Tyler Hadley Pal Says Florida Teen Told Him He Would Kill Parents, Showed Him Their Bodies: Cops
July 22, 2011 No Comment
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A Florida teenager didn’t believe his best friend when he said he was going to kill his parents. He had heard the threats before. He wasn’t convinced hours later when Tyler Hadley, 17, confessed to him in gruesome detail how he had attacked his parents with a hammer, or when he pointed to their cars in the driveway, even though they were nowhere to be seen as dozens of teens held a rowdy party inside. None of it seemed real, the friend told police, until he was led to the master bedroom to see the unthinkable: The bloody, lifeless bodies of Blake and Mary-Jo Hadley, dead on the floor. The account of the unidentified friend, who ultimately tipped off police, is contained in an affidavit released by authorities Wednesday, in which the killings are described in horrific detail. Hadley is charged with murder and being held without bond. His public defender entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf Wednesday. Police say Hadley posted word on Facebook before the killings Saturday that he was having a party that night, and as many as 60 people eventually showed up. Questioned by police, the friend, who has been identified only as “MM,” said Hadley told him he stood behind his mother for about five minutes Saturday as she sat at a computer. He contemplated her killing before finally plunging into her head with a hammer, according to the police documents. Screaming, the mother mustered one final question to her son, according to the friend’s account: “Why?” Hadley’s father came to the room, locking eyes with the attacker for a moment before the teen began hitting him with the hammer, according to the friend. The boy took his parents’ cell phones away ahead of the attack so they couldn’t call for help, according to his friend’s account. When it was over, and the parents were dead, Hadley spent three hours cleaning up the blood, before hosting the party at his Port St. Lucie home, his friend told police, recounting what he’d been told. He was surprised how long the cleanup took. Hadley’s public defender, Mark Harllee, said Wednesday he couldn’t comment further. “We’re still looking at all the facts and all the paperwork,” he said. The lead prosecutor on the case, Tom Bakkedahl, said of the affidavit: “It’s clear to us that there’s sufficient facts to charge with premeditated murder.” The friend of Hadley’s told police the suspect called him Saturday afternoon claiming he planned to kill his parents, a threat that “MM” didn’t take seriously because it had been made in the past. Later that day, the friend told police, Hadley made the same threat again. At the party that night, Hadley asked the friend to step outside to talk and told him of the killings, according to the report. “MM” described himself as incredulous before he was shown a bloody footprint in the garage and, ultimately, the bodies in the bedroom, police said. Police responded to Hadley’s home early Sunday morning after receiving the tip from his friend. When they arrived, they found a “nervous, frantic and very talkative” Hadley, dressed all in black, with enlarged pupils and “a blank stare.” Inside, the home was in disarray, according to police, littered with beer bottles and the butts of cigars. Dried blood appeared to be on the frame of the locked master bedroom door. When they got inside, a large amount of blood was seen on the floor and bed sheets. Dining room chairs, a coffee table, clothing, picture frames, mirrors, bedding, towels and miscellaneous papers were strewn about the room, according to the report. An officer removed two chairs, saw a man’s blood-covered leg, and called for an ambulance. He told his friend he planned to commit suicide by taking painkillers when police ultimately arrived, according to the report.
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RMT union leader renews plan to combine with TSSA over threatened cuts, but critic brands move a Gordon Gekko-style takeover Bob Crow may increase his power over the rail industry after the RMT trade union announced merger talks with its closest rival, the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA). A combined RMT and TSSA would have 110,000 members and cover all roles across the rail network from train drivers to signallers. One prominent critic of trade union activism labelled the move a “Gordon Gekko-style takeover” that threatened disruption for commuters. The merger talks, long-mooted in labour movement circles, have taken on renewed urgency in the wake of a report into cutting industry costs by Sir Roy McNulty, former chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority, which threw down the gauntlet to trade unions by calling for reform of working practices and an end to inflation-busting pay increases. The industrial temperature was raised further this week when Network Rail, the owner of Britain’s rail tracks and stations, indicated it will shed 4,000 signallers over the next decade. The RMT said: “The McNulty review has forced the pace on this. It has focused attention on the fact that we are facing the biggest attack on the railways since privatisation.” Crow, RMT general secretary, welcomed a “historical day” for the trade union movement while his TSSA counterpart, Gerry Doherty, said bringing the unions together would “protect workers in the very uncertain future that they currently face”. However, a Conservative MP who has led calls for stronger regulation of trade unions warned that a successful merger would increase the threat of strike action on the railways and the London Underground. “This will be a Gordon Gekko-style takeover by Bob Crow, not an act of fraternal solidarity,” said Dominic Raab MP. “With TSSA and RMT spoiling for a fight, it is an attempt to strengthen union opposition to vital reforms to UK rail infrastructure – and it heightens the risk of strike action for passengers.” A rail industry source admitted that “a certain amount of nervousness” could be sensed among rail industry executives, amid expectations that if the merger talks are successful Crow will emerge as leader of the combined entity because the blue-collar RMT has about 80,000 members compared with 30,000 at the more moderate and white-collar TSSA. “Barely a month goes by when the RMT does not threaten industrial action somewhere, whereas the TSSA tends not to take such an aggressive approach to strike action,” said the source. One trade union source said a merger faced significant hurdles, as indicated by the unions’ respective attitudes towards strike action. “Politically, both unions are poles apart,” said the source, pointing to the TSSA’s close links with the Labour party, whereas the RMT was expelled by Labour in 2004 for its links with the Trotskyist Scottish Socialist party. The source stressed that the official statement also referred to both unions working together through a “federation structure” that would allow much closer co-operation “with a view to moving towards a merger”. The RMT and TSSA have worked together recently, despite tough rules on joint walkouts, by staging joint strike action on the London Underground. Nonetheless, trade unions are being driven into mergers for financial as well as strategic reasons. According to the Office for National Statistics, trade unions lost 179,000 members last year, leaving a total membership of 6.5 million. Britain’s largest trade union, Unite, is launching cut-price memberships for students and the unemployed as it seeks to widen recruitment from workplaces to local communities. The former head of Unite, Tony Woodley, has also warned that the union movement’s finances are being hit by falling membership. Against that backdrop, the RMT is a success story, having gained around 30,000 members since Crow was elected leader a decade ago. In contrast, the TSSA has flatlined, staying at 30,000 members since the middle of the last decade. Rail transport Bob Crow Trade unions Transport policy Dan Milmo guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …RMT union leader renews plan to combine with TSSA over threatened cuts, but critic brands move a Gordon Gekko-style takeover Bob Crow may increase his power over the rail industry after the RMT trade union announced merger talks with its closest rival, the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA). A combined RMT and TSSA would have 110,000 members and cover all roles across the rail network from train drivers to signallers. One prominent critic of trade union activism labelled the move a “Gordon Gekko-style takeover” that threatened disruption for commuters. The merger talks, long-mooted in labour movement circles, have taken on renewed urgency in the wake of a report into cutting industry costs by Sir Roy McNulty, former chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority, which threw down the gauntlet to trade unions by calling for reform of working practices and an end to inflation-busting pay increases. The industrial temperature was raised further this week when Network Rail, the owner of Britain’s rail tracks and stations, indicated it will shed 4,000 signallers over the next decade. The RMT said: “The McNulty review has forced the pace on this. It has focused attention on the fact that we are facing the biggest attack on the railways since privatisation.” Crow, RMT general secretary, welcomed a “historical day” for the trade union movement while his TSSA counterpart, Gerry Doherty, said bringing the unions together would “protect workers in the very uncertain future that they currently face”. However, a Conservative MP who has led calls for stronger regulation of trade unions warned that a successful merger would increase the threat of strike action on the railways and the London Underground. “This will be a Gordon Gekko-style takeover by Bob Crow, not an act of fraternal solidarity,” said Dominic Raab MP. “With TSSA and RMT spoiling for a fight, it is an attempt to strengthen union opposition to vital reforms to UK rail infrastructure – and it heightens the risk of strike action for passengers.” A rail industry source admitted that “a certain amount of nervousness” could be sensed among rail industry executives, amid expectations that if the merger talks are successful Crow will emerge as leader of the combined entity because the blue-collar RMT has about 80,000 members compared with 30,000 at the more moderate and white-collar TSSA. “Barely a month goes by when the RMT does not threaten industrial action somewhere, whereas the TSSA tends not to take such an aggressive approach to strike action,” said the source. One trade union source said a merger faced significant hurdles, as indicated by the unions’ respective attitudes towards strike action. “Politically, both unions are poles apart,” said the source, pointing to the TSSA’s close links with the Labour party, whereas the RMT was expelled by Labour in 2004 for its links with the Trotskyist Scottish Socialist party. The source stressed that the official statement also referred to both unions working together through a “federation structure” that would allow much closer co-operation “with a view to moving towards a merger”. The RMT and TSSA have worked together recently, despite tough rules on joint walkouts, by staging joint strike action on the London Underground. Nonetheless, trade unions are being driven into mergers for financial as well as strategic reasons. According to the Office for National Statistics, trade unions lost 179,000 members last year, leaving a total membership of 6.5 million. Britain’s largest trade union, Unite, is launching cut-price memberships for students and the unemployed as it seeks to widen recruitment from workplaces to local communities. The former head of Unite, Tony Woodley, has also warned that the union movement’s finances are being hit by falling membership. Against that backdrop, the RMT is a success story, having gained around 30,000 members since Crow was elected leader a decade ago. In contrast, the TSSA has flatlined, staying at 30,000 members since the middle of the last decade. Rail transport Bob Crow Trade unions Transport policy Dan Milmo guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Acclaimed British painter Lucian Freud has died Wednesday night after a long career that saw him hailed as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. Freud, grandson of the psychiatrist Sigmund, moved to Britain from Berlin as a child when his family fled Nazi Germany. He became famous…
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Investigators say the driver of a bus that was struck by a tractor trailer had his license suspended in New York. The crash killed the truck driver and injured at least 30 others. (July 22)
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Investigators say the driver of a bus that was struck by a tractor trailer had his license suspended in New York. The crash killed the truck driver and injured at least 30 others. (July 22)
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OSLO – A massive bomb shattered Norway’s main government building in Oslo on Friday, killing two people police were quoted as saying by local news agency NTB. There was no claim of responsibility, though NATO member Norway has been the target of threats, if not bombs, before, notably over its involvement in conflicts in Afghanistan and Libya. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg was safe, NTB said. NRK radio said at least two people were killed in an attack…
Continue reading …Sprint readies Nexus S 4G update with improved WiMAX performance, we go hands-on (video)
July 22, 2011 No Comment
How would you feel about a little Android 2.3.5 (!) action on that Nexus S 4G of yours? What about some WiMAX performance improvements? You should be getting all that plus WiFi connectivity and speakerphone quality tweaks, along with TTY support on Monday July 25th, which is when Sprint is expected to begin rolling out an OTA update for Samsung’s pure Gingerbread handset. We were given an exclusive first look at the new software, and while it’s still being finalized, we tested it side-by-side with the original, and our results show a welcome increase in 4G speeds across the board. As you may remember, we observed repeatable WiMAX performance issues with the old software, so this update is excellent news indeed. The amount of improvement will likely depend on your locale, but even in signal-challenged San Francisco and New York we noticed the difference right away — so kudos to Google, Samsung, and Sprint for addressing this. We also experienced performance in-line with our Epic 4G — the benchmark device used for our initial testing with the previous firmware version. Take a look at our gallery below, and peek at our hands-on video after the break. Gallery: Sprint Nexus S 4G update Zach Honig contributed to this report. Continue reading Sprint readies Nexus S 4G update with improved WiMAX performance, we go hands-on (video) Sprint readies Nexus S 4G update with improved WiMAX performance, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn’t want to pay spousal support or cover all attorney fees for Maria Shriver as their 25-year marriage comes to an end, according to court papers filed Wednesday. Divorce lawyers say the request is unusual and may be a sign that the former governor believes Shriver will receive…
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Pilot whales, thought to be of same pod which became stranded in Outer Hebrides in May, find themselves stuck in sea loch A rescue operation has been launched to save around 60 pilot whales which have become stranded in a sea loch in the Highlands. The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, which has sent a team to the area near the Kyle of Durness, said there is a chance that the pod is the same one that became stranded in the Outer Hebrides in May, leaving two whales dead. The coastguard was alerted late on Friday morning to say that a pod of whales appeared to be in difficulty on the remote coastline. Aberdeen coastguard said it had two teams on site, with a third on its way. A spokesman said: “We got a call at about 11.45am from a member of one of our coastguard teams up there. At first it was thought there were 40 minke whales but now it is thought there is up to 60 long-finned pilot whales. They are stuck in rock-pools and the tide is receding.” British Divers Marine Life Rescue is also en route to the scene. The BDMLR said it had received reports of 15 pilot whales trapped in rock pools. “We are scrambling as many people there as possible,” a spokesman said. Danny Groves of the conservation society said the pod could be the same one involved in a stranding near South Uist in May. In that incident, 60 of the mammals swam into a narrow and rocky sea loch on the island’s coast prompting fears that dozens could be killed in a mass beaching. Two were found dead as the pod eventually left Loch Carnan, on the north-east corner of South Uist. At the time, officials in Ireland were warned to watch out for a mass stranding on their shores. Last year, 35 pilot whales that appeared to be in danger of beaching in Loch Carnan left South Uist intact but less than a week later, 33 of the pod were found dead on a deserted island off County Donegal. “It could well be (the same pod),” said Groves. “That’s the group mentality. The last time, back in May, we thought one or two may have been injured. They operate in a very social group. Rather than leave, the others would come in and follow the injured.” Groves said other possible reasons for stranding behaviour could be noise pollution from sonar or drilling. Until a whale died and a post-mortem was carried out, it was difficult to say what the cause might be. Whales Marine life Conservation Scotland Kirsty Scott guardian.co.uk
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