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Jerry Davich: Finally, after 16 months, justice for Amanda Bach?
Jerry Davich firstname.lastname@example.com January 26, 2013 10:42PM
A memorial to Amanda Bach stands near railroad tracks in Wheeler where her body was found in Sept. 2012. | Andy Lavalley~Sun-Times Media
Article Extras
Updated: February 28, 2013 6:27AM
The now lonely and weathered memorial is still easy to miss on the south side of twin railroad tracks, framed by Wheeler High School in the frigid background.
Small stuffed animals are still there, too, alongside faded bouquets of plastic flowers, and tipped-over candles that have long been extinguished.
Amid all the warm memories and loving gifts left by friends and family, a handmade cross stands out with a bold message that still cries for attention.
"JUSTICE FOR AMANDA," it screams in the dead of winter.
Finally, after more than 16 months of legal wrangling, odd twists and swirling rumors, justice for Amanda Bach is set to begin on Feb. 4 with her murder trial.
I revisited Bach's death site last week to remind myself where her body was found on Sept. 17, 2011, after a frantic and massive search by police, family, friends and strangers.
The pretty, petite and bubbly 19-year-old Portage woman was shot in the throat and killed, allegedly by her former boyfriend Dustin McCowan, who was arrested and charged for her murder.
Bach was last known to be at the McCowan home in Wheeler on Sept. 15, 2011 — just 300 yards from where her body was found — and her vehicle was found abandoned the next day at a general store in town.
The 2011 Portage High School graduate was determined to be killed on Sept. 16, 2011.
"Amanda was a wonderful daughter who enjoyed running, basketball and hiking," stated her parents, William and Sandra Bach, in her obituary. "She will always be remembered for her incredibly beautiful smile and the vibrance she brought into our lives."
Both families, the Bachs and the McCowans, declined to comment for this column, for obvious reasons with the murder trial looming. Neither family wants to jeopardize its outcome or give opposing counsels additional firepower.
Porter County Prosecutor Brian Gensel anticipates calling roughly 100 witnesses to the stand during the trial, which is expected to last three to four weeks. Beyond that, his office can't comment on the long and winding court case known as State vs. McCowan.
Defense attorney John Vouga, who has been representing McCowan since last April, couldn't say much to me either. But he did tell me that new, telling evidence will be revealed during the trial that has not yet been released to the public.
"I only ask that people keep an open mind," said Vouga, noting the same request for a "fair and impartial" jury pool, to be selected in the trial's opening days.
Police are not saying much either, besides insisting again that everyone involved in this murder investigation is focused on one thing: bringing justice for Bach and her family.
Porter County Sheriff David Lain noted the additional poignancy of teenage homicides.
"Families are robbed of a life. All of us are robbed of the victim's potential, their unknown contributions to the world," Lain said.
"Police officers cannot always protect everyone from harm but, especially in the case of a homicide, they will use every resource possible to find answers and justice."
There's that word again — justice.
'I want a conviction'
Several of Bach's friends echoed it again and again since her killing. No one I heard from was more vocal and passionate than Christine Duda, of Chesterton. The two young women met while working at Quaker Steak and Lube in Portage.
"Amanda became loved by everyone very quickly," Duda recalled. "She was one of those people where there's no way you couldn't notice her in a room. She was always smiling, hugging people and complimenting them in any way she could."
Duda said Bach's voice was "explosive," and every sentence seemed to end with an exclamation point. But behind the public persona, Bach would confide in Duda about her rocky relationship with McCowan, who was "very controlling" of her.
"Dustin would come into the restaurant either by himself to speak to her or with friends," Duda said. "Dustin never treated her like a woman. He would say nasty things and she would brush it off as a joke. I personally never liked him by the way he treated her."
On the morning of Sept. 17, 2011, Duda received a phone call from Bach's father, asking if she had seen his daughter. That's when Duda's cheery world started melting, and she joined dozens of others in the search for Bach.
"I decided I would set out on my own to look for my friend but, little did I know, she was already found," said Duda, who was later interviewed by police.
"If you stood where they found her, you can see directly across the field to the Wheeler High School, where everyone gathered to start the initial search. To your right, just two houses down, was Dustin's house," she recalled. "I have never felt so sick."
Bach was supposed to attend Duda's wedding on Oct. 6, 2012, so Duda invited Bach's parents in their daughter's place. Surprisingly to her, they accepted and attended.
"It put me at ease knowing that my friend would be there in spirit, but to hug her parents meant more to me than anything in the entire universe," Duda said. "It was like I was hugging her and it was just so beautiful. I was speechless."
Duda also saved a seat for Bach at the reception, alongside a photo of her, pink roses and a sign stating, "I know you would be here today if heaven weren't so far away."
Since Bach's killing, this case has had many odd twists, legal motions and pre-trial hearings before Porter County Superior Court Judge Bill Alexa.
This includes contentious requests for a change in venue for the trial, the allowance of dog-tracking evidence and the release of 29 firearms and a Playstation game owned by McCowan's father, Elliot McCowan, a Crown Point police officer.
After Bach's killing, the elder McCowan announced a $10,000 reward offered for information about her death, with McCowan supporters hinting at a serial killer on the loose.
The money came from a supporter, McCowan noted at the time, and I cannot confirm if any of it was ever distributed.
Last week, another intriguing twist in the case popped up from one of the prosecution's witnesses, Daniel Grunhard, who claims McCowan admitted Bach's murder to him while both were incarcerated at Porter County Jail.
Grunward also told prosecutors that McCowan, now 20, admitted to burying the murder weapon and ultimately beating the state's "weak case" against him in court.
The twist is that Grunhard just happened to have been defended in another case by Vouga, McCowan's attorney, which presents an obvious conflict of interest. The solution, ruled by Judge Alexa, is for an outside attorney to cross-examine Grunhard on the stand.
If Grunhard's claims against McCowan are true, just how common — and how stupid — is this jailhouse scenario, where an alleged murderer can't keep his mouth shut?
"I am beyond convinced of Dustin McCowan's guilt by what I personally know, what I have heard come from Amanda's mouth, and by what is being presented in court," Duda told me.
"I would love nothing more than to help put him behind bars for the rest of his life," Duda said. "I want a conviction and I want so badly to start the healing process for her family, myself and the rest of her friends. We deserve this closure."
McCowan may be guilty in the court of public opinion, but the question I want answered by Vouga, McCowan, or anyone else for that matter, is a simple one.
If Dustin McCowan didn't kill Amanda Bach, who did?


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Tue, Jul 3, 12 at 13:14
my cousin was telling me about a scarf that she saw recently, it was a flower scarf made up of crocheted what looked to be morning glories and leaves---anyone seen anything like that? my mom used to plant morning glories and thought it would be a neat rememberance of her.... |
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by vickey__mn (My Page) on Thu, Jul 5, 12 at 14:13
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/morning-glory-scarf |
Here is a link that might be useful: Etsy morning glory scarf
thanks so much for you help in finding the pattern, appreciate you and this website.... |
- Posted by acraftylady (My Page) on Tue, Jul 17, 12 at 14:33
Is there a crochet version of this or only the knit one posted? Mary |
would like to find a crochet pattern for this scarf preferably if anyone has seen one..... |
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Wandsworth Bridge
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DIFFICULT conditions in the banking and construction sectors saw recruitment firm Hays' net UK fees slump by nearly a tenth.
But the global firm, which operates in 33 countries and employs 7,800 people worldwide, reported it had offset the problems with its UK market with better performances around the world, including a record result in Germany.
Although UK net fees fell by nine per cent in the firm's first quarter to September 30, the strength of its performance in other markets, where it does nearly 70 per cent of its business, meant the company overall saw net fees fall by only one per cent – far better than the City feared.
Although Australia and New Zealand fell nine per cent, and Asia by six per cent, results were much better in the Continental Europe and "Rest of World" division, which grew by 16 per cent.
The European growth was largely thanks to a record 25 per cent growth in Germany, which now accounts for a fifth of the group's business.
Hays chief Alistair Cox said it was a stable first quarter, following a tough previous year when its UK business swung into the red with a £6.5m loss after seeing net income drop seven per cent.
"Several parts of the group continued to deliver good growth, with 15 countries delivering net fee growth of ten per cent or more," he said.
"Among these were Germany, which is operating at record levels, Brazil, Canada and Japan. In contrast, certain markets, notably the UK, parts of Asia and southern Europe, were most difficult.
"Looking ahead, we expect this multi-speed environment to continue and while overall conditions remain challenging, and some markets are very tough, opportunities for growth exist in many key parts of our business."
Staff cuts throughout the City have impacted Hays as groups such as Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland have slashed thousands of jobs since the financial crisis, while the recession has also impacted the construction and property sectors.
Private sector net fees fell by 14 per cent in the UK and Ireland, although Hays said "job churn" saw public sector fees rise ten per cent.
Hays has been cutting costs to counter the difficult UK conditions and confirmed its UK and Ireland consultant workforce was 12 per cent down year-on-year.
Earlier this week, Michael Page also reported back on a hard-hit British market, revealing a five per cent drop in UK profits to £29.5m for its third quarter as the double dip recession takes its toll.
It added that operating profits for the financial year were expected to be slightly below City forecasts and that trading would remain tough.
There were also record performances in Belgium and Brazil.
Caroline de La Soujeole, analyst at Seymour Pierce, said the update was encouraging and showed Hays was outperforming Michael Page.


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Charlene Tan Makeup
For your hair and makeup service needs, contact me at 0922-8242758 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Pooch Park Doggie Day Care
Experience the Difference.
Branches: Ortigas Home Depot Complex, Robinsons Metroeast, New Alimall, Market! Market!, The District Imus
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Missed our flight!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Etude House Soft Touch Liner #1
I am soooo into Etude House's lip liners. I like that it helps keep my lipstick in place. Helps the color stay a little longer than just applying lipstick alone. I also learned from the Bobbi Brown workshop to put lipliners after applying lipstick. Something that has become very helpful and handy! :)
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Priority Privilege
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Short Hiatus
As you've probably noticed, I haven't been able to blog that much recently. I've just been really busy with work and my upcoming business trip. So I will be leaving tonight and will be back next week. I hope to post a lot of new finds from my trip and maybe staple places that we go to. I'm quite excited for I will be going with my husband and I hope to squeeze in a little relaxation time. *hint hint* massage spa sleep *hint hint* We'll see if we find a good and comfortable place for that.
So yeah, I won't be able to blog during these days for our schedule is quite packed and I surely will be tired most of the time that when we go back to the hotel, I'll be fast asleep. I think I have a few posts lined up and have already scheduled them for publishing. I will also be checking my email regularly, updating my store's website and facebook. I hope that the trip is productive! :)
So stay tuned for a lot of photos! :p
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Eric's Birthday
And I just want to tell Eric that I love him very dearly. And even though we don't see each other or talk to each other all the time, I am just here. I will always be. I don't have a lot of friends, because I don't use the term "friend" loosely. When I call someone my friend, it's the true meaning in its truest deepest form. And he IS my friend. He will always be. And he can always always count on me no matter what and I will always stand by his side. I know that as we get older, more responsibilities come into play and more problems come our way, but he is a good person with a great big heart. I know and trust that he will always find his way and if not, I will always be here to pull him to the right path.
I love you friend. And again, belated happy birthday! :)
Monday, July 12, 2010
MAC Bottle Green
Products Used:
Skin Hour Mattifying Day Cream
Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals in Buff
Dream Minerals Setting Powder in Gaia (as I needed the matte finish)
Fanny Serrano 2 way foundation in Rajah
Fanny Serrano blush brownish red and cool pink shades (I gotta do swatches of this or at least use numbers so you guys can see.)
Clinique All About Eyes Rich
Max Factor Panstick in True Beige as concealer
Urban Decay Primer Potion Original
MAC Eyeshadow in Bottle Green
Elianto Eyeshadow in Black for outer V
Elianto Eyeshadow in Off White for highlight
Elianto Eyeshadow in Tan for crease, to blend
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack
Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara
Modelco Eyebrow Kit in Dark
MAC Browset in Beguile
MAC Gilded Kiss
I didn't put eyeliner on the lower lashline to keep my face looking fresh and not to make my eye makeup harsher and darker. I just brought some tools for retouching. And when we finished our chores, I added liner on my eyes and gave myself a different lip shade.
Etude House Lipliner 07
MAC Lipglass for gloss
I didn't use any lipstick. :) Just kept the shade looking natural, as the main focus was my eye makeup.
Here's my eye makeup:
Which look do you like better? :)
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Odd Mood
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Windows Live Writer Update
Easy to use -
So much easier to upload photos -
Watermark photos while editting your entry -
Draft a blog post even offline -
Publish drafted posted anytime -
Blogging for dummies!
For some reason, my spacing keeps changing! Say in WLW (Windows Live Writer), it already has 2 spaces, when it's published to my blog, it becomes 1 space! -
I can't tag. The tagging feature in WLW is different from the tags/labels of my blog.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Fanny Serrano Artist Box
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Something Old, New, Borrowed, Blue


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Nominated in Rock — Psych Rock/Shoegaze
1:30-2:00 Broadways
1100 Acoma St.
Denver, CO 80210
Category: Music Venues
Region: South Denver
Vitamins first formed in Greeley in 2005, and has since relocated to Denver, playing and performing in the Colorado area as well as on tour as a four-piece since 2008. Vitamins has amassed a modest yet powerfully inventive discography full of smart songwriting, tight execution and sparkling production of music that is completely self-composed, arranged, recorded, mixed and mastered. The band has performed alongside many of today's finest indie artists, including Man Man, Citay, Birds & Batteries, Chairlift, Gauntlet Hair, Woodsman, Tjutjuna, Tennis and many others. The band was also recently hand-picked by the Flaming Lips to open its show at the Belly Up in Aspen this past December. Vitamins has traveled on tour to the West Coast and performed at SXSW 2010.
Wheelchair Sports Camp
Nominated in Hip-Hop — MC (Female)
12:45-1:15 City Hall, Street Level
What Denver never knew about the four of us until now: Abi has a birthmark on her left butt cheek that reads "diva." Nice guy DJ B*Money stabbed a fool for mixing one of his 5th Dimension records into his 8th Creation section of the crate. Isaac was pronounced "drummer" for the band after he clogged the toilet and flooded a party. For being so little, Kalyn passes more gas than rest of the band combined. But most of all, we would like Denver to know that we love this place, and none of this would be possible without your hometown support.
Whiskey Tango
Nominated in Rock — Jam/Improv
12:00-12:30 City Hall, Amphitheatre
As Whiskey Tango gears up for only its third summer as a band, the group can be proud of what it has already accomplished. The members have crafted a high-energy, original live sound and developed a dedicated fan base at Quixote's, where they've played a weekly gig for a year. Bluegrass, rock and roll, psychedelic, funk, jazz and electronica are all well within their repertoire. While the act continues to play in Denver, it is branching out around Colorado and beyond this summer, with stints at the Waterfront Music Festival at the Mishawaka Amphitheatre. There's much more music to come.
Nominated in Hip-Hop — MC (Male)
2:15-2:45 City Hall, Street Level
I am Whygee, a rapper from Denver, Colorado. I helped create the Suicide Watch series with Sunkenstate (aka Quiz Spits), Kid Hum and B-Money. Dispensary Music is one of the best Colorado hip-hop albums ever, and I created that with King FOE. I'm all about good music, simple and plain. I'm trying to be the Spike Lee of this Denver rap shit.
The Widow's Bane
Nominated in Gothic
12:45-1:15 Sutra
What can be said about the Widow's Bane that hasn't been said already? We've all heard that it is the best and most well-endowed band in town. We've all heard that the guys once saved a school bus full of children from an untimely demise. We all know that quite frankly every other band in Denver pales in comparison — figuratively speaking, of course. Honestly, the only thing that can be said is that we would personally like to announce that any citizen that arrives at Sutra on Saturday, June 18, at 12:45 p.m. sharp will receive a kitten and a lollipop.
Yerkish (now known as Lexigram)
Nominated in Rock — Progressive
6:45-7:15 Opal
Formerly known as Yerkish, Tim Kaminski (vox), Nate Huisgen (guitar), Brent Moran (bass) and Alvin Ramos (drums) sought to rename their band in May 2011. A fortuitous partnership with Sprint put the band in front of more than a hundred million YouTube viewers, and the band chose a new moniker from over 54,000 suggestions. With a clap of thunder and the rattle of a paint can, one of Denver's best progressive rock bands re-emerged as Lexigram. At live shows, the outfit performs mind-altering rock and roll against a backdrop of thematic imagery to enthrall audiences.
Young Cities
Nominated in Pop — Alternative
3:45-4:15 Stoney's
First and foremost: We love Denver. Colorado is where we want to be. We are stoked to be able to be a part of the music scene here and are very grateful to readers of local press and listeners of local music. We're pretty sure national acclaim is almost a lost cause these days, so we are doing this purely for the challenge and for the fun of it. We like playing our music to people. So thanks for being awesome, Denver. Don't change your hair.
When does the MUSIC STOP??? Just a bunch of loud noise...someone should put a ban on this for next year. A true disturbance to the neighborhood!!!!
Is there an updated schedule somewhere? Some of the bands appear to have changed stages. Sauna, for one.
Thank you for a common sense story!. I am a 25 years old lawyer and now I am seeking a good woman who can give me real love, so I got a username loving on *****DaTeRIchSingles.CoM *** it's the most effective site in the world to connect with, date and marry successful, beautiful people.-Meanwhile, It's worthy a try. You do not have to be rich or famous!
Maybe you shouldn't live downtown if you don't like the commotion--go back to the suburbs


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''24'': Kim returns, Edgar leaves
Let's start at the end: Edgar is dead. Or as I probably should write, given the inventiveness of 24: Edgar is dead (?). Although Fox probably decided to run two episodes back to back because of some programming traffic jam (I don't watch American Idol anymore, but I'm sure that gleaming load of crap had something to do with it), the two hours (5 to 7 p.m. in 24 time) flowed beautifully and really maintained suspense while introducing a lot of new developments. Foremost among these was Edgar's collapse from exposure to the nerve gas leaked into CTU headquarters, witnessed by a horrified Chloe, as well as by Jack Bauer and others, in a sealed-off room in CTU headquarters. If Edgar is really gone, he went out a hero. (In the first hour, he was the one who figured out that the terrorists' ''schematics'' matched those of the hospital where the nerve gas was heading.) And here's to Louis Lombardi, who played the socially awkward, polite techie with ever-increasing subtlety.
Now, back to what led up to this. Fox's 24 night commenced with a familiar, if damaged face, that of Tony Almeida, who emerged from his coma wanting to know where his wife, Michelle, was; learning of her death, he collapsed. Later, when told by Buchanan that the person responsible was probably Peter Weller's Henderson, Tony got good and angry you know the writers are going to have to work hard not to have Tony burst in on the now-captured Henderson and kill him before Jack can extract more info from the iron-willed Henderson.
Speaking of whom, it turned out he's married to JoBeth Williams, whose character Jack shot in the leg to try and get Henderson to talk. Poor JoBeth whatta way to make a show-biz comeback; I'm sure this wasn't in her career plan back when she was bopping around to Motown oldies in The Big Chill.
The aftermath of last week's motorcade escapade was inevitable: First Lady Martha gave her hubby the cold shoulder. Then, in a very oddly toned scene for this series, she expressed gratitude to Agent Pierce for gunning down the attackers. The sight of Martha squeezing Pierce's hand in a more-than-merely-thankful gesture (a moment interrupted and witnessed by adviser Mike) was weird and out-of-nowhere. Maybe I'm reading too much into this I guess if you're in shock after an attack, you reach out to the person who saved you, but any time 24 locks into realism, as opposed to heightened realism, the results seem forced or odd, or foreshadowing of something more to come. Martha and Agent Aaron an item? Stranger things have happened during a presidency just ask Bill Clinton. Anyway, by the second hour, Martha had bigger things on her mind: trying to persuade the president not to heed the advice of his vice president (Twin Peaks' Ray Wise), who wants to impose martial law in the gas-threatened area while not calling it ''martial law'' and therefore circumventing congressional approval. Gee, sounds like the kind of law- and definition-twisting that goes on in real life.
Oh, yeah, before I forget: Sean Astin's Lynn had his moment of humbleness, begging Buchanan to let him call his druggie sister and her boyfriend to, in turn, beg for his CTU key card. We saw the boyfriend get shot by Viktor the Floppy-Haired Blond Terrorist, who then shot Jenny, but off-camera, always a warning flare in 24 it suggests she may not be dead.
Hour 2 reintroduced Jack's daughter, Kim (Elisha Cuthbert), now accompanied by a creepy boyfriend, a ''clinical psychologist'' played by a reed-thin C. Thomas Howell in a devilish goatee. (Is this a step up or down from 1986's Soul Man?) Kim took the news of her father's not being dead the way Kim takes everything: with the blank face of moronic semi-comprehension. When she told her father, ''I can't give you what you want right now,'' you can't help thinking that she doesn't mean love but a believable performance. I sense that Howell's pushy boyfriend is going to enable a Kim subplot; I can't say I'm looking forward to it.
It's too bad that Weller's Henderson character is strapped to a table, being injected with some kind of torture serum. It means a couple of things: Jack's interrogation methods (which Henderson taught him when he enlisted Jack in the CTU cause) have failed, and who wants Jack to fail? It also means Henderson isn't in on all the action and chaos that's occurring now that CTU has been nerve-gassed; it would be nice to see some tension between Jack and Henderson in the midst of this crisis, because the layering of suspense and emotion is what 24 is all about.
So what do you think? Is Edgar definitely dead, and if so, how do you feel about losing this essential character? Just how sinister or manipulative or benevolent is Kim's psychologist boyfriend? And do you care that Kim is back? Let it all out, people.


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Wipeout Review
I remember watching Wipeout on television and thinking, "These people are idiots." Twenty minutes later I thought, "I want to be one of those idiots." Now that Wipout has been ported over to iOS, I'll finally get my chance to run around a foam obstacle course like a dummy and injure myself. In the comfort of my own home.