American paedophile and born again pastor of Texas charged with child pornography 

Corey White admits to the authorities he preferred incestuous pornography involving mothers and sons.

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Corey White, 33, a former youth pastor at Redeemer Midland was arrested on Oct. 23, and charged with Access with Intent to View Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM)/child pornographic materials.

According to an email shared with CBS7, White was fired from the church following his arrest. The email also stated that the church would be fully cooperating with law enforcement during the investigation.

White has waived his rights to a preliminary hearing and a detention hearing.

He will be held in jail without bond as he waits for trial.

CBS7 has obtained Corey White’s arrest affidavit. Before you continue reading, we want to warn you that the following information is graphic.

During the week of Oct. 9th, an officer with the Midland Police Department received information from the Nassau County Police Department, Special Victims Squad.

NCPD’s investigation led them to an individual in New York who was distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material to others via the site, “Omegle.”

Further investigation revealed that these interactions were screen-recorded, which led police to Corey White.

White had been messaging the individual distributing pornographic material in New York, asking for Child Sexual Abuse Material, specifically a video between a mother and son.

Based on this information officers obtained a search warrant for White’s electronic devices, and White was then arrested.

During questioning, White stated that the last time he observed Child Sexual Abuse Materials/child pornographic materials, was possibly in May or June of 2023 in Midland.

White told detectives he preferred incestuous pornography involving mothers and sons.

White described that he watched a video between a “mother and son.” White stated that he could tell the son was ‘wearing a shirt and shorts,’ and that he knew this was an underage child because he was so small in stature.

He estimated that the child was approximately 12.

White faces up to 10 years in prison, up to life of supervised release, a $250,000 maximum fine, and a $100 special assessment.

 

Father, stepson shot dead by neighbor over noise in Brooklyn apartment building

Bladimy Mathurin and Chin Wai Mode were shot and killed in a fourth-floor hallway outside their apartment on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023 

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A Brooklyn bodybuilder and his stepson were shot dead in the hallway outside their apartment in an ongoing dispute with their angry downstairs neighbor who stormed their home to complain about the noise, police said Monday.

The furious resident of the Flatbush Gardens Complex in East Flatbush shot the 47-year-old dad, Bladimy Mathurin, and the victim’s 27-year-old stepson, Chin Wai Mode, in the fourth-floor hallway outside their apartment around 10:30 p.m. Sunday, cops said.

“That guy killed my son, my husband,” Marie Luc Delille, 48, said from her apartment, where blood was still pooled outside the door. “That guy terrified my family. The only family I have, my husband and my children. I have nobody else.”

Delille’s young daughter witnessed the horror.

“My daughter needs therapy,” she said. “That happened in front of her.”

Cops recovered surveillance footage that shows the gunman, who resides on the third floor of the apartment complex on Brooklyn Ave., storm upstairs to confront his neighbors for making a racket, according to a police source.

An argument ensued between the victims and their disgruntled neighbor that spilled into the hallway, cops said. At one point, Mathurin retreated back into his home, only to emerge a short time later wielding scissors, according to police.

That’s when the gunman drew a weapon and unleashed a barrage of gunfire, striking both men in the head and back, cops said.

Delille said the dispute started with the downstairs neighbor banging on the ceiling before coming upstairs to confront them.

“When he banged, my husband banged back,” Delille said. “Then he feels so upset, he comes and kicks the door. My husband goes outside. That’s when he just grab his gun and blew my husband and blew my son.”

Before the shots were fired, Delille said she tried to intercede.

“I went outside,” she recounted. “I tell my husband, ‘Leave him alone. Come. Come. Get inside.’ I could hear a voice telling me, get inside. When I was turning my back, he shot my husband. I didn’t know of my son. I thought my son was inside. My husband went out first. Had an argument with him. That’s when my son went out.”

Delille said they had had run-ins with the man before. She said the neighbor was prejudiced against her family because they are Haitian.

“Haitian. Look what you did to your country,” she says the shooter said to her previously. “I be like, ‘Yeah. Haitian people give you freedom. Haitian people give Black people freedom.'”

After the shooting, the gunman took an elevator down to the lobby and fled the building heading east towards Brooklyn Ave., cops said.

Investigators recovered nine .45-caliber shell casings and five bullet fragments from the scene.

Police described the shooter as a dark-skinned bald man wearing a blue jacket and tan boots.

Mathurin was the father of Delille’s three younger children. They had been married for 19 years. Her bodybuilding husband drove a school bus and was an Uber driver.

“I don’t know if I’m going to survive,” she said. “I don’t feel safe. I need safety. I need safety. I was planning to move.”

Delille said her son was loving and outgoing.

“He respects people,” she said. “Everybody. He would hug you. Yesterday, I tell him, ‘Chin Wai, can you make me a soup?’”

Neighbors and relatives walked past the blood to comfort Delille and her family. Among the mourners was Mode’s biological father, Mike Felix.

“He’s a boy who never have problems,” Felix said. “He’s a good boy. He’s not a trouble-maker. He stays in the house. His mother keeps him here. He goes to school. He comes back home.”

Mode’s 10-year-old sister, Nhayalla Lister, said she saw her father and her brother’s final moments.

“The guy downstairs keep banging every time we make noise and my dad banged back,” she said. “And then the guy came upstairs and kicked our door and then my dad came out. He confronted him. The guy had a gun and shot my brother and my dad.”

“I was inside the house when I heard the ‘pow pow,’ the gunshots,” the girl said. “And then when it stopped I looked outside and I saw my dad on the floor. I was considering where’s my brother and I looked farther and he was by the staircase.”

The 59-unit privately-owned complex, built in the late 40s, was formerly known as the Vanderveer Estates. It was the childhood home of Barbra Streisand. It has been beset by crime and deteriorating conditions in subsequent decades and was renamed more than a decade ago.

It’s also where actor Michael K. Williams grew up. Williams, who rose to fame as Omar Little, the shotgun-wielding stickup man on “The Wire,” died of a fentanyl overdose in 2021.

 

Two American brothers of Florida together with their mom arrested for murdering their own Father 

Bailey Rainey, Jack Rainey and Cindy Rainey have been charged with tampering with evidence in connection with the death of David Rainey 

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Three family members of a Florida man who was found murdered in July 2021 were arrested last week in connection to the homicide investigation, authorities said.

The Dixie County Sheriff’s Office said David Rainey’s wife, Cindy Rainey, reported him missing on the morning of July 25, 2021.

The couple and their family, both from Flagler County on the opposite side of the state, were vacationing in the Town of Suwanee when the 54-year-old man was reported missing.

Investigators with the Dixie County Sheriff’s Office opened a missing person’s investigation, and later that evening, located David Rainey, who was dead in a canal behind the residence the family had rented.

Rainey had multiple stab wounds to his chest, authorities said, and was placed in the water after he had been killed. Ultimately, his death was ruled a homicide.

Over two years later, three of Rainey’s family members were arrested in connection to his murder.

Dixie County investigators went to Bunnell, Florida on Oct. 25, 2023 and arrested Cindy and Bailey Rainey with the help of the Flagler County Sheriff’s office.

The investigators then went to Orlando, Florida where they arrested Jack Rainey with the help of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

All three suspects have been charged with tampering with evidence. The sheriff’s office did not say whether any of the three suspects were charged with murder.

The Dixie County State’s Attorney’s office did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital about the charges.

 

Mass shooting again in the United States leaves 2 critical and 15 injured in a halloween party in Chicago 

By Edward Era Barbacena 

An investigation is underway after multiple people were hospitalized following a mass shooting on the city's West Side overnight.

It's the second mass shooting of the weekend. This one happening just after 1 a.m. near Pulaski and 13th Street in North Lawndale.

As CBS 2's Asal Rezaei reported, at least 15 people were hurt. The Chicago Fire Department said they've transported at least seven people to area hospitals. At one point, a person was being taken away on a stretcher.

Police said the offender was captured a short distance away and placed into custody. A handgun was recovered.

A witness in the front of the building says a fight broke out in the back at a Halloween party there. Things quickly escalated when one man was rejected entry at the door following the DJ's announcement the party was coming to an end.

"They told him he couldn't come in, and he must have gone to his car and come back and started shooting," said Andre Williams. 

The ages of the victims range from 26 to 53. Two people, a 26-year-old woman and a 48-year-old man, were taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital in critical condition. Thirteen others are in good condition. 

Investigation into the shooting is ongoing. 

This is the second mass shooting of the weekend. On Saturday morning, a woman was left critically hurt, and three men were also wounded after leaving a gathering near Hanson Park on the city's West Side.

No arrests were made in that shooting.

 

Mass shooting again in the United States leaves 2 dead and 18 injured in Tampa Halloween party 

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A fight between two groups turned deadly in Tampa when a shooting during Halloween festivities resulted in two deaths and 18 people hospitalized early Sunday morning, police said.

Officers responded to the shooting in Tampa just before 3 a.m. on the 1600 block of East 7th Avenue in the Ybor City area, Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said during a press conference at the scene.

The fight occurred in an area with several bars and clubs, and there were large numbers of late night revelers in the area at the time, Bercaw said. Police were not immediately sure if the people involved in the fight were inside any of the bars before the shooting.

Video posted online shows people in Halloween costumes drinking and talking on the street when shots ring out, creating a stampede. Some people topple over metal tables and take cover behind them. Video from the aftermath shows police officers treating several people lying wounded on the ground.

A volley of about a dozen shots rang out followed a few seconds later by a volley of about eight shots.

"It was a disturbance or a fight between two groups. And in this fight between two groups we had hundreds of innocent people involved that were in the way," Bercaw said.

He did not provide details of the injuries suffered by the victims taken to area hospitals.

One suspect turned himself in to police, and investigators believe there were at least two shooters involved, Bercaw said.

Police are still investigating the reason for the fight between the two groups, he said.

Officers were at the scene at the time of the shooting but none were injured, Bercaw said.

It was at least the second mass shooting in the U.S. following the violence in Maine in which 18 people were killed and dozens more hurt.

The suspected gunman in that incident was found dead following a two-day manhunt.

 

American teen of Florida arrested for the murder of his own mother while sleeping next to his newborn sister

Derek Rosa,13, took photos of the crimes and proudly showed them to his friends 

By Edward Era Barbacena 

"ONLY IN AMERICA!"

United States is probably the only country where you can encounter bizarre crimes that is totally puzzling and will make anyone think how they were even possible.

A 13-year-old Florida boy called a 911 dispatcher to confess that he had killed his mother while she slept next to his newborn baby sister — and sent photographs of the horror to his friends, according to sickening reports.

Derek Rosa is facing a first-degree murder charge in his mother’s murder after a grand jury indicted the teen, according to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, WSVN reported

He will be tried as an adult but did not attend his first court hearing Friday, according to reports.

Rosa called 911 on Oct. 12 to report that he had just murdered his mother at their home in Hialeah, according to the audio of the call released earlier this week.

Rosa allegedly told the dispatcher that he’d taken photos of his mother, Irene Garcia, 39, and sent them to his friends.

“I took pictures and I told my friends about it,” he told the dispatcher. “Is that bad?”

“She’s dead, Miss?” he is also alleged to have said during the 18-minute call, which ended when police arrived at his home. “There’s blood all over the floor.”

Rosa also is alleged to have said, “Right now, I have the gun with me. I was going to shoot myself, but I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to. There’s a knife in my room and there’s a gun in the living room.”

Rosa’s father and paternal grandmother appeared in juvenile court Friday on his behalf.

“It’s very unfortunate that this tragedy occurred, but this child is very humble, very peaceful and no one could imagine that this would ever happen,” said Jose Rosa, his father, at the hearing, Local 10 News reported.

Rosa has been ordered to be held without bond and transferred to the Metro West Detention Center.

He is currently being held at the Miami-Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation facility, the outlet reported.

 

One in every 200 Spanish  may have been sexually abused by Catholic priests

Fernando Garcia-Salmones now 62,  says he was raped by a homosexual priest from his school in Madrid, Spain

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Reuters: More than one in 200 Spaniards may have been sexually abused by Catholic Church priests, a survey released on Friday suggested, pointing to a far greater number of victims nationwide than previous similar investigations.

The survey by Spain's human rights ombudsman, part of a report presented to parliament on Friday, questioned just over 8,000 people. The document criticised the Church for not cooperating more fully with the investigation and seeking to "minimise the phenomenon".

Ombudsman Angel Gabilondo said 0.6% of the survey sample said they had been abused by a priest, a figure that rose to around 1.1% when including abuse by lay people such as teachers at Church institutions.

"By being able to quote 0.6% you can see the magnitude of what it can mean in terms of overall abuse," he told a press conference after delivering the report. Spain's population is around 48 million.

A spokesperson for the Church in Spain declined to comment on the report.

The Church has faced sexual abuse scandals in several countries including the United States, Ireland and France, and an internal investigation in Spain published in June identified 728 alleged abusers and 927 victims there since the 1940s.

That followed a 2021 report in El Pais newspaper that identified more than 1,200 alleged cases.

The ombudsman's report, which found that nearly 65% of those abused were male, also called for the creation of a state fund to compensate victims.

Commenting on the findings, Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told journalists: "For many years there have been many people who have suffered for not being able to denounce, to explain, to make human dramas visible."

Fernando Garcia-Salmones, a 62-year-old tourist guide from Madrid, who said he was raped by a priest from his school when he was 14, told Reuters he could now turn the page.

He took the case to court in 1995 but it was thrown out on statute of limitations grounds.

He hoped the report would put "an end to this impunity, this silence and this immorality on the part of the whole nation with regard to the sins of the church."

 

American mass shooter of Maine found dead

Robert Card's body was found near the Androscoggin River in Lisbon Falls at 7:45 p.m.

By Edward Era Barbacena 

The 40-year-old firearms instructor suspected of killing 18 people Wednesday at two businesses in Lewiston, Maine, was found dead Friday, officials said.

Robert Card's body was found near the Androscoggin River in Lisbon Falls at 7:45 p.m., Maine Department of Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck said.

He had “an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound," Sauschuck said at a late-night news conference officially announcing his death.

It's unclear when he died, he said, and officials did not provide an exact location.

The shooter’s body was found near a former place of employment, three law enforcement sources told NBC News. Card worked at a recycling plant, according to two sources.

Leo Madden, a former executive at Maine Recycling in Lisbon Falls, said Card had worked at the facility, but couldn't say whether he'd been recently fired or left on his own.

Eighteen people were killed in the shootings, when Card, 40, allegedly opened fire at Schemengees Bar and Grille and the Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley Wednesday evening in Lewiston, a city of around 37,000.

Close relatives and loved ones of the victims and the shooter were informed of the news before the news conference, officials said.

"I just don’t want to forget the families that are grieving and will continue to grieve," Lewiston Police Chief David St. Pierre said.

The development comes after a massive manhunt described earlier by Sauschuck as a “full court press." More than 350 law enforcement personnel were involved in the search, state police have said.

Residents of Lewiston, as well as several surrounding towns, were told to shelter in place after the shootings. The order was lifted Friday evening. Lewiston, the state’s second-largest city, resembled a ghost town with many businesses closed.

A planned prohibition on hunting for four towns where the suspect might have been — Lewiston, Lisbon, Bowdoin and Monmouth — was withdrawn before it could go into effect at midnight. Saturday, billed as by state wildlife officials as Maine Resident Only Day, is traditionally the state's most popular day for the sport.

An arrest warrant had been issued for Card for eight counts of murder, Maine State Police said Thursday morning. The eight counts were based on the initial identification of eight of the 18 dead, and the number of counts will probably go up, state police Col. William Ross.

All 18 of the dead have been identified.

A motive in the killings was unknown.

A member of Card's family said his mental health had deteriorated quickly, and that he began to hear voices.

Card was a longtime Army reservist. His unit commanders sent him to receive psychiatric treatment this summer, and he spent about two weeks undergoing inpatient psychiatric treatment, two senior law enforcement officials said.

After the shootings Wednesday, Card's Subaru was sought by police and was found later that night by a boat launch along the Androscoggin River in Lisbon, a town around 7 miles southeast of Lewiston, officials have said.

On Thursday, police executed search warrants in Bowdoin, the small town around 12 miles east of Lewiston where Card lived.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said in a statement late Friday, “Tonight, Mainers can breathe a collective sigh of relief thanks to the brave first responders who worked night and day to find this killer.”

The mass shooting — the deadliest in Maine history — shocked the state and people across the nation.

President Joe Biden earlier said the United States was mourning “yet another senseless and tragic mass shooting" and Collins called it a “heinous attack.”

Late Friday, the president marked the last few days as dark ones in the nation's history.

"Americans should not have to live like this," he said in a statement that renewed his call for stricter gun laws. "I will continue to do everything in my power to end this gun violence epidemic. The Lewiston community — and all Americans — deserve nothing less."

Lewiston and the adjacent city of Auburn, just across the Androscoggin River, has a population of around 65,000 people.

Speaking at the news conference Frirday, Maine Gov. Janet T. Mills said, “Now is a time to heal.”

Mills described Lewiston on Friday night as "a great place" with "a history of hard work, of persistence, of faith, of opening its big heart to people everywhere."

She concluded, "Robert Card is dead."

 

Filipino-American Catholic priest of Philadelphia pleads guilty to sexually abusing minor.

Armand Garcia, 54, pleaded guilty to corruption of a minor and unlawful contact with a minor in the abuse of the now-25-year-old woman

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A Philadelphia priest has admitted to sexually abusing a teen girl who was once an altar server at his parish.

Fr. Armand D. Garcia appeared in a Philadelphia courtroom Oct. 23 to plead guilty to corruption of a minor and unlawful contact with a minor. He will be sentenced in January 2024.

The abuse took place while Garcia was a parochial vicar at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Philadelphia from 2014-2017.

The priest had initially been charged with rape; photographing, filming and depicting on a computer sexual acts; sexual assault; and corruption of a minor. According to the criminal docket, the first three charges were dropped, while Garcia entered a non-negotiated guilty plea for corruption of a minor and unlawful contact with a minor.

The victim, who was a 13-year-old student at the parish school when she met the priest, delivered an impact statement at the hearing, noting the post-traumatic stress disorder and other effects she continues to suffer from the abuse.

She also said her family had severed its long ties with both the parish and the Catholic Church since "no one thought to intervene" when Garcia abused her.

In March 2018, the priest -- who by then had been appointed pastor of St. Martin of Tours Parish in Philadelphia -- was placed on administrative leave with his priestly faculties restricted after the Philadelphia Police Department notified the archdiocese of an abuse report. Garcia lived in a private residence "with no access to any parish or school," according to the archdiocese, until a yearlong criminal investigation led to his arrest in March 2019.

The archdiocese said in a March 2019 statement that Garcia had possessed "clear criminal background checks as well as child abuse clearances and had successfully completed safe environment training courses" at the time he was placed on administrative leave. The archdiocese also said it had cooperated with law enforcement during the course of the investigation, and had notified affected parish communities.

Ordained in 2005, Garcia had served at several parishes, schools and offices in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia prior to his arrest. From 2010-2011, he took a personal leave of absence. Upon his return, he was assigned first as a parochial vicar to Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Strafford, Pennsylvania, and then at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Philadelphia until 2017. He was pastor of St. Martin of Tours Parish from 2017 until his removal from ministry in 2018.

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said in an Oct. 23 statement that he was grateful for the victim's perseverance "despite many procedural and pandemic-related delays since she first contacted authorities in 2017."

He added that "Armand Garcia will never again be allowed to abuse his position of trust as clergy and will never again be allowed to use the church to access vulnerable victims."

In an email to OSV News, Archdiocese of Philadelphia Chief Communications Officer Ken Gavin said that "there has not been any change to [Garcia's] clerical status over the past several years" since the priest's faculties were restricted and he was placed on administrative leave in March 2018.

"As in the case of all criminal investigations, the archdiocese cooperated with law enforcement in the course of its work," said Gavin, adding that the archdiocese "does not commence required canonical investigations until after law enforcement completes its process."

 

Dirty old British paedophile of Manchester who arranged to rape 12-week-old baby jailed

Mark Whalley,71, was tracked down after an intelligence tip-off from Norway

By Edward Era Barbacena 

BBC:  A paedophile who arranged to rape a 12-week-old baby at a hotel has been jailed.

Mark Whalley was arrested in the foyer of a hotel in Manchester city centre where he planned to carry out the abuse.

The 71-year-old admitted arranging a child sex offence, making and distributing indecent images of children and possession of extreme pornography at Manchester Crown Court.

He was sentenced to 80 months.

The court heard Whalley was tracked down after detectives received a tip-off from police in Norway.

National Crime Agency (NCA) investigators found Whalley had discussed his sexual interest in children under 12 on the online Wickr platform.

He had shared indecent images of children with other users and described the extreme abuse he wanted to engage in.

Detectives said Whalley, from Manchester, had used the site to message an individual who said they had access to a baby, and discussed how he would like to carry out the abuse when they met.

Whalley was arrested on suspicion of child abuse offences before he could get in the lift at the hotel.

At this point, he told officers they were mistaken and attempted to pass the meeting off as an affair.

Whalley was arrested on suspicion of child abuse offences before he could get in the lift at the hotel.

At this point, he told officers they were mistaken and attempted to pass the meeting off as an affair.

 

American female serial killer of Ohio charged with murders allegedly met men for sex before fatally drugging them

Rebecca Auborn,33, is accused of meeting men for sex before fatally drugging them and then robbing them

By Edward Era Barbacena 

An Ohio white woman as serial killer was charged in connection to the deaths of at least four men she had met for sex, authorities said, in what could be a burgeoning serial killer case.

Rebecca Auborn, 33, is accused robbing and fatally drugging victims on Jan. 15, April 1, April 13 and June 17 this year, according to joint statement about the "serial killings" by Attorney General Dave Yost and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant.

The indictment also includes allegations she robbed and tried to fatally drug a man on Dec. 13 last year.

“Don’t buy sex in Ohio — it ruins lives and could cost you yours,” Yost said in the statement.

Auborn was scheduled to appear in a Franklin County courtroom on Friday afternoon.

Detectives believe "that additional victims may exist" and asked for anyone familiar with "Auborn’s activities between December 2022 and August 2023" in northeast Columbus to call police.

Auborn has been indicted on four counts of murder, four counts of involuntary manslaughter, five counts of aggravated robbery, five counts of felonious assault, five counts of corrupting another with drugs, one count of tampering with evidence and four counts of drug trafficking.

Auborn's defense attorney could not be immediately reached for comment on Friday.

 

'Put hole in her head': American Man of Massachusetts wrote disturbing note before wife's murder, Police are now hunting him

Aaron Pennington is wanted for the murder of his wife, who was found dead with a bullet wound to the head Sunday

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Well, perhaps the United States is one of the leading countries in the world where cases of familicide is so high.  Off course, the usual suspects are white.

Police hunting an armed father-of-four for the suspected murder of his wife have discovered a plan to put a ‘hole in her head’ on his phone.

Aaron Pennington, 33, disappeared from family home in Massachusetts, moments before his wife Breanne, 30, was found dead with a shotgun wound to her face on Sunday morning.

A judge in Gardner, Massachusetts, has issued a fresh arrest warrant for the US Air Force veteran after investigators discovered a chilling note written just hours before her death.

‘Don’t say anything. Be quiet if she wakes up just say you’re getting nasal spray,’ it read.

‘Get on side of bed – very close proximity to head.

‘Put hole in her head.

Investigators said the couple was facing 'marital issues for quite some time,' with Breanne planning to move to Texas with the children to get away from her husband.

She was known to keep a gun at home for her protection, while he had struggled with 'mental issues and had threatened suicide.'

The alarm was raised just before 9.15am when the couple’s children - aged two, five, seven and nine - went to a neighbor’s house and told her their mother was crying in a bedroom, and they could not find their father.

Five minutes later, first responders arrived and discovered Breanne dead in an upstairs bedroom with a gunshot wound to her head.

Security footage from the neighbor showed Pennington driving off at 8.50am, before his four children left their Cherry Street home together 17 minutes later.

A hunter found Pennington's white BMW sedan the following day abandoned about 1,500 feet down a wooded trail off Kenton Street near Camp Collier in Gardner.

'He better turn himself in,’ Breanne’s sister Brooke Pertile said.

‘He needs to stand up for what he did, and turn himself in. And not be a coward. He needs to turn himself in. He needs to do it for the kids.'

Pennington spent eight years in the US Air Force as a 'special missions aircraft maintainer' and was working at Raytheon Missiles and Defense, where he also holds an 'active secret clearance,' according to his LinkedIn profile.

Police believe Pennington has struggled with mental health issues and threatened suicide

Breanne 'lit up the room like no other, any room that she walked in' her sister said

Police have said the 6-foot 2-inch engineer is considered armed and dangerous with an illegally owned firearm and have warned people not to approach him.

Pertile said her sister lived for their children, and was a 'very loving, caring, compassionate woman' who 'always saw the best in everything and people.'

Three shotgun cartridges were found in the couple’s bedroom and their children who ran for help are now reportedly in state care.

'On the outside he was a very nice person,’ said Pertile sister who had spoken to her just three days before the shooting.

‘But he’s been struggling with some mental health issues. They just were getting worse.’

In a 2016 Facebook post, the veteran thanked his wife for all that she did for the family.

'You have the most selfless outlook and are so dedicated to making us happy,' he wrote. We appreciate you as the hardest working mother and wife out there. You are truly amazing!'

He praised her for 'always being patient' and setting a great example for their children.

After news of her death broke, social media was flooded with posts commemorating Breanne's life, with several women mentioning they knew her from an online group for expecting mothers.

Police consider the father-of-four armed and dangerous, and have warned the public not to approach him

'Imagine my shock when I was scrolling and said to myself 'That looks like Breezy's husband, what happened?' just to find out he murdered her and ran away,' one woman wrote.

'I'm absolutely SICK over this and thinking of her four precious babies. Breezy Pennington was an amazing mom, hilarious friend, and a truly sweet soul.'

'I am hurt, sad, frustrated, angry, and most of all confused why someone has to take someone else's life because they are unhappy,' another friend wrote.

'We all want justice for you and want nothing but the best for your 4 beautiful children that we all know you loved sooooo much.'

 

Deranged American woman of Massachusetts who strangled her own three children to death pleads not guilty 

The former nurse Lindsay Clancy was indicted last month on murder, strangulation charges

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother accused of strangling her three young children with exercise bands earlier this year, pleaded not guilty Thursday to three counts of murder in connection with their deaths.

On Thursday, the 33-year-old was arraigned at Tewksbury Hospital on three counts of murder and strangulation after she was indicted in September in the deaths of her 5-year-old daughter, Cora, her 3-year-old son, Dawson, and her 8-month-old baby, Callan, before attempting suicide at her Duxbury home.

Kevin Reddington, Clancy's attorney, argued that she was suffering with mental health issues and "was a troubled soul."

However, prosecutors pointed to recently unsealed 299 pages of records and argued that that Clancy's alleged murders of her three children were deliberate and premeditated.

According to the documents, unsealed by the Plymouth District Court, Clancy's notebooks contained documentation of her medications and thoughts of suicide. 

Evidence collected through 11 search warrants from Clancy's home also found that she used her cell phone to document her mental state and to research ways to kill.

The judge presiding over Thursday’s hearing ordered Clancy to continue treatment for the next six months at the hospital, where she has been receiving treatment following her suicide attempt in January. 

Her next appearance is scheduled for Dec. 15.

In the morning of Jan. 24, Clancy took her daughter to the pediatrician, called a local CVS store about a stool-softener prescription and ordered dinner at the ThreeV restaurant in Plymouth.

She also used Apple Maps on her phone "to determine the time it would take someone to travel from her home in Duxbury to ThreeV in Plymouth," according to court documents.

Clancy also allegedly texted her husband to see if he could go and pick up the takeout at the restaurant and medication at CVS.

When her husband, Patrick Clancy, arrived home, there was "silence," court documents said.

Eventually, he found blood on the floor and noticed an open window.

According to court documents, he ran outside to the backyard, and found Lindsay on the ground, conscious and with cuts to her wrists and neck, and immediately called 911.

The father of the three children allegedly found his children in the basement.

Cora and Dawson were pronounced dead at the hospital on Jan. 24. 

Callan was flown to Boston Children’s Hospital with traumatic injuries and placed on life support but died on Jan. 27.

 

White American tourist who pushed two Asian women down a cliff near Neuschwanstein castle in Germany has been identified 

Troy Philip Bohling raped Eva Liu before pushing her down the cliff to her death. He also pushed Kesley Chang but survived.

By Edward Era Barbacena 

An American tourist who allegedly pushed an Asian woman off a 160 ft. cliff from a castle that inspired Disney’s Cinderella has been identified as 30-year-old Troy Bohling from Lincoln Park, Michigan.

Bohling was visiting Germany on a tourist visa when he allegedly pushed two Asian women down a 160 ft. cliff near Neuschwanstein castle in Bavaria, according to The Daily Mail.

He is currently facing a murder charge, attempted murder, and an attempted sexual assault charge after the death of 21-year-old Eva Liu.

Eva Liu (L) and Kelsey Chang (R). Images via Facebook

Liu’s friend, Kelsey Chang, 22, amazingly survived being thrown down the same ravine as her friend after her fall was broken by a tree.

Bohling was staying at a boarding house in the town of Oberstof and was arrested at the scene. Video footage shows him being led away in handcuffs.

The 30-year-old suspect lived with his brother Trevor in a single-story house about 20 minutes from Detroit and pay $1,400 a month in rent, reports The Daily Mail.

Neighbors describe Bohling as “quiet” and not very friendly and said the brothers were often away for long periods of time. Bohling attended Allen Park High School near Detroit and former classmates described him as shy and inconspicuous.

Other sources say Bohling had an Asian girl fetish and he allegedly spent most of his time playing “Dungeons and Dragons” in the library back in high school.

Liu and Chang were on a trip to celebrate their graduation from the University of Illinois. Authorities said the two women had met the Bohling near the Marienbrucke bridge, which spans a gorge overlooking the castle.

The 30-year-old persuaded the two women to follow him off a trail to a spot commonly used for “romantic” selfies, reports The Daily Mail.

Investigators said that’s when he attacked Liu and when her friend went to her aid, she was shoved down a steep cliff. Bohling then attempted to sexually assault Liu before pushing her down the cliff where she suffered massive injuries.

Both women were flown by helicopter to a local hospital where Liu succumbed to her injuries. Chang has been released from the hospital.

Bohling fled the scene and was caught after a massive manhunt. He will be tried in Bavaria and will not be extradited to the United States.

 

American deputy of Texas indicted 15 months after a Black-American man as shoplifting suspect shot to death

Sgt. Garrett Hardin of the Harris County Sheriff's Office was placed on desk duty after Roderick Brook's killing on July 8, 2022.

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A 20-year Harris County Sheriff's Office veteran was indicted on a murder charge Thursday, more than 15 months after a bodycam captured him shooting a shoplifting suspect in the back of the neck.

A grand jury returned an indictment against Sgt. Garrett Hardin, who was taken off the streets and placed on desk duty since the July 8, 2022, incident that left 47-year-old Roderick Brooks dead.

Brooks' family has been calling for Hardin's termination ever since, and those pleas are only going to get louder with Thursday's events.

"I am broken. (The indictment is) not going to bring him back." Demetria Brooks-Glaze, the man's sister, said. "We are not going to stop. This was our baby brother."

The whole incident happened with a 911 call that summer day last year, when a Dollar General employee at the store off FM-1960 reported someone robbed the business and assaulted her.

Authorities identified Brooks as that suspect. Hardin responded and spotted Brooks near a gas station parking lot nearby. Body camera footage shows Hardin chasing after him.

"Stop, dude. I'm going to Tase you! Stop," Hardin is heard in the footage. "Get on the ground! Get on the ground right now!"

Hardin then tackles Brooks to the ground and gets on top of him, with a Taser in view and on the ground. Brooks then grabs it.

"I am going to shoot you. Put that down. I will shoot you!" Hardin commands.

At one point, Brooks is seen removing his hand from the Taser, but then it disappears from view.

Hardin shoots a single gunshot in the back of his neck, killing Brooks.

"The video clearly shows this man shot Roderick Brooks in the back of the head without justifiable cause," Justin Moore, Brooks' family attorney, said. "I think when the jury saw this video, it's hard for them to walk away and not indict this man."

Hardin's attorney, Justin Keiter, said his client had no other choice because the suspect had his Taser.

Keiter had some heated words for Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, saying he would be asking for a speedy trial.

"Hardin went to work, put a badge on, a vest, and according to the DA's office, decided he was going to murder someone in uniform with a badge," Keiter said. "It is, to say the least, disgusting, despicable, egregious, and, at the end of the day, political. I want to thank Kim Ogg for getting legislation passed that expedites murder cases because her quote to the media and citizens of this county was 'We are ready.' Well we are ready. So buckle up, we are ready to go."

The Harris County District Attorney's Office released a statement explaining the process and what Hardin faces if he's convicted.

"A Harris County grand jury on Thursday indicted Harris County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Garrett Hardin on a first-degree felony charge of murder, stemming from the July 2022 fatal shooting of Roderick Brooks.

It is the policy of the Harris County District Attorney's Office to present all officer-involved shootings to a grand jury to determine whether probable cause exists to support criminal charges. Harris County grand juries are composed of 12 randomly selected county residents who hear all available evidence in a case, including witnesses.

If nine or more grand jurors agree that probable cause exists, they issue a "true bill," or indictment.

This process ensures that all such cases are subject to community review at the grand jury and, if necessary, trial level.

Now that an indictment has been handed down by the grand jury, the charges against Sgt. Hardin will proceed through the criminal court process like any other case.

ABC13 reached out to the sheriff's office about what the indictment means for Hardin's employment. A spokesperson said he will be relieved of duty, and an administrative discipline panel will review and recommend possible disciplinary action.

With the indictment, Hardin will turn himself in, the case will be assigned to a court, and a bond will be set.

A previous Eyewitness News report also revealed Hardin was scrutinized for using his stun gun on someone else on a bridge a week before Brooks died.

 

Mass shooting again in the United States leaves 5 people dead in North Carolina 

This comes a day after the deadly mass shooting in Maine 

By Edward Era Barbacena 

The bodies of five people were discovered fatally shot at a home in southeastern North Carolina early Thursday morning, multiple outlets reported, just hours after at least 18 people were killed at two locations in Lewiston, Maine.

The five people were found dead just before 1 a.m. Thursday morning at a residential home outside the city of Clinton, roughly 50 miles east of Fayetteville, North Carolina. (Forbes has reached out to the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office for more information.)

Sampson County Sheriff Jimmy Thornton told NBC affiliate WITN the victims “are various racial and ethnic backgrounds, white, Black and Hispanic,” while WITN reported the four men and one woman range in age from their 30s to their 80s. Authorities have not released information regarding a suspect in the shooting.

The shooting in North Carolina comes as a gunman in Lewiston, Maine, opened fire on a bowling alley and a restaurant in the deadliest mass shootings in the U.S. so far this year. The death toll, which was initially reported at 16—with some reports indicating it could be as high as 22—has since been adjusted to 18, according to local officials. The shooter, identified as 40-year-old Robert Card, reportedly a National Guard firearms instructor in nearby Saco, Maine, remains at large.

598. That’s how many people have been killed in U.S. mass shootings so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which tracks shootings in which four or more people were killed or injured, not including the shooter. That tops the 545 killed in mass shootings through October 26 of last year, as well as those killed during the same period in 2021 (564) and 2020 (413).

 

American paedophile pastor of Louisiana charged with sexual abuse of teenage girl 

Milton Martin, 56, of First Pentecostal Church of Chalmette, accused of abuse of girl, now 28, who was member of the church 

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Authorities in Louisiana have charged a Pentecostal pastor with sexually molesting a teenage girl who was a member of his church.

Milton O Martin III, 56, faces one charge each of felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile – colloquially referred to as statutory rape – and of indecent behavior with a minor, records obtained by the Guardian show.

A grand jury in the New Orleans-area community of St Bernard parish indicted Martin on Tuesday, about seven months after he had been arrested in connection with the allegations and had made bail.

The case which resulted in Martin’s arrest is unrelated to the decades-old clergy abuse crisis that drove the Roman Catholic archdiocese of New Orleans into federal bankruptcy court in 2020. But it does share a link.

Scott Rodrigue, the state police detective who helped obtain the indictment against Martin, also investigated the retired New Orleans Catholic priest Lawrence Hecker, who years ago secretly admitted to church leaders that he sexually molested or harassed numerous children.

A grand jury in New Orleans initially charged Hecker with child rape and kidnapping charges in September. He was reindicted on the same charges on Thursday after a member of September’s grand jury had been deemed ineligible to serve on the panel.

Martin’s charging documents contain few details other than to allege that he committed carnal knowledge by engaging in oral sex with the accuser in about 2011 – when she was 16 – and that the indecent behavior occurred when she was between the ages of 15 and 17.

But a pending civil lawsuit that the accuser filed against Martin in August provides more details on the accusations. The lawsuit alleged Martin, the pastor of First Pentecostal Church of Chalmette, would take her out on four-wheeler rides and force her into sexual acts on breaks taken during the excursions.

The plaintiff, now 28, reported Martin to the Louisiana state police before he was arrested in March. A second accuser subsequently came forward with similar allegations against Martin that dated back even further, prompting him to be re-arrested in April.

The lawsuit filed in August asserts that the First Pentecostal church did nothing to investigate earlier sexual abuse claims against Martin. The plaintiff also accuses the Worldwide Pentecostal Fellowships to which the church belonged of failing to properly supervise Martin around children, and the lawsuit demands damages from both institutions.

Coincidentally, the plaintiff’s attorneys are Richard Trahant, Soren Giselson and John Denenea, who also represent the victim at the center of the indictment against Hecker.

Counts pertaining to Martin’s arrest in April were not included in the indictment handed up against him Tuesday, though that does not stop authorities from adding those charges later.

Martin could receive a maximum of 10 years in prison if convicted of felony carnal knowledge. He could also receive up to another seven years if found guilty of indecent behavior with a minor, which Louisiana law defines as any “lewd or lascivious act” upon a person who is younger than 17.

The state attorney general’s office is prosecuting Martin after the local district attorney filed to recuse his staff from the case. The district attorney did not elaborate on the reason for his office’s recusal.

The first judge assigned to preside over Martin’s case recused herself, too, indicating that her administrative assistant is the cousin of the defendant’s wife.

 

American man of West Virginia indicted with murder of a 10-year-old girl in 2000

Larry Webb is accused of killing Natasha "Alex" Carter,  Carter and her mother, Susan Carter, have not been seen since Aug. 8, 2000.

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A special grand jury has indicted a West Virginia man on a murder charge in the disappearance of a 10-year-old girl more than two decades ago, authorities said.

Larry Webb is accused of killing Natasha "Alex" Carter, Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney Ben Hatfield said Tuesday. Carter and her mother, Susan Carter, have not been seen since Aug. 8, 2000.

At the time they went missing, Susan Carter was in a contentious custody battle with Natasha's father and had told him he would never see his daughter again, according to an FBI flyer from back then that said the pair might have left the state. Carter and her daughter were apparently living in Webb's house when they disappeared, news outlets reported.

In December 2021, the FBI Pittsburgh office announced a renewed push and reward in an effort to find answers in the decades-old case, including offering a reward for information leading to solving the case, CBS affiliate WOWK-TV reported. 

That $10,000 reward was increased to $20,000 last month.

Police executed search warrants at Webb's home in 2022 and 2023 and authorities said they recovered additional evidence in the investigation.

During the last search, Webb, who is in his 80s, told news outlets he did not know what happened to the girl and did not know when he last saw her.

"I don't remember," Webb said. "I have dementia. I can't say exactly."

Webb had a caretaker, Terry Lilly, residing with him at the time of the police searches, WOWK reported. Lilly claimed police removed items including a bullet, flooring tile and DNA evidence, the station reported. Officials have not confirmed these claims.

The disappearance of Susan Carter, who is presumed dead, is still under investigation, Hatfield said. "The wealth of evidence that we had pertained to the death of Natasha 'Alex' Carter," he said.

Hatfield said police were working to arrest Webb, who was currently in a "quasi-medical housing situation."

It was not clear if Webb has an attorney. A circuit court clerk said she did not have an attorney of record listed and the public defender's office declined to answer questions.

 

American Tourist Indicted For Murder After Pushing Woman Off Cliff Near German Castle

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A man who is probably white accused of assaulting two American tourists near a castle in Bavaria this summer has been indicted on murder and several other charges, after officials say he raped a 21-year-old woman on a hiking path and pushed her and another tourist down a steep slope, killing one.

The man, a 31-year-old American who has not been named, was indicted on charges of murder, rape with fatal consequences, attempted murder and possession of child pornography in Germany on Thursday.

A mountain rescue team recovered both women, the younger of whom had "serious injuries" and died that night; the other was injured but survived.

The attack on the two women, ages 21 and 22, allegedly happened on a secluded hiking path near the popular Neuschwanstein castle in Germany, where the suspect promised to show the women a secret viewpoint before forcing one to the ground and trying to undress her, police said according to CBS.

When the other woman tried to help, he allegedly pushed her down a 165-foot slope before strangling the 21-year-old until she was unconscious, raping her and pushing her down the slope.

A mountain rescue team recovered both women, the younger of whom had "serious injuries" and died that night; the other was injured but survived.

The man ran from the scene but was later arrested, with one witness telling CBS News the suspect's face "was covered in deep red scratch marks and his neck as well... He had a sort of disturbed look."

The man ran from the scene but was later arrested, with one witness telling CBS News the suspect's face "was covered in deep red scratch marks and his neck as well... He had a sort of disturbed look."

Police later found the man’s laptop and cellphones, which allegedly contained child sexual abuse material.

The indictment was filed at the state court in Kempten, Germany, about 30 miles from the castle, and local prosecutors will have to decide if the case will be sent to trial.

Neuschwanstein Castle is said to be the inspiration for Disney’s Cinderella castle. Roughly 1.4 million people visit = every year, including up to 6,000 per day in the busy summer season. The three-story, 19th century castle is just north of the Austrian border and was built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria in the late 1800s. The king died before construction was finished, and it was opened to the public shortly after his death in 1886. The building includes a Throne Room with murals depicting scenes from Richard Wagner’s operas, an elaborately decorated bedroom with a marble fireplace and a large, central courtyard.

 

American teacher of Missouri charged with sending obscene and lascivious photographs to a teen boy

Prosecutors charged Rikki Lyn Laughlin, 25, with promoting obscenity in the first degree, furnishing pornographic material to a minor and attempted statutory rape

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A special education teacher in Missouri has been charged with bombarding a 16-year-old boy with explicit videos and inviting him to her home for a sex session when her husband was away.

Rikki Lyn Laughlin, 25, allegedly began preying on the student through Snapchat, sending him nude photos and video of her pleasuring herself with a dildo.

According to a statement of probable cause, the teen told police “things progressed very fast” and “they even kissed in the classroom” at St. James High School.

“[He] informed me that during his conversations with Laughlin, she stated she wanted to have sexual intercourse with him; going so far as to invite [him] to her house on 10/14/2023 because her husband was not home,” a detective for the Maries County Sheriff’s Office wrote.

The boy said that he made several excuses to get out of the proposed rendezvous but did send Laughlin photos of his genitals at her request, according to the statement.

“[He] did tell me that one of the conversations he and Laughlin had was Laughlin telling him she could get jail time for what she was doing,” the detective wrote.

School District Superintendent Tim Webster said Laughlin, who was teaching juniors at the high school, was placed on leave after her arrest.

“The District takes these matters seriously and reported allegations to appropriate outside agencies, including law enforcement,” he said in statement to KSDK. “We have been actively cooperating with these agencies since the initial report.

“Our top priority remains the safety and well-being of our students, and we do not tolerate any policy or law violations within our educational community.”

 

 

Mass shooting again in the United States leaves 18 people dead and 13 injured in Maine

American mass shooter Robert Card is still at large 

By Edward Era Barbacena 

At least 18 people were killed and 13 were injured in a pair of mass shootings at a bowling alley and restaurant in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday (October 25) night.

Just before 7 p.m., police received a 911 call about a shooting at Sparetime Recreation Center. About ten minutes later, they

Authorities have identified 40-year-old white American Robert Card as a "person of interest" in the shootings. Police have issued eight murder warrants for his arrest. As the other victims are identified, additional warrants will be issued. 

Card is considered armed and dangerous, and authorities urged anybody who sees him to call 911.

A shelter-in-place order has been issued in Lewiston, Lisbon, and Bowdoin as the manhunt for Card continues.

Officials said that Card's vehicle was located at a boat launch in Lisbon. 

Card enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve in December 2002 and served as a petroleum supply specialist, according to records obtained by CNN. His current rank is sergeant first class.

He had no combat deployments but received several military awards, including the Army Achievement Medal, two Army Reserve Component Achievement medals, the Humanitarian Service Medal, a National Defense Service Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon.

Card studied engineering at the University of Maine from 2001 to 2004, though it is unclear if he earned a degree. He is also a certified firearms instructor.

Card studied engineering at the University of Maine from 2001 to 2004, though it is unclear if he earned a degree. He is also a certified firearms instructor.

Police said that Card has a history of mental illness and spent two weeks in the mental health facility over the summer after he allegedly threatened to shoot a National Guard base.

President Joe Biden ordered all American flags to be flown at half-staff for five days.

 

Murder and other charges reinstated against racist American cop of Philadelphia who shot a Hispanic immigrant

Eddie Irizarry was fatally shot in an encounter with Mark Dial

By Edward Era Barbacena 

All charges, including murder, have been reinstated against the Philadelphia police officer who fatally shot 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry during a traffic stop in August.

The ruling Wednesday came about a month after a municipal court judge dismissed the seven charges against Officer Mark Dial, including murder, voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, possessing an instrument of crime with intent, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and official oppression.

The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office refiled the charges, and state Judge Lillian Ransom reinstated them during a hearing Wednesday morning.

Dial was taken into custody and is being held without bail.

Irizarry’s killing and the prosecution of Dial come as police nationwide are facing increased scrutiny about their use of force, particularly in their interactions with people of color.

Irizarry – whose aunt said he had moved to Philadelphia from Puerto Rico seven years ago – did not speak English well, and his family believed there may have been a language barrier between him and the officers.

Meanwhile, police initially said Irizarry had “lunged at the officers” while outside his vehicle – only to later admit that was not the case. Two days after the shooting, then-Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw told reporters Irizarry was still in his vehicle when the shooting occurred, and body camera footage “made it very clear what we initially reported was not actually what happened.”

Dial’s defense last month argued Irizarry had a knife with “a handle similar to a gun handle,” saying it could have looked like a gun to Dial and his partner, Officer Michael Morris.

The prosecution argued charges of first-degree murder were appropriate because Dial approached the vehicle “with gun already drawn for a routine traffic stop.”

The officers began following Irizarry after they saw a car driving erratically, according to the initial police statement. But the officers never used their sirens or lights, a lawsuit by Irizarry’s family alleges, and so “essentially surprised” Irizarry while he was parking.

The 27-year-old pulled into a parking spot on a narrow residential street, running over orange cones in the process, surveillance video from a nearby restaurant released by an attorney for Irizarry’s family shows. A police vehicle pulls up to the passenger side of his car a few seconds later.

An officer then exits the passenger side of the patrol vehicle and pulls out a firearm as he heads toward Irizarry’s car, yelling what sounds like orders to show his hands. Some five seconds after getting out of his car, the officer runs over to the driver’s side of Irizarry’s car and fires his weapon what appears to be six times while he’s heard shouting what sounds like an order to drop a knife.

Irizarry’s family’s lawsuit – which seeks at least $150,000 in damages – asserts Irizarry used the knife for his work as an auto mechanic. But he “made no threatening motions or actions towards anyone,” it said.

 

British paedophile cop who sexually molested more than 200 girls jailed for life 

Lewis Edwards was on duty with South Wales police when he coerced some of the children into sending explicit images

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A predatory paedophile who incited more than 200 girls as young as 10 to send him explicit images and videos of themselves while he was a serving police officer has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 12 years.

As Lewis Edwards, 24, was sentenced, detectives revealed that they were continuing to search for hundreds more victims across England and Wales and confirmed he had carried out some of the abuse while on duty with South Wales police.

The force accepted his crimes would knock public confidence but said they had acted quickly to arrest and suspend Edwards as soon as they realised the abuser was one of their own.

As well as continuing to search for more victims, police are hunting a distributor of child abuse images on the darknet called “Snap God”, a name Edwards forced some of his victims to write on their bodies.

Though he admitted 160 offences, Edwards obstructed the investigation by refusing to give police the passwords and codes for his phones and computers and he declined to appear in court for his sentencing.

During an emotionally charged three-day sentencing hearing, Cardiff crown court heard Edwards posed as a teenage boy using pseudonyms including James, Jacob and CJ.

The recorder of Cardiff, Judge Lloyd-Clarke, said Edwards was a dangerous and prolific offender who carried out his crimes for sexual gratification and enjoyed power and control over his victims. His reaction to their distress showed he was “cruel and sadistic”, she said.

The judge said: “He groomed his victims psychologically, manipulating them until he had gained control of them.” He pressured them into sending him indecent images and videos or to engage in sexual behaviour online while he watched.

“Under his control his victims would comply usually in the hope the defendant would leave them alone.” But he then had them “trapped” and would threaten to share the images if they did not continue to do what he said. Although victims asked him to stop and some expressed suicidal thoughts or said they were self-harming, he refused to stop.

Lloyd-Clarke said he had caused “immense harm” to his victims and their families. She said they should not feel they had done wrong. “They have done nothing wrong, they bear no blame and no responsibility.”

The judge said an aggravating factor was that he was a serving police officer and his actions had caused “signifcant harm to the reputation of South Wales police and police in general”.

After coercing his victims into sending him images and videos via Snapchat, which he secretly recorded, Edwards would threaten to send them to family and friends if they did not send him even more explicit ones. He would also find the girls’ addresses and threaten to bomb them or shoot their loved ones.

Edwards carried out some of his abuse while on duty and got in touch with one vulnerable girl after visiting her during the course of his work.

Some victims hid the abuse for months from their families and contemplated suicide. A number stopped going out because they felt they needed to be in the privacy of their own homes so they could meet his next demand.

Edwards had no previous convictions and had passed the police’s vetting procedures without any problems being picked up.

“There was nothing about him,” said Det Supt Tracey Rankine, of South Wales police. “No red flags. That was why it was such a shock when we identified that it was him. He seemed a regular guy.”

She said the revelation that the abuser was a police officer sent “shock waves” through the force. “We want a relationship with our communities that’s built on trust and confidence. And this one individual really has blemished that relationship for us.”

Rankine said about 15 forces in England and Wales had been involved in the inquiry, such was the spread of Edwards’s victims.

She said: “These are young, innocent children who thought they were having a conversation with someone their age and it’s turned incredibly nasty and threatening and they’ve felt they had no option but to do what was asked of them. It’s going to be far-reaching and long-lasting for many people.”

As well as targeting his own victims, Edwards bought images of child sexual abuse using bitcoin from “Snap God”, an act that began the investigation. Part of the continuing inquiry is an attempt to trace this distributor. Police have not found that Edwards sent the material on to other paedophiles.

Asked if Snapchat could do more to protect children, Rankine said: “I think there’s always room for more ‘prevent messaging’ and more how they police their own platforms. I would like to think they are always looking for opportunities to safeguard.”

Edwards, who resigned from the police before he could be sacked, lived with his mother and father in a semi-detached house in Bridgend, south Wales. He was described by his defence in court as “emotionally immature”, had never had a relationship with a woman of his age and suffered from low self-esteem.

NSPCC Cymru said: “This case demonstrates why the online safety bill, which will soon become law, is so important, as it will require tech firms to design their sites with children’s safety as a priority.”

Snap, the company behind Snapchat, said: “Any sexual exploitation of young people is abhorrent and illegal and our hearts go out to the victims in this case. We work in multiple ways to detect and prevent this type of abuse, including using cutting-edge detection technology, and we work with police to support investigations.

“We have extra protections for under-18s and recently added a new pop-up warning for teens if they are contacted by someone who they don’t know. Our family centre allows parents to see who their teens are talking to.

 

Two racist white British cops fired after racially profiling renowned Black athletes in a stop and search 

Johnathan Clapham and Sam Franks were dismissed at a misconduct hearing 

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Two white British police officers have been fired after being found guilty of gross misconduct over the stop and search of two Black athletes in a case that had raised accusations of racial profiling.

Constables Johnathan Clapham and Sam Franks were dismissed at a misconduct hearing on Wednesday after being found to have lied about smelling cannabis during the stop. They were also found to be in breach of honesty standards.

Allegations of breaches of police standards over equality and diversity were not proven against three other officers.

In July 2020, British sprinter Bianca Williams, 29, and her partner, Portuguese 400m runner Ricardo dos Santos, 28, were followed and pulled over by the police for allegedly suspicious driving in London’s Maida Vale.

Both athletes were handcuffed and their car searched for weapons and drugs after officers said they could smell cannabis. They were also separated from their three-month-old son, but nothing was found, and no arrests were made.

London’s Metropolitan Police said an initial review of the incident did not show that the five officers involved acted in a way that warranted disciplinary action.

Later, the force apologised to the couple for any distress caused and referred the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to high levels of public interest in the case.

The incident happened at a time of heightened racial tensions as thousands of people marched in Black Lives Matter protests worldwide following the death of George Floyd in the United States.

During the hearing, Dos Santos said he feared for his family and had been frequently stopped by the police.

The lawyer for the IOPC said the athlete believed the officers were racist and he had been stereotyped because he was a Black man driving an expensive car.

The case is the latest embarrassment for the Metropolitan Police after an independent review of the police force in March found it to be institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic.

Speaking outside the court to Sky News, Dos Santos said: “If we can’t trust in the police to be honest and accept when they have done bad and stereotype Black people, what hope is there?

“I don’t believe that the panel has been brave enough to view what the Casey report has already clearly stated, which is that the Met Police is institutionally racist,” Dos Santos added.

Last month, official government figures found that Black individuals are four times more likely to be stopped while driving than someone who is white.

 

American woman of Massachusetts made thorough research about "ways to kill" before murdering her own 3 children 

Lindsay Clancy, who used exercise ropes to strangle her three children, looked up “ways to kill” before committing the sick act.

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Another case of children being murdered in the United States carried out by a white American woman who happens to be their own mother

Massachusetts mother Lindsay Clancy looked up “ways to kill” before she strangled her three young children earlier this year, court records reportedly alleged.

The latest details in the grisly murder case against the 33-year-old mother were revealed in newly unsealed search warrant affidavits.

“Ms. Clancy used her cellular telephone and her journal to document her mental state and her feelings about her children, in addition to keeping track of her medications, and researching ways to kill, which means that [it] is reasonable to conclude that Ms. Clancy would have used all formats and tools available to her including a tablet,” one affidavit said, according to the Boston Globe.

Clancy allegedly used exercise ropes to strangle her three kids — Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and 8-month-old Callan — inside the Duxbury home she shared with her husband in January.

The new court documents do not spell out specific internet searches, the newspaper reported.

The affidavits were used by authorities to request access to Clancy’s electronic devices, including her cellphone, tablet and laptops, the Boston Herald reported.

Clancy, whose attorney says suffered from postpartum psychosis, jumped out a second-story window following the attacks on her three children but survived the leap.

Her notebooks included a list of medications and thoughts of suicide, the court docs also said, according to WCVB.

Prosecutors have alleged that Clancy planned the Jan. 24 murder of her three children, while her defense team insisted she was suffering mental health issues and was overmedicated with prescription psychiatric drugs.

Clancy, who worked as a delivery nurse, remains in a medical facility with a new arraignment in Plymouth Superior Court set for Thursday. 

 

American doctor and poison specialist of Minnesota arrested for poisoning his own wife to acquire huge insurance money

Betty Bowman died after suffering toxic effects from a drug believed to have been administered to her by her husband, Connor Bowman. 

By Edward Era Barbacena 

This year in the United States, there are several cases of white American men who are medical practitioners arrested for murdering their own wives. There were dentists who were found guilty for the murders of their spouses, this time in Minnesota, we have a toxicologist. 

A Minnesota doctor who once worked for poison control was arrested Friday and charged with second-degree murder, accused of poisoning his wife, who died in August.

Dr. Connor Bowman, 30, is accused of having killed his wife, Betty Bowman, who was 32 years old when she died Aug. 20, only four days after she was admitted to a hospital. After her death was flagged as suspicious, police learned that the two were having financial and marital troubles and that Connor said he would get a hefty life insurance payout from her death.

Investigators “collected evidence that suggests Connor, who once worked for poison control, may have given Betty a drug for an ailment she did not have,” Rochester police said Monday.

An attorney listed as representing Bowman in court documents did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday afternoon.

In mid-August, Betty Bowman was admitted to the hospital after having suffered from symptoms of diarrhea and dehydration. Once there, she suffered from cardiac issues, fluid in her lungs and organ failure, according to a criminal complaint filed against Connor Bowman. She also had surgery to remove part of her colon.

Following her death, Connor Bowman wanted to cremate his wife, but the medical examiner’s office halted the cremation after it determined her death was suspicious, the complaint said.

The Southeast Minnesota Medical Examiner’s Office alerted Rochester police on Aug. 21 about the suspicious death of a woman, according to a criminal complaint. The woman was not named in the complaint; police later identified her as his wife, Betty.

Police then spoke to a person who told investigators the Bowmans were having problems in their marriage and “were talking about a divorce following infidelity and a deteriorating relationship,” the complaint said.

Police also learned from a tipster that Bowman attended pharmacy school, worked in poison control in Kansas and was in medical school. Investigators, according to the complaint, also learned that Bowman had debt, so he and his wife kept separate bank accounts, and that Bowman told the tipster he was going to get $500,000 in life insurance because his wife died.

Bowman was listed as a credentialed physician and surgeon with the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice and had an affiliation with the Mayo Clinic. No one with the Mayo Clinic could be immediately reached for comment Tuesday.

A person from the University of Kansas who provided information to police told investigators on Sept. 29 that Bowman was a poison specialist and answered calls about poisons, the complaint said.

Bowman worked as a poison specialist on Aug. 5, 6 and 10, according to the complaint.

The person told police Bowman was researching colchicine, a drug used to treat gout, the complaint said. Bowman had not received calls about colchicine, and no other employee received calls about the drug, the complaint said.

Betty Bowman’s toxicology results showed colchicine was present in her blood and urine, which were taken when she was admitted to the hospital, according to the complaint. She did not have gout, nor was she given colchicine during her hospital stay leading up to her death, the complaint said.

“The Medical Examiner determined the cause of death of Victim to be toxic effects of colchicine and the manner of death to be homicide,” the complaint said.

Police with a warrant also searched Bowman’s home and found a receipt for a $450,000 bank deposit, the complaint said.

According to Betty Bowman’s obituary, she married her husband on May 30, 2021.

“The couple lived in Rochester, Minnesota, where Betty worked as a diligent and capable hospital pharmacist while Connor went through Internal Medicine residency. Her kindness and intelligence was noticed and valued by friends and strangers alike,” the obituary said.

Betty Bowman’s mother and family told NBC News in a statement Tuesday night that she was a dedicated pharmacist who worked in the operating room pharmacy at the Mayo Clinic and was beloved by colleagues.

“Co-workers continue to speak positively about her which speaks loudly to show how she carried her positive energy both in her personal and professional life,” the statement said.

“She was always there, a reliable pillar of strength and a listening ear during times of joy and sorrow. She showed us the true meaning of love-selfless, unconditional, and boundless.”

Betty Bowman was also the owner of a corgi, a foodie and a world traveler whose top destinations were Iceland and Hawaii, the statement said.

“Betty’s love was boundless, and it extended far beyond the confines of family and friends. Her warm smile, kind words, and caring actions left an indelible mark on our hearts. Betty had a passion for life that was infectious. She lived life to the fullest, embracing each day with enthusiasm and joy,” the statement said.

Court records show Bowman’s unconditional bond was set Monday at $5 million. A $2 million bond was also set with conditions that he not use alcohol or drugs, be monitored by GPS and remain in Minnesota unless he has written court approval.

Bowman, who apparently had not posted bond, remained at the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center on Tuesday, according to jail records