KNAPPSTER George Knapp is a longtime reporter and anchor for KLAS Channel 8.

Thursday, January 29, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Mercury

Knappster: Catching up on prisoners, mad cow and Mars

By George Knapp

Knappster has new developments to report concerning recent columns.

¥ The column about Korinda Martin, the Nevada prison inmate who says she was raped by a corrections officer, generated considerable response. Martin gave birth a few days ago to the baby she says was fathered by the prison guard, and the child is now in the care of Martin's family. (A few Mercury readers had offered to become foster parents to the baby until Martin is released in a year or so.)

Martin is suing the state, the prison system and the guard in question, but it may not be smooth sailing for the convicted robber. Knappster has heard from several informed sources who are casting considerable doubt on Martin's credibility. Martin was perhaps THE crucial witness in the sensational Kirstin Lobato murder case, in which a young woman was convicted of killing and sexually mutilating a homeless man. Korinda Martin told the court that Lobato confessed to the crime while the two were behind bars. But was she telling the truth? Was she also telling the truth about her rape?

In coming weeks, we are likely to hear some very nasty stories about Korinda Martin's regard for the truth. When Knappster has collected all of the info, you will read it here.

¥ Our cover story about another inmate, Denna Jensen, also generated plenty of interest. Jensen was raped by a transport officer while on her way to jail in Goldfield. The officer was convicted of rape, and Jensen filed a massive lawsuit against TransCor, the company that employed him.

Jensen's attorney, Bob Massi, will not comment on the status of the case. I've known Massi for 20 years, so if he won't tell me anything about the lawsuit, it can only mean one thing. A settlement has been reached, and one condition of the settlement is that no one can comment.

TransCor has had several similar cases across the country, and in most of those settlements were reached but the terms were sealed. Hopefully Denna Jensen will use this chance to turn her troubled life around.

¥ Our column about mad cow disease and the true nature of eating meat generated considerable scorn among my flesh-loving friends. Several news articles have tried to reassure the public that there is no danger from eating meat, that everything is under control and that this anti-meat hysteria has been generated by animal-loving PETA types.

Did anyone see the article about how meat from the suspect herd was served in restaurants in Nevada County, Calif., just across the state line? Did anyone read the blistering articles in such bastions of anti-corporate sentiment such as Business Week about how flawed our meat inspection system is and about how the public has been lied to concerning meat safety? I rest my case.

¥ The column about the case for Mars and space exploration generated a handful of thoughtful letters. Let me just say this about public interest in the exploration of space. Since the Mars rover "Spirit" landed on the Red Planet three weeks ago, 32 million people have visited the NASA website, generating 4 billion hits. This far and away dwarfs the level of public interest in space-related events, generating even more hits and downloads than last year's shuttle disaster.

Is the public interested in space? You tell me.

Claiborne reactions

A week after the death of legendary Las Vegas lawyer and former federal judge Harry Claiborne, reactions continue to trickle in from around the country. Former Las Vegas newsman Dave Kelley writes from Colorado to say that when he reaches the pearly gates, he plans to "ask St. Peter if Harry is available to argue my case for getting into heaven."

Former Las Vegas FBI honcho Joe Yablonsky, who led the charge to put Claiborne away on bribery and tax charges, wrote to dispute some reports that it was he who brought fugitive brothel owner Joe Conforte back from Brazil to testify against Claiborne. Yablonsky says that was a prosecutorial decision. But, he adds, despite problems with Conforte's credibility, Claiborne "was a crook, and there were other cases besides Conforte" in which the judge was suspected of taking bribes.

Perhaps the nastiest comments come from Las Vegan Frank Vipperman, who has written three self-published books about his own ordeal in the Nevada legal system. Vipperman calls Claiborne, who was his attorney years ago, "horrendously corrupt and despicable," and he rips into Nevada journalists for their collective disinterest in rehashing his truly vicious rants. Vipperman contends that not only was Claiborne corrupt, but so is the entire judicial system here, including every judge, attorney and every member of parole and pardons boards. And since his legal actions have been tossed out by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals as well as the U.S. Supreme Court, we can assume those entities must be in on the cover-up as well.

There certainly are folks in the law enforcement community who viewed Claiborne as a flawed man, but most responses heard by Knappster are closer to the sentiments of Dave Kelley, who planned to tip a few cocktails in Claiborne's memory.

Names, faces and places

Local sports books, beware. Kenny the Hawk is back in town for Super Bowl weekend. The Hawk, who has residences in California and Hawaii, hasn't been in town for the big game for the past seven years but is bringing a wad of cash and has been known to put a hurt on betting parlors. Knappster knows from personal experience that Kenny has used a beard or two to place large wagers. ... An Israeli businessman named Moshe Hananel says he has filed a lawsuit in District Labor Court in Tel Aviv against Venetian owner Shelden Adelson and his Interface Partners Ltd. Hananel says he's the one who had the idea for Adelson to invest in the Macau casino market but that he was canned after Adelson visited China and saw its potential for resort development. ... Friends of former anchorwoman and state senator Sue Lowden are sending positive vibes her way during an incredibly trying and personal time. ... Knappster thought he had discovered a hidden jewel when he stumbled into Frank and Fina's Cocina on West Charleston. The little Mexican restaurant serves killer food, and I figured to make it a column item, only to learn from staff members that the Cocina has long been the hangout of my ubiquitious colleague John L. Smith who, apparently, has scooped me on this one. ... As the owners of the Castaways take steps to make a public offering for the venerable Boulder Highway property, employees of the joint formerly known as the Showboat are sending along some true horror stories about recent management decisions, especially those dealing with how employees are treated. Without doing some investigation, I am hesitant to list all the alleged transgressions, but at least some of the workers at Castaways are pretty bummed. ... Supporters of accused killer Rick Tabish are pointing toward a Feb. 13 hearing as a possible turning point in their struggle to get Tabish released from prison. The chatter suggests that the defense team might go after the original prosecutors in the case. Well, what's good for the goose. Knappster has also heard some talk about some very shaky tactics on the part of those who are in the camps of Tabish and his co-defendant, Sandy Murphy. Could the DA's office have new targets in its crosshairs? ... The long-simmering dispute between ESPN and Cox Communications is reportedly nearing--or may have reached--an amicable resolution, to the relief of local sports fans. ... Local radio listeners have a chance to help select the Radio Station of the Year for the Southwest region. The RadioEmporium.net Awards for Radio Excellence invites listeners to vote for their favorite stations and personalities. Three Las Vegas stations are in the running to be the Station of the Year in their own categories. KNPR 88.9-FM is a finalist for Non-Commercial Station of the Year. In the category of Oldies Station of the Year, KQOL 93.1-FM and KSTJ (The '80s station) 102.7-FM are hoping loyal listeners will log on and cast votes. (Knappster makes occasional appearances on 102.7, but don't hold that against the station.) Also, Kim Stevens of KVGS 107.9-FM is a finalist for Midday Personality of the Year. You can vote by logging on to radioemporium.net. Winners will be announced Feb. 2.