The search for my birth parents: Here's what I know

This is a follow-up to my previous post. My dad sent me a folder about my placement and adoption, so here's what I know based upon that information.

Me: born November 28, 1975, Reading Hospital at 3:28 P.M.

Birth weight: 6 lb. 5 1/2 oz.

Birth length: 53 cm (~21 in.)

When I was born, my placement agreement with my foster parents referred to me as "Michael King." Other documents from this period also refer to me by that name. My adopted parents believe that "King" was a name given to me by the hospital.

When I was adopted (late 1977-early 1978), my adoption agreement with my adopted parents referred to me as "Michael Knapp." Other documents from this period also refer to me by that name. My adopted parents believe that "Knapp" was probably my birth mother's name. I don't have any other information to verify this, though.

Mother: 5'5 1/2", light brown hair, blue green eyes, fair to medium skin, nice complexion, wears glasses (myopia), good general health, head childhood diseases, one year of business school. 20 years old.

Father: 6'2" 185 lbs., brown hair, brown eyes, medium skin, right handed, good general health, at college presently (Lehigh). Sophomore, 19 years old.

I'm not sure if this college information is as of 1975 when I was born, or 1978 when notes were made. I've looked through Lehigh University yearbooks from 1977-1981 in the hopes that I might simply recognize someone that looks like me, but I haven't had any luck so far.

Maternal grandmother: blind due to measles and whooping cough. Died at age 22 of pneumonia.

Since my birth mother was ~20 when I was born in 1975 (and thus born ~1955), I am guessing that my maternal grandmother was born ~1935 (+/-3) and died in 1957 (+/-3).

Maternal grandfather: blind due to a hunting accident. Died at 52 of a heart attack.

Maternal great-grandparents were living and in good health at time of placement (~1975).

I was adopted and never knew my birth parents. PLEASE share so that I might have an opportunity to find them!

If you know of anyone in the media who might be able to publicize this story, please let me know.

This photo is linked to my Facebook post. If you haven't already, please share it. Thank you!

Here are a few other resources that might be useful:

I was most likely born in Reading Hospital.

Several people have made me aware of 23andMe and I will be taking advantage of that soon.

My birth mother may have worn glasses and spent a year in business school. She was probably about 20 years old around the time I was born. I have been told her last name was Knapp.

My birth father was probably around 19 years old around the time I was born and may have been a sophomore at Lehigh University. I have no idea if he graduated or not, but if he did, he might be in these yearbooks:

• Epitome 1977 - Lehigh University yearbook
• Epitome 1978 - Lehigh University yearbook

Andrew Ryan Arnold-McCoy (July 10,1991 - October 3, 2010)

Our son Andrew was killed three years ago today. Here are some of the blog posts I have made over the past three years, including re-posts of several video stories.

For Andrew's birthday two years ago, we did this balloon launch. And for his birthday this year, I made this video.

Rest in peace, Baby Bird.

Happy Father's Day, D-Man!

My father served his country in the Air Force at the height of the Cold War in the 1960s. He worked in aviation, was involved in amateur radio, and then became a father and helped to raise an amazing family. My love of aviation was born early through countless stories, frequent trips to air shows and military weekends. I spent many weekends parked beside him in our basement trying to learn everything I could about any project he was working on. Soon thereafter, I too became an amateur radio operator. Soon too, I would serve my country, work in aviation, and raise my own family--entirely because of the example he set for us. I couldn't be more proud.

The Shipwreck Burger, Before & After

Angus Burger with Grilled Cheese & Bacon Sandwich “Bun”, Spiced Rum Barbecue Sauce, Tempura Onion Rings, Fried Egg, Lettuce & Tomato. On the menu at Mutiny Pirate Bar and Island Grill.

Before:

After:

The Christmas dinner table feels empty

The Christmas dinner table feels empty without Andrew. He would have eaten turkey and ham until he felt sick, and then some. Tracy would have bought shrimp for Andrew and me, and between the two of us, we would have eaten the entire container. Then, at about 2AM, Andrew would have trekked up to the kitchen (in the middle of a video game marathon) and had another run at the leftovers. It would have been entirely expected that there would be no leftover desserts come morning! I miss him more than ever, but especially on days like today. I feel blessed that I was able to be his father for the time he spent on this earth, and know in my heart that he is spending his time in a better place.

Losing 50 lbs (or more) in ten steps

I have been fortunate enough to lose over 50 lbs since July (thank you!) and a lot of people have asked me how I did it. So I figured I would share some details with you. I am obviously not a doctor or dietitian. What works for me may or may not work for you. So keep that in mind.

First, let's be clear. There are no secrets, no miracle diets, no amazing remedies that will magically melt the pounds away. If any particular diet sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Also, if you're only planning to go on this or that diet for a short period of time, you're probably doing it wrong. Losing weight is about lifestyle changes. I am not on a "diet." I've tried to change the way I eat, for the rest of my life.

Second, an important caveat. I started at 325 lbs. So I had a lot to lose (and still do!). Some of the things I have done work better when there's more to lose. I fully expect that as I continue to lose weight, these methods will begin to lose their effectiveness.

Ok, so here we go. #1: Reduce carbs. We had to sit down and identify the really carby foods in our diet and eliminate them, or change them with lower carb replacements. Pasta, for example, is a high carbohydrate food. I haven't had much luck with that until we found Dreamfields pasta which is much less carby and tastes good, too. You'll end up forking over more because it costs more, but in my experience it is very much worth it. We have also found lower carb bread and other replacements that expand the variety of foods you can eat. Notice I didn't say eliminate carbs--just reduce them. It really does work.

#2: Reduce sugar. This goes hand in hand with #1. If you haven't taken sugary sodas out of your diet, now is the time to do it. Get your sugars somewhere else (preferably with fresh fruit). Being diabetic and having to control my blood sugar definitely helped with tracking my sugar intake. Over time, you will find that your body reacts differently to different types of food (regardless of what the content is), and that might be different from other people, too. Diet sodas are probably OK in moderation, but I've moved mostly to flavored water or other drinks. I even found Arnold Palmer Zero and Diet Snapple Tea, both are staples for me now.

#3. Pack my lunch. On days that I have school, I am gone all day. Sometimes 6AM to 10PM! So I have take three meals. Tracy helps me pack the night before and I can control the types of food I take. Even if you're just packing a lunch for work, you can stay away from going out for lunch. This also helps you to stay away from catered food at work which is almost always high in carbs.

#4. Portion size. You don't have to starve yourself, but take a look at the portions that you usually eat and gradually reduce them a bit. This goes hand in hand with #3. When I pack my meals, I intentionally keep my portions moderate so that I don't overeat.

#5. Find healthy snacks. Or at least something that isn't going to ruin all the hard work you've done over the day. One of my favorite snacks is beef jerky! Also: cheese sticks, yogurt, cheese cubes, grapes. When I pack my meals for the day, I also try to take along something as a snack between meals to avoid cheating between meals.

#6. Plan ahead. This goes hand in hand with #3. You won't have good choices for meals if you don't shop for good foods (and don't shop while you're hungry; it's never a good idea). Tracy does an amazing job keeping our kitchen stocked with good choices. Also, consider your options when you're going to be traveling. You might need to bend some of your rules when your choices are limited. On the other hand, you do have some flexibility. If you're living out of a hotel room for a few days or even a week, you can stock up at a local grocery store and avoid eating out all week long. Don't let these changes to your environment keep you away from your goal.

#7. Variety. It can be very easy over the short term to lock yourself into the same foods because they work for you. But this will get old, very fast. As a result, you need to keep searching for new and different things. Instead of cutting out something, find a replacement that has less sugar or less carbs. We found low carb bread that has 5 carbs a slice (as compared to twice or more for "regular" bread). So I can eat sandwiches instead of eliminating them. Instead of traditional bagels, we found lower carb "thin" bagels.

#8 Cheat. Didn't I say above that you shouldn't cheat between meals? Yes, I did. But yes, you can cheat every once in a while on your meals. I love pizza. And Tracy even makes a very good low carb pizza. But every once in a while it's nice to have a couple slices of your favorite pizza. As long as you don't make the exception the rule, I think it's very good from a mental aspect to be able to reward yourself. To me, I feel like once a week or so is a pretty good interval by which I can do this. It's something you'll have to figure out for yourself. But if you find yourself cheating every day, or making excuses why you can't follow your plan, you're probably not committed in the first place.

#9. Share my success with others. Your mileage may vary, but I have found that talking about my experiences with other people definitely serves as a motivator to me. Other people tell me about their stories, and what worked (and didn't work) for them.

#10. The gym. Lastly, you have probably wondered where working out fits into my routine. Well, it hasn't, yet. When I started losing weight, my doctor advised me to start losing weight before I started going back to the gym. So I did. And I'm still losing weight and haven't been back to the doctor yet. I don't want to ignore this though, either. I know that sooner or later that, as a stated previously, some of these methods will begin to lose their effectiveness as I lose more weight. So I will need to start making the gym a regular part of my routine.

I have a long way to go. But so far, so good. What things have worked for you?

How Harry Potter and Perry the Platypus changed my life

I am fat. In 10th grade, I weighed 155 lbs. By 12th grade, mostly due to weight lifting for football, I weighed 185 lbs. In the military, I was anywhere from 190 lbs to well over 200 lbs toward the end of my stint. Since then, I have added weight and at one point about two months ago was at least 325 lbs. I could have been higher. I avoided scales and pretended I was OK.

Those of you who have never had weight problems might rightly wonder how someone like me lets it get this way. Well, not to be flippant about it, but one day at a time, one pound at a time. The changes are so slow and gradual that you only notice them in passing. You start wearing an XL t-shirt, then a 2XL and then a 3XL. Over the course of a few years, it doesn't click. You keep buying pants with bigger waists, 2 inches bigger, then 2 more a few months later. Slow changes. It doesn't click.

Other people are bigger too. It's easy to just pass it off. Every's gaining weight. I am too. Maybe a little bit more than everyone else, but who's counting? You convince yourself that it's OK.

So what happens to convince you that changes are necessary? Surprisingly for me, it wasn't the big things. As an independent contractor, I couldn't buy health insurance because I was too fat. I had to pay for COBRA benefits. Anyone who's used it knows it's not cheap; you're paying 102% of the premiums of your previous employers health insurance (instead of 30% or whatever you normally pay) and it only lasts 18 months. That didn't seem to bother me!

In April we went to Florida. During one day at Universal Studio's Islands of Adventure, I was kicked off the Harry Potter ride because I couldn't fit in the damned seat. For the first time in my life, I was embarrassed of how fat I had become. Later that day, I saw a cool Perry the Platypus t-shirt that I couldn't buy because the biggest size they had was 2XL. Don't they make cool t-shirts for fat guys like me?!

So it wasn't the denial of health insurance. It was Happy Potter and Perry the Platypus that got me awake. Weird, huh? But does it really matter? I am awake!

Of course, going to the doctor for a routine checkup and being told you are diabetic is another wake-up altogether.

This is not a sad story. This is a story of hope. But it's not over.

Tracy and I started with the concept of reducing carbohydrates and sugar in our diet. Not eliminate it, not starve ourselves, no crazy diets, just reducing those two things. In fact, my doctor wanted me to make dietary changes and start losing weight before I even started working out again. So I haven't even gotten to that yet.

And you know what? It's working. I can control my blood sugar with my diet. This isn't just a momentary change, it's changing my life, for the better.

I started weighing myself at  325 lbs. That was two months ago. This morning I was 301 lbs. My first goal, to get under 300 lbs, is in sight. But don't cheer for me just yet. I have a long way to go. At least 100 more lbs, in fact. My end goal is under 200 lbs.

We are in this together and I could not do this without Tracy. I am doing this for Tracy and for Liz and Chloe and Michael (and Alf and Rosie, too) because I want to be there for them as long as I can. How could I possibly cheat them of years of my life?

A many number of people have taken a personal interest in seeing me succeed and you know you who are. You motivate me to continue because you help me understand why I'm doing it.

Sometimes the darndest things motivate people. :-)

One journey ends, another begins

A number of years ago, I began to get requests from people and small businesses to do work for them. I was already gainfully employed, but the work often sounded interesting. So in 2010, I started a small business and made the deal kosher with my then-employer (Booz Allen) by signing some paperwork approving my outside employment and agreeing to avoid conflicts of interest.

To be fair, I never intended to make much money off of this, what was then, a side business. But it would be nice to write a book chapter and get paid, or give a talk and get paid, and have it all be above board. And the work, frankly, was more challenging to me on a technical level. So those two things were really the point of my business.

About a year and half ago, due to a confluence of factors, I started looking to do my business full-time. This was a huge leap of faith for me (as I expect it would be for many people). Going on your own is risky and fraught with potholes. But I needed to do it. So I did--I quit my perfectly good and well-paying job to do it all on my own.

Much of the past year, I had so much work that I had to turn down more work on a regular basis. The infosec industry (at least in the DC metro area) is a buyer's market; the demand for work outstrips the supply. Within reason, you can ask for (and usually get) what you want. In fact, I had three separate contracts ongoing: one which was basically full-time, and two others that were part-time (and one of them, all remote work).

A few months ago, that full-time gig ended rather suddenly. I still had the other part-time work, but it wasn't enough to keep me busy (or pay the bills for very long). So I started looking.

My requirements started out pretty high: #1: 1099 work (many companies won't even look at you if you ask for this) at a comparable rate to what I was already making), #2: MD/DC work; northern VA is increasingly difficult to get to from where I live in MD due to traffic, construction, etc., although remote work would be ideal), and #3: exclusively focused on penetration testing. I have a background in SIGINT and CNE and a clearance, so all those folks jumped aboard, but very few of them met requirement #3. In fact, virtually all of the literally dozens and dozens of people I talked to met one or two of my requirements, but not all three. Asking for just one or even two of these requirements (instead of three), I have absolutely no doubt in my mind I could have found work within a week or two.

But there's another thread to this story, which began in 1997. I was graduating from Bloomsburg and decided to go to law school. I applied to, and was accepted to American University's law school. Very late in that process, I switched gears and decided to get my Master's Degree at Georgetown. So that was the first time I was accepted to law school, but didn't go

Toward the end of my time in the Navy, due to the shrinking size of my community, I decided to do a JAG transfer. Again, I was accepted to law school, but the Navy didn't approve my transfer package. That was the second time I was accepted to law school, but didn't go.

So over the last few years, having regretted not going before, I've been looking for opportunities to go back. And finally, the third time I was accepted to law school, I'm going. Part time, so it'll take four years instead of three, but I refuse to turn it down again.

Back to the present: independent contractor work and school don't get along well. There's travel sometimes, but mostly there isn't always a "regular" workday. Sometimes over the past year, I have worked nights and weekends. When you don't have something else going on, that's not a problem. But again, not really compatible with a school schedule.

So I essentially dropped my 1099 requirement and decided that I could be OK with it in return for the stability of a somewhat regular day job. I'm going back to Booz Allen, but in a different role: I'll be leading one of their penetration testing efforts. Sure, there will be some travel and other issues, but I'm going into it with full visibility and support from my boss, so I know I can make it work.

I will miss the challenges of working on my own--giving all of that up is a sacrifice--and given the circumstances, I would do it again in a heartbeat.

When I was single, I looked at guys who were married (and with kids) and wondered how they did it all. Now I look back and wonder, how could I have done it all without Tracy? She has always been my bedrock of emotional support; never wavering a second. Of this I am truly confident: I could not have done this without her.

In one of those unique circumstances that just seems to work out that way, I start law school and my new job on the same day. How's that for a new journey!

A phone call, a death threat, and WTF just happened?!

A few nights ago, my wife answered my cell phone and the caller (whose ID was either unknown or blocked) asked for me by name. I wasn't immediately available so she asked if she could take a message. The caller did in fact, leave a message (paraphrased):

"You tell that fuckin' asshole that I can have him and his whole family murdered."

Yikes.

I reported the phone call to the police.

But who was it?

I have no idea, but I can speculate (and I say speculate because I have no evidence to back this up). As many of you know, I post a lot of politically-related things on Twitter and Facebook. And as many of you know, political discussions online are often very toxic. Recently, they've spilled over into real life: several conservative bloggers have been SWATted. Now I don't blog nearly as often as some of these folks, nor do I don't have nearly the audience (and I consider myself more of a libertarian than a conservative, but that's really not important). But I think (and again, I am only speculating) that I probably said something on Twitter that tweaked someone and they felt the need to respond. With a life threatening phone call. A little overboard, don't you think?

I served nearly 9 years in the Navy, fighting for this country, so that we can enjoy the freedom of speech. Nice way to repay me, thank you very much. Either way, and regardless of the reason why someone did it, I won't allow anonymous threats from a coward to intimidate me or my family.

Testimony to the Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on SB 803 (3/8/2011)

March 8, 2011

Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee

Statement of Mr. Michael Schearer on behalf of SB 803

Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee,

My name is Michael Schearer and I am an Associate for Booz Allen Hamilton, as well as the owner of a small business, Leverage Consulting & Associates LLC, here in Maryland.  I appreciate the opportunity to offer testimony today regarding this legislation, and I want to thank Senator Raskin for sponsoring this bill, and especially Senator Simonaire, Ms. Iris Frey, and the Senator’s staff for meeting with me regarding this issue.  I am here today on behalf of myself, my wife Tracy and especially our son Andrew.

On October 3, 2010, at 10:28PM, the vehicle in which our son Andrew was riding was hit and violently spun around--Andrew was thrown from the vehicle and killed almost instantly.  Amidst the shock and sorrow of Andrew's death came the news that, according to police, the drivers of both vehicles were reportedly impaired.  Now, more than six months later, charges have yet to be filed.

I come before you today not to seek sympathy for the death of our son, but to ask our citizen legislators to act in Maryland's interest so that fewer fathers such as myself will have to return to you in future legislative sessions. I come before you today to support SB 803, the Drunk Driving Elimination Act (the ignition interlock bill).

In the last 30 years, Maryland has made significant progress in reducing alcohol related deaths.  In 1983, for example, 58% of all traffic fatalities were alcohol-related, with almost all of these drivers exceeding the legal limit.  In 1986, a record 407 fatalities were caused by alcohol.  In recent years, these numbers have nearly been cut in half--but we can, and we must, do more.

Maryland has a legitimate, and indeed, a compelling interest of protecting her citizens, and the citizens of our neighbor states, from the dangers posed by Maryland-licensed intoxicated drivers.  Requiring DUI offenders to install ignition interlock devices into vehicles they own and drive is clearly and unequivocally related to accomplishing that objective.

It is important for Maryland to learn and react to important lessons from other states that have adopted mandatory ignition interlock laws.  In New York, for example, drivers have borrowed vehicles from friends or family.  In one case, an intoxicated woman offered money to a stranger to blow into the device.  Maryland must be alert to creative drivers trying to bypass the ignition interlock, and must be vigilant to punish those who are found to have circumvented the law.  Those who enable drunk driving by helping to bypass ignition interlock technology are, in effect, handing a loaded gun to a drunk and hoping that he or she doesn't pull the trigger.

We must also ensure that the technology we install in vehicles is of high quality to reduce the likelihood of false positive readings.  Drivers who experience false positives must be presented with the opportunity to contest these results.  While we willingly burden DUI offenders with this program, we must ensure the program is not oppressive.  Focusing on, and addressing the potential problems now will help to reduce the litigation that will likely occur as a result of this law.

If Maryland decides to move forward with ignition interlocks, it should not and cannot do so without fully funding the program.  To do otherwise would seriously weaken its effectiveness and undermine its credibility.  It is true that times are tough, and sources of funding are difficult to come by, but this should not turn you away from furthering a compelling state interest in protecting our citizens.  When possible, the program should be paid for by the participants as is currently proposed by this legislation.

While it is not the focus of this bill, some have suggested that ignition interlocks should be installed on all newly-manufactured vehicles—the so-called “universal ignition interlock.” Let me state with conviction that I am equivocally opposed to this idea, and would return here to forcefully oppose such an over-reaching restriction on liberty.

We must recognize that ignition interlocks are not a panacea to fully eliminate drunk driving.  The ignition interlock is but one tool at the disposal of the state.  We must work to provide tougher sentences, especially for those drivers who negligent actions result in the deaths of others.  In that regard, Maryland's laws are among the weakest in the nation.  On paper, drivers convicted of manslaughter by vehicle when impaired or under the influence of alcohol are subject to a maximum sentence of 3-5 years.  In practice, most convictions are only a few months and a slap in the face to the families of drunk driving victims.  This is an embarrassment that must be remedied.

Governor O'Malley has repeatedly expressed support for, and willingness to sign the ignition interlock bill, which has made significant progress in the Legislature before.  I strongly urge Governor O'Malley and the members of this committee to call upon your colleagues in the Senate and the House of Delegates to pass this necessary bill.

Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to speak to the committee on this important issue. I remain available for your questions.

Strengthening Maryland's drunk driving laws: an update

In the wake of Andrew's death and after reports from the police that alcohol was potentially involved, I decided that I would spend my time and effort toward strengthening Maryland's laws against drunk driving.  This was especially important to me given that Maryland's punishment for manslaughter by vehicle when impaired by alcohol is among the weakest in the nation.

I met with my state senator (Senator Brian Simonaire, R-District 31) and his staff, who were very much open to the possibility of introducing or sponsoring legislation to strengthen Maryland's laws.  Knowing the slow, deliberative nature of legislative bodies, and knowing that compromise is an essential part of getting things done, I set reasonable expectations for myself: while I would love to see the sentences lengthened, I knew that eventually I would support any reasonable effort to curtail drunk driving.

Today, Delegates Eckardt, Afzali, George, Haddaway-Riccio, McComas, McDermott, McMillan, W. Miller, and Stocksdale introduced HB 318 in the House of Delegates; a similar version will soon be introduced in the Senate.  This bill would require mandatory participation in the ignition interlock program (currently, the program is available but only installed at a judge's recommendation).  Ignition interlocks may not have saved Andrew's live, but it could have saved a life in some cases.  I also recognize that this bill is not a panacea, but we must start somewhere.  Driving is a privilege, not a right, and the state has a compelling interest in protecting the lives of its citizens by preventing intoxicated drivers from taking to the road.

Senator Simonaire's staff called me yesterday and asked if I would be willing to testify at the committee hearing when the time comes. I told them that absolutely, I would do so!  The date of the hearing is TBD.

Last year, this bill passed the Senate but was held up in the House Judiciary Committee.  Governor O'Malley has already said he will sign the bill.

Lastly, would my fellow Marylanders do me a favor?  Please call your State Delegates and ask them to support and co-sponsor House Bill 318, the ignition interlock bill (I'll have the Senate bill here shortly).  To find your elected officials, go here and type in your address.  You will have three State Delegates and one State Senator (please note these are your Maryland state legislators, not U.S. Representatives or U.S. Senators).

I will have more to say in the coming days and weeks.

THANK YOU!

New York Times hypocrisy on Climategate emails vs. Wikileaks cables

The New York Times on last year's Climategate emails:

The documents appear to have been acquired illegally and contain all manner of private information and statements that were never intended for the public eye, so they won’t be posted here.

Take note of that link: just two days ago (November 29, 2010) the author (Andrew Revkin) made an update to his post of over a a year ago (November 20, 2009) trying to explain what he meant, in hindsight. Clearly, the Times is sensitive to the issue of their own hypocrisy.

The New York Times on the illegally acquired Wikileaks cables, which clearly "contain all manner of private information and statements that were never intended for the public eye:"

The articles published today and in coming days are based on thousands of United States embassy cables, the daily reports from the field intended for the eyes of senior policy makers in Washington. The New York Times and a number of publications in Europe were given access to the material several weeks ago and agreed to begin publication of articles based on the cables online on Sunday. The Times believes that the documents serve an important public interest, illuminating the goals, successes, compromises and frustrations of American diplomacy in a way that other accounts cannot match.

The message goes on to say that they will actually publish some of the cables, too.  So yes, there you have it, hypocrisy at it's best.  The New York Times has not been relevant for years, so I guess we should have come to expect this by now.

Stabbing and Attempted Robbery in Glen Burnie

According to the Anne Arundel County Police (link forthcoming):

On November 18, 2010, at approximately 3:21 p.m., officers from the Northern District responded to Baltimore Washington Medical Center for a reported stabbing and attempt robbery that occurred earlier at another location. 

            Upon arrival, officers spoke with the 50-year-old male victim from Glen Burnie, who advised that he was assaulted by three unknown suspects as he was walking near the Discount Cigarette located in the 7900 block of B&A Boulevard in Glen Burnie. The suspects approached the victim and asked him for money, but the victim relayed that he didn’t have any money. At that time, the suspects responded by pushing the victim. One of the suspects brandished a knife, swung it at the victim and struck him multiple times in the abdomen area. The suspects then fled on foot toward Albert Drive. The victim suffered minor lacerations from the incident. Several officers responded to the area to search for the suspects, but were unable to locate them. 

Suspect #1: Black male, approximately 17-19 years old, 5’10” with a medium build and braided hair, last seen wearing a black shirt, a black jacket, black jeans and white shoes

Suspect #2: Black male, approximately 17-19 years old, 5’7” with a medium build, last seen wearing a green shirt, a black jacket, black pants and white shoes

Suspect #3: Black male, approximately 17-19 years old, 5’7” with a heavy build, last seen wearing a white jacket, a black shirt, black jeans and black shoes

Andrew had almost the exact same thing happen to him at the same location a few weeks before he died; he wasn't stabbed but the assailants did have a knife.  Here is a look at the scene:



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I miss you so much Andrew

It's been a little over a month since Andrew's accident and in some ways it still does not seem real.  Life moves on, and some days are better than others.  But this afternoon I was reading back through all the things I have written and posted over the last month, all the way back to the first post, and I just started crying again.  Today is a rough day for me.  I'm hurting physically and emotionally.  I miss my son.

Andrew was not my biological son, but when I asked Tracy to marry me, I insisted that I would treat Andrew and Elizabeth as my own.  I have tried to do my best to do exactly that.  Maybe we didn't have the traditional father-son relationship, and we certainly didn't always see eye-to-eye, but he was as much my son as I could ever ask for.  Andrew went to Penn State games with me, to NASCAR races, and camping in the middle of nowhere.  He was "the man of the house" when I was overseas.  Andrew always called me Mike, and I was cool with that, but sometimes to his friends he referred to me as his Dad.  That was cooler.

As the initial shock of it all begins to wear off, it's all the little things that keep coming back.  Whenever we ordered out, we always ordered extra food because Andrew would eventually scarf it up.  A cake wouldn't last overnight, and he drank sodas like water.  Now, we still have the leftover food, the cake is still in the pan, and there are plenty of sodas left.

Andrew lost his license last year so we had to shuttle him around everywhere; work, friends, skate park.  It was annoying at times, especially since losing his license was his own fault, but I would drive him to Wal Mart every day for the rest of my life if I could have him back.

Andrew was always misplacing his house keys, and sometimes I would inadvertently lock the back door while he was still out.  He would climb up to our bedroom window and tap on it until we woke up.  It always made me mad when he did that, but I would do anything to hear him tapping on the window again.  Sometimes I hesitate before I lock the back door because I think for a minute that Andrew might come home soon.

As much as I like to tinker with things and figure out how they work, I have never been much of a "Mr. Fix It."  That was Andrew's job, always willing to climb the ladder to fix something on the roof or the shed, or bending and contorting his body to fit into some tight space that mine would get stuck in, or helping to put toys together for Chloe and Michael. Now, I'm still not any good at fixing things.

I'll have more on this when I can release more details, but lately I am trying to focus on working with my State Senator and State Delegates here in Maryland to strengthen the pathetically weak "manslaughter by vehicle" statute in the next legislative session.  I've already contacted them and we're setting up an early December meeting.  I hope that we can get something drafted; and then I will ask those of you in Maryland to contact your own State Senator and State Delegates and urge them to co-sponsor and/or support it, too.

I miss you so much Andrew, and if it's the last thing I do, I will get justice for you.

More senseless automobile deaths in Baltimore; what about Andrew?

From the Baltimore Sun:

Three people were killed when a man driving a stolen car drove through a red light in Federal Hill and crashed into their vehicle, police said.

The victims, all from the Morrell Park area, were identified by police as Michael Ledford, 17, of the 2000 block of Griffis Ave; Kevin Thomas, 18, of the 1700 block of Monterey St.; and Briana Macapagal, whose age was not provided by police, of the 300 block of Woodyear St.

At about 11:30 p.m., police said Charles Johnson III, 19, was driving northbound on Hanover Street in a Lincoln Town Car that had been reported stolen earlier that night. Police said Johnson drove through a red light at the intersection with Ostend Street and struck a 1994 Ford Tempo that was being driven westbound by Ledford.

and...

Officer James Wissman, who was in the area at the time, observed Johnson exit the Town Car and attempt to flee on foot. Wissman apprehended Johnson and searched him, finding a bag of suspected marijuana in his pants pocket.

A second man was also apprehended and taken to a local hospital but has not been charged.

Johnson has been charged with automobile manslaughter, drug violations and car theft, according to police.

In barely 12 hours, the police apprehended Johnson, determined that he ran a red light, and charged him with automobile manslaughter.  Kudos to them for their quick work.

However, last night's senseless deaths also marked 28 days--4 weeks since Andrew was killed in a car accident in Baltimore when one of the drivers ran a red light.  Who ran the red light? The police still don't know.  No one has been apprehended, or charged. Why?

As I said before, I recognize that investigations take weeks and months.  In this case last night, even the most preliminary information included who ran the red light; and charges have already been filed.  But it was three weeks before we even got a copy of the most basic accident investigation report (which didn't include anything we didn't already know), and that was through our lawyer.  Why?

For one reason or another, the officer who needs to sign off on Andrew's personal belongings still has not done so.  Why?

Is it wrong to want the most basic answers?

Andrew's friends and family will never forget him, but it is incumbent upon us to make sure that the Baltimore Police Department does not forget him.  That the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office does not forget him.

The news may come and go, but we will not stop until we get justice for Andrew.

More frustration in trying to recover Andrew's personal effects

One of the things we have been trying to do for two weeks now is recover Andrew's personal effects: his clothes, wallet, cell phone, etc.  We were first told that these items would be held as evidence, and then eventually we were given a claims form to recover the items.

Since we live in Anne Arundel County, we had to head down to the Register of Wills in Annapolis to get paperwork completed there, and then return to the Evidence Control Unit in Baltimore to actually get Andrew's stuff.

Frustratingly enough, the address of the Evidence Control Unit was nowhere on the evidence paperwork, nor was there any such listed phone number on the Police Department's website.  When we called the general purpose phone number, they gave us the number for the Evidence Control Unit.  So we called them at about 12:30PM this afternoon and confirmed that they were located at 601 E. Fayette Street, which is the Police headquarters.

After running a few more errands we drove up into the city, found a place to park (a chore in and of itself) and finally made our way in the front door.  We were promptly told that the Evidence Control Unit was open from Monday through Friday from 9:00AM until 1:30PM, and it was now 1:45PM so we were out of luck.  Really.

This would be fine, except nowhere on the evidence paperwork did they list their times of operation.  No one felt it necessary to let us know that the Evidence Control Unit doesn't follow "normal" business hours.  Nor did the person who answered the phone when we called let us know that they would be closing up shop in an hour.  Lastly, there doesn't appear to be anything related to the Evidence Control Unit on the department's website.  So we were left guessing, and we guessed wrong.

Now, I suppose we should have asked about their hours (and I won't make that mistake again), but a couple hours of our afternoon was now more-or-less wasted, and all we really want is Andrew's things back.  The frustration continues.

Family awaits answers in son's death

Maryland Gazette article about Andrew:

At 19-years-old, Andrew Arnold-McCoy, was like a lot of young men his age.

He lived day-by-day, worked at the Walmart for a steady paycheck and was always on the lookout for a new place where he and his friends could skateboard.

Sitting in the living room of the family's Glen Burnie home, Arnold-McCoy's parents remembered their son as a happy-go-lucky prankster who enjoyed an active social life with many friends.

"He made friends very easily," said Michael Schearer, his stepfather. "He was always telling jokes and making people laugh."
On Oct. 3, Arnold-McCoy's life came to a tragic end after he was involved in fatal car accident in Baltimore. Ten days later, Arnold-McCoy's family is still waiting for answers from police about their son's death.

"It's very frustrating not to know anything," said Schearer. "We know investigations take time, but it is frustrating going a week without knowing."

The accident occurred around 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 3, at the intersection of Patapsco Avenue and Potee Street, when the SUV that Arnold-McCoy was riding in collided with a car driven by an off-duty Annapolis police officer. Arnold-McCoy was thrown from the vehicle in the accident and died a short time later Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.

In the days after the accident, Arnold-McCoy's parents contacted city police to gather the young man's personal effects, including his wallet and cell phone, and learn about the details surrounding the crash.

However, calls to the police were never returned and information was slow to come back to the family.

It was through reading news accounts that the family first learned the driver of the second vehicle was James Salyers, who joined the Annapolis Police Department in August after a 28-year career with the Baltimore police.

Their 19-year-old son was referred to as only an "unknown passenger," Schearer said. The first public statement about the wreck came from the Annapolis Police Department on Thursday.

Frustrated with the lack of information coming from police and the desire to have his stepson properly remembered, Schearer began speaking to the press over the weekend hoping that it would spur law enforcement to release details about the accident.

Schearer noted that it was unusual for almost an entire week to go by without the police releasing a statement to the press.

According to Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for Balitmore police, the delay was the result of a "perfect storm of miscommunication."

In the aftermath of the accident, the Maryland Transportation Authority Police was handling the investigation, so that members of the Baltimore Traffic Safety Division could attend the funeral of one of their own in Pennsylvania.

In light of the memorial service on Oct. 4, the department asked the MdTA to handle the preliminary collision reconstruction and investigation of the collision, Guglielmi said.

On Thursday, the investigation was handed back to city police.

Guglielmi confirmed that Saylers was driving a 2005 CTS south on Potee Street when he collided with the 2000 Dodge Durango, driven by 19-year-old Phil Dornberger of Pasadena. The intersection with Patapsco is controlled by a traffic light.
"We don't have much to say at this point," Guglielmi said. "We don't know who had the signal."

Police are waiting for the results of a drug and alcohol tests, which should be available by the end of this week, Gugleilmi said. Such tests are standard procedure.

No charges have been filed in the accident.

Gugleimi said there was no effort by police to delay information relating to the crash or to cover anything up. While the Schearers' say they take the department at its word, Salyer's connection to the department is not lost on them.

"They obviously knew who he was, it just makes you wonder," Schearer said. "They say there's no conflict of interest and I believe them."

Annapolis police spokesman Scott Baker said last week that Salyers will work in an administrative capacity until a final decision in the matter can be reached.
Once a final police report is completed, it will be forwarded to the Baltimore State's Attorney's Office for review. A decision on charges could take months.

Although the Schearers have been in contact with members of the Baltimore and the MdTA police departments this week, many of their question remained unanswered.

In the meantime, Arnold-McCoy's family, including Elizabeth McCoy, 16, Chloe Schearer, 3, and Michael Schearer, 1, are trying to come to come to terms with the accident.

The family held a memorial service last week. Tracy Schearer, Arnold-McCoy's mother, said the family was particularly touched to see her son memorialized by the local skateboarding community.

Arnold-McCoy's name is scrawled in chalk at the skate park at Sawmill Park, where he skated frequently.

"I was really amazed when I saw that," said Tracy Schearer. "It made me realize that there were even more people that loved him... Hopefully we will have answers for Andrew soon."

What you can do to help

Many of you have been so kind to ask us what you could do to help us in the wake of Andrew's death.  As you may know, the investigation into what exactly happened has been disappointedly slowed by bureaucratic red tape.  The accident investigation was handed from the Baltimore City Police to the Maryland Transportation Authority Police and then back to the City over the weekend.  Both agencies were less then forthcoming with even the most basic details of the accident for more than four days.  We have no evidence of impropriety, and we're not making any such accusations.  But we want to see a full and fair investigation into what happened so that we can find justice for Andrew.

• Continue to visit the news articles that have been posted: the Baltimore Sun article and blog post, the Capital (Annapolis) article, WJZ article and video, ABC2 News article and video (if you know of others, please let me know).  Keep these articles among the most viewed on their respective sites.  I'm not asking you to artificially inflate the hits on these articles, but let these media outlets know that this story is important to you, and important for them to keep following it.  The nature of the newscycle will eventually move these stories off the page, but we want sunlight to shine on it so that it can't be swept under the rug.
• I am not asking you to spam the comments section; but there are legitimate issues with Andrew's case that need to be addressed.  If you feel it appropriate to make a comment, please do.  Please be respectful.  We want answers, not confrontation.
• Consider making a donation to the Tony Hawk Foundation in Andrew's name.  The Tony Hawk Foundation seeks to foster lasting improvements in society, with an emphasis on supporting and empowering youth. Through special events, grants, and technical assistance, the Foundation supports recreational programs with a focus on the creation of public skateboard parks in low-income communities.  Our local skate parks were Andrew's home away from home, and we feel like this Foundation is an important vehicle by which to remember him.  Some of you have already donated, thank you!

If you have other ideas, please let me know here via the comments, or contact me directly at theprez98-at-verizon-dot-net.  Thank you so much for everything you are helping us to do on behalf of Andrew.

ABC2 video of Andrew's story