One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Burn a Bikini Bar Babe, Spend Rest of Your Life Behind Bars
Theriault-Odom
It was no dice today for Rianne Theriault-Odom, the woman who set an exotic dancer on fire outside a Tarzana bikini bar in 2009, who lost her appeal on her conviction, according to the Daily News. Theriault-Odom received a life sentence for dousing then-27-year-old Roberta Busby in gasoline and setting her on fire after an argument.Theriault-Odom had tried to use her intoxication at the time of the altercation to explain her actions, however a three-justice panel from California's 2nd District Court of Appeal did not believe that the jury had been in error when using that testimony as basis for conviction.
Busby spent five months in the hospital after the attack, and underwent 30 surgeries. Her injuries were described as "severe" and "disfiguring."
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
