Murder

Clean cut blond man. Medical student with a fiancée.

In almost every news story that you read about alleged Craigslist killer, Philip Markoff, who is accused of murdering a masseuse whose ad he answered, there is always some comment about the incongruity between his looks and/or educational background and the murder of 26-year-old Julissa Brisman that he's accused of.

Do these reporters have amnesia about America's most notorious serial killers, like Jeffrey Dahmer or Ted Bundy? Last time I checked, each of them looks like the boy next door (albeit with a lot of crazy in the eyes). If Markoff doesn't look like a killer — who does? What is our expectation, rational or not? To read about Markoff and to hear more baffling comments from experts, read more

Sadr City, Baghdad is popular among gays in Iraq. But that doesn't mean it's safe for them. Over the last 10 days, six gay men have been shot and killed following a tribal meeting where members decided to target the homosexuals within their tribe.

If you're gay in the Middle East you are most likely breaking the law in whichever country you find yourself. In Iraq, homosexuality is punishable by seven years in prison. Under the religious militias in Iraq, which rose in influence following the US invasion, the situation has become increasingly dangerous.

An anonymous official in Sadr City described one of the killings without a trace of remorse, saying: "Two young men were killed on Thursday. They were sexual deviants. Their tribes killed them to restore their family honor."

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Lots of parents search family watchdog sites to see if there are any predators in their community, but residents of a New Hampshire town were made well aware of the fact that a convicted child killer was settling on their soil. Parents in Chichester were outraged when a pastor in their community opened up his home to Raymond Guay who served 35 years in prison for multiple crimes. The New York Times report said:

Mr. Guay was convicted of killing a 12-year-old boy in Hollis, N.H., in 1973, chasing him into the woods before shooting him in the eye. After escaping from a state prison in 1982, he held two residents of nearby Concord hostage in their home. He was later sent to a federal prison in California, where he got in more trouble for stabbing an inmate in 1990.

Fearing for their safety, members of the community have invested in pricey home alarms and firearms despite an increase of police patrols.

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A nine-year-old Arizona boy who allegedly shot his father and his friend agreed to a plea bargain despite his mother's wishes. According to the report:

The boy had originally entered a plea of not guilty on charges of double homicide for allegedly shooting his father and another man, but the deal allowed him to plead guilty to one count of negligent murder of the other man. The boy's mother was reportedly against the deal and claimed her son was not old enough to understand the agreement.

The article said detention of the child will be at the court's discretion. As a parent, I'm amazed the state allows young children to decide their fate — do you agree with this practice?

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Chicago residents have faced an exceptionally deadly Summer this year — 123 people were shot and killed, twice the amount of US soldier casualties in Iraq over the same period.

Throughout 2008, murder rates in Chicago have risen. In July Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich said he was prepared to call in the National Guard to help restore order to the "out of control" city.

Police officials note that the pace still keeps the rate at historical lows; however, there's a real possibility that Chicago could finish the year with more than 500 murders, for the first time since 2003. Most murders are related to gang activity, and a high number of offenders and victims have a criminal history.

While some compare the American soldier casualties in Iraq and Chicago to depict the dire condition of Chicago, ignoring civilian and Iraqi deaths in Iraq could paint an inaccurate picture.

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It's a story that shocks a civilian frame of mind and raises so many questions about the effect of war on mankind: Three US Army soldiers murdered four Iraqi prisoners by firing shots to the backs of their heads, execution-style, in the spring of 2007.

The story has surfaced from a source close to one of the soldiers who says after they committed these murders, the US Army officers then dumped the corpses into a Baghdad canal. The killings were meant to avenge the deaths of two of their army comrades, and to this point, all members of Company D, First Battalion, Second Infantry, 172nd Infantry Brigade have not been charged with a crime.

Lawyers representing other members of the platoon who witnessed the slayings, believe the Army officers involved will probably be charged with murder. One of the soldiers involved described in great detail how and why the killings took place.

To see the story, read more