Man charged over 2015 disappearance of Kentucky mom Crystal Rogers
A Kentucky man has been charged in connection with the death of Crystal Rogers, a mother-of-five who vanished without a trace during the Fourth of July weekend in 2015. Joseph Lawson, 32, was arraigned in Nelson Circuit Court on Thursday where he pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal conspiracy to commit murder and complicity in tampering with physical evidence. His bond was set at $500,000 cash. The conspiracy to commit murder charge was filed 24 July and the charge of tampering with evidence was filed in June, according to Nelson County circuit court documents. Ms Rogers was not mentioned by name in the indictment, but Attorney Kevin Coleman, who represents Mr Lawson, acknowledged his client’s case is in relation to the mother’s death, according to WRDB. He declined to comment further. Mr Lawson has not been charged with Ms Rogers’ murder, but instead faces a conspiracy charge which means prosecutors believe he was involved in some way. The indictment states that on July 3, 2015, and/or July 4 2015, “the above-named Defendant, committed the offense of Criminal Conspiracy to Commit Murder, when, with the intention of promoting or facilitating the crime, when he agreed to aid one or more persons in the planning or commission of the crime or an attempt or solicitation to commit the crime, when he, and/or a co-conspirator, intentionally caused the death of another.” Ms Rogers has not been seen or heard from since the evening of 3 July 2015. Her red Chevrolet Impala was found abandoned the same day at mile marker 14 on Bluegrass Parkway. The car had a flat tire and inside were her keys, phone and purse, according to the FBI’s office in Louisville. Her boyfriend at the time, Brooks Houck, who is also the father to her youngest child, was named a suspect just months after she went missing, but has never been charged. He’s considered to be the last person who saw her alive. Several homes in Bardstown, Kentucky have been searched over the years, including the homes of Houck family farm, the homes of Mr Houck and his brother, Nick, and a storage unit belonging to Ms Rogers. Her case was taken over by the FBI in 2020. The FBI is also investigating the death of her father, Tommy Ballard, who was shot and killed in 2016 while hunting on his own property more than a year after his daughter went missing. Read More Mother charged after New Jersey investigators solve 1984 ‘Baby Mary’ cold case DNA evidence links man to three sexual assaults over more than a decade Police name man who died in custody after being held for murder of missing woman
2023-09-09 00:56
Rapper arrested after police say he confessed to murder in a song
A rapper in Las Vegas has been charged with murder after police claim he "confessed to the murder in his lyrics." Kenjuan McDaniel — aka The Biggest Finn4800 — was arrested by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department on 29 August. He faces a charge of murder with a deadly weapon. A court set Mr McDaniel's bail at $1m, and he has been ordered to wear an electronic monitoring device. The rapper was previously considered a "person of interest" in the death of Randall Wallace on 18 September, 2021. Police said Mr McDaniel was tied to a vehicle matching the description of the one used in Mr Wallace's murder, according to CNN. Mr McDaniel posted a music video to YouTube for his song "Fadee Free" in mid-July, prompting detectives to pour over the images and lyrics for clues. “Detectives noted the music video bore a sufficient level of similarity to the details of the murder," Mr McDaniel's arrest warrant said. "This includes the fact, that Kenjuan confessed to the murder in his lyrics. … Details provided by Kenjuan in his music video were not released to the public and would not be common knowledge." The arrest warrant includes a few of the lyrics investigators believe show Mr McDaniel's guilt. “I be the reason why he’s dead, we still taunt him when he die/ not the reason he’s dead, so celebrate the reason why his momma cry,” one of the lines included in the warrant states. Another line: “Parked the car, double back on feet, the smartest way to slide, drove in, double lock yo man, make sure you get yo bod’.” The lyrics reportedly revealed details about the murder that have not been made public, according to the investigators. The music video also reportedly featured the rapper re-enacting the murder in a way that is "consistent with evidence at the scene." “The facts gathered during the investigation were obtained separately from the music video. The music video further validated the results of the investigation,” the warrant says. Mr McDaniel has a preliminary hearing set for 14 September. Read More Governor declares New Mexico gun violence as a public health emergency Person shot and critically wounded at Lil Baby concert in Memphis, Tennessee, police say Charges dropped, Riquna Williams wants to rejoin Las Vegas Aces after domestic violence arrest
2023-09-09 00:56
Ruby Franke hearing - live: YouTube parenting influencer in Utah court over child abuse as 911 call revealed
Utah mother of six Ruby Franke who gave parenting advice via a once-popular YouTube channel called “8 Passengers” will make an initial virtual court appearance today on charges that she and the owner of a relationship counseling business abused and starved her two young children. Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt were charged with six felony counts of aggravated child abuse after their arrests on 30 August at Ms Hildebrandt's house in the city of Ivins. Ms Franke's 12-year-old son escaped the house that morning and asked a neighbour to call police, according to the 911 call released by the St George Police Department. “I just had a 12-year-old boy show up here at my front door asking for help,” the neighbour says, according to a recording of the call obtained by ABC. “He is emaciated. He’s got tape around his legs. He’s hungry and he’s thirsty,” the neighbour told police, his voice shaky and distraught. “He has duct tape around each ankle. There’s sores around them. He has them around his wrists as well,” the neighbour continued: “This kid has obviously... he’s been detained. He’s obviously covered in wounds.”
2023-09-09 00:54
Danny Masterson’s eerie Conan interview resurfaces after ‘That 70’s Show’ star gets 30-year sentence - latest
Danny Masterson, star of That ’70s Show, has been sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for the rapes of two women two decades ago. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo handed down the sentence to the 47-year-old actor after ruling on a defence motion for a new trial that she rejected, and having heard impact statements from the victims. A jury of seven women and five men found Masterson guilty of two counts on 31 May after seven days of deliberations. Both attacks took place in Masterson’s Hollywood Hills home in 2003, when he was at the height of his fame on the Fox network sitcom. The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on a third count, an allegation that Masterson also raped a longtime girlfriend. The verdict came in a second trial after a jury failed to reach verdicts on three counts of forcible rape in December 2022 and a mistrial was declared. Prosecutors alleged that Masterson used his prominence in the Church of Scientology — where all three women were also members at the time — to avoid consequences for decades after the attacks. Read More ‘You’ll be caught:’ Resurfaced Danny Masterson chat show clip takes on chilling light after rape sentencing Leah Remini hits out at Church of Scientology following Danny Masterson rape sentencing That ’70s Show actor Danny Masterson sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for rapes
2023-09-09 00:45
Georgia grand jury recommended charging three US senators
But prosecutors ultimately did not indict Lindsey Graham and other Trump allies on election charges.
2023-09-09 00:19
Chilling 911 call that led to Ruby Franke’s arrest revealed
A newly released 911 call reveals the chilling details of the incident that led to Youtube influencer Ruby Franke’s arrest, when her 12-year-old child sought food and water from a neighbor. Court documents previously showed that Ms Franke’s child, who was reportedly also in the care of her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt, “climbed out of the window of an Ivins residence belonging to Jodi Hildebrandt and ran to a neighbor’s home” on 30 August. The child reportedly showed up at the neighbor’s home with “duct tape” covering his ankles and wrists as the he begged for food and water. Alarmed, the neighbor called the police. Now, the neighbor’s side of the story is revealed. “I just had a 12-year-old boy show up here at my front door asking for help,” the neighbor says, according to a recording of the call obtained by ABC. “And he’s said he had just come from a neighbor’s house and we know there’s been problems at this neighbor’s house,” the person said of Ms Franke’s home. The neighbor continued, “He is emaciated. He’s got tape around his legs. He’s hungry and he’s thirsty.” “He has duct tape around each ankle. There’s sores around them. He has them around his wrists as well,” the neighbor told 911. “This kid has obviously... he’s been detained. He’s obviously covered in wounds.” Following the call, officials determined the 12-year-old to be severely malnourished, according to the probable cause statement, and was transferred to a nearby hospital. The child was placed on medical hold after it was discovered that he was also suffering from “deep lacerations” due to “being tied up with rope,” arrest records said. Police then searched Ms Franke’s house, where they found a 10-year-old girl who was also allegedly malnourished and suffering from wounds. This child was also taken to the hospital. Ms Franke faces six felony child abuse charges. Four of her children wound up in the custody of the Utah Division of Child and Family Services, KUTVreported. Read More Parenting advice YouTuber Ruby Franke and business partner due in court on child abuse charges Ruby Franke charging documents reveal son’s chilling escape that led to child abuse arrest Influencer Ruby Franke is formally charged with felony child abuse
2023-09-09 00:00
Man arrested for using drone to drop green dye into New Jersey pools
A bizarre mystery where several swimming pools near Atlantic City in New Jersey suddenly turned green has apparently been solved. Patrick Spina IV, 45, was arrested last week when police tracked a drone dropping dye into pools in neighbourhoods in Absecon back to his business. He is facing multiple charges of criminal mischief. Mr Spina’s peculiar pastime was first spotted in late June by a local hotel manager who noticed the pool used by guests had turned a neon colour. "I saw it totally green and I was like, ‘Oh wow what is going on?’ So we saw a dye pack in the bottom of the pool and we didn’t know what it was," Sandra Woolstion, general manager of a Quality Inn in Galloway Township, told ABC. Ms Woolstion said she knew it was not green algae, but even after having the pool drained and cleaned, the dye kept being dropped by the drone bandit at least a dozen times over the summer. The pool was very expensive to clean every time, she said, costing tens of thousands of dollars in maintenance, and guests were often very disappointed by the closure of the pool. "The girls are standing here like, ‘Oh my God we want to go swim.’ Some of them were crying," Ms Woolstion said. "I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?!’ I myself cried. I went into my office and I had a meltdown." Not only were there bills for refurbishments to the pool, but she also took on losses because of pool closures and also had to give her staff overtime pay to monitor the pool. “It was just more than we bargained for,” she told The New York Times. “I was like, ‘I can’t deal with this anymore. This is crazy. This is costing me too much.’” Police also started to receive other calls that reported the same incident happening to their home pools. "We had a resident who was enjoying time in his pool and saw a drone over top and the drone actually dropped something in his pool and it turned green immediately," said Absecon Police Chief James Laughlin. However, Mr Spina’s drone had now been on too many outings for it to fly under the radar. When the drone holding the green dye was seen hovering over the Quality Inn again last Friday, the police brought in staff from the Federal Aviation Administration to track the drone back to a nearby business, Comfort Solutions Heating and Cooling. With this information, police arrested the business owner, Mr Spina. The green pigment turned out to be sea dye that is usually used by search and rescue teams, and which can have a damaging effect on pools. Police say they are still unsure of Mr Spina’s motive for dyeing the pools. Meanwhile, the FAA is investigating the crimes and said that people who use drones in an unsafe manner could face up to $30,000 in fines and have their drone license suspended or revoked. In a statement on Tuesday the agency warned: "FAA regulations prohibit the unsafe or unauthorized operation of any aircraft. We encourage the public to report unauthorized drone operations to local law enforcement to help discourage this dangerous illegal activity." Read More Drone helps ‘adventurous’ 93-year-old ‘go out in style’ Mother charged after New Jersey investigators solve 1984 ‘Baby Mary’ cold case New Jersey failed veterans in state-run homes hit by dozens of COVID-19 deaths, federal report says
2023-09-08 23:49
When is the last time Texas beat Alabama?
The Texas Longhorns and Alabama Crimson Tide are the featured matchup during Week 2 of the 2023 college football schedule. What's the history of this matchup?
2023-09-08 22:58
Newcastle accelerate Bruno Guimaraes contract talks following Chelsea & Man City enquiries
Newcastle are continuing contract talks with Bruno Guimaraes. He has been the subject of enquiries from Chelsea, Man City and Real Madrid in 2023.
2023-09-08 22:49
Roundup: Sophie Turner, Joe Jonas Divorce Is Getting Ugly; Joe Burrow Gets Massive Contract; Lions Beat the Chiefs
Sophie Turner's divorce from Joe Jonas is getting ugly, Joe Burrow got a massive new contract, the Lions beat the Chiefs and more in the Roundup.
2023-09-08 19:29
Ukraine war: Russia holds local elections in occupied Ukraine
Many taking part in early polling have been asked to vote in the presence of armed Russian soldiers.
2023-09-08 18:24
Hurricane Lee strengthens to Category 5 storm in Atlantic as East Coast impact still uncertain
Hurricane Lee is expected to continue strengthening Friday after quickly morphing into a powerful Category 5 storm that is now packing destructive maximum sustained winds of 165 mph as it spins hundreds of miles east of the Caribbean, the National Hurricane Center said in its 5 a.m. ET advisory.
2023-09-08 17:22