CA - Lily Burk, 17, Los Angeles, 24 July 2009

LA Observed on KCRW: Lily Burk
July 31 2009 4:38 PM
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My commentary today talks about the murder of 17-year-old Lily Burk and the strong reaction it has evoked in the city.

This is Kevin Roderick with LA Observed for KCRW.
The week&#8217;s subject is the kidnapping and murder of a 17-year-old Los Angeles girl. If you don&#8217;t feel like going there today, you might want to turn down your radio for four minutes.

Exactly a week ago, during this time slot, Lily Burk was being driven through downtown L.A. in her own car. The lifelong criminal seen on surveillance videos driving the car also was photographed walking her up to ATMs, where Lily tried &#8211; unsuccessfully - to take out cash.

Within minutes of last week&#8217;s segment going off the air, Lily Burk was dead &#8211; her throat cut as she sat in the passenger seat. Her face had also been smashed into the car&#8217;s windshield.

Lily&#8217;s parents are a major reason this crime has become such a big deal. Lily&#8217;s father is a respected music journalist with friends at and around the LA Times who served as family spokesmen.

Lily&#8217;s mother is a respected libel lawyer whose words in the Times about losing her baby and her best friend shredded hearts. They are well-known and well-liked.

As some crimes do, Lily Burk&#8217;s murder has spurred talk in the media and on the Web. And inevitably, some backlash and political exploitation.

But you don&#8217;t have to be in the private school culture of Los Angeles, or be part of the media, to be affected when crimes like this occur in your community.

They leave deep and raw scars in the psyche of a city.

This one comes with the crime rate in LA so low that Angelenos have been revising their personal, internal maps to include more &#8220;good&#8221; areas and fewer &#8220;bad&#8221; areas.

And now, sadly, that probably changes too.


Article:
http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2009/07/la_observed_on_kcrw_lily.php
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What to do with low-level offenders: Letters for Aug. 2, 2009
Updated: 07/31/2009 04:47:04 PM PDT
<snipped>
Question of the week: After the brutal murder of 17-year-old Lily Burk and the arrest of a 50-year-old parolee in the killing, it raised many questions about how the state deals with chronic offenders. We asked readers to weigh in.

1ST RELATED ARTICLE:
Rehabilitate or keep paying

We should remember that everyone we want put into prison is now someone for whom we pay room, board, security protection and health care - and maybe more than once.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca has many programs for those who are jailed and waiting for the courts to send them to prisons or rehabilitation programs. He has said that to change prisoners, "Nothing happens if you punish the h*** out of them." He has many programs to teach "self-correction" and to improve the lives of people whose lives were broken long ago.

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2ND RELATED ARTICLE:
There will be more victims

Reading about Lily Burk prompts me to write. Some years ago I was a victim of an attempted abduction.

I was about to start my car parked in the Fashion Square parking lot when a man jumped inside. He had a knife that he held to my throat. I struggled to free myself from his grip as he forcefully held me by the shoulders while attempting to drive away. Fortunately for me, two women saw the car shaking and came to investigate. He pushed me out the door and drove off. What remained with me were cuts, bruises and post-traumatic stress that left me sleepless and alarmed by sudden moves.

My assailant, as did Lily Burk's, also had a long history of criminal behavior. He too was out on parole. He had a history of drug abuse as well. The detective assigned to my case told me that I survived because the criminal was not able to drive to another location.

Each time I read about a woman who is found dead in a remote spot or in her car I am angry that convicted felons are free to roam and kill innocents. We do not know the repercussions of an early release program but we can predict that there will be unintended consequences to bemoan.

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3RD RELATED ARTICLE:
Hard labor for early release

Low-level offenders become high-level offenders because they get away with their crimes. We need to impose more severe penalties on people who break the law.

If we have to release low-level offenders, make them pay a hefty get-out-early fee and give them serious community service hours, doing something unpleasant that takes physical effort, like scrubbing off graffiti and cleaning up dog poop from parks, or turning them into spies to rout out drug dealers. That way they can at least contribute to society instead of being just a leech.

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4TH RELATED ARTICLE:
Help offenders change their ways
This is such a sad, sad situation. My heart and prayers go out to Lily Burk's family.

Unfortunately, there's not always a way to tell if a low-level criminal, or anybody, is going to snap. The prisoners get the counseling, rehab and support of what is thought needed for each individual and all seems good. Then they're put back on the streets, probably with nothing, to fend for themselves and to end up doing the crimes they did that landed them in prison in the first place.

I believe they should be helped with getting a place to stay and a job, too, so they're not completely thrown out there on their own.

I personally still support the early release of some prisoners. I would think a lot of prisoners do change after getting the help they need and given a second chance.

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5TH RELATED ARTICLE:
Those released need help
There are going to be people who need to be incarcerated and the Department of Corrections should follow a thorough assessment of those cases.

When the governor is talking about early release, he is talking about minor offenders, people who are in prison for small possession of drugs who really need a rehabilitation program and inmates who have shown that they are ready to be integrated into the community.

We should not be focusing in one person's mistake when there are hundreds of them who really deserve a second chance. There are so many people back in prison for minor violation of parole. When are they are going to be integrated into the community?

They come out with $200 in their pocket. What happens if they do not have a family or a support system to help them put their feet together and to confront all the challenges of discrimination and finger pointing at them?


Article:
http://www.dailynews.com/opinions/ci_12968286

:angel:
 
Looking for a life lesson in the death of Lily Burk
Some parents are struggling to find solid ground in the wake of the 17-year-old Los Feliz girl's slaying.
August 1, 2009
<snipped>
I began our dinner table conversation with the phrase that has become a drumroll for stories of catastrophe I feel bound to share with my three daughters:

Wanna hear something sad?

They don't, but it doesn't matter. They know the question is merely a way to brace them for whatever heart-wrenching tale I am determined to tell.

Like the case of the suburban girl sent to prison because she was the driver when her boyfriend pulled a gun, fired into a crowd and killed a teenager outside a movie theater.

This week, my story was of Lily Burk, the 17-year-old Los Feliz girl who was abducted while on an errand for her mother last weekend and found dead in her Volvo in a skid row parking lot.

A transient on the lam from a drug rehab center has been charged with her kidnapping, robbery and murder.

I delivered the facts clearly enough, but I stumbled on the lesson part.

What exactly did I expect them to learn from such a horrific tale of coincidence and crime, of monstrous misfortune?

Or as my 24-year-old asked when I was done, "So, Mom, why are you telling us this?"

I've been struggling to come up with an answer all week.

On blogs, online news sites and a Facebook page set up by Lily's friends, tributes and messages of sympathy are pouring in from her classmates, colleagues of her lawyer mother and journalist father, and strangers struck by the randomness and brutality of her killing.

As parents, we look at Lily's death and shudder at how vulnerable our children are.

And the only lesson I can find is one expressed by a grieving teen on her Facebook wall, where her classmates and friends posted poems, prayers and memories of a smart, funny and talented "free spirit" who had a smile and hug for everyone and "was always so careful not to hurt people's feelings."

I have tried to raise them -- as Lily's parents did her -- to be compassionate, generous and kind.

I don't want them to be suspicious of everyone, afraid to step outside the bubble of our comfortable suburban life.

But I also want them to make it home alive every night.

So I may check out the workshops, self-defense classes and empowerment sessions.

But I will also try to resign myself to the power of random chance and the reality of our own impotence to control our children's lives.


Article:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-banks1-2009aug01,0,6072877.column

:angel:
 
The Haunting
The dead claim the living through imagined repetition of the horror they endured.
Published Aug 1, 2009
<snipped>
Lily Burk, 17, Of Los Angeles, Was Killed On July 24.

There's a single image I have of her. It was culled from a party her parents threw 13 months ago. It's a defining image and a freeze-frame now. I'll never see her again. The image should have been discardable. Then suddenly, it ceased to be. Every detail makes me wish I had more. Lily Burk.

She sat in the middle of a group of teenage girls. I sat with her parents, off to one side. There was a mass introduction of adults and kids. The etiquette was, don't get up, don't shake hands, don't exchange last names. I wish it had been more formal. My image would have expanded. I would have heard her voice. Interaction may have provided snapshots of her character. Five seconds more of her would have reshaped my mourning.

The man who killed Lily has been captured, arrested, and arraigned. Legal proceedings may or may not protract. The case has been greatly scrutinized already. It has become politicized. Parole reforms and early-crime-detection programs may well result. This is the living claiming the dead and attempting to quash their horror through busywork. Death cannot be rescinded, future deaths may be deterred, Lily Burk will not be resurrected. Her absence will further mark the passage of time. She will continue to haunt the consciousness of her loved ones. She may lead them on a journey of tender subversion.

The dead claim the living and tell us how to live. It is imperative that we listen and adhere to their sanction. We are required to work toward probity and comport ourselves as though our lost ones are there with us. This call to virtue proves efficacious over time. We send messages to a spirit and get no material answer. There is only the assumption that she is there and we are here and we must not falter at our task. There is no human terror that the persistent application of love and devotional consciousness cannot transcend. Lily Burk will not return to earth as a 17-year-old girl. Her task is to impart courage in her invisibility. Lily Burk offers us a survival manual, written in her own blood. We are urgently charged to honor her and seek goodness at all costs.


Article:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/209941

:angel:
 
What to do state's policy on offenders
Updated: 07/31/2009 08:13:00 AM PDT
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The governor had proposed $1.2 billion in prison cuts that would have meant the early release of some prisoners and a reduction in the number of criminals housed by the state Department of Corrections.

The prison cuts were delayed until later this year when, presumably, the hype of the state budget agreement is over and a discussion on inmate release won't be so contentious.

But the killing of 17-year-old Lily Burk over the weekend is likely to ignite controversy over state prison funding.
?


Included In This Article: Listen To This Story!

Article:
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_12925219

:angel:
 
This just pisses me off so much! This was supposed to be in jail? Oh my gosh. Her mom is an attorney and I hope she teaches the powers that be a lesson in making sure they've got their Three Strikers in prison where they need to be! Make the beds FIVE STORIES HIGH and feel them BEANS AND RICE! Maybe THEN they'll STOP HURTING WOMEN AND CHILDREN!!!
 
Tough on corrections
The state prison system is bursting, forcing GOP law-and-order policies to collide with anti-tax positions.
August 3, 2009
<snipped>
Sensational crimes are often followed by get-tough-on-crime legislation, especially in a state where systems that promote direct democracy encourage headline-based lawmaking. Hence the passage of Megan&#8217;s Law, named after 7-year-old murder victim Megan Kanka, by the Legislature in 2004. Or Jessica&#8217;s Law, overwhelmingly approved by California voters in 2006 following the rape and murder of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford.

Lily Burk might not have a law named after her, but the 17-year-old's abduction and murder, allegedly at the hands of a parolee who was living at a local drug-treatment center, has political ramifications. That's because it comes at a time when lawmakers are considering cuts to the state prison budget that could mean early release for more than 27,000 inmates. With the Legislature returning later this month to work out the specifics of cutting $1.2 billion from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's budget, Burk's name will almost certainly be invoked by police unions and Republicans who oppose reducing the prison population to save money -- even though they also oppose raising taxes to support the current population.

The real problem for California conservatives is that two of their key policy positions -- inflexible opposition to tax hikes and tough penalties for criminals -- are contradictory. Housing inmates isn't cheap, and it's inconsistent to pass laws that cram the prisons while turning down measures to pay for them.


Article:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-prisons3-2009aug03,0,2162752.story
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Dependency is now a genuine foe of all our freedoms
Safer streets and my mother&#8217;s hat pin.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
<snipped>
In Los Angeles, Angelinos felt the loss of seventeen year old Lily Burk. Lily was stalked and abducted, and after repeated attempts to coerce her to obtain money from her credit card, Lily was slashed and clubbed to death, then abandoned in her vehicle in the Skid Row district of Los Angeles.

We don&#8217;t know if Lily Burk had a hat pin with her or what she was taught to do, and we cannot know this early the facts of every such case of abduction or murder, but we do know that dependency on officials to the exclusion of the citizen is cultivated and taught. Dependency is now a genuine foe of all our freedoms, and it began with how crime has been grown as a formula to pass around with others who think they have a good thing going in governance. Part of that has been to advise victims to &#8216;give them what they want.&#8217; Part of that has been to &#8216;avoid conflict&#8217;. Part of that is to assume that resistance is to &#8216;settle disputes in anger&#8217;.


Article:
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/13324
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Teen Girl Kidnapped and Killed in Broad Daylight - Women's Personal Safety Network Shares How to Avoid Being a Victim
17 year-old Lily Burk was running errands for her mother in broad daylight when she was forced into her car by an assailant. The next morning she was found dead in an alley. The Women's Personal Safety Network (http://thewpsn.com) is turning this tragic event into a learning opportunity for women to learn how to avoid being a victim of an attack.
August 3, 2009
<snipped>
17 year-old Lily Burk was running errands for her mother in broad daylight when she was forced into her car by an assailant. The next morning she was found dead in an alley. The Women's Personal Safety Network (http://thewpsn.com) is turning this tragic event into a learning opportunity for women to learn how to avoid being a victim of an attack.

The Women's Personal Safety Network is a free online community provided by Elite Personal Safety Systems (http://elitepersonalsafety.com) that educates women on personal, home, vehicle, travel, child, teen and college safety. The network is full of articles, safety resources, blogs, forums, survivor groups, safety tips and videos on topics ranging from rape, sexual assault prevention, and identity theft protection to date rape drugs, college campus dangers and childhood bullying.

Personal safety experts and Executive Directors of the Women's Personal Safety Network, Samuel Scott and Hersh Sandhoo are a powerful, empowering interview and teach women:

*How to be aware of their surroundings to avoid an attack

*How predators pick their targets and how to avoid fitting the victim profile

*The 5 most common mistakes made by victims

*What many women's organizations teach that is WRONG and ACTUALLY INCREASES THE CHANCES OF BEING A VICTIM

*How to get out of the most common attacks used by street predators


Article:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/08/prweb2700254.htm

:angel:
 
Lily Burk, 17: A life cut short
August 03, 2009 08:07 am
<snipped>
You just have to see the picture of her: a girl on the verge, finding her style, raising her voice, about to embark on a life she could barely yet imagine. This summer she was supposed to volunteer helping homeless drug addicts on Skid Row. Instead, according to police, she was killed by one.

Her mother is a lawyer and law professor, her father a journalist. She was driving a Volvo.

Forgive me for identifying: When my daughter was her age, barely two years ago, she got an advance for her first novel, &#8220;Hancock Park,&#8221; about a girl like Lily. Many of the girls at her school drove expensive, not to mention dangerous (in my book), cars. I smiled because the other used Volvo belonged to a girl whose mother is also a sensible lawyer, which is what I like to think I am. Like Lily&#8217;s mother.

A man abducted Lily across the street from her mother&#8217;s office in what was once the Bullocks Wilshire, which Southwestern Law School converted into classrooms, offices and an impressive library.


Article:
http://www.richmondregister.com/viewpoints/local_story_215080921.html
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Be prepared: Tips to prevent or survive an attack
August 03, 2009 9:30 AM
<snipped>
With two young women snatched from Southern California streets over the last two weeks &#8212; one of whom ended up dead &#8212; local public safety officials are anxious to spread the word about how to prevent falling prey in similar situations.

One thing all experts agree on is for people to never allow the attacker to take them to another location.

&#8220;Once they get you into a car and take you away, your chances of survival just diminished,&#8221; said Sgt. Linzy Savage of the San Bernardino County Hesperia station.

An 18-year-old Compton woman fled her kidnappers Tuesday night by rolling out the door of a moving car on the 710 Freeway, according to law enforcement officials. The young woman had some bumps and bruises but was otherwise unharmed.

&#8220;If something is going to happen, it&#8217;s best to have witnesses,&#8221; he said.

Experts also suggest parents talk to their children about certain scenarios and what kids should do if they find themselves in those situations.

&#8220;While you can&#8217;t predict every situation, preparation is key,&#8221; Guedea said.


Article:
http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/weeks-13660-snatched-attack.html
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Error may have freed suspect in Burk&#8217;s death
10:25 PM | August 3, 2009
<snipped>

Should the man accused of killing Lily Burk have been behind bars at the time the teen was slain?

That's a question some have asked after it was revealed that he had a long criminal record.

The Times' Jack Leonard and Richard Winton are now reporting that indeed the suspect, Charles Samuel, might have been in prison had there not been a clerical error years ago in his rap sheet.

Here are the details:

A parolee accused of killing 17-year-old Lily Burk last month could have been serving a lengthy prison sentence instead of roaming the streets of Los Angeles but for a clerical error that misstated his criminal record, according to interviews and court documents reviewed by The Times.

Because of the error, authorities did not know that Charles Samuel was eligible to be prosecuted under the state's tough three-strikes law when he was arrested for and convicted of burglary in San Bernardino County in 1997.


Article:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lan...-allegedly-killed-lily-burk-its-possible.html

:angel:
 
The trail and trials of Charles Samuel
Interactive timeline
August 3, 2009
<snipped>
Charles Samuel's criminal record dates back more than 30 years to a misdemeanor conviction when he was 19. This interactive timeline traces his history using court, jail and prison records, as well as other law enforcement sources. Samuel, 50, has been charged with killing Lily Burk, a 17-year old Los Angeles high school student who went missing July 24 while running an errand for her mother. Click icons on timeline for more information.

Article:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-charlessamuel-timeline,0,7810737.htmlstory
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Suspect in Murder of Law Prof&#8217;s Daughter Could Have Been in Jail, Absent Error
Posted Aug 4, 2009, 07:32 am CDT
<snipped>
A clerical error may have led to the early release of a repeat offender suspected of killing 17-year-old Lily Burk, the daughter of an adjunct professor at Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles.

Charles Samuel is accused of kidnapping Burk on Friday near the law school before killing her and leaving her body in her Volvo, the Los Angeles Times reports. Her head was beaten and her neck slashed.

In 1997 Samuel was arrested and convicted of burglary, the Times says. Samuel was not prosecuted under the state&#8217;s tough three-strikes law, despite a 1987 guilty plea for residential burglary and robbery in connection with a home invasion, which could have counted as two strikes. The problem: The residential burglary was listed as simply burglary, which does not count as a strike under the law.

&#8220;Samuel's repeated brushes with the criminal justice system underscore the complexity of the three-strikes law and raise the possibility that Burk's slaying could have been averted,&#8221; the story says.


Article:
http://www.abajournal.com/news/susp...daughter_could_have_been_in_jail_absent_erro/
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Teen killed: Clerical error to blame?
New details reveal the parolee charged with the kidnap and murder of a Los Feliz teen likely should have been in prison, but due to a clerical error, he may have been allowed to go free.
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
<snipped>
Samuel was convicted of robbery and residential burglary in San Bernardino County in 1987. Ten years later, he was convicted of another burglary and was eligible to be prosecuted under California's three-strikes law.

But because of a clerical error, the 1997 burglary charge was filed as a second strike instead of a third. A third strike can put a convicted felon away for 25 years to life.
It is unclear who made the mistake in Samuel's case.


VIDEO~Teen killed: Clerical error to blame?
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=6947367

Article:
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=6947415
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Suspect's '86 robbery bears similarity to Lily Burk case
Charles Samuel forced a San Bernardino man to go to an ATM and withdraw cash. Samuel beat the man and threatened to kill him if he reported the crime, court records show.
August 5, 2009
<snipped>
Charles Samuel, the parolee accused of killing Lily Burk, was convicted 22 years ago of another violent robbery that bore a striking similarity to last month's abduction and slaying of the high school senior in downtown Los Angeles, according to court records reviewed by The Times.

As in the Burk case, Samuel was accused of kidnapping someone -- this time an elderly man -- and driving in the man's car to an ATM, where he demanded that the man withdraw cash.

When no money appeared, Samuel struck the man using the victim's wooden cane, punched him in the stomach and threatened to kill him if he reported the crime to police, court records show.

Samuel pleaded guilty in June 1987 to robbery, residential burglary and car theft in connection with the attack, which took place in San Bernardino.

But prosecutors said an error on Samuel's rap sheet led them to believe they could not prosecute him as a third-striker when he was later charged with other felonies. Samuel was convicted of burglary in San Bernardino County in 1997 and of a petty theft in Los Angeles County in 2006.


The trail and trials of Charles Samuel
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-charlessamuel-timeline,0,7810737.htmlstory

Clerical error may have put suspect in...
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-burk4-2009aug04,0,4244742.story

Inmate information for arrest of Charles Samuel in April 23, 2009.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-jailrecord423-samuel-timeline,0,5761797.acrobat

Article:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-burk5-2009aug05,0,5031176.story

:angel:
 
Early release of prisoners results in more crime
Updated: 08/05/2009 09:09:34 AM PDT
<snipped>
It is shocking that in order to save the state money, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other elected officials are contemplating a massive early release of prison inmates, the elimination of parole supervision for released prisoners, and a refusal to return inmates who violate parole to prison.

For a single anecdotal case epitomizing the danger of the governor's plan, look no further than the tragic murder last month of 17-year-old Lily Burk. The accused murderer, Charlie Samuel, is a poster child for the failings of the governor's plan.

Samuel was most recently in prison for a petty theft conviction. When he violated parole terms only weeks after his prison release, he was not kept in custody or returned to prison, but instead referred to drug treatment. Once there, he left the program on a short-term pass! All this occurred because Samuel left prison classified as what Schwarzenegger calls a "low level, nonviolent" inmate.

Tragically, as in the case of Lily Burk, many individual Californians will become new crime victims.


Article:
http://www.dailynews.com/opinions/ci_12993603
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License to live
Time to make self-defense training a required part of getting a driver&#8217;s license
08/05/2009
<snipped>
Heartache, fear and guilt are flooding Southern California over the brutal kidnapping, robbery and murder of Los Angeles high school student Lily Burk. &#8220;If only, if only, if only &#8230;&#8221;

What I&#8217;m about to say could possibly be interpreted as laying guilt or blame upon either Lily or her parents. Neither is true: I have nothing but deep empathy for them. They did nothing wrong; they are not to blame. That being said, there are some actions to take and worst-case scenarios to consider so that Lily&#8217;s murder might ultimately make a profound difference.

The problem is that parents are at a huge disadvantage because their own parents &#8212; and their own parents before them and so on &#8212; most likely had no real knowledge about facing violence. Please stop this legacy of ignorance! Here are some general rules:

&#8226; GIVE UP PROPERTY. If an assailant wants money or the car, give it to them. They might go away.

&#8226; DO NOT GIVE UP YOUR BODY. Do not go with anyone to a secondary crime scene. Better to resist or run from the primary encounter. Resistance from the intended victim is apt to result in the perpetrator giving up, witnesses reporting or helping or, in the worst case, at least there will be forensic evidence left as clues.

&#8226; WORK OUT A CODE WORD SO YOUR FAMILY KNOWS YOU&#8217;RE IN TROUBLE. Agree that if and when you call and say something agreed upon like, &#8220;Is that Lassie barking?&#8221; it actually means, &#8220;Help me.&#8221;

&#8226; IF YOU&#8217;VE BEEN TAKEN, LOOK TO ESCAPE EVERY CHANCE YOU CAN. DON&#8217;T GIVE UP. Injuries from jumping out of a car can be less hazardous than going further along with an increasingly desperate criminal.

&#8226; DO NOT BELIEVE A PERSON WHO SAYS, &#8220;BE QUIET. GO WITH ME AND I WON&#8217;T HURT YOU.&#8221; They have already hurt you by committing the crime of kidnapping. Be loud and don&#8217;t go with them.

&#8226; INSIST THAT SCHOOLS PROVIDE A STATE-REQUIRED SELF-DEFENSE COMPONENT. (Physical Education Framework for California Public Schools Education Code Section 51225.3(a)(1)(F))


Article:
http://www.pasadenaweekly.com/cms/story/detail/license_to_live/7566/

:angel:
 
Lily Burk: Snatched a Block Away From an L.A. Crack Bazaar
Was teenager&#8217;s killer shopping for drugs on deeply troubled Leeward Avenue?
August 05, 2009 at 6:12pm
<snipped>
Leeward Avenue is three blocks&#8217; solid of apartment buildings, some built in the early 20th century and adorned with adobelike facades and Deco features, others contemporary and boxy. Leeward&#8217;s affordable rents, its exposure to bustling markets and restaurants on West 8th Street, and its proximity to the public transportation hub of Wilshire Boulevard and South Vermont Avenue has attracted thousands of immigrants from Central America.

&#8220;It&#8217;s been a problem zone for many years,&#8221; says Lieutenant David Grimes, head of the Gang Impact Team and Narcotics Enforcement Detail at the Los Angeles Police Department&#8217;s nearby Olympic Division. &#8220;Crack is sold up and down that street. It&#8217;s such a well-documented location for users that they come from miles around.&#8221;

And it&#8217;s a short block south of where 17-year-old Lily Burk was abducted two weeks ago. It&#8217;s not clear if the suspect in the case, 50-year-old Charles Samuel, was there to score crack before he allegedly kidnapped and murdered the girl. Robert Nelson, the LAPD&#8217;s lead detective in the Burk homicide, says, &#8220;We can&#8217;t answer that question.&#8221;


It looks so normal- Lily Burk was carjacked a block from this insidious crack hub.
3708232.41.jpg


Article:
http://www.laweekly.com/2009-08-06/news/lily-burk-was-snatched-a-block-away-from-a-crack-bazaar/
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Locals speak out about inmate release
State ordered to set free 40,000 prisoners in two years
8/6/09
<snipped>
Facing the prospect that more than 40,000 state prison inmates could be released early, some Auburn residents are concerned that convicted criminals could end up in their backyards.

Salarno also has a personal stake in keeping prisoners behind bars. In 1979 her daughter Catina, then 18, was murdered.

Earlier this week, she and other victim organization members gathered at the Southern California site of where Lily Burk was abducted by a state parolee deemed &#8220;non-serious&#8221; and was later slashed and beaten to death. He body was left in a downtown Los Angeles parking lot.

&#8220;This brutal, heart-breaking murder never should have happened,&#8221; Salarno said. &#8220;It appears Lily Burk died at the hands of a man who had no business on street. He was a known threat with a long history of crime, and yet the governor&#8217;s parole policies allowed him to walk free. Her death is unconscionable.&#8221;


Article:
http://auburnjournal.com/detail/126...rder_sort=&content_class=1&sub_type=&town_id=

:angel:
 
Calculated risks
The murder of Lily Burk drives home the dangers of early prisoner release plans
08/06/2009
<snipped>
When the Legislature reconvenes later this month, lawmakers will debate Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger&#8217;s controversial plan to release 27,000 low- and moderate-risk inmates early as part of a cost-cutting measure that could save the state $1.2 billion over the next three years.

And that could just be the beginning. On Tuesday, a panel of three federal judges ruled that the state must reduce California&#8217;s burgeoning prison population by 43,000 inmates. The ruling was based on a lawsuit filed by inmates complaining that overcrowding led to dangerous health conditions. Some prisons in San Diego, Chino and Shasta have already begun releasing inmates, including some convicted of weapons charges.

Today, the murder of Lily Burk &#8212; a 17-year-old high school senior with a promising future &#8212; has poured proverbial gasoline on the fiery debate, strengthening the hand of some law enforcement groups and officials who urge the governor&#8217;s office to reconsider the proposals for public safety reasons. Others, such as the California Police Chiefs Association, have expressed more openness to the prison population reduction program, but are waiting to see its final details.


Article:
http://www.pasadenaweekly.com/cms/story/detail/calculated_risks/7567/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What We Can Learn From the Tragic Murder of Lily Burk
Posted: August 7, 2009 12:02 AM
<snipped>
When I tell people I have written a book, they usually expect the title to resemble some hip chick-lit title like Lipstick Jungle or Kappa Kappa Linden. When I tell them that the book is about child molesters and predators, they usually respond with a distressed look, probably thinking something like "That's way too heavy for me..."

People have a very hard time dealing with the subject of sex offenders, especially offenders who victimize children. They either rationalize that they are already know enough about safety, or that it won't happen to them or their families.

The clearest example of why this is necessary can be seen in the recent abduction-murder of 17-year-old Los Angeles teen Lily Burk. Yes, we've learned, "it can happen here, to a great kid with great parents." It can happen to anybody.


Article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robin-sax/what-we-can-learn-from-th_b_253586.html

:angel:
 
Memorial Service To Be Held For Lily Burk, 17


LOS ANGELES
Lily_Burk_07262009.JPG



A memorial service for Lily Belle Burk was scheduled to be held Sunday at Barnsdall Art Park in Hollywood.

The 17-year-old girl's body was found in her car on July 25, near Alameda and Fourth streets.

Burk, a student at North Hollywood's Oakwood School, left her home in Los Feliz at around 2 p.m. on July 24, to pick up some papers for her mother, who is a professor at Southwestern Law School, in the Westlake area.

Police believe the teen was abducted about an hour later by 50-year-old Charlie Samuel, who allegedly took her to an ATM and tried to get her to withdraw money.

Burk made several phone calls to her parents thereafter asking them how to withdraw money from her credit card, which was reportedly not set up like a debit card.

According to the coroner's office, Burk suffered a cut to her neck and other "traumatic injuries."

Samuel was arrested the night of Burk's disappearance for unrelated offenses, but by Sunday evening, he had been allegedly linked by fingerprints and other evidence to the girl's killing, investigators said.

On July 28, he was charged with murder, kidnapping and robbery in the slaying.

Samuel was being held without bail. His arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 20.

http://cbs2.com/local/Lily.Burk.memorial.2.1120692.html
 
Lily Burk's Funeral in Los Angeles, a Calm Before the Storm
Monday, Aug. 10 2009 @ 9:33AM
<snipped>
For a lot of people, the vibrantly sunny Los Angeles weekend was a time to focus on the life and death of 17-year-old Lily Burk, who was honored at a ceremony at Barnsdall Art Park. It's not often you see 500 people gathered to note the passing of a teenager who has yet to make her mark on the world, but that is the crowd estimate that turned out for the popular teenager.

Even with the somber and appropriate tone of media coverage that came from the event, almost everyone was still raising questions about how her alleged murderer, Charles Samuel, managed to remain free after a life of crime.

The press was excluded from the event, aside from a pool photographer who shared photos of the crowd with other media outlets -- a decision many felt was very appropriate. But now, things are about to change.

If this tragedy follows the trajectory of other murders that have gained national and global prominence, there are bound to be political outcomes from her senseless carjacking, kidnapping and murder.


Article:
http://blogs.laweekly.com/ladaily/crime/lily-burks-funeral-in-los-ange/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mourners gather to remember Lily Burk
Updated: 08/10/2009 05:10:21 PM PDT
<snipped>
On a hillside park overlooking Los Angeles, more than 400 grieving relatives, schoolmates and friends of Lily Burk gathered Sunday at Barnsdall Art Park for a memorial to celebrate the life of the 17-year-old who was kidnapped and killed last month near Skid Row.

The somber crowd wept as people listened to heartbroken friends and teachers of Burk take the stage to read poems, sing songs and tell stories of the artistic girl who was remembered well for her laugh, imagination and spontaneity.

"She was my soul mate," said Lyla Porter-Follows, Burk's classmate at Oakwood School in North Hollywood.

"I love her with all my heart."

The private ceremony for the Los Feliz teen was held under a white tent at the public arts center and park in Hollywood, a treasured place for Burk, who frequented the tranquil facility with her parents.


A memorial service is held for Lily Burk, the 17-year-old girl who was kidnapped and killed in downtown Los Angeles on July 24. Over 500 people attend the service that was held Barnsdall Art Park in Hollywood CA. Aug 9,2009.
20090809_110013_lily1_300.jpg


Article:
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_13028467?source=rv
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friends, Family Mourn Lily Burk, 17, At Memorial
Aug 9, 2009 8:43 pm US/Pacific
<snipped>
Fellow students, family and friends gathered at a park in Hollywood on Sunday to remember Lily Burk. Programs were handed out with her photo and guests signed books with warm messages about the teen.

On July 28, he was charged with murder, kidnapping and robbery in the slaying.

Samuel was being held without bail. His arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 20.


VIDEO: Friends, Family Mourn Lily Burk At Memorial
http://www.cbs2.com/video/?id=111088@kcbs.dayport.com

Article:
http://cbs2.com/local/Lily.Burk.memorial.2.1120692.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Slain Los Feliz Girl Remembered as "Angel"
Updated 10:28 AM PDT, Mon, Aug 10, 2009
<snipped>
The invitation-only service for Lily Belle Burk was at the Barnsdall Art Park in Hollywood. Burk's body was found in her car in the early morning hours of July 25 near Alameda and Fourth streets.

"Lily reminded me of the root meaning of the word angel, which is a messenger. She had so many messages for me I can't count them but the main one was love," her father, Greg Burke, said.

The attendees laughed when he added, "She could see right into our souls without even thinking about it ... and she loved us all anyway."

"I watched you move forward. I get the feeling that it's possible for me to move forward now as well," Deb Drooz, the girl's mother, said Sunday. "Not this second, mind you, not this second at all, but with time and with Greg's love and with your love."


Article:
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local-beat/Memorial-Set-for-Slain-Los-Feliz-Girl-52830907.html

:angel:
 
UPDATED INFO ON CASE INCLUDED IN ARTICLE! Friends, Family Remember Lily Burk
4:14 AM PDT, August 10, 2009
<snipped>
The invitation-only service started at the Barnsdall Art Park in Hollywood at 5:00 p.m.

Friends, family, and teachers recounted stories about Burk at the service, remembering her brightness, her insight, and her unique spirit.

Many in attendance broke into tears for the loss of Lily amid warm laughs and smiles brought on by remembering her life.

Police say surveillance video shows Lily Burk and Charlie Samuel walking to an ATM at the Union Bank on Second and San Pedro streets in Little Tokyo in the hours before her death.

Police say the teen can be seen trying and failing to extract cash.

The video, which has not been released, shows other customer using the ATM as well as numerous other people walking by the couple.

Samuel was given a pass to leave a residential drug program on the day Burk was killed.

He was supposed to visit the DMV, but because of state furloughs, the office was closed that day.

Samuel was reportedly with an escort, but after a few hours, that person returned to the rehab center alone, saying Samuel refused to come back.

Samuel has a long criminal record, including 10 criminal convictions in the last 30 years.


Here is the list of Samuel's prior convictions:

1978: Misdemeanor grand theft in San Bernardino County.
1981: Misdemeanor petty theft in San Bernardino.
1985: Misdemeanor providing false information to a peace office in San Bernardino.
1985: Misdemeanor under the influence of a controlled substance in San Bernardino.
1986: Misdemeanor under the influence of a controlled substance in San Bernardino.
1987: Felony home invasion robbery, felony burglary, unlawful taking of vehicle in San Bernardino.
1997: Felony burglary in San Bernardino.
2003: Misdemeanor driving on a suspended license in Los Angeles County.
2006: Felony petty theft with prior theft in Los Angeles.
2009: Misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia in Los Angeles.


PHOTOS: Remembering Lily Burk
http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/la-me-lily-burk-pictures,0,5023600.photogallery

PHOTO: Charlie Samuel, 50, in court
http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-charlie-samuel,0,3686276.photo

VIDEO: Lily Burk Remembered by Family, Friends
http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-video-burk-funeral,0,3032202.tivideo

VIDEO: Error Kept Charlie Samuel on Streets
http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-video-lily-burk-death,0,1641051.tivideo

VIDEO: Parolee Arrested in Death of Lily Burk Should Have Been Supervised
http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-video-girl-dead-car,0,534874.tivideo

VIDEO: Suspect In Burk Abduction Shook Supervision
http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-burk-video,0,7122803.tivideo

VIDEO: Self Defense Classes Popular After Abduction
http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-video-self-defense-classes,0,3004797.tivideo

Article:
http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-girl-found-dead-in-car,0,7663412.story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Funeral held for murdered teen
Sunday, August 09, 2009
<snipped>
Friends, family and teachers showed up at Barnsdall Park in Hollywood to remember Lily Burk. Speakers talked about the teens many talents as a writer and in theater rather than the criminal case against her alleged killer.

"She loved music. She could sing better than everyone," said Lily's father Greg Burk fighting back tears. "When she came home everyday I heard her singing. I heard the signing before I heard her footsteps."
"I don't know how everything is going to be fine now. I don't have you, I don't have a piece of me. I don't understand it, I don't ever expect to," said Lily's friend Emma Wartzman.

"Lily reminded me of the root meaning of the word angel, which is a messenger," said Greg Burk. "She had so many messages for me. I can't count them but the main one was love."


VIDEO: Funeral held for murdered teen
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=6956624

VIDEO: Teen killed: Clerical error to blame?
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=6947367

VIDEO: Man accused of killing Lily Burk in court
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=6937570

Article:
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=6956631
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Family, friends gather to remember Lily Burk
The 17-year-old, found slain last month in her car downtown, is fondly remembered as an actress, scholar and writer. She 'could see right into our souls . . . and she loved us anyway,' her dad says.
August 10, 2009
<snipped>
It was a ceremony of song, poetry and heartbreaking tributes to the 17-year-old Los Feliz resident who loved to act, sing and write.

"Her absence empties the world for me," said Burk's mother, attorney Deborah Drooz.

Her father, Greg Burk, a music journalist, spoke of his daughter as someone who "could see right into our souls without even thinking about it, and she loved us anyway."

Many at the service wept openly. Others hugged each other, and some sat in stunned silence. Three hundred folding chairs were spread out under a white canopy on a hilltop of Barnsdall Art Park in East Hollywood. Teenagers, some in colorful dresses and shorts, others wearing black, spread out on blankets on the grass.

It was a place where Burk, an only child, had enjoyed spending time with her family.

The ceremony opened with a song, "Golden Dream," accompanied by a guitar, and closed with a saxophone piece, "Lotus Blossom." Poems by Li-Young Lee and Shel Silverstein were read.

Classmates and teachers from Oakwood Secondary School paid tribute to Burk, a National Merit scholar who acted in school drama productions, "loved with ferocity," gave "the best hugs" and could be "a champion procrastinator."

Her voice quavering, Emma Wartzman, a close friend, said: "Lil', I don't know how everything is going to be fine now. I don't have a piece of me. I don't understand it."

Some sought to comfort Burk's parents. "To continue in this sorrowful world is the greatest triumph no one ever talks about," said Lewis MacAdams, a friend of the family. "We want you to be braver than we are."


Classmates and friends mourn Lily Burk at a memorial in Barnsdall Park in Hollywood.
48562661.jpg


Article:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-burk10-2009aug10,0,843757.story

:angel:
 
The Lily's Law flaw
Policies that spring from tragedies like the Lily Burk case can have unintended consequences.
August 9, 2009
<snipped>
Some deaths trigger our collective grief and fury more than others. In the spring of 2008, it was the killing of college-bound running back Jamiel Shaw II, a handsome boy shot dead on an L.A. sidewalk a hundred yards from his front door while his Army sergeant mother served her country 8,000 miles away in Iraq. This summer, the horror that grabbed us was the kidnapping and murder of 17-year-old Lily Burk.

Like Jamiel Shaw, Lily was a kid we could each imagine as our own. She was smart, a national merit scholar. She was unusually well-liked -- the comments on the Facebook page created in her memory express this in vivid detail. Through repeated exposure to the photo her parents provided to the media after her death, we were able to believe that we knew her: Lily Burk with the open, world-welcoming gaze surrounded by a tangle of teenage hair. We could envision her future while in the same moment reeling with the knowledge that all of her tomorrows had irrevocably vanished under nightmarish circumstances.

Now the tragedy of Lily Burk has arrived just as the worst budget crisis in California's history may force risk-averse state legislators into passing prison and parole reforms that have been recommended by every blue-ribbon governor-appointed commission in the last decade, including the 2004 commission chaired by former Republican Gov. George Deukmejian.

In fact, reform advocates have suggested that if the new parole structure were already in place, the Charles Samuels of the world would have been receiving more rigorous supervision, not less. They have a point. However we might want to spin matters now, the plain truth is this: The cumulative details of Samuels' legal history alone did not raise any red flags.

So again a discussion about prisons, parole and public safety has been forced by unexpected sorrow. But let us please, this time, have the conversation only about what has actually been proved to work in those arenas -- and, for once, leave factional agendas and blinding emotion out of it.


Article:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-fremon9-2009aug09,0,6793926.story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why California Has a Nightmare Prison Mess
Posted: Aug 09, 2009
<snipped>
The ruling by three federal judges that California must release more than 40,000 inmates to relieve gross overcrowding was much expected and much dreaded. California prisons house more inmates than any other state. In fact, it houses more inmates than several states combined. The system was set up to warehouse 84,000 inmates. It has nearly double that number.

California Attorney General Jerry Brown denounced the ruling as federal intrusion in state affairs. Police officials, unions, and GOP state legislators railed that it would flood the streets with violent criminals. The horrid killing of 17-year-old high school student Lily Burk, allegedly by a just-released ex-con, instantly became their &#8220;see I told you&#8221; war cry for keeping the cell doors locked tight. Yet, jail riots, dumping thousands of inmates back on the streets, prisoner lawsuits, draconian budget slashes and gross overcrowding have made California&#8217;s jails the nation's poster jail system for dysfunction.

This isn&#8217;t to say some of those jailed for non-violent offenses don&#8217;t pose a potential threat to public safety. Burk&#8217;s alleged killer obviously fits that bill. But the reality is that it's either release them or risk more inmate turmoil, lawsuits and federal tampering with the prisons. This not a choice that California legislators and prison officials want to make. And it's a choice that they wouldn't have to make if they'd aggressively implement the reform programs that other cities and states are using to help people turn their lives around.

This only means more prison overcrowding. It also means that dumping thousands of inmates on the street is no fix for California&#8217;s nightmare prison mess.


Article:
http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=6a882ba0ce018f88d0473962e9cd4bec
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Proactive Policing, Lax Jailing
As William Bratton leaves the LAPD, a horrific murder case highlights the importance of his reforms.
7 August 2009
<snipped>
The recent arrest of a vicious murderer in Los Angeles vindicates&#8212;tragically, only after-the-fact&#8212;several policing and sentencing policies that anti-law-enforcement advocates have fought for years. One of those policies&#8212;broken-windows policing&#8212;is among LAPD Chief William Bratton&#8217;s greatest legacies to Los Angeles. In the wake of Chief Bratton&#8217;s recent resignation, it is all the more important to affirm the value of his policing reforms, which remain contested to this day.

On July 24 at around 3 pm., 17-year-old Lily Burk was walking down a midtown Los Angeles street on an errand for her mother. A 50-year-old homeless parolee with a three-decade-long rap sheet confronted the high school senior as she approached her Volvo. Moments later, Charles Samuel was driving the Volvo away with Burk in the passenger seat. Samuel took Burk to an ATM on Los Angeles&#8217;s Skid Row, where she volunteered at a needle-exchange program and where he was enrolled in a drug rehab program as punishment for a parole violation. Burk tried several times to withdraw cash on a credit card without success, according to the Los Angeles Times. Over the next 25 minutes, she would separately call her mother and her father seeking help in getting cash on the credit card, but her father told her that doing so was not possible. At 4.52 pm, Samuel pulled the Volvo into a Skid Row parking lot at Alameda and 5th Street and abandoned it. Burk had already been murdered, her head beaten and throat slashed open with a broken bottle; her body was left in her car.

And now Charles Samuel will be taken off the streets and brought to justice, thanks to two Skid Row officers&#8217; willingness to ignore ACLU propaganda and accost a vagrant drinking in public.

Other budget-related prison proposals&#8212;including Governor Schwarzenegger&#8217;s plan to put an end to parole for nonviolent ex-convicts and to release 27,000 prison inmates, or a recent federal court order to release as many as 43,000 inmates&#8212;all take on dire new significance in the wake of the Lily Burk murder.


Article:
http://www.city-journal.org/2009/eon0807hm.html

:angel:
 
Something About Lily
Published on August 12, 2009 at 4:53pm
<snipped>
Lily Belle, as she was known at L.A. Family School. On Sunday, my daughter, Nola, carried a snapshot of Lily from preschool, her face painted like some tiny Amazonian goddess. It seemed a fitting way to remember her. There was always something different about Lily, slightly otherworldly; both a normal young girl and beyond the norm. You knew she would become someone extraordinary.

Her dad, Greg, with a strength few of us could imagine, stood before the 500 gathered and told how his only child &#8220;could look right into our souls without even thinking about it &#8212; and she still loved us.&#8221; People say &#8220;their children are angels,&#8221; he added, &#8220;because they bring goodness and light. And that is correct. But Lily reminded me of the root meaning of the word angel, which is a messenger. And she had so many messages for me I can&#8217;t count them, but the main one was love.&#8221; Deb followed, her small, wiry frame holding up the world, the clarity in her voice a gift: &#8220;When I see Lily&#8217;s light shining from each of you, and I watch each of you move forward, I get the feeling that it&#8217;s possible for me to move forward as well.&#8221;


A Flower for Lily
By Lewis MacAdams
Do not fear the tears
in the public or the private sphere.
Learn what the women already know:
Lift yourself upwards, let yourself go.

At JoAnne&#8217;s, friends stood around in clumps;
but the cocktail party chatter was of karma and murder,
compassion, and acceptance; and no one
knew what to say or do but the women
who set out piles of food and sat around
the table on the porch, sipping wine
and watching the sun descend
while the rest of us said &#8220;I love you&#8221; to people
we&#8217;d known for years but never said that to before;
and told each other how much their friendship meant
as the hours for reflection grew shorter &#8212;
feeling foolish in the face of fate.


Article:
http://www.laweekly.com/2009-08-13/columns/something-about-lily/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Parolee Pleads Not Guilty in Burk Case
Updated: Tuesday, 18 Aug 2009, 1:17 PM PDT
Published : Tuesday, 18 Aug 2009, 11:09 AM PDT
<snipped>
A parolee charged with abducting and killing a 17- year-old Los Feliz girl pleaded not guilty today to murder and other charges in the July 24th crime.

Lily Burk was found beaten with her neck slashed in her Volvo near Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles the day after she was abducted.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Henry J. Hall accepted the not guilty plea from Charlie Samuel, an alleged drug addict, and denied him bail.

Samuel, 50, is due back in court in downtown Los Angeles Sept. 9, when a date is expected to be set for a preliminary hearing, which will determine if authorities have enough evidence to try him on the charges.

Samuel, represented by Deputy Public Defenders Lisa Roth and Steve Giedzinski, -- is charged with one count each of murder, kidnapping to commit robbery, second-degree robbery and attempted first-degree automated teller machine robbery.

The murder charge includes the special circumstance allegations that Samuel murdered the teenager during the commission of a kidnapping and robbery, which could make him eligible for the death penalty if convicted.


Article:
http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/news/local/Parolee_Pleads_Not_Guilty_in_Burk_Case_20090818
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
8/18/2009 - Lily Burk and the Liberal Love Affair with Criminals
By Senator Bob Dutton
<snipped>
A recent court order from a panel of unelected liberal judges requires California to release nearly 43,000 of approximately 160,000 prison inmates within the next two years. These judges, all appointed by Jimmy Carter in the 1970s, are clearly out of touch with reality. Yet, rather than protest their decision, California&#8217;s leftist Legislature seems ready and willing to go along with the idea.

In fact, on Thursday Democrat members of both the Senate and Assembly, with the apparent support of Governor Schwarzenegger, are planning to ram through a plan that will allow for the early release of 27,000.

The recent murder of 17-year-old high school senior Lily Burk provides a sobering warning to those who advocate the early release of prisoners. Burk&#8217;s body was discovered July 25&#8212;with throat slashed and head beaten&#8212;in the passenger seat of her Volvo in downtown Los Angeles. Police have arrested Charles Samuel, a 50-year old whom the system had determined was a &#8220;low-risk&#8221; parolee. It&#8217;s now abundantly clear that Samuel was anything but &#8220;low-risk.&#8221;

Should thousands more &#8220;low-risk&#8221; parolees like Charles Samuel be released to roam California&#8217;s communities as envisioned by the court order or the current legislative proposal, it is inevitable that many more Lily Burks will soon be found dead on our streets. Releasing hardened criminals to make prison more roomy and comfortable for the remaining criminals is both foolish and short-sighted.

If California&#8217;s liberals do not come to their senses soon, it may be too late. You or someone you love could become the next Lily Burk.


Article:
http://www.inlandempire.us/rss/article.php?client=redfusion&id=20090818125753

:angel:
 
So sad, and so pointless.

Criminal scum - I just don't think they can be fixed.


Sharks in the middle of the ocean could take care of him and many others that deserve the same. I just wish there was a way.
 
That's a heck of a thing to do to innocent sharks!

I would volunteer to give him a severe case of lead positioning. The .45 ACP kind. On my dime.

Is there somewhere we can donate time or money for that? I'd be more than happy to oblige!
 
and Angels Not Forgotten...

I'll help ....oh please....let me help....
 

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