'Cold blooded' Paul Curry guilty of wife's 1994 murder

A "vicious, cold blooded" former nuclear engineer who was driven by an "insatiable appetite for money" was convicted of the 1994 murder of his wife.
Paul Curry gave a sleeping pill to his wife Linda and then poisoned her with a shot of nicotine because he wanted the $547.695 payout from her life insurance policy, prosecutors said.
The 57-year-old was questioned by cops after her death but it wasn't until 2010 that prosecutors put a case together and alleged that he murdered her.
Deputy District Attorney Ebrahim Baytieh said she had a level of the sleeping aid Ambien, in her system after she was found at their San Onofre, Calif. home. This had not been prescribed to her, he said.
She also had injection marks on the temple behind her ears, he added.

"He had to make sure she was completely sedated before he injected the nicotine," he said, adding that high doses induce vomiting.
Curry admitted to fiddling his insurance but denied any role in her death.
However a California jury disagreed and he will sentenced for first degree murder at a later date.

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CORTNEY CLAYTON MURDER: SUSPICIONS RUN DEEP

Cortney Clayton went for an evening walk on the evening of Sept. 2, 1988 to get a soda from a nearby convenience store in her tiny hometown of Stamford, Texas. The pretty little girl never came home and on Sunday, March 26, 1989 the 7-year-old's remains were discovered in a field 50 miles away.
Her family said that she was a smart, adventurous and happy child. With just 4,000 people, many townspeople have always felt the killer was from Stamford.
''I have always felt that somebody here in town knows something,''  Candy Clayton, Cortney's mother, said in 2007. ''Even if they don't know they know it. 'One good thing about living in Stamford is that people here haven't forgotten about Cortney." By the time Cortney's body was found by a hunter, there was little evidence at the scene.
Anyone with information is asked to submit a tip thru the Texas Rangers’ Cold Case website or contact us at the Missing Persons Watts Line: 1-800-346-3243 .

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EVELYN SHANK SHOT TO DEATH IN VEGAS IN 1959

She is the oldest unsolved murder victim in a city that has seen plenty of them during its wild existence. Evelyn Shank was the night clerk at the Travelodge and the victim of a kidnap/robbery, Vegas cops say. Her relief worker arrived to discover the switchboard/desk area unoccupied. When he could not locate Shank he called cops. Detectives learned that $174.50 had been taken from the till and an all-points bulletin was broadcast and road blocks were set up throughout the vicinity.
On February 7, 1959, Shank's body was found. A gunshot to the head delivered death. Cops say a 1949-1950 Ford sedan (possibly dark blue) with the headlights on was seen parked near the front door by the co-worker. When he returned from searching for Shank -- the car was gone. Anyone with information is urged call Las Vegas Metro Homicide Cold Case Detail at 702-828-COLD.

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JENNIFER PERSIA, 16, MURDERED DURING '94 BURGLARY

 

JENNIFER PERSIA was just 16 when she was found murdered on the living room floor of her home in Magnolia, New Jersey. She had been stabbed multiple times and cops soon discovered containers of coins and silver certificates were missing. That was April 4, 1994. The case is still unsolved. For information leading to an arrest and conviction in the slaying of Jennifer Lynne Persia. Anyone with information should call the Camden County Prosecutor's Office hotline at (856) 225-8476 or e-mail tipline@co.camden.nj.us. Offering a REWARD of more than $15,000.  SEE THE CLIP ABOVE

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HOESCHELE THOMAS 2007 KILLER BUSTED

THOMAS

HE was a loving father in the wrong place at the wrong time, but now four years on cops say they've caught Hoeschele Thomas's killer.
The 48-year-old was minding his own business outside his Largo, FL home when a vehicle approached him and the guys inside asked him if he wanted to buy drugs.
When he refused, an argument erupted and someone in the car blasted him.
The case went cold until Detective John Spoor began reviewing the case again this summer and was able to make a connection between the weapon used in Thomas' murder and one used in a drive-by shooting that occurred several weeks later.
And that weapon was in the hands of Lloyd Neal, 22, who is already serving a life sentence at the Taylor Correctional Institution in Perry for a 2007 Clearwater murder case.
When the diligent lawman interviewed several people who confirmed Neal shot Thomas and bragged about it, the sheriff's office said.
Thomas' family told The Tampa Tribune they are pleased to hear the news.
Thomas' son, Hoeschele Thomas Jr said: "It has been hard, and I don't have a father figure in my life. I had to be a man on my own."

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UNSOLVED NEW MEXICO MURDERS HAUNT 50 YRS LATER

AS PEOPLE said, they weren't hookers, they weren't criminals but a vicious monster snuffed out the lives of two New Mexico girls more than 50 years ago. He has never been caught.

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TEEN MICHAEL HINSON'S 1970 MURDER STILL UNSOLVED

ON Sept. 12, 1970 Michael Hinson, a Grade 11 Dorman High School baseball player, was shot while at the intersection of Asheville Hwy. and California Ave. in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. The shooter is believed to be the front passenger in a green late 60’s model Plymouth Fury, and may have lived in the Cleveland Park community at the time.

Detectives are seeking information from witnesses and/or from anyone who may have knowledge about this cases. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office at (864) 503-4509 or (864) 503-4596. Callers may remain anonymous.

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MYSTERY STILL SURROUNDS JEAN VIKEN'S SHOOTING

IN HAPPIER TIMES

SHE was a beloved mother of four young kids who was found executed in dense woods near her home.
But nearly four years after her 2008 murder a dark cloud remains over her memory as her killer's have yet to face justice for the horrific crime near Hawkins, WI.
Her sister Jane told WSAW: "We were celebrating her birthday when she didn't show up. So we were desperately worried about her.
"She was loving mom and a devoted daughter and sister. We were so scared. If anyone know's anything we'd urge them to come forward." 
Taylor County Detective Steve Bowers said that the web of clues scattered around the forest spelled out the clear message that the killing was not a random act.
He said: “Evidence we found at the scene indicated that she had been shot at least two, if not four times by a 357 revolver. She had then been transported from the scene."Her body was left in a rural location in Sawyer County and the vehicle was left at a different location."
He added: "On arrival officers noted there was a pan that appeared to have been cooking for a lengthy period of time and the purse that Jean Viken normally took with her everywhere was also in the house."
Her body was discovered by fishermen.  
At the time there were persons of interest in the case, but to date no arrests have been made
Authorities say just one tip could help in making an arrest. If you have any information please call the Taylor County Sheriff's Department at 715-748-2200.

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