True Crime Stories

I read the true crime book, In a Child's Name by Peter Maas, many, many years ago. I read it after seeing the television movie of the same name. The movie aired in 1991 when we were still on the back end of the era in which television mini-series' were a thing. I always remembered the movie due to how it ended on the first of two nights on the air. To be fair, my knowledge of all things criminal was not what it is today and the impression they gave in the movie is completely false, but it was still powerful. In the movie investigators had sprayed the home of Kenneth Taylor with Luminol while he was being investigated in the murder of his wife, Teresa Benigno-White. The movie would indicate that it was the use of this chemical that had led to his arrest, which is not really true. At the end of the first night however the movie showed Kenneth Taylor's parents sleeping in the master bedroom of the home and after they turned the light off the room began to gl...

It often amazes me when I stumble upon cases that there seems to be a multitude of people involved in the crime, especially when they are all related. I have always disagreed with the rule that a spouse does not have to testify against another spouse and yet a parent does not get that same privileged when one of their children have been accused of a crime. So many gave Cindy Anthony a hard time when she testified in her daughters trial believing that she lied. I too believe that she did and while I do think she went further in her lies than she should have, I also believe she should have never been given the burden of testifying against her daughter. So when it comes to parents I get it, we're here to help, not harm our children but a line has to be drawn somewhere. As a mother I love my children and while I would not want to be put in the position of testifying against them, I also would not go as far as to help them commit a crime in any way. Such is not the case for a...

I recently watched a rerun of an episode of 48 Hours  and was surprised that not only had I not blogged about this case since it was one that I was fairly familiar with but that it was not even on my list to research.  You have often heard me say that spouse against spouse murders are almost routine in today's age but sometimes a case is a bit more unique.  This is one of them.  As I was watching the show I did something else I often do when watching those types of episodes, I started a search for more information and in the process decided to just do a full on search and discussion. In January of 2000 college "sweethearts" Jarrod Davidson and Kelee (pronounced Kelly) Jones were married.  In July of that year their daughter Malia was born.  The marriage soon soured however and by March of 2001 the couple had separated.  On the surface, and probably deep down also, this became a classic case of parental alienation.  Jarrod and Kelee were fighting...

I am actually surprised that I have never blogged about this case.  This is one of those cases that have stuck with me from the moment I heard about it.  I am almost certain I have researched it in the past and have watched or read anything I could get my hands on about the case.  Why? Probably because Jessica McCord is simply the face of evil.  She is the reason ex-spouses (especially wives) get a bad reputation, and yet in the same breath she makes us thankful that while we too may be in stressful situations at least we are still alive to stress about it.  In the same respect, as I pointed out in another story, I have to give it to her,  unlike so many others, Jessica was not scared to get her hands dirty.  Then again that is because Jessica believed she was better than everyone else, her ideas were better, and in the end she believed everyone would believe her.  She thought being the "Mommy" and batting her little eyes to everyone, including ju...