Watercooler Stories

Accused killer sought plot next to victim

BEDFORD, Pa., Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Authorities in Pennsylvania said a man accused of murdering his wife allegedly tried to reserve the cemetery plot next to her for himself.

John Lewis Gerholt Sr., 39, who has been in Bedford County Jail without bail on a first degree murder charge since the Nov. 9, 2008, shooting death of his wife, allegedly used falsified documents to reserve the burial plot next to his late wife in a Broad Top, Pa., area cemetery, The (Johnstown, Pa.) Tribune-Democrat reported.

Bedford County District Attorney William Higgins said Gerholt faces charges of forgery, theft and theft by deception.

"This is an ongoing attempt for him to continue to torture this woman's family," Higgins said. "Even after her death, he will not leave her alone."

Gerholt allegedly drove to a McDonald's where his wife, Karen Gerholt, 24, was employed in 2008 and shot her in the parking lot. Gerholt, who had been ordered not to contact his wife at the time of the incident, claims the gun went off by accident and he had not intended to harm anyone.

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Lawyers: Man killed wife in his sleep

SWANSEA, Wales, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- A Welsh man accused of slaying his wife strangled the woman because he was having a dream about fighting a burglar, his attorneys said.

Lawyers for Brian Thomas, 59, told Swansea Crown Court in Wales that Thomas strangled his wife of nearly 40 years, Christine, 57, while they slept in a camper van because he was having a dream about struggling with an intruder, The Daily Mail reported.

Prosecutor Paul Thomas said authorities believe the incident in July 2008 was a result of a chronic sleep disorder suffered by Thomas.

"Sleep experts have been consulted and the prosecution accepts Brian Thomas's actions were involuntary," the prosecutor told the jury Tuesday. "He could not be held responsible for his actions."

He recommended jurors either clear Thomas of the murder charge or find him not guilty by reason of insanity.

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Deer carcasses pile up in yard

KITTANNING, Pa., Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Neighbors of a Pennsylvania man contracted to remove dead deer from roads in the southern part of the state are raising a stink about the stench.

Randy Good, who was hired by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to remove deer carcasses from roadways in five counties, said landfills approved to accept them are closed on weekends so he is forced to empty his truck in his yard to keep it free for new calls, Pittsburgh's WTAE-TV reported.

Good said there are a couple hundred deer on his Armstrong County lawn because of a high volume of deer, about 50 per day, and problems with his truck.

"We've gotten over 900 deer in the last two weeks, and ... I've never got anything close to that," Good said.

"We had a truck break down at the same time, and by the time the weekend overflow built up because of the truck being down, well, you see the results," he said, standing near the carcasses.

The smell has raised several complaints from neighbors half a mile away from his property.

"It's terrible. You can't go outside at night. Tonight, we're lucky. It isn't bad. Every now and then, the wind blows or we get a breeze and you can smell it, but there are a lot of nights (when) we'll let the dog out, you don't even want to open the door to let him out," neighbor Dallas Bryan said.

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Company to take down medical pot ads

ANAHEIM, Calif., Nov. 18 (UPI) -- A California advertising company said it will remove three billboards for medical marijuana dispensaries after complaints they were too close to a school.

Mike Cossota, a sales manager with Lamar Advertising, said the billboards for MediCann medical marijuana dispensaries should never have been placed within a block of Magnolia High School in Anaheim and the decision was made by the previous owners of the billboards, The Orange County Register reported.

The advertisements originally featured a man performing plumbing work with accompanying text explaining that marijuana had allowed him to return to work despite his back pain. The man was described in the ad as "A Typical Stoner" and the billboard also bore the message "Marijuana Works."

MediCann toned down the billboards last week after complaints, and they now bear only the company's name, Web site and phone number.

Cossota said the billboards will soon be removed.

"Our company policy is not to have any adult-themed billboards next to schools or churches," he said Monday. "We are going to take them down within the next 48 hours."