Small Talk: How Not To Get Caught Dead With Dirty Underwear

[cooksdelight]

I want Ethan Crouch put in prison where he belongs. The same judge that let him off sentenced another young man to prison who killed one person in a drunk driving accident. His family wasn't rich. You cannot tell me the judge wasn't bought and paid for.

[JudyObscure]

Yes, I expect Ethan and his mom have joined the great overdressed mass of Eurotrash by now.  They're probably spending Christmas on the Riviera.   They may be surprised at how fast their money burns up over there.

[saber5055]

Judy, I hope their money burns up fast over there. Although I'm guessing financial arrangements were put into place well before those two took off. Has the father even been interviewed? This is when I wish a guy like John Reese were real, so he could "interview" the husband/father. At least this is getting a lot of national news time. But Cooks, I thought that judge "retired"? If not, it's time.

 

And bravo, Judy, for your post a page back. You have a good handle on life, and I admire how you are able to articulate your thoughts. We all tend to romanticise "the one who got away," and think how perfect our lives would be "if only." But most of us should count ourselves lucky we never experienced those "if onlys." Good intuition keeps us from that path not taken. But wow, it is so easy to be emotionally and physically manipulated sometimes. Maybe all the time for some.

[cooksdelight]

The judge did retire, but not before sending another young man to prison. I forget who told me about this, might have been one of my attorney friends.

I often wonder if people who commit horrible crimes watch shows like Dateline or Snapped to get their ideas on how to kill or whatever. There have been times when watching some of these shows that I think "Oh boy, wouldn't I love to see so-and-so go down like that".... not seriously, of course, but I have to admit that the thoughts have crossed my mind. I have had more than a few dates raise their eyebrows when I go through a scenario I've seen on TV and how to do it and not get caught. LOL!!

[zxy556575]

I have had more than a few dates raise their eyebrows when I go through a scenario I've seen on TV and how to do it and not get caught. LOL!!

 

You should make that your crucible on whether or not you go out with them again! ;)

 

I think I did see somewhere that the majority of true crime and crime fiction readers are women. (Looked it up --  here's an article from 2014.)

[saber5055]

FYI, I did hear on the news yesterday that the Affluenza kid's dad was "helping" the authorities. Maybe he and she did divorce after all. 

[cooksdelight]

They found Ethan and his mother in Puerto Vallerta, Mexico, and have them in custody awaiting transfer back to Texas.

[saber5055]

Yes, with Ethan's hair and piddly beard dyed black. According to the local Texas sheriff, they held a "going away" party before they took off in the pickup truck to Mexico. There was a $5,000 reward to the person who turned them in. I hope one of Ethan's drinking "best friends" gets the payola.

Edited December 29, 2015 by saber5055

[Lura]

I read this story, but apparently I didn't read why the kid only got probation in the first place.  You kill three people and get probation???That  mother has a lot of moxie, throwing a going-away party for the two of them before they headed for Mexico.  I hope they throw the book at her.  She's almost worse than her son.  She really can't be too smart, though, prancing around with her son on the main street of Puerto Vallarta.  Dumb.

[Lura]

Was happy to see in this morning's news that one of the creeps who shot and killed Amanda Blackburn has been charged with another murder of another woman shot and killed during their weekend crime spree.  Amanda, you'll recall, was the young minister's wife in Indianapolis who was pregnant with her second child at the time of the slaying.

 

http://www.aol.com/article/2015/12/29/man-accused-in-pastors-wifes-death-charged-in-2nd-slaying/21289563/?icid=maing-grid7%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl3%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D-1381019470

[zxy556575]

Have we talked about podcasts before? I'm enjoying Serial and What the Crime?!

 

The Making a Murderer series has gotten stellar reviews, but knowing the end has put me off watching. I did read the recaps on PTV.

[ari333]

Have we talked about podcasts before? I'm enjoying Serial and What the Crime?!

 

The Making a Murderer series has gotten stellar reviews, but knowing the end has put me off watching. I did read the recaps on PTV.

 

Awesome! I will listen with you! I cant believe I was so late to the party on the podcasts. I love them (the free ones) . I listen to them in one ear when I go to sleep. My bf hates it heh.

 

I also love the comedy ones -  which veer off from comedy into other topics - which is fun.

Edited December 30, 2015 by ari333

[Lura]

In a news article today, the mother may get a stiffer sentence than her affluent son.  What the boy did was inexcusable, but at least he was drunk and a juvenile.  I realize there are good arguments against this view because I, too, share them).  The mother, however,  is an adult and spirited her son away from justice, hid him, helped masquerade him, and kept him in hiding.  Frankly, I hope that they both suffer dire sentences of long terms  (I also read that the father cooperated fully with the police).  Finally, I hope the helpful father remarries and lives a happy life without them! 

[ari333]

In a news article today, the mother may get a stiffer sentence than her affluent son.  What the boy did was inexcusable, but at least he was drunk and a juvenile.  I realize there are good arguments against this view because I, too, share them).  The mother, however,  is an adult and spirited her son away from justice, hid him, helped masquerade him, and kept him in hiding.  Frankly, I hope that they both suffer dire sentences of long terms  (I also read that the father cooperated fully with the police).  Finally, I hope the helpful father remarries and lives a happy life without them! 

 

The son was 18 in hiding IIRC, or rather, when he was caught. Seems like that would matter. This is shallow of me, but that son just looked like a punk. Also he was pretty lacking in compassion when he ran and didn't help anyone. I know he was hammered, but wow. 

[biakbiak]

It won't matter that he was 18 because the parole violation took place when he was under the juvenile probation system.

[ari333]

It won't matter that he was 18 because the parole violation took place when he was under the juvenile probation system.

 

Ok. I was reaching.

 

I just cannot believe that judge gave him 10 yrs PROBATION with 4 people dead and others injured. Stunning. Was it the money/family that got that result? Im just so shocked.

[saber5055]

The latest is that the murdering, drunken, drugged-up Ethan might not be extradited from Mexico because, according to his highly paid lawyers, to do so would violate his "rights." Yet another prime example of how loudly money talks.

[walnutqueen]

I wouldn't mind seeing him spend time - a LOT of time - in a Mexican jail awaiting extradition.  Those places are usually pretty darned nasty ...

[zxy556575]

I am not a businessperson, let's get that straight. I am a consumer of American prepackaged foods, however, and I do not begin to understand the reasoning behind the marketing geniuses at Kraft.

 

1. Would the type of people who buy a box of cheese powder with macaroni care that much about preservatives and artificial flavors?

 

2. If Kraft did feel the need to make the stuff "healthier," why not just say that to start with? Were they afraid their core audience was going to run screaming into the night, a la New Coke?

 

3. Given that the company decided to go ahead anyway despite the above, why then release a gotcha! ad campaign that pretty much sneeringly calls us all idiots?

 

Ya know, Kraft, I can buy powered cheese mixes that have ripped off your flavors and make my own fake mac and cheese. Just a warning.

Edited March 12, 2016 by lordonia

[cooksdelight]

When I was little, we ate a lot of that powdered cheese stuff. And the Chef Boy-Ar-Dee pizza mix was a special occasion on Friday nights, complete with powdered mozarella. I'm still alive and healthy. :)

[Fable]

I don't understand the problem...they want to make a healthier product?  How is this a negative?  Granted, we all survived this stuff growing up, but I don't understand why taking out the artificial flavors and such make it an inferior product!   

Edited March 12, 2016 by Fable

[hoosiermom]

Darn. I missed the Ethan discussion. I don't eat mac and cheese from a box or any other type. I got burned out on it when kids were young and it was the only thing my husband knew how to "cook". AND, he managed to make it taste more awful than what I thought was possible!

[zxy556575]

It's not that Kraft changed the recipe, it's that they changed it, didn't tell anyone until 3 months later, then released a bunch of ads that crowed "Haha! We fooled you and you didn't even notice!". I mean, just put a blurb on the box that it has no artificial ingredients.

Edited March 12, 2016 by lordonia

[saber5055]

Kraft got great press and coverage on every national newscast that I've seen. Pretty good marketing plan. I have no interest in the product (had to live on it in college, it was 25 cents per box) so didn't listen to what the claims were. But after reading here, perhaps Krafts' point is, "Our product tastes just as good plus now is better for you." 

 

Nothing wrong with that IMO.

 

I don't see how they were out to "fool" anyone, plus no one reads those box blurbs, they blend into multi-colored too-busy boxes that are all competing to get buyer attention. This way they got every national newscaster to talk Kraft mac and cheese, plus show video, for a whole bunch of FREE tv segments. Those minutes would have cost millions if they did a paid tv ad (that people don't watch anyway). I say, good on Kraft and its ad agency/PR people.

Edited March 12, 2016 by saber5055

[Tunia]

Being a bit of a cynic, I think Kraft wanted to test drive the new formula without fanfare in case it didn't go over well.  If they started getting complaints or inquiries regarding any changes, they could then go back to the original formula without explanation.  Had they announced the change in advance, consumers could/would be looking for the difference in taste.  This way they have now publicly tested the product without the consumers even knowing, and found no objection to the new formula, so NOW they can tout it as a planned benefit.

[hoosiermom]

Just like our government putting fluoride in our water a month before they announced they were doing it. Lol

[Ohmo]

Well, my fellow crime-tv posters, we could sure use Josh, Keith, or Dennis here in Ohio at the moment.  I do not live in Pike County, but the murders of the Rhoden family are getting tremendous coverage both nationally and across the state.  It has the feeling of a Dateline Mystery, it really does.

[JudyObscure]

I live about an hour away from all that and it really is shocking.  Today's news say the family was growing quite a bit of marijuana and it looks like it might be rival drug dealers behind the executions.  Farmers in the Midwest are finding that "cash crop," to be very tempting.  This took place just above the Kentucky border so drugs did cross my mind.  Kentucky has an enormous prescription drug problem.  I think some of the rural people in the Appalachian area still have a streak of  that "I'll do what I want on my own land," attitude  that caused their grandfathers to run moonshine stills. 

 

I can almost hear Keith saying,  " It must have all seemed like easy money to this pleasant country family.  They didn't take into account the ruthless world they were entering."

[Ohmo]

I live about an hour away from all that and it really is shocking.  Today's news say the family was growing quite a bit of marijuana and it looks like it might be rival drug dealers behind the executions.  Farmers in the Midwest are finding that "cash crop," to be very tempting.  This took place just above the Kentucky border so drugs did cross my mind.  Kentucky has an enormous prescription drug problem.  I think some of the rural people in the Appalachian area still have a streak of  that "I'll do what I want on my own land," attitude  that caused their grandfathers to run moonshine stills. 

 

I can almost hear Keith saying,  " It must have all seemed like easy money to this pleasant country family.  They didn't take into account the ruthless world they were entering."

 

To tag team with JudyObscure, officials have estimated that the street value of the marijuana was roughly about $250,000.  Many would consider that to be a good chunk of change, but extreme Southern Ohio (minus Cincinnati) has tremendous amounts of poverty.  In that area, this kind of cash would be considered a small fortune.  Officials have said that the marijuana operation was fairly sophisticated, so the drug cartel theory seems like it could be a possible scenario.  Evidence of apparatus used in cock fighting has also been discovered.

 

I agree with what JudyObscure says about Keith.

Edited April 26, 2016 by Ohmo

[glowlights]

 Evidence of apparatus used in cock fighting has also been discovered.

 

My sympathy for any of the adult victims just went right out the window...

[JudyObscure]

My sympathy is a bit strained, too, so it starts me wondering how well the killer knew the workings of the family.  Was everyone who was killed part of the business?  Hannah Gilley was only a "fiancé."

 

As Ohmo says it's a very poor area and the houses and grounds they lived in looked so shabby.  They don't seem to have been using the proceeds to live better.  Everything I know about the drug business I learned from "Breaking Bad," so I guess you can take in quite a bit of cash but not know how to spend it in big lumps without getting caught.

[glowlights]

The killer or killers had to have been quite familiar with this family - they had to have known the dogs to get past them at at least one location, and they knew where the security cameras were in order to dismantle them. My guess is that even if not every family member were directly involved, they were all quite aware of the grow business. Hell, most of the town had to have known! As for their financial circumstances my guess is that they maintained the illusion of being poor in order not to attract attention but spent their money on other things, or were siphoning it away a la Walter White. It is said that one of the victims was covered in dollar bills - why would someone leave money when they had so much time to commit these murders? They didn't have two more seconds to put the money in a bag?

Is the forum acting slow for anyone else? I'm on Firefox and it's been slow since the changes.

[JudyObscure]

It's incredibly slow for me, too.  I expect (hope) it's because work is still being done.

[Fable]

I have not noticed much activity in this forum lately.   Would it be best to start an all episode talk thread as opposed to an individual episode thread?  Our mod seems to have gone AWOL too...Anyone have suggestions?

[editorgrrl]

4 hours ago, Fable said:

Would it be best to start an all episode talk thread as opposed to an individual episode thread?  

There already is one: 

[Fable]

I know there is a most memorable  episode thread, but I was thinking along the lines of a recent episode thread the way 48 hours does as opposed to having a dedicated thread (seeming we may have lost our mod) for each and every episode.  Not every episode is most memorable and people may just want to post and/or view the current content...just saying

[Christina]

I think one thread makes sense, since there are not an overwhelming amount of posts for each episode. 

Also, but if anyone has not yet given Las Vegas Law a chance, you should do so. I read something that said it wasn't getting great ratings, and I don't know why. The article said something about the people being polled thinking it was a re-enactment show, because there was a show named similar that was re-enactments with bad actors. 

It shows the actual behind-the-scenes discussions of the attorneys and the victims. It's on Investigation Discovery, and I'm going to put this in the 20/20 and 48 Hours forums too, so please forgive the duplicate postings. 

[zxy556575]

I've been rewatching The Staircase about the Peterson murder and have to say again that I think Dr. Henry Lee is a complete fraud and liar. I haven't believed anything he's said since OJ. His  more recent accusations of hiding evidence in the Phil Spector trial is just another example. The man obligingly twists himself in knots in order to provide whatever theory he's paid to espouse (usually the defendant), no matter how many other forensic experts disagree. That he's attained such a position of prominence and power is shameful. The emperor has no clothes, people!

[bubbls]

Well, I have to say that seeing all these messy victims' homes has made me realize I'm not nearly as messy as I think. I feel better about myself. I shared this with my mom who also struggles to be tidy. 

[cooksdelight]

LOL, my boyfriend uses true crime show photos as a prompt for me to do something with that stack of magazines, or shoes tossed on the floor. "What if something happened, would you like your family and friends to see you lying in a pile of old magazines?" :)

[bubbls]

Rule #1 I learned from Dateline, true crime reading, and true crime shows: If the person you hired as a hit man is willing to take a life for a few hundred or even thousands of dollars he is no Bruce Willis in The Jackal. He will brag to his buddies, get caught, and throw you under the bus. 

[LakeGal]

I was watching a show called First Dates.  It is a reality show where all the couples in a restaurant are on blind dates. One couple was asking each other what they liked to do on a Friday night.  The woman said she liked to order pizza and curl up on the couch and watch Dateline.  The man did not know what Dateline was.  So she was telling him it was about true crimes and murders and people killed their spouses and other crimes.  She was quite excited about it.  She said she had to record it if she was not home.  He kept looking at her like she was a bit crazy.  At the end of the date she wanted to see him again.  But he said they obviously had different tastes and did not want a second date.  I think he was a bit scared of her.  I guess not everyone understands our interest in this show.  But I related to her and knew exactly what she was talking about.  The whole interaction made me laugh.       

[bubbls]

On 3/18/2017 at 9:45 PM, LakeGal said:

I was watching a show called First Dates.  It is a reality show where all the couples in a restaurant are on blind dates. One couple was asking each other what they liked to do on a Friday night.  The woman said she liked to order pizza and curl up on the couch and watch Dateline.  The man did not know what Dateline was.  So she was telling him it was about true crimes and murders and people killed their spouses and other crimes.  She was quite excited about it.  She said she had to record it if she was not home.  He kept looking at her like she was a bit crazy.  At the end of the date she wanted to see him again.  But he said they obviously had different tastes and did not want a second date.  I think he was a bit scared of her.  I guess not everyone understands our interest in this show.  But I related to her and knew exactly what she was talking about.  The whole interaction made me laugh.       

That's so funny! It took my husband years to accept that my fascination with true crime wasn't me learning mad murdering skillz. I don't think I was reading or watching anything true crime when we were dating because I'm sure he would've reacted similarly.  

[JudyObscure]

I wonder what sort of TV taste would have impressed the date? 

[cooksdelight]

35 minutes ago, JudyObscure said:

I wonder what sort of TV taste would have impressed the date? 

Hee Haw reruns? LOL

My fiance loves true crime shows. First guy I've ever met who shares my fascination. He's a keeper!

[Lovecat]

3 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

My fiance loves true crime shows. First guy I've ever met who shares my fascination. He's a keeper!

I've got one of those, too <3  We're getting married on September 9...I wonder if there'll be a new Dateline on the 8th ;)

[cooksdelight]

June 24 here, I'll keep an eye on that Friday's schedule. :)

[saber5055]

What! People here are getting married?! Awesome, you guys. Plus, as loyal Dateline watchers, you know how to "get rid of" *cough* a husband if you need to. But I don't want to see any of you on teevee, so remember that. Meanwhile, congrats.

[ari333]

CONGRATS! WOOT!

[Lovecat]

Aw, thanks, guys!!  My adorable weirdo tries to freak me out when we're watching Dateline by saying stuff like, "What an idiot!  Always pay cash for your gloves, rope and duct tape!" or "Sheesh, if you're going to look up how to dissolve a body in acid, go to the library!" then he looks at me with mock-shifty eyes and whispers, "I've said too much." Goofball.  I like to counter by asking him if he's changed his life insurance policy yet...with a little gleam in my eye.

I hope the FBI doesn't monitor these boards.  I don't want to wind up on the news...