Week in Review: The Courts and Crime

WARWICK, RI—The story had all the elements of a mystery on Tuesday morning when state police sent out a cryptic message they had located two children gone missing 31 years ago and taken the "non-custodial parent" into custody. Details to follow at an 11:30 a.m. press conference.

Related Story: Alleged RI Child Snatcher Found 31 Years Later with Two Missing Daughters

Then the story began to unfold about a young Warwick woman who fled with her two children, then 10 months and 3 years old. Elaine Yates, who changed her name legally to Leina L Waldberg, was living in Houston. Her daughters, Kelly and Kimberly, are now grown women with their own families. They also reside in Houston.

The children's father, Raymond Yates, said he wants to see his daughters. The state police gave them his contact information, but there was no news earlier this week about whether they attempted to speak with him.

Related Story: Child Snatching Case: Newport Judge Ordered Children's Grandmother to ACI

In the 31 years since Yates ran away, the laws have changed both about parental rights and about domestic violence. She did not break any laws when she left Rhode Island with the girls in 1985, but the law was changed in 1988 to criminalize parents who take children away from the custodial parent.

Child Snatching Case: RI Law Was Changed in 1988 to Criminalize Parents Who Take Their Own Children

Yates appeared in Kent County Superior Court on a child-snatching charge. She pleaded Not Guilty and was released on personal recognizance.

Related Story: Elaine Yates, Accused of Child Snatching 31 Years Ago, Pleads Not GuiltyA Domestic Violence organization released a statement about the light the case sheds on the changes in domestic violence laws.

Related Story: Child Snatching Case Illustrates Changes in Domestic Violence Laws

The Portsmouth Murder Case

On Friday, the state Attorney General's office announced a deal had been struck in a 1985 murder case.

Related Story: Portsmouth Murder: Ramsey Pleads Guilty in Newport Superior Court

Raymond Ramsey pleaded guilty to the murder of his girl friend, Yolanda McArdle, 42. The crime was called "horrific" in a community, where such violence seldom occurs. A rookie police officer responded to the scene after neighbors reported hearing noises. Police had been called to Ramsey's apartment for domestic violence complaints before, and the courts had issued a no contact order. McArdle was the fifth Rhode Island victim murdered due to domestic violence in 1985.

The Double-Fatal Crash in Johnston

Zachary Albanese, 19, of Johnston, was in Kent County Superior Court on Friday to plead Not Guilty to charges he was drag racing before the crash that killed his girl friend, Taylor Reilly, 18, of Coventry, and another friend, Dylan Lorenzo, 18, of Johnston.

Related Story: Updated: Driver in Fiery Johnston Crash Pleads Not Guilty

Albanese is accused of street racing and driving to endanger, death resulting. Police allege he and Peter Lawrence, 26, of Scituate, were drag racing before Albanese lost control of his car, struck another vehicle and crashed into a Sunoco gas station on Route 6.

Lawrence also pleaded Not Guilty.

Alleged Statehouse Corruption Continues

Cranston's Peter Palumbo was charged with taking money illegally from his campaign finances and with filing a false document.

Related Story: Former Cranston State Rep. Peter Palumbo Faces Embezzlement Charge

There were a couple of other big stories outside Patch country, but these are the highlights for the week of Jan. 16, and now you're up to date.