crime

KN, p. 344 “Crime Interrupted by a Stroke”

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The Mayo Clinic tells us: a brain stroke occurs when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked (ischemic) or a blood vessel bursts (hemorrhagic), starving brain cells of oxygen. This leads to sudden symptoms like numbness, confusion, trouble speaking, and vision problems.

The symptoms of a TIA are similar to those of a stroke and include:

  • Numbness or muscle weakness, usually on one side of the body.
  • Trouble speaking or understanding speech.
  • Dizziness or loss of balance.
  • Double vision or trouble seeing in one or both eyes.

A TIA doesn’t cause permanent damage to brain cells or the brain. A regular stroke causes a prolonged blockage that may lead to lasting brain damage or disability.

What does all that mean for a practicing criminal or a dedicated investigator? Nothing good for either.

There are a number of great books/TV series these days that feature amateur investigators of a certain age. Remember Angela Lansbury in the “Murder She Wrote” series? Or the two quite different “Matlock” TV series? Many cozy books are happy to point out that just because a person is collecting social security or is retired, doesn’t mean their brains have retired as well. But, aside from the occasional nod to aches and pains of aging, I rarely hear about knee replacements or heart attacks or strokes getting in the way of solving a case or committing a crime. The aging heroes and heroines are amazingly agile and healthy, IMO.

In 1998, “Safe House” (TV movie) starred Patrick Stewart as a former intelligence officer who was quickly falling under the grip of Alzheimer’s. His family was concerned about the memory issues, but had been unaware that he had been an agent. When he began to warn them about ‘dangerous people being after him’ he was not believed. The hit 2026 TV series, “Memory of a Killer,” starring Patrick Dempsey, deals with a hitman at the beginning of his Alzheimer’s struggle, trying to keep it together while still carrying out his assignments. He isn’t always successful.

Alzheimer’s isn’t a TIA or a stroke, but symptoms of forgetfulness, frustrations with the simplest activities, and trying to cover it up, do overlap with those of TIAs.

Take a look at my cousin’s experiences:

On February 11, he was in the hospital, having suffered a TIA after his BP jumped to 246/140. He ceased being able to speak. The excellent ER care stopped the stroke in its tracks and he spent the night while they conducted many, many tests to discover the extent of the damage, if any. For the next month at home, he was exhausted by the smallest things and slept half of every day, in between watching some mind-numbing TV shows. He was lightheaded and dizzy, so walking never happened in a straight line. He felt close to fainting a couple times a day as his blood pressure shifted from waaaaay too high to dangerously low (90/55). He knew full well that he wasn’t out of the woods yet, but he was alive.

A thief planning a heist would have to postpone any involvement in the crime. Recovery doesn’t happen overnight and the brain is too busy healing to do anything new. My cousin could have conversations and interact fairly well, but any chats longer than 20 minutes made his brain hurt. It would shut down, needing to recharge before engaging again. A Detective would be placed on medical leave, perhaps be able to consult on a case he had worked on, but not be capable of coping with 12-16 hour days in a murder investigation. He would nod off during the briefings.

February 28th:
Two and a half weeks after the TIA and the life-saving hospital stay my cousin’s BP was fairly stable (in the 130s over 70s) for five days. His gait was better (less staggering and longer strides) and he looked forward to walking for five minutes at a time outside when the weather cleared. Seemed like a wild goal at the time to him, but knowing him all his life, I knew it was possible.

His brain could only handle one task a day, and only for 20-30 minutes, before a brain buzz set in, his vision clouded, and he felt like he was going to pass out. But, this was an improvement from 10 days before when sleeping all day and night was all his body/brain could handle. Small victories. In order to maintain some kind of muscle strength, he walked for 60-90 seconds when he could inside the house, in a controlled circuit without tipping over, high-stepping when possible.

An insight to the internal action of a healing brain: whenever he watched TV, read a book, or had a conversation during the first two months, his brain went on speed dial and recalled every single memory about that topic for the next few minutes. As if the computer was checking to see what was still there. He would be physically tired afterwards and need to sit, focus, and regroup.

May 11th – Three months after the TIA occurred:
Recovery at home had its ups and downs, with my cousin’s blood pressure sometimes jumping back to 185/90 and on other days dropping down to 90/55. There was no apparent cause for any of it. Like mine, his normal diet is heavy with veggies, fish, and chicken and the most sodium in our diets comes from restaurant food, not home-cooked-never-processed meals. He ate out once in the middle of the third month and his BP shot up to the 180s again, needing medication to drop it down.

Brain fog and head buzzing alternates with weakness in the limbs, but testing has revealed no clogs, no blockage, nothing. Recovery includes resting for an hour after every activity instead of the non-stop routine of always on the go. Can you imagine a detective taking a nap at the back of a squad room or an assassin staggering toward his/her target while being zapped by brain fog?

In my cousin’s case, both the brain and the body were jolted by the TIA. He is  stronger than the day he left the hospital, but a long, long way from traveling anywhere or binge-watching TV or binge-reading his favorite thrillers. It took a while before he could read more than 2-3 pages at a time, but he is now up to 10-15 pages at a time. Small victories.

Best advice cuz and I can share? If you are experiencing stroke symptoms, get to the hospital inside two hours from the time of onset. That window of time for treatment can save your life.

Treatment and Recovery
Treatment depends on the type of stroke but is highly time-sensitive. Ischemic strokes may be treated with clot-busting drugs (tPA) or mechanical thrombectomy, while hemorrhagic strokes focus on reducing pressure and stopping the bleeding.

Symptoms: Think B.E. F.A.S.T.
Immediate action is crucial if you notice these signs:

  Balance: Sudden loss of balance or coordination.

  Eyes: Sudden vision changes or trouble seeing.

  Face: One side of the face droops when smiling.

  Arms: Weakness or numbness in one arm.

  Speech: Slurred speech or difficulty understanding.

  Time: Time to call emergency services (911) immediately.

Special Note: The major symptom cuz had was that he could not speak. He could understand everything that was happening and was being said to him. The speech returned about an hour after the treatment began. The lack of coordination appeared later. The face drooping happened later. This is his third mini-stroke in 12 years, the first two with clear cause & effect.

Three months after the fact, with some continuing symptoms cuz is experiencing, and no apparent reason for any of it, I can’t see how anyone could successfully run an investigation or a heist without tremendous support from everyone in their circle. It sure does throw a wrench into ‘working alone’ or ‘covering up’ your identity for the foreseeable future. Multiple passports? Hiding from the law? HA!!! But, it certainly makes for interesting complications in a novel.  🙂

 

 

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KN, p. 308 “Tax Fraud”

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In 1789, Benjamin Franklin said, “Nothing is certain except death and taxes.”

237 years later? It’s still true.

April 15th is tax day in the USA. By midnight that day, the bill must have been paid, either via mail date-stamped by the Post Office, or online. After that, if you owe money and don’t send it in, penalties began to add up.

Government at every level imposes taxes in order to pay its bills. Roads, schools, civil defense, water control, government employees, and more…all get a piece of the revenue pie.

So what happens if you don’t file taxes? It is a crime not to pay and a definite no-no not to file. Since this is about money and the government needs more of it to run the programs, there are fines if you forget (or don’t want to pay), even jail time in certain cases.

Penalties

  • Not filing taxes: 5% of the tax owed for each month the return is past due.
  • More than 60 days late filing: A minimum fine of $435. Maximum fine is 25% of the total owed. (Plus the amount you owe)
  • Not paying at all: 0.5% of the unpaid taxes for each month the outstanding taxes aren’t paid, plus interest. Ouch.

The government can choose to play nice with people “who have never done this before” and there are extensions available. BUT, not everyone gets a pass and only in rare instances.

Your house burns down? Better call the tax people and get an extension in writing. Those taxes are still due and penalties still accrue, but there might be a bargain to be struck if the agent is having a good day. You might be able to negotiate a six-month extension, but you still owe the money.

 

True story: a former colleague hired a tax firm to do her taxes – fill out forms and assess the amount owed. The firm underestimated the debt and overestimated the deductions. The IRS conducts random audits and contacted her one year – after she had left the paperwork to the firm for about five years in a row. Short version: the firm had done a lousy job. She wound up paying back taxes and fines of over $20,000. Yup. Four zeros. She appealed. She was allowed to pay it back over time, but she still owed all the back money. The firm did little to help her, citing that they based their figures on the information she gave them. Hmmm.

 

How long can you avoid filing taxes?
The powers-that-be have “six years to charge you with criminal tax evasion.” It can take as long as it likes to collect the money owed. Don’t forget, there’s interest charged on top of the penalties and money owed. Jail time is possible if they get you for criminal tax evasion. It’s a felony, folks. PLUS, you’ll probably get audited for years afterward.

 

What’s the difference between evasion and avoidance?

  • Tax evasion is fraud and means that you have used illegal ways to conceal income, with fines, penalties, and possible jail time (maybe five years) if found guilty. You lied on the forms. They can even charge you for the cost of prosecution.
  • Tax avoidance uses legal ways to reduce income with tax credits and allowable deductions.

WAIT!  What counts as under-reporting?
Not reporting cash ‘under the table’ for legal or illegal activities. Whether child-care or gun-running, income is income, according to the IRS.

Cryptocurrency transactions are taxable, so if you thought there were no rules, think again.

Whistleblowers:
There is a special IRS office that pays for information leading to the arrest (and conviction) of major tax fraud perpetrators. Big bucks are at stake if money is hidden in illegal overseas accounts. If it involves a criminal organization, witness protection might be part of what happens next.

 

My advice? Pay what you owe. There are legitimate tax planners out there who can possibly help reduce your tax bill, but to evade altogether? Seriously bad idea if you’re allergic to jail and big fines.

*information source: the IRS.

 

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KN, p. 340 “Death by Holiday”

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An elderly family member passed away during last year’s holiday season and while searching through several funeral websites for information, I found out more than I expected. Nationwide stats and reasons for death are mixed in with casket choices and names of local florists.

Did you know that murder and violent crime can increase during the holidays? The underlying reasons listed below are a compilation from several different funeral home websites across the country, not limited to the South or Northeast where I have lived.

  • People tend to drink more at the holidays: Getting drunk can lead to dumb decisions, fights, and more deadly DUIs than at non-holiday times.

 

  • Tensions are higher: Not everyone is full of joy and laughter at the holidays. Reminders of disappointing or difficult previous holidays can trigger emotional reactions. In some cases, this can result in domestic violence against spouses or children.

 

  • Money troubles: It’s tough to enjoy the non-stop commercial display of excess on every corner when money is scarce during the holidays. Not being able to afford the glitz can give rise to an overwhelming feeling of failure. Theft and robbery of goods/money by desperate people can result in deadly force to protect those items.

 

  • Too much to do: Full-time jobs and party planning create conflict when the work falls to one person to do all the cooking, cleaning, decorating, and shopping before the events. Some people snap under the pressure and nothing good comes from that. Heart attacks, strokes, food binges, increased drinking – can all be elevated to an unhealthy level.

 

  • Too tired to do it all: There are only 24 hours in a day and just because we need more time to get all the prep done doesn’t mean we can change the clocks. BUT, being tired causes problems on the highway, at work, and on the holiday itself. Sleeplessness can lead to poor judgment and poor reaction time while driving, leading to lost tempers and more accidents. Research by insurance companies indicates that exhaustion on the road has the same result as being drunk.

Soooooo…. What can we do to prevent all that from happening to the people in our circles?

Drinking and driving don’t mix, so consider taking a taxi to your destination and home again. Or choose a designated driver in your group before the event, who will be willing to stay completely alcohol free during the event. YIKES stat: The weeks between turkey day and December 31st are when drinking is at an all-time high.

Avoiding stress is nearly impossible, so consider making a doable plan that paces the day and includes time in the gym or a massage or quiet time with a cup of tea and a book. WAIT-WHAT? Doesn’t that take time away from the tasks already on the list and even add to them? Sheila and I have each tried the quiet time scenario with no phones or TV on in the background. It’s amazing what 15 minutes away from ‘the list’ will do to increase focus and refresh the brain.

Money, money, money. We all need it but sometimes the money runs out before the month does. Even in a money-tight year, we tend to want the same celebrations as before, but that’s not realistic or practical. To keep from bouncing the credit cards at the holidays, use the old decorations, get a smaller tree, buy one or two presents for each other instead of five. Consider hand-made gifts, or gifts of chores around the house, or books, or performances for each other (Check out “The Twelve Days of Christmas”). Stay away from the high-priced hot-ticket items in the stores. Make a budget that realistically assesses what you can afford to spend and keep track of what you’re spending. When the money runs out, it’s gone, so spend thoughtfully.

To-Do List. There is not one single person I know who wants to do ALL the work while the spouse or children are on their phones or watching TV. The Resentment Meter can go off the charts and lead to work strikes in the kitchen and one or two murderous thoughts. The routine that Sheila and I have devised through the years is workable for anyone. We sit down a week or two before the event and make a list of everything that needs to be done, including the shopping, meal-planning, cooking, cleaning, special circumstances, decorations, gifts, setup, invitations, and transportation. We divide the responsibilities according to time needed and skill level required with a haggle here and there over the details. Flexibility is key. HINT: getting the kids involved in the list goes a long way to develop their sense of family participation.

Toooo Tired! Multiple gatherings can wear a person out and if adults don’t get at least six hours of sleep a night they put themselves at risk for heart attacks or strokes. Or car accidents. Or unfounded anger. If you’re exhausted, consider having a short nap. Less than half an hour in a dark, quiet room can refresh your brain and attitude.

 

Slow down and take a step back from the potential chaos. Above all, remember the Reason for the Season and enjoy it. The life you save may be your own.

 

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