I was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario by my parents Walter Yourkin and Phyllis Yourkin. I am the eldest of four children. I have five children and seven grandchildren but I’m called “Mom” and “Granna” by several others who have adopted me. I never completed high school but I did however earn several untitled degrees in the field of life. I am strong willed, curious, passionate and determined to a fault at times. I am … [Read more...]
WRECKING CREW Gives An Inside Look Into Kathleen Zellner’s Efforts To Free Steven Avery
“Ferak chronicles the long and sordid history of the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s department and the reason Sweaty’s license was suspended. Framing Avery was just par for the course." -- Kathleen Zellner In 2016-17, while working for the USA TODAY NETWORK’s Wisconsin Investigative Team, author John Ferak wrote dozens of articles examining the murder case against Steven Avery, who had already beat one wrongful conviction only to be charged with the … [Read more...]
THE LAST MAN STANDING
It was a shattering death bed confession by a heartbroken mother. But would it solve the oldest cold case murder case in American jurisprudence? In January 1994, Eileen Tessier told Jack McCullough's half-sister Janet Tessier that he, her son, kidnapped 7-year-old Maria Ridulph from their neighborhood in Sycamore, Illinois and killed her in December 1957. It was a case that tore the child’s family apart, as well as dividing and terrifying the … [Read more...]
Luka Magnotta’s Mother Tells All In MY SON, THE KILLER
In 2012, the Canadian Press ignited a firestorm of criticism by naming killer Luka Magnotta as its “Newsmaker Of The Year.” But while the recognition was questionable for its sensitivity, there’s no doubt that few people had captured the public’s attention like the young murderer and internet sensation. A male escort and sometimes model, Magnotta had earned his notoriety by videotaping himself stabbing Chinese student Lin Jun to death with an … [Read more...]
Why “Making a Murderer 2” Is Probably Better Than The Original
Last weekend, I was glued to my couch as I finally had an opportunity to binge watch and critique Netflix's highly anticipated "Making a Murderer 2." Friday night/Saturday morning I finished episodes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Saturday night was episodes 6,7, 8 and 9. I saved episode 10, the captivating finale, for Sunday afternoon. I have a close connection to the case, having produced dozens of in-depth pieces when I was living in Wisconsin as an … [Read more...]
Was Four-Year-Old Brandon Sims Murdered By His Mother? Find Out More In INCONVENIENCE GONE
Where is Brandon Sims? The four-year-old had not been seen since July 3, 1992, when he attended a birthday party with his twenty-year-old mother, Michelle Jones. Jones was employed, confident, talented, smart, assertive and involved in many community activities in Indianapolis, Indiana. In contrast, when he was last seen, Brandon Sims, an only child, was a serious, quiet, thin boy who rarely maintained eye contact with his mother. After that … [Read more...]
TOXIC RAGE: A Tale Of Murder In Tucson
Brian Stidham fell in love with Tucson, Ariz., the minute he came to town. A young and talented eye surgeon, he accepted a job with an established eye surgeon to take over his pediatric patients. “It’s a beautiful place,” Stidham told a friend. “I can live right there by the mountains and go hiking. It’s a great deal for me there. The partner I’ll be working with is ultracool. He’s giving me the keys to the kingdom.” Brad Schwartz, the doctor … [Read more...]
SHOTS IN THE DARK: The Saga Of Rocco Balliro
On a cold, winter's night in early 1963, mob enforcer Rocco Anthony Balliro and a pair of associates stormed a darkened apartment on the outskirts of Boston and engaged in a fierce gun battle with several assailants (police officers, it turned out) waiting in ambush for the ex-convict and recent prison escapee. In the aftermath, a young woman and her toddler son lay dead. The story of Rocco Balliro, a petty criminal and enforcer for New England … [Read more...]
WildBlue Press Summer Accolades Include Feature on The Dr. Phil Show
Anne K. Howard’s HIS GARDEN has been featured on news outlets such as AuthorsReading.com, NBC Connecticut, People.com, AETV.com, and The New Britain Herald. William Florence, author of RAPTOR’S RIDGE, has had work published nationally in The Bulletin for the American Society of Newspaper Editors, APMENews for the Associated Press Managing Editors Group, and for travel publications such as Arizona Highways, and Michigan … [Read more...]
New True Crime Book Dives Deep Into the Life of the Golden State Killer
Check out the book trailer for 'THE CASE OF THE GOLDEN STATE KILLER' Read 'THE CASE OF THE GOLDEN STATE KILLER' by Mike Morford and Mike Ferguson. In 1976, a masked predator terrorized Sacramento County in California by sneaking into the home of his victims and performing unforgivable acts. He traveled all through Northern California, then moved onto Southern California where his sick and sadistic ways didn’t slow down. To those living in … [Read more...]