VERO BEACH — A man who secretly buried his mother in their back yard to cover up her death will be serving 20 years in state prison for second-degree murder, court files show.

In mid-2008, Vero Lake Estates resident Kelly Smith, 38, argued with his mother, Lynn Schuler, 59, over his unemployment. (more…)

VERO BEACH — Security was tight at the Riverside Theatre Monday when humanitarian, author and Dutch feminist Ayaan Hirsi Ali spoke to an overflow crowd about issues in the Muslim world.

The backstage area for the theater was locked down for security reasons, and patrons with bags had to submit to a search by theater personnel, marketing director Oscar Sales said. Vero Beach police officers were also stationed at the building’s entrances and exits.

Hirsi Ali is a 40-year-old Somalia native and former member of the Dutch Parliament who is well known for defending the rights of women in Muslim society. She gained international attention following the murder of Theo Van Gogh, who had directed her short film “Submission,” a documentary about the oppression of women under Islam. The assassin, a radical Muslim, left a death threat for her pinned to Van Gogh’s chest.

During her prepared remarks on Monday, the second speaker for this year’s Distinguished Lecturer series told the audience there are two schools of thought regarding the religion of Islam. (more…)

Martin County Sheriff’s detectives are investigating an Indiantown man’s death after he was found shot in the chest early this morning.

The sheriff’s office received a call from a resident in the 15400 block of Southwest Seminole Drive at about 2 a.m. saying there had been a gun shot and a man was wounded outside the home, sheriff’s spokeswoman Rhonda Irons said.

Once there, sheriff’s deputies found 23-year-old Juan Pastor-Tec, officials said. (more…)

Search our new listing and map the locations of those killed during 2008 in Martin and St. Lucie counties.