By Steve Rhodes
1. “Tiny Virginia newspaper wins Pulitzer Prize.”
For a series reported by a University of Chicago graduate and former Chicago Maroon-ie.
2. Mary Mitchell vs. Hermene Hartman.
3. “The sexual assault & murder of three year-old Riley Fox followed by the subsequent arrest and attempted prosecution of her father, Kevin Fox, for the her murder was tragic,” Tracy Siska writes at Chicago Justice Project. “Last week the United States Court of Appeals of the Seventh Circuit handed down their decision in the appeal of Kevin & Melissa (Kevin’s wife and Riley’s mother) Fox’s civil suit regarding the interrogation, arrest, and subsequent prosecution of Kevin.
“In reading this appeal you are instantly hit with the degree to which the officers involved had made a baseless decision to focus on Kevin either out of incompetence or political pressure. [This appeal does not include the role of the elected prosecutor, which you can read about here.]
“The officers clearly ignored some evidence and elevated other evidence that obviously had nothing to do with the crime they were investigating. Simply put, these officers had no probable cause to arrest Kevin and killed an FBI DNA test before it could be done to make sure that the results would not contradict the false confession they were able to coerce from Kevin.
“There are differing accounts from the press and this decision about who exactly stopped the FBI DNA test. Some press alleged it was stopped by the then Will County State’s Attorney was Jeff Tomczak.
“I think only a complete review of the testimony and depositions in this case would clarify this detail.”
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See also “The Nightmare” from Chicago magazine, July 2006:
“Five months after three-year-old Riley Fox of Wilmington was brutally murdered, her father, Kevin, confessed following a long night with Will County detectives. He recanted almost immediately, but spent eight months in jail before DNA evidence led to his release. For the first time publicly, Kevin and his wife, Melissa, talk about their ordeal, an account of pain, mystery, and undying faith, wrapped around an enduring tragedy.”
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Also from “The Nightmare”:
“Around Wilmington, rumors began to swirl that the Foxes were using money donated to a ‘Riley fund’ for extravagant vacations and luxury purchases. Melissa was seen getting a fancy haircut at the mall. She had traded in the Ford Escape for a new car. The couple had gone gambling in Las Vegas. They were vacationing in the Ozarks. Some questioned why a reward had never been offered. On October 11th, a report by Amy Jacobson, the tall blond reporter from Chicago’s NBC 5, gave voice to the whispers. A ‘source,’ his face hidden behind a black blob, his voice disguised, repeated the rumors in Jacobson’s ‘exclusive’ interview. (Today, Jacobson tells Chicago that she later ‘felt awful’ and regretted the report. But because so many people had called with similar observations about the Foxes’ spending habits, the station decided it couldn’t ignore the rumors.)”
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“Jacobson eager to share opinions on radio.”
(An “interview” conducted by e-mail, by the way.)
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Back to “The Nightmare”:
“The next day, an article and editorial in the local paper, The Free Press Advocate, excoriated Jacobson and NBC 5 and told the family’s account: Melissa had traded in the car because she couldn’t bear how it reminded her of trips around town with Riley. The Las Vegas trip was to attend a friend’s wedding and had been planned and paid for months before Riley’s death. The trip to the Ozarks had been for another friend’s wedding. And the Fox family had indeed suggested a reward be offered, only to be told by police it was unnecessary.
“Nonetheless, the family members were deeply hurt by the TV report, as well as by the realization that people in town were gossiping about them. Chad Fox looked on the rumors as confirmation that Kevin – still not represented by a lawyer – was a suspect, perhaps the only suspect. In early October, Chad, a stockbroker, approached [attorney Kathleen] Zellner, who coincidentally worked across the hall from Chad in Naperville. She had been following the case in the media, and she urged Chad to get his brother to talk to her. Kevin again refused. ‘He kept saying, The DNA will clear me,’ Chad says. ‘I felt helpless and frustrated.'”
4. The Official AmyJacobson.com.
5. Is CPS Inflating Attendance Records For Cash?
6. The Cubs Top 10 Home Openers.
7. Opening Day From Around America.
8. Coming Soon To The Oprah Winfrey Network: A sneak preview from The Beachwood Oprah Affairs Desk.
9. Juvey Bills Pending: Including sexting.
10. The Wonders of Weather: Santa Anas and Sea Breezes.
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The Beachwood Tip Line: Action-packed.
Posted on April 13, 2010