Suspects ARRESTED in Trucker Albert Thomas murder
First off I would like to say I KNEW IT WAS HIS WIFE!!! I read this and immediately started crying tears of joy!!!
For all of those that are reading this, I have followed this murder for 2 years since it happened. Watched it closely and googled this man’s name every month sometimes longer to see if things had changed or what I heard was true. And well read for yourself! YIPPPPEEEE Justice can be served!!!!
For the families that have lost trucker loved ones over the road this is just a little bit more faith that justice can be served!!!! Please stay strong, I know it has to be hard staying patient but things always work out. Now we need to pray for closure and justice for the families of Truman L. Smith and Rex Stephen!
On Thursday, October 6, 2011, information from a citizen was obtained in the ongoing investigation in the death of Albert Thomas, from November 2009.
Investigators from the Central Homicide Unit were able to corroborate the information with evidence obtained during the initial phases of the homicide investigation.
Central Homicide Unit investigators arrested Albert Thomas’ wife, Lorraine Hunter, a 58-year-old African-American female and his step-daughter, Briuana Hunter, an 18-year-old African-American female.
Lorraine Hunter and Briuana Hunter both resided in the city of Moreno Valley, with Albert Thomas at the time of murder. Lorraine Hunter and Briuana Hunter were booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center for murder.
Details (Original Press Release):
Update: Name Released 11-05-09
Update: Coroner’s Report 11-05-09
Date/Time Written: November 4, 2009 / 1600 hrs.
Type of Incident: Homicide
Date/Time of Incident: November 4, 2009 / 10:00 a.m.
Location(s) of Incident: Edgemont Street and Eucalyptus Ave. , Moreno Valley
Reporting Officer: Sergeant Jaime Briones – Sergeant Michael Lujan
File Number: MV093080095
Update:
Name of deceased: Albert Thomas.
via :: Sheriff-Coroner :: Riverside County, California.
Agency: Moreno Valley Police & Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit
Station Area: Moreno Valley
Written Date: October 11, 2011 Time:
Incident Date: November 4, 2009 Time: 10:00 a.m.
Incident Location: Edgemont Street and Eucalyptus Ave., Moreno Valley
Reporting Officer: Sergeant Jaime Briones – Sergeant Michael Lujan
File Number(s): MV093080095

Moreno Valley woman charged in fatal 2009 shooting of trucker husband
A Moreno Valley woman accused of fatally shooting her trucker husband nearly two years ago was charged Thursday with first-degree murder and other allegations.
Lorraine Alison Hunter, 56, could face the death penalty if convicted of killing 58-year-old Albert Thomas on Nov. 9, 2009.
Along with the murder count, Hunter is charged with conspiracy and special circumstance allegations of lying in wait and killing for financial gain, which make her eligible for capital punishment.
Riverside County District Attorney Paul Zellerbach will ultimately have to make the decision on whether to pursue a death sentence or life in prison without the possibility of parole for Hunter if she’s convicted.
Hunter was being held in lieu of $1.5 million bail at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside, and was scheduled to make an initial court appearance this afternoon.
The defendant’s 18-year-old daughter, Briuana Lashane Hunter, was arrested along with her mother on suspicion of murder on Monday. Information on her case, which may be prosecuted in juvenile court because of her age at the time of the alleged crime, was not immediately available.
She is also being held at the Robert Presley jail, in lieu of $1 million. The investigation into Thomas’s death had gone cold until last week, when sheriff’s homicide detectives received a tip that led to fresh evidence in the case, according to Sgt. Michael Lujan.
He said the clues — the nature of which he wouldn’t disclose — prompted detectives to seek and obtain arrest warrants for the mother and daughter. Lorraine Hunter was arrested at her Day Street residence, while the victim’s stepdaughter was taken into custody at a separate location.
Thomas was discovered fatally shot in the cab of his semi truck, which had been parked in a dirt field near Edgemont Street and Eucalyptus Avenue in Moreno Valley.
Fund Raiser for Jason’s Law 1803 – Hope Rivenburg
If everyone would go over and like this page:
http://www.facebook.com/XataNation
Jason’s Law/Hope Rivenburg will receive $2.00 per new fan on their page. This is an excellent way to raise money for something we all believe in. PLEASE encourage others to do this as well. Each time that Hope goes to Washington, DC to lobby for Jason’s Law the trip cost and air plane tickets come out of her pocket. So please share and encourage others to LIKE that page. If everyone would LIKE and share this page daily this could turn out to be very helpful!!!!
Thanks!
Also please follow them on Twitter to earn $1.00 per follower for Jason’s Law:
ATTENTION Truckers: America’s Most Wanted needs your help with Missing Person: Patrick F. Carnes and dog, Lucky
Nevada Cops: Bizarre Disappearance of WWII Vet, Dog
In early April 2011, Patrick Carnes traveled from his home in Reno, Nev., to visit family in Ohio. There, he looked at retirement homes where he could spend his golden years.
Patrick, a World War II vet who served in the Solomon Islands, was a proud, active man, with no signs of slowing down.
On April 12, he packed up his dark green Subaru wagon and drove back to Reno with his best friend, a slightly overweight, 100-pound Akita/mixed-breed dog named “Lucky.”
The following night, just after Patrick and Lucky entered the state of Nevada, a trooper pulled Patrick over for not changing lanes appropriately near the town of Wells. After speaking briefly with the officer, Patrick got off with a warning and continued his late-night trek across the state via westbound I-80.
Though they were only about a six hour drive from Reno, Patrick and Lucky never made it there.
The next morning, Patrick’s car was found abandoned in sage brush, a good distance from the highway in rural Winnemucca.
Cops Fear For Missing Duo Despite No Obvious Signs Of Foul Play
When investigators came upon Patrick’s vehicle, they found no signs of foul play. The car was a good distance from the road, and its front end was facing the interstate. There was no evidence leading investigators to believe Patrick and Lucky were abducted, but they can’t rule anything out.
After doing extensive air and ground searches of the vast, wide open, Nevada desert, cops in Humboldt County have come up completely empty-handed. There hasn’t been a single sighting of the missing duo.
When Patrick was pulled over in Wells, he told the trooper he was going to get a room in nearby Elko that night, but there’s no record of him ever doing so.
What happened overnight remains a mystery to investigators, and they need your help to piece the clues together.
Cops Plea For Eagle-Eyed Truckers To Come Forward
In the middle of the night, every night, I-80 is dominated by big rigs. Detectives believe a trucker might have seen what happened to Patrick and Lucky, but no one has come forward as of yet.
“Some trucker saw an old man with a dog,” Humboldt County Undersheriff Curtiss Kull said.
Consequently, investigators would like to make a plea to anyone — specifically long-haul truck drivers — who may have driven on I-80 between Wells and Winnemucca, and saw Patrick and Lucky between the late evening hours of April 13 through the early morning hours of April 14.
If you know anything about the bizarre disappearance of Patrick Carnes, or his best friend, Lucky, you’ve got to call our toll-free Hotline right away at 1-800-CRIME-TV. Remember: You can remain anonymous.



- Gray / White
- He is balding with gray hair on the sides of his head.
- Patrick is typically clean-shaven.
- Blue
- Glasses
- No known scars.
- No known tattoos.
- Patrick was traveling with his lifelong companion, Lucky, an 80 – 100 pound Akita/mixed breed male dog.
- He was a WWII vet, serving in the Solomon Islands campaign.
- Wells , NV
- Winnemucca , NV
- Golconda , NV
- Battle Mountain , NV
- Wells , NV
- Nevada
- Elko , NV
- Reno , NV
Company grieves loss of coworker; offers reward
KINSTON, N.C. – Friends and coworkers are still grieving for 63-year-old Elwood Hill who was gun down outside Sutton’s Brick Company in Kinston last Friday. They’re now offering a reward.
The days start early at Sutton’s Brick Company.
“Yeah, construction is an early business,” saidWatson Sutton, owner of Sutton’s Brick Company, but nowadays they start with one less.
“The guys just took whatever he had in his pockets that day,” said Sutton.
For company owner Watson Sutton, they took more than pocket change. They took a life, a friend and a piece of his family.
“We interacted with each other all day and El would have been a part of the family my whole life,” saidSutton.
63-year-old Elwood Hill spent 40 of those years besideSutton and his family.
“He was real well liked. People have been calling since Friday,” said Sutton.
Last Friday morning, Hill, a company truck driver, was loading up his truck when someone approached him.
“To take someone’s life just to pick their pockets is shocking,” said Sutton.
The days following that Friday weren’t easy for Sutton, going into detail is still too much for him. It wasn’t any easier for Hill’s wife and two sons.
“One’s 41 and the other’s 37, James and Michael. He was very proud of his boys,” said Sutton.
Police are still investigating what Sutton’s calling an early morning mugging. He says he hopes justice is served so that everyone can have some closure.
“You just keep going and take it one day at a time,” said Sutton.
Watson Sutton says by offering a $10,000 reward, he hopes someone comes forward with information that will lead to an arrest very quickly.
If you have any information, call the Kinston Police Department.
—Previous Story—Kinston Police investigating homicide of Sutton Brick employee
KINSTON, N.C.- It’s the third murder in Kinston in three weeks. This time it’s a husband and father of two found shot to death where he works, right before father’s day weekend. Kinston Police found 63-year-oldElwood Hill outside the Sutton Brick Company around six Friday morning.
It was 6:15 in the morning, a city sanitation crew making rounds at Sutton Brick, spotted a body lying in the gravel parking lot.
It was 63-year-old Elwood Hill. Police say he appeared to have been robbed, shot and left to die.
“This type of crime disgusts me,” said Woody Spencer, Kinston Police Spokesperson. “It’s very frustrating.”
Police are following up on leads, but there’s no sign of who did it.
Nine on Your Side talked with the owner, Watson Sutton off-camera. He started tearing up as he talked about the man who worked here for 41 years. He says Elwood Hill was the most admirable, honest, and hard-working man he ever met.
Sutton says Hill would usually come into work early, between 5:30 and 6 to load and deliver bricks. Today, he only had one load to deliver before going to the beach with his wife.
“I mean what was the purpose you know,” asked Ed Harris. Harris works at Bobby’s Auto across the street from Sutton Brick and considered Hill a friend. “He’ll be across the street. He’ll holler, I’ll hear somebody hollering my name. He’ll wave and throw his hand up.” Harris says he felt safe working where he does, until now. “I thought that was very disturbing because I’ll be at this shop sometimes one or two o’clock in the morning and I’ll be down there by myself,” he said. “The same thing could happen to me. They really need to do something about this crime rate around here.”
“People, it seems these days are different than they were in the past,” said Spencer. “That’s neither here nor there. This person was murdered and we intend to find out who did it.”
We tracked down the criminal activity in Kinston this year. Hill’s death is the fourth murder in Kinston since January. There have also been 24 robberies and 233 assaults during that time, of those, 47 were assaults with a deadly weapon.
— Previous Story —
KINSTON, N.C. - Police are investigating a homicide at Sutton Brick in Kinston.
Police Department PIO Woody Spencer tells Nine On Your Side that a Kinston Waste & Disposal crew found the body of 63-year old Elwood Hill Friday morning lying on the ground in the brick company’s gravel parking lot.
Hill was an employee at Sutton’s Brick. Spencer says he had an apparent gunshot wound. Police tell 9OYS they are investigating a robbery they believe led to the shooting.
The Sutton’s Brick owner says Hill worked there for 41 years. The owner says Hill lives in Moss Hill outside ofKinston and has a wife and two sons who live out of state. Sutton’s Brick is located on the corner of Park Avenue and MLK Blvd. That’s beside Coastal Wholesale Grocery.
Investigators are on the scene. A red tarp has been hung to cover the crime scene.
Nine On Your Side’s Andrea Blanford is on the scene and will have more details as soon as they become available.
Are You Trying Too Hard?
Do this technique to stop depression. Do that technique to stop your panic attacks. Try this approach to calm your mind. Not only does there seem to be exercises to address all issues known to humanity, but there are several experts who write self help books to tell you what you are doing wrong.
Think about this. Maybe you are trying too hard. Maybe you are actually sabotaging yourself because you are trying so hard to “beat” the problem. The more you focus on that problem, the more you will experience it.
I urge my clients to “roll” with the problem they may be experiencing. Maybe say, “I have this problem and I’m going to live with it—its not the end of the world. Its not life threatening. What’s the worst that can happen.” No, you are not giving in. You are allowing the problem to have less weight. Now, it is more likely it will fade to the background because you are focused on better things in your life.
Here are a few things you can say to yourself to address anxiety. They are taken from REBT:
• My anxiety is bad, but I’m not bad.
• I don’t always have to feel comfortable, and it isn’t awful when I don’t.
• I can bear—and bear with—anxiety: it won’t kill me.
• It is not necessary to be in perfect control of my anxious moments. To demand that I be in control only multiplies my symptoms.
• Others are not required to treat me with kid gloves when I feel uncomfortable.
Research ACT (acceptance and Commitment Therapy) for more ideas
About Buck Black
I am a licensed therapist (LCSW) in private practice who focuses on anger, stress, and relationships. I do this both in my Lafayette Indiana office and online. I also specialize in working with truckers and their families over the phone and on Skype at www.TruckerTherapy.com.
Grief in the Trucking Industry
Grief in the Trucking Industry
Unfortunately, there has been a lot of death in the trucking industry. It is very difficult to hear about these tragedies and often even more difficult to know how to respond to a fellow trucker and their family who has lost a loved one. Often, one does not know what to say when someone loses a loved one. Sometimes, we find ourselves rambling or regretting what we utter when we are just trying to find a way to comfort someone who is grieving.
Grief is difficult to describe. Many think of it as a reaction to death, which it often is. However, it is the reaction to loss of anything important in one’s life. It could be the loss of a person, relationship, material item, or even the loss of an ability that one once had (losing the ability to walk, for example).
Common symptoms of grief include:
Loss of appetite, nightmares, being forgetful, anger, social withdrawal, confusion, difficulty making decisions, mood swings, and difficulty sleeping.
Grief is a natural experience that each person experiences differently.
It is OK to:
Think of your loved one frequently
Feel sad
Frequently cry
Have a reminder of your loved one and then feel really sad/upset (known as a griefburst)
Not think about the loved one for an extended period of time. Its ok!
When to get help:
You can no longer go to work or have great difficulty getting out of bed
You have suicidal thoughts
You feel talking with someone could help ease the hurt
You feel members of your family are having problems functioning or your family does not function as a whole. Family therapy can help!
What to do when someone is grieving:
Don’t try to fix it
Let them talk…listen to them
If they don’t want to talk, respect the request
Be supportive and don’t criticize
About Buck Black
I am a licensed therapist (LCSW) in private practice who focuses on anger, stress, and relationships. I do this both in my Lafayette Indiana office and online. I also specialize in working with truckers and their families over the phone and on Skype at www.TruckerTherapy.com.
Trucker’s accused killer goes on trial
Trucker’s accused killer goes on trial
Posted Monday April 4, 2011 1 week, 5 days ago
Michael Haydon is accused of killing Kolbe and Kolbe truck driver Pat Zemke as he slept in the cab of his truck on an Interstate 39 off-ramp in November 2003. Prosecutors believe Haydon shot Zemke because he wrongly believed that Zemke was having an affair with his ex-girlfriend. Haydon is serving a 25-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting the woman hours before the alleged murder.
STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAU) – A two-week jury trial will finally get underway today for a Plover man charged in a trucker’s death in November 2003.
Michael Haydon’s case has been delayed at least three times – most recently in January when a Portage County judge agreed to give a defense DNA expert more time to prepare.
The 44-year-old Haydon is accused of fatally shooting Kolbe and Kolbe trucker Pat Zemke as he slept in the cab of his truck on a highway off-ramp on November 18, 2003. Prosecutors say Haydon killed Zemke out of mistaken identity, wrongly believing that Zemke was having an affair with his ex-girlfriend. Haydon is also accused of stealing Zemke’s wallet after the murder.
A jail inmate testified in a preliminary hearing in March 2009 that Haydon confessed to the murder while the two shared a cell in the Marathon County jail in 2008.
Haydon is serving a 25-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting his ex-girlfriend hours before the alleged murder.
Judge Thomas Flugaur has ruled that prosecutors can use DNA evidence from dog hairs found on Zemke’s shirt. Prosecutors say the hairs came from the same breed of dog that Haydon owned.
But testing also found that hairs from three police dogs at the scene have similar characteristics known as halotypes to Haydon’s dog or his ex-girlfriend’s dog. That allows the defense to raise the possibility that the hairs in question came from the police dogs rather than a dog that Haydon had contact with.
Haydon cannot use a third-party defense at the trial. Flugaur ruled that the person Haydon named may have had a similar motive but did not have the opportunity to kill Zemke. Flugaur also found no direct evidence linking that person to the crime.
Truckers CAN Carry a Gun
So many times we are asked “Can I carry a gun in my truck?” or we spend countless hours explaining how to do it and that it is possible. The following information is from an article in Truckers News-April Cover story called “Risky Business” this is a must read for everyone.
Can you carry a gun in your cab?
Nothing stirs a heated debate like truckers carrying firearms for protection. One of the most pervasive myths about this topic is that there’s a federal law against drivers carrying a firearm in a commercial motor vehicle. No such law exists and, in fact, there is law that says you can.
”Notwithstanding any other provision of any law or any rule or regulation of a State or any political subdivision thereof, any person who is not otherwise prohibited by this chapter from transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm shall be entitled to transport a firearm for any lawful purpose from any place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm to any other place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm if, during such transportation, the firearm is unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition being transported is readily accessible or is directly accessible from the passenger compartment of such transporting vehicle:
“Provided, that in the case of a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driver’s compartment the firearm or ammunition shall be contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.”
However, the federal law is not the issue. According to Allen Smith, author of Truth About Trucking (www.truthabouttrucking.com), truckers have two major hurdles to overcome on this issue: Being legal and not violating any city, county or state law of any place they will be passing through and abiding by company policy.
You have to follow the laws of the jurisdiction you travel through, including city, county and state laws. Most major trucking companies don’t allow firearms in vehicles, and many shippers and receivers absolutely forbid firearms. You can’t transport a firearm across the Canadian border and you can’t take them onto military bases.
Smith frequently addresses this topic on his Internet radio show and website and says many drivers will argue the Peaceable Journey Act protects them from violating city, county or state laws they are passing through. Smith contends local law enforcement doesn’t see it this way. They are “not interested in federal law,” Smith says. “They are only interested in upholding the laws within their jurisdiction. Furthermore, not all states recognize a concealed permit. California and New Jersey do not recognize a concealed permit to carry from Florida, and if I’m caught in California or New Jersey with a legal firearm in my truck, I’m in violation of their laws. Between restrictive company policies and a wide range of varying state and local laws, there’s a lot for a trucker to consider.”
The restrictions don’t deter some truckers. In a recent etrucker.com online poll, 31 percent of respondents said they carry a firearm for protection. Armed truckers interviewed for this story say they are proficient with their weapons, carefully research the laws of the states/cities where they drive and respect law enforcement.
Chuck Winborn, an owner-operator from Birmingham, Ala., has a Concealed Carry Weapon license and says he’s a responsible gun owner. The 51-year-old has been driving for 26 years and says he carries either a Glock or a Taurus 9mm or 40. He runs a dedicated route from his home state through Mississippi, Tennessee. and Arkansas, all states that have reciprocity with Alabama. He says he follows the law and keeps the gun unloaded and out of reach while driving.
“If you understand that you can only use deadly force if you are in fear of your life due to a break-in or attack, generally you will be justified in protecting yourself.” He reiterates what many truckers say, “I’d rather be judged by 12 than carried by six.”
While Winborn feels safer with his weapon, he’s also an advocate of the common sense approach to security. “I park in well-lighted areas that have truck parking and never on highway ramps or secluded areas in truckstops. I always use a small ratchet strap and hook it on both door handles to prevent someone from busting my glass and opening the door. I also cover my windshields with chrome bubble insulation so no one can look inside.”
to read more please visit:
http://www.truckersnews.com/risky-business-2/?pg=6






