Crime Addict @gigglesz91 - Tumblr Blog

Lorenzia Tucker has been missing since February 1st, 2011. The 31 year-old had just moved from Chicago, Illinois to East Chicago, Indiana before she vanished. On the day of her disappearance, Lorenzia went back to Chicago to pick up her tax return. She reportedly picked it up around 2pm. Lorenzia intended to return home to her three children after that, but she never made it there. She reportedly called someone to pick her up and drive her home, but at this time the identity of the person she called is not known to the public. Lorenzia has never been seen or heard from again. Lorenzia is described as a dedicated mother who would not abandon her children. She was having issues with an ex-boyfriend before her disappearance, however she had just moved to East Chicago to get away from him. Although Lorenzia traveled back to Chicago, Illinois on the day of her disappearance, her ex-boyfriend is not considered a person of interest in her case. Years have passed, and unfortunately there have been very few updates in Lorenzia’s case. As previously noted, it is unclear who, exactly, Lorenzia called to pick her up on the day of her disappearance. It is also unclear if said person–or if anyone–actually did pick her up that afternoon. Lorenzia remains missing today. If you have any information that could lead to her whereabouts, please call 219-391-8500 to submit an anonymous tip.

truecrimecrystals

Kenshon Ward (top left), Shante Bohanan (top right), Joanna Wright (bottom left) and Marlo Gulley (bottom right) were all residents of the same neighborhood in the south side of Chicago, Illinois. Kenshon (21) and Shante (20) were dating, while Joanna (33) and Marlo (26) were friends. All four of them knew each other, which makes the following tragic chain of events all the more mysterious:

On July 13th, 2016, Kenshon was tragically murdered in Marquette Park, located in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood. He had been shot multiple times. A few people, including Shante, witnessed the shooting but did not see the shooter’s face. Nobody has ever been arrested in connection with Kenshon’s death and his killer remains at large. Additionally, there are very few details available about the investigation.

Eleven days later, on July 24th, 2016, Shante mysteriously vanished. She was last seen near a home in the Marquette Park area. When she failed to return home, her parents reported her missing. Just a few days later, police received an anonymous tip that there was a dead body in a “condemned” garage, located near where Shante was last seen. When police followed up, they found Shante’s body in a garbage can inside the garage. An autopsy apparently could not make a ruling on her cause of death.

A few months went by without any mainstream news on Kenshon and Shante’s cases. Then, on December 18th, 2016, Joanna Wright was taking a walk near her home in Marquette Park when she was kidnapped by a group of unidentified men in the broad daylight. A person who witnessed the event immediately called the police. The witness said that three men grabbed Joanna and started dragging her towards a vehicle. She tried to scream and fight them off, but they were still able to force her into the car and drive away. The car was described as a blue newer-model Mazda with an Ohio license plate.

After the initial reports about the kidnapping, mainstream news about Joanna’s case became scarce. However, community activists continued to share their thoughts. Many believed that Kenshon and Shante’s deaths were related, and they also did not think it was a coincidence that Joanna had been violently kidnapped from the very same neighborhood. Despite this, news about all three cases seemed to fade away due to the lack of updates in the investigations. Still, the residents of Marquette Park remained fearful that there were violent offenders on the loose in their community.

Then, on October 26th, 2017, yet another Marquette Park resident went missing: 26 year-old Marlo Gulley. He was last seen near the house where Shante was last seen before she was reported missing—located on the same street where Joanna was kidnapped. Marlo was reported missing by his girlfriend, who was pregnant with his child, after he failed to show up to their sonogram appointment. A search turned up no clues, and he still remains missing today.

While it has never been confirmed that any of these cases are related to one another, possible links are being investigated. It is quite notable that all four victims knew each other, and that Kenshon and Shante were found dead in the same neighborhood from which Joanna and Marlo vanished. These cases are still being investigated. If you have any information that could lead to answers in any of the cases, please call 1-800-222-TIPS to submit an anonymous tip.

fantasylandmermaid

Dahmer’s Victims

I see a lot of posts about how they died (which is fine), but I wanted to make a post about how they lived. Like, what they were like as people. This information was scattered across multiple sources and incredibly difficult to find.

Steven Mark Hicks

1959-1978 (age 18) Steven, who went by Steve, was picked up by Dahmer whilst hitchhiking home from a rock concert. An activity he did often. He was four days away from his birthday, and had promised his parents he would be home in time for his dads birthday dinner. He was described as friendly, and well liked by everyone he met. He was close with his parents (Richard and Martha), and had a girlfriend at the time of his death. His parents were worried he smoked too much. Hicks often wore a necklace, and two bracelets. For thirteen years his parents held out hope he was alive somewhere. Steven was reportedly kind and chatty towards Dahmer.

Steven Walter Tuomi

1962- 1987 (age 24.) Tuomi simply went by Steve. He worked in a restaurant. He graduated from Ontonagon Area High School in 1981. His family reported him missing three months after his death. His grave was inscribed with the message; “We’ll love you forever.”

James Edward “Jamie” Doxtator

March 1st 1973- January 16th 1988 (age 14.) Jamie was a prostitute who’d had a few run ins with the law over this, but unfortunately was often treated as a criminal rather then a victim of sexual exploitation. Some reports say Doxtator was Hispanic, but most say he was Native American. His mother, Debbie Vega, in her only statement to the press on the matter, stated her sons favourite bible verse was “…Forgive them father, they know not what they do…”, but that Dahmer should not be forgiven for his crimes. Both photos circulated in the media were mugshots. A few reports say he was homeless at the time of his death, but official state records say he was living with his mother at the time. His grave is inscribed with the above mentioned bible verse and an etching of a buck and a deer.

Richard Guerrero

1967-1988 (age 21.) A young bisexual man who’s sister described him as a “mama’s boy.” He was last seen on the way to his friends house. His sister protested a Haunted Milwaukee walking tour focused on Dahmer.

Anthony L. Sears

January 28th 1965 - March 26th 1985 (age 24). Known to friends as Tony, Sears was an aspiring model. He worked at a restaurant and had recently got a promotion. His friend Jefferey Connor drove Tony and Jeffrey to Dahmer’s grandmother’s house. Years later he testified at Jeffrey Dahmer’s trial. Connor and Sears had been friends for 3 years and Tony had promised to call Connor the next morning.

Raymond Lamont Smith aka Ricky Beeks

1957-1990 (age 32.) Smith had a daughter who was ten at the time of his death. He often left his family for long periods of time. He had spent time in jail, and was involved in prostitution. His family believed he had died a year prior in a shooting.

Edward Warren Smith

August 2nd 1962 - June 14th 1990 (aged 27.) Known as Eddie, or sometimes “Sheik”. According to some reports he was an acquaintance of Dahmer. He often wore a “turban like headband”. Some say he was estranged from his family, his sister claimed otherwise. She also claimed to have got a call from a man she believed was Dahmer, telling her he had killed her brother. After his death his sister and a lawyer talked about starting a company known as “Jeffrey Dahmer Inc.” where she hoped that she, other victims families, and even Dahmer himself could go into business selling Dahmer merchandise.

Ernest Miller

1967-1990 (age 22.) Miller was a dance student who met Dahmer outside a book store. He wanted to leave his home in Chicago because of the violence. His grandmother described him as a very nice person. Friends described him as outgoing and sociable. Miller’s grandmother claimed she got a call from a man a week after Ernest’s disappearance, chanting “help me”, and later calls of choking and groaning sounds. She believed the caller was Dahmer.

David Thomas

1968-1990 (age 23.) David was the father of a toddler aged little girl. He was on probation for retail theft at the time of his death. The mother of his daughter described him as a devoted and loving father.

Curtis Durrell Straughter

April 6th 1973 - February 18th 1991 (age 18). Straughter lived with his grandmother, Catherine. He was estranged from some of his family members due to his sexual orientation. He had recently lost a job as a nursing assistant and hoped to become a model and earn a University degree. His friend Bernell Howard wrote a song about him after his disappearance. To his friends, he went by the name “Demetra”. His friends were surprised to learn he was among Dahmers victims as Straughter reportedly did not like white men. The mother of Anthony Sears suspects Dahmer claimed to be a professional photographer who could help with Curtis’ modeling career.

Errol Lindsey

1971-1991 (age 19.) Lindsey was a faithful Christian. He played the drums and sang in the church choir. He was described as an outgoing and friendly man, nicknamed by some “Cool Breeze”. He was also a fan of rap music, and lifted weights. His friends said Lindsey rarely drank or went out to bars.

Tony Hughes

1959-1991 (age 31). Hughes was deaf and mute. He was very close with his family. His sister said he knew Dahmer since October of 1989. Recently moved to Madison, Wisconsin with a group of friends after being “shaken” by the murder of his next door neighbour. Hughes had contracted pneumonia as a baby which caused him to lose his hearing. Tony had five siblings and graduated from the Delavan School For the Deaf.

Konerak Sinthasomphone

1976-1991 (age 14.) The youngest of four brothers, Konerak enjoyed playing soccer, swimming and talking on the phone with his friends. He liked to watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Tom and Jerry and would draw pictures of the characters. He was excited about learning to drive in the coming years and was passionate about sports cars. Konerak tried to find humour in every situation. Sinthasomphone was very close with his brothers and parents. They had come to America from Laos when he was four years old. One brother, Somsack, had been drugged and molested by Dahmer in 1988, and the family believed Dahmer was in jail. Konerak’s parents have said their sons respect towards adults and authority figures may have been what led to him being lured by Dahmer. Konerak famously managed to escape from Dahmer’s apartment, but was brought back to the residence by police. Konerak spoke perfect english but was reportedly unable to do so at the time, possibly due to the head injury inflicted by Dahmer. (Though his father claimed the officers simply didn’t bother trying to listen to his son.) His brother Anoukone stated nobody could have reasonably thought his brother looked 19, a lie from Dahmer the police believed. The Sinthasomphone’s, including Konerak, were devout Buddhists.

Matt Turner aka Donald Montrell

1971 - 1991 (age 20). Matt Turner was described as bright and articulate. At the time of his death he had run away from home and was living in a halfway house. Turner/Montrell sang in his church’s choir. He met Dahmer at a Chicago pride parade.

Jeremiah Weinberger

1967-1991 (age 23.) Jeremiah had a lot of friends. He worked in customer service. According to Dahmer, Weinberger was exceptionally affectionate compared to other men he’d been with. He survived for two days after Jeffrey Dahmer performed an amateur lobotomy on him. His friends handed out and plastered flyers with his face around town with a toll free number to call with information after his disappearance. Described as outgoing and friendly, he was an amateur artist and kept his things exceptionally organized. He was also concerned with dressing well and always looking his best.

Oliver Lacy

1966-1991 (age 24.) Lacy was a body building enthusiast with a 2 year old son. He was a track star in high school. He disappeared after going to the mall, last seen buying an ice cream cone.

Joseph Bradhoft

1965-1991 (age 25.) The father of three children, he had recently moved in with his brother to look for a job. Bradhoft did have a domestic assault charge against his girlfriend. According to police records, he punched her and threatened to slash the tires of her car. He enjoyed sports and fishing.

sources: newspaper articles, family statements, FBI files, US criminal records

somethin-wicked-deactivated2018

This is important. If you are in the TCC (especially Dahmer focused blogs) read this to it’s completion

jeffrey-dahmer

Everyone take time to read this because it’s just as important to learn about them as it is to learn about Jeff. Give them some respect

truecrimecrystals

Fundraiser Friday: Feb. 26, 2021

For the final Friday of Black History Month, Fundraiser Friday continues to feature only black victims. Both cases this week involve unsolved murders of young black women. The families of both women are desperately searching for answers, and they both hope to raise money for private investigators. Please share their stories and consider donating.

Tawana McGowan

Tawana McGowan was shot to death in front of her Redford, Michigan home on January 11th, 2010. The 30 year-old woman had just returned to her residence after working an overnight shift. Before she could even enter the home, she was approached by an unknown assailant who shot her twice in the head. Her 10 year-old son found her body lying face down in the snow shortly thereafter. The killer(s) had already fled the scene in a vehicle. Years have passed without any answers in Tawana’s case. Her family members believe that police have not thoroughly investigated. In fact, her son has started both a petition for Tawana’s case to be re-investigated. He also has started a fundraiser for investigative fees. [click here to sign the petition] [click here to donate] [more info on this case]

Mary Watkins

Mary Kimberly Watkins was found brutally murdered inside her in Chicago, Illinois on March 9th, 2020. The 37 year-old woman was discovered by her father, who had gone to her residence in the Chatham neighborhood to check on her. Mary kept in touch with her father frequently, and he began to worry when he had not heard from her for two days. Mary’s father entered her home shortly before 7pm and found her dead inside her bedroom. She had been brutally stabbed and strangled.

Mary’s family members are raising money for both a private investigator and for reward money in Mary’s case. [click here to donate] [more info on this case]

truecrimecrystals

Mary Kimberly Watkins (37) was found brutally murdered inside her home in Chicago, Illinois on March 9th, 2020. She was discovered by her father, who had gone to her residence in the Chatham neighborhood to check on her. Mary kept in touch with her father frequently, and he began to worry when he had not heard from her for two days. Mary’s father entered her home shortly before 7pm and found her dead inside her bedroom. She had been brutally stabbed and strangled. Mary lived alone at the time of her death. It’s unknown if there were any signs of forced entry at her residence. It appears that investigators do not have any suspects at this time, and no persons of interest have been publicly identified either. Mary’s family members state that they do not have any information about who committed the murder, and they are tirelessly still searching for answers. If you have any information that could help solve Mary’s case, please go here to report it.

truecrimecrystals

Fundraiser Friday: Petition Edition (Feb. 12, 2021)

In continuance with the honoring of Black History Month, this week’s Fundraiser Friday includes 3 cases of missing young black girls. This particular week will include petitions instead of fundraisers. Please share these stories and please consider signing! It will cost nothing and it will help the families of these young girls move forward with their investigations.

Relisha Rudd

Relisha Rudd was only 8 years-old when she vanished in Washington, DC during March 2014. Prior to her disappearance, Relisha and her mother lived at a homeless shelter in the city. While living there, Relisha and her mother became acquainted with a janitor named Khalil Tatum. Khalil gained their trust, and eventually Relisha’s mother trusted him enough to allow Relisha to stay overnight with him at his grandmother’s house where he lived.

Relisha was last seen in the company of Khalil. She had stopped attending school at this point, and was eventually reported missing by the school staff on March 19th, 2014. A search began for both Relisha and Khalil. Throughout the search, authorities discovered Khalil’s wife–Andrea Tatum–dead from a gunshot wound to the head. To this day, Khalil is the only suspect in her murder. Then, on March 31st, 2014, authorities discovered Khalil’s body as well. He had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Relisha remains missing today. Although the person responsible for her disappearance has died, it is possible that someone else out there knows what might have happened to her. Her family has started a petition for the mayor of DC to raise the reward money in Relisha’s case. They are hoping this will motivate someone who might have information about her whereabouts to come forward.[sign the petition] [more info on this case]

Kierra Coles

Kierra Coles was three months pregnant when she vanished on October 3rd, 2018. The 27 year-old woman was last seen near 82nd Street and Vernon Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. Kierra was reported missing by her mother after days passed without any contact from her. Police conducted a welfare check at her apartment, but found no sign of her. Kierra’s car was still parked outside of the apartment, and her cell phone, wallet, and packed lunch were found inside the vehicle. Police immediately began to believe that foul play was responsible for Kierra’s disappearance, and they even identified a few persons of interest. However, the case has now seemingly gone stagnant.

Kierra’s family members believe that police have not adequately investigated her disappearance. They have began a petition for the Chicago Police Department to conduct a more thorough investigation. [sign the petition] [more info on this case]

Jamekia Sabb

Jamekia Sabb vanished at the age of 17 on November 22nd, 2013. It is believed that Jamekia left her family’s Charlotte, North Carolina home on her own accord. She was labeled as a runaway by investigators, and all search efforts for the young girl were minimal at best. Additionally, there has been very little information about Jamekia’s case in the media. Jamekia’s loved ones initially had hope that she would return home safely. However, as the months turned into years without any sign of her, Jamekia’s loved ones began to believe that she might have come to harm. Jamekia’s loved ones have began a petition for Jamekia’s case to be more thoroughly investigated. [sign the petition] [more info on this case]

truecrimewitch

Residents of an apartment block in L’Alcudia de Crespins, Spain were left shocked after it was revealed that a 19 year old woman identified only as “Teri” had been living with her mother's rotting corpse for the past 4 months. Spain has been on an incredibly strict lockdown so neighbours didn’t think it too unusual that they hadn’t seen 45 year old Ana, they did however report an odd smell coming from the apartment that the mother and daughter shared. Ana’s remains were found mummified in the bath of the apartment and due to the level of decomposition the coroner was unable to identify an exact date of death. It’s believed that Ana was stabbed to death in April by her daughter (Teri) and her daughter’s boyfriend. The Guardia Civil are still investigating.

alwaysracheljoyscott

Rachel’s mother’s first reaction to seeing what Rachel’s Red Accura became in Columbine’s parking lot, 4 days after the shooting.

gigglesz91

R.i.p thats so amazing the world can be very evil at times but luckily theres still a good amount of amazing people as well!

This shit is honestly sickening.. I did have a Fascination with Columbine but i would never ever take it that far... The most fucked up one ive seen is Dylan&Eric laying dead and they put best day ever.. Now im sure they didnt think how Dylans and Erics parents felt that day. It was the worst day they ever had and something they never imagined. They lost their sons and their sons reputation. Mfkin kids gotta think before you do dumb shit fr. Its one thing to be interested another to get a tatt that you will have to explain to your significant other and unless they are as fucked up as you probably wont go that well.. Imagine having to show your kids and they think its acceptable behavior and they shoot up a school and you are in a place Dylan&Erics parents were thrown into.. And some thot teen gets your son/Daughther tatted best day ever.

#facepalm #columbine #fuck is wrong with you #karma is a bitch #eric harris #dylan klebold #not good idols #stay in school

niggazinmoscow

Take care of yourself. And don’t trust strangers easily— it might be lethal! Being a girl is scary in so many ways. Yeah it can happen to men, but cmon they see females as an easier target.

dirkdigglr1

I agree on this corrective asswhoopin

rowanthewizard

If you see this, don’t just sneakily tell the woman or the bartender. Shout for everyone to hear “Hey, you just put something in that drink!” While pointing at the person.

If a predator misses target number one they’ll just go for target 2. If you shame them out of the bar they’ll never come back.

And there is a solid chance of a collective asswhoopin, or an actual arrest for attempted rape.

When in doubt, make the biggest scene you can.

patron-saint-of-smart-asses-dea

Be sure to save the drink for evidence when you call the cops

truecrimecrystals

Logan Schiendelman (19) has been missing since May 19th, 2016. He was last seen in his hometown of Tumwater, Washington, where he lived with his grandmother and half-sister at his grandmother’s home. Logan’s grandmother said she last spoke to him on the morning of May 19th, as they were both getting ready for their respective jobs. His grandmother stated that he seemed nervous, and he was claiming that he had an “epiphany” that he needed to work through. When the grandmother asked for more information, Logan said it was too difficult to explain, so she suggested that they talk about it later that day. Unfortunately, Logan never returned home and was never heard from again.

The following day, Logan’s grandmother pinged his phone to try and figure out where he was. Logan’s phone pinged off a tower near his mother’s Olympia, Washington home. His grandmother simply assumed Logan was visiting his mother, so she initially did not worry about him. She later learned that Logan’s mother had not seen him. Logan’s grandmother attempted to report him missing after that, but the police department was closed for the weekend so she had to wait until May 23rd, 2016 to finally report his disappearance.

Once Logan was reported as missing, his family learned that there had been various sightings of both him and his car along Interstate 5 on May 20th, 2016—a day after he was last seen. A woman reported seeing Logan standing with two caucasian men by his car, which was parked on the shoulder of the southbound Interstate near exit 95. When she later drove home, she saw that the car was still parked there with the hood up. Then, around 2pm that same day, three people called 911 to report a car drifting across the lanes of Interstate 5 near milepost 92. It did not appear that anybody was driving the car. It eventually veered across three lanes before hitting a concrete barrier that caused it to stop. A truck driver reported seeing a caucasian man with red/brown hair jump out of the passenger side of the car shortly before it crashed. After exiting the vehicle, the man ran into the woods on the side of the Interstate. The description of this man does not match Logan’s description, yet it was later confirmed that the car in question was his. Logan’s cell phone, wallet, personal identification, cash, and other personal items were found inside the vehicle. An extensive search in the wooded area near the car’s location yielded no signs of him.

About a week after his disappearance, someone accessed Logan’s Facebook page and checked into the Olympia Regional Airport. There are no records of Logan being at the airport that day and it is unclear who, exactly, updated his page. Both investigators and Logan’s family members fear that he was suffering from an unspecified mental illness at the time of his disappearance. He remains missing today and the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case. If you have any information about Logan, please report it by calling 360-786-5500.

truecrimecrystals

Pictured above: 27 year-old Kierra Coles, who was three months pregnant when she vanished on October 3rd, 2018. The above surveillance image is the last known sighting of the young woman.

Kierra worked for the U.S. Postal Service. However, on the day of her disappearance, she called out sick. Surveillance cameras later captured Kierra walking away from her Chicago apartment wearing her U.S. Postal Service uniform, despite the fact that she’d already called out of work. She was seen walking down 82nd Street and Coles Avenue, passing her car, before eventually stepping out of the frame. Kierra has never been seen or heard from again. She was reported missing by her mother a few days later.

Police conducted a welfare check at Kierra’s apartment, but found no sign of her. Kierra’s car was still parked outside of the apartment, and her cell phone, wallet, and packed lunch were found inside the vehicle. Investigators quickly began to believe that foul play was responsible for Kierra’s disappearance. In fact, detectives working the case have stated that they “have a pretty good idea” of what happened to Kierra. Still, they have revealed very few details about the investigation and no arrests have been made. Investigators did state that they have persons of interest, though. One detective in particular told reporters that there are a “minimum of two or three people of interest” who were the last to see Kierra before she disappeared. The identities of the persons of interest have not been released at this time.

Kierra’s parents are still holding out hope that she will be found alive. Kierra’s father said that Kierra was looking forward to being a mother for the first time. Her due date is scheduled for April 23rd, 2019. Kierra’s family members are hoping to not only reunite with Kierra, but to meet Kierra’s baby as well. There is a $30,000 reward in place for anyone with information that could lead to Kierra’s whereabouts. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please call the Chicago Police Department’s Area South Special Victims Unit at (312) 747-8274 or the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at (877) 876-2455. (x)

This really hits home for me.. as a recovering addict who started with pain pills because of bad kidney stone pain it soon turned into heroin addiction once I got addicted to the pills and it was becoming buying the pills off the street.. I remember watching intervention as a teen thinking “people do this to themselves” it’s the furthest thing from the truth.. addiction is no joke fr fr. Please don’t pick it up and say no!

#Stop Heroin

truecrimecrystals

15 year-old Calista Post has been missing since October 20th, 2018. She was last seen around 9:30am in Midland County, Michigan, where she lives with her father on East Curtis Road. Authorities are reporting that Calista left a note behind for her father that stated she was running away, and that she was going to be safe because had she had a place to live.

Calista has not been seen or heard from since then. Investigators believe that Calista left on her own accord, but they are concerned about her welfare due to her young age. So far, no information has been released about where she might’ve ran away to, or who she might be staying with. However, if Calista did in fact run away to live at an unknown place, it’s likely that she’s being helped by somebody with access to money and housing of some sort. It’s also possible that she was groomed by a predator. There’s very little information available at this time, but Midland County authorities are investigating.

If you have any information about her whereabouts, please contact the Midland County Sheriff’s Department at 989-839-4600.

fletchermarple

Family Murders Horrify Western Australia

A tragic case that has been dubbed as the “Ellenbrook Murders” hit the city of Perth in the early hours of July 15, 2018. Police were called to a convenience store, where they met a 19 year old named Teancum Vernon Petersen-Crofts, who’d asked the clerk to contact authorities. Teancum then led police to his house, where they found a scene they’ve described as “complex and horrific” and one of the “worst crime scenes they’ve ever seen”.

Dead in the house were Teancum’s mother Michelle Petersen (48) and his younger brother Rua (8). Critically injured in the backyard was Bella (15), who died on her way to the hospital. Although the cause of death hasn’t been revealed, police were seen taking a large pair of scissors out of the house, and it’s been assumed that was the murder weapon.

Teancum was arrested and charged with the murders. He was taken to court on July 16, where he showed clear signs of mental illness. “A criminal wanted to take me out bush - he did it and he came back for my family,” he told the judge, who replied he wasn’t required to give any statements. “I have to ‘cos mamma is with me,” insisted Teancum. He was then sent to a psychiatric hospital where he’ll be under evaluation for at least a week.

Tragically, it seems like the triple homicide could have been prevented. There are reports that said that on July 14, hours before the crime occurred, Teancum showed up at the emergency department of a public hospital in what was described as a “psychotic state”, but after police arrived he was turned away and taken home. The reason given was that, while he was behaving erratically, it wasn’t considered a medical problem. The hospital has refused to comment publicly on this so far, but police confirmed that they had been called to the Petersen’s house several times in the day before the murders and “in weeks leading up to it.”

truecrimecrystals

Alexis Scott (20) disappeared from Peoria, Illinois on September 22nd, 2017.

After a night of partying began to die down, Alexis was invited to continue at an afterparty downtown. A cab driver dropped Alexis off at a house on Richmond Avenue at 5:15am. The cab driver later told police that a man greeted Alexis at the cab’s door and paid her fare. This is apparently the last official confirmed sighting of her. According to her missing poster, “there is no conclusive evidence that she ever left the residence, but [she] hasn’t been seen since.” Her family reported her missing after she failed to return home, as it was uncharacteristic for her to leave her loved ones, namely her 2 year old son, behind.

After the news of Alexis’ disappearance began to circulate, it was revealed that Alexis had survived a kidnapping just three weeks earlier after a trip to Las Vegas. Alexis, along with two males and one other female, had taken the trip to Vegas in late August with hopes of making some extra money working as go-go dancers after the Floyd Mayweather fight. According to Alexis’ mother, April Allen, from there Alexis was kidnapped, drugged, then transported to Sacramento, California and entered into a sex trafficking ring. She managed to escape, partially naked and beaten, by running into the street and flagging down a woman who let Alexis borrow her phone. Alexis then called her mother, who sent her a bus ticket back to Illinois. According to family and friends, Alexis was looking to return to her normal life after her kidnapping. On the night of September 22nd, Alexis was simply looking to let loose. It was later revealed that the man who owns the house where Alexis attended the party on Richmond Avenue is affiliated with the men behind Alexis’ kidnapping in Vegas. This was obviously unknown to Alexis. The details of this affiliation have not been publicly revealed, but police finally obtained warrants to search the house on Richmond Avenue in November 2017, two months after Alexis vanished. The details of what was found during that search have not been revealed either.

Due to the lack of information in the case, April is looking to raise money to hire a private investigator to work Alexis’ case. If you are interested in donating, April has set up a GoFundMe page here. Additionally, if you have any information about Alexis or her disappearance, please submit a tip here.

missmentelle

Pretend, for a moment, that you’re an 18-year-old teenager from a family living below the poverty line. One day, you make a silly mistake and get a ticket for it. Nothing major - maybe you rode the subway without a ticket or smoked too close to the entrance of a building. Maybe you were loitering. Either way, one thing is for sure: you definitely don’t have the money to pay the ticket. So you don’t. Eventually, you miss the deadline to pay your ticket, and you get a letter in the mail that says you have to go to court. But your life is chaotic, and a court date for a missed ticket is the least of your concerns. Your family moves constantly, which disrupts your life and puts you behind in school. You have one disabled parent and one parent who is always working, leaving you to raise your younger siblings by yourself. You have no means of transportation. There is rarely any food in the cupboards. The utilities are constantly getting shut off. The week that you were supposed to go to court, your family gets another eviction notice, your cousin ends up in the hospital, and your parent finds out that their disability payments are being reduced. So you miss your court date. Since you missed the court date, you automatically lose your case - now you have no hope of arguing your way out of the ticket, which you still can’t afford to pay. You can do community service hours instead of paying, but you don’t have time to do that, now that you have to work part-time and odd jobs on top of everything else to keep your parents off the streets and your siblings out of foster care. You know that you probably won’t finish high school on time, let alone fulfill your hours. You might be able to explain your circumstances to the judge, but you have no idea how to go about doing that now that you’ve missed your court date, your literacy skills are years behind thanks to your constant game of school roulette, and even though legal help is available to you, you don’t know how to access it or if you can afford to do so. But that’s still the least of your concerns - since you missed your court date, the judge has also charged you with failure to appear.

Which means you now have an active warrant out for your arrest. And just like that, you’re now a part of the criminal justice system. A silly mistake that a middle-class teenager could have solved with Mommy and Daddy’s chequebook in a single afternoon has caused you weeks or months of stress and headaches over a process you don’t fully understand, and has ended in criminal charges. Instead of having a funny story to tell over dinner when you come home from college next Thanksgiving, you are now facing additional fines (that you still can’t pay), the possibility of a couple of nights in jail, the possible suspension of your driver’s license, and the possibility of being taken into custody any time you interact with the police. The next time your parent comes home drunk and violent, or someone breaks into the house, you think twice about calling the cops - you now have to decide if every emergency is “worth” the possibility of being hauled off to jail. And in the meantime, the circumstances that caused that first mistake haven’t gone away - you still don’t have the money to pay for the subway, you are still more likely to live in a house filled with smokers, you still can’t afford quit-smoking aids, you still live in a chaotic household that deeply affects your mental health, and you still don’t understand the legal system or who you’re supposed to talk to for information and resources. So while those other teenagers get to go through life believing that they were “good kids who sometimes made silly mistakes”, you now get to go through life thinking of yourself as a criminal. And that might be the most damaging thing of all.

When I worked with homeless teenagers and young adults, I saw this process play out again and again and again and again. The kids often considered themselves “criminals” or “bad kids” because they had arrest warrants and criminal records, but few of them had ever actually committed a serious or violent crime - the vast majority were simply unlucky kids who did something stupid and didn’t have the skills or resources (or wealthy parents) required to get them off the hook. I had classmates in my upper-middle-class high school who did far worse things with far fewer consequences, because Mommy was a lawyer or Daddy was an RCMP officer, and some of those kids grew up to be lawyers or police officers themselves. The kids I worked with never got that opportunity. Second chances cost money, and the difference between a “crime” and a “mistake” has less to do with the offense, and more to do with the circumstances you were born into.

So when we’re talking about crime, punishment and who is “worthy” of being helped, maybe keep that in mind.

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