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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sirens & Gavels archive for Aug. 2009

MONDAY, AUG. 31, 2009

Crime Stoppers mug shot matchup

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information that leads to the capture of these four people. Can you match the mug shot with the allegation? Click the link below for the answers.Alleged crimes: second-degree theft, nine counts of forgery, first-degree possession of stolen property…

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SpoCannabis founder pleads innocent 

The legal battles brewing in the city over medical marijuana continued today as Darren McCrea pleaded innocent to seven drug-related felonies.Police raided McCrea’s home last year after months of investigation triggered by a tip that McCrea, the founder of the medical marijuana support group SpoCannabis,…

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Barry Buchmann, 57, faces 10 counts of possession of child pornography. (The Spokesman-Review)

Pinehurst man charged with child porn

A North Idaho man man was arrested today on suspicion of possessing child pornography. Barry Buchmann, 57, is in Shoshone County Jail after a raid at his apartment at 610 Lewiston Ave. in Pinehurst, according to the Shoshone County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's office and…

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Courthouse watch: 8.31.09 

A woman who stole OxyContin from a pharmacy where she worked - and that closed after being inundated with prescription drug crime - will be on probation for the next year.Lisa A. Roth pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance…

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FRIDAY, AUG. 28, 2009

Courthouse watch: 8.28.09

At least eight guards filled the room where inmates go for their first Superior Court appearances today. They were there with murder defendant Cole K. Strandberg, and they'll likely be back early next week: Strandberg's probable cause papers weren't complete, so his appearance was delayed.…

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Spotlight: Eddie Ray Hall's mullet

Eddie Ray Hall's rise to fame can be traced to this article, published in 1998. Authorities used him as an example of how much criminals cost society, estimating Hall cost about $1 million. Hall gave an extensive interview to the newspaper, and the power mullet…

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THURSDAY, AUG. 27, 2009

Surveillance photo of a pharmacy robbery at the South Regal Street ShopKo 9:42 p.m. Aug. 24, 2009. The robber is described as a white male in his 20s with dark stubble and approximately 6 feet, 3 inches tall. (Courtesy of Crime Stoppers)

Do you recognize this man?

The company that makes OxyContin is offering a $1,000 reward for information that solves a Spokane pharmacy robbery Sunday. A man in his 20s with dark stubble and possibly a black wig walked into Shopko, 4515 S. Regal Street, at 9:42 p.m. and handed the…

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Courthouse watch: 8.27.09

A teen charged in the gruesome murder of his pregnant girlfriend appeared in court again today on a separate second-degree arson charge. Robbie W. Bishop, 19, has already pleaded not guilty to the charge and had been released from Spokane County Jail, but his arrest…

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WEDNESDAY, AUG. 26, 2009

Scott  Shupe poses with dozens of marbles from his collection Friday, July 15, 2005.  Shupe has more than 300,000 marbles in his collection.  (Joe Barrentine / The Spokesman-Review)

Then and now: Scott Shupe 

Before Scott Shupe made news for getting busted in Oregon with four pounds of marijuana, he was spotlighted for an unusual collection: more than 300,000 marbles. The 54-year-old Spokane man faces drug charges after he was arrested Friday with a stash he said was meant…

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Courthouse watch: 8.26.09

A convicted sex offender who twice attacked victims in women’s bathrooms should remain in a secure facility for the rest of his life, a jury ruled today. The decision classifies Shawn Dale Botner, 36, as a violently sexual predator who has a mental abnormality or…

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TUESDAY, AUG. 25, 2009

Courthouse watch: 8.25.09

Shawn Dale Botner’s adult life has been one of continual clashes with law enforcement. The convicted sex offender, who twice attacked victims in women’s bathrooms, now awaits a jury’s decision on whether he ever will be a free man. The jury went home Tuesday without…

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Reward offered in road rage assault

The mystery of the road rage van continues. Spokane County Sheriff's detectives have been trying to track down the driver of a van who faces a vehicular assault charge for allegedly dragging a motorcyclist during a fight on North Division Street on Aug. 14. Detectives…

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Thompson supporters rally on Facebook 

The evolution of Facebook over the years, particularly the last six months or so, has been astonishing. When I learned of the social networking web site in 2004, it was reserved for students at specific universities. An email address ending an .edu was required, and…

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MONDAY, AUG. 24, 2009

Robbie  Bishop ( front right ) appears via closed circuit video in the Superior Court of Judge Sam Cozza Monday August 24, 2009. CHRISTOPHER ANDERSON chrisa@spokesman.com (Christopher Anderson / The Spokesman-Review)

Courthouse watch: 8.24.09

The teenager charged with stabbing his pregnant girlfriend to death was released from jail in the spring because there was no room in mental health services, court documents show.Robbie W. Bishop, 19, appeared in court via video today, charged with second-degree murder for the brutal…

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Charge upgraded in fatal boat crash

A man accused of causing a fatal boating accident on the Spokane River in Coeur d'Alene Saturday was charged Monday with manslaughter. John F. Klinefelter, 45, of Coeur d'Alene, remains in Kootenai County Jail on $50,000 bond after a boat he was operating struck a…

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FRIDAY, AUG. 21, 2009

Man who posed as DEA agent sentenced 

He didn't mean any trouble when he told the guys he was with the Drug Enforcement Administration - he just wanted to mess with them. But Steven E. Escallier's attempt to "have some fun," as his lawyer put it, backfired when the men called police.…

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Spokane Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick emphasizes her department's commitment to protecting residents from racist harassment at a news conference Friday, Aug. 21, 2009, near the state line. The event was held in reaction to the recent distribution of racist fliers in Coeur d'Alene. (Jesse Tinsley / The Spokesman-Review)

Officials promise 'boldness' against Aryans 

Criminal citations and civil lawsuits are options. But the recent surge in racist activity is best dealt with by a unified community dedicated to rejecting discrimination and hate, leaders from across the Inland Northwest said Friday.“We have been vested with the authority and the power…

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THURSDAY, AUG. 20, 2009


Courthouse watch 8.20.09

A 24-year-old convicted robber told a judge today how he went from living with his girlfriend and their 7-year-old daughter to putting a knife to a man’s throat to get a pharmacist to hand over a bag of OxyContin pills. “How did you get to…

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Crime Stoppers mug shot matchup

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information that leads to the capture of these four people. Can you match the mug shot with the allegation? Click the link below for the answers.Alleged crimes: delivery of a controlled substance, harassment – threats to kill, second-degree…

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WEDNESDAY, AUG. 19, 2009

Keller trial underway in Texas 

The national spotlight in the legal world this week is on a Texas judge accused of blocking a death row inmate's access to a last-minute appeal. The trial of Sharon Keller has incensed both sides of the death penalty debate and is being covered heavily…

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Public safety news from the Inland Northwest and beyond.




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