Minneapolis Shooting and Mental Health

Above, the shooter, Robin Westman.

The following was posted by Jamie Fraser-Page, the administrator of the Facebook page, Gun Owners of New Mexico:

It was impossible to avoid hearing about the shooting at a Catholic Church in Minneapolis, a parish church with a school attached not unlike the one in my neighborhood in Queens where several of my friends went. Some deranged individual, armed with a rifle, shotgun and pistol fired all of them into the church where grade school kids were at prayer on the second day of the school year. 

The coward took her own life. Or his life. The shooter was a transgender person, which will no doubt become part of the narrative from one side, just like the three firearms will become the main point from the other side. Neither fact is the reason this happened. It happened because people who knew this person and saw their descent into madness did nothing to stop it.

There were a lot of indicators. Detached, isolated, creating a YouTube manifesto to explain the inexplicable - why anyone would shoot into a church filled with kids from the ages of 6 and 14, killing two, 8 and 10 and wounding 14 others as well as three parishioners in their 80s.  The shooter entered the church only after their deadly fusillade of gunfire ceased to end their life with a self-inflicted gunshot would.

We need to ask why no one saw this coming. Friends, parents, followers on YouTube and other social media must have known. And, assuming they could see it coming, why - why - did they do nothing to intervene and stop it before it started? 

I wonder if this person's change from Robert to Robin was influenced by the increased normalization of transgenderism and by the incessant progressive's preaching abut "toxic masculinity. Perhaps for some M->F transgenders among the young their decision to identify as female is driven or exacerbated by a feeling of being treated as "toxic" by some. 

While transgendered individuals according to several studies are only 0.6% of the population the number of young people ages 13 to 24,  is twice the average across all ages. I am not saying that there is a direct connection between a person identifying as non-binary or transgender means that they will become mass shooters, just that among those who seem driven to this aberration it might be a contributing factor. Food for thought, at least. 

We do a terrible job of identifying and treating the mentally ill. It is still an affliction viewed with a great deal of ignorance and fear - needlessly, since most people with mental health issues pose no threat to others and even little threat to themselves. But those who harbor suicidal and/or homicidal ideation - two sides of the same coin according to some - do pose such a threat. Few mass shooters are taken alive. After inflicting carnage on others they either take their own lives or force suicide by cop by taking precipitous action to trigger a lethal response.

We need to stop using these tragedies to further the agendas of the left or the right and actually *do* something to identify and fix the problem.  So many mass shooters give a lot of notice that they are going to do something horrific. We need to listen, watch and get them the help they need, intervene to prevent them from carrying out these acts. 

And, yes, when identified, they should be prevented from legally acquiring firearms. For nearly 60 years I have advocated for stripping from our laws the infringements to exercising our right to keep and bear arms protected by the 2nd Amendment . But I also feel that if a person is adjudicated a danger to self or others they need to be barred from access to firearms and explosives. And, if evidence is presented to a court of a credible threat, while a person's mental health is evaluated to rule out it posing a threat to self or others, they should not have access to firearms. This does not mean I support so-called Red Flag laws, since those lack due process. No right should be infringed upn nor abridged but by due process.

In the end, we as a society need to actually care - give a damn - about the incidents like this, which, though relatively rare compared to other types of killings happen far too frequently and are often preventable if due care is exercised. We need to push our elected representatives to create and fund programs to identify and get treatment for the millions of people with mental health issues and not turn a cold shoulder and a blind eye to their affliction. Out schools need to be especially observant of the signs and precursors of such acts and move to thwart them early by getting the individuals help. And, we need to consider having trained armed individuals in our schools and other places which have been targets in the past. And we need t avoid situations of command paralysis such as the one in Uvalde, TX. There is a lot we can do but we, the people need to push to make it happen. And it begins with giving a damn.

A Day In Deadwood

Today was spent in downtown historic Deadwood, South Dakota.

It seemed more rustic 34 years ago when I was last there. Now it seems more yuppie. Still, it was fun.

Upon arrival, we had lunch at Mustang Sally's, a sports bar, casino and restaurant that served up great burgers.

Above, Wild Bill Hickok in 1873.

After lunch, we wandered around the shops along Main Street. We visited the Historic Wild Bill Bar, which was originally Nuttall and Mann's Saloon No. 10 when Wild Bill Hickok was murdered there on August 2, 1876 while playing poker. Hickok is buried in Mount Moriah Cemetery in Deadwood.

Some photos:

Above, inside Mustang Sally's in Deadwood. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Mitch Geriminsky at Mustang Sally's. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, yours truly at Mustang Sally's. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

Above, historic Main Street in Deadwood. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Wild Bill Bar, the former Saloon No. 10 where
 Wild Bill Hickok was murdered. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Murderer of 5 Hondurans Deported 4 Times

Above, murder suspect Francisco Oropeza Perez-Torres.

There's an $80,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the Mexican national who killed five Honduran nationals in Cleveland, Texas last Friday.

From Breitbart:

CLEVELAND, Texas — Immigration officers deported the Mexican man wanted in connection to Friday night’s alleged murder of five Honduran nationals on three occasions, according to the Texas sheriff leading the investigation. The most recent removal came in 2016.

UPDATE 5/1/23 11:30 a.m.: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials provided updated information on the suspected killer of five Honduran migrants. Officials report that an immigration judge first ordered Francisco Oropeza Perez-Torres, 38, to be removed from the United States on March 19, 2009. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers deported the migrant to Mexico later that month.

Subsequent to this, Oropeza illegally re-entered the U.S. and was removed, once again, in September 2009. He was removed two more times in January 2012 and July 2016. 

In January 2012, a Texas court in Montgomery County (which neighbors San Jacinto County where the alleged murders took place) convicted the Mexican national for driving while intoxicated. The court sentenced him to an unreported period of incarceration.

FBI Special Agent in Charge James Smith announced they are assisting in the investigation and manhunt. They cautioned that Oropeza is considered to be armed and a danger to the community.

“We’re still out there trying to find this individual,” Smith said. “We consider him armed and dangerous and we’re not going to stop until we actually arrest him and bring him into custody.”

To read more, go here.

UPDATE:

The Daily Caller reported that the suspect may have been arrested.

Authorities arrested the man believed to be responsible for the killing of five people, including an eight-year-old boy in Cleveland, Texas, Friday, NBC News reported late Tuesday.

San Jacinto County District Attorney Todd Dillon said a man believed to be Francisco Oropesa, 38, was arrested in Cut and Shoot, Texas, according to NBC. Police are still waiting to confirm the identity of the individual, who was put in Montgomery County Jail and charged with first-degree murder. 

Gov. Lujan Grisham Whines Over "Murderer" Label

The Democrat Party has embraced abortion, sometimes with such glee they are often referred to as the "Party of Death". So when they are called out on their position on it, they scream like gut pigs.

The latest is New Mexico Gov. Michelle "The Groper" Lujan Grisham whining over being called a "murderer" by State Rep. John Block (R-Alamogordo) on Twitter. Well, in her case, "if the shoe fits, wear it" (as in Cinderella).

According to the Piñon Post (of which Block is editor and founder):

State Rep. John Block (R-Alamogordo) recently took to Twitter to characterize Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s comments supporting abortion up-to-birth as the governor being a “murderer.”

Following the tweet, Lujan Grisham’s office played the victim, telling the Santa Fe New Mexican, “Comments like these absolutely have the potential to incite violence, including to the governor, her family and colleagues.”

It is unclear how she equates being called a “murderer” to “inciting violence,” but she is well-known for name-calling of her own. 

She told New Mexico sheriffs who were unhappy with her anti-gun laws that they were “rogue sheriffs” having a “childish pity party,” and she called her political opponents “QAnon lizard people.”

It is obvious that the governor can dish it out but can't take it.

To read the full story, go here. 

Maryland Democrats: End Felony Murder Charges For Persons Under 25

The Looney Left Report

First, they appoint radical leftist judges. Then they try to defund law enforcement. Then they don't prosecute misdemeanors. They practice "catch & release" of criminals. And, they oppose capital punishment.

Despite the aforementioned, the Democrats hate being called "soft on crime". Yet they keep doing things that further perpetuates that accurate image.

The latest is from The Gateway Pundit:

Democratic lawmakers in Maryland are attempting to pass a bill to prevent criminals under 25 from being convicted of felony murder.

In the state of Maryland, “Felony murder occurs when someone is killed while a felony crime, like robbery, is being committed.’

House Bill 1180 , also called the Youth Accountability and Safety Act, would ultimately prevent anyone under 25 from being charged with felony murder.

To read more, go here. 

Monique's Story: The Ad MLG Is Terrified Voters Will See

The Democrats are now losing ground in the polls as we are only a few weeks away from Election Day. They have been hammered hard over the rise in crime and their policies of catch & release, defunding police, soft on crime prosecutors, non-prosecution, early releases and the list goes on.

It is even hitting home in New Mexico.

The Ad MLG Is Terrified Voters Will See. That's according to the Mark Ronchetti campaign for governor of New Mexico. It is easy to see why.

According to an email I received yesterday evening:

MLG thought she was getting away with it. But the tragic murder of one innocent mom – Monique Gonzales – and her family’s courage to speak out threatens to crystalize this issue with New Mexicans and MLG knows it. She is desperate to make sure Monique’s story is not heard. 

Monique’s grandparents, who raised her, have courageously stepped forward to tell Monique’s story and hold the governor accountable for her early release policies in this new commercial:

It’s critical that voters see this TV ad. Why? Because MLG will continue to lie about this case and she’ll find allies in the media who will ignore the facts and do her bidding.

Here’s the truth – MLG took office with the clear goal of emptying our prisons. She appointed liberals to run the parole board and corrections to accomplish this goal, and the prison population has been reduced 26% since she took office. Those criminals who are back on the streets and included murderer Chris Beltran.

• MLG first released Beltran early on September 28, 2020 when she commuted his sentence as part of her COVID early release order.

• Beltran immediately absconded from parole on October 6, 2020, and was finally tracked down and arrested on October 26, 2020, and sent back to prison.

• Beltran was supposed to serve his court-imposed parole sentence in prison until November 21, 2021. Under state law, Beltran was ineligible for standard “good time” deductions. But that didn’t stop MLG’s administration from doing it anyway.

• Beltran repeatedly threatened Monique on recorded prison phone calls in the days and weeks prior to his early release. MLG’s pro-criminal administration did nothing about these threats and continued to illegally give Beltran “good time.” 

•  Ignoring state law, MLG’s administration illegally released Beltran early again --- nearly 5 months early --- on June 22, 2021.

• Just like he threatened on the recorded prison phone calls, Beltran hunted Monique down and murdered her 4 days after MLG’s administration illegal released him early on June 26, 2021.

 Here's the ad:

So the ad can be shown on television, contribute to the Ronchetti campaign by going here.

School Shooting Suspect Details Emerge

One could almost predict that yesterday's shooting at a Texas school was going to happen given the suspect's history. It was glaringly obvious.

Why there was no intervention with this kid (age 18) is beyond me. 

The Daily Wire reported:

New disturbing details emerged late on Tuesday evening about the 18-year-old male who shot up an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, earlier in the day.

The suspect was quickly killed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent who reportedly heard the shots and rushed into the building, but not before the suspect shot dozens of people, including at least 19 children who ultimately succumbed to their injuries.

A report in The Washington Post about the suspect, whom The Daily Wire is not naming due to company policy about not giving notoriety to mass killers, painted a familiar portrait of a violent individual who appears to have previous encounters with law enforcement officials.

The Washington Post, which reported that the mass murderer was bullied for wearing black eyeliner and having a lisp according to family and friends, reported that those closest to the suspect said that he had “lashed out violently against peers and strangers recently and over the years.”

The suspect, a Latino male, reportedly cut up his own face with a knife because he claimed that it was “fun,” according to one of the suspect’s former friends.

Naturally, as one can also predict:

Democrats immediately seized on the tragedy as many called for new gun control laws, while other Democrats used it as a cudgel to attack Republicans.

As their mandra states, "Why let a crisis go to waste?"

From The Federalist:

Ten years ago, the deadly massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School proved the need for armed security protecting K-12 classrooms.

There's more security at any local DMV office than in our elementary schools. I haven't heard of any mass shootings at DMVs.

It has been reported that the killer exchanged gunfire with police before entering the school and barricaded himself inside a classroom. Thank God that U.S. Border Patrol agent was able to take him down.

To read more, go here.

Is This What "Liberators" Do?

 

Memory Triggered

Funny how things trigger a memory.

Back in December, the James Bond 007 Facebook page posted the following on December 19:

On this day in 1974, THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN premiered at Odeon Leicester Square, London. What are your favourite moments?

The memory it triggered was my maternal grandmother's passing on Friday, December 27, 1974. The last time I saw her alive was on Christmas Day, two days prior. We were visiting her and watching Laurel & Hardy's Flying Deuces. 

That Saturday, December 28, after my parents completed my grandmother's funeral arrangements (they didn't have too much to do as my grandmother had everything already pre-planned), we finished dinner and were still in a somber mood. Since The Man With The Golden Gun just opened, I suggested we go see it as a diversion.

So we headed to the Rolling Hills Theater (now closed) on Pacific Coast Highway in Torrance. 

I didn't care much for the movie during that screening (it was probably my mood that night), but it has since grown on me over the years. Probably also, it was Roger Moore and not Sean Connery as 007.

Seeing that post on Facebook triggered that memory of 47 years ago.

The Rolling Hills Theater also had some sad history to it. The following took place the year before. 

From the South Bay Daily Breeze:

Sometime after the theater closed on the night of Sunday, Feb. 11, 1973 at 11:45 p.m., a robber bound four theater employees, ushers George Cernik, 19, and Guy Brown, 29, projectionist Clyde Felts, 49, and assistant manager Lynda Rose Freeman, 31.

The robber stole $2,000 from the theater’s safe, then systematically cut the throats of the four employees, and also shot Felts in the shoulder.

Torrance police officers Gil Kranke and Tom Jarvis were let in by a custodian who arrived after the killings had taken place, and discovered the bodies in the manager’s office at about 6:30 a.m. Monday morning, February 12, 1973. A veteran officer described the murder scene as the most gruesome he had ever seen.

An immediate search for those responsible began, with a reward that rose to $45,000 offered for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators.

To read more, go here. 

Laundrie's Remains Confirmed

After the "partial human remains" were found in a Florida swamp yesterday, it didn't take long for the medical examiner to identify them as belonging to Brian Laundrie.

According to NBC New York:

The partial human remains recovered at the Florida environmental park where Brian Laundrie was last believed to have been a day ago were described as "skeletal," a North Port police spokesperson confirmed to News 4 Thursday.

Two senior law enforcement officials also tell NBC News that the apparent human remains discovered yesterday at the Carlton Reserve during the search for Laundrie include a portion of a human skull.

Apparently, there was enough of the skull to make a positive identification through dental records. The remains were in an area that was submerged until recently. 

I find it interesting that only a portion of a human skull was found, if the report is correct, since Laundrie would have been dead for a little over a month at most. One would think the skull would be intact, unless an animal, like an alligator, crunched it in its jaws. Alligators, snakes, coyotes and other wildlife is known to inhabit the area.

It will be interesting to see what the details are once they are released.

Major Discovery In Petito - Laundrie Case

Above, Gabrielle Petito and Brian Laundrie.

The media has been reporting over the past several hours that items belonging to fugitive Brian Laundrie have been found. Some have also reported that "partial human remains" have also been found. Maybe a gator got him? The area where the items were found were previously under water.

This does not come as a surprise to me as I blogged that Laundrie is either in hiding or dead on September 21.

The FBI is supposed to hold a news conference on the findings. 

From Newsday:

The Sarasota County, Florida, medical examiner’s office said Wednesday it was called to the massive park and reserve where authorities found articles belonging to Brian Laundrie, the "person of interest" in the strangulation death of his former fiancee and Blue Point native Gabrielle Petito.

The FBI will brief the media at 4:30 p.m. about today’s developments in the search for Laundrie, the Tampa office said in a news release.

To read more, go here.

From The Independent (U.K.):

Police found partial human remains inside the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on Wednesday near where belongings believed to have been Brian Laundrie’s were found earlier in the day. Mr Laundrie’s parents visited the park to examine the items. The Sarasota medical examiner has been called to the scene, as have human remains detecting dogs.

To read more, go here. 

Coroner Says Petito Death Caused By Strangulation

.Above, Gabrielle Petito in Moab, Utah in August

The coroner's finding on the cause of death of Gabby Petito is strangulation.

There is no way in hell that boyfriend Brian Laundrie could claim that her death was accidental. He is the "person of interest" in this case. By continuing to be a fugitive and not turning himself in to authorities is an indication of guilt, even though he has not yet been charged in Petito's murder.

According to Yahoo! News:

The Wyoming medical examiner who performed the autopsy on Gabby Petito said Tuesday that the 22-year-old’s death was caused by strangulation.

Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue made the announcement during a virtual news conference.

“After a detailed investigation by our forensic pathologist, our anthropologist and local law enforcement, with assistance from the FBI, the Teton County Coroner Office is filing the following verdict: In the matter of the death of Gabrielle Venora Petito, we find the cause to be death by strangulation and manner is homicide,” he said.

Blue initially ruled Petito’s manner of death a homicide pending final autopsy results.

Above, Brian Laundrie, the person of interest. 

To read more, go here. 

Brian Laundrie In Hiding...Or Dead

Above, Brian Laundrie from the Moab police body cam.

Michael Reagan, the son of "The Gipper", Tweeted:

 Gabbys boyfriend is probably also dead… His family is a shit show

I opined the same the other day and I agree with his view of the Laundrie family. This raised a question in my mind a little while ago: Does Brian Laundrie own guns and are any of them missing? So far, Laundrie has not been found and the authorities have stopped searching the area he was supposedly was backpacking in. The Laundrie family has been less than cooperative with investigators despite pleas from the Petito family. That certainly sends up quite a number of red flags.

According to Fox 13 in Tampa Bay:

Laundrie was named a person of interest in the case earlier this week. However, despite pleading with the family and their attorney, investigators had not heard from the Laundrie family at all until Friday night, when they told investigators their son had actually been missing since Tuesday. Investigators spent two hours at the Laundrie home collecting things they say may help them find Brian and hopefully get answers. An attorney for the Petito family says Brian is not missing but rather on the run, adding that the Laundrie family’s request to have the North Port police look for their son but not for Gabby is "reprehensible and hypocritical."

Investigators are asking the public for help in locating Laundrie. They say he is a white male, 5-foot-8 and weighing 160 pounds. He has brown eyes, very short brown hair, trimmed facial hair, and was last seen wearing a hiking bag with a waist strap. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-Call-FBI.

With his face plastered all over the place on social media, he won't be able to hide for very long. If he's dead, I guess they'll have to watch for buzzards in the area.

To read more, go here. 

Body Found "Consistent" With Missing Gabby Petito

The missing person investigation has turned into a homicide investigation involving Gabrielle Petito of Florida.

Human remains "consistent" with descriptions of Petito were found yesterday near Spread Creek Dispersed Campground near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

Reuters reported:

Sept 19 (Reuters) - Police and FBI agents searching a national park in Wyoming have found a body "consistent" with missing Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old woman whose disappearance has captivated the United States.

The body was discovered on Sunday in a remote area of the Bridger-Teton National Forest, near the Spread Creek Dispersed campground where law enforcement officials had directed their search, FBI spokesman Charles Jones said.

A formal identification of the remains has not been made and the cause of death is yet to be determined.

Members of Petito's family reported Petito missing on Sept. 11, 10 days after her 23-year-old boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, returned home from a months-long cross-country trip in the van without her.  

Laundrie has been named a "person of interest" in the case but has not been seen since leaving his family's home in North Port, Florida, last Tuesday. North Port is on the west coast of Florida, some 70 miles (112 km) south of St. Petersburg.  

Before disappearing, Laundrie had refused to speak with investigators and retained a lawyer.

It would not surprise me at all that Laundrie would be found dead of suicide. That's the gut feeling I have. I suspect that a quarrel gone very bad led to Petito's death. 

Above, Gabby Petito from police
 body cam video in Moab, Utah. 

The pair had a quarrel August 12 in Moab, Utah and the police investigators posted body cam footage of them during questioning. There were no charges but the police had the two separate that night. 

To read more, go here.

Kylr Yust Found Guilty In Deaths of Kopetsky and Runions

Above, Kara Kopetsky, missing since 2007.

The jury verdicts against Kylr Yust has been handed down and Yust has been found guilty in the murders of Kara Kopetsky and Jessica Runions.

According to Fox4KC:

HARRISONVILLE, Mo. — A jury has found Kylr Yust guilty of voluntary manslaughter in the death of Kara Kopetsky and second-degree murder in the death of Jessica Runions on Thursday.

After deliberating for hours and asking to review several pieces of evidence, the jury came back with the decision Thursday evening.

Seventeen-year-old Kopetsky disappeared after leaving Belton High School in 2007. Yust was suspected but not initially charged.

Then 21-year-old Runions disappeared in 2016, last seen leaving a house party. Runions’ car was found burned the next day. Yust was arrested and charged with burning the car, but that charge was dropped when murder charges were filed.

After years of searching for Kopetsky and months of searching for Runions, the women’s remains were discovered in spring 2017 in rural Cass County.

Above, Jessica Runions. 

Voluntary manslaughter and second degree murder?! This, to me, is almost tantamount to a slap on the wrist. Yust can be paroled in a few years to victimize the community again. 

To read more, go here.

 

UPDATE (04/17/21):

The jury recommended a life sentence for Yust.  

John Lennon

Above, John Lennon's "Double Fantasy" album my dad bought. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Forty years ago today, John Lennon was murdered in New York. I remember that night like it was yesterday.

I was driving on Aviation Blvd. in my new 1980 Toyota Pick-up in Manhattan Beach when the bulletin came on.

One thing I really remember about the news broadcasts were that different stations varied in their reporting. Some would say Lennon was dead, while others said he was still alive. Since this was a month after the 1980 election, it sounded like election night where one station would project states for Reagan while others projected states for Carter.

A day or so later, my dad picked up a copy of Lennon's "Double Fantasy" album (pictured above). It is not a bad album, except for the Yoko Ono songs. 

It amazes my how time has flown by. 

Trump Administration Establishes Cold Case Task Force For Missing and Murdered Native Ameicans

The Trump Administration is establishing the first cold case task force to investigate missing and murdered American Indians and Alaskan Natives.

Seven offices are being established to handle Indian Country cold cases, with the first in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Indian Life reported:

BLOOMINGTON, Minn.-In late July, U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt, Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump and Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Sweeney established the first of seven offices dedicated to solving cold cases involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. The first office is located in Bloomington, Minn. 

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Crime Information Center, there are more than 1,400 unresolved American Indian and Alaska Native missing person cases in the U.S. Of that, 136 cases are in Minnesota. 

To address this crisis, President Trump signed Executive Order 13898 on November 26, 2019. 

"President Trump created a task force to support Tribal communities, reduce the staggering number of violent crimes committed against American Indians and Alaska Natives and close out hundreds of cold cases," said Secretary Bernhardt. "The Trump Administration is committed to justice and working alongside these Tribal communities to restore peace and prosperity." 

"While visiting the great state of Minnesota with Secretary Bernhardt, we are advancing two top priorities for the Administration: The Pledge to America's Workers and supporting American Indian and Alaska Native communities," said Advisor to the President Trump. "We are furthering President Trump's commitment to forgotten men and women across our country and the Administration's efforts to ensure that all Americans can live with dignity and the promise of a brighter future." 

President Trump's executive order established the Operation Lady Justice Task Force, a multi-agency effort co-chaired by Secretary Bernhardt and U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr. Its purpose is to enhance the operation of the criminal justice system and address the staggering number of missing and murdered American Indian and Alaska Natives in Tribal communities.

To read more, go here. 

Murders of RVers On A Texas Beach

Above, The Beast at a private campground in Lake Havasu, Arizona. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Only once since I bought my 2015 Winnebago Minnie Winnie 22R ("The Beast") have I ever boondocked alone. That was in 2016 in a rest area in Missouri.

A couple who full-timed in their RV were recently found murdered. They were boondocking on a beach in Corpus Christi, Texas. Fortunately, the suspects have been caught.

RV Life has an article asking, "Will the Texas beach camping murders change how you camp?"

They begin it with:

Murders aren’t usually the topic of conversation among RVers. But then again, two recent Texas beach camping murders aren’t your every day homicides. The tragic end of James and Michelle Butler’s lives has RVers buzzing with chatter all over the Internet. Many like myself are questioning the safety of free camping in remote places. 

James Butler had recently retired from the U.S. Navy when he and his wife Michelle decided to give the full-time RVing lifestyle a try. The New Hampshire residents were full-time RVers for just over a year when they took a break from a series of workamping jobs. 

After staying in a Corpus Christi RV park along with their three cats, they packed up and went boondocking on a lonely stretch of Corpus Christi shoreline.

They were never heard from again. Then, their bodies were found.

While on the road, I stay at established private campgrounds or, on occasion, at national park campgrounds. Generally, there's some security at each. But additionally, whenever I go camping, I bring along a friend: my Ruger 9mm semi-automatic. My dad and grandfather always "packed heat" whenever we went camping. Because, you never know

What happened to the Butlers could happen to anyone. This isn't the first time a crime such as this has occurred. It will likely not be the last. It will not change the way I camp.

To read more, go here.

Just So You Know...

From the New York Post:

Millionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein died in an apparent suicide while in federal custody in Manhattan early Saturday, a stunning end that both infuriated and baffled his victims, and the federal officials responsible for his safety. 

For reasons still unclear, the jet-setting 66-year-old financier, who had faced up to 45 years in prison on charges of sex-trafficking dozens of teenage girls — accusers who have also implicated many in his circle of powerful, wealthy pals — had recently been taken off suicide watch, officials said. 

He was found unresponsive in his single-inmate cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center at about 6:30 a.m. and was dead on arrival at nearby NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital, sources told The Post. 

The disgraced money manager was found hanging by his neck, a source told The Post.
US Attorney General William Barr said he was “appalled” by the apparent suicide at the ultra-secure lockup, which has held some of the world’s worst terrorists and drug lords. Suicides there are nearly unheard of.

To read more, go here.

2000 Silverlake Homicide

Above, the far back building above was where the homicide took place.

In-between insurance claims jobs, I often worked as an armed security patrol officer back in the 1990s and the following occurred during my last stint.

I was working a "dedicated area" consisting of the Silverlake area of Los Angeles, in the Rampart Division area of the L.A.P.D. for Protection One.

I received a radio call about a disturbance at the Hollywood Inn Express motor lodge. I was told to see the motel manager first upon arrival.

When I arrived, he told me that a man and a woman came and told him that someone was shot in a room in the far back building. Immediately, my gut feeling was that the police should be immediately notified. I told him to call the police and I would keep the room under surveillance until they arrived. I also notified my dispatcher.

When the police went into the room, I followed and saw the girl's body on the bathroom floor of the room.

The following is a Los Angeles Police Department press release:

Rampart Homicide Detectives are investigating the shooting death of a Hispanic female, 15 years of age. The victim was discovered shot to death inside room number 134 of the Hollywood Inn Express South Motel located at 141 North Alvarado Street, Los Angeles. The victim was discovered by Rampart Patrol Officers responding to an "Assault with a Deadly Weapon" call on Wednesday, January 26, 2000, at approximately 4:00 am.  

The victim was found lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Paramedics pronounced the victim dead at the scene.  

The investigation revealed the victim, two witnesses( a male and female Hispanic), along with the suspect checked into the motel at approximately 2:30 am on Wednesday, January 26, 2000. At approximately 3:30 am, the male witness went down to the night window and informed the clerk that someone had been shot inside the room. The witnesses then fled. The police and paramedics were notified. While the officers were at the scene, the witnesses returned and identified themselves.  

The suspect and the male witness met the victim and the female witness at a nightclub. When the club closed they decided to continue the party at the motel. While inside the room the victim and the suspect became involved in an argument. During the argument the suspect produced a handgun and fired multiple rounds at the victim. The victim was struck numerous times about the body. The suspect then fled on foot.  

The suspect is described as a male, Hispanic, 5'6" to 5'7" tall. 110 to 120 pounds, 22 to 25 years of age. He has a thin build, dark complexion, and short hair. He was wearing a dark checkered shirt, black pants and white shoes.  

The suspect fled the scene taking the murder weapon with him. The cause of the argument has not been established. The identity of the victim is being withheld pending the notification of the next of kin. 

This wasn't the first "187" (penal code for homicide) I was involved in. Previously, I was flagged down by a man who came across a male gang victim lying in the middle of Dronfield Ave. in the Shadow Hills area of the San Fernando Valley. 

To date, I don't know if either cases were solved and the killers were prosecuted.