National Roundup

New York Fatal accident at NY Jell-O Museum brings lawsuit ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) -- The estate of an 81-year-old man who died after falling off a lift at the Jell-O Museum in western New York has filed a lawsuit. Rochester media outlets report that the lawsuit filed in federal court in Rochester earlier this week by Frank LaMont Jr.'s estate names the defendants as the U.S. government, the Le Roy Historical Society, which owns the museum, and the companies that serviced, sold and installed the lift. LaMont was living at the Canandaigua Veterans Affairs Medical Center in October 2010, when he visited the museum. LaMont was fatally injured when the scooter he was sitting on rolled through the back door of the museum's wheelchair lift. The lawsuit claims his death was the result of negligence by the V.A. and the defective design and maintenance of the lift. Florida Attorneys in Casey Anthony case want any tweets ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Attorneys for the woman suing Casey Anthony for defamation want to know what the central Florida mother is tweeting about -- if there are any tweets. The Orlando Sentinel reports a series of new court filings Wednesday show lawyers for Zenaida Gonzalez requested copies of "any and all Twitter posts." The defamation trial is expected to start early next year. Anthony was acquitted of killing her 2-year-old daughter. She's now serving a year of probation at an undisclosed location in Florida for an unrelated charge. Gonzalez's lawyers also indicated they will ask authorities for Anthony's address. Anthony told investigators in 2008 a baby sitter named Zenaida Gonzalez kidnapped her daughter. Anthony's attorney later told jurors the story was fabricated. Gonzalez sued Anthony, claiming her reputation had been ruined. Arkansas Teenager texts prank to police detective ROGERS, Ark. (AP) -- A northwest Arkansas teenager thought it would be funny to text a random phone number saying she hid a body, but the joke backfired. Of all the local phone numbers she could have chosen, the 15-year-old Rogers girl picked one that belonged to a police detective. Police found the girl's address by tracing her cellphone number. The prank? To text: "I hid the body ... Now what?" to a random phone number. The teen said she got the idea for the prank from a posting on the website Pinterest. Police didn't find the prank funny and say it tied up some of the department's resources. The girl was released with a warning. Missouri Boyfriend charged in high school girl's death ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A St. Louis teenager is charged with first-degree murder in the strangulation of Vashon High School's co-valedictorian and homecoming queen, leaving her family to lament what they call the cautionary tale of an abusive relationship. Leonard Johnson, 17, was the sometimes boyfriend of 18-year-old Sarah Billingsley-Walker. She was found dead Monday night. An autopsy determined she had been strangled. Johnson was arrested and charged on Wednesday. He was jailed and did not yet have an attorney. Relatives told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that they had warned Billingsley-Walker to stay away from Johnson, who they say had shown signs of violence. "I want Sarah's story to be told because if you are in an abusive relationship you shouldn't hide it from your parents because they are the ones that really love you," her mother, Lavaughn Walker, said. "If you feel you can't talk to them, then go to your counselors at school. Don't think it's going to get better because it's not. If she would have listened to me, she'd be here today." On Monday, Billingsley-Walker called her sister, Lavonda Walker, and said she was at a friend's house and that he was acting strangely and wouldn't let her leave. Walker was filing a missing-person report with police when she got a call that Billingsley-Walker was dead. The friend turned out to be Johnson. Relatives said that as fast as Billingsley-Walker was rising, Johnson was falling. The two dated for about a year. Her mother and stepfather didn't approve of the relationship. They recalled that he once kicked in the door of their home and accused Billingsley-Walker of cheating on him. "I told her to leave him alone and that, 'He will pull you down,'" Lavaughn Walker said. "I told her some smiles are wolves' smiles." The family thought Billingsley-Walker had moved on. It had been about half a year since anyone heard her speak of him. That's why Lavonda Walker didn't think her sister was at Johnson's home when she got the call Monday. "If I would have known she was there, I would have called the police right away," Lavonda Walker said. Still, when Billingsley-Walker didn't answer her cellphone, her mother thought of Johnson and went to his family's home. He said he had spoken to Billingsley-Walker earlier in the day and was "kind of mad" about a new boyfriend. But Walker said he did not appear nervous and showed no signs of a struggle. "He walked me to my car and gave me his phone number telling me to call him if I heard from her," Walker said. Police have not explained the circumstances under which the body was found. Court documents say someone told police that Johnson admitted choking the victim. Billingsley-Walker, one of Lavaughn Walker's five children, was in the National Honor Society and was a member of Vashon's dance team. She worked as an intern at the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, doing paperwork for those seeking assistance with utilities. She had already been accepted to four colleges and was leaning toward a major in political science and history at Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Ark., which offered her a full scholarship. "She wanted to be a lawyer," her mother said. Neighbor Yvonne Petty, 51, said Billingsley-Walker was an inspiration to other young people. "It's very seldom when you get a child in the community who is an A student and valedictorian," she said. "That's the type of life she lived." Vashon officials held an assembly Tuesday to tell students of the murder. Lavaughn Walker said she plans to attend Vashon's graduation ceremony and display her daughter's diploma. Published: Fri, Mar 16, 2012