Disturbing scene at Bronx station as naked man falls from tracks

This is the Big Apple’s mental-health crisis laid bare.

By Edward Era Barbacena

Disturbing video shows a naked man dangling by one arm from an elevated 6 train station at Westchester and Metropolitan avenues in the Bronx as onlookers give a play-by-play.

“Look at this dude … Holy f–king. Homie acting a fool,” the videographer can be heard saying as he looks up at the man from a Parkchester street.

The man, kicking his legs, holds on to the outside edge of the southbound tracks as a train slowly approaches, stops and then keeps going.

About 30 seconds into the video, the man lets go and drops some 20 feet to the pavement.

A teenager holding a basketball and walking under the station looks startled and runs by the naked man on the ground.

“He dropped. He dropped. He dropped,” the videographer says before approaching the man — who is on his stomach on the pavement, but not visibly bleeding — and declaring, “Yo, I’m gonna get the cops.”

The NYPD confirmed the Dec. 23  incident and said the unidentified man, who is in his 20s, was conscious and alert when taken to Jacobi Hospital.

The video was posted to social media where commenters weighed in on those who filmed the scene, or walked by, instead of calling for help.

“Everything about this video shows that we live in sick and failing society/culture. Not just the guy naked hanging from the subway, but also not a single bystander cared to do anything but video it. It’s just another day,” one commenter tweeted.

Someone else tweeted “It might be dangerous to approach him. This is pretty much on him. 911 is as far as it goes with this one.”

 

American woman arrested for shoving 3-year-old onto train tracks in Portland

Police said Breanna Workman's attack against the toddler was unprovoked 

By Edward Era Barbacena

Here is another news wherein an innocent child being harmed or almost killed by another white woman. 2022 has been a rough year in the United States where many children are being abused, attacked, harmed and worse, murdered by many insane white adult Americans.

A mother and child were waiting for a MAX train on Wednesday when Breanna Workman, 32, allegedly shoved the toddler off of the platform and onto the train tracks “without provocation,” the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office said. Court records show Workman had been living without shelter in Portland, according to The Oregonian. 

The little girl landed face-first on the metal rail and rocks before a nearby man quickly rescued the child. The toddler reportedly had a severe headache and a small red mark on her forehead after the incident, which was captured on TriMet video surveillance, the district attorney’s office said.

Workman was arraigned on Thursday on charges of first-degree attempted assault, third-degree assault, interfering with public transportation, second-degree disorderly conduct, and recklessly endangering another person, the report states. She will be held without bail.

 

Former Catholic Pope Benedict XVI dies age 95

By Edward Era Barbacena

CNN: Benedict XVI, the Pope Emeritus, has died in Vatican City at the age of 95 following a period of ill health.

Benedict, who was the first pontiff in almost 600 years to resign his position, rather than hold office for life, passed away on Saturday, according to a statement from the Vatican.

"With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican," the Director of the Press Office of the Holy See, Matteo Bruni said.

"Further information will be provided as soon as possible."

News of his death came days after Pope Francis asked the faithful to pray for Benedict, saying he was "very sick."

"I want to ask you all for a special prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict who sustains the Church in his silence. He is very sick. We ask the Lord to console and sustain him in this witness of love for the Church to the very end," Francis said at his general audience on Wednesday.

His health had been in decline for some time.

Benedict stunned the Catholic faithful and religious experts around the world on February 11, 2013, when he announced plans to step down from his position as Pope, citing his "advanced age."

In his farewell address, the outgoing pope promised to stay "hidden" from the world, but he continued to speak out on religious matters in the years following his retirement, contributing to tensions within the Catholic Church.

A powerful and polarizing voice

Benedict was a powerful force in the Catholic Church for decades.

Born Joseph Ratzinger in Germany in 1927, he was the son of a policeman. He was ordained as a priest in 1951, made a cardinal in 1977, and later served as chief theological adviser to Pope John Paul II.

One of his most significant steps up came in 1981 when he took over as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, the Vatican office that oversees "the doctrine on the faith and morals throughout the Catholic world," according to the Vatican.

Ratzinger became known as "Cardinal No" stemming from his efforts to crack down on the liberation theology movement, religious pluralism, challenges to traditional teachings on issues such as homosexuality, and calls to ordain women as priests.

He was elected pope in April 2005, following John Paul II's death.

He was known to be more conservative than his successor, Pope Francis, who has made moves to soften the Vatican's position on abortion and homosexuality, as well as doing more to deal with the sexual abuse crisis that has engulfed the church in recent years and clouded Benedict's legacy.

In April 2019, Benedict discussed the sex abuse crisis in a public letter, claiming that it was caused in part by the sexual revolution of the 1960s and the liberalization of the church's moral teachings.

In January 2020, Benedict was forced to distance himself from a book widely seen as undercutting Francis as he considered whether or not to allow married men to become priests in certain cases. The book, "From the Depths of Our Hearts," argued in favor of the centuries-old tradition of priestly celibacy within the Catholic Church. Benedict was originally listed as co-author, but later clarified that he had only contributed one section of the text.

A year later, Benedict came under fire over his time as archbishop of Munich and Freising, between 1977 and 1982, following the publication of a Church-commissioned report into abuse by Catholic clergy there.

The report found that while in the post he had been informed of four cases of sexual abuse involving minors  including two that had occurred during his time in office — but failed to act. It also revealed Benedict had attended a meeting about an abuser identified as Priest X. Following the report's publication, Benedict pushed back against accusations that he knew in 1980 that this priest was an abuser.

In a letter released by the Vatican amid the furor, Benedict wrote that he was "of good cheer" as he faced "the final judge of my life," despite his shortcomings. He also issued a general apology to survivors of abuse.

 

Racist American man of Bothell arrested after alleged hate crime-related shooting in Lynnwood

Robert Rowland was arrested Tuesday on charges of assault and a hate crime against black men, and was subsequently booked into the Snohomish County Jail.

By Edward Era Barbacena

A Bothell man was arrested Tuesday after allegedly shooting at two Black men in Lynnwood in October, according to the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office.

According to a criminal report, a deputy with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office was patrolling south Snohomish County on Oct. 8 when he heard a gunshot.

The deputy searched the area and located two men standing in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Lynnwood. They explained to the deputy that a man in a gray truck had just shot at them and fled the area.

The man said the suspect had got out of his truck and said, “What are you Black guys doing here?” in an aggressive manner.

He said the suspect then pulled out a pistol, pointed it in his direction, firing a single round.

The man said the bullet missed him and he ducked down behind his car, while the suspect got into his truck and drove away.

The suspect was described as a white man, in his 40s, with dark facial hair and wearing a gray sweatshirt.

After obtaining surveillance video of the incident, investigators determined the suspect to be Robert Rowland of Bothell.

Rowland was arrested Tuesday on charges of assault and a hate crime, and was subsequently booked into the Snohomish County Jail.

 

Racist American woman from Texas filmed making ‘slant eyes’ after being confronted over parking spot

Internet sleuths are looking for a white woman who was caught making a racist slant-eye gesture on video during a confrontation over a parking spot in Dallas.

By Edward Era Barbacena 

“She had come into a one-way lane, going the wrong direction, to steal a parking spot that I had clearly been waiting for,” @ashreypark wrote in the video’s caption. “She got upset and made a racist gesture at me.”

The woman had allegedly made the gesture once before @ashreypark pulled out her camera. In a brazen move, she pulls up alongside the TikTok user’s vehicle and does it again while being recorded.

“Behavior like this won’t be tolerated and needs to be corrected. She thinks she can act like this with no consequence and I would really love to show her what consequences her ignorant actions can yield,” @ashreypark wrote in an Instagram post.

@Ashreypark asked others to share her post “so I can find this lovely individual and her friend that was laughing in the passenger seat.”

More from NextShark: Koreans boycott Paris Baguette for mishandling death of 23-year-old employee found in mixing machine

TikTok user @thatdineshguy, a content creator known for identifying people in viral videos, posted a video identifying the woman as Amy Pearson, a licensed cosmetologist in Kaufman County.

 

3 racist men in South Africa charged for racist attack at swim pool

Three white men in South Africa have been charged with crimes including attempted murder after an alleged racist attack on two Black boys that has sparked public outrage

By Edward Era Barbacena

Three white men in South Africa have been charged with crimes including attempted murder after an alleged racist attack on two Black boys that has sparked public outrage.

The men were caught on video assaulting the Black teenagers who were using a swimming pool at the Maselspoort resort in the Free State province.

The men were trying to prevent the teenagers from swimming, claiming that the pool was reserved for white people.

In the video, widely viewed on social media in South Africa, the men shouted at the boys and hit them. One of the men pushed one of the boys underwater.

Further security video footage shows the men attempting to prevent the teenagers from entering the pool and the group of white people that were swimming at the time exiting the pool as soon as the Black teenagers entered it.

According to police, Johan Nel, 33, and Jan Stephanus van der Westhuizen, 47, were released on a warning and are expected to appear again in court next year.

“The two appeared in court on charges of assault common and crimen injuria and the matter was postponed to 25 January 2023 while being released on warning,” said Police Commissioner Baile Motswenyane.

The third suspect was expected to appear in court on Thursday, where various political parties and activities were protesting outside the courthouse.

The incident has been widely condemned, including by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

“As Black and white South Africans, we should be united in condemning all manifestations of racism and attempts to explain or defend such crimes. Racism is not a problem to be fought by Black South Africans only,” Ramaphosa said in a statement.

Members of the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters party visited the resort and demanded answers from the manager, who claimed the resort did not have a racial segregation policy.

Racism remains a thorny issue in South Africa nearly 30 years after South Africa’s transition from white-minority rule, known as apartheid, to democracy.

In 2018, real estate agent Vicky Momberg was sentenced to three years in prison for shouting racial insults at a Black policeman in a landmark judgment that was the first to imprison a person for a racist act.

In 2020, Adam Catzavelos, a white man, was convicted of crimen injuria and given a suspended sentence after using racist slurs in a video that circulated on social media.

 

American man of York County charged with assault after allegedly biting 10-month-old, destroying property

Joseph Wakeley, 30,  a white man destroyed several items within the victim's home after an argument allegedly broke out regarding bruising on a child.

By Edward Era Barbacena

A white man of York County man is facing several assault charges after allegedly biting a ten-month-old infant at least twice. 

According to an affidavit released by the Southern Regional Police Department, an Oct. 15 call to police alleged Joseph Wakeley, 31, from York County, destroyed several items inside the victim's home and left several bruises on a baby. 

Responding officers at the scene noted damage around the doorframe of the victim's home. Inside, officers saw items thrown around in the kitchen and living room, including a TV. Food was observed thrown around the kitchen and the coffee table was flipped upside down, according to the affidavit. 

The caller reportedly explained to officers that Wakeley had argued with her over bruises that appeared on the child. 

The victim also told police that someone had "hit her up" on Facebook, which further enraged Wakeley. He allegedly destroyed rooms within the home and then left on foot. 

Police were able to contact Wakeley over the phone, where he allegedly admitted to "trashing the residence" because he was upset. However, over the phone, Wakeley denied knowing how the child was bruised. 

An examination of the child's bruising by York Hospital concluded the bruising was two separate bite marks, one on the shoulder and one on the lower back. 

The exam indicated that the bite marks were from an adult and "there is a risk of infection at the site of the bite," making them dangerous. 

The marks appeared to indicate an impression of a lip piercing, which Wakeley had two of at the time of the incident. 

According to police, Wakeley refused to cooperate with police throughout the investigation. 

On Dec. 16, a York County CYS caseworker was able to meet with Wakeley. According to the caseworker, when asked why the 10-month-old had bite marks, Wakeley responded, "I bit him." 

Wakeley allegedly continued to say that he was playing around and must have bit the child too hard. 

The damages done to the victim's apartment totaled $1,930. 

As a result, Wakeley has been charged with aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and criminal mischief. 

He is currently in York County Prison. 

 

One dead, three injured in mass  shooting at Bronx vigil for murder victim

By Edward Era Barbacena

A man was killed and three others were injured in a shooting at a vigil for a murder victim in the Bronx on Wednesday night, police and sources said.

The group had been gathered on the corner of Southern Boulevard and East Tremont Avenue in Crotona when a gunman started shooting into the crowd around 6:30 p.m., cops said.

Four people were struck, including a 28-year-old man who died at a nearby hospital.

Four people were struck. A 28-year-old man was shot in the chest and died after being rushed to a nearby hospital.

The three other victims — a 27-year-old man shot in the leg, a 25-year-old man shot in the arm and a 46-year-old shot in the torso — were taken to St. Barnabas Hospital in stable condition, police said.

The gunman fled on foot and no arrests were made.

 

Racist American school principal hides Asian students’ academic awards in name of ‘equity

Ann Bonitatibus and the director of student services have allegedly been withholding the information from families for years.

By Edward Era Barbacena

For years, two administrators at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ) have been withholding notifications of National Merit awards from the school’s families, most of them Asian, thus denying students the right to use those awards to boost their college admission prospects and earn scholarships. 

This episode has emerged amid the school district’s new strategy of “equal outcomes for every student, without exception.” School administrators, for instance, have implemented an “equitable grading” policy that eliminates zeros, gives students a grade of 50 percent just for showing up, and assigns a cryptic code of “NTI” for assignments not turned in. It’s a race to the bottom.

An intrepid Thomas Jefferson parent, Shawna Yashar, a lawyer, uncovered the withholding of National Merit awards. Since starting as a freshman at the school in September 2019, her son, who is part Arab American, studied statistical analysis, literature reviews, and college-level science late into the night. This workload was necessary to keep him up to speed with the advanced studies at TJ, which US News & World Report ranks as America’s top school.

Last fall, along with about 1.5 million US high school juniors, the Yashar teen took the PSAT, which determines whether a student qualifies as a prestigious National Merit scholar. When it came time to submit his college applications this fall, he didn’t have a National Merit honor to report — but it wasn’t because he hadn’t earned the award. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation, a nonprofit based in Evanston, Illinois, had recognized him as a Commended Student in the top 3 percent nationwide — one of about 50,000 students earning that distinction. Principals usually celebrate National Merit scholars with special breakfasts, award ceremonies, YouTube videos, press releases and social media announcements.

But TJ School officials had decided to withhold announcement of the award. Indeed, it turns out that the principal, Ann Bonitatibus, and the director of student services, Brandon Kosatka, have been withholding this information from families and the public for years, affecting the lives of at least 1,200 students over the principal’s tenure of five years. Recognition by National Merit opens the door to millions of dollars in college scholarships and 800 Special Scholarships from corporate sponsors.

I learned — two years after the fact — that National Merit had recognized my son, a graduate of TJ’s Class of 2021, as a Commended Student in a September 10, 2020, letter that National Merit sent to Bonitatibus. But the principal, who lobbied that fall to nix the school’s merit-based admission test to increase “diversity,” never told us about it. Parents from earlier years told me that she also didn’t tell them about any Commended Student awards. One former student said he learned he had won the award through a random email from the school to a school district email account that students rarely check; the principal neither told his parents nor made a public announcement.

On September 16 of this year, National Merit sent a letter to Bonitatibus listing 240 students recognized as Commended Students or Semi-Finalists. The letter included these words in bold type: “Please present the letters of commendation as soon as possible since it is the students’ only notification.”

National Merit hadn’t included enough stamps on the package, but nevertheless it got to Bonitatibus by mid-October — before the October 31 deadline for early acceptance to select colleges. In an email, Bonitatibus told Yashar that she had signed the certificates “within 48 hours.” But homeroom teachers didn’t distribute the awards until Monday, November 14, after the early-application deadlines had passed. Teachers dropped the certificates unceremoniously on students’ desks.

Bonitatibus has been the principal of the high school for five years

“Keeping these certificates from students is theft by the state,” says Yashar. Bonitatibus didn’t notify parents or the public. What’s more, it could be a civil rights violation, says local parent advocate Debra Tisler, with most TJ students in a protected class of “gifted” students, most of them racial minorities, many with disabilities, and most coming from immigrant families whose parents speak English as a second language. “It’s just cruel,” says Tisler.

In a call with Yashar, Kosatka admitted that the decision to withhold the information from parents and inform the students in a low-key way was intentional. “We want to recognize students for who they are as individuals, not focus on their achievements,” he told her, claiming that he and the principal didn’t want to “hurt” the feelings of students who didn’t get the award. A National Merit.

spokeswoman said that the organization’s officials “leave this honor exclusively to the high school officials” to announce. Kosatka and Bonitatibus didn’t respond to requests for comment. In a rare admission, Fabio Zuluaga, an assistant superintendent at Fairfax County Public Schools, told me that the school system has erred not telling students, the public, and families about awards: “It was a mistake, to be honest.” Zuluaga said it also isn’t enough just to hand over a certificate. “We have to do something special,” he said. “A commendation sends a very strong message to the kid, right? Your work is meaningful. If you work hard in life, there are good benefits from that."

On Monday, December 12, after getting caught, Kosatka sent an email to the parents of Commended Students, notifying them of the “important recognition” and saying, “We are deeply sorry” for not sharing the news earlier. He claimed school officials would contact college admissions offices to correct the record.

Bonitatibus still hasn’t publicly recognized the students or told parents from earlier years that their students won the awards. And she hasn’t yet delivered the missing certificates.

The war on merit is a war on our kids.

American racist of Colorado indicted after attacking two Filipino-Americans by hurling racial and homophobic slurs

On the morning of December 25, 2022, Jordan Dougkas Krah harassed Abigail Halili and her siblings, who were peeking into a store in Danville, California

By Edward Era Barbacena

A Colorado white man was arrested for allegedly breaking California’s hate crime authorized pointers after a TikTok video went viral and reportedly confirmed him shouting prejudiced, racist suggestions in the direction of totally different purchasers at an East Bay In-N-Out restaurant, acknowledged the police on Monday.

On the morning of December 25, 2022, Krah allegedly harassed Abigail Halili and her siblings, who were peeking into a store in Danville, California. He was driving a silver Mustang with a Florida, USA license plate.

The siblings are of Filipino descent. They did not know Krah.

Jordan Douglas Krah, a 40-year-old Denver resident, was acknowledged as a result of the suspect by the police chief of San Ramon.

The incident took place on Christmas Eve evening time. The video obtained tens of thousands and thousands of views in a short time after being posted the next day.

Jordan Douglas Krah, a suspect, was arrested, in response to a tweet posted by San Ramon Police Chief Denton Carlson on Monday evening time. Krah, an area of Denver, Colorado, is being held on the Martinez Detention Facility in Martinez, California on suspicion of a hate crime, the chief acknowledged. 

Arine Kim and her buddy Elliot Ha had been sitting at an In-N-Out Burger in San Ramon on Christmas Eve when an individual approached them and surrounded them with racial slurs.

He came around and often known as them “weird homosexuals,” then bought right here once more and made further prejudiced suggestions about their shade and ethnicity as the two had been recording a TikTok video and tasting meals.

The diners seem shocked, and the suspect inquires as as to in the event that they’re Japanese or Korean. When one amongst them responds “Korean”, the suspect says “Korean” “I was pondering of it. You’re relationship Kim Jong Un, correct?”

The man then makes a homophobic insult whereas calling him “a slavemaster” as a result of the diners uncomfortably snicker.

San Ramon Authorities Chief Denton Carlson tweeted {a photograph} of an individual driving a silver Mustang with Florida license plates on social media on Sunday afternoon and stated that police had been looking for knowledge referring to the suspect.

The chief acknowledged on Monday that Krah might be arrested at Martinez’s Contra Costa County jail on bills of committing a hate crime.

Carlson wrote on social media on Monday, “Thank you to everyone who has helped by providing knowledge associated to the racist and homophobic incidents over the last few days.”

The chief stated that further particulars regarding the case might be publicly disclosed later.

American woman of New Jersey arrested after fatally shooting husband on Christmas

 

American woman of New Jersey arrested after fatally shooting her husband on Christmas

 Marylue Wigglesworth, 51, is accused of gunning down her husband  57-year-old husband David Wigglesworth  on Sunday night.

By Edward Era Barbacena

Friends of a New Jersey couple are reeling after the wife was accused of gunning down her husband on Christmas night.

Marylue Wigglesworth, 51, has been arrested for allegedly shooting her 57-year-old husband David Wigglesworth at their Atlantic City home Sunday, according to the Atlantic County prosecutor.

The couple’s social media pages were filled with happy photos from their seemingly blissful life together, with vacation shots and images from various events.

“I cannot believe this,” a friend wrote on Facebook. “We’ve known Dave and Mary for years. This just can’t be true.”

David Wigglseworth, who family and friends called “Wiggy,” was a former Republican candidate for his local township board, as well as a volunteer for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Atlantic City.

Police have not said what they believe the motive might have been in the alleged murder, and they are actively asking people to call in with more information that could help shed light on the mysterious case that they refer to as an “active and cooperative investigation.”

Friends of the couple, meanwhile, have expressed shock and confusion.

“This is just unimaginable to me. Such great people,” one friend wrote on Facebook.

Another noted that the pair’s online postings never gave any sign of trouble: “By his profile it looks like they had the best life together.”

 

Thai police are looking for ‘disgusting’ tourist filmed having sex on busy road after Christmas bender in ‘Sin City’

By Edward Era Barbacena

Thai police are hunting a “disgusting white  foreigner” caught on camera having public sex with a prostitute during an all-night booze bender.

In what appears to be the tawdry trend of 2022, a blond tourist was filmed romping roadside with the paid sex worker around 4 a.m. Christmas Day in Pattaya. The Thailand resort town is known as “Sin City” because of its bawdy bars and massage parlors.

Shocking security camera video shows the horny holiday-maker getting down and dirty by the side of a busy road — with the pair appearing unbothered by passing traffic. The woman was also seen performing oral sex on the man as multiple cars zoomed by their offensive al fresco antics.

At one point, the white tourist even waved to the bystander who had stopped to film the salacious sexcapade on his phone, resulting in now-viral footage released by the local Viral Press.

Meanwhile, the uninhibited pair was also spotted by an outraged homeless man who immediately reported the incident to the police.

The 50-year-old eyewitness described the male as a “disgusting foreigner” who appeared to be intoxicated.

“They were sitting there doing it for 30 minutes,” he said. “They didn’t care about the cars going by. They could even see me watching them but they were too drunk to care.”

The shaken eyewitness added: “I heard the man talking. He was from England. They finished, then they talked and he gave her something, I think it was money, and she left. I am tired of disgusting foreigners treating my city like a rubbish bin.”

Police Capt. Yutthapol Boonkerd said police are examining security camera footage in a bid to trace the tourist. He faces arrest for public indecency.

“We have received information that he could be British but we will not know for sure until we find him,” Boonkerd added. “There are lots of cameras in the area, which we are watching back to confirm a crime has been committed at that date and time. It should not be difficult to find both of them.”

Military brass from Bangkok have been trying for several years to clean up Pattaya — which has been branded “a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah.”

However, they face an uphill struggle against its entrenched 24-hour sex industry and endemic corruption that allows it to continue unabated. The bars — which function as shop windows for prostitutes — along with massage parlors and street workers are also a lucrative part of the area’s tourism industry.

Meanwhile, the rule-breaking tourist isn’t the first fornicator to be caught on camera engaging in public sex this year.

Brazen couples at other tourist destinations have also been seen taking their private business public. Back in July, two couples were busted bonking in outdoor jacuzzis at a Hong Kong hotel. That same month, two frisky “Game of Thrones” fans were seen having sex in the King’s Landing filming location from the HBO show.

Meanwhile, a bouncer was seen romping with a woman on top of a bar in Crimea, Russia, as pervy patrons cheered them on.

The bouncer was later arrested and jailed over the uninhibited hook-up, as public sex is punishable in Russia by up to 15 days behind bars.

 

American racist who threatened Black Lives Matter supporters pleads guilty to hate crime charges

Kenneth Pilon, 61, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal district court to two charges of hate crimes.

By Edward Era Barbacena

A Michigan white man has pleaded guilty to hate crime charges after he intimidated supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement by leaving handwritten notes and nooses around his community, the Department of Justice said in a news release.

Kenneth Pilon, 61, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal district court to two charges of hate crimes. Pilon specifically pleaded guilty to "willfully intimidating and attempting to intimidate citizens from engaging in lawful speech and protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement" dating back to June and July 2020, according to officials.

Additionally, Pilon pleaded guilty to placing a noose inside a vehicle with an attached note reading: "An accessory to be worn with your 'BLM' t-shirt. Happy protesting!"

Pilon will be sentenced on March 23, according to officials.

In a news release from the Department of Justice, Pilon called nine Starbucks stores across Michigan, telling workers who answered his calls to tell any employees wearing Black Lives Matter T-shirts that "the only good n***er is a dead n***er."

Pilon is also accused of telling one of the employees, "I'm gonna go out and lynch me a n*****."

From June to July 2020, authorities say Pilon left four nooses in parking lots across Saginaw, Mich. with attached notes. Authorities say a fifth one was found inside a 7-Eleven in a beverage cooler.

"Specifically, Pilon intimidated and attempted to intimidate citizens from participating lawfully in speech and peaceful assembly opposing the denial of Black people's right to enjoy police protection and services free from brutality," according to a previous criminal complaint filed in April.

U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison said that Pilon's actions were "threatening to an entire community."

"We hope this conviction sends the message that this type of activity is criminal, and that we will take the necessary action to protect the people of our district," Ison said.

Since the protests following the murder of George Floyd, threats against Black Lives Matter protesters have become far too common.

Earlier this year, several Maryland police officers were caught talking via text message about killing Black Lives Matter protesters.

In a federal civil rights lawsuit filed in Maryland in March, a Black police officer alleged that several Maryland-National Capital Park Police officers made frequent comments through text messages that "talked about murdering Black Lives Matter protesters," NBC News reported.

In 2020, a Utah man was caught on video coughing on Black Lives Matter protesters and making threats to the administrator of a Facebook page, according to Salt Lake City TV station Fox 13. The suspect, Robert Brissette, 57, was arrested and booked on charges related to the threat of violence and electronic communication harassment.

 

American Man Domestic Violence Suspect Charged with Murder for Christmas Eve Slaying of Sheriff’s Deputy in Florida

Timothy Paul Price-Williams, 43, has been charged with first degree premeditated murder in the death of Corporal Ray Hamilton

By Edward Era Barbacena

A Florida white man is behind bars after allegedly shooting and killing a sheriff’s deputy who was responding to a domestic violence call.

Timothy Paul Price-Williams, 43, has been charged with first degree premeditated murder in the death of Corporal Ray Hamilton. According to the Okaloosa Sheriff’s Office, Price-Williams opened fire on Hamilton and other deputies who had responded to a call to his home at around 9:00 a.m. Saturday.

The OCSO said that officials had been called to the home for a potential domestic disturbance battery.

“The victim reported Saturday morning that Price-Williams had slapped her in the face and shoved her during an argument the night before, taking away her phone so she could not call 9-1-1 for help,” the OSCO said in a press release.

After deputies made contact with Price-Williams, he refused to come out of his home, even after the OSCO Special Response Team was called in, the sheriff’s office said.

Price-Williams started shooting out of a window at around 12:40 p.m., striking Hamilton, the OSCO said.

“The OCSO Special Response Team was summoned to try to negotiate with Price-Williams to give himself up peacefully,” the OSCO said. “Several deputies, including Corporal Ray Hamilton, entered an area behind the backyard fence of the premises to help establish a safe perimeter. Once they got into position, shots were fired from inside the home and Corporal Hamilton was struck.”

Hamilton, a five-year OSCO veteran and a member of the department’s Special Response Team, was rushed to the hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries shortly after 3:00 p.m., the sheriff’s office said.

According to the OSCO, Price-Williams was shot by deputies after he “came out [of the home] that caused another deputy to fire on him, injuring Price-Williams in his right arm.”

“He received medical attention at the hospital and was then transported to the jail on a charge of premeditated murder,” the OSCO added.

“We are devastated by the grief of losing Corporal Hamilton, a deputy who was a ray of sunshine in the OCSO, dedicated to protecting others,” Sheriff Eric Aden said in a statement. “We appreciate the endless stream of words of support that have come in for his family and his co-workers as we face this heartbreaking loss of a profoundly loved and respected friend, public servant, and hero.”

Okaloosa Department of Corrections records indicate that bond for Price-Williams was denied and a future hearing date has not been set.

 

Teenagers racially abused and attacked with screwdriver by stranger in street

John O’Donnell racially abused and assaulted two teenagers

By Edward Era Barbacena

Two teenagers were racially abused and attacked with a screwdriver by a stranger in the street.

John O’Donnell walked past a 17 and 18-year-old on Fell Street, Kensington, UK at around 8pm on Monday, June 27.  He then started shouting racial abuse towards the victims.

The 56-year-old, of no fixed address, then got out a screwdriver and attacked one of the victims, leaving him with neck and cheek injuries. The second also suffered a slash to his arm.

O’Donnell pleaded guilty to two counts of racially aggravated s20 assault and s4a racially aggravated public order. He was sentenced to a total of 26 months in prison at Liverpool Crown Court, on Monday, December 19.

Detective Constable Matt Blackburne said: "This was a totally unprovoked and shocking racially aggravated assault. Nobody should be subjected to racial or physical abuse and we will not tolerate anyone being targeted in this way.

 

Sex-abuse video victimizes child long after abuser confessed to Latter-day Saint (Mormon) leaders

Rape video continues to circulate, even though its creator Paul Adams has died.

By Edward Era Barbacena

The video of a man raping his 9-year-old daughter was discovered in New Zealand in 2016 and triggered a global search for the little girl.

MJ was a tiny, black-haired girl, just 5 years old, when her father admitted to his bishop that he was sexually abusing her.

The father, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and an admitted pornography addict, was in counseling with his bishop when he revealed the abuse. The bishop, who was also a family physician, followed church policy and called what church officials have dubbed the  “help line” for guidance.

The video of a man raping his 9-year-old daughter was discovered in New Zealand in 2016 and triggered a global search for the little girl.

Investigators contacted Interpol and the pursuit eventually included the FBI, the U.S. State Department and the Department of Homeland Security. Months later, investigators raided the Bisbee, Ariz., home of Paul Adams, arrested him and rescued the girl in the video along with her five siblings.

While Adams no longer can physically hurt his daughter — he died by suicide in custody — the videos live on, downloaded and uploaded by child pornographers across the U.S. and around the globe, growing ever more popular even as as police, prosecutors and internet companies chase behind in a futile effort to remove the images.

The number of times the Adams video has been seen soared from fewer than 100 in 2017 to 4,500 in 2021, according to data provided to The Associated Press with the permission of the girl and her adoptive mother, Nancy Salminen. The tally was produced by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), a nonprofit that tracks child pornography on the internet and works with law enforcement agencies throughout the world.

“That’s the horrendous part about it,” Salminen said. “You can’t just say that’s in the past and shut the door and move on. She will never be able to turn her back on what’s happened.”

The ongoing victimization of the child could have been avoided.

Six years before the video surfaced in Auckland, Adams, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, confessed to his bishop that he abused his daughter, identified by the AP as MJ.

But a prominent church lawyer told the bishop to keep the abuse secret. As a result, MJ was brutalized for seven more years. Today, she continues to be victimized almost daily in a different way, as the video, and others Adams took, circulate on the internet. Details of the Latter-day Saint officials’ cover-up of the Adams rapes were reported in an AP investigation in August.

 

Pandas that suffered mistreatment in an American Zoo are being transported back to China 

By Edward Era Barbacena

A US zoo is returning two giant pandas that had been on loan from China, a move welcomed on the mainland following recent allegations of mistreatment by animal rights activists.

The Memphis Zoo announced on December 21 that pandas Ya Ya and Le Le would be sent back to China early next year after a 20-year loan agreement between the zoo and the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens ended.

Earlier this year, animal rights groups claimed that the zoo was mistreating the pandas.

In February, the group In Defense of Animals (IDA) released a video online showing the animals pacing around their enclosure and accused the zoo of subjecting them to “physical, mental, and emotional deprivation”.

In Defense of Animals and Panda Voices are welcoming a huge victory for giant pandas YaYa, 22, and LeLe, 24, who will be sent back to China, according to a statement from the Memphis Zoo. In Defense of Animals and Panda Voices have been lobbying for the pandas’ release for nearly two years.  

“After far too many years of suffering in a grossly inappropriate zoo exhibit, YaYa and LeLe will finally get improved care at a specialized panda refuge in their homeland,” said Brittany Michelson, Captive Animals Campaigner for In Defense of Animals. “We applaud the Memphis Zoo and Chinese authorities for making the ethical decision to return the pandas to China once the loan contract ends in April 2023. We thank Billie Eilish and our many thousands of supporters worldwide for helping us encourage the zoo to do the right thing. We are delighted to celebrate this momentous victory. Animals suffer tremendously in zoos, and we hope this will prompt all zoos to put animals’ needs first and release them to accredited sanctuaries.”

YaYa and LeLe have been suffering at the Memphis Zoo since 2003. The pandas are visibly distressed and malnourished and spend their days pacing or sleeping, clearly bored in their dirty, small enclosure. YaYa has a chronic skin condition, and LeLe has significant teeth issues resulting in broken molars.

Nearly two years ago, In Defense of Animals joined Panda Voices to campaign for the release of the Memphis Zoo pandas. Together they have written letters, published action alerts and media releases, and gained endorsements from Marc Bekoff, Ph.D., professor emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, and pop musician Billie Eilish. The organizations worked tirelessly to expose the pandas’ suffering and made repeated attempts to meet with the Memphis Zoo President to address concerns about the pandas. 

In Defense of Animals’ most recent alert published on Nov. 18 urged authorities to send the pandas back to China when the zoo’s loan contract ends in April 2023. Over 32,000 people supported the alert. A previous alert for the pandas published in the summer of 2021 gained over 88,000 supporters. In total, In Defense of Animals supporters sent over 1 million emails to decision-makers on behalf of the pandas.

“We are overwhelmed with joy at the news of YaYa and LeLe returning home to China!” said Taciana Santiago of Panda Voices. “We thank the Memphis Zoo for allowing this to happen and hope they provide the pandas the conditions they need to be fit to endure the long travel. We will continue to monitor their situation until we are sure they are in a suitable environment. We look forward to seeing them live a life of retirement and peace in China. Big thanks to In Defense of Animals and all of our supporters who stayed vigilant on this journey! King LeLe and Queen YaYa will soon be home!”

 

United States threatens Taliban with 'costs' after banning  Afghan women and girls from schools and Universities 

Blocking girls from elementary schools is the latest blow to female rights.

By Edward Era Barbacena

The Taliban returned to power over Afghanistan after the Americans abandoned the country  issuing public promises to preserve its people's basic freedoms. But just as swiftly as the group grasped control, it reneged on those guarantees -- completely blocking female students' access to education through a series of crackdowns culminating on Wednesday in a ban forbidding them from attending elementary school, setting the country's women back decades.

The decision to prohibit Afghan girls from receiving even a basic level of education outside of the home comes just a day after the Taliban announced that women would no longer be allowed to attend public or private universities.

These latest limitations have sparked the condemnation of Western governments and human rights groups across the globe. Even countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE -- which are frequently criticized over their unequal treatment of men and women -- have urged the Taliban to reverse course.

On Thursday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that widespread criticism was important and that the U.S. was working with various partners to hold Afghanistan's de facto rulers accountable, although he declined to preview any action.

"What you've already heard is a course of condemnation from around the world, and not only from us, but from countries -- virtually every continent, including Muslim countries, which I think is in and of itself important and powerful," Blinken told reporters. "And to be clear, and we are engaged with other countries on this right now. There are going to be costs if this is not reversed."

But so far, Afghanistan's leaders seem undeterred by any attempts to either persuade or pressure the government to keep its initial promises, and is reportedly already taking brutal steps to enforce its newly installed policies. The Associated Press said on Thursday that the Taliban forced teenage Afghan girls from a private education center, and that one student said the girls studying there were beaten.

Almost immediately after the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops in August 2021, the Taliban imposed new limitations on female university students and shuttered lower level schools, saying it would reopen them to girls and women last March after the country's security situation improved and measures could be implemented to fully segregate both sexes. When that deadline arrived, girls above the 6th grade where still not allowed to return.

At the time, the U.S. retaliated by canceling talks with the Taliban focused on economic issues, but those meetings resumed in late June.

On Tuesday, Price called the crackdown "possibly even fatal" to any hopes the Taliban might have for improving their standing with the West. He also maintained that the group -- which has not been recognized by any country as the lawful rulers of Afghanistan -- is eagerly seeking legitimacy on the international stage and hopes to better relations with the U.S., saying the Taliban have made those desires "clear to us in private."

"The level of our support and the nature of our relationship is wholly contingent on the actions that they take towards their own people and the actions that they take with regard to our primary interests," Price said.

However, since its exit from the country, the Biden administration has given Afghanistan over $1.1 billion in humanitarian assistance and moved to unfreeze another $3.5 billion in Afghan central bank reserves. While the State Department says it has placed safeguards to prevent that money from falling into the hands of the Taliban, monitors from the United Nations report that members of the group are increasingly seeking to sway aid money and that accountability is difficult to achieve.

Price also argued the administration has "many tools in its toolbox" to punish the Taliban for its restrictions, but the group itself and many of its prominent members are already under strict sanctions. Imposing other economic punishments to the country runs the risk of worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis ravaging Afghanistan.

If women are not allowed to access education, both the State Department and human rights groups say Afghanistan's economy is certain to suffer further blows.

"There are no two ways about it: women and girls must be allowed to work, access education and to move freely," Vice President of International Programmes for the International Rescue Committee Elinor Raikes, said in a statement. "Many educated Afghans have already left the country over the last eighteen months. Afghanistan is in urgent need of a future generation of doctors, teachers, civil servants and much more."

Thomas Olson (L) & Robert Rodway (

 

Two American Men Arrested in the 2018 Murder of  Asian Man of Michigan

Thomas Olson, 34, of Grand Blanc Township, and Robert Rodway, 34 of Saint Johns, were arrested late Wednesday. They are both charged with felony murder and felony firearm in connection with the death of Chong Yang.

By Edward Era Barbacena

Two white American men have been arrested in connection with a murder of a hunter in Bath Township back in 2018.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced on Thursday, December 22, the arrests of Thomas Olson, 34, of Grand Blanc Township, and Robert Rodway, 34, of Saint Johns. Four years, one month, and six days after Chong Moua Yang was found shot dead at the Rose Lake State Game Area.

Olson and Rodway were arrested late Wednesday night by the Michigan State Police Fugitive Team.

Both Olson and Rodway face one count of Felony Murder, which carries a life sentence without the possibility of parole, and one count of Felony Firearm, which carries a two-year prison sentence.

Yang often hunted in the Rose Lake State Game Area, but his wife was alarmed when he didn’t return home. His family drove out to search for him and found his car in the parking lot. They followed two sets of footprints which eventually led them to his body.

When authorities arrived, they found Yang lying face down with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. His firearm and other items were missing.

A $20,000 reward was soon offered for information about Yang’s death.

The Attorney General’s office explained witness testimony and a plastic bag with hunting spray that was recovered near the scene led authorities to Olson and Rodway. Nessel believes the defendants killed Yang while hunting and then stole his headlamp, knife, backpack, wallet, and shotgun.

“The Bath Township Police Department worked closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other local agencies and prosecutors to gather evidence, establish a timeline of events, and locate the defendants,” stated Nessel. “I am grateful for their persistence and hard work in pursuing this case. Chong Yang’s family deserves justice, and we are working hard to make sure they receive it.”

Yang’s family released the following statement after the arrest announcement:

“For the last four years, we have struggled with the knowledge that someone out there decided to end Chong Moua’s life and leave him to die alone in the woods. But today, Thursday, December 22, 2022, marks the first day that we can come up for a little fresh air.

With the arrest of two men, Thomas Olson and Robert Rodway comes bittersweet emotions of excitement and anxiousness. We admit that during these last four years of the investigation, there were times when we were angry, frustrated, and impatient with the whole process. But…we never lost hope.

We never lost hope that through the diligent effort of Bath Township, the FBI, and numerous other agencies, we would be able to find answers. We never lost hope that someone, somewhere would be able to provide information that would lead to the arrest of these killers. Today is the start of the journey to finding answers and closure. We start that journey of holding the people who killed Chong Moua responsible for their actions.

We want to thank the law enforcement community for their commitment to this case. The hunting community for their unwavering support for one of their hunting brothers. And the community as a whole, those near and far, for all their love and support during the darkest time in our lives.

We know that the arrests are only the first steps in this chapter, but are encouraged that the Attorney General’s office will pursue this matter diligently, and bring these men to justice.”

Both men are due back in court on January 5, 2023.

 

Transport Security Administration agent in United States arrested on the job at Denver International Airport,  charged with 12 counts of child sexual molestation

Matthew Paul Barnett, 33, of Thornton, is suspected of assaulting three young girls

By Edward Era Barbacena

A white TSA agent was arrested Friday morning at Denver International Airport on suspicion of multiple counts of sexual assault on a child.

Matthew Paul Barnett, 33, of Thornton, is suspected of assaulting three young girls, according to the Adams County district attorney’s office.

The charges against Barnett are sexual assault on a child, sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust and sexual assault on a child as a pattern of abuse. He’s been charged with 12 counts, all felonies.

Barnett was fired Friday after his arrest.

“TSA does not tolerate illegal, unethical or immoral conduct,” according to a TSA statement. “This individual is no longer employed by TSA.”

He’ll be advised of the charges against him next week in Adams County Court, according to a news release.

 

American woman Peggy Sue Hall of Lauderdale Co.pleads guilty to capital murder of former husband

Son pleads guilty to conspiracy to commit murder

By Edward Era Barbacena

Lauderdale County authorities have charged Peggy Sue Hall with Capital Murder in the death of Randall Bobo.

Deputies responded to a home on County Road 130 near the Tennessee State Line on Wednesday morning. That’s where they found Bobo dead.

Lauderdale County District Attorney Chris Connolly said Peggy Sue Hall pleaded guilty to capital murder and will serve a life sentence without the possibility of parole. He said she was arrested in 2019 after she shot and killed her ex-husband, Randall Steve Bobo, at the request of their son, Randall Coty Bobo.

The prosecutor said the younger Bobo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder on Thursday. He will spend the next 21 months behind bars as part of a 20-year split sentence. He received credit for time already spent in jail.

Connolly explained the younger Bobo was arrested in 2019 for stealing his father’s truck. He said Bobo was arrested for that theft and became angry with his father. From jail, Connolly said Randall Coty Bobo convinced his mother to kill the older Bobo. The DA said the two later went to Randall Steve Bobo’s home, where Hall shot him.

“We do know also that there were some kids in the residence where it happened at,” said Chief Deputy Richard Richey. “So that’s really bad when two kids are there.”

Investigators told WHNT News 19 the Hall was still on the property when they arrived.

“There was no problem with taking her into custody. When I arrived on the scene, she was already in custody sitting in the back seat of a patrol car,” said Richey.

Hall was immediately transferred to the Lauderdale County Detention Center. She’s being held without bond.

 

Wife and unborn son killer Scott Peterson denied of new murder trial

American Scott Peterson of California  committed the unthinkable by murdering his pregnant wife Laci and removed his unborn son from her womb for her mistress in 2002

By Edward Era Barbacena

 A California judge on Tuesday rejected a new murder trial for Scott Peterson, nearly 20 years after he was charged with dumping the bodies of his pregnant wife, Laci, and the unborn child they planned to name Conner into San Francisco Bay on Christmas Eve 2002.

Peterson, 50, alleged the resulting trial that gripped the world was tainted by a rogue juror who lied about her own history of abuse to get on the panel that initially sent him to death row.

Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo found that Juror No. 7, Richelle Nice, committed misconduct by providing false answers during jury selection — but that she did not commit enough misconduct to require a new trial because she wasn't biased against Peterson.

Nice did not intentionally conceal information about her life or misrepresent her financial situation to stay on the jury, and did not appear vengeful toward Peterson in letters she later wrote him in prison, Massullo ruled in San Mateo County Superior Court.

"The Court concludes that Juror No. 7’s responses were not motivated by pre-existing or improper bias against (Peterson), but instead were the result of a combination of good faith misunderstanding of the questions and sloppiness in answering,” the judge wrote.

Defense attorney Pat Harris said he was disappointed in the decision, which he said excused Nice’s misconduct.

"We believe this sets a bad precedent for future cases where jurors purposefully commit misconduct but nevertheless know it will be excused by simply shrugging it off with ‘I forgot,’ ” Harris wrote. “Jury questionnaires and the attorneys who read them depend on the honesty of the answers in order to get a fair trial. It will make it difficult if jurors believe they can lie and there will be no repercussions.

Peterson’s defense team plans to “push forward until he is freed,” Harris said.

It was undisputed that Nice failed to disclose as she was being selected for Peterson’s jury in 2004 that she had sought a restraining order while she was pregnant four years earlier. Nice said then that she “really fears for her unborn child” because of threats from her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend.

The California Supreme Court in 2020 found that Nice’s actions required a hearing to determine if they denied Peterson a fair trial, and assigned Judge Massullo to the case. The high court separately threw out Peterson’s death sentence in 2020 and Stanislaus County prosecutors decided against again seeking his execution even as they argued he received a fair trial. He was resentenced to life in prison in December.

Sharon Rocha, Laci Peterson’s mother, said Tuesday that the judge’s decision confirms that Scott Peterson did receive a fair trial.

Scott Peterson argued that Nice fought to join the jury despite her financial hardship and that she entered deliberations determined to enact revenge for Peterson’s nearly full-term unborn child, the young victim she nicknamed “Little Man.”

But Nice testified that she had no bias against Peterson until she heard the evidence against him.

Nice said in a sworn declaration in 2020 that it did not occur to her to include the threat to her own unborn child on her juror form because she did not “feel ‘victimized’ the way the law might define that term.” She later testified that she answered truthfully based on her understanding of the questions.

"I didn’t write it on the questionnaire because it never crossed my mind, ever. It wasn’t done intentionally,” she swore during two days of testimony in February.

She also disputed any financial motive to serving on the jury, swearing that she and other jurors never discussed jointly writing their book, “We, the Jury,” until after the trial and verdict.

And it was Peterson’s celebrity attorney, Mark Geragos, who wanted her on the jury, prosecutors said. Geragos called Nice back as she prepared to leave after the trial judge dismissed her for financial hardship, though Geragos said he never would have done so had she properly disclosed her personal history.

Nice also denied being biased even though she said her boyfriend at the time was serially unfaithful and denied that he ever assaulted her despite his arrest for domestic violence.

Peterson was arrested in April 2003 only after his mistress came forward to say he told her his 27-year-old wife was gone a month before her actual disappearance.

His attorneys provided Massullo with what they called a “Credibility Chart” purporting to show Nice’s conflicting statements.

“Ms. Nice simply forgot,” prosecutors responded in court filings, arguing that any mistakes she made did not demonstrate bias.

“Her testimony and her demeanor ... clearly showed she was not a vengeful, scorned woman who sought to punish (Peterson),” they argued.

Among other issues Massullo had to decide was which side had the burden of proof.

Prosecutors said Peterson’s attorneys failed to prove Nice committed juror misconduct. Inadvertent or unintentional mistakes don’t count, they argued.

Peterson’s attorneys said Nice clearly concealed facts during jury selection, even unknowingly, which they said shifts the burden to prosecutors to prove that she wasn’t prejudiced.

   

 American convicted serial killer pleads guilty in unsolved 1991 killing of Linda Lois of Florida

Daytona Beach police solve 31-year-old cold case, Michael Townson charged with first-degree murder

By Edward Era Barbacena

Though the terrors of the infamous white serial killers in the United States have declined since the early 2000, the horrendous crimes committed by them still hunt us up to these days.  Many of the cases that were considered unsolved are slowly having  clear conclusions.

A man already serving life in prison was indicted Monday on a charge of first-degree murder in the cold-case killing of a woman who vanished three decades ago in Daytona Beach, according to a press release from the State Attorney's Office. 

Michael S. Townson, 53, was indicted in the killing of Linda Lois Little, according to the press release from 7th Circuit State Attorney R.J. Larizza's Office. 

Townson is already serving a life sentence for beating Sherri Carmanto to death with a steel pipe at her home in Titusville in 2007, according to the release. A Brevard County jury convicted him of the killing in 2008.

Family keeps searching:Family stepped up efforts to find missing woman

Accused rapist not guilty:Accused Daytona Beach serial rapist found not guilty in 2017 rape. Two more cases remain

Life in prison:Man who kidnapped, killed Daytona Beach grandmother sentenced to life in prison

Townson is serving his sentence at the Charlotte Correctional Institution in Punta Gorda.

"It is extremely gratifying to solve a 31-year-old murder," Larizza stated in the press release. "I hope it brings some measure of peace to the victim's family.

What happened to Linda Lois Little?

Little was last seen on Oct. 11, 1991, in Daytona Beach. The 43-year-old woman worked as a waitress at the Chart House restaurant on South Beach Street. She finished her shift at around 1 a.m. and rode off on her beach cruiser bicycle across the International Speedway Boulevard Bridge, stopping at a bar along the road. She was seen a few hours later at a nearby 7-11 that morning.

But that was it.

Little didn’t show up for work the next day. And she was never seen again. 

Little, a North Carolina native, had lived in the Daytona Beach area for two years. 

A story in The News-Journal stated that investigators at the time had not found evidence of foul play. 

But Little’s family was certain she would not have left without telling them, and printed and distributed 3,500 fliers, even giving them to long-haul truckers to distribute throughout the country. Lamar Advertising put up billboards with the flier information.  

The family also hired a psychic and offered a $5,000 reward for information.  

But none of that helped find the missing woman. 

In 1996, a man called the family claiming he had seen seen Linda Little in North Carolina, but the man refused to give his name. He was never heard from again.

Little was survived by her mother, a grandchild and three siblings.  

Her sister, Wanda Little, who kept searching for years, described her sister as "a very strong woman," according to the story.

In a press release issued Monday, the Daytona Beach Police stated praised the collaboration of the State Attorney's Office and also stated: "If not for the hard work and dedication from the Daytona Beach Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division, it would have not been possible in developing a suspect in this case."

 

Central Park hate crime: Bike-riding bigot sought for anti-Semitic attack

By Edward Era Barbacena

The white American racist and a bigot responsible for a hate-filled, anti-Semitic attack in Central Park last week remains at large, police reported.

The NYPD released on Monday photos of the perpetrator sought for the assault that occurred at 7:37 p.m. on Dec. 14 inside the park near the intersection of Terrace and East Drives.

According to law enforcement sources, the suspect approached a 63-year-old man as he walked through the park. Police said the perpetrator shoved the victim from behind to the ground, causing the man to fall.

Adding insult to injury, cops said, the bigot shouted anti-Semitic remarks at the victim, then took off on a bicycle equipped with a trailer that was last seen heading westbound along 72nd Street.

The incident was reported to the Central Park Precinct. Police said the victim sought treatment via private means at a local hospital for a chipped tooth and a broken hand.

Police described the assailant as a forty-something white man and a medium build who was last seen wearing a multi-colored hat, a brown jacket, beige pants and white sneakers.

He’s shown on camera pushing the bicycle equipped with a trailer full of various items, and with a sign reading “Hungry Disabled” on the back.

 

Irmgard Furchner: Nazi typist guilty of complicity in 10,500 murders during holocaust 

By Edward Era Barbacena

BBC: A former secretary who worked for the commander of a Nazi concentration camp has been convicted of complicity in the murders of more than 10,500 people.

Irmgard Furchner, 97, was taken on as a teenaged shorthand typist at Stutthof and worked there from 1943 to 1945.

Furchner, the first woman to be tried for Nazi crimes in decades, was given a two-year suspended jail term.

Although she was a civilian worker, the judge agreed she was fully aware of what was going on at the camp.

Some 65,000 people are thought to have died in horrendous conditions at Stutthof, including Jewish prisoners, non-Jewish Poles and captured Soviet soldiers.

Furchner was found guilty of aiding and abetting the murder of 10,505 people and complicity in the attempted murder of five others. As she was only 18 or 19 at the time, she was tried in a special juvenile court.

At Stutthof, located near the modern-day Polish city of Gdansk, a variety of methods was used to murder detainees and thousands died in gas chambers there from June 1944.

The court at Itzehoe in northern Germany heard from survivors of the camp, some of whom have died during the trial.

When the trial began in September 2021, Irmgard Furchner went on the run from her retirement home and was eventually found by police on a street in Hamburg.

Stutthof commandant Paul-Werner Hoppe was jailed in 1955 for being an accessory to murder and he was released five years later.

A series of prosecutions have taken place in Germany since 2011, after the conviction of former Nazi death camp guard John Demjanjuk set the precedent that being a guard was sufficient evidence to prove complicity.

That ruling also meant that civilian worker Furchner could stand trial, as she worked directly to the camp commander, dealing with correspondence surrounding Stutthof detainees.

It took 40 days for her to break her silence in the trial, when she told the court "I'm sorry about everything that happened".

"I regret that I was in Stutthof at the time - that's all I can say," she said.

Her defence lawyers argued she should be acquitted because of doubts surrounding what she knew, as she was one of several typists in Hoppe's office.

After the war, Furchner married an SS squad leader called Heinz Furchstam whom she probably met at the camp.

She went on to work as an administrative worker in a small town in northern Germany. Her husband died in 1972.

Historian Stefan Hördler played a key role in the trial, accompanying two judges on a visit to the site of the camp.

It became clear from the visit that Furchner was able to see some of the worst conditions at the camp from the commandant's office.

The historian told the trial that 27 transports carrying 48,000 people arrived at Stutthof between June and October 1944, after the Nazis decided to expand the camp and speed up mass murder with the use of Zyklon B gas.

Mr Hördler described Hoppe's office as the "nerve centre" for everything that went on at Stutthof.

During his evidence he read out evidence provided by Furchner's husband in 1954 when he said: "At the Stutthof camp people were gassed. The staff at the commandant's HQ talked about it."

Presiding judge Dominik Gross said it was "beyond imagination" that Furchner could not have noticed the smoke and stench of mass killing: "The defendant could have quit at any time."

Camp survivor Josef Salomonovic, who travelled to the court to give evidence at the trial, was only six when his father was murdered by lethal injection at Stutthof in September 1944.

"She's indirectly guilty," he told reporters at the court last December, "even if she just sat in the office and put her stamp on my father's death certificate."

Another Stutthof survivor, Manfred Goldberg, said his only disappointment was in the nature of the sentence.

"It's a foregone conclusion that a 97-year-old would not be made to serve a sentence in prison - so it could only be a symbolic sentence," he told the BBC.

"But the length should be made to reflect the extraordinary barbarity of being found to be complicit in the murder of more than 10,000 people."

Nazi crime cases since 2011

John Demjanjuk - jailed in 2011 for five years for his part in the murder of more than 28,000 Jews at the Sobibor death camp but released pending an appeal and died the following year aged 91

Oskar Gröning - the "Bookkeeper of Auschwitz", sentenced in 2015 as an accessory to the murder of 300,000 Jews. He never went to jail, dying in 2018 aged 96 during the appeals process

Reinhold Hanning - former SS guard at Auschwitz convicted of helping to commit mass murder in June 2016 but died a year later aged 95 with appeals still pending

Friedrich Karl Berger - former guard at the Neuengamme concentration camp, deported to Germany from the US in February 2021 aged 95. German prosecutors dropped charges against him and his current fate is unknown

Josef S - jailed for five years in June 2022 for assisting in the murder of more than 3,500 prisoners in Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Aged 101, he is the oldest person to be convicted for Nazi-era war crimes in Germany, but because of age and ill health is unlikely to spend any time in prison

Furchner's trial could be the last to take place in Germany into Nazi-era crimes, although a few cases are still being investigated.

Two other cases have gone to court in recent years for Nazi crimes committed at Stutthof.

Last year a former camp guard was declared unfit for trial even though the court said there was a "high degree of probability" he was guilty of complicity.

In 2020, another SS camp guard, Bruno Dey, was given a two-year suspended jail term for complicity in the murder of more than 5,000 prisoners.