idea was going on. >> reporter: detectives tell us cooke suffered from various health ailments. neighbors say cooke lived in the apartment with her two daughter, one who is mentally challenged and the other who was her caretaker. >> very nice lady. outspoken, always asked me if i needed help with groceries or opening the door for my children and i. she was very helpful. >> reporter: neighbors here also tell me that cooke was small and frail and she was kept in a crib-like bed. jessica bennett lives in the apartment above where cooke's body was discovered. although police haven't said what type of freezer she was placed in, bennett showed us the size of a standard freezer in our unit. >> she could have been a smallest lady. if you're dead, it's not going to be hurt squished up in a freezer. >> reporter: other nabis still coming to grips with the unsettling details say there may be other motives involved. >> the first thing we thought

was money. maybe she was getting checks in and they didn't want the checks to stop so they shoved her in the freezer. >> reporter: meanwhile, police still haven't charged anyone in the case. >> i'm working closely with the office of the chief medical examiner in baltimore to determine the manner and cause of death right now. >> reporter: abc 2 news. >> and neighbors tell us that since the discovery, the family has moved out of that apartment. in the meantime, a judge denied a defense request to delay the trial of a washington woman accused of killing her four daughters and living with their bodies. the judge is called bonita jacks' trial long overdue. so it started today. the bodies were found in january of 2008 while she was being evicted. jacks is going before a judge, not a jury. tonight police in anne arundel county are investigating a body found flowing in a marina in deal. they found the body of 62-year- old david alan cany floating in the marina on herring bay road

just after 4:00 yesterday afternoon. cany lived on one of the boats at the marina. an autopsy is being done to determine the cause of death. baltimore city police are looking into a suspicious death in hampden. they say a man's body was found on the porch of a vacant house on falls road just about four blocks from the 56 just afternoon yesterday. in florida tonight, police say three arrests in the brutal murder of a married couple have not ended their work. they're now looking at business ties in the crime they first thought was just a home invasion. whatever the motive, the attack has taken away a mother and father from 17 children, most of them disabled. abc 2 news' diana avellar is in the town of beulah where neighbors have been taken by surprise. >> reporter: police call it a calculated crime. a home invasion in rural florida during which byrd and melanie billings were murdered in cold blood. three suspects have been charged in connection with the case. monday afternoon, police announced at least four other individuals may have been

involved. some of whom were cat on surveillance tape entering the home from the back entrance. >> two individuals exit this vehicle, again, dressed in ninja garb, black garb, come through the wooded area. >> reporter: police believe 56- year-old leonard gonzalez was the getaway driver. she was tracked down after this red van was discovered across town from the scene. authorities believe it's the same van seen on this surveillance tape from cameras surrounding the house. 41-year-old wayne coldiron and 35-year-old leonard gonzalez, junior are charged with homicide. the police report says they barged into the family home, wearing masks and armed with long guns. it was a brutal ending for the billings, who devoted their lives to raising more than a dozen children, some with severe disabilities. several of their chin were home at the time the alleged murders were committed. children now without their parents in what loved ones are calling the most senseless of crimes.

>> to know there are people capable of this type of violence, and people with this magnitude of hate in their lives is sickening. >> reporter: diana avellar, abc 2 news. breaking news out of baltimore city. police are on the scene of a barricade. brian cube slier live near near the 3000 block of the alameda. brian? >> reporter: we're at the corner of east 29th street and alameda as baltimore police are searching for a murder suspect. this is a very active scene. i want to hoe you what is going on here right now. a male in his late teens or early 20s was shot to death several times in an alley here and received information that the suspect or suspects ran into a home here in the 1500 block of the alameda. the s.w.a.t. team is here, as well as the k- 9 unit as police say they are attempting to make contact with the suspect. but police have taken one man into custody already. they say he is a suspect, and he has been taken downtown for questioning. again, you can see this whole block has been blocked off. this is an active scene.

and they did take a suspect down for questioning there is also a second part of the scene right over here where the young man's body is laying. and police are looking -- police are investigating that part of this as well. but again, marybeth, still a very active scene here in east baltimore. we'll of course keep you updated here on abc 2 news. reporting live in east baltimore, brian kuebler, abc 2 news. >> brian, thank you. yet another sign of the tough times when baltimore city firefighters are appealing for basic items to make their firehouses more livable. after a tour of several stations, city council president stephanie rawlings- blake decided to launch a collection drive called genie in july, giving people a chance to donate to firefighters to live in their historic living quarters. >> right now times are lean so, we don't have as much funding to replace items in the station like the items that the firefighters are asking for. >> the so-called wish list

includes items like plates, dishes, window air conditioning units, and hand towels. if you would like to see a full list of the desired items go, to abc2news.com. we've posted a link to the genie in july website. tonight police in annapolis are warning you to watch out for atm skimmers and hidden cameras. skimmers are the devices attached to the machines by criminals so they can steal your card information. police say to look out for things like mirrors or pamphlet holders which could be hiding places for cameras, and as always, conceal your fingers while typing in your pin number. monday morning got off to a rocky start. the old courthouse and office buildings were evacuated when people starred feeling sick and smelling something strange. fire crews say that smell is coming from a faulty battery in a forklift in a print shop that was leaking sulfuric acid. fans were brought in to ventilate the buildings. workers went back to work by

2:00 this afternoon. and tonight people in one randalls town neighborhood are back in their homes. but earlier this afternoon, they were evacuated from their homes in the 3900 block of red deer circle because police say they found a strange electronic device inside a car that was broken into. the bomb squad blocked off the area as they investigated. and as it turns out, that device was not dangerous. no word on exactly what the device was. expect some traffic delays through downtown baltimore until late fall. a new road resurfacing project on lombard street will mean longer commutes for you. work on the project begins wednesday during the first days of the project, crews expect to keep at least three los angeles of traffic open between light and president street. during the later phase, they expect to keep at least two lanes open between light and martin luther king boulevard. latest now on that private suburban philadelphia swim club accused of racism after it canceled the membership of dozens of minority kids.

club leaders say they're planning a meeting to work out an agreement for the children to return. members a at meeting yesterday voted to reinstate the members of the day camp as long as an agreement on safety. >> times, and terms can be worked out. another nice day across the region with below normal temperatures and very low to moderate humidity level. but we do have some showers showing up down here on the eastern shore, just south of dover. and also a little shower crossing over, getting ready to head into the cambridge region. not a big deal at this point in time. but no precipitation is on tap for the baltimore area. here is your forecast for this evening. partly cloudy, some showers to the south and east. you just saw them on the radar. temperatures will hold in the low to mid 80s for the most of the evening. but then cooler temperatures overnight, and the reason being? clearer skies. we'll tell you all about it, coming up. confirmation hearing are underway for supreme court

nominee sonya sotomayor. a look at how the first day wrapped up. >> reporter: sonya sotomayor went before the senate and it appears her battle will be wage along lines. to explain the past ruling. defenders portray sotomayor as a meticulous judge who has followed the law strictly for her 17 years on the bench. in her open remarks, the judge says she has spent spent the past several weeks explaining her judicial floss foy senators. >> simple. fidelity to the law. the task of a judge is not to make law, it is to apply the law. and it is clear, i believe, that my record in two courts reflects my rigorous commitment to interpreting the constitution according to its terms.

>> g.o.p. lawmakers promise to scrutinize her writings and records on remarks that she made in 2001 that a white latina could make a better decision than a white male. chances are considered excellent, especially with the party's filibuster-resistant majority. also in d.c., a family practice doctor from rural alabama is president barack obama's choice for surgeon general. dr. regina benjamin was introduced earlier today. she talked about how she lost her dad to diabetes, her brother to an hiv-related illness, and her mom to lung cancer. >> my family is not here with me today, at least not in person, because of preventible diseases. while i can't -- i cannot change my family's past, i can

be a voice in the movement to improve our nation's health care in nation's health for the future. >> dr. benjamin made headlines with a fierce determination to rebuild her nonprofit medical clinic in the wake of hurricane katrina. stories that could save you money. first up, how you can dial in on a cheaper cell phone bill. the new wave of power. how do you feel about paying more for your bge bill if you're promised to save in the long run? and as the investigation into the death of the king of pop continues, more jackson's friends are giving details on the star's health. (announcer) if you think all batteries are the same, consider this:

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roaaaaaarrrrrrr!!!! ♪ whistling bluegrass tune you're watching baltimore's station that work for you. now abc 2 news at 5.

>> are we any closer to knowing what killed michael jackson? police in los angeles are still investigating, and they say autopsy results should be available soon. in the meantime, personal accounts continue to be made public. the latest from a jackson friend who has more disturbing claims about the star's health. ♪ >> reporter: michael jackson was underweight and in trouble as he rehearsed for his big comeback tour that according to leonard row, his friend, who served as the financial advisor for the tour. >> michael jackson was not ready. he was not fit. >> reporter: in fact, on "good morning america," row said that just a week before the singer's death, he and the familiar were planning an intervention to get mike into rehab, and says he shared his concerns with the tour producers. >> i never even thought he would make to it london. and i passed that word on. when i passed it on, what really angers me is they told me to shove off. >> thank you very much.

>> reporter: the jackson family also charges that michael's death was no accident. michael's sister la toya telling britain's daily mail that he was, quote, surrounded by a bad circle of people who didn't have a his best interests a heart, that they effectively murdered him with addictive drugs. while a number of doctors are being investigated by the los angeles police department for prescribing those drugs, joe jackson is pointing the finger at dr. conrad murray, jackson's personal physician who was with him when he died, and then disappeared. >> mostly give him something to make him rest. and hearing that this doctor went to sleep or something, i don't know. >> reporter: a spokesperson for dr. murray says he is cooperating with the police department investigation. a toxicology report is due in about a week, at which time the coroner is expected to determine what caused michael jackson's death. you'll see more of that interview tomorrow night right here on abc 2. abc will be airing the special prime time, family secrets, the jacksons after michael.

that's tomorrow night at 10, right here on abc 2. now the forecast certified baltimore's most accurate, here is chief meteorologist norm lewis and maryland's most powerful doppler radar. >> see, it's just -- >> i know, it's just another great day. >> you know, the funny thing is yesterday our high was 93 degrees. but it didn't feel like it. it's the first time we've hit 90 so far but, it didn't feel like it because of the low humidity. that's basically the way the next couple of days are going to be going with low below normal temperatures are going. it's getting extremely dry out there. we really do need rainfall. a good chance for shower activity on thursday and again on saturday. unfortunately it's on the week, but, you know. we'll take it when we can get it. the shot from harbor cam overlooking the downtown area. things are looking absolutely gorgeous down there. our temperature right now at bwi thurgood marshall 86 degrees. 34% humidity. that is very low for this time of the year. winds currently from the west

at 8, and the pressurizing 29.87. your tides tomorrow at fort mchenry. a high tide just before noontime at 11:41. 6:24 the low tide tomorrow evening. tomorrow's winds from the northwest 6 to 12 miles per hour. sun comes up at 5:52. we'll set at 8:32. temperatures across the region. 84 in hagerstown. 84 in winchester. downtown baltimore 86 degrees. 84 in easton. 78 in dover and 82 right now over in ocean city. throughout the day, some very early morning clouds gave way to sunshine that we had throughout the day. a few light clouds. and a few showers develop down to the south and east of us. a little shower right here crossing the bay. but for the most part, some extremely nice weather. a larger view. remember yesterday we were talking about the shower storms over northern portions of kentucky, they were going to be moving down into the carolinas. well, that's basically where that shower taitt has gone down over the carolinas and out over the outer banks where they had heavy shower and thunderstorm

activity. right now maryland's most powerful radar, the one in baltimore area, no precipitation. but we are seeing some showers down to the south. one little shower across here near the fairly creek area. this shower getting ready to head towards the cambridge area. but for the most part, we will be precipitation-free, at least for tonight. but some much needed rainfall is headed in our direction on thursday. temperature-wise right now in manchester 82. 81 in reisterstown. columbia 82 degrees. 79 in bowie. edgemere 81 degrees. towson 84. northeast 82. 81 in aberdeen. and in arnold it's 81 degrees. as far as our forecast for tonight, few showers on the eastern shore. will pull on towards the east. during the day tomorrow, a little area of high pressure moves in. lots of sunshine. a few light clouds. but again, things are looking really good. sheer the system on thursday going to be headed in our direction. we could see a spotty shower here in the baltimore area. for the overnight period, partly cloudy, cooler, 58 degrees for the overnight low. during the day tomorrow on

tuesday, mostly sunny, again, below normal temperatures with a high of 86 degrees. the extended outlook for the next seven days, that's what it's looks like right there. as you can see, sunshine tomorrow. then partly cloudy once we get along into wednesday. now thursday a good chance for some scattered showers and maybe a thunderstorm. friday partly cloudy, a chance for showers again on saturday. sunday and monday partly cloudy, below normal temperatures. you can always go to our website to abc2news.com and check on our interactive radar. that's what it's looking like right now across the maryland area. we're seeing a few showers across the bay. if we kind of widen out our picture a tiny bit. this is something you can do at home there is the shower right there south of the dover area. but for the most part, things are look pretty good. again, it's available on your pc at home at abc2news.com, 24/7, 365. mb? >> thanks, norm. now to your money and how to save more of it. as the recession deepens, as many as 60 million americans are trying to cut cell phone

costs. carla wohl shows us how to save the cell phone number, the number on your bill, that is. >> reporter: it is a necessity in today's connected world. but cell phones can be very expensive. >> like about $150 a month. >> reporter: figuring out how to save can be confusing. consider that the four major carriers offer 210 plans, and those plans have optional adons. >> as a matter of fact, there is about 10 million combinations of adons and plans that you come up with among just the four national carriers. >> reporter: he created bill shrink.com to cut through the confusion. >> you can either import your bill or manually estimate your usage. >> reporter: then the computer does its thing, analyzing your usage and comparing more than 7 million planned combinations. it even takes into account signal strength. the result, this customer could save $830 over two years by switching plans. he says most people can save.

>> on average, we find eight out of ten people are paying too much for their wireless service, and often by $300 or more. >> reporter: for customers who use a cell phone sparingly, prepaid plans can be the best way to go. there is no contract, and no early termination fee. >> with a prepaid plan, they could go $20 a month if they chose to, and they could save a lot of money. >> reporter: another tip you can avoid all those extra charges for dialing information. instead, dial 1-800-free-411, or 1-800-goog-411. it doesn't cost a dime. carla wohl, los angeles. you can yell fore when you want to warn people of golf balls. but what do you yell when you see a plane about to land on the greens. and find out why a church's sign reads "mr. vandals, jesus loves you." watch abc 2 news any time

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abc 2 news at 5:30 is next. hello, everybody. i'm terry owens. say goodbye to meter readers. the new technology bge says will save you money. did former vice president dick cheney break the law? the cia revelations that have some calling for a federal investigation. and abc 2 works for you as a scam alert. how rogue movers are ripping off unsuspecting consumers. >> thanks, terry. our look at news around the nation takes us to a hole in one. emergency landing in maine. golfers got quite a surprise when they saw the small plane head for the green about. the pilot of the antique plane was forced to land when the plane started having trouble, then it ran out of fuel before it could reach an airport.

the 1946 aranca champ landed on the fourth fairway. luckily no one was hurt. at a church in new hampshire, sunday service went ahead as planned despite the bold act of vandalism that left the hope chapel covered in red graffiti. church members are taking the crime as an opportunity to practice what they preach. >> actually, our people this morning had many conversations about finding whoever did this and walk them into our church. >> even the sign out front reads "mr. vandal, jesus loves you too." and we'll be right back with more in a moment. moment. we all have confidence and we all have doubt. but when the moment comes... what's going to win? here's to confidence. gillette helps you look, feel, be your best.

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individually packaged, ready from your microwave in less than a minute. edwards singles. share one with someone you love. or not. now abc 2 news at 5:30. >> bge hopes it will soon be able to change the way you get your power. good evening, i'm terry owens. the so-called smart grid was unveiled today. the company says it will revolutionize how energy is managed and save money. as abc