spendy spitball sessions

There are some crimes that have benefited from true crime enthusiast research and internet forum discussions, but this would be the exception, not the rule. So far as these somewhat downright nasty discussions can go, these often slanderous or ugly discussions between armchair detectives may be just one of the prices that victims families pay while searching for or waiting for justice for their children, as in the case of adorable little Kyron Horman.

How much does this social phenom hurt an investigation?
That is yet to be fully articulated and monetized, but there is a cost to investigations for good or ill. We can recall that obsessed armchair detective pedophile who convinced himself he was JonBenet's killer, costing tax payers tens of thousands of dollars and law enforcement man-hours. Much of the content of that pitiful character's false confession and writings can easily be tracked to (bogus) public domain information he would have found in media articles and interaction on internet forums - -

Armchair detectives:
True-crime websites are nonstop outlets for facts and opinions on Kyron Horman case
Published in The Oregonian
By Kimberly A.C. Wilson

"When word broke Thursday that authorities were putting the squeeze on DeDe Spicher...In real time, members of true crime Internet forums around the country began searching for the woman's footprint in the public domain.

What happened to little Kyron? And the hobbyists' work raises a larger question: Has it helped or hindered the real police work?

That depends on whom you ask. And entering the eighth week since Kyron was seen, it may not even be a fair question.

Or even the right question...

Court of public opinion

Trying to make sense of the morass is nothing new for veterans of unresolved mysteries, including the 1997 death of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey in Colorado...the late Richard Jewell, the security guard at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics whose journey from hero to bombing suspect ...The Justice Department formally cleared Jewell of involvement in the bombing, and another man, Eric R. Rudolph, was eventually convicted of the explosion that killed one and injured 111 others. But Jewell, who died of natural causes in 2007, went down as the man wronged by hasty judgment.

And the blogosphere is nothing if not a watering hole for hasty judges..."[read more]

myob shapiro style

Great article from Jeffrey Scott Shapiro about JonBenet; my sentiments, exactly - -

Leave JonBenet Alone
Posted in FOXnews Forum
By Jeffrey Scott Shapiro

Recently, FoxNews.com reported that John Mark Karr, a cleared suspect in the JonBenet Ramsey murder case and reputed pedophile, was the subject of a new national law enforcement investigation because he’s trying to “create a cult of JonBenet Ramsey lookalikes.”

Tragically, Karr’s sick obsession with JonBenet Ramsey is part of a larger epidemic that started over a decade ago when her murder was highly publicized by the national media...

Sadly, there’s more to it than that, and I realize that now.

JonBenet was a real person. She was a little girl who lived and loved like the rest of us. She laughed and she cried. She went to school and she played when she got home. She was a real human being.

Millions of Americans however, have turned her into an icon, a symbol, and even a sick, sexualized object of obsession. She has been immortalized within a cult much like the Kennedy assassination, Sharon Tate murder and the deaths of Jim Morrison and John Lennon, but in a perverse way.

Just think for one moment how it would feel if your six-year old daughter or sister was brutally tortured, sexually assaulted and murdered – and was then talked about, obsessed over and even sexualized. It’s almost incomprehensible to imagine the pain, heartbreak and outrage the Ramsey family must continue to feel...

Other than that however, JonBenet’s family deserves peace and privacy. It’s time to leave JonBenet – and her family alone..."[read more]

Jeffrey Scott Shapiro is an investigative journalist and former Washington, D.C. prosecutor who has researched and reported the JonBenet Ramsey case for 13 years.

more about Samantha

Media outlets are covering the threats made against Samantha Spiegel by the self-professed pedophile John Mark Karr and his quest to form a cult with young Samantha as his Manson-esque right hand. With much more on the table yet to be revealed, this is the first article I have seen that updates Samantha's well being after being manipulated and terrorized by Karr who is now trying to enhance confusion by using 2 other names he has legally transitioned to: Delia Alexis Reich and Alexis Valoran Reich - -

Woman Files For Restraining Order Against Karr
Published in the San Francisco News
By Tommy Garrett

"SAN FRANCISCO —A San Francisco area resident claims she’s being stalked and harassed by John Mark Karr, who is the man that was brought back to the U.S. in 2006 after he claimed he was the killer of Colorado child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey....

San Francisco News spoke with Spiegel’s attorney, famed children’s advocate Robin Sax this week. Sax stated, “Samantha is doing as well as can be expected. She feels so much better that the judge agreed that she is in danger from Karr and that so many people are finally listening to her and not blaming her, the victim. The judge has been great in understanding the danger my client is in. She’s doing much better than she was doing, I can say that.”

A spokesman for the San Francisco police said he could neither confirm nor deny that an investigation into the alleged criminal threats was being conducted. Also, a spokesperson with the district attorney’s office said it had not been presented with a case against Karr at the moment.

The national media outlets are taking this situation seriously and are leading a manhunt for Karr. “He does present a danger to my client and the community,” concluded Robin Sax." [read more]

word from the wise

If I watched lots of TV, Keith Ablow, MD would be one on a top ten list for more specials or a series. I am more apt to read one of his books.

Keith is very kind and down to earth, not to overlook brilliant. Dr. Ablow is weiging in today on his experiences with self-professed pedophile John Mark Karr aka Delia Alexis Reich aka Alexis Valoran Reich --

Dr. Keith: The John Mark Karr I Know
Published on FOXnews

"John Mark Karr, who received worldwide attention in 2006 for confessing to the 1996 murder of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey, is back in the news. Now, he is reportedly attempting to create a network of young girls with blonde hair and small feet, traits they share with the late JonBenet. He calls this network “The Immaculates.”

...When he knew he was being taped, Karr played it cool, insisting he had no sexual impulses toward children, only a desire to nurture them. Off camera, Karr confessed that he indeed desired sex with little girls, considered it normal to have sex with them, and thought our society’s sanctions against sexual intercourse with children deprived those children of their natural instincts to want sex with adults....

There is no question in my mind that Karr is indeed a pedophile and that he represents a risk to the community. While his writings and the news of him collecting JonBenet look-alikes may mostly reflect a flair for the dramatic, he is not pretending one bit when it comes to being willing to do almost anything in order to have a sexual relationship with a little girl...[read more]

Dr. Keith Ablow is a psychiatry correspondent for Fox News Channel and a New York Times bestselling author. His book, "Living the Truth: Transform Your Life Through the Power of Insight and Honesty" has launched a new self-help movement including www.livingthetruth.com. Dr. Ablow can be reached at info@keithablow.com.

navigator offers reward for finding alleged cult leader

Looks like the hunt is heating up. A leading data research company owned by a law enforcement officer has put up a reward for Karr, er, Alexis' whereabouts - -

Visit www.alexisvaloranreich.com

Contact:

info@alexisvaloranreich.com

or victim's attorney

Robin Sax

Office: 310-470-9955
Fax: 310-477-5930
email: robin@robinsax.com
Web: www.robinsax.com

More on the front page FOXnews today:

John Mark Karr Re-Emerges to Form a JonBenet Cult

John Mark Karr, known and reviled for his false confession in the 1996 murder of 6-year-old beauty princess JonBenet Ramsey, has re-emerged on the Internet in a bizarre and much more terrifying role. And a manhunt is under way. He’s baaaaack . . . And he’s stranger than ever.

Read the breaking news on FOXnews.com

rockin' robin

Great post by Robin Sax today about the often times unrecognized selfless efforts made by those in the media for good causes, like Diane Dimond's recent article about the search for the pedophile who lies about his association to the murder of JonBenet Ramsey, depicted here on a milk carton - -

The Value of Advocacy and Journalism
Published in Women in Crime Ink
By Robin Sax

"When it's used in relation to crime, the word “media” is often paired with such words as “sensation,” “frenzy," or even “tabloid media.”...Why do some cases draw media attention and others fall by the wayside? For example, why was the case of Amber Dubois highlighted less than that of Chelsea King (both were missing/murdered teens in San Diego)? Or why did Natalee Holloway and Jon Benet Ramsey make constant headlines while the names of Mitrice Richardson and Mickey Guidry barely registered? We can certainly draw our own conclusions about these questions from politics, timing, socio-economics or just basic psychology.

But sometimes, it's to the media that we owe thanks for spotlighting an issue, a cause, or a case that needs some attention.

A particular case near and dear to my heart is the most recent involving John Mark Karr (also known as Alexis Valoran Reich)...Diane Dimond’s article of May 10, 2010, “Help Stop this Man,” shows the true value of investigative journalism, as well as the power of using one’s voice to make change and seek justice. John Mark Karr, also known as Daxis, is now transgendered and assuming the name Alexis Valoran Reich (yes, as in the Third Reich!). He is reportedly living in a woman's homeless shelter in Seattle and seeking a teaching or nanny job. And he has a new victim.

On her site, Dimond shares her opinions, praise or criticism on urgent stories. As she says, she “holds a mirror up to our society and asks you to form your own opinion. It’s a complicated world out there, full of situations of good versus evil, right versus wrong. My job is point them out.” But this time she took it to another level. She wrote on May 10: “Today I want to ignite a nationwide manhunt. John Mark Karr has got to be located and stopped!”...[read more]

Learn more about the efforts to locate John Mark Karr aka Alexis Valoran Reich here

the gang's all here

Samantha Spiegel and her attorney, legal analyst and former LA sex crimes prosecutor Robin Sax are featured guests this evening on The Dana Prezter Show over at Scared Monkeys Radio along with ET Correspondent Diane Dimond and investigator Logan Clarke on the breaking story of John Mark Karr’s latest victim.

Listen live at 6PM PT - 9PM ET

one sax fact at a time

An important message from my esteemed colleague, Robin Sax, former Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney who specialized in prosecuting sex crimes against children. Read on about the hunt to find the dangerous pedophile Alexis Reich aka John Mark Karr - -

Dear Friends:

I am on a mission. My mission is to find John Mark Karr! Karr is a former murder suspect and self-professed pedophile.

The name John Mark Karr may sound familiar to you already. Karr falsely confessed to the 1996 killing of child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey. But before you chalk Karr up to being just a nutbag, please read what I have to say.

John Mark Karr, also known as Daxis, is now transgendered and assuming the name Alexis Valoran Reich (yes, as in the Third Reich!). He is reportedly living in a woman's homeless shelter in Seattle and seeking a teaching or nanny job. And he has a new victim.

While many of his victims over the years have been too scared to come forward, Samantha Spiegel has bravely come forward now to stop John Mark Karr. Samantha is speaking out not only with intention of protecting herself, but with the goal of educating others as to how and why Karr is such a potential danger/threat to society.

I will share with you the details of his threats and behavior in the next week when Diane Dimond and I co-author an article exposing the true John Mark Karr/Alexis Reich. But for the time being, please help me to help Samantha Spiegel today by taking a look at this Wanted Poster and website (below). Any information you may have, whether seemingly important or not, would be appreciated.

Download Wanted Poster

VISIT JOHN MARK KARR WANTED WEBSITE

John Mark Karr must be found! If you have any information on his whereabouts, please fill out this form to report clues to the investigators who are looking for him! If you have any other tips or information that may help lead us to him, please contact us!

Instead of emailing me your comments, please post your comments to this on my website under Blog (click here). You can also do so anonymously. It allows for great banter and more opportunity for exposure on important cases, like finding JOHN MARK KARR!

Fighting for Justice--One Sax Fact at A Time,

apb john mark karr aka alexis reich

IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS PERSON, PLEASE CONTACT - -

ROBIN SAX, ESQ

EMAIL: robin@robinsax.com

PHONE: (310) 470-9955

Download printable flyer for distribution

For further details visit http://johnmarkkarrnow.com/

sexy sadie, et al

Perhaps John Mark Karr's gender identity issues could very well be in line with too-twisted-for-sex-re-assignment Jame Gumb. Yup, creepy Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs in some ways does remind me of Karr...errr, Alexis. But Ted Levine's character was quieter. Much, much quieter and much more credible- -

See Spot Write: John Mark Karr-From False Confession To Buffalo Bill?
Posted at SF Appeal
by Beth Spotswood

"...Or rather, SHE'S back in the news. And Alexis is allegedly threatening to kill her internet friend/former pupil, Samantha Spiegel.

Turns out, Alexis met Samantha when Samantha was nine and Alexis was Mark, and was then teaching ...Alexis is not only nuts and violent, but apparently has followers all over the country.

First of all, doesn't "Alexis Reich" just sound like the kind of name this guy would pick? A little bit Dynasty/80's glamour, a little bit white supremacist? Sound familiar?



And of course, OF COURSE, he's threatening to kill his former student/Skype BFF.

What I do not understand is this apparent collection of "followers" strewn around this great nation of ours..."[read more]

Last seen in a Seattle homeless shelter, read what Alexis Valoran Reich aka John Mark Karr might like you to never know - - hopes you quickly forget.

If you have information about Karr ne Reich please contact us or:

Robin Sax, ESQ
P: 310-650-6494
F: 310-477-5930
www.robinsax.com
robin@robinsax.com

gum on my shoe

I keep thinking there will be a last time I write anything about pedophile John Mark Karr, the would-be nanny / school teacher who still proudly professes he molested and killed JonBenet Ramsey.

Ahem.

Karr is back, now in Seattle living after changing his name to Alexis Reich, with more demented antics while he desperately looks for a job working with children.

I guess the 12/25/2008 threat to kill children didn't generate a big enough media bang for Reich ne Karr. So now he is after one of his prior students...a stunning, bright and talented young woman in San Francisco. And while this transgender pedophile hunts her, the police are after him--

If you have information please contact us or:

Robin Sax, ESQ
P: 310-650-6494
F: 310-477-5930
www.robinsax.com
robin@robinsax.com

To learn more about the pedophile Karr/Reich visit here.

Woman Claims John Mark Karr Threatened To Kill Her

Police Are Searching For The Former Suspect In The JonBenet Ramsey Case Who Is Now Reportedly A Woman Named Alexis Reich
Published by KCBS
By Stacey Butler

"LOS ANGELES (CBS)...After he falsely confessed to the murder of JonBenet Ramsey, John Mark Karr was branded an attention seeker, not a violent predator.

But according to one woman, that's exactly what he is. She just filed a restraining order against him after he allegedly threatened to kill her.

"He said that if I got in the way of him and his little girls, he would have me hunted down and killed," said Samantha Spiegel.

Spiegel, 19, claims Karr threatened to kill her in a series of online conversations as recently as Sunday.

In one online conservation, he wrote: "I want to hurt you."

Spiegel wrote back: "you do?"

"If you deceive me I will kill you. I know where you live," he replied back.

According to a restraining order filed last week, Spiegel was concerned for her safety since Karr knew where she lived, where she goes to school and felt he "seriously threatened to hunt her down and kill her by any means necessary."

The stay away order is against Alexis Reich.

Karr is now reportedly a woman last seen living at a battered women's shelter in Seattle....[read more]

Read what Alexis Valoran Reich aka John Mark Karr might like you to never know - - or hopes you quickly forget.

Media Scrutiny versus Privacy

It seems that John Mark Karr a/k/a Alexis Reich has somewhat strange views concerning the right to privacy. After having voluntarily sent to a journalism professor a massive number of emails concerning an unsolved murder and having made statements concerning his claimed involvement with that murder, he now thinks that he should be considered to be simply a private citizen with some sort of absolute right to privacy. He seems to consider that he is a victim of a witch hunt and that he is being portrayed as an oddity.

Well, he is indeed an oddity. Let us not forget that he avoided incarceration in Sonoma County simply because the Sheriff's property clerk lost the laptop computer that had been seized. John Mark Karr thrust himself into the limelight and now wants to be left alone because he appears as an oddity in the harsh glare of those lights. Well, what did he expect the lights to reveal? Did he think he could make statements in front of television news cameras implicating himself in the murder of a helpless six year old girl and then he could simply fade away into oblivion?

Set forth below is a link to an article appearing on a blog aggregator known as Examiner.com. Readers should be careful to note that the blog aggregator's use of the "SF Headlines Examiner" text does not mean that the material is from the San Francisco Examiner, which is a noteworthy newspaper to be found at www.sfexaminer.com.

JMK article: Former-JonBenet-Ramsey-suspect-John-Mark-Karr-now--Alexis-Reich-responds-to-tabloid-reports

The following is said to be the text of an email sent by John Mark Karr/ Alexis Reich:

I was warned of the impending reports almost a month prior. In a
letter of cease and desist, I pleaded with concerned parties of the
media and the individuals who reported to them, to respect my
privacy. My request was cast to no avail. Instead, the media pulled
in their most powerful legal teams to make sure that a private
citizen should be exposed. I learned quickly that I am afforded no
right to privacy that is assured by the U.S. constitution to all
other Americans. Profit has prevailed and there were those who made
money - let there be no doubt of that.

To answer whether I am female now, I say as did Saul who also
changed his name. As Paul, he said, "I have become all things to
all men so that, by all possible means, I might save some." 1
Corinthians 9:22.

I am the subject of a witch hunt that dragged me from my private
life to display me to the world like some strange oddity stuck
through with a straight pin in my enemies' collection. I was hunted
down to be exposed as a witch, moreover, to be destroyed as one.

free to choose

I watched the IE report last night on 45 year-old self-profiled pedophile and fantasy child killer John Mark Karr's transformation into 29 year young Alexis Reich, apparently still obsessed with the murder of JonBenet.

Honestly, as a stand-alone subject I haven't one issue with a gender change - or the name change to go along with it. It is however irritating that Karr publicly claimed the impetus for his gender change for solely deceptive purposes, i.e. evading law enforcement. A 2006 false confession and subsequent nonsense aside, this guy should never question why he is never believed.

No matter what gender I do have a major issue with pedophiles. A huge issue; no secret there. And in this case it seems like the gender change is the focus of the media and gossip chain, not the fact that Karr seems only interested in positions as a teacher of children, or as a nanny, all wrapped up in a new gender and identity that erases his delusional past and boasting of his sexual attraction. How deceptive is that...for a condition of which there is no known cure that even a radical castration has been proven not to be the fool poof resolve.

IF Karr were a committed educator, he could seek teaching in an adult-only classroom and I think a rational argument could be made against anyone that would take exception with that, on the condition no little ones are present. Yet this guy seeks appointments with children, under the guise of 'making up for what he has done', even though he has been terminated from at least a dozen elementary schools globally, reportedly due his unprofessional performance and social skills. He is also rumored to be rather computer literate, albeit a bit behind the curve I am told, and could easily teach comp-ed classes to adults. There are all kinds of options for this guy or gal, but he insists on choosing to work closely with children - the very object of his passion and sexual desire. And one child the he-of-several-identities continues to claim he tortured, molested and killed. Anyone with a brain that has read his emails or so-called manuscript would be justifiably concerned, prior victims an unavoidable issue.

But set pedophile dangers and gender transition aside for just minute to consider the distraction caused by the 2006 false confession at high cost to tax payers; multiple government agencies; media companies; reputations, not to mention a momentary disruption of the search for the man who left his DNA behind at the heinous murder of JonBenet. If Karr truly wanted to slip away to live quietly as a woman (or otherwise) one might anticipate that the uninvited threatening, indecent or foul mouthed contact, self-promoted news stories and the myriad of ridiculous antics calling attention to himself would at the same time come to an end as he rode off into the sunset. I suppose if Karr truly was remorseful for whatever sins he may have committed and sought a fresh start within the quiet life as a woman teacher or nanny he would grab the ring and do just that. But he either won't or can't help himself - and all the while he wants to continue to claim he is JonBenet's killer while being responsible for influencing, educating and caring for young children the way a teacher and nanny does--

John Mark Karr Gets a Sex Change

INSIDE EDITION has obtained the first photo of Karr as a woman. It's on his Facebook page. He's also legally changed his name to Alexis Reich...So where is he now? Court documents obtained by INSIDE EDITION show that he's living in Seattle. When we went there to check out the address, it turned out to be just a mail drop. It's believed Karr is out of the country today. Possibly back in Thailand where he first was arrested, living a new life, as a woman...."[read more]

you can't make this stuff up

Nearly 4 years after he lied about being 'with JonBenet when she died', IE is covering what John Mark Karr, aka Daxis, now a woman is up to - -

"Coming up on Inside Edition....you remember John Mark Karr?..."

Read more about the changes to one time suspect, self-admitted pedophile and nanny/teacher John Mark Karr, aka Daxis.

alexis valoran reich aka john mark karr

That very cool reporter Alan Butterfield from the National Enquirer is covering the story about John Mark Karr changing his name to Alexis Valoran Reich --

Read more about nanny/teacher Alexis Valoran Reich once John Mark Karr aka Daxis.

blacklisted

It's been awhile since Captain High Pants has tried, or succeeded, at drawing draw attention to himself as being responsible for the murder of JonBenet Ramsey. Having secured and lost as many as a dozen teaching positions over just a few years in far away and exotic places, Karr's name as an undesirable expelled from Thailand in 2006 made news in Korea helping to bolster the expansion of the ever growing bad teacher blacklist --

Oops!

Posted at Gusts of Popular Feeling

by Matt

"...The article is about the Korean Recruiting Association's blacklist of 'low quality' teachers, something that became news in 2006, and was bolstered by the August 18/19 realization that John Mark Karr had taught in Korea.

The blacklist story also made MBC ("Foreign language hagwon, Unbelievable native speaking teachers") and SBS ("English speaking sex criminals openly teach English in Asia"). The blacklist was first brought to light, however, by an August 7 Breaknews story titled "Low quality English teachers..."[...read more]

confession session

Since 2006 when a pedophile's wishful thinking was very briefly mistaken for the killer of JonBenet Ramsey, seems the volume has been turned up on the phenom of false confessions--








Second 7-Eleven murder trial goes to jury
Published in the Daily Press
by Patrick Thatcher

"VICTORVILLE • After three days of testimony, a prosecutor delivered an impassioned, hour-long closing statement Tuesday in the murder trial of a man accused of the March 2006 robbery and killing of a 7-Eleven clerk....Jerome Cornell Session was not the one who shot and killed 31-year-old William Gould...claims Session got enough information from news reports about the crime and from others that he could tell people he was the one who did it.

...200 people who confessed to the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, the recent false confessor in the JonBenet Ramsey case and even the movie “All the Usual Suspects,” where a suspect made up an elaborate confession story..."[...read more]

changes in altitudes

Chronicling Colorado con jobs in the Denver Post this morning after that 'balloon boy' hoax and fraudulent JonBenet Ramsey murder confession that dominated media outlets for days on end, I too am beginning to see a pattern here. Just look closely at the events leading up to this moment and then at the curious behavior of the parties involved after the fact. This is is not how normal people react in these situations. My highly developed critical thinking and deductive reasoning skills tell me there is more to this than meets the eye. Much, much more.

Could it be that the Centennial State is covertly writing scams in a ploy to divert attention away from Florida, according to Carl Hiaasen the paradise of scandals and the most bizarre state in the union?

It is probably more likely these events are evidence of some dark and evil cover-up by the best-selling author Hiaasen , the scene staged so he can flee the pressure of life in the Keys for the sensational stories he could write about at higher altitudes.

I can only imagine the poetic justice Carl would bring to Steve Thomas or the Captain High Pants fiasco. Well, on second thought, maybe not. Hiaasen's stories are based on reality so those colorful characters are perfectly suited for another twisted tale by Tim Dorsey.

Sorry Carl.

But seriously now, back to the real evidence. I am on to something very sinister here. I feel it in my gut after the 118th replay of the 60 Minutes interview with Hiaasen. He is hiding something; just watch how he blinked. And licked his lips.

Hiaasen has stated, publicly I might add, that there are contracts and lawyers involved so one doesn't have to get up very early in the morning to unwind the spin and expose a mass of suspicious contradictions. For instance, in one interview Hiaasen says he loathes having his picture taken. But go ahead, google him, and you too can see his pictures plastered all over the Internet, book backs and in newspaper articles. Busted!

It is just too easy to connect the dots and expose the truth about this dastardly cover-up conspiracy that reeks from wearing the same headphones two days in a row.

But here is the smoking gun: just replace Colorado (or JonBenet Ramsey was murdered by her parents theorists) for Florida when Hiaasen, in his very own words, describes his home state:

"The Sunshine State is a paradise of scandals teeming with drifters, deadbeats, and misfits drawn here by some dark primordial calling like demented trout..." --

Are we really that gullible? A history of Colorado hoaxes
Published in the Denver Post
By Dan Haley and Tom Noel with research from Jan Torpy and Barbara Hudson

"It should be no surprise that the balloon boy hoax was perpetrated here in Colorado. Our state was, essentially, founded on a hoax...

Daniel C. Oakes, the first documented Colorado hoaxer, wrote a 1859 guide book purporting to provide the speediest route to a Pikes Peak fortune. Oakes assured folks that "the whole country between the Cache la Poudre and Cherry Creek is a beautiful rich valley full of mountain streams of living water and exceedingly rich in gold."...

Here's our Hall of Shame of Colorado hoaxes:

2008 — Richard Glen Strandlof misled veterans, politicians and voters by claiming to be Rick Duncan..

August 2006 — His dazed stare, ill-fitting shirt and high-waisted pants, the strange way in which Thai authorities paraded him before the media — it had all the markings of a bad joke. But then-District Attorney Mary Lacy seemed to think John Mark Karr might have actually killed JonBenet Ramsey, so she dragged the odd bird from Thailand to Boulder for a DNA test. Karr started the hoax that he was with the former Little Miss Colorado when she died. Heck, nothing says "I love you" like confessing to a crime you didn't commit that carries a life sentence.

1993 — Gail Levine had all of us peering into our Pepsi cans after she claimed to have found a syringe inside hers..."[...read more]



Watch CBS News Videos Online

publicity junkies

Doesn't seem to matter what the story is; if it happened on Colorado and involved a six year old someone will inevitably mention the name JonBenet Ramsey. So the 'balloon boy' saga is still unfolding and the parents are facing several potential charges for their lies and deception.

Contrary to the flack Larimer County Sherriff Jim Alderden is taking from some corners, I do like how authorities and the major media networks appeared to cooperate by intentionally dishing out bogus information to get the job done--

Sheriff Jim Saves Chistmas, Guns and Solves Heene Balloon

Published in the Huffington Post

by Craig Silverman

We have another Colorado classic here. This is the greatest American media hoax since John Mark Karr deceived the Boulder DA and the media about what happened to another Colorado six year old.

Unlike the tragic JonBenét Ramsey murder case in nearby Boulder...This was a Heene hatched hoax, planned for maximum news coverage when it occurred and for utmost publicity for many months to come. If law enforcement raises the stakes and brings some iffy felony charges [...read more]

Craig Silverman, co-host of 630 KHOW’s Caplis & Silverman Show and lead partner in the law firm of Silverman & Olivas, P.C., has been an prominent participant in Colorado’s legal system for nearly 30 years. [full bio]

hot air

One has to wonder what JonBenet Ramsey could have done to irritate Rod Dreher to deserve the negative references she has received lately from this self-titled conservative politics and religious blogger.

I know, it is certainly a contradiction for someone touting family values to sully the name of a little girl brutally raped and murdered some 12 years ago. But Dreher seems to have learned that using her name has attention getting benefits that could look similar to the antics of that pedophile who made a fool of himself back in 2006.

I notice that while Captain High Pants was never charged with some $27k in expenses to Colorado taxpayers for the hoax he cooked up about JonBenet, the balloon boy's family may be facing charges for their mischief; the focus of Rod Dreher's post maligning JonBenet's name. Aside from a Colorado incident involving a six year old child, maybe someone else out there can explain what JonBenet has to do with the balloon boy--

Heene boys: JonBenet meets 'Jackass'

by Rod Dreher

"Turns out that stage father Papa Heene has this thing about directing his sons to make bratty videos, presumably to show off their ersatz Dennis-the-Menace-like scampiness.[...read more]