Dateline was gracious to me, and I appreciate that. There was one aspect missing from the show, though. While it may have seemed Bill Miller’s murder had been forgotten, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service spent years investigating the case. In fact, it was the long hours NCIS put into the case and the file generated [...]

Throughout my work on this case, I have gathered statements from various members of Marine Sgt. William Miller’s family. This in thier own words, is what Bill Miller meant to them. Georgia, Billy’s sister: The most important thing for people to know is that Billy was loved very much: as a son, as a brother, [...]

One thing I heard a lot Friday (almost exclusively from guests and inexperienced journalists) was that there wasn’t enough protection for the president. Listen, the Secret Service specializes in providing a blanket of security over a venue where the president is without being obvious about it. Check out these photos Chuck Beckley snapped for me. [...]

Only 18 months to go. Read news here. Read about a few things that stood out during the president’s visit. And check out this amazing picture Chuck Beckley took. Click the thumbnail to look at the full-blown photo:

In case you couldn’t tell by the frontpage of today’s newspaper, The Daily News is covering the Obama visit to the hilt. Aboard Lejeune right now are photographers Don Bryan and Chuch Beckley, computer wizard Scott Edgington, and writers Mike McHugh, Molly DeWitt and Jennifer Hlad: And me.

So I am up this morning getting ready and I am explaining to my wife that I have to hurry so I can get on base on time so I can cover the president and she says, “Whatever, you better have that money in RBC by 2 o’clock.” So I hope he gets here on [...]

Dateline producer Vince Sturla has confirmed tonight’s Dateline will feature the William Miller case. Read Dateline’s preview here. This story is about the Miller family’s struggle for the truth. But investigative journalism plays a part in that down the line…

I heard the other day that New Hanover County Sheriff Sid Causey was retiring early. I was going to blog about it, but wanted to see what Blueline said first. I am surprised by their graciousness. Scroll down a little to find it. Blueline, you guys continue to amaze me. Either you’re getting too old or [...]

A Camp Lejeune Marine – discharged since his December 2008 arrest – has been indicted by a federal grand jury for threatening the life of Barack Obama who was then president-elect. Read news here. ——————— And I am still batting .1000 with relaying accurate, reliable information using confidential sources.

Sheesh. I unplug for one day and all hell breaks loose. – I missed the guilty plea in a child homicide (the newspaper covered it of course). – I found out late that Dateline will be airing its episode about the William Miller homicide Friday. If you watch it you can see my infamous green [...]

Under the gun since the D.A.’s Office questioned why the Jones County Sheriff’s Department didn’t relay information about alleged sexual misconduct at Jones High School, Sheriff John Hall is firing back. In a letter to the Kinston Free Press (a sister paper of ours), Hall defends his department and offers an explanation as to why [...]

Jay Oldaker is a murderer. He pleaded guilty today to helping kill 41-year-old Michael Kozak. He will also testify against his codefendants, Jason Blackmon and Dusty Newcome. Read the news here. Read Oldaker’s statement to police. ————————————————————————- Last week I paid the courthouse $8 for a complete copy of JPD Det. Dave Miltier’s report. It [...]

About a year ago, I was talking to a prosecutor about the strange cases Onslow County has and he says, “You should see some of the stuff that happens in Duplin County. It’s like a third-world country out there.” There has certainly been a lot of court activity out of Duplin in the last week. [...]

I called this one wrong. I was going off of the Court Street reverberations of last week, but somewhere along the line, the sentiment changed and caught me unaware. Read news here. In a very human, vulnerable moment after the noon press conference, D.A. Dewey Hudson told me he expected to feel a lot of [...]

For all you cyber-sleuths out there, a North Carolina company that specializes in background checks is offering a good deal this weekend. So if there is someone you’ve been wanting to check up on, now’s the time. Of course, if you look me up, whatever they’re saying about me, I can explain… Check out the [...]

The D.A.’s Office will hold a press conference in reference to the 7-month-old girl who drowned earlier this month. Read news here. I expect charges to be announced. Check jdnews.com shortly after 12 noon Friday.

He may not ever be a menace to society again, but gang-banger Brandon Rice will be a burden to the state the rest of his life. Read news here. Rice used a potato as a silencer when he shot a 63-year-old cabbie in the head and stole his money. He had a couple of friends [...]

The Capital Defender’s Office in Raleigh has appointed Kinston lawyer Bill Gerrans as Rodger Gill’s attorney. Gill is still in Illinois. Gerrans is a top-notch defense attorney. You might remember him as the guy who took the District Attorney to task over the Hartley case. So let’s see: Vickie Babbitt has Scott Jack; George Hayden [...]

The Daily News racked up eight awards this year from the North Carolina Press Association. If you look at the news story, you will see each award makes perfect sense. Timmi Toler is the best when it comes to columns, John Althouse is a master photographer, Jennifer Hlad’s Afganistan blog put mine to shame and [...]

A suspect wanted for the clawing and biting death of a victim identified only by the street name “Lizard” is on the loose today. Witnesses described the suspect as a white female with gray hair and green eyes. The suspect was wearing only a blue collar and pink, heart-shaped name tag. A photographer with WITN-TV [...]

A Marine UA from his Camp Lejeune unit threatened to shoot his mother Thursday at their Canadian farm house, but turned the gun on himself when the Mounties arrived. Read news here. RCMP officers stand down after a fatal shooting Thursday afternoon at a farmhouse at Upper Branch, Lunenburg County. A woman left the home [...]

I have been up in Raleigh accepting my award for investigative journalism. Tell you about that Friday. Bumped into Kinston Free Press content editor Bryan Hanks and he told me to check out his blog (which I do often, mostly for the eye candy). Anyway, he slams what he sees as sloppy journalism by a [...]

I never bought into the Warren Commission Report’s magic bullet theory. But the strange homicide case of Cleo “Possum” Jordan makes me wonder… Jordan went out like he wanted to – dancing and drinking. But that doesn’t make his death any less tragic. Actually, once you study the amazing route the bullet that killed him [...]

More details have come to light in the investigation of a man accused of making threats toward President Barack Obama. Read news here. Kody Brittingham is no longer a Marine. He was discharged in early January. The Secret Service, although extremely annoyed at me, has been civilized and professional about it. They are a top-notch [...]

I should have posted earlier today, but I have been busy… For the last several days, WNCT’s Laura Vesco, WITN’s Chelsea Donovan and I have been in a race to get confirmation on a story with huge implications. We all struck gold at about the same time this morning. At least one Camp Lejeune Marine is [...]

Leroy Jenkins tried to turn himself in yesterday afternoon, but since no one wanted him he went back to his sister’s to chill. Read news here.

Hey, Thomas Brock, where are you? I thought you would be all over this one. The D.A. says Jacksonville needs crosswalks. Read news here. What say you?

Leroy Jenkins, a man with a long history of assaulting women, is on the run today for beating a woman to death. Read news here. I have a few questions about this one I hope to get answered at a press conference tomorrow.

It is official, I have the worst immunity system in the world. After a cold and then the flu, I now have a head cold. At least I can take lots of medicine and work through it. While I have been under the weather this last month or so I have noticed a shift in [...]

Two people set out to have a good time on a Friday night in early January 1992. One went to a nightclub and the other was apparently riding around in a car popping shots. Their good times came to a bloody halt when one of those random shots hit the person in the club. Read news [...]

New recruits found out this weekend that there are no breaks given during firearms training. A couple of trainees in the Basic Law Enforcement Training program didn’t hit the target like they were supposed to and will have to undergo more training. They will pick it up though, because I know their instructors. I am [...]