Oklahoma Daughter Who Married Her Biological Mother After They ‘Hit It Off’ Is Sentenced
An Oklahoma woman who married her biological mother has received a 10-year, deferred sentence.
Misty Spann pleaded guilty to incest and will be on probation with two of those years under the supervision of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, KTLA sister station KFOR in Oklahoma City reported Thursday.
In September 2016, Misty Spann and her mother Patricia were arrested for incest.
A joint investigation by police and the Department of Human Services confirmed the pair’s relationship to each other. The blood relatives married in Comanche County, after filing their license application in March 2016.
Investigators told KFOR that 43-year-old Patricia Spann lost custody of Misty, 26, and two other children when they were young. They were then adopted by their grandmother.
Patricia Spann insisted to investigators she didn’t have contact with her kids until a few years ago. However, court records show she also married her biological son in Comanche County back in 2008, but the partnership was annulled in 2010.
Another one of Spann’s sons told television station KSWO in Lawton, Oklahoma, that she tried to have an inappropriate relationship with him as well, but he denied her advances.
Spann also allegedly told investigators when she reunited with her daughter “they hit it off.”
Spann said she didn’t think she was breaking any laws by marrying Misty because her name is no longer listed on her daughter’s birth certificate, according to officials.
In Oklahoma, incest is a felony, and, if convicted, is punishable up to 10 years in prison. Court records show Misty and Patricia’s marriage was annulled Oct. 12, 2017.
Misty’s mother is scheduled to appear in court in January.
Lupita Nyong’o calls out magazine for editing hair to look more ‘Eurocentric’
Lupita Nyong’o would have preferred to keep her real look, thank you very much.
The “12 Years a Slave” actress called out Grazia UK on Thursday after the magazine edited her hair for the cover.
“Disappointed that @GraziaUK edited out & smoothed my hair to fit a more Eurocentric notion of what beautiful hair looks like.”
The 34-year-old actress shared the final cover, which shows her with a shaved head, as well as the original shots in both color and black-and-white. The original photos include Nyong’o’s ponytail with her natural hair.
Nyong’o also included the hashtag “dtmh,” an abbreviation for “don’t touch my hair” and a song title off Solange Knowles’ 2016 album “A Seat at the Table.”
Last month, the “Cranes in the Sky” singer forced an apology from the Evening Standard newspaper after the outlet cropped out her elaborate braided crown hairstyle.
On Facebook, Nyong’o elaborated on her complaints.
“As I have made clear so often in the past with every fiber of my being, I embrace my natural heritage and despite having grown up thinking light skin and straight, silky hair were the standards of beauty, I now know that my dark skin and kinky, coily hair are beautiful too. Being featured on the cover of a magazine fulfills me as it is an opportunity to show other dark, kinky-haired people, and particularly our children, that they are beautiful just the way they are. I am disappointed that Grazia UK invited me to be on their cover and then edited out and smoothed my hair to fit their notion of what beautiful hair looks like,” she wrote.
“Had I been consulted, I would have explained that I cannot support or condone the omission of what is my native heritage with the intention that they appreciate that there is still a very long way to go to combat the unconscious prejudice against black women’s complexion, hair style and texture.”
via: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/lupita-nyong-calls-magazine-editing-hair-article-1.3622919
Escort says she shot client because he was bad at oral sex
An escort in Washington state says she shot her client twice in the head — because he was lousy at oral sex, according to reports.
Marissa Wallen, 21, then allegedly stole her john’s wallet and gun, left him for dead and went on a $12,000 spending spree in Skagit County, according to the Herald of Everett, Wash.
The 36-year-old North Everett man’s employer grew concerned when he didn’t log in for his stay-at-home job on the morning of Oct. 24.
When police were sent to check on him, he was found alive — slumped against a wall with dried blood on his head. Two shell casings nearby did not match the caliber of his missing handgun, officials said.
He was unable to speak, so police communicated with him using hand signals, according to the news outlet. He indicated he knew his attacker but could not provide a name.
Security footage from the apartment revealed that Wallen had visited five times in October. She was last seen entering at 8:45 p.m. Oct. 21, and then fleeing at 10 p.m. clutching what appeared to be credit cards, officials said.
Store security cameras showed Wallen using the cards, according to authorities, who tracked her down at a home in Mount Vernon, Wash., on Tuesday.
When confronted with evidence, Wallen kept changing her story before finally admitting she shot the man twice in the back of the head, “because he was performing (a sex act) wrong,” according to her statement.
Wallen, who has an 11-month-old child, was ordered held on pending charges of first-degree assault, first-degree robbery and first-degree identity theft.
“I was stunned on Tuesday when the first detective came to our door,” next-door neighbor Mark Barnum told KIRO-TV. “He said, ‘Your neighbor was shot twice in the head.’”
He said he “heard what sounded like two or three taps coming from the wall. It was notable because we don’t usually hear anything.”
He said he initially thought the noise could have been from a hammer.
“It’s just kind of shocking to think perhaps that was maybe — maybe those were the shots. Maybe it was [the victim]. And I feel really badly that I was unable to help,” Barnum said.
Other neighbors said the victim works in high tech.
“He keeps to himself a lot, he’s got his computer stuff up there. He handles a lot of websites, IT security,” Erik Buxton told KIRO.
According to documents, the man “had been hiring female escorts and frequenting a strip club in Seattle, where he was bragging about how much money he earned and belongings he had at his house.”
Buxton said the victim “liked to kind of flash his money a little bit. It’s what’s going to happen — you’re going to attract negative people along the way.”
On Wednesday, a judge said Wallen had outstanding warrants for her arrest and set her bail at $1 million.
Her public defender, Pooja Vaddadi, said medical problems have prevented her from appearing in court several times, according to the Herald.
Another suspect, Jenner Matthews, was arrested in the case, KIRO reported. The probable-cause document said Wallen made payments to him through Facebook using the victim’s accounts.
via: http://nypost.com/2017/11/09/escort-says-she-shot-client-because-he-was-bad-at-oral-sex/
Denver Teen Accused of Suffocating Newborn Daughter by Shoving Rock Down Her Throat
A 16-year-old Denver girl is facing first degree murder charges after her baby was found dead with a rock in her throat, according to autopsy results released Wednesday.
Denver police said that a woman called 911 around 7:30 a.m. on Sept. 8 and said that her daughter, Alaya Dotson, gave birth and that the baby was on the ground in the backyard and “looked dead,” KTLA sister station KDVR in Denver reported.
She was named because authorities have charged her as an adult.
The baby, Amekah Dotson, was transported from the home in the 5800 block of Biscay Street to Children’s Hospital where she was pronounced dead after they removed a rock that was lodged in the baby’s throat.
Alaya Dotson’s mother told police that her daughter was sitting on the patio with a blanket wrapped around her. After leaving to make soup, she came back and discovered that Alaya had blood on her shirt and that the blanket was on the ground.
Alaya told police that her mother startled her, so after her mother went back inside, she “decided to pick up a rock that was on the ground and put it inside the baby’s mouth.”
She added that she “pushed the rock down the baby’s throat with her thumb” and then wrapped her in a blanket and placed her on the ground so when her mother grabbed the blanket, the baby “fell to the ground.”
Alaya’s mother did not know her daughter was pregnant and immediately called police.
Alaya also told police that “she did not know or believe she was pregnant.”
When police arrived, Alaya was also transported to University Hospital where she was arrested.
She is expected in court in January.
via: http://ktla.com/2017/11/08/denver-16-year-old-accused-of-suffocating-newborn-with-rock-in-throat/
Alabama Woman Sentenced to Prison After Faking Terminal Cancer, Raising Over $260K
An Alabama woman who duped kind-hearted donors into thinking she had cancer is headed to prison, a judge ordered Wednesday.
Jennifer Flynn Cataldo was sentenced to 25 months behind bars for fraudulently raising more than $260,000 by falsely portraying herself as a terminal cancer patient from 2014 to early May 2017, according to KTLA sister station WHNT in Alabama.
Cataldo pleaded guilty in August to one count of wire fraud and one count of bank fraud for using a false claim of terminal cancer to collect money from family and friends by using two GoFundMe accounts, Facebook, emails and text messages.
One of the GoFundMe fundraisers was titled “Mom has Terminal Cancer Disney Trip,” with the stated goal of raising $4,000 to take her young child to visit Disney before she died, according to prosecutors.
U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town called Cataldo’s crime “reprehensible,” saying in a statement:
“For more than two years she engaged in an elaborate scheme that preyed upon the sympathy and generosity of her friends and family. Not only did she fake cancer to take their money, she used her minor child as part of her ruse and allowed the child to believe his mother was dying. She has earned every nickel of her punishment.”
Cataldo fraudulently collected a total of $264,163 in checks and cash deposited into her personal checking account, according to her guilty plea.
“Crimes like this make good people think twice before they are willing to be charitable, and Cataldo’s conduct could have a chilling effect on donations to legitimate accounts set up for people who are truly in need,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp Jr. said. “It is hard to understand how anyone could ignore the anguish that their greed- or drug-fueled lie brought to their loved ones every single day.”
A government sentencing document states that throughout Cataldo’s scheme, she was spending part of the money she obtained fraudulently to pay for 30 to 40 non-prescribed Percocet per day.
“The fact that we now know that part of the money was going to fund illegal opioids is yet more evidence of how destructive these drugs can be,” said Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall. “It is imperative that we confront such criminal activities and that the offenders are stopped and punished.”
A federal judge also ordered Cataldo to pay $79,629 in restitution to her victims.
via: http://ktla.com/2017/11/08/woman-sentenced-to-prison-after-faking-terminal-cancer-raising-over-260k/
Toddler With Dairy Allergy Dies After New York School Gave Him Grilled Cheese – knowing he was allergic to dairy foods
A New York City school is closing while officials investigate the death of a 3-year-old boy who died after he was allegedly given a grilled cheese sandwich — despite the school knowing he had a severe dairy allergy, according to KTLA sister station WPIX in New York.
Elijah Silvera was in his pre-K class at Seventh Avenue Center for Family Services in Harlem on Nov. 3 when he went into anaphylactic shock after eating the sandwich. The child was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
A family friend wrote on a GoFundMe site, “…he was given a grilled cheese sandwich by an adult at the pre-K, despite them knowing and having documented that he has a severe allergy to dairy.”
The family member also told WPIX that school officials called Elijah’s mother when it happened. It’s unclear why they did not call an ambulance, so his mother rushed Elijah 10 blocks south to Harlem Hospital.
But it was too late.
The family stated online they want to know exactly what happened and if proper protocols were followed — “…at this moment, it is unclear where responsibility for Elijah’s death will fall between the pre-K and the hospital itself.”
“We want to find out exactly where, if any, breakdowns may have occurred at either the school or the hospital,” they wrote.
The money raised on GoFundMe will help pay for an independent autopsy, according to the family.
Michelle Daniels says she attended the school as a little girl.
“I went there when I was a kid,” Daniels said. “That person should be really investigated. Really they should. Because if that was my child, I would be all over the place.”
“If I’m sending my children someplace, and I’m entrusting my children in your care, you’re supposed to follow those guidelines,” Daniels added.
Late Wednesday, the New York City Health Department released a statement announcing the school will close in order to investigate the incident.
“There is nothing more important than the safety of our children and we are deeply saddened by this tragedy. We will get to the bottom of what happened here. In the meantime, we’re closing the Center for Family Services and continuing to aggressively investigate what happened and whether the facility could have done something differently to prevent this tragedy.”
Florida Woman Buys Computer, Other Electronics for $3.70 at Walmart After Allegedly Swapping Barcodes
A Florida woman is accused of paying only $3.70 for nearly $2,000 worth of electronics after she allegedly swapped barcodes at a local Walmart, according to KTLA sister station WPIX in New York. Cheyenne Amber West and another woman entered the store and began taking video game controllers, a computer and other items from the electronics department, a Walmart loss prevention officer said.
The two then allegedly went to the clearance section, where they took out the devices from their boxes and placed clearance price tags on them.
The pair then proceeded to a self-checkout counter, where they allegedly scanned the clearance barcodes and paid a total of $3.70. The electronics cost a total $1,825.20.
According to the arrest affidavit, the 25-year-old said, “I am just trying to get gifts for my son that I cannot afford. The computer is for my husband. Since he just got me a Coach purse, I figured he deserved something nice as well.”
West has been charged with felony grand theft and shoplifting, according to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office.
She was released from jail after paying her $3,000 posted bond and is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 13.
Sicko who stored female genitalia in freezer convicted
A Danish sicko who stored female genitalia in his freezer has been convicted in South Africa of a slew of charges, including conspiracy to commit murder and pedophilia, according to reports.
Peter Frederiksen made headlines two years ago after frozen pieces of at least seven sets of female genitalia were found at his South African home.
“I hope I can avoid a sentencing by appealing and going through a mental investigation,” Frederiksen said in the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein after being found guilty of 36 charges.
The court on Tuesday agreed to the 65-year-old’s request for a mental exam and postponed his case to March 12.
Frederiksen was “certainly not a man of high moral standing,” Judge Johann Daffue said Monday, according to the Times Live of South Africa.
“He simultaneously married two women and was involved with people who believed in Satanism,” Daffue told a packed court.
His wife, Anna Matseliso Molise, who turned him in to police after he drugged her and pierced her genitalia, was shot dead outside her Lesotho home while Frederiken was in prison awaiting trial.
Motlatsi Moqeti, a wheelchair-bound convict serving 11 years for attempted murder, told the court that Frederiksen had paid him about $1,500 to arrange a hit on her, according to the International Business Times.
One of Frederiksen’s victims told Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet that he gave her a glass of spiked champagne. When she awoke, her genitalia had been sliced off.
“I had a headache like I’ve never had before. And the pain’ I’ve never had such pain’” she said.
A 9-year-old girl told the court via video link that Frederiksen had raped her.
In addition to the genitals, police also found child porn at his home, as well as a diary that included a log of his mutilations and the sexual abuse of the girl.
He wrote an entry titled “Paedophile Pig” on one of the days he abused the girl, who did not have her genitals mutilated.
Frederiksen was convicted of 18 child pornography offenses and the rape of the child.
He also was convicted of assaulting his now deceased wife, conspiracy to commit murder, possession of an unregistered anesthetic drug, xylocaine, and illegal possession of firearms, according to the Independent Online.
But he was acquitted of two counts relating to the alleged rape of Molise.
“I give you the benefit of the doubt on counts five and six,” the judge said.
In September, the judge also dropped 20 charges relating to genital mutilation over a technicality, saying the country’s National Health Act did not indicate the nature of penalties.
The judge recommended that the law be amended as soon as possible to avoid similar oversights in the future.
via: http://nypost.com/2017/11/07/sicko-who-stored-female-genitalia-in-freezer-convicted/
Mom who took son’s dead body onto train charged with murder
CHICAGO — An Illinois woman accused of taking her 6-year-old onto a commuter train to Chicago after his death last summer has been charged with first-degree murder and ordered held without bond, authorities said Tuesday.
Jamie Jones, 29, of Round Lake Beach also was charged with concealment of a homicide in the death of Carl Rice Jr. She’s being held in lieu of $3 million.
Assistant State’s Attorney Steve Scheller told a Lake County judge that an autopsy showed the child was bruised from his face and head to his torso. He also suffered a brain hemorrhage.
“This was a horrific crime involving the death of an innocent child who was beaten to death at the hands of his own mother,” he said.
Scheller said Carl was injured by Jones prior to falling asleep on June 30. He said the boy died between June 30 and July 1.
Scheller said video show Jones, accompanied by her 9-year-old daughter, took the child to the Round Lake Beach Metra station on July 1 to catch a train to Chicago. The child was placed inside the station in a corner seat and was propped up with the help of a backpack.
Jones allegedly carried the dead boy onto a train and video taken at Chicago’s Union Station shows Jones carrying the child over her shoulder as if he is asleep, before getting into a vehicle driven by her father.
Family members became aware the boy was not breathing and called paramedics, who determined he had died. The Cook County medical examiner ruled the boy died from injuries caused by child abuse, Scheller said.
Jones initially told investigators she hit her son several times before his death, prosecutors said. After a four-month investigation, Jones was arrested Saturday on a warrant for failure to appear in court, and then held until murder charges were filed.
Defense attorney Charis Walker declined to comment after Jones’ court appearance Tuesday.
via: http://nypost.com/2017/11/07/mom-who-took-sons-dead-body-onto-train-charged-with-murder/
Drunk dad passes out on lawn while tot drowns blocks away
A Pennsylvania dad faces charges after his toddler son drowned while the man was allegedly passed out drunk on his lawn.
David Gammon, 35, was charged Tuesday with involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment in the death of 2-year-old Anakin Gammon, news station WFMJ reported.
Gammon told police that he had been “sipping” on a Four Loko when he took the tot and his 5-year-old brother outside in September.
A neighbor found Gammon asleep on the lawn after another one of his children came over saying that he couldn’t wake his dad or find the siblings.
he neighbor told police that Gammon reeked of alcohol and had difficulty understanding that his sons had disappeared, news station WKBN reported.
The two boys were reported missing and police found the 5-year-old, who has special needs, a few blocks from Gammon’s home.
But Anakin was discovered unresponsive in a backyard swimming pool about nine blocks away in Masury, Ohio.
Emergency responders attempted to revive the 2-year-old, but he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The boy’s death was ruled a drowning.
Authorities filed charges against Gammon after investigating the death.
“There is probable cause that David Gammon was reckless in consuming enough alcohol, while caring for his children, that he lost consciousness allowing them to wander from the property” police said in the complaint.
via: http://nypost.com/2017/11/07/drunk-dad-passes-out-on-lawn-while-tot-drowns-blocks-away-cops/