When murder happens offshore, does anyone care?

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“Brace yourself.” This was the subject line of an email that initiated a 7-year investigation of a gruesome slow-motion slaughter at sea.

That subject line also fits with today’s launch of The Outlaw Ocean Podcast series in collaboration with CBC and The LA Times.

The first episode reveals a 10-minute video captured by a cell phone camera that was left in the backseat of a taxi in Fiji. The footage shows a group of unarmed men at sea, possibly 15 of them, shot and killed by a semiautomatic weapon.

The only thing more shocking than the footage is that after the killing spree the witnesses and culprits pose for celebratory selfies on camera.

The number of violent killings — and deaths at sea in general — remain extremely hard to assess. The typical estimate has been 32,000 casualties per year, making commercial fishing among the most dangerous professions on the planet. However, this estimate was drastically increased this year to more than 100,000 fatalities per year — over 300 a day, according to research produced by the Fish Safety Foundation and funded by the Pew Charitable Trust.

This makes commercial fishing, hands down, the most dangerous job on the planet. But here is the deeper problem: the United Nations, which tracks fatalities by profession, does not indicate how many of these deaths are from avoidable accidents, abject neglect or violence. So we do not know whether the world’s most dangerous profession is also among the most violent.

The first episode of The Outlaw Ocean Podcast series looks closely at the question of violence at sea — its causes, impunity, and prevalence. The episode focuses on this gruesome video that was sent to me from a source at Interpol.

The shocking footage was made public and yet no government was willing to investigate. Authorities dismissed it as a case of self-defense against a pirate attack – case closed.

But I couldn’t get the video out of my mind. The capsized boat didn’t fit any of the pirate hunters’ tales. The men shot were unarmed. Their fishing nets were visible. The boat was sinking anyway. The killers were relaxed, laughing. The killing was targeted. This was clearly a case of murder.

Looking for answers, the episode takes us to the bizarre world of floating armories, which are part bunkhouse, part weapons depot, where maritime mercenaries wait for their next ship deployment. The reporting explores how Somali piracy is often used as a pretext for bloodletting by fishing boat captains or private security guards and the reasons that offshore crime often happens with minimal investigation by governments or flag registries.

You can listen to the episode here:

This article originally appeared on TheOutlawOcean.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.

The last meals of some of the most brutal convicts in US history

 

Some death row inmates aren’t just famous for their heinous crimes, but their elaborate and even odd final meals. From requests for one cup of coffee to a meal totaling about 29,000 calories, here are some of the biggest and oddest last meal requests in U.S. history.

Related: The 5 most popular fast-food restaurants in every state

 

Public Domain

 

  • Execution date: Feb. 17, 2005
  • Full last meal: Steak, fried chicken, barbecued ribs, fries, onion rings, bacon, one dozen scrambled eggs with onions, fried tater tots with onions, sliced tomatoes, a salad with ranch dressing, two hamburgers with everything, peach pie, milk and coffee, and iced tea with sugar.
  • Convicted of: Breaking into Ronald Boone’s Texas home and murdering his wife Leona McBee, his daughter Libby Best, and his granddaughters, Reba Best and Tassy Boone.

 

Public Domain

 

  • Execution date: March 20, 1995
  • Full last meal: Two dozen steamed mussels, two dozen steamed clams, a double cheeseburger from Burger King, half-dozen barbecued spare ribs, two strawberry milkshakes, half a pumpkin pie with whipped cream with diced strawberries, and a 16-ounce can of room temperature spaghetti with meatballs.
  • Convicted of: Strangling an elderly woman with her Christmas lights, stealing $8 from her purse and $4 found in her home, selling her TV for $125; murdering an elderly man, and stealing his Social Security check

 

Wikipedia / Public Domain

 

  • Execution date: Sept. 21, 2011
  • Full last meal: Two chicken fried steaks, triple bacon cheeseburger, cheese omelet, a large bowl of fried okra, three fajitas, a meat lovers’ pizza, three root beers; one pint of Blue Bell vanilla ice cream, and peanut butter fudge with crushed peanuts.
  • Convicted of: Murdering James Byrd, with two other white supremacists by dragging him for three miles behind their pickup truck.

 

Public Domain

 

  • Execution date: May 10, 1994
  • Full last meal: Fried shrimp, a bucket of KFC original recipe chicken, fries, and one pound of strawberries.
  • Convicted of: Assaulting and murdering 33 boys while dressing up as a clown, and burying 26 of his victims in his backyard.

Related: Americans are lovin’ these fast food burger chains

 

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

 

  • Execution date: Oct. 9, 2002
  • Full last meal: A cup of coffee
  • Convicted of: Shooting to death and robbing seven of her male clients while working as a prostitute in Florida.

 

Public Domain

 

  • Execution date: March 31, 1984
  • Full last meal: Medium-to-well-done T-bone steak, fries with ketchup, whole kernel corn, sweet peas, lettuce and tomato salad with egg and French dressing, iced tea, sweetener, saltines, Boston cream pie, and rolls.
  • Convicted of: Killing his 8-year-old son with cyanide-laced candy and passing out four cyanide-laced Pixy Stix on Halloween (no other children died).

 

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

 

  • Execution date: April 12, 1999
  • Full last meal: Pizza Hut stuffed crust pizza, four Burger King Whoppers, French fries, fried eggplant; fried squash, fried okra, whole pecan pie, and three two-liter Pepsi bottles.
  • Convicted of: Killing Bobbie Jean Robertson, a convenience store clerk, and four other people.

 

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

 

  • Execution date: Jan. 24, 1992
  • Full last meal: Steak, fried chicken, cherry Kool-Aid, and pecan pie.
  • Convicted of: Killing a man in a restaurant, then shooting the police officer who negotiated his surrender before shooting himself, causing a brain injury.

 

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

 

  • Execution date: May 9, 2007
  • Full last meal: Asked for a vegetarian pizza to be given to the homeless, which was denied, so he refused to eat. However, homeless shelters around Tennessee reportedly received many vegetarian pizzas from all over the U.S. on the day of his execution
  • Convicted of: Shooting and killing a police officer while robbing a Wendy’s in Memphis.While he admitted to being a cocaine addict, he denied that he killed the officer.

Related: Food prices that have risen the most because of inflation

 

Public Domain

 

  • Execution date: Jan. 7, 2016
  • Full last meal: Medium-rare rib-eye steak, baked potato with butter and sour cream, salad with tomato and cucumber, garlic bread, bottle of Coca-Cola, and lemon meringue pie.
  • Convicted of: Murdering three women in separate instances around the Tampa Bay, Florida, area.

 

Public Domain

 

  • Execution date: June 11, 2001
  • Full last meal: Two pints of mint chocolate chip ice cream.
  • Convicted of: The 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, which killed 168 people, injured more than 680 others and destroyed a third of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.

 

Public Domain

 

  • Execution date: Feb. 26, 2003
  • Full last meal: Pasta, steak, tomatoes, cucumbers, a side of fruit, a piece of chocolate cake, and a glass of milk.
  • Convicted of: Killing Dent County Deputy JoAnn Barnes, Harriet “Tottie” Smith, and Michael Wells after a drug deal dispute.

 

Public Domain

 

  • Execution date: April 27, 2016
  • Full last meal: Steak and cheese calzone, pizza topped with meat, a stuffed portobello mushroom, a chef salad with honey mustard and ranch dressing, and orange juice.
  • Convicted of: Shooting and killing a man and his two children in Georgia after they walked in on Lucas and his partner burglarizing their home.

 

Public Domain

 

  • Execution date: July 15, 2016
  • Full last meal: 10 hushpuppies, 10 pieces of fried catfish, two triple deluxe hamburgers with bacon, sliced raw onion, and two whole pints of vanilla ice cream.
  • Convicted of: Beating a friend to death during an argument after getting drunk and partying.

 

 

Public Domain

 

  • Execution date: April 3, 1936
  • Full last meal: Chicken, French fries, olives, buttered peas, cherries, celery, and a slice of cake for dessert
  • Convicted of: The “Crime of the Century” — abducting and murdering the 20-month-old son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh .

Related: How to eat healthier even at the fast food drive-thru

 

Public Domain

 

  • Execution date: July 8, 1999
  • Full last meal: Whole lobster, half a pound of fried shrimp and fried clams, and half of a loaf of garlic bread.
  • Convicted of: Murdering Nancy Weiler in Jacksonville, Florida. She was three months pregnant.

 

Public Domain

 

  • Execution date: Sept. 23, 2010
  • Full last meal: Fried chicken, sweet peas with butter, Dr. Pepper, and German’s chocolate cake.
  • Convicted of: Conspiring to murder her stepson and husband. Lewis was the first woman to be executed by lethal injection in Virginia in nearly a century.

 

Public Domain

 

  • Execution date: Jan. 29, 2002
  • Full last meal: Two grilled cheese sandwiches, a pint of cottage cheese, a hominy/corn mixture, peach pie, chocolate-chip ice cream, and radishes.
  • Convicted of: Murdering Elizabeth Lyman and at least eight others, including an inmate and seven contract kills.

 

Public Domain

 

  • Execution date: Sept. 13, 2011
  • Full last meal: Two pounds of bacon; large four-meat pizza; four fried chicken breasts; two drinks each of Mountain Dew, Pepsi, root beer, sweet tea; two pints of ice cream; five chicken fried steaks; two hamburgers with bacon; French fries; and a dozen garlic breadsticks with marinara.
  • Convicted of: Murdering Ronald Whitehead and Bethena Brosz. While Marcus Rhodes pleaded guilty to shooting both victims, under Texas law, Woods was also executed for aiding and abetting and anticipating the crime.

Related: 7-Up used to contain this common antidepressant

 

Public Domain

 

  • Execution date: Oct. 15, 1999
  • Full last meal:
    Three Burger King Whoppers, two large fries, a chocolate shake, chocolate chip ice cream, and a pack of grape Hubba Bubba bubble gum.
  • Convicted of: Driving with victim Richard Lynn Ernest from California to a rest stop in Utah, where Parsons stabbed Ernest to death.

 

Public Domain

 

  • Execution date: July 12, 2005
  • Full last meal: Filet mignon wrapped in bacon, de-veined shrimp sauteed in garlic butter with lemon, baked potato, corn on the cob, asparagus with hollandaise sauce, French bread, goat cheese, cantaloupe, apple pie with vanilla bean ice cream, and iced tea.
  • Convicted of: Killing a man with a screwdriver, then disposing of parts of his body by putting them down a garbage disposal.

 

Public Domain

 

  • Execution date: June 18, 2010
  • Full last meal: Lobster tail, steak, apple pie, vanilla ice cream, and 7-Up; he also requested to watch “Lord of the Rings” during the meal.
  • Convicted of: Killing a man during a robbery, then killing an attorney while being transported to a hearing.

 

Public Domain

 

  • Execution date: April 21, 1992
  • Full last meal: A 21-piece bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken, two large Domino’s pizzas (no anchovies), ice cream, a bag of jellybeans, a six-pack of Pepsi, and a pack of Camel cigarettes.
  • Convicted of: Killing two teenagers in a Jack-in-the-Box parking lot.

 

Public Domain

 

  • Execution date: June 20, 2012
  • Full last meal: Pizza Hut Supreme Deep Dish pizza with double mushrooms, double onions, double jalapeño peppers, and double pepperoni; a second pizza with three kinds of cheese, olives, bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic, and Italian sausage; 10 eight-ounce packs each of Parmesan cheese and ranch dressing; eight ounces of jalapeño nacho cheese; four ounces of sliced jalapeños; two 20-ounce Cherry Cokes; two large strawberry shakes; two pints of strawberry ice cream; and a family sized bag of Doritos nacho cheese flavor (for a total calorie count of about 29,000).
  • Convicted of: Killing and dismembering 21-year-old Jeffrey Wolfe and sexually assaulting his girlfriend, Charlene Leaser.

This article was produced and syndicated by MediaFeed.org.

 

 

Public Domain

 

 

Mythical Kitchen / YouTube

 

Featured Image Credit: CaraMaria/istockphoto.

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