Lined In Chalk

The Shooting:    The 12 people who lost their lives during the mass shooting July 20, 2012. 24-year-old James Holmes entered theater 9 at the Century 16 multiplex in Aurora, Colorado, dressed in a gas mask and black combat gear. He had actually bought a ticket to the movie prior.  Holmes threw gas canisters into the theater. Initially, this was written off as a stunt for the movie The Dark Knight Rises. When he began to open fire, the audience members realized it wasn't a stunt. It was real. Holmes killed 12 people and wounded 70 others. 10 of the 12 people killed died at the scene. The other two died at local hospitals. Most of the injuries were received by way of gunshots. However, some of the injuries were obtained during the initial chaos. I also learned through my research that Holmes had actually left the theater at one point, and started shooting people outside the theater while they were attempting to flee. Police arrived quickly, and Holmes was arrested behind the theater.

Introduction:  July 23rd, 1969. Six young women have been murdered and dumped in remote spots around Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Michigan. Before too long, 18-year-old Karen Sue Beineman accepted a ride from a man on a motorcycle. She would be the final victim of the Ypsilanti Ripper. Three days later, Beineman's body turned up. It was almost exactly two years after the discovery of the first victim. The Victims:  The Victims of the Ypsilanti Ripper The first victim was 19-year-old Mary Fleszar, a sophomore at Eastern Michigan University. On July 8, 1967, Fleszar went out for a walk alone. Two teenage boys discovered her body on August 7. She was so badly decomposed that apparently, it was hard to tell if she was even human at first. Her face was gone. Her feet, one hand, and her fingers had all been cut off. She was identified through dental records. A year would go by before another victim turned up. This second victim was 20-year-old Eastern Michigan University student Joan Schell.

Note:  Initially, I intended to do this as a main case for the week. However, when I did my digging, several of the sources I looked into seemed to be saying a lot of the same things. So, consider this a bonus case.   Introduction: When I neared the end of my research on the Oscar Pistorius case, I found something interesting that I thought could could be worth a dive of its own. I had talked about Hilton Botha, who was the man that served as the lead investigator in the murder of Reeva Steenkamp by her boyfriend, Oscar Pistorius. What I did not know was that Botha himself was dropped from the case altogether.  The allegations:  Botha allegedly drunkenly fired on a minibus loaded with passengers in 2011. No one died, thankfully. one person did complain to the police. Botha denied any wrongdoing, but was arrested. The charges were initially dropped. However, they were eventually reinstated.  Botha's Side of the Story:  According to Botha, he and two officers were investigating a cas

Who Is Oscar Pistorius:  Oscar Pistorius was born on November 22nd, 1986 in Johannesburg, South Africa. As an infant, both of his legs were amputated. He became a runner when he was 16, and even won gold at the 2004 Athens Paralympics. During the 2012 Olympics, he became the first amputee to compete in track events alongside able-bodied athletes. Oscar Pistorius running in competition The Murder:  Let's fast forward to Valentine's Day 2013. Early that morning, Pistorius's girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, was found shot to death in Pistorius's home. Police would say that Steenkamp suffered bullet wounds to the head, and one of her arms. One of my sources claimed that Reeva Steenkamp was shot three times. Oscar Pistorius would quickly be named a suspect in her death. Five days later, Pistorius admitted to shooting Steenkamp in his home. He would allege that he shot her accidentally. He would say that he had mistaken her for an intruder, and shot her through the bathroom

Warning: When he was killed, Emmett Till was only 14 years old. Because he was so young, and because he was very violently murdered, I felt this warning was important. What I'm trying to say is that from here, read at your own risk. I should also note before diving into the case that some of the pictures included are going to be difficult to look at.   Emmett Till:  Emmett Till was born in Chicago to Louis and Mamie Till on July 25, 1941. Emmett was described as being a prankster. On August 20, 1955, Mamie saw her son off at the 63rd Street train station in Chicago, where Emmett was going to take the southbound train to visit family in Money, Mississippi.  Emmett Till before he was murdered Events Leading to the Murder:  Emmett would arrive in Money the next day, and would stay with his great uncle, Moses Wright. A couple days later, Emmett went with a group of teens to a grocery store called Bryant's, owned by a white couple, Roy and Carolyn Bryant. Emmett allegedly whistled a