Neverland guard tells of sex abuse
Santa Maria, Calif. A former security guard at Michael Jackson’s Neverland ranch told a lurid story Thursday about seeing the singer kiss, fondle and perform oral sex on a boy who later received a financial settlement from the pop star.
A former Jackson maid also testified that she saw him inappropriately touch actor Macaulay Culkin and three other boys. The testimony is part of a prosecution attempt to show that the current molestation allegations against Jackson are part of a pattern of inappropriate sexual contact with young boys dating back more than a decade.
The former security guard, Ralph Chacon, was attacked by Jackson’s lawyer as making the whole thing up “to get even.” Defense attorney Thomas Mesereau Jr. accused Chacon of having tried to “extort” $16 million from Jackson in a lawsuit and lengthy trial that he and the maid lost, forcing Chacon into bankruptcy.
“After a six-month trial, this is a good way to get even with him, isn’t it?” said Mesereau, drawing a strong objection from the prosecution.
Columbine killer’s parents sell home
Littleton, Colo. The parents of one of the gunmen in the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School have sold their home.
Wayne and Kathy Harris, parents of Eric Harris, sold the two-story, four-bedroom home last month for $269,900, according to Jefferson County records.
Their real estate agent was not required to disclose that Eric Harris lived there, or that he stored his guns and bombs there before helping launch the nation’s deadliest school shooting.
Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold shot and killed a teacher and 12 students before taking their own lives April 20, 1999.
Finger-in-chili inquiry deepens
San Jose, Calif. The saga of the mysterious finger found in a bowl of Wendy’s chili continues.
Authorities have searched the Las Vegas home of the woman who found it. No one is saying what they were looking for.
“I’d like to know, too,” said a distraught Anna Ayala from her home in Las Vegas on Thursday night. “I’ve been dragged through the mud. We’ve been treated like animals. I’ve been through too much.”
Ayala, 39, referred all calls to her attorney before abruptly hanging up.
San Jose police officer Gina Tepoorten confirmed that local investigators along with the Las Vegas Police served a search warrant Wednesday, but she wouldn’t divulge further details.
“We’re not going to put out our findings,” Tepoorten said. “We’re going to conduct a thorough investigation into this case and our investigators are talking to everybody involved, and that includes customers at Wendy’s at the time as well as the finder of the finger.”
Tepoorten said, “We’re looking into all possibilities.” He emphasized those possibilities could include an industrial accident or an unreported homicide.
In another development, Wendy’s on Thursday offered a $50,000 reward for the first person to provide verifiable information leading to the origin of the finger.
Professor charged in manure theft
Rockport, Mass. A Harvard University economics professor was charged with misdemeanor larceny and trespassing for allegedly trying to steal manure from a farm.
A stable manager, Phillip Casey, called police after finding Martin Weitzman on the farm last Friday, police said. The horse farm uses the manure as fertilizer or sells it for $35 per truckload.
Police officer Michael Marino said Weitzman also was charged with malicious destruction of property because tire marks were left by his truck.