Crimes, Homicides & Suicides

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Los Angeles County DA opposes resentencing request for Menendez brothers and accuses them of lying about self-defense

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Monday he would not support Erik and Lyle Menendez’s efforts to be released from prison because he believes they have maintained a decades-long lie that the 1989 murders of their parents were committed in self-defense.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/10/us/menendez-brothers/index.html?

LA district attorney says he won’t support resentencing the Menendez brothers because they lied

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The district attorney of Los Angeles County said Monday that he does not support the resentencing of Lyle and Erik Menendez because the brothers have repeatedly lied about why they killed their parents at their Beverly Hills home in 1989.

https://apnews.com/article/lyle-erik-menendez-brothers-resentencing-hochman-8c86d2d544788d1ba3396344540576c6?

Domestic violence

More than 25% of men in the US experience rape, violence or stalking by an intimate partner. They often feel shame if they admit that they have been victims of abuse, and it’s hard to get help.

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4 charged in death of 5-year-old boy ‘incinerated’ in hyperbaric chamber explosion

Four people have been charged in the death of a 5-year-old boy who was “incinerated” inside a pressurized oxygen chamber that exploded at a suburban Detroit medical facility, Michigan’s attorney general said Tuesday. Read More.

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Two more arrested in connection with Southern University fraternity hazing death

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Two more arrests have been made in connection with the death of a 20-year-old Southern University student who was repeatedly punched during an off-campus fraternity hazing ritual, Baton Rouge police announced Tuesday.

https://apnews.com/article/southern-university-fraternity-hazing-death-599e1dfd6a252e3021fabafde99bea2d?

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Father gets 13 years for shooting youth football coach over son’s playing time

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A father in Missouri was sentenced to 13 years in prison on Thursday for shooting and wounding a St. Louis youth football coach over his son’s playing time while 9- and 10-year-olds practiced nearby.

https://apnews.com/article/youth-football-coach-shooting-st-louis-68e3a4b99207c748d28e74fc33583ee7?

Man describes cruelty during his two decades of captivity at his family home in Connecticut

A man rescued from a burning home in Connecticut told a shocking story of cruelty and constant hunger as he was held captive in a single room for 20 years by his father and stepmother, according to a newly released arrest warrant.

https://apnews.com/article/captive-man-stepson-connecticut-fire-arrest-9cbbf9bea0a0fb369711181b70b03f4a?

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Airman charged in killing of Native American woman who went missing 7 months ago in South Dakota

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A 24-year-old airman has been charged with killing a Native American woman who went missing in South Dakota about seven months ago.

https://apnews.com/article/airman-charged-south-dakota-missing-native-woman-1643d1c63e1210cd2ad5a51064485936?

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Two men found guilty in smuggling conspiracy where 53 immigrants died in a hot tractor-trailer

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Two smugglers charged after 53 immigrants died in the back of a sweltering tractor-trailer with no air conditioning were found guilty Tuesday after a two-week trial. The 2022 tragedy in San Antonio was the nation’s deadliest smuggling attempt across the U.S.-Mexico border.

https://apnews.com/article/texas-migrant-deaths-smuggling-d66e45e2a4d8c8a229401c4a44ab42ae?

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Ben & Jerry's alleges parent company Unilever removed its CEO over social activism

Ben & Jerry’s says its CEO was unlawfully removed by its parent company, Unilever, in retaliation for the ice cream maker’s social and political activism. The Associated Press left a message seeking comment with London-based Unilever on Wednesday. Read More.

West Virginia couple sentenced to maximum of decades in prison for abusing adopted children

A West Virginia couple received the maximum sentences of decades in prison Wednesday for abusing their adoptive children. Jeanne Kay Whitefeather received up to 215 years in prison and her husband, Donald Lantz, got a term of up to 160 years. Read More.

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Jury convicts 2 men of plotting to assassinate an Iranian American journalist in New York

NEW YORK (AP) — Two purported mobsters were convicted Thursday of plotting to assassinate Iranian American journalist Masih Alinejad at her home in New York City in a murder-for-hire scheme that prosecutors said was financed by Iran’s government.

https://apnews.com/article/iran-assassination-plot-masih-alinejad-3925da204c1c4c21d4aad353283019be?

A woman drowned her dog in an airport bathroom after being denied boarding, police say

A woman drowned her dog in a Florida airport bathroom and then boarded her international flight after she was prevented from bringing the white miniature schnauzer with her because of a paperwork issue, authorities said. Read More.

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New body camera video shows moments before Alabama police fatally shoot armed Black man

DECATUR, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama judge heard conflicting testimony on Tuesday about newly released body camera video that captured the moments before a police officer fatally shot an armed Black man outside of his home, in a case that highlights the complex legal questions that arise after police shootings in states with “stand your ground” laws and widespread gun ownership.

https://apnews.com/article/alabama-mac-marquette-steve-perkins-police-shooting-5fe6307a4032556a8406319c0b0cca29?

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Mixed verdict for 3 Philadelphia detectives in perjury trial involving a 2016 murder exoneration

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The trial of three long-retired Philadelphia detectives accused of lying about evidence in a homicide case that later ended with an exoneration wrapped up with a mixed verdict Thursday.

https://apnews.com/article/exonerations-philadelphia-detectives-perjury-trial-c96bef1a9e9e525eec2685a99dd33725?

A lawsuit over a deadly 2018 New York helicopter crash ends with a $90M settlement

NEW YORK (AP) — Relatives of a man who died when a sightseeing helicopter crashed and sank in a New York City river have settled a lawsuit for $90 million, agreeing to reduce a jury award in order to foreclose appeals and end the case.

https://apnews.com/article/nyc-sightseeing-helicopter-crash-doors-off-2018-8bbe3a05e81ff20bd079e77c820db13e?

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Police suicides

A cluster of suicides has hit the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in Houston over the past six weeks, leaving the department in mourning. Three of the four deaths occurred within a single week. Two of the deputies had retired from the force, a third officer left the force last December and a fourth officer was currently working in the department. According to an expert in police stress, law enforcement officers are 54% more likely to die from suicide than workers in other professions, in part due to repeated exposure to trauma. In an effort to give comfort and combat the stigma of seeking help, the department’s wellness unit is checking in with HCSO deputies and holding an outreach event at the county courthouse. If you are in the US and you or a loved one have contemplated suicide, call the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to connect with a trained counselor. If you’re a first responder, call the CopLine at 1-800-267-5463.

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Ex-FDNY chief gets nearly 2 years in federal prison for accepting bribes

NEW YORK (AP) — A former New York City Fire Department chief was sentenced to nearly two years in federal prison Monday after admitting he accepted tens of thousands of dollars in bribes to expedite fire safety inspections.

https://apnews.com/article/nyc-fdny-fire-department-chief-prison-bribes-8d64e076a8a107abeb2e295c71b5cefe?

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Police say the 2023 Nashville school shooter hid mental health issues from doctors and family

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The shooter behind the 2023 Nashville elementary school attack that killed six people, including three children, had been obsessively planning it for years while hiding mental health issues from family and doctors, a police report released Wednesday reveals.

https://apnews.com/article/nashville-school-shooting-b76266b7b23ffe6178b8520e507a95de?

Upstate New York officer won’t face criminal charges after fatally shooting a 13-year-old in June

NEW YORK (AP) — A police officer in upstate New York will not face criminal charges in the fatal shooting of a 13-year-old boy who pointed what turned out to be a BB gun, state Attorney General Letitia James announced Wednesday.

https://apnews.com/article/utica-police-shooting-nyah-mway-myanmar-9addc36245c62a992e61f9219d75eee8?

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Smoke and Errors

The Arson Evidence Doesn’t Hold Up. Florida Is About to Convict Her for Murder Anyway.

https://theintercept.com/2025/03/31/florida-michelle-taylor-arson-fire-murder-trial/?

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Former Colorado deputy gets 3 years in prison for fatally shooting man who called for help

A former Colorado sheriff’s deputy convicted of killing a 22-year-old man in distress who called 911 for help was sentenced Monday to three years in prison, the maximum sentence allowed, by a judge who said the shooting was about power. Read More.

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10 guards charged over the fatal beating of a New York inmate, including 2 with murder

Ten New York prison guards were charged Wednesday in connection with the fatal beating of a 22-year-old inmate last month — including two charged with murder. It’s the second time a group of correctional officers in the state was indicted for a death behind bars this year. Read More.

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Ex-NYPD officer sentenced to 18 months after conviction for helping China stalk an expat

NEW YORK (AP) — A former New York police sergeant was sentenced Wednesday to 18 months in prison in a U.S. case about China’s pursuit of critics abroad, a sentence that came after two members of Congress urged the judge to spare him from time behind bars.

https://apnews.com/article/china-operation-fox-hunt-trial-michael-mcmahon-541a8a23654fc53e2579795fca3ff856?

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White Supremacist Terrorgram Network Allegedly Inspired Teen Accused of Killing Parents and Plotting Trump Assassination

A Wisconsin teenager accused of murdering two family members and plotting to assassinate President Donald Trump was inspired by Terrorgram, a white supremacist network that operated on the Telegram messaging and social media platform for half a decade, according to federal court records.

https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-assassionation-plot-nikita-casap-terrorgram-wisconsin-frontline?

ps:Wow, even the white supremacist are now after there leader??

Man convicted in 2019 Kansas bar shooting that left 4 dead and 5 injured.

A man who was on the run for two months after a Kansas City, Kansas, bar shooting that left four people dead and five injured has been convicted of eight felonies.

https://apnews.com/article/bar-shooting-kansas-city-2019-f2a5beddb7ed3822cf8a841a07d2a383?

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Questions emerge about how a deputy’s stepson became the accused gunman in deadly FSU shooting

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Amid the abandoned chemistry notes and other debris left behind after a deadly shooting at Florida State University are lingering questions about how the stepson of a beloved sheriff’s deputy tasked with school safety at a middle school became the accused gunman.

https://apnews.com/article/phoenix-ikner-fsu-shooting-971835051a7f9b11e5cf4bc4ce018d8b?

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Gunman who killed 23 in a racist attack at a Walmart in El Paso pleads guilty to capital murder

The gunman who killed 23 people when he targeted Hispanic shoppers at a Walmart in Texas in 2019 pleaded guilty Monday to capital murder and was scolded by a judge over the racist attack in El Paso near the U.S.-Mexico border. Read More.

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Karen Read's second murder trial revives debate over who killed her Boston police officer boyfriend

Karen Read’s second murder trial began Tuesday with a prosecutor saying the defendant’s own words will bolster evidence that she killed her police officer boyfriend three years ago and a defense attorney calling the case “the definition of reasonable doubt.” Read More.

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A woman hugs the man who fatally shot her brother and 22 more in a racist attack at a Texas Walmart

Speaking to the gunman who killed her brother and 22 other people, Yolanda Tinajero did not raise her voice or condemn him for his racist attack at a Walmart in 2019. Instead she told him Tuesday that she forgave him, and wished she could give him a hug.

https://apnews.com/article/walmart-shooting-el-paso-texas-victim-statements-2a42de6552773e948f31204de128a5d7?

Jury finds The New York Times did not libel former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Times did not libel former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in a 2017 editorial that contained an error she claimed had damaged her reputation, a jury concluded Tuesday.

https://apnews.com/article/sarah-palin-new-york-times-libel-trial-05d68d22546f00b8ce63a189bdf1bae8?

Lori Vallow Daybell convicted in Arizona of conspiring to kill her estranged husband in 2019

PHOENIX (AP) — A woman whose doomsday religious beliefs led her to kill her two youngest children and engage in a plot to kill a romantic rival in Idaho was convicted Tuesday in Arizona for conspiring to murder her estranged husband.

https://apnews.com/article/lori-vallow-daybell-trial-arizona-husband-e90b5f33e33aad5788e107d652c48900?

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A 5-year-old was murdered by her father. Her fateful custody hearing will be made public

The highest court in Massachusetts has ruled audio recordings from the custody hearing of a 5-year-old New Hampshire girl who was murdered by her father and vanished in 2019 after being placed in his care. Read More.

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Los Angeles police arrest a suspect in the chain saw massacre of city trees

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles police say they have arrested a man who used a chain saw to cut down large trees in at least three neighborhoods around the city.

https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-trees-chainsaw-vandalism-arrest-393b21035161fe47e40ed157d1267fa6?

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Gunman in 2022 mass shooting at suburban Chicago July Fourth parade sentenced to life in prison

The suburban Chicago man who admitted to fatally shooting seven people and wounding dozens of others during a 2022 Independence Day parade was sentenced Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/24/us/robert-crimo-iii-july-fourth-parade-shooter-to-be-sentenced/index.html?

Former Rep. George Santos sentenced to 87 months for federal fraud charges

Disgraced former Rep. George Santos was sentenced Friday to 87 months in prison for aggravated identity theft and wire fraud charges stemming from fraudulent activity during his 2022 midterm campaign.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/25/politics/george-santos-sentencing-fraud?

George Santos sentenced to over 7 years in prison for fraud and identity theft

Disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos, who lied about his life story and defrauded donors, was sentenced Friday to over seven years in prison, sobbing as he heard his punishment. Read More.   Luigi Mangione pleads not guilty to federal murder charge in killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty Friday to a federal murder charge in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as prosecutors formally declared their intent to seek the death penalty against him. Read More.