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Post by Graveyardbride on Jun 11, 2021 0:36:18 GMT -5
Durst Hospitalized, Trial Temporarily Suspended
When court convened Thursday morning (June 10), Judge Mark E. Windham announced to the jury and others present that Robert Durst had been transported to a hospital for Los Angeles County inmates. He said he did not have much information regarding the Defendant’s condition beyond the fact he was discovered “down,” i.e., he was not in his wheelchair, an indication he had fallen from the chair. Chip Lewis, a member of Durst’s defense team was unable to provide any additional information concerning his client’s condition.
Deputy District Attorney John Lewin, however, was quick to voice his suspicion that Durst was possibly faking a medical crisis in an attempt to force a mistrial, adding there are recordings of telephone calls Durst made from jail indicating he intended to feign dementia or possibly the Covid-19 virus. “I have no idea whether this is legitimate or not,” the prosecutor said, “but obviously, given his history, it’s certainly suspect as to what his actual condition is. It’s very clear the defense and the Defendant want this trial to go away.”
When the trial resumed in May, Dick DeGuerin, another member of the defense team, requested a mistrial, claiming the Defendant needed to be hospitalized for bladder cancer and other health problems. In support of their request, the lawyers filed a report by Keith L. Klein, M.D., a physician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center who examined the Durst and found him to be “profoundly malnourished” and at risk of “sudden death” from elevated levels of potassium or stroke, noting the accused suffered a “mini stroke” during a court appearance in 2019. “The question is not whether he can endure the rigors of a trial, it’s whether he can survive,” the defense lawyer alleged in the pleading. “I would not be surprised if Mr. Durst died in the next twelve months.”
Judge Windham denied the defense motion, but agreed to hear testimony from Durst’s physician at a later date.
On Wednesday (June 9), jurors heard damaging testimony from Mella Kaufman, daughter of Paul Kaufman, who was romantically involved with Berman. According to Kaufman, Berman once told her an “interesting story” as they were returning from a visit to the UCLA library. “She was telling me about her friend [Durst] and how his wife had disappeared and how she had been an alibi, or made a phone call for him, so that it wasn’t suspicious,” Kaufman, 45, told the jury. “She left it kind of like a cliffhanger. You know, she left me in suspense, like, ‘Did he do it?’ And she kind of smirked and said, ‘I don’t know, what do you think?’”
Kaufman’s testimony is at the center of the state’s theory that Durst murdered Berman inside her Los Angeles home in December 2000 to ensure her silence during the reinvestigation of Kathie Durst’s 1982 disappearance. It is the prosecution’s contention that Durst killed his wife during a bitter argument and convinced Berman to pose as Kathie and place a call to the medical school she was attending claiming she was ill. Shortly before her death, Berman, who was desperate for money, falsely told Durst the police intended to question her concerning his wife’s disappearance, likely believing her friend would offer her a large sum of money to keep quiet.
Sources: Matthew Ormseth, The Los Angeles Times, June 10, 2021; The Associated Press; and Nancy Dillon, The New York Daily News, June 9, 2021.
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Post by Graveyardbride on Jun 7, 2021 10:51:56 GMT -5
First Clue: schooners
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Post by Graveyardbride on Jun 6, 2021 23:27:06 GMT -5
First Clue: schooners _______
Please read carefully before attempting to name the Location.Following is the primary clue for Mystery Location No. 256:
Visitors to the pretty little town often pass the big white Colonial home with the circular portico on their way to the castle at the end of the street. If it’s an overcast day or in the late afternoon, pedestrians who glance up at the dark windows of the second floor may catch a glimpse of a lady looking down at them and sometimes she even waves. Unfortunately, no one knows her identity for she died long before anyone living today was born.
Each day, a new clue will be posted until someone names the location, providing the street address, city and state, as well as the room or apartment number, if applicable, (or province/country if located outside the US) and an explanation as to how each clue applies to the location. If no one correctly names the location, the contest will end at midnight (Eastern time), Saturday, June 12, 2021. Please note, the contest ends at midnight in the Eastern Time Zone. If you live in a different time zone, please make adjustments so you will know what time it ends where you are.
You may discuss the location with other members by posting your comments using the “reply” option, but please do not attempt to name the location until you are absolutely certain of your answer and you are able to post the street address, city, state, etc., along with a photo, or link to a photo, of the Location.
For those of you who remember our old Mystery Locations contest, the point system has changed. Now, if you name the location on the first day, i.e., Sunday, before midnight (ET), you will receive 7 points. Thereafter, the points will depend on the number of clues that have been provided when you name the Location as indicated below. If you name the Location after the first clue, you will receive 6 points, etc., as indicated below. However, after the Sixth (last clue) is provided on Saturday, you must name the location before midnight (EST) Saturday night. Upon accumulation of sufficient points, winners may choose an item from our Prize List.
Sunday (or before First Clue is provided) - 7 points First Clue (Monday) - 6 points Second Clue (Tuesday) - 5 points Third Clue (Wednesday) - 4 points Fourth Clue (Thursday) - 3 points Fifth Clue (Friday) - 2 points Sixth Clue (Saturday before midnight) - 1 point
If you wish, you may collaborate with another member and if the two of you win, points will be divided between the two of you.
This contest is meant to be fun, so, as before, we ask that you conduct yourself accordingly. To prevent any accusations of favoritism, Kitty has been advised of the name and address of the Location and will not be participating in this week’s contest.
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Post by Graveyardbride on Jun 5, 2021 22:27:53 GMT -5
Fucci’s Mother Arrested for Tampering with EvidenceToday (June 5), Crystal Lane Smith (above), 35, mother of Aiden Fucci, was arrested on a charge of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony. She was officially booked into the St. Johns County Pretrial Detention Center in St. Augustine at 12:12 p.m. and released on $25,000 bond at 1:40.
According to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, video surveillance inside Smith’s home at 724 Castledale Drive shows Smith going into her son’s bedroom after he was taken by deputies and retrieving a pair of blue jeans, scrubbing them and returning them to the bedroom. When deputies returned, they confiscated the damp jeans and later, both the jeans and a drain in the home tested positive for blood.
Although it was originally reported that Fucci was wearing shorts in the video footage showing him walking with Tristyn Bailey toward the end of Saddlestone Drive, apparently, he was wearing blue jeans.
Following Smith’s arrest, Sheriff Bob Hardwick issued a statement saying, “I remain incredibly proud of the men and women of the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office for their continued thoroughness in this investigation. Crystal Smith will be held responsible for her role in this case and justice will be served for Tristyn Bailey and her family.”
“Tampering with evidence is tampering with justice and cannot be excused or tolerated,” State Attorney R.J. Larizza added in a news release. Sources: St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, St. Augustine, Florida; WTLV, June 5, 2021; and WJXT, June 5, 2021.
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Post by Graveyardbride on Jun 4, 2021 13:52:19 GMT -5
Carl Glatzel Jr. Furious over Conjuring 3Carl Glatzel Jr., brother of David Glatzel, the “possessed” boy upon whom The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It is based, is furious over the revival and rehashing of his family’s troubles. Glatzel claims he left Connecticut because of the events that began with his younger brother’s hallucinations and delusions. Carl Jr. now lives in North Carolina.
When the events were taking place, Arne Cheyenne Johnson (pictured above) was Carl Jr.’s sister Deborah’s boyfriend – they later married while Johnson was in prison – and both believed David was possessed and that the demon left the boy and entered Johnson, causing him to kill Alan Bono.
Martin Minella, Johnson’s lawyer, with the assistance of “demonologists” Ed and Lorraine Warren, attempted to use “the devil made me do it” as a defense, but the judge disallowed it.
Carl Glatzel Jr. has been a vociferous opponent of the “demonic possession” theory since his brother’s illness and when The Devil in Connecticut, David Brittle’s book about the case, was reprinted in 2006, Glatzel filed a lawsuit naming Brittle, the publisher, and Ed and Lorraine Warren as defendants. (Ed Warren died on August 23 of that year.) Glatzel didn’t stop with the lawsuit, he also applied for permission to attach Lorraine Warren’s property in Monroe County, Conn., in the amount of $500,000.
“It makes me furious,” Glatzel said in a 2007 interview. “It took me 20 years to build my [construction] business up. Now we are not going to have it thrown away because of something that is not really true. ... This story has a twist to it, and you’ll see it soon enough. What we have is phenomenal.” He also claimed Brittle’s account ruined relationships and career opportunities and the truth would come out in a book he was writing with a professional author.
Brittle, now retired, has accused Glatzel of making “a bunch of wild charges.”
Unfortunately, Carl Jr.’s tell-all book that was supposed to reveal “a twist” to the story has never been published.
Of note, in 2019, Alan Glatzel, Carl’s brother, sold the “haunted rocking chair,” in which David sometimes sat when he was allegedly possessed by demons, to Zak Bagans and it is on display in The Haunted Museum in Las Vegas.Sources: Jesse Leavenworth, The Hartford Courant, June 2, 2021; Court TV, June 3, 2021; and The Haunted Museum.
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Post by Graveyardbride on Jun 3, 2021 16:57:32 GMT -5
Aiden Fucci Pleads Not Guilty
This morning (June 3), the public defender representing Aiden Fucci filed a written plea of not guilty on behalf of 14-year-old Aiden Fucci. This cancels his arraignment previously scheduled for June 10.
Fucci was originally charged with second-degree murder, but on May 27, State Attorney R.J. Larizza, citing the ferocity of the attack and Fucci’s having told friends he intended to kill someone, upped the charge to first degree murder and announced the teen would be tried as an adult.
Both Fucci, an 8th-grader, and Tristyn Bailey, who was in 7th grade, attended Patriot Oaks Academy, a school that serves approximately 1,500 students from kindergarten through 8th grade. According to its website, Patriot Oaks “fosters character development, independence and a lifelong love of learning.”
At this time, it isn’t known why the 13-year-old girl agreed to accompany Fucci to the retention pond at the end of Saddlestone Drive. The two were caught on a resident’s home video camera walking along the street around 1:45 a.m., when they both should have been home. Tristyn was dressed in a black shirt and pants and Fucci appeared to be wearing shorts, a light-colored hooded sweatshirt and white shoes with a black Nike logo. Approximately an hour-and-a-half later, Fucci is seen returning alone, walking barefoot and carrying the white shoes.
Prior to today’s plea, Connie Stull, Tristyn Bailey’s cousin, said she hoped Fucci would come clean and admit what he had done. “I looked him [Aiden] up on Facebook, but there are too many,” she continued. “Tristyn was a sweetheart. She loved cheerleading, I’m an emotional wreck ....”
Sources: WTLV, June 3, 2021; Clerk of Court, Seventh Judicial Circuit, St. Johns County, Florida; and local gossip.
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Post by Graveyardbride on Jun 3, 2021 8:15:57 GMT -5
Conjuring 3 Gets Thumbs Up, But Don’t Expect RealismThe Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It will open tomorrow (June 4) in theaters across the U.S. and The New York Times has given the movie a “thumbs up.” According to art critic Lena Wilson:
The Conjuring movies offer a fascinating peek into the American psyche. Based on the lives of the northeastern paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, the franchise demands viewers invest in a worldview ruled by Christian dogma, where Godly good must battle satanic evil. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is by far the most well-constructed, terrifying entry in the franchise, but its plot relies all too heavily on that same bizarre evangelism.
The Devil Made Me Do It, helmed by Curse of La Llorona director Michael Chaves, opens on a slickly stylized exorcism. Heavy fog introduces a series of imposing, angular shots as Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) work to free an 8-year-old boy from demonic possession. Top-notch sound mixing and a booming score keep this sequence taut, even exhilarating, as the demon slips from its child host to the unsuspecting Arne Johnson (Ruairi O’Connor). In an even more chilling series of scenes, a possessed Arne later stabs his landlord to death. It is then up to the Warrens to prove that Arne is not guilty by reason of Satanic curse.
As with The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2, the film is based on the Warrens’ real-life escapades, and the couple did attempt with Johnson’s lawyer to mount a possession defense. But the film conveniently attributes Johnson’s first-degree manslaughter (rather than murder) conviction and meager five-year prison stay to the Warrens’ efforts, despite the court’s dismissal of their claims. It also heavily implies that Lorraine Warren, armed with heavenly psychic powers, is a more skilled investigator than the police, and preaches marital devotion as the ultimate Godly weapon. (The latter is a staple of the franchise.)
The Devil Made Me Do It is an excellently spooky work of fiction. It would be even better if it privileged ghoulishness over gospel.
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Nonetheless, those familiar with the events leading up to The State of Connecticut v. Arne Cheyenne Johnson and the trial itself, should be prepared for several major changes and a great deal of sensationalism. Some of the more obvious differences between The Conjuring 3 – based on The Devil in Connecticut, a book by David Brittle, – and actual events include the following:
‘Existence of the Devil’ Quote. In a court room scene in the film, Ed Warren, proclaims, “The court accepts the existence of God every time a witness swears to tell the truth. I think it’s about time they accept the existence of the Devil.” In the actual case, it was Martin Minella, Arne Johnson’s lawyer, who said, “The courts have dealt with the existence of God. Now they’re going to have to deal with the existence of the Devil.”
The Witch Totem. One of the more significant changes is the discovery of a “witch totem” in the Glatzel home. The word “totem” is of Ojibwe origin and refers to an ancestral or tutelary spirit, however, it also may refer to an artistic representation of a totem spirit. The Conjuring 3 totem is reminiscent of the stick figures in The Blair Witch Project and while such a “dangerous” object would undoubtedly look good locked away in a glass cage in the Warrens’ “museum,” there was no witches’ totem or anything similar in the Glatzel home, or elsewhere, in the actual case.
David Glatzel’s Initial Encounter with the ‘Demon.’ Prior to the “possession” of David Glatzel, the boy allegedly talked with an “old man” in a rental house where there was a waterbed belonging to a former tenant in the bedroom. In the movie, he sees the face of a demon staring back at him from the waterbed and a rotting arm from within the bed itself suddenly grabs him. This is pure Hollywood hype.
The Murder. Another major inaccuracy is the murder itself. On Monday, February 16, 1981, the film declares the entire town of Brookfield is “shocked by the broad daylight murder of Bruno Sauls.” First, the victim’s name was Alan Bono, not “Bruno Sauls.” Second, the locals were shocked because since its founding in 1788, there had never been a murder in Brookfield until Johnson took his knife to Bono. Furthermore, 40-year-old Bono wasn’t exactly what one would call an upstanding citizen. Most knew him as a short, stocky drunk, who told corny jokes and bragged about the exciting life he’d lived prior to ending up managing his sister’s dog kennel, a job he hated. Debbie Glatzel, Johnson’s fiancée, worked at the kennel and they both lived in an apartment on the property, where Bono also resided.
On the day of the murder, Bono, Johnson, Debbie Glatzel and Johnson’s two younger sisters and cousin had spent the afternoon eating and drinking in a downtown restaurant. Later, it was claimed Johnson drank very little and it was Bono who downed three carafes of wine. However, an ambulance driver testified he overheard Debbie Glatzel tell her father, “Oh Daddy, he [Johnson] didn’t mean to do it. You know how he gets when he’s been drinking.” It also was claimed that during their altercation, Johnson “growled” at Bono, an implication he wasn’t himself when he stabbed the older man to death.
Satanism. In the trailer, there are flashes of Satanic imagery and a man warns the two demonologists: “A master Satanist is not an adversary to be taken lightly.” There were no allegations of Satanic activity in the case.
Woodland Scenes: The scenes in the woods and at the ledge – where Lorraine is grabbed and almost pulled over by a phantom hand – are fabricated.
Political Correctness. The law enforcement officer who comes upon the blood-covered man (Arne Johnson) walking along the road is black, as is a major character in the film. Even today, the population of Brookfield is more than 95 percent white and less than 1 percent black. There are no black police officers in Brookfield today, nor were there in 1981. Everyone involved in the actual case was white.Sources: Lena Wilson, The New York Times, June 3, 2021; Jordan Willians, ScreenRant, April 23, 2021; Claudia Dimuro, PennLive, April 23, 2021; Jon Arvedon, CBR, April 22, 2021; Totems: The Transformative Power of Your Personal Animal Totem by Brad Steiger; Lynn Darling, The Washington Post, September 13, 1981; Witchcraft Tools; and Catherine D.
Note: The Glatzel home, where the alleged “possession” and many of the incidents in The Devil in Connecticut case took place, was featured as Mystery Location No. 239.
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Post by Graveyardbride on May 31, 2021 8:22:17 GMT -5
First Clue: swamp
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Post by Graveyardbride on May 31, 2021 1:38:39 GMT -5
First Clue: swamp _______
Please read carefully before attempting to name the Location.Following is the primary clue for Mystery Location No. 255:
Not every torture chamber occupies a dimly lit room in the dungeon of an ancient castle, some are set up in perfectly ordinary homes in working class neighborhoods. The small dwelling still looks much as it did that springtime of long ago when a madman was in residence, and although the fiend is dead, people in the city on the river named for a black fowl haven’t forgotten his evil deeds.
Each day, a new clue will be posted until someone names the location, providing the street address, city and state, as well as the room or apartment number, if applicable, (or province/country if located outside the US) and an explanation as to how each clue applies to the location. If no one correctly names the location, the contest will end at midnight (Eastern time), Saturday, June 5, 2021. Please note, the contest ends at midnight in the Eastern Time Zone. If you live in a different time zone, please make adjustments so you will know what time it ends where you are.
You may discuss the location with other members by posting your comments using the “reply” option, but please do not attempt to name the location until you are absolutely certain of your answer and you are able to post the street address, city, state, etc., along with a photo, or link to a photo, of the Location.
For those of you who remember our old Mystery Locations contest, the point system has changed. Now, if you name the location on the first day, i.e., Sunday, before midnight (ET), you will receive 7 points. Thereafter, the points will depend on the number of clues that have been provided when you name the Location as indicated below. If you name the Location after the first clue, you will receive 6 points, etc., as indicated below. However, after the Sixth (last clue) is provided on Saturday, you must name the location before midnight (EST) Saturday night. Upon accumulation of sufficient points, winners may choose an item from our Prize List.
Sunday (or before First Clue is provided) - 7 points First Clue (Monday) - 6 points Second Clue (Tuesday) - 5 points Third Clue (Wednesday) - 4 points Fourth Clue (Thursday) - 3 points Fifth Clue (Friday) - 2 points Sixth Clue (Saturday before midnight) - 1 point
If you wish, you may collaborate with another member and if the two of you win, points will be divided between the two of you.
This contest is meant to be fun, so, as before, we ask that you conduct yourself accordingly. To prevent any accusations of favoritism, Steve has been advised of the name and address of the Location and will not be participating in this week’s contest.
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Post by Graveyardbride on May 28, 2021 14:57:09 GMT -5
Aiden Fucci Appears in Court Following Upgraded ChargeAiden Fucci appeared in court today for the first time since State Attorney R.J. Larizza announced the 14-year-old would be charged with first-degree murder and tried as an adult. He was represented by public defender Rosemarie Peoples, and Jason Lewis appeared for the State of Florida.
During the procedural hearing, Judge Howard M. Maltz informed Fucci of his rights, the charges against him and that he would be detained without bail.
Fucci, formerly held in a juvenile detention facility in Daytona Beach, has been transferred to the Duval County Pretrial Detention Center in Jacksonville, where there is space for juvenile defendants. Sheriff Rob Hardwick thanked Duval County Sheriff Mike Williams for agreeing to accept the defendant. Fucci’s public defender is expected to challenge the no-bond issue at a later date.Sources: WJCT, May 28, 2021; and Clerk of Court, Seventh Judicial Circuit, St. Johns County, Florida.
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Post by Graveyardbride on May 28, 2021 14:28:13 GMT -5
Illegal Alien Guilty of First Degree Murder!
The defense rested Wednesday, May 26, after Christhian Bahena-Rivera, the defendant, took the stand and regaled the jury and others in attendance with a tale so bizarre it was laughable.
In his closing argument, prosecutor Scott Brown told jurors both forensics and testimony pointed to Bahana, that he attacked and killed Mollie Tibbetts out of anger after she rebuked his advances. “The way he reacts with that anger is to stab this young woman to death and to dump her body in a cornfield,” he emphasized. The motive was very obviously sexual because the young woman was found partially undressed with her legs spread apart, the prosecutor continued. “There weren’t two other guys. That’s a figment of his imagination,” he said. “All of the credible evidence points to him.”
The jury deliberated seven hours before reaching a guilty verdict. Bahena will spend the remainder of his life in prison.
Sources: Kelly Hayes, WTVT, May 28, 2021; and The Des Moines Register.
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Post by Graveyardbride on May 28, 2021 12:51:16 GMT -5
I found some info online that showed Crystal was married to Michael Akel but doesn't show that they were divorced - interesting thing here is that M Akel IS RELATED to Anwar Snobar, who pulled out as council. Since she is considered indigent ( I dont understand with huge house shes living in) did she & Akel just get separated, or are divorcing now... I just thought it was curious that in my Google search it showed that Michael Akel, who is married to Crystal Smith, ( mother of Aidan) is a relative of Anwar snobar the attorney Snober was retained to handle the preliminaries. He’s something of a jack-of-all-trades and the majority of his practice consists of divorces, adoptions, child support issues and minor criminal matters such as DUIs. His firm isn’t really qualified to handle a high-profile murder case. Akel and Smith purchased the house less than six months ago, so there would be no equity to consider and Smith has very little money of her own.
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Post by Graveyardbride on May 28, 2021 0:52:35 GMT -5
BTW, that's a somewhat awkward headline, don't ya' think?
I changed the headline.
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Post by Graveyardbride on May 27, 2021 16:24:39 GMT -5
Aiden Fucci Charged with First Degree Murder, Will Be Tried as an Adult At a news conference this afternoon, State Attorney R.J. Larizza announced Aiden Fucci will be charged as an adult and the charge is premeditated first-degree murder. He said he made his decision after the medical examiner discovered Tristyn Bailley had been stabbed 114 times. “There were defensive wounds on this young lady and she was fighting for her life,” Larizza explained, adding 49 of the wounds were to the girl’s hands, arms and head.
He elaborated, saying the deadly encounter started with kids just hanging out, but at some point, Fucci told several friends he was going to take someone into the woods and stab him or her to death. No one reported Fucci’s remarks, most likely because they did not believe him.
The murder weapon was recovered by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office near the pond where Tristyn’s body was found. The tip of the knife was broken and the medical examiner found the missing piece embedded in the girl’s scalp.
Larizza added that if Fucci is convicted and sentenced to life – he is too young for the death penalty – he will be eligible for a review when he reaches age 25 and because of his youth, would receive certain benefits/accommodations while incarcerated.
The state attorney ended the news conference by addressing the parents of all the teenagers involved, either directly or peripherally, in the incident: “I just want to say that I hope parents will learn something from this vicious and brutal murder. And that is you need to know what your kids are doing and what they’re saying. While we might not be able stop these vicious and brutal murders from happening, we ought to at least try.”Sources: WJXT, May 27, 2021; and Office of the State Attorney, Seventh Judicial Circuit of Florida.
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Post by Graveyardbride on May 27, 2021 4:23:24 GMT -5
Fourth Clue: blue
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