Tag: Behind Bars

79 Year Old Illinois Man Shoots Neighbor for Using Leaf Blower

Jeesh!! This story reminds me of the show “Fear Thy Neighbor”.

I understand how annoying neighbors can be but due to close proximity I try my best to get along. This story is super sad because one man is dead and the elder is headed to prison. Prison is not where he wants to be at any age, especially 79. It’s even worse that the two men couldn’t work out their differences before it got to a deadly point.

According to NBC News — An Illinois man using a leaf blower in his own yard was fatally shot allegedly by his 79-year-old neighbor during an argument, marking the latest incident in which people are gunned down while going about their everyday lives.

William Martys, 59, was using a leaf blower in his yard at his Antioch home on April 12 when he was approached by his next-door neighbor, Ettore Lacchei, 79, and the two argued, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said.

During the altercation, “Lacchei shot Martys in the head,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

An investigation into Martys’ death found that Lacchei “had various perceived grievances with Martys.”

Anybody else notice an influx of these types of crimes in the news? Conspiracy theorists would believe there is a reason for that. I don’t know if that’s the case but I do believe the news stations are very selective in what stories are published. As a blogger I know that the shocking and outrageous stories garner the most attention. The world loves a train wreck. There is definitely shock and horror factors in these types of stories especially with todays climate of heightened gun homicides. Shock factors bring ratings and views. It’s just simple mathematics.

Either way I hope this kind of petty nonsense stops. It’s scary. We have to learn to live together because none of this stuff goes with us once we go so what the heck are we really even fighting for?

What happened to love thy neighbor? Not FEAR THY NEIGHBOR.

Read the rest of the story here.

Side note: The crime drama series “Fear Thy Neighbor” is one of my absolute favorite shows.

For more where to watch info click here.

Dope Tweetz: Cat with Gang Tattoos Rescued from Mexican Prison

I’ve truly thought I had seen it all. I have seen a lot but this truly is a new sight to see. A gangster cat tips the meter. It’s unprecedented.

I found this picture on Twitter and I just have a couple questions here.

1. How the hell did the cat land in prison in the first place?

2. How did the cat to sit still long enough to get tattooed up? If you have ever been inked then you know it doesn’t tickle.

I wonder what set does uh, ‘gangster cat’ belong to?

According to the tweet, ‘gangster cat’ is looking for a forever home since his rescue.

The Prison Journalism Project Trains Incarcerated Inmates to Become Published Journalists

Photo Credit: The American Prospect

See how incarcerated writers are breaking stereotypes and shifting the narrative from behind the wall.

Check out this article by incarcerated writer Jeffrey Shockley. Shockley has been incarnated for 23 years. He is currently incarcerated in Pennsylvania.

In the article “Pennsylvania Institutes Prison Pay Increase, A First in 30 Year,” Shockley discusses the recent pay raise implemented by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections in which prison wages have been increased by 20%. As of 2023, the minimum wage has gone from 19 cents to 23 cents, and the hourly range is now 23 cents to 50 cents for most jobs.

Shockley says this pay increase is significant as the cost of prison commissary and essentials have increased due to inflation.

“A packet of ramen noodles that used to cost 28 cents is now 38 cents. A 4 ounce bag of Maxwell House coffee went from $2.91 to $3.61. A particular brand of deodorant went from $2.31 to $2.95; a bar of soap that used to go for 83 cents is now $1.49”.

He says it can take a full day’s work to afford a single bar of soap.

Read the entire story here.

The Prison Journalism Project trains incarcerated writers to become journalists and publishes their stories. Subscribe to Inside Story to receive exclusive behind-the-scene looks at publications, as well as author profiles and other insights.