Graphic photos found on the camera of a man Robyn Gardner was with have deepened the mystery surrounding the Maryland woman’s disappearance. Robyn was supposed to be in Orlando with her parents – or so she told her boyfriend, Richard Forester. In reality, she went on a vacation to Aruba. Now the 35-year-old is missing and presumed dead. Gary Giordano , a 50-year-old Maryland businessman with a disturbing past, remains in custody. The mystery has only deepened as authorities in Aruba begin releasing details from the investigation, such as images that are “beyond pornographic.” No other information about the photos has been revealed, and it’s still not known exactly when the pictures – on Gary Giordano’s camera – were taken. It is also difficult to determine whether the acts are consensual, says Julia Renfro, editor-in-chief of Aruba Today, the island’s English language daily. “You only see organs,” Renfro tells People Magazine , disturbingly. “You don’t know if she is awake. There are other pictures where she is posing naked.” It’s the latest surprise in a case that had already gained notoriety because of its parallels to the unsolved disappearance of Natalee Holloway, 18. The suspect in that case, which captivated the nation in 2005, is Joran van der Sloot, who is being tried this fall in Peru for another murder. As far as Robyn Gardner is concerned, leads have been provocative. Along with the photos, authorities are looking into a $1.5 million accidental death insurance policy Giordano reportedly took out on Gardner before the trip.
Earlier this week, Casey Anthony temporarily avoided a hearing regarding the terms of her probation stemming from a Florida check fraud conviction. Judge Belvin Perry said he’d need more time to consider the facts before ruling on whether Casey must return home to serve probation in that case. “I’ll be the first to admit this is not a very clear cut issue … you’ve given me a lot to think about,” Perry said, calling it “a legal maze” and “a mess”. Anthony who was acquitted last month in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, is believed to be in Ohio and didn’t attend the hearing. Her attorneys argue that she should not be required to return because of safety concerns, and because she served the probation behind bars. It’s as confusing as it sounds, if not more so. On January 25, 2010, Anthony was given probation by Judge Stan Strickland after she’d pleaded guilty to charges she stole checks from a friend. The confusion set in as Florida’s Department of Corrections thought Anthony could serve the probation while in custody awaiting her murder trial. Strickland said last week he wanted Anthony to serve the probation after the sentence, not during. Last week, Perry said he’d wanted the same. However, Department of Corrections probation supervisor Susan Finigan testified that proper procedures were practiced in Anthony’s case. Finigan added that while it’s not the usual arrangement to have someone in custody serving their probation, “It does happen on occasion.” The Department of Corrections therefore deemed that Anthony’s probation was concluded on January 24, long before her murder acquittal . Anthony’s legal team claimed their client’s life would be in grave danger if the state forces her to serve a year’s probation for check fraud. “This thing is over and done,” her Florida-based lawyer, Jose Baez, said. “And for some reason things seem to keep coming up again.” Judge Perry did not say when he would announce his ruling.
Rather than getting married and focusing on honeymoon plans, many women in India worry about whether or not they will be able to live post-wedding based on the value of their dowry . Sounds crazy, right? Sure enough, thousands of women a year are reported as being victims to bride burning. A woman’s fate after her marriage is largely dependent on her dowry, or the valuables that she is able to supply for her husband and his family after her marriage. This includes land, jewelry, cars, and appliances. Wives are often considered to be liabilities to their husbands, and the dowry is her way of proving her worthiness. Often times, if the husband or his family is not satisfied with the value of the dowry, the woman is in danger of being burned to death . This murder is often disguised as an accident. Dowry disputes claim the lives of many newlywed women when they do not match up to the expectations of their husbands and new in-laws. While the woman may have the option to file for divorce, there is a deep rooted, negative social stigma attached to divorced women. Her family’s honor might be tainted and in many cases, her own family refuses to welcome her back into her home. In these cases, escaping the violence and abuse does not necessarily mean safety for the survivor. Technically, bride burning is an illegal practice. However, in the traditionally patriarchal society, crimes involving women are often not taken seriously. There are resources for women to report domestic violence, but it is clear that the authorities need to do more. Knowing this, imagine the life of a new bride in India. Many marriages are arranged , so the wife might not know much about her husband and his family in general. Along with adjusting to a new place with new people, the wife realizes that her worth to her husband is based on the amount of valuables that her own family can give them. The idea of being happily married takes the back seat to the hopes of being safely married . Read more about violence against women in the Asia-Pacific region here . Women In The World: Why Are So Many Pregnant Women At Risk? Women In The World: Why Does Female Circumcision Still Exist? The Female Crisis In The Congo, What You Can Do To Help Are These BP Artists Good Enough to Get Signed? 2011 BET Award Winners & Recap FACT OF THE DAY: Foxy Brown Was Not Always Foxy FACT OF THE DAY: LL Cool J Dropped Out Of High School To Record His Debut Album
‘The only ‘evidence’ tying that murder to Jimmy Rosemond is the uncorroborated word of a criminal,’ Jeffery Lichtman tells MTV News. By Rob Markman Jimmy Henchman Photo: MTV News Things continue to go south for Jimmy “Henchman” Rosemond, but despite federal prosecutors’ efforts to tie the longtime music manager to shootings and murders, his lawyer continues to refute the mounting claims. On Wednesday, Dexter Isaac told AllHipHop.com that he had a role in the 1994 robbery and shooting of Tupac Shakur and he alleged that Henchman paid him $2,500 to do the deed. Now, on Thursday (June 16), the Smoking Gun reported that two men tied to Rosemond have been charged with the 2009 murder of Lowell “Lodi Mack” Fletcher, a known G-Unit associate. Henchman questioned the credibility of Dexter Isaac in a statement he issued in May, while his lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, recently called Isaac’s confession “a flat-out lie.” In response to Rosemond’s connection to the murder of Lodi Mack, Henchman’s lawyer issued this statement to MTV News: “The only ‘evidence’ tying that murder to Jimmy Rosemond is the uncorroborated word of a criminal seeking to get out from under a lengthy jail sentence. Prosecution witnesses have been bribed and threatened, solely in an effort to convict Jimmy, a target of the US Attorney’s office for years.” After a 2007 incident when he assaulted Rosemond’s son , Fletcher pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child. As the story goes, Fletcher slapped Henchman’s son in the head after he spotted the teenager walking down a Manhattan street wearing a T-shirt with the name and logo of his father’s management company, Czar Entertainment. 50 Cent’s artist Tony Yayo, who was also present at the time, pleaded guilty to a noncriminal harassment charge in connection with the incident, but escaped any jail time. At the time 50 Cent and his G-Unit collective were involved in a beef with Game, who is managed by Czar (a source close to Game told MTV News that while the rapper is still signed with Henchman, he doesn’t manage his day-to-day affairs). Fletcher was sentenced to nine months in prison, which ran concurrent with an unrelated narcotics charge; he was eventually paroled in 2009. Two weeks after being released, Fletcher was fatally gunned down in the Bronx, New York. Now, Rodney Johnson and Brian McCleod are being charged with the Fletcher murder by federal prosecutors in a superseding indictment obtained by the Smoking Gun . The indictment charges that Johnson orchestrated the killing and that McCleod agreed to carry out the murder in exchange for narcotics. The document, however, does not specify who the triggerman actually was. The indictment also charges the men with drug trafficking, tying them to a ring that moved cocaine from L.A. to New York. DEA agents believe that Jimmy Henchman headed the ring but have not charged him with the Lowell murder in any way. Related Artists G-Unit 50 Cent
A physical scientist and forensic examiner testified today that there was heart-shaped residue on the duct tape over the mouth of slain Caylee Anthony. “It was approximately the size of a dime,” Elizabeth Fontaine testified as the murder trial of Casey Anthony, Caylee’s mother, continued this morning. “If you wore a band aid for an extended time, then take it off, there would be glue residue and debris. That’s what this looked like, but heart shaped.” The state, which says Caylee was murdered , plans to introduce evidence that similar heart-shaped stickers were found in Casey Anthony’s home. Some evidence at the trial has been enough to make Casey Anthony sick . But one thing was missing from the tape: fingerprints of the toddler’s killer. The FBI believes the fingerprints vanished when Caylee’s body was outdoors in the months before she was found in the woods near her home. “Fingerprints are fragile,” Fontaine said . “It’s not surprising there were none.” In cross-examination, defense attorney Jose Baez criticized the sticker evidence. “When you examined it a second time, it was gone,” Baez said. “Is that correct?” “It was no longer visible,” said Fontaine, who noted that other FBI agents had tested the duct tape in the meantime while investigating the case. The trial is entering its fourth week, and the prosecution says it will wrap up its case soon. Casey Anthony faces the death penalty if convicted.
The summer movie season is underway, officially starting with the release of The Hangover 2 over the Memorial Day weekend. It’s a summer that will be dominated at the box office by sequels, prequels, comic book and novel adaptations, with some original works scattered about. But that shouldn’t be much of a surprise, as recent years will show that summers and sequels/prequels/comic book adaptations/etc now seem to go hand-in-hand. Even looking ahead to next year, sequels to Men in Black , Madagascar, G.I. Joe, and The Expendables , as well as the 3rd installment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman franchise, along with reboots of Superman, Spiderman and Total Recall are expected. And although the summer movie season isn’t officially christened until the Memorial Day weekend annually, 2011 has already brought us Scream 4, Fast & Furious 5 (aka Fast Five,), an adaptation of the Thor superhero comic, Pirates Of The Caribbean 4 (aka Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides), Kung Fu Panda 2 , and, of course, the aforementioned summer movie season kicker, The Hangover 2. If you’re like me, this apparent trend leaves very little to actually get excited about, making navigating these thus far mostly uninspired waters, much less of the kind of thrill the summer movie-going experience used to and ought to be.Of course, this is just one man’s opinion, and your anticipation for what’s on the horizon may exceed mine. There’s always something for everyone, if you’re willing to look for it. A “Colorless” Summer? I would be remiss if I also didn’t mention the dearth of African-American talent this summer, both in front of and behind the camera. It seems like the cry heard around the world every year – this lack of, shall we say, “color,” on the big (and small) screen. Nothing’s changed much this year. The usual suspects are noticeably absent; and when I reference “the usual suspects,” despite the plural, I’m really talking about Will Smith , who has been absent from movie theater screens since 2008’s Seven Pounds . Although, he’s certainly been busy managing his children’s careers and successfully creating potential black leading stars of tomorrow. We’ll next see Will in 2012’s “threequel” to the Men In Black franchise. Behind the camera, black directors who’ve had some summer movie success, like Antoine Fuqua, F. Gary Gray and Tim Story, are all absent this year; although each has a project in the works at some stage of development, and we’ll certainly be talking about those as progress is made. So with all of the above in mind, we have roughly three months until fall announces its welcome and the so-called Oscar movie season begins. What are some of the titles we should look out for from now until September? X Men: First Class This past weekend saw the release of X-Men: First Class , essentially an origin story for the superhero collective; a film that both film critics and audiences seemed to agree on, with movie review aggregator site, RottenTomatoes.com, currently indicating that 149 out of 172 critics gave it a thumbs up, and 88% of the audience liked it. Although Zoe Kravitz and Edi Gathegi co-star in the film, both are peripheral characters, with stories that are secondary to the main plotlines involving the beginnings of Charles Xavier (Professor X) and Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto), the relationship that develops between the two, and eventual fallout that separates them – a tale that of which we see the future in past X-Men movies; movies that I consider superior to this year’s prequel, specifically the first 2 – X-Men in 2000 and X2 in 2003 (the best film in the franchise thus far, in my opinion). Super 8 This weekend, any anticipation you’ve had for wunderkind producer/director J.J. Abrams’ Super 8, will be quenched (hopefully), when the film opens nationwide. The movie has already been compared to the brand of awe-inspiring, story-driven spectacle cinema its revered superstar producer Steven Spielberg gained fame for – many of them released during the summer. Set in 1979, in a fictional small town in Ohio, the movie centers on a group of teenagers who discover the presence of an alien life-form, after witnessing a train crash, while making a home movie with their Super 8mm film camera, creating disorder in their little town. Early reviews from press screenings have been stellar, making it one of this summer’s most anticipated movies. Green Lantern On Friday, June 17th, another superhero comic book comes to life on the big screen, and in 3D, when Ryan Reynolds’ Hal Jordan dons the power ring and joins the intergalactic Green Lantern Corps, in Warner Bros’ release of Green Lantern. Look for Angela Bassett as Dr. Amanda Waller, a scientist. For those unfamiliar with the DC Comics universe, her character, nicknamed “The Wall,” and “The White Queen” and more, is considered an anti-heroine. She doesn’t possess superhero abilities but is exceptional in a number of skills, notably being highly trained in military tactics and espionage, amongst others. Also worth noting, Michael Clarke Duncan is in the movie as well; not physically, however. He provides the voice for the towering, brutish alien, and the primary trainer of new Lantern Corps recruits, Kilowog . Transformers: Dark Of The Moon Further out, looking at the July 4th weekend, all eyes will likely be watching for Transformers: Dark Of The Moon, the 3rd film in the franchise. Shia LaBeouf returns with the ensemble cast of characters that includes singer/actor Tyrese Gibson, in what will surely be another loud, explosive, spectacle-driven film from director Michael Bay, based on the trailers we’ve seen so far. Larry Crowne However, that same weekend, there will be some counter-programming for those who prefer a more subtle brand of cinema, but still very much within the mainstream, as Larry Crowne also opens. The film centers on a middle aged man (played by Tom Hanks), forced to reinvent himself and find a new career, as he navigates the second act of his life. Of note, Taraji P Henson, Cedric The Entertainer, Pam Grier and Gugu Mbatha-Raw (who co-starred with Boris Kodjoe, in the failed NBC action/drama Undercovers), all have roles in this dramedy, which also stars Julia Roberts. Harry Potter / Captain America / Cowboys v. Aliens Rounding out the month of July, these 3 films will challenge Transformers 3 for that month’s box office crown: the final installment of the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, opening July 15th, Captain America: The First Avenger (July 22nd), and Cowboys Vs Aliens (July 29th). All 3 based on stories that originated in printed form – book, comic, and graphic novel, successively. Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes The month of August really belongs to 20th Century Fox’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes , a prequel and origin story set in the present-day that tells the story of how man’s own experiments with genetic engineering lead to advanced intelligence in apes and the beginnings of a war for supremacy. James Franco leads an ensemble cast that also includes rising black British actor David Oyelowo, who some may recognize from the 2006 Oscar-winning film (Best Actor for Forest Whitaker), The Last King of Scotland. The Help Oyelowo will also feature in another August release, and what may be the season’s most polarizing film, playing a preacher in the big screen adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s best-selling novel, The Help, which stars Viola Davis, Emma Stone, and Octavia Spencer, with supporting roles from Cicely Tyson, Aunjanue Ellis and others. The film, like the book, will explore the tenuously symbiotic if strained relationship between black maids and their white employers in the 1960s American south. It also represents what I believe will be the best possibility for an Oscar nomination by a black actor/actress this year (in Viola Davis and/or Octavia Spencer). Reactions thus far across the Black blogosphere have been tepid at best. Many have already dismissed the film as yet another gussied-up, innocuous tale set in America’s turbulent, racially-charged past, told specifically from a white person’s perspective. Some are not looking forward to seeing black actresses in subservient roles, harkening back to the earlier years of cinema in which those kinds of parts comprised much of what was available for actresses of African descent. See the “Mammy” archetype for context. Having read the book on which the film is based, I can say that while the above concerns are certainly warranted, this is actually a rare instance in mainstream/studio cinema history that places the black maid/white employer relationship under a microscope in which we get to see events unfold from the maid’s POV at least partly, and are given a much more complex representation of her. In essence, she isn’t a 2-dimensional stereotype here. There are a lot of scenes for Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer to chew on, and whether or not the film succeeds in translating their characters to film remains to be seen. As the saying often goes, the book is usually better than the movie. So, you’re encouraged to see the film, and judge for yourselves. Your expectations may be met, or you could be pleasantly surprised. But, at least, you’d be able to talk about it, armed with vital information. The Help w ill be in theaters on August 12th. Columbiana And, closing out August, and what would effectively be the end of the summer movie season, will be Zoe Saldana in French super-producer Luc Besson’s revenge thriller, Colombiana , directed by Olivier Megaton. The yet-to-be-rated action movie stars Saldana as a young woman who grows up to be a stone-cold assassin after witnessing the murder of her parents in Bogota, hunting down those responsible for their deaths. When I initially heard about this film going into production last year, I had my doubts about Saldana’s ability to really embody the part and carry the film; but after watching the 2 1/2-minute trailer that debuted early last month, I had to start reconsidering my stance because I was impressed with what I saw in those few short minutes, and I’m even more curious to see how this looks and feels when it opens on August 26th. It’ll be Saldana’s first true attempt at determining whether she alone can deliver box office gold.As with most of Luc Besson’s films, Colombiana should do well in foreign markets; though I expect its performance in USA theaters will be watched closely. And that just about wraps up this summer 2011 movie preview! Of course, there are a lot more films scheduled for release than I’ve listed here. In my next post, I will dig a little deeper, and instead emphasize alternate summer fare; mainly independent and foreign films that tell stories by and/or people of African descent that may or may not be coming to a theater near you (all will see limited releases), but you should know about and look out for. Till then… happy summer at the movies! Tambay Obenson is editor of Shadow And Act on the indieWIRE Network, which can be found at http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact .
One of the teens involved in the vicious assault that killed 18-year-old Bobby Tillman at a Douglasville house party last November has agreed to plead guilty to murdering him, reports the AJC.com . Emanuel Boykins, the 18-year-old who threw the first punch that started the random, fatal attack on Tillman, has agreed to plead guilty to felony murder. The other three defendants charged with Tillman’s beating death have until 5 pm Wednesday (June to decide if they will plead guilty as well. If they don’t, Douglas County will press ahead with death penalty cases against the men. When Boykins pleads guilty to felony murder on June 29, the malice murder charge will reportedly be dropped. Boykins and the three other defendants — 18-year-old Quantez Devonta Mallory and Tracen Lamar Franklin and Horace Damon Coleman, both 19 — had initially proclaimed their innocence, saying in a television interview that someone else killed Tillman. The accused even sent condolences to Tillman’s family in the interview. Read the full story here. RELATED: Suspects Deny Killing Bobby Tillman In Jailhouse Interview [VIDEO] RELATED: Stomping Punctured Douglasville Teen’s Heart RELATED: Georgia Teenage Party-Goer Beaten To Death In Unprovoked Attack
President Barack Obama and his family attended the Easter Sunday service at Shiloh Baptist Church, which was founded by freed slaves in 1863. The first family entered the church to a standing ovation, then joined in singing with the choir, backed by a live band that included a guitar, keyboard and drums. Rev. Wallace Charles Smith welcomed the Obamas, noting the congregants pray for them every Sunday. At collection time, Obama and his daughters gave money in envelopes provided at their seats. The first family left after two hours, as the service approached its conclusion. The president and his family have attended services occasionally since moving to the White House in January 2009. Last Easter, the Obamas worshipped at a Methodist church. And for a special Easter treat check out some throwback images of a young Barack and his mother Stanley Ann Dunham… Source
Damn, so that’s what’s going on now? Beating senior citizens to death?? SMH A 61-year-old Bronx man was stomped to death in front of his home early yesterday when he got mixed up in a fight between a crazed man and a woman, police said. Quentin Guerrero, 61, was attacked at 1:30 a.m. in front of 480 E. 138th St. in Mott Haven by ex-con Kendall Major, 35, and his girlfriend, Tosheba Alford, 20, authorities said. “It was brutal. It was terrible,” said a 47-year-old livery cabdriver who tried to break up the fight. “There were a lot of people watching from their windows and no one was doing anything.” Oscar Porata, 58, who lives on the block, said: “I heard a loud thump, like someone hitting the floor, and that’s when I looked out and saw someone unconscious on the ground.” The couple was in a cab when they started arguing and hopped out near where Guerrero was standing, sources said. When Guerrero, a former Verizon technician, tried to speak with Alford, things turned sour, the sources added. Alford attacked Guerrero and Major kicked him repeatedly, said the cabby. Guerrero was rushed to Lincoln Hospital, where he died. Major and Alford, who live together in Far Rockaway, Queens, were charged with murder. We’re glad that the police charged both of these two with the murder. We’ve heard a lot of ignorant behavior in our day, but this sh*t right here… Source
There was a point when Murder Inc. was the most productive hit making squad in music. Ja Rule and Ashanti had the music biz on lock with hits like “Always On Time, Southside, Down 4 You” and more top 10 songs. The Inc. fell apart after an alleged drug dealer was linked to the group and rapper 50 Cent sought to destroy enemy–Ja Rule’s career. Lloyd, Ashanti and Ja Rule reunited on stage for the first time in years in NYC! This comes before Ja Rule starts his three year sentence in jail for tax evasion . Ja Rule To Drop New Album One Day Before Going To Jail 11 Rappers Notorious For Tax Problems
