Did Michelle Parker Become A Victim of Fame or Domestic Violence?

Did Michelle Parker invite a lesson concerning the true cost of fame? After all, who chooses to voluntarily air their dirty laundry on national television? As most know, Michelle Parker of Orlando is the beautiful former fiance of Dale Smith who recently appeared on an episode of "The People's Court." The couple aired their dirty laundry on the show as they argued over custody of a $5,000 engagement ring. Apparently when the couple broke up Parker threw the ring back at Smith and the ring was apparently lost. (Parker and Smith have 3-year-old twins together.)

Thirty-three-year-old Michelle Parker of Orlando looks more like a model than a typical litigant. She demonstrated looks and wit on the November episode. However, shortly after the taped version of the show aired on November 17, 2011, her SUV was found abandoned. Michelle was no where to be seen and the 40-year-old Dale Smith became a person of interest in the disappearance of this mother of three.

Orlando police are concentrating on Smith and apparently there are no other person's of interest. Smith joined the U.S. Marines in 1996, but was dishonorably discharged as in 2003. While Smith has reportedly refused to take a lie-detector test, that is probably simply because of good advice of counsel given the unreliability of such testing. LINK. Orlando lawyer Mark NeJame and his partner Rajan Joshi are representing Smith. The Orlando Sentinel reports a history of violence associated with the couple. Specifically, the couple was apparently involved in a domestic violence case involving children in 2009. Public records also showed Smith was previously convicted on drug and domestic battery charges.

Dale Smith is to be presumed innocent of all charges unless otherwise convicted in a court of law. In the meantime, Legal Pub continues its quest against domestic violence. LINK. Should anyone have any information concerning Michelle Parker's disappearance, please contact Orlando police.

Update: Police have now named Dale Smith as a suspect. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=252lV8_OhU0 Hearing Michelle's family on video is heartbreaking.

Time To Protest Black Friday

The dark side of humanity surfaced on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Apparently a "Black Friday Shopper", Walter Vance collapsed while shopping at a West Virgina Target. He apparently went almost unnoticed as customers continued to shop. (Witnesses claim that shoppers ignored Vance and even stepped over his body in their quest to continue shopping.) Vance, a 61-year-old pharmacist, apparently had a heart condition and died later at the hospital. MSNBC. The Daily News.

"How could you not notice someone was in trouble?" While there may not be a legal obligation to come to rescue someone, what has happened to benevolence, civility and morality in this society? All was not completely lost. Vance's wife reports that six nurses attended to her husband and performed CPR until paramedics arrived. Sunday Gazette Mail.

In other bad shopping etiquette news, a customer at another store pepper sprayed other shoppers in order to purchase a video game that she wanted. Shoppers with pepper spray . The adverse effects of Black Friday are not limited to customers. At another Target store, an exhausted worker got off of work and accidentally drove her car into a canal. Exhausted Target Worker.

Consequently, Legal Pub suggests to all Occupy Wall Street protestors (LINK) that they unify in their support to end Black Friday. While it may be adverse on the economy, at least protestors can get their story straight as to why they are growing facial hair, sleeping in parks and desperately in need of showers.

Jose Pimentel a.k.a. Muhammad Yusuf To Be Left Alone Howling At the Moon?

How can people become so twisted? Jose Pimentel (a.k.a. Muhammad Yusuf) of Manhattan, "a 27-year-old al-Qaida sympathizer" was apparently plotting to bomb police and post offices in New York City. He also had plans to harm U.S. troops returning home from the Middle East. Apparently, this poor soul had been motivated by terrorist propaganda and as a result developed resentment of U.S. involvement overseas. According to police, Pimentel was in the process of assembling his bombs when he was arrested. Pimentel was allegedly triggered to carry out his attacks by the September 30 killing of al-Qaida's U.S.-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.

According to Mayor Bloomberg, at least 13 terrorist plots have targeted New York since 911. Fortunately, no post 911 attack has been successful. However, it remains a mystery how men like Faisal Shahzad, who is serving a life sentence for trying to detonate a car bomb in Times Square in May 2010, and Jose Pimentel, become so demented that they are willing to kill innocent people.

Pimentel, a U.S. citizen originally from the Dominican Republic, has apparently been under surveillance by New York police for at least a year. Authorities have no evidence that Pimentel was working with anyone else at the time of his arrest. Consequently, he has acquired the nick name of "Lone Wolf." Yet, Pimentel's lawyer, Joseph Zablocki, claims his client's behavior prior to the arrest was not consistent with someone trying to conceal some violent scheme. According to Zablocki, Pimentel was not trying to hide anything and that the prosecution's case is flawed. Zablocki claims that Pimentel has a public online profile which is not consistent with someone plotting to commit a terrorist attack. ( Pimentel apparently posted on his website trueislam1.com and on blogs his support of al-Qaida and in the concept of jihad. He also promoted an online magazine article that described how to make a bomb. He also allegedly posted: "People have to understand that America and its allies are all legitimate targets in warfare." ) Nevertheless, Pimentel has been denied bail. He is charged with conspiracy, first-degree criminal possession of a weapon as a crime of terrorism, and soliciting support for a terrorist act.

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Horrible Publicity For McDonalds

We probably all know that fast food may be a bit high in the fat and sodium content to be considered "healthy." But the fast food giant realizes that effective advertising such as using the video of Oscar Robertson making the big shot can mean increased revenue. LINK. But bad publicity can equally decrease business such as when a member of a franchise management team allegedly makes a serious mistake with personnel. LINK. Or when someone gets seriously injured on the premise. LINK.

So what does horrible publicity do to a business? Recent headlines for an Ohio McDonald's may provide the answer. Supposedly, a 13-year-old boy sexually assaulted a five year-old girl in a McDonald's play area in Ohio. While the exact facts are unknown, the Hamilton County Sheriff's office in Ohio has cooperated with local prosecutors in charging a 13-year-old boy with the rape of a 5-year-old girl. The rape allegedly occurred at the McDonald's play area on October 29. The victim's grandmother was in the restaurant at the time. There is no information that McDonald's did anything wrong. In fact, the local owner of the McDonald's, Judson Pickard, is cooperating with investigators and presumably furnished the video surveillance which lead to an identification of the alleged perpetrator. But one can't help but think how such an occurrence could tarnish the family image of McDonald's.

The 13-year-old's parents are also apparently cooperating with authorities as the boy was taken to a to a juvenile detention center. Authorities are expected to rely heavily on the surveillance video in pursuing charges against the 13-year-old defendant. Fox news.com

On the other-hand, the boy denies the charges and will have a juvenile detention hearing/trial on Nov. 22, 2011. sacbee.com
In the meantime, the defendant is to be presumed innocent of all charges unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Would You Like Fries With That by Tim McGraw

Good Girls Don't But Do Rebecca Chandler and Raven Scarlett Larrabee Agree?

Think before you visit the "girl you met on line." Apparently an 18 year-old Phoenix man traveled to Milwaukee by bus to visit a woman he met online. After he arrived at her apartment, things apparently were bizarre. According to the male victim, he claims that he was tied up with duct tape and rope for two days and repeatedly stabbed several hundred times. These girls may make Tiffany Sutton look gentle: LINK.

The Smoking Gun reports that the 18 year old was found bleeding from his neck, arms and back. He was taken to a local hospital and treated for stab-wounds. In the meantime, Rebecca Chandler apparently admits that she was having sex with the victim but claims that the stabbing was consensual. Chandler apparently told police that her roommate, Raven "Scarlett" Larrabee, was responsible for most of the stabbing. There is a question of whether one or both of the women may be involved in satanic or occult activities. According to the New York Daily News, interesting reading material apparently found in the residence included “The Necromantic Ritual Rule Book,” “The Werewolf’s Guide to Life” and “Intro to Sigilborne Spirits.’NY DAILY news.com

Both women have been arrested and are awaiting charges. They both, however, are to be presumed innocent of all charges unless otherwise proven in a court of law.

Ledell Peoples Loses Control Over Halloween Candy While Glen Parrish and Justin Bieber Simply Lose Control of The Situation?

Sometimes people are just ridiculous when it comes to control. Maria Adams, 49, was allegedly stabbed multiple times on Halloween weekend by a friend who was upset that his bag of candy was missing. Maria was apparently in the home of Ledell Peoples when she was stabbed with "several steak knives," according to the Chicago Tribune. Chicago Tribune.
Ledell Peoples, 55, should have known better. If not, if he is convicted of first degree murder and aggravated domestic battery, Peoples may have a long time to learn in jail. NBC Chicago.

Peoples apparently thought Adams took the bag of candy. He allegedly attack Adams who attempted to defend herself by throwing plates at Peoples. Adams was transported to Stroger Hospital Saturday night where she died after several days of being in critical condition.

In an unrelated but perhaps equally stupid incident of losing control, Glen Parrish was found dead in a bed at a UCLA Theta Chi fraternity house Saturday afternoon. The 18 year old's cause of death is under investigation. Despite being in the fraternity house during the weekend, Parrish was not enrolled in UCLA at the time of his death. Alcohol and drugs are suspected but not yet confirmed. The Daily Bruin Toxicology reports should be available in a few days. The death is being treated as accidental at the current time.

Then there is the Mariah Yeater (20) and Justin Bieber (17) saga. One of them is making a huge miscalculation and may be about to lose control of their own destiny. Mariah accuses Justin of fathering her child and Justin uses the President Clinton denial "I did not have sex with that woman." Mariah's accusations go beyond paternity of her four month-old son. She claims Bieber was “aggressive” and refused to wear a condom. She told "The Insider" that "(h)is whole demeanor changed.” Supposedly the intercourse occurred in a backstage bathroom at the Staples Center in Los Angeles following a concert in October 2010. Tristyn Anthony Markhouse Yeater was born in July. Yeater claims she told him to wear a condom but he refused. Bieber denies fathering the child and has agreed to submit to a paternity test when he returns from Europe. He voluntarily agreed to the test. Rumor has it he will sue Yeater as soon as the results come back negative. Consequently, we should soon know who made a huge miscalculation.

Update 11-14-11: Just what is it about Halloween candy? Kelly Sanchez, a fifth grade school teacher, confiscated Halloween candy from a 10-year-old 5th grader at Zellwood Elementary school. The student apparently became so upset she threatened and attacked her teacher, according to NBC Miami. Alleged attack and threat.

The girl was arrested and faces a felony battery charge.

Update 1-16-12: While we never saw the DNA results, apparently Ms. Yeater apologized to Mr. Bieber about fabricating the story. Now try saying that fast five times...

Is the Karen Johnson Swift and Sky Metalwala Disappearance More Fuel For the Fire? Update 11-29--11

Too many times the existing family law/dissolution laws have appeared to spawn violence. LINK. Let's hope Tennessee is not the site of another such tragedy. We certainly don't need another fiasco like some of those in the recent past. LINK.

Karen Johnson Swift, 44, of Dyersburg, Tenn., was reported missing on Sunday by her estranged spouse. (Karen filed for divorce in October of this year according to MYFoxMephis.com.) Her white 2004 Nissan Murano was later found on a nearby road. However, neither Karen or her cell phone have been located. According to Dyer County Sheriff Jeff Box, the investigation is being treated as a missing person case. To date there is no confirmation of any foul play. A recent helicopter search using a heat-sensor failed to turn up any clues. The search is continuing to fan out.

Karen Johnson Swift is 5 feet 5 inches tall with green eyes and blonde hair. She weighs about 140 pounds. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Dyer County Sheriff's Office at (731) 285-2802.

Update 11-5-11: Supposedly Halloween weekend, Karen Johnson Swift " went to bed with her daughter, and when the girl woke up around 6 a.m., her mother was gone." Karen's car was found near her home with flat tires. A neighbor, Marty Lamb, discovered her abandoned car. Police are investigating the possibility of a serial abductor or murderer in the central and west Tennessee regions. There have been other cases of missing women in the area. In any event, it is unlikely she willingly disappeared.

Karen's cell phone records indicate that someone apparently used her phone to access the Internet around 5:00 a.m. Her husband has been interviewed by police and isn't considered a suspect at this time. Karen Johnson Swift filed for divorce October 11, 2011 but was apparently still living with her husband at the time of the disappearance.

On the surface the case shares enough similarities with the disappearance of Sue Waller in Missouri that the husband is possibly a person of interest. Furthermore, Karen's husband has yet to address the media. In the interim, Karen's husband is presumed completely innocent and deserves to be treated as such.

Update 11-10-11: Police have found some of Karen Johnson Swift's clothing. Her Halloween costume was found in the car and a pair of jeans and a gray zip-up were found in some brush not far from her car. DNA from her mother confirms that the DNA on the clothes is Karen's. (The Dyer County Sheriff's Office has not publicly confirmed this information.) To date aerial helicopter searches have been unproductive. Her marriage has been described as "pretty volatile." David Swift has been interviewed by police, but is not officially a suspect or person of interest. A Facebook post recently indicates that David and family "...want her home and love her very much." WMC-TV. In what appears to be an unrelated matter, John E. Hogshooter, a neighbor of the Swifts was arrested on an outstanding felony warrant for animal cruelty. (Hogshooter is accused of poisoning two dogs.) Dyersburg State Gazette. Authorities have not found any items connecting Hogshooter to Swift's disappearance and do not consider him a suspect.

Karen Swift Update 11-29=11: So far, no luck in the search despite searches by:

. Dyer County Sheriff's Deputies, Sheriff's Investigators, Sheriff's Tracking Team

. Tennessee Highway Patrol Strike Teams, Aviation Unit, Cert Team, and many troopers.

. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Special Agents, Crime Scene Unit, and Crime Lab.

. Tennessee Department of Corrections Fort Pillow Bloodhound Unit

. Lauderdale County Sheriff's Bloodhound Unit

. Scott County Missouri Sheriff's Search and Rescue Dogs including Cadaver Dogs

. Shelby County Tennessee Sheriff's Search and Rescue Unit with Dogs including Cadaver Dogs

. Dyer, Lake, Obion, Lauderdale, Gibson, & Henry Rescue Squads with sonar & drag equipment.

. Dyer County, Millsfield, Bogota, Lenox, Bonicord and Finley Fire Dept's.

. Dyer County Emergency Management

. Personnel on horseback and many other local volunteers.

If you have information, contact the Dyer County Sheriff's Department at 731-285-2802. Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for information. 731-285-TIPS (8477).

Update 11-8-11 Sky Metalwala: Another disappearance is suspicious of being related to domestic turmoil. Sky Metalwala, a two year-old who is the subject of a custody battle, has disappeared. (Sky is pictured up above on the right hand side.) The 2-year-old Washington state boy is missing after his mother allegedly left him in her stalled car on a city street. The boy's mother, Julia Biryukova and her four year old daughter walked to a gas station leaving the child unattended in an unlocked car. Sky Metalwala is apparently no stranger to being left alone. Sky had previously been left alone in a car when he was just 3 months old. Apparently his parents left him in their sport utility vehicle in a Target parking lot for 55 minutes. The parents retrieved him after police arrived and asked for the vehicle's owner to be paged. Redmond police cited both parents with reckless endangerment. Charges were recently dismissed after both parents completed 40 hours of community service and 10 weeks of parenting classes.

But the recent disappearance of the toddler from the Bellevue area comes on the heels of a custody fight between his parents, Julia Biryukova and Solomon Metalwala. They couple separated in March 2010 and since then have been the subject of protective orders, allegations of abuse and questions of sanity. A recent mandatory mediation provided for Metalwala to have some visitation with Sky and his older sister. Biryukova consented to have her vehicle and home searched. In the mean time, the daughter has been placed in protective custody.

The couple separated in March 2010. A couple month later, Metalwala filed for divorce and Biryukova filed for a protection order on behalf of herself and their two children. Biryukova claims Metalwala has anger issues. Metalwala claims his estranged spouse has mental health problems and was involuntarily committed to a mental clinic in 2010. But a social worker with state Child Protective Services reported that Biryukova is in good mental health and is an appropriate caregiver.

Update 11-9-11: Police apparently failed to find a gas can near Biryukova's vehicle. Furthermore, they were able to start her car. Allegedly Biryukova has refused to take a polygraph whereas Metalwala submitted to a polygraph. So far, there are no official suspects but foul play is suspected.
Sky Metalwala Update 11-29-11: Police are suspecting that Sky may not have even been in the car the day his mother reported him missing. Sky's father openly questions whether Julia Biryukova has their son hidden somewhere.