Catherine Townsend
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Writer. PI. Host of true crime podcasts Hell and Gone @iheartmedia and Blood Money. I investigate white collar fraud, money, power...and murder.
Articles by Catherine Townsend
The state of design review: a conversation with Australia's government architects
The fields of architecture and planning face growing pressure to address increasingly complex and interconnected challenges, ranging from reducing carbon emissions and building climate resilience to the meaningful recognition of Country and improving housing affordability. Over the past 15 years design review programs adopted across nearly every state and territory in Australia have responded to these and other issues, leading to a variety of modes and experiences of design review.
Patriotism is Participation
What images resonate with America “of the people, by the people, for the people?” Watching the summer Olympics in Paris, we see models of outstanding individual achievement in athletes such as Noah Lyles and Katie Ladecki. At the same time, we're reminded in speeches, commercials and across the media that these athletes are part of a team, and are stronger as a result. This tension between team and individual is ever-present in our culture.
Breaking the stigma: embracing disability in human rights defense
After a world war with devastating consequences and loss of human life seventy-five years ago, governments declared that human rights belong to everyone. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) affirmed hope and humanity, and underscored the universality of rights by mentioning ‘everyone’ 30 times. It grounded a more expansive human rights system that now includes migrants, indigenous peoples, and persons with disabilities – at least on paper.
Catherine Hyde Townsend
After a world war with devastating consequences and loss of human life seventy-five years ago, governments declared that human rights belong to everyone. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) affirmed hope and humanity, and …
Get That Money: A Conversation with Rhea Wong
A former executive director of the nonprofit Breakthrough New York, Rhea Wong is a podcaster (she hosts Nonprofit Lowdown), fundraiser, and consultant who helps executive directors and development staff raise money. She runs the Fundraising Accelerator, an executive coaching program. She’s also the author, with Isabella Masucci, of a new book, Get That Money, Honey: The No-Bullsh*t Guide to Raising More Money for Your Nonprofit.
Beyond Identity Funding: Rethinking Social Justice Philanthropy
Together, we have worked in philanthropy for more than 35 years. In 2007, we co-created the Disability Rights Fund (DRF)—the first and only fund dedicated to supporting human rights advocacy by people with disabilities in the Global South. Throughout its history, social justice philanthropy has generally remained organized around siloed identities, such as gender, race, and sexual orientation. The sector has largely ignored the ways oppression plays out across intersecting or fluid identities.
Ford Foundation’s Efforts to Elevate Disability Rights Holds Lessons for Other Grant Makers
For years, disability rights and inclusion were too often an afterthought in philanthropy. Our own institution, the Ford Foundation, was no exception. Ford’s grant making frequently repeated, and at times exacerbated, the problem. Then, in 2016, disabled activists called us out. Why, they asked, did the foundation’s efforts to address inequality not include or acknowledge people with disabilities?
Audrey Marie Hilley on Apple Podcasts
After poisoning her husband, daughter AND daughter-in-law with arsenic, "red collar Black Widow" killer Audrey Marie Hilley vanished without a trace. By the time police caught up with her she had created a fake identity, married a new husband, faked her own death and then come back to town pretending to be her (fictional) twin sister. This episode is a deep dive into the psychology of a cold-blooded killer who looks like the girl next door.
Ted Ammon on Apple Podcasts
After 52-year-old Ted Ammon was bludgeoned to death at his home in East Hampton, police begin investigating his estranged wife, Generosa, and her electrician lover Danny Pelosi as the fight over Ted's $80 million fortune intensified. Twenty years later, there are still many unanswered questions about the murder mystery that filled the tabloids with tales of sex, money, betrayal and tragedy in one of the country's wealthiest neighborhoods.
Melissa Caddick on Apple Podcasts
Months after Australian conwoman Melissa Caddick disappeared, a severed foot washes up on a beach hundreds of miles away. Did Melissa take her own life? Was she murdered? Could she have faked her own death? Investigators try to unravel Melissa's life of sex, lies, and a $23 million dollar fraud.
United States v. Ghislaine Maxwell: Opening Statements, Part II
Bobbi Sternheim, who is defending Maxwell along with Laura Menninger, Jeffrey Pagliuca, and Christian Everdell, presented the opening statement for the defense. She started by going back - WAY back, all the way to the Bible.
United States v. Ghislaine Maxwell: Opening Statements
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara E. Pomerantz (here’s an excellent synopsis of both legal teams via The Miami Herald) presented the opening statement for the prosecution. She argued that Ghislaine Maxwell was not just an associate of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, but an integral part of his sexual abuse of young women. She painted a picture of Maxwell as a sexual predator who supplied Epstein with troubled young women to sexually assault in exchange for him funding her jet set lifestyle.
How Funders Can Make Disability Visible
(Photo courtesy of the Ford Foundation) COVID-19 has laid bare what the disability community has been telling us all along: current systems have failed people with disabilities because they were not created with disabled people in mind.1 As the new UN Special Rapporteur for Persons with Disabilities Gerard Quinn noted at the Human Rights Council’s 46th session, “The COVID-19 pandemic has painfully shown that ... persons with disabilities are treated as if they are invisible ...
5 Actions Nonprofits Can Take to Embrace Disability Rights and Access
“nothing about us without us,” Elisney Disability is all around us. Fifteen percent of the world’s population live with a disability and, throughout our lives, most of us will experience disability, whether temporary or permanent. Yet people with disabilities often remain at the margins, experiencing inequality and discrimination, whether it be in access to healthcare, education, or employment.
Chasing Crooks in My Jimmy Choos
It’s Friday night and I’m holed up in a five-star Manhattan hotel suite with a hot guy and a complimentary bottle of champagne—but all is not what it seems. Because I’m a private investigator, my “hot date” is actually my business partner, and the tiny video cameras I’m unpacking aren’t for sex games. They are for spying on the man who lives across the street. Our client is a wealthy woman who is concerned that her boyfriend (aka “The Subject”) is dating someone else.
'Vertical cruise ships'? Here's how we can remake housing towers to be safer and better places to live
After 3,000 people in nine public housing towers in Melbourne were placed under the harshest coronavirus lockdown in Australia so far, acting Australian Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly referred to the towers on 5 July as “vertical cruise ships.” The statement was a reference to the danger of contagion in these overcrowded buildings. However, such terms play into a long, international history of vilifying public housing estates.
'Vertical cruise ships'? Here's how we can remake housing towers to be safer and better places to live
by Katrina Raynor, Alan Pert and Catherine Townsend, The Conversation Park Hill Estate in Sheffield is being regenerated in stages. Credit: Shutterstock After 3,000 people in nine public housing towers in Melbourne were placed under the harshest coronavirus lockdown in Australia so far, acting Australian Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly referred to the towers on July 5 as "vertical cruise ships." The statement was a reference to the danger of contagion in these overcrowded buildings.
'Vertical cruise ships'? Here's how we can remake housing towers to be safer and better places to live
After 3,000 people in nine public housing towers in Melbourne were placed under the harshest coronavirus lockdown in Australia so far, acting Australian Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly referred to the towers on July 5 as “vertical cruise ships.” The statement was a reference to the danger of contagion in these overcrowded buildings. However, such terms play into a long, international history of vilifying public housing estates.
A story of migration, refuge and reconstruction: Elwood Talmud Torah
On a plane tree-lined suburban street not far from Melbourne’s St Kilda Botanical Gardens stands a physical reminder of the turbulence and horror of world events in the twentieth century. Themes of migration, refuge and the rebuilding of community by European Jews find material expression in the design of the Elwood Talmud Torah, which reveals influences of European architectural modernism.
Hero Rescue Dog Takes A Bite Out Of Would-Be Burglar, Is A Good Boy
RAMSEY, NJ — A New Jersey pooch is probably getting a lot of extra treats this week after his owner claimed that the dog helped take a literal bite out of crime by attacking and scaring away a would-be burglar. Mark Slepian said that he came home from the dentist on Tuesday and found signs of an apparent struggle, according to NorthJersey.com. Slepian said he was alerted to a potential threat when his dog walker called to say someone had broken into his home.
The 1979 Disappearance Of Etan Patz Is Why We Have National Missing Children's Day
On May 25, 1979, a six-year-old boy named Etan Patz asked his mother, Julie, to let him walk to the school bus stop alone. Julie reluctantly said yes, and watched her son walk out of the family's apartment in New York City's SoHo toward the bus stop, which was located just a couple of blocks away. But Etan never made it to school. Somewhere along the way, he vanished — and he has never been found.
5 Things To Know About the Mysterious Hanging Death Of Rebecca Zahau
On July 13, 2011, 32-year-old Rebecca Zahau was found dead under strange circumstances at the Spreckels Mansion in Coronado, California — the home she shared with her multimillionaire boyfriend, Jonah Shacknai. Here are five things you need to know to try to make sense of the strange circumstances surrounding the crime scene and the case, and the Zahau family’s quest to answer the question: What happened to Rebecca? 1. Her death was the second mysterious death that occurred in the home.
Jessica Chambers Murder Suspect Quinton Tellis Charged With Murder Of Meing Chin Hsaio
MONROE, LA — Quinton Tellis, who has been unsuccessfully tried twice for the murder of Jessica Chambers in Mississippi, has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a second woman in Louisiana. The body of Meing Chen Hsaio, a Taiwanese national, was found inside her apartment near the University of Louisiana–Monroe on August 8, 2015. Investigators say that they believe the alleged homicide took place 10 days earlier, on July 29.
Police Say Man Who Allegedly Faked His Own Kidnapping Wanted 'Sympathy' From His Ex
Darrius Roberts was charged with false report of a crime and obstruction of justice complaints, according to jail records. May 20, 2019 Mug shot of Darrius Roberts [Tulsa Police Department] By: Catherine Townsend TULSA, OK — Tulsa police have arrested a man who allegedly faked his own kidnapping and then sent a series of desperate messages to the police department on social media.
Texas Police Officers Rescue & Adopt Adorable Kittens Stuck Inside Car Bumper
ARLINGTON, TX — Two police officers in Texas got a shock when they were asked to help rescue two tiny kittens in distress. After dealing with a shoplifting situation in a TJ Maxx store, Officers Adkins and Hilliard said a woman flagged them down and told them that the kittens were stuck under a car in the store parking lot, according to The Dodo. They officers could hear the kittens crying, but could not find them — at least, not at first.
Woman Told To 'Be Nicer' Allegedly Pushes Elderly Man Off Bus, Charged With Murder
LAS VEGAS, NV — A woman has been arrested and charged in Las Vegas after an elderly man died from injuries allegedly sustained when he was pushed out of a bus. Cadesha Bishop, 25, has been charged with open murder on an elderly, vulnerable person, according to WFLA. On March 21, witnesses said Bishop pushed the man, who police later identified as 74-year-old Serge Fournier, out of the bus door after getting into an argument with him and other passengers, according to the news station.
Police Say 'Serial Killer' Carnival Worker Confessed To Fatally Shooting 3 Women
MENDOTA, VA — A 23-year-old carnival worker has been charged with murder in connection with the killings of two women and a teen in Washington County, Virginia. Police say James Michael Wright allegedly killed the three victims between February 28 and March 17. Authorities have identified them as Elizabeth Marie Vanmeter, 22, of Carter County, Tennessee; Athina Hopson, 25, of Johnson City, Tennessee; and 17-year-old Joslyn Alsup from Cobb County, Georgia.
2 Bodies In 2 Days: 'ID Murder Mystery' Examines The Bizarre Death Of Rebecca Zahau
CORONADO, CA — In 2011, a wealthy executive, his six-year-old son, and his girlfriend appeared to be living the dream life in the sprawling Spreckels Mansion in Coronado, California. But on July 11, 2011, six-year-old Max Shacknai, the son of millionaire pharmaceutical executive Jonah Shacknai, suffered a fatal fall while reportedly under the watch of his father’s girlfriend, Rebecca Zahau.
7 Heroic & Memorable Moms Who Battled Bad Guys To Get Justice
Hero Mom Saves Mother’s Day By Shooting Armed Suspect Outside School Mom Spends 38 Years Helping Solve Her Daughter’s Murder Case Florida Mom Uses Pizza Order To Save Herself & Her 3 Kids From Hostage Situation Mom Hunting Craigslist Stroller Thief Helped Bring Down Million-Dollar Crime Ring Stay-At-Home Mom Became A PI To Crack A Cold Case Moms Launch Website To Help Solve Cold Case Murders Brave Young Mom Shoots Intruder To Protect Her Baby
New Season Of ID Series Follows 'Diabolical' Killers & Their Most Shocking Murders
Fans of Gone Girl-style twists will love this Investigation Discovery series. May 08, 2019 Diabolical key art [Investigation Discovery] By: Catherine Townsend Who is predator, and who is prey? That's the question at the center of the Investigation Discovery series Diabolical, which follows shocking murders and shows the audience the devious tactics that killers use to manipulate and seduce their victims.
Bartender Arrested For Serving Drunk Man Who Left The Bar & Fatally Shot 8 People
PLANO, TX — The Texas bartender who allegedly served alcohol to a man who later fatally shot eight people, including his wife, has been arrested. Lindsey Glass, 27, has been charged with violating the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code’s restrictions on “sale to certain persons,” according to records obtained by People. The charges filed against Glass relate to alleged criminal negligence in serving alcohol to a known alcoholic, a mentally unstable person, or someone who is already heavily intoxicated.
Utah Woman Allegedly Fed Drano To Her Boyfriend So He Would 'Go Into Eternal Sleep'
“[Weissman] stated that by eternal sleep she meant death,” according to court documents.
Virginia Hayden Charged With Murder Of 3rd Husband, Whose Scalp Was Found In A Bag
YORK COUNTY, PA — A Pennsylvania grandmother has been charged with the murder of her husband, whose bloody remains were found in a FoodSaver bag seven years ago. Police have arrested Virginia L. Hayden, 67, in connection with the 2011 murder of her third husband, 62-year-old Thomas Hayden. Virginia, who stands just 5 feet tall, looks like an unlikely villain.
5 Things To Know About Murder Chose Me's Detective Rod Demery
For legendary former Shreveport Police Department homicide detective Rod Demery, the new season of Murder Chose Me is kind of like Jaws: He's back — and this time, it's personal. Once again, Demery pulls from some of the most memorable case files taken from his 14 years as a homicide detective. 1. He has a 99 percent confession rate.
Chris Watts Is Considering Appealing His Convictions For Murdering His Family
Chris Watts, serving life in prison for the murders of his wife and his two daughters, is considering his options for appealing his murder convictions, People magazine reports. According to the magazine, a source with "knowledge of Watts' legal case" says Watts is “looking into ways to appeal.” “Obviously, it would be an uphill battle for him, because he pleaded guilty,” the source said. “And with a guilty plea, you forfeit some of your rights to appeal.
Mother & Aunt Of Missing Autistic Boy Are Arrested In Connection With His Murder
APPLE VALLEY, CA — The mother of a missing six-year-old and her twin sister have been arrested on suspicion of the boy's murder in California, according to KTLA. Jackee Racquel Contreras, the mother of Duke Flores, and her twin sister, Jennifer Rachel Contreras, both 29, were arrested in connection with the boy's disappearance, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department.
Josef Fritzl Held His Daughter Captive & Forced Her To Be His Sex Slave For 24 Years
In 1984, Josef Fritzl lured his daughter Elisabeth, then 18, down into the cellar where he drugged her and locked her inside. She would not see the outside world for 24 years. April 26, 2017 EPA/AUSTRIAN POLICE HANDOUT Josef Fritzl By: Catherine Townsend It was on April 26, 2008, that Austrian police arrested Josef Fritzl after learning that he’d kidnapped his daughter Elisabeth, held her captive for 24 years in a windowless basement, and raped her an estimated 3,000 times.
California Couple 'Locked Kids In Cages' To Keep Them Away From Meth
TULELAKE, CA — Police have arrested a California couple who allegedly kept their kids locked up in cages "secured to the wall like dog crates," according to USA Today.
Hollywood 'Murder' Mystery: Newlywed Actor Found Dead Under Mysterious Circumstances
LOS ANGELES, CA – On September 19, 2017, Jason Murphy, a 34-year-old actor, headed out to a movie premiere in North Hollywood. Friends and family say that Jason, a native Texan who had made Los Angeles his home for 15 years, had never been happier. He had a movie role to celebrate, and had just arrived home from a dream honeymoon in Ireland with his new wife, Dina.
Alleged Coachella Puppy Dumper Arrested; 38 Dogs Rescued From Her Home
The puppies, who were described as three-day-old terrier mixes, all survived after being found by a Good Samaritan who was looking through the dumpster for recyclables. COACHELLA, CA — Police in California have arrested the woman who allegedly threw seven newborn babies into a Coachella dumpster on a 90-degree day. Deborah Culwell, 54, was arrested by Riverside County Animal Services Commander Chris Mayer at her home on Monday, Fox 32 reported.
Police Release New Sketch & Recordings Of Delphi Killer Who Is 'Hiding In Plain Sight'
DELPHI, INDIANA — Indiana State Police have released a new sketch of the Delphi killer whom they believe is "hiding in plain sight" and are appealing for the public's help to find him. During a press conference on Monday, Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter spoke directly to the killer. "We know this is about power to you and you want to know what we know," he said.
Sydney Police Reunite Homeless Man With His Missing Beloved Pet Rat
NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA — Police in Sydney, Australia, have reunited a homeless man with his beloved pet rat after their story went viral on social media. On April 6, a 59-year-old man named Chris suffered a heartbreaking loss when his pet rat, Lucy, went missing on Pitt Street. Chris had left Lucy outside while he went to use a nearby restroom. When he came outside, she was gone. Chris and Lucy are well known to many residents and workers in the area who walk by the pair every day.
Stalker Who Texted Man 159,000 Time After 1 Date Says It's 'Ridiculous' She's In Prison
PARADISE VALLEY, AZ — The woman accused of sending a man more than 159,000 text messages after one date has revealed to a reporter that she thinks the fact that she is behind bars is "ridiculous." “I can’t believe that it turned into this,” Jacqueline Claire Ades told the Arizona Republic. “I can’t believe that I’m actually in jail over some text messages.” Ades, 33, has been in jail since last year. Last month, she was found mentally incompetent to stand trial.
Rudolph Smith Is Accused Of Knowingly Spreading HIV To Multiple Women
FREDERICK, MD — Police in Maryland have arrested a man who they say knowingly transmitted HIV to multiple women he met on dating apps. Rudolph Jericho Smith, 34, was arrested on Monday by the Frederick Police Department. Detectives said that they received a tip that Smith was having sex with multiple women while knowing that he was HIV positive. This prompted a 21-month investigation, Fox 5 reports.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard Has Found Love Again, Is Engaged To Prison Pen Pal
CHILLICOTHE, MO — Gypsy Rose Blanchard is engaged to a man who started out as a prison pen pal, US Weekly reports. The 27-year-old is serving a 10-year sentence after pleading guilty to the murder of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard. “She keeps him very private,” Fancy Macelli, a family friend, told In Touch Weekly. “We’re not going to release his name or anything like that, but she does have a fiancé.
Dad Allegedly Killed Wife & 2 Kids Over Suspected Affair While Daughter Watched
PHOENIX, AZ — A Phoenix man is said to have killed his wife and two children after getting into an argument over an alleged affair, according to police. Austin Smith, 30, came home from a bar Thursday night and confronted his wife, Dasia Patterson, 29, over accusations that she had cheated on him.
Florida Man Arrested After Threatening To 'Destroy Everyone' With His Army Of Turtles
BREVARD COUNTY, FL — A Florida man who screamed obscenities while threatening to send his turtle army to destroy the town has been arrested, according to an affidavit. On Sunday, police in Indialantic received seven calls from Starbucks Coffee, Surfanista Café, and Sassy Granny’s Smoothies regarding an individual who was disturbing the peace. When they arrived on the scene, they found 61-year-old Thomas Devaney Lane in an agitated state, according to CBS Miami.
Florida Woman Is Caught Naked, Sexually Molesting Nursing Home Patient
MELBOURNE, FL — Police in Florida have arrested a woman who is accused of sexually molesting an elderly man at an assisted-living facility. Guettie Belizaire, 39, was found naked in a patient's room at the Brookshire Assisted Living Facility in Melbourne in the early morning hours of December 13, according to Florida Today. The male patient told police that Belizaire "sexually battered" him. According to police reports, a DNA test confirmed his claims.
Do Hitwomen Really Wear Ballgowns? 4 Things To Know About Real-Life Female Assassins
The hit BBC TV show may be called Killing Eve, but the real star is female assassin Villanelle. As the series follows the assassin, played by Jodie Comer, and her cat-and-mouse game with Sandra Oh’s intelligence officer Eve, it's young, beautiful, glamorous, and single Villanelle who captivates audiences. But in real life, if they want to survive, female assassins have to be much more low-key — and even frumpy. Here are four things to know about real-life female assassins: 1.
This Real Female Killer Was An Inspiration For Psychopathic 'Killing Eve' Assassin
The creator of Killing Eve has revealed that a female murderer who calmly revealed in a video interview how she tortured and killed a man in a wheelchair was the inspiration behind the fictional female assassin in the TV progam. The hit BBC TV show focuses on the intense cat-and-mouse relationship between the female assassin Villanelle, played by Jodie Comer, and Sandra Oh’s intelligence officer Eve.
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