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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sirens & Gavels archive for April 2011

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2011

Missing woman's jailed grandson probed

The grandson of a woman missing in the Kamiah, Idaho, area has been named a person of interest in her disappearance. Justin M. Hietala, 27, was arrested on suspicion of burglary on April 1 and is in the Lewis County Jail in Nez Perce, Idaho.…

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Feds warn local marijuana dispensaries 

Medical marijuana dispensaries in Spokane face federal prosecution if they do not end their operations immediately, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday. Federal authorities hope for voluntary compliance but are prepared “for quick and direct action against the operators of the stores,” according to a…

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Steele will undergo mental health exam

The former Aryan Nations lawyer accused of hiring a man to kill his wife will undergo a mental health examination. Edgar J. Steele, 65, is to be evaluated by a licensed psychologist Friday at the Ada County Jail in Boise. Psychologist Robert Engle is to…

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In this Dec. 6, 1995 file photo, rapper Notorious B.I.G., who won rap artist and rap single of the year, clutches his awards at the podium during the annual Billboard Music Awards in New York. Records show FBI agents on both coasts participated in an 18-month investigation aimed at finding out who killed the Notorious B.I.G. and determine whether any Los Angeles police officers were involved. The inquiry ended in early 2005 after federal prosecutors concluded there wasn't enough evidence to pursue a case against any Los Angeles Police Department officers or another man implicated in the rapper's 1997 shooting death.  (Mark Lennihan / (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File))

Files released in Notorious BIG's murder

In this Dec. 6, 1995 file photo, rapper Notorious B.I.G., who won rap artist and rap single of the year, clutches his awards at the podium during the annual Billboard Music Awards in New York. By ANTHONY McCARTNEY, AP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) —…

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Plea deal drops attempted murder case 

A Spokane man whose attempted murder trial ended in a mistrial last week was sentenced this week to nearly 10 years in prison. Don R. Davis, Jr., 29, pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary, first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance and…

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

Duncan returns to federal death row

A man who tortured and killed two boys in California and Idaho has been returned to death row in federal prison. Federal prison officials say 48-year-old Joseph Edward Duncan III -- who spent more than two years in a Riverside County jail -- arrived at…

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Yakima bans sex offenders at swim pools

YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) — The Yakima City Council has voted to ban sex offenders from using city swimming pools, a move allowed under a little-used 2006 state law. City officials believe the ban approved Tuesday is a first under a Washington trespass law that allows…

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Masked gunman robs North Idaho store

A masked gunman robbed a store north of Hayden Tuesday night and specifically requested a pack of Marlboro Red cigarettes. The man entered the Alpine Country Store, 17568 North Highway 95, about 11 p.m. and forced the clerk to empty the cash register while pointing…

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Police dog busts 3 burglary suspects

A Spokane police dog helped his handler arrest three burglary suspects late Monday. Arlyanne M. Ellicott, 21, fought with K-9 Maximus before Officer Paul Gorman arrested her on suspicion of burglary in the 5000 block of North Lacey Street, police said today. Gorman and Officer…

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Financial experts charged with tax crimes

A Moses Lake couple who runs an financial consulting and insurance brokerage firm have been charged with failing to pay taxes. J. Scott Vrieling and his wife, Patrica Dionn Vrieling, are each charged with four misdemeanors for allegedly failing to pay taxes from 2004 through…

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Judges uphold Russell's convictions

Appellate judges on Tuesday upheld the vehicular homicide convictions against Frederick Russell, who was convicted in 2007 of killing three Washington State University students and seriously injuring three others in a drunken crash a decade ago on the highway that connects Moscow and Pullman. However,…

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TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2011

Jury indicts man for cop's stolen gun

A felon suspected of stealing a handgun from a Spokane County sheriff's detective's squad car last April has been indicted by a federal grand jury. James W. Peterschick, 29, faces up to 10 years in federal prison for felon in possession of a firearm, unlawful…

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$260k to woman strip-searched in jail

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The city of Olympia has agreed to pay $260,000 to a woman strip-searched and zapped with a stun gun in the city jail. Cynthia Brown's lawyer Edwin Budge calls the agreement "vindication to some degree." While settling, the city denies liability.…

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Report: Shot pregnant woman apologized

A state trooper who accidentally shot an unarmed pregnant woman during a drug raid in Spokane last fall was emotional in interviews with investigators and was overheard asking why the shot couldn’t have missed. Washington State Patrol Sgt. Herbert Lee Slemp recently returned to work…

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Stabbing at Carlyle apts. leads to arrest

A fight between two roommates at the Carlyle Apartments in downtown Spokane ended with one arrested and the other receiving staples for to close his stab wounds. Scott P. McGuire, 43, remains jailed for first-degree assault after police say he stabbed his roommate in the…

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MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2011

Thief hits Phillies pitcher's Wash. home

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. (AP) — Police are searching for thieves who burglarized the Mount Vernon, Wash., home of Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Kyle Kendrick and took his World Series ring. Lt. Chris Cammock said Monday that the thieves also took other valuable items. He says Kendrick…

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Man arrested 30 mins after eluding police

A police chase through downtown ended this morning because officers deemed it too dangerous, but the suspect was arrested 30 minutes later. Leroy K. Berra, 44, was stopped just before 3 a.m. near Monroe Street and Shannon Avenue and arrested for drunken driving, driving while…

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Police dog catches fleeing fugitive

A Spokane police dog tracked a man for two blocks after a domestic dispute Saturday, leading to the suspect's arrest. Maximus, Officer Paul Gorman's K-9, found Leo Kenneth Landon, 30, hiding in the backyard of a home in the 1600 block of West 11th Ave.,…

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Lawyers' feud continues in messy lawsuit 

A dispute between two law partners that sent one to jail following an armed confrontation at their Spokane office in 2007 continues today as a messy civil lawsuit lingers in court. Connie Powell and Dean White's law partnership unraveled into a feud marred by allegations…

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SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 2011

Sheriff's gun expert charged w/ DUI 

The lead firearms instructor for the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving last weekend in Coeur d’Alene. Deputy Daniel Knight, 42, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.19 and 0.188 during breath tests administered after his arrest early Sunday. The legal…

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FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2011

Federal prosecutor's son jailed in Idaho

The son of a North Idaho federal prosecutor is in the Bonner County Jail for a drunken vehicle prowling spree last December. Christopher Alan Cook, 22, was ordered this week to serve 30 days in jail for misdemeanor theft after a felony burglary charge was…

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April Fool's Day burglary arrest 'no joke'

A suspected burglar told police he'd been suspended from work without pay and had gambled away most of his paycheck trying to win money to pay rent. Police spotted Luqman F. Muhammad, 32, running from the Pines Manor Apartments office, 512 N. Pines Road, with…

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Torture video leads to murder arrest

A video provided to the Spokane County Sheriff's Office helped detectives in Western Washington identify suspects in a torture and murder case. Someone notified the sheriff's office "a while ago" about the video, and a detective picked it up, said Sgt. Dave Reagan. "We observed…

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Public safety news from the Inland Northwest and beyond.




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