Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 22

ri PhoenixScottsdale editor Chris Coppola; chris.coppolaarizonarepublic.com; 602-444-6397 East Valley editor: Paul Maryniak; paul.maryniakarizonarepublic.com; 602-444-6397 West Valley editor: Venita James; venita.jamesarizonarepublic.com; 602-444-6397 HOW TO CONTACT KEY EDITORS IN YOUR RFGION mu Kidnapping case from 77 is reclassified as homicide VaUey teen, 14, wins Kidz talent search in north Scottsdale near a popular hiking spot. The Department of Public Safety crime lab created a DNA bone profile. A forensic scientist determined the femur was from a White man in his 20s, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, that had been in the desert and I was like, 'OK, I've got this. It's Asked if she thought she had a shot at winning, Brown says, "My perspective on this whole competition has just been, 'If I don't get it, it'll be OK. I'll just move But now that I have it, it's just Douglas Mueller for up to five years.

Kiana Brown By Ofelia Madrid The Arizona Republic An extortion and kidnapping case from 34 years ago is getting a fresh look after a Scottsdale police detective used new technologies to try to solve it. The call came the day after Douglas Allen Mueller went missing. It was March 16, 1977, and the caller told Mueller's parents, Larry and Beverly, to go to a pay phone in Scottsdale for instructions on how to get the 19-year-old back. The parents, who were already working with police, did as they were told. Mueller was reported missing a day earlier.

The Scottsdale Community College student was last seen around 9:30 p.m. after finishing his shift at a gas station at Miller and McDowell roads. At the pay phone, Larry found Mueller's driver's license and a note that looked like his son's handwriting. There were specific instructions that included a request for thousands of dollars, a drop-off point and a threat that Mueller would be killed. The family delivered the money, but it was not picked up.

Three separate ransom calls and money drops followed those first two months, and the money wasn't taken. Mueller's vehicle was later found at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. In 2008, Scottsdale police Detective Hugh Lockerby, a missing-persons investigator, picked up the Mueller case. Earlier this year, Lockerby was looking at a 2007 case where a bone had been found The ages didn't match. By 2007, Mueller would have been 49; this bone was from a man in his 20s.

Lockerby contacted Mueller's brothers, who told him their parents were still alive. In July, a DNA profile created with a combination of Larry and Beverly's DNA was run through a federal database. It matched the bone's profile. After the DNA hit, Lockerby called the forensic scientist. "She said there's no way this bone has been in the elements for 30 years," Lockerby said.

"That leads us to believe the bone was dug up within the last one to five years. It's been in some sort of burial site." The case has been reclassified as a homicide, and Lockerby is planning another search for Mueller's remains. He will also contact people interviewed in 1977. At the time, friends believed Mueller was possibly involved in a marijuana deal. "Maybe (Mueller) got involved in something else, but there was nothing glaring in his background," Lockerby said.

"This was a stand-up kid with his whole life in front of him." By Ed Masley The Arizona Republic Kiana Brown has a look on her face that says, "Life doesn't get any better than this," when her principal invites her to join him on stage at a Mountain Pointe High School assembly to tell her fellow students about the Kidz Star USA Talent Search. The 14-year-old Valley freshman, who won a trip to New York City as one of four finalists, talks about meeting "American Idol" winner Kris Allen and pop singer Gavin DeGraw, and appearing on the "Today" show. Principal Bruce Kipper asks her how she did. She says she'll find out Monday. And life gets even better when the kids are instructed to "give a big Mountain Pointe welcome to 'American Idol' winner Kris Allen." The place goes nuts.

Allen, who acted as one of the Talent Search judges, walks in and gives Brown a hug. There's a school band playing and cheerleaders screaming as friends and family follow Allen into the gymnasium. That's how Brown or Kiki, as she's introduced finds out she's won the grand prize, which includes an RCA recording contract and a starring role in the "Kidz Bop 21" music video and TV commercial. Then she's asked to sing and belts out a breathtaking, soulful rendition of the Le-ona Lewis single, "Bleeding Love." The kids at the Ahwatukee Foothills school cheer all the flashier moments and give her a standing ovation when she's through. It's the ultimate Hollywood moment.

And soon, Brown will be in Hollywood, shooting a video for "Kidz Bop," a popular series of compilations that feature the hits of the day as sung by kids, often in much tamer, kid-friendly versions. After the assembly, Brown is all smiles, soaking in what's happened. "I was freaking out," she says. "I was like, 'Kris Allen's at my school. OK.

This is I couldn't comprehend it at first, but then it started to sink in after a while Shakira Matherly, Brown's beaming mother, shared her daughter's outlook on the competition, flying back from New York City with no expectations. "Of course, I wanted her to win," she says. "But it's voting. There are judges. So no matter how well I might think she'd done, that doesn't really have a thing to do with what the judges or the people voting might think." More than 45,000 kids submitted videos to the Kidz Star Talent Search.

Of the 10 semifinalists, two were from the Valley Brown and Katy Patin of Scottsdale. Finalists were chosen based on online voting and the input of judges who included Candece Campbell, a vice president at the Jive Label Group, and Allen. At Mountain Pointe High School, before the assembly, Allen recalls his first impressions of the video he saw of Brown singing "Someone Like You" by Adele. "I wasn't blown away," he says. "I thought, 'She's got a good And she played the piano, too, so I was like, 'That's kind of I mean, she killed it.

She sounded amazing. But I had other people that I thought were better." Then he saw her live. "She went from 'She's good' to 'She is no doubt gonna win this he says. "She's vocally amazing, but that's not what impresses me the most about her. It's her presence, her maturity, her genuineness.

It's refreshing. She was easily the most refreshing person in the competition. She's got it, man. She really does. Or at least she's got pieces of it, and it's gonna turn into this thing where she becomes this huge star.

I think she has every capability of being that." 5 MOST READ AT NEWS.AZCENTRAL.COM Mystery of Eric Myers: In 1991, the scion of an influential Valley family disappeared on a business trip to San Diego. Eric Myers, the middle son of real-estate developer Don Myers, was presumed dead. Through interviews and court documents, The Arizona Republic reconstructed the events in a case that some call a tragedy and others call a crime. Case of missing Glendale girl still unsolved: Police say there are no new leads in the case of 5-year-old Jahessye Shockley, reported missing Oct. 1 1 from her family's apartment.

An Amber Alert issued Oct. 1 2, based on a tip of a woman picking up a child fitting Jahessye's description in a black Chevrolet Ma-libu, has since expired. ICE officer faces drug charges: A deportation officer with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement led Arizona state police and federal agents on a highspeed desert chase in Pinal County, throwing bundles of marijuana out of the window as he fled, authorities said Wednesday. Jason Alistair Lowery, 34, had been under surveillance for more than a month.

1912-2012 ARIZONA'S CENTENNIAL HEADLINES OF THE DAY 1 2 3 4 5 OCT. 22, 1911 This is end of Ashurst' Candidate's legislative record has been dug up and broadcast throughout the entire territory 'Looks like foul murder' Unknown man, with a bullet hole through the body, was found in desert near Agua Fria; find was made by cattleman 'Entries are always late' Clerks in the office of the fair commission are having the same trouble this year they always had Rebels may be winners' They hold important strategic position from which Imperial troops will have trouble dislodging them Phoenix police kill man in wheelchair Phoenix police fatally shot a man in a wheelchair who they said had pointed a gun at them early Oct. 1 5. Police had responded to a bus and light-rail depot on reports that shots were fired by a man assaulting a woman believed to be his girlfriend. Chandler man licks woman's knee: Police say Martin Soto, 43, was arrested Oct.

14 on suspicion of assault after he reportedly licked a stranger's knee when she fell down a step near Dobson and Ocotillo roads in Chandler. Ell EES r' phoenix.azcentral.com nephoenix.azcentral.com ahwatukee.azcentral.com northvalley.azcentral.com glendale.azcentral.com peoria.azcentral.com surprise.azcentral.com swvalley.azcentral.com mesa.azcentral.com gilbert.azcentral.com chandler.azcentral.com tempe.azcentral.com ahwatukee.azcentral.com pinal.azcentral.com scottsdale.azcentral.com Lost plane, passengers found SCOTTSDALE A small airplane that went missing Thursday in the northeast Valley was found about six hours later, and its two passengers were safely returned to Scottsdale. The Evektor-Aerotechnik airplane took off about 4:30 p.m. from Scottsdale Airport. It apparently had engine problems shortly after takeoff, and the pilot contacted the pilot of another plane.

In the transmission, the pilot said he had landed in a dry creek bed about 30 miles north-northwest of Scottsdale but couldn't pinpoint the location, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The second pilot relayed the information to Scottsdale control-tower personnel, who contacted authorities. The Arizona Department of Public Safety picked up the passengers and flew them to Scottsdale Airport by helicopter about 10:20 p.m., the FAA said. One-on-one academy opens SCOTTSDALE Brightmont Academy, a Washington-based network of private schools that offers only one-on-one instruction, has launched its first out-of-state school in Scottsdale. Brightmont opened recently at Hay-den Road and Shea Boulevard.

There are three Brightmont Academy branches in Washington state, and another is opening in Mission Viejo, Calif. Brightmont accepts full-time students in grades 6-12, all of whom study individually with a teacher, and also offers an a la carte array of single courses and tutoring options for K-12 students. Tuition for a full-time private student is about $22,000 a year, and tutoring rates start at about $480 a month. Opening of distillery delayed GLENDALE The opening date for a premium liquor distillery and tasting room at the historic Beet Sugar Factory in downtown Glendale has been delayed. Ray Klemp, owner of the 1906 factory, announced this summer that he hoped to begin construction in August, with tastings offered by the fall and the distillery open by the end of the year.

But he has revised the schedule, aiming to start renovation on the factory by the end of November. The Beet Sugar Factory is one of the oldest industrial structures in Arizona. Standing five stories tall at Glendale and 52nd avenues, the factory was built to process sugar beets. When that venture failed, a variety of uses followed, including a beer-distribution center, a storage facility and a Squirt soda plant. The doors closed finally in 1986.

Since then, Glendale officials and owners of the factory have struggled to find a viable business to fill the building. Klemp took full ownership of the building in 2009 after partnering in an ownership group since the late 1990s. He is a real-estate developer, wine and liquor retailer and history buff. He plans to renovate the building to hold his daughters' fledgling business, a specialty distillery named Forward Brands now operating in Phoenix. The company creates flavored vodkas, rum, tequila, gin and apple-pie liqueur.

Klemp said his construction plans are going through additional review by Glendale city staff and said the process has taken longer than planned. Group to host mayoral forum PHOENIX The Valley Interfaith Project will host a forum featuring mayoral candidates Wes Gullett and Greg Stanton on Sunday to "seek public commitment from candidates to move Phoenix in the direction of economic recovery." Candidates will address clergy and other members of the Valley Interfaith Project, a nonpartisan group of congregations, schools and non-profits aimed at encouraging civic leadership. Gullett and Stanton will receive questions and material in advance of the event, which is from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Shepherd of the Hills United Church of Christ, 5524 E. Lafayette Phoenix.

Union: Labor talks to restart PHOENIX The Phoenix union representing more than 600 Valley Metro bus drivers reports that employer Veo-lia Transportation Services has agreed to restart labor talks on Tuesday. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1433 drivers have been working without a labor contract with Veolia for more than 15 months as the two sides continue to bargain over wage and benefit terms. As a result, the Valley has been under threat of a public-transit strike for more than a year. ATU drivers overwhelmingly rejected Veolia's "best and final" contract offer in August and got approval from its international to go on strike at anytime. Phoenix has contracts with Veolia to provide bus service for more than one-third of Valley Metro routes.

Tour showcases green living MESA Several Mesa homes and businesses appear on this weekend's Valley of the Sun Tour of Solar and Sustainable Buildings. The free, self -guided tour runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and Sunday and offers public access to technologies and strategies for environmentally responsible desert living. The tour also includes homes and businesses in Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe.

Some of the tour highlights include passive solar, solar PV, solar hot water, rainwater harvesting and the use of materials from conventional to straw-bale construction. For more info: azsolarcenter.org. NHL alumni in charity game TEMPE National Hockey League alumni members will be playing coaches from the non-profit Desert Youth Hockey Association in a charity fundraiser this afternoon at Oceanside Ice Arena, 1520 N. McClintock Drive in Tempe. Former NHL players Sean Whyte, Tim Watters, Alex Hicks, Ed Kastelic and Max Middendorf are among those expected to play.

The association is also hosting a live auction featuring signed NHL jerseys, sticks and other memorabilia, as well as tickets to Phoenix Coyotes games. Game tickets are $10. Doors open at 1 p.m., and the game begins at 2:30 p.m. Fore more info: DYHA.org. LOTTERY LTS Lottery information is available at arizonalottery.com or 480-829-PICK (7425).

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THE PICK Wednesday's drawing: 03 08 19262939. Tonight's estimated jackpot: $1.3 million. MEGA MILLIONS Friday's drawing: 06 21 35 37 38; Mega Ball: 17; Estimated jackpot: $48 million. Thursday's drawing: 1011 1315. Friday's drawing: 01 061921.

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