Jul 22, 2012
The Danielle Cramer Kidnapping Case
On June 14th 2006 Danielle Cramer, 15 years old left her home and for a year no one knew where she was. She had run away before and there was no immediate concern. As the days passed it became clear that something had happened. People and neighbors started to look for her. The police searched the house but there was no sign of her. Her parents had not seen nor heard from her while she was gone. Had she been kidnapped? Or worse, kidnapped, raped, and killed? Statistics by the National Center for Missing and Exploited children, the FBI, and the US Depart of Justice revealed that in 15 of the past 18 years there has been an increase in the number of missing children and about half of the kidnapped children in the US were four to eleven years old and 74% were girls.
The Bloomfield police went to the house of an acquaintance of her parents with search warrants and to obtain DNA and found Danielle Cramer locked up in a secret, tiny room four or five feet deep under a staircase of a couple in West Hartford, Connecticut. She had been missing for a year.
Under arrest
Two people were arrested; Adam Gault, 40 years old, and Ann Murray, 39, who lived at the Newington Road home. Gault was charged with unlawful restraint, reckless endangerment and custodial interference, and was held on a $500,000 bond. Murphy was charged with conspiracy and risk of injury charges and held on a $100,000 bond.
Events while held captive
Adam Gault was accused of imprisoning a 15 year old and was found with videos of sexually explicit homemade pornography. The pornography was found in Adam Gault’s home. Investigators tried to determine the identities of other girls in the videos which were of poor quality and which had been apparently posted on the internet at different times. Gault, a West Hartford dog trainer, was charged with the disappearance of Danielle who told authorities that Gault had used her for internet sex shows and modeling. It was not yet determined whether Gault had participated in the shows, as reported by The Hartford Courant. The videos were shot at Adam Gault’s home. Gault has been held on $1 million dollar bond since the cops found Danielle in the secret room under the staircase. His common-law wife, Ann Murphy and a friend, Kimberley Cray, were also in custody.
The aftermath
In a surprise statement the defense attorney claimed that his clients were only holding the 15 year old girl against her abusive parents. The plaintiff’s attorney then asked, “So these people were saving her from abusive parents and exploiting her to do porn on the internet? Isn’t that rich.” Marc Needelman, the attorney for the girl’s parents, also dismissed as “a total fabrication’ the claim of the defense that Danielle Cramer had been abused at her own house and that she had found a safe haven in the home of Gault who had once worked with her stepfather. The police also contested the claims. According to the Houston Chronicle, Marc Needelman said that “the Bloomfield police department had been involved in the investigation over a year. They publicly stated yesterday in no uncertain terms that the girl’s parents have absolutely no responsibility, have committed no crimes or engaged in any improprieties.” The police arrested three adults who lived in the house. Gault had conducted a business transaction the previous year with the parents of the girl which indicated and confirmed that he knew who she was.
Under arrest were Adam Gault and Ann Murphy who lived at the Newington Road home. Gault was charged with unlawful restraint, reckless endangerment, conspiracy to commit unlawful restraint and was held on $500,000 bond. Murphy was charged with conspiracy to commit second degree reckless endangerment, conspiracy to commit second-degree custodial interference and risk of injury to a minor. Cray was also charged with reckless endangerment, conspiracy to commit custodial interference, risk of injury to a minor and conspiracy to commit unlawful restraint, according to police.
Capt. Jeffrey Blatter of the Bloomfield Police said, "She is a child from troubled circumstances and found what she believed to be a friend." The authorities also stated that she had run away before, prior to her disappearance last June. The Department of Children and Families is to determine whether she should be returned to her parents. In a surprising twist there seemed to be another fifteen year old boy living in the house as well. It has yet to be determined whose child he is.
Interesting facts of the case
• It was learned that Danielle had complained about abuse in the home to the police before she disappeared. It was in fact her reason for running away as she felt no one cared.
• She was discovered when a sharp-eyed policeman noticed a hidden door.
• Phone records showed that she was in touch regularly with her 41 year old captor before she went missing.
• Adam Gault had been investigated before for inappropriate relationships with young girls. Astonishingly, no action was taken.
Gault’s attorney told the court that Cray was not charged with kidnapping and that there was no indication of the use of force. After the hearing, Cray’s attorney, Michael Georgetti, said: "The girl was never molested in that house. There are no allegations of molestation.”
Officers had questioned Gault several times, but he always denied any involvement in her disappearance. Captain Blatter of the Bloomfield Police said that it did not appear the girl lived in the room. What does that mean? Was he indicating that there was something fishy about her story? And where is Danielle Cramer now? What happened to her? Will there be another installment? Danielle Cramer was forced to change her name and assume a new identity. To conclude, when you take into account that 80% of abductions by strangers occur within a quarter mile of the child’s house it is amazing that Danielle Cramer hadn’t been found long ago.
Jul 21, 2012
Andaman and Nicobar for a splendid beach holiday
What can be greater after a year's hard work to get on a plane and visit the Andaman and Nicobar islands near the Bay of Bengal? It is a great idea as there is much to see and enjoy, especially the people and the culture. It’s away from the maddening crowd and a great place for snorkeling, scuba diving, a great shore line to take walks and the waters are clear and warm and great for a swim even in the evenings. Port Blair is the capital and the only entry and exit. Havelock is the most visited of the islands with the most infrastructure. You can relax on the beach with a cool martini and watch the children play.
Other islands to visit
• You can take a road trip to Diglipur to the far north and visit the Smith and Ross Islands. It is known as a great camping place and you can camp out overnight.
• Rutland Island is clean and quiet and has a mangrove forest and beautiful coral reefs. If you love wandering around this is a perfect place. The island is 274 square kilometers with a 45 acre resort which has quaint little huts. It is great for eco tourists and is used as a base camp for exploring the island.
• You can also visit Wandoor which is laid back and relaxed and has a national park and a luxury resort.
• If you want to know more about the other islands, Barren Island is the only island in India which has had a volcano.
• If you are a Robinson Crusoe type you can do some camping here. There are no amenities on this island and you are required to bring along your own food and camping gear.
• If you want surfing included in your holiday package the Little Andaman Island would have been perfect but it was devastated in the 2004 tsunami. You can find out more about this by checking the current situation in Port Blair.
The languages spoken in the Andaman Islands are English, Tamil, Bengali, and Telugu. Visiting the Andaman Islands is both a holiday and a cultural experience. The best weather is between mid January and mid May although the days are sunny for most of the year. What you should take into account is that the monsoon comes around in late May and lasts until the end of July when the island has strong winds, frequent downpours and low visibility; this is the worst time to visit the islands.
You can reach the Andaman Islands for your splendid Andoman Nicobar holiday by flying with JetLite, Kingfisher Red, SpiceJet, and Indian Airlines. Travelling by plane is cheaper than any other route. Your exit point from the Andaman Islands would be Port Blair.
Hotels and accommodation are inexpensive and you can register for a tour package where everything is included for a reasonable rate. They specialize in Andaman and Nicobar holiday and honeymoon packages and you can get a package that includes yacht services, scuba diving, fishing and snorkeling. The islands are beautiful with long stretches of pearly sand and you will make this your future and very splendid Andaman Nicobar beach holiday whenever you want to get away.
http://www.raydajacobs.blogspot.com
German holidays and celebrations
Looking at the German calendar for customs, holidays and observations, it is surprising to discover the background and history of Christmas in Germany and to learn that most Anglo-American traditions have been adapted from Austria in Germany. The Christmas carol ‘Silent Night’ is one of them and in Salzburg is celebrated annually as the origin of the world’s most popular Christmas carol – first performed with guitar accompaniment in a church on Christmas Eve in 1818. A photograph of the interior of the chapel can be seen in their Christmas e-cards in German.
How Germans celebrate Christmas
This varies from region to region. Advent, Latin for the words arrival or coming, is the four week period leading up to Christmas when open air markets appear in many cities, the most famous ones in Nuremberg and Vienna. Shopping does not cease and shops are open on weekends and evenings during this period. Germans are fond of candles and candles are used in winter celebrations as symbols of the sun in the dark of winter.
Holidays in Germany
Family holidays in Germany mean great fun for all, with leisure and theme parks and even the world’s steepest wooden roller coasters. For hot days there is the canoe tour of the countryside or a climbing course for those who are brave enough and don’t fear heights. There are also themed routes with a range of attractions and an ideal place for couples and families alike to explore the romantic medieval castles or some rare fossils. Europe is known for its wonderful museums and allows children and families to experience an earthquake or travel back in time to historical Berlin. In Austria, Germany and Switzerland celebrations are ongoing until the end of the ‘twelve days of Christmas ‘between Christmas and January 6.
Hotels and accommodation
There are plenty of affordable places to stay during your holiday, including apartments, youth hostels, or just camping out for those who want to be outdoors. There are also hotels which are inexpensive and a pleasure to stay in. If you are interested in experiencing a wonderful winter retreat over Christmas and visit Germany, all you have to do is look at the calendar, select a month and a linked holiday for more information about the traditions and celebrations for that month. To make understanding the language easier, holidays and traditions are linked to a glossary of English and German terms.
Some families prefer independence and go for a self-catering holiday apartment. They have a rating system of 1 to 5 indicating the level of quality and service you can expect so there is nothing stopping you from having the holiday you can afford. If you have children and need a babysitter, there are hotels which provide childcare and children’s activities. These services are a lifesaver for when you want to go out with your partner and know your kids are safe in the hotel. With a huge choice of sports, recreational facilities and parks there is enough fun for everyone. Finding a holiday place in Germany has become easier and promises a lot of fun.
http://www.raydajacobs.blogspot.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)