All Blog Posts from Crimesider

NEW YORK - As American families mourn loved ones lost in combat and celebrate the heroes of war, the loss of 13 men and women in last week's Fort Hood, Texas massacre runs especially deep.

Those who died that day were young and old, natural-born and immigrants, but all were serving this country when they were allegedly gunned down by Army psychologist Nidal Malik Hasan.

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NEW YORK - At a New York Wal-Mart, last year's Black Friday wasn't just busy, it was deadly. A massive crowd crushed temporary Wal-Mart employee Jdimytai Damour to death.

In 2009, the world's largest retailer says it will do better and is ready to face the massive crowd of bargain hunters.

Wal-Mart Stores announced Wednesday it will keep its stores open 24 hours to prevent a rush at its doors and take new crowd-control measures during the 2009 Thanksgiving weekend.

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ATLANTA (CBS/AP) "Pimp" comedian Katt Williams hasn't had it easy the lately.

Last Tuesday, Williams was accused of kidnapping a teen after a 911 call. On Sunday, he was thrown in jail on suspicions he had burglarized a suburban Atlanta mansion where he is staying while filming a movie.

But things have turned around for the controversial comic.

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CHICAGO (CBS/AP) Charla Nash, the Connecticut woman who was attacked by a 200-pound (90-kilogram) chimpanzee named Travis has revealed her horribly mangled face and says she's ready to heal and move forward.

On Wednesday's episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show," Nash, 56, said she's starting to get stronger.

The animal ripped off Nash's hands, nose, lips and eyelids during the February 2009 attack. She's being treated at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - "You would never imagine in a million years that your child would even have something to do with that," said the mother of one of three teens accused of setting 15-year-old Michael Brewer on fire, reports the Sun Sentinel.

"We are very, very sorry for what has happened to this little boy, Michael Brewer," said Cheri Bent, who spoke publicly for the first time Tuesday.

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CLEVELAND - Investigators trying to learn the horrible fate of 11 bodies found in suspected serial killer Anthony Sowell's Cleveland home are enlisting a rather unusual ally – insects that were crawling on the corpses.

Entomologist Joe Keiper is one of the few scientists who study both insects and crime scenes. The coroner called Keiper to the Cleveland home to help estimate when the victims died, by analyzing the types and number of insects found on the remains.

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NEW YORK - A few good men?

A group of robbers in Milwaukee showed respect for Veterans Day this week when they returned the property of an Army reservist after finding his military identification card in the wallet they had stolen at gunpoint.

The 21-year-old University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student and Army reservist said he was walking home from work about 1:15 a.m. Tuesday when the men came out from between two houses. He thought about running to the other side of the street but decided against it.

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NEW YORK - As America honors its military heroes on Veterans Day, investigators are working to identify two of the 11 bodies pulled from former Marine and alleged serial killer Anthony Sowell's Cleveland home and hoping they don't find more victims near the military bases where he served.

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FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - Cumberland County authorities say foul play is suspected in the disappearance of Shaniya Nicole Davis. The 5-year-old girl went missing from her home in Fayetteville, N.C. Tuesday morning.

An Amber Alert was initiated for Shaniya just before noon, Lt. David Sportsman said.

Police responded to the home around 6:50 a.m., and Shaniya's mother told officers that she last saw her daughter at 5:30 a.m. The mother’s boyfriend and her sister, along with an infant and Shaniya's 7-year-old brother were also in the home when the girl went missing.

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NEW YORK - The Colorado Sheriff who disclosed that "Balloon Boy's" parents, Richard and Mayumi Heene, were being investigated by child welfare will not face criminal charges, according to a special prosecutor.

David Lane, attorney for Richard Heene, father of the infamous "Balloon Boy," claimed the revelation by Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden violated privacy laws.

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