Boy swore 1,000th spanking would be last: police

Arizona Republic (Phoenix) Nov 27, 08 2:20 PM CST
(Newser)
-
An 8-year-old Arizona boy charged with murdering his father and a family friend may have kept a written tally of his parents’ spankings, swearing that the 1,000th would be the last, the Arizona Republic reports. Police records say the boy “is believed to have made ledgers and or communicated in the form of writings about his intentions.”
More »
No clear motive in brutal home invasion
KATV (Arkansas) Nov 27, 08 9:40 AM CST
(Newser)
-
Police in Little Rock have arrested a suspect in the murder of Anne Pressly, reports KATV, where the popular anchorwoman worked. Curtis Lavell Vance, 28, was apprehended late last night, shortly after police named him as the suspect in the October slaying, and charged with capital murder. The police chief attributed the severity of the charge to "a very, very solid case due to solid detective work," the AP reports.
More »
Falcons star pleads guilty in dog-fighting case

Atlanta Journal-Constitution Nov 25, 08 12:59 PM CST
(Newser)
-
Michael Vick pleaded guilty to state dog-fighting charges today in an agreement that could let him out of jail and back in the NFL sooner, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Vick—already serving a 23-month federal sentence in Kansas—agreed to a 3-year suspended prison term in the Virginia case, making him eligible for an early release.
More »
Hobbled robber flees
in car before police track him down

News & Observer (Raleigh) Nov 24, 08 6:15 PM CST
(Newser)
-
A man armed with a frozen turkey helped hobble a carjacker yesterday in a North Carolina town, the News & Observer reports. The rescuer battered a crook as he attacked a woman in a grocery store parking lot. The robber jumped in her car, smashing into parked vehicles, and was soon pulled over by police. The woman sustained "fairly serious" injuries, police said, but was released from hospital.
More »
Iranian millionaire sliced pages from valuable volumes

Independent (UK) Nov 21, 08 2:30 PM CST
(Newser)
-
An Iranian scholar and millionaire sliced pages from extremely rare volumes at the British Library, some dating back to the 16th century, to replace missing sections in his own book collection, reports the Independent. Farhad Hakimzadeh, who pleaded guilty to theft and faces prison time, removed pages from a reported 150 volumes over the course of eight years, causing an estimated $1.5 million in damages.
More »
Crackdown targets those who deal with trafficked prostitutes

BBC Nov 19, 08 11:18 AM CST
(Newser)
-
Lay a finger on a trafficked sex worker, and the Brits will slap you with rape and toss you in the clink, reports the BBC. New laws will make it a criminal offense in England and Wales to pay for sex with prostitutes controlled by pimps, as Britain's Home secretary pushes for a crackdown on trafficking women. Exchanging money for sex remains legal, but not so street walking and running a brothel, the BBC reports.
More »
Alabama teenager disappeared in Aruba; witnesses emerge

CNN Nov 18, 08 6:15 PM CST
(Newser)
-
Authorities in Aruba say they have new leads in the disappearance of Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway that could lead to an arrest before the end of the year, CNN reports. Dutch student Joran van der Sloot remains the prime suspect. A new witness says she saw van der Sloot and his father near a pond the night Holloway disappeared. And one of van der Sloot's former girlfriends says he made suspicious comments about the case.
More »
Many applaud man for taking on abusive arm of state; he confessed, will be executed

Washington Post Nov 14, 08 10:32 AM CST
(Newser)
-
Public sentiment in China seems to be coming down squarely on the side of a man convicted of entering a Shanghai police station and stabbing six officers to death, the Washington Post reports. Yang Jia, who confessed to the murders, had twice claimed to be the victim of police brutality; now countrymen fed up with abusive state security services are protesting his death sentence.
More »
Stuffed tote saves
life during struggle
with mugger

Today Show Nov 12, 08 1:03 PM CST
(Newser)
-
A 22-year-old Tennessee college student has her overstuffed, oversize handbag to thank for escaping unscathed from a struggle with an armed mugger, she tells NBC’s Today Show . After stealing her cell phone, the attacker fired at Elizabeth Pittenger from 4 feet away. The junk in her handbag—including an umbrella, sunglasses case, and a calculator—absorbed the bullet.
More »
Juice doesn't realize he could be in jail for life

New York Post Nov 9, 08 3:01 PM CST
(Newser)
-
OJ Simpson still expects to go free despite his conviction last month for robbing memorabilia sellers in Las Vegas, the New York Post reports. "I can't wait to get back to fishing and playing golf," Simpson told pal and fellow inmate Clarence "CJ" Stewart. "He's in denial," Stewart said. "He just blocks it out." Simpson has taken his appeal for a new trial to Nevada's Supreme Court.
More »
Soldier gets tab paid off, still arrested for disorderly conduct
Lawton (Okla.) Constitution Nov 7, 08 6:06 PM CST
(Newser)
-
A soldier attempting to play billiards using a beer bottle in place of a pool cue was arrested at an Oklahoma bar after he tried to pay his tab using gum wrappers, the Lawton Constitution reports. Another customer picked up the $32 bill, but the 28-year-old will face charges of disorderly conduct and assaulting a police officer, the AP reports.
More »

Los Angeles Times Nov 7, 08 8:07 AM CST
(Newser)
-
The killer who lashed a couple to an anchor and pushed them into the sea off the California coast so he could steal their yacht has been sentenced to death, reports the Los Angeles Times . Skylar Deleon was also convicted of killing a California man after stealing $50,000 from him. The son of the murdered couple hugged jurors after the decision. "It was difficult for the jury to make a decision on somebody's life, but I absolutely agreed," he said, smiling through tears.
More »
Site takes steps to make sure authorities can trace those posting ads

Bloomberg Nov 6, 08 4:57 PM CST
(Newser)
-
Craigslist agreed today to crack down on prostitutes using the site to drum up business, Bloomberg reports. The online ad service agreed with 40 states to require that anyone who advertises in its notorious “erotic services” section submit a valid phone number and pay a small fee via credit card. The information could be turned over to police if requested.
More »
Killers sell
body parts for
use in witchcraft

Guardian (UK) Nov 4, 08 2:03 PM CST
(Newser)
-
Tanzanian Albinos are living in fear, "unsure of waking up in one piece," said one, as 30 have been killed this year for their body parts, the Guardian reports. Their pigment-free hair, skin, genitals, and extremities are used in witchcraft to bring enrichment, a “stupid belief,” says the country’s president. His support of a rally held by some of Tanzania's 200,000 albinos has been ineffective in curbing the killings.
More »