A new, and surprising, development occurred in the 2007 murder case of Jayne McGowan earlier today, with Michael Pritchett pleading guilty moments before trial was set to start.

The November 9th event shocked many, as Jayne’s house, located just off of Locust Ave., was definitely not in a high crime area, along with the fact that the entire event stemmed from a random break-in by two perpetrators.  The 26 year old UVa graduate had moved back to Charlottesville only months earlier, in order to become the Development Coordinator for a local non-profit, the AIDS/HIV Services Group.  She had just completed preparations for the 20th Anniversary Gala event, held on November 10th, when she was murdered.

Within four days of her death, police had captured William Gentry (22) and Michael Pritchett (18), and charged them with 4 felonies each, including breaking and entering, robbery, and murder.

Pritchett’s plea this morning was not expected by prosecutors nor family members, as a claim of not-guilty had been entered during preliminary hearings.  An additional hearing will occur to determine the exact sentence; however, he is facing the possibility of life without parole.

Details are still light on this one, however a gunman in Appomattox (roughly 2 hours southwest near Lynchburg) appears to have killed 7-8 individuals, and forced a police helicopter to land after shooting holes in its fuel system.  [Info]

Thieves have been taking advantage of recent student departures, with Charlottesville Police Department stating that around $100,000 worth of electronics, jewelry, and other items have been stolen since June in a string of nearly 60 burglaries.  The break ins have often coincided with student vacations, with many being reported as people arrived back in town over the last few weeks.

Fortunately the police have managed to apprehend three individuals already, as roughly $20K worth of stolen items have ended up in local pawn shops, and apparently were sold using the suspects real names.  [Photo Credits]

With the New Year quickly approaching, can it be that Charlottesville will make it through 2009 without a single murder? So far it’s a vast improvement over last year, when five people were killed in the city. The bad thing is that, according to Charlottesville Police stats, rapists, robbers and ass-kickers were busier in ‘09 than the previous year. There was a drop in property crimes, the only exceptions being purse snatchings and auto parts thefts. Check out the full crime chart at CvilleBlotter.com.

The Virginia State Crime Commission just completed its final meeting of 2009, and among the various items on the agenda was a review of legislative recommendations surrounding the growing ’sexting’ issue.  As the proliferation of camera phones in the hands of the youth has grown, so has the utilization of these technologies for ‘illicit’ purposes (although it also seems to be a growing concern for the 55+ set).  The mashup of Sex + Texting has resulted in a whole new set of issues for parents and lawmakers worldwide.

While the VSCC elected to dodge the entire issue at this point, stating that creating legal protection for children caught with such material may generate loopholes for pedophiles and sex offenders, numerous other states and countries have tackled the topic head on, often resulting in criminal charges, including accusations of child pornography being levied against six teenagers in Pennsylvania.  The convoluted issue also nearly cost a Loudoun County assistant principal his job & freedom in 2008, after the principal requested that he maintain a copy of a sexually explicit image discovered on a students cellphone for evidence purposes. »Read More

Two sentences were handed down today, one for Charlottesville’s latest would be wife killer, Patrick Shemorry (28) and one for an apparent drug kingpin, Warren “Pop” Rucker II (19).

Shemorry has made the the rounds of all the local news outlets for his attempted hiring of Michael Terry with the intent of killing his estranged wife, Starla.  His sentence was only .5 years from the maximum allowed in his plea agreement.

Rucker opted to have his case heard by a jury, and was found guilty after a three day trial in September.  His initial indictment was for possession and distribution of 56 grams of cocaine, 197 grams of crack cocaine, and a .45 caliber pistol.

Neither individual appears to have much, if any, criminal history, which would easily have effected the sentencing guidelines.

The only conclusion which can be drawn from these two events, is that the willful intent of causing a life to be taken is a significantly less serious offense then providing consenting adults with a substance which they seek to obtain.  [Photo Credits]

The Campbell County sheriff apparently thinks the body found on Candlers Mountain by a hiker Sunday afternoon is a person local to that area.

“We have several people who are missing from the Lynchburg area. Based on the description of clothing one of them was last seen wearing, I have a strong hunch,” Sheriff Terry Gaddy told The News & Advance.

The State Police, who are heading Morgan Harrington’s case, are looking into the discovery of the badly decomposed body, according to spokeswoman Corinne Geller. »Read More

The two bank robberies last week were quickly responded to by local & regional police, culminating with the arrests of Joseph C. Breeden & Garland Thomas Carr over the weekend.

Breeden, a Charlottesville resident, entered the Pantops BB&T Friday, demanded cash, and fled on foot with an undisclosed amount.  A cellphone and/or bag owned by Breeden is rumored to have been discovered near the crime scene, and lead police to arrest the father of two.  The Newsplex posted a story on this Saturday, noting that while his friends considered him to be “very calm, funny, friendly, reflective. Not your profile for your average bank robber.”, his Facebook page, and it’s contents related to the Halloween time frame, were indicative of a ‘Darker Side’.  Specifically pointing out the quiz related to ‘Which Crime Are You’ and his results pointing toward murder, and video content, including his enjoyment of a video clip Jim Carrey – Dracula meets Wanda.

Carr, the individual charged with the Wachovia robbery, was arrested in Richmond with assistance from the ATF & RCP.  While the original reports indicated that he merely passed a note to the bank teller, and did not display a weapon, he is accused of entering the bank on the corner of 10th and High Street with the intent to commit larceny, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, robbery, and four counts of forgery.

Both are being held at the Charlottesville Albemarle Regional Jail pending bond hearings.

Where:  Wachovia Bank on the corner of 10th St. NE & East High.

You: White male, 20-30, six feet tall, thin, hat, brown hoodie, and sunglasses.

My friend wants to get in contact with you, call: (434) 977-4000.  (Crime Stoppers).

The Charlottesville Police Department dropped the net on ten individuals alleged to be involved with prostitution earlier this month.  From the 1st through the 4th of November, the CPD investigated online advertisements which ’suggested’ a sexual service in exchange for money.

The department has apparently received dozens of complaints regarding online service offerings in our area.

Each of the nine women & one man were charged with a class 1 misdemeanor, carrying the possible maximum of 1 year incarceration.

We have to wonder if a quote delivered to Charlottesville parents is still appropriate (with minor alteration) in this instance:

“Wouldn’t you rather your child be a drug dealer than a drug addict?” – John Waters

Sex continues to be one of the things which can be given away legally, but charging for it is a crime.