List of All Articles with Tag 'crime'

A jury has ruled that Pittsburgh synagogue mass shooter Robert Bowers will face the death penalty. Bowers, whose defense hoped to avoid a death penalty, learned of his fate around noon on Wednesday when jurors read their decision. The mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue on 27 October, 2018, left 11 people dead and became the most deadly antisemitic attack in US history. The jurors spent two days deliberating before reaching their conclusions. All 12 jurors had to agree in order to impose a death penalty. Bowers' legal team initially offered a plea deal to the prosecution, promising a guilty plea from the mass shooter if they agreed not to seek the death penalty. The prosecution refused the deal. Defense attorney Judy Clarke offered a plea to the jury to spare Bowers’ life. “We can’t rewind the clock and make it such that this senseless crime never happened,” she argued. “All we can really do is make the right decision going forward. And we are asking you to make the right decision, and that is life.” She asked the jurors to consider the traumas of Bowers’ childhood and his mental illness when issuing their sentence, noting that “he succumbed to his mental illness, to his delusional beliefs, and brought us where we are today.” Forensic psychiatrist Dr Park Dietz — who testified as an expert witness for the prosecution in the trials of John Hinkley Jr, who attempted to assassinate Ronald Regan, and serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer — also testified for the prosecution regarding Bowers. He said Bowers suffered no delusions that would have called into question his intent to kil the worshippers at the synagogue. Intent is one of three critera that must be met before a jury can pass down a death sentence. A defendant must also be over the age of 18 and have at least one aggravating factor — in Bowers’ case hate crimes — to qualify for a death sentence. A jury found him guilty of all 63 charges against him during a trial in June.

Ten people have been injured after a stolen car plowed into a busy sidewalk in Midtown Manhattan. The driver, aged 20, slammed into the crowd while being pursued by police at East 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue, near Grand Central Station, during Tuesday evening’s rush hour. The victims, ranging from six years old to 72, were transported to nearby Bellevue Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the New York Police Department said. Video from the scene showed a 2018 maroon Hyundai Tucson with Illinois plates with a badly-damaged front. The car was reported stolen from the Bronx in July. The NYPD said that officers had tried to pull over the vehicle to determine if it was the stolen car but the driver refused. A cyclist was also hit during the chase and a yellow cab. After making a U-turn and driving in the wrong direction on Lexingon Avenue, the maroon Hyundai hit a black Toyota head-on. People on the street prevented the driver from fleeing until he was arrested. Police are still seeking a female passenger of the maroon Hyundai who fled the scene. Read More North Carolina hit-and-run that injured 6 migrant workers was accidental, police say 3 US Marines died of carbon monoxide poisoning in a car. Vehicle experts explain how that can happen

WASHINGTON Even as former U.S. President Donald Trump was indicted for a third time on Tuesday, numerous people

The body of a Goldman Sachs staffer has been pulled from a New York City waterway nearly three days after he vanished from a concert venue. Twenty-seven-year-old John Castic was last seen at a concert at The Brooklyn Mirage in the Brooklyn neighbourhood of East Williamsburg. The NYPD said earlier this week that Castic, originally from Illinois, left the venue around 3am on Saturday. His father, Jeffrey Castic, told Fox News Digital that his body was found floating in a section of Newtown Creek on Tuesday afternoon less than two miles from where he vanished. “They have found his body and confirmed it’s him,” Mr Castic told the outlet. “It appears to have been death by misadventure. His wallet and phone were found on him.” Castic’s body was first noticed by a passerby who alerted law enforcement. NYPD Harbor units then responded to the scene and recovered his remains. Castic graduated DuPaul University in 2020 and went on to work at different firms before joining Goldman Sachs as a senior analyst in August 2022. “He was so smart but, in the end, he did something dumb, and it cost him,” Mr Castic told Fox. “We think he might have been impaired, we do not know, and it was just a lapse of judgment.” Law enforcement does not suspect foul play at this time, according to The New York Post. Castic’s friend Sara Kostecka told the outlet that the young man was an “amazing friend.” “He is very charismatic, high-energy with a good sense of humor,” Ms Kostecka told the Post. “Whatever happened, he did not deserve this.” Read More Ira Sachs wanted to make 'a film of intimacy.' It got him an NC-17 rating Rex Heuermann’s defence buried in mountain of evidence as he faces court in Gilgo Beach murders case Lori Vallow - update: ‘Cult mom’ smirks in new mug shot after denying murders in bizarre sentencing statement

Relatives of “cult mom” Lori Vallow’s victims have decried her unhinged claims during her sentencing trial. Vallow was sentenced on Monday to spend the rest of her life behind bars over the killings of her 16-year-old daughter Tylee Ryan, her nine-year-old son Joshua “JJ” Vallow and her husband Chad Daybell’s first wife Tammy Daybell. Vallow, 50, was convicted in May on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and grand theft in the murders that prosecutors say she and allegedly Mr Daybell plotted as part of their doomsday cult beliefs. In a shocking statement addressing the court just moments before she was handed down five consecutive life sentences without parole, Vallow said that her children “were happy and busy in the spirit world” and that she knew “her friend Tammy ... is also very happy and extremely busy.” Tammy’s sister Samantha Gwilliam has since slammed Vallow’s remarks. Ms Gwilliam was in court during the sentencing and deliver her victim impact statement along with her aunt Vicki Hoban and JJ’s grandparents Kay and Larry Woodcock. “I don’t know who she was talking to but she wasn’t talking to my sister,” Ms Gwilliam told Pretty Lies and Alibies podcast host GiGi McKelvey. The Woodcocks also described Vallow’s statement as “vile BS” in an interview with NewsNation. “This is part of her farse, her hoax, and she is never going to give it up. It’s just more of her crap, there is no other way to put it,” Ms Woodstock said. “To say that JJ and Tylee were happy and busy ... and then her friend Tammy? I mean get out of here.” Ms Woodstock and her husband had been frantically trying to establish contact with JJ before the little boy and Tylee vanished in 2019. They reported the children missing shortly after Vallow moved with them from Arizona to join Mr Daybell in Idaho. Tylee and JJ were missing for nine months before their bodies were found in June 2020 at a pet cemetery in Mr Daybell’s residence in Rexburg, Idaho. Tylee’s remains were discovered burned, while JJ was strangled to death and found still in his pyjamas and with a plastic bag over his head and duct tape over his mouth. “I had to sit there and I couldn’t say a word. She is absolutely playing this system, Mr Woodstock told NewsNation. “There is no way that she is a special being, that she talks to God, that she talks to the kids, that she talks to Tammy. That is a ridiculous statement. I can tell you right now that she is nothing but a five-gallon bucket of BS.” Tammy’s aunt Vicki Hoban also told the outlet that she believed Vallow didn’t take accountability for her actions as part of another plot to seek a new trial. District Judge Steven Boyce rejected Vallow’s request for a new trial last month. “I think she is creating a narrative now that will make her look crazy, which I don’t believe, I think she is just trying to figure out how to maybe get a new trial,” Ms Houb said. “It was just a slap in the face for her to continue to talk about Tammy as a friend. She was murdered in cold blood.” Tammy died a month after the children went missing. She was an otherwise healthy 49-year-old when she was initially believed to have died of a cardiac event — an autopsy later determined that her cause of death was asphyxiation. Mr Daybell is expected to stand trial over JJ, Tylee and Tammy’s death next year. Mr Daybell and Vallow were slated to stand trial together before Judge Boyce ruled in March that the cases would be severed. On Tuesday, Ms Woodluck took to Twitter to celebrate the news that Vallow had been booked into prison after her custody was transferred to the Idaho Department of Corrections. Arizona prosecutors are now expected to file for her extradition to the state so she can stand trial in the death of her fourth husband Charles Vallow, who was shot to death by Vallow’s late brother Alex Cox just months before her children vanished. “Hope the worst for her. She doesn’t deserve anything good. Someday I’ll forgive, just not quite yet,” Ms Woodstock tweeted. “It’s a great day to be alive!!! Thanks to all for your support. It’s meant everything to us.” Read More Lori Vallow - update: ‘Cult mom’ smirks in new mug shot after denying murders in bizarre sentencing statement Lori Vallow finally broke her silence at sentencing. It was too late Napping in court, three words and typing too loudly: Bizarre moments from Lori Vallow’s murder trial

Gilgo Beach suspected serial killer Rex Heuermann will appear in court on Tuesday for the first time since he pleaded not guilty in the bombshell case two weeks ago. Mr Heuermann will face a hearing at Suffolk County Court in Long Island, New York, according to court filings. It comes days after authorities revealed that a “massive amount” of evidence had been recovered from Mr Heuermann’s home in Massapequa – and after his estranged wife Asa Ellerup pleaded for privacy, saying the couple’s children “cry themselves to sleep” over the shock arrest and that she herself often wakes up “shivering” from the trauma. The 59-year-old suspect was arrested on 13 July and charged with six counts of murder in the deaths of Amber Castello, Megan Waterman and Melissa Barthelemy. He is also the main suspect in Maureen Brainard-Barnes’ killing. The women, all sex workers in their 20s, went missing in 2009 and 2010. Their remains were later found along a stretch of roadway in the Long Island shoreline community of Gilgo Beach. Mr Heuermann pleaded not guilty in his first court appearance on 14 July, where he cried: “I didn’t do this.” Read More Rex Heuermann’s wife pleads to be left alone after his arrest for Gilgo Beach murders Police rule out link between Gilgo beach killings suspect and unsolved murders in Atlantic City in 2006 How the Gilgo Beach serial killer turned the Long Island shore into a graveyard

“Cult mom” Lori Vallow has been sentenced to life in prison with no parole for the murders of her two children in a dramatic case that gripped the nation. Vallow, 50, was convicted in May of killing her seven-year-old son Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 16-year-old daughter Tylee Ryan, who vanished without a trace in September 2019. She was also found guilty of conspiring to kill her husband Chad Daybell’s first wife, Tammy, who died in October 2019. The verdict came after prosecutors convinced a jury that Vallow and Mr Daybell conspired with her brother Alex Cox to murder Tammy, JJ and Tylee as part of their bizarre cult beliefs – but also for financial purposes so that they could collect Tammy’s life insurance money and the children’s social security and survivor benefits. Before the sentence was handed down, the court heard victim impact statements from several family members devastated by the harrowing saga that’s seen countless twists and turns over four years. To the surprise of many, Vallow spoke herself and appeared to show no remorse for the deaths of her children and Tammy, claiming they were “busy” and “happy” in heaven. She appeared emotionless as the sentence was handed down. Read More Lori Vallow finally broke her silence at the sentencing. It was too late Lori Vallow claims ‘no one was murdered’ as she breaks silence in bizarre sentencing statement ‘Monster’ Lori Vallow is confronted by victims’ sobbing families at sentencing: ‘Cruel campaign of terror’

Lori Vallow’s attorney claimed that the “cult mom” who murdered her two children and conspired to kill her new lover’s wife is “misunderstood” and is actually “all about love” as he asked the judge for leniency at her sentencing hearing. The 50-year-old convicted killer appeared in Fremont County Courthouse in Idaho on Monday morning to be sentenced for the murders of her two youngest children Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, and conspiracy to murder her new husband Chad Daybell’s first wife Tammy Daybell. Sitting slouched cross-legged at the defence table, Vallow kept her head down and refused to look her victims’ devastated family members in the eyes as they gave heartwrenching impact statements to the court and as prosecutors asked that she spent the rest of her life behind bars with no chance of parole. In a defence statement, Vallow’s attorney John Thomas asked the judge to give her “hope” that the “most hated woman in America” could one day be free from prison. “I think Lori Daybell is the most hated woman in America right now and maybe in the world. That hate will never bring closure to the victims,” he said. The attorney began his bizarre statement by saying that he used to be a prosecutor but realised that “I don’t think Jesus Christ was a prosecutor”. “He is our greatest advocate. And now I sit next to Lori Vallow,” he said. He went on to claim that Vallow – who conspired to kill her children and love rival – is “misunderstood” and people who know her, know she is actually “about love”. “People who truly know her know she’s about love. We didn’t always get along and our team has had a lot of misunderstandings,” he said. “But Lori’s overarching theme is about love. She is very different than who she plays on tv. She’s smart, insightful, witty.” Mr Thomas argued that Vallow’s sentence should be a fixed term to give her an incentive to rehabilitate herself with an eye to possibly being released from prison aged 70. “If we give her a fixed term we protect her from society until her 70s and she helps other inmates and becomes a better person.” After Mr Thomas finished his sentencing recommendation, Vallow took the opportunity to address the court herself. She shockingly claimed that “no one was murdered” as she broke her silence for the first time over the horrific murders of her two children and her lover’s wife in a chilling statement at sentencing. In the bizarre remarks, the so-called “cult mom” read out a Bible quote, spoke of visiting “heaven” and continued to channel her doomsday cult beliefs while claiming “I have had many communications with Jesus Christ”. While her victims’ loved ones were forced to listen in horror, she claimed that she had communicated with her murdered children Tylee Ryan and Joshua “JJ” Vallow as well as “her friend” Tammy Daybell from beyond the grave – and that they are “very happy”. Ultimately, Judge Steven Boyce was not swayed by either argument and Vallow was sentenced to five life sentences, three consecutive, without the possibility of parole. Read More Lori Vallow had two alleged accomplices in her children’s murders. One will never face justice Cult beliefs, hazmat suits and charred remains: Key revelations from Lori Vallow’s murder trial A doomsday cult, murders and children buried in a pet cemetery: The twisted case of Lori Vallow Lori Vallow claims ‘no one was murdered’ as she breaks silence in bizarre sentencing statement

“Cult mom” Lori Vallow was confronted by her victims’ sobbing family members at her sentencing hearing where they branded her a “monster” and described her 1,841-day “cruel campaign of terror”. The 50-year-old convicted killer appeared in Fremont County Courthouse in Idaho on Monday morning to be sentenced for the murders of her two youngest children Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, and conspiracy to murder her new husband Chad Daybell’s first wife Tammy Daybell. Sitting slouched cross-legged at the defence table, Vallow kept her head down and refused to look her victims’ devastated family members in the eyes as they gave heartwrenching impact statements to the court. JJ’s grandmother Kay Woodcock broke down in tears as she told Vallow she will “never understand” how she – who once appeared to be a loving mother – could have murdered the son she “chose” to adopt. “The deplorable woman that chose to be his mother, the woman who five years earlier made the conscious decision to stand in front of a judge and swore to provide for, care, love and protect him,” she sobbed. “Lori always showed her deepest appreciation that we gave her the greatest gift ever, being JJ,” she said. “That same mother murdered [her son]... and I will never understand it.” Ms Woodcock is JJ’s biological grandmother and the sister of Vallow’s fourth husband Charles Vallow. She told the court how when JJ was born, he spent time in the NICU and was born with drugs in his system because his parents struggled with substance abuse. She described her joy as she and her husband Larry Woodcock took in JJ as their own son. They “loved every minute of raising him”, she said, describing it “as priceless”. But, around a year later, Vallow and Charles Vallow adopted the little boy. Sobbing, Ms Woodcock said that they all believed that would be best for JJ – who had autism – so he could grow up with younger, more energetic parents who had greater access to the resources he needed. Describing Vallow as a caring mother to JJ, Ms Woodcock said it was even more “mind-blowing” that the woman who “chose to be his mother” could a few years later be the same person to murder him. “I knew it was the best thing for him. I knew she [Lori] would always be 1000 percent involved in his care... that is part of why this is so hard – how could someone [do this]... it’s mind-blowing and I will never understand it,” she said. Ms Woodcock went on to speak of 16-year-old Tylee and how close the teenager was to her younger brother. “It warmed our hearts seeing her and JJ together,” she said. “The love they had for each other is evident in the last photo they have with each other,” she added, referring to the final photo of Tylee alive – an image of her taken on a trip to Yellowstone National Park with Cox, Vallow and JJ. Ms Woodcock began her statement by reeling off a list of numbers and said they are “more than numbers”. “Today marks 1,481 days that have been filled with terror,” she said. “One was the day that my brother was murdered.” In August 2019, Charles Vallow was shot dead by Vallow’s brother Alex Cox at her home in Arizona. Vallow is currently awaiting trial on charges of conspiracy to murder for Charles’ killing. “This was the beginning of her cruel campaign of terror,” said Ms Woodcock. Ms Woodcock said that Vallow’s killing spree “all began with greed” for a $1m life insurance policy in the event of Charles Vallow’s death. She said she would have given her the money if she could only have just let JJ and Tylee live. “I would have given her the money. She could have let JJ and Tylee live and have $1m,” she said. “She could have been free to be Chad’s mistress and foot the bill with money from spilled blood. JJ and Tylee could have lived with us and had wonderful lives.” Following Charles Vallow’s murder, she said that she was fearful for JJ’s safety but that – legally – she had no rights to step in and take him into her care. When JJ and Tylee then went missing, she described “319 days” of “pure hell” where she feared the worst – only for it to be realised when their remains were found in Mr Daybell’s yard. “Nothing can describe the pure hell of not knowing where the children were,” she said. “319 days from the last day we were allowed to be able to Facetime with JJ and the day we knew the children had been found, in Chad Daybell’s backyard, buried like animals.” Vallow’s only surviving child Colby Ryan said in a statement read by prosecutors how he had lost so much as a result of his mother’s actions. “I’ve watched everything crumble and shredded to pieces,” he said, speaking about all the things that Tylee and JJ will now never experience after their lives were cut short. Tammy’s sister Samantha Gwilliam also took the stand to deliver an emotional victim impact statement where she dismissed Vallow’s doomsday cult beliefs that she and Mr Daybell are “exalted” beings and that their victims were “zombies” or “dark spirits”. “You are a liar, an adultress and a murderer,” she told her. “I am not a dark person or a zombie. For me and my family to be presented that way is unacceptable,” she said. “Everyone knows what liars you are. They now know what horrible things you have done. “You are not an exalted being. There is no huge event that is going to save you. No angels are coming to rescue you.” Instead, she said that Vallow will now spend her life behind bars. Ms Gwilliam also read out a statement from her father Ronald Douglas who spoke of “the eternal ramifications” of Vallow’s actions on their family. As well as taking away Tammy, Vallow’s actions had also torn apart the family that they still have left. Following Tammy’s murder and the chilling revelations that came out over the past three years, Tammy’s mother’s health deteriorated significantly and she passed away. Beyond that, Mr Douglas said that the family had also lost their relationship with Tammy and Mr Daybell’s five children – who he said have believed their father’s lies. In her victim impact statement, Tammy’s aunt Vicki Hoban slammed Vallow’s “shameful” conduct during the murder trial, calling her out for “smirking, smiling, giggling, talking” – something that was “extremely disrespectful to watch”. She said it was time for Tammy’s story, and not Vallow’s. “Tammy was beloved. There will be a huge void in our life. This is Tammy’s story. She was a mom, a grandma, a niece, a friend, a librarian,” she said. “More than a librarian, she was a teacher. Her last days went to preparing a bookfair for underserved children.” The night she was killed, she said she imagines Tammy went to bed with “no idea what the plan was for that night”. “Unbeknownst to her, Lori had already killed two of her children. Tammy was already on her list of obstacles,” she said. “Instead ofa good night’s sleep, Tammy was brutally executed in her own bed. She was taken from us by murdering thieves.” Vallow is facing a maximum sentence of life in prison after the death penalty was taken off the table ahead of trial. Vallow was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and grand theft over the deaths of her daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, and son Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, back in May. She was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of Mr Daybell’s first wife Tammy, 49. Judge Steven Boyce ruled last month that only victims’ immediate family members would be permitted to speak at the sentencing hearing, ruling out some loved ones who hoped to have their say in court. Vallow will also have the opportunity to speak before the court – something she declined to do at her trial. Judge Boyce said that a pre-sentence assessment was carried out, producing a 430-page report to inform his sentencing decision. However, he said that Vallow refused to participate in the assessment. Her sentencing comes almost three years after JJ and Tylee vanished without a trace in September 2019 – sparking fears for their safety from desperate family members all the while Vallow refused to say where they were. One month later, Tammy – an otherwise healthy 49-year-old – also died suddenly. Her death was initially ruled natural causes. This bizarre spate of disappearances and death came just months after Vallow’s fourth husband Charles Vallow was shot dead by Vallow’s brother Alex Cox in Arizona in July 2019. With Vallow’s children and both of their spouses then out of the way, she and Mr Daybell embarked on a new life together – flying to Hawaii to get married in a fairytale wedding on the beach. But, with months passing since the last signs of life of Vallow’s children, concerns continued to grow, prompting authorities to exhume Tammy’s body. A subsequent autopsy revealed that she had died by asphyxiation. In June 2020 – nine months after they were last seen alive – Tylee and JJ’s remains were found buried on the grounds of Mr Daybell’s property in Rexburg, Idaho. JJ, who had autism, had been smothered with a plastic bag taped over his face, his little body still dressed in a pair of red pyjamas. Tylee’s cause of death meanwhile has been impossible to establish as the teenager’s dismembered, charred bones and body parts were found scattered in the ground on Mr Daybell’s pet cemetery. Jurors in Ada County Court in Boise, Idaho, took almost seven hours to find Vallow guilty on all charges over the three murders after a grueling six-week trial where the panel heard harrowing details about the doomsday cult mom’s path of deadly destruction and were shown graphic images of the murdered children’s remains. The state called over 60 witnesses to lay out its case that Vallow was motivated by both her cult beliefs but also lust for Mr Daybell and financial greed when she conspired with him and her brother Cox to kill the three victims. In a bombshell move, Vallow’s attorneys declined to present any defence case or call any witnesses and the “cult mom” chose not to take the stand to give her side of the story. Vallow’s legal troubles and the chilling case are far from over. Following her sentencing, she is expected to be extradited to Arizona where she is awaiting trial on charges of conspiracy to murder her fourth husband Charles Vallow and the attempted murder of her niece’s husband Brandon Boudreaux. Meanwhile, Mr Daybell is still awaiting trial for the murders of JJ, Tylee and Tammy – with a scheduled trial start date set for 1 April 2024. But, the third person accused of being a co-conspirator in the case won’t ever have his day in court. On 11 December 2019 – hours after Tammy’s body was exhumed – Cox died suddenly at the age of 51. His death was ruled natural causes, with indications of a blood clot wedged in the arteries of his lungs. However the overdose drug Narcan was also found in his system. Read More Lori Vallow sentencing – live: ‘Cult mom’ faces life in prison for murders of children and Chad Daybell’s wife Did a doomsday cult really drive Lori Vallow to murder her children? A doomsday cult, murders and children buried in a pet cemetery: The twisted case of Lori Vallow

In 2020, Lindsay Shiver posted a wedding photo on Instagram about her “perfect marriage” to a former Auburn University football player. But their relationship may not have been picture perfect as it seemed. Their relationship looked like a modern-day romance: football player meets beauty pageant queen. Mr Shiver played as a deep snapper for Auburn’s football team from 2006 to 2008, before signing with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons. And before becoming Mrs Shiver, Lindsay Shirley was named Miss Houston County in 2005. “So thankful for that fitness class 13 years ago that brought us together and all of the love, laughter, and life we have created ever since! I love you babe,” she wrote in the 2020 post. “Cheers to many more.” Three years after toasting to “many more,” Lindsay Shiver was accused of plotting to murder Robert Shiver. The couple – with their three kids – had a home in the Bahamas, according to the Thomasville Times-Enterprise. That’s where Ms Shiver met Terrance Bethel, the outlet reported. “On July 16, 2023 at Abaco, while being together did, with a common purpose agree to commit an offense, namely the murder of Richard Shiver,” a police report obtained by the outlet said. According to court documents, Robert Shiver filed for divorce on 5 April, and his wife subsequently filed counterclaims. But it wasn’t until 28 July, that his soon-to-be ex-wife would be accused of plotting his killing. Bahamas investigators found out about the alleged plot in a roundabout way. According to Bahama Court News, officials were looking into a suspect for an unrelated break-in at Grabbers Bed Bar & Grill. WhatsApp messages on the suspect’s phone revealed the murder plot. Three people were arrested: Mrs Shiver; her alleged 28-year-old lover, Mr Bethal; and 29-year-old Faron Newbold, purported to be the hired hitman. They were arrested in Abaco, and the three were then flown to Nassau, where they are currently being held in custody. They were not required to enter a plea, Bahama Court News reported. The trio appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley on Friday, according to the Thomasville Times-Enterprise. They are scheduled to appear in court again on 5 October. Although the pair appears to not follow each other anymore on social media, their descriptions are still in-sync. Mrs Shiver’s Instagram bio reads, “Mom to the Shivertrio,” while Mr Shiver’s reads, “Dad to the trio!” The former football player has worked at Senior Life Insurance Company since 2009, where he serves as executive vice president, according to the company website. Read More American mother-of-three arrested in Bahamas over alleged plot to kill ex-football star husband Lori Vallow had two alleged accomplices in her children’s murders. One will never face justice A doomsday cult, murders and children buried in a pet cemetery: The twisted case of Lori Vallow

A retired British miner who suffocated his terminally ill wife in Cyprus after she “begged him to” has been released after spending nearly two years behind bars. David Hunter, 76, admitted killing Janice Hunter, 74, his spouse of 52 years, at their home near the coastal resort town of Paphos in December 2021. Ms Hunter had been suffering from blood cancer and the court was told she had “begged” her husband to end her life. Hunter was handed a two-year prison sentence on Monday but was released shortly after the sentencing, having already spent 19 months in a Cypriot prison. Speaking outside Paphos District Court after walking free, a visibly emotional Hunter told reporters: "I can’t describe it. I’m sorry. I wish I could, I wish I could find words to describe it but I can’t. “When you’re under pressure for two years, not knowing which way it’s going to go.” His daughter, Lesley Cawthorne, said she feels her “heart has been put back together” since his release, adding: “Today is the start of us being able to rebuild our lives.” Paphos District Court earlier heard that his motive was to “liberate his wife from all that she was going through due to her health conditions”. During the year-long trial, the court heard it was Ms Hunter’s “wish” to die and that her husband “had only feelings of love for her”. Hunter, from Ashington, Northumberland, told the court that his wife had “cried and begged” him to end her life. He broke down in tears as he said he would “never in a million years” have taken his wife’s life unless she had asked him to. He showed the court how he held his hands over his wife’s mouth and nose, and said he eventually decided to grant her wish after she became “hysterical”. The court heard how he then tried to kill himself by taking an overdose, but medics arrived in time to save him. Following his release, Ms Cawthorne said the last 19 months had been a “living nightmare” for their family. She said: “Today is the start of us being able to rebuild our lives. Dad’s release also means we can finally grieve for my mum, and I hope everyone can respect our privacy whilst we take the time to come to terms with her loss.” She added: “So many people have worked hard and supported our efforts to bring my dad home, too many to mention, but you know who you are and you know you have our deepest gratitude. “The kindness and love of friends and strangers has been the thing that has kept us going, and we can never thank you all enough.” After talking to her father on the phone, Ms Cawthorne added: “Speaking to my daddy was the most amazing thing. I feel like my heart has been put back together.” Giving evidence during his trial, Hunter spoke of a “perfect” 52-year marriage to his wife and broke down in tears as he described the moment he killed her. “For five or six weeks before she died she was asking me to help her. She was asking me more every day,” he said. “In the last week she was crying and begging me. Every day she asked me a bit more intensely to do it.” The court heard from Ms Hunter’s doctor, who said she had a rare blood cancer, while Hunter said she had become progressively more unwell and had no quality of life. Asked by defence lawyer Ritsa Pekri how the last days were, Hunter said: “She was crying, crying, crying, begging, begging, begging. “She wasn’t taking any care of herself. For the last two or three weeks she could not move her arms and had trouble with her legs, she couldn’t balance. “She was only eating soup, she couldn’t hold anything down. She lost a lot of weight. She lost so much weight that there was no flesh to put her injections in.” The Hunters visited Cyprus on holidays and bought a property there in 1999 before retiring there permanently two years later. Ms Hunter is buried a short distance away from the couple’s former home in Tremithousa – a quiet village about three miles from Paphos. In a statement issued after the sentencing, the director of Justice Abroad, Michael Polak, said his client was “very pleased” with the outcome. “The result of today’s hearing, and the court’s previous decision finding Mr Hunter not guilty of murder, is what we have been fighting for in this case, and David is very pleased with the outcome today,” he said. He added: “This has been a tragic case and difficult for all of those involved with it, but today’s decision was the right one and allows David and his family to grieve together.” Additional reporting by agencies Read More Man cleared of murdering wife in Cyprus ‘not getting hopes up’ ahead of sentence Retired miner killed wife to ‘liberate’ her from suffering, Cypriot court hears British man to be sentenced in Cyprus for manslaughter of terminally ill wife

A manhunt is underway to track down a suspect who police said “intentionally” drove an SUV into a group of migrant workers outside a Walmart in North Carolina. The incident unfolded at around 1.17pm on Sunday when the victims were standing outside the store in Lincolnton, the Lincolnton Police Department said. Suddenly, the driver of a black SUV, described as an older white male, ploughed into the group before fleeing the scene. Six workers were struck and injured in the incident. They were all taken to the nearby hospital Atrium Health – Lincoln for treatment for various injuries. None of the victims’ injuries appear to be life-threatening, police said. “Six migrant workers were hit in what appears to be an intentional assault with a vehicle. All six were transported to Atrium Health – Lincoln with various injuries. None of the injuries appear to be life threatening,” police said in a Facebook post. “The vehicle is an older model mid-size black Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) with a luggage rack. The driver was described as an older white male. The motives of the suspect are still under investigation.” At this time, police are treating the incident as an intentional assault with a vehicle and are searching for the driver. The identity of the driver – described as an older white male – is unknown at this time and the motive for the alleged attack remains unclear. The Lincolnton Police Department is asking that anyone with information about the incident contacts the Lincolnton Police Department at (704) 736-8900. Read More Hollywood nightclub death – latest: Security guard fatally beaten outside Dragonfly club as 11 suspects on run Man convicted of setting up smuggling trip that killed 13 in California gets 15 years in prison