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