True Crime – Page 416 – The Pen Hustle With Brandy Cavalli

Crime Writer Ruth Rendell Dies In London At Age 85

ruth-big — Ruth Rendell, one of Britain’s best-selling contemporary authors, also wrote under the pen-name Barbara Vine died at age 85.

She wrote more than 60 novels in a career spanning 50 years, her best-known creation being Inspector Wexford, which was turned into a highly successful TV series.

Rendell, one of Britain’s best-selling contemporary authors, also wrote under the pen-name Barbara Vine.

Born in Essex, she is credited with bringing a social and psychological dimension to crime fiction.

Publisher Penguin Random House said Rendell, who suffered a stroke in January, died in London on Saturday morning.

“We are devastated by the loss of one of our best-loved authors,” the publisher said in a statement.

Penguin Random House chair, Baroness Gail Rebuck, said Rendell was admired throughout publishing for her “brilliant body of work”.

“An insightful and elegant observer of society, many of her award-winning thrillers and psychological murder mysteries highlighted the causes she cared so deeply about.”

Rendell’s first Wexford book, From Doon with Death, was published in 1964, beginning a series of more than 20 starring Inspector Reginald Wexford, played in the TV series by George Baker.

Many of her works were translated into more than 20 languages and adapted for cinema and TV, attracting worldwide sales of 60 million.

She was the author of more than 20 standalone novels, whose protagonists were often on the margins of society, and was awarded the Crime Writers’ Association Cartier Diamond Dagger for excellence in crime writing.

Her final novel, Dark Corners, is due to be published in October.

Rendell began her writing career as a reporter on an Essex newspaper.

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However, she was forced to resign after filing a story about a local sports club dinner that she hadn’t attended. Her report failed to mention that the after-dinner speaker had died half-way through the speech.

Rendell, whose writing brought her considerable wealth, was made a Labour life peer in 1997 and is reputed to have given generously to charity. She was a vocal campaigner against female genital mutilation.

Florida Man Files A Petition To Have “KimYe” Banned From His State

Now here’s a hilarious story!

A Florida prisoner has petitioned the courts in an effort to have rapper Kanye West and his ~~attention slore of a wife~~, Kim Kardashian BANNED from his state. In a heart to heart letter pinned to the judge, the prisoner details his disgust for the pretentious power couple, even referring to them as a “wannabe Jay Z and Beyoncé”.

No word on if his requests were granted.

Peep the hilarious story below.

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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West must be stopped at the Florida border, because they’re nothing but wannabe Jay Z’s and Beyonce’s … according to a prisoner who has taken his cause to court.

Wayne Albright — who’s been locked up since 2000 for attempted sexual assault — claims Florida needs protection from the couple he calls “Meat Whistles” and “Moose Knuckles.”

Albright shows abject contempt for the famous duo, declaring the only tolerable Kardashian is Rob, who’s “eating himself out of house and home, no doubt from the shame he feels as a result of what Kim has done to the Kardashian name.”

The prisoner is specifically targeting Kim and Kanye from stepping foot in Florida, and he wants to “ban these two Moose Knuckles from appearing on any television programs aired in the state of Florida, unless it’s Court TV and they’re on trial for posing as a famous couple.”

Albright seeks a temporary restraining order, telling the judge, “You have your work cut out for you … so what do you say? Make us all proud.”

Suge Knight Pleads Not Guilty To Murder

In the latest episode of the Suge Knight Saga, Suge pleads NOT guilty to the fatal hit and run of a former associate who died after being ran over ~~by a truck resembling Suge’s~~ outside of Tam’s Burgers in L.A.

In a prior court appearance, the former Death Row head honcho caught a huge break in the “Murder 1” case against him when one of the two men he allegedly hit in the parking lot testified that he wasn’t going to testify in favor of the prosecution.

Shortly after, the judge reduced his bail from $25 million to, according to Suge’s attorney, a more “do-able” $10 million.

Suge’s legal team were anticipating his speedy release following the bail reduction hearing, however as of now Mr. Knight is still being held by the LA County jail. There is no word on a release date.

Stay Tuned to The Pen Hustle…

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Former rap mogul Marion “Suge” Knight pleaded not guilty Thursday to murder and all other charges related to a fatal hit-and-run incident in January in Compton, California.

His attorney asked the court to further reduce Knight’s bail, now set at $10 million, but Los Angeles County Judge Ronald Coen denied the request.

The judge lowered Knight’s bail earlier this month, to $10 million from $25 million, after defense lawyers called the $25 million figure excessive for the circumstances.

Knight faces one count of murder for the death of Terry Carter, one count of attempted murder in the case of Cle “Bone” Sloan, who was maimed in the incident, and one count of hit-and-run.

Knight, 49, faces up to life in prison if convicted.

Prosecutors offered Sloan immunity, but he still refused to testify against Knight during the preliminary hearing, the affiliates reported.

The deadly incident occurred about 11 miles south of downtown Los Angeles on January 29, after a flare-up on the set of the biopic “Straight Outta Compton,” a film about the highly influential and controversial rap group N.W.A. At the time, Knight was out on bail in a separate robbery case.

The alleged argument spilled over to the parking lot of Tam’s Burgers in Compton. The hit-and-run was captured on videotape, which shows Knight inside a red truck.

In the video, the truck pulls into the entrance of the Compton restaurant and is approached by Sloan, who was working security at the site.

The two men appear to talk for a few moments, with Knight still in his vehicle. Suddenly, the vehicle backs up, knocking Sloan to the ground. While still in reverse, the truck moves out of range of the security camera.

The vehicle is then seen zooming forward, back into camera range, running over Sloan a second time, and then running over the second man, Carter, a former rap music label owner.

Carter, 55, later died.

Knight’s attorney Matthew Fletcher has argued that Knight was the victim and was only defending himself against Sloan, whom the defense attorney accused of possessing a gun at the time.

Fletcher added that Knight’s defense was to stand his ground.

The incident is the latest run-in with the law for Knight, who founded the wildly successful Death Row Records in 1991 and signed artists such as Snoop Doggy Dogg (now known as Snoop Lion) and Tupac Shakur.

Knight was driving the car in which Shakur was a passenger when the rapper was shot to death in Las Vegas in 1996.

Shortly afterward, Knight spent several years in prison for violating parole on assault and weapons convictions. That prison time — along with Shakur’s death, feuds between Knight and a number of rappers, and desertions by Dr. Dre, Snoop and others — contributed to the label’s bankruptcy in 2006.

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He is accused of running over the two men during an argument.

In court testimony earlier this month, Sloan, 51, declined to identify Knight as his attacker because Sloan doesn’t want to be a “snitch” who sends Knight to prison, according to CNN affiliates KABC and KTLA.