American parents of Louisiana arrested for murdering their own baby 31 years ago

DNA leads cops to arrest Louisiana couple, Inga Johansen Carriere and Andrew K. Carriere II, in 1992 murder of baby girl tossed in dumpster

By Edward Era Barbacena

A Louisiana white  couple has been arrested for the 1992 cold case slaying of a newborn girl who was smothered and tossed into the dumpster of a Mississippi restaurant.

Inga Johansen Carriere and Andrew K. Carriere II, both 50, were charged with first-degree murder after police — using advanced DNA technology — identified the pair as the infant’s parents.

The heartless killing sent shockwaves through the town of Picayune, Miss., where a farmer discovered the tiny body while collecting garbage to feed his animals.

The dead baby had been put inside a trash bag wrapped in a towel and pieces of garbage, Fox 8 reports.

The Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office concluded the infant was around three weeks premature and alive for only a few minutes before she was smothered.

Although Picayune Police collected some pieces of evidence from the crime scene, the case went cold until investigators reopened it in 2021 — when a Mississippi Bureau of Investigation agent offered to help, aided by a grant that would cover forensic genetic testing of the evidence.

The tests found matching grandparents who lived in Louisiana, leading state police to gather DNA of their four children. Through the testing, officials were able to link the infant to the Carrieres.

Arrest warrants were issued for the couple, with Inga arrested Feb. 28 and Andrew taken into custody March 9 in Galliano, La.. Along with the murder charge, the couple was also booked for desecration of a body.

The pair are being held without bond at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Facility while awaiting extradition to Mississippi.

Freedy Drennan, a former investigator who worked on the case decades ago, thanked his successors for their persistence as he visited the baby’s grave at a local cemetery.

‘I’m just glad that is brought to a conclusion,” Drennan told Fox 8. “I didn’t care who brought it to a conclusion, I just wanted to see it.”

The Louisiana State Police said in a statement the “breakthrough in the case is a testament to the advancements in forensic technology and the dedication of law enforcement agencies to bring justice to victims and their families.”

 

American wicked step mom of NYC convicted in murder of 8-year-old stepson she forced to sleep in garage in freezing temps

Angela Pollina was found guilty by a jury in the second-degree murder of her 8-year-old stepson, who was forced to sleep in an unheated garage in freezing temps.

By Edward Era Barbacena

A New York white woman was found guilty of murder on Friday in the death of her 8-year-old stepson, who she forced to sleep in an unheated garage without blankets, in below freezing temperatures.

A Suffolk County, New York jury found Angela Pollina, 45, of Center Moriches guilty for her role in the death of 8-year-old Thomas Valva, who died of hypothermia in 2020 after he and his brother were forced to sleep in the garage for months.

"The cruelty that Thomas and his brother had to endure because of this defendant’s callous and selfish conduct is abhorrent, and, thankfully, the jury clearly agreed," District Attorney Tierney said in a press release. "Her treatment of these children was nothing short of pure evil. This defendant will now face the consequences of her actions and will experience her own imprisonment just as she forced these boys to live imprisoned in a freezing garage. Unlike Thomas and his brother, Pollina deserves this punishment."

Tierney said the evidence presented during the trial showed the Pollina "consciously disregarded the well-being" of her two stepsons Thomas and Anthony, which ultimately led to Thomas’ death on Jan. 17, 2020.

The prosecution presented the jury with text messages between Pollina and the boys’ father, Michael Valva, an NYPD officer to whom she was engaged. In the text messages, Polina insisted that Thomas and Anthony sleep in the garage of their Center Moriches home and not be permitted to use the bathrooms inside.

The boys slept in the garage without blankets for months, the release read, and the night before Thomas died, he and his brother had been in the garage for 16 hours after coming home from school.

That night, there was no heat in the garage, the boys had no access to bathrooms, no blankets, and no mattress and the temperature outside was 19 degrees.

The next morning, Thomas soiled his pants as he was freezing to death, the release said.

The prosecution showed surveillance video from the home with Pollina doing her bills in the kitchen and not doing anything to help Thomas. At one point, another child asked Pollina why Thomas could not walk.

"Cause he’s hypothermic, hypothermic means you’re freezing, washing yourself in cold water when it’s freezing outside, you get hypothermic," Pollina replied.

The video also captured Pollina hosing down Thomas in the backyard with water, and two hours later Thomas was pronounced dead due to hypothermia.

Thomas and Anthony lived at the home with Pollina, Valva, another brother and Pollina’s three daughters starting in 2017.

Employees at the East Moriches School District testified during the trial that the two brothers looked thin, ate food off the floor, took food from other pupils and pulled half-eaten food out of the garbage cans.

The boys also arrived at school so soiled that employees could smell urine and feces on them.

Pollina testified during trial that she deleted footage from the home surveillance system and did not realize forcing the two boys to live in the garage in freezing temperatures was wrong until Thomas died.

She also acknowledged that her method of discipline was "evil," and blamed Valva for Thomas’ death.

Pollina was found guilty of second-degree murder and four counts of endangering the welfare of a child. She is scheduled to appear in court on April 11 for sentencing and faces 25 years to life.

Valva was also found guilty of second-degree murder and four counts of endangering the welfare of a child, and he is serving 25 years to life in prison.

 

American 3-year old girl accidentally shoots and kills 4-year-old sister in Houston

This is another tragic story as a result of irresponsible parents left the child unsupervised while playing with gun

By Edward Era Barbacena

Prosecutors will determine whether any adults will face charges after an unsupervised 3-year-old accidentally shot and killed her 4-year-old sister at their home in Houston, authorities said.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez called the Sunday shooting a “very preventable” situation.

“It seems like another tragic story of a child getting access to a firearm and hurting someone else,” Gonzalez said at a news conference. 

Police say the investigation is in the preliminary phase.

"Everyone's impacted, a community's impacted when a child loses their life in this way," Gonzalez said.

Here is what we know about the accidental shooting death:

The shooting occurred around 8 p.m. Sunday inside a Houston apartment where the two young children lived with their irresponsible  parents.

Five adults and the 3- and 4-year-old sisters were there around the time of the shooting, Gonzalez said. 

“It appears that one parent thought the other parent was maybe watching the other children, when in fact, the two toddlers were left basically unsupervised inside the bedroom,” he said.

The 3-year-old girl gained access to a loaded semi-automatic pistol and shot her older sibling.

Family members heard a single gunshot and ran to the bedroom, where investigators say they found the 4-year-old unresponsive on the floor.

"(They) picked up the gun, secured it at that point and called 911," Gonzalez said.

The 4-year-old died at the scene, according to police.

It's "very likely" that the adults in the home could face charges related to the unintentional shooting, Gonzalez said.

"Our investigators will consult with the Harris County District Attorney's office to see what charges are possible," he said.

The tragic shooting happened shortly after the Houston Police Department launched its first gun safe distribution program set to continue through summer.

Gonzalez urged gun owners to go beyond simply telling children not to touch weapons. 

The tragic shooting happened shortly after the Houston Police Department launched its first gun safe distribution program set to continue through summer.

Gonzalez urged gun owners to go beyond simply telling children not to touch weapons. 

"Make sure you're securing your weapons, get a gun safe and store it somewhere," the sheriff said. "We've got to do a little bit more, we see far too many tragic situations like this unfold."

 

Filipino renegade cop found guilty of killing two teenagers in 2017

By Edward Era Barbacena

A Navotas City court convicted a policeman found guilty in the killing of teenagers Carl Angelo Arnaiz and Reynaldo "Kulot" de Guzman in 2017 at the height of the previous administration’s drug war.

Judge Romana Lindayag-Del Rosario of the Navotas City Regional Trial Court Branch 287 said PO1 Jeffrey Sumbo Perez was "guilty beyond reasonable doubt" for the crime of murder in the deaths of Arnaiz and De Guzman who were 17 years old and 14 years old, respectively, when they were brutally murdered.

The decision was made on March 1, but was only made public on Monday.

The court ruled Perez would suffer reclusion perpetua without eligibility for parole for both deaths.

He was likewise ordered to pay a total of P690,000 in damages to the families of the victims.

"The foregoing amounts shall earn legal interest of six percent (6%) per annum from the date of finality of this decision, until full payment," the document said.

Arnaiz was killed on Aug. 18, 2017 in an alleged shootout with police, after a taxi driver supposedly complained that he was held up by the former University of the Philippines student.

Then Philippine National Police Chief Ronald dela Rosa said Arnaiz fought with policemen during a legitimate operation, prompting them to retaliate.

Meanwhile, De Guzman, an alleged companion of Arnaiz, went missing for weeks until his body, which was stabbed 31 times, was found in a creek in Nueva Ecija.

A month after the deaths and a growing public outcry against the brutal slayings, former President Rodrigo Duterte said the killings of the teenagers were meant to sabotage the administration's anti-drug and anti-crime campaign.

In 2018, the Department of Justice filed murder charges against Caloocan cops allegedly involved in the deaths.

 

American man and woman of Pennsylvania plead guilty in fatal shooting outside well-known cheesesteak shop

Jamie Frick, Newmanstown and Paul Burkert, Reading are charged in the shooting death of David Padro. 

Edward Era Barbacena

A white man and a white woman have pleaded guilty in a fight and shooting death outside a well-known Philadelphia cheesesteak shop almost two years ago.

Paul Burkert, 37, of Reading pleaded guilty last week to voluntary manslaughter and a firearms charge in the July 2021 shooting death of 22-year-old David Padro Jr. outside Pat's King of Steaks.

Jamie Frick, 38, of Newmanstown pleaded guilty to simple assault and reckless endangerment in connection with the fight moments before the shooting.

Both will be sentenced in June. Other charges, including murder counts, were withdrawn by prosecutors.

Authorities said the early morning dispute, which was captured on video, began when the victim pulled into a parking spot outside the restaurant and bumped Burkert's van with his car door. Early reports had incorrectly suggested that the fight began over a football rivalry.

During the fight that followed, Frick hit Padro in the head and Burkert broke free, pulled a gun and shot Padro, authorities said. The suspects fled in the van, and Burkert surrendered to police near Independence Mall while Frick was arrested several days later, authorities said.

Burkert’s attorney, A. Charles Peruto Jr., told The Philadelphia Inquirer that he’d been prepared to take the case to trial and argue that his client was acting in self-defense, but a plea to a lesser charge was more prudent since Burkert was barred from legally possessing a firearm due to a previous drug conviction.

Frick’s attorney, Brian McMonagle, told the newspaper that she was expected to receive a sentence of probation.

The victim's father, David Padro Sr., said that the killing "took something from me that I can never get back." "It’s just been devastating," he said. "My whole life changed. My family’s life changed."

 

Greta Thunberg deletes 2018 tweet saying world will end in 2023 after world does not end

"A top climate scientist is warning that climate change will wipe out all humanity unless we stop using fossil fuels over the next five years." Thunberg's post read from 2018.

By Edward Era Barbacena

On Saturday, Jack Posobiec posted a screenshot of a now-deleted 2018 tweet from Greta Thunberg, which linked to an article predicting humans would go extinct by 2023 due to climate change.

"A top climate scientist is warning that climate change will wipe out all humanity unless we stop using fossil fuels over the next five years." Thunberg's post read from 2018.

The website Thunberg sourced in her original tweet, gritpost.com, has since been shut down.

"Time flies when you're on the grift," one Twitter user wrote.

According to the US Sun, Thunberg's net worth is estimated at $1 million.

Some noted that her original post was made in June of 2018 and said "we still have 3 months."

Others defended Thunberg and said she meant that something needed to be done within five years to prevent the eventual extinction of mankind.

Thunberg first rose to prominence in August 2018 when she was 15 years old and began protesting outside of the Swedish Parliament over the issue of climate change. Her protests would take place on Fridays when she would skip class.

Thunberg would have graduated by now if she would have stayed in school.

Thunberg has called for the governments to make bolder moves on the issue of climate change and she often travels to countries on a yacht to advance her cause.

Former Vice President Al Gore has been criticized for taking license with the facts around mankind extinction predictions due to climate change in the past. The most famous example being his 2006 film An Inconvenient Truth which "did exaggerate some dire scenarios" in order to "shock the public into action" according to National Snow and Ice Data Center scientist Ted Scambos.

 

Suspect identified in 1970s cold case murder of teenager Pamela Lynn Conyers in Anne Arundel County

The suspect was identified as Forrest Clyde Williams III, a man who died in 2018 in Virginia, police said. 

By Edward Era Barbacena

After 52 years, law enforcement officers have identified a suspect in the 1970 killing of Pamela Lynn Conyers, a 16-year-old student at Glen Burnie High School who went to the Harundale Mall one October night and never returned home.

FBI investigators have isolated Forrest Clyde Williams as a suspect using investigative genetic genealogy, the practice of compiling DNA evidence, creating matches and generating a family tree to pinpoint a suspect.

Williams moved to Pasadena as a teenager, police said, where he attended Northeast High School. Police presented a local mugshot Friday from the suspect’s time in Anne Arundel County, saying he had only previously been arrested for “nothing big,” infractions like acting drunk and disorderly.

After working side jobs as a carpenter, he returned to Virginia, where he lived the rest of his life. Williams died in Salem, Virginia, in 2018. Other than an assault arrest a few years before he died, police said Williams didn’t have a criminal record.

Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal Awad and Special Agent Tom Sobockinski with the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office announced the cold case update in a news conference Friday. Police said if Williams still was alive, he would have been charged in Conyers’ death.

“Pamela was never forgotten,” Awad said Friday, “nor will she ever be forgotten.”

Shortly after attending a homecoming bonfire at Glen Burnie High School on Oct. 16, 1970, Conyers took her parents’ 1967 Dodge Monaco to run an errand to Harundale Mall. When she didn’t come home, her parents reported her missing to county police.

Officers found the car three days later in a wooded area near Route 100 and Mountain Road, the latter of which was under construction at the time — today, the area is near the Waterford Road/Route 648 overpass. On Oct. 20, 1970, four days after she went missing, Conyers’ body was found. The teenager had been strangled.

The case has been a source of mystery for years. At one time, investigators wondered whether Conyers’ death was tied to the 1969 murder of Catholic high school teacher Sister Cathy Cesnik, which was featured in the Netflix docuseries “The Keepers.”

Suspicions shifted to Williams after the FBI used DNA technology that Sobocinski said provides “hope [for cases] where there may have been none.”

Police said there was no evidence Williams knew Conyers before her death, adding not much was known about the suspect. Police also said they have not ruled out the possibility of more suspects.

Michael Golden attended Glen Burnie High School with Conyers. Admitting he was not as close to Conyers as some of his classmates, Golden remembered her as a kind person with a “girl next door” demeanor. They played in band together — he the bass and she the flute — and were in the same trigonometry class.

Golden said the severity of the case hit him when he saw Conyers’ empty desk the day before her body was found.

Talking to media, Golden said it felt “kind of good” to see a suspect attached to the killing. He was frustrated, however, that so little was known about Williams. According to an obituary, he was a hunter, fisherman and passionate fan of NASCAR and the Dallas Cowboys.

Police said Conyers’ family, whose surviving members did not attend Friday’s news conference, asked for privacy in the wake of the announcement.

Including Conyers’ killling, there are 79 cold case homicides listed on the Anne Arundel County Police Department’s website. The most recent involved Xavier John Arthur Green, a 28-year-old shot in Glen Burnie.