Source: The Grio

On August 11th of last year, an occasion that was supposed to be joyous quickly turned to tragedy when 32-year-old Na Cola Franklin fatally stabbed her fiancé, Billy Brewster on their wedding day, the AP reports.

Everything took a turn for the worse when an intoxicated Brewster came home around 2 a.m. after an impromptu bachelor party. Prosecutors say he attacked Franklin and then threatened to leave with the couple’s 9-month-old son. Following the scuffle, Franklin grabbed a knife and stabbed Brewster to death. The two were scheduled to be married at 10 a.m. that morning.

When they didn’t show up to the ceremony, a neighbor revealed that the pastor who was scheduled to officiate the ceremony and a distraught guests showed up to their Whitehall Township apartment building looking for them. Later that night when she was arraigned, a distressed Franklin seemed confused and shocked to learn of her fiancé’s death, telling the judge,  “You got to check again!”

Franklin’s defense attorney, John Waldron argued that his client only grabbed the knife to protect her child and pulled for a lighter sentence and a voluntary manslaughter conviction. Pennsylvania prosecutor, Steven Luksa, however, argued that the child was not in danger and pushed for a first-degree murder conviction.

After deliberating for three hours this past Thursday, jurors found Franklin guilty of first degree murder. Franklin faces sentencing on July 16th.

Source: CBS News

Yesterday we reported on the miraculous escape of three Ohio kidnapping victims who were allegedly held captive for over ten years by Ariel Castro and two of his brothers. As America continues to celebrate the victims’ safe return, gruesome details have begun to emerge regarding the inhumane treatment suffered by these young women during the 10+ years that they were confined to Castro’s home.

One source told ABC 5 that there were “multiple” pregnancies between Gina DeJesus, Amanda Berry and Michelle McKnight. The source went on to say that one of the victims suffered two to three miscarriages during the years spent in Castro’s home because she was malnourished. A police source revealed that there were “five pregnancies inside” the Seymour Avenue residence. The source did not disclose whether or not Berry’s 6-year-old daughter was included in that number, but they did reveal that more children were recovered from the home.

According to WKYC, the women were also repeatedly raped and beaten during their pregnancies.  Ariel, Pedro and Oneil Castro were arrested on Monday night in relation to the kidnappings. Investigators continue to comb Ariel Castro’s home for clues. It is being reported that “disturbed dirt”was discovered in the backyard, but it has yet to be revealed whether or not this clue has any relation to the aforementioned crimes.

We will continue to keep you posted as this story develops.

Source: WSBTV

An out of control spring break celebration has resulted in the lives of four Atlanta students being dramatically changed forever. Three Morehouse College athletes are facing a host of charges including sexual assault after an 18-year-old Spelman student accused them of raping her, 11 Alive reports. Chukwudi Ndudikwa and Malcolm Frank are facing rape and aggravated sodomy charges, while teammate Tevin Mgbo could be facing sodomy, kidnapping and reckless conduct charges.

According to WBSTV, one witness said they saw the victim consume alcohol and Molly on the night of the alleged assault. Others say that she was very “flirtatious and sexually aggressive” at the party. One of the victim’s friends described the 18-year-old as “not recognizing her friends” on the night of the party and went on to say “she picked up a knife and tried to stab me.” Several other witnesses say that the victim had sex with multiple men in different rooms that night.

While the victim, witnesses and even the accused agree that sexual intercourse did occur that night, whether or not the sex was consensual is what’s being questioned. The capability of the victim to consent to sex considering her alcohol-induced state is also being investigated.

Court documents reveal that the victim admits to drinking alcohol, but says that she did not take any drugs.

“If you voluntarily drink to the point that you’re still conscious, that’s one thing. But if you drank so much to the point that you pass out and then someone takes advantage of you, that’s a different thing. In this particular case, it appears that she was conscious and not unconscious. That would be tough for the prosecution. What this boils down to is whether the defendants in this particular case thought that she had given a valid consent,” said Fulton County prosecutor Al Dixon.

Source: The YBF

Unfortunately, we have some sad news to report on this morning. Rapper Trina’s brother Wilbrent “Gonk” Bain was shot and killed Tuesday morning in broad daylight in Miami. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to NBC 6, Bain was shot by his longtime friend, Rob Dobson following a feud that spiraled out of control. A police affidavit suggests that following a dispute between the two men, Bain was getting off of his bicycle when Dobson pulled a gun out of his waistband and shot Bain multiple times.

After he was arrested, Dobson confessed to his involvement in Bain’s shooting death. He is currently facing second-degree murder charges. Friends, family and neighbors mourn the loss of Bain, fondly remembering him as a “good kid.”

“Now, I’m hurt because this man is gone for no reason at all. He was a close friend to me,” said neighbor Demetrius Hammond.

“He’s a very good kid. It’s unfortunate. It’s a terrible tragedy,” said Rev. Gary Johnson.

“It hit me hard because I just talked to him. This killing has to stop. It has to. All of us grew up together and that’s just senseless,” said neighbor Trimel.

It’s unfortunate that Wilbrent’s life was senselessly snatched away. We send our prayers to the Bain family.

Turn the page to watch NBC 6′s full report.

Source: AP/USA Today

Last Friday residents of the community of Watertown, Massachusetts were able to breathe a sigh of relief after a tip led police to the severely injured, 19-year-old Boston bombing suspect hiding under a tarp on a boat. Over the weekend authorities had been unable to question Dzhokhar Tsarnaev due to the severity of his wounds, including a throat injury that prohibited him from speaking. Today authorities say that Tsarnaecv is awake and responding to police questioning in written form, Reuters reports.

According to USA Today, law enforcement officials say that Tsarnaev is providing “substantive” information, but so far the specifics of exactly what kind of information the suspect has shared with police has yet to be released.

Tsarnaev remains in the intensive care unit of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center where he is being treated for a gunshot wound to the mouth that exited the back of his neck. Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis says that the wound appears to be self-inflicted, implicating that there was some type of suicide attempt that went wrong. He also suffers from a gunshot wound to the leg.

It is believed that Dzhokhar and his deceased brother Tamerlan had plans to carry out other attacks.

“We have reason to believe, based upon the evidence that was found at that scene – the explosions, the explosive ordnance that was unexploded and the firepower that they had – that they were going to attack other individuals. That’s my belief at this point,” Commissioner Davis told CBS.

We’ll continue to keep you posted as this story develops.

Source: NBC Los Angeles

An Orange County woman by the name of Catherine Kieu, 50, is currently facing felony charges of torture and aggravated mayhem; charges that have the potential of earning her a life sentence in prison, The Los Angeles Times reports.

Kieu was arrested back in July in 2011 after she allegedly laced her 60-year-old husband’s dinner with Ambien, which made him drowsy and prompted him to go to bed. Once asleep, Kieu is said to have tied his arms and legs to the bed with a rope. When he was awaken from his slumber, Kieu allegedly pulled down his pants and cut off his p*nis with a knife.

But wait, it gets worse. Reports say that once her husband’s member was severed, she tossed it into the garbage disposal and turned it on, “mutilating the organ.” She then called 911 and said that her husband was injured and bleeding. The victim then got on the phone with the dispatcher and said that his wife cut off his private part. Once authorities arrived on the scene, the victim was rushed to UC Irvine Medical Center. Unfortunately, the hospital’s attempt reattach the organ failed. Kieu later told police that her husband “deserved it” and that he allegedly raped her in the past.

It seems that an argument that Kieu had with her husband about a friend staying at their home preceded the assault. According to the Times, prosecutors say the gruesome act was motivated by jealousy. The trial began Wednesday of this week. During open statements, Kieu’s defense attorney told the courts that his client was raised in Vietnam and that she suffers from mental problems.

If she is found guilty, Kieu faces the threat of a life in prison sentence without the possibility of parole. According to Jezebel, the jury consists of mostly women and male jurors could be seen “cringing” as the gruesome details of the incident were described. We certainly can’t blame them.

Thoughts?

Source(s): Hip Hop Daily Press, WENN

A woman by the name of Jessica Voker, who claims that she’s a former friend and criminal accomplice to Real Housewives of Atlanta star, Phaedra Parks, has been spilling tea in the media lately, alleging that the attorney-turned-reality star has a criminal past so filthy it would make the most ruthless ex-cons blush. During an interview with Hip Hop Daily Press yesterday, Voker made claims that Phaedra has had her hand in a wide range criminal operations including prostitution and mortgage fraud.

On her relationship with Phaedra:

“Phaedra was my son’s godmother. My affiliation started with her back in 2000. I met her through my ex-husband at a huge carwash on Peachtree street. [Her southern belle act] is really cute, but it’s a lie. I started calling her ‘faker’ years ago. You know, just finding out that she was sleeping with my husband, all of the criminal activity that she was involved in, everything that she had me involved in and everything that she would allow herself to do. Now I do believe people can change. I’ve changed; however, she’s still a grimey person. She’s still conniving and sneaky.”

On Phaedra’s alleged criminal past:

“She has her hands in things that people wouldn’t believe that she’s a part of. To keep it real, I’m sure he [Apollo] is cleaner than her. This woman does mortgage fraud, prostitution, all types of things. He didn’t ever involve himself with anything like that…”

“I’m sure a lot of people will come out of the woodworks once my book comes out and I’m sure Fulton County would like to know some things as well.”

“When I met her she was on top of her gold J30 Infiniti, beat up, with makeup all in the car, dirty, in a short dress, clapping her a** in front of Too Short and my husband and several other people at a car wash at 3 o’clock in the morning.”

On claims that Phaedra slept with her ex-husband:

“I divorced him [my ex-husband]. He’s incarcerated. He’s supposed to get out of jail next year. She still takes his calls and has promised him all kinds of things when he gets out. She’s really grimey. She will be your best friend and then turn around be with your man and take everything from you. That’s who she is. She wants to hurt you. She’s very evil and vindictive.”

On Phaedra and Apollo’s marriage:

“She has a key to the door he wants in right now. I’m sure she has a lot of stuff on him and he has a lot of stuff on her. It’s not love there. You can see that it’s fake. It’s something there that I’m sure will come out eventually.”

While we certainly cannot confirm whether or not any of Jessica’s claims about Phaedra are true, we can say that her story sounds very similar to that of Angela Stanton, who penned a 2012 tell-all about her alleged experiences with Parks called Lies of a Real Housewife. As a disclaimer, we should note that Voker is in the process of penning a book about her life, which it appears will include information about her alleged nitty-gritty criminal dealings with Phaedra. So there may be a bit of motive there.

Turn the page to listen to Jessica’s full interview. What are your thoughts on all of this? 

Source: Henrico County Police

A two-day trial slated to begin in June was scheduled by a Henrico County judge last Thursday for an aspiring Virginia rapper by the name of Wafeeq Sabir El-Amin,27, who is accused of shooting his friend, reports the Richmond Times Dispatch. What really perplexed investigators was the alleged motive behind the violent act. According to prosecutors, El-Amin believed that murdering his friend would grant him membership into the Illuminati and ultimately hip hop stardom.

“You are my sacrifice,” are the words that El-Amin is alleged to have said to his friend before firing a shot towards his head. The search warrant revealed that the victim woke up to see El-Amin standing over him with the gun. Things didn’t exactly go as the defendant may have hoped, though. According to reports, the bullet struck El-Amin’s friend in his hand, but he was able wrangle the gun from his attacker, shooting him in the stomach before fleeing.

Drugs are said to have played a role in the incident. Police say that El-Amin had used so much marijuana, that when detectives questioned him about the December 26th incident, he could barely remember anything that happened the entire month in which the alleged attack occurred. Deputy Commonwealth Attorney, Thomas L. Johnson revealed that in addition to recovering a pound of marijuana from El-Amin’s home, detectives also found a book that discusses the role that the Illuminati plays in the hip hop industry. Johnson also suggests that El-Amin was obsessed with the career of 50 cent and that during this trial, he plans on exploring hip hop culture and the widespread belief that the secret society has a hand in the success of certain performers. Prior to this particular incident, the defendant has no criminal record.

El-Amin was denied bond. His trial is set to begin June 26th.

This is pure insanity. People have got to get a grip.

Source: WENN

Back in June of 2011, two men, Junior Bradshaw, 35 and Kevin Liverpool, 32, were arrested very close to English soul singer Joss Stone’s home. The authorities were called by neighbors who grew suspicious of the men and they were detained before they could reach the singer’s house, reports the Guardian.

In their car, police discovered a samurai sword, knives, a hammer, black bags, gloves and an arsenal of other weapons, along with notes that read “Jocelyn RIP,” “Once Jocelyn’s dead … find a river to dump her.”  Notes with references to the word “decapitate” and were also recovered. On Monday during the trial, prosecutor Simon Morgan told the jury that Bradshaw and Liverpool were plotting to rob and decapitate the 25-year-old recording artist, who’s real name is Jocelyn Stoker. Prosecutors also suggest that the two suspects were a part of a larger gang, with whom they conspired the murder plot. Their co-conspirators, however, could not be traced.

To make matters worse, Jocelyn was actually home at the time that the incident occurred and more than likely had her doors unlocked and her security system deactivated.

“Apart from someone [the police] coming around to say someone is trying to kill me, it was a really nice day,” she told the courts.

“I had an alarm but I did not really turn it on very much. I didn’t really have a lock on my door … But I do now.”

“At the time I had a gate. To get in, they [visitors] would just open the gate, drive in with their car, get up to another gate, shut the gate hopefully so the dogs don’t get out, then say hello.”

Investigators are not completely sure of the exact motive for the plot, but are led to believe that Jocelyn was not only targeted for her money or celebrity, but also because of her relationship with the royal family. Another note recovered from the assailants’ car read:

“I don’t kill just for dollars, only for good cause or reason.”

“But she [the Queen] likes Joss Stone… Invited to Will’s wedding by Queen. Where’s the sense in that?”

Bradshaw and Liverpool are denying all of the charges being brought against them.

Unbelievable.

I guess it’s not enough to be part of one of the most important families in the history of Gospel music. Nope, not for Michael Winans, Jr., son of The Winans member, Michael Winans (pictured above on the far left).  He plead guilty last week in a Detroit court to federal charges that he was defrauding investors out of 8 million dollars in a Ponzi scheme.

The long and short of it is that 30 year old Michael represented Winans Trust, saying it was a company that invested in crude oil bonds in Saudia Arabia.  He retained 11 “shareholders” and told them that to keep their place, they needed to recruit other investors and have them send their funds to Winans Trust.  The “shareholders,” who knew nothing about this whole scheme, were collectively able to get over 1,000 investors involved who gave a total of over 8 million dollars to a company that didn’t exist. Michael then changed most of the “company money” into funds for himself using the rest to pay back initial investors. The problem was that the “pay back” money was really just money from new “clients” and not a real return on investment.

Michael will be sentenced in February 2013 and faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years.

Why?! Why must you be a rebel? Your daddy was a member of The Winans, for goodness sakes! Do something meaningful like becoming a teacher or nurse or doctor. Everybody in the entire Winans clan (and we all know its like 1,000 of them) can sing – put out an album!!  What an embarrassment for such a legendary family.

Am I the only one too scared of prison to do something this dumb?

Source