Los Angeles
‘Grim Sleeper’ arrest: Using a controversial method of DNA analysis, Los Angeles police have arrested a man they say is the “Grim Sleeper,” a serial killer believed responsible for a string of murders from 1985 to 2007. Police located the accused killer, Lonnie Franklin, using a technique called “familial search,” which involves tracking down people whose DNA partially matches that found at the crime scene. Such a search led investigators to a relative of Franklin’s who is in prison; he led police to Franklin, whose DNA matched that found on several murder victims. Franklin, 57, is charged with killing 10 women over a 22-year stretch. Some civil-liberties advocates argue that familial DNA searches constitute an unconstitutional form of police search.
Oakland, Calif.
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Take a number: Oakland police say they will no longer be able to respond to reports of burglary, vandalism, identity theft, and about 40 other crimes now that the city has laid off 80 officers, or about 10 percent of the workforce. Police Chief Anthony Batts said the depleted police force will have to triage its response to crimes, and get around to investigating less serious ones when officers aren’t handling more pressing matters. The layoffs came after talks between the city and the police union broke down. The union offered concessions on its pension plan in return for a three-year, no-layoff guarantee, but city officials said more layoffs are virtually inevitable. “We all agree we need more police,” said Oakland City Council President Jane Brunner, “but we can’t afford it.”
Tucson
Mystery of Iranian scientist: The murky tale of an Iranian scientist who spent the past year in Arizona turned even stranger this week, when he returned to Iran, claiming he had been kidnapped by U.S. intelligence agents. Shahram Amiri, the star of two YouTube videos in which he alternately complained of his abduction and said he was in the U.S. voluntarily, this week sought asylum in Pakistan’s embassy in Washington, which handles U.S. consular affairs for Iran. Amiri, 32, claims U.S. agents abducted him during a 2009 pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. U.S. intelligence officials contend that Amiri, who reportedly knows details of Iran’s nuclear program, was in the U.S. voluntarily. They say he returned to Iran out of concern for his family’s safety.
Palin’s prowess: Signs are growing that Sarah Palin is preparing a 2012 presidential run. SarahPAC, the political action committee founded by the former GOP vice presidential candidate, raised an impressive $866,000 in this year’s second quarter, doling out $87,500 to Republican candidates. The PAC listed $742,000 in expenses, including $128,000 for Palin’s travel to conservative political gatherings around the country. The PAC also released a two-minute video in which Palin aligns herself with “mama grizzlies,” described in the video as “angry, tax-bled” women determined to stop Washington’s “transformation of America.” While Palin is coy about her political plans, her aides appear to be gearing up for a presidential bid. “We’ve got a pretty formidable thing going on,” said SarahPAC treasurer Tim Crawford, “and it grows every day.”
New York City
Russians go home: Bringing the curtain down on a saga with Cold War overtones, 10 Russians accused of being “sleeper agents” for Russian intelligence were swapped for four Russian citizens accused of spying for the U.S. The exchange brought an end to a bizarre drama involving Russians attempting to infiltrate centers of political and economic power. Intelligence sources say they learned nothing of real value. Anna Chapman, the redheaded femme fatale at the center of the case, reportedly had hoped to resettle in London, but the British government rejected that possibility. She is considering writing a tell-all book, although the terms of her guilty plea bar her from exploiting her story. In the meantime, she’s keeping followers updated on her Facebook page.
New Orleans
Cops charged in slayings: The federal government this week waded into a notorious case from the chaotic days following Hurricane Katrina, indicting four current and two former New Orleans police officers in connection with the shooting of six hurricane survivors. According to the indictment, four heavily armed police officers raced to the Danziger Bridge in east New Orleans in response to a report of shooting. There, they shot a total of six unarmed people, killing two, one of them a mentally handicapped man who died after one of the officers allegedly kicked him in the head. The six accused allegedly had concocted false stories to cover up the crimes. Some could face the death penalty if convicted.
