A mystery

"I love my son and I hope that he is safe right now," stated Adam Matos.











Ismael Tristan Santisteban, 4, had last been seen on Aug 28 2014, when police had been at the home on 7719 Hatteras Dr in Hudson FL to investigate a domestic call.  Adam Matos, 28, had been accused of threatening Tristan's mother with a knife.  They returned to the home on September 4 2014 to do a welfare check on young Tristan because he had not been seen since that day and someone had contacted police to state that they could not reach anyone at the home.

The officers that arrived found no one home but the house had a bad smell and obvious signs that something had happened there.  They observed birds circling in the air further down the street and investigated further.  Less than a mile from the house, police found the bodies of two men and two women piled on top of each other.  The bodies had appeared to have been there for some time/

They issued an Amber Alert for Tristan as well as an alert for Adam Matos.  They did not know if the two were traveling together and suspected him of the murders.  The believed them to be together and they described Matos as "armed and dangerous.'

The manhunt lasted only about 12 hours before found and arrested Matos.  Police had received reports that Matos had been seen at a bus stop in downtown Tampa Fl and investigated.  He had evidently checked into the Floridian Palace around midnight using his own name and was staying on the 18th floor.  He had called the front desk at least once inquiring about how to use the internet and he also had been checking with buses for the cost and schedules.

Early Friday morning the police and SWAT team assembled at the hotel and lured him out of the hotel room.  He was arrested and taken into custody.  They found Tristan in the room unharmed.  he was taken from the Tampa police headquarters around 9:15 am this morning, to be booked into jail.  When asked why he had taken Tristan, his only comment was that the boy was his son.

Neighbors state that the home in Hudson had been vacant for a couple of years before the family with Tristan seemed to move in.  They added that they did not observe any moving trucks arrive, just that a motor-home appeared and parked in the driveway.  Matos found work at the Ger Hooked Grill as a dishwasher around the middle of August but was fired shortly afterwards for not showing up for work.  He had used the excuse of a family issue for not calling into work before his shift.  The manager there stated that Matos had showed up there about a week ago stating that he needed his last paycheck.

Matos has no criminal record in Florida but he does have one in Pennsylvania.  Police state that he had moved to Florida from Orefield PA in July and had had several encounters with law enforcement there.  In 2006, he was found guilty of purchasing alcoholic beverages for a minor and in 2007, he pleaded no contest to simple assault, theft, trespassing and receiving stolen property.  In 2008, he pleaded guilty to retail theft and in 2010, he pleaded guilty to harassment and in February of that year, DUI.

The police are working with family members of Tristan's in FL as well as family of the deceased in California and Pennsylvania to solve what really happened at the house on Hatteras Dr.  They are also trying to verify if Matos is Tristan's biological father or a father figure.  So far, Matos will be held on the charge related to the domestic call but he may well face numerous other charges in the near future.






http://www.cbsnews.com/news/police-find-4-bodies-in-search-for-missing-florida-boy/

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/multiple-bodies-found-at-hudson-home-of-missing-4-year-old/2196168

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/bodies-found-tampa-young-boy-missing-25254319

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/man-wanted-in-four-pasco-deaths-arrested-in-tampa/2196275


Update Sept 6 2014:

It has been reported that the search warrant that police have named four adults.  The four people listed were Megan Brown, her mother Margaret Brown, her father Greg Brown and another man, Nicholas Leonard.  So far, only Leonard has been identified by family members through his tattoos.  The police stated that they found evidence of blood in the residence when they entered as well as the smell of decomposition.

It has also been reported that Matos took Tristan to the Tampa area by cab and had requested that they be taken to the Greyhound bus station.  After spotting the Amber Alert, the cab company contacted the police as well as numerous other people who had spotted the pair.  The authorities are also considering a DNA test to answer the question of whether Matos is Tristan's biological father.


http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/story/26455879/boy-found-safe-suspect-in-custody-in-hudson-quadruple-murder



Update Sept 7 2014:

The police have identified all four victims found dead in Hudson.  They are Megan Brown, 27, her parents Margaret and Greg Brown, both 52 and Megan's boyfriend, Nicholas Leonard, 37, who was not a resident of the home.  The authorities stated that Matos had been living at the home and they are waiting for confirmation as to the possibility of a DNA test that may have been performed in PA to verify whether Matos was Tristan's father.

The Browns had been living in Pennsylvania  and running a kennel until recently.  They had lost their kennel license after it was found that they were employing someone to work there who had been convicted of animal cruelty at a different kennel.  They had abruptly moved to Florida stating that they were tired of all the hard work up north and that they wanted to slow down and enjoy their lives in Florida.  They were renting the home in Hudson from another couple from PA who owned the property.

Records show that the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture had recently revoked the kennel license for Hidden Hill Farm dog kennel in Heidleberg Township PA where Margaret had been operating the dog kennel.  Matos was known to have dated Megan there and he moved with the family when they went to FL.  It has been reported that there had been problems with Matos and the family even when they were in PA.

Department officials had inspected her kennel on Aug 27 2014 and found that Bryan Smith was playing a role in caring for the animals which is not allowed by law.  He had been found guilty of cruelty after raids on the now defunct Almost Heaven kennel in Upper Milford Township in 2008 and 2009.  Brown had been operating the kennel since 2006 and had told officials that she was going to move to Florida during the summer.  She had applied for a zoning exemption so that Smith could continue to operate the kennel on the property.  The exemption was denied but the kennel had passed an inspection on June 23 2014.

Leonard was known as the local handyman and it has been reported that he met Megan shortly after she moved to Florida.  He knew that Matos was living in the home as well as his past relationship with Megan but he told friends that Matos was ok with him dating Megan.  No one remembers seeing Leonard after Aug 26th which they felt was odd.  Matos and Megan had the police come to the home after he had threatened her with a knife.  Neighbors state that they had seen Matos going in and out of the house repeatedly on Sept 2 2014.  The police have not released yet what they believe the timeline for the murders may be.

They have stated that Tristan will be cared for by by Megan's family in New Jersey until permanent custody can be made.  One of his aunt's will come to FL to pick him up shortly.  Matos meanwhile is being held for $200,000 on the previous assault charge while other charges are being considered.






http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2014/9/6/man_suspected_in_qua.html

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-adam-matos-florida-homicides-20140906-story.html

http://patch.com/new-jersey/pointpleasant/update-bodies-three-former-ocean-county-residents-found-florida-roadside-ditch#.VAykDPmwJcR

http://tbo.com/pasco-county/pasco-4-year-old-homicide-suspect-found-in-tampa-20140905/



Update Sept 8 2014:

The police warrant for room 1803 at the Floridian Palace Hotel in downtown Tampa stated that the police were searching for a knife and a gun that they believe had been used in the murders.  The autopsy results have not been released yet but they must have had some evidence that would suggest that both weapons may have been used by Matos before he dumped the bodies in a roadside ditch.

Margaret Brown

Greg Brown

Tristan and Megan Brown

Nicholas Leonard

Ismael "Izzy" Santisteban, 25 has stated that he had lived with Megan and her parents on their farm until they broke up about three years ago.  He added that he had been with Megan on October 6 2009 when she gave birth to her only child.  He stated that he signed the birth certificate and the boy was named after him at that time.

Ismael stated that he and Megan had broken up for a brief time while they had been dating and both knew that Matos could have been the biological father of Tristan.  He added that when they got back together, they had decided that it did not matter who actually was the boy's father and they would not do a DNA test.  Megan and Matos evidently did do just that about four months later and he stated that Megan went with Matos then.  He described the Brown family as wonderful people and could not find a reason for why anyone would want them dead.

Adam Matos has an extensive criminal record dating back to a juvenile conviction for possession of marijuana in 1999.  He was placed on probation but two months later he was charged with two counts of auto theft.  He was still a minor then and was sentenced to house arrest and probation.  He was back in court in  Aug 2001, when at age 15 he admitted he was guilty of seven home burglaries in North Whitehall Township PA.  The charges were a felony and that opened the normally closed juvenile hearing to the public.  He also admitted that he was guilty of possession of a firearm by a minor at that time.  The burglaries took place between June 8 and July 27 and netted him about $26,000 worth of stolen goods.  He was sentenced to 18 months in a juvenile facility near Harrisburg.

The 2007 charges of simple assault and theft were the result of Matos breaking into the apartment of an Allentown woman he had dated 18 months before.  When she returned home with a male friend, Matos attacked the man and then stole the woman's keys and cellphone.  He was arrested four more times in Lehigh County for DUI, retail theft and harassment. Ismael stated that Matos had moved to Florida at the same time as the Brown family.

They had all been living in a rented home in Hudson.  The home is valued at $245,000 and the listed owner is Benvenuto Cellini who lists a Nesquehoning Carbon County PA mailing address.  It is unclear if the Brown's had known them before they rented the home.





http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/adam-matos-suspect-in-4-deaths-caught-at-florida-hotel-police-say-1.9247450

http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-amber-alert-florida-murder-suspect-from-lehigh--20140905-story.html

http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-august-4-2001-boy-15-admits-burglaries-20140905-story.html


Update Sept 10 2014:

Adam Matos has granted a jailhouse interview in which he denied that he had anything to do with the deaths of four people.  He stated that everyone is looking at him as though he committed the murders and he knows that despite his denials, he probably won't change many people's views.  Matos has not been charged with the murders and is still being held on an aggravated assault charge.

Matos stated that he was born in Philadelphia PA and went to Parkland High School in Allentown PA.  He then studied at the Institute of Audio Research in New York City NY and followed that by working as a DJ.  He added that he met Megan about six years ago through and friend and he fell in love and still loves her.  He described an on again, off again relationship and after Tristan was born, he helped to care for him as well as hoping to marry her.

Friends of hers describe a very different relationship, one in which Megan was afraid of Matos.  He stated that he had left PA with the Brown family two months ago and things were doing well.  He added that he and Megan did breakup a couple of weeks ago but the he was still on good terms with her.  He had considered going back to PA at that time but he decided to stay in Florida with the Browns to be with his son.

He did deny that he had threatened Megan with a knife on Aug 28, which was the last day anyone had heard from her.  Matos explained that the two of them argued about something stupid  and he left after she asked him to leave.  He then stated that he lived on the streets for a few days but would give no further details citibg his lawyer's advice.

Matos stated that he didn't know to several questions which included.... how did he get Tristan before going to Tampa, why would the police think he committed the murders and where was he planning to go after he had checked into the hotel.  He also claimed that he did not know that Megan was dating Leonard until the day he was arrested and added that he was fine with that and it was her decision.

He did offer a different "possible" explanation of the murders though.  Matos states that there was a woman, possibly someone who knew Leonard, who had recently begun stalking Megan.  He claims that she had left threatening voice mails and letters for Megan and had even confronted Megan at the house at one point.  As much as Matos seems to know about this mysterious woman, he states that he does not know her name or even what she looks like.  I do hope that this is not another wild "Zanny the nanny" type of claim since both of his stories don't seem to make much sense,  I think I have seen Swiss cheese at the deli with less holes in it than his stories.





http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/suspect-in-hudson-murders-speaks-from-jail/2196948

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/accused-florida-man-says-he-didnt-kill-ex-girlfriend-3-others/



Update Sept 20 2014:

Matos was charged Sept 15 2014 with four counts of murder, aggravated assault and with being a fugitive from Allentown PA where he had been on probation before he left.  It has been revealed that he spent days covering up his crime.  He ordered pizza two nights in a row for him and his son while he went to Walmart and bought a shovel with one of the victim's debit cards along with selling their six dogs through Craigslist for $50 each.

The arrest report details how each of the victims had died........ Megan had been shot in the head, Greg had been shot in the torso, Leonard had died from blunt force trauma to the head and Margaret had suffered blunt force trauma to the head, her hands were tied behind her back and a plastic bag was tied over her head.  Matos had eventually dragged the bodies up the road where he left them piled together and decomposing.

Margaret Brown's stepmother had called police to report that she could not make contact with the family and on Sept 4, the police went out to check the residence.  The arriving officer had found a spent shell casing in the driveway and called for back-up.  He went inside and found the house vacant but in the garage, they found a pool of blood behind the parked Dodge Caravan.  There also were several blood soaked blankets and rugs left there.  A neighbor reported that they had seen Matos washing out the garage earlier and then sweeping the water out of a side door.  Another neighbor reported that Matos had told them that the Brown's were off visiting in West Virginia.  The police have not reported that they have found a motive for the killings yet.


  http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/criminal/hudson-murder-suspect-arrested-on-pennsylvania-warrant/2197798

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/

crime/florida-dad-charged-murder-article-1.1941033



Update Oct 20 2014:

Adam Matos has been charged with four counts of murder in relation to the deaths of his ex girlfriend, her parents and her new boyfriend.  He pleaded guilty and has waived his right to a speedy trial.  His next court appearance has been set for Dec 9 and the state in formed the court that they would be seeking the death penalty.

The police state that they believe that Matos lived with the dead bodies in the house for almost a week before he dumped them in a ditch less than a mile from the home.  He has formally pleaded not guilty to four counts of first degree murder, one count of aggravated assault and one count of being a fugitive from justice.





http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/adam-matos-accused-of-killing-four-in-hudson-pleads-not-guilty/2202918

http://tbo.com/news/crime/matos-in-court-today-for-arraignment-in-hudson-killings-20141020/

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/florida-quadruple-murder-suspect-faces-death-penalty-article-1.1980565

Tangled web......

Sometime on Wednesday, August 27 2014, Scott Rogers, 52, was shot and killed in his Iberville, Baton Rouge LA home.  The host of the local television program "Around Town" was known for his promotion of civic agencies and charities but it has been discovered that many may not have really known him at all.

Police believe that Rogers was shot and killed by his son-in-law Matthew Hodgkinson, 36, who then turned the gun upon himself.  Hodgkinson failed to kill himself in what police are describing as a murder-attempted suicide and he is in a medically induced coma at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital.

Rogers was originally from Suffolk England and founded the Academy of Dancing and Performing Arts in Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk in 1983.  He was known as Richard Scott-Rogers and by the early 1990's, he was facing 13 charges.  The Inner London Crown Court cleared him of the charges in 1993 and the nature of the charges was not disclosed.

There was sufficient concern though for the Suffolk County Council to release a very carefully worded statement on November 9 1995.  The council very openly hinted about the behavior of a "senior member of the academy" and a trend for children who attended to bond with that person and reject their parents.  Some people reported that it was very similar to a cult in it's workings.

More than 500 pupils attended the academy which was held at various schools as well as other locations.  Rogers refuted the charges and challenged the council to conduct a full investigation of the allegations.  He did admit that he had children stay at his home but he added that they had their parent's permission to do so.  It would seem that was a risky challenge since some of the charges were rumored to involve the possible sexual abuse of children.  It has been reported that Rogers was acquitted of a charge of molesting a 13 year old boy during that time period.

For some reason............ Rogers packed his things and moved to the US with his biological daughter Kimberly Ann Scott-Rogers.  They moved to Texas first and then ended up in Baton Rouge LA around 1999, where they eventually became naturalized citizens.  At some point, Matthew Hodgkinson moved from England and married Rogers's daughter Kimmie and became the producer for Rogers's program.

Now you probably have to get out your pencil and scorecard to keep track of the characters.  Hodgkinson and Rogers knew each other in England because Hodgkinson had been a student at the performing arts school.  He may have also known Kimmie before he came to the US.  It has been reported that his marriage to Kimmie was a sham marriage so that he could stay in the United States.  Hodgkinson was reportedly, Rogers lover for quite some time which certainly would lead someone to wonder....... what kind of home was it on Daisy Ave.  Rogers, Kimmie, Hodgkinson and two children all lived in the house in Iberville.  Rogers had an adopted 10 year old boy and was in the process of finalizing the adoption of a two year old boy.

The web of lies that Rogers had constructing and was living started to tear apart a few weeks before his death.  A grand jury was investigating Rogers and his daughter had testified before it recently while Hodgkinson was reportedly supposed to testify soon.  Rogers was being investigated for possible fraud because he had left England with a different name than the one he had used in the adoptions.  There was also a question as to whether he had any outstanding charges against him when he had left the UK.

About two weeks before, federal authorities and child services removed the two children from Rogers's home but there has been no explanation given at this time for it.  What has come to light is the public statements of two other men, one who also was living at the Rogers home.  Both men stated that Rogers had abused them when they were in England and they had moved to the US to be with him.

The police had been called to the Rogers home about a week before the shooting when Hodgkinson believed that Rogers may have taken too many sleeping pills.  Rogers stated to police that he had only taken a couple of extra pills so that he could sleep but police added that there was a lot of stress in the home for the past few weeks.

Hodgkinson called the television station which aired Rogers program and left a message on Aug 26 that the program had been canceled because of a family catastrophe.  He then shot Rogers while he was sleeping in bed before turning the gun on himself.  Police found a note that they believe Hodgkinson had written alongside Rogers bed that stated that they had broken up the family but they didn't get Rogers.

The police have stated that if Hodgkinson survives the suicide attempt, he will be charged with Rogers murder.  Rogers daughter has made no public statement and child services has made no statement about the children that had been removed.  It would seem that there was much more to Rogers that the public or even his co-workers knew and I am sure that we will hear what other secrets and lies he had been hiding for all these years.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cops-louisiana-tv-host-killed-in-murder-suicide-attempt/

http://theadvocate.com/home/10118657-125/scott-rogers-life-was-unraveling

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-suffolk-29010460

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/la-tv-host-killed-suspected-murder-suicide-attempt-cops-article-1.1923245

http://www.nola.com/crime/baton-rouge/index.ssf/2014/08/baton_rouge_tv_personality_sco_1.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2739120/Dance-teacher-accused-molesting-pupil-running-cult-school-shot-dead-Louisiana-home-son-law-former-lover.html

http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/bury_st_edmunds_murdered_dance_teacher_had_been_accused_of_brainwashing_children_1_3750624

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2739467/Louisiana-TV-host-shot-dead-son-law-believed-lover-alleged-murder-suicide-attempt.html


Update Sept 2 2014:

It has been reported that not only were Kimmie and Matthew possibly involved in a sham marriage to prevent his deportation but no marriage license has been uncovered yet for the two.  One of the men who was involved with Rogers and reportedly lived at the home with Matthew, and Rogers has stated that Kimmie had not even been living in the home.  Matthew, pictured above, was also known as Matthew Hodgkins and Kimmie, pictured in the polka dot dress, both worked for the "About Town" program that Rogers had created and self produced for years.

Two men have come forward and spoke anonymously on the radio program the "Jim Engster Radio Show" and both accused Rogers of molesting them when they were young.  One of the callers stated that he had met Rogers when he attended the dance studio in England and that Rogers had begun molesting him when he was 13 years old.  He added that it continued until he was 18 and they continued their relationship after Rogers had arranged for him to come to the US.  That caller stated that he had been working on the set of Rogers's show as well as living with him in the same house as the shooting.

The caller went on to state that he had feared for his own life in the past week and was in protective custody awaiting his appearance before the grand jury.  That man stated that he knew Hodgkinson and he felt sorry for him.  He believed that the sexual part of their relationship had ended years ago but Matthew was subjected to 23 years of emotional abuse, sexual abuse and manipulation.  This does coincide with the allegations made against Rogers in England.  Officials there had reported that he frequently held sleep-overs where he cuddled the children in their sleeping bags as well as being very manipulative.... almost cult-like in his influence of the children.

The second caller stated that he had been a foster child of Rogers when he was 11 years old and he described Rogers as a monster and master manipulator.  The man went on to explain that he did not know how to escape the sexual abuse and learned very early that if he tried to reject the advances, the abuse would become more violent.  He added that he had had no contact with Rogers for about 16 years.

Rogers evidently was living a double life while in Louisiana.  The people there knew him as a mild mannered, accented man who created his own quaint television show.  He featured charities and non profits and gave them the opportunity to showcase their upcoming events.  He was also very involved with the Unity Church of Christianity until he broke off to create his own church.  That church, the 13:34 Church of Christianity was closer to his studio and was based on the bible passage that commands  the disciples to love one another.  That church has declined to make any comments about Rogers as of yet.

It almost seems as though Rogers had been a completely different person once he came to the US but under the cloak of public service and acceptance..... he seems to have kept carrying on the manipulation of people.



http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/us-tv-show-host-scott-rogers-shot-dead-by-soninlaw-lover-mathew-hodgkinson/story-fnixwvgh-1227044502846

http://theadvocate.com/home/10118657-125/scott-rogers-life-was-unraveling

http://www.wafb.com/story/26397744/two-men-accuse-scott-rogers-of-sexual-abuse


Update Sept 6 2014:

Matthew Hodgkinson died yesterday while on life support at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital following the murder- attempted suicide on Aug 27.  The police have not released any other information in regards to the grand jury investigation into Scott Rogers or what will become of the two young boys that had been with Rogers.


http://www.nola.com/crime/baton-rouge/index.ssf/2014/09/man_accused_of_killing_baton_r.html

Fast cars, short lives.......

"I've lived here for ten years and there has been an accident in almost that exact spot every year, but never as one as horrific as this," stated Amy Buchanan.






Joseph Beer, 17, lost control of his 2012 Subaru Impreza on October 8 2012 at 3:40 am and crashed into a tree on the side of the Southern State Parkway.  The stretch of road on Long Island New York is commonly referred to as "Dead Man's Curve."  Joseph had been wearing a seat belt but none of the four friends he had with him were wearing theirs.  Joseph was found wandering the road near the crash site.  His friends were not that lucky.  The horrific crash at an estimated 110 mph split the car in half and flung his friends from the remnants of the car.  None of them survived the crash.

Joseph had received the sporty car as a gift for getting good grades...... not such a terrible thing really.  The problem was that Joseph only had a learners permit.  He was not licensed to be driving with four friends in the car, not licensed to be driving that late at night and was not supposed to even be driving a car without a licensed driver who was over 21 years old with him.  Joseph suffered only minor injuries but tests following the accident showed that he also was under the influence of marijuana.

The force of the accident tore the car in two and the pieces had to be loaded separately on the flatbed tow truck.  The road was finally cleared for traffic by about 10 am that morning.  His parents claimed that they did not know that he was out driving the car and Peter Kanhai's mother stated that she did not know he was riding with Beer.  Her son had called her at 3 am to tell her that he was on his way home from the movies.  About forty minutes later, Peter, Christopher Khan, Darian Ramnarine, all 18 and from Ozone Park and Neal Rajapa, 17 from Jamaica Queens were dead.  All five of the friends were Richmond Hills HS students.

Joseph was charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, vehicular homicide, four counts of manslaughter, driving under the influence and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.  He was facing the possibility of 25 years in jail if he was found guilty on all counts.  His parents, Aaditia and Patricia Beer were charged with unlicensed operation of a vehicle and face up to 15 days in jail as well as a $300 fine for allowing Joseph to drive that night.  At his initial court appearance, the judge doubled the bail that had been requested, ordering him held on $1 million cash or $2 million dollars bond.

Beer was released on bond on Jan 15 2013 after posting a reduced bond of $250,000 but he was returned to jail ten days later after a prosecutor reported that he had once again tested positive for marijuana.  They added that Beer showed absolute utter disregard for the severity of the situation.  He was ordered back to jail and held without bond this time.  His positive test showed that he either had been smoking while in jail or immediately after he had been released on bond.

On June 6 2014, Beer was convicted of manslaughter but the jury had deadlocked on the other charges.  The prosecutor was unsure at that time as to whether they would retry him for the other charges and for the moment he looked as though he could only be facing 5 to 15 years in jail.

The prosecution had argued that it was a dangerous mix of "weed and speed" that led to the horrific crash.  The defense had argued that the levels of marijuana in his system could not be used to accurately state that Beer was impaired since he was a frequent user.  They added that they felt that the dangerous road conditions contributed to the crash.  That section of road between exits 17 and 18 may be the scene of numerous accidents over the years but I am going to go out on a limb and state that maybe the road was not constructed for speeds in excess of 110 mph.

In July 2014, Beer pleaded guilty to the top count of aggravated vehicular homicide and took a possible 25 year sentence off the table.  He was sentenced on August 26 2014 to 5 to 15 years in jail.  The sentence would make him eligible for parole in about three years.  His lawyer had argued for Beer to be sentenced as a youthful offender since he had only been 17 at the time of the accident.  That would have limited Beer's sentence to 4 years and erased his conviction record.  The judge denied that and the prosecutor stated that Beer had never shown remorse during the trial and had even bragged in a recorded call that he would be famous when he got out.  Beer's attorney has stated that there would be an appeal on the youthful offender sentencing.  It is difficult to understand how he deserves less time in jail......... as it is, he is getting a bit over a year for each of his friends that he killed.  I don't think when someone uses a car instead of a gun to kill, they should get a lighter sentence.





Related posts on this blog:

http://wreckvhavoc.blogspot.com/2008/01/racing-through-life.html

http://wreckvhavoc.blogspot.com/2008/06/pieces-uncovered-pieces-in-place.html

http://wreckvhavoc.blogspot.com/2007/06/legal-commonsense.html








http://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-york-teen-gets-5-to-15-years-for-wreck-that-killed-4/

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/teenage-driver-long-island-crash-faces-25-years-article-1.1203462

http://patch.com/new-york/malverne-lynbrook/teen-driver-in-fatal-parkway-crash-returns-to-jail#.U_1FkvldWSo

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/08/joseph-beers-car-sliced-in-half_n_1949753.html

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/crash-victim-s-kin-we-didn-t-know-he-was-in-car-1.4092284

http://nypost.com/2012/11/16/prosecutors-charge-parents-of-teen-whose-high-speed-li-crash-killed-four-of-his-friends/

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/joseph-beer-convicted-of-second-degree-manslaughter-in-fatal-southern-state-parkway-crash-1.8358265

Deadly hike.....

Pamela Devitt, 63, went for her usual morning walk in the desert on May 9 2013..........  she did not return alive.





Benjamin Devitt, 67 and his wife of 43 years, Pamela, moved to Littlerock California in 2005 and enjoyed walking in the desert to stay in good health.  They have two grown children and one grandchild and they had planned to enjoy many years being grandparents.  That all ended that morning in May when a police officer asked him to identify his wife's Ipod.

Pamela had been walking on her usual route when the pack of dogs attacked her at around 9:30 am.  A passing motorist noticed something in the road near the intersection of 116th Street East and Avenue S.  What had appeared at first to be a pack of dogs tearing up trash, turned out to be dogs attacking an adult.  The motorist called 911 after the dogs tried to attack their truck and then most of the dogs ran off.  One officer stated that they had to fire shots at the remaining dog in order to try and save Pamela.

Pamela was rushed to the hospital but died enroute from blood loss and trauma.  She suffered between 150 and 200 puncture wounds from the bites as well as deep cuts and abrasions.  Her ears were torn, patches of skin were missing, bone could been seen through some of the cuts and most of her scalp had been torn off.  Pamela had been dragged about 50 feet across the road by the four pit bulls and had lost almost all of her blood from the hideous attack.

A day long search for the dogs involved in the attack finally led police to the home that Alex Jackson shared with his mother.  When police searched the property, they found eight dogs, 6 pit bulls and 2 mixed breed dogs.  All of the dogs were seized and the four that were found to have blood on their fur and muzzles were tested.  The four dogs that had blood on them were found to have been involved in the attack through positive DNA tests.  Police reported that Jackson had hidden the four dogs involved in the attack in his garage.

There were five female dogs and three male dogs ranging from 40 ponds to 70 pounds.  The two mixed breed dogs were said to be a Lab mix and Australian Shepard mix and only some of them were altered.  The four dogs that had been identified as the attackers were all pit bulls.

It was reported that Jackson's dogs had been involved in seven other altercations in the 18 months before the attack on Pamela.  Residents had stated that the dogs would repeatedly jump the fence surrounding the property and chase after passersby.  The letter carrier stated that one had jumped the fence and ended up chasing his truck for about a half mile when he attempted to deliver the mail.  Other incidents involved riders on horseback who had stated that the dogs either bite them or their horses.

Throughout his trial, Jackson reported that his dogs were friendly and had not been involved in any attacks.  Oddly though, in 2006, he had to euthanize four other pit bulls that he owned after they had terrorized a flock of emus that lived in the area.  Residents of the area state that they had complained about the dogs running freely through the neighborhood on a daily basis.

Alex Jackson, 31, was charged with second degree murder, cultivating marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale, possession of a controlled substance and assault with a deadly weapon.  The marijuana charges stem from the marijuana grow that police discovered when they searched the residence and the assault charge is related to his throwing a rock at a rider that was being attacked by his dogs.

On August 29 2014, Jackson was found guilty of second degree murder as well as the three drug charges.  He was found not guilty of the assault charge and he is facing the possibility of 25 years in jail when he is sentenced.






Pamela's husband Ben has moved from the area and now lives with his son.  Sadly, only he will be able to watch his grandchild grow up.

Related story in this blog:

http://wreckvhavoc.blogspot.com/2014/08/hounds-from-hell.html






http://www.latimes.com/local/crime/la-me-dog-mauling-trial-20140829-story.html#page=1

http://theavtimes.com/2013/05/10/victim-idd-in-fatal-mauling-fate-of-captured-dogs-uncertain/

http://theavtimes.com/2013/05/30/dog-owner-charged-with-murder-in-littlerock-mauling-death/

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-man-charged-with-murder-says-he-didnt-know-his-dogs-could-kill-20140827-story.html

http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_23833123/antelope-valley-addresses-roaming-animal-problem-wake-dog

http://theavtimes.com/2014/08/29/dog-owner-found-guilty-in-mauling-death/

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/08/29/littlerock-man-31-found-guilty-of-2nd-degree-murder-for-pit-bull-mauling/

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-man-found-guilty-of-murder-after-his-dogs-kill-woman/



Update Oct 4 2014:

After spending about an hour deliberating, Alex Jackson was found guilty back in August of second degree murder.  Today, Jackson found out that he will spending a bit of time in jail.  He was sentenced to 15 years to life for the murder of Pamela Devitt.  A murder conviction for a dog attack is rare and a sentence like his is rare as well.  Maybe this will help pave the way for owners to be more responsible when they own dogs that have a history of attacks.


http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Littlerock-Man-Convicted-of-Second-Degree-Murder-in-Womans-Dog-Mauling-Death-Sentenced-278032371.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dog-owner-sentenced-to-prison-in-fatal-mauling/

It should be fun!

"The tragedy illustrates how you never know what could happen and we really do need to use common sense when thinking about when a child can have access to a weapon like that," stated Michael McLively of the California based Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.




On Aug 25 2014, what was supposed to be fun trip to a gun range in Arizona for a New Jersey couple and their daughter, became something very tragic.  Charles Vacca, 39, a gun instructor at the Bullets and Burgers gun range in White Hills AZ died after his 9 year old student lost control of an Uzi and shot him in the head. The gun range is located at the Last Stop camping and restaurant outpost near the Nevada line and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Las Vegas area.

They offer a variety of packages that include your choice of guns to fire as well as zip-lines, a monster truck, a sniper experience as well as several 50 caliber guns and machine guns on full automatic. Their shooting packages start at $199 and range up to $1,000 as well as offering to pick-up and drop off customers at Las Vegas hotels.

The young girl's parents were filming her shooting with her instructor, Vacca, so there is little doubt as to what had happened.  The edited clip of the shooting has been released to the media and begins by showing Vacca instructing the girl to always hold the gun with two hands.  He is standing directly to the left of the girl and he has her adjust her stance.

He then instructs her to fire one shot at the target, which she does.  After she successfully fires the one shot, Vacca is heard telling the girl that it is ok to go fully auto and fire.  It is at that point that the viewer can see that she loses her grip on the gun with her left hand and is still holding it with her right.  The Uzi swings to her left and Vacca is hit by a bullet to the head.

Vacca was flown to the University Medical Center suffering from several gunshots to the head but died later that evening.  He was a veteran of the army and a devoted father who lived in Lake Havasu City Arizona.  He had worked at Bullets and Burgers for a little over a year and was still serving the US while in the reserves.  It has been reported that he had experience in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

 
The operator of Bullets and Burgers, Sam Scarnardo, also has operated Sam's Shooter's Emporium in Lake Havasu City AZ for over 14 years and states that they have never had an incident like this before.  He added that they will be reviewing their policies and procedures while the federal investigation continues.  Scarnardo stated that his ranges operate and abide by the standards set by the National Association of Shooting Ranges.  The 9 year old will not be charged in connection with the shooting as it is being handled as an industrial accident.

There are those who have viewed the tape of the instruction and have concluded at this early point that Vacca was more at fault.  Scarnardo stated that their instructors are trained to basically hover over people when they are shooting and if the shooter is right-handed, the instructor has their right hand behind them, ready to push the weapon away if control is lost.  He added that they do the same for a left-handed shooter but with their left hand.

Vacca can be seen in the video with his right hand on the girl's back while his left hand is under her right arm when he was shot.  He also is standing to her left, which many question.  It would seem that he was standing directly in the path of the gun if it were to recoil and end up being wildly shot.  I question how familiar this girl was with firing any guns since I had the impression from the video that she did not have much, if any experience at all.  She also seemed tentative to me, as if she was doing this more on a "dare" than because she was an avid shooter who wanted to experience an Uzi.

While it is allowed by law for a child as young as 8 to be allowed on a shooting range with adult supervision, the debate being raised again is whether children that young should be allowed to fire guns such as that.  I mention again because the topics had been raised in 2008 when Christopher Bizilj, 8, died after accidentally shooting himself with a micro Uzi in Massachusetts.  Christopher, his father Charles and brother Colin, 11, attended a machine gun and firearms expo that was held at the Westfield Sportsman's Club in Westfield MA
.

Edward Fleury, Chief of Police in Pelham MA had created a small business in firearms instruction and had been sponsoring the show since 2001.  It was advertised as having no age restriction and attendees would have the chance to fire automatic weapons without having a license to do so.  Fleury was licensed as an instructor for automatic weapons but he did not have the guns,  Instead he asked two men from Connecticut to bring the guns and ammunition to the expo and they were in charge of handling them.

When it was Colin and Christopher's turn to shoot, the line instructor was a son of one of the men who had brought the guns.  He was familiar with the guns but was not certified as an instructor.  The Uzi that Charles had fired developed a problem when Colin had it and it would only fire as a single shot.

Michael Spano, states that he told Charles that since the Uzi was malfunctioning, the only other choice was a micro Uzi but he did not feel that it was a gun that the boys should be firing.  He described it as shooting fast and kicking hard.

Charles replied that he wanted both of his sons to experience firing a machine gun on full auto and he wanted them to fire it.  Colin did fire the micro Uzi, which is a very small Uzi used for shooting in tight quarters and uses the same 9 mm ammunition as the larger one.

It was then Christopher's turn to fire the machine gun and Spano reloaded it and showed him how to use it.  The gun jammed after the first burst when Christopher used it and Spano cleared it and handed it back to him.  When he fired again, the recoil forced the barrel upwards and the butt slipped off of his chest.

The gun was still firing as it spun on his trigger finger and pointed towards his head.  Christopher was hit by a bullet to the head and died almost instantly.  Charles had been filming both of his sons when they fired the machine guns and the fatal shot was caught on film.  He died just six weeks before his 9th birthday.

In the aftermath of Christopher's death, a grand jury handed down charges.  Fleury faced four charges of furnishing a machine gun to a person under 18 and one count of involuntary manslaughter.  The two men who furnished to machine guns for the expo both faced involuntary manslaughter charges and the Westfield Sportsman's Club faced a charge of involuntary manslaughter and furnishing machine guns.  Charles was not charged in the death of his son, the grand jury felt that he had suffered enough after watching the video of his son's death.

In March 2010, the Sportsman's Club told the court they would not contest the charges and paid the maximum fine of $1,000 for the manslaughter charge and donated $10,000 to two children's charities in Christopher's name for the furnishing charges.  They also announced that they were banning automatic weapons from their grounds.  The two men who had furnished the guns for the expo had the charges against them dropped while they were still awaiting trial.

On Jan 4 2011, 53 year old Fleury was put to trial and faced 50 years if convicted of the charges.  His defense stated that he did not know that the event he had sponsored was not legal because he had done so for many years and had notified the local police of it beforehand each year.

Off duty police attended the event and as for the furnishing charges, participants signed waivers, instructors were there and the guns were not lying around for children to just pick up.  His lawyer cited a temporary holding law that allows people who are not licensed to fire a gun with an instructor there.  In the end, he was also found not guilty of all the charges and the prosecution decided that since they had essentially the same case against the other two charged, they would not pursue a losing case.


The debate has been revived as to many factors involving this case.  I personally am not against the proper use of guns in the US.  We grew up in our family using guns after we had properly learned how to use them.  The question that many have is why a parent would want their young child to fire a weapon with that much power.  There are some who have stated that a child that young is generally not strong enough to handle a machine gun such as that on full automatic.  In my opinion, from what I saw on the video clip, I don't think that she was capable of handling it on full auto, before she even pulled the trigger.

Several have stated that there are many children who could handle the power of it but only on a single shot mode.  I am pretty sure that is why we used smaller caliber rifles and handguns when we were young and that is definitely why manufacturers sell kids sized guns and hunting bows as well as products that are aimed towards women.  It is not that we are incapable of doing everything, it just is that most need to be able to become competent at handling something not as powerful before they can make the step up to a more powerful weapon.  Heck, they even make smaller sized motorbikes and ATV's for children just because they are smaller........ not because they are incapable of using them.

I am not sure went through the minds these parents when they thought that shooting a fully automatic machine gun at such a young age was a great idea.  It is not as though they didn't have several more years to grow up in and would be better able to handle the gun.  There are definitely times in a parent's life when they have to be the parent and make the adult decisions.......... even if these children had begged to have the chance to fire a machine gun on full auto, a parent can always say no.  Just because someone has offered the chance to do something legally, that does not mean that you as a parent are obligated to say yes.





http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/26/us/arizona-girl-fatal-shooting-accident/index.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1345198/Witness-warned-Charles-Bizilj-year-old-son-Uzi-gun.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2734769/Arizona-girl-9-accidentally-shoots-shooting-teacher-head-visit-range.html

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/site-arizona-shooting-range-mishap-popular-tourism-attraction-n190081

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/08/27/girl-accidentally-kills-gun-instructor/

http://online.wsj.com/articles/accidental-fatal-shooting-of-gun-instructor-by-girl-sparks-new-debate-1409189384

http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/not_guilty/edward-fleury/a-fun-day-at-the-range.html