Gunmakers Profiting From Mass Shootings

It's an outrage that gun makers are profiting from the blood running in the streets of Las Vegas.  Publicly traded stocks of gun makers tend to rally on such dire news. Sick, yes.  However these loss of life scenarios cause citizens to rise up and demand a new look at gun laws, and the any possible future restriction on the purchase or use of a gun has gun enthusiasts running to their favorite gun shop to stock up.  It's a sad and sick reality.  Shares of Sturm Ruger, Vista Outdoor and American Outdoor Brands, formerly Smith & Wesson rose 4% each after news of the Las Vegas shooting.  A similar trading pattern was seen following the Pulse Night Club massacre.

When will we have had enough of these heartbreaking headlines?  When is enough enough?  We have enough to worry about from those who want to do the USA harm that live outside of our borders to worry about the evil that may lurk within.  It doesn't help that Nevada has some of the most lax gun laws out there. For example, if you live in Nevada you are not limited in the number of guns you own, nor are you required to have a license or register them. What I find truly shocking is it is legal to own machine guns and automatic assault rifles in Nevada, "as long as they are registered and possessed in adherence to federal law". Open carry is legal without a permit!

Sounds like Las Vegas or Nevada in general was a legitimate place for a mass shooting to take place given their views on guns.  The shooter more than likely possessed the guns used to kill countless innocent people legally by Nevada law. There is a resolution being tossed around requiring background checks for gun purchases - chances are the gun lobby will rally against any type of accountability.

What can we do to stand up to the gun makers, the NRA and the other pro gun groups to level the playing field?  There is so much gun related violence and deaths caused by firearms, I don't see any end in sight without intervention.  I also understand we have the right to bare arms.  BUT COME ON.  We've had mass shootings at children schools, movie theatres, political events, free outdoor concerts, inside nightclubs, churches, mosques and other places of worship.  This doesn't even touch on the bullets that spray our inner city streets and hurt and kill innocent bystanders.  When is enough enough?  When will we all stand up against gun violence?

There is great strength in numbers people.  It's time to show our strength.

Mass shootings scarring the American landscape - Las Vegas becomes deadliest mass shooting

This may be an unpopular viewpoint but frankly I don't care.  I am truly concerned about how utterly violent America has become and how often we are encountering mass shootings across the country. Is our society changing, are we producing angry and violent people hell bent on killing and injuring others - even innocent people they don't know?  With the influx of 24 hour news via television, Internet, smart phone and social media, we are being flooded with news as soon as it happens.  Look at some of the crazy videos people post on YouTube of themselves with a gun in their hand, or an illegal or modified firearm. They obviously don't expect to get into any type of trouble for these photos so what's the downside for them?

What has happened to our country and why has it become so violent?  In particular gun violence seems to be more prevalent than ever.  Starting with the first mass shooting that got the nation's attention, the Columbine shootings.  Here we had 2 teenagers who may have been the subject of bullying at their school - instead of dealing with their frustrations in a positive manner, they meticulously planned to enter their school armed with assault rifles and handguns and kill as many of their perceived enemies as possible.  I don't know that they ever expected to make it out alive themselves, but they were in this for the glory.  If not, why take as many pictures dressed in the garb and holding the weapons they would use to gun kids down with?

Erik Harris & Dylan Klebold

Harris & Klebold planned their attack in order to cause the most casualties and deaths as possible. They ultimately killed 15 people (includes both gunman) and injured 24 more people. It could have been a lot worse considering the arsenal they had. As the photo to the left depicts, they had access to assault weapons that went well beyond what a handgun could do.  99 explosives were also found with other weapons law enforcement ultimately found they more than likely intended to use. This is probably the first time the general public had fear in sending their kids to school.  If it could happen to Columbine, it could theoretically happen anywhere.

My sister and her husband are both long term high school teachers in the San Diego area, and I worry about their safety every time I see one of these headlines.  Some schools may have stepped up security measures, hiring security guards or implementing metal detectors, but many schools lack the funding to make such changes.  I can say that I was never afraid to go to school back in my day.  The most we had to fear would be a fist fight.

Then the most innocent of victims were targeted at an elementary school - Sandy Hook.  20 year old Adam Lanza killed his mother and then went about gunning down people at Sandy Hook Elementary School.  The death toll there was 20 children between the ages of 6-8 and 6 adults.  I don't know what his connection to the school was, if any. It seems in some of these shootings a connection isn't necessary for the shooter.  Elementary school children were an easy mark.

Virginia Tech was another mass shooting that shocked the nation. Seung-Hui Cho was a senior at Virginia Tech when he decided to amass an arsenal and gun down people at his college.  He ultimately killed 32 people and injured 17 more.  There was talk of him having a mental illness diagnosis of some kind, but he was bright enough to make it to his senior year of college and was said to be intelligent.  Looking at photos he took of himself dressed in his killing gear paint a picture of what was in his mind at the time of this attack.

Virginia Tech Shooter

He either looks crazy or as if he's trying to look like a tough guy/bad ass.  So much for the mental illness diagnosis.  There are many people who battle mental illness successfully without ever hurting another sole.  I just don't buy any defense on his part.  He wanted to become infamous and with the shooting his name is in the history books.  Apparently he couldn't make it happen with positive actions.

Perhaps the most eerie of mass shootings in recent memory were the "Dark Knight" movie theatre killings.  We love our movies, and people of all ages, races, colors, sizes and nationalities go to the movies as one of our favorite pastimes.  I've always felt safe in a movie theatre and viewed it as a very pleasant experience.  That is until James Holmes burst into a late night showing of "the Dark Knight Rises" and opened fire in a theatre full of confused and panicked moviegoers. Many of the moviegoers believed Holmes actions to be a stunt of some kind, but the bullets and mayhem were all too real.  He ultimately killed 12 people and injured another 70 people during his rampage.  It seems he meant to cause more destruction as law enforcement found his home booby trapped with explosives and he had many weapons and ammunition at his disposal.  Why did he do it?  We may never know.  His court appearances made him appear mentally imbalanced, but that may have been part of his grand scheme.

Then there was the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando that truly shocked the world. One man caused so much death and destruction and it's hard to make sense of the senseless. Since the Pulse nightclub was a place frequented by the LGBT community, there was an undercurrent of hate crime there. Omar Mateen killed 49 people and injured 50 - but he shattered the lives of so many more with his senseless and cowardly act.

That brings us to the mass shooting in Las Vegas.  Las Vegas, a destination that reminds you of lights, gambling, shows and fun.  Sure, there is a seedy side to Vegas but most people go to experience all the good Las Vegas has to offer.  62 year old Stephen Paddock may have been in Las Vegas for a different purpose.  From his room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort, he had a perfect vantage point for the outdoor concert taking place below him.  His room was found stockpiled with weapons and ammunition. There were an estimated 22,000 people attending a country music festival when Paddock began unleashing round after round after round, spraying the unsuspecting crowd with bullets and sending the crowd from confusion to panic.  Law enforcement has said that Paddock possibly suffers from an undiagnosed mental illness that may have contributed to his murderous rampage.

That may be a contributing factor, but law enforcement also confirmed they found a handwritten note by Paddock where he was calculating how many targets he might hit and the distance and trajectory involved.  He had to have been SANE enough to think about these calculations.  Paddock had also attempted to purchase "tracer" bullets, but he wasn't able to because the store was out of stock.  Sounds like a calculating move of somebody who was hell bent on killing as many people as possible.  Paddock killed 58 people and injured an estimated 500 people.  It was a scene of absolute panic as people tried to discern if they were hearing fire crackers or rapidly firing bullets. I can't imagine.  Not wanting to believe someone was opening fire on a large crowd, but then realizing that's exactly what was happening as bodies began to fall. It must have been absolutely terrifying.

Haven't we seen enough of these scenes play out across America?  Is it finally time to force a change?  Does anybody really believe the framers of the Constitution meant we should have the right to bare arms for these purposes? I sincerely doubt it.  The NRA will fight any further restrictions for as long as it takes.  Gun makers profits will rise when these topics come up, as people run out to purchase firearms in the fear that restrictions will toughen up laws and they will be left without a firearm.

Guns do have a place and purpose in our society - police officers need them to protect themselves and the public.  Homeowners can own them to protect their families and their property against deadly threats.  However it seems the guns on the street are being used for domestic violence, mass shootings and domestic terrorism, gang warfare and other criminal activities.  Let's be honest about the state of our country.  Murder with firearms is at an all time high and only getting worse.  Disturbed people looking to make a name for themselves grab a gun and plan the next mass shooting so they can go down in a blaze of glory.  Not all gun owners are irresponsible.  For the most part, people who own and license their guns take their responsibility seriously.  It's the other population of people who illegally own guns that are a danger to our society.

When are we going to wise up and demand change from our government? What can we as a society do?  If anybody has ideas, please share them here.  There is strength in numbers.  I'll never get through to anyone on my own and  neither would you.  But together, maybe we can get some changes enacted.  Let's stand up for CHANGE and a safer America!!

Martin Martinez had $2 bill with Amanda Crews blood on it in wallet

Nob Hill Court crime scene, Modesto CA

31 year old Martin Martinez faces charges of child abuse and murder in the 2014 death of his girlfriend's 2 year old son, Christopher Ridley.  Christopher's mother, Dr. Amanda Crews dated Martinez and subsequently had a daughter with him.  Christopher Ridley died after suffering a traumatic head injury while in the care of Martinez.  The puzzling thing about this mysterious case is that Amanda Crews was reportedly supporting Martinez's claim that Christopher's injury was accidental.  She even helped him retain an attorney for this matter.  Everything changed in July of 2015 when Amanda Crews and four other family members were found murdered in her Nob Hill Court home in Modesto, CA.  Martin Martinez was arrested and charged with 5 counts of first degree murder.

Among the murder victims was Martinez's own mother, his 6 month old daughter Rachel, Amanda's 6 year old daughter Elizabeth and a 5 year old girl reported to be his niece.   After Christopher's death, Child Protective Services sought to keep Martinez away from Crews' remaining children.  Martinez was living in an apartment just miles away from Crews in July of 2015 when the 5 murders were committed.  Martinez was apprehended in San Jose when he exited a movie theatre with his father.  He is being held without bail in Stanislaus County.

Information on both cases has been relatively scarce but it has been reported that at the time of his arrest, Martinez had a bloody $2 bill in his wallet that was believed to be Amanda Crews'.  Crews' parents had a tradition in which they gave their children and grandchildren 2 dollar bills, and the blood on the bill was in fact found to be Amanda's.  It would be difficult to explain how he ended up with the bloody currency on the same day the five victims were discovered. During a preliminary hearing Amanda Crews mother and stepfather, Paulette and Ronald Beidleman explained their tradition of giving $2 bills to their children and grandchildren.  

There was reportedly domestic violence in the relationship between Crews and Martinez.  Amanda Crews' twin sister Kimberley has described Crews' and Martinez's relationship as volatile and she reportedly witnessed some domestic violence that was never reported by Amanda.  She described an instance when Amanda was pregnant with his child in which he shoved Amanda into a bathroom door and has his hands around her neck.  He later downplayed the incident by saying he was upset over a death in his family, but this glimpse of violence seems to say a lot to Amanda Crews family members.

Timothy Ridley was married to Amanda and was the father of Christopher and Elizabeth Ridley.  Both of his children have now been killed by Martin Martinez and he is understandedly devastated and angry.  During his ex-wife's relationship with Martin Martinez, he was very concerned when his children came home with injuries after staying with their mother and Martinez.  A daycare employee has also stated that Christopher showed up with various injuries including a black eye and a split lip - Amanda Crews stated the black eye was a result of a fall in the bathtub at his father's home.  Timothy Ridley disputed any injuries occurred at his home, rather the injuries began when his ex wife started dating Martin Martinez.

A daycare employee also stated that Christopher Ridley would become very upset when Martin Martinez would pick him up.  It clearly appeared he was afraid of him and didn't want to leave with him.  If this is all accurate, that's heartbreaking.  I'm wondering if Amanda Crews truly believed these injuries her son had were accidental or was she trying to protect Martin Martinez?  Is it possible she believed Martinez for some period of time but was beginning to have a change of heart that led to her murder?  There are so many unanswered questions in these two stories that will have to wait until the trial begins.  How did an intelligent woman like Amanda Crews end up a victim of what appears to be domestic violence?  Usually a mother's instinct is to protect the children at all costs. She defended Martin and appeared to believe he did not purposely cause the injuries that killed her son and perhaps her inability to see his violent side was a fatal mistake.

Regardless of what Dr. Crews may have believed, none of these 6 victims deserved to be murdered.  What could have happened to have set this awful chain of events into motion?  Why was Martin in Amanda's house when there was a protective order to stay away?  Why was Martinez's mother and niece there that day, and how did one man manage to subdue and kill 5 people in that house?  Granted, 3 of the victims were 6 years and younger - but two women could've put up a fight.  Martinez faces charges of 5 counts of first degree murder first.  He faces a second trial for the death of Christopher Ridley.  

Mass Shooting Stuns Las Vegas - Take a Stand

Another headline announces the worst mass shooting in US history, surpassing the carnage in Florida at the Pulse Nightclub - Las Vegas and the Mandalay Bay now hold the unwanted title for the site of the worst mass shooting/killing in America.  This is a distinction nobody wants.  Why does this madness continue? Who has so much hate, destruction and callousness inside to be able to open fire on a crowd gathered to enjoy music in Las Vegas?  Is the shooter that angry at the world that he doesn't care who he hurts, maims or kills? Is the fact that the concert goers are enjoying themselves in a way the shooter is unable to?  The shooter must be someone incapable of feeling joy, empathy, hope or love.  All he must feel is hatred and a desire to punish those who are able to feel love and hope.

I will never understand how a person could point a gun in the direction of a large crowd and indiscriminately shoot, not caring who gets hit or how many lives are altered, cut down, forever changed or snuffed out by their actions.  What kind of monster did this?  

At latest count 50 people have died and over 200 are injured in the Las Vegas Mandalay Bay shooting.  The 64 year old shooter Stephen Paddock is also reportedly dead. He took his stance from the 32rd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and opened fire.  This marks the 338 mass shooting in just 273 days in the United States of America.  SOMETHING IS WRONG.  What does the NRA say about these shootings?  Wake up Washington - we have a massive problem here.  I know I know - the Second Amendment gives us the right to bare arms.  What about our right to go to a public venue to enjoy a music festival without the fear of becoming the next shooting victim?  What about the right to walk across a street without being caught in cross fire in an inner city?  What about the students who have the right to go to their schools without fearing a gun will be pulled by a bullied student?

There are far too many guns in America, and they are getting into the wrong hands.  Safeguards, laws, waiting periods may be in place, but clearly they are not foolproof.  We need real change.  We need less guns on the street PERIOD.  This doesn't even cover accident gun discharges and deaths - domestic violence related gun violence or gang related gun violence.  Lone wolf, home grown terrorist violence - there are too many scenarios to name.  Guns can save lives and are necessary for our protection by law enforcement.  However, guns take lives when they end up in the wrong hands.  They may begin their journey on the street in a legal sale to a righteous and responsible owner with a valid reason for ownership.  But when that gun is stolen, it more than likely will end up in the hands of someone who cannot or should not own a handgun.  There are too many weapons out there in our streets. The bad guys with bad intentions outnumber the good guys out to protect us.

Wake up Washington.  We are losing in the gun battle.  Time to rethink the gun laws and stand up to the NRA.  Do it now before things escalate and another massacre ensues.  How many families are effected by this latest Mandalay Bay shooting?  Many family's, friends - the loss is enormous and this is only the beginning. How are any of us supposed to feel safe in public places if not in Las Vegas at a highly organized event?  Where was security?  It's a scary scary world, I'm afraid to say.  What is happening to our society?  People - take a stand against gun violence!!

A & E Special Revisits Laci Peterson Murder

A & E's mini series on the tragic murders of Modesto resident Laci Peterson and her unborn son Connor has been aired.  Anyone who lives in the greater Bay Area remembers the Christmas-time disappearance of the beautiful Laci, in part because she was 8 months pregnant and she vanished on Christmas Eve.  The story quickly went national and photos of the smiling Laci Peterson were being televised from coast to coast as Modesto residents turned out to help in the search for her.

Laci was reported missing by her stepfather on Christmas Eve, after husband Scott returned to an empty home after going fishing in the San Francisco Bay.  He told law enforcement that Laci was alive and well on Christmas Eve morning when he left for the Berkeley Marina - she planned on taking their dog MacKenzie for a walk in a nearby park.  A neighbor of the Peterson's reportedly found MacKenzie wandering on the street with her leash and put her into the Peterson's back yard.  It was approximately 10:17AM.

As law enforcement began their investigation into the disappearance, it was noted that there had been a recent break in directly across the street from the Peterson home - neighbors, family and law enforcement wondered if there was a connection between the robbery and Laci's disappearance. I remember when this was all happening and it seems to me that Laci's husband Scott was a "person of interest" from the start - in part because of his decision to go fishing on Christmas Eve when his wife was so pregnant and partially because of his detached demeanor about Laci's disappearance.  Months into the search for Laci, Scott became really the only person of interest after Amber Frey contacted law enforcement and disclosed her relationship with Scott Peterson, whom she believed was a single man.

Amber Frey did the right thing.  As soon as she became aware of the fact that Scott was married and his wife was missing AND pregnant, she contacted the police and began secretly recording her conversations with Scott Peterson.  These recordings would come back to haunt Scott Peterson and aside from the location of Laci and Connor's remains may have been the single most influential piece of evidence at the double murder trial.  

Like most people at the time, I found the behavior of Laci's husband during her disappearance highly suspicious.  He never appeared overly concerned about the whereabouts of Laci, in fact he seemed more worried about Amber Frey's feelings after he had to disclose the truth to her.  Things didn't look good for Scott, but when the remains of Laci and Connor were finally discovered and they arrested him, I thought the prosecution must have evidence beyond a reasonable doubt because they arrested him.

From what I was hearing on the legal talk shows (at the time I believe Court TV was still on the air) the things that seemed to point to Scott Peterson's guilt were the homemade "anchors" that law enforcement says Scott made at his warehouse, the piece of Laci's hair found in the pliers in Scott's toolbox or his truck - they also talked about the fact that Scott sold Laci's vehicle a short time after her disappearance and was talking about putting their house up for sale.  These actions seemed to point to a husband who didn't really believe his wife was ever coming home even though she was still missing at the time. 

Much was also made of the fact that Scott Peterson reportedly added some adult channels to his cable package; something Laci would not have approved of.  If I'm not mistaken, Scott originally planned to go golfing on that Christmas Eve but said it was "too cold" to golf so he decided to make the drive all the way to the Berkeley Marina to try out his new boat.  I actually found that odd because if he thought it was too cold to golf, did he think he would be warmer out on the San Francisco Bay?  The Berkeley Marina isn't terribly close to Modesto and certainly there are several other bodies of water he could have chosen to fish or try out his new boat.  It was odd.

The single most damning piece of evidence against Scott Peterson was the place Laci and Connor's bodies were found.  What are the odds that somebody else took and killed Laci and then disposed of her body in the same location her husband was fishing the same day she disappeared?  It really did seem to just be too great of a coincidence to ignore.  If the State's case was weak and there was really no direct evidence that linked Scott to Laci's murder, this one fact was hard to ignore.  It seems to me that either Scott was the unluckiest cheating husband in the world or that he actually killed Laci and put her in the Bay.  When you weigh in the fact that he was having this affair with Amber Frey and his complete lack of emotion the scale tipped more towards Scott being guilty than any other likely scenario.

Once the trial started I was expecting to hear more from the State.  The trial wasn't televised so we got the updates via newspaper, the internet and the many TV anchors and legal analysts updating the viewing public every day.  I can remember thinking to myself that if Scott had golfed instead of taking that boat to Berkeley on Christmas Eve, how could the State have tied him to the murder?  I don't know that they had the evidence to convict beyond a reasonable doubt if he hadn't been to the Berkeley Marina that same day.  As we all know, he was convicted and sentenced to death for the murders.  It was a case that was watched by prosecutors who saw that a jury actually convicted someone and sentenced them to death based on largely circumstantial evidence.

I always felt that Scott Peterson was probably responsible for Laci and Conner's deaths, but there was always the thought that if you take away the location of the remains - there wasn't much to link him to the murder.  When A & E's special began airing, I knew I'd watch it because it looked like it had a lot of information that wasn't previously available to the public. Being sentenced to death is the most serious punishment you can dish out.  There shouldn't be room for error.  After watching the first four episodes of A & E's mini series, I have serious doubts about the whole case.  This may be a very unpopular viewpoint, but the A & E special really shined a bright light on the investigation and the actions and inactions by the Modesto Police Department.  If the investigation was flawed, that's a serious problem if you have someone on Death Row.

I don't believe the A & E special was made to prove the guilt or innocence of Scott Peterson.  What it did ultimately uncover is what a huge role the media played in this case and how the public's absolute hatred of Scott Peterson may have affected the jury.  If you saw the special and heard how the jurors talked about Scott Peterson after the verdict, it seemed clear that they despised the man and the way he treated Laci.  The special also revisited the setup of the Redwood City courthouse, where all witnesses, court personnel, jurors and members of the gallery had to enter through the same doors daily.  Right outside the courthouse doors were a sea of satellite trucks and legal analysts jockeying for position as the key players left the courthouse each day.  It was clearly a media circus in Redwood City, as it may have been in any city that was chosen to hold this trial.

The special was critical of the way the Modesto Police Department handled the investigation from the time Laci was reported missing.  Almost immediately they keyed in on Scott Peterson based probably on a gut feeling and his cold demeanor.  Sure, when a spouse goes missing we want to see the husband's emotions and we want to hear him begging for help to find his missing wife and unborn son.  That's what we have all come to expect, and anything less is suspicious.  Some people just aren't wired that way.  Had Scott been crying, the media probably would have called them crocodile tears.  He truly couldn't win in the eyes of the media.  He just didn't come across as someone who was overly concerned with Laci's absence.  It's odd, it's strange - and I don't understand it, but it's not illegal.

One of the things that bothered me the most on this special were the numerous Modesto residents who reportedly saw Laci Peterson walking MacKenzie on Christmas Eve morning.  I believe there were as many as 8-10 people in the Peterson's neighborhood who thought they saw her.  Did the Modesto Police Department take statements from each of those people?  Did the defense team's investigator talk to those people, and if so why didn't they get those people in front of the jury?  That would have been huge.  If even one of those neighbors really saw Laci on Christmas Eve morning than Scott Peterson couldn't have been the one who killed her. Scott was gone, on his way to his warehouse to pick up his boat before the Laci sightings.  Could every one of the eye witnesses be wrong?  Why didn't the Modesto PD investigate every tip and obtain written statements from the witnesses?  Is it their job to simply dismiss the tips without documenting them?  It's these types of errors or omissions that taints the investigation.

The A & E special had a few of those eyewitness neighbors on the show, and many of them say the police never contacted them with the exception of a phone call.  Wouldn't these types of tips warrant law enforcement seeking each and every person out and at least taking a written statement?  I guess we are taught to assume the police have done their job.  You don't ask for the death penalty unless you have asked all of the questions and exhausted all avenues in looking for other suspects or witnesses who could eliminate a particular suspect.  So what happened here?  I'm not saying that Scott Peterson is innocent.  I'm suggesting that it appears the investigation was one sided pretty much from the start.  You don't just investigate the tips that help you with your theory of the crime.  An investigation should be fair and neutral, and the A & E special certainly casts doubt on the fairness of the investigation into Laci's disappearance and murder.

Will these issues be enough for Scott Peterson to appeal his conviction and get a new trial?  We simply have a duty to ensure we are holding the right person responsible for a crime as horrific as this one was.

Did arrest warrant for murder in 2 year old's death lead to mass murder in Modesto? State of CA vs. Martin Martinez

Dr. Amanda Crews led a busy life.  She was a physician in Modesto and the mother of two young children.  When she left her 2 year old son Christopher in the care of boyfriend Martin "Marty" Martinez, she couldn't have imagined the child would be in danger.  After all, she was just going to pick up her daughter.  Before she left, she reportedly asked Martinez to change Christopher's diaper.  The date was September 30, 2014.  When Crews returned, Christopher had suffered a head injury and was rushed to the hospital where he died on October 2, 2014.

Martin Martinez gave police and doctors different accounts of how Christopher got the injury.  Although initially ruled an accidental death, Crews allegedly assisted Martinez in retaining attorney Steve Foley.  It must have been difficult for Dr. Crews to imagine Martin purposely harming her child.  But she was a doctor - she had to have had questions in the back of her mind that began to plague her.  Christopher's biological father Timothy Ridley always believed Martinez had more culpability in his son's death than he admitted.  He grew concerned about his young daughter being in her mother's home with Martinez.  Apparently CPS had their concerns as well, because he was forced to move out of the home while the death was investigated further.

As we have come to realize, the wheels of justice sometimes move slowly.  After the death of Christopher, Amanda Crews and Martin Martinez ended up having a daughter together - they named her Rachel.  It is impossible for anyone to predict was about to happen to this family but it's sure to haunt everyone who knew Dr. Crews and Martin Martinez and their friends and families.  

On July 18, 2015, police were called to the Nob Hill Court home of Dr. Crews to conduct a welfare check after she and her daughter failed to show up at a planned outing with friends.  The bodies of 5 people were found dead inside the home.  Among the victims:  38 year old Amanda Crews, 6 month old Rachel Martinez, 6 year old Elizabeth Crews, 57 year old Anna Brown Romero (Martin Martinez's mother) and Martinez's 5 year old niece Esmerelda.  Very few details about the time of death, the crime scene or evidence has been released by the police.  Through public court documents we can see that a knife was used in the commission of the murder of Amanda Crews and Anna Brown Romero.  The young children were likely easier to subdue - their cause of death has not been released.

I have so many questions about this mass murder.  Why did this happen?  What evidence do they have that Martinez is the killer?  If he is, how did he gain entry to the home, did he still have a key to the house?  Did Amanda Crews let him inside, despite the protective order for him to stay away?  How was one man able to subdue this many people, although only two were adults?  Did Martinez have one target in mind and the rest of the victims were witnesses he had to get rid of?  How could he kill his own 6 month old daughter and his own mother?  This is mind boggling.  Was Martinez aware he was about to be arrested and charged with the murder of Christopher?

A news article relating to this case says that Amanda Crews actually hired Steve Foley to represent the man who would eventually be charged with killing her and her children.  At a 2015 court hearing, Martinez and Foley filed paperwork with the court seeking to have Foley remain on as Martinez's attorney despite the fact he could no longer afford his services.  Don't most defendants end up claiming to be "indigent" once a case like this goes forward?  It's eerie that in the document arguing for Foley to remain as Martinez's attorney, one of the reasons argued is that Foley had already interviewed many witnesses in this case, "some of which are now deceased".  They are referring to Amanda Crews and perhaps Elizabeth Crews and Martinez's own mother.

It appears the court ruled against the request to retain Foley as his defense attorney.  Foley may very well be called as a witness when Martinez goes to trial and this would be a huge conflict of interest.  Instead, a public defender has been assigned to represent Martinez.  He will need a good attorney.  He is facing a total of 6 counts of first degree murder in addition to child abuse against Christopher Ridley.  Special circumstances involving the use of the knife and lying in wait for the 5 Nob Hill Court victims are outlined in the charging document. 

This is potentially a death penalty case.  The preliminary hearing is slated for August 21, 2017.  The state must have solid direct or a mountain of circumstantial evidence to have arrested him and brought the murder charges forward so quickly. 

Could the "Cold Justice" team get justice for Stacy Peterson?

As you may know, I am a huge fan of the reality TV show "Cold Justice".  In it's fourth season and now with Oxygen, former prosecutor Kelly Siegler teams up with seasoned detectives and travels across the country assisting law enforcement in smaller towns review their unsolved homicide cases.  They have had surprising results. Their work has helped to net many arrests, confessions and new information on some very old cases.  This is a great show.  There is a case that I'd LOVE to see them tackle; although it doesn't particularly fit their criteria because the case didn't occur in a small town with scare resources.  The case has been worked by many law enforcement agencies and I don't believe resources were an issue.  Nonetheless, why not try? The case I'm talking about is the disappearance (and presumed murder) of Stacy Peterson.

It's been a decade plus since the suspicious disappearance of former cop Drew Peterson's fourth wife Stacy.  Unfortunately she was most likely killed in the very home she shared with her killer husband Drew.  I find it most disturbing that this man has been able to escape justice in this particular case.  He nearly got away with the murder of 3rd wife Kathleen Savio, in fact if it had not been for the disappearance of Stacy, Savio's death may have remained an "accidental" death.

Drew Peterson is the obvious and only real suspect in Stacy's disappearance and probable murder.  Somehow he has been able to allude responsibility in this particular killing, more than likely drawing on his extensive experience in law enforcement to lessen the chances of the body being discovered.  The real question that needs to be answered is what did he do with her body?  It is widely believed that Stacy's body was placed in a large blue Rubbermaid type container.  Drew asked his half brother Thomas Morphey to help him move this container from upstairs of his home to his SUV.  Morphey immediately believed he had just helped move Stacy's body, however he did not go to the police right away.  Drew reportedly paid him several thousand dollars to assist him with this task, and Morphey allegedly had a drug abuse problem which Drew knew would make him a unlikely witness to the police.

Peterson had always claimed he could kill his wives and make it appear to be an accident.  He threatened Kathleen Savio with the claim and Stacy eventually figured out that Drew had killed Kathleen so when she showed signs of pulling away from him she became a potential witness and ceased being the wife he supposedly adored.  She simply knew too much and Peterson wasn't about to go to prison for killing Savio.  He believed he was above the law.  Having a second wife disappear within a short time of having your previous wife die a mysterious bathtub drowning death is very suspicious.  This shows that Drew believed he was smarter than his law enforcement colleagues and they may suspect there was a connection but he made certain they would have a hard time proving it.

Unfortunately we can strongly believe a person is responsible for a murder, but if they are careful and hide the body well and don't tell another single sole about what they have done - it's very possible for them to get away with murder.  Murderers usually get caught because they panic, they get sloppy and they are in such a hurry to get rid of the body and evidence that they choose the dump location poorly.  Peterson had been involved in law enforcement long enough to know what to do and what not to do.  He likely considered cell phone data and pings from both his and Stacy's cell phones.  He likely dumped the body at a time and location when the likelihood of him being seen was very small.  

I don't know the timeline in this case.  The day she disappeared, Stacy was supposed to help a friend paint a house.  Her last known phone call was around 10:25AM but she never made it to the friends home to paint.  Stacy's sister tried calling her repeatedly and the calls went to voicemail.  Stacy may have been dead by the time those calls went unanswered.  Her body may have remained in the home all day, with the kids there - hidden away in a closet or in that infamous blue Rubbermaid tub.  When Stacy was reported missing, Drew told anyone who would listen that she left him for a younger man, and she was probably sipping mai tai's on a beach somewhere in her bathing suit.  What a douche bag.

Stacy was particularly close to her sister Cassandra Cales, and to this day she has not given up on the search for her sister's remains.  What is it going to take to get the truth out of this sociopath Drew Peterson?  I believe he will take the secret of where Stacy's remains are to his grave.  I am not even certain if he was offered immunity and no additional prison time he would give up the information.  I'd much rather see him caught and prosecuted for murder.  What's it going to take?  Is there someone out there holding on to a terrible secret?  Would a reward with a meaningful amount of money persuade anyone with any knowledge to finally do the right thing?

Drew's prior wives were afraid of him.  His half brother is afraid of him.  Nobody should be afraid of Drew Peterson now.  His attempt to put a hit out on the prosecutor who got him convicted of murdering Savio was thwarted when an inmate sold him out.  I don't believe Peterson has the friends willing to do any type of violent favors for him any longer.  He's lost his power.  If somebody knows something, PLEASE contact the authorities.  It's time to end the suffering of Stacy's friends, family, children and the entire community.  Drew Peterson does not deserve protection or loyalty from anyone who may be harboring his evil secret.

I hope to one day see a headline that a grand jury has indicted him for Stacy's murder.  I just don't believe they have enough to do so at this point. Obviously she's not alive. She wouldn't be out of contact with her sister and would have never left her young children.  The thought that she ran off with another man is an insult that would only come out of the mouth of Drew.  He truly is the worst kind of monster.

There is another Drew Peterson special coming up on Investigation Discovery on August 25, 2017.  Will any new information be released?  Are the police still actively working on this cold case?  Could we lobby the Cold Justice team to get on this case?  I'd LOVE to see Kelly Siegler questioning Drew Peterson.  That would be something.

It is mind boggling when you hear about just how many men (and women) have murdered more than one spouse.  It's not always about money - with Drew Peterson it was a little of both; money and control.  He didn't want to lose half of his money to divorce with Savio, and he was quickly losing control of Stacy.  He simply couldn't let that happen, in addition to the fact that she knew he killed Savio.  In his mind, she had to die.