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Local News: Top Stories

Jarred Harrell pleads guilty to murdering Somer Thompson
<p> Jarred Harrell, the man accused of killing 7-year-old Somer Thompson in October 2009 pleaded guilty to all charges, including murder.</p><p> The guilty plea allowed Harrell to avoid the death penalty and the judge sentenced him to life in prison.</p><p> In addition to Somer's kidnapping, molestation and murder, Harrell also pleaded guilty to unrelated cases of child molestation of a 3-year-old girl and possession of child pornography.</p><p> In addition to Somer's aunts, grandparents, and siblings, Diena Thompson, Somer's mother, spoke to Harrell at the hearing.</p><p> "You took [Somer's] dignity, her virginity and then you took her life. Then, when it was all over, you took her out like she was trash," Thompson said.</p><p> Thompson later added, "This will be the last breath that I waste or use on you."</p><p> In all, Harrell pleaded guilty to 59 charges. His trial on the child molestation charges was delayed last month.</p><p> Somer was kidnapped while walking home from school and found dead in a southeast Georgia landfill three days later. Within hours after Somer's kidnapping was reported more than two years ago, hundreds of people -- many who had never met the girl -- joined the search. By the time her body was found, thousands who had never met Somer felt the loss. The investigation into who killed Somer was frustratingly slow, but the Sheriff's Office was persistent. On Feb. 11, 2010, Harrell, a former Orange Park resident, was arrested in Meridian, Miss., on 29 charges of possession of child pornography and was named a person of interest in the case. That same day, Clay County detectives and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement searched a house in the 1100 block of Gano Avenue, not far from where Somer lived. On March 26, 2010, Harrell was charged with murder in Somer's death. "It begins, frankly, when they find pornography on a computer somebody has given to them," said Jacksonville attorney Dale Carson, who has watched the case from afar since Somer disappeared. "So there's only a remote connection with Harrell." Carson gives credit to the Sheriff's Office in following the leads from child porn on a computer to finding out Harrell lived near Somer's home in Orange Park. Eventually, investigators found him at a relative's house in Mississippi. "You've got to hand it to the Sheriff's Office in Clay County," Carson said.&#160; "They found the body up in Georgia. That, no doubt, added some DNA evidence to it. They ID him, bring him back here. They charge him. I think they have a really substantive case against him, a substantial case." Details of the case have been under tight guard with a gag order in place.</p>

Nutritionists say Internet diet phenomenon not accurate
<p> The weight loss industry is a multi-billion dollar industry for a reason. People are always trying to find a way to drop those extra pounds,</p><p> There's a diet&#160;phenomenon on the Internet that calls itself the solution&#160;to the nation's dieting troubles.</p><p> The Diet Solution promises you'll burn 10 percent of your unwanted weight in body fat in 30 days.</p><p> In its online video it criticizes other diets for being misleading, saying, "The problem is its mixed in among a bunch of ridiculous misinformation, hypes, and scams."</p><p> Online, this diet is everywhere. And when you Google "diet solution," "diet solution review", and "diet solution scam", the links you find send you right back to the diet's homepage and sales video.</p><p> So with all of the program's own hype,&#160;Local 6 wanted to know is the diet really a solution?</p><p> One claim of The Diet Solution is that, "Most people are not eating enough calories."</p><p> Dr. Susan Hewlings, a nutritionist and professor at the University of Central Florida disagrees with that statement.</p><p> She does however say that we don't eat enough of the right calories, instead relying on processed foods, sugary drinks or "empty calories that have no value."</p><p> But processed is not the same as pasteurized.</p><p> The Diet Solution claims that along with organic proteins and specialty grains and oils, dieters should be drinking raw dairy.</p><p> That's a choice Dr. Hewlings calls dangerous and potentially deadly.</p><p> "That's probably the most remiss part of the diet," said Hewlings.</p><p> But eating high quality foods is not enough. The Diet Solution claims you need to select the foods that your body burns best.</p><p> Once you buy the program and take the metabolic quiz, The Diet Solution claims you'll know which foods to choose.</p><p> Hewlings says while we all have different metabolic types, the science of food and nutrition is not yet at a point where that can be determined by a simple test.</p><p> Local 6's Bridgett Williams asked Hewlings to go through that quiz which asked about times of day you get hungry, personality type, and whether you like hot or cold.</p><p> "People love quizzes," said Hewlings. "The whole diet is an excellent marketing plan, they've done a great job at appealing to what most dieters are looking for."</p><p> But when Hewlings watched the online sales video, she could not find enough facts to support those claims.</p><p> "That's the thing, again, partial truths," said Hewlings.</p><p> The video shows orange juice and wheat breads and says, "These are foods that can cause you to gain, not lose weight."</p><p> Hewling responded to that claim by saying, "It's making it so extreme, like orange juice is a bad guy, like orange juice is bad for you.&#160; It's presented here like its bad to have blood glucose, it's not."</p><p> The video also shows a stick of butter and says, "Want to know the truth? The right kind of fat will actually burn a ridiculous amount of fat off your body."</p><p> Hewlings responded to that saying, "Are they (processed margarines and oil) preventing you from losing fat? No. Eating too much and not exercising is preventing you from losing weight."</p><p> Hewlings gave The Diet Solution a C grade saying she agreed with some of the basic ideas, but was disappointed in the lack of science and research to back up the claims.</p>

'Back' it up: World's strangest back tattoos
They've been stuck under shirts and jackets for years, but now the most bizarre back tattoos are finally free to smell the fresh air.

Super Bowl urban legends revealed
The Super Bowl has gathered its share of tall tales and urban legends throughout the years. Which ones are true, and which ones are as authentic as the tooth fairy?