Woman solicits potential 'assassin' to kill wearer of fur coat.

[LeftinOH]

*snip*
A Cleveland Heights woman with an apparent passion for animal rights remains in federal custody today. Federal prosecutors say she tried to hire an assassin through Facebook to kill "someone who is wearing fur." Federal agents arrested Meredith Lowell, 27, Tuesday morning at her home, charged with solicitation to commit murder.
*snip*
In a mid-November email between her and an undercover agent, outside of Facebook, she said she could only afford to pay $730, and advised him "top bring a gun that has a silencer on it and that can be easily concealed in your pants pocket or coat. Do not wear anything that even remotely looks like fur. If you do not want to risk the possibility if getting caught with a gun before the job, bring a sharp knife that is at least 4 inches long."

She went on to specify that she wanted the person "to be dead in less than 2 minutes (under 2 minutes or 1 minute or less would be better.)"

In another message she told the agent "I am paying you to kill one person wearing fur who is 12 or older (but hopefully at least 14 years however 12 years old or older is fine.)"

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2012/02/heights_woman_charged_with_usi.html

[Scuba]

1. Another terrorist plot thwarted by our fearless Feds....

... I'm sure it'll be all over Fox "News".

[Nuclear Unicorn]

4. She was soliciting murder. Regardless of her motive that's still news.

[badtoworse]

5. She was going to murder someone for wearing fur.

That does fit the definition of terrorism in my book. What would you have done about it?

[Nuclear Unicorn]

8. Apparently nothing if it embarrasses, "The Cause."

Whatever that is.

It's weird how different folks handle the news differently. I had a girl friend in college who was Muslim. Whenever news of "Muslim terrorists" blurted across the airwaves she would say, "They are not Muslim. It is impossible for them to be Muslim," and then she would recite verses from the Koran to prove her point.

One would think if the solicitation of murder was so heinous as to be embarrassing the response would be, "She's no rights activist because rights activists don't violate one right to presume to protect another" but I guess reflexes are just a more natural response.

[Scuba]

10. I guess I did a poor job of making my point...

... which was not to trivialize her crime, but to suggest that since it comes from "the liberal side" it will quickly be classified as terrorism and condemned, while the shooting of Gabby Gifford and other domestic terrorism is overlooked (because it is encouraged by Fox??).

[Nuclear Unicorn]

14. Loughner was literally a deranged, conspiracy nutter.

He zoned out on conspiracy videos -- http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/01/ex-friend_loughner_was_influenced_by_conspiracy_th.php

The movie that played to his madness was Zeitgeist -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeitgeist,_the_Movie

Part I: The Greatest Story Ever Told

Part I questions religions as being god-given stories, arguing that the Christian religion specifically is mainly derived from other religions, astronomical assertions, astrological myths and traditions, which in turn were derived from or shared elements with others. In furtherance of the Jesus myth hypothesis, this part argues that the historical Jesus is a literary and astrological hybrid, nurtured politically. The work of Acharya S, author of The Christ Conspiracy: The Greatest Story Ever Sold, was used extensively in part I of the movie. She also acted as consultant for part I of the movie.[14]

Part II: All the World's a Stage

Part II uses integral footage of several 9/11 conspiracy theory films to claim that the September 11 attacks were either orchestrated or allowed to happen by elements within the United States government in order to generate mass fear, initiate and justify the War on Terror, provide a pretext for the curtailment of civil liberties, and produce economic gain. These claims include that the US government had advance knowledge of the attacks, that the military deliberately allowed the planes to reach their targets, and that World Trade Center buildings 1, 2, and 7 underwent a controlled demolition. In a March 17, 2009, New York Times article, Alan Feuer reported that Peter Joseph had indicated that he had "moved away from" his opinion on whether the September 11 attacks were an inside job perpetrated by the U.S. government, but a later clarification on the Zeitgeist Movement website clarified that Joseph was shifting his focus, not retracting his views.[8][15]

Part III: Don't Mind the Men Behind the Curtain

Part III argues that three wars of the United States during the twentieth century were waged purely for economic gain by what the film refers to as "international bankers". The film alleges that certain events were engineered as excuses to enter into war including the sinking of the RMS Lusitania, the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the Gulf of Tonkin Incident.

According to the film, the US was forced by the Federal Reserve Bank to become embroiled in these wars, not with a view to win but to sustain the conflict, as this forces the US government to borrow money from the bank, allegedly increasing the profits of the "international bankers". The film then goes on to claim that the Federal Income Tax is illegal.

This section also claims the existence of a secret agreement to merge the United States, Canada and Mexico into a "North American Union". The creation of this North American Union is then alleged to be a step towards the creation of "One World Government." The film speculates that under such a government, every human could be implanted with an RFID chip to monitor individuals and suppress dissent.

An updated version of Zeitgeist released in 2010 removes the North American Union section among other changes.[16]

[AngryAmish]

12. NO true Scotsman...

[Nuclear Unicorn]

15. Are you saying terrorists ARE true Muslims?

wth?

[AngryAmish]

18. Yes I am.

For Sunni Islam there really is no body like the Roman Catholic Church who can decide who is a Muslim and who is not a Muslim. You can't get excommunicated. There are some terrorists who say they are Muslim and do their acts because they think their religion compels them to do so. I take them at their word.

Muslim people say that these are nutjobs and acting heritically in claiming Islam compels them to do these crimes. They are also correct. I would not be associated with such terrorists.

Are some Muslims terrorists? Yes. Just as there are Christian, atheist, Buddhist, etc. Just because some small portion of a group commits crimes one does not blame all members,. That is bad.

[Scuba]

20. Check the first sentence in your last paragraph. I hope that's a mistake.

[AngryAmish]

21. You must hate freedom.

fixed it. Oops!

[Scuba]

23. Not mine, just yours.

Kidding.

[Scuba]

11. Please see my reply #10. Thanks.

[Blue_Tires]

2. How tough are things in CLE when you can order a hit for $730?

[HopeHoops]

3. I don't think PETA would approve.

She wasn't naked, covered in fake blood, and wrapped in plastic.

[Archae]

6. You kidding?

PETA will now no doubt be paying this ditzoid's legal bills.

[HopeHoops]

9. I'm a vegetarian. I used to like PETA. They've gone over the top now.

The tactics they are using now are NOT helping the cause, but that said, they would not advocate killing someone for wearing fur for the same reason they do the weird shit they do. They'd just throw ketchup on the fur. Killing a 12 year old is just wrong under all circumstances. Besides, fake fur looks like real fur. So you pay someone to kill anyone with fur and later find out it was polyester. My eldest is a lifelong vegetarian but her jacket has a fake fur lining over the hood edge. She would be a potential target.

As much as I dislike PETA's approach in recent years (although the nudity isn't bad), they would NOT condone this woman's actions for the same reason they exist. We're human, but still animals.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

16. I agree PETA has gone over to the absurd side BUT --

maybe it might be fair to not associate them with this particular incident, just in the name of fairness.

For all we know the suspect in the OP may well have had a lifetime membership to PETA but even that would not put the blame on PETA. If given a chance even a group as over-the-top as PETA -- I would imagine/assume/hope -- could truthfully say they neither knew of or would condone such manifestly deranged actions and would have called the police had they known.

[HopeHoops]

17. Agreed, but domestic terrorists can be associated with the NRA and you can't blame the NRA.

Unfortunately, FOX will (and I am certain of this) use this story to denounce PETA. They would not condone her actions. It's exactly opposite of their beliefs and approach. And FOX will probably find a way to twist into "AND she's an OBAMA supporter".

[badtoworse]

28. Who are you talking about?

[HopeHoops]

30. There are too many to count - how about the DC sniper case? Waco, Ruby Ridge, etc.

[badtoworse]

29. I don't know. A few years ago, they were pushing breast milk ice cream. - nt

[Earth_First]

32. Care to substantiate this hyperbolic language with a case in which they have provided legal defense

to a case similar in nature?

I'm not defending PETA whatsoever, I'm eating a ham and swiss right now; but this hyperbolic language is outrageous.

[Ikonoklast]

13. People end up getting killed for pocket change, every day.

I'd bet lots of people would be willing to do it for that amount.

[Blue_Tires]

22. It was kind of a joke...

The girl is clearly dumb enough that she would have gone ahead with the deal even if the undercover fed said he'd do it for $10...

[snooper2]

7. Funny how even with just a picture

The eyes tell you so much you need to know about a person...


I also have a theory on really large foreheads but it's going to be many more years of observation and research until I can draw some definitive conclusions.

[ZombieHorde]

19. Crazy. nt

[Javaman]

24. that is a whole vat of stupid.

perhaps she will get the mental help she desperately needs in prison.

[FarCenter]

25. More on motivations.

She told the undercover employee she wanted to be on site when the slaying took place so she could distribute "papers" afterward, the affidavit says. She hoped to be arrested so she could call attention to her beliefs and to get out of the home she shared with her parents and brothers who eat meat and eggs and use fur, leather and wool, investigators said.

Reprinted emails also say Lowell wrote that she sees nothing wrong with "liberating" animals from fur factory farms and laboratories since "soldiers liberated people from Nazi camps in World War 2." She also criticized a new aquarium in Cleveland - saying "it is wrong for animals to be taken against their will and put into their (equivalent) of a bathtub" - and research by the Cleveland Clinic, where she said animals should be "liberated and put somewhere where they are not tortured."

http://www.local12.com/guides/petcare/story/Animal-Activist-Accused-in-Murder-For-Hire-Plot/_rsVklV-tEeHovzVX-yprA.cspx

Lucky thing that she didn't murder her family by poisoning their meat!

[LeftinOH]

26. Some people wear vintage fur pieces; some faux fur is not

easily distinguishable from the real thing. It's just lucky she was caught before someone actually took her up on the offer.

It's interesting how some mentally ill people can latch onto a "cause" and become really dangerous. It happens all the time with religion and political ideology.

[Blue_In_AK]

27. Insane.

She'd be wanting to assassinate half the people in Alaska. Including Blue_in_AK, who has a fox fur ruff on her beautiful new parka. Hey, Ohio girl, BITE ME.

[flamingdem]

31. What if it turned out to be FAKE FUR!!

Does the killer say "sorry"?