When a body is found 600 miles away... Extensive two part write up on the bizarre case of Judy Smith (1997). Part 1 of 2.
Hello everyone, for the last few months I have been creating long form write-ups on a variety of unsolved cases. If you are interested in other lengthy write ups you can find them on my profile- https://www.reddit.com/useQuirky-Moto. Months ago, I was asked to cover the inexplicable case of Judy Smith, a woman who went missing from Philadelphia or perhaps Massachusetts, only for her body to be found in North Carolina months later. The case was famously covered on the show Unsolved Mysteries, and it is strange enough to warrant a long, hard look at the case and a comprehensive timeline. I hope you are able to learn something new about this semi well-known case. Background Judy Smith was born Judith Eldridge in Massachusetts in 1946. Right out of high school Judy married for the first time. Her husband and she had been married very shortly when in an attemot to avoid the draft, he fled to Sweden. Judy went in search of her young husband but soon returned to the states empty handed and filed for divorce. Years later, Judy married Charles Bradford a man who worked in the racehorse industry. They had two children together, Craig and Amy, but unfortunately the marriage did not last and soon Judy found herself jobless and raising two children by herself. Rather than fret, Judy got a job and enrolled in nursing school. Judy was known to study in all of her free time and soon became a successful home health care nurse. In 1986 at age 40, Judy was caring for a man who was recovering from throat surgery when she met her patient’s son, a well to do lawyer named Jeffrey Smith. Jeffrey said he was impressed by how Judy cared for his father and asked her on a date. Judy and Jeff had several things in common, both had been divorced single parents who raised children alone, and Jeffrey worked in healthcare as well, except he was a lawyer. The couple both enjoyed going to plays and Celtics basketball games. After seven years together, Jeff and Judy moved in together and three years later the couple married in Nov., 1996. According to friends and family, Judy was a rather assertive and independent person. She was no stranger to travelling alone. Judy had been to Europe on her own a few times, and when her children were pre-teens, she took them to Europe for a backpacking adventure. Judy also independently traveled to Thailand where she went hiking and visited friends. While Judy wasn’t the epitome of fitness, she was an active person who enjoyed walking, hiking, and sightseeing. She was also known to be a go-getter who once helped an AIDS patient who was having a medical crisis on a plane. So, while Judy was kindhearted and considerate, she wasn’t thought to be naive and was able to take care of herself in a variety of different situations. The disappearance Five months into her new marriage on April 9th 1997, Jeffrey prepared to attend a conference in Philadelphia that was taking place from Wednesday April 9th-Friday April 11th at the Double Tree hotel in downtown Philadelphia. Judy decided to accompany her husband to Philadelphia and planned to do some sightseeing in the area. Afterwards, the Smiths were going to New Jersey to spend the weekend with some friends before flying back home. On April 9th in the morning, Judy accompanied her husband to Logan International Airport to fly to Philadelphia, but discovered at the gate that she could not board as she did not have her photo ID. Judy encouraged Jeffrey to take the 1:30 pm flight and assured him that she would take a flight later that day and meet him in Philadelphia. According to relatives, the Smiths took public transport to the airport and Judy apparently took the bus back home and retrieved her ID. Jeffrey flew to the conference while Judy returned home and booked a flight for later that day. Judy boarded a 7:30 pm flight and arrived at the hotel in Philadelphia at approximately 9:30 pm. Once at the hotel, the couple purchased some snacks and went to bed. The next morning Jeffrey awoke and ate breakfast at the complimentary buffet downstairs while his wife was still asleep. When he returned to the room Judy was in the shower. The two talked about several things, and Judy explained that she planned on taking the PHLASH bus in order to see the famous sights such as the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. The Smiths planned on meeting up at the hotel in the evening to attend the conference’s 6 pm cocktail party together. With that squared away, Jeffrey attended the conference. Sometime in between 9 and 10 am a hotel concierge recalled seeing a woman matching Judy’s description ask how to get to the PHLASH bus stop. The woman was in her 50s, with shortish hair, wearing a dark colored coat, blue jeans, and white tennis shoes, carrying a bright red backpack. (Picture of the Judy wearing the backpack here). At approximately 5:30 pm Jeffrey who was done with the day’s sessions returned to the hotel room expecting to find Judy waiting for him. Judy wasn’t there, so Jeffrey attended the cocktail hour in the hopes his wife was already visiting at the party, but she wasn’t there either. For the next 45 minutes, Jeffrey floated between the room and the party hoping to find Judy. At approximately 6:15 pm Jeffrey told the concierges that his wife had not returned from sightseeing and the hotel staff began calling local hospitals. At 6:30 pm, Jeffrey hopped in a taxi and instructed the driver to take the PHLASH bus route slowly so he could look for his wife. In one interview Jeffrey recalled that he made the driver go so slow it angered those stuck behind him. After a few hours without any sign of Judy, Smith called the police to report his wife missing. Shockingly, the PPD told Jeffrey that he couldn’t file a report until it had been twenty-four hours since the last final sighting of Judy. After lodging some complaints with some high-ranking officials within the city, a missing person’s report was taken for Judy Smith on the morning of April 11th, 1997 (Lewis, 1997). Jeffrey called his step children and asked them to check the house in case Judy had gone home, and he also asked that they would check the answering machine, but there were no messages of note and the house was empty. A check of the hotel room showed that Judy had left with her signature red backpack, her wallet, the jewelry she normally wore including a diamond engagement band and a simple silver wedding ring, and the clothes on her back. Jeffrey estimated that she had approximately $200 dollars with her at the time. According to later interviews with Philadelphia investigators, Judy, or someone with her name did in fact buy a USair ticket on the 7:30 pm flight into Philadelphia. Her ticket was used to make the flight and her seat was occupied on the flight into Philadelphia (Justiceforjudy.org). At the time of the Smiths’ trip, regulations that required photo identification to board a plane had only been in effect for 18 months and Judy had flown only one other time during that time frame. Additionally, police have a luggage tag from Judy’s suitcase that showed that she took the 7:30 pm flight, and that her bag did not travel to Philadelphia with Jeffrey earlier in the day (AP, Oct 4th, 1997). Sightings As news of Judy’s disappearance spread, many people called the police station to report various sightings of Judy. One PHLASH driver remembered picking up Judy in the early afternoon at Front and South streets, a stop near the Double Tree. There was also a reported sighting of Judy entering the Greyhound bus station at 11th and Filbert sometime in the early afternoon. This station is a common place for tourists to use the bathroom and is only a 10-minute walk to the DoubleTree hotel. One report claims Judy was seen entering and then exiting the station but most reports mention only entering the station. This area was close to Philadelphia’s Chinatown and Jeffrey speculated that Judy may have gone to Chinatown for lunch as she loved both Chinese and Thai food, but no restaurant owners remembered seeing Judy that day. There was yet another sighting of a woman who looked like Judy at around 3 pm near the hotel; witnesses claimed this woman seemed disoriented. A number of sightings were reported over the next few days in the waterfront area of the city called Penn’s Landing. A variety of people claimed to have seen Judy. Some witnesses said she seemed confused or dazed. Judy’s two children, her son in law Jay, and Jeffrey looked into these sightings and discovered that there was a homeless woman in the area who looked strikingly similar to Judy and it is believed that many witnesses saw this woman rather than Judy Smith. This local resident looked so similar to Judy that at one point Judy’s son Craig crossed the street thinking he had discovered his mother, only for it to be the other woman. Police officers and volunteers stopped this woman a number of times as well. One transient in the area, a man named David, was insistent that he saw Judy, not the other woman, on the night of April 10th in the Penn’s landing area, either resting or sleeping on the bench. He was insistent it was Judy, and not the other woman as he knew the other woman from the neighborhood. Judy’s son believes this story is credible as David was coherent and very willing to be interviewed, even though there was nothing to be gained from his testimony and he was simply happy to help the family. He also identifed Judy from a collection of photos, something many other witnesses were unable to do. On April 11th an employee at a Macy’s department store in Deptford, New Jersey believed that she interacted with Judy Smith in the morning on that day. She described the clothes Judy wore, right down to the old red backpack. This shopper told the employee, that she was buying some dresses for her daughter but laughed because her daughter often disliked the pieces that she purchased for her. Judy’s family confirmed that this was acurate and affirmed that Judy sometimes shopped at Macy’s. The customer appeared to be slightly disoriented as she asked a young woman in the store to leave with her, thinking that the other customer was her daughter or a someone else she knew. One report says that Judy asked another customer in the store about menopause, a very odd subject to talk about, especially with someone you don’t know in a department store. This mall complex was in Deptford, New Jersey, a bus ride away from Philadelphia, across the Delaware River. According to newspaper reports, NJ Transit Buses had routes which traveled from downtown Philly to Deptford hourly, and the stop was very close to the mall the sighting took place at, meaning it was possible for Judy to have boarded the bus and ended up in Deptford quite easily. Unfortunately, the Macy’s didn’t have security footage which showed this customer and the woman paid for her purchases in cash. After a second story ran in the newspaper on April 14th, a variety of other witnesses came forward with stories. The most famous report came from a Society Hill hotel employee who explained that a woman who matched Judy’s description stayed in the hotel from April 13th-15th. The woman appeared to have psychiatric problems and did a variety of strange things during her stay such as touch herself very noticeably in front of the window (it’s unknown if this was in her room or in the lobby), speak in tongues, and finally claimed that “the emperor” would help her pay for her stay at the hotel. This wacky guest was remembered by several employees including the hotel manager, a woman named Abby Gainer, who alerted the police. The strange guest told the employees that she wanted to stay at the hotel for another night but didn’t have the funds to do so. She later said she would get the money via a Western Union wire transfer from “the emperor” (Altman, 1997). The nearby Best Western Hotel had a similar situation with a similar woman. Concierge Tyrone Taylor remembered that on the 15th, a woman matching this description entered the hotel to use the telephone in the late afternoon. The woman was speaking loudly and said that “the emperor of China” was going to pay for her stay as she did not have the cash to pay for a night at the hotel. Taylor reported that the woman was well dressed and did not appear to be a transient. Both hotel employees reported that the woman was a heavyset blonde in her 50s, wearing heavy dark makeup, eye glasses with tape on the side, and nicer clothes. Gainer reported the woman was sporting an expensive looking scarf with camels and roses on it. The woman, who signed in as "H. K. Rich/Collins," did not have any luggage with her and was wearing very different clothes than Judy was last seen in. When Taylor called the police to report his sighting, he gave the strange guest a call (she must have left a telephone number) and told her she could have a free night at the hotel. She arrived at the Best Western but police decided that the woman was not Judy Smith (Altman, 1997). The hotel sightings were nothing more than a red herring. Over the next few months various sightings were reported but none seemed to pan out. Many of the sightings were believed to be other people who looked like Judy. After all history has shown that false eyewitness sightings are incredibly common in cases of missing persons. Philadelphia PD’s investigation Philadelphia PD launched an inquiry into the disappearance of Judy Smith on April 11th, 1997. Jeffrey tried to report Judy as missing in the late evening hours of April 10th, but the police told him to wait 24 hours. Smith, however, was a well-connected man and after a few complaints to both a Pennsylvania state representative and the mayor (both men were attorneys and knew Jeffrey from previous work functions), Jeffrey was able to file a report in the early morning hours of the 11th. The Smith family made and hung flyers in the area. Judy’s children joined the search and followed up on sightings around the tourist areas of Philly. Police interviewed Jeffrey, Judy’s children, and others in order to retrace Judy’s last steps. Judy left behind her passport at her home in Massachusetts meaning she could not have easily left the county. The Smith’s two landline records were checked but nothing out of the ordinary was found. After interviews and searches of the area, Philadelphia PD announced that they believed Judy had never made it to Pennsylvania at all and speculated that Judy went missing from the Boston area. This speculation was based on a couple of things. First, investigators did not believe Jeffrey’s story that Judy couldn’t catch the flight due to a lack of photo ID. Police thought that this story was odd and did not believe a seasoned traveler like Judy would forget her license at home before heading to the airport. Later investigation showed that someone named Judith Smith took a 7:30pm flight into Philadelphia and flight manifest showed that the ticket was used to make the flight that evening, however, the entire incident is still odd to many amateur sleuths and professional investigators. Another detective thought it was odd that while Judy had clothes and belongings in the hotel room, she didn’t have any cosmetics with her. Further, detectives noticed that there were few soiled items of clothing in the room meaning that if Judy was in Philadelphia on the 10th, she wore the same jeans and coat that she was wearing the night before. Judy’s children reported that this wasn’t uncommon for their mother as she wasn’t a frilly person. They also said that their mother only wore makeup on occasion and not while traveling so these things didn’t seem out of the ordinary to them. (Personally, I have also wondered if Judy did have some makeup, but it was in her backpack at time. I know plenty of women who don’t wear much makeup, but if you looked in their purse or bag you might find some lip stick or powder.) Investigators went on to say that no one but Jeffrey could place Judy in Philadelphia during this time frame. This announcement resulted in several eyewitnesses who claimed that they had seen Judy at the hotel. One receptionist from the hotel claimed that on April 9th in between 9-10 pm, she saw Judy arrive at the hotel and greet her husband in the lobby. She said that Jeffrey gave Judy flowers and the two appeared to be apologizing to each other. (Jeffrey said this was the case except Judy gave him the flowers). One concierge remembered a woman in her 50s with a coat and old red backpack ask him how to get to the PHLASH bus stop at around 10 am on April 10th. He knew it was after 9 am because that is when his shift started. Finally, a conference goer named Carmen Catazone, who was sitting in the lobby also recalled the flower incident from the night before. The woman did not know Jeffrey personally, but recognized him from the conference. Jeffrey was a moderator for a variety of sessions and was very overweight so he was easily recognizable. These witness’ accounts seem to line up with Jeffrey’s story. As far as I can tell the flower story had not been released to the press at this point. Finally, Philadelphia PD divulged that Jeffrey wasn’t fully cooperative, as he wouldn’t submit to a polygraph. Jeffrey denies this and said that as a lawyer he knew that polygraphs are fallible. Further, he claims that he was willing to take a lie detector if it was given by an outside agency such as the FBI, but Philadelphia police declined this scenario. These are the four reasons investigators used in order to prop up their theory that Judy wasn’t in Philadelphia at all. Despite witness sightings, this theory is a popular on online to this day. Aftermath and Discovery After several weeks Jeffrey returned to the Boston area and tried to resume his normal life. He drastically cut back his hours at the office reporting that he could not focus on his work. Smith attempted to keep his wife’s case in the spotlight doing interviews whenever he could and eventually landing a spot on the show Unsolved Mysteries. On the show, one friend of the couple called the marriage “tenuous” but modern articles on the case mention that the police could find no one who reported concerns like these about the couples’ relationship. In independent interviews Judy’s adult children denied witnessing any warning signs in their mother’s new marriage. Eventually, Jeffrey hired three private investigators to look for Judy. The PIs faxed over 9,000 missing posters to police departments and hospitals all over the country hoping that someone would recognize Judy. Five months after her disappearance in September 1997, a man and his son were hunting in the Pisgah National Forest near Candler, North Carolina, a short drive from the city of Asheville. On a steep incline one-quarter mile from a picnic area, which itself was a mile from hike from the nearest parking area, the duo found what appeared to be a human bone. They alerted the police who responded to the scene. Over an area approximately 300 feet in diameter, investigators found most of a human skeleton which had been wrapped in a blue blanket and buried in a very shallow grave. Scavenging animals had dug up the skeleton and a few bones had been carried away. The skeleton was determined to be female. The woman was dressed in thermal underwear under her jeans, hiking boots, socks, a t-shirt, a bra and a jacket. Nearby in two different holes, a blue vinyl backpack and a men’s shirt had been buried. The backpack contained some winter clothing and 80 dollars. The shirt contained a pair of $110 Bolle brand sunglasses, as well an additional $87. A paperback mystery novel was also found nearby. She carried no ID. The slope where the body was discovered was near some hiking trails, but the hill itself was steep and at an elevation of 4,000 feet, the search was difficult. The incline was so severe that one investigator crushed his sciatic nerve attempting to search the area, an injury which required major surgery. Early coverage of the body’s discovery in the Asheville Citizen Times, initially reported that the police found a body belonging to a woman who they believed to be in her 20s dressed in hiking clothes (Ball, 1997). Several days later, the medical examiner assessed the bones and concluded that the skeleton was that of white woman in her 40s or 50s, who was about 5’3” tall with shortish light brown hair. There were cut marks in the woman’s bra and t-shirt which indicated that she had been stabbed in the chest area, however, no cause of death could be determined. Some reports mention that there was trauma to the woman’s ribs. The decedent also had a severely arthritic right knee (some reports say it was her left knee), extensive fillings and dental work in her molars, and some animal hair on her shirt, which may have been horse hair. The woman did not seem to be a transient due to her nice clothes and dental work. The death was ruled a homicide as the woman had been wrapped in a blanket post mortem and buried. The ME determined that the body had been there for 1-2 years prior. For several weeks the skeleton remained nameless in the ME’s office. On September 9th, a small blurb about the unidentified body ran in an Asheville, North Carolina paper. 65 miles away in Franklin, NC, an ER physician named Parker Davis was looking at missing poster which had been faxed to the hospital he worked at when he noticed that the woman on the poster had a severely arthritic knee. He remembered the story of the skeleton from the paper who had a similar knee problem. On a whim he called the police who were able to get a copy of Judy’s missing poster. After a preliminary check, the ME contacted Jeffrey in order to obtain a copy of Judy’s dental records. The records were a match, and by the end of September 1997, Judy had her name back. Friends and family were also able to identify Judy’s diamond engagement band with a pear-shaped stone and wedding ring which had been found on or near the body. Some early reports say that the woman had no jewelry and that Judy’s wedding ring was missing, but later reports say that it was found near the body. The area of the burial was searched on at least three occasions so it is possible the rings were not found until later. Missing was Judy’s wallet, red backpack, and some jewelry that she typically wore (it’s unclear what jewelry this is referring to). The coat she was last seen wearing was nowhere to be found and the clothes she was dressed in, as well as those in the backpack were unable to be identified by family or friends. The shirt buried nearby was a men’s shirt and was believed to belong to the killer, not Judy. Furthermore, the sunglasses did not appear to be Judy’s as Judy’s kids said she wasn’t the type to spend over $100 on sunglasses. The sunglasses are an athletic style and to me look like men’s or unisex sport sunglasses. Buncombe County Investigation Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department took over the case from the PPD after Judy’s identification. Once it was determined that Judy was the woman in the woods, several residents in and around Asheville reported that they had seen Judy or had interacted with her in the April shortly after she was last seen in Philadelphia. For example, one woman thought Judy had stayed at her hotel from April 10th-12th, one woman who worked at a souvenir shop near the Biltmore house (a tourist attraction near Asheville) thought that she spoke to Judy who said she was from Boston and that her husband was a lawyer. Another woman who worked in a store recalled that Judy with her red backpack. She claims that Judy bought a toy truck and approximately $30 worth of sandwiches. There were two other sightings of a person resembling Judy in the area in a gray sedan. One person claimed to have seen Judy near the Pisgah National Forest in a gray sedan chock full of stuff. This witness said that the woman was looking for a place to camp. Another person saw a woman in a gray sedan in the same area. All sightings occurred in the week or so after Judy was last seen in Philadelphia. Of course, it goes without saying that, eyewitness testimony can be unreliable and the human mind is susceptible to suggestion. North Carolina investigators traveled to Philadelphia to retrace Judy’s steps. They have said that they don’t believe that PPD did a poor job but simply wanted to cover their bases. Two detectives flew to Philadelphia and determined that Judy probably been there at least briefly before traveling to the Pisgah National Forest. They reported that there was no indication that Judy had been abducted or otherwise forced to travel south. It appeared she at least started the journey of her own volition. In all the sightings of Judy in North Carolina, she was alone. Buncombe county deputies were able to rule out Jeffrey as a suspect rather quickly, although they concede that anything is possible and Jeffrey could be involved however unlikely it seems. Jeffrey was ruled out based on his size and health. Jeffrey was a morbidly obese man who investigators noted began huffing and puffing when walking quickly or climbing stairs. Because of this they did not believe Jeffrey could have disposed of his wife’s body especially in such an inaccessible area of the forest. Furthermore, they could find no evidence that Jeffrey rented a car in Philadelphia adding to the logistical problems with Jeffrey being a suspect. On top of his lack of car, Jeffrey had less than 12 hours to dispose of Judy’s body as he was seen in the lobby of the hotel at 9:30 pm, and then was moderating a session of the conference at 9:30 am. Driving to the Pisgah National Forest from Philadelphia takes approximately nine hours one way meaning he did not have time to kill and dispose of his wife. One podcast on the case mentions that police could find no large withdrawals of money from the Smith’s accounts which could have indicated the hiring of a hit man or a paid accomplice. (I could find no other corroboration of this claim so take this with a grain of salt.) Jeffrey also kept his wife’s case in the spotlight and suffered many hardships in the wake of his wife’s disappearance. Besides the one woman who was interviewed on Unsolved Mysteries, no other friends or family reported that there were issues in marriage that they were aware of. Philadelphia police also struggled with Jeffrey’s size as carrying and disposing of a dead body is quite taxing and it is doubtful that Jeffrey could have done this on his own. However, they say that Jeffrey is still as suspect as he could have killed his wife in Boston or had an accomplice. With the most obvious suspect cleared, investigators moved on to other lines of inquiry. They searched the surrounding areas hoping to find people who had seen Judy which is how the discovery of the woman in the gray car was made. Police also searched a nearby horse farm as Judy was known to like horses and had what could have been horse hair on her body, but nothing definitive was found. Other information
Philadelphia investigators looked at the Smith’s phone records and determined that there was no unusual activity on either of their phone lines that would indicate that either of the Smiths were having affairs. Neither Jeffrey or Judy had cell phones. If Judy was having an affair at the time, none of her friends could provide any insight or speculate as to who it was. There was a computer in the house which was searched, but it is unknown if the computer was connected to the internet.
When Judy went missing Jeffrey believed that she had approximately $200 on her person. About $500 dollars in cash was found among Judy’s things in the hotel room. Judy also disappeared with her ID, her credit card, and her phone card. To this day, there has been no activity on either card.
Judy’s description varies from source to source. Some sources report that she was “heavy set” or “top heavy”. Others say she was 130 or 140 lbs., which is more average size for a 5’2” woman. In some pictures Judy looks to be of a larger build, but in some photos, she appears smaller. Whether these weights were a misprint or Judy was someone whose weight fluctuated regularly is unclear. It is not a very important detail but it is a discrepancy I wanted to point out.
Judy had been to North Carolina only once and had no connection to the area. She had once been to Raleigh to visit Jeffrey who was at a weight loss clinic. Jeffrey said that he loved the area and thought about moving, but the couple never returned to the state. Family also said that Judy had once traveled to Tennessee or another nearby state with a former patient but that had been years earlier.
Judy Smith is also the name of a famous "Crisis Manager." This Judy Smith was the inspiration for the hit show "Scandal" with actress Kerry Washington. This woman is not the same Judy Smith who went missing in 1997.
Suspects Gary Michael Hilton, sometimes called the national park killer, is a suspect in Judy's disappearance. In 2008 Hilton was arrested for a murder in a national forest and was later linked to three other murders, all of which took place between 2005 and 2008. Hilton, who was in his 50s and 60s at the time, killed hikers in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina and he is considered a suspect in many other murders in surrounding states such as Arkansas, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Hilton, who loved the outdoors, would often stalk hiking trails, camp sites, and other areas known for outdoor recreation to find victims to terrorize. His crimes were tended to be opportunistic and his motive most often was monetary. Hilton held down a series of jobs from 1997 to 2007 but did not work full time. He was also a drifter who moved from place to place. Hilton usually assaulted and robbed his victims of their wallets, atm cards, cash, and valuables. His victims were male and female, young and old. He seemed to prefer victims who were isolated and alone did not try to find a specific type of person otherwise. One thing that is interesting about Hilton as an offender is that it appears that he did not commit any violent crimes before he was 58 or 59 years old. Hilton has a very long rap sheet but most of his crimes were relatively minor such as possession of marijuana, carrying a pistol without a license, soliciting false donations for charity, carrying a police baton, and DUI. Once arrested several violent incidents that Hilton had been a part of came to light but he had never been convicted of them in the past. Most people agree someone with does not start a life of violent crime in their 60s. Many believe the Gary Michael Hilton has more victims then are currently known. John and Irene Bryant, an eclectic couple in their 80s, were hiking in the Pisgah National Forest in 2007 when they were attacked by Hilton. Hilton killed Irene, and then kidnapped her husband in order to use their ATM cards and withdraw money before killing John as well. Irene's body was left only miles from where Judy's body was found 10 years earlier. This is one of the most convincing pieces of evidence that Hilton may have been involved in Judy's murder as well. However, it is important to note that Judy was not robbed and Hilton did not bury any of his known victims. Judy's murder also took place 10 years before any Hilton's other murders. Some blogs or more unofficial sources on the case mentioned that Hilton was believed to be in Georgia at the time of Judy's disappearance, but this isn't known for sure. If you are interested in learning more about the crimes of Gary Michael Hilton this reddit post is a really good place to start. This post did a good job of putting it all in one place so thank you u/lisagreenhouse. Another offender who was in the Asheville area at the time of Judy's disappearance was a young man named Lewis Kyle Wilson. In the early 2000s Wilson was arrested after assaulting and robbing a sex worker he had brought home to his property. There's not a lot of information on Wilson online, but he was living in Asheville and would have been 19 at the time of Judy's disappearance. I cannot find any evidence that Wilson actually killed anyone but he does have a history of violence towards women and was in the area at the time so he is sometimes mentioned online as a possible suspect. One sex worker Wilson was known to frequent was the victim of an unsolved homicide that happened in 2006; Wilson is the prime suspect in that crime. In 2016, only a couple of miles from Judy's burial site in the Pisgah National Forest, a lone hiker in her 60s was attacked, raped, and left tied to a tree. Thankfully, the woman was found alive and taken to the hospital. Some have wondered if this crime was connected to the Judy Smith homicide but there is no hard evidence of this and the rapist remains unknown. Theories Amnesia is one possible explanation for Judy’s disappearance. The family believes that Judy was injured or otherwise suffered a bout of dissociative amnesia which caused her to become confused or forget her identity. This is supported by the sightings of a confused or disoriented Judy in Philadelphia. The family believes this explains why Judy traveled to the Pisgah National Forest apparently of her own free will. One theory is that Judy and Jeffrey had an argument that spurred an angry Judy to leave the area, whether she left from Boston or Philadelphia. After she left the area and traveled south to North Carolina, she met with foul play. In a similar vein, some believed Judy willingly traveled to North Carolina to meet up with someone, perhaps a friend or a secret boyfriend. The ID incident at the airport was simply a cover so Judy could converse with this person who she wanted to meet. Once in North Carolina she met with foul play perhaps at the hand of the person she went to meet. One theory Jeffrey explored was that Judy was suffering from mental illness and had a psychotic break. Being a lawyer, Jeffrey was able with some legal maneuvering to obtain all of Judy’s medical records from her adult life, including a physical she had had only months before hand. There was no indication that Judy had ever had any mental health concerns. Neither she or her doctors ever mentioned anything that would have pointed to any mental health problems, even minor ones such as anxiety. According to Jeffrey, Judy’s newest physical reported that Judy was in good mental and physical health (Lewis, 1997 and Trace Evidence Podcast). Other sleuths have speculated that Judy traveled to North Carolina because she was questioning her sexuality. Asheville at the time was known for having an LGBT community. This theory is pushed forward by one interview on the Unsolved Mysteries segment as Judy’s friend says, “If you are looking for a mystery man, there wasn’t one.” Some have said that this implied that Judy had met a mystery woman, not a man. However, this theory is full of holes. No friends or family ever had any indication that Judy was questioning her sexuality. Judy had been married to men on three occasions and had other boyfriends as well. This explanation fails to explain why this realization would cause Judy to unexpectedly travel hundreds of miles and cease contact with her children. It also fails to explain who killed Judy. Others have speculated that Judy was tricked into going to North Carolina. Perhaps she met someone while sightseeing who offered her a ride and that person abducted her or drove her to North Carolina for some reason. Personally, I have always wondered if Judy was suffering from early onset dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. This would be a similar theory to the psychotic break theory; however, I believe this explains why Judy was described as both disoriented and acting normal in different sightings. I am by no means an expert, but if I understand correctly, patients with these conditions can get very confused and agitated but can also have times of acting completely lucid. I think this theory can explain why Judy forgot her license at home before flying, and can also explain her disappearance. I think it is possible Judy got on the wrong bus and ended up first at the Deptford mall and then eventually North Carolina, simply getting more and more lost each day. Of course, this hypothesis does not solve Judy’s murder, it simply gives an explanation for her travels. A final theory that is prevalent online is the idea that the doe found in Pisgah National Forest was not Judy at all and was instead misidentified. While this is always possible and something I have entertained from time to time, Judy was matched via dental records, her arthritic knee, and her distinct engagement ring with a pear-shaped stone. If the doe was not Judy, then the mystery becomes even stranger, and now includes the identity and murder of yet another woman. While the odds of a similarly aged woman, with a bad knee, similar dental work, and a plain silver wedding band accompanied with a fancy diamond engagement ring, who was not Judy being murdered in the forest is possible, I believe that it is not very likely. Proponents of this theory point to the ME’s report that the doe had been in the forest for over a year, while Judy had been missing only five months at the time of her discovery. TO BE CONTINUED... Full list of sources are in part two- https://unsolved.com/gallery/judy-smith/ link to part 2 https://www.reddit.com/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/kky2l2/when_a_body_is_found_600_miles_away_extensive_two/
I have been fascinated by the podcast True Crime Bullshit and am buzzing about the new series.There was a huge amount of information contained in seasons 1 &2 so I have put together a timeline of the missing persons cases considered to be potential victims, with a few basic notes, often with the assistance of Namus and obviously the TCBS episodes. Please let me know about any errors/omissions. 3 March 1996 - Julie Harris (Age 12, Colville, WA) Double amputee Julie went missing while walking to church, then her purse and prosthetic feet were found a month later along the banks of Coalville River. A few weeks later Julie's remains were located 3 miles SW of Colville. Keyes was 18 years old and living 20 miles away at the time...FBI local law enforcement do not think he is involved...Julie's stepdad is a strong suspect, Keyes did not yet have a driving license and may have been at church on the sunday morning. I think this case should be included in the timeline. S4E4. KEYES MOVES TO OREGON 27 June 1997 - Marlene & Cassie Emerson - (Ages 29/12 - near Colville, WA) Trailer home 5 miles south of Colville was set on fire and Marlene was found in a burned out trailer and Cassie presumed kidknapped, then her decomposed body located a month later near old logging road 3 miles from the trailer. Keyes makes certain admissions to FBI regarding arson and recovered bodies which may fit the Emerson case circumstances. Keyes' ex-girlfriend states that he visited Colville around this time, Keyes admits to an unspecified arson in Colville. S4E4 Summer 1997 - unknown teenage female survivor of Keyes attack - Deschutes river, near Maupin, Oregon. (Covered in Season1Episode5 of True Crime BS) AUTUMN 1997 - KEYES RESIDING IN CONSTABLE, NY. 15 October 1997 - Canadian Jamie s2E4 when Keyes moves to upstate NY. 2 March 1998 - Suzie Lyall (age 19 - Albany, New York) Suzie disappeared on the way home from her job at a local mall and was last seen at about 9.45pm alighting from a bus at Collins Circle in the centre of the SUNY-Albany uptown campus heading towards her dorm room (from Namus). Keyes was living in the area and Josh located a witness who had previously encountered Keyes in a Marshall’s car park (presumably stalking) less than 2 miles from where Suzie was last seen. Did Suzie meet Keyes on online gaming sites? S1E17 9 JULY 1998 - KEYES ENLISTS IN ARMY, ALBANY, NEW YORK (AGED 20) Unidentified Turkish exchange student from Norway that Keyes met in Tel Aviv. This was when Keyes was in the Army. It was "not quite" a rape, but she "allowed him" to lose control. This causes him to realize his victims had to be complete strangers. S1E5 at about 35:30. Thanks to u/AndroidAnthem. 1999 - KEYES DEPLOYED TO EGYPT Sex worker in Israel when was Keyes deployed. Ended up renting suite in hotel with army buddies. Owner sent up a prostitute and she went in room with Israel. Came running out 30 minutes later. Keyes kept preventing her from leaving and woman started screaming and kicking him. She eventually got free. He would not tell buddies what happened. S1E15 at about 15:15. nod of respect to u/AndroidAnthem. 9 March 2000 - Leah Roberts* (Age 23, Whatcom County, WA) Leah was on a solo cross country journey from North Carolina and her jeep was found abandoned down an embankment with no sign of Leah or her pet cat. A person of interest who had spoken to Leah at a diner moved to Canada according to Trace Evidence podcast. *did Keyes have leave from army at this time? EDIT: Josh on TCB Q&A appears to rule out Keyes because he was out of the country. December 2000 or early 2001 ?? Unknown neighbour - Keyes’ girlfriend, Tammy, recalls death of a male neighbour in Neah Bay who went missing while on a hike. The body was located but death ruled accidental. Tammy told FBI that she did not see Keyes on day or night of neighbour’s disappearance. Name of the neighbour is redacted in FBI file. S1E6 & S4E5 JULY 2001 - KEYES MOVES TO NEAH BAY, WASHINGTON STATE, TO JOIN TAMMY AFTER LEAVING THE ARMY OCTOBER 2001 - KEYES BECOMES A FATHER 21 November 2001 - Kami Luella Vollendroff & Eugene Hyatt (aged 16 & 18, Depoe Bay, Oregon) last seen at Boiler Bay State Park in Depoe Bay, Oregon. They went to look at tide pools but did not return. Authorities considered that they drowned due to a rogue wave (despite the low tide!) One of Eugene’s shoes was located near Boiler Bay Cove a few days later but that is the only trace of the young couple. Josh suspects that they are buried in a valley in WA state. S1E7. S2E4 Canada 1 September 2002 - Celia Darlene Barnes (Age 57, Gold Hill, Oregon) disappeared on a hiking trip with her sister along the Right Fork Sardine Creek Road near the House Of Mystery. When Darlene’s sister returned to their vehicle she could not locate her sister. S1E9. January 2003 to 2004 - Kristine Grace Rodrigo* - (Age 23, Oxnard, California) Namus states that Kristine indicated that she was flying to North or South Carolina to meet a man she met on the internet. Unknown exact date in 2003 or 2004. *Josh considers this case while investigating California Kristine/Christine/Kristen etc in Namus 44. 28 March 2004 - Giovanna Katie Tyler - Went missing from Tacoma, WA, and had family in Neah Bay, lived there 1000 feet from Keyes, was in Tribal police jail the same night as Keyes. S4E5. big shout out to u/jhooksandpucks 13 April 2004 - Tina Mae Cawston - (Age 36, Nespelem, WA) Namus states that "Tina was last seen on Gold Lake Road, four and a half miles north of Nespelem, WA." S4E8 16 August 2004 - Alice Ida Looney (Age 39, Toppenish, WA) Body found by a hunter wedged under a tree on a small island in Satus Creek, 12 miles southwest of Toppenish. No known whereabouts for Keyes at this time. S2E12. 31 August 2004 - Richard Meyers (Age 50, La Push, WA) Last seen in the morning when informing his wife that he was taking his boat out to go fishing. 31 October 2004 - Kimberly Ann Forbes (Age 48, Hood River, Oregon) did not arrive to meet a friend who lived 3 miles away. Ford Explorer was later found abandoned in Gresham, Oregon, with the rear window broken. S2E11 8 February 2005 - Shawn Paul Houston (Age 28, Brinnon, WA) was attempting to take a Sea-Doo pwc on a joyride. He could not start the engine and he drifted from shore. The pwc was found overturned. No trace of the M/P was found. Divers searched the area and could not locate the M/P. S4E9 19 February 2005 - Danielle Imbo & Richard Petrone (Ages 34/35, Philadelphia, PA) Disappeared after leaving a bar in Philly to drive home. The couple and their vehicle have never been located and there has been no activity on phones or bank accounts. Josh from TCB says he is "on the fence" and says if Keyes is responsible then he would have run them off the road, not abducted them from a busy parking lot. Wiki suggests a murder for hire (from Q&A s4 episode). 4 March 2005 - Delmar Wayne Sample (Age 53, Centralia, WA). Keyes supposedly ruled out but in 2015 FBI were investigating and they have not ruled him out. S1E9. 19 March 2005 - Cynthia Jane Marl. (Age 45,Wenatchee, WA) Goes to run errands but never returns. Van found abandoned in another town 6 weeks later. There is a deceased suspect that may have killed Marl for drugs. S1E8/9. Thanks to u/AndroidAnthem 16 April 2005 - Ellen Beth Sloane. (Age 52, Polson, Montana) Car found abandoned in shopping center near airport. Had lot of belongings as if traveling. Was being charged for tax evasion but allegedly cooperating with authorities. S1E8/9. Thanks to u/AndroidAnthem. 22 April 2005 - Wendy Dehoop (Age 44, Eugene, Oregon) Wendy last seen at 7am and did not arrive at a later appointment and her Toyota Corolla was located on 2 May 2005 in South Eugene. (Josh questions if there is enough information to attribute this case to Keyes). S2E14&15 5 July 2005 - Gregrey Seamons Brown (age 48, Ellensburg, WA) went missing from the Rachel Lake trail head. Very few details. S1E9. 7 July 2005 - Kristine Nicole Hamilton* - (Age 18, Moreno Valley, California) Reports of Keyes spotted at Lake Paris 12 miles from where Christine was last seen, walking down her driveway towards a white sedan. Keyes was in Newport Beach on July 10 for his grandmother’s birthday. Josh is unsure if Keyes involved. Christine’s stepfather is suspected. *Josh considers this case while investigating California Kristine/Christine/Kristen etc in Namus 44. 8 August 2005 - Nita Mayo (age 64, Hawthorne, NA) Nita told friend she was going shopping across the state line in California (somewhere near Lake Tahoe) on State Route 108, approx time 11am. Possible sighting at shop in Strawberry, Cali. Nita failed to show for work the next day at work. Station wagon located at Donal's Vista, 15 miles east of Strawberry on 108, containing keys, phone and purse and purchases from Strawberry store. Vehicle at the scene since day Nita went missing - she was not a hiker. Appearance matches a description in Keyes' suicide note. S4E3 6-11 October 2005 - Belize victim? Tomas Perez (Age unknown, Corozal, Belize) failed to return home and his wife reported him missing. Police thought that Perez had returned to Mexico but there was no record of him crossing the border. S2E3. 16 November 2005 - Roy Loren Stephens (Age 48, Crescent, Oregon) went missing near Highway 58 and his Ford Taurus was located 25 November on the Waldo Lake access road off H58. S1E9. 5 December 2005 - Kevin Nordquist. (Age 38, Eugene, Oregon) Left friend's house for pub but never arrived. Witnesses heard gunshots in area. S1E8/9. Thanks to u/AndroidAnthem. 8 December 2005 - Lyn Marie Ohana. (Age 49, Port Townsend, Oregon) Went for a walk and never returned. Left all her possessions, money, debit cards, etc. behind. S1E8/9. Thanks to u/AndroidAnthem. 31 January 2006 - Lucille Hellen Lewis. (Age 54, Missoula, Montana) Moved out to Montana to live with a man she met on internet. When he turned out to be convicted felon, she wanted to return home. Allegedly she was dropped at airport and never heard from again. Boyfriend is person of interest. S1E8/9 Thanks to u/AndroidAnthem. 20 June 2006 - Stephen Michael Mason (Age 52, Sequim, WA) last seen at Dungeness-Forks Campground near Sequim in the Olympic National Forest. Argued with his wife and asked his friend to give belongings to his wife. S1E9. 24 June 2006 - Gilbert Gilman (Age 47, Olympic National Park, WA) "Gilman’s vehicle, a 2005 Ford Thunderbird Convertible, was found at the Staircase Ranger Station. Searchers spent 10 days looking for any clue of Gilbert in the Staircase area and examined nearby trails and ridges in the area, which includes steep, rocky hills, dense forest and the North Fork Skokomish River, and found no trace of him. They used tracking dogs, helicopter and a plane equipped with heat seeking equipment along with 62 searchers on the ground. After 10 days of fruitless searching, he was declared lost by the U.S. Forest Service." strangeoutdoors.com (Josh H states in S4E7 that he does not consider GG to be a victim of Keyes). 5 August 2006 - Lori Ann Boffman (Age 45, Youngstown, Ohio) drove away from her residence and her damaged vehicle was located the following day in Youngstown. S2E2 OCTOBER 2006 - TRIP TO BELIZE MARCH 2007 - KEYES MOVES TO ALASKA 7 April 2007 - Khoi Dang Vu (Age 25, Vancouver, WA) disappeared after leaving the family home in the early hours without his jacket or bicycle. 1 May 2007 - Myoung Keun Noah (Age 60, last seen in San Bruno, CA) Disappeared picking up car fare. There's a note on receipt in FBI says Keyes may have spent 2 nights at neighboring campground during the time Noah went missing. The campground was within Noah's driving range. thanks to u/AndroidAnthem 23 May 2008 - Helen Suzanne Gracia (Age 45, Anaconda, Montana) Told family heading out to run errands. Later in the day an eyewitness saw Helen at the Rock Inn Tavern in downtown Anaconda. Two days later, Helen's car was located behind another bar one block away, with possessions locked inside. Anaconda is between Rock Springs (where Kimberly worked at this time) and Neah Bay. Keyes also supposedly buried a kill kit in Rock Springs. S4E9 10 June 2008 - unknown lady attacked in East Modesto in driveway of home next to drycreek connecting river to farmland. attacker forced survivor into trunk of car, nothing stolen, then he left without committing further assault...matches Keyes description. 260 miles away saving bank was robbed 5 hours later, description matches Keyes. Followed by arson next to school 7 miles away, matching a Keyes admission in FBI interview. 20 June 2007 - Ryan Michael Schwab (Age 32, Lakewood, WA) Ryan disappeared from Lakewood and his car located 70 miles away at a Lake Rainier National Park trailhead. S4E9 27 October 2008 - Sheila Kathleen McBroom (Age 40, Anchorage, Alaska) left for work and was stopped by State Trooper at mile 106 of the Seward Highway, close to where her vehicle was located on 31 October. 13 January 2009 - Lynn Stafford-Yilmaz (Age 45, Bainbridge Island, WA) was on board the ferry Puyallup leaving from Coleman Dock in Seattle en route to Bainbridge Island and her vehicle was found abandoned on the ferry. Keyes unaccounted for in January 2009. S4E9 8 April 2009 - Debra Feldman (Age 48, Hackensack, New Jersey) Keyes denies that he abducted Debra Feldman from New Jersey and buried her in Tupper Lake, upstate NY. However, when Keyes was shown a photo of Debra by the FBI “his mood and the tone of the conversation changed drastically...and the change was palpable”. Considered in some circles to be a confirmed 4th victim. S2E2 10 April 2010 - Ronnie Paul Cobb (Age 49, Dyersburg, Tennessee) last seen going turkey hunting at the Parker boat ramp on the Forked Deer River and his boat was discovered down river. S2E2 29/30 June 2010 - Linda Haynie (Age 39, Antelope, CA) contacted a friend via cell phone text, indicating she was leaving, gave no reason and left behind four children. 3 months later Lynda's car located at Sacramento International Airport, parked since September 20th. Bank robberies in Santa Rosa, San Jose, Modesto and arson in Sac. Keyes in the area. Could Linda Haynie be the Fort Lewis, WA, Jane Doe? S4E10 7 July 2010 - Donald William Tobin (Age 52, Riverside, CA) last seen on way to his storage facility. Car found on 9 July at a remote dog park a half mile from his home, at a trail head near a lake... S4E2 12 July 2010 - Robert Perry Bissell - (Age 57, Estacada, Oregon) Namus states that "Bissell was last seen on July 12, 2010, when he left his home in Portland, Oregon to go camping in the Roaring River Wilderness Area near Rock Lakes above Estacada, Oregon. His vehicle, a white 1989 Nissan Sentra with Oregon license plates, was found at Trailhead 700 near Rock Lakes. Bissell apparently parked the car there, hiked five miles and set up camp off Trail 512 near Middle Rock Lake. It appears as if he left his campsite intending to be gone only for a day or less. He left his sleeping bag and gear at the site, taking only his fishing rod and tackle. On July 19, Bissell's brother went to his campsite, but Bissell wasn't there. His brother left a note on his car, asking him to contact his family. His brother visited the campsite again on July 24 and again couldn't find Bissell. The authorities launched a search the next day. An extensive search of Mount Hood National Forest turned up no indication of Bissell's whereabouts. The terrain is extremely rough, to the extent that three of the search horses threw their shoes. Bissell is presumed to have become lost or injured in the wilderness, probably shortly after he began his trip on July 12. His body has never been found." S4E8 1 August 2010 - Shane Sprague (Age 34, Mountlake Terrace, WA) Shane is a survivalist and was reported to last be seen in the Granite Falls/Monte Cristo area of Washington. He was last seen wearing a brown or green Carhartt jacket and pants, blue sweatshirt and beanie, carrying a military style green duffle bag and backpack. S4E9 2 June 2011 - Lauren Spierer (age 20, Bloomington, India) Lauren went missing after a student night out and this is a popular internet/podcast true crime case in which much suspicion has been cast on Lauren’s boyfriend’s buddies. According to Josh, “allegedly when confronted with a photo of Lauren, Keyes got visibly upset, denied involvement, and continually tried to veer the conversation away from her.” Josh stated that he is almost certain that Keyes was responsible. Keyes was unaccounted for in Indiana on this date. S1E13. 8 June 2011 - Bill & Lorraine Currier - (aged 50 & 55, Essex, Vermont). Known victims. S1E4;S1E12 27 August 2011 - Marble Arvidson (age 17, Brattleboro, Vermont) "Marble Arvidson was last seen on Saturday August 27, 2011 at approximately 1400hrs by his roommate, who observed Marble leave with an unknown male that came to the house. They left for an unknown destination and unknown means of travel. Marble left a note on his door stating he was with the “Gremlin Hoard” and would be back in 30 minutes. This was not uncommon for Marble to leave notes for his foster family, advising where he was going. Family describes the “Gremlin Hoard” as Marble’s way of letting them know he was going out to “party” with friends. Marble is an avid hiker and reportedly took his hiking boots with him. All of Marble’s friends are from the Brattleboro, Dover and Wilmington, VT areas. It may be possible that Marble became a victim of Tropical Storm Irene as this major storm hit on the same day Marble was last seen. There has been some reported sightings of Marble in the Brattleboro area since he was last seen but nothing has been confirmed at this time. The most recent reported sighting occurred in April 2012." vsp.vermont.gov S4E1 1 February 2012 - Samantha Koenig (age 18, Anchorage, Alaska). Known victim. S1E2;S1E3 15 February 2012 - James Lamar Tidwell (age 58, Mount Enterprise, Texas) went missing on his way home from construction job and the next day Keyes is pictured on video robbing a nearby bank wearing a construction helmet. Josh is very confident that Mr Tidwell is a victim of Keyes and is likely buried in or around Lake Pat Cleburne, Texas. S1E16 unknown date - A white girl driving a vintage car with a wealthy grandmother. This was from an FBI press release and not in files from FOIA requests that Josh received. S201 at about 4:45. tip of the hat to u/AndroidAnthem Skykomish Doe ??Black Diamond Doe ??Fort Lewis Jane Doe ?? 13 MARCH 2012 - KEYES ARRESTED IN LUFKIN, TEXAS 2 DECEMBER 2012 - KEYES DEAD
From the latest public advisory (as of 9/16 11:30 AM ET) Sally is likely to cause issues with rainfall, storm surge, surf, wind tornados, and flooding - including potential inland flooding. Check your local weather or emergency management agency for more specific information where you are. Please look to local news, local weather, and local and state emergency management agencies to find out more about how you may be affected, if you need to evacuate, and steps on getting prepared. Please everyone stay safe.
Louisburg Other things worth thinking about or getting:
General: A cooler. Fun/mental health stuff - books, games, etc. Cash. Weather radio and batteries. Flashlights > candles. Backup cell phone, laptop, or other batteries. Extra water. Hand sanitizer. Comfort items (a toddler's blankie, the puppy's favorite toy, your grandpa's watch you can't imagine losing).
Specialized: Transportation and assistive devices (think especially about children, pets, the elderly, people with disabilities).
Store it in a plastic bag to they are together and stay dry.
House deed/rental agreement/lease.
Insurance information (home, car, renters, medical, flood).
Identification (ID card/driver's license, passport, Social Security card, marriage/birth certificates).
Take photographs of your home before you evacuate and when you return. Good documentation of the damage may help if you need to file an aid or insurance claim.
All classes online starting Monday at noon and Tuesday.
10
Southern Miss University of Southern Mississippi - Gulf Coast Locations
All classes and events moved online starting at noon on Monday.
15
/CFB BallSouth Carolina If you know of any of these, please let us know.
University
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/CFB BallNorth Carolina If you know of any of these, please let us know.
University
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/CFB BallVirginia If you know of any of these, please let us know.
University
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Sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 TouchdownGame InformationPenalty Flag We'll be updating this list as we get information. This list includes all games played with teams in affected states. Many may not be affected, but given the ripple effects of things like travel and the particular complications of scheduling this season, we've listed them all here for reference.
“On Tuesday, Tennessee Education Lottery (TEL) CEO Rebecca Hargrove said it is aiming to launch the state’s sports betting market by 1 November at the latest. This means that Tennessee residents will be able to legally bet on sports during the upcoming football season. Sports betting became legal in Tennessee in May 2019 and since then, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Montana and New Hampshire all managed to legalise and launch their sports betting markets. Licensing updates During Tuesday’s Sports Wagering Advisory Council meeting, Hargrove revealed that four operators and approximately 20 vendors and suppliers have applied for licenses. The names of the operators were not disclosed; however, media sources say that BetMGM, DraftKings and FanDuel have applied for a license. The fourth company is Tennessee Action 24/7, a local Tennessee company that offers free-to-play games. On Tennessee Action 24/7’s website, a message says that the TEL is “currently processing our Sports Gaming Operator license application.” In its latest quarterly report, MGM resorts revealed that it currently has market access and plans to launch sports betting operations in Tennessee later this year. Online sports betting only Unlike other states with legal betting, Tennessee’s sports betting laws only permit online and mobile sports betting. Tennessee is the only state to legalise online-only sports wagering, which makes it an outlier in the wider US gambling market.” https://www.compare.bet/news/tennessee-sports-betting-to-go-live-on-1-november
“On Tuesday, Tennessee Education Lottery (TEL) CEO Rebecca Hargrove said it is aiming to launch the state’s sports betting market by 1 November at the latest. This means that Tennessee residents will be able to legally bet on sports during the upcoming football season. Sports betting became legal in Tennessee in May 2019 and since then, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Montana and New Hampshire all managed to legalise and launch their sports betting markets. Licensing updates During Tuesday’s Sports Wagering Advisory Council meeting, Hargrove revealed that four operators and approximately 20 vendors and suppliers have applied for licenses. The names of the operators were not disclosed; however, media sources say that BetMGM, DraftKings and FanDuel have applied for a license. The fourth company is Tennessee Action 24/7, a local Tennessee company that offers free-to-play games. On Tennessee Action 24/7’s website, a message says that the TEL is “currently processing our Sports Gaming Operator license application.” In its latest quarterly report, MGM resorts revealed that it currently has market access and plans to launch sports betting operations in Tennessee later this year. Online sports betting only Unlike other states with legal betting, Tennessee’s sports betting laws only permit online and mobile sports betting. Tennessee is the only state to legalise online-only sports wagering, which makes it an outlier in the wider US gambling market.” https://www.compare.bet/news/tennessee-sports-betting-to-go-live-on-1-november
Finding the Right Plumbing Contractor in Knoxville, TN
Finding the right plumbing contractor can sometimes be a daunting task if you don’t know what qualities to look for in a specific plumbing company. Especially in Knoxville, Tennessee area, the right plumbing company for you should not be difficult to find at all. Many plumbing companies are operating in Knoxville, TN, and although you are given a lot of options to choose from, it doesn’t mean that every plumbing company is reliable. You will need to do thorough research to help you decide which one to pick. The extra effort that you put into your research will pay off in the end when you finally find someone to hire and trust with your plumbing needs. In this blog, you will learn the different points that you should consider when finding the right plumbing company to take care of your home plumbing needs.
Begin by making a list of plumbing companies in Knoxville, TN
By doing this, you are making a list of possible choices to choose from when making the decision. You can browse through the internet for plumbing companies near you, check their company names, and take note of them. Having a list makes it easier for you to point your potential plumbing contractor and increases the chance of finding the best one.
Ask for recommendations from your family and friends
There’s a good chance that your family or friends can suggest a reputable plumbing contractor you should hire. It will be easier to decide if you have people who can recommend a plumber they had a fantastic experience with in the past. Listen intently to what they are saying. If you keep hearing the same names over and over, keep them in mind. This will simplify the choices from your list and help determine those companies you should not consider hiring.
Check Out Reviews From Past Clients Of Local Plumbing Companies
Sometimes, friends’ and family’s recommendations won’t work for you. In this case, you still have another option. You can browse for recommendations and online reviews yourself. Most local plumbing companies have business websites or online platforms where customers can leave feedback. Check out what their past clients have to say about them. What you read through the reviews shall be considered your basis for hiring a certain company.
Choose The Plumbing Company That Has Years of Extensive Experience
Aside from asking for recommendations and doing the “recommendations hunting” yourself, you can also step up your hunting game and review a company’s website. Read through their ‘About Us’ page from which you can find important details that you should consider when choosing. You can learn about how long each company has been providing service as well as their experiences in the industry. You do not want to hire a plumbing company that has just started and does not have a lot of proven experience. While start-up companies are yet to build customers ‘ trust, you should also be wise and practical with your decisions. Consider those who have had provided quality services for years. The more experience they have, the higher the chance of getting your plumbing issues solved in the shortest amount of time possible.
Look for a Licensed and Insured Plumbing Company
If you think you have found the best plumbing company, wait till you ask them if they are licensed and insured. Their years of experience may not be enough. You also want to make sure that you hire someone who is authorized to deliver you their service. Their license will serve as your ticket to safety and security. A licensed contractor follows certain rules and regulations imposed by governing authorities. So you will be confident that your plumbing needs will be taken care of professionally. Do not be blinded by a contractor’s number of positive reviews, years of experience, and or plain promises. Do your investigation and assess it wisely. The final decision will be up to you. Be sure to choose the right plumbing company that you can rely on. If you live in Knoxville and need professionals to assess, repair and replace your home’s plumbing system, Hero Services is just a phone call away. Learn more here: https://goheroservices.com/finding-the-right-plumbing-contractor-in-knoxville-tn/
With football season comes hurricane season. No,notyouRicht. Hurricane Florence has been downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane.Whatdoesthatmean? There are now hurricane, tropical storm, and storm surge watches and warnings in effect on parts of the East Coast. Whatisawatchvsawarning? However, with this, please keep in mind that these categories are based on windspeed and do not factor in things like storm surge or rain. Here's some more information about this from NWS Newport/Morehead. And here is some information about the storm surge. Please look to local news, local weather, and local and state emergency management agencies to find out more about how you may be affected, if you need to evacuate, and steps on getting prepared. Please everyone stay safe. Here's an article on how "For Coastal Colleges, Evacuation Means Far More Than Just Moving People." Forecasts, Predictions, and Watches/Warnings
General: A cooler. Fun/mental health stuff - books, games, etc. Cash. Weather radio and batteries. Flashlights > candles. Backup cell phone, laptop, or other batteries. Extra water. Hand sanitizer. Comfort items (a toddler's blankie, the puppy's favorite toy, your grandpa's watch you can't imagine losing).
Specialized: Transportation and assistive devices (think especially about children, pets, the elderly, people with disabilities).
Cars: Gas. Window breakeseatbelt cutter.
Safety:
Check your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector batteries!
Watch out for downed power lines. Never assume it is dead. Avoid it.
Assume floodwaters are deeper than they look. Turn around, don't drown.
If your home floods and you need to go up, head for the roof. Keep an ax in your attic to get out that way if you need it.
Be aware of potential 911 delays.
Evacuate! If you can, check on people you know to see if they need help evacuating if you can offer it or put them in touch with someone who can.
Documentation:
Bring it with you.
Store it in a plastic bag to they are together and stay dry.
House deed/rental agreement/lease.
Insurance information (home, car, renters, medical, flood).
Identification (ID card/driver's license, passport, Social Security card, marriage/birth certificates).
Take photographs of your home before you evacuate and when you return. Good documentation of the damage may help if you need to file an aid or insurance claim.
Affected Games If you learn of any cancellations, delays, etc. with games related to Florence, please let us know! You can comment here or PM StrawberryTea. Most of the "canceled" games are looking to reschedule in the future if possible. We're listing them as "canceled" here for clarity that they will not be played this weekend. "Rescheduled" games have had their dates and/or times moved, "moved" games have a new location. ALL TIMES LISTED ARE PM ET UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. We also decided to map these out. The latest map. North Carolina
West Virginia Note: there's nothing listed here because the FBS West Virginia college football games are being played elsewhere...in other potentially affected states. Maryland
Potential Rescheduling Note: this is listed by date and not week because different sites are disagreeing on which week is which. Previous weeks have not been listed because none of the teams have a TARDIS. Games for this week are already listed above. Games that have already been played or rescheduled further out are not listed here.
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The Institute Director - Chapters One through Six (Pages 1 - 30)
Chapter One Tuesday, July 16th, 2019 In a warehouse parking lot near Walter Reed Medical Center, the Mormon institute director fumbled with the cellophaned pack, retrieving and lighting his first cigarette in thirty-eight years. He barely inhaled as he smoked it through, surprised how familiar it was to his senses. The ash glowed orange and the smoke spun his head as it wafted out the car’s open windows. He looked at his hands as he lit his second, wondering if the small tremors were from the fresh nicotine, the high stakes of the day or another dose of guilt settling into his bones. Ben Samuels remembered he’d scarcely heard his alarm go off that morning, as he’d been up and dressed. His wife had hit snooze and returned to her sleep. She didn’t think to check on him, nor make an effort to rise. Would Marge have done different had she known what was happening? Maybe, maybe not -- she’d become so distant over the past months. He stared down at his cigarette. I bet she’d notice this. ..... That morning alarm rang as Ben stood with a vacant gaze out his kitchen window, oatmeal bubbling on the stove. Dawn’s light gathered across the plain backyard, the sky clear and the grass begging a mow -- the start of a hot July day in Morgantown, West Virginia. Oats done, he grabbed milk from the fridge and made his way to the table, wholly uninterested in the meal. He pushed aside his old high school yearbook and opened his laptop, commencing a read-through of his regular websites as he ate -- the Mormon Newsroom, USA Today, Consumer Reports and Amazon, the last to check on a backordered hedge trimmer blade. Only then did he reluctantly click onto the front page of the local paper. He finished his breakfast as he re-read the article detailing John Southland’s bike accident. Though it failed to identify him by his correct name, Ben knew it was his old college roommate under the police blanket in the photos. He sighed and picked up his yearbook for the third time since learning of John’s death, or John’s murder or whatever it had been. Rogers High School, Spokane, Washington. Class of 1979. Page forty-four, Samuels before Southland, both their senior pictures on the same tuxedoed page. He ran his finger along a faded ballpoint line drawn circuitous between the two of them, “Race On!” written in the margin. Forty years and now a funeral instead of a class reunion, not that John would have attended anyway. Should he call the authorities? Wake up Marge and tell her everything? His main thought was to do nothing. The paper showed the situation in-hand and it was really none of his business. But Ben couldn’t shake the dread that had gripped him during John’s surprise visit the week before. He looked around his quiet kitchen half-expecting a calamity to break out. Nothing out of order besides the squeak of the air conditioner, he took a bright yellow USB thumb drive from his pocket and inserted it into his computer. He keyed down and opened the lone video file, still amazed at John’s resolve. There it was -- a silent and grainy footage, a prisoner restrained and bleeding at the end of a penitentiary hallway. Two men exiting the frame, the bald one halfway out and unrecognizable, the other tall and in view. The tall man turning back. Ben winced as the man pulled out what must have been a syringe full of something evil and plunged it into the prisoner’s neck. The prisoner struggled, then slumped at his feet. Ben scooted his chair close and watched again -- starting, stopping, reversing and witnessing once more. It was the most horrible thing he’d ever seen. But had John been correct? He looked up at Marge’s knick-knacks on the plaster wall. Staring back was a kitschy cross-stitch their oldest daughter had finished fifteen years prior. It read ‘Just Do It,’ the famous quote from both the Mormon prophet Spencer Kimball and a certain Oregon shoe company. John Southland had been so convinced and so desperate for help. Ben had heard him out in his institute office but done nothing. Now he was dead, like he’d predicted, and Ben had his evidence. Just Do It. He turned and rummaged through a worn-out credenza drawer, finding a red envelope. He grabbed a half-sheet of paper, searched for a location on his web browser, wrote his note and sealed it up. A final glance at the cross-stitch and the decision was made. Ben quietly put his dishes in the sink and hurried to his car, an uneasy three-hour drive to Washington, DC ahead of him.
Chapter Two Two Weeks Prior The only thing interesting about the old split-level colonial atop North Tremont Avenue was its view toward Greensburg’s historic beaux-arts courthouse. The county kept it lit at night and John Southland had come to appreciate its ostentatious dome. He gazed at it most evenings with cold beer in hand, sitting on the concrete steps outside the postwar brick and clapboard home. The panorama was between telephone wires and across a wide working-class valley, the house on the wrong side of the tracks and long-ago apportioned into three separate apartments to maximize revenue. John had been given the walkup on the main floor -- a creaky sitting room in front of a Formica kitchen with two worn-out bedrooms down a hall. Beneath him was a small basement unit, the third apartment accessed from the blacktop alley around the back. For most, it would be a dilapidated and bleak place to live. For John, it was a mansion. He reveled in the freedom and the space, twenty years of incarceration fresh in his rearview mirror. The small pleasure of a beer with a view seemed almost magical from day one. He hadn’t met many neighbors yet. There’d been an occasional ‘Hello, I’m Jimmy Montano,’ but John had remained quiet, taking to heart his WITSEC Inspector’s advice to start slow with the introductions. He filled his plate instead with his new job and all the rules and regulations that came with being a parolee within the U.S. Marshals Service Witness Protection Program. The secret he held also made him careful, a ticking bomb tucked an inch below his veneer. There’d been only one purchase beyond the necessities, an old Bianchi Celeste from a pawnshop owner who had little concept of its worth. They agreed on a hundred dollars and soon the mint green racer was performing like a European custom. John set out to regain his pre-prison cycling form, spending his evenings and off-days riding the hills of Pennsylvania’s Westmoreland County. He was careful to not cross the government line as WITSEC rules didn’t allow such excursions for at least six months. His other pastime was more critical -- finding Ben Samuels. Early attempts had been fruitless. His old friend’s name was nowhere to be found on the Mormon Church’s voluminous website. John checked multiple times, waiting over a month before calling the 800 number in Salt Lake City, not wanting one shred of connection to the threat that beset him. Out of options, he used the counter phone at the downtown library after a final attempt searching the site. “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, how may I help you?” “I’m trying to get in touch with one of your employees. A man who works for your church.” “Name please.” “Ben Samuels.” “Which department?” “No idea. Sorry.” “Just a moment.” The woman was quickly back on the line. “Yes, I found him. He works for the CES.” “CES?” “Church Educational System. I’ll transfer you.” The phone clicked and another woman picked up the call. “CES, how may I help you?” “Ben Samuels, please.” “Who?” “I’d like to speak with Ben Samuels.” “…May I ask who you’re with?” “No one, ma’am. I’m just trying to reach him.” “He no longer works here, in our offices.” “Can you transfer me to his location?” “Please hold a moment.” “I’m an old friend of his.” “Yes sir. Please hold.” The line switched and John found himself listening to what he recognized as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It was thirty seconds before someone came back on. “This is Associate Director Oscar Trejo, may I ask who’s calling?” The authority in the man’s voice made John want to hang up. “…James. James Montano. I’m trying to reach Ben Samuels.” “I see. Well, I can tell you he’s no longer here.” “Does he still work for your church?” “For the time being. He’s out east, in West Virginia.” John stood up straight. Ben was nearby. “Do you have a number?” “I must ask, are you with the press?” “The press? You mean like a reporter?” “Yes sir.” “No, nothing like that. Just a friend.” John held his breath. The administrator paused, then relented. “…OK, I’ll take you at your word. I’ll give you back to my secretary and she can provide the phone number to the Morgantown Institute.” John didn’t wait, hanging up as the Tabernacle Choir started a new hymn. He walked back to his allotted computer terminal and keyed in “Mormon Institute, Morgantown West Virginia.” The screen refreshed and the location came up. It was no more than an hour away. The proximity and the urgency of the story he needed to share made the trip too tempting, WITSEC rules be damned. He bummed a ride from a co-worker as soon as he could. They left early and were back in Greensburg by noon, John sullen and quiet on the way home. He’d tried his best to convince Ben in his office, but it didn’t seem his former soigneur was going to help. It left John only one option. He called his WITSEC inspector and made an appointment to share what he knew. At least the video on the remaining USB thumb drive was in good condition. He’d become adept at hiding it, choosing a space under a loose floorboard the day he arrived. He was anxious the night before the meeting. The last thing he wanted was to be hurled back into prison on some sort of technicality. He tossed and turned until settling into a deep sleep after 2am, oblivious to the quiet crunch of a C-rake lock pick and the turn of his front door knob. ..... John woke to the barrel of a Glock pistol shoved against his shoulder, the beam of a flashlight dancing across the bed. “Wake up.” John rolled over. The handgun and nine hundred lumens flashed in his eyes. “What’s going on?” “Get dressed. You’re going for a ride.” “What? Turn that light off.” “Get up. That’s the last time I’m going to tell you.” John scooted to the edge of the bed. “Who are you?” “A friend or a nightmare. Your decision. Like I said, it’s time for a ride. Put on your bike gear.” John’s head cleared. He stood and didn’t ask any more questions -- the intruder wasn’t playing a game. He went to the dresser and pulled on his lone pair of bike shorts, then picked up his socks and cycling shoes. The man tossed him a T-shirt hanging from a chair. “Slow and steady. Head out the front door.” A panel van waited outside. Its cargo door was open and a driver sat behind a tinted window. John’s Bianchi was already stowed in the back. He got in and sat beside it while the man with the gun jumped in after him and slid the door shut. The van pulled away from the curb, the Glock held steady toward John’s chest. John didn’t understand. Why the bike? If they were going to kill him, they’d have shot him in bed. Did they know about the video? “Where are we going?” The man wagged his gun. “Shut up. Just sit there.” Maybe it was something else? Someone he’d testified against returning to settle a score? A midnight visit from one of the cartels? There were too many enemies to keep straight and it would do no good to ask. He went quiet, focusing his eyes beyond his captor, out the back windows. He could tell by the streetlights and the storefronts they were headed south on State Highway 119 over I-70 toward Uniontown, and that they turned east on Pechin Parkway after the county fairgrounds. Even in the dark it was easy to track the route. He’d ridden it several times over the six weeks he’d lived in Greensburg. A mile further and the van came to a stop in front of a deserted cement plant. The driver got out and walked away. In the distance, John heard a chain rattle and a gate swing open. There was a whistle back toward the van. The man with the gun turned on his flashlight and slid open the door. “Put on your shoes.” John did as he was told and followed him outside. “Forgetting something?” “What?” “Your bike. You can ride home from here.” A car’s headlights appeared around the bend as John stepped back to the van. The car slowed as it passed and the man lowered his gun. John thought to jump into the road, but it went by before he had the chance. The man was undeterred. “Get your bike and ride.” John pulled the Bianchi forward and onto the ground. He spun it around and climbed on. The man turned off his flashlight and stepped close, the scene illuminated only by the van’s taillights. John noticed his captor was at least four inches shorter than himself. “One more thing.” The man leaned in and thrust a five-inch tactical knife through John’s right side, even with his stomach. It penetrated his abdomen, slicing his liver, spleen and tearing through his intestines. John screamed and collapsed to his handlebars, the knife held hard inside him, the pain both sharp and dull. The man wrapped his other arm around John’s back and held him steady. John gasped, his gut burning and blood starting to spill. “Why?” The man yanked the knife out and dropped it to the ground. He grabbed his gun and pressed it to the back of John’s skull. “Justice for the people you murdered. Now ride home. If you make it, you’ll live.” John didn’t move, blood flowing down his side. He tried to speak but fluid pooled in his throat. The man gave him a shove. “Ride!” There was nothing left to do. John pushed off and clicked into his pedals, his right hand pressing his wound and tears streaming down his face. The Glock followed his every move. Fifty yards, one hundred yards and forward. John was delirious and confused with only his God-given talent keeping him upright. He thought of Greensburg, his new home. The stone steps, the beer. His new job, his new life. There was no way he’d make it. A cry for help on the main road was his only hope. But there had to be separation. He had to get away. He ignored the wound and tried to stand from his saddle, pouring what little he had left into the bike. He’d made it almost a half mile before he sensed headlights gaining on him, the whine of a powerful engine closing in. John tried to swerve, but the blood loss caused his reactions to slow. The empty cement truck hit him square at forty miles an hour, its barrel spinning as the undercarriage bounced over him like an animal in the roadway. John’s last thought was of his old college roommate, a final prayer sent skyward that Ben Samuels would do the right thing.
Chapter Three Tuesday, July 16th The courier service delivered the red envelope to the front security desk of the Robert F. Kennedy Justice Building during the lunch hour. It was examined and time-stamped by the Mail Services Risk Assessment Team and hand-delivered to Susan Rivas, the United States Solicitor General’s Confidential Secretary. The unusual color caught her attention. She found it odd, a short note marked “For the immediate eyes of the United States Solicitor General only,” with no return address. Deciding it was warranted and straightening her skirt, Susan took it through the whitewood archway into the solicitor’s office. She found Walter Peterson alone and busy, three hours into a session of summer prep for the upcoming autumn Supreme Court term. He’d finished the lunch she’d brought him from the executive dining room and there’d been no other interruptions since the morning’s staff meeting. He glanced up as she passed the flag array by the chesterfield sofas, coming forward to his desk. Handed the envelope, he emptied it and read the half-sheet scrap inside. “I am an LDS Institute Director. I know what you are doing. Meet tonight at 10pm, 5300 West Cedar, Bethesda, Maryland.” Susan stood silent, watching him turn it over and look back at the envelope. He found a similar result -- there was nothing indicating authorship outside shaky penmanship. He looked at her and again at the letter. “Who delivered this?” “Mail Services brought it to my desk. Any idea what it’s about?” “No.” “Anything you’d have me do?” “…Nothing. I’ll check it through Chris later.” “Are you sure? I could have him come over, maybe the FBI as well?” “I’ll take care of it.” Susan was used to the abruptness. She knew to be on her toes around the solicitor. “Alright. Anything else for me?” Peterson re-read the short message and then laid it down. “Has SCOTUS gotten back about October’s schedule? Everyone was concerned this morning. The session is still three months away, but it’s normal to have a draft docket by now.” Susan shook her head. The Supreme Court’s administrative officer had told her it would be several more days. Peterson grunted and adjusted his reading glasses. “What about the Penitentiary Commission? I’ve made a couple site visits as the attorney general requested. If I’m going again it needs to be soon, before we ramp to full speed for the fall.” “I’ll check that for you. The calendar has a Commission meeting next week. You know, the AG isn’t expecting you to attend everything as you’re doing this ad hoc.” “All hands on deck, Susan. Besides, it gets me out and around the country. Boots on the ground, so to speak.” “Yes sir.” He nodded and returned to his files. Susan had to hide a half-grin as she walked away. The idea of her venerable Mormon boss a ‘boots on the ground’ anything was farcical. Bald, obese and unfit for any activity requiring sturdy shoes, she’d never met a man more behind the desk, blue blood and patrician. A woman on her block was LDS and Susan knew her to be the sweetest neighbor around. She couldn’t imagine Peterson neighbor to anyone. She glanced back from the doorway. Peterson had picked up the phone and was starting a call, the anonymous note in his hand. Susan turned to her workstation and watched the PBX screen. Deputy U.S. Marshal Chris Powers’ line went active five seconds later.
Chapter Four Ben found more time on his hands than he’d anticipated after watching the courier deliver his note. He drove north out of downtown to the small Bethesda warehouse he’d chosen online. Arriving, he found it unfenced and back from the main road, secluded with hills and heavy trees bordering two sides. He circled it and set the stage. Light pole placements were noted, as was the fact there were no exterior cameras in place. He marked a corner spot to park and patted himself on the back as he left. It seemed perfect. He continued north on Old Georgetown Road through DC suburbia and past a large shopping area. His Honda Accord then merged east onto the Capital Beltway. He smiled as mecca quickly appeared on his left. Though half-hidden in the dense summer green, it stood elegant and soaring above the landscape. The Washington, DC LDS Temple, the single-most recognizable Mormon setting on the American east coast. He exited Georgia Avenue and was soon in the busy parking lot, the spired white building in front of him. Ben felt no inclination to go inside. It was enough to be on the grounds, even in the summer heat. It brought the first bit of peace since his visit with John. He found a garden bench across from his car, walked over and sat down. Bowing his head, he offered a short prayer for guidance and help -- even a sign that he was on the right path. That the solicitor general was also LDS and had probably sat on the same bench loomed large in his mind. Walter Peterson was one of the most famous Latter-day Saints in the world, Mormons looking to him with much the same esteem as the senior leaders of their church. A cult of personality existed, his name mentioned in the same breath with Hall of Fame LDS athletes, entertainers and politicians. Few Latter-day Saints were held in higher regard. A surprise appointment by an unconventional president three years prior, Peterson’s Senate confirmation had been can’t-miss television for Mormons across the country. His legal acumen and forceful confidence impressed everyone and left his church community beaming with pride. Peterson being such a prominent member of his church had been the tipping point in Ben’s decision to confront him. As the good solicitor surely desired protection of his image and standing, Ben reasoned he’d be amenable to such a discussion. The hope was for a brother-to-brother recognition, some sort of ease-the-throttle-back, get everything on the table, save-face. Foolish? Yes. Dangerous? Maybe. He at least took comfort that Mormons were well-known for such admirable foolishness on occasion. An older, Sunday-dressed couple turned toward him, smiling and holding hands as they walked. Ben shook his head and sighed. His own marriage was far from a mirror image. As Peterson had risen, he’d gone the other way. Purpose had eluded him since his demotion and transfer to West Virginia, his wife feeling the effects even more so. Though they’d both fought depression and a sense of futility in their new surrounds, Marge had isolated herself to the point their relationship had started to strain -- Ben’s ‘what can I do to help’ met too-often with a cold stare and the covers pulled tight. The couple approached. Ben realized he had no tie on and probably looked out of place. He compensated by standing to greet them. The woman smiled. “Such a beautiful day to be at the temple.” “Yes Ma’am.” She stopped and pointed to cars across the parking lot. “The different license plates are always so interesting.” “Excuse me?” “Look at that row. People here today from Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Massachusetts. I love that. Summer vacation must have them on the road -- so nice they chose to come to the House of the Lord along their way.” Ben played along, pointing at his car backed into its spot. “What about that one?” The woman looked and then turned back, perplexed. “I have no idea, it doesn’t have a front plate.” Ben smiled. “That’s mine. I live in West Virginia where front plates aren’t required.” The woman laughed. “We’ll include you in our count anyway.” Keen to beat the heat, the woman’s husband patted her arm and looked toward Ben. “You have a nice day.” Ben stood staring at the cars as they walked off. It was interesting commentary, something to share with his students back at the institute in Morgantown. He thought of all the license plates he’d owned over the course of his life. Washington, Arizona, Florida, Texas, Utah and now West Virginia. He’d have a nice display for his garage had he kept them. Then, an instant realization of a flaw. Ben looked down the walk at the elderly couple and back at his car. If Peterson had his plate checked, he’d discover who he was. Ben wasn’t ready for that. If John Southland had been correct, Peterson was a menace. The short-lived peace in his heart evaporated. He felt the entire impetuous idea unravel, the grand confrontation less noble by the second. You’re going to get yourself killed. He returned to his car with his shoulders low and exited the lot without another thought toward the temple. He headed west, toward the shopping centers on Old Georgetown Road, intent on lunch and little else.
Chapter Five June 1st, 1990 CES Area Director Oscar Trejo waited for his boss on the eighth floor of the LDS Church Office Building. He was off the clock and self-conscious minus a suit, visiting Salt Lake City on a vacation day to attend a family function. He hadn’t planned on the summons and was glad he at least had a white shirt and tie to wear. Ushered into Associate Director Ronald Hayes’s large office by a secretary and left alone, Trejo found an oversized U.S. map propped on an easel beside the desk. Multi-colored stickpins were placed in college towns throughout the eastern United States. Trejo figured they were potential sites for the new Regional Select Institutes, knowing Church Educational System leadership had appointed Hayes to oversee the project. He was studying the map when the Associate Director entered and shut the door. Trejo pointed at the stick pins and spoke with his usual candor. “Are these what I think they are?” Hayes smiled. “If by ‘these’ you mean potential Regional Select Institute sites, the answer is yes.” “May I speak freely, sir?” “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Trejo ran his index finger down the right side of the map. “I don’t like it.” “What’s not to like?” “These ‘RSI’s. I don’t like the concept or the philosophy. Are we really going to encourage these students to not come to Brigham Young University or institute programs in Utah, urging them instead to stay back east for college?” “That’s the general idea, yes.” Hayes scooted past Trejo and sat down at his desk. He opened the center drawer and retrieved a paper-clipped set of four index cards. Trejo continued as he moved to a chair opposite his boss. “Why would we do that? How is it better than bringing them out west? Many of the eastern programs have less than a hundred students.” Hayes took a deep breath and looked across the desk. “How are you, Oscar?” Trejo grinned, realizing he’d jumped ahead. “Fine, sir.” “Wife and kids?” “Everyone’s good. They’re all waiting for me at my in-laws’. We’re attending a high school graduation tonight.” “Who’s graduating?” “My wife’s sister.” “Wow. I know you’re the youngest of our Area Directors, but to have a sister-in-law graduating from high school is quite something. How old are you?” “I’m thirty-eight, my wife’s thirty-three. She’s the oldest in her family, with eight brothers and sisters. This is the last of them.” “Well, I hope you enjoy yourselves. When are you heading back to Arizona?” “Tomorrow. The family will stay here a while, now that school’s out. How did you know I was even in Utah?” “Simple. I called your office in Phoenix and found you were on the road. Your secretary gave me the number where you were staying.” “How can I help?” “For starters, let me address your point about low enrollment at our eastern institutes. What about the students there now, Oscar? Don’t you think they would appreciate extra resources and more LDS kids joining them?” Trejo ignored the logic. “It seems like we’re conducting an experiment which might hurt more than help in the long run.” “The long run is why we’re doing this. The idea is to foster organic, regional growth. LDS students staying in their home areas to attend college, meeting others doing the same, marrying and settling where they’re from. Growing the church that way.” “Sounds pie in the sky.” Hayes shuffled his cards. “What about your Arizona Area? If I’m not mistaken, you have over five thousand Mormon students attending non-LDS colleges and their adjacent institutes down there. Why not shoot for those numbers elsewhere? Ignoring these sorts of things not only stalls the growth of our institutes outside the inter-mountain west, it very well hinders the growth of the church in those regions as well. How many of these kids who come to Utah wind up going back to where they’re from after they graduate? And what happens to those areas of the church when they leave? Like a leaky faucet, a constant drip of strength exiting the very places that not only need them, but the spots these young folks call home. And where do they wind up? They either stay here, where we already have an overflowing strength, or land in a third place with no roots and a yearning to move yet again. No Oscar, I don’t see it like you seem to anymore. Fortifying institute programs to retain many of these students in their home areas is what we should be doing, and these RSI’s are just what the doctor ordered.” Hayes doled out the index cards across his desk. Trejo sat forward and watched. College Station, Texas; Gainesville, Florida; Blacksburg, Virginia and East Lansing, Michigan. Texas A&M, the University of Florida, Virginia Tech and Michigan State -- already four of the largest institute programs east of the Rocky Mountains. Hayes looked up and continued. “These are the four we’ve decided to start with and the groundwork has already been laid. Marketing materials have been drafted and Church architects have visited the sites, submitting plans to renovate and expand each one. I now have to recommend additional staff, including full-fledged assistant directors at each location.” Hayes picked up a card and got to his point. “Tell me about this fellow you have in Mesa, Ben Samuels.” “Samuels? Great guy with a full head of steam.” “So I’ve heard. He has a Master’s in Higher Education and was baptized in an institute font. If his interview goes well, I’m thinking of sending him here….” Hayes handed Trejo the card in his hand. Trejo took it, reading it aloud. “Gainesville, Florida. The University of Florida.” He turned serious. “Well, if you’re going to do this, I think Ben’s perfect. Amazing really. How did you hear about him?” “He’s inquired about moving from our high school seminary programs to the collegiate institutes.” Trejo smiled. “He’s an interesting case study. A convert who never attended high school seminary, now teaching it and doing quite well. He’s been in Mesa several years and seems content, but it wouldn’t surprise me if bigger things were ahead for Ben.” “He grew up in Spokane, Washington, right?” “I think so. He joined the church while attending Washington State University, in Pullman. He’s told me that. His wife introduced him to the missionaries, back when they were dating.” “I look forward to meeting him.” “I have a different idea for you. If you’re serious about this ‘homegrown’ business, why not assign someone who happens to be from Florida to be the new assistant director? Send that person home and leave Samuels in Arizona. We’d hate to lose him.” Hayes put his elbows on his desk and leaned forward. “Excellent question, Oscar. It goes to my larger point. We’ve actually looked into that, at all four sites. Would you believe we don’t have a single qualified CES employee who hails from Texas, Florida, Virginia or Michigan? Think about that -- it’s a telling fact. Twenty or thirty years from now, we hope to find a different circumstance. Maybe you’ll be sitting in my chair by then. If you are, I hope you’ll find more options than I have today.” Trejo wasn’t ready to quit. “I still don’t like it, sir. As a parent, I’ll do everything I can to get my kids to one of our church colleges and would only consider something like an RSI as a last resort. I wouldn’t even want them at the major Arizona universities attending the institute programs I oversee. I want them here in Utah, where we’re at our best.” “I understand, and we’re not interested in weakening the church schools. This will be an additional, fortified resource to work in tandem with what we have here in the inter-mountain west. Let’s not forget, these institute programs already exist. Our goal is to strengthen them, create a few gems to shine bright and give the LDS students from these areas another solid option to consider.” “What about financial considerations? One of the great benefits of church colleges is the tithing-supported low cost. Certainly BYU is a cheaper option than the University of Florida.” “We’re working on that as well. As part of the roll-out, LDS endowments and scholarships will be set up and encouraged at each RSI site. We’ll be asking the membership to consider donations. It’ll defray the cost differences and further enhance the visibility and viability of the programs.” “Do you think you’ll get much in the way of contributions?” “I’m confident we will. These programs might be small, but they’ve had their successes over the years. We’ll be reaching out to the alumni, as well as the general membership. I believe it will work, and work well.” “Florida would be lucky to have someone like Ben Samuels. Why not send him to Washington, where he’s from? I’m sure he’d love that. I visited his classroom a couple months ago. He had a Washington State banner on his wall.” Hayes reached over and retrieved the card from his area director. “No, it’s east of the Rockies where the interest lies. If these four programs are successful, we’ll expand from there. As you’ve said, it seems Ben will do well wherever he’s assigned. At least for now, it’s Florida that’s in the cards for him.”
Chapter Six Tuesday, July 16th Ben was still smoking when the black SUV entered the parking lot and disappeared to the other side of the warehouse. Opening his door, he cursed himself for being so dramatic with the cigarettes. He’d smoked for three hours straight, more in remembrance of a life long passed than any desire to calm his nerves. He got out, stubbed his last one and threw the almost-empty pack in a nearby dumpster. Enough of that. He took a deep breath and headed the other way around, rehearsing what he would say. I know what you did. I know what you are doing… The SUV’s yellow fog lamps brightened his path as he turned the final corner, the vehicle fifty yards ahead. A man was standing outside the open driver’s door. He reached in and flipped on the high beams, assaulting Ben’s eyes with a blinding white. “That’s far enough.” Ben stopped and raised his hands halfway as the man came toward him. He was short and thin, quite the opposite from what Ben knew of Walter Peterson’s large build. The man’s suit, tie and confident gait identified him as a deputy or agent, a man with a badge and a gun. He approached, looked Ben over and then patted him down, spinning him around to double-check. “What’s your name and what do you want with the Solicitor General?” “I need to speak with him.” “I need to see some ID.” “I’d rather not disclose who I am. Is he with you?” “Did you write that note?” Ben started to answer but saw another man climb out of the SUV, shutting the door behind him. “Chris, it’s ok, send him over.” Chris forced a smile. “I guess you win. Follow me.” Peterson’s thickset frame cast a wide shadow in the dim light. Tall and overweight to a fault without a hair on his head, he resembled a former athlete who’d let himself go, his glory years decades behind him. He was dressed to match his guard, but as they came to the passenger side of the SUV, Ben could tell his suit and tie were from a much better store -- the United States Solicitor General before him. Ben hesitated then stepped close, an image of his dead friend appearing in his mind. Peterson wrinkled his nose and leaned back on his heels. “Who are you and what’s this cloak and dagger business about?” Ben glanced at Chris, astonished he’d made it to the moment at hand. He turned and looked Peterson in the eye. “Never mind who I am. I’m here about James Montano.” Peterson raised his eyebrows. “Who?” “I’m sure you know the name.” Peterson scraped his shoe across the asphalt. “The note you wrote this morning. You’re an institute director for the Church? Where?” “Yes, I work for the Church out here. Telling you that was the only way I could get this meeting. But I’m not here to talk about me. I want to talk about James Montano.” “Again, I don’t know anyone by that name. To be honest, this is quite strange. If you aren’t going to tell me more about you, this little waste of my time is over.” Peterson turned and reached for his door. Ben gathered himself and brought forward his case. “I think you killed him…. And if you did, I know he’s not the only one.” His fist on the handle, Peterson stared at the reflection in the window and seemed lost in thought. He then straightened and swung back, his demeanor cold, his voice that of a seasoned prosecutor. “First, would that be cigarettes I smell? Mormon institute director? I think not.” Ben tried to reply but was cut off. “Second, I have no idea what you’re talking about and it’s obvious you don’t know what you’re doing here. Third, though I haven’t had the privilege of an introduction, you seem to know who I am. I would think that might give you pause. I know nothing of a ‘James Montano.’ I suggest you slink back to your car and head home before you find yourself in serious trouble.” Ben pressed as Chris stepped forward to intercede. “James ‘Jimmy’ Montano, AKA John Southland, witness protection case WS436C. Found dead in a ditch three days ago, south of Greensburg, Pennsylvania. He came to me last week, told me everything and gave me proof.” Peterson’s bald head cocked to the right, his eyes widening at the mention of John’s real name. He dropped his hand from the SUV’s door and started toward Ben, raising his chin like a prizefighter sizing up an opponent. Ben caught his breath and stepped back. Chris grabbed his arm and shuffled him off, letting him go in front of the headlights. “Stand still with your hands where I can see them. Stay like that until we leave.” Awash in the light, Ben watched as Chris went back behind Peterson, who stood glaring his way. He opened the rear passenger door and tugged on the solicitor general’s coat. “Come on boss, let’s go.” Peterson sneered and shook his head, then turned and climbed back into the vehicle. Chris retreated to his driver’s seat and put the SUV into reverse. Ben stayed put, his nerves shot and mind racing, the taste of something much worse than cigarettes in his mouth. ..... Peterson pulled out his phone and sent a text to Neck, stationed nearby in a stand of hackberry trees. -Stand down. He looked out the window and up the hill, catching a glimpse of his lanky security assistant lowering his sniper rifle. Peterson then turned toward the windshield and took stock of the so-called institute director. Just under six feet tall and waspy white, he had a pot belly, balding salt and pepper hair, cheap shoes, wire-framed glasses and a skittish demeanor. The typical build of a fellow Mormon in his mid-fifties. Though he resisted the thought, he had to admit -- every box was checked. “Proof? What proof could he have?” He ordered Chris to step on it and they were gone.
'It feels like a war zone’: As more of them die, grocery workers increasingly fear showing up at work
41 grocery store workers have died due to coronavirus. In the time it took you to read that title (a war zone? Really? Get a grip) at least 41 more people have died. Not from the coronavirus, mind you. Most of them from cancer. A few from malaria. 5 or 10 were driving drunk. /coronavirus would call this "whataboutism". I call it "perspective". See, there are things you can do in life to help fight diseases, injustices, and death every day. But a single person can only do so much. There are only so many hours you can slave away at a task, no matter how noble, before you need rest. By focusing all their energy on the coronavirus and discussing what it might do or what it could do, they are wasting the potential to actually help, actually make a difference, actually change the world. Fretting and crying and keeping track of every single case and every single country and every single death solves literally nothing, and is actively counterintuitive to the act of supporting all the people they claim to be worried about. There are people that need food. People that need friends. People that need shelter. People that need information. These people are everywhere, and they didn't just appear because of a pandemic. They've always been here, and they've always needed help, but it requires somebody to actually give it, and care enough to make sure it's given to the people that most deserve it. It takes bravery, and selflessness, and effort... ...which is why it's just easier to complain on the internet all day, and compare 41 deaths to "a war zone".
It may sound too much like a doomsday scenario, but if we don't look out for people performing essential jobs, imagine what your life would be like if they are all too sick or scared to go to work.
Well, now most people know what it's like to be a war 'hero' and how your country treats those people when they return from a tour, or with PTSD, or loss of limbs.
I wear a n 95 mask and have a gallon of 99% alcohol with a hand sprayer.
If we lived in a sane world, before a nationwide lockdown, direct to consumer primary food distribution would have been nationalized utilizing national guard manpower and existing commercial infrastructure. Pay current grocery store employees to stay home, temporarily replace them with soldiers while leaving broad management in place to ensure functionality. Meanwhile, use the military apparatus to ensure all soldiers were safely equipped with proper PPE and handling materials. Those working closest to the frontline would already be medically on record and easily assigned to lowest risk task.
If we lived in a sane world, you never would have typed out that paragraph of video-game-and-movie-expert ridiculousness for the whole world to see.
I can't fault anyone for being afraid to work in a grocery store now. Stores in my area keep announcing that they're putting up plexiglass but it hasn't appeared yet, and employees have no face coverings. But this also makes me even more afraid to GO grocery shopping; it's a nerve-wracking experience.
I’m a licensed EMT, but work as a grocery store manager. (Money is money). I honestly think it might be safer on the ambulance right now. I’ve been thinking about getting back on a rig.
It is a war zone. The enemy virus is mounts an offensive everyday. We cannot counter attack, only detense
Since things really got crazy, I started ordering everything online and have relied on dried goods for protein. I don't want to put these workers at risk. I know it puts warehouse employees at risk but at least in that situation, you have a contained population that can be monitored.
"You just switch to overhead-view and turn on Employee Tracking. Then a little yellow bubble floats above their heads. If any of the bubbles turn red, just close the doors. Population contained!"
I’m scared to go get milk. I can’t imagine how they feel.
I scared just going to the grocery store to shop, working there would be downright terroizing
I live in Tennessee... It seems like everyone is doing their part to make sure they wipe out the entire state.
41 people. Forty-one. There are more than 41 states. Not even 1 dead grocery worker per state, and this is how they react.
At least the consripts in the world wars were given a tin hat and a gun.
amazon can't roll out those automated zero employee stores fast enough remember when that was a joke? now it's necessary!
The trick isn't learning a "high skill job", it's putting on a brave face and walking into a building full of people during a pandemic, and staying there in the midst of that crowd for 8+ hours. It's coping with missing our families that we still can't see, for risk of passing an infection we may not be showing symptoms for yet. It's going home and figuring out how to explain to your loved one that today you literally watched the breakdown of society in real time as people fought over toilet paper. It's learning to smile and walk away when a customer tells you they're "just browsing" or they were just so bored that they HAD to leave the house, and you just want to shout at them. Meanwhile your friend's daughter just died, and she couldn't visit her in the hospital, and she had to watch her be buried from her car. It's also being supportive when the supervisor breaks down because for the 5th time today someone has shouted at her, and the store has only been open for 3 hours. It's being flexible when you were supposed to work a 4am to 1pm, but your department gets inundated and no one will come in on their day off. It's learning to manage stress to maintain a healthy personal life when you come home. Mostly though, it's learning how to deal with the idiots that think this is the same job that it was 2 months ago.
So many parts of that bullshit pity-post exaggerate & contradict each other I can't even count them. When & where exactly is a retail job NOT a constant nightmare? That's not coronavirus, that's people.
Tennessee sports betting is about to be legal. Here's how it'll work. Online sports gambling will go live in Tennessee at 12:01 a.m. central standard time on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020. Division of Charitable Solicitations, Fantasy Sports and Gaming Mona Hart, Director 312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue 8th Floor, William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower (615) 741-2555 [email protected] Tennessee marks the ninth state that WynnBET has gained market access to as the Company fast-tracks its growth plan to meet the demands of the quickly moving online and mobile sports betting industry. As Tennessee does not have any land-based casinos, the bill approves online sports betting only — and it’s the first state to have this kind of law. The first bets rolled on Nov. 1 with bettors unable to place them at any kind of land-based or retail sportsbook – just via online or mobile devices only. The Sports Wagering Committee of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation's Board of Directors approved WynnBET to operate its online sports betting app throughout the state, pending fulfillment of statutory and regulatory requirements to go-live. Click here to file online with the Division of Charitable Solicitations and Gaming. For Charitable Solicitations and Gaming Questions: Please call (615) 741-2555 during business hours. Charitable Gaming. The Tennessee Nonprofit Gaming Law allows eligible 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(19) organizations to hold an annual “game of chance” fundraising ... Latest updates on Tennessee sports betting. Last updated Jan. 7, 2021. The next online sportsbook to go live in Tennessee will be Churchill Downs Interactive Gaming LLC.. Churchill Downs, operates the BetAmerica Sportsbook which will soon rebrand to TwinSpires.The operator was approved by the TN Education Lottery and will become the fifth sportsbook in the state. Tennessee Sports Betting; Home / International / 5Dimes Takes A Major Step Towards Legitimacy With Isle Of Man Gaming License. 5Dimes Takes A Major Step Towards Legitimacy With Isle Of Man Gaming License Alex Weldon Posted on Feb 11, 2021 14:05 PST @benefactumgames. Online sports gambling has been legal in the state since the Tennessee Sports Gaming Act was enacted on July 1. But don't expect to place bets any time soon. The Lottery has 90 days to award or reject a license. In addition to the three sports betting brands that have submitted paperwork, Tennessee has seen 12 firms submit completed applications for a vendor license, a lower-level authorization to provide various services directly to the sportsbooks. Vendor fees owed to the state are substantially less.
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