Criminal Trials

Charles Smith: St. Louis Man Sentenced After Attempted Kidnapping, Rape of Girl at Bus Stop

As a fifteen-year-old girl walked to her school bus stop, St. Louis resident Charles Smith grabbed her, forced her into his car with a box cutter -- and tried to rape her. She managed to escape half-clothed and flagged down a passing motorist for help. This is the terrible incident of violence tha ... More >>

Michael Burgund Sentenced to Life For Sexually Assaulting Toddler Girls, Ages 2 and 3

On April 5, 2011, Michael Burgund walked into the Alton Police Department and told officials that he had sexually assaulted toddlers in his family -- two girls, ages two and three. Now, the 30-year-old Alton man will spend the rest of his life in prison, says Madison County State's Attorney Tom Gib ... More >>

Two Charged in Facebook Marijuana Deal That Turned Violent

Last Saturday, a man in Dellwood wanted pot, so he went on Facebook. St. Louis County Police aren't releasing a lot of details, but they say that the man contacted one of the following 17-year-olds: Kai D. Bowers of Florissant, or Dion Price of St. Louis. It was Bowers and Price, cops say, who drove ... More >>

Sentencing Provides Details Into Grisly 2008 Murder of St. Louis County Counselor

The sentencing of 24-year-old Ronald Johnson on Wednesday afternoon was a foregone conclusion, but that didn't prevent tears among those gathered -- on either side of a St. Louis courtroom.  

Thirty years after a white minister's son was beaten to death in the Central West End, one black man remains in prison. But there's plenty of guilt to go around.

Trayvon's Legacy

William Prada Charged; Allegedly Shot Boys He Suspected of Shooting Fireworks

The man who allegedly fired off several rounds at a group of boys he suspected of shooting off fireworks has been identified as William Prada, 56. Prada has been charged with three counts of first-degree assault and three counts of armed criminal action. The 11-year-old boy injured in the incident r ... More >>

Cory Atkinson Pleads Guilty to Consumer Fraud

Cory Atkinson, the co-owner and operator of St. Charles-based US Fidelis, today pleaded guilty to felony stealing, insurance fraud and consumer violations for his role in his company's fleecing of its customers. He could receive up to four years in jail for his crimes.

Charles Smith: Man Who Dragged 15-Year Old Girl Into Car Is Captured

​The man who forced a 15-year old girl into the back of his van, robbed her and began to undress her has been caught. Charles B. Smith, 26, is charged with kidnapping, attempted forcible rape, first degree robbery and three counts of armed criminal action. The assault happened at 6 a.m. Monday mor ... More >>

Dennis Iagulli: Defendant Details Brutal Slaying of Fellow Homeless Man

Dennis Iagulli​Dennis Iagulli pleaded guilty yesterday to his role in a truly disturbing murder of a fellow homeless man in June 2010.Parts of 22-year-old Zachary Irvin's body were found on fire that month near an abandoned East St. Louis warehouse that served as a homeless camp. Authorities have ... More >>

Leshaun Holmes, Lonnell Dortch: St. Louis Homicides No. 4 and 5

St. Louis police continue to investigate the killing of two men found dead in a car in the Baden neighborhood of north St. Louis on Sunday afternoon. ​According to police, 35-year-old Leshaun Holmes and 36-year-old Lonnell Dortch were parked in a white Chevy Malibu in the 5900 block of Annett ... More >>

Jacque Sue Waller Investigation Dealt Setback With Death of Alleged Killer's Father

Jacque Sue Waller disappeared June 1.​James Clay Waller Sr., thought to be the linchpin in solving the disappearance and presumed murder of a southeastern Missouri mother seven month ago, died yesterday in a Cape Girardeau nursing home without officially giving prosecutors the testimony they crave ... More >>

Two St. Charles Bodybuilders Indicted for Selling Chinese HGH

Two bodybuilders from St. Charles County have been indicted for conspiracy to purchase and resell Chinese-processed Human Growth Hormone, the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri announced yesterday. Gregory Loomans, 40, and Keith Ashabranner, 32, each face up to five y ... More >>

Jeff Foiles was a rock star in the world of waterfowl hunting -- until the feds drew a target on his back

Angela Halliday was a junkie. Does that make her a murderer?

Aaron Reid: Acquaintance of Milton Ohlsen Concealed Knowledge of Clayton Bombing

Ohlsen when he was arrested for weapons charges in 2008.​Update 3:15 p.m: Aaron Reid is a police officer currently commissioned with Uplands Park, according to an official with the state's Department of Public Safety. Reid's license remains on probation with the state after an incident in 2007 whe ... More >>

Trial of Tea Party Hero Kenneth Gladney Could Boil Down to Best Actor

Gladney in a wheelchair two days after the alleged assault.​Nearly two years after the fact, a trial is finally underway regarding a dust-up that occurred following a health-care forum in south St. Louis County. As you'll recall, Kenneth Gladney was handing out Tea Party swag outside a town hall m ... More >>

Mark McGwire Should Thank His Testicles For Giving Him the Balls to Admit to Steroids

Mark McGwire: Fortunately we won't be hearing courtroom testimony on what lies beneath this towel.​Have you been following Barry Bonds' perjury trial this week in San Francisco? It's been -- how can we put this? -- nuts. Seriously. On Monday prosecutors called Bonds ex-girlfriend, Kimberly Bell, t ... More >>

Clayton Ritz-Carlton Attack Leads to $20 Million Suit

Daniel Hughes now faces a civil suit on top of criminal charges.​Well, we can't say we're too surprised by this one.The family of the nine-year-old girl who was subjected to an early-morning attack at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Clayton has filed a $20 million suit against the schmancy hotel chain, ... More >>

Schwag frontman Jimmy Tebeau says Camp Zoe is an idyllic campground for weekend hippie jam fests. Federal prosecutors beg to differ.

Clarence Smith: 17-Year-Old Charged with Multiple Rapes in St. Louis

Clarence Smith now faces 32 felony counts, including forcible sodomy, rape and robbery​ Don't let that baby face fool you. The St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office is charging 17-year-old Clarence Smith with 32 felony counts -- including five counts of rape, four counts of forcible sodomy, kidnap ... More >>

Judy Pickens: Appeals Court Affirms Munchausen by Proxy Murder Conviction

Judy Pickens' conviction for murder stands.​In August 2009, a jury found Judy Pickens guilty of killing her four-year-old son, Mikal, by giving him a fatal dose of the drug Clonidine. The prosecution's expert testified that Pickens had a highly unusual mental disorder called Munchausen by Proxy -- ... More >>

Donald Zakrzewski: Burglar Falls Into Landfill and Dies Fleeing Homeowner, Cops

Police chief Rich Wooten calls it one of the most unusual incidents he's seen during his 26 years serving the St. Louis suburb of Ladue. At 11:45 p.m. Saturday a homeowner in the 9700 block of Old Warson called Wooten's department to report a burglary. The man had just returned from an evening out t ... More >>

Gerald Carnahan: Murder Trial in St. Louis Hopes to End Cold Case from Ozarks

crimesceneinvestigations.blogspot.comGerald Carnahan​It's been called the most anticipated murder trial in the Ozarks in the past quarter century, and it's underway this week in St. Louis County after a judge ordered a change-of-venue for a story well-known in southwestern Missouri. For 25 years G ... More >>

Leon Pullen: Former Cop Pleads Guilty to Charges Involving Prostitutes

​Leon Pullen, 32, a former police officer employed by the north St. Louis County suburb of Uplands Park has pleaded guilty to civil rights violations stemming from several incidents where he sexually assaulted and stole money from prostitutes. According to court documents, on July 15, 2009 Pu ... More >>

The Moment We've All Been Waiting For: Blago to Testify at His Own Corruption Trial

Image source​Pull out the popcorn, folks. The best show in town gets underway in Springfield this week. "I will prove my innocence and I will testify," declared former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich last week as he left the courtroom that is the scene of his corruption trial. Blago has, si ... More >>

James Kornhardt: Former Mehlville Fighter Convicted in Murder Plot of Danny Coleman

Kornhardt was paid for the murder from the victim's life insurance policy.​Eighteen years after the fact, the family of Danny Harold Coleman finally got some justice. Yesterday a federal jury convicted James K. Kornhardt and Steven A. Mueller of conspiracy to commit murder for hire and murder fo ... More >>

John Barnes: Charged with Shooting at Police Officers in Central West End

John Barnes​Here's a follow-up to the story we reported last week when a pair of undercover police officers were fired upon in the Central West End. The Circuit Attorney's Office has charged 18-year-old John Barnes, of the 5400 block of St. Louis Avenue as one of the trigger men. Barnes is charge ... More >>

George Jones: Charged in Shooting Rock Hill Officer Matt Crosby

The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office this afternoon issued charges against George Jones, 36, of the 1100 block of Raritan for two-charges of of armed criminal action, resisting arrest, first-degree assault and two counts of armed criminal action He is currently each being held on a $ ... More >>

Acquitted "Cyber Bully" Lori Drew Finds Herself a Victim of Online Tormenters

www.wired.com​Technically this is old news-- the judge in the case said way back on July 2 that he had "tentatively" decided to overrule the LA jury's three guilty verdicts and acquit Drew on misdemeanor charges of violating MySpace's "Terms of Service" agreement. But, as of last Friday, the judge ... More >>

Sen. Jeff Smith, Rep. Steve Brown and Campaign Cohort Scheduled to Appear in U.S. District Court This Afternoon

State Sen. Jeff Smith, State Rep. Steve Brown and Nick Adams, the treasurer for Smith's failed 2004 Congressional campaign, are slated to appear before a federal judge this afternoon in a criminal case involving federal election violations. Smith, Brown and Adams are all expected to waive indictment ... More >>

Former State Senator Jeff Smith Facing 20 Years in Prison, Maybe More

​A little over a month ago, Jeff Smith was still considered a rising star in Missouri Democratic politics. Now his political career is more than likely over. Smith admitted in federal court today that he tried to cover up his involvement in a federal elections violation not once -- but twice. Smit ... More >>

Psst! Want to See Some Pictures? Of Alleged Child Pornographers? Are You Sure?

Okay, but they ain't pretty. St. Louis police released the following mugshots today.Left to right: Bobby Plain, Kurt Carson and Adam DerbyThe police say they began an investigation in February 2009 into a resident of the 4500 block of Evans Avenue said to be offering known images of child pornogra ... More >>

Maggie O'Brien's Robbery an Inside Job; Employee Tipped Off Men Who Shot Bartender

St. Louis police announced this morning a fourth suspect in the June 1 robbery at Maggie O'Brien's that left bartender Michael Dolan and one of the thieves, Derrick Bell, dead from gunshot wounds. Stephen HornbuckleThe suspect is Stephen Hornbuckle, a ten-year employee at Maggie O'Brien's, who polic ... More >>

We try to calculate the Rams' worth, catch up with Kenny Hulshof and remember the good old days of air travel

Sunset Hills Cop Charged with Five Felonies

St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch announced today that his office has charged Sunset Hills police officer Christine Miller with four counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of second-degree assault for the March 21, 2009, crash she caused which killed four people.Shortl ... More >>

Who Killed Robert Walker?: Court testimony offers hints to an unsolved murder

Wrongfully Convicted Darryl Burton: Set Free Friday

Lock 'Em Down Records CEO Pleads Guilty to Drug Charges

Stripped Bare: Sometimes even Chesterfield CEOs, like Jim Neumann, must stand naked

Law and Disorder

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is guilty of being bizarre fun.

Win Lose Die

Belleville racketeer Thomas Venezia goes out with a bang

Shot in the Act

Two off-duty St. Louis County cops. One dangerous game.

Legal Affairs

Prosecutors move against Tiller and Harris

Angel's Wings

Only Jay Nixon stands in the way of Angela Coffel's freedom

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

A park is coming to a village of the damned

Sealed with a Kiss

A stripper, a podiatrist and a lawyer are entangled in Maryland Heights. Ah, the many moods of love.

DAMMED TO ETERNITY

James Scott was sentenced to life in prison for causing a destructive levee break during the Flood of '93. But was he simply an easy scapegoat for a town raging at its devastation?

DEMONS IN THE COURTROOM

Vince Greer heard voices in his head, then killed his mother. But prosecutors have their own departures from reality.

Hartmann