UPDATE:  William Curl, was arrested over the weekend in Covington, Louisina and charged with first-degree murder, criminal sexual assault and arson.  Investigators say he is the man responsible for the death of Northern Illinois University freshman Anitnette “Toni” Keller.  Curl had his first court appearance this morning and pled not guilty.  Currently, he is being held on a $5 million bond. 

It appears this was a crime of opportunity, and there does not appear to be any initial connection between Curl and Toni.  The victim’s body still has not been positively identified, but authorities classified the case as a homicide.  

BACKGROUND: Northern Illinois University students are on edge as they learn that one of their missing classmates may have been burned to death in a nearby wooded area. Antinette “Toni” Keller has been missing since October 14 and her remains “may” have been found two days later. Investigators confirm they found charred human remains in DeKalb Park on October 16, as well as items consistent with property possibly belonging to Toni. The problem is that because of the damage to the body, it is difficult to say for certain that it is her. Investigators say the reason for the delay in announcing that they found remains was because of the fact that it took them more than a week to even determine if it was a human body. Despite the official body confirmation, authorities have shifted Toni’s case from a death investigation to a homicide investigation. Although all signs point to the body being Toni, it may take a little time to say for certain that it is in fact her.

Toni was last seen nearly two weeks ago when she told friends she was going to an area near the woods where she often gets inspired to do her artwork. Her friends said it is a place she visited regularly. When I spoke with investigators early this morning, they did confirm to me that they believe this is an isolated incident. I was also told that she had to cross through a shopping center and a busy highway to reach this location. The spot where the human remains were found is a little under a mile from where Toni lived.

A task force is working around the clock on this case. If anyone has any information to help investigators, please contact DeKalb Police: 815-748-8407

At the time Toni went missing she was wearing a grey or green jacket/sweater, jeans and carrying a professional camera.

Thomas Leggs Jr. (mugshot)

Thomas J. Leggs Jr. was convicted Thursday for fourth-degree burglary stemming from a September 11, 2009 incident where he allegedly broke into a woman’s home in Ocean City, Maryland.  The victim claims she never gave the convicted sex offender permission to enter her house and she woke up in the middle of the night to find a naked Leggs standing at the end of her bed masturbating.  He was given a three year maximum sentence from the judge. 

On April 18, 2011 Leggs will be on trial for the kidnapping, rape and murder of 11-year-old Sarah Foxwell. Sarah’s body was found on Christmas morning and he is facing the death penalty in that case.  If Leggs is, in fact guilty and responsible for Sarah’s death, there is an obvious escalation in sexual attacks between the alleged September 11, 2009 incident and the abduction of Sarah. Either before, or in the interim, police fear there may be other victims who have not yet come forward.  Leggs was given a three year sentence from the judge on Thursday. 

The 11-year-old child was allegedly abducted from the bedroom she shared with her 6-year-old sister in the middle of the night. Police say Leggs knew the family because he dated Sarah’s aunt, who is Sarah’s legal guardian.  Police believe Sarah was snatched around 1 a.m. on December 22, 2009.  Her 6-year-old sister told police she woke up to “Mr. Tommy” in their bedroom talking to Sarah. Investigators were called at 10:02 a.m. and, based on the information they compiled, police were able to arrest Leggs and charge him with abduction and burglary within two hours.  Sarah’s aunt told investigators that she had not seen Leggs since 32 days before the abduction. On Christmas morning, thousands of volunteers, including parents and children, gave up opening gifts to search for Sarah. Sheriff Lewis of the Wicomico County Sheriff’s office told me that one little boy even emptied his piggy bank, put it in a baggie and handed it to the Sheriff to donate to the fund to find Sarah.

Remembering Sarah Foxwell

Sarah’s autopsy is complete, and the Sheriff told me Sarah had many causes of death, all related to the homicide, but he is not ready to release details about the struggle at this point.

To me, the most interesting part of this case is that out of the 171 convicted sex offenders living in Wicomico County, Sheriff Lewis says high risk offender Leggs was one of the few offenders they checked on regularly, though they didn’t have to.  According to the law, Leggs only had to register two times a year with the Wicomico County Sheriff’s office, and the Sheriff’s office wasn’t required to check on him – but they did.  Sheriff Lewis says in 2009 alone they visited the residence Leggs shared with his parents seven times.  They found Leggs living in an 8×14 portable shed in the backyard, and doing cabinetry work for his family’s business. Investigators also found Leggs’ sister and her three children living on the same property.  This information has launched a new investigation to see if those children are victims as well. On a side note, Sheriff Lewis says he frequently visits the school that Sarah’s younger sister, Emma, attends, to have lunch with her. He says the child is doing well. 

We need to reach out to the public right now, and we need to know if there are other victims.  We encourage you to come forward.  Please contact the Wicomico County Sheriff’s office at:  (410) 548-4891

Jean Paul Missing

This case was running through my mind this morning.  I was searching through my files and the date December 18, 2009 popped up.  That was the last time I brought you the case of Jean Paul who was taken illegally from his bus stop.  Since then, a grand jury issued a felony indictment for the felony offenses of kidnapping, aggravated perjury and interference with child custody against his father, Jean Philippe Lacombe.

Investigators say Jean Paul Lacombe was abducted by his non-custodial father, Jean Philippe Lacombe, on October 15, 2009 in San Antonio, Texas.  Lacombe allegedly gave the court invalid Mexican Documents to overturn the case, and the judge gave him custody.  Lacombe was supposed to show back up for a court hearing on Monday, October 19, 2009, but instead he fled with his son.

HISTORY OF CUSTODY: 

Cliff Herberg with the Bexar District Attorney’s office in Texas says there are 1,400 pages pertaining to this case that have accumulated over the years in Mexican court.  He has not had a chance to review every single page, but Mr. Herberg was able to provide a timeline and background of custody between the parents. 

 2003:  Divorce proceedings began 

2004:  Divorce is finalized, and both parties agree Jean Paul will live with his father, and his mother will have “extended access” meaning she would still see her son on a daily basis by picking him up from school, taking him home, eating dinner with him.

March 2005:  Father closes off son to the mother, she couldn’t see him.

  Because the father was in violation of the extended access agreement, the Mexican court gave full custody to Jean Paul’s mother.

Jean Philippe Lacombe

June 2005:

July 2005:  Father abducts son and takes him to France.

July 2007:  After two years of searching, mom finally locates her son and his father in France.  She hires a French attorney, and the court ordered the boy be returned to Mexico.

2006 – 2007:  According to the District Attorney’s office, basically, the father files criminal charges against the mother citing allegations of attempted murder against him.  The Mexican government says these were unfounded allegations.  During this period, the court ordered suspending the obligation to return the child to the mother (temporarily) suspending custody resolution.  A piece of paper on this resolution was given to the father.  Once the charges were unfounded, the Mexican government gave the full custody paperwork back to the mother.   

2007:  Mom moves to Texas with her family to give her son a better life.

October 2009:  Unknown to the mother, the father hires two attorneys and meets with a judge.  The father swore under oath he has custodial rights to his son, and shows the judge the original custody paperwork from 2004 and the suspended custody resolution from the year prior that says he should have custody.  The judge orders the son to be taken from his mother.

October 19, 2009:  Father and son were supposed to show back up to court, but instead fled.  They are possibly out of the country.

I spoke with Jean Paul’s mother Berenice Diaz early on, and she says her son likes to go by the name Paul only.  He loves to play soccer, and he’s a very good student in school.  When Paul grows up, he wants to be a pastry chef.  Paul speaks English, Spanish and French, and was last seen with his father, Jean Paul Lacombe. Prior to October, it had been nearly two years since Paul last saw his father.  Berenice says her son did not want to talk to or see his father, and he told her he would let her know when he was ready.  

There is a warrant out for Jean Philippe Lacombe’s arrest.  Berenice was married to Jean Philippe for seven years before they were divorced in Mexico.  She says this is not the first time Lacombe kidnapped their son.  In 2005, Lacombe took off with Paul for two years before they were found in France.  Later in 2007, Berenice decided to move her family to San Antonio, Texas to give her son a safer environment to live. If you have any information, please call police.

Fox 29 in San Antonio has video of police taking Jean Paul from his bus stop.

Ingmar Guandique (mugshot)

Ingmar Guandique, the man charged with murdering Chandra Levy, will appear in court today. The 28-year-old illegal alien from El Salvador pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and other charges, and his attorneys are requesting a new venue for his trial. They believe massive media coverage will not allow him to have a fair trial.

Guandique was already serving a ten-year sentence in California for attacks on two other women in Rock Creek Park.  In 2002, Chandra’s remains were found in the same park.  Investigators believe Chandra was murdered on May 1, 2001.  At the time of her death, Chandra was interning at the Federal Bureau of Prisons and was having an alleged affair with Congressman Gary Condit (D-Calif).  Condit was never named a suspect.

Rodney Alcala (court photo – www.laweekly.com)

A convicted serial killer who once appeared on the dating game in the 1970’s is now sitting on death row for the third time. Rodney Alcala represented himself in court in March for the rapes and murders of four women and one child, and police fear there may be even more victims.  He was sentenced to death again, and is among nearly 700 other California inmates awaiting execution.  During this investigation, authorities uncovered more than 100 pictures of unidentified women.  The question is, are those women alive or possible victims?  So far, investigators say they have positively identified 21, but they still have a long road ahead.  Those women are alive, and don’t appear to be victims.  Cold-case homicides in some states have been re-opened seeking possible links to this serial killer.

Alcala was found guilty of murdering 12-year-old Robin Samsoe in 1980 and again in 1986 and was sentenced to death both times, but appeals overturned the cases. Extending the pain for the victim’s family.  This case was prolonged much like police say Alcala prolonged the lives of his victims. As he would strangle them, and just before they would die, Alcala would bring them back to life by resuscitating them.  Alcala is now in the same serial killer category as Ted Bundy, David Berkowitz, John Wayne Gacy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Gary Ridgway, Charles Manson, and Andrew Cunanan (to name a few).

According to the FBI, “Serial killings are rare, probably less than one percent of all murders. They do, however, receive a lot of attention in the news and on screen—and much of the information out there is wrong. Yet, the public, the media, and even sometimes law enforcement professionals who have limited experience with serial murder, often believe what they read and hear. And this misinformation can hinder investigations.” 

The FBI says – as for serial killer myths, our group of experts had this to say about a few of them:  

1) Serial killers are not all dysfunctional loners: some have had wives and kids and full-time jobs and have been very active in their community or church or both.

2) Serial killers are not all white males: the racial diversification of serial killers generally mirrors the overall U.S. population.

3) Serial killers do not want to get caught: over time, as they kill without being discovered, they get careless during their crimes.

Check out the publication at the bottom of the FBI’s website, an in-depth informative article entitled “Serial Murder: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives for Investigators – serial killers are much different in real life.”

As for Alcala’s case, the District Attorney’s office was finally able to link four adult cases with DNA to put Alcala on trial for the murders of child Robin Samsoe, 12, and adults  Jill Barcomb, 18, Jill Parenteau, 21, Georgia Wixted, 27, and Charlotte Lamb, 32.  The prosecutors say he raped one of the women with a claw hammer. 

Investigators believe Alcala kept Robin’s earrings as a trophy and stored them in a Seattle storage unit in 1979 along with pictures of more than 100 other women, girls, young boys and even babies.  You can view all of the photos here at Nancy Grace’s blog. 

Police say Alcala would lure women in with his photography and get them to pose, but some photos were taken unbeknownst to the victims. Investigators do not know if he kept some of the photographs as trophies of other victims he had murdered, or if they are just generic snapshots.  I know firsthand from tracking murderers and covering cases like this over the last decade that these men and women do, in fact, take things to remind them of their work.  Sometimes the items they take are very unique, so can easily be traced back to the victim.   

Police need to know who each person is.  Maybe you have a missing loved one, or a cold case unsolved.  Take time to review each picture online. The Orange County Prosecutor’s office, along with the Huntington Police, are even offering a DVD of all 125 photos for pick up at their locations.  A handful of women have been located, but there are still dozens more to track down.  This is what the prosecutor’s office said in a recent press release:

Due to the number of photographs, CDs with the images are available for the media to pick up at the Huntington Beach Police Department located at 2000 Main Street, Huntington Beach, CA 92648. The CDs will also be available at the Orange County District Attorney’s Office at 401 Civic center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701.

Anyone with information regarding the identities of the women and children in the photographs is asked to contact Sergeant Smith at (714) 536-5947 or Detective Ellis at (714) 536-5947 with the Huntington Beach Police Department or Supervising District Attorney Investigator Ed Berakovich at (714) 347-8492.

On a side note, when Alcala appeared on the dating game in the late 1970’s, he had already been convicted and served time for raping an 8-year-old girl.  It’s a shame the Internet, along with the sexual offender registries, had not been invented back then. To top it all off, the woman on the show picked Alcala as the winner (although she never went on a date with him, reportedly because he was so creepy).  I wonder how the woman, the panel, and members of the staff feel now that they know a sexual predator who later turned out to be a serial killer was among the contestants on the game show?  I have a lot of friends in production who work for a lot of different shows; there is actually a background process now that takes place to allow people on their programs.  Sometimes, yes, people do slip through the cracks, but with the Internet and public demand for information, our chances are pretty high in knowing whether or not someone committed a sexual act with a child.

If you know any of the people in Alcala’s photos, contact Huntington Beach Police Detective Patrick Ellis, at 714-375-5066, or email him at pellis@hbpd.org. ]]> http://www.michellesigona.com/2010/04/21-women-identified-in-serial-killer-photos/feed/ 2 http://www.michellesigona.com/2010/02/police-remains-found-are-those-of-aveion-lewis/ http://www.michellesigona.com/2010/02/police-remains-found-are-those-of-aveion-lewis/#comments Thu, 04 Feb 2010 04:03:54 +0000 Michelle Sigona http://www.michellesigona.com/?p=3104

Remembering Aveion Lewis

Investigators confirm the body they found at the Smith Gap Landfill in Roanoke, Virginia is in fact the body of 3-year-old Aveion Lewis.  Police told me they tracked the trash collected along the 2100 block of King Charles Avenue, and that is what led them to the discovery.  Thankfully, the trash company keeps very good records, and police were able to locate the truck in route to the landfill before it made a deposit.  The truck emptied its contents in an isolated area at the landfill, and investigators sifted through the garbage.  At this time, Roanoke police say they have not moved forward with homicide charges against Brandon Lockett, but that may change in the near future.  He is scheduled to appear in court in March.

Investigators charged Aveion’s step-father, Brandon Lockett, with improper disposal of a human body, obstruction of justice, and felony child neglect after a false report was filed that Aveion was abducted.  Police canceled an Amber Alert for the child after Lockett admitted Aveion was dead before the bogus abduction took place.  Authorities say they were able to get this information and come to this conclusion after conflicting statements were given to authorities early on.  Although police say Lockett admitted Aveion was dead before the Amber Alert was issued, investigators early on did not know exactly where the child’s body could be.

Brandon Lockett (Aveion's step-father)

Information from an unsealed search warrant I obtained from the Roanoke City Court paints a clear picture into Aveion’s life before his death.  The warrant states, “Aveion Lewis was removed from the custody of his biological mother and stepfather, Morgan and Brandon Lockett, in May 2008 due to a “failure to thrive.”  Aveion was 14-months-old, weighed less than nine pounds, and according to the documents, the parents were not complying with the medical instructions for his care.  After 45 days in foster care, Aveion doubled his weight and was doing well.  An investigation indicates Aveion recently sustained contact burns on both legs, which resulted in blistering from a home heater.  Sadly, medical attention was never sought for the burns because the parents were afraid.  They have a past history with the Department of Social Services, and as an excuse, they say Aveion has a “high threshold for pain.”

Aveion Lewis was removed from the home by authorities in May 2008 and returned in September 2009, sixteen months later.  A significant change in the Lockett’s family structure occurred in September 2009, when Aveion was returned to the home.  Investigative interviews determined that upon Aveion’s return to the home 4 months ago, the Locketts had begun toilet training.  According to the unsealed search warrant, research in child homicide has reflected that toilet training accidents are often the provocation for physical punishments, sometimes resulting in death.  Aveion Lewis was born with a medical condition which resulted in surgery to remove a portion of his intestines and thereafter he required a strict schedule of feeding and proper medication.  Failure of the parents to comply with this schedule resulted in his removal of the home.  The warrant states the Locketts have four children, including Aveion, all under the age of four, and that the family also experienced financial hardships (cable was disconnected) prior to Aveion’s disappearance.  The stepfather was unemployed at the time of Aveion’s bogus abduction and the mother was employed at a minimum wage job.  The investigation has uncovered instances of illegal drug activity by the stepfather prior to the incident, and Brandon Lockett has a prior drug conviction from Georgia as well as two arrests involving family violence in 2006 and 2007.  Aveion Lewis is 2 years of age and will be 3 years old on January 26^th.  According to a 2006 study by the Department of Health and Human Services, children younger than 4 years of age are at greatest risk of severe injury or death by their parents or caregivers.”

I spoke with Robin Haldiman, CEO of the Child Health Investment Partnership (CHIP) of Roanoke Valley.  She told me their agency was involved with Aveion and his family from an early age.  The CHIP program makes monthly visits to families to help teach them parenting skills, coordinate health care, and to make sure the child is developing appropriately for their age.  They currently have a waiting list, and are helping about 1,100 children per year.  The agency staff are mandated reporters who are required to report abuse and child neglect to Child Protective Services (CPS) if they see issues in the home.  If a report is made, CPS will conduct a separate investigation, and if it is necessary they will remove the child.  Sadly, this is exactly what the agency had to do with Aveion.  Robin says the child was taken out of his home with his mother and placed with a loving foster family in May 2008.  Robin says the court system put Aveion back with his mother, not CPS.  I spoke with a clerk at the court, and although they would not comment specifically on Aveion’s case, he did tell me that a court hearing does take place in these types of cases, and a judge makes the final decision as to where the child goes, or if the child is placed back into the home with their parents. The CHIP organization tried to go back into home to do monthly visits after Aveion was placed with his mother, but sadly Robin says they were turned away.  Aveion’s mother would not sign a consent form to enter the home again.  This is probably due to the fact that the CHIP organization filed the original complaint with Child Protective Servies about Aveion’s welfare.  The CHIP service is voluntary, not mandatory, and they work hard to ensure children are safe. Robin confirms that when Aveion was 15-months-old he was underweight, only eight pounds, and when he was placed with his foster family, he began to become healthy again.  Robin and the members of her staff who worked with Aveion from early on are heartbroken about the loss of this child, and as you can imagine, they grew close with the toddler since he was born. 

Marc Bookal MISSING

 MARC BOOKAL MISSING

This is a case that is close to the heart, and one I have brought you since day one.  Marc Bookal was reported missing by his mother’s boyfriend, Cory Byrd on December 14, 2009.  Marc’s family has gone through the freezing weather and the holidays without their child.  He hasn’t been seen since Byrd told police that he found the downstairs door open, and Marc was missing.  Today, police told me they called off the ground search to locate Marc, but the investigation to find out what happened to him is still on going.

Early on in the search, Sgt. Toomey with the Newburg police told me over the phone that Byrd thought Marc walked a few steps away in an adjacent building to visit his aunt, something he did frequently.  The toddler has discoloration on the back of his hands from a recent burn injury, and he was last seen wearing a red long sleeved shirt, gray sweatpants, and Nike shoes.  Anoymous tipsters have come forward to offer money to the fund to find this toddler including Carlie’s Crusade Foundation.

Cory Byrd, Marc’s mother’s 30-year-old boyfriend was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, and is currently being held in the Orange County Jail. There’s a $2,500 bond available to release him, but even if the money is paid, Byrd still faces a parole violation. He is scheduled to appear in court later this month on this case.  

If you have any information, please call: (845) 561-3131 – just ask for a supervisor or you can call 1-800-FIND-KID ]]> http://www.michellesigona.com/2010/01/missing-child-ground-search-ended/feed/ 0 http://www.michellesigona.com/2009/12/mariana-reyes-cisneros-abducted/ http://www.michellesigona.com/2009/12/mariana-reyes-cisneros-abducted/#comments Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:29:49 +0000 Michelle Sigona http://www.michellesigona.com/?p=2047

Mariana Cisneros Missing

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited children, more than 200,000 children are victims of family abductions every single year.  This is another case out of California where investigators believe Mayra Cisneros kidnapped her daughter Mariana.  A felony warrant was issued for Cisneros on March 30, 2009.  Child custody cases are difficult on the children because the mother and father are usually dragging each other in and out of the court system for years, just like with the Jean Paul Lacombe case out of Texas. If you have any information on where Mariana or mother could be please contact:   1-800-THE-LOST