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A former ringleader and three members of a neo-fascist gang that one member called the “foot soldiers for the right” were convicted on treason-related charges for plotting to unleash a violent assault in the halls of Congress. More than two years after the attack, former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and four other men connected to the far-right group – known for their black-and-yellow outfits – appeared in a federal courtroom in prison-orange jumpsuits to face what could be the longest sentences yet in connection with the violent siege. On 4 May, following a four-month trial and six days of jury deliberation, Tarrio and three of four other Proud Boys associates on trial alongside him were found guilty of seditious conspiracy, among other charges stemming from a violent attempt to throw 2020 presidential election results into chaos. Their combined prison sentences total more than 80 years in prison. In a sentencing memo, prosecutors said the men “organized and directed a force of nearly 200 to attack the heart of our democracy” and “intentionally positioned themselves at the vanguard of political violence in this country.” “The defendants understood the stakes, and they embraced their role in bringing about a ‘revolution.’ They unleashed a force on the Capitol that was calculated to exert their political will on elected officials by force and to undo the results of a democratic election,” prosecutors wrote. “They failed. They are not heroes; they are criminals.” US District Judge Timothy Kelly sentenced Tarrio to 22 years in prison, by far the longest sentence to date among the hundreds of people charged in connection with the Capitol attack, reflecting his singular role organizing members of a mob that threatened American democracy on 6 January, 2021. Now-former Proud Boys leaders Ethan Nordean and Joe Biggs to 18 years and 17 years in prison, respectively, marking what are now the second- and third-longest sentences yet. Zachary Rehl was sentenced to 15 years in prison, and Dominic Pezzola – the only member of that group who was not convicted of seditious conspiracy – was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Fifteen people connected to the January 6 attack, including the leader of the far-right militia group the Oath Keepers, have either been convicted by a jury or pleaded guilty on charges of seditious conspiracy in the aftermath of the riots – major victories from a sprawling investigation from the US Department of Justice into hundreds of Capitol riot cases. Tarrio’s verdict marked the first successful seditious conspiracy conviction against a January 6 defendant who was not physically at the Capitol that day. Tarrio and Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes – who was sentenced to 18 years in prison, now tied with Nordean for the longest sentence connected to January 6 – are among the highest-profile figures in the Justice Department’s efforts, which have netted more than 1,000 arrests and more than 700 convictions to date. Prosecutors have argued that both men fuelled violence and radicalized followers with a constant drumbeat of conspiracy theories echoing Donald Trump’s baseless narrative that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him. During the Proud Boys trial, prosecutors presented hundreds of pieces of evidence from the days leading up to the January 6 attack, revealing the group’s toxic rhetoric, culture of violence and damning messages depicting a gang “that came together to use force against its enemies,” according to prosecutors. Prosecutors argued that the Proud Boys were not merely obedient followers of the former president’s commands but were preparing for “all-out war” to undermine millions of Americans’ votes and upend a democratic election to preserve his presidency. “These defendants saw themselves as Donald Trump’s army, fighting to keep their preferred leader in power no matter what the law or the courts had to say about it,” Conor Mulroe, a trial attorney for the Justice Department, told jurors in closing arguments. Tarrio, Biggs, Nordean and Rehl were found guilty of seditious conspiracy after conspiring to forcefully oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power, a jury found. All four men, as well as Pezzola, were also found guilty of obstruction of an official proceeding. Four of them – all but Pezzola – were also found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, civil disorder and destruction of government property. Pezzola also was found guilty of robbery and assaulting, resisting or impeding police. Defence attorneys argued that there was no conspiracy to join the attack, an event they characterised as a spontaneous act of rage fuelled by then-President Trump’s demands. “It was Donald Trump’s words. It was his motivation,” attorney Nayib Hassan told jurors in closing arguments. “It was not Enrique Tarrio. They want to use Enrique Tarrio as a scapegoat for Donald J Trump and those in power.” The ‘foot soldiers of the right’ The group, founded in 2016 by Vice co-founder turned far-right commentator Gavin McInnes, has exploited white male aggression, weaponized semi-ironic posturing and relied on a veneer of drinking clubs to launder white nationalist, antisemitic and anti-LGBT+ tropes that lead to real-world violence. Across his platforms, Mr McInnes “carved out an ideological space for frustrated young men to rally around” by arguing for the superiority of white western culture and against white liberal “guilt”, feminism, Islam and LGBT+ people, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Over the last several years, the Proud Boys have emerged as a “fascistic, right-wing political bloc” relying on street-level violence in concert with right-wing media and Republican elected officials, according to SPLC senior research analyst Cassie Miller. In the wake of January 6, as the group decentralized, members have harassed drag queen story-telling events at libraries and amplified “groomer” smears aimed at LGBT+ people. Proud Boys have been central to a wave of attacks and threats against drag performers and the people and venues that host them, according to a recent report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. Proud Boys chapters targeted 60 such events, with more than half resulting in physical and verbal clashes, the report found. Jeremy Bertino, a former North Carolina Proud Boy who served as a key witness for the government during the trial, said the group emerged as the “foot soldiers of the right” against antifascist demonstrators. Bertino is the only Proud Boy to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy. Canadian authorities have designated the Proud Boys as a terrorist organisation. Members also participated in “Stop the Steal” rallies across the US following Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election – including a rally on 12 December, 2020 in Washington DC, where members of the gang were filmed tearing down and burning Black Lives Matter banners at historically Black churches. Rioters destroyed two Black Lives Matter banners at Metropolitan AME and Asbury United Methodist Church. Tarrio was wanted in connection with the destruction. He was arrested shortly after landing in Washington DC on 4 January, two days before the attack, which he watched unfold from a Baltimore hotel room after he was barred from re-entering the nation’s capital. Trump’s ‘call to arms’ and January 6 Then-President Trump invoked the group’s name during the first 2020 presidential debate on 29 September after debate moderator Chris Wallace repeatedly asked the president to denounce white supremacism. Mr Trump asked for a name. Joe Biden, standing beside Mr Trump on the debate stage, suggested the Proud Boys. “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by, but I’ll tell you what, somebody’s got to do something about antifa and the left because this is not a right-wing problem,” Mr Trump replied. “This is a left-wing problem.” After his comments, Mr Biggs wrote on the social media platform Parler that “President Trump told the Proud Boys to stand by because someone needs to deal with antifa ... well sir! we’re ready!!” “Standing by, sir,” Tarrio wrote on Twitter. Mr Trump’s remarks turned into a kind of catchphrase that quickly spread across far-right online spaces. Proud Boys-related T-shirts and other items with the phrase appeared in online shopping sites shortly after the debate. Bertino testified to the House select committee investigating January 6 that Mr Trump’s comments were a “call to arms” that helped swell the groups’ ranks “exponentially” afterward. Proud Boys activity “has been strongly correlated with the fortunes of former President Trump,” according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, noting that 97 of the 152 demonstrations involving Proud Boys in 2020 “were explicitly in support of then-President Trump.” That includes at least 79 demonstrations after Mr Trump’s “stand back and stand by” remarks. “If Biden steals this election, [Proud Boys] will be political prisoners,” Tarrio wrote on social media 16 November, 2020, days after media outlets projected Mr Biden’s victory. “We won’t go quietly. … I promise,” he wrote, according to prosecutors. Days later, he wrote: “No Trump...No peace. No quarter.” During a sentencing hearing on 29 August, US District Judge Tim Kelly ran through messages used as evidence during the Proud Boys trial depicting members of the group using violence as a recruitment tool and then weaponizing their recruits. Biggs took Mr Trump’s comments as a signal to “f*** up antifa”. Nordean said it was time to “f****** rage.” Rehl called for “firing squads” for “traitors” who want to “steal” the election. Tarrio said media coverage warning of Proud Boys’ threats of civil war should be “careful what the f*** you ask for”. “We don’t want to start one,” he wrote, “but we sure as f*** finish one.” Tarrio also possessed a document called “1776 Returns” with plans to occupy “crucial buildings” in Washington, including House and Senate office buildings, on January 6. “We need many people as possible inside these buildings,” the document states. “These are OUR buildings, they are just renting space. We must show our politicians We the People are in charge.” Before he was arrested on 4 January, Tarrio wrote to Biggs: “Whatever happens … make it a spectacle.” Biggs, Nordean and Rehl marched with a group to the Capitol and broke through barricades. Pezzola seized a riot shield from an officer and used it to break a window, through which the first members of the mob entered the Capitol, according to the indictment. Tarrio wrote he was “proud of my boys and my country.” “Brother, You know we made this happen,” Bertino wrote to Tarrio that day. “We influenced people, the normies, enough to stand up for themselves to take back their country and take back their freedom,” he later testified during the trial. “We were always talking about being the tip of the spear, and that was just another example of us leading the way and leading by example. Follow us.” This story was first published on 29 August and has been updated with developments Read More Who is Enrique Tarrio? Ex-Proud Boys leader faces longest prison sentence yet for January 6 Seattle Proud Boys leader who led mob to Capitol on January 6 sentenced to 18 years in prison Proud Boy shouts ‘Trump won’ as he’s sentenced to 10 years in prison for Jan 6 crimes Proud Boy Joe Biggs sentenced to 17 years in prison for Jan 6 seditious conspiracy Philadelphia Proud Boys leader sentenced to 15 years in prison for Jan 6 crimes Trump, January 6 and a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election: The federal investigation, explained

A Florida man was arrested after a bizarre three-day standoff at sea with the US Coast Guard for trying to cross the Atlantic in a human-powered hamster wheel. Reza Baluchi faces federal charges after he was found 70 miles off the Georgia coast with Hurricane Franklin taking aim at the eastern seaboard, reported The Daily Beast. The USS Coast Guard cutter Valiant was in the region when they spotted Mr Baluchi and intercepted him. When questioned during the 26 August incident Mr Baluchi said he was heading for London on his vessel. “Based on the condition of the vessel – which was afloat as a result of wiring and buoys – USCG officers determined Baluchi was conducting a manifestly unsafe voyage,” the criminal complaint filed in US District Court in Florida states. Mr Baluchi then allegedly threatened to kill himself with a 12-inch knife if anyone tried to arrest him and also claimed to have a bomb onboard his craft. On 28 August, after days of trying to get Mr Baluchi to board Coast Guard vessels, he admitted that he did not have a real bomb and a day later officers were able to get him to disembark. The suspect was brought ashore on 1 September at the USCG Base in Miami Beach, Florida. It is reportedly not the first time Mr Baluchi has tried an extreme voyage on his vessel. Court documents state that he has attempted voyages in similar vessels in 2014, 2016 and 2021, all of which have ended with Coastguard intervention. In 2021 he made national news when he tried a journey from Florida to New York but washed ashore after just 25 miles. He faces charges of obstruction of a boarding, and violation of a Captain of the Port order. Read More Marine veteran heroically rescues swimmer caught in rip current Teen passenger who fell overboard from world’s largest cruise ship is identified as search continues Tourists shot dead after straying from Morocco to Algeria while jetskiing

Danelo Cavalcante was convicted of murder charges last month for brutally stabbing his former girlfriend to death in front of her children. Less than two weeks after receiving a life sentence, the 34-year-old sparked fresh terror as he broke free from a Pennsylvania jail. A massive manhunt is now underway to locate Cavalcante, who is to be considered “extremely dangerous”. Cavalcante was found guilty of the murder of Deborah Brandao on 16 August - more than two years after he stabbed her 38 times with a kitchen knife in Schuylkill Township back in April 2021. Prosecutors said he killed Brandao to stop her from telling police about an active arrest warrant he was facing for another alleged murder in his home country of Brazil in 2017. Just days into beginning his life sentence for Brandao’s killing, Cavalcante broke free from the Chester State Prison on the morning of 31 August. Here is everything we know about Cavalcante and his escape: The escape Cavalcante escaped from the Chester County Prison in Pocopson Township, Pennsylvania, at around 8.50am on Thursday (31 August). The escaped murderer was last captured on camera at Longwood Gardens in East Marlborough Township, Chester County, on Monday (4 September.) He travelled north at around 8.21pm and was then spotted coming past the camera again at 9.33pm local time. As a result, police have now shifted and expanded the police perimeter and shuttered nearby schools. The images show that Cavalcante has obtained a backpack and a hooded sweatshirt during his escape. Cavalcante has been seen at the intersection of Routes 926 and 52, north on Route 52 to Parkersville Road, southeast to Route 926 and west to the intersection of Routes 926 and 52 in Pocopson Township, police said. There have also been two reported burglaries in the area that police have investigated, but these are not currently confirmed to be linked to the escaped prisoner. However, Lt Colonel George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police said that the incidents “are of interest to us”. In an image previously released by the Chester County District Attorney, Cavalcante was wearing pants, a light-coloured t-shirt, white sneakers and a backpack. He is described as having long, black curly hair and police said his “appearance has remained unchanged.” Local authorities received a report of an attempted burglary in the area just an hour before Cavalcante was captured on surveillance, but it is not immediately clear if he was involved. Police haven’t disclosed the circumstances of how Cavalcante managed to escape Chester State Prison and have said the incident remains under investigation. “A search of the prison and surrounding area is currently being conducted,” the Chester County’s district attorney’s office initially said. “Notification of the escape has been communicated to all residents within a six-mile radius of the prison. Chester County Detectives and the Pennsylvania State Police are conducting a thorough county-wide search, and prison officials are conducting an internal investigation.” Given the danger around the situation, residents have been asked to “remain indoors at this time. Lock your vehicles. Review your surveillance cameras and contact police if you observe anything suspicious,” DA Deb Ryan said. The manhunt Police put out a poster with images of Cavalcante, both caught on the CCTV footage and a picture of him from prison. Authorities said in a “case outline” that there would be a “combined reward” of $5,000 from the US Marshals Service and $5,000 from Chester County. “Danelo Souza Cavalcante is wanted by Chester County Detectives, Pennsylvania State Police and the United States Marshals Service (USMS) for escaping from the Chester County “Prison on 8/31/2023. Cavalcante is also wanted for homicide in Brazil. He is a Brazilian national fluent in Portuguese and Spanish,” the wanted poster reads. Authorities said law enforcement teams, including the US Marshals, SWAT and other federal agencies, have joined the search to find Cavalcante. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports US Marshal Supervisory Agent Robert Clark said Friday that the agency had received more than 100 tips from residents. It was reported by the outlet that the marshals employed helicopters, drones and other resources to search for Cavalcante in the heavily wooded areas near the prison. Law enforcement also blasted a message from his mother, speaking in Portuguese, into his hiding place from police helicopters and patrol cars. Robert Clark, supervisory deputy US Marshal for the Easter District of Pennsylvania spoke at a conference explaining why these tactics were being deployed. “As desperate as he is, maybe he has a change of thought and hears his mother telling him to surrender, and his family cares about him,” Mr Clark said. “Perhaps this is what puts him over the edge where we can get a peaceful surrender.” While Mr Clark did not confirm the exact wording of the message to Cavalcante, he said that the killer’s mother was urging him to turn himself in to authorities. “She’s just encouraging that his family loves him, and that she wants him to surrender. And that’s what our hope is as well,” he said. The murder Cavalcante was convicted of the murder of 33-year-old Deboral Brandao on 16 August after the jury deliberated for just 15 minutes. He was sentenced to life in prison on 22 August. Cavalcante and Brandao reportedly met through mutual friends and moved in together with her two children not long after their two-year relationship began. Prosecutors outlined his domestic abuse against Brandao during the trial. It was reported that in June 2020, Cavalcante bit Brandao on her lip hard enough to draw blood and chased her and her children out of their home. Brandao and her kids hid in a neighbour’s apartment and a warrant was issued by police for Cavalcante’s arrest. However, he did not turn himself in. Later that year, Cavalcante allegedly attacked Brandao again, chasing her with a knife, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Brandao then filed for a temporary abuse order against him, but this lapsed in March 2021 when she did not appear at a hearing. According to evidence presented at the trial, the two kept in touch and police said Cavalcante drove to Brandao’s home to confront her in April 2021. While Brandao’s children, then aged seven and three, were playing nearby, Cavalcante pulled her hair and threw her to the ground. He then began to stab her repeatedly. Brandao was later pronounced dead at Paoli Hospital, the outlet said. Two friends of Cavalcante testified during his trial that they helped the murder convict escape and gave him clean clothes so he could “disappear” for a while. Prosecutors said Cavalcante killed Brandao to stop her from telling police about his outstanding arrest warrant for murder in Brazil. He was captured in Virginia shortly after the stabbing, while police said he was attempting to return to Brazil. Cavalcante is described as a 5 foot Brazilian man with light complexion, shaggy, black curly hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information about Cavalcante’s current whereabouts is asked to call 911 or the US Marshals’ Tipline at 877-WANTED-2. Read More Escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante spotted on surveillance camera in Pennsylvania Attorney for Gilgo Beach murder suspect’s children hits back at claims family knew about alleged crimes Oklahoma police deputy arrested after he allegedly shot wife and fellow officer

Lori Vallow’s defence attorneys have filed a notice of appeal a month after she was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of her two children and her husband’s former wife. After a grueling weeks-long trial, the so-called “Doomsday Mom” was found guilty in May of killing 7-year-old Joshua "JJ" Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan. Their bodies were found buried in the backyard of her husband Chad Daybell. Daybell is also awaiting trial on murder charges. The pair got married just weeks after Daybell’s wife was found dead.

Elon Musk has threatened to sue the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for billions of dollars after quixotically blaming the Jewish rights organisation for spreading antisemitism on his social media platform X. The self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist”, who has amplified and reinstated neo-Nazi and far-right accounts since acquiring X, formerly known as Twitter, for $44bn last year blamed the ADL for “destroying” $22bn in the company’s value in a series of posts on Monday. “Since the acquisition, The ADL has been trying to kill this platform by falsely accusing it & me of being anti-Semitic,” Mr Musk wrote. He claimed that the site’s United States advertising revenue was down 60 per cent “primarily due to pressure on advertisers by ADL”. “If this continues, we will have no choice but to file a defamation suit against, ironically, the ‘Anti-Defamation’ League.” An ADL spokesperson told The Independent in a statement that it did not comment on legal threats, but added that Mr Musk was helping to boost a coordinated “Ban the ADL” campaign being waged by self-declared antisemites. “ADL is unsurprised yet undeterred that antisemites, white supremacists, conspiracy theorists and other trolls have launched a coordinated attack on our organisation. This type of thing is nothing new,” the ADL spokesperson said. “Such insidious efforts don’t daunt us. Instead, they drive us to be unflinching in our commitment to fight hate in all its forms and ensure the safety of Jewish communities and other marginalised groups.” Mr Musk’s threats to sue the ADL, a century-old NGO that describes itself as the “leading anti-hate organisation in the world”, were met with anger and disbelief from some commentators on X. “In his pursuit of some kind of utopian free speech universe, Elon Musk has turned Twitter / X into a free-for-all for Neo Nazis and White Extremists to unleash a torrent of unprecedented antisemitism and Jew hatred,” wrote Israeli human rights lawyer Arsen Ostrovsky. NYU professor Ruth Ben-Ghiat posted: “So it's the Jews manipulating others. Elon Musk that is so original!” Since Mr Musk’s takeover, advertisers have fled the platform or reduced their ad spend as hateful content was allowed to spread unchecked. Mr Musk, the world’s richest person with an estimated net wealth of $248bn, fired an estimated 80 per cent of its workforce, including most of its content moderators, and reinstated previously banned accounts. X’s US advertising revenue over a five-week period from April to May this year came to $88m, a 59 percent decrease from one year ago, according to the New York Times. In August, X filed a lawsuit against the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) after it published a report showing that moderators had failed to take action on 99 out of 100 examples of harmful content by verified “blue check” users that the organisation had flagged. “Musk is trying to ‘shoot the messenger’ who highlights the toxic content on his platform rather than deal with the toxic environment he’s created,” CEO Imran Ahmed said in a statement. “CCDH has no intention of stopping our independent research – Musk will not bully us into silence.” The Independent attempted to reach Mr Musk through X, Tesla and via a personal email address but did not hear back. Read More Elon Musk calls Burning Man ‘best art on Earth’ amid chaos that saw thousands stranded and one dead Elon Musk promotes transphobic content as hate speech surges on his far-right platform X threatens to sue researchers who accused Twitter of allowing ‘hate to prosper’ on platform

Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges in Georgia connected to a sprawling case surrounding Donald Trump’s attempts to subvert the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. John Eastman, a Trump-linked attorney and chief architect of a plot to unlawfully swap presidential electors for Joe Biden with Trump loyalists, and former assistant US Attorney General Jeffrey Clark have also pleaded not guilty and waived their Fulton County court appearance that was scheduled for 6 September. They join 16 other defendants in the case, including the former president, who have pleaded not guilty to the mountain of charges against them, including an alleged racketeering scheme prosecuted under the state’s RICO statute. Only Misty Hampton, the former elections director in Georgia’s Coffee County, has yet to enter a plea. Former Coffee County Republican Party chair Cathy Latham, former Georgia Republican Party chair David Shafer, and current state Senator Shawn Still – all of whom were among the 16 fake electors – also entered not guilty pleas on 5 September and waived their appearances. The former president and his 18 co-defendants were formally booked earlier this month on a range of charges connected to an alleged criminal enterprise orchestrated by then-President Trump and his allies to overturn election results, one of the largest criminal cases yet against the former president to date for crimes allegedly committed while he was in office. Last week, Mr Meadows testified in US District Court in Atlanta as part of his effort to move the state case out of Fulton County and into federal court, marking one of the first courtroom battles between the 19 defendants and prosecutors under Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. It also marked some of his first public statements in months, and his first as a criminal defendant. His surprise testimony in federal court on 28 August comes two weeks after a grand jury indictment presented the largest and most significant case yet facing Mr Trump and others who allegedly “knowingly and willfully joined a conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election” to ensure he remained in power. He faces two counts in the sprawling 41-count indictment outlining dozens of acts that encompass the conspiracy: one count of violating Georgia’s RICO statute, and one count of solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer. Attorneys for Mr Meadows have asked for the “prompt removal” of the case from Fulton County, citing federal law that allows US officials to remove civil or criminal trials from state court over alleged actions performed “under color” of their offices, with Mr Meadows performing such acts during his “tenure” as White House chief of staff, they wrote in court filings. The Georgia case is separate from the US Department of Justice investigation and federal charges against Mr Trump for his efforts to subvert the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. US District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington DC set a tentative trial date in that case for 4 March, 2024 – one day before Super Tuesday primary election contests. This is a developing story Read More Trump hits back at push to ban him from 2024 race: Live updates Trump angrily refutes claim that 14th amendment disqualifies him from being president again Ashli Babbitt’s mother makes death threat against officer who shot daughter on Jan 6 and Nancy Pelosi Mark Meadows grilled on witness stand over Trump’s Georgia call to ‘find’ votes and false election claims Georgia official told by Trump to ‘find’ votes testifies phone call was ‘extraordinary’

Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh is demanding a new trial for the murders of his wife and son – claiming that mysterious “newly discovered evidence” has come to light since his conviction. In a bombshell motion filed on Tuesday, his attorneys Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin allege South Carolina Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill tampered with the jury at his trial – because she was driven by fame and a desire to secure a book deal. Details will be revealed at a press briefing at the South Carolina State House near the Court of Appeals in Columbia at 2.30pm local time. The latest development comes one week after the convicted killer lost some of his inmate privileges after he fed information to Fox Nation documentary “The Fall of the House of Murdaugh” without permission from prison officials. In it, Murdaugh’s only surviving son Buster also broke his silence to give his first TV interview. He insisted that he still believes his father is innocent but admitted that he may be a psychopath. Murdaugh is behind bars at the McCormick Correctional Institution where he is serving two life sentences for the 7 June 2021 murders of Maggie and Paul. Read More Alex Murdaugh claims mystery evidence will prove need for new murder trial Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh loses prison privileges over recorded phone call for documentary Buster Murdaugh breaks silence on Stephen Smith killing – and calls father Alex a ‘psychopath’

Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh has accused a South Carolina court clerk of tampering with the jury at his high-profile double murder trial – because she was driven by fame and a desire to secure a book deal. The disgraced legal scion and double murderer filed a motion on Tuesday requesting a new trial on the basis that Walterboro Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill allegedly pressured jurors on the case. In the motion, Murdaugh’s attorneys Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin claim that Ms Hill “tampered with the jury by advising them not to believe Murdaugh’s testimony and other evidence presented by the defense, pressuring them to reach a quick guilty verdict, and even misrepresenting critical and material information to the trial judge in her campaign to remove a juror she believed to be favorable to the defense”. Specifically, they claim that the clerk instructed jurors not to be “misled” by evidence presented by the defence and told jurors not to be “fooled by” his testimony. The motion also claims that Ms Hill had frequent private conversations with the jury foreperson – with the pair often disappearing to private rooms for five to 10 minutes at a time. “During the trial, Ms Hill asked jurors for their opinions about Mr. Murdaugh’s guilt or innocence,” the motion reads. “Ms Hill invented a story about a Facebook post to remove a juror she believed might not vote guilty. “Ms Hill pressured the jurors to reach a quick verdict, telling them from the outset of their deliberations that it ‘shouldn’t take them long.’” Murdaugh’s attorneys claim that she “betrayed her oath of office for money and fame” and, off the back of her work on the case, secured a deal for a book titled “Behind the Doors of Justice”. “She did these things to secure for herself a book deal and media appearances that would not happen in the event of a mistrial,” the motion claims. Just hours after they returned a guilty verdict, his attorneys allege Ms Hill flew with jurors to New York as some of the panellists waived their anonymity to appear on NBC’s Today show. In conclusion, they claim that the court clerk’s actions violated “Murdaugh’s constitutional right to a fair and impartial jury”. Further details are expected to be shared by Murdaugh’s attorneys at a press conference on the grounds of the South Carolina State House in Columbia at 2.30pm local time on Tuesday afternoon. The duo – who are longtime friends of the killer and represented him at his high-profile murder trial – had announced on Monday that new evidence had come to light since his March conviction over the brutal 7 June 2021 slayings. Murdaugh is currently behind bars at the McCormick Correctional Institution in South Carolina where he is serving two life sentences for his wife and son’s murders. Last week, it emerged that Murdaugh had lost some of his prison privileges after he fed information to a Fox Nation documentary without permission. South Carolina Corrections Department officials said on Wednesday that, during a jailhouse phone call on 10 June, Mr Griffin had recorded him reading aloud entries from the journal he had kept during his double murder trial. Mr Griffin had then handed over the recordings to producers working on the new Fox Nation documentary about his high-profile case titled “The Fall of the House of Murdaugh”. Prison policy prohibits inmates from talking to the media without permission because the agency “believes that victims of crime should not have to see or hear the person who victimized them or their family member on the news,” state prisons spokesperson Chrysti Shain said in a statement. The media interview violation, along with another violation for using a different inmate’s password to make a telephone call, are prison discipline issues and not a crime, Ms Shain said. As a result, the disgraced legal scion has had his phone privileges revoked and his prison tablet computer confiscated. Murdaugh also lost his ability to buy items in the prison canteen for a month. He will now have to get permission from prison officials to get another tablet, which can be used to make monitored phone calls, watch approved entertainment, read books or take video classes, the prison spokesperson said. Mr Griffin was also issued a warning from prison officials that if he knowingly or unknowingly helps Murdaugh violate rules again, he could lose his ability to talk to his client. Phone calls between lawyers and prisoners are not recorded or reviewed because their conversations are considered confidential. But prison officials said they began investigating Murdaugh after a warden reviewing other phone calls heard Murdaugh’s voice on a call made in a different inmate’s account. Murdaugh claimed that his phone password had not been working. He also told the prison investigators about the recorded journal entries, according to prison records. Murdaugh’s use of a jailhouse tablet previously hit headlines when selfie images he took on the device were obtained in a Freedom of Information request by FITS News. In many of the images, the convicted family killer appeared topless. South Carolina prison officials later clarified that the photos are automatically taken as an inmate uses their tablet that is individually assigned to them – as part of inmate monitoring. Now, Murdaugh has lost the use of his tablet indefinitely due to his unauthorised communication with the documentarymakers – which marks his first media interview of sorts since his conviction. His eldest – and now only surviving – son Buster Murdaugh also broke his silence speaking out in his first TV interview as part of the three-part series. In the interview, Buster insisted that he still believes his father is innocent of the murders of his mother and brother – but admitted that he may be a psychopath. Maggie and Paul were found shot dead on the family’s 1,700-acre Moselle estate back on 7 June 2021. Alex Murdaugh had called 911 claiming to have found their bodies. During his high-profile murder trial, jurors heard how Paul was shot twice with a 12-gauge shotgun while he stood in the feed room of the dog kennels on the affluent family’s 1,700-acre Moselle estate. The second shot to his head blew his brain almost entirely out of his skull. After killing Paul, prosecutors said Murdaugh then grabbed a .300 Blackout semiautomatic rifle and opened fire on Maggie as she tried to flee from her husband. During the dramatic six-week trial, Murdaugh confessed to lying about his alibi on the night of the murders but continued to claim his innocence of the killings. The jury didn’t agree and the disgraced legal scion was convicted in March of the brutal murders. Beyond the murder charges, Murdaugh, 55, is also facing a slew of financial fraud charges for stealing millions of dollars from his law firm clients and his dead housekeeper’s family. He is expected to plead guilty on 21 September to federal charges – marking the first time he has pleaded guilty to a crime in court. Murdaugh is also facing around 100 financial charges in state court as well as charges over a botched hitman plot where he claims he paid an accomplice to shoot him dead. Murdaugh’s high-profile conviction also shone a spotlight on some other mystery deaths tied to the South Carolina legal dynasty. Following Maggie and Paul’s murders, investigations were reopened into the 2018 death of the Murdaugh’s longtime housekeeper Gloria Satterfield and the 2015 homicide of gay teenager Stephen Smith. Meanwhile, at the time of his murder, Paul was also awaiting trial for the 2019 boat crash death of Mallory Beach. Read More Alex Murdaugh’s attorneys to unveil ‘mystery evidence’ as he demands new murder trial – live updates Buster Murdaugh breaks silence on Stephen Smith killing – and calls father Alex a ‘psychopath’ Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh loses prison privileges over recorded phone call for documentary

The manhunt for convicted killer Danelo Cavalcante has now widened and local schools have been shuttered after he was spotted on trail camera footage breaking past a police parimeter on Monday night. Cavalcante, 34, escaped from Chester County Prison, Pennsylvania, on Thursday days after he was sentenced to life without parole for stabbing his ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandão, 31, to death in front of her two small children. He is also wanted for a 2017 murder in Brazil. During the six-day search for the escaped prisoner, multiple sightings have been reported with law enforcement setting up a two-mile parimeter around a wooded area where he was believed to be holed up. On Monday, officials then broadcast a message from the killer’s mother urging her son to surrender. But, in a morning update on Tuesday, police revealed that Cavalcante had been caught on camera managing to sneak past the parimeter the night before. As a result, police have now expanded the police parimeter and shuttered the Kennett Consolidated School District in Chester Count “out of abundance of caution”. Members of the public have been urged to secure their homes, outbuildings and vehicles from the dangerous killer. Read More Search for escaped murderer prompts Pennsylvania school closures after mother’s surrender message Manhunt for dangerous fugitive hones in on heavily wooded area after four sightings Danelo Cavalcante killed his girlfriend in front of her children. Now he’s on the run after a prison break

Pennsylvania police have shuttered local schools “out of abundance of caution” as the search for escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante enters its sixth day. In a memo sent to parents, the Kennett Consolidated School District in Chester County said that schools across the district would be closed on Tuesday as the “search situation” to find the convicted killer has now changed. “We were informed early this morning by law enforcement that the search situation has evolved and out of an abundance of caution, schools and offices will be closed today,” Superintendent Dr Dusty Blakey said in the letter. “We understand that situations like these can be unsettling. The safety and security of our KCSD community remains our top priority. We are committed to taking all necessary precautions and measures to ensure the safety of our students and staff.” The Spt urged the community to stay informed about the situation which continues to rapidly evolve. In a press conference on Tuesday morning, officials said that Cavalcante had been caught on a trail camera on Monday night managing to escape the two-mile radius which had been surrounded by law enforcement. The escaped murderer was captured on the trail camera at Longwood Gardens in East Marlborough Township, Chester County, at 8.21pm travelling one direction. He was then spotted coming past the camera again at 9.33pm local time. As a result, police have now shifted and expanded the police parimeter and shuttered nearby schools. The images show that Cavalcante has obtained a backpack and a hooded sweatshirt during his escape. Members of the public were urged to secure their homes, outbuildings and vehicles and to contact police if they spot the killer. The latest sighting comes hours after authorities broadcast a message from the killer’s mother into the wooded area where was believed to be holed up. Cavalcante, 34, escaped from Chester County Prison on Thursday days after he was sentenced to life without parole for stabbing his 33-year-old ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandão to death. The killer attacked Brandão in Schuylkill Township, back in August 2021, in front of her two children, who were just seven and three years old. He is also wanted for a murder in 2017 in Brazil. Following his prison escape and huge manhunt to find him, the search has been reduced down to a two-mile radius of a heavily wooded area in Pocopsen Township, Chester County, where Cavalcante is believed to be currently hiding. On Monday, law enforcement resorted to a new tactic of blasting a message from his mother, speaking in Portuguese, into his hiding place from police helicopters and patrol cars. Robert Clark, supervisory deputy US Marshal for the Easter District of Pennsylvania spoke at a conference on Monday afternoon, explaining why these tactics were being deployed. “As desperate as he is, maybe he has a change of thought and hears his mother telling him to surrender, and his family cares about him,” Mr Clark said. “Perhaps this is what puts him over the edge where we can get a peaceful surrender.” While Mr Clark did not confirm the exact wording of the message to Cavalcante, he said that that the killer’s mother was urging him to turn himself into authorities. “She’s just encouraging that his family loves him, and that she wants him to surrender. And that’s what our hope is as well,” he said. The new tactic comes as District Attorney Deb Ryan announced in a press briefing on Monday that the Pennsylvania State Police were taking over the investigation and search for Cavalcante. “The goal right now is to find and capture this dangerous fugitive. We are doing everything in our power to get this guy,” said DA Ryan. Since the manhunt started, there have been four credible sightings of the escaped inmate. Cavalcante has been seen at the intersection of Routes 926 and 52, north on Route 52 to Parkersville Road, southeast to Route 926 and west to the intersection of Routes 926 and 52 in Pocopson Township, police said. There have also been two reported burglaries in the area that police have investigated, but these are not currently confirmed to be linked to the escaped prisoner. However, Lt Colonel George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police said on Monday that the incidents “are of interest to us”. Lt Col Bivens was the last person to spot Cavalcante on Sunday afternoon. From now on, he said authorities plan to use “stress” tactics, such as sharing his mother’s message, to help find him. “I intend to stress him. I want to push him hard. He’ll make mistakes,” he said. “He’ll show himself. He’s already shown himself, we believe, a few times.” Cavalcante is described as a 5 foot Brazilian man with light complexion, shaggy, black curly hair and brown eyes. After his escape, he was seen wearing a light-coloured shirt, pants, and white sneakers. He was also carrying a backpack, but police said they are unsure when or where he obtained the bag. Law enforcement teams, including the US Marshals, SWAT, local, state, and other federal agencies, have joined the search to find him. Authorities are also offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to Cavalcante’s arrest. The public is urged not to approach Cavalcante if they see him, as he is considered dangerous. His escape comes after another prisoner escaped from Chester County prison earlier this year. “The prison is very aware of whatever vulnerabilities they had, and they have made efforts to correct those vulnerabilities,” the district attorney said. Read More Escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante spotted on surveillance camera in Pennsylvania Danelo Cavalcante killed his girlfriend in front of her children. Now he’s on the run after a prison break Manhunt for dangerous fugitive hones in on heavily wooded area after four sightings

By Carolina Pulice Former Americanas Chief Executive Miguel Gutierrez has denied in a letter sent to congressional investigators

A Dallas teenager was charged with murder just hours after an AMBER Alert was issued for the girl when she briefly went missing under “suspicious circumstances.” The Friday morning alert for 17-year-old Natalie Navarro was cancelled when she was found safe, but in a bizarre twist, she now faces a murder charge. Ms Navarro and the suspect in her reported disappearance, 21-year-old Yordy “Jordy” Martinez, are both wanted in the 29 August shooting death of Arturo Pena, also 21. Pena’s body was found in a vehicle along West Oates Road in Audubon Park in Garland, Texas last week. He had been reported missing to the Dallas Police Department on 27 August. Both Ms Navarro and Mr Martinez had warrants out for their arrest in connection to Pena’s death when the AMBER Alert was issued. Further details about Ms Navarro’s arrest were not released and Garland police say they are still “trying to figure out exactly” how the three individuals knew each other. Mr Martinez is feared to have fled across the US-Mexico border and remains at large. He has a criminal history that includes a felony indictment for allegedly shooting a gun into a house in Garland last November. “There’s a lot of stuff going out, we’ve collected a lot of evidence, so we’re trying to process everything right now,’ Lt Richard Maldonado of the Garland Police Department said. “The reason why this happened, we’ve yet to totally determine that,” he added about a potential motive. “We hope to get more when we talk to Natalie to see exactly what was going on if these persons knew each other, if they had a relationship, if there was a falling out.” Anyone with information on Mr Martinez’s location or Pena’s murder is asked to call the Garland Police at 972-485-4840 Read More Manhunt for dangerous fugitive hones in on heavily wooded area after four sightings BTK serial killer’s chilling drawings released amid search for new victims Moment alleged teen killer smiles at camera after double murder arrest