breaking911--2019-11-24--14-Year-Old Killer Charged As Adult In ‘Brutal’ Slaying Of Susan Spiller

MINNESOTA — Adult criminal murder charges were filed against a teenager after a Hennepin County District Court judge ordered he should be tried as an adult, even though he was just 14 at the time of the murder.  Demetrius Wynne, who will turn 19 on Thursday, was charged with second-degree murder with intent and second-degree murder while committing a felony (burglary) in the July 2015 death of 68-year-old Susan Spiller in her home at 5120 Dupont Ave. N. He is expected to make his first court appearance on the adult charges Thursday.  Wynne was arrested and charged by juvenile petition in the murder on June 21, 2019. However, nearly all information, including Wynne’s identity, was not public because he was a juvenile at the time of the murder and would continue to be treated as one even though he was 18 at the time of his arrest.  The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office immediately filed a petition to have Wynne certified as an adult. Closed juvenile court hearings were held before Hennepin County District Court Judge Tanya Bransford on Sept. 18 and Oct. 22 with final written comments submitted by Oct. 29. She ruled in favor of adult certification Tuesday, noting that his age precluded him from being treated as a juvenile and even Extended Juvenile Jurisdiction would only keep him on probation for two years.  “We appreciate Judge Bransford’s decision and believe it is the correct one to protect public safety,” Freeman said. “This was a home burglary and brutal killing and by no stretch of the imagination would two years be sufficient for either punishment or rehabilitation. Now we will focus on proving Mr. Wynne guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”  According to the new adult criminal complaint, Wynne and his family lived next door to Spiller at 5116 Dupont Ave. N. Sometime in the evening of July 15-16, 2015, someone cut the screen to a rear window of Spiller’s home and removed it to gain entry into the house. Spiller was found in her bedroom where she had been beaten, strangled and stabbed five times. Her cell phone was missing.  The break in the case came on June 12, 2019 when Wynne was booked and fingerprinted on an adult felony case, which is pending. Two days later, the computer matched his booking fingerprints to prints taken from the rear window of Spiller’s home, the complaint states. In addition, a DNA profile from a fingernail clipping from Spiller’s right hand has been connected to Wynne.  FOX 9 reported after her killing that Spiller had spoke at a community meeting, saying she feared retaliation after reporting neighborhood problems such as noise complaints.


breitbart--2019-08-22--Florida Serial Killer Who Targeted Gay Men to Be Executed

Gary Ray Bowles, 57, is scheduled to receive a lethal injection Thursday evening at Florida State Prison in Stark, Florida, the Associated Press reported.  Florida Today reported that Bowles was sentenced to death row in 1996 for murdering six men he met on a trip up and down the East Coast between March and November 1994.  Because he picked up most of his victims in gay bars between Daytona Beach, Florida, and Maryland, he earned himself the nickname “the I-95 killer.”  He often offered his victims money or sex before strangling them to their deaths, taking their identification and credit cards. Bowles was featured on America’s Most Wanted on five different occasions and made the FBI’s most wanted list in 1994, shortly before detectives questioned him on his last murder, Walter Hinton.  Bowles was raised in abusive household, causing him to leave home at 14 and earn his keep by working as a prostitute, letting gay men perform sex acts on him in exchange for money.  Despite his violence towards gay men, Bowles has said he is straight. He also had a history of violence against women.  In 1982, Bowles was convicted of brutally beating and sexually assaulting his girlfriend in Tampa. He served less than three years for that crime. She suffered severe injuries from his beatings.  After a second prison stint for robbery and grand theft, Bowles went back to working as a prostitute in Daytona Beach and moved in with another girlfriend. The relationship faltered when she found out he was a sex worker, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reported.  Bowles later told the police he blamed gay men for his breakup, and that was why he targeted gay men for his killing sprees.  Police caught Bowles in Jacksonville in November 1994 several days after he murdered his sixth victim, Walter Jamelle Hinton, the Washington Post reported.  In his confession to police, Bowles said he murdered six men in four states and dropped a concrete block on Hinton’s head while he slept. Bowles pleaded guilty to murder in court and received the death penalty in 1996. The Florida Supreme Court reversed the death penalty in 1999, due to improper handling of his case.  Bowles was re-sentenced to death in a court hearing that same year. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a warrant for Bowles’ death sentence on June 11.  Barring a stay of execution by Florida’s Supreme Court, Bowles will die by lethal injection Thursday evening.


breitbart--2019-10-05--60 Minutes Serial Killer Confesses to Murdering 93 Women

60 Minutes: Serial Killer Confesses to Murdering 93 Women

The program, set to air on CBS at 7 p.m. on Sunday, focuses on how Texas Ranger James Holland was able to get serial killer Samuel Little to open up about the killings.  Holland said he was able to get through to Little by agreeing with him that he was a killer and not just a rapist. His interrogation tactic enabled Little to present detailed, vivid memories of each woman he killed.  “There’s indications of visualization, of when he’s thinking about a crime scene. He’ll start stroking his face. And as he’s starting to picture a victim, you’ll see him look out and up,” Holland said.  “And you can tell he has this revolving carousel of victims, and it’s just spinning, and he’s waiting for it to stop at the one that he wants to talk about,” he added.  Little also had the ability to sketch out the likenesses of the women he killed, creating a collection which Holland showed in the 60 Minutes interview.  The FBI released those drawings back in February to get help in identifying some of Little’s victims. Little is currently incarcerated and serving three life sentences, which has led him to be forthcoming with investigators around the country.


breitbart--2019-11-06--Sanctuary County: Illegal Alien Killer Escapes Jail Time, Gets Freed into U.S.

An illegal alien who was convicted of killing a man while driving drunk earlier this year escaped jail time and was instead freed into the United States.  In January, illegal alien Jose Barajas-Diaz was driving drunk when he hit and killed Miguel Angel Linarte Jacome, an immigrant from Mexico. Immediately after Barajas-Diaz’s arrest, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency requested that, should he be released at any time, he be turned over to them for detainment.  In October, Barajas-Diaz was convicted for Jacome’s killing and given a five-year prison sentence, but all of it was suspended and he was given credit for time served, allowing him to be immediately released.  Rather than turning Barajas-Diaz over to ICE agents for deportation, the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office released the illegal alien into the general public and forced ICE agents to go and arrest him days later.  This is yet another example of a clear public safety threat being released into North Carolina communities rather than into ICE custody due to local sheriff policies on ICE non-cooperation. Continued decisions to refuse cooperation with ICE serve as an open invitation to aliens who commit criminal offenses that these counties are a safe haven for persons seeking to evade federal authorities, and residents of Mecklenburg County are less safe due to these misguided sanctuary policies.  As Breitbart News reported, North Carolina sanctuary jurisdictions freed more than 500 criminal illegal aliens back into the general public in Fiscal Year 2019. Up to 80 percent of criminal illegal aliens freed back into American communities by sanctuary jurisdictions go on to commit more crimes.  John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.


breitbart--2019-11-11--Killers, Other Felons Arrested Sneaking Across Southwest Border

Border Patrol agents and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested multiple felons, including a convicted killer, attempting to cross the southwest border from Mexico.  El Paso Sector agents assigned to the Ysleta Border Patrol Station arrested Miguel Marines-Patino, a Mexican national, after he illegally crossed the border south of the Padres Overpass on November 7. The agents observed the man illegally crossing the border about two miles west of the Ysleta Port of Entry, according to information obtained from El Paso Sector Border Patrol officials.  The agents arrested the man and transported him to the Ysleta Station for processing, including a biometric background investigation. During the investigation the agents uncovered and immigration and criminal history, officials stated. A court in Chicago convicted Marines-Patino in 1986 on a charge of murder. The court sentenced the Mexican migrant to 24 years in state prison. Immigration officers twice removed the migrant, most recently in March 2016.  “Federal authorities in El Paso filed a federal criminal complaint this morning charging Marines-Patino with illegal re-entry after deportation,” El Paso Sector officials stated. “Upon conviction, Marines-Patino faces up to 20 years in federal prison.”  “Every day, criminal aliens attempt to illegally enter the United States, often concealing themselves among family units or taking advantage of the current crisis,” officials stated. “The men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol are our first line of defense in stopping these criminals before they can wreak havoc in communities all over our country.”  Elsewhere on the border, San Diego CBP officers arrested four felons in three days as they attempted to enter the U.S. from Mexico.  On November 6, officers assigned to the Otay Mesa pedestrian facility observed a woman approaching for inspection from Mexico. Officers identified her as Roxana Salazar, a 26-year-old U.S. citizen. A database check revealed the woman is wanted by the San Bernadino Sheriff’s Department to face a charge of murder. The warrant carries a bond of $1 million, officials stated.  Two days earlier, CBP officers assigned to the San Ysidro PedWest facility apprehended another U.S. citizen wanted for murder in Los Angeles, San Diego CBP officials stated. The man attempted to cross the border on November 4. Officers check the man’s identity against the database and uncovered the active warrants for charges of murder and attempted murder, officials stated. Deputies turned Joey Alvarado, 32, over to U.S. Marshals for transportation to the San Diego Central Jail.  Officers assigned to the San Ysidro PedWest facility arrested the two men wanted for escaping from the jail located in Salinas, California. The two men, 21-year-old Santos Fonesca and 20-year-old Jonathan Salazar, both U.S. citizens, presented themselves for inspection by CBP officers. The officers ran a background check and found the warrants from the Monterrey County Sheriff’s Department for jail escaped.  “We would like to thank the CBP for their partnership and assistance in taking these two violent and dangerous people safely into custody,” said John Thornburg, Captain with the Monterrey County Sheriff’s Office in a written statement.


channel4uk--2019-01-23--Fugitive speedboat killer arrested

Fugitive speedboat killer arrested

The man dubbed the speedboat killer, Jack Shepherd, has been arrested in Georgia after months on the run. Shepherd had been due to stand trial last year at the Old Bailey over the death of 24-year-old Charlotte Brown in December 2015, but was convicted in his absence of manslaughter by gross negligence. Today he finally handed himself in to Georgian police.


channel4uk--2019-01-25--Speedboat killer to remain in custody in Georgia

Jack Shepherd, the man dubbed the speedboat killer, will stay in custody in Georgia for another three months before extradition proceedings, telling a court in Tbilisi he was “suicidally depressed”.  Shepherd, who’s been on the run since being found guilty at the Old Bailey, in his absence, of killing 24-year-old Charlotte Brown, claimed today that the decision to take her on a speedboat date had been his greatest regret.


dailybeast--2019-10-18--Convicted Killer Now Charged in Estranged Wife’s Cold-Case Murder: Prosecutors

A Virginia man who is behind bars for killing his girlfriend has now been charged with the murder of his wife three decades ago, prosecutors announced Friday.  Jose Rodriguez-Cruz, 53, was indicted by a Stafford County grand jury for the May 1989 murder of 28-year-old Marta Haydee Rodriguez. Rodriguez-Cruz is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence for the 2009 murder of his girlfriend, Pamela Butler, who was a federal worker in Washington, D.C.  During a Friday press conference, Stafford County Commonwealth’s Attorney Eric Olsen announced that the former military police officer, who was discharged after threatening to harm his female superior twice, has been charged with first-degree murder and the unlawful concealment of his wife’s body, finally bringing a 30-year investigation to a close.  “This is the ultimate act of domestic violence and it’s noteworthy that in the month of October justice is going to be delivered for Marta Rodriguez,” Olson said, pointing out that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  Rodriguez was last seen on May 1, 1989, as she walked to a bus stop after leaving her job as a nurse’s aide. Prosecutors allege Rodriguez-Cruz murdered his first wife shortly after she told police he had assaulted and kidnapped her—but before she could testify against him in court.  “If I can’t have her, no one will,” Rodriguez-Cruz once said, according to 2017 court documents.  The 28-year-old’s body was found in 1991 on an Interstate 95 median but was not positively identified until last year.  Twenty years after his wife’s 1989 disappearance, Rodriguez-Cruz fatally strangled Butler, an Environmental Protection Agency analyst and his girlfriend of seven months, during a heated argument before hiding her body. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2017, at which point he confessed to killing the 47-year-old in her basement in 2009 before slipping her body out of a first-floor window.  One of Rodriguez-Cruz’s friends told authorities that he once said it was “easy” to get rid of a body because “if you dig a hole deep enough, no one will find it,” according to testimony at his plea hearing. As part of his plea deal, Rodriguez-Cruz told police he buried Butler in 2009 along Interstate 95—where Rodriguez was found—but her remains were never discovered.  Derrick Butler, Pamela’s brother, also attended Friday’s news conference and told reporters he was relieved to hear news of Rodriguez-Cruz’s latest charge.  Authorities believe his pattern of abuse stretches beyond the death of his two former lovers. In 2017, investigators testified that the 53-year-old told his second wife he knew how to make sure a body was never found. Another woman, a security guard at a federal office, also told detectives that Rodriguez-Cruz allegedly duct-taped her wrists, held a gun to her head, and sexually assaulted her in 2004.  “This man doesn’t impulsively kill. He abducts women, duct-tapes them, sexually assaults them, and then holds them captive,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenn Kirschner said at the 2017 hearing. “Duct tape and a gun are his weapon of choice.”


dailybeast--2019-11-26--UIC Student’s Alleged Killer Was ‘Angry’ She Ignored His Catcalls: Prosecutors

A man who sexually assaulted and strangled a University of Illinois at Chicago student to death over the weekend became “angry” at the young woman when she “ignored” his catcalls, prosecutors said in court Tuesday.  Donald Thurman, 26, was charged on Monday with first-degree murder and criminal sexual assault for the grisly Saturday night slaying of 19-year-old Ruth George. George, a sophomore kinesiology major, was found “unresponsive” in the backseat of her family’s car on Saturday morning after her family reported her missing to campus police.  In Cook County court on Tuesday, prosecutors alleged Thurman saw George across the street and started catcalling her. The student didn’t respond and kept walking—which made the 26-year-old “angry he was being ignored,” Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said.  Once inside the parking lot, prosecutors said Thurman grabbed George and placed her in a chokehold before throwing her into the backseat of her family’s car. He then allegedly sexually assaulted the teenager with a condom on while she was unconscious.  Police say Thurman, who lived near campus but has no affiliation with the university or the victim, confessed to killing the student just hours after he was arrested. In 2016, he was sentenced to six years in state prison for an armed robbery after allegedly stealing a woman’s iPhone and fleeing in a stolen vehicle. He was released last year and is currently on parole, jail records show.  George’s family members said Tuesday that they hold “no hatred” toward their loved one’s alleged killer as they “grieve with hope.”  “Our hope is no other girl would be harmed in this way and for a mother to never experience this type of heartache,” the family said in a statement. “Ruth lived out her deep faith in Jesus by loving and serving others, leaving a legacy of Christ-centered kindness and sacrifice. She was the beloved baby of our family.”  According to university surveillance cameras, Thurman was walking behind George as she entered the garage around 1:35 a.m. on Saturday. About 35 minutes later, he can be seen running south on Halsted Street, away from the scene.  George’s family contacted campus police at around 11 a.m. on Saturday after they had not heard from her in two days. Police said the teenager’s cell phone “pinged” off a Halsted Street garage on campus—where they found her dead in the backseat of the family-owned car.  At around 2 a.m. on Sunday, detectives picked up Thurman at the Halsted and Harrison station and took him into custody. After about 12 hours of police questioning, he “gave a full confession to this horrific crime,” authorities said.  Thurman’s attorney argued to Judge Charles Beach on Tuesday that his client is homeless with a history of childhood abuse and suicidal ideations. Despite her request for protective custody—noting death threats he has received since his arrest—Beach ordered Thurman to be held in Cook County jail without bail.  Hundreds of UIC students gathered Monday night to mourn the young woman who dreamed of becoming a physical therapist, hanging dozens of yellow ribbons around campus in her memory. George was a 2018 graduate of Naperville Central High School, where she was a member of the school’s gymnastics team.  “It is very difficult to find words that can express the sadness our entire community experiences today following the news of the tragic death of a 19-year-old undergraduate student,” UIC Chancellor Michael Amiridis said in a statement. “We offer our sincere condolences to the student’s family and friends and I know that all of us have them in our hearts as they struggle with this devastating loss.”  In several social media posts, George’s family and friends recalled the teenager as “the sweetest person” with the “brightest smile.”  “She was the light of our family and the best of all of us,” Esther George, her older sister, wrote on Facebook. “She was wise beyond her years and now she is gone [too] soon. God give us peace.”  The teenager’s former teammates said people were “drawn to her” ability to make everyone feel welcome.  “For the girls who were new on the team each season, she was always one to help make everyone feel welcome, and the girls were drawn to her because of that,” Mary Grace Maxwell, a former teammate and friend told The Chicago Tribune on Tuesday. “It’s incredibly heartbreaking to know someone took this beautiful girl away from us.”


dailyheraldchicago--2019-08-23--The Latest Serial killer who preyed on gay men executed

The Latest: Serial killer who preyed on gay men executed

A serial killer who preyed on older gay men during a rampage 25 years ago around the U.S. East Coast has been put to death.  The office of Gov. Ron DeSantis says 57-year-old Gary Ray Bowles was pronounced dead at 10:58 p.m. Thursday after receiving a lethal injection at Florida State Prison in Starke.  He was condemned to die for his murder conviction in the 1994 slaying of Walter Hinton in Jacksonville Beach. That was one of the six known killings that terrorized the Interstate 95 corridor that year and earned him the nickname of the "I-95 killer."  Hinton was Bowles' sixth victim in the killing spree that began in Daytona Beach with the slaying of John Hardy Roberts. In between, there were victims in Maryland, Georgia and Florida. In each case, Bowles stuffed the victims' throats.  The U.S. Supreme Court has cleared the way for the execution of a Florida serial killer who targeted older gay men in a spree a quarter-century ago.  The justices denied the last-ditch appeal Thursday of 57-year-old Gary Ray Bowles, whose lawyers had claimed he is too intellectually disabled to be executed. Bowles was to die by lethal injection late Thursday at the Florida State Prison in Starke.  Bowles was condemned for the murder of Walter Hinton in Jacksonville Beach - one of the killings that terrorized the East Coast's Interstate 95 corridor in 1994.  Hinton was Bowles' sixth and final known victim in a spree that began in Daytona Beach with the slaying of John Hardy Roberts. In between, there were victims in Maryland, Georgia and Florida.  In each case, Bowles stuffed the victims' throats with objects.  The scheduled execution of a Florida serial killer who targeted older gay men awaited a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on his final appeals.  The high court was mulling a last-ditch appeal Thursday from 57-year-old Gary Ray Bowles, whose lawyers contended he is too intellectually disabled to be executed. Bowles was set to die by lethal injection at the Florida State prison in Starke.  The execution was scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday but was delayed while the Supreme Court considered his case.  Bowles was condemned for the murder of Walter Hinton in Jacksonville Beach - one of the killings that terrorized the East Coast's Interstate 95 corridor in an eight-month span in 1994.  Hinton was Bowles' sixth and final known victim in a spree that began in Daytona Beach with the slaying of John Hardy Roberts. In between, there were victims in Rockville, Maryland; Savannah, Georgia; Atlanta and Nassau County, Florida.  A serial killer who preyed on older gay men during a rampage that left six dead a quarter century ago received no visitors in the hours before his planned execution.  Officials at Florida State Prison in Starke say 57-year-old Gary Ray Bowles did eat a meal of three cheeseburgers, French fries and bacon as execution preparations were being made. He's set to receive a lethal injection for the murder of Walter Hinton in Jacksonville Beach - one of the killings that terrorized the Interstate 95 corridor in an eight-month span in 1994.  The execution plan awaits a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on his final appeals.  Hinton was Bowles' sixth and final known victim in a spree that began in Daytona Beach with the slaying of John Hardy Roberts. In between, there were victims in Rockville, Maryland; Savannah, Georgia; Atlanta and Nassau County, Florida.  A serial killer who preyed on older, gay men during a spree that left six dead on or near the U.S. East Coast 25 years ago is set to be executed at a Florida prison.  Fifty-seven-year-old Gary Ray Bowles is set to receive a lethal injection Thursday evening, convicted of the November 1994 murder of Walter Hinton in Jacksonville Beach - one of the killings that terrorized the Interstate 95 corridor in eight-month span.  Hinton was Bowles' sixth and final known victim in a rampage that began in Daytona Beach with the slaying of John Hardy Roberts. In between, there were victims in Rockville, Maryland; Savannah, Georgia; Atlanta and Nassau County, Florida.  In each case, Bowles stuffed the victims' throats with objects such as rags toilet paper, dirt and leaves. Investigators say if he hadn't been caught, Bowles would have kept on killing.


drudgereport--2019-04-06--OJ Prosecutor Darden Defending Suspected Nipsey Hussle Killer

OJ Prosecutor Darden Defending Suspected Nipsey Hussle Killer...

— An aspiring rapper plead not guilty Thursday in the murder of hip hop artist Nipsey Hussle in South Los Angeles.  Eric Ronald Holder Jr., 29, was arraigned in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom on one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.  If convicted as charged, he faces a possible maximum sentence of life in state prison.  Holder is represented by Christopher Darden, the former city prosecutor from the O.J. Simpson murder trial in the mid-1990s, according to CBSLA’s Dave Lopez.  Holder could face a potential life prison sentence if convicted as charged, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.  Hussle, whose real name is Ermias Joseph Asghedom, was fatally shot Sunday in the 3400 block of West Slauson Avenue.  The Grammy-nominated rapper was gunned down outside The Marathon Clothing, a store he opened in 2017, in the Hyde Park neighborhood just south of the Crenshaw area where he was born and grew up. Two other men were also wounded in the attack, although only one of them was hospitalized.  According to LAPD Chief Michel Moore, Holder and Hussle became involved in some sort of dispute outside the store before Holder left and returned with a handgun. Hussle was shot in the head and body and died at a hospital, officials said.  “We believe this to be a dispute between Mr. Hussle and Mr. Holder,” Moore said. “I’m not going to go into the conversations, but it appears to be a personal matter between the two of them.”  Holder is being held on $5 million bail.


drudgereport--2019-10-04--Serial Killer Confesses to 93 Murders

Serial Killer Confesses to 93 Murders!

James Holland has heard confessions from many, many murderers. But now one is telling the Texas Ranger he's committed 93 murders himself, making him perhaps the most prolific serial killer in American history. The race is on to identify all of the 93 women Samuel Little says he murdered, while the 79-year-old remains alive and continues to cooperate.     Holland tells Sharyn Alfonsi in his first television interview how he got Little to open up about his victims for a story to be broadcast on "60 Minutes" Sunday, October 6, at 7 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.     Information Holland has gathered from Little has led to 50 cold case murders being solved. There are more Little says he committed that if resolved would give victims' relatives answers and exonerate any innocent people who may have been wrongly convicted for the murders.     Holland says he broke through to Little by agreeing with him that he was not a rapist, but truly a killer. This tack seemed to unlock the place where he kept detailed, almost photographic memories of every woman he killed. Holland describes Little's process, "There's indications of visualization, of when he's thinking about a crime scene. He'll start stroking his face. And as he's starting to picture a victim, you'll see him look out and up."      "And you can tell he has this revolving carousel of victims, and it's just spinning, and he's waiting for it to stop at the one that he wants to talk about," Holland says.  Little can count all of his victims, even still hear them, says Holland. A big aid in identifying victims has been Little's ability to sketch very close likenesses of the women. Holland shows Alfonsi a collection of Little's drawings, a collection he hopes will grow.


drudgereport--2019-10-06--Hunt on for killer

Hunt on for killer...

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Four people were killed and five others were injured in an overnight shooting at a bar in Kansas City, Kansas, according to police.  Around 1:30 a.m Sunday., officers responded to a shooting at Tequila KC Bar at 10th Street and Central Avenue. In a news release, police said that an earlier dispute inside the bar may have led to the shooting. Police said the suspects were armed with handguns and fled the scene after the shooting.  Police did not release any additional information about the suspects or a possible motive.  Kansas City, Kansas, Mayor David Alvey said his prayers are with both the victims' families and the assailants.  "The businesses and the families who live in these neighborhoods are growing in our community and they deserve to feel safe in their neighborhoods," Alvey said. "Their businesses deserve to be protected and our police department really has done an outstanding job of working with the community to identify the problems and to come up with solutions."  Four people inside the bar were killed. Police did not release their names but said the four victims were all Hispanic men. One was in his late 50s, one in his mid-30s and two were in their mid-20s, KCK police spokesman Officer Thomas Tomasic said.  Injuries to the other five victims were not life-threatening. Later Sunday morning, two of the victims had been treated and released from the hospital.  Toni Maciel, who knows the victims, said he wants to know why the shooting happened.  "Just think once or twice about your actions," Maciel said. "Think 10 times about your actions -- who you are going to affect, mothers, fathers, daughters, wives, fiances, friends, because you took a good chunk away from this bar."  READ MORE: Here is what we know about the Tequila KC Bar.  On Sunday morning, police remained at the scene, collecting evidence and surveillance video from the bar.  "Detectives are here and are looking at any surveillance," Tomasic told 41 Action News. "This is definitely one of those that we’re going to do everything very slowly, very methodically and correctly."  Police estimated there were around 40 people inside the bar at the time of the shooting.  In brief remarks to the media, Kansas City, Kansas, Mayor David Alvey said the shooting was "sad for all involved."  Other area political leaders took to social media to offer their condolences to the victims of the shooting. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas 3rd District, represents the area where the shooting took place. She tweeted that her "heart breaks for everyone impacted by the senseless shooting."  Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly tweeted that her thoughts were with the victims and their families.  Senator Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, Earlier in the morning, Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, also took to Twitter to talk about the shooting,  Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Kansas City also responded to the shooting.  This a developing story. We'll post updates as they become available.


eveningstandard--2019-01-04--Speedboat killer Jack Shepherd could be aposanywhere in the worldapos Scotland Yard admits

Speedboat killer Jack Shepherd could be 'anywhere in the world,' Scotland Yard admits

Police have conceded they have no idea of the whereabouts of speedboat fugitive Jack Shepherd, who disappeared part way through his trial over the death of his date Charlotte Brown.  The web designer has been at large since being convicted in his absence of manslaughter by gross negligence in July last year.  Shepherd, 31, was sentenced to six years in jail after being found culpable over the death of Miss Brown, 24, in a speedboat accident on the Thames in December 2015.  Detectives say he may be using secret bank accounts belonging to friends or relatives to finance his life on the run.  Shepherd was given permission to challenge his conviction by a judge at the Court of Appeal on December 19.  Shepherd’s passport was not confiscated before the trial.  Detective Chief Inspector Mick Norman, from the Met, told the Daily Mail that “Shepherd is subject to an international arrest warrant. However since he failed to appear in court for his trial there has been no tangible trace of him.”  Mr Norman added that despite being in touch with his London solicitors, there had been “no tangible trace” of Shepherd.  His lawyers, who are funded through legal aid, insist they do not know where he his.  “There have been a number of rumours that he is being harboured abroad by friends but we have no evidence this is the case,” Mr Norman said.  “There has been no movement on his bank accounts or phone. However this is only in respect of the accounts we are aware of.”  He added: “He may well be using the accounts of friends or family associates to evade arrest and extradition.  “We would also appeal to Mr Shepherds friends and associates who may be assisting him to do the right thing and share any information.”  A Metropolitan Police spokesman told the Daily Mail: “Shepherd’s passport was not seized by the police or the court as he was on court bail and fully complying with bail conditions up to the time of the trial when he failed to appear.”  Ms Brown's parents, Graham Brown and Roz Wickens, told the BBC they did not want to comment on the appeal until after 22 January, when they will meet Home Secretary Sajid Javid to discuss efforts to trace Shepherd.  They have previously said it was "not fair" Shepherd had not faced justice.  The Daily Mail is offering a £25,000 reward for information that leads to him being flushed out of his hiding place.


eveningstandard--2019-01-14--Mother of murder victim says sheaposll never be free of pain as killers are jailed

Mother of murder victim says she'll never be free of pain as killers are jailed

The mother of a student who was shot and stabbed to death at random by roving gang members said she will “never be free from pain” as she saw her son’s killers jailed.  Russell Jordan Jones, 23, was standing on a street corner talking to friends when he was ambushed by four masked men brandishing knives and a 12-bore shotgun.  Mr Jones fled for his life but stumbled and was shot and then stabbed 12 times in a “merciless” attack. One of his friends was also knifed in the back but survived.  On Friday Judge Mark Dennis QC jailed two of the killers, Bilkan Bilkaner, 20, and Duke Quainoo, 21, for life and ordered that they both serve at least 29 years behind bars.  He said Mr Jones and his friends were not associated with gangs and had been “picked on at random” by the killers who wrongly believed they were rivals simply because they were standing together on a street corner.  At the sentencing hearing Mr Jones’s mother, Stephanie Saunders, said she believes unanswered questions about her son’s murder will “haunt me forever”.  “I would give my life in a heartbeat for Russell to have his back. Every day is pure torture”, she told the Old Bailey. “This is just the beginning of a life-long sentence, I will never be free from the pain and grief.”  She told the court her son was months away from completing a business management degree at the University of Hertfordshire and it was awarded posthumously following his murder.  Mr Jones had been out for dinner with friends on March 16 last year and was in South Street in Edmonton just after midnight when he was attacked.  Bilkaner, Quainoo, and two other men — who have not been caught — had spent an hour driving around the area looking for potential targets.  Judge Dennis said: “This was a shocking and brutal attack without a motive beyond the desire to cause death and serious injury to others.”  Bilkaner, from Edmonton, and Quainoo, from Enfield, both denied but were convicted at trial of murder, causing grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.  When the jury returned its verdicts last month and cleared a co-defendant of the attack, Bilkaner and Quainoo violently attacked the third man in the dock. However, they both showed no emotion as they were sentenced over videolink from prison on Friday.


eveningstandard--2019-01-23--Jack Shepherd arrested Charlotte Brownaposs family say speedboat killer is aposa crass reckles

Jack Shepherd arrested: Charlotte Brown's family say speedboat killer is 'a crass, reckless man' after he hands himself in

Charlotte Brown's father said his daughter's killer is a "crass, reckless man" after he handed himself into police in Georgia in front of the country's media.  Graham Brown spokes of his overwhelming emotion after speedboat killer Jack Shepherd, 31, was arrested in Georgia after months as a fugitive.  Ms Brown died after going on a date with Shepherd where they went out on his boat during a date in December 2015.  Her father welcomed the news of Shepherd's arrest and called on him to "atone" for what happened.  He said: "My opinions towards Jack Shepherd is that he's a very crass, reckless man, who managed to abscond and stick two fingers up at the judiciary.  "He's got to come back to atone for all that and I think that he's done the right thing and thank goodness he's realised that now and handed himself in.  "It's been quite hard over the last three years."  Shepherd had been on the run since before his trial and conviction for the manslaughter of Charlotte Brown  His trial started last July and he was eventually convicted for manslaughter by gross negligence of 24-year-old Ms Brown who was killed after he took her on a date on his speedboat.  He disappeared before his trial started in July and was sentenced to six years in jail in his absence at the Old Bailey having skipped bail and fled the UK.  Shepherd had denied manslaughter ahead of his trial.  Images from Georgian broadcaster Rustavi 2 appear to show a heavily-bearded Shepherd smiling and calmly handing himself in.  He was also interviewed on screen as he did so.  On Wednesday, Shepherd's legal representative in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia said Shephered had handed himself in because "he was ready to prove he was innocent".  Shepherd told reporters from the Georgian broadcaster that he was "in a tragic accident."  He married his childhood sweetheart following Ms Brown's death and had a child but he is now estranged from his wife.  Katie Brown, Charlotte's sister, voiced surprise over Shepherd's "smug" appearance on clips aired by a Georgian TV channel.  She told BBC News: "I feel very surprised at how smug he looks to be honest.  "It just shows a very arrogant man.  "I don't understand how someone can go on the run for two crimes and be found guilty and still then just walk straight in with a very smug look on his face and claim innocence. It's unbelievable."  Wearing a long coat, jeans and a checked scarf, he smiled and waved for cameras as he walked into a police station on Wednesday.  A spokesman for the country's embassy in London said that Shepherd had surrendered to the police.  Home Secretary Sajid Javid, who a day earlier warned "there can be no hiding place" for Shepherd, celebrated his arrest.  "We will seek to swiftly extradite him to Britain. It is vital Charlotte Brown's family see justice done," he added.  Georgian law states that extradition is granted over convicted individuals if they have been sentenced to at least four months' imprisonment.  While Shepherd was on the run from the law, his lawyers have been working to appeal against the conviction.  Solicitor Richard Egan: "In the light of today's developments I don't think it would be appropriate to comment further until Mr Shepherd is back in the jurisdiction."  Ms Brown died in December 2015 after being thrown from Shepherd's speeding boat.  This happened during a champagne-fuelled late-night jaunt past the Houses of Parliament and Shepherd's Old Bailey trial heard that he had met Ms Brown on a dating website.  The court was told he had been trying to impress her at the end of their first date at the Shard.  After handing her the controls, the boat hit a submerged log and capsized, sending Ms Brown into the cold water.  Shepherd was rescued, having been found clinging to the upturned hull, while his date was recovered unconscious.


eveningstandard--2019-02-22--Aaron Campbell 16 named for first time as Alesha MacPhailaposs killer as judge lifts anonymity

Aaron Campbell, 16, named for first time as Alesha MacPhail's killer, as judge lifts anonymity on boy who carried out 'bestial' murder

The “evil” 16-year-old boy who raped and murdered young Alesha MacPhail in a crime that shocked the nation has been unmasked as Aaron Campbell.  The teenager is facing life behind bars for brutally killing the six-year-old girl after snatching her from her bed during a holiday to her grandparents' on the Scottish isle of Bute.  Campbell was found guilty of murder yesterday, and will be sentenced next month for the "bestial" crime which is believed to have been inspired by the Slender Man horror character.  Today Judge Lord Matthews agreed that Campbell’s name and picture could be published for the first time, after an appeal by media organisations to end his anonymity.  He said: "I can't think of a case in recent times that has attracted such revulsion.  "I intend to grant the application. The press may name the accused and publish images of him."  Following yesterday’s guilty verdict, the judge said Campbell had committed “some of the most wicked and evil crimes this court has ever heard of in decades of dealing with depravity”.  The judge added that he still has “no idea” of the motive for the murder, which prosecutor Iain McSporran QC has described as “bestial”.  Alesha was snatched by Campbell as she slept on July 2 last year, inflicting horrific injuries, raping the young girl, and then dumping her lifeless body in woodland.  During the trial, Campbell cruelly tried to pin the blame on Alesha’s father’s girlfriend, who was forced to deny in court having anything to do with the shocking crime.  Ultimately jurors took just three hours at High Court in Glasgow to find Campbell unanimously guilty.  In a statement issued by Police Scotland, Alesha's family said: "We can't believe that we will never see our wee angel Alesha again. We miss her so much.  "We hope that the boy who took her from us is jailed for a long time because of what he has done to our family."  Campbell has been warned he may never again be free from prison, and he will be sentenced on March 21.


eveningstandard--2019-03-23--Nashon Esbrand murder Brother of Islington stab victim calls for London communities to apostake r

Nashon Esbrand murder: Brother of Islington stab victim calls for London communities to 'take responsibility' for knife crime 'disease' as killer is jailed

A gangs co-ordinator whose brother was hunted and stabbed to death in north London today called for communities to "take responsibility" for the capital's knife crime "disease" after one of his killers was jailed for life.  Mark Barton made the plea after Jack Stevens, 19, was sentenced to life with a minimum 23 years after he was found guilty of murdering new father Nashon Esbrand in Islington in August 2017.  Stevens was the ringleader of a gang which was captured on CCTV chasing Mr Esbrand, 27, on bicycles. Mr Esbrand was eventually cornered just yards from his parents' house when another teen stabbed him to death with a machete-style blade.  Stevens fled the country after the murder but was extradited from Spain last summer and brought to justice at the Old Bailey. Three of his accomplices have already been jailed over the murder.  Gangs co-ordinator Mr Barton told the Standard after the sentencing: "It’s pure relief. It took a year to find him and nearly a year to convict. It’s satisfying as he was the ringleader. He showed no remorse at all.  "There was a lot of family in court. This brought the sadness back again. But we will keep fighting for Nashon by doing something positive. We are going to do a ‘happy Nash day’ community event every August 25, the day of his death."  But Mr Barton added: "It’s still raw. I wish I was there to protect him.  "And there have been so many murders and stabbings since that day.  “These people have no appreciation for life, and no appreciation for themselves. It’s a disease in our communities that needs to be sorted. It’s not just on the police: communities need to get together and take responsibility.  “I will continue to support young people. I don’t want to see families go through what we went through with Nashon."  On August 24, 2017, Mr Esbrand and his girlfriend were walking down Essex Road with their baby, Milla, who was born nine days before.  Minutes after they parted company, Mr Esbrand was spotted by Stevens and Dillon Zambon, then aged 18 and 19. They targeted him because Mr Esbrand had previously spoken to police about another incident.  Stevens and Zambon chased Mr Esbrand back up Essex Road and enlisted the help of three other youths: Jhon Berhane, then aged 17, a 15-year-old boy who cannot be named and another male who has not been indentified.  They cornered Mr Esbrand in Mitchison Road before the 15-year-old stabbed him in the legs, causing fatal blood loss. One of the wounds was 17.5cm in depth and he died the following day. It happened in a doorway a few doors down from his parents’ house.  In June last year, Zambon and Berhane were both sentenced to life, with the 15-year-old given 12 years. All three were convicted of murder.  Three to four weeks after the murder, Stevens fled the UK in the boot of a car travelling to Belgium, from which he travelled to Spain. He was extradited to the UK in August last year after the Met obtained a European Arrest Warrant.  A jury found Stevens guilty of murder earlier this month and he was sentenced on Friday.  Judge Anuja Dhir said Stevens showed a "chilling lack of remorse" and told him: "Without you this senseless murder would not have taken place."


eveningstandard--2019-04-02--Nipsey Hussle murder Suspected killer Eric Holder arrested in LA days after rapper is fatally shot

Nipsey Hussle murder: Suspected killer Eric Holder arrested in LA days after rapper is fatally shot

Nipsey Hussle’s suspected killer has been arrested after a days-long manhunt following the fatal shooting of the rapper.  Eric Holder, 29, had been on the run for two days before he was arrested in Bellflower, Los Angeles, about 20 miles from where the musician was killed.  He was detained first by sheriff's deputies until LA Police arrived and confirmed he was wanted over Hussle's killing.  It was not immediately clear how authorities located the suspect, but a statement posted on LAPD HQ's social media thanked the "community for the heightened awareness/vigilance".  It read: "Eric Holder, the suspected killer of Nipsey Hussle, has been arrested and is in police custody. Thank you to both our community for the heightened awareness/vigilance, and our partners at @LASDHQ."  Officers had released Holder's name and photo on Monday and asked for the public's help in finding him.  Police Chief Michel Moore told the Associated Press Hussle and Holder knew each other and are thought to have had some kind of personal dispute in the hours before the rapper was killed.  The 33-year-old musician was shot and killed outside his clothing shop on Sunday. Two other people were shot but survived, the Los Angeles Police Department said.  A post-mortem examination found Hussle was killed by gunshots to the head and torso, according to the Los Angeles County Department Medical Examiner-Coroner.  The death was certified as a homicide, the coroner added.  Beyonce was among those to pay tribute to Hussle, who was nominated for the best rap album Grammy earlier this year for Victory Lap.  She shared a childhood picture of Hussle to Instagram, along with the caption: "I'm praying with every ounce of my heart for your family. Rest In Peace, Nipsey."


eveningstandard--2019-04-09--Crossbow killer plotted murder of ex-wife for more than a year Old Bailey hears

Crossbow killer plotted murder of ex-wife for more than a year, Old Bailey hears

A man shot dead his heavily pregnant ex-wife with a crossbow in a “violent revenge” murder he had been plotting for more than a year, the Old Bailey was told today.  Ramanodge Unmathallegadoo, 51, was armed with two crossbows, a hammer and a knife, as well as cable ties and duct tape when he burst out of the garden shed at the home of his 35-year-old ex-wife Sana Muhammad, it was said.  He wanted to kill both his ex-wife and her new husband Imtiaz Muhammad, it is alleged, but was disturbed as he lay in wait for the perfect time to strike.  The jury was told Unmathallegadoo went for the “principal target” of Ms Muhammad, who was eight months pregnant, allegedly waiting until he had her “in his sights” before firing the crossbow bolt into her chest and piercing her heart. She was killed but her unborn son was saved by doctors.  Prosecutor Peter Wright QC said Unmathallegadoo had been plotting the attack on November 12 last year for more than a year, carrying out surveillance on his ex-wife’s new home in Ilford and identifying the shed as the ideal place to hide.  He said Unmathallegadoo had stashed a “cache of weaponry”, including two crossbows near to the house prior to March last year, but they were accidentally stumbled upon by a neighbour and he had to replenish his stock before carrying out the killing.  Mr Wright told the court Unmathallegadoo had wed Ms Muhammad, also known as Devi, in an arranged marriage when she was 16, but the union had broken down by 2012.  He said: “This was a deliberate and quite calculated act of revenge on his part, intended to cause at the very least the death of Devi and the extinction of the child she carried.”  He went on: “For at least a year he had been making preparations for an attack upon Devi and Imtiaz. The attack that took place on the morning of November 12, 2018 was the culmination of a series of acts carried out by him, all of which were calculated to ensure a successful outcome to what was to be a devastating and murderous attack as an act of revenge on his former wife and her new partner.” He added: “The disintegration of his marriage had had a profound effect upon him and his life which eventually led to a deeply held desire for a most violent revenge.”  The jury heard that on the morning of the shooting, Unmathallegadoo, a former site manager at Newham General Hospital, had taken up an “ideal vantage point” in the garden shed where he could watch the house.  However Unmathallegadoo was disturbed in the shed at about 7.30am by Mr Muhammad and “had to seek to execute his plan as best he could”, running past him in search of his ex-wife, it was said.  “Imtiaz then ran through the back door which led to the kitchen, shouting for Devi to run,” said Mr Wright. “The two ran from the kitchen into the corridor which led to the front door, with the defendant in close pursuit. Devi turned and ran up the stairs, whereas Imtiaz ran out of the front door.  “Imtiaz saw the defendant, who was at the bottom of the stairs, shoot Devi who was halfway up the stairs. The effect on her was immediate and she fell to the floor.”  Mr Wright said Unmathallegadoo later told a police officer he had shot his ex-wife by accident while aiming at Mr Muhammad.  But Mr Wright said: “If he wasted his first bolt on Imtiaz he may not succeed with his one remaining loaded crossbow to kill his principal target Devi. That, we say, is the reason why he did not shoot at Imtiaz in advance of the successful attack upon Devi.”  Unmathallegadoo, of no fixed address, denies murder and attempted child destruction. The trial continues.


eveningstandard--2019-04-30--Lee Rigby killer Michael Adebowale aposwants to serve rest of his sentence in Nigerian jailapos

Lee Rigby killer Michael Adebowale 'wants to serve rest of his sentence in Nigerian jail'

One of Lee Rigby’s killers is reportedly making a bid to serve the rest of his sentence in a Nigerian jail with a VIP wing.  Michael Adebowale, 37, is currently behind bars in HMP Wakefield, but he is believed to be seeking a prisoner-swap deal.  Adebowale, who is serving a 45 year jail term for the 2013 murder, was born in Britain but has Nigerian parents.  A source told The Sun: “Michael hates Wakefield. It’s stuffed full of lags who see him as a top target.  “He thinks he can spend the rest of his sentence in Africa.”  The newspaper reported that Adebowale has written to immigration experts asking for advice.  But it is thought that his bid would fail because he was not born in the West African country.  Adebowale was moved to HMP Wakefield, a high security prison dubbed “Monster Mansion”, last year  He and Michael Adebolajo hacked Mr Rigby, 25, to death by his barracks in Woolwich, south-east London.  The Fusilier’s mother Lyn Rigby reacted to Adebowale’s bid, describing it as a “disgrace and an insult to Lee”.  It was reported that Adebowale plans to seek a transfer to Lagos' Kirikiri jail where then-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson agreed to pay for a new £700,000 wing in 2014.


eveningstandard--2019-06-21--Police offer 10000 reward to find killers of DJ stabbed at party

Police offer £10,000 reward to find killers of DJ stabbed at party

Police today offered a £10,000 reward to catch the killers of a young DJ stabbed at an 18th birthday party.  The appeal came as Elyon Poku’s father said he is haunted by seeing his son dying in a hospital bed. Tony Poku only had five final minutes with his 20-year-old son, also known as DJ Nana Banger, before he passed away.  Police have offered the reward for information leading to the conviction of Elyon’s killers at a house party attended by 200 people in Stamford Hill last September.  Mr Poku, 58, said: “Elyon was our only child and our reason for living and somebody has taken that away for nothing.  "He’d only just returned from performing in Los Angeles and he was happy. Elyon said he was going to the party on the Friday night.  "But at 1am on Saturday his cousin rang and said, ‘Get dressed, Elyon has been stabbed’. When I got downstairs, the police car was there already.  "They took me to the hospital... I thought he was sleeping. Less than five minutes later, that’s it — he’s dead.”  Mr Poku added: “We are desperate to get justice for our son.” Elyon wanted to be a social worker and was due to start university.  Nine arrests have been made as part of the investigation, with six people released under investigation.  Anyone with information should call police on 020 8345 3865 or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or Crimestoppers-uk.org


eveningstandard--2019-06-24--Cyprusaposs aposfirst serial killerapos admits three-year murder spree

Cyprus's 'first serial killer' admits three-year murder spree

An army captain today pleaded guilty to killing five women and two children during a three-year murder spree which the authorities stumbled across by accident.  Nikos Metaxas, 35, was led into a Nicosia court under heavy security and stared at the ground as a prosecutor read out a string of charges, including kidnapping and the killings of five women and two of their daughters, age six and eight, from the Philippines, Romania and Nepal.  Metazas, who is believed to be Cyprus’s first serial killer, broke down in tears as the indictment was read.  “Cypriot society will be wondering how one of its members reached this point. I have also asked myself why; I have not yet managed to find an answer,” he said.  Police say Metaxas met the women online. The victims were mostly employed as housekeepers on the island and disappeared between September 2016 and August 2018.  The case triggered outrage and horror on an island where serious crime is relatively rare.  The police chief was sacked and the justice minister resigned following accounts of bungled investigations by police who did not take the disappearances seriously because the women were foreign.  The first victim was found dead by tourists shooting pictures at a mining shaft in late April, unravelling the macabre killing spree. The last victim discovered, the six-year-old child, was found in a lake on June 12. Sentence was expected to be passed later today with Metaxas facing seven life terms.


eveningstandard--2019-09-06--Killer who fled to Cyprus after frenzied attack in south London gym is found guilty of murder

A killer who stabbed a new father to death before fleeing the country and living under a false name in northern Cyprus was today facing life in jail.  Charles Riddington, 37, was arrested on the island last August, nearly two years after the frenzied attack on George Barker, 24, at a gym in Bexley.  Riddington, who was said to be friends with ex-footballer Jamie Redknapp, had accused Mr Barker of “going behind his back” over a drugs debt before punching him and stabbing him 17 times, as people with Riddington warned terrified onlookers “not to get involved”. At the Old Bailey yesterday he was found guilty of murder, after admitting possession of a stun gun and CS spray at the start of the trial. He was found not guilty of possession of an offensive weapon.  The day after the killing, on November 14, 2016, Riddington had flown from Manchester airport to Dusseldorf, the court heard. A European Arrest Warrant was issued, but police discovered he had been living under the alias Barry Ryan for 10 years and found the stun gun and CS spray at addresses he had used.  When he was arrested in northern Cyprus following a local investigation he was found with a Namibian passport under the name Ricky de Bruin. He was deported to southern Cyprus and later returned to the UK.  Witnesses told police that Riddington and Mr Barker, whose partner had given birth to their daughter five days before his death, had previously trained together at the Double K gym.  On the day of the killing Riddington had been talking with the gym owner about a possible TV collaboration with Mr Redknapp. During the trial, Riddington said he spent the day before the stabbing at Mr Redknapp’s house, as they celebrated the Sky Sports pundit’s son’s birthday.  Riddington, formerly of Orpington, will be sentenced on September 20.


eveningstandard--2019-09-23--Joshua Boadu murder Family shares anguish after killers convicted following Bermondsey stabbing

Joshua Boadu murder: Family shares anguish after killers convicted following Bermondsey stabbing

A devastated family has spoken of its “heartache and emotional anguish” after their son’s two killers were today convicted of murder at the Old Bailey.  Joshua Boadu, 23, also known as SJ, was killed last year after a brutal stabbing.  He was attacked in broad daylight in Bermondsey, south London, on the evening of June 11.  Mr Boadu managed to flee from his assailants to a nearby home, where emergency services were called.  But the 23-year-old suffered a heart attack on the way to hospital and his life support was turned off 10 days later.  Denilson Davis, 21, and a 16-year-old boy - who cannot be named because of his age - will be sentenced next week.  Mr Boadu's family released a statement following the conviction. It read: "Words cannot begin to describe how life has been since Josh's passing and he will be forever in our hearts.  “Words cannot describe the heartache and emotional anguish this senseless killing has caused and the impact on the family has been astronomical.  "Josh had his whole life ahead of him and he was full of so much untapped potential but his life was cut short due to a vicious and senseless murder."  It went on: "Things will never be the same for us and we have to live with this for the rest of our lives.  "Knowing Josh cannot celebrate another birthday or Christmas brings all the emotion back to us.  “Things that ‘could have been’ are amongst the hardest of things to forget and move forward when you lose a child, brother, uncle and friend like Josh."  The killers drove to the site of the murder in a Peugeot with a third person who police are still hunting.  Witnesses described how Mr Boadu was ambushed by the trio and tried to defend himself before running away.  After the attack, the murderers fled in the car, and Davis and the boy later tried to call Mr Boadu on the phone.  Police later obtained footage of the killers in a "celebratory mood" in a Lewisham recording studio later the same evening.  Less than a week after the attack, police officers noticed the Peugeot and saw the driver running away.  Davis was arrested nearby, and his fingerprints - plus the DNA of the 16-year-old and Mr Boadu's blood - were all found in the car.  A hunting knife and a mobile phone were recovered from the car, and Davis admitted they belonged to him.  Det Insp Ian Titterrell said: “SJ was attacked in broad daylight on a Bermondsey estate, succumbing to his injuries several days later.  “We have never been able to establish a motive for this senseless killing.  "A thorough police investigation by my team, not to mention some great work from borough officers who proactively stopped two cars which yielded vital evidence, has led to today's convictions.  “While of course SJ's family remain devastated, I hope today's result brings them some comfort."


eveningstandard--2019-10-09--Jodie Chesney murder trial: Girl scout stabbed by mistake after killer targeted 'wrong people&a

Jodie Chesney murder trial: Girl scout stabbed by mistake after killer targeted 'wrong people', court told

Jodie Chesney was stabbed in the back by mistake after her killer "rid out on the wrong people", according to the alleged getaway driver.  Manuel Petrovic, 20, is one of four youths jointly accused over the death of the popular 17-year-old Girl Scout in Amy's Park in Harold Hill on March 1.  While on remand over the killing, Petrovic protested his innocence, saying he was only asked to drive to Harold Hill, and not told why.  During a covertly recorded prison visit by two female friends on May 24, he said: "I'm going to say I'm a drug dealer, I broke the law with my driving and s***. I'm not into murder. I ain't going to go guilty for something I have not done. I'm no murderer."  During a second visit on August 3, Petrovic allegedly said to a friend that Jodie was stabbed after his co-defendant Svenson Ong-a-Kwie was "cheffed".  According to a transcript of the conversation read out in court, Petrovic said: "They went to bang out on their ops and banged out the wrong people."  Asked how he knew that, Petrovic replied: "Uh? Because I know that ... It was to do with Svenson's op - they cheffed him up a couple of month or something, a couple of months before.  "Someone give him the drop, he went to ride out and rid out on the wrong people in the park and they thought it was them because they chill in that area.  "That's why she got it from behind."  Asked where the tip-off came from, Petrovic replied: "They got their drop their self bruv. Because they were in a cab in Harold Hill when they text me saying 'ring me, ring me asap, need to come and see you asap'."  During the conversations in prison, Petrovic also talked of his hope to "bust the case".  His friend told him he should "take this opportunity" if he got off the charge and take a "nine to five job".  Petrovic denies murder along with Ong-a-Kwie and two youths aged 16 and 17, from east London.  Jurors were told of an incident before Jodie's death in which Ong-a-Kwie was found with a makeshift bandage around his left thigh.  The defendant was said to have been vague about it, saying: "Basically, this is what happened. They pulled up here in a car, jumped out and stabbed me in the leg."  The court heard Petrovic had convictions dating back to 2013 including for possession of cannabis and handling stolen goods.  Ong-a-Kwie had pleaded guilty to possession of class A and B drugs when he was 16 years old.  He also had a conviction for the supply of cocaine and having stolen goods, jurors were told.  According to agreed facts read to court, the 17-year-old defendant, then aged 14, had been involved in an incident in a shop in which a member of staff was attacked with a screwdriver.  The youth went on to plead guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possessing a pointed article.  The trial was adjourned until Friday when the defence is due to start.  New: Daily podcast from the Evening Standard  Listen and subscribe to The Leader on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast or your chosen podcast provider. New episodes every weekday from 4pm.


eveningstandard--2019-11-08--Sister of murdered schoolgirl Jodie Chesney tells killers: 'Hang your heads in shame'

The sister of murdered schoolgirl Jodie Chesney told the killers who now face life in prison to “hang their heads in shame” for stealing the 17-year-old’s bright future.  Lucy Chesney, 20, broke down in tears at the Old Bailey yesterday as Svenson Ong-a-Kwie, 19, and a 17-year-old boy were found guilty of murdering her younger sister.  The pair had stabbed Jodie in the back as she sat with friends at Amy’s Park, Harold Hill.  Following the verdicts, Lucy said: “Jodie will be greatly missed and the people who caused such tragedy ... should hang their head in shame.”  She added: “You have ripped away a bright future that was destined to make a change to many lives.”  Jodie, an A-Level student and Girl Scout, died on March 1 shortly after being stabbed. Her boyfriend, who witnessed the murder, said he saw the taller man — said to be Ong-a-Kwie — reach upwards and then stab Jodie.  The killers fled, leaving Jodie’s friends to desperately call for help.  Both teenagers were drug dealers and detectives have suggested the stabbing may have been a botched attack on a rival drug operation, mistaking Jodie for another dealer.  Co-defendants Manuel Petrovic, 20, and a 16-year-old boy, were also accused of murder and were acquitted by the jury yesterday, after almost six hours of deliberations.  Judge Wendy Joseph QC will sentence the killers on November 18, but has warned them they will be handed life sentences.


eveningstandard--2019-11-18--Jodie Chesney killers jailed: Teenagers sentenced to total of 44 years for murdering schoolgirl in e

Jodie Chesney killers jailed: Teenagers sentenced to total of 44 years for murdering schoolgirl in east London

The two teenagers convicted of killing schoolgirl Jodie Chesney in east London have been jailed for a total of 44 years.  Drug dealer Svenson Ong-a-Kwie, 19, from Romford has been jailed at the Old Bailey for life with a minimum term of 26 years.  While 17-year-old Arron Isaacs from Barking was locked up for at least 18 years for his part in Jodie’s murder.  Isaacs was previously not named however, the reporting restrictions have now been lifted by the court.  Both were sentenced today after being found guilty of murder at the Old Bailey on November 7.  In her sentencing, Judge Wendy Joseph QC told the court Jodie’s death, which led to a “world of anguish” for her family, came amid “tit for tat” incidents.  She said Jodie was the victim of “callous, casual and irresponsible violence” which had shocked the community “to the core”.  The defendants had gone to Amy’s Park for a “planned attack on a rival group” and mistook their target.  Judge Joseph told the court that Jodie was a “bright, warm and loving girl” who “should have led a happy and fulfilled life".  “Above all those who loved Jodie will never get over her death," she said.  Addressing the defendants the judge added: “I’ve heard from them no word of true remorse and no true explanation.”  On the evidence, she found Ong-a-Kwie was the stabber and the 17-year-old his “enthusiastic supporter”.  The judge lamented the impact of criminals that had “carved up areas of the capital of this country”.  “The dangers this brings to decent law-abiding members of the public is graphically spelled out in this case," she added.  Judge Joseph said she "entirely rejected" the suggestion Jodie was mistaken for a rival drug dealer called Jade.  "The killing is far more sinister and dangerous than that," she added.  Jodie, 17, was attacked on the evening of March 1 as she sat with friends in Amy's Park in Harold Hill, east London.  The court heard how Ong-a-Kwie had convictions for possessing and supplying drugs.  He admitted being in breach of a six-week suspended sentence for handling stolen jewellery dating back to October last year.  The 17-year-old defendant had previous convictions for possessing a screwdriver, actual bodily harm, possession of cannabis as well as aggravated vehicle taking.  Two others, Manuel Petrovic, 20, and a 16-year-old, both from Romford, were cleared by the jury.  'This nightmare will never leave me'  During the hearing Crispin Aylett QC read out victim impact statements from a number of Jodie's family.  Jodie's nan Christine Chesney wrote: "Since the evening of 1 March, my life has been turned upside down, and it will never be the same again. When I got the phone call to say what had happened to Jodie, I could not believe what I was hearing and it still feels like a dream. However, this nightmare is unfortunately real.  "Jodie was my youngest granddaughter, but she was more like a daughter to me. Since Jodie was very young, I helped her dad Peter in raising her and I would see her every day. Jodie would also ring me multiple times a day about anything and everything, so we were always in touch.  "Not seeing Jodie and hearing her voice on a daily basis has broken my heart. I struggle to sleep; I struggle to eat and my health has deteriorated. For the rest of my life, that night will not leave my mind. I will play that night over in my mind repeatedly, why didn’t Jodie come home that evening, why didn’t Jodie have an extra shift at work?  "I will feel guilt that she wasn’t with me that evening and I couldn’t do anything to help her.  "Jodie was murdered in March but this nightmare will never leave me. I will miss her every single day for the rest of my life and my life will never be the same again."  Jodie’s father Peter Chesney told how he had just got a job in the City as a salesman when his life was “destroyed”.  From being ready to “take on the world” with a promising career, he was instead sitting in a cabin in his garden, writing a victim impact statement.  Mr Chesney said: “I have lost the most precious human being I will ever know. I have no idea how I’m going to continue my life or come to terms with the loss.  “I have a fantastic daughter Lucy and we are leaning on each other throughout this tragedy.”  boyfriend Eddy Coyle also had his victim impact statement read out on his behalf in which he called he "funny" and "silly".  He wrote: “I’ve never lost anyone before and for the first funeral I’ve gone to, to be my own girlfriend’s is incredibly hard. I loved her.”  Jodie’s sister Lucy Chesney added in a statement: “Losing her is like losing half of myself. We went through everything together and she was always there for me and always putting everyone before herself. She gave me a type of love I will never feel again.  “Jodie will be greatly missed and the people who caused such tragedy to a whole family should hang their head in shame. You have ripped away a bright future that was destined to make a change to many lives.”


eveningstandard--2019-11-18--Jodie Chesney's close family pay heartbreaking tribute to murdered teen as killers are jailed:

Jodie Chesney's close family pay heartbreaking tribute to murdered teen as killers are jailed: 'Losing her is like losing half myself'

Jodie Chesney’s close family paid heartbreaking tribute today as the 17-year-old's killers were jailed for life following convictions for murder.  Her sister Lucy said in a statement that losing Jodie "is life losing half of myself", adding: "I am dreading my life rather than looking forward to it."  Jodie’s cousin Kirsty revealed that the teenager’s nephew was born on the same day as the funeral. She said "one of the happiest days of my life... was also one of the saddest."  Jodie's father Peter Chesney said: “The murder of my beloved daughter has destroyed my life and the full extent as to how this has affected my family and me cannot possibly be explained simply in words.  “I have no idea how I am going to continue with my life or even come to terms with the loss.”  Her sister Lucy added in an impact statement: “I am only 20 and already I am dreading my life rather than looking forward to it.  “Jodie was not only my sister she was my best friend. Losing her is like losing half of myself. We went through everything together and she was always there for me and always putting everyone before herself.  “She gave me a type of love I will never feel again."  Kirsty, Jodie’s cousin, said: “Jodie’s murder has affected my family and me in so many different ways. When she was killed, I was heavily pregnant with my son. This was meant to be a really happy time of my life but wasn’t.  “I ended up giving birth on the day of Jodie’s funeral, so I didn’t get chance to say goodbye. One of happiest days of my life, giving birth to my son, was also one of the saddest, as it was the day we had to say goodbye to Jodie.  “And every year on his birthday will be a reminder of another year since her funeral.  “How are any of us supposed to get over something like this? The answer is we never will but we just have to learn to deal with it. Jodie will never be forgotten.”  Speaking outside the Old Bailey following the sentencing hearing, detective chief inspector Dave Whellams, from the Metropolitan Police, said the force was "pleased and proud of these convictions".  He paid tribute to Jodie's family who he said had been through a "great ordeal" and expressed hope they would now be able to find "some form of closure".  Surrounded by Jodie's family members, detective inspector Perry Benton said the "moving" statements read in court had left "a lot of people in tears".  Svenson Ong-a-Kwie was given a minimum of 26 years in prison, while Arron Isaacs was told he would spend at least 18 years behind bars.


eveningstandard--2019-11-18--Jodie Chesney: Dramatic moment police swoop on east London house and arrest teen's killers

Video footage shows the dramatic moment Jodie Chesney's killers were arrested in a Dagenham garden after one of them fell through a roof.  Drug dealer Svenson Ong-a-Kwie, 19, and his 17-year-old runner Arron Isaacs were involved in a "tit-for-tat vendetta" with rivals when they killed Jodie by mistake.  The popular 17-year-old student had been relaxing with friends in Amy's Park in Harold Hill, east London, on the evening of March 1 when two shadowy figures emerged from the dark and one knifed her in the back.  She screamed and collapsed in the arms of her boyfriend, Eddie Coyle, 18, as her attackers made off in a fellow drug dealer's car.  Svenson Ong-a-Kwie, 19, burnt his clothes and disposed of the knife he used to stab the Girl Scout immediately after the attack.  He had been lying low at the home of 17-year-old Arron Isaacs' uncle in Dagenham, east London, when police swooped to arrest them both on the evening of March 10.  When police arrived, they heard a commotion outside and an officer shouted: "Around the back."  In police body-worn video, Ong-a-Kwie can be seen clambering over a rear flat roof and crashing into the conservatory below.  An officer shouted: "Stay where you are. Show me your hands now. Get over here now."  As he was handcuffed, an officer confirmed to colleagues that he was "detained".  When told he was arrested on suspicion of murder, Ong-a-Kwie said: "What? Murder? I killed no-one."  Meanwhile, Isaacs had escaped through a window but was apprehended in the back garden with a rucksack containing a deadly Rambo-style knife.  He was initially arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender but later also charged with Jodie's murder.  The footage was released by the Metropolitan Police as Ong-a-Kwie was jailed for at least 26 years and Isaacs was locked up for at least 18 years for their part in Jodie's death.


eveningstandard--2019-11-22--Grace Millane killer found guilty of murdering British backpacker in New Zealand

A man has been found guilty of murdering British backpacker Grace Millane in New Zealand.  The killer stuffed her body in a suitcase, which was later found buried in bushland near Auckland.  The 27-year-old had claimed Ms Millane, from Wickford in Essex, died accidentally during "rough sex" after their Tinder date in December last year.  But jurors at Auckland's High Court on Friday found the defendant guilty of her murder following the two-week trial at Auckland High Court.  The decision, which came after about five hours of deliberation, was unanimous.  The killer stood emotionless, flanked by two corrections officers, as the verdict was read out.  He was remanded to custody until his sentencing on February 21.  Ms Millane's father, David Millane, and mother, Gillian Millane, wept after the verdict was delivered.  The couple have sat in the public gallery since the trial began on November 4, during which time they have been accompanied by Detective Scott Beard, who led the search for their daughter.  Mr Millane wept as he told reporters: "The verdict of murder today will be welcomed by every member of the Millane family and friends of Grace.  "It will not reduce the pain and suffering we have had to endure over the past year.  "Grace was taken in the most brutal fashion a year ago and our lives have been ripped apart.  "Grace was our sunshine and she will be missed forever."  After the date on December 1 last year, Ms Millane returned to the killer's hotel apartment and he strangled her to death either that night or in the early hours of the next morning - the date of her 22nd birthday.  The jury of seven women and five men returned a unanimous verdict after just five hours deliberation at Auckland High Court.  The Crown successfully argued the man, whose name is subject to a suppression order, strangled Ms Millane and shoved her body inside a suitcase before burying her in a forested area outside Auckland.  Ms Millane had been assumed missing and her father flew to New Zealand as local authorities spent a week searching until her body was found by police.  Justice Simon Moore told jury members before they delivered their verdict that they had to be certain the man had murderous intent when he put his hands on Ms Millane's neck during sexual intercourse to convict him of murder.  Mr Moore asked: "Are you sure that when he applied pressure to Ms Millane's neck... Did he intend to cause injury?"  He further asked them to consider if the accused was willing to take the chance of Ms Millane dying due to his actions.  "If yes, then (the defendant) is guilty of murder," the judge said.  "In other words, (he) must have appreciated Ms Millane's death was a likely consequence... but was willing to run that risk."  The killer had claimed the death was accidental and occurred during rough sexual intercourse.  His defence told the court Ms Millane had an interest in BDSM, with a previous sexual partner testifying they had used safe words and physical tapping to indicate when physical pressure became overwhelming.  During the trial, the jurors heard from forensic experts who examined the accused's apartment for blood stains as well as Ms Millane's body after her death.  They were also shown footage of the woman and the defendant drinking at various bars throughout Auckland and kissing before they returned to his apartment.  Video footage from the elevator of her exiting on the third floor marked the last recorded time Ms Millane was seen alive.  Police officers said phone data showed the killer had used Google to browse websites for large duffel bags, suitcases and car hire after Ms Millane died.  The defendant's phone was also used to search for "flesh-eating birds" and "are there vultures in New Zealand?".  Records showed the defendant had searched online for "the hottest fire", "large bags near me" and "Waitakere Ranges".  Ms Millane's killer faces life in prison with a minimum of 10 years without parole, though the judge can increase the latter period.  Speaking after the guilty verdict was delivered, Ms Millane's father said: "She did not deserve to be murdered in such a barbaric way during her gap year."  He acknowledged the efforts of New Zealand's police, Det Insp Beard and thanked the prosecution team and the media.  "Finally we want to thank the people of New Zealand. I can't thank you enough for our your kindness and for opening your hearts to us," Mr Millane said.


eveningstandard--2019-12-04--London Bridge killer Usman Khan completed two untested counter-terror programmes before attack

London Bridge killer Usman Khan attended two counter-terror rehabilitation courses which had not been fully tested for their effectiveness, it emerged today.  Khan, who was convicted of a terror offence in 2012, killed Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, during a conference on prisoner rehabilitation in Fishmongers’ Hall on Friday.  Khan, 28, had completed two rehabilitation schemes during the eight years he spent in prison and following his release.  The first, the Healthy Identity Intervention programme, was piloted from 2010. A study last year found it was “viewed positively” but the Ministry of Justice had not tested whether it prevents reoffending.  After his release last year, he took part in the Desistance and Disengagement scheme to help convicts “reintegrate safely” into society.  This was launched in 2016 and Government officials say neither programme has been operating long enough for their results to be assessed, the BBC reported.  A spokesman said: “All our offender behaviour programmes are monitored, evaluated and kept under constant review to ensure that they are effective in reducing reoffending and protecting the public.”  Khan injured three other people before being tackled by members of the public and shot dead by police.  Inquests into the deaths of Mr Merritt and Ms Jones were being opened at the Old Bailey today.


eveningstandard--2019-12-17--Prime suspect seized in hunt for killer of British tycoon Matthew Gibbard

The suspected killer of British millionaire businessman Matthew Gibbard in Argentina was arrested as he tried to leave the country, police in the country said today.  Mr Gibbard, 50, was shot in the chest after being followed from the airport to his five-star hotel in Buenos Aires by motorcycle gangsters who are thought to have targeted him for his expensive watch.  His stepson, Stefan Zone, 28, reportedly a product manager at JP Morgan in London, was shot in the leg and is in a stable condition in hospital.  Friends today told of their shock over Saturday’s attack. One told the Evening Standard: “It has just been traumatic. The family are devastated.”  Police apprehended the Venezuelan suspect, named locally as Angel Eduardo Lozano Azuaje, 21, in Salta, about 1,000 miles from the scene, on a coach bound for Bolivia.  Officers are understood to have been tipped off by his girlfriend during an interrogation.  He is the fifth person to be arrested over the robbery outside the £350-a-night Faena Arts Hotel. They include three Argentinians accused of supplying vehicles and the Venezuelan owner of a red Ford Fiesta which was said to have acted as a support vehicle.  Police said the gang would target wealthy holidaymakers wearing expensive watches at Ezeiza International Airport and follow their taxis to the city centre before carrying out robberies.  Chief of security for Buenos Aires, Marcelo D’Alessandro said: “This gang works in the arrivals hall of the airport, where they look for tourists coming from Europe and the United States. From there they begin their pursuit.”  He added: “They had a kind of placard, they would pretend to work for Uber.”  Mr Gibbard, from the village of Lowick, Northamptonshire, ran multimillion-pound holiday and retirement home firm Tingdene.  He is said to have been in Argentina for a Christmas break with his mother and wife Suzanne, 52, as well as Mr Zone and his stepson’s wife and brother. He was described by friends as a “softly spoken gentleman” who collected Ferraris and flew his own helicopter.


21stcenturywire--2019-04-12--Crash and Burn Israels Moon Shot Ends in Disaster

Crash and Burn: Israel’s Moon Shot Ends in Disaster.

With the settler state more divided than ever, and tensions between the native Palestinians as high as ever, this event was meant to be Israel’s “unifying moment” that would bring all Israelis (but not its Arab residents) and globally Jewry together with a shared purpose for one glorious moment.  The attempted moon landing by the Israeli spacecraft Beresheet was broadcast live last night, on the side of the spacecraft read the slogan, “Small country, big dreams.”  However, the Jewish state’s lunar dream crashed and burned, in spectacular fashion, as one of the craft’s main engines blew up on its final descent, crashing into the Moon.  The explosion is said to have marked the end of Israel’s fledgling satellite industry, effectively denying the Jewish state a seat in the elite global club of countries who’ve executed successful lunar landings.  The timing of this grand process – culminating at the exact moment when the Israeli election results were announced – was perhaps too much a coincidence for even the most ardent non-skeptic. Somewhat poetically, Israel’s shallow 2019 election campaign ended as it deserved: A farce.  Noa Landau from Haaretz summed the irony up as follows:  “This is why the loss of communications with the spacecraft, just a moment before the anticipated landing, and just a moment before the announcement of the final election vote results, which at the very last moment went awry – exactly like the landing – felt like one big metaphor. Like the country that could have been, but we have missed out on. In the high-tech superpower filled with traffic jams and embarassing trains, where it’s impossible to receive a package in the mail, and votes can’t be correctly counted, everything is so close, but not quite.”  Beresheet’s engine stopped working around 10 kilometers from the surface, with the vehicle crashing into the Moon at a speed of over 130 meters per second.  The blunder occurred on a live feed in the presence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara, who arrived at the control center for the occasion.  However, the space explorers didn’t seem shaken by the setback as they all chanted a solemn song to show that getting so close to the goal was an achievement in itself.  Netanyahu has already promised that an Israeli spacecraft will be back to the Moon in the next two or three years.  Beresheet, which is Hebrew for the biblical phrase “in the beginning,” could have also become the first private spacecraft to land on the Moon. It was constructed by Israeli nonprofit space venture SpaceIL and state-owned defense contractor Israel Aerospace Industries. The $100 million needed for the ambitious project came from private investors.  Only Russia, the US, and China have so far managed to perform controlled “soft” landings on the lunar surface.

disaster, accident and emergency incident


abcnews--2019-11-15--Louisiana fishing industry hit with $258M in flooding losses

The governor says the Louisiana fishing industry has been hit with $258 million in losses due to historic flooding this year.  In a news release Friday, Gov. John Bel Edwards says the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries conducted an economic impact analysis to determine the flooding impacts.  The analysis was submitted to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to help the state qualify for part of the fisheries disaster assistance. Edwards also asked the state’s congressional delegation for help in a letter Friday.  According to the analysis, the private lease oyster industry was the hardest hit with $121 million in losses.  Heavy rains in the Midwest kept the Mississippi River at flood stage for extended periods of time and forced the opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway two times.


activistpost--2019-03-22--Government Warns Of Historic Widespread Flooding Through May Food Prices To Skyrocket As 1000s

Government Warns Of Historic, Widespread Flooding “Through May” – Food Prices To Skyrocket As 1000s Of Farms Are Destroyed

We have never seen catastrophic flooding like this, and the NOAA is now telling us that there will be more major flooding for at least two more months.  On Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned that “historic, widespread flooding” would “continue through May”.  More than 90 percent of the upper Midwest and Great Plains is currently covered by an average of 10.7 inches of snow, and all of that snow is starting to melt.  That means that we are going to transition from one of the worst winters in modern history to a flood season that has already taken an apocalyptic turn for farmers all across America.  At this moment, millions of acres of farmland are already underwater.  Thousands of farmers are not going to be able to plant crops this year, and thousands of other farmers that have been financially ruined by the floods will never return to farming again.  This is already the worst agricultural disaster in modern American history, and it is going to get a whole lot worse.  I posted an article about this crisis yesterday, and I am troubled by the fact that most Americans don’t seem to understand the gravity of what we are facing.  Millions of bushels of wheat, corn and soybeans have been destroyed by flood waters, hundreds of millions of dollars worth of livestock have been lost, and all of us will soon be feeling a lot more pain at the grocery store.  And this would be a complete and utter national nightmare even if the flooding was all over, but the NOAA just told us that we should expect more catastrophic flooding for the next two months…  In fact, the NOAA is using the words “unprecedented flood season” to describe what is coming, and they are warning that “more than 200 million people” are at risk…  Of all the natural disasters that we have seen in recent years, this is the biggest, and U.S. food production is going to be dramatically affected because many farmers will not be able to grow crops at all in 2019…  And many farmers will never recover from this disaster at all.  According to one farmer in Iowa, somewhere around half of the farmers in his entire county will not be able to come back from this…  I said it yesterday, and I will say it again.  This is the worst blow to U.S. agriculture that I have seen in my entire lifetime.  The amount of food that has just been lost is absolutely staggering.  Due to the trade war, farmers were storing more wheat, corn and soybeans than ever before, and now the floodwaters have destroyed much of what had been stored…  According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, any wheat, corn or soybeans that are contaminated by flood waters must be destroyed.  I know that I shared the following quote yesterday, but in order to give you an idea of the scope of the losses we are looking at, I want to share it again…  And remember, the flooding is just getting started.  In just one county in Iowa, 1.8 million bushels of corn and soybeans have already been destroyed.  Nationwide, the losses are off the charts.  Needless to say, prices will be going way up at the grocery store, and they will keep going up for the rest of the year.  Sadly, even after the flood waters are gone the damage that has been done to our agricultural infrastructure will take years to repair…  In Nebraska alone, hundreds of miles of rural roads have been completely washed out, and farmers such as Annette Bloom are having an extremely difficult time just getting to a main road… “We are having to travel three miles through pasture and cropland just to get out because our roads are gone,” she says. “And the corn fields are going to be devastating to get in and plant and get that going, because usually we’re planting within the next two weeks and it’s not going to happen.” Many of America’s farmers will bravely keep going after this disaster, but for many others a financial breaking point has arrived. Farm bankruptcies had already surged to the highest level since the last recession prior to all of this flooding, and now this crisis will end up driving many of them away from the profession for good.  The following comes from NBC News… Some farmers in Fremont County will probably not return to till their soil, many farmers here said. “Lot of folks won’t be able to continue after this,” said Julius Schaaf, 66, who said 1,500 of his 4,000 acres were currently under water. In the end, it is going to be a while before we know the full extent of the damage to America’s farms and our food supply, but all of the experts agree that it will be unprecedented. Food prices are already high, but the truth is that this is as low as they are going to get.  Much less food will be produced in our heartland this year, and that will mean skyrocketing prices at our grocery stores. And this is just one element of “the perfect storm” that is emerging.  Our society is starting to be shaken in many different ways, and 2019 is certainly shaping up to be a very “interesting” year. About the author: Michael Snyder is a nationally-syndicated writer, media personality and political activist. He is the author of four books including Get Prepared Now, The Beginning Of The End and Living A Life That Really Matters. His articles are originally published on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News. From there, his articles are republished on dozens of other prominent websites. If you would like to republish his articles, please feel free to do so. The more people that see this information the better, and we need to wake more people up while there is still time. Top image caption and credit: The flooded facility of the Camp Ashland Army National Guard in Ashland, Neb., is seen in this aerial photo March 17, 2019. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and the state’s National Guard surveyed flooded farms, homes, bridges and highways, damage Ricketts called “devastating” and perhaps the worst in a half-century. At least three people have been reported killed. (CNS photo/Herschel Talley, Nebraska National Guard handout via Reuters)/CatholicPhilly.com


activistpost--2019-04-09--ANOTHER Bomb Cyclone Will Bring More Flooding To Parts Of The Midwest That Were Hit By A 1000 Ye

ANOTHER “Bomb Cyclone” Will Bring More Flooding To Parts Of The Midwest That Were Hit By A “1,000 Year Flood” Last Month

Less than a month after a “bomb cyclone” caused a “1,000 year flood” in the middle portion of the country, another “bomb cyclone” of similar strength is going to bring even more flooding to the High Plains and Upper Midwest.  According to meteorologists, it is being projected that this new “bomb cyclone” will be “similar in intensity and in snowfall” to the last one, and the latest forecast is calling for “more than 30 inches in some areas”.  The floods that we witnessed last month absolutely devastated communities throughout the region, and now it is going to happen again.  The middle part of our nation has literally never seen anything like this happen ever before, and this is easily the worst natural disaster to hit the United States since Hurricane Katrina.  Before I get into the details of the latest weather forecast, let’s review what we have witnessed so far.  “At least 1 million acres of U.S. farmland” were under water for at least 7 days last month, according to Agriculture Secretary Sunny Purdue “as many as a million calves” were lost in the flooding in the state of Nebraska alone, and hundreds of millions of dollars worth of crops were destroyed.  Thousands upon thousands of farmers were financially ruined, and thousands of farmers will not be able to plant any crops at all this year.  If you can point out a worse agricultural disaster in the last 50 years in the United States, please feel free to do so.  To my knowledge, there isn’t one.  And now a second “bomb cyclone” is on the way this week.  According to CBS News, it looks like this “bomb cyclone” will produce “a blizzard of epic proportions”…  Only three weeks after a “bomb cyclone” — one of the most intense storms on record — pummeled the Plains and Midwest, another bomb cyclone of similar strength has been forecast. This spring storm seems poised to dump even heavier snow; it could also be followed by another round of significant river flooding. Over the past few days, various forecast computer models have shown a blizzard of epic proportions for the north-central Plain States and Upper Midwest. Every time a model is updated, the storm depicted seems to get even more intense. At this point, it seems likely that some of the same areas impacted by devastating flooding just weeks ago are about to get slammed by an historic blizzard Wednesday through Friday.  Some Midwest communities already look like they have literally been through a war.  What do you think they are going to look like after another epic blizzard and more severe flooding rips through them?  If you are not familiar with the term “bomb cyclone”, here is a pretty good explanation from MSN…  A bomb cyclone is a rapid drop in air pressure — at least 24 millibars in 24 hours — and often is over or near oceans or seas because it requires warm moist air smacking into cold dry air, along with volatile weather from the jet stream. The central and mountain part of the country may get one of these every few winters, said Greg Carbin, forecast branch chief for the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center in Maryland. But this would be the second such storm in less than a month. The March 13 storm caused massive flooding in the Midwest, a blizzard in Colorado and Wyoming, and produced winds of between 96 mph and 110 mph (155 and 177.02 kph).  According to the National Weather Service, this new storm will dump a lot of snow on the northern Rockies on Tuesday, and from there it “will pick up in intensity as it moves into the central USA by Wednesday and into Thursday”.  The forecast is calling for the heaviest snow to fall in parts of Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota.  If you will remember, Nebraska was hit by flooding unlike anything it had ever seen before last month.  And now we are being told that this new storm “will further exacerbate flooding in Nebraska”…  Even before this storm, the National Weather Service was warning that there would be “above-average precipitation across much of the Lower 48” over the next few months and that 200 million Americans were at risk of being affected by flooding.  But nobody was expecting another “bomb cyclone” to come so soon.  I have been repeatedly warning my readers that our planet is becoming increasingly unstable and that global weather patterns are really starting to go haywire.  We are seeing things happen that we have never seen before, and what I have shared in this article is yet another example.