Man in prison for 20-year-old killing denied parole again

John Buice was denied parole on Friday.

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A man in prison for the 1991 killing of a gay Houston man has again been denied parole.

John Buice stabbed Paul Broussard while out with other teens accused of going on a gay-bashing spree. Broussard died from his injuries and in 1992, Buice was convicted and sentenced to 45 years behind bars.

On Friday, a review panel of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles voted to deny parole for Buice.

Just last year, Buice was granted parole, but based on evidence that remains confidential, the board reversed its decision.

Now, Buice has been denied another shot at freedom. He'll be eligible again in one year.

Buice is the last of 27-year-old Paul Broussard's killers left in prison.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Longtime political rivals facing off again

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Two longtime political rivals are going head-to-head in a familiar fight, battling it out for the state District 146 seat.

If the names Borris Miles and Al Edwards seem familiar to you, imagine how they seem to each other. This is the fourth time the two men have faced each other in a Democratic primary for the state house.

State Rep. Miles says he's just getting started in helping the part of Houston he's always called home.

"I'm a son of Sunnyside. I've never turned my back on Sunnyside. I've been true and faithful to the district," Miles said.

It's a district though that for 28 years was faithful to his opponent, Edwards. In 2006, Miles ran against the 14-term incumbent and beat him. But then, he lost to Edwards in 2008 amidst heavy turnout.

"The onslaught of Obama voters brought voters that were not in-tune to what was really going on in the state house and local levels," Miles said.

Two years later, Miles won the seat back by a mere eight votes.

"We've got a stronger record than we did in our first term or our second term. We've done a lot of things in the legislature. We've been identified as a leader on the house floor," Miles said.

Miles points to his growing record in the capitol. Edwards reminds us of his nearly three decade head start.

"My reason for going back is, I go back with 30 years of seniority. It puts District 146 from the bottom back up to the top," Edwards said.

Edwards says he's most concerned about Social Security -- a federal issue not touched by the legislature -- health care and the price of college tuition.

"I would place in the hopper, legislation to put a moratorium on increasing college tuition until our economy changes," Edwards said.

Miles also talks about better funding for education and health care and temporarily increasing taxes on certain industries.

"Texas doesn't have enough money. We've got to find ways, in my opinion, find ways to subsidize our sales tax," Miles said.

Both men say they want what's best for District 146. But who will the voter's think is best this time, in a race of familiar political foes?

"Ding ding. Round four," Miles said.

Both men, by the way, have more in common than the seat they seek. Both are members of the same college fraternity and even live on the same Houston street.

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Attorneys to again ask for delay in Stanford trial

  HOUSTON -- A last-ditch attempt by attorneys for jailed Texas financier R. Allen Stanford to postpone his trial was unsuccessful. Stanford, charged with bilking investors out of $7 billion in a massive Ponzi scheme, goes on trial next week.

A federal judge on Wednesday ruled against Stanford's attorneys' request for a delay.

Jury selection is set for Monday, with testimony expected to last at least a month. Stanford's attorneys said they expect the financier will testify.

His attorneys had made several attempts within the last month to delay the trial, arguing that they have not had enough time to prepare their case because the financier was hospitalized most of last year after being declared incompetent. He spent more than eight months under treatment in a North Carolina federal prison hospital due to a prescription drug addiction he developed while jailed in Houston.

Stanford's attorneys had argued that the drug addiction, combined with a brain injury from a September 2009 jail fight, has left the financier unable to assist them in preparing a defense. Prosecutors had said doctors at the prison hospital found Stanford was competent, had no brain injury and that he had been faking claims he has lost much of his memory.

U.S. District Judge David Hittner last month said that Stanford was competent and his trial could proceed.

On Wednesday, Hittner rejected a final attempt by Stanford's attorneys to delay the trial because a member of the defense team that is working to organize documents has to have surgery.

Robert Scardino, one of Stanford's attorneys, continued to suggest the financier is not competent, an assertion that upset Hittner.

"You're still pushing that? ...My finding still remains. He is competent and ready to go," Hittner said.

Stanford and three former executives of his now-defunct Stanford Financial Group are accused of orchestrating a pyramid scheme that advised clients from 113 countries to invest more than $7 billion in certificates of deposit, or CDs, at the Stanford International Bank on the Caribbean island of Antigua, promising huge returns.

Authorities say Stanford and the executives fabricated the bank's records, bribed Antiguan regulators with investors' money from a secret Swiss bank account and misused funds to pay for Stanford's lavish lifestyle.

Stanford became a billionaire whose financial empire stretched across the U.S., the Caribbean and Latin America. His attorneys say he ran a legitimate business and he would have been able to pay back investors. He has been jailed since he was indicted in June 2009 by a federal grand jury in Houston, where his companies were headquartered.

He faces 14 counts, including wire and mail fraud.

(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Serial female bank robber strikes again

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A serial female bank robber has struck again in the Houston area.

The FBI says the suspect is now believed responsible for at least four recent area bank robberies. The latest crime happened at around 4pm Wednesday when the FBI says the woman entered the Capital One bank at 19619 Tomball Parkway and handed the teller a threatening note demanding money. When the teller handed over the money, the robber said "Thank you" and exited the bank.

In a robbery committed on December 16 at the Capital One bank at 3037 FM 1960 East, the woman walked into the bank around 2:40pm and slid a threatening note to the teller, demanding money. The teller gave the woman some cash, then the teller explained that there was no more money, and the robber left the bank.

In both December robberies, the woman wore a black windbreaker and a tan knit cap. She is described by witnesses as a black female in her mid 30s, standing 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-7 and weighing between 190 and 200 pounds. She has a heavy build and medium complexion. She has long weave braids or wears a wig.

The woman is also suspected in the robbery of the Capital One bank at 10951 Jones Road on November 19 and the robbery of the Compass bank at 10635 Louetta on November 22.

Crime Stoppers of Houston is offering up to $5,000 for information leading to the charging and arrest of this robber, or any felony suspect. If you have information about this crime, please call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. All tipsters remain anonymous. You can also call the Houston office of the FBI at 713-693-5000.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Crime Tracker »

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HFD: Serial arsonist may have struck again

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- People at a west Houston apartment complex are concerned about an arsonist on the loose after investigators say a fire was set outside one of the apartments.

Just before sunrise Saturday, Ripple Creek Townhomes off Woodway and Ripple Creek was hit by a serial arsonist. Residents are worried it may happen again.

Investigators say someone poured gasoline all over the entry way to one of the buildings, then lit it on fire.

That entry way is the only way in -- or out -- for the people who live in four townhomes.

Four people had to be rescued from the building. Adam Badgley was the closest to the flames.

"I heard popping and cracking and I woke up and saw the flames," he said.

His front door was hot, so he knocked out his window screen and climbed out of a window.

For his upstairs neighbors, including a little girl, escaping wasn't as easy.

A couple sat on their windowsill until firefighters could get to them. Another woman and young girl were hospitalized for smoke inhalation once they were rescued.

"We've had a rash of these [fires], similar to this, in the past several months," Robert Schlieter, district fire chief, said.

According to the Houston Fire Department, the serial arsonist is suspected of starting at least 30 fires since January 2010. Neighbors near Ripple Creek Townhomes are now fearful about the arsonist loose in their neighborhood.

"I am a little fearful, but I'm going to stay here. I like where I'm located," neighbor Susan Cole said.

Residents, neighbors and officials hope the person responsible is caught before he or she strikes again.

"We hope that police will be able to catch these people who are doing this around this area," neighbor Nathalie Toro said.

Anyone with information about who may be setting these fires is urged to call Crime Stoppers.

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