Off The Beaten Path Bookstore & Coffeehouse, Steamboat Springs Colorado.

Planning on being on the Beaten Path come Tuesday. Will be there from 11 until 1. Many thanks. Keep reading. Oh, if you're wondering about my angst, my drive, my sense of going gonzo in the fictional sense, please read the following. Remember, it can happen to you and yours.

DALLAS (Reuters) - A 57-year-old Texas man who spent 12 years in prison for rape was exonerated on Friday, with legal experts saying his case marked the first time someone has been cleared of a crime by DNA testing that was not requested by the convicted person.

Michael Phillips was released from prison in 2002 and prosecutors said his innocence was proven through a new program by the Dallas County district attorney's office to analyze untested rape kits, even if the defendant does not make a request.

"Untested rape kits should not just sit on a shelf and collect dust. The exoneration continues to expose the past weakness in our criminal justice system,” Dallas County prosecutor Craig Watkins said in a statement.

According to the National Registry of Exonerations, Phillips' case marks the first time in the United States an exoneration of this nature has occurred. The group said the case became the 34th exoneration by the Dallas District Attorney's Conviction Integrity Unit.

Phillips was exonerated at a hearing on Friday. The actual culprit in the 1990 rape of a 16-year-old girl was identified through the DNA testing but cannot be prosecuted because the statute of limitations has expired, officials said.

The man lived in the same motel as Phillips and the victim.

Philips was identified in a lineup by the victim and said his attorney urged him to accept a plea deal because a jury likely would not side with a black man accused of raping a white teenage girl, the National Registry of Exonerations said.

After his release in 2002, he spent an additional six months in jail for failing to register as a sex offender. During that time, Philips challenged his conviction in court but when that failed, he gave up trying to clear his name.

He has been living in a nursing home, wheelchair bound from sickle-cell anemia.

"I never imagined I would live to see my name cleared. I always told everyone I was innocent and now people will finally believe me,” Phillips said in a statement.

Under Texas law, Phillips is entitled to $80,000 compensation for each year of wrongful conviction plus an additional $80,000 each year for life.

Plenty of Good to go around, also . . . folks.

So a couple go on a carjacking rampage yesterday in Denver. I'm going to be there next week. Was glad to see the State Trooper confront and handle the situation as he did.

Who knew that writing books entailed so much hurrying up to wait?

Polk County Iowa Shooting . . . and then the lies start . . .

Shooting' on Video

The officer have no idea what's going on here. They start beating on the windows and the officer attempts to change which hand he is holding the gun in and it's clearly an accident. Hey, accidents happen. But then . . . the spokesperson says it was accidentally fired as the officer attempt to holster the weapon. Who ya going to believe? Your eyes, or the spokesperson? You can clearly see the weapon was being thrust towards the vehicle and not the officers hip where holsters are located. Accidents happen but the lies have to stop before we can learn something from 'em! This kinda of thing (the lies) have to stop but they won't. 

Stopped in Hornell, New York for some fun . . .

And now for something completely different . . . fun in upstate New York as in the RBI Tavern. The bartender gave us a tour and sang while serving up Yuengling from Pottsville Pennsylvania. This is, by the way, the oldest brewery in the Unitied States followed by Minnesota's own Schells. There ya go folks, ya learned something today, so you can now take the rest of the day off.

Many thanks to Detective Malloy for validating JusThis! Thanks also to the reader for forwarding this to me.

NYPD detective charged with filing fake crime tip for reward

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York police detective has been arrested and charged with filing a fake crime tip in an attempt to cash in on the $1,000 reward, prosecutors said on Thursday.

John Malloy, 46, was arraigned in state court in Manhattan on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to felony counts of forgery, and filing a false claim, and lesser charges of official misconduct and attempted petty larceny, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office said. He was released on his own recognizance after the hearing.
Prosecutors said Malloy, a detective with the department's Operation Gun Stop program since 2006, filed a fake tip report in November 2012 for a firearm that had already been recovered inBrooklyn. An arrest in the case had also been made without any tip, prosecutors said.
Malloy then forged the signatures of a fellow detective, a supervising sergeant and a police inspector in an effort to claim the reward, prosecutors said. The case was reported to the police department's Internal Affairs bureau for further investigation.
In a statement to investigators, Malloy said he forged the signatures merely to placate superiors who were pressuring him to file a report for a detective who took in a tip the night before, court documents show.
"I couldn't read his handwriting, so I recopied the form and signed his name and (the sergeant's name). I know I shouldn't have. I could have asked them to do it," Malloy told investigators, according to court documents.
"I was having health problems and under a lot of stress," he added, according to the documents.
An attorney for Malloy could not be immediately reached for comment on Thursday.
The Gun Stop Program is run by the New York City Police Foundation as a way for civilians to report illegal gun activity. Since its inception in 2001, tips coming into the program have led to more than 5,600 arrests and the recovery of 3,350 illegal weapons, its website said.
Police have approved over $2.1 million in rewards, the website said.

Rene Michael Lima-Marin . . . What'd ya think?

My husband Rene Michael Lima-Marin was incarcerated in 1998 at the age of 19 and served 10 years of his 16 year sentence for robbery in which he used an unloaded gun and no one was hurt. He was released in 2008 and placed on parole which he successfully completed in 2013. But in January 2014 it was determined that a clerical error had been made and he was sent back to prison for an additional 90 years.  

During his six years of freedom, Rene strived to be a productive member of society.  He had been rehabilitated and took full advantage of this second chance; we had a child, purchased a home, and got married. He coached his step-son’s soccer team, mentored other youth to stay out of trouble, and maintained full time employment so he could support our family.

To take him away from our family and lock him up for the rest of his life is unjust.

I certainly do not want to make light of the mistakes that Rene made as a teenager but I do call into question the life sentence Rene and our family faces. Does a man that was formally released from the penal system, met all the conditions of this release, and turned his life around deserve this type of justice? Are we as a society really willing to accept that a clerical error is enough justification to rip apart a family?  

Rehabilitate means to help re-adapt, as to a former state of health or good repute. The entire penal system was created to rehabilitate and restore individuals to be productive members of society.  

Please sign my petition asking Attorney General John Suthers, Arapahoe County Chief Judge William Blair Sylvester, and Colorado Appeals Chief Judge Alan Loeb to release Rene from this unjust sentencing. I ask for this so he may return home where he can continue to be a tax paying model employee, an engaged and loving father and a supportive husband.

All the advertising on this page is annoying. So annoying . . .

What does Barry Sheach . . . The Innocence Project . . . The Divide . . . Brand of Justice . . . all have in common?

They all involve highlighting improvements that need to be made in the Justice System. Mr Sheach created the 'Innocence Project' in 1991. It has since resulted in the release of 317 from prison. 18 were on death row. The Divide is set to air tomorrow night on WE tv. It highlights cases of injustice based on 'The Innocence Project'. Brand of Justice is an all too real story of a young man involved in a life or death struggle, which pits him against a justice system that has gotten it all wrong.  

Roy Hazelwood and his book . . . Dark Dreams.

If you truely have a desire to understand the madness of sex morphing into death this is a must read. Scary as anything out there . . . but as they say, the truth trumpets non-fiction everytime. I studied under the auspices of Mr Roy Hazelwood and a community I policed in, benefited immensely. I had the honor of tracking down a serial rapist.

Again, why would Chief Padgett respond in this fashion?

While attempting to understand police behavior as in the 'we did nothing wrong' comment tendered by the West Allis Police Chief, regarding Steven Zwlich, consider this passage from JusThis . . .

Corruption is and always has been imbedded into the fabric of governmental systems. When a simple truth is revealed that might be construed as threatening, action is quickly taken to silence the voice of truth. The status quo must be maintained. Words are used to confuse and impede. The reins of power are held tightly in the hands of a few privileged individuals.

Steven Zelich (Off-duty Officer) picks up prostitute but Department did nothing wrong . . .

Zelich, an off-duty police officer picks up a girl and arranges for a $500 dollar private dance. He starts choking her out and attempts to handcuff her but she breaks free and blots out the door. She runs into two cops who arrest her for prostition. Zelich isn't arrested for solicitation not to mention assault. He quietly resignes and moves on to security work.

Now West Allis Chief of Police Padgett is claiming the cops did nothing wrong. Here's why he's dead wrong (pun intended).

1. Officers are screened for mental issues upon hire. Did the screeners miss something here?
2. If a gal is arrested for prostition shouldn't the 'john' be held accountable? Isn't having a woman choked off by a man (whether an officer or not) just plain wrong?
3. Having the need to look perfect all the time isn't cutting it Chief Padgett. Cops are people, nobody is perfect, thus, well figure it out Chief.
4. Did the lack of transparency contribute to these deaths?

A minister told me, people wouldn't read my story . . . JusThis . . . because they have to have full faith and trust in those they wanna believe are there to keep them safe. Well . . . who knows, perhaps ignorance is bliss but I don't buy it. The truth is a key componet of the safety game and the whole 'see no evil don't get choked out game' ain't working. But if it floats your boat . . . keep tellin' your daughters, to have full faith and confidence in authority figures.

Just plain wrong to have young ladies end up in a ditch in Geneva.

The Suitcase Murder

This was sent to me by a reader of this blog. So riddle me this . . . readers . . . why was there no record and/or info for the securtiy company to uncover prior to hiring Mr Steven Zelich? Second quick question . . . how many victims are out there that haven't been discovered? I wonder if this fellow is going to be charged with a homocide? Dead people tell no tales.

Our Geneva Township crews were mowing the ditch, discovered the 2 suitcases & (as per protocol), moved them to the roadside for next day garbage pickup......later in the day, it happened that (Dan, the guy who did our excavation/landscape) was en route to his nursery....
Saw the flies/maggots & immediately called the township police....less than (1/8 mi) from the crime scene.   Ummmm...many of us are wondering (how) the crews could not have noticed the magnitude of flies, etc.....when they moved the suitcases????  Glad Dan called it in....

And of course you all know where the Microtel place is in Roch.......yikes.  Too eery!  We were over in Waukesha when ( Our County ...Walworth County Crime Lab) descended upon his place in West Allis, in their suits confiscating everything including a fridge.....

Interesting that his ( security company employer) indicated the state & fed background check showed nothing on this guy in the past.....you likely read where he resigned from West Allis Police Dept a few years prior, due to ( a prostitute complaining of his weird misconduct).......hmmmm she escaped from him, ran down the street in handcuffs....
Oh, his father, now passed, was a former Sgt with West Allis PD.....

So now this guy is in our County Jail in Elkhorn......Yaah Curt, as you said on your blog, this guy clearly validates your work!!!   You can write yet another book, as this is still unfolding with the newly identified second body!!!  Very sad.

John Sanford

Folks who have read my stories have been great. Inspiring. It's also been rewarding to cross paths with so many creative types. I was messaged today from a fellow Minnesota author . . .

Inbox > Message Detail

Subject:   A personal note from John Sandford

Oh come on . . . Man . . .

Well . . . I was a cop in a prior life and did pass the fire-fighters exam. Gotta think my Second City Friends are impressed! Flap on friends, seize the moment, live in your dreams, not your past.

Lester Nygaard drowns . . . & . . . Lorne Malvo is shot to death

Damn . . . one sad day in the life. Here's to the brilliance of Noah Hawley.

The Fighting Irish, Curt Rude and Touchdown Jesus!

Indiana, Chicago and Cleveland . . . alllllll . . . in one day? Yeap. Live in your dreams dear friends, not in your past. Remember, if I don't see you in the new year, I'll see you in the pasture. I landed back in Minnesota for a day but was unexpectedly shipped off once again. Where am I gonna pop up next? well, if I told ya, I'd haveta, you know . . .

RIP Norman and Geneva Scott . . .

Say a youngster is driving in a reckless manner and is involved in an accident. Deaths result. Mr. Prosecutor is hopping mad and promising felony charges should the driver miraculously survive. We all remember this kinda stuff-right? So riddle me this, what's the difference between a Trooper and a citizen who is involved in an accident?

State Troopers are highly trained heroes of our communities. They are taught lights and sirens are a necessity in the event they break traffic laws. They are taught lights and sirens only ask for the right of way, but do not guarantee it. Elementary my Dear Watson. They are taught that speeding cars seem to appear out of no where, even if lights are on. So, granted, I could be delusional and demented after I encountered an incident in Minnesota, on Hwy 52, where a Trooper broadsided a couple after they leave a McDonald's. Witnesses say the cars flew for 15 feet or more. If an untrained citizen drove like this and killed folks, Mr. Prosecutor would have stayed up last night arranging felony level charges-right?

The newscast reported the Trooper was headed to a medical. No mention is made over whether lights and sirens were activated. No direct reference is made over just how fast the Trooper was going. Aren't troopers the guys on billboards talking about stuff like 'Click It or Ticket' 'Speed Kills' and 'Extra DUIL Enforcement'? Aren't Troopers governed by the same laws of physics that play a part in everything? Do they not know, that having an accident, while going to an accident, ain't gonna cut it?

Why weren't simple questions posed by the reporters. Something like . . . Why was the Trooper driving so fast? Is the Trooper going to be held accountable like anyone else? Is a blind eye being cast on the actions of this Trooper by Mr. Prosecutor? Does the system protect its own? Why can't we see this horrible accident for what it is and learn from it? Does speed kill?

In the end folks, it's all about accountability. As my dear friend Margo stated . . . "It'll only get better with transparency." In all fairness, perhaps Mr. Prosecutor is busy overcharging kids for careless driving or something. Prayers, thought and concerns to the Scott family. 

Allow me to introduce, from Fort Hood, Texas . . .

Mister Sessions. Hey, wait just one minute . . . wasn't there a Sessions in Brand of Justice?

Distraught and Demented

Isn't it 'bout time to start howling from the high ground (or at least in the social media)? I just get that feeling we have to confront the human jackals and they ain't at the gate my friends. They are wondering around this beautiful thing called humanity. Man . . . it's like we all are existing at are own risk. I mean, now we have to confront the realities of the 'Suitcase Murderer'. This guy allegedly killed a gal from my neck of the woods. The whole ex-cop turned serial killer saga. But now-now, he's innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Lets reign in that beast of a court of public opinion.

I can recall William Faulkner explaining the best fiction involves far more truth than any other kinds of writing. I've had reader after reader call me out for claiming to have written fiction. The Mayor of a community in southeastern Minnesota got after me for being 'hard' on people in my first story. He left me with the impression that people don't need to deal in matters of the truth.

A Midwest Book Reviewer stated my work is strong but not plausible. A police officer could never do any of the things in JusThis. No matter I had 30+ years of law enforcement experience. Nope. My stories would make people wonder about the officers who are serving and protecting them. My thinking holds that if officers are of the community and not above it and are held accountable for their actions then good things are in the offing. That can only come if the truth comes out.

So there ya are. Consider me distraught and demented that truths are not acknowledged. I'll pick up the pieces of the truth and write another story because I consider the truth as our only hope. I've been called out for being dangerous because I don't play games and stick to the truth. Many thanks to Steven Zelich for finally getting caught, and in the process, validating my work.

More to come, but now . . . as Seger sang . . . it's off to Kathmandu.

The sordid tale of a cop turned murderer . . . Steven Zelich

Former Police Officer Zelich, is to be charged shortly with two homicides. He was into bondage and two women apparently ended up dead and in suitcases. Scary stuff here. How would you have liked to have been stopped by this gentleman on a lonely stretch of highway and handcuffed? I've been saying it all along . . . nobody is perfect, police officers are somebody, thus they ain't perfect. Now I suppose we have to acknowledge the fact some 'human jackals' slip through the system and end up running around with badges.

For those who have read JusThis and were wondering if it was 'plausible', check out Zelich. He allegedly committed his dastardly deeds from my neck of the woods. Gentlemen like Zelich never let me down. They are driven by deep desires delivering the answer as to whether my stories are 'plausible'. I shall keep writing, informing and learning as I lay in wait for the next dreadful headlines.

The Story