Tracy, CA–  The Dairy Worker who attempted to retrieve the remains of 8 year old Sandra Cantu, Jose Luis Franco, has been rewarded.

In a last minute decision to not appear publicly, and a in a private ceremony Thursday morning, Franco was presented with ,643 in reward money for reporting seeing a large black suitcase floating in a dairy farm irrigation ponds where he is employed, on April 6.

On Wednesday Tracy police issued a press release inviting the media to a public ceremony to honor Franco while he received his reward, but he apparently changed his mind on Thursday morning and opted for a private ceremony.

“He’s an average individual that doesn’t want the spotlight,” said Webb. “He’s very concerned about how this could affect him and his family.”

Police Sgt. Tony Sheneman said during the press conference that “cases involving missing children are very difficult and never easy to solve.”

The reward was presented on behalf of the Carrington/Sund Foundation.

Scott Webb, executive of the Carrington/Sund Foundation:

“He still came forward and did not hesitate,” said Scott Webb, executive director of the Carole Sund/Carrington Foundation, which publicizes missing persons cases and provides support for the families of missing people. “This signifies how a case can change based on one person’s information — one man’s decision to make the right choice brought closure to a grieving family.”

Los Angeles, CA– LAPD is scheduling a press conference later this afternoon to announce they believe John Floyd Thomas, Jr, 72, a workers compensation insurance adjuster, may have raped and murdered as many as 30 victims since 1966.

Thomas’s Mother died when he was 12. He was raised by his Aunt and his godmother. He received a dishonorable discharge from the USAF in 1956 and was convicted of robbery and attempted rape in 1957. Upon his release in 1966 the terror of the West Side Rapist began.

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Kent, WA– For anyone still thinking that that the “casual encounters” and “erotic” ad section of craigslist.com are perfectly safe-

Meet: Shawn Tyler  Skelton.

Skelton, a 24 year old Kent, Washington resident was arrested Monday evening after Vice detectives caught him placing an ad for “strange desires” where he wanted to have sex with a woman and then murder her. 

Detectives were alerted on Wednesday following Skelton’s ad placement and began emailing him. They made arrangements to meet a t a Motel Monday and arrested him when he showed up with a heavy chain and a knife. Skelton was arrested on attempted murder charges and is being held on 1 Million Dollars Bail.

Image courtesy of klaasend

Boston, MA– Phil Markoff, the alleged Craigslist killer appears to be an equal opportunity offender.  Reported this morning on the Today Show, Markoff used the email address sexaddict5385 to send explicit pictures and emails of himself to men he found on craigslist ads labeled M4T, meaning “men looking for transvestites.”  An edited picture of his account can be found on page 2 of this article. 

Markoff is accused of kidnapping and armed robbery of Las Vegas prostitute Trisha Leffler and the kidnapping and murder of 26 year old masseuse Julissa Brisman.

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BREAKING NEWS

Tracy, Ca– Announced on Kcra this evening, the FBI was in Clarkston, WA  at the First Church of God Church  and spoke with it’s pastor, Bill Creutzberg:

..” They were trying to put the pieces of their puzzle together, They were asking about certain people who might be able to lead them to other people. But I do not know exactly what they are looking for..” 

A source inside the investigation has confirmed to blinkoncrime.com that they are investigating previous alleged abuse allegations within the church against Clifford Lane Lawless, Huckaby’s grandfather. 

In a simultaneous development, although Pastor Lawless was seen on camera last evening at the church following an announcement that services would remain there, FBI agents were back at the Clover Baptist Church. Police have indicated they believe Sandra Cantu, 8, was murdered there.

As their is a gag order in the case, attempts to confirm that a search warrant was issued at either location were refused.

Agents were seen entering the church for approximately 20 minutes, and left with a few “tubes” in their posession. There are unverified reports that the tubes taken into evidence are projection screens.  However, Blink on crime has learned that one of the items is a screen, and the others are blinds. The same source, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated that Tracy Police and the FBI are in posession of video evidence containing footage of  blinds; thus the seizure.  The agents were seen removing the evidence without a CSI team which may indicate they do not suspect there is physical evidence to link them to Sandra’s murder.

Melissa Huckaby is due in court tomorrow to face charges of kidnapping, rape with a foreign object, child molestation and murder charges in the death of 8 year old Sandra Cantu. Her arraingment is scheduled for  1PM PST.

Check back to blinkoncrime.com for updates.

Still Images courtesy of Klaasend

Rome, Italy– Ina Caterina Remhof, 26 a German Native, and her Boyfriend, Sascha Schmidt, 24, were located on the outskirts of the Northern Italian town, Aosta.

The couple abandoned Remhof’s children from a previous marriage, a boy, 6, a girl, 4 and an infant boy, eight months last Sunday evening after eating at a pizzeria and going outside to smoke. They abandoned the couple’s car and left a detailed diary of the family’s Financial strains behind.