Additional details can be found at http://www.kentucky.com/2014/02/11/3082207/lexingtons-most-wanted-feb-12.html

After looking in Austin, Houston, Laredo, San Antonio and Garden Ridge, Texas, the family of Leanne Bearden is now offering a $20,000 reward for the missing woman: $10,000 for her exact location and an additional $10,000 for information that leads to her return.

“While there are many more questions than answers, the only thing we do know is that lack of contact to anyone she loves is very worrisome,” Josh Bearden, Leanne’s husband, said in a written statement. “We strongly feel that if she could have contacted us, she would have by now … We are hoping offering a financial reward will encourage that person or people to share that information.”

http://liarcatchers.com/missing_persons_investigations.html

Bearden’s husband  claims Leanne said she would return to her in-law’s house in an hour, before leaving for a run on Jan. 17, 2014. She was wearing a T-shirt, hiking boots with pink laces and a small backpack.

Unfortunately, those sixty minutes morphed into a living nightmare for Bearden’s family and friends.

Police involved in the searches for Bearden have said on numerous occasions that there is no evidence to suggest Bearden was taken against her will. On the contrary, after hiring a private investigator, Charlie Parker told the Bearden family that there was a ‘strong possibility’ the 33-year-old woman left Garden Ridge voluntarily.

That revelation failed to bring the search for Bearden to a halt.

“Again, at this time there is no evidence that points to any crime being committed, but the lack of any real credible information and lack of contact by Leanne to any of us has us extremely worried and we just want to know that Leanne is OK,” Josh Bearden told KENS 5.

Bearden and her husband had just returned to Texas after a two-year vacation around the world. Her family believes the ‘pressure of transitioning’ back into normal life left Bearden stressed.

Bearden has now been missing over three weeks. Multiple searches by Garden Ridge police, the Comal County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Rangers, a private investigator and several family members and friends have failed to locate her.

The 5-foot 2-inch woman weighs approximately 100 pounds and wears a small loop at the top of her left ear, according to a flyer for the missing woman.

Anyone with information is urged to call the private investigator at 210-826-4052, the Garden Ridge Police Department at 210-651-6441 or the Heidi Search Center at 210-650-0428.

NOPD says a man who suffered a seizure was reported missing later in the day.

Police say 55-year-old Guy Forthome was last seen Sunday at 11:30 p.m. in a home in the 700 block of Lesseps Street.

Forthome suffered a seizure earlier in the day, and the reporting person said she has not seen or heard from him since.

http://liarcatchers.com/missing_persons_investigations.html

If anyone knows his whereabouts they are asked to call Fifth District Detective Thaddeus Williams at 504-658-6050 or NOPD at 504-821-2222

The man accused in a Lexington kidnapping and murder investigation who was caught in Texas in January, was released Monday morning to Kentucky authorities and is on his way back to Lexington, according to authorities in Hidalgo County, Texas.

Robert Markham Taylor, also known as Mark Taylor, is accused in the kidnapping and homicide of Alex Johnson, a University of Kentucky chef whose body was found in the Kentucky River last month.

Taylor was arrested on Jan. 22 by authorities in Pharr, Texas, which nearly 1,400 miles from Lexington and just blocks from the Mexican border.

http://liarcatchers.com/wrongful_death.html

Lexington Police said they had sent local police there a photo of Taylor and a possible location at a motel. When investigators there went to check it out, Taylor allegedly spotted them and jumped into a car. He was stopped just a block from the border where police found several pounds of marijuana in his car.

Johnson went missing on Dec. 20 of 2013 form his home in Lexington. His body was recovered from the Kentucky River on Jan. 24.

“The Lexington Fire Department special operations found a blue barrel in the Kentucky River which they had been asked to look for by the Lexington Metro Police,” said Gary Ginn, the Fayette County Coroner.

Ginn said there were injuries to Johnson’s body that appeared to have been caused by a weapon or “some type of means to hit someone with.”

The search for Johnson centered around the Riptide on the River restaurant and bar, off Old Richmond Road, where Taylor had worked as a bartender for a few months in the past.

Police also searched that location on New Year’s Eve.

Lexington Police say Taylor had moved to Lexington a few years ago, and had befriended Johnson. They did not comment further on how the men were connected.

Thee people were arrested after police found an active meth lab inside a Berea motel room.

Berea Police received a complaint about drug activity in a room at the Knight’s Inn. Once inside, officers said they found an active methamphetamine lab, several items used to manufacture methamphetamine, five small plastic bags containing meth and several syringes.

http://liarcatchers.com/contact.php

43-year-old Lewis Bishop of Berea, 23-year-old Bobby Saylor of Berea and 25-year-old Catherine Hogwood of Berea, were arrested and charged with manufacturing methamphetamine, wanton endangerment first degree, trafficking in a controlled substance first degree and drug paraphernalia possession.

Bishop was also charged with possession of controlled substance first degree and an active arrest warrant was served. Saylor was also charged with unlawful possession of meth precursor.

The scary data breaches at big-name retailers recently likely have you on high alert for any attempts to steal your personal and financial information.

The beginning of tax-filing season gives you even more reason to be cautious. The Internal Revenue Service and tax professionals warn that tax-related scams boom during this time of year.

“Identity theft often starts outside of the tax administration system, when someone’s personal information is stolen or lost,” said Clay Sanford, IRS spokesman in Dallas. “Identity thieves may then use a taxpayer’s identity to fraudulently file a tax return and claim a refund.”

http://liarcatchers.com/identity_theft_investigation.html

The common forms of scams are:

Phony IRS emails: In this phishing scam, you get what looks to be an official-looking email with an IRS logo. It tries to lure you to a website that requests personal and financial information, such as a Social Security number, bank account, or credit card numbers.

Don’t fall for it.

“The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email or social media tools to request personal or financial information,” Sanford said. “The IRS does not send emails stating you are being electronically audited or that you are getting a refund. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels.”

If you get a scam email claiming to be from the IRS, forward it to the agency at phishing@irs.gov.

Fake refund email: You get a bogus email, telling you that you’re eligible to receive a federal tax refund for a given amount — often $63.80. The email sends you to a website to complete a form to submit the tax refund request. The form then asks for personal and financial information.

“In fact, the IRS does not notify taxpayers of refunds via email,” said the National Association of Enrolled Agents. “Taxpayers do not have to complete a special form or provide detailed financial information to obtain a refund. Refunds are based on information reported on the tax return.”

Antifraud Commission email: In this case, the scammer sends an email saying the IRS “Antifraud Commission” has found that someone tried to pay his or her taxes electronically using your credit card and, as a result, some of your money was lost, and the remaining funds were blocked.

The email includes a link that sends you to a website where you’re directed to enter personal and financial information to unblock your funds.

“The IRS does not have an Antifraud Commission and does not have the authority to freeze a taxpayer’s credit card or bank account because of potential theft or fraud perpetrated against the taxpayer,” the enrolled agents group said.

And, once again, the IRS “does not use email to initiate contact with taxpayers,”

One sign that your identity may have been stolen is if you get a letter from the IRS saying more than one tax return was filed for you or saying you received wages from an employer you don’t know.

That’s because in some cases, an identity thief may use a taxpayer’s personal information to get a job. The legitimate taxpayer may be unaware that anything has happened until they file their return later in the season and discover two returns have been filed using the same Social Security number.

If you receive such a letter from the IRS, respond immediately to the name, address or phone number on the notice. If you believe the notice isn’t from the IRS, contact the IRS to determine if the letter is legitimate.

If you plan to electronically file your return this year, the IRS has some suggestions to protect your information.

Use a strong password to protect the data file. Once your return has been filed electronically, save the file to a CD or flash drive and then delete the personal return information from your hard drive. Store the CD or flash drive in a safe place, such as a locked box or safe.

If working with a tax preparer, ask them what measures they take to protect your information.

You can’t be too careful when it comes to guarding your most precious personal and financial information.

Lexington Police are still searching for answers after a man was shot at a dozen times in a parking lot and left to die.

Police said they found Vincenzo Happy in his car, badly wounded around 2 p.m. Sunday in a parking lot along Lima Drive in Lexington, where they say they also found 10-12 shell casings on the ground.

Investigators said surveillance video from surrounding businesses shows several people in the parking lot at the time of the shooting. Police said they hope to get ahold of those witnesses to find out exactly what happened.

http://liarcatchers.com/wrongful_death.html

The family of Happy, who most knew by Vince, is also asking that any witnesses come forward and help Lexington Police get to the bottom of why he was shot at 10-12 times in his car that afternoon.

“We need to know. We want to know, we really want to know,” said Mia Jackson.

Happy’s sister said Happy had been shot at before, but was not hurt. The incident was at Eastland Bowling Lanes in Lexinton in April of 2013, where police say a fight broke out and shots were fired. Steven Reynolds was injured and later died at UK Hospital. Devonte Laval Webb, 22, is charged in connection that shooting.

Since then, Happy’s sister says he never took anything for granted.

“He knew that life isn’t always promised and he always tried to tell me that. Live your life to the fullest, don’t sit back and do nothing with yourself,” she said.

Happy’s mother told LEX18 her son was a quiet and fun loving person. His family said he was always very protective of everyone he loved.

“He loves his family, he would do anything for his mom, brothers, me and friends,” Jackson said.

The family says Happy would have tuned 24 later this month. The family says they are still waiting for answers while coping with the unexpected loss.

“I still can’t believe it. I’m texting him, I keep texting him thinking he’s going to text back,” said Jackson.

A coping mechanism in his little sister’s attempt to deal with the pain.

A Kentucky Environment Scientist was arrested Monday for looking up pornography at his job.

Gordon Bowers was arrested and charged with four counts of child porn by Cyber Crimes Detectives with the Attorney General’s Office.

http://liarcatchers.com/pedophile_tracking.html

Bowers allegedly downloaded child porn on state time on state computers in his state office at the Department of Natural Resources in London.

He is being housed at the Laurel County Jail.