Free Republic

A woman who was sexually assaulted, struck on the head and set on fire at Fairmount Park suffered burns on 55 percent of her body and remains in critical condition, a Wichita police official said Monday. Police aren’t sure if it was a random or targeted crime, said police Capt. Troy Livingston. Later Monday, he said that hospital staff had told him that her condition had improved slightly. At a briefing for reporters Monday morning, Livingston called it “a disgusting crime,” pleaded for the public’s help in providing information and stressed that any tip could help. He asked people to...

A southwestern Illinois man claims he shot in self defense when a 17-year-old gang-banger attempted to break into the home where he was staying Tuesday night. Law officers, however, tell another story. They say the 38-year-old shooter fired at the teen from a distance of 75 to 100 feet away. And -- they say -- the teen wasn't trying to break into the house. He was shot while spray painting graffiti on the garage in the backyard. The incident occurred unincorporated Collinsville just down the street from the Fairmount Park race track. The teen was found a few blocks away...