List of All Articles with Tag 'us crime news'

A California judge accused of fatally shooting his wife during an argument while he was drunk has claimed her killing was an accident. Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson is free on a $1m bail and must wear an electronic tracking bracelet in the state’s Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties after pleading not guilty in court. The 72-year-old judge was arrested on 3 August in the affluent Anaheim Hills neighbourhood 45 miles southeast of Los Angeles after his adult son called the police. When officers arrived at the home they found his wife, Sheryl Ferguson, dead from at least one gunshot wound. Prosecutors say that the couple began arguing at a restaurant and that the fight between them continued when they got back to their home, reported CBS News. Court papers state that the judge made a threatening hand gesture towards his wife “indicative of pointing a gun at” her. Investigators say that hIs wife replied something along the lines of “Why don’t you point a real gun at me?” And the judge allegedly pulled out a Glock 0.40 pistol from an ankle holster and shot her in the chest. Court filings say that their son and Judge Ferguson called 911, and the judge also texted his court clerk and bailiff admitting he had shot his wife. “I just lost it. I just shot my wife. I won’t be in tomorrow. I will be in custody. I’m so sorry,” the filing states he texted. Following his arrest he was arraigned in Los Angeles after state officials were asked to decide if there was a conflict of interest in him being dealt with by courts in Orange County, His next court hearing is scheduled for 30 October. The suspect has been a judge since 2015 after beginning his career in the Orange County district attorney’s office in 1983. He and his wife were married in 1996 and have two adult sons, according to CBS Los Angeles. Read More California judge charged in wife's murder expected to appear in Los Angeles court Former 'Family Feud' contestant Timothy Bliefnick gets life for wife's murder Testimony set to start in trial of 2 white Mississippi men charged in shooting at Black FedEx driver

The elaborate sexual extortion plot that led to 17-year-old Jordan DeMay’s death unravelled in less than six hours. In the early morning of 25 March 2022, the teenager died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, after being gripped by fear that his nude photos would be shared with the world. The exchange that led to the tragedy was initiated by three men far across the Atlantic posing as a woman on Instagram. The trio, who American prosecutors have since identified as Nigerian brothers Samuel and Samson Ogoshi, and Ezekiel Ejehem Robert, allegedly convinced the minor to send the explicit photos and then blackmailed him for $1,000. Jordan, known by loved ones for his passion for sports and kind-hearted nature, only managed to send $300. Despite telling the Instagram profile carrying out the extortion that he was seriously considering suicide as a result of the extreme duress he was being subjected to, the revolting threats continued to come. “There wasn’t really a chance for him to reach out or for us to stop anything because it happened in the middle of the night,” Jordan’s mother Jennifer Buta tells The Independent. “Losing a child is the worst thing that I could have ever imagined. For the first day, I was just banging my head asking, ‘What happened to my son?’ Because I saw him the night before. I talked to him the night before and when I started my day, he was gone.” The suspects were indicted earlier this year in Michigan, marking a rare instance in which federal authorities have successfully managed to prosecute one of the alarming growing number of sextortion schemes targeting young men in the US. The Ogoshi brothers were extradited to the US on Monday and are expected to appear in court in Grand Rapids for a bond hearing on Thursday. ‘I can’t imagine what Jordan went through’ Jordan was a senior student nearing graduation at Marquette Senior High School when he died. He played basketball and football and had worked hard to physically recover after suffering an injury during his freshman year. “He loved music ... We travelled a lot with basketball so some of my memories, my favourite memories with him are being in the car and listening to the music. Both of us singing, dancing around,” Ms Buta said. “He had a lot of friends and was really good at connecting with people. He wanted to be everybody’s friend.” His suicide came as a shock to his parents, who scrambled to process the sudden loss and work out what could have possibly driven their lighthearted, always-in-good-spirits son to kill himself. Jordan had deleted any messages on his phone that might have alerted his parents or authorities to the extortion scam before he died – but, a day after his death, one of his friends told his mother that they had received his nudes. “Once [law enforcement] got a hold of it, they were able to start digging and get some records from Instagram,” Ms Buta said. “It gave us like answers as to what did happen. What Jordan went through that evening ... as a mom, I can’t imagine how scared he was ... the torture. It makes me feel sick to think about it.” According to prosecutors, Samuel Ogoshi, 22, Samson Ogoshi, 20, and Mr Robert, 19, gained access to an Instagram account by the name of “dani.robertts”. While impersonating the user, they allegedly encouraged Jordan and more than 100 other victims to send them nude photographs. “I have screenshot all ur followers and tags can send this nudes to everyone and also send your nudes to your Family and friends Until it goes viral… All you’ve to do is to cooperate with me and I won’t expose you,” Samuel Ogoshi allegedly wrote. In a series of texts encouraging Jordan to kill himself after Jordan only paid $300, the social media account responded: “Good/Do that fast/Or I’ll make you do it.” Cyber ‘sextortions’ lead to dozens of suicides The number of reported sextortion cases carried out overseas and targeting Americans have increased in alarming numbers in recent years. In May, the FBI issued a national public safety alert to warn parents after seeing a tenfold increase in online sexual blackmail cases. According to the bureau, 3,000 children were victims of sextortion plots that were connected to more than a dozen suicides in 2022. “These crimes have had devastating effects on children and their families,” FBI San Francisco Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan said in the statement. “We need to disrupt these criminals by making potential victims and their parents aware of the sextortion threat. Parents and guardians should talk to their children about the dangers of online communication, and the importance of speaking up if anyone makes them feel uncomfortable or threatened.” The Justice Department announced earlier this year that agents from the bureau had travelled to Nigeria to conduct a cooperative investigation with the African country’s law enforcement officials regarding Jordan’s case. Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) then arrested Samuel and Samson Ogoshi and Mr Robert. The indictment against the three men was announced in May and, late last month, a Nigerian judge ordered the Ogoshi brothers to be extradited to the US. The process was finalised earlier this month after the Nigerian solicitor-general signed the final surrender order. Both Ogohsi brothers face charges of conspiracy to sexually exploit minors, distribution of child pornography and stalking. Samuel Ogoshi is also charged with sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death and faces a minimum sentence of 30 years in prison if convicted. Mr Robert is currently awaiting extradition to the US. Ms Buta said she plans to attend the Ogoshis’ hearing on Thursday as she spoke of her gratitude to US authorities. “This is a huge undertaking and accomplishment for our justice system and the FBI. I am so grateful for it and so grateful for the cooperation that they had from their counterparts in Nigeria and the Nigerian Government,” she said. Raising awareness Since her son’s death, Ms Buta has been in touch with other families who have lost their children under similar circumstances. “His dad and I agreed that we needed to let everybody know about this. To let our community know because everyone was affected by this and everybody’s thinking, ‘What did we miss? Here we have this homecoming king who is happy and took his own life ... If we didn’t know about this and we were talking about it with our son, we were certain that other parents weren’t having this conversation and they needed to sit down and have that conversation immediately,” she said. She says she now hopes that by sharing Jordan’s story, other teens going through similar experiences will realise that help is there. “I get messages weekly from parents that this happened to their child and that their child came to them and spoke to them and they were able to stop what was going on,” Ms Buta told The Independent. “Because it’s happening so frequently and because of the sensitivity and the embarrassment factor ... we need to talk about it from all ends of the country. [It happens] in the middle of the night to these young kids. They just aren’t ready to handle a situation.” Jordan was larger than life and always cared for others, his mother said. He was an older brother to four sisters whom he enjoyed sharing his time with and planned to attend Michigan University to study athletic training. “I want my son to be remembered as that smiling kid, there’s one picture out. One of the things that Jordan would say to people was ‘I got you.’ Meaning, ‘I have your back.’ And this is something that friends and family in our community, we’ve really latched on to,” Ms Buta said. “It’s something that we say to each other to provide support. And in a way, Jordan is saying, ‘I got you,’ by us sharing his story and being able to change how these cases are handled.” She added: “And sending a message to the people that are engaging in this that if you are doing it, you can be caught. You’re not just a face on the other side of the computer.” If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you. Read More Michael Oher’s rags-to-riches story inspired millions in The Blind Side. Now he says it wasn’t true Two years on, I’m haunted by the moment the Taliban brought death to Kabul

A man in Utah has been arrested after allegedly posing as a doctor and making at least $2m by selling a fake cure for Covid-19. He evaded arrest for almost three years. Gordon Hunter Pedersen, 63, who lives in Cedar Hills, Utah, was arrested last week on Wednesday after he was charged in 2020 with seven felonies, including mail and wire fraud, selling of misbranded drugs with intent to defraud and mislead, the US attorney’s office in the state said on Monday. He allegedly sold a "structural alkaline silver" online and claimed that the drug "resonates or vibrates at a frequency that destroys the membrane of the (COVID-19) virus, making the virus incapable" of infecting humans, court documents said. He posed to his customers as an "anti-ageing medical doctor" with PhD degrees in immunology and naturopathic medicine, it said. A warrant for Mr Padersen was issued in August 2020 when he failed to appear in a court for the indictment, leading to a three-year manhunt. The arrest in the case comes a month after he was spotted on surveillance camera footage at a gas station around 40 miles south of Salt Lake City. Mr Padersen promoted his fake cure through YouTube videos, Facebook posts, podcasts and websites, wearing a white lab coat with “Dr” monogrammed on it. “There is no drug that man has made that can do the same,” he said in his podcast interview in March 2020. “If you have the silver in you, when the virus arrives, the silver can isolate and eliminate the virus,” he added. He maintained that his silver product can destroy Covid-19 virus in an interview with federal agents but acknowledged that his credentials were exaggerated. He had been promoting a cure for diseases such as arthritis, diabetes and pneumonia, since 2014. But he substantially profited between January and April 2020 when he made approximately $2m in sales from the company he co-owned, My Doctor Suggests, according to court records. The US District Court for Utah filed a restraining order against Mr Pedersen to stop him from selling the products by labelling them cure-alls, the Justice Department said at that time. Following three years of evading authorities, Mr Pedersen was identified by a Food and Drug Administration special agent on 5 July, while he was in a vehicle registered under his wife’s name, Julia Currey, according to prosecutors. The agent tracked the vehicle to a gas station, where Mr Pedersen was captured on a surveillance camera, as stated by prosecutors. His indictment was part of a task force created by attorney general Merric Garland in 2021 to prosecute businesses and entities that tried to “profit unlawfully from the pandemic. His lawyer is yet to comment on the development. Read More Marjorie Taylor Greene addresses online conspiracy theory linking her to Jan 6 pipe bomber Trump claims mystery press conference report clears him of Georgia election charges – live updates Trump shares moody new video with poem voiceover about ‘suffering to win’

Brian Laundrie’s family will be deposed this week in a civil lawsuit filed by Gabby Petito’s parents for causing emotional distress when the doomed couple was considered to be missing. Joe Petito and Nichole Schmidt claim Christopher and Roberta Laundrie knew Gabby was dead when she vanished in August 2021 while on a road trip with their son Brian, but chose not to take any action other than saying they hoped she would be found. They are set to be questioned by the Laundries’ legal counsel team, as well family attorney Steven Bertolino, who is also named in the suit, according to WFLA. It’s not yet known if the Laundries will be present for the depositions, but if they are, it’ll be the first time the two sets of parents have come face-to-face since Laundrie’s suicide shortly after Gabby was murdered. Cassie Laundrie, Brian Laundrie’s sister, is the only family member who has spoken publicly since Gabby’s death. “Obviously me and my family want Gabby to be found safe,” Cassie Laundrie said in 2021. “She’s like a sister and my children love her, and all I want is for her to come home safe and sound and this to be just a big misunderstanding.” She is set to be questioned by the legal team for Mr Petito and Ms Schmidt on 6 November as part of the series of depositions leading up to a trial in May 2024 in Sarasota County court. The Petitos sued Brian Laundrie’s parents, accusing them of knowing that their son had murdered Gabby and then helped him with the coverup for nearly a month before her body was found in western Wyoming in September 2021, causing mental anguish, pain and suffering. Gabby, 23, was reported missing in August 2021. She had been on a road trip with her fiancé Brian, who returned to his Florida home without her. The couple had traveled by van across the US in the summer of 2021, visiting scenic places in Colorado and Utah before heading north. They documented their trip in detail, in real time, on social media. But their happy travels were not as they made it out to be online. Police in Moab, Utah, pulled over the van after it was seen speeding and hitting a curb at the entrance to Arches National Park in August 2021. Petito told police she and Laundrie had been fighting. Officers separated the couple for the night and didn’t pursue charges. Petito’s body was found a month later near a campground on the edge of Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park. A coroner determined she’d been strangled a few weeks earlier. A month later, Laundrie was found dead in Florida. Earlier this year, a handwritten note by Roberta Laundrie in an envelope that read “burn after reading” was released after a Florida judge ruled that it could be used as evidence in a lawsuit. The undated note reportedly informed her son that she would “dispose of a body” if needed because she loved him so much, according to copies of the note shared publicly by attorneys for Petito’s parents. The letter reads in part: “We will always love each other. If you’re in jail, I will bake a cake with a file in it. If you need to dispose of a body, I will show up with a shovel and garbage bags.” Roberta Laundrie claims in a sworn statement in the Florida case that she gave it to her son just before he and Petito left on a cross-country van trip. “I was trying to connect with Brian and repair our relationship as he was planning to leave home," the statement said. “I had hoped this letter would remind him how much I loved him.” The Petito family expressed doubt about Roberta Laundrie’s claimed timing of her letter, suggesting it was in fact written after Petito’s death. Read More Mother of man who killed Gabby Petito said in letter she would help son 'dispose of a body' Bombshell letter where Brian Laundrie’s mother vowed to ‘dispose of body’ is given to Gabby Petito’s parents Brian Laundrie’s mom ‘offered to bake him a cake with a shiv’ if he was jailed for Gabby Petito murder

A new sketch of the last known victim of the notorious “Candy Man” serial killer Dean Corll has been released 50 years after he was discovered in a mass grave. For decades, the young man whose mutilated body was found in belted brightly-colored swim trunks has only been known as “Swimsuit Boy” or “John Houston Doe” – but now officials are hoping the new sketch will finally be able to give the victim his name back. The facial rendering was released by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) last week, on the 50th anniversary of the day many of the bodies were found in mass graves on 9 August 1973. Corll, who was infamously nicknamed “The Candy Man” because he was known to hand out free candy to kids at his parents’ candy store, terrorised young men in the Houston area in the early 1970s. Between 1970 and 1973, Corll and his accomplices David Owen Brooks, then 17, and Elmer Wayne Henley, then 18, kidnapped, tortured, raped and killed at least 28 males between the ages of 13 and 20. It’s believed the number of slayings, known as the “Houston Mass Murders,” were far more than 28. The victims’ remains were found after Henley led Houston police to a boat storage shed, where 17 bodies were found wrapped in plastic or sheets and buried under a layer of lime plaster, according to Dean Corll: The True Story of The Houston Mass Murders: Historical Serial Killers and Murderers, by Jack Rosewood. On 8 August 1973, a day before the bodies were found, Henley shot and killed 33-year-old Corll with the killer’s own .22 pistol, allegedly screaming: “I can’t go on any longer! I can’t have you kill all my friends!”, Texas Monthly reported. Henley admitted direct involvement in six of the killings, and is serving six consecutive terms of 99 years of imprisonment with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. He will be eligible for parole in October 2025 at the age of 70. Brooks died from COVID-19 in 2020 in a Galveston hospital while serving a life sentence. Over the past 50 years, investigators have been able to identify 27 of Corll’s known victims, giving each of “The Lost Boys” a name – except one – John Doe 1973. The latest attempt to identify the final victim from the 1970s horror was revived this year after Corll’s house was razed in February. At least eight victims were shot and killed at that house, officials have said. John Doe, who police believe was white possibly Hispanic, and between 15 and 18 when he was killed, was one of the 17 bodies found at the boat shed, according to NCMEC’s website. He was found with belted “Catalina” swim trunks that had bright red, turquoise, gold, and dark blue stripes. The shorts also had the letter "C" with golden wings on the silver buckle. The victim was wearing a khaki-colored long sleeved 70s style shirt that tied in the front, with a large red, white, and blue peace symbol and the letters “USA.” Dark blue corduroys, a knotted leather ankle bracelet, and brown leather cowboy boots that were 12 inches in length and had the word "NEOLITE" on the heel, were also found. It was later determined that the young man had a mild form of spina bifida, according to NCMEC. Carol Schweitzer, supervisor of NCMEC’s Forensic Services Unit, said they “remain hopeful that this young man’s family and friends are still looking for him.” “This young man’s friends and classmates would be in their late 60s to early 70s, and we hope that this new imagery reaches them and helps bring in that one single lead needed to resolve this case,” Ms Schweitzer said in a statement. “He may have siblings, cousins, classmates, neighbors, or friends who have always wondered what happened to him. This young man’s friends and classmates would be in their late 60s to early 70s and we hope that this new imagery reaches them and helps bring in that one single lead needed to resolve this case.” Anyone with information on “John Doe 1973,” is asked to call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST or the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences and reference case number ML73-3356. Read More California judge charged in wife's murder expected to appear in Los Angeles court Rachel Morin – latest: Bel Air mother-of-five’s killer remains at large as Maryland police step up patrols Alex Murdaugh planned a birthday party for his son Paul from jail 10 months after killing him, book claims

More than a week after mother-of-five Rachel Morin was found dead on a popular trail in Maryland, authorities have yet to make any arrests in the investigation into her death. Morin, 37, was last seen heading to the Ma & Pa Trail at around 6pm on 5 August. Her boyfriend reported her missing that night after she failed to return home and her body was found the following day. On Thursday, Harford County Sheriff’s Office said investigators had been made aware of potential witnesses who may have seen Morin on the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air on Saturday. The witnesses – either three men, two women and two dogs or two men, three women and two dogs – were urged to come forward. Officials said that these individuals had been identified and were contacted by investigators. A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office told The Independent on Tuesday that the department had increased patrol on the Ma & Pa Trail area to reassure the community in the aftermath of Morin’s tragic death, but noted that there is no perceived threat at this time. Read More Rachel Morin was found dead on a popular Maryland hiking trail. Her sister says she ‘did not go willingly’ Rachel Morin’s mother breaks silence on daughter’s killing Man who described grisly state of Rachel Morin’s body never actually saw it, sheriff says

Six white former police officers pleaded guilty on Monday to state charges for torturing two Black men. The men had sworn an oath to protect and serve were huddled on the back porch of a Mississippi home as Michael Corey Jenkins lay on the ground, blood gushing from his mutilated tongue where one of the police officers shoved a gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger. The roughly 90-minute period of terror preceding the shooting began late on January 24 after a white neighbor called Rankin County Deputy Brett McAlpin and complained that two Black men were staying with a white woman inside a Braxton home. McAlpin tipped off Deputy Christian Dedmon, who texted a group of white deputies who called themselves “The Goon Squad,” a moniker they adopted because of their willingness to use excessive force. “Are y’all available for a mission?” Dedmon asked. They were. Five of the former officers are from Rankin County Sheriff’s Office – Chief Investigator Brett McAlpin, Narcotics Investigator Christian Dedmon, Lieutenant Jeffrey Middleton, Deputy Hunter Elward, and Deputy Daniel Opdyke – while one is from the Richland Police Department, Narcotics Investigator Joshua Hartfield. Some of the group calls themselves the “Goon Squad,” as they were known for “using excessive force and not reporting it.” All pleaded guilty to state charges of obstruction of justice and conspiracy to hinder prosecution. Each reached individual plea agreements that include prison sentences ranging from five to 30 years, according to court records obtained by the Associated Press. The guilty pleas to the state charges arrive just over a week after all six men also pleaded guilty to 16 federal felonies “stemming from the torture and physical abuse” of two Black men. They will be sentenced for the federal charges in mid-November. According to the Justice Department’s release earlier this month, the officers admitted kicking in a door and entering a home belonging to two Black men – Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker on 24 January – without a warrant. The two men were handcuffed and arrested – without probable cause to believe they had committed any crime. The officers “called them racial slurs, and warned them to stay out of Rankin County,” according to the release. The officers reportedly “punched and kicked” Mr Jenkins and Mr Parker, “tased them 17 times, forced them to ingest liquids, and assaulted them with a dildo.” Court records detail how they burst into a home without a warrant, handcuffed Jenkins and Parker, assaulted them with a sex toy and beat Parker with wood and a metal sword. They poured milk, alcohol and chocolate syrup over their faces and then forced them to strip naked and shower together to conceal the mess. Then one of them put a gun in Jenkins’ mouth and fired. As Jenkins lay bleeding, they didn’t render medical aid. They knew the mission had gone too far and devised a hasty cover-up scheme that included a fictitious narcotics bust, a planted gun and drugs, stolen surveillance footage and threats. The deputies were under the watch of Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey, who called it the worst episode of police brutality he has seen in his career. On top of other torturous behaviour, the former officers devised a cover-up, involving making false statements and charging the two men with crimes they did not commit, but also neglected to provide medical aid to them. Law enforcement misconduct in the U.S. has come under increased scrutiny, largely focused on how Black people are treated by the police. The 2020 killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police ignited calls for sweeping criminal justice reforms and a reassessment of American race relations. The January beating death of Tyre Nichols by five Black members of a special police squad in Memphis, Tennessee, led to a probe of similar units nationwide. In Rankin County, the brutality visited upon Jenkins and Parker was not a botched police operation, but an assembly of rogue officers “who tortured them all under the authority of a badge, which they disgraced,” U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca said. The county just east of the state capital, Jackson, is home to one of the highest percentages of Black residents of any major U.S. city. A towering granite-and-marble monument topped by a Confederate soldier stands across the street from the sheriff’s office. The officers warned Jenkins and Parker to “stay out of Rankin County and go back to Jackson or ‘their side’ of the Pearl River,” court documents say, referencing an area with higher concentrations of Black residents. Kristen Clarke, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said the trauma “is magnified because the misconduct was fueled by racial bias and hatred.” She mentioned another dark chapter in Mississippi law enforcement: the 1964 kidnapping and killing of three civil rights workers. The violent police misconduct is a reminder “there is still much to be done,” Clarke said. Read More Former Mississippi officers expected to plead guilty to state charges for racist assault Alabama riverfront brawl videos spark a cultural moment about race, solidarity and justice Civil suit can continue against corrupt former deputy linked to death of Mississippi man

Six white former police officers pleaded guilty on Monday to state charges for torturing two Black men. The men had sworn an oath to protect and serve were huddled on the back porch of a Mississippi home as Michael Corey Jenkins lay on the ground, blood gushing from his mutilated tongue where one of the police officers shoved a gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger. The roughly 90-minute period of terror preceding the shooting began late on January 24 after a white neighbor called Rankin County Deputy Brett McAlpin and complained that two Black men were staying with a white woman inside a Braxton home. McAlpin tipped off Deputy Christian Dedmon, who texted a group of white deputies who called themselves “The Goon Squad,” a moniker they adopted because of their willingness to use excessive force. “Are y’all available for a mission?” Dedmon asked. They were. Five of the former officers are from Rankin County Sheriff’s Office – Chief Investigator Brett McAlpin, Narcotics Investigator Christian Dedmon, Lieutenant Jeffrey Middleton, Deputy Hunter Elward, and Deputy Daniel Opdyke – while one is from the Richland Police Department, Narcotics Investigator Joshua Hartfield. Some of the group calls themselves the “Goon Squad,” as they were known for “using excessive force and not reporting it.” All pleaded guilty to state charges of obstruction of justice and conspiracy to hinder prosecution. Each reached individual plea agreements that include prison sentences ranging from five to 30 years, according to court records obtained by the Associated Press. The guilty pleas to the state charges arrive just over a week after all six men also pleaded guilty to 16 federal felonies “stemming from the torture and physical abuse” of two Black men. They will be sentenced for the federal charges in mid-November. According to the Justice Department’s release earlier this month, the officers admitted kicking in a door and entering a home belonging to two Black men – Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker on 24 January – without a warrant. The two men were handcuffed and arrested – without probable cause to believe they had committed any crime. The officers “called them racial slurs, and warned them to stay out of Rankin County,” according to the release. The officers reportedly “punched and kicked” Mr Jenkins and Mr Parker, “tased them 17 times, forced them to ingest liquids, and assaulted them with a dildo.” Court records detail how they burst into a home without a warrant, handcuffed Jenkins and Parker, assaulted them with a sex toy and beat Parker with wood and a metal sword. They poured milk, alcohol and chocolate syrup over their faces and then forced them to strip naked and shower together to conceal the mess. Then one of them put a gun in Jenkins’ mouth and fired. As Jenkins lay bleeding, they didn’t render medical aid. They knew the mission had gone too far and devised a hasty cover-up scheme that included a fictitious narcotics bust, a planted gun and drugs, stolen surveillance footage and threats. The deputies were under the watch of Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey, who called it the worst episode of police brutality he has seen in his career. On top of other torturous behaviour, the former officers devised a cover-up, involving making false statements and charging the two men with crimes they did not commit, but also neglected to provide medical aid to them. Law enforcement misconduct in the U.S. has come under increased scrutiny, largely focused on how Black people are treated by the police. The 2020 killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police ignited calls for sweeping criminal justice reforms and a reassessment of American race relations. The January beating death of Tyre Nichols by five Black members of a special police squad in Memphis, Tennessee, led to a probe of similar units nationwide. In Rankin County, the brutality visited upon Jenkins and Parker was not a botched police operation, but an assembly of rogue officers “who tortured them all under the authority of a badge, which they disgraced,” U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca said. The county just east of the state capital, Jackson, is home to one of the highest percentages of Black residents of any major U.S. city. A towering granite-and-marble monument topped by a Confederate soldier stands across the street from the sheriff’s office. The officers warned Jenkins and Parker to “stay out of Rankin County and go back to Jackson or ‘their side’ of the Pearl River,” court documents say, referencing an area with higher concentrations of Black residents. Kristen Clarke, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said the trauma “is magnified because the misconduct was fueled by racial bias and hatred.” She mentioned another dark chapter in Mississippi law enforcement: the 1964 kidnapping and killing of three civil rights workers. The violent police misconduct is a reminder “there is still much to be done,” Clarke said. Read More Former Mississippi officers expected to plead guilty to state charges for racist assault Alabama riverfront brawl videos spark a cultural moment about race, solidarity and justice Civil suit can continue against corrupt former deputy linked to death of Mississippi man

A Texas woman has been awarded more than one billion dollars after explicit images of her body were shared on porn websites by her former partner. Attorneys for the woman, who is only identified in court documents as Jane Doe, told ABC News that the $1.2bn award was more than what they were expecting. The woman filed her civil lawsuit in Harris County Civil Court in April 2022, alleging that her ex-boyfriend Marques Jamal Jackson had shared her nudes on fake Twitter, Facebook and YouTube profiles. The defence also alleged that Mr Jackson, who did not attend the one-day-long civil trial, then forwarded the profiles to the woman’s friends, family, and colleagues. Deliberations before the jury reached an agreement regarding the award sum — the largest civil verdict in the Lone Star State so far this year — only took 30 minutes. Speaking out following the trial, the woman said having pictures of her naked body shared without her permission had left her traumatised. “This type of experience is devastating,” the woman told ABC. “It’s extremely painful. It’s hurtful. It’s embarrassing and you fear that either something will trigger and it will start again or that the previous effort inspired someone new and then they might start.” According to court documents obtained by KHOU 11, the woman and Mr Jackson met in 2016 and went on to have a four-year relationship. When they broke up in 2021, Mr Jackson allegedly shared her nudes on Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox, and Pornhub. The woman’s attorney Jacob Schiffer said that Mr Jackson had access to a camera system installed on her mother’s property as well as her login information for several social media and email accounts. Mr Schiffer said Mr Jackson would even hack into the woman’s Zoom meetings to show her nudes. “Every day was me, wake up, I’m checking, I’m trying to prevent it, I’m trying to constrain it,” the woman recounted to ABC. At one point, her attorney told ABC, Mr Jackson reportedly emailed her: “...won’t change the fact that you will spend the rest of your life trying and failing to wipe yourself off the internet. Everyone you ever meet will hear the story and go looking.” The Independent could not find legal representation listed for Mr Jackson. The victim said that she unsuccessfully asked police for help and after a year of living in fear that more of her pictures would be shared online, she hired legal counsel. Mr Schiffer said that while he doesn’t expect Mr Jackson to pay the money, he hopes the hefty sum sends a message. “For the future, anyone thinking of wanting to do this to somebody else that is going to weigh on them like a ball and chain until the date that they’re buried,” Mr Shiffer said. Sharing intimate material without a person’s consent is considered a felony. It is unclear whether the victim plans to file criminal charges. The Independent has reached out to the woman’s attorneys. Read More Four in 10 women have experienced or witnessed sexual harassment on social media, research has found Thirteen-year-old girl is forced to give birth under Mississippi abortion ban How a law associated with mobsters could be central in possible charges against Trump

A Texas man is accused of kidnapping his wife’s lover before beating him to death, wrapping his body in plastic and hiding him in a storage container. Police say that the violence unfolded after Narciso Cruz Banos found out that his wife Francisca Salazar Carrizales was in a relationship with 32-year-old Francisco Antonio Serrano Romero. Investigators say that the victim was found with his arms bound by a belt and that he had been struck and killed with “a blunt object.” The Harris County Sheriff’s Office says that deputies found the body in a “detached structure” at a property in the city of Tomball after the victim’s wife reported him missing. She raised the alarm after speaking to her husband who sounded injured and told her he was going to stay the night at the house of his boss. Officials say that when she called Mr Banos, he told of the alleged affair and said he had pistol-whipped the victim. “Deputies located a detached structure on the property and found what appeared to be a human body, wrapped in plastic, secured with tape, inside the structure,” authorities stated. Mr Banos, who has lived in the Houston area for 30 years, was booked on Sunday on charges of murder, aggravated kidnapping, and tampering with evidence, namely a human corpse. Francisca Carrizales was also charged with tampering with a human corpse and was booked into the Harris County Jail. Neither Mr Banos nor Ms Carrizales, who have two children together, is a US citizen. A $600,000 bond was set for Mr Banos and a $500,000 bond was set for his wife. He was placed under house arrest and the couple may not have any contact with each other. Read More Oklahoma paediatrician identified as pilot severely injured when plane crashed into power lines Teen missing and several people seriously injured in Lake Austin boat crash Tiffany Gomas: Woman in viral plane rant video shares tearful apology to fellow passengers

Timothy Bliefnick made headlines in his hometown of Quincy, Illinois, when he appeared in a 2020 episode of Family Feud. Cheerful, well-dressed, and with a party watching in support from home, Bliefnick answered one of the game show’s prompt questions by joking that the worst mistake on his wedding night was saying “I do”. His answer drew an audible gasp from the audience, with host Steve Harvey quipping that Bliefnick was going to face “a lot of hell to pay” when he got home. Bliefnick rushed to clarify that it “was not his [answer] to say” and that he loved his wife Rebecca “Becky” Bliefnick. “I’m going to get in trouble for that, aren’t I?” Bliefnick told Mr Harvey with a teasing smile. A year after the episode aired, the Bliefnicks filed for divorce. Bliefnick’s next turn in the headlines would come under vastly different circumstances. In March of this year, he was charged with breaking into his estranged wife’s home and shooting her 14 times. On 31 May, Bliefnick was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of home invasion. Prosecutors said the killing marked the end of a long string of domestic violence and threats by Bliefnick against Becky. Bliefnick was convicted on 11 August to spend the rest of his life behind bars. Here is everything we know about the case: The crime Loved ones first became concerned when 41-year-old Becky, a doting mother and travel nurse, failed to pick up her three sons from school on 23 February. Before discovering the gruesome scene, Becky’s father William Postle received a text from Bliefnick, 39, asking him to check if she planned to pick up the children. Mr Postle told jurors at the Adam County Court House on 23 May that he drove to his daughter’s home and found the front door open, which he described as unusual. After finding Becky’s body in the bathroom, he rushed to a neighbour’s house to call 911 as he had forgotten his phone, according to KHQA. Adams County Assistant State’s Attorney Josh Jones said that shell casings found in Bliefnick’s basement matched the casings that were near his wife’s body. Crime scene investigators reportedly found Becky’s DNA in an Aldi bag found at her husband’s home. Prosecutors also claimed that DNA links Bliefnick to the crime scene. Another Aldi bag found at the scene was reportedly used as a homemade gun silencer by the killer. Mr Jones said during opening arguments that Becky spent her last moments “terrified, bleeding, and alone.” For the first week following Becky’s killing, Bliefnick was not charged or arrested in connection with her death. But on 1 March, the Quincy Police Department served a search warrant at his home. Bliefnick denied any involvement but said through an attorney that he was surprised authorities didn’t show up at his door sooner. “Given the circumstances, it is not surprising that the search warrant was issued and executed,” the attorney told local news outlet Muddy River News at the time. “My only surprise is that it took this long to do. It is just as important that QPD conduct such as investigation to rule Tim OUT as a suspect so that investigative efforts can be spent elsewhere.” Bliefnick was ultimately arrested on 13 March, and pleaded not guilty. Throughout the trial, prosecutors presented evidence they say proves Bliefnick was the perpetrator in his wife’s murder - including chilling searches for “how to wash off gunpowder,” “average police response time,” and “how to open a door with a crowbar” in his online history. On 31 March, a jury convicted Bliefnick on all counts related to Becky’s murder - after the defence declined to present any evidence. Jurors deliberated for just four hours before returning the guilty verdict. Now, Bliefnick is facing between 45 years to life in prison at his sentencing in August. Allegations of domestic violence The couple filed for divorce in early 2021, court filings show, following 13 years of marriage. Becky had filed a restraining order against Bliefnick and his father before the alleged murderer decided to also file one against his estranged wife. Mr Jones said during opening arguments that Bliefnick had reportedly told his slain wife that “she would not get his money.” According to the couple’s divorce attorney, Bliefnick was expected to pay $2,100 in maintenance and $472 per month in child support. Another attorney who took over the divorce case said the process was “very contested.” The couple was reportedly also fighting over custody arrangements. Bliefnick reportedly wanted his wife to have a psychiatric evaluation and Becky said it was his wish the children didn’t have any type of contact with her husband’s father. Becky’s boyfriend Ted Johnson also took the stand on 23 May. Testifying for the prosecution, Mr Johnson said that Becky was looking forward to having her difficult divorce finalised. Sarah Rilley, Becky’s sister, told jurors that she had first wanted to remain married to Bliefnick to keep their family together, but in the months leading up to her death had become afraid for her life. “If something ever happens to me, make sure the number one person of interest is Tim. I am putting this in writing that I’m fearful he will somehow harm me,” Becky reportedly texted her sister in 2021. A text Becky sent to a friend in May 2021 read: “He has screamed in my face, he shoved me in front of the kids, and has thrown things across the room where the kids and I were standing.” Another friend of Becky testified on 23 May that she had been told by Bliefnick that she’ll be dead before [having] any of [his] money.” At the time of Becky’s murder, there was a court order for Bliefnick to return a gun to her. He had reportedly told police he didn’t want to do it himself but law enforcement said they couldn’t get involved as it was a court ruling. ‘We’ve watched, waited, and prayed for justice’ Becky is described in her obituary as a compassionate and generous mother who had found her true calling in nursing. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she was a travel nurse at the Northeast Regional Medical Center and Hannibal Regional Hospital in Missouri. Family members and loved ones have also shared memories of the mother-of-three on social media. Following Mr Bliefnick’s arrest in March, a friend of Becky’s wrote on a Facebook post that the slain mother had been consumed by fear in the weeks leading up to her death. “... [W]e’ve watched, waited, and prayed for justice,” the post read. “We have to listen to women when they fear for their or their children’s safety. This could have been prevented. It breaks my heart to know that these boys will grow up without their mama. We have to do better.” A GoFundMe to support Becky’s children has raised more than $100,000. “Despite the circumstances of her death, she is remembered for the life she cherished—a life of compassion, generosity, faith, and fierce love for her family,” the description of the fundraiser read. Bliefnick is sentenced to life in prison Roughly six months after Becky Bliefnick’s killing, her murderer was sentenced to three life terms at a hearing on 11 August. As he handed down the sentence, Adams County Judge Robert Adrian counted to 14 — the number of bullets that Bliefnick unloaded during the attack. “You researched this murder,” Judge Adrian said, according to People. “You planned this murder. You practised this murder. Some of those shots were fired while she was lying on the ground and you did all of that while your children were upstairs at your house, lying snug in their beds.” Bliefnick, who appeared in court wearing orange and white prison scrubs and hand shackles, refused to make a statement. Loved ones of Becky Bliefnick addressed the court and slammed Bliefnick for cutting her life short during their victims’ impact statement. “When you murdered Becky you took from your boys the person who loved them the most on earth,” her grieving mother Bernadette said. “Becky’s family, friends coworkers and patients will never again see her smile, hear her laugh, feel her embrace or receive her love. We are left with emptiness that cannot be filled. We are only left with memories. Your soul is black with hate. Your heart has only love for itself. You should never be allowed to be free again.” Read More Family Feud star faces trial for allegedly shooting wife to death years after joking about marriage on show Bombshell letter where Brian Laundrie’s mother vowed to ‘dispose of body’ is given to Gabby Petito’s parents

A group of potential witnesses seen on the hiking trail where Rachel Morin was killed have now come forward, according to authorities. On Thursday, Harford County Sheriff’s Office said investigators had been made aware of potential witnesses who may have seen Morin on the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air on Saturday. The witnesses – either three men, two women and two dogs or two men, three women and two dogs – were urged to come forward. In an update, officials said that these individuals had been identified and were contacted by investigators. This comes as more than a week has now passed since Morin’s murder and no arrests made. Morin, 37, was last seen heading to the Ma & Pa Trail at around 6pm Saturday. Her boyfriend Richard Tobin reported her missing that night after she failed to return home and her body was found the following day. Her death is being investigated as a homicide. Morin’s family has now invited members of the community to join a walk on the trail in the slain mother-of-five’s memory this week. Read More Rachel Morin was found dead on a popular Maryland hiking trail. Her sister says she ‘did not go willingly’ Rachel Morin’s mother breaks silence on daughter’s killing Man who described grisly state of Rachel Morin’s body never actually saw it, sheriff says