The Refugees Unleashed

by **Obscuregawdess** » Wed Oct 14, 2009 10:36 am

Reported by: KARK 4 News
Monday, Oct 12, 2009 @01:00pm CDT

There's a development in the so-called West Memphis Three case.

The defense team representing Damien Echols, who is on Arkansas death row for his conviction in the case, reports that there are new witnesses who have not been questioned in the 1993 investigation.

Two other men are imprisoned for the killings of three eight-year-old boys.

Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley continue their fight for new trials.

This afternoon, Echols' defense team issued the following news release:

Neighbors Saw Steven Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore With Hobbs Just Before Their Disappearance

Three eyewitnesses have come forward and provided sworn statements that they saw Steven Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore with Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of Steven Branch, at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 5, 1993, immediately before the time the boys disappeared. Hobbs was calling loudly at the children and ordering them to return to his house. The new evidence establishes that the last person who had custody of the three boys before they vanished and died was Terry Hobbs. Jamie Clark Ballard, who lived only three doors down from Terry and Pam Hobbs, has supplied a sworn affidavit, as have both her mother and her sister.

Based upon this new evidence, a motion on behalf of Damien Echols was delivered today to the Arkansas Supreme Court asking the court to order the matter to the Circuit Court to permit further factual development of Echols’s claims of actual innocence.

Ballard states in her sworn affidavit that, “Between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., I saw Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers playing in my backyard. I am absolutely, completely and totally positive that I saw Terry Hobbs hollering at Stevie, Michael and Christopher to get back down to the Hobbs house at approximately 6:30 pm. If Terry Hobbs said he did not see Stevie Branch, Michael Moore or Christopher Byers on May 5, 1993, he is not telling the truth. I know for a fact that Terry Hobbs saw, was with and spoke to Stevie, Michael or Christopher on May 5, 1993.”

Hobbs has repeatedly said that he never saw the three boys the day they were murdered. In fact, during a recent civil deposition of Terry Hobbs, dated July 21, 2009, Hobbs stated, for the first time under oath, that he never saw his stepson, Steven Branch, at any time on May 5, 1993. Under oath he was asked, “It’s your testimony that you did not see Stevie Branch at all the day of May 5th of 1993. Correct?” Hobbs answer: “Correct.” “Did you see Stevie at all that day, May 5th?” Answer: “No, I did not.” “Did you see any of the three boys that day?” Answer: “No, I did not. No I never seen Stevie that day.”

Police never questioned Terry Hobbs during the original investigation of the crimes, but after new evidence was revealed that his DNA was found at the crime scene in 2007, he was questioned by West Memphis Police Department on June 21, 2007. In that interview he stated numerous times to Detective Mitchell that he did not see the boys at any time that day. Officer Mitchell asked Terry Hobbs about what time he got home from work, and he responds roughly about 3-3:30 p.m. He was then asked if he saw Stevie anywhere. His answer: “I did not, he wasn’t there.”

According to the motion prepared by Dennis Riordan and Don Horgan, Echols attorneys, “It has previously been established that Hobbs was never questioned by police during the original investigation of the crimes, despite the fact that the lead detective in the investigation of the murders has conceded both that when a child homicide occurs, police should always consider the parents of the child as potential suspects, and that it is “statistically proven that homicide victims are usually the result of family, close friends, [and] known acquaintances” (see below). Yet DNA evidence submitted to the Circuit Court in the § 16‑112‑201 proceedings below links Hobbs to the ligature used to bind Michael Moore. A hair linked by DNA testing to David Jacoby, whom Hobbs had visited in the hour before the boys disappeared, was found at the crime scene. Hobbs, moreover, has been accused assaultive conduct in the past. He has made bizarre and self-incriminating statements concerning his activities on the date the boys went missing. His whereabouts during a key early evening time period on May 5th have never been accounted for. Certain family members recalled that he had acted suspiciously on the date of the disappearance and the days that followed. His wife and other family members have voiced their belief that Hobbs was responsible for the killings.

“Considered in the context of all available evidence in these matters, the new revelations that Terry Hobbs, the stepfather of Steven Branch, had Steven, Christopher, and Michael in his custody just before their disappearance and death, and that Hobbs has deliberately denied and concealed that critical fact, cannot reasonably be reconciled with the conclusion that appellants were responsible for the crimes of which they stand convicted.”

The eyewitnesses, who saw the boys in their backyard prior to returning to the Hobbs home, were never questioned by the police on the day of the murders. According to the affidavit of Jamie Clark Ballard, “Following the murders, the police never came to interview me or my family. In fact, after the murders, I do not recall ever seeing any police vehicles on my street or seeing any police interviewing any of the people in my neighborhood.”

Damien Echols case is currently under appeal in the Arkansas Supreme court seeking a new trial based upon new evidence. Dozens of pieces of evidence found at the crime scene conclusively show that no DNA from the murders matches Echols or the other two men. DNA testing, however, links Terry Hobbs, stepfather of one of the murdered children, to the crime scene, and other evidence has emerged implicating him in the crimes. In addition, scientific evidence from the nation’s leading forensics experts demonstrates that most of the wounds on the victims were caused by animals at the crime scene, after their deaths – not by knives used by the perpetrators, as the prosecution claimed and was the centerpiece of the prosecution’s case. Moreover, evidence presented that a knife recovered from a lake near one defendant’s home caused the wounds was completely discredited by the pathologists.

Echols’s also informed the Supreme Court that a prominent Arkansas attorney in a sworn affidavit has revealed improper conversations that the jury foreman held with the attorney while the original trial was in progress, clearly violating the law and the rights of Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin to a fair and impartial trial. In those conversations, the jury foreman indicates that he had prejudged Echols’s guilt and was trying to convince other jurors to convict based upon news reports of the false confession of Jessie Misskelley, which was barred from admission at the Echols-Baldwin trial. During one conversation, the jury foreman told the attorney that the prosecution had presented a weak case, and that the prosecution had better present something powerful the next day (the end of the prosecution’s case) or it would be up to him to secure a conviction.

KARK 4 is attempting to contact Terry Hobbs about this new information, and we'll share any comments he makes available.

http://arkansasmatters.com/content/news ... cid=262482 (Video and article)

by **Hannie** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 2:29 pm

6 year old floats away in home made balloon

6-Year-Old Boy Floats Away in Balloon
Colo. Officials Scrambling to Figure Out How to Rescue Boy Who Climbed into Saucer-Shaped Aircraft

A 6-year-old boy climbed into a homemade balloon aircraft and floated away Thursday, forcing officials to scramble to figure out how to rescue the boy as he hurled through the air.

The bizarre scene played out live on television and prompted fears that the flying saucer-shaped balloon would crash with the young child inside. FAA spokesman Mike Fergus says the agency has been notified and it was unclear whether traffic controllers had picked it up on radar.

Larimer County sheriff's spokeswoman Eloise Campanella says the device has the potential to rise to 10,000 feet. Sheriff's officials last saw the device floating south of Milliken, which is about 40 miles north of Denver.

The Colorado National Guard said they would be launching a helicopter from Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora to assist in the rescue effort, CBS station KCNC reports.

The boy has been identified as Falcon Heene, son of Richard and Mayumi Heene of Ft. Collins, Colo., ABC News reports. Richard Heene is a storm chaser and scientist. The couple twice appeared on the ABC show "Wife Swap," according to the network.

Warren Air Force Base and volunteer helicopters have been contacted, Campanella said.

KCNC reports it's a helium-powered balloon that was tethered and floated away.

KCNC meteorologist Dave Aguilera says at 10,000 feet the temperature would be in the upper 40s. The wind is moving northwest right now at about 15-20 miles per hour.

"We were sitting eating, out looking where they normally shoot off hot air balloons. My husband said he saw something. It went over our rooftop. Then we saw the big round balloonish thing, it was spinning," said neighbor Lisa Eklund.

Additional details about the child and the balloon were not immediately available.

An FAA source told KCNC the incident hasn't affected air traffic in or out of Denver International Airport but pilots flying into and out of the airport are being told to watch out for the aircraft.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/ ... 6653.shtml

by **K Hemingway** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 4:41 pm

If you're near FT Hood, there is a call for blood donors..

At least 7 dead and as many as 30 wounded

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,572 ... latestnews

God Bless Our Troops

Update 12 dead and 31 wounded. One confirmed shooter is dead, a soldier.

From press conference: Local police killed the shooter. One civilian police officer killed.

Possibly two more shooters. All US soldiers.

TWO OTHER SUSPECTS ARRESTED.

Shooting started in Soldier Readiness Facility.

by **K Hemingway** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 4:46 pm

Concerned families and friends can check American Red Cross Safe and Well Website to see if or report that loved one are OK

https://disastersafe.redcross.org/default.aspx

Urgent call for blood donors Scott & White Memorial..if you're in the Fort Hood area call 254-724-4376 for info on giving blood PLEASE

DALLAS : Give blood fri/sat 8am-2pm Red Cross at 1 medical parkway suite 109 in Dallas. # 972-241-7420.

All wounded are adults.

ABC News has learned the main suspect is a US Army Major Malik Nadal Hasan. 39 yrs old. Had two handguns.

According to Sen Hutchinson, he was about to be deployed to Iraq, said things about being upset about it.

Motive and connection to the other 2 suspects still not clear.

Update

Blood Donor Center 311 E Avenue D Killeen, TX 76541-5240
(254) 519-7766

This is so sad.

OMG CBS has learned Ft. Hood shooter Maj. Hasan was licensed psychiatrist from Silver Springs, Maryland. His specialty was traumatic stress. Promoted to Major in May.

Recently reassigned from Walter Reed to deploy to Iraq.

At time of shooting, veterans group was in D.C. pushing for more mental health counselors. :cry:

Next press conference from Ft Hood expected at 6:35 EST.

by **K Hemingway** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 6:46 pm

The FBI is saying the Fort Hood mass shooting IS NOT an act of terrorism.

The two suspects arrested shortly after the shooting have been released, according to the office of U.S. Rep. John Carter.

Another was picked up right after the 2 were released and being questioned now.

Still waiting or press conf to begin.

JMO, PTSD is a tragic consequence of war, and treating it impacts mental health professionals too. No winners in war. :cry:

by **K Hemingway** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 7:15 pm

There is suddenly a lot of inaccurate misinformation hitting the media and blogosphere...including the wrong picture of the suspect...so...just know that.

by **gwen** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 7:17 pm

Retired Col Terry Lee on phone with Shep Smith with statements against this man. If he was so concerned, then why didn't he do something then instead of waiting until now once the damage is done...

by **K Hemingway** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 7:17 pm

Army Secretary Expresses Ft. Hood Shooting Condolence

“This is a terrible tragedy that we will know more about in the coming days. For now our focus is squarely on taking care of our soldiers and their families,” said Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those who have been killed and wounded. The leadership at Fort Hood is marshalling the medical support and counselors necessary to take care of our soldiers and their families and to notify the next of kin.”

http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/rel ... seid=13104

by **K Hemingway** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 7:18 pm

gwen wrote:Retired Col Terry Lee on phone with Shep Smith with statements against this man. If he was so concerned, then why didn't he do something then instead of waiting until now once the damage is done...

My hinky meter was going off thru the whole interview.

Death toll climbs to 13. :cry:

by **gwen** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 7:20 pm

K Hemingway wrote:
My hinky meter was going off thru the whole interview.

I found it very odd that he was even speaking about this at this point in time. I would not think the military would look kindly on this...

by **K Hemingway** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 7:24 pm

gwen wrote:
I found it very odd that he was even speaking about this at this point in time. I would not think the military would look kindly on this...

My thoughts exactly...especially for a retired Col.

by **K Hemingway** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 7:48 pm

A Fort Hood Family Hotline has been activated: 254-288-7570 or 1-866-836 2751.

Officials say press conference will begin in 15 minutes (7:15 CST) in Fort Hood.

Update - 8:41 EST

The lock down at Fort Hood has been lifted.

Still waiting for the press conference.

by **K Hemingway** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 8:35 pm

KHOU-- BREAKING NEWS: Army: Fort Hood Shooting Suspect Taken Off Ventilator

by **gwen** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 4:56 pm

2 Dead, Others Shot at Oregon Office Park

least two people — a man and a woman — were shot to death, and two others were wounded at a drug testing center in a Portland office park, police said.

There were also reports the shooter may be dead.

Initial reports were sketchy, but officials with the Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue told television station KGW that there could be as many as 10 victims. They declined to elaborate the extent of the injuries.

A bystander near the Legacy Metro Lab told the station a woman who was injured in the shooting said that as many as three people were shot by what appeared to be a lone gunman.

The Tigard-Tualatin School District was in lockdown following the shooting

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,573745,00.html

by **gwen** » Tue Nov 10, 2009 4:57 pm

2 dead, 2 injured in Tualatin shooting

PORTLAND, Ore. -- A man and a woman were killed in a shooting at a Tualatin drug testing center Tuesday, according to Tualatin Police Department.

Police Chief Kent Baker said a man armed with a rifle entered the Legacy Metro Lab drug testing center at 7587 SW Mohawk St. and began firing.

A woman was killed. At least two others were injured. The suspect was later found dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot, Baker said.

Police, firefighters and medics from across Washington County and metro Portland responded after initial reports of a shooting were called in, sometime after 11 a.m., according to Jennifer Massey with Tualatin PD. SWAT teams from Washington County Major Crimes Unit were quickly on the scene, closing streets and evacuating many businesses in the business park.

Evacuees were transported to a nearby hotel, a witness told KGW. They were later released.

Schools in the Tigard-Tualatin School District were locked down as well.

Baker could not say for certain how many people were in the drug testing center when the shooter opened fire.

"I don't know. We don't know -- I just don't know how many," Baker said, adding that witnesses and bystanders were still being treated and debriefed by investigators.

The gunman's motive was unknown. It was unclear what relationship, if any, he had with the lab or anyone there.

A Good Samaritan who was driving by just after the shooting spoke with KGW early on. Mike McNeil said he saw a woman covered in blood running across the business park's parking lot.

McNeil said he stopped to help her. She told him that an armed man walked into the drug testing center, opened fire, and that three or four people had been shot.

Baker said that one victim was found across the parking lot, covered in blood, near the Subway restaurant.

Workers were allowed back in before 2 p.m. The superintendent of schools said all children were safe and that schools were no longer under lock down.

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/k ... 49f68.html

by **Eliza** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 1:43 pm

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125804778767245615.html

By YOCHI J. DREAZEN and RUSSELL GOLD
FORT HOOD, Texas – Military prosecutors have filed 13 charges of premeditated murder against Maj. Nidal M. Hasan in the shooting deaths at Fort Hood.

Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty in the case, according to a military official familiar with the matter.

The murder charges were announced around 1 p.m. at a press conference at Fort Hood featuring

by **sarge** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 10:14 pm

Feds move to seize 4 mosques, skyscraper owned by foundation linked to Iranian government
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld ... 2757.story

by **K Hemingway** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 9:52 pm

Per BNO - WFXL TV: Police say one person is dead and nine are injured in a mass shooting in Valdosta, Georgia.

by **Fashionista** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 9:27 pm

Judge rules Corps of Engineers’ failure to maintain channel led to Katrina flooding

Judge: Corps’ failure led to Katrina flooding
Ruling says navigation channel wasn't properly maintained</center>

updated 9 minutes ago
NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge has ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers' failure to properly maintain a navigation channel led to massive flooding by Hurricane Katrina along the Gulf Coast in 2005.

U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval late Wednesday ruled in favor of residents who alleged the Army Corps' shoddy oversight of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet led to the flooding of New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward and neighboring St. Bernard Parish.

Many in Katrina have argued that Katrina, which struck the region Aug. 29, 2005, was a manmade disaster caused by the Army Corps' failure to maintain the levee system protecting the city.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34028940/ns ... nd_courts/

.

by **K Hemingway** » Fri Nov 20, 2009 3:24 pm

BULLETIN -- UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI CORAL GABLES CAMPUS ON LOCKDOWN AFTER SHOOTING.

by **Eliza** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 5:06 pm

Pope knocked down at Christmas Mass

(UKPA) – 8 minutes ago

A woman has jumped the barriers in St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican and knocked down Pope Benedict XVI as he walked down the main aisle to begin Christmas Eve Mass.

The Pope quickly got up and was unhurt, said Vatican spokesman the Rev Ciro Benedettini.

Benedict calmly resumed his walk to the basilica's main altar and began the Mass.

Ms Benedettini said the woman who pushed the Pope appeared to be mentally unstable and had been arrested by Vatican police.

She also knocked down Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, who was taken to hospital for a check-up, she added.

by **Fashionista** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 6:18 pm

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.

by **Fashionista** » Fri Jan 01, 2010 5:30 pm

SAO PAULO, Jan. 1, 2010

Mudslide Kills 17 at Brazilian Resort

Hillside Collapses Onto Tourist Lodge; Rescuers Scramble Through Mud in Search for Survivors

</center>

(AP) Last Updated 4:13 p.m. ET

A rain-loosened slab of hillside collapsed on three houses and an upscale waterfront lodge after New Year celebrations at an island resort near Rio de Janeiro, killing at least 17 people, Brazilian authorities said.

About 120 rescuers scrambled through mud and around toppled trees and large rocks to search for other survivors of the mudslide that also injured at least 10 people early Friday. Police helicopters and navy vessels were helping in the rescue efforts.

"People had never seen so much rain in this region," Rio de Janeiro's vice governor, Luiz Fernando Pezao, told Globo TV, and he indicated he feared the death toll could rise. "We'll have to wait for the rescue efforts, but we'll likely encounter a very sad outcome."

The rain-related deaths in Rio de Janeiro state from the past three days of heavy rains reached 45, authorities said, and more rain was predicted across the region.

The mudslide apparently happened after tourists had returned to their rooms following the New Year's celebration in the Pousada Sankay on Ilha Grande, a 90-minute ferry ride from the city of Angra dos Reis, said fire department commander Pedro Machado, who reported at least 17 people had died.

Globo TV reported that a boy and a teenage girl were among the victims, but authorities could not immediately confirm the information.

Police said some of the dead may have been in the houses. They did not immediately release the identities or nationalities of the victims.

"We were told that many of these houses here were rented by tourists for the holidays," Pezao said.

Witnesses told local media the hillside lodge and the houses, which can only be accessed by boat, collapsed after being struck by a slab of land nearly 330 yards wide.

A broad, raw scar of dirt remained on the jungle hillside above the lodge that was smashed by mud, trees and other vegetation. Only a handful of houses and small patches of vegetation were left unscathed.

Wooden parts of the lodge were seen floating near the shore and on the beach.

The hotel, which advertises nightly rates of about $200 and which can accommodate 50 guests, was reportedly full at the time of the mudslide. The lodge was inaugurated in 1994, according to its Web site.

Other mudslides had killed 20 people across Rio de Janeiro state on Thursday, mostly when as shanties collapsed under mud or rain in the greater Rio de Janeiro city area. A 3-year-old girl died in a hospital on Friday after being rescued from one of the mudslides a day earlier. Her parents also died.

Eight people had died early Friday in Angra dos Reis because of other mudslides caused by the heavy rains.

Authorities said nearly 80 mudslides have been reported throughout the region, toppling trees and destroying power lines.

Local officials declared three days of mourning and canceled the town's annual celebration on Jan. 6.

By Associated Press

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/01/ ... nContent.2

by **Eliza** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 12:01 pm

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,581912,00.html

corrected....

VIDEO. :shock:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7HiFbJy ... r_embedded

by **resigned** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 2:33 pm

The Refugees Unleashed

BREAKING NEWS ~ HOT TOPICS

New Eyewitnesses in West Memphis 3 Case

Military to seek death penalty of Hasan

Pope knocked down at Christmas Mass

Federal protective officers reportedly shot in Las Vegas

Who is online