Baton Rouge Today

I kid you not, some news outlets actually seemed shocked that Derrick Todd Lee, the man sitting on death row at Angola Prison for killing 2 women, actually lied last week about how some of his artwork ended up for sale online. The original report stated that some of his artwork was listed on a website that specializes in selling artwork which was done by serial killers. One of the local news stations rushed right over to the prison and interviewed the Warden Cain who stated that Lee told him he was duped into sending those photos to someone claiming they were for a female and not for sale. Further investigation which included contacting the owners of the website showed that Lee wrote a letter to the website listing prices that he wanted for his artwork. The website posted the actual letter for proof but has since removed it. 

This entire debacle brings up several questions, the first and foremost being exactly how much of my tax money is being spent on art supplies for a man who killed these women? Isn’t the point of prison (especially death row) to punish those who have broken the law? Can I write the state and ask them for free art supplies or do I need to take out a few innocent people to become eligible? Maybe Angola can just give Lee his own laptop with internet access so he can cut out the middle man and start his own store front right out of his cell. Its not enough that we pay to keep this clown fed and make sure that he has plenty of entertainment, but he has free healthcare in there also, on our dime. Good hard working American people can’t get free art supplies much less a free kidney transplant!

This side-show that some call justice is really getting out of hand. Lee needs to be locked up in a 6×6 concrete room with a mirror and a commode, nothing more. Until we start treating killers like killers and taking away all their rights, no one fears prison because most thugs committing these crimes don’t have the luxuries in life that they will receive if they get locked up. In the real world we call that bass-ackwards. 

A Baton Rouge based Facebook group has surfaced which is protesting the release from Parish Prison of a man who hit and killed a bicyclist in Baton Rouge last week, while allegedly driving under the influence. The driver was charged with his 2nd DWI after the accident and police reported that his blood alcohol content was 3 times the legal limit. Since his arrest, he has posted bail and is free until his trial. The bicyclist was 30-year-old Nathaniel Crowson of Baton Rouge. 

The group’s description reads:

The 2nd Offense Drunk Driver who killed Nathan and severely injured Danny is now out of jail and is walking the streets. This is what we can do.

While many issues are intertwined with this tragedy and need to be addressed, there is ONE main issue which needs immediate attention and action: 

ISSUE# 1. 
A 2nd offense drunk driver has killed a man and severely injured another. As of today, he walks free in this city. We would like to know why. This puts other people’s lives at risk. 
To address this issue, we are planning a mass phone-call / email wave to the Mayor and DA’s Office. The goal here is to clog up the communication channels so that this issue gets the attention it deserves. Ideally we would like to see the bail revoked and the 2nd offense drunk driver back in jail. The DA does at this point have the power to revoke bail. 

THE PHONE CALL/EMAIL: 

STARTING MONDAY MORNING, 1/30/2012,
CALL and EMAIL the DA’s office, mayor’s office, City Council person for the district where the incident occurred, etc. and ask the simple question “Why?” as in why is this man back on the streets and putting your life in danger. It doesn’t matter what anyone really says in your phone conversation, we really just want the volume/influx of calls to speak for itself, but by all means, get creative. 

Say you would like them to revoke bail.

***Also remember please to not lash out at the 2nd offense drunk driver or use his name or say anything slanderous or threatening or intimidating. Would not be good for the cause***

==>Baton Rouge District Attorney: 225-389-3400
Or fill out the online form: http://www.ebrda.org/form_contacts.php

==>Office of the Mayor President: (225) 389-3100 
Email: mayor@brgov.com

(This, of course, brings to light our messed up bonding laws which, of course, will need to be dealt with in time)

If anyone else knows the proper channels or who would be the best to contact regarding all this , please post that information

Link to group: http://www.facebook.com/events/358957197449561/

Original Article: http://wp.me/p1yQEw-2eH

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division agents found the body of a missing man on the Bogue Chitto River in St. Tammany Parish this morning, Jan. 28.

Agents recovered the body of William Holloway, 63, at 8 a.m. from the river around a mile in a half downriver from where they found his capsized vessel on Dec. 28, 2011. Campers near the Bogue Chitto River alerted LDWF agents of Holloway’s body in the river this morning. Search teams found his wife, Kathy Holloway, 61, on Jan. 12 about a quarter of a mile from the capsized vessel.

LDWF agents along with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office (STSO) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) have searched for the couple since Dec. 28 when a passing boater on the Bogue Chitto found a capsized vessel at 10 a.m. The last known contact the Holloways had was at 3 p.m. on Dec. 27. The Holloways were camping on the Bogue Chitto NWR.

The 14-foot aluminum flat bottom boat was found about a mile from the boat launch at Lock No. 3 Road on the Pearl River Navigational Canal. LDWF retrieved the boat and is investigating the cause of this boating incident.

Search crews deployed sonar technology to search the water, helicopters to search the surrounding land and banks, dragging equipment and search dogs.

Kathy and William’s bodies have been turned over to the St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office for autopsy to determine official causes of death.