[quaist]

There can't be any why in the world sufficiently explaining the murder of a young woman. Whatever the motives, it's senseless and appalling.

[GardenSirens]

I don't think we'll ever know the why. Motives are a tricky thing. People, under the distress of the court room spotlights, will often change how things really are. Thoughts cannot be proven thus the real reasons may be a mystery. Even if finding out could shine a harsh reality I don't think many are willing to face; we're all murderers we just need that little push to cross the line from thinking about something to doing something.

[sunnykerr]

So, really, I see no reason to question the Italian courts' verdict, personally.

They have access to evidence we will never hear about.

It's a democratic country with a perfectly fine legal system.

She was found guilty.

Twice now.

[GardenSirens]

I completely agree with you. To be found guilty twice in a country that is well respected like Italy, they're not making mistakes. I say let her stay in jail as clearly she did it. We like to make a big stinnk about it being an American...that doesn't make her immune to the laws.

[sunnykerr]

^ If the same events had happened in the United States, I don't think she would have received as much sympathy.

Meanwhile:

Silk Road 'mastermind' Ross William Ulbricht charged The US has charged a California man alleged to be the owner of Silk Road, a black-market website that brokered $1bn (£613m) in transactions. Ross William Ulbricht, 29, is accused of drug trafficking, computer hacking and money laundering. Prosecutors allege he deliberately operated the site as a criminal enterprise and solicited six murders-for-hire. Mr Ulbricht's lawyer says his client will plead not guilty to all charges. "The indictment was expected and does not contain any new factual allegations," Joshua Dratel said in a statement. "We look forward to preparing Ross' defence." Authorities say Mr Ulbricht operated the Silk Road site under the name Dread Pirate Roberts, an apparent reference to the movie The Princess Bride. Purchases were made using the virtual currency Bitcoin. He was arrested last year as the site was shut down by the FBI. Officials seized 173,991 Bitcoins ($150m) as part of the investigation. Mr Ulbricht has filed a claim contesting the seizure of the Bitcoins, asserting that they were found on his personal computer and belong to him rather than Silk Road. He is also accused of conspiring to have a former Silk Road employee murdered during the course of a federal sting operation. That murder-for-hire, along with the others, was never carried out. Silk Road allowed visitors to browse nearly 13,000 listings, many of them for illegal drugs, but also offered forged documents, computer hacking services and pirated media content, prosecutors said.

I will readily admit that I don't know much about this Silk Road or the case related to it.

From this article alone, and thus the charged laid against Mr Ulbricht, he sounds like some sort of modern-day Al Capone.

I suppose we'll know more as the story develops.

[GardenSirens]

Woww, I never heard of that, either. I knew there were black markets but wow to the stupidity level to put it on the internet where anything and everything is tracked.

[sunnykerr]

Well, I'd heard of the Silk Road.

I didn't realize the whole operation could be dismantled this easily, though.

I wonder what will happen to the Bitcoins.

I doubt he gets to keep them.

Fruit of the poisonous tree and all that.

[☆♥~Buffyverse_Lover16~♥☆]

Crime bosses are the worst!

I don't pay much attention to news on Silk Road . I never heard of it.

People can be so greedy in today's world.

He should be pleaded guilty, it will make the world so much better for it.

[quaist]

Silk Road... Something that's possible in the 21st century only -- bringing together drugs, the Internet and a virtual currency

[sunnykerr]

Digital money is an easy way to laundering money as well.

Hence the marriage with drug trafficking, I expect.

[quaist]

I suppose that's exactly the reason the US government was so keen on getting the currency regulated

[sunnykerr]

If that's so, I don't believe they've succeeded so far.

There was a financial journalist on a weekly talk show here who explained, a bit, how Bitcoins work.

And the only part I really understood is that, much like when Facebook went "public" and sold shares, the thing is no one quite knows how Bitcoins will evolve so, as a currency, it's extremely unstable.

[quaist]

Yeah, and there's like zero empirical value they could turn to with regards to virtual currencies.

Also, the regulation plan's really in its very early stages from what I understand.

Here's what the situation in New York currently looks like:

Big Apple bit: New York to introduce regulations for bitcoin transactions New York’s financial regulator will adopt rules to govern virtual currency firms with a view to combatting money laundering. The move comes in the wake of a series of hack attacks that have halted bitcoin transactions across the globe. The state currency regulator announced on Tuesday that current regulations governing currency transmissions would be adapted to suit new digital currencies. The rules would make New York the first US state to legislate for alternative cyber-currencies such as bitcoin. "Our objective is to provide appropriate guard rails to protect consumers and root out money laundering – without stifling beneficial innovation," Benjamin Lawsky, superintendent of New York's Department of Financial Services, said at a speech Tuesday in Washington. As part of the regulations New York businesses wishing to use cyber-currencies would have to obtain a “BitLicense.” Lawsky highlighted the main obstacles in the fight against money laundering and fraud with the new currencies. In particular, he spoke about a possible ban on “tumblers” used to hide the record and source of virtual currency transactions. However, he argued that a blanket ban on “tumblers” was a complex issue, because they could also have legitimate uses in the online marketplace. Lawksy also said other issues would have to be dealt with, such as the measures capital requirements firms should take to absorb unexpected losses and whether firms should be permitted to invest in cyber-currencies. The discussion on virtual currency regulations comes after the value of bitcoin plummeted on a big, Japan-based exchange on Friday. Bitcoin lost 20 percent of its value, dropping to $960 per unit and prompting the exchange to halt customer withdrawals. The volatile functions in the value of the currency had a knock-on effect in Slovenia on Tuesday, where a Bitstamp also froze customer withdrawals, blaming DDoS hack attacks. The Bitcoin Foundation released a statement, saying unknown hackers had used “mutated” lines of code to prevent some transactions from completing. "This is a denial-of-service attack," said the spokeswoman, Jinyoung Lee Englund. "Whoever is doing this is not stealing coins, but is succeeding in preventing some transactions from confirming. It's important to note that DoS attacks do not affect people's bitcoin wallets or funds." As a result of the currency’s volatility, some governments have moved to ban bitcoin from being used. Russia’s Central Bank cracked down on the cyber-currency last week, banning Russian citizens and companies from using bitcoin.

[sunnykerr]

I wish New York the best of luck.

If they succeed, they'll likely become a model for the rest of the worl on how to proceed.

Not to make an abrupt shift in topic, but have you heard about this U.S. trial?

Two teenage boys charged in US 'satanic' ritual murder Two teenage boys have been charged in the US with the sexual assault and ritual murder of a 15-year-old girl. Jose E Reyes, 17, and a 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are accused of the killing of Corriann Cervantes. Prosecutors in Texas said the pair believed they were doing a deal with "the devil" when they killed the girl. They are also accused of disfiguring the girl's body, including carving an upside down crucifix on her stomach. Officials say that the boys lured Miss Cervantes to an empty apartment in Houston, Texas, on 5 February. Harris County prosecutor John Jordan said the younger boy had heard Reyes say that he had sold his soul to the devil and the 16-year-old wanted to do the same. He added: "The juvenile inquired... that if he committed a murder, would that basically initiate him into being able to sell his soul to the devil, of which Mr. Reyes said, 'Yes.' "What happened in that vacant apartment was sadistic. What will eventually happen in the... courtroom will be justice". Authorities are still trying to determine how Cervantes died, he said. Police said the Miss Cervantes' body was discovered early Saturday when someone who lived in the block of flats noticed the door to the empty apartment was open. 'Devil worship' Jose Reyes, who was arrested Sunday, made a brief court appearance on Tuesday. He is being held without bond in the Harris County Jail. His lawyer, Jerald Graber, said he could not comment on the case because he had just been appointed by the court and knew few of the details related to the charges. The 16-year-old boy is in being held in a juvenile detention facility. Prosecutors say Jose Reyes' family first went to authorities after the 17-year-old made "some admissions" to them about what had happened. "They did the right thing. Clearly they were offended by his conduct," Mr Jordan said. There was evidence of "devil worship and things of that nature" at the Reyes family home, he added. No decisions have been made by prosecutors on whether the 16-year-old will be tried as an adult.

This is a very shocking crime and, obviously, things have changed quite a lot since then.

But this smacks so much of the West Memphis Three that I'm already full of questions and doubts.

The younger perpetrator cannot be named and yet is giving what seems to be the whole evidence in this matter.

And whatever "devilv worship and things of that nature" stuff they found, it is likely very much up to the interpretation.

Which doesn't mean they didn't do it.

Like I said, things have changed a lot in the last 30 years.

[quaist]

The West Memphis Three? Oh boy, my many gaps in education...