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#4721 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Mar 23, 2006 6:47 pm

New evidence unlikely in second Schlosser trial

By JENNIFER EMILY / The Dallas Morning News

MCKINNEY, Texas - Prosecutors and defense attorneys in the Dena Schlosser case told a judge Thursday they will offer no new evidence at her second capital murder trial.

The attorneys will meet next Friday to determine whether a judge or jury will decide the verdict.

State District Judge Chris Oldner declared a mistrial in her first trial after a jury hung 10-2 in favor of not guilty by reason of insanity. They deliberated more than 40 hours over four days.

No date has been set for the second trial in the death of Ms. Schlosser's 10-month old daughter Maggie Schlosser.

A guilty verdict would send her to prison for life. If she was found not guilty by reason of insanity, Ms. Schlosser would go to the North Texas State Hospital in Vernon until Judge Oldner and her doctors agree she should be released.

Ms. Schlosser, 37, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in Maggie's death. She remains at the Collin County Jail and did not attend Thursday's hearing.

Ms. Schlosser will be present at the next hearing. Judge Oldner requested Collin County Jail psychiatrist Xiaoyan Wu be present to testify.

Maggie was killed in November 2004 at the family's Plano apartment when Ms. Schlosser severed the baby's arms at the shoulder on what she believed was an order from God. The state and defense do not disagree that Ms. Schlosser killed Maggie - only about her state of mind at the time. Ms. Schlosser was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis, and the defense contends she had a break with reality.

Three psychiatrists - including Dr. Wu - testified for the defense that Ms. Schlosser was insane when she killed Maggie. No psychiatrists testified that she was sane when Maggie died.

Ms. Schlosser was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis and depression following Maggie's home birth. According to testimony, Ms. Schlosser experienced religious-based delusions and hallucinations after giving birth.
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#4722 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Mar 23, 2006 10:47 pm

Officer impersonator allegedly rapes woman

By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - Dallas police are investigating a rape they said possibly involves a suspect impersonating a police officer.

The victim said a man acting as an officer pulled her over around 2:00 a.m. Wednesday on Continental at Stemmons and told her to wait in the car while he checked her driver's license.

A few minutes later he told the woman to get out of the car because she was under arrest for an outstanding warrant. He then handcuffed the victim and sexually assaulted her, police said.

The woman said he was a white male in his 20s with blond hair, 5'7 and 150 pounds. He was said to be wearing some kind of uniform and driving a white colored car with a cage in the back seat.

It was not known if he had a badge or gun.

Police said motorists need to be skeptical when someone approaches a car claiming to be an officer.

"If there is any questions in anyone's mind don't hesitate to call 911," said Sgt. Gil Cerda, Dallas Police Department. "Let them know where you are at. Also, and this is very important, late at night if you are stopped by an unmarked vehicle drive to a well lit area."

Police said no legitimate officer would have a problem driving to a store or restaurant parking lot after a traffic stop.
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#4723 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Mar 23, 2006 10:49 pm

Five injured after hit-and-run smash on I-30

By DON WALL / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - Police are on the scene of what appears to be a hit and run on eastbound I-30 at Lamar.

Five people are hurt on the freeway itself -- two are in critical condition.

Traffic is stalled on I-30 and into the Dallas mixmaster along I-35.

The wreck occurred at about 4:30 p.m. on Thursday afternoon.

A white SUV flipped over after it was hit by a green vehicle, a witness, Tim Moore, said.

"All of a sudden I hear a bang. A green car hits the SUV and kids are flying out."

He said he had picked up a license plate of the green car which sped off.

Five people were in the vehicle at the time - two women, a man and two babies.
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#4724 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Mar 23, 2006 10:52 pm

On Fearing's plate: an exit from Mansion

Star gourmet chef will leave restaurant he made famous to open one of his own

By DOTTY GRIFFITH / The Dallas Morning News

Chef Dean Fearing and The Mansion on Turtle Creek, internationally known names linked for more than 20 years with gourmet cuisine and Dallas' elite, will soon part.

Mr. Fearing will leave the hotel restaurant that he made famous as a cradle of Southwest cuisine – and that made him famous – to open his own restaurant.

The culinary wunderkind whose Mansion career began as a sous chef in 1979 and now includes his own food product line, several cookbooks and television credits, will partner with Crescent Real Estate on a restaurant that will be part of Ritz-Carlton development, to include 70 condos and a 217-room hotel. Opening is projected for August 2007.

Unnamed at present, the planned venture is "so neat and interesting," said Mr. Fearing on Thursday, near the end of a day spent breaking the news to Mansion staff and fielding questions.

He will leave The Mansion at the end of next week.

Crescent Real Estate president Denny Alberts, who describes Mr. Fearing as a friend for 20 years, lured Mr. Fearing from his longtime position.

"Denny came to me and said, 'What would ever pull you out of the Mansion?' " Mr. Fearing said. "I said, 'If you and I form a partnership.' "

What they've got going, Mr. Fearing added, "will be the center of the universe."

Ritz-Carlton will manage the property at Pearl and McKinney in Uptown.

That will put Mr. Fearing in direct competition with his longtime corporate boss, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, which operates the world-famous Mansion on Turtle Creek hotel and restaurant.

"He's finally found his own venture," said Richard Baker, regional vice president of Rosewood. "We're happy for him but sad after this amount of time."

Mr. Fearing has been executive chef at The Mansion for 21 years.

As partings go, this one may offer opportunities for The Mansion as well as for Mr. Fearing. With planned renovation of the restaurant set to begin within four months, Mr. Baker said, "we are in a good position to perhaps reposition the Mansion after the first 25 years."

In recent years, the restaurant has slipped in some key rankings, notably downgraded to four stars in the Mobil Travel Guide in 2002.

The search is already on to find a new executive chef of Mr. Fearing's caliber.

"There will be a new Dean Fearing on the scene at The Mansion. Absolutely," Mr. Baker said. Some candidates from Dallas have been interviewed, he said, and there's been interest from chefs working in other U.S. cities and internationally.

Staff writer Alan Peppard contributed to this report.
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#4725 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Mar 23, 2006 10:54 pm

Hill, Fantroy docked for missed meetings

Dallas: Councilmen owe thousands, must repay city, memos say

By EMILY RAMSHAW / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - Two Dallas City Council members must repay the city thousands of dollars for missing too many of their scheduled meetings in the last fiscal year, according to memos obtained by The Dallas Morning News on Thursday.

District 8 council member James Fantroy, who suffers from kidney failure and went to the hospital several times in the last year, owes nearly $9,500 for missing more than a quarter of his council and committee meetings. Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill owes just under $5,000 for missing 13 percent of his meetings.

The city charter penalizes council members who miss more than 10 percent of their scheduled council and committee meetings by making them return a percentage of their $37,500 annual compensation. That refund corresponds to the percentage of meetings missed.

But while they are excused for missing meetings when they are on city business, there's no provision in the charter to account for representatives who are sick or hospitalized.

That, Mr. Fantroy said, is an outrage. Since 2001, he's been tethered to a dialysis machine "10 hours a day, 365 days a year." He's had unexpected doctors' appointments. He's been hospitalized. Yet his constituents have re-elected him three times, he said.

Forcing him to pay back the city for missed meetings is "denying me my right to serve," he said.

"They know I'm a fighter, and I'm going to fight this. I'm going to go to the City Council, the city attorney," Mr. Fantroy said. "I know my community understands."

Mr. Hill said that he doesn't have a problem with the calculation and that he won't dispute his missed meetings.

"This is the rule, and I can certainly live by it," he said. "I'm not going to make excuses."

But he noted that the past year was a particularly busy one for him. He served on or chaired four permanent City Council committees and three standing committees, including the "stronger mayor" and comprehensive plan task forces. And Mr. Hill, a lawyer, was wrapped up in a wrongful death lawsuit that forced him to travel to South Texas almost once a week, he said.

Mr. Fantroy's penalty is the largest since the charter amendment took effect in 2001. He missed 24 of his 95 scheduled meetings. Mr. Hill missed 12 of his 90 meetings.

The council members will be expected to repay the city by "payroll deduction over a reasonable time period," said Dave Cook, Dallas' chief financial officer. That means a percentage of their future paychecks will be withheld by the city. The council members will be able to set that percentage, Mr. Cook said.

In November, former Mayor Pro Tem John Loza was the first city official forced to return part of his salary. He missed 12 of the 74 meetings he was scheduled to attend in his last eight months in office. Because he was no longer in office, Mr. Loza had to write the city a check.

For all three elected officials, the large majority of their missed meetings were briefings for the committees they serve on, not voting agenda sessions. Mr. Fantroy said he keeps getting assigned to committees that meet at 9 a.m., even though his dialysis sessions often prohibit him from attending at that time.

"Obviously, the council meetings are more important than the committee meetings," Mr. Hill said.

Committee meetings are essential to operations at City Hall, City Council member Ed Oakley said.

"They're where a majority of the work is done," he said.

But he said he'd be open to looking at whether absences can be waived because of illness or other extenuating circumstances.

"For Mr. Fantroy, his health is an issue," Mr. Oakley said. "I think there ought to be a provision that we could take this on case-by-case basis."

A preliminary tally conducted by The News late last year predicted that Mr. Hill and Mr. Fantroy would owe the city money for missed meetings. At that time, Mr. Hill indicated that he sometimes shows up late after a court hearing and isn't counted.

Mr. Cook said the missed-meeting tallies only include meetings at which the council member was a complete no-show. Even if a council member only appears in a meeting for one minute, he or she is considered in attendance, he said.

North Texas cities have various strategies for managing missed meetings.

In Fort Worth, for example, council members are paid $75 per meeting but only receive a check if they attend or are out on city business. The maximum annual pay is $3,900.

Staff writer Jeff Mosier contributed to this report.
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#4726 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Mar 23, 2006 10:56 pm

Visitors passing on presidents' libraries

If Dallas wins Bush site, it still must build an attraction worth trip

By COLLEEN McCAIN NELSON / The Dallas Morning News

As the competition for the George W. Bush presidential library heats up, interest in White House history could be cooling off.

Attendance at most presidential libraries and museums is down – way down, in some cases. The number of visitors is declining at eight of the 11 libraries, including both sites in Texas.

And the National Archives and Records Administration is trying to figure out why. The federal agency that operates the Presidential Library System has launched a multiyear market research project aimed at raising the libraries' profiles and at uncovering what draws people to presidential history.

Still, the lackluster numbers have not dampened interest among schools angling to build the new Bush Library, which could cost up to $300 million. The finalists – Baylor University, Southern Methodist University and the University of Dallas – point to three factors that could help them avoid the attendance drop-off plaguing many libraries: location, location, location.

The schools all say their sites are conveniently located and would attract tourists.

"Dallas is a destination city," said Thomas Barry, SMU's vice president for executive affairs. "If you go to some libraries, you have to be going there to get there."

But presidential library directors said the attendance problem can't be solved simply by selecting sites along busy highways.

Libraries are scrambling to update aging exhibits and to attract time-starved families. And officials acknowledge that the drop in attendance is distressing.

"This is a dilemma that we have scratched our heads about," said David Alsobrook, director of William J. Clinton Library. "We're very realistic about it."

Fewer for Ford, Hoover

While the Clinton Library, which opened in November 2004, drew strong crowds during its first year, older libraries have not fared as well recently. The Gerald R. Ford Library and Museum has seen its attendance plummet nearly 60 percent during the last six years.

The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum has weathered an 18 percent drop-off during the same period. It would be easy for Timothy Walch, the library's director, to blame his West Branch, Iowa, location. After all, there are only two stoplights and 20,000 people in his eastern Iowa county.

But Mr. Walch said a long list of factors – everything from gas prices rising to schools scaling back field trips – has affected libraries.

Presidential libraries also must contend with a wide range of entertainment options vying for tourists.

"It is hard for us to compete with Six Flags over whatever state and with some of the interactive museums," Mr. Walch said.

To draw a new generation of visitors, he and other library directors are experimenting with new ways to tell the story of a president.

"The operative term is 'edutainment' – it's a fulfilling experience that people leave feeling like they were educated and they enjoyed themselves," Mr. Walch said.

Library directors rejected the idea that attendance could be affected by perceptions of a president, emphasizing that they offer a nonpartisan account. An exhibit at the Clinton library details his impeachment and mentions his relationship with Monica Lewinsky.

The libraries serve both as museums aimed at attracting the public and repositories for millions of presidential papers that are scoured by scholars and students. One of the biggest challenges they face is to continually update exhibits, integrating new information, as well as high-tech presentations, Dr. Alsobrook said.

"You just never quit," he said.

The 9-year-old George Bush Library in College Station is a relative youngster among museums. But plans are already in place to complete an $8.5 million redesign for the library's 10th anniversary. The permanent exhibit at the Bush library will be shuttered next year for about six months before reopening in November 2007.

"You have to stay up with the times," said Patricia Burchfield, the Bush library's deputy director. "Or people think it's a dusty old place."

Ms. Burchfield said that iconic exhibits and replicas of rooms in the White House have proved to be popular attractions.

The arrival of the Air Force One plane that President Reagan used spurred an attendance spike at his California library. Ms. Burchfield said the remodeled Bush library would include a replica of the 41st president's "Situation Room" and an Oval Office where visitors could sit at the desk.

Soaking up ideas

SMU, Baylor and the University of Dallas have been watching and learning from other libraries. Before submitting their proposals, the schools dispatched officials to visit libraries and to assess what brings visitors through the door.

SMU President Gerald Turner "came into my office right after [President Bush's] first inaugural in 2001," Dr. Barry said. "He said, 'You're going to become an expert in presidential libraries.' "

Dr. Barry visited all but two libraries, and representatives from Baylor and the University of Dallas took cross-country trips of their own. But the schools have been tight-lipped about which ideas they incorporated into their proposals.

Curtis Downs, a University of Dallas alum who helped craft his alma mater's proposal, said seeing the libraries underscored myriad details that must be considered – from allotting sufficient space for presidential papers to building big parking lots.

"We looked at all of them and said, 'What are the best features of the libraries?' " Mr. Downs said. "We wanted the water feature of the JFK library, the size of Reagan's, the greenness of Clinton's and the exhibit space of [the elder] Bush's."

Tommye Lou Davis, chairwoman of Baylor's committee for the Bush library, mentioned the scenic grounds in College Station and the river views at the Clinton library in Little Rock, Ark., as distinguishing features among the libraries.

Baylor owns 109 acres along the Brazos River that could be used for the library. But Mrs. Davis dismissed attempts to compare Baylor's proposal to other libraries.

"It entirely depends on what the president and first lady want," she said. "They may not want a lot of land."

Despite recent dips in attendance, Mrs. Davis said the libraries are national treasures.

"Every time I go in one, I think, this is my favorite," she said.

Numbers not everything

National Archives officials said they are working to spread that sentiment. They are using focus groups, informational brochures and other marketing strategies to publicize the libraries' offerings.

"People have a strong recognition and have heard of presidential libraries," said Susan Donius, deputy assistant archivist for presidential libraries. "But they're not always familiar with the education programs, the outreach and the other things offered."

The National Archives is examining why attendance is down and considering how to attract visitors.

"By no means is it a crisis, but we certainly want to put the word out," Ms. Donius.

The federal agency has not set attendance goals but wants to be responsive to feedback, she said.

Mr. Walch, the Hoover director, said libraries should not be judged solely on how many people pass through the turnstiles. As entertainment options have multiplied, attendance has faltered at all types of museums and may not rebound anytime soon, he said.

"We have to acknowledge that we may not reach the pantheon of attendance that we once had," he said. "It's a real dangerous thing to measure your sense of worth by the number of visitors you have."
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#4727 Postby TexasStooge » Fri Mar 24, 2006 7:51 am

Two busted in Wise for child pornography

By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8

WISE COUNTY, Texas - At least two North Texas children were identified in child pornography photos and police said they fear they will find more local victims.

The case involved a Wise County brother and sister, Kevin Riedle, 41, and Phyllis Riedle, 48, of Runaway Bay.

Investigators said they found thousands of sexually explicit images of children on the suspects' computers and believe the child stuff case may be connected to a worldwide bust earlier this week.

"It's horrible to have to sit here and have to go through all these pictures and all these movie clips, but the thing that I can say that makes it worth it is because I have been able to identify victims," said Det. Mike Neagle, Wise County Sheriff's Department.

Among the thousands of pictures and videos police found, they said they were able to identify two children who they said were victimized in the Riedle's Runaway Bay condo.

They arrested the half related brother and sister at their home. Authorities said the two appeared in some of the photos with the children.

"She's let us know, 'Yes, I have taken pictures with children. Yes, I have done this sex act...on a child,'" said Sheriff David Walker, Wise County. "...That is what we've gone back and verified that with the photographs she told us were on the computer."

Neagle said he broke the news to the parents of an 18-month-old and a 7-year-old. He said the couple had trusted the brother and sister with their children.

"So, your sitting there explaining it to them that this has happened to your child and you need to take your child and get them examined and stuff," Neagle said. "It was just devastating to them."

Kevin Riedle is a trucker and investigators said the FBI and a Dallas police internet crime unit tracked him across the country as he used various wireless computers. They said it took them about a year to zero in on Wise County.

Kevin Riedle was charged with possession and promotion of child pornography and Phyllis Riedle was charged with aggravated sexual assault with a child.

"This is the biggest case that I know of," Neagle said.

Investigators asked parents of children that may have spent anytime at the Riedle house to come forward.
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#4728 Postby TexasStooge » Fri Mar 24, 2006 7:51 am

Officer impersonator allegedly rapes woman

By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - Dallas police are investigating a rape they said possibly involves a suspect impersonating a police officer.

The victim said a man acting as an officer pulled her over around 2:00 a.m. Wednesday on Continental at Stemmons and told her to wait in the car while he checked her driver's license.

A few minutes later he told the woman to get out of the car because she was under arrest for an outstanding warrant. He then handcuffed the victim and sexually assaulted her, police said.

The woman said he was a white male in his 20s with blond hair, 5'7 and 150 pounds. He was said to be wearing some kind of uniform and driving a white colored car with a cage in the back seat.

It was not known if he had a badge or gun.

Police said motorists need to be skeptical when someone approaches a car claiming to be an officer.

"If there is any questions in anyone's mind don't hesitate to call 911," said Sgt. Gil Cerda, Dallas Police Department. "Let them know where you are at. Also, and this is very important, late at night if you are stopped by an unmarked vehicle drive to a well lit area."

Police said no legitimate officer would have a problem driving to a store or restaurant parking lot after a traffic stop.
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#4729 Postby TexasStooge » Fri Mar 24, 2006 7:54 am

Wife of man killed by punch enraged at system

By BRETT SHIPP / WFAA ABC 8

FORT WORTH, Texas - The widow of a Fort Worth man killed by a blow to the head in 2004 said she is outraged not only with the alleged killer, but also with the Tarrant County District Attorney Tim Curry who charged him with a misdemeanor crime.

A few days ago, the alleged killer of Kim Smith's husband showed up in a Fort Worth courtroom prepared to plead guilty. However, it would not be a plea to murder, but instead to a misdemeanor.

Smith said her husband Scott lived and loved every minute of his life as she went through photographs that chronicled their 12 years together.

That was until she said Tommy Gene Roberson took her husband's life in one punch.

"This is a death," she said. "He's gone and you don't slap someone on the wrist for taking a life."

Smith's life was taken at a bar near the Fort Worth Stockyards.

Witnesses said Smith was attempting to console a distraught woman who had been fighting with her husband, Roberson. Roberson later told police that he approached Smith from behind and hit him with his fist.

"He cold-cocked my husband because he saw him speak to his wife and...he ran from the bar," Smith said Roberson told police.

A few hours later, Smith was dead.

According to the autopsy Smith had "a cracked skull and internal bleeding due to blunt force trauma."

Police charged Roberson with felony murder. But when veteran assistant District Attorney Christy Jack took over the case things suddenly changed.

Smith said Jack told her that Roberson's fist to her husband's head constituted only a misdemeanor crime.

At Roberson's hearing March 2, Smith waited to ask a judge how that could have happened.

Minutes after News 8 arrived with a camera, the hearing was abruptly postponed and Roberson bolted from the courtroom and into a stairwell racing down eight flights of stairs. He refused to answer any questions.

Roberson and his wife sprinted down the block, jumped into a pickup and zoomed through the parking lot.

"This was a horrible tragedy for everybody involved," said his attorney Lisa Mullen after he fled. "This has devastated my client's life...It's not a murder case. The way the law is constructed there's no way it could be anything other than misdemeanor assault."

The prosecutor agreed.

"Unfortunately, we are constrained in this case by the criminal statutes passed by our legislature," Jack said. "We are working to enact tougher legislation that would enable future cases like this to be prosecuted as a homicide."

But SMU criminal law professor Frederick Moss said current law supports at least a felony conviction.

"This looks to be clearly an easy case of aggravated assault and possibly negligent homicide," Moss said. "And if he's not being charged with those offenses, I think she has reasonable grounds for wondering why and demanding to know why."

After the abruptly halted hearing, Smith was left standing in the hallway and she said still wondering if justice will be served.

"Why won't they take my calls?" she asked. "Why won't they answer me? Why won't Tim Curry accept an appointment that I've requested with him? Why won't they review a case period...Why don't they want justice served in this county?"

Roberson's case has been reset for next month.

Smith said she is also upset by a subpoena served a few weeks ago seeking her cell phone records for the week following her husband's death.

Smith said she feels it's a malicious attempt by the prosecution to intimidate her.

The Tarrant County District Attorney's office had no comment.
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#4730 Postby TexasStooge » Fri Mar 24, 2006 6:45 pm

Locals welcome Swedish Institute clampdown

By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - Busted out windows, people in handcuffs and equipment confiscated. It's a familiar sight at the Swedish Institute.

The scene followed a police raid on Friday.

Vice squad and SWAT team officers moved in at the Swedish Institute near Interstate 35E and Mockingbird Lane around 6 a.m. Police hauled away equipment, arrested prostitutes, along with some of the employees.

Owner Thurston Robinson and his wife were arrested at their Dallas home.

Deputy Chief Julian Bernal said the business may also have been selling alcohol without a license.

But legitimate business owners in the area say they welcome police raid.

Robin Galbreaith sells luxury vehicles next door to the massage parlor.

"As far as having to say you are next door to that type of thing, I mean it's hard," she says.

Galbreaith says she's seen police here time and time again.

She's watched the Swedish Institute shut down only to reopen again.

The Swedish Institute says it's not a sexually oriented business but police say otherwise.

There's even an online adult service review that suggests the place is a front for prostitution and even rates the women who work there.

Just a couple of months ago cops raided it for the same thing - prostitution.

The owner, Thurston Robinson was convicted three years ago for promotion of prostitution. He also owns Club Venus where prostitutes have been arrested in the past.

In August, 2004, a female employee of the business was killed and a manager was wounded in a shooting incident.
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#4731 Postby TexasStooge » Fri Mar 24, 2006 6:51 pm

Police release photo of hold-up suspect

FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Police are calling on the public to help identify a man who is wanted over a hold-up at a convenience store in Fort Worth.

Surveillance video shows the man - who is white or Hispanic and of medium build - walked into the Reliable Food Store on Crowley Road last week and demanded money from the clerk at gunpoint.

The clerk handed over the cash in the register to the suspect, who put it into a black plastic bag and fled on foot.

The video also shows the suspect made a purchase in the store shortly before the robbery.

He has been linked to a robbery at the Best Food Store on West Seminary on March 5th.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers (817) 469-TIPS or the Fort Worth Police Robbery Unit (817) 392-4370.
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#4732 Postby TexasStooge » Fri Mar 24, 2006 6:52 pm

Rohr guilty in child custody case

Jury reaches quick verdict against Roanoke physician

By LAURIE FOX / The Dallas Morning News

DENTON, Texas — A jury took less than 30 minutes Friday to find Roanoke physician Elizabeth Rohr guilty on three counts on interfering with child custody for fleeing with her children to South Texas in 2004.

The charges carry a possible sentence of up to two years.

In closing statements, prosecutor Lisa Decker called Dr. Rohr “a manipulator … who recognizes no one’s authority.”

Dr. Rohr, who represented herself during the trial, cited mental competency issues around the time she took her five young children to San Benito, Texas, where they were found in a hotel room following a statewide Amber Alert.

In closing arguments, she evoked comparisons to Andrea Yates, the Houston mother who was convicted of drowning her five children in 2001.

Right after the verdict was read, the doctor approached state District Judge L. Dee Shipman and filed her appeal. Judge Shipman set bond at $375,000 - $125,000 per count – which Dr. Rohr proclaimed was “excessive and punitive.”

Dr. Rohr returned into custody of the Denton County jail. The jury was set to begin the punishment phase late Friday morning.

Dallas Morning News reporter Brandon Formby contributed to this report.
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#4733 Postby TexasStooge » Fri Mar 24, 2006 6:58 pm

It's hip to build town squares

By STEVE BROWN / The Dallas Morning News

ALLEN, Texas - Developers will begin turning part of a family farm in Allen into an urban village this week, with specialty shops, apartments and office space.

The Market Street complex to be built at North Central Expressway and Bethany Drive is the latest permutation of town center developments that have proved so popular with shoppers.

But with almost 60 acres to build on, Fort Worth developer Trademark Property Co. is aiming to do more than just re-create an old-fashioned town square.

"We've tried to borrow the best pieces and put them into this development," said developer Terry Montesi. "It will feel more like a European or Colorado mountain village.

"We feel that if mixed-use development is done right, it will transcend shopping," he said. "We want to be the place where you take your Christmas card pictures," he said.

While that sounds easier said than done, Trademark Property has already pulled off this trick in suburban Houston.

The Market Street complex Trademark opened in 2004 in The Woodlands was an instant hit with residents who've swarmed the project.

Retail tenants include Borders, J. Crew, Smith & Hawken, and Tommy Bahama.

An H.E.B. Central Market anchors the Woodlands development.

In Allen, the Market Street complex will have 350,000 square feet of retail, 80,000 square feet of office space and about 250 apartments.

That makes it more than twice the size of Uptown's West Village – which is more alike in density to Market Street than other suburban town centers.

The three- to five-story buildings will be arranged in a triangle around a central area with smaller buildings and a crescent-shaped "town green."

Architect Development Design Group of Baltimore designed the complex.

A creek runs through it

A creek running diagonally through the center will be landscaped with ponds, waterfalls and bridges.

"What's different in this project is the commitment to detail and open space," said Mr. Montesi, who's been working on the plans for more than a year.

"If you put the right elements in place, the people will be drawn to it."

So far, Trademark has commitments for about 160,000 square feet of retail space.

A Market Street grocery store operated by United Supermarkets will be the largest merchant in the project.

The city of Allen has agreed to provide more than $20 million in incentives to help pay for parking garages and some of the infrastructure.

The first phase of the project will open in fall 2007.

Mr. Montesi said Trademark is close to deciding whether it will construct the apartments or team with another developer.

The total Market Street project will cost more than $140 million and is being built in partnership with Developers Diversified Realty Corp. of Ohio and Coventry Real Estate Partners of New York.

Trademark's Allen project will be the gateway to a 500-acre commercial and residential development called Montgomery Farm.

It's one of the last big pieces of undeveloped land along the highway.

"The original piece of property was put together by my grandfather as a weekend place," said Amy Monier, whose family is now developing the farmland west of North Central Expressway.

"We wanted to work with a development partner that was willing to do something different," Ms. Monier said.

"We didn't want a bunch of gas stations and McDonald's built on that corner."

Coming up

There are plenty of retail projects in the offing for Allen.

More than 2 million square feet of retail deals are planned in the Collin County town by major developers including General Growth, Jerry Jones' Blue Star Investments and MG Herring Group.

"We now have a total of 3.7 million square feet of retail space," said Charisse Bodisch, executive director of the Allen Economic Development Corp.

"Right now our vacancy rate is about 5.5 percent – there is not much space out there."

Ms. Bodisch said General Growth is scheduled to complete the purchase of land at State Highway 121 and North Central Expressway at the end of March.

Most of the other big shopping centers planned in Allen aren't the high-density urban-style developments like Market Street, she said.

"We've had a couple of people say it looks like an Uptown project," Ms. Bodisch said.

"Market Street is totally different from what General Growth or MG Herring is looking at."
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#4734 Postby TexasStooge » Fri Mar 24, 2006 6:59 pm

Former ERCOT executive pleads guilty

By SUDEEP REDDY / The Dallas Morning News

A former senior executive for the Texas power grid operator is expected to serve eight years in prison and repay $120,000 after pleading guilty Friday to organized crime charges.

Kenneth M. Shoquist, who served as chief information officer at the nonprofit Electric Reliability Council of Texas until 2004, was at the center of scams to bilk the nonprofit grid operator of some $2 million, Attorney General Greg Abbott said.

“This defendant was the gatekeeper who made the scope of this white-collar crime possible by hiring and enabling the other criminals in the first place,” Mr. Abbott said in a statement.

“It is safe to say that none of the fraud that occurred at ERCOT would have been possible except for the insider dealing he encouraged,” he said.

Mr. Shoquist, 54, pleaded guilty to engaging in organized criminal activity for commercial bribery.

His is the third guilty plea related to the schemes, which led to indictments against six people in Williamson County January 2005.

As ERCOT’s technology chief, Mr. Shoquist promoted the hiring of another defendant, Stephen C. Wallace, to oversee multimillion-dollar program budgets at the grid operator.

In a scheme uncovered by The Dallas Morning News, Mr. Wallace is accused of billing ERCOT for work that was never done through DSS Group, a company he owned.

Mr. Shoquist, who signed off on contracts and invoices, admitted taking $120,000 in checks from DSS Group. He was paid monthly kickbacks of $7,500 to $20,000, the attorney general said.

He also was responsible for hiring Christopher Uranga, Christopher Douglas and Carlos Luquis, three security officials charged for their own schemes to bilk the grid operator.

Sentencing for Mr. Shoquist and Mr. Uranga, who could serve up to 15 years in prison, is set for May 4. Mr. Luquis is scheduled to go to trial April 24. Mr. Wallace is also awaiting trial.

Mr. Douglas has agreed to cooperate with the prosecution and has not entered a plea. The sixth defendant, John Cavazos, a contactor who directed a shell security company, will receive four years of probation or deferred adjudication and has repaid ERCOT $8,700.

ERCOT, which directs the flow of power around Texas, has undergone an organizational overhaul since news of the scams emerged in mid- 2004, revamping its internal controls and business processes.

“Our goals are to see justice served and to gain full financial restitution on behalf of Texas electricity customers,” ERCOT chief executive Tom Schrader said in a statement. “ERCOT is pleased with the plea agreements and will continue to pursue restitution through civil claims and our insurance companies to recover as much of the balance as possible.”
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#4735 Postby TexasStooge » Fri Mar 24, 2006 7:01 pm

Police: Hidden room used to grow pot

MCKINNEY, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - A hidden room found behind the pleasant façade of a McKinney home was actually an elaborate gardening system for growing and selling large quantities of marijuana, police say.

McKinney police Capt. Randy Roland said investigators on Wednesday found between $25,000 and $30,000 in marijuana plants and prepackaged baggies in the room at the home in the 1000 block of Margaret Drive. Officers removed the drugs and numerous pieces of drug-related equipment from the home.

“We seized basically the entire contents of the room,” Roland said.

Michael Terrill, 29, was arrested on charges of felony possession of marijuana and mushrooms. He was being held Friday in the Collin County jail in lieu of $25,000 bail.

Roland said Terrill’s wife, who was taken to the hospital after she had an apparent seizure when police entered the home, will face the same charges.

Roland said the home camouflaged an elaborate laboratory.

“They had a specific sprinkler system and timers for grow lights,” he said. “All the walls were reflective to keep the heat inside, and they had exhaust fans built in the house."

One neighbor, who asked not to be identified, said the news was shocking.

“They’ve never done anything that was out of the ordinary, that you would really be suspicious of,” the neighbor said.

Terrill apparently worked as a piano tuner, and his wife was a real estate agent in the Collin County area. Yet police said the couple allegedly had built a sizable side business packaging and selling pot.

"It could be (everyone) from our high school students to senior adults,” Roland said.

As police continue the investigation, neighbor Kevin Harry said the bust would cause him to be more watchful for suspicious activity.

"It brings other crimes and other problems to the neighborhood, and we don't need that,” he said.

WFAA-TV reporter Mary Ann Razzuk and Dallas Morning News staff writer Alan Melson contributed to this report.
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#4736 Postby rainstorm » Fri Mar 24, 2006 7:17 pm

TexasStooge wrote:Wife of man killed by punch enraged at system

By BRETT SHIPP / WFAA ABC 8

FORT WORTH, Texas - The widow of a Fort Worth man killed by a blow to the head in 2004 said she is outraged not only with the alleged killer, but also with the Tarrant County District Attorney Tim Curry who charged him with a misdemeanor crime.

A few days ago, the alleged killer of Kim Smith's husband showed up in a Fort Worth courtroom prepared to plead guilty. However, it would not be a plea to murder, but instead to a misdemeanor.

Smith said her husband Scott lived and loved every minute of his life as she went through photographs that chronicled their 12 years together.

That was until she said Tommy Gene Roberson took her husband's life in one punch.

"This is a death," she said. "He's gone and you don't slap someone on the wrist for taking a life."

Smith's life was taken at a bar near the Fort Worth Stockyards.

Witnesses said Smith was attempting to console a distraught woman who had been fighting with her husband, Roberson. Roberson later told police that he approached Smith from behind and hit him with his fist.

"He cold-cocked my husband because he saw him speak to his wife and...he ran from the bar," Smith said Roberson told police.

A few hours later, Smith was dead.

According to the autopsy Smith had "a cracked skull and internal bleeding due to blunt force trauma."

Police charged Roberson with felony murder. But when veteran assistant District Attorney Christy Jack took over the case things suddenly changed.

Smith said Jack told her that Roberson's fist to her husband's head constituted only a misdemeanor crime.

At Roberson's hearing March 2, Smith waited to ask a judge how that could have happened.

Minutes after News 8 arrived with a camera, the hearing was abruptly postponed and Roberson bolted from the courtroom and into a stairwell racing down eight flights of stairs. He refused to answer any questions.

Roberson and his wife sprinted down the block, jumped into a pickup and zoomed through the parking lot.

"This was a horrible tragedy for everybody involved," said his attorney Lisa Mullen after he fled. "This has devastated my client's life...It's not a murder case. The way the law is constructed there's no way it could be anything other than misdemeanor assault."

The prosecutor agreed.

"Unfortunately, we are constrained in this case by the criminal statutes passed by our legislature," Jack said. "We are working to enact tougher legislation that would enable future cases like this to be prosecuted as a homicide."

But SMU criminal law professor Frederick Moss said current law supports at least a felony conviction.

"This looks to be clearly an easy case of aggravated assault and possibly negligent homicide," Moss said. "And if he's not being charged with those offenses, I think she has reasonable grounds for wondering why and demanding to know why."

After the abruptly halted hearing, Smith was left standing in the hallway and she said still wondering if justice will be served.

"Why won't they take my calls?" she asked. "Why won't they answer me? Why won't Tim Curry accept an appointment that I've requested with him? Why won't they review a case period...Why don't they want justice served in this county?"

Roberson's case has been reset for next month.

Smith said she is also upset by a subpoena served a few weeks ago seeking her cell phone records for the week following her husband's death.

Smith said she feels it's a malicious attempt by the prosecution to intimidate her.

The Tarrant County District Attorney's office had no comment.


is this justice?
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#4737 Postby TexasStooge » Fri Mar 24, 2006 10:58 pm

Parents call police over child stuff photos

By STEVE STOLER / WFAA ABC 8

DECATUR, Texas - Following Thursday's child pornography arrests in Wise County, police have received calls from parents who fear their children might also be victims.

"All morning I've been receiving calls from different families," says Wise County investigator Mike Neagle.

Calls from parents worried that photos of their children might be behind icons on a computer.

Each icon can represent hundreds of sexually explicit images of children.

Investigators identified an 18-month-old girl and a 7-year-old girl from Wise County.

Keven Riedle, 41, is charged with possession and promotion of child pornography.

His half-sister, Phyllis Riedle, 48, is also charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Investigators say she photographed an assault on a baby inside this condominium in Runaway Bay.

Are there other local victims?

"I've had some parents call in who feel pretty definitely their kids are involved in it. Really upset. Really outraged. Really want to find out for sure," Neagle said.

The Reidles are locked in the Wise county jail largely because of the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit in the Dallas Police Department.

"It's the only one in Texas, and the largest in the U.S. in terms of volume. We get over 1,200 cyber tips a year from the national center for missing and exploited children," said Lt Cl Williams.

Police say the unit spent more than a year tracking Kevin Reidle through several cities, as he used multiple computers and screen names.

"Once we did locate him and confront him with it, we were able to identify the screen names he used over the years, so we know we've got the right guy," Williams said.
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#4738 Postby TexasStooge » Fri Mar 24, 2006 11:03 pm

Trucker pleads guilty in Denton crash that killed 10

By TIARA M. ELLIS / DallasNews.com

SHERMAN, Texas -- A trucker unexpectedly agreed to plead guilty to manslaughter and aggravated assault charges Friday for causing a horrific traffic accident that killed 10 people and injured two others in 2004.

Miroslaw Janus Jozwiak, 46, and his attorneys had come to State District Judge Rayburn "Rim" Nall's courtroom to ask that his trial be moved from Sherman to San Antonio.

Judge Nall rejected the change of venue request, setting the stage for Mr. Jozwiak's surprise decision to plead guilty to 10 counts of manslaughter and two counts of aggravated assault.

Mr. Jozwiak faces two to 20 years in prison. He will be sentenced at a later date.

Mr. Jozwiak, a Polish native who speaks little English, was driving north on U.S. Highway 75 on Sept. 20, 2004, when he inexplicably careened across the grassy median. He struck a pickup truck carrying seven Dallas roofing workers and an SUV carrying five family members.

The only survivors were two men in the pickup truck.

Grayson County Criminal District Attorney Joe Brown has said a urine sample taken from Mr. Joswiak shortly after the accident yielded evidence of a depressant that probably caused him to become drowsy and lose control of his tractor-trailer rig.

Mr. Jozwiak has not talked publicly about the accident. But his attorneys have said that this was a "horrible accident," not manslaughter.
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#4739 Postby TexasStooge » Sat Mar 25, 2006 8:47 am

Big Brother is watching Fort Worth students

By KARIN KELLY / WFAA ABC 8

FORT WORTH, Texas — The Fort Worth Independent School District has 10,000 teachers educating 80,000 students who are all using 30,000 computers.

So it may be hard to believe that anyone is really watching the onscreen action in classrooms.

"People don't believe we do it—but we do," said FWISD net detective Paul Berwick. "I do it. Every day. And the filter is very good at telling me what I need to look at."

Berwick is believed to be the state's only full-time school district computer investigator.

"You see this?" he said, pointing at the screen. "'Are you a lesbian'? OK. What's going on here?"

From district headquarters, Berwick can remotely access every computer at every school. He reads e-mails and instant messages. "I can read names and know where it's coming from," he said.

Berwick looks at Internet use by students, teachers—even janitors. "I look for those 10 or 12 biggest users and see what they're doing," he explained.

It's like digging through trash. Students are the biggest violators when it comes to downloading unacceptable material. Anything non-educational is forbidden:

• music videos
• scantily-clad women
• weapons

Berwick identified one student who was looking at weaponry, even though his class was not discussing the military. "That's what got me excited about this—too much paramilitary weaponry in there," Berwick said. "So we had to find out what's going on."

Students who violate computer use rules are caught and disciplined.

"He will call me immediately, tell me where it is, and I go to the classroom and identify who's on the computer," said Paschal High School Principal Sharon Meng.

Everyone has been warned, but sometimes, district employees spend too much time on personal business or choose to explore pornography.

"I can do a complete forensic examination of any particular computer on par with what the police department can do," Berwick said.

He copies questionable material in case an investigation is launched. Since August, five teachers have resigned rather than face criminal action.

One teacher walked into an office to watch the dismantling of his computer and had an unforgettable reaction.

"He asked me what I was doing and I said, 'undeleting data that was deleted from this computer,'" Berwick recalled with a laugh. "And he passed out."

Former police investigator Bobby Whiteside heads up special investigations for the school district. He denies that investigators are snooping around behind the backs of students and faculty members. "No. There's no such thing like that," he said.

Whiteside said the district recognizes that for many people, computers are like telephones. But he said education is one place where business and pleasure definitely don't mix.

"I'm always surprised when I've caught them. Always."
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#4740 Postby TexasStooge » Sat Mar 25, 2006 8:48 am

Raids target Hunt County casinos

By BRETT SHIPP / News 8 Investigates (WFAA ABC 8)

HUNT COUNTY, Texas — A massive casino crackdown was under way in Hunt County Friday night, three weeks after a News 8 undercover investigation.

Authorities raided more than a dozen illegal gambling operations and confiscated hundreds of video slot and blackjack machines.

At least six casino operators were arrested as the bottom fell out of the Hunt County casino market.

County jail inmates were deployed to haul the gambling machines away as part of a multi-agency task force that was organized in the wake of Channel 8's probe.

In the days following our initial report, local, county and state investigators coordinated their own undercover operation, culminating in Friday's massive raid.

Authorities said when they raided one small casino, 17 people were inside gambling. One of them, according to sheriff's deputies, said he had been playing there a long time—and he never walked out with a dime.

The raids were coordinated by Hunt County Attorney Joel Littlefield, who got his first look at the illegal activity just a few weeks ago. "I think we have really good cases," he said. "We saw your footage. Law enforcement already knew about these places; getting in to do the undercover work was a time-consuming task."

In just a few days, they were able to make cases on gambling operations in small towns like Quinlan, West Tawakoni and Cash, and also in the larger towns of Greenville and Commerce.

If any illegal operations were overlooked, Littlefield promised the task force would soon be knocking on their doors. "The eight-liner game rooms still open right now, take heed," he warned. "If you're operating illegally, sooner or later you're going to get caught."
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