List of All Articles with Tag 'erica'

His Manhattan business describes him as a registered architect with over 30 years’ experience. His neighbours describe him as a “family man” living with his wife and two children in a tight-knit community in Suffolk County. But now authorities are describing him as the suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer who unleashed terror along the shores of Long Island more than a decade ago. Rex Heuermann was arrested on Thursday night in connection to the shocking murder case where body after body was found dumped along the remote beaches on Ocean Parkway. The 59-year-old appeared in court on Friday and pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder in the first degree and three in the second degree over the deaths of Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy and Amber Costello. Here’s what we know about the suspect: Rex Heuermann Manhattan architect and married father-of-two Rex Heuermann was taken into custody at around 8.30pm on Thursday night near his Midtown office. Before the arrest, Mr Heuerman had been under surveillance by law enforcement, according to ABC News. On Friday morning, swathes of New York State and Suffolk County police officers were seen searching his home on First Avenue in Massapequa Park – which is located just a 20-minute drive from Gilgo Beach where the killer dumped the bodies of his victims. Neighbours told The Independent that he was a quiet family man who lived in the close-knit community with his wife and two children. One neighbour, who has lived a stone’s throw from the Heuermanns for more than two decades, said that the family is “a very quiet family” who made “no imprint at all” on the neighborhood. “Basically, we never had any contact with him... living here 22 years and never said two words to him,” the long-time Massapequa Park resident said, adding that “one bad apple doesn’t spoil the bunch” in a “great neighbourhood”. Maureen Holpit, 59, who attended Berner High School in Massapequa with Mr Heuarmann, told The Independent that Mr Heauerman was once a shy teen who would often leave “love notes” in her locker. Ms Holpit said her exchanges with the now suspected serial killer were always pleasant and polite. “I was always nice and friendly to him, you know. Seemed like he kind of got picked on and people would make maybe portray him as a little nerdy. He was very quiet, mild-mannered. So I was nice and would say, ‘Hey, Rex, how are you?,’” Ms Holpit, who now lives in Florida, tells The Independent. “I was getting these notes in my locker. As I’m remembering, there were multiple little love notes but they were not signed,” she added. “Then, one day I did see him put it in my locker and so I knew they were from him. I may have said to him that I had a boyfriend or I just liked him as a friend.” One woman told News12 that it was “ming-boggling” that the “quiet” 59-year-old could be involved in the horrific case while another said that he was known to do outdoor activities such as woodwork. Mr Heuermann works in Manhattan – where some of the Gilgo Beach victims were last seen alive – as the president of architecture firm RH Consultants & Associates. According to the company website, he founded the company in 1994. It has since worked with the likes of Catholic Charities, NYC-DEP Sewerage Treatment and American Airlines and other major tenants at the JFK International Airport. A company page called Meet The Team and featuring his photo appeared to be taken down on Friday morning as news of his arrest broke. In an interview posted on YouTube by Bonjour Realty last year, the father-of-two said that he was “born and raised in Long Island” but had been “working in Manhattan since 1987... [a] very long time”. The architect reportedly broke down in tears during his court appearance on Friday evening. “We just got appointed on this case. There’s not much I can tell you folks at this point in time,” his attorney, Michael Brown, told reporters, according to NBC. “I will say to you folks that it’s extremely circumstantial in nature. In terms of speaking to my client, the only thing I can tell you that he did say, as he was in tears, was ‘I didn’t do this.’ The murders The case began in May 2010 when Shannan Gilbert, a 24-year-old sex worker, vanished after leaving a client’s house on foot near Gilgo Beach. She called 911 for help saying she feared for her life and was never seen alive again. In the chilling call, released last year, Gilbert is heard repeatedly telling the 911 operator that “somebody’s after me”. She is also heard arguing with a man – who she refers to as Mike – who appears to be trying to encourage her to get back inot a car and at one point, she is heard asking if he is “going to kill” her. “These people are plotting to kill me,” she tells the dispatcher. During a search for Gilbert in dense thicket close to the beach, police discovered the remains of another woman. Within a matter of days, the remains of three more victims were found close by. By spring 2011, the remains of a total of 10 victims had been found including eight women, a man, and a toddler. Gilbert’s body was found in December 2011. Her cause of death is widely contested with authorities long claiming that it is not connected to the serial killer or killers but that she died from accidental drowning as she fled from the client’s home. However, an independent autopsy commissioned by her family ruled that she died by strangulation and her mother believes she was murdered. Like Gilbert, most of the victims targeted were sex workers. Several theories have been mulled over the years but no one had ever been charged with the killings. Authorities have previously said they believe that three separate serial killers could be responsible for the slayings over a period of around 20 years. The case appeared to go cold for several years until last year when Suffolk Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison vowed to finally close the case and bring the killer or killers to justice. The newly-appointed commissioner said that, with “a set of fresh eyes”, he had faith that he could get the cold case “across the finish line”. He launched a dedicated taskforce for the case. The investigation Last year, the Suffolk County Police Department, New York State Police, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI revamped the probe into the killings that ultimately led to Mr Heuermann’s bombshell arrest outside his Midtown office on Thursday. A bail application released by the Suffolk County District Attorney revealed that Mr Heuermann was linked to the serial killings through cellphone evidence and surveillance. Prosecutors have argued that no bail should be set for Mr Heuermann due to his recent searches for “sadistic materials, child pornography, images of the victims and their relatives.” Mr Heuermann was first linked to the cold case in March 2022 after investigators discovered that a Chevrolet Avalanche registered to him was possibly the one spotted by a witness in Costello’s disappearance. As law enforcement closed in on him, they served more than 300 subpoenas and search warrants that uncovered cellphone records for burner phones used to arrange meetings with three of the “Gilgo Four” victims before they went missing. Further analysis also allegedly linked Mr Heuermann to taunting calls made to family members of the victims, according to investigators. The calls were made from the Midtown Manhattan area, where the offices of Mr Heuerman’s architecture business are located. Among the evidence linking Mr Heuermann to the murders was a hair found on burlap material used to wrap Waterman’s corpse, according to court documents. DNA analysis had not been possible in the early stages of the investigation, but new technology allowed testing in July 2020. A team surveilling Mr Heuermann collected a discarded pizza box that then confirmed a DNA match with the suspect on 12 June. Records also show that several online accounts under fictitious names linked to Mr Heuermann were used for illegal activities. Mr Heuermann allegedly used those accounts and burner phones to contact women for prostitution services, as well as making chilling online searches. The searches included sadistic, torture-related pornography, child pornography and disturbing content. Mr Heuermann is also accused of searching “why could law enforcement not trace the calls made by the long island serial killer,” “why hasn’t the long island serial killer been caught” and “new phone technology may be key to break in case.” More forensic analysis revealed that female hairs found in the three crime scene locations belonged to Mr Heuermann’s wife. However, authorities have determined through cellphone records that Mr Heuermann’s wife was out of state when the murders took place. At the time Barthelemy went missing in July 2009, Mr Heuermann’s wife was in Iceland. She visited Maryland around the time Waterman disappeared in June 2010, and also travelled to New Jersey when Costello was last seen in September of that year. “It is likely that the burlap, tape, vehicle(s) or other instrumentalities utilized in furtherance of these murders came from Defendant Heuermann’s residence, where his wife also resides, or was transferred from his clothing,” prosecutors explained. Mr Heuermann is also the prime suspect in the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, who is believed to be one of the “Gilgo Four.” Prosecutors noted in the application that records for the burner phones used to contact Brainard-Barnes were not obtained at the time she went missing and no longer exist. The arrest On Thursday, there was a huge breakthrough in the case when suspect Mr Heuermann was finally arrested on suspicion of the murders. Police sources told The Associated Press that an individual had been taken into custody on Thursday night in connection with the unsolved murders which terrorised the community in Suffolk County more than a decade ago. Suffolk County Police would not confirm the arrest on Friday morning, but have announced a press conference for the afternoon citing a “significant development” in the high-profile case. John Ray, who represents the families of Shannan Gilbert and Jessica Taylor, said that they learned around a week ago that an arrest was imminent. Mr Ray said he “had a very strong, credible tip that they were about to close in on an arrest”. But, he said that they were not too optimistic – given the case has rumbled on for more than a decade – and had not been told anything official. “We’re pleased if they actually managed to find somebody that can be tagged for this,” he said at the time. “We’re pleased that something is finally occurring, because we’ve been frustrated.” The victims The remains of at least 11 victims’ were found in the Gilgo Beach area though it remains unclear if they are all the work of the same killer. Many were sex workers who offered escort services on Craigslist or worked in New York City. The first victim found was Melissa Barthelemy whose remains were discovered along Ocean Parkway on 11 December 2010 during the search for Shannan Gilbert – a 24-year-old sex worker from New Jersey who vanished after visiting a client in Oak Park and making a chilling 911 call where she revealed fears for her life. Two days later on 13 December, the remains of three other victims – Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Megan Waterman and Amber Lynn Costello – were found close by. All three women were known to advertise escort services on Craigslist. Brainard-Barnes – known as one of the Gilgo Beach Four – was last seen alive in early June 2007 in New York City while Costello was last seen leaving her North Babylon home one day in early September 2010. Waterman was last seen alive in early June 2010 at a Holiday Inn Express in Hauppauge. Seven months later, on 26 July 2011, the remains of Jessica Taylor were found in a wooded area in Manorville during the ongoing search for Gilbert. Taylor worked as an escort in New York City. Valerie Mack also worked as an escort but was last seen alive in Philadelphia in 2000. Her remains were found on two separate occasions in Manorville in 2000 and in Oak Beach in 2011 but she was only identified in 2020 through the use of genetic genealogy. Some of the victims have never been identified. The skeletal remains of an Asian male, aged between 17 and 23 years old, around 5 feet 6 inches tall and with poor dental health, were found along Ocean Parkway in April 2011. He is believed to have died around five to 10 years earlier. That same day, the remains of a female toddler were discovered. She was later identified as the daughter of the also-unidentified female victim dubbed “Peaches” whose remains were found in Nassau County. Mr Heuermann is only charged with the murders of three of the victims whose bodies were found in the Gilgo Beach area. Read More Gilgo Beach murders – live: Long Island serial killer suspect identified as Manhattan architect Rex Heuermann How the Gilgo Beach serial killer turned the Long Island shore into a graveyard Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect named as Rex Heuermann after arrest for Long Island murders

Manhattan architect Rex Heuermann has pleaded not guilty to six counts of murder in connection with the infamous Gilgo Beach serial killings. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s office released charging documents on Friday confirming Mr Heuermann, of Massapequa, as the suspected serial killer who targeted sex workers and dumped their bodies along remote Long Island beaches. He appeared in court in handcuffs and wearing a polo shirt and khaki pants. Mr Heuermann was held without bail as prosecutors had previously sought, citing his recent searches for “sadistic materials, child pornography, images of the victims and their relatives.” The 59-year-old pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder in the first degree and three in the second degree over the deaths of Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy and Amber Costello. The women are among the “Gilgo Four” whose bodies were found along a stretch of Ocean Parkway in Long Island in 2010. Court documents state that Mr Heuermann is also the “prime suspect” in the murder of the fourth woman in that group, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, though he is not facing charges related to her death. The documents outline a number of extremely disturbing searches in Mr Heuermann’s internet history, as well as burner phones he is accused of using to “taunt” his victims. The Gilgo Beach serial killer had previously been linked to as many as 11 victims discovered more than a decade ago in Suffolk County. Read More Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect arrested on suspicion of murders of 10 women on Long Island Police release haunting 911 call from woman later found dead as possible serial killer probe continues: ‘There’s somebody after me’ New police chief vows to close the case on Long Island’s unsolved Gilgo Beach murders

In an unlikely coalition, progressive Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and conservative Republican Dan Crenshaw teamed up on legislation to support allowing veterans to use psychedelic drugs to recover from the trauma of war, The New York Daily News reported. The two sought to include it in the National Defense Authorisation Act, which passed on Friday. Mr Crenshaw, a Republican who lost his right eye while serving in Afghanistan, noted the mix of ideologies at a press conference on Thursday. “This is a real wild coalition,” he said. “You’ve got extremely conservative Republicans, moderate Republicans, moderate Democrats, extremely progressive Democrats all on the same page.” Mr Crenshaw said he first became passionate about the topic after veterans he knew took ibogaine. “One treatment of ibogaine would cure them, cure them of addiction, cure them of their inner demons, their PTSD” he said. Ms Ocasio-Cortez noted how when she first entered Congress in 2019, her proposal failed, with 331 members voting against it. “While we are here to celebrate this legislative progress, I also want to acknowledge we are not yet done,” she said. “While we expect this psychedelic provision to make it through the House, we also expect it to face resistance in the Senate.” Mr Correa said he met veterans who had contemplated suicide before taking psychedelic treatment, but that they had to do so outside the United States. “Shameful,” he said. “Shameful that the one thing that works for veterans is not legal in the United States.” Ultimately, though, the funding for the language was stripped and the Rules Committee staff ruled it out of order, The Washington Examiner reported. Mr Crenshaw lambasted House staffers for sinking the legislation. “That tells me that there are staffers who are pushing this out for whatever reason they have, whether they claim it’s procedural or whatever, but they don't give us any time to react to it. Right. So they find a problem, and they squash it without giving us time to find a solution,” he said. “That is unacceptable.” Read More House Republicans push through defense bill limiting abortion access and halting diversity efforts AOC shares fear her Threads app was ‘bricked’ five minutes after joining Twitter rival

Actor Brian Cox recently said he dislikes “woke culture,” but apparently also doesn’t like Fox News, either. Cox came up on the Fox News talk show The Five on Thursday. The co-hosts discussed a recent interview with him on Piers Morgan Uncensored: “I think it points out too readily inadequacies. And the whole woke, what we’ve talked about before, the whole woke culture is truly awful.” “He might not be as conservative as I think he might be,” said co-host Dana Perino. The actor played a wealthy right-wing media mogul on the HBO show Succession. “We love having him on the network,” she added before thanking him for appearing on Morgan’s show. However, one of the show’s co-hosts remembered a comment the Scottish actor had made about Fox in a 2021 interview on CNBC: “I don’t even go there, because that’s, like, the devil.” Greg Gutfeld checked on his phone that the actor really had said it before calling his scathing comments “a compliment.” Read More Fox News beset by culture of ‘fear’ after $787.5m defamation payout, ex-host says 'Succession' likely to lead Emmy nominations, but Hollywood strikes could cloud ceremony Disney says ‘politically correct’ Snow White set photos being shared by conservatives are fake

Bank of America was fined $250 million this week by US federal regulators for allegedly harming customers by double-dipping on fees, withholding credit card rewards and opening fake accounts.

Gilgo Beach murders suspect Rex Heuermann appeared in court on Friday as he insisted on his innocence. Mr Heaurmann, 59, was held without bail as prosecutors had sought, citing his recent searches for “sadistic materials, child pornography, images of the victims and their relatives.” Mr Heuermann is accused of murdering Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello — all sex workers in their 20s who disappeared in the Long Island area before their bodies were found during a separate missing person investigation in 2010. The architect, a married father of two who lives in Massapequa Park and works in Manhattan, reportedly broke down in tears during his court appearance. “We just got appointed on this case. There’s not much I can tell you folks at this point in time,” his attorney, Michael Brown told reporters, according to NBC. “I will say to you folks that it’s extremely circumstantial in nature. In terms of speaking to my client, the only thing I can tell you that he did say, as he was in tears, was ‘I didn’t do this.’”

A New York architect accused of murdering three women and dumping their bodies near Gilgo Beach on Long Island allegedly made “taunting” calls to a relative of one of his victims, prosecutors say. Rex Heuermann, 59, was arrested on Thursday and charged with six counts of murder in connection with three of 11 unsolved killings known as the Gilgo Beach murders. Suffolk County district attorney Raymond Tierney wrote in a court filing that the sister of victim Melissa Barthelemy received “taunting calls” near to Mr Heuermann’s office in Midtown Manhattan after her disappearance in July 2009. Mr Heuerman also used the phones of Barthelemy and another victim Maureen Brainard-Barnes to check their voicemails after they disappeared, the district attorney wrote while requesting the suspect be held without bail. Mr Heuerman has been charged with first and second-degree murders of sex workers Barthelemy, 24, Megan Waterman, 22; and Amber Costello, 27, and is considered a “prime suspect” in the murder of Brainard-Barnes, 25. Mr Tierney added that investigators found “no instance” where Mr Heuermann was in a different location from where the womens’ cellphones had been used. During a court appearance on Friday, Mr Heuermann pleaded not guilty to all charges. The bail application detailed disturbing internet search records traced to one of Mr Heuerman’s burner cellphones for “sadistic, torture-related pornography” and child pornography. Investigators say Mr Heuermann also looked up images of the victims and their relatives, and conducted “counter-surveillance” on the criminal investigation on his burner phone. The searches included “why could law enforcement not trace the calls made by the long island serial killer”, and “why hasn’t the long island serial killer been caught”. Mr Heuermann allegedly created an email account under the fictitious name Thomas Hawk, and used it to “repeatedly view hundreds of images depicting the murdered victims and members of their immediate families”. He also used the account to search for podcasts and documentaries about this investigation. Mr Heumann was observed by law enforcement purchasing credit for one of the burners at a cell phone store in Midtown. He used the phones to solicit the services of sex workers and create fake Tinder profiles, authorities say. Law enforcement first identified Mr Heuermann as a suspect in March after his Chevrolet Avalanche was linked to a witness sighting during Costello’s disappearance. Subpoenas and search warrants uncovered records of burner cellphones used to arrange meetings with three of the four victims before they went missing. District Attorney Tierney said the weight of evidence against Mr Heuermann meant that the “only means to ensure (his) return to court is to remand him without bail”. Mr Heuermann, a married father of two, lives in Massapequa Park, near where the victims disappeared from. Read More Rex Heuermann charged with three Gilgo Beach murders as burner phones and truck tie him to serial killings Gilgo Beach murders – live: Long Island serial killer suspect Rex Heuermann charged with killing three Manhattan architect, family man and accused serial killer: Who is Gilgo Beach suspect Rex Heuermann?

Neighbours congregated in shock in Massapequa Park on Friday after the arrest of long-time resident Rex Heuermann in connection with the Gilgo Beach murders, looking on as police loaded and hauled away a black pickup truck and another large, tarped-over piece of evidence on flatbeds. One woman, whose property backs up to that of Mr Heuermann and his wife, told The Independent on Friday: “I really have no comment ... I mean, we’ll all watch it unfold.” Mr Heuermann’s street, First Avenue, is one block from the now-closed Nassau County Police Academy and a stone’s throw from a nature preserve that borders main Long Island thoroughfare Sunrise Highway. One long-time neighbor of the Heuermanns, who has lived a few doors down from the family for more than two decades, told The Independent on Friday that the suspect, his wife and two children were “a very quiet family” who made “no imprint at all” on the local community. “Basically, we never had any contact with him ... living here 22 years and never said two words to him,” she said – while quick to point out that “one bad apple doesn’t spoil the bunch” in a “great neighbourhood.” Mr Heuermann was charged Friday with three counts of murder in connection with the infamous Gilgo Beach killings, which were believed to be the work of a serial killer after the first bodies were found in 2010 along remote stretches of Long Island shoreline. The killer is believed to have claimed at least 10 victims. A 59-year-old architect with an office in Manhattan, Mr Heuermann is married with children and graduated from high school on Long Island. He faces three counts of murder in the first degreee and three in the second degree over the deaths of Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy and Amber Costello. It is not clear what led to the sudden breakthrough in the case over a decade after bodies began being dumped along remote beaches. The Gilgo Beach murders have long stumped law enforcement officials in Suffolk County who believed it could be the work of one or more serial killers who targeted sex workers and dumped their bodies along the remote beaches on Ocean Parkway. The purported serial killer has been linked to up to 11 victims, though authorities have never been able to confirm if the same person was responsible for all. Mr Heuermann was first linked to the cold case in March of 2022 after investigators discovered that a first-generation Chevrolet Avalanche registered to Mr Heuermann was possibly the one spotted by a witness in Costello’s disappearance. As law enforcement closed in on Mr Heuermann, they served more than 300 subpoenas and search warrants that uncovered cellphone records for burner phones used to arrange meetings with three of the “Gilgo Four” victims before they went missing. Further analysis also allegedly link Mr Heuermann to taunting calls made to family members of the victims. A bail application released by the Suffolk County District Attorney revealed that Mr Heuermann was linked to the serial killings through cellphone evidence and surveillance. Prosecutors argued in the application that no bail should be set for Mr Heuermann due to his recent searches for “sadistic materials, child pornography, images of the victims and their relatives.” Read More Rex Heuermann charged with three Gilgo Beach murders as burner phones and truck tie him to serial killings Gilgo Beach murders – live: Long Island serial killer suspect Rex Heuermann charged with killing three Manhattan architect, family man and accused serial killer: Who is Gilgo Beach suspect Rex Heuermann?

Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) appeared to agree with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s assertion that Mexico poses a bigger threat to the US than Russia in a chummy 2024 campaign trail forum. The South Carolina senator joined five other Republican presidential candidates - except for former president Donald Trump - to appear at the forum hosted by Blaze Media, run by former Fox News host Glenn Beck, and the Iowa Family Leader, a socially conservative organisation that candidates frequently court. During the forum, Mr Carlson questioned candidates individually for approximately 25 minutes on current events and policies that voters may be interested in. Mr Carlson, who frequently criticises US support for Ukraine against Russia, began his conversation with Mr Scott by discussing the Ukraine-Russia conflict. The conservative television personality told Mr Scott Russia was not as big of a threat as Mexico. “So Russia is bad, Russia is a threat, Putin is evil. Got it,” he said. “But the total body count from Russia in the United States is right around zero. Like I don't know anyone who's been killed by Russia. I know people personally who have been killed by Mexico.” Mr Carlson specifically cited the fact that fentanyl comes over the US-Mexico border. “The government of Mexico allows fentanyl to be made in its country and to come over our border has remittances from Mexico are a huge part of their economy,” he said. “The Mexican government is a party to the murder of hundreds of 1000s of Americans. So why is Mexico less of a threat than Russia?” Mr Scott appeared to try and split the difference in his response. “I think we can walk and chew gum at the same time,” he said before adding that he sponsored legislation that would freeze the assets of the Mexican cartels to cut off the flow of fentanyl. “I do agree with you that 70,000 Americans losing their lives on an annual basis is an existential threat to America that we can solve,” he said. “We don't have to choose.” In response, Mr Carlson asked Mr Scott if he would support placing a tariff on Mexico to hurt its economy. “So you use every tool available to stop fentanyl coming across our border,” Mr Scott said. The South Carolina Senator advocated for building “the wall” – the southern border policy that Mr Trump ran his 2016 campaign on and promised to execute during his time in the White House. Reports indicate approximately 49 miles (79 km) of “the wall” was newly built during Mr Trump’s presidency. In addition to “the wall” Mr Scott said the US should close the southern border and install surveillance equipment to keep an eye on any people trying to enter illegally. Read More Biden campaign raised twice as much as Trump in 2nd quarter of 2023 Trump news – live: Jared Kushner and Hope Hicks testify in Jan 6 probe as Hunter Biden issues warning to Trump DeSantis to become 1st GOP candidate to file for South Carolina primary during visit next week Tucker Carlson and Mike Pence clash in heated exchange over Ukraine at GOP 2024 forum Tucker Carlson to launch new media company on Twitter, report says He was a loyal Fox viewer before he starred in a conspiracy theory. Now he’s suing

Former Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson on Friday appeared to lose his patience with former vice president Mike Pence after the 2024 presidential candidate refused to back down from his support for arming Ukraine’s defence forces. Mr Pence and Carlson, who spoke for approximately 26 minutes as part of a GOP candidate forum in Iowa sponsored by Blaze Media and the Family Leader social conservative organisation, spent roughly half of their discussion sparring over Mr Pence’s view of the nearly 18-month-old war, which the ex-vice president described in stark terms based on his two visits to the region. The ex-Fox News host, who before his firing in April used his prime time programme to rail against US support for Kyiv while frequently parroting Russian government talking points, attempted to bait Mr Pence into denouncing the Ukrainian government for what he described as mistreatment of Christians. Carlson was referring to a series of actions by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who since the start of the war has imposed internal economic sanctions on a number of clergy from the Russia-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The UOC is an offshoot of the pro-Kremlin Russian Orthodox Church, which is headed by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who according to Forbes was listed in Soviet archives as an agent of the KGB. After the former television presenter accused Mr Zelensky of having “raided convents, arrested priests [and] effectively banned[ing] a denomination,” Mr Pence replied that he had “raised that issue” with the head of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, who he said had “assured” him that Mr Zelensky’s government “was respecting religious liberty even while recognising that they were very small elements of the Russian Orthodox Church that were being utilised for the purpose of advancing the Russian cause in Ukraine”. “The leader of the church at St Michael's in Kyiv told me personally that he he believed that this Zelensky government was respecting religious liberty, and I must tell you, other than the sanctity of life, there's no higher priority in my life than preserving the freedom of religion in America and championing religious liberty around the world,” he said. Carlson, who became rather irate at Mr Pence’s answer, asked the former vice president how “a Christian leader” such as himself “could support the arrest of Christians for having different views,” at which point Mr Pence said the church leader he’d spoken to in Kyiv had “assured [him]” that no one in Ukraine was being persecuted for their religious beliefs. The fired Fox presenter became yet more flustered when Mr Pence launched into a full-throated defence of American and European efforts to arm Ukraine’s defence forces, telling Carlson that what he’d seen during his visits there was “not just evidence of war” but of “evil”. After Mr Pence said he believes it is in American interests to continue supporting Ukraine, Carlson began to raise his voice and accuse Mr Pence of “plodding over” the “treatment of Christians” there. The former vice president interjected, telling Carlson: “The problem is you won’t accept my answer!” “I just told you that I asked the religious leader in Kyiv if it was happening, you asked me if I raised the issue, and I did. And I'm saying I also raised it with the Ukrainians, and I was told that there are there are religious leaders who have been working with the Russian military that is murdering people by the thousands,” he said. Read More Ukraine tells ‘clown’ Tucker Carlson to check his facts after pro-Kremlin rant in first Twitter show Tucker Carlson calls Ukraine’s Jewish leader ‘rat-like’ as he launches new Twitter show with pro-Kremlin rant Tucker Carlson receives a job offer from Russian state TV after Fox News firing Tucker Carlson doesn’t know why he was fired from Fox News but suggests his views on Ukraine were a ‘red line’ Volodymyr Zelensky: Year of tragedy and turmoil that turned comedian president into ‘Ukraine’s Churchill’ The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

New York architect Rex Heuermann is facing charges in the murders of three Gilgo Beach victims, court documents released by the Suffolk County District Attorney on Friday revealed. Mr Heuermann, 59, is accused of murdering Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello — all sex workers in their 20s who disappeared in the Long Island area before their bodies were found during a separate missing person investigation in 2010. The women’s remains along with the body of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, who is also believed to be one of the “Gilgo Four,” were found within one-quarter mile of each other, similarly positioned and bound in a similar fashion by either belts or tape. The unsolved murders sent fear through the shoreline community of Gilgo Beach for more than a decade. Few developments were made in the case until earlier this year, when the Suffolk County Police Department, New York State Police, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI revamped the probe into the killings that ultimately led to Mr Heuermann’s bombshell arrest outside his Midtown office on Thursday. A bail application released by the Suffolk County District Attorney revealed that Mr Heuermann was linked to the serial killings through cellphone evidence and surveillance. Prosecutors argued in the application that no bail should be set for Mr Heuermann due to his recent searches for “sadistic materials, child pornography, images of the victims and their relatives.” This is a breaking story ... check back for developments.

Federal prosecutors under supervision of Special Counsel Jack Smith have reportedly spoken with top election officials in Pennsylvania and New Mexico as part of the Justice Department probe into Donald Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election. According to CNN, Mr Smith’s team has in recent months conducted interviews of Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt and New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, with both officials providing information on “matters related to the 2020 election”. Mr Schmidt, who spoke with prosecutors in March, is a Republican who served as a Philadelphia City Commissioner during the 2020 election. He was named to his current post by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. CNN reported that prosecutors questioned Mr Schmidt about issues he encountered during the post-election period in 2020, including how he was impacted by misinformation about alleged voter fraud spread by Mr Trump and his allies. Last June, he told the now-defunct House January 6 select committee that he became the target of a slew of death threats from the then-president’s supporters after Mr Trump began attacking him in a series of tweets “became much more specific, much more graphic” after the then-president called him a “RINO” and a “disaster on the massive election fraud and irregularities which took place in Philadelphia”. The special counsel’s team has been speaking with election officials in swing states won by President Joe Biden in his 2020 contest with Mr Trump as part of their probe into the twice-impeached, now twice-indicted ex-president’s effort to remain in office against the will of voters. CNN also reported that Mr Smith’s team has sent subpoenas to officials in all seven of the states — Georgia, New Mexico, Nevada, Michigan, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — that were targeted by Mr Trump as he sought to reverse his losses to Mr Biden in each jurisdiction. Mr Smith and his team has also met with the top election officials from Michigan and Georgia, Jocelyn Benson and Brad Raffensperger. In an interview with the network, Ms Benson said prosecutors she spoke to appeared to be focused on how misinformation spread by Mr Trump’s allies affected election workers, as well as the “threats that emerged from that from various sources”. Read More Special counsel issues criminal warning to Trump Organization employee over alleged obstruction, report says Prosecutors say there is ‘no reason’ to delay Trump documents trial until after 2024 election Jared Kushner and Hope Hicks have testified in front of grand jury investigating Jan 6, reports say