Ron Meadow will find out his prison sentence today for murdering his wife, Colleen, in 1985.

Ronald Meadow 

Syracuse, NY -- A Georgia man found guilty of strangling his wife in Syracuse in 1985 after a blockbuster trial will be sentenced today.

Ron Meadow 61, was found guilty of murder by an Onondaga County jury at the end of the two-week trial in late October. The cold-case trial pitted District Attorney William Fitzpatrick against longtime defense lawyer Ed Menkin.

The murder was indicted last year after new DNA evidence linked Meadow to fingernail scrapings from the victim, Colleen Meadow, 27. She was found hog-tied in her North Side apartment on March 4, 1985.

In addition to the DNA, Fitzpatrick also presented evidence collected decades ago that had made Ron Meadow the prime suspect from the beginning.

Related: DA Fitzpatrick and Ed Menkin unleash courtroom drama as jury gets cold-case murder

That evidence included remarks the victim had made to friends that her husband had physically abused her, handcuffed her and threatened to kill her on various occasions. The DA also called into question the defendant's alibi, which included a long trip around town during a snowstorm.

Colleen Meadow 

Fitzpatrick attributed Ron Meadow's murderous rage to not being able to let go of Colleen, who wanted to escape an abusive relationship.

Meadow's lawyer, Ed Menkin, sought all trial to poke holes in the DA's case, seizing upon the problems of presenting evidence that had been collected so long ago and, in some cases, not well-preserved.

He attacked the credibility of a police officer who initially questioned Ron Meadow. He argued that an alarm clock -- stopped at 10:01 -- showed the actual time of the murder, when Meadow had an alibi. He pointed out that no one saw physical evidence of abuse.

Ronald Meadow (right) leaving court with his lawyer, Ed Menkin.Douglass Dowty | ddowty@syracuse.com 

The two lawyers disagreed over the DNA evidence, which showed that 1 in every 4,160 men had matching DNA to the sample taken from Colleen Meadow's fingernails.

Menkin argued that there was still reasonable doubt that someone besides Meadow was the killer. Fitzpatrick, on the other hand, painted a picture for the jury: imagine a jar with 4,159 blue marbles and 1 red marble. What were the chances of randomly picking out the 1 red marble?

In the end, the jury came back with a guilty verdict after 6 1/2 hours of deliberations. Now, it's up to County Court Judge Anthony Aloi to determine Meadow's sentence.

The maximum sentence for murder allowed under law is 25 years to life in prison.

A gathering of black congressional staffers stood silently on the House steps Thursday and raised their hands in the air.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A gathering of black congressional staffers and other Capitol employees stood silently on the House steps Thursday and raised their hands in the air to protest the killing of unarmed black men by police.

They bowed their heads as Senate Chaplain Barry C. Black prayed, "Forgive us when we have failed to lift our voices for those who couldn't speak or breathe for themselves" - emphasizing "breathe" in reference to Eric Garner, who died after a policeman grabbed him in a chokehold in New York.

"May we not forget that in our history injustice has often been maintained because good people failed to promptly act," Black said, with well over 100 people standing behind him.

The demonstration was organized by the Congressional Black Associates and other groups representing minority employees of Congress to show support for protests around the country following the killing of Garner and 18-year-old Michael Brown, whose death in Ferguson, Missouri, inspired the "hands up, don't shoot" gesture.

On the grounds nearby, Valerie Bell -- the mother of Sean Bell, shot in New York on the morning of his wedding -- watched with other mothers whose sons were killed by police. Nine mothers have been meeting with Congress members and Washington officials this week asking for an end to police brutality against black men.

"We stand with them, and they stand with us," Bell said as the congressional employees gathered outside in the cold.

As staffers returned to work after the brief event, Black said they were exercising their free speech rights "to say that there are some issues that are significantly critical, that there needs to be a greater conversation."

The wordless demonstrators also included Reps. Joaquin Castro and Marc Veasey, both Democrats representing Texas, and Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md.

"There is no community that is immune to police abuse," Castro, a second generation Mexican-American, said afterward. "It is happening in every community. It is more concentrated in minority communities, particularly the African-American community, but this is something that all Americans are concerned about."

The capsule is believed to have been placed by Samuel Adams and Paul Revere in 1795.

BOSTON (AP) -- Crews removed a time capsule dating back to 1795 on Thursday from the granite cornerstone of the Massachusetts Statehouse, where historians believe it was originally placed by Revolutionary War luminaries Samuel Adams and Paul Revere among others.

The small time capsule is believed to contain items such as old coins, documents, newspapers and a metal plate that was owned by Revere. Secretary of State William Galvin speculated that some of the items could have deteriorated over time.

Official plan to X-ray the capsule on Sunday at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts to get some idea of the contents and possibly details on their condition, then open it next week.

Originally made of cowhide, the time capsule was believed to have been embedded in the cornerstone when construction on the state Capitol began in 1795. Adams was governor of Massachusetts at the time.

The time capsule was removed in the mid-19th century and its contents transferred to a copper box, Galvin said. Its removal Thursday was due to an ongoing water filtration project at the building. Galvin said the plan is to return it to the site sometime next year.

Pamela Hatchfield, a conservator at the museum, was exhausted Thursday after spending hours chiseling and drilling on the massive cornerstone, taking care not to damage the time capsule or coins that were thrown in the mortar that held it in place.

She held up the capsule for viewing by state officials, reporters and contractors involved in the renovation of the Statehouse.

"It's heavy," Hatchfield said. "I feel happy and relieved and excited and really interested to see what's in this box."

Hatchfield said state officials did not know that the time capsule was embedded in the cornerstone until 60 years after some of the nation's leading founding political figures put it there.

"It was first put in there in 1795 by Paul Revere and Sam Adams and was unearthed accidentally when in 1855 there were some amendments to the building," Hatchfield said. "They put the contents back into a new box and placed it in a depression in the stone, which is on the underside."

Galvin said there were notes from 1855 indicating that officials washed some of the contents in the capsule with acid before putting them in the new copper box.

It also was a humid day when the items were restored and, Galvin said, the corner of the Statehouse where the capsule was fixed has had a water leakage problem for 30 years.

"We have to see what held up since that time," he said. "That's the biggest question we have right now -- are the contents in good condition or not?"

Galvin said the Massachusetts Statehouse is one of the oldest, active statehouses in the country.

"Obviously, when we talk about the original box being presided over by then-Gov. Sam Adams, Paul Revere, it's pretty significant," he said. "I'm very fond of saying ... that the history of Massachusetts is the history of America, and it's very true and this is another evidence of that."

The excavation came just months after another time capsule was uncovered from the Old State House, which served as the state's first seat of government. That long-forgotten time capsule, dating to 1901, turned up in a lion statue atop the building and, when opened, was found to contain a potpourri of well-preserved items including newspaper clippings, a book on foreign policy and a letter from journalists of the period.

Ron Meadow was sentenced today, nearly 30 years after strangling his wife on Syracuse's North Side.

Colleen Meadow 

Syracuse, NY -- A Georgia man arrested last year after DNA evidence linked him to the murder of his estranged wife in 1985 was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison today.

Ron Meadow, 61, remained free for nearly 30 years after his wife's May 4, 1985 death in her apartment on Syracuse's North Side. Colleen Meadow was found hog-tied and strangled, facedown on the floor.

Meadow, who had moved to Georgia and remarried, was indicted late last year and remained free on bail until his October trial.

Now, Meadow will spend most -- if not all -- of the rest of his life in prison.

County Court Judge Anthony Aloi sentenced Meadow in a packed courtroom, including family of both Ron and Colleen, as well as local and national media.

Check back to Syracuse.com for a full report.

In an essay for Vanity Fair, former supermodel Beverly Johnson detailed her encounter with Cosby at his home in the 1980s.

Bill Cosby is facing a new allegation of drugging from former supermodel Beverly Johnson, best known for being the first black woman to appear on the cover of Vogue in 1974.

In a tell-all essay published Thursday in Vanity Fair, Johnson details an encounter with Cosby in his New York brownstone home in the mid-1980s.

Johnson explains that she needed a big break at the time, and that Cosby wanted her to audition for a part on "The Cosby Show" playing a pregnant woman.

After two tapings and a visit to Cosby's home with her daughter, Johnson said Cosby invited her back again to read for the part. She said after having a light meal with Cosby, he brought her upstairs to a living area featuring a massive bar and a huge brass espresso machine.

In this Nov. 18, 2013 file photo, actor-comedian Bill Cosby poses for a portrait in New York. Victoria Will | Invision via The Associated Press 

Cosby asked her to show him whether she could play a drunk character, and insisted she have a drink from the machine, despite her protests that she didn't like to drink coffee late in the day.

"I knew by the second sip of the drink Cosby had given me that I'd been drugged -- and drugged good," Johnson wrote.

Here's an excerpt from her account of what allegedly happened next:

"My head became woozy, my speech became slurred, and the room began to spin nonstop. Cosby motioned for me to come over to him as though we were really about to act out the scene. He put his hands around my waist, and I managed to put my hand on his shoulder in order to steady myself.

"As I felt my body go completely limp, my brain switched into automatic-survival mode. That meant making sure Cosby understood that I knew exactly what was happening at that very moment."

Johnson said she angrily cursed him several times, throwing Cosby into a rage. He then grabbed her by the arm, dragged "all 110 pounds" of Johnson down the stairs and threw her into a cab. She managed to tell the driver her address, but the next thing she remembers is waking up confused the next day.

Johnson said she tried calling Cosby on a number he had given her, but his wife answered from the bedroom, and she didn't try calling him again.

Since then, Johnson has gone on to star on a reality show on Oprah Winfrey's network, and today she owns a hair extension company, according to The Washington Post. The New York Times describes her as having broken barriers in the fashion business, and calls her "one of the most prominent" of about two dozen women who have leveled accusations against Cosby.

Despite her success, Johnson explained that she didn't reveal Cosby's alleged misconduct before because she thought it only happened to her, and that she was somehow responsible. She also thought that doing so at the time would be damaging to black Americans:

"He was funny, smart, and even elegant--all those wonderful things many white Americans didn't associate with people of color. In fact, as I thought of going public with what follows, a voice in my head kept whispering, 'Black men have enough enemies out there already, they certainly don't need someone like you, an African American with a familiar face and a famous name, fanning the flames.'"

The last four weeks, however, have "changed everything," Johnson wrote, referring to the numerous women who have publicly shared accounts of Cosby allegedly drugging and, in some cases, raping them.

Just last week, Cosby sought to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Judy Huth, who claimed Cosby forced her to perform a sex act when she was 15 years old in 1974.

On Wednesday, another of Cosby's accusers, Tamara Green, filed a defamation suit against the comedian claiming that Cosby's representatives branded her as a liar and ruined her reputation, The Washington Post reported.

"I want my name restored," Green said. "This will give me and other women the chance to go to a forum where we will speak our stories and tell our truth."

Cosby's legal representatives, including lawyer Martin Singer, have not responded to Vanity Fair's request for comment on Johnson's claims. They have, however, denied claims made by other women, calling them "increasingly ridiculous."

"Over and over again, we have refuted these new unsubstantiated stories with documentary evidence, only to have a new uncorroborated story crop up out of the woodwork," Singer said in a statement. "When will it end? It is long past time for this media vilification of Mr. Cosby to stop."

After Ferguson, Miner talked about body cameras, race, residency, armored vehicles

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Syracuse police do not wear body cameras, but Mayor Stephanie Miner said she would be open to the idea sparked by a national uproar over the deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of white police officers in Ferguson, Mo., and Staten Island.

Miner said she has talked with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio about the idea, which he favors, and the high cost, which may or may not be covered by the federal government.

She cautioned, however, that body cameras should be part of a package that also includes training and improved community relations. She said police are already training, for example, in how to de-escalate situations.

"We're open to anything and everything, but I caution you, this is not a situation where you have easy, magic solutions," she said. "This is about building relationships."

In an hourlong interview addressing questions from Syracuse.com reporters, editors and users, Miner talked about Syracuse police policies, practices and the menu of equipment available to the force, including two new armored vehicles:

Building relationships
Miner said Syracuse police are using technology more than ever both to analyze crime data and to communicate with citizens. But the real focus since she started the job five years ago, she said, is on building personal relationships with city residents.

"We all have to be very cognizant and very vigilant about the fact that our police officers are being put in harm's way and have a very dangerous profession. And it's getting more dangerous, not less," she said. "At the same time, our most important asset in fighting crime is the relationships that we have with the residents and the people that we serve."

Police Chief Frank Fowler has appeared in person at Dunkin Donuts and is holding a series of church meetings in the African-American community to better understand issues and concerns.

Fowler declined Syracuse.com interview requests in the context of the events in Ferguson. Miner said she spoke on these topics because they relate to city policies.

Miner noted that Fowler went to middle school in Ferguson. He knows the struggles of that city, she said.

"Ferguson is 900 miles away. The decisions that they made in Ferguson are not the decisions that we make in Syracuse," Miner said.

View full sizeSyracuse police have acquired this mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle from U.S. military surplus.Provided by Syracuse Police 

Armored vehicles
In the last year, Syracuse police quietly acquired a $658,000 mine-resistant, ambush-proof armored vehicle from U.S. military surplus.

The police have declined to allow a reporter to see it; Miner gave the same answer.

She said it is housed in an undisclosed location with other police equipment, which she also declined to discuss because she said the building is used for undercover operations.

Miner said the city has the MRAP because either the state or federal Department of Homeland Security asked the city to house it.

"That's their area of responsibility and if they thought that was appropriate, it was not ours to question," she said.

The police will not be rolling it out for typical street crime, she said.

"I don't think you're going to see us use it unless it would be a natural disaster of some sort that we would be called on to use it," she said. "But I don't think it would be a vehicle that we would use in our course of conduct as public safety officials in the city."

She said she approved the acquisition of the MRAP and did not run it by the Syracuse Common Council because, she said, it was not required.

"We don't ask them to vote on extra long johns that we get," she said. "What we have to ask them to vote on to accept, we do; and there are lots of times we get things that they don't have to vote on."

She said there is no budget for use of the MRAP and it is up to either the state or federal Homeland Security office to cover the cost of maintenance.

Most police live in the suburbs
On the high number of Syracuse police officers who don't live in the city:

Miner said state law is firm. She cannot force officers to live within city limits. And it does not sound like state leaders are willing to change the law.

"We can give them and we do give them credits for when they apply to be both a firefighter or police officer. We can give them a preference," she said. "But once they become full-fledged members of those bargaining units, they can move at will."

The Syracuse Common Council wants to pass a resolution that forces all new cops, firefighters and garbage collectors to be city residents. Councilors know state law is unlikely to change, but they wanted to raise the issue anyway to make a point.

Only 36 of 451 Syracuse police officers live inside city limits, according to City Auditor Marty Masterpole, who researched the issue for councilors.

The lack of African-American and Latino police officers

Miner said the first police class she hired was the most diverse ever. The next one, not so much.

"The reality is, when we are only graduating 50 percent of children from city high schools, the pool of applicants is small and that's one of the primary problems we're having," she said. "It's not where it needs to be."

There are 413 white police officers, 28 African-American, 8 Hispanic and 1 Asian, a city spokesman said.

Police oversight
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman earlier this week asked Gov. Andrew Cuomo to sign an executive order that would give Schneiderman the ability to investigate all cases involving unarmed civilians killed by police.

"I think it's worth exploring," Miner said.

Miner wanted to be clear that she is not second-guessing the grand jury's decision not to indict the police officer who put Eric Garner in a chokehold. She was not there, she said.

"But given my experience as mayor of this city, as a resident of this city, I think that there are real issues about credibility in our justice system," she said. "and I think that Attorney General Schneiderman's proposal would go a long way toward building some more trust into that."

Contact Michelle Breidenbach anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-470-3186.

Jose Calderon will spend 10 years in prison for the stabbing death of Chuck Pitts Jr.

Charles Pitts, 17, was fatally stabbed outside a party. (Courtesy of GoFundMe.com)Provided photo 

Syracuse, NY -- A Syracuse man was sentenced to 10 years in prison today in the stabbing death of an honor roll student outside a downtown apartment complex.

Jose Calderon, 20, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the Oct. 27, 2013 death of Chuck Pitts Jr., 17. But Calderon took no responsibility for the slaying, entering a so-called Alford plea. Under the plea, Calderon maintained his innocence but admitted there was enough evidence to find him guilty.

Today at sentencing, Pitts' mother offered a heartfelt statement to the judge, expressing the pain of losing her son but saying she understood that the killer was just a child, Coolican said. A large contingent of Pitts' family and friends attended.

Pitts had just left a party at the Clinton Plaza Apartments when he was attacked. Calderon did not know Pitts before stabbing the innocent victim, Coolican has said. No motivation for the crime has ever been determined.

Prosecuting Calderon was made more difficult because another assailant, Gilberto Rodriguez, initially took responsibility for the homicide in a videotaped confession. In addition, the witnesses who pointed to Calderon were 16- and 17-year-olds who were reluctant to testify, Chief Assistant District Attorney Joseph Coolican said. The nature of the crime meant the attacker only faced a manslaughter -- not a murder -- charge.

It turned out that Rodriguez did participate in the attack, as well, but may have only punched Pitts in the head. Rodriguez pleaded guilty in March to manslaughter. But in exchange for cooperation, his crime will be reduced to assault and he will spend no more than 5 years in prison. He's due to appear again in court Dec. 19.

Pitts was an honor roll student at Corcoran High School.

Sgt. Crayg Dykes, Deputy Withro Wiggins and Deputy George Buckton face charges of falsifying timesheets; Detective Rudolph Reed cleared by a grand jury.

Syracuse, NY -- Three Onondaga County sheriff's deputies, Sgt. Crayg Dykes, Deputy Withro Wiggins and Deputy George Buckton, were indicted on charges they submitted Centro pay vouchers for hours they didn't work.

But a fourth deputy, Detective Rudolph Reed, was cleared by a grand jury of falsifying timesheets for personal gain, the District Attorney's Office announced.

Today's grand jury charges come after all four deputies were arrested Oct. 16.

The indictments accuse Dykes of receiving $1,732.50, Wiggins of $1,347.50 and Buckton of $770 as a result of the fraudulent timesheets.

The investigation began after Centro alerted the DA's office that the deputies were not showing up for shifts to provide security on buses from downtown to Destiny USA. The deputies submitted pay vouchers, received and cashed checks, but did not work the hours claimed, the DA's office found.

Reed had been charged with stealing $345, but the grand jury cleared him of all charges.

The others face charges they repeatedly falsified timesheets:

• Dykes faces nine counts of felony filing a false instrument, and one count each of grand larceny and official misconduct.

• Wiggins faces seven counts of felony filing a false instrument, and one count each of grand larceny and official misconduct.

• Buckton faces four counts of felony filing a false instrument, and one count each of petit larceny and official misconduct.

The District Attorney's office declined to comment further on the matter. The three charged deputies will be arraigned in County Court in coming days.

All four deputies were placed on unpaid leave for a month after their arrests, but have since returned to paid administrative assignment.

Reed will be reinstated to full duties with the sheriff's office, but that may take a week or two, sheriff's office spokesman Jon Seeber said this afternoon.

The From the Earth Arts & Crafts Festival is open to the public. Admission and parking are free.

Onondaga Nation Faithkeeper Oren Lyons (left) stands with Onondaga artist Brandon Lazore and Lazore's painting. Lazore's artwork won the United States Department of Agriculture's poster contest earlier this year for Native American Heritage Month.Provided photo 

NEDROW, NY -- Onondaga Nation member and artist Brandon Lazore's artwork celebrates Haudenosaunee culture and serves as a learning tool for viewers.

"My artwork has a story," said Lazore, a member of the Snipe Clan. "It's a tool to educate people about the Haudenosaunee."

Lazore, 33, of Syracuse, will be showing his work at The From the Earth Arts & Crafts Festival, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Onondaga Nation School. Lazore will have prints for sale and will be sharing the stories behind his paintings with those in attendance.

Lazore started creating graffiti art as a teenager. In his pursuit to grow as an artist, Lazore studied art at Onondaga Community College. Since graduation, Lazore has moved his artwork to the canvas and has focused on Haudenosaunee-themed paintings. His art career has skyrocketed in the past two years.

Lazore was selected to paint a mural to honor the 400 year anniversary of the Two Row Wampum in 2013. The mural is on Seneca Street garage in Ithaca. During the summer of 2014, Lazore was invited back to Ithaca and selected to do another mural honoring the women of the Haudenosaunee.

A painting by Onondaga Nation member and artist Brandon Lazore. Lazore will be selling prints and framed artwork at The From the Earth Arts and Crafts Festival Saturday on the Onondaga Nation.Provide photo 

Lazore was also asked by the Iroquois Indian Museum in Howes Cave this summer to paint a piece at the museum, which now hangs in the museum. And to top off his success of the past two years, Lazore won the United States Department of Agriculture's poster contest for the American Indian/Alaskan Native Special Emphasis Program.

The USDA poster was used to honor Native American Heritage Month, which is celebrated in November. Lazore will be signing copies of the poster and selling them Saturday at the festival.

"Art has always been therapeutic to me," Lazore said. "When I create something it's coming from my heart."

The From the Earth Arts & Crafts Festival is open to the public. Admission and parking are free.

The festival benefits the parent-teacher-student organization at the Onondaga Nation School. The festival will feature more than 40 artists and craftsman representing all six Haudenosaunee nations. Items for sale will include silver jewelry, beaded jewelry, pottery, soapstone sculpture, leather work, weaving and paintings. Artists from the Navajo Nation will be in attendance as well.

Traditional Native American food will also be for sale.

Onondaga Nation School is located on Route 11A on the Onondaga Nation. For more information visit the Onondaga Nation's website or Facebook page.

Sarah Moses covers the northern suburbs of Onondaga County and Oswego
County. Contact Sarah at smoses@syracuse.com or 470-2298. Follow @SarahMoses315

The state didn't make it easy to search the list of development projects that will receive $709 million in state money, but we have.

Syracuse, N.Y. — New York officials made a big splash when they announced $709.2 million in government aid for 852 development projects throughout the state Thursday, but they didn't make it easy for the public to analyze or search the list.

Searchable database below

The state posted the list of projects as a 130-page document on the website for Gov. Andrew Cuomo's regional economic development council initiative.

It's full of text and numbers. But since it's in a PDF format — an electronic image of a paper document — there's no way to easily search it, study it or compare what communities got.

If someone wanted, for example, to search for all projects in, say, Onondaga County vs. Cayuga County, there would be no way to easily do it.

The state has all this information in a more usable digital format, but when Syracuse.com asked for the data in that format the state refused to release it in any format other than a PDF.

So we've done what the state refused to do. We've taken the 130-page document and created a database that makes it easy to search the list by region, county, applicant, project title and project description. You can find it below.

If you want to search for all projects receiving funding in, say, Onondaga County, now you can.

The funding announced Thursday is the fourth round of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's regional economic development council initiative, in which the state's 10 regions compete annually for economic development aid.

Back to top
New York State Regional Economic Development Council Awards

For questions or comments about the story, contact Rick Moriarty: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148

Jeff Brown, a former New York State assemblyman, has taken a job with OCWA.

Former New York State Assemblyman Jeff Brown, who served until 2006 and is now a lawyer in private practice, is joining OCWA full time on Jan. 1.

Brown, who has been a partner with Syracuse law firm MacKenzie Hughes, is resigning to take a job as full-time general counsel for the Onondaga County Water Authority.

He has been with MacKenzie Hughes for 12 years, and served as an attorney for several local municipalities, including the village of Manlius and towns of Pompey and Van Buren. He said he may continue working part-time for a couple of the municipalities.

Brown has been working part-time with OCWA since April, at a salary of $80,000. He said his compensation package has not yet been set, but said he will not be earning double that money when he is full time.

"I leave the firm on good terms and with fond memories," Brown said. "That being said, OCWA offers me the opportunity to expand my practice beyond the legal realm."

Brown said he will work on public affairs issues, which he did for more than a decade at the 174th Attack Wing. He also will work on privacy issues and records retention at OCWA.

Brown was elected to the Assembly in 2002. He ran unsuccessfully on the Republican ticket in 2006 against Dave Valesky for the 49th district Senate seat.

Ron Meadow was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison today for killing his estranged wife in 1985.

Ronald Meadow 

Syracuse, NY -- Colleen Meadow's sister thanked many people for bringing Ron Meadow to justice nearly 30 years after he strangled his estranged wife inside a Syracuse apartment.

There were prosecutors William Fitzpatrick and Robert Moran, police officers and forensic experts.

But Nancy Moran took a moment today to thank her murdered sister for playing a crucial role in solving the March 4, 1985 mystery. The mystery came to an end today when Ron Meadow was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison after an October trial.

It was Colleen Meadow's determination to fight back against her husband that provided the key DNA evidence needed to convict Ron Meadow of murder more than 29 years later.

The 27-year-old victim scratched Ron Meadow as he brutally strangled her with a belt knotted around her neck, Moran said. Those fingernails -- with Ron Meadow's DNA -- survived three decades before technology found a use for them.

County Court Judge Anthony Aloi called Colleen a hero today in his sentencing remarks to Ron Meadow.

Colleen Meadow 

"While Colleen Meadow was a victim of your violent and brutal acts, she was a hero in this case," Aloi told Meadow. "While struggling for her life, she managed to help solve her own murder by obtaining just enough skin tissue under her fingernails so DNA tests could be performed, which ultimately linked you to her murder."

Moran said there's not a day that goes by she doesn't think about her sister.

"There's nothing like it, it's unbearable, unfathomable," she said. "Every single day you wake up and think how you'll never see her face or hear her voice. All we have are memories and photos, and it's gotten worse with time, especially since Ron's been out there living his life like nothing happened."

Colleen wasn't sick or hurt in an accident. "She was murdered by someone we had allowed to become part of our family," her sister said.

Moran broke down in tears twice during her address to the court, causing the DA to comfort her. "Take your time," the judge said.

Fitzpatrick recalled responding to the scene as a young prosecutor. He met Nancy Moran and attended Colleen's funeral.

"There's nothing like the pressure of a family putting their trust in you and saying would you please bring justice to this situation," the DA said today. "That's a pressure I've accepted for 35 years of my life."

He marveled at how far crime-fighting has come since Colleen Meadow's death. DNA wasn't an option then. He credited DNA expert Sheila Gentile and fingerprint expert Mark Mills for their work at the county crime lab. Both testified at trial, linking Ron Meadow to the murder.

There were retired police officers, like Peter Tynan, who first interviewed Ron Meadow back in 1985. And newer ones, like cold-case Detective Derek McGork, who decided to reopen the case.

But in the end, it was Colleen's fingernails sitting in an evidence room that provided the answer, Fitzpatrick said.

Assistant District Attorney Robert Moran noted that the type of domestic violence that led to Colleen's death was not unique. "It was a violent, and brutal and personal attack," the prosecutor said. "It wasn't anything short of terrifying."

He said that the unusual amount of time it took to bring Ron Meadow to justice gave the court an opportunity to see the impact his actions had.

"(Ron) showed her no compassion, he showed her no mercy, and I ask that you show him no compassion, no mercy," the prosecutor concluded.

For his part, defense lawyer Ed Menkin said that Meadow maintained his innocence, calling the verdict "a chapter in a very long story."

A New York City lawyer, Andrew Frisch, has agreed to take Meadow's appeal. He issued a statement today: "Ron Meadow's conviction was a miscarriage of justice. We are looking forward to arguing Ron's appeal so that his conviction can be vacated, and he can be reunited with his family."

Ron Meadow declined to comment in court.

But the judge said he's convinced that justice was served.

"Ronald Meadow, it is time to face your past," Aloi said. "The awful truth and reality of what you have done. You showed no mercy when you strangled her to death, left her to die alone in her apartment, and I will show you no mercy today."

He then sentenced Meadow to 25 years to life in state prison, the maximum punishment allowed under law.

Detective Rudolph Reed never lied on his timesheets, his lawyer said.

Syracuse, NY -- A longtime Onondaga County sheriff's deputy cleared of trying to get paid for time he didn't work is glad the nightmare is over, his lawyer said today.

Detective Rudolph Reed worked all the hours he claimed on his Centro timesheets and never claimed to work hours he didn't work, said defense lawyer Paul Carey.

Three other deputies, Sgt. Crayg Dykes, Deputy Withro Wiggins and Deputy George Buckton, were each indicted today on multiple charges of faking their timesheets for personal gain. All four were hired to provide security on bus routes between downtown and Destiny USA.

"The grand jury didn't find any evidence (Reed) was involved," Carey said this afternoon. "Now, he can get his life back."

Detective Rudolph Reed, left, receives the Wilbert S. Currie Medal of Distinction in 2003. John Berry/The Post-Standard 

Reed will be reinstated with the sheriff's office, though it could take a week or two, said sheriff's office spokesman Jon Seeber. All four deputies were placed on unpaid leave for a month in October, but have since been returned on paid administrative assignment.

Reed had been charged with stealing $345, but the grand jury cleared him of all charges.

Carey declined to comment on the facts of the case, saying he didn't want to impact the investigation into the other three deputies. But he said the grand jury's decision was based on his client's innocence, not a legal technicality.

"Detective Reed has served for 27 years," Carey said. "This was an absolute nightmare in his life."

Reed is a former Syracuse University linebacker who went on to have a decorated career in the sheriff's office. He is currently assigned to the burglary unit.

Only one major city in New York is more likely than Syracuse to have snow on the ground on Christmas

Syracuse, N.Y. -- While much of the country only dreams of a White Christmas, we have them pretty routinely here in Central New York.

According to the National Climatic Data Center, Upstate New York is one of the U.S. regions mostly likely to have snow on the ground on Christmas day.

"Where does history say you should be for the best chance of seeing a white Christmas?" the climate center asked. "Idaho, Minnesota, Maine, Upstate New York, the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and, of course, the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada Mountains."

The climate center's predictions are based on the number of times at least 1 inch of snow has been on the ground on Christmas Day. The center used data from 1981 to 2010.

This doesn't mean snow actually falls on Christmas Day -- only that there's some on the ground.

The Northeast Regional Climate Center in Ithaca has done a similar calculation using 50 years of data. According to those numbers, Syracuse's odds of a white Christmas is 66 percent.

The only major city in New York with a higher chance is Watertown, at 78 percent. New York City's chances of a white Christmas? Just 7 percent.

Below is a table that looks at the odds of selected U.S. cities having a white Christmas, based on the data provided by the Northeast Regional Climate Center. New York cities are in bold.

Odds of a white Christmas

Contact Glenn Coin: Email | Twitter | Google + | (315) 470-3251

Pope Francis views on animals and the afterlife differ from those of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI.

He didn't go as far as to say "all dogs go to heaven," but Pope Francis made animal lovers around the world happy Thursday when he said that the Pearly Gates are open to "all of God's creatures."

Speaking during his weekly address in the Vatican, the leader of the Catholic Church made the remark to comfort a young boy who was sad about the death of his dog, according to Time.

"One day, we will see our animals again in the eternity of Christ. Paradise is open to all of God's creatures," the pope said, according to a translation from an Italian news source.

That would seem to be shift in views from previous popes, who maintained the more conservative Catholic belief that heaven is only for humans, according to the New York Daily News. In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI, Francis' predecessor, said that when non-humans die, their deaths mean "solely the end of existence on earth."

Speaking with the New York Times, author and professor of Christian ethics at Fordham University Charles Camosy said that it's not entirely clear what Francis meant because he was speaking "in pastoral language that is not really meant to be dissected by academics." He did concede that the comments would stir debate about whether animals have souls, suffer and go to heaven.

Francis' words drew praise from groups like the Humane Society and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Time reported that Francis has been seen as a more "liberal" pope compared with predecessors. He has reached out to unwed couples and the LGBT community, and in October he asserted that the Big Bang Theory and evolution were both real, and completely compatible with Catholicism.

What do you think of the pope's remark? Leave a comment below.

Buffalo sits in second place in the national race for snow

Syracuse, N.Y. -- That didn't last long.

After Wednesday's nor'easter, it appeared that Syracuse had leaped ahead of Buffalo in the annual Golden Snowball race for Upstate New York's snowiest major city.

Alas, we spoke too soon. When the day's figures were all in, Buffalo retained a slight edge with 29.9 inches so far this season. Syracuse now sits at 26.8 inches.

Buffalo leads the race for the Golden Snowball Award, a friendly competition among five Upstate cities to see who gets the most snow. The other cities are Syracuse, Binghamton, Albany and Rochester.

In the national Golden Snowglobe race, Buffalo sits in second behind Grand Rapids, Mich., which has 31.1 inches. That contest counts cities with 100,000 or more people.

Here's where we stand today, with a lot of winter weather left. Stay tuned.

Snowfall totals for Golden Snowball cities

Contact Glenn Coin: Email | Twitter | Google + | (315) 470-3251

Brian D. Norton admits he sent white powder-filled letters to schools, public officials and others since 1997.

UTICA, N.Y. -- A Cicero man admitted today that he sent nearly two dozen mailings filled with white powder and a deadly threat between 1997 and 2012.

Brian D. Norton, 59, pleaded guilty in federal court to conveying false information threatening injury or death.

He admitted sending 21 letters containing what he falsely claimed was anthrax or ricin to people, schools and organizations starting in 1997.

His arrest in June was the result of a 17-year investigation by FBI agents.

U.S. District Judge David Hurd scheduled sentencing for April 10. Norton faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Norton appears to have no employment history, doesn't have a driver's license and when he was arrested in June was living with his father, who's in his 80s, according to court records.

Bishop Ludden High School received the first mailing in 1997, and got four more over the next 13 years. LeMoyne College received three of the letters.

Norton graduated from Bishop Ludden and attended LeMoyne for two years.

The letters claimed the white powder was anthrax or ricin and that it would kill anyone who came in contact with it, according to the FBI. But the powder was always a nontoxic material, such as baby powder or detergent.

"The paper and other materials you are holding in your hands have been thoroughly contaminated with anthrax spores," one letter said, in all capital letters. "Hopefully you and those around you will soon die a slooow painful death from anthrax."

Eight months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks of 2001, Norton mailed a newspaper clipping about the attacks to LeMoyne with white powder and a claim that it contained anthrax.

"Praise Allah for Sept. 11," he wrote on an alumni donation card, according to court papers. "You are next."

The FBI began focusing on Norton in 2010 after finding a latent fingerprint on the sticky side of a decorative sticker on an envelope sent to Bishop Ludden. "Holiday Cheer," the sticker read.

In December 2011, the agents found a second latent fingerprint on the inside of a greeting card that was among the anthrax hoax mailings, according to affidavit by FBI Special Agent Daniel Capone.

Agents matched the fingerprints to Norton, apparently through fingerprints taken when he was arrested in 1976 on an aggravated harassment charge in Syracuse, according to court papers.

In 2013, Capone searched the trash in front of Norton's home and found recycled newspapers that contained handwriting similar to the writing on the hoax letters, the affidavit said. One page contained disparaging writings about one of the victims of the mailings, Capone wrote.

In 2012, the FBI reached out to the public for help and offered a $10,000 reward for information about the sender.

Here's a list of the people and organizations Norton targeted with his letters starting in 1997, according to Capone's affidavit:

• Bishop Ludden Junior-Senior High School (five letters)


• LeMoyne College (three letters)


• FBI headquarters


• CIA headquarters


• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms headquarters


• International Association of Police


• U.S. Sen. John McCain


• Secretary of Defense Robert Gates


• Association of the U.S. Army


• Marine Corps League


• U.S. Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle


• Television personality 1 (not identified in court papers)


• Television personality 2 (not identified)


• A local Syracuse business (not identified)


• U.S. Navy/UDT SEAL Museum

Glenn Collins was indicted on grand larceny charges today to go along with a manslaughter charge in the death of his 6-year-old daughter.

Glenn CollinsProvided Photo 

Salina, NY -- The Salina father who owns the house where his 6-year-old daughter died of carbon monoxide poisoning in late August was indicted today on charges he attempted to rent out the unfit home.

Glenn Collins, 37, of 106 Carlton Drive, faces two counts of felony grand larceny and one count of scheme to defraud. That's on top of a second-degree manslaughter charge he faces in the death of his daughter, Gabriella.

Collins was freed on $100,000 bail in the girl's death, but County Court Judge Joseph Fahey changed course and held him without bail after the new grand larceny charges surfaced.

Collins is accused of collecting security deposits from two potential tenants after the girl's death. The tenants signed with the understanding that Collins would make the necessary repairs to the house before their move-in dates. When the tenants arrived, the house was unfit to live in, but Collins refused to return their security deposits, police said.

Related stories:

» Behind a child's carbon monoxide death: Why did Family Court let a felon care for Gabriella?

» Father went to Turning Stone with woman while kids suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning, DA says

Seneca Data's new owner said it will move the company's assembly and warehouse to Phoenix, Ariz., leaving a sales office in the Syracuse area.

Cicero, N.Y. — The new owner of Seneca Data Distributors Inc. is moving 65 of the computer maker's 150 jobs in Cicero to Phoenix, Ariz.

Arrow Electronics Inc. said Friday that 65 warehouse and assembly jobs at Seneca Data's headquarters in the Beacon North Office and Industrial Park will be moved to an Arrow facility in Phoenix over the next two or three months.

Arrow spokesman John Hourigan said the majority of the 65 employees who hold the jobs will be offered the opportunity to relocate to Phoenix. Those that decline the offer or who do not receive the offer will be given severance pay and outplacement support services, he said.

Seneca Data's headquarter on Round Pond Road in Cicero has been up for sale since soon after the computer maker was acquired by Arrow Electronics, of Colorado, in early August. Rick Moriarty / rmoriarty@syracuse.com 

Hourigan said Seneca Data's remaining local operations will be in sales and sales support.

The move comes as no surprise. Arrow, which is based in Englewood, Colo., bought Seneca Data in early August to expand its product offerings in digital signage, digital broadcasting and digital surveillance — all areas of strength for Seneca Data.

It has acquired approximately 30 companies in the last five years. Typically, when it makes an acquisition, it moves production and warehousing operations to one of its existing facilities, sometimes leaving a sales force behind. Arrow employs 16,500 people worldwide, with 460 locations in 58 countries.

Shortly after acquiring Seneca Data, Arrow put the computer maker's headquarters in Cicero up for sale. Hourigan said Arrow plans to relocate Seneca's remaining 85 local employees to a sales office somewhere in the Syracuse area. The location of the new office has not yet been chosen, he said.

Seneca Data was founded in 1979 as a computer products distributor. It was acquired by entrepreneur Adolph Falso in 1989 and later became a custom computer manufacturer and a seller of refurbished computers. Most of its sales are to resellers, who sell Seneca's PCs, notebooks and servers to healthcare, education, government and business customers.

Contact Rick Moriarty anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148

Indictments released Dec. 10 and 12.

View full sizeEddie CarrasquilloSyracuse Police Department 

Syracuse, NY -- A Syracuse man accused of shooting another man to death this summer was indicted today by an Onondaga County grand jury.

Eddie "EDJ" Carrasquillo, 29, of 821 South Wilbur Ave., fled to Worcester after the Aug. 3 murder of Jose Rebollo-Andino in front of 102 Holden St., police said. He was caught there in late September based on a tip to Worcester police.

Carrasquillo is charged with murder, assault and weapons charges in the shooting, which also injured the victim's 33-year-old brother. He remains in jail as the case moves forward.

The following other people were indicted on Dec. 9 and 12 by Onondaga County grand juries:

Robert Abbott, 55, of 334 Elm St., Syracuse, charged with first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and driving while intoxicated. Based on Oct. 18, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Donald Brandon, 41, of 119 Berger Ave., Syracuse, charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Based on Nov. 10, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

George Buckton, 33, of 425 Knowell Road, Camillus, charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing (4 counts) , petit larceny and official misconduct. Based on July 26 to Sept. 20, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Laura Cady, 27, of 1147 Teall Ave., Apt. 2, Syracuse, charged with second-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child. Based on Oct. 6, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Jeremy Carroll, 35, of 7171 Route 20, Lot 22, Madison, charged with
driving while intoxicated, driving with a blood-alcohol count of more than 0.08, aggravated driving while intoxicated and failure to keep right. Based on Nov. 8, 2014 incident in Manlius.

Martwan Chance, 30, of 25 Maxwell Court, Syracuse, charged with second-degree assault and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Based on May 23, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Glenn Collins, 37, of 135 N. Edwards Ave., Syracuse, charged with fourth-degree grand larceny (2 counts) and first-degree scheme to defraud. Based on September to Oct. 5, 2014 incident in Salina.

Crayg Dykes, 44, of 6166 Ketch Drive, Cicero, charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing (9 counts) , fourth-degree grand larceny and official misconduct. Based on July 26 to Sept. 20, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Jeremy Guerrero, 20, of 201 Westmoreland Ave., #207, Syracuse, charged with first-degree robbery and second-degree robbery. Based on Oct. 10, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Devonaire King, 18, of 313 W. Ostrander Ave., Syracuse, charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Based on Nov. 24, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Patrick Manzi, 19, of 124 Willow Tree Terrace, Oneida, charged with first-degree robbery, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and fourth-degree grand larceny (2 counts) . Based on June 29, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

James Partridge, 32, of 227 Kellogg St., Syracuse, charged with predatory sexual assault against a child, first-degree course of sexual conduct against a child and endangering the welfare of a child. Based on Oct. 20, 2001 to Oct. 19, 2011 incident in Syracuse.

Guillermo Ramos Jr., 23, of 1901 E. Fayette St., Syracuse, charged with first-degree robbery and second-degree robbery. Based on Oct. 10, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Carmen Scott, 38, of 406 W. Beard Ave., Syracuse, charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia (3 counts) , seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of marijuana. Based on Oct. 15, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Floyd Thompson, 28, of 432 Hubbell Ave., Syracuse, charged with strangulation in the second degree and second-degree criminal contempt (16 counts) . Based on Oct. 13 to Nov. 13, 2014 incident in Clay and Syracuse.

Withro Wiggins, 51, of 4 Gregory Parkway, Apt. 49, DeWitt, charged with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing (7 counts) , fourth-degree grand larceny and official misconduct. Based on July 27 to Sept. 20, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Nathan Ziverts, 18, of 7135 Buckley Road, Liverpool, charged with first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery and fourth-degree conspiracy. Based on Aug. 4, 2014 incident in Clay.

See previous Onondaga County indictments.