Archive for August 8, 2023

Muncy’s murder mystery

Posted: August 8, 2023 by chrisharper in Uncategorized
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By Christopher Harper 

Unfortunately, almost every city and town have an unsolved murder mystery. 
 
Here in Muncy, the case happened in 1997 with the murder of 10-year-old Joline Faye Witt. I learned about the case when Pennsylvania Crimewatch recently posted a $5,000 reward for information about the murder. 

The case is receiving some attention again, as Pennsylvania Crimewatch recently posted a $5,000 reward is being offered for information on the homicide case. 

Witt stayed at her mother’s home in Muncy the night she disappeared on July 27, 1997. According to Pennsylvania Crimewatch, she was last seen by her mother at approximately 2 a.m. sleeping in a bedroom at the home at 1 Grant Street. Witt had been sleeping in bed with her cousin, who discovered early that morning that Witt was gone. There were no signs of struggle or forced entry into the home. 

The community came together to search for Witt. Volunteers, Witt’s family, and police searched wooded county areas for over a month. On Sept. 6, 1997, two hikers discovered Witt’s badly decomposed body on Bald Eagle Mountain about 40 miles west of Muncy. A forensic pathologist determined that the young girl had been murdered, according to Crimewatch. 

Although several suspects were interviewed, some believed the girl’s uncle, Bruce Longenecker, was her killer. Witt, whose parents were divorced, stayed with her mother, Linda, on weekends in the home she shared with her brother Bruce and sister-in-law, Christina. Longenecker committed suicide three months after his niece disappeared.  

Fifteen years after Witt’s disappearance, Kenneth Mains was hired as a Lycoming County District Attorney’s Office detective. Eric Lindhard, the district attorney at the time, asked him to review Witt’s case. “I talked to witnesses, family members, and I presented him my findings,” Mains said recently. “[It]is my opinion the killer is still out there.” 

“[M]y analysis of the case pointed me to a different suspect still alive and living in Lycoming County today,” Mains said. 

“I have worked side by side with Jolene’s sister since 2012 to help solve this case, and that is where my loyalty is and always will be…with families of victims,” Mains said. 

Mains, who has had a true crime show on the History Channel and a YouTube series called “Unsolved No More,” said he is still in communication with the Witt family. “I hope the new reward will lead to this case being solved once and for all. Especially for the investigators who worked the case, the community that has endured, and the family who still suffers from this tragedy,” Mains said. 

Anyone with information about the case may contact the Pennsylvania State Police in Montoursville at 570 368-5700 or the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers at 1-800-4PA-TIPS (8477) or online. All callers to Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers remain anonymous and could be eligible for a cash reward. 

Shades of the Yanks & Red Barber in Baltimore and Kevin Brown

Posted: August 8, 2023 by datechguy in baseball, media, Uncategorized
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I first heard of the Kevin Brown business on the drive home last night hearing he was suspended for something he said on his broadcast.

Things being what they are these days I had presumed he had said something either affirming conservative values or noting liberal insanity, things which are VERBOTEN by those who run sports media these days.

Then however they played the clip of what he said and all of us in the car were confused. Barber noted that if the O’s won that night it would be their first series victory in Tampa bay since 2017. My thought was, hey this is a positive thing highlighting the difference between the bad old days and what they have now.

Apparently any mention of the bad old days was too much for the o’s and denials by Baltimore not withstanding. broadcasters from all kinds of teams are having fits over it and are shocked that a team would so such a thing.

Apparently none of them remember what happened to Red Barber.

His entry at the encyclopedia Britannia reads thus:

Known for his integrity, Barber left the Dodgers after he was urged to make his commentary more supportive of the team, and he was fired by the Yankees after he reported that the last-place team had attracted a mere 413 fans for a September game.

A little more detail on the story is here:

That September 22 [1966], the day Michael Burke became president, 413 specked 65,010-seat Yankee Stadium. On WPIX television, Barber thought it “the perfect place for Burke to start, nowhere to go but up.” Red asked director Don Carney to pan the stands. No shot. He asked again. Zip. Later he said, “I found out [Yanks radio/TV head] Perry Smith was in the control room. He told them not to show the seats

Well he may not have gotten the shot but Barber spoke up anyways:

Barber recalled from using 1930s radio teletype, leaning into his mic: “I don’t know what the paid attendance is, but whatever it is, it is the smallest crowd in the history of Yankee Stadium, and this crowd is the story, not the game.” Red’s act defied. Next week, like Mel Allen in fall 1964, he misjudged. Asked to breakfast by Burke, Barber, like Allen then, anticipated a new pact—indeed, thought Burke was going to ask about player personnel! Instead, the new Yanks head said. “We have decided not to renew your contract.” Barber convened the press, said that “I have a record of thirty-seven years of fine work. I am not going to allow Mr. Burke, or anybody, to trifle with it,”

Now in fairness there is always the possibility that the O’s will be able to produce some other reason for this nonsense, but let’s not pretend that this is a shock, after all if the Yanks were willing to do this to a broadcast legend like Red Barber how less likely are the O’s going to feel guilty over doing something similar with Brown if the owner digs in his heels?

Actually now that I think about it I guess Brown was suspended for advancing a conservative value: The same conservative value that Barber was fired for, telling the truth.