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Texas mayor apparently shot teen daughter, self

July 15th, 2010 . by TexasFred
Texas mayor apparently shot teen daughter, self

COPPELL, Texas (AP) - Four notes were found at a home where the mayor of an upscale Dallas suburb apparently shot her 19-year-old daughter to death before fatally shooting herself, police said Wednesday.

An envelope taped to the front door of Mayor Jayne Peters’ home contained a key to the house and a typed note warning police they would find something unpleasant inside, Coppell Deputy Police Chief Steve Thomas said.

Three other notes contained instructions for managing family affairs, such as taking care of the dogs, but did not provide explanations for the deaths of Peters and her 19-year-old daughter, Corinne.

“It appeared to me that there had been some thought,” Thomas said.

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Texas mayor apparently shot teen daughter, self

It appeared to me that there had been some thought

Seriously? He said that?

The woman left 4 separate notes and the Coppell Deputy Police Chief actually said, “It appeared to me that there had been some thought”?

Dude, you are a genius! There was “some thought” put into this? Ya think?

Police found the bodies Tuesday after the mayor failed to show up at a city council meeting. They said the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Wednesday that the case should be officially classified as a homicide-suicide investigation.

“Forensic tests (and) procedures performed point to Corinne being the victim in this tragedy, with Mayor Peters subsequently taking her own life,” police said in a statement. “Both of the fatal injuries are a result of a single gun shot wounds.”

This is a terrible tragedy. I always hate to see or hear of a story like this. We recently had a very similar situation occur here in Rowlett, Police confirm Rowlett judge killed by husband in murder-suicide. What is it with the domestic violence in our elected officials and their families?

“Everybody in the room is like, ‘Did we miss a sign?’” Bob Mahalik, mayor pro tem who is now acting mayor of the city, said of council members’ reaction to the deaths. “It’s hard to wrap your arms around it.”

Missed a sign? Maybe, but don’t go blaming yourselves for this. You’re not your brothers keeper, and there is no way to tell what evil and darkness is lurking in the heart and mind of a human being.

The mayor’s husband, Donald Peters, died of cancer in 2008 at the age of 58.

Jayne Peters was a contract software developer who served as mayor of Coppell, a city of about 40,000 located 15 miles northwest of Dallas, for the past year. Her term was to expire in 2012. She had been a council member since 1998.

There are underlying motives here, an untold story. There has to be. Regretfully, Peters took that story to the grave with her I’m afraid. I can’t, and won’t even begin to speculate as to the root causes of this.

“She enjoyed what she was doing as mayor and she was good at what she did,” said Mahalik, who last saw Peters waving and passing out candy at the city’s Independence Day parade. “She attended almost everything, every ribbon-cutting, speaking at the schools, the chamber, regional meetings.”

Todd Storch, of Coppell, had known Peters for about a year. When his 13-year-old daughter died in a skiing accident in March, Peters was there for him and his family and later took a spot on the foundation he formed in his daughter’s name to increase awareness for organ donation.

“She was just one of those rocks that was always there. We kind of grieved together,” Storch said.

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Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia dead at 92

June 28th, 2010 . by TexasFred

Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia dead at 92

WASHINGTON (AP) - Robert C. Byrd, the longest serving member of the U.S. Senate, a fiery orator and hard-charging power broker who steered billions of federal dollars to his beloved West Virginia, died Monday. He was 92.

A spokesman for the family, Jesse Jacobs, said that Byrd died peacefully at about 3 a.m. at Inova Hospital in Fairfax, Va. He had been in the hospital since late last week.

At first Byrd was believed to be suffering from heat exhaustion and severe dehydration, but other medical conditions developed. He had been in frail health for several years.

A man of humble, Depression-era upbringing, Byrd held his seat for over 50 years, working tirelessly all that time to make sure his state never missed out on its share - or even more, in some cases - of the federal largesse. He was the Senate’s majority leader for six of those years and was third in the line of succession to the presidency, behind House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Flags at the Capitol and the White House flew at half-staff Monday as Washington mourned Byrd’s passing. Byrd’s desk in Senate chamber was draped in black.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a fellow West Virginian in the Senate, said it was his “greatest privilege” to serve with Byrd.

“I looked up to him, I fought next to him, and I am deeply saddened that he is gone,” Rockefeller said.

The Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said Byrd “combined a devotion to the U.S. Constitution with a deep learning of history to defend the interests of his state and the traditions of the Senate.”

“We will remember him for his fighter’s spirit, his abiding faith, and for the many times he recalled the Senate to its purposes,” McConnell said.

Former President Jimmy Carter said Byrd “was my closest and most valuable adviser” during his presidency, when Byrd served as Senate majority leader. Byrd was skilled “in using arcane Senate rules to achieve his goals, and was proud of his ability to count votes and forge prevailing coalitions,” Carter said in a statement.

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Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia dead at 92

I guess *Term Limits* finally caught up to him! :twisted:


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TV pitchman Billy Mays found dead at Florida home

June 28th, 2009 . by TexasFred

TV pitchman Billy Mays found dead at Florida home

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Billy Mays, the burly, bearded television pitchman whose boisterous hawking of products such as Orange Glo and OxiClean made him a pop-culture icon, has died. He was 50.

Tampa police said Mays’ wife found him unresponsive Sunday morning. A fire rescue crew pronounced him dead at 7:45 a.m. It was not immediately clear how he died. He said he was hit on the head when an airplane he was on made a rough landing Saturday, and his wife, Deborah Mays, told investigators he didn’t feel well before he went to bed about 10 p.m. that night.

There were no signs of a break-in at the home, and investigators do not suspect foul play, said Lt. Brian Dugan of the Tampa Police Department, who wouldn’t answer questions about how Mays’ body was found because of the ongoing investigation. The coroner’s office expects to have an autopsy done by Monday afternoon.

“Although Billy lived a public life, we don’t anticipate making any public statements over the next couple of days,” Deborah Mays said in a statement Sunday. “Our family asks that you respect our privacy during these difficult times.”

U.S. Airways confirmed that Mays was among the passengers on a flight that made a rough landing on Saturday afternoon at Tampa International Airport, leaving debris on the runway after apparently blowing its front tires.

Full Story Here:
TV pitchman Billy Mays found dead at Florida home

He was loud. He was annoying. I liked him. A lot. He was the ultimate *pitch man*. This guy could sell ice makers to Eskimos.

BUT WAIT! IF YOU CALL IN THE NEXT 10 MINUTES, WE’LL DOUBLE YOUR ORDER. THAT’S RIGHT, 2 BOTTLES OF OXICLEAN. AND I’M NOT DONE YET.

FOR THE 1ST 10 CALLERS WE’LL THROW IN A PICTURE OF THAT SHAM-WOW GUY!

OPERATORS ARE STANDING BY! CALL US NOW!

I’M BILLY MAYS, AND I AM PLAYING ON A MUCH BIGGER STAGE NOW!

Photobucket

Rest in Peace Billy!


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