Scot Freed After 22 Years on Death Row in Ohio

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• Killer 'Santa' Was Out to Get His Mom

  Dec 30, 08 2:40 AM CST
  The man who carried out a Christmas Eve killing spree dressed as Santa Claus had planned to kill his own mother, the Los Angeles Times reports. Bruce Jeffrey Pardo was furious with his mom for siding with his ex-wife in their bitter marital dispute and knew she was invited to the California holiday party he peppered with bullets. She didn't attend because she had the flu.
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• World's Oddest New Year Rituals

  Dec 29, 08 1:50 AM CST
  While much of the world indulges in the traditional New Year's Eve fare of glittery balls and fireworks, other countries have more unusual ways of shepherding in the next year, reports Travel and Leisure. For example: 

  • Spain: Gobbling a grape for each clock stroke is considered a fruity down payment on a month of good luck in the New Year.
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• Rap's Roots Found in, Uh, Scotland?

  Dec 28, 08 8:02 PM CST
  While most don't associate rap with a bunch of white guys in skirts, a University of New Mexico professor traces the music’s roots back to the barrooms of medieval Scotland, the London Telegraph reports. “The Scots have a lengthy tradition of flyting—intense verbal jousting, often laced with vulgarity, that is similar to the dozens that one finds among contemporary inner-city African-American youth,” Professor Ferenc Szasz argues.
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• Melting Santa Suit Burned Killer, Foiled Getaway

  Dec 27, 08 9:30 AM CST
  The California Santa killer, who committed suicide after massacring his ex-wife’s family, had planned an escape by plane—but he was foiled by third-degree burns as his Santa Claus suit melted onto his body, the Los Angeles Times reports. The explosion as he set fire to his ex-wife’s parents’ house left burns on his arms, and he never made it to the airport.
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• Death Toll Hits 8 in 'Santa' Slayings

  Dec 26, 08 3:01 AM CST
  The death toll in the Christmas Eve massacre by a California man dressed as Santa Claus has now risen to at least eight as more details of the rampage emerge,  the Los Angeles Times reports. Bruce Jeffrey Pardo first shot in the face an 8-year-old girl who answered the door at his former in-laws' home, then opened fire on his relatives, ex-wife and a crowd of holiday guests.
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