Fwd: Requested NewsBank Article

[Guest guest]

Check out article below - a recap of 2006 in the Dallas area:

Paragraph 5: " Killer moms and mental illness once again made headlines

throughout the year. "

infoweb@... wrote:

Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2006 18:08:01 -0500

Subject: Requested NewsBank Article

From: infoweb@...

nandtbearden@...

Paper: Dallas Morning News, The (TX)

Title: YEAR IN REVIEW: CRIME & PUNISHMENT - The lives lost - Many of 2006's

high-profile cases came from North Texas suburbs

Author: JENNIFER EMILY

Date: December 28, 2006

Section: METRO

Page: 1B

Suburban crime was big news in 2006.

There were drive-bys that killed sleeping children, while others were slain by

their own parents. A pastor was convicted three times of rape, and one county

held its first murder trial in a decade.

Some stories were propelled from local news to national cable shows like CNN

Headline News' Grace. Those shows picked up the stories of the killing of

a real estate professional and a hospital releasing a mother who was found

insane in the deaths of her children.

Many of the crimes that made headlines this year will do so again next year when

the cases go to trial.

Killer mothers

Killer moms and mental illness once again made headlines throughout the year.

Dena Schlosser severed her baby's arms with a kitchen knife in 2004 and was

found not guilty by reason of insanity in April by state District Judge Chris

Oldner at her second murder trial. In February, Collin County jurors at her

first trial deadlocked when one of the jurors refused to consider insanity as a

defense.

The Plano mother remains at North Texas State Hospital in Vernon with an

inoperable brain tumor. Doctors and a judge will revaluate in November whether

Ms. Schlosser will remain there.

Then, over the summer, police said a Mansfield woman drowned her 1-year-old son

in their backyard hot tub. Valeria Maxon was charged with capital murder. Her

husband told a 911 operator that she was taking antidepressant medication. A

hearing for the case is scheduled for next month. Ms. Maxon's attorney has not

said whether she will claim insanity, but the Tarrant County prosecutor in the

case said he expects her to do so.

In November, Plano mother was released from a state hospital after

doctors and state District Judge Mark Rusch agreed she could be treated as an

outpatient. Ms. drowned her two daughters in a bathtub in 2003. She was

only tried in one of their deaths, and a Collin County jury found her not guilty

by reason of insanity. She will not be tried for the other girl's death.

Model home slaying

Anne was found dead in July inside a McKinney model home. She had

been stabbed 27 times. The violent death of the vibrant 40-year-old real estate

professional shocked North Texas. Ms. had two children.

Two months after her death, police charged Kosoul Chanthakoummane with capital

murder. They say they have forensic evidence linking him to the crime.

Police have not offered a motive for the crime, although Ms. 's ring and

Rolex watch were taken. Mr. Chanthakoummane's family said he did not kill Ms.

and, as far as they know, he was not in the area when she was killed.

Mr. Chanthakoummane's trial is scheduled for October.

Day-care death

The death of a 4-year-old at a day-care center led to revelations that Dream

House Learning Center operated with state approval even though it did not meet

Texas operating standards, The Dallas Morning News found. State regulators say

owner Blynithia Washington deceived them into believing she had a qualified

director on staff.

Police say Fox died in July of heatstroke in a van owned by the Pleasant

Grove day care, and his body was later moved to a Balch Springs playground.

Ms. Washington, 41, was indicted on charges of injury to a child and evidence

tampering. Three other day-care employees were indicted on charges of tampering

with evidence. Ms. Washington's trial is scheduled for June.

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services has since changed its

supervision and training policies so the problems at Dream House don't occur

elsewhere. State Sen. Jane , R-ville, said she plans to introduce a

bill to the Legislature requiring fingerprinting as a part of background checks

for day-care employees.

Hornbuckle trial

The three rape convictions of a man who proclaimed himself bishop of his own

church came out of one of the most high-profile trials of the year.

Terry Hornbuckle founded Agape Christian Fellowship and saw it grow from humble

beginnings in an old Dairy Queen building to a megachurch where he was flanked

by bodyguards, surrounded by opulence and befriended by Dallas Cowboys players.

A Tarrant County jury sentenced Mr. Hornbuckle to 15 years in prison in August

for raping three women. Two were church members. The trial included lurid

testimony, including that he drugged his victims before raping them. He gave at

least one herpes and smoked methamphetamine with another, according to

testimony. He was eventually fired from the Arlington church.

Daisy Prado

An Arlington toddler was shot in the head in May as she slept next to her

pregnant mother and siblings.

It was the third time in 2006 that the house was riddled with gunfire.

Police say 2-year-old Daisy Prado was shot when two men and a woman in an

ongoing feud with her brother sprayed numerous bullets into the family's home.

Shortly before the shooting, Daisy's father, Jesus " " Prado, argued with

the trio at the DMX nightclub in Dallas. He was not home when Daisy was shot.

She lay in a coma for nearly six months until she died in October. Her

13-month-old brother, Jesus Prado Jr., was shot in the shoulder.

In December, a Tarrant County grand jury indicted Ely na Almendariz, 20,

and Henry Noel Gabrillo and Pedro Ariel Lucio, both 25, on capital murder

charges.

Weeks after Daisy was shot, an 18-month-old Farmers Branch girl was shot during

a drive-by as she slept next to her father. Two men were arrested on capital

murder charges in Eva Gallegos' death.

Other notable North Texas crimes in 2006:

*Damya Jefferson, 2, was stabbed to death in the home of Detress Richmond on

Friday. Police say Ms. Richmond's 9-year-old son, described as a bully, killed

the child. There were at least 12 children in the southeast Oak Cliff home at

the time of the attack - but no adults. Caseworkers for Child Protective

Services had investigated the welfare and safety of Ms. Richmond's children at

least eight times in the last 12 years but said they never found cause to remove

any of the children from the home. The children have since all been removed.

*Arlington police arrested six teens on charges of organized criminal activity

and aggravated assault after they attacked a boy and filmed it for an

installment of the DVD series Agg Townz Fights. Previous installments were sold

on the Internet.

*Collin County sheriff's deputies are still trying to solve the September

shooting death of 42-year-old Kim , a Texas Instruments engineer. His wife

was named as a prime suspect in court documents, and their nanny - another

suspect in Mr. 's death and a sexual partner of the s - was found dead

in a San Angelo hotel room. Later, authorities determined he died from a heroin

overdose.

*Rockwall County held its first murder trial in a decade. In April,

was sentenced to 30 years in prison in the shooting death of a

longtime friend during a poker game. Mr. said the shooting was

self-defense because he thought his friend was reaching into his pants for the

gun he usually carried. But Fisher was unarmed. Mr. shot him eight

times - including four shots to the back of the head and neck.

*Former Kaufman County District Attorney Louis " Bill " Conradt committed suicide

in November when police came to his home to arrest him on a charge of soliciting

a minor online. The arrest warrant was part of a sting organized by NBC's

Dateline and police. Many in were upset by the sting because

decoys posing as children lured predators to a house in the small Collin County

town.

*In December, Fort Worth police Officer Dwayne Freeto, 34, died when his patrol

car burst into flames after it was rear-ended. In the early-morning hours of

Dec. 17, Officer Freeto had stopped along Interstate 35W to help a woman

stranded with a flat tire. He was inside his car with the emergency lights

flashing when the crash pinned him inside.

Fort Worth police officers and a magistrate went to Parkland Memorial Hospital

about 1 p.m. Wednesday to arrest the driver of the car that hit Officer Freeto's

cruiser, 21-year-old Hilburn, on suspicion of intoxication manslaughter.

" The magistrate arraigned Hilburn, who was in his hospital bed, and set the bond

at $100,000, " Fort Worth police Lt. Dean Sullivan said.

Authorities waited to arrest Mr. Hilburn, who was in the hospital's intensive

care unit, until he was mentally cognizant enough to understand the arraignment.

If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in a state penitentiary.

Staff writers Jeff Mosier and Holly Yan contributed to this report.

E-mail jemily@...

Caption:

PHOTO(S): 1. Fox

2. Daisy Prado

3. Eva Gallegos

4. Damya Jefferson

5. Anne

6. Kim

7. Fisher

8. Dwayne Freeto

9. a

10. Kamryn

11. Margaret Schlosser

12. (MICHAEL AINSWORTH/Staff Photographer) Defense attorney Mike Heiskell (left)

talked with his client, the Rev. Terry Hornbuckle, at the minister's rape trial.

Mr. Hornbuckle was sentenced to 15 years in prison in August for raping three

women, including two church members. 13-14. (IRWIN THOMPSON/Staff Photographer)

13. Real estate agent Anne was found dead in July inside this

McKinney model home, stabbed 27 times. Kosoul Chanthakoummane was charged with

capital murder.

14. McKinney police Detective Tilton hugged Anne 's father,

Joe , after an arrest was announced in the case, two months after the

slaying. Kosoul Chanthakoummane's trial is scheduled for October.

>

15. (LAWRENCE JENKINS/Special Contributor) Daisy Prado, 2, was fatally wounded

by gunfire at her Arlington home in May. Her 13-month-old brother was shot in

the shoulder.

Author: JENNIFER EMILY

Section: METRO

Page: 1B

Copyright 2006 The Dallas Morning News

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Check out article below - a recap of 2006 in the Dallas area:

Paragraph 5: " Killer moms and mental illness once again made headlines

throughout the year. "

infoweb@... wrote:

Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2006 18:08:01 -0500

Subject: Requested NewsBank Article

From: infoweb@...

nandtbearden@...

Paper: Dallas Morning News, The (TX)

Title: YEAR IN REVIEW: CRIME & PUNISHMENT - The lives lost - Many of 2006's

high-profile cases came from North Texas suburbs

Author: JENNIFER EMILY

Date: December 28, 2006

Section: METRO

Page: 1B

Suburban crime was big news in 2006.

There were drive-bys that killed sleeping children, while others were slain by

their own parents. A pastor was convicted three times of rape, and one county

held its first murder trial in a decade.

Some stories were propelled from local news to national cable shows like CNN

Headline News' Grace. Those shows picked up the stories of the killing of

a real estate professional and a hospital releasing a mother who was found

insane in the deaths of her children.

Many of the crimes that made headlines this year will do so again next year when

the cases go to trial.

Killer mothers

Killer moms and mental illness once again made headlines throughout the year.

Dena Schlosser severed her baby's arms with a kitchen knife in 2004 and was

found not guilty by reason of insanity in April by state District Judge Chris

Oldner at her second murder trial. In February, Collin County jurors at her

first trial deadlocked when one of the jurors refused to consider insanity as a

defense.

The Plano mother remains at North Texas State Hospital in Vernon with an

inoperable brain tumor. Doctors and a judge will revaluate in November whether

Ms. Schlosser will remain there.

Then, over the summer, police said a Mansfield woman drowned her 1-year-old son

in their backyard hot tub. Valeria Maxon was charged with capital murder. Her

husband told a 911 operator that she was taking antidepressant medication. A

hearing for the case is scheduled for next month. Ms. Maxon's attorney has not

said whether she will claim insanity, but the Tarrant County prosecutor in the

case said he expects her to do so.

In November, Plano mother was released from a state hospital after

doctors and state District Judge Mark Rusch agreed she could be treated as an

outpatient. Ms. drowned her two daughters in a bathtub in 2003. She was

only tried in one of their deaths, and a Collin County jury found her not guilty

by reason of insanity. She will not be tried for the other girl's death.

Model home slaying

Anne was found dead in July inside a McKinney model home. She had

been stabbed 27 times. The violent death of the vibrant 40-year-old real estate

professional shocked North Texas. Ms. had two children.

Two months after her death, police charged Kosoul Chanthakoummane with capital

murder. They say they have forensic evidence linking him to the crime.

Police have not offered a motive for the crime, although Ms. 's ring and

Rolex watch were taken. Mr. Chanthakoummane's family said he did not kill Ms.

and, as far as they know, he was not in the area when she was killed.

Mr. Chanthakoummane's trial is scheduled for October.

Day-care death

The death of a 4-year-old at a day-care center led to revelations that Dream

House Learning Center operated with state approval even though it did not meet

Texas operating standards, The Dallas Morning News found. State regulators say

owner Blynithia Washington deceived them into believing she had a qualified

director on staff.

Police say Fox died in July of heatstroke in a van owned by the Pleasant

Grove day care, and his body was later moved to a Balch Springs playground.

Ms. Washington, 41, was indicted on charges of injury to a child and evidence

tampering. Three other day-care employees were indicted on charges of tampering

with evidence. Ms. Washington's trial is scheduled for June.

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services has since changed its

supervision and training policies so the problems at Dream House don't occur

elsewhere. State Sen. Jane , R-ville, said she plans to introduce a

bill to the Legislature requiring fingerprinting as a part of background checks

for day-care employees.

Hornbuckle trial

The three rape convictions of a man who proclaimed himself bishop of his own

church came out of one of the most high-profile trials of the year.

Terry Hornbuckle founded Agape Christian Fellowship and saw it grow from humble

beginnings in an old Dairy Queen building to a megachurch where he was flanked

by bodyguards, surrounded by opulence and befriended by Dallas Cowboys players.

A Tarrant County jury sentenced Mr. Hornbuckle to 15 years in prison in August

for raping three women. Two were church members. The trial included lurid

testimony, including that he drugged his victims before raping them. He gave at

least one herpes and smoked methamphetamine with another, according to

testimony. He was eventually fired from the Arlington church.

Daisy Prado

An Arlington toddler was shot in the head in May as she slept next to her

pregnant mother and siblings.

It was the third time in 2006 that the house was riddled with gunfire.

Police say 2-year-old Daisy Prado was shot when two men and a woman in an

ongoing feud with her brother sprayed numerous bullets into the family's home.

Shortly before the shooting, Daisy's father, Jesus " " Prado, argued with

the trio at the DMX nightclub in Dallas. He was not home when Daisy was shot.

She lay in a coma for nearly six months until she died in October. Her

13-month-old brother, Jesus Prado Jr., was shot in the shoulder.

In December, a Tarrant County grand jury indicted Ely na Almendariz, 20,

and Henry Noel Gabrillo and Pedro Ariel Lucio, both 25, on capital murder

charges.

Weeks after Daisy was shot, an 18-month-old Farmers Branch girl was shot during

a drive-by as she slept next to her father. Two men were arrested on capital

murder charges in Eva Gallegos' death.

Other notable North Texas crimes in 2006:

*Damya Jefferson, 2, was stabbed to death in the home of Detress Richmond on

Friday. Police say Ms. Richmond's 9-year-old son, described as a bully, killed

the child. There were at least 12 children in the southeast Oak Cliff home at

the time of the attack - but no adults. Caseworkers for Child Protective

Services had investigated the welfare and safety of Ms. Richmond's children at

least eight times in the last 12 years but said they never found cause to remove

any of the children from the home. The children have since all been removed.

*Arlington police arrested six teens on charges of organized criminal activity

and aggravated assault after they attacked a boy and filmed it for an

installment of the DVD series Agg Townz Fights. Previous installments were sold

on the Internet.

*Collin County sheriff's deputies are still trying to solve the September

shooting death of 42-year-old Kim , a Texas Instruments engineer. His wife

was named as a prime suspect in court documents, and their nanny - another

suspect in Mr. 's death and a sexual partner of the s - was found dead

in a San Angelo hotel room. Later, authorities determined he died from a heroin

overdose.

*Rockwall County held its first murder trial in a decade. In April,

was sentenced to 30 years in prison in the shooting death of a

longtime friend during a poker game. Mr. said the shooting was

self-defense because he thought his friend was reaching into his pants for the

gun he usually carried. But Fisher was unarmed. Mr. shot him eight

times - including four shots to the back of the head and neck.

*Former Kaufman County District Attorney Louis " Bill " Conradt committed suicide

in November when police came to his home to arrest him on a charge of soliciting

a minor online. The arrest warrant was part of a sting organized by NBC's

Dateline and police. Many in were upset by the sting because

decoys posing as children lured predators to a house in the small Collin County

town.

*In December, Fort Worth police Officer Dwayne Freeto, 34, died when his patrol

car burst into flames after it was rear-ended. In the early-morning hours of

Dec. 17, Officer Freeto had stopped along Interstate 35W to help a woman

stranded with a flat tire. He was inside his car with the emergency lights

flashing when the crash pinned him inside.

Fort Worth police officers and a magistrate went to Parkland Memorial Hospital

about 1 p.m. Wednesday to arrest the driver of the car that hit Officer Freeto's

cruiser, 21-year-old Hilburn, on suspicion of intoxication manslaughter.

" The magistrate arraigned Hilburn, who was in his hospital bed, and set the bond

at $100,000, " Fort Worth police Lt. Dean Sullivan said.

Authorities waited to arrest Mr. Hilburn, who was in the hospital's intensive

care unit, until he was mentally cognizant enough to understand the arraignment.

If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in a state penitentiary.

Staff writers Jeff Mosier and Holly Yan contributed to this report.

E-mail jemily@...

Caption:

PHOTO(S): 1. Fox

2. Daisy Prado

3. Eva Gallegos

4. Damya Jefferson

5. Anne

6. Kim

7. Fisher

8. Dwayne Freeto

9. a

10. Kamryn

11. Margaret Schlosser

12. (MICHAEL AINSWORTH/Staff Photographer) Defense attorney Mike Heiskell (left)

talked with his client, the Rev. Terry Hornbuckle, at the minister's rape trial.

Mr. Hornbuckle was sentenced to 15 years in prison in August for raping three

women, including two church members. 13-14. (IRWIN THOMPSON/Staff Photographer)

13. Real estate agent Anne was found dead in July inside this

McKinney model home, stabbed 27 times. Kosoul Chanthakoummane was charged with

capital murder.

14. McKinney police Detective Tilton hugged Anne 's father,

Joe , after an arrest was announced in the case, two months after the

slaying. Kosoul Chanthakoummane's trial is scheduled for October.

>

15. (LAWRENCE JENKINS/Special Contributor) Daisy Prado, 2, was fatally wounded

by gunfire at her Arlington home in May. Her 13-month-old brother was shot in

the shoulder.

Author: JENNIFER EMILY

Section: METRO

Page: 1B

Copyright 2006 The Dallas Morning News

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Check out article below - a recap of 2006 in the Dallas area:

Paragraph 5: " Killer moms and mental illness once again made headlines

throughout the year. "

infoweb@... wrote:

Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2006 18:08:01 -0500

Subject: Requested NewsBank Article

From: infoweb@...

nandtbearden@...

Paper: Dallas Morning News, The (TX)

Title: YEAR IN REVIEW: CRIME & PUNISHMENT - The lives lost - Many of 2006's

high-profile cases came from North Texas suburbs

Author: JENNIFER EMILY

Date: December 28, 2006

Section: METRO

Page: 1B

Suburban crime was big news in 2006.

There were drive-bys that killed sleeping children, while others were slain by

their own parents. A pastor was convicted three times of rape, and one county

held its first murder trial in a decade.

Some stories were propelled from local news to national cable shows like CNN

Headline News' Grace. Those shows picked up the stories of the killing of

a real estate professional and a hospital releasing a mother who was found

insane in the deaths of her children.

Many of the crimes that made headlines this year will do so again next year when

the cases go to trial.

Killer mothers

Killer moms and mental illness once again made headlines throughout the year.

Dena Schlosser severed her baby's arms with a kitchen knife in 2004 and was

found not guilty by reason of insanity in April by state District Judge Chris

Oldner at her second murder trial. In February, Collin County jurors at her

first trial deadlocked when one of the jurors refused to consider insanity as a

defense.

The Plano mother remains at North Texas State Hospital in Vernon with an

inoperable brain tumor. Doctors and a judge will revaluate in November whether

Ms. Schlosser will remain there.

Then, over the summer, police said a Mansfield woman drowned her 1-year-old son

in their backyard hot tub. Valeria Maxon was charged with capital murder. Her

husband told a 911 operator that she was taking antidepressant medication. A

hearing for the case is scheduled for next month. Ms. Maxon's attorney has not

said whether she will claim insanity, but the Tarrant County prosecutor in the

case said he expects her to do so.

In November, Plano mother was released from a state hospital after

doctors and state District Judge Mark Rusch agreed she could be treated as an

outpatient. Ms. drowned her two daughters in a bathtub in 2003. She was

only tried in one of their deaths, and a Collin County jury found her not guilty

by reason of insanity. She will not be tried for the other girl's death.

Model home slaying

Anne was found dead in July inside a McKinney model home. She had

been stabbed 27 times. The violent death of the vibrant 40-year-old real estate

professional shocked North Texas. Ms. had two children.

Two months after her death, police charged Kosoul Chanthakoummane with capital

murder. They say they have forensic evidence linking him to the crime.

Police have not offered a motive for the crime, although Ms. 's ring and

Rolex watch were taken. Mr. Chanthakoummane's family said he did not kill Ms.

and, as far as they know, he was not in the area when she was killed.

Mr. Chanthakoummane's trial is scheduled for October.

Day-care death

The death of a 4-year-old at a day-care center led to revelations that Dream

House Learning Center operated with state approval even though it did not meet

Texas operating standards, The Dallas Morning News found. State regulators say

owner Blynithia Washington deceived them into believing she had a qualified

director on staff.

Police say Fox died in July of heatstroke in a van owned by the Pleasant

Grove day care, and his body was later moved to a Balch Springs playground.

Ms. Washington, 41, was indicted on charges of injury to a child and evidence

tampering. Three other day-care employees were indicted on charges of tampering

with evidence. Ms. Washington's trial is scheduled for June.

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services has since changed its

supervision and training policies so the problems at Dream House don't occur

elsewhere. State Sen. Jane , R-ville, said she plans to introduce a

bill to the Legislature requiring fingerprinting as a part of background checks

for day-care employees.

Hornbuckle trial

The three rape convictions of a man who proclaimed himself bishop of his own

church came out of one of the most high-profile trials of the year.

Terry Hornbuckle founded Agape Christian Fellowship and saw it grow from humble

beginnings in an old Dairy Queen building to a megachurch where he was flanked

by bodyguards, surrounded by opulence and befriended by Dallas Cowboys players.

A Tarrant County jury sentenced Mr. Hornbuckle to 15 years in prison in August

for raping three women. Two were church members. The trial included lurid

testimony, including that he drugged his victims before raping them. He gave at

least one herpes and smoked methamphetamine with another, according to

testimony. He was eventually fired from the Arlington church.

Daisy Prado

An Arlington toddler was shot in the head in May as she slept next to her

pregnant mother and siblings.

It was the third time in 2006 that the house was riddled with gunfire.

Police say 2-year-old Daisy Prado was shot when two men and a woman in an

ongoing feud with her brother sprayed numerous bullets into the family's home.

Shortly before the shooting, Daisy's father, Jesus " " Prado, argued with

the trio at the DMX nightclub in Dallas. He was not home when Daisy was shot.

She lay in a coma for nearly six months until she died in October. Her

13-month-old brother, Jesus Prado Jr., was shot in the shoulder.

In December, a Tarrant County grand jury indicted Ely na Almendariz, 20,

and Henry Noel Gabrillo and Pedro Ariel Lucio, both 25, on capital murder

charges.

Weeks after Daisy was shot, an 18-month-old Farmers Branch girl was shot during

a drive-by as she slept next to her father. Two men were arrested on capital

murder charges in Eva Gallegos' death.

Other notable North Texas crimes in 2006:

*Damya Jefferson, 2, was stabbed to death in the home of Detress Richmond on

Friday. Police say Ms. Richmond's 9-year-old son, described as a bully, killed

the child. There were at least 12 children in the southeast Oak Cliff home at

the time of the attack - but no adults. Caseworkers for Child Protective

Services had investigated the welfare and safety of Ms. Richmond's children at

least eight times in the last 12 years but said they never found cause to remove

any of the children from the home. The children have since all been removed.

*Arlington police arrested six teens on charges of organized criminal activity

and aggravated assault after they attacked a boy and filmed it for an

installment of the DVD series Agg Townz Fights. Previous installments were sold

on the Internet.

*Collin County sheriff's deputies are still trying to solve the September

shooting death of 42-year-old Kim , a Texas Instruments engineer. His wife

was named as a prime suspect in court documents, and their nanny - another

suspect in Mr. 's death and a sexual partner of the s - was found dead

in a San Angelo hotel room. Later, authorities determined he died from a heroin

overdose.

*Rockwall County held its first murder trial in a decade. In April,

was sentenced to 30 years in prison in the shooting death of a

longtime friend during a poker game. Mr. said the shooting was

self-defense because he thought his friend was reaching into his pants for the

gun he usually carried. But Fisher was unarmed. Mr. shot him eight

times - including four shots to the back of the head and neck.

*Former Kaufman County District Attorney Louis " Bill " Conradt committed suicide

in November when police came to his home to arrest him on a charge of soliciting

a minor online. The arrest warrant was part of a sting organized by NBC's

Dateline and police. Many in were upset by the sting because

decoys posing as children lured predators to a house in the small Collin County

town.

*In December, Fort Worth police Officer Dwayne Freeto, 34, died when his patrol

car burst into flames after it was rear-ended. In the early-morning hours of

Dec. 17, Officer Freeto had stopped along Interstate 35W to help a woman

stranded with a flat tire. He was inside his car with the emergency lights

flashing when the crash pinned him inside.

Fort Worth police officers and a magistrate went to Parkland Memorial Hospital

about 1 p.m. Wednesday to arrest the driver of the car that hit Officer Freeto's

cruiser, 21-year-old Hilburn, on suspicion of intoxication manslaughter.

" The magistrate arraigned Hilburn, who was in his hospital bed, and set the bond

at $100,000, " Fort Worth police Lt. Dean Sullivan said.

Authorities waited to arrest Mr. Hilburn, who was in the hospital's intensive

care unit, until he was mentally cognizant enough to understand the arraignment.

If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in a state penitentiary.

Staff writers Jeff Mosier and Holly Yan contributed to this report.

E-mail jemily@...

Caption:

PHOTO(S): 1. Fox

2. Daisy Prado

3. Eva Gallegos

4. Damya Jefferson

5. Anne

6. Kim

7. Fisher

8. Dwayne Freeto

9. a

10. Kamryn

11. Margaret Schlosser

12. (MICHAEL AINSWORTH/Staff Photographer) Defense attorney Mike Heiskell (left)

talked with his client, the Rev. Terry Hornbuckle, at the minister's rape trial.

Mr. Hornbuckle was sentenced to 15 years in prison in August for raping three

women, including two church members. 13-14. (IRWIN THOMPSON/Staff Photographer)

13. Real estate agent Anne was found dead in July inside this

McKinney model home, stabbed 27 times. Kosoul Chanthakoummane was charged with

capital murder.

14. McKinney police Detective Tilton hugged Anne 's father,

Joe , after an arrest was announced in the case, two months after the

slaying. Kosoul Chanthakoummane's trial is scheduled for October.

>

15. (LAWRENCE JENKINS/Special Contributor) Daisy Prado, 2, was fatally wounded

by gunfire at her Arlington home in May. Her 13-month-old brother was shot in

the shoulder.

Author: JENNIFER EMILY

Section: METRO

Page: 1B

Copyright 2006 The Dallas Morning News

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Check out article below - a recap of 2006 in the Dallas area:

Paragraph 5: " Killer moms and mental illness once again made headlines

throughout the year. "

infoweb@... wrote:

Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2006 18:08:01 -0500

Subject: Requested NewsBank Article

From: infoweb@...

nandtbearden@...

Paper: Dallas Morning News, The (TX)

Title: YEAR IN REVIEW: CRIME & PUNISHMENT - The lives lost - Many of 2006's

high-profile cases came from North Texas suburbs

Author: JENNIFER EMILY

Date: December 28, 2006

Section: METRO

Page: 1B

Suburban crime was big news in 2006.

There were drive-bys that killed sleeping children, while others were slain by

their own parents. A pastor was convicted three times of rape, and one county

held its first murder trial in a decade.

Some stories were propelled from local news to national cable shows like CNN

Headline News' Grace. Those shows picked up the stories of the killing of

a real estate professional and a hospital releasing a mother who was found

insane in the deaths of her children.

Many of the crimes that made headlines this year will do so again next year when

the cases go to trial.

Killer mothers

Killer moms and mental illness once again made headlines throughout the year.

Dena Schlosser severed her baby's arms with a kitchen knife in 2004 and was

found not guilty by reason of insanity in April by state District Judge Chris

Oldner at her second murder trial. In February, Collin County jurors at her

first trial deadlocked when one of the jurors refused to consider insanity as a

defense.

The Plano mother remains at North Texas State Hospital in Vernon with an

inoperable brain tumor. Doctors and a judge will revaluate in November whether

Ms. Schlosser will remain there.

Then, over the summer, police said a Mansfield woman drowned her 1-year-old son

in their backyard hot tub. Valeria Maxon was charged with capital murder. Her

husband told a 911 operator that she was taking antidepressant medication. A

hearing for the case is scheduled for next month. Ms. Maxon's attorney has not

said whether she will claim insanity, but the Tarrant County prosecutor in the

case said he expects her to do so.

In November, Plano mother was released from a state hospital after

doctors and state District Judge Mark Rusch agreed she could be treated as an

outpatient. Ms. drowned her two daughters in a bathtub in 2003. She was

only tried in one of their deaths, and a Collin County jury found her not guilty

by reason of insanity. She will not be tried for the other girl's death.

Model home slaying

Anne was found dead in July inside a McKinney model home. She had

been stabbed 27 times. The violent death of the vibrant 40-year-old real estate

professional shocked North Texas. Ms. had two children.

Two months after her death, police charged Kosoul Chanthakoummane with capital

murder. They say they have forensic evidence linking him to the crime.

Police have not offered a motive for the crime, although Ms. 's ring and

Rolex watch were taken. Mr. Chanthakoummane's family said he did not kill Ms.

and, as far as they know, he was not in the area when she was killed.

Mr. Chanthakoummane's trial is scheduled for October.

Day-care death

The death of a 4-year-old at a day-care center led to revelations that Dream

House Learning Center operated with state approval even though it did not meet

Texas operating standards, The Dallas Morning News found. State regulators say

owner Blynithia Washington deceived them into believing she had a qualified

director on staff.

Police say Fox died in July of heatstroke in a van owned by the Pleasant

Grove day care, and his body was later moved to a Balch Springs playground.

Ms. Washington, 41, was indicted on charges of injury to a child and evidence

tampering. Three other day-care employees were indicted on charges of tampering

with evidence. Ms. Washington's trial is scheduled for June.

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services has since changed its

supervision and training policies so the problems at Dream House don't occur

elsewhere. State Sen. Jane , R-ville, said she plans to introduce a

bill to the Legislature requiring fingerprinting as a part of background checks

for day-care employees.

Hornbuckle trial

The three rape convictions of a man who proclaimed himself bishop of his own

church came out of one of the most high-profile trials of the year.

Terry Hornbuckle founded Agape Christian Fellowship and saw it grow from humble

beginnings in an old Dairy Queen building to a megachurch where he was flanked

by bodyguards, surrounded by opulence and befriended by Dallas Cowboys players.

A Tarrant County jury sentenced Mr. Hornbuckle to 15 years in prison in August

for raping three women. Two were church members. The trial included lurid

testimony, including that he drugged his victims before raping them. He gave at

least one herpes and smoked methamphetamine with another, according to

testimony. He was eventually fired from the Arlington church.

Daisy Prado

An Arlington toddler was shot in the head in May as she slept next to her

pregnant mother and siblings.

It was the third time in 2006 that the house was riddled with gunfire.

Police say 2-year-old Daisy Prado was shot when two men and a woman in an

ongoing feud with her brother sprayed numerous bullets into the family's home.

Shortly before the shooting, Daisy's father, Jesus " " Prado, argued with

the trio at the DMX nightclub in Dallas. He was not home when Daisy was shot.

She lay in a coma for nearly six months until she died in October. Her

13-month-old brother, Jesus Prado Jr., was shot in the shoulder.

In December, a Tarrant County grand jury indicted Ely na Almendariz, 20,

and Henry Noel Gabrillo and Pedro Ariel Lucio, both 25, on capital murder

charges.

Weeks after Daisy was shot, an 18-month-old Farmers Branch girl was shot during

a drive-by as she slept next to her father. Two men were arrested on capital

murder charges in Eva Gallegos' death.

Other notable North Texas crimes in 2006:

*Damya Jefferson, 2, was stabbed to death in the home of Detress Richmond on

Friday. Police say Ms. Richmond's 9-year-old son, described as a bully, killed

the child. There were at least 12 children in the southeast Oak Cliff home at

the time of the attack - but no adults. Caseworkers for Child Protective

Services had investigated the welfare and safety of Ms. Richmond's children at

least eight times in the last 12 years but said they never found cause to remove

any of the children from the home. The children have since all been removed.

*Arlington police arrested six teens on charges of organized criminal activity

and aggravated assault after they attacked a boy and filmed it for an

installment of the DVD series Agg Townz Fights. Previous installments were sold

on the Internet.

*Collin County sheriff's deputies are still trying to solve the September

shooting death of 42-year-old Kim , a Texas Instruments engineer. His wife

was named as a prime suspect in court documents, and their nanny - another

suspect in Mr. 's death and a sexual partner of the s - was found dead

in a San Angelo hotel room. Later, authorities determined he died from a heroin

overdose.

*Rockwall County held its first murder trial in a decade. In April,

was sentenced to 30 years in prison in the shooting death of a

longtime friend during a poker game. Mr. said the shooting was

self-defense because he thought his friend was reaching into his pants for the

gun he usually carried. But Fisher was unarmed. Mr. shot him eight

times - including four shots to the back of the head and neck.

*Former Kaufman County District Attorney Louis " Bill " Conradt committed suicide

in November when police came to his home to arrest him on a charge of soliciting

a minor online. The arrest warrant was part of a sting organized by NBC's

Dateline and police. Many in were upset by the sting because

decoys posing as children lured predators to a house in the small Collin County

town.

*In December, Fort Worth police Officer Dwayne Freeto, 34, died when his patrol

car burst into flames after it was rear-ended. In the early-morning hours of

Dec. 17, Officer Freeto had stopped along Interstate 35W to help a woman

stranded with a flat tire. He was inside his car with the emergency lights

flashing when the crash pinned him inside.

Fort Worth police officers and a magistrate went to Parkland Memorial Hospital

about 1 p.m. Wednesday to arrest the driver of the car that hit Officer Freeto's

cruiser, 21-year-old Hilburn, on suspicion of intoxication manslaughter.

" The magistrate arraigned Hilburn, who was in his hospital bed, and set the bond

at $100,000, " Fort Worth police Lt. Dean Sullivan said.

Authorities waited to arrest Mr. Hilburn, who was in the hospital's intensive

care unit, until he was mentally cognizant enough to understand the arraignment.

If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in a state penitentiary.

Staff writers Jeff Mosier and Holly Yan contributed to this report.

E-mail jemily@...

Caption:

PHOTO(S): 1. Fox

2. Daisy Prado

3. Eva Gallegos

4. Damya Jefferson

5. Anne

6. Kim

7. Fisher

8. Dwayne Freeto

9. a

10. Kamryn

11. Margaret Schlosser

12. (MICHAEL AINSWORTH/Staff Photographer) Defense attorney Mike Heiskell (left)

talked with his client, the Rev. Terry Hornbuckle, at the minister's rape trial.

Mr. Hornbuckle was sentenced to 15 years in prison in August for raping three

women, including two church members. 13-14. (IRWIN THOMPSON/Staff Photographer)

13. Real estate agent Anne was found dead in July inside this

McKinney model home, stabbed 27 times. Kosoul Chanthakoummane was charged with

capital murder.

14. McKinney police Detective Tilton hugged Anne 's father,

Joe , after an arrest was announced in the case, two months after the

slaying. Kosoul Chanthakoummane's trial is scheduled for October.

>

15. (LAWRENCE JENKINS/Special Contributor) Daisy Prado, 2, was fatally wounded

by gunfire at her Arlington home in May. Her 13-month-old brother was shot in

the shoulder.

Author: JENNIFER EMILY

Section: METRO

Page: 1B

Copyright 2006 The Dallas Morning News

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