The next gig is cancelled......

The two bands had finished playing in Spartanburg SC and were headed to another show in Atlanta GA on April 6 2015 after finishing that show.  At 7 am, the van they were riding in went off the side of I-85 in Jackson County GA, about 65 miles Northeast of Atlanta.

The police state that they believe that the driver of the 15 passenger van apparently fell asleep at the wheel.  The van which was towing a utility trailer left the roadway and struck a tree.  The right side of the van was sheared off and three of the passengers were ejected.  Three of the victims were dead at the scene and another eight were taken to either Athens Regional Hospital or Northeast Georgia Medical Center.

The van had 12 occupants at the time of the crash, members of the bands Khaotika and Wormreich who were completing a short concert tour.  The driver of the van was reportedly unhurt and there has been no release yet of who died in the crash.  It has been reported that Rick Hayes, the husband of Khaotika singer Lariyah Hayes, has posted that she was prepping for surgery and has suffered injuries but that they are not life threatening.  It has been posted on the Facebook page of the third band on the tour, Kult ov Azazel, that the concert planned for tonight has been cancelled.

The bands had begun the tour in Chicago IL on April 3rd and played on the 4th in St Louis MO before playing in Spartanburg SC on the 5th.  The short tour was scheduled to end in Atlanta GA on the 6th.  It is about a four hour drive from Spartanburg to Atlanta and they were still about an hour away from their destination when the crash occurred.  An estimation from the Khaotika FB page posting places the show's end at about 2 am.

The band Khaotika was formed in Jan 2014 after Lariyah Daniels Hayes had moved to the Atlanta GA area.  Lariyah was originally from Poland where she played in a small band called Get Wired until she moved to the US in the mid 2000's.  She originally worked as a model until she joined up with the band Hessler in the Chicago IL area in October 2010.  The band is described as melodic occult metal and released their debut EP last year.

Khaotika

Her breakup with the band Hessler was only described as necessary because she was moving to the Atlanta GA area and did not seem to have any hard feelings within the group.  Hessler is still touring although the band members have changed drastically since 2014.  They lost three members in 2014 but seem to have recovered from the loss.

Hessler

The band Wormreich was formed in 2009 and has listed several locations as their home though, Huntsville AL is what is currently showing on the FB page.  They describe themselves as "Black Metal" and released their debut full length album in 2011.

McKinney, Pezzano and Pyle

The three passengers who were ejected at the scene and died are Nicholas R Crisostomo, 25 of Round Hill VA and a member of Khaotika, Ian McKinney, 30 of Madison TN and Paul Truesdell, 29 of Mableton GA.  It is believed that both Truesdell and McKinney are members of Wormreich.

The three injured that were taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center are Christopher Pyle, 49, of Owensboro KY, James Berile, 25 of Leesburg VA and Stephen Shoemaker, 53 of Jonesboro GA.

The other five who were injured were taken to Athens Regional and have been identified as well.  They are Matthew Shaner, 31, of Silver Springs MD, Jasmine Zarinebaf, 19, of Naperville IL, Kamilla Hayes, 44, of Norcross GA, Batricia Shoemaker, 49, of Jonesboro GA and Christopher Pezzano, 45, of Toney AL.  It is reported that only two remain in critical condition and the reports do not state which victims they are although some were still in surgery as of this afternoon.

The driver of the van has been identified as Sergio Quesado, 27, a member of Khaotika from Athens GA and there are charges listed as pending.  The police state that it is far too early to know what will become of the charges because it is still very early in their investigation of the crash.

There has been a Gofundme site set up in an effort to raise money for those who are injured and the families of all who were involved in the accident.  The concert tonight has been cancelled at The Basement located on the lower level of East Atlanta's Graveyard Tavern but they have already announced that there will be a benefit concert planned on April 13 2015.  It can be expected that there will be further notification as to what bands and activities will be included in that benefit concert.

Headed to Chicago

Update:

The plans for the benefit concert and the go fund me site have been postponed indefinitely at the request of the families affected by the accident.  There may be something in the future but it can be understood how many families have been affected and at the moment, they have much more important issues to worry about.

Chicago

Update April 7 2015:

Paul Truesdell is remembered by his co workers at the KooKooBear children's furniture store as a hard working but kind and gentle man.  He was the warehouse manager there for the past three years and had only been late one day because he was helping someone stuck in a snowstorm.  He had been looking forward to this tour as a chance to get out and play on the road.  Friends have stated that he died doing what he loved and they will miss him terribly.

The latest update that has been posted is from Wormreich founder Christopher Pyle which reads as follows,"This morning I lost my brother and best friend, along with two awesome people that I was lucky to have even known for a short while.  Two of my other brothers remain in critical condition.  Somehow I was spared with only superficial wounds and a dislocated shoulder.  This is not the end of Wormreich.  It's always been my vision, but more importantly, it is for those that I have lost today that it MUST continue."

Nicholas, Lariyah and Matt

Nicholas and Sergio

Video from co worker of Paul Truesdell:

http://www.11alive.com/videos/news/local/mableton/2015/04/06/25392907/



Update April 8 2015:

Two of the band members who were injured in the early morning crash have been released from the hospital.  Christopher Pyle has been released from NGMC, James Berile is listed in satisfactory condition and Stephen Shoemaker is listed in critical condition there.

Matthew Shaner was treated and released from ARMC and they list Jasmine Zarinebaf, Kamilla Hayes and Patricia Shoemaker in fair condition.  Christopher Pezzano is listed in critical condition at their hospital still.

All three who died in the accident reportedly were dead at the scene but it is still unclear if they had been the three who were ejected from the van.  The van reportedly traveled close to 300 feet off the road before it crashed into the tree that sheared the right side off.

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/death-toll-climbs-to-4-in-mondays-i-85-van-wreck/nkpDm/



http://www.gofundme.com/r32tk5g

http://www.al.com/news/huntsville/index.ssf/2015/04/3_killed_when_van_carrying_hun.html

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/6524231/wormreich-khaotika-fatal-van-accident

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/about-the-bands-involved-in-monday-mornings-crash/nkncD/

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/at-least-3-people-dead-in-i-85-van-wreck-in-jackso/nknXJ/

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/3-musicians-die-tour-van-veers-ga-road-article-1.2174839

https://www.facebook.com/wormreichofficial

https://www.facebook.com/KhaotikaOfficial

http://www.sleazeroxx.com/news/02327.shtml

http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/2015/04/06/3-killed-jackson-county-wreck/25350301/



Update April 9 2015:

Ian McKinney owned and ran NVS Productions which produced band logos, banners, graphic layouts, album covers as well as photographing bands and producing music videos.  He used Corel Video Studio to produce videos for bands such as Wanterkraaft, Borgne, Hades, Wormreich and just released one for Idolatry on April 3 2015.

There have been no announcements yet for any funeral arrangements and the gofundme site as well as a proposed benefit concert are still on hold at this time.



https://www.facebook.com/nvslayerproductions

https://www.facebook.com/idolatryblackmetal

http://www.nocleansinging.com/2015/04/07/r-i-p-ian-mckinney-paul-truesdale-nicholas-crisostomo/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=j9cYXWNwTBc


Update April 9 2015:






An update through FB states that Lariyah has come through two surgeries so far and is doing well.  Her injuries are described as very serious with a stitched and stapled head, five broken ribs and a reconstructed forearm with skin grafts on it as well as an extremely bruised body.

James Barile has been said to have gone home with two plates in his bones.

The memorial for Nicholas Crisostomo will be held this Sunday from 3-5pm and the funeral will be held Monday April 13 2015 at 11 am in the baptist church in Purcellville VA.

There have been no other updates of funeral services or conditions of the others who were injured.



Update April 15 2015:


Notifications on Facebook have stated that former bassist Phenex will be returning to the band and they continue to work on arranging the new album.  There has also been a Gofundme site established specifically to assist Ian McKinney's girlfriend Ashley and their unborn daughter Mia.  The funds are going only to the two of them in their time of need.  It has also been reported that Profana will be leaving the hospital tomorrow.

Lariyah was still reported as being in critical condition as of the evening of April 13th but it had been hoped that she possibly could be released from the hospital by the end of this week.


GoFundMe site:

http://www.gofundme.com/r4xk7c?fb_action_ids=877929615610923&fb_action_types=og.shares&fb_ref=undefined


Update April 20 2015:


It has not been reported yet if Lariyah has been released from the hospital.  Her last personal update was on April 11th on FB in which she described the terrible physical injuries.  She stated that she has had her right arm reconstructed after it was horribly damaged, her head injury was stapled, she had a skin graft on her leg and had broken ribs and a torn lung.  It can be understood that both bands will need time to heal not only physically from their injuries but their hearts will need time to heal as well.

Wormreich reports through their FB that Profana has returned home from the hospital to continue recovering from his injuries.  Wyvern is reportedly improving slowly and is now breathing without a respirator.  He is showing positive improvement steadily, is responding well to those who visit him and so far the threat of brain injury is something of the past now.  He remains in the hospital in Georgia though.


Update April 22 2015:

Fubar in St Louis will be hosting a benefit show on May 9th and the proceeds will be donated to the funds that have been set up for both bands.

There has also been a youcaring site set up for the care of Stephen "Skullator" Shoemaker's dogs and cats while he and his wife travel the long road to his recovery from critical injuries.  There are three sites so far where donations are accepted for medical expenses and future care.







https://www.facebook.com/events/397451830441488/

http://www.youcaring.com/pet-expenses/help-skully-s-animals-as-he-heals-/339767

http://www.gofundme.com/pezzskullytrish


Update May 2 2015:

Lariyah has stated that yesterday she had her first physical therapy session and the results were very good.  She added that all of the plastic surgery, grafts and bone realignments have paid off and look to be healing very well.  It was a milestone and she looks forward to continuing to improve over the next six months.









Update May 12 2015:


Lariyah has made several updates through her Facebook and has stated that she is doing better, has some feeling coming back in areas and the grafts are healing well.  She added that it may be a year before she is able to have good feeling and use of her right hand though, much longer than she had hoped in the beginning.  She still has a you caring site that will be running into July and while it has reached her initial goal, anything above that will be used for medical bills, replacement of the trailer and band materials.  She did express a deep thank you to all who have helped by donating in whatever amount.

She also announced that she is seeking a new drummer and the particulars of what she needs can be found on her Facebook page.  Wormreich has also started a new go fund me site in hopes of replacing the instruments that were destroyed and damaged in the accident.  The latest reports that have been posted stated that Wyvern is still in the hospital but continues on the road to recovery.

http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/save-an-artist-s-hand-and-a-musician-s-tools-to-keep-going-/342805

http://www.gofundme.com/wormreich

It's supposed to be who???

"I want to put a bag over her head.  That would be a quick fix," stated Richard Kogut.

Take just a few moments and examine the sculpture............ take in the "artistry" of it and try to guess who it is supposed to be..............






The piece was privately commissioned Jetta and Mark Wilson and has stood overlooking Chautauqua Lake in Celoron NY since 2009 when they donated it to the town.  It is a tiny town of about 1,000 residents and it is also the town where this woman spent much of her youth.  If you are still stumped, I will give you another shot at it, just to be fair.

The 400 pound lifesize bronze statue had been created by David Poulin who had his first encounter with bronze sculpture in 1978 while studying at Bethany College KS.  He completed a MFA in Sculpture at Alfred University and then spent eight years teaching at St Bonaventure University.

He left teaching in 1997 to pursue his art and has since produced over 120 pieces, many of which have been placed publically in New York and Pennsylvania.  He has so far declined to comment about the feelings the public has had for years about this particular sculpture.  The Wilson's, village trustees, the mayor and many town residents have stated that they do not like it.  His only statement has been that if nobody likes it, then take it down and put it in storage.





Enough hints or tired of guessing yet?

Jetta Wilson, whose office overlooks the park that the statue was placed in, had wanted to honor Lucille Ball and have a statue of her placed in the park that is named for her.  That's correct........... the statue is supposed to look like childhood resident, Lucille Ball.  The sculpture was part of a complicated real estate deal that he had made with the Wilson's and it took much longer to be delivered than they had expected.  When it arrived, the details of it down the buttons and label on the bottle were wonderful but the head.......... well the head is a major problem.

Mayor Scott Schrecengost has tried repeatedly to have Poulin repair the face at no cost to the town and he has so far refused to do so.  I agree with the mayor's statement that since he is the artist and knows that it is sub par, he should take some pride in it and want to fix it.  He estimates that it would take between $8,000 and $10,000 of taxpayers funding to replace just the head with a more lifelike version of it and he does not believe that the taxpayers should pay to fix it.

The interest has been renewed recently when an anonymous Facebook page was set up for comments and to discuss the solutions to fix the sculpture.  Many on the page agree that the face is scary and have even gone so far as to suggest that it could be an extra for the Walking Dead program.


Many in town do not like the sculpture but do not wish to publically state that saying that they want to stay in business.  that is a fair statement after the recent events that have unfolded for Memories Pizza in Indiana.  The hope is that maybe this recent discussion of how awful the statue looks will entice people to donate towards a permanent fix of it.  Village trustee Richard Kogut has gone so far as putting temporary putty in it's eyes and mouth in an attempt to make it less scary looking but that did not really help much.

Frankly......... the face on this is so bad that Poulin should be embarrassed and want to fix it, since it is a reflection of his abilities, or lack of.





http://www.buffalonews.com/columns/colin-dabkowski/in-tiny-celoron-an-ugly-lucille-ball-sculpture-spurs-huge-debate-20150404

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/upstate-new-yorkers-scary-lucille-ball-statue-removed-article-1.2173356

https://www.facebook.com/pages/We-Love-Lucy-Get-Rid-of-this-Statue/337376016351514

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3024135/They-don-t-love-Lucy-Residents-Lucille-Ball-s-hometown-say-statue-meant-honor-icon-monstrously-ugly.html

http://www.davepoulinstudios.com/


Update April 7 2015:

David Poulin has sent a letter to the Hollywood Reporter in which he has apologized for the Scary Lucy statue that he created.  He states that it is by far the most unsettling sculpture he has created and it was a disappointment when it was completed.  He added that it should never have been cast, put on public display and he is taking complete ownership of the poor decision to do so.

Poulin has stated that he will go to Celoron NY and offer to remove and replace that statue with a new and charming Lucy at no cost to the town.  He added that he is heartsick over the outpouring of comments about the statue and while he does not consider himself a great artist, he does have many who enjoy his work.  He does still attempt to lay the blame on the town for not removing the statue when they were initially displeased with it.  To me, that is not a solution nor would it have fixed the fact that the work was commissioned, he took payment and admittedly knew it was crummy.  It would have been far better to offer to refuse the commission payment if they did not like it and allow them to decide if they wanted to continue with placing it in public before unveiling it.

The offer to replace the Scary Lucy statue is very good but it comes several years and many poor reviews too late.  Hopefully though, he will get it correct this time......




http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/creator-scary-lucy-lucille-ball-statue-apologizes-vows-article-1.2176144

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lucille-ball-statue-sculptor-apologizes-786633

Complete copy of the letter:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/custom/Lucy_Sculpture_Letter.pdf
http://www.examiner.com/article/lucille-ball-statue-artist-dave-poulin-to-speak-about-scary-lucy

Amazon couldn't deliver?

The neighbors had complained of a foul stench coming from the home in San Jose de Belcare Argintina.  The arriving police found what they first thought was two bodies on the bed within the small home.  They soon realized that it was the body of Jose Alberto, 58 and a scarecrow.

The scarecrow had been dressed up as a woman with lipstick, a long wig and a six inch strap on penis.  The woman's clothing had been stitched together and stuffed with old clothing to fill her out and it looked as though there had been no signs of violence at the scene.

Alberto was known as a loner who lived by himself and had no cell phone that anyone knew of.  The police are awaiting the results of an autopsy but for now, they are working on the assumption that he died during sex with the homemade scarecrow.  Kudos to Alberto for the creativity but he may have better off with an actual woman in bed with him........ at least someone could have reported his death sooner.  I will bow out of mentioning any of the obvious "shepard jokes" as well.





http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/weird-news/man-died-after-having-sex-5452087

http://nypost.com/2015/04/03/shepherd-found-dead-after-having-sex-with-dolled-up-scarecrow/

It is not like Miami Vice.......

"Miami is different.  Roxanne was not aware of anything," stated Germano Wabafiyebazu.





Germano met Roxanne Dube in 1983 and their sons Jean and Marc were born in Ottawa Canada and grew up in the capital in a life described as privileged.  They traveled with their mother to Zimbabwe when Roxanne was posted there from 2005 to 2008 as Canada's Ambassador.  Roxanne had a long history of working in the diplomatic corps and had become the Canadian consul general in Miami FL in November 2014.  Germano had shared custody of his sons and had wanted Jean, 17 and Marc, 15, to stay with him in Canada instead of joining their mother in February 2015.  It would now seem that it would have been the best choice for his sons.

Germano

Roxanne

Jean and Marc

The gunshots were reported at 2 pm on March 30 2015 in the 3600 block of Southwest 17th Terrace and witnesses reported hearing about ten gunshots.  They added that they saw someone with a gun come out of the home followed by another who was stumbling.  That man fell to the ground and they saw someone else exit the home screaming.  The result was two young men dead, another wounded and two young men under arrest.  One of the dead was Roxanne and Germano's son and the other son was placed under arrest.

Jean had asked to borrow his mother's BMW with diplomatic plates to take a drive with his brother Marc at around 2 pm that day.  He routinely used that car to drive to school at times as well as run errands.  Germano states that he knew that Jean had struggled with substance abuse and he was not surprised to learn that he was planning on purchasing marijuana.  There is some dispute though as to what the actual plan was for the brothers but the result is not disputed.

The brothers met up with an intermediary who told them what house to go to for buying the marijuana.  Some reports state that the brothers had gone there not just to purchase the weed but to rip off the dealer for nearly 2 pounds of marijuana.  The purchase deal they allegedly made was for the $5,000 package of two pounds but they had no intention of paying for it.  Other reports state that they may have just been there when whatever deal they had arranged went bad.

Whatever the motive was does not change what did happen at the residence.  Jean drove up the home and exited the car, leaving his brother Marc seated inside.  It is not known where the brothers managed to get the guns they had on them when they arrived at the house but they were both armed.  Jean went inside and gunshots rang out.  At that point, Marc ran inside of the house and admitted to firing two shots as well.  Jean and Joshua Wright, 17, the suspected drug dealer were both dead, Wright from multiple gunshot wounds.  Anthony Rodriguez, 19, was also inside the residence and suffered a gunshot wound to the arm.

Rodriguez

Rodriguez managed to get into a car and flee the scene but was later arrested at a nearby gas station.  He was treated for his injury and charged with possession of drugs with intent to sell and second degree murder with a deadly weapon.  The police state that they believe that Wright had set up the deal and Rodriguez was supplying the drugs.  Rodriguez drove to the apartment with the marijuana and then went inside to negotiate the deal.  Shortly after going inside, gunfire erupted and Marc ran in armed with a gun as well.

Marc was arrested at the scene and has been charged with felony murder and corruption by threat against a public servant for allegedly threatening to shoot an officer dead.  He is being held in a juvenile facility currently but they may change if they decide to charge him as an adult.  He will not have the protection of diplomatic immunity because his mother is only a consul general and immunity is extended to dependents of diplomats, not consuls.

Roxanne took a job as the legislative assistant to Lloyd Axworthy after graduating from the University of Ottawa in 1988 with a masters degree in political science and worked for him again in 1993.  She transferred to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 1998 until she was appointed to the post in Zimbabwe in 2005.  She returned to Canada to work in a senior position in the Foreign Affairs office until her recent job in Miami Florida.

Jean and Marc had attended the private French school Lycee Claudel in Ottawa Canada when they lived there and have been described as good students and well liked.  Germano stated that he and Roxanne had separated because her work.  They have remained close to each other and shared custody of their sons.  He did add that he felt that his sons were given too much growing up and they needed more boundaries and limits.  He had wanted the boys to stay in Canada with him and had visited them in Florida in February after they moved to be with their mother.  It seems as though Marc will be spending a lot of time in Florida since these are very serious charges.

Sadly, this may be a case of life trying to imitate the fantasy life of games, television and movies.




http://www.ottawasun.com/2015/04/01/son-of-canadian-consul-shot-dead-in-miami

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-diplomats-teenage-son-killed-in-apparent-drug-deal-gone-wrong-in-miami-reports

http://www.montrealgazette.com/News/canada/Canadian+diplomat+killed+Miami+shoot/10935964/story.html

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article17061476.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/diplomat-son-dead-cuffed-miami-drug-deal-cops-article-1.2170907


Update April 3 2015:

Late yesterday, Roxanne released a statement expressing her profound thanks for the support they have received in the past few days.  She also extended her condolences to the family of Joshua Wright as well as asking for privacy to mourn their son Jean.  Friends of Joshua's have gathered outside of his apartment where the shooting took place and have begun a small memorial for him.

The Miami police have not released much information about the shooting on March 30th but there has been some information that has surfaced.  None of the young men attended the same schools.  Jean was attending Gulliver Preparatory in neighboring Pinecrest because he needed several specific courses offered there in order to graduate from his Canadian high school, Marc was attending Palmetto Senior High School and Joshua had been attending Coral Gables High School.

A young woman who identified herself as the girlfriend of Joshua Wright stated that Jean and Joshua had met each other last weekend at the Ultra Music Festival.  The annual festival is billed as the largest electronic festival and is held in Bay Front park in downtown Miami every March.  Another woman who stated that she was the girlfriend of Rodriguez added that she did not understand the violence and added that those Canadian kids took an innocent life

There was no mention of where Rodriguez may have gone to school or how he knew Wright but evidently they were good enough friends for Wright to call him up and have him deliver 2 pounds of marijuana.  Rodriguez was in court to be charged with two counts of felony murder and one count of intent to sell.  His bond was set at $150,000 and the judge stated that it had to come from legal sources which would mean that another of his friends would not be able to show up with a handful of cash to bond him.  If he is released on bond he is to remain under house arrest pending trial.  The lawyer for Rodriguez argued that he should not be charged with murder because even though he had a gun in the car, he did not bring it into the apartment for the drug sale.

Marc has been described as a quiet young man who ate alone, sat alone and stayed very much to himself at school.  It was added that he shadowed his brother and followed his lead.  Germano stated that he knew that Jean was smoking pot but that Marc was not and he had warned both of his sons about the dangers of living in Miami before they moved there.  Marc is still being held in a juvenile facility and they have not decided if he will be tried as an adult yet.  One young man who was a classmate of Marc's at Palmetto stated that he had attended a party with jean and Marc recently.  James Findley stated that Marc was well mannered, shy and followed his brother's lead while jean sold drugs at the party.

Roxanne had evidently requested that he be returned to Canada to be tried there for his crimes but that request had been denied.  Marc was also denied bail at this time because the judge felt that he could be a flight risk.  While he had sat in the car initially during the drug transaction, he did leave the car, armed with a handgun and did fire shots at the scene according to reports.  The judge took that very seriously and is treating him accordingly.  Marc is next scheduled to be in court on April 8th and he may be formally charged at that time.

The reason that much of the early investigation findings are being kept under wraps may be that the Canadian government and the US State Department are actively involved with the local police who are investigating the incident.  The local police have got to be feeling much more pressure from the international spotlight this crime has brought to them and it is understandable that they are moving carefully with the investigation.




Audio from the first court appearance for Marc is here:
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article17233391.html



http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article17233391.html

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/roxanne-dub%C3%A9-to-quietly-grieve-for-son-killed-in-miami-shooting-1.3019795

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/world/jean-wabafiyebazu-son-of-canadian-diplomat-met-alleged-drug-dealer-at-music-festival-days-before-deadly-shootout-girlfriend-says

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2015/04/02/canadian-consul-general-releases-statement-regarding-family-tragedy/


Update April 6 2015:

Wright

The case that has grabbed the interest of people from Canada to Florida has gotten a little more crowded.  It has been reported that there were two other men inside the apartment with Joshua Wright when Jean had gone in armed to rip off Wright.  A witness had stated that they had seen one man stumble to the door of the apartment immediately after the shots were fired.

Johan Ruiz, 21, often hung out with Wright at the apartment and he has been identified as the man who was shot in the stomach that day.  The police have not stated if Ruiz had a part in the drug deal or why he was present during it.  Ruiz had managed to stumble to the door of the apartment and was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital where he is recovering.

The police have stated that neither Wright or Ruiz have any prior police record.  One witness has stated that Jean met Wright at the Ultra concert, police are investigating that as well since the concert switched to an 18 and over event this year.  It has been reported that there was another male in the apartment at the time of the shooting as well but that was not Marc.  Marc has been described as going to the apartment after the shooting started and then chasing after Rodriguez firing shots at him as Rodriguez fled.

Wright had earlier been reported as a student of Coral Gable High School but it has now been stated  that he had been expelled for not attending.  His brother states that he had been working on his GED by enrolling in night classes at Gables High and Miami's The English Center adult school.  He grew up in the neighborhood of Allapattah in Miami FL and was trying to get into culinary school.

Rodriguez grew up in Miami FL, lived at his family's home about a mile from the shooting and is well known the police..  He has an arrest record that shows three arrests for drug possession before he was an adult.  He was a person of interest in the shooting death of a suspected "Molly" dealer in August 2013.  His cousin Anthony Mejia, 20, who was not the shooter, is awaiting trial for murder in the death of Joeyvani Ferguson.

In February 2015 the Miami police followed Rodriguez's Chevy Impala to a Marathon gas station and noticed both the strong smell of marijuana and a small clear bag that containing it.  They found $4,000 and 24 Xanax in the glove compartment and found $800 in his pockets as well as a Glock pistol that had been stolen from a car in Miami earlier.  The police reported that they could not tie any of the items to Rodriguez or his passenger and declined to press charges.

He told police that he had been called by Wright to bring over the two pounds of marijuana to the apartment for sale.  He did not bring his gun inside and fled from the apartment, wounded to his car outside.  He then drove to the same Marathon gas station where he had been arrested in February and was arrested there again.

It is still very unclear how young men, only one of which is known to have a drug habit, managed to come up with the idea of the rip-off.  Their social media does show both Jean and Marc holding alcohol bottles and Marc smoking something.  It would seem that there is a lot more to come out about this case and why it happened.



http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article17443508.html


Update April 8 2015:

Roxanne attended the hearing for her son Marc today and they both found out that the evidence in the crime will be presented to a grand jury.  If the grand jury chooses to indict him, his case will moved from juvenile court to an adult court and he could face life in prison if convicted.  He has another status hearing on April 20th.







http://www.lfpress.com/2015/04/08/florida-grand-jury-to-mull-charges-against-canadian-diplomats-son

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/world/miami-canadian-diplomat-sons-shooting-734169


Update April 17 2015:

The grand jury has returned indictments on Marc for first degree felony murder charges, attempted murder, attempted armed robbery and illegal gun possession by a minor and he will face those charges as an adult.  They also returned with charges for Rodriguez of first degree murder as well as the same charges for a third man, Johann Ruiz, 2.  They have not explained what role Ruiz played in the crime but the law states that anyone who participates can face the same charges as the person who actually fired the gun.

The picture became a little clearer though with reports in which it has been stated that Jean and Joshua shot and killed each other.  Marc is accused of chasing and shooting Anthony was suffered a wound to the arm.  It does not specify who may have shot Ruiz or why he was at the scene went the drug deal went down.

Marc appeared in court again on Thursday due to a misprint in the court docket but he was transferred over to an adult prison on Thursday night.  He is scheduled to appear in court again on Monday where he will have a formal reading of the adult charges he is facing.



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/canadian-diplomats-teenage-son-charged-with-murder-in-miami/

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2015/04/17/canadian-diplomats-teen-son-goes-before-a-judge/

Set me up to whine through life........

"She is devastated," stated Susan Dimitrew.







Audrey Dimitrew, 16, has been benched and her parents have now filed a lawsuit in an attempt to force the team to give her playing time.  The Woodgrove High School sophomore from Purcellville VA had played on the school's JV volleyball team as well as joining the Chesapeake Region Volleyball Association, an out of school league.  Audrey had tried out for the association as a setter, the position she also plays in high school and received offers from four teams in the league.

She chose to sign a contract with the Chantilly Juniors partly because the coach for that team had remarked that she had "college level" skills.  The coach had also remarked to her that she was the best setter that had participated in the tryouts.  The CHRVA is one of the largest leagues in the area with about 8,600 girls playing on teams there.  Audrey had competed with about 75 girls when she attended the tryouts for the under 16 league in November 2014.

The out of school leagues have been in existence for decades beginning with hockey and has mushroomed to a large number of sports.  Most of them require a contract be signed and there is a financial investment as well to cover equipment, travel expenses and coaching.  They offer in return an opportunity to play a sport they enjoy against different competitors, a chance to receive extra coaching and a chance to improve skills in hopes of continuing to play in college or on scholarship.  The costs are very dependent on the level of play and the quality of the league and can cost from $2,000 to $20,000 a season.

Audrey evidently started out well with the team and was getting playing time in practice and scrimmages.  She was benched though for the first two tournaments in the middle of January and was told that she was not ready to be the setter on the team and probably would not see much playing time. Audrey's mother Susan stated that her daughter was devastated to hear the news, especially after she had been praised so highly before signing.  They complained to her coach because they did not feel that Audrey was getting what she believe she was promised   and it was important that she play the position of setter, since that was what she tried out for.

The coach answered by giving them two choices....... Audrey could continue on as a practice player for the team or she could transfer to another team in the league.  Her parents found her another team that would accept her but when they requested the transfer, the league denied it.  They stated that the league by-laws allow a transfer only if there is a verifiable hardship and letting someone transfer just because they were not happy with their playing time or lack of, would cause a bad precedent.

Audrey's parents stated that they tried to reason with the league as well as bully them claiming that she was owed playing time because the coach had given her such glowing reviews.  They also claimed that missing this time playing in the spring of her 10th year will not allow her to be exposed to other coaches who could help elevate her game in the future.  Audrey has stated that she is unsure if she wants to play volleyball in college though.

All of their appeals to the league failed and in the middle of March, her father filed a lawsuit against the league seeking a temporary injunction so that she could play the rest of the season with another team.  The judge declined to impose one stating that while he sympathized with her, he could not force a private organization to alter the decision making process.  Her mother Susan has vowed that it is not over yet and they will continue fighting for their daughter.  The league on the other hand is considering disbanding due to the cost of the lawsuit and possibility of more legal action from Audrey's parents.

Audrey's parents are not the only ones to go to court because their child was somehow wronged by not being made a star.  Ervin Mears Jr sued Sterling Regional High School in Camden County NJ for $40 million dollars after his son was kicked off of the track team May 6 2013.  His son Mawusimensah Mears was kicked off of the team for having too many unexcused absences from practice.  Ervin claimed that his son was bullied by the school and the coaches during his freshman year and was not allowed to show his true talent then.

He went on to explain that his son missed practice because of an injury and a family member's death.  Ervin went on to claim that this now prevented his son from gaining college scholarships and he insisted that the school award him varsity letters and championship jackets for 2012 and 2013.  His son stated that he had worked hard at practice and tried to be the very best that he could be but at the meets, he wasn't given the respect he felt he deserved.

William, Suzanne and their son Billy Munck are suing the Dallas Lacrosse Academy LLC in Dallas TX using the RICO laws.  William claims that his son Billy was prevented from getting on the varsity team with them because he did not support their per play classes and programs.  Billy did eventually make the varsity team after some parental bullying and he transferred to finish high school at the Millbrook Academy, a private college prep school in New York.  The former ESD student is currently playing lacrosse for the Division III Southwestern University.

William claims that his son was wronged in 2010 when the director of Coast2Coast Lacrosse held Billy back from the varsity squad at ESD because they had not supported or attended the various high end camps and other services.  He added that he himself volunteered at a non profit lacrosse team that would possibly draw people away from the C2C profit programs.

What we do have is an increasing number of parents and children who somehow believe that they are entitled to special treatment or star status because they think they are great.  Audrey and her parents signed a contract based on the praise of a coach, as if they never lie or stretch the truth.  They did not read the contact fully it seems because i doubt that it had any guarantee of an amount of playing time she would get. Lastly, instead of Audrey taking this time and busting her butt practicing to possibly convince the coach to play her and bench the girl who is playing, her parents come to her aid and insist that she be a star.

Ervin's son was tossed for too many unexcused absences......... no matter what the reason, someone had to make the effort to notify the coach.  If he did not accept that the young man should stay home because of an injury, then he should have shown up for practice and done whatever he could, even if it was just lift weights.  The bit about being bullied his freshman year.... was that when they told him to hustle his butt and things?  He mentions that they didn't respect him at the meets.  Really?  Does that mean that they did not treat you like the rising star you thought you were?  I know of a high school relay team that qualified for the state championships but wasn't allowed to attend.  It seems that they blew off the coach's requirement that they come to practice during school vacation and went to the beach instead.  They were shocked when the coach told them afterwards that they had been withdrawn from the competition but that is the consequence.  They also did not have parents that threatened to sue if they did not go.

Billy is another project, with parents that insist that he was good enough to make the varsity squad but was denied that.  He left the high school he was attending in TX after his junior year in 2010 and attended a private college prep school in New York.  He then has gone back to his home state of Texas and is now playing on a Division III college team which is not eligible to offer athletic scholarships.  It still means a lot to be able to play on the college level but Billy is playing at the lowest level there is.

The complaint is two-fold.......... Audrey got benched and was informed that she would probably not get to play much this season and then when she tried to transfer to another team in the league, she was told that she could not because there was no verifiable hardship.  Her parents are outraged that she will miss a valuable year of playing because they evidently chose the wrong team to play on.

It must be remembered that no matter how good you played at try-outs, you have to give 110% each and every day on the team or it is the coach's choice to bench you for the good of the team.  UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma does not have a problem with benching his best players in key games for whatever infraction he feels they have committed.  Few will argue that he doesn't run a tight ship and a hugely successful program and if a player does not fit in with that program they are free to transfer to another college that will accept them.

Even the NCAA has rules regarding transfers and if you choose to transfer out of one program to another where you will probably fit in better and have more playing time, you will be sitting out the season until you have spent one academic year in residence.  The rules in Audrey's league are similar and for a similar reason, to prevent athletes from transferring every time they feel butthurt about their lack of star status.

It would seem that the nation is developing a huge crop of parents who insist that their child is the star and a lot of children who are learning that instead of earning your way to the top.... my parents will sue the bastards who prevent me from being there.  Suck it up Audrey and all those other parents who feel that they have to run to the legal system to make them a star.  Life is filled with choices and consequences....... you just got a taste of the real world.


Related stories on this blog:

http://wreckvhavoc.blogspot.com/2014/11/but-you-have-to-pay-stomp-stomp.html

http://wreckvhavoc.blogspot.com/2015/03/but-i-am-right.html




http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/teen-volleyball-player-takes-her-dispute-to-another-kind-of-court/2015/03/31/e72fb174-c8f0-11e4-b2a1-bed1aaea2816_story.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/va-volleyball-player-16-sues-league-benched-article-1.2169747

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/dad-sues-school-40m-kid-kicked-team-article-1.1355848

http://www.parkcitiespeople.com/blog/several-lacrosse-programs-caught-up-in-lawsuit/

http://www.courthousenews.com/2014/04/08/66908.htm

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/nm/genrel/auto_pdf/0708-saac-info.pdf

Wasted second chance........

"So I can live a second chance.  Get a second chance and do things I want to do," stated Anthony Stokes.







Anthony Stokes, 15, should have been looking forward to a lifetime of dreams fulfilled but instead he was diagnosed with an enlarged heart in 2013 and given six months to live.  The doctors at the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta GA had decided not to put Stokes on the waiting list for transplants stating that his history of non compliance with medication regimens made him a poor candidate.  This ignited a firestorm of protests and complaints from civil rights groups and his family.

They claimed that the doctors were holding his history of poor grades and brushes with the law as the real reason they would not put him on the list.  The hospital had stated that they did not believe that Stokes would follow the strict medication plan and attend the follow up visits that were needed to make the transplant be a success.  The hospital has the option to disqualify patients that they feel will  not follow the strict regimen, could not afford the high cost of the drugs needed or if they feel there is no support system to assist the patient.

Stokes's mother, Melencia Hamilton stated that they were stereotyping her son, who was wearing a court ordered ankle monitor at the time.  The national pressure caused the hospital to relent and change their mind in August 2013 and he was placed at the head of the list and ended up receiving a new heart.

 On March 31, 2015, Stokes, 17 of Decatur GA, put on a mask and carjacked a Honda at the Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody.  He then kicked in the door of an elderly woman's home on Alpine Dr in Roswell.  She was sitting there watching television when he burst in and attempted to rob her.  She reported that she ran to the back bedroom to escape him and there is evidence of bullet holes within the home.  Police were in the area of Alpine Dr responding to the robbery call when they spotted the Honda and noticed that it fit the description of the car that had left the robbery scene.

Stokes took off when he noticed the police after him and they chased him down Alpharetta Highway.  His run from the law ended at the corner of Hembree Rd and Highway 9 when he clipped a car at the intersection, jumped the curb, hit a pedestrian and then crashed into a SunTrust bank sign.  Clementina Hernandez, 33, was taken to North fulton Hospital and is listed in good condition.  Stokes did not do as well.  Rescue workers had to cut him out of the destroyed car and he died later at a nearby hospital.

Evidently the hospital had it correct the first time when they chose not to add him to the transplant list.  He did get a couple of years to do the things he wanted to do which seem to include postings on social media of him with guns, wads of cash and smoking marijuana.  He listed one of his likes as the video game "Grand Theft Auto" which it seems that he took seriously enough to try and make it a reality.  Unfortunately......... someone else may not have had the second chance he did because he was first in line for that donated heart.  Sadly, I am sure that people will try and describe Stokes as a young man who was "struggling" to change his life and deal with the issues of having a transplant.  The pictures and actions don't support that.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/ga-teen-donated-heart-dead-crime-spree-cops-article-1.2169324

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/police-suspect-hits-pedestrian-while-running-offic/nkjbq/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3021384/Heart-recipient-17-dies-high-speed-police-chase-crash-two-years-nearly-denied-transplant-bad-behavior.html

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/roswell-pd-fleeing-burglar-shoots-at-victim-hits-p/nkjdM/

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/noncompliance-teen-barred-heart-transplant-list-article-1.1425368