Cold cases reopened after bodies discovered

Cold cases reopened after bodies discovered

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — In the desert outside Albuquerque, hikers have sometimes stumbled upon human remains partially buried under the hardy scrub and hard-baked dirt.

But few people could have imagined the crime scene now emerging: The bones of at least 13 people have been uncovered on the site of an abandoned housing development.

The grisly discovery last month caused authorities to reopen dozens of cold cases involving missing prostitutes, some of whom vanished as much as 20 years ago.

Mom recalled to duty will be discharged

RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina mother who reported for Army duty with her two young children will be discharged from the military, her attorney said Monday.

Attorney Mark Waple of Fayetteville said it wasn’t yet clear if Lisa Pagan would receive an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions. It also wasn’t certain when she would be discharged.

The reason for the discharge will be that she doesn’t have, and cannot have, adequate family care for her two young children, he said.

“There is definitely some feeling of relief, especially since she has been led to believe that the command at Fort Benning is going to do everything to expedite this so she can return to Charlotte, N.C., with her children,” Waple said of Pagan’s reaction to the decision.

Court appears split on convict’s right to DNA test

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court’s conservative and liberal justices appeared divided Monday about giving convicts a constitutional right to test DNA evidence, which for 232 people has meant exoneration years after they were found guilty.

The issue arose in the case of William Osborne, who was convicted in a brutal attack on a prostitute in Alaska 16 years ago. He won a federal appeals court ruling granting him access to a blue condom that was used during the attack.

Testing its contents would firmly establish his innocence or guilt, says Osborne, who has admitted his guilt in a bid for parole.

ATF urges students to avoid parts of Mexico

SAN DIEGO — The Justice Department’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has taken the unusual step of urging college students to avoid parts of northern Mexico during spring break.

The bureau’s Los Angeles field division said Monday that it discourages travel to Tijuana and Rosarito Beach, noting that both cities just south of San Diego have witnessed a lot of drug-fueled violence. Rosarito has long been a mecca for Southern California students on spring break.

The warning goes a step further than one issued by the State Department last month advising travelers to Mexico to avoid areas of prostitution and drug-dealing and to take other commonsense precautions.

The ATF is responsible for preventing arms smuggling into Mexico.

Associated Press