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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sirens & Gavels archive for Nov. 2010

TUESDAY, NOV. 30, 2010

Woman attacked while leaving Rite Aid 

Police are looking for a man who robbed a woman outside a Spokane drug store just after noon on Monday. The man followed the victim as she left the Rite Aid, 5520 N. Division St., and attacked her, according to police. She was in the…

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Killer's boyfriend pleads not guilty 

The boyfriend of a woman serving 51 years in prison for murdering her husband pleaded not guilty this morning to charges connected to the same slaying. Brian L. Moore, 44, remains in Spokane County Jail on $2 million bail. His trial is set for Jan.…

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Peter  Jose ( right ) concentrates on hitting the right note as he works with On Stage to rehearse their upcoming Christmas show Thursday October 26, 2006 in Spokane.  (Christopher Anderson / The Spokesman-Review)

Family of man in river: 'Heartbreaking'

A man found dead in the Spokane River on Sunday had a long history of mental illness and likely committed suicide, family said on Monday. Peter L. Jose, 34, had schizophrenia but regularly skipped his medication and frequently threatened to harm himself, said Mary Lee…

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Felon wanted after missing trial date

A longtime Spokane felon who didn't show up for his trial on theft and stolen property charges is wanted by police. Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for tips that help arrest repeat offender Kevin Leon Schimpf, 52, who has a 26-year criminal history in…

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MONDAY, NOV. 29, 2010

Autopsy complete on body in river

A body found in the Spokane River on Sunday has been identified. Detectives are contacting family and expect to release the man's name on Tuesday, said Officer Jennifer DeRuwe, spokeswoman for the Spokane Police Department.Riverfront Park security staff spotted the body just north of the…

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Bank robbery suspect: I'm a 'gentle guy'

A suspected serial bank robber implicated himself in several holdups and asked authorities if he "will get (messed) up in prison for armed robbery" after his arrest last month, according to newly unsealed court documents. Lucas G. Woodard, 33, thanked federal agents "for treating him…

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Cuts could end sex offender task force 

Spokane County sheriff’s Deputy Damon Simmons spends much of his time hunting for online sexual predators with the Spokane County Child Sexual Predator Task Force. But Simmons’ time with the task force may be running out. The task force, which focuses on finding new online…

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Brothers nabbed in property crime case 

Two brothers are in jail after Spokane Valley detectives found $30,000 in stolen motorcycles and other equipment in their storage unit last week.Neal T. Johnson, 45, was arrested after Detective Brad Gilbert obtained a search warrant for his unit at Secure-It Storage, 18815 E. Cataldo…

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2 men charged in meth prison conspiracy

BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) — Two Bellingham men have been charged with conspiracy to mail papers soaked in methamphetamine to inmates in state prisons.A complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle alleges that 31-year-old Joseph L. Garcia supplied ounces of meth to 47-year-old Kirk L.…

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WEDNESDAY, NOV. 24, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving from Sirens! 

Happy Thanksgiving from Sirens & Gavels! I hope everyone has a great holiday with their family and friends. Travel safe and enjoy your various family traditions. If you don't have any, start some. (Did anyone else's father make them write reports on Thanksgiving topics like…

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1 of 20 meth suspects gets 77 months

A Coeur d'Alene man was sentenced this week to 6 1/2 years in federal prison for his role in a large group of methamphetamine distributors. Larry McMillan, 31, received 77 months in prison Monday after pleading guilty in September to possession with intent to distribute…

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Gunman in botched carjacking sentenced

Unable to complete sentences between tears, 56-year-old Donald Young explained how being shot in a botched carjacking last year “messed up” his life.The man responsible, Joseph P. Ellery, 31, (pictured) pleaded guilty Tuesday to first-degree assault in exchange for prosecutors dropping other charges, including first-degree…

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Insanity defense explored in '08 murder

The aggravated murder trial of accused crossbow killer Cole K. Strandberg will proceed in January following a hearing to allow his defense attorney to present a case that his client should be acquitted because he is insane. Defense attorney Chris Bugbee asked Superior Court Judge…

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Militia man guilty in Idaho grenade case

A self-described militia leader pleaded guilty this week to federal gun charges connected to a grenade manufacturing operation at his trailer in Spirit Lake, Idaho.Kenneth B. Kimbley Jr., 58, discussed bombing local bridges with an undercover federal agent and made threatening statements toward President Barack…

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TUESDAY, NOV. 23, 2010

Man faces felony for Four Loko incident 

A 49-year-old man who injured a sheriff's deputy in a drunken crash nine years ago has been charged with felony driving under the influence for an incident last week in Spokane Valley, officials announced today. James L. Crabtree, a local real estate agent who worked…

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3-crash survivor pleads guilty in fatality

A man who has survived three one-car crashes on the same road near Plummer, Idaho, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter for an August 2009 crash. Joseph Michael Matt, Jr., 25, of Worley, was speeding and under the influence of alcohol and methamphetamine when he lost…

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Technician gets 9 years for child porn

A Canadian computer technician who illegally entered the United States with a laptop computer containing child pornography has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison.Scott Andrew Henry, 25, will be on probation for 10 years after he leaves prison. He pleaded guilty in September…

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Clinton Joseph Bacon is a 42-year-old Native American male wanted for violating the terms of his probation on a drug conviction.  His 24-year local criminal history includes convictions for making false statements, drug possession, forgery, unlawful possession of a payment instrument, riot, possession of stolen property, assault, driving on a suspended license, reckless driving, DUI, burglary, vehicle prowling, possession of a dangerous weapon, obstructing a police investigation, vehicle theft and probation violations. He is 5’09” tall, weighs 210 pounds and has brown hair and green eyes.  His last known address was 211 S. Regal in Spokane.  (Crime Stoppers)

Crime Stoppers targets repeat offenders

"Three hots and a cot await these fugitives during the cold snap," writes Sgt. Dave Reagan of the Spokane County Sheriff's Office. Crime Stoppers if offering a reward for tips that help arrest any of the suspects. All are classified as repeat offenders in Spokane…

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MONDAY, NOV. 22, 2010

Inmate fighting locks down state prison

WALLA WALLA, Wash. (AP) — Two more units at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla have been locked down because of a fight.The disturbance escalated to include more than 20 inmates Monday. The prison said in a statement that three officers reported injuries and…

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Task force links Idaho duo to 13 crimes

A North Idaho law enforcement task force has connected 13 crimes to two people in what authorities describe as a large stolen property investigation. Justin Lee Christian, 39, of Kellogg, and Amanda Dawn Erickson, 24, of Coeur d'Alene, are in the Kootenai County Jail on…

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Jail escapee arrested in north Spokane

A Whitman County Jail inmate who escaped with 18 days remaining on his sentence was arrested in Spokane on Sunday in after committing at least one burglary in Dayton, officials said today. Ronald A. Rutledge, 29, was doing maintenance work outside the jail in Colfax…

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SATURDAY, NOV. 20, 2010

In this Feb. 14, 2007 file photo taken from a boat, the McNeil Island Correctional Center in Washington state is shown. Washington state said Friday, Nov. 19, 2010, that it will close the McNeil Island Corrections Center in April, 2011, to save money. McNeil Island is also home to the state's Special Commitment Center, where sexually violent predators are indefinitely held for treatment after completing their prison sentences, but that facility will remain open. (Ted Warren /  (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File))

State to close prison on McNeil Island

(AP) — State officials said Friday it will close the McNeil Island Corrections Center on April 1, the third Department of Corrections prison to close in the past year as officials grapple with a growing budget deficit.The McNeil Island prison is the least efficient in…

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FRIDAY, NOV. 19, 2010

Killer's beau jailed on $2 million bail

A 2007 murder case in which a jury rejected the killer’s claims of forced prostitution and other abuse continued in Superior Court today as the convict’s boyfriend appeared on murder charges.Brian L. Moore, 44, remains in Spokane County Jail on $2 million bail after appearing…

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Grand jury indicts driver in fatal crash

A motorist who killed a pedestrian while intoxicated last April on the Coeur d'Alene Indian Reservation, has been indicted by a federal grand jury. Andrea M. George, who was 18 at the time of the crash, is charged with involuntary manslaughter for the April 19…

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