The following is a quick sampling of my work. For a more thorough look, please click any of the above categories. My resume can be downloaded as a document here.
Death penalty a tool for leverage : If not these killers, than who has committed a crime heinous enough to warrant the death penalty? Oftentimes, prosecutors use the death penalty as a tool to avoid lengthy and expensive trials. (Columbus Dispatch)
What was in the home (and mind) of Matthew Hoffman : After Matthew Hoffman pleaded guilty to murdering three people and hiding their bodies in a hollow tree, his 1,700 page investigative file became public. Those interviews, photos and other materials painted a bizarre picture of a man who is spending the rest of his life in prison. (Columbus Dispatch)
A trip earned long ago : With 1,000 World War II veterans dying each day, Honor Flight organizers are in a race against time they’ll never win. I chronicled one trip that takes about 70 veterans to their memorials in Washington, DC. (Columbus Dispatch)
Officers in Columbus firing more : After three deadly shootings by police in four days — including one that left a burglary victim dead — I examined Columbus police officers’ use of deadly force, as compared to similar cities. (Columbus Dispatch)
Lifetime ban can’t ground killer drivers :Even stripping a killer of his drivers license is virtually useless in keeping him off the road. I looked into the issue of convicts who have lifetime bans on their driving privileges after one such criminal — who struck and killed a state trooper ten years ago — was caught driving twice this year.
Homeless students on the South Shore : Thousands of Massachusetts students don’t do their homework at their home. Instead, they struggle to get schoolwork done in crowded shelters, motel rooms or on extended family’s couches. A look at how schools support this largely invisible population in South Shore schools. (Patriot Ledger)
More illegal immigrants being deported before trial : After a Guatemalan man facing rape charges was deported before his trial even began, I looked at how often this breach of justice occurred and why. (Patriot Ledger)
Battling the killer drug: One town’s fight against heroin : I combed through three years of death certificates in one large town to determine how pervasive the heroin epidemic was. (Patriot Ledger)
DELAYED TAKEOFF: Development of the Weymouth Air Base : At the time of our reporting, it had been more than a decade since the Navy had turned control of the closed base over to a redevelopment board and not a single house had been built at the proposed mixed-use development. We looked at why, from the high cost of the land to the intense local interests of board members, and profiled other successful redevelopments. (Patriot Ledger: 1st place, Suburban Newspapers of America, Best Coverage of Local Business & Economic News)
Smallest towns bark loudest : It isn’t the large cities and towns that generate the most ethics complaints on the South Shore — it’s the small ones, which are more likely to have an active rumor mill. (Patriot Ledger)
