MandyMurphey's Blog

Tonight almost six years after a St. Louis County police officer was shot in the face, both of the people inside the suv that night are speaking openly about what happened.  Tom Zeigler and Patty March were both officers and dating at the time.  Both have lost their careers and more.  Patty now has a glass eye and has gone through more than 15 surgeries with more to come.  Tom went from being a Major Case squad detective to a factory worker.  Both tell very different versions about who pulled the trigger.  My story describes the events each of them say led up to the shooting and what they remember and when.

 

An update tonight on the Ferrill five quintuplets, the first quints born at Barnes Jewish hospital.  I've had the priviledge of getting to know Pete, Jenny and the kids over the past couple of years.  They decided to share a very personal story with me which we are airing in the fox files.  It's never easy to admit that you can't pay your bills.  They decided to make that admission simply because they felt their community and the public as a whole thought they cashed in on their notoriety.  That simply isn't true.  They received national attention but did not get a free car and house as many thought.  They didn't get a life time supply of diapers or anything of the sort.  All of the kids have developed life long medical conditions that drain them financially.  They live in a tiny house and cannot afford anything more. They are not looking for handouts and they love each of their children dearly.  They don't complain.  Now... for those of you who might say... they took fertility treatments and should have known having quints was a possibility.  I address that in my story.  But this couple lost two babies and used some fertility treatment.  But their doctor told them at the most, she might get pregnant with twins.  They had no idea until their ultrasound that quints were a possibility much less a reality.  But despite their financial stresses, they wouldn't change a thing. 

DJ Chastain collapsed and died exactly two years ago during basketball practice at Silex High School in Lincoln County.  He had a heart condition that had never been diagnosed.  His coach did cpr but DJ died.  DJ's mother filed a wrongful death lawsuit this year because she learned that the school's AED was locked in an office.  She wishes that it would have been avaiable and used on her son to shock his son heart. The school's attorney argues DJ still would not have survived.  His mother wishes someone could have tried.  The lawsuit was settled. The school admitted no guilt and legally was immune from lawsuits.  DJ's mother Billie Houghton sued not for money but to try to bring about change.  She would like to see school's required to have AEDs and a limit on sports practice times.  Billie would like to hear from other families who encourage AEDs in schools.   Our investigation found not only are schools not required to have them, the state education department doesn't even recommend them.  You can check out my fox files on this boy's tragic death.

I know... it's been a while since I last blogged. But I wanted to share some background information on my Fox files tonight.  I went to Vandalia womens prison to do a story on pregnant inmates.  These are women who are pregnant when a judge sends them to prison.  What happens to these babies when it's time for the mothers to deliver?  They are forced to hand them over to either family members, adoptive parents or to foster care.  I was amazed at the program offered to these women from members of the Mennonite church.  They will take these babies and raise them until the mothers get out of prison.  They bring the children to see the mother at least once a month.  They also pay for their care.  I was also saddened to see the visiting area at the prison.  The prison encourages family visits and has a very nice area for those visits.  The sad part is seeing all of the toys, baby seats and pictures made by children for their moms who are prison.  You realize the impact of crime on these innocent victims. 

 

I have done many interviews over my 17 years in St. Louis but the one airing tonight on the Fox Files stands out as one I will always remember.  FBI agent Lynn Willett agreed to sit down with me to talk about what happened the day Ben Ownby and Shawn Hornbeck were found.  Agent Willett got the call to follow up on a lead that came into the FBI.  Ben Ownby had been kidnapped on four days earlier while walking home from school in Bufort.  Willett went to check out a report of a man who owned a white truck like the one seen in the area at the time of Ben's disappearance.  She allowed Devlin to finish the lunch hour rush at Imos in Kirkwood.  There was no indication that this lead was any stronger than the many others that had come into the FBI headquarters.  Willett and her partner Tina Kinney talked to Devlin in their car.  This was not what you think of in a typical interrogation.  Willett had to gain Devlin's trust. She asked him non threatening questions. When she asked about Ben's disappearance, she saw his heart rate increase.  He talked about his Godson Shawn.  Willett began to realize they had something.  Suddenly she realized the Shawn he talked about was Shawn Hornbeck. Willett and Kinney knew they were going to stick with this interview as long as it took to find out if he took Ben too.  Finally, the breaking point.  Devlin saw his truck had been towed away to be searched for evidence.  They had his tire tracks matching the ones from the crime scene.  He admitted Ben and Shawn were in his apartment.  Willett described the emotions of seeing the boys when she walked through the door.  This interview gives a rare look into what really happens in a child kidnapping case.  The key to solving these crimes are in the tactics used to get information from the suspect.  Willett used patience, her down to earth personality and her many years of FBI skills to reunite two boys with their families.

 

Tickets for Hannah Montana's Feb. concert in st. louis are already on Ebay going for hundreds of dollars, some more than one thousand.  People wanting to scalp tickets to make an extra buck bought a lot of the tickets today during the presale on Mileyworld.com

The tickets to the public go on sale tomorrow at noon.  I've heard from so many people who have no desire to go to the concert, but they're going to try to buy tickets just to make money.  I feel terrible for the little girl whose mom can't afford 600 dollars for two tickets but she can afford the 50 dollars at the tickets face value.  Yet she may be shut out. 

Yes scalping is legal.  I just think the prices of these tickets are getting out of hand.

 

A study done in St. Louis could change national policy on how to prepare for an anthrax attack. If a bioterrorism attack happened today, only a small percentage of the population could get the antibiotics they need within 48 hours.  Anthrax exposure can be deadly if not treated with antibiotics in the first 48 hours.  The federal government is looking for another solution and St. Louis may be the key to making that happen.  The Centers for Disease Control put medkits in 4,000 St. Louis homes to see if people could take care of them and not take the antibiotics if they had a runny nose.   All but four followed the instructions perfectly. 

My Fox files on this important medkit study in St. Louis is the focus of my story Wednesday night.  Right now, you have the opportunity to talk to the experts about this story.  Representatives from the Centers for Disease control are monitoring my blog and will be answering your questions about this study and how to be prepared in the event of a bioterrorism attack.  You can post your questions and keep checking back for the answers.

As I get older, stories affect me more and more.  The fox files I am airing Wednesday night is one of those.  I sat down with several families who are members of MoCOPS. That stands for the Missouri chapter of Concers of Police Survivors.  Simply put... these are the families of fallen police officers in the St. Louis area.  They opened their hearts about the issues their families face long after their officers story is out of the headlines.  COPS is a national organization based at Lake of the Ozarks.  Backstoppers helps these families heal financially.  COPS heals their mind and heart.  These families offer year round support to each other.  Only they know what it like to see their loved ones death played out over and over in the media.  Only they know what it's like to wait sometimes years for the officer's killer to go to trial.  These families step in anytime an officer is killed.  They are in Clayton now supporting the McEntee family as their case goes before a jury again. 

Today was one of those days when I can't leave my emotions and thoughts at the office at the end of the day.  The testimony today in the Devlin case was graphic.  As a mother, your heart aches for what these boys went through.  My heart also goes out to Devlin's parents and his siblings.  They are a well respected family who had no idea their son was committing such horrible crimes against children.  They are victims too in all of this.  They did nothing to deserve the criticism and speculation of the public because they have a son who did something I'm sure they could never comprehend.  Yet I'm sure they love their son regardless.   We as parents would feel the same way.  I've thought a lot today about Ben and Shawn and their families... but I keep thinking of Mr. and Mrs Devlin and how their lives are now forever changed.   I never want to forget that there are real people behind the news stories that we cover.  There are real families hurting.   

I have to report on a lot of aweful stories, but the one yesterday about the 7 month old girl who died in a hot car really got to me.  Her parents, one a pediatrician and the other a medical researcher at Wash-u accidentally left their baby in the car on the parking lot outside their workplaces.  So many people have asked me today... "How could this happen?" They don't understand how two educated professionals could overlook their child and leave her in a car in this extreme heat.  The mom, a doctor, was late for work. She had just dropped off her kindergarten age child for the first day of school.  Her husband was already at work.  She asked him to park the car.  Each thought the other was going to or had already dropped the baby off at the on campus day care center.  They were in a hurry.  It was an aweful miscommunication.  The women I've spoken with can understand how something like this can happen.  We are all multi-tasking.   However many of the dads say there is no way they could accidentally leave a child in the car.  Why the difference? My heart breaks for this couple.  No one can really judge them unless they've walked in their shoes.  Hopefully none of us ever will.

 

Here is some new info on those vinyl bibs.  I got rid of all of my daughter's bibs yesterday. They are great for messy eaters so I hate to dispose of them.  Doctors are saying if children chew on the plastic, they can ingest some of the lead.  I applaud Toys R Us for taking immediate action. Here is the story:

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- Toys "R" Us says it's taking all vinyl baby bibs off its shelves. The company says two bibs made in China contained more lead than the company allows. And it's removing other brands of vinyl bibs to avoid customer confusion.

Another day... another problem with a baby item made in China.  A watchdog group says some vinyl bibs sold at Toys R Us and Babies R Us contain lead three times over the limit allowed in paint.  That is outrageous.  What is next?  I use these bibs everyday with my 1 year old.  Today is the last day.  This is not a recall... simply a test done by a consumer watchdog group.  In May, the Consumer Product Safety Commission warned parents about the dangers of vinyl bibs.  It said if they become cracked, they could be dangerous if toddlers chew on them. 

As a parent, I'm frustrated and angry that the toys I buy my kids may not be safe.  We have yet another huge toy recall involving toys made in China.  It is very likely we will have many more.  Today it involved Polly Pockets.  I like many of you went to the mattel website and looked the pictures of numerous toys now considered dangerous.  You basically have to look at the pictures and see if your child's toys match them.  My daughter has a pile of Polly Pockets that she has collected over the last three years.  I'm not exactly sure which ones are part of the recall and which ones are not.  I think the toy companies need to give parents more information.  Which ones have magnets? Why didn't they tell us about this?  or are we overreacting? How many more toys have dangerous lead paint?  It's a scary thought. 

St. Louis police chief Joe Mokwa is a public figure.  Because of that, his daughter's actions have become news.  She was arrested in Warren County for endangering the welfare of a child.  Chief Mokwa talks about this tfamily problem with Fox 2.  I felt he spoke openly and honestly.  Many people might feel it should be private whether he's the police chief or not.  He explained how he wished his daughter had not been arrested but went on to say when your kids are in trouble, you do the best that you can.  I've known other public figures over the years in our community and in the news business who have faced similar challenges as they cope with their child's actions.  It is never easy to share your pain with the masses.  But Chief Mokwa is a person, a parent and a grandfather as well as a chief.   My heart goes out to his family.

Tonight's Fox Files features a new product just approved by the FDA called the Conception Kit.  Doctors are supposed to prescribe it but you can get it by going to the company's web site.  The Conception Kit is not a magic bullet for getting pregnant, but doctors tell me it can increase your chances.  The ovulation predictors tell the woman when the best time to conceive will be.  No drugs are involved.  The couple simply has relations as normal and the sperm is put into a cervical cap.  The cap is placed into the woman near her cervix.  The bottomline here is that the sperm are placed much closer to the egg.  They don't have to swim as far.  It increases the chances of a connection.  I have struggled with infertility issues as millions of others have.  Doctors tell me this is a starting point for couples, not a solution when they've had infertility problems for a long time.  The cost is nice, 299 dollars for a three month supply.