placed on a suicide watch after authorities found a stash of medications in her jail cell, a federal prosecutor says.

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Precious Doe

This past week the identity of a headless child's body was finally discovered. Her story is horrible and as awful a tale of our time as could be made.

From CNN

More than four years after her headless body was found, a child known nationally as "Precious Doe" has been identified, and her mother and stepfather face murder charges in her killing, authorities in Kansas City, Missouri, said Thursday.

Erica Michelle Maria Green was shy of her fourth birthday when she died. Officers were searching for a missing elderly man when they found her body in a wooded area near a church April 28, 2001. Her head, wrapped in a trash bag, was found nearby a few days later.

The story goes on to describe Erica's death caused by a kick to the head by her stepfather. The child was then left to die on the living room floor over a period said to be a couple of days. The couple then threw the child by the side of the road but not before cutting off her head to avoid corpse identification.

This will NOT be a death penalty case though it should be.

 

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Jessica Lunsford Act Passed in Florida

Now we'll see if it works.

For pretty Jessica perhaps didn't die in vain. Sex offenders of children under 12 must now wear an ankle bracelet and be constantly monitored by GPS in the state of Florida.
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An Odd Note re the Runaway Bride

Whose fifteen minutes are almost up. But I can't quite get a handle on the woman's weird action and statements when she finally phoned in from New Mexico. For she not only claimed she was raped, a factoid not mentioned by all the media or any guests on Hannity and Colmes who adore this case to total distraction. She also submitted for a rape exam although one was not requested by the authorities.

Isn't this odd?

First, she knew the rape story was a lie. Second, still she agrees to a rape exam?

Also last week there's been a little flap over Wilbanks' assertion that she and fiancé John Mason have both been celibate during their relationship. This fact, so the friends say, had the bride so upset that she ran away?

Most women would dream for a guy like that. Even so, the bride would be given sexual relief in a few days or so we must assume what with the wedding night and everything.

There's either a whole lot more to this story or there's absolutely nothing to it.

From KRQE

It turns out Wilbanks, whose disappearance was the focus of national
scrutiny, not only told APD she was kidnapped, but also claimed she was sexually assaulted.

Wilbanks later recanted both claims, but KRQE news 13 has learned Wilbanks took the lie so far that she consented to a sexual assault examination.

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Remember Jonbenet Ramsey?

Later this week there will be a book review on two books about the Jonbenet Ramsey case. Jonbenet was the little girl found wrapped in a blanket and very dead in her parents' basement. Since her murder no one's been arrested for the crime or has there been any other little girls murdered and left for dead in their own home by strangers.

This is because Patsy Ramsey murdered her child and most of the world knows it. In researching the book review I came across this missive on MY theory about what happened to Jonbenet Ramsey.

What REALLY Happened to Jonbenet Ramsey?

Even the most studied of all of the investigators agree that if an intruder killed Jonbenet, it was a "familiar" intruder, as opposed to a "foreign" intruder. In other words, it's remotely possibly someone known to the Ramseys might have gotten into their large and awkward house, perhaps slipping through a basement window while breaking no spider webs but forgive the editorial intrusion. Or maybe hiding out after an earlier visit then sneaking around after family bedtime doing the dirty deed. But know that no one, even Smit, thinks it's possible that someone came in that house out of the blue, found the notepad, jotted the ransom novel, navigated spiral and straight staircases with oddly placed light switches, fed the child pineapple before kidnapping her, then bashed in her skull, finished her off with a home-made garrote(made from Patsy Ramsey's paintbrush, coincidentally) wrapped her in the thermal blanket from her bed, found her favorite pink Barbie nightgown to lay tenderly by her corpse, then laid her to rest in that convenient wine cellar three flights down.

Problem with the familiar intruder theory, the only remotely plausible one and even then it's a stretch from here to Sunday, is that all of the possible suspects have been cleared. Forget the weird Santa Claus. He couldn't even carry a laundry basket down the hall much less all the Jonbenet Olympic murder activity. The man had just had open heart surgery!

The Ramseys say they put Jonbenet to bed right after returning home from the party yet the coroner found undigested pineapple in her stomach estimated to have been eaten from ten to midnight on Christmas night. The Whites, friends of the Ramseys and who were there Christmas dinner hosts, did not serve any raw pineapple. A bowl of raw pineapple was found on the Ramsey table with Patsy Ramsey's fingerprints on the bowl. The Ramseys claim to know nothing about the pineapple. Which means that the intruder had to feed Jonbenet the pineapple, a scenario, forgive me, that I find totally unbelievable.

Also, the Ramseys say that Burke was asleep the morning that Patsy called 911 to report Jonbenet missing. Yet an enhanced tape of that call reveals Burke's voice in the background, asking what was going on. I say the Ramseys wanted to keep Burke away from the cops when they arrived so they sent him back to bed before they came. Perhaps they were afraid what Burke might blurt out before proper coaching.

I think that Patsy Ramsey bashed in Jonbenet's skull with a heavy flashlight. Said flashlight was found on the Ramsey counter but there were NO fingerprints on it...odd. My flashlights probably have my fingerprints all over it. I believe Patsy was about to turn in, still dressed in Christmas attire and finally having gotten the children to bed, weary at having to give Jonbenet pineapple so late at night when she didn't even eat her Christmas dinner. She was heading upstairs to her room and slipped into Jonbenet's room, flashlight on so as not to require flipping the switch, to check on her. She became furious when she found the child's bed was already wet. Patsy had told Jonbenet to be sure and go to the bathroom before going to bed, that they were going to Michigan in the morning and she would not have time to be washing sheets. She pulled Jonbenet out of the bed and hit her in the head with that heavy flashlight in her fury. Oddly, I read that the wound didn't bleed, that Jonbenet's skull was bashed inward. It was a fatal wound, but not an especially bloody one.

 


I believe that John Ramsey heard the commotion and came down from their upper level bedroom to check it out. Then both parents had to decide what to do. John could see that Jonbenet was dying. Nothing he could do would un-do what had happened to the child. In desperation, Patsy said she would handle everything, that no one would ever suspect her. Already she was mentally cooking up a ransom note and a scenario that would explain Jonbenet's disappearance. John decided he'd already lost his daughter. No sense in bringing more uproar into his life. He knew that Patsy had been under a lot of stress. He almost lost her to cancer. She dearly loved Jonbenet and would give her own life to un-do her grievous action in a moment of rage. Maybe she told John she meant to strike the bed post. Maybe she did. John Ramsey loved his wife.

I really believe that Patsy and John thought the police would show up, read the ransom note, write their reports, and over the next several weeks contact the parents periodically to see if they've heard from Jonbenet or her kidnapers. Only Jonbenet would be buried in some unknown plot in Atlanta, Georgia, taken there by her parents when the police finished their investigation and took the notes. The parents would be appropriately distraught when the police called, but no, they haven't heard another word from the kidnapers. Did the police hear anything?

John Ramsey was overheard the morning of the "kidnapping" calling his pilot and arranging for a plane to take the family to Atlanta. When Detective Arndt heard this, she told him no way could he just up and leave the state like that. Of course, this foiled the plans of John and Patsy Ramsey. If they had to hang around all day, then John would have to find a way to conveniently 'find' Jonbenet's body at some point. Their original plan had been thwarted.

Jonbenet was 'dressed' for burial. Interestingly, the child IS buried in Atlanta, in an official grave rather than the unknown one they were going to have to resort to at first. She was small enough to put in a large duffle bag, lump it onto a private airplane, the pilot none the wiser.

Finally, will Jonbenet's killer ever be brought to justice?

I say yes.

I believe Burke Ramsey knows something. He may have slept through all the trauma of the night, but he may know if Jonbenet ate pineapple that night. He knows if he woke up early that morning but is denying it for his parents. Then again, maybe Burke overheard his parents in the middle of the night, something that would eliminate the intruder theory.

When Burke is of age, I believe he will be called to testify. If he would refuse, he could possibly be charged with obstruction of justice.

Burke is the key. Will he remain loyal to his parents or finally tell the truth?



 

All Things Told It Was Not a Busy News Week

It wasn't a big news week this past week. The President visited the Latvia other countries with no vowels. I'm not sure why. The "insurgency" continues in Iraq with more wasted lives by a bunch of losers who have no hope of ever getting their way. Which is to prevent Iraq from functioning as a democracy for the thugs and thieves who hired them. Kofi Annan is STILL head of the thieving UN and John Bolton STILL has not been nominated for ambassador to the UN that he may help clean up that mess.

Thus the little comedy skit by the first lady at the annual Washington Press Corps dinner took center stage for a few days across the national punditry.

The pundits were all either in a twitter or in a full blown snit.

I had no problem with Laura Bush's comedic routine except I think it could have been better. And yes, I understand that it was suppose to be a sweet self-deprecating type of thing. Which it was.

The joke about the horse seemed a bit too coarse. Mrs. Bush was describing husband George's unfamiliarity with the minutiae of ranching when they first bought their property in Texas. Including the funny fact that he was discovered milking a horse, instead of a cow we must assume. To make matters worse, Mrs. Bush quipped, "the horse was a male".

I don't know what that comedy writer was thinking but you'd never see a Leno or Letterman using a punch line so graphic and frankly, with no comedic nuance.

Frankly I'd have done away with that entire joke as hey, it's not all that funny. But for the sake of argument, why couldn't the punch line have been finessed as follows:

"To make matters worse," the first lady would say, pausing and giving the audience a knowing wink, "the horse's name was Al."

The above punch line is a bit less graphic, still conveys the same notion, and is a bit more clever than flat out hitting the audience over the head with the male horse bit.

 


Small critique notwithstanding, those that got their panties in a bunch over such an innocent thing as this attempt to bring humor to an event honoring the Washington press corps, well they're just small minded and need a life. The first lady did a great job in terms of timing, etc. Then Laura Bush, no matter what one thinks of her husband, is a wonderful first lady. Can anyone imagine Hillary doing such a thing?

About the Speech Writer

Landon Parvin, joke writer to the political stars, could relax.

Bush not only made fun of her husband (and Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld) but also of her mother-in-law, the former first lady Barbara Bush, whom she likened to Don Corleone in "The Godfather."

She described time spent at her in-laws' summer home in Maine like this: "First prize, three days' vacation with the Bush family. Second prize, 10 days."

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Tony Blair Wins

One of these days I'm going to figure out how England does elections. England and a bunch of other countries across the planet that, boom, decide suddenly to have an election and boom, the deed is done.

National elections are big deals in America. Indeed the country would implode if all of a sudden a decision was made to hold an election. Americans spend years planning the next national elections and years talking about the prior one.

But Tony Blair won although to hear The Old Media talk about it you'd think he lost. Then The Old Media hates it when the REAL leaders of the world win via fiat. Howard, Blair and Bush, the major leaders of the war in Iraq, ALL won re-election in their home countries.

Damn this makes the liberals mad. Imagine, dumb VOTERS keeping those idiots in power? This even after all their gum-flapping about no weapons of mass destruction and the panties-on- the-head torture at Abu Gharab.

From Powerline.com

Blair has made history with his victory tonight, and the three main leaders of the coalition that toppled Saddam now have all been re-elected."

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Political Cartoon of the Week: The Future of Marriage

 



 


Scott's Broadway Lights Extinguished

At this point in the American Idol competition, the remaining contestants are all great singers of almost equal voice ability. Others may disagree with that assessment but as I listened to the singers and their songs on Tuesday, May 3, 2005, I gave up on trying to differentiate between the miniscule nuances of range and depth of each contestant. Yes they all have very different voices that are more suitable for certain music genres. In terms of voice quality and stage presence, the final five have almost equal amounts of each.

Thus it is on the whims of the public to eliminate them down to one winner.

Scott Savol was voted off this past week.

Scott's a big fellow who lauds himself as an "everyday man". He sang "On Broadway" with a personal passion. Scott believed in himself, indeed BELIEVES in himself. Being one of the top five in the 2005 American Idol competition is certainly a feather in his cap. Scott has a future ahead of him and might, indeed, soon see his name in lights. On Broadway.

 


This past Tuesday all of the contestants sang two songs. One was a composition by Lieber and Stoller with the other being any song currently at the top of the billboard chart. Naturally I knew the Lieber and Stoller songs but the current billboard tunes were unknown to me.

It doesn't matter. Each contestant did a fine job, Simon Cowell's nasty comments notwithstanding. This week Vonzell Solomon was the shining star as I saw it.

Instead of commenting on each singer and their songs, what with the sings all on equal footing and many of the songs' original unknown to me, I have some comments on the judges.

I listened to Cowell's comments after each performance. Cowell is known for his acerbic comments to the contestants. This week, with the contestants down to a final five, I compared his comments to the performances. They were not congruent at all. Which leads me to some perhaps erroneous conclusions. Still, I'll throw it out there.

As I understand Cowell is a major player in the record company which will be sponsoring the winner. As such he likely has a desired winner. A winner that will suit the label in terms of music genre and in comparison to the last winner.

It wouldn't do, I suspect, to have a stable of rap singers. Or rock singers. Or singers of any specific genre all culled from the winners of the annual American Idol contests. So if Kelly Clarkson sings pop songs and Ruben Stoddard sings soul music than Cowell's label has a well-rounded stable of singers.

I think Cowell tries to sway the voting to his choice of a winner. And his choice of a winner is likely one that won't make the record label heavy in one genre.

Vonzell Solomon this past week was an example. Vonzell sang an Elvis tune then a popular current song that even I heard of. I believe the title is "I Become a Hero". If that's not the title it is definitely a lyric.

To my ears and eyes Vonzell did a wonderful job and as stated, I think she was the best of the evening. She wore a beautiful dress, looked lovely and performed wonderfully.

Cowell said she was very "vulnerable tonight".

But that's not all.

Cowell called Anthony Federov "insipid and amateurish". He said Scott Savol was "more flat than in tune".

For who I considered his favorites to win-Bo Bice or Carrie Underwood, his comments were more flattering. Bo, Cowell said, made the other performers of the evening look like "amateurs". Cowell was a little less complimentary of Carrie Underwood, calling her performance "robotic"..."but good".

Think about it. There's already been one big, lovable guy winner-Ruben Stoddard. There's already been a hip black chick, Fantasia. There's already been a crooner, Clay Aiken. Walking a bit in Cowell's shoes, I think he'd prefer either a country and western singer such as Underwood or a rocker type like Bice. So his post-performance commentary favor this preference rather than the quality of singing or star quality of the performance.

Of course the public decides. Sometimes members of the public vote four or five hundred times each. But the judges comments have some affect on the voting, surely.

 


Speaking of judges, a 2003 contestant, Corey Clark, has come out of the woodwork to reveal an affair between him and judge Paula Abdul. I watched the ABC special but thought it was much ado about nothing. Except, I suppose, judges really shouldn't be sleeping with people they are judging.

 


However, Corey Clark did not win that year's competition and it must be emphasized, Paula Jones does not decide who wins. Besides, Corey Clark is no American Idol. He has a mediocre voice at best.

Clark and ABC presented a lot of compelling evidence re the alleged romance between him and Paula, including voice messages and phone records. Still they are both adults and if Paula Abdul violated her judge contract than it's on Fox to deal with. Paula Abdul cannot decide who wins the contest as much as ABC would like to insinuate.

 


It's a tempest in a teakettle. A bit titillating perhaps.

More than anything the whole thing will likely boost American Idol ratings rather than dragging them down.

TV of Note This Coming Week

Notes-American Idol will have its next segment with the remaining four on Tuesday, May 10 @ 8 pm on Fox. The elimination will air the following day, Weds., 5/11/05 @ 9 pm on Fox.

The Apprentice will air its next to last episode on Thursday, 5/12/05 @ 9 pm, NBC.

True crime buffs might want to note the ”48 Hours” episode airing on Saturday, 5/14/05, @ 10 pm, CBS

Per the promo blurb:

Mind for Murder
A respected professor is accused of murder.

Original Air Date: May 14, 2005