Crimes, Homicides & Suicides

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Keystone Pipeline system's operator agrees to pay a $26.9M penalty over a major Kansas oil spill

A proposed legal settlement with the U.S. government would require the Keystone Pipeline system's operator to pay a $26.9 million civil penalty over a major oil spill in Kansas in December 2022 and spend about $40 million more to prevent future accidents. Read More.

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Man who killed Dartmouth professors at 17 to get a chance at parole in about 20 years, judge rules

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A Vermont man who was 17 when he and a friend killed a pair of married Dartmouth College professors 25 years ago will have a chance at parole in about 20 years, when he reaches the age of one of his victims, a judge ruled Monday.https://apnews.com/article/dartmouth-zantop-murders-tulloch-juvenile-life-sentence-09f9dd7868602151397ad8f60b829845?

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Feds turn over evidence in Renee Good and Alex Pretti killings to Minnesota after months of delay

Federal prosecutors turned over key evidence long sought by Minnesota investigators in their ongoing probe into the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti during pitched protests against an immigration enforcement crackdown earlier this year, state prosecutors announced Monday.

https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-alex-pretti-renee-good-21835226891f2a8d91710519b457031d?

ICE officer who fatally shot driver in Maine was ‘fearing for public safety,’ agency says

BIDDEFORD, Maine (AP) — An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a motorist in Maine on Monday, the second time in a week that ICE has used deadly force and at least the ninth death since President Donald Trump began his immigration crackdown.

https://apnews.com/article/ice-shooting-maine-immigration-dhs-f26f8c2256aa6f0748582ea4adbb515c?

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Social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate arrested in Miami, US Marshals Service tells AP

Influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate, whose social media empire promoting wealth, male dominance and misogyny has made them among the world’s most polarizing internet personalities, were arrested Saturday in Miami as British authorities sought their extradition on rape and sex trafficking charges.

https://apnews.com/article/tate-brothers-social-influencers-arrest-82b6638219839dcf653c09309da66f16?

Social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate arrested in Miami, US Marshals Service tells AP Influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate, whose social media empire promoting wealth, male dominance and misogyny has made them among the world’s most polarizing internet personalities, were arrested Saturday in Miami as British authorities sought their extradition on rape and sex trafficking charges. The brothers were taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service on a sealed warrant, agency spokesperson Brady McCarron told The Associated Press, placing the United States at the center of an international legal saga. Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ What to know about the Tate brothers, social media influencers facing rape and trafficking charges WATCH: Tate brothers arrested in Miami, US Marshals service tells AP

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Pamela Smart, serving life, seeks a new trial as a New Hampshire judge weighs her latest petition

Lawyers for Pamela Smart, who is serving life in prison for orchestrating the murder of her husband by her teenage student in 1990, urged a New Hampshire judge Monday to allow her latest petition for a new trial to move forward. Read More.

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Man who killed Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman sentenced to life as family describes trauma, loss

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Friends and family of Minnesota Democratic lawmaker Melissa Hortman said the man sentenced Thursday to two life terms plus 40 years after pleading guilty to her murder failed to eliminate her legacy but caused enduring fear and fury as he changed their lives forever.

https://apnews.com/article/hortman-hoffman-minnesota-lawmakers-boelter-sentencing-b9b2823e5386f2e4fbc465d23095dab8?

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⚖️ Charted: Historic crime drop

Data: Council on Criminal Justice. (Not all cities in the study report every offense.) Chart: Noah Bressner/Axios Homicides are on track to hit their lowest rate in more than 125 years, according to a new report from the Council on Criminal Justice showing an 18% drop in killings across 30 cities so far this year — and a 31% decline since 2019. If the trend holds, homicides would fall below even last year's historic low — dropping to levels not seen since before 1900. Every major violent crime category — including carjackings, robberies and gun assaults — is down from pre-pandemic levels (charted above). More data.

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Teen pleads guilty to murder in a 2024 shooting that left 4 dead at Georgia’s Apalachee High School

WINDER, Ga. (AP) — A teenager has pleaded guilty to all 55 counts, including murder, in a shooting nearly two years ago at Apalachee High School in Georgia that killed two students and two teachers.

https://apnews.com/article/apalachee-georgia-school-shooting-colt-gray-8be7ba5efae9cce53e0f8c61253a5f1b?

Supreme Court litigator gets 6 years in prison for tax evasion case after gambling millions on poker

WASHINGTON (AP) — A prominent Supreme Court litigator was sentenced on Friday to six years in prison for evading a multimillion-dollar IRS tax debt and engaging in mortgage fraud, a case that cast a spotlight on his secretive lifestyle as a high-stakes poker player and featured trial testimony from a Hollywood movie star.

https://apnews.com/article/thomas-goldstein-supreme-court-blog-tax-evasion-618a0a2f1bdf9643886b607073fee91d?

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Texts reveal teen who singer D4vd is accused of killing was pregnant, had abortion year before death

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Text messages between singer D4vd and Celeste Rivas Hernandez shown in court Friday indicate she had gotten pregnant at age 13 and had an abortion more than a year before she was killed.

https://apnews.com/article/d4vd-burke-celeste-rivas-hernandez-killing-hearing-6a1dd6c605e4551553daa8aa5f25fcad?

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Lindsay Clancy goes on trial over whether postpartum psychosis drove her to kill her 3 children

PLYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) — In the months after the birth of her third child, Lindsay Clancy ‘s mental health collapsed. Unable to sleep and stricken with thoughts of harming herself, she sought care from experts in postpregnancy mood disorders, was put on multiple psychiatric medications, and when nothing worked, checked in to a psychiatric hospital.

https://apnews.com/article/lindsay-clancy-murder-trial-postpartum-psychosis-b70bfa592ea1c0fbdc62792e4e7b9be6?

Judge rules singer D4vd must stand trial in killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge ruled Monday that there is enough evidence to put D4vd on trial in the killing and dismemberment of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who authorities said had threatened to expose their relationship and crater the indie-pop singer’s rising career just a few days before his debut album dropped.

https://apnews.com/article/d4vd-celeste-rivas-hernandez-killing-trial-52aced35d8cccc3a3d6445b6d13db6a5?

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This week in court: 6 high-profile cases from the Tate brothers to D4vd

A series of high-profile criminal cases are in court this week for hearings that could prove pivotal. Four of the six have celebrity defendants or victims.

https://apnews.com/article/tate-brothers-d4vd-tupac-salman-rushdie-trial-3d1661685f9b72235ba716850ab9fdc7?

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Man convicted in terrorism trial over the 2022 stabbing of author Salman Rushdie

A man was convicted Wednesday of federal terrorism charges in the 2022 stabbing of Salman Rushdie, the author who has faced a decades-old death threat over his novel “The Satanic Verses.”

https://apnews.com/article/salman-rushdie-stabbing-terrorism-07d938a1224875fa7adb55886050d46d?

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Colin Gray, who gave his son the gun used in Georgia school shooting, is sentenced to 15 years

A man who gave his son the gun he used to kill two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School in Georgia was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in prison.

https://apnews.com/article/apalachee-georgia-school-shooting-colin-gray-5a466d925a4525aa1a51ed9c48e6ec97?

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Ex-deputy who shot Sonya Massey is denied a request for medical release from prison

A former Illinois sheriff’s deputy won't get an early medical release from his two-decade prison sentence for killing Sonya Massey inside her home after the Black woman called 911 about a possible prowler, state officials decided Friday. Read More.   Jurors in Lindsay Clancy's trial visit the home where she killed her children Jurors walked through the Massachusetts home where Lindsay Clancy strangled her three children, a rare visit Friday that let them see firsthand the place where an outwardly ordinary family life unraveled into tragedy. Read More.

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A man carrying ammo was monitoring security at Trump golf course near Los Angeles, authorities say

A man carrying ammunition and with a gun in his vehicle was arrested Sunday at President Donald Trump’s Los Angeles-area golf course after appearing to monitor security preparations ahead of Trump’s fundraiser there on Tuesday, authorities said.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-golf-course-california-armed-man-arrested-9b5617796efe673a57ad163680d8e8dd?

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Tupac Trial, 30 Years On

Jury selection began yesterday for the man charged with killing rapper Tupac Shakur. Duane “Keefe D” Davis stands accused of first-degree murder in one of hip-hop's most famous killings. See crime scene photos. Davis once led the South Side Compton Crips, a rival to the Bloods-affiliated gang associated with Shakur’s record label. On Sept. 7, 1996, Shakur and others were seen assaulting Davis’ nephew after a Mike Tyson fight. Later that night, Shakur was in a black BMW driven by his label’s cofounder when he was fatally shot from a white Cadillac. Prosecutors allege Davis directed the killing but did not pull the trigger and was one of four passengers in the Cadillac (the other three have died). Davis acknowledged his involvement in a 2018 BET interview and 2019 memoir, but pleads not guilty and characterizes the memoir as fiction (free w/email). He previously accused Sean “Diddy” Combs of commissioning the murder, which Combs denies.

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America's big crime decline

Data: Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA). Chart: Russell Contreras/Axios Violent crime kept falling across many of the nation's largest cities through June, with homicides down 17.2% from the first half of 2025, Axios' Russell Contreras writes from a Major Cities Chiefs Association report. Why it matters: The decline now spans two presidencies — falling under President Biden after the pandemic-era surge and continuing to drop under President Trump. 🧮 By the numbers: An Axios analysis of the organization's survey of 66 large U.S. communities found drops in violent crime in the first six months of 2026 compared to the same period last year. Homicides fell 17.2%. Robberies dropped 16.6%. Rapes declined 6.2%. Aggravated assaults fell 5.7%. Taken together, the four categories were down about 8.3%, for roughly 14,200 fewer reported violent crimes, according to the Axios review. 🔬 Zoom in: The homicide drops are striking in several cities that have struggled with high levels of violence. D.C. reported 46 homicides, down 43.9% from 82 in the first half of 2025. Homicides in Memphis fell 43.7%, from 119 to 67, and 38.3% in Houston, from 154 to 95. Philadelphia recorded 83 homicides, down 27.2% from 114. Trump often takes credit for the decline and links it to his deployment of the National Guard in cities such as D.C. and Memphis.  Explore the data.

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Tiffany Haddish avoids more jail time by pleading guilty to a drunken driving charge in Georgia

Actor and comedian Tiffany Haddish avoided additional jail time Tuesday when she pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor alcohol-related driving charge that stemmed from her 2022 arrest in Georgia after someone called 911 about a driver asleep at the wheel at a traffic light. Read More.

Federal report says firefighting tactics at Maine lumber mill explosion aided the blast

Firefighters who responded to a deadly fire at a Maine lumber mill used tactics that inadvertently helped cause an explosion, according to a report from federal investigators. Read More.

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New indictment alleges Nick Reiner was lying in wait before killing parents Rob and Michele Reiner

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles County grand jury has indicted Nick Reiner on murder charges in the killings of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, and adds the allegation that he was lying in wait before attacking them.

https://apnews.com/article/nick-reiner-rob-reiner-murder-indictment-780851649d9851b18bb3335b7bfdb942?

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Defense in Charlie Kirk’s killing say shooter should not get death penalty, hit ‘intended target’

The man charged with killing Charlie Kirk shouldn’t get the death penalty because the shooter “hit the intended target” and no one else was endangered when the conservative activist was shot from a rooftop at an event in Utah last year, his lawyers said.

https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-assassination-death-penalty-tyler-robinson-2e486bce004797c86f0bab4533a96a6f?

New indictment alleges Nick Reiner was lying in wait before killing parents Rob and Michele Reiner

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles County grand jury has indicted Nick Reiner on murder charges in the killings of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, and adds the allegation that he was lying in wait before attacking them.

https://apnews.com/article/nick-reiner-rob-reiner-murder-indictment-780851649d9851b18bb3335b7bfdb942?

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Luigi Mangione expected to plead guilty in federal case in UnitedHealthcare killing, AP source says

NEW YORK (AP) — Luigi Mangione is expected to plead guilty as early as Friday in the federal case accusing him of stalking and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, according to a person familiar with the matter.

https://apnews.com/article/luigi-mangione-plea-unitedhealthcare-ceo-4fa5e27b6baef00f8465e78243a2d58e?

Luigi Mangione pleads guilty to federal stalking charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO

NEW YORK (AP) — Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty on Friday to federal stalking charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, admitting matter-of-factly that he trailed the executive to an investor conference and gunned him down on a New York City street in 2024.

https://apnews.com/article/luigi-mangione-plea-unitedhealthcare-ceo-3b8a5bb41589c9f5f4775dba2beea66f?

Suspect arrested in World War II Memorial vandalism in Washington

WASHINGTON (AP) — A person has been arrested in connection with vandalism at The World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced Friday.

https://apnews.com/article/wwii-memorial-vandalized-paint-bubbles-ac1f767c2bfb81f0902b1914c2dfe252?

• 🪖 A woman was arrested and faces felony charges for allegedly vandalizing the World War II Memorial on the National Mall by tagging it with spray paint and filling the fountain with bubbles. Go deeper.

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Teen boy among 6 dead including suspect in Michigan shootings; girl survived

A teenage boy and four adults were killed Friday in shootings that prompted a wide search for the fleeing gunman, whose body was ultimately found in a wooded area alongside one of his victims, authorities said. A teenage girl survived and was in stable condition, police said.

https://apnews.com/article/michigan-shooting-dead-ce8b1a0e7ea2389331ee9b6dfcfa27a2?

Police have arrested a 19-year-old in connection with Virginia State University shooting

Police arrested a 19-year-old found hiding in a dormitory closet at Virginia State University on Saturday in connection with an overnight shooting on campus that left five people wounded, including one with critical injuries.

https://apnews.com/article/virginia-state-university-shooting-campus-lockdown-783d5190d7fe0818fc27a98123311dc3?

Ohio city fires police officer who shot and killed 15-year-old, settles lawsuit with family

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Officials in Akron, Ohio, have fired a police officer who shot and killed 15-year-old boy while also announcing Friday that the city has agreed to pay $4.75 million to the teen’s family.

https://apnews.com/article/akron-police-shooting-settlement-jazmir-tucker-eccc10d87e38c1e8f70493ee26e74dc0?

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Luigi Mangione’s state murder trial postponed indefinitely amid double jeopardy fight

Luigi Mangione’s state murder trial in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, which was slated to begin Sept. 8, has been postponed indefinitely as his lawyers seek to have the case thrown out on double jeopardy grounds following his guilty plea last week to federal charges. Read More.   Mom and sister testify about Lindsay Clancy's declining mental state before she killed her children Lindsay Clancy's mother and sister took the stand Monday to recount how they saw her become increasingly anxious, paranoid and suicidal in the months before she killed her three children. Read More.

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📉 Biggest violent-crime drop in 90 years

Data: FBI. (2021 data was estimated due to a low number of agencies reporting.) Chart: Noah Bressner/Axios Axios' Russell Contreras, who closely tracks criminal justice data, writes: The U.S. violent crime rate plunged 9.7% last year — the largest annual drop since the FBI's national estimates began in 1936 — according to the bureau's data released last week. Why it matters: The data underscore the historic scale of America's crime decline — a trend that appears to be continuing in the first half of this year. 💡 Between the lines: Experts note that the nation's violent crime rate (now the lowest since 1956) has been dropping since 2022. The reasons for the decrease, which is widespread geographically, are unclear: Rates are falling in cities with different public safety strategies, economic conditions and political leadership. A leading theory: U.S. drug overdoses, alcohol consumption and firearms purchases — which helped spike the homicide rate when they were going up — are all down. And post-COVID, cities returned to more stable routines and employment. President Trump takes credit for the decline, pointing to his National Guard deployments in D.C., Memphis and other cities. 🧮 By the numbers: Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter dropped 18.1%. Robbery fell 18.5%, rape 7.6% and aggravated assault 7.2%. The U.S. murder rate decreased 18.5% to 4.1 per 100,000 residents, tying 1955 and 1956 for the lowest rate since FBI national estimates began. Property crime declined 12.4%, led by drops in motor vehicle theft (22.7%), burglary (15.8%) and larceny-theft (9.8%).

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Minnesota attorney general sues Texas governor to compel extradition of ICE agent for trial

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota’s attorney general sued the governor of Texas on Tuesday, seeking to compel the extradition of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent charged with wounding a man and then lying to justify the shooting during the agency’s crackdown in Minneapolis.

https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-texas-ice-shooting-christian-castro-461acb1a459bc0ecb41fef5f728df502?