Compiled by Bethany Kohoutek bethany@dmcityview.com

Dispatcher: 911...

Caller: Hi, I need to report a theft of a radar at 1950 Preston Drive. It's a Kum & Go off 141...

D: Are you still there?

C: Yes, I am.

D: What kind of car do you have?

C: It's a '93 BMW.

D: What's your name?

C: [provides name]

D: And the phone number you're at?

C: [provides phone number]

D: Alright, we'll get a deputy up there.

C: Alright. Thank you.

D: Uh-huh. Bye.

Officer's Report: I was dispatched to the Kum & Go in Grimes, on a theft. I arrived and talked to [the victim], who said that he was in talking to a friend that works at the store between 20:10 and 20:25 hours. [The victim] said that his car was unlocked and the windows were down in the Kum & Go parking lot, when his radar detector was taken from the window of his car. He said that there was a white Suburban parked next to his car at the time. [The victim] said that there were two men in the vehicle and that one went into the store and had made the comment that his buddy in the Suburban was drunk. When the male left the store, his buddy was not in the vehicle. His phone rang and he started laughing and left. The store clerk is going to have the manager... check the videotape from the lot to see if there is anything on the tape around this time. [The victim] was also going to try to find the serial number for the radar detector and call with that information.

Docket diving

On May 7, 2004, 3-year-old Jeane Morwitzer was admitted to the emergency room of Lake City Hospital.

At first, doctors didn't think she'd survive. The little girl weighed 22 pounds when she entered the hospital; a typical child of Jeane's age weighs at least 30 pounds. Court documents filed later reveal that she was unresponsive and emaciated, and medical personnel could not obtain her blood-pressure reading. Jeane's blood-sugar level had surged to 1035; normal levels are between 100 and 120. She was unable to speak or eat for two weeks after she was admitted. She hadn't been potty trained.

"Due to the malnutrition, Jeane lacked the musculature to walk, sit or even breathe on her own, and had to be placed on a ventilator to assist her in breathing..." according to court documents. "She had severely thinning hair, her skin was red and peeling off in several places," and her bones were clearly visible under her skin. One doctor would later compare her appearance to that of victim in "a concentration camp." Jeane remained hospitalized for two months.

When investigators launched an investigation into Jeane's case, a bizarre set of circumstances began to unfold. Jeane lived with her maternal grandparents, Gene and Pamela Morwitzer, in rural Calhoun County. Although Jeane's mother, Tammy, also lived on the farm, it is unclear why Gene and Pamela Morwitzer were responsible for Jeane's care.

Even stranger was the sleeping situation: Gene, Tammy and another daughter slept in an old bus that was parked on the property, while Pamela and Jeane slept in the farmhouse. According to court documents, "[Pamela] stated she would take care of Jeane during the day and that Gene would put Jeane to bed each evening at about 9:15 to 9:30 and return before Jeane awoke at 8:00 to 8:30 the next morning."

Eventually, Pamela Morwitzer - Jeane's grandmother, who was 48 at the time of the incident - was charged with child endangerment causing serious injury. At trial, Pamela had admitted that she and Gene cooked for and bathed Jeane. However, Pamela claimed that one month before Jeane's hospitalization, Gene took over the little girl's care, because Pamela had to care for her pregnant daughter. A jury found Pamela guilty, and she was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Recently, Pamela appealed, claiming that there was no hard evidence that she had "custody or control" of Jeane during the spring of 2004. However, the Iowa Court of Appeals reviewed testimony from doctors who said that the girl's condition was a result of months of neglect. Jeane's X-rays, for example, showed "growth arrest lines" - indications of "chronic malnutrition." A clinic dietician who worked with Jeane at Blank Children's Hospital said there was "no way it was accomplished in four weeks."

Based on the ample evidence, the appellate court denied Pamela's appeal, opining that she created "a substantial risk" to Jeane's welfare by failing to seek medical attention for the girl. Pamela Morwitzer remains incarcerated at the Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility, where she is serving a 10-year-sentence.

1,713 the number of Polk County child-abuse cases in which illegal drugs were found in a child's system or body in 2004.

Sucks to be you

Name: David Robert McMenemy
Location: Scott County Jail

Posed for this picture because: David McMenemy was arrested earlier this month after he plowed his car into a Davenport women's clinic in the middle of the night. He allegedly had poured some type of fuel in the car and planned to set the car ablaze once it was inside. The Michigan resident told investigators he thought the Davenport clinic provided abortions, but it does not, according to the Associated Press. This week, federal charges were brought against McMenemy, who caused $20,000 worth of damage to the medical facility.

Amending Heemstra

The Iowa Supreme Court acted quickly this week to tack an amendment onto its ruling in the Rodney Heemstra case. Heemstra is the Warren County farmer who was convicted of first-degree murder for killing a neighboring farmer over a land dispute. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court granted him a new trial, prompting prosecutors to fret that hundreds of other convicted murderers could appeal for new trials. This week, however, justices clarified that the ruling applies only to Heemstra's case and cannot be used in other cases.

On the clock

Des Moines Police - Sept. 24

16:50
Burglary in the 3700 block of S.E. 14th Street. The victim left her apartment to go to Iowa City on Sept. 7. When she returned on Sept. 24, she found that her residence had been broken into. A TV, CDs, DVDs, a stereo with a 60-CD changer, and a DVD player were missing. She also found empty beer bottles and cigarette butts in the apartment. The victim told police her residence has been broken into before.

17:11
D.O.A./wanted person in the 800 block of Clinton. Police responded to a call from a man who said that the deceased victim would sometimes come to his house "looking for a place to crash." At about 6 a.m. or 7 a.m., the victim came to the residence. The victim may have been drinking. The man allowed the victim to stay, and went back to bed. When the man awoke, he discovered the victim face down on the couch and called 911. When police arrived, they found no identification on the victim, who was deceased. They identified him through tattoos and photos. Police also discovered that there had been a warrant for the victim's arrest.

19:55
Robbery in the 2800 block of High Street. According to police reports, the victim was delivering pizzas on High Street when the suspect approached him and tried to take the pizzas. The victim and the suspect fought until the suspect hit the victim in the head with a hammer. The suspect fled northbound. When police arrived, the victim was being treated for injuries by paramedics, who later took him to Methodist Hospital for treatment. Investigators found the victim's pizza bag on a porch nearby, and blood was located in the driveway.

20:44
Robbery in the 1300 block of sixth Avenue. The victim told police that the suspect approached him, displayed a handgun and ordered the victim to his knees. After telling the victim to hand over his money ($10 in cash), the suspect punched the victim in the face, leaving the victim unconscious for several minutes. At press time, police did not have any suspects.

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