Starting in January 2020, this thread is about the news as it breaks!
Bernard Madoff says he is dying and is asking a judge for compassionate release from prison, where he is serving 150 years for orchestrating the largest Ponzi scheme in history, according to a Wednesday federal court filing.
Madoff, 81, has terminal kidney failure and a life expectancy of less than 18 months. When the court sentenced him, “it was clear that Madoff’s 150-year prison sentence was symbolic for three reasons: retribution, deterrence, and for the victims,” the court filing states. “This Court must now consider whether keeping Madoff incarcerated … is truly in furtherance of statutory sentencing goals and our society’s value and understanding of compassion.”
Madoff said in the request for compassionate release that he “does not dispute the severity of his crimes.”
Bernard Madoff says he is dying and is asking a judge for compassionate release from prison, where he is serving 150 years for orchestrating the largest Ponzi scheme in history, according to a Wednesday federal court filing. Madoff, 81, has terminal kidney failure and a life expectancy of less...
The jury saw grim photographs, heard stark testimony, and sat through almost 90 minutes of raw video.
But the most powerful evidence presented Tuesday at day one of Edwin Urbina’s murder trial may have been a tiny pair of Mickey Mouse underpants.
They were worn by 3-year-old Liam Straw when his bruised, motionless body was brought into the Morristown Medical Center emergency department on the steamy morning of Aug. 13, 2021.
The little boy met “a gruesome and barbaric end,” in a cluttered Route 10 hotel room with broken air conditioning, from a beating inflicted by Urbina in the presence of Liam’s 5-year-old sister, “who had no place to hide,” Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Tara Wang said in an opening statement laced with anger.
British police have arrested an aristocrat and her partner after the pair went missing with their newborn baby in early January, but the search for the infant continues.
edition.cnn.com
By Amarachi Orie, CNN
Updated 7:40 AM EST, Tue February 28, 2023
LondonCNN —
UK police have arrested an aristocrat and her partner after the pair went missing with their newborn baby in early January, but the search for the infant continues.
A member of the public spotted Constance Marten, 35, and Mark Gordon, 48, in Brighton, southern England, on Monday night, police said Tuesday.
The couple were arrested at the location on suspicion of child neglect, officers said. They remain in custody.
Their baby, who police believe was born possibly one to two days before disappearing without receiving medical attention, is still missing and an “urgent search operation” is underway.
“Work is ongoing to try and locate the baby,” a spokesperson for the UK’s Metropolitan Police service told CNN Tuesday. “Anyone with information, we would ask them to call in if they’ve got something they think can help.”
The body of a baby has been found amid an urgent hunt for Constance Marten and Mark Gordon’s child.
Speaking at a press conference at Sussex Police HQ, Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford said: ‘It is my very sad duty to update this afternoon, police officers searching a wooded area close to where Constance and Mark Gordon were arrested, discovered the remains of a baby.
‘A post-mortem examination will be held in due course. A crime scene is in place and work at the location is expected to continue for some time.
‘This is an outcome that myself and that many officers who have been part of this search had hoped would not happen.
The body of a baby has been found amid an urgent hunt for Constance Marten and Mark Gordon’s child.
Speaking at a press conference at Sussex Police HQ, Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford said: ‘It is my very sad duty to update this afternoon, police officers searching a wooded area close to where Constance and Mark Gordon were arrested, discovered the remains of a baby.
‘A post-mortem examination will be held in due course. A crime scene is in place and work at the location is expected to continue for some time.
‘This is an outcome that myself and that many officers who have been part of this search had hoped would not happen.
FRESNO, Calif. — Ray Brewer, 66, of Porterville, and Sheridan, Montana, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud, money laundering, and identity theft charges for running a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme where he purported to turn cow manure into green energy, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
FRESNO, Calif. — Ray Brewer, 66, of Porterville, and Sheridan, Montana, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud, money laundering, and identity theft charges for running a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme where he purported to turn cow manure into green energy, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
The actor and singer is appealing his conviction for staging a hate crime against himself in Chicago and lying about it.
abc7chicago.com
ByMatthew Hendrickson, Sun-Times Media Wire
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 2:39PM
CHICAGO -- A state appeals court on Monday granted a request by Jussie Smollett's defense lawyers for a fifth extension to file their initial argument, but warned it would be the last time.
"A fifth motion for more time to file an opening brief, particularly by the defendant in a criminal matter, is rare," the three-judge panel of the First District Appellate Court wrote in its order. "Nevertheless, the court grants the motion to serve and file appellant's brief on or before March 1, 2023. After that date, no further extension will be granted."
In their motion last week for yet another extension, Smollett's attorneys said their brief was completed and, at the time, they were still waiting for a ruling on a request to file an oversized brief in the case.
<snip>
In the ruling Tuesday, the judges allowed Smollett to file an oversized brief but not as large as they had requested. "Instead, Defendant-Appellant may file a brief not to exceed 20,000 words, a 33% increase in the number of words," the court ruled.
Story by Jason Meisner, Madeline Buckley, Chicago
March 2, 2023
Nearly a year after being sentenced to five months in jail, only to be released on bond days later, actor Jussie Smollett has filed his long-awaited appeal claiming his indictment by a special prosecutor was invalid due to double-jeopardy concerns and that the trial judge was biased against him.
The 102-page brief filed Wednesday with the Illinois Appellate Court covered mostly familiar ground in the well-worn case against Smollett, the onetime “Empire” star who was convicted by a jury in December 2021 of paying two acquaintances to fake a racist and homophobic attack on him to get exposure and boost his career.
Story by Jason Meisner, Madeline Buckley, Chicago
March 2, 2023
Nearly a year after being sentenced to five months in jail, only to be released on bond days later, actor Jussie Smollett has filed his long-awaited appeal claiming his indictment by a special prosecutor was invalid due to double-jeopardy concerns and that the trial judge was biased against him.
The 102-page brief filed Wednesday with the Illinois Appellate Court covered mostly familiar ground in the well-worn case against Smollett, the onetime “Empire” star who was convicted by a jury in December 2021 of paying two acquaintances to fake a racist and homophobic attack on him to get exposure and boost his career.
The body of the child, named Victoria, was found wrapped in a plastic bag under some nappies in an unlocked shed near to where Constance Marten and Mark Gordon had been camping on an overgrown allotment plot in Brighton, Crawley Magistrates' Court was told.
news.sky.com
Friday 3 March 2023 17:57, UK
A couple have been charged with the manslaughter of a baby girl called Victoria, a court has heard.
The child's body was found wrapped in a plastic bag under some nappies in an unlocked shed near to where Constance Marten and Mark Gordon had been camping on an overgrown allotment plot in Brighton, Crawley Magistrates' Court was told.
A post-mortem examination held on 3 March was not able to establish a cause of death and further tests will take place.
The details were revealed during the pair's first court appearance on Friday, during which a charge that they "unlawfully killed baby Victoria" was read out.
Marten, 35, and Gordon, 48, are also accused of concealing the birth of a child and perverting the course of justice.
FRESNO, Calif. — Ray Brewer, 66, of Porterville, and Sheridan, Montana, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud, money laundering, and identity theft charges for running a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme where he purported to turn cow manure into green energy, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
I'd hate to see the girl who gave him those hickeys. He looks scary. She believes he assaulted her in her sleep also. She said she didn't take the narcotic offered to her. It sounds like she was drugged anyway. Under the circumstances, I believe she was lucky to escape the next day. He most likely would have killed her. They usually do. A dead victim can't identify them. Poor girl. She must have been terrified. She is forever affected. I hope she can get the help she needs.
"Marten and Gordon". 48 and 35. Not young. Why do people like this even bother to have children?. Gave birth in car?. They knew what to do apparently. He was from royalty. Why live that way?. A cause of death couldn't be established. She was found in an unlocked shed. She was probably crying constantly for good reason. Cold, Hungry and I doubt they changed her diaper often. they put her in there to die, And she died from neglect.
Very ironic that "Evil Lives Here" is on right now about this guy. His ex- wife is being interviewed. It's from 2020. 9 lawyers?! He set this up for this reason IMO. Playing games. He is very manipulative.
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Kierra Coles has been missing since 2018 and Tuesday, Chicago police released video showing some of the pregnant postal worker's final moments before her disappearance.
"We just want Kierra brought home safe," Karen Phillips, Kierra's mother, said.
Kierra Coles has been missing since October 2, 2018, when she was 26 years old.
Chicago police Tuesday released some of the last images of her before she vanished.
"At approximately 10:43 p.m., Kierra Coles was seen on surveillance video making two ATM withdrawals at a business in the 8600-block of South Cottage Grove," CPD Homicide Lieutenant William Svilar said. "Kierra, postal worker, who was three months pregnant, exited the business three minutes later. These are the last recorded images of Kierra."
"It was just days of searching and passing out flyers and praying," Phillips said.
After searching through hours of video, police put together a timeline of her disappearance.
"During the course of that night, Kierra entered her residence in the 8100-block of South Vernon," Lieutenant Svilar said. "A man who police identified as a person of interest also arrived and entered the residence. Kierra and the man later got into her car and drove off with Kierra in the driver's seat."
Minutes later, Kierra was seen on the surveillance video using the ATM.
Police said less than an hour later, that same vehicle was seen parking in another area of the city. The person of interest gets out of the passenger side of the car, but no one exited the driver's side.
"The next day, the person of interest is seen parking Kierra's vehicle near her residence before entering the building and exiting with unknown items," Svilar said.
The man was then seen driving off in his vehicle parked on the street overnight.
When he was questioned, police said he gave varying accounts of the last time he saw her.
<snip>
Tuesday afternoon, community organizers prepared for the fifth annual march We Walk for Her at 5 p.m. at 35th Street and King Drive. The purpose of the event is to bring to attention to all the unsolved cases of missing women and girls of color.
"What's most important is Kierra Coles case and every cold case gets the attention it deserves in Black and Brown communities," Tanisha Williams, Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, said.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Video at link ~Summer
All four U.S. citizens disappeared in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas after a violent kidnapping on Friday.
www.cbsnews.com
BY EMILY MAE CZACHOR
UPDATED ON: MARCH 7, 2023 / 10:37 AM / CBS NEWS
Two of the four U.S. citizens who went missing after a violent kidnapping in Mexico last week have been found dead and two are alive, Mexican authorities said on Tuesday. Tamaulipas Gov. Américo Villarreal said that one of the surviving U.S. citizens was wounded and the other was not.
The office of the attorney general for the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, where the Americans disappeared on Friday, announced on Facebook that all four people had been found.
"Investigation and intelligence work continues to capture those responsible," the statement read. Additional details will be provided at a later time, the office said.
The group of Americans were found as a result of joint search operations, according to the attorney general, but how officials ultimately located and rescued them remained unclear.
"Of the four, two of them are dead, one person is wounded and the other is alive and right now the ambulances and the rest of the security personnel are going for them for give the corresponding support," Villarreal said
krdo.com
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/HXUOO3366NEIVDKYQ2PAE2BCKM.png)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/JZEY7SFPGRCTXASNGVVY3CFIOM.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/JEZOCP65RRFTDFQOHFTWKGQCGU.jpg)
