Category: John Q Public

. . . dumber than a bag o’ hammers.

Yeah, you read that right. Here I’ve been, for over a week now, ranting my arse off about how folks should be keeping an eye out for Jesse Imeson, looking after each other, using common sense, watching where they shoot, and I can’t remember what else off the top of my head. And in all that, I cannot figure out how the hell it is that I somehow managed to overlook what should have been the most obvious no-brainer in the whole damned book. Luckily for all of us, some other folks haven’t suffered from my kind of tunnel vision:

Jesse Imeson — whose image has haunted Ontarians during a police manhunt that has lasted 10 days — could have a beard, moustache and a different hairstyle by now.

This makes the Windsor-area man’s distinct arm tattoos even more essential to the Canada-wide search, police said yesterday.

“Everyone has to be aware that his appearance may be changing,” said Windsor police Staff Sgt. William Donnelly.

“Unless he’s found a razor, he’s going to start getting several days of beard growth or stubble. Physical appearance and clothing can change, but his tattoos can’t,” Donnelly said.

Totally missed the boat there, didn’t I? So, the longer this bugger is on the lam, the less immediately recognizable his mug is going to be and the more useful it’s going to be to remember those tattoos of his. Something to keep in mind.

In the meantime, the cops are urging folks to keep in touch with friends and family who might be up at the cottage or living out in rural areas, just to make sure they’re all okay. But hey, you’ve been looking for an excuse to call aunt Emma anyways, right?

While we’re at it, for those who will be able to go:
The visitations for Bill and Helene Regier are today at the T. Harry Hoffman and Sons Funeral home in Dashwood (here’s a map, if you need it). Prayers will be held there at 1:30 this afternoon, with a K of C service at 6:30 tonight. A funeral mass will be held at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church at 11 a.m. tomorrow. I don’t know if I’ll be able to make it but I’m going to try.

And keep in mind that the cops are still looking for Bill’s 2006 GMC Sierra pickup with licence plate JK8 334. If you spot it, get on the horn PDQ and call one of these numbers (in order):

• 911 — the best option
• 1-888-310-1122 — the OPP
• *OPP — on your cell phone
• 1-877-584-8477 — the tip line set up specifically for Imeson

Well, it’s the weekend again and still neither hide nor hair has been seen of Jesse Imeson, and the authorities still seem more worried about what WE might do than they are about what HE actually DID! I swear to God, if I see just one more bonehead on my boob tube telling folks to “remain calm, don’t arm yourselves, don’t worry, be happy” I won’t know whether to shit or go blind. Guess I’ll just have to close one eye and fart…

The latest platitudes are being puked up by South Huron Mayor Ken Oke. But, to cut Ken some slack, he is a politician after all, what can we really expect?

EXETER — South Huron Mayor Ken Oke appealed for calm yesterday, asking residents not to act as vigilantes if they encounter the man accused of killing a Huron County farm couple and a Windsor bartender.

His plea came as tips about the suspected killer were flowing in from across North America and as police confirmed the beloved couple — Bill Regier, 72, and his wife, Helene Regier, 73, of Mount Carmel — died of gunshot wounds.

“Police are equipped to do the job,” Oke said at a news conference in the community shaken by the killings.

There have been reports nervous residents have armed themselves with rifles and shotguns in case they’re confronted by Jesse Norman Imeson, 22, wanted in the shooting deaths of the Regiers and the strangling death of Carlos Rivera of Windsor.

Asked if there’s concern people might take justice into their own hands, Oke replied: “There is a feeling that might happen.

After that, he goes off on the whole “lost innocence” ramble… yadda, yadda, yadda. There are, however, a few more sensible bits in the article:

And with thousands heading to cottages this weekend — some for the first time in a week or so — police reminded area residents to remain vigilant.

“If people see anything out of the ordinary, immediately contact police,” said Western Region OPP Const. Mark Foster.

I know that all those cottagers are from away but if you bump into one of ’em, make sure they know what’s going on and keep an eye out for them, anyway. But that’s just the way it’s done back home, isn’t it? We look after each other and other folks, too. There may have been a lot of talk about Imeson maybe taking off for out west but I have a hard time imagining him slipping out of Huron without anybody noticing something fishy. The only vehicles he could get his hands on would be stolen (which someone would recognize) and I just don’t think he knows the area well enough to walk out on his own.

He’s likely still around, if he hasn’t been shot in the bush someplace.

Meanwhile, I managed to trip over a few other tidbits while I was poking around on the net. Take a look at the closeups of Imeson’s tattoos on the right (just click on ’em to get a better look). The tat on his left arm goes all the way down to his middle finger, so he won’t be able to hide it without wearing gloves (which should be a bit of a dead giveaway at this time of year) and the one on his right arm isn’t finished; it’s not coloured in yet. Not a whole lot of new info, I know; but every little bit helps, right?

One way or another, this bugger is getting caught by someone; the only question is: WHO? Just about everbody agrees that this prick isn’t going to be able to fade into the background. The Freeps outlines a few reasons why in today’s issue:

• Imeson is highly recognizable, with images of his face and heavily tattooed arms splashed across newspapers and newscasts nationwide.
• On Thursday, he became the featured fugitive on America’s Most Wanted, the fugitive-finding TV show and website. Plans for tonight’s broadcast include a segment on Imeson.
• Thousands of armchair investigators are also gunning for Imeson on Internet networking site Facebook.com, where he’s become the subject of growing discussion groups.

If he isn’t found within the next few weeks, I get the feeling that he’ll end up being found in a few years’ time. In a shallow grave out in the back of the bugger all someplace. Personally, I’d rather he be brought in — and cops are getting plenty of tips — but I’m not going to blame anyone if they shoot this asshole in self-defense.

Jesse Norman Imeson
AGE: 22
HEIGHT: 6′1″
WEIGHT: 200 lbs
HAIR: brown, almost shaved
EYES: brown
DISTINGUISHING MARKS: numerous tattoos on arms

If you see this bastard, call 911, 1-888-310-1122 or *OPP on your cell.

In the meantime… stay alert, keep your gun handy if you have one, and for God’s sake, keep a cool head and be careful. I’ll put up more as I get it and have the time.

Well now, isn’t this ironic? According to two recent articles on CKNX’s website (CKNX is the local station in Wingham for you folks that are “from away”), the OPP are starting to get their panties in a bunch over local folks deciding to tote around some firepower to keep themselves safe until that murdering sack of maggot shit, Jesse Imeson, is safely in either the hoosegow or the boneyard.

Now, I don’t blame cops for trying to be the level heads in a damned difficult situation but they’re going so far as to suggest that decent, otherwise law-abiding country folk could end up in the pokey for nothing more than exercising what seems to me to be simple, old-fashioned common sense:

[The first article; emphasis is mine]

News
Farm

OPP Say Don’t Carry That Gun

As tensions continue to run high through not only South Huron but many other rural communities, police say its not a good idea to arm yourself.

Ever since the Regiers were found dead in their Mount Carmel area farmhouse, residents have been locking doors and keeping kids close.

And as wheat comes off, some are even arming themselves in combines as they go through secluded areas alone – sometimes late at night.

Sergeant Dave Rektor says that’s not a good idea — noting it is illegal.

He says many times — the person carrying the gun is the one hurt.

Rektor says police are doing everything humanly possible to try and find Jesse Imeson.

Some of that can be seen with officers combing fields and bush lots in various areas through Huron County.

[The second article; emphasis is mine]

News
Local

OPP Discourage Public Arms In Imeson Manhunt

The OPP continue the hunt for triple murder suspect Jesse Imeson and remind the public to be patient and let them do their job.

Many frightened residents namely in the rural community are reportedly “arming up” in the event Imeson should approach their farmhouse.

OPP Seargant Dave Rektor says its against the law and extremely dangerous for a citizen to arm themselves and those indivduals would be held criminally responsible for their actions.

He says police are doing everything they can to ensure the safety of the public while they search for the accused killer.

Rektor says in many cases the weapon ends up being used against them by an intruder.

Anyone with information on the location of Imeson or the 2006 GMC Sierra pick-up truck are asked to call 911, their local police agency or the new TIPS Line at 1-877-584-8477.

Everybody with two brain cells to rub together knows damned well that I respect and support the boys and girls in blue that make a living risking their asses for the rest of us but this is where I call bullshit! Decent folks are gonna arm themselves for their own safety until this asshole is caught and there ain’t a damned thing you can do about it. That’s right, Dave: they’re going to carry guns; JUST LIKE YOU DO!

Quit wasting time and resources threatening decent folks and get back to hunting down that scumbag! You want Farmer Bob to take the 12-gauge outta the combine? Simple: NAIL IMESON! Period.

Rektor is bang-on about one thing, though: if you’re going to arm yourself, MEAN BUSINESS and BE RESPONSIBLE! It really is true that homeowners who arm themselves often find their gun taken away from them. And for God’s sake, WATCH WHERE YOU AIM!! If you end up killing the neighbour’s kid, you’ll live with that until the day you die…

It’s been over a week since the body of Carlos Rivera was found in his killer’s apartment and OPP started turning Huron County upside down in the hunt for murdering sack of shit Jesse Norman Imeson. The search has stretched from Windsor all the way up almost to Zurich. The Front cover of today’s Freeps shows it kind of well (just click on the image to see the full .pdf file).

So far, cops have followed up on dozens of leads and tips but nothing has lead to Imeson’s personal little Saddam hole yet and the dragnet is widening. The most recent lead seems to have been when a Taurus sedan, believed to have been stolen by Imeson, was found “in dense bush” along Rogerville Road just south of Zurich last night. People that know the area also know that “dense bush” can be a bit of an understatement for some of the places up there.

Here’s a quick summary, thanks to the Freeps:

1. Thursday, July 19: The body of Carlos Rivera, 25, is found in Imeson’s Windsor boarding-house room. A police manhunt begins.
2. Thursday night, July 19: Imeson is seen in Exeter with Lindsey Glavin, 19, of the Huron Park area.
3. Friday: Rivera’s car is found abandoned in Grand Bend. Police extend their search for Imeson from Windsor to Lambton County.
4. Friday night: Glavin drops Imeson off near a forest in the area. CrimeStoppers gets a tip that Imeson is nearby. OPP search a wooded area.
5. Saturday: OPP, acting on a more specific tip about Imeson’s whereabouts, mount a massive ground and air search in South Huron.
6. Sunday: Police end their intensive search for Imeson about 1 a.m. That afternoon, a 2005 Ford Taurus and two long guns and ammunition are stolen in a break-in at a home on Babylon Line, which runs through South Huron and neighbouring Bluewater.
7. Monday: Bill and Helene Regier, an elderly farm couple, are found slain in their farmhouse on Bronson Line, between Mount Carmel and Dashwood, as police arrive to investigate a break-in.
8. Tuesday: OPP say Imeson is the suspect in the slayings of the farm couple. Police urge people to be careful about their personal security, with the suspect in the three slayings still not found, and appeal for the public’s help to find a silver 2006 GMC Sierra, with licence plate JK8 334, stolen from the couple’s farm.
9. Yesterday: One of the two stolen vehicles, the Taurus sedan, is found in dense bush about 5:30 p.m. along Rodger Ville Road, south of Zurich in Hay Township. No one was found with the car. Police scour the area for clues.

And, according to accounts by Freeps reporters Joe Belanger and John Miner, folks up that way seem to be having one of two reactions to all the news. Some folks seem oblivious and some are more nervous than they’ve been since Russ Johnson was on the loose the late ’70s. And it seems a bit based on whether you’re a local or not (the full article is worth the read):

There are two kinds of people living in and around Grand Bend these days.

There are those you expect to see strolling the main drag, sitting at patios and soaking up the sunshine at one of Lake Huron’s most popular vacation spots.

Then there are the others — nervous, anxious, frightened or angry — who eye strangers suspiciously and are checking on family members, buying locks for their homes and dodging the media that descended on the quiet piece of heaven shattered this week when two of their neighbours were killed.

“People are vacationing and they don’t know and they don’t care,” said Lynda Hillman-Rapley, editor of the Lakeshore Advance in Grand Bend.

“Yet, just 10 minutes away in Dashwood, it’s like a ghost town. There’s not even any children playing in the streets.”

[…]

“People are nervous, very nervous. We had never locked our doors before,” Steeper, who lives about six kilometres south of the Regier farm, said yesterday.

The work of farming — combining wheat fields and baling straw — continued in the rural area even as aircraft and heavily armed police scoured nearby fields and woodlots.

Some people, working on their own in isolated fields, have reportedly armed themselves with a shotgun or rifle, a reaction to the possibility the killer might not have fled the area.

Well, I can’t say that I blame them. The cops — understandably — are a bit worried about that, with OPP Const. Jeff Walraven calling it, “an overreaction and it is a dangerous situation, extremely dangerous situation.”

Well Jeff, while I do agree with you that it’s one hell of a dangerous situation, I don’t think folks are overreacting. Even with good response time and a little luck on the part of officers, Imeson can still have time to kill somebody before the cops show up on the scene. And even the dumbest of scumbags will sometimes think twice about targeting somebody with the firepower to take him out with them. Or instead of them.

But to the folks up north, I’ve said it before and I’m saying it again now: if you find yourself in a position in which you absolutely have to shoot in order to protect yourself or someone else, CHECK YOUR TARGETS! And while you’re at it, CHECK YOUR BACKGROUND TOO. If you miss, that buckshot or bullet is still gonna go somewhere.

Photos of Imeson can be found here. Bill and Helene Regier’s truck, a silver 2006 GMC Sierra, with licence plate JK8 334, is still missing. Cops on the case have established a dedicated tip line to receive information: 1-877-584-8477. Anyone with information about Jesse Norman Imeson or the stolen silver 2006 GMC Sierra pickup with licence plate JK8 334 is asked to call 911.

Other news links:

• Many questions in addition to ‘Where is he?’ (Freeps)
  Nearly a week after police began hunting for Jesse Imeson — first for a killing in Windsor, then two more in South Huron — there are many questions surrounding their investigation and the path of mayhem through Lambton and Huron counties.
  
• Sympathy for Imeson withering away (Freeps)
  WINDSOR — There was a time when some felt sympathy for the foster child who bounced from home to home after his father’s suicide.
• Fugitive Imeson in a desperate, dangerous spot: criminologist (Canada.com)
  WINDSOR, Ont. — A person in fugitive Jesse Imeson’s situation is dangerous, desperate and wouldn’t hesitate to hurt to get what he wants, according to a criminology expert.
• Cops fear fugitive headed to Alberta (Calgary Sun)
  The dangerous fugitive wanted for the slayings of three people in Ontario may be seeking refuge in Alberta.
• Search for suspect in Ontario murders goes continent-wide (Vancouver Sun)
  WINDSOR, Ont. — The search for fugitive murder suspect Jesse Imeson has gone continent-wide, with police forces, Interpol and even the TV show America’s Most Wanted joining the hunt.
• America’s Most Wanted joins hunt for Ontario fugitive (CBC)
  The hunt for an Ontario man wanted in three killings is reaching a U.S. audience through the website of the popular crime show America’s Most Wanted.
• Regiers lovingly recalled (Freeps)
  MOUNT CARMEL — There were tears and sobs last night as hundreds from this tight-knit rural region gathered at a Catholic church to mourn an elderly couple found slain in their farmhouse Monday.
• Manhunt for Ont. murder suspect extends into U.S. (CTV)
  The manhunt for the prime suspect in the recent slayings of three Ontario residents has extended into the United States, with his face appearing on the top of the America’s Most Wanted website.

[This post was originally created yesterday, sometime around noon, but server troubles prevented it from showing until today. Sorry for the lag, folks. -D]

Talk about the one that got away.

The front page of my Freeps this morning started off with “Almost got him.” As you can likely guess, the first thought through my melon was “what the hell do you mean, ‘almost‘??” It turns out that somebody out there had a pretty good idea where Jesse Imeson was stashing his ass at the time and decided to call it in.

So far, so good, right? Well, things kind of went pear-shaped from there. It seems that the caller, who I’m assuming really was well-intentioned, wasn’t exactly the sharpest tool in the box because instead of calling 911 — a no-brainer, I would think — they called… CrimeStoppers.

Days ago, police almost had the 22-year-old suspect, Donnelly revealed yesterday.

OPP officers had searched a woodlot in South Huron about 9:45 p.m. Friday, acting on a tip that Imeson had fled into the bush, but found nothing.

The next day, acting on clearer information, police searched an area only kilometres north of the original bush and found evidence Imeson had been hiding there, Donnelly said.

“Had we gotten (a) 911 call the night before, I’m confident we would have gotten him.”

At that point, police were looking for Imeson in connection with the killing of Windsor bartender Carlos Rivera.

On Monday, they found the bodies of an elderly Mount Carmel couple, Bill and Helene Regier, near the search area.

[…]

Three hours later, a CrimeStoppers tip reached police.

Donnelly didn’t say when the tip was called in, but noted it takes time for CrimeStoppers to filter and prioritize the tips that come in.

“It was one of dozens” placing Imeson in different locations, Donnelly said.

Even so, police reacted quickly once the tip got to them, he said.

The anonymous tipster said Imeson was dropped off at a rural intersection and fled into the bush.

By 9:45 p.m., the OPP was searching a bush lot at that intersection.

But with four different sets of farm and wooded areas heading out from the intersection, police didn’t know for sure which bush lot the tipster meant, Donnelly said.

“All we had was ‘near an intersection,’ ” he said.

Police chose what appeared to be the most likely bush near the intersection and searched in the dark, he said.

In other words, imagine having a “raccoon at night” tag but the coons have guns. The story also goes on to reveal a bit (but you can bet your arse, not all) of what the cops know so far about Imeson’s path from Windsor to Huron County:

Imeson left Windsor last Wednesday — July 18 — and was spotted in Grand Bend that day, Donnelly said.

He ended up in the Exeter area Wednesday night.

Lindsey Glavin, a young Huron Park-area woman, hooked up with him that night, according to family and friends.

Imeson and Glavin spent Thursday, Thursday night and Friday together in the Exeter area of Huron County.

Meanwhile, police were still focusing their search in Lambton County to the west.

On Friday, Glavin broke off the short relationship with Imeson.

On a Facebook page, a woman identifying herself as Lindsey Glavin said yesterday she “got rid of him” as soon as she learned he was wanted.

“I gave him a ride not knowing he was wanted for murder, so please don’t blame me,” the woman wrote.

“(He) . . . didn’t tell me he was wanted until the third day which is when I got rid of him,” she wrote.

And, getting back to that CrimeStoppers tip:

The next day, police got a tip Glavin was the one who dropped Imeson off Friday.

Police contacted her and arranged to meet at the specific location, Donnelly said.

“Now . . . she points us to where he was located.”

Yeah. NOW she points it out. Can anybody else practically hear that cop rolling his eyes? One last thought before I have to go:

Donnelly said the tipster who contacted CrimeStoppers had good intentions.

But the public should be aware that 911 — when callers reach a live person, who gathers details and sends the call on to an appropriate team — is the way to get police quickly in an emergency.

Jesse Norman Imeson
AGE: 22
HEIGHT: 6′1″
WEIGHT: 200 lbs
HAIR: brown, almost shaved
EYES: brown
DISTINGUISHING MARKS: numerous tattoos on arms

If you see this bastard, call 911, 1-888-310-1122 or *OPP on your cell.

Then lock & load.

— UPDATE —

And now, fresh off the presses from the Ministry Of You’ve Got To Be Shitting Me:

WINDSOR — The Windsor man wanted for three Southwestern Ontario slayings in a week had aspired to become a police officer, sources say.

Jesse Imeson, 22, arguably Ontario’s most wanted man, now also listed on the America’s Most Wanted website, had taken a policing program at a local career college, several students said yesterday.

Give me a God damned break…

Okay, there’s been a lot of chatter all of a sudden in the comments about just what I do and don’t delete on this site. It seems that just because I’ve admitted that I had to dump a few comments, some folks have taken it into their melons that this is a place where censorship lives.

It ain’t.

If you have something that you think is worth saying, by all means post it. Just don’t expect me (or anyone else here, for that matter) to agree with it. And do expect to be taken to task if somebody else gets pissed enough about what you have on your mind. It’s that simple. Some folks seem a little worried, though. Folks like Paul…

I will be disappointed if my comment is deleted as I’ve tried to stay positive about this whole thing, but even you all have to admit something more than the freaking OPP is needed in all of this.

And Lee Rock…

I am kinda sad that those other comments were deleted. […] and if my comment is deleted….well then that is just sad…this is a free country, with freedom of speech remember??? I liked hearing what other’s had to say, even tho they were a bit angry and upset…they were voicing their opinions and that is what Canada is all about….FREEDOM!!

First off, Lee is right. Voicing opinions is a big damned part of what Canada is all about. Uunless, of course, you voice a politically incorrect one, in which case you might find yourself battered from pillar to post through our “human rights” system, like Scott Brockie was. No need to worry about that here, though; I actually believe in giving air to those who agree with me AND those who don’t. It’s part of my belief in that whole messy democracy thing. Yeah, it’s a pain in the ass sometimes, but I live with it. So no, I’m not in the habit of killing comments just because they happen to piss me off.

There are, however, two things that need to be kept in mind:

1. This is a public site and I actually do try to keep it at least half-assed family-friendly. Yes, I have a bit of a trashmouth but even I try to draw a line. Kids come to this site too and there’s some stuff that kids just plain don’t need to hear or read. So, to that end: Ray, if you don’t learn to put a filter on the sewer under your nose, I WILL ban your sorry ass. You’ve been stopping by here for a while but you’re getting to be like a dog that just won’t take to housebreaking and I’m getting sick and tired of cleaning up your crap. Other people get hot under the collar too, but they don’t put out the kind of shit that you have.
2. This is a public forum for ideas, NOT a recruiting post for a God damned lynch mob. Anybody else tries a stunt like that, your IP goes straight to the cops. Period. Shooting some murderous prick in self-defense is one thing but hunting the bastard down and stringing him up without a trial is NOT something that I’m going to put up with. No more warnings.

Alright, folks, now that that bit of unpleasantness has been dealt with, I thought it would be a nice thing to put in a little something to boost the spirits of the folks back in my old Huron stompin’ grounds. If it won’t play in your browser for some reason, just click here and download it. A li’l Hank Jr never hurt nobody, right?

Enjoy, and remember: country folks can survive. (more…)