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Video: Should Calif. Change Sex Predator Laws?
San Diego remains shaken by the rape and murder of Poway teenager Chelsea King. We discuss the details of the case, and how it could impact California's sex offender laws in the future.
http://www.kpbs.org/videos/2010/mar/05/4689/#video

Video: Editors Discuss Megan's Law And County Elections
Editors discuss the impact of Megan's Law on the local community. Also, San Diego City Council member Donna Frye made news this week with the announcement that she will not run against Ron Roberts for a seat on the Board of Supervisors. We discuss the reasons behind Frye's decision, and how it could affect the makeup of the Board of Supervisors in the future.
http://www.kpbs.org/videos/2010/mar/05/4690/#video

Video: What good are sex offender laws? 3:39
http://www.cbs8.com/global/category...default&clipId=4591082&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

Video: Whatever happened to Jessica's Law? 4:23
http://www.cbs8.com/global/category...default&clipId=4592531&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

Video: News 8 Investigation: Big flaw in Megan's Law 4:10
http://www.cbs8.com/global/category...default&clipId=4595871&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

Video: Sex predator laws don't work: What will? 4:31
http://www.cbs8.com/global/category...default&clipId=4599189&flvUri=&partnerclipid=
 
Tricks predators use to grab their victims
Posted: Mar 09, 2010 9:03 PM EST
Updated: Mar 09, 2010 9:12 PM EST
<snipped>
Last week News 8 did a series of reports on weak laws and a lack of resources available for tracking sex offenders.

This week we're focusing on ways to protect your family.

Children are not allowed to carry pepper spray and Tasers, but parents can arm them with knowledge that can save their lives.

In this CrimeFighters video report, Jeff Zevely spends time with a crime prevention specialist in San Marcos.


Video: Tricks predators use to grab their victims 3:07
http://www.cbs8.com/global/category...default&clipId=4608330&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

16 Most Common Lures Used By Child Predators
http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=12112885

Article:
http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=12113327
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After Amber & Chelsea: Women arming themselves with self-defense weapons
Posted: Mar 08, 2010 10:17 PM EST
Updated: Mar 08, 2010 10:21 PM EST
<snipped>
Since John Gardner's arrest, women across the county have been looking for new ways to defend themselves. Katie Redman is a mother of two who jogs alone every morning. "I can't stop living and I need to be prepared," she said.

Chuck Garlow is the owner of California Police Equipment. He says since John Gardner's arrest, women from all over the county have been arming themselves with non-lethal weapons like stun guns and pepper blasters. Garlow is a retired deputy who carries the Kimber pepper blaster in his own car. Tasers are another big seller. Barbed probes hook a bad guy like a fish and shock him into submission. You may also consider buying a new pepper spray gun equipped with a laser sight that fires mace at 290 miles an hour. But Garlow says whatever you buy, it won't do you any good if it's buried in a backpack or purse.


Video: Women arming themselves with self-defense weapons 3:45
http://www.cbs8.com/global/category...default&clipId=4605180&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

Self-Defense Gadgets
http://www.capoliceequip.com/home

Article:
http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=12106346
 
"Freedom From Fear" law in the works
California assemblyman Pedro Nava, who's running for California attorney general, says he was inspired to take action after hearing about our "freedom from fear" campaign in the wake of Chelsea King's murder
[ame]http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2010/03/09/hln.jvm.freedom.from.fear.law.cnn[/ame]

Track sex offenders for life
[ame]http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2010/03/09/jvm.issue.03.09.cnn[/ame]

Lets get free from fear
[ame]http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2010/03/05/hln.jvm.daily.issue.03.05.cnn[/ame]

Teen's death "junk justice"
[ame]http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2010/03/04/hln.jvm.daily.issue.03.04.cnn[/ame]

Predator targeting joggers?
[ame]http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2010/03/02/hln.jvm.daily.issue.03.02.cnn[/ame]
 
Today Show Video: Did probation report foresee King killing? 1:34
A 10-year-old probation report for John Gardner, suspected in the Chelsea King murder, recommended he be jailed for as long as possible due to his inordinate interest in young women. NBC's Janet Shamlian reports.
[ame="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/35794758#35794758"]Today Show Video Player[/ame]

Today Show Video: King's alleged killer tied to another slaying? 1:30
March 8: The body of missing teen Amber Dubois was found in a Southern California park days after Chelsea King's body was discovered. Now police are taking a look at the man charged in King's killing. NBC's Janet Shamlian reports.
[ame="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/35761638#35761638"]Today Show Video Player[/ame]
 
[ame]http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2010/03/02/hln.jvm.daily.issue.03.02.cnn[/ame]
 
Outrage is justified, rush for laws isn&#8217;t
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 12:03 a.m.
<snipped>
Two girls are dead. Two girls, innocently going about their days. One, heading off to school. The other, going for a run.

It&#8217;s no wonder people are clamoring for all sorts of get-tough action against sexual predators. County Supervisor Dianne Jacob said anyone who commits a violent or sexual crime against a child should either be executed or thrown in prison and not let out.

An Escondido woman, Karen Doll-Murphy, has started a Facebook page &#8212; Support One Strike Law for Sex Offenders &#8212; in the wake of the killing of Chelsea King, 17, the Poway High School senior who disappeared Feb. 25. Up for less than a week, the page already has more than 6,000 members.

In 2008, more than 7,300 adults were arrested for felony sex offenses in California, according to the state Attorney General&#8217;s Office. That number has remained steady for the past several years.

There are more considerations, as well. In addition to the cost of housing prisoners &#8212; an estimated $47,000 a year per inmate &#8212; the system would be saddled with lengthy trials. Charged sex offenders facing life in prison would have no other option but to fight.

Victims would be put on witness stands. &#8220;Nobody would ever plea again,&#8221; said Jay Adams of the California Coalition on Sex Offending, which has criticized some of the more stringent laws against sex offenders.

It&#8217;s completely understandable for people to be outraged over the deaths of Chelsea King and 14-year-old Amber Dubois, Adams said. &#8220;They&#8217;re horrendous crimes and they horrify people,&#8221; she said. But they are also very rare, Adams noted. Most sexual-abuse victims &#8212; an estimated 90 percent &#8212; know their abuser.

Evil, terrible people live among us. But no sex-offender database, no residency law, no formula for how-many-strikes-and-you&#8217;re-out can protect us completely. I want to remember Chelsea, too. But maybe putting her name on a law isn&#8217;t the best way.


Article:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/10/outrage-is-justified-rush-for-laws-isnt/
 
Details of Gardner's past emerge
Family strains outlined in probation report; preliminary hearing set for Aug. 4

Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 12:04 a.m.
<snipped>
As a teenager, John Albert Gardner III was paid to keep people safe &#8212; first as a seasonal lifeguard at a resort in the San Bernardino Mountains, then as a ride operator at Santa&#8217;s Village amusement park.

A week after Gardner was charged with murder in the death of Poway teenager Chelsea King, a clearer picture of his background and 2000 sexual-assault conviction emerged with the court-ordered release of that report.

He claims to have taken 18 medications altogether, a statement a psychiatrist who evaluated him in 2000 didn&#8217;t believe. The report says Gardner took Ritalin, Cylert, Zoloft, Paxil and Wellbutrin, Tegretol, Mellaril, Imipramine and Wellbutrin. Some of these drugs are common ADHD treatments, and others are prescribed for depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The report says he stopped taking medication before he turned 16.

It also says that Gardner said his relationship with his mother &#8220;is somewhat strained at times because they share a small apartment and get on each other&#8217;s nerves.&#8221; Gardner&#8217;s mother is a registered nurse, according to state records. She is also the legislative committee chairwoman of the California Chapter of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, according to its newsletters. In April, she protested state mental health care funding cuts during a walk in San Diego to raise money for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

She has not responded to interview requests since her son&#8217;s arrest. Gardner&#8217;s father died at the age of 64 in 2008.

*More at link!

Photos of John Albert Gardner III from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation show Gardner in 2000 and 2004.
book_t352.JPG


Preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 4 in San Diego Superior Court for John Albert Gardner III.

Article:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/10/details-of-suspects-past-emerge/
 
Gardner and the Dept. of Corrections
Updated 8:32 AM PST, Thu, Mar 11, 2010
<snipped>
Did John Gardner, who is accused of killing Chelsea King and is the focus of the investigation in the Amber Dubois case -- abide by the conditions of his parole? The answer to that question is held inside the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's central file, which unlike the field files, which were destroyed, remains intact. The department's files have historically not been public information, according to a department representative, but, given the extreme interest in the case, officials said are working on making the accessible in this case.

Gardner was sentenced in 2000 to six years in prison for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old when he was 20. After his release, Gardner spent exactly three years on parole, from Sept. 26, 2005, to Sept. 26, 2008. During that time, parole officers would periodically check in on him during the day.

The Chelsea King murder suspect spent time at three California prisons during his six-year sentence, including Donovan State Prison. A few months later, he was transferred to Tehachapi State prison and then was sent to Avenal State Prison in 2004.

State Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher says tht information in department's central file needs to be released. Fletcher said his office has requested the immediate release of Gardner's central file but has still not heard back from the state department of corrections.


Video: Gardner and the Dept. of Corrections
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat/Gardner_and_the_Dept__of_Corrections_San_Diego.html

Video: Chelsea King Suspect Appears in Court
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat/Chelsea_King_Suspect_Appears_in_Court_San_Diego.html

Article:
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat/Gardner-and-the-Corrections-System-87287047.html
 
San Diego's dark history of child abductions
Posted: Mar 10, 2010 8:59 PM EST
Updated: Mar 10, 2010 9:59 PM EST
<snipped>
Sadly, Chelsea King and Amber Dubois are not the only victims of child abductions in San Diego. There have been nearly two dozen cases over the past 50 years, which means there are people out there capable of harming our children. After searching through News 8 archives, it didn't take us too long to find San Diego's dark history of child abductions, including many that ended in death.

February 6, 1977
A six-year-old Golden Hill Boy, Jose Luis Ramirez is reported missing. Two days later, his nude body is found by searchers in a nearby park. Robert McFarlane, 34, a convicted child molester, pleaded guilty to the child's slaying and was sentenced to life in prison.

August 5, 1988
After failing to return from a friend's Pacific Beach house, seven-year-old Charitie Angelique Careins' mother reports her missing. In June 1989, hikers in a canyon near Beaumont find a small skull with a jaw and teeth that were determined to be Charitie's. Her killer was never brought to justice.

December 16, 1989
A seven-year-old Oceanside girl, Leticia Hernandez, disappears while playing in front of her house. Dozens of officers and more than 200 volunteers search for her. The FBI checks hundreds of reported sightings from coast to coast. Oceanside police Detective Chris McDonough writes a song about the crime. Her skull was found March 9, 1991 by a ranch caretaker near the Riverside County line. She had been dead about a year. Detectives focused on a neighbor as a possible suspect, but no arrest was made.

July 15, 1991
Rasheeyda Wilson told her mom she was going to play outside the Yale Hotel where they lived in downtown San Diego. The nine-year-old disappeared and despite a major search for days by officers and volunteers, she has never been found.

Even after several years, many of these unsolved mysteries are still being looked into by members of local law enforcement cold case units.

*Much More At Link!

Jose Luis Ramirez
12120578_BG1.jpg


Leticia Hernandez
12120578_BG2.jpg


Charitie Angelique Careins
12120578_BG3.jpg


Rasheeyda Wilson
12120578_BG4.jpg


Video: San Diego's dark history of child abductions 3:27
http://www.cbs8.com/global/category...default&clipId=4611704&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

Video: San Diego's dark history of child abductions - pt. 2~2:19
http://www.cbs8.com/global/category...default&clipId=4611856&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

Article:
http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=12120578
 
Gov. orders to retain sex offender records
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
<snipped>
With anger growing over the recent San Diego teen murders, the governor ordered correction officials to stop destroying sex offender parole records. The move to start keeping the parole files of sex offenders instead of destroying them comes as the result of a case involving registered sex offender, John Gardner.

Gardner, who was no longer under parole supervision, is accused of killing 17-year-old Chelsea King. One lawmaker requested to see Gardner's parole file and got only a one-page summary because the state destroys those records one year after a criminal's parole ends.

Crime victims groups were surprised, considering that most ex-cons go back to their old ways. "Anybody with common sense, any common sense, would know, you better keep the record because you don't know if this person is rehabilitated or not," said Harriet Salamo of Crime Victims United.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has now ordered the agency to stop destroying the parole records of sex offenders only and keep them indefinitely.


Video: Gov. orders to retain sex offender records
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=7323898

Article:
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/state&id=7323895
 
Report: Deputies May Have Missed Chance To Detain Gardner
POSTED: 7:06 pm PST March 10, 2010
UPDATED: 10:07 am PST March 11, 2010
<snipped>
10News learned law enforcement officials may have missed an opportunity regarding sex offender John Gardner weeks before Chelsea King's death.

According to the investigative journalism Web site The Enterprise Report, Gardner was stopped at a DUI checkpoint in Lake Elsinore on Jan. 30. He was driving a 2002 Nissan Sentra that belongs to his girlfriend of nearly two years, Jariah Baker.

Sheriff's deputies in the area were on the lookout for a man who tried to abduct a young girl at gunpoint in October. Even though a sketch had been distributed which bore a resemblance to Gardner, authorities allowed him to pass through the checkpoint.


The Enterprise Report said deputies were all made aware of the sketch, and the deputies at the checkpoint learned about Gardner's history upon stopping him. Eric Longabardi, founder of The Enterprise Report said, "When they ran his information, it came back that he's a registered sex offender."

Despite the information about Gardner's sex offenses, it appeared deputies never put the pieces together and let Gardner go with a citation for expired tags and not having proof of insurance.


Web site The Enterprise Report
http://theenterprisereport.typepad.com/

Video: Report: Authorities May Have Missed Chance To Detain Gardner
http://www.10news.com/video/22804309/index.html

Article:
http://www.10news.com/news/22804187/detail.html
 
ESCONDIDO: Students urge council to crack down on predators
Park clean-up this Saturday; forum slated for March 23

March 10, 2010 10:23 pm
<snipped>
Wearing special T-shirts that said "Am I not worth protecting," four student leaders from Escondido High School urged the City Council Wednesday to aggressively support legislation aimed at stopping sexual predators.

The students said their pleas were prompted by the recent discovery in Pala of remains belonging to Escondido teen Amber Dubois, who was last seen walking near Escondido High more than a year ago.

"Rather than just move on, we want to honor her short, precious life in a more lasting way," said senior Scarlett Meadows, a member of the school's student government.

Meadows and her classmates asked the council to help pursue new legislation and find ways to make sure authorities fully enforce existing legislation, such as Megan's Law, Jessica's Law and the Adam Walsh Act.


Students from Escondido High School (from left) Valerie Narciso, 18, Scarlett Meadows, 17, and Korey Kaczur, 17, wear T-shirts that say "Am I not worth protecting" as they address the Escondido City Council on Wednesday. The students urged the City Council to support legislation and other efforts aimed at stopping sexual predators
fdad0b32-0dda-59e6-b58b-23bcfbf855dd.preview-300.jpg


Article:
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/escondido/article_024dc27b-a14a-5113-bba9-acea8d20f539.html
 
More than 200 sign up to clear brush
Thursday, March 11, 2010 at 12:04 a.m.
<snipped>
More than 200 people have volunteered to help clear overgrown brush from the trails of the 283-acre Kit Carson Park from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.

The outpouring of volunteerism came after Escondido publicized its increasing budget problems and after the death of 17-year-old Chelsea King of Poway. Chelsea went missing Feb. 25 after she went for a run at Rancho Bernardo Community Park. John Albert Gardner III, a registered sex offender, has been charged with rape and murder.

Last night, at a City Council meeting, Escondido community services director Jerry Van Leeuwen said volunteers for the brush clearing include the Kiwanis Club of Escondido, Emmanuel Faith Community Church, college and high school students, Girl Scouts San Diego-Imperial Council and Boy Scouts of America Kit Carson District.

Younger volunteers will be asked to help with water runs.


Article:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/11/more-200-sign-clear-brush/
 
Forensic scientists look for answers
Many variables confront investigations of deaths of 2 North County teens

Thursday, March 11, 2010 at 12:04 a.m.
<snipped>
Forensic scientists investigating the deaths of two North County teens already know the &#8220;who&#8221; &#8212; Chelsea King and Amber Dubois. Now they&#8217;re focused on the &#8220;when&#8221; and the &#8220;how.&#8221;

Each case presents its own challenges, and the answers aren&#8217;t likely to be as simple &#8212; or come as quickly &#8212; as the TV franchise &#8220;CSI&#8221; makes the process appear. &#8220;There are just so many variables,&#8221; said Dr. Harry Bonnell, a former San Diego County deputy medical examiner now in private practice. Variables such as where the bodies were buried, how deeply and for how long.

From a forensic standpoint, a case like Chelsea&#8217;s would probably be pretty straightforward, said Bonnell, who performed about 7,000 autopsies during his 20-year career as a medical examiner and now reviews about 150 cases yearly, mostly as a criminal-defense expert.

Amber&#8217;s case is more complicated. &#8220;Skeletal remains are among the most difficult, if not the most difficult, cases we have,&#8221; said Greg Wyatt, Sacramento County coroner.

The site typically becomes an archaeological dig, excavated layer by layer. Nothing is removed until it is fully exposed, photographed and mapped. Sides of a makeshift grave are examined for marks that might reveal what kind of tool was used. Soil under the skeleton is tested to see if decomposition happened there or if the remains had been moved. The work often takes more than a week.

*Much More At Link!

Investigators this week searched in the area where the skeletal remains of Amber Dubois were found.
UTI1505409_t352.jpg


forensics_t352.jpg


Article:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/11/forensic-scientists-look-for-answers/
 
In wake of tragedy, people can turn their rage into action
March 11, 2010
<snipped>
Like most in the San Diego area &#8212; especially those of us who are parents &#8212; I've spent the last few days processing the events surrounding the murder of 17-year-old Chelsea King with a mixture of sadness, frustration and rage. Mostly rage. Naturally, most of this anger is aimed at John Albert Gardner III, a 30-year-old registered sex offender who was charged last week in King's death.

The more we learn about Gardner's numerous brushes with the law, the more anger builds over a defective system for dealing with sex offenders. Factor in that there might also have been a series of foul-ups by law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and the courts with regard to these earlier cases involving Gardner and your blood begins to boil.

But while prosecutors go about building their case against Gardner, the public should be evaluating the institutions that are charged with protecting them and their families. Not one cog in the wheel should get a pass. And if it turns out that someone did slip up &#8212; by not warning the public that other young women were attacked in those neighborhoods, or by being too quick to offer a plea bargain to Gardner in 2000 when he was charged with molesting a 13-year-old girl, or by not subjecting Gardner to the level of monitoring that he clearly deserved after he was released from prison &#8212; resignations should follow. After all, in this line of work, incompetence and neglect can come at a high price.

As for Gardner's fate, San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis has said that she hasn't yet decided whether to seek the death penalty because it only "should be used and exercised in those cases that are the most serious."

Don't think about it too long, Madame D.A. Criminal cases don't get more serious than this. It's because of predators who refuse to admit what they've done, let alone show remorse, that we have capital punishment in the first place. So if Gardner is convicted, we should make sure that he gets to experience the concept up close.

*Much More At Link!

Article:
http://www.baxterbulletin.com/article/20100311/OPINION01/3110352
 
Central file on Gardner is kept unavailable
Thursday, March 11, 2010 at 12:04 a.m.
<snipped>
Under court order, state prison officials last month released 120 pages of parole field records tracking the man charged with holding Jaycee Lee Dugard captive for 18 years.

The records contained embarrassing revelations of lax oversight and cursory checks regarding supervision of Phillip Garrido, a convicted sex offender. Agents noted &#8220;weird&#8221; behavior on visits but left in less than 10 minutes. At one point, a young girl was spotted in the home but Garrido claimed she was his niece.

So, could parole agents have had similar troubling lapses when monitoring John Albert Gardner III &#8212; charged with rape and murder in the death of Poway teenager Chelsea King &#8212; while he was under their watch from 2005 to 2008 for a previous sex crime? The public has no way to know.

The State Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has declined repeated requests since Friday to release Gardner&#8217;s central file with prison and parole records, including pertinent information from the field notes. Officials cite privacy considerations and a desire to avoid hampering the investigation. They also began citing a court-imposed gag order when it was issued Tuesday.

*Much More At Link!

A photo released by the state yesterday shows John Albert Gardner III holding a prison ID card in 2000.
gardner_t352.jpg


Article:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/11/central-file-on-gardner-is-kept-unavailable/
 
Big Crowds Expected at Chelsea's Memorial
Chelsea's family is concerned they won't be able to accommodate everybody

Updated 2:47 PM PST, Thu, Mar 11, 2010
<snipped>
Chelsea King&#8217;s family is overwhelmed by the crowds expected at their daughter's memorial this weekend. "We never anticipated that so many people would want to honor Chelsea in this way, and very much wish we could accommodate every single person. We apologize if that turns out not to be the case," Brent and Kelly King said in a statement.

They say they will have to issue priority passes in advance to family, extended friends, supporters, and members of the Poway High School community and flowers will not be accepted at the memorial.

&#8220;In lieu of flowers, we are asking you to tie a blue ribbon around a tree in your community to represent your love for Chelsea or to make a donation to Chelsea's light and help her change the world,&#8221; the family said.


The memorial will be held at 2 p.m. at the Poway High School Stadium on Saturday. NBCSanDiego.com will be streaming the memorial live starting at 2 p.m.

Video: Push for Chelsea's Law Under Way
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/station/as-seen-on/Push_for_Chelsea_s_Law_Under_Way_San_Diego.html

Video: Students at Poway High Attempt to Cope With the Pain
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/bre..._Attempt_to_Cope_With_the_Pain_San_Diego.html

Video: A Community Mourns
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat/A_Community_Mourns_San_Diego.html

Article:
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat/Big-Crowds-Expected-at-Chelseas-Memorial--87341797.html
 

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