(Family released photo) Powell Family

Investigators in Washington say Susan Powell’s husband, Josh, and her two children, Charlie, 7, and Braden, 5, were killed by their father on Sunday afternoon.  Authorities say a case worker dropped the children off at the Powell home near Tacoma, Wash. on Sunday, when Josh pushed the worker out of the way and brought the children inside.  In matter of moments, there was an explosion and a fire. Investigators confirm they took three bodies from the scene, two children and one adult.  They also confirm that the explosion was intentional.

Reports indicate Josh sent an e-mail just minutes before the explosion to his attorney saying, “I’m sorry, goodbye.”  Josh lost custody of his children five months ago when investigators executed a search warrant on his father’s home and found child pornography. 

Susan Powell went missing on Dec. 6, 2009 and has not been found.  Josh said he took Charlie and Braden camping, in the middle of a snowstorm, during the night.  Josh claims when he returned, Susan was nowhere to be found.  He was the only public person of interest named in this case.

Karen Swift (personal photo)

Karen Swift, a mother of four vanished the day before Halloween. Dyer County Sheriff Box said Karen picked up her daughter from a Halloween party around 1:30 a.m. and took her home. Sometime between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. Karen vanished from her house without a trace. Her vehicle was found not far away from where she went missing, and her front tire was flat. Sheriff Box says his team is still investigating how the tire on the SUV went flat, meaning if it was an accident or intentional. 

Sheriff Box says a tip led them to an outside area, not far from Karen’s house where they made a body discovery. On December 12, investigators confirm that the body they found is Karen’s and that they are now shifting this case to a homicide investigation. Her cause of death has not been released and she was identified through dental records.

Karen was working at the YMCA at the time of her death as an aerobics instructor, she was also picking up odd jobs cleaning homes and landscaping. At the time of her disappearance, Karen was going through initial divorce proceedings with her husband. He is not considered a suspect or person of interest.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigations and the Dyer County Sheriff’s Office are investigating this case together. If you have any information in this case, please contact the Dyer County Sheriff’s: (731)285-2802 or (800) TBI-FIND

 Philadelphia Police are still searching for two suspects who murdered a family of three.  Investigators say on September 6, 2011, just before 8 p.m., two black males made entry into the Lorena’s Grocery Store.  They were armed with handguns, and initially, the motive appeared to be robbery.  During the crime, authorities say the men shot and killed husband and wife, Porfirio and Carmen Nunez, and Porfirio’s sister, Lina.  All three were working together at the time.

Police say the suspects are described as black males, around 25-years-old.  One suspect is short, only 5’4” and the other stands about 6 feet tall.  The shorter suspect had a thick build and a mustache, he was wearing a black hat and a black shirt.  The second suspect had a thin build and was wearing a long sleeved white thermal shirt with a black “T” on top.

If you have any information, please call:  215.686.8477

Diana Mercandetti was shocked and saddened to learn her friends, Jack and Geri Magee, of forty years were murdered this week.  Diana said she received a call from the couple’s daughter Holly who said, “Are you sitting down?”  In the next breath, she told Diana that her parents were shot and killed and that she needed her to come to their home right away to help look after the grandchildren.  Diana said Holly and her kids went to the Jack and Geri’s house on Wednesday for their weekly visit when they made the gruesome discovery. 

Andover Police Lt. James Hashem said they are investigating this case as a homicide, and aren’t saying yet how the couple died.  The medical examiner’s report has not been released.  Diana said that the family had an alarm system, but they did not activate it before the murder and they do not have video survillenece.  The couples SUV was found in a neighborhood 25 miles away, it had been torched.  Diana also said that it did not appear that things were taken from the home.   

Jack and Geri had two children and grandchildren and they loved to travel the world.  Diana said Geri recently returned from Jupiter, FL where she was on a girls golf trip with friends.  Diana, her husband Paul and the Magee’s went out to dinner last weekend and they had a toast to friendship and health. 

Lt. Hashem said Andover is a town of 32,000 and this was the first homicide since 2002.  At this point, it appears to be an isolated incident.  Jack and Geri own a construction company in the area.  Lt. Hashem also said the home is still considered a crime scene and the neighborhood is completely closed off to the public, it is only open to residents.

If you have any information in this case, please contact the Andover Police: 978.475.0411

Karen Swift (personal photo)

Karen Swift, a mother of four vanished the day before Halloween.  Dyer County Sheriff Box said Karen picked up her daughter from a Halloween party around 1:30 a.m. and took her home.  Sometime between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. Karen vanished from her house without a trace.  Her vehicle was found not far away from where she went missing, and her front tire was flat.  Sheriff Box says his team is still investigating how the tire on the SUV went flat, meaning if it was an accident or intentional.

 Last weekend, Sheriff Box says a tip led them to an outside area, not far from Karen’s house where they made a body discovery.  On December 12, investigators confirm that the body they found is Karen’s and that they are now shifting this case to a homicide investigation.  Her cause of death has not been released and she was identified through dental records.  

 Karen was working at the YMCA at the time of her death as an aerobics instructor, she was also picking up odd jobs cleaning homes and landscaping.  At the time of her disappearance, Karen was going through initial divorce proceedings with her husband.  He is not considered a suspect or person of interest.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigations and the Dyer County Sheriff’s Office are investigating this case together. If you have any information in this case, please contact the Dyer County Sheriff’s: (731)285-2802 or (800) TBI-FIND

Police sketch

Morgan Harrington was last seen at a concert outside the John Paul Jones arena in Charlottesville, VA. It was October 17, 2009. Police say Morgan separated from friends when she walked out of the front entrance of a Metallic concert around 8:30 p.m.  Morgan never returned, and it was the last time she was seen alive. Investigators say she called her friends who were still inside and told them she was finding a ride home.

State police officials report Morgan was last seen by the ticket office on the University Hall side of the building and witnesses report seeing her hitchhiking close to the arena exit road. An intense search of the area yielded no new clues until three months later.

In January 2010, Morgan’s body was found on a farm in Albemarle County, Virginia. Investigators said her decomposed body could have been on the land as many as 100 days.

One year ago this month, investigators released shocking information. They said the man who may have killed Morgan could be the same suspect that committed a sexual assault against another female in 2005. Virginia State Police officials confirm there is a forensic link between the 2005 assault and the murder. Police spokesperson Corinne Geller said the Virginia Department of Forensic Science processes and analyzes all of the evidence and lab work for every department and they randomly came up with a hit in their internal database. When the connection was made, technicians notified Virginia State Police of the link.

Investigators from the state police contacted the Fairfax City Police in Virginia to compare notes. Geller said, “It’s one of those things, you never know what the next phone call is going to bring.” She added, “We know he (the man in the sketch) had contact with her (Morgan) the night of her disappearance, but we don’t know if he is responsible for her death. We are looking to identify and question him, and put the next pieces of the puzzle together.”

Within 24 hours of releasing the sketch, the state police had 50 leads, but since then, the case has gone cold.

SEPTEMBER 2005 INCIDENT: Police say a female was walking along Rock Garden Drive in Fairfax City from the Giant when she was attacked from behind. Authorities say she was dragged to a park and sexually assaulted next to a pool. Sgt. Pam Nevlud with the Fairfax City Police department said, “We’ve gotten quite a bit of calls. That is very inspiring and we are hoping this leads to something.” As far as someone recognizing the sketch, Nevlud said, “People have little things that happen to them that they think are odd and that they don’t report to the police.” There is a chance that there could be more victims who haven’t come forward, or others who have crossed his path, but haven’t called.

CLUE: Authorities also say the necklace Morgan was wearing the night of the concert has not been found.

BACKGROUND OF MORGAN’S DISAPPEARNCE:

According to a Virginia State Police press release:

“During the course of the investigation, police have been able to establish a timeline of Miss Harrington’s movements once she ended up outside of the arena at approximately 8:30 p.m. After talking to her friends on her cell phone, she then walked through the parking lot of University Hall and was also seen in the Lannigan Field athlete parking lot, which is also used for RV parking. At around 9:30 p.m., she was seen walking on the Copeley Road bridge near Ivy Road.”According to Virginia State police, based off independent witness accounts, investigators believe on October 17, 2009 (the night Morgan Harrington went missing) that she was hitchhiking along Copeley Road Bridge. Investigators are now searching for a vehicle they believe stopped in the middle of the bridge and possibly picked up Morgan. Also, investigators need the public’s help in finding a young woman the night of the Metallica concert that may have loaned her cell phone to Morgan.

ABOUT THE FARM: Nancy Bass, owner of the Anchorage farm where Morgan was found for more than 30 years, said the area where body was discovered is not accessible by vehicle. Nancy and her husband David said they have an SUV, and there’s no way they could get down there. If it wasn’t for David on the tractor checking fences, Morgan may have never been discovered.

David spoke out and said as soon as he saw the remains he instantly thought of Morgan. Nancy said when they first moved on the farm they did not allow hunting, but because of the trespassing, they decided to allow hunters assigned to different areas hoping that would keep an eye on things. Nancy says the main gate on the property is always open, it is never locked, but the pasture where Morgan was found is closer to a subdivision, only about 30 feet away. Morgan and the person who killed her may have had access to the location through the housing development, which isn’t too far of a walk.

The Bass family owns more than 700 acres total, and the farm is only a few miles away from interstate 64. Police say the hayfield was cut in August, and Morgan’s body could have been there any time after mid-October when she went missing.

CLUE: The red digital camera Morgan was carrying the night she went missing still hasn’t been found. It is a Sony or Kodak.

The suspect is described as a black male, between 25 and 35 and around 6 feet tall. In the 2005 attack, he was wearing a black pullover sweater with a zipper and light-colored pants.

On the FindMorgan website, her family posted this: “ We continue to work diligently with Law Enforcement to find justice for Morgan Dana Harrington and apprehend her killer(s). This is a difficult task during our worst nightmare with our limited energy and abilities. We will be successful though because of the strength we derive from the outpouring of love we have received from across the nation and beyond. Your support carries us as we continue to fight for Morgan and other precious children. We are so grateful to each of you.”

Virginia State Police have a tip line, please call them with any information: (434) 352-3467 or send them an e-mail: bci-appomattox@vsp.virginia.gov or for to give information on the sexual assault

Remembering Fire Chief Keith Bryan, Nichols Fire Department

Nichols Hills Fire Chief Keith Bryan was shot and killed in his home Tuesday when police say an intruder entered through an open garage door.  Investigators in Mustang, OK aren’t ruling out that Bryan may have been the wrong target and that the gunman may have been looking for Oklahoma City Fire Chief who lives nearby and shares the same name.  The suspect shot Bryan one time, in the head and his wife heard the killer say, “I’m sorry.  You should have given me the (expletive) job.”  Bryan was rushed to the hospital where he died early the next morning with his wife by his side. Nichols Hills officials spoke out and said they have not gone through the hiring process at their department since 2007, and that’s why investigators believe the Oklahoma City Fire Chief may have been the intended target.

The killer is described as a white man, between 20 to 30 years old with blonde hair.  At the time of the murder, the suspect was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, dark in color and fled the area in a small to medium sized pickup truck.

Chief Bryan spent 31 years as a firefighter, protecting and serving.  He was a dedicated man who would go out of his way to help any citizen and also served six years on the council.

Please call Mustang Crime Stoppers at 376-0000 if you have any information.

Police sketch

Morgan Harrington was last seen at a concert outside the John Paul Jones arena in Charlottesville, VA. It was October 17, 2009. Police say Morgan separated from friends around 8:30 p.m. when she walked out of the front entrance of a Metallic concert. Morgan never returned, and it was the last time she was seen alive. Investigators say Morgan called her friends inside and told them she was finding a ride home.

State police officials report Morgan was last seen by the ticket office on the University Hall side of the building and witnesses report seeing her hitchhiking close to the arena exit road. An intense search of the area yielded no new clues until three months later.

In January 2010, Morgan’s body was found on a farm in Albemarle County, Virginia. Investigators said her decomposed body could have been on the land as many as 100 days.

One year ago this month, investigators released shocking information. They said the man who may have killed Morgan could be the same suspect that committed a sexual assault against another female in 2005. Virginia State Police officials confirm there is a forensic link between the 2005 assault and the murder. Police spokesperson Corinne Geller said the Virginia Department of Forensic Science processes and analyzes all of the evidence and lab work for every department and they randomly came up with a hit in their internal database. When the connection was made, technicians notified Virginia State Police of the link.

Investigators from the state police contacted the Fairfax City Police in Virginia to compare notes. Geller said, “It’s one of those things, you never know what the next phone call is going to bring.” She added, “We know he (the man in the sketch) had contact with her (Morgan) the night of her disappearance, but we don’t know if he is responsible for her death. We are looking to identify and question him, and put the next pieces of the puzzle together.”

Within 24 hours of releasing the sketch, the state police had 50 leads, but since then, the case has gone cold.

SEPTEMBER 2005 INCIDENT: Police say a female was walking along Rock Garden Drive in Fairfax City from the Giant when she was attacked from behind. Authorities say she was dragged to a park and sexually assaulted next to a pool. Sgt. Pam Nevlud with the Fairfax City Police department said, “We’ve gotten quite a bit of calls. That is very inspiring and we are hoping this leads to something.” As far as someone recognizing the sketch, Nevlud said, “People have little things that happen to them that they think are odd and that they don’t report to the police.” There is a chance that there could be more victims who haven’t come forward, or others who have crossed his path, but haven’t called.

CLUE: Authorities also say the necklace Morgan was wearing the night of the concert has not been found.

BACKGROUND OF MORGAN’S DISAPPEARNCE:

According to a Virginia State Police press release:

“During the course of the investigation, police have been able to establish a timeline of Miss Harrington’s movements once she ended up outside of the arena at approximately 8:30 p.m. After talking to her friends on her cell phone, she then walked through the parking lot of University Hall and was also seen in the Lannigan Field athlete parking lot, which is also used for RV parking. At around 9:30 p.m., she was seen walking on the Copeley Road bridge near Ivy Road.”According to Virginia State police, based off independent witness accounts, investigators believe on October 17, 2009 (the night Morgan Harrington went missing) that she was hitchhiking along Copeley Road Bridge. Investigators are now searching for a vehicle they believe stopped in the middle of the bridge and possibly picked up Morgan. Also, investigators need the public’s help in finding a young woman the night of the Metallica concert that may have loaned her cell phone to Morgan.

ABOUT THE FARM: Nancy Bass, owner of the Anchorage farm where Morgan was found for more than 30 years, said the area where body was discovered is not accessible by vehicle. Nancy and her husband David said they have an SUV, and there’s no way they could get down there. If it wasn’t for David on the tractor checking fences, Morgan may have never been discovered.

David spoke out and said as soon as he saw the remains he instantly thought of Morgan. Nancy said when they first moved on the farm they did not allow hunting, but because of the trespassing, they decided to allow hunters assigned to different areas hoping that would keep an eye on things. Nancy says the main gate on the property is always open, it is never locked, but the pasture where Morgan was found is closer to a subdivision, only about 30 feet away. Morgan and the person who killed her may have had access to the location through the housing development, which isn’t too far of a walk.

The Bass family owns more than 700 acres total, and the farm is only a few miles away from interstate 64. Police say the hayfield was cut in August, and Morgan’s body could have been there any time after mid-October when she went missing.

CLUE: The red digital camera Morgan was carrying the night she went missing still hasn’t been found. It is a Sony or Kodak.

The suspect is described as a black male, between 25 and 35 and around 6 feet tall. In the 2005 attack, he was wearing a black pullover sweater with a zipper and light-colored pants.

On the FindMorgan website, her family posted this: “ We continue to work diligently with Law Enforcement to find justice for Morgan Dana Harrington and apprehend her killer(s). This is a difficult task during our worst nightmare with our limited energy and abilities. We will be successful though because of the strength we derive from the outpouring of love we have received from across the nation and beyond. Your support carries us as we continue to fight for Morgan and other precious children. We are so grateful to each of you.”

Virginia State Police have a tip line, please call them with any information: (434) 352-3467 or send them an e-mail: bci-appomattox@vsp.virginia.gov or for to give information on the sexual assault

Michelle Le (family released photo)

Investigators say Michelle Le vanished from the Kaiser Hayward Medical Center in California on May 27.  She walked outside to her car, and never came back. Based on evidence found, police fear she is a victim of homicide.  This week, authorities closed in on a possible suspect and made an arrest.  Lt. Keener, with the Hayward Police department, said Giselle Esteban, former high school and college roommate is charged with Michelle’s murder.  Michelle’s body has not been found.  Keener indicated various pieces of evidence like cell phone records, surveillance video and DNA led them to Esteban’s doorstep.  The suspect was arrested early Wednesday morning and has not spoke about the case to police.  Kenner said Michelle and Esteban may have had some sort of fallen out, but police do not have a concrete motive for the killing.  Police say they served a search warrant on Esteban’s property on May 29 then again on September 7. 

Esteban was scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday, but police confirm, due to her pregnancy and a doctor’s appointment, the arraignment will be postponed.

Michael Le, Michelle’s brother, says their mother was a nurse practitioner who passed away in 1999, “We both wanted to make our mom proud, our mom was such a strong woman. She (Michelle) finally got accepted into nursing school in September.” She was living with a roommate as she completed her hours for the accelerated nursing program. Michael says his sister was not seriously dating anyone and as far as he knew, she did not have any enemies. At this point, no one has been named a suspect and police continue to interview friends who may have possible leads. Many searches have taken place, some organized by her family

If you have any information at all on this case, please contact the Hayward Police.

Judy Forrest (left) Kanika Powell (right)

Kanika Powell’s case is still a Prince George’s County mystery….

Kanika Powell graduated from Largo High School in 1998, and enlisted in the Army two years later. She proudly served in Korea, and returned to her home in Prince George’s County after her tour. Trying to figure out the next steps in her life, Kanika decided to take on a job as a security contractor at Hopkins laboratory. She was very private about the work she was doing for the laboratory, and would sometimes travel for days at a time to handle work projects before returning home. Judy Powell, Kanika’s mom, said she always knew where her daughter was going, but her daughter was not allowed to discuss what she was doing when she got on location.

Kanika lived alone in her garden style apartment in Laurel, Maryland. On Saturday, August 22, 2008 she heard a knock at her door. Judy says Kanika told her she peeked through the hole and a man was holding up a badge claiming he was an FBI agent. Kanika wouldn’t open the door without seeing ID, and the mystery man left. She called 9-1-1 and police came to her apartment, but nothing was found. Judy says Kanika was planning to install a security system thereafter. The incident jarred her so much that she wrote this e-mail to share with her friends and family:

E-MAIL SENT FROM KANIKA: “I just wanted to share with you the scariest thing that happened to me this weekend. Saturday evening around 7pm a man was knocking at my door (as all of you may know I live alone). I asked who it was and he didn’t answer, so once I got close to the door and looked out of the peephole I saw a male figure that was not familiar to me at all. I asked who he was and all he stated was that he was from the FBI and that he was looking for Kanika Powell. It freaked me out completely because this man knew my name. He held a shield up but no picture ID and he never gave his name. He told me he was looking for me in regards to an investigation. I told him that I had no idea as to what he was talking about and that he would need to show me documentation as well as a warrant of some sort. So he left and I looked out my bedroom window and saw him walking. I also heard a voice tell him to walk in the opposite direction. The whole situation was scary and seemed so false. So because of this incident not only did I get NO sleep for the rest of the weekend but I am now trying to get an alarm system installed in my apartment. I had one in my old apartment, but I just hadn’t had it transferred over to my new one. As far as everything that happened with the guy. I did call the FBI and they told me that it was more than likely bogus because they never come to your door by themselves and they always leave a card of some sort so that you can contact them. I called the local police as well to give them a description just in case someone is out there trying to rape or harm single woman…pass this on ladies.. This is not a fake Forward this happened to ME Kanika…Who knows who these guys are and what they are doing and in what areas other than mine.”

Remembering Kanika Powell

A mere five days later on August 27, 2008, Kanika had another knock at her door. It wasn’t an FBI agent this time, but someone claiming they had a package for her. Again, Kanika wouldn’t open the door, and a package was never left. The very next morning, another knock at the door, the same routine, Kanika would not answer. Judy says the police were called again and an officer came out to speak with her, but again nothing was found.

After the police left, Kanika decided to leave to run errands. When she came back, the unknown person who had claimed to have the package was now waiting in the hallway. The suspect opened fire, shooting Kanika on the first landing of her apartment. She was transported to the hospital, but sadly Judy says her daughter never regained consciousness and died the next day.

On March 2, 2010, I spoke with Detective Kelly Rogers, the lead investigator on this case. She told me new information has come to light, and she is going to see how much value this information has. Detective Rogers says, “It was a surprise to get it, and something we are moving forward with.” This information may not break the case wide open, but could breathe new life into this mystery. She says they are again looking into original persons of interest in the case.

Kanika would have turned 30 on January 31, 2010. She wasn’t married and didn’t have children, but her mother Judy says, “What makes her so remarkable was that she was a donor. I signed the papers and two people in the metropolitan area were able to receive her kidneys. We also donated some tissue and bone and her liver was donated to a research lab.” Let’s find justice for Judy and Kanika Powell’s family.

Police are asking anyone with information to call the county’s Crime Solvers hotline at 866-411-TIPS (8477). Crimesolvers is offering a $25,000 reward in this case.