Crimes

Mixture of true crime and memes my posts

[morbidology]

The rescue dogs of the September 11 played an extraordinary but often overlooked role in the wake of the terrorist attacks. These dogs were deployed to Ground Zero to assist in locating survivors trapped beneath the rubble, with many of them working for days on end. It was estimated that about 300 search and rescue dogs were tasked with the mission of finding not only survivors, but human remains as well.

One dog, a labrador named "Sirius," was the only police dog to die in the attacks. Assigned to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Sirius was in the basement of the World Trade Center when the towers collapsed. His handler had left him in his kennel, thinking he would be safe, as he helped escort people from the building.

These dogs provided more than just physical assistance—they offered emotional support to the rescue workers and survivors. The presence of these loyal, hardworking animals helped to lift the spirits of firefighters, police officers, and other emergency personnel who were dealing with overwhelming grief and exhaustion.

In some cases, SAR dogs, who were trained to locate living people, became depressed when they found only bodies, prompting handlers to stage "live finds" to boost their morale.

In the years since 9/11, the bravery and contributions of these dogs have finally been recognized and honored. Many of the surviving dogs lived out the remainder of their lives in comfort and with gratitude from the nation.

[444earthangel]

Let Death be Kinder than Man, Althea Davis

[unsettlingstories]

Precious Children are extruded from the entrails of Black God at gift points throughout the world. Precious Children reach adulthood when their mass exceeds a critical threshold, wherein their skin sags and their pores dilate and each hole yields seeds of ignition via divine apomixis.

Follow @unsettlingstories for more; please reblog or tip to support. All images and text are © Max Lobdell, 2022.

[truecrimecrystals]

32 year-old Lauren Colvin (also known as Lauren Elizabeth Thompson) has been missing since January 10th, 2019. The mother-of-three was last heard from that day after she called 911 around 2:30pm. Lauren told dispatchers that she was running through a wooded area of Panola County, Texas, and that somebody was chasing her. Dispatchers stayed on the phone with Lauren for over 20 minutes, and through phone pings the police were able to locate the area where the call was placed. Within minutes, police found Lauren’s car stuck in the mud on the side of the road near the Rock Hill community. However, they were unable to locate Lauren herself. 

Police were later able to identify some of the people Lauren was with prior to vanishing. Nobody has been publicly identified, however police did state that a male friend was in the car with Lauren when she ran off the road and got her car stuck in mud. The male friend reportedly told Lauren that he was going to walk to his house to get another vehicle to help Lauren’s car get out of the mud. At that point, Lauren began sprinting off into the woods, where she later called 911. A massive search for Lauren was launched in that area, but searchers were unable to locate her. However, searchers did find a shoe that was later confirmed to belong to Lauren.

Investigators announced that at this time, they do not have any reason to believe foul play with involved in Lauren’s disappearance. However, they also stated that nobody has been ruled out yet either. Lauren’s family is holding out hope that she is still alive, and they are offering a $5000 reward for anyone with information that could lead to her safe return. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the Panola County Sheriff’s Office at 903-693-0333.

[truecrimecrystals]

UPDATE (December 2022): Lauren’s remains have been found. During July of 2022, a work crew in Panola found human remains in a wooded area. It took months, but in December, it was confirmed that the remains belonged to Lauren. The investigation into her death is ongoing. Rest in peace, Lauren.

[werewolf-transgenderism]

shifting into frog mode. did y'all know that there is a species called the pumpkin toadlet and they skip the tadpole phase and go straight to being little toadlets and they are soooo fucking small

[g4y-d0g]

Another fun fact about these guys, they are so small that their cochlea (the part of the inner ear that controls balance) does not function properly. As a result, these little toadlets can jump, but have a bit of a hard time landing. They just land however they land, which often results in them just throwing themselves and flopping onto the ground as seen here.

[4th3r]

[lagonegirl]

I hope he wins the lawsuit, a police officer was finally doing the right thing and they penalize him for not being a racist monster!

[theboykingofhell]

his name is stephen mader and not only did he refuse to shoot, he actively wanted to help the man (ronald ‘rj’ williams) because he could tell that he was only acting out because of mental illness. rj williams was suicidal and holding an unloaded gun and, while mader didn’t shoot him, a fellow officer (ryan kuzma) did and murdered him on the spot. here is the source and here’s to hoping rj williams gets justice

[socialistexan]

“Saying the words ‘Just shoot me’ sent up the red flag that he was just trying to harm himself and no one else … That’s what made me make my decision. He needed help” I hate this fucking world. The guy was actually trying to do his job by actually desculating the situation the right way (desculating these days apparently just means shoot them) and was fired for “failing to eliminate a threat.”

[critgemhero]

HE WON THE LAWSUIT AND GOT $175,000

[aphrican-aphrodite]

I read this whole story. It is wild !! The conversations between him and his ex coworkers about what went down that day 😧😶

Listen to it all here:

What Happened When A White Cop Decided Not to Shoot a Black Man

A shocking story of police and lethal force. Just not the one you might expect.

[uncleromeo]

when I say there are no good cops, this is part of the reason why.

“good cops” lose their jobs for doing the right thing.

“good cops” die mysteriously after whistleblowing.

“good cops” are forced to choose between their livelihood and becoming just like the rest.

[seijohsremade]

ways to help protestors if you are unable to protest

everybody has to do their part. as a reference, this was posted on 1 june 2020. if any links are broken or direct to a place they should not, please feel free to add on with corrections. if there is new information with better knowledge, please feel free to share. thank you.

1. donate

do not donate to shaun king. he has repeatedly collected money to “support” black people, but no one knows where the money is.

BAIL FUNDS (ALPHABETICAL ORDER; NOT A COMPREHENSIVE LIST)

note: washington dc and new jersey have cashless bail systems.

bail fund google doc (also includes lawyers for protestors)

national bail fund network (directory of community bail funds)

community bail funds masterpost by @keplercryptids

resistance funds (google sheets; lists bail funds around the country)

nationwide bail funds (split a donation to the bail funds listed on the linked page with a single transaction)

atlanta bail fund

brooklyn bail fund

colorado freedom fund

columbus freedom fund

houston chapter of black lives matter

liberty fund (nyc based; focuses services on people from low-income communities)

los angeles freedom fund

louisville community fund

massachusetts bail fund

minnesota freedom fund (as of may 30, 2020, they are encouraging people to donate elsewhere since they have raised enough money; as of may 29, 2020, they do not have a venmo, as some fraudulent accounts have been claiming, source)

philadelphia bail out fund

richmond bail fund

MORE PLACES TO DONATE

note: more links are listed in the masterposts below.

northstar health collective (healthcare and medical aid for people on the front lines)

reclaim the block (aims to redistribute police funding to help the minneapolis community)

twin cities dsa (provides fresh groceries and hot meals to people in minneapolis)

2. educate yourself

it isn’t enough to sign petitions and reblog/retweet/etc. nonblack people, including people of color, owe it to black people to educate themselves and correct themselves and the people around them on anti-blackness.

note: more links are in the masterposts linked below.

resources and tools regarding racism and anti-blackness (google sheets compilation)

readings on society, racism, the prison system, etc. (twitter thread)

“where do we go after ferguson?” by michael eric dyson

official black lives matter website

3. give out supplies to protestors

people need supplies to protest safely, and even if they bring supplies with them, they can often run out. if you’re able, stock up and hand them out to people protesting. for more supplies to donate, see the “george floyd action” google docs link in section 5.

water bottles (dehydration and heatstroke are not things people should have to deal with alongside bastard cops. if the police in your area are particularly violent or known to use tear gas, get the ones with the sports cap/suction-thing/etc so people can use them as emergency eye-flushes.)

snacks (make sure to take into account that people have allergies of all sorts. foods will have a little label that says “may contain” and then list any potential allergens. write the allergens on the ziploc (or any container you use) in permanent marker, or better yet, write the snacks included in the pack.)

masks (don’t forget there’s still a pandemic going on. also it will aid in deterring facial recognition when the police try to track down protestors,  also part two, if the cops use tear gas, wearing a mask (with the combination of a scarf or bandana) will lessen the adverse effects. lessen, not stop.)

bandanas, scarves, etc. and goggles (ski goggles, swimming goggles, etc.) (see above for explanation on the scarves. same goes for the goggles. anti–tear gas and anti–facial recognition.)

clean shirts (for people who are heavily gassed. also helps deter recognition through clothing.)

wound care supplies (band-aids, packets of neosporin packets or a similar antibiotic, alcohol wipes, etc.; if you can, decant bactine into those little travel bottles.)

a sharpie or another type of marker (for writing bail numbers or emergency contacts on arms, hands, etc. it’s not enough to have your city’s bail fund number stored on your phone; the police won’t give it to you to look it up. give people a marker so they can write it down, preferably not washable so it isn’t easily removed.)

IMPORTANT: KNOWING FIRST AID

tear gas: if you’re hit, get out as fast and as soon as you can. take anyone you can with you. the longer you’re in the gas, the harder it will be for you to see, and it can irritate your airways, making it hard to breathe. if you’re hit, don’t run; it’ll only make things worse on your lungs. when you leave the area, take a cold shower. don’t use hot water (it will only reactivate the agent); don’t bathe (it will only spread the CS around). (source 1) (source 2) (cdc fact sheet on tear gas)

move them to a clean and ventilated area where it’s as safe as possible.

ask them if they’re wearing contact lenses. have them remove it. if they’re wearing glasses, rinse it with water.

solution of half liquid antacid, half water. spray from the inside going out, with the head tilted back and slightly towards the side being rinsed. if they say it’s okay, open the eye slightly while doing this. (source)

bullet wounds: the most important thing is to stop the bleeding. be sure to check for an exit wound and cover that as well. treat both wounds, but treat the worse one first.

stop the bleed (youtube video by uc san diego health)

first aid in active shooting scenarios

making a tourniquet (a commercial tourniquet is best, but improvised ones can work as well if done properly; the most important things to remember is that tourniquets are for limb injuries and are not meant for the head or torso and that they have to be very tightly wound on the injury.)

how to apply pressure dressings

miscellaneous

adult cpr tutorial (youtube video by cincinnati children’s; think of “staying alive” by the beegees or “uptown funk”)

4. be a source of information

be responsible with this. people’s lives are at stake. that being said, the media is a fucking joke and the best way to get accurate information in a grassroots rebellion is amongst ourselves. record everything, but if you are going to share any information at all, be sure to blur people’s faces.

signal (encrypted messenger app; messages delete after x amount of time): app store | google play

tool for scrubbing metadata from images and selectively blurring identifiable features

tech tips to protect yourself while protesting (by rey.nbows on tiktok, via vicent_efl on twitter)

cop spotting 101 (google docs)

know your rights (by personachuu on twitter)

NUMBERS TO CALL FOR ARRESTED PROTESTORS (ALPHABETICAL ORDER; SOURCES LINKED TO THE NUMBER)

remember to keep phones OFF unless absolutely necessary. cell phone towers, stingrays, location notifs can all be used to track you and other protestors. don’t fuck around. if your phone must be on, keep it on airplane mode as often as possible and only communicate using encrypted methods. no, snapchat doesn’t count. (a twitter thread on stingrays, for those interested)

lawyers assisting protestors pro-bono (by riyakatariax on twitter)

atlanta: 404-689-1519

chicago: 773-309-1198

minneapolis: 612-444-2654

5. miscellaneous links and links for protestors

masterpost of petitions to sign, numbers to call, places to donate, and more (carrd by dehyedration on twitter)

#blacklivesmatter (google docs by ambivaIcnt on twitter; includes information on relevant events, other masterposts, lists of petitions and donation links, how to protest safely and protests to go to, and more)

george floyd action (google docs; includes information on apps to download, supplies to buy and donate, places to donate to, protest safety, resources on unlearning racial bias, and more)

how to get out of ziptie “handcuffs” (by finnianj on tiktok, via katzerax on twitter)

how can i help? by @abbiheartstaylor

how to make a signal-blocking cell phone pouch

tips for protestors by @aurora00boredealis

twitter thread for protestors (by vantaemuseum on twitter)

also, if you’re protesting, change your passcode. make it at least 11 characters long and don’t use facial/thumb recognition.

[electripipedream]

Gay Liberation Front member, New York University, New York City, September 1970

[blackarachnya]

literally any true crime doc will just straight up tell you that almost every unsolved case in history is due to police incompetence or outright intentional negligence 

[deadstrangeblog]

The preserved head of Diogo Alves, a Spanish serial killer who operated in Lisbon, Portugal. He would rob passers-by, and then throw them off the aqueduct, from a height of around 60 meters. Before he was captured, police wrongly ruled the mysterious deaths as suicide.

Alves remained at large for at least four years, killing at least 70 people. After he was hanged, scientists severed his head and preserved it in formaldehyde.

[crimesandcuriosities]

In January 2013, the body of 17 year old Kendrick Johnson was found inside a rolled up gym mat at Lowndes High School in Georgia, US. The rolled mat was stacked vertically in the gymnasium, and Kendrick’s body was positioned in a way that suggested he may have potentially fallen inside. However, later examinations showed that Kendrick may have murdered.

During the investigation into Kendrick’s death, the first coroner’s report ruled that he had died as a result of accidental “positional asphyxia”, which occurred after his body became confined to a position that did not allow him to breath sufficiently. This was further reinforced by some other students’ claims that the mats were often used as a place to store belongings while gym class was in session. One particular student, who was well acquainted with Kendrick Johnson, spoke of how he witnessed him climb onto the mats and throw his shoes inside on a regular basis. Considering that Kendrick was found not wearing any footwear, it was determined that he had fallen in an attempt to reach his shoes and eventually suffocated.

This conclusion only frustrated Kendrick’s family, who went on to authorise a second, private autopsy. In stark contrast to the initial results, this examination determined that his death was non-accidental and noted the actual cause of death as blunt force trauma to areas between the neck and abdomen. An additional, third autopsy again backed up these findings that Kendrick’s death was non-accidental and came about as a result of blunt force trauma. This only reinforced the Johnson family’s beliefs that Kendrick had been a victim of murder, leading them to launch a $100 million lawsuit against numerous individuals they believed had attempted to cover up the crime.

A witness came forward to testify that he had knowledge of Johnson’s murder, further supporting the Johnson family’s campaign to have the case reopened. During a statement, the witness claimed to hear from an acquaintance that another male had “struck Kendrick Johnson in the neck with a 45lb. weight or dumbbell”, which does correlate with the later autopsy reports that he had died from blunt force trauma. During this same statement, it was also mentioned by the witness that someone had orchestrated the “editing of the high school’s surveillance video by corrupting or deleting some one hour and twenty-five minutes of the original recording.” 

Despite the uncertainty, Kendrick’s death was ultimately ruled as accidental. In June 2016, the Department of Justice announced that no criminal charges would be filed due to “insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that someone or some group of people willfully violated Kendrick Johnson’s civil rights”. The following year, in 2017, Kendrick Johnson’s family were ordered to issue more than $290,000 to the people they accused of being involved in Kendrick’s murder.

[morbidology]

LaVena Johnson, a very ambitious young girl, enrolled in the military as soon as she left high school, much to her parents dismay. On 18 July, 2005, 19-year-old LaVena called her parents to let them know that she would be leaving Iraq in time to be home for Christmas. Tragically, she never made it home and onset one of the most horrific cases of injustice in modern day history. Just eight days shy of LaVena’s 20th birthday, her bloody body was discovered in her tent at a military base in Balad, Iraq - she had a gunshot wound to the head and her death was ruled as a suicide. However, the autopsy report and photographs revealed that LaVena also had a broken nose, bite marks, loose teeth, scratch marks, a black eye and burns from a corrosive chemical on her genitals. It was also suspected that the chemical burn was an attempt to destroy DNA evidence from rape.

LaVena’s family and friends were adamant that LaVena would not take her own life. LaVena was only 5′1″ and her service weapon, which she supposedly shot herself in the mouth with, was a 40 inch M-16 - it would be physically impossible for somebody of her height to maneuver the weapon into her mouth and shooting. Two ballistic experts reported that the gunshot wound looked too small to be from a M-16 but looked more like it came from a 9mm pistol. LaVena’s family continued to fight for justice for their daughter and got in contact with mainstream media. CBS paid for a second autopsy which discovered that LaVena’s neck was broken and disturbingly, that part of her vagina, tongue, and anus had been removed - something the military autopsy took no note of. Despite CBS and ABC both putting a lot of money and time into investigation the story, they suddenly dropped it. It was alleged that they were contacted by the military who threatened they would stop buying ad space. As it stands, LaVena’s death is still ruled as a suicide and her family are still fighting for justice.

[truecrimecrystals]

Missing Black Lives Matter

There has been an ongoing discussion on this blog about how cases of missing black men, woman and children do not receive equal attention from both detectives and the media. Studies have shown that recovery efforts for missing people increases if there is a larger amount of media coverage on the missing person. However, studies also show that there is a clear racial bias in the media when it comes to covering cases of missing persons–and numerous findings have confirmed that cases of missing white people receive more media coverage than cases of missing people of color. (source)

In an effort to spread awareness about missing black women, men, and children, I have compiled a (growing) list of unsolved cases in the US involving missing black people that have been covered on this blog. Links to full write-ups and active GoFundMe pages, petitions, Facebook pages and/or flyers connected to the cases are provided as well. Please share, sign the petitions, and/or donate to the GoFundMe pages if you can. The lives of these missing black individuals and their families MATTER! They deserve justice and answers. Feel free to send me other cases that you would like to have added to the list. 

Latrice Armstead, 38: vanished in July 2012. Last seen by her husband, even though she had an order of protection against him. Car was later found abandoned in Clarksdale, Mississippi. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Brandon Bankhead, 19: vanished after leaving a funeral in St. Louis, Missouri during May 2016. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Shaniece Briggs, 26: kidnapped from her home in Columbus, Ohio during June 2013. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Diamond Bynum, 21 and King Walker, 2: aunt and nephew vanished together in Gary, Indiana in July 2015. (full case write-up | fundraiser for private investigator)

Aliyah Boomer, 27: vanished in Brooklyn, New York in August 2015.  (full case write-up | case Facebook page)

Danica Childs, 17: vanished in Federal Way, Washington during 2007, after it was discovered that she had been trafficked. (full case write-up | case Facebook page)

Jared Chavis, 19: vanished after getting into an argument in Houston, Texas during January 2018. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Kierra Coles, 27: vanished while three months pregnant in Chicago, Illinois during October 2018. (full case write-up | petition for more thorough investigation)

Athena Curry, 20: vanished from Atlanta, Georgia in the midst of an abusive relationship during May 2011.  (full case write-up | case Facebook page)

Nahendra Davis, 35: vanished from Baton Rouge, Indiana in December 2018. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons flyer)

LeShay Dungey, 18: vanished while walking to a friend’s house in Columbus, Ohio during January 2018. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Robin Ellis, 37: vanished while delivering pizzas in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during December 2003. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Keiosha Felix, 15: vanished from Duson, Louisiana in April 2012. Charges against family members believed to be involved have been dropped. (full case write-up | case Facebook page)

Najah Ferrell, 30: vanished in Avon, Indiana in March 2019. Her severed foot was found over 100 miles away. (full case write up | fundraiser to support her two sons)

Arianna Fitts, 2: vanished in Oakland, California during 2016 while under the care of babysitters. Her mother, Nicole Fitts, was found murdered in April 2016. (full case write-up | fundraiser for search efforts | petition for thorough search and justice)

Kianna Galvin, 17: vanished from South Elgin, Illinois in May 2016. Foul play suspected. (full case write-up | case Facebook page)

Ebony Giddens, 27: vanished in Columbus, Georgia during March 2018. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Lakira Goldsmith, 20: vanished from Montgomery, Alabama in November 2018. (full case write-up | fundraiser for private investigator)

Bianca Green, 24: vanished in Inkster, Michigan during March 2011. She was 4 months pregnant at the time. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Ivory Green, 17: vanished in Utica, New York during March 2004. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Bilial Hammette, 18: vanished from his family’s home in Beloit, Wisconsin during August 2011. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Darian Hudson, 23: vanished in Stillwater, Oklahoma during October 2017. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Erica Hunt, 20: vanished in Opelousas, Louisiana during July 2016. (full case write-up | case Facebook page)

Taalibah Islam, 20: vanished in Fort Worth, Texas in January 2006. Was last seen by her boyfriend, who later was convicted for kidnapping another girlfriend in 2012. (full case write-up | case Facebook page)

Keir Johnson, 34, and Chloe Johnson, 8 mos: mother and daughter vanished from Hampton, Virginia in April 2017. (full case write-up | case Facebook page)

Jerrica Laws, 24: vanished in Park Forest, Illinois during August 2015. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons flyer)

Kalisha Madden, 26: vanished after leaving her job with 3 unidentified men during November 2011. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Marlaquinta ‘Marla’ McGhee, 25: vanished from Memphis, Tennessee in May 2015. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Jasmine Moody, 18: vanished in Detroit, Michigan after getting into an argument with her girlfriend during December 2014. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Michael McClain, 29: vanished in Nashua, New Hampshire in April 2019. (full case write-up | fundraiser for billboards and a private investigator)

Christian Muse, 19: vanished from Oxon Hill, Maryland in July 2012. (full case write-up | fundraiser for reward money)

Arionna Parham, 18:  vanished from Dickinson, Texas in May 2018. (full case write-up | case Facebook page)

Natanalie Perez, 19: vanished in Miami, Florida in June 2012. Believed to be a victim of sex trafficking. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Demakia Phinizee, 26: vanished in Tupelo, Mississippi during October 2007. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

April Pickens, 29: vanished in Asheville, North Carolina during December 2011. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Priti ‘Ashley’ Porter, 22: vanished from her family’s home in Gastonia, North Carolina during April 2009. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Timeka Pridgen, 16: kidnapped from her home in La Grange, North Carolina in May 2001. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Sophie Reeder, 15: vanished in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in May 2017. Believed to be a victim of child trafficking. (full case write up | case Facebook page)

Jalesa Reynolds, 18: vanished in Scotland Neck, North Carolina in February 2010. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

LaQuanta Riley, 18: vanished in Montgomery, Alabama during December 2003. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Brittany Robinson, 14: kidnapped by her non-custodial father in Mobile, Alabama during June 2012. (full case write-up | case Facebook page)

Jasmine Robinson, 23: vanished in Archer, Florida in February 2019. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Relisha Rudd, 8: vanished in Washington, DC in February 2014. (full case write up | petition to increase reward money in her case)

Logan Schiendelman, 19: vanished from Tumwater, Washington in May 2016. (full write-up on case | fundraiser for reward money)

Alexis Scott, 20: vanished from Peoria, Illinois in September 2017. (full case write-up | fundraiser for search efforts & support for her young son)

Jasmaine Smith, 22: vanished from Warren, Ohio in June 2015. (full case write-up | fundraiser for reward money)

Sage Smith, 19: vanished from Charlottesville, Virginia during November 2012 after coming out as transgender. (full case write-up | case Facebook page)

Tammyetta Spaudling, 37: vanished in Jackson, Mississippi during September 2016. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Ebonee Spears, 30: vanished from Wilmington, North Carolina during January 2016. (full case write-up | case Facebook page)

Ciara Stacho, 16: vanished in Inkster, Michigan during August 2015. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Calandra Stallworth, 29: vanished in Crestview, Florida during March 2017. (full case write-up |  link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Lashaya Stine, 16: vanished in Aurora, Colorado during July 2016. Believed to be forced into trafficking. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Keshia Sylvester, 29: vanished in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana during September 2017. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Mercedes Toliver, 18: vanished in Prescott, Arkansas in December 2016. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Nefertiri Trader, 33: kidnapped from her home in New Castle, Delaware during June 2014. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Christina Voltaire, 22: vanished from her apartment in Winter Haven, Florida during January 2011. (full case write-up | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Delecia Waddy, 24: vanished after being spotted in Richmond, Virginia in March 2017. (full case write-up | case Facebook page)

DeNeka Walker, 30: vanished from Muskegon, Michigan in August 2010. (full case write-up | case Wordpress site | link to shareable missing persons’ flyer)

Tamala Wells, 33: vanished in Detroit, Michigan during August 2012. (full case write-up | case Facebook page)

Caleta White, 18: vanished after taking a bus to Tukwila, Washington in August 2006. (full case write-up | case Facebook page)

[truecrimecrystals]

Iyana Sawyer (16) was five months pregnant when she vanished on December 19th, 2018. She was last seen at her high school in Jacksonville, Florida. Surveillance cameras captured her leaving the school carrying two large bags around lunchtime that day. Iyana never returned home that afternoon and has never been seen or heard from again.

Once Iyana was reported missing, investigators quickly identified her uncle Johnathan Quiles (33) as a person of interest. Johnathan was arrested on January 9th, 2019, for suspected sexually battery against his underage babysitter. While behind bars, he reportedly admitted to a fellow inmate that he may be the father of Iyana’s unborn child. Iyana and other relatives were living with Johnathan for weeks at a time prior to Iyana’s disappearance, and investigators found even more evidence of an inappropriate relationship between the teen and her uncle on Iyana’s computer. Investigators discovered various writings authored by Iyana that implied a sexual relationship between her and Johnathan. They also found a letter written by Iyana in which she professes her love for Johnathan and expresses that she wants to run away with him so they can be a family. Investigators also spoke with Johnathan’s brother, who told them that Johnathan confessed to murdering Iyana. His brother stated that Johnathan told him he choked Iyana to death. He reportedly said, “she wasn’t dying right and it was making [Johnathan] sick looking at her.”

Despite all of this, Johnathan has publicly denied being involved in Iyana’s case and he has still not faced any charges related to her pregnancy or disappearance. However, suspicions against him remain strong, as he is currently behind bars on suspicion of having an inappropriate relationship with another underage girl. Meanwhile, Iyana remains missing and her family members believe she met with foul play at the hands of Johnathan Quiles.

Florida police are investigating Iyana’s disappearance. If you have any information that could help the investigation, you can anonymously submit a tip by calling 1-866-845-8477. (x)

[truecrimecrystals]

UPDATE: Johnathan Quiles has been indicted on murder charges in the death of Iyana Sawyer and her unborn child. The indictment states that Johnathan shot Iyana to death on either December 19th or December 20th of 2018. Although Iyana’s body has still not been found, the state was able to gather enough evidence for Johnathan to be indicted by a grand jury. He remains behind bars for multiple charges at this time as his cases are pending. 

[deep-dark-fears]

CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS

CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS 

CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS 

CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS

[crimelapsepodcast]

Through The Picket Fence: The Murder of Dennis Jurgens

On December 6th 1961 a 17 year old, unwed mother gave birth while living in a reform school for girls. Jerry Sherwood was a ward of the state and so she was forced to give the baby up for adoption. She always hoped that one day they would meet again. She baptised the little boy and named him after his father, Dennis.  

Jerry went on to marry Dennis’ father and have 4 more children.  

Each year on Dennis’ birthday she would fall into a depression, in the early 80s when her son reached the age of adulthood she decided to reach out and try to find him. After calling the Scott County welfare department in an effort to locate Dennis, a letter arrived. It arrived from Ramsey County. Nervous and apprehensive that Dennis could have possibly rejected her, she opened the letter. It said that Dennis had died aged just 3 and a half, on April 11th 1965 of a ruptured bowel and peritonitis - an inflammation of the membrane lining the abdominal cavity.

All those years that Jerry had grieved for her son she didn’t know that she was grieving for a dead child. The search for her lost child ended almost as soon as it started, but her search for justice had just begun.   

Lois and Harold Jurgens adopted Dennis when he was one year and one day old. Lois had a history of mental illness and had been previously blocked from adopting children but they had managed to privately adopt another child before. When social services saw how well the Jurgens older child was doing they allowed them to adopt Dennis. Dennis fit their criteria of being an infant and catholic.  

Less than a year later Dennis was hopsitalised with severe burns on his lower abdomen, genitals and buttocks. The Jurgens told the doctor that it had happened when Dennis turned on the hot water while he was having a bath.  

Family members recalled the Jurgens boys being quiet, especially Robert, it was always Dennis that seemed to get into trouble, for the smallest of things. When Dennis was learning to walk, Lois would yank him by the arm and hit him on the arm, hard. They would see Lois demean and shout at Dennis all of the time, but no one did a thing, and when they did, nothing changed. Those that did speak out reported that they had received threats. Lois called them late at night for weeks, claiming she would burn down their houses and kill their children.  

On the 11th of April 1965 officer Robert VanderWyst responded to a call about a DOA of a small child. At around 9am that morning, Harold Jurgens called Dr Roy Peterson and said he believed his son was dying.  Dennis was pronounced dead at the scene. Dr Robert Woodburn performed the autopsy.

The Jurgens told the police that Dennis had slipped the day before and had a fever from a cold.

Dr Woodburn said that there were between 50-100 bruises on Dennis body at the time of his death. There was a linear bruise on Dennis’ upper abdomen. During the internal autopsy he found a perforation of the small bowel that caused gastrointestinal material to seep into the peritoneal cavity which caused peritonitis leading to Dennis death. It’s likely that Dennis died after spending days in agonising pain. The perforation, or tear, of the small bowel had no internal cause, Dr Woodburn believed that it had to have been caused by external trauma with force equivalent to a train wreck.  

Robert was temporarily removed from the Jurgens care and they went on to adopt more children who Lois would relentlessly abuse until 2 of them managed to escape. Even then she faced no criminal charges.

Dennis’ mode of death was listed as deferred and remained that way for 21 years until Jerry Sherwood demanded the White Bear police look at the case again. When detectives started to investigate again people were finally willing to come forward to tell the truth about the type of person Lois Jurgens was.  

The stories they told were heartbreaking. Dennis was force-fed food and vomit, he was slapped and yanked by the ears and had his head held under water until he gasped for air.  Lois would put a clothes pin on Dennis’ genitals and force him to kneel on a broom handle and recite the rosary.  

Lois Jurgens was indicted on January 29th 1987. She was charged with one count of second degree murder and two counts of third degree murder. It had been 21 years, 9 months and 19 days since Dennis’ death. Lois Jurgens pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The evidence was overwhelming, the defense did not contest that Lois was a terrible mother but they claimed she was suffering from schizophrenia.  

The jury took just 3 hours to reach an unanimous verdict. Lois Jurgens was found not guilty to murder in the 2nd degree but guilty to murder in the 3rd degree.  

Under 1965 law, Lois Jurgens was sentenced to an indeterminate sentence up to 25 years and remanded to the Womens Correctional Facility.  

Jerry Sherwood finally got some justice for the little boy she loved and lost, after Lois was sentenced Jerry said “"Twenty five years. Dennis would be twenty-five years old in December and she got 25 years".    

Lois Jurgens served just 8 years in prison.

Jerry Sherwood and her son were let down time and time again throughout both of their lives. She was promised that Dennis would be better off with someone other than her and trusted that when he was old enough they would meet again. Dennis was allowed to go into the home of someone the state should have known was not capable of providing a safe or loving home for a child. Although some people did try to report Lois for abuse, not enough was done to stop her murdering a 3 year old child. In 1965 it seemed unthinkable that a white, middle class, religious mother would murder her child. We know better.  

Dennis’ older brother Robert said “Why did this happen? That’s the question that doesn’t get talked about… . I guess it happened because no one wanted to go through the white picket fence of the Jurgens house and step on toes. They just did not want to walk through that white picket fence.”