Man guilty in case tied to 2 ‘spouses’
STOCKTON, Mo. - A jury has found a 44-yearold southwest Missouri man guilty of attempted rape in a case involving twin sisters who lived as his wives at a ranch inhabited by Mormon fundamentalists.
The Springfield News-Leader reported that Charles Laub was found guilty of one count Friday in Cedar County. The women say they were not legally married to Laub but had participated in a religious ceremony in Utah in 2001.
The women and their combined eight children fled their shared husband nearly two years ago. The 27-year-olds told authorities that Laub had isolated them from relatives and friends, and did not allow them to refuse sex.
Online court records indicate that Laub was taken into custody after the trial and was being held in lieu of $25,000 bond. He is to be sentenced March 11.
Giraffe gives birth at zoo, later dies
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - It was a happy and sad weekend at the Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield.
The zoo said in a news release that a giraffe calf was born Saturday, but the mother had to be euthanized Monday.
Thirteen-year-old Kamili gave birth to her seventh calf Saturday afternoon. By Sunday morning, the zoo staff noticed that Kamili was not producing milk to feed the baby. Her health declined until she was unable to stand Sunday afternoon, and she eventually had to be euthanized.
The Springfield News-Leader reported that preliminary findings indicate Kamili had heart disease, lung congestion, and liver and kidney damage.
Zookeepers moved the female calf to an off-exhibit barn and began around-theclock feeding and teaching it to nurse.
- THE ASSOCIATED PRESSOklahoma fugitive
back in custody
CHICKASHA, Okla.
- Authorities have found a Grady County jail inmate who escaped from custody while receiving treatment at a medical clinic.
Grady County officials said Tuesday that 20-yearold Dillon Lindsey is back in custody. Details of the capture weren’t immediately available.
Oklahoma City television station KOCO reported that officers handcuffed a man in Yukon and searched his home for Lindsey. The man said he isn’t friends with Lindsey and had met him only once. He also said his brother is dating Lindsey’s sister.
Lindsey had been held in the Grady County jail as he awaited trial on drug and weapons charges.
- THE ASSOCIATED PRESSHearing for 2 held in killings delayed
TULSA - Arraignment of two brothers arrested in the January shooting deaths of four women at a Tulsaapartment complex has been reset.
Court and jail records indicate that the new arraignment for the pair will be Friday.
Brothers Cedric Poore, 39, and James Poore, 32, have been held in the Tulsa jail since their arrests earlier this month.
The Poores are suspected in the deaths of 23-yearold twins Rebeika Powell and Kayetie Melchor, 33-year-old Misty Nunley and 55-year-old Julie Jackson.
The January slayings, which investigators believe happened during the day, have raised concerns about crime in the south Tulsa neighborhood.
The killings prompted city leaders to hastily assemble a public-safety group to explore how to better combat crime in the area.
- THE ASSOCIATED PRESSMan killed over BB gun identified
TULSA - Tulsa police have identified a man who was fatally shot after he pointed a BB gun that reportedly looked like a rifle during a standoff.
On Tuesday, officials said 31-year-old Juan Antonio Gonzalez was killed during the Saturday standoff.
The officer who fired his weapon, Daniel Madewell, has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation.
Authorities said Gonzalez was standing on his apartment balcony when he pointed what appeared to be a firearm at Madewell.
Tulsa police said officers did not learn that the weapon was a BB gun until after the shooting.
Officials withheld Gonzalez’s name until relatives could be notified of his death.
- THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Woman: Heard man’s plan to kill
OKLAHOMA CITY - The former girlfriend of a man accused in the shooting deaths of a prostitute featured on HBO’s Cathouse series and three other people says she overheard him planning the shootings.
Karinne Sanders testified in Oklahoma County District Court on Tuesday during a preliminary hearing for 34-year-old Denny Edward Phillips. Sanders said the shootings involved drugs and money.
Phillips is charged with first-degree murder in the November 2009 death of 22-year-old Brooke Phillips, who had worked as a prostitute at the legal Moonlite Bunny Ranch brothel near Carson City, Nev., that was featured on HBO. She was not related to Denny Phillips. The other victims were 22-year-old Milagros Barrera, 25-year-old Jennifer Ermey and 32-year-old Casey Mark Barrientos.
Each of the victims was shot and stabbed, and their bodies were set on fire.
- THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 9 on 02/20/2013