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Drug dealer says defendant tells him “I make people disappear.”

Hi friends, family and followers:

Another day in the Mario Casciaro first-degree murder trial.

At the end of the day the whole situation is just so sad. Everyone involved in this tale were just teenagers when all of this calamity was put into motion.

If anything good comes of this sad sordid tale, let it be  a reminder that we really need to pay attention to who our kids are hanging out with.

We need to know at all times what they are doing.

Also a reminder that the teen years, the years of experimentation, can result in long-lasting problems. Our kids need to know that decisions they are making now, if not good choices, can follow them around for the rest of their lives.

(link below)

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-brian-carrick-trial-0329-20130329,0,5660141.story

I welcome any and all comments.

Until next time…

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Decade old, cold-case trial: Day 2, Why didn’t key witness just tell the truth the first time? Who failed him?

Life is just easier when people tell the truth the first time.

And if this trial teaches us anything it is just that: No matter how much trouble you think you are going to get in, tell the truth anyway. (link to today’s story below)

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-brian-carrick-trial-20130328,0,5353309.story

I believe this is one of the first lessons parents should teach their children about life. It is pretty simple actually. Isn’t it?

And when you tell the truth it is so much easier then trying to remember what you said to who.  So just tell the truth.

There is so much that came out this week about the state’s key witness, Shane Lamb.  Lamb is the guy who actually, now admits, he threw the punch that killed Brian Carrick. His testimony is that he did this in response to another man telling him to scare Brian Carrick for drug money he owed.

This is the second time I have watched Shane Lamb testify as to what he did to Brian Carrick.

People see him as a thug. True, he is huge, bald and has intensely angry dark brown eyes. At just 28 years old, he has been in prison five times for drugs and aggravated batteries.

In court this week it came out that the first serious trouble he found himself in was when he was  just 14 years old. He was charged with attempted murder.

When asked where he went to high school, his response was that he had spent most of his high school years in juvenile prison.

Someone somewhere failed this kid miserably. I cannot help but feel sorry for him — and angry toward his parents.

 

Don’t get me wrong, I feel so deeply sad for the family of Brian Carrick. It breaks my heart seeing his elderly dad sit in the courtroom hunched over, coughing. He looks just so sad, heartbroken really.

What I mean is that Shane Lamb didn’t have a chance and nobody that gets in his way has a chance of escaping his anger and rage. Anger and rage that I am convinced is not even meant for his victims, yet they are the one’s feeling his impact. We are all paying for his rage, for what his parents didn’t do.

Today he is a 28-year-old convicted felon, getting into fights in bars (since released from prison on unrelated drug charges he has been in a bar fight with two guys, a violation of his parole, charges still pending) and produce coolers (that is if he is telling the truth this time), making deals with prosecutors for lesser charges on serious drug charges.  He claims to have murdered a young boy then walk away and not even care if he was dead or not when he left him lying there on a cold floor.

What happened here?

Please read, share, “like” let me now you stopped by.

Until next time love each other

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Decade old cold-case, retrial underway, still no body

 

In this retrial all parties are present. Brian Carrick has not been seen for more than 10 years, Mario Casciaro accused of putting into motion the fateful twists and turns that led to the young boy’s death. Carrick a good boy but a bad drug dealer, says the prosecutor. Defense says Casciaro had nothing to do with his death.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-johnsburg-murder-retrial-20130326,0,3253869.story?fb_action_ids=10200262694903791&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_ref=s%3DshowShareBarUI%3Ap%3Dfacebook-like&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582

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Small Midwest town, young boy, decade old mystery – no body

Well I spent a wonderful weekend with my girls thanks to my wonderful husband! Abby is doing great and I thank you all for your prayers.

We seem to be slowly returning back to normal…Abby’s next doctor’s appointment is April 3. Will update.

Back to work for me this week, while Tony stays home to keep an eye on the girls.  I am looking forward to covering this murder trial, for a second time. The justice system is fascinating and this story is something I’d watch on Investigative Discovery. People in these two families and this small rural Midwest town are still hanging on to see it all conclude.

After more than 10 years, a trial that ended in a mistrial with a hung jury, dozens of rumors, a perjury trial, the death of the missing boy’s mother and the lead investigator, this story continues.  People fight for justice. But even more so I see how being young and impulsive and being in the wrong place at the wrong time can destroy lives and a community, and magnify its love. I’d love to hear your feedback on this story. If interested I will continue to post updates from court for the next two weeks.

My pre-trial story below.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-brian-carrick-murder-trial-20130324,0,6812344.story

Until next time, love each other.

Like, share, follow let me know you stopped by!

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Mom, not guilty be reason of insanity in stabbing of son

Hi friends, family and followers:

 

Please someone make sense of this story for me…..(Link below) I just covered this trial this morning.  Life is just so  hard for some. Love your people and let them love you back! I really want to know what happened at that retreat she went to…. I look forward to your comments.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-harvard-mother-not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity-20130321,0,2627634.story

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Hello friends, family and followers.

Tonight, I wrote on Bittersweet over at ChicagoNow a short post on baby Jonylah Watkins funeral that took place  today before hundreds of mourners in a south side church.

I know I’ve talked and written a lot about our personal situation here at home, and I so appreciate all the support and love we as a family have felt in return. I have met so many new people out in the “bloggosphere” who are dealing with exactly the same thing we are. The support has been so uplifting and educational. It helps me so much I can’t even put it all into words (too funny right, since that is what I do, put feelings into words).

But today I wanted to sing a different song, and felt Jonylah deserved some time in my heart and in all of our thoughts.

Please see ChicagoNow (link below) “like” share, comment, and let me know you stopped by. Please click follow on Amandamarrazzo.com and type in your email on the Bittersweet page at ChicagoNow. Thank you for all your love and support.

We are on our way now to Abby’s school for her choir and band concert. Thank God we get to do that. Jonylah’s mom will never be able to do that with her daughter. Puts everything in perspective.

Until next time….

http://www.chicagonow.com/bittersweet/2013/03/baby-jonylah-goodnight-sweet-girl/

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Amanda Marrazzo's avatarAmanda Marrazzo

Hi dear friends, family and followers, please visit Bittersweet over at ChicagoNow and share a short little ditty I wrote expressing feelings of loss and regret in light of our daughter’s recent health issue. As always, your thoughts and insight mean so much to me and I’d love anything you’d like to share.

Until next time……

http://www.chicagonow.com/bittersweet/2013/03/what-id-give/

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Simple securities now gone ….

Hi dear friends, family and followers, please visit Bittersweet over at ChicagoNow and share a short little ditty I wrote expressing feelings of loss and regret in light of our daughter’s recent health issue. As always, your thoughts and insight mean so much to me and I’d love anything you’d like to share.

Until next time……

http://www.chicagonow.com/bittersweet/2013/03/what-id-give/

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Still holding my breath ….

Our lives have been flipped upside down in recent weeks. I wrote a post over on Chicago Now Bittersweet.com about what has been going on in our lives here at home. My daughter’s medical issue has consumed me and fear has taken over. But she is strong and full of surprises and she amazes me. So please visit and share your thoughts. In case anyone is concerned that maybe I should not have written about her, I asked her if it was OK and she said it was. See, she amazes me!

http://www.chicagonow.com/bittersweet/2013/03/when-my-world-shakes-my-heart-breaks/

Until next time….

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Holding my breath, waiting for the season to pass

Hi friends, family and followers, please visit me over at Bittersweet and share a short personal story of an uncertain, turbulent life season. I’d love it if you’d share stories of tough uncertain times in your life and tell me about what lesson you learned from that season.

http://www.chicagonow.com/bittersweet/2013/03/when-can-i-breathe/

Until next time…