Free Republic

NEILLSVILLE, WI (AP) -- The remains pulled from the Chippewa River were those of a pregnant woman allegedly killed by her new husband, according to a forensic dentist. Shaun W. Rudy, 23, of Thorp, has been charged with two counts of first-degree homicide for the deaths of his wife and unborn child, as well as a count of dismembering a corpse. His wife, Christine Rudy, 21, was fatally shot Nov. 12, dismembered and dropped into the Chippewa River near the Cobban Bridge in Chippewa County a day or two later, authorities said. She was six months pregnant at the time....

"...What is the motive behind the restaurateur turned physical therapist turned nurse who passionately pursues his wife's death? Many wonder. Could Michael Schiavo be a pawn, a pawn in a much larger game being played for much higher stakes?"

Editors have a nasty little habit of telling news writers, "you missed the lead," when a complicated story buries itself in facts and figures but fails to discover the salient feature that made it worth doing and thus worth reading. When an entire newspaper, and then its ombudsman, miss the lead, it is worth a few lines. The Washington Post began an ambitious three-part series Sunday, December 19, entitled "Pregnancy and Homicide: The Unknown Toll," the gist of which was that the states and the CDC and whatever agencies keep track of intentional deaths are remiss in keeping records regarding...

A Small Success at the Washington Post! Last week the Washington Post ran a three-part series on Maternal Homicide and Domestic Violence that was an example of writing (it didn’t qualify as “journalism”) that appealed more to the emotions than the intellect. But this time around, we were ready. Thanks to a cooperative effort among several groups, we hit a home run! On Saturday, the Post ran two excellent letters to the editor – see below. And then on Sunday, the WP Ombudsman Michael Getler devoted one-third of his weekly column to a critique of the series – again, see...

Former football star O.J. Simpson, who was found liable for the murder of his wife in a civil trial, expressed sympathy in an interview released Friday for Scott Peterson, who is accused of killing his pregnant wife. "Look at Scott Peterson," Simpson told Playboy Magazine. "Ask anyone in America about him. They'll say the guy is guilty. But we haven't heard one shred of evidence." Fertilizer salesman Peterson of Modesto, California, is accused of killing his wife Laci last Christmas Eve and dumping her body into the San Francisco Bay. A preliminary hearing in the case starts next month. In...