I thought I would post this story. Praise God they have found this sicko. Last night I was watching Patsy’s sister on Fox News - she made an excellent point that even if they never did catch whoever did this, that we have a just God and one day, he/she would be accountable. It makes me sad for the Ramsy’s and how much scrutiny they went through over the past 10 years. Any thoughts?

BOULDER, Colo. - A former schoolteacher was arrested Wednesday in Thailand in the slaying of 6-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey - a surprise breakthrough in a lurid, decade-old murder mystery that had cast a cloud of suspicion over her parents.

Ramsey family attorney Lin Wood identified the suspect as John Mark Karr, 41. Federal officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the name, and one law enforcement official told The Associated Press that Boulder police had tracked him down online.

Wood said the arrest vindicated JonBenet’s parents, John and Patsy Ramsey. Patsy Ramsey died of ovarian cancer June 24.

“John and Patsy lived their lives knowing they were innocent, trying to raise a son despite the furor around them,” Wood said. “The story of this family is a story of courage, and story of an American injustice and tragedy that ultimately people will have to look back on and hopefully learn from.”

The attorney said the Ramseys learned about the suspect at least a month before Patsy Ramsey’s death. “It’s been a very long 10 years, and I’m just sorry Patsy isn’t here for me to hug her neck,” Wood said.

Karr was a teacher who once lived in Conyers, Ga., according to Wood. The attorney said the Ramseys gave police information about Karr before he was identified as a suspect.

Wood would not say how the Ramseys knew Karr. But JonBenet was born in Atlanta in 1990, and the Ramseys lived in the Atlanta suburb of Dunwoody for several years before moving to Colorado in 1991.

Thai police said that when Karr was arrested, he denied any involvement in JonBenet’s slaying. But a source close to the investigation in the U.S. said Karr confessed to certain elements of the crime. Also, a law enforcement source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the AP that Karr had been communicating periodically with somebody in Boulder who had been following the case and cooperating with law enforcement officials.

District Attorney Mary Lacy said the arrest followed several months of work, but she said no details would be released until Thursday.

U.S. authorities said Karr was initially taken into custody in Bangkok on unrelated sex charges. But Thai police Lt. Gen. Suwat Tumrongsiskul said he was unaware of any criminal charges the suspect faced in Thailand.

Karr was arrested at his apartment in downtown Bangkok at the request of U.S. officials, and was being held until they arrived, Thai police said. Suwat said he expected U.S. officials to take Karr back to America in the next few days.

Karr’s brother in an interview with WAGA-TV in Atlanta called the accusations “ridiculous, without a doubt.”

Nate Karr added that suspicious e-mails cited by authorities related to a book his brother was writing. He declined to comment further, saying the family would have more to say on Thursday.

JonBenet was found beaten and strangled in the basement of the family’s home in Boulder on Dec. 26, 1996. Patsy Ramsey reported finding a ransom note in the house demanding $118,000 for her daughter.

The image of blonde-haired little JonBenet in a cowgirl costume and other beauty pageant outfits has haunted TV talk shows ever since, helping feed myriad theories about her killer, and the case became one of the most sensational unsolved murder cases in the nation.

Over the years, some experts suggested that investigators had botched the case so thoroughly that it might never be solved.

Investigators at one point said JonBenet’s parents were under an “umbrella of suspicion” in the slaying. And some news accounts cast suspicion on JonBenet’s older brother. But the Ramseys insisted an intruder killed their daughter, and no one was ever charged.

In the months after the slaying, Patsy Ramsey went before the cameras, vigorously defending herself and her husband, chastising the media and blasting local law enforcement as incompetent.

In a statement Wednesday, John Ramsey said: “Patsy was aware that authorities were close to making an arrest in the case, and had she lived to see this day, would no doubt have been as pleased as I am with today’s development almost 10 years after our daughter’s murder.”

The Ramseys moved back to Atlanta after their daughter’s slaying.

Wood lashed out at the frenzy that long surrounded the case, and he accused the media of “the most obscene false accusations.” “I think the public’s mind was so poisoned against this family that no one was able for too many years to look at the evidence,” he said.

Patsy Ramsey’s sister, Pam Paugh, of Roswell, Ga., said the family was celebrating the news of the arrest. “We are elated. We are elated. If this is, in fact, the killer, then we have a very heinous killer off the streets to never harm another child,” Paugh said.

Lib Waters of Marietta, Ga., visited the gravesites of Patsy and JonBenet Ramsey in the Atlanta suburb immediately after hearing news reports about the arrest.

Waters, who described herself as a longtime friend of the Ramsey family, taped a piece of notebook paper to JonBenet Ramsey’s headstone that read: “Dearest Patsy, Justice has come for you and Jon. Rest in peace.”

In 2003, a federal judge in Atlanta concluded that the evidence she reviewed suggested an intruder killed JonBenet. That opinion came with the judge’s decision to dismiss a libel and slander lawsuit against the Ramseys by a freelance journalist, whom the Ramseys had named as a suspect in their daughter’s murder. The Boulder district attorney at the time said she agreed with the judge’s declaration.

“Today is additional vindication of the family,” Wood said.

Wood said he and the Ramseys “have been totally amazed and impressed with the professionalism of law enforcement” under Lacy’s direction. Lacy became district attorney in 2001.

Lawrence Schiller, author of the 1999 book “Perfect Murder, Perfect Town” about the case, said Wednesday he understood the man had been on a list of sexual offenders who were suspects for a long time.

“There are a lot of facts about her actual death that the public does not know.” Schiller said. “If he did confess to some facts of the murder, to reveal those facts of the case, that would finish the puzzle.”

Among the facts he said were not generally known was the murder weapon and what the killer did with it.

DNA was found beneath JonBenet’s fingernails and inside her underwear, but Wood said two years ago that detectives were unable to match it to anyone in an FBI database. It was not immediately known Wednesday whether investigators had any DNA evidence against Karr.

Bob Grant, a former Adams County district attorney who worked on the case, said there was never enough evidence to convince him that any potential suspect could be successfully prosecuted.

“I wasn’t convinced it was an inside job, nor was I convinced it was an outside job,” he said. “All the outside suspects were cleared after exhaustive investigation, and there were a whole lot of outside suspects.”

Associated Press Writers Suzanne Gamboa and Lara Jakes Jordan in Washington; Jon Sarche, Judith Kohler, Robert Weller and Chase Squires in Denver; Linda Deutsch in Los Angeles; Harry R. Weber in Atlanta; and Doug Gross in Marietta, Ga., contributed to this report.

Thanks to the AJC for content of this article:

An entire class of Cobb County police recruits was fired Monday after they cheated on a test, authorities said. A police academy instructor caught two recruits comparing answers during a written exam last week. After the academy alerted Mickey Lloyd, Cobb’s public safety director, on Friday, he ordered an inquest and soon learned that all 20 recruits had cheated, he said.

Most of the recruits admitted to cheating when asked about it, Lloyd said. “They’d gotten together and decided none of them was going to fail,” said Lloyd. It’s not clear how the recruits cheated, though Lloyd said they did not steal the test.

The news “dismayed” Cobb County Commissioner Helen Goreham, but she praised the swift response in drumming out the recruits suspected of cheating. “Integrity with our police officers is something we do not skimp on,” said Goreham, the commissioners’ public safety liaison. “The level of service our officers provide the citizenry is top-notch. We will not tolerate an incident of this type.” Investigators do not plan to file criminal charges against any class members — a mix of men and women of various backgrounds — but they might not ever wear a law enforcement badge in Georgia, Lloyd said. Authorities did not release the recruits’ names.

To get into the class, recruits had to have at least a high school diploma and pass a background check as well as psychiatric and polygraph tests — measures intended to weed out certain would-be cops. “You’d think you’d have the cream of the crop,” Lloyd said. The recruits were county employees training to become sworn police officers. They were in the fifth week of a 22-week training period required to join about 600 officers on Cobb’s police force, where salaries start around $34,600.

“The Cobb County Police Department is among the best in the state,” Lloyd said. “There are a lot of fine officers out there. They work hard and they’re honest. This had to be done in order to maintain this reputation.” “Everybody’s very disturbed about it,” said police spokesman Dana Pierce. “It’s a disappointment to all of us.”

So, what is your opinion of Marietta’s Police Department? What experiences have you had with our officers in blue?

Check out what some Cobb residents are doing to keep everyone informed about what’s going on in our area. Thanks to the MDJ for contributing content of the following article.

COBB COUNTY - Site administrator Gordon Edwards started www.scancobb.com in December 2004. It lets visitors listen to scanners that report radio transmissions of Cobb County police and fire departments. Edwards also runs www.scancherokee.com and www.scanpaulding.com. The Cobb page is a sister site to several others of its kind in metro-Atlanta.

The site does not require visitors to register to listen to scanners or read discussion forums, but those who want to participate in the forums must register. There also is no fee associated with using the site.

Another ScanCobb administrator, Andrew Cohen, lives in Kennesaw, but works in Alpharetta. He got involved with the site so he could check Cobb police and fire radios while at work.

A main computer and two scanners set up at Cohen’s Kennesaw home, as well as a third scanner another ScanCobb registered user owns, are broadcast on the site. The site has approximately 15,000 subscribers from across Cobb and Georgia.

Visitors also can sign up for a free e-mail service that notifies them when someone living in their zip code is added to the state’s sex offender registry. The notifications, Edwards said, contain the name, address, photo of the sex offender and a Web link to a sex offender site where people can see the location of the offender on a map.

Although users are not required to pay to use ScanCobb, many have given generously. Cohen said in the past year, users have donated more than $1,000 to buytwo new digital scanners to keep up with Cobb’s move to digital radios for public safety personnel.

“I’d say the greatest benefit is that you can instantly find out, any time day or night, what’s happening around you from a law enforcement and emergency services perspective,” Cohen said. “You don’t have to ask neighbors and get it secondhand or wait for the six o’clock news or tomorrow’s paper. There’s nothing like knowing what’s happening while it’s happening, even if it may be developing and all the facts aren’t clear.”

With all the jargon and numerical codes police officers and firefighters use when reporting over radio, one might think it’s hard to understand what’s going on. ScanCobb has that covered, too. The site lists all the number codes used to describe a situation. For example, 30 indicates a report of a drunken driver; code seven is a request for backup; and 10-4, means OK, or affirmative.

Cohen said he believes most users visit the site to monitor activity that might not be high profile enough to make the news, but nonetheless concerns the safety of their neighborhoods. Edwards said the site is soliciting donations to buy an additional digital scanner. Visitors can donate online at www.ScanCobb.com.

Marietta is again scheduling a discussion on gang activity in the city and in Cobb County. Be sure to check out the presentation in the middle of June.

(Marietta, Ga. – May 23, 2006) Community leaders and residents are invited to a presentation about the growing problem of gangs in Cobb County.

Co-sponsored by the Cobb Neighborhood Safety Commission, Cobb County Department of Public Safety, CAGE Unit, NSC and East Cobb Civic Association, the gang awareness public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 15 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, 955 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta.

“Gangs are a growing issue both across the country and in our community. In today’s society our children are adversely influenced by a host of issues that were not prevalent 20 years ago and are difficult to deal with. Gang influence is one of those issues we must be aware of and take action to prevent,” said G.M. Lloyd, Cobb County Department of Public Safety director.

Topics to be covered during the presentation include steps being taken by law enforcement and schools to help reduce gang criminal activity and how businesses and individual citizens can help. A panel discussion and question and answer session will follow the presentation. The Cobb County CAGE Unit, Cobb Underage Drinking Taskforce, C.E.R.T. and NSC will all be present.

For more information contact JoAnn Birrell at (404) 394-9601.

###

Released by:
Erin Grizzle
Robert Quigley
(770) 528-2480

Marietta City Hall: City Council Chamber

Tuesday, May 9, 2006, 6:30 p.m.

The Marietta Police Department cordially invites those citizens of Marietta
who reside in Zone 5 to attend a meeting on Tuesday, May 9, 2006, at 6:30pm.
This meeting is intended to provide an opportunity to discuss mutual
concerns about activity in your neighborhoods.

Our guest speaker for this evening will be Officer Jeff Reed. He will be
presenting a program on gangs. This will be an excellent presentation that
will provide current information on gang activity.

For further information, contact Commander Joe Duvall at (770) 794-5337 or
e-mail address, jduvall@mariettaga.gov.

The Difference Makers

There was a burglary in the Whitlock Heights area over the Easter weekend. Here is what Marietta Police Commander Duvall reported on the incident:

“There was a burglary that occurred on Saturday, April 15, at approximately
8:50am, at 442 South Hillcrest in which the suspect forced entry to the
residence through a back door. The suspect then proceeded into the home and
into the bedroom where he awakened the victim and took the victim’s wallet
from a dresser, then left.

The only description the victim could provide was the suspect was a
male(race unknown), approximately 6-02 in height, 175lbs., wearing dark
clothing.

Officers responded to the area in search of the suspect, but were unable to
locate him.

There have been no other burglary reports in the area, nor have there been
any in the surrounding area that follows this pattern.”

Thanks to Holly Walquist for the link to this important information for our community.

Welcome to Issue No. 1 of WhitlockAvenue.com’s Crime Log! This week, our story involves a dumb criminal. It seems that about a week ago, an unnamed employee at our local CVS Pharmacy was working late-night. Our amateur criminal entered the store and tried to take 2 packages of cigarettes. The unnamed employee wasn’t going to let this criminal go without a fight. The employee engaged the criminal in a tussle and they went back and forth a few times, before the criminal pushed the employee back against the wall behind the counter and onto the floor.

The employee injured their tailbone area, but was able to get back up. When the employee was back on their feet, the criminal had left the store. However, they left one key piece of personal property on the counter: a wallet. Not surprisingly, our heroic employee called the police and the criminal was apprehended within 30 minutes! Got a funny story for the crime log? Tell us about it!

This Monday, 3/27 from 7pm to 8:30pm, Cobb County Police, public health officials and local students are set to have a panel discussion about the impact of underage drinking.

According to an MDJ article, Cathy Finck, a Cobb County Underage Drinking Task Force member said, “The purpose is really to increase the community’s awareness of underage drinking in Cobb County to know who’s drinking, where they’re getting it, and the affect it has on the community,”

They are really seeking to find solutions to the underage drinking problem in Cobb County. The discussion will include such things as who is drinking, where and how easily accessible alcohol is in 2006.

Be sure to attend the panel discussion to provide your input to the discussion. A key to success is to reach out to the elementary and middle school students before they engage in the activity.

Ride in style with the www.WhitlockAvenue.com trucker hat. This stylish hat is the way to spread the word about the latest news and events in Marietta, GA and around the Whitlock Avenue area. Get a trucker hat or baseball tee today for you and for your fellow neighbor - check out the full line of WhitlockAvenue.com merchandise today over at CafePress.

WhitlockAvenue.com - your Marietta News source.

Wow. What type of activity would signal gang activity in Marietta? Gone are the days of brass knuckles and red bandanas on their heads. According to the Cobb Anti-Gang Enforcement (CAGE) team’s display at the Marietta High School last week, the signals these days are a lot more subtle than days of old, shockingly subtle in fact. Be sure to read the article below from the AJC.com about the recent presentation from the Cobb Anti-Gang Enforcement group at Marietta High School.

Do you have thoughts on Gang Activity in and around Marietta and The Square/Whitlock Avenue? If so, use the Share your Opinion link under this post and let everyone know what’s on your mind!

It was regular clothing and ordinary notebooks and caps that teen gang members use to identify themselves. Except for the brass knuckles, the display by law enforcement officials looked pretty innocent.But members of the county police force’s Cobb Anti-Gang Enforcement (CAGE) unit warn that these items, confiscated from gang members, signal trouble. Unless your child’s initials happen to be RSL, those initials on a belt buckle could mark your offspring as a gang member.There were also pictures on the display table, one of a young boy with the tail end of his canvas belt hanging well below his knees. The longer the belt, the more serious criminal offenses the gang member has committed, police explained. “This one’s dangerous,” said Sgt. Stanley Wheeler of Cobb’s CAGE unit.Gang members are wily enough to change their signals, Wheeler said. Gang members now tuck the long end into their belt loops so the identifier won’t be so obvious.It’s easy to confuse teen pop culture fads with signals of gang involvement. “You have to look at the whole picture,” said Sgt. Mike Hathaway of the Marietta Police Department, who led off the presentation.Certain hand signals, patterns of behavior, drawings or clothing preferences could be tips that a teenager is associated with or being recruited by a gang, the officers said.Aileen Wood and her husband were looking over the exhibits prior to the 45-minute presentation. “It’s shocking. It all looks so innocent,” said Wood, a Marietta resident whose son, Jeffrey Wood, serves on the Cobb Neighborhood Safety Commission, an event sponsor.”This will open your eyes like you wouldn’t believe,” Wood said. “More parents need to see this.”The turnout for the seventh and last in a series this year of gang awareness presentations in Cobb’s school districts drew more than 100 parents and community members, the largest crowd so far as schools, police and neighborhood groups work to heighten gang awareness in the community. Wheeler said there were 37 gangs active in Cobb. Since its inception three years ago, Cobb’s CAGE unit has identified 53 gangs, he said.Help from parents and community members is needed to reduce increasing gang criminal activity. Education is key, said JoAnn Birrell, chair of the Neighborhood Safety Commission