Serial Killers Ray and Faye Copeland

Serial Killers Ray and Faye Copeland Ray and Faye Copeland lust for killing came with their retirement years. Why this couple, both in their 70s, went from being loving grandparents to serial killers, who used the clothing of their victims to make winter quilts to snuggle under, is both morbid and perplexing. Here is their story. Ray Copeland Born in Oklahoma in 1914, Ray Copelands family never spent much time in the same place. When he was a child, his family was constantly moving, on the hunt for employment. The situation worsened during the Depression, and Copeland dropped out of school and began scrounging for money. Not satisfied with earning meager wages, he got involved in scamming people out of property and money. In 1939 Copeland was found guilty of stealing livestock and check forgery. He was sentenced to a year in jail. Faye Wilson Copeland Copeland met Faye Wilson not long after he was released from jail in 1940. They had a brief courtship, then married and began having children one after another. With several additional mouths to feed, Copeland quickly returned to stealing from  livestock ranchers. While this may have been his chosen profession, he wasnt very good at it.   He was constantly getting arrested and did several stints in jail. His scam was not very slick. He would buy cattle at auctions, write fraudulent checks, sell the cattle and try to leave town before the auctioneers were informed that the checks were bad. If he failed to leave town in time, he would promise to make the checks good, but never follow through, In time, he was banned from buying and selling livestock. He needed a scam that would allow him to operate despite the ban, one that he could profit from, and that the police could not trace back to him. It took him 40 years to think one up. Copeland began hiring vagrants and drifters to work on his farm. He set up checking accounts for them, then sent them to buy livestock with bad checks from their accounts. Copeland then sold the livestock and the drifters would be fired and sent on their way. This kept the police off his back for awhile, but in time he was caught and returned to jail. When he got out, he went back to the same scam, but this time he made sure the hired help would never be caught, or even heard from again. The Copeland Investigation In October 1989, Missouri police received a tip that a human skull and bones could be found on farmland owned by an elderly couple, Ray and Faye Copeland. Ray Copelands last known stint with the law involved a livestock scam, so as police questioned Ray inside his farmhouse about the scam, authorities searched the property. It did not take them long to find five decomposing bodies buried in shallow graves around the farm. The autopsy report determined that each man had been shot in the back of the head at close range. A register, with names of the transient farmhands who had worked for the Copelands, helped police identify the bodies. Twelve of the names, including the five victims found, had a crude X in Fayes handwriting, marked next to  each name. More Disturbing Evidence Authorities found a .22-calibre Marlin bolt-action rifle inside the Copeland home, which ballistics tests proved to be the same weapon as the one used in the murders. The most disturbing piece of evidence, besides the scattered bones and rifle, was a handmade quilt Faye Copeland made out of the dead victims clothing. The Copelands were quickly charged with five murders, identified as Paul Jason Cowart, John W Freeman, Jimmie Dale Harvey, Wayne Warner and Dennis Murphy. Faye Insisted Knowing Nothing About Murders Faye Copeland claimed to know nothing about the murders  and stuck to her story even after being offered a deal to change her murder charges to conspiracy to commit murder in exchange for information about the remaining seven missing men listed in her register. Although a conspiracy charge would have meant her spending less than a year in prison, compared to the possibility of receiving the death sentence, Faye continued to insist she knew nothing about the murders. Ray Attempts an Insanity Plea Ray first tried to plead insanity, but eventually gave up and tried to work out a plea agreement with prosecutors. The authorities were not willing to go along and the first-degree murder charges remained intact. During Faye Copelands trial, her attorney tried to prove that Faye was another one of Rays victims and that she suffered from Battered Women Syndrome. There was little doubt that Faye had indeed been a battered wife, but that not was enough for the jury to excuse her cold murderous actions. The jury found Faye Copeland guilty of murder and she was sentenced to death by lethal injection. Soon after, Ray was also found guilty and sentenced to death. The Oldest Couple Sentenced to Death The Copelands made their mark in history for being the oldest couple to be sentenced to death, however, neither were executed. Ray died in 1993 on death row. Fayes sentence was commuted to life in prison. In 2002 Faye was compassionate release from prison because of her declining health and she died in a nursing home in December 2003, at age 83. Source The Copeland Killings by T. Miller

Roy Chapman Andrews - A Profile of the Famous Paleontologist

Roy Chapman Andrews - A Profile of the Famous Paleontologist Name: Roy Chapman Andrews Born/Died: 1884-1960 Nationality: American Dinosaurs Discovered: Oviraptor, Velociraptor, Saurornithoides; also discovered numerous prehistoric mammals and other animals About Roy Chapman Andrews Although he had a long, active career in paleontologyhe was director of the prestigious American Museum of Natural History from 1935 to 1942Roy Chapman Andrews is best known for his fossil-hunting excursions to Mongolia in the early 1920s. At this time, Mongolia was a truly exotic destination, not yet dominated by China, virtually inaccessible by mass transport, and rife with political instability. During his expeditions, Andrews used both automobiles and camels to traverse the hostile terrain, and he had a number of narrow escapes that added to his reputation as a dashing adventurer (he was later said to have been the inspiration for Steven Spielbergs Indiana Jones movies). Andrews Mongolian expeditions were not only newsworthy; they also immeasurably advanced  the worlds knowledge  about dinosaurs. Andrews discovered numerous dinosaur fossils at the Flaming Cliffs formation in Mongolia, including the type specimens of Oviraptor and Velociraptor, but today hes most famous for unearthing the first indisputable evidence of dinosaur eggs (before the 1920s, scientists were unsure if dinosaurs laid eggs or gave birth to live young). Even then, he managed to make a huge (if understandable) blunder: Andrews believed his Oviraptor specimen had stolen the eggs of a nearby Protoceratops, but in fact thisegg thief turned out to be hatching its own young! ​Oddly enough, when he embarked for Mongolia, Andrews did not have dinosaurs or other prehistoric fauna uppermost in his mind. ​Along with his fellow paleontologist Henry Fairfield Osborn, Andrews believed that the ultimate ancestors of humans originated in Asia, rather than Africa, and he wanted to find indisputable fossil evidence to support this theory. Although its possible that an early offshoot of hominids branched off into Asia millions of years ago, the bulk of the evidence today  is that human beings did in fact originate in Africa. Roy Chapman Andrews is most often associated with his dinosaur discoveries, but he was responsible for  excavating and/or naming a respectable number of prehistoric mammals as well, including a specimen of the giant terrestrial grazer  Indricotherium and the giant  Eocene predator Andrewsarchus (which was named by a paleontologist on one of Andrews central Asian expeditions in honor of his fearless leader). As far as we know, these two mammals were the largest terrestrial herbivore and the largest terrestrial carnivore, respectively, ever to roam the face of the earth.

New product Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

New product - Essay Example The first stage was the idea generation stage where various ideas were generated (Keiser and Myrna 75). The ideas were thereafter screened looking at the feasibility and the profitability of the product sales. The ideas that passed the screening test entered the concept development and testing stage. It is at this point that the ideas are stated in a manner that targeted consumers can understand. The concepts were then tested with a small constituency of the target market. Strong concepts that meet the target market expectation proceeded to the marketing strategy stage whereby the initial products are marketed among the target consumers. The next stage is the business analysis stage in which the sales and costs analysis is taken to determine whether they are in line with the company objectives (Keiser and Myrna 76). Since the magic cloth, met the customers’ satisfaction and was profitable because of the high sales rate. The costs analysis also showed that the economies of scal e would reduce the unit production stage. The final stage is the commercialization stage in which the product was launched officially for sale in the market. In setting the prices, the company considered the costs incurred in the production process and marketing costs (Keiser and Myrna 77). Other factory overheads and operational costs was also included in determining the total costs. After consideration of all the costs, a margin was set which would ensure that the targeted profit is earned. Besides, the price set was pegged on external factors like the prices of competitors. In the highly competitive industry, consumers are sensitive to prices and any overcharge could lead to loss of sales. Moreover, the demand also had an impact on the sales price. At times of high demand, magic cloth was sold at a higher rate compared to low demand period. Since the prices cannot be constant in a free market where competition is encouraged, there was ways in which the prices were adjusted. First,

Kate Chopin's short story The Storm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Kate Chopin's short story The Storm - Essay Example Like Calixta, women had to suppress their sexual desires and conform to societal marriage norms. Chopin symbolically uses the storm to mean the meteorological condition of the atmosphere with strong winds and rain, thunder and lightning, and dusty wind. This parallels with a literary storm evident in passionate and intense emotion between two past lovers, who coincidentally, reunite during an intense meteological storm (131). For Calixta and Alcee, their reunion evidently brought sustenancial satisfaction evident in â€Å"The generous abundance of her passion†¦ found response in the depths of his sensuous nature that had never yet been reached.† (133) indicates that the two turned to each other to fulfill their sexual wants and needs. Both literary and emotionally, the story focus around the storm’s primary motif. Initially, Calixta is unaware of the upcoming storm and continues sewing despite the atmosphere growing darker and warmer (130). However, her journey to collect clothes outside bumps her to Alceem Secondly, the storm truly begins with â€Å"big rain drops†¦Ã¢â‚¬  falling at the same time Alcee rids into Calixta’s compound to shelter from the rain (131). Finding Calixta alone, Alcee keeps her company, but uncontrollably reminded of previous romance. Thirdly, the storm intensifies outside as sheets of water beating upon boards and the lightning striking a tree. Alcee and Calixta find themselves holding each other as she tries to avoid the crashing lightning (132). Like the storm, they yield to their desire for pleasure, and their overwhelming feelings made it possible to ignore the torrents outside, as if a wall isolated them from reality. This compared to the storm obscuring distance cabins and the distant wood. Fourthly, the storm subsides and passes, leaving soft rain drops. Calixta remains in Alcee’s arms both are happy for overcoming

Grammar school Essay Example for Free

Grammar school Essay As I entered the trading post in a small border reservation community I passed two Navajo youth leaning against the wall, one leg propped behind them for support. They wore black tee-shirts, one declaring â€Å"Indian Pride on the Rise,† the other showing a heavy metal rock group â€Å"Twisted Sister. † Both wore high topped basketball shoes and hair free flowing to their shoulders. One spoke to me. â€Å"Hey, are you the lady who is talking to dropouts? You should talk to me. Im a professional dropout. † I did. And to many others. Their stories spoke of racial discrimination and rejection by teachers. â€Å"The way I see it seems like the whites  dont want to get involved with the Indians. They think were bad. We drink. Our families drink. Dirty. Ugly. And the teachers dont want to help us. They say, Oh, no, there is Another Indian asking a question because they dont understand. So we stopped asking questions. † Their stories spoke of the importance and power of families and the Navajo culture. â€Å"I go crazy worrying about my parents. They need me so us Navajo stick together. I feel kinda proud to be a Navajo. † And their stories spoke of academic and social marginalization in their classes and schools. â€Å"It was just like they wanted to put us aside, us Indians. They didnt tell us nothing about careers or things to do after high school. They didnt encourage us to go to college. They just took care of the White students. They just wanted to get rid of the Indians. † This article is about these Navajo and Ute youth who leave high school. In mainstream research the phenomenon of â€Å"dropping out† is commonly defined as an issue of individual failure (see Note 2). Youth â€Å"fail,† either academically or socially, to make it through school. The problem exists not because of deficiencies in the schools but rather because of deficiencies in individuals and families. Youth who leave school are described as deviant, dysfunctional, or deficient because of individual, family, or community characteristics. Solutions reside on remediating or changing youth and families to better â€Å"fit in. † After all, most youth do succeed in school, suggesting evidence of the school as an effective institution. This body of research ignores the barriers institutions themselves create for youth. Another line of research on dropouts has turned a critical eye towards the role the school and structural barriers play in creating the problem (see Note 3). The research reported  in this article follows this line of inquiry. A critical examination of the â€Å"place† of Navajo and Ute youth in their school and community reveals other reasons than just individual failure for â€Å"dropping out. † Structural factors restricting opportunities, in effect, â€Å"fail† youth. The decision to leave school can then be seen, in part, as a rational response to irrelevant schooling, racism, restricted political, social and economic opportunities, and the desire to maintain a culturally distinct identity. There are many similarities between Indian and other kinds of dropouts. In most  cases, the reasons for leaving school are alike. For example, nearly all dropouts say school is boring, teachers dont care, and school will not help them with what they want to do in life (LeCompte, 1987). Many come from substance abusing families. There are, however, differences between other dropouts and these Navajo and Ute school leavers that only become clear when examining the cultural context surrounding these youth. Cultural and structural factors that might be easy to overlook if only examining â€Å"student characteristics† are important in understanding why many Navajo and Ute youth leave school. Specific to this cultural framework are 1) racial and economic relations in the community and school, 2) home child-rearing patterns of non-interference and early adulthood and, 3) cultural integrity and resistance. The Data Base: Master Student List, Questionnaires and Ethnography In the fall of 1984 1 started an ethnographic study of a border reservation community. I looked at interactions, understandings, and strategies related to education, schooling, success, and failure both in and out of school, among and between three culturally distinct groups of adolescents—Anglo, Navajo, and Ute. Presented here is only one part of this ethnography, focused on school leavers. Throughout this article I use the tribal names, Navajo and Ute, in recognition of the distinctness of these two cultures. I use the term â€Å"Indian† in situations which include both Navajo and Ute for simplicity, not for stereotyping. In addition, fictitious names are used for both communities and schools. These results were produced from four data sets: 1) a master data base from school records; 2) ethnographic field notes and collected documents; 3) interviews with a  convenience sample of school leavers, and; 4) a questionnaire. In trying to determine an accurate picture of the attrition rates in this district, a data base was established to track all of the Navajo and Ute students by name who had attended Border High School (BHS) and Navajo High School (NHS) from 1980-81 to the 1988-89 school year. This master list contained attendance data, grade point averages, standardized test scores, dropout and graduation rates, community locations, current employment situations, post high school training, and type of diploma received for 1,489 youth. This list has been verified by official district records, local Navajo and Ute community members, school officials, and the youth themselves. The graduation and dropout rate in this community was determined by following â€Å"cohorts† of youth throughout their school careers. A total of 629 students forming six different cohorts, from the class of 1984 to the class of 1989, from each of the two high schools are represented with complete four year high school records. Students who took either additional years and/or completed alternative high school degrees are included in the total graduation figures.

Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues - Homosexuality is Abnormal and Immora

Homosexuality is Abnormal and Immoral      Ã‚   Of all topics most popular in today's media, issues concerning homosexuals and homosexuality in general top the list. Homosexuality is generally defined as a sexual relationship between partners of the same sex. Debate concerning its causes and consequences has been going on for many centuries and almost in every period in human history. However, never before in human history has it been granted such wide scale acceptance in western society as it has now. The question that I seek to answer in this paper is whether such wide scale acceptance should in fact be granted to homosexual behavior? Is such behavior rational, scientifically functional or is it actually detrimental to the high level of civilization that we've achieved?    I) THE SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVE: Scientifically speaking, sex is a means to an end. The end being the propagation of the human race. This end can never be fulfilled by sex between males (in the case of gays) or between females (in the case of lesbians). Therefore, the general conclusion is that homosexuality is irrational and illogical.    If we consider the construction of the bodies of the male and female, what is noticed at once is that the construction of a body of a male (the penis and the anus- i.e no vagina) does not accommodate having sex with another male. Nor does the construction of a body of a female (no penis, a vagina) accommodate sex with another female. What is obvious to common sense is that the construction and location of specific sexual organs in the bodies of a male and a female accommodate sex between a male and a female and not among members of the same sex. Therefore, the conclusion once again is that homosexuality i... ...ciety prospers. If clear and concrete evidence were indeed found in the other direction, I would gladly change my above conclusions. Therefore let our end be towards the truth! "..What is left after the truth except error? How then are you turned away."(Koran10:32)    WORKS CITED Comer, Ronald J. Abnormal Psychology. New York, W.H Freeman Co, 1992 Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version, Iowa, World Bible Publishers Inc, 1971. "Homosexuality", Encyclopaedia Britannica, vol 6 (Micropaedia). 15th ed, 1990 Koran. Translation, Picthall, M. Marmaduke, Lahore, Taj co 1981. Macionis, John J. Sociology. New Jersey, Prentice Hall International, 1987. "Reproduction Reproductive Systems", Encyclopaedia Britannica,vol 26 (Macropaedia), 15th ed. 1990. "Sex Sexuality", Encyclopaedia Britannica, vol 27 (Macropaedia). 15th ed, 1990.   

Effects of Fast Food

Effects of Fast Food Fast food is an alternate solution to appease hunger. These days many parents are busy in their time consuming jobs and teenagers are lazy to bring food. It is rather simple to buy food in few minutes. Even though it is quick and easy, it is addictive which causes major health problems and money issues. Many people are attracted to the sensational, salty French fries from McDonalds, carbonated water with loads of colored dye and sugar supplements, soda, feisty, tasty hamburgers from Carls Jr. nd A & W, and small packets of spicy, artificial sauces available at Taco Bell to accompany â€Å"Mexican† food. Fast food has progressed where these multibillionaire restaurants can be seen across the world such as: Mexico, Japan, India, and Britain. People are unaware of the content of nutritional value in fast foods. The main substance that enters the body is unhealthy oil that has been reused with many other delight foods available in the limited menu.Scientists h ave indicated that the continuation of digesting excess amounts of unhealthy ingredients will lead to addiction. It is similar to smoking, but the addiction is not as strong as the smoking. This addiction can lead to serious consequences for health. As seen in many adults who are obese, fast food causes teenagers and adults to gain extra fat and develop a high cholesterol, blood pressure and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance can result in diabetes.Diabetic patients are prone to heart disease in the future. Many Americans have visited the doctor more than once and have received more bills than paychecks. High cholesterol and blood pressure are major concerns that should be brought up with a primary care physician. Eating these unhealthy delights causes many doctor visits. The doctor checks for seriousness of problems and chooses if the patient should visit a specialist or start a treatment. Doctor prescribes medicines that might not be covered by insurances.As a result, fast foo d can lead to a future of debt and sorrow. Fast food may be a right decision at the moment and probably will sound good to your stomach; however, you will increase your chance of getting sick and developing a disease in the near future. Many people now are regretting that the treatments to treat the diseases cost much more money than buying that five-dollar, oily, unhealthy piece of addiction. Fast food is not the solution to daily routine food. It should be avoided as much as possible. Effects of Fast Food Effects of Fast Food Fast food is an alternate solution to appease hunger. These days many parents are busy in their time consuming jobs and teenagers are lazy to bring food. It is rather simple to buy food in few minutes. Even though it is quick and easy, it is addictive which causes major health problems and money issues. Many people are attracted to the sensational, salty French fries from McDonalds, carbonated water with loads of colored dye and sugar supplements, soda, feisty, tasty hamburgers from Carls Jr. nd A & W, and small packets of spicy, artificial sauces available at Taco Bell to accompany â€Å"Mexican† food. Fast food has progressed where these multibillionaire restaurants can be seen across the world such as: Mexico, Japan, India, and Britain. People are unaware of the content of nutritional value in fast foods. The main substance that enters the body is unhealthy oil that has been reused with many other delight foods available in the limited menu.Scientists h ave indicated that the continuation of digesting excess amounts of unhealthy ingredients will lead to addiction. It is similar to smoking, but the addiction is not as strong as the smoking. This addiction can lead to serious consequences for health. As seen in many adults who are obese, fast food causes teenagers and adults to gain extra fat and develop a high cholesterol, blood pressure and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance can result in diabetes.Diabetic patients are prone to heart disease in the future. Many Americans have visited the doctor more than once and have received more bills than paychecks. High cholesterol and blood pressure are major concerns that should be brought up with a primary care physician. Eating these unhealthy delights causes many doctor visits. The doctor checks for seriousness of problems and chooses if the patient should visit a specialist or start a treatment. Doctor prescribes medicines that might not be covered by insurances.As a result, fast foo d can lead to a future of debt and sorrow. Fast food may be a right decision at the moment and probably will sound good to your stomach; however, you will increase your chance of getting sick and developing a disease in the near future. Many people now are regretting that the treatments to treat the diseases cost much more money than buying that five-dollar, oily, unhealthy piece of addiction. Fast food is not the solution to daily routine food. It should be avoided as much as possible.