Duke De Mondo The trials and tribulations of a pretentious, self-obsessed, lust-stricken twentysomething, as glimpsed through the throb of pop culture. |
Matthew T. Sussman I admit it — I'm geeked for the World Baseball Classic. I snuck-watched a few Pool A games from Tokyo, which aired live on TV at the wee hours of the morning. But I've also noticed that a lot of people have been critical of this inaugural tournament, probably for good reason. So I decided to strike a dialogue with one of these critics with a Blogcritic, sportswriter and Indians fan Zach Baker. |
Imette St. Guillen and Darryl Littlejohn
The murder of Imette St. Guillen was first reported in a True Crime Update dated 3/7/06. At that time not much was known about the perp, the crime, or the details, save a strange 911 call by persons unknown about a dead body and where it was located. Since then so much as had been learned and there's some intrigue.A quick review of all that has been learned in a week would include a possible perp, lies by the bar owners, allegations of other crimes by the alleged perp, details on St. Guillen's behavior the night she left The Falls bar, a non-identification of the perp in a line-up and the collection of much incriminating forensic evidence.
Let us begin with the reason why this crime captured the attention of the country, not to mention the cable networks.
For this crime, initially, was whispered to be the possible beginning of a serial crime spree. All of the elements fell into place and vaunted investigators across the spectrum filled the airwaves explaining the ominous meaning of the 911 call, the strange disposal of the body and other indicators of a serial murderer. And fact is, the speculated perp, Darryl Littlejohn, might well have went on to more horrendous crimes and it's likely he's already involved in many attacks on women in the New York area.
First, St. Guillen's timeline on the night she was murdered. At about 3:40 a.m. Imette left her friend at the Pioneer Bar in lower Manhattan. A security tape shows Imette leaving the bar so this time is firm. She then walked several blocks and stopped at The Falls bar in Soho shortly before closing time. Imette's friend phoned her on cell and Imette did verify that she was in another bar.
At this point the testimony of witnesses and bar persons in charge gets murky and confused. Darryl Littlejohn was a bouncer at the Falls bar, this we know. What's not clear is how Imette behaved when asked to leave, who left with her, who saw her after she left, where she was, whether a scream was heard.
I do know that lawyers representing the bar owner notified the police and supposedly gave a detailed story of what went down. This is odd. Why did an attorney have to phone the police to give a statement?
While details of the bar workers' and patrons' statements are still not at all clear, I did see reporters discussing the case on the Dan Abrams' show. The reporters said that the bar's owner was not on duty that night but his brother was. Frankly I don't believe the police have revealed much of the information about the bar owners’/managers' statements and much of the Abrams' discussion was speculation. That bit about an attorney handling the details of the bar owners' statement is still odd. Another odd twist but having nothing to do with nothing, is that building in which the Falls bar is located belongs to the husband of Geraldine Ferraro, a former Vice-Presidential candidate.
Whatever the case with conflicting statements of the bar owner and/or brother, there is a problem looming for them for hiring Darryl Littlejohn as bouncer to begin with.
Which brings us to Darryl Littlejohn. Who has turned out to be a strange character and is definitely a "person of interest" in this crime.
Littlejohn, it seems, might well have been involved in other crimes. From the Boston Herald:
NEW YORK - NYPD investigators are probing whether jailed parolee Darryl Littlejohn, the Manhattan bar bouncer being eyed in the slaying of Imette St. Guillen, is connected to the rapes of three New York women who were brutalized by a van-driving man posing as a federal agent, law enforcement sources told the Herald.
"There is a serial rapist posing as a federal agent, grabbing women, who has struck at least three times" in the New York City area, an official source said yesterday.
"Littlejohn has been known to impersonate law enforcement. He has a van. We are taking a very close look at those cases," the source said.
In the three attacks, the rapist identified himself as an immigration officer before pulling the women into the van and throwing a blanket over their heads so they could not identify him, the sources said. He then drove to an underground garage, where the women were raped and sexually assaulted.
No DNA evidence was recovered from the three attacks. The victims told investigators their attacker wiped them down after the rape with some sort of disinfectant swabs, the police sources said.
Investigators who searched Littlejohn's residence in Queens from Monday evening into yesterday morning recovered alcohol swabs and plastic ties in his home, the sources said. They also took sections of his carpet, hair samples and fibers, a law enforcement source said.
We’ve bolded that bit about the alcohol swabs as it is this sort of commonality that catches a serial criminal of any sort. After a little research it can be ascertained that Darryl Littlejohn is not the smartest criminal in the world.
Veronika Belenkaya is a reporter for the NY Daily News. When reports of Imette’s muder surface, like any good reporter, Belenkaya ran interviews with the employees of the Falls bar. Darryl Littlejohn was one such employee and some of his statements to Belenkaya are very revealing.
He said two police SUVs were parked in front of his house.
"I'm looking at them right now," he said. "I went to the corner grocery and I came up to them and asked, 'Do you want anything?'" he said. "They pretended they didn't know who I am."
The strong police presence inside the bar also struck a raw nerve with Littlejohn. "They're hurting the business," he said. "We're like a family."
Then his attention suddenly shifted back to himself.
"I'm not taking away what happened to this lady and not to play the race card, but you are singling out the only black guy," Littlejohn said.
"Do you still want to talk to me?" he asked toward the end of our conversation. "Am I going to see this in the newspaper tomorrow?"
"I understand it's your job," he added, before we said goodbye, the friendliness returning to his voice, a tone suggesting we would speak again soon.
That bit about whether his statements would be in the paper says something about Littlejohn. This is a man looking for notoriety not unlike the BTK murderer.
Consider. Littlejohn was interviewed by a local paper as part of a reporter’s initial investigation into the story. Surely Littlejohn knew that the facts would be revealed; that he himself would likely be under investigation. Yet he not only yaks with the reporter freely, he calls her back with more information and queries as to when he might see his wisdom published.
This is the sort of perp who couldn’t bear to have his perfectly prepared dead victim left undiscovered for the celebration he deserves. This is the sort of perp who would phone 911 to inform police where they could find his work of art.
The other odd development on this case this past week is the failure of a former rape victim to identify Littlejohn in a lineup. This victim was allegedly raped by a man posing as an Immigration Agent. The man pulled her into his van, raped her then made her wipe down with these swabs. Swabs of disinfectant that police believed the perp used to eliminate damaging DNA evidence. According to a legal pundit I watched on Fox’s Greta Van Sustern’s show, this victim identified Littlejohn from a picture but couldn’t, or wouldn’t, identify him in an actual lineup.
I think it’s very possible this victim was scared. She had already been victimized by this guy. At the time of the lineup she knew Littlejohn was suspected in Imette’s murder. He was being held only for violation of parole as investigators had no other crime for which to hold him. Were I a victim in that situation I’d be leery of pointing fingers at a possible murderer so vicious as to kill Imette so horrifically. Of course the victim might have been unable to identify Littlejohn in the lineup and for now, it’s unknown why.
Rogue FBI Agent Charged With Complicity in Murders
Here’s a development with major implications that boggle my mind.
Seems that for a decade approximately from the mid-80’s to the mid-90’s, the FBI successfully prosecuted members of the Colombo crime family. I vaguely recall this vaunted era of the FBI and these many investigative victories.
Only now it seems that one major investigator might have been, intentionally, involved in the murder of three people while this probe went on.
R. Lindley DeVecchio was an FBI agent who had evidently cultivated many snitches in the mob subjects of his investigation. Now DeVecchio faces charges that he deliberately leaked the names of FBI informants in the mob to one of his own favored informants, one Gregory Scarpa. Scarpa then arranged or actively participated in, the murder of these informants.
From Captainsquarters.com:
In a case with stunning implications for both law enforcement and some convicted gangsters, prosecutors have decided to seek murder charges against a former mob-busting FBI agent for involvement in at least three Brooklyn Mafia hits between 1984 and 1992, Gang Land has learned.
The Brooklyn district attorney's office has concluded a six-month probe of the scandalous allegations against R. Lindley DeVecchio and will soon ask a grand jury to vote on murder charges against the retired agent, sources said. The move could come as early as today.
The implications of all this are major. If DeVecchio is found guilty then all of the mob cases tried during that era can be declared a mistrial. Whatever DeVecchio’s reasons for allowing other FBI informants to be killed, the whole thing certainly casts suspicion on any case involving DeVecchio. I also wonder about inter-agency FBI competition and whether DeVecchio’s identification of FBI informants was part of his own super-hero campaign to be the FBI guy really bringing home the bacon.
Alabama Church Burnings a Joke?
In the interest of the greater public good we present for public viewing, the fine trio who thought burning down churches in Alabama would be a grand joke.Such fine representations of youth and vigor they are. Let the world know what they look like, may they not hide from the derision of their stupidity.
From CNN.com:
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (CNN) -- Three Birmingham college students were
arrested and charged Wednesday in connection with a string of Alabama church fires that is described in court papers as a joke that "got out of hand," authorities said.
The students -- Ben Moseley and Russell DeBusk, both 19, and Matthew Lee Cloyd, 20 -- are suspected in nine of the 10 fires last month.
The suspects were held on federal charges of conspiracy and setting fire to Ashby Baptist Church in Bibb County. In court filings, all three admitted being involved in the arson fires. No one was injured in any of the blazes.
The Strange Case of the Text Messages
"Help. I'm scared. I don't know where I am," one of the text messages that Natasha Browne sent her mother said, Stella Browne told The Jersey Journal of Jersey City for Wednesday's newspapers.
As of this writing it’s still very confusing what might have happened to Natasha except the latest info is that the girl has been found.
Now the cloud surrounding this strange case is whether Natasha was playing a hoax on her mother or whether her desperate pleas for help were genuine.
For the text message referenced in the above paragraph is benign compared to the many also received by her distraught mother. Several indicated that she was tied up in a basement, at least one indicated she was trapped in the trunk of a Hummer. Hummer’s not having trunks as I understand it and this is only part of the strangeness.
Natasha did have contact with three older men. Whether this was a pre-arranged meeting is unclear.
From Newsday.com:
On Thursday, Jersey City said they were questioning three men _ a
20-year-old and two 19-year-olds _ that none had been charged, and they were not involved in the alleged rape. Police said all had been cooperative and truthful.
Wisely said the girl had met with at least one of the three men on Monday when she skipped school. The other two live with that man.
The girl met the man about three or four weeks ago at a shopping mall and became friends, agreeing to stay in touch by cell phone text messaging, police said.
"If it turns out to be a total hoax, quite frankly, I feel sorry for (the girl) and her parents," the chief said. "I would not say that precludes us from bringing any charges."
That bit about having met one of the men at a mall three or four weeks before Natasha’s strange text messages sticks out like a sore thumb. I also read that a classmate of Natasha’s said Natasha told her she would not be at school the day she went missing, that she (Natasha) had a previously planned medical appointment.
From the Press of Atlantic City:
Police Chief Robert Troy said the 13-year-old girl, who had last been seen by her mother on Monday, approached a person on a Brooklyn street at 1 a.m. Thursday and said she had been raped by two men. The person called police and called the girl's mother, authorities said.
Police said the girl did not have serious health problems, that New York police were investigating the rape allegations and it was not clear whether the girl went to New York willingly.
"The majority of things she's done since she went out of the house has been voluntary," said Police Capt. Jack Wisely.
It’s oblique but very telling, the above reference by Captain Wisely, that the majority of things Natasha’s done since she went missing has been “voluntary”. Young Natasha’s going to be in a heap of legal trouble if her whole act was faked. Not to mention the wrath of her beleaguered mother.
Driving Redux
I’ve seen plenty of young women driving down the road applying make-up and combing hairs. So I don’t know why those North Wales police couldn’t believe their eyes as mine own fine eyes are already jaded from the sight.
So okay, this particular driver had both hands off the wheel while the young ladies of my sightings appeared to have at least one hand on the wheel. But why the surprise?
Driving is a serious task and such as talking on cell phones, munching on hamburgers and, yes, putting on make-up, provide the one distraction that makes any accident waiting to happen …happen.
From an email list, via Reuters, we have:
LONDON (Reuters) - North Wales police couldn't believe their eyes when a camera at a notorious accident spot caught a driver using both hands to put on her make-up.
Donna Maddock, 22, was filmed as she drove along the A499, one of Britain's most dangerous roads. She held a mirror in her left hand and an eye pencil in her right, leaving the steering wheel to itself.
A Sex Offender?
Came across this on a true crime newsgroup and was taken aback. From the State of Ohio Electronic Sex Offender Site we discover that this odd looking little fellow is a registered sex offender. One must wonder how he can get close enough to anyone to offend. From the little I’ve read about this “Mr. Peppers” (yes, that’s allegedly his name), he’s into really strange stuff.Stupid Criminal Alert
These sorts of stupid criminal compilations are common across the mighty Internet. This most recent one passed through my in-box recently and I thought it might be time for a re-visit. I’d heard the one about the convenience store, but the others are new to me.
8. As a female shopper exited a New York convenience store, a man grabbed her purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately, and the woman was able to give them a detailed description of the snatcher. Within minutes, the police apprehended the snatcher. They put him in the car and drove back to the store. The thief was then taken out of the car and told to stand there for a positive ID. To which he replied, "Yes, officer, that's her. That's the lady I stole the purse from."
9. The Arbor News crime column reported that a man walked into a Burger King in Ypsilanti, Michigan, at 5 a.m., flashed a gun, and demanded cash. The clerk turned him down because he said he couldn't open the cash register without a food order. When the man ordered onion rings, the clerk said they weren't available for breakfast. The man, frustrated, walked away.
******A 5-STAR STUPIDITY AWARD WINNER*****
10. When a man attempted to siphon gasoline from a motor home parked on a Seattle street, he got much more than he bargained for. Police arrived at the scene to find a very sick man curled up next to a motor home near spilled sewage. A police spokesman said that the man admitted to trying to steal gasoline and plugged his siphon hose into the motor home's sewage tank by mistake. The owner of the vehicle declined to press charges, saying that it was the best laugh he'd ever had.
More True Crime Updates HERE
================
"Wife Swap"-Not As Dirty As It Sounds
Imagine, if you are a woman, leaving your home, husband and children, to move possibly clear across the country to be a wife, mother and home-maker to a completely different family. “Completely different” being the operative words here. For if you are white, your new family might be black. If you home-school your children your new family might be headed by a public school teacher. If you are urban born and bred your new home might be a working one hundred acre farm.
When such changes are effected, the result is essentially the drama and lessons learned summed up tidily into a one hour time frame every Monday at 8 p.m. on ABC. Of course there are rules and twists. All as part of the entertainment please understand.
From ABC’s Wife Swap web site:
Wife Swap is not a competition or a contest. It is a reality show unlike any other, where the battlegrounds are the kitchens and living rooms, child-rearing is a subject of intense and heated debate, and the outcome isn't a cash prize, but a couple's opportunity to re-discover why they love each other and decided to marry in the first place.
In the first week of the swap, the wives move in with their new family and adopt their very different lifestyle. They agree to follow a manual written by the departing wife that sets out the rules of their new household - how they parent, shop, do the house work, manage their budgets and their social life. But then, in the second week, everything changes. The new wives take charge. They introduce their own set of rules and get to run the new household their way. It's a radical shock to both families. The results are explosive, enlightening and often very funny. This is a show about the things that really matter to families across America.
At the end of the show, the two couples meet for the first time. In a highly-charged exchange of views, both couples make a frank assessment of each other and talk about what they've learned from the experience.
As quoted above is pretty much exactly how it goes. The show that aired this past Monday, 3/13/06, followed the above rather bland description. The reality was more dramatic and definitely more amusing.
The ladies who swapped lives in this show were about the same age. One was white-a Mrs. Stampers. The other was black- a Mrs. Haggerty. Beyond that their lives were also as different as, well black and white comes to mind. Mrs. Stampers and her family are seriously into something called medieval role-playing, an activity involving frilly costumes, swords and harps. Mrs. Haggerty is a public school teacher who also works part time for a restaurant. Mrs. Stampers regards her husband, literally, as “the king”. Mrs. Haggerty has a devoted husband who does all the cooking.
Each wife had to spend one week in their new environment following the rules of the swapped wife. Which means that the happening public school teacher had to spend a week in medieval costume and in the isolation typical of the Stampers. Mrs. Stampers had to ditch her medieval garb for more normal clothes. She also had to teach Haggerty’s class. It is in this part of the show that the swapped wives gain an understanding of the lifestyle of their new family.
Throughout this week the swapped wives give camera vignettes when they describe their perceptions of their new families and their remedies for any dysfunction as each swapped wife perceives it.
Come the second week and each swapped wife gets to make her own rulebook for her new family. Mrs. Stampers decided that her new black family needed to get involved in some medieval role-playing. Mr. Haggerty, as Mrs. Stampers announced to his great glee, would now be king of his household.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Haggerty declares that Mr. Stampers is no longer king of the house and should help out with the children and running of the household. Each swapped wife decided their new families would reverse how their schooling had been obtained before the wife swap. The Haggerty children would be home-schooled and the Stampers children were signed up for public school.
The switching of households does have its comedic moments, especially with this urban-medieval swap. The Haggerty children looked …odd …in their medieval outfits. Mr. Haggerty declared he would not wear pantyhose.
The show ends with each family returning home to the enthusiastic greeting of their real family. Then there are the vignettes of the swapped families, their summation of their experience, the lessons they’ve learned, the changes they’ll make.
Obviously there must be some staging for this show. The wives swap for two whole weeks while the show spans but an hour. There is almost always one dramatic confrontation between the new families and the swapped wife. It’s hard to believe the camera was there prepped and running to catch the action as it happened. I suspect some writers pen the action and the swapped families learn their lines.
Wife Swap is, I say softly, essentially the same show repeated every week. The names, places and faces may change but there’s a pattern and it continues with no let-up. Which is not to say that the concept doesn’t have an intrigue that might spell bind. At least at the first viewing.
This is the sort of show I’d tune into on a bored whim. It’s not the type of show that I think will develop a strong viewer loyalty.
And hey, you can be on the show! From the application page for Wife Swap:
WE ARE SEARCHING FOR FAMILIES FOR OUR HIT SHOW WIFE SWAP
Wife Swap is the exciting new series that invites you behind the walls of America's homes and lets you experience how families run their lives.
Each episode involves two families and a fun twist: the Moms of each household swap places for ten days!
Rating for this show is three stars out of five.
More TV Reviews HERE
No comments:
Post a Comment