Category: Crime News

Jamaican Druglord ‘Dudus’ Coke Refuses To Attend Tivoli Enquiry 

  

Via Jamaica Observer– Efforts by Public Defender Arlene Harrison Henry to have former Tivoli Gardens don Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke testify in the Tivoli Enquiry have hit a brick wall.

Queen’s Counsel Lord Gifford told the enquiry on Monday that the public defender made an attempt, through Coke’s attorney in the United States, to have him return to the island and give evidence but Coke said that he wasn’t interested in participating. 

Former Public Defender Earl Witter had recommended in his interim report that the enquiry hear from Coke.

Coke in serving a 20-year sentence in the US after being extradited in June 2010 to face drugs and gunrunning charges. 

He pleaded guilty to reduced charges.

The enquiry is looking into the deaths of 73 people resulting from the police-military operation to apprehend Coke in May 2010.

Texas Couple Arrested After 1-Year-Old Baby Girl Is Burned Alive In Oven By Older Siblings

  

Via Bossip– A Texas mother and her boyfriend are behind bars after police say the woman’s toddler was baked to death inside an oven after being left home alone with her older siblings.

  

According to HuffPo reports: 

That horrifying nightmare led to Racqual Thompson, 25, and Cornell Malone, 21, being booked Tuesday into a Harris County jail, each on four counts of endangering a child.

Houston police say the couple left 19-month-old J’Zyra and Thompson’s three other children, all under the age of 5, alone on Nov. 16 when they went to get pizza.

They said they were gone for about two hours before they returned to find three of Thompson’s children hysterically crying inside and pointing toward the kitchen. That’s where they said they found the tipped-over oven turned on “all the way” and little J’Zyra suffering fatal burns after allegedly being placed inside, according to court documents obtained by KTRK. The documents also describe Thompson as being seven-months pregnant with Malone’s child.

Neighbors told the station the mother would regularly leave her children home alone.

KPRC also said that there were previous reports made to Child Protective Services concerning the mother, and that her surviving three children have since been taken into the agency’s custody.

Very sad! Rest in peace, baby J’Zyra! 

LaQuan McDonald Beyond His Murder

  

LaQuan McDonald –more than a news headline. He also was also more than a person that was shot 16 times by a Chicago police officer on Oct. 20, 2014. He’s more than a character in a dashcam video. More than a murder victim. More than a $5 million settlement. Stu Douglas knew LaQuan. 

On his Facebook account, Stu wrote an impassioned piece on the human being that has raised calls for police reform to maddening levels. 

Stu explains is relationship with LaQuan as well as who the young man was that has put another scope on police brutality.

So let me tell you about LaQuan.
The reason I want to tell you about him is because he deserves to be remembered for more than a police dash cam video. He had a phenomenal personality, he had an infectious smile and he had so much potential that was mercilessly stolen from him.

I worked directly with LaQuan from my first day at CASA and he was the first child I advocated for. Usually we assign volunteers and we just supervise the case, but for LaQuan, I was his volunteer.

LaQuan had a rough upbringing. He had been taken away from his mum at a young age after suffering from an abusive father and was never really counseled on what had happened to him. He was in and out of juvenile detention for petty crimes but overall his biggest issue was that lacked stability in his life.

Read the rest of this touching open letter to LaQuan McDonald on AllHipHop.com

RIP LaQuan!