The discovery of the decomposing body of a missing man in Hawaii has solved not one but two mysteries that have puzzled police since last May. Boaz Johnson was discovered dead of an apparent suicide this month, and near him was a suicide note that police say detailed the murder of his pregnant girlfriend, 25-year-old Brittany Jane Royal, back in 2013 after a fight.

Johnson has been missing ever since that murder, making him the chief suspect in Brittany's death, but leaving police little to go on. Now, with the discovery of the 22-year-old's decomposing body and his suicide note, Brittany's mom has spoken out both about the loss of her child and the news that her daughter's boyfriend likely killed her.

What she has to say is ... well, it's pretty amazing.

Julie Royal would have every right to be furious. Her daughter is dead, and seeing as she was 10 weeks pregnant when she was strangled, and her body was thrown into the water, Julie has also lost a grandchild.

But she isn't angry, at least, not in the way most of us would be. Said Royal to KHON:

Acceptance doesn't mean I have to like it, but I want to honor Brittany's wishes and not have hate in my heart, so I won't.

Pretty inspiring stuff, wouldn't you say?

I'm going to be completely honest here. I respect the heck out of what Julie Royal has said, but I don't know that I could say it myself. I know for sure I couldn't DO it.

I'm not a very forgiving person in general, although it's something I've been working on. But if someone hurts my child, all bets are off. I get Hulk Smash kind of angry.

Now imagine it wasn't just "hurt." It was kill? And kill my grandchild too? I'm a writer by trade, but I can't even summon the right words to describe the anger I'd be holding in my heart.

I will say this, however. Julie Royal makes me want to be better.

She has been through hell, quite literally, in the past year, and she has managed to use the love for her daughter to vanquish the hate. In the face of great loss, that's what we really need to do -- to hold onto the love we feel. No one can take that away from us ... not unless we allow it to happen.

Have you ever faced a situation where you had to choose between forgiveness and hate? Which side won?

If you or someone you know has considered suicide, please reach out to a suicide hotline. There is ALWAYS someone there who wants to listen and who will take you seriously. You can call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.

Image via dotcalm9/Flickr

There is really no easy way to talk about the tragic news coming out of Chicago today, so let's talk about what we know for sure. An 11-year-old girl was stabbed to death. A 14-year-girl has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder (as a juvenile). And police in the Windy City say the deceased was stabbed a total of 40 times.

Forty. Times.

This is not child's play, not some little fight gone terribly wrong.

What police are describing is a brutal killing, a crime of passion, a crime of off-the-scale rage.

The 11-year-old's autopsy apparently revealed 30 stab wounds across the neck, chest, and arms, plus defensive wounds on the hands, bruises on the chest, and slash marks across the child's face. The two girls, relatives, were allegedly home alone together at the time of the incident, and police believe the 11-year-old was killed shortly before the 14-year-old called 911 to report that the other child had been hurt.

I realize I say this any time a child is accused of a violent crime, but this isn't how the world is SUPPOSED to work. I'm not naive enough to think it doesn't; I'm simply optimistic enough to hope that reports like this are exceptions that prove the rule, that kids in general are still good.

That children don't kill.

Isn't that how we all are? We see these things on Law & Order: SVU, and we take comfort in the notion that it's "just for TV."

Naive or not, that's the way I'd prefer life. I don't want to start looking at every 14-year-old girl I meet and wondering, "Does she have it in her to stab her relative, a mere child, 40 times?" She should be thinking about algebra, a school dance, going out for the softball team ... not murder.

Obviously, when a 14-year-old stands accused of first-degree murder, we need to talk about it. There needs to be a conversation about the hows and the whys, if only to prevent future tragedy.

But let us not lose ourselves in the details here. Let us not become a nation where we become inured to the horror, where these types of crimes cease to shock us.

What is your honest reaction to this horror? Do you feel like we're hearing these stories more and more?

Image via seniju/Flickr

The fifth season of Teen Mom 2 just got under way with a premiere on MTV, and after the dismal ratings for the off-shoot, Teen Mom 3, the network is surely counting on it to be a success. But are the folks at Viacom counting their chickens before they're hatched? Sounds like it!

Star Jenelle Evans Instagrammed a photo this week of boyfriend (and father-to-be) Nathan Griffith during shooting of the show. But doesn't MTV already have season 5 in the cannon? Jenelle even shared the other day that she got season 5 in the mail. You know what this means!

Season 6 of Teen Mom 2 could be happening!

Get a load of the photo:

Sure, he could be doing work for any show, but just look at what Jenelle said in the caption:

more Teen Mom coming yr way!

The comment, of course, is a nod to the voice-overs of the stars saying, "More Teen Mom coming your way, and it starts right now," which MTV will put into its commercial breaks during the show. But the photo just went up on Instagram this week. Which would indicate they're shooting NOW. 

More From The Stir: Jenelle Evans Deals With Her Cursing Toddler in a Very Grown-Up Way

And why not? Jenelle's pregnancy would surely make for an explosive season 6. Not to mention, while Teen Mom was cancelled after four seasons and Teen Mom 3 after just one, this cast has kept ratings high enough to gain a season 5 and has steadily remained in the news even when their show wasn't on TV.

Jenelle, Kailyn Lowry, Chelsea Houska, and Leah Calvert ARE the people who keep viewers tuning in to MTV. The network would be wise to keep them around as long as possible.

Is it too soon for MTV to be taping season 6? Will you watch?

Images via MTV; Instagram

When I tell people I can't wait until my kid is a teenager so she will sleep until noon (or beyond), they tend to get all high and mighty with me about how I shouldn't rush things and they're only young once and blah, blah, bloody blah. But finally, I have found my people! Samantha Manville and her husband have become the latest parents with a viral story, and it's all because they were sick and tired of their kids waking them up early on the weekends! Yes, these parents dared to dream of sleeping in. We've all gotta have dreams!

The Manvilles, who hail from Washington state, left a note for their son Liam, 8, and daughter Alexia, 10, detailing the answer to every possible question the kids might have to wake them up at an ungodly hour (aka anytime before 10 a.m.).

Forget Iron Man and the Hulk ... THESE are my superheroes! Check out what they had to say:

Morning Kids!

Mom + Dad are sleeping in this morning!

DO NOT knock and wake us up before 10 AM unless there is a real emergency!!

To answer your questions:

- You can have cereal for breakfast

- Yes, you can watch TV/play Wii

- No, you may not go to your friends house

- No you cannot have a baggie of snacks from the pantry, those are for lunches (yes I mean those ones)

- You can have an orange for a snack. That means one (1) each!

Alexia -- don't antagonize your brother.

Liam -- don't be a whiner ... or at least not 2 loud [sic] one.

We Love You!

Awww, I think I'm in love! And I'm wondering why I haven't thought of a letter!

More From The Stir: My 8-Year-Old's Insomnia Is Ruining My Life

At 8, my kiddo tends to be pretty self-sufficient when she gets up. She can grab her own yogurt from the fridge, turn on the TV herself, even let the dogs out to do their morning business. But there's something about a parent at rest that draws in even the most self-sufficient kid, like a fly to that bright buzzing light.

I tend to answer my daughter's questions in mumbles in the morning because she is an early riser (despite having recently developed a bout of insomnia that keeps her up until the wee hours) and to say I'm not is putting it mildly. When I learned I was going to have to have my labor induced and be at the hospital (more than a half hour drive from my house) early in the morning, folks at my job actually placed bets on whether I'd be late ... to my own induction (I wasn't). Having an early bird for a daughter seems to be Father Time's way of telling me he hates me.

It's so nice to know I'm not the only one getting the old man's middle finger.

If you're wondering if the letter worked, by the way, the Manvilles told Good Morning America it did! Looks like I better find some writing paper and a pen!

What time do your kids get out of bed in the morning? How do you deal?

Image via ABC

Every time Fafane Caze's 3-year-old son urinated on the floor, police say she would burn him. If he defecated, police say the 21-year-old mother would beat her toddler son with a broom. And on the last day of his life, cops say the Florida mother threw her toddler across the room, then called 911 when his little body slammed into a table and he began struggling for breath.

It's the sort of story that leaves you asking: why? Why did this woman keep this child in her life at all? Why didn't she call social services three years ago and say, "Sorry, I can't do this. Here. He's yours."

Would it have been an easy decision? Surely not, but it's one any of us can respect. It's one that ... in the scheme of things, makes sense.

Emergency workers responding to a 911 call, only to find a toddler whose entire body is marked with evidence of long-standing abuse? That doesn't make sense.

Not when the better options exist.

All 50 states, plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, have safe haven laws that allow parents to give up infants. As the children get older, it gets harder, sure, but it's not impossible. Pick up the phone. Call an adoption agency. They will walk you through the process, and at no cost to you.

I make it sound easier than it actually is, I'm sure, but surely it is in comparison to burning a wriggling 3-year-old with a lighter. To looking a defenseless toddler in the eyes and beating him with a broom. To taking an innocent child and throwing them across a room. To torturing them to the point of death. To having to call 911 and report your child is dying ... and be dragged off to jail.

Fafane Caze faces aggravated child abuse charges, and a judge has ruled that anew charge of attempted felony murder should be added. Depending on the autopsy of her son, it could even be changed to murder.

That poor little boy deserved so much better. 

What do you think should be done with Fafane Caze if she's convicted?

Image via Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department

Let's face it, Kailyn Lowry and Jenelle Evans may star on the same TV show, but they are from two different worlds. And the two Teen Mom 2 stars have had their differences over the years -- and HOW. But if there's one thing we've learned about Kail, she is not afraid to speak her mind -- especially when the topic is a tough one.

As tough as, say, abortion?

Kailyn was asked this week what she thought of the controversial premiere of Teen Mom 2, and she didn't hold back!

@sookilicious everyone goes through different things. I'm pro choice and I wasn't in Jenelle's shoes :/

A. Men.

A woman's right to choose is a woman's right to choose. Period. If we aren't in their shoes, we really can't judge.

Can we judge MTV for showing Jenelle's abortion? Perhaps. There's room to debate whether it was appropriate for a show aimed at teens, although I would come down on the "yes, it was" side because it shows the reality of what happens if you don't use protection. As Jenelle herself pointed out in a chat with The Stir, the would-be father of her child was not a nice guy. She was in a domestic violence situation ... and she put herself there. That's something teens need to be aware of when they're having sex ... which is the point of Teen Mom, isn't it? To teach kids about the consequences of unintended teen pregnancy?

More From The Stir: Jenelle Evans Explains Why She Let MTV Film Her Abortion

Having chatted with Kailyn a few times, I've found her to be very proud of the message of the show overall, whether she agrees with everything her co-stars do or not. In standing up for Jenelle, she's also standing up for the integrity of the show ... and for heaven knows how many girls who may one day find themselves facing a similarly harrowing choice. She's taking the issue beyond one (admittedly controversial) TV star, and making it about what it is -- women's right to choose.

Good for her for having the courage to take a stand!

What do you think of Kailyn coming out to defend Jenelle?

Image via Jeanne Sager

It seems like all Farrah Abraham ever wants to do is convince the world she's all grown up. But have you ever wondered why she's so desperate to leave her childhood behind? We finally got a hint on tonight's Couples Therapy. 

As usual, Farrah managed to dominate the drama in a house that's full of some pretty dramatic people. And -- surprise, surprise -- it all came down to that sex tape/porn flick.

During group therapy, Farrah accidentally spilled that there was a cameraman present as she had sex with "a boyfriend" before furiously back-pedaling and claiming it was just her and her man in the room the whole time. What she can't seem to understand is that no one really cares if she did a porno. Everyone in the house would just like to her to own up and be honest about it! They'd respect her -- and like her -- a lot more if they didn't feel like she was lying to them all the time.

More From The Stir: Welcome to Farrah Abraham's Bubble

Granted, I think we all knew Farrah had trouble interacting with people way before the sex tape or porno or WHATEVER IT REALLY IS that was actually filmed. Remember how rude she was to more or less everyone on Teen Mom? Even the people she supposedly loved? She was often standoff-ish, if not downright rude.

But for the first time, she really has people who are telling it like it is, including celebrity therapist Dr. Jenn Berman, who flat out told Farrah she was "bristly" with people in the Couples Therapy house from the get-go. It's definitely a lot nicer word than some would have used!

But Berman got Farrah to open up about her childhood relationships during a one-on-one session, and I have to say it was pretty moving. For the first time since the show started, it felt like we were seeing the REAL Farrah Abraham.

And grown up or not, porn star or not, the real Farrah Abraham is a scared little kid who doesn't want to make the wrong move and doesn't want to be judged ... because that's all she's ever known. She's judgmental and, yes, kind of bitchy, because that's how her parents were with her!

Tonight we heard from a girl whose parents called her a whore for dating as a teenager! We heard from a girl whose parents would call her a bitch.

Her own parents!

Is it any wonder the poor girl turned out the way she did? Your parents are supposed to be your first line of support and the people who love you unconditionally. The bond you form with them is what teaches you HOW to bond with other people.

Farrah didn't have that. And 22 years later, look at where she is. Trying to figure out how to be a grownup when the grownups who raised her didn't act very ... grown up!

And now Dr. Jenn has warned that Farrah's parents are going to be brought on Couples Therapy to talk about how they affected their daughter. That is going to be one episode NOT to miss.

Did tonight's episode change how you feel about Farrah? What do you think of her parents?

Image via VH1

Teen Mom 2 star Kailyn Lowry may have grown up and found her happily ever after with husband Javi Marroquin, but some of the struggles of being a teenage mother are darn near impossible to shake off. Kail will always have to deal with ex-boyfriend and baby daddy Jo Rivera. With that comes dealing with Jo's sometimes bizarre ideas about how to raise their son, Isaac. And when I say bizarre, I mean, have you heard Jo's latest complaint about Kailyn's parenting?

Here, I'll let Kail tell you what's going down:

@tay_adele90 Did I mention I had to fight Jo to put him in Pre k? No? Ok. Soooo, what's better for Isaac here? He has and always will see

Pre-school? He has a problem with PRE-SCHOOL?

Ironically, Jo isn't the first Teen Mom star to put up a fuss about pre-k. Ryan Edwards threw a similar hissy when Maci Bookout put their son Bentley in an early education program. What is with these teen dads and their insistence on holding their kids back?

More From The Stir: Kailyn Lowry Wants to Be a Role Model for Crunchy Moms

In Ryan's case, it seemed he was selfishly trying to keep Bentley out of school so it wouldn't disrupt their custody arrangements, and it seems something similar is happening with Jo if you follow Kail's Twitter feed. Her move to Dover, Delaware because of Javi's Air Force assignment is playing out on Teen Mom 2 this season, and Jo is fervently opposed. With Isaac in a regular pre-school program, it definitely ties him to Dover, and thus makes it harder for Jo to convince a judge he should be spending more time with dad.

Now, I should say it's GOOD to see dads who want to spend time with their kids. We've seen on Teen Mom (and in real life!) that this isn't always the case.

But it's ALSO good for kids to be in pre-school. There is countless research to indicate early education will benefit kidsfor the rest of their lives. It prepares them for "real" school and the real world both, between the academics and the socialization they get.

I can't help but wonder if this isn't one of the shortcomings of having kids at such a young age. These dads lack the maturity to really focus on what is best for a child over what is best for themselves.

Whose side are you on here? Is there ever a reason to keep a kid out of pre-k?

Image via Instagram

Does the name Heather Jensen ring a bell? She's the Colorado mom whose two sons died in November 2012 of hyperthermia -- extreme heat -- after being left in their family car. At the time, Jensen was arrested by cops who said the mom left her toddler sons in the car with the heat running for 90 minutes while she got into a friend's truck. Well, fast forward to today, and Jensen is in court on charges of child abuse and criminally negligent homicide.

And just wait until you hear what prosecutors say she was DOING while her 2- and 4-year-old sons lay dying. The allegation is the 25-year-old, whose husband had died just two months prior, was having sex. It certainly puts a salacious spin on the already troubling tragedy.

And I'll admit, it made me stop and wonder who the heck buckles their kids into the car and leaves them there for an hour and a half just so she can get some. Whatever happened to hiring a sitter and going to a motel? Or putting them to bed at bedtime and doing it in the bed like normal people?

But the more I've thought about the allegations against Jensen, the less it seems to matter that she was getting a little something something while her kids were overheating to the point of death.

She could have been playing golf or writing a sonnet, and the outcome would still be the same. Two kids would have been locked in a car that reached 140-some degrees, according to prosecutors. Little William and Tyler Jensen would have died.

And that? That's unacceptable under any circumstances.

The fact is, you don't leave two toddlers alone for an hour and a half. In a car. In a house. With a mouse. ANYWHERE.

What Jensen was allegedly doing when these children died doesn't really change anything ... they're still dead, and they still deserve justice.

What do you think should happen to this mom if she's convicted? Would you feel differently if she hadn't been having sex?

Image via police handout

For years now, the morning routine for my family has been the same. We wake up, we run around like chickens missing their proverbial heads, then we head outside to wait for the bus. As my daughter climbs aboard, I always yell out the same old thing about having a good day and how much I love her.

I guess you could call it tradition, but I have to be honest, I never really thought about what it was she should be hearing as her last words from me before starting the day. Never, that is, until a few weeks ago, when a friend threw out an informal Facebook poll on what it is parents say to their kids to motivate them in the morning before school. 

Some of the answers were just as lame as my own (hey, I can admit it), but others were so motivational they made ME want to be better at this whole "greeting the day" thing.

Feel like you're stuck in the same old "have a nice day, sweetie" rut? How about some motivational quotes to really get your kids in the mood to kick some butt every day?

I think number 5 is one I'm going to start using. How about you?

Image by Jeanne Sager

My daughter's backpack had just barely cleared the door of her bus when the tears began to fall. "B.* called me a baby because I like stuffed animals!" she sobbed. "And she got me in trouble again!" My 8-year-old used to get off the bus with a smile on her face and a song in her heart, but I haven't seen that smile much lately.

Instead I hear that she has a stomach ache and doesn't think she should go to school tomorrow. Instead I hear about B. B. who calls her names. B. who makes up lies about her. B. who excludes her on the playground.

B. is a bully. And I'm about to say something that will probably make you gasp.

I hate B.

I'm a 30-something professional with a husband and a mortgage, and I hate an 8-year-old. I don't hate her in the way that you hate having accidentally set the alarm for 6 a.m. on a Saturday when you could have slept in.

I loathe this 8-year-old for making my little girl cry. I despise her for taking away the light in my little girl's eyes.

Is it OK to hate a child?

I'm not sure. I've been working with the school to get my daughter some relief (and her teacher has been wonderful about the situation). I've talked to parents of other B. victims.

It's helped. Some.

But deep down, I am wrestling with the uncomfortable feeling that I really cannot forgive a child for hurting mine again and again and again over the course of three (!) years. After the latest bout of B. bullying, I was feeling particular angry ... and unsettled. I wanted to know -- am I alone? I put the following out on my Facebook wall:

Is it permissible to HATE an 8-Year-Old? (No, I don't mean my own ... I mean the one who makes mine cry every day). ARGH!

The answers came fast and furious. Parents shared their own stories of their children being bullied. Parents offered to grab their pitchforks and go after the little brat (metaphorically, of course). Parents agreed. Parents disagreed. Parents judged (gently). 

All agreed they would be angry in my shoes, but a debate broke out over who that hate should be directed toward. Is it the bully or the bully's parents?

"It's probably more reasonable to hate the parents. But, yes, definitely permissible," said one dad.

"Sometimes kids with "good" parents who are trying to raise them right can still be little brats at times," a mom countered.

Still others put forth the notion that they're a package deal -- hate the kid AND the parents. Fair enough!

More From The Stir: Bullying & Your Kid: How to Fight Back

Some pondered about this child's home life. Should I go easy on her because she might not have it easy at home? Should I actually pity her?

I certainly don't wish a bad home life on a child -- if that's even the case here -- but it's hard to summon much pity for someone whose very existence gives your child nightly stomach aches. And quite frankly, my heart doesn't have the room. It's full to the brim with feelings for my own child, with trying to mend my daughter's broken heart.

Dealing with that bully's personal life, finding her the help she may or may not need, pitying her, loving her ... those are problems for the school and bully's parents, not those of the victims'. 

We have to put our children first. And sometimes that means hardening our hearts to little kids who hurt our own. 

Have you struggled with your feelings about a child who has hurt yours? What did you decide?

Image via MarylandGovPics/Flickr

*Name changed to protect the little shit who is making my daughter's life a living hell.

If you've got a Justin Bieber fan in the house, take note. Even after being arrested on allegations of DUI and resisting arrest in Miami this week, the 19-year-old pop star still seems to see himself as something of a role model to his young fans. In fact, in his first public statement since being arrested with alleged drag race competitor Khalil Sharieff on Thursday, the Biebs decided to send a message straight to the Beliebers.

Bieber took to Twitter (where else?) to let them know he's got their back. Yes, you read that right. The Biebs is still talking like he's on some moral high ground here! Just take a look:

YOU ARE ALL WORTHY NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE SAYS >> BE STRONG GOD IS WITH US ALL> MY BELIEBERS CHANGED MY LIFE> I WILL FOREVER BE GRATEFUL

There's nothing like an apology for disappointing your young fans, and that was nothing like one!

Did he really just say, "You are all worthy?" As in he has some higher power and he's anointing his fans? Gee, thanks Kid.

One thing's clear from this strange statement -- it doesn't look like that arrest has managed to knock Bieber off his high horse ... yet.

What do you think of Bieber's message to his fans? Are you still a Belieber?

Image via Miami Beach Police

Somebody open a window! The Fifty Shades of Grey movie won't hit theaters until February 2015, but the first official movie poster is finally here! Something tells me fans will not be disappointed with the first real look at Jamie Dornan as sexy billionaire Christian Grey.

Are you ready to see the photo expected to begin springing up on billboards around the country this weekend?

Mr. Grey will see you now. Start the countdown to Valentine’s Day 2015! #FiftyShades#ChristianGreypic.twitter.com/o9N14CJpGY

Alright, I've gotta say it (you know you're thinking it) ... that ass!

They could have gone with a frontal shot of Jamie Dornan, but we've seen the guy's face and it's not like they're going to put anything seriously risque on a billboard. I think this leaves just enough to the imagination and yet manages to be insanely hot.

How about you? What's your take on the first poster?

Images via EL James/Instagram

A grieving Vermont mom who has spent the past month locked in a psychiatric ward against her will is finally free. Christina Schumacher was hospitalized involuntarily on December 19, the day after her estranged husband, Ludwig Schumacher, strangled the couple's 14-year-old son, Gunnar Schumacher, and then hanged himself. But throughout the ordeal, she's maintained she was no more ill than any mom would be in her situation, and she just wanted to go home! 

Whatever happened to first do no harm? To having a little compassion for people? This poor woman was essentially held hostage!

Of course a mom whose child was murdered would be upset, but that doesn't necessarily make one insane or in danger of harming people (herself included)! It shouldn't have taken a mom reaching out to a local newspaper and begging them to investigate her case to get some relief, but that's what happened here.

Scary, isn't it? That you could be held against your will? That your reaction to pure tragedy could be so grievously misjudged?

Schumacher's release was ordered Friday by a judge who ruled that there was no reason for a doctor to order Schumacher be admitted and held for five and half weeks. As Schumacher herself said,

I am not ill; I am simply a mother who is grieving the tragic loss of her young son.

She can now go home to grieve with her 17-year-old daughter, but it's not exactly in peace. Schumacher is now dealing not only with recovering from the death of her child but with the loss of that time ... plus medical bills that the hospital has sent to her and to her insurance company for her stay.

What do you think of the rules for holding someone in a psychiatric facility against their will? Do you support them or do you see a need for a change?

Image via kev-shine/Flickr

Planning a wedding is stressful for most folks, but Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have had it pretty easy so far. Why not? Money is no object, and they can delegate pretty much everything. But their big summer wedding in Paris may have just hit a snag even they can't overcome.

See, rumor has it Kimye has already picked their ideal wedding singer!

According to British tab, The Sun, Kim and Kanye want Lady Gagato perform on the big day. Who wouldn't!

So what's the problem?

Kanye and the "Applause" singer don't have the best of history. They were set to co-headline a tour back in 2009, but Lady Gaga reportedly pulled out because of Kanye's rep (this was after the infamous "Taylor Swift, Imma let you finish" debacle). And then there's that SNL skit Gaga happily performed in back in November -- poking fun at Kim and Kanye.

Come to think of it, after Gaga made fun of them, would Nori's parents really want her at their big day? Hmm ... looks like they could be back to square one ... could Jay Z handle double duty as best man and wedding performer? 

What do you think of Kim and Kanye's reported choice? What would Gaga sing?!

Image via Pacific Coast News

Prosecutors working to build a case against Philip Chism, the 14-year-old accused of murdering his teacher in October, have levied another disturbing charge against the Massachusetts high schooler. In addition to claims that he allegedly slashed the throat of popular math teacher Colleen Ritzer, a grand jury has indicted Chism on a new and second charge of aggravated rape.

Now 15, Chism already faced one aggravated rape charge for allegedly assaulting the 24-year-old sexually with a stick, but it seems new evidence has come forward of even more horror before Ritzer's death.

Prosecutors are now alleging the teenager forced the teacher to have sex with him before killing her and abandoning her body in the woods near Danvers High School. He's already facing a first degree murder charge -- as an adult -- and an armed robbery charge.

The new details -- and new charge -- may send Chism away for a long, long time, should he be convicted, but surely they only make things harder on Ritzer's family, who have already had to face so much trauma over the past few months. My heart goes out to them right now, as they try to make sense of all of this.

What do you think the punishment should be in this case?

Image via notsogoodphotography/Flickr

Poor Selena Gomez is having a really bad week. Seeing your ex-boyfriend splashed all over the news for some stupid drag race would be bad enough. But Justin Bieber and his alleged antics are only the half of it. Turns out the young pop star's home was violated by a trespasser this weekend.

The alleged stalker had come all the way from Arizona to Gomez' home in Tarzana, California. Can you say "stalker?"

The LAPD arrested a 19-year-old named Jean Daniel Garcia who they allege was roaming Gomez' property Saturday. The young man reportedly told cops he was there to see Gomez in person, but fortunately members of her family spotted him and called the cops.

Can this girl catch a break? A few years ago a 46-year-old man named Thomas Brodnicki was order to stay away from her after reportedly talking about killing her while on a psychiatric hold. Then last year one of her crazy fans killed his entire family (and himself) in Oklahoma.

She's a talented actress, and her music is certainly catchy, but come on people! She's just a regular person -- no need to get obsessed! She even has regular old problems like screwed up ex-boyfriends ...

Are you a Selena Gomez fan? What do you think attracts the stalkers to her?

Image by Jeanne Sager

When Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom decided to put their house on the market, the question wasn't whether someone would buy it but who. And now we have an answer. The soon-to-be divorced couple's 7-bedroom pad has sold for a whopping $5.49 million -- nearly $1.5 million more than they bought it for in 2009.

So who would buy the love shack of a couple whose love has gone off the rails? Would you believe another celebrity couple ... who just tied the knot?

The buyers of Khloe and Lamar's house have been revealed as none other than Big Bang Theory star Kaley Cuoco and her new hubby, Ryan Sweeting!

And I do mean NEW hubby. The couple just got hitched on New Year's Eve. Buying a house together is the next logical step, but apparently this couple either doesn't believe a house can be cursed or think a curse is no match for the power of their love. Here's hoping. They look adorable together.

But then, once upon a time we were staying that about Khloe and Lamar!

If you had the cash, would you have bought the house or do you think Khloe and Lamar's bad marriage would give it bad juju?

Image via Realtor.com

As police continue to sift through the witness accounts of the shooting at the The Mall in Columbia on Saturday, the identities of the three dead have come out. The suspected gunman has been identified as Darion Marcus Aguilar, just 19 years old. The shooting victims are Brianna Benlolo, 21, and Tyler Johnson, 25, both workers at a Zumiez Skate Shop.

Both were much too young to die, and now it's come out that Brianna, the store's manager, leaves behind a young son. Described as a "devoted mom," this was reportedly Benlolo's first job since giving birth to a now 2-year-old boy.

A 2-year-old boy who has been left without a mother.

The senselessness of these shootings that continue to happen in America is hard enough to get past, but I can't get the picture of a little boy crying for his mommy out of my mind. Brianna didn't deserve to die, and her little guy deserved to have his Mom come home from work on Saturday night and cuddle him. He deserves to have her there for t-ball games and kindergarten graduation and every other milestone from which she's been stolen by a monster with a gun and -- according to cops -- some homemade explosives.

There have been myriad reports speculating some link between Aguilar, Johnson, and Benlolo, but so far cops have not verified any of them. The young mother's grandfather was reached by media and he said she is on "good terms" with the father of her little boy, with whom she shares custody. That gives me hope that at least the little guy has a dad out there who will be there for his son, but is that really enough?

My heart goes out to this little boy and to his father both, as well as the rest of the Benlolo and Johnson families, and to the Aguilar family as well.

How do we stop these tragedies?

Image via Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Looks like another celebrity could be headed from the ATL to j-a-i-l! The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Apollo Nida is in hot water -- again -- with authorities. This time the feds claim Phaedra Parks' quiet husband has been up to some serious hanky panky at work.

We're talking bank fraud and identity theft! And considering the federal government is involved, it's safe to say these charges aren't going away any time soon.

In an indictment against Nida obtained by the Atlanta Journal Constitution, he is charged with stealing people's identities and having a partner in crime, identified as Gayla St. Julien, pretend to be them to set up accounts. The reality star also allegedly set up fake companies, including a fake auto dealership, and applied for fake auto loans.

It's all pretty screwed up stuff, but not exactly ... surprising? Phaedra married this guy and had two kids with him AFTER he'd been in prison for five years for breaking federal racketeering laws. Oh, and those laws that he broke? They related to auto title fraud. Sound familiar?

Girlfriend knew what she was getting into ... but you can't help but feel a little bad for her, or at least for their kids. If they're true, charges like these could put daddy away for a good, long time. Ayden and baby Dylan may have to get used to seeing him behind bars.

Can't wait to see how this all plays out on Housewives! 

What do you think of Apollo Nida?

Image via Bravo