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'Very much concerned': Florida police search for missing mother of 3 Apr 4th 2012, 18:49 Miramar Police Department Vilet Patricia Torrez was last seen on Friday visiting a friend. By James Eng, msnbc.com Police in Miramar, Fla., say they’re “very much concerned” about the fate of a mother of three who was last seen visiting a friend Friday evening. Vilet Torrez, 38, was reported missing on Monday afternoon by her family. “It’s premature to say (foul play) definitely was involved. However, we’re looking at all possibilities,” Miramar police spokeswoman Tania Rues told msnbc.com on Wednesday. Follow @msnbc_us Torrez never showed up for work over the weekend or on Monday, police said. On Tuesday afternoon, detectives were at her home talking to her husband, Cid Torrez, NBCMiami.com reported. The couple separated about two months ago. He told MBCMiami.com he last saw his wife Friday afternoon when he picked up the children for the weekend. Read local coverage from NBCMiami.com "Our relationship, as far as when it comes to the kids – she's a great mother. As for her and me we did have our little differences right at the end. But when it comes to our kids, everything was very, very close," Cid Torrez told NBCMiami.com. "My kids need their mother." Torrez was last seen leaving a friend’s house on Friday night, police said. She may have driven home, because her car was found at her own residence in a visitor parking spot, police said. “We’re still very much concerned. There’s an active search looking at all possible leads and angles and we’re searching in a variety of locations,” Rues said. The couple's three children, ages 12 and under, are staying with the father. Torrez is described as 5 feet, 3 inches tall, 125 to 130 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call Miramar police at 954-602-4000. This report includes information from NBCMiami.com. More content from msnbc.com and NBC News: 'Very unusual' start to tornado season Despite opposition, Conn. poised to end death penalty Police photo lineups challenged after wrongful convictions Pitcher's widow outraged: Killer gets out early 1940 census: Ancestors found, despite site overload Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook Media files: 120404-missing-torrez-vsmall-1120a.photoblog400.jpg (image/jpeg) Texas grandma saves boy from tornado trying to 'take him from me' Apr 4th 2012, 18:37 By Miguel Llanos, msnbc.com The storms that tore through North Texas produced not only destruction but some amazing stories of survival, including one babysitting grandmother who clutched her 18-month-old grandson as the wind tried to tear him away. Follow @msnbc_us "It just felt like it was trying to just take him, you know just actually take him from me," Sherrie Enochs of Forney told WFAA-TV as she held her grandson Lane. "I clutched him as hard as I could." "She held onto his feet -- just by his feet -- and the wind kept taking him, but she hung onto him," her daughter Lindsey Enochs added in an interview with WFAA-TV. Sherrie Enochs was babysitting her grandson and two other children when "I looked through the back glass of my bedroom window and saw the tornado coming." She grabbed the children and huddled with them in a bathtub. The tornado destroyed the home, and tore through dozens of other ones in Forney. Sherrie Enochs started screaming and a passerby helped her out of the debris. Slideshow: Tornadoes rip through Dallas area Tim Sharp / Reuters Launch slideshow "One of the little boys was walking around there in the backyard," she added, "and how he got there I don't know." Lane was untouched and the worst injury was a scratch to one of the boys. 'Sounded like a bomb' at nursing home In Arlington, a twister tore through part of a nursing home. Physical therapist Patti Gilroy saw it coming through the back door. She had just finished herding dozens of patients into the hallway, The Associated Press reported, when "it sounded like a bomb hit. And we hit the floor, and everybody was praying. It was shocking." Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck says he saw "so many miracles" during his tour of his storm-damaged town. The blast of wind lasted about 10 seconds, she said, adding that a co-worker was nearly "sucked out" while trying to get a patient out of the room. Joy Johnston was visiting her 79-year-old sister at the time. "The windows were flying out, and my sister is paralyzed, so I had to get someone to help me get her in a wheelchair to get her out of the room," NBCDFW.com quoted her as saying. "It was terribly loud." Children herded to safety at school In Lancaster, the pastor of Cedar Valley Christian Academy herded more than 30 daycare children -- including some newborns -- into a windowless room when he saw debris swirling, NBCDFW.com said. At the church's school, about 60 more children also took shelter in a windowless room. An entire wall of the school was destroyed. Pastor Glenn Young said he didn't know when the school might reopen. "I'm a little concerned," he added. "This is our livelihood." More content from msnbc.com and NBC News: 'Very unusual' start to tornado season Despite opposition, Conn. poised to end death penalty Police photo lineups challenged after wrongful convictions Pitcher's widow outraged: Killer gets out early 1940 census: Ancestors found, despite site overload Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook  Media files: getMobileVideo?videoId=46954323 Trayvon Martin's parents to lead rally on anniversary of MLK Jr. assassination Apr 4th 2012, 18:07 By Brian Hamacher, NBCMiami.com MIAMI -- Several marches and rallies to demand an arrest in the shooting of Miami teen Trayvon Martin will take place Wednesday, including a nighttime rally led by his parents in conjunction with a candlelight memorial on the 44th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Follow @msnbc_us Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton will lead the Trayvon Martin March for Justice beginning at 6 p.m. on MLK Boulevard at Northwest 8th Avenue that will include a "Reclaim the Dream" candlelight memorial service and gospel concert. See video, read the original story at NBCMiami.com The free concert will feature James Fortune & Fiya, Vickie Winans, the Wardlaw Brothers, and Sensere. King, a clergyman and civil rights activist, was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968. Handout / Reuters Trayvon Martin in a family photo. Before the rally, City of Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones will hold a Peace Walk at Sherdavia Jenkins Peace Park in memory of the 9-year old girl who was killed by a stray bullet in Liberty City in 2006. After the ceremony, Commissioner Spence-Jones will lead the group to join the Martin march. Hundreds are expected to attend a rally in Tallahassee Wednesday night to protest the Miami teen's shooting by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman at a gated community in Sanford on Feb. 26. The Miami Gardens teen was visiting with his father at his father's girlfriend's home in the gated community and had gone to buy a bag of Skittles and iced tea at a nearby convenience store and was walking back when the shooting happened. Though Martin was unarmed, Zimmerman told police the shooting was self-defense, and no charges have been filed in the case. Zimmerman remains in hiding, though his attorney, Craig Sonner said Monday that Zimmerman would surrender to authorities if he's charged. On Tuesday, it was announced that Orlando criminal defense attorney Hal Uhrig would be joining Zimmerman's defense team, according to WESH. Also on Tuesday, Miami-Dade County commissioners called for a repeal of the "Stand Your Ground" law and passed a resolution urging the Florida Legislature to convene hearings on the statute. State Senator Chris Smith of Fort Lauderdale also announced on Tuesday that he formed his own task force to look into the law. Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee Jr., who has temporarily stepped down pending the investigation into the shooting, had said there was no probable cause to arrest Zimmerman, citing the state's controversial law. Zimmerman told police he had been following Martin but was walking back to his car when the teen approached him from behind, punched him in the face, got on top of him while he was on the ground and started bashing his head into the sidewalk. Police said Zimmerman had a bloody nose, gash on the back of his head and grass stains on the back of his shirt. Zimmerman's family and Sonner say the 28-year-old also had his nose broken by Martin. Zimmerman's brother said the neighborhood watch volunteer was in a fight for his life the night of the shooting, and insists the cries for help heard on a 911 call from the scene are his brother's. Martin's family and their attorney claim the cries for help came from the teen. They also say Martin was not the aggressor, and claim a Sanford Police video that shows Zimmerman hours after the fatal confrontation refutes that he was injured. Florida Gov. Rick Scott has appointed a special prosecutor to oversee the investigation into Martin's death. The FBI and U.S. Justice Department are also investigating the shooting. Earlier Monday, Martin family attorney Benjamin Attorney sent a formal request to the Justice Department requesting they examine Seminole County State Attorney Norm Wolfinger's interactions with police the night of the shooting. Crump, who represents parents Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, said in his letter that he wants the department to look into possible interference by Wolfinger's office with the Sanford Police investigation. Last week, it was revealed that the Sanford Police Department requested an arrest warrant from the Seminole County State Attorney's Office in the shooting, but the state attorney's office held off until the case could be further reviewed. There's no indication the prosecutor went to the scene of the shooting, but in a police report of the incident, there's an indication that Sanford Police may have felt a manslaughter charge was warranted in the case. On the incident report, the case was described as "homicide-negligent manslaughter-unnecessary killing to prevent an unlawful act." Sanford Police issued a statement, saying that it was inaccurate to say an officer at the scene of the shooting wanted an arrest based on the "Uniform Crime Code" listed on the report. "All police reports from all law enforcement agencies require a 'Uniform Crime Code' to qualify an incident and for statistical purposes for tracking types of incidents," the statement said. "This code does not indicate a formal charge that will be lodged against an alleged offender. It is used for internal processing and to type cases." According to Crump's letter to Deputy Assistant Attorney General Roy Austin, Lee and Wolfinger overruled the recommendation of lead homicide investigator Chris Serino, who recommended the arrest of shooter George Zimmerman. Serino filed an affidavit stating he didn't find Zimmerman's statements on the shooting credible, Crump said. He added that members of Zimmerman's family were also present at the Sanford Police station the night of the shooting.   Wolfinger on Monday denied interfering with police in charging Zimmerman with manslaughter. Communities all across the nation have been galvanized by the event. The shooting has led to numerous marches and protests throughout South Florida and across the country, as Martin's family and supporters demand Zimmerman's arrest. Wednesday evening, St. Fort Funeral Home in North Miami Beach will hold a memorial service to pay respects to the Martin family and friends. The service begins at 6 p.m. More content from msnbc.com and NBC News: 'Very unusual' start to tornado season Despite opposition, Conn. poised to end death penalty Police photo lineups challenged after wrongful convictions Pitcher's widow outraged: Killer gets out early 1940 census: Ancestors found, despite site overload Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook Media files: 120328-trayvon-12p.photoblog400.jpg (image/jpeg) Connecticut poised to abolish death penalty Apr 4th 2012, 17:47 AP Photo/Jessica Hill Bishop Laura Ahrens, left, and Bishop Ian Douglas, right, rally at the state Capitol with religious leaders who oppose the death penalty in Hartford, Conn., on Tuesday, April 3, 2012. By Miranda Leitsinger, msnbc.com Despite widespread public opposition, Connecticut may become the next state to abolish the death penalty, with lawmakers taking up the vote Wednesday. Legislative action was delayed last year amid the high-profile prosecution of a capital punishment case involving a brutal home invasion that left a mother and her two daughters dead. But now Follow @mimileitsinger the Senate is set to vote on legislation that would replace the death penalty with life without parole. If approved, the bill would head to the House of Representatives, where observers expect it to pass. Gov. Daniel Malloy said he would sign the bill as long as it was forward looking, and not retroactive to those already sitting on death row. Senate leadership held a press conference at the Capitol Wednesday to say they have the votes needed to secure passage, with some families of murder victims joining to support them, while Senate Republican opponents organized their own news conference. Connecticut's ranking Senate Republican, John McKinney, told The Wall Street Journal that the bill would likely pass despite his and other's objections. "I believe, and continue to believe, that there are some crimes so heinous and cruel that the death penalty is a just punishment," he said. He also held up Connecticut's law as one of the fairest in the country. "It provides significant protection for those on death row," he said. A recent Quinnipiac University poll found that the state's voters are against repealing the death penalty by a margin of 62-31 percent. "As we've seen in past Quinnipiac University polls, Connecticut voters still think abolishing the death penalty is a bad idea," said Douglas Schwartz, poll director. If the legislation passes, Connecticut would be the fifth state in five years to repeal the death penalty, joining 16 others. In California, voters will decide in November whether to also do away with it. “The upcoming Connecticut vote is in line with a clear trend away from the use of capital punishment across the country. As significant concerns about executing the innocent, the high cost of the death penalty and its unfair application continue to grow, more states are turning to alternative punishments,” Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), said in a statement. A bill to repeal Connecticut's death penalty passed in 2009, but then Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell vetoed it. Last year, the bill made it through the joint House and Senate judiciary committee, but it died before a full Senate vote after a few senators withdrew their support because the trial of a second man charged in the Cheshire home invasion case was coming up, said Ben Jones, executive director of the Connecticut anti-death penalty group. But it is now possible to have the death penalty debate not amid the “heated nature of a capital trial," so "people are able to think about it more at a systematic level,” said Shari Silberstein, executive director of Equal Justice USA. Joshua Komisarjevsky and Steven Hayes were convicted in the 2007 Cheshire killings of Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters, Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11. The girls were tied to their beds and doused in gasoline before the house was set ablaze; they died of smoke inhalation; their mother was strangled. George Ruhe / AP Authorities outside the home of Dr. William Petit, a noted specialist in diabetes, in Cheshire, Conn., on Monday July 23, 2007. Intruders broke into his home, held the family hostage and killed his wife and two daughters. The lone survivor of the invasion, Dr. William A. Petit Jr., along with his sister, Johanna Petit Chapman, oppose the repeal and were at the Capitol on Wednesday, media reports say. In a statement given March 14 to the New Haven Register, they said: “We firmly believe that the death penalty is the appropriate sanction in certain heinous, cruel and depraved crimes.” “There is no such thing as closure when your loved one is savagely taken from you,” their statement continued. “There is no such thing as a prospective repeal. Passage of this bill essentially voids the death sentences of those currently on death row.” There are 11 inmates on Connecticut's death row. The state has carried out one execution since 1976. Connecticut’s Office of Fiscal Analysis estimated that the state spends $5 million a year on the death penalty system, according to the DPIC. More content from msnbc.com and NBC News: 'Very unusual' start to tornado season Hero pit bull takes bullet during home invasion Woman, 80, crash lands plane after husband dies Binational gay couples sue to overturn DOMA Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook Media files: 120404-death-penalty-ct-hmed-8a.photoblog400.jpg (image/jpeg) 120404-connecticut-petit-home-hmed-9a.photoblog400.jpg (image/jpeg) Amnesty International slams Arizona prisons' 'cruel isolation' Apr 4th 2012, 17:41 By Jim Gold, msnbc.com Amnesty International is accusing Arizona of violating international law by improperly using "cruel isolation" for non-violent or mentally ill inmates and depriving them of basic physical and mental health care. Follow @msnbc_us In a report issued Tuesday, the human rights organization said that of the more than 2,900 inmates being held in Arizona's maximum-security facilities, more than 2,000 are confined by themselves in windowless cells 22 to 24 hours a day. They suffer sensory deprivation with little access to natural light and receive no work, educational or rehabilitation programs, the group charged. Amnesty International said it obtained its statistics from the Arizona Department of Corrections, whose spokesman Bill Lamoreaux told msnbc.com that neither he nor Director Charles Ryan would comment on the report or its accuracy because it refers to ongoing litigation. Amnesty International said that Arizona's isolation system has led some inmates to commit suicide, caused depression and anxiety and worsened pre-existing mental illnesses. The group said it recognizes that sometimes it may be necessary to segregate prisoners for disciplinary or security purposes, measures must be consistent with international standards that it said limits use of solitary confinement and calls for natural light and fresh air. The groups issued several recommendations for the Corrections Department and Gov. Jan Brewer, whose office did not respond to an msnbc.com inquiry about its reaction to the report. They include: Reducing the number of prisoners in isolation. Improving conditions in the isolation units. Removing prisoners with serious mental illness from the units. Taking suicide-prevention measures. Barring children under 18 from being held in solitary confinement. More content from msnbc.com and NBC News: Tornado videos show flying semi-trailers, huge hail 1940 census: Ancestors found, despite site overload Binational gay couples sue to overturn DOMA Calif. shooting: Oikos University catered to Koreans Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook

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