Bonus Round Bonanza

Enjoy spinning on your favourite Slots whether you’re at home or on the move for the chance to win £100 cash!

It’s simple, every time you enter a bonus round playing Slots (inc. Mini Games), between Wednesday 15th and Wednesday 22nd, you’ll earn a Prize Draw entry to be in with a chance of winning £100.

Daily Bingo Highlights – Free Bingo

We give away £500 in guaranteed Bingo jackpots every day for FREE! You’ll find Free Bingo games at 1:15am, 8:15am, 2:15pm, 6:15pm and 11:15pm every day.

Big Value Monday!

We are guaranteeing you the best value, some of the biggest prize money and most fun EVERY Monday when you play Bingo with us! Win a massive £1,000 for just 1p a ticket when you play on our hourly Link Games! On top of that, we’re giving you 1p cashback for EVERY Bingo ticket you buy which could be as much as £25 cashback EVERY Tuesday*!

Plus there’s much more for you to enjoy EVERY Monday:

• Win huge prize money with our 2p Linked Games.
• Guaranteed Full House prizes up to £50 from as little as 1p!
• Enjoy BOGOF in our most popular Bingo Rooms.
• Play for FREE to win £100′s in prize money.

Huge Progressive Jackpots

Currently, Deal or No Deal slots porgressive jackpot is a mahoosive £481,435 and rising. But this could be won at any time, so for your chance to win, get playing now!

To find out more about our promotions and for all the T&Cs, visit the promotions page on site at Chat Mag Bingo.

Not yet a member of Chat Mag Bingo?

It’s quick and easy to join, plus new members get a bonus £25 free to play on site with their first £10 deposit – that’s alot of free bingo tickets and spins! So head on over and join in the fun this weekend at Chat Mag Bingo!

PLUS: Stripey fashion, puzzles amd prizes, all the latest on the Soaps, recipes and more…

Did Kevin’s wife play a part in his murder?

THE STORY SO FAR…

On Father’s Day 2010, Kevin Mengel had planned a big party. But he didn’t show. Although he was still texting his family, alarm bells rang. Finally his mum reported him missing…  

THE CASE…

VANISHING HUSBAND

Setting off for work in matching blue polo shirts, Kevin Mengel, 33, and his wife Morgan, 34, seemed like the
happiest couple.
Since 2005, they’d run their landscaping business from a garage near their home in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
Proud of their family business, they had the logo on their shirts – MKB – the initials of their three kids, Mercedes, 12, Kevin, 10, and Billy, 6.
The pair had married in August 1998, seven months after Mercedes was born.
Like all couples, they had their ups and downs. They even separated a few times.
But Kevin was determined to keep the family together. And he succeeded.
So for Father’s Day, on 20 June 2010, Kevin organised a big family gathering.
But when he didn’t show up, everyone was baffled.
Then came a revelation that would shatter the picture-perfect image…
Morgan said Kevin had left her and the kids two days earlier.
Their marriage was over.
‘He needs space,’ she explained.
Odd.
The couple had split before. But it was always Morgan who’d fled with the kids, never Kevin.
But then Kevin made contact with his family…
I’m fine, he insisted in texts to relatives. I just want to be left alone.
But something didn’t feel right. Concerned, Kevin’s mum Kathleen reported him missing to the police.
They insisted he wasn’t missing if he was still in contact.
Besides, Morgan seemed to be coping OK.
She showed up for work at their landscaping business, announced she was now the one in charge.
She was even spotted flirting with a young employee, Steve Shappell, 22.
Surely it was all for show, to cover her broken heart?
Then Kevin’s sister Michelle received a text.
Hey Sis, I’m fine, it read. Worry about Morgan.
So she popped round to the family home…
But instead of finding Morgan grieving for her missing hubby, she caught her with Steve, lounging by the pool.
Were they having an affair?
Is that why Kevin had left?
Kevin still wasn’t taking calls, so no-one knew.
But five days after he vanished, Kevin updated his Facebook status.
Kevin Mengel Jr wants to be left alone, he wrote.
But to the family it was like a red flag.
Kevin always updated Facebook on his mobile. This was from a computer.
What’s more, the wording in his texts seemed suspicious.
He never referred to his sister as ‘Sis’.
But when quizzed by police, Morgan dismissed the idea that she was seeing Steve.
She even showed them texts from Kevin saying, I can’t do this any more.
Unconvinced, when Morgan stopped the kids from seeing their grandparents, the Mengel family took matters into their own hands.
Kevin’s brother Chris staked out the house overnight.
He videoed Steve coming and going as if he lived there, then packing up Morgan’s truck.
Chris followed him to the landscaping garage, where an officer was waiting.
Spooked, Steve sped off.
And soon after that, Morgan was taken in for police questioning.
She wept, telling officers she was trapped in a bad marriage. And she finally admitted the affair with Steve.
But was it motive for something more sinister?
Then she produced a timeline of Kevin’s disappearance, and one word stuck out – Snapple.
Suddenly, the case took a sinister turn.
Devastated at her crumbling marriage, Morgan revealed she’d ‘joked’ with Steve about poisoning Kevin.
She claimed that Steve had gone through with the plan, lacing Kevin’s lemon Snapple drink with toxic liquid nicotine.
When it failed, Steve had hit Kevin with a shovel, buried his body in nearby woods.
She said that lust-driven Steve then faked the text messages from Kevin.
‘I played no role in this,’ insisted Morgan.
But was it fact or fiction?
Regardless, police charged her with murder, and arrested Steve 2,000 miles away in Colorado after Kevin’s body was found.
Except Steve claimed Morgan was the ringleader.
Even produced incriminating text messages from the day of the murder.
I left his Snapple, Morgan texted. He drinkin it?
Ya kinda, replied Steve. Just waiting for him to bend over. I have shovel in my hand ha ha.
But did Morgan really get her lover to kill her husband?
After all, officers couldn’t place her at the murder scene…
In December 2011, Stephen Shappell accepted a plea bargain and was sentenced to 40 to 80 years in prison for murder.
But the judge declared a mistrial before the jury could decide Morgan Mengel’s fate.
This was a blow to prosecutors, who quickly set out to retry her.
Then soon after the mistrial, officers discovered hundreds of text messages between Morgan and Steve.
They showed not only that the two were romantically involved but how they had plotted.
Surely this would be enough to convict Morgan Mengel…

THE REAL JUDGE’S VERDICT

GUILTY!

As her trial was on the verge of beginning in
February this year, Morgan Mengel pleaded guilty
to first-degree murder, admitted helping her lover
kill Kevin.
She said that she’d assumed Kevin’s identity, using his phone to send texts reassuring everyone he was fine. Then hacked into his Facebook account.
‘She tried to make her husband disappear, but because of the love of Kevin’s family… it didn’t happen,’ the chief prosecutor said.
Morgan was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Was it justice?
Not for Kevin’s family.
‘The bigger tragedy is the loss of a wonderful young man who was just trying to make a life for his family,’ Kevin’s dad, Kevin Sr, said.
‘The tragedy that his three children will live the rest of their lives with no father, no mother, and knowing why.’

In the spirit of our Game Show theme this month we’ve got plenty of competitions to keep you entertained – so get on over to Chat Mag Bingo and head n down to Chat Host town today!

Let’s Get Quizzical!

• Join us in Cloud, Tiki or Emerald Chat Rooms from 7pm every Monday to enjoy a ridiculously fun quiz to win a cash prize!

Decide your Destiny!

• You can tell us what to do every Saturday and Sunday afternoon from 5pm for the chance to win a wild cash prize!

Musical May

• Join Nilpoints and Bonnie Chat Hosts from 8pm to celebrate the musical Eurovision machine on the 18th May! There aint no party like a eurovison party, so come along, watch along  get in on the fun and who knows you could win a cash prize or Joy Point too!

So come on down to have a chat with our game show Chat hosts this May at your favourite online bingo site – Chat Mag Bingo!

Not yet a member of Chat Mag Bingo?

It’s simple and easy to join, you could be playing and winning in minutes! Plus new members get a bonus £25 free play with their first £10 deposit (T&Cs apply). So join in the fun at Chat Mag Bingo today…

STORY SO FAR…

When brothers Alex and Derek King disappeared from their father’s house in Florida in November 2001, their dad probably thought they were just being naughty. But was their disappearance just the mark of troublesome teens, or something more sinister?  

THE CASE…

It certainly hadn’t been a fairytale childhood. Abandoned by their mother, put in care by their father Terry, Alex King, 12, and his brother Derek, 13, hadn’t had the easiest of rides.

But they weren’t making things easy for themselves – proving to be disruptive in their respective foster homes.

‘Derek needs to go to military school,’ the boy’s foster family told the authorities. But instead, first Alex, then Derek were sent back to live with Terry again.

Terry tried to be authoritative, to give the boys rules and boundaries, but it was too little, too late.
The boys weren’t about to take orders from the father who they felt had neglected them in the first place.
Instead, they turned to Terry’s friend Ricky Chavis. He was only too happy to welcome them with open arms. A convicted sex offender – jailed in 1984 for two charges of lewd and lascivious assault on two 13-year-old boys – he let the boys move in with him when they ran away from home.

The boys either didn’t know or didn’t care about Ricky’s past. He didn’t have rules, they could stay up late, watch anything they wanted on TV. Ricky even let them try marijuana. But, during their late-night TV sessions, something else happened.

Ricky claimed he ‘fell in love’ with Alex, and convinced the boy he felt the same. They even wrote love letters to each other. Such manipulation would be confusing and scary enough for any child – let alone one as hurt and damaged as poor Alex – so he didn’t run away from it, or tell his dad.

Turned out he’d never have to…

On 26 November 2001, fire engines were called to Terry’s home. When the blaze was finally put out, the place was ruined… and Terry was inside. Dead.

Emergency workers found his charred body still sitting on the sofa in his lounge, where he’d clearly been sleeping.

Or maybe not?

Peering closer, the firemen realised Terry hadn’t been sleeping before the fire – he’d already been dead. His skull had been smashed to pieces by a baseball bat. The mystery of who’d done it was soon solved. The very next day, Alex and Derek – who’d been absent from the inferno – walked into the local police station and confessed to killing their father. Coldly, calmly, they explained that it’d been Alex’s idea, and that Derek had been the one who swung the bat.

‘I did it 10 times to make sure he was dead,’ he said.

And why did they want him dead? Why had a difficult father-son relationship suddenly become a murderous one?

‘Because we were worried we’d be in trouble for running away 10 days earlier,’ the boys said. They told police they’d been so fed up of their dad laying down the law, they’d run away to a family friend, but then couldn’t go back because they were so scared of how Terry would react. Soon, that fear built up so much, they figured the only way to escape potential punishment was to slaughter Terry…

It seemed inexplicably violent.

The boys were charged with murder and placed in jail but, four months later, they changed their story… They said they weren’t responsible for the murder – Ricky Chavis was. They claimed he was the family friend they’d run away and hidden with, that he’d told them the only way to avoid getting into trouble was to kill Terry. And that he was the one who’d done it.

The boys said Ricky had driven them to the house, then disappeared inside to kill Terry, before setting fire to the house.

He’d told them to confess instead of him, as they’d get in less trouble.

But there was no real evidence to prove which story was right – it’d all been destroyed in the fire. Instead, police had to work on some very basic knowledge – the two boys had troubled backgrounds, a motive, and they’d admitted the murder.

But they were young, confused – and bits of their story didn’t add up. For example, the number of wounds on Terry’s head didn’t match Derek’s claim he’d hit him 10 times. There was also the fact that Ricky Chavis was a convicted sex offender who could’ve manipulated the boys into saying what he wanted. Had he wanted Terry dead so he could have the boys to himself?

When Alex, then 13, and Derek, 14, finally came to trial in September 2002, both were charged with first-degree murder and arson. Ricky had been in court a week earlier, charged with the same – but the judge wouldn’t let the verdict of that trial out until the boys’ case was over.

So what would the final outcome be for them all..?

THE REAL JUDGE’S VERDICT

ALL GUILTY!
Though not of first-degree murder… The jury decided Alex and Derek King were both guilty of second-degree murder and arson. Alex was sentenced to seven years in juvenile detention, Derek eight. A judge later threw out the conviction on a technicality, but the boys pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and arson. They still served seven and eight years.

Ricky Chavis, 40, was found guilty of being an accessory to murder and evidence tampering, and sentenced to 30 years. He was acquitted of first-degree murder. He was also found guilty of falsely imprisoning Alex, for which he received a five-year sentence.

For sunshine, scenery and tasty food, Biarritz seemed like the ideal destination – and it’s less than two hours away!

Where to stay?

After flying from London to Biarritz, it was about a 10-minute drive in our hire car from the airport to the hotel, which must be one of the quickest transfers ever!

We stayed at the Best Western Plus Karitza. It’s convenient for the centre of town with nice, bright rooms and a friendly welcome.

For our third night, we headed inland to the village of Sare. There we stayed at the family-run Hotel Arraya, built in the 16^th century on the village square.

Our cosy room had a wonderful view of the hotel gardens and surrounding countryside.

What to do?

Biarritz is a lively seaside town, 11 miles from the border with Spain. It has nice, wide beaches popular with surfers and good views of the Basque coast and mountains.

There’s plenty to see and do. We enjoyed walking along the beach and exploring the town, looking at the famous lighthouse, the art deco casino and the historic Grand Hotel.

We also visited the resort of Anglet, only 5km along the coast. With 11 beaches, they offer fantastic surfing spots.

As we were feeling energetic, we borrowed a couple of bicycles (provided free to all by the local council) and cycled in the glorious sunshine through the Chiberta pine forest and then along the river to the historic city of Bayonne. It calls itself the chocolate capital of France, so you can guess what we had as a reward for all that exercise!

On the Sunday, we went to the fishing port and seaside resort of Saint Jean-de-luz, which nestles prettily around a bay.

After strolling around the town and shopping for the local delicacy, macaroons, we made our way to the picturesque village of Sare. From here you can take a little train, Train de la Rhune, up the mountain for a breathtaking view of the region. The journey lasts 30 minutes each way.

Good grub?

Definitely! Local specialties we enjoyed included the jambon de Bayonne (cured ham) and the Gateau Basque, a famous cake made with either a cream custard or black cherry filling.

As we were by the coast, there was plenty of fish and seafood. We had a lovely dinner at the popular Le Surfing restaurant in Biarritz, which overlooks the beach, perfect for watching the wonderful sunset.

We also tucked into tapas at a tiny street-side cafe in Saint Jean-de-luz, so close to the Spanish border. Washed down with a glass of local wine it made the perfect ending to a relaxing weekend. Sante!

Useful stuff…

• Bearn-Basque Country: www.bearn-basquecountry.com
• Le KARITZA hotel: www.hotel-karitza-biarritz.fr/
• Hotel ARRAYA 3*: www.arraya.com

Shocking truth…

Q I took an electric shock from my toaster. I’m fine now, and my mum says that means I’m immune to shocks in future – is that right?

Clodagh, 30

A Nonsense! Mains electricity can kill, and you can’t develop immunity. First, throw out that toaster. Second, never go poking inside. If your hands are wet, your feet are in direct contact with the floor, or the shock passes through your heart then the risk is greater. You were lucky this time!

Ugly eye sore

Q There’s a horrible yellow spot on the white of my left eye. My doctor called it a pinguecula and says just leave it alone, but it’s ugly and sore!

Megan, 27

A Pingueculae are small yellow lumps of elastic tissue on the front of your eye, sometimes the result of too much sunlight or harsh weather. They’re harmless, and lubricating eye drops will soothe any irritation. Wear UV-protective sunglasses, and try to avoid wind and dust.

Jean reaction

Q I’m allergic to my jeans! They’ve started to leave a red, itchy, weepy patch under my belly button whenever I wear them.

Mel, 38

A Sounds like nickel allergy, triggered by the nickel-plated button on your jeans’ waistband. Cheaper jewellery or watches might have the same effect. The allergy can develop even after decades of wearing nickel, but protect your skin from contact with the metal and the rash will disappear.

Blokes’ bit

Nipple nightmare

Q Are there nipple-reducing operations for men? Mine have always stuck out and I’m too embarrassed even to take my top off in summer!

Richard, 29

A Trimming your nipples to size is usually a fairly quick op under local anaesthetic, though you’d have to pay privately. But if the problem is not just your nipple, but you have man-boobs too, then you’re better off losing weight, or facing a bigger op!

Erm, it’s a bit… personal

Blitz my bits!

Q I keep getting ugly red spots around my vagina. When I sunbathe, it totally zaps the zits on my face – would it also work down below, if I strip off on holiday?

Zoe, 22

A Sunlight can work wonders for most skin conditions, including spots, acne, eczema and psoriasis. A few discreet sunbathing sessions should help the skin around your vagina too, but remember it’s a sensitive area so use sunscreen, and take care not to burn!

Wind pain

Q I have irritable bowel syndrome, and have to let my farts out, otherwise I’m in agony! I’ve seen special underwear that holds in the smell – does they really work?

Fi, 36

A These underpants contain a flexible panel of activated charcoal, which binds gas and traps smells, similar to the panel in your kitchen extractor fan! They do work, though can’t stop every little whiff. The filters are washable, and you’ll need to replace them after several weeks.