Double homicide haunts detectives, $10K reward offered
LAKE COUNTY, FLA. – The four-year anniversary of the unsolved murder of two beloved shopkeepers in Mount Dora is gnawing at detectives who are offering a $10,000 reward for information. Minh “Tina” Nguyen, 47, and Khiem “Ken” Ba Trinh, 56, fled from Vietnam to pursue the American dream only to end up being crime victims…
Wife sentenced to life in murder, back yard burial case
LAKE COUNTY, FLA. – Laurie Shaver, convicted of killing her husband and accused of burying him in the back yard, was sentenced to life in prison without parole Tuesday. “She was quite possibly the most manipulative person charged with murder…” Assistant State Attorney Nick Camuccio told Circuit Judge Cary Rada, while asking for the maximum…
Grandparents seek custody of girl who says she shot her dad
LAKE COUNTY, FLA. – The parents of a man who was murdered and allegedly buried in the back yard by his wife are seeking custody of their two grandchildren, including the eldest who testified that she is the one who shot her dad. Douglas and Sharon Shaver are seeking custody because the children’s mother, Laurie…
Jury: Man not guilty of hitting woman with ax, raping her
LAKE COUNTY, FLA. – A man charged with raping a woman and hitting her with an ax is not guilty, a jury decided Wednesday. Michael A. McCray, 31, of Clermont was arrested in 2018 on numerous charges, including not allowing her to leave her home and not allowing her to call 911. The woman told…
“You’re not getting my phone”
LAKE COUNTY, FLA. — Sometimes you just have to say no, even at gunpoint, even if it would help catch the bad guy. That’s what happened when a woman was about to get into her car and leave the Viva liquor store in Mount Dora at 5:40 p.m. Saturday when a man wearing all black…
New defense secretary can learn lessons from Vietnam
The new U.S. secretary of defense should know about all minefields, including the political kind that lurk within the bowels of the Pentagon and Washington itself. President-elect Donald Trump’s pick is Pete Hegseth, a combat vet and Fox News broadcaster. He should read Robert McNamara’s book, “In Retrospect, The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam.” He…
Prison inmate guilty of manslaughter with a weapon
LAKE COUNTY, FLA. – A jury Friday convicted a state prison inmate of manslaughter with a weapon following an argument with a fellow inmate over a few dollars’ worth of canteen items. Antonio Carter, 51, was a prisoner at Lake Correctional Institution on June 8, 2017, when he pulled out a concealed homemade knife…
Trump foreign affairs challenge like a room full of mouse traps
The complexities of foreign affairs faced by President-elect Donald Trump’s administration are akin to walking into a room filled with mouse traps. First, there is the war in the Middle East. President Joe Biden has been worried that the conflict, which started with Hamas attacks and kidnappings on Oct. 7, 2023, could boil over into…
Man found builty of 48 counts of child porn
LAKE COUNTY, FLA. – A jury has found a 65-year-old man to be guilty of 48 counts of possession of child pornography and the more serious charge of promoting a sexual performance by a child. Joseph Greene of Montverde came under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement after a receiving a cyber tip…
Homeless duo charged with massive littering, trespassing
LAKE COUNTY, FLA. — In an unusual move, sheriff’s deputies have arrested two homeless people on third-degree felony charges for creating a giant litter mess at their campsite. April Campbell, 42, and Jonathan Hill, 36, were arrested last Monday in the area of Quaker Ridge Rod in Sorrento. The arresting deputy noted in the probable…