Just when you thought you might not have to hear another word about a Durham rape case

Something like this comes along...

Durham, N.C. -- Police charged a third person Wednesday in connection with beatings and rape that authorities say were carried out by a satanic cult.

Diana Palmer, 44, of Cottage Woods Court, surrendered to police Wednesday afternoon. She was charged with being an accessory after the fact of assault with a deadly weapon and was being held in the Durham County Jail.

Palmer posted $30,000 bond Wednesday and was released from jail.

Joseph Craig, 25, has been charged with kidnapping, rape, forcible sexual offense and assault in the case. His wife, Joy Johnson, 30, has been charged with aiding and abetting. Both were being held Wednesday in the Durham County Jail.

The couple was arrested last week after a man and a woman told police they were beaten, shackled to beds, kept in dog cages and starved inside a home on Albany Street. Craig is accused of committing the crimes while his wife watched.

...

Palmer is first vice chair of the Durham County Democratic Party. Johnson resigned her positions as third vice-chair of the Durham County Democratic Party and vice-chair of the Young Democrats following her arrest.

"Diana is extraordinarily trusting and caring. I don't think she would ever knowingly do anything wrong," county party Chairman Kevin Farmer said.

State Sen. Floyd McKissick, D-Durham, called the case "an isolated incident" and said he doesn't expect any other Democratic Party activists to be implicated.

The county party's Web site was disabled Wednesday, but Farmer said that was related to a technical problem and not the allegations against Palmer and Johnson.

Comments

[Paul Hooson]

Very disturbing case, Lorie. Sometimes really evil people put up a phony front of being a good citizen by joining some civic organization. Serial killer John Wayne Gacy used to volunteer as clown at a children's hospital, while inviting young men over for sex and killing them.

This Durham guy sounded creepy enough to be a storyline on the CBS show, CRIMINAL MINDS.

[Lorie]

Stuff like this really gives me the creeps and it does sound like something from Criminal Minds. My new favorite creepy show is Dexter. I am absolutely addicted to that show. I will have to blog about it soon. Been too busy to get much blogging in lately, but hopefully I'll get to it soon.

[Paul Hooson]

Oh, DEXTER is so good, Lorie. What a complex and great character. Interesting the way this nearly souless guy is frustrated by the legal system and goes well beyond crime scene investigation and takes justice into his own hands in his warped serial killer sort of way, and only stays one step or two beyond being captured himself. A whole new twist on your classic "cat and mouse" genre.

I hope you're watching IN PLAIN SIGHT over at the USA Network. This is one great show. Mary McCormack is a one great cable TV actress who carries off this drama so well, playing Deputy Marshall, Mary Shannon, in the Federal Witness Protection Program. McCormack plays her role with real strength as well some personality flaws, a dysfunctional mother and sister, and sometimes a little humor or script quirks to make any viewer of MONK or PSYCH satisfied. This show is one of my favorites. It's very good. The best new crime show on USA since either MONK or PSYCH. There is just the right mix of drama and humor here to suit me. MONK and PSYCH are more into the laughs and certainly both excellent, and IN PLAIN SIGHT is a great addition to the USA Network lineup.

Here's a funny bit of trivia for you. Mary McCormack actually made a little guest cameo in an epidode of LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT as Federal Witness Protection agent, Mary Shannon, during an episode called, "CONTRACT". This strange little guest appearance lasted all but about one minute.

[guitarman]

Funny (ironic) how the senator (McKissik?) is concerned about any other democrats being indicted. He should be concerned about the victims of the crime and worrying about the criminals as human beings.