Teacher from Kentucky Murdered in Chile

The body of 22-year-old Erica Faith Hagan was discovered in her apartment in Chile on Saturday,
with the assumption she had been murdered sometime on Friday.

She was found in her bathtub with several wounds to her head, presumably from a blunt object.

Hagan had graduated from Georgetown College and decided to travel to Chile after partaking in a mission trip there earlier. Her murder took place on the campus of Colegio Bautista of Temuco.

After being notified of her death, her family is flying out to Chile. Officials from Chile have not released any information on the case at this time.

Georgetown College will have a memorial service for Hagan this week.

Hodgenville Mayor Terry L. Cruse Indicted on 14 Counts

Mayor Terry L. Cruse, 56, of Hodgenville, along with City Clerk MaDonna Hornback, 52, were indicted Monday by a LaRue County grand jury.

The Mayor is facing nine counts of abuse of public trust; one count of theft by unlawful taking; two counts of campaign contribution restrictions/expense limits; and two counts of forgery.

For Hornback, she was charged with 54 counts of abuse of public trust; and one count of theft by unlawful taking.

A bond of $9,500 cash or property was set. The two should be in court sometime in January 2014.

The alleged abuse of city gas cards is the reason behind the charges.

More will be reported as the story unfolds.

Kentucky "Pastor" Accused of Being Drug Kingpin

The so-called pastor of Holiness Tabernacle Church in Olive Hill, Kentucky, Scott Gilliam, was arrested and accused of being a drug kingpin by police. He is being called the head of the largest pill trafficking ring in the history of Kentucky.

The unidentified lead detective of the state's FADE drug task force said that Gilliam "pastored a church while he was engaging in a major drug trafficking organization [which] is pretty heinous."

"Tens of thousands of pills that have a street value of $40 to $45 each. So you're talking [a] multi-million dollar trafficking organization," added the lead detective.

Gilliam used the church building as a base to traffic the drugs. Arrested with Gilliam was Brandon Logan, 28. The two were charged with conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and possession with intent to distribute.

This underscores the need for Christianity to take a much closer look at changing its practices, as people that are in fellowship and close relationships would have been able to see what was going on, and deal with it before it reached these proportions.

Another important factor is Christians must perform far better due diligence when identifying leaders, as there are clear mandates in the Bible as to what constitutes a leader, and those requirements must be not only identified, but proven over time.

3 Dead in Danville, Ky Robbery

Photo: The Advocate-Messenger, Clay Jackson

A customer and the owners of ABC Gold Games & More pawn shop in Danville, Kentucky are dead after what appears to be a robbery. Also inside the store at the time of the even were children 9-years-old and 18-months-old. The 9-year-old was the one who called 911 to alert authorities.

After the shooting Centre College and the Kentucky School for the Deaf were put on lockdown.

The alleged shooter is described as "a white male, about 20, with a scruffy beard and black hoodie who was riding a bicycle."

The shooter has yet to be apprehended.

Killer Lesbian Has No Respect for Kentucky Constitution

A murderous lesbian named Bobbie Joe Clary is attempting to reject Kentucky law by claiming Vermont law supersedes Kentucky law because she and her lesbian partner Geneva Case had a civil union ceremony in Vermont, and so should be considered a married couple in Kentucky. The importance of that is Clary was heard by Case to admit she had murdered George Murphy of Portland during a robbery, and is now attempting to not have to testify against here, invoking the non-existent "Husband-Wife" privilege under Kentucky state law.

It's not existent because it only pertains to real marriages between one man and one woman, the only marriage recognized by Jesus Christ.

Clary claims she killed Murphy in self defense in response to him allegedly trying to rape her. She hit the 64-year-old man in the head with a hammer, ending his life.

It's definitely odd that she would clean blood out the van of a man that had attempted to rape here. You would think she would have reported it to police as evidence. Case heard Clary admit the murder, but now is attempting to not have to testify against her in a trial.

For some reason this has now turned into a circus, with it being not the case of a murder, but some outrageous attempt to turn it into whether or not Vermont law supersedes Kentucky law. It doesn't, and this should quickly be brushed aside so the trial can go on unhindered to give the murdered man justice.

It's sickening to see a murdered man's search for justice turned into whether or not Kentucky must recognize homosexual civil unions or marriages.

The answer is Kentucky doesn't because the people have spoken. The only marriage allowable and recognized under Kentucky law is that between one man and one woman. To be forced to recognize a same-sex marriage from another state is nothing more than an attempt to use this tragic murder as an excuse to force homosexual marriage to be legally recognized in the state, as all any homosexual would have to do is get married in a state that allows it and then come back to Kentucky, forcing the state to recognize it as a marriage.

The Kentucky constitution says this: "only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage."

Clary's attorneys Angela Elleman Michael Ferraraccio argued in a motion. "Kentucky apparently recognizes that convicted felons have a protected right to marry, yet law-abiding homosexuals are denied legal recognition of their marriage."

Since when did a murderer suddenly become a law-abiding homosexual. But they aren't law-abiding, because beyond the murder and covering it up, they're attempting to trample on the constitution of Kentucky, which rejects totally and completely any type of homosexual union. 

The state Court of Appeals made a ruling in 2008 saying that people in a same sex relationship do not have the privileges and protections of marriage, calling it a "legal fiction" to give "equal protection, equal rights, to gay couples."

Jefferson Circuit Court Judge Susan Schultz Gibson has set a July 30 hearing date to address the issue. 

What's there to rule on. The court already made the decision, and there is no confusion or uncertainty as to what it means.

Bardstown Honors Slain Police Officer

The widow of slain Bardstown police officer Jason Ellis, 33, and their two sons, paid respect Monday to the husband and father, who has gunned down while attempting to remove debris from the road.

Extended family joined them as they gathered around his patrol car in an emotional candlelight vigil, which included hundreds of supporters in the community.

There were also flowers and flags commemorating the life of the well-liked officer and man.

No doubts remain as to what happened, as it was a planned event where someone had planned on shooting someone at that particular spot. The only question remaining is whether or not it was specifically planned for Ellis, or he was a random victim.

Ellis is suspected of having been attacked immediately after exiting his car, as he his gun was still in his holster when his body was found. He had been shot numerous times with a shotgun, according to reports.

No information on what the debris was or where the shooters had been standing have been released by investigators.

Motorists finding the body of Ellis used the radio in his car to call it in. They had believed it had been an accident.

There are no suspects in custody at this time, although it is possible there could have been more than one person involved in the shooting. While not stated, the assumption is the multiple gunshot wounds may have been from more than one shooter.

The funeral of Ellis will be held on Thursday in Bardstown.

Pastor Reflects on Life of Slain Bardstown Officer

The death of Bardstown police officer Jason Ellis still has the community and fellow officers in
shock, as after responding to what was thought to be an accident involving a police officer, the first officer to the scene found Ellis had been murdered, dying from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the coroner's office.

Speculation at this time is Ellis had stopped to move debris on the way home from his shift, and was ambushed. When his body was discovered his firearm was still in his holster.

Based upon the trajectory of the bullets, it is assumed the shooter was positioned above the exit 34 ramp of the Bluegrass Parkway.

Ellis' Pastor,  Brent Snook of First Baptist Church of Glen Este, said this:

“I was very close to Jason. In 25 years, he as one of the kids that grew up in the church. He was a good friend of my oldest daughter. He was just very close to me. I just loved the guy. He was the kind of guy that everybody liked.”

Alluding to his love of baseball, having played minor league ball for the Cincinnati Reds, Brent recalled Ellis' love for baseball, integrity, and strong faith in Jesus Christ.

Ellis is survived by wife and two sons.

At this time there have been no witnesses who have come forward, and no arrests have been made.

Kentucky Pain Clinic Owners Pleaded Guilty in Oxycodone Case

 

Following the indictment of Dr. Rano Bofill and pleading guilty of Dr. Richard Albert, Tammy Cantrell, 40, of Oil Springs, Ky., and Shelby Lackey, 50, of Williamsport, Ky., owners of Care More Pain Management in Paintsville, Kentucky, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and unlawfully dispense oxycodone and maintaining a drug-involved premise.


Cantrell and Lackey conspired with doctors to dispense over 50,000 prescription pills, and will be sentenced for their crime in September.

Dr. Richard Albert agreed to give back $500,000 in proceeds from the illegal sales of oxycodone, as did Cantrell and Lackey. Dr. Rano Bofill pleaded not guilty and will go to trial in May. Albert will be sentenced in June.

“We think this is a very significant case,” said U.S. Attorney Kerry Harvey. “This puts an end to this chapter in the fight against these pill mills.”

According to court records, doctors "practicing" at Care More did little or no physical examinations before they wrote the prescriptions. The majority of pills dispensed were for 90 Percocet 10-milligram.

There was no insurance accepted at the clinic, and doctors made no referrals for physical rehabilitation.

Costs were $200 for an initial visit and $185 for followup visits.

Kentucky Police Arrest R. Prophet of Nappy Roots

 

Kentucky police reportedly arrested R. Prophet of the southern hip hop group Nappy Roots after he
was pulled over at a DUI checkpoint.

Prophet was one of the founding members of Nappy Roots, which was formed at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green in the 1990′s. He is originally from Oakland, California.

The group received national attention from their debut album Watermelon, Chicken, & Gritz, with singles “Awnaw” and “Po’ Folks” generating significant interest and sales. Prophet eventually left Nappy Roots to go solo. He was born Kenneth Anthony.

According to police, the 35-year-old wasn't arrested at first, as they gave him a chance to call someone to pick him up. He apparently became belligerent after police attempted to keep him from continually walking towards traffic.

“The guy refused to quit walking into the roadway. It was obvious to our troopers he was severely intoxicated,” said Kentucky State Police trooper Norm Chaffins.
 
At that point, realizing he was intoxicated, Prophet resisted arrest, eventually having to be tazered several times, as well as being pepper sprayed to get him under control.

He reportedly started to hit his head against the window of the police car once inside, which resulted in more measures being taken to subdue him.

Not willing to bear responsibility for his actions, he told a current member of Nappy Roots, B. Stille, that the police tried to kill him by using excessive force. 

While police are definitely capable of using excessive force, it doesn't seem this is one of the cases, as Prophet obviously harmed himself, and if he was drunk enough, wouldn't be able to properly access what really went down. Who knows, this could be a break for him to get back into the limelight.

Prophet was released on bond after being charged with alcohol intoxication, menacing, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief and assault of a police officer.

Somerset Student Charged with Felony over Bringing Gun to School

In an overreaction by school authorities at Southern Elementary School in Somerset, Kentucky, an 11-year-old boy was charged with a felony for bringing a gun to school, one that he forgot in his pants after sports shooting the day before with his dad.

The student, after being dropped off at school, discovered he had forgotten the gun in his pocket and told his teacher he had it.

According to Pulaski County Sheriff Todd Wood, the little boy has a court appearance where he will be tried as a juvenile.

A letter from Keith Patrick, principal at Southern Elementary, included this:

Regardless of the self-report and seemingly lack of motive on the part of the student, this matter is being handled with the utmost concern, urgency and seriousness that it deserves. The Pulaski County School System will pursue any criminal charges as allowable and the student was removed from school.

Sheriff Todd Wood then started creating scenarios of what could have happened, saying “Someone might be looking at the gun who doesn’t know about any type of gun safety, or it could go off accidentally and shoot (the juvenile suspect) himself. There are so many scenarios that could go wrong and pose so many different threats.”

It's disgusting to see this principle and sheriff cover their rear ends by making this unfortunate but innocent event into far more than it was.

The idea of pursuing felony charges against an 11-year-old boy, as well as threatening possible action against the father of the boy is ludicrous and positioning at best.

Facts are nothing happened, and while there was irresponsibility involved, it was totally an accident that should have been left alone once the boy let it be known he had accidentally left the gun in his pants.

How can it be illegal to forget something, even it if is a gun?

The boy is getting punished for doing the right thing, sending a message that students should keep things secret if they will end up getting in trouble for telling the truth. It should have been handled privately and out of the media and limelight. Is this mainstream media and anti-2nd Amendment people using the boy as a scapegoat and prop for their agenda?

Seeing the ridiculous response from authorities seems to point that way.

Kentucky Man Arrested Over School Threat

A Henderson, Kentucky man was arrested Sunday no charges he allegedly making a threat that he could use explosives at the high school in the Kentucky city.

Sitting at a restaurant in what was thought to be a private conversation, 20-year-old Brenden Mathis was supposedly overheard making comments about using explosives at the high school.

An instant communication system called One Call was used to report the alleged conversation to the Henderson County school system.

After receiving the message, the school system contacted Henderson Police, which used a photo taken by the person listening to the conversation to identify Mathis, who was arrested at his home.

Public Information Officer Jenny Richmond said this, “We take any type of threat against our schools seriously. It was serious enough that the patron (reported it).”

The problem with the comment by Richmond is it yet has to be determined whether what was heard by the person reporting Mathis was accurate and in context.

Just because someone says they heard someone talking in what they believed was a threatening manner, doesn't mean that was the case at all, as they could have heard snippets of the conversation and made wrong assumptions.

So the idea that there was a threat in any way hasn't been concluded, and comments that it was to be taken seriously is premature.

That's not to say Mathis isn't guilty of the comments, just that we should wait until that is clarified one way or the other.

Mathis has been charged with terroristic threatening.

Owensboro Soldier Gets 16 Years for Espionage

 

Disgraced Spec. William Colton Millay, of Owensboro, Ky., was sentenced to 16 years in prison for
selling secrets to an undercover FBI agent he thought was a spy for Russia. Millay will also be dishonorably discharged from the army. He was a military policeman based in Alaska.

Millay first came to the attention of the FBI in the summer of 2011 when an anonymous tip was received after he called the Russian embassy several times and also sent an email to a Russian publication.

A sting operation was set up with an FBI agent posing as a Russian contact. Millay offered to work with the for the Russian government if they were willing to pay him significantly for it. He even offered to re-enlist for another five years if the pay for turning over sensitive information was high enough.

He specifically offered to give the agent confidential information on the Warlock Duke jamming system the military uses to sweep roadside bombs.

Millay went so far as to drop off an envelope in a garbage can in a park containing information on the jamming system, as well as the F-22 stealth fighter jet.

Last month Millay pleaded guilty to attempted espionage and several other counts.

Hopkinsville Woman's Death Being Treated as Murder

After being found in her apartment lying on the floor, Hopkinsville resident, 44-year-old Kathleen M. Davis' death was considered as natural causes until an autopsy was performed.

It was concluded afterwards that Davis was strangled, changing her death to a probable homicide as the cause.

Davis's body was discovered by a neighbor inside of a vacant apartment.

Initially a police report said there was a suspect in the case, but all data associated with that suspect has been redacted.

According to Hopkinsville Police spokesman Paul Ray, so far there have been no arrests in the case.

E-town Doctor Faces 233 Years in Prison on Felony Charges

Elizabethtown OBGYN Dr. Cahn Vo is charged with felonies that could result in a sentence of 233 years in prison if convicted. He also faces over $3 million in fines if found guilty of the charges.

Vo owns Bluegrass Women’s Healthcare, and is charged with bringing non-FDA approved birth control into the country. Vo inserted the IUDs into his patients, which in some cases were ineffective and potentially dangerous.

Included in the 13 charges against Vo are the implantation of non-FDA approved birth control devices, bringing them into the country, and fraud.

One patient of Vo, 24-year-old Cara Gray, told whas11 this, “He’s messing with people’s lives . . . You shouldn’t be scared to go to the doctor and be afraid he’s going to put something in you that’s not going to work. You shouldn’t have that fear. You should feel safe when you go to the doctor.”

Gray had two IUDs implanted by Dr. Vo, both of which failed, resulting in pregnancies in both cases.

She said she chose IUDs because of the 99 percent success rate of the birth control option.

Kentucky Supreme Court Disbars Unethical Lawyer

Disgraced Stanley Chesley

 

Known by the dubious distinction of being the "godfather of the modern class-action lawsuits," Ohio-based attorney Stanley Chesley was disbarred by the Kentucky Supreme Court for his unethical behavior regarding exorbitant fees involving a settlement in the drug fen-phen case.

Chief Justice John D. Minton wrote this:

"While the good reputation he has enjoyed and his generosity serves to exacerbate the tragedy of his fall, they cannot atone for the serious misconduct he has committed in connection with this matter."

Chesley's practice will not directly affect his law license in Ohio, but a reciprocal agreement with Kentucky suggests it could cross state borders. Either way, the disgraced lawyer will struggle to keep his tarnished reputation from plummeting even further.

It is believed Chelsey may be removed from other cases around the country he is current lead attorney on.

The case in question which has resulted in Chelsey's Kentucky disbarment was that involving the victory of clients of the lawyer and his team against American Home Products, which produced fen-phen.

Of the $200 million awarded plaintiffs in a settlement, they only received $73.5 million of it, with the rest being distributed among lawyers; with $20 million of it going to Chesley. Together it was under 37 percent of the settlement dispersed to the victims.

Other Kentucky lawyers were convicted of scamming the over 400 clients represented in the case, which included Melbourne Mills, William Gallion and Shirley Cunningham. Gallion and Cunningham were specifically convicted in relationship to the case.

From the settlement, Gallion garnered almost $31 million; Mills close to $24 million; Cunningham $21 million; and Chesley over $20 million.

Chesley remains in denial, refusing to admit that his conduct in the situation was wrong.

The only reason Melbourne Mills Jr. escaped imprisonment was because he was considered too drunk during the time of the settlement negotiations to have knowledge of the conspiracy. Cunningham and Gallion received lengthy federal prison sentence as a consequence of their actions.

According to the Kentucky Bar Association, Chesley was not only responsible for unethical behavior concerning the fees charged to clients, but also for covering up the deal by assisting in the defense of his colleagues involved in the case.

Escaped Inmate Found in Ohio

Ryan Jones

 

As expected, an inmate who walked away from a work detail last week in Hardin County, Kentucky, was located in Ohio, close to Dayton, where he had ties.

According to Hardin County jailer Danny Allen, Ryan Jones, 20-year-old, was discovered and taken into custody on Tuesday night in the town of Fairborn, Ohio, which is near Dayton. He is being housed in the Greene County Jail. He has a bond set on him of $50,000 cash.

Originally Jones had been arrested for on charges of first-degree wanton endangerment and first-degree fleeing or evading police.

Before his escape Jones was to be released in May.

Floyd County Sheriff Arrested with .202 Reading

Sheriff John K. Blackburn

 

The Sheriff of Floyd County and president of the Kentucky Sheriff's Association, John K. Blackburn, was arrested Sunday night under the suspicion of DUI, and after a Breathalyzer test was administered, was found to have a reading of .202, far above the .08 allowed in Kentucky.

Blackburn was arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence.

Responding to calls of an erratic driver,  Deputy P. Frazier, of the Powell County Sheriff’s Department, said in his police report that he saw the vehicle Blackburn was driving swerve back and forth across the center line a number of times. It also said he almost drove off the road while he was observing him drive.

After denying several times he had been drinking, Blackburn finally admitted he had been drinking at a casino earlier in the evening.

He was booked in the Powell County Detention Center at about 9:30 p.m. He was released a little later on a $2,500 surety bond.

The Sheriff will be arraigned in Powell County Court on April 9.

Hardin County Prisoner Escapes Work Detail

A prisoner held in Hardin County was participating in a work detail in Radcliff when he was discovered missing, apparently simply walking away from a work detail in the area.

According to Hardin County Jailer Danny Allen the prisoner was 20-year-old Ryan Jones of LaFollette, Tenn. Based upon recent phone conversations it is believed Jones is traveling to the Dayton, Ohio area.

Charges against Jones are first-degree wanton endangerment and first-degree fleeing or evading police.

Jones was scheduled to be released in May, making it a incredibly bad decision that will cost him dearly.

Kentucky Law to Provide Tougher Penalties for Killing Responders

Kentucky law enforcement and firefighters should get an extra degree of protection going forward, after the Kentucky General Assembly approved tougher penalties for those convicted of killing police or firefighters that are clearly identified.

After the House approved an amended bill 95-0 Monday, the Senate then agreed with changes made by the House in a 38-0 vote and now it has been sent to Gov. Steve Beshear, who is expected to sign it into law.

What the new law does, called the Bryan Durman Act, in honor of a Lexington police officer who was killed in 2010 by a hit-and-run driver, is require 85 percent of the sentence given if a clearly identified responder is killed and the person is convicted of  second-degree manslaughter as a result.

For those convicted of killing an officer not clear identified as such, a minimum of 50 percent of the sentence would have to be served.

"They're willing to die for us, to protect us," said Rep. Robert Benvenuti, R-Lexington. "Now is our day to give a little bit back to these men and women who serve."

Ky. Woman Accused of Killing Husband Seeks New Trial

photo credit: wlwt

Convicted of the cold-blooded murder of her husband while he was in bed, Cheryl McCafferty is seeking a new trial citing ineffective counsel.

On Friday McCafferty, who has already had a bid to be paroled rejected in 2011, appeared in court in the first step towards trying to get her conviction overturned. Here next parole hearing won't be till 2016.

McCafferty, 48, is serving an 18-year sentence for first-degree manslaughter for the murder of her husband Robert McCafferty, who was 44-years-old at the time of his death in Fort Thomas.

Campbell Commonwealth's Attorney Michelle Snodgrass wasn't allowed to be in the courtroom for the hearing because of the possibility of conflict of interests, because she prosecuted the case against McCafferty. She could be called as a witness concerning the new trial issue.

Special Judge Robert McGinnis is presiding over the hearing after Campbell Circuit Judge Julie Reinhardt Ward recused herself. Ward had been the judge in the trial of McCafferty.
Representing McCafferty was attorney Deanna Dennison.