Gay Nurses Apologize to Lesbian Whose Partner Died Without Her

You may remember the story of Janice Langbehn, the Seattle woman whose partner Lisa Pond suffered an aneurysm on an R-Family cruise out of Miami in February 2007. Even after a power of attorney naming Langbehn was sent to Jackson Memorial Hospital, the hospital refused to allow Langbehn access to Pond, who died about 18 hours after being admitted. Langbehn was finally allowed to see Pond as a priest delivered last rites.

On Thursday in Miami, several nurses from the gay Lavender caucus of the union serving Jackson Memorial hospital apologized to Langbehn for what she went through:

"The apologies came at a town hall-style meeting Thursday night at Unity on the Bay church, in which Langbehn returned to Miami as a speaker. Baker, Molina and two other Jackson nurses, Jim Nicholson and Diane Poirier, along with 60 other people, attended the meeting. Langbehn, whose lawsuit against Jackson was dismissed in September by a federal court in Miami, gracefully welcomed the nurses’ personal gesture. But she still want the hospital to apologize formally."

Langbehn's case against the hospital, you may recall, was rejected by a federal court in September.

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Pin-Up Marine Reservist Who Attacked Priest He 'Mistook' for a Terrorist Now Using 'Gay Panic' Defense

On Monday evening, Marine reservist Jasen Bruce attacked a Greek orthodox priest with a tire iron after the priest asked him for directions:

"The Rev. Alexios Marakis, visiting from Greece, had performed a blessing of a retired Greek priest in the West Shore area before accidentally exiting I-275 into downtown Monday evening, police said. Marakis followed cars into the Seaport Channelside Apartments on Twiggs Street and got out to ask for help. Bruce, a reservist with a West Palm Beach unit since March, had his trunk open so he could get dry cleaning out, police said. Bruce, who lives in the apartment building, was not in uniform. Bruce grabbed a tire iron from the trunk, hit Marakis four times over the head and chased him about three blocks before pinning the priest, police said. In a 911 call, Bruce made a derogatory comment about a man he said was a terrorist and was trying to rob him and had grabbed him in a sexual manner, police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said. When officers arrived, police say, Bruce told them he heard the man say 'Allahu Akbar' – Arabic for 'God is great.' 'That's what they say before they blow you up,' Bruce said, according to police."

Bruce has since changed his story and says the priest hit on him and grabbed his genitals.

Bruce, who is now claiming he's freaked out enough by having men hit on him to brutalize them with a blunt object, is a pin-up model (top photo) for All American Guys. You can see more of his "portfolio" here.

Watch the news report, AFTER THE JUMP...

Second Killer in Ryan Keith Skipper Murder Found Guilty

William Brown Jr. has been found guilty of first degree murder and robbery in the March 2007 death of Ryan Keith Skipper:

"The verdict was announced at 2:56 p.m. Jurors had been deliberating since 12:34 p.m. Brown will be sentenced to life in prison Dec. 1. During this morning's closing arguments, Assistant State Attorney Cass Castillo rejected Brown's statement to detectives that he 'blacked out' during the 2007 stabbing attack."

In March 2007, Skipper's body was found by the side of a rural road in central Florida with more than 20 stab wounds. His car and laptop had been stolen. The car was abandoned and recovered by authorites, who reported that the assailants had attempted to set it on fire but did not succeed. They had also cut out a seat belt because it was so bloody they couldn't clean it. Bearden, then 21, and William David Brown Jr., then 20, were later arrested and indicted for the killing. A witness brought in by authorities at the time told police that Brown had killed Skipper because he was gay.

Brown's accomplice, Joseph Bearden was found guilty of second-degree murder, theft of a motor vehicle, accessory after the fact to robbery with a weapon, tampering with evidence, and dealing in stolen property on February 27 of this year. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 25 years.

Hopefully this will give Skipper's parents, Pat and Lynn Mulder, some semblance of peace and closure.

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