The Daily Blog

Congo Rapes: At Least 121 Women Assaulted By Troops Last Month, Says U.N.

GENEVA (Reuters) - U.N. human rights investigators have confirmed that at least 121 women were raped by Congolese troops who attacked and looted villages in the lawless east last month, a United Nations spokesman said on Friday.

The mass rapes were reported to the team in interviews with victims, police and medical personnel, he said.

“(U.N. human rights staff) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has confirmed that large-scale rape, pillaging, and cruel and degrading treatment were committed in Nakiele, in South Kivu province between the 11th and 13th of June by troops of the armed forces,” spokesman Rupert Colville told a news briefing.

Referring to the interviews, he added: “According to their statements, the troops raped 121 women, stole 157 goats and looted other goods including some $90,000 in cash and gold.”

A spokesman for Congo’s government has said that Colonel Kifaru Niragiye may have been behind the rapes after he and around 100 men deserted from a training camp where they were due to be integrated into the army.

The U.N. refugee agency said on June 24 that up to 170 women had been raped — the largest reported mass rape in the turbulent central African country in nearly a year.

Colville noted that the number of rapes are often underestimated. “Because of course with rape you always have the issue of how many women are prepared to come forward and say it happened. The fact that they are giving a number means they are fairly sure this is a minimum number,” he said.

“More in-depth investigations will be undertaken to further verify these allegations and details and facts and to identify the perpetrators,” he said.

A second mission is planned to Nakiele in the coming days.

Bomb, Propane Tanks Found at Colorado Mall.

LITTLETON, Colo. - Investigators want to question a person of interest about a pipe bomb and propane tanks found after a fire at a Littleton mall, a discovery that raised the possibility of a connection to the Columbine massacre anniversary.

Firefighters found two propane tanks and the bomb near the Southwest Plaza Mall’s food court after a small fire broke out Wednesday that was quickly squelched. The mall was evacuated around noon. No one was injured and the bombs didn’t explode.

Wednesday was the 12th anniversary of the shooting rampage at nearby Columbine High School and officials expressed concern that the mall incident could be somehow linked.

“The fact that has happened on April 20, 12 years later, near the school and with similar devices is very disturbing,” Jefferson County sheriff’s spokeswoman Jacki Kelley said.

A possible connection to Columbine will be explored.

“It’s something that can’t be ignored and won’t be ignored,” Kelley said.

The mall is about two miles from the school, where two student gunmen killed 13 people and themselves on April 20, 1999 in a rampage that stunned the nation.

Unexploded pipe bombs and a propane tank with explosives attached were found in the school after the shootings.

“If it’s kids, they’re crazy not to know what this means in this town,” Margie Hecht, who lives near the mall, told The Denver Post. “I remember that day and they wouldn’t think this is funny if they did.”

Through the years, students across the country have been accused of threats and incidents modeled after Columbine.

FBI spokesman Dave Joly said authorities have identified a person of interest seen on surveillance video entering a stairwell he said isn’t typically used by the public.

The man could be a witness or a suspect, Kelley said.

He is described as a white male with graying hair and a silver mustache. Photos taken from surveillance show him in a dark cap, gray and white striped shirt, dark jacket, blue jeans and dark shoes. He is seen entering a stairwell and carrying a white plastic bag.

Joly said it was too early to speculate whether the incident was an act of terrorism.

Sheriff’s officials said there are usually about 6,000 to 10,000 people in the mall around noon each day. Shoppers and about 300 mall employees left after the fire.

A daylong search didn’t turn up any other explosive devices in the mall, which was expected to be open for business Thursday.

About 25 schools were on lockout as a precaution, meaning access is restricted to one point, according to the Post. Classes had been canceled at Columbine High School in remembrance of those killed in the shootings.

Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold wounded several students and killed 12 and one teacher before shooting themselves.

Detectives Ramp Up Search for Possible NY Serial Killer.

OAK BEACH, N.Y. - While investigators scour miles of desolate New York beachfront from the tops of fire trucks and map plans for officers to traverse a daunting morass of thicket on horseback in search of more victims, dozens of detectives are inspecting credit card receipts, telephone records, old traffic tickets and even applications for clamming licenses in the hunt for a possible serial killer.

Eight victims have now been found dumped just steps from Ocean Parkway, a highway leading to the popular Jones Beach State Park. The news has rattled nerves throughout Long Island; one mother snapped at a stranger outside a public library about fears for her safety and schoolteachers say they are sensing fear in the voices of their students.”Whether they’re prostitutes or not, we don’t care about that in our community,” said Jose Trinidad of Bay Shore, a community just north of the Robert Moses Bridge, about five miles from where the bodies were found. “We care that there’s a murderer loose out there and he’s killing human beings. He could kill somebody else.”Fifth-grade teacher Bridget Borland says the startling news has trickled down to her students.

“It’s just concerning them,” she said. “When they talk about it they joke, but they’re really concerned. I hope this is the end, that there are no more bodies. It’s sad for the families.”

Investigators following up on the disappearance of a Jersey City, N.J., woman seen working as a Craigslist escort in the area last spring, happened upon the corpses of four women late last year. They were identified as missing prostitutes who also booked clients over the Internet. Four more bodies were found when officers returned to the area in the past two weeks; they have yet to be identified, even by gender. All eight were found within a three-mile radius on the north side of the parkway.

None of the victims, however, is 24-year-old Shannan Gilbert, whose disappearance remains an open case.

Detectives said it appears some victims had been dead for a long time. Investigators believe the four women found in December were likely killed somewhere else and dumped by the beach highway. The first went missing in 2007; a second in 2009 and the remaining two in June and September 2010.

Although it appears daunting, one Suffolk County investigator, who declined to be identified because of the ongoing investigation, told The Associated Press that detectives are taking a methodical approach to finding a suspect. They are poring over credit card records of the victims to track their movements and determine whether they spent money in the area. They are also checking cell phone calls to map the women’s movements.

Computer records of the women’s communications and their appointment records have also been reviewed, he said.

Others are looking at a spectrum of public documents, including records about traffic stops and tickets that may have been issued on Ocean Parkway or nearby at the time: “Son of Sam” killer David Berkowitz was caught after police linked a parking ticket he got to one of the crime scenes. They also are reviewing more mundane paperwork, like applications for clamming licenses, in case the killer may have dumped the bodies onto the narrow barrier island from the Great South Bay.

“These kinds of investigations have to take slow steps; you don’t want to jump to conclusions,” said Katherine Ramsland, a professor of forensic psychology at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pa., and author of “The Human Predator: A Historical Chronicle of Serial Murder and Forensic Investigation.”

“They are looking at the evidence to determine what may be similar about the victims, but they also want to look at dissimilarities,” she said.

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Richard Dormer noted that each additional discovery of remains increases the likelihood of finding the killer.

“Any time we find remains of a victim, there’s always the possibility that you’ll find some clues,” he said last week. “You never know what’s going to show up.”

Tom Mansfield, a retired New York Police Department detective who investigated homicides for the cold case squad, thinks Suffolk police may have a suspect in mind, but are keeping quiet on many aspects of their investigation for tactical reasons.

“They don’t want to identify a suspect because they don’t want to raise suspicions,” Mansfield said. “This person is likely watching the news reports about what is going on.”

Mansfield predicts detectives also are likely scouring hours of surveillance video from train stations, hotel lobbies and other public places where the women may have been seen.

“After 9-11 there are cameras everywhere. I am sure someone is at work reviewing this,” he said. The location where the bodies were found seems an ideal place for the killer. It’s remote and it’s desolate.”

Suffolk investigators wrapped up an intensive four-day search of a seven mile stretch of Ocean Parkway this week, an effort that included investigators peering into the -foot-tall tangle of sea grass punctuated by scrubby pine trees with binoculars from atop fire truck ladders. They also brought in 25 members of the police academy who scoured the poison-ivy infested thicket on foot with cadaver dogs assisting.The search for more human remains moves westward to a different police jurisdiction next week - closer to Jones Beach- where Nassau County police intend to deploy mounted police units, fire trucks and cadaver dogs in their effort. Nassau officials say they are joining the search to ensure a thorough investigation since eight victims were found so close by.

In the Suffolk community of West Islip, about four miles from where the bodies were found, several mothers of young children leaving the local library refused to answer a reporter’s questions about the case. One of the mothers snapped that people are currently afraid to encounter strangers in the current atmosphere.

Vincent Benazzi, a physical education teacher at Bay Shore High School, said the mystery is being discussed throughout the school. “It’s not only the students, but I have a 21-year-old daughter who just moved in with me who’s very concerned about it as well. Whether or not it’s a dumping ground or whatever they want to call it, it’s just a sick feeling.”

He lamented: “You know we’re supposed to be enjoying getting ready for the fishing season in a couple of weeks and the excitement of the summer and all that stuff. It just kind of gives it a little bit of a black eye.”

Police Investigate First Homicide in Disney Town.

(Dec. 2) — Investigators in Florida are trying to determine who committed the first reported murder in Celebration, a distinctly charming, close-knit town that was conceived and built by the Walt Disney Co.

“This is the first homicide that we have investigated in the town,” Osceola County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Twis Lizasuain told AOL News. “[We’ve seen] minor crimes, [like] criminal mischief, burglaries and other types, but not to the extent of a homicide.”Neighbors reported Matteo Giovanditto missing on Sunday. The 58-year-old retired teacher had reportedly not been seen since the day before Thanksgiving. On Monday, a concerned neighbor went into Giovanditto’s condo and found him dead, Lizasuain said.

Authorities immediately considered Giovanditto’s death suspicious, and on Tuesday, the case was classified as a homicide. Investigators asked the public to be on the lookout for Giovanditto’s 2008 Corvette. The vehicle was later located, Lizasuain said.

“It was [found] at the Reef Club apartment complex in Kissimmee,” Lizasuain said. “It was quite a ways from the town of Celebration.”

Authorities won’t comment on how Giovanditto was killed or whether they have identified a suspect or person of interest in the case.

“We have those details, but they haven’t been released to the public or to the media at this point,” Lizasuain said. “[Police] are keeping the information close to them, so they don’t compromise the investigation.”According to The Associated Press, neighbors have been hesitant to share any personal details about Giovanditto, other than to say that he had moved to Florida from Massachusetts. At least one neighbor told WFTV News that Giovanditto lived a high-risk lifestyle but declined to elaborate.

Despite the lack of details available in the case, the homicide has been attracting a lot of media attention, because it is the most serious incident to occur in the “Disney-esque” community since residents first moved in 14 years ago.

Situated in central Florida, Celebration is a 4,900-acre unincorporated town that is nestled next to picturesque Lake Evalyn. The Walt Disney Co. founded the town, which boasts nearly 12,000 residents. Development began in the early 1990s and residents began arriving in 1996. The town is divided into nine “villages” that have been modeled after pre-1940s American small towns. Each of the villages has a unique, old-fashioned appeal, which results in a storybook atmosphere.

“We looked at what made communities great in our past, added what we’ve learned from the best practices today and combined this with vision and hope for strong communities in the future,” Michael Eisner, chief executive officer of the Walt Disney Co., said in a 1995 Chicago Tribune interview.

In 2004, Disney sold the 16-acre town center to a private real estate investment company, but the quaint town’s original vision remains the same. Today, homes in Celebration cost anywhere from $250,000 to $5 million.

While one might expect the town’s first homicide to shatter the storybook atmosphere, the tight-knit community is not too concerned, a local real estate agent told AOL News.”Things can happen anywhere,” said Richie Galaska, a sales associate with Resort Properties International LLC. “It is regretful that something bad happened here, but I don’t think there is a feeling of shock. We feel very safe. It is still Celebration, it will always be Celebration and one person’s actions have no real effect on that.”

Galaska added, “We have become very spoiled living in a wonderful community, and we want to stay spoiled. This dastardly deed has nothing to do with anything. It is a speck on the radar screen. We are sorry for this person, but it has nothing to do with Celebration.”

According to Lizasuain, Galaska is not alone in his take on the situation.

“No, we haven’t received a lot of concerns from [residents],” she said. “We have been keeping that up to speed, and we have let them know that we believe, at this point, it is an isolated incident, and it is not anything where they [should] feel like they would be in any kind of jeopardy.”

FBI Links 2 Shootings at Northern Virginia Military Facilities.

(Oct. 27) — The same weapon was used to fire shots at the Pentagon and another Northern Virginia military location, and now investigators are trying to determine whether the gun was used in a third shooting, the FBI said today.

The first shooting occurred at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Va., during the early-morning hours of Oct. 17. The second shooting occurred two days later at the Pentagon in Arlington. Officers heard shots being fired around 5 a.m. The shots are believe to have originated somewhere in the vicinity of the Pentagon’s south parking lot, which faces Interstate 395.

The most recent shooting, which investigators suspect may be connected to the two others, occurred at a Marine Corps Recruiting Station in Chantilly, Va. Marine Corps recruiters found two bullet holes in the office windows on Tuesday morning. The office has been closed for renovations; authorities say the shooting could have occurred on either Monday or early Tuesday.

No one was injured in any of the incidents.Authorities announced Tuesday that ballistics tests confirmed that the same weapon had been used in the first two shootings. Additional testing is under way on evidence retrieved from the recruiting station to determine whether the same individual or individuals targeted it.

The FBI has declined to disclose the type or caliber of weapon that was used in the shootings.

“No further information … will be released at this time to preserve the integrity of investigative efforts,” a spokesperson from the FBI’s Washington field office said in a statement to AOL News.

According to a former FBI agent who has investigated similar shooting cases, he would not be surprised if a current or former member of the military is responsible for the shootings.

“My first reaction, and this is what I kept saying during the D.C. sniper shootings, is that it is going to be a military guy that has got a chip on his shoulder for something,” Harold Copus, now head of Copus Security Consultants in Atlanta, told AOL News.

A series of sniper attacks in 2002 in the Washington metropolitan area left at least 10 people dead. John Allen Muhammad, a Gulf War veteran, and teenager Lee Boyd Malvo were arrested and later convicted in the spree. Malvo was executed in November 2009; Malvo is serving life in prison.

“I would also suspect the shooter is connected to the Marine Corps since he appears to be targeting their buildings,” Copus said.

He said the shooter is probably disgruntled with the military or suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder due to having served in Iraq or Afghanistan.”It is probably somebody that lives in the area and has just come out of the service,” Copus said. “This is his way of retaliating against them.”

Authorities have declined to comment on whether they suspect there will be additional shootings.

“I don’t think, at this point in time, we are prepared to say this is a serial of any kind. But the targets are all blatantly military,” Lindsay Godwin, an FBI spokeswoman, told The Washington Post.

Copus says that if the person responsible for the shootings does have some sort of military training, he or she will be difficult to catch in the act.”Those guys have been trained for urban warfare, so they know how to jump in and come back out,” Copus said. “You probably would never even spot them. Catching this guy will probably take a lot of legwork and manpower.”

Another cause for concern is the possibility of copycats — something Copus says tends to occur when crimes like this make national headlines.

“Once it starts picking it up you’ll have some nut in another state do the same thing,” Copus said. “Because you’re dealing with such a bureaucracy, it is going to be horrible to sort it all out.”

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is handling the investigation into the case, with assistance from the Prince William County Police Department, Fairfax County Police Department and the Pentagon Force Protection Agency.