Man awaiting sentencing in Zoloft rape case is found dead

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Convicted sex offender commits suicide in prison

10-29-2012 Pennsylvania:

A former Bensalem man serving 10 years in state prison for two sexual assaults was found hanging in his cell earlier this week.

Marvin Landaverry, 53, whose last address was Arrowhead Drive, was found unresponsive about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, less than one month after he arrived at the State Correctional Institute at Graterford in Montgomery County, according to prison spokeswoman Wendy Shaylor.

County Coroner Dr. Walter Hofman performed an autopsy Thursday morning and ruled Landaverry’s death a suicide; he asphyxiated as a result of hanging.

As per policy, the prison staff and Pennsylvania State Police are investigating the death, but no further details, including what Landaverry used to hang himself, were released. Hofman said additional tests are being performed and results should be available in six weeks.

Landaverry pleaded guilty in June to charges of sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault on a person under age 13, aggravated indecent assault on a person under age 16 and related offenses involving two crimes that date to 2007 and 2011, according to court records. He had been at Graterford since Sept. 24, shortly after a Bucks County judge sentenced him to a minimum 10 years in prison for the two cases.

Bristol Township police initially charged Landaverry in January with indecent assault of a girl in 2007. In April, Bristol Township arraigned him on new charges of sexual assault and aggravated indecent assault involving an adult woman.

The woman reported to police in January that she had been sexually assaulted by Landaverry at his Croydon home and various worksites between March and July 2011, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in the case.

The woman said she lives in “fear and terror” almost daily because of the attacks, according to the court documents.

After the woman moved, the attacks stopped, according to the documents. But the woman told police the suspect showed up unannounced at a family gathering during the holidays at her new home.

What the woman didn’t know is that another girl had already reported to police similar sexual assault allegations that occurred in 2007, according to the affidavit. Bucks County detectives had investigated those claims and Landaverry admitted to sexually assaulting the girl, according to the affidavit.

The methods Landaverry used to assault the girl were similar to those alleged by the woman, according to the affidavit. ..Source.. by Jo Ciavaglia Staff write

Utah man accused of date raping 4 women found dead of apparent suicide

10-24-2012 Utah:

Four separate times, prosecutors say, Gregory Peterson lured women under the pretext of a movie or lunch -- and sexually assaulted them.

He kept one captive in his mother's house for several days, they said

He threatened to report another, whose visa had expired, for deportation, charging documents alleged.

And in each case, authorities said, he forced the women to engage in sex acts by pointing to guns he possessed.

For those alleged crimes, Peterson was awaiting trial on more than two dozen charges.

But the criminal case ended Tuesday when the Utah man -- who'd bailed out of jail just four days earlier -- was found in his cabin, dead of an apparent suicide.

"This has been a tragedy of a case from the beginning," said Wasatch County Attorney Scott Sweat.

A bail bondsman found Peterson in his Wasatch County cabin Tuesday evening while checking on him because his ankle monitor signal was getting weak, Sheriff Todd Bonner said.

It's unclear whether he left a note, Bonner said.

Deputies noticed "activity" with his monitor early in the afternoon as Peterson walked around outside his cabin, Bonner said. Peterson had a number of weapons inside his home, he added.

Cara Tangaro, one of two lawyers representing Peterson, said she was "completely 100% shocked by the news."

"If we thought he had been suicidal at all, we obviously would have taken that into account, or tried to get him help, or talk him out of bailing out," she said early Wednesday morning.

"We actually felt we had a trial-able case," she added. "We were very much looking forward to getting his side of the story out there and having our day in court."

The Salt Lake County district attorney charged Peterson, 37, in July with a range of crimes including rape, assault, and forcible sexual abuse against the four women. After spending three months in jail, he was released Friday on a $2 million bail.

The women detailed the alleged sexual abuse in a July charging document.

The first woman, identified only as S.M., described meeting Peterson at a church event in March 2011 and agreeing to go to a movie with him. Instead of going to the theater, she said, he drove her to his cabin, assaulting her both on the drive and during the night.

The woman said she was scared because there were weapons both in the car and in his cabin. Peterson drove her back to her car the next morning, she said.

The other women said they met Peterson online.

One said Peterson asked her to dinner in July 2011 but instead drove her to his cabin, sexually assaulting her on the way and through the night. She said he talked about her expired visa and threatened to deport her.

Peterson then drove her to his mother's house and kept her there for three days before driving her home and assaulting her again, she said.

The other assaults allegedly occurred at the women's homes in December 2011 and last April when he arrived to take them to lunch, they said.

"He maintained his innocence to us from Day 1 and never wavered from that," Tangaro, his attorney said.

Asked whether the apparent suicide indicates Peterson was guilty of the crimes, Sweat -- the Wasatch County attorney -- said: "I think everyone's going to have to make up their minds on that." ..Source.. by CNN Wire Staff

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Tea party activist commits suicide; struggled after sex case arrest

10--24-2012

Tea party activist Gregory Peterson once hosted some of Utah's biggest Republican names at a barbecue at his Wasatch County cabin. Among them were U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, Gov. Gary Herbert and Mia Love, the up-and-coming mayor of Saratoga Springs who is locked in a dead heat to unseat six-term Congressman Jim Matheson.

Peterson was a regular at GOP functions as the creator of the Rocky Mountain Conservatives group. He held fundraisers and even organized a debate between two GOP candidates for Utah attorney general.

It all came crashing down in July, when he was charged with sexually assaulting women at the cabin. On Tuesday, he was found dead there in what authorities called an apparent suicide.

Cara Tangaro, one of his attorneys, said she had spent many hours with Peterson on his criminal case.

"He's always maintained his innocence, and we felt like he was excited to be out and to be able to work with us on preparing his case," she said. "Quite frankly, this is the last thing we expected."

Peterson pleaded not guilty to 23 felony charges, including assault, rape and kidnapping. In August, four women from Salt Lake City and one from Wasatch County testified at a preliminary hearing that he had sexually assaulted them.

Some said they had met him on Mormon dating websites and at church functions.

Peterson was jailed after his arrest in July and held until posting $2 million bail on Oct. 19. He was due back in court on Nov. 2.

Tangaro said he had been elated on his first night out of jail.

But just four days later, two bail bond agents were dispatched to the cabin to check on him because his ankle monitor was not responding. Wasatch County Chief Deputy Jared Rigby confirmed that Peterson was found with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Peterson, a certified public accountant and the owner of Peterson Wealth Management, had been a fixture at Utah Republican gatherings.

Utah Republican Party Chairman Thomas Wright declined to comment Wednesday on his death, saying Peterson had no official role with the party.

Lynn Robertson, a victim's advocate for Wasatch County, said she notified one of the alleged victims of his death.

"We were all kind of speechless at that point. It just happened so quickly," Robertson said.

Tangaro said Peterson had a master's degree, a good job and good reputation, but his ties to the Republican Party seemed to fuel media coverage of his arrest. He worried he might not be able to overcome that coverage, she said.

"As his legal team, we were very much looking forward to putting this case in front of a jury, and when a jury got to hear his side of the story, we definitely felt like an acquittal was a possibility," she said. "We're frustrated that this is how it ended, and we're sad that this is how it ended. I don't know why Greg did what he did. Only he knows that." ..Source.. by amarillo.com

Death of Eaton Rapids woman charged with sexual assault still under investigation

10-23-2012 Michigan:

An Eaton Rapids woman charged with sexually assaulting two boys at an Ingham County home for children had met with her attorney the same day she died unexpectedly.

Attorney Larry Nolan said he met with 44-year-old Misty Botke on Saturday afternoon, and she seemed to be fine. She died sometime Saturday night.

“My understanding is that they have not assigned a cause of death,” Nolan said. “Until those reports come back, I can’t tell you if she had a heart attack or any other thing.”

Eaton Rapids Police Chief Paul Malewski said today no final determination has been made about how or why Botke died.

Television news reports initially said police believed Botke’s death was a suicide. But those reports did not cite sources.

In an email today, Malewski said it would be “inappropriate” to comment on the manner and cause of death until the county’s medical examiner has made a determination. Eaton County contracts with Sparrow Health System's forensic pathology department for medical examiner services.

An autopsy has been performed and Malewski said that toxicology tests are pending. Those tests can take several weeks to be completed.

Botke was charged Oct. 16 with seven counts of criminal sexual conduct in Ingham County. Officials said she assaulted two boys over an eight-year period while working at the VFW National Home for Children in Onondaga Township. They were between the ages of 12 and 18, officials said. Botke was released last week on a $15,000 bond. ..Source.. by Kevin Grasha

Local Alleged Sex Offender Apparently Commits Suicide

10-12-2012 North Carolina:

The Henderson County Sheriff's detectives were on the scene Friday investigating a self-inflicted gunshot wound at 3567 Evans Rd. in Hendersonville.

Richard David Serena, 50 years of age, has been identified as the victim and is deceased. Mr. Serena had been charged recently by the Henderson County Sheriff's Office with two counts of indecent liberties with a minor, one count of crime against nature, and one count of second degree sex offense. Mr. Serena was out on bond pending trial.

According to reports earlier in the week, Serena had been charged with sex offenses earlier this year...and was out on bond, awaiting trial on those charges as well.

The sheriff's department's investigation is continuing. ..Source.. by WHKP Radio

More alleged abuse cases surface at Shattuck-St. Mary's School

10-10-2012 Minnesota:

FARIBAULT, Minn. - A day after prosecutors charged a drama teacher with sexually assaulting several boys, there are allegations two more teachers may have been involved in sexual misconduct with students at Shattuck St. Mary's School.

Fairbault Police say 34-year-old teacher Leonard Jones killed himself in 2008 after Shattuck-St. Mary's school officials confronted him about an alleged sexual relationship with an underage female foreign exchange student.

Only after the suicide did the school tell police about allegations of a sexual relationship involving a teacher and student.

"It's hard for us to do our job when instances like that don't get reported," said Captain Neal Pederson with the Faribault Police Department.

Pederson believes the outcome may have been different if police would have been contacted earlier.

"If we had been present, he would not have been allowed to go back in to his house unescorted by himself and able to shoot himself," he said.

Pederson tells KARE 11 that Jones told school officials he had to get his jacket from his home. He then apparently walked back into his house where he shot himself.

Shattuck-St. Mary's officials claim they did everything they could.

"After assessing the allegation, school officials immediately put in place a plan to remove this individual from the school so that an investigation could be conducted and appropriate notifications made. The suicide occurred that evening while that plan was being carried out," said Shattuck spokesperson Jon Austin in an email.

Austin added that the school notified parents and students after the incident.

That said, police believe they could have done more.

"They had ample time to call us and notify us to be there," said Pederson.

Also Tuesday, another apparent victim came forward claiming to have been sexually assaulted by a third former Shattuck staffer back in the 1980's.

Police interviewed that person Tuesday and say they are investigating.

Shattuck-St. Mary's insists it was unaware of the allegations.

"But we encourage anyone who believes they may have information regarding such matters, from any period of time, to come forward," said Austin.

"It suggests that there may be real confusion at the school at best," said attorney Gregg Meyers about what the school believes it should report.

Meyers says his law firm, Jeff Anderson and Associates, has been in contact with the most recent alleged victim as well as three other apparent victims of former Shattuck St. Mary's drama teacher Lynn Seibel.

Seibel is accused of sexually molesting at least six students from 1996 to 2003 during so-called "group sessions" where he showed pornography, taught male students how to masturbate and measured their genitals. He was only fired after school officials found child porn on his computer in 2003.

While school officials say they reported the allegations involving Seibel to police, which is mandated by law, police claim they were not notified.

Meyers believes it raises serious questions about whether the school was more worried about its reputation than the safety of its students, something the school denies.

"Instead of acting in the manner that protects children they react in the protective manner to try to keep it quiet," said Meyers.

Pederson said it is too early to know if charges could be filed against any Shattuck-St. Mary's school officials for not reporting past misconduct allegations, but he added police are looking into it. ..Source.. by Jay Olstad

Police chief defends probe of teacher who committed suicide

10-5-2012 California:

ALBANY, Calif. -- Albany's police chief is defending the way his department handled its investigation into a teacher who was arrested on suspicion of molestation but committed suicide before he was charged with a crime.

In a statement he issued on Thursday, Police Chief Mike McQuiston said, "James Izumizaki's arrest and subsequent suicide understandably upset many in our small community. It's clear that people are hurt and confused by this tragic turn of events."

Izumizaki, 28, a sixth-grade teacher at Albany Middle School, was arrested at his Albany home on Sept. 26 on suspicion of performing lewd acts with a child under the age of 14. He posted bail the following day and was released.

The Alameda County District Attorney's Office was reviewing the case and his arraignment tentatively was set for Oct. 24, but he hadn't been charged as of Monday morning when he was found dead in his car on Via Alamitos in San Leandro.

A makeshift memorial for Izumizaki was set up at Albany Middle School after his death and some students and parents criticized Albany police for the way they investigated the case.

But McQuiston said in his statement that a judge approved a probable cause warrant enabling police to search Izumizaki's home, which provided evidence in the case.

He said, "This step provided judicial scrutiny of the evidence.

This independent, third-party review by a magistrate uninvolved with the investigation is a safeguard against police abuse of the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment."

McQuiston's statement also indicates that there were multiple victims, although it doesn't specify how many.

He said, "The reported victims in this matter are minors" and he wants to thank "those victims and witnesses who have shown great courage and character by coming forward."

McQuiston said the Albany police investigation "continues today and will continue until all known leads are exhausted" despite Izumaki's death.

He also said police will share with the school district any information they share during their investigation if it "might help our school district colleagues better protect their students."

McQuiston said he released the statement "because I believe in transparent and responsive policing." ..Source.. by ABC7

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Albany teacher suicide, molestation arrest split community

ALBANY -- When Marlon Short's daughter returned from volleyball practice Monday night, her dad sat her down in the living room and broke the news to her: "Mr. I," her longtime basketball coach and favorite middle school teacher, had killed himself.

"She was physically shaking," Short said of his daughter, now a St. Mary's High School junior.

The week before, the 35-year-old Albany father had told her of Albany Middle School teacher James Izumizaki's arrest, on suspicion of committing a lewd act on a girl younger than 14.

"These last two weeks have been crazy," Short said Thursday, shaking his head while standing outside the middle school on his way to a parents-only meeting on how to help their children cope with the multilayered tragedy.

This small East Bay community, where families move for good schools and a small-town feel, has been torn apart by the revelations.

Many residents supported Izumizaki, who grew up in Albany before returning to teach at his former middle school, believing the immensely popular teacher and coach could never commit such a crime.

Others are shocked that parents would support a molestation suspect, particularly while his young accuser already copes with guilt for coming forward.

The disparate viewpoints have played out with passionate conversations in homes, in meetings and on the town's hyperlocal news website, Patch, leading an editor to post a blog explaining why the story was even being covered at all.

Experts say taking sides is all too common in these types of cases, which can tear at the fiber of communities.

'Very common'

Shortly after the 28-year-old Izumizaki was found dead in his car in San Lorenzo, some in the community began blaming school administrators, police, media and even the victim for his suicide. He left a note, but its contents have not been made public.

"Imagine you are the best at something. You are the best at this not just because it comes natural to you, but because you pour your heart and soul into it every day," an Albany Patch commenter going by "Susan" wrote Tuesday. (Patch readers are not required to use their real names when commenting.)

"You find that your work, dedication, and passion are now only met with suspicion, and that the first instinct of your supervisors is to protect not the accusers, not the accused, but only their own careers. No, neither (Superintendent Marla) Stephenson, nor the police, nor any other individual took Mr. I's life, but they very well backed him out onto the ledge," the commenter wrote.

Another blog poster going by "Colleen O'Neill" wrote this, hours after Izumizaki's body was found: "If this man was innocent this community has done something akin to the Salem Witch Trials."

A candlelight vigil was held Tuesday night in front of the school, with grieving children and parents leaving condolence notes, flowers and candles. That display of respect struck some as unseemly and triggered more debate about the appropriate response to what had unfolded.

"People need to stop defending this guy. If it was a less charismatic teacher the community would be calling this guy a monster," "John Lewis" wrote on Patch. Others asked what the girl who reported Izumizaki must be thinking, seeing the outpouring of support for the teacher.

Amid the community controversy, police have clarified that more than one girl came forward with sex abuse allegations.

These conflicting, confusing reactions to such allegations are "very common" because perpetrators often groom not just victims but entire communities, according to Terri Miller, of Las Vegas, president of Stop Educator Sexual Abuse, Misconduct and Exploitation.

"Oftentimes they are award-winning teachers or very popular teachers and that's how they mask the demon inside," Miller said. "The community doesn't know that side of him; only the victims have seen that side of perpetrators."

It's important not to blame the victim in these cases and reserve judgment, she said.

"People just need to be cognizant that there is a child out there suffering," she said. "This is so horribly traumatic for the victims to see this kind of response and to see this adulation of the teacher."

Such community reaction could prevent victims from coming forward in the future, she said.

Dr. Glenn Lipson, a Southern California forensic psychologist who consults on sexual misconduct issues, said the treatment of victims can be ruthless.

"They torment them. They write on their backpacks, call them names. ... It's very difficult for kids to come forward," he said. ..Source.. by Matthias Gafni

Hours Before Suicide, Former City Official Betrayed Little in an E-Mail

10-2-2012 New York:

It would be comforting to think that a man about to end his own life makes a certain noise, a howl, a scream, anything to telegraph an approaching moment that once it arrives, cannot be undone.

You want to think that premeditated death does not sneak around, that suicidal impulses are not easy to miss.

Russell A. Harding, 48, a former city official, offered nothing.

When he sent me an e-mail hours before taking his life 11 days ago, there was no sign of his intentions, not a hint that the grief from his criminal conviction, his isolation from friends and family, and his poverty had become too much for him to bear.

The e-mail did not come out of the blue. We had periodically traded messages since I had contacted him in 2008 for an article I was working on about the blog he had begun. His notes to me were always reasonable and peppered with self-effacing humor.

This time felt no different. I had written an article that said that Bernard B. Kerik, the former police commissioner, would be testifying at an upcoming trial. Mr. Harding, who knew of Mr. Kerik from their days working for former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, wondered why Mr. Kerik would testify.

Convicted child sex offender commits suicide

10-2-2012 Ohio:

ORIENT, Ohio — News Center 7 has learned that William Rose, convicted of sex crimes involving children, committed suicide early Tuesday while at the Orient Center near Columbus.

There were no details immediately available about how the death occurred, authorities said.

Rose was at the correctional reception center, a part of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, before being transferred to the prison where he had been assigned to serve his sentence.

Inmates are processed through one of three reception centers, based on their gender and county of commitment, according to the ODRC. Male inmates from 63 counties across southern Ohio are processed through the center at Orient.

The 44-year-old convicted of raping three children was sentenced Sept. 28 in Shelby County Municipal Court to 27 years in prison. He was ordered to serve three, nine-year sentences consecutively — one for each of his victims.

Judge James Stevenson also fined Rose and classified him a Tier 3 sexual offender.

Rose, arrested May 29 for videotaping his sexual encounter with a 12-year-old girl, was released that same day, then arrested nine days later on charges accusing him of committing child sex crimes.

He had been indicted on four counts of rape, two counts of pandering obscenity and two counts illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material. He admitted to three counts of rape. ..Source.. by Springfield News-Sun