The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "head cases" ...
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The Curious Case of Sgt. Drenth
A decorated and highly respected Phoenix police sergeant is found dead on the ground in an alley near the State Capitol complex, the victim of a shotgun blast to the head. The weapon is discovered on his body in a manner which several first-responders later claim looked "staged" by another party or parties. Almost a year after Sgt. Sean Drenth's death, the county Medical Examiner rules that the manner of his death was a "suicide," not a "homicide" or "undetermined." The enclosed two-part series was published after the reporter investigated this complex and ultimately tragic case for several months. A few weeks ago, the county Medical Examiner personally told Sgt. Drenth's widow that he personally will revisit the case in light of the revelations in the story and other relevant reasons.
Tags: Death; police sergeant; shotguns
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No Show Policing
The police chief of one of New Jersey's largest cities billed taxpayers for tens of thousands of dollars a year for off-duty "detail work", much of which was never actually performed. Subsequent reporting uncovered that a handful of influential officers, including the heads of both police unions, also enriched themselves in this way. Police records were also so sloppy that it appears taxpayers paid some officers double for working (or, in some cases, not working) the exact same hours.
Tags: taxpayers; police; off-duty; News Jersey
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Head Games
Alan Pendergast, staffwriter for Denver's Westword reports that in 2004, 20% of Colorado's jail population was diagnosed with severe mental illness, and "the true number may be much higher, since some inmates' illnesses are never properly diagnosed." The story compares cost of psychiatric lock-up versus community mental health care. Pendergast advises other journalists doing similar stories should "insist that someone in the accontable chain of command review and comment on the records, even if the actual treatment providers are refusing to be interviewed."
Tags: prison mental illness; correctional systems; lockdown; supermax prison; ADHD; Department of Corrections; forensic psychiatry; head cases; administrative segregation; HIPPA; San Carlos Correctional Facility; Offenders WIth Serious Mental Illness; OSMI; National Institute on Drug Abuse; Mental Health Occupations Grievance Board
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The Law Firm of Hubris Hypocrisy and Greed
The law firm of Milberg Weiss had presented itself "as a champion of the little guy" in filing securities class-action lawsuits. But the firm "has been indicted for allegedly paying three plaintiffs $11.4 million in illegal kickbacks in about 180 cases spanning 25 years - and then repeatedly lying about it to the courts." Fortune tells the story of the investigation into this firm's indiscretions, with a discussion of how the money changed hands, and the reaction to the indictment.
Tags: Milberg Weiss; Mel Weiss; Bill Lerach; Seymour the Head; illegal kickbacks; securities class-action lawsuits
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Investigating Sierra Leone
Last summer, the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone indicted Charles Taylor, then president of Liberiann fir crimes allegedly committed during the civil war in neighboring Sierra Leone. It was only the second time a head of state had been indicted for international war crimes while in office. Prosecutors alleged Taylor was a central figure in a global criminal network that controlled rebels in Sierra Leone who committed murder, enslavement, rape and forced children into combat. American Radio Works journalists Deborah George and Michael Montgomery closely follow the work of investigators and prosecutors as they developed the cases against Taylor and other warlords. The Special Court was established last year in a treat between the UN and the Sierra Leone government and uses a mix of national and international law.
Tags: war; sierra leone; charles taylor; All Things Considered; radio; broadcast; CD; tape
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Power Failure
After having choreographed the grandest media dance in corporate history, AOL and Time Warner have developed insensate feet. A merger charted by the likes of AOL head Steve Case and Time Warner's Jerry Levin became bitter after stock prices crashed by more than 70%. Employee morale at the companies is in its depths and accusations are flying across from either side. No wonder then, that AOL Time Warner's new heads- new C.E.O Richard Parsons, chariman Steve Case , and C.O.O Bob Pittman are scrambling to get the show together, again.
Tags: AOL; Time Warner; Merger; Acquisition; Media; Corporate
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Friendly Fire in the Barracks
Joey Villareal shot his best friend in the head during a game of Russian Roulette. Both were in the Navy. The article raises questions over how the Military Justice System can handle the case, and whether it is even possible for them to do so.
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To Protect and Serve?
WFTS-TV investigates a case where "two Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies respond to a scene where they are told about a woman who is being beaten inside her apartment by an estranged boyfriend. Because the apartment complex was inside Tampa city limits, the deputies stood outside the woman's door and told security guards to call the Tampa police department instead. Police officers arrived, pushed past the deputies and kicked in the woman's door to find her unconscious and bleeding from the head."
Tags: TAPE; TRANSCRIPT; Hillsborough County; Tampa; Florida; police; law enforcement; city limits; sheriff; Tampa police department
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River of Death
After more than 20 years, the officer who headed the investigation into the Green River Killer may see the case closed at last. A look into the investigation and how it may have been solved.
Tags: crime; serial killers; murder; police; detectives; unsolved; green river killer
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Nasty Boys
Despite several high profile sexual harassment cases in the 90s, the problem still exists in some companies. Former employees of Rent-A-Center are suing for $410 million dollars over allegations. These are the stories of the women who faced this problem head on.
Tags: sexual harassment