Current Events In The News

The Death of Constance Shepherd - Part 2
　

　
　
I am a little concerned that LE is sending the Constance Shepherd death case to the grand jury so quickly after the discovery of her body. Her husband, Stephen Shepherd, is accused of her brutal murder. Stephen allegedly used a sword, slashed her throat and then fled from the crime scene. He was found in the Catskills the day after they discovered Connie’s body.

But my worry is that this case is barely a week old, and LE is confident they have enough good evidence to send it to grand jury and get a true bill. Was there no DNA evidence at the scene, no trace evidence, or fingerprints on the weapon? How can they get results from forensics so soon, within a week? Is Stephen mentally stable?

Stephen pleaded not-guilty to second-degree murder Thursday the 28th of May. I pray LE isn’t overly confident and doesn’t rush this case. Constance deserves justice and to get that justice, she must have a well-prepared, solid case built so her killer will get his fair trial.

　
http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/Sword_killing_goes_to_grand_jury_20090529

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/Suspicious_death_in_Town_of_Tonawanda_20090520

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/tonawanda_man_charged_in_wifes_murder_090521

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/man_accused_of_killing_wife_with_sword_090522

Current Events In The News

The Death of Constance Shepherd
　

　
　
On May 19th around 11PM neighbor Aurelia Closser noticed something out of ordinary at her neighbor’s home. The home was dark, the bedroom and kitchen lights weren’t on as usual. The next morning a man knocked on Closser’s door and requested to use the phone, he was the new owner of the home that had been in foreclosure. The man called 9-1-1.

When police arrived, they discovered no evidence that anyone was packed to move out, and a deceased female. A few hours later they issued a warrant for a man named Stephen Shepherd, the other person living in the home. Mr. Shepherd was located in Shandaken, NY, about 80 miles southwest of Albany Thursday the 21st and police took him into custody. His truck was found at a place known as ‘fishing spot.’

On Friday, the 22nd Stephen Shepherd went before a Judge and did not enter a plea. They charged him with second-degree murder in the death of his wife Constance Shepherd. Mrs. Shepherd’s throat was slashed with a knife the size of a sword.

The neighbors of the Shepherds have said Stephen acted like he always had a chip on his shoulder and appeared domineering and controlling. One has to wonder, did he blame Constance for the foreclosure of his home or killed her to spare her the ordeal of being homeless? Or is he simply a selfish individual and murdered her from some revengeful and evil reason of his own?

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/Suspicious_death_in_Town_of_Tonawanda_20090520

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/tonawanda_man_charged_in_wifes_murder_090521

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/man_accused_of_killing_wife_with_sword_090522

Personal Blog Entry

Of Whom I Admire
　
　

　
You've heard people say, 'It's my nature’ - well, it's time to listen to your nature instinct, to stand up for the rights of victims everywhere who suffer from verbal and physical abuse. The wind's gentle breeze hears nature's whispers - and those of the lonely, the hurt, the lost, the defenseless. Susan Murphy-Milano listens to hers. Do you?

Go here - http://peace4themissing.blogspot.com/ read 'Blue Defends Blue' - take a moment to reflect on paragraph 8 and the part that reads 'I never compromise an investigation or a victim's life.' I am of the belief that a truer statement has never been written. Through all months I have followed Susan Murphy-Milano's Journal at http://murphymilanojournal.blogspot.com/, her articles on 'Women In Crime Ink', and listened to the BTR show 'Justice Interrupted' that she co-hosts with Robin Sax and Stacy Dittrich, I have never known her to say or write anything that I, as a follower and blogger, a non cop, feel could hinder LE in any way with an investigation. I have never felt she said anything on her show http://www.blogtalkradio.com/SusanMurphyMilano either. All I hear is how those in need of domestic violence help, how those spouses of abusing cops, can detail the abuse they experience on a daily basis and who to turn to for help to stop the abuse.

Susan is an advocate of the abused. She is there for them when others turn their back. She fights for them, the abused spouses of LE Officers - those cases that are clear-cut abuse cases, not just the accusations of someone who wants to dirty her or his spouse's name. And if in that battle it means taking down an alleged 'good cop's' name within his or her department if that cop is abusing his spouse and children, then so be it - Victims have rights too!

Let hope and pray that no one ever successfully puts a muzzle on Susan's voice or her pen.



http://www.blogtalkradio.com/SusanMurphyMilano

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/justiceinterrupted

http://murphymilanojournal.blogspot.com/



　

Current Events In The News

Child Rapist Have Too Many Rights!

They charged Cesar Najera-Zavala with molestation of a 10-year-old in Garland, TX today. The child was a student at the Amiel Christian School where Zavala, age 55, was working as a private school director. Although Zavala is under a 50 thousand dollar bond, and LE is looking for more possible victims’ ages 3-14 . . . when he goes to court, I wonder if he will get a similar sentence as David Harold Earls, age 64, got in McAlester, Oklahoma. Earls pleaded no contest to the rape and sodomy of a 5-year-old and sentenced to one year in prison.

Granted, Earls must comply with the law and register as a sex offender when he is freed but will that stop him from ruining another child’s life? Did he choose a small child because he knew her ability to testify would turn in his favor? Has he done it before and gotten away with it because no one reported the abuse?

I am upset over these cases! When will it stop? When will the laws protect our children? Men like Cesar Najera-Zavala and David Harold Earls should not walk the streets as free men again. I think Zavala’s bond should be higher than 50 thousand. He can pay a percentage of that and go free until his trial date.


http://www.koco.com/news/19492965/detail.html 　

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/Day_Care_Head_Charged_w_Moles

Current Events In The News

Chat Rebuff Murder
　

　
Who are those faceless individuals on the other end of our chat screens? Does the option to allow others to see our personal information mean we are setting our self up as a possible stalking victim? Does the innocent action of sharing a picture of us speak of really knowing the one whom we shared with? Is it a fact that chat is more for fabricating our self than talking to an alleged 'friends’ list' person we meet? Can we really ever know that person?

Maybe a recent incident in New York is a reason to look more closely at what information we share regarding our real self - our real life.

Dennis Raymond, a 35 -year-old man met Nimzay (NIM'-Zay) Aponte in an online chat and when she rebuffed him, he allegedly tracked her down to New York Bronx Park and stabbed her to death.

Hopefully we will hear more of this murder in the future. Perhaps we will learn Dennis is mentally unstable and hates women, especially those who rebuff him. Perhaps we will hear that he is completely sane just mad because she rebuffed him. Maybe we will hear he is just evil and simply wanted to know what it was like to watch someone die and chose Nimzay as his victim.
No matter the reason he murdered, it gives us reason to think about our safety online.



http://www.ajc.com/news/content/shared-gen/ap/High_Tech/US_Chat_Buddy_Stabbing.html?cxntlid=inform_sr

Current Events In The News: Micah is dead - Her killer is free to leave state

Micah is dead - Her killer is free to leave state

Apparently, while one neighbor stated that her daughter said while Thomas Pate was talking with a LE officer he didn’t appear sad, others said he was visibly upset and crying when they saw him. I do not know Thomas Pate nor did I know Micah. I do know her death was senseless and unnecessary. Life throws many obstacles at us but stooping to killing is not the answer to our troubles. That is not to say the admitted shooter deliberately killed his wife, it is to say I have a right to question his version in my mind.

I have tried and tried to imagine a scenario where someone can accidentally shoot another person in the back of the head. I just can’t do it. I suppose someone is seeing how it could happen - And/or they don’t feel they could gain a conviction on a higher charge because they charged Thomas Pate with second-degree murder and not murder one. They are much wiser than me and without a doubt more experienced in crime investigations for sure.

I am upset that they let out Thomas Pate of jail (shall I say for free) on a 250 thousand-dollar bond. Which, of course, means he put up a small percentage of that money, walked out of jailhouse basically free to go and do as he pleased until his trial. Due to the infamous wisdom of our legal system they allowed Thomas to not only be a free man but allowed him to move out of state and to Atlanta so he could work.

I am picturing this - a man and woman standing at or near a river, one leaves as a living breathing person, the other lies on the cold damp ground with her soul above her staring down on her body. Had Thomas and Micah argued, did they struggle for control of the gun? Why did they have a gun with them? Why did he have it with him? Was her death preplanned and he is a good pretender, an Emmy award actor who pulled the wool over some seemingly intelligent law enforcement officers? Over a Judge? Was she standing with her back to him and he raised his gun to shoot a snake or some other creature over her and about to endanger her life and shot her instead? Or was he the snake?

I do not know the answers to these questions floating in my head. Thomas Pate could be the most wonderful man on earth. He could be a lousy jerk. He could be a liar. He could be - just be. However, I know he is an admitted shooter, a killer who killed a woman, his wife, a lady who chose nursing as her profession so she could help others.

I do know I like the lady’s daughter that said "He was just standing out there talking to the cops and he didn't look sad he didn't look anything so he just looked suspicious... So automatically you had an uneasy feeling... Yes." the night he reported her missing. I think that person is very intuitive.

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http://www2.myfoxmemphis.com/search/SERP?search_type=site&top_search_field=thomas%20pate

Quoted:

http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/news/050209_Thomas_Pate_Charged_with_Wifes_Murder

Current Events in The News: Another Husband Kills Wife Story

Another Husband Kills Wife Story

No one, except Thomas and the police knows why Thomas Pate killed his wife, Micah Pate. No one knows why he used a gun that night. What friends, family and police know is that Thursday, April 30, 2009 around 10:30 P.M. Thomas Pate called Bartlett Tennessee police and reported his 26-year-old wife had gone for her jog and did not return home. Friday evening her body was found in the Loosahatchie River Bottoms about five miles from her home. Thomas had told police she had been shot accidentally and advised where he’d dumped her body. Micah’s reported missing, and later Thomas admitting he’d killed her, has the people of the neighborhood, her family and friends in shock.

Coworkers knew something wasn’t right when Micah didn’t show up for work Friday morning at a local OBGYN clinic. They became worried about their friend. The OBGYN clinic closed Friday afternoon and coworkers helped search for her, handing out posters and asking people if they had seen the young woman. One neighbor stated Thomas came to their home crying over her missing; another stated he didn’t remember seeing Micah jogging Thursday evening and if she had he’d likely have seen her.

Micah and Thomas seemed a happy and content young couple often working in their yard. She a nurse and he worked from home for a physician's recruiting agency. The news reports that neighbors said Micah often walked her dog, waving at neighbors and allowing the dog to stop and visit a few minutes. She was well liked and a friendly person.

They charged Thomas Pate with second degree murder but a date for his first court appearance hasn’t been set. As Thomas awaits his fate, Micah’s family is trying to deal with the tragic events that were thrust upon them. The family has not made arrangements for her funeral.