Ferguson Missouri and The Truth Be Told

#Is this case about race or is it really about bad behavior? 

As an investigator it is very important to have all available evidence and information about an incident in order to reach the most logical and obvious conclusion and more importantly the truth.  It has been my practice not to jump to a conclusion regardless of what it looks like on the surface until I have reviewed the entire case including evidence, witness statements, and anything pertaining to the case I am reviewing.  I have experience in missing children and criminal cases where I have exercised this discipline.  Since my shift in the field 18 years later, now working a desk job safely behind a computer, the cases that I work are not as grandiose, however, I exercise the same discipline.  I cannot speak for every investigator, Detective, or Police Officer but I can speak from my point of view in order to make my points. 

First Point:

The Grand Jury in this case was armed with all of the knowledge needed in order to come to a conclusion.  This information was NOT available to the public before the protests and riots began.  What reasonable person would begin to protest before they have information about what they are protesting?  A man was shot and killed by a police officer.  What were the circumstances?  Who were the witnesses and are they credible?  Some of the witnesses that came forward reportedly often changed their stories.  What was the evidence?  Evidence speaks for itself and is concrete and conclusive..  The evidence that is concrete and conclusive in this case did not match up with the witnesses who often changed their stories and whose credibility is unknown. 

Second Point:

According to evidence and testimony in this case Michael Brown displayed aggressive behavior towards police officer, #Darren Wilson, who ultimately shot and killed him in order to stop Mr. Brown’s aggressive behavior that he felt would ultimately lead to his own death. Who is Michael Brown?  What do we know about him and his personal life at home, school, in society?  Who is Officer Darren Wilson?  What do we know about him and his personal life at home, work, and in society?  These questions must be answered in order to move forward in the investigation.

Third Point:

 Once we answer the Second Point question and know who the key players are in this dramatic and horrific event we must ask the question as to whether or not Officer Wilson meant to kill Mr. Brown or simply disable him so he would discontinue with his alleged aggressive behavior that made #Officer Wilson feel threatened.  Let’s me ask you this question:

What would you do if you felt threatened by someone twice your size who verbally and physically challenged you to a fight who upon warnings of defending yourself with a deadly weapon did not back off?  This was Officer Wilson’s position.  Forget that he is a cop who has taken an oath to protect society and maintain order in the community.  He is a human being in a precarious situation. 

What was #Michael Brown’s position?  We will never know.  This leaves the question open as to what really happened? The only voice Mr. Brown has in this case is the evidence. 

We must leave this case in the hands of the professionals who have displayed #integrity throughout their lives.  We have no choice but to trust in our flawed justice system but in the hands of trustworthy people who have previously demonstrated good investigative skills, open mindedness, and compassion towards human life.  Most people who get into the field of investigations or Police work are in it to help other people.  We like problem solving and there is nothing more rewarding to us than solving a problem and getting to the truth of the matter.

I am not only a Private Investigator and writer but also a student of a college in the #Ferguson / Florissant district not far from where this incident occurred and where #looting eventually took place and  I have never felt unsafe or apprehensive about the area that I frequent weekly along with Ferguson residents.  I go to school with kind normal people who have problems just like me.  Everyone has a story and unless you sit down with a person and talk with them you will never know what their story is and they will not know yours.  The Grand Jury randomly selected by a Judge were twelve people of mixed races, backgrounds and perhaps ethical values who had to come to the same conclusion regarding two people one of which whom they had never met. Do the angry rioters believe that these twelve jury members targeted them by not indicting Office Wilson?  Do they think they came to this conclusion to spite them?  What was going through their heads while they set fire to the cars and buildings in Ferguson Missouri?

If they think the color of Michael Brown's skin, of what some refer to as “black”, which isn’t really black at all but is more of a really good tan that some Caucasian people want their skin color to be, has anything to do with this they really need a reality check here. Watch this video that speaks for itself.  These are not my words but the words of an African American man who is speaking directly to the protestors and rioters that caused damage due to anger.  Message from Fredrick Wilson II

(https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152314396513715)  copy and paste

Who are the perpetrators and what are their stories?  Everyone has one.  Why did they commit these crimes and destroy property?  Were they followers or leaders?  What is their home life like?  Are they gang members?  Did their parents educate them so they can live a peaceful life in a diverse community?  Do they value themselves?  Do they have anger management issues?  If we sat down with each person who displayed any type of aggression and anger in the riots and fires that resulted from the Ferguson incident perhaps we can use their stories to help others deal with their frustrations and anger in situations like these.  

The #protestors in this case are exercising their first amendment right of freedom of speech but the uneducated and unreasonable people who started fires of local businesses in #Ferguson destroying their own community are now criminals and must face the same consequence (the possibility of facing criminal charges) as #Officer Darren Wilson who was accused by them, the rioters and fire starters, of committing a crime on the same streets.  The only way we can fight back is to educate our children and teach them how to have integrity, cope in society, and make changes for the better.  Life sucks for a lot of us but with the help of our friends, relatives, and those who care, even strangers, we can get through it and go on with our lives. Life is short!   I can think of other ways for angry people to spend their energy.  How about fighting to keep our country safe?  We live in #America the greatest country on Earth and there are bigger forces and worse criminal trying to destroy it and what it stands for.  America gives us the right of #freedom of speech.  Let's not abuse the right and use it for the greater of good.  These events are embarrassing and making America look ridiculous to the bigger bad guys who want to destroy what America stands for.  

Final Point:

We did not know the evidence and testimony of this case, until now.  The damage to local businesses began before the evidence became available to the public and after the Grand Jury made their decision.

People have the right to stand up for what they feel is right or wrong but should really know the facts about their subject matter before taking aggressive action against innocent people who have nothing to do with their subject matter.  The local businesses of Ferguson did not force nor have anything to do with Officer Wilson's actions.  The local business of Ferguson did not hire Officer Wilson nor interview him that led to his employment within their community.  So, why blame them?  The aggressors in this case should expect retaliation and not blame those who retaliate against them.  The aggressors in this case should be held responsible for their actions.  

Please note that when I refer to 'aggressors' I am only speaking of those that cause harm to another persons property in this case.  Not the peaceful protestors.
 

Please feel free to post your comments because we all have opinions and we can all learn from each other. 

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Thank you for your support!  Be safe.

A scam with a twist

Please be aware of an old scam that takes on a new twist.  You may know someone who has recently been scammed.  Please share this with everyone you know.

Someone or a group of someone's are pretending to be in need of a caretaker for a disabled child and are moving into the area.  They are seeking out victims on Care.net and I am sure other websites.  This particular victim was sought out on Care.net.  They send pictures of the child and gives a short history of their family.  They try to develop a kinship with the unsuspecting victim.  The person does not wish to speak on the telephone claiming they are hard of hearing and will only use email and text.  They are giving a sad story of how "her" husband and child were killed in a car accident and her son is the only survivor left disabled and wheelchair bound.  Their request is to have a babysitter for him but they must first have a wheelchair waiting for them before they arrive.  In order to get the wheelchair they will send their victim a large check and in turn would like them to deposit it into their own account.  In turn they ask for immediate action be taken to retrieve any money available and send it to them via money pack that can be purchased at a CVS Pharmacy or anywhere that sells money packs.  They will hound the victim for updates and status on the money and express urgency in the need for the money in order to purchase the only wheelchair left with the company they allege to be purchasing it from.  They prey on emotions in this case.


This is not a new scam by any means but beware if you advertise child care services on Care.net or similar websites.  Please pass this on to everyone you know because they too might know someone who offers child care through one of these services.

NEVER send money to anybody you do not know.  NEVER give out personal information to anybody you do not know.  Thank you.

Avoid becoming a victim of crime with these tips

The holiday season is quickly approaching and people are starting to get into the festive mood of baking, eating, and shopping.  Shopping is one of my favorite activities year round but during the holiday season it’s about giving to others and doing for others.  This year it will begin on Thanksgiving Day when the season opens for combat within the isles of the checkout lines in our favorite stores.  If you are one of these brave souls make sure that you stock your car with plenty of water, snacks, and a pillow because you might find yourself sleeping in the parking lot just to get a good parking spot.  You also might need a chair and blanket because the lines tend to begin forming the night before the stores open for the holiday season.  Are you one of these people? Me? Hell no!

If you are, well, even if you are not that person the stores and malls will still be packed most of the beginning of the holiday shopping season all the way through to after the holidays end for those last minute items that are missing from your list or you shop for the after holiday sales preparing early for the next year.  Whatever the case may be we all have one thing in common whether you shop at the beginning of the season, at the end, during busy hours or not.  Our common factor is that we are all consumers carrying money, credit cards, or gift cards and we are amongst thieves just waiting for our vulnerability to be exposed. 

Every year at this time I like to remind people of a few tips for shopping during the busy holiday season.  And, I recommend that you pass this on to everyone you know so they can benefit from this knowledge. Remember knowledge is power!

1. Ladies, this is for you!  Hold onto your purses.  If you put your purse in a cart without your hands securely holding onto the purse strap you are opening yourself to being a victim of one of the most common forms of theft especially if you are outside in the parking lot.  A person in a car can pull up next to your cart, grab your purse, and take off faster than you can say, “oh shit!” 

2. When approaching your car please be sure to take a peek underneath your car as you approach.  Some hoodlums like to hide underneath cars and then cut the unsuspecting victim on the leg as they get into their car.  It will catch you off guard, disable you, and make you vulnerable for car theft along with all of your money. 

3. Always keep your eyes open.  Look around you as you walk to your car.  There are bad guys just waiting outside in the parking lots for the right person to take control of.  Make people think you are aware of your surroundings.  If you look around it will become obvious.

4. Ladies, again, this is for you!  If you have long hair DO NOT wear a ponytail.  It is very easy to control a person by grabbing their ponytail.  Statistics show rapists are especially fond of ponytails because it becomes an easy target for them.  “Grab and Go” is what I call it. 

There are many tips I can offer but these are my top picks that I post every year at this time.  I don’t want to bore you with a book right now so I will end for now.  Happy shopping and be safe out there.

If you read my blog please like my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/diaryofapi

Adventures in the world of investigations

I have documented the cases of the many adventures I have had since my career as a Skip Tracer / PI began in 1990 and will share them with you in the hopes that they will help you or someone you know.  Some of my cases have to do with large companies where employees were suspect in theft or drug related while on the job and others were domestic cases where a loved one suspected infidelity of their partner but my favorite cases were those of reunions or cases that involved skip tracing.  Of course, it goes without saying that names and identifying factors will not be revealed due to implied confidentiality for my clients.  Before I start telling my stories I promised you I would answer some questions that are posed to me on a regular basis either through email or in person.  I am answering questions that I feel will benefit others and/or have been asked of me multiple times assuming there is a point of interest in the topic.

How did you become a PI?  Did you go to school for it?  What would you recommend someone do if they want to become a PI?

This seems to be the most popular among the questions I have been asked throughout my career and am happy to share my story.  During my career I had more calls from Police Officers who wanted to work off the force on a private level as a Detective than I had from those graduating from college concentrating in the field of investigations.  When it all began for me I too was a college student when I got a job at #Famous Barr Department Store working in the collections department as a skip tracer and collector having had successfully climbed the ladder in a matter of five years to the point where I reached a dead end in the department I was working in.  Between that and the fact that I had a new manager whom I once worked side by side with and had no respect for I decided to consider a position offered me as a manager of a local PI firm that I had previously passed up and recommended a friend for who was hired and fired in a matter of months.  I was making good money and had full benefits at a large company, Macy's at the time, and had considered leaving all of that for a small company that would ultimately change the course of my career.  After much deliberating and negotiating I accepted the position to manage five people and run the firm having had no previous management experience.  Putting my college degree on hold I was working two shifts five days a week including my day shift at the office managing and my night shift doing the field work and gaining experience as a real #Private Investigator.  I was exhausted from lack of sleep and exercise but it was par for the course I was heading in.  I will never forget a story my boss told me when I began my job as a manager at his firm that left me thinking about my future as a PI.

My boss was hired by a man to investigate a license plate on a car that was parked in his driveway every night when he was at work.  He suspected his wife was cheating on him and wanted to know who with if that were the case.  My boss revealed the information to his client who then went to the guys house, whom his wife was allegedly cheating with, and shot and killed him.  My boss had to testify during the murder trial and was released from having any responsibility for the action of his client.  Needless to say it taught him a lesson not to give out information on just anybody to anybody.  From the very beginning of my career I learned to be responsible with the the information I have access to. 

The general public does not often understand what we, Private Investigators, do therefore a great deal of speculation exists.  When you choose to be a Private Investigator you have to accept the responsibility to uphold your obligations of truth, justice and integrity.  And, these days most states require you be licensed requiring testing, continuing education, and insurance and full knowledge of the laws.  It's expensive to be a PI in the states that require you be licensed so unless you plan to actively participate in your career choice as a PI it is not worth the trouble.  There are schools all over the country that can teach you how to be a PI but that really is not enough.  Imagination, luck and determination is as important when skip tracing than the traditional techniques they teach you in the classroom.  You must have perseverance and be resourceful to succeed.  You must be able to protect and never divulge the identity of your informants.  And, remember there is not a hole deep enough on this planet in which a person can hide from a PI who has the necessary tools. 

If you are interested in becoming a PI or skip tracer there are many books that can teach you how to do it but ultimately building professional relationships with your peers in the profession will help you in your success.  Read a book and exercise what you learn and then decide if you have what it takes. A good way to test your skills is to pick a car out of a parking lot, observe the driver and the vehicle.  Carefully follow the car to their destination.  If you follow someone from a grocery store they are most likely to go home to put their groceries away.  Jot down their address and see what information you can come up with.  A good place to start is on the Internet using public websites.  See how far you can get by learning about the person driving the car.  From there you should be able to determine if you have what it takes to be a successful investigator whether it be a PI or a skip tracer.  Once you become licensed in your state you will have access to information that the general public does not.  There are many jobs out there that can use your skill as an investigator especially insurance companies.  I will write more about this topic later but in the meantime you can send any questions you may have to diaryofapi@gmail.com.  Your questions will be answered as promptly as possible. 

That's it for now.  Hope you enjoy this read and please share it with your friends.  If you enjoy my blog please like my facebook page at www.facebook.com/diaryofapi.  Thanks for your support!

Update

Hey readers.  I am still here and been extremely busy as the summer months tend to wear me down with the craziness of work and kids.  I love it and wouldn't trade it for the world!  I will be posting about my summer and the exciting and interesting things I have and still are experiencing so stay tuned.  Also, I have been asked by several people within the last several months for an update on the Greg Berin matter.  My last posting on this matter was on January 10, 2014 at which time I reported a sighting since his release from prison in November 2013.  Please know that my blog is not about this individual and is used as an educational tool.  I post about informative matters having to do with ways to protect ourselves in today's society and stories I have worked on for educational purposes in the hopes it will help another individual.  I formerly had a radio show called Crimetime Live where I took callers questions on the air and gave advice about matters of the heart when it came to dangerous relationships.  Until I go back on the air I take questions here on my blog and most questions are posed confidentially and anonymously.  I do not know who reads my blog and I do not know the true identities of those asking the questions and I do not answer questions that can cause harm to people although I will respond privately to questions sent to me privately.  My email address is diaryofapi@gmail.com.    If you do not mind me posting your question and answer on this blog please indicate so.  There is always someone else walking in your shoes and it is always comforting to know that you are not alone.  My posting about my experience with a once five time convicted felon is my story to share and my choice to share my experience, although not a pleasant one, is helping others' know the signs of their involvement with a Sociopath as well as ways to help get themselves out of their situation.  Also, law enforcement has expressed an interest in the investigation that ultimately caught the criminal in my story.  I hope to continue to help society in this regard and in no way want to cause harm to anybody.  The investigation part of my story is part of the Criminal Files and I will continue with this story in the near future. The rest of the story is in the manuscript waiting to be published.   So, here are a few questions that I will answer in this posting and will address a few more in the next. 

1.  How did you, if you did, forgive your perpetrator?
   
     I do not think I forgave my perpetrator and not that I didn't want to.  I could not find a way to forgive someone that does not have a conscience.  A person without a conscience does not believe they need to be forgiven as they are unable to express remorse, guilt, or regret for their actions.  However, long ago I forgave the act of my perpetrator.   This person had been living a life of crime long before he met me and I was simply at the right place at the wrong time.  If it wasn't me it would have been someone else.  Fortunately, I had the strength to get through the victim stages pretty smoothly within two years from the time it happened.  I gained knowledge throughout this ordeal and took my career in a slightly different direction a direction I was heading in anyway of helping people.  And, now, I am working on my degree in counseling. 

2.  Do you think GB was stalking you and got a job at the store you shop at on purpose? 

    Yes.  There are many of us that believe this.  In brief he was released from prison, was the subject of a newspaper article in which he spoke of the crimes committed against me, although my name was not mentioned half of St. Louis knew about the story and put two and two together; and in the article there was something said that was insulting that did not need to be said.  I took it as a verbal attack and thought that he still felt he was punished unjustifiably for the crimes he committed fifteen years before.  This is typical behavior of a Sociopath.  When he got a job at the store me and my family shop at and allegedly far away from his own home we all got suspicious and that is why we wrote the request to the company to have him relocated.  We felt threatened by his activities and needed to put a stop to it as safely as possible.  The police were informed as well.  There is a restraining order against him, not me, that means he cannot get within a certain distance from me and my family and is to have no contact with us or anyone affiliated with us.  He broke the order and could potentially have consequences as a result. 

More later.  Enjoy your 4th of July!

My Speech on The Death Penalty

My most recent speech last week was on the #death penalty and why it is #unethical.  Here is the short version of my speech:

 Let's start by defining the word ethic.  According to Mirriam-Webster Dictionary ethic means rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good and bad.  The majority of society lives by an ethical code with morals and values.  Values are what are right or wrong.

According to the #American Bar Association in Missouri, virtually all murder cases qualify for the death penalty.  Please keep this in mind throughout my entire speech.  According to #Fox News in #Missouri there have been 5 executions within the last 5 months.  One of these executions was of #Joseph Paul Franklin, a self proclaimed racist who attempted murder on #Larry Flynt, the publisher of Hustler Magazine, and #Vernon Jordan, a civil rights activist.  He successfully murdered my cousin #Gerry Gordon in cold blood in front of his three young daughters and wife.  Joseph Paul Franklin was executed in November 2013 for the murder of my cousin.  My family was glad the ordeal was over.  Some were pleased he received the death penalty and others were indifferent.  A statement that Joseph Paul Franklin made while incarcerated was, “if you let me out I will kill again.”  Did he deserve the death penalty?

1980, a young man by the name of #Quinton Moss was murdered on the corner of Sarah and Olive in the City of St. Louis.  The man accused and convicted of the murder was #Larry Griffin who received the death penalty and was executed 10 years after his conviction.  

2001, a man named #Kent Heitholt was murdered in front of his place of employment in #Columbia Missouri.  The young men accused and convicted of the murder were #Charles Erickson and #Ryan Ferguson.  Charles Erickson ultimately received a 25 year sentence behind bars and Ryan Ferguson got 40. 
Larry Griffin and Ryan Ferguson were tried under the same legal system as Joseph Paul Franklin, all were convicted of murder, two got the death penalty and two were executed.  Only 1 was guilty!

Larry Griffin’s innocence was proven by the NAACP (National Association of Advancement For Colored People) and proved his case was built on circumstantial evidence.  Ryan Ferguson proved his case was built on circumstantial evidence and his innocence.  Ryan has since been freed from prison while Charles Erickson is still serving his sentence while trying to prove his innocence.  Remember that virtually any murder case in Missouri qualifies for the death penalty.  Ryan’s case could have gone in the same direction as Larry Griffin’s.  

In both Larry Griffin’s and Ryan Ferguson’s case it has been proven that there was misconduct by law enforcement.  When a lie is told from the beginning it carries over to trial like a domino effect.  The jury only knows what law enforcement and in some cases the prosecution wants them to know.  How can a person who takes an oath to uphold the law and protect society knowingly lie about a crime and live with it? 
The #Innocence Project, innocenceproject.org, claims to have proven 316 people innocent through DNA and 18 of those served time on death row.   How can we impose the death penalty on someone who may be innocent?  In order to get it right we would have to make the legal system error proof and while human error is always possible in any case we would have to abolish human error.  Humans are not perfect and we will always make mistakes.  

To conclude I would like to quote Jennifer Joyce, St. Louis Circuit Attorney, who said, “Every prosecutor conceptually has the notion that someone innocent can be convicted.  I’ve seen it firsthand.”  Although some may deserve death as a consequence for taking someone else’s life namely someone like Joseph Paul Franklin we must abolish the death penalty to avoid the innocent from being put to death.  There is proof, combined evidence and reasoning, that from the very beginning of an accusation of a crime committed human error begins whether it is intentional or not and it carries all the way to trial.

Remember Ryan Ferguson and Larry Griffin’s cases were built and tried on circumstantial evidence.  Neither of them was at the scene of the crime when the crime was committed nor did either have anything to do with the crimes.  There was no DNA, no fingerprint and no viable witnesses.  There were witnesses that were not allowed to speak and facts about each case that went ignored by the justice system we are supposed to believe has our back and have been put in place to protect us.  If this could happen to them it could happen to you or someone you love. Death is final.

My speech

Life is busy and I try to write in my diary as much as possible especially when I have something interesting to share.  Of course, my investigation in the criminal files will be an ongoing series but every now and then I like to write about other things that go on in the life of a PI.  For instance a speech I recently gave on the correlation between #Ryan Ferguson and the movie #The Shawshank Redemption.  As you know I did a little work on the Ryan Ferguson case hence my series titled #The Ryan Ferguson Files which is also an ongoing series as we try to seek justice for the Heitholt family and find the person who murdered Mr. Heitholt.  Until the investigation is complete I am unable to share any information for the sake of the investigation as I am sure you can understand.  Anybody could read this or any other blog or media coverage on the case and if information is leaked that should not be it could throw the investigation off course.  With that said, I only have a very small part in all of this and that is to share Ryan's story as I did in my recent speech.

Ryan Ferguson was accused of committing a crime he did not commit.  If you are at all familiar with the movie starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman in The Shawshank Redemption you know that the character Andy Dufresne was also accused of committing a crime that he did not commit.  Albeit this is a movie of fiction it depicts many aspects of the life Ryan lived behind bars and the circumstances around it.  Ryan was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to 40 years behind bars as was Andy Dufresne who was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences.  Both worked from behind bars to find a way out of prison.  Ryan worked on proving his innocence while Andy tried to find a way to escape once his proof was murdered by the warden, Tommy, who knew who the real killer was and was willing to come forth with this information.

This is where my speech got interesting.  Ryan had a support system working for him from the other side of the bars, his father and the man behind Ryan's release, Bill, whom I had the pleasure of meeting last year while I toured the crime scene in Columbia, Mo.  As my photographer took pictures I interviewed Mr. Ferguson and asked questions that made people around me believe I was a reporter.  I made some friends that evening.  He also had a girlfriend who he allegedly got acquainted with while behind bars but this information is for Ryan to share if he chooses to do so.  I am sure the movie about Ryan's story will have a love story that Shawshank lacked and may have needed.  Andy Dufresne did not have a support system working for him from behind bars and there was no lady in red waiting for his release.  And, let me add that the movie did not do so well at the box office but had they added a love story I  bet they would have done better.

How I would change the story:  In walks Lucy played by none other than red headed sexy #Susan Sarandon who was a friend of Andy's wife who was the victim in the murder that Andy was framed for.  Lucy believed in Andy's innocence and worked with him from behind bars to not only prove his innocence but to help catch the man who killed Andy's only witness, Tommy.  As Lucy and Andy worked closely together and then being separated for periods of time they developed feelings for each other and eventually fell in love.  At the end of the movie we see Lucy and Andy lock lips as he arrived in Mexico at his boat.  The warden was responsible for the murder of Tommy, Andy's only witness,  and in the end of the movie he killed himself as the police were breaking down the door that led to his office desk where he sat dead in his chair.  Had Lucy been able to work with the police and work up a plan of attack, so to speak, they may have been able to prevent the warden from taking his own life having been placed in the same prison but as an inmate for killing Tommy where he once ordered his guards to beat the prisoners. 

In the end Ryan and Andy got out of prison.  Ryan proved his innocence although the burden of proof was on the courts and they could not prove that Ryan had anything to do with the crime.  It is a story of good versus evil, one side who lives with values and the other side who doesn't. Ryan and Andy both had moral values and the Warden and perhaps the government in Ryan's trial did not conduct themselves in an ethical manner considering all of the circumstantial evidence they took into consideration that did not prove a thing and not considering evidence that may have proved his innocence.  It is no secret our judicial system has many holes and is unfair when fairness is needed.  Nonetheless, things happen for a reason, as far as I believe, and Ryan is exercising that reason today by helping others' who have been convicted or accused of a crime they did not commit.

Speaking of ethics and morals one of my favorite subject's is philosophy and ethics.  Do you ever justify your actions with the philosophy of #Aristotle, #John Stewart Mills, or #Immanuel Kant?

The Diary of a Private Investigator......PI stuff

As I so often do I must digress from The Criminal Files for a moment. 

I couldn’t be anymore excited about the up and coming summer PI conference.  In addition to my continuing college studies as I pursue my degree I am lucky to get to keep in touch with the most updated resources and techniques that are available to those in my capacity of law enforcement and investigators.  I always look forward to meeting new faces and reuniting with colleagues who always have unique stories to tell and that we learn from. 

This year we will review the art of interrogation and PI laws that have been instilled in us since the beginning of our careers but we will also benefit from learning the updates on internet profiling, intelligence, and informant development.  There is never a dull moment at these conferences and I never come home without one or two good stories and new contacts through the networking these conferences offer and encourage. 

I look forward to once again sharing more stories and information with you that I hope you  find helpful in your life such as ways to protect yourself from the newest crimes that make the news affecting those that are undeserving.   Paying it forward is a good thing. 

Stay tuned for updates on The Criminal Files including the #Ryan Ferguson Files.  I am sure by now you have heard that Ryan is out of prison and is advocating for others’ that are paying for someone else's crime. Again, paying it forward is a good thing. 

If you read my blog please like my facebook page at www.facebook.com/diaryofapi.  Thank you for your continued support!

LATEST UPDATE.........The Criminal Files.......(Greg Berin)

The latest on the sighting of #Gregory Berin at a dollar store has turned into a mini investigation that may have a bittersweet ending depending on how you look at it.

It all began when I saw him working at my local dollar store that left me with questions I felt obligated to find the answers to.  One of the questions was whether or not this company was aware of Greg’s criminal record and if so why in bloody hell did they make him a cashier where he has personal contact with customers and  their financial information?!

The first step was to contact Project COPE who acts as a mentor to ex criminals rejoining society once released from prison.  It is a church organization that alleges they interview inmates prior to their release and must meet the criteria to be a part of their program.  A member of my team whom I hold in high regard contacted project COPE and asked them for their help in relocating Greg out of the town where he committed several of his crimes and they responded with no compassion towards their “projects” victims’ in general and defended Greg’s right to work wherever he wants. They would not allude as to whether  they assisted him in obtaining his new full time job but had knowledge that he was working there.   

The second step, as a result of the first, was to investigate Greg’s employers’ history of hiring those with criminal backgrounds and the answer was a firm yes they do.  They publicly admit to hiring ex criminals and felons.  Here is a link for a list of corporations that hire ex cons including the one Greg works for.  You might be surprised when you see the major corporations that hire ex criminals and felons.  They do not seem to discriminate against those who have been convicted 1 time to those who have been convicted multiple times.  The wrong thing to do would have been to jump straight into a phone call to the employer because our goal was to avoid getting him fired but  more or less to get him removed from behind the cash register and out of the town where half of his victims live.  It was a win win situation. 

http://www.jailtojob.com/Companies%20that%20Hire%20Ex-offenders%20and%20Felons.html

The third step, and this is where it gets bittersweet, was to contact the corporation ourselves, since HOPE didn't want to have anything to do with it, and to request they relocate him in order to avoid potential problems with his victims running into him.  We should not have to accommodate him as it is my opinion that he is undeserving.  It took some time but I finally spoke with the Regional Manager who had met Greg a few times.  When I told him why I was calling and shared my knowledge of Greg’s history he was surprised and said, “Greg is a model employee.  That’s hard to believe about him.  Are you sure we are talking about the same person?”  I had to educate the manager about Greg’s nature.  Further along in our conversation, he confirmed that they had never heard of Project COPE and ultimately realized Greg had lied on his application, in order to get the job.  He was a walk-in applicant and conned his way into the job.  My request was to relocate him to a job within the company in a position that does not involve direct customer contact but the manager said that because Greg lied on his application he will most likely lose his job altogether.  The last thing I want to do is put Greg into a position to steal from others’ in order to support himself as he admitted to doing in the past.   I would rather he be employed earning an honest living but being employed in the past didn’t stop him from lying, stealing, and conning.  

So, the burning question is: If Greg was eligible to become a project for COPE and met the criteria, whatever that may be, claimed to be a “changed man” having been “rehabilitated” as he was quoted saying in a recent article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch  (http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/columns/bill-mcclellan/mcclellan-saving-strays-comes-with-no-guarantees/article_6a92d3d2-4501-577f-889a-c9376d6a9255.html), and was truly following the system that COPE offers, why would he lie on a job application to get a job with a company THAT HIRES EX CONS?!!!!!  I cannot imagine HOPE, a church-based organization, supporting his lie or suggesting he do such a thing. 

What are your thoughts about this?

Here is a link to Greg Berin’s public criminal profile and mug shots compliments of the Missouri Department of Corrections and Missouri State Highway Patrol:
https://web.mo.gov/doc/offSearchWeb/searchOffender.do

UPDATE:  The Missouri Department of Corrections has removed the criminal record from their database.  Please visit Case.Net for further information regarding the criminal files.  Here are the links.

 https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/cases/nameSearch.do
https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/cases/nameSearch.do

Also, I have an official transcript of his criminal history including court transcripts.  If you have a legal need please let me know and I would be happy to share it with you.

My advice for what it's worth:  If you run into this person turn around and run the other way.

Until next time if you enjoy reading my diary please like my facebook page, www.facebook.com/diaryofapi.  Thank you for your support!

The Criminal Files.......(Greg Berin)...........BREAKING NEWS

12-05-2013 at 08:02 PM 

If you read this blog and arm yourself with the knowledge contained within the blog posted below it means you have a personal interest in this story. #Greg Berin, if you are reading this you are a Schmuck!

TODAY I went to my local dollar store where I frequent to buy specific quality items I am fortunate to get for a dollar where I would otherwise pay more for at another store. I usually bring my kids and almost never go there at the time of day that I did today and without my kids. I walked in, they were busy, and I got the few items I went there for. When I approached the checkout line, the one directly in front of the door that only a few minutes before had entered into the store, I looked at the cashier and I think I immediately went into a state of shock. I moved over to the next line where my breathing naturally became very heavy, my head started to hurt, and my stomach virtually dropped all the way down to the ground. At this point I was behind the cashier that caused my body to react in such a stressful manner. I couldn't help but hear his voice as he spoke to the customers he was servicing. It all came back to me at that very moment. The feelings I had during my #investigation. I WAS SPOOKED! I froze before I could decide what to do next. Had I left my cart there and walked out of the store I may have drawn attention to myself but had I kept on going through the line acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary perhaps the situation would give the impression, in his eyes had he seen me, that I had not seen him. The goal was for him not to notice me but there is no guarantee I got out of their unnoticed by my once perpetrator. He may have seen me walk into the store which is directly in front of his station. I wasn't paying attention to the cashiers when I walked into the store and went about my business. But, once I saw him I avoided eye contact in the hopes he would not notice me. As I moved through the short line directly behind him I held my breath and when spoken to by my cashier I tried to keep the volume of my voice as low as possible and in fact was almost afraid to speak. As I moved forward to the cashier Greg and I were back to back with only inches between us. Was I sure it was him? 1000 percent sure.

I suspected he would return to the neighborhood in which his #crimes were committed. I have anticipated this moment and have been anxious about running into him. (Please do not get the word anxious confused with the meaning of the word eager as people so often do. Anxious means full of mental distress or uneasiness because of fear, greatly worried etc. according to Dictionary.com.) I was certainly not eager for it to happen.

My concern about all of this is with the dollar store. They either do NOT know that he is a convicted career #criminal and did not do a background check on him prior to hiring him OR they DO know about his criminal history and hire people like him to work in their stores across the country. They are not dealing with a one time convicted criminal but a 51 year old career criminal who has lived in prison more than out and the fact that he is a cashier worries me even more. He has access to customer information including banking, credit card, and personal information and he is handling money for this company giving him the opportunity, a conman and thief who has no conscience, to steal. Now, I don't know the policies and procedures for this dollar store and whether or not they leave a small amount of cash in the drawer at any given time or if they are part of the Project COPE that Greg is participating in, but regardless I believe they do not know who they are dealing with. A conman will try to con anyone including church members, employers, and often the law and believe it or not even a private investigator. ;-)

If this large corporation intentionally hires people just like Greg I will never walk into another one of these stores again for fear that a criminal acting as cashier is waiting for their next victim. The potential crimes include that of identity theft and for a criminal like Greg with motive and opportunity is in the middle of a thief's playground and the owner of this playground is risking the welfare of both employees and customers. Greg has spent over 30 of his 51 years in prison, finds it hard to get a job, lacks a credit history, and is required to be self sufficient. He said that he used to steal to make ends meet but also did it for the thrill. Most of these facts were taken directly from the source in an article he was featured in on November 10, 2013 in the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Here is a link to the article: (http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/c...76d6a9255.html)

Businesses that put the Greg Berin's in contact with customers should be obligated to post a sign on the door, "we hire ex criminals" otherwise the businesses are not giving their customers the choice to put their personal information in the hands of a once and potential future criminal especially in this day and age. It should not be left up to the business to decide as to whether or not the ex criminal has been rehabilitated and will not be tempted to and follow through with committing another crime. I just hope they have good liability coverage. And, if they do not screen potential employees I feel the business has a right to know they have a Greg Berin working for them.

I believe everyone is deserving of a second chance and circumstance should be considered, but in this case it is chance number 6 for him as he has been to prison 5 times and did not learn his lesson after each sentence and if you have doubts as to whether or not Greg deserves the benefit of the doubt this time please follow my blog and you will understand why I feel the way I do. I am not saying he doesn't deserve to have a job especially if it will keep him from stealing from others, (that didn't stop him from stealing from me) but I feel it is not a good idea to interact with customers or handle money. I certainly do not wish harm come to him by any means nor am I revengeful or vindictive and am only using my experience with him to create a safer environment and future for others including my children. There are consequences for our actions and as far as the law is concerned Greg has paid his debt to society but he has yet to pay his debt to his victims and as a result of his behavior and actions against them he must face those consequences of his actions. I guess he should have thought twice before stealing from me. My efforts to educate others' by using my story as the example, including this blog and all that I have done, is as a result of his actions against me. I guess this is one of the consequences of his actions. Too bad, so sad. If only all potential criminals would think before they act.

The fact that there is a no contact and restraining order protecting myself and my family that requires him to keep his distance means that I will be the one that has to make the changes and shop at a different location. Why should I have to accommodate him? I did nothing wrong.

So, what would YOU do with this information? Please post your thoughts in the comments because I have not yet decided what to do with this information and your insight is greatly appreciated. I am in the line of business to help protect society from the scum of the earth.

If you have a legitimate reason to know the exact location and business name of which Greg is employed for the purpose of avoiding him please message me on Facebook.

(If you have trouble leaving comments on this blog please message me at www.facebook.com/diaryofapi. I have been told that this system doesn't always allow you to leave comments. I am looking into it.


If you read my blog please like my facebook page at www.facebook.com/diaryofapi. Thank you for your continued support!

The Criminal Files.......(Greg Berin)...........Phase 3 of the Investigation

11-23-2013 at 12:38 PM 

This is where we left off: “This was when my first thought of Greg’s involvement came to me that I tried to ignore but couldn’t. We had been to my grandparent’s home several times since the initial jewelry went missing. He had opportunity but what is the motive? He was financially secure, he led me to believe, and didn’t want for anything. He appeared to care for my family and besides our families had a history going back to the 60’s. One would only think nobody in their right mind would do something like this under these circumstances. I was confused between the facts and reality. In the 13 years as a PI prior to dating Greg I had never worked with criminals nor did I know of any that I could recall at the time. I was in for a big lesson in life. So was Greg.”

Phase 3 of the Investigation

This is where I began my investigation on Greg. This is what led me to search his clothes ultimately finding my stolen pendant in his pant pocket. I couldn’t imagine why he would do this to me. I met his family who acted as normal as one would expect so there were no signs of concern for what Greg may have done in his past. He fit in well with my family and in fact was no stranger to my two brothers. My family welcomed him in with open arms.

The next event turned into a cat and mouse game. Greg, the mouse, was trying to stay one step ahead of me, the cat, as I was trying to catch him. This is how it unfolded:

The day after more jewelry went missing I told Greg I was going to my grandparent’s to attempt to figure out what happened to all the missing jewelry and he agreed to go with me but this time I was going to try to catch him in the act assuming he took advantage every time we were at their condo. But, instead he decided to change my plans and went ahead of me and without my knowledge. The next thing I knew he showed up at their building, got buzzed in by my grandmother and proceeded to enter their apartment. My grandmother called my mother and told her he was there and when I found out only minutes later I sped over in the hopes I would catch up to him but more important make sure he wasn’t there to harm my grandparent’s in any way. I was fearful as to what he was capable of doing to my elderly grandparents whom he had already allegedly stolen from, but……. he was gone by the time I got there. Thank goodness my grandparents were fine and able to walk me through the steps Greg took while there. His purpose of being there was to help try to find the missing jewelry and by conveniently showing them how the jewelry was stolen. Greg knew one of the nurses had a history of stealing and used it to his advantage. He took my grandmother into the guest bathroom and proceeded to explain what happened, “the nurses did this to my mother when my mother was sick. While working in the home they steal your jewelry and hide it from you and if you don’t complain about it for about 3 days or so they take it out of the home.” He reached in between two towels in the bathroom linen closet and conveniently pulled out a gold bracelet.

Shortly after I learned Greg had gone to his apartment and expressed concern to me that he felt we were blaming him for stealing the jewelry. He sounded serious as though he believed it himself but it was my job to convince him his feelings were not valid and that I was planning on marrying him and I professed my undying love for him. (I want to throw up) He bought it hook, line, and sinker. Why did I do this? Because I needed Greg in order to find the missing jewelry. I guess although I knew my love for him was dying I seemed just as authentic to him as he did to me. He came back as though nothing had happened and said, “Let’s just forget about all this. I love you.” There was more confusion on my part. How can you tell someone you love them and then turn around, with the same breath, and steal from them unless you are a CON MAN! I was sad because I had to listen to all of his verbalized romanticisms and gestures and remind myself none of it was real and let go of my own feelings for someone who didn’t really exist.

Later that day my mother met me at my grandparent’s condo and we searched high and low and this is what we found: A coffee can underneath my grandmothers bed. She once kept that coffee can in her clothes drawer that had nearly $8000 in it. It was empty!

Just when we thought it couldn’t get worse it did. It got much much worse.

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The Criminal Files.......(Greg Berin)...........Phase 2 of the Investigation

11-11-2013 at 12:32 PM 

I realized it has been a month since my last entry. I apologize for leaving you hanging for this long, but, what better time to continue with my story than now. The subject of this story, Greg Berin, was recently interviewed by reporter Bill McClellan of the St. Louis Post Dispatch and claims to be "a changed man" and "had all of the right rehabilitative courses in prison." I am waiting to speak with Mr. McClellan to respond to this article. Here is the link.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/c...76d6a9255.html

INVESTIGATION
PHASE 2

Here is where we left off: "The next morning I woke up and got out of bed before Greg was awake. I went to the laundry room to get the pendant and brought it into the bedroom. I was curious as to how he would react to the fact that I found my pendant in his pant pocket. I approached him as he was waking up and stood over him while he lay in bed. I said, “good morning. I was going through your pant pocket this morning as I was about to do laundry and found this”, as I held up my stolen gold pendant. I continued, “do you care to explain to me why my gold pendant is in your pant pocket?” I did not get the response I was expecting."

His response was without hesitation as his words flowed from his lips "that belonged to my grandmother and she gave it to me. She also gave me some jewelry that belonged to my grandfather. It's up there on the dresser" as he pointed to the top of the dresser by the bedroom door. I went over to the dresser to examine a small pile of jewelry that consisted of a few rings, a bracelet, and a gold necklace. "Why is she now suddenly giving you jewelry?" I asked. "She is not in the best of health and wanted to make sure I had it." I thought to myself, 'whatever'. I knew the pendant was mine but decided at the last minute to go with the flow since I didn't want to completely blow my 'cover' so I played dumb. I absolutely needed him in order to recover my grandmothers' jewelry. To Greg this excuse made sense because his grandparent’s once owned a jewelry store and he was "claiming his inheritance". This was not the reaction I expected from a thief. A thief may act as if he was a deer caught in the headlights but Greg reacted as if he believed his own excuse. Perhaps it was rehearsed but unlikely since he was not expecting me to be hovering over him first thing in the morning between sleep and awareness.

The events that led up to the discovery of my gold pendant and my confidence that Greg was a thief took place only days before. Here is how it all came together.

After the first piece of jewelry went missing from my grandparent’s home we assumed it had been misplaced and several of us including my parents, my aunt and myself and Greg searched my grandparent’s condo in the hopes we would find it. Unfortunately, we did not. At this point I was as perplexed as everyone else in my family. I was taking it all in as was my mother and her siblings who didn't suspect foul play. Why would we? There had been nobody but family, friends, the cleaning staff and nurses in and out of their home. We were a tight knit family who kept in touch with one another and frankly knew of the comings and goings at the condo. The condo was in a secured building and one would have to be "buzzed in" in order to gain access. My grandparents were always in good company and had become comfortable with their routine. Nothing with their routine had changed so it was puzzling to all of us. I was mystified and decided to use my resources to at least eliminate the cleaning and nursing staff that worked in my grandparent's home. I went to my office and started the criminal background process.

My findings were surprising to all especially after we learned that prior to placing the professional in my grandparent’s home the health care agency did not prescreen their employees. As a result of this I found one of the nurses had a criminal background of stealing. Her services were immediately terminated. Now that the problem has been eliminated, so we thought, we went on with our lives. Even Greg expressed concern for their well being and became somewhat protective stating, "Your grandparent’s remind me of my own and if someone hurt them it would be like hurting my grandparents." I knew he was close to his grandmother. He took me to meet her shortly after we began dating. I also met his father who, like his grandmother, also had a history with my mother who also knew his mother.

A few days later my grandmother called me and told me more jewelry was missing. This time the police were brought in. Officer Robert Tabers requested our presence at the scene of the alleged crime. Greg's reaction to this request was nothing out of the ordinary and agreed to cooperate which was to be expected considering he was going to be a member of the family. We were engaged and planning our wedding. While at my grandparent's condo the Officer asked a few questions such as "when was your last visit?" and "do you think your grandparent's are starting to become forgetful?" We had visited them recently and we knew my grandfathers' memory was bad because he suffered from the beginning stages of Alzheimer's but my grandmother showed no signs of forgetfulness. And, we had already searched the apartment for the ring my grandmother said was missing. She seemed to be sure that she did not misplace her jewelry and put it where she always put it including a diamond ring she always put on her ring stand that sat on her jewelry chest and bracelets she always placed in her jewelry chest drawer. She was as perplexed as we and couldn't make sense of any of it. Officer Tabers suggested we search the condo under the assumption it was misplaced. He said, "we find this sort of thing happening all too often with the elderly." My grandmother also entertained her poker group in her home recently and some of the ladies that were there and had been friends with my grandmother for many years may have been forgetful and it was suggested that maybe one of the them accidentally walked off with her ring.

This was when my first thought of Greg’s involvement came to me that I tried to ignore but couldn’t. We had been to my grandparent’s home several times since the initial jewelry went missing. He had opportunity but what is the motive? He was financially secure, he led me to believe, and didn’t want for anything. He appeared to care for my family and besides our families had a history going back to the 60’s. One would only think nobody in their right mind would do something like this under these circumstances. I was confused between the facts and reality. In the 13 years as a PI prior to dating Greg I had never worked with criminals nor did I know of any that I could recall at the time. I was in for a big lesson in life. So was Greg.

If you read my blog please share it with your friends and family. I hope that any of the techniques or activities used in my investigation will help another person. Please like my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/diaryofapi. Thank you for your continued support!

The Criminal Files.......(Greg Berin)...........Phase 1 of the Investigation

10-07-2013 at 09:39 AM

THE INVESTIGATION

The investigation began a week before his arrest and lasted approximately a month. It all started when my grandmother reported several pieces of jewelry missing from her home and my very first thought of Greg's involvement although I had no evidence and prayed I wouldn't find any. It was after I discovered the criminal record on a nurse who cared for my grandfather and before I found the first piece of evidence in his pants pocket. It was one of those gut feelings you get that you cannot ignore no matter how hard you try. I call it my sixth sense of intuition that made me do the unimaginable and investigate the man I was in love with. As much as I prayed he was a good guy and would cause me no harm I couldn't knock that little voice, that was telling me "it's not all that it seems", out of my head. And, it had nothing to do with my background as a PI that I had these suspicious feelings but simply that I am a human being with the ability to “reason” and was not allowed to ignore it.

Ok, I will make this as short and painless as possible and will cover each phase of the investigation in the upcoming postings.

PHASE ONE

I was in love with this guy, didn't want this fantasy of a world I was living in to end, and didn't want to have to start all over again. There, I said it! But, regardless of these facts I WOULD NOT ignore my gut instinct about this guy and because of this what I had to do made it that much harder. Now on to the juicy tidbits about the investigation.

The first thing I did once I decided to investigate his alleged involvement in the crime that occurred at my grandparents house was to go through the few things he had kept at my house like his clothes namely his pant pockets. I do not recall ever seeing him wearing pocketed shirts as he often wore vests over his shirts. I offered to do his laundry which I had never done before but told him I was running a small load of my own and if he had a few things I could add them to my load. He agreed so I was counting on. I carried his clothes into the laundry room and left them there. What he didn't know was that I had already gone through his pockets and found a gold pendant that resembled one I kept in an old jewelry box. The first thing I did was go to my old jewelry box to only discover the familiar looking pendant that I owned WAS MISSING! (This is the point when my heart sunk into my stomach. This was the very moment I knew that there was not going to be a wedding and that my dream of getting married was over.) With his consent I was able to remove the evidence from his possession and into mine when I offered to do his laundry. It bought me some time to figure out what to do next.

The next morning I woke up and got out of bed before Greg was awake. I went to the laundry room to get the pendant and brought it into the bedroom. I was curious as to how he would react to the fact that I found my pendant in his pant pocket. I approached him as he was waking up and stood over him while he lay in bed. I said, “good morning. I was going through your pant pocket this morning as I was about to do laundry and found this”, as I held up my stolen gold pendant. I continued, “you care to explain to me why my gold pendant is in your pant pocket?” I did not get the response I was expecting.

So, I will break for now and yes I know I have left you with a cliffhanger. I hope you come back later to find out what happened next. Tell your family and friends to visit my blog. Although I know it is at my expense I hope at the very least my stories, which are all true, can help someone else.

If you read my blog please like my facebook page at www.facebook.com/diaryofapi. Thanks for your support!

Most Effective Responses In An Active Shooter Event

09-17-2013 at 10:12 AM

 I thought this was important enough to share with my readers because it may save a life. My colleague and friend Nancy Hightshoe, who used to be a cop, is the author of this document. There is a link at the bottom where you can view a video compliments of the St. Louis County Police Department.

MOST EFFECTIVE RESPONSES IN AN
ACTIVE SHOOTER EVENT©


RUN! If you can’t run, HIDE! If you can’t hide, then FIGHT!
Run IMMEDIATELY - and don’t look back!.

A lesson from the Virginia Tech shooting, if necessary, jump out a window!
Just as the shooter was about to burst into the classroom, Liviu Librescu, a 76 year old professor and
Holocaust survivor, sprinted to the door and held it shut with his body. He never hesitated to save his students.
He shouted out orders to them to kick out the windows and jump down from the second floor. The students
did what they were told and many were saved. Those who jumped, survived.

Run in a zigzag pattern to become a more difficult target.
Make use of any cover but keep running!

IF HIDING IS YOUR BEST OPTION: A lesson from Colombine: The students who hid under desks, died;
The librarian who hid in a closet, survived.
- Barricade and lock the door
- Turn off the light
- Stay quiet. Put your cell phone on vibrate or off. (VERY important!! Remember this!)
- Determine your safest hiding place. Stay out of sight from the door and out of the line of fire. If there
are no closets, etc. to hide in, corners on the same wall as the door are acceptable.
- Grab your belongings on your way to your hiding place or hide them out of sight – especially if the
door has a window. You want the room to look unoccupied.

If you can, safely and without being spotted, send a 911 text saying:
- Active Shooter.
- Street address or building name.
- Number of shooters (the number is usually one).
- Any helpful information about the shooter (his name, location in the building, etc.).
- Your hiding location

IF YOU HAVE TO FIGHT use everything around you and on you. Grab a fire extinguisher! Aim where you
can do the most damage - his eyes, nose and mouth. Once the fire extinguisher is empty, hit him as hard as you
can until he’s disabled and you can escape. If he’s close, jab a pen, laptop or book in his Adams apple.
Remember Hero Flight 93!
Remember to Stay Smart! You know what to do! Don’t just go along with group think. Do what you
know will save your life! The shooter knows there are people in the building and is looking for them. If you
can get out, do! If you have to hide, hide well! If you have to fight, fight with all you’re worth!
There is a program to train school children in how to fight with whatever is at hand. The A.L.I.C.E. training
also focuses on mental toughness in an emergency situation.

The Houston police department has developed an excellent video: “Run. Hide. Fight.”
It has received some criticism because of the real guns and real gun fire. I disagree. For those without a law enforcement, military, hunting or target shooting background, you don’t want the first time you hear live gun shots to be a crisis.

The St. Louis County Department of Police has the video, in both English and Spanish, on their web site:

http://www.stlouisco.com/LawandPubli...hooterIncident

The Criminal Files-(Greg Berin)................The Diary of a Private Investigator

09-03-2013 at 11:00 AM

The man who perpetrated me and many others is out on the streets of St. Louis. His release that occurred on August 16th happened to be the same day I was getting on an airplane and leaving St. Louis behind. Coincidence, I don’t believe in coincidences and it was not planned that way but was the weekend that was most feasible for all parties involved. It was symbolic when all was said and done. As he was rejoining society after being locked up for 14 years realizing how valuable his freedom is, we can only hope, I was traveling to British Columbia for an extended weekend of martinis, beach, and relaxation while documenting “Mom on the Run” a “scheduled” run away for a busy mom who needed some R&R.

I began telling my story in my last posting and there were many questions that came my way that I will try to answer in this posting. In a nutshell I will tell my story in the hopes that others’ will learn from it. My story is mild if you compare it to the kidnappings and murders and the significance of my story is that #I, a Private Eye, was duped by an acquaintance who turned out to be a career criminal and in the end the Private Eye beat him at his own game. Yes, he put a knife to my neck but he was not the violent type where he left his victims physical injured that we know of. He played mind games by, among a few, manipulation, dishonesty, and in hindsight his bizarre behavior hence putting a knife to my neck just to get a reaction. What was my reaction? “Put the knife down before someone gets hurt and it won’t be me!” For some strange reason I was not afraid of him. By this time I was already investigating him and knew that he was a wanted man for a felony charge against someone he perpetrated shortly before I met him and was determined to get enough evidence and facts about the crimes he committed in order to put him behind bars for a very long time. What were the crimes he committed against people? He stole often giving what he stole to others trying to win their heart over and pawning items for cash in order to pay his bills. He broke into homes of those he knew and stole from them. He impersonated a police officer once assisting in an arrest in downtown St. Louis in a mall. He stole firearm probably to sell or to use as a form of manipulation with his victims. His bizarre behavior I believe was solely for the reaction giving him the feeling of power he felt he had over people. He played jokes on people including my family members that may have been innocent and funny at the time but until I realized who he really was I didn't realize the jokes were at our expense and for his entertainment.

It was over a month into the relationship that my sixth sense of intuition kicked in telling me something wasn’t right. The event that triggered this feeling was the fact that my grandparents were missing some jewelry from their home. Love is blind but this was enough to give me that feeling in my gut that something wasn’t right. I started to grasp at straws trying to find a reasonable explanation. I ran background checks on all the nurses and cleaning crew that worked in my grandparent’s home. It turned out that one of the nurses had a criminal history of stealing which to some degree put my mind at ease but I still had a nagging feeling that something wasn’t right. My assumption is that Greg got comfortable with the relationship and me and took the smoke screen down which resulted in what was the beginning of his bizarre behavior. It wasn’t until more jewelry went missing that confirmed my hunch that something wasn’t right. By this time we were planning our wedding. This is the point where I started to feel sad because I knew my dream had come to an end. My emotions were doing back flips because this is when I started to investigate my fiancé with full intentions of getting justice if this is where justice needed to be served. I thought the worst.

Two lessons to learn from this part of the story:

1. Your intuition speaks volumes and should NEVER be ignored. It may not always be right but it usually is. (Had I not listened to my instincts more damage would have been done. He would not have stopped until he was stopped.)

2. If something seems too good to be true it usually is. (I was 32 years old looking for Mr. Right. All of the elements were there for a successful relationship and my search was over. I was looking forward to marriage and starting a family. Everything was perfect.) (HINT: There is no such thing as perfect. That was the part that was too good that ended up not being true)

COMING UP: The investigation

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The Criminal Files-(Greg Berin).............The Diary of a Private Investigator

07-31-2013 at 05:49 PM

It is just shy of 14 years since I sent to prison a liar, con man, and thief. I have had years of peace of mind knowing exactly where he was at all times. He was living in a medium security Missouri state prison albeit only a few hours away in a building with locks on it never to have opened for his departure that is until August 16th 2013 less than a month from now.

On August 16th he will leave the prison grounds a free man and will travel by bus to the City of St. Louis where he will become part of a program called Project Cope. Project Cope, funded by a local church, will provide him with an apartment, telephone, food, clothing, and help in finding a job. He is not required to reside in the all expense paid apartment for any length of time and is allowed to live there for up to a year. He will be on what they call face based parole requiring him to physically visit his parole officer during his parole time. The amount of time he will be on parole is unknown at this time. He will reportedly inherit a large sum of money upon his release giving him the financial freedom to go wherever he wants including back to the suburb of St. Louis called Creve Coeur where some of his crimes were committed. Why would a convicted criminal return to the scene of a crime? For what the criminal in this story thrives on, the thrill.

A person who has been institutionalized for any long period of time can find it difficult to rejoin society. In prison this person is told what to do and when to do it and in the real world they must depend on themselves. People are not rehabilitated in prison and most continue to commit the same crimes in prison that they did in the real world that landed them in prison. Prison is a small playground to criminals and they have less room to move making them that much more clever when committing crimes. The real world is a much bigger playground with innocent people who don’t see them coming.

Gregory R Berin is from Creve Coeur Missouri and has spent most of his life behind bars. His first public offense was at the age of 17 when he stole something that did not belong to him. Since then he has broadened his resume with known crimes such as breaking and entering, stealing firearm, impersonating a police officer, and felony theft. He is manipulative, a liar, and impersonator of professions such as a Medical Doctor, an Air Force Pilots, Police Officer, and Financier. He often has more than one girlfriend or fiancée at a time and steals from one to give to another. He is known to be promiscuous and has had many lovers of all shapes, sizes, and sexes. He was 18 years old when he was first incarcerated and will be 50 when he gets out next month. He has been in prison more than three times totaling over 30 years as a prison inmate.

There is no doubt he is not the worst of the worst but if you cross paths with him there is no doubt he will stir your pot and wake you up making him seem like the worst of the worst you have ever met.

My story first aired on the local CBS news over 13 years ago when Gregory R Berin was sentenced to 15 years behind bars for the known crimes he had committed. After it aired on Lifetime Television four years later Mr. Berin reported to a local newspaper that he blamed me for his foreseen problems rejoining society in the St. Louis area. I never had the opportunity to defend myself in that article nor did I feel the need because all criminals tend to blame their victims but I have the freedom to tell my story through my blog. With over 14,000 followers I hope to save at least one person from crossing paths with Gregory R Berin who has been known to victimize people all the way from Columbia, Missouri to Detroit, Michigan.

Since my experience I have become an advocate for crime victims through public speaking, radio, and my writings. I have healed from my emotional wounds and have come to peace with my ordeal. I will continue to share with my fellow PI’s, Police Officers and Detectives the details of how I was able to quickly catch the fugitive that Mr. Berin became after going on the run and to share with my fellow crime victims how I was able to move through the phases of shock, grief, and acceptance and how they too can learn to cope with PTSD.

My Story

          It is a story about a Private Investigator who falls in love with a conman who steals from her,
          among other things, takes off challenging her to a cat and mouse game where in the end it's up
          to her to catch him and beat him at his own game.  It is a true story.

Thirteen years into my career as a Private Investigator I was reunited with a familiar face from my childhood, Greg Berin………………………..

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