Bennie Wint Reappears After Faking A Fatal Swim In the Ocean 20 Years Ago

One has to wonder whether Bennie Wint said as a child, "I would be better off dead!" This is not picking on just another adult in the news. Bennie Wint faked his drowning death nearly 20 years ago off a Florida beach. Unfortunately for Bennie, his secret was discovered when he was stopped by North Carolina police for a bulb burnt out on his license plate. Bennie Wint apparently admitted to police that he faked his drowning death in Daytona Beach, Florida, in 1989. (Not to bright to talk to the authorities without a lawyer, Bennie.)

Big deal, you might say. What's the harm? Well, Bennie Wint in essence abandoned a grieving fiancee and a daughter from a previous marriage. During his "absence from this world," Bennie acquired a common-law wife and another child in Marshall, North Carolina.

So why did he fake his death? According to police, Bennie said that he faked his drowning because he was "paranoid" about his narcotics-related activity. When pulled over for the traffic stop, Bennie gave his name as James Sweet. He was then arrested on suspicion of driving without a license and giving false information, both misdemeanors. He was booked under the name "John Doe." He then admitted that he was Bennie Wint. Reports of death were premature
According to police reports, Wint in Daytona Beach with Patricia Hollingsworth, his fiance when he supposedly drowned. On September 25, 1989, Hollingsworth told beach patrol officials that Wint disappeared while swimming. Volusia County Beach Patrol Capt. Scott Petersohn was one of the officers on beach patrol at the time. Apparently, helicopters, boats and lifeguards searched for Wint to no avail.

Wint's daughter was four when he disappeared. Now she is a 23-year-old woman. Wint has been released from jail. To date, he has not been charged in his 1989 disappearance. One suspects; however, a back child support award may be punishment enough!

Why I Did Not Marry and Why I Do Not Eat Peanuts ~By Blond Bombshell

............................................................

I was recently at a premiere all doll up but very much alone. While I had a handsome Hollywood escort, it simply is not the same. After the premiere I went through an old box of memorabilia in order to refresh my recollection of just why I did not marry my handsome legal fiance. At the bottom of the box, my wedding invitation said it all...

Going a head with a known disaster is almost criminal. If the latest allegation about the knowledge of peanut butter being contaminated with salmonella is true, it is equally criminal in my view.

The maker of peanut butter tainted with salmonella apparently shipped the salmonella apparently sent it out to consumers even though they knew it had tested positive for the bacteria. The FDA apparently confirmed salmonella in a Blakely, Georgia plant. The Peanut Corporation of America's own testing program found strains of salmonella 12 times in 2007 and 2008. When FDA inspectors visited the plant this month, they reported finding more salmonella contamination according to a recent inspection. Inspection report. To see violations look here: Violations.

Most feel that once salmonella is found in a product, the entire production should be destroyed. Apparently that did not happen. That means, some should pay for the people that have been harmed by the tainted product.

Not every peanut manufacturer is to blame. Here is a list of companies not implicated in the recall: http://www.peanutsusa.com/.

In the meantime, if you have peanuts, throw them instead of rice at the next wedding you attend.

Shell

New Life Mega Church Has Mega Problems With Rev. Ted Haggard

Remember all the problems at the New Life Mega Church? LINK Well the hits just keep on coming. If it were not bad enough that evangelical pastor Ted Haggard had an extra marital affair with a young man, it is now alleged that the mega church paid a 20-year-old man to keep silent about his sexual relationship with the pastor. Haggard denies the new accusation.

Rev. Ted Haggard was fired from New Life Church in 2006 after allegations about a prostitute (Mike Jones) and drug use became public. Haggard, who apparently patronized a male prostitute in 2006, is also accused of having a sexual relationship with a second man -- a 20-year-old volunteer at his mega church. The church apparently agreed to pay the man in exchange for his pledges not to talk publicly about the relationship. A settlement was apparently reached by the man's lawyer and the church's insurance company. Under the settlement, the church provided the man money to pay his college tuition, moving expenses and counseling, according to pastor Boyd.
"This was compassionate assistance. It was to help him move forward, not a settlement to keep him quiet," said Boyd. Haggard HBO documentary.

Haggard is the former president of the National Association of Evangelicals. The group represents millions of people in 45,000 church congregations nationwide. According to Boyd, the young man was considering going public with his story because Haggard was portraying himself as a victim in an upcoming HBO documentary called "The Trial of Ted Haggard." An interview with the former volunteer is scheduled to air Monday evening on KRDO-TV. Meanwhile, Haggard is appearing on CNN's "Larry King Live" on Thursday.
The allegations against Haggard are so strong because he routinely condemned homosexual sex during his ministry.

Despite the scandal, the church has added 1,500 people in the last 18 months. And the tide keeps rolling...

Santago Meza Lopez A.K.A. Pozole Maker Accused of Dissolving 300 Bodies in Acid

Acid is very corrosive. The thought of dissolving bodies is very abrasive. Together, the though is repulsive. Hypothetical? Not according to Mexican authorities. The Mexican military has accused Santiago Meza Lopez a.k.a. "Pozole Maker" of dissolving 300 bodies in acid for a suspected former lieutenant of a Tijuana-based drug cartel. Lopez appeared Friday at a police news conference. Do you think Mexico may have a problem with drug dealing?

Breach of Credit Card Security?

4.2 million credit card numbers have apparently recently been stolen by hackers. Now, even more credit users may have been compromised hundreds of millions. St. Louis-based Heartland Payment announced yesterday that hackers gained access to the machines it uses to process roughly 100 million credit card transactions every month. The company has no idea how long its systems were being monitored, saying only that it was "longer than weeks." Given the sheer volume of cards that are processed, this is believed to be the largest data breach in history. Watch your cards closely for unauthorized charges!

Haiyang Zhu Allegedly Stabs To Death Fellow Graduate Student At Virginia Tech

As if Virginia Tech has not had enough tragedy to last this century. Who could forget that the school was the site of a horrible massacre in 2008? LINK. This week, Haiyang Zhu, a graduate student from China, has been formally charged with murdering a female graduate student. She was fatally stabbed on Virginia Tech's campus Wednesday at Tech's Graduate Life Center. The unidentified female victim was also a graduate student. She apparently knew her attacker. Zhu was charged with first-degree murder and is being held without bond.

Arresting officers allegedly found Zhu and a knife they believe was used in the killing.Virginia Tech used a text message system and a bill board to warn students after the murder victim was discovered.

Zhu is to be presumed innocent until other wise proven.

President Obama Needs To Get To Work On Some Serious Problems

On the day that the world is suppose to change with the inauguration of President Obama, there is more of the same bad news. In England, an 81-year-old mugging victim died of her injuries after passers-by ignored her pleas for help. Apparently bystanders thought Molly Morgan of Harrow England was drunk so they ignored her cries for help. Molly had been on her way to a library lecture when she was attacked from behind. Molly suffered serious head injures, a broken left arm and multiple fractures to the left side of her face. Her wounds proved to be fatal since she went untreated. Must world wide apathy continue?

Here in the states, teenagers are "bum-hunting." Packs of teenage boys are stalking homeless people and attacking them. Sometimes they shoot them with paintball guns, beating them with bats or even set them on fire. Over the last five years, at least one homeless person has been murdered each month, for no apparent reason. If any other group was being targeted like this, there’d be a national outcry. Why must the homeless continue to suffer, soon to be President Obama?

Last January in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., two teenagers were caught on video surveillance tape as they beat a homeless man with baseball bats. The man survived, but the same night, the same teens allegedly beat another homeless man, 45-year-old Norris Gaynor, to death. Seventeen-year-old Thomas Daugherty and 18-year-old Brian Hooks have plead “not guilty” and are awaiting trial. The National Coalition for the Homeless, using local news reports and other sources, says that since 1999 there have been more than 500 such attacks, resulting in 180 deaths. Why is senseless violence so common?

Yesterday a teen age boy was beat by six other boys because he stood up for a girl being hit. He was beaten for twelve minutes. Even worse, the beating apparently took place on the school campus. See the brutality at this site: LINK Why must violence among our young people continue?

Mr. President, after the euphoria of tonight, it is time for you to get to work.

Sebastian Hizey Dies From Monster Truck Incident So Does Promoter George Eisenhart Jr.

All little boys are afraid of monsters. As they grow, fear of monsters gives way to love of cars and monster trucks. The bonding between father and son can be priceless. A father and son outing at the local monster truck exhibition can last a life time. Unfortunately for Sebastian Hizey, the lifetime was simply too short. A while back, Legal Pub reported on a fatal monster truck accident. LINK. Unfortunately, another monster truck accident has cost a life in Tacoma, Washington. Apparently, a piece of the drive train from an over sized truck tore loose and fatally struck a 6-year-old boy in the head. Sebastian Hizey, was watching the show when he was struck by a Frisbee-sized chunk of metal which separated from a monster truck doing doughnuts during the Monster Jam show in the Tacoma Dome. A Tragic Accident

Investigators were trying to figure out why. "You go out for a night of fun, and you lose your son," Jessie Hizey told the press. The piece of metal apparently weighed 7 to 12 pounds. Police gathered loose parts of the drive train to further the investigation. Bill Easterling, senior operations director for Feld Motor Sports of Aurora, Ill., provided additional information to The Associated Press. "I've never seen the loop or the drive shaft parts come off like this," said Easterling. Unfortunately, now you have, so what are you going to do to prevent such future tragedies?

UPDATE 1-26-09: George Eisenhart Jr., a 41 year old Wisconsin monster truck show promoter who spoke Friday about the safety record at his shows, died today after he was run over in a monster truck accident Saturday night at an event he organized. It was the second death at a monster truck show in nine days.

The accident occcurred on , Jan. 24, 2009, at the Alliant Energy Center Coliseum in Madison, Wis. Eisenhart Jr. was the president of Image Promotions, which puts on the Monster Truck Nationals. 

Update 10-7-13:  This weekend, tragedy struck again.  In Chihuahua, Mexico, a monster truck lost control and went into a crowd of spectators killing at least eight people and hurting 80 others. Carlos Gonzalez, spokesman for the Chihuahua prosecutors' office, said the driver lost control of the truck after leaping over the cars it was crushing. Video provided to The Associated Press shows the truck making an initial pass over two cars, then making a second pass which ended nose-first and bouncing violently into the crowd.  The spectators were not protected by a wall or barrier.

Facebook Can Be A Tool For Law Enforcement

New Zealand police may be on the cutting edge. Listen up, crooks. New Zealand police arrested a would-be burglar after they posted security camera images of him trying to break into a safe on Facebook. The suspect removed his balalava providing a good photo opportunity for the security camera. Queenstown police claim this is their first Facebook arrest. The police department actually has its own Facebook site.

The 21-year-old Facebook star allegedly broke into a local pub through the roof. He tried to open the safe using an angle grinder. After about an hour, he gets too hot and takes his gloves and balaclava off. Unable to open the safe, he gives up and prepares to leave. The police then post the surveillance camera photos on their own Facebook page. By the next day, the man is recognized and arrested. The suspect has been charged with two counts of burglary.

Is Facebook the next crime stopping tool? In November, Facebook was used to help a seafood restaurant owner in Melbourne to identify five customers who dined and then bolted without paying the $323 bill. One of the suspects asked about a former waitress. The waitress allowed the restaurateur to look through her friend's list on Facebook. From the Facebook, the owner was able to identify one of the bolters. In the states, Facebook has been used to identify underage drinkers and parole violaters who post their own photos on the popular site. So is everyone really so much cooler on line?

Is Christy McCallum A Misunderstood Hot Teacher Or Is She A Statutory Rapist?

Christy McCallum is a 29 year-old Massachusetts elementary school teacher who by most accounts was happily married. She started tutoring a young boy who lived with his thirteen year old brother and their father. Some where in the course of tutoring the young boy, she began giving jello shots, rum and vodka to the thirteen year old boy. Ironically, McCallum and her husband were renting property to the boys and their father. Little did Mr. McCallum know that Christy may be renting more then the home. Over the course of two or three years, Christy allegedly had sex with the 13 year old approximately 300 times! Some times, the sex occurred downstairs while Christy's husband was sleeping upstairs.

Christy wrote 10 love letters to the 13 year old. On at least one occasion, the note allegedly reads that she would choose the boy over her job. Well, her choice has come to pass as she has lost her fifth grade teaching job and faces criminal charges. McCallum has been released on $10,000 bond after she pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape at Brockton District Court for the incidents in Abington. Christy McCallum denies all charges and we must presume her to be innocent until otherwise proven. While the charges are pending, the three readers who suggested that we cover this story had two questions: 1. How much did the kid's grades improve? 2. How do I sign up for tutoring as 300 times in two years is more intimate tutoring then most men get in 10 years?

Politician Seng Han Thong Set Afire By Disapproving Constituent

Frustrated with politics? Thank God you are not involved in the political system in Singapore. Seng Han Thong, a Singapore lawmaker, was enjoying lunch when a 70 year old former cab driver set him on fire. Seng wound up in intensive care and had to under go skin graft surgery. Seng Han Thong is a member of the ruling People's Action Party. Seng suffered burns to his face and chest. The 70 year old attacker poured paint thinner on Seng and set him on fire.

Ironically, Seng had visited a community center to hand out money to residents prior to the Chinese New Year. The 70 year-old attack complained of "evil spirits in his house" when he referred to Seng. Unfortunately, this is not the first attack on Seng. Two years ago, a cab driver punched Seng because he was upset that the lawmaker was not helping him. Given the way the Chinese show disapproval of politicians, it almost makes throwing shoes at President George Bush more tolerable. Well, almost...

Johannes Mehserle's Slaying Of Oscar Grant Spawns Violence In Oakland Despite Wanda Johnson's Call For Peaceful Protest of Her Son's Death

No Justice? No Peace? Not according to Wanda Johnson! Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old father was placed face down on New Years Day in the train station by the police. It appears he started to struggle. A police officer kneeled on Oscar's back. Another officer, Johannes Mehserle, stands, unholsters his gun and fatally shoots Oscar Grant in the back. Did officer Mehserle mistake his gun for a taser? Or did officer Mehserle intend to draw his weapon?

The BART board of directors meeting was the host to several score of angry speeches by elected officials, activists and outraged citizens. The BART directors were asked to set up a committee to review procedures and the possibility of a civilian review board.
Was this just blatant police brutality? According to Grant's mother, Wanda Johnson, she thinks it was. Yet, she has asked the public to stop the rioting according to CNN affiliate KTVU-TV. "I am begging the citizens not to use violent tactics, not to be angry... You're hurting people who have nothing to do with the situation. You're vandalizing their property, hurting their cars and breaking their windows. Please just stop it, please," plead Johnson at her news conference.
The officer has since resigned. Spokesman: Officer in subway shooting resigns
Video of police shooting spurs questions

John Burris, attorney for the Grant family, noted the case of Sean Bell, and asked that the community not creating more violence. Burris claims that Oscar Grant was "trying to be a peace maker on the tape."

Yet there has still been violence. The Oakland Police Department made 105 arrests on charges stemming from inciting a riot, vandalism, assault on a police officer and unlawful assembly.
Watch angry protesters. Videos show Mehserle shoot Grant in the back as another BART officer kneels on Grant. Watch the events preceding the shooting

Oakland police tried to control the protests but demonstrators smashed car windshields and storefront windows. "We live a life of fear, and we want them to be afraid tonight," a female demonstrator exclaims according to iReport.com: BART protests.

Attorney Christopher Miller released a statement confirming his client's resignation, effective Wednesday. He has apparently advised his client not to speak. BART manages regional transportation in Oakland. They have spoken out against the violence and will look into changing procedures.

District Attorney Tom Orloff informed CNN that this is a "pretty clear" homicide. If so, Mehserle's mental state at the time of the shooting will be critical to both the prosecution and the defense. The Grant family attorney, Burris, in the mean time has filed a $25 million civil claim against BART for wrongful death. Read the claim (PDF)

BART Police Chief Gary Gee released a statement expressing condolences for Grant's family.

Keep in mind, all suspects, including Johannes Mehserle, are innocent until proven guilty. In the mean time, heed the words of Oscar's mother and let your demonstrations be lawful.

Felix Batista, Anti Kidnapping Expert Is Himself Kidnapped While His Wife Pleas For His Life

Lourdes Batista, the wife of kidnapped security expert Felix Batista, has finally spoken out in public pleading with her husband's Mexican abductors to "please have mercy... Please let him go. Let him return to his family."

Batista, 55, disappeared December 10 from a restaurant in Mexico. Batista was considered an "anti-kidnapping expert." Perhaps he was not as much of an expert as he thought. Or perhaps he did not follow his own advice. The couple have been married 31 years and have five children. Lourdes Batista plead for the release of her husband

There have been no demands for ransom and no contact with the kidnappers. .
As an American security consultant, Batista has negotiated the release of kidnap victims in Latin America. He was in Mexico to participate in a kidnapping seminar when he was abducted. "The fact that he was purposely picked up and they haven't reached out to family is certainly worrisome," said Gary Noesner, former chief of the FBI crisis negotiation unit.

Update 8-14-09: A comment today seems to support the conclusion that Felix Batista has been murdered. His body has never been found. There has never been any public disclosure of any randsom demand.

Should Edith McQueen Sue Shands-Jacksonville Medical Center For Failing to Detect The Blade of a Knife In Her Head During An ER Presentation?

Edith McQueen was stabbed twice in the head three years ago. Recently it was discovered that a portion of the blade remains near her jaw. McQueen, of Jacksonville, Florida, plans to sue Shands-Jacksonville Medical Center for failing to timely remove the blade. Does this case have merit?

An X-ray of Edith McQueen identifies an object next to the her jaw bone. According to McQueen's attorney, Chad Roberts, the object is a piece of a knife from the August of 2005 stabbing. Three years ago when she presented to the emergency room, McQueen claims she was simply stitched up without any effort to determine if a foreign objected was still embedded.
The ER report allegedly states that the woman was treated and released the next day after the stab wound was "cleaned and sutured loosely." Apparently no x-ray was taken of her jaw.

McQueen returned to Shands because of headaches and was scheduled to have an MRI. A pre MRI x-ray revealed the blade inside her head. Roberts is apparently still in the investigative phase and has not yet filed a law suit on behalf of his client. So, do you think his client has a good case?

Was Sara Madrid Shot Eight Times By Her Son Because She Verbally and Physically Abused The Boy? ~by Legal Pub

Arizona may have gotten a little hotter recently. Controvery can do that to any area. Last week an Arizona judge found a 12-year-old boy guilty of murdering his mother, Sara Madrid. Apparently, the boy shot his mother eight times after he got into an argument with his mom over chores. The Cochise County Superior Court judge ruled prosecutors showed the boy acted intentionally when he shot his mother last year. Consequently, the boy was found guilty of premeditated murder.

Sara Madrid was found dead outside of her home last August. The boy's attorney, Sandford Edleman, argued that his client did not mean to kill his mom. Rather, the boy allegedly was only responding to verbal and physical abuse by his mom. On the day in question, the two argued over chores. The boy got a .22 caliber pistol from his moms closet and waited for her return outside of their home. When his mom returned, the boy shot her eight times. The mom's live in boyfriend, Alfonso Munoz, allegedly witnessed the shooting. Munoz had taught the boy to shoot the gun but had instructed him that it was only in case of emergencies.

The unidentified boy is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 23. Judge James Conlogue ruled the case should remain in juvenile court after hearing testimony from a psychiatrist and a psychologist which allegedly supported the boy's claim of verbal and physical abuse. The experts also pontificated that the young man could be rehabilitated in the juvenile justice system.

Madrid's sister allegedly testified on her nephew's behalf by saying that the victim never wanted the boy to live with her. Madrid's sister also claimed that Sara Madrid referred to the boy as "stupid and dumb."

Gregory Johnson a Deputy County Attorney led the prosecution.

Legal Pub 2008 Awards And England's UFO Mystery All Solved In One Article!

Mysteries almost always make for great press. Before we solve the 2008 mystery of the Legal Pub's Top story for 2008 and other awards, let's address the report of lights in the sky over northern England. It did happen. There were scores of phone calls to media outlets over the holidays. Everyone keeps asking each other if they saw the lights. In fact, to not have seen the lights almost created a social stigma. (Oh what a change from the days of Roswell.) For example, Deborah Wilkin saw two lights on Christmas Day in Urswick. "They were hovering in the sky for about five minutes and then they moved and just went," she reported. The North West Daily Mail actually published the solution to the mystery. Andrea Hodgson, 36, told the press that "I saw the letter in the paper and had a bit of a chuckle to myself when I read it because I knew straight away that people had seen our lanterns."

(Hodgson, her husband and their wedding guests released 50 orange, candle-lit Chinese lanterns into the sky at a reception on the evening of Dec. 27.) The lanterns rose in the air and burned for 10 to 20 minutes and then extinguish. Britain's Ministry of Defense in June revealed that lanterns were also the explanation for other sightings last year. With the solving of Brittain's UFO mystery, we now turn to 2008 Legal Pub Awards:

2008 Top Legal Pub Story: Legal Pub's Exclusive Interview With Joel Brodsky, Drew Peterson's Lawyer: http://legalpublication.blogspot.com/2008/05/legal-pub-is-firm-believer-in-our.html

2008 Top Legal Pub Newcomer: Katfish

2008 Most Original Contributor: Miss Calabaza

2008 Most Original Story: Blond Bombshell's Why Women Stop Having Sex. http://legalpublication.blogspot.com/2008/01/why-women-stop-having-sex-by-blond.html

Thanks for a great year!

Santika Night Club Disaster Photos Inspire 2009 Fitness Goals

Thursday morning's fire at the Santika Night Club in Thailand killed 59 people, most of whom died from smoke inhalation or were trampled to death in the rush to get out of the club. Rather then dwell on the posting of photos of 19 unidentified victims of the catastrophic nightclub fire in Bangkok in an attempt to identify victims, Legal Pub thought it best to discuss improving one's level of fitness in 2009. While New Years has come and passed, How many of us set a goal to get in better shape? A fitness program does not have to be structured. Here are some ideas from a fitness guru to get in better shape in the coming year without really trying:

1. Start a home-improvement project. Painting, hammering, lifting is all exercise.

2. Go to the shopping mall or Wal-Mart Super store at least 3 or 4 days a week and walk around. In fact, don't try to find the nearest parking spot. The walk from the parking lot to the store is good exercise in and of itself.

3. Do your own yard work. Not only will you save money, you will also get exercise doing your own mowing, weeding and mulching.

4. Wash your car. Forget about the automatic car wash. Improve the appearance of both you and your car as you become buff.

5. Take a break twice a day at work to walk to the water cooler. Drink the water instead of helping yourself to a soda.

6. Walk a dog. If you don't have one, offer to dog sit. Dogs love to go for walks.

7. Go on picnics where you have to carry an ice filled cooler across the parking lot or field. Think of it as strength training.

8. Twice a week perform isometric exercises whereby you tense all of your muscle for ten seconds and then relax. This will keep good muscle tone in your limbs.

9. Don't discount the benefit of doing calisthenics twice a week. Push ups, sit ups and jumping jacks are a good way to get in shape. Eight minutes three times a week is enough to put you on the right track to a better day.

10. Edit courtesy of 2008 New Poster of the Year, Katfish: Moderation in what you put into your body.

Update 2-16-10: Any further updates or comments on this story need to be sent to legalpub@legalpub.net and they will be posted accordingly