How to Apply for a Marriage License Online? - Vital ...

Hello everyone, for the last few months I have been creating long form write-ups on a variety of unsolved cases. If you are interested in other lengthy write ups you can find them on my profile- https://www.reddit.com/useQuirky-Moto.
Months ago, I was asked to cover the inexplicable case of Judy Smith, a woman who went missing from Philadelphia or perhaps Massachusetts, only for her body to be found in North Carolina months later. The case was famously covered on the show Unsolved Mysteries, and it is strange enough to warrant a long, hard look at the case and a comprehensive timeline. I hope you are able to learn something new about this semi well-known case.
Background
Judy Smith was born Judith Eldridge in Massachusetts in 1946. Right out of high school Judy married for the first time. Her husband and she had been married very shortly when in an attemot to avoid the draft, he fled to Sweden. Judy went in search of her young husband but soon returned to the states empty handed and filed for divorce. Years later, Judy married Charles Bradford a man who worked in the racehorse industry. They had two children together, Craig and Amy, but unfortunately the marriage did not last and soon Judy found herself jobless and raising two children by herself. Rather than fret, Judy got a job and enrolled in nursing school. Judy was known to study in all of her free time and soon became a successful home health care nurse. In 1986 at age 40, Judy was caring for a man who was recovering from throat surgery when she met her patient’s son, a well to do lawyer named Jeffrey Smith. Jeffrey said he was impressed by how Judy cared for his father and asked her on a date. Judy and Jeff had several things in common, both had been divorced single parents who raised children alone, and Jeffrey worked in healthcare as well, except he was a lawyer. The couple both enjoyed going to plays and Celtics basketball games. After seven years together, Jeff and Judy moved in together and three years later the couple married in Nov., 1996.
According to friends and family, Judy was a rather assertive and independent person. She was no stranger to travelling alone. Judy had been to Europe on her own a few times, and when her children were pre-teens, she took them to Europe for a backpacking adventure. Judy also independently traveled to Thailand where she went hiking and visited friends. While Judy wasn’t the epitome of fitness, she was an active person who enjoyed walking, hiking, and sightseeing. She was also known to be a go-getter who once helped an AIDS patient who was having a medical crisis on a plane. So, while Judy was kindhearted and considerate, she wasn’t thought to be naive and was able to take care of herself in a variety of different situations.
The disappearance
Five months into her new marriage on April 9th 1997, Jeffrey prepared to attend a conference in Philadelphia that was taking place from Wednesday April 9th-Friday April 11th at the Double Tree hotel in downtown Philadelphia. Judy decided to accompany her husband to Philadelphia and planned to do some sightseeing in the area. Afterwards, the Smiths were going to New Jersey to spend the weekend with some friends before flying back home.
On April 9th in the morning, Judy accompanied her husband to Logan International Airport to fly to Philadelphia, but discovered at the gate that she could not board as she did not have her photo ID. Judy encouraged Jeffrey to take the 1:30 pm flight and assured him that she would take a flight later that day and meet him in Philadelphia. According to relatives, the Smiths took public transport to the airport and Judy apparently took the bus back home and retrieved her ID. Jeffrey flew to the conference while Judy returned home and booked a flight for later that day. Judy boarded a 7:30 pm flight and arrived at the hotel in Philadelphia at approximately 9:30 pm.
Once at the hotel, the couple purchased some snacks and went to bed. The next morning Jeffrey awoke and ate breakfast at the complimentary buffet downstairs while his wife was still asleep. When he returned to the room Judy was in the shower. The two talked about several things, and Judy explained that she planned on taking the PHLASH bus in order to see the famous sights such as the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. The Smiths planned on meeting up at the hotel in the evening to attend the conference’s 6 pm cocktail party together. With that squared away, Jeffrey attended the conference. Sometime in between 9 and 10 am a hotel concierge recalled seeing a woman matching Judy’s description ask how to get to the PHLASH bus stop. The woman was in her 50s, with shortish hair, wearing a dark colored coat, blue jeans, and white tennis shoes, carrying a bright red backpack. (Picture of the Judy wearing the backpack here).
At approximately 5:30 pm Jeffrey who was done with the day’s sessions returned to the hotel room expecting to find Judy waiting for him. Judy wasn’t there, so Jeffrey attended the cocktail hour in the hopes his wife was already visiting at the party, but she wasn’t there either. For the next 45 minutes, Jeffrey floated between the room and the party hoping to find Judy. At approximately 6:15 pm Jeffrey told the concierges that his wife had not returned from sightseeing and the hotel staff began calling local hospitals. At 6:30 pm, Jeffrey hopped in a taxi and instructed the driver to take the PHLASH bus route slowly so he could look for his wife. In one interview Jeffrey recalled that he made the driver go so slow it angered those stuck behind him. After a few hours without any sign of Judy, Smith called the police to report his wife missing. Shockingly, the PPD told Jeffrey that he couldn’t file a report until it had been twenty-four hours since the last final sighting of Judy. After lodging some complaints with some high-ranking officials within the city, a missing person’s report was taken for Judy Smith on the morning of April 11th, 1997 (Lewis, 1997).
Jeffrey called his step children and asked them to check the house in case Judy had gone home, and he also asked that they would check the answering machine, but there were no messages of note and the house was empty.
A check of the hotel room showed that Judy had left with her signature red backpack, her wallet, the jewelry she normally wore including a diamond engagement band and a simple silver wedding ring, and the clothes on her back. Jeffrey estimated that she had approximately $200 dollars with her at the time.
According to later interviews with Philadelphia investigators, Judy, or someone with her name did in fact buy a USair ticket on the 7:30 pm flight into Philadelphia. Her ticket was used to make the flight and her seat was occupied on the flight into Philadelphia (Justiceforjudy.org). At the time of the Smiths’ trip, regulations that required photo identification to board a plane had only been in effect for 18 months and Judy had flown only one other time during that time frame. Additionally, police have a luggage tag from Judy’s suitcase that showed that she took the 7:30 pm flight, and that her bag did not travel to Philadelphia with Jeffrey earlier in the day (AP, Oct 4th, 1997).
Sightings
As news of Judy’s disappearance spread, many people called the police station to report various sightings of Judy.
One PHLASH driver remembered picking up Judy in the early afternoon at Front and South streets, a stop near the Double Tree.
There was also a reported sighting of Judy entering the Greyhound bus station at 11th and Filbert sometime in the early afternoon. This station is a common place for tourists to use the bathroom and is only a 10-minute walk to the DoubleTree hotel. One report claims Judy was seen entering and then exiting the station but most reports mention only entering the station. This area was close to Philadelphia’s Chinatown and Jeffrey speculated that Judy may have gone to Chinatown for lunch as she loved both Chinese and Thai food, but no restaurant owners remembered seeing Judy that day.
There was yet another sighting of a woman who looked like Judy at around 3 pm near the hotel; witnesses claimed this woman seemed disoriented.
A number of sightings were reported over the next few days in the waterfront area of the city called Penn’s Landing. A variety of people claimed to have seen Judy. Some witnesses said she seemed confused or dazed. Judy’s two children, her son in law Jay, and Jeffrey looked into these sightings and discovered that there was a homeless woman in the area who looked strikingly similar to Judy and it is believed that many witnesses saw this woman rather than Judy Smith. This local resident looked so similar to Judy that at one point Judy’s son Craig crossed the street thinking he had discovered his mother, only for it to be the other woman. Police officers and volunteers stopped this woman a number of times as well.
One transient in the area, a man named David, was insistent that he saw Judy, not the other woman, on the night of April 10th in the Penn’s landing area, either resting or sleeping on the bench. He was insistent it was Judy, and not the other woman as he knew the other woman from the neighborhood. Judy’s son believes this story is credible as David was coherent and very willing to be interviewed, even though there was nothing to be gained from his testimony and he was simply happy to help the family. He also identifed Judy from a collection of photos, something many other witnesses were unable to do.
On April 11th an employee at a Macy’s department store in Deptford, New Jersey believed that she interacted with Judy Smith in the morning on that day. She described the clothes Judy wore, right down to the old red backpack. This shopper told the employee, that she was buying some dresses for her daughter but laughed because her daughter often disliked the pieces that she purchased for her. Judy’s family confirmed that this was acurate and affirmed that Judy sometimes shopped at Macy’s. The customer appeared to be slightly disoriented as she asked a young woman in the store to leave with her, thinking that the other customer was her daughter or a someone else she knew. One report says that Judy asked another customer in the store about menopause, a very odd subject to talk about, especially with someone you don’t know in a department store.
This mall complex was in Deptford, New Jersey, a bus ride away from Philadelphia, across the Delaware River. According to newspaper reports, NJ Transit Buses had routes which traveled from downtown Philly to Deptford hourly, and the stop was very close to the mall the sighting took place at, meaning it was possible for Judy to have boarded the bus and ended up in Deptford quite easily. Unfortunately, the Macy’s didn’t have security footage which showed this customer and the woman paid for her purchases in cash.
After a second story ran in the newspaper on April 14th, a variety of other witnesses came forward with stories. The most famous report came from a Society Hill hotel employee who explained that a woman who matched Judy’s description stayed in the hotel from April 13th-15th. The woman appeared to have psychiatric problems and did a variety of strange things during her stay such as touch herself very noticeably in front of the window (it’s unknown if this was in her room or in the lobby), speak in tongues, and finally claimed that “the emperor” would help her pay for her stay at the hotel. This wacky guest was remembered by several employees including the hotel manager, a woman named Abby Gainer, who alerted the police. The strange guest told the employees that she wanted to stay at the hotel for another night but didn’t have the funds to do so. She later said she would get the money via a Western Union wire transfer from “the emperor” (Altman, 1997).
The nearby Best Western Hotel had a similar situation with a similar woman. Concierge Tyrone Taylor remembered that on the 15th, a woman matching this description entered the hotel to use the telephone in the late afternoon. The woman was speaking loudly and said that “the emperor of China” was going to pay for her stay as she did not have the cash to pay for a night at the hotel. Taylor reported that the woman was well dressed and did not appear to be a transient. Both hotel employees reported that the woman was a heavyset blonde in her 50s, wearing heavy dark makeup, eye glasses with tape on the side, and nicer clothes. Gainer reported the woman was sporting an expensive looking scarf with camels and roses on it. The woman, who signed in as "H. K. Rich/Collins," did not have any luggage with her and was wearing very different clothes than Judy was last seen in. When Taylor called the police to report his sighting, he gave the strange guest a call (she must have left a telephone number) and told her she could have a free night at the hotel. She arrived at the Best Western but police decided that the woman was not Judy Smith (Altman, 1997). The hotel sightings were nothing more than a red herring. Over the next few months various sightings were reported but none seemed to pan out. Many of the sightings were believed to be other people who looked like Judy. After all history has shown that false eyewitness sightings are incredibly common in cases of missing persons.
Philadelphia PD’s investigation
Philadelphia PD launched an inquiry into the disappearance of Judy Smith on April 11th, 1997. Jeffrey tried to report Judy as missing in the late evening hours of April 10th, but the police told him to wait 24 hours. Smith, however, was a well-connected man and after a few complaints to both a Pennsylvania state representative and the mayor (both men were attorneys and knew Jeffrey from previous work functions), Jeffrey was able to file a report in the early morning hours of the 11th. The Smith family made and hung flyers in the area. Judy’s children joined the search and followed up on sightings around the tourist areas of Philly. Police interviewed Jeffrey, Judy’s children, and others in order to retrace Judy’s last steps. Judy left behind her passport at her home in Massachusetts meaning she could not have easily left the county. The Smith’s two landline records were checked but nothing out of the ordinary was found.
After interviews and searches of the area, Philadelphia PD announced that they believed Judy had never made it to Pennsylvania at all and speculated that Judy went missing from the Boston area. This speculation was based on a couple of things.
First, investigators did not believe Jeffrey’s story that Judy couldn’t catch the flight due to a lack of photo ID. Police thought that this story was odd and did not believe a seasoned traveler like Judy would forget her license at home before heading to the airport.
Later investigation showed that someone named Judith Smith took a 7:30pm flight into Philadelphia and flight manifest showed that the ticket was used to make the flight that evening, however, the entire incident is still odd to many amateur sleuths and professional investigators.
Another detective thought it was odd that while Judy had clothes and belongings in the hotel room, she didn’t have any cosmetics with her. Further, detectives noticed that there were few soiled items of clothing in the room meaning that if Judy was in Philadelphia on the 10th, she wore the same jeans and coat that she was wearing the night before. Judy’s children reported that this wasn’t uncommon for their mother as she wasn’t a frilly person. They also said that their mother only wore makeup on occasion and not while traveling so these things didn’t seem out of the ordinary to them. (Personally, I have also wondered if Judy did have some makeup, but it was in her backpack at time. I know plenty of women who don’t wear much makeup, but if you looked in their purse or bag you might find some lip stick or powder.)
Investigators went on to say that no one but Jeffrey could place Judy in Philadelphia during this time frame. This announcement resulted in several eyewitnesses who claimed that they had seen Judy at the hotel. One receptionist from the hotel claimed that on April 9th in between 9-10 pm, she saw Judy arrive at the hotel and greet her husband in the lobby. She said that Jeffrey gave Judy flowers and the two appeared to be apologizing to each other. (Jeffrey said this was the case except Judy gave him the flowers). One concierge remembered a woman in her 50s with a coat and old red backpack ask him how to get to the PHLASH bus stop at around 10 am on April 10th. He knew it was after 9 am because that is when his shift started. Finally, a conference goer named Carmen Catazone, who was sitting in the lobby also recalled the flower incident from the night before. The woman did not know Jeffrey personally, but recognized him from the conference. Jeffrey was a moderator for a variety of sessions and was very overweight so he was easily recognizable. These witness’ accounts seem to line up with Jeffrey’s story. As far as I can tell the flower story had not been released to the press at this point.
Finally, Philadelphia PD divulged that Jeffrey wasn’t fully cooperative, as he wouldn’t submit to a polygraph. Jeffrey denies this and said that as a lawyer he knew that polygraphs are fallible. Further, he claims that he was willing to take a lie detector if it was given by an outside agency such as the FBI, but Philadelphia police declined this scenario. These are the four reasons investigators used in order to prop up their theory that Judy wasn’t in Philadelphia at all. Despite witness sightings, this theory is a popular on online to this day.
Aftermath and Discovery
After several weeks Jeffrey returned to the Boston area and tried to resume his normal life. He drastically cut back his hours at the office reporting that he could not focus on his work. Smith attempted to keep his wife’s case in the spotlight doing interviews whenever he could and eventually landing a spot on the show Unsolved Mysteries. On the show, one friend of the couple called the marriage “tenuous” but modern articles on the case mention that the police could find no one who reported concerns like these about the couples’ relationship. In independent interviews Judy’s adult children denied witnessing any warning signs in their mother’s new marriage. Eventually, Jeffrey hired three private investigators to look for Judy. The PIs faxed over 9,000 missing posters to police departments and hospitals all over the country hoping that someone would recognize Judy.
Five months after her disappearance in September 1997, a man and his son were hunting in the Pisgah National Forest near Candler, North Carolina, a short drive from the city of Asheville. On a steep incline one-quarter mile from a picnic area, which itself was a mile from hike from the nearest parking area, the duo found what appeared to be a human bone. They alerted the police who responded to the scene. Over an area approximately 300 feet in diameter, investigators found most of a human skeleton which had been wrapped in a blue blanket and buried in a very shallow grave. Scavenging animals had dug up the skeleton and a few bones had been carried away. The skeleton was determined to be female. The woman was dressed in thermal underwear under her jeans, hiking boots, socks, a t-shirt, a bra and a jacket. Nearby in two different holes, a blue vinyl backpack and a men’s shirt had been buried. The backpack contained some winter clothing and 80 dollars. The shirt contained a pair of $110 Bolle brand sunglasses, as well an additional $87. A paperback mystery novel was also found nearby. She carried no ID. The slope where the body was discovered was near some hiking trails, but the hill itself was steep and at an elevation of 4,000 feet, the search was difficult. The incline was so severe that one investigator crushed his sciatic nerve attempting to search the area, an injury which required major surgery.
Early coverage of the body’s discovery in the Asheville Citizen Times, initially reported that the police found a body belonging to a woman who they believed to be in her 20s dressed in hiking clothes (Ball, 1997). Several days later, the medical examiner assessed the bones and concluded that the skeleton was that of white woman in her 40s or 50s, who was about 5’3” tall with shortish light brown hair. There were cut marks in the woman’s bra and t-shirt which indicated that she had been stabbed in the chest area, however, no cause of death could be determined. Some reports mention that there was trauma to the woman’s ribs. The decedent also had a severely arthritic right knee (some reports say it was her left knee), extensive fillings and dental work in her molars, and some animal hair on her shirt, which may have been horse hair. The woman did not seem to be a transient due to her nice clothes and dental work. The death was ruled a homicide as the woman had been wrapped in a blanket post mortem and buried. The ME determined that the body had been there for 1-2 years prior. For several weeks the skeleton remained nameless in the ME’s office.
On September 9th, a small blurb about the unidentified body ran in an Asheville, North Carolina paper. 65 miles away in Franklin, NC, an ER physician named Parker Davis was looking at missing poster which had been faxed to the hospital he worked at when he noticed that the woman on the poster had a severely arthritic knee. He remembered the story of the skeleton from the paper who had a similar knee problem. On a whim he called the police who were able to get a copy of Judy’s missing poster. After a preliminary check, the ME contacted Jeffrey in order to obtain a copy of Judy’s dental records. The records were a match, and by the end of September 1997, Judy had her name back. Friends and family were also able to identify Judy’s diamond engagement band with a pear-shaped stone and wedding ring which had been found on or near the body. Some early reports say that the woman had no jewelry and that Judy’s wedding ring was missing, but later reports say that it was found near the body. The area of the burial was searched on at least three occasions so it is possible the rings were not found until later. Missing was Judy’s wallet, red backpack, and some jewelry that she typically wore (it’s unclear what jewelry this is referring to). The coat she was last seen wearing was nowhere to be found and the clothes she was dressed in, as well as those in the backpack were unable to be identified by family or friends. The shirt buried nearby was a men’s shirt and was believed to belong to the killer, not Judy. Furthermore, the sunglasses did not appear to be Judy’s as Judy’s kids said she wasn’t the type to spend over $100 on sunglasses. The sunglasses are an athletic style and to me look like men’s or unisex sport sunglasses.
Buncombe County Investigation
Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department took over the case from the PPD after Judy’s identification. Once it was determined that Judy was the woman in the woods, several residents in and around Asheville reported that they had seen Judy or had interacted with her in the April shortly after she was last seen in Philadelphia. For example, one woman thought Judy had stayed at her hotel from April 10th-12th, one woman who worked at a souvenir shop near the Biltmore house (a tourist attraction near Asheville) thought that she spoke to Judy who said she was from Boston and that her husband was a lawyer. Another woman who worked in a store recalled that Judy with her red backpack. She claims that Judy bought a toy truck and approximately $30 worth of sandwiches. There were two other sightings of a person resembling Judy in the area in a gray sedan. One person claimed to have seen Judy near the Pisgah National Forest in a gray sedan chock full of stuff. This witness said that the woman was looking for a place to camp. Another person saw a woman in a gray sedan in the same area. All sightings occurred in the week or so after Judy was last seen in Philadelphia. Of course, it goes without saying that, eyewitness testimony can be unreliable and the human mind is susceptible to suggestion.
North Carolina investigators traveled to Philadelphia to retrace Judy’s steps. They have said that they don’t believe that PPD did a poor job but simply wanted to cover their bases. Two detectives flew to Philadelphia and determined that Judy probably been there at least briefly before traveling to the Pisgah National Forest. They reported that there was no indication that Judy had been abducted or otherwise forced to travel south. It appeared she at least started the journey of her own volition. In all the sightings of Judy in North Carolina, she was alone.
Buncombe county deputies were able to rule out Jeffrey as a suspect rather quickly, although they concede that anything is possible and Jeffrey could be involved however unlikely it seems. Jeffrey was ruled out based on his size and health. Jeffrey was a morbidly obese man who investigators noted began huffing and puffing when walking quickly or climbing stairs. Because of this they did not believe Jeffrey could have disposed of his wife’s body especially in such an inaccessible area of the forest. Furthermore, they could find no evidence that Jeffrey rented a car in Philadelphia adding to the logistical problems with Jeffrey being a suspect. On top of his lack of car, Jeffrey had less than 12 hours to dispose of Judy’s body as he was seen in the lobby of the hotel at 9:30 pm, and then was moderating a session of the conference at 9:30 am. Driving to the Pisgah National Forest from Philadelphia takes approximately nine hours one way meaning he did not have time to kill and dispose of his wife. One podcast on the case mentions that police could find no large withdrawals of money from the Smith’s accounts which could have indicated the hiring of a hit man or a paid accomplice. (I could find no other corroboration of this claim so take this with a grain of salt.) Jeffrey also kept his wife’s case in the spotlight and suffered many hardships in the wake of his wife’s disappearance. Besides the one woman who was interviewed on Unsolved Mysteries, no other friends or family reported that there were issues in marriage that they were aware of.
Philadelphia police also struggled with Jeffrey’s size as carrying and disposing of a dead body is quite taxing and it is doubtful that Jeffrey could have done this on his own. However, they say that Jeffrey is still as suspect as he could have killed his wife in Boston or had an accomplice.
With the most obvious suspect cleared, investigators moved on to other lines of inquiry. They searched the surrounding areas hoping to find people who had seen Judy which is how the discovery of the woman in the gray car was made. Police also searched a nearby horse farm as Judy was known to like horses and had what could have been horse hair on her body, but nothing definitive was found.
Other information

• Philadelphia investigators looked at the Smith’s phone records and determined that there was no unusual activity on either of their phone lines that would indicate that either of the Smiths were having affairs. Neither Jeffrey or Judy had cell phones. If Judy was having an affair at the time, none of her friends could provide any insight or speculate as to who it was. There was a computer in the house which was searched, but it is unknown if the computer was connected to the internet.
• When Judy went missing Jeffrey believed that she had approximately $200 on her person. About $500 dollars in cash was found among Judy’s things in the hotel room. Judy also disappeared with her ID, her credit card, and her phone card. To this day, there has been no activity on either card.
• Judy’s description varies from source to source. Some sources report that she was “heavy set” or “top heavy”. Others say she was 130 or 140 lbs., which is more average size for a 5’2” woman. In some pictures Judy looks to be of a larger build, but in some photos, she appears smaller. Whether these weights were a misprint or Judy was someone whose weight fluctuated regularly is unclear. It is not a very important detail but it is a discrepancy I wanted to point out.
• Judy had been to North Carolina only once and had no connection to the area. She had once been to Raleigh to visit Jeffrey who was at a weight loss clinic. Jeffrey said that he loved the area and thought about moving, but the couple never returned to the state. Family also said that Judy had once traveled to Tennessee or another nearby state with a former patient but that had been years earlier.
• Judy Smith is also the name of a famous "Crisis Manager." This Judy Smith was the inspiration for the hit show "Scandal" with actress Kerry Washington. This woman is not the same Judy Smith who went missing in 1997.

Suspects
Gary Michael Hilton, sometimes called the national park killer, is a suspect in Judy's disappearance. In 2008 Hilton was arrested for a murder in a national forest and was later linked to three other murders, all of which took place between 2005 and 2008. Hilton, who was in his 50s and 60s at the time, killed hikers in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina and he is considered a suspect in many other murders in surrounding states such as Arkansas, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Hilton, who loved the outdoors, would often stalk hiking trails, camp sites, and other areas known for outdoor recreation to find victims to terrorize. His crimes were tended to be opportunistic and his motive most often was monetary. Hilton held down a series of jobs from 1997 to 2007 but did not work full time. He was also a drifter who moved from place to place. Hilton usually assaulted and robbed his victims of their wallets, atm cards, cash, and valuables. His victims were male and female, young and old. He seemed to prefer victims who were isolated and alone did not try to find a specific type of person otherwise. One thing that is interesting about Hilton as an offender is that it appears that he did not commit any violent crimes before he was 58 or 59 years old. Hilton has a very long rap sheet but most of his crimes were relatively minor such as possession of marijuana, carrying a pistol without a license, soliciting false donations for charity, carrying a police baton, and DUI. Once arrested several violent incidents that Hilton had been a part of came to light but he had never been convicted of them in the past. Most people agree someone with does not start a life of violent crime in their 60s. Many believe the Gary Michael Hilton has more victims then are currently known.
John and Irene Bryant, an eclectic couple in their 80s, were hiking in the Pisgah National Forest in 2007 when they were attacked by Hilton. Hilton killed Irene, and then kidnapped her husband in order to use their ATM cards and withdraw money before killing John as well. Irene's body was left only miles from where Judy's body was found 10 years earlier. This is one of the most convincing pieces of evidence that Hilton may have been involved in Judy's murder as well. However, it is important to note that Judy was not robbed and Hilton did not bury any of his known victims. Judy's murder also took place 10 years before any Hilton's other murders. Some blogs or more unofficial sources on the case mentioned that Hilton was believed to be in Georgia at the time of Judy's disappearance, but this isn't known for sure. If you are interested in learning more about the crimes of Gary Michael Hilton this reddit post is a really good place to start. This post did a good job of putting it all in one place so thank you u/lisagreenhouse.
Another offender who was in the Asheville area at the time of Judy's disappearance was a young man named Lewis Kyle Wilson. In the early 2000s Wilson was arrested after assaulting and robbing a sex worker he had brought home to his property. There's not a lot of information on Wilson online, but he was living in Asheville and would have been 19 at the time of Judy's disappearance. I cannot find any evidence that Wilson actually killed anyone but he does have a history of violence towards women and was in the area at the time so he is sometimes mentioned online as a possible suspect. One sex worker Wilson was known to frequent was the victim of an unsolved homicide that happened in 2006; Wilson is the prime suspect in that crime.
In 2016, only a couple of miles from Judy's burial site in the Pisgah National Forest, a lone hiker in her 60s was attacked, raped, and left tied to a tree. Thankfully, the woman was found alive and taken to the hospital. Some have wondered if this crime was connected to the Judy Smith homicide but there is no hard evidence of this and the rapist remains unknown.
Theories
Amnesia is one possible explanation for Judy’s disappearance. The family believes that Judy was injured or otherwise suffered a bout of dissociative amnesia which caused her to become confused or forget her identity. This is supported by the sightings of a confused or disoriented Judy in Philadelphia. The family believes this explains why Judy traveled to the Pisgah National Forest apparently of her own free will.
One theory is that Judy and Jeffrey had an argument that spurred an angry Judy to leave the area, whether she left from Boston or Philadelphia. After she left the area and traveled south to North Carolina, she met with foul play.
In a similar vein, some believed Judy willingly traveled to North Carolina to meet up with someone, perhaps a friend or a secret boyfriend. The ID incident at the airport was simply a cover so Judy could converse with this person who she wanted to meet. Once in North Carolina she met with foul play perhaps at the hand of the person she went to meet.
One theory Jeffrey explored was that Judy was suffering from mental illness and had a psychotic break. Being a lawyer, Jeffrey was able with some legal maneuvering to obtain all of Judy’s medical records from her adult life, including a physical she had had only months before hand. There was no indication that Judy had ever had any mental health concerns. Neither she or her doctors ever mentioned anything that would have pointed to any mental health problems, even minor ones such as anxiety. According to Jeffrey, Judy’s newest physical reported that Judy was in good mental and physical health (Lewis, 1997 and Trace Evidence Podcast).
Other sleuths have speculated that Judy traveled to North Carolina because she was questioning her sexuality. Asheville at the time was known for having an LGBT community. This theory is pushed forward by one interview on the Unsolved Mysteries segment as Judy’s friend says, “If you are looking for a mystery man, there wasn’t one.” Some have said that this implied that Judy had met a mystery woman, not a man. However, this theory is full of holes. No friends or family ever had any indication that Judy was questioning her sexuality. Judy had been married to men on three occasions and had other boyfriends as well. This explanation fails to explain why this realization would cause Judy to unexpectedly travel hundreds of miles and cease contact with her children. It also fails to explain who killed Judy.
Others have speculated that Judy was tricked into going to North Carolina. Perhaps she met someone while sightseeing who offered her a ride and that person abducted her or drove her to North Carolina for some reason.
Personally, I have always wondered if Judy was suffering from early onset dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. This would be a similar theory to the psychotic break theory; however, I believe this explains why Judy was described as both disoriented and acting normal in different sightings. I am by no means an expert, but if I understand correctly, patients with these conditions can get very confused and agitated but can also have times of acting completely lucid. I think this theory can explain why Judy forgot her license at home before flying, and can also explain her disappearance. I think it is possible Judy got on the wrong bus and ended up first at the Deptford mall and then eventually North Carolina, simply getting more and more lost each day. Of course, this hypothesis does not solve Judy’s murder, it simply gives an explanation for her travels.
A final theory that is prevalent online is the idea that the doe found in Pisgah National Forest was not Judy at all and was instead misidentified. While this is always possible and something I have entertained from time to time, Judy was matched via dental records, her arthritic knee, and her distinct engagement ring with a pear-shaped stone. If the doe was not Judy, then the mystery becomes even stranger, and now includes the identity and murder of yet another woman. While the odds of a similarly aged woman, with a bad knee, similar dental work, and a plain silver wedding band accompanied with a fancy diamond engagement ring, who was not Judy being murdered in the forest is possible, I believe that it is not very likely. Proponents of this theory point to the ME’s report that the doe had been in the forest for over a year, while Judy had been missing only five months at the time of her discovery.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Full list of sources are in part two- https://unsolved.com/gallery/judy-smith/
link to part 2 https://www.reddit.com/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/kky2l2/when_a_body_is_found_600_miles_away_extensive_two/

Hey y’all,
I have a non-expired out of state drivers license and I need to get a TN license ASAP.
I have heard horror stories about the DMVs here - ranging from days-long waits, ridiculously difficult documentation standards, the works.
I’ve been told to go to Oakland, which is the closest one to my house anyway, but my coworker went there on Monday morning, waited 4 hours in the hot sun and never even made it in the building.
So here is what I have and here is my plan- can anyone shed some light on if I’ve got the right idea?
I filled out the paperwork online and printed it out (have to bring it with me). I also made an appointment, but I’m not entirely sure that the appointment is valid for the task of changing my license from NJ to TN.
I have: my valid passport, my SS card, my unexpired NJ drivers license, an opened bank statement with my TN address and my auto insurance card with my TN address.
I can’t bring a mortgage or utility bill as I’m not on either one. I also have some junk mail. No birth certificate either but I do have my marriage certificate (all the above listed forms of ID are in my correct, married name). I will obviously wear a mask.
My appointment is this Friday around 2pm in Oakland... does this all make sense? I think I’m supposed to call when I arrive, at least 15 mins early. Should I be doing anything different? How is COVID affecting this whole process? Do I need anything else?
Thanks for any input y’all can offer.

Prince Joffrey & Varya: After their camping experience with Igor, the couple went to a "banya" (No, not the comedian who loves Ovaltine) a rustic looking Russian bathhouse. They put on tulip-shaped felt hats and layed down naked in the sauna while beating each other with bundles of tree branches...it was kind of like a "50 Shades of Adam and Eve" type of thing going on. When in Siberia! Next, the couple went skinny dipping in a lake behind the banya, wearing nothing but the felt dunce caps and nipple tats (luckily they go with everything). After the dip, still naked, they continued their serious conversation about their relationship and where they saw things going. Joffrey felt very positively about their connection, and Varya responded with "You dazzle me", which she was directing exclusively towards the nipple tats. After all of the banya shenanigans, we saw a fully clothed Joffrey and Varya strolling through the Siberian wilderness, drinks in hand, as they stopped at a picnic bench to discuss their relationship ups and downs. He explained that they had been through a range of emotions on this one visit, and he feels like they have such a strong connection. It was then that Joffrey got down on one knee and popped the question!! Varya's answer?? Znippletatz. To be continued....
BGL & Assman: Back on the side of the road, somewhere in Sokoto, BGL is still flipping off Assman as their power struggle continues. He tells her he's a Housa man and he needs to be in control, but BGL explains housabout you realize you're marrying an American woman, and it needs to be 50/50 (though she seems to be okay settling for his 60/40 split). Eventually they make up, and head back to the Sokoto Motor Murder Lodge to gather their belongings as it's time to move on. In the next scene we see BGL casually eating french fries with a fork in a corner of the chalet suite, as the taxi pulled up to take them to the airport. Babylove claimed to be unimpressed with Usman's hometown, as they set off on the hopefully more impressive next leg of their adventure. (It's hard to imagine how she could be unimpressed with Barney, who's hopefully still in the front yard).They made a pit stop at a gas station where Babylove reminds Sojaboytoy that he hasn't serenaded her yet for the day (I guess she requires one personally sung song/day, perks of being a momager). He performs on command, singing into his phone via selfie stick, as the hit single "I go dey for you" plays in the background while we watch them board their flight to Abuja. Once they arrived at their destination, the hopeful fiances sat down with the marriage registrar to file paperwork (hmmm this looks like a familar storyline....). The registrar informed Lisa that she would need her divorce papers in order to file for their marriage license, which was Assman's responsibility, as he was tasked with finding out what paperwork was necessary to make the Lusman wedding (their celebrity couple name) happen. ("The Lusman Wedding" sounds like a Jewish wedding that would take place in a hall in Short Hills, NJ......or Nigeria. For the guests, there is a block of rooms reserved at the Sokoto Murder Motor Lodge with complimentary shower buckets and thankfully Barney is not Kosher.) Hopefully next week we will be saying Mazel tov to the newlyweds!
Stephanie & Erika not Shmerika: After getting along for one episode, the girls decide it's time to make things facebook official and tell Erika's parents they are bisexual. Kudos to Stephanie for being one of the only cast members to bring a gift for her potential mother in law (she didn't even need to stop at a Goat market or pick weeds on the side of the road). Erika's parents Simon and Jayne seem like a lot of fun, as they chat with the girls over some Choineese food (love the accents) and ask about what they've been up to on their trip. Simon specifically asked if they had encountered any koalas or kangaroos (thank you Simon for mentioning the damn koalas). Erika explained they were having fun and then segued into the topic of Steph being her pahtnah, which her paeents seemed unphased by. After the "coming out" love fest, they were on such a roll they decided they should tell Steph's mum next. Looks like next week they are back to fighting, being uncomfortable and brightly colored outfits.
Big Egg & Rosemarie's baby: It started out as beautiful Palawanian morning, until we saw Ed and Rose in the Sheridan pool. They were playfully swimming and getting close to each other (though I could've lived the rest of my life without seeing those close up underwater shots). After pool time, they sat down so that Ed could come clean to Rose that he did not want more children. Rosemarie seemed shocked and hurt that Ed didnt want to be her baby daddy, since he has never mentioned it previously in their extensive 3 month online relationship, and she was even more confused by his description of a vasectomy. She gives him the death stare as he asks "Do you still love me?" Ed woke up the next morning, alone in his underwear, as Rosemary had run off....presumably to the continental breakfast, stuck in the line for the waffle maker. After searching, calling, and sending up the Rose signal, Ed decided to wait outside in a hot pink shirt so if Rose was in the vicinity, she couldn't miss him. She eventually surfaces, looking serious and sad. She lays out all of Ed's extra-shortcomings, ranging from lying about his height, to the embarrassment of the STD testing, to insulting her dragon breath, and then says she is done with him belittling her. Rose leaves Big Egg scrambling to find words, but without luck. Now we have to wait until next week to see if Rose chose Big Egg over fertilized eggs.
Darcy & Thomas: Darcey puts on her casual, comfortable pleather pants to put together a "I dont care" package containing Tom's key, destination: Nottingham (good thing Lana didn't send David the key to HER house, or David might have walked in on that Ukranian man in the shower!) Tom explains his side of this non-story as "A tale of Two Darceys"; one that is loving, caring, wonderful and refers to all British men as her "007", and another side that no one can handle, who says "You never loved me, get out of my life you liar!" Though there may be a bit of truth to that, there is a sequel, "The Tale of Two Toms". "Thomas", who's an introspective, thoughtful British gentleman, and "Tommy" who makes fun of you like hes in junior high and calls you fat. If only Thomas and the best version of Darcey could align and leave the other two categorically done and dusted...... nah, still wouldnt work. We see Tom sitting in a bar in NYC, video chatting with his new girlfriend, who I'm pretty sure is Lana. He claims to have picked her up while working at Fashion Week, (which explains why Lana wasn't home when David showed up to her house! It all makes sense now!!) He tells her how terrible the unneccessary meetup and note journey through Connecticut were going, and how he just cant wait to see her soon. And then she sent him a sexy emoji and he said "Mmmmm".......
Yolander, party of one? Yolander? The reverse image search results are finally back from the lab after a whole week, and what do you know, Williams is a stock photo. Even after the photo evidence, Yolander refuses to believe Williams H. Macy is a catfish and wants to go halfsies with David on a private investigator (Rebecca's going to be working overtime this month). I've seen a few 90 Day petitions go around on the internet but I think we need one for stopping the catfish storylines. No more.
Avery & Ashtray: Ashole is still throwing his tantrum, as we see him and Avery try to work out their issues by the beach. Avery feels that Ashphault avoids hard questions and is starting to let his true self show after his crappy seminar. Ash feels as if hes being attacked, and that Avery just won't let anything go. He is shaking, and freaking out realizing that his seminar bomb was going to be televised and he would probably have a hard time getting new female customers, as everyone's blood sugar was at an all time low after last week. Avery was just focused on the the red flags and getting answers instead of being there for him, and he didn't even stop to ask see if she needed a sugar boost. Neither of them should hold a koala right now, they're too worked up.
David & his laptop: David returns stateside and is sharing tales of his Ukranian experience with his friend Jim, who is trying not to lose all respect for him. Unlike Lana, Mothra was waiting for David when he opened his front door to his late 80's bachelor pad. His entire house looked like he bought everything from the set of "Full House" estate sale. David explains to Jim that he wants to hire a private investigator to find out the truth about Lana. Jim tries to hit him (like a bunch of leaves at a banya) with reality, but David gets extremely defensive. He later on moves forward with hiring a P.I. (probably off of the same Ukranian dating site where he met Lana). He invited his Ukranian female friend (and obvious Dog The Bounty Hunter fan) over to translate the findings from the private investigator, which of course turned out to be that David was being scammed. He was combative and thought the only scam going on were these crazy hackers posting provocative pictures of poor Lana on multiple websites. Both his friend and the P.I. tried explaining the scam, but David refused to believe it. He knows hes been talking to "someone" all of these years, and now he need to find out who. In next week's preview, we saw him back at the airport, hopefully just dropping Yolander off for her flight to UKgeria to meet the stock photo. Waiting for my plot twist......

Our wedding was planned for May 16th, but we cancelled due to covid. We were thinking it would be nice to elope sooner (I was laid off so I can claim cobra but it'd be cheaper for me to go onto my partners healthplan), but we still need to apply for our marriage license. We live in NJ where you have to go in person to the registrar's office in the town where you live. Our towns registrars office is currently closed with no plans to reoopen until mid-april; so we can't go apply for the license. Is there anyway we could get around this or apply online???

Okay so. I honestly don't know how to feel. When I look through all the posts here, I feel honestly worse about myself. Like, "I shouldn't be feeling bad about my life. My situation isn't nearly as bad as some of these people! Buck up and get over it. Change your position in life and stop being a wet blanket!"
I'm going to start from the beginning, so I do apologize if this is a little long.
As a child, I was very sheltered. I was home schooled because my Mom didn't want me to be a part of the incredibly awful school system of Roselle, NJ in 1990. So throughout my childhood, my school life was done through hundreds and hundreds of worksheets and various books and outings through the park with other book reports and tons and tons of math. This was not really seen too kindly by my friends. A lot of them would make statements about how I didn't know any real social interaction because I never went to real school. Or other little statements about how my home schooling made me less of a person because I didn't have to deal with the issues they dealt with.
I was a tall, lanky, VERY skinny kid who was also a crybaby. I cried and whined over everything. If I lost a game at Super Mario Bros, I'd start crying. If I tripped and bumped my knee, I'd start crying. Everything made me cry or whine. This did -not- help my image. But fortunately we were all in the same religious area so despite my being this whiny little crybaby (who had a HORRIBLE fear of butterflies), I still managed to have some friends.
Things seemed to be seemingly okay growing up. I had my friends, I had my best friend, I had a seemingly normal childhood. However, everything seemed to change at a very pivotal point in my life.
I was about 13 (or 12, I...really can't remember the age anymore) when something terrible happened. One night my mom and dad sister and niece went to go grab my older brother and kidnap him for the evening. As he had been gone for about a few days. Hours later, they were gone for the entire day and most of the night. They came home and my dad told me that my big brother was murdered. He was slaughtered violently by someone who lived with him for about a few months. My brother came home to see this man robbing his stuff, one thing led to another and the man hit him in the head 30 times with the back of a hammer, dragged him into a bathtub and turned the water on. He continued stealing the stuff and left the place. Apparently my Mom and Dad said that the place didn't even look real. Like it was one of those cheesy haunted houses where someone used too much red paint on the walls.
One of the biggest regrets was that I wasn't there. No, not there for my brother. There would have been nothing I could have done. But I wish I was there with my folks to see the place. I was sheltered from everything as I was growing up. Sheltered from a lot... (My mom didn't let me watch Power Rangers because it was too violent).. and honestly I just feel like I should have been there to mourn like they did. It's a ridiculous statement to say, but I wish I was there with them. Not being there with my family to cry with them to be there with them to witness everything.
After that, I had changed. I became less happy. I became a bit more pessimistic and... just changed. But I kept myself up. I had friends. I had people that I cared about. But everything slowly started falling apart. My friends slowly started showing their true colors. I started seeing that my friends, my closest friends, weren't really as close as I thought they were. My best friend. A person who I spent most of my life hanging out with and growing up with. They grew apart from me. My group of friends. My little circle of friends started to slowly pull apart from me. But I still tried to stay positive. I tried to keep up my mind and stay together with my friends and family.
Then two of my friends and myself decided we were going to make a big choice. They were going to drop out of high school and take their GED. I was going to join them. We had a big plan to get everything done. We spent months studying. Tons of math. Tons of English and Social Studies. Everything. They took their GED and passed it on the first try.
I took my GED. And I failed. That was a horrible blow to my psyche. I felt useless. I felt stupid. I felt dumb. But despite that, I tried it again. And failed again. Feeling even worse. At this point? My friends all had gotten jobs. Me? I hadn't gotten my GED so... I couldn't find a job. So i tried again. And... I failed again. I couldn't take the GED again for the rest of the year. I tried so hard, I studied. I went to classes just to take the GED. I did everything I could and I failed it again. This was what haunted me for the remainder of my young life.
Things move on. Time flies by and my friends continue to grow. They get their driver's permits and eventually licenses. Me? My father asked me not to get my permit until I got a job, because since I was on his insurance, had I gotten a permit his insurance would have skyrocketed. So, being unable to get a job due to lacking a GED, I couldn't get the money to help pay for the insurance increase. So, as my friends were all starting to drive and getting better jobs, I was stuck at home with no job, no permit, no nothing. But I kept my head up. I kept myself positive. I still had friends.
Years go on. My friends all start moving out and getting married. One by one they all found someone special. They all started to be on their own and finding that special someone. They found wives. Me? I still was at home, jobless, and car-less. I was fortunate to have a friend that let me work as an apprentice for a few years, getting about 50$ a day working with him. For the longest time, that was my only source of income.
Meanwhile, I took my GED again and... of course... I failed it another 3 times. More of my friends get more successful in their lives. Moving onward and upward. I was still at home, trying to figure out what to do. Helping my folks with the bills and with food. Doing what I could.
Years go by and my friend starts dating. Times goes on more and he gets married. My best friend. A person who I've been friends with since I was 8 years old. Didn't invite me to be a part of his wedding. Not his best man. Not nothing. He didn't even have the balls to tell me why he couldn't have me be his best man. I had gotten dressed up, thinking that he was going to see me and drag me into the room and tell me what to do. But no. I get to the wedding, looking around and wondering what was going on and the wedding starts. I see him with my other friends and someone else I didn't even know, preparing to walk down the aisle. And I had to find a seat in the back. I sat there, feeling like such an idiot. Feeling like everything in my damn life was nothing. All that positivity. All the religious teachings. Everything. I felt like everything was a lie. Like I was wasting my life. This guy was my best friend... but then at that moment I realized. I wasn't his best friend.
I realized. I didn't have friends. None of them were friends. As they all had gotten married and none of them, not one, had invited me to be a part of their wedding. However...with all of their marriages. My best friend, was invited to be on their party. But not me. I started seeing things as I was child. I never had friends. I never truly had any real friends. I saw them less. As they grew up, they grew apart. And I was still at home. Jobless, car-less.
Move things down to today. I have tried multiple times to pass that GED. And failed. I have an... okay job at Blue Apron that pays a pretty decent amount of money. Not enough to live on my own, but it's something.
Girls haven't been interested in me. No one was. I never made enough money. They didn't like that I didn't have a car. And just... none of them were interested. I feel worthless. I feel like my heart is trapped in a veil of darkness that will not go away. Everyday I see examples of people who are in their 20s, with amazing jobs, happily married, with enough money to buy a house. Successful people.
And I look at my friends. Married. Happily. All on their own. And I still feel like I'm stuck in this loop that was locked in as I was 17 years old. I feel embarrassed to be 32. I feel humiliated looking at myself. I feel so sad everytime I do anything. When I woke at my job, I think, "This is the best I can do...putting menu's in a box and pushing it down. Making minimum wage." I don't qualify for anything else in the job, so what I have? Is the bottom of the barrel. They don't need you to be super smart. Or accomplished. They just need a body. That's it.
Everyday I wake up I wish I hadn't. I go to bed empty and I wake up empty. I feel useless and worthless. And every single day that goes by, I feel emptier. One can say, "Hey, it's because of the corona virus!" But no. It's not. Even before this virus hit. I was doing the same thing. Going everyday on my computer, looking at every Saturday, wondering if anyone was going to call me to hang out. And often times even when I did hang out with them, they'd normally be with other girls. And of course, the girls never showed any interest in me. No matter how I try, what clothes I wear. They don't want me.
I sit here typing this because I just feel like I'm at my wit's end. Honestly... I just want to end it. 32 is past my prime. In 5 years? I'll be 37. 3 years after that, I'll be 40. Will I be in the same place when I'm 40? Will I be in this same situation? I have been trying to better myself. Trying to change my outlook on life. But I've been hit with walls and walls of negativity from people I thought were my friends. I've been cast aside and pushed away. I was always told I was a burden to my parents and I should learn to be a man and grow up. My folks always tell me how my being here with them is a blessing. My mom is a cancer survivor and my father had a knee replacement (that's been failing). I've been taking care of my Mom and Dad for years. But still, people still say what they're going to say.
I find myself burning hours binging on anime nowadays, thinking of myself in the lives of these characters. I had binge watched My Hero Academia and all I could think about was wanting to be in that life instead.
I feel like if my life ended. The people that would mourn would be mourning due to default. My mom and dad would be sad. A few family members. But they'd move on. They all would. They already moved on from me. So what would my death change? Nothing. They'd probably be sad, they'd go to my funeral. Bow their heads. Make a prayer. Then move on with their lives. Unaffected.
Do I want to kill myself? No. I don't. I like being alive. I like being able to watch anime. I like playing my games. I like eating food. And I like talking with my online friends. I like waking up to the sight of a sunny day. I like being alive.
But sometimes... I just feel like maybe not waking up would feel better than waking up at all.
Sorry for the obnoxiously long post.

First of all – thank you Weddit for all of your help and inspiration. This recap is mostly for me (I love documenting everything), but hopefully it helps others! Warning: Very long post!
This was a relatively simple wedding with Filipino traditions, and everything but the venue décor was DIY. My priorities were:

• making it as easy and affordable for the wedding party and out-of-town guests
• finding a venue that handles as many elements as possible to reduce the stress in planning, but also has good food
• DIYing everything else because I like to be creative and add our own personal touch, but making sure nothing ends up in the trash afterwards. I’m not going to pay for something that I won’t use after the wedding!

Photos! https://imgur.com/a/E573k3b
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Demographics – Invited about 200. 141 RSVP’d yes, and 139 total in attendance. I knew my relatives in the Philippines wouldn’t attend, so most of those declines are them and a few other relatives out of state.
Budget - $10,000 if we did a small wedding, $30,000 for a larger wedding
My mom basically told us we had no choice but to do a larger wedding, so she offered to pay $15,000, which covered the venue costs. She ended up paying about $18,000 including my dress and alterations, since she didn’t want me to limit my dress options based on price, and her contribution to my bridal shower. I am lucky to have her as my mom. I am her only child, so I understood why she wanted to splurge, and my father died 3 years ago so I’d do anything to make her happy.
Actual cost - $31,681 (does not include honeymoon or engagement ring costs)
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Budget Breakdown: Venue & Catering - $15,111 We decided to go with a banquet hall that held everything- the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. It was conveniently located for most of our family, which was important to me, and I didn’t want guests (especially guests who flew in) to travel between ceremony and reception locations. (I always hated attending weddings that had a huge gap in between ceremony and reception, and were located so far apart!) It covered food, open bar, cake, centerpieces, ceremony aisle runner, aisle décor and backdrop. I knew I didn’t want to stress out over planning, and I liked that it was basically all-inclusive. The venue coordinator was so helpful throughout the entire process, she knew exactly how to coordinate everything, and the day went by smoothly thanks to her. Because of her, I knew I didn’t need to hire a day-of –coordinator. Also, the price of the venue was great for a Saturday night ($102/head), considering the majority of NJ venues are at least $170 or more!
Photographer - $2,020 + $100 tip for lead + $50 for 2nd photographer We went with a company that does photography, videography, DJ, and officiant services to simplify things (I am not picky, as long as they have good ratings) and reduce costs. Because we booked all 4 services, we were able to save over $1,000! They threw in a free engagement session with a canvas print that we ended up using as our guestbook. We had two photographers and it was extremely helpful to have the engagement session to familiarize with the photographer ahead of time.
Videographer - $1,277 + $50 tip We had one videographer for 6 hours to record everything from getting ready to first dance and toasts.
DJ/MC - $1,295 + $100 tip Our DJ/MC was awesome! He knew exactly how to mix it up and not play too many current radio songs. He also knew how to please my Filipino family with line dances. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to dance that much, which I’ll get to later.
Officiant - $400 We didn’t have a rehearsal with the officiant so things were a little shaky, but overall everything went according to the ceremony script. We had the traditional candle, veil, cord, and coin ceremonies. We also included a bouquet ceremony, where 4 bouquet sponsors add their bouquet to a vase, and together they make one large bouquet. It represents the union of loved ones to create one, new family.
Photobooth - $481 + $80 tip I found a great local company that fit our budget. They were wonderful, had such fun props and allowed us to add our own cat cardboard cutout as a prop – it was a huge hit! We wanted to incorporate our cat somehow, and thanks to weddit suggestions, we did it!
Flowers/Boutonnieres/Corsages/Flower girl baskets/Ribbon - $350 I knew that I didn’t want to deal with last minute stress over fresh flowers, so I went with silk flowers from Afloral.com during Black Friday deals. It was definitely a challenge to arrange my bouquet myself, with no experience whatsoever, but online tutorials helped! And a lot of iterations! In the end, I think my bouquet was cute and nice enough, haha. Since the venue provided centerpieces, which I liked, I didn’t have to worry about those; only my bouquet, bridesmaid bouquets, bouquet toss bouquet, bouquets for bouquet ceremony, boutonnieres, corsages, flower girl baskets + petals, second bouquet for sweetheart table, and assorted flowegarland arrangements for signage. My flower girl baskets were just small wooden boxes from Michaels on sale, and I used ribbon for handles and miscellaneous silk flowers from the boutonnieres to spruce them up a bit. My “something blue” is the photo charm of my dad attached to my bouquet; the charm is from Etsy. Most of the boutonnieres were pre-made, I just removed the safety pins and wrapped with ribbon since they didn’t hold up well. I made the boutonnieres for my husband, his dad and stepdad, and his stepbrother. I made the corsages with silk flowers, ribbon, and lots of hot glue!
Dresses/Alterations/Accessories - $2,470 I bought my dress from David’s Bridal, it’s a Zac Posen dress. My second dress for the reception is also from David’s Bridal. Shoes, veil, belt, undergarments were all from David’s Bridal! Can you tell I like one-stop shops? My flower clip is from Etsy. Earrings and necklace were bought last minute by my mom, since she wasn’t happy with the jewelry she originally planned on lending me. Bracelet is my mom’s.
Suit/Shoes - $601 He bought his suit from Indochino, which was super easy! Shoes were from DSW, dress shirt from Macys, and tie from Tie Bar.
HaiHair Trial/Makeup - $896 I paid for my bridesmaids’ hair, and makeup for 3 out of 4 of them, as well as hair and makeup for my mom. My makeup was for free as a gift from my mom’s makeup artist. Our hair stylist was the makeup artist’s friend. I wanted to keep my bridesmaids’ costs low, so I paid for hair and offered to pay for makeup, let them choose their own dress (as long as they picked from my color palette), and only had a bridal shower (which I told them could be their gift to me), no bachelorette party. My hair trial didn’t go as well as I would’ve liked, and I almost wanted to hire a different hairstylist, but my mom’s makeup artist knew exactly how to fix it and my hair turned out perfect!
Favors - $240 I had 2 DIY favors: hot cocoa mix and salt water taffy. My husband’s mom passed away earlier this year (which was traumatic and almost made us reconsider the wedding), and she loved salt water taffy, so we decided to add that to our favors as homage to her.
Wedding Rings - $2,075 We went ahead and bought jewelry from my mom’s recommended store. She is a regular customer there so they gave us 10% off.
Accommodation/Free Shuttle – $885 We chose a hotel with a 10 room block, which provided complimentary shuttle and bridal suite for the night if we filled those 10 rooms. Some people mistakenly booked outside the room block, so we didn’t get credit for it. Others booked late. Ended up paying for a 2nd room for the groomsmen to get ready in, and for the night before, which we needed anyway. All in all, we were happy with the price and convenience. They were so accommodating as well, they let us borrow a high chair for makeup, and provided free breakfast, and fresh fruit and champagne on our wedding night.
Rehearsal Dinner - $1,249 We held our rehearsal dinner for 46 people at a diner across the street from the hotel for convenience for our guests. They had the best cheesecake I’ve ever tasted! Prices were also very reasonable for our budget.
Wedding Party Gifts/Sponsors Gifts/Welcome Bags/Gift for my mom - $1,104 We had 4 bridesmaids, 4 groomsmen, 4 bouquet sponsors, 3 flower girls, 1 ring bearer, and 12 principal sponsors. This was a full-blown Filipino wedding, lol! For my bridesmaids, I gave Kate Spade earrings, chocolates, and a thank you letter, all contained in a cute wooden box from Michaels. Groomsmen received alcohol, a leather flask, and really manly bottle opener, haha. My bouquet sponsors received Kate Spade Earrings and a customized makeup bag with their name on it (from Etsy). Flower girls received a puzzle book, initial bracelets from Etsy, hair accessory for the day, and chocolate. Ring bearer received a burgundy tie for the day, and iTunes gift card since he loves to play games on his phone. Welcome bags included waters, popcorners, sugar-free cookies (since most of my hotel guests were diabetic), and a welcome flyer. Finally, I bought a custom handkerchief for my mom from Etsy. Once we have photos developed, I’ll give her and my husband’s parents framed photos of our family portraits.
Invitations/Save the Dates/Thank You Cards/Programs/Postage - $310 I designed everything on GIMP using the flower design on our wedding website, and fonts downloaded online. I used Vistaprint for Save the Dates and Thank You Cards, and printed out the invitations and programs at home. We did online RSVPs, which was a mess.
Signage/K&R Letters/Marriage License/DécoLunches/Ceremony Items/Robe/Name Cards/Umbrella - $389 I bought frames and candles from Dollar Tree for the miscellaneous small signage and ceremony candles, cat cardboard cutout, bride robe, name card paper, and printer ink from Amazon, K&R LED letters from Michaels on sale, and photos for collage from Shutterfly. I also paid for lunches and snacks while getting ready. My mom bought the veil, cord, coins, pillow from the Philippines. Leftover water bottles from welcome bags were used by us getting ready. We bought a clear umbrella in case it rained, but ended up not needing it. I already had the frame for the collage, canvas for the welcome sign, and canvas guestbook for free from our photographer. I wrote the welcome sign (very carefully) and decorated the collage and welcome sign with the silk flowers from Afloral. I will hang our collage and K&R letters in our house after the wedding, and can always paint over the welcome sign. See? Nothing gets thrown in the trash!
​
The BAD:

• The only major thing I would change is extending the reception by another hour, and starting everything an hour earlier. Because of the money dance, photos at every table, and nighttime photos outside, we ended up not getting to the dance floor until 10pm with 1.5 hours left. But we ended up taking photos in the photobooth with people leaving early because they have to travel far, finally talking to friends, and taking shots with different groups of family members. We only danced to ONE song with our high school friends and that was it! I didn’t think about people leaving early, otherwise I would’ve started everything an hour earlier. And having the extra hour would’ve given us time to dance. My husband isn’t into dancing, though, so it was somewhat of a relief for him!
• I had a numbered plan for family portraits, where they just had to remember which numbered photo they were in, and my MOH would shout out which # was next. I told my photographer about it, but he forgot and completely switched the order of everything. In the end, portraits were still done sooner than I had planned, which gave us more time to relax before the ceremony.
• It rained the day after, and when my husband carried our canvas guestbook to the car, he didn’t think to cover it, so half of all the writing was smudged out.

The GOOD:

• The rain held out! It was such a relief since our first look and family portraits were outside.
• Food was INCREDIBLE. Everyone was raving about it. The service was great, too, they were very attentive. They also made sure my husband and I got to eat our dinner.
• Our venue coordinator was extremely helpful. She directed our procession and recession and basically made sure everything went smoothly. I had nothing to worry about! I can’t rave enough about our venue.
• My bridesmaids were amazing. I forgot to tell my MOH to bring my second dress to the venue, but luckily my other bridesmaids remembered I had one, and brought it. They took care of all the décor and gifts after the reception.
• First look was perfect. I’m so glad we had the chance to see each other first in private (since we are both introverts), and read our letters to each other. The location we picked last minute was beautiful.
• We took SO MANY pictures and I’m so glad we did.
• The money dance was a last minute addition, and surprisingly a lot of people participated! It was a lot of fun! It gave us the chance to talk one-on-one with family members as well.
• Everyone, including us, had a blast! We got married, and celebrated with all our loved ones.

Last minute thoughts:

• If you are on the fence about a first look, do it! It calmed our nerves and we were able to spend time together privately before the ceremony.
• Think about whether guests will leave early and plan accordingly. You don't want to skip out on dancing by doing nighttime photos if people are leaving early. Alternatively, start the reception earlier but keep the end time the same.
• Delegate to your bridesmaids and groomsmen. They will be your savior, so you don't have to worry about anything.

If you made it to the end, thank you, and I hope this helps someone at least!

Coming Soon! The admissions deadline for applying to the FGCU Department of Counseling graduate programs is FEB 1.
Learn more by visiting https://www.fgcu.edu/mariebcollege/Counseling/. You can also call 239-745-4273 if you have any questions. The department offers two different master's degrees and several certificate programs. Go Eagles! .. A few fun facts:

• There are more school counseling and clinical mental health counseling jobs available in Southwest Florida right now than we have available professionals.
• Most of our graduates are hired before they even graduate! All of our students seeking jobs are hired within 3 months of graduation -- MOST before graduation, some right afterwards.
• The FGCU graduate program in school counseling is DOE approved and both the school counseling and clinical mental health counseling programs are CACREP accredited. This is a big deal. It means that you can get to work right away and your degree is highly portable.
• Typically students attend their courses in the early evenings so you would not have to quit your day job.
• Several of our courses are "blended" or "hybrid." This means that some traditional face-to-face classes are replaced by online learning activities. This way, we can take advantage of the best features of both face-to-face and online learning.
• The department offers a dual major track for students who aspire to become both licensed as clinical mental health counselors and certified school counselors.
• The Department of Counseling also offers a certificate in Marriage, Couples, and Family counseling.
• School Counseling: Graduates from this program work in public and private schools that serve PK-12 students and some work in postsecondary institutions including career and technical centers, special training programs for youth, colleges, and universities.
• Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Graduates from this program work in community agencies, mental health settings, and private practices after graduation and most seek and achieve licensure.
• The department received a $1 million dollar grant to to develop an on-campus counseling center as well as fund professional development opportunities for students. This center is now open!
• The Department offers a standard plan of study for students who are working and an accelerated plan of study for students who can take on a greater work load and finish in two years.

For inquiries, you can email [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

We’re getting married in NJ, but we really want to use a self-uniting marriage license so our friend can officiate (I guess NJ will allow you to get ordained online, but I don’t like the idea of having to go through a church when we’re not religious). Has anyone else done this? Or do we technically have to sign the papers there and then have our ceremony after we’re already technically legally married? Thanks!

The Oakland County Child Killer aka The Babysitter - Part three: The suspects and web beyond Chris Busch
Now we will approach some men mentioned in the previous two posts.
Let me get this out of the way up front - it is a terrible, life-ruining thing to accuse someone of the crimes talked about in this write up. I'm very well aware of that, and being very careful to not implicate anyone that I don't have other documentation on. If I'm not sure or can't verify a name but feel fairly strongly that it should be included, I will abbreviate. I'm trying really hard to be fair and impartial in all of these, but these were some really fucking sick people, and I'm having a hard time dredging up any sympathy for those associated with them. Their whole group was predatory scum.
North Fox Island - Island in lake Michigan, purchased by Frank Shelden, used for a "nature camp" involving unsavory things with young boys, and the filming/photography of these things. Original source. You can also look at wikipedia, this is mentioned there. On Cathy's blog, in the comments there is this link to a blog of some college kids that sailed out to the island and camped out, went hiking - they found the old boyscout camp and took pictures. Including the "creepy basement." You need to look at those pictures.
Incidents at Island prompt new Michigan legislation on dealing with pornography. Below paragraphs from article
"Sitting at a Record-Eagle reporter's desk this morning, Gov. William G. Milliken signed into law a tough bill prohibiting the use of children in pornography. The desk belonged to reporter Marilyn Wright. The governor credited her with helping to "call the attention of public officials and the public at large" to the problem of child pornography.
' For nearly a year, Wright has written stories exposing a nationwide network of pornographers who use children in films, magazines and for illicit sex in phony boys camps. The bill the governor signed today will slap convicted child pornographers with a 20 year prison sentence, a $20,000 fine or both.
"The pornography issue, including the debate over local versus state standards is a complex one," Milliken said, "We have extremely strong principles involving the freedom of expression on one hand and the deep concern about the effects of pornography on society on the other." Ceremony at Record-Eagle "But there can be no doubt, no debate over the corrupting, destructive influence of pornography producers who use young people as instruments in their drive for profits," he said. "This is the beginning of what I hope is a constructive approach to the problem of porn," Milliken said.
[...] Wearing a gray suit and a tie with the blue and gold colors of the University of Michigan, Milliken wheeled Wright's chair up to a typewriter tray and put his name to the bill. He was accompanied by a small group of bodyguards and aides. Record-Eagle Publisher Donald J. Clifford and Editor John Kinney represented the newspaper along with Reporter Wright.
Wright said it was an "honor and a privilege" that the governor signed the anti-porn legislation at her desk. The stories Wright uncovered which helped influence the introduction and passage of the legislation began in the winter of 1976.
The first stories focused on a wealthy Detroit man, Francis D. Shelden, who is suspected of being involved in a nationwide netowrkof child pornography. Shelden owns North Fox Island -- off Grand Traverse Bay -- which authorities believe was used for some of the illegal activity. Sheldon is now a fugitive from justice charged with criminal sexual conduct. Wright went on to detail the activities of child pornographers from coast to coast. Her stories showed how pornographers used the cover of phony churches and fake children's camps to ply their illicit trade. The expose detailed how individuals, some them wealthy, became involved in financing the criminal business. Wrights' reporting caught the attention of publications and authorities in other states and helped touch off an intense public focus on the extensive child pornography business. The reporter is continuing to probe the pornography network.
End article text
Let's look at these names -
Big Money - Francis Duffield Shelden. Millionaire, life-long bachelor, and owner of an island. Family hugely involved in Michigan politics and old-money marriages. Like, his grandfather's house is now the Grosse Pointe War Memorial kind of money. Involved in more than organization devoted to troubled young men. He was stashing his money in the Virgin Islands as early as 1976
December 14th, 1977 - More from Marilyn Wright's reporting Paragraphs below from article
"Although a year has passed since his disappearance, Shelden's name today remains on the lobby registry of the Buhl Building in Detroit. And. authorities say. the 49-year-old Ann Arbor millionaire's business is being conducted by the fugitive's Birmingham attorney. L. Bennett Young. A bachelor, licensed pilot, graduate geologist, part time university professor, amateur botanist, land developer, oil consultant, market investor, reputed author, and sole owner of North Fox Island , Shelden's enterprises hop-scotch across the country: Oil leases in Kansas City, a ski lodge in Aspen, a land investment company in Denver, the Monroe Creek development in Charlevoix, and extensive stock holdings in a West Indies trust company.
Police records indicate Shelden cleaned out his Ann Arbor and North Fox Island residences shortly after Gerald S. Richards, an associate of Shelden's in Brother Paul's Childrens Mission, was arrested on criminal sexual conduct charges. That was in July, 1976, approximately one week before state police obtained a search warrant for the Ann Arbor premises. A warrant was issued for his arrest on Dec. 7.
A second warrant was issued a week later. His prominent Grosse Pointe parents, the Alger Sheldens. say they have had no contact with their son since he fled Michigan. Both are reported to be ill. His brother. Alger Jr., is reported to have told authorities that he was hiring an armed guard and posting North Fox Island, the alleged site of illicit sexual conduct, to keep curiosity seekers and unauthorized police away. Many residents of Charlevoix who knew Shelden as a gentlemanly scholar who was willing to share his good life, have yet to fully recover from the shock of his alleged sexual deviation and his disappearance. Authorities, on the other hand, now believe that the purported benefactor had ulterior motives when he treated youths to hunting trips on the island, skiing trips at Aspen, beach parties at the family estate on Antigua in the Caribbean, and set up trust funds for their college educations.
The tiny lakeside community was futher jolted when shortly after Shelden disappeared, an 18-year-old youthwhom the millionaire had befriended since he was nine, committed suicide. Informed sources say Shelden wrote the youth from Miami, explaining that he would be "away for awhile" working on some "personal problems" but didn't want the youth to think he had forgotten about his promise to send him through college. A trust fund had been set up, Shelden wrote, to be administered by his brother, Alger Jr. A simple phone call would put the money in the youth's hands, Shelden said in the letter.
Three days after the warrant for Shelden's arrest was issued, and one day prior to the charges being publicly exposed in the Record-Eagle, the young man put a rifle in his mouth and pulled the trigger. And. FBI agents say they plan to conduct a follow-up interview with another Charlevoix youth who was a frequent traveling companion of Shelden's. The young man was reported to be attending college on a similar trust fund. Authorities say the young man recently has been driving Shelden's car which earlier had been abandoned at the Charlevoix airport. Airport officials confirm that the car has been removed from the parking lot. They couldn'yt say who drove it away.
On the same day that the first young man's letter was sent from Miami, Oct. 10, 1976, another letter purportedly by Shelden was sent to Cranbrook Science Institute in Bloomfield Hills. That Francis D. Shelden . . . disappeared last year letter, submitting his resignation as a member of the board of directors of the exclusive educational community, was postmarked from Kearney, N.J., where Adam Starchild, the Church of the New Revelation, and Ocean Living Institute are all located.
About that same time. Starchild was reportedly negotiating the sale of Shelden's plane through Combsgate Aviation in Denver. Colo. In January of this year, Shelden resigned from the board of directors of Boys Republic, Inc., a Farmington Hills residential center for the treatment of emotionally disturbed young boys. The envelope, bearing the name and address of the family firm, Shelden Land Co., was postmarked Jan. 19, from Detroit. That was the last public word from Francis D. Shelden. . Next: A profile of another suspected child pornographer wanted by police. " End of article
Later rumored to be Frank Torey, changing his name after fleeing to the Netherlands. I'm not going to link you good folks to BoyWiki - let me save you the click. Google if you must. But there is pretty sufficient evidence around the net.
"Frank Torey (1928-1996) was an author, publisher and boy-love activist. He was born near Detroit, Michigan. Torey was educated at Yale University and served in the US Air Force during the Korean War. In 1979 he moved to the Netherlands where he lived as an expatriate.
Ventures and adventures in boylove publishing
In Amsterdam, Torey published from 1979 to 1984 Pan: A Magazine about Boy-Love (changed to P.A.N.-Paedo Alert News from 1982). He also edited the first anthology of boylove fiction Panthology (1981), published by John Stamford's Spartacus. Pan stopped running in 1981 but Stamfort employed Torey as a general editor of Coltsfoot Press, a division of Spartacus, specializing in boylove fiction. When Coltsfoot Press went bankrupt in the mid 1980s, Torey founded his own publishing house, the Acolyte Press, the most important publisher of boylove fiction and erotic for a decade. Torey was also an author and published many of his short stories under the pen names Peter Zupp, Scott Altman, Wallington Fuger and Jotham Lotring.
Apart from publishing fiction, Torey was interested in the scholarly work on boylove which was becoming important in the 1980s. He translated many scholarly books and articles from Dutch to English including Theo Sandfort's The Sexual Aspects of Pedophile Relations (1982) and set up an additional publishing house, Global Academic Publishers, which published scholarly works such as Edward Brongersma's two-volume Loving Boys (1987) and Theo Sandfort's Boys on their Contacts with Men (1987). In addition, he served in the editorial board of Paidika: The Journal of Paedophilia (1987-1995).
Legacy
Torey's work has been extremely important for the boylove community. As a publisher of fiction, he created the genre of the boy-love short story as we know it. With his scholarly ventures, Torey was instrumental in bringing some pioneering works to the English audience. Finally, as an activist in Pan, he fostered the myth of the Netherlands as a country tolerant to boy-love, "a myth that is becoming so terribly unstuck at the time of his death."(1)
Notes (1) D.H. Mader, "Frank Torey, boy-love activist, author and publisher, died at the end of June 1996," posted at alt.support.boy-lovers (Wed, Jul 10 1996 12:00 am)."
Yucky...
Big Money - Dyer Grossman was also a millionaire, but one from Long Island. He co-founded Brother Paul's Children's Michigan with Shelden, and their tax man, Malcolm McConahy. Between the three of them, they founded four confirmed tax fronts: Ocean Living Institute in New Jersey, Chuch of the New Revelation in Kearny, NJ, Brother Pauls, and Boy's Farm, Inc. in Tennesee. Chicago Tribune Link from 1977 Gerald Richards confessed this to police, noted in that link if you follow the jump.
Dyer is elusive online in terms of hard evidence. I have this article that suggests he assumed another identity. I have seen suggestions that he is actually Peter Lambourn Wilson aka Hakim Bey - known anarchist and boy-love advocate, but can't verify it and I'm not comfortable looking too closely into Mr. Bey. Dyer was a teacher at two all-boy prep schools, accused at both on inappropriate interaction with the students. He fled when sought by the FBI on charges of inappropriate sexual contact with a 15 and 16 year old boy in Michigan.
The Money Mover Malcolm McConahy changed his name to Adam Aristotle Starchild. He made a career of tax fraud and writing books about it. He also was constantly plauged with accusations of inappropriate relationships with young boys. Malcolm McConahy’s Perversion file states that in 1965 he admitted to sexually abusing two Boy Scouts in Minneapolis Troop 27. To his Scout victims, he was an Assistant Scoutmaster. From wiki - Between February and July 1965, McConahy was an assistant scout master with Troop 27 in Minneapolis, a troop sponsored by Plymouth Congregational Church of that city, but was suspended after admitting homosexual interest in boys in the troop. Scouting records state that his personal and family church relationship was with Joyce Methodist Church. At the time he was operating a travel business in Minneapolis.
In July 1965, McConahy was arrested in Wisconsin for circulating pornographic material. He was travelling to New York to take up residence there and was in the company of four boys to whom he had given money.
In 1966, he moved to Milwaukee where he applied in February to be a college reserve scouter. His application stated that he was studying at Blackstone School of Law, to graduate in December 1968. The application was rejected by the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America who were aware of his scouting background in Minneapolis. In 1967 he was convicted of possessing obscene literature and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. In 1968 he was arrested for his involvement with a 16-year-old.
And he looked exactly how I would expect someone of that description to look. Ugh.
There's more on the internet about both names of this guy if you want to look him up further - this was the most fascinating, and revealing I think - off a personal blog of a man who attended the International Society on Individual Liberty (ISIL) Conference in Coasta Rica - 1999. link
One of the most notable people I met was Adam Starchild, who happened to be sitting next to me on a busride of conference people. Adam is an extropian expatriate who is an expert on offshore havens (I wrote about him in my essay Offshore Options for Cryonicists.) His last two countries of residence had been Spain & Colombia, and he was currently living in Panama.
I peppered him with questions about offshore life & opportunity. He said that he had gotten out of the consulting business because too many of his clients were pressuring him for information about how to avoid US taxes. He recommended that I investigate the "perpetual traveler" option, which involves having citizenship in one country, living in another and working in a third. I have doubts that I could do this and maintain adequate access to resources — especially for life-extension & cryonics.
Over dinner one evening I spoke with Adam and Andres, a student entering his last year at Francisco Marroquin University in Guatemala who Adam was "patronizing" (ie, being a patron or sponsor for). [...]
Over a breakfast with Adam and Mary Ruwart I got into a fascinating discussion over whether slander & libel are crimes (since they do not involve "initiation of physical force") and of the difficulty in determining the extent of a crime such as rape, where psychological impact (a subjective response) counts for so much more than demonstrable physical injury.
~~~~
And finally, from Wiki, surprising no one - "Starchild died in Spain, on 22 September 2006. He had recently moved there from Panama as he felt that he would receive better medical care in Spain. Earlier in 2006 he had traveled to Japan for experimental surgery on a tumor and he wrote that his operation there had attracted the attention of the Japanese media. Starchild was survived by his partner Javier. He left behind a remarkably diverse list of registered companies."
Nice group of guys so far, right? Money doesn't buy class - just power.

Hello Weddit:
In advance, apologies for a long update and post! We wanted to provide a huge recap on everything that happened throughout our planning because reading these while we were in early stages of our planning was so helpful. Like most people, pictures first!.
By the numbers:

• Age: 32(F) and 38(M) –first wedding for both.
  
• Engagement: We were engaged 1/11/2015 and the wedding was 6/24/2016 – we were engaged for just shy of 18 months.
  
• Guests: We invited 128 guests, 94 of which were family. 90 RSVP'ed yes and 85 ended up coming. 82% of our guests had to fly in to our wedding location. (coming from 12 states and 3 different countries outside the US).
  
• Bridal Party: We each had four on each side – a total of 10 (including us) in the bridal party. Two of my husband's groomsman couldn't make it - one due to a death in his family the week of our wedding (understandable) and the other... (he never really told us he wasnt coming... just kept saying he was "trying to make it work” – but that’s a rant for another day).
  
• Planning Logistics: We planned from across the country, and were only home in the wedding location 2 times before the week of the wedding. It can be done, but it must be proactive and organized. Our first trip we met with all our vendors, did tastings, gathered décor to store at my parents’ house, purchased my dress, and saw our venue. Here is a link to the sample Google Docs we used – Just change the details in there and use.
  
• Overall Budget: Originally aiming for a 30k wedding… After costs were added up in pre-planning, 45k was the reality (including our hotel for the week, dog boarding while we were across the country, flights, etc - things we didnt initially factor into our budget). We came in at exactly 45k ($44,964) after all was said and done.
  
• Budget Help: We are fortunate enough that we shared a very small apt together in NJ that allows us to save an incredibly large amount of money each month. We opened a joint savings account that had a high interest return (synchrony bank), and began putting money away very early (before we were officially engaged). We covered a lot of the wedding expenses ourselves, but our families all contributed various amounts to our savings because we are also saving up for a home (which we closed on 2 months before the wedding date and are moving into this week!).
  

Breakdown (45k wedding):

• Venue $3,500 (includes ceremony and reception site, tables/chairs, audio, 10 hrs usage) The Foundry, Lake Oswego
  
• Catering $10,947 (includes cocktail hour: 6 appetizers per person, buffet dinner for 100 people, all linens, set up/breakdown, serving ware and dishes, chef/servers, bartenders, and coffee/tea/lemonade/soft drinks, and a surprise late-night snack) My post on brainstorming Surprise Ideas for the wedding. Portland company: Premiere Catering
  
• Alcohol $2,200 (we BYOB’ed and our caterer poured. We wanted a very eclectic bourbon bar and local beers and wines since the area we were marrying in is famous for them. For 85 people, we had 6 cases of wine, 9 cases of beer (three kinds), 18 bottles of cider, and 18 bottles of liquor (mostly scotch and bourbon). We opted to two signature drinks (a gin/lemonade and a Manhattan) which both were huge hits. Leftover: about a case and a half of assorted wine (mostly white), about a case of beer (assorted) and six ciders, and 1 bottle of gin, one bottle of mandarin vodka. vendor: NJ Stirling Fine Wines.
  
• Rentals $2,875 We rented outside chairs for the ceremony, umbrellas for the cocktail hour deck, and 3 large white sofas for a lounge-like feel on the patio. We also rented fabric draping for the dance floor and our catering company hung our 5ft wax-paper chandelier for us.
  
• Day-Of Coordinator $1,100 This was for an entire day of coverage (9 hours plus 1 extra hour of cleanup help) as well as for the assistant during cocktail hour to manage the instant photo picture-taking for the guestbook. Her recommendations of vendors/discounts more than triple-covered her cost… we HIGHLY recommend getting a coordinator for any more “traditional” wedding couples – it made us relax the day of. [Portland, Or Brides - USE HER](www.yourperfectbridesmaid.com)
  
• Photography $2,200 We received a discount for having a Friday wedding, as well as an additional discount for being a preferred vendor recommendation via our venue (original price, approximately $3,400). We had 6 hours of coverage, plus a second shooter for 3 hours and paid $200 extra to get our photos within 2 weeks (worth it!). [Portland Vendor, Powers Studios](www.powersstudios.com)
  
• Dress $800 I was adamant to not spend a ton on a dress – my mother kindly footed the bill for this. I actually found one that I loved – very non-traditional and fun – on SALE. Alterations also were not too bad (additional $200). All bridesmaids were asked to select a dark red knee-length dress and grey/silver shoes. [Portland vendor: Bridal Exclusives, Associate: Alyssa](www.bridalexclusives.com)
  
• Accessories $100 My shoes were about $50 (thanks Amazon!), and my mom found a veil on sale for 30% off (about $30). I purchased a fake pearl necklace ($12) and created the drop-back attachment for it as well as hand beaded my dress applique and the hair pins/combs (materials for crafts, approx $15). Bridal party picked their own accessories
  
• Hair and Makeup $800 We were fortunate enough to have friends as guests that offered to do my hair and makeup as a gift. We struggled with what to do for our bridal party, but we ended up paying for all their hair and makeup (for the bridesmaids and moms). Manny and Danielle at Zoku Salon in Summit, NJ flew out to Portland for my bridal hair and makeup. Separate haiMUP for party was provided by the phenomenal team at Klover Beaute.
  
• Groom’s Suit $1000 My guy and his father went shopping and selected a slate grey suit from Hugo Boss together. All groomsmen were allowed to wear any light grey suit they had/wanted.
  
• Officiant $0 Our dear friend was already ordained and offered to do our ceremony as our gift. We’ve seen him in action before and he’s the BEST, so we were just thrilled to have him. We gifted him a humidor (he collects cigars) and a similar package like that of the groomsmen (below) as a thank you - he would have been a groomsmen if he wasn't marrying us.
  
• Marriage License $60 The state of Oregon requires you both to be in person to register and the waiting period is 3 days. For those of you still in the planning process, make sure to research your state’s license rules and fees WELL in advance. Certified copies were an additional $12 charge each.
  
• Rings $2730 We were lucky that my husband’s Best Man married into a jewelry family: not only did they help set my engagement stone (a family heirloom), but they ordered our bands for us as well.
  
• Shuttles $1,502 – we rented two private shuttle buses (one 25 person and one 55 person) for the day. We made sure one was handicap accessible and requested they make loops from the two recommended hotels to the venue and back. This was the biggest hiccup of the evening- the 25-person shuttle driver had no CLUE about the schedule or what to do, but the company itself was gracious with our feedback and we felt satisfied with the company overall. [Portland vendor EcoShuttle](www.ecoshuttle.com)
  
• Save the Dates $0 We “Paperless Post”ed our STDs – cost no money and alerted all of our out-of-town guests that a weddin’ was brewin’ well in advance!
  
• Invitations $450 We designed ours in Publisher, purchased pocketfolds from Cards and Pockets, and then printed ours ourselves. We lined the envelopes, addressed all RSVPs with a custom address stamp, and requested the USPS to hand-cancel all invitations. We marked all RSVP cards with a blacklight pen – that way, if someone did not address their RSVP card, we’d know who it was. My post on invitations. Review on Cards and Pockets *Note: all leftover paper was used for other paper products, like programs.
  
• Florist $2,200 We didn’t really want a florist, but my mom insisted it’d look weird without flowers and that DIY’ing ourselves would be a last minute pain we’d hate ourselves for. We went with tall cylinder vases with submerged orchids as our centerpieces, had the bouquets and boutonnières made, and called it a day. (We had 12 centerpieces, 4 dads bouts, 3 moms corsages, our stuff, and an 8 person bridal party). Melanie was a dream to partner with and we are SO glad we didn’t take this on oureslves! Portland Vendor: Your Perfect Blossoms
  
• Other Décor $3,000 We Cragislist-purchased large chalkboard signs, mercury glass, unused candles, and chalkboards. Also purchased all our cylinder vases, burgundy charger plates, baskets, and miscellaneous décor items with plans to resell and recoup some of the costs after the wedding. We made escort cards simple – using a used cork to hold the tag for our guest (yay excuses to drink wine!)
  
• Welcome Bags $1,400 Because our guests were flying in from all over the world to be with us, we wanted to put together a local sampling of products to welcome them to Portland. We ended up including a brief welcome/thank you note, a summary of the weekend’s itinerary, shuttle schedule, public transportation FAQs, 25 facts about Portland, a large map of the city, a list of activities to do while in town, a Do Not Disturb sign (custom made), bandaids, advil, a water bottle, Kettle ships (Portland company), SOM soda (drinking vinegar sodas from a local Thai restaurant mastermind), QUIN candy (wine flavored lollipops!), and a beeswax chapstick from Portland hives!) – all were placed in a canvas bag we hand-screened with a graffiti heart-splatter. Local Products Recommendations post
  
• DJ $975 – He was a referral from our Coordinator. He was probably the least responsive vendor we had – while he was on time and edited some songs for us and ensured that things were announced succinctly and clear, he didn’t seem to take well to a few people’s requests. Also – our evening was amazing weather after the storm so people just wanted to sit outside so our dance floor was pretty empty (no fault of his).
  
• Nice to Haves $900 We put together large Bathroom Baskets with amenities, a flip flop basket with dancing shoes, and a large display of pens/papeembellishments for our guestbook (discussed below). We also made a three-sectioned basket filled with programs, sunscreen and bugspray for our guests (outdoor wedding) complete with complimentary sunglasses, parasols, hand fans and tissue packets.
  
• Photo Guestbook $300+ My FH insisted on an instant-camera guestbook. He mom lives in Florence Italy, so she found some lovely handmade paper and shipped it to Portland. My guy purchased the Instax camera and film, and I came up with funny prompt cards, embellishments, and colored pens. Each guest/couple received a page (we had a coordinator assistant on hand to take all photos during cocktail hour so people wouldn’t use all the film!) to decorate while they sipped on drinks at cocktail hour. My recommendation is that this is a fantastic way to pass time, and get guests interactive! we're LOVING the pages people made.
  
• U-Haul Truck $200 This gets its own line because it was a hassle. We picked up a few days before the wedding, loaded it up, drove it to the wedding venue 30 miles away and gave the keys to the coordinator to load up any take-home décor that needed to be packed up. Our venue wouldn’t let us leave anything there overnight, so we left the filled u-haul in the parking lot, and came back for it the next day to unload at our house the next morning.
  
• Hotel $1200 We selected two hotels – one a bit pricier downtown in the middle of everything, and one near the venue, about 15 minutes outside of downtown. We had a surprisingly even split of guests between the two (we provided shuttles from both options). Our stay (upgraded to a suite) for three nights still cost us a pretty penny, but it made getting together with everyone SO much easier. Hotel Monaco in downtown Portland made our stay a dream: filling our room on the wedding night with champagne, snacks, and making sure everything was perfect.
  
• Dog Hotel $300 – Because we were gone for 8 days, our dog had to be boarded. Because he has social anxiety, he has to stay at the “doggie spa”. While it was an unforeseen cost that really is crazy to think about, we’re glad he was safe and attended to so we could rest easy and focus on the wedding.
  
• Bridal Party Gifts $800 I paid for the hair and makeup for all the bridesmaids (separate cost not included here), as gifted them a small Kate Spade clutch (those sample sales are AMAZING) filled with a lip gloss, beaded hair pins, a personal note, and nestled alongside small bottle of champagne, a Red Bull (3 of us were colleagues there), and an adult coloring book and pencil set. The guys were gifted hair cuts the day before, and a bag filled with a tie, custom socks, custom shoes, a Red Bull, a mini bourbon.
  
• Parents gifts $1500 Our parents were all overly and embarrassingly generous – many gave us money towards our house (we just purchased one) and to our wedding savings fund, and pitched in with manual labor and love to the brim. As a thank you, we put together personal notes for each set of parents, included a nice bottle of champagne, paid for the haimakeup for the moms, and included an IOU scratch off card for a premium wedding album of photos from the wedding.
  
• Vendor Tips $1,500 Guys, make sure to budget for this! There are tons of helpful guides online about how much to tip and who to tip… make sure to read those and treat your vendors well. Our vendors went out of their way and over the top, treating our wedding like it was their own. We wanted to thank them generously for all their help and partnership.
  
• Honeymoon $0 We wanted to take a larger adventure, and with taking 2 weeks off to handle wedding activities, we knew we needed to postpone the honeymoon a year to save up (money as well as time off!). We’re still perusing the options, but are thinking something like Africa, Australia, Thailand, or Japan.
  

Lessons Learned:

• Plan, Plan Plan: Something you don't think of, someone else will. Don't be afraid to bounce ideas off trusted advisers and family members. FH and I had “wedding brunches” on a weekend with champagne to talk wedding stuff – any other day, we tried to leave it parked away unless it was urgent. This allowed us to have date nights, family events, and really focus on continuing to build our life.
  
• Your Plan is Great!: Once you have your plan in place though, get off Pinterest! Don’t get dress regret, venue regret, shade-of-ivory-candles regret. Your initial decision was great. You have lots to do so move on and tackle something else rather than over-analyzing yourself into stress.
  
• Be Flexible: Something will go wrong, no matter how much you plan. For us, we changed seating at tables and changed the order of tables around a few times and ultimately, something slipped and an Aunt and Uncle ended up at a table of friends. We ran up to them and acknowledged it - they were enjoying their new table mates and were fine. The point being - something will not go according to plan. It's important to acknowledge it to anyone that was affected by this, but let is roll off your shoulder and go with the flow!
  
• DIY Lessons Learned: FH was skeptical of my DIY one-year-in-the-making 5ft chandelier. He came in to the venue the day of and his eyes widened when he saw it hanging. The stress, frustration, and papercuts will fade in time… but the moment seeing something YOU made is really, truly amazing. (Be careful here and don’t try and DIY too much or too close to your wedding date. Things WILL pop up that will need last-minute attention and may leave you scrambling a half-assed DIY project and cursing your own name.)
  
• Details: some people won't even notice all the details you put tons of work into. And some will. One of my FH's guests came up to me and said she actually cried when she went into the bathroom and saw tampons in the women's bathroom baskets because "we were so thoughtful in every aspect". That comment will stay with me until the end of time - we went into this wedding planning this for everyone else. We wanted every detail, every speech, every moment, to be a sign of gratitude for what they've done for us. Don't be afraid to let some details go, but keep your big picture in mind and use your details to serve that vision.
  
• Take a Deep Breath: FH and I built in three separate moments throughout the wedding evening to take a few moments to ourselves. We also tried to not drink much alcohol until after the photographer left (around 2 hours before the end of the entire night) so we could actually remember the event. We woke up the next morning and recounted all the details and comments and stories... and are still reliving them a week later. We remember everything and that makes us SOOO happy.
  

Good luck planners - remember to keep one eye on what's truly important and continue to celebrate your partnership together. All your hard work and planning will pay off, but keep your eye on the big picture because any small misses or hiccups truly won’t be noticeable to anyone but you. See you on the other side!

I know this is long, but please read the whole thing to understand the entire situation if you have time. I'm desperate!
My mom sees my definition of success as getting married one day and having children, which I understand is normal for a traditional parent. She desperately wants me to have a boyfriend and for him to be someone who is ready to get married. For example, he should have a good career, or at least is studying to be a doctor or lawyer (still in school is okay), and come from a great family. She also wants them to be Jewish (my religion), American, and overall similar culture to our family. Of course, she wants them to treat me well.
I started dating my current boyfriend in February, and eventually my family met him after about a month of being official. My parents never liked him because they thought his family background was shady since they found online his brother was arrested 10 years ago for paying someone to change his grades in college and it seemed his parents helped. They assume his family will lie, and do things unethical to get ahead. My mom also found online a bad review from his brother’s phone company written by someone saying he lied about the phones he sold to them and will not accept a refund. My actual boyfriend used extra money from his college loan to invest which my parents find unethical as well. She says this is how they are these kinds of people. His parents are foreign and so is his brother. He was born here. I confronted my boyfriend about all of this, and he told me that the bad review online seems like it’s about this court case his brother had in which he won. The guy was lying about phones coming from his business in order to get money. Also, before all of this it seemed by my bf’s description of his brother that they are like black and white. He used to go clubbing, wasn’t a good student, etc. My boyfriend has never been to a club, cares about school ,etc. I do agree with my parents on how a lot of these things do not look good. My parents also questioned a lot of things about him how because he has an accent they thought he was not really born here, and also they thought he is lying about graduating from school for his master’s degree. He also doesn’t have a job or drive a car (he lives in Brooklyn, NY and I live in NJ). Therefore, based on all of this my entire family has wanted me to break up with him, or at least go out with other people. Essentially cheat. I always told them no way. They think he is not good enough for me and has nothing to offer me and I will be able to find someone who treats me nice like he does. My family and I would fight every single day over this for real. On paper, yes all of this does not sound like someone who is ready for marriage and I agree that from what they have read online his family sounds a bit shady, (I’ve never met them yet), but despite all of this I feel that I have never met someone before who I feel more compatible with and also 100% secure in the relationship. In my previous relationships and including men who I went on a few dates with that I really liked I would have a lot of anxiety and would overthink everything from should I text him, or how should I text him this, or how should I ask him this. Also, I would never want to be the first one to text a guy because I felt I needed validation from them they are still into me. I felt I needed to try to get guys to like me or come off as mysterious and not look like I am not busy by thinking about timing of the texts. I essentially would play games. I never would feel 100% confident in myself or in the relationship. I would jump to a lot of conclusions and assume the worst when it came to things that guys would say or do or text as well. A lot of my friends would think I’m crazy when I told them what I was thinking. I even would feel like I’m waiting until the guy I’m dating asks me to hang out every single week. Like I would hope they ask me out before Wednesday for Saturday and this would continue each week when we go out. A lot of that was because my mom would always say they shouldn’t ask you to hang out last minute and would basically say you shouldn’t go out if they do. I do agree with her on that, but it added to the anxiety. I would feel anxious about it. A lot of this I know comes from low self -esteem and lack of love for myself. I’ve slowly improved over the years and have become a more confident person and it has shown in my dating life, but it’s never been to the point I wish I was at. My current boyfriend now though I feel has made me realize that it’s been just a matter of finding the right person. He makes it so easy and effortless for me, and it makes me realize why it’s never worked out with anyone else before. I am 100% secure in the relationship, his feelings for me, I don’t overthink as much, or have any anxiety. For example, this is the first guy where I text him first sometimes, I don’t feel like I have to wait to figure out when we seeing each because I am so comfortable asking him to hang out and he even asks me on our date when we seeing each other next. We even plan things way in advance like two dates out sometimes. This is one way in which we are compatible, but we also don’t like to drink alcohol, we both are very organized, and we like making detailed schedules of our days in order to be productive, we both are interested in trying to eat healthy food and lose weight, we both like video games and arcades, psychological movies, same food tastes, both have the same Myer’s Brigg personality type, we both use Reddit, are both nerdy, and family oriented. Additionally, overall I just feel very loved by him and accepted for who I am. Additionally, he is trying to get a job and if he does he will eventually have a higher salary than me. He is trying to be a software engineer. He also is currently taking lessons to get his driving license. It’s not like he is just lazy and not doing anything. My best friend has even told me she has never seen me as secure in a relationship before.
This is where the hard part comes in:
I found out he did lie to me since date 1 about graduating and getting his master’s degree. He essentially failed out. I caught him in the lie and he confessed everything and he said he understood if it’s a red flag and to let him know if I want to end things. We talked a lot and I was seriously about to end things, and he even felt and knew I was going to do it, but then I began to understand his reason for lying to me. He has a very low self-esteem and felt like a huge failure and thought I wouldn’t date him if he didn’t graduate from his master’s program. He told me he thinks he lied because he doesn’t like himself and has lied to almost everyone except his family about it. He feels he is a huge failure. Anyway, he was willing to do anything in order for me to regain my trust in him because he mentioned sharing his location with me on phone if I feel anxious that he is lying, he will send me a picture of his birth certificate to prove he was born here, he would show me proof of anything else I am doubting or ever do doubt. I felt his overall reaction allowed me to see that I can trust him with everything else. I am willing to work on the relationship so I decided not to end things. I come home that night and I didn’t tell my mom any of this because I didn’t want her to know what happened or that he lied. I was going to lie to my mom and say he snap chatted me a picture of his diploma so she can get off his back about it. Unfortunately, when I got home she was able to see that something was wrong with me and went into my Facebook (she had the pw) out of paranoia and saw all our messages and found out everything. She basically gave me no choice but to end the relationship because she was threatening me to pick me up from work the next day to prevent me from seeing him and saying things like put on a restraining order on him or check me into a mental hospital. I got scared and texted him about breaking it off. We still continued to text and text and truthfully I really didn’t want to break it off and I told him everything and how I felt I had no choice because of my family. Everything has been laid out. He knows everything about my family, what they think, my thoughts etc. The fact is my mom is controlling to no degree. I am 24 years old and she does not allow me to make my own choices or see that I need to learn from my own possible mistakes. It is a very unhealthy environment. At this point I plan to move out. I have to finally stand up to my parents and tell them I am moving out and this has to happen in order for me to be happy and overall improve my lifestyle so that I can be closer to work and get enough sleep since my commute is 2 hrs daily. My boyfriend and I have decided by my own choice that I am going to lie to my family and that I am still going to see him. I won’t be able to see him as often and we will have to be very careful also when it comes to texting. We are using a texting app and I have it set to have no notifications showing up. He is going to try very hard now to get a job and a license and improve his life and hopefully this will happen in 2 months and by then the plan is I will be moved out and we can still date. Then we will go to my family eventually and he will talk to them and try to prove to them he is not only a good boyfriend now but why he would make a good husband in the future and a good son-in law ,etc. I feel extremely guilty about lying and this entire plan because I can’t imagine what my family will say and do and feel when they find out and when we talk to them later on. I feel they will hate me for this since I feel I put them through hell while they knew I was dating him. Or maybe they will respect me finally since I moved out and have stood up for myself to make my own choices. Who knows how this will go or turn out but it feels wrong but at the same time I feel I have no other choice or option if I want to still date my boyfriend. The only concern I do have about all this is that some part of me feels like I have low self –esteem and self worth since other girls would just end it and I might be making a huge mistake and am being stupid. I know in the past I do get very attached fast and quickly. My mom thinks I have these issues because she was able to see that I would cry or feel so devastated when a guy would end things I was really into only after 4 or 5 dates. She even says to me “why does the guy always have to break up with you?” This is not entirely true, because I did end things with a guy who I really liked and when he suggested being friends with benefits but to a lesser degree and he started investing less I texted him its over. It is true almost every guy I have ever liked before this, the relationship ended on their part, and I would be too attached to see that they are not right for me, but I told myself that if my current bf and I ever broke up I would probably break up with other guys a lot easier since none will compare to how I feel with him and I probably would feel anxious again with other guys. I feel like I see myself in my current boyfriend in that it seems it is hard for him to end things too because he was dating a girl before me that would get crazy jealous over things he did and was very insecure, and would break it off almost every other day and when she finally did it for real he was relieved. He even missed an assignment he had to hand in for class just to go prove to her he wasn’t talking to another girl. This is bad and something I would never probably do, and I don’t think he would do it again because I think he has changed somewhat, but I do know he is a people pleaser for sure. I am worried that we both have the same self-esteem issues that this is a problem. I feel like someone with a strong self- esteem would not put themselves through what I am putting him through in the sense I have to lie to my family, my family doesn’t like him, etc. However, he does think I am the “one” and he loves me etc. so maybe he feels it’s worth it. I want to see a psychologist soon in order to work on my own issues, and I told him I think he should go as well, which he can’t right now due to lack of money but eventually he agreed he would go when he can afford it. Am I making a huge mistake here? Am I doing the right thing? Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Hey folks, my fiancee and I are getting married this fall and we are trying to plan ahead regarding the marriage license. I live in New Jersey, she lives in Philadelphia, and our wedding ceremony will be at a church in Philadelphia.
Our church recently told us that we are free to bring either a Pennsylvania or New Jersey marriage license. I want to believe that this is true because a license from my town in NJ would be much cheaper and last longer (6 months vs 60 days). But everything that I've read online seems to indicate that we'll need a Philadelphia license in order to get married in a Philadelphia church.
Anyone have any experience with this that can shed some light? Thanks!

Part 2.5 The Oakland County Child Killer aka The Babysitter - Part two: The suspects and web beyond Chris Busch
Now we will approach some men mentioned in the previous two posts.
Let me get this out of the way up front - it is a terrible, life-ruining thing to accuse someone of the crimes talked about in this write up. I'm very well aware of that, and being very careful to not implicate anyone that I don't have other documentation on. If I'm not sure or can't verify a name but feel fairly strongly that it should be included, I will abbreviate. I'm trying really hard to be fair and impartial in all of these, but these were some really fucking sick people, and I'm having a hard time dredging up any sympathy for those associated with them. Their whole group was predatory scum.
North Fox Island - Island in lake Michigan, purchased by Frank Shelden, used for a "nature camp" involving unsavory things with young boys, and the filming/photography of these things. Original source. You can also look at wikipedia, this is mentioned there. On Cathy's blog, in the comments there is this link to a blog of some college kids that sailed out to the island and camped out, went hiking - they found the old boyscout camp and took pictures. Including the "creepy basement." You need to look at those pictures.
Incidents at Island prompt new Michigan legislation on dealing with pornography. Below paragraphs from article
"Sitting at a Record-Eagle reporter's desk this morning, Gov. William G. Milliken signed into law a tough bill prohibiting the use of children in pornography. The desk belonged to reporter Marilyn Wright. The governor credited her with helping to "call the attention of public officials and the public at large" to the problem of child pornography.
' For nearly a year, Wright has written stories exposing a nationwide network of pornographers who use children in films, magazines and for illicit sex in phony boys camps. The bill the governor signed today will slap convicted child pornographers with a 20 year prison sentence, a $20,000 fine or both.
"The pornography issue, including the debate over local versus state standards is a complex one," Milliken said, "We have extremely strong principles involving the freedom of expression on one hand and the deep concern about the effects of pornography on society on the other." Ceremony at Record-Eagle "But there can be no doubt, no debate over the corrupting, destructive influence of pornography producers who use young people as instruments in their drive for profits," he said. "This is the beginning of what I hope is a constructive approach to the problem of porn," Milliken said.
[...] Wearing a gray suit and a tie with the blue and gold colors of the University of Michigan, Milliken wheeled Wright's chair up to a typewriter tray and put his name to the bill. He was accompanied by a small group of bodyguards and aides. Record-Eagle Publisher Donald J. Clifford and Editor John Kinney represented the newspaper along with Reporter Wright.
Wright said it was an "honor and a privilege" that the governor signed the anti-porn legislation at her desk. The stories Wright uncovered which helped influence the introduction and passage of the legislation began in the winter of 1976.
The first stories focused on a wealthy Detroit man, Francis D. Shelden, who is suspected of being involved in a nationwide netowrkof child pornography. Shelden owns North Fox Island -- off Grand Traverse Bay -- which authorities believe was used for some of the illegal activity. Sheldon is now a fugitive from justice charged with criminal sexual conduct. Wright went on to detail the activities of child pornographers from coast to coast. Her stories showed how pornographers used the cover of phony churches and fake children's camps to ply their illicit trade. The expose detailed how individuals, some them wealthy, became involved in financing the criminal business. Wrights' reporting caught the attention of publications and authorities in other states and helped touch off an intense public focus on the extensive child pornography business. The reporter is continuing to probe the pornography network.
End article text
Let's look at these names -
Big Money - Francis Duffield Shelden. Millionaire, life-long bachelor, and owner of an island. Family hugely involved in Michigan politics and old-money marriages. Like, his grandfather's house is now the Grosse Pointe War Memorial kind of money. Involved in more than organization devoted to troubled young men. He was stashing his money in the Virgin Islands as early as 1976
December 14th, 1977 - More from Marilyn Wright's reporting Paragraphs below from article
"Although a year has passed since his disappearance, Shelden's name today remains on the lobby registry of the Buhl Building in Detroit. And. authorities say. the 49-year-old Ann Arbor millionaire's business is being conducted by the fugitive's Birmingham attorney. L. Bennett Young. A bachelor, licensed pilot, graduate geologist, part time university professor, amateur botanist, land developer, oil consultant, market investor, reputed author, and sole owner of North Fox Island , Shelden's enterprises hop-scotch across the country: Oil leases in Kansas City, a ski lodge in Aspen, a land investment company in Denver, the Monroe Creek development in Charlevoix, and extensive stock holdings in a West Indies trust company.
Police records indicate Shelden cleaned out his Ann Arbor and North Fox Island residences shortly after Gerald S. Richards, an associate of Shelden's in Brother Paul's Childrens Mission, was arrested on criminal sexual conduct charges. That was in July, 1976, approximately one week before state police obtained a search warrant for the Ann Arbor premises. A warrant was issued for his arrest on Dec. 7.
A second warrant was issued a week later. His prominent Grosse Pointe parents, the Alger Sheldens. say they have had no contact with their son since he fled Michigan. Both are reported to be ill. His brother. Alger Jr., is reported to have told authorities that he was hiring an armed guard and posting North Fox Island, the alleged site of illicit sexual conduct, to keep curiosity seekers and unauthorized police away. Many residents of Charlevoix who knew Shelden as a gentlemanly scholar who was willing to share his good life, have yet to fully recover from the shock of his alleged sexual deviation and his disappearance. Authorities, on the other hand, now believe that the purported benefactor had ulterior motives when he treated youths to hunting trips on the island, skiing trips at Aspen, beach parties at the family estate on Antigua in the Caribbean, and set up trust funds for their college educations.
The tiny lakeside community was futher jolted when shortly after Shelden disappeared, an 18-year-old youthwhom the millionaire had befriended since he was nine, committed suicide. Informed sources say Shelden wrote the youth from Miami, explaining that he would be "away for awhile" working on some "personal problems" but didn't want the youth to think he had forgotten about his promise to send him through college. A trust fund had been set up, Shelden wrote, to be administered by his brother, Alger Jr. A simple phone call would put the money in the youth's hands, Shelden said in the letter.
Three days after the warrant for Shelden's arrest was issued, and one day prior to the charges being publicly exposed in the Record-Eagle, the young man put a rifle in his mouth and pulled the trigger. And. FBI agents say they plan to conduct a follow-up interview with another Charlevoix youth who was a frequent traveling companion of Shelden's. The young man was reported to be attending college on a similar trust fund. Authorities say the young man recently has been driving Shelden's car which earlier had been abandoned at the Charlevoix airport. Airport officials confirm that the car has been removed from the parking lot. They couldn'yt say who drove it away.
On the same day that the first young man's letter was sent from Miami, Oct. 10, 1976, another letter purportedly by Shelden was sent to Cranbrook Science Institute in Bloomfield Hills. That Francis D. Shelden . . . disappeared last year letter, submitting his resignation as a member of the board of directors of the exclusive educational community, was postmarked from Kearney, N.J., where Adam Starchild, the Church of the New Revelation, and Ocean Living Institute are all located.
About that same time. Starchild was reportedly negotiating the sale of Shelden's plane through Combsgate Aviation in Denver. Colo. In January of this year, Shelden resigned from the board of directors of Boys Republic, Inc., a Farmington Hills residential center for the treatment of emotionally disturbed young boys. The envelope, bearing the name and address of the family firm, Shelden Land Co., was postmarked Jan. 19, from Detroit. That was the last public word from Francis D. Shelden. . Next: A profile of another suspected child pornographer wanted by police. " End of article
Later rumored to be Frank Torey, changing his name after fleeing to the Netherlands. I'm not going to link you good folks to BoyWiki - let me save you the click. Google if you must. But there is pretty sufficient evidence around the net.
"Frank Torey (1928-1996) was an author, publisher and boy-love activist. He was born near Detroit, Michigan. Torey was educated at Yale University and served in the US Air Force during the Korean War. In 1979 he moved to the Netherlands where he lived as an expatriate.
Ventures and adventures in boylove publishing
In Amsterdam, Torey published from 1979 to 1984 Pan: A Magazine about Boy-Love (changed to P.A.N.-Paedo Alert News from 1982). He also edited the first anthology of boylove fiction Panthology (1981), published by John Stamford's Spartacus. Pan stopped running in 1981 but Stamfort employed Torey as a general editor of Coltsfoot Press, a division of Spartacus, specializing in boylove fiction. When Coltsfoot Press went bankrupt in the mid 1980s, Torey founded his own publishing house, the Acolyte Press, the most important publisher of boylove fiction and erotic for a decade. Torey was also an author and published many of his short stories under the pen names Peter Zupp, Scott Altman, Wallington Fuger and Jotham Lotring.
Apart from publishing fiction, Torey was interested in the scholarly work on boylove which was becoming important in the 1980s. He translated many scholarly books and articles from Dutch to English including Theo Sandfort's The Sexual Aspects of Pedophile Relations (1982) and set up an additional publishing house, Global Academic Publishers, which published scholarly works such as Edward Brongersma's two-volume Loving Boys (1987) and Theo Sandfort's Boys on their Contacts with Men (1987). In addition, he served in the editorial board of Paidika: The Journal of Paedophilia (1987-1995).
Legacy
Torey's work has been extremely important for the boylove community. As a publisher of fiction, he created the genre of the boy-love short story as we know it. With his scholarly ventures, Torey was instrumental in bringing some pioneering works to the English audience. Finally, as an activist in Pan, he fostered the myth of the Netherlands as a country tolerant to boy-love, "a myth that is becoming so terribly unstuck at the time of his death."(1)
Notes (1) D.H. Mader, "Frank Torey, boy-love activist, author and publisher, died at the end of June 1996," posted at alt.support.boy-lovers (Wed, Jul 10 1996 12:00 am)."
Yucky...
Big Money - Dyer Grossman was also a millionaire, but one from Long Island. He co-founded Brother Paul's Children's Michigan with Shelden, and their tax man, Malcolm McConahy. Between the three of them, they founded four confirmed tax fronts: Ocean Living Institute in New Jersey, Chuch of the New Revelation in Kearny, NJ, Brother Pauls, and Boy's Farm, Inc. in Tennesee. Chicago Tribune Link from 1977 Gerald Richards confessed this to police, noted in that link if you follow the jump.
Dyer is elusive online in terms of hard evidence. I have this article that suggests he assumed another identity. I have seen suggestions that he is actually Peter Lambourn Wilson aka Hakim Bey - known anarchist and boy-love advocate, but can't verify it and I'm not comfortable looking too closely into Mr. Bey. Dyer was a teacher at two all-boy prep schools, accused at both on inappropriate interaction with the students. He fled when sought by the FBI on charges of inappropriate sexual contact with a 15 and 16 year old boy in Michigan.
The Money Mover Malcolm McConahy changed his name to Adam Aristotle Starchild. He made a career of tax fraud and writing books about it. He also was constantly plauged with accusations of inappropriate relationships with young boys. Malcolm McConahy’s Perversion file states that in 1965 he admitted to sexually abusing two Boy Scouts in Minneapolis Troop 27. To his Scout victims, he was an Assistant Scoutmaster. From wiki - Between February and July 1965, McConahy was an assistant scout master with Troop 27 in Minneapolis, a troop sponsored by Plymouth Congregational Church of that city, but was suspended after admitting homosexual interest in boys in the troop. Scouting records state that his personal and family church relationship was with Joyce Methodist Church. At the time he was operating a travel business in Minneapolis.
In July 1965, McConahy was arrested in Wisconsin for circulating pornographic material. He was travelling to New York to take up residence there and was in the company of four boys to whom he had given money.
In 1966, he moved to Milwaukee where he applied in February to be a college reserve scouter. His application stated that he was studying at Blackstone School of Law, to graduate in December 1968. The application was rejected by the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America who were aware of his scouting background in Minneapolis. In 1967 he was convicted of possessing obscene literature and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. In 1968 he was arrested for his involvement with a 16-year-old.
And he looked exactly how I would expect someone of that description to look. Ugh.
There's more on the internet about both names of this guy if you want to look him up further - this was the most fascinating, and revealing I think - off a personal blog of a man who attended the International Society on Individual Liberty (ISIL) Conference in Coasta Rica - 1999. link
One of the most notable people I met was Adam Starchild, who happened to be sitting next to me on a busride of conference people. Adam is an extropian expatriate who is an expert on offshore havens (I wrote about him in my essay Offshore Options for Cryonicists.) His last two countries of residence had been Spain & Colombia, and he was currently living in Panama.
I peppered him with questions about offshore life & opportunity. He said that he had gotten out of the consulting business because too many of his clients were pressuring him for information about how to avoid US taxes. He recommended that I investigate the "perpetual traveler" option, which involves having citizenship in one country, living in another and working in a third. I have doubts that I could do this and maintain adequate access to resources — especially for life-extension & cryonics.
Over dinner one evening I spoke with Adam and Andres, a student entering his last year at Francisco Marroquin University in Guatemala who Adam was "patronizing" (ie, being a patron or sponsor for). [...]
Over a breakfast with Adam and Mary Ruwart I got into a fascinating discussion over whether slander & libel are crimes (since they do not involve "initiation of physical force") and of the difficulty in determining the extent of a crime such as rape, where psychological impact (a subjective response) counts for so much more than demonstrable physical injury.
~~~~
And finally, from Wiki, surprising no one - "Starchild died in Spain, on 22 September 2006. He had recently moved there from Panama as he felt that he would receive better medical care in Spain. Earlier in 2006 he had traveled to Japan for experimental surgery on a tumor and he wrote that his operation there had attracted the attention of the Japanese media. Starchild was survived by his partner Javier. He left behind a remarkably diverse list of registered companies."
Nice group of guys so far, right? Money doesn't buy class - just power.

Trump Percent of the day: 30.85%
[ #1 | +87616 ]
US appeals court upholds suspension of Trump travel ban
[ #2 | +51490 ]
British officials drop plans for Donald Trump to address parliament
[ #3 | +39713 ]
My name is Khaled Belkacemi. I was a 60-year-old immigrant, doctor, and professor. I was killed by a 27-year-old alt-right Trump Supporter after he broke into my mosque and killed 5 of my friends. Who will stand up for me?
[ #4 | +39097 ]
Exclusive - Trump border 'wall' to cost $21.6 billion, take 3.5 years to build: Homeland Security internal report
[ #5 | +31414 ]
Despite Denials, Russians Were in Contact with Trump Campaign
[ #6 | +23134 ]
Russia Considers Returning Snowden to U.S. to ‘Curry Favor’ With Trump: Official
[ #7 | +21642 ]
Trump in Freefall as Disapproval Rate and Support for Impeachment Soar
[ #8 | +21011 ]
Congressman: Rarely used law could make Trump tax returns public
[ #9 | +13104 ]
Donald Trump Russia dossier: US intelligence confirms truth of some details
[ #10 | +12881 ]
The President Reportedly Doesn’t Read Memos. That’s A Huge Problem.
[ #11 | +12260 ]
Most Donald Trump supporters still think the 'Bowling Green Massacre' is real
[ #12 | +11341 ]
Don't believe Trump’s spin. The war against same-sex marriage is just getting started
[ #13 | +9403 ]
Now Trump's Going After the Bumblebees: The administration just delayed endangered status for a bumblebee species that's on the brink of extinction.
[ #14 | +8405 ]
Russian dossier on Trump gaining credibility with law enforcement
[ #15 | +8224 ]
Trump tweets: 'Our legal system is broken!'
[ #16 | +7251 ]
Trump's national security adviser reportedly talked to Russia about US sanctions despite earlier denying it
[ #17 | +6324 ]
The psychiatrist who wrote the guide to personality disorders in DSM says diagnosing Trump is “bullshit” - "Goldwater Rule forbids psychiatrists, who are medical doctors, from making judgments about a public figure’s mental health without personally evaluating them."
[ #18 | +6221 ]
MRW as a dual citizen I voted for Trump and went back up to Canada
[ #19 | +6071 ]
Sales of Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale have soared since Trump’s win
[ #20 | +5841 ]
Bernie Sanders: Trump 'does not understand' the Constitution
[ #21 | +5652 ]
Sanders: Trump is 'delusional,' says he could move US into 'authoritarian mode'
[ #22 | +5606 ]
Experts on authoritarianism say Trump’s presidency is getting even worse
[ #23 | +5308 ]
Trump insults Elizabeth Warren at 'awkward' White House meeting
[ #24 | +4721 ]
FEC commissioner to Trump: Show voter fraud evidence
[ #25 | +4566 ]
Trump in Freefall as Disapproval Rate and Support for Impeachment Soar
[ #26 | +4238 ]
Top Putin critic on how to oppose Trump: “making him look like a loser is crucial”
[ #27 | +4238 ]
Dont believe Trump’s spin. The war against same-sex marriage is just getting started
[ #28 | +3362 ]
The Trump Organization is returning to a long-dormant licensing deal involving a beachfront luxury resort in the Dominican Republic, testing the limits of Donald Trump's pledge to halt new international Trump-branded projects during his presidency.
[ #29 | +3354 ]
Sears, Kmart drop 31 Trump Home items from their online shops
[ #30 | +2910 ]
Magnitude of Trump adviser Flynn's Russia scandal gains clarity
[ #31 | +2648 ]
Donald Trump mocked for 'awkward' handshake with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
[ #32 | +2557 ]
The timeline of President Trump's ties with Russia lines up with allegations of conspiracy and misconduct
[ #33 | +2490 ]
Sanders: Trump 'does not understand' the Constitution
[ #34 | +2378 ]
You know Trump loses badly when he’s yelling on Twitter
[ #35 | +2328 ]
Upset with Trump the President, consumers boycott Trump the brand
[ #36 | +2138 ]
Trump Secretly Called Xi, Then Blamed the New York Times for 'Fake News'
[ #37 | +2131 ]
Dem rep: Trump has ‘underestimated’ Americans
[ #38 | +1952 ]
Deputy to Trump adviser Michael Flynn reportedly forced off National Security Council amid Russia controversy
[ #39 | +1643 ]
Trump dossier: Source confirms Trump campaign had exchange with Russia
[ #40 | +1399 ]
Michael Flynn Scandal: Emerging Ties To Russia Could Lead To Trump’s Impeachment
[ #41 | +1357 ]
It’s not just you: Donald Trump really is fucking up your workday
[ #42 | +1347 ]
KING: Donald Trump appoints and empowers bigots because he is a bigot
[ #43 | +1337 ]
My name is Bernie Sanders. I was a 75 year old senator and presidential candidate. I was murdered by Hillary Clinton after trying to run for the democratic nomination. Reason? I loved America. THIS HAS GOT TO STOP.
[ #44 | +1269 ]
Turkey's President Erdoğan approves constitutional boost to his powers
[ #45 | +1188 ]
mrw Donald Trump is making me sad, but I still love this great country
[ #46 | +1114 ]
Trump promises Chinese president he'll honor 'One China' policy - President Trump told Chinese President Xi Jinping Thursday night that he will honor the “One China” policy that recognizes Beijing as the only legitimate Chinese government.
[ #47 | +1109 ]
Hundreds of thousands rally in Iran against Trump, chant 'Death to America'
[ #48 | +1075 ]
Turkey's President Erdogan approves reform bill seen as authoritarian power grab
[ #49 | +1021 ]
Ivana Trump On the Record About President Trump’s Disturbing Influence By Hitler
[ #50 | +895 ]
New analysis proves Trump’s tweets attacking companies are mostly just distractions
[ #51 | +854 ]
Trump Travel Ban Spotlights U.S. Dependence On Foreign-Born Doctors
[ #52 | +837 ]
3,000 marched through Scotland's capital today against a UK state visit by Donald Trump
[ #53 | +781 ]
Trump threatens to defund California
[ #54 | +762 ]
This is going to be harder than Donald Trump expected
[ #55 | +759 ]
Electoral commissioner calls on Donald Trump to provide evidence of New Hampshire voter fraud
[ #56 | +756 ]
DNC candidate slams 'draft-dodging chickenhawk president'
[ #57 | +667 ]
‘Alarmed’ UW professors call Trump a threat to U.S. values
[ #58 | +666 ]
No, Trump doesn’t have a plan to reduce cost of his $21 billion-plus border wall
[ #59 | +643 ]
Republican National Committee on travel ban: 'We stand with Trump'
[ #60 | +627 ]
Pelosi Statement on Reports of New Confirmations of Trump-Russia Dossier
[ #61 | +596 ]
Trump Backlash Could Make 2018 a New ‘Year of Women’ at Ballot Box
[ #62 | +575 ]
Trump attacks on judiciary raise safety concerns for judges
[ #63 | +525 ]
Al Franken to Maher: GOP senators privately express ‘great concern’ about Trump’s temperament
[ #64 | +515 ]
Sears, Kmart Dump Ivanka Trump Products From Online Stores
[ #65 | +508 ]
Donald Trump blacks out windows to stop media filming his golf round with Japanese premier
[ #66 | +492 ]
Trump: 'President Man-Baby' stains White House
[ #67 | +477 ]
The Long Road To Impeach Trump Just Got Shorter
[ #68 | +460 ]
Energy experts give Trump the hard truth: You can’t bring coal back
[ #69 | +436 ]
Newspaper uses photo of Alec Baldwin on 'SNL' instead of Trump
[ #70 | +413 ]
Sanders on Trump: 'This guy lies all the time'
[ #71 | +374 ]
Reality Just Keeps Biting President Trump in the Ass
[ #72 | +348 ]
Elections Commissioner Demands Trump Prove Outrageous Voter Fraud Claims
[ #73 | +330 ]
Source: White House Runs Better Without Trump in it
[ #74 | +330 ]
Trump: 'Legal system is broken
[ #75 | +310 ]
The Fates of 5 Men Connected to the Trump-Russia Dossier
[ #76 | +309 ]
Massive North Carolina Crowd Protests Trump, Anti-LGBT Law
[ #77 | +298 ]
Trump Blacks Out The Windows And Bans Pictures To Hide His Activities At Winter White House
[ #78 | +295 ]
Thus far, President Trump has been the con-man-in-chief
[ #79 | +290 ]
Sanders: Trump is 'delusional,' says he could move US into 'authoritarian mode'
[ #80 | +263 ]
Bernie Sanders says 'delusional' Donald Trump could move the US into 'authoritarian mode'
[ #81 | +256 ]
Putin floats summit with Trump in Slovenia, first lady's birthplace
[ #82 | +252 ]
Trump's 1990 Playboy interview perfectly lays out his view of the world
[ #83 | +227 ]
German court upholds ruling banning German comedian from reciting poem making fun of Turkish President Erdoğan
[ #84 | +220 ]
Bernie Sanders: Donald Trump Needs a Lesson in American History and How Our Democracy is Supposed to Work
[ #85 | +203 ]
5 Things On Michael Flynn, Russia And Donald Trump
[ #86 | +194 ]
Fresh Scottish protest held against Donald Trump
[ #87 | +191 ]
Donald Trump planned to build the world’s largest yacht with hot tubs and a swimming pool – but ‘ran out of money’
[ #88 | +178 ]
Sears, Kmart Are Latest Retailers Reportedly to Drop Trump Merchandise
[ #89 | +168 ]
Why is Trump covering up animal cruelty cases?
[ #90 | +162 ]
Trump ripped Mexico in tweet while Kushner was meeting with Mexican officials: report
[ #91 | +153 ]
Trump Says Refugees Are Flooding U.S. in Misleading Allusion
[ #92 | +152 ]
Instead of draining the swamp, Trump has become Wall Street’s best buddy
[ #93 | +152 ]
Hitting Trump where it hurts: The satire troops take up comedy arms against Donald Trump
[ #94 | +147 ]
Trump attacks on judiciary raise safety concerns for judges
[ #95 | +144 ]
These Conservative Christians Are Opposed to Trump—and Suffering the Consequences
[ #96 | +140 ]
Trump keeps tweeting about news he sees on TV
[ #97 | +129 ]
Kushner angry over talk of Christie's future with Trump, report says
[ #98 | +126 ]
The Cynical Selling by The Trump team of Jeff Sessions as a Civil-Rights Champion
[ #99 | +124 ]
Donald Trump’s power handshakes are weird as hell.
[ #100 | +123 ]
Donald Trump Blocks Listing Bumblebee as Endangered
[ #101 | +114 ]
Report: Trump reassures Palestinians embassy not moving to Jerusalem
[ #102 | +110 ]
Trump-McCain feud takes new turn
[ #103 | +109 ]
Margaret Atwood: US going 'back to Puritan values' under Trump
[ #104 | +106 ]
Trump strategist's planned film: US Jews 'enablers' of Jihad
[ #105 | +104 ]
Donald Trump blacks out windows to stop media filming his golf round with Japanese premier
[ #106 | +101 ]
Trump’s attacks on judiciary prompt online threats, raise safety concerns for judges
[ #107 | +99 ]
Snowden claims report Russia may 'gift' him to Trump proves he is not a spy
[ #108 | +92 ]
Peru's fleeing ex-president in San Francisco. Peruvian authorities offer a $30k reward for his capture.
[ #109 | +89 ]
Public support Speaker Bercow on barring Donald Trump from Parliament speech, poll finds
[ #110 | +77 ]
Few Americans think world leaders respect Trump
[ #111 | +76 ]
Interest in ‘fascism’ surges in the Trump era
[ #112 | +72 ]
Trump golf game gets special press box: a basement with blacked-out windows
[ #113 | +72 ]
The Trump Administration’s Dark View of Immigrants
[ #114 | +71 ]
Donald Trump's UN ambassador moves to block appointment of former Palestinian Prime Minister as envoy
[ #115 | +71 ]
Sales of Ivanka Trump apparel slumped at Nordstrom: WSJ report
[ #116 | +70 ]
Author of dystopian novel "The Handmaid's Tale" compares Trump to story's dictator
[ #117 | +67 ]
North Korea fires off new ballistic missile as Trump meets with Japan's PM
[ #118 | +60 ]
Immigrant community on high alert, fearing Trump's 'deportation force'
[ #119 | +60 ]
Trump Resurrects ‘Pocahontas’ Dig Against Elizabeth Warren
[ #120 | +56 ]
‘Vanguard of opposition’: SNL adds Spicer to satire’s resurgence under Trump
[ #121 | +56 ]
Trump claims Ivanka 'abused' by media
[ #122 | +51 ]
This is going to be harder than Donald Trump expected
[ #123 | +49 ]
Trump's Florida estate stirs protests, spurs ethics debate
[ #124 | +45 ]
Thousands of anti-Trump protesters gather on San Francisco beach and spell out 'RESIST!!' as part of a local activist's visual events project
[ #125 | +45 ]
Syria’s president said he would ‘welcome’ American troops into his country to fight ISIS
[ #126 | +33 ]
Comedian Jim Jefferies Tears Into Piers Morgan For Defending Donald Trump
[ #127 | +29 ]
Skepticism over Trump's 'wall' cost simmers among Democrats, border Republican
[ #128 | +23 ]
Newspaper Mistakenly Runs Picture of Alec Baldwin on ‘SNL’ Instead of Trump
[ #129 | +22 ]
Sears And Kmart Drop 31 Trump Home Items From Their Online Shops.The decision follows Nordstrom’s announcement that it had decided to stop carrying Ivanka Trump’s apparel because of declining sales.
[ #130 | +21 ]
Trump says Israel should be 'reasonable' in peace process
[ #131 | +20 ]
The timeline of Trump's ties with Russia lines up with allegations of conspiracy and misconduct
[ #132 | +13 ]
Trump Puts Press in Private Basement with Covered Windows While He Plays Golf with PM of Japan
[ #133 | +10 ]
Assad dismisses Trump's plan to create 'safe zones' inside Syria
[ #134 | +8 ]
Peru’s ex-president Alejandro Toledo on run after judge orders arrest
[ #135 | +7 ]
Peru ex-president Alejandro Toledo faces arrest on bribery charges
[ #136 | +7 ]
Bennett: If Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu discuss Palestinian state the 'earth will shake'
[ #137 | +7 ]
'Boy-band governor' surges in wide-open South Korea presidential race
[ #138 | +7 ]
'Boy-band governor' surges in wide-open South Korea presidential race
[ #139 | +7 ]
Tories question John Bercow's motives for barring Donald Trump from speaking Parliament - Anonymous government members believe the episode was 'orchestrated'
[ #140 | +5 ]
Trump and Japan's Abe take a swing at golf diplomacy
[ #141 | +3 ]
European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker says he won’t seek second term, calls for a “more parliamentary system” in interview
[ #142 | +2 ]
Palestinians: Trump to brief Abbas after Netanyahu meeting
[ #143 | +2 ]
Lindsay Lohan wants to meet Trump and Putin to address the Syrian refugee crisis
[ #144 | +1 ]
Trump backs 'one China' policy in phone call with President Xi
[ #145 | +0 ]
Muslim nonprofit groups are rejecting federal funds because of Trump

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