CrimeTimeNews (c)

Columbus, OH - JAILED SHERIFF GETS DIVORCE PAPERS

It was a pretty good thing while it lasted. Gary DeMastry was Sheriff of Fairfield County and his wife of twenty-six years, Penny, served as his bookkeeper. Between the two of them, they had a comfortable income. With the help of the County, though, they lived the high life.
The pair were indicted when it was discovered that they had spent nearly $300,000. on fine dining, travel and entertainment. They were charged with theft in office, engaging in a pattern of corrupt behavior and obstruction of justice. In a bid to save herself, Penny copped a plea to five felony's in exchange for a sentence of thirty-nine days in jail.
Gary, on the other hand, went to trial and is now doing six years in a cell at the Hocking Correctional facility. That's where he was when a court official showed-up last week and handed him documents informing him that Penny has filed for divorce.

Hayward, CA - TRANSGENDER TEEN'S MURDER TRIAL TO BEGIN

Eddie Araujo was living as a girl named Lida when she was killed a year and a half ago. Like many teens, she liked to hang out at her friend's house where she smoked marijuana, drank beer and watched lively domino games. That's where she met a group of twenty-something young men. She liked two of them well enough to have oral and anal sex with them. After the encounters, the four got together to discuss their doubts that Lida was really female. The talk got heated and the decision was made to find out for sure.
A week later, at two o'clock in the morning, after hitting a couple of bars, the men found Lida at their mutual friend's house. The teen was forced into the bathroom for examination. When the truth was discovered, knees and fist started to fly.
Later, the bloody, unconscious youth was bound with ropes, wrapped in a comforter and carried to the garage where one defendant strangled her. After the body was loaded into the back of a pickup truck, one murderer smashed the teen's head with a shovel. Lida was then buried in a remote, shallow grave.
A break in the case came several days later when one of the accused decided to become a State's witness in exchange for an eleven year sentence. The remaining defendants go on trial next Monday and face sentences of twenty-nine to life.

Victoria, Australia - DRUG DETECTIVES BANK MILLIONS

Ten members of the Controlled Chemicals Delivery Program are under investigation for channeling millions of dollars to off shore bank accounts. The squad was established to purchase the precursor drugs used to make speed from legitimate manufactures and then supply them to criminal syndicates. The drugs were then meant to be monitored, allowing police to crack extended drug rings and manfacturing labs.
Instead the detectives became involved in the same practices they were supposed to track and bust. In fact, says a man linked to several underground murders, cops gave him a green light for his activities in exchange for information. Another convict stated that the officers turned off the surveillance camers at his operation before they stole $100,000. worth of drugs.

Lafayette, IN - LAWYER KILLER CONVICTED

The Tippecanoe Superior Court jury deliberated eleven hours over a two day period before they convicted Lloyd Licht, 61, on charges of murder, kidnapping, confinement, robbery and theft. The crime was the culmination of a twenty year dispute between Licht and John Barce, the attorney who handled the estate of Licht's father.
The settlement, which included a large farm, went to Licht's stepmother leaving out Licht and his two siblings. When Licht attempted to collect $40,000. he thought he was due, Barce wrote him that he wasn't entitled to anything.
Barce, who was known to have a heart condition, was abducted in August 2001 outside the restaurant of a local hotel. His body, bound by duct tape, was found in a farmers field six weeks later. Prosecutors presented evidence that Barce died in the front seat of Licht. Sentencing is pending.

Los Angeles, CA - ANOTHER ARREST IN BODY PARTS SCANDAL

The University of California at Los Angele's cadaver program receives about 175 bodies each year for use in medical education and research. The corpses are highly sought after and are valued in the thousands. Sunday UCLA police charged Ernest Nelson with receiving stolen goods. Officials state that he is not a university employee.
His arrest follows by one day that of Henry Reid, director of the school's Willed Body Program. Reid stands accused of grand theft for selling corpses and body parts for profit. Ironically Reid was hired seven years ago to improve the record keeping process for donated bodies. Nelson says he bought directly from Reid and has the cancelled checks to prove it.