randythib

This story reads like an Agatha Christie novel.  Seems that there were a cast of characters who disliked Andrew Borden.  Shortly before the murders, the entire household became violently ill. As Mr. Borden was not a popular man in town, Mrs. Borden feared they were being poisoned, but the family doctor diagnosed it as bad food. 

The maid, Bridget Sullivan, asked to be excused from window cleaning the morning of the murders, and was told "absolutely not" by Mr. Borden.  She was feeling ill from the recent "food poisoning" and it was nearly 100 degrees on that August morning in 1892.  The Bordens called her Maggie (the name of the previous maid) and didn't want to be bothered with learning her name. 

John Morse, brother to the deceased Sarah Borden (the mother of the Borden daughters - Lizzie and Emma) had come to visit that week. His visit was to facilitate transfer of farm property, which included what had been a summer home for the Borden daughters. Shortly before the murders, a heated argument had taken place which resulted in Lizzie and Emma leaving home on extended "vacations." Lizzie Borden, however, decided to "cut" her trip short and returned early.  John Morse actually slept in the guest bedroom the night of the murders - right next to the blood stained floor where Abby Borden's body was found.

Some theorize that the true culprit was an illegitimate paternal half-brother named William Borden, as a revenge killing in his failed efforts to extort money from his father.

Yet another theory is that Lizzie suffered petit mal epileptic seizures during her menstrual cycle, at which times she entered a dream-like state, and unknowingly committed the murders.

Another axe murder in the area, perpetrated by José Correira, which took place shortly before the trial was a great stroke of luck for Borden.  She was aquitted and after the trial Lizzie and Emma moved to a new house called Maplecroft. In June 1905, the two argued over a party Lizzie gave for an actress friend named Nance O'Neil. Shortly after that, Emma moved out of the house, and Lizzie Borden began using the name "Lizbeth A. Borden".  It is rumored that Lizzie and Nance had an intimate relationship.

The estranged sisters died nine days apart - "Lizbeth" - as her headstone reads -  on June 1, 1927 from pneumonia after gall bladder surgery and Emma on June 10, 1927 from a fall.

So, do you think the infamous and alleged axe wielding lesbian chopped up her father and stepmother? 

In 1988, Brandon Elledge was a 17-year-old high school senior at Clements High School, a suburb of Houston. Two fellow classmates asked Brandon for a ride home and he agreed.

The ride was a ruse.

Timothy Acklen and James Garcia wanted to get into Brandon's truck to steal his stereo. Acklen shot Brandon in the face with a .38-caliber pistol loaded with hollow point bullets along a dirt road behind the Sweetwater Country Club and left his body for dead. In 1989 Acklen pled guilty to murder and was sentenced to 50 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Garcia also pled guilty to murder and received 40 years. 

In 1989, the parole law required convicted felons to serve only one-fourth of their sentence, plus good time credit, before consideration for early release was given. Ben Elledge (Brandon's father) assumed because of the cold-blooded nature of what should have constituted capital murder, that the parole board would not seriously consider releasing Acklen.

How wrong he was.

In 2003, Ben and Betty Elledge were stunned when they received a letter from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice informing them that Acklen had been tentatively approved for parole. After years of reliving the horror of their son's murder through fighting the Parole Board of Texas, it seems that Acklen is scheduled for release in February 2009. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. and Mrs. Elledge and I cannot begin to imagine the "what if''s" that haunt their minds.  Although terribly difficult to re-read, as some of it was written within hours of the actual events, Ben plans to edit over 600 pages of manuscripts and publish a book. 

"And it will tell every gruesome and gory detail of the whole sordid mess."

Lots of it is a pretty neat story about a young man who overcame a life of crippled legs and crippled lungs to make himself into a near giant of a physical being and a football star and then have his life cut short and  to die at the hands of a cold blooded murderer who admitted to the grand jury and to many others that Brandon was just a target of opportunity.

Anyone remember this story in the news?

today at 8 a.m. and 8 seconds it will be:

08:08:08 08/08/08

yeah, its a really slow night at work tonight.....

i've read a lot of scathing remarks about the way our meteorologists handled Edouard and i just gotta say my piece.  mike and kristi did an excellent job tuesday morning and i especially appreciated mike explaining the radar.  i also remember him saying that it would be a bad storm, but not a catastrophic storm. and indeed it was bad for some.  much like the Bible, people's interpretations of what they see and hear vary greatly.  and its not like Ed totally escaped the cone of uncertainty.  it only turned about a ferry ride across galveston bay.  had it taken a slight turn more westerly, crossing more warm water, strengthening, then blowing us away, i bet there would still be scathing remarks made about conspiracies regarding the meteorologists for underwarning us.  i learned a long time ago, when dealing with the public (especially the sick public), even at your best - as you were - you will never please all of the people all of the time.  you reported what you saw as it happened, and in my opinion, a job WELL DONE!  keep up the good work, guys (and kristi too)!

bayou lafourche at thibodaux -  the bayou on which i grew up.  i used to paddle a pirogue and water ski on this bayou.  i took this pic standing on the percy brown bridge.  my previous home in thibodaux is located about a mile from here.  the name Lafourche is from the french word for "fork", and alludes to the bayou's large outflow of mississippi river water. It was formerly a mississippi river outlet, but was dammed at donalsonville in 1905.  on either side of the trees, the bayou is paralleled by louisiana highway 1 on the west, and on the east by louisiana highway 308.

private home along the bayou owned by the peltier family on highway 308

rienzi plantaion on highway 308

this is the dansereaux house located on the highway one side of the bayou.  it was a private home, then a bed and breakfast, then a reception hall, now it is back on the market for 1.3 million.  spooky.

anyone remember "sweet lorraine"?  geez, am i telling on my age or what!  when i googled the english band, formed in 1969, i found out that they are still touring in europe!  i can still remember seeing the album cover and hearing the music coming from my sisters bedroom.  i have a remarkable memory since, of course, i was in utero. LOL!  so who is gonna admit they're old enough to remember when Uriah Heep - the "Beach Boys of heavy metal" - had a few hits that made it to America?

The state parole board on Tuesday denied a request for compassionate release to Charles Manson follower Susan Atkins, who stabbed actress Sharon Tate to death nearly 40 years ago and is dying of brain cancer.

Sharon Tate's sister, Debra Tate, the last surviving member of her immediate family, sent a letter to the board opposing Atkins' release.

 "She is a cold-blooded woman who to this day has not displayed any remorse," wrote Tate, who lives in the Los Angeles area.

Her doctors and officials at the women's prison in Corona made the request in March because of her deteriorating health. Atkins also has had her left leg amputated and is paralyzed on her right side, her husband and attorney, James Whitehouse, told the California Board of Parole Hearings.

Should California grant Susan Atkins a compassionate release?

last night i watched a documentary that was sad and disturbing. Jodi Huisentruit  was a television news anchor for KIMT based in Mason City, Iowa.   it is believed that she was abducted while on her way to work in the early morning hours of June 27, 1995.  she was 27 years old at the time and had her whole life and career ahead of her. the case is still unsolved.  someone had been watching her closely and knew her apartment number, the car she drove, and the time she left for work (3:00 a.m.)  there was an obvious struggle outside her car and her belongings were scattered in the parking lot.

you guys have a demanding job and i hold you in high esteem.  you truly are celebrities but without the body guards.  i realize you may not choose to disclose it, but i was wondering if any of you have ever felt threatened?

visit the site dedicated to the active search for the missing anchorwoman.

www.findjodi.com

truly sad....

HELLO? > HELLo? > HELlo? > HEllo? > Hello? > hello?

(that's an echo in cyberland)

uh, vacation is over dude! time to change some pics around on the main blog page, eh?

i could go through menopause waiting for new ones! LOL

use mine first! hehehe