Welcome! My webite is vintage, which is another way of saying outdated. I created it using LI: Limited Intelligence—namely, my own. My mom wanted me to go to law school, but I wasn't smart enough. So I became a journalist, working for everybody from the networks to the tabloids. My great career disappointment is that I was only subpoenaed once for contempt of court.
Top Stories
The Case of the Forensic Femme Fatale
I interviewed Kristin Rossum exactly one month after she killed her husband, in the same apartment where the murder occurred. That night, I broke the story of Greg de Villers' suspicious death on News 8 in San Diego. This case also launched my freelance career. Court TV interviewed me for a one-hour special, entitled "Pretty Poison." It's the start of my 15 minutes.
Anatomy of a Murder / To Catch a Killer
David Westerfield's attorney really didn't like it when I refused to identify a confidential source. Steven Feldman compelled me to appear before a judge, along with my editor, Tom Blair. At the hearing, we didn't know which door we would use to leave the courtroom—the front or the back. San Diego Magazine spent about $25,000 on legal fees to keep us out of jail. I miss Tommy.
A Case of Foul Play
I covered Rick Post's disappearance when I was still working for News 8, but it was an even better article for San Diego Magazine. It's a dirty double-cross with a Mexican hit man, a Russian spy and a kidnapping plot against kingpins from a drug cartel. Investigation Discovery interviewed me for a one-hour special: "Spies, Lies & Alibis."
Hoist the Jolly Roger
The inspiration for the flag goes to an attorney named Melvin Belli, who flew the skull and crossbones outside his San Francisco law office and fired a cannon—twice—when he won a big case. Belli was an infamous swashbuckler. I’ve got a little Captain in me, and so do some of my former journalism students.