New U.S. Navy Recruitment Video

As an old Navy veteran I got a kick out the new U.S. Navy recruitment video.

You can watch the interesting ad via the below link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBHt_gu6ZzQ

Note: Above is a U.S. Navy photo of the USS George Washington CVN 73. The aircraft carrier appears in the video.

The First Great Sherlock Holmes: Five Ways British Actor William Gillette Transformed How Sherlock Holmes Looks And Talks

Tom de Castella at bbc.com offers a piece on how British actor William Gillette transformed how Sherlock Holmes looks and talks.

A 1916 silent movie featuring Sherlock Holmes - long presumed lost - is due to have its premiere in Paris. It stars a man who changed the way we see Conan Doyle's famous sleuth forever.

He was the first great Sherlock Holmes. But few will have heard of US actor William Gillette.

He is thought to be a distant relation of the family behind Gillette razors, wrote plays about the American civil war, patented a noise to imitate the sound of a galloping horse and built an enormous castle in Connecticut. But it is his Holmes that fascinates people today.

And until three months ago, it seemed that no-one would ever see it.

Gillette adapted Sherlock Holmes for the stage in 1899 and played Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's detective more than 1,000 times.

He made only one film, the 1916 silent movie version of Sherlock Holmes. For decades the movie was presumed lost, one of the great missing links of Sherlockiana. Then in October 2014 it was discovered at the Cinematheque Francaise, a film archive in Paris.

"At last we get to see for ourselves the actor who kept the first generation of Sherlockians spellbound," says Professor Russell Merritt, who has been researching the film's origins. "As far as Holmes is concerned, there's not an actor dead or alive who hasn't consciously or intuitively played off Gillette."  

You can read the rest of the piece and watch a video of William Gillette as Sherlock Holmes via the below link:

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30932322

First SEALs: A Look Back At The WWII OSS Maritime Unit

Patrick K. O'Donnell, author of First SEALs: The Untold Story of the Forging of America's Most Elite Unit, offers a piece on the World War II OSS Maritime Unit in National Review.

Today, the Navy SEALs are the stuff of Hollywood legend: The last two years alone have seen them featured in both Zero Dark Thirty and American Sniper. But few people know the history of America’s first swim commando teams. 

It all began with a kick in the ass. On the night of December 19, 1941, a 709-ton Auda-class Italian submarine surfaced in Alexandria Harbor, and six Italian frogmen mounted three miniature submersibles that contained massive warheads. Clad in wetsuits and wearing breathing devices, they each received a ceremonial kick in the backside from their commanding officer, Prince Junio Valerio Scipione Borghese, as they exited the submarine. Later called “The Black Prince,” Borghese was the leader of Decima MAS, an Italian special-operations unit that included these underwater swim commandos.

Invisible from the surface, these men entered the home of the British fleet in the Eastern Mediterranean and detonated their warheads, sinking two British battleships and a tanker. As a result of their daring attack, the balance of maritime power in that part of the world shifted, setting off an underwater arms race. Other nations rushed to develop their own capabilities and the means to support them.

The United States was perhaps the farthest behind when the need for this capability became apparent. In 1942, America didn’t have special-operations units. To solve that problem, the U.S. government turned to its Office of Strategic Services, or OSS. At the time, no technology for underwater combat swimming existed in a military-operational form in the American arsenal. The OSS Maritime Unit (MU) would have to develop it and the teams needed to use it, overnight — with a whopping budget of $500.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/397167/history-seals-patrick-k-odonnell

Note: In addition to the OSS' MU, the U.S. Navy also developed two groups who were also the forerunners of today's Navy SEALs. The Naval Demolition Unit (NDU) lead the way for the D-Day invasion of Europe, and the Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT) lead the way for the invasion of the Japanese-held islands in the Pacific.

You can read my Counterterrorism magazine piece on how the Underwater Demolition Team frogmen contributed to the forming of the modern Navy SEALs via the below link:

http://www.pauldavisoncrime.com/2013/06/a-look-back-at-world-war-ii-us-navy.html 

Mystery Writers Of America Announces 2015 Edgar Allan Poe Awards

The Mystery Writers of America announced the nominees for the 2015 Edgar Allan Poe Awards:

NEW YORK, Jan. 21, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Mystery Writers of America is proud to announce, as we celebrate the 206^th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe, the Nominees for the 2015 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction and television published or produced in 2014. The Edgar® Awards will be presented to the winners at our 69^th Gala Banquet, April 29, 2015 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York City.
 

BEST NOVEL

This Dark Road to Mercy by Wiley Cash (HarperCollins Publishers – William Morrow)
Wolf by Mo Hayder (Grove/Atlantic – Atlantic Monthly Press)
Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King (Simon & Schuster – Scribner)
The Final Silence by Stuart Neville (Soho Press)
Saints of the Shadow Bible by Ian Rankin (Hachette Book Group – Little, Brown)
Coptown by Karin Slaughter (Penguin Randomhouse – Ballantine Books)
 

BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR

Dry Bones in the Valley by Tom Bouman (W.W. Norton)
Invisible City by Julia Dahl (Minotaur Books)
The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens (Prometheus Books – Seventh Street Books)
Bad Country by C.B. McKenzie (Minotaur Books – A Thomas Dunne Book)
Shovel Ready by Adam Sternbergh (Crown Publishers)
Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaver (Minotaur Books – A Thomas Dunne Book)
 

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

The Secret History of Las Vegas by Chris Albani (Penguin Randomhouse – Penguin Books)
Stay With Me by Alison Gaylin (HarperCollins Publishers – William Morrow)
The Barkeep by William Lashner (Amazon Publishing – Thomas and Mercer)
The Day She Died by Catriona McPherson (Llewellyn Worldwide – Midnight Ink)
The Gone Dead Train by Lisa Turner (HarperCollins Publishers – William Morrow)
World of Trouble by Ben H. Winters (Quirk Books)
 

BEST FACT CRIME

Kitty Genovese: The Murder, the Bystanders, the Crime that Changed America by Kevin Cook (W.W. Norton)
The Savage Harvest: A Tale of Cannibals, Colonialism, and Michael Rockefeller's Tragic Quest for Primitive Art by Carl Hoffman (HarperCollins Publishers – William Morrow)
The Other Side: A Memoir by Lacy M. Johnson (Tin House Books)
Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywoodby William Mann (HarperCollins Publishers – Harper)
The Mad Sculptor: The Maniac, the Model, and the Murder that Shook the Nationby Harold Schechter (Amazon Publishing – New Harvest)
 

BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL

The Figure of the Detective: A Literary History and Analysis by Charles Brownson (McFarland & Company)
James Ellroy: A Companion to the Mystery Fiction
by Jim Mancall (Oxford University Press)
Kiss the Blood Off My Hands: Classic Film Noir by Robert Miklitsch (University of Illinois Press)
Judges & Justice & Lawyers & Law: Exploring the Legal Dimensions of Fiction and Film by Francis M. Nevins (Perfect Crime Books)
Poe-Land: The Hallowed Haunts of Edgar Allan Poe
by J.W. Ocker (W.W. Norton – Countryman Press)
 

BEST SHORT STORY

"The Snow Angel" – Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine by Doug Allyn (Dell Magazines)
"200 Feet" – Strand Magazine by John Floyd (The Strand)
"What Do You Do?" – Rogues by Gillian Flynn
(Penguin Randomhouse Publishing – Ballantine Books)
"Red Eye" – Faceoff  by Dennis Lehane vs. Michael Connelly (Simon & Schuster)
"Teddy" – Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine by Brian Tobin (Dell Magazines)
 

BEST JUVENILE

Absolutely Truly by Heather Vogel Frederick (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
Space Case by Stuart Gibbs (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
Greenglass House by Kate Milford
(Clarion Books – Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers)
Nick and Tesla's Super-Cyborg Gadget Glove by "Science Bob" Pflugfelder
and Steve Hockensmith  (Quirk Books)
Saving Kabul Corner by N.H. Senzai (Simon & Schuster – Paula Wiseman Books)
Eddie Red, Undercover: Mystery on Museum Mile by Marcia Wells
(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers)
 

BEST YOUNG ADULT

The Doubt Factory by Paolo Bacigalupi (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Nearly Gone by Elle Cosimano (Penguin Young Readers Group – Kathy Dawson Books)
Fake ID by Lamar Giles (HarperCollins Children's Books - Amistad)
The Art of Secrets by James Klise (Algonquin Young Readers)
The Prince of Venice Beach by Blake Nelson (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
 

BEST TELEVISION EPISODE TELEPLAY

"The Empty Hearse" – Sherlock, Teleplay by Mark Gatiss (Hartswood Films/Masterpiece)
"Unfinished Business" – Blue Bloods, Teleplay by Siobhan Byrne O'Connor (CBS)
"Episode 1" – Happy Valley, Teleplay by Sally Wainwright (Netflix)
"Dream Baby Dream" – The Killing, Teleplay by Sean Whitesell (Netflix)
"Episode 6" – The Game, Teleplay by Toby Whithouse (BBC America)
 

ROBERT L. FISH MEMORIAL AWARD

"Getaway Girl" – Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine By Zoë Z. Dean (Dell Magazines)

GRAND MASTER

Lois Duncan
James Ellroy
 

RAVEN AWARDS

Ruth & Jon Jordan, Crimespree Magazine
Kathryn Kennison, Magna Cum Murder
 

ELLERY QUEEN AWARD

Charles Ardai, Editor & Founder, Hard Case Crime

* * * * * *

THE SIMON & SCHUSTER - MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD
(Presented at MWA's Agents & Editors Party on Tuesday, April 28, 2015)

Dark and Twisted Tide by Sharon Bolton (Minotaur Books)
The Stranger You Know by Jane Casey (Minotaur Books)
Invisible City by Julia Dahl (Minotaur Books)
Summer of the Dead by Julia Keller (Minotaur Books)
The Black Hour by Lori Rader-Day (Prometheus Books – Seventh Street Books)

FBI: The Case Of The Stolen Stradivarius

The FBI web site offers a piece on a stolen Stradivarius violin.

When a 300-year-old Stradivarius violin valued at more than $5 million was stolen from Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Frank Almond last year, investigators initially believed the theft may have been the work of sophisticated art thieves. The truth turned out to be much less glamorous.

Still, the tale of the theft and recovery of this rare instrument goes down in the annals of the FBI’s Art Crime Team as a one-of-a-kind case.

When Almond emerged from a back door of a concert hall at Wisconsin Lutheran College last January, where he had just performed, he was carrying the “Lipinski Strad”—made by Antonio Stradivari in 1715 and later named for the Polish violinist Karol Lipinski who played it. As Almond walked to his car, a man approached, pulled a Taser from his coat, and fired. With Almond temporarily incapacitated by the stun gun, the thief grabbed the Lipinski and fled to a waiting vehicle. Hours later, Milwaukee Police Department officers found the violin case discarded by the side of the road.

“There was an automatic assumption the violin would be traveling interstate and then most likely overseas,” said Special Agent Dave Bass, a member of the Art Crime Team in the Bureau’s Milwaukee Division.

You can read the rest of the piece and watch a video via the below link:

http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2015/january/the-case-of-the-stolen-stradivarius 

Alleged Terrorist, Charged With Murder Of Five American Soldiers, Extradited To United States

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

U.S. Attorney Loretta E. Lynch for the Eastern District of New York, Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, Assistant Director-in-Charge George Venizelos of the FBI’s New York Field Office and Commissioner William J. Bratton of the New York City Police Department announced that tomorrow, Jan. 24, 2015, Faruq Khalil Muhammed ‘Isa, aka “Faruq Khalil Muhammad ‘Isa,” “Sayfildin Tahir Sharif,” and “Tahir Sharif Sayfildin,” will have his initial appearance at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, on charges of conspiring to kill Americans abroad; and providing material support to a terrorist conspiracy to kill Americans abroad.  ‘Isa was extradited to the United States from Canada.

According to court documents, the defendant is charged in connection with his support for a multinational terrorist network that conducted multiple suicide bombings in Iraq.  According to the complaint, filed on Jan. 14, 2011, in the Eastern District of New York, the defendant assisted in orchestrating an attack on the United States Military’s Forward Operating Base Marez (FOB Marez) in Mosul, Iraq, on April 10, 2009.  A truck laden with explosives drove to the gate of FOB Marez and exchanged fire with Iraqi police officers guarding the base and then with an American convoy exiting the base.  The truck detonated alongside the last vehicle in the U.S. convoy, leaving a 60-foot crater in the ground. 

Five American soldiers were killed in the blast.  They are:  Staff Sergeant Gary L. Woods, 24, of Lebanon Junction, Kentucky; Sergeant First Class Bryan E. Hall, 32, of Elk Grove, California; Sergeant Edward W. Forrest Jr., 25, of St. Louis, Missouri; Corporal Jason G. Pautsch, 20, of Davenport, Iowa; and Army Private First Class Bryce E. Gaultier, 22, from Cyprus, California.

“Today’s extradition demonstrates to those who orchestrate violence against our citizens and our soldiers that there is no corner of the globe from which they can hide from the long reach of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Lynch.  “We will continue to use every available means to bring to justice those who are responsible for the deaths of American servicemen and women who paid the ultimate price in their defense of this nation.”

“Faruq Khalil Muhammed ‘Isa is alleged to have helped orchestrate an attack that killed five U.S.  soldiers at the Forward Operating Base Marez in Mosul, Iraq, in 2009,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin.  “The families of these five Americans and all who have lost loved-ones to acts of terrorism should know that we will never cease seeking to hold terrorists accountable for their acts.  I want to thank the many agents, analysts and prosecutors who are responsible for this matter.”

“As alleged, Faruq Khalil Muhammad ‘Isa was involved in the most callous act: a suicide bombing murdering U.S. soldiers in Iraq,” said Assistant Director in Charge Venizelos.  “Our memory is long, and our reach is longer.  Today we hope to bring some measure of justice to the families of those five servicemen who sacrificed their lives in defense of this nation.”

“I want to commend the United States Attorney Loretta Lynch and her team for working closely with the NYPD and the FBI to extradite this individual who is allegedly responsible for the death of soldiers sworn to protect and serve,” said Commissioner Bratton.  “We hope today’s extradition will bring some closure to the families.”

The charges in the complaint are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zainab Ahmad, Alexander Solomon and Peter Baldwin, with assistance provided by the Justice Department’s Counterterrorism Section and Office of International Affairs.  The department extends its grateful appreciation to the Canadian government for its assistance and cooperation in the extradition.

Palm Beach County Resident Pleads Guilty Palm Beach County Resident Pleads Guilty Under The Espionage Act And Computer Fraud And Abuse Act For Accessing And Removing Classified Information From Military Computers

The U.S. Justice Department released the below link:

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge George Piro for the FBI’s Miami Field Office and the members of the South Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force announced that a West Palm Beach resident pleaded guilty to willful retention of classified national defense information pursuant to the Espionage Act, one count of computer intrusion pursuant to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and one count of conspiracy to commit naturalization fraud, while employed as a computer systems administrator at a U.S. Military installation in Honduras.

Christopher R. Glenn, 34, gained unauthorized access to classified computer files containing national defense information that belonged to the Department of Defense and U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Task Force Bravo in Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras.  Once Glenn accessed those files, he copied classified information stored under the Joint Task Force Commander’s account, which information he retained.

Glenn also conspired with his wife, Khadraa A. Glenn, 28, to commit naturalization fraud for her benefit by fabricating fraudulent documents and submitting false statements and the documents to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).  Khadraa A. Glenn previously pleaded guilty to naturalization fraud conspiracy and was sentenced on Oct. 7, 2014.

“Christopher Glenn accessed, copied and retained classified information that belonged to the Department of Defense and the U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Task Force, without authorization,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin.  “Systems administrators occupy a place of unique trust in an organization due to their extensive access to the cyber systems they maintain.  With today’s plea, Mr. Glenn is being held accountable for his violation of that trust.”

“Obtaining national defense information when you are not entitled to it is a serious threat to our national security,” said U.S. Attorney Ferrer.  “In committing this crime, Christopher Glenn abused his position of trust.  Violations of the espionage act and computer intrusion are unacceptable and we will continue to investigate and seek to hold accountable those who engage in it.”

“The Cold War may be over, but espionage, spies trying to steal our nation’s most valuable secrets are still at it,” said Special Agent in Charge Piro.  “More than ever, the FBI remains vigilant to protect critical national secrets and assets.  If you are aware of this type of activity, report it immediately to the FBI.”

Glenn is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra, on April 17, 2015.
Assistant Attorney General Carlin would like to thank the investigative efforts of the FBI, U.S. Army’s 470^th Military Intelligence Brigade, U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigations Division, the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), USCIS, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Homeland Security and the South Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force.  The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Christian Ford of the Counterespionage Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ricardo Del Toro of the Southern District of Florida.