Happy (Belated) Blogiversary!!

I'm about 2 weeks late on commemorating the first anniversary of this blog, "Crime, Interrupted". Generally speaking, I am a procrastinator. This time however, the delay was not due to my procrastinating nature, but rather for a reason that has brought much happiness to myself and my family. My parents took a cross-country RV ride from NY (upstate) to Arizona, so that they could spend the holidays with me, my husband, and our kids. The day they came into town was the same day as my blogiversary, December 14th. The last Christmas I spent with my parents was 10 years ago, and the last time I saw them was when they visited in 2000. My son, at the time was 2 months old. Since then, I also had a daughter, whom they had not seen in person, only in pictures.

On December 14, 2006, one of my debut blog entries consisted of the Kanye West/Evel Knievel lawsuit. Since that time, the suit was settled, the two men put their animosity behind them, and sadly-- Evel Knievel passed away, as did Kanye West's mother.

My biggest thanks and gratitude goes to you, the reader, obviously for reading. I cannot express enough the appreciation that I have for all my readers. Thank you!!

It Must Take A Lot Of Gall.....

Imagine you are having a routine surgery. You're in the operating room, unconscious, oblivious to what is taking place. Of course, what should be taking place is your surgery. The surgery that Sean Dubowik went in for was supposed to be gall bladder surgery-which he got-along with much more. Here's a snip from the AZcentral website:

A Mayo Clinic Hospital surgeon in training used a cellphone to photograph a patient's genitals during surgery and now may face disciplinary action and a patient's attorney. Dr. Adam Hansen, chief resident of general surgery at the Phoenix hospital, admitted to Mayo administrators he snapped the photo during a Dec. 11 gallbladder surgery on patient Sean Dubowik, whose penis bears the tattooed slogan, "Hot Rod."

Please read the full article here.


Judging by the numerous comments on the article, I guess most people think this doctor should not lose his job. And since Mr. Dubowik is a strip club owner and has a tattoo on his penis, then how dare he be upset that someone take a picture of it while he's unconcious and is unable to consent to such a photo.

That, of course, is sarcasm-because I don't think it's ever "okay" to take a picture of someone's genitals while they are unable to consent, no matter what the person does for a living, and no matter what is tattooed on that region. Only Mr. Dubowik knows how truly violated he feels. Just because he owns a strip club and has a penis tattoo, doesn't mean that he's not human, and can't feel humiliation.

What do you think?

This Week's "48 Hours Mystery": Castro Valley's Jane Doe

Once again, I would like to bring your attention to a case featured on "48 Hours Mystery". You may remember seeing the recontruction of the young girl who was found brutally murdered in 2003. This 48 Hours Mystery episode takes you through the process of the reconstruction, highlights the determination of a cop who was haunted by this case from the beginning, the outrage of a community, and finally the identification of the victim. Please check your local listings for broadcast times. The show is on an hour earlier this week!!







Left to Right: Reconstruction of "Jane Doe"; Yesenia Nungaray/"Jane Doe"; Miguel Castaneda, potential suspect.
(Thanks to Louise Bashi, CBS News press contact, for providing the photos.)

A COP’S OBSESSION, A COMMUNITY’S RESOLVE, A FORENSIC SCULPTOR AND A 48 HOURS BROADCAST HELP IDENTIFY A MURDERED GIRL THEY CALLED JANE DOE­­--- BUT WILL POLICE FIND HER KILLER?




"48 HOURS MYSTERY" ON SATURDAY, DEC. 15



On the night of May 1, 2003, a teenage girl’s body was found in a trash bag left behind a restaurant in peaceful Castro Valley , Calif. The gruesome discovery became one detective’s obsession and touched the entire community, which came to call the young girl “ Castro Valley ’s Jane Doe.”



With no identity, the chances of tracking down Jane Doe’s killer were slim. Following countless leads, police eventually turned to forensic sculptor Gloria Nusse who embarked on an incredible effort over several weeks, to recreate Jane Doe’s face. Armed with this lifelike construction, police hoped to track down the victim’s identity, an effort that was fruitless, until suddenly the tide turned.



After the relentless efforts of the authorities and the local community, and a tip after a 48 Hours broadcast, police finally caught a break that led them to Yahualica , Mexico , a bereaved mother and a potential suspect.



Now, knowing the identity of their beloved Jane Doe, will police find their killer, and close the case that has haunted them for five years?



Harold Dow reports 48 HOURS MYSTERY: "The Girl Next Door," on Saturday, Dec. 15 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT)** on the CBS Television Network. This broadcast is produced by Clare Friedland. Judy Tygard is the senior producer, Al Briganti is the executive editor and Susan Zirinsky is the executive producer.

To preview this week's episode, please click here.

Tonight on 48 Hours Mystery: Fugitive Esther Reed

Top: Esther Reed, using Brooke Henson's identity; Bottom: The real Brooke Henson, still missing. (Photos provided by Louise Bashi, press contact for CBS news)

I apologize for being so late on this, as many projects and other life "goings-ons" have taken up a large portion of my week. So, for those interested in watching this week's episode of 48 Hours Mystery (CBS), here are the highlights of the episode sent to me via email from Louise Bashi. Thanks, Louise :)

INVESTIGATORS THOUGHT THEY TRACKED DOWN A MISSING SOUTH CAROLINA GIRL TO AN IVY LEAGUE SCHOOL , BUT DISCOVERED INSTEAD, A YOUNG CON WOMAN WHO IS OUTSMARTING THEM ALL

"48 HOURS MYSTERY" ON SATURDAY, DEC. 1

In the summer of 2006, Lisa Henson received the call that she patiently waited seven years for - police had found her missing niece, Brooke, enrolled at Columbia University and were on their way to meet her. But just as Henson's greatest hope was realized, it was quickly dashed when police discovered that the woman they had found was not Brooke. In fact, they had stumbled onto the trail of Esther Reed, a young woman who is still outsmarting them all.

Esther Elizabeth Reed disappeared from her Seattle home in the summer of 1999, right around the time of Brooke Henson's disappearance from her home in Travelers Rest, S.C. While Brooke was a free spirit, Esther was a sullen teen, a gifted chess player whose intelligence far exceeded her age and, as police would uncover, one whose life became a cross-country con of fake identities and frustrated dreams.

From Seattle to Arizona to California , Chicago , Boston and New York , among others, Reed has reinvented herself as a career chess player, a debate champion and even an Ivy League student attending Columbia and Harvard Universities . Over the course of her journey, Reed has used at least four different names, seduced military personnel, and allegedly stolen over $100,000 in student loans.

With a federal indictment and the Secret Service on the hunt, Reed, a high school dropout remains one step ahead, giving authorities a run for their money. "She is not Esther Reed. She is not Brooke Henson," says John Urquhardt a Sergeant with the King County Sheriff's Office in Seattle , Washington , "but she is somewhere and she is somebody."

Now, 48 HOURS MYSTERY launches its own investigation in conjunction with local police, private investigators, friends and family, and obtains exclusive interviews with one of Esther Reed's victims, a number of former lovers, an ex-con in Chicago, and a medical student who remained best friends with Reed for years, never suspecting what she was really up to. Additionally FBI consultant Frank Abagnale, whose exploits as a phony pilot, lawyer, and doctor inspired the motion picture "Catch Me If You Can," weighs in on the case.

Peter Van Sant reports 48 HOURS MYSTERY: "Capture the Queen," on Saturday, Dec. 1 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. The broadcast is produced by Miguel Sancho. Chris O'Connell is the associate producer. Peter Schweitzer is the senior producer. Al Briganti is the executive editor. Susan Zirinsky is the executive producer.

You can find the video preview here.