Battle over Satin Strangler Rights

Princeton, NJ.

Sinclair Blande appears to be switching gears.

In recent months, Blande fought to prove that attorney Horace Krouch was guilty of libel in his New York Times best selling book, If She Did It. After losing the liable case, Blande has decided to sue Krouch on behalf of his daughter for the rights to the name “Satin Strangler” instead.

Blande is setting out to prove that his daughter Destiny has gained the rights to the Satin Strangler title. Although Destiny Blande was acquitted in the criminal case, she later lost a costly decision to Satin Strangler victim Edgar Stahl’s family in a civil suit. Early speculation was that Sinclair Blande was trying to establish a revenue stream to fund his daughter’s 38 million dollar civil damages to the Stahls. Instead, he has vowed to shut down all Satin Strangler branded enterprises, starting with Krouch’s book and upcoming Broadway play.

“Mister Krouch’s actions are damaging to our family,” Blande told reporters. “If the courts do not feel that he has been lying about my daughter, then our only option is to win the rights to his subject matter. He is a parasite. I won’t stop until we shut him up and shut him down.”

Destiny Blande, as always, was not available for comment.

Horace Krouch, who has apparently bounced back to his typical gregarious form since winning the liable case, provided a mouthful to reporters: “Well, is she the Satin Strangler or not? Even her father cannot determine an incontrovertible response to that question. Yesterday she was. Today she is not. While in pursuit of my money through his frivolous libel suit, he assured us of her innocence. Now he will have us believe that she is the Satin Strangler and also possesses of the rights to the name. Magnificent! My humble advice to Mr. Blande would be to focus on his parenting skills, rather than on my money.”

Krouch seems to know the dirt this time, and now so do you.

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Libel Case Decision

Trenton, NJ.

The Blande family received more bad news from the courts yesterday. Sinclair Blande, father of accused Satin Strangler Destiny Blande, lost his libel lawsuit case against his daughter’s criminal defense attorney, Horace Krouch.

Blande was contesting the use of a character closely resembling Destiny in a fictionalized tale of the Satin Strangler. Krouch had his work cut out for him defending the book with the tongue-in-cheek title If She Did It. The protagonist and femme fatale, Daphne Blain, aka the Satin Strangler, is indistinguishable from Destiny Blande to any reader who hasn’t been hiding under a rock for the last year.

Krouch released three chapters of his book through his website, KrouchMurderDefense, and is now planning a nationwide marketing blitz during the release of the full print version in December.

It is obvious in even a cursory review of the first few pages of the book that the resemblance to Destiny is intentional, but proof of libel is another issue. The task at hand for her father was to prove that the book depicted statements of fact or mixed statements of fact and opinion, and that those statements were false. Common defenses in libel cases include proving that the statements reflected actual facts about the plaintiff, or that the statements made were intended to reflect a plausible opinion of the defendant.

Krouch legally represented himself in the case, stating that there were no other attorneys that he trusted more than himself. He was expected to make an argument that the lead character, Daphne Blain, was in no way meant to represent Destiny Blande. That was indeed where the defense started. When the plaintiff’s attorney began reading passages from the book, however, the projected outcome became dismal for Krouch. In an unusual twist, he converted mid-case to a secondary strategy, challenging the plaintiff’s attorneys to prove that Destiny Blande was not the Satin Strangler.

The burden of proof was inverted as the plaintiff’s attorneys struggled to document that the book’s statements about Blain, which they originally contended were about Blande, were actually false. In the statements of the jury and judge, this is where Blande’s attorneys were deficient. Unable to disprove that Destiny was the Satin Strangler, they lost the case. Krouch’s back-up strategy worked, primarily because few people other than the 12 jurors he persuaded in the criminal case actually think that Blande is innocent of the Satin Strangler crimes.

While this common law trial went Krouch’s way, it raises some concerns. If Krouch is felt to have released truthful information about Blande into print, then he is protected from allegations of libel. More importantly, however, he might actually be in breach of lawyer-client confidentiality, placing him at risk for disbarment.

“I have done nothing wrong,” Krouch told reporters after the case. “If you doubt that, then read the book and decide,” he added with a wink.

We have certainly not heard the end of the controversial book, If She Did It, which is scheduled to be released in hard copy next month. Krouch’s book has already sold 1.2 million copies through Amazon, only 400,000 shy of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pre-sales.

We have probably not heard the end of the legal battles surrounding the book. “I am not finished yet,” was Sinclair Blande’s only comment following the court’s decision.

We will see what the dirt is on a possible appeal on this one and watch this story for you.

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This is post #66 in The Satin Strangler Blogs (TSSB).

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Most Eligible Bachelorette

People magazine may not have the guts. And forget about all those teeny bopper magazines. But here at The New Jersey Dirt, we have already selected our most eligible bachelorette of 2009. No need to wait until December. Using our criteria of sex appeal, AAA ratings on the paparazzi A-list, lifestyle, and wealth/earning potential, this year’s bachelorette, as selected by a record 24 of 26 members of our staff, is . . .

The Satin Strangler, Destiny Blande.

You may know her as that mild mannered office assistant from Neon Lights Advertising, or perhaps the lustful inspiration behind her lawyer’s book If She Did It, but most of us simply know and love her as high profile serial murderer Destiny Blande. Whether on a wild night on the town, or in a more intimate setting, she captivates her dates. She’s left a trail of now-famous men. She’s hot. She’s the latest craze. She’s exhilaration that will leave you gasping for air.

How would you like to win a date with Destiny? Well, we cannot actually promise a date with her. Similar to the rest of the media, we have yet to meet her. But if we did have a contest and you won, where would you take her? Please answer the survey below for a chance to win a $5 gift certificate to our on-line store.


SURVEY: Where would you take Destiny Blande on a first date?

A. Victoria’s Secret

B. Jekyll and Hyde’s Restaurant, NYC

C. Pink Pussycat shopm NYC

D. Your apartment

E. Bon Jovi concert

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This is post #62 in The Satin Strangler Blogs (TSSB).

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Civil Case Judgment

Trenton, NJ.

“Do you believe that the defendant, Destiny Blande, willfully or wrongfully caused the death of Edgar Stahl by a preponderance of the evidence?”

“Yes, we do.”

The epic story that has captivated the public’s attention since the first few written pages has added a new chapter. Destiny Blande, the accused but recently acquitted Satin Strangler, was found guilty of wrongful death in the civil suit filed against her by the family of victim Edgar Stahl just moments ago.

Blande was acquitted in a criminal case for the NJ murders of Edgar Stahl and Grant Leighton earlier this year. The media frenzy of that trial gave us live feeds and constant coverage. To the disappointment of millions of spectators, Blande did not take the stand in the criminal case. Instead, audiences across the country watched her sitting silently, periodically piercing the cameras with her viridian laser-like eyes. This civil case would have been the moment we were waiting for, since by law she had to take the stand in the civil case, but it all happened behind closed doors.

The civil case loss was also different from the criminal case, resulting in an award of $8 million in compensatory damages and $30 million in punitive damages to be paid to the Stahls.

Blande’s legal expenses from the civil trial, estimated at up to a million dollars, were fully funded by donations through a website called DestinyIsInnocent, paid in increments from $5 to $10,000, according to the website creators. Despite the name of the website, most of those donations are reported to come from people who believe Blande is guilty but are still supportive of her.

Further proceedings are scheduled to determine the value of Blande’s current assets owed to the plaintiffs. Traditional estimates place Blande’s net worth in the range of $150,000-250,000, but her personal items are predicted to sell for a premium in auction, perhaps fetching more than a third of the $38 million in damages owed to the Stahls. Regardless, Blande would most likely be forced into bankruptcy in the wake of the court decision, and could easily spend the rest of her life paying off the balance.

“This was Edgar’s last chance for justice,” a spokesperson for the Stahl family told reporters. “The criminal court blew the case, but now Destiny Blande is going to pay. She walks the streets with the appearance of a free woman, but we now own her. She’ll never keep another dollar. That’s what she deserves. It’s only a fraction of the price this killer should pay.”

“We vehemently contest the decision,” Blande’s attorney Barbara Randolph said. “We will definitely appeal.”

Blande was unavailable for comment.

That’s the dirt on the civil case.

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Libel Suit Filed

Princeton, NJ.

Sinclair Blande, father of alleged Satin Strangler Destiny Blande, has filed a multimillion dollar lawsuit against Horace Krouch, accusing his daughter’s criminal defense attorney of libel with regard to the widely publicized book If She Did It.

“The book is a condemnation of my daughter and our family name,” Blande stated. “He was the one she chose to defend her, for chrissakes, but instead he is declaring her guilty and capitalizing on her demise. Krouch says the book is not about Destiny, but everyone knows it is meant to be her story, even if it appears on the fiction shelves at the bookstore.”

The book’s opening chapter, Finding the First Victim, begins with the line, “You never forget your first kill.” The lead character, Daphne Blain, shows an obvious, in fact indistinguishable, resemblance to Blande in both name and appearance. Daphne stalks potential male prey through a bar, licking her lips like a lupine nymphomaniac, and thinking, “Any of these men would be fun to sleep with and even more fun to kill.” The chapter ends as she selects a blonde crew cut waiter closely reminiscent of the Satin Strangler’s first victim, Phillip Stewart.

The timing of real life events is indeed bizarre. Blande’s acquittal in criminal court was quickly followed by the announcement of the civil suit filed against her by Satin Strangler victim Edgar Stahl’s family. Krouch then released the first two chapters of his book as blog entries on his website over the last few weeks. Krouch plans to follow these two on-line teaser chapters with a hard copy release worldwide.

Sinclair Blande’s lawsuit would only seem to complicate matters for his daughter. We can barely speculate what will happen next; so far we’ve been getting it all wrong with this one. How will all these distractions affect the wrongful death civil case against Blande’s infamous daughter Destiny? Will Krouch’s story ever make it to press? Your guess is a good as ours.

We’ll keep giving you the dirt on this one.

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This is post #54 in The Satin Strangler Blogs (TSSB).

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NJ Corruption Sting

Trenton, NJ.

Federal authorities arrested 44 people in New Jersey and New York in a broad-ranging corruption and international money laundering investigation that led to charges against two N.J. assemblyman and mayors of Hoboken, Secaucus and Ridgefield. The FBI and IRS investigation also ensnared rabbis from the Syrian Jewish communities in Deal and Brooklyn.

At the center of the case was Solomon Dwek, a failed Deal real estate developer. After he was caught allegedly trying to pull off a $50 million bank scam, he agreed to wear a wire and was allegedly able to ensnare the public officials and religious leaders in a massive web of money laundering, corruption and fraud.

Civil Suit Announced

Trenton, NJ.

In the wake of the widely publicized Satin Strangler criminal trial acquittal, the family of murder victim Edgar Stahl has announced a civil suit against Destiny Blande.

“Despite the jury’s decision in the criminal case, we know Blande is guilty’” said Wynn Cravens, the family’s attorney. “We want her to pay for her crimes and the damage they have done to this family.” He added that they are hoping to get the trial underway as soon as possible in an attempt to minimize the psychological toll on the family.

Blande is now thought to have strangled more than 80 men along the east coast. Her father, Sinclair Blande, owner of Neon Lights advertising agency, called the allegations “completely absurd and unfounded.” “Destiny is innocent,” he said. “Her trial in this state has already proven that. This is double jeopardy. They have no case against her.”

Destiny Blande’s criminal defense attorney, Horace Krouch, will not be at her side in this trial. She has instead chosen local defense attorney Barbara Randolph to assist her. “This is a witch hunt,” Randolph said. “She was proven innocent in the criminal trial, and we will prove her innocent of these allegations as well.”

In the civil case, the plaintiff’s attorney will be required to show only a “preponderance of the evidence” that Blande is guilty, allowing a jury to determine if there is at least a 50.1% chance of guilt. This differs greatly from a criminal case, in which the burden of proof is substantially higher, requiring evidence beyond a shadow of a doubt that the defendant is guilty. Only 9 of 12 jurors are needed for a decision, rather than the unanimous decisions required in criminal cases. Unlike the criminal case, Blande cannot plead the 5^th amendment and refuse to take the stand. She may be required to testify in her defense if called to the stand.

There is much speculation over the anticipated outcome of the civil suit against Destiny Blande, who is already in dire financial straights, according to insiders. Blande, who has preferred to remain in obscurity behind a snowballing frenzy of media attention since her arrest for the Satin Strangler murders, was not available for comment.

That’s the dirt from Trenton.

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This is post #44 in The Satin Strangler Blogs (TSSB).

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Satin Strangler Verdict

Sea View, NJ.

In the widely publicized Satin Strangler trial, the jury in the case against Destiny Blande reached a shocking verdict of “not guilty” today.

Prosecuting attorney Ned Danton summarized the evidence in the case two days ago. Numerous character witnesses described the sadomasochistic undercurrent hidden beneath the demure veneer of Blande. The graphic testimony of ex-boyfriend Mitch Carlson was titillating, painting a picture of a woman progressively scorned to the point of igniting an anti-male vendetta.

The key to the prosecution’s case resided in evidence linking Blande to the scenes of the two New Jersey murders attributed to the Satin Strangler. A now well publicized surveillance video showed Blande entering the Sea View Marina the night of Edgar Stahl’s disappearance. Footage at that site was sporadic, not just for that particular evening. As a result, Blande was never seen leaving the marina, and exactly what happened to Stahl will remain a mystery. The evidence in the Grant Leighton case was more tenuous and placed Blande within 20 miles of the victim’s home on the night of the murder.

As though the absence of victim Edgar Stahl’s body and fragmented video evidence were not enough, the Achilles heel in the case proved to be the missing alleged murder weapons confiscated at Destiny Blande’s room at the Oceanview Motel the night of the arrest. The descriptions of the evidence in the police reports perfectly match last week’s eBay sale items that raised a media storm.

Danton read the weapons report to the jury, describing each set of satin stockings, down to the detail of the lace garter belt. He waved his hands in the air in a vain attempt to demonstrate that the missing stockings would have made a strangulation weapon of choice in the small hands of the defendant. He ended his summation with the phantom stockings still invisible somewhere in front of him as the jury, perplexed and unconvinced, gazed into the void.

Defense attorney Horace Krouch took center stage for his summation yesterday. He flashed his white-out smile, wiped his entire face several times with a handkerchief, and ran a hand along his slick Gordon Gecko hair before approaching the jury. Krouch first focused on the missing victim and then on the infamous eBay stockings, contesting that there had been tampering of the evidence. He described Blande as a delicate woman, not hateful or powerful enough to commit the murders in question. From his perspective, the gruesome details of the Leighton autopsy were important, not as a reason to seek full retribution, but rather as proof that Blande was innocent.

The defendant, Destiny Blande, never took the stand. She remained ever calm during the final morning, like a woman unnerved by or oblivious to the implications of a guilty verdict. Her librarian smile never wavered. Her viridian eyes continued to mesmerize the jury and audience, even through the final moments as Judge Grey spoke before the deliberation.

In less than three hours, the jury reached a “not guilty” verdict. All eyes turned to Destiny Blande as the verdict was read. She still showed little emotion at the news, simply nodding while gathering her paperwork into a yellow leather purse.

The biggest surprise came when Blande was allowed to leave the courtroom a free woman. Legal experts expected her to be transported to Virginia and eventually Georgia to face the next of her series of murder charges. While watching the New Jersey trial, however, prosecutors in Virginia and Georgia got cold feet.

On his way out of the courtroom, defense attorney Horace Krouch stated, “We are thrilled about the decision. We are relieved that the jury was able to come to the right decision. It demonstrates that with a methodical approach, even a seemingly lopsided case replete with convicting evidence can still be won by a strong defense. This was my most difficult case since my days at Yale Law School. Justice has been served. Destiny can now return to her normal life."

Whether Ms. Blande will be able to lead a normal life remains to be seen. The press collapsed around her as she exited the courthouse with Mr. Krouch. She smiled politely and silently evaded the microphones while shielded by Krouch.

That’s the dirt from the courthouse.

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This is post #37 in The Satin Strangler Blogs (TSSB).

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