Bad Seed … Destined to Kill

Transcription

Bad Seed … Destined to Kill
Wanted Fugitives
Page 3
Sex Offenders
Page 7
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THE POLICE NEWS
VOLUME I, NUMBER 2
Piney Woods Edition
January 2008
Bad Seed … Destined to Kill DOG FIGHTING: The Harsh Truth
By. Lt. Mark Timmers
he Houston Humane Society
in November of 2003
entered into a contractual agreement with Harris County
Constable, Precinct 6 Victor Trevino’s
department to investigate animal cruelty. Lieutenant Mark Timmers and
Deputy Patrick Leone are the first
By Breck Porter, The Police News
T
O
n the afternoon of August
1, 1990, Homer Burson
walked into Wilkins Dry
Cleaners in Conroe, Texas, to pick
up some cleaning. He waited at the
counter, but no one approached to
wait on him. He left then reentered
with another customer. Finally, noticing that the cash register was open,
Burson walked around the corner of
the counter toward the back room
of the store where he discovered
Leta Wilkerson lying face up on the
floor, her eyes open and her body
covered with blood. Burson immediately notified the police and called for
an ambulance. Wilkerson, who was
employed at the cleaners as a clerk,
was transported to a nearby hospital
where she was pronounced dead on
arrival. She had been shot once in the
face and three times in the back.
Investigating officers found spent
.25-caliber bullets and bullet casings
lying on the floor near where the body
was found. Officers also discovered
blood on the front counter next to a
pile of jeans with the name “McGinnis”
written in the pockets. The telephone
on the front counter had been left
off the hook, objects were in disarray and about $140 was missing
from the cash register. Additionally,
police were informed that the 1985
silver-gray GMC minivan the victim
had driven to work that day was missing. Two individuals picked seventeen
year old Glen Charles McGinnis out of
a photographic lineup, identifying him
as the man they had seen at or near
Wilkins Dry Cleaners around the time
of the offense.
Late that evening, police found
Wilkerson’s minivan abandoned in the
parking lot of a nearby shopping center. Between the two front seats of
the van, they discovered Wilkerson’s
Leta Ann Wilkerson, a mother of two,
was shot in the head and back during a
robbery in 1990.
wallet, from which investigators lifted
McGinnis’s fingerprint. The following
morning, three employees of various
businesses in the shopping center
where the van was found picked
McGinnis out of a photographic lineup
as the man they had seen the afternoon before requesting assistance
because his van was broken down.
Early on the morning of August
2, 1990, police were dispatched to
Williams Square Apartments, just two
blocks from Wilkins Dry Cleaners,
where McGinnis was thought to
be residing with his aunt, Annette
McGinnis. Police arrested McGinnis
for the capital murder of Wilkerson,
and transported him to the police
station, where they discovered $105
in his possession. Later that morning,
police returned to Annette McGinnis’s
apartment to search for a .25-caliber
weapon. Annette McGinnis told police
continued on page 5 (Bad Seed)
all been related factors in the investigation of animal cruelty cases.
We all have recently seen some
type of story related to dog fighting
over the media, from neighborhood
kids, to organized gangs, and even
professional athletes. Pit bulls being
trained to fight and kill in dog fights
and the sad ending of these animals
(198) Notice the heavy chains securing this dog
(Photo courtesy Houston Humane Society)
full time law enforcement officers to
investigate animal cruelty in Harris
County and throughout the state
of Texas. The Houston Humane
Society implemented the R.A.I.D.E.R
(Rescue Animals in Danger Education
Resources) program. On a daily
basis these deputies investigate animal cruelty cases that involve domestic/companion animals, horses/livestock, wildlife, reptiles and exotic
animals. Of the animal cruelty cases
investigated the reasons have been
because of neglect, abandonment,
torture, abuse of animals in domestic violence cases, cock and dog
fighting. Narcotics, weapons, stolen
property and wanted individuals have
usually ends in death. Why is this
phenomenon coming to light now and
what can be done to help end this
senseless use of animals?
Dog fighting was outlawed in the
United States by 1976, and recent
Texas legislature made it a felony to
engage in dog fighting and spectators of dog fights don’t get off easily
as well, Texas also made watching
dog fights a class “A” misdemeanor.
A reason why law enforcement is
keeping a close eye on dog fighting
is because it is a part of the cycle of
violence. Usually where there is dog
fighting there also is some sort of
domestic abuse of family members
continued on page 2 (Harsh Truth)
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or other individuals, theft and burglaries to support the game or to use as
bets for fights, use of and possession of drugs, and also weapons to
use as protection from rival gangs or
individuals.
There are three criminal levels of
dog fighting that law enforcement has
established. The street level which
includes gangs which are fighting for
bragging rights, mid-level which are
organized fights in neighborhoods
and in the state, and the organized
level which includes high profiled persons who have the monetary support
to hold such events with other high
money persons.
Local law enforcement focuses
on the street level of dog fighting because the quality of life of
neighborhoods is in jeopardy. When
neighbors see or hear of dog fighting in their community they are afraid
of reporting it because of fear of
retaliation from the dog fighters and
the gang associated with these individuals. Family dogs are stolen just
to be used to help pit bulls train
for fights using them as bait. Also
when street fighters don’t have the
available money for fights, they steal
property in order to fund their fights.
And lastly, when pit bulls are no
longer able to continue to fight and
are one of the lucky ones that were
Page The Police News
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Wildwood Shooting Leaves
One Dead, One Jailed
The Police News, Piney
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not killed during a fight or killed by
their trainers, they are let loose in
neighborhoods causing a dangerous
nuisance for all citizens especially
young children. These dogs are
aggressive, prepared to fight and
attack, and are dangerous when left
unattended.
The R.A.I.D.E.R. team is at the
forefront of investigating, prosecuting and educating law enforcement
about dog fighting. The Houston
Humane Society’s involvement in
This dog was rescued after suffering
severe injuries in a fight.
(Photo’s courtesy Houston Humane Society)
these cases has been costly with
one case estimated at $130,000
for seizure of 300 pit bulls in Liberty
County from a known dog fighter
and breeder who was killed during
a home invasion. Another recent
case involved the theft of property
which was intended as gambling
items for a neighborhood dog fight,
'Cause noboby sits
In the engineer's lap.
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Montgomery County
don't wander
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If you have information on any of these wanted fugitives call Montgomery County Crime Stoppers
1-800-STOP (7867)
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Online!
Justo Martinez, 38, (pictured) was
charged with the murder of Juan
Acosta Palacios and booked into
the Montgomery County Jail in lieu
of $100,000 bail. Investigators say
Martinez shot Palacios in the head
during a party at Martinez’ Wildwood
subdivision home near Conroe. Both
men are believed to be illegal immigrants.
(thepolicenews.net)
but Precinct 6 deputies arrested the
thieves before they could get to the
dog fight and the fight location was
identified. The investigation of this
case continued and in another incident, Precinct 6 deputies arrested
several individuals for narcotics in
which a home video was seized that
graphically depicted pit bulls fighting and the neighborhood fighting
location was once again identified.
This confiscated video was used to
identify five adults and a juvenile for
which arrest warrants were issued
based on dog fighting charges.
So we know that dog fighting has
been around for years, but because
of the high profile cases seen recent-
WWW.ThePoliceNews.net
Calixto, Nicolas Faustino
White/Male DOB: 09/15/1981
Height: 5’00” Weight: 140 lbs.
Hair: Black Eyes: Brown
2856 Beasley, Conroe
Aggravated Assault
Warrant #990905580
Davis, Barbara Jean
White/Female DOB: 09/09/1978
Height: 5’07” Weight: 199 lbs.
Hair: Blond Eyes: Blue
Address Unavailable
Fail Register as a Sex Offender
Warrant #060201196
Lowden, Joel Andrew
White/Male DOB: 08/05/1970
Height: 6’02” Weight: 170 lbs.
Hair: Blond Eyes: Blue
3220 Redwood, Bedford, Tx
Fail to Register as a Sex Offender X2
Sexual Assault of a Child
Ortega, Carlos Alberto
White/Male DOB: 09/27/1978
Height: 5’05” Weight: 130 lbs.
Hair: Black Eyes: Brown
303 Magnolia, Conroe, Tx
Sexual Assault of a Child
Warrant #981201366
Hebert, Robert John
White/Male DOB: 03/05/1977
Height: 6’00” Weight: 255 lbs.
Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown
24300 Glory, Porter, Tx
Aggv. Sexual Assault Child (3 counts)
Lowden, Johnna Diane
White/Female DOB: 11/11/1972
Height: 5’06” Weight: 125 lbs.
Hair: Blond Eyes: Green
CR 472 Lot 34 POB 175, Bangs, Tx
Fail to Register as a Sex Offender
Sexual Assault of a Child
Singh, Gagandeep
White/Male DOB: 06/27/1988
Height: 5’10” Weight: 190 lbs.
Hair: Black Eyes: Brown
12015 Piney Bend, Tomball, Tx
Aggravated Sexual Assault X2
Aggravated Kidnapping X2
Aggravated Robbery X2
Samples, Shawn Scot
White/Male DOB: 03/14/1965
Height: 5’10” Weight: 160 lbs.
Hair: Brown Eyes: Blue
23423 Hwy 59 N No 306, Kingwood, Tx
Warrant: Bond Forfeiture X3
Engaging in Organized Crime
THE POLICE NEWS
Late breaking local police news
ly more is being done about it locally
and throughout the United States. As
citizens we should report any type
of dog fighting to our local authorities because there are tools available now to help put these criminals
behind bars and start to curb this
type of crime in our neighborhoods
and make our communities much
safer for all.
Mark Timmers is a Lieutenant with
the Harris County Constables Officer,
Precinct Six; Supervisor of Animal
Cruelty Investigations for the Houston
Humane Society, and regular contributor to THE POLICE NEWS.
When Cops Retire
When a good man leaves the “job”
and retires to a better life, many are
jealous, some are pleased and yet
others, who may have already retired,
wonder. We wonder if he [she] knows
what they are leaving behind, because
we already know. We know, for example, that after a lifetime of camaraderie that few experience, it will remain
as a longing for those past times.
We know in the law enforcement life
there is a fellowship which lasts long
after the uniforms are hung up in the
back of the closet. We know even if he
throws them away, they will be on him
with every step and breath that remains
in his frame. We also know how the
very bearing of the man speaks of what
he was and in his heart still is.
These are the burdens of the job.
You will still look at people suspiciously, still see what others do not see or
choose to ignore and always will look
at the rest of the law enforcement
world with a respect for what they do;
only grown in a lifetime of knowing.
Never think for one moment you are
escaping from the life. You are only
escaping the “job” and we are merely
allowing you to leave “active” duty.
So what I wish for you is that
whenever you ease into retirement,
in your heart you never forget for
one moment that “Blessed are the
Peacekeepers for they shall be called
children of God,” and you are still a
member of the greatest fraternity the
world has ever known.
Humor
THE GETAWAY! A man walked into a Topeka, Kansas Kwik Stop
and asked for all the money in the cash drawer. Apparently, the take
was too small, so he tied up the store clerk and worked the counter
himself for three hours until police showed up and grabbed him.
WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS: Police in Oakland, CA
spent two hours attempting to subdue a gunman who had barricaded
himself inside his home. After firing ten tear gas canisters, officers
discovered that the man was standing beside them in the police line,
shouting, “Please come out and give yourself up.”
Coffee & Donuts
An American Tradition
1031 North Loop 336, Conroe
15243 Hwy 105 W, Montgomery
Andy Chang, Owner
The Police News Page From the Editor
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Breck Porter only police related
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>
He Murdered the Hand That Fed Him
A Texas Cocktail Awaits Ronnie Hyde
By Breck Porter
While 40-year old Ronnie Hugh Hyde
was out of the pen on parole for trying to
kill a man in Cherokee County, Texas, he
beat a man to death with a claw hammer
in Bedias, Texas. The man had befriended him and given him work around his
home to earn some pocket change.
Ronnie Hugh Hyde
In March, 1990 he was arrested after
he and another creep kidnapped a 33year old man from his home at gun point,
bound him with duct tape, forced him into
the trunk of his own car, and pushed the
car into the Nueces River. The car didn’t
sink all the way and the man escaped.
Hyde got 20-years in the joint for that but
by 1994 he was out on parole.
Four years later he burglarized the
home of a 72-year old man in Bedias,
Texas in Grimes County, and murdered
him while he was lying in bed by beating
him in the head at least sixteen times with
a claw hammer. There was no evidence
the victim resisted or that he was even
awake when the assault began.
Idiot Hyde later told a couple of his
buddies that he went to the victims home
to get some money and while he was
there he hit the old man with a hammer.
However, in a confession to police he
said the old man attacked him and he
grabbed that hammer and hit him in self
defense. He didn’t remember hitting him
15 of the 16 times, only once, he said.
At the punishment phase of his murder
trial prosecutors presented evidence that
Hyde had previously been convicted of
attempted murder, assaulting a former
girlfriend, assaulting a man in front of his
child, and for possession of a weapon
while he was in the pen.
The jury found him guilty and sentenced
him to a Texas Cocktail.
Hyde has been sitting on death row
at the Polunsky Unit in Livingston, Texas
since May, 2000. He is now 49-years
old.
On a website someone has put up for
him, he complains that his older sister
and brother no longer come to see him
and that he has never seen his three
grand kids. He needs friends, he says.
The last friend he had, he murdered.
The Long, Long Trip to Salty’s Bar
Whatever Happened
to Mike and D.C.?
Darrell Calhoun and Michael Beaudoin
were last seen in Conroe, Texas on
July 14, 1992. They were co-workers
at an automobile repair shop in south
Montgomery, Texas. The two men left
The Woodlands together in a primergray 1979 Chevrolet Suburban with
Texas license plates numbered 6554RC. The car had two black doors, and
was pulling a small blue box-type trailer
with a silver top and Texas license plates
numbered 786-BMN. The Suburban and
trailer have not been recovered.
Calhoun and Beaudoin were supposed
to meet two unidentified men at Salty’s
Bar north of Conroe on FM 1484, but
they never arrived there. They were
reported missing by their wives two
days later. Foul play is suspected in
the men’s cases. Their cases may be
drug-related. Beaudoin and Calhoun’s
disappearances remain unsolved.
Michael Keith Beaudoin
Born: July 4, 1961
5’11, 165 pounds
White male. Brown
hair, brown eyes.
Beaudoin has a scar
near his left eye.
Some agencies may spell his last name
“Beaudon.”
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A pink
short-sleeved shirt and blue jeans.
Darrell Calhoun
Born: August 28, 1956
5’6, 160 pounds
White male. Brown
hair, brown eyes.
Calhoun may have a
moustache, beard or
a goatee. Scar on his left knee. He may
go by his initials, D. C.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A blue
buttoned shirt and blue jeans or blue
jean shorts.
continued from page 1 (Bad Seed)
that her nephew had been living with
her in the apartment since July 27,
1990. She also told police that she
owned a .25-caliber semi-automatic
pistol; however, when she discovered that the gun was not where she
had left it, she agreed to let police
search the apartment. Police found
a .25-caliber Raven semi-automatic
pistol in a laundry hamper in the hall
closet. The aunt identified the gun as
her own, but stated that she did not
know how it had gotten in the laundry
hamper. Firearms examiner Russell
Johnson testified at trial that shell
casings recovered from the scene
and bullets recovered from both the
victim’s body and the scene had been
fired from Annette McGinnis’s gun.
Almost two months after the
offense, Annette McGinnis contacted
police to inform them she had found
a set of keys in her apartment. The
keys were later identified as the keys
of Leta Wilkerson. In addition, when
asked at trial about the jeans found at
the cleaners, Annette McGinnis identified them as hers, but testified that
she had not taken the jeans to the
cleaners. Rather, the jeans had previously been stored away in a closet in
her apartment because she did not
wear them anymore.
On October 8, 1990, McGinnis
was indicted in Montgomery County,
Texas, for the capital murder of Leta
Wilkerson while in the course of committing and attempting to commit the
offense of robbery, which occurred
on August 1, 1990. He was tried
before a jury upon a plea of not guilty,
and on July 23, 1992, the jury found
him guilty of the capital offense. On
July 30, 1992, in accordance with
state law, the trial court assessed
McGinnis’s punishment as death.
McGinnis appealed his conviction and sentence to the Court of
Criminal Appeals of Texas, which
affirmed on December 14, 1994,
and denied rehearing on March 1,
1995. McGinnis then filed a petition
for writ of certiorari to United States
Supreme Court, which was denied
on October 2, 1995. McGinnis next
filed an application for writ of habeas
corpus in the convicting court on May
7, 1996. On July 12, 1996, the trial
court issued findings of fact and conclusions of law recommending that
relief be denied. The Court of Criminal
Appeals denied relief based on the
trial court’s findings and conclusions
in an order dated August 28, 1996.
On January 3, 1997, McGinnis filed
in federal district court a petition for
writ of habeas corpus. On February
2, 1998, the federal district court
Glen Charles McGinnis
issued a memorandum opinion and
entered final judgment denying relief.
After denying a post-judgment motion
on April 7, 1998, the federal district
court granted McGinnis permission to
appeal one issue. On July 20, 1999,
the United States Court of Appeals
for the Fifth Circuit, after full briefing
and oral argument from the parties,
affirmed the district court’s denial of
habeas corpus relief. The court of
appeals denied McGinnis’s petition for
rehearing on August 25, 1999, and
the Supreme Court denied certiorari
review on January 18, 2000. Also
on January 18, 2000, the Court of
Criminal Appeals dismissed a second
application for state writ of habeas
corpus filed by McGinnis as an abuse
of the writ.At the punishment phase
of trial, the State presented evidence
of McGinnis’s prior criminal history. On July 30, 1986, after several
minor offenses culminating in criminal
trespass, McGinnis, then 13 years
old, was adjudicated delinquent and
placed on juvenile probation by the
314th Judicial District Court of Harris
County, Texas. The court entered
an order modifying the conditions
of his probation on April 16, 1987,
based on a finding that McGinnis
had violated his probation by leaving court-ordered placement. Then
on September 3, 1987, the court
revoked McGinnis’s probation and
committed him to the institutional division of the Texas Youth Commission
after McGinnis was found guilty of
burglary of a vehicle. McGinnis was
sent to Gainesville State School. He
was paroled on January 22, 1988.
At about 12:30 a.m. on August
28, 1988, Carole Speight left a club
in Houston, got in her minivan, and
pulled out into the street. After going
about a block, Speight heard a voice
from the rear of the van say “This is
a stick up.” Speight turned around in
the car, saw a man in the back seat
of her van, and started screaming.
The man shot at her, shattering the
front driver’s side window. Finally,
Speight was able to slow down, jump
out of the moving vehicle, and run
away. The man drove away in her
van. Speight was unable to positively
identify McGinnis as the gunman who
stole her van. However, McGinnis was
seen driving the van on September
4, 1988, when he was involved in a
minor traffic collision. At the scene
of the accident, McGinnis offered as
identification a credit card with the
name Carole Speight, claiming that
it was his mother’s credit card. When
police eventually recovered the van in
Missouri City, Texas, on September
7, 1988, McGinnis was driving. When
the arresting officer asked McGinnis
for identification, he presented three
credit cards with Carole Speight’s
name on them, claiming they were his
mother’s credit cards. On September
28, 1988, McGinnis was charged
with felony theft and misdemeanor
assault. He was classified as a “repeat
offender,” his parole was revoked,
and he was sent back to Gainesville
State School. McGinnis was paroled
again on March 28, 1989.
On April 15, 1989, McGinnis was
apprehended driving a stolen vehicle
in Houston. The steering column of
the vehicle had been broken, and a
pair of needle-nosed pliers found in
the front floorboard of the car had
apparently been used to start and
turn off the vehicle as there were no
keys to the vehicle. McGinnis was
charged with the felony offense of
unauthorized use of a motor vehicle,
and on April 26, 1989, his parole
was revoked. He was reclassified
as a “chronic serious offender” and
was sent to Crockett State School.
McGinnis was released from Crockett
State School in February of 1990.
On the afternoon of May 3, 1990,
Tara Applegate left her car unlocked
and took her keys with her into a fiveand-dime store in Conroe, Texas, near
Wilkins Dry Cleaners. Minutes later,
she left the store, got into her car,
and started the ignition. She turned
around and saw McGinnis crouched
down in the floorboard of the back
seat of her car. Applegate tried to
open the door and get out of her car
but she got tangled in the seat belt.
Finally, she was able to untangle herself and get out of the car. McGinnis
then put the car in reverse with the
door still open. He started backing up with Applegate running along
beside the car, caught in the open
door. Applegate fell underneath the
car, and McGinnis ran over her foot
and drove away. McGinnis pled guilty
and received deferred adjudication
for the theft of Applegate’s vehicle.
McGinnis was released on adult probation on July 27, 1990, and was
directed to report immediately to
the Montgomery County Probation
Department. He never reported. Five
days after his release, McGinnis murdered Leta Wilkerson.
Martin Rocha, McGinnis’s juvenile
parole officer, testified that McGinnis
repeatedly failed to fulfill his parole obligations. Rocha contacted McGinnis’s
father at one point to see whether
it would be possible for McGinnis to
live with him after he was released.
McGinnis’s father told Rocha that
McGinnis could come live with him if
he was willing to comply with certain
rules. Rocha contacted McGinnis and
relayed that information to him. Rocha
testified that McGinnis never made a
serious attempt to change his behavior while under his supervision regardless of the opportunities Rocha and
others afforded him. Rocha further
testified that, in his opinion, McGinnis
is a threat to society.
On 25 January 2000 Glen McGinnis
was executed in Texas shortly after
6pm local time. Death penalty opponents denounced his execution as a
blatant violation of international law,
which prohibits the use of the death
penalty against child offenders.
McGinnis gave no final statement
before being given a lethal injection.
In an interview he said that he did not
want to use the abuse and abandonment that marked his childhood to
make excuses for his crime, although
he wondered what would have been
if he had not lived on the streets for
most of his teenage years
Death penalty opponents complained that McGinnis came from a
troubled background from which the
state of Texas should have protected
him when he was young. His mother
was a drug abuser and he was raped
and beaten as a child.
McGinnis became the 6th condemned inmate to be put to death
that year in Texas, and the 205th
overall since the state resumed capital punishment on Dec. 7, 1982. He
also became the 11th condemned
inmate to be put to death in 2000 in
the USA and the 609th overall since
the USA resumed executions on Jan.
17, 1977.
The information for this story came
from the files of the Texas Attorney
General and other sources.
Cautious rider
❝ To her
reckless dear
Lets have less bull
And more steer
❞
The Police News
Visit us on the Web
www.thepolicenews.net
The Police News Page Santa Claus Wore Blue This Christmas
By Jamie Nash, Police News Contributor
CONROE - Santa Claus wasn’t wearing red this year when he visited a
special group of children in Montgomery County. Law enforcement officers,
firefighters, county employees and businesses joined forces with the Blue
Knights of Texas, Chapter XXXIII a law enforcement motorcycle club, to
launch the first Blue Santa Program in the county’s history.
The Blue Knights is a non-profit fraternal organization consisting of active
and retired law enforcement men and women who enjoy riding motorcycles.
In the spring of 1974, several officers from the Bangor, Maine area met and
formed a small, local motorcycle club. The rest, as they say, is history.
Soon, Blue Knight chapters were being formed in Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, and beyond. With the addition of Canada, and later Australia,
the Blue Knights became an international organization.
Ray Wilkins, a Panorama Village police detective, and a group of area
lawmen and women, applied for and received the charter for Blue Knights,
Chapter XXXIII about three years ago. They now have members from
Montgomery and several surrounding counties.
Operation Blue Santa began with the Austin, Texas Police Department
in 1972 when two patrol officers realized that some families on their beat
would not have gifts for their children at Christmas. What began with gifts
for a few children on their beat from the back of a patrol car, became a
massive effort in partnership with businesses in their community, the Texas
National Guard, the Austin Fire Department, the Austin Parks and Recreation
Department and Austin Energy Company.
Ray Wilkins began to develop the Blue Santa program last summer
along with CPS investigator Terry Lee. Unfortunately Lee will not see her
efforts come to fruition. Last July 14th, her boyfriend, John Marshall Dodd,
attacked her in the kitchen of her home, doused her with gasoline then set
her on fire. She died at the hospital at the early age of 44.
Before that tragedy, she and Wilkins were making progress. They had
recruited Mike “Boxcar” Thomas, president of Los Carnales, another law
enforcement motorcycle club to join with them. Other groups were planning
to join but the sudden death of Terry Lee dashed those plans for awhile.
Fortunately, Jeff Baldys, also a CPS worker volunteered to complete the
project on Lee’s behalf. The Blue Santa program began to move forwarded
again and this year it is being dedicated in memory of Terry Lee.
The goal of the Blue Santa program in Montgomery County is to encourage
positive interaction between law enforcement and children, while making
Christmas brighter for the children and their families.
This year, 25 children who have encountered some kind of difficulty within
a family structured environment, their parents and siblings were the guests
at the Incredible Pizza Company in Conroe. There, they saw all sorts of
police and fire equipment and vehicles. They will be allowed to actually
get inside police cars and fire trucks, and sit on a police motorcycle. And
inside the restaurant visited and talked with Blue Santa and his elves. The
children were amazed to see and talk with unformed police officers and
firefighters and bikers dressed in leather, wearing the colors of their various
organizations.
Every child got to sit on Santa’s lap and have a keepsake photo made.
Santa and his elves presented each child with toys valued at $100. Each
child also received a $5 Incredible Pizza Company game card and every
family member got free passes to play glow in the dark miniature golf.
Making this big event possible along with Kim Valdez of Incredible Pizza
is Ed and Janette Blackburne, owners of TPM Manufacturing Company, The
Cycle Shack and TLC Cleaners.
Persons or businesses wishing to contribute financially to the program
throughout the year may make out checks or money orders to:
Blue Knights – Blue Santa
Mail to: First Bank of Conroe
Attn: Toby White
11399 Hwy 105 East
Conroe, Tx 77303
Visit The Blue Knights website: www.blueknightstx33.org
Page The Police
Police News
News
The
ThePolice
Police News
News Page WHO IS WINNING?
Guest Commentary
by Jes Garza
R
emember the phrase “rule of
law”? It is apparent to this
writer that too many individuals have forgotten or have decided that
the rule of law is not pertinent to some
of our statutes/laws and therefore, they
do not have a duty to follow the rule of
law. Sadly, the persons who adopt this
thought pattern are found at all levels
of our social, economic and political
groups. I will illustrate with a couple of
examples.
This first example is of a real incident
that occurred in Harris County about
eighteen months ago. An individual was
arrested and booked into the Harris
County Jail on a Child Support Capias
(originating in Harris County) for failure
to pay court-ordered child support to the
mother of his child. Keep in mind that
the Capias is a civil paper for contempt
of court, not a criminal warrant, filed
against the defendant.
So the defendant is in jail because he
failed to pay the child support that was
ordered by one of the Harris County
District Courts. Does this indicate that
the defendant has a tendency to think
that the rule of law is not applicable
to him? But wait, there’s more. This
person while in the County Jail decided
to “come clean” about his illegal status.
What does he know about our justice
system? The chances are that he
knows more than the average person
because of previous experiences in the
system.
As soon as he advised the jail
supervisors of his illegal status,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE) took custody of him and scheduled
a deportation hearing for him. It turned
out that he is a native of a Central
American country, and he was in fact
deported. The Child Support Capias
(civil paper) was trumped by Federal
Immigration Law. I’m thinking he was
probably ready to go back to his native
country to visit with the old folks at
home. And the child support for his
child? That’s not his concern, and it
appears that he probably never will be
held accountable for his responsibility
to his child.
The agency holding the Capias
(warrant) paper upon learning what had
happened to the defendant contacted
the Attorney General’s
Office for
instructions/clearance to return
the paper as non-executable to the
court that had issued the paper. The
Child Support Division employee of
Page The Police News
the Attorney General’s Office tried to
persuade the agency to keep the paper
as an active open warrant/Capias.
Their reasoning was that they had
expectations that the defendant would
be returning to our country during the
end-of-year holiday season. What?
At that point this writer contacted
a supervisor at the AG’s Office and
pointed out that even if the defendant
came back and was re-arrested on the
outstanding Capias, he would again use
the Federal Immigration “card” to avoid
his accountability and responsibility
under our laws to pay the child support.
The supervisor agreed and the paper
was returned to the issuing court. The
mother of the child is now on her own to
provide total support for her child, and
perhaps she’ll tap into the state welfare
system – it’s only tax dollars, right?
Do you see how the lawless-minded
folks use our defective system to
put themselves above the law? First
they break into our country for the
reasons that most of us know about.
Then they use identities that may or
may not be their true identities. Can
you say identity theft? Surely there’s
nothing serious or sinister about that,
or is there? You might ask someone
who has endured the violation-shock
of having their names and personal
information stolen to “cover” an illegal
alien’s criminal conduct.
There have been and there probably
will continue to be police officers that
have engaged in serious misconduct,
violations of the law and general
breaches of the public trust. Not all
of these incidents are made public, but
those at the higher organizational levels
and the internal affairs investigators
are well aware of these violations
and unacceptable conduct by police
officers. Why do officers engage in
their misconduct? Do they believe that
their misconduct will go unnoticed? Do
they think that they are so secure and
untouchable by prosecutors and the
justice system that they belong to?
I doubt that the errant officers
seriously believe that they are above
the law. I can understand why some
high-ranking law enforcement officers
sometimes begin to think that they are
beyond reproach and above suspicion
of any type of wrong-doing. When
police officers rise to the management
level of law enforcement or the criminal
justice system, the temptations can be
formidable. Helping a close friend or
a family member by bending the rules
or outright violating the penal code or
the code of criminal procedure, can
sometimes be an irresistible force.
This can only happen if the person in
power or with great authority chooses
to abandon their ethics or compromise
their public trust.
We know from history that persons
with power and authority in law
enforcement and in other career fields
have indeed succumbed to the tests
that have presented themselves. We
should have pity on those poor souls
for their failures, but nevertheless, they
must still be held accountable for their
actions or omissions (of their duties).
The citizens that elect them or appoint
them have every legitimate expectation
that those in leadership will conduct
themselves in an exemplary manner
and resist the temptations whenever
they materialize.
Recently, a local citizen became aware
that two individuals were in the process
of committing a daytime felony crime
(Burglary of a Habitation) at his nextdoor neighbor’s home. He went out to
stop the culprits and the result was that
he fatally shot both perpetrators who
still had the fruits of their crime in their
hands. The suspects happened to be
persons of color and the citizen, who
attempted the felony apprehension, is
an Anglo person. Their ethnicities
shouldn’t be an issue.
But as most of us know, in our
currently politically correct society, the
ethnicity of the person standing for law
and order must be accented in order
to get maximum media mileage for
the political activists. Additionally, the
proper focus of the criminal act must
be shifted from the felony crime by
the perpetrators to the differences of
ethnicity of those involved in this tragic
incident. I say tragic because the dead
suspects very likely believed that the
law would protect them from such a
fatal end. In my opinion, for far too
long and after too many miscarriages
of justice, the criminal justice system
has indeed protected the criminals over
the victims of some outrageous and
barbaric violent acts by some really
dangerous and anti-social people.
I have these questions for you. Who
is winning? Who gets the benefits
of the justice system? Who is held
accountable for their illegal actions?
Who pays the consequences for their
anti-social or illegal behavior? When a
criminal suspect/defendant is allowed to
walk free and avoids the consequences
of their criminal or unethical acts due
to a technicality, who wins? What are
the messages that are being sent to
the law-abiding public and the criminal
element in our society?
Did you know that more and more
citizens who are witnesses to crimes,
serious crimes, are more and more
reluctant to stand up and testify in court
in order for justice to be served? Can you
guess why? Let me suggest that they
are increasingly under threats of harm
and even death by the associates of
the crooks so that effective prosecution
does not go forward. All of you should
remember that the crooks have learned
over the history of our criminal justice
system in America that they should
never leave a witness alive to testify
against them in a court of law.
If you question my suggestion, then
you should do some research and
look into the kidnappings along the
Texas-Mexico border since 2004. Most
likely the Mexican and/or Colombian
drug cartels are the main criminal
organizations responsible for these
abductions. If there have been any
witnesses to these crimes, how many
witnesses do you think will stand up
and come forward to be identified as
witnesses in a police report? And if
there is a brave soul or two that do
so, what is their life expectancy prior
to the actual courtroom trial? Who is
winning?
Jes Garza is a retired Houston Police
Officer now serving as a Captain in the
Harris County Precinct One Constable’s
Office. He is a regular contributor to
The Police News.
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E-Mail: MelgarConstruction@yahoo.com
SEX OFFENDERS —
Montgomery County
Convicted Sex Offenders are required by Texas law to register with Law Enforcement in the city in which they reside
These Sex Offenders are not wanted by the law…they are published for Community Awareness in cooperation with local Law Enforcement Agencies.
If you have information that any of these offenders are residing at an address other then the one shown, please Call
936-538-3222 — More Sex Offenders listed online at: thepolicenews.net
ADAIR, ERIC WAYNE
White Male DOB 03/28/1977
14 N. Castle Green Cr., The Woodlands, Tx
Indency w/Child - Sexual Contact
Victim: Female Age 6
Risk Level: MODERATE
(Discharged TDCJ)
Montgomery County Sheriff
BAKER, CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL
alias: Alex Mortensen, Picante, Quick, Red
White Male DOB 01/24/1974
200 Easy St #9, Willis, Tx
Aggravated Sexual Asslt Child
Victim: Female Age 12
Risk Level: HIGH (Paroled)
Montgomery County Sheriff
BERGEN, PHILIP ANTHONY
White Male DOB 02/10/1977
3500 Tanglebrush Dr #158, The
Woodlands, Tx
Sexual Assault Child
Victim: Female Age 16
Risk Level: HIGH (Paroled)
Montgomery County Sheriff
CORBETT, JOHN JAMES
White Male DOB 06/26/1987
13819 Coaltown Rd., Willis, Tx
Indecency w/Child - Sexual Contact
Victim: Female Age 12
Rsik Level: MODERATE
Montgomery County Sheriff
GOLDSMITH, HOLLY ANN
White Female DOB 07/28/1981
20681 Pin Oak, New Caney, Tx
Aggravated Sexual Asslt Child (2 cnts)
Victims: Male Ages 11 & 12
Risk Level: MODERATE
(Discharged TDCJ)
Montgomery County Sheriff
HILL, BILLY ADDISON
White Male DOB 07/25/1956 17008
Grove Circle, New Caney, Tx
Sexual Asslt Child - Female 16
Burglary w/Intent - Female Age 73
Indy w/Child Sex Contact - Female 14
Risk Level: HIGH
(Discharged TDCJ)
Montgomery County Sheriff
MCCOLLUM, JOHN PAUL
White Male DOB 11/21/1952
15908 Bryan Ln. Willis, Tx
Aggravated Kidnapping w/Intent
Victim: Male Age 3
Risk Level: NOT AVAILABLE (Paroled)
Montgomery County Sheriff
PORATH, TIMOTHY
White Male DOB 09/21/1972
10413 Tree Ridge Pl., The Woodlands
Possession/Promtion Child Porn
Victim: Male Age 15
Risk Level: MODERATE (Paroled)
Montgomery County Sheriff
SMALLEY, ARTHUR LOUIS III
White Male DOB 01/21/1948
86 Willowood Cr. The Woodlands, Tx
Indecency w/Child - Sexual Exposure
Victim: Female Age 6
Risk Level: MODERATE
Montgomery County Sheriff
THONIG, RALPH
White Male DOB 06/21/1965
29626 Dundee Dr. Magnolia, Tx
Sexual AssaultVictim: Female Age 16
Risk Level: MODERATE
(Discharged TDC)
Montgomery County Sheriff
TOPE, AUDLY RAY
White Male DOB 11/24/1973
16815 W. Alderson, Montgomery, Tx
Indecency w/Child - Sexual Contact
Victim: Female Age 11
Risk Level: HIGH (Paroled)
Montgomery County Sheriff
Grimes County Body Still Unidentified
The victim depicted in this composite
sketch was located by a worker with
the Texas Highway Department in
Grimes County on October 29, 1981.
She was found on F.M. 244, just south
of Iola near Bull Creek Bridge.
The body was inside a large plastic
bag, which also contained a type of
rag commonly used by mechanics.
An investigation was launched by the
Grimes County Sheriff’s Department
and the Texas Rangers, but the identity
of the girl was never established
and no local children were reported
missing about that same time.
Authorities theorize that the girl likely
was physically abused and eventually
killed. She possibly had dropped out
of school. Considering the condition
of the body, the killer or killers may
have stored the body in a cool, dry
place – possibly a closet – where it
decomposed over several years. The
killer probably needed to get rid of
the body, then placed it in a bag and
dumped it on the side of the road in
1981.
White/Hispanic Female
Estimated age: 13 - 19 years old
Estimated Date of Death: 1 - 5 years
(1976 - 1980)
Cause of Death: Blunt trauma to the
head.
Approximate Height and Weight:
5’1” - 5’5”.
Distinguishing Characteristics: Red
or auburn hair. There was evidence of
prior abuse as several ribs had been
broken but were healed.
Clothing: She was found wearing
only a pair of pink panties and a coin
ring with the year “1904” engraved
on it.
Fingerprints: Not Available
Dentals: Available; she had extensive
dental work with about 14 fillings.
DNA Available incomplete sample
VALLE, PATRICK
White Male DOB 07/31/2006
26706 North Marek, Magnolia, Tx
Indecency w/Child Sexual Contact 2 cts
Victims: Females Ages 5 & 7
Risk Level: MODERATE (Paroled)
Montgomery County Sheriff
this case please contact:
Grimes County District Attorney’s
Office
Investigator Travis Higginbotham
Investigator Todd Green
936-873-2137
936-873-2151
NCIC Number:
U-820002911
If you have any information about
The Police News Page SEX OFFENDERS — San Jacinto County
Convicted Sex Offenders are required by Texas law to register with Law Enforcement in the city in which they reside
These Sex Offenders are not wanted by the law…they are published for Community Awareness in cooperation with local Law Enforcement Agencies.
If you have information that any of these offenders are residing at an address other then the one shown, please Call
San Jacinto County Sheriff's Office 936-4367 — More Sex Offenders listed online at: thepolicenews.net
HARDY,JOAN SUSANN
Alias: Joan Compton
White Female DOB 08/26/1968
1230 Cherry Creek South, Shepherd, Tx
Aggravated Sexual Asslt Child
Victim: Female Age 11
Risk Level: MODERATE
JONES, ROBERT WAYNE
White Male DOB 02/02/1963
125 Valley Dr. Coldspring, Tx
Indecency w/Child - Sexual Contact
Victim: Female Age 8
Risk Level: MODERATE (Ex-Convict)
MILLIKEN, GREGORY JOSEPH
White Male DOB 09/22/1975
781 Marie St. Shepherd, Tx
Indecency w/Child - Sexual Contact
Victim: Female Age 15
Risk Level: HIGH (Ex-Convict)
SILVA, CHRISTOPHER ALLEN
White Male DOB 03/17/1981
#61 Carrier, Shepherd, Tx
Aggravated Sexual Asslt Child
Victim: Male Age 6
Risk Level: MODERATE (Ex-Convict)
SIMMONS, BILLY DWAYNE
White Male DOB 09/25/1963
#30 Willow Rd. Shepherd, Tx
Indecency w/Child - Sexual Contact
Victim: Female Age 5
Risk Level: MODERATE (Ex-Convict)
SNOOK, ROY LYNN
alias: Roy L. Fox
White Male DOB 10/20/1959
10790 Hwy 156, Coldspring, Tx
Aggravated Sexual Asslt
Victim: Female Age 22
Risk Level: MODERATE (Ex-Convict)
TENNEY, GERALD CLIFFORD
White Male DOB 08/22/1937
1060 Hunters Hill, Oakhurst, Tx
Aggravated Sexual Asslt Child
Victim: Female Age 6
Risk Level: NOT AVAILABLE
WARNER, DANIEL SHANE
White Male DOB 07/12/1986
#60 Dogwood, Shepherd, Tx
Sexual Asslt Child
Victim: Female Age 14
Risk Level: MODERATE (Ex-Convict)
WHEELER, SIDNEY EARL
White Male DOB 04/04/1942
#60 Davey Ln. Coldspring,Tx
Aggravated Sexual A ssault
Victim: Female Age 19
Risk Level: HIGH (Ex-Convict)
ANDERSON, AMMON BEVERLY
White Male DOB 11/14/2005
1550 S. Byrd, Shepherd, Tx
Aggravated Sexual Asslt Child
Victim: Female Age 9
Risk Level: MODERATE
San Jacinto County Sheriff
DUNN, ARTHUR PAUL
White Male DOB 08/28/1055
350 Hwy 150, Coldspring, Tx
Indecency w/Child - Sexual
Contact
Risk Level: MODERATE
San Jacinto County Sheriff
LEE, SCOTT ALLEN
White Male DOB 09/02/1966
170 Campfire Cr. Coldspring, Tx
Indecency w/Child - Sexual Contact
Victim: Female Age 11
Risk Level: MODERATE
San Jacinto County Sheriff
The Police News is available in these Conroe area locations:
Valero Food Mart Hwy 242 & Glenhaven
Amato’s Grocery FM 1488 & Carriage Hills
C-Store Stephen F Austin & Kidd
Waffle House S. Loop 336 & IH 45
Citgo Food Mart South Frazier
Eccono Foods Gladstell & Frazier
Conroe Police Dept Gladstell Road
Sheriff’s Office Criminal Justice Drive
Shipley Donuts N Loop & Plantation
Waffle House League Line Rd & IH 45
Pit Stop FM 3083 & Loop 336 North
Page 10 The Police News
Shell Station 110 East Louetta
Exxon 21334 IH 45
Arutro’s Taqueria 1402 Spring Cypress Rd
Conoco Rayford & Oak Hurst
Thomas BBQ 25310 IH 45
Wolfies Restaurant 25550 IH 45
Taqueria Los Petates 25602 IH 45
Speedy Shop 25602 IH 45
Washteria 26724 IH 45
Food Basket 26844 IH 45
Casa Elena Mex Rest 26850 IH 45
Chevron 26900 IH 45
Chevron 19153 IH 45 & Taminia
Snappy Mart 8556 Hwy 242
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Diamond Shamrock Gleneagle @ Hwy 242
Shell 801 Hwy 242 @ IH 45
Citgo 15517 IH 45
Conoco 1000 Frazier
Visit our website: www.thepolicenews.net
for more locations in Montgomery County
The Slow, Tortureous Death of Baby Styron
And The Father Who Murdered Him
O
n Oct. 23, 1993, Ronford
Lee Styron punched his 11month-old son, Lee Hollace
Styron, at least three times in the head
and face, causing him to black out and
act abnormally thereafter. Styron did
not take the infant to the hospital until
the child’s condition worsened three
days later. The infant died as a result of
subdural hemorrhaging due to trauma
to the head. Any one of the three blows
could have caused the death.
The fatal injuries were the culmination of a long pattern of abusive
behavior directed at the 11-month-old
victim, including punching him in the
face, dunking him in ice water, squeezing him hard enough to break his ribs,
and shaking him hard enough to cause
retinal hemorrhages. The victim’s older
injuries included at least 10 broken
bones. Styron also stuffed tape into the
child’s mouth to quiet him and palmed
the child’s head like a basketball, thus
dangling the child like a puppet.
Styron demonstrated little concern
for the condition of the infant either
before or during his final hospitalization. When told by police that Lee
Hollace was not expected to live,
Styron showed no remorse or sign of
being upset.
Styron was the child’s primary caregiver. Living conditions in his home
were filthy and his other baby was not
in good condition at the time of the
victim’s death. His abusive treatment of
the victim was motivated by his anger
at his wife for allegedly having an affair
and by his expressed opinion that the
victim was not his biological child.
Styron was indicted on Dec. 1, 1993,
in the 253rd Judicial District Court of
Liberty County, Texas, for the capital offense of murdering Lee Hollace
Styron, a child less than six years of
age on the day of his murder. Styron
pled not guilty, but on Oct. 24, 1994,
a jury found him guilty of the capital
offense. On Oct. 27, 1994, following a
separate punishment hearing, the jury
sentenced him to death.
He was the first person to be convicted under a revised Texas statute that
made the killing of a child under the
age of six a capital offense. Styron’s
lawyer argued that his sentence was
unconstitutional because the state had
not proven an intent to kill his son.
Prosecutors pointed to Styron’s pattern of past conduct and the child’s
old injuries as evidence of his intent.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
affirmed his conviction and sentence
in October 1996. All of his subsequent
appeals in state and federal court were
Lee Styron
denied.
Styron’s documented criminal history
reflected that he had been in trouble
with the law several times prior to the
murder of baby Styron that ended in his
sentence of death.
On April 18, 1991, Styron was convicted and sentenced to one year of
probation for carrying a weapon by the
County Criminal Court at Law of Harris
County, Texas.
On June 8, 1999, Styron was convicted and sentenced to one year of
probation for assault by the County
Criminal Court at Law of Harris County,
Texas.
He had a reputation for being a
schoolyard bully and for provoking
fights with classmates beginning in the
seventh grade where at least one of his
victims had required medical attention
and where one of his attacks resulted
in his expulsion from school.
Styron was discharged from the military for punching his sergeant. He had
problems with authority figures in his civilian employment and physically threatened several people while on the job.
Styron had a reputation in his neighborhood for being overly aggressive.
Neighbors reported that he participated in a violent street riot, that he had
been observed taking out his anger on
his car, firing a gun at it, kicking it, etc.,
and that he had made an unprovoked
physical attack upon one of his neighbors which broke the man’s jaw.
Styron had been arrested for an
incident on the freeway in Houston in
which he pointed a pistol at the passengers in another vehicle, and later
started a fist fight with the driver on the
side of the freeway.
An unemployed laborer with a history
of aggressive behavior he was finally
executed May 16, 2002. He told family and friends that he loved them and
was worried about them. “I’m going to
go and be with my little boy and I’m
going to have fun with him,” he said,
smiling and looking at relatives, including his mother and grandmother, who
watched through a window. “I know
where I’m going. I want to see all of
you there. You get your hearts right,”
he said. He sputtered and gasped and
stopped moving. He was pronounced
dead at 6:20 p.m., seven minutes after
the lethal dose began.
Styron, from Dayton in Liberty County,
acknowledged he punched the child
once in the head but contended in lastday appeals to the courts that he didn’t
intend to kill his son. He was the 12th
Texas inmate put to death in 2002 year
and second that month.
The death of Lee Hollace Styron
culminated what authorities said was
repeated abuse and months of mistreatment that had left the baby with
numerous broken bones and other
injuries. “Except somebody who kills
hundreds or thousands of people, I
don’t see how you can get a more
heinous offense,” said Steve Greene,
who prosecuted Styron. “He basically
tortured the child through most of his
short life.” The child was one month
shy of his first birthday when he died
at Houston’s Texas Children’s Hospital,
three days after he was brought into an
emergency room in Liberty. When the
child’s injuries did not match information presented to physicians treating
By Breck Porter
the comatose infant, authorities began
investigating. It was just weeks after
a then-new Texas law took effect that
made accused killers of children under
the age of 6 eligible for the death penalty. “We were going for the death penalty because a child is the most helpless person you can have, especially
an 11-month-old baby,” Greene said.
Testimony showed Styron stuffed
the child’s mouth with tape to stop
him from crying, palmed his head like
a basketball, dunked him in ice water,
squeezed his chest hard enough to
break ribs and shook him so hard the
retinas of his eyes hemorrhaged. “I
won’t be forgetting him,” Greene said.
“It was really a sad case.”
Psychologists found Styron hostile,
aggressive and a person who held
grudges and had trouble with authority figures. Relatives told investigators
they thought of reporting Styron to
child protective officials but feared
him. Although he had not been in prison
before, he had been on probation twice
for a weapons offense and assault.
Greene said prosecutors had no
evidence to tie Styron’s wife and the
child’s mother to any of the abuse
although the home conditions were
described as filthy. “She just wasn’t a
very attentive mother,” Greene said.
“There was evidence both of them had
been unfaithful at different times and
he doubted the baby was really his,
even though his family said the child
looked a lot like him.”
CAPTURED
by area police and a police K-9.
He found no Sweet Onion Chicken
Teriyaki sandwiches in the Tommy
Gage Hilton.
Samuel Kahn after his capture
(Police News photo by Scott Engle)
Booking Mug Shot
Montgomery County Sheriff’s
deputies say Samuel Kahn and his
girlfriend robbed a Subway Sandwich
Shop on FM-1485 then rammed a
Sheriff’s cruiser that stopped him.
Kahn took off on foot leaving his
sweetie behind only to be captured
The Police News Page 11
Everything is Primo in The
Woodlands, Even The Pot
By Jamie Nash – The Police News
THE WOODLANDS- What began
as concern for the welfare of a pair
of Grogan’s Mill residents resulted
in the arrest and the seizure of
between $70,000 and $84,000 in
hydroponics marijuana.
County dispatchers received a call
requesting that a deputy check on
the couple who lived at 25 Kittiwake
Court because the caller had seen
no signs of life there for several
days, despite a rented moving truck
parked in front of the home. When
the caller noticed the home’s front
door open, she became concerned
about foul play.
Montgomery County Sheriff’s
Lieutenant Phillip Cash, commander
of the Special Investigations Unit
said patrol deputies went to the
home and detected the distinct and
strong odor of marijuana. A search
of the residence produced one of the
two residence and 28 pounds of high
quality indoor grown hydroponics
marijuana, pipes, scales and $2,400
in currency.
Cash said the weed is street valued
at about $3 thousand a pound.
Joshua Kuzmann, 24, was arrested
and charged with third-degree felony
possession of marijuana (greater
than 5 lbs, less than 50 lbs), which
is punishable by two to 10 years in
prison and a fine up to $10,000. His
girlfriend was not home at the time,
but Cash said her arrest was likely
forthcoming.
Cash said the weed was an
extremely high level of THC that
made the hydroponics so much more
valuable than the typical Mexican
outdoor grown variety. “They grow
hydro plants indoors producing about
28 percent THC compared to only 3
to 7 percent for the average Mexican
grown street variety,” Cash said.
“Some was being used and some
Joshua Kuzmann
was in moving boxes.”
Police records indicated Kuzmann
had prior convictions for marijuana
possession and evading arresting
using a motor vehicle.
Hydroponics is a method of
growing plants using mineral nutrient
solutions instead of soil. Terrestrial
plants may be grown with their roots
in the mineral nutrient solution only
or in an inert medium, such as
perlite, gravel or Rockwool. A variety
of techniques exist.
MISSING
Michelle Lois Prasek
Missing since December 19,
1997 from Spring, Montgomery
County, Texas.
12-year old Michelle Lois Prasek
was last seen by her mother at 7:30
AM in their home in Spring, Texas on
December 19, 1997. This was less
than an hour before she was to leave
home to get on a bus for school.
Michelle may have been on the school
premises that day, but she did not
attend classes.
The next day Michelle’s mother
reported her missing to local
authorities in Montgomery County,
Texas. Investigators are treating her
case as a criminal case and state that
the mother and her live-in boyfriend
have not been as cooperative as they
would hope. Michelle had no prior
history of running away and no trouble
with the law or school. She was a
good student academically. Michelle’s
parents are divorced and, prior to
her disappearance, she was looking
forward to spending the Christmas
holidays with her father in Kingsville,
Texas.
Michelle may have had a sleeping
bag, a handmade patchwork quilt and
her cat with her. She may have left
the state. Foul play is suspected in
Michelle’s disappearance.
Date Of Birth: April 12, 1985
Age at Time of Disappearance: 12
years old
Height and Weight at Time of
Disappearance: 5’3” (160 cm); 135 lbs
(61 kg).
Distinguishing Characteristics: White
female. Blonde hair; blue eyes.
Marks, Scars: She has a birthmark on
the palm of her hand.
Clothing: Last seen wearing a tan tshirt with the initials CK, blue jeans, and
Nike tennis shoes.
If you have any information concerning
this case, please contact:
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office
Detective Chris Smith
936-760-5800
Case Number: 97-A016936
Left: Prasek, circa 1997 Right :
Progressed to age 19 years