Fred Cooper in '07 .

This week, as expected, the trial of Fred Cooper was delayed again. I believe it's possible we could see even another continuance in February.

It appears Cooper's attorney, Ken Garber, is finally revving up his case. His deposition list slated for the end of October is extensive. The list includes many of Steven and Michelle Andrews neighbors, and some 20 employees of the Lee County Sheriff's office. I don't envy his job.

Meanwhile, the News-Press is preparing to battle with Garber. I came across a Motion to Intervene filed on Thursday by the paper's attorney. Garber has a hearing next week to seal the deposition of Kellie Ballew, the other woman. The paper, just as any other media outlet, is fighting for public record to stay public record. I am interested to hear why Garber want the documents sealed. I wonder what's in the deposition that could harm Cooper's chances of getting a fair trial. Judge Reese should make a decision next week.

And then maybe we can stop talking about Cooper for another say... 5 months.

Fred Cooper in '07?

The high profile Gateway Murders trial is slated to start in a couple of weeks. While many are eagerly awaiting to see how this one will play in court... You may be waiting a bit longer.

I would NOT be surprised if the trial is postponed to 2007.

High profile crime rarely goes to trial so quickly.

At an upcoming docket hearing, the judge is expected to rule on Ken Garber's (Cooper's PD) request to seal Kellie Ballew's (the other woman) deposition.

What does Ken not want the public to know about? The request is odd especially with her statements, as well as everyone else interrogations, leaked to the media.

Speculation in North Port

This post is about all the speculation over Coralrose Fullwood's sudden and tragic death. It is not meant to disrespect her or her family... Which have been through a lot this week.

In television news (not cable news), there is really no room for speculation. I have a minute and half to get you the facts and move on. However this past week there have been few facts to report on in North Port. With each passing day we heard fewer details of what happened to Coralrose. It's by no means North Port chief Terry Lewis fault. He has to protect his investigation.

But for those who need to protect their children, they want answers... Now. And let the speculation begin. He said, she said, my sisters best friend said.

Some of what we heard was ridiculous. Some of it could have some truth. But let's be clear... None of it is true at this point.

LETS SPECULATE:


Monday parents I met in North Port were dead set on this being a sexual predator. They were ready to burn them at the stake. Chief Lewis would just need to say the name of one of the 72 in the city limits... And they would try, convict, and execute him within an hour.

Tuesday, a guy who had a striking resemblance to Carrot Top pulled up next to me near the crime scene. (I knew it wasn't Carrot Top because of the quarter size earring... IN his ear) He said his mom's a probation officer, who heard from the jail chaplain that Dale Fullwood (Coralrose's father) failed his lie detector test horribly. "Carrot Top" then asked me not to go to air with his hot tip until I could verify it.

Wednesday we spoke with sexual offenders/predators in the area. I didn't honestly think we would meet the killer. Those I spoke with couldn't wait for the killer to be caught. As one put it..."Then life can get back to normal." I wonder what normal is for a person on FDLE's offender website? When I asked whether they thought this could be another sexual offender... One said "God I hope not."

Thursday's autopsy report brought speculation among my colleagues. The report showed Coralrose was likely NOT sexually assaulted. A majority of the reporters who discussed the case Thursday were "betting" on this being a family member. Some claimed an autistic brother may have accidentally killed his sister.

In my Thursday night report I asked the question twice (FDLE and NPPD), "Are you zeroing in the family." Both agencies denied they were narrowing their search for a suspect, within the family.

So I guess you would like to hear my speculation?

-Most abductions are done by someone who lives in the neighborhood.
-The Fullwood home is too secluded for this to be random
-6 other people in the home didn't hear Coralrose being taken out of the house
-A father of 5, doesn't suddenly begin sexually assaulting and/or killing his kids.
-The killer is an amateur. The body was found two blocks away. They either freaked out or were about to be caught and got rid of the evidence. They didn't try to hide her.

There are numerous character accounts of how suspicious the Coralrose's father was acting the day of disappearance. I refuse to speculate on that because I'm not sure how I would react to such horrible news.

Could this have been an accident, that was covered up by a family member. Absolutely.
Could it be someone who saw Coralrose's picture on a babysitter flyer and took her. Absolutely.
Could an arrest be days, months, years away. Absolutely.

I believe the North Port police and FDLE have a lot of clues. I don't believe they have a suspect... Yet. Crime scene doesn't go over a house over and over and over... Unless you're looking for something specific... Or you're looking for anything that could break open your case.

Speculate below by clicking on comments.

GOOD JACK... BAD JACK... JESUS JACK YOU'RE ON THE RUNWAY

Wednesday's report on Jack Brems runway fun was really just the tip of iceberg. If you missed the story:

Brems is now federally indicted for his August 8th escapade at the airport. He busted through a gate, raced up and down the the runway (port authority in tow), and played chicken with a USA 3000 flight taking off. We spoke with his family Wednesday about the new charges... And luck have it, during the interview Jack called from the jail.

Jack seems to think this is nothing more than an accident. He claims he didn't know where he was. That when he saw the plane he moved out of the way (about 20 yards from impact). I guess the airline pilot won that game of chicken?

Jack denies he has any mental issues. He denies he was being chased by police prior to his runway run. Only one thing... I saw Jack running. Headed home from a live shot, I saw Jack Brems hanging out of the window of his car. He was flailing, trying to get traffic to move out of his way so he could turn at the intersection. He clearly appeared to be a crazed man. About a half a mile down the road, I watched Patrol cars whipping by.

Based on family history (per Jacks mother, Dorothy Brems) it appears Jack has had some hard luck lately:

-His father, which he adored, died in 2003.
-He moved down to Southwest Florida to be with his ex-wife... Which fell apart shortly after the ex stole Dorothy Brems identity and racked up 100 grand.
-He got engaged, then the bride-to-be called it off & moved out
-His mother has cancer
-His daughter had just moved out

Family members say Jack's been off his meds for about 3 years. His daughter told us she expected him to blow any day. And when she moved out this summer... It was the fuse that set him off.

Looking at Jack's mug shot... He looks crazed. We're told he would look in the mirror and tell everyone that he looked like Jesus. I can see that.

But there was a good Jack as well...

It should be interesting to see how this plays out. Will Jack be competent?

Or will good Jack meet bad Jack in court.... (Aaron Stampler, Primal Fear 1996)

KEVIN DAVIS, ON LIFE, ON "THE DEAL" - IN HIS OWN WORDS

At the bottom of every post on this blog you have the ability to reply. But you're limited in how many words you can post. So tonight, at Kevin Davis's request, we are posting his lengthy response to my August 14th post about Sanibel's first murder being the product of a love triangle.

These are his thoughts... unedited. For more on Davis and a plea agreement reached in the Baugher case click here.


It's been 3 months since that horrific night, the night I found out my beautiful wife, Stacie, had been viciously and heinously murdered. After weeks of the unknowing, the tragic news of her demise was officially announced to me by the Lee County Sheriff's Office. My feelings, I cannot describe. Numb, angry, devastated, those are just a few of the emotions I felt, and at times still do. Life will never be the same for me and OUR two children ever again. One selfish, and cowardly individual took her away from us. I don't say "SICK" because that is just what he, and his defense would want you to think........that he's mentally sick. The bottom line is, he knew what he was doing when he picked Stacie up in the middle of the night, on April 28th. He had a plan that fateful night, and he carried it out. I've seen the stories, I've seen the "so called" motive, but I don't for a second believe any of it. Stacie was the most gentile, caring, and loving individual. Unfortunately, she was also very trusting.....too trusting as it turns out. Yes, we had our problems, we had things that needed to be corrected. But that didn't mean I didn't love that girl with all my heart and soul. In fact, as it turned out, that was the hardest decision I ever made, leaving Southwest Florida. And it also turned out to be the worst decision I ever made. If in fact what has been reported is true, I have an extremely hard time accepting the charge of second degree murder. This was premeditated from the beginning. He had a plan, his plan was to be with his old girlfriend. The same girlfriend who followed him and Stacie one evening and even showed up at my in laws house out of the blue, on a Saturday afternoon. You want possessive, you want obsessive, you're looking at the wrong girl. Stacie was killed brutally, because she trusted Baugher. She thought they were still friends from high school. She didn't think that someone she knew prior, someone she trusted, would eventually take her life. HE DID.

I write to you today, because it's time that I am heard, my family is heard. I have sat back for months and watched lie after lie after lie come out about my wife. All the while glorifying and glamorizing the perpetrator, because of who his family is. Stace had issues, I won't deny that, but she didn't have to die without respect...........AND SHE DID. Our two children will never know their mother completely. Fortunately, our daughter Cierra, had six wonderful years with her mommy. Our son, Dylan, WILL NEVER KNOW HIS MOMMY. That is cruel, and completely unfair.

As for me, I'll live forever with the unknowing. If, in fact, we had a chance to resume our lives as normal and raise our two children together. That too is unfair and cruel. We'll persevere, we'll continue to try and heal, but we'll never be the same. I personally, will forever have a huge void in my life now, all due to one selfish, and cowardly individual.
Please pray for my family, as well as Stacie's mother, father, and sister. And please, please, please pray for justice!!

Sincerely,
Kevin J. Davis

Christopher Ward guilty of Murder?

Friday a jury convicted Christopher Ward of Second degree murder, but many could argue why? The charges - the case is just bizarre.

In October 2003 Ward led Fort Myers officers around town in a low speed chase. Responding rookie Daniel Starks blew through a stop sign, only to be hit by a fellow officer. Starks died. And while Starks and Ward never met each other during the entire episode, Ward was brought up on murder charges.

The concept (or law) works like this: Ward committed a felony that set in motion a series of events that led to Starks death.

We did several stories about what happened including an investigation that revealed Starks was negligent. He ran the stop sign, a direct violation of pursuit policy. The Fort Myers Police Department would never point the finger and say that though. Why would they? This is an officer that was beloved by everyone. Starks was a guy who couldn't wait to be a cop, loved being in uniform, and was engaged to the love of his life. Who would say "he messed up"? People were devastated back then... And today. It was a sudden and tragic end for a man who had great potential.

All that aside, I find it odd how an officer could be so negligent and someone else takes the blame. Starks is gone because he ran the stop sign. Ward will spend the rest of his life in prison because he made some stupid decisions to lead officers around town.

I am not vouching that Ward is or could become a model citizen. I'm not saying he deserves to be on the street... But he sets a precedent. To better understand here is an example:

Let's take the big bad drug dealer out of the defendants chair... And put you in drivers seat. You make a stupid decision one night and drive home drunk. An officer attempts to pull you over, you get scared and don't stop. A cop a mile away, trying to respond to help pull you over, runs a traffic light and crashes. Whether he lives or dies... Your responsible.

I though police work was inherently dangerous? I thought they go through extensive training to handle any situation? They fire their gun and kill someone, they're responsible. They run a traffic signal... They're not?

The law is a funny thing... Unless your Christopher Ward.