Major Break in the Lauren Burk Murder Case

The local Fox affiliate here in Atlanta is reporting a "major break" in the investigation into the murder of Auburn University freshman Lauren Burk. A press conference will be held Saturday morning in Auburn to address any new developments in the case. My Fox Atlanta reported that the suspect led police on a high speed chase. The suspect may also be responsible for armed robberies in Newnan, GA and Phenix City, Alabama.

Lauren Burk was killed Tuesday night. Shortly after she was found mortally wounded beside Alabama Highway 147, Burk's car was discovered in flames on the Auburn Campus.

Additional link: WSFA Ch. 12 in Montgomery, Al.

UPDATE, 3/08/08

(Thanks to reader "Pinecone" for the heads-up.)

It looks as though Auburn police plan to charge Courtney Lockhart, age 22, with the murder of Lauren Burk.

WRBL TV in the Auburn area is reporting that Lockhart will be charged Saturday morning. The CBS affiliate also says that "investigators have recovered evidence connecting" Lockhart to Burk's death.

Faux Memoirist Margaret "Peggy" Seltzer: So I turned over some rocks...

I've been fascinated for a few days now with the story of author Margaret "Peggy" Seltzer and her fake memoir, Love and Consequences.

Seltzer wanted others to believe that she was Margaret B. Jones, AKA "Bree," a half-white, half Native American woman who spent her youth as a foster child in South Central Los Angeles. Her book received cushy coverage from the New York Times after the its release, and that was Seltzer's undoing. Her own sister called the Times to let them know the memoir was fiction. Truth was, Peggy Seltzer was a thoroughly white Valley Girl who attended the same private school made famous a few years after her graduation by students like the Olsen Twins.

Seltzer came clean and the book was pulled off the shelves. Naturally, everyone in the print media started going at the story hammer and tongs.

There may not be any major crime to write about here, but a literary fraud is still a fraud.

So I dug up some interesting stuff on Peggy Seltzer and the results have been published by Radar:

"Seltzer Honed Homegirl Hosejob on AOL."

Do me a favor if you like the story and recommend it -- because dammit, I scooped everyone on this score. I scooped the Times, which has covered this story closely since Seltzer confessed her deception. I scooped Gawker.com, the infamous gossip blog, and they've been all over this story.

I guess I took it as a personal challenge when FishbowlLA wrote, "Motoko Rich owns the Peggy Seltzer story, and don't even think of nabbing a tiny bit of it." Sorry, FishbowlLA -- that was just like waving a red flag in front of me. Motoko Rich at the Times really does own the majority of the story, but I took a big juicy bite, couldn't help it.

I would also appreciate comments on the story at its location -- Radar requires a very brief registration, but it's worth your time if you want to leave comments on other stories later.

I wasn't able to include everything I found related to Seltzer's online life in the Radar piece. I'm still working those angles, because they are truly weird and fascinating. If I can't come up with something solid enough for the paying gig, you may hear more about it in this space.

I have to admit -- something about this story pissed me off, personally. How many times have people with real stories been bypassed by the publishing industry in favor of fabulists like Seltzer and James Frey? And what is it with these writers from privileged backgrounds creating narratives about hardships they never experienced? There's just something galling as hell about literary liars like Margaret Seltzer. I think Seltzer may have had an altruistic desire to give a voice to people like the characters she created, but what she really did was expose an incredibly condescending, peculiarly American viewpoint held by many from privileged circumstances.

Much of the commentary I've read about Love and Consequences has focused on asking why Seltzer's editor and publishers didn't fact-check her. While that's a perfectly valid question, the most important question to me is this -- who the hell did she think she was? Folks should be asking, "how dare she?"

OK -- proto-rant over. Go read what I wrote and follow the links to get a fuller understanding of the story, and why it pissed me off.

NOTES:

FishbowlLA gives a nod to the scoopage described above -- thanks, Kate.

Kevin Allman also takes note and follows up on an angle I couldn't fit into the Radar piece -- potentially a very interesting, strange angle at that. Go for it, Kevin.

Young Manhattanite acknowledges the find and spanks those crazy kids at Gawker a bit in the process.

Lori Slesinski and Lauren Burk: Is there a connection?

Lauren A. Burk, an 18-year-old freshman at Auburn University, was murdered last night in Auburn, Alabama. Lauren, a 2007 graduate of Walton High School, came from Marietta, Georgia -- just down the road from where I live. Burk's death has been all over the news in Atlanta today.

Lauren was wounded when she was found on Alabama Highway 147 Tuesday night. She passed away later in the evening at an Auburn-area hospital.

Nearly a half-hour after Lauren was found, a vehicle was discovered in flames on the Auburn Campus.

The burning car was Lauren A. Burk's Honda Civic.

No arrests have been made, and the AP has reported an increased police presence on the University campus.

Auburn University grad Lori Ann Slesinksi was last seen in Auburn, Alabama on June 10, 2006. After Lori's mom hadn't heard from Lori for several days, she visited her daughter's residence at the Ridgewood Village Trailer Park. Her trip to Lori's home convinced her something was wrong, and she contacted local police.

Early in the morning on June 14, a blue Mazda was found burning beside DeKalb Street in Auburn. It was Lori's car.

Lori Slesinski was unhappy with her job when she vanished, but she was close to her family and friends. Still, no one has heard from Lori in nearly 2 years.

I'm not the only person wondering if there is some connection between Lori and Lauren. Read an interesting quote left by a reader on an article about Lauren Burk's murder at OANow.com, a website dedicated to covering news in the Opelika-Auburn area:

Posted by ( PamelaD ) on March 05, 2008 at 3:17 pm

There is another female auburn student who has been missing for over a year now - and her car was found burning too!
I hope the police are looking into a possible connection with both cases.

It’s so scary to think that we might have a serial killer in Auburn.

When the other girl went missing it took the police here a month to put out fliers - after orientation for new students was over. - Surprise, surprise.

Part of another comment left earlier in that thread is worth noting:

Posted by ( dbarrs ) on March 05, 2008 at 3:26 pm

I am a close friend of Lauren’s family. If you knew the details of this case, you’d be concerned that students are not safe… the murderer has NOT been caught and Lauren was most probably kidnapped on campus...

There are differences between the known details of each case -- the ages and appearances of the victims, for example. Lori Slesinski was a 24-year-old blonde, Lauren Burk an 18-year-old brunette. And of course, Lori Slesinski has never been found.

OANow reader PamelaD may be premature in bringing up the idea of a serial killer at work in Auburn. Plenty of criminals try to cover up their crimes by burning vehicles, and young women alone, sadly, make prime targets for lots of criminals, not just sexual predators.

That said, two young women either missing or killed in two years at the same university, their vehicles burned -- can we just ignore the possibility that there's a relationship between these tragic events?

I don't think we can. Your words are welcome in the comments below. Please be respectful of the families of the victims and of each other, and please keep the discussion on the topic at hand.

Additional link: Lori Slesinski's MySpace page (thanks, tellurstorywalkin).

Ivette Gonzalez Davila: Portrait of a Pathological Narcissist?

In an entry posted yesterday, The True Crime Weblog was the first publication to name Ivette Gonzalez Davila as a suspect in the murders of Army medics Randi and Tim Miller:

"Fort Lewis Honor Guard Soldier Allegedly Kills Couple, Kidnaps Baby *UPDATED*"

Davila titled the brief video at the beginning of this post "Video of first days" -- presumably the beginning of her training for the Fort Lewis Army Honor Guard.

The 22-year-old Army Specialist allegedly killed the Millers on Saturday. Jealousy allegedly drove Davila to the Miller home last Saturday night. Court papers filed in Pierce County, WA state that Davila believed Randi Miller was involved with her ex-boyfriend.

Davila, who apparently knew both Millers well, allegedly shot Randi Miller as she lay in bed. Police say she then opened fire on Tim Miller as he stood in the shower. She went to a Home Depot, where she bought muriatic acid (previous reports said sulfuric acid). Ivette Davila returned to the Miller home and dragged Randi Miller's body to the tub where Tim Miller lay. She doused them with the acid, thinking it would dissolve their bodies.

Ivette (sometimes spelled 'Yvette) Davila took the Millers' baby girl back to the barracks at Fort Lewis. She told another soldier she was babysitting, but she couldn't keep up the ruse for long. Court papers say Davila confessed to a fellow soldier.

She apparently intended to take the Millers' child to an 'orphanage.'

Ivette Gonzalez Davila made a brief court appearance in Washington Tuesday. She has been charged with murder and kidnapping.

Davila knew Randi and Tim Miller well enough to hang out with them. A comment from Randi Miller on Davila's MySpace in 2007 invited Davila to a chili cook-off. Randi made a joke, asking if "Mexicans liked" that sort of thing.

The first True Crime Weblog post about this bizarre double murder quoted comments Ivette Davila left on Tim Miller's MySpace page in 2007. She called Tim a "brokeback mountain story maker upper" and said, "he's my man. my boyfriend. u were just a lil gay phase. cooper WAS curious." She was apparently referring to the man she was dating at the time.

Davila's comments may have been inside jokes, but the reports of Davila's jealousy towards one of the Millers have made some readers of this blog wonder if she was serious. The court papers cited by several media sources reporting this story indicate Ivette Davila believed that Randi Miller was in a relationship with Davila's ex.

On her own personal profile, Randi wrote the following: "the only person in the world who really matters to me is my husband."

A version of Davila's MySpace page cached in early February revealed a strange combination of imagery. Coupled with glittery graphics and photos of the alleged killer -- usually in a tight black dress -- were random images of handguns and pics of friends and relatives. Davila had posted photos of herself and 4 pretty, young friends, calling them "The Main GBBs." One of the friends said on her own page that GBB meant "Gorgeous Badd (sic) Bitches."

Above the photos of the GBBs was a graphic with the legend, "I roll with Pretty Bitches."

Further down the page Davila posted a quote from "Miss Davi" -- one of her nicknames: "I HATE you & then I LOVE you.. Its like I want to throw you off a cliff then rush to the bottom to catch you!"

While we live in a somewhat narcissistic culture in general, pathological narcissism is a personality disorder familiar to anyone who studies true crime stories. Infamous criminals like Scott Peterson and Rabbi Fred Neulander have been cited as possible examples of the pathological narcissist.

Here's some of what the Mayo Clinic says about narcissistic personality disorder:

Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance and a deep need for admiration. They believe that they're superior to others and have little regard for other people's feelings. But behind this mask of ultra-confidence lies a fragile self-esteem, vulnerable to the slightest criticism. [...] In particular, narcissistic personality disorder is characterized by dramatic, emotional behavior, in the same category as histrionic, antisocial and borderline personality disorders.

The following signs of pathological narcissism may be present in millions of people who would never physically harm a fly. Again, from The Mayo Clinic:

• Believing that you're better than others


• Fantasizing about power, success and attractiveness


• Exaggerating your achievements or talents


• Expecting constant praise and admiration


• Believing that you're special


• Failing to recognize other people's emotions and feelings


• Expecting others to go along with your ideas and plans


• Taking advantage of others


• Expressing disdain for those you feel are inferior


• Being jealous of others


• Believing that others are jealous of you


• Trouble keeping healthy relationships


• Setting unrealistic goals


• Being easily hurt and rejected


• Having a fragile self-esteem


• Appearing as tough-minded or unemotional
  

Looking at the way Ivette Davila presented herself to others (at least via the Web), this extreme brand of narcissism comes to mind. "Trouble keeping healthy relationships" and "Being jealous of others," in particular.

Any analysis of criminal behavior can be alarming. We can easily see ourselves or someone close to us in the preceding list. But it should be said that you can't use a bullet list to diagnose yourself or others. A solid, reliable conclusion can only be made by a mental health professional.

Additional coverage: "Neighbor says Bakersfield soldier accused in killings a 'regular girl'" from Davila's hometown paper, the Bakersfield Californian.

IF LOOKS COULD KILL, by M. William Phelps -- In Bookstores Tomorrow

Many readers of The True Crime Weblog may know M. William Phelps as one half of the writing team running the snarky, hip, and always readable true crime blog, CrimeRant.com. Most may also know that Phelps has been successfully publishing crime-centric nonfiction for nearly a decade now. In fact, Radio America has called Phelps this nation's "leading authority on the mind of the female murderer."

M. William Phelps's new book is hitting the shelves tomorrow, March 4, 2008.

IF LOOKS COULD KILL is Phelps's 7th book. No less than famed attorney and author Vincent Bugliosi said the following about IF LOOKS COULD KILL: "Phelps has written a compelling and gripping book about an intriguing murder mystery... Readers will thoroughly enjoy this book."

IF LOOKS COULD KILL tells the lurid tale of the life and death of Akron, Ohio resident Jeff Zack, and the role Zack's longtime paramour may have had in his murder.

Jeff Zack was shot in the face in the middle of a Saturday afternoon while at an Akron-area wholesale club.

At the time, Zack was having an affair with a married woman. Not any married woman, but the wife of a millionaire restaurateur. Cynthia George was a gorgeous mother of 7 children and had once been a runner up for Miss Ohio. George was eventually arrested and convicted of Jeff Zack's murder, only to be freed from prison after winning an appeal.

In IF LOOKS COULD KILL, Matt Phelps peels apart the layers of the story, exploring details barely mentioned in mainstream media accounts of the investigation into Zack's murder. Phelps had access to all the case files and relied on more than 100 interviews to build his narrative.

One source Phelps wanted was Cynthia George's other lover, John Zaffino, the man who shot Jeff Zack--but Phelps ran into a bit of trouble with Zaffino and several of his family members, as he outlines in the beginning of the book.

Speaking about his newest book, Phelps says it is "about money and power -- how a woman was able to manipulate two lovers and fool her husband and seven kids into thinking she was some sort of devout Catholic."

Phelps goes on to say that in IF LOOKS COULD KILL, he lays out "the vast and detailed investigation that led [Akron police] to Cynthia’s doorstep." The evidence against Cynthia George, says Phelps, "is stunning."

IF LOOKS COULD KILL goes into the relationship between Cynthia George and John Zaffino, and illuminates how Cynthia manipulated Zaffino, molded him into the weapon she needed. The book also tells how John Zaffino was arrested, and the role his own wife played in his capture.

Phelps says that "John Zaffino’s friends and family told me I didn’t know the 'real' John Zaffino." According to them, John Zaffino was "set up" Cynthia George and her wealthy husband.

It appears that exclusive interviews with the detectives who solved Jeff Zack's murder and with numerous people who knew all the players along with full access to the case files have helped M. William Phelps finally, truly close this case.

*****

M. William Phelps was kind enough to answer some questions from The True Crime Weblog about IF LOOKS COULD KILL...

How'd you first hear about the story of Jeff Zack and Cynthia George?

I talk about this in my author's note. I was on an Ohio radio show promoting MURDER IN THE HEARTLAND in 2006 when this story—and a very important source—literally dropped into my lap. What interested me about this story at that early stage was the fact that when you look at it, you’d think the logical way for this to unfold would have been: Cindy George, beautiful wife of a wealthy (much older) restaurateur, mother of seven kids, becomes bored with her life, finds a lover and together they murder the husband and take off with his money. That is a classic true crime plot (something Ann Rule, in other words, would be all over). But that’s not what happens here, as you know. The story unfolds quite a bit differently from the norm. This hooked me right away. It also told me that I had a unique true crime story to tell--one that no other author had latched onto yet. Beyond that, I had been looking for a good story set in Ohio based on my editor's recommendation that Ohio has a strong core audience of true crime readers. So my books sell really well in that state to begin with.

I know you get a lot interesting leads and tips. There has to be a point when you decide whether or not a true crime story is going to be a book -- do you remember that point with IF LOOKS COULD KILL?

Very early on. When you have beautiful people involved with drugs and sex and money and murder, you have the foundation for a great true crime book. A complex investigation is also something I generally look for, too.

How long does it take to put together a book like this, considering the time needed to do interviews and process the information in the case files?

Generally, a year. I have so many books coming out right now that it seems as though I write them in six months, but that is not entirely true. You have to understand that I spend 12 to 15 hours a day when I'm working on a book (weekend mornings, too), and I usually split that time up between two different projects. So six months of work at that rate is actually a year's time, you know what I mean. I become deeply engrossed in my projects. I allow the research to dictate how long it takes me. I know when I'm done. But then, I'm also changing things and adding information right up until the book goes to press. My publisher affords me that luxury because of the nature of my work, which I'm really grateful for.

(To purchase IF LOOKS COULD KILL via Amazon, click below.)

Fort Lewis Honor Guard Soldier Allegedly Kills Couple, Kidnaps Baby *UPDATED*

UPDATE AT BOTTOM OF POST. THIS JUST GETS STRANGER.

A woman named Ivette Gonzalez Davila sits in the Pierce County, Washington jail, charged with 2 counts of 1st degree murder and kidnapping. While Davila had not been officially named on Monday afternoon as the suspect in a double homicide and babynapping that occurred in Tacoma, Washington on Saturday, the Tacoma News-Tribune reported that the suspect in the bizarre crime was a 22-year-old "active-duty solider with I Corps and a member of the honor guard" at Fort Lewis.

In images and captions for images found online, "Yvette" Davila was revealed to be a member of the Fort Lewis Honor Guard. A file stored online listing e-mail addresses gave the "Y" spelling of Davila's name but used "Ivette" in her military e-mail address. The same file indicated that Davila was once stationed at Fort Buchanan in Puerto Rico.

The AP reported that information from the Army sent authorities to the couples' home on Sunday. The pair had been shot to death. Their relationship to Specialist Davila was not known. Police knew that there was an infant missing from the residence.

The infant was found, unharmed, with the suspected killer.

True Crime Weblog reader Diane found a MySpace profile for a 22-year-old Yvette Davila living in Fort Lewis. The profile was private, but it did show a last login date of March 3. The attractive brunette in the profile photo wore glasses identical to the glasses seen on Specialist Davila in a photo of the Fort Lewis Honor Guard. The caption beside the photo read, "Barricades. I run right though them. Used to them. Throw all the dirt you want, It’s no use :]." The words were from a song titled "Goodies."

A version of Yvette Davila's personal profile cached by a search engine revealed a bit more about her. Davila wrote that she was a Virgo and that she was indeed in the Army. In her "About Me," she said the following:

daVi-----------(da-"V") SHORT FOR MY LAST NAME DAVILA.....I'm A SoldIer* I'm always listening to music* i like ballet *i like any type of fruit juice* I like fishing* I like to run* I have a punk/fucked up emo/chola’ wardrobe* i like earth/dirt* I enjoy planting gardens* I like gorgeous snakes* I like fencing(fighting kind)* I crave my mans voice, hug, and kiss* I like organizing things* I enjoy the road* I like cooking* I’m addicted to hot sauce* having a project makes me happy* I love adventures/missions* i like various blacks, greys, reds, or bronzZzy colors* I’m a fan of beautiful style* joining the army has been one of my best choices ever* I love meeting new friends*

Davila's alleged victims, a 25-year-old male and 27-year-old female, have not been named.

UPDATE, 5:46 p.m. ET

KOMO TV in Washington has confirmed what The True Crime Weblog revealed hours ago: Ivette Gonzalez Davila is the Fort Lewis soldier accused of murdering a couple and kidnapping their 7-month-old daughter. The victims were Timothy and Randi Miller.

Prosecutors in Pierce County say Davila believed that Randi Miller was involved with Davila's ex-boyfriend. According to court papers, Davila went to the Miller residence and shot Randi Miller as Miller lay in bed. Davila then shot Timothy Miller as he showered.

Before fleeing with the Millers' little girl, Davila went to a hardware store, where she allegedly purchased sulfuric acid. Back at the Miller house, she put Randi and Timothy in a bathtub, and poured the acid over them to try and get rid of their remains.

Davila apparently confessed to another soldier on Sunday.

No one knows if there actually was an affair taking place between Randi Miller and Davila's ex.

Reader Diane was able to provide Randi Miller's MySpace profile:

http://www.myspace.com/millepeede.

According to her MySpace page, Randi Miller was a native of Laconia, New Hampshire, college graduate, and also employed by the U.S. Army. About herself, Randi said she was "fun to be around and a *snappy dresser*." Randi Miller wrote that she was creative and that she liked to express herself. "I used to be really quiet and shy," read Randi's 'About Me,' "but not anymore."

Where the profile asked who she'd 'like to meet,' Randi posted the following:

I like everyone. But, I don't get too attached to anyone. People come and go in my life all the time. Right now, the only person in the world who really matters to me is my husband.

Timothy Miller had an apparently little-used personal profile of his own:

http://www.myspace.com/collegeisanoutdatedsystem.

The photo was of a baby about the same age as his daughter.

Friends had begun leaving memorial messages in the comments on the Millers' profiles. A characteristic example was this post left for Timothy Miller on Monday afternoon: "We love you and will always miss you. Your smile and funny faces .. to your serious life talks and advice. You were and will always be remembered as a great friend. God bless you!"

Ivette Davila knew Timothy Miller as well. She posted several comments on his profile, but one peculiar post made on January 18 of this year was worth notice. Davila wrote, ":]how was your leave? did anyone break into your house?"

An as-yet untold part of this story may have been suggested by a close look at Randi Miller's 'Top 24 Friends.' In one of the top two rows of profile photos for Randi's many friends was Ivette Davila's profile photo, under her screen name, "Miss Eve."

UPDATE, 7:36 p.m. ET

Ivette Davila left some decidedly strange comments on Tim Miller's MySpace. They may have been inside jokes. In July, 2007, Davila left a series of comments for Miller that appeared angry and suggestive:

Jul 11, 2007 8:19 PM

BITCH i will cut u..
he's mine MINE!
*************
*******************
brokeback mountain story maker upper
>:[

Jul 12, 2007 6:42 PM

listen gutterslut.. all that is dead now! he's my man. my boyfriend. u were just a lil gay phase. cooper WAS curious.

i got nearly two years over you

i'm the business, --->your not.
it's done.
..F..A..C..E____________A!

This entry may be further updated and revised.

7 Shot in West Palm Beach Wendy's

WPTV in West Palm Beach, Florida and MSNBC are reporting that 7 people have been shot inside a Wendy's Restaurant at 1366 Military Trail in West Palm. MSNBC has aired footage of victims being removed from the scene, and the cable news network has reported at least 2 fatalities. WPTV reports that 3 victims are in critical condition. One of the fatalities was said to be the gunman.

Local authorities told NBC News that the shooter walked and started firing at random. The shooter walked in and went to the restroom. He then came back out, turned his back to the counter, and began firing. The killer committed suicide when he was done. On its website, WPTV described the shooter as a "well dressed black male in his thirties."

A later update to the WPTV story revised information about the well-dressed black male; he was actually a man in his sixties named Alburn Blake.

Blake's name had been in the Palm Beach news before. In August of 1996, Blake was pulling his white Chevy van out of a parking space at his apartment complex when he accidentally ran over then 18-month-old Kiandra "Kiki" Garner.

Blake spoke to the Palm Beach Post about the accident: "I was just driving out to go to the barber shop very, very slowly... I know I felt the rear wheel run over something, but exactly what I don't know." Later Blake said, "I did not hit her intentionally."

A late afternoon press conference revealed that a lieutentant with the West Palm Fire Dept was killed during the rampage. The still-unnamed Lt. had returned to the restaurant briefly to retrieve a toy for his child when the gunman opened fire.

This post will be updated and expanded as details become available.

The Caffey Family Murders *REVISED*

Authorities in Rains County, Texas say that just before dawn on Saturday, 19-year-old Charlie James Wilkinson, Charles Allen Waid, age 20, and Bobbi Gale Johnson, 18, rampaged through the home of Penny and Terry Caffey, leaving 3 dead and Terry Caffey fighting for his life. Family conflict over a teen romance may have led to this brutal triple homicide.

Penny, Tyler and Matthew Caffey were killed, all of them stabbed and shot several times. Penny Caffey was 37, Tyler and Matthew were 8 and 13 years old, respectively. The Caffey home was burned, rendering the bodies of the dead unrecognizable.

Terry Caffey, bleeding from a gunshot wound to the head, crawled hundreds of yards to seek help at a neighbor's house. He was hospitalized in critical condition.

According to the Associated Press, the Caffey's oldest daughter, 16-year-old Erin Caffey, was found hiding at the home of one of the suspects. She is currently being held as a juvenile, and has been charged with capital murder.

Suspect Bobbi Gale Johnson's online profile wasn't hard to find:

http://www.myspace.com/gale89.

Her headline read, "I LOVE CHARLES ALLEN WAID!!!!!!." Below that, Bobbi said she was an 18-year-old female living in "a very small town out in the middle of nowhere, TEXAS."

Her "About Me" blurb read, in part: "my goal is to go hunting and mudding before i leave this hicktown...i like to have fun and hang with my friends...pretty much most of the time im a happy person who likes to make people laugh...or just laugh period...and i love the guys..."

Bobbi's interests, found on the left side of the profile page, showed that she liked rap and country music. She also wrote that she loved "the scary as hell horror movies," because they were "so fun to watch."

She listed "God" as one of her 'heroes,' along with her drama teacher at Rains High School, and "the ppl who gives their lives to defend this country."

Bobbi Johnson also had an apparently little-used YouTube profile:

http://www.youtube.com/gale89.

Erin Caffey was seeing suspect Charlie James Wilkinson.

A MySpace page that may have been Wilkinson's was private, and no definitive page for Caffey could be found. Over the profile photo of a young man in a ballcap and a t-shirt on Wilkinson's locked profile was the word "Hillbilly," in capital letters.

Charles Allen Waid also had a private MySpace profile. He called himself a "True Rebel." The quote beside his profile photo read, "She is finally here." In an e-mail to The True Crime Weblog, Waid's estranged wife Diane said that the quote referred to Waid's 5 month old daughter. She indicated that she actually ran Waid's profile, and any messages to him would be read by her, not her husband. She also said that "Charlie Wilkinson confessed to the murders, stating he committed them."

In a second message, Diane said that Waid was "a hunter raised around guns but also in a very loving Christian home." She went on to tell some of what she's heard about the crime so far: "Some people are saying there was a robbery before the murder, some people are saying it was just because Erin wanted to be with Charlie. That her and Charlie had planned it and Charles was involved for the money."

Diane did clearly state that she was "unsure" of many details.

She said she plans to visit Charles Waid in jail for her "first and last time," on Wednesday.

Waid, Wilkinson, and Johnson are being held on $1.5 million dollars bail.

This entry will be updated and revised.

(NOTE: Bobbi Gale Johnson's last MySpace weblog entry is here. It's charmingly titled, "YOU KNOW WHAT F**K ALL YALL.. F**K THIS..!!" Bobbi wrote the entry in September of 2007, and was angry as hell about something. One quote:

i thought that i was a good person and that i was fun to be around ...but obviously im not....and one day i hope these ppl grow hearts as big as mine and realize that they were assholes to me ... but you know how heartless ppl are...

Yes, Bobbi, I'm afraid we do know how heartless people can be. Case in point.

Comments are open. Though she'll likely never read it, let Bobbi Gale Johnson know what you think of this story. You may notice a couple of familiar true crime names in the comments there, already.)

Sources:

The Houston Chronicle/AP: "Victims ID'd, teen suspects arraigned in triple killings on remote East Texas ranch."

CBS11TV.com.

Deadly Ricin Discovered in Vegas Hotel *UPDATED*

UPDATE, 3/02/08

(Post date and time have been changed to bump this entry to the top of the blog's main page.)

An article published today in the Salt Lake Tribune has new information about Roger Von Bergendorff, the man currently in a coma in a Vegas hospital after possible exposure to ricin. While it still isn't clear that he is the same Bergendorff whose award-winning artwork was featured on the covers of science fiction novels and possibly even magazines (link may not be safe for work) he is described as a "57-year-old graphic designer" who moved to Las Vegas from Utah over a year ago, allegedly for a job in his field.

Police in Salt Lake are investigating the Riverton-area home Bergendorff shared with cousin Tom Tholen in 2005 and 2006 and a nearby camper where Bergendorff lived after moving out of the Tholen residence. The owner of the camper, John Walster, told the Tribune that Bergendorff was basically a nice guy who could sometimes flip and become "vindictive" towards others. While Walster was aware that Bergendorff may have owned a handgun, he never saw the graphic designer behave in a violent manner.

Bergendorff was apparently a loner in while living in Utah and continued his asocial ways in Vegas, tending to his pets and minding his own business. He reportedly told John Walster of past problems with drugs, but he'd apparently beat his addictions.

Walster's wife, Carol, wasn't fond of Roger Bergendorff. She told the Tribune that she "never felt comfortable around" the man. "There was just something about him," she said.

Other sentiments in the same article are similar to Carol Walster's -- something about Roger Von Bergendorff bothered others. The Tholens' neighbors, however, are certain that Tom Tholen had nothing to do with any of Bergendorff's current pursuits.

UPDATE, 3/01/08

Right-wing bloggers like Michelle Malkin are interested in this story, perhaps because they believe it to be related to terrorism.

As you'll see if you follow the link to Malkin's blog, the man currently hospitalized in Las Vegas is 57-year-old Roger Von Bergendorff. Not the most muslim-sounding name you'll see today.

Malkin references the Las Vegas Review Journal's article naming Von Bergendorff. The paper acquired a "Homeland Security internal document" giving the comatose man's name.

According to the Review Journal, Von Bergendorff called emergency services on February 14. He indicated that he was in distress and needed to go to the hospital.

Von Bergendorff can't speak, but authorities say his condition definitely dovetails with his having been exposed to ricin.

An "anarchist textbook" and firearms were found in the suite Von Bergendorff had occupied. The "textbook's" section dealing with the preparation of ricin was bookmarked, or "tabbed."

Police learned about the toxic substance from Thomas Tholen, age 53, who said he was related to Von Bergendorff. Tholen entered the suite and found the poison as well as castor beans. Ricin is derived from processing castor beans.

Authorities don't seem to believe that the ricin was intended for an act of terrorism. They have been equivocal about Von Bergendorff, as well; he could have been a victim, not the creator of the substance. They did indicate to the Las Vegas paper that Von Bergendorff had at least one misdemeanor arrest on his record, but that was it.

Public records show a Roger V. Bergendorff, also age 57, has lived in both Riverton and St. George, Utah.

Relatives or not, Bergendorff and Thomas Tholen have both been listed in public records at the same Riverton street address, a 3-bedroom, 1-story home in the 3000 block of West 13400 Street. Salt Lake County property records show that address is owned by Tholen.

There is no evidence at the moment that the man in the Vegas hospital is the same Roger Bergendorff who created sci-fi-oriented visual art in the 80s, but it is interesting to note that some of the Salt Lake City-related info found related to a Thomas Tholen online indicate that Tholen may be a fine arts teacher at a Salt Lake area high school.

ORIGINAL ENTRY, PUBLISHED 2/29/08

Las Vegas authorities say an unnamed man is currently in critical condition and comatose in a local medical facility, a possible victim of exposure to ricin. The man was found Thursday night in a room at the Extended Stay America Motel.

Though FBI spokesman Richard Kolko publicly stated that this incident "does not appear to be terrorism related," the FBI and Homeland Security are working with local police to determine just why anyone would have any positive reason to have one of the deadlier toxins known to man in a Vegas motel room. There has been speculation that the poison was related to a murder plot.

Several others were treated for possible exposure as a precaution, but so far, only one person has fallen ill.

Ricin is a vicious killer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is made out of castor beans and can be made into a pellet, mist, or powder. Further info from the CDC on what ricin can do, depending on how it is ingested:

# Inhalation: Within a few hours of inhaling significant amounts of ricin, the likely symptoms would be respiratory distress (difficulty breathing), fever, cough, nausea, and tightness in the chest. Heavy sweating may follow as well as fluid building up in the lungs (pulmonary edema). This would make breathing even more difficult, and the skin might turn blue. Excess fluid in the lungs would be diagnosed by x-ray or by listening to the chest with a stethoscope. Finally, low blood pressure and respiratory failure may occur, leading to death. In cases of known exposure to ricin, people having respiratory symptoms that started within 12 hours of inhaling ricin should seek medical care.

# Ingestion: If someone swallows a significant amount of ricin, he or she would develop vomiting and diarrhea that may become bloody. Severe dehydration may be the result, followed by low blood pressure. Other signs or symptoms may include hallucinations, seizures, and blood in the urine. Within several days, the person’s liver, spleen, and kidneys might stop working, and the person could die.

Comments with new links and updates are welcome, as are tips or inside information about this strange and still-developing story.

This entry will be updated and revised.

Sources:

Yahoo News/AP: "Man critical after ricin find in Vegas."
Reuters: "Toxin ricin found in Las Vegas hotel room."
MSNBC