Crime

Remote Antarctic base staff send plea for help due to ‘disturbed’ colleague

Aside Markozen.com Crime
Sanae IV base

The Sanae IV research facility. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0 Dr Ross Hofmeyr

An e-mail sent from the base describes a ‘threat’ from within in the form of a staff member who threatened to kill another.It almost sounds like something from classic science-fiction horror movie The Thing, but the circumstances surrounding a recent cry for help from the staff of the remote Sanae IV Antarctic research facility appear to be very much the real deal.

Situated 100 miles south of Antarctica’s ice shelf, the facility – which is manned by a ten-man South African research team – is about as remote as it gets.

To make matters worse, the Antarctic winter is about to close in and the current team stationed there is not due to be rotated out until December.

The alarm was raised recently when an e-mail was sent calling for “immediate action” due to a member of the team who had been acting in a hostile and threatening manner.

“Regrettably, [his] behavior has escalated to a point that is deeply disturbing,” the email states.

“Specifically, he physically assaulted [name withheld], which is a grave violation of personal safety and workplace norms.”

“Furthermore, he threatened to kill [name withheld], creating an environment of fear and intimidation. I remain deeply concerned about my own safety, constantly wondering if I might become the next victim.”

“It is imperative that immediate action is taken to ensure my safety and the safety of all employees.”

Authorities in South Africa are now understood to be weighing up options.

“A full investigation is currently being commissioned and the department will act accordingly in relation to any wrong conduct against any official that has misconducted themselves,” said a spokesperson for the department of forestry, fisheries and the environment.

Certainly, being trapped in a remote Antarctic base with someone who you think might attack you at any moment must be a harrowing experience to say the least.

Exactly what will be done about the situation, however, remains unclear.

Killer Condom “Ouch!”

Aside Markozen.com Crime, Movies, Sex

Killer Condom (German: Kondom des Grauens, lit. ’Condom of Horror’) is a 1996 action comedy horror film directed by Martin Walz [de] from a screenplay he co-wrote with Ralf König, based on the comic books Kondom des Grauens and Bis auf die Knochen (Down to the Bones) by König.

It was distributed in the United States by Troma Entertainment, which promoted the film at the Cannes Film Festival with the help of “a six-foot-long fanged condom”.

In the seedy parts of New York City, gay NYPD detective Luigi Mackeroni is investigating a series of bizarre attacks at the Hotel Quickie in which male guests have all had their penises mysteriously bitten off. While at the hotel, he enlists the services of a gigolo named Billy and invites him up to the crime scene. When the two men are about to engage in sex, a carnivorous living condom interrupts them and bites off Mackeroni’s right testicle.

Now on a personal vendetta, Mackeroni begins his lone quest to not only bring a stop to the rash of condom attacks, but also to face his true feelings toward Billy the gigolo.

Australian Cops Use Helicopter to Locate Stolen Gorilla Statue

Aside Markozen.com Crime

By way of a helicopter cruising over his property, authorities in Australia busted a sticky-fingered ne’er-do-well who stole a sizeable gorilla statue that serves as something of a mascot for a retirement community. The weird case reportedly began back in June when Matthew Newbould stopped by the site to purchase some furniture from one of the residents. During the visit, he noticed the life-size gorilla statue, known affectionately as Garry, on the grounds of the retirement community and tossed the 45-pound piece in his truck before leaving the property.

The theft of the statue from the retirement community understandably caused considerable outrage, though Garry was thankfully not gone for very long as someone spotted Newbould cruising around with the faux gorilla and promptly reported the strange sighting to the police. Shortly thereafter, in a testament to the seriousness with which authorities treated the case, police actually flew a helicopter over the man’s property, where the replica was seen stashed away in his backyard. After being taken into custody, Newbould role in the caper was confirmed when a search of his cell phone revealed a text message wherein he coldly remarked to a friend “LOL, I stole a gorilla, so what?”

At a court hearing last week, his attorney insisted that her client had simply made a very misguided spur-of-the-moment decision that he now deeply regrets. This was echoed by Newbould himself, who told the judge that “it was very silly” to have taken the piece. Although his attorney requested a sentence of community service or perhaps a small fine, the judge in the case demurred at the proverbial slap on the wrist since the defendant not only stole the statue, but he did so while driving without a license. Newbould’s punishment for the crime will be handed down at another hearing set for later this month. As for Garry, no worse for wear from the wild misadventure, the beloved gorilla statue has since been returned to its home at the retirement community.

Convicted Murderer Who Escaped Pennsylvania Prison Climbs Like Spider-Man

Aside Markozen.com Bizarre, Crime

CNN — 

The manhunt continued Wednesday for murderer Danelo Cavalcante, who escaped from a Pennsylvania prison last week by thwarting newly installed razor wire put in place after another inmate briefly broke out a few months ago, authorities said at a Wednesday news conference.

Cavalcante, 34, who was spotted again in the area Tuesday by a resident, got free from Chester County Prison last Thursday by “crab walking” between two walls, pushing his way through razor wire, running across a roof, scaling another fence, and getting through more razor wire, Chester County Prison Acting Warden Howard Holland told reporters.

Surveillance video from the prison shows the inmate in the exercise yard looking through a window in a door then placing his hands on one wall and his feet on another. He shimmies up the opening and out of view.