Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Criminal.
Katonah's Katherine Vockins Brings Incarcerated People Back with her Rehabilitation Through Arts Program
25 years ago, Katherine Vockins and her husband Hans Hallundbaek had successful business careers. But when Hans had what she called, “a midlife correction,” everything changed. He began seminary studies, and the curriculum brought him inside Sing Sing. The future Director of the Interfaith Prison Partnership became a prison reform activist, and his interest soon had her following. However, Vockins didn’t do so to found the Rehabilitation Through Arts Program, which has her participants shattering the nation’s 50% recidivism rate. Instead, Vockins' entrance into this amazing life of service hit much closer to home.
By Rich Monetti6 years ago in Criminal
Reason First: Could Reason, Purpose, and Self-Esteem Have Prevented it All?- The Brenda Spencer Murders
Before the ghastly acts at Columbine, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, and Stoneman Douglass, among a whole host of others, there was the Grover Cleveland Elementary School shooting in San Diego, California on Monday January 29, 1979. The major difference between the aforementioned examples of scholastic carnage is that the perpetrator wasn’t a pimply faced twentysomething or teenage boy or boys.
By Skyler Saunders6 years ago in Criminal
Who murdered Lucinda Strange?
In 1983, Lucinda and Jerome Strange moved to Nelson County, Kentucky. They settled on a 10-acre property in a secluded location. The couple had found paradise at 129 Clarktown Road in Bardstown, Ky. The couple also had a son and daughter. The Strange family life seemed perfect.
By Marc Hoover6 years ago in Criminal
Get Back In The Saddle
The daunting task of recovering from this epidemic is nearly impossible. Once a wave of virus bearers get quarantined, a second wave soon thereto follows. Tong, a young man from south east Asia, is demanding change within the government walls. Yet, no change had come! You see, it wasn't so easy for him because his whole family was infected, and he had to try to stop the government from intervening into his life, before he became just another infected person. They had lost all of their rights to a normal life over in south east Asia, they were being treated like wounded animals.
By Timoteo Ry6 years ago in Criminal
Reason First: Buddy Jacobson’s Murderous Ways
On the evening of Sunday August 6, 1978, 47-year-old Howard “Buddy” Jacobson brutally carved into Jack Tupper’s face, caved in his head, and shot him eight times. A family by the name of the Carattinis discovered the unrecognizable face of Tupper in a burning wooden crate in a vacant lot.
By Skyler Saunders6 years ago in Criminal
Mobile Banking Today
There is a problem with our banks today. The convenience of the changes are great. The convenience is because of mobile banking. What a wonderful invention this was. Now we can cash checks with a picture. We can transfer money in minutes to another account. We can pay all the bills in minutes just by a couple clicks of a mouse. This is the positive side of banking.
By Katherine Valdez6 years ago in Criminal
Reason First: Is This a Case of a ‘Privileged’ Black Male?
The reality of the package deal is apparent. What the package deal means is that some truth may provide a veneer but lies get smuggled into the idea that damn whatever’s true. What’s valid about white privilege is the fact that bigotry and racism are involved in it. The lie(s) include the idea that color of skin and hair texture determine character and that every white person is evil. Let’s consider Charles Brooks, Jr, who actually led a vicious existence.
By Skyler Saunders6 years ago in Criminal
The Rosewood Massacre
If you watch the news or any social media outlet, you can easily find an article about sexual assault. For instance, comedian Bill Cosby, Larry Nassar, the former U.S. Gymnastics doctor and Harvey Weinstein, a former movie producer have sexually abused women. Nassar recently received a lengthy prison sentence.
By Marc Hoover6 years ago in Criminal
Reason First: How Far Does White Privilege Go?- The Martha Moxley Murder
The written word has power. Dominick Dunne’s A Season in Purgatory (1993), a fictional account of the Martha Moxley Murder, reopened eyes to a cold case. Yet, even before the ink dried on this work of literature, two police officers named Steve Carrol and Frank Garr and a reporter named Leonard Levitt suspected Michael Skakel of the crime.
By Skyler Saunders6 years ago in Criminal
A killer slipped in
I don’t know if you asked yourself this question before but what does a killer look like? I never thought about it. I had formed a life thinking that no one was that evil. No one could possibly murder someone and just live a normal life. Despite all the wrong many people done to me, I still never imagined me ever coming close to a killer that was until I met this very nice man name Michael. I saw him while I was in the grocery store picking up a few items for my kids. He was on isle 8 looking at the different pasta sauces, he was dark brown, slim, goatee, with a dingy grey or black shirt on and dark blue jeans like he had just got off work or he lived in a poor home. I walked passed him trying to get to the Kraft macaroni and cheese box because that was one of my kids favorite side dishes. As I was walking he turns around and we bump into each other. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry” he begins to pled. “It cool, you alright”. He goes to start making conversation with me asking me was the HUNTS four cheese speghettii sauce a good choice. He then started asking my name & where I was from. I got a little uncomfortable so I cut the conversation short after answering the question I walked away. After finishing my shopping and I begin walking to my car but I couldn’t stop thinking bout how that man just started talking to me like he knew me or something. Days when by and one day while I was at work I seen HR bringing people for interviews. They walked them through the plant and I noticed one man that look very handsome. I couldn’t see much of his face but his eyes were gazing at me. I notice him talking and asking questions to hr about the job and at one moment he smiled and his teeth were so shiny and his smile lit up the room. I turned to my friend and asked her did she notice him, I told her ima get him, he gone be mine. A few weeks later I seen this same handsome man While I was walking towards my car. We connected eyes again and he smiled at me. This time I walked up to him and said “you so handsome, I know you seen me giving you the eye” he start laughing and said “you cute yourself, you got to be single if you talking to me like that”. I smiled and continued the conversation, we exchanged numbers and from that day we talked everyday. He asked me to sit with him on breaks so I started doing so. I usually sit in my car or sit in the car with me friends and chat it up with them, but this man had me doing what he asked just a few short days of us getting to know each other and I was so blinded by his slick way with words, and his blinding smile I didn’t notice that I was giving this man permission to take control of me and my everyday life style. A few short months of us dating he had convinced me to move to a city close to where he lived. I had introduced him to my kids and he seemed so excited to meet them. He played football with my twin boys and let my daughter comb his haircut pretending it was long pretty hair. When I moved to the city near where he lived I didn’t think about the less help I would have for my kids. I was closer to my job but I was no where near any babysitters. I asked a few of my family & friends to look out for my kids until I knew the area better and saved enough money to pay a daycare to watch them while I work. Everyone I asked had their on life to handle so they wasn’t able to help me which was totally understandable. Michael seen me stressed and worried about how I was going to manage work and kids which he saw a perfect opportunity to get to my kids. He later that night offered to watch my kids while I went to work so I wouldn’t have to call out. I told him I thought they maybe a little to much for him but he insisted. He said he would watch them at my house while they are sleep and when they wake up they would go to his mom house so she would be able to help him. I was really hesitant because I didn’t know him for long and he didn’t know much about my kids but I had just spent every dime I had on the apartment and the little stuff I had to move inside our new home. I really need to go to work to be able to provide for what my kids needed and we didn’t have furniture in our new place so we was sleeping on air mattresses and I was determined to get us off those air mattresses, so I accepted his offer. At the time he didn’t show any signs of aggression but more of willing to help me signs. That morning I laid out what the kids where to wear that day all he had to do was put the clothes on them, fix them some cereal and go on bout the day until I got home. When I got off work I met him and the kids at his mom house and the kids all seemed like they had fun. His mom gave me a few blankets she had. She said she was saving them for her future grand daughter but none of her kids had any kids themselves. As she was talking to me I notice my oldest son not playing but away from the other kids. When I got close to him he reached for me and I grabbed him and put him on my shoulder. When I grabbed him Michael walked in the living room and said he been like that most of the day. Which was very unusual because my oldest son was usually the life of the party. He would be the 1st one to get everybody going. I began to ask him what was wrong and he didn’t say anything he just moaned. I got the kids stuff and I walked them to the store, Michael was right behind me & helped me put them in the car. He said he would meet me at the house. When we got home I got the kids in the house and started getting them ready for bed while fixing them something to eat. My oldest son didn’t it his food, he refused to eat as I went to grab him to help feed him I felt his body was very warm. Now I knew something was wrong with me baby. He was only 2 years old at the time so I assumed he was either cutting more teeth or had another stomach virus that both the twins had few months prior. I gave him some Tylenol and I put all the kids to bed. When I got in the shower to prepare for bed I left my phone on the charger. Michael took it upon himself to go through my phone, which I didn’t mind because I didn’t have anything to hide. When I got ready to lay down he started fussing saying it was men writing me months before we even knew each other and although I didn’t respond to them he still was mad at the fact that it had been other men before him. I was so dumbfounded by the fact that he was actually fussing at me over something I didn’t have no control of at all but because I was already moved to a city where I no no one and I knew that if I said what I wanted to say which was “get out my house with that foolishness” , I would have to face the consequences of me not having no one to watch my kids while I work which would caused me to be jobless and me and my kids to be homeless. So I humbled myself and kept trying to explain to him that those were old and he never have to worry about anything like that. After arguing & fighting for 2 1/2 hours he finally left & I was so tired & had to be to work in less then 3hrs I laid down and went to sleep. When I woke up that morning he was laying beside me with his arms & feet swallowed up to me like he was making sure I wouldn’t go anyway. I moved his arm from around me and he woke up. “ I’m sorry about last night I’m just so used to woman playing with my heart I didn’t realize that You’re not that type of woman” he says. He sure had a way with words. Words that made me forget about how he had just choked me to the point where I almost couldn’t breathe. He goes on to say how he will still watch my kids while I went to work and at the time it was music to my ears because I definitely did not have a backup babysitter. I went on to get ready for work and get the kids clothes prepared for the day & set aside medicine for my oldest son Incase he started ruing a fever again. I kissed my kids goodbye while they laid sleep and walked out the door. That day didn’t seem odd to me at all in fact at work I felt relieved not being at the house fussing with Michael. Even tho I was tired from the lack of sleep I got I still managed to hold a smile & have conversations with co workers. After our 2nd break my supervisor got my off the line & told me to come to the office. I know I haven’t did anything wrong so I though maybe she was calling my in the office with good news. I walked in the office & the HR lady & the superintendent was in there, they all had a very worried look on their face. The superintendent started talking. He told me to stay calm, the police department called & said my son was in critical condition and I needed to get to the hospital. Soon as he got those words out his mouth I started to have a panic attack. What do you mean my son is in critical condition. He was only running a fever. The three begin to try to calm me down & asked me could I drive. I started calling down by thinking he is ok. I was not familiar with the area because we had just moved there so I did not know where the hospital was. My supervisor drew me a map on how to get there from my job. I grabbed the directions & ran out the door not even thinking about clocking out. The drive there was intense. I was doing the dashboard speed with my emergency lights on. When I made it to the hospital I immediately asked where are my kids. The nurse asked my name & when I told her she changed her face expression & her tone of voice. She walked me to the back & showed me three out of four of my kids and one of the kids was my oldest son, the one that was running a fever the day before. I asked was he alright and she she said he will be okay. I then started questioning her about the whereabouts of my youngest son. She told me she was going to take me to him but the doctor had to talk with me before she could take me. She begin walking me to the post opp room where they check your vital signs before they register you in a room. A Caucasian, tall, dark haired male police officer was standing in his room holding a small notepad and the doctor was both in the room waiting on me to come in. When I got in there the doctor started talking saying they did everything they could to save my son but he was already gone. I could not believe what I was hearing. My youngest son didn’t show any signs of sickness so how could my son be dead. I begin to scream asking what happened to my son. Why are you lying, where are the people that were watching my kids. What happened? The police officer stated that they were doing an investigation on the house. He went on to say they received a call from the neighbor of Michael’s mom stating she heard children crying & it stopped. She said she was worried and to send somebody to do a check up. He said when they arrived they noticed my son on the couch not making any movement. They checked my son & he wasn’t breathing and they called the ambulance. He said this looks like a child abuse case & began asking me questions about the people I had watching my kids. Again I could not believe what my ears was taking in. Why would someone hurt my children? I didn’t know much about this family true background history but the police sure informed me & it was not what I expected. The nice, generous, kid loving face they showed me was all a mask. This family had a long history of domestic violence, & unsolved child abuse cases that they got away with because they blinded so many women, mostly single woman. Just to mistreat their kids behind their back. Again I could not believe what I was hearing. How could I let this slip by me. How could I let a killer easily slip into my life and take my child away from me. How was I supposed to know this man true intentions was not to love me and my kids but to destroy everything that I had build by myself. . . . . . . . . To be continued.
By Emery Armstrong6 years ago in Criminal
