LIONEL LUTHOR
DENIED BAIL,
INDICTED FOR MURDER

By Frank Moore

In a stunning development, a federal judge in Metropolis denied bail to Lionel Luthor, declaring him "an imminent threat to society." A grand jury, meanwhile, indicted the LuthorCorp CEO on charges of first-degree murder in the arson deaths of his parents, Lachlan and Eliza, decades ago.

Despite this setback, Lionel Luthor appeared confident afterwards, telling the media throng assembled outside the courthouse that "the incarceration of the innocent is nothing new. But in the end, I have no doubt justice will prevail."

According to sources within the prosecutors' office, the government's case rests on a combination of eyewitness testimony and allegedly incriminating electronic records. Federal attorneys refused to discuss the merits of their evidence, but some details are coming to light.

The primary witnesses against Luthor appear to be two teenagers from Smallville High School, one of whom is infamous for spreading wild conspiracy theories and obsessing over strange, supposedly paranormal, phenomenon.

"It's disturbing to think that taxpayer money, not to mention Mr. Luthor's valuable time, is being wasted on the word of a couple of kids with overactive imaginations," said LuthorCorp spokesman Mitchell Taylor.
The father of one of the witnesses had been fired from his job at LuthorCorp's Fertilizer Plant No. 3, a move fully authorized by Lionel and carried out by his son, Lex. "Clearly, there are ulterior motives behind the charges against Mr. Luthor," Taylor said. "This is about settling a personal score, pure and simple."

As for the electronic evidence, thought to be recordings of some sort, technology is readily available to distort and even fabricate such data, said a surveillance expert who was interviewed on the condition of anonymity.

With such an apparently dubious case arrayed against him, it's no wonder that Luthor is reportedly in high spirits while awaiting trial at the Metropolis Federal Penitentiary. A visitor to the prison even reported that The Mane recently treated himself to a sleek new haircut.

"When the explosive truth is finally revealed," Taylor predicted, "this case is going to go up in smoke."

MASSIVE EXPLOSION WIPES OUT ISOLATED FARMHOUSE

Owners/Occupants Unidentified, Media Access Blocked
By Jim "Slim" Bradlee

A huge fireball sent flames and smoke high into the air when a midsized home on the outskirts of town exploded yesterday. There were no official reports of any injury or death.

While it is common practice to withhold victims' names until bodies are clearly identified and next of kin notified, the authorities are being especially mum on this unexplained occurrence. There was no statement, and news teams were blockaded several hundred feet from the blast site.

Strangely, even hours after the incident, vehicles and personnel from local law enforcement, fire and emergency departments were still not allowed on the premises. Sheriff Adams was seen angrily confronting three black-suited men near the edge of the press camp, but even she was turned away.

Before the airspace was closed, a Metropolis Daily Planet news chopper did manage to capture images of the explosion's aftermath, reportedly showing dozens of unmarked black sedans, SUVs and vans surrounding the smoldering property. After their initial broadcast, those images were embargoed, and a complete media crackdown went into effect.

A preliminary check of deed records did not reveal a property owner for the plot where the house was located. Indeed, all paperwork relating to the structure and surrounding land seems to be nonexistent in the county archives.

Regardless of whether or not the cause of the mysterious blast is ever determined, it seems likely that if anyone were inside at the time, it would be a miracle if they survived.

KENT FARM VANDALIZED AGAIN

Kawatche Activists Suspected
By Christopher James Beppo

Not long ago a barn on the historic Kent Farm that belongs to longtime residents Jonathan and Martha Kent, was defaced by vandals who burned an indecipherable symbol on its side. Now, pranksters have struck again, this time causing serious damage to the Kents' field.

Apparently employing a blowtorch, as was previously used on the barn, the trespassers burned another meaningless symbol into the crops, fleeing before anyone could identify them. Neighbors called the sheriff's department to report smelling smoke.

By the time sheriff's deputies and volunteer firefighters arrived, the flames had been extinguished. Visibly upset, Mrs. Kent was seen standing in her kitchen doorway, refusing to speak with deputies or reporters. "No, I have no idea where my husband and son are. I don't want to talk to anyone! Won't you all please just go away?," she sobbed.

Zeke Ketchum, who first alerted the authorities, stated that he regretted making the call. "The Kents are such private people. I should have known to just let them handle it," he said. "It's just there's been so many weird things happening over there, I thought they might need some help this time."

Echoing the suspicions of many of the onlookers who were summoned by the sirens and lights, Ketchum continued, "We all knew there'd be more trouble like this after that Kawatche guy was arrested a few
weeks back. The Kent kid is always playing down in the caves, after all. This is probably their way of telling him to stay out for good."

The Ledger regrets a typo in last week's excerpt from the Ezra Small Project and thanks the eagle-eyed readers who brought it to our attention. The archived online edition of that issue will contain the corrected text, which is also printed here:

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And here is this week's entry from the ESP. Further information may be found in the Ezra Small House section of http://www.smallville.net.

EMERGENCY AT LUTHOR MANSION

Details Sketchy

By Kathy Romita

Emergency vehicles were dispatched to the Luthor Mansion late last night, but details concerning the crisis are sketchy. Since Lionel Luthor is incarcerated at the penitentiary, we can only presume that either his son, Lex, or a member of the house staff is ill...or worse. Minutes after the EMS arrived, the Lowell County Medical Examiner's van also showed up at the scene. Usually the M.E. only investigates deaths.

The Sheriff's Department would not allow anyone near the estate. Reporters were held at bay and unable to see what was happening near the mansion, and no informative announcements have been made.

The Luthor Mansion is scheduled to host the upcoming Smallville Charities wine tasting event this Saturday. It is unknown if the event will be held as planned. LuthorCorp Director of Public Relations Mitchell Taylor was unavailable for comment.