According to this brief article from a Russian newspaper (it’s in English), the police have identified the body of Ildar Gazizulin, a 39-year-old Russian national who disappeared from Brooklyn almost two years ago. He had been living in the United States since 1992.
The article reveals frustratingly little: not when they found his body, or when he died or how or under what circumstances. I can’t find any other articles about it either. Splerd.
There’s been a new law passed in Connecticut that requires the police to accept missing persons reports immediately, even if the MP is over 18. They also have to input the reports into all the databases. The actual law as it was written is posted here.
Janice Smolinski has been pushing for this law for years. Her 31-year-old son William “Billy” Smolinski Jr. disappeared from Waterbury, Connecticut in 2004. Billy’s family believes he met with foul play.
He’s been identified as six-year-old Camden Pierce Hughes. His picture looks remarkably like the computer-generated image the police released to the media. His mother, Julianne McCrery, is from Texas. She was picked up in Massachusetts today, questioned by the Massachusetts State Police and then transferred to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.
McCrery said she killed Camden with an overdose of cough syrup. Her boyfriend said both McCrery and Camden had been sick lately and coughing a lot and her mother confirms this, so who knows, perhaps his death was an accident. The Boston Globe says she had previously suffered mental illness and substance abuse problems and had tried to commit suicide. Her boyfriend and mom and friends describe her as a devoted mother to Camden with no abuse history.
The Examiner says people are posting on the pages of McCrery’s Facebook friends, accusing them, demanding to know why they didn’t call the cops after hearing about Camden’s body:
They jump to conclusions and are already attacking some of these people, blaming them for not calling police. They do not take into consideration the possibility that these “friends” may not have seen the photo of Camden that was disseminated by police and media.
One person, jumping to one of the “friend’s” defense said, “Good gravy this woman isn’t guilty by association! Please stop! I can only imagine how in shock she must be at this point. How she’s trying to put the pieces together herself. She’s not responsible for Juli’s actions, and decisions. Stop crucifying the woman! Boy, please think how hard this must be for her!”
[…] Facebook, while a good tool in helping to solve crimes and missing persons’ cases, has also turned into a nightmare for families and friends of missing loved ones and victims of crimes.
Quite so.
Brian David Mitchell is going to be sentenced soon for kidnapping fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Smart, holding her captive for nine months, starving her, forcing her to take alcohol and drugs, and raping her repeatedly. One of the aggravating factors put forth by the prosecution is that she suffered “extreme psychological injury.” Well, Mitchell’s defense attorney is saying Elizabeth DIDN’T suffer extreme psychological injury from what he calls Mitchell’s “extreme conduct.” He points out her statements that the kidnapping didn’t destroy her life and her future, her composure while on the witness stand, and the fact that she’s a well-functioning, stable adult who’s completing a college degree.
This is ridiculous. Elizabeth appears to have admirable courage and fortitude and has certainly coped with her situation much better than most people would, but NO ONE can go through what she went through without being very traumatized. The attorney is grasping at straws — probably because straws are all he has to grasp at. There’s not much to say to mitigate Mitchell’s crimes. But it’s still really not classy to try to use Elizabeth’s strength as an excuse to give Mitchell a light sentence.
The attorney also argues that the judge ought to take Mitchell’s (not great) physical health and his (very poor) mental health as a factor in sentencing. I can see more sense in that. But let’s face it. The guy is 57 years old now. Even if he doesn’t actually get a life sentence, he will die in prison. And he deserves it.
Some of the articles suggest that Mitchell’s lawyer is only trying to make sure Mitchell will not be able to appeal on the grounds of ineffective counsel. It is the duty of a defense attorney to pursue every possible means to help their client, but that doesn’t mean we the public have to like it.
Articles:
Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake Tribune 2
ABC 4
United Press International
The Deseret News (a long one)
KSL
Fox 13
The Charley Project Blog 