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Charles Barfield, 47, was charged in Pompano Beach, Florida, with the “fatal attraction” murder of Jeffrey Dryfka, 25, in February. According to Dryfka’s notes, he had been pursued for seven years by Barfield after breaking off a short homosexual affair. Dryfka adopted disguises and moved frequently, but Barfield finally tracked him down.
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The General Accounting Office revealed in August that the Department of Veterans Affairs has been paying pension and disability benefits to more than 1,200 dead people (including 100 that have been dead for more than ten years). The department would save $5.7 million per year by matching its pay records with other government records on death.
David T. Quezada, director of the fair-housing council in Orange County, California, and a champion of tenants’ rights, was accused by the council in June of numerous housing-code violations at his duplex, including exposed wiring, leaky plumbing, and rotting floors. He admitted knowing about the discrepancies since 1987.
