Investigation

Philadelphia police said Friday that they were still piecing together how a 4-year-old boy was shot to death inside a Kensington house this week, but sources close to the investigation said someone would be charged in the near future. Police sources described the death of Javier Merle Jr. as accidental, and said the boy may have picked up a gun left unattended. The child's death left family members anguished and residents of the 600 block of East Clementine Street shocked.

HARRISBURG - The state Ethics Commission has launched an inquiry into allegations that three top officials at the Liquor Control Board accepted gifts and favors last year from vendors and other businesses with an interest in liquor regulation. Ethics Commission officials have interviewed at least five employees of the LCB, most of them in the last week, about the allegations contained in a confidential report completed in March by the Inspector General's Office and forwarded to Corbett administration officials.

The police squad repeatedly swooped down on bodegas and smoke shops, saying they were searching for the small plastic bags often used to package drugs. But merchants complained that the officers made off with cash and merchandise after disabling security cameras to mask their conduct. The actions of the Narcotics Field Unit - in one case graphically captured by a camera with a backup hard drive - triggered a major scandal in the city in 2009. The result was an FBI investigation of the officers, dropped charges against some defendants, and numerous federal civil right lawsuits filed by people who said they were abused or framed by the squad.

LONDON - Rupert Murdoch's dream of controlling a British broadcasting behemoth has evaporated with the withdrawal of his bid for BSkyB - the latest, biggest casualty of what Prime Minister David Cameron called the hacking "firestorm" sweeping through British politics, media, and police. Cameron appointed a senior judge to lead an inquiry into the phone-hacking and police-bribery scandal engulfing Murdoch's British newspapers, and promised it would investigate whether Murdoch's reporters sought the phone numbers of 9/11 victims in their quest for sensational scoops.

Lee Heist's phone won't stop ringing. Just about every five minutes, it chimes with calls, from New York, from Philadelphia, from Lancaster County. They're calling with questions about Brenda Heist - Heist's ex-wife, who disappeared from Lititz, Pa., without a trace 11 years ago. After years of futile investigation, Brenda Heist was declared dead in 2009. Lee Heist, who was once a prime suspect in her disappearance, began a new life: He remarried four years ago and lives in a modest ranch house in Norristown with his wife and dogs.

The mayor of tiny Marcus Hook, who just last year was a guest at the President's State of the Union address, is under investigation for allegedly shooting a gun in his house and giving alcohol to a 20-year-old whom he threatened to hold hostage. Potential charges against James D. Schiliro, 38, elected to a four-year term in 2009, include endangering another person and furnishing alcohol to a minor, according to court records. He has not yet been charged. Calls to Schiliro and Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan were not returned, and the lead investigator, Detective Robert T. Lythgoe, had no comment.

DALLAS - The manslaughter case against Cowboys defensive tackle Josh Brent will likely require several more days of investigation by suburban Dallas police, authorities said Thursday. Brent is free on bond after the accident last Saturday morning that killed practice squad player Jerry Brown. Police from Irving, who say Brent was driving drunk, met with prosecutors from the Dallas County district attorney's office to discuss the case. "They talked about the case and where we are in the investigation," police spokesman John Argumaniz said in an e-mail.

A package containing "inappropriate wording" was delivered by mail this morning to West Philadelphia High School and police are trying to determine who sent it, according to authorities. The package arrived about 8:40 a.m., a police spokeswoman said, though she could not elaborate on the message contained inside. However, an internal police alert said that the package contained a news report related to the Newtown, Conn., massacre last Friday and a "racist letter saying you are next.

HEY, PHILLY VOTERS. The Nutter administration wants to hear about your Election Day experience. After more than 27,000 voters were forced to use provisional ballots in the Nov. 6 presidential election, more than double the amount in 2008, Nutter established a "fact-finding team" last month to investigate what happened that day. City Controller Alan Butkovitz has also launched an investigation. Part of the Nutter administration's investigation includes hearing from voters. Public meetings are scheduled from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Feb. 6 in City Hall room 202 and Feb. 28 at Bright Hope Baptist Church, 1601 N. 12th St. Voters can also share their stories or make recommendations by visiting phila.gov/election2012 or by calling or texting 267-209-FACT.