List of All Articles with Tag 'erica'

Escaped prisoner Danelo Cavalcante has been captured after almost two weeks on the run. The convicted killer was tracked down using thermal imaging technology before a Border Patrol tactical team surrounded him at around 8am on Wednesday morning. Law enforcement officials had the “element of suprise” over Cavalcante, police said in a press conference. Pennsylvania State Police Lt Col George Bivens said that Cavalcante began to crawl through heavy underbrush as agents closed in on him. Yoda, a four-year-old Belgium Malinois, then set out to subdue Cavalcante and left the escaped killer with a gnarly scalp wound that bled onto his face. Cavalcante escaped Chester County Prison on 31 August – days after he was sentenced to life for fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandao. He is also wanted for a 2017 murder in Brazil. His escape kicked off a desperate manhunt as he repeatedly evaded authorities. On Tuesday, officials revealed that he had broken into a garage and stolen a firearm. In an interview with The New York Times, Cavalcante’s mother Iracema Cavalcante defended her son’s actions, saying that he killed Brandao after she reportedly threatened to tell American authorities he was being sought by Brazilian police. Read More Where has Danelo Cavalcante been spotted since his Pennsylvania jailbreak? Fugitive Danelo Cavalcante’s mother defends his murders and says ‘everyone is lying about him’ Dog the Bounty Hunter may join search for Danelo Cavalcante

Several current and former elected officials – including Georgia’s two former Republican senators – are on a list of prominent Donald Trump allies who narrowly avoided criminal charges in the state’s sweeping racketeering case against him. The unsealed report from a special purpose grand jury tasked with investigating Trumpworld attempts to overturn the state’s 2020 election results revealed a much wider picture of the subsequent criminal case against the former president and his 18 co-defendants. That report – the product of an eight-month investigation separate from an Atlanta grand jury’s indictment – revealed that grand jurors recommend criminal charges against 39 people for nearly 160 counts of violations against more than a dozen state laws. The list includes Georgia’s two former Republican US senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, but neither of them were charged by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in a sweeping racketeering indictment. How did Mr Perdue and Ms Loeffler – who were sitting members of Congress during the time of the alleged crimes – end up in the crosshairs of the sprawling investigation? Mr Perdue was first elected to office in 2014 and lost his bid for re-election in a closely watched runoff against Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff in the smoldering aftermath of the 2020 election. Ms Loeffler – who was appointed to the seat in 2019 following the retirement of her predecessor – lost a runoff election to Democratic candidate Raphael Warnock. Following Mr Trump’s election loss, all eyes were on Georgia for two races that would determine the balance of party power in Congress – high-stakes elections in which the GOP campaigns were intertwined with Mr Trump’s spurious attempts to claim victory in a state he decisively lost. On the campaign trail leading up to the runoff election day on 5 January, 2021, both candidates promoted their Trump links, refused to acknowledge Joe Biden’s victory, and called for the resignation of Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who was baselessly accused of election “failures” following Mr Trump’s loss in the state. One week after the 2020 election, Governor Brian Kemp issued a joint statement with Lt Governor Geoff Duncan and the state’s House Speaker David Ralston – all Republicans – declaring that any effort to reverse the results through the legislature would lead to “endless litigation.” At a fundraiser on 3 December 2020, Mr Perdue urged the governor to summon lawmakers back to the state Capitol for a special session to overturn Mr Trump’s loss. Two days later, then-President Trump called on Mr Kemp to order a special legislative session among state lawmakers to invalidate the election’s outcome. Mr Kemp refused. At a Georgia rally for the senate candidates that night, Mr Trump baselessly alleged the outcome was manipulated and stolen from him. The governor said that Mr Trump asked him to order an audit of signatures on mail-in ballot envelopes; audits and full hand recounts of the state’s election results repeatedly confirmed Mr Biden’s victory, which also was affirmed and defended by the state’s Republican election officials. “Your people are refusing to do what you ask,” Mr Trump said on Twitter at the time, addressing Mr Kemp. “What are they hiding? At least immediately ask for a Special Session of the Legislature. That you can easily, and immediately, do.” Mr Perdue allegedly spoke daily with Mr Trump before the special election, listening to him unload his gripes, frustrations and bogus allegations surrounding Georgia’s election results and Mr Raffensperger’s refusals to engage Mr Trump. On 2 January, 2021, Mr Trump spoke with Mr Raffensperger on an hour-long conference call in which then-President Trump urged Georgia’s top elections official to “find” enough votes to overturn his loss. That call is central to the indictment facing Mr Trump and his co-defendants in Georgia, as well as a separate indictment from the US Department of Justice surrounding the former president’s attempts to subvert the election’s outcome. Mr Perdue’s term in Congress ended the next day, leaving his seat vacant three days before Congress convened to certify the presidential election results. “Senator Perdue still owes my wife an apology for all the death threats she got after he asked for my resignation,” Mr Raffensperger told Fox News at the time. “I have not heard one peep from that man since. If he wants to call me, face-to-face, man-to-man, I’ll talk to him, off the record, but he hasn’t done that.” Ms Loeffler initially supported efforts among GOP lawmakers to reject the election’s outcome during the joint session of Congress on 6 January, 2021, but she reversed her decision after a mob of then-President Trump’s supporters broke into the US Capitol and stormed the halls in an effort to stop the certification of Mr Biden’s victory. The special grand jury report indicates that then-Senator Perdue was involved with the “persistent, repeated communications directed to multiple Georgia officials and employees” between November 2020 and January 2021. Sixteen jurors voted to indict him on a charge of filing false documents, with one juror voting against and one abstaining. The special grand jury also implicated Mr Perdue and Ms Loeffler under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and the national scheme to overturn 2020 election results, “focused on efforts in Georgia, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania” and Washington DC, according to the report. Seventeen jurors voted to support a RICO indictment against Mr Perdue, with four jurors voting against charges. In the case of Ms Loeffler, 14 jurors supported the charge, while six voted against and one abstained. A footnote in the report notes that one of the dissenting jurors voting against recommending indictments against the senators on the RICO charge “believes that their statements following the November 2020 election, while pandering to their political base, do not give rise to their being guilty of a criminal conspiracy.” In a statement following the release of the special grand jury report, Ms Loeffler said she was “giving voice to millions of Americans who felt disenfranchised in 2020” and that she would not be “intimidated by a two-tiered system of justice that seeks to systematically destroy conservatives across this country.” In 2022, Mr Perdue was enlisted and endorsed by Mr Trump to run for governor of the state against incumbent Mr Kemp. Mr Perdue lost that race as well. Read More Trump’s access to classified documents restricted by Mar-a-Lago case judge in lead up to trial – live Trump waives right to speedy trial as Georgia prosecutor seeks to try him with 18 others next month How did Lindsey Graham, Michael Flynn and others dodge charges in Fulton County indictment? Trump could face an extensive list of trials next year. Here are all the court dates

The University of North Carolina’s Chapel Hill campus was put on lockdown for the second time in two weeks after reports of an “armed and dangerous person”. An alert was sent out at 12.54pm ET, asking students and staff to “go inside now” and to “avoid windows” because of the threat “on or near campus”. The all-clear was put out at 2.10pm. No other official details have been provided on the alert. However, local TV station WRAL reported that police were on the lookout for a suspect involved in an incident at Alpine Bagel at the UNC Student Union after a person was seen with a firearm. The news station reported that one person was eventually arrested just north of the campus. This marks the second terrifying incident at the school in just over two weeks. On 28 August, the campus was on lockdown for hours amid reports of an “armed and dangerous person”. That person was identified as Tailei Qi, a 34-year-old graduate student who allegedly shot and killed Zijie Yan, an associate professor in the Department of Applied Physical Sciences. Read More UNC campus on lockdown over ‘armed and dangerous person’ two weeks after shooting

Alex Murdaugh is set to appear in court this week to face a string of financial fraud charges – in what marks his first court appearance since he was sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul. The convicted killer will attend a status conference before Judge Clifton Newman in Beaufort County on Thursday morning. Two former friends and alleged co-conspirators in his financial crimes – former Palmetto State Bank CEO Russell Laffitte and former attorney Corey Fleming – are also due in court after they were previously convicted of charges. Murdaugh is facing more than 100 state and federal charges over his alleged financial crimes – many of which he admitted to on the witness stand at his murder trial. The court appearance comes as the deadline is looming for the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office to respond to a bombshell motion filed by Murdaugh’s attorneys last week in which they demand a new trial and accused Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill of pressuring jurors to return a guilty verdict against him. The AG’s office had 10 days to respond to this motion – giving them until Friday. Read More An Alex Murdaugh juror gained infamy with a dozen eggs. Now she’s at the centre of his bid for a new trial Will Alex Murdaugh be granted a new trial? Legal expert weighs in Alex Murdaugh accuses ‘fame seeking’ court clerk of jury tampering at his murder trial

The families of two Idaho murders victims have called for cameras to document the trial of suspect Bryan Kohberger. The families of Kayle Goncalves, 21, and Xana Kernodle, 20, broke from prosecutors and called for Mr Kohberger’s trial to be “open to the public to view and watch”. Mr Kohberger is facing the death penalty over the brutal murders of Goncalves, Kernodle and two other University of Idaho students. He is accused of breaking into an off-campus student home on King Road, Moscow, and stabbing Goncalves, Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Ethan Chapin to death with a large, military-style knife in November 2022. It comes after Mr Kohberger filed a motion on 24 August asking the judge to toss cameras from the courtroom. In the defence motion, his attorney Anne Taylor argued that past footage from his court appearances had focused heavily on his crotch. “Mr Kohberger is entitled to defend himself against capital criminal charges without cameras focused on his fly,” his attorney wrote. She added that the media had been warned back in June not to focus solely on Mr Kohberger during the court appearances – but that they had “failed” to comply. A group of media outlets have pushed back on the defence’s request motion, asking the judge to allow cameras to remain in the courtroom for his future hearings and the trial. In response, the group argued that no photographic or film coverage had focused on his fly – pointing out that an image included in the defence motion came from a social media post and not a media outlet’s coverage. “Although Mr Kohberger argues that he is ‘entitled to defend himself against capital charges without cameras focused on his fly,’ that assertion misstates the role that courtroom camera coverage played in the X social media post that appears at page 3 of his motion. No photographs or camera coverage focused on Mr. Kohberger’s ‘fly,’” it states. Prosecuting attorneys have also moved to restrict cameras. Latah County prosecuting attorney Bill Thompson asked the judge to remove cameras during the testimony of “a number of young and vulnerable witnesses,” including two surviving housemates of the four murdered students. The prosecution filed a motion stating that they were “concerned” that cameras “will have a substantial chilling effect on the ability of witnesses to openly, fully and candidly testify about some horrible occurrences.” But the families of the two murdered students have argued that cameras should be permitted in the courtroom to remove the “veil of secrecy” they feel surrounds the case. In a statement, the families said: “It is vitally important that this trial be open to the public to view and watch. “There is an enormous amount of media coverage about this case (some good, some bad) and with that comes the responsibility of the Court to ensure a fair trial. “The thing that is most overlooked in reviewing the motions filed by the State (who took no position in it’s original motion dated June 6, 2023-stating it relied on the discretion of the Court and now is taking a different position) and the Defense is faith in the justice system. “This case is surrounded by secrecy. Everything is either sealed or redacted. The family has not received any discovery on this case or any information about the facts of the case from the State.” The statement continued: “No one knows anything about the case which leads to speculation. That speculation is fueled by the secrecy surrounding everything that is filed and every hearing that is closed off to the media and the public. “Only through independent investigation has the Family been able to get some information. “So it is vitally important that the trial be viewed publicly! It is important to the victims family, relatives, community members and the public that this veil of secrecy be lifted at trial. “This not only ensures accountability for all the parties involved but also helps the public maintain it’s faith in the justice system!” they concluded. The judge will hear arguments on prohibiting cameras from being used during the public trial on 13 September. Mr Kohberger entered a not guilty plea and is asking the judge to throw out the case on the grounds of a biased grand jury, inadmissible evidence, lack of sufficient evidence, and prosecutorial misconduct by withholding exculpatory evidence. His trial had been due to start on 2 October but has now been delayed indefinitely after Mr Kohberger abruptly waived his right to a speedy trial last month. Mr Kohberger is a criminal justice PhD student at WSU. Read More Prosecutors join Bryan Kohberger’s effort to block cameras from Idaho murders trial Bryan Kohberger claims media are ‘focusing on his crotch’ as he demands court camera ban Bryan Kohberger – live: Idaho murders victims’ families react ahead of court hearing about cameras at trial

Pennsylvania state police pose for a group victory photo with Danelo Cavalcante at the forefront, after they caught the escaped killer on Wednesday. A large group of police officers, all dressed in military camouflage uniforms, gathered around the escaped killer for a victory group shot after an exhausting two-week manhunt. In the video, you can see one military personnel hand his phone over to another officer, before all gathering around for a photo with the fugitive. Some officers posed by crouching on the floor, one kneeling with his gun in hand next to Mr Cavalcante. Another officer made sure his police K-9 was in the shot. Mr Cavalcante was in cuffs and held by two police officers who got him into position for the photo. The commentator talking over the live footage said it looks like the photo was “to celebrate the victory of capturing him, then he will be, I guess, returned to prison.” For 14 days, Cavalcante managed to elude hundreds of law enforcement officers, including tactical teams in full combat gear, tracking dogs, cops on horseback and on aircraft. Pennsylvania State Police Lt Col George Bivens had credited Cavalcante’s upbringing in rural Brazil for his ability to hide in the vast wooded terrains in Chester County. The photo marks a nearly two-week manhunt for dangerous murder convict Danelo Cavalcante after he was captured in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania State Police are set to hold a press conference on the capture at 9.30am. The jailbreak on 31 August sparked fear among residents of the county’s suburbs, who were urged to keep their homes secure following a series of break-ins believed to be linked to Cavalcante. On 11 September, fears reached a fever pitch as Cavalcante stole a gun from a garage. Cavalcante managed to get ahold of clothing, food, and even stole a van that he used to drive more than 25 miles from his original hiding spot in Longwood Gardens. He was spotted multiple times throughout the 14-day ordeal and the sightings repeatedly forced law enforcement to expand their search perimeter and prompted three school districts and a popular botanical garden to close. Throughout his escape, Cavalcante showed up at the home of two former associates. Cavalcante escaped from Chester County Prison while awaiting a transfer to state prison. Last month, he was sentenced to life for murdering his ex-girlfriend. Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan previously said that Cavalcante would not be returning to the county prison once he was captured. Cavalcante began his escape at around 8.50am on 31 August while other inmates in the exercise yard played basketball. He stretched his body to fit the length of a hallway and “crab-walked” onto the roof. He then climbed over razor wire and jumped from the roof. It was only nearly an hour later that correction officers realised an inmate was missing during a head count. The prison was locked at 9.50am and the 911 centre was notified of the escape 10 minutes later. Chester County Prison acting warden Howard Holland said that Cavalcante’s jailbreak was similar to another inmate’s escape back in May. During that incident, a tower officer immediately reported the situation to prison staff and the inmate was apprehended within minutes. The officer tasked with surveilling the area during Cavalcante’s escape did not report the incident. He has been placed on administrative leave and his performance is being investigated by the state attorney’s office. Cavalcante killed his ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandao in front of her children in 2021. Prosecutors say Cavalcante killed Brandao to prevent her from telling police that he was wanted in a 2017 killing back in Brazil. Authorities believe he was trying to return to Brazil after Brandao’s murder before he was captured in Virginia. Read More Pennsylvania fugitive Danelo Cavalcante captured nearly two weeks after prison escape Danelo Cavalcante update: Escaped prisoner captured after two-week manhunt in Pennsylvania Escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante has been captured, Pennsylvania police say

A nearly two-week manhunt for dangerous murder convict Danelo Cavalcante came to an end on Wednesday as he was captured in Pennsylvania. Cavalcante was arrested without incident on Wednesday and taken to the Pennsylvania State Police Avondale barracks. Authorities are set to hold a press conference on the capture at 9.30am. The fugitive was found hiding inside a shed in Pottstown with the rifle he had previously stolen from a home in South Coventry Township, FOX29 reports. Aerial footage of the capture showed dozens of law enforcement officers surrounding Cavalcante, who was wearing a grey Eagles hooded sweatshirt and dark pants. Authorities used thermal imaging from aircraft to locate Cavalcante and then deployed ground forces to capture Cavalcante, The Associated Press reports. Officers then cleaned Cavalcante’s face and escorted him out of the woods and into a SWAT tactical car, where they proceeded to cut off Cavalcante’s clothing. For 14 days, Cavalcante managed to elude hundreds of law enforcement officers, including tactical teams in full combat gear, tracking dogs, cops on horseback and on aircraft. Pennsylvania State Police Lt Col George Bivens had credited Cavalcante’s upbringing in rural Brazil for his ability to hide in the vast wooded terrains in Chester County. The jailbreak on 31 August sparked fear among residents of the county’s suburbs, who were urged to keep their homes secure following a series of break-ins believed to be linked to Cavalcante. On 11 September, fears reached a fever pitch as Cavalcante stole a gun from a garage. Cavalcante managed to get ahold of clothing, food, and even stole a van that he used to drive more than 25 miles from his original hiding spot in Longwood Gardens. He was spotted multiple times throughout the 14-day ordeal and the sightings repeatedly forced law enforcement to expand their search perimeter and prompted three school districts and a popular botanical garden to close. Throughout his escape, Cavalcante showed up at the home of two former associates. Cavalcante escaped from Chester County Prison while awaiting a transfer to state prison. Last month, he was sentenced to life for murdering his ex-girlfriend. Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan previously said that Cavalcante would not be returning to the county prison once he was captured. Cavalcante began his escape at around 8.50am on 31 August while other inmates in the exercise yard played basketball. He stretched his body to fit the length of a hallway and “crab-walked” onto the roof. He then climbed over razor wire and jumped from the roof. It was only nearly an hour later that correction officers realised an inmate was missing during a head count. The prison was locked at 9.50am and the 911 centre was notified of the escape 10 minutes later. Chester County Prison acting warden Howard Holland said that Cavalcante’s jailbreak was similar to another inmate’s escape back in May. During that incident, a tower officer immediately reported the situation to prison staff and the inmate was apprehended within minutes. The officer tasked with surveilling the area during Cavalcante’s escape did not report the incident. He has been placed on administrative leave and his performance is being investigated by the state attorney’s office. Cavalcante killed his ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandao in front of her children in 2021. Prosecutors say Cavalcante killed Brandao to prevent her from telling police that he was wanted in a 2017 killing back in Brazil. Authorities believe he was trying to return to Brazil after Brandao’s murder before he was captured in Virginia. Read More Danelo Cavalcante - update: Prison officer on leave after escape video released as manhunt in ninth day Pennsylvania prison officer who failed to report Danelo Cavalcante’s escape is placed on leave

American Airlines Group on Wednesday cut its third-quarter adjusted profit forecast, to account for higher fuel costs and

A student has been killed and another taken into custody after a shooting at a high school in Louisiana. The shooting happened at about 3pm local time on Tuesday at the St Helena College and Career Academy in Greensburg. Sheriff Nat Williams said the person arrested was a juvenile and a student at the school. The suspect is 14, school officials told WAFB-TV. The victim was identified by a relative at the scene as 16-year-old football player Vernon Gordon Jr., according to NBC’s Baton Rouge affiliate. No motive for the shooting has been given, while two other people were taken to hospital but the nature of their injuries and their condition were not immediately known. “This is being investigated by state police and the Sheriff’s Office,” said St Helena Parish Sheriff Nat Williams. The St Helena Parish School District stated that school will be cancelled until Friday, as well as the football game. “A tragic incident occurred on the campus of St Helena College and Career Academy,” the school district stated in a social media post. “The scene is still active and we are working closely with authorities at this time. An official statement from the school district is forthcoming regarding details that can be shared with the community. “School is canceled until Friday as well as the football game and School Board meeting. Grief counselors will be available for all learners upon their return this Friday.” With reporting from the Associated Press Read More Judge orders Louisiana to remove incarcerated youths from the state's maximum-security adult prison Louisiana grand jury charges 91-year-old disgraced priest with sexual assault of teenage boy in 1975 Mother accused of throwing her children off a bridge into lake will represent herself at murder trial

Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger is back in court on Wednesday where a judge will hear arguments on banning cameras from the courtroom in the high-profile trial. Attorneys for both the defence and the prosecution have asked to restrict cameras as the case of the brutal slayings of four University of Idaho students continues to attract national attention. The former criminology PhD student was indicted earlier this year in the November 2022 killings of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, at their off-campus house in Moscow. In August, Mr Kohberger’s defence team asked Latah County District Judge John Judge to bar cameras from the courtroom, claiming that the media coverage violated his constitutional rights. Last week, Latah County Prosecuting Attorney Bill Thompson responded to the motion with his own concerns and requested the judge remove cameras “at a minimum” during the “sensitive testimony of a number of young and vulnerable witnesses.” Meanwhile, the families of Goncalves and Kernodle released a statement saying that they want to keep cameras in the courtroom as they want the “veil of secrecy” to be lifted from the case. Read More Prosecutors join Bryan Kohberger’s effort to block cameras from Idaho murders trial Bryan Kohberger claims media are ‘focusing on his crotch’ as he demands court camera ban

Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger is back in court on Wednesday where a judge will hear arguments on banning cameras from the courtroom in the high-profile trial. Attorneys for both the defence and the prosecution have asked to restrict cameras as the case of the brutal slayings of four University of Idaho students continues to attract national attention. The former criminology PhD student was indicted earlier this year in the November 2022 killings of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, at their off-campus house in Moscow. In August, Mr Kohberger’s defence team asked Latah County District Judge John Judge to bar cameras from the courtroom, claiming that the media coverage violated his constitutional rights. Last week, Latah County Prosecuting Attorney Bill Thompson responded to the motion with his own concerns and requested the judge remove cameras “at a minimum” during the “sensitive testimony of a number of young and vulnerable witnesses.” Mr Kohberger’s trial was set for 3 October but he waived his right to a speedy trial, postponing it indefinitely. Read More Prosecutors join Bryan Kohberger’s effort to block cameras from Idaho murders trial Bryan Kohberger claims media are ‘focusing on his crotch’ as he demands court camera ban

Terrified Pennsylvania residents are stocking up on guns after learning that escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante is now armed with a rifle while on the run. On Tuesday, officials confirmed that Cavalcante broke into a garage at a home in East Nantmeal Township on Monday and stole a .22 caliber rifle. The owner spotted the fugitive and fired seven shots at him as he fled. With the manhunt now entering its 14th day and police coming under fire for failing to capture him, residents appear to be taking matters into their own hands with gun shop owners in Chester County telling ABC6 that there has been an uptick in gun sales in the local area. Cavalcante escaped Chester County Prison on 31 August – days after he was sentenced to life for stabbing his ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandao, 33, to death. He is also wanted for a 2017 murder in Brazil. In an interview with The New York Times on Tuesday, Cavalcante’s mother Iracema Cavalcante defended her son’s actions, saying that he killed Brandao after she reportedly threatened to tell American authorities that he was being sought by Brazilian police. Read More Where has Danelo Cavalcante been spotted since his Pennsylvania jailbreak? Fugitive Danelo Cavalcante’s mother defends his murders and says ‘everyone is lying about him’ Dog the Bounty Hunter may join search for Danelo Cavalcante