Noise in courtroom during T. Smith hearing

In Judge Prather's courtroom on Friday morning at 10:00AM, you should have been able to hear a pin drop. Timothy Smith's case had been moved from Judge Condon's courtroom to Judge Prather's courtroom, but she wasn't there. Judge Michael Feetterer was handing two calls that morning, and at one point there were about 15 attorneys in the courtroom.

Just after 10:00AM, Smith's case was called. I thought all eyes and ears would be on Judge Feetterer, Smith and the lawyers, but it seemed to be "just another case". Judge Feetterer asked Smith if he had a lawyer, meaning a private lawyer, and Smith said he didn't. I think he said he intended to get one, and Judge Feetterer said he would appoint a public defender in the meantime, and he did.

It should not be the judge who admonishes people in the courtroom, including the attorneys, to quiet down. That job ought to fall to the bailiff. Errr, the court security officer. I don't know what training they get or what their instructions are, but on Friday courtroom decorum went south in a handbasket. Numerous lengthy conversations were carried on by attorneys standing and sitting between the bench and the courtroom seating. Loud conversations in the vestibule also interfered with hearing in the court.

Plus attorneys spoke to the judge in low tones, and Judge Feetterer's voice wasn't much higher, which meant he could not be heard in the courtroom over the whispers and low voices of the attorneys.

What happened to courtroom respect in McHenry County? Obviously, the attorneys have learned what they can get away with, and so they disregard whatever they learned in law school about being quiet in the courtroom. The courtroom rules for McHenry County courts are published; I wonder when was the last time that any attorney reviewed them.

Anyone in the courtroom for his own case or just to observe a case should be able to hear everything said at the bench - by the judge and by both sides. This happens in a few of the courtrooms, and I thank those judges who direct their bailiffs to quiet any defendants, spectators or attorneys who talk while another case is being heard.

Beth Bentley - week 54

Beth Bentley, wife, mother, legal secretary, and 41 at the time she went missing in May 2010, has been missing for 54 weeks now.

It seems to be a case gone cold, cold, cold. The Woodstock Police Department has posted three bulletins on its webpage within the City's website, where virtually (no pun intended) no one will ever see it. To my knowledge there has never been one press conference conducted by the police department, and there have been no periodic reports issued by the P.D.

More than one woman has said to me that, should she ever go missing, she hopes it is not from Woodstock, Illinois!

Women in southern Illinois have shown more interest in keeping Beth's missing-person case alive than women here in Woodstock. What happened to all of Beth's "friends"? Who? All those women in the photos of the parties at Gus's Roadhouse (now Offsides at the same location). Almost all the photos are gone from Facebook, and many of the friends have removed or hidden their profiles. Instead of constantly speaking out and trying to find Beth, they have clammed up. Some friends! Right?

By now stories should have been boiled down to a "correct" story - the facts. But the facts have never been publicized. At least, not enough of them.

Would the public be surprised by certain information that is known to people who considered themselves as Beth's good friends? Why hasn't information about "the" week-end been released? Who tracked Beth's path over that week-end?

What time did Beth and Jenn arrive in Mt. Vernon on Thursday night (actually, early Friday morning)?
What did they do on Friday? Friday night?
What did they do on Saturday? From what marina was a boat rented? What did they do on Saturday night?
To what extent, if any, was alcohol consumed or any recreational drugs used?
What did they do on Sunday?
Explain the use of Beth's phone to order a pizza from Pogue's Pizza just about the time when Jenn was supposed to be dropping Beth off in Centralia.
Explain whether Beth's phone did ping in McHenry County late Sunday night? (Remember - Jenn said Beth was dropped off in Centralia before 6:00PM and was last seen there.)
Explain the rumor that Scott Bentley's law office was broken into Sunday night and computers or computer files were stolen. Whoa! What a coincidence, if that's true!

It's time for this investigation to get a re-start and for Beth to be found.

New blog surfaces in McHenry County

A new blog has been started by someone who is interested in informing the citizens of McHenry County about goings-on at the McHenry County Sheriff's Department. The initial posting is of an old internal investigation about an incident that is still being talked about. I first heard of it about two years ago.

Go to http://www.realmcsoexposed.blogspot.com/ and read the multi-page summary. The incident occurred on August 13, 1997, and the internal wasn't completed until 3 1/2 months later. Read it for yourself and then decide.

It started with a speeding violation by an oncoming vehicle picked up by moving radar in the squad car of a patrol deputy. The speeding vehicle was occupied by three deputies, and the pursuing deputy radioed to dispatch that he saw beer cans "and dope" being thrown out of the speeding car.

When you get to that blog, enlarge the page by clicking once or twice on it.

Another glaring hole in the story...

A big unexplained piece of the Kurt Milliman shooting on May 29th is the timeline. Why hasn't the McHenry County Sheriff's Department released more information, which it could do without jeopardizing its investigation?

For example...

TIME? Kimberly Smith called 9-1-1 to report an unwanted person in the residence.
Did the 9-1-1 operator ask any questions about the identity of the "unwanted" person? About whether there were any weapons present in the house? Ask what was happening? Tell Smith to stay on the phone while the deputy was enroute?
10:59PM First deputy (who?) arrived. Smith and her husband, Timothy S. Smith, were outside. They were "secured for safety", according to a Northwest Herald article, which would have been parroting information from the sheriff's department.
What does "secured" mean?
Had Kurt been shot before Kimberly called 9-1-1?
How long before that call was Kurt shot, if that happened?
Did she fail to report the shooting and an injured person during that call?
Was Kurt shot after the 9-1-1 call and before the first deputy arrived?
If this is the case, why didn't Kimberly call back and report the shooting?
TIME? Second deputy (who?) arrived.

Exactly what relationship, if any, is there between Kimberly A. (Holian) Smith, Timothy S. Smith and any deputies of the McHenry County Sheriff's Department? Other than official, reported, law enforcement "business transactions"...

Is murder story right?

As I have read the stories of the murder of Kurt Milliman just a week ago, I began questioning what I was reading right from the start.

First off, I didn't like the way it was being described in the Northwest Herald, although I was fairly sure that the reporter was writing about it in terms provided by the McHenry County Sheriff's Department. For a resident in a home to call 9-1-1 and report an "unwanted person" and then for the deputy to arrive and find a person inside who was fatally shot, that just didn't make any sense to me.

"The responding deputy secured the couple for safety" ... Who talks like that? I have never, in 15 years in McHenry County, heard or seen a phrase like that. And Undersheriff Zinke's term of "business transaction" for prostitution?

Right away a Craigslist ad for "prostitution services" was mentioned. Well, Craigslist doesn't have a "Prostitution Services" classification!

And $40 for sex? With a pimp involved? Even if the pimp is the husband? No part of this story is believable!

Yet that is what is being disseminated by the McHenry County Sheriff's Department and only to selected media. The Department has refused to conduct an open press conference where, no doubt, less friendly reporters would be asking some very pointed questions. And the Sheriff of McHenry County, seems to be MIA. Presumably, the Undersheriff acts on behalf of the Department, when the Sheriff is unavailable. He won't even acknowledge requests for notification of any press conference to be held.

Let's start with, "Show us the Craigslist ad!"

On June 2, Kevin Lyons wrote in Our Views in the Northwest Herald, "police say Milliman and the Smiths had been communicating at least in initial conversations to arrange an act of prostitution."

Now to me this sounds like it ought to be part of an active law enforcement investigation. Since Kevin didn't say "which" police and since it's the McHenry County Sheriff's Department that is handling the investigation, is it reasonable to assume that Kevin got his information from the sheriff's department. Did someone there improperly leak information to Kevin? Is "improperly" not even the right word?

And supposedly "the ad" was quickly removed from Craigslist at law enforcement request? Oh, really?

Why isn't Kimberly charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder? Obstruction of Justice just doesn't seem like a serious enough charge for lying at the beginning of the investigation. Why is her bond so much lower than Timothy's?

Were the hands of both Smiths checked for gunpowder residue? What kind of gun was there? Revolver? Automatic? Did either Smith have a FOID card? If the gun was owned by one of them, when was it purchased?

Is there another component to this crime that hasn't been mentioned in the press yet?

3,816 miles for Habitat for Humanity

Today's Daily Herald carries an article about two men who are biking coast-to-coast to raise money for Habitat for Humanity. Mike Logunetz, 25, of Libertyville, and his cousin, Jim Boge, 29, of Lake Zurich, have been on the road since May 10, when they left San Francisco.

A photo with the article shows them in Kinsley, Kans. on June 1. If you've ever driven across Kansas, you wonder if you'll ever "get there." Same with Texas and Nebraska. Can you imagine what it would be like on a bike? With a headwind?

Their goal is to raise $20,000 for Habitat for Humanity, and the article said they have raised $4,100 and feel a little behind the pace.

You can help by visiting http://www.bikeforhomes.com/, where you can see their itinerary and read their journals. You already know about Habitat for Humanity, so why not kick in $25 now (or whatever you want, more or less (more is better))? There is a donation link near the top of the home page.

On Tuesday they will be in Kirksville, Mo., where I lived in 1992-93 and studied hypnotherapy. Then they will be in Clayton, Missouri for a fundraiser Thursday night. (I know right where Clayton is, since I grew up in University City. The family rumor was that my grandfather had owned "half of Clayton", until the Great Depression wiped him out.) And on Sunday, June 12, they will arrive in Champaign.

Be sure to check out their Packlists. How do you pack for a long-distance trip? Not that way, I'll bet. My plan? I put everything I'm going to take on the bed. Then I put what I'm going to take it in, on the floor. Then I put everything on the bed in what's on the floor, and then I put that in the car (or on the motorcycle). The packing by Mike and Jim takes packing to a whole new level.

I recall reading a book by a backpacker. He took one shoelace (whoever breaks both shoelaces!) and he cut the handle off his toothbrush to save weight. I always take too much with me; this summer I'll cut down, thanks to Mike and Jim.

Online radio interview - Beth Bentley case

On Thursday, June 2, there was an online interview about the Beth Bentley missing-person case, which is now over a year old. Jon Leiberman, host of True Facts and formerly with America's Most Wanted, interviewed Jeremy Velmont, Beth's eldest son, and Ron Michaelson, Jr., Beth's brother in Arizona.

Over the next few days (or weeks?) I'll dissect the questions asked (and not asked) in that interview and the answers given (or not given). Some allowance will be made for the guests, Jeremy and Ron, who are not experienced interviewees.

The online interview has been archived at www.dqrm.com/showlist/leiberman.htm where you can listen to it for yourself. The Bentley-case interview starts after about 25 minutes into the program, and you can pull the time indicator with your mouse to a point about 40% of the way across.

Near the beginning of the interview Jon asked Jeremy how he found out that something "wasn't right". Jeremy answered that Beth had not answered their calls to her and text messages to her and the next day (they) figured that something was wrong.

From this one sentence, the question arises as to whether family members had been calling and texting Beth over the week-end? On both Saturday and Sunday? Or just on Sunday? The public has never been informed about the frequency and source to calls to Beth's phone over the week-end or any record of calls or text messages from her phone over the week-end, with the exception of a call purportedly placed from her phone to her husband, Scott, about 4:00PM on Sunday.

And then there is that pesky report of a call from Beth's phone to Pogue's Pizzas in Mount Vernon at about the same time as Jennifer Wyatt says she was delivering Beth to a location in Centralia near the Amtrak station.

Did the family (which members?) think something was wrong on Sunday, when Beth didn't answer her phone or reply to text messages? She was early on described as a "serial texter". If my memory serves me correctly, it was Jennifer who described her that way - as a woman constantly using her cell phone for communication by voice or texting.

Did any family member actually speak with Beth on Friday, Saturday or Sunday? Or receive a voice message from her? None has been mentioned, except for the 4:00PM Sunday call to Scott.

What was the content of that phone conversation between Beth and Scott on Sunday at 4:00PM? Was it actually a conversation? Or a message? Or an exchange of messages? How many?

This case is a cold missing-person case. The Woodstock Police Department has apparently never classified it other than a missing person case. There is no reported suspicion of foul play associated with this case on the part of any "official" investigation.