Ladyjustice is often fascinated by the unique finds on shows such as PBS’ Antique Roadshow and the like. There is something special when an unusual item is closely linked to history. If only such respect was paid to persons who go missing and ultimately murdered as they do to their precious potential antiques!

It occurred to LJ while listening to the case of Danielle Hill Alvarado on a radio episode of Crimewire recently, that there have been far too many cases in which a person died and was literally discarded as garbage- that tragic ultimate resting place was a dumpster and/or landfill. This blogger is compelled to “shine a light” on such cases, in hopes that in some small way, others may have answers to those currently unsolved cases.  These sociopaths think nothing of others… They are skilled at “playing the game of life” without really participating. Their true talents lie in masquerade.

The Case of Danielle Hill Alvarado:

Danielle, age 21, came from a small town (15 miles south of the Texas/Oklahoma border).  She lived a small town life and was married to Jonathan Alvarado with a 5 year old daughter, Nicki.  Danielle went missing on January 24, 2010. It appears this man was an abuser from the get go and had a “history behind closed doors.” (i.e. Danielle’s statements like “It will be far worse punishment if I disobey/ don’t do X.”)  In addition, Jonathan had a history of drug abuse was a serial intimate partner abuser and was arrested for aggravated assault two months prior to Danielle’s disappearance. As told on Crimewiresire.org, Belinda’s mother is currently the guardian for her granddaughter. Belinda learned from her son-in-law’s employer -property owner that Danielle was choked to death, dumped and ultimately put in a city landfill bordering the two states!

Power and control was the status quo with Jonathan.  What harm would come to the relationship for Danielle to attend church and a baby shower with family members?  Absolutely none…  However, this is the “big event” that sent Jonathan over the edge?  Danielle’s family reportedly pleaded with her not to return home after the shower.  But, as they so often do, Danielle may have had a false sense of: She’d rather tolerate a “lesser beating for disobedience rather than a severe beating later…” Such a sad story…

The rest of the story to date is that Jonathan’s “employer-protector” seems to have divulged the vile truth to Belinda, like “dropping a bomb” and thinking nothing of it as he was her handyman and “such a nice guy!”  As Susan Murphy Milano so aptly pointed out, this woman was aiding and abetting a criminal.  Where is her conscience? Where is her sense of right and wrong?  What circumstances would ever justify a man disposing of a woman like a Kleenex tissue?  ‘Disobedience over going to church and a baby shower?  This was her husband…not a military officer.

Jonathan also made 22 cell phone calls during the baby shower and then nothing. Jonathan’s mother lied about Danielle’s whereabouts.  Immediately after her disappearance, Jonathan and his father used borrowed funds and left for Florida although there was no reason for their destination.  Police and parole officers were less than zealous about Jonathan’s unlawful exit.  Danielle was branded as a “street person”, based on the behaviors of Jonathan alone, and the police did not speak to Belinda or investigate in any meaningful way.

Good riddance to bad rubbish …wherever you are Jonathan Alvarado! Let’s bring Danielle home.

 A YouTube tribute video can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j3KO0_N1YY.  For further details on this story, please go to the Crimewire link at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/crimewire/2011/09/14/crime-wire-investigates-tuesdays-900-pm-eastern-time.

The Mysterious Case of John Wheeler:

According to CNN News sources and Daniel Bates, a British reporter for www.dailymail.co.uk, the bizarre case of Washington government official, John Wheeler was shrouded in mystery and unanswered questions prior to his untimely death on December 31, 2010.

This 66 year old man, resident of Wilmington, Delaware, served under three Presidential Administrations including Reagan and George W. Bush.  Wheeler is credited with being the impetus behind the approval and funding for the Vietnam War Memorial. At 3:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, a garbage truck released his body from a truck at the Cherry Island landfill in Delaware. Prior to the discovery of his body, the facts as reported are:

• Forty-eight hours before his body was located, John Wheeler was wandering around a parking lot looking for a car and appearing disoriented, coatless and with one shoe in the freezing weather adjacent to the New Castle County Courthouse;
• The parking lot attendant noted that he was disoriented. When asked about his welfare, but she failed to report his unusual behavior in a timely manner;
• The next morning Wheeler was observed walking in downtown Wilmington;
• No evidence was located during searches of his home in Wilmington and Manhattan apartment.  Although the floor boards were removed, it “wasn’t considered it a crime scene;”
• Background checks revealed that Wheeler’s current wife had a wealthy sister-socialite, Emily Klyce Fisher who was stabbed to death in her home in 1995.  It is questionable whether this murder was ever solved;
• The most promising lead as of January 2011, was that John Wheeler and a neighbor were having an ongoing argument concerning the neighbor building a house on an adjacent property.  Evidently, a legal battle ensued as the addition would have restricted Wheeler’s view and Wheeler’s claim that the house was “too big for the area.”  In fact, police confirmed that a smoke bomb was placed under the neighbor’s house a week before John’s murder;
• Police refused to comment on the manner of death but later reports indicated it was blunt force trauma;
• Another possible motive was speculated by a blogger concerning Wheeler’s views on biological warfare.  Sources at the Washington Post revealed that Wheeler wrote a manual on the effectiveness [LJ- Or lack of effectiveness] of biological and chemical weapons.  Supposedly, Wheeler was against the use of such warfare. [LJ- Could he have been in the midst of blowing the whistle re pesticides?  Were there classified documents in his briefcase that others wanted?]

• Still another speculative theory is that Wheeler had a form of dementia [LJ- Sudden onset disorientation would be more representative of a head injury, brain tumors, hematoma (clotted blood due to a break in a blood vessel, encephalopathy(lesions in the brain sometimes caused by prolonged alcohol abuse) and not a dementia which is typically a more gradual onset of symptoms;

Status of the Wheeler Case as of September 2011:

New information is limited…  However more is known about the

Timeline:

• Two days prior to his murder, Newark police learned that Wheeler walked into a pharmacy in which he was a customer and “asked for a ride,” The pharmacist offered to call him a cab.  Wheeler declined the offer;
• The parking lot attendant was assured by Wheeler that “I’m not drunk.”  “I’m not drunk” despite his disorientation and unkempt look, lack of a coat in 30 degree weather;
• Wheeler told Imen Goldsborough, the attendant that his briefcase had been stolen;
• Wheeler was seen the next day on December 30^th in another office building in downtown Wilmington via security cameras as late as 8:30 p.m.;
• During the afternoon between 2:30 and 3;30 p.m. John came in contact with several people who offered to help, but he declined;
• Wheeler was reported to be wearing similar clothes as the previous day as well as a sweatshirt;
• Police and the FBI are searching for the crime scene and the missing briefcase which could provide a link to the murder;
• The dispute with the neighbor is only “one facet of the investigation.” Wheeler’s attorney said “it was not contentious, but within normal bounds;
• Wheeler’s biographical history includes being the first Chairman of “Mothers Against Drunk Driving.” 

Was this an organized crime killing?  Denny Griffin, we need your expertise!

The Tragic Case of Lori Hacking:

Many readers may be familiar with this shocking case, as it appears to have occurred around the same time as the Chandra Levy, the Washington D.C. aide slain while jogging…  

As per an article by Rebecca Leung who interviewed Maureen Maher, a CBS,   48 Hours Correspondent in February, 2009. Mark Hacking was a “goofy looking dude,” who got lucky and attracted a cute woman…  Lori Hacking referred to Mark as “my big old teddy bear.”  ‘Trouble is… his actions were those of a pathological liar who weaved a pack of lies more intricate and lengthy than anyone could have imagined!

[LJ- I’ll bet Sandra L. Brown of the Institute for Relational Harm Reduction and Public Pathology Education would have a thing or two to say about this guy…http://saferelationshipsmagazine.com.]

Lori and Mark lived in Salt Lake City Utah and had plans to move to North Carolina where Mark intended to begin medical school.  It appears that while Mark “charmed his way entertaining children at a psychiatric hospital…and bamboozled his wife and in-laws for five years, he was no closer to enrolling in medical school than a kindergartener! His elaborate ruse included “pretending to be psychotic-walking around naked, but with shoes on.”  He also pretended to take a trip to Manhattan to interview at Columbia University-ultimately staying with a cousin.  In fact, he never graduated college.  He stopped attending classes after three years.

Mark’s deceptions were revealed when his mother called the Hacking’s answering machine, asking why he wasn’t on the enrollment list at the North Carolina medical school.  (Mom being Mom, had attempted to pay his tuition.)

Lori learned the news, confronted “the teddy bear,” they argued, he took off to a hotel.  The next day… so the story goes, Lori told friends she and Mark “reconciled things and made up.”  (At this point, Lori was five weeks pregnant with their first child.)  Hacking went through the motions (Similar to Scott Peterson) reporting his wife missing and lying about the circumstances.  Hacking claimed Lori went jogging and never returned.  Next, he made his public thank yous for search efforts and actually went mattress shopping when he was supposed to be searching.  Mark allegedly confessed that he killed Lori while she slept in bed and then… “put her in the trash” where her body (and soiled mattress) was found under more than 2,000 tons of garbage.

Douglas Hacking, Mark’s father stated that Mark confessed he felt pressure to achieve, as his brothers were high achievers… and when he “couldn’t make the grade” and knew he would disappoint his family, he began lying and subsequently eliminated his wife and child.

The Ultimate Irony:  Paul Soares, Lori’s brother, related that Lori would have continued to love Mark anyway as long as he was trying his best.

[LJ-He tried his best at the wrong thing, the most dastardly thing on earth.  Mark Hacking put his wife and unborn child in the earth.  He played God when no one has such a right!]

Little Somer Thompson:

Nearly two years ago, on or about October 22, 2009, Somer Thompson from Orange Park Florida went missing on her way home from school.  She was seven years old and a twin who assumed it was safe to walk home from school. Sheriff Rick Bessler reported that he had to report the tragic news that her body was discovered in a landfill.  This was a first time crime for the small town of Orange Park.

According to a Camembert County publication as of October 22, 2009, police, “rounded up known sex offenders and garbage pickers,” but initially had no prime suspect.  Investigators were trying to determine the time of death before or after the disposal of her body. 

Update as of March 26, 2010: Twenty four year old John Harrell was charged with the kidnapping and murder of Somer Thompson after long delays in the processing of forensic computer analysis with a “no rush status” by Clay County Florida investigators, which finally resulted in 55 counts of child pornography. As told by Dr. Clint Van Zandt, former FBI profiler and founder of www.livesecure.org, Harrell maintained a “secret stockpile” of child porn labeled, “Don’t lose music.” This stash was discovered by his former roommates.  Evidently Harrell had been ousted from his apartment after they suspected that he had stolen an I-Pod. [LJ thinks Harrell wasn’t the smartest of criminals as he left behind his computer and many incriminating CDs.  No doubt he was thrown out with little time to prepare.  Luckily, the 20 something roommates had a collective conscience and turned over the evidence to police two months prior to Somer’s murder.]

The Likelihood of the Crime: Pattern of Conduct & Jarred Harrell’s Culpability:

Dr. Van Zandt provides the likely scenario-factors that contributed to young Somer’s death.

• Somer wasn’t merely snatched away from her group of friends.  She argued with her friend, ran ahead of the group and was kidnapped after her separation;
• Previous history of child pornography viewing as evidenced by his computer files;
• Apprehension in Meridian Mississippi and arrest for child molestation and child pornography;
• History of suspected theft;
• Harrell’s former residence on Gano Avenue was located near a school and near Somer Thompson’s Orange Park home. [LJ- Where were the police and Federal officials requiring Harrell to register as a sex offender?  Nowhere… because the evidence wasn’t processed soon enough, nor did an arrest occur until November prior to Somer’s murder in order to save her life! Timing and opportunity is everything -especially concerning sexual predators and murderers!]
• As Harrell lived en route to an elementary school, he had access to groups of children and the opportunity to observe them daily.  He also no doubt observed them in the neighborhood playing.
• Harrell may have seized the moment as Somer ran ahead from the group and easily overpowered her without being seen;
• Harrell was in the construction trade, assisted in building a restaurant and offered to be a cook. [LJ- This makes him a “hanger-on” in my opinion, an opportunist who “changes with the wind.”]
• Ladyjustice speculates that as a cook, Harrell would have easy access to a commercial dumpster, whose dumpsite would have been the Georgia landfill reported to be 60 miles from where Somer was kidnapped;

Somer’s mother, Diena Thompson reported on March 29, 2010, that Jarred Harrell is…“A monster. That’s all this person is,” at “Somer Jam,” a fundraising concert she organized in Jacksonville to benefit the Somer Thompson Foundation. “I’d like to take this opportunity to say, ‘Jarred Harrell, we got you, and you ain’t gettin away.”

He is now in prison facing his 50 sexual abuse charges, child pornography and creation charges, and now kidnapping, assault of a minor and first degree murder in the death of Somer Thompson.

Please view the moving YouTube video of Diena’s comments: http://pysih.com/2010/03/29/jared-mitchell-harrell/ 

The Case of Marta Jimenez:

Marta was a 44 year old hard working convenience store clerk in East Montgomery County, Conroe Texas. 

As of April 20, 2011 her husband, Luis Hernandez Jimenez argued with his wife during the previous weekend.  Accounts from www.khou.com and www.yourhoustonnews.com reported that Luis worked for the local landfill near Cleveland for the past for years.  [LJ- ‘How convenient!].  Marta’s 18 year old daughter reported her missing the day after she did not return home from work.

Police found “irrefutable evidence” that Marta was killed.  Eight Texas Equusearch cadaver dogs were used in addition to a very organized and methodical trash distribution and grid search system.   Police were given false information that Marta had gone to Mexico with a friend.  Luis Jimenez was charged with tampering with evidence and submitting false statements and was being held in the Montgomery County jail pending further charges. 

In the end, can we say that John Wheeler and Marta Jimenez or Lori Hacking, Danielle Alverado and little Somer Thompson had anything in common in life?

It doesn’t appear so…  They all lived separate and distinct lives. However, it is in death and their manner of death that they share much in common.  They were people, not trash!  I’ll bet they are best friends in heaven now.  Let us never forget them!

Respectfully told,

Ladyjustice