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PINNED POST. CLICK HERE: Keeping these 3 videos of officer-involved domestic violence fatalities on top from now on...

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Thursday, September 30, 2010

[GA] Emerson Police Detective reportedly shot and injured by her boyfriend Melvin Roberts

...A south Whitfield man [Melvin Laray Roberts] was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly shooting his girlfriend, an officer with the Emerson Police Department in Bartow County...
[SDS]
MAN CHARGED WITH SHOOTING GIRLFRIEND: Victim is Emerson police officer
The Dalton Daily Citizen
Mark Millican
September 30, 2010
[Excerpts] A south Whitfield man was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly shooting his girlfriend, an officer with the Emerson Police Department in Bartow County, late Monday night, authorities said. Melvin Laray Roberts, 55, of 166 Valley Point Drive just below Connector 3, was charged by the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office with aggravated battery with a gun, aggravated assault with a gun, false imprisonment and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Roberts is alleged to have shot his live-in girlfriend, [SDS], 47, in the leg and initially kept her from calling 911, said Maj. John Gibson with the sheriff’s office. Whitfield 911 reported receiving the emergency call at 1:15 a.m. on Tuesday... Roberts was charged with aggravated assault and reckless conduct (causing harm) in Whitfield County in 2003, a jail spokeswoman said. In that case he doused his wife at the time with gasoline and threatened to ignite a cigarette lighter but did not light it... Roberts was denied bond by Magistrate Judge Sidney Baxter in a first appearance at the jail Wednesday afternoon. A jail spokeswoman said she did not know when he would face a Superior Court bond appearance. [Full article here]

SHERIFF: DETECTIVE SHOT BY BOYFRIEND
wrcbtv Eyewitness News
By Paul Shahen
Sep 30, 2010
[Excerpts] A north Georgia police officer is recovering Thursday from a gun shot wound to the leg. Emerson Detective [SDS] says she was shot in the leg by her boyfriend at their Dalton home early Tuesday morning... Detective [SDS] was off duty, and on the floor, a gunshot wound in her leg yelling, "he shot me, get him away from me" "He discharged the firearm striking her in the leg and basically refused to let her call for medical assistance," says Whitfield County Sheriff, Scott Chitwood. The accidental shooting started to look like a domestic violence case. So officers handcuffed Melvin Roberts right away. "I wonder what's going through these people's mind, to take it to that level. To deny medical attention, it's hard to comprehend," says Sheriff Chitwood... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence (IPV) abuse law enforcement public safety state lethal georgia state female officer Sara "Denise" Shinall]

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

[CO] Another lawsuit stemming from the suicide of accused Grand Junction Police Officer Glenn Coyne

The widow of Grand Junction officer Glenn Coyne claims in a federal lawsuit that investigators had doubts about sexual assault allegations against her husband, but moved forward with a criminal case anyway... Coyne’s alleged victim has said in a separate lawsuit she suffered a broken shoulder, fractured ribs and bruises, aside from other injuries consistent with sexual assault...

Previous Posts:
[CO] Officer Coyne killed himself while his department was still publicly questioning why testing gave no warning of his alleged crimes. - ...[Grand Junction Police Officer Glenn] Coyne was fired by the department Thursday night in a face-to-face meeting at the jail with Deputy Chief John Zen... on suspicion he sexually assaulted a woman in her home earlier this week... Coyne was found dead Tuesday in a Jefferson County hotel room...

[CO] Lawsuit says Grand Junction Police command staff knew now-deceased Officer Coyne was violent towards women - ...The lawsuit alleges the [Grand Junction] Police Department [et al], knew Coyne posed a threat and had a “propensity for violence against women”...

OFFICER’S WIDOW SUES POLICE, SHERIFF OVER SUICIDE
Glenn Coyne file mug
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
By Paul Shockley
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
[Excerpts] The widow of Grand Junction officer Glenn Coyne claims in a federal lawsuit that investigators had doubts about sexual assault allegations against her husband, but moved forward with a criminal case anyway. Michelle Coyne, now a Florida resident, alleges in a lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Denver that local authorities are responsible for her husband’s suicide, which happened five days after Coyne’s arrest and firing on Oct. 1, 2009... The lawsuit names Police Chief John Camper, the department and city, as well as Sheriff Stan Hilkey, the sheriff’s department, two investigators involved in Glenn Coyne’s case, and Coyne’s alleged victim... The lawsuit claims investigators were “doubtful” about the woman’s report. “During the course of that pretext call, Officer Coyne said he came to (alleged victim’s) home on Sept. 29, 2009, to have fun,” the lawsuit alleges. Coyne was arrested Oct. 1 and a Mesa County judge later found probable cause for suspicion of first-degree sexual assault and burglary. Coyne’s alleged victim has said in a separate lawsuit she suffered a broken shoulder, fractured ribs and bruises, aside from other injuries consistent with sexual assault. The woman has her own pending federal lawsuit against Camper, former Chief Bill Gardner, the police department and others inside the department. [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence (IPV) abuse law enforcement public safety state lethal fatality fatalities suicide liability sue colorado state]

[GA] Sheriff of Dade County makes statement about arrest of Deputy Pryor for battery of his wife


Dade County Sheriff's Deputy Steven Pryor was arrested after alleged battery of his wife.

Dade County Sheriff Patrick Cannon:

For Immediate Release

On September 28, 2010 an internal investigation was conducted on one of my deputies. I regret to inform you that Deputy Steven Pryor was arrested and charged with Simple Battery (family violence). The investigation showed that an altercation between he and his wife occurred and as a result the arrest was made. It saddens my heart when one of our own is arrested for any crime. As the Sheriff of Dade County, it is my job to make sure the citizens are safe and have confidence with the Sheriff’s Office. I will also strive to maintain integrity within my Department, and if need be, we at the Sheriff’s Office will even make charges against one of our own.

Sincerely,

Sheriff Patrick Cannon
Dade County Sheriff's Office
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence (IPV) abuse law enforcement public safety state lethal georgia state]

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

[IL] 2 years ago Officer Marchan killed his children and himself. No forgetting allowed.


Alizay and Anthony have not been forgotten. Pray for their mother and the people who loved them.


Previous entries:
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence (IPV) abuse law enforcement public safety state lethal fatality fatalities murder suicide suicidal child chldren illinois state cpd]

[ND] Police Officer Duane Gunville stabbed his wife in the chest and fled. Sounds like attempted murder to me.


[News Excerpt] A Bureau of Indian Affairs police officer for the Spirit Lake Nation in North Dakota has pleaded not guilty to aggravated assault. Duane Gunville, 41, is accused of stabbing his wife in the chest with a kitchen knife... The Grand Forks Herald said Gunville's wife needed several stitches. Authorities said Gunville fled to the Belcourt area, where he was arrested after a standoff. BIA Assistant Special Agent Mario Red Legs said Gunville is on unpaid administrative leave... [Full article here]

[News Excerpt] ...A brief stand-off with Turtle Mountain authorities led to his arrest... The Devils Lake Police Detective Sue Schwab said that officers responded to a residence in Devils Lake after a hang-up 911 call from the female victim... She was able to leave the residence and call 911 from a cell phone, but that call was interrupted. When she was located, the Lake Region Ambulance Service transported her to Mercy Hospital to have her wounds treated. She had apparently been stabbed with a knife more than one time... Aggravated Assault is a Class C felony. The maximum penalty for this charge is five years and a $5,000 fine. [Full article here]

[News Excerpt] ...Gunville’s wife called 911 shortly before 6 a.m. Aug. 7, police said. “Basically, it was a 911 hang-up call with the sounds of a frightened female, and the officers were able to locate where she was,” said Detective Sue Schwab of the Devils Lake Police Department. According to a criminal complaint, Gunville and his wife were arguing, and he dragged her into their home. Gunville got a kitchen knife and stabbed her in the upper chest, leaving a wound that required several stitches, the complaint states. The complaint says Gunville’s wife also had an injury on her forearm, bruising on her neck and a scrape on her knee... Gunville fled from Devils Lake to the Belcourt, N.D., area, where, after a standoff, he was arrested later that day,... It’s not clear if the charge against Gunville will affect his job status. Elmer Four Dance, the special agent in charge of the region’s BIA law enforcement, said he needed to speak with other BIA officials before commenting on the matter ... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence (IPV) abuse law enforcement public safety lethal murder north dakota stab stabbed attempted murder state jail]

[US][TX] U.S. Agent Gonzalez accused of assaulting his pregnant girlfriend

FEDERAL OFFICERS ARRESTED
By KGNS News
Sep 27, 2010
[Excerpts] Another federal officer is arrested for assaulting his wife, this time it’s a U.S. customs agents and the victim is pregnant. According to police 33-year-old Joel Gonzalez Jr. is facing charges of assault causing physical violence and domestic violence. This morning police received a call of a domestic dispute... The caller told police that she had been assaulted and the suspect was in her apartment. When officers arrived she had braces in her leg and she stated she was four months pregnant. Officers arrested Gonzalez and took him to the Webb County jail... Today border patrol released a statement saying quote" as public servant, the agents are rightly held to a higher standard of conduct and are subject to the same laws and rules that apply to private citizens... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence (IPV) abuse law enforcement public safety state lethal texas united states of america assault child texas]

[US][TX] U.S. Border Patrol Agent Valenciano accused of hitting wife in face with service weapon and pointing it at her

FEDERAL OFFICERS ARRESTED
By KGNS News
Story Created: Sep 27, 2010
[Excerpt] ...A border patrol agent is arrested over the weekend for domestic violence as well. According to reports 26-year-old René Joel Valenciano hit his wife in the face with his service weapon after she tried to break up a fight between him and another individual... at some point even allegedly pointing a gun at his victim. Today border patrol released a statement saying quote" as public servant, the agents are rightly held to a higher standard of conduct and are subject to the same laws and rules that apply to private citizens. It goes on to say that border patrol will fully cooperate in any and all investigations involving alleged misconduct or criminal behavior by their personnel. Border Patrol also says the matter is under investigation... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence (IPV) abuse law enforcement public safety state lethal texas united states of america pistol whip whipped texas]

[ND] Hoffman - allowed to be police chief despite past abuse and stalking of wife, intimidation, and anger - now faces 52 felonies

Elgin Police Chief and former state district judge Randall Hoffman is facing 52 felonies in what sounds like horrific domestic-related child sex crimes - continuous sex abuse of a child, attempted rape, and the 50 counts of corrupting a minor. If the charges are true, one young girl had to suffer countless disgusting violations of her body, mind, and soul over a 5 year period from a man who felt empowered to break the law without doing the time... A man crowned with a badge despite his past.

...After review, the Judicial Conduct Commisison filed a disciplinary suspension... The committee found that he was stalking, harassing and exhibiting abusive conduct toward his ex-wife... In arguing for a high bond, [Grant County State's Attorney Jim] Vukelic said Hoffman’s wife had described him as “a volatile and angry person” and said the girl and her family “have every reason to fear retribution... He has nothing to lose”...

FORMER NORTH DAKOTA JUDGE RANDALL HOFFMAN FACES 52 FELONIES
Bismarck Tribune
By Lauren Donovan
Posted: Friday, September 24, 2010 11:45 pm
[Excerpts] Elgin’s police chief and only officer, also a former district court judge, is in jail after being charged with 52 felonies alleging molestation and attempted rape of a minor girl over the course of about five years. Randall L. Hoffman, 55, remains in the Mercer County Jail in Stanton on $500,000 cash bond after being arrested Wednesday for continuous sexual abuse of a child, gross sexual imposition and 50 counts of corruption or solicitation of a minor. A criminal complaint accused Hoffman of having sexual contact with the girl beginning in 2005, when she was 12 or 13 years old... The prosecutor said the alleged molestation started in 2005 and continued through this week, when the minor reported the abuse to an adult, who in turn contacted authorities... The city of Elgin immediately suspended Hoffman without pay, and he was terminated as a deputized officer of the Grant County Sheriff’s Department, Vukelic said... Hoffman resigned from his district judgeship in April 1999 after facing a disciplinary complaint. After review, the Judicial Conduct Commisison filed a disciplinary suspension on July 7, 1999. The committee found that he was stalking, harassing and exhibiting abusive conduct toward his ex-wife following their divorce... In 2003, the Supreme Court Disciplinary Board suspended his license to practice law for his misconduct in legal proceedings between his second wife and her ex-husband in a child custody matter. The board declined to reinstate his license in 2005, finding that he had practiced law without a license in his second wife’s visitation disputes... Continuous abuse of a child is a Class AA felony, punishable by up to life in prison. Attempted rape, a form of gross sexual imposition, is a Class A felony, and the 50 counts of corrupting a minor are each a Class C felony. In arguing for a high bond, [Grant County State's Attorney Jim] Vukelic said Hoffman’s wife had described him as “a volatile and angry person” and said the girl and her family “have every reason to fear retribution... He has nothing to lose.” [Full article here]

ND POLICE CHIEF, EX-JUDGE CHARGED IN ABUSE CASE

Associated Press
By: DALE WETZEL
September 24 2010
[Excerpts] ...[Elgin Police Chief and former state district judge Randall] Hoffman, who is being held at Mercer County jail in Stanton, appeared by video Friday before South Central District Judge Thomas Schneider in Bismarck and was ordered held on a $500,000 cash bond. His next court appearance is Oct. 11... If released on bond, Hoffman must not carry guns or go within 1,000 feet of the girl's home. He would be under electronic monitoring at his own expense, the judge ruled. He also must not drink or use any drugs for which he does not have a prescription. "I don't have an alcohol problem. I don't do drugs," a subdued Hoffman, dressed in a dark green jail uniform with his wrists cuffed together in front of him, said after listening to his release restrictions... Hoffman was a state district judge in Jamestown for almost five years before resigning in April 1999, after a disciplinary complaint accused him of showing disrespect for the court system. Hoffman had criticized another judge's handling of his divorce case. Hoffman was later twice suspended from practicing law and ordered to undergo anger management counseling. Court documents also show he was accused of stalking his former wife.... sitting outside her home for hours at night and approaching her on a golf course to thrust his middle finger in her face, the court's ruling said... Hoffman attempted to bully the former boyfriend of his fiancee, with whom she had a child, into agreeing to a visitation schedule with the child just before Hoffman and the woman were to be married, court records say. When the former boyfriend refused, Hoffman later demanded that he answer a series of intrusive questions about his sexual relationship with Hoffman's fiancee... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence (IPV) abuse law enforcement public safety north dakota state repeat hx ]

Monday, September 27, 2010

[IL] Officer Ellis' 2nd domestic violence arrest - accused of assault, choking, and gun-pointing-at-her-head death threat

...[Allegedly] While straddling and choking her, he pulled what [his girlfriend] referred to as Ellis' "off-duty gun" from his waistband and pointed it at her head, threatening to kill her if she didn't comply...

WILL THIS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CHARGE JUST VANISH LIKE HIS LAST ONE? (POOF!)

CREVE COEUR OFFICER'S ARREST NOT FIRST RUN-IN: Journal Star records show Jeremy Ellis arrested year ago for domestic violence
Peoria Journal Star
By Matt Buedel
Sep 27, 2010 @ 08:38 PM
[Excerpts] The arrest Friday of a Creve Coeur police officer for allegedly battering a woman in Bartonville three weeks earlier marked the second time the officer was arrested for a violent incident with the same woman. Jeremy Ellis, 28, of Pekin was arrested Friday on charges of aggravated assault with a firearm, domestic battery and criminal trespass to a residence. He posted $122 bond and was released from the Peoria County Jail on Saturday... According to a report on the incident, Ellis followed her inside her apartment and refused to leave. He allegedly became upset after reading text messages on [his girlfriend]'s cell phone and held her down on the couch. While straddling and choking her, he pulled what [his girlfriend] referred to as Ellis' "off-duty gun" from his waistband and pointed it at her head, threatening to kill her if she didn't comply... [His girlfriend] tried to escape Ellis, and he pushed her backward. She tripped over an open dresser drawer and fell backward into the dresser, bruising her back. [His girlfriend] took a photo of her injury... Ellis has been placed on paid administrative leave... He and [his girlfriend] were arrested one year ago, each on a domestic battery charge, after an incident in which few details were released at the time. There is no record of Ellis' arrest or subsequent charges at the Peoria County Circuit Clerk's Office... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence (IPV) abuse law enforcement public safety threats terroristic threatening illinios lethal strangle state]

[TN] Officer no more: Chancy Jones sentenced to 24 years for murdering girlfriend Phyllis Malone

[_Phyllis_Malone_1.jpg]
Phyllis Malone

Chancy Jones, who was a Memphis police officer when he executed his girlfriend Phyllis Malone on Sept. 9 2008, has been sentenced to 24 years in prison without parole.

[All related earlier posts here]

Video:
[TN] Ex-Police Officer Chancy Jones sentenced


CHANCY JONES SENTENCED TO 24 YEARS
MyFoxMemphis
Les Smith
Friday, 17 Sep 2010
[Excerpts] If there really was a river called "denial," then convicted murderer Chancy Jones has his oars still deeply planted in it. "I felt threatened by her," said Jones. "She had threatened me and I told the police that. And she was threatening my family at the time of that incident. I just reacted to what she had done." --"You're still blaming her. She was revving her engine. You were in fear of your life? It's still her fault?" countered Shelby County Assistant Prosecutor Missy Branham." "Yes, ma'am," Jones replied. It's been three months since the former Memphis police officer was convicted on a second degree murder charge in the execution-style shooting death of his former girlfriend Phyllis Malone in September 2008. On Friday, it was left to Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Mark Ward to pass sentence on Jones who faced a maximum of 25 years in prison. With family members of both the victim and the convicted on separate sides of the courtroom aisle, Malone's sisters took the stand to express what would be the recurring theme throughout the 80 minute long proceedings. "As our family grieves for our loss we have yet to see any sign of remorse or grief from Mr. Jones," stated Malone's sister Ophelia Harris. "His senseless act towards my sister has left us all scarred and changed forever"... "I've got a Memphis Police officer who's trained in the law. Who basically manufactured a claim of self-defense and continues to claim that," Judge Ward stated. Ward would go on to slap Jones with a 24 year prison sentence without parole... [Full article here]

Video from the time of trial:

[TN] Phyllis Malone's family in pain during Officer Chancy Jones murder trial


Video:
[TN] Officer Chancy Jones Guilty

[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence (IPV) abuse law enforcement public safety fatality fatalities lethal murder tennessee state]

[TX] "We probably have over 100 felons working as peace officers in the state of Texas"

Sucky leadershhip in Dallas County Sheriff's Dept. makes even good cops look bad.

That's a shame.

In the extensive articles on offending deputies, domestic violence didn't even appear on the radar.

.
..The News first raised questions about the quality of background checks for deputies in an investigation earlier this year that focused on Howard Watson, a Cortes senior deputy accused of, but never prosecuted on charges of, sexually abusing a former foster child ...

Tim Braaten, executive director of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Education:

"We probably have over 100 felons working as peace officers in the state of Texas"


3 DOZEN DALLAS COUNTY DEPUTY CONSTABLES HIRED DESPITE TROUBLING JOB HISTORIES
The Dallas Morning News
By Ed Timms and Kevin Krause
Sunday, September 19, 2010
[Excerpts] ...A Dallas Morning News investigation discovered that some constables attract peace officers with troubled histories like magnets. At least three dozen deputy constables in Dallas County were terminated from previous law enforcement jobs, resigned while under investigation or were disciplined for serious infractions. Others fit the profile of "gypsy cops" who repeatedly bounced from one job to the next in a downward career spiral. The two precincts that are the focus of a criminal investigation by a special prosecutor into allegations of wrongdoing – the Precinct 5 constable's office under Jaime Cortes and Precinct 1 Constable Derek Evans' office – had the most by far, each more than the remaining three precincts combined. At least 13 of the 38 deputy constables employed by Precinct 5 in early 2010 had experienced serious problems in previous law enforcement jobs, as did 14 of the 55 licensed peace officers in Precinct 1... Some of those deputies have found themselves in trouble again... "The best predictor of an officer's future conduct is their past conduct. Some of it is startlingly telltale," said Eugene O'Donnell, professor of law and police studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. Hiring someone with a troubled past, he said, "raises questions about the leadership."... The News first raised questions about the quality of background checks for deputies in an investigation earlier this year that focused on Howard Watson, a Cortes senior deputy accused of, but never prosecuted on charges of, sexually abusing a former foster child while she was still a minor and fathering her children, as well as criminal charges, in California... [Full article here]

WITH LEGAL LOOPHOLES, TROUBLED PASTS OFTEN NOT FACTOR IN HIRING OF DALLAS COUNTY DEPUTY CONSTABLES
The Dallas Morning News
By Ed Timms and Kevin Krause
September 20, 2010
[Excerpts] Legal loopholes, weak regulations and abuses have allowed Dallas County constables to employ deputies with troubled pasts, a Dallas Morning News investigation has found. In some cases, constables failed to conduct thorough background checks – or even basic checks. Deputies made statements or omissions on their job applications that were, at a minimum, misleading. State laws that require law enforcement agencies to obtain some background information do not ensure that a thorough review is done... Also, some government agencies – in an attempt to avoid liability – enter into settlement agreements that help problem officers hide their past. And because some officer standards were passed only recently, a deputy fired repeatedly for misconduct or with criminal records can still carry a badge. That's despite repeated efforts by lawmakers and the state agency that licenses peace officers to improve standards and the quality of background checks. One example is the 2005 "gypsy cop" law, which sought to weed out problem officers who bounce from one job to the next... How much scrutiny job candidates get still varies widely from one law enforcement agency to the next... [Kaufman County Sheriff David] Byrnes, the Kaufman County sheriff who is an outspoken critic of gypsy cops, said nothing prevents him from hiring a problem officer. But if he does, "I've bought the liability"... In February, Dallas County commissioners asked their human resources department to tighten hiring procedures for deputy constables after The News reported on the troubled history of Howard Watson, a former Cortes deputy who faces several felony charges... For some peace officers with a past, time may be on their side. State law allows governments to destroy the personnel files of former employees five years after they leave. In dozens of cases examined by The News, law enforcement agencies that had previously employed deputy constables no longer had their personnel records. And in some cases, government officials enter into settlement agreements, promising not to reveal all the details of a former employee's departure. A problem officer who is allowed to resign quietly and leave with a clean personnel record is less likely to sue for wrongful termination, some officials and their attorneys rationalize... An applicant's out-of-state work history may not always be known. Texas participates in a national decertification database that identifies individuals who have lost their peace officer certification in 28 states, [Tim Braaten, executive director of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Education] said, "and we're trying to get the other 22 to participate... We probably have over 100 felons working as peace officers in the state of Texas"... [Full article here] accountability

[WI] Officer Mark Lelinski (brother of convicted Officer Steven Lelinski) arrested a third time for domestic violence

...The document said [Milwaukee Police Officer Mark Lelinski] threw her around, leaving bruises on her body and threatened to kill her... The woman also accused Lelinski of coming home drunk earlier this month and urinating on their sleeping baby... Lelinski's wife has taken out a temporary restraining order against him... Lelinski has been arrested on domestic violence allegations before, in 1999 and 2007...

Previous post about his brother Steven:
[WI] Police Standards Officer Steven Lelinski accused of attacking woman he was "pursuing"

MILWAUKEE POLICE OFFICER ARRESTED
WISN
POSTED: 9:48 pm CDT September 23, 2010
UPDATED: 4:11 pm CDT September 24, 2010
[Excerpts] Milwaukee police arrested one of their own last week. Officer Mark Lelinski is under investigation for domestic violence... Online court documents show Lelinski's wife has taken out a temporary restraining order against him... [Full article here]

RESTRAINING ORDER TAKEN OUT AGAINST MPD OFFICER
WISN
September 24, 2010
[Excerpts] ...According to the document the woman filed, [Milwaukee police office] Mark Lelinski threatened her last week and tried to prevent her from leaving the house by lying behind the car. That night, he woke her up, accusing her of taking money from him. The document said he threw her around, leaving bruises on her body and threatened to kill her... He is on administrative duty pending the outcome of the investigation... [Full article here]

MILWAUKEE POLICE OFFICER ARRESTED IN DOMESTIC ABUSE CASE
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
By Gina Barton
Sept. 23, 2010
[Excerpts] ...The woman also accused Lelinski of coming home drunk earlier this month and urinating on their sleeping baby, records say. A hearing on whether to convert the temporary restraining order into a permanent injunction is scheduled for next week. Lelinski, assigned to District 3, is on administrative duty. The investigation is ongoing, according to Sgt. Gregg Duran of the Milwaukee Police Department... Lelinski has been arrested on domestic violence allegations before, in 1999 and 2007, after incidents involving a different woman. He was suspended for five days as a result of the 1999 incident, according to police and personnel records. He was not disciplined in 2007. He was not charged in either incident... [Full article here]

HERE'S AN UPDATE ON HIS BROTHER STEVEN LELINSKI SINCE THE LAST POST:


FORMER MILWAUKEE OFFICER SENTENCED FOR [SERIAL] SEXUAL ASSAULT
WISN
POSTED: 6:38 pm CDT March 29, 2007
[Excerpts] Former Milwaukee police Officer Steven Lelinski will spend the next two decades behind bars for using his job as a police officer to sexually assault women. Prosecutors describe him as Jeckyl and Hyde... There was a gasp as the large gallery of friends and family first saw Lelinski enter the courtroom in chains Thursday. He was convicted last month of second-degree sexual assault and three related charges. "The veneer of this nice guy, this helper guy, is stripped away pretty quickly, and what we find is the predator underneath," Milwaukee Couty Assistant District Attorney Miriam Falk said... [Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey] Wagner sentenced him to 21 years in prison, saying Lelinski cast a cloud over law enforcement in the community and took advantage of the most vulnerable. "It's important for this court to send a message that regardless of who you are, or what station in life you have, there's going to be justice," Wagner said... [Full article here]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence (IPV) abuse law enforcement public safety terroristic threatening lethal alcohol repeat hx teflon]

[PA] Slain Pennsylvania State Trooper Michael Young and his wife Mary remembered


Mary Jane Young shot and killed her husband and then took her own life August 10th, 1986 in Hazleton, Luzerne County Pennsylvania. According to the one article I could find in library archives, Mary had been released from a psychiatric hospital the month before.

Was she abused? Was she going crazy? Was she framed? Was he a good husband, supportive - or bad? I don't know. I only know that they were here and through a tragic ending they are both gone.

No one should be forgotten.
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence (IPV) abuse law enforcement public safety fatality fatalities lethal murder suicide female perp pennsylvania state]

Sunday, September 26, 2010

[NV] In the wee hours, Officer Little shot and killed his female friend's estranged husband, Ruslan Zhgenti

Ruslan Zhgenti was killed at 1 in the morning by off-duty Henderson police officer Edward Little - who was with Zhgenti's estranged wife when Zhgenti arrived. Many are asking what really happened but if there is another side of the story about what happened that night - it has been silenced.

...Police say the victim went into the home of his estranged wife with a gun. He was met by the off-duty Henderson officer who was also armed with his own personal gun. That off-duty officer had apparently been dating the woman involved. Her estranged husband was reportedly not welcome in the home and did not have a right to be there... A city of Henderson spokesperson says because the officer was not on the job, this is not considered to be an "officer involved shooting"... Police were at the home well into the afternoon, according to neighbor [JH]. He said he saw investigators take a personal computer and several brown paper sacks out of the home... [Spokeswoman Kathy] Blaha said Monday it's unclear whether the case might go to a coroner's inquest jury. She said if charges are filed against Little it would be after the completion of the investigation, which is still under way. "It's going to take a little bit for them to work through this one," Blaha said. NOTE: This story originally said the case wasn't expected to go to a coroner's inquest jury, but was changed to say it's unclear whether it will go to an inquest jury... The victims family says he and his wife had only been separated a month and still have very much access to his own home. That's despite Henderson Police reporting he did not have free access to the home... The family says his wife was having an affair with an off-duty Henderson Police officer who shot Zhgenti four times. "I don't know how to put this; he was murdered," says Timur Durdyev, Zhgenti's brother...

Video:


OFF-DUTY OFFICER SHOOTS, KILLS HENDERSON MAN
Officer Placed On Paid Administrative Leave
fox5vegas.com
September 17, 2010
[Excerpt] A 38-year-old Henderson man was shot and killed Friday morning by an off-duty police officer during a confrontation that involved the former’s ex-wife. That’s according to police, who said the estranged husband entered the house, on Via Sarafina Drive near Seven Hills and Lizard Leaf drives, shortly after 1 a.m. He was carrying a gun and was not invited into the house, police said. The off-duty officer, who lives in North Las Vegas, was described by police as a "friend" of the woman... [Full article here]

Video:


OFF-DUTY POLICE OFFICER SHOOTS AND KILLS MAN
8newsnow.com, KLAS-TV
Posted: Sep 17, 2010 1:21 PM PDT
Updated: Sep 17, 2010 3:00 PM PDT
[Excerpts] ...A City of Henderson spokesperson said the suspect, who was armed with a gun, confronted the woman and the 32-year-old Henderson police officer. The suspect was the estranged husband of the woman. The spokesperson said the off-duty officer shot and killed the husband... The shooting happened around 1:15 a.m. near Seven Hills Drive and Lizard Leaf Drive. The officer is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation. [Full article here]

Video: Family of Ruslan Zhgenti, killed by wife's visiting cop friend, speaks out


NEIGHBORHOOD SHAKEN AFTER OFF-DUTY OFFICER SHOOTS & KILLS SUSPECT
8newsnow.com, KLAS-TV
Posted: Sep 17, 2010
[Excerpts] The Henderson neighborhood near Seven Hills and Via Sarafina is not known for criminal activity... "I was working on my computer at about somewhere around one in the morning, and I heard four shots go off," said neighbor [SF]. Investigators say a 38-year-old man showed up at his old home to confront his estranged wife and her male friend. The woman's friend is a Henderson police officer, who was off-duty when the man arrived. The estranged husband managed to get inside. His anger escalated, and he was armed. "The estranged husband confronted the two of them with a firearm," said City of Henderson spokesperson Kathy Blaha. "The off-duty police officer retrieved his firearm, and shot and killed the estranged husband"... Several neighbors say they didn't know much about the couple... Since the officer was not on duty, a coroner's inquest is unlikely. [Full article here]

MAN DEAD AFTER OFF-DUTY HENDERSON OFFICER OPENS FIRE INSIDE HOME
ktnv.com
Updated: Sep 17, 2010
[Excerpts] A deadly dispute played out inside a Henderson home when an estranged husband showed up and an off-duty police officer opened fire... Police say the victim went into the home of his estranged wife with a gun. He was met by the off-duty Henderson officer who was also armed with his own personal gun. That off-duty officer had apparently been dating the woman involved. Her estranged husband was reportedly not welcome in the home and did not have a right to be there. Police say he came in anyway in hopes of confronting the pair. Within a matter of hours, he left in a coroner's van. "It was just four, bang bang bang bang, in a row. Four shots. My initial reaction was oh, that didn't sound like a firecracker or fireworks," said neighbor [SF]... "It's stunning. It's shocking actually. It's unfortunate that anyone had to die in this situation. When the facts come out we'll see if it was justified," said neighbor [MK]. A city of Henderson spokesperson says because the officer was not on the job, this is not considered to be an "officer involved shooting". "When officers are off-duty, they are acting in the capacity of a citizen," said spokesperson Kathy Blaha... The Henderson officer is only being identified at this time as a 32-year-old North Las Vegas resident. The Clark County Coroner's Office will release the name of the estranged husband pending notification of next of kin. Once the investigation is complete, the case will be forwarded to the Clark County District Attorney for review. [Full article here]

FAMILY OF HENDERSON MAN SHOT BY OFF-DUTY OFFICER SPEAK OUT
KTNV
Sep 18, 2010
[Excerpt] The family of Friday's deadly shooting victim are here from Seattle saying they have heard multiple versions of how their son died. They say the events leading up to the incident spell out foul play. A birthday video shot three weeks ago shows one happy family, but underneath the smiles and kisses, family members say trouble had been brewing for quite a while. Ruslan Zhgenti is said to be a loving father to his toddler son, worked with his wife at the same dental office, but Friday morning police found him dead in his Henderson home. "I don't know how to put this; he was murdered," says Timur Durdyev, Zhgenti's brother. His family is making some big accusations. They say it was not in Zhgenti's nature to confront anyone violently, let alone with a handgun like Henderson Police say he did. The family says his wife was having an affair with an off-duty Henderson Police officer who shot Zhgenti four times. "They had these relations before, an affair, I would say. She was cheating on my brother, before coming to the decision that they need to separate for a while," says Durdyev. The victims family says he and his wife had only been separated a month and still have very much access to his own home. That's despite Henderson Police reporting he did not have free access to the home. "I think it was planned. just to take my brother out of the picture. Probably for his wife to have a different life or officially not cheat," says Durdyev... [Full article here]

OFF-DUTY HENDERSON OFFICER SHOOTS, KILLS MAN IN HOME
Estranged husband confronted pair at Henderson home
Las Vegas Review-Journal
By Lawrence Mower
Sep. 17, 2010
[Excerpts] An off-duty Henderson police officer shot and killed a gun-wielding man during a domestic dispute at a Seven Hills home early Friday morning. The officer was at a woman's home at 3038 Via Sarafina Dr., near Seven Hills Drive and Lizard Leaf Drive, when the woman's estranged husband came to the home around 1:15 a.m., according to Henderson police. The 38-year-old husband did not live at the home, police said. He entered and confronted the two people with a handgun. The off-duty officer, a 32-year-old North Las Vegas resident, grabbed his own handgun and fired at the husband, killing him. The officer used a personal weapon, not his department-issued handgun, police said... The home is registered to a Sabina Iskenderova. Public records show she bought the home new in 2002 with a Ruslan Zhgenti. Neighbors described them as a reclusive but polite Eastern European couple in their 30s... Police were at the home well into the afternoon, according to neighbor [JH]. He said he saw investigators take a personal computer and several brown paper sacks out of the home. He added that he knew all of his neighbors except for the couple at that home... [Neighbor JR] said he believed a late-model Toyota sport utility vehicle parked in its driveway Friday afternoon belonged to the husband... In April, police fired at but missed a state Fire Marshal's investigator who fired at officers... [Full article here]

GUN-WIELDING MAN KILLED BY OFF-DUTY OFFICER IDENTIFIED
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Sep. 20, 2010
[Excerpts] A gun-wielding man [Ruslan Zhgenti] killed Friday by an off-duty Henderson police officer [Edward Little] was identified Monday by the Clark County coroner's office... Kathy Blaha, a spokeswoman with the city, said the incident is under investigation. After the investigation is concluded, it will be determined whether any charges will be filed in the case... Police described his relationship with the woman as a friendship. The home is registered to a Sabina Iskenderova. Public records show she bought the home new in 2002 with Zhgenti... Little has been placed on paid routine administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation. [Full article here]

OFF-DUTY POLICE OFFICER, SLAIN MAN IDENTIFIED IN FRIDAY SHOOTING
Las Vegas Sun
Sept. 20, 2010
[Excerpts] The Clark County Coroner's Office today identified a man shot and killed by an off-duty Henderson police officer [Edward Little] Friday morning after the man entered the home of the officer's female friend... [Ruslan] Zhgenti entered the home at 3038 Via Sarafina about 1:15 a.m.... Zhgenti, who was armed with a handgun, then confronted his estranged wife and the off-duty officer before he was shot, [spokeswoman Kathy] Blaha said... Blaha said Monday it's unclear whether the case might go to a coroner's inquest jury. She said if charges are filed against Little it would be after the completion of the investigation, which is still under way. "It's going to take a little bit for them to work through this one," Blaha said. NOTE: This story originally said the case wasn't expected to go to a coroner's inquest jury, but was changed to say it's unclear whether it will go to an inquest jury. [Full article here]

SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THE INTERNET:

mitzy17 said:
Is it me or is this article kind of phrased awkwardly?
"after the man entered the home of the officer's female friend."
Placing the possesive nature of the officer's friend as opposed to "after the man entered the home where his estranged wife lived".
I dunno lol just seemed odd...

kirkland said:
Nice to have a Cop in your bed when you need him...

By Svet16 said:
There is a lot more to this story, then what they are writing here. The man that was shot was a family member and this all seems very suspicious on the part of the wife and off-duty cop. This is not the full story, the husband entered his own house, they we not divorced, he went to go see his sick child. I feel that the cop should be a moral example to the community, he shouldn't be sleeping around with a married women, and then shooting her husband in the same house where their child was sleeping on the second floor. We know for sure that he was shot four times, and he never shot at the cop, this seems like the cop was shooting to kill not to defend.

labdaddy said:
I'll be interested to learn if the dead husband's weapon was registered to him or if the gun has "no history".

joselvnv said:
I hope She did not set this up so she could claim her stranged husband's insurance and just used this off duty cop for that purpose.
If the ex had a history of battery or other abuse against her.. then she is now a free and still alive woman...

neiman1 said:
Cop shoots girlfriend's husband in husband's home. That's the real headline.


By Svet16 said:
Sabina was still married to Ruslan at the time of the shooting, when all of this was going on we never got the full story, for the longest time we thought that they called the police and that there was a huge shoot out in the house between Ruslan and the cops. It was only until we read the news that we figured out that the cop was OFF-DUTY and a "friend" of Sabina's. She doesn't want anything to do with the Ruslan, she doesn't even want to bury him properly. He never did anything to her besides love her and take care of their child. While she was bring men home at one in the morning while her child was sick upstairs. Our family just wants justice for this horrible killing.

TonyCrago said:
Sounds like a love triangle - did the female set this up to get rid of the ex????

tortious2u2 said:
Hum...a guy walks into his own home, catches his wife and some cop in flagrant dilecto, cop fears for his life (as well he should), guy gets murdered. Cop has throw down piece...

notacon said:
something smells about this story...

LORDGLENMORE said:
Cop haters, your welfare money late or what?
The guy shot an intruder who had a gun, what ? No one ever heard of a divorced guy going back and shooting his ex wife, like that doesen't happen?
A murder was prevented...

By jaunsanchez said:
Jaun says something wrong with story. Sure saved on divorce fees and diving up assets!

By gmag39 said:
How's about waiting until the FACTS COME OUT...

By KeolaGOP said:
Why not print this fact? Cop kills estranged husband.

By mred said:
...I wonder if they will runout of throw down guns?

bghs1986 said:
Fact: Couple was still married, no restraining order. He was not an intruder...

By Nevada_Ned said:
Married woman has an affair. Gets lover to kill her husband...

By woobert said:
The officer is a "hero." Guys that can't let go of their wife or girlfriend and continue to threaten, abuse and stalk, need to be taken down...

By kelly456 said:
i'm sure she told him to stay over and set up the ex once he came knocking... cops are always in the right in vegas

By bghs1986 said:
Well now that we find that the husband didn't enter the house illegally, therefore he wasn't the intruder said:

By Youandme said:
He could have been there to protect his wife from the armed man inside. We only have the word of the two cheaters here. Can this dishonest duo be trusted.?

By skerlahdee said:
Sorry for your loss, Svet. We all hope for justice...
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence (IPV) abuse law enforcement public safety fatality fatalities lethal murder or justified homicide nevada state self-defense preferential treatment]

[HI] Cop on cop domestic violence: Lt. Kawabata accused of abusing Sgt. wife

HPD officer arrested on suspicion of abuse of a family member
Posted: Sep 17, 2010
HawaiiNewsNow
An 18 year veteran of the Honolulu Police Department has been arrested on suspicion of abuse of a family member. 42-year-old Jason Kawabata was arrested on Thursday. The alleged victim is Kawabata's wife, who is a sergeant in the department. "The Honolulu Police Department holds our officers to a higher standard than the general public. I am deeply concerned about the allegations, and we have opened both criminal and administrative investigations. We take each complaint seriously. No one is above the law" said Chief Louis Kealoha in a statement. Kawabata works in the department's information technology division. He was named Lieutenant of the Year in 2009. Kawabata is free after posting $1,000 bail. His court appearance is set for September 30. [LINK]
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence (IPV) abuse law enforcement public safety fatality hawaii state]

Saturday, September 25, 2010

[GA] Theresa Parker's body found. Sheriff Wilson: “It’s just a miracle..."

The body of Theresa Parker has finally been found.
The funeral will be open to the public. "The people that's prayed for us and kept searching for her, we're not gonna close those people off"...

People were praying. Thank you God!
“It’s just a miracle that he stumbled upon it and reported it to the sheriff’s office,” said Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson... But he said, “It’s a day that’s difficult to report”...

From the video below, Sheriff Wilson:
"...I would say that justice has prevailed - that the Almighty has looked down, and for whatever reason, prayers have been answered that she's been found... It's hard to beat justice and Divine intervention."


From below:
...Her husband, former LaFayette police officer Sam Parker, was convicted of her murder in September 2009... The 51-year-old police officer who allegedly had a history of alcohol and domestic abuse and Theresa were in the process of getting a divorce when she disappeared... Theresa’s niece testifies: “He called his badge his get-out-of-jail-free card”... Authorities have finished their investigation... While police said they hope to find a cause of death, Chattooga County Sheriff John Everett said Thursday there are no obvious physical signs to indicate how she died. Meanwhile, Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson said the family has a flicker of hope that the answers will come. “But all of our questions may not be answered until we see her again,” she said... Now her family and close friends say they must relive the pain again. “We’re trying to recover from the blow again,” said Theresa Parker’s sister Hilda Wilson... “It just brings all the hurt back. This is all just a shock to us. We don’t even know what to do next. We don’t even know when she’ll be turned over to us”... "How the family feels is kind of second to what I think of and we think of as far as what (Theresa) went through"... Theresa Parker began working at the Walker County 911 Center in 1992 and was known and loved throughout the staff...

Video

Previous post:
[GA] EX-SGT. PARKER CONVICTED FOR KILLING THERESA: THE BEST POSSIBLE SAD ENDING, BUT NOT GOOD ENOUGH UNTIL IT CAN'T HAPPEN AGAIN

THERESA PARKER'S REMAINS HAVE BEEN FOUND
WDEF
September 22, 2010
Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson and department officials held a press conference to answer questions regarding the recently discovered remains of Theresa Parker. Parker disappeared in 2007 and a jury last year convicted her husband, former LaFayette, Ga., police officer Sam Parker, in her murder. He is serving a life prison sentence. [Full article here]

Full Press Conference videos:
THERESA PARKER INVESTIGATION FAR FROM OVER; SOME STILL HAVE DOUBTS
WDEF
Submitted by Bill Mitchell
September 23, 2010 - 5:34pm.
[Excerpts] The Georgia Bureau of Investigation continues to search for clues in Chattooga county after confirming that remains found there on Monday were those of [Walker county 9-1-1 supervisor] Theresa Parker... Former Lafayette police sergeant Sam Parker was sentenced to jail for life last September for the murder of his wife... Local and state officers announced the remains found by a farmer near the Chattooga river on Monday were indeed hers... State investigators will hold the bodily remains until a cause of death has been determined before returning them for burial and a memorial service. Sam Parker's attorneys are planning an appeal of his life sentence handed down last year. If a judge grants a new trial, prosecutors could ask for the death penalty based on the finding of Theresa Parker's remains. [Full article here]

THERESA PARKER'S BODY FOUND IN GA., 911 DISPATCHER WENT MISSING IN 2007
48 Hours, Crimesider
Posted by Caroline Black 2 comments
September 23, 2010 2:09 PM
[Excerpts] Teresa Parker's family and friends will finally be able to put the Georgia 911 dispatcher to rest... a sad and final ending that they have feared since Teresa mysteriously vanished in 2007. According to Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson, the investigative team received a call Monday from a farmer who had been combing an area in Chattooga County near the state border of Alabama for driftwood and instead found a jawbone. Even though it had been quite some time since her disappearance, numerous law enforcement agencies have continued to work together to investigate the case and were searching another area at the time when they received the call... Further details of the crime scene have been withheld, but Wilson did say a forensic review will be necessary in order to determine the cause of death... The 51-year-old police officer who allegedly had a history of alcohol and domestic abuse and Theresa were in the process of getting a divorce when she disappeared March 21, 2007. David Ashburn, director of the 911 center where Theresa Parker worked, said friends and co-workers were notified. "It's great we have an answer," Ashburn said, "but it's terrible it's not the answer we wanted." [Full article here]

THERESA PARKER'S FAMILY WANTS HER FUNERAL OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
newschannel9.com
September 24, 2010 10:34 PM
[Excerpts] We're hearing more from the family of Theresa Parker, the Walker County 911 worker whose remains were found Tuesday three-and-a-half years since she went missing. Parker's brother-in-law Jon Wilson says they always held out hope that Parker was still alive. Now with the news that her remains were found, they're figuring out how to move forward. Wilson says his family had managed to get by since his sister-in-law disappeared March 21, 2007. But then Tuesday, they got the call they'd been dreading. "We were just doing every day things and when you get the call, everything changes," Wilson and his wife Hilda, Parker's sister, dropped everything and drove from their home in Florida to be with their family, and visit the site where a farmer found Parker's jawbone in Chattooga County. "How the family feels is kind of second to what I think of and we think of as far as what (Theresa) went through." Now the family is waiting on investigators to finish examining Parker's remains so she can return to her family and have a proper burial. Wilson says the funeral will be open to the public. "The people that's prayed for us and kept searching for her, we're not gonna close those people off," Wilson said. "If they wanna come they can sure be a part of it"... [Full article here]

'PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED': THERESA PARKER'S REMAINS POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED
by staff reports Rn T.Com
1 day 23 hrs ago
[Excerpts] For three years and six months, Theresa Parker’s family, friends, co-workers and law enforcement have wondered what happened to the missing Walker County 911 dispatcher. They received a partial but devastating answer Wednesday. Parker’s remains were found earlier this week about 100 feet from the Chattooga River off Fullerton Road in southern Chattooga County. Her husband, former LaFayette police officer Sam Parker, was convicted of her murder in September 2009... A farmer searching for driftwood off Fullerton Road found a jawbone Monday afternoon, said Chattooga County Sheriff John Everett. A further search of the area by Chattooga County sheriff’s deputies led to the recovery of other bones, including a skull. Dental records positively identified the remains as Parker’s, Wilson said. “It’s just a miracle that he stumbled upon it and reported it to the sheriff’s office,” said Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson at a news conference Wednesday afternoon in LaFayette. But he said, “It’s a day that’s difficult to report”... “We would always get our hopes up,” [brother-in-law] Jon Wilson said in a phone interview Wednesday afternoon. “It’s been a stressful three years.” The Walker County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement officials never gave up either, Wilson said. The day the remains were found in Chattooga County, officials were looking for Parker in another area in Walker County, said Jerry Scott of the Calhoun office of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation... [Full article here]

FAMILY RELIEVED THAT THERESA PARKER'S REMAINS HAVE BEEN FOUND, SHERIFF SAYS
timesfreepress.com
Joy Lukachick
Sept. 22, 2010
[Excerpts]...[Walker County Sheriff Steve] Wilson said the next step is to determine the cause of death before Parker’s remains are returned to the family... PARKER TIMELINE -March 21, 2007 — Theresa Parker, a Walker County 911 operator, is reported missing... April 13, 2007 — Parker is fired for having explosives in his locker at the LaFayette police station. Police go to his home that night after a caller says Parker was trying to harm himself. Feb. 4, 2008 — Parker is arrested on charges of killing his wife... Feb. 26-27, 2008 — At Parker’s bond hearing, Theresa Parker’s former sister-in-law Tabitha Thomas testifies: “[Sam] told me, ‘I have killed before, and I will kill again’”... Aug. 18, 2009 — Harbin Chaffin, a former LaFayette police officer and friend of Sam Parker, testifies: “[Parker] said he’d [killed his wife] or was really going to do it. He said he had a place [to hide a body that was] hard to find and that he’d shot Theresa through the head”... Aug. 27, 2009 — Theresa’s niece, Arica Patterson, testifies: “[Parker] called [his badge] his get-out-of-jail-free card”... Sept. 3, 2009 — Sam Parker is found guilty and sentenced to life in prison... [Full article here]

FAMILY OF THERESA PARKER GETS CLOSURE 3 1/2 YEARS AFTER HER DISAPPEARANCE
WDEF
Submitted by Nordia Epps
September 22, 2010
[Excerpts] After three and a half years some closure for the family of Theresa Parker... Sheriff John Everett, Chatooga County, "We responded we secured the scene we assembled a search team around 5:49 pm that evening we found other skeletal remains." The Georgia Bureau of Investigation used dental records to identify the remains as those of Teresa Parker... Her family and coworkers were among the first to hear the news. David Ashburn, Walker Co. 911 Director, "It's a great day and a terrible day. Great that we have an answer but it's terrible it's not the answer we want. They are all taking it in stride. It's a tough moment for the groups"... Special Agent Jerry Scott, GBI, "The jurors in this case now will realize they did the right thing"... Leigh Patterson, Lead Prosecutor, "What that says about Sam Parker I think you can draw your own conclusion. She didn't run away. She didn't run away from her family she would never have left her mother and her sisters and her nieces and her nephews in limbo"... Sheriff Steve Wilson, Walker County, "We've all I think felt the urgency and need to recover her remains and bring them back so that she could rest in peace. So she could rest in a proper burial spot"... [Full article here]

CLOTHING FOUND IN AREA WHERE THERESA PARKER'S REMAINS WERE LOCATED
Walker County Messenger, Rn T.Com
by Matt Ledger
September 24, 2010
[Excerpts] Authorities have finished their investigation of the rural Chattooga County site where Theresa Parker’s skeletal remains were found. Besides bones, they found a pair of size-8 Old Navy jeans, bra, and portion of a sock, Chattooga County sheriff’s investigator Mark Schrader said. The items were deteriorated but will be analyzed forensically to see if they were in fact Parker’s and to preserve any possible DNA or clues to her cause of death... The area in which her remains were found is amid hundreds of acres of cornfields surrounded by woods, without a neighbor anywhere on the horizon. There are only one or two landowners in the immediate vicinity. A field hand, David Ledbetter of Rome, found the first bone on Monday, Sept. 20. Ledbetter had a brief 20-30 minute break in work, after the harvest trucks left with a full load, so he walked through the woods on his way to nearby Chattooga River. Along the way he found a jawbone. Schrader said Parker’s remains were found “less than 100 feet from the river” in a 20-foot-by-20-foot area. The site is near a dirt road named Fullerton Road. In September 2009 Fullerton Road and the surrounding area was flooded by heavy rains. Residents recall Fullerton Road being shut down, while Schrader recalls that nearby Price Bridge was impassible for several days. During that time the river flowed much faster, eventually cresting its banks, locals said... [Full article here]

PATTERSON SAYS LOCATION OF PARKER'S REMAINS CONSISTENT WITH EVIDENCE PRESENTED DURING TRIAL
Walker County Messenger Rn T.Com
by Christi McEntyre and Matt Ledger
September 24, 2010
[Excerpts] The location where Theresa Parker’s remains were found is consistent with the evidence she presented during the Sam Parker trial, Floyd County District Attorney Leigh Patterson said Thursday. Patterson, who served as a special prosecutor in the case, submitted cell phone signal triangulations as evidence to pinpoint where Sam Parker had been on the night Theresa Parker disappeared. By determining the location where Sam Parker was on that night, it was extrapolated that Theresa Parker’s body was dumped not far away. “We always thought she was somewhere between LaFayette and Trion,” Patterson said, basing that estimate... Neither Patterson nor anybody at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation can yet say exactly how Theresa Parker’s remains ended up in that remote riverbed. One of the most popular theories now is that last winter’s flood had something to do with how her remains were deposited. “(The flood) certainly was an anomaly for this area,” Patterson said... [Full article here]

UPDATE: CLOSER LOOK AT AREA WHERE FARMER FOUND THERESA PARKER
newschannel9
September 22, 2010
[Excerpts] ...The area where the missing Walker County 911 dispatcher's body was found is right near the Alabama border in Chattooga County, Georgia in a community called Lyerly. It's full of farmland and forest, and is now the focus of a murder investigation. A farmer walking the Chattaooga River banks found Theresa Parker's remains Monday afternoon. It's just off Fullerton Road which is a two mile road that ends at the Alabama-Georgia line. There are about 500 acres surrounding it, and what's not used for farming is used for hunting... "There's nothing but woods, no houses, there's no power on the road as far as I know," [neighbor James] Callahan said. "It's very hidden." The banks where Parker's body was found is just 14 miles from where her husband, Sam Parker, grew up... [Full article here]

...Among the radios, switchboards and telephones in the dimly lit Walker County 911 dispatch room, a sign has stayed pinned to a corkboard for more than three years. “Missing: Theresa Parker,” the sign reads. “Nobody wants to take it down”...

FIND BRINGS BACK ‘HURT’
timesfreepress.com
By: Joan Garrett, Joy Lukachick
Sept. 23, 2010
[Excerpts] For more than three years, Theresa Parker’s family just knew she was dead. They suffered through months of fruitless searches for her body. They watched as the national media descended on her North Georgia neighborhood. They sat in court during the trial that convicted her husband Sam Parker of murder. But because her body was still missing, they kept hearing the same thing from friends and others in the community: Maybe she just ran away from an abusive relationship. Maybe she’s alive. Maybe. On Wednesday, the maybes came to a crashing halt... “This kind of makes all our fears a reality,” said John Wilson, Theresa Parker’s brother-in-law. “It just brings all the hurt back. This is all just a shock to us. We don’t even know what to do next. We don’t even know when she’ll be turned over to us”... After three years of local and state police combing four counties in Northwest Georgia for Theresa Parker’s body, her remains were discovered Monday by a farmer in Chattooga County, Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson said. They were found next to a cornfield, about 100 feet from the Chattooga River near the Alabama state line... After a GBI forensic test identified the remains as Theresa Parker through dental records, word began to spread Wednesday afternoon among Walker County public safety officials. Theresa Parker began working at the Walker County 911 Center in 1992 and was known and loved throughout the staff, said David Ashburn, Walker County 911 director. When told her body had been found, he called in extra dispatchers before breaking the news to his employees, worried their reactions would be intense, he said. He was right. Several dispatchers became so upset they had to leave their radios when they were told, Ashburn said... “We can send her back home and let her family give her a proper burial, a proper memorial service that she so desperately deserves”... John Wilson said family members had always hoped Sam Parker would admit to where he had hid her remains. Now that her remains have been found, he has only one question for the convicted murderer. “I would like to know why,” he said. “That’s what I would like to know.” [Full article here]

FARMER WHO FOUND PARKER'S JAWBONE: 'NO BIG DEAL'
newschannel9.com
September 24, 2010
[Excerpts] NewsChannel 9 spoke with the man who spotted Theresa Parker's jawbone Monday afternoon. David Ledbetter's discovery wrapped up a missing person's case that gained national attention. Ledbetter treated it as no big deal and just hopes he did the right thing. He lives in Rome, Georgia and didn't even know about Parker's murder. He is an unassuming man, a farmer who works the land for his living. After harvesting a load of corn of Monday afternoon, he took a break. He walked down from the corn field off Fullerton Road to take a break at the Chattooga River. Little did he know what he would stumble upon... Massive searches, specialized equipment, tracking dogs followed hundreds of tips but to no avail. On Monday, Ledbetter knew he found something big, but seeks no credit... [Full article here]

ONE WAIT OVER, ANOTHER BEGINS
timesfreepress.com
By: Joy Lukachick
Sept. 24, 2010
[Excerpts] Among the radios, switchboards and telephones in the dimly lit Walker County 911 dispatch room, a sign has stayed pinned to a corkboard for more than three years. “Missing: Theresa Parker,” the sign reads. “Nobody wants to take it down,” said 911 Director David Ashburn, a day after Parker’s body was found. Walker County 911 employees are still in shock... “We’re used to being on the other side of this; it’s not on our side of the phone,” said 911 dispatcher Tracy Paris, who worked with Parker for 15 years... Parker’s husband, Sam, a former LaFayette police officer, was convicted of murdering her last year, even though her body had not been found.... Now her family and close friends say they must relive the pain again. “We’re trying to recover from the blow again,” said Theresa Parker’s sister Hilda Wilson. While family members are relieved they finally have confirmation of her death, Wilson said the grief is the similar to when Theresa Parker first went missing. “Nobody will ever change the fact that she was brutally murdered,” Wilson said. “The last thing we can do for her is give her a final farewell”... On Thursday morning, Wilson and her husband drove from their home in Florida to LaFayette to grieve with the rest of the family and begin to plan a memorial service. Police have not given a timeframe for when Theresa Parker’s remains will be returned to the family, but Wilson said the family hopes the wait won’t be long... While police said they hope to find a cause of death, [Chattooga County Sheriff John[ Everett said Thursday there are no obvious physical signs to indicate how she died. Meanwhile, Wilson said the family has a flicker of hope that the answers will come. “(But) all of our questions may not be answered until we see her again,” she said... [Full article here]

[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence (IPV) abuse law enforcement public safety fatality fatalities lethal murder georgia asshole]