The Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Ranger Unsolved Crimes Investigation Team are asking for the public’s help in solving the 1982 murder of Monica “Christie” Wilson in Liberty, Texas.

As part of a public awareness program launched in October, DPS is featuring one unsolved case each month in an effort to generate new investigative leads and bring added attention to unresolved or “cold cases” across the state.

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At midnight on Aug. 26, 1982, Wilson left the convenience store, which was known as “Snappy’s” at the time, in Liberty where she worked as a clerk. The next day, her body was found by a passing motorist in a secluded area of Liberty County, which includes the town of Liberty.

Wilson’s 1969 Pontiac Lemans convertible, which was orange with a black soft top, was later found abandoned in Liberty. At the time of her death, Wilson was 19 years old and recently married.

Montgomery County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for the death of Wilson.

Montgomery County said to be eligible for the cash reward, the tip must be submitted by calling 1-800-392-7867 or visiting the Montgomery County Crime Stoppers website.

Anyone with information can also submit a tip through the Texas Rangers’ cold case website or contact the Missing Persons Clearinghouse at 1-800-346-3243.

Since there is no statute of limitations for a murder offense, investigators said they pursue these cases to a successful resolution, or until no other lead is viable.

A 58-year-old man who pleaded guilty on Thursday to three charges of engaging in sex offenses with a child 10 or 11 years old likely will face a prison term of 17-plus years when he is sentenced in December.

Glen Francis DeForest II, of Topeka, turns 59 on Nov. 21.

Before the plea, DeForest had been charged with five counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child (lewd fondling) who was younger than 14 when the offender was 18 or older.

http://liarcatchers.com/pedophile_tracking.html

As a result of the plea to those three of counts, the other two counts were dismissed. Assistant Shawnee County district attorney Brett Watson also said he wouldn’t seek to amend DeForest’s charges by adding one count of rape.

Also as part of the plea, Watson and defense attorney James Heathman agreed to ask the sentencing judge to order DeForest to serve a prison term of 17 years and three months.

After release from prison, DeForest would face a lifetime post-release supervision.

DeForest, who had been scheduled to be tried in February 2016, will be sentenced on Dec. 22.

One sex assault occurred about June 1, and the other four assaults occurred between June 1 and Aug. 5, court records said.

Before DeForest made the pleas, Watson said the factual basis for the plea was that on Aug. 5, DeForest’s then-wife found him in bed with the child, and he was inappropriately touching the girl. Similar acts occurred on at least 10 occasions before, Watson said.

The maximum sentence for the offense of aggravated indecent liberties with a child (lewd fondling) is a “Hard 25” prison term, meaning the convicted offender must serve at least 25 years in prison before he is eligible to be considered for release.

DeForest on Thursday acknowledged he knew the sentencing judge could ignore the sentence agreed to by the district attorney’s office and the defense attorney and instead impose the Hard 25.

On Aug. 27, a judge declined to reduce DeForest’s bond from $250,000 cash or professional surety to no more than $25,000 as requested by the defendant’s attorney.

On Wednesday Richmond Police Officer Daniel Ellis was laid to rest. While the community has shown an undeniable amount of support, police said now some people might be preying on your good intentions.

Lexington Police said on Thursday a man was trying to scam people, by panhandling and saying he was taking in money for Officer Ellis’ family. Now police are warning those people who want to give, to watch out.

“Quit using somebody else’s sorrow, let the family and let him rest in peace,” said Wesley Larison, a driver in Lexington.

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“It’s just really sad, like, the fact that somebody is stealing this money for themselves basically,” said Amelia Holloway, another driver in Lexington.

Police said sadly that was one man’s M.O. on Thursday. They received reports that a man was seen panhandling near Leestown Road, then on New Circle, near Boardwalk and Russell Cave Road. Police said the man was asking for “donations” in honor of Officer Ellis. Lexington Police said the man didn’t appear to be affiliated with any organization officially raising money for the fallen officer’s family. However, once they approached the man, he had yet to collect any money, and was therefore not arrested.

“It is upsetting to think that someone would be out there trying to collect money under these circumstances, for their own personal gain,” said Allee Combs Whicker, Madison County Chief Deputy Circuit Clerk.

The Madison County District and Circuit Clerks Offices, plus the Sheriff’s Honor Guard are understandably upset. They are raising funds to benefit Officer Ellis’ family, however, they do not directly ask for money.

“If you want to help and you see a sign, or someone asking for money on the side of the road, pretty much just know that’s not us,” said Combs Whicker.

The group is holding a $5 dollar Spaghetti Dinner and silent auction at the Madison County Fairgrounds on Monday at 5 p.m. They are expecting around two-thousand people and all of the proceeds will go to Officer Ellis’ family. It will be a true tribute, to a true hero.

“It can’t bring Daniel back into your life, but maybe it will show you our community is here for you,” said Combs Whicker.

There are numerous other legitimate ways to donate.

People’s Bank of Madison County, has an account established for Officer Ellis’ family. Checks can be mailed to People’s Bank of Madison Co. P.O. Box 219 Berea, Ky 40403

The BlueLine Benefit, Honoring the Life and Service of Officer Ellis: It will be held at Champions Bar and Grill in Richmond. Currently the details are pending. If you are interested in helping organize or donating items to this event, contact the restaurant at 859-803-9335.

Softball Tournament – Lake Reba Softball Complex will host a benefit for the Ellis family, Saturday November 14th. The event begins at 9 a.m. and the cost per teams is $150. Contact Matt Long, 859-314-1989 or Adam Rhodus 859-623-8753 for details.

Taxi One of Lexington will donate 20% of their profits from all taxi runs November 13th-15th to the Officer Ellis Memorial Fund at peoples Bank of Madison County.

In Lexington, drivers can help show their support by putting a stop to this scam.

“Don’t just give your money to random people on the street,” said Holloway.

“Make sure it is going to actually benefit and honor him and his life,” said Larison.

Lexington Police said if you see anyone on the streets asking for donations for the Ellis family, you’re asked to call the Lexington Police Department right away.

The NOPD is searching for a 46-year-old woman reported missing after she went on a date with a person she met on social media.

Investigators say Vicki Gatlin was last seen leaving her home on November 9th in the 7000 block of Lawrence Road.

http://liarcatchers.com/missing_persons_investigations.html

Police say the person who reported Gatlin missing told them she was going on a second date with an unidentified subject she had met on a social media website.

They say Gatlin left her home in her 1994 Buick Regal  with light tinted windows.

If you have any information on the whereabouts of Vicki Gatlin, call Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111

One Montgomery County woman who helps with high-profile searches is now missing her phone, on it is some important information related to searches for several missing people.

Carmi Rockwell went to the Mt. Sterling Walmart on Sunday, November 1. She later realized that her black iPhone 4 was missing.

“We searched Walmart over. Every aisle. Every place we had been that evening. We couldn’t find it,” Rockwell told LEX 18’s Josh Breslow.

http://liarcatchers.com/missing_persons_investigations.html

While some would just suggest she get a new phone, Rockwell says it is not that simple. Rockwell has five Bloodhounds that are heavily involved in searches for lost pets, but also in cases such as Madison County’s missing Brookelyn Farthing, Norma Brown missing from Bath County and the missing Nelson County mother, Crystal Rogers.

“The phone’s nothing special. It’s the information that all of us searchers have on it to help families to find their missing loved ones and their missing pets,” said Rockwell.

Rockwell says that some of that information includes GPS coordinates of the exact locations that have already been searched in vast, wooded areas.

The phone also contains records of conversations with other crews; this information could be pivotal to upcoming searches that will resume in the next few weeks.

Rockwell asks that the person who found the phone turn it into the Walmart in Mt. Sterling or the Mt. Sterling Police.

“These families have already been waiting quite some time to get their family members back. We just want to help bring closure for them,” said Rockwell.

Police are investigating the lost phone and are looking at surveillance video from the store’s parking lot.

The woman who sits at the top of Lexington Financial Crimes Most Wanted List has slipped back across the border, again.

Even after an arrest that landed her in custody, Yarelis Rios got across the border by using a different name.

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“Given the nature of the charges, they’re pretty serious. Theft by deception, fraud you know in excess of tens of thousands of dollars,” said Detective Mark Thomas with the Lexington Police Department.

Detectives say that the now 29-year-old has spent a lot of her time defrauding tenants as the manager of Thoroughbred Crossing Apartments.

They say she kept a small portion of nearly 200 renters monthly rent checks, stealing around 40 grand in total from tenants.

When they searched her half million dollar home they found luxury cars, jewelry, high end clothing and tens of thousands of dollars in power tools. The police seized it all but Rios had enough stored up to hide for over two years.

Last September she got what Mark Thomas calls a “brilliant break.”

“She gets apprehended for crossing the border.  What does she do?  She lies about her name and tells them her actual nationality so they just ship her right back to her family members,” Thomas told LEX 18’s Kristen Pflum.

Police think that she reloaded her bank accounts when she got back into Cuba and came up with a new plan for her and her boyfriend, Artemio Pimentel.

“And then she used their resources to get right back to Mexico and into the U.S,” said Thomas.

If you know where Rios or Pimentel are, you information could lead to a $1,000 rewards. Just call the Crimestoppers Tipline at (859) 253- 2020.

A Detroit man is in jail in Lexington after police say he tried to cash counterfeit checks at Walmart.

According to his arrest citation, 41-year-old Rondell Williams tried to use a fake check to make a large purchase at the Walmart near Hamburg.

http://liarcatchers.com/fraud_investigation.html

The store notified police who quickly arrived and located Williams with 34 counterfeit checks.

He’s scheduled to be arraigned later today.

A man was charged with first degree arson after police say he violated a protective order against at a residence.

When officers arrived, they spoke with several family members that were on scene. Through the course of the investigation, they determined that Derek P. Wells had violated the terms of a Domestic Violence Order by being at this residence and having contact with the family members that were there.

http://liarcatchers.com/arson_investigation.html

Police believe that Wells pulled several items of furniture out of the residence and put them in the front yard. Police say he poured gasoline and lit the furniture on fire. The flames moved to the residence causing damage to the outside of the home.

When the fire began to reach the house, the adults inside had to evacuate the seven children that were inside. The fire department responded and extinguished the blaze before the home was too damaged.

Wells was arrested and charged with Arson first degree and a violation of a Kentucky EPO/DVO. He is currently lodged in the Jessamine County Detention Center.

Chicago Police said today a person of interest in the death of 2-year-old Kyrian Knox has ties to Rockford. The person’s name is being withheld.

 “I don’t know if he has a residence in Rockford, but he has some type of presence in Rockford, and he is known to the family,” said Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

 Kyrian’s mother, Lanisha Knox, told the Register Star’s media partner, WREX, “Justice will be served, and whoever did this, they are going to jail.”

http://liarcatchers.com/wrongful_death.html

Kyrian was last seen in mid to late August in Rockford but was not reported missing until Sept. 17. He reportedly was in the care of a family friend, Kamel Harris, 40, of Rockford, while Lanisha Knox was moving. Harris was arrested the day of or shortly after Kyrian was reported missing. He was held in the Winnebago County Jail on a burglary charge for over a month before he was released in October.

 While Rockford police detectives were working a missing person case, Chicago police was already culling missing person reports to try to identify the remains of a child found over the Labor Day weekend in the Garfield Park Lagoon.

 According the Chicago Tribune, a passer-by on Sept. 5 spotted a foot floating in the lagoon. Over the next few days authorities recovered a child’s head, hands, feet and a 20 pound weight. The torso is still missing. The Chicago Medical Examiner’s Officer determined the child was likely 2 or 3 years old, African American and possibly a male because the ears were not pierced.

 Less than a week after Kyrian was reported missing, Chicago detectives were in Rockford to collect DNA from Kyrian’s mother. The DNA was submitted to the FBI crime lab in Quantico, Virginia. On Nov. 4, Chicago police revealed the DNA from Lanisha Knox matched the DNA collected from the recoverd remains.

 Police do not know if the child was dead or alive at the time of dismemberment. Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said police are awaiting the cause of death to be determined by the Chicago Medical Examiner’s Office.

 Becky Schlikerman, a spokeswoman for the Medical Examiner’s Office, said the office is still awaiting the FBI report before officially declaring the remains belonging to Kyrian Knox.

How a cause of death can be determined without the torso is not clear.

 Schlikerman said, “We’ll rely on the what evidence we see in the remains and the police investigation.”

Garfield Park is a 184-acre urban park located in the East Garfield Park neighborhood, located just north of the Eisenhower Expressway on Chicago’s west side. The park features multiple athletic fields, a garden, and a fishing lagoon 1- to 6-feet deep.

 Carolyn Jones Calvert lives within walking distance of Garfield Park. She identified herself on a social media posting as Kyrian’s babysitter after it was made public the recovered remains belong to Kyrian.

 Contacted today, she said, “When he came to me, he was only a few months old. We taught Kyrian how to walk. Believe it or not when they put that sketch (a police sketch artist rendering of what the child may look like) up there, I said that’s Kyrian. Kyrian’s mother didn’t believe it was him. His grandmother didn’t believe it was him, but I told my mother, ‘That’s Kyrian.'”

 Calvert said she cared for Kyrian from late summer 2013 to early 2014. She said Kyrian was removed from her care by Lanisha Knox when she refused to watch him for up to 16 hours a day.

 “I said, ‘That’s a bit much.’ I said, ‘If you want me to, I can take custody of him.’ But she didn’t want that.”

A Kentucky woman faces charges after authorities say they found her hiding in an empty doghouse after a dangerous pursuit.

Frankfort police tell local media that 28-year-old Myranda Skinner and 36-year-old Bryan Wells led officers on a chase Monday morning after an officer noticed a license plate that had been reported stolen.

Authorities say Skinner, the driver, tried to run over an officer when the suspects’ vehicle was briefly stuck at a dead-end road.

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Police say the pursuit led to the car crashing through a gate at a golf course, with the suspects fleeing on foot.

A K-9 unit found Wells inside the bed of a truck and Skinner, of Lexington, in the doghouse.

The suspects were indicted Tuesday on numerous charges, including fleeing police. It’s unclear whether they have attorneys to contact for comment.