I find the suburbs to be a very strange, alien beast, as well. I grew up in very small towns (one had 300 people, the other just udner 5000) in rural Arkansas before moving away to attend university. But I lived IN TOWN, within walkign distance of everything. Since then I have gone to live in various different cities, but always IN the city itself (New Orleans, Memphis, New York City, now Atlanta). I find suburbia very inconvenient and unappetizing. The sub-divisions of suburbia (or the ex-urbs as they're sometimes called) seem even weirder.
I've often joked with people that I might have grown up in pissant little podunk towns, but at least the folks from there KNEW they were hicks. People from the suburbs seem to suffer from the delusion they're city people. Whenever I drive around town and see grown adults walking down the middle of a street instead of on the sidewalks, I know they must have grown up in the suburbs, which--I always found weird--have neither sidewalks or streetlights.
You, know, just like folks out in the piney woods.
Now the Star-Telegram is reporting that the suspect fled in a vehicle, drove into a lake, and at the time of reporting was believed to still be in the submerged vehicle (7:45 p.m. Central). Yeesh.
Steve, the "Suburban Gothic" tag fits well with many of your crime stories; it makes perfect sense.
I also prefer your new updating method to the old one. Given the fast-paced fact-finding of most new TC stories, it makes for some extremely choppy reading. And as you well know, writing about True Crime is always a "work in progress." 
So, good on ya!
Good riddance to crazed stepdad now submersed in lake. What affront to his fragile dignity caused this loser to annihilate his wife and children? If I read one more story about an American man killing his wife and or kids, I think I am going to personally contribute to the Phoenix Strike Force.
"The Dallas Morning News reported that police in Fort Worth had been called to the home shared by the man and the wife he allegedly murdered at least twice in recent months."
I'm not sure what "suburban gothic" is for sure (sounds kinda Kurt Vonnegutty) but if it has to do with a husband murdering the same wife more than once (okay, allegedly murdered at least twice in recent months) then it sounds fascinating. Go for it!!! Amazing what goes on in Dallas.
About suburbs - I grew up in a southwest Chicago suburb and we did have street lights and sidewalks. It was a very kid friendly place if you didn't happen to need any privacy. We did walk on the sidewalks, but we played and rode our bikes in the streets.
Correction, the Fox helicopter reporter said that he was found dead in his vehicle. His name is given as Arthur Jackson IV.
http://snipurl.com/1s40o
I grew up in the suburbs, never wanting to be thought of as a "city kid." I now live in a rather small town (the city has 4000 people, but the school district has more than 20000) that is a suburb of another city. I like where I live. Both places.
As to the new format, I liked the updates, as I could see immediately if there was...well, an update. Does this mean I'll need to read the entire post again and again? (Oh Darn.
I like the idea of keeping posts "fresh" rather than having all these updates. For the stories you cover, this format should work well.
What and idiot I am. I didn't realize you started your crime blogging back up again Steve. I'd just been reading at Random Lunatic. I have a lot of catching up to do! Long time fan and admirer of all that you've accomplished Steve, and I hope your doing well health wise.
Sincerely,
Betsy
Circumspect:
The older suburbs--like those surrounding NYC and Chicago--have sidewalks and streetlights, largely because they were built on the old city/urban model people moving from densely packed urban areas were accustomed to. By the mid-80s I started noticing that the newer suburbs were doing away with these elements almost entirely. It's particularly noticable out in the commercial areas, where the malls are. God forbid you should be on foot and trying to cross the streets out THERE.
Before I comment I will confess that I am one of those people who gets hives whenever change is visited upon me ;> But I also have very limited time and tend to hit your site, Steve, several brief times throughout the day. I preferred the update system because I could see immediately whether or not there had been anything new in the stories I was following. However, I understand your need as the editor to keep things more together. Perhaps you could have a flag of some sort at the top of the entries after they are updated? That way, we would not spend time needlessly re-reading things that have not been changed... just a thought. Hope all is well for you and yours, and thanks, as always, for giving yourself to this!
I like the idea of doing away with multiple update additions, however I think it would be useful to add something at the bottom of the entry to the effect of "Entry last updated [date, time]" like news articles do, for the purpose that Julie D. stated above.
It would help in keeping the comment section in sync with what you've posted. Just an idea.
Nancy C. - The 'burbs in the area I live (midwest, Ohio specifically) none of them (even the new ones) are without sidewalks or streetlights. Maybe it is a regional thing.
I agree with Julie D. and Sandra, if there was a way to let us know you have added to the original story it would be most helpful. I am not much for re-reading stuff, but if I knew there was updated information I would be more inclined to sift through again.
Tonia:
In Texas, Colorado, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana,& parts of Pennsylvania & Ohio you will find that sidewalks seem to be "optional" in the residential areas and extremely iffy in the commercial areas in the suburbs built after the 1960s. This has a lot to do with the fact a lot of it started out as unincorporated areas of land that didn't fall under any given municipalities zoning laws, allowing the developers to basically build however the hell they wanted, regardless of later repercussions. You might have sidewalks along a main road that goes a mile down on one side, then stops and you're essentially walking on the shoulder of the road. Then it might pick up again a mile or so down on the OTHER side. Or you find yourself walking not on real sidewalks per se, but essentially linked parking lots for strip malls. (Buford Hwy in Chamblee-Doraville, GA is a perfect example of this, as well as Veterans Hwy in Metairie/Kenner, LA.) There might be as many as 8 lanes of traffic to cross at stop lights, which are not timed for foot traffic, leaving pedestrians either running for their lives or stranded in the middle of the road when the lights change. Gwinnett County is an absolute nightmare in this regard. Houston & Dallas aren't any better. And if you walk down one of the residental streets, chances are there are no sidewalks at all. Atlanta is full of neighborhoods without sidewalks, largely because it's a patchwork city comprised of overgrown former suburbs that have been swallowed up by the expanding metro area. Where I live currently used to be where the suburbs started 40 years ago, but the city has grown around it. Most of the neighborhoods around me do not have sidewalks. There literally is no way to walk from Piedmont Hospital to Howell Mill on Collier Road without taking your life into your hands. Basically the suburbs were designed by thousands of individual contractors & developers, all looking to cut corners to maximize profits, as opposed to genuine city planners, which is why so many of them are proving utterly unlivable nowadays and people are steadily moving back into the older, better-planned city centers.
I prefer the updates, as I generally just have a moment to glance at the page and read what's new. I know that I won't be able to reread the same piece to check for updated information.
Nancy C. - Thanks for the information. If that is how many suburbs are being built now, it just doesn't make any sense. The newer 'burbs in my area have sidewalks and streetlights, but that may actually have more to do with the local zoning restrictions placed on the developers than any "plans" the developers themselves may have had.
Steve - FWIW, I prefer the older update style. I understand the newer style will help with story flow. My perspective is simply as a reader who follows what you write as the story unfolds, and it is sometimes difficult enough keeping up with the comments that are new, let alone any new information you add to your story if it is not clearly indicated as "new" information. Regardless of your choice, I will keep reading!
I like the old updates, too.
For daily readers, it seems the old way is the best, but for someone just coming into the site, the new way seems best.
Ah well. As they say, you can't please everyone all the time.
Yes, some sort of flag to indicate updates would be most helpful to us veteran readers.
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