Local MMA Fighter Arrested in Decapitation Case

A tragic case from beginning to end

I am pretty confident that neither mixed martial arts (MMA, cage fighting) nor Islam has anything to do with this awful and tragic case from London, UK. I am also pretty confident it has a lot to do with mental and/or drug related issues.

When you have a suspect that evidently has been overheard shouting "The cats have stolen my lighter" as he hacked a poor cat to pieces with the edged weapon, it seems pretty obvious we are dealing with a very disturbed individual.

Other reports claim the suspect had ambitions to become a cage fighter, but that he had gone off the rails and was known locally for dealing drugs.

Still, the media will probably have a field day if it turns out the murderer who decapitated an 82-year-old innocent great-grandmother with a machete is indeed a Muslim convert, an African immigrant connected to local MMA fighting.

Cage fighting, mixed martial arts

More MMA Fighters in Trouble

The octagon - Illustration from Flickr.com

Yup, we have more MMA fighters in trouble.

It may certainly appear that mixed martial arts fighters are in a league of their own - for better or worse.

Not only do we have top level athletes being caught using steroids at an almost alarming rate - there is also lots of stuff going on elsewhere...

In New Mexico, a fighter apparently looking for trouble got himself into a brawl at a swimming pool, according to krqe.com.

He reportedly ended up critically injured after being knocked out cold with one single punch to the head.

Then you have the former MMA-fighter in Hawaii who recently have been found guilty of murder and sexual assault.

Hawaiinewsnow.com have the full report about this nice fellow, who also have a prior felony conviction and two pending assault cases "under his belt".

And let us not forget "The Noodle", a 35-year-old firefighter from L.A, who' also moonlighting as a mixed martial arts fighter, according to losangeles.cbslocal.com.

He is being accused of worker's compensation fraud after filing false workers' compensation insurance claims while he was participating in MMA fights.

Murder Charge

Israel -- A 45-year-old assistant to the military attache at the Peruvian Embassy in Tel Aviv has been beaten to death, and a 24-year-old man has been accused of murdering the man on September 18.

It is alleged that the accused had planned to kill the victim after the victim allegedly was having a sexual relation with the accused man's 20-year-old girlfriend.

Jpost.com reports that the accused is skilled in the art of Wing Chun, and that he used his martial arts skills to beat the victim to death.

Too Young to Teach

India -- When an argument between two groups of youngsters in west Delhi turned violent, a 16-year-old boy was stabbed to death.

Two young men, among them an 18-year-old individual said to be a karate teacher, was arrested following the murder.

Apart from the obvious tragedy, there is another thing that stands out.

I don't know about you but I do find it very strange that an 18-year-old can be a karate teacher. I mean, come on... it's a teenager for crying out loud!

Death Sentence

Sri Lanka -- After being found guilty of murder, a 52-year-old former karate teacher was sentenced to death, according to dailymirror.lk.

The Homagama resident was accused of murdering a 32-year-old woman, a mother of two, in January 2007.

A Violent Standoff

Pennsylvania -- A 45-year-old man with a criminal history and a martial arts background has been arrested after a six hour long standoff with police in West Bethlehem, according to lehighvalleylive.com.

Stuffed in heavy plastic bags inside the home, police found the dismembered body of the man's 29-year-old girlfriend of nine years. Police said the woman was missing from work and hadn't been seen for two days.

During the standoff, the man had pepper sprayed police, threw vases and barbells at them and told responding officers they would not be able to take him in alive.

Police used tear gas, shot the man with bean bags and finally used a Taser to bring the man out of the house and under arrest.

Extremely Disturbed "Expert"

Just when you think you heard every crazy excuse there is, along comes yet another one that makes your jaw drop to the floor like a ton of bricks.

Israel -- A man who's been convicted of murdering his granddaughter, allegedly claimed he killed her by accident "because of his experience as a martial arts expert". This is according to ynetnews.com.

The man was accused of killing the 4-year-old girl in 2008. He then allegedly placed her in a suitcase and threw her into the Tel Aviv river of Yarkon.

This is the same man who has been described by police as not some master criminal, just extremely disturbed...

I just gotta say this: "Wow..." There, I just said it. What happened to having control, showing restraint and all that jazz? You know the stuff that should come with the "martial arts expert" territory.

Read more about this sad case and disturbing case here, here and here.

Missing Woman Found?

Michigan -- Following a tip, the body of what may be a Hartford woman who went missing in July 2007 may have been found on a property in Hartford Township, according to heraldpalladium.com.

The owner of the property is reported to have had an affair with the 43-year-old woman around the time she was reported missing by her family.

The owner of the property is also reported to have participated in MMA fights in Hartford. In 2010, he allegedly fought at the same event as a Bangor man who is awaiting trial on charges of murdering two women and burying them in his yard: mma fighter in custody.

Fighter Facing Murder Charges

Minnesota -- A 28-year-old co-founder and trainer of a Watertown MMA team is facing murder charges after an alcohol-fueled assault in a bar parking lot two weeks ago, according to police.

The altercation reportedly took place about 3 a.m. in a Watertown parking lot on March 13, according to argusleader.com.

Teacher Shot, Killed

Florida -- A 61-year-old world history teacher, who also taught taekwondo, was shot and killed in North Port when he stepped outside to see who rang his doorbell around 10 p.m.

Police said the victim's wife told them there was just gunshots and no conversation, according to wpbf.com. The woman said she saw two people wearing masks and dressed in dark clothes running from the area.

The victim was an original faculty member at a charter middle and high arts school in Palmetto, and he taught taekwondo at the same school. Because of his martial arts skills, he was known around the school as "Master Ellis".

According to bradenton.com 17-year-old Jason, one of the man's taekwondo students said: "He wasn't just a teacher. He was family. He didn't do it for the money. He didn't do it just because it was his job. He loved every single person. He would talk to us as we needed him. He would take time out of his class to talk with us about personal problems."

Second dan black belt Taylor Lesoine, who had been Ellis' student since the seventh grade. said: "Being with a master, it changed me for the better. I owe almost all I am today to Master Ellis."

Too sad...

Jujitsu Master Murdered

Malaysia -- Police speculates whether or not a family feud can be the motive behind the murder of a ju-jitsu master in Seri Kembangan, Selangor. Police have ruled out robbery as a motive, according to mmail.com.my.

The 42-year-old man was found dead by his wife in a room at his second floor martial arts center Thursday night.

The man's was gagged and his hands and legs were bound together. It is believed the victim was attacked and suffocated by at least three men.

Death Penalty

Florida -- Former karate instructor and junior champion, Leonard Patrick Gonzalez, was handed down a pair of death sentences in the murders of Melanie and Byrd Billings, according to pnj.com.

The murders, described as "execution-style" was proven to be done by Gonzales July 9, 2009 inside the couple's home in Beulah.

Gonzalez reportedly led a gang of five men and one teenager to the spacious home early in the morning. The gang were after a "fortune" that Gonzales believed were kept there.

While handing down the sentence, the judge told the court that Gonzales clearly was the ringleader - directing the other participants.

The other defendants, cooperating with the state, testified that Gonzalez was the one who shot and killed the couple in the master bedroom.

Instructor Gunned Down

Florida -- A martial arts instructor was recently gunned down "execution style" in his driveway in Tarpon Spring, according to tampabay.com.

When police did a search warrant at the home, they reportedly seized three guns and a large quantity of computer equipment.

In the home's garage, police also found a car that matched the description of a vehicle that allegedly was used in a nonfatal shooting earlier in Palm Harbor, according to officials.

The murder weapon, an AR-15 rifle which belonged to the victim, was found at the scene. When searching the victim's residence, police found two more weapons - an MP-5 submachine gun, as well as another AR-15 rifle.

The truck found in the victim's garage, is allegedly similar to a truck seen nearby the scene where a Palm Harbor man was shot in the face, before the martial arts instructor was killed four hours later.

Earlier this week, the Sheriff's Office said that it was possible the two crimes could be connected.

MMA Fighter in Custody

Michigan -- A missing woman, Amy Henslee, has been found dead of apparent gunshot wounds. The woman's body was found along with the body of her friend Tonya Howarth, according to news.yahoo.com.

A 34-year-old MMA fighter, reported to be the cousin of Henslee's husband and co-habitating with Howarth has been arrested and arraigned on two counts of open murder.

Prostitute Murder

Oklahoma -- A 29-year-old former Marine and MMA fighter has been ordered to stand trial in the shooting deaths of a former reality star and three others in November 2009. The District Attorney said he would be seeking the death penalty for the accused.

The man, who worked at a legal brothel near Carson City, is accused in the deaths of four young people, aged 22 to 32. Two of the female victims were pregnant at the time of the murders.

The victims, who allegedly had been stabbed and shot, were discovered in a burning home in southwest Oklahoma City, according to rgj.com.

Break-in Murder Bid Charge

UK -- (Scotland) Two teenagers (17 and 18) will stand trial accused of trying to kill a martial arts expert after allegedly breaking into his home, according to bbc.co.uk.

The two teenagers are accused of attempted murder the sombo (sambo) fighter at his home in Paisley on July 23, 2010.

They are also alleged to have assaulted the wife of the five-time sombo wrestling champion during the break-in. Both accused deny the charges.

Guilty as Charged

Florida -- In Pensacola, a karate instructor is facing the death penalty after having been convicted of leading a group of armed men dressed as ninja to rob and kill a wealthy couple while their nine special-needs children cowered or slept nearby on July 9, 2009.

The prosecutor told the jury of 11 women and one man in closing arguments that it was the accused who conceived the plan to break into the home.

"(...) is the man who had his hand on the gun and his finger on the trigger. He is the man who fired the shots that killed Mr. and Mrs. Billings," the prosecutor said, according to topnews360.tmcnet.com.

Booze, Cannabis and Martial Arts

Sparring and doing martial arts in state like this ... how utterly stupid.

New Zealand -- An evening with cannabis, home brew and martial arts Father's Day 2009 ended with a man stabbed to death in the West Coast settlement of Kumara.

A 55-year man is on trial for stabbing another man on September 7, 2009, inflicting a fatal knife wound to the heart, according to stuff.co.nz.

The case prosecutor said the defendant and the deceased were interested in martial arts and sparred on occasions, as they did that night.

Possible Murder-Suicide

Texas -- An MMA fighter and a model are the victims of what appears to be a murder-suicide, according to kvue.com.

The bodies of the 23-year-old model and the 26-year-old fighter were found by police Sunday night in Northwest Austin.

Charged With Murder

Nevada -- An MMA fighter from Gillette has now been formally charged with second-degree murder in the beating death of a former University of Nevada, Las Vegas football player.

Prosecutors charged the man, 25, in Las Vegas on Thursday, according to gillettenewsrecord.com.