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- This Week in Crime: September 23 - 29, 2023
This Week in Crime: September 23 - 29, 2023
Top Stories of the Week
Brooks Houck Arrested in Connection to Crystal Rogers’ 2015 Disappearance
Crystal Rogers and Brooks Houck
Louisville, Kentucky - Brooks Houck, 41, formerly Crystal Rogers’ boyfriend and the longstanding main suspect in her 2015 vanishing, has been arrested by the FBI in Louisville on murder and evidence tampering charges related to the investigation. Houck, who was apprehended at a Bardstown subdivision while working, has now been transferred from Nelson County Jail to Hardin County. His bond stands at $10 million cash. Further details await his arraignment scheduled for early October in the Nelson County Circuit Court.
Suzanne Morphew’s Remains Found Three Years After Disappearance
Suzanne Morphew
Saguache County, Colorado - More than three years after Colorado mom Suzanne Morphew vanished on Mother’s Day in 2020, investigators have located her remains. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation said the remains of Suzanne, 49, were located during a search on September 22, 2023 in the area of Moffat in Saguache County. The El Paso County coroner confirmed the identity of the remains on September 27.
Suzanne’s remains were found about 40 miles (65 kilometers) south of the Salida area, where she was reported missing.
Arrest Made in 1996 Tupac Shakur Murder Case
Tupac Shakur and Duane Keith “Keffe D” Davis
Las Vegas, Nevada - After 27 years, an arrest has been made in the drive-by shooting that killed iconic rapper Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas. Duane Keith “Keffe D” Davis was apprehended early September 29, though the exact charges were not immediately disclosed, according to sources close to the matter.
Davis, long known to authorities, revealed in his 2019 memoir, “Compton Street Legend,” and in prior interviews that he was in the vehicle from which the shots were fired on that fateful night in September 1996. Shakur was just 25 when he was murdered.
In Other Crime News
Chillicothe, Missouri - Gypsy Rose Blanchard Granted Parole After Serving Time for Mother’s Murder. Read More.
Zacatecas, Mexico - Tragic Discovery in Mexico: Bodies of Six Abducted Youths Found. Read More.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Flash Mob-Style Thefts Strike Philadelphia; Dozens Arrested After Night of Chaos. Read More.
Barcelona, Spain - Spanish Prosecutors Charge Pop Star Shakira with Tax Evasion. Read More.
Houston, Texas - Dispute Over Curly Fries Leads to Employee Firing Gun at Customers’ Car. Watch Video.
CrimeDoor Blog
Eastern State Penitentiary History: From Revolutionary Design to Infamous Prison
Eastern State Penitentiary, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a historic prison that was designed to reform prisoners through isolation and reflection. It was the world’s first true “penitentiary” and was built in 1829. Eastern State’s revolutionary system of incarceration, known as the Pennsylvania system, encouraged separate confinement as a form of rehabilitation.
The building itself was an architectural wonder and is considered to be one of the most remarkable structures in the United States. It was designed by John Haviland, who was inspired by the idea that prisoners could be reformed through solitary confinement and reflection. The prison’s design was meant to be intimidating and awe-inspiring, with its high walls and gothic architecture. Eastern State was a model for prison design and management, and its influence can still be seen in modern prisons today.
Despite its initial success, the Pennsylvania system was eventually criticized for being too harsh and inhumane. The prison was closed in 1971, but it has since been restored and opened to the public as a historic site. Today, visitors can tour the prison and learn about its history, architecture, and the lives of the prisoners who were once confined there.
Crime History
SEPTEMBER 24, 1828 - The Shaka Zulu Assassination
On Sept. 22, 1828, after watching their brother descend into madness, Dingane and Mhlangana Zulu took it upon themselves to murder Shaka, the King of the Zulu Kingdom, to end his reign of terror. With the assistance of a third man, Mbopa, who created a diversion, Dingane and Mhlangana set upon Shaka and killed him. When they were done, they put his body in an empty grain pit and covered it with stones and mud. They never revealed the location of where they buried Shaka. Dingane then ascended to become the new King of the Zulu’s.
The murder seemed to be a necessary step after Shaka went crazy following the death of his mother in 1827. In the year after her death, Shaka ordered that no crops be planted and no milk (the prime ingredient in the Zulu diet at the time) be consumed. He also ordered the killing of any woman who became pregnant, as well as their husbands. Some 7,000 people were considered to not be grief-stricken enough and they too were executed. In addition, thousands of cows were slaughtered so their calves would know what losing a mother felt like.
Shaka rose to prominence when he became chief of the Zulus in 1816. He led a tribe that numbered only 1,500 when he took command, in a decade-long military campaign that saw them conquer neighboring tribes and vastly expand their population and territory.
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