March 29, 2024, 03:25:29 AM *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
News: NEW CHILD BOARD CREATED IN THE POLITICAL SECTION FOR THE 2016 ELECTION
 
   Home   Help Login Register  
Pages: 1   Go Down
  Print  
Author Topic: PA Pediatrician Melissa Ketunuti Found Dead, Bound, Burned (ARREST)  (Read 4566 times)
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« on: January 23, 2013, 03:49:31 PM »

http://articles.philly.com/2013-01-22/news/36486676_1_dog-walker-house-monday-afternoon-body
Pediatrician slain - found bound and on fire in her Center City home
January 22, 2013

(2 pgs)
NEIGHBORS SAID Melissa Ketunuti, a young doctor who lived in Center City, dedicated herself to three things: her work, her dog and her health.

The petite, pretty woman could often be seen in her quiet section of Center City walking Pooch, a black Lab mix, heading to work or going for a morning run.

So when a woman believed to be Ketunuti was found slain in the basement of her house Monday afternoon - her hands and feet bound behind her back and her body set afire - the tight-knit block of Naudain Street near 17th where she lived was shaken to its core.
More...
« Last Edit: January 24, 2013, 10:26:29 AM by MuffyBee » Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2013, 03:52:33 PM »

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=8963657
Police: Doctor burned in Center City was apparently strangled (PHOTOS)
January 22, 1013

CENTER CITY - January 22, 2013 (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police say the doctor who was found burned inside the basement of a home in Center City appeared to have been strangled.

Police say the victim, 35-year-old Melissa Ketunuti, had her wrists and ankles bound behind her back when she was found on Monday afternoon, police said. Investigators also say she had what appeared to be rope around her neck.

Ketunuti's case of death appeared to be strangulation, police said. However, police are awaiting the results of an autopsy for the definitive cause of death.

When asked if there were any signs of sexual assault, Capt. James Clark of the Homicide Unit said during a news conference on Tuesday morning that while they were still awaiting those autopsy results, there were no immediate signs of sex assault.

Clark also said there were no suspects or a motive yet in this case. He said detectives were back out on the scene Tuesday looking for clues.

Clark said Ketunuti has a boyfriend and police were talking to him. However, Clark said that boyfriend is not a suspect at this time.
More...
Video at Link
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2013, 03:54:22 PM »

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2266433/Melissa-Ketunuti-murder-Philadelphia-pediatrician-hog-tied-strangled-set-basement.html
Firefighters find charred body of murdered pediatrician who was hog-tied, strangled and set on fire in her basement
January 22, 2013

Police are investigating the brutal murder of a pediatrician whose charred body was found strangled, hog tied and still smoldering in the basement of her apartment yesterday.

Melissa Ketunuti, 35, lived alone with her dog in a quiet, residential area of Philadelphia. Firefighters responded to the call around 12.30pm and discovered the bound body in her basement.

Investigators say she had been strangled by a rope, had her hands and feet duct-taped behind her and set on fire.
More...

Photos at Link
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2013, 03:59:36 PM »

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1301/22/ijvm.01.html

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

Pediatrician Found Murdered

Aired January 22, 2013 - 19:00   ET


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST: Tonight the vicious killing of a beautiful young pediatrician has Philadelphians rattled and asking who would want to kill this very well-liked woman and why in such a horrific manner.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL (voice-over): Tonight this beautiful, young doctor found strangled in her basement, her hands and feet bound behind her and her body burned. Tonight cops are on the hunt for the sadistic killer. Who would have wanted her dead?

Plus panic and chaos at a Texas college as gunfire erupts. Was it a random shooting?

Plus murder defendant Jodi Arias, the artist? Some of her artwork is now selling for hundreds of dollars online. Is she turning jail into an art studio to capitalize on Travis Alexander`s death?

PAMELA RIMATO-TIRONE, NEIGHBOR: I left the house about 20 after 12, and everything was fine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They found decedent Melissa Ketunuti, a 34-year- old female, her hands and feet had been bound behind her with some type of rope. There was some type of rope around her neck, which right now appears to be the cause of death, strangulation. And her body was set on fire.

RIMATO-TIRONE: I came back, and this horrible thing had happened.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight uncovering the deadly secrets that led to the murder of this beautiful, young doctor in Philadelphia. Tonight police are hunting for her sadistic killer.

Good evening. Jane Velez-Mitchell coming to you live.

Police say a dog walker -- dog walker -- made the horrifying discovery in the basement of Melissa Ketunuti`s home in Center City Philadelphia. We have to warn you. These details are gruesome.

Police say the young doctor had been strangled with a rope that was still around her neck. She was face down on the floor, her hands and feet tied behind her, and she had been set on fire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When the police and fire department arrived on the scene, because there`s a fire, they go in the basement and they find a female. Her body is on fire. The fire department puts water on her to put the fire out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Still inside the house where she was murdered, her loved dog, Pooch, who is now staying with a kindly neighbor.

Neighbors say Melissa lived for her work, her dog and her health. Look at this beautiful woman. She exercised all the time, traveled extensively, and had a lot of friends, according to her personal blog. Police say there was no sign of forced entry and no sign of sexual assault. So who would want this young woman dead? And was she stalked? That`s something police are looking at tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So far we don`t see anyone following her, but like I said, I have detectives back out there now still looking at some other locations that we know that she possibly was at and looking for video that would possibly show her killer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let`s help police find this horrific killer. Call me: 1-877-JVM-SAYS, 1-877-586-7297. Give us your questions and theories.

Straight out to reporter Oren Liebermann with KYW Television in Philadelphia. Oren, what is the very latest?

OREN LIEBERMANN, REPORTER, KYW TELEVISION: Police have been working since yesterday to try to find whoever was responsible for not only this killing, but a very brutal, as you said, sadistic killing. Unfortunately, police haven`t really been able to rule anybody out yet except the boyfriend. They had Melissa Ketunuti`s boyfriend here in Philadelphia. They interviewed him at the homicide division for quite a while this morning and brought him over to the house to try to figure out if anything was missing.

At first it might seem like robbery might be a motive for this murder, but police say as of right now, it doesn`t look like anything was missing from the house. As you had mentioned, no sign of forced entry; no sign of sexual assault. So other than ruling out Melissa Ketunuti`s boyfriend, police haven`t really been able to start narrowing in on a suspect or group of suspects at this point. They have been working on this for, now, some 36 hours.


VELEZ-MITCHELL: How is Philadelphia reacting? I worked in Philadelphia for a year and a half many years ago. And this is one of the more exclusive parts of town near Rittenhouse Square, which is really the Park Avenue of Philadelphia. Oren, this is considered a very safe neighborhood. Is it not? And does this have the neighborhood rattled?

LIEBERMANN: Absolutely this has rattled the neighborhood. It is a very upscale neighborhood, a very good neighborhood. We spoke with neighbors who lived on the street for six, seven, eight years, and they say in that time, there`s been really no cause for concern, no cause for alarm and then suddenly this. Not only a murder but a brutal murder.

Melissa Kenuti`s -- Ketunuti`s, I`m sorry, her hands and her feet were tied behind her. The rope was still found around her neck. Police say that is the cause of death. She was strangled to death. And after she died, police says she was lit on fire.

There`s nothing run of the mill about this. It is absolutely brutal and has really surprised everybody. Especially because of who this was. This wasn`t just a doctor; this was a pediatric oncologist of a very high pedigree of education.

She got her degree from Stanford. She`d done work at Georgetown, two very big schools. And then she`d gone overseas to do work in Africa before coming back here to Philadelphia. So by all accounts, her entire career was doing good not only for Philadelphia but for kids here. So the murder of this doctor in such a horrific way has really shocked everybody here.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And you said they ruled out the boyfriend. I understood that, from some reports, he was out of town, he lived out of town, they had a long-distance relationship. And they`ve talked to him. So it`s not the boyfriend, according to you, correct?

LIEBERMANN: Right, that`s what we`re hearing so far from police. They had him.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Right.

LIEBERMANN: They were interviewing him just to find out whatever he knows. But so far, it doesn`t look like he`s a suspect at this point.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Please -- please stand by, Oren, because you`ve got a lot of good information. Don`t want to lose you while we`re trying to solve this, this horrifying mystery.

Police say Melissa made several stops yesterday before she was killed. Police have several store receipts that were found inside her home. And it`s also possible, because she jogged and ran a lot, that she may have just come home from a run. Here`s Melissa`s neighbor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIMATO-TIRONE: I only knew her a little bit as a neighbor. I knew that she exercised all the time. I used to see her out running in the morning sometimes. She was very busy. And sometimes I used to see her jumping into a taxi.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So Vinnie Parco, private investigator, let`s recap and review. No immediate sign of sexual assault. No sign of forced entry. Her home was reportedly not ransacked. There are no suspects, no motive. The boyfriend has been ruled out. Nothing amiss outside. Somebody walked by ten minutes earlier and said everything seemed fine.

You can see that these are row houses. She had possibly been shopping a little bit before this, because there are receipts. Somebody walked by some of these houses about ten minutes before and said nothing seemed out of the ordinary until her dog walker arrived.

Now Vinnie Parco, private investigator, you have solved many of these types of mysteries. What do you make of it?

VINNIE PARCO, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR: I think it`s somebody she worked with, somebody who loved her, and she didn`t reciprocate. I think it`s somebody that obviously she knew, because the dog didn`t bark.

And the funny thing is that, even if you kill somebody and put them on fire, when the fire department got there, the fire was still on. That means that person must -- must have left the apartment minutes before they got there.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely. Yes. And here`s the thing. Her dog walker discovers -- discovers her. So to me, that says she was planning on leaving to go somewhere. Because I have dogs, and I don`t have a dog walker come in unless I`m going to be gone. There`s no need for a dog walker unless I`m going to be gone.

So is it possible that this person may have lured her into going somewhere and then arrived at her door and got in, because there was no sign of forced entry, Vinnie?

PARCO: I would check -- I would check her cell phone to see if we should -- if you`re going to meet somebody, sometimes you call ahead of time, say, "I`m running late, I`m on time." Or maybe the person called her.

I would check her e-mails to see if this person contacted her prior and said, "Look, let`s meet Monday morning at 9 a.m."

So I think it`s somebody that`s close to her. She let the person in the house, so it can`t be a stranger.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Can`t be a stranger, that`s your theory.

OK, Melissa loved her dog, Pooch, a Lab-pit bull mix that is being cared for by a kindly neighbor. Now neighbors say she had a dog walker who would take Pooch out while Melissa was working at the hospital. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIMATO-TIRONE: She has a very busy schedule. And I know she had dog walkers who took care of Pooch. And I used to see her walking him, too, sometimes. That`s how I knew her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So Pooch is now being taken care of by this woman, Melissa`s neighbor, Pamela.

But let`s go to this other person, the dog walker. The dog walker wouldn`t be coming over, again -- and I want to go back to Oren Liebermann. You`re a reporter there on the scene in Philadelphia. So the dog walker has the key to the home. She goes in or he goes in. And have we determined that that -- has that person been ruled out as a person of interest?

LIEBERMANN: Police aren`t ruled anybody out except the boyfriend. We asked about the dog walker, and they said no comment in terms of ruling him out. They`re still considering him as a possibility.

And they were quick to point out that there were quite a few people who had a key to that door, including the dog walker. And there may have been more than one dog walker. She may have had a few people rotating through walking her dog. The boyfriend had a key.

And there was also a lock box on the outside of the door that you could open to get the key if you had the combination to that lock box. So there were certainly a number of people who had access to that home.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And what`s really interesting, and I`m going to get to this in a second, is the type of building these are. You see these are all row houses. Philadelphia is very historic. The architecture goes way back.

But as opposed to a regular home, where you might have a backyard and a front yard and you could get into any number of windows, Sarah Hoye, you`re a CNN reporter. You talked to neighbors. You`re there in Philadelphia.

Row houses don`t offer a whole wide range of areas to break in. And there were no signs of forced entry. But possibly a window. Give us your thoughts on that.

SARAH HOYE, CNN REPORTER: Well, as you said, row houses are literally just that. They`re row houses, and they`re attached to one another. So they share a common wall.

And on this block, the doors to these homes all open onto the same street. They may have back areas, perhaps they have a patio or some type of terrace, but for the most part, all the doors open to the front.

Now, being on that block today, you could not see any sign of forced entry. As Oren from KYW said, there was lock boxes on the door handle, and there was no broken glass, no broken windows. Everything seemed status quo.

So it just makes you wonder, and it also makes the neighbors wonder, what exactly happened? There wasn`t a neighbor I spoke with who could not speak more highly of this woman. They either knew her in some capacity, just in terms of passing her on the street, seeing her at maybe the local CVS, something along those lines.

But there were several residents on that block who would speak with her in passing. All said she was very kind, very sweet and just more private than anything. But there was nothing bad about her that they could see.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. We`re going to continue this discussion, and the calls are lining up. We`re going to take some calls, some theories and questions, on the other side. Stay right there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When the police and fire department arrive on the scene, because there`s a fire, they go in the basement and they find the female. Her body is on fire. The fire department puts water on her to put the fire out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She dedicated her whole life to being a doctor and helping kids with cancer, and it`s very, very unfortunate she died this way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wow. So many people want to help find this sadistic killer. This is a beautiful young woman, well-traveled, well-educated, beloved. She worked at Children`s Hospital in Philadelphia. Extraordinarily popular and respected. And actually, police say that makes her murder all the more puzzling. Listen.

You know, I want to first go to Amanda, Georgia. Amanda, your question or thought. Amanda, Georgia.

CALLER: Yes, hey, Jane. I was just kind of wondering. Is it possible that it is a patient of hers, family member? Because you said she was an oncologist pediatrician. And I`m just wondering if a patient passed away, and the family member was very mad and blamed the doctors, and maybe they killed her.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Jon Lieberman, investigative journalist and host of "Searching for Justice" on AOL, authorities are going to have a very, very large number of people to investigate, precisely because she was a doctor who helped so many people.

JON LIEBERMAN, HLN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, absolutely. And the first thing we did today was we checked the records with the state of Pennsylvania. There`s no disciplinary action pending against her from a patient or anything like that. There are no malpractice suits pending right now, as well. So these are things that police are looking at.

But by all accounts she was a wonderful doctor who helped a number of people.

And I do want to tell you, Jane, we learned a couple things. No. 1, law enforcement, police do have forensics at the scene of the crime. It may be fingerprints. It may be DNA, but they have forensics. Now they need to find out if those forensics match somebody other than the people who are normally there anyway, like the dog walker. That`s one thing.

The other thing is we`re also told they have multiple pieces of surveillance video to go through. Right now, they`re putting together a time line of Melissa`s morning to trace her steps exactly where she went, and they`re enhancing this video to look for any suspicious activity. Anybody looking at her, lurking around corners, anything like that.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. Well, Rene Sandler, criminal defense attorney out of D.C., when I heard lock box, that immediately got my ears perked up. Because the only time I`ve ever had a lock box on my door ever in my life was when I was renting out my apartment or it was up for sale, and I wanted the broker to be able to come in and show it around.

So that is another aspect I`m wondering if there was something going on with the place. I understand she had lived there for three years. And she originally was in Washington, D.C. And been in Philly, I guess, about five years and staying at this place, this home for three years. There may have been a lot of people who had access due to that lock box.

RENE SADLER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, you say lock box and instantly, what comes to mind, obviously, is access. But in many lock boxes, depending on the type of lock box it is, like realtors use, there`s actually a code -- a key code, a little computer in there -- that can actually track who comes and goes by code. So there may be a way to track that. This is going to be a very, very difficult case.

And I`d like to make a couple points. No. 1, this is a very precise murder. Any time you see fire, it`s highly personal. Particularly where somebody burns a body. It`s either to get away from evidence, to get rid of evidence, I should say, or something very personal to make a statement. We`re talking about a doctor here. There`s HIPAA regulations and regulations. And this is a doctor who cared for children. So we have a couple of layers here. You have privacy issues and children who were her patients.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We`re going to go back to the reporter who was on the scene at the crime scene today, get her observations as we try to solve this terrible, terrible murder of this wonderful person who was doing so much to help the world. We`ve got to figure this one out.

More on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So far we don`t see anyone following her. But like I said, I have detectives out there now, still looking at some other locations that we know that she possibly was at and looking for video that would possibly show her killer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIMATO-TIRONE: I only knew her a little bit as a neighbor. I know that she exercised all the time. I used to see her out running in the morning sometimes. She was very busy. Sometimes I used to see her jumping into a taxi.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Melissa`s neighbors had felt relatively safe. Now, obviously, they`re rattled due to this horrific crime. But they realize Philadelphia is a big city.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIMATO-TIRONE: We live in the city, but it`s a pretty safe neighborhood. I mean, I`m not saying it`s perfect.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: On the Web site NeighborhoodScout.com, Philadelphia only gets a 9 on the crime index, when 100 is the safest.

Now, I used to live in Philadelphia. It`s a wonderful city, historic. So many amazing sights that go way back. But like all big cities, there are areas where it can be dangerous to be walking alone at night.

Ironically, the area where Melissa was viciously murdered is one of the nicest parts of town. Her home is only blocks from very exclusive Rittenhouse Square, which is really kind of the Park Avenue of Philadelphia.

Jayne Weintraub, criminal defense attorney, thank you for your patience. OK, we`ve heard that this is -- it seems like a personal crime. To tie a woman`s hands behind her back and her feet behind her back, strangle her and set her on fire, but there is no sign of sexual assault. What do you make of it?

JAYNE WEINTRAUB, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I think it`s very time- consuming to do just that. To tie somebody up, and then to have the nerve to take the time to burn somebody. That takes a lot of time. That means access to the house, which we`ve all said.

I`m not so sure that the boyfriend is cleared, and I think it`s domestic related. That`s what it reeks to me.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I trust what the police say, vis-a-vis our reporter. We want to make very clear there are no suspects or even persons of interest in this case.

And anybody associated with this case who wants to talk, please, you`re invited on our show.

Let`s go out to the phone lines. Lindsay in Alabama, your question or thought -- Lindsay.

CALLER: Hi, Jane. And I fully agree with your expert. I do think it reeks of a personal account.

My question was this. Well, my comment first was -- the first thing was the specifics of the crime was an honor killing or a shame killing, largely done in Southeast Asia and in some Islamic cultures. My question was, and burning, it doesn`t have to be a family member. It could also be somebody involved who was involved in the community like a, you know, church or some kind of religious organization.

My question was if she was involved in any sort of outside religious group or, you know, possibly had ties to that part of the world?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Lindsay, I want to thank you for your very interesting question and your theories. We can tell you that her mother was from Belgium and her dad is from Thailand. And so she has a very interesting and colorful background.

And I -- it`s such a tragedy. And I was reading her blog. I mean, this is a wonderful woman who`s well-traveled, who has traveled to all parts of the world. And just curious about life and highly educated and so intelligent. I mean, we`ve lost a wonderful person.

I have to say, Vinnie Parco, we`re -- this kind of remind me of a case, not that it reminds me, but there could be -- you never know -- parallels to the case of Annie Le.

I don`t know if you remember this tragedy. She was the Yale pharmacy doctoral student who was murdered on the campus of Yale University. She went missing the day before her wedding. And she was found dead five days later, hidden in the wall cavity in the Yale laboratory, and another lab technician in the building was arrested for her murder. Your thoughts on that?

PARCO: Well, as I said before, it could be somebody she works with. She works at a hospital. Thousands of people work in a hospital. You have a mental ward in the hospital. I worked for the medical board many years ago. And I can tell you, some of the doctors are a little nuts themselves.

So who knows? Who knows? Anybody is a suspect, first of all.

And she might have had somebody who really loved her as a friend at work and she invited him in the house, not suspecting anything. And this person could have -- obviously is a murder of rage. Whoever killed her had extreme rage. And to strangle somebody and to burn them, you have to be really, really sick in the head. And who knows? It could be somebody who -- some guy or girl -- well, not a girl, but a guy worked with her that might have loved her and she didn`t -- didn`t love him.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Like a stalking-type situation. And we understand that authorities are checking out the possibility of a stalking situation.

And another possibility, the fact that she ran a lot. And unfortunately, some women -- we`ve covered many cases on this show where women who were runners, who were out there, who look great and who are running through the neighborhood, they attract the attention of somebody who`s a sicko. And we saw it in the Chelsea King case in California, where she was grabbed by someone. Sometimes they`re grabbed outside. In this case, whoever did this gained entry to her apartment.

So sad. Our hearts go out to her family. And we will try to help authorities solve this case.
 ::snipping2::
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2013, 04:02:02 PM »

http://abcnews.go.com/US/pediatrician-murder-case-melissa-ketunuti-found-hogtied-burning/story?id=18291248
Pediatrician Murder Case: Melissa Ketunuti Found Hogtied, Burning in Philadelphia Home
January 23, 2012

Investigators in Philadelphia are trying to unravel a baffling mystery after a hogtied pediatrician was found dead and on fire in the basement of her home.
 ::snipping2::
Investigators said she had been strangled with a rope around her neck. Strangulation appeared to be the cause of death, police say, but they are awaiting the results of an autopsy.

With no evidence of forced entry, police wonder whether she knew whoever attacked her.

"We don't know if she walked in on individuals inside of her property," Philadelphia police Capt. James Clark said. "We don't know if it's a known doer or an unknown doer."

There's no clear motive, and nothing appeared to have been stolen. Police have questioned Ketunuti's boyfriend, but he has not been declared a suspect.

ABC News consultant and former FBI agent Brad Garrett said the culprit is likely someone Ketunuti knew.

"This is extremely personal. I can't think of anything more heinous or cold to do to another human being," he said. "The boyfriend can provide all kinds of leads: who she knows, what problems she was having at work."

Ketunuti lived alone on a quiet street, and had been there for about three years.
 ::snipping2::
Video at Link
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2013, 04:05:48 PM »


http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=8965078
$35,000 reward in Center City doctor murder (PHOTOS)
January 23, 2012

CENTER CITY - January 23, 2013 (WPVI) -- Community organizations have raised $35,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the murder of Melissa Ketunuti.
 ::snipping2::
Ketunuti's body was found bound up and burning in the basement of her home on the 1700 block of Naudain Street on Monday afternoon. Police said she appeared to have been strangled with a belt.
 ::snipping2::Police said there was no sign of sexual assault. Police questioned Ketunuti's boyfriend on Tuesday morning and then brought him to the house that afternoon. However, police say, at this point, he is not a suspect.

Investigators were re-tracing the victim's steps from Monday morning, saying she can be seen on surveillance video and investigators have several receipts from that time.
 ::snipping2::
Video at Link
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #6 on: January 24, 2013, 10:30:35 AM »


http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20130124_Levittown_exterminator_being_charged_today_in_doctors_slaying.html
Levittown exterminator being charged today in doctor’s slaying
January 24, 2013

Police sources say a Levittown man is being charged this morning in connection with the killing of Melissa Ketunuti, who was found this week strangled, bound, and set on fire in the basement of her Center City rowhouse.

The sources say Jason Smith, 36, of Crescent Lane has confessed to police.

Smith, who works for an extermination company, had an appointment at Ketunuti's home the day she was killed. He gave a statement that he attacked her and killed her in the home. Sources said Smith struck, then strangled Ketunuti. He set the body ablaze. She was not sexually assaulted, police have said.

Authorities are holding an 11 a.m. press conference today to announce further details.

Police say Smith was captured on surveillance footage at a coffee shop at 18th and South Streets near Ketunuti's house around the time of the slaying.

He was taken into custody about 9 p.m. last night in the Levittown home he shared with his girlfriend of six years and their daughter. The girlfriend's parents also lived at the home. Smith has a son who does not live with him.

Police arrived as the family was watching American Idol. They searched the house and truck. They had to shoot and kill the family's boxer, who charged at them at the scene, sources said.

Smith's computer was taken from the house. His coat was taken by police for examination.

The surveillance video shows Smith entering Ketunuti's home wearing a coat, and gloves, and carrying a work bag. He was seen leaving about 50 minutes without a coat. Ketunuti had been running errands around the neighborhood just before the encounter with Smith.

Sources say police scoured Ketunuti's personal records, including her phone, and found that she had an appointment with an extermination company. They traced a number to Smith's phone.

Police sources say Smith gave a statement confessing to the crime during questioning.
More...
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #7 on: January 24, 2013, 05:18:22 PM »

http://abcnews.go.com/US/philadelphia-exterminator-jason-smith-charged-pediatrician-killing/story?id=18299639
Philadelphia Exterminator Jason Smith Charged in Doctor's Killing
January 24, 2013

An exterminator named Jason Smith was arrested and charged today in the strangling and burning death of Philadelphia pediatrician Melissa Ketunuti.

Smith, 36, had been sent to Ketunuti's home on a service call where the two got into "some kind of argument" in Ketunuti's basement on Monday, Capt. James Clark of the Philadelphia police department said this morning.

"At her home they got into an argument. It went terribly wrong. He struck her, and knocked her to the ground," Clark said. "Immediately he jumped on top of her, started strangling her. She passed out, and then he set her body on fire."

Clark said Smith burned the woman's body "to hide evidence like DNA." He said "at some point, he bound her up." The doctor was found with her hands and feet tied behind her back.

The captain said that before today's arrest Smith's record consisted of only "minor traffic offenses."
 ::snipping2::

Video at Link
« Last Edit: January 25, 2013, 05:00:37 PM by MuffyBee » Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #8 on: January 24, 2013, 05:21:04 PM »

http://www.phillyburbs.com/my_town/bristol/police-bristol-township-exterminator-went-to-another-job-after-murdering/article_faa9090c-3fe2-5297-90bc-23ee9167d6db.html
Cops: Bristol Twp. exterminator went to another job after murdering CHOP doctor
January 24, 2013

A Bristol Township self-employed exterminator drove to a job in New Jersey after strangling and then setting afire a Philadelphia pediatrician after arguing with her about work he did at her home, police said Thursday.
Jason T. Smith, 36, of Crescent Lane also didn't tell anyone about the murder until he was taken into custody Wednesday night, according to Philadelphia police Sgt. Bob Wilkins, who is overseeing the murder investigation.
“This guy is sort of an enigma,” Bristol Township police Lt. Guy Sava said. “By all accounts, we never had any trouble with him and we’ve been told he was a hard worker.”
Police said Smith confessed to the murder of 35-year-old Dr. Melissa Ketunuti after he was taken from the home he shares with his longtime girlfriend, their daughter, and her parents, in the Crabtree section of Levittown.
He was officially charged Thursday with murder, arson, abuse of a corpse, risking a catastrophe and related crimes in the murder Ketunuti, a pediatrician at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
More...

Photos & Video at Link
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #9 on: January 24, 2013, 05:23:53 PM »

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Hes-Not-a-Monster-Cousin-of-Dr-Murder-Suspect-188257601.html
'He's Not a Monster:' Cousin of Dr. Murder Suspect
A relative of Jason T. Smith talks to NBC10, says the accused killer had history of substance abuse
January 24, 2013

 ::snipping2::
Investigators say Smith confessed to strangling the pediatrician, and setting her body on fire after they got into an argument over the contract. He claims he "just snapped," according to a police source.
 ::snipping2::
"What he did was atrocious," the cousin added. "I just want people to know that he's a good person. He's a great father to his son. He's a loving person, he has compassion, he has remorse."

Smith has one son and lived with his long-time girlfriend in Levittown.

NBC10's Durante questioned the cousin about Smith's history, because police say his record only showed traffic offenses, including a 2004 D.U.I charge.

"He has mental issues and he has substance abuse issues," said the cousin.

 ::snipping2::

Video at Link


 
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #10 on: January 25, 2013, 05:06:04 PM »

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1301/24/ijvm.01.html
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

Surprise Arrest in Pediatrician`s Murder

Aired January 24, 2013 - 19:00   ET


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But it`s official. So we`re happy that it is official.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Big day for a lot of people in the military.

And folks, Jane Velez-Mitchell starts right now.

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST: Tonight, a surprise arrest in the horrific murder of a beautiful young pediatrician in Philadelphia. What led cops to search the suburban home of an exterminator and popular family man? And what secrets was he hiding that could have led to such a vicious, violent act?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL (voice-over): Tonight, a stunning arrest in the murder of this beautiful popular pediatrician, who was bound by her hands and feet and set on fire in her own basement. Cops arrest an exterminator described as a good family man. But new reports claim he had a secret addiction. Is that what allegedly pushed him to commit murder?

And Jodi Arias like you`ve never seen her before. We`ll show you the inside of her jail cell, and her fellow inmates will tell us what they really think about her. Plus, is this proof of her ability to seduce? Will she mesmerize these jurors?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She needed an exterminator.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A beautiful young doctor found murdered in her hometown in an affluent section of Philadelphia.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had some type of argument. It went terribly wrong.

PAMELA RIMATO-TIRONE, NEIGHBOR: I left the house about 20 after 12:00. And everything was fine. And I came back, this horrible thing happened.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He struck her while she was in the basement, knocked he down, strangled her to death. And then ultimately set her body on fire.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A murder mystery unfolding right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Looking for video that will possibly show her killer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He doesn`t seem like that kind of guy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight complete surprise and horror. Cops arrest a very unlikely suspect in the vicious murder of a beautiful, respected, popular pediatrician.

Good evening. I`m Jane Velez-Mitchell coming to you live.

All of Philadelphia was on edge, wondering who was the demonic killer who strangled Dr. Melissa Ketunuti, seen here in photos from Blogspot. Look at this beautiful young woman who did so much good for the world.

She was found in the basement of her home, her hands and feet bound behind her, strangled with a rope. Her body set on fire. An unimaginable crime.

And now the city is shaken to its core after learning a well-liked family man and father who lived in a quiet suburb of Philadelphia 30 miles outside town, he is tonight charged with this horrific murder of this wonderful doctor.

Cops converged on this quiet neighborhood, and the people in this suspect`s community poured out on to their lawns. What was happening? They were absolutely stunned to find out that 36-year-old Jason Smith`s truck was being confiscated and that this man was the suspect in this hideous killing that has all of Philly rattled.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s always outside playing with his children. I mean, he doesn`t seem like that kind of guy. So that`s why I`m really shocked at, like, what`s going on right now, because he does seem like a family man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: She`s talking about Jason Smith.

People thought Melissa`s killer must have been a sex fiend or a stalker or a secret lover. Some had even suggested calling into our show, was it an honor killing? But tonight we find out, no, cops say it was this exterminator on a service call to her home. A man cops believe she let in voluntarily because of rodents in her basement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Only thing I can tell you is that she needed an exterminator. She called a service. He was subcontracted out. During the course of him servicing her, they got into some type of argument. It went terribly wrong. At that point he struck her while she was in the basement, knocked her down, strangled her to death, and then ultimately set her body on fire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But obviously you`re not hearing all sides of the story. The woman who was killed cannot tell her side.

So what drove this alleged murderer, Jason Smith, up until now a well- liked family man, to kill Melissa? Was he living a double life? Did he snap, or was a secret addiction behind this vicious act?

Call me: 1-877-JVM-SAYS, 1-877-586-7297.

Straight out to Walt Hunter, reporter with KYW in Philadelphia. Walt, what are you hearing about the exterminator`s claims that this was some argument that got out of control?

WALT HUNTER, REPORTER, KYW: Well, Jane, that`s what`s in his alleged confession. No sooner has Smith been brought out of his home in Levittown, Bucks County, which as you say, is 30 miles outside of Center City, then he began spilling everything he was able to tell to investigating detectives.

In that alleged confession, he claims that, when he went into the house as an exterminator, they went down to the basement. He claims he was basically being told that he would be belittled. He was being made fun of. He was not doing his job properly.

Then he claims he became enraged. He, first of all, hit the doctor, then got on top of her, strangled her and then set her body on fire, then tied her hands and legs behind her. He is claiming it was an act of rage provoked by her.

Homicide detectives, who have fielded their share of confessions here in Philadelphia over the years, are a little bit, behind the scenes, skeptical of that confession. They suspect perhaps while they were inside the house, that the suspect may have been up to something else.

Was it perhaps a rejected advance, although there are no signs of sexual assault at all in this case? Or perhaps did the victim catch him trying to steal or even take something from her, called him on it, and that prompted the argument?

There is what the suspect allegedly says in his confession and, of course, the victim is not here to tell us anything. And that`s all we know at this point.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, you`re absolutely right. She is not here to give her side of the story. If you can stand by, Walt. Thank you for all the information.

We may have some other questions. Melissa, so respected for her work at the famous Children`s Hospital of Philadelphia, beloved by patients and staff; and the neighbors are singing her praises saying she loved her dog, she was a busy, active woman. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIMATO-TIRONE: I only knew her a little bit as a neighbor. I knew that she exercised all the time. I used to see her out running in the morning sometimes. She was very busy, I know that. Sometimes I used to see her jumping into a taxi.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And that lovely neighbor is caring for this poor murdered woman`s dog now. Given -- his name is Pooch, by the way. And she was devoted to her dog, devoted to the children she helped.

Given her stellar reputation as a kind and gracious professional, in fact everything we`ve heard about Melissa is all positive. I`ve got to ask Florida prosecutor Stacey Honowitz, do you -- do you buy this story, reportedly from the suspect, that she began arguing and belittling this man, Jason Smith, and that he snapped and went into a rage?

I mean listen, he tied, allegedly -- if this is the person who did this -- and that`s her beautiful dog, by the way -- he tied her hands and her feet and her legs behind her back. All right? And then there`s a noose around her neck, and he sets her on fire? All because of an argument over an extermination job?

STACEY HONOWITZ, FLORIDA PROSECUTOR: Well, the way you`re questioning it, it`s probably the way most people are thinking. Why would a man go into a rage and go to the extent that he did to kill her if it was just over the fact that she made fun of the fact that he was an exterminator?

I mean, we are so early into the investigation, and you`re correct. That`s the side of the story that he`s giving. That he felt like he broke into a rage and he killed her based on what she had to say.

Based on everything we know about her thus far, it seems highly unlikely that that was her personality. And so we`re going to have to wait and see what comes out. We`re going to have to know about his background, we`re going to have to know about his psychological background and we`re going to wait and see what the investigation rules out.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, when I heard what I`m about to tell you, I said, "This makes sense."

A reporter with "The Philadelphia Enquirer" told HLN just a few minutes ago that investigators may not be buying Jason`s story about an argument, and here`s what else this reporter said, according to his sources. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via phone): The investigators that I`ve been speaking to aren`t necessarily buying that. They feel that this Smith had told them that he battles a drug addiction. And they feel -- they theorized that maybe this was a doctor`s home he was in. Perhaps maybe he tried to steal medicine or prescription pads. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) description. Maybe he stuck his hand into her purse, and she caught him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, we cannot independently confirm that suspect Jason Smith has a drug addiction.

But Howard Samuels, you`re an addiction specialist joining us tonight. We sent you his mug shot. Look at his eyes. What do these eyes tell you? And if we can, as you talk, go back into that zoom. Howard?

HOWARD SAMUELS, ADDICTION SPECIALIST (via phone): Yes, Jane. Well, first of all, he definitely looks like he`s high on drugs. But the eyes are pinned. And when the pupils are pinned, that usually points to opiate use. When you use opiates, your eyes get -- your pupils get very, very small.

Now, normally when you`re on opiates, you become very passive. But the issue is, when you get off of opiates or when you start to get dope sick, so to speak, and you need another fix, you become very irritable. You become prone to losing control. You have no impulse control. So -- and you can go into rages when you get, you know, emotionally triggered.

So I can definitely see some drug involvement occurring here because of the rage issue.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, again, "Philadelphia Enquirer" reporter says his sources are telling him that the suspect in this case, a well-liked family man up until now, had a drug problem and admitted that to authorities. We can`t independently confirm that.

His attorneys are invited on our show any time.

On the other side of the break, we`re going to tell what you the suspect was doing when he was arrested. You won`t believe that.

And also, coming in just a little bit, a look inside Jodi Arias` secret life in jail. You will not want to miss that. That`s later.

Next, the shocking arrest in the murder of this Philadelphia pediatrician. We`ve got more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s always outside playing with his children. I mean, he doesn`t seem like that kind of guy. So that`s why I`m really shocked at, like, what`s going on right now, because he does seem like a family man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thirty-four-year-old female. Her hands and feet had been bound behind her with some type of rope. There was some type of rope around her neck, which right now appears to be the cause of death, strangulation. And her body was set on fire.

Checking videos, talking to neighbors, following on several tips and leads in from the homicide unit, we developed a suspect, Jason Smith.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Police say this 36-year-old exterminator, Jason Smith, basically had up until now, a very clean record except for a couple of traffic offenses. Check this out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing major. He had some, like, minor traffic offenses. He`s really not known to police for anything serious. Until now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Philly.com reports Jason`s neighbors said he was always helpful, that he always seen walking his dog. He lived in a two- story home with a white-picket fence with his girlfriend of six years, her daughter, and her parents.

When cops got to his home to arrest him, they found him and his family watching "American Idol."

Mike Brooks, HLN law enforcement analyst, that`s like a Norman Rockwell painting, Mike Brooks. I mean, the picture of normalcy. Could he have been living a double life?

MIKE BROOKS, HLN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Absolutely. And that`s what it sounds like, Jane. In fact, I`d go back to some of his other customers that -- where he`s done work in the houses to see if maybe anything else had been missing that they may not have noticed yet.

But you know, law enforcement think this happened within an hour`s window between 10:15 and 11:15 in the morning, Jane. And apparently, the surveillance video that they got from a coffee shop, a Walgreen`s drugstore and a -- and a hospital nearby, that`s what basically led them to this guy and then from the exterminating -- exterminating company, where she had made an appointment.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, you`re absolutely right. And at their news conference just a couple of hours ago, police disclosed that that`s how they cracked this case. Surveillance video the key. Check this out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They went through hours of surveillance. Like I said, detectives did an unbelievable job of finding every bit of footage that was in that area. And what we saw was the eventual suspect actually following about 30 seconds behind the decedent down 18th Street and then onto Naudain Street. Which led us to him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did he let himself in?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, she let him in. She was expecting him. They had an appointment. She had an appointment for an exterminator.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Do you see all these surveillance cameras in the area? They`re all over the area. Those helped cops catch the accused killer. Cops say they show Jason going inside Melissa`s home for the appointment, leave about 50 minutes later. And then he got in his truck and circled the house, which -- this is the truck they now have in their possession, authorities do.

I want to go out to the phone lines. George, Virginia, your question or thought? George, Virginia.

CALLER: Hey, thanks. Good evening, Jane. Thank you for having me on.

I`m an I.T. professional. And there`s two things -- three things that stand out. First off, the family man maybe, but I don`t make -- see him being a family man (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Although the method of killing is very heinous, a lot of intent and energy went into the style or style that he used.


Additionally, I believe, based on the background of this wonderful woman who is a doctor -- I have a sister who`s a doctor, and most doctors I know are very loving, open people. That`s why they`re doctors. Anyway, I believe that she would not have resulted to snide comments. And I believe that she was probably intelligent enough that she would have avoided a level of confrontation with more dignity and class.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So you don`t buy the story, basically?

CALLER: No. I don`t buy the story. I see this guy`s picture. I see his eyes, and I see, wow, this could be somebody that is potentially very disturbed. But I don`t draw any correlation between him being a family man. People murder...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, of course not. Listen, yes, let me just say this, George. Yes, look, the BTK serial killer was not only a family man, but he was, like, active in his church, and he was a prominent member of the community. His own wife had no idea that he was a serial killer going around torturing and killing people. That means absolutely nothing.

Sarah Hoye, you`re a CNN reporter. You`ve been talking to neighbors in the area where this happened and also you have gone to this suspect`s neighborhood, as well? What have you learned?

SARAH HOYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good evening, Jane. So today I did spend the afternoon outside the home of Jason Smith. Neighbors there either did not want to talk or were not home. But the one thing that was common among those who did talk was how surprised they were.

Last night there was police descending upon the neighborhood, helicopters. There was a lot of commotion going on at that house. Completely caught the neighbors off-guard.

Today, they`re behind closed doors. They don`t want to talk. This thing has really shocked people.

The other thing that`s interesting about this neighborhood was this house has now become an attraction. You have people, not who live on that block but who live in the neighborhood, who are now passing by the home, checking it out. They want to know what`s going on. They`re yelling things at the house. So this...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What are they yelling?

HOYE: ... residential. There was a couple cars going by who were yelling "murderer, murderer" and just speeding on past, or they were just slowing up and just in shock, and they want information.

A lot of people were talking about this at the local gym. They`re talking about this at the grocery store. They`re talking about it at McDonald`s. Everybody was completely shocked by this.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, on the other side of the break, I`m going to relate to an experience I had once, which gave me an alarm, that I was alone with a service person who I really believe was high on drugs. We`ll talk about that and what women can do to protect themselves.

There`s wonderful service people. They come, and they save us when we`re having floods and fires and things aren`t working. So we applaud all those service people who do such a great job. Plumbers and the electricians and all that. But I think women do have to be careful and also find ways to protect themselves in situations like this.

More on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Only thing I can tell you is that she needed an exterminator. She called a certain service. He was subcontracted out. During the course of him servicing her, they got into some type of argument. It went terribly wrong. At that point he struck her while she was in the basement, knocked her down, strangled her to death, and then ultimately set her body on fire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via phone): Investigators that I`ve been speaking to aren`t necessarily buying that. They feel that -- this Smith had told them that he battles a drug addiction, and they feel, they theorize that maybe he -- this was a doctor`s home he was in. Perhaps he tried to steal medicine or prescription pads. She was a surgeon; she could write prescriptions. Maybe he just stuck his hand into her purse and she caught him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Drew Findling, our addiction specialist says his eyes, his pupils seem very pinpoint and that -- I wonder, should cops give him, have given him a test to see if there were drugs in his system at the time of his arrest?

DREW FINDLING, ATTORNEY: Well, I think if they didn`t, they should. And remember what the doctor told us. His analysis is he supported the allegation of rage.

And when we think about the allegation of rage, to me, all I can fathom is his defense attorneys are going to go after not his statement but really, what he made is a confession. I mean, rage is not a defense. It`s something that can get you a life imprisonment when you go to trial. So I don`t see why that is so offensive. I see that`s problematic to whoever his defense attorneys are going to be.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Mike Brooks, HLN law enforcement analyst, my hat`s off. I have been helped by so many service people over the years...

BROOKS: Sure.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: ... when I have a flood or something doesn`t work. So I`m not putting anybody down. I mean, addiction comes in all sizes, shapes and colors. Gosh, do I know that. I`m almost 18 years sober. Knock on wood. In April it will be 18.

But I did have a weird experience once where I had a plumber, and I can tell he was high, because he was telling me to do things like, "Oh, you have to go buy this," and there`s water pouring out. He wasn`t making any sense. He was telling me to buy two knobs when obviously on my shower there`s only one knob. So why would I be replacing it with two knobs? It didn`t make any sense. And I`m saying to myself, I`m alone, and this guy is high.

How can women protect themselves in these kinds of situations?

BROOKS: You know, Jane, one of the things is before you get a contractor, do your homework. Does this contractor drug test their people? Do they have background checks? Because there`s many plumbers, many other service people -- I know here in the Atlanta area that they advertise that "our people are drug tested. Our people go through background checks." You want to make sure that that company that you hire, that person is going to be coming out there, is recommended by the Better Business Bureau. These kind of things, to do your homework before you hire somebody.

But the other thing, no matter if you -- what company you get, don`t be there alone. Try to have someone there with you.

I would tell men also, if you`re there, have someone there with you also. Because, you know, safety. There`s usually safety in numbers. But do your background before you hire a contractor.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I agree with you. Have somebody there with you when it`s a stranger, not somebody you`ve ever had any interaction with before coming to your house.

Let`s go to the phone lines. Suzanne, Canada, your thoughts or question? Suzanne, Canada.

CALLER: Hi, Jane. I`d like to say that I love you and your show and how you set up for the animals.

My question is -- I think when this is going to end up being in court, that they`re going to find that he was either insane or has he had a history of mental illness? Has he a criminal record that he had any drug offenses or anything along those lines?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Suzanne, he has a relatively clean record. There is no record except for a couple of tickets.

But Stacey Honowitz, now he`s admitted this drug addiction to prescription pills, which of course, is overtaking illegal drugs as the crisis of our times in terms of addiction. Could he suddenly turn around and try to say not guilty by reason of insanity?

HONOWITZ: Oh, sure, Jane. You know, when you`re accused of a crime, you can try whatever defense you want. The problem is whether or not it`s going to work in court. That`s what we`re going to have to see.

And what happens is he has to be evaluated. I`m sure, in a heinous crime like this, where all of us are sitting here saying, "You know what? It just sounds so unbelievable that he broke into a rage because she belittled him for being an exterminator after she called an exterminator to come do her house," that certainly his lawyers will try to have him evaluated to see if there is any kind of mental disability or defect.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, what a tragedy. And again, our condolences to the family of this wonderful doctor. They`re flying in from around the world. I think her mom is from Belgium and her father is from the Philippines, and they`re flying in.

What a sad, sad thing. What a promising, promising future wiped out. It is a tragedy and a crime.
 ::snipping2::


Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
Pages: 1   Go Up
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Use of this web site in any manner signifies unconditional acceptance, without exception, of our terms of use.
Powered by SMF 1.1.13 | SMF © 2006-2011, Simple Machines LLC
 
Page created in 6.295 seconds with 21 queries.