Dr. Conrad Murray told authorities he administered sleep aids to Michael Jackson.

Tanya M. Acker
AC360° Contributor
Attorney

With the indictment of Dr. Conrad Murray, a new media feeding frenzy begins.

As an attorney, I am both familiar with and thankful for the legal presumption of innocence that is a cornerstone of the American criminal justice system. I also know that presumption is often more meaningful in theory than in practice; having at times represented litigants who were viewed with some measure of social opprobrium, I have some sense of what it is to be on the wrong side of a public relations juggernaut.

Dr. Murray’s team, of course, has its own story to tell. We have recently heard a good deal about the doctor’s history serving disadvantaged patients – service for which I am sure those patients are grateful. I am also certain that there may be other elements of his defense about which we are unaware and which may or may not ultimately prove persuasive to a jury. And before we assume that we know more about this case than we actually do, I would like to point out that I have seen gross abuses of state power – with respect both to well-funded criminal defendants and others – so we should be wary about blindly accepting the allegations set forth by the prosecution.
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Christopher D. Hibl, one of three escaped inmates.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

A statewide manhunt is under way in Oklahoma for three escaped inmates. The fugitives have been missing from the William S. Key Correctional Center since Friday night.

“It’s a minimum security facility,” said Jerry Massie, public information officer for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. “We think they just walked away to get out of their housing unit.”

Jake D. Trout also escaped on Friday.

The escapees are suspected of breaking into a home in the area and stealing an unknown number of guns, Massie said. They are considered armed and dangerous.

Christopher D. Hibl, 20, was serving time for possession of stolen property. He has multiple tattoos on his body. A tattoo on his back reads “IN LOVING MEMORY OF LAUDIE HIBLE.” Another tattoo on his left arm says “WINNERS MAKE IT HAPPEN, LOSERS MAKE EXCUSES.”

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Program Note: Tune in tonight for more on the arrest of James Arthur Ray. AC360° 10 p.m. ET.

James Arthur Ray was arrested on Wednesday on manslaughter charges.

Ismael Estrada
AC360° Producer

Yesterday, Gary Tuchman and I looked through hundreds of documents related to the October 2009 'Spiritual Warrior' retreat held by motivational speaker James Arthur Ray. The retreat, held in Sedona, Arizona, was where three people died after spending time in a sweat lodge. The documents related to the case were just released by the Yavapai County Sheriff's office.

We have been covering the story since last fall - interviewing many people who had been to this "sweat lodge" and many other James Arthur Ray events in the past.

We were preparing to put together another story when I was sent an email I wasn't expecting. It was from the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office stating that James Arthur Ray has been arrested.

Gary spoke with Barbara Bunn, who was in the sweat lodge that day, and she immediately started crying. She says she felt a sense of relief.

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A poster asking for information on missing student Jonathan Lacina

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

Extensive searches have failed to uncover any clues to the whereabouts of a missing Iowa State University student.

Jonathan Lacina was last seen on Friday, January 22nd. Several law enforcement agencies are working with the Iowa State University Police in trying to locate the 21-year-old.

“It's very uncharacteristic of him to not be in contact with loved ones, “ said Annette Hunter, the Director of News Service for the school. “We are all concerned about the passage of time.” Friends told investigators that the graphic design senior vanished after leaving an apartment near the campus.

“His bank card, his meal plan card, and his cell phone, the initial review of that showed that he has not used them since January 22nd,” Hunter told CNN.

She also described Lacinia as a well-liked, dedicated student with no enemies. “People, including his parents, have characterized him as quiet but friendly,” she said, “many people mention his smile, the fact that he is a diligent student, attends class regularly, works hard on his graphic design projects and photography.”

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AC360

The prosecutor in the Scott Roeder murder case gives her take on the trial.

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Gregory Powell, 76, will face a California state parole board tomorrow morning.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

For the 11th time, a California state parole board has voted to deny parole to Gregory Powell, the infamous “Onion Field” cop killer whose 1963 crime was chronicled in Joseph Wambaugh’s best-selling book.

The decision, which was announced Wednesday night, was praised by the Los Angeles Police League. “We greatly appreciate that the Parole Board weighed the details of the egregious crime committed by Powell and decided to keep him behind bars,” league President Paul M. Weber said in a statement.

Powell, 76, is among the longest- serving inmates in California’s prison system, a department of corrections spokesperson told CNN.

It has been nearly 47 years since Powell and his accomplice, Jimmy Lee Smith, kidnapped and murdered Los Angeles Police Officer Ian Campbell.

On the night of March 9, 1963, Powell and Smith were driving around L.A. looking for a liquor store to rob.

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Gregory Powell, 75, will face a California state parole board tomorrow morning.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

The cop killer whose crime was immortalized in Joseph Wambaugh’s best-selling book, “The Onion Field,” will face a California state parole board tomorrow morning.

Gregory Powell, 75, is expected to ask the panel to free him after serving nearly 50 years in prison.

A spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections said Powell has previously been denied parole 11 times.

The case, chillingly detailed by Wambaugh, remains one of the most infamous police killings in history.

On the night of March 9, 1963, Powell and his accomplice, Jimmy Lee Smith, were driving around Los Angeles looking for a liquor store to rob.

Officers Ian Campbell and Karl Hettinger, on patrol in Hollywood, pulled the two thieves over. It should have been a routine stop. But Powell drew a gun on Campbell. He and Smith disarmed both officers, took them hostage and drove them to a remote onion field.

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Sylvester McCurry, 18, was last seen on January 17.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

Police are concerned that a Minnesota teenager who vanished a week ago may possibly be the victim of foul play. “We’re trying to stay away from the negative, “ said Duluth police department spokesman Brad Wick, “but we will not rule it out.”

Sylvester McCurry, 18, vanished Sunday night, January 17. The high school senior was last seen leaving the Stargate nightclub in Superior, Wisconsin, authorities said.

In a statement, the Duluth police said McCurry went to the club with his brother and ran into friends while there. “McCurry left Stargate without telling anyone he was leaving or where he was going” said the statement.

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Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

Authorities in Chicago are asking for help in finding a man who tried to abduct a teenage girl on her way to school.

The attempted kidnapping occurred early Monday morning on the west side of the city. Chicago Police spokesman John Mirabelli said the 14-year-old was walking on the sidewalk when she was approached by an unknown offender driving a late model silver Cadillac Escapade.

"The offender was armed with a blue steel handgun and orderd the victim into the vehicle," Mirabelli told CNN. "She was able to escape by jumping out." Mirabelli added that two bystanders also helped bring her to safety.

The girl did not suffer any significant injuries, investigators said. They are working very closely with her in hoping to find the suspect.

He is described as African American in his 40s, between 5'10 and 6'2, weighing approximately 200 pounds. He has black hair with small braids, a goatee and was last seen wearing a red baseball cap, red jacket and a gold chain.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Chicago police at 312-746-8251.

For more crime coverage go to cnn.com/crime.

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UPDATE: The three girls who disappeared in Virginia last Wednesday have been found, authorities announced early Tuesday morning. In a media release, the Leesburg Police said Nathaly Flores, Allison Marroquin and Jocelyn Perdomo are all safe and have been reunited with their families."

At approximately 1:00 am on January 12, 2010, the three juvenile females approached a Loudoun County Sheriff’s Deputy on patrol in the Countryside Shopping Center in Sterling" according to the release. "They identified themselves and asked to be taken home." Investigators do not suspect any foul play and consider the case closed.

A flyer distributed by the Leesburg Police Department.

Gabriel Falcon
AC360° Writer

The father of one of three missing Virginia girls doubts they chose to runaway. “There is no evidence,” Hugo Hernandez told CNN. “They have no plan to do this. It was not their own decision.”

Hernandez last saw his daughter, Allison Marroquin, 13, on Tuesday evening at their Leesburg home. Marroquin, and her 8th grade classmates, Nathaly Flores and Jocelyn Perdomo, both 14, disappeared the next day after arriving at Smart’s Mill Middle School in Leesburg.

“Surveillance did show the kids leaving together,” Leesburg police public information officer Chris Jones said in a telephone interview. Hernandez said he also watched the videotape. “They didn’t go into the school,” he said. They walked close to the front door and started walking back to the parking lot again.

The local authorities have contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to help in locating the girls, Jones said. “Just trying to cast a wider web,” Jones told CNN. He also added that investigators don’t have any indication the teens are the victims of a crime. “From what we have at this point, it still appears they are runaways.”

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