Violent Felonies: March 2009 Archives

March 11, 2009

San Diego Homicide Case Exposed in New Book

Stephanie Crowe, 12, was stabbed to death in the bedroom of her Escondido home in January 1998. Her brother and two of his friends were arrested. The case collapsed on the eve of trail after drops of the girl's blood were found on clothes worn by a transient seen in the neighborhood the night of the slaying.

The transient was eventually charged in the case and convicted of voluntary manslaughter. An attorney representing the Crowe family brought a false-arrest lawsuit against the San Diego authorities after hiring one of America's most famous and controversial forensic pathologists, Dr. Cyril Wecht.

In Dr. Wecht's latest book, "A Question of Murder" he openly challenges the conduct of the police and prosecutors in the Crowe case. Dr. Wecht said he was disturbed by "the way the cops zeroed in on the victims brother and the two others without conducting a meaningful, encompassing investigation." He further stated, "That case cries out to anybody who is interested in ethical conduct in our criminal-justice system. Police and prosecutorial bias, incompetence - those kinds of things happen with greater frequency than most of us want to acknowledge."

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March 9, 2009

Robber Killed in San Diego Shootout Had Prior Offenses

The would-be robber who was killed in a shootout after he tried to rob an employee and shop owner at gunpoint had a criminal record that included drug and gun offenses. Court records show Michael Watkins Jr., 26, had been convicted of three felonies and spent much of his time in jail, on probation or in drug rehabilitation.

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