Trial begins for Julissa Thaler, American mom who killed her 6-year-old son Eli Hart

By Edward Era Barbacena

The trial for a mother accused of killing her 6-year-old son begins Monday morning.

Julissa Thaler, 28, is charged after investigators found Eli Hart's body in her trunk during a traffic stop in Orono last year. Originally facing second-degree murder charges, Thaler was indicted on the upgraded charges by a grand jury earlier this month -- one count each of first-degree murder and second-degree murder.

Before his death, Hart's life was dominated by a custody battle between Thaler and his biological father. Court records showed Hart was put into foster care after mounting concerns over his mother's mental health. But Thaler got sole custody less than two weeks before her arrest.

Case history

Thaler was arrested in Orono when a caller reported that the car she was driving had a shattered rear window and a blown-out tire.

Police saw blood on Thaler's hand, the criminal complaint said, and found Hart's body in the trunk of the car. The medical examiner said the boy died of "multiple shotgun wounds," and listed his death as a homicide.

Since Eli Hart's death, a judge determined that she was mentally competent to stand trial and can assist with her own defense.

She was offered a plea deal soon after, but rejected the offer to plead guilty to the second-degree murder charge and serve 40 years in prison.

 

Lindsay Clancy’s husband pleads for people to forgive her for killing their children

Lindsay Clancy allegedly strangled her three children before jumping out of a window.

By Edward Era Barbacena

The husband of Massachusetts mom Lindsay Clancy — who is accused of strangling her three young children before attempting to take her own life — has pleaded for people forgive her for the heinous crime, describing “the real Lindsay” as “loving” and “caring.”

“I want to ask all of you that you find it deep within yourselves to forgive Lindsay, as I have,” Patrick Clancy wrote in an update on an online fundraiser Saturday.

“The real Lindsay was generously loving and caring towards everyone — me, our kids, family, friends, and her patients. The very fibers of her soul are loving. All I wish for her now is that she can somehow find peace.”

The heartbroken husband and father’s moving words come after Lindsay, 32, was charged Wednesday with murdering her 5-year-old daughter Cora, her 3-year-old son Dawson and attempting to kill her 8-month-old son Callan.

Cora and Dawson were pronounced dead at the hospital. Although the medical examiner has yet to determine the causes of death, the children appeared to have been strangled.

Callan, who turned 8 months old on Thursday, was flown in critical condition to Boston Children’s Hospital, where he died on Friday.

The mom, who is expected to face upgraded charges after Callan’s death, allegedly strangled the three children while Patrick had reportedly left their Duxbury home to pick up food.

Her husband returned to the house to find the kids “unconscious, with obvious signs of trauma.”

Lindsay had also jumped out of a window in an unsuccessful suicide attempt. 

A lot of people have said they can’t imagine and they’re right, there’s absolutely nothing that can prepare you,” the grieving father also wrote in the update Saturday.

“The shock and pain is excruciating and relentless. I’m constantly reminded of them and with the little sleep I get, I dream about them on repeat.

“Any parent knows, it’s impossible to understand how much you will love your kids until you have them. The same goes for understanding the devastation of losing them.”

Opening up about his youngest child’s death, Patrick wrote that Callan “died with enormous courage despite being so little.”

“Maybe it was his way of demonstrating what I need to do to press forward. I’ll always try to draw inspiration from him. He’ll always be my little hero,” the dad said.

The Massachusetts General Hospital nurse had been somewhat open about her mental struggles, having revealed on Facebook in July that she finally felt “dialed in” again, six weeks after the birth of her third child.

Sources told CBS Boston that authorities are considering the possibility that Clancy was suffering from postpartum psychosis.

Patrick wrote that the couples’ “marriage was wonderful and diametrically grew stronger as her condition rapidly worsened,” without elaborating on her condition.

“I took as much pride in being her husband as I did in being a father and felt persistently lucky to have her in my life,” he wrote.

“I still remember the very moment I first laid eyes on her and can recall how overcome I was with the kind of love at first sight you only see in movies.”

Patrick said that the two would start every morning with a big hug, and would say “I love you” to one another throughout each day.

“She loved being a nurse, but nothing matched her intense love for our kids and dedication to being a mother. It was all she ever wanted. Her passion taught me how to be a better father,” he said.

The father also posted a heartbreaking tribute to his two older children, recalling all of personalities and quirks that made him love them so dearly.

“Cora had an infectious laugh and was stunningly beautiful. She was the cautious one, but it was really because she was so caring,” he wrote.

“Dawson had beautiful, bold, brown eyes that beamed with friendship. He was naturally humorous and generous beyond the norm of a typical toddler, always willing to share his toys with others,” he continued.

“Cora, Dawson, and Callan, you gave me so much in your short time here. I don’t know if the pain will ever go away, but I’ll do my best to carry on in your honor. Dada loves you so much and will always remember you,” the heart-wrenching post concluded.

 

American Topless woman smashes Jesus Christ statue in North Dakota church

Brittany Marie Reynolds, 35, has been charged with felony criminal mischief

By Edward Era Barbacena

A white woman in North Dakota is facing criminal charges after police say she walked into a Catholic Church topless and destroyed a statue of Jesus Christ.

Brittany Marie Reynolds, 35, has been charged with felony criminal mischief after allegedly entering St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fargo, North Dakota, and destroying a statue of Jesus, KVRR-TV reported.

Police say she was spotted Monday just after 6:30 p.m. running away from the church without a shirt, bra, or shoes. 

Reynolds, according to police, was also seen on church security cameras flipping over a potted plant and tearing down the statue before smashing it against a wall. 

Reynolds was possibly under the influence of drugs, according to court documents.

The estimated cost of the statue is more than $11,000.

Reynolds was scheduled to appear in court this week.

After being transported to a hospital, Reynolds allegedly assaulted a staff member at the Essentia Health Emergency Room, Valley News reported. 

 

New Hampshire man fatally shot after fight outside Manchester bar

John Delee is accused of shooting 24-year-old Timothy Pouliot to death following a confrontation outside The Goat Bar and Grill in Manchester, New Hampshire.

By Edward Era Barbacena

An arrest has been made after a white man in his 20s was fatally shot following a fight outside a bar in Manchester, New Hampshire early Saturday, according to authorities.

Twenty-two-year-old John Delee is accused of shooting 24-year-old Timothy Pouliot to death after the alleged confrontation outside The Goat Bar and Grill on Old Granite Street in the pre-dawn hours of Saturday. He was charged with second-degree murder, according to a joint statement from New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella and Manchester Police Chief Allen D. Aldenberg.

Police responded shortly before 12:45 a.m. to the sound of gunshots fired on Old Granite Street and discovered Pouliot suffering from gunshot wounds. The Manchester man was later pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting. An autopsy is scheduled to be conducted by the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on Sunday, the statement said.

 

Saudi embassy in US confirms killer of Saudi student Al-Gharibi arrested

Al-Gharibi was killed inside his residential building by an 19-year-old American woman who lived in one of the upper floors of the house in which Al-Gharibi lived.

By Edward Era Barbacena

Saudi Arabia's embassy in the United States has confirmed its follow-up, since day one in coordination with the Consulate General in New York, the circumstances that led to the murder of the Saudi scholarship student Al-Walid Al-Gharibi.

The embassy confirmed that the killer was arrested, noting that she is currently under investigation.

Al-Gharibi was killed inside his residential building by an 19-year-old woman American citizen who lived in one of the upper floors of the house in which Al-Gharibi lived.

The embassy completed all necessary procedures with the concerned American authorities to transfer the body of the student Al-Gharibi to Saudi Arabia.

It has also appreciated everyone who cooperated with it, especially the American security authorities in the city of Philadelphia, since this incident occurred.

Saudi Ambassador to the US Princess Reema Bint Bandar has contacted the Al-Gharibi’s family to express sincere condolences on this painful circumstance.

The murder happened on Monday, Jan. 23, around 11:50 a.m. inside a home on the 300 block of Hansberry Street in Germantown, Philadelphia.

Police said officers found a 25-year-old man suffering a stab wound to the neck in the third-floor bathroom. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

The 25-year-old student was preparing to finish his scholarship journey. He had two months to complete the graduation course before returning to the Kingdom. It was found that the suspected killer stole his mobile phone and other valuables before fleeing the scene.

The police had announced earlier that it was offering a reward of $20,000 to those providing information leading to the arrest and conviction of the fugitive suspect Nicole Marie Rodgers, 19, from Columbus, Georgia.

The police charged the woman with murder, robbery, burglary, and theft.

 

Father of 5-year-old Harmony Montgomery indicted on second-degree murder, other charges

Adam Montgomery has been indicted by a grand jury on a second-degree murder charge in the death of his daughter Harmony Montgomery.

By Edward Era Barbacena

American white man Adam Montgomery, the father of missing 5-year-old Harmony Montgomery, has been indicted by a New Hampshire grand jury on a second-degree murder charge in her death, according to court documents.

Last week’s indictment accuses him of “repeatedly striking Harmony Montgomery on the head with a closed fist,” causing her death.

Grand jurors also allege Adam Montgomery, 33, falsified physical evidence and tampered with witnesses and informants.

CNN has reached out to Montgomery’s attorney but has not immediately heard back. He remains in custody.

Harmony was reported missing in November 2021 by her mother, Crystal Sorey, who said she last saw the girl during a FaceTime call in the spring of 2019. Police said Harmony was last seen in October 2019.

Authorities concluded in August 2022 that the girl had been slain in Manchester in December 2019. Her remains have not been found.

Adam Montgomery destroyed, concealed or hid Harmony’s body between December 7, 2019, and March 4, 2020, preventing authorities from conducting a proper investigation, state Attorney General John Formella said last year.

Formella said Adam purposely attempted to “induce or otherwise cause” Harmony’s stepmother, Kayla Montgomery, to falsely testify in the investigation into Harmony’s disappearance between December 7, 2019, and January 4, 2022.

Montgomery’s murder trial is set for August 2023 and is expected to last about a month, according to court documents.

A conviction of second-degree murder is punishable by a maximum of life in prison and a $4,000 fine, according to documents.

In October, Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg emotionally thanked those who helped find justice for Harmony.

“Although we were all pleased that we were able to bring forth these charges, they are of no solace to myself, the detectives behind me, who have worked tirelessly on this investigation, and more importantly, they bring no solace to the loved ones of Harmony Montgomery and her family and friends,” he said.

 

Male rapist who transitioned himself before trial, sent to all-female prison as transgender woman

Isla Bryson, a transgender woman found guilty of raping two women, was sent to an all-female prison while awaiting sentencing

By Edward Era Barbacena

A transgender woman in the United Kingdom who was convicted of raping two women when he was a man is being sent to a female prison to await sentencing, prompting outcry from activists, politicians and even United Nations officials.

Isla Bryson of Scotland was found guilty this week of committing the rapes when he was previously named Adam Graham, a “muscular” man with a shaved head and a face tattoo, according to a report in the Daily Mail. Bryson denied the charges, telling the high court of Glasgow that any sex was consensual and he “would never hurt another human being.”

However, prosecutors successfully argued to jurors over a six-day trial that Bryson, 31, attacked one victim in 2016 and another in 2019. Both crimes took place in Scotland.

The defendant first appeared in court as Adam Graham and was referred to as such in a 2020 court indictment. It was later that year, according to British press reports, that he decided to transition.

Bryson claimed to the court that he knew he was transgender at the age of 4 but didn’t make the decision to transition until she was 29. he told jurors that Adam Graham was his “dead name.”

Now Bryson is taking hormones and seeking surgery to complete gender reassignment.

He’s currently being held at Cornton Vale women’s prison, where he’s reportedly being kept in segregation until sentencing at the end of February. At Cornton, the convicted rapist will undergo a risk assessment to determine whether he’ll serve the final jail sentence in a women’s or men’s prison.

If Bryson is sent to a women’s prison for the duration of his sentence, it’s unclear whether he’d remain in segregation. Some observers have argued it would breach his human rights to be held in solitary confinement indefinitely.

To critics, however, such debates are beside the point.

“This rapist decided that he was no longer a man only after appearing in court on a rape charge,” said Russell Findlay, a conservative member of Scottish Parliament. “We now have the utterly perverse situation where a Scottish court refers to someone who says he identifies as female using ‘his penis’ to rape two vulnerable women. We warned of the inevitability of this happening if the SNP’s gender self-ID law passed, but for it to have become reality is deeply worrying and an affront to the victims.”

Findlay was referring to a law passed by Scottish Parliament last month that allows people as young as 16 to seek a gender recognition certificate to confirm a change in one’s legal sex after living in their new gender for just three months — and without the need for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria.

Kansas teen arrested for mother’s second-degree murder

18 year-old Hayden Lance ialleged teen killer from Canton Kansas who has been arrested for the murder of his mother.

By Edward Era Barbacena

A Canton teen has been arrested for the second-degree murder of his mother.

On Monday, Jan. 23, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation says it and the Canton Police Department opened a homicide investigation after a woman was found dead outside her home.

KBI indicated that CPD requested its assistance just before 4 p.m. on Monday. Agents and the Crime Scene Response Team responded to the scene.

It was found that just after 3:30 p.m. Canton Police received a 911 call that said a woman was found unresponsive at 110 W. Allen St. When officers arrived, they found Briana L. Lance, 52, in the backyard.

Officials noted that they found signs of injury and trauma to Lance’s body and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

At that point, officials said the McPherson Police Department and McPherson Co. Sheriff’s Office joined the investigation which led to the identification and location of a suspect.

Around 5:40 p.m., KBI indicated that Hayden C. Lance, 18, was arrested for the second-degree murder of his mother, Briana. He was booked into the McPherson Co. Jail.

Officials noted that formal charges are pending and are expected to come from the McPherson Co. District Attorney. The investigation remains ongoing and no further information will be released.

 

Lucas Walker, a suspect in the double murder of Larry and Deborah Dutton in Washington County, detailed the crime to authorities, according to newly released court documents.

By Edward Era Barbacena

The Washington County Sheriff's Office has identified one of the two suspects arrested Friday in connection to a double homicide.

Deputies arrested 20-year-old Lucas Anthony Walker for two counts of first degree murder. A juvenile was also arrested.

The sheriff's office is continuing to investigate the case and is working with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Tulsa, Federal Bureau of Investigations in Tulsa, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Medical Examiner's Office in Tulsa, and the 11th Judicial District Attorney's Office in Washington County.

“We are thankful to all of the agents, officers, and deputies assisting with this investigation due to this case involving the U.S. Attorney’s Office (Tulsa) as well as our local District Attorney’s Office”, said Undersheriff Jon Copeland. “This is a collaborative effort and it would not be possible if not for solid relationships between all of the agencies involved. We will continue working together to ensure this case is completely and thoroughly investigated.”

The victims have not been publicly identified at this time.

 

American woman of Tallahassee  sentenced to 15 years in murder-for-hire plot

Federal agents say  Gretchen Buselli agreed to pay a hitman $25,000 to kill her ex-husband.

By Edward Era Barbacena

 A Tallahassee woman has learned her sentence, five months after a federal jury convicted her in a murder-for-hire plot against her ex-husband.

Gretchen Buselli was sentenced to 15 years in prison Monday afternoon, bringing a close to a case that began back in September 2021, when she was arrested after federal agents say she agreed to pay a hitman $25,000 to kill her ex-husband. The hitman was actually an undercover FBI agent.

Buselli dropped a black bag at a designated seat in the Cascades Park amphitheater with a $5000 down payment inside and then agreed to pay the remaining $20,000 once the job was complete, according to court documents.

She was given the maximum sentence on the charges.

 

American woman of Florida who killed terminally ill husband in hospital faces murder charge

76-year-old Ellen Gilland was taken into custody after a four-hour standoff

By Edward Era Barbacena

 A white woman who fatally shot her terminally ill husband inside a Florida hospital was taken into custody over the weekend after SWAT team members used a nonlethal explosive device to distract her and then tried to use a stun gun on her, authorities said Monday.

However, the Taser gun failed to subdue 76-year-old Ellen Gilland, and she fired a shot into the ceiling of her husband’s room inside AdventHealth Hospital before dropping the handgun and being taken into custody after a four-hour standoff, according to a police report from the Daytona Beach Police Department.

According to police, Gilland told officers that her 77-year-old husband, Jerry Gilland, had been ill for some time and they had planned the shooting together.

Ellen Gilland now faces charges of premeditated first-degree murder and two counts of aggressive assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, stemming from when she pointed her gun at staff members who had entered the hospital room after hearing a gunshot, according to the police report.

She remained in jail on no bond on Monday, and her court-appointed public defender didn’t respond to an email inquiry.

American police in North Carolina shoot a harmless disabled man who was unarmed and complying with their orders after wrongly accused of being hostage taker

 

 

American police in North Carolina shoot a disabled man who was unarmed and complying with their orders after wrongly suspecting he had a hostage in his trailer

Police suspected Jason Harley Kloepfer was the alleged shooter and was holding a hostage

By Edward Era Barbacena

Shocking footage showed the moment a disabled man was shot by the North Carolina SWAT team despite obeying their orders.6

Jason Harley Kloepfer, 41, was shot several times by Cherokee County police after authorities received a call about gunfire in the area on December 12 around 11pm.

Alison Mahler  suspected Kloepfer was the alleged shooter and was holding a hostage.

Kloepfer can be seen in surveillance footage from inside the trailer opening the door with his wife Alison Mahler shortly behind him as both of their hands were raised.

Seconds later, officers fired several rounds at Kloepfer as he collapsed to the floor. He was transported to the hospital in critical but stable condition.

Police said Kloepfer had engaged in a verbal altercation with police prior to opening the door and insisted he 'confronted' them upon being shot. 

Mahler was seen in the video pulling Kloepfer out of the gunfire pathway as he began to repeatedly scream, 'I've been shot!' 

'What the hell,' Mahler screamed at the officers while helping Kloepfer. 'He's shot - what the hell did you do!' 

Police continued to shout from outside the trailer ordering the two to come outside. 

Mahler obeyed while holding her hands up as Kloepfer pulled himself toward the door. She slightly hesitated to leave her husband unattended before leaving his side. 

'He can't! He's shot!' Mahler screamed at officers while exiting.

As officers approached the trailer Kloepfer can be heard faintly shouting, 'I don't have a gun. I didn't have a gun.' 

Kloepfer was then dragged out by the arm for treatment. 

He was charged with Communicating Threats and Resist, Obstruct and Delay. 

The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office wasn't immediately available for comment. 

Last week, Kloepfer shared his healing journey on social media along with footage of the incident.

He appeared to have suffered gunshot wounds to the torso and arm.

'I am physically doing better, mentally me an Ali ain't so good on this one,' Kloepfer wrote. 'We are out of state for fear of our lives since I got out the hospital.' 

The details of the incident and the aftermath remain unclear as Kloepfer insisted he couldn't share information about the shooting. 

He insisted he was innocent and called the charges 'completely wrong.' 

'This has been and still is a horrible nightmare we are trying to get thru. We will make it thru!' he wrote. 

Kloepfer identifies as disabled but the nature of his disability was not publicly revealed.

 

Mass shooting in United States leaves multiple dead in Los Angeles club 

The male suspect fled the scene in the city of Monterey Park and remains at large, investigators said. The shooting came after thousands of people had gathered for a Lunar New Year Festival.

By Edward Era Barbacena

As the West Coast wakes up to news of another mass shooting, California leaders and Monterey Park officials condemned the latest incident and offered their thoughts and prayers to the victims.

"During a time for celebration of Lunar New Year, gun violence has tragically struck in Monterey Park. My prayers are with the victims & their loved ones who woke up to a nightmare today," Sen. Alex Padilla said in a tweet. "This is yet another painful reminder of why we must act to end the scourge of gun violence."

Rep. Judy Chu, the chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus whose district includes Monterey Park, said: "My heart is broken for the victims, their families, and the people of my hometown Monterey Park who were impacted by the mass shooting that took place during a night of Lunar New Year celebrations. I am closely following the situation."

"Lunar New Year is a time of celebration, love and prosperity," State Senator Susan Rubio said. "I'm shocked and saddened for our community's loss."

State Assemblymember Mike Fong tweeted: "Our hearts are broken on a day meant for celebration and community."

 

Los Angeles wrong-way hit-and-run American  driver who plowed into mom and baby in stolen car was gunned down Palmalde 

Venice hit-and-run driver Kristopher Baca, 17 who plowed into mom, baby in stolen car is murdered after light sentence

By Edward Era Barbacena

FOX: A Los Angeles-area American teenager who ran over a mother walking her child in a stroller in Venice in 2021 and received just a few months of diversionary camp as punishment was gunned down in Palmdale this week, according to FOX News.

Kristopher Baca, 17, of Palmdale was found fatally shot on Wednesday on a driveway in the 38600 block of 11th Street East, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

FOX 11 had not previously identified Baca in connection with the Venice hit-and-run due to his age. He pleaded guilty in the hit-and-run case last year.

The Los Angeles County Coroner-Medical Examiner's office confirmed Baca's death Friday but said the examination was still pending. At this time, there is no indication that his death is connected to the hit-and-run case, and no suspect description was available.

Sources close to the investigation told FOX News that he had been at a fast food restaurant earlier trying to "get with a girl."

"As he walked home alone, a car pulled up next to him and an argument broke out. Someone in the vehicle opened fire, then sped off," FOX News reported.

The young mother eventually moved her family out of Los Angeles to get away from what she has described as "soft-on-crime policies."

The mother, who asked only to be identified as Rachel, told Fox News Friday that her husband was out of town when she heard the news, and she had to mull it over alone. She said she was both relieved and saddened by the news.

"The universe delivered the justice we weren’t given in court, but a much harsher punishment than he’d have been dealt in a court of law," she said.

The case made national headlines last year when Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón's office sought a five- to seven-month sentence in juvenile probation camp, a punishment for young offenders described as less severe than military school but harsher than summer camp.

Gascón’s office told Fox News Digital at the time that the sentence was "an appropriate resolution." 

The teen was already on felony probation for poisoning a high school girl's drink at the time of the hit-and-run – which surveillance cameras captured on Aug. 6, 2021.

The video shows a stolen vehicle speeding the wrong way down a one-way backstreet. It plowed into a woman walking her infant son in a stroller. Then he hit the gas, accelerating away from the scene, where a good Samaritan in a pickup truck rammed the suspect vehicle head on.

Los Angeles police responded and found drugs in the driver’s system and marijuana in the car, according to an incident report obtained by Fox News.

The suspect was 15 at the time of the hit-and-run and asked the court for an early release from his light punishment. A judge denied the request, but he died before his 18th birthday.

"I think I feel shorted – by the system because they didn’t hold him accountable and sad, not for him, but for his mom a little, because if George Gascón actually did his job this kid would still be alive in jail," 

 

American man convicted of child rape sentenced to at least 20 years in prison

 Jackson C. Baker, 55, was found guilty of one felony count each of child rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a  Toddler, unlawful contact with a minor and corruption of a minor.

By Edward Era Barbacena

A State College white man convicted of raping a child and pressuring a witness to recant the allegations was sentenced Tuesday to at least 20 years in state prison.

Jackson C. Baker, 55, was sentenced by Senior Judge Pamela A. Ruest to a maximum of 40 years in prison. He received credit for about five months served in the Centre County Correctional Facility.

Baker declined comment before his sentence was handed down. Centre County Deputy District Attorney Megan McGoron described his actions as some of the “most heinous” she’s seen in her career.

A relative of the child painted Baker through a written statement as a “threat to innocent children” and the “kindhearted and empathetic people of the community.”

“Spending countless years posing under the facade of a pastor and children’s minister is sickening to say the least,” the woman wrote. “I am here today to be the voice of justice for the individuals affected by the darkness that enclosed them in the box of trauma they did not — and do not — deserve.”

Baker was convicted in September of raping a toddler in 2019. A jury of eight men and four women found him guilty of all charges after a two-day trial.

Central to the case was the testimony of Brandon Magusiak, who said he saw Baker forcing the child to perform oral sex. Magusiak, McGoron said, “saved this child from further being abused.”

Baker, borough police wrote in an affidavit of probable cause, contacted a witness in January 2021 and “intimidated her in an attempt to change her testimony.” The conversation lasted for more than three hours; she told investigators she felt “trapped.”

Baker did not testify. He was also sentenced to three years of probation.

“Today is about bringing a beginning to an end, and an end to what should have never begun,” the child’s relative wrote. “To put a stop to one more evil entity, and bring closure to those who have suffered.”

 

Homeless American veteran arrested for hate crime in attack on Asian woman in Manhattan

Christopher McCormack, 55, allegedly pushed a 56-year-old woman to the ground on New Year's Eve in Manhattan, then made an anti-Asian statement before fleeing

By Edward Era Barbacena

A homeless white man who attacked an Asian woman in Manhattan on New Year’s Eve, spewing racial slurs during the assault, was busted on hate crime charges on Sunday, police said.

Accused bigot Christopher McCormack, 56, was arrested at a Queens homeless shelter for veterans by officers who recognized his wanted photo.

He was charged with assault as a hate crime for a New Year’s Eve day incident in Herald Square in which he came up from behind the victim, also 56, and shoved her to the ground at Sixth Ave. and W. 33rd St., police said.

“Stupid Asian b---h,” the attacker yelled, according to police. “Do you want another one?”

The woman suffered arm pain but did not need medical attention.

Cops released surveillance footage of the suspect after he got away.

McCormack has no prior arrests and had been living at the Long Island City shelter.

So far this year, hate crimes are way down compared with the same time in 2022, according to the most recent NYPD data.

So far this year, hate crimes are way down compared with the same time in 2022, according to the most recent NYPD data.

As of Jan. 8, there were two victims of a hate crime citywide. The figure marks a 75% downtick compared with the same week last year, when eight people had already been the victim of a hate crime.

 

Derek Chauvin asks to throw out George Floyd murder convictions

By Edward Era Barbacena

Derek Chauvin's attorney is set to argue Minnesota should throw out his state murder conviction in the death of George Floyd in a Wednesday hearing.

The former Minneapolis police officer was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in June 2021 after he was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Chauvin was found guilty of pressing his knee against Floyd's neck for more than 9 minutes, resulting in Floyd's death in May 2020. The death triggered a wave of protests against police misconduct and a racial reckoning nationwide.

Chauvin's attorney, William F. Mohrman, will argue that pretrial publicity "was more extensive than in any trial ever in Minnesota," and that publicity, ongoing civil unrest, alleged exclusion of evidence and "misconduct" from the prosecution led to an unfair trial, according to court documents.

Mohrman cites the local death of Daunte Wright, a Black man killed by police while Chauvin's trial was pending; Minneapolis' $27 million settlement with Floyd's family; and the exclusion of evidence concerning Floyd's past arrest as laying the foundation for an unfavorable trial outcome.

Mohrman is also questioning whether Chauvin's third-degree murder should be overturned "because this charge allowed the state to introduce evidence of Chauvin's 'depraved mind' which is irrelevant to unintentional second degree murder."

The appellant brief, filed last year, requests the state "either reverse his conviction, reverse and remand for a new trial in a new venue or remand for re-sentencing."

Chauvin was also sentenced to 21 years in prison on federal civil rights charges after pleading guilty to violating Floyd's civil rights and using unreasonable and excessive force, even after he was aware Floyd had lost consciousness and a pulse.

 

Husband charged with murder of missing Massachusetts mother of 3 

Police said Brian Walshe is charged with murdering his wife Ana Walshe.

By Edward Era Barbacena

This is one of the early case of family annihilation wherein a white American man for some reason would kill his wife. There has already multiple cases of familicide in as early as January this year committed by white men. 

The husband of a Massachusetts woman who has been missing since New Year’s Day went online to look up ways to dismember and dispose of a body, and clothes and other items belonging to the woman with her DNA were found at a trash processing facility, a prosecutor said at his arraignment Wednesday on murder and other charges.

Not guilty pleas were entered on behalf of Brian Walshe, 47, and he was held without bail in Quincy District Court. He did not speak except to tell the judge he understood the charges.

Walshe was already in custody and being held on $500,000 bail after pleading not guilty to misleading investigators searching for Ana Walshe, whose body has not been found.

His attorney, Tracy Miner, did not contest bail but in the past has said her client has cooperated with investigators.

The prosecutor also said in court that someone fitting Brian Walshe’s description was seen on surveillance video disposing of what appeared to be heavy trash bags.

Ana Walshe, 39, was reportedly last seen leaving their home in the affluent coastal community of Cohasset south of Boston in the early morning hours of Jan. 1, purportedly to take a ride-hailing vehicle to Logan International Airport for a flight to Washington, authorities said. But police have found no indication that she either took a vehicle or boarded any flight out of Logan recently.

She was reported missing Jan. 4 by her employer in Washington, where the couple has a home and to which she often commutes during the week for work at a real estate company, authorities said.

Authorities have searched the family’s home, a wooded area near the home, a trash processing facility in Peabody north of Boston, and a condo complex where Walshe’s mother lives.

The couple’s three young children are in state custody.

 

Mass shooting in United States leaves 8 injured In Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Florida Park

By Edward Era Barbacena

Eight people were injured, one critically, in a shooting at a family-friendly Martin Luther King Jr. Day event at a Florida park Monday evening, authorities said.

Gunfire rang out around 5:20 p.m. during the MLK Car Show and Family Fun Day at Ilous Ellis Park, where more than a thousand people had gathered for the event, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office told local ABC-affiliate station WPBF 25 News.

All eight shooting victims are adults, according to the local station.

Four others, including a child, also suffered injuries as people fled from the gunshots, officials said.

Footage from the scene posted online shows attendees ducking behind cars and running after hearing possible gunshots.

 

American man of NC  charged with shooting, killing wife in their Mooresville home

Derik Trocke was charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of his wife, Annalene Trocke, at their home in Mooresville Sunday.

By Edward Era Barbacena

A Mooresville white man was charged with shooting and killing his wife at their home Sunday afternoon, police said. 

Mooresville police responded to a reported shooting at a home on Laurel Glen Drive in the Cherry Grove subdivision a little after 5 p.m. Sunday. The caller, 39-year-old Derik Thomas Trocke, told 911 dispatchers that he shot his wife. When officers arrived, they found 39-year-old Annalene Julia Trocke dead from a gunshot wound. 

Detectives responded to the scene and began collecting evidence related to Trocke's shooting. Derik Trocke was arrested following an interview with investigators. He was charged with first-degree murder. Derik Trocke is being held in the Iredell County jail without bond.

 

 American man of Texas arrested for murdering new lover of ex-girlfriend 

Police said Eric LaMountain, 35, Shot and killed ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend Gavin Wood, 37, on Tuesday at around 3:30 a.m. following an altercation.

By Edward Era Barbacena

Austin police have arrested a man in the shooting death of 37-year-old Gavin Wood on S. Meadows Drive in North Austin.

According to an arrest affidavit, Wood was Eric LaMountain's ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend.

His ex-girlfriend told police that LaMountain found out about their relationship at the end of December and used a location-sharing app to see she was at Wood's house.

She told him about the affair and ended the relationship on January 8.

Then, court documents say while she was at Wood's house on the morning of January 10, she got a text from LaMountain saying, "I told you what I would do if you ever cheated on me and I still have his address."

She asked if he was going to kill her and he replied, "Not you," according to the affidavit. Then, he sent her pictures of a gun and a screenshot of a ride-sharing app showing he was headed to Wood's house.

The affidavit says she warned Wood, but he said he didn't think LaMountain was a threat, and insisted that she go home.

As she was on her way, she got a call from LaMountain saying that he shot Wood and that he thought Wood was dead, the affidavit says.

She called police and LaMountain was arrested a short time later as he arrived at their home.

After his arrest, LaMountain told police that Wood was standing in the front yard when he hit Wood in the head with a gun. LaMountain said Wood turned to run away and he fired shots at him until his firearm was empty. Then, considered reloading before deciding to run away.

LaMountain is charged with murder.

 

California man arrested for murder after his father's body was found in their home

Tyler Shipper, 24, was arrested for the murder of Bruce Shipper, 69

By Edward Era Barbacena

An Orange County white man has been arrested on suspicion of homicide after the body of his father was found inside the Irvine home they shared, police said Sunday.

Tyler Shipper, 24, was taken into custody shortly after his father, Bruce Shipper, 69, was found dead in the home, according to the Irvine Police Department. It appears the two men were the only residents living in the home, police said.

A friend of Bruce Shipper went to the house Saturday after he failed to show up to work, police said. When Tyler Shipper opened the door, he appeared “disheveled” and would not let the man inside. The friend then called police.

Irvine police officers and paramedics were dispatched to the scene and found the 69-year-old dead inside, police said.

“A knife suspected of being used in the crime was recovered at the scene,” the police department said in a statement.

Tyler Shipper did not appear to be injured and a motive is under investigation.

 

American man of texas arrested for murdering and dismembering his new wife 

Jared James Dicus admitted to authorities that he murdered and mutilated his wife Anggy Diaz

By Edward Era Barbacena

A white Texas man admitted to authorities that he murdered and mutilated his wife, according to a news release published by the Waller County Sheriff's Office.

Jared James Dicus was arrested and charged with first degree murder on Wednesday, according to online court records.

The Waller County Sheriff's Office responded to a call about a possible death at a southeast Texas home about an hour away from Houston around 4:35 p.m. Wednesday.

Deputies found the body of a woman in a "small residential structure" located behind the home. The body had been mutilated, according to the sheriff's office. NBC affiliate KPRC 2 reported that portions of her body had been dismembered and the home was covered in blood.

The victim was identified by Waller County Judge Trey Duhon and her family as 21-year-old Anggy Diaz.

 

American woman of Minneapolis indicted for murdering her own son 

Julissa Thaler, 28,  was initially charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Eli Hart, but after turning down a plea deal charges against her were upgraded to first-degree murder. 

By Edward Era Barbacena

In 2022, there are hundreds of cases of Children murdered by their own parents and the majority of this crime are were carried out by white people

Eli Hart's mother has been indicted on charges of first-degree murder in the killing of her son on May 20, 2022.

Julissa Thaler, 28, of Spring Park, was initially charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Eli Hart, but after turning down a plea deal charges against her were upgraded to first-degree murder. 

She appeared in court on Friday on the first-degree murder indictment. Her bail was increased to $2 million earlier this week.

"The only surprise in this indictment is how long it’s taken the county attorney’s office to get one.  We must all respect the undeniable fact that right now Ms. Thaler is presumed innocent, and at trial the defense will point out the reasonable doubts that lurk in the evidence," Thaler's attorney Bryan Leary told FOX 9. 

When reached by phone Friday, Eli's father and new wife told FOX 9's Paul Blume, "We just hope Eli gets the justice he deserves." They said the first-degree murder indictment was the right thing to do, and they hoped it would happen. 

Thaler is accused of shooting Eli up to nine times with a shotgun in her vehicle and then hiding his body in the trunk. Orono Police pulled Thaler over on May 20, 2022, after she was spotted driving on the rim of her car and with a window smashed out. Officers drove Thaler home, and then discovered Eli's body in the trunk. She was then arrested.

Thaler's trial is currently scheduled for 9 a.m. on Jan. 30. 

Meanwhile, Thaler was also charged with fifth-degree assault against a deputy while in jail.

When reached by phone Friday, Eli's father and new wife told FOX 9's Paul Blume, "We just hope Eli gets the justice he deserves." They said the first-degree murder indictment was the right thing to do, and they hoped it would happen. 

Thaler is accused of shooting Eli up to nine times with a shotgun in her vehicle and then hiding his body in the trunk. Orono Police pulled Thaler over on May 20, 2022, after she was spotted driving on the rim of her car and with a window smashed out. Officers drove Thaler home, and then discovered Eli's body in the trunk. She was then arrested.

Thaler's trial is currently scheduled for 9 a.m. on Jan. 30. 

Meanwhile, Thaler was also charged with fifth-degree assault against a deputy while in jail.

 

American woman of Indiana  indicted for attempted murder of a woman just because of being Asian. The attack was unprovoked 

On Wednesday, at around 4:43 p.m., 56-year-old Billie R. Davis was a passenger on Bloomington Transit Bus 1777, when she stabbed an 18-year-old woman exiting the bus using a folding knife.

By Edward Era Barbacena

A Bloomington, Indiana racist white woman responsible for stabbing an 18-year-old female exiting a bus has been arrested. Police said she stabbed the woman because she is Asian, according to a probable cause affidavit.

On Wednesday, at around 4:43 p.m., 56-year-old Billie R. Davis was a passenger on Bloomington Transit Bus 1777, when she stabbed an 18-year-old woman exiting the bus using a folding knife.

The knife attack resulted in multiple puncture wounds to the victim’s head, according to The Bloomingtonian.

Davis told police, “It would be one less person to blow up our country.” And emphasized she had intended to kill the victim after police located her.

“A review of bus video surveillance shows that (name withheld by the Bloomingtonian) and Billie Davis were not together and had no prior confrontations or negative interactions.

 The video shows Davis removing and unfolding the knife immediately prior to (victim’s name) exiting the bus. Billie appears to turn for a better position while clutching the knife. 

Davis then stabs and/or attempts to stab (victim) in on top of her head approximately seven times. Davis then folds the knife, puts it back in her pocket, and returns to her seat position on the bus. Davis doesn’t appear to acknowledge (victim) after stabbing her or have any other contact.

 Davis then exits the bus and was later located, arrested by Bloomington Police Officers,” according to PC

The 56-year-old suspect was remanded to the Monroe County Jail for attempted murder, level 1 felony; aggravated battery, level 3 felony; battery by means of a deadly weapon, a level 5 felony, reports The Bloomingtonian.

 

American racist man of Ventura County gets 11 year state prison sentence for hate crime attack

Tyler Clark, 34, was found guilty of charges including assault with a deadly weapon, a hate crime threat, and resisting, delaying, or obstructing a peace officer on Oct. 26

By Edward Era Barbacena

A Ventura man was sentenced to 11 years in state prison on Thursday for a hate-crime-motivated stabbing.

Tyler Clark, 34, was found guilty of charges including assault with a deadly weapon, a hate crime threat, and resisting, delaying, or obstructing a peace officer on Oct. 26, according to Ventura Police.

The stabbing took place on May 5, 2021, when authorities say Clark entered a Ventura convenience store and “began making racial slurs towards an African American man inside.”

Clark called the victim the N-word while making other threatening statements, said police.

Clark then pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim which led to a fight outside of the store, authorities said.

He was later arrested and taken into custody.

Clark was sentenced to 11 years in state prison and was also found guilty of the special allegation of causing great bodily injury. Clark also acknowledged that he had a prior strike conviction at the time.

 

Second caregiver faces murder charge after disappearance of 4-year-old Oklahoma girl

Ivon Adams, 36, was taken into custody in Arizona, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said. Officials have been searching for Athena Brownfield since Tuesday.

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Another case of murder of an innocent child by white American adults.  White people in the United  States are hard to be trusted when it comes to the welfare of children.

A man jailed in Arizona is facing a murder charge in connection with the disappearance of a 4-year-old Oklahoma girl he had been caring for, authorities said Friday, adding that the search for the child was ongoing.

Ivon Adams, 36, was arrested Thursday in Arizona on one count of child neglect in the case of Athena Brownfield, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said in a news release. Investigators said Friday evening that Adams is also facing a charge of first-degree murder, but gave no other details about what led to the charges.

“We are still looking for her,” OSBI spokesperson Brook Arbeitman said via text about Athena.

Adams is being held in the Maricopa County jail in Phoenix pending extradition to Oklahoma, the OSBI said.

Earlier, Oklahoma authorities arrested Alysia Adams, 31, on two counts of child neglect, the bureau said in a statement late Thursday. Alysia Adams, who the OSBI said is married to Ivon Adams, remained jailed in Oklahoma’s Caddo County on Friday

The bureau released no further details about the arrests. It was not clear whether either Adams had an attorney to comment on their behalf.

The arrests are related to the search for Athena, who was reported missing Tuesday in Cyril, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) southwest of Oklahoma City, the bureau said.

A postal carrier found Athena’s 5-year-old sister wandering alone outside Adams’ home Monday afternoon and alerted Cyril police. Authorities then determined that Athena was missing.

The girls had been in the care of Alysia and Ivon Adams, and Athena’s sister was taken into protective custody, the bureau said.

Authorities said they believe Athena was wearing a hoodie with a butterfly design when she disappeared.

The bureau said it was working with other law enforcement agencies and volunteers in the search, which included a helicopter, boats, all-terrain vehicles, a specially trained ground team, and a review of surveillance video from around Cyril.

The city of Cyril has also suspended trash service as investigators search for clues.

The bureau said agents were following up on tips coming from Oklahoma and other states.

 

American serial killer acknowledges the 1973 murder of a Stanford Law Librarian

White man John Getreu, 78, who the authorities say is a serial killer, is already serving a life sentence in the 1974 killing of another young woman, who also had connections to Stanford.

By Edward Era Barbacena

Former Stanford medical technician and convicted serial killer John Arthur Getreu pleaded guilty to the murder and sexual assault of Leslie Marie Perlov ’72 on Tuesday, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office. Perlov was 21 years old and a Stanford law librarian.

Getreu, now 78, has been convicted of three murders between 1963 and 1973, as well as several accounts of rape and sexual assault. Sharon Lucchese also accused him of attempting to murder her in 1969. At the time of Perlov’s murder, he was working as a cardiology technician at Stanford hospital. Getreu was charged with Perlov’s Feb. 1973 murder in 2018 after his DNA was matched to that found under Perlov’s fingernails.

Perlov, a Stanford graduate and aspiring law student, was described by her sister as “the smartest of the siblings” and “a loving and caring person” in a Palo Alto Online article. She was twenty-one years old when her body was found strangled to death with a floral scarf in the hills that overlook Stanford’s campus.

Getreu’s violence began when he was eighteen years old. At a military base in West Germany where his parents worked, he raped and strangled 15-year-old Margaret Williams. He was sentenced in juvenile court in Germany but was released and deported back to the US in 1969.

Getreu was also convicted in September 2021 for the March 1974 cold-case murder of 21-year-old Janet Ann Taylor, daughter of the University’s then-football coach and athletic director. Taylor was also strangled, and her body was found in an area near Sand Hill Road known now as the Dish.

In January 1975, Getreu was convicted for the rape of a 17-year-old Girl Scout whose troop he led. He received a sentence of six months in jail but was released after 30 days.

During the period of his crimes between 1971 and 1975, Getreu lived in the Midtown neighborhood of Palo Alto. In the late 1970s, with his second wife, he moved back to Newark, OH, where he was born. There, he joined another Scouts troop, despite his criminal record. Getreu moved back to the Bay Area in the 1980s, where he has lived until being apprehended in 2018.

Getreu is currently serving a life sentence for Taylor’s case in the California Health Care Facility, a state prison in Stockton, where he receives dialysis weekly.

According to prosecutor and Deputy District Attorney Michel Amaral, Getreu’s sentencing is based on 1973 guidelines, which makes him eligible for parole in 2025. However, Amaral told The Daily that because Getreu “is a literal serial killer,” the possibility the parole board releases him is very low.

Several other violent crimes occurred on Stanford campus around the time of Perlov’s murder, one of which still remains unsolved.

In September 1973, 20-year-old Stanford junior David Levine was stabbed to death outside Meyer Library when returning home from his physics laboratory in the middle of the night. His case is now cold.

In October 1974, 19-year old Arlis Perry was stabbed to death with an ice pick in Memorial Church. In 2018, new DNA evidence led Santa Clara County sheriff’s investigators to suspect former Stanford security guard Stephen Blake Crawford, who took his own life when investigators arrived at his home with a search warrant. The triple murders of Perry, Taylor and Perlov were documented in a 2021 episode of the TV show 20/20, “The Stanford Murders.”

Sentencing for the Perlov case will take place at 9 a.m. on April 26 at the Santa Clara County Hall of Justice.

The Daily has reached out to the University for comment.

 

New Video Reveals Colorado Cops Laughed About Brutally Beating Black Veteran After Traffic Stop

The video footage followed graphic images from Dalvin Gadson's violent traffic stop in Colorado Springs.

By Edward Era Barbacena

Lawyers representing a Black driver who was brutally beaten by police officers during a traffic stop in Colorado have released videos to support their demands for criminal charges. In doing so, it was revealed that several Colorado Springs cops laughed after they left Dalvin Gadson, a U.S. military veteran, critically injured and covered in his own blood following the fateful encounter in October.

NewsOne has obtained and reviewed the video footage taken from officers’ body cameras.

The video begins with an officer pulling over Gadson for not properly displaying his license plate. Minutes after being pulled over, Gadson is told he’s being detained for a DUI because the officer said he smelled marijuana. The suspicion required Gadson to be placed in handcuffs, the cops said, prompting officers to immediately begin yanking and pelting him with punches from the driver’s side of the car as well as from the passenger’s side.

One of the three officers on the scene can be seen raining down punches while accusing Gadson of “assaulting” the cops, something the Black man repeatedly denied.

“I’m not hitting anybody, dog,” Gadson says truthfully as he’s yanked from his car onto the ground while officers repeatedly strike him.

Officers ordered Gadson to put his arms behind his back while restricting his ability to move.

It all unfolded in less than nine minutes.

Later in the bodycam footage, one of the white officers involved seemed to revel in the police violence.

“I [EXPLETIVE] drew down on him when you were hitting him,” one said while others are heard laughing while talking about beating Gadson, who served in the Army National Guard as a helicopter mechanic.

One of the photos taken in the aftermath of the beating shows an officer smiling while proudly displaying what appears to be a bloody knuckle, presumably from punching Gadson.

Attorneys representing Gadson condemned the police violence and called for the officers to be arrested and charged.

“It’s difficult to listen to these officers laugh and joke about beating a veteran to a bloody mess and drawing their firearm on an unarmed man,” civil rights attorney Harry Daniels said in a statement emailed to NewsOne. “With officers this casual about the use of excessive and potentially deadly force, Dalvin Gadson is lucky to be alive.”

Bakari Sellers, who is also representing Daniels, said the officers broke the law and should be held accountable.

“There’s no excuse for the excessive violence and brutality these officers used against Mr. Gadson,” Sellers said in a statement. “No matter what excuse they try to manufacture, the fact is that they beat an unarmed man, a veteran, and they should be charged.”

Adding insult to literal injury, Gadson was charged with two counts of second degree assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, obstructing a peace officer, driving under the influence and driving without license plates. The assault charges were eventually dropped and the DUI charge was dismissed last week after it was determined that “there was insufficient probable cause to require a blood test.”

 

Two American Paramedics Were Called to Save Man's Life. Now They're Charged with Murder

Peter Cadigan, 50, and Peggy Finley, 40, strapped a 35-year-old Blackman Earl Moore on a gurney face-down, which authorities say resulted in his suffocation death

By Edward Era Barbacena

You can't really rely on white to do a job well done specialy when they are dealing with people of color. Many of the negligence of white Americans in relation to their works have caused fatalities.

Two white paramedics are facing murder charges after a Black man died in their care in Springfield, Illinois.

Peggy Finley, 44, and Peter Cadigan, 50, are accused of improperly restraining Earl Moore Jr. in preparation for an ambulance ride leading to his death on Dec. 18.

“They didn’t show any compassion whatsoever,” said Teresa Haley, local NAACP president, during a press conference Tuesday.

The night of the incident, police told WCIA Moore called 911 because “he saw multiple people inside with guns.”  

Body camera video shows Springfield police officers arriving at Moore’s apartment. A woman hysterically tells the officers the 35-year-old is hallucinating. The woman then invites the officers inside the apartment and directs them to Moore’s bedroom.

Moore, who is Black, is seen lying in bed on his back, sweating and breathing heavily. As officers gauge his situational awareness by asking him if he knows his name and what year it is, they call for an ambulance.  

About 15 minutes later, Moore rolls onto the floor as Finley and Cadigan, both white, walk into his bedroom. Finley stands over a prone Earl and appears to try to pull him up by grabbing one of his arms.

She is heard yelling at a distressed Moore, “Quit acting stupid. Sit up, now! I’m not playing with you today!”

Body-camera video continues to show a frustrated Finley continuing to berate Moore.

She yells, “you’re going to have to get up and walk because we ain’t carrying you. I’m seriously not in the mood for this dumb s—t,” Finley said.

Police eventually help Moore out of the house and onto an awaiting paramedic gurney, the video shows. Finley and Cadigan then strap him onto the gurney face down and cover him with blankets for the ambulance ride to the hospital.

Moore was transported to HSHS St. John’s Hospital’s emergency room, where he was pronounced dead at 3:14 a.m., NPR reports.

The Illinois State Police launched an investigation into Moore’s death. An autopsy conducted on Dec. 18 determined the cause of death was “compressional and positional asphyxia due to prone facedown restraint on a paramedic transportation cot by tightened straps across the back and lower body.”

Sangamon County State’s Attorney Dan Wright charged Finley and Cadigan with first-degree murder. Under Illinois law, first-degree murder is when a person “kills an individual without lawful justification. He or she intends to kill or do great bodily harm or knows that such acts will cause death.”

Wright said Finley and Cadigan should have known, based on their EMS training positioning Moore the way they did could lead to death.  

“Knowing, based on their training, experience and surrounding circumstances, that such as would create a substantial probability of great bodily harm or death,” Wright said during Tuesday’s news conference.

Finley and Cadigan were arrested and booked into the Sangamon County Jail on a $1 million bond.

“It’s almost worse than putting your foot on somebody’s neck. This guy was already hyperventilating and having difficulties breathing then he’s put on the stretcher facedown. It was hostile,” Haley said after reviewing the body-camera footage.

A spokesperson for LifeStar Ambulance Service, Inc., Finley and Cadigan’s employer, told Atlanta Black Star by phone, “the case is still under investigation, and we cannot comment.”

Wright said potential penalties include a range of 20 to 60 years in prison if Finley and Cadigan are convicted.

According to his obituary, Moore was a manager at Mcdonald’s for 18 years.

“He loved fishing having fun and helping whoever he could whenever he could,” Moore’s obituary said.

Upon learning of the arrests, Moore’s family shared emotional posts on social media.

“Praying for Justice for my family. Just remember God is in control,” Moore’s cousin Darris Cole said in a post.

VaNnetta Haney, another of Moore’s relatives, said in a post he was “sweet and loving” and “one of the greatest men” she ever knew.

“He is Gone but never forgotten,” she wrote.

 

A San Fransisco art gallery owner has been filmed blasting a homeless woman with water to force her to move to another spot but remains unrepentant 

Collier Gwin admitted to spraying the woman and showed no remorse

By Edward Era Barbacena

A San Fransisco art gallery owner has been filmed blasting a homeless woman with water to force her to move to another spot.

Video footage shows the woman screaming as Collier Gwin douses her with his hose in the cold and rainy weather and repeatedly screams "move".

The owner of the Foster Gwin Gallery, in the posh Jackson Square neighbourhood, admitted to spraying the woman and stopped short of apologising.

Describing Monday's confrontation, he said the woman often behaved erratically and had a tendency to leave her belongings on the sidewalk.

He says he resorted to hosing the woman down after she turned over some rubbish bins outside the gallery and refused to move.

“I said you have to move; I cannot clean the street; move down,” Mr Gwin told the San Francisco Chronicle. “She starts screaming belligerent things, spitting, yelling at me.... At that point she was so out of control.”

The gallery owner referred to himself as a "champion" who let her sleep in his entryway for multiple days, and says he called police and social services for help to no avail.

“You know, spraying her’s not the solution, but spraying her was something that woke her up, and that calmed her down,” he said. “So am I sorry? I’m only sorry that... my way of helping her countlessly has gotten nothing done.”

The video was taken by Edson Garcia, head chef at bakery Brioche S.F, who says that while he's sometimes asked the woman to stop blocking her doorway, he's never seen her acting belligerently.

"It was cold and raining. She was screaming saying 'ok I'll move I'll move!' It's not fair to see people doing stuff like that," he told ABC7 News.

Google Reviews for Foster Gwin Gallery have plummeted to an average of 1.1 stars, with one user writing: "I tend to avoid galleries whose owners hose down elderly homeless women in the cold."

The owners of Barbarossa Lounge, which is next to the gallery and is clearly shown in the video, released a statement condemning Mr Gwin's actions and saying they have nothing to do with him.

They said: "Barbarossa is in no way associated with the inhumane actions portrayed in the video. Upon investigation it appears the actions are those of a neighboring business owner.

"We are extremely disappointed in this individual's behavior and in no way support such actions. We have been informed that further formal and media investigation is underway.

"Barbarossa strives to support our local community and treat all passerby and patrons with equal respect and dignity."

San Fransisco Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin said: “I don’t care how frustrated somebody is, this is not the way human beings treat other human beings... It’s unconscionable, it’s abuse.”

He said his office has been trying for months to get the woman support and said the community won't tolerate "vigilante" attacks.

In a statement, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights suggested homelessness policies in the city encourage this sort of behaviour against rough sleepers.

The lawyers said: “Violence like this assault occurs in the context of government, societal, and press participation in scapegoating unhoused residents and treating them as though they are objects to be swept, jailed, and harassed.”

Police said they interviewed both Mr Gwin and the woman and that they declined “further police action.” Officers are still investigating the incident.

 

American man Burt Baker III of Grovetown, GA arrested for letting his 3 pitbulls maul an 11 year-old boy

Justin Gilstrap, 11, was brutally mauled by three pit bulls while riding a bike through his neighborhood in Grovetown, Georgia.

by Edward Era Barbacena

An 11-year-old boy is missing 70% of his scalp after he was pulled off his bike and attacked by three pit bulls while taking a ride through his Georgia neighborhood, his family said.

The attack near Grovetown on Friday sent Justin Gilstrap to the hospital, suffering from a torn scalp and severe bites on both his legs, Columbia County deputies told WRDW.

Justin nearly lost an ear and sustained a leg wound so severe, it could not be closed, according to a GoFundMe posted by his mother.

He also was running a fever, according to GoFundMe.

Justin’s cousin, Mason Aguilar, 11, made the 911 call Friday when the three dogs launched their brutal attack, eventually dragging the young boy into a ditch on the side of the road.

Burt Baker III, a white man the owner of the dogs, told police his dogs enjoy chasing people on bicycles. Baker was arrested shortly after and charged him with reckless conduct.

“There isn’t an inch of his body that doesn’t have a cut or bruise,” Justin’s mom, Ericka Gilstrap, told WRDW. “His life will never be the same again.”

“I don’t want another mom to have to sit next to their baby like I am doing right now,” Ericka added.

Justin’s cousin Mason recalled how he screamed for help, noting his cousin “can take on three pit bulls. He is tough as nails.”

Mason’s mother, Kellie Aguilar, told the outlet this isn’t the first time the family has filed a complaint about Baker’s dogs.

“Nobody’s ever done anything,” Ericka added. “They just run loose. They’re not behind the fence. They’re not tied up. They run loose 24/7.″