Jan 28, 2009 | 10:44 PM
Category:
News
As a follow up to my story last night about a new lead in the Molly Bish investigation, I interviewed one of Rodney Stanger's ex-wives.
Rodney Stanger is 60 years old. He is in a Florida jail where he is awaiting trial for the murder of his live-in girlfriend, Crystal Morrison, last February. Stanger's mugshot resembles the sketch of the suspect in the Molly Bish Murder investigation.
Stanger frequently fished at Comins Pond, where Molly disappeared, and hunted in the woods of Palmer, where Molly's body was found.
Tonight I interviewed Debbie Stanger, Rodney Stanger's second ex-wife.
She told me, almost from the beginning, their marriage was one of isolation and abuse. And that abuse included the couple's baby daughter.
"He told me, if I didn't shut my mouth, he would shut it for good," Debbie Stanger told me.
She added, "he used to brag about when he was in the service, and he enjoyed killing."
Debbie's a strong woman. And the first opportunity she had, she took her child and got away from Rodney. After the separation, Debbie says, Rodney continued to stalk her.
Eventually Debbie got out of New England and relocated to Minnesota, where she lives now, to get as far away as possible from Rodney Stanger.
I asked Debbie if she thought Rodney could have anything to do with Molly Bish's murder. Debbie answered, "Oh yeah. Anyone that can treat an infant the way he treated his own daughter. He doesn't care about a little baby. Why would he care about anything else?"
One of the last things Debbie told me is haunting. " He's a predator. He seeks vulnerable women out. And that's what he does. He seeks control. Until they leave him. One way or the other."
Jan 27, 2009 | 9:46 PM
Category:
News
The summer will mark the ninth anniversary of the abduction and murder of sixteen year old Warren lifeguard Molly Bish. An investigative grand jury sat for weeks, but in December 2006 the then Worcester County DA, John Conte, dismissed the grand jury without reaching an indictment.
There has never been an arrest in the Molly Bish murder case.
But there is a very interesting development.
Over the last week I've learned that the Massachusetts State Police are taking a hard look at a former Southbridge man now charged with a brutal murder in Florida nearly one year ago.
The person is Rodney Stanger. He's sixty years old. And he bears a striking resemblance to the man Magi Bish saw at Comins Pond the day before Molly was taken. But that's not the only potential link to the Bish case.
First, some background.
Molly Bish disappeared from Comins Pond on June 27, 2000. The day before, Magi Bish, Molly's mother, noticed a strange man sitting in a white car at the pond when she dropped Molly off. The man glared at Magi, and it unnerved her. Later that day, Magi told Molly to be careful, she noticed there were other men at the pond too.
Magi remembers Molly's answer, "Mom, don't worry. They are just fishermen."
We have discovered that Rodney Stanger not only lived in nearby Southbridge in 2000, he was a sportsman too. I have spoken to a man who tells me he often fished with Rodney Stanger at Comins Pond.
That same man told me that Rodney Stanger liked to hunt and that he hunted in the woods of Palmer, where Molly Bish's remains were found in 2003. I was told Rodney knows the woods so well, that he could direct you to stonewalls and trees that no one else could find.
Rodney Stanger has a brother, Randy Stanger, who is now missing. It seems that no one has heard from Randy Stanger since about 2005. At the time of Molly Bish's murder, Randy Stanger owned a white 1985 Chrysler. Magi Bish said the strange man at Comins Pond was sitting in a white car.
And a white car was seen in the cemetary behind Comins Pond the day Molly vanished.
One year after Molly's disappearance, both Rodney and Randy Stanger, moved to Florida.
Rodney sold his house in Southbridge, and bought a trailer on a 3 acre lot in the town of Summerfield, Florida.
Last February, Rodney's life spiraled out of control. His girlfriend, Crystal Morrison, called her sister Bonnie Kiernan asking Bonnie to get phone numbers for the Massachusetts State Police and the FBI. Rodney, Bonnie said, thought his life was endangered because he witnessed a fatal car accident in Massachusetts. He thought someone from an insurance company was going to kill him.
But when Crystal talked to Bonnie last February, for the first time in more than 18 years, Bonnie said Crystal wasn't talking about insurance companies. She said that Crystal was trying to tell her that Rodney was connected to the Molly Bish case. Bonnie said her sister was terrified.
Bonnie called police and they did a wellness check. The next day Crystal and Bonnie spoke again. This time, Bonnie asked what is going on? Crystal's answer: murders. Then, Bonnie says that Crystal spoke in code, asking Bonnie the name of her pet bird. Bonnie answered Molly. Bonnie believes Crystal was trying to communicate to her about Rodney's involvement in the Bish case. I asked Bonnie why she thought Crystal was being so secretive, and Bonnie said that the trailer was filled with guns and that Rodney kept Crystal on a tight leash.
A few days later, Crystal Morrison's body was discovered in the trailer. Rodney was found in a neighbor's home where, police say, he tried to choke a woman. Bonnie tells me her sister was stabbed 39 times and was decapitated.
When police told Bonnie about her sister's murder, Bonnie said she was shown a picture of Rodney Stanger. She told me it was the first time she ever saw his face. And she immediately recognized the resemblance to the sketch in the Bish case. Bonnie told me she called State Police and told them of her suspicions.
The Worcester County DA's office tells me they receive hundreds of tips in the Bish investigaton, and they follow them all up. A spokesman tells me that the Massachusetts State Police travelled to Florida where they interviewed Rodney Stanger. The Worcester County DA is not calling Stanger a suspect or even a person of interest in the Bish investigation.
The Marion County Florida Sheriff's Department tells me that the Mass. State Police have reached out to them about Stanger and that Florida is fully cooperating with Massachusetts. The Sheriff's Department adds Massachusetts has asked them to keep the matter confidential, and they are honoring that request.
Rodney Stanger is facing capital murder charges for the death of Crystal Morrison. Florida prosecutors have not yet determined if they will seek the death penalty against him.
It's a lot of information, I'll try to keep you updated.
Bob Ward
Jan 24, 2009 | 12:20 PM
Category:
News
Hey Everyone,
We'll soon we are switching over to a new MyFoxBoston blog system and this blog will be no more.
I WILL be making the switch, so you will find me over there. I've already opened my account.
You know that this means that everything I've written will be gone as we start fresh.
The other day I backed up all my blogs. Some of them brought back some great memories.
Others focused on stories I'm covering and updating, so I wanted to make sure they were saved. At the risk of sounding full of myself, I just wanted to ask if there are any of the old blogs that anyone wants me to carry over to the new system.
You'd be surprised how often someone will discover one of my older blogs and add a comment a year or two later.
Just let me know and I'll take care of it.
I was one of the original bloggers here at MFB. I opened my account in October 2006 shortly after the website launched. And I started blogging as often as I could. I'm also guilty for having convinced other Fox 25 'ers to start blogging too!
I'm having a great time meeting you here on MFB, either through the blogs or the 5pm chat. Or sometimes in person.
Don't be afraid of change (at least this one). It'll be great.
And no, my bosses didn't ask me to write this!!!!!
See ya soon,
Bob Ward
Jan 21, 2009 | 9:56 PM
Category:
News
It's one of the sad facts of life. Sooner or later, we all run into someone who is a bold faced liar. It could be someone we do business with, or it could be someone we know very well.
It's not a lot of fun when we figure it out, is it?
What if we know we can know ahead of time that there's a mound of B.S. headed our way? How valuable would that be?
Joe Tecce is a pscyhology professor at Boston College who studies the Science of Lying.
He explains that when we lie, our bodies give off tell tale signs that reveal when we are not being truthful. Good liars can cover up some of these signs. But most people cannot.
There are many physical signs that we unconsciously give off when we are not being truthful. Joe Tecce tells me the most reliable is how often we blink. Someone who blinks too much, Joe tells me, is very likely spinning a yarn.
See for yourself.
Check out my story here. It features videos of some prominent newsmakers.
And let me ask you. What are your tell tale signs of a liar? How do you know when someone is lying to you?
Bob Ward
Jan 19, 2009 | 10:54 PM
Category:
News
This summer marks the 9th anniversary of the abduction and murder of 16 year old Molly Bish. Hard to believe isn't it?
Molly disappeared on June 27, 2000 from her lifeguard job at Comins Pond in the town of Warren. Three years later, Molly's remains were recovered in the woods of Palmer, five miles away. Molly's killer has never been found.
Now, Molly Bish's family is unleashing a new attempt to shake the tree, to get people to talk. The family will soon put up a huge billboard in Palmer urging people to step forward.
Molly's killer hasn't been identified. But this billboard will make it abundantly clear who the Bish family is seeking. Molly's sister, Heather, told me tonight she wants the billboard to boldly read: "MURDERER WANTED IN WARREN, MASSACHUSETTS."
The billboard will feature the sketch of the man Molly's mother, Magi, saw at Comin's Pond the day before Molly was taken. The man in the sketch, despite massive publicity, has never stepped forward, and he has never been identified. "I guess we do hold a connection to this man," Magi told me. "He may be out there, somewhere, and doing this again," she said.
So much has happened to the Bish family since Molly was taken. John Bish, Molly's father, is still recovering from his stroke. I saw him tonight and he is in great spirits; he's as energetic as ever.
But nine years is a long time to wait for justice. The Bish family says this billboard is just one more step they can take to find Molly's killer.
Heather Bish told me,"We found her (Molly) bone by bone. And we were only able to find 26. And to me that will never be OK. And I will never give up looking for the person who did that to my family."
The Molly Bish billboard should be up in Palmer on January 27th.
Bob Ward
Jan 18, 2009 | 9:33 AM
Category:
News
This week's New England's Unsolved features the case of Roger Gaudin, a man wanted for a brazen shooting in Mattapan in October.
The details of the shooting are simple but stunning at the same time.
On October 8th, a small group of men were sitting around a kitchen table in an apartment on River Street. I spoke to one of the men and he told me it was a small group of friends (four or five guys), playing cards, talking, and joking.
At one point, the doorbell rings. The tenant opens the front door. And suddenly a very large man walks in, strides over to the kitchen table, pulls out a gun and fires at one of the men.
Despite the shooter standing just feet away from his victim, the victim survived the attack.
Boston Police have identified the shooter as Roger Gaudin. He sometimes uses the name Roger Gordon. He is considered armed and very dangerous.
If you think you've seen Gaudin, contact Boston Police Crimestoppers at 1 800 494 TIPS. You can also send a text.
You do that by texting the word T-I-P to CRIME (27463). No matter how you send a tip, you may remain anonymous.
Thanks for your help.
To see the complete NE Unsolved on Roger Gaudin, please click HERE.
Bob Ward
Jan 13, 2009 | 11:23 PM
Category:
News
Something tells me when they write the story about the crash of the late 2000's (just what do we call this decade?), the story of Marcus Schrenker could be Exhibit A.
Schrenker is the investment advisor who disappeared (why do I think we are going to see more of these?), after authorities say he faked a plane crash in Florida to get away from his wife who is divorcing him, the police who are investigating him for fraud, and his investors who say he stole millions from them.
I had this blog nearly written tonight when US Marshals swooped in and picked up Schrenker at a campsite in Quincy, Florida within the last hour. If Schrenker was trying to pull a Whitey Bulger (stashing money around the world, thumbing his nose at authorities and reporters trying to find him) he failed miserably. This guy didn't even last a week.
From what I've read, Marcus Schrenker had it all. Huge (10,000 square foot) home, gorgeous wife, expensive cars, two planes, and lots of money in the bank. There's a picture of this guy on the web posing with his wife and his things, and it looks like it could be the modern version of that old "Poverty S*cks" poster from the 70's.
But it looks like it was all built on a house of cards.
News reports say Schrenker's business is under investigation, the allegations of fraud and theft not unlike what we've heard in the Bernie Madoff case.
And that's strikes me about this case. The alleged victims seem to be well off people who simply trusted this guy to invest their life savings. Over and over again, it appears people fell for a smooth talker with a nice smile. All of this, of course, needs to be proven in court. And, as far as I know, Schrenker hasn't been charged with fraud.
Before his capture, Schrenker was last seen on a motorcycle in Alabama. Days before the plane crash, Schrenker, authorities said, stowed the bike in a rented storage unit.
I wonder what Schrenker was thinking as he headed out for parts unknown. Did he think he got away with it? That in seven years he'd be presumed dead, and thus relieved of any responsiblity of the life left behind?
Or did he imagine he'd be found in a couple of days, at a campsite in an obscure Florida town with cuts on his wrists?
Something tells me, just like the people he tried to leave behind, Schrenker never thought about the bends in the road that forced him to ditch his dreams.
Bob Ward
Jan 11, 2009 | 12:47 PM
Category:
News
It appears the world of Dr. Timothy Stryker is getting a lot smaller these days. And so are his options.
This week one of Dr. Stryker's co-defendants in a conspiracy and perjury case cut a deal with Middlesex County DA Gerry Leone. This means Dr. Stryker could get jail time, if he is found guilty of this current set of charges.
Dr. Stryker has long been suspected in the 1993 murder of his girlfriend, Dr. Linda Goudey, an obstetrician at Stoneham Hospital. In October 1993, Dr. Goudey's body was discovered in her Saab, underneath a blanket. The car was parked in the hospital parking lot. The Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide.
Dr. Stryker has never been arrested for Dr. Goudey's murder.
But in 2006, Dr. Goudey's family sued Dr. Stryker, winning a $7 million dollar (now $15 million with interest) judgement against him.
It is in that judgement that the seeds of the current case were planted.
Dr. Stryker, citing a new witness who came forward, filed a motion for a new trial. That new witness, Craig Pizzano, claimed that on the night Dr. Goudey was last seen, he saw Dr. Goudey with a man in her Saab. The man's description: burly, blonde guy, was the exact opposite of Dr. Stryker.
Middlesex County DA Gerry Leone caught wind of this new witness and called Pizzano and others before a Grand Jury.
According to Leone, Pizzano recanted his testimony.
But last summer Dr. Stryker and one of his patients, Richard Chambers were indicted on allegations they enlisted Pizzano in a scheme to fabricate the story about Dr. Goudey being in her car with a strange man.
This week, Richard Chambers pleaded guilty to all charges, admitting he, Pizzano, and Dr. Stryker made the whole thing up. Chambers' lawyer told me Richard considered Dr. Stryker a friend, and did this to help his friend get out from under the fifteen million dollar judgement. The lawyer told me Richard initially did not believe that Dr. Stryker killed Dr. Goudey. But after what's happened, the lawyer told me, Chambers has his doubts now.
Where does all this leave Dr. Stryker? In a very bad place, I think.
Two of the three people involved in the story about a new witness in the Goudey investigation have switched sides. This leaves Dr. Stryker standing alone.
Dr. Stryker's lawyer told me that Dr. Stryker, despite these legal moves, maintains his innocence and will fight the allegations at trial in April.
Richard Chambers was looking at 70 years in prison, if convicted on all counts and ordered to serve consecutively. Now he's looking at no jail time.
Even if Dr. Stryker is found guilty in the conspiracy case, it does not mean he killed anyone. But he could get substantial time.
This is a complicated case with plenty of twists and turns.
I'll try to keep you updated as it progresses.
Bob Ward
Dec 21, 2008 | 8:23 PM
Category:
News
Every year, when Christmas is just a few days away, I promise I'll do it differently next year. I'll buy Christmas presents early, I'll create the Christmas card in November, I'll go to Mass more often, I'll open up time to enjoy the season. These are the personal vows I make by about every December 22nd.
But it never works out that way.
This year, though, something occurred to me while I was scrambling up against the Christmas Deadline Clock and I was trying to decide whether a sweater or a book would make a suitable gift. I realized that for all the shopping I've done over the years, I can only remember a few Christmas gifts that I either gave or received.
That was a real Christmas bulb going off in my head.
And that led me to think about all of the Ghosts of my Christmas Past, and which ones have left an indelible mark. I can honestly say that none of them involved any physical gifts, and none of them involved a Last Minute Markdown Sale.
But there's one Christmas memory that, until last week, was half forgotten, and very close to moving into the big delete file in my head. And I'd like to share it with you now.
It was Christmas Eve 1984. At the time, I was working my first full time TV job in Manchester, NH. The first few years of a television news career is an apprenticeship; bad schedule, low pay, incredible experience.
In 1984, I was just starting out. And for some reason, the holiday schedule smiled on me: I had the night of Christmas Eve off, and I didn't have to be back to work until 3pm on Christmas day. Now, on paper that may look like I got Scrooged Big Time. But in reality, at that point in my career, it was a true act of mercy by my bosses. This allowed me time to drive home to Franklin, celebrate Christmas Eve with my folks, AND open gifts on Christmas Morning! All of the holiday bases would be covered. And I remember when that Christmas schedule was posted, I simply could not believe my luck.
On that Christmas Eve, it was lightly snowing after the 6pm news. I couldn't wait to get to my car, a '78 Plymouth Horizon, and hit the road. In fact, I was thinking about it all day long.
After I wished my co-workers Merry Christmas, I bolted to the car (before any of my bosses changed their minds), unlocked the car, turned the key and.....nothing. I tried again. Nothing. No sound, no clinking from the engine. Nothing. A Dead Car.
The reason I can remember this was 1984 is that by 1985, I got rid of the piece of worthless junk that I called my first car. In the two years I owned the Horizon, the transmission fell out, the head gasket stranded me on Route 93 in Salem, and I had to attach the front plastic grill to the rest of the car with pieces of twine. Yes, as you can see, I was quite the ladies magnet back in those days.
So, when the Horizon died on Christmas Eve, it wasn't an entirely unexpected event.
After my co-workers were done laughing at me, we tried to jump the car. But to no avail. The Horizon (the Chariot as I once called it) was done.
I called home, but I couldn't expect anyone to come get me on Christmas Eve, in the middle of a snow storm. Plus, how would I get back to New Hampshire on Christmas Day?
There was nothing left to do, but call AAA. I will say, it only took a few minutes before the mechanic showed up and diagnosed the problem.
"It's your alternator. It's got to be replaced. Won't be too expensive," he told me.
Anything less than $1,000.00 (in 1984 dollars, mind you) was a triumph. I was even a little excited by this.
"Great!," I said. " How long till you can fix it?"
"Well, it'll just take an hour. But I can't get to it until the 26th. The garage is closed, and I'm only doing AAA calls. I can tow it, and we'll take care of it then."
"Is there any other way? I'm supposed to be in Massachusetts tonight for Christmas."
What happened next, all these years later, is still unbelievable to me. It's one of those random acts of kindness that I think, for the most part, vanished from the earth a long time ago.
"Tell you what I'm going to do," he said. "I'm working all Christmas. I'm not going anywhere. You come with me to the garage in the tow truck. You can take my car home. Just fill it up with gas, and we'll call it even."
Incredible isn't it? I half remember the car was a big old Cutlass. It had an 8 track cassette player. And it got me home for Christmas.
The mechanic's name was Bill and, just like he promised, he fixed the Horizon for a reasonable price, and he didn't charge me a nickel for the use of his personal car. I did, however, leave a gift from a package store for him on the front seat.
I don't know what became of Bill. However, our paths crossed one more time in 1988 when a brutal, fatal New Year's Eve fire in Manchester, NH touched his life. But I do know that I have rarely come across anyone else with such a deep spirit of kindness and generosity.
That's just one memorable Christmas gift I've received. And it's a gift that I can give you. A gift that doesn't grow obsolete, go out of fashion, or suddenly become too small.
Who knows where next Christmas will find us. But THIS Christmas we are all here together. And I wish to share with you the spirit of kindness, generosity and compassion that was given to me back in 1984.
Thanks everyone for being here. I truly enjoy meeting you all here on the blog. Your comments are always thought-provoking and honest. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your support.
I'll soon be taking a few days off for the holidays. So, in the meantime, I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas. If you celebrate something else this time of year, thanks for remembering me, and all the best to you.
In the meantime, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas, one that you will long remember after all the physical gifts are unwrapped.
Bob
December 21, 2008
Dec 17, 2008 | 8:28 AM
Category:
Entertainment
Well, it ain’t Disneyworld, and it ain’t the Griswold house, but the Christmas lights at Chez Ward are finally up.
In years past, I remember stringing the exterior lights before Thanksgiving. I’d be out on a ladder all day long, intricately wrapping strands of lights along each tree branch. My arms would ache, my hands would get deeply scratched on the outstretched branches which resisted my attempt to bring Christmas to the wild outdoors of my front yard. But then I’d throw on the juice, and the red and green glow made all that Aleve worthwhile.
Then something happened.
I got a look at the electric bill.
From time to time, I'll pack the family into the station wagon and prowl the backyards and alleyways of my area to see how others are decorating their homes. Some of the houses are just beautiful.
And then are the homes where the owner just didn’t know where to stop. Somewhere underneath all those inflatable snow globes and mechanized madness, is a lawn struggling to yell: “GET OFF OF ME!”
When I see these places, I really fight the urge to walk up to the front door, and just ask: “What were you thinking?”
Ah, it’s all in the spirit. And it’s great to see so many people sharing Christmas by spreading goodwill, even at the expense of good taste.
As for me, well, the aching back, the inflated electric bill all conspired to keep things in check. For a week or two, I was tempted to not even bother. Heck, when December rolled around, I was still raking leaves. It all seemed to be too much bother.
But then, like the Boris Karloff cartoon character, I had a change of heart. I was off to buy supplies.
Now, I know it’s a bit late to be stringing up Christmas lights, seeing how it’s the week before Christmas. But I couldn’t believe how the stores were practically sold out of Christmas lights. You’d think it was Valentine’s Day or something. I bet if I went Christmas light shopping at Halloween, I’d have my pick off the good stuff. But now? Even if I was in the market for a moving reindeer, I’d be snowed out.
I did, however, manage to find a couple strings of multi-colored lights and some spotlight bulbs at one store. Trouble was, I didn’t have any spotlights. Nothing about Christmas is easy, is it?
So, that meant another trip to another store. By this time, I’d already been Christmas shopping all day, so one more store was probably like running one more hill in the Boston Marathon.
We got home just as the sun was going down. Just enough time to figure out where the extension cords were in the basement, and how to configure them on my lawn.
I bought six spotlight bulbs, even though I only put up three spotlights. Good thing. At the house, one of the bags dropped on the garage floor. I don’t know which was louder: the pop of the bursting bulb, or the flurry of curses that stopped the kids dead in their tracks.
Two other bulbs simply didn’t work. At four bucks a piece, that’s a great scam: selling burned out lightbulbs.
The best surprise, though, came when I went to string the bushes on both sides of the front door.
I don’t know what happened to me in 2008, but I can honestly say this was not the Year of Lawn Maintenance. The shrubs need trimming, the lawn is getting way too thin in places, what can I say?
There was even more neglect: I forgot to take down last year’s Christmas lights! Every branch on my overgrown shrubs still has 2007’s lights strung up. I couldn’t believe it. You have no idea the joy I get out of deriding other people when I see Christmas stuff still hanging on the rafters in March. And my lights are still up a full year later.
So what did I do? Well, I did what any other self respecting American male stressed out the week before Christmas would do: I plugged them in.
And they worked! Huzzah!
So this year's Christmas lights are a lot like a bride's wedding: a little something old, a little something new, but it works.
It's lit up.
I think I'm ready for Christmas now
Bob
Dec 11, 2008 | 10:28 PM
Category:
News
We don't even know yet if the skeletal remains discovered in Orlando, Florida Thursday morning belong to two year old Caylee Anthony, but everyone is talking about whether this will mean the death penalty for Caylee's mother, Casey.
Casey is already facing first degree murder charges. And prosecutors have already decided NOT to see death for Casey.
But things are changing.
A body is found. A child's skeleton, wrapped in a plastic garbage bag, and dumped less than a quarter of a mile from the Anthony home. The odds that this is not Caylee seem astronomical to me, and I have to admit, I'm struggling to keep an open mind.
Casey Anthony has told so many lies during this investigation, that it's hard think she has any credibility left. Plus, the pictures of her partying in the month after Caylee disappeared, but before she was reported missing, reveal to me a stunning lack of concern for the welfare of her little girl. It's difficult to imagine a scenario where Casey Anthony is blameless in this terrible tale.
So, if the body discovered today is Caylee, and if authorities rule that this is a homicide, should prosecutors change their strategy and seek the death penalty for Casey Anthony?
Women rarely get the ultimate punishment, what about this case?
Let me know,
Bob Ward
Nov 24, 2008 | 10:47 PM
Category:
News
TAYLOR MEYERIt was just over a month ago that Taylor Meyer, a King Philip Regional High School senior, was killed after an underage drinking party in the woods of Norfolk. And since Taylor's death, police have busted three major underage drinking parties, arresting dozens of teens, many of them Taylor Meyer's King Philip classmates.
Taylor's grieving mother still isn't talking about what the tragedy of her beautiful daughter's death. Instead, she is taking action. And her actions are speaking louder than any words.
In Wrentham, Plainville, and Norfolk, the three towns that make up the King Philip Regional School district, the color pink has come to symbolize Taylor's Meyer's death. Kathi Meyer even had pink bracelets made and she gave them to Taylor's classmates.
To drive the point home, at Taylor's funeral, Kathi Meyer said,
"We need to stick together as a community ... and not let Taylor's death
be for no reason. We need for everyone to learn from this."But it seems that message is not getting through. Yet on Friday, twenty of Taylor's classmates were busted for an underage drinking party. And police say all of them were wearing the Taylor Meyer pink braclets. Not only that, but one of the cars parked outside the house still had a Taylor Meyer memorial message painted on its glass.
Monday morning all twenty teens appeared in Wrentham District Court for arraignment. And right in the front row was Kathi Meyer.
She didn't speak. Instead, she took back from each teenager the pink bracelet she gave them just a few weeks ago.
Sadness and pain were clearly etched on Kathi Meyer's face as she held up the collected bracelets in court.
I know I'm not the only one asking: why don't these teens get it? Will they ever?
Bob Ward
Nov 23, 2008 | 7:58 PM
Category:
News
We all know about the FBI's Top Ten Most Wanted list. The Mass State Police also have a Most Wanted list, as do most law enforcement agencies.
Right now there are thousands of fugitives on the run from our area, and there are hundreds of dedicated law enforcement agents, troopers, and marshals tracking them down.
This year, two Massachusetts fugitives received national attention: Clark Rockefeller (now known as Christian Karl Gerhartstreiter), and Michael Bresnahan. Both of them were determined not to get caught and both took steps to remain at large for the rest of their lives. And both of them were caught this year.
There is another common denominator between these two cases: both fugitives were caught with team work. That team included police and detectives from local, state, and federal agencies, and it included the media.
I find the strategies employed to reel in these fugitives fascinating. The men and women who worked these cases live and breathe this stuff, and their dedication is incredible. In the Rockefeller case, agents were driven by concern for his daughter, Reigh. In the Bresnahan investigation, members of the State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Unit were very concerned that this suspected rapist might attack someone else. These people simply did not rest until these fugitives were caught.
Check out my story HERE to see how this all went down.
This story features just two cases out of thousands. I think it shows a side of law enforcement we rarely see. These are the men and women who go to work every day, trying to make life safer for all of us.
Bob Ward
Nov 23, 2008 | 12:45 PM
Category:
Music
Original Beatles Drummer Pete Best & Me
Fox25 Studios 11.21.08
"Woke up, fell out of bed, dragged a comb across my head."--A Day In The Life (Lennon/McCartneyThat line from the middle of the epic Beatles track A Day In The Life, is exactly what happened to me Friday, and it's exactly what put me on the path to meet a Beatle.
When I rolled out of bed at 6AM Friday to help the kids get to school, it dawned on me that I forgot to record my voice for Saturday's New England's Unsolved, which was set to edit Friday morning. Since I wasn't due in to Fox25 until 3pm, that meant one thing: jump in the car and get moving.
Ordinarily, this would be a real chore, especially with little or no coffee in my system. And at first, it was.
But when I was finished recording my track, I wandered into our lunchroom. And who should be sitting there, nonchalantly drinking a coffee (or was it tea?), but AN HONEST TO GOODNESS BEATLE!!!
Pete Best missed not only super-stardom, but being part of a cultural revolution, by about a month. Pete Best actually drummed on the first recorded version of Love Me Do, the Beatles first single, but the song was re-recorded a month after the firing of Pete Best. And it's the Ringo version we know best today (actually there's yet another version with a session drummer that might be even more familiar, but that's another story).
The fact is that Pete Best is an ex-Beatle. And right now, there are only three of them left: Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and Pete Best.
It's tempting to write off Pete Best as a footnote to Beatles history, to lump him in with Lennon's best friend and original bass player, the late Stu Sutcliffe, and call it a day. If you did that, you'd miss something huge.
Think about this. The early Beatles story from the very beginning, centered on finding a drummer. And drummers were few and far between in Liverpool in those days. Before the Beatles went to Hamburg, Germany, they begged Pete to join them. They knew, without a drummer, there was no beat in Beatles.
So, Pete Best was there. If Pete Best didn't go to Hamburg, and the Beatles couldn't find a drummer there, it is likely John Paul and George would have given up and gone home. Ringo at the time was playing for another band. And if the pre-Fab 3 called it a day, it's highly likely there would have been no British Invasion, no Ed Sullivan Show appearance, and no rock revolution that we still feel today.
There's an old saying that there are two kinds of rock musicians: those influenced by the Beatles, and liars. I'd have to agree. Modern music would be vastly different if the Beatles never made it to America.
It's true that the Beatles may not have been the Beatles without Ringo Starr, but if there was no Pete Best, the story might never have even gotten that far.
So, this is the guy I encountered at the Fox 25 lunchroom. I knew Pete was booked for the Morning Show, but I didn't think our paths would cross. Just in case, I brought my baby Nikon with me, and I'm glad I did. Pete was in the lunchroom with his half brother Roag, and a publicist. The three of them could not have been nicer. Pete, especially, was gracious and wanted to know more about my line of work. When I asked for a picture, he simply said, "Of course!"
I've always wondered if Pete Best was bitter about what happened with the Beatles. After all, John, Paul, and George were his mates, and they completely stabbed him in the back. Not only did they never pay him (not until the 1995 Anthology project anway) they never again spoke to Pete Best. Even when the Beatles shared a bill with Pete Best's band, they never said a word to him. How sad is that?
Instead of finding an embittered man, I saw a warm, engaging guy who realizes, even with that simple twist of fate, he's had a fulfilling life. In other words, he is OK with it.
And the other cool thing? Unlike the guy who replaced him, Pete Best was happy to not only share a picture with me, he gave me an autograph, too!
And here it is, on a copy of an old Beatles handbill:
So Pete Best: Thanks!
Fate may not have smiled on you back in 1962, but it may have actually done you a favor!
Bob Ward
Nov 22, 2008 | 9:26 PM
Category:
News
Tonight's New England's Unsolved (11/22/08) examines the murder of Richard Coulstring, a Plymouth pipefitter found shot to death on Dorchester's Ellington Street in January 1990.
There is no question Richard was in the wrong place at the wrong time. And there is no question that on the night of the murder, Richard made a series of fatal decisions that put him in the wrong place at the wrong time.
But to classify this as simply a drug deal gone wrong is to give a free pass to Richard's killer. In other words, there is a lot more to this story.
In January 1990, Richard Coulstring was a husband and a father of three young children. On the night of his death, Richard had a pocket full of cash (at least $1700) that he earned that day for selling a car to a friend of Richard's brother.
Richard didn't go straight home to Plymouth after he sold the car. Instead he went into downtown Boston, got intoxicated, and wound up picking up a woman who drove him to Ellington Street. Boston Police believe Richard showed the woman the money, and wanted her to buy drugs for the two of them.
At 3AM on January 30th, the woman pulled Richard's van up to the curb on Ellington Street. She left him in the van as she went in search of cocaine. She eventually found a dealer, and bought drugs.
When she stepped out of the drug house and onto the sidewalk, she was approached by two men. Boston police call these men "stick up boys." It's an old fashioned phrase that means these two men would prowl the streets looking for drug dealers and customers to rob.
They approached the woman at gunpoint. She said she didn't have any drugs or money. But, she said, the guy in the van had plenty of cash. The woman actually walked the two men right to Richard Coulstring who, by this time, was in the driver's seat.
One stick up boy jumped into the front passenger seat, rifling through Richard's pockets. At the same time, the other stick up boy stood outside the van and held a gun to Richard's head. Maybe Richard didn't realize the danger, maybe he was terrified, but for whatever reason, Richard Coulstring made one final fatal decision. Instead of simply handing over the cash, Richard put the van in gear.
The gunman squeezed the trigger, and Richard Coulstring was shot at point blank range. He never had a chance.
Richard Coulstring was part of a very large family, six boys and one girl. This week I met Richard's brother Michael and his sister Sandra at Oliveira's Restaurant in Pembroke. They know full well the events of that terrible night. They are under no false illusion of how this all went down.
But here's the thing: they both tell me Richard was not addicted to alcohol or drugs. They firmly believe the troubling events of that night are way out of character. They tell me it's very likely that Richard had no idea where he was in Dorchester, and had no idea of the danger he put himself in.
This belief is backed up by evidence and testimony that Boston police have uncovered over the years.
So it does look like Richard Coulstring was in way over his head that night.
Boston Police have not forgotten this case. In fact, there is a great deal of work being done on the Coulstring murder right now. For example, physical evidence recovered from the crime scene is, right now, at the Boston Police Crime Lab, where technicians are using modern forensic techniques to search for more clues.
On top of this, Boston police have a "person of interest" in this case.
This person, right now, is roaming the streets of Boston.
Boston Police believe that former residents of Ellington Street likely know the killer's identity. Police are hoping someone will step forward with what they know, and help solve this troubling and sad case.
As for Richard's family, they remain devastated by this murder. Time has not healed any wounds for the Coulstrings. Michael and Sandra are very friendly, open, and caring people. They are quick with humorous stories about their brother; it is obvious the void left by this senseless murder is huge. And they have never given up on Richard's case. Neither should we.
If you know anything about the murder of Richard Coulstring, please call Boston Police Crimestoppers at 1.800.494.TIPS. You can also
TEXT the word TIPS to CRIME.
You may remain anonymous; it's the information police want, not your identity.
Thanks for your interest in this case,
--Click here for the story--
Bob Ward
