American man of West Virginia who was incarcerated for murder charged in missing daughter’s death 

Shannon Patrick Overstreet whose infant daughter has been missing for more than two years has been indicted on murder and other charges

By Angelo Locsin 

A West Virginia prison inmate whose infant daughter has been missing for more than two years has been indicted on murder and other charges, authorities said.

A grand jury in Cabell County indicted Shannon Patrick Overstreet on charges of murder; death of a child by a parent by child abuse, and concealment of a deceased human body, Huntington police said Friday in a news release.

Without elaborating, the statement said investigators collected evidence indicating Overstreet was responsible for the death of Angele Nichole Overstreet and for concealing and disposing of her remains.

The girl was 3 months old when she last was seen in May 2021. Her disappearance led to an investigation involving the Huntington police department, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, and state police and other agencies from West Virginia and Kentucky.

Overstreet is serving a sentence of two to 10 years at the Huttonsville Correctional Center after acknowledging that the state had enough evidence to convict him of malicious wounding and forgery related to striking his mother in the head and signing her name to a check and cashing it. These crimes happened the same month that his daughter last was seen, The Herald-Dispatch reported.

Police in May 2021 asked for the public's help in locating the baby. West Virginia Child Protective Services reported her missing after checking with Overstreet regarding custody issues in Kentucky. Overstreet told them at the time he had given the girl to workers with the agency two weeks earlier, but investigators were unable to substantiate a custody exchange.

 

Kidnapped Idaho baby found dead in woods near ‘naked’ father who was wanted in murder of spouse 

Jeremy Albert Best, 48, found 'naked and making odd statements' on side of road near Idaho Falls

By Edward Era Barbacena 

An abducted baby in Idaho was found dead in a wooded area and his father, a suspect in the murder of the baby’s mother, was spotted naked nearby, authorities said Saturday

Deputies found 10-month-old Zeke Gregory Best down an embankment off a roadway east of Idaho Falls after a group of hunters called to report spotting a man, who was "naked and making odd statements," in a sleeping bag on the side of the road, the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office said.

The naked man was identified as 48-year-old Jeremy Albert Best, who was wanted in the killing of his 38-year-old wife, Kali Jean Randall, on Thursday night. 

Randall was found dead inside a home in Victor, Idaho, after deputies responded to a disturbance that a 911 dispatcher overheard during a call from the residence. Best, who was named a suspect in Randall’s death, had fled the home with their infant son, the sheriff’s office said.

Authorities issued an Amber Alert for the child, warning that Best was believed to be "heavily armed" and noting that he was driving a black 1995 Chevrolet Tahoe with Idaho plates.

A day before the alleged murder and abduction, deputies were called to the Swan Valley General Store in Bonneville County where a man identified as Best was walking around the store without any clothing. 

Best was evaluated at the scene and taken by ambulance to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, where he was turned over to hospital staff for "further medical and mental health concerns," the sheriff's office said.

While it was unclear what happened at the hospital, the East Idaho News reported that a spokesperson for the hospital confirmed Best was discharged Thursday afternoon.

Best’s Chevy SUV was also found down the embankment where Zeke was located, according to authorities. No information about how the infant died was immediately provided.

After Best was taken into custody, he was treated at the scene and booked into the Bonneville County Jail. He will remain jailed until his arraignment.

Detectives in Bonneville County, Idaho State Police, and the Teton County Sheriff’s Office are continuing to investigate with help from Idaho Falls Police Detectives and FBI agents.

 

American serial killer of LA accused of murdering three homeless men AND fourth man during horrific 'follow-home' robbery in crime-ridden city

Jerrid Joseph Powell, 33, was arrested for those killings in addition to a fourth afterr his vehicle was identified in Beverly Hills late Wednesday

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Los Angeles police have nabbed a man accused of killing three homeless men - and a fourth victim gunned down in his garage during a 'follow-home' robbery

On Saturday afternoon, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore announced that the man arrested for the murders is 33-year-old Jerrid Joseph Powell.

He is also the prime suspect in the murder of Nicholas Simbolon - a father of two - which took place last Tuesday night in San Dimas.

Moore said the department suspects Powell was responsible for four murders in four days.

The suspect, who is a Los Angeles resident, is alleged to have shot three homeless men across the city from November 26 to November 29.

His vehicle was identified by the police in Beverly Hills last Wednesday. Upon conducting a traffic stop, authorities recovered the gun used in the murders - he was subsequently arrested.

On Saturday, Moore said: 'Over the course of the investigation of our murders, we were able to identify the vehicle we believe is connected to our three homicides as being the same vehicle that Mr. Powell used in the murder of Mr. Simbolon.'

'[We learned] that it was being held in custody of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department as evidence of their murder.

LA County Sheriff Robert Luna discussed the use of the controversial license plate reader system law enforcement officers sometimes use to identify suspicious vehicles.

'We know there’s controversy out there about the usage of this system, but let me tell our community something. If we did not enter that plate into the system, this individual that we believe is responsible for at least four murders may have [still] been out there and reoffended,' he said.

Detectives in Beverly Hills identified a vehicle that may have been involved in Sambolon's murder the night before and plugged the license plate into the automated reader system, which led to the traffic stop and Powell's eventual arrest.

He was ultimately arrested for the follow home murder of Sambolon as well as the three homeless men. Powell was described as a convicted felon with 'violence in his background.' Further details of his past convictions were not shared. 

'The next objective is to put this guy away at minimum forever, because he doesn't deserve to be out on the street,' said Luna. 

LA Mayor Karen Bass lauded the police and sheriff's departments for their speedy work.

'Twenty-four hours ago, we announced there was a killer on the loose, now he is in custody,' she said.

'Right after the conclusion of yesterday’s press conference, my office was able to convene more than four hundred people representing city departments, housing service providers, regional agencies … and elected officials at the city and county level to ensure that they would [get the word out] about the threat facing our unhoused community.' 

Police had been searching for the gunman responsible for murdering three homeless men as they slept in different parts of the city. 

Authorities believed the same person was responsible for all three deaths, which occurred in the early hours of last Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday.

All three victims were men sleeping in open areas, like alleys or sidewalks.

One of the men's murders was described by Moore as 'brutal' and 'ruthless.'

A motive for the killings has not yet been established.

 

Racist American man of Florida arrested for leaving hate message graffiti on Jewish learning center 

Geoffrey Alan Lush arrested for vandalizing Chabad UF with antisemitic messages

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Geoffrey Alan Lush, 50, has been arrested and charged with property damage of a religious building and sending a written threat after allegedly vandalizing Chabad UF’s property with antisemitic messages and sending threatening voicemails to UF Hillel and other religious centers.

According to a release from Gainesville Police Department (GPD), Detective Corporal Warren Meek’s investigation found that on the evening of November 23 at approximately 6:12 p.m., University of Florida Hillel received a threatening voicemail. The caller in the voicemail stated, “If you do not value the lives of children then we do not value yours at all. At all. May you burn in the fires of hell for eternity. Every single one of you.” The caller sounded like an adult male. During Detective Meek’s investigation, he discovered that other religious centers received similar messages via voicemail and email on the same day.

On the morning of November 24, the membership of the religious centers discovered several items had been vandalized. On a sign near the front of the building, the phrases “BURN IN HELL,” “CHILD N MURDER,” and “CHILD MURDERS” had been written. On a banner near the front door, the phrases “CHILD MURDERS” and “BURN IN HELL” had been written. Lastly, on the sidewalk in front of the building, a Star of David was drawn. Beside the star was an arrow pointing toward it, and beside the arrow were the phrases “STAR OF MOLEC” and “DAVID HAD D NO STAR.” As of this writing, the damage to the sign, banner, and sidewalk has already exceeded $200.00 in labor costs in unsuccessful attempts to repair the items. It is anticipated that the cost of repair will rise as the sign and banner will need to be replaced.

A review of surveillance footage from the building showed that at approximately 5:58 a.m. on the morning of November 24, a subject dressed in a long dark trench coat approached the center on foot from the east. The subject appeared to be a tall adult white male with light-colored hair that fell to the top of his shoulders. The subject was recorded vandalizing each of the three aforementioned locations before walking away back toward the east at approximately 6:02 a.m.

 

Another mass shooting in the United States leaves 2 homeless dead and three injured in Las Vegas 

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A shooting in Las Vegas Friday evening left two people dead and three others wounded, authorities said.

The shooting occurred a little after 5:30 p.m. local time at an intersection near U.S. Highway 95 in East Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department confirmed to CBS News.

All five victims were homeless, police disclosed.

The three wounded victims suffered injuries not believed to be life-threatening, police told CBS affiliate KLAS-TV.

The circumstances of the shooting and identities of the victims were not immediately provided. The shooter was still at large as of Friday night, police told KLAS.

This comes after Los Angeles officials reported Friday that they are seeking a suspected serial killer in the shooting deaths of three homeless people earlier this week. The killings occurred on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday.

In a news conference Friday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass urged unhoused people to immediately seek shelter.

"Our message to the unhoused community is clear — do not sleep alone tonight. Seek shelter, seek services, stay together, seek support and we need your help to get the word out," Bass said. 

 

American woman of Florida posing as homeschooler arrested for sexually assaulting underage boys

Alyssa Ann Zinger, 22, was arrested last week for  engaging in at least 30 sexual acts on young boys 

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A Florida white woman is facing felony charges for allegedly posing online as a homeschooler to sexually assault an underage boy.

22-year-old Alyssa Ann Zinger was arrested in Tampa on Nov. 24 and taken to jail; she faces two counts of lewd or lascivious battery and five counts of lewd or lascivious molestation. The police don’t believe this was an isolated incident.

“It is disturbing and unsettling to see an adult take advantage of a child and prey on them,” Chief Lee Bercaw said in a statement. “Anyone who may have been a victim of Zinger’s, we encourage you to come forward. The Tampa Police Department will support you and ensure a predator like Zinger doesn’t cause you or others additional harm.”

Police say they were tipped off that Zinger allegedly had a relationship with a child between the ages of 12 and 15, and that following an investigation, they learned that she “communicated with the victim primarily through an online social media platform.”

According to a search warrant obtained by the Tampa Bay Times, that platform was Snapchat. The warrant detailed additional information about at least one relationship that allegedly spanned from May through September. Zinger allegedly sent explicit material to the minor and “engaged in sexual activities several times” with him.

She also allegedly admitted that she’d had other illegal sexual encounters.

The Tampa Bay Times reports that police stopped Zinger and a minor after they tried to steal from a Nordstrom store over the summer. “Zinger identified herself to an officer using her name, but stated she was born in 2009. The officer could not find information on her with the date of birth she provided, but found an Alyssa Ann Zinger who was born in 2001,” the article said.

An officer confirmed that she was indeed an adult, as did her employer, the grocery chain Publix.

Zinger, who could not immediately be reached for comment, has reportedly pleaded not guilty.

 

American child killer executed for the murder of a Hispanic girl 22 years ago in Texas

David Santiago Renteria convicted of strangling five-year-old girl after abducting her from Walmart is executed in Texas: 'I'm sorry for all the wrongs I have done' 

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Justice has been served after an innocent 5-year-old old girl was murdered by an American psychopath more than two decades ago in El Paso, Texas. It is hard to believe that many American adults are capable of such horrendous crime.

A death row inmate convicted of strangling a five-year old girl and then burning her body after he abducted her from the toy aisle of a Texas Walmart - more than two decades ago- was executed on Thursday evening.

David Santiago Renteria, 53, was put to death by lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas, for the heinous killing of Alexandra Flores who was brutally murdered November 2001. 

Witnesses including Flores' relatives entered the death chamber and watched through a window Renteria's final moments. He was pronounced dead at 7.11pm CST.

Before the execution, Renteria prayed, sang and asked for forgiveness.

'I'm sorry for all the wrongs I have done. And for those who have called for my death, who are about to murder me, I forgive you,' he said.

Flores was out Christmas shopping with her family at the Walmart store in El Paso when she was lured away by Renteria. The little girl's body was found the next day in an alley 16 miles from the store, prosecutors said.

On Thursday night in the room known as the 'death chamber,' the child killer stood next to a spiritual adviser as he prayed and chanted hymns in both Spanish and English. 

Looking at the victims relatives, he said: 'There is not a day that goes by that I do not think about the fateful events of that day and what transpired.

'There are no words to describe what you're going through, and I understand that.'

Renteria's sister and a friend, who were also present watched through another window, as he told them he was 'good... strong,' before saying his final goodbyes.

'I love you all, I truly do. I'll see you in the next life,' he said.

After he was injected with a lethal dose of the powerful sedative pentobarbital, Renteria began reciting The Lord's Prayer. The drug took about 11 minutes to go into effect.

'Our father, who art in heaven,' Renteria said before he paused and said what would be his final words: 'I taste it

After two loud breaths and a snore, his body went limp. At 7.11pm Central Standard Time, he was pronounced deceased.

Family members of the slain youngster who witnessed the harrowing event as their sibling's murderer was put to death were emotional.

Holding a photo collage of Flores, the youngest of eight children, siblings Ignacio and Sandra Frausto said through tears that they want to keep their baby sister's memory alive.

I want to recognize her, not forget about her,' Ignacio Frausto said. 'It took 22 years but the time came. It is done. We can finally and really begin to heal - 22 years of wondering what was going to happen.'

Renteria's execution proceeded after the U.S. Supreme Court declined two separate defense requests for a stay earlier in the day.

One request stemmed from efforts by Renteria's attorneys to gain access to evidence they said could have shown he was not responsible for her death. 

Another appeal rejected by the high court without comment late Thursday focused on claims the state's supply of pentobarbital, the execution drug, had degraded and would cause him 'terror' and 'severe pain' in violation of the Eight Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

Authorities said evidence showed Renteria, a convicted sex offender, carried out the abduction and killing alone and that his lawyers did not raise that defense at his trial. 

Blood found in Renteria´s van matched the slain girl´s DNA, according to prosecutors, who added that his palm print was found on a plastic bag put over the girl's head before her body was set on fire.

Renteria was accused of patrolling the store for about 40 minutes before zeroing in on the 5-year-old girl. Grainy surveillance video showed her following Renteria out of the store.

Renteria was convicted on a capital murder charge and was sentenced to death in September of 2003.

Throughout his trial, he argued that a gang had ordered him to kidnap and murder the child.

On several occasions, Renteria has appealed his sentence. Each time, the capital murder sentence has been upheld.

Speaking with local El Paso news station KFOX14, Carlos Leon - who was the police chief at the time of the murder - remembered the devastating case, saying:

'I think that during my five years as chief that was one of, I think one of the deepest cuts that we had in El Paso, because the entire community was very distraught about what had just happened,' he said.

'I wish I had a button where I would delete a certain memory. And that sure would have been one of them. 

'I promised the mom that we would find the killer and the reason I did that was because I had so much confidence in the great detectives we had.'

In August, state District Judge Monique Reyes in El Paso granted a request to stay the execution and ordered prosecutors to turn over their files in the case. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals later overturned Reyes´ orders.

In 2006, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals threw out Renteria´s death sentence, saying prosecutors provided misleading evidence that gave jurors the impression Renteria was not remorseful.

During a new resentencing trial in 2008, Renteria was again sentenced to death.

The execution was one of two carried out Thursday in the United States. Renteria was the eighth inmate in Texas put to death this year.

In Alabama, inmate Casey McWhorter received a lethal injection Thursday evening for a murder conviction in the fatal shooting of a man during a 1993 robbery.