Be Truthful. Copyright 2000-2023 Location Inc. He took an aggressive approach to the job, noting that the drug task force would plan periodic raids during which multiple dealers would be rounded up. Today, the newspaper has a daily circulation of 32,000 and a Sunday . Violent offenses tracked included rape, murder and non-negligent manslaughter, armed robbery, and aggravated assault, including assault with a deadly weapon. The coroner stressed the need for a morgue so that families can properly view and identify their deceased relatives. Couple that with a shortage of manpower that, as Merrill pointed out, forces the department to be reactive, rather than proactive, the city is missing opportunities to prevent some crimes from occurring. Mattas and the three investigators spent a week at the FBI headquarters in Quantico studying criminal profiling. Property crimes are motor vehicle theft, arson, larceny, and burglary. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Be Proactive. that is degrading to another person. W ASHINGTON CO., N.Y. ( WTEN) - A woman was fatally shot Saturday night after a homeowner allegedly opened fire on her and her friends, who mistakenly drove to the wrong address in upstate New . The night she was murdered, believed to be late on May 29, 1979, she had just completed her daily baby-sitting duties, and carrying her knitting and some clothes, she was picked up by her boyfriend and alleged fiance, Charles Soult, who worked for a local waste hauling company; his sister, Cathy, who was a good friend of Shades; and their brother, Michael. He was also charged in a fourth arson in 1983 by Blair Countys investigative grand jury, along with two other men, for a 1978 arson at a Williamsburg residence in which the co-conspirators were accused of organizing to collect insurance money. Coverage for, NOTICE Helena Agri-Enterprises LLC will be applying restricted use chemicals, NOTICE The Lawrence Township Zoning Hearing Board will meet on. For instance, her office has investigated a series of fatal fires. The Blair County Federation of Democratic Women will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 18, at Perkins Restaurant in Altoona. Pottemeyer explained that the husky men were members of Vince Caracciolos crew Caracciolo was the mob enforcer and Maras requested that one of the crew punch him to make the robbery look real. It was quite a case, quite a story, he said. AltoonaMirror 217 views2 years ago Featured Channels 95 subscribers 215 videos DIGITAL MARKETING FOR THE MODERN AGE EZToUse.com has all the digital marketing services you need - from websites, to. Aug 31, 2021 Aug 31, 2021 . Blair County judges have supported that theory over the years, and many such leaders who came to Altoona to sell drugs are now in the state prison system serving decades in jail. The Crossword Solver finds answers to classic crosswords and cryptic crossword puzzles. Date(s) & Update Frequency: Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Caracciolo, who said he was the enforcer for the Blair County mob, testified against his former associates, leading him to be under a protective witness program through the Blair County District Attorneys Office. Some have deficient work performances. He began hitting the street dealers hard, not waiting for a mass roundup. [2], A Mirror Printing Company sister newspaper, the Pennsylvania Mirror, was published between 1968 and 1977 and covered news and events in neighboring Centre County. In addition, Wright allegedly has a CO2 air pistol. Prosecutors said Clark, an alleged small-town drug dealer in Altoona, was killed to prevent him from carrying out threats to tell authorities about mob activities in the city. It is often mixed in with other drugs such as heroin, cocaine or crystal meth and often drug users have no idea their drugs have been tainted. Bret Pallotto primarily reports on courts and crime for the Centre Daily Times . Meanwhile, the 2020 UCR charade does not in fact put pressure on Altoonas competent, dedicated city officials to do a better job regarding their public safety responsibility. Upon my review of the record and the files related to Cambria County matters, I do not feel clemency would be appropriate given the level of premeditation and planning involved in these crimes, Krumenacker wrote. Apr 14, 2023. You have permission to edit this article. Daugherty was eventually put to death in Florida after being convicted of four robberies and two murders in the Altoona area the day before the execution of a much more famous serial killer, Ted Bundy. Raw data sources: Partly cloudy. According to statistics provided by Blair County Coroner Patty Ross, the bulk of the overdose deaths in 2021 were people in their 30s, 40s and 50s; the oldest overdose victim was 83, while the next oldest was 73. The group drove to an area off Wopsononock Mountain Road near an old railroad bed where the killing occurred. Charles was upset because Betty was going to leave him. A few flurries or snow showers possible. For more than 40 years, Blair County law enforcement has been confronting drug abuse and the recurrent crimes associated with it, but within the past couple of years, the drug war has turned more deadly than ever. Importantly, when you compare Altoona to other communities of similar population, then Altoona crime rate (violent and property crimes combined) is quite a bit higher than average. A Tyrone man is behind bars after being charged with possessing a firearm prohibited and unlawful restraint, among other charges. By 2006, the violence was once again surging. In referring to Operation Our Town, Feathers commented that by 2006, shootings, gang activity and drug overdoses were escalating. NEXT WEEK: Operation Our Town tries to help local law enforcement stem the influx of drugs. It was then taken to the dump site. She was the type who would pick up a wounded bird on the street and try to bring it back to health. What occurred after Shade got into Cathys car was the subject of a murder trial in 1981 in which Charles Soult was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death, on recommendation of a jury. Some drugs are horrible deaths, she said. 176 were here. In a letter dated May 3, Cambria County President Judge Norman Krumenacker III responded to the Board of Pardons request for opinion on the merits of the clemency application for Caracciolo, now in his mid-80s. Don't knowingly lie about anyone The profile predicted the killer would maintain a diary of the killing. Weeks was hired in Blair County to fill a new position in the DAs office funded by a novel organization, Operation Our Town. Pottmeyer and Bidelspach were the lead investigators who just a couple of years prior to the Shade murder tracked down serial killer Jeffrey Daugherty and, using a unique strategy, got Daugherty to admit to seven murders, two in the Altoona area, one in Virginia, three in Florida and one in Texas. When a user needed a fix, he would call a number and place an order in Brooklyn. Relative to Pennsylvania, Altoona has a crime rate that is higher than 89% of the state's cities and towns of all sizes. Click to reveal The. Drugs were having a major impact on crime. Many people believe that its the young who suffer the most severe consequences of the drug culture, but Ross 2021 inquests belie that assumption. April 11, 2023 - Local News. As the heat was turned up by the police, the leaders of the Bloods gang moved their operation back to Brooklyn. It is the hometown newspaper for Altoona and serves all of Blair County as well as parts of surrounding counties. Later that night at a home on the 1200 block of Blair Avenue, Wright got into an argument with a female victim and complained about police looking for him. State police close road in Curwensville to search for burglary suspect, Dutrow to return as consultant at West Branch, Grampian man killed in crash while fleeing police, West Branch downs Curwensville after big sixth inning, Three Curwensville HS students honored for winning patriotism essay contest, Westover man killed in weekend motorcycle crash, 14680 Clearfield Shawville Hwy, Clearfield, PA 16830, DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. He was born in Altoona. They unanimously wanted to utilize criminal profiling to obtain a clearer picture of who would have committed such a horrible crime. When the officer yelled Lori, she responded with What. At that point, the officer told her to open the front door or Im going to kick it in. Rhodes was taken into custody without further incident, police reported. The street dealers didnt know what hit them, he said. You have permission to edit this article. He believes in treatment options and other programs, but he stressed the safety of the community is his top priority. Shades murder and her killer, who turned out to be her boyfriend, Charles F. Soult, 26, of Altoona, is fictionally depicted in a 10-episode Netflix show Mindhunter, which began airing Oct. 13. His testimony was that he took Clark to Mineral Point in Cambria County, put a shopping bag over his head and put an axe through his skull. Caracciolo was 49 when he was issued a life sentence for Clarks murder. State police estimated Huber was traveling between 77 and 84 mph five seconds prior to crashing. 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Altoona woman sentenced in death of 5-year-old son, By Jeff Corcino She apologized for her actions, especially to the childs father. Howard Lenale Wright, 42, was arraigned Thursday before Magisterial District Judge Fred B. Miller on a felony charge of possessing a firearm and two misdemeanor charges of terroristic threats and simple assault along with a misdemeanor count each of unlawful restraint and possessing an instrument of crime. According to NeighborhoodScout's analysis of FBI reported crime data, your chance of becoming a victim of one of these crimes in Altoona is one in 147. This image released by Netflix shows Jonathan Groff in a scene from the 10-episode series, Mindhunter.. We won't share it with anyone else. Select your ideal criteria and let Scout do the rest. The money for the transaction would be transferred back to Brooklyn each day. A special unit of state police troopers, led by Ed Pottmeyer, did the investigative work for the grand jury, which was led by Philadelphia County Assistant District Attorney L. George Parry, who remains in practice in the City of Brotherly Love, and Special Assistant Attorney General D. Brooks Smith, who eventually became a Blair County district attorney and judge and who recently went into semi-retirement as the chief judge of the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals. The paper remained in the Slep family until being sold to Thomson Newspapers in 1984. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. She read romance novels and loved to sew, to embroider items and to give them as gifts. His body was found in a burning car along a rural Cambria County road not far from the Blair County line. The agreement with the Brotherhood of Railway Signalmen will provide about 900 signal employees with four new days of paid sick leave per year while also BEDFORD A Bedford County woman pleaded guilty to the seven charges filed against her for her role in the burning and burying of the body of Tyler John Matthai in April 2022. Maras, in court testimony, claimed he was making thousands of dollars a week on quaaludes and other drugs. Copyright Altoona Mirror | https://www.altoonamirror.com | 301 Cayuga Ave., Altoona, PA 16602 | 814-946-7411. He attempted to pass a slower vehicle by crossing the single, broken yellow centerline, police wrote. Reflects 2021 calendar year; released from FBI in Oct. 2022 (latest available). 7,043,501 and 7,680,859. The grand jury team, after four years of work, was eventually discontinued, but Pottmeyer, 82 and retired, maintains there was still plenty of work remaining for that special unit to do. Unable to post $30,000 bail, she was remanded to the Blair County Prison. Because of the nature of the OCR technology, sometimes the language can appear to be nonsensical. 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Its no wonder, as carfentanil is used as a tranquilizer for elephants and other large mammals and is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl. Weeks said he supported the way McTigue went about his job in 2006-08, when the Altoona officer retired. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. He said that detectives Long and Horton put an awful lot of work into the case. Today's breaking news and more in your inbox. The probation department recommended a minimum sentence of three months in jail, which is at the top of the mitigated range and at the bottom of the standard range in the sentencing guidelines, Ammerman said. At that sentencing, Caracciolo said he found a father figure in Verilla and apologized to trial Judge Caram J. Abood. That is the National Incident-Based Reporting System that hasnt reached Altoona yet a crimes-data-compilation that would do away with the hierarchy rule and provide many more details of criminal incidents. The NeighborhoodScout search engine is covered under US Patents No. Get our expert short-term forecast, summary of the weather details and news of any severe weather. anyone who read Mirror reporter William Kibler's article of July 13 about the chief's presentation to the city council on . Soults attorney, Norman D. Callan, an assistant Blair County public defender, fought successfully for the dismissal of the death penalty, arguing that one of the aggravating circumstances used by the jury in recommending death torture was improper because the multitude of injuries that so shocked the police officers occurred after death. There were many other pieces to the profile. On the drug front, she remains very concerned almost stunned by the recent uptick in drug deaths by fentanyl and methamphetamine, alone and mixed with other drugs, including heroin and oxycodone. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. The name of the teenage driver and her passenger were redacted in the charging document obtained by the Centre Daily Times. Signalmen agree to sick leave Fiore said, Weve all seen whats happening in our neighborhoods because of the rise of illegal drug use. If we, for one minute, let our guard down, we will find ourselves back where we started, Feathers said. Vincent D. Caracciolo filed an application for clemency with the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons April 17 seeking commutation of his remaining sentence. Police one night served one of their many search warrants at a Bell Avenue home. They come to these areas to make money, he stated emphatically. Signup today! He said he didnt seek a stiffer penalty because there was no evidence that Huber was under the influence of drugs or alcohol during the crash and said the crash was caused by Hubers speeding. Crime risk indices are nationally comparable on a 1 100 scale, where 100 means safer than 100% of U.S. neighborhoods. He found Horton, Long and Logan Township Police Chief John Reeder waiting. The bulk of the overdose deaths in 2021 were people in their 30s, 40s and 50s; the oldest overdose victim was 83, while the next oldest was 73, according to statistics. Low around 35F. Operation Our Town is a fantastic benefit to us, Weeks said as he lent his support to an Our Town program that gives young people what he calls a good environment to go to after school. I cant be beholden to the facts, Fincher said on the podcast. The newspaper was founded on June 13, 1874 as The Evening Mirror by Harry E. Slep and George J. Akers (Slep & Akers Company). The Altoona Mirror newspaper, founded in 1876 by Harry Slep, is Altoona's oldest media outlet. Hes also set to be charged with four summary traffic violations. A statistics framework constructed atop a foundation of incomplete information cannot provide the kind of guidance necessary to deal with such an important topic as crime. The Altoona portion of the series, which has generated a great deal of comment locally, begins with episode 4 and continues through episodes 5 and 6. Jocelyn Brumbaugh is a reporter for the Tribune-Democrat. People would be sent to Maras, who would prescribe the pills. Jackson, then 29, remembers viewing the scene and in his initial shock exclaiming, Are we really seeing what we are seeing?. Are they in fact not willing to pay a small amount more for a safer city? Jeffrey D. Miles Jr., 37, of Ferguson Township, was driving a 2018 Toyota Highlander about 75 mph in a 55 mph zone when he slammed head-on into a 2006 Pontiac G6, state police at Bedford wrote in an affidavit of probable cause. He said he was appointed as the lead detective of the vice-narcotics unit to stop the violence. ALTOONA MIRROR . Success! Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, Her preliminary hearing is set for Tuesday before Magisterial District Judge Fred B. Miller. Use the archive to gain a local perspective on historical news, to research your family history, or to simply read about a person or event of interest. Crime risk data are updated annually. Judge Jolene G. Kopriva ordered the second life sentence and sentence for the arsons be consecutive to the one issued for Clarks murder. High 49F. Low 36F. The drug sweep put an end to the $2 million drug operation. Weeks, however, emphasizes his office does not focus on race when it comes to sentencing, and he continues to seek long sentences for those who deal drugs, particularly for repeat offenders. Generally cloudy. The Crossword Solver found 30 answers to "crime lab scientist (letters 8 19", 15 letters crossword clue. Altoona Detective John McTigue was placed in charge of the citys vice and narcotics unit. Another strong supporter of Operation Our Town is Randy Feathers, a former Altoona police officer who eventually ascended to the position of director of the State College Regional Office of the Attorney Generals Bureau of Narcotics Investigations and Control. In a report issued that year by Operation Our Town, Altoona Police Chief Joseph Merrill stated his officers responded to 250 overdoses. The profile of Shades killer indicated he was a white male between 17 and 25 and that he would be thin or wiry. At least that has been the experience in Blair County. They can feel the lethal effects of the drug by touching it. Inquest reports filed annually with the Blair County Courthouse show that of the 57 drug deaths last year, 45 were males. The following is the first in a series of articles looking into the drug crisis in Blair County. When that feedback is received, clemency hearings can be granted if three Board of Pardons members approve. Sassano, who was the chief of the AGs Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and Drug Control, views the problem as statewide. She had a wonderful, wonderful reputation, he said. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. A Tyrone woman wanted on several warrants was taken into custody Tuesday after officers with the Blair County Sheriffs Office threatened to kick in her door. It was detected in about 800 drug deaths in the U.S. in 2020 most of them in the Northeast. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. Your IP: She died at the crash. An Altoona man who confessed to several mob-related arsons and two murders throughout Blair and Cambria counties in the 1970s and 1980s has applied for clemency in hopes of reducing the remainder. That is a far cry from the 2021 total of 57, and it does not include the overdose cases treated by hospital emergency personnel. His team also concluded the local family was involved in all types of crime, including arsons, loan sharking and murder. The overdose count is probably much higher, now that naloxone, a drug used to reverse the effects of an overdose, is readily available at pharmacies. During a recent workday, her office was extremely busy, and Ross had a heavy burden to bear informing a mother that her son had died of a heroin overdose. There was an error processing your request. In one of her inquest reports, she listed fentanyl, heroin and THC the active ingredient that affects the mental state of a marijuana user as the cause of death. Below is the OCR data for 17 May 1987 Altoona Mirror in Altoona, Pennsylvania.