He lives in a narrow steel cage, his voice illuminates the air waves, his commentaries are showcased on Democracy Now, NPR News, he  has been a guest keynote speaker at Yale University and other Collegiate Commencement Ceremonies, and by the time it takes you to view his signature dreadlocks he’ll make it known that he is Mumia Abu-Jamal on Death Row within the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. I personally liken such a man to that of  Nelson Mandela who was unjustly imprisoned under the racist system of Aparthied in his native homeland of South Africa for over 20 years. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary and dispelling the myth that the award winning Journalist killed a Philadelphia Police Officer, he is left lingering on death row for nearly 30 years for a crime it convincingly appears that he did not commit. I’ve spent years studying his case, his appeals, and the opinions of a predominately white populous that emphatically believe that Abu-Jamal is nothing more than a cold blooded murderer. In my studies the merits of this case  demonstrate “frame up” tactics by Philly Police, evidence & witness tampering, coercion of testimony, inconclusive ballistics, judicial bias, racial prejudice, and the withholding of exculpatory evidence which is typical on it’s face when considering Police handling of court cases involving African Americans and other colored criminal defendants. However what has stung the most is the blatant defiance of higher Federal Courts to apply long standing Appellate Precedent while reviewing the obvious and problematic intangibles surrounding the conviction of a clearly innocent man. I have spent a many sleepless nights unable to phantom even the possibility of such heinous and deplorable conduct by officials within the U.S. Criminal Justice System. Considering the historic fact regarding racism in America, the perceptions of FOP members, those of Maureen Faulkner (widow of slain Cop Daniel Faulkner), and other ignorant blood thirsty anti Abu-Jamal followers, I remain unmoved by their position. Though their advocacy for Mumia’s death are expected based on a racist pro-police motivation, I am not sure whether the ignorance regarding the plethora of facts pointing to Mumia’s innocent or their endowed racism that harbors the greatest depth of sickness. The intelligent people who understand what is at play here dismiss the likes of them all while having an understanding of what they truly are, racist. The facts of this case are clear and have been argued before the Federal Courts time and time again, yet we see a distinct pattern commonly known as “the Mumia Exception” at play here. In my mind this reality should be an abrupt awakening to all people of color in America, as surely Mumia’s case mirrors antics by the courts that predate the old “Jim Crow” era of the American South. We must adopt a position of inquiry in this troubling matter, consider the mass movement of people of all ethnicities who travel from around the world, marching, singing, and dancing while feverishly advocating justice for an alleged “Cop Killer” on a regular basis.

Maureen Faulkner likens Abu-Jamal followers to “no nothings” and “Mumidiots”, but common sense demonstrates that the mobilization of millions for his cause is not without merit. At this late stage of the case the Federal Judges responsible for embracing the higher principles of law that the courts were meant to serve are Mumia’s greatest adversaries. Mumia’s appeals have been predicated upon long standing Appellate Landmark cases, but the Courts have determine that such precedent applies to everyone except Abu-Jamal. These unfair practices reveal that we can not ignore Mumia’s Black Panther Party affiliation during his youth, a characterization that many believe is the sole culprit of his demise from the onset of this entire ordeal, further confirming a  perceived desire within the African American Community that the U.S. Government intends to put to death pro black nationalist, and others believed to be a threat to domestic National Security. The only problem here is that prior to Mumia’s conviction of killing Officer Daniel Faulkner, Mumia had never received as much as a parking ticket. Since his conviction Prosecutors and their supporters have propagated that Mumia was a “violent radical” who wanted to kill a cop. This simply is not true. The truth is that Mumia’s writing ability and his exposing Police corruption and Brutality within the African American Community is the actual fire that sparked hatred of him by Police and resulted in his conviction. Crime scene photos taken by a freelance photographer minutes after the Faulkner slaying are a smoking gun depicting the injustice committed against Abu-Jamal. Americans are unaware that many of our Federal Judges have come up through the ranks as former Prosecutors and District Attorneys with close ties to the FOP (Fraternal Order of Police) who lobby for their elections via FOP Funding and other support. We can’t ignore the Political alliances that exist within the Police and Judicial Branch of Government. It’s difficult to digest having the knowledge that injustices like this can occur in America, a poignant reality that renders the people completely powerless.  We already are aware of American Prisons bursting at the seams with mostly young African American People, but every now and then a young, bright, educated warrior emerges, and lacks the ability to fear the injustices of Police and Government only to be carted away to their jails in an attempt to silence them forever. I too, just like Mumia lack the capacity of fear, and I challenge you to investigate Mumia’s case. Come to your own conclusions if for no other reason to discover what millions have already concluded. May God grant freedom for us all, and may God grant freedom for Mumia Abu-Jamal.

The People’s Champion

I’m David Adams

The list of supporters and followers of the infamous one time Black Panther Party Member, Broadcast Journalist, and now Death Row Inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal covers a broad spectrum of prominent World Leaders, Actors & Actress, Activist, Politicians, and other notable figures globally. Those who depose the call for his freedom can now add The California Federation of Teachers as a Combatant to the growing list of Labor Organizations now publicly joining the cause to fight for the life and freedom of Abu-Jamal. The CFT passed Resolution 19: “Reaffirm support for death row journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal”. Many anti-Jamal factions cite numerous eyewitnesses saying Mumia did it. The Police version of ballistic evidence – saying Mumia’s gun at the scene was consistent with the bullet used to kill Faulkner. However, these people along wih Federal Judges ignore other pertinent facts, such as the bullet taken from Faulkner’s body has never been conclusively established as having been discharged from the .38 caliber that Abu-Jamal had on him that night and licensed to carry. They say Mumia admitted after the fact that he did it. The fact of the matter is that only Police and coerced witnesses testified to these allegations. More poignantly though, even the arresting Officer initially indicated in his Duty Report that, “the subject said nothing”. That Policeman changed his account 2 1/2 weeks after Abu-Jamal had been arrested, citing that he did not know it was relevant to the case until now, and sadly his pathetic blatant lie was allowed to be deemed credible as a vital element into the merits of Mumia’s Capitol Murder Trial. It has been thirty years since the State of Pennsylvania sentenced Abu-Jamal to death for this tragic event and the CFT like millions of others around the world are onto the injustices that has been done to an obviously innocent man. Abu-Jamal followers have known for years that the Federal Appellate Courts have for very obvious reasons chosen to violate that same Court’s own precedents to keep Mumia Abu-Jamal incarcerated while facing death for ever. The CFT’s resolution is a complete over view of what many have known for years about this highly Political case. Here is the California Federation of Teachers complete Resolution:

 Resolution 19
Reaffirm support for death row journalist
Mumia Abu-Jamal

Whereas, Mumia Abu-Jamal’s 1982 trial in Philadelphia was characterized by illegal suppression of evidence, police coercion, illegal exclusion of black jurors, and unfair and unconstitutional rulings by
the judge; and

Whereas, the trial judge, Albert Sabo, has been quoted in a sworn statement to have vowed at the time of the trial to help the prosecution ‘fry the n—–;’ and
Whereas, subsequent appellate rulings have bent the law out of shape to sustain the guilty verdict of that trial; and

Whereas, the appellate courts have also refused to consider strong evidence of Mumia Abu-Jamal’s innocence that has emerged continuously in the years subsequent to the trial; and

Whereas, the U.S. Supreme Court, in denying relief to Mumia Abu-Jamal, ignored key precedents such as its own ruling in Batson v Kentucky, which was supposed to prevent exclusion of jurors on the basis of race; and
Whereas, Mumia Abu-Jamal still is incarcerated on Death Row while awaiting a decision from the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals that could remove a stay on his execution; and

Whereas, Mumia Abu-Jamal has for decades as a journalist fought courageously against racism and police brutality and for the human rights of all people and has taken strong stands in support of working people involved in labor struggles and in support of well-funded, quality, public education;
and

Whereas, the continued unjust incarceration of Mumia Abu-Jamal represents a threat to the civil rights of all people; and

Whereas, the CFT has at a previous Convention voiced its support for justice for Mumia Abu-Jamal;
Therefore, be it resolved, that the California Federation of Teachers reaffirm its support and demand that the courts consider the evidence of innocence of Mumia Abu-Jamal; and

Be it further resolved, that the CFT introduce and advocate on behalf of a resolution at the 2012 AFT Convention reaffirming the AFT’s support for justice for Mumia Abu-Jamal should he not have been cleared of charges and released by that time.

We are know why the federal Courts refuse to follow it’s own rules pertaining to the Abu-Jamal case. Their message is clear. Any man who dare manifest the writing talent, vision, and tenacity to fight an abusive and oppressive government like the United States for the benefit of the African American Community shall pay the ultimate price. We honor the support of the California Federation of Teachers and welcome them to this struggle. Free Mumia Abu-Jamal now!

The People’s Champion

I’m David Adams

There were followers from all over the Globe. From France, Germany, the United Kingdom to the Congo Territories of Africa watching, hoping, praying, and were not surprised when the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit of Pennsylvania unanimously declared that Mumia Abu-Jamal’s death sentence was in fact unconstitutional. Though this is the second time the higher court has made this ruling,  it is in effect further illustration of the unfairness that Jamal endured during his 1981 murder conviction of Philly Police Officer Daniel Faulkner, and halts the State of Pennsylvania’s relentless efforts to kill the internationally acclaimed former Black Panther Party Member and Broadcast Journalist. Mumia has been housed on Death Row for nearly 30 years since his conviction. The decision marks an important step forward in the struggle to correct the mistakes of an unfortunate chapter in Pennsylvania history. If you are unfamiliar with his story I am confident that a little indulgence by simply reading one of his 6 books or one of thousands of his essays, listening to his weekly Radio Broadcast, and a basic review of his conviction, will result in the rational and reasoning enabled mind developing a clear view of why literally millions from around the world have called for his acquittal. Mumia’s case is not about Black Nationalism or the Black Panther Party. This case is about the unfairness of the Pennsylvania Criminal Justice System, the refusal of powers that be within in our Federal Courts to properly adjudicate appellate responsibility in discerning regulatory oversight related to the blatant problematic merits of the Jamal criminal case, and it’s inconsistent rulings pertaining to appellate arguments presented in this case while the exact same Federal Courts have established as precedent in appeals by others similarly situated as Abu-Jamal.

The record of this case has severe fairness delimma, politics, and appears to appeal to concealment and race rather than objectivity and disclosure.  I can not convey to you adequately enough how agitated I am personally by this entire matter. My outrage does not derive from a pseudo Pro Black perspective, but rather, just like millions of others, I am troubled by what is clearly a frame up job by corrupt Police, Prosecutors, and FOP (Fraternal Order of Police) funded Court Officials within the Pennsylvania Federal District Appellate Branch. From the onset of this trial Racism has been smeared all over it. Philly Police were able to chump up charges against Abu-Jamal by tampering with evidence, falsifying duty reports, threatening and coercing witnesses (many of whom have since recanted their testimony and revealing that they were threatened by mobbed up Philly Cops), and perjury while on the stand during this Capital Murder Trial. The sitting magistrate of the Philly Court of Common Pleas at Mumia’s trial, Albert F. Sabo was as equally culpable in the demise of Mumia. Sabo not only purposefully excluded blacks from the jury pool, he intentionally dismissed exculpatory evidence during the trial, was overheard stating, “I am going to help them (Police) fry that nigger”, and at the time of his death had sentenced more defendants to death than any other sitting judge in he United States. Sabo also had a reputation of being a pro prosecution judge, but not just that, two thirds of his death sentences were eventually subsequently overturned by the Federal Courts. The same Courts just recently cited misconduct on his part, highlighting his ambiguous Jury Sentencing Instructions in which Sabo steered jurors in determining death rather than life in prison, and has caused Mumia’s death sentence to be ruled unconstitutional twice.  These facts and many like them are alarming. However, much of the evidence presented by prosecutors in this case that resulted in  Mumia’s conviction are outright sickening. One of the arresting Officers testified that he heard Abu-Jamal state, “I shot that motherf____r and I hope he dies”. The problem is that he reported these alleged facts 2 1/2 weeks after Mumia’s arrest. When the Cop was challenged as to why he hadn’t reported this crucial evidence at the time of the arrest he responded, “I didn’t know it was important to the case until now”. Yet, the Officer’s initial report states, “the subject said nothing”. The mere fact that even an all white jury was unable to conclude the Cop was a liar speaks volumes. The firearm that Mumia had on him that not which he was licensed to carry as a cab driver was never tested by Police to determine if it had been fired. The Ballistics (projectile or bullet removed from Faulkner) test was conveniently inconclusive and confirms that cops couldn’t determine if it was fired from Mumia’s gun. The Police’s account of that night was that Abu-Jamal stood over Faulkner and fired four times shooing him once execution style, but missing three times. Photographs of the crime scene from that nightt fail to show the typical bullet markings on the sidewalk, completely dispelling the Police’s theory, and supporting recanted stories by witness’ who say cops coerced them to lie on the stand as to what they saw the night of the Faulkner killing. If the bullet markings are not in the original crime scene photos than it is highly improbable that the shooting occurred in the manner that jurors were led to believe. One of the primary Officers on the scene also testified or lied I should say, that he carefully preserved ballistic evidence from the crime scene. Just this year more crime scene photos have surfaced which clearly show that Officer standing holding both Faulkner and Mumia’s gun with his bare hands. This is crucial because during the trial it was testified that Abu-Jamal’s finger prints were on the alleged murder weapon. I doesn’t take rocket science to show that this is complete bullshit.

Philly Cop holding alleged murder weapon in his bare hand that Police say Abu-Jamal used to kill Officer Daniel Faulkner. The image demonstrates that he lied on the stand when he testified that he had carefully preserved ballistic evidence. A fact by precedent of the U.S. Federal Appellate System typically is cause for a new trial. Mumia’s case has been marred by inconsistencies by Appellate Judges of this nature for decades.

The list of discrepancies in this case run on and on. Far too many to include in this Blog Post. The underlying mindset as to why Mumia killed Faulkner is that he was a radical Black Panther Party Member who wanted to kill a “Pig” as many BPPM publicly preached during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. It should be noted that prior to this arrest and conviction, Abu-Jamal had never had a history of violence of any kind. The reality of Mumia’s BPPM affiliation is that he served as the Philly Branch Minister of Information, a seat he held within the group during the Panther’s decline and fall from National prominence. Perhaps the FBI File developed on Mumia at age 12 (Abu-Jamal discovered this during his incarceration after filing a Freedom of Information Act Request from the Government) is in actuality the sole premise that Abu-Jamal was targeted by Police. Even the fact that a man named Arnold Beverly has made a sworn affidavit that he was hired to kill Faulkner by Mobbed up Philly Cops isn’t enough to free Abu-Jamal from incarceration for this crime despite overwhelming evidence which points to someone other then Mumia having pulled the trigger on that fatal night in 1981.

Arnold Beverly says he killed Officer Daniel Faulkner at the direction of the Mob, and not Abu-Jamal.

The Arnold Beverly Confession 

Authorities have known about the Beverly Confession for years now, but many say that he  isn’t credible. If we exclude the beverly Confession there is still a plethora of other elements in this case that reveals  Mumia Abu-Jamal should at least be granted a new trial. Failure to grant due process in any case within our Justice System is a crime in it’s self especially in cases which entails Life or Death. So we must ask ourselves why Mumia? Why millions around the world have marched, protested, and relentlessly sought his release from prison? There is only one true way to answer that question and that’s by allowing you to listen to Mumia for yourself. Click the links below and listen for yourself why racist Federal Courts want Mumia Abu-Jamal dead or behind bars for life.

Cointelpros Then And Now- Mumia Abu Jamal 

12 Mumia Abu-Jamal – The Enemies We Don’t Know

Mumia Abu Jamal 1; Justice Denied

America’s Prison System- Mumia Abu-Jamal

The People’s Champion

I’m David Adams

There is a very storied past that many care not to remember in the State of Mississippi during the Civil Rights era in America. Tales of lynchings and indiscriminate murders of black people without repercussions were the order of the day during a time when the life of a black person was considered insignificant, and backed by racist all white juries who often acquitted vicious murderers. That was a long time ago, but far to often we see crimes reemerge that mirror that Southern State’s culture of Race Hate. Most recently the ghost of Mississippi’s past reared it’s ugly head when James Craig Anderson, a 49-year-old auto plant worker, was standing in a parking lot, near his car.

A group of intoxicated teens from a town 16 miles away were on a mission to hurt a black person. The ring leader, John Aaron Rice edged the group on when he said, “let’s go fuck with some niggers”. Full of alcohol, on a mission of hate, the group of teens which also included several females piled into cars and drove 16 miles to a predominantly back section of Jackson. The group exited the Rte 20 ramp and saw Anderson in a Motel parking lot alone just before dawn. The group of teens is seen pulling into the parking lot, and stopping where Anderson is standing and began pummeling Anderson repeatedly as he  lie crumpled to the street. After the beating several of the teens left the area, but Deryl Dedmon, Jr and several other teens (females) climbed inside  of a green F-250 pick up truck. At this moment Anderson is seen as he staggered on the side of the road. and walked towards the headlights of the truck. The truck suddenly surges ahead, running over Anderson, then continuing at high speed away from the scene. Shortly after he allegedly drove the truck over Anderson, Dedmon allegedly boasted and laughed about the killing. “I ran that nigger over,” Dedmon allegedly said in a phone conversation to the teens in the other car. However, what the teens did not know was the entire incident was caught live on a video via a camera mounted on top of the motel.

The actual killing of James Craig Anderson on tape  (Warning: Video contains disturbing and graphic content)

After the beating and subsequent murder, the group of teens met up at a local McDonalds where witnesses say Dedmon was describes as unremorseful and even laughing about the brutal killing of a man for no provocation other than that he was black. We see from viewing the surveillance video that Anderson was alone that early morning in Jackson, completely vulnerable, and the attack went on for several minutes as the teens ran back and forth from their vehicles to where Anderson was on the ground. According to authorities they were able to piece together what had actually occurred after interviewing eye witnesses to the crime. It’s alarming to think that people actually stood by while this beating went on and no one came to Anderson’s aide. We recall incidents from Mississippi’s darker days that citizens were unwilling to cooperate with Police out of fear of retaliation from racist whites who were known to instill fear in anyone wanting to talk. It’s also hard to come to the realization that sadly, this same fear exist today. Though Police were able to take Dedmon into custody, I’m troubled that other teens inside the truck with him were not charged in this murder. The standard is that parties acting in harmony with others in the commission of a felony crime typically are charged in unison as if they were in fact the perpetrator themselves. Neither of the females inside of the truck that drove over Anderson mashing him to death called Police or reported the incident to authorities, and they too rightfully should be charged with murder as well. Then again this is Mississippi and we are familiar with the backward ways of how the Criminal Justice System plays out in that neck of the woods. Also, it’s a very disturbing fact that they may even walk or that their trial may even result in lesser charges considering the history of Mississippi juries. Although this story was reported by CNN, there hasn’t been much publicity or a public outcry denouncing this senseless violence, and particularly from the African American Community. Had the victim in this crime been a white person and the perpetrators  had been black, the surveillance video would almost certainly went viral! As sickening as this crime is, one must resolve at a even more disturbing perspective that such a obvious crime of hate has occurred with little more than a ripple from black people. No Black Leader (if there are even any true ones in existence today), Politician, Clergy, or even a member of Mr. Anderson’s family has come forward to display disgust at these tragic , heartless, and sickening events.

Walk Not Alone! 

The Emmit Till Story

Birmingham Church Bombing

How soon it seems that we have forgotten the struggles of many of our ancestors, their bondage, and the struggle for true freedom here in this Western Civilization. It might serve a greater and deeper understanding here to highlight the fact that those liberties and freedom that we enjoy today, would not have come to fruition without the aide of many of our God Fearing white brothers and sisters, but even they could not curtail many of the tragedies depicted in the images below!

These race hate crimes in 2011 can only and properly be associated with old Jim   Crow.  As the dust of the Civil war settled, many Blacks saw an era of prosperity and hope. This dream was cut drastically as a concerted effort was begun by whites to destroy any advances which Blacks had made for themselves. This effort was extremely successful in removing Blacks from the many state and federal offices which Reconstruction had allowed them to hold. But this was not enough. The architects of the revived South needed something more to further the cause of white supremacy and Black oppression. Out of this need, the era of Jim Crow was born with its “separate but equal” claims. And with it came a wave of violence against America’s newest citizens. The social atmosphere of white supremacy which Jim Crow had managed to create soon became a tide of hatred. Bolstered by the idea of the inferiority of Blacks and the protection of “white womanhood,” whites saw it as nothing to trample Blacks in a storm of violence. These attacks included lynchings, burnings, and race riots. And though the majority of this violence took place in the South, the North was by no means immune. For more than a century, angry whites made the life of Black America a continuous nightmare.  It seems that black America’s only escape from the harsh realities of racial brutality is to enact similar if not greater acts of violence against Racist American Whites! How soon we forget!

The People’s Champion

I’m David Adams

Young people congregated outside on the stoops of homes during the early morning hours is a familiar scene during summer months, and the normally quiet town of Stratford, Connecticut is not immune to such a youthful pass time. That towns calm was disrupted a few nights ago when a 20 year old man, enjoying the company of his long time girlfriend was slain after gun fire erupted. It is unclear how many gunman were involved in the shooting, the motive, and police have yet to name any suspect(s). The life of another one of our young people has come to a violent, tragic, and abrupt end. Before surrounding communities could grasp the full report about a seemingly senseless tragedy, just a few miles away in the  Northwest portion of the City of Bridgeport more violence emerged. Witness say a large group of kids heading to a “House Party” in the Washington Park section of the City were ambushed by a cowardly gunman who opened fire without warning, causing mass panic as one citizen describes as, “Kids running everywhere” to escape a vicious attack, and when the dust settled 4 teens lie bleeding on the street from  injuries ranging from non life threatening to fatal gunshot wounds. Like the Stratford Town Killing, Police could not immediately determine a motive nor suspect. The most serious injury in that incident resulted in the death of a 17 year old Harding High School Student who was about to enter his Senior Year in the Fall. A Parent familiar with kids victimized in this shooting, went to the aid of one of the youth who was shot in the thigh, held him, comforted him while awaiting responding Emergency Medical Service, and telephoned the child’s Mother to inform her of the alarming news that her son had been shot. Two of the Parents responded to an area Hospital and waited for what they described as what seemed like “an eternity” only for one Mother to be told that her son was in fact deceased. In the hours and days following these tragedies separate shrines emerged as family of the victims, friends, and concerned citizens brought novelties of affection to pay homage to the lives of young people who have fallen prey to an epidemic of violence which is now common place even in small town America.

Shrine erected by mourners of area teen killed while walking with friends to a house party in Washington Park Section of Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Mourners trying to cope with senseless tragedy that took the life of an area teen.

Candles formed in a Heart shape at makeshift Memorial for slain teen.

A closer look at  novelties of affection at growing shrine for slain teen.

As a Journalist I have written many similar articles, but I must tell their stories, not because it makes good reading, but because as a society we must arrive at a greater resolve to end the carnage that has besieged our children. The established ideology which currently exist within many of our communities that promotes apathy, postures of non empathy, and carefree culturalization remains inefficient now more than ever since the birth of  genocide within  the American youth population. Our children are dieing yet no one seems to care other than  those who knew and loved them. As the Church Choir sings, and the Preacher Man eulogizes  the souls of our dearly departed, outside the rumbling sounds of life will be heard as humanity’s  business presses on. Through the tears and sadness which will soon follow, a new day emerges leaving families to embark upon the disheartening task of moving on without their loved one, only their memory remains, and time will become a laboring chore each day.

It’s been nearly a month now since Media Reports surfaced surrounding the F.B.I. trying to obtain access to Social Media Accounts belonging to murdered Phylicia Barnes, and 4 Men from Baltimore. Authorities cite in a Federal Affidavit requesting Search Warrants of the Accounts because Investigators believe that a crime had occurred. A Federal Agent assigned to the Maryland Child Exploitation Division has stated on record that, “the volume of pornography discovered during the Investigation” leads authorities to believe that the Barnes Teen may have been a victim of Child Pornography & Child Exploitation. Media Reports indicate that Police are very tight lipped about the Child Porn and Exploitation angles of the case, and for good reason.  However, what isn’t clear  is where was the Pornography discovered, who was in possession of it, and why hasn’t the individual(s) been taken into custody? I think it’s extremely comprehensible that such evidence makes for a strong criminal case during summation of the subject(s) in possession of such material, but no one has been arrested as of yet regarding the alleged Child Pornography discovery aspect of this Murder Investigation. It seems very odd that the Cops have evidence of Child Porn and no one is in custody. I hinted at these facts in my last Blog Post after discovering the strange Post on Phylicia Barnes’ Myspace Page. During the initial stages of this Investigation Police were concerned about Post made on Myspace that occurred after the Barnes teen had been reported missing. Authorities solicited the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigations because the Myspace post made on December 28, 2010 (“wit my sis in bmore”), and December 31, 2010 (“bored as hell…..save me lol”) stuck out to them. Was Phylicia Barnes alive on December 31, 2010, did she make the Myspace Post, and if so why would she intentionally avoid contacting her Mother and Siblings regarding her where abouts? It seems very unlikely that Phylicia made those Myspace Post. There were other Myspace Post as well. On Febuary 12, 2011 her MSP posted, “i really ddo hate the snow’. Also, Phylicia’s Myspace page posted, “how do u del ur myspace cuz i dont even use da mess no more so theres no point in havin it”.

Phylicia Barnes Myspace Page

It’s very puzzling that the Barnes Teen Myspace had post during this time up until 3month after her reported disappearance. More importantly, the February and March Post are problematic. Phylicia’s mysterious disappearance had gained National Media attention and it’s highly unlikely that she would not have at least contacted her Mother. It’s more than probable that the Myspace Post were in fact not made by young Phylicia Barnes,  but rather some one posing as her. Could she have been held in captivity with access to a computer or internet enabled device? That’s a possibility, but why would the studious honer kid just post on Myspace about boredom, snow, and how to delete her Myspace Page? If the child was in danger or under some kind of duress it seems as if she would have posted something more cryptic that would give her relatives, her friends, and more importantly the authorities some kind of clue that would have set off an alarm regarding her physical well being. The Myspace Post were very bland and appeared if she was completely out of touch with the massive investigation and searches for her where abouts. Who else could have made the Myspace Post? This would involve some one other than Phylicia knowing the User Name and Password to her Myspace Account. I recall the “Two Peas In their Pods” broadcast on Blogtalk with the elder Barnes Siblings, and recall Brian Barnes saying during the Interview that Phylicia’s computer was on and that they were watching and looking for clues. Though a very minute element of the entire Interview, it does reveal that others very well could have gained complete unabated access to the child’s Myspace Account, and would explain why mysterious post were being made during the time of her disappearance. Baltimore City Police have reported that 3 of Phylica Barnes Social Media Accounts have been taken down already. By who and why? Clearly something  is extremely foul here. Why would Phylicia want to delete her Myspace Page? The post states, “how do u del ur myspace cuz i dont even use da mess no more so theres no point in havin it”. A simple peruse of Phylicia’s past Myspace history shows that the child was still utilizing the account. It appeared to have fallen off after the end of the previous school year, but prior to that she had been posting regularly about going to the mall, movies, and test scores. I am no writing analysis expert, but the text in those mysterious Myspace Post after her disappearance do not mirror the writing style of Phylicia’s in post she made prior to her disappearance. Someone other than Phylicia Barnes made the later Myspace Post. The Dec. 31, and February 12,  Myspace Post appear to have been designed to create deception. The child is missing, her picture is being displayed on every major television network in the country, and you mean to tell me that all she is worried about is snow and how to delete her Myspace Account? I am not buying it and I don’t believe the Cops are either. The Child Pornography & Child Exploitation angles are measures being utilized by authorities to obtain access to Social Media Accounts to determine who made those suspicious Myspace Post. The Police would not be able to obtain Search Warrants on a mere suspicion alone. Federal Judges or any Judge for that matter, typically will not grant such actions on a hunch. The explicit pictures opened the door to allow Investigators an opportunity to delve into an aspect of the case in which I am sure peaked their curiosity and suspicion from the onset of this Murder Investigation. It remains a complete mystery as to who made the Myspace Post on Phylicia Barnes Account in the days and months after her disappearance. What we do know is that it can be determined how, and with almost complete accuracy where the Post were made. The Internet Protocol Address linked to the device or computer that made the Myspace Post is with out equivocation “Ground Zero” in this Murder Investigation. Someone wanted the authorities to believe that young Phylicia Barnes was alive and well, yet for some unknown reason out of touch with her own highly broadcasted disappearance. To the person who made those Myspace Post, I will say this, “I would be willing to wager a life’s savings that the Police already know who you are”. The attempt to delete her Myspace Page was futile, because the trail of evidence pointing back to you had already been established. It’s this kind of basic ignorance that I am confident will solve this case. Justice for Phylicia Barnes!

The People’s Champion

I’m David Adams

The recently released news about FBI Agents filing for Search Warrants to obtain access to Social Media Accounts belonging to Phylicia Barnes and 4 men from Baltimore in an effort to determine if a Child Pornography and Child Exploitation Crime has occurred involving the Monroe, N.C. Honor Teen, has sparked a Media frenzy on Blog Sites, and produced a variety of new theories of what may have happened to the Barnes Kid. A simple peruse of many online Media sources list a host of rationalizations on why Police may be after Email, Facebook, Yahoo, and AOL Accounts. Though aspects of the Federal Affidavit remain sealed as it relates to the Pornography and Exploitation angles, many sites depict a scenario of Phylicia having fallen victim to a Child Pornography Ring, and even sex slavery as possibilities involving the tragic ending of Phylicia Barnes. The FBI submitted the Affidavit May 30 and Authorities have been consistently tight lipped about details of the case understandably not to tip off possible suspect involved in this heinous crime. It’s interesting to see the kinds of articles being produced which point to far fetched synopsis of the case. Child Slavery nor Prostitution has never been mentioned as a possible angle by any of the Police Agencies conducting the Investigation. Statements have been made regarding Pornographic Images, Explicit Videos, and it isn’t clear if these items are in fact that of Phylicia. Common sense would lead one to believe that this perception is the most logical explanation for such a Search Warrant. Not so fast though. Lets take a closer look at Child Pornography and Child Exploitation. When these terms are used we tend to conclude that it’s sickening graphic sexual images of small children, and that Exploitation is the solicitation of children for some superficial or monetary gain. Those closely monitoring this case can clearly see that Police efforts on the Porn and Exploit issues more than likely are not related to an atypical Child Pedophilia scenario. Let’s assume that Phylicia made a typical teen error and sent nude or sexually explicit images of herself to an adult male. At age 16 such images are in fact Child Pornography. Now let’s assume that the adult male in turn sends these images to a number of his adult male friends. That is in fact Child exploitation. The very words exploit means to use unfairly for one’s own advantage. Sexual abuse can take the form of child exploitation for example, by photographing the child in a compromising situation, with the intent to either use the photos for their own sexual stimulation or to sell the photos as pornography. Keep in mind my example offers the hypothetical situation with Phylicia voluntarily sending compromising images of herself to an adult male. However, when news broke about the Pornography and Exploitation angles, it was reported that the volume of Pornography found during the Investigation led authorities to believe that a crime had occurred. Considering the magnitude of the Investigation a volume of nude images, especially if they are that of young Phylicia Barnes, would almost certainly send a red flag to Police. What does all of this convey to us? The Legal Age of Consent in the State of Maryland is in fact 16. This is crucial in understanding what Authorities are alleging may have occurred prior to this child’s tragic ending. We must ask ourselves what kind of images were discovered? What compromising situation was Philicia in? Were the images captured via hidden camera or were they forced, and if so why have Authorities only offered persons of interest and not a complete suspect? The Child Pornography Exploitation angles don’t make sense if none of the previous rhetorical analogies apply to the purported Pornographic Images. Without proof that any of the 4 Baltimore Men either utilized the subject images for sexual gratification or solicitation for profit, a Child Pornography and Child Exploitation indictment would fall fatly on it’s face.What are they really after here?

Technology’s Role in Finding the Killer

We have all listened to the sickening interview conducted by “TwoPeasintheirPod” on Blog Talk Radio with the older Barnes siblings, heard Deena and Kelly Barnes apathetic version of the events that led up to Phylicia’s disappearance and subsequent murder, and we all are probably highly suspect of Deena’s Ex-Boyfriend (Micheal Johnson was the last person to reportedly have saw Phylica alive & hired an attorney even after Police proclaimed he was not a suspect). The Ex-Boyfriend’s Cousin/Brother issue was mind boggling until it was determined that they both were in fact at the apartment on the day Philicia went missing. All of these factors are suspect and very intriguing, but there is one element of the case that hasn’t been talked about much and I believe it is being done purposefully. I recall reports having serviced regarding a post on Phylicia’s Myspace Account. Two messages  caught the attention of detectives. One, marked December 28 read, “wit my sis n bmore.” Another message, apparently left December 31, three days after Barnes was reported missing read, “bored as hell…..save me lol.” Authorities don’t offer the actual time that the post were made, but deena Barnes has repeatedly stated that Phylicia was asleep when she left for work. One account by Deena has Phylicia talking with her about plans for later that day prior to her departure for work. Which ever of those two accounts are accurate, when was Phylicia with Deena or Kelly that day as the post on Phylicia’s Myspace Page suggested? What about the December 31 Post? Three days after Phylicia is reported missing she post on Myspace again, but doesn’t contact her Sisters, Mother or anyone to let them know she is alright and not in harms way. This is highly suspicious and not quite clear as to whether or not she purposefully avoided contacting family or was being held against her own will. The abduction theory may gain some leverage here, because Authorities did execute a Search Warrant at a West Baltimore residence after acquiring a tip that the teen may be possibly being held there. The Search didn’t turn up any leads. It appears that the despite determining signs of an actual abduction that the Myspace post on December 28 and 31 may still be the most promising aspects of this entire Murder Mystery. Why would Phylicia not contact her family? Police could not confirm if Phylicia posted the later message. Police won’t admit it on the record, but I don’t believe they think Phylicia actually made the December 31 Myspace Post. This is where Technology may come into play. Revisiting the Child Pornography & Exploitation angles, the  fact that they don’t make sense baring some bona fide evidence not made public, and the interesting Search Warrants for Social Media Accounts points to an attempt by Police to discover something related to those suspicious Myspace Post. It is very possible and highly likely that police want to know who made the Myspace post on December 31, the manner in which it was transmitted (a PC, Cell Phone, etc), what device was utilized, and the owner of the device used. Let’s face it, if Police can’t determine that Phylicia actually made the post, it tends to indicate a suspicion on their part related to the messages, and persons that may have been responsible for making them clearly did so to create deception regarding the status of young Phylicia Barnes. The party(s) who did so are also at minimum at the very apex of the child’s demise. If this theory holds true, the FBI in particular will have no problem in acquiring how the messages were transmitted. This probably more so than likely is why Authorities want access to Social Media Accounts. In the age of Modern Technology a lot can be determined via the use of GPS (Global Positioning Systems) and Data generated through Internet Sources.

Internet Protocol Address (I.P. Addy) Factors

Those Tech savvy ones of us know how Internet Data is generated, stored, transfered, and as well as how this information has become a highly successful tool in solving many of society’s crimes in modern times. The sick pathetic bastards who killed this promising child probably dont have the slightest clue of how I’m sure they will ultimately be caught. Let me give you a textbook explanation of how an I.P. Addy is significant in possibly solving this crime and others. Any device transmitting Data to a Internet Protocol is assigned an address unique from billions of other users on the World Wide Web . In lay man terms your device sends a signal to a satellite in outer space that relay a digital signal back to your Internet enabled Device. Now I don’t care if your on a PC, Laptop, Cell Phone, Wireless Network item (like a Game Boy, PSP Game, Wireless printer, Fax, etc) or anything that accesses the Internet, you can be tracked. That being said, it can easily give authorities a general idea who made those Myspace post on December 31. If Phylicia was still in fact alive on the day the messages were transmitted, the Authorities can still determine where they were made and the device used. Hell the suspect can even destroy the device and Police can still determine certain information because of the GPS association with most Internet Service Providers and the Data Encryption information. Bottom line if your online the probability of determining information regarding your Internet usage is in the high 90% range.

The Conowingo Dam: Site where the nude body of Phylicia Barnes was discovered.

Investigative Tactics

Police typically  have a good idea who may have committed certain crimes, but the task of making a case that can be presented to a jury and obtaining a conviction is an extremely difficult accomplishment. This is especially true in a Town like Baltimore who is notorious for aquittals by Juries in cases that should have ended in conviction. This is one area that I personally empathize with Police. I believe that Authorities have held suspicions all along but didn’t gain progress until the Child Pornography and Exploitation element of the case was born. With Phylicia being 16 years old, those nude images may have just been the break Police needed to gain access to Media Accounts which can provide critical Data Information surrounding Internet usage, and in this instance, the Myspace account of Phylicia Barnes. Assuming her demise had already occurred on December 31 it must be determined who also had access to her media Accounts (Username, Password, etc). If this entire scenario and perspective has any validity what so ever, we may finally be nearing  Justice for Phylicia. I remain in Prayer for Janice Sallis, the innocent Barnes family members, and all who knew and loved this child. May God continue comforting them all.

The People’s Champion

I’m David Adams

If you are one of the Bank Of America Customers whose Bank Account has been hit with continuous Over Draft fees from 2001 thru 2011, there is very good news. The hefty $35.oo over draft fee was a constant concern for many who patronized one of North America’s largest Banks, and even sparked an army of loyal BOA consumers to migrate to other Financial Institutions. Despite the massive exodus of long time customers, BOA continued it’s practices of essentially robbing it’s customers with the infamous heavy over draft penalties that many have been questioning the legality of for the past decade. Recently Attorney’s for an unnamed Client who initiated a Class Action Lawsuit against the Financial Conglomerate were able to broker a deal with the Bank. The terms of the settlement list a Trust of over 410 Million dollars to recoup loses that BOA Customers have had levied against their Accounts fo the past ten years. Though the terms of the settlement remain unapproved by Federal Courts, it does offer hope for restitution  for Banking Patrons who fell prey to an extremely abusive business practice. BOA Customer volume had been on a spiraling decline for years. The Bank’s profit margin appeared un effected by the loss of banking patrons due to it’s positioning of customer debit purchase transactions. BOA Policy Makers who instituted the practice afforded he bank to profit from Billions of dollars, and it came at the expense of it’s most valued asset; loyal customers. Here is how it worked:

Customers making Debit Card or Credit Card Purchases with Bank of America are offered the Bill Pay Feature upon establishing a Checking Account. The requirements for setting up the Account is as minimal as $25.00 (in comparison to most Banks who require $150.00). The Bill Pay feature is a Marketing tool sold to Customers under the auspice that your purchases would be covered in the event your spending exceeds the account’s available spending dollars. The advertisements site embarrassment and the assurance that your bills will be paid as a strong selling point to new customers. What they don’t tell you is that they secretly and meticulously scrutinize individual accounts, monitoring buying habits & spending trends, and position higher ticked Debit Sales for priority during the collection process. So, say a customer goes to Macy’s and make a purchase totaling $150.00 on Saturday, purchases $450.00 worth of gardening tools on Monday, the customer’s Bank credits are $350.00 as of Saturday Morning. The Customer assumes that earlier purchases would be due for payment first, and knows his/her Direct Deposit from their salary hits the Bank before Midnight on Tuesday morning. The 24 hour process it normally takes to process Debit/Credit purchases allows for a small window so that these purchases can be covered right? Wrong! BOA practices show that higher purchases like the $450.00 purchase are prioritized for payment even though the purchase was made two days after lower ticketed Debit purchases. this is a trend that I know I have personally observed for quite some time. I often wondered why purchases made 3-4 days later were sought for payment prior to earlier items at a lesser value.

It appeared  that individuals charge to process Debit purchases for BOA could work much expeditiously for higher Debit items, and it was extremely transparent. This is just a hypothetical synopsis of BOA practices and I am sure that their tactics are far more abusive. Also, other alarming trends by BOA is the fact that many retailers encourage patrons to utilize the Credit feature of Checking Cards. These practices have been rumored to afford sellers a $5.00 kickback per Credit purchase transaction. Ever make a purchase and try to utilize your Debit Card only to be told that the Debit Machine is malfunctioning and they can only take Credit Purchases? Well a little research and a lot of common since reveals that the process which require the proper functionality of these Debit/Credit Devices are exactly the same. The machine requires a modem to dial up to a Central Verification Network to obtain validity and authenticity of a Bank Card. Most Companies utilize VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) to achieve this task. Why is it that some machines can only dial up to verify Credit Purchases and not ones requesting Debit? They dial up to the same Central Processing Center. I personally have walked out of establishments who tell me they can only accommodate Credit transactions, because I’m educated on the inner dealings of Banking Institutions and their third party business associates. This particular practice is not however limited or unique to BOA, as many other Banks are implementing this policy. It is my hope that a Class Action will follow this recent suit against Bank of America. The onset of such a litigation will more than likely impact multiple Banking Firms if not all. However, the current BOA Class named in the impending settlement with BOA is scheduled for another hearing in November of 2011 for the purpose of determining the Legal Fees involving the case. The Notice sent to Customers listed in this Settlement Class indicate that the Legal Fees may run up to about %30 of the overall settlement. Not a bad hit to take if your over draft penalties run into the hundreds or thousand dollar range. The Settlement also offers the option for Class Members to exclude being listed in the Class for the purpose of individuals own personal Litigation Ambitions, as many may want to pursue Punitive Damages against BOA. Either option that those included in the Class choose, it appears to be a small victory for the People as vindication no matter how small it may be in comparison to the Billions already capitalized on by Bank of America. Your check will be in the mail and you don’t have to lift a finger!

I’m David Adams

The People’s Champion

Could it be that young Phylicia Barnes’ Murder case has now switched gears temporarily to pursue possible Child Pornography and Child Exploitation crimes involving the pretty Monroe, NC Honor teen? Could it be that authorities now believe that the child’s Killer was one of 4 Baltimore Men (over 18) that Phylicia apparently exchanged emails with? Could it also be possible that our young Flower sent sexually explicit images to 1 or all 4 of these Men? Baltimore Men I said! I will discuss that angle shortly. However, these rhetorical questions are  probably dancing around in the heads of many followers of this Tragic Case in light of Documents made Public, which were filed in Maryland U.S. District Court highlighting an FBI Special Agent assigned to the State’s Child Exploitation Task Force request for Facebook, Yahoo, and AOL Accounts of the Barnes Teen and at least 3 other people. Authorities say they are seeking access to the accounts as part of a Child Pornography Investigation and Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, though the affidavits that spell out that angle remain sealed and agencies involved in the case refused to comment. The warrants seek access to two Yahoo email accounts and one AOL email account that include Barnes’ first name, along with her Facebook page. In the May 10 federal court filing, unsealed on June 30, FBI Special Agent Jacqueline Dougher, who works from the Baltimore field office with the state’s child exploitation task force, also requested access to three other Facebook pages and four other email accounts that appear to be associated with Baltimore men. At least one is linked to a man with the same name as a man previously interviewed by police. The documents say that authorities “have reason to believe that” within the accounts there is evidence related to a violation of “sexual exploitation of children” and “distribution and possession of child pornography.”

Apparently Russel Barnes was contacted by Authorities Investigating the case and advised him that the “Child Pornography” and “Child Exploitation” angle would be made public. Considering the circumstances it was a very decent thing to do giving the Elder Barnes a heads up before that kind of information about his Daughter’s Murder hit the Media. Also,  Legal experts say the latest Federal court Filings does not necessarily mean that the case has a sex crime element, but that evidence of sexually explicit material discovered during the investigation is being used as an entry into computer accounts that could provide new insight into her death. Russel Barnes was quoted as saying, “They said some people weren’t being truthful, and they had to go get some search warrants,” he said. “They’ve got it wide open now to see what happened.” Going back to the “Baltimore Men” angle I duly noted at the onset of this Blog Post, It should stick out like a sore thumb to all who have followed this case, the fact that Phylicia reportedly according to her family didn’t know anyone in Baltimore other than her three older siblings. I personally can’t help but recall media reports from the early stages of the Case’ development, in particular one of Phylicia’s friends account that she allegedly told her about the door to older Sister Deena Barne’ Apartment never being locked, and the high volume of traffic in and out. The Media reported that Police described the older Barnes’ Apartment as a College Flop House with people coming and going all the time. My point here is that if it’s true that Phylicia didn’t know anyone from Baltimore, her apparent association with Baltimore Men via Cyber Social Networking, more then likely derived from those males frequenting Deena’s apartment. On a hunch I am guessing that the male highlighted in the Federal Warrant, and previously interviewed by police, is one of the Young Men related to Deena’s so called Ex-Boyfriend. The Cousin/Brother who Deena seemed to not  be able to recall accurately is the male I am referring to here. It’s just a hunch, but we will see as these latest developments play out. The Child Pornography and Child Exploitation angles are very intriguing and shocking. Though those angles of the U.S. Court affidavit remain sealed, it doesn’t take rocket science to figure out that some Sexually Explicit Material was transfered between Phylicia and the 3 Baltimore Men. Why else would the FBI Child Exploitation Division be seeking Email and Social Media Accounts? It’s ordinary practice for law enforcement to get search warrants on everybody and anybody who’s related to a Case of this magnitude to see if there’s other evidence of other crimes. A tip is not enough for a Judge, especially a Federal Judge to issue a search warrant. There has to be reliability to  the filed affidavit and probable cause that indicates that a crime has occurred. Is this a tactic being used by the FBI to hammer away at individuals with knowledge of the case, individuals whose accounts don’t add up, or persons of interest who appear suspicious? It seems that the Child Pornography and Child Exploitation angle may become a bargaining tool to rattle cages and get people to start talking. The fear of Federal Indictment on these charges just may be what’s needed to finally get to the bottom of Phylicia’s tragic ending. I remain troubled by the volume of men in and out of Deena Barnes’ apartment. For what purpose were all of these people there for? Why was this child left alone with with a strange male relative of Deena’s Boyfriend? If you recall doing the Blog Talk Interview, Deena states that her Ex was there to pick up a Cousin/Brother. Later on in the BTI it’s revealed by Deena that this relative actually lived there. This New Development is shocking and adds further insight into the events that led up to this child’s death. The Federal Warrants also leaves no doubt that the sexually explicit material found during the Investigation is undoubtedly Pornographic Images of young Phylicia Barnes. As always I’ll be monitoring this case as the story continues to develope.

I’m David Adams

The People’s Champion

Orlando, FL Police Investigating the 2008 disappearance of 21/2 year old Caylee Anthony found Google Search  queries for “Chloroform”, how to make it, and searches for neck breaking on the young child Mother’s home computer. It would seem that such circumstantial evidence would be significant and determining that the Tot’s Mom was involved in the disappearance and subsequent death of the Anthony Toddler. In the eyes of many this evidence was enough, and Casey was found guilty in the eyes of Public Opinion long before authorities could spur an indictment against her. Investigators also learned on the day that Caylee’s Maternal Grand Mother reported her missing that the child had been missing for a little over a month (31 days).

Then the Circus began, resulting in Casey being arrested multiple times on unrelated minor charges for theft and unauthorized use of Credit Cards. The Media launched a smear campaign to highlight what many within the American Public considered to be, “White Trash”, and an army of people affiliated with the “Tot Mom” came forward revealing valuable and crucial knowledge about Casey related to the case. Police were able to tear down a wall of lies that Casey made on record to authorities. When the Capitol Murder trail began Florida’s District Attorneys Office publicly announce that the State planed to seek the Death Penalty. Those hopes all came crashing down today when the Jury’s verdict was read and Casey was acquitted on the three Felony Charges of Murder, Child Neglect, and Manslaughter respectively. The People did convict the “Tot Mom” on 4 lesser indictments of providing False Information to police. The troubled young Mom offered what appeared to be dry tears as a sign of relief upon learning of her acquittal. Casey then openly smiled and offered a hugging session with her Defense Team as they all paraded around the Court Room with expressions of jubilation. Many say this high profile Capitol Murder Case resembled the “Case of the Century”, when the Jury acquitted famed NFL Great O.J. Simpson for Murder. Like the O.J. Case, it was widely believed that the People would be vindicated and Casey Anthony would be found guilty of murdering her own daughter. A greater number of people within the public particularly the African American Community are not surprised by today’s verdict, as the State presented only highly circumstantial evidence, and no smoking gun which is generally required as a standard when whites are similarly situated in cases involving violent crimes committed by blacks. Regardless of the arguments presented by any personal or political perspective, the end result remains the same. Casey Anthony walked in a Capitol Murder Case that society at large believes she committed, and there still is no justice for young Caylee Anthony. Read this incredible story below and decide for yourself:

I’m David Adams

The Peoples Champion

The Casey Anthony Story

   Caylee Marie Anthony (August 9, 2005 – c. June 16, 2008)[1] was a child from Orlando, Florida, whose disappearance in June 2008 attracted national media attention. Caylee’s skeletal remains were discovered December 11, 2008, six months after she was reported missing by her grandmother, Cindy Anthony.[2] Her mother, Casey Anthony, decided not to report her daughter missing, and was indicted on charges of felony murder, though she continued to maintain her innocence throughout her trial. Casey Anthony was found not guilty of murder, aggravated child abuse, and aggravated manslaughter, but guilty of providing false information to a law enforcement officer. According to Casey Anthony’s father, George Anthony, Casey left the family’s home on June 16, 2008,[3] taking Caylee (who was almost 3) with her and did not return for 31 days.[4] Cindy asked repeatedly during the month to see Caylee, but Casey claimed that she was too busy with a work assignment in Tampa, Florida. At other times, she said Caylee was with a nanny, later identified by Casey as Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez, or at theme parks or the beach.[5] It was eventually determined that although Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez did in fact exist, she had never met Casey nor Caylee Anthony, any member of the Anthony family, or any of Casey’s friends. On July 13, 2008, while doing yard work, Cindy and George Anthony found a notice from the post office for a certified letter affixed on their front door. George Anthony picked up the certified letter from the post office on July 15, 2008, and found that his daughter’s car was in a tow yard.[7] When George picked up the car, both he and the tow yard attendant noted a strong smell coming from the trunk. Both later testified that they believed the odor to be that of a decomposing body.[8] When the trunk was opened it contained a bag of trash, but no human remains.[9]

Caylee Anthony was reported missing to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office on July 15, 2008,[3] by her grandmother, Cindy. During the same call, Casey Anthony acknowledged to the 911 operator that Caylee had been missing “for 31 days”.[10][11] A distraught Cindy also told the 911 operator “There is something wrong. I found my daughter’s car today and it smells like there’s been a dead body in the damn car.” When Detective Yuri Melich, with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, began investigating the disappearance of Caylee Anthony, he found discrepancies in Casey’s signed statement.[13] When questioned, Casey said Caylee had been kidnapped by her nanny, Zanny. Although Casey had talked about Zanny, she had never been seen by Casey’s family or friends, and in fact there was no nanny.[5][14] Casey also told police that she worked at Universal Studios, a lie she had been telling her parents for years. Investigators brought Casey to Universal Studios on July 16, 2008, the day after Caylee was reported missing, and asked her to show them her office. Casey led police around for a while before admitting that she had been fired years before.[15] Casey Anthony was first arrested on July 16, 2008,[3] and was charged the following day with giving false statements, child neglect, and obstruction of a criminal investigation. The judge denied bail, saying Casey had shown “woeful disregard for the welfare of her child.”[14] On August 21, 2008, after one month of incarceration, Casey Anthony was released from the Orange County jail after her $500,200 bond was posted by the nephew of California bail bondsman Leonard Padilla[16] in hopes that Casey would cooperate and Caylee would be found.[17] She was arrested again on August 29, 2008, on charges of forgery, fraudulent use of personal information, petty theft for forging $700 worth of checks and using her friend’s credit cards without permission.[18] Leonard Padilla, whose nephew posted Casey Anthony’s bail, stated that if he had known before the bail was posted what he learned later, including that Anthony would not cooperate with him, he probably would not have helped get her out of jail. On August 11, 12, and 13, 2008, tips of a suspicious object found in a forested area near the Anthony residence were called in to police by a meter reader, Roy Kronk. However, a search was not conducted at that time. After another report from the same man on December 11, 2008, human remains were found in a plastic bag. Duct tape was found on the face of the skull.[20][21][22][23] [24] On December 12, the remains were tentatively identified as Caylee’s. On December 15, WFTV reported that more bones were found in the wooded area near the spot where the remains had initially been discovered.[26] On December 19, 2008, medical examiner Jan Garavaglia confirmed that the remains found were those of Caylee Anthony. The death was ruled a homicide and the cause of death listed as undetermined.

Casey Anthony was offered a limited immunity deal by prosecutors until September 2, 2008 but did not take it. On September 5, 2008, Casey Anthony was released again on bail after being fitted with an electronic tracking device.[31] Casey Anthony was arrested for the third time on September 15, 2008, on new charges of theft,[32] and was released shortly afterward.[33] Her $500,000 bond was posted anonymously,[34] and it was later revealed that her parents, Cindy and George Anthony, signed a promissory note for the bond. On October 14, 2008, Casey Anthony was indicted by a grand jury on charges of felony murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter of a child and four counts of providing false information to police.[36] She was arrested for the fourth time. She entered a plea of not-guilty to the charges that she killed Caylee.[33] On October 21, 2008, the charges of child neglect were dropped against Casey. In a statement that morning, the State Attorney’s Office explained: “The neglect charges were premised on the theory that Caylee was still alive. As the investigation progressed and it became clear that the evidence proved that the child was deceased, the State sought an indictment on the legally appropriate charges. On April 13, 2009, prosecutors announced that they planned to seek the death penalty in this case. The case attracted a large amount of national media attention, and was regularly the main topic of many TV talk shows, including those hosted by Greta Van Susteren, Nancy Grace, Geraldo Rivera, and others. It has been featured on Fox’s America’s Most Wanted,[39] NBC’s Dateline, and ABC’s 20/20.

Nancy Grace first referred to Casey Anthony as the “tot mom”[40][41][42] and urged the public to let “the professionals, the psychics and police” do their job.[3][43][44][45][46]

Casey Anthony’s parents, Cindy and George, appeared on The Today Show on October 22, 2008. They maintained their belief that Caylee was alive and would be found.[47] Larry Garrison, president of SilverCreek Entertainment, was their spokesman until he resigned in November 2008, citing that he was leaving due to “the Anthony family’s erratic behavior.”[48]

More than 6,000 pages of evidence released by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, including hundreds of instant messages between Casey and ex-boyfriend Tony Rusciano, have been the subject of increased scrutiny by the media for clues and possible motives in the homicide.[49] Rusciano, a rookie Orange County deputy, was fired for lying about his sexual relationship with Casey Anthony.[3]

Outside the Anthony home, WESH TV 2 reported that protesters repeatedly shouted “baby killer”[50] and that George Anthony was physically attacked.[51] George Anthony was reported missing on January 22, 2009, after he failed to show up for a meeting with his lawyer, Brad Conway. George was found in a Daytona Beach hotel the next day after sending messages to family members threatening suicide. He was taken to Halifax Hospital for psychiatric evaluation[52] and later released.

The LA Weekly made a comparison between this case and the OJ Simpson murder trial. The Anthony case broke new ground regarding scientific evidence.

University of Tennessee’s “Body farm” discovered “hair banding”, a phenomenon in which hair roots can form a dark band after death. A hair found in the trunk of the Anthony car exhibited this pattern.[51] Air samples were to sent to University of Tennessee’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory.[51]

On Friday, October 24, 2008, a forensic report by Dr. Arpad Vass of the Oak Ridge Laboratory in Tennessee stated that results from an air sampling procedure (called LIBS) performed in the trunk of Casey Anthony’s car showed chemical compounds “consistent with a decompositional event” based on the presence of five key chemical compounds out of over 400 possible chemical compounds that Dr. Vass’s research group considers typical of decomposition (human decomposition was not specified). Whether or not the decomposition was human is still unknown, but was indicated as a possibility. The process has not been affirmed by a Daubert Test in the courts.[54] Dr. Vass’s group also stated there was the presence of chloroform in the car trunk. In evidence hearings in March and April 2011, Dr. Ken Furton, a biochemist and nuclear chemist, pointed out with examples from various studies that there is no consensus in the field on what chemicals are typical of human decomposition.[citation needed]

DNA samples could not confirm whether the source was alive or dead. The only DNA testing by the FBI was limited to 752 base pairs out of 16,569 base pairs (less than 5% of the mitochondrial genome sequence). Evidence was found that someone had searched the Internet on Casey Anthony’s computer for the use of the chloroform and how to make it.[55] On November 26, 2008, officials released 700 pages of documents related to the Anthony investigation, which included evidence of Google searches of the terms “neck breaking”, “how to make chloroform”, and “death” on Casey Anthony’s home computer.[56]

Investigators also entered into the body of evidence a photo from the computer of Ricardo Morales, an ex-boyfriend of Casey Anthony, which depicts a joke in which a man is using a chloroform-soaked rag to drug a woman. Casey and Caylee Anthony had stayed with Morales on several occasions until June 9, 2008.[citation needed]

On February 18, 2009, documents released by the State Attorney’s Office in Florida indicated that the same type of laundry bag, duct tape, and plastic bags discovered at the crime scene were found in the house where Casey and Caylee resided. Heart-shaped stickers were also recovered by investigators. According to an FBI laboratory email, a heart-shaped outline was originally seen on the duct tape that was recovered from the mouth area of Caylee’s skull, but the laboratory was not able to capture the heart shape photographically and could no longer see it after the duct tape was dusted for fingerprint processing. The documents also indicate that Cindy Anthony stated to them that a Winnie the Pooh blanket was missing from Caylee’s bed. This type of blanket was found at the crime scene. An entry from Casey Anthony’s diary was also released.[57]

The following diary entry by Casey Anthony is dated “June 21” and reads:

I have no regrets, just a bit worried. I just want for everything to work out OK. I completely trust my own judgment and know that I made the right decision. I just hope that the end justifies the means. I just want to know what the future will hold for me. I guess I will soon see – This is the happiest that I have been in a very long time. I hope that my happiness will continue to grow– I’ve made new friends that I really like. I’ve surrounded myself with good people – I am finally happy. Let’s just hope that it doesn’t change.[58]

Transfer writing (imprints of writing) from other pages of the diary revealed the mention of a person named Kenneth, whom Casey had dated in 2003. A member of Casey Anthony’s defense team, spokeswoman Marti MacKenzie, contends that this entry was written in 2003 prior to Caylee’s birth. The defense contends that the opposite page has “’03” written in one of the corners as the date, and the handwriting on the two pages matches. However, there was no authentication that the “’03” signified a date, or when it was entered in the diary or by whom. The prosecution acknowledged that it did not know when the entry was made.[59] In January 2010, however, an FBI report released in the media stated that the diary in question was not on the market until 2004. Anthony told investigators that she had left 2-year-old Caylee on June 16 with a babysitter named Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez – also known as “Zanny” – at a specific Orlando apartment complex. A woman named Zenaida Gonzalez who was on the apartment records as having visited apartments on that date was questioned by police and said she did not know Casey or Caylee.[60] She has since filed a defamation suit seeking compensatory and punitive damages, alleging that Casey willfully damaged her reputation.[61] It was reported that Anthony would be exercising her rights under the Fifth Amendment in response to written questions in the civil case.[62] The civil trial is set for August 29, 2011. On June 30, 2010, Andrea Lyon presented a Motion to Withdraw as Counsel representing Casey Anthony.[63] Linda Kenney-Baden withdrew in October 2010. Both cited travel costs as a barrier in continuing to represent Anthony.[64]

Brad Conway, the attorney representing Casey Anthony’s parents, withdrew in mid-August 2010, citing allegations in a defense motion that he received special treatment in reviewing records. Conway claimed these allegations were false, but that this now made him a witness in the case, which forced him to withdraw. Jury selection began on May 9, 2011, at the Pinellas County Criminal Justice Center in Clearwater, Florida, because the case had been so widely reported in the Orlando area. Jurors were brought from Pinellas County to Orlando.[66] Jury selection took longer than expected and ended on May 20, 2011, with twelve jurors and five alternates being sworn in.[67] The panel contained nine women and eight men. It was estimated that the trial would last about two months, during which the jury would be sequestered to avoid influence from information available outside the courtroom.[68]

The trial began on May 24, 2011, at the Orange County Courthouse, with Judge Belvin Perry presiding. In the opening statements, prosecutor Linda Drane Burdick described the story of the disappearance of Caylee Anthony day-by-day. The defense, led by Jose Baez, presented its claim that Caylee drowned accidentally in the family’s pool on June 16, 2008, and was found by George Anthony, who then covered up Caylee’s death. Baez also alleged that George Anthony had sexually abused Casey since she was eight years old, and also claimed that Casey’s brother Lee had made sexual advances toward Casey; he was even given a paternity test to see if he was Caylee’s father.[69] However, the defense offered no proof of any sexual abuse of Casey by either George or Lee Anthony; consequently the defense was not allowed to mention claims of sexual abuse in their closing arguments. The prosecution alleged an intentional murder and sought the death penalty against Casey Anthony. On June 30, the defense team for Casey Anthony rested, without Anthony testifying in her own defense.[71] The jury began deliberations on July 4. On July 5, the jury found Casey Anthony not guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter, or aggravated child abuse, but guilty on four counts of misdemeanor providing false information to a law enforcement officer.[73] Anthony will be sentenced on Thursday, July 7 at 9 a.m. ET on the conviction of giving false information to law enforcement officers.[74] Anthony faces a maximum of one year in county jail for each count she was found guilty of. Due to already having spent years in county jail awaiting trial, it is possible, having already time-served, that she may be released on the date of her sentencing, July 7, 2011.