Family friend of McConnell-Hancock is one who found car in Atlanta
NBC24 has the pdf of the police report from Cobb County which contains the name of the person who is reported to have found Karyn McConnell Hancock’s vehicle, his name is Dejun Windless. I’ve received confirmation from two sources that they are aware of a family friend with the same name and same cell phone number that is listed on the police report.
It’s not clear how he came upon the car, the police report confirms he was aware of the case but no further details as far as it being stated that he personally knew Karyn, or if he was out looking for the car knowing that she had been found near there or not. Last reports from our local media stated that she had been questioned by the Toledo Police for over 8 hours today and that a statement would be coming out later.
It also was reported that Rev. Lawrence Hancock was not happy with the local media since he had asked them to leave and they did not, he stated that he would not be giving them the exclusive interview when Karyn did talk, that he would give it to CNN or BET since they had not followed his wishes.
As usual, Lisa Renee Ward leads the Toledo media in getting the story to the people. Was this on 24’s news? I was watching since 7:00 and if it was, I managed to miss it. Great job, Lisa!
December 10th, 2007 at 7:25 pmThe report was on 24 I don’t think it’s yet known that the man who found the car is stated to be a family friend. I received a phone call on it and then confirmed that there was a person of that name who did live here in Toledo at one point in time and is a family friend.
December 10th, 2007 at 7:28 pmI’d have to add that it’s thanks to those who call me to share this type of information that it was even possible and to NBC24 for putting the police report online.
December 10th, 2007 at 7:34 pmThat’s what I meant — that part about the friend. You are the one who broke that news. I’m going to start calling you Bob Woodward.
December 10th, 2007 at 7:35 pmWell at least we share the same initial of our last names…
December 10th, 2007 at 7:40 pmThe latest on the family friend who just so happenned to stumbled on her car…will be on abc at 11.
December 10th, 2007 at 7:50 pmInstead of calling authorities… he called Lawrence “Bishop” Handcock
Wow!
He even beat the Cobb County Police and the FBI to the punch!
This is such a hoax!
I also discovered that Cobb county has traffic cameras and it appears there are at least one near the area, I-20 where the car was left and where Karyn walked to flag down a motorist. Depending on how long those tapes are kept? It could give some clues as to what happened.
December 10th, 2007 at 7:55 pmAhhhhhh ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Now how about some charges for inducing a panic, filing false reports, fake hate crime etc. And a bill for the manhours involved in this farce.
December 10th, 2007 at 8:03 pmThe sick part is that they’re still trying to play this off as something other than what it is. A lie.
Thanks Newzgal, but I have to question the local media’s failure to ask the important questions of our officials up to this point. I swear the reporters at the weekend press conference were on Prosac. And where is the Blade? The Fourth Estate locally is drinking the Koolaid. Thank Jesus (or a diety of your choice) for GMA this morning.
December 10th, 2007 at 8:09 pmSongByrd?
Hello?
Hello?
Crow?
I’m sure Peter will find something redeeming about this whole fiasco.
December 10th, 2007 at 8:12 pmVery thoughtful kidnappers. When they dumped the car, they locked the door so no bad guys could break in (see PDF report).
December 10th, 2007 at 8:18 pmI wonder where Mr. Hancock gets the gall to make that comment to the local media that he won’t be offering them the first interviews. I saw it on the news and had to chuckle.
Where’s the first place the family turned to when looking for Karyn? Umm, the 4 local TV stations, right? And, now what? These TV stations are supposed to just leave this “national” story alone when the woman is back in town? AND they are supposed to not look for updates FROM THE HUSBAND when the allegedly kidnapped woman is inside the Safety Bldg. talking to TPD and the FBI for over 8 hours!?!
Yeah, right……
Mr. Hancock knows how media works and just decided he doesn’t want to play anymore now that he knows where his wife is. If he didn’t want the TV cameras in his face then upon his 2nd or 3rd parking meter feeding he should have moved his car to longer term parking and thus could have avoided the cameras all day long.
December 10th, 2007 at 8:18 pmI have a sneaky suspicion that the “Bishop” will shut his trap from now on.
December 10th, 2007 at 8:26 pmThe TV media can only report the facts its given….It is my understanding that Chief Navarre refused to answer any questions from the media. I too, expected more from the Blade. Trust me when we get all the facts confirmed we will do our best to blow the lid off this conspiracy!
I’m just wondering who was all in on it…They *all* need to face consequences.
I’m just hoping Navarre is honest and doesn’t try to cover this up.
I have no pity for anyone involved.
I enjoyed the GMA interview too…Turns out Handcock is too “Big time”
December 10th, 2007 at 8:31 pmto answer questions from the local media…He only wants to make statements at his small time church for free publicity.
The congregation should be emabarrassed. He should never be allowed to speak in public on anyones behalf. I do however feel bad for the Judge if he wasn’t in on this. Its obvious he is not a fan of his son in law…and his daughter just smeared the family name.
From the Atlanta Journal Constitution newspaper:
The man who reported seeing the car had been a groomsman at the Hancocks’ wedding. Dejoun Windless grew up in the same South Haven neighborhood in Toledo as Lawrence Hancock.
Windless, 33, said he was on his way to lunch with a friend when he saw the car in the grassy area of the interstate. Windless knew that McConnell Hancock was missing and that she had been found earlier in the day.
He knew her car was still missing, so when he saw the car with Ohio plates, he got off the highway and circled around.
Windless pulled up to the car and called Lawrence Hancock to confirm that the car was hers. “He was in shock that I saw the car,” said Windless, of Powder Springs. “He thanked me and was very happy that they found her.”
December 10th, 2007 at 8:32 pmWhen I saw the religious folks at the press conference, it signalled to me that the fix was in. I really question the local media’s ability to get to the truth. Toledo is such a small town. It’s a joke. When the ATL Journal-Constitution is reporting more facts on this story more than our own local media, it tells me the fix is in — at least locally. I’m putting my faith in the national news media and this blog to expose the “conspiracy”. The duty of the Fourth Estate is not simply to sit back and “report the facts given” especially when the story doesn’t pass the smell test. Lisa Renee has been more of journalist than all local media combined.
December 10th, 2007 at 8:45 pmKevin -
Lisa is allowed to use her opinion in her blog. It’s pretty evident the local media would love to fill the airwaves with some speculation and ideas and opinions but that sort of this is pretty frowned upon around the TV world.
December 10th, 2007 at 8:50 pmI’m not suggesting the the media should speculate as we’re doing. I’m simply asking them to ask the obvious questions, which they have failed to do.
December 10th, 2007 at 8:52 pmCraig, very true, though I do try to do more than most bloggers as far as confirming more than one source. I’ll be honest in saying I’ve heard quite a bit more about this case as I’m pretty sure the media has as well, but like them, I’m trying to wait for facts. I’d rather be last and right than first and wrong.
Most times I do have an advantage when it comes to getting things out since the blog is pretty immediate.
December 10th, 2007 at 8:57 pmLily, good find with the Atlanta newspaper, that makes our third and final confirmation that it was a family friend who found the car. The media and me as a blogger missed that one.
December 10th, 2007 at 8:59 pmSongByrd is in shock to realize she has been worshiping in a den of robbers. He comes in sheeps clothes you know… So saith the Shepard so saith the flock!
My perdiction: By the time this whole thing drags out they will name COSI after her.. A Hometown Hero she survived the “kiddnappers” LoL
December 10th, 2007 at 9:01 pmoh what a tangled web we weave when we practice to decieve….
December 10th, 2007 at 9:01 pmKevin-
Just who do you think the media is supposed to ask?
Karyn? she’s not talking
Her husband? he’s not talking
Judge McConnell? I doubt he’s talking
Chief Navarre? Umm, yeah, right at the same time as they are interviewing her he’s gonna come out to take a few questions.
The media is asking questions, but there’s no one to answer them.
December 10th, 2007 at 9:02 pm“Anybody who deliberately propagandizes with lies should be held up to scorn and ridicule”
December 10th, 2007 at 9:05 pm- Al Franken
Craig-
Please stop defending the indefensible. Her husband was talking to the media. Her father was talking to the media. There was a press conference with officials available to talk to the media. Why was GMA able to ask the tough questions, but not 13abc or “The News Leader”? How is it that the Altanta Journal Constitution is able to find facts that our media outlets can’t? If they can do it, why can’t our media do it?
December 10th, 2007 at 9:09 pmHow convenient of the friend. Haaa Haaa haaa I have read more believable fairy tales. Do the “kidnappers” come from KOLOB? Who will play the part of the “Bishop” in the made for tv movie?
December 10th, 2007 at 9:09 pm“The City of Toledo” is filmed before a live studio audience LoLoLoL
December 10th, 2007 at 9:12 pmThe Blade did use a very unflattering photo of her today. Even though they haven’t done any hard stories on it, I suspect they are skeptical. Thank God we didn’t have to witness this happening to her while an elected official like we saw the unraveling of Bob McCloskey.
December 10th, 2007 at 9:14 pmUmm, Kevin, please tell me you saw something that I didn’t cause when GMA’s Chris Cuomo asked all those “hard” questions I sure didn’t see him getting any “hard” answers. You can ask all the questions you want but unless you’ve got a cooperative interviewee you’re not gonna learn crap.
December 10th, 2007 at 9:20 pmThe facial expressions and the body language on the GMA interview spoke VOLUMES. Still, why is it that the Atlanta newspaper is digging up more facts than our own home-grown media? If you don’t have the b*lls to ask a real question, you have 0% chance of even learning crap. Gimme crap. It’s more than I have now.
December 10th, 2007 at 9:27 pmAnd by your rationale, Craig, the media shouldn’t even bother to ask questions because no one will probably answer anyway?!?!?!
December 10th, 2007 at 9:29 pmIn case anyone else wishes to see the GMA interview:
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3977195&affil=kabc
December 10th, 2007 at 9:31 pmAnd by your rationale, Craig, the media shouldn’t even bother to ask questions because no one will probably answer anyway
They have asked questions, you want to see all that video of reporters asking questions and not getting answers? that reels in the viewers. Well, I guess you actually do want to see that since crap is better than nothing in your estimation.
December 10th, 2007 at 9:37 pmI don’t blame the media for being cautious, it’s a damned if you don’t damned if you do situation – if they press hard and it turns out she really was kidnapped then it’s presented as they are being unfair and picking on her which is what happened during the parking ticket episode. If they don’t press hard then people say they aren’t asking the hard questions. There’s a fine balance in this situation, especially since no one has gone on the record confirming the suspicion.
However that said, missing the story in the Atlanta paper on the friend finding the car was something they should have caught and I should have caught. Since his phone number was listed on the police report one of us up here should have had that first.
The media wants the truth to come out on the story as well and I can guarantee that between the local media and the blogs? A cover up would be really hard to pull off.
December 10th, 2007 at 9:38 pmCraig, look at the Bishop’s face when he’s hit with the question about the 911 call. Listen to how he responds — repeating the set up of the question before answering. That’s a stall while he gets his answer ready. He was taken off guard and had to think fast. That’s my opinion as a viewer, anyway.
GMA did ask questions I was hoping the local media would ask. It wasn’t an attack piece. It was journalism. That’s something that has been in short supply around here since Wednesday.
December 10th, 2007 at 9:40 pmLisa, I think the media can be cautious without just ignoring the questions that are obviously on the community’s mind. All they have to do is look at your blog to know that people have questions about things that have come out about Karyn’s story. I don’t see questions as putting someone unfairly on the spot. It gives them an opportunity to clear the air. When I watched the press conference the other day, the lack of probing questions by the media surprised and disappointed me. How often does the media have the Mayor and the Chief and the lead investigator in front of them, with an invitation to ask questions? It was mostly dead air in the room. There was even a joke cracked about the lack of questions. But it’s not funny to a community that’s waiting for answers.
December 10th, 2007 at 9:48 pmHere’s a link to the story that aired on NBC’s Today Show:
http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-US&brand=&vid=69b778f6-d6ac-4239-82fe-2bb941e0b9fa
December 10th, 2007 at 9:52 pmWell being that I live in the ATL as we affectionately call it, please keep your crazy ass people up there! We have enough loonies down here to last a lifetime! Now that the FBI has turned over the case to the Toledo Police Department (that’s a red flag in and of itself that they believe this is a pure lie) and Cobb County is reporting that they will send whatever they find to Toledo, PLEASE, FOR GODSAKES BLOW THE COVER OFF OF THIS AND GET BACK TO THE BUSINESS OF PROTECTING PEOPLE WHO REALLY NEED IT. This girl doesn’t need protection, she needs help!
It’s called R-E-H-A-B!!! Because she caused a panic and had people praying while she was probably trying to come up with a game plan at some hotel here sittin in the “lap of luxury” on money that wasn’t hers! Now I could be wrong, but after reading everything in the past few days because you people in Toledo have WAY TOO MUCH DRAMA for a city your size! I’d expect this crap here where I live but…what can I say, you all hit the big leagues with this story!
Way to go Toledo! Wonderful Job! Now end this madness TPD and lets move on! Christ Almighty!
December 10th, 2007 at 10:27 pmDear John, I do have to point out that you must be visiting the Toledo area since you are posting from Toledo, not Atlanta. I understand the temptation at times to embellish but, the ip address does not lie.
December 10th, 2007 at 10:30 pmouch!
December 10th, 2007 at 10:31 pmUh-huh…looks like Karyn headed out of town to get a “tune-up” while the Rev Hancock was left choking his own “bishop” if you know what I mean. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck….
December 10th, 2007 at 10:45 pmThe press release issued by TPD at 5:12 PM (as it appears on NBC24’s website) refers to KM-H as “kidnap victim”. Is the TPD really that dumb? Should I join a militia or buy a gun? Should I trust them to “serve and protect” me?
December 10th, 2007 at 10:46 pmThe groosman in her wedding found her vehicle 600 miles away. What are the odds he would be in the same vicinity as Ms. Hancock-McConnell?
Looks like she want to spend the weekend with her man.
I suspect she and hubby and possibly the Judge himself will be charged criminally. Look for the charges to come out around Thursday.
If I were Mr. Hancock I would be asking for a paternity test after the baby is born. What nonsense.
Ms. Hancock-McConnell should also be made to pay restitution for all the investigative man hours put into her fabricated story.
December 10th, 2007 at 11:56 pmIf the guy I found on Google is the same one who found the car (he at least has the same name), he majored in fiance and he (are you ready for this?) worked at Enron:
http://www.enron-mail.com/email/ruscitti-k/notes_inbox/ClickAtHome_Pilot_2_Confirmation_4.html
Might not be the same guy, though.
December 11th, 2007 at 12:04 amYou don’t want to ask too difficult of questions of those who appear to love the media spotlight because that would be “racist.” Watch for them to try to divert attention from themselves against intelligent folks (who just don’t buy their snake-oil) with charges of racism. They’re floundering badly.
December 11th, 2007 at 12:14 amIt’s still to soon to draw any conclusions, IMO.
TIme will tell, time will tell. . .
December 11th, 2007 at 12:16 amWatch for the temporary insanity plea – because she’s pregnant and something got out of whack. But how can her father and husband get delivered? Claim sympathy pains? They owe Toledo more than an apology, but PC whipped Toledo probably won’t seek justice.
December 11th, 2007 at 12:22 amI Just got back from Columbus on business. And guess what?
We are the laughing stock of the state again.
Judges, Mayors, Crooked Attorney’s who fake there own kidnapping to go have a romp in Atlanta.
I am embarrassed to say I am from Toledo anymore…
I wonder where this qualifies us in Liv Com award catagory…
December 11th, 2007 at 12:44 amBig big big news to be on the Blade’s front page Tuesday. Karyn recanted her kidnapping story during questioning and the investigation into it is closed. I am not kidding.
December 11th, 2007 at 12:48 amThere better be some charges filed or this city is going to go crazy.
If Navarre and Stinkboner try and cover this up the political fall out will legendary!!!!
December 11th, 2007 at 1:08 amAs you can see here, she went home a free woman tonight:
http://carin4karyn.blogspot.com/
Wouldn’t she face charges in Atlanta for lying to police there?
December 11th, 2007 at 1:12 amWe can only hope they have the balls to do it!!!
December 11th, 2007 at 1:16 amI must say that all of you have missed the point here. Clearly she lost it and left. Regardless of the outcome, we should all hope that she gets the help she needs. By the way, I love how some people have turned this into a carty issue, that doesn’t even make sense. Anyway, I have a question. Next time a defendant misses his court date with Judge McConnell, will Judge McConnell believe that defendant when he says that he was kidnapped in front of the courthouse?
December 11th, 2007 at 2:25 amYou’re kidding, right Kurt?
Just graduated from law school?
She just admitted to lying about the whole thing.
You’re buying that she lost it? This was a impulse response? Like the weight got too much emotionally and she just “short-circuited”?
Based upon the investigative posts and the pdf, there’s enough information for us CSI-heads to figure out the obvious. Even before she confessed.
Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised that about her knowing what was going on in here was detrimental to her confessing. Too many skeptics, it seems, huh?
There are a whole lot more questions, ethical questions, that need to be posed in the community, towards the community, and especially posed to those directly involved, to question whether these people are qualified to continue in their endeavours with all that has come to light.
It’s time for some public accountability.
Time to find out who can do their job.
December 11th, 2007 at 6:18 amOh, I wonder how the morning talk shows, especially the national ones, are going to play this out this morning.
I just may take my portable TV to work today!
December 11th, 2007 at 6:25 amNo more java nor sugar for ya’ll. This thread really opened my eyes this morning with some informative details and some ignorant comments. Ugh, time to go to bed.
December 11th, 2007 at 6:31 amMore than anything, I am glad the charade is over!
December 11th, 2007 at 7:11 amIt’ll be over when some justice is served and some apologies are doled out. I’m betting that daddy and hubby knew full well she was lying while grandstanding on the national news and trying to cover her tracks for her. None of them thought twice about pointing a finger at a client she ripped off or, “two white guys” even after it was obvious the story was pure bunk.
December 11th, 2007 at 8:01 amThe great question is, will charges be filed? I seriously doubt it, not in this city.
Although, perhaps King Carlton I should sue for for changing the motto from “Toledo Pride” to “Toledo Lied”.
December 11th, 2007 at 8:10 amLooks like T-Town has it’s own Tami Faye and Jim Baker.
December 11th, 2007 at 8:22 amHey Kurt,
I think we’ve all had some experience with the desire to spontaneously and immediately “get away from it all”. However, not all of us have lied about the circumstances, wasted tax payer dollars as a result of that lie, implicated others, and finally (the worst IMHO) made complete and utter fools of loved ones & supporters.
So do we forgive, forget, and chalk it up to human weakness…or do we hold her responsible for her actions and their consequesnces ?
Great example of how ANYONE can get elected to public office these days…
December 11th, 2007 at 8:32 amNo doubt she will be disbarred for this, and though she should have to pay for the massive waste of services she has caused, it isn’t likely given that she owes the IRS $97,000, and a client claim she owes him like $60k. Those are just the debts that are public. They obviously have some serious financial issues, and its not just a case of cutting a painful check I suspect, else she wouldn’t have staged this not-elaborate-enough hoax. I doubt they have the money to pay these debts. How much do you want to bet that his Mercedes is a lease?
Does he own the “dreamplex”? The city could probably take that.
But in terms of social accountability that is up to Toledo. I predict this will become a Pastor Pitts issue that is swept under the rug in the name of faith.
But at least she will be “former attorney” soon
December 11th, 2007 at 9:02 amJRS, she wasn’t elected, she was appointed!
As far as accountability, we already can bet on either a slap on the wrist or, nothing at all being the end result. Look at what happened with her parking ticket…Big Daddy recessed court in order to run to the rescue and tried to influence the law through intimidation when it was obvious that she was in the wrong and lying in saying she was doing city council business when she was conducting private business. Slap on the wrist.
December 11th, 2007 at 9:17 amLumio – Are you talking about the DUI or the case from ten years ago? If so, The reason that case was swept under the rug was because there was overwhelming evidence (plane ticket, passport, hotel reservations) showing that the Pastor was in Belgium at the time he was being accused. The fact that the evidence was so lightly reported and swept under the rug is the reason for the ignorance of most of Toledo on that issue.
As for McConnell-Hancock, the Toledo cops knew this was a farce from the get go. When the issue was brought up to them last week, they basically laughed at me, and instead starting talk about how when she finally takes responsibility for herself that it could spell huge trouble for her father politically.
December 11th, 2007 at 9:19 amI found it interesting that Karyn’s husband was chastising the local reporters for not respecting his privacy while he waited for his wife to complete the police interview. He threatened to offer his story to CNN or BET because our our local media insisted on pursuing further details. These are the same reporters that he relied on to get his message out about finding his lost wife. He brought them into the story and he expects them to go away when it’s convenient for him. Kinda like feeding a bear and expecting it to go away when you run our of bread crumbs.
I feel sorry for the guy and the rest of the family who were duped by Karyn, but he seemed rather arrogant in his attempt to control the media. After she was found to be safe, he left me with the impression that he sees this as an opportunity to “market” the kidnapping story. As time passed and the truth unfolded, he surely must have wanted to crawl under a rock and stay there for a while. I’ll bet we don’t here much from any of her family for a while.
December 11th, 2007 at 9:35 amClayton,
Which incident from ten years ago are you talking about? The 1995 masturbating on the baseball diamond or the 1997 roadside flashings? Was he in Belgium for both? Was he in Belgium when he agreed to psychological consultation in exchange for dropped charges? And if he was in Belgium, who was parking his car in the area of the 1997 events?
And which DUI are you referring to? 2000, or the one just in the last year or two.
Sorry but when you refer to Pastor Pitts and criminal charges you have to be a bit more specific, there are alot to choose from.
December 11th, 2007 at 10:02 amVoice of Reason, I agree with you about the husband seeming to be intrested in marketing his wife’s story. I was struck by his remark about not giving the local media Karyn’s “exclusive” story. His seeing it as an “exclusive” indicates he was thinking in media terms and it sounded like he though he had valuable product to sell. That remark turned me off big time.
Do you suppose he has sold the rights to the story to Hollywood yet?
I sure do wish I could afford a nice Mercedes like the Bishop’s. However, I have to pay those pesky federal taxes, unlike some people. Can’t afford both.
December 11th, 2007 at 10:24 amI hope somebody apologizes to all the white males who were suspects in this case.
If it was the other way around, Rev. Jessie and Al Sharpton would be marching in the streets of downtown Toledo.
Another day in this sh*#hole we call Toledo
December 11th, 2007 at 11:11 amYou got that right Lily. Must be a bumber crop down there at the Final Harvest Church.
Who though would dare to look deeper into the Hancock portfolio?
Seems to me that if things were as bountiful as they seem there would be insufficient pressure to put Karyn on such a trecherous path. Could someone be living a lie?
December 11th, 2007 at 11:14 amI gather hockeyless is such a warm-fuzzy individual.
December 11th, 2007 at 1:45 pmDisbar, disbar, defrock. What a crock!
December 11th, 2007 at 6:42 pmFurther discussion on this topic can be done:
here
December 12th, 2007 at 1:12 pm