O-Bits: State’s Wrongs Edition

Here’s a headline that caught our attention: Sword found near bloodied body in Lake Worth; man, 51, arrested.  Even though we had no idea where Lake Worth is, we weren’t surprised to find out it was in Florida. That sentence could easily kick off a Carl Hiaasen or Edna Buchanan novel. The Sun-Sentinel goes on to report that victim was David Beckett, a 58-year-old homeless man, and his body was found down by the railroad tracks. George Livingston, who is being held without bail in the Palm Beach County Jail, was no stranger to trouble himself. He served two stretches in jail for not just stalking, but aggravated stalking. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Department can safely say the the murder was the result of a fight, but have no idea what the fight was about. But you’ll be pleased to know Livingston was charged with second-degree murder and, just for good measure, “murder, dangerous depraved without premeditation.”

Not every state can be Florida when it comes to odd deaths, but Western Pennsylvania could move up a division in the standings if they keep stories like this coming: In Washington Township, a man was killed by his own backhoe.  The Trib brings the news that James Tonecha, 54, was working in said backhoe when the machine started drifting into the pile of dirt he was moving. He became trapped when the hoe’s arm came into the cab, trapping him. The police have no idea how the accident occurred, but said he was looking out the back window when it happened. As Satchel Paige said, “don’t look back. Something might be gaining on you.”

Finally, they might say “keep Austin weird,” but a story out of Texas is more lurid than weird, and is most impressive for its persistence.  A jury is being empaneled for the murder of a beauty queen. What’s so odd about that? The murder too place in 1960. That’s when Irene Garza, then 25, was last seen, giving confession at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in McAllen. She was found five days later in a nearby canal. The accused: Joseph ,Feit, then known as “Father Joe.”  The former priest had been a suspect in 1960 but never indicted. As Reuters reports, it took the Texas Rangers Cold Case Squad to crack the case.

Steven Mirkin

Steven Mirkin’s diverse career has taken him from politics to pop culture to high art, offering him a front row seat to some of the most fascinating events and personalities of our time: writing speeches, fundraising appeals and campaign materials for Ed Koch, John Heinz and independent presidential candidate John B. Anderson; chronicling the punk/new wave scenes in New York and London; interviewing musicians such as Elton John, John Lydon and Buck Owens; profiling modern masters Julian Schnabel, Paul Schrader and Jonathan Safran Foer; and writing for TV shows including 21, The Chamber, Let's Make A Deal, and Rock Star: INXS.