OK, I've posted some wild news stories on this forum, but this one might just take the cake ...

The article

Man cons 2 Ariz. men into thinking he's 12

Bob Christie
Associated Press
Jan. 19, 2007 04:39 PM


A 29-year-old convicted sex offender from Oklahoma allegedly conned two Arizona men into believing he was a 12-year-old boy, moving into their home and having an ongoing sexual relationship with them, sheriff's officials in Yavapai County said Friday.

The ruse was discovered Wednesday after one of the men tried to enroll the fake 12 year old in a charter school in Chino Valley, about 90 miles northwest of Phoenix, using the name Casey Price.

School officials became suspicious and called deputies, telling them they thought the guardianship papers and birth certificate presented by a man who said he was the "12 year old's" grandfather appeared to be fake and that "Price" looked much older than 12, said Susan Quayle, a spokeswoman for the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office.

"They were very upset when the detectives told them they had been having a sexual relationship with a 29-year-old man and not a pre-teen boy," Quayle said, referring to the two men.

Sheriff's detectives investigating the case learned that the "grandfather" was Lonnie Stiffler, 61, who lived in a home in Chino Valley with Robert James Snow, 43, a sex offender who had failed to register with authorities, and the "12-year-old."

Deputies served a search warrant at the home Thursday and found Stiffler, Snow, Brian J. Nellis, 34, and the phony pre-teen boy, who turned out to be Neil Havens Rodreick II, 29.

Oklahoma Department of Corrections online records show that Rodreick was convicted in 1996 of lewd and indecent proposal to a minor and served time in prison from Nov. 19, 1996, to Jan. 30, 2002. The records show that Nellis was convicted in 1997 of lewd molestation and was imprisoned from July 24, 1997, to July 28, 2000.

During interviews with the men, detectives learned that Stiffler and Snow met Rodreick through an Internet chat about two years ago, Quayle said, and they began to trade sexually explicit photos. He convinced them he was "Casey Price" and was only 12.

Stiffler and Show went to Oklahoma and met Rodreick at a hotel, then brought him back to live with them in Arizona and began an ongoing sexual relationship, Quayle said.

Rodreick apparently shaved his body hair and used makeup to keep up his guise as a pre-teen boy, Quayle said. He also dressed as a juvenile and tried to act and talk like a pre-teen.

"He looks young, I would not have guessed that he's almost 30," Quayle said, though she noted he certainly looked much older than 12.

When detectives unraveled the case and told Stiffler and Snow that "Price" was named Rodreick and was in fact 29, Quayle said they became dismayed and angry that they had been "conned."

Nellis was apparently Rodreick's cell mate in an Oklahoma prison and is also a registered sex offender, Quayle said.

Detectives have evidence that Stiffler and Snow enrolled Rodreick in other Arizona schools, possibly in Payson, El Mirage and Prescott Valley. They have notified law enforcement agencies in those jurisdictions to begin investigating, Quayle said.

"I think what we're looking at is that he's being used to troll for other kids," she said.

All four men made an initial appearance in Yavapai County Justice Court Thursday, with all but Stiffler being held on $50,000 bond on a charge of failing to register as sex offenders. Stiffler was booked on two counts of forgery and one count of hindering prosecution and ordered held on $100,000 cash bond.

All four men were assigned public defenders, but Yavapai County Public Defender Janet Lincoln said her office had not seen any reports by Friday afternoon or met with the men and would have no comment. The county attorney's office issued a statement saying that decisions on additional charges would be made by Monday afternoon. Quayle said deputies are looking into other possible charges, but are not asking for child molestation charges involving Rodreick.

"We can't charge them with child molest because he was not a child," Quayle said.

Quayle praised officials at the Mingus Springs Charter School where Rodreick tried to enroll Wednesday.

"This school, they really deserve congratulations," she said. "They jumped on it, they were not fooled and they called us right way.

"This is the weirdest case I've seen in 18 years," Quayle said. "Even the detectives said it was the weirdest. If it wasn't so sad it would be funny."

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"They were very upset when the detectives told them they had been having a sexual relationship with a 29-year-old man and not a pre-teen boy," Quayle said, referring to the two men.

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huh?

Truth can be stranger than fiction! Yikes.

Mark off Arizona as another place I might one day want to live. Too close to California, I guess. The only thing missing is the banjo soundtrack.

I seem to recall a number of years ago that there was a man in the northwest somewhere who was surprised when it was revealed that his wife was really a man who had not gone through any surgical transformation, and that they had been married for some time.

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...Quayle said deputies are looking into other possible charges, but are not asking for child molestation charges involving Rodreick.

"We can't charge them with child molest because he was not a child," Quayle said.

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Not that I would want to be the one to try the case and I know next to nothing about the Az. laws on sex offenses, but why couldn't they be charged with it? Here, the stings are set up where there is an officer posing as a child online. The perp. shows the intent by showing up and is prosecuted. Disregarding the fact that your "victim" is as twisted, if not more so, than your defendants, the fact that the intent was obviously there (if you believe the story), couldn't they be charged? Should be or Want to charge is another question, but Could be?

Good point, and the COULD YOU is a puzzling question. If you can be prosecuted for agreeing to meet and engage in sexual activity with a fictitious teen or pre-teen, why not this if the intent is present?

Of course, the person to probably feel sorry for in a THEY DID INDICT IT scenario would be the victim witness coordinator. It would be helpful if the victim witness coordinator could play the banjo...

Anyone know if the Kinks recorded Lola with a banjo instrumental?

Screw the cowbell, we need more banjo!

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Originally posted by Joel Littlefield:
Anyone know if the Kinks recorded Lola with a banjo instrumental?

Screw the cowbell, we need more banjo!

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I think there is a Kink's bootleg with the Lola banjo instrumental version, and the flip side is Lou Reed's Walk on the Wild Side, also performed on solo banjo.

As the best banjo-ist in the State would say...Exit Only!

Butts Arrested in Boob Murder Case

POTTER TOWNSHIP, CENTRE COUNTY - Police have arrested a third person in connection with the murder of Samuel Boob.

Boob was shot and killed at his home in Potter Township, Centre County, on the morning of August 23rd, 2009.

Kermit Butts, 26, of Madisonburg, is accused of driving the suspected killer to and from the crime scene on the morning of the killing. He was charged with aggravated assault and assisting a murder suspect and placed in the Centre County Prison.

[snip]