Ryan Salame, an ex-FTX executive, is expected to plead guilty to criminal charges
Ryan Salame, a former top executive of FTX, the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency trading platform, is expected to plead guilty to criminal charges in a New York courtroom on Thursday afternoon, a person familiar with the matter has told CNN.
2023-09-08 00:18
Rescuers rush to save American man trapped in deep cave in Turkey
Rescuers are rushing to save an American man trapped in the third-deepest cave in Turkey after he became ill, the Turkish Caving Federation said.
2023-09-07 23:58
Man arrested for brutal sexual assault and beating of Wisconsin college student pretended he found victim
A suspect accused of brutally raping and beating a University of Wisconsin student reportedly pretended to be an innocent bystander after the vicious attack. Brandon Thompson, 26, is facing charges of sexual assault, reckless injury, and strangulation in connection with the attack that left a young woman in her 20s critically injured, the Madison Police Department said. Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said that around 3.20am on Sunday, a witness heard a commotion and approached the scene. Mr Thompson was standing next to the victim and reportedly told the witness that he had “just found” her and didn’t know what had happened. While the witness called emergency services, Mr Thompson fled the scene in his vehicle. The victim, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, suffered a broken jaw and other life-threatening injuries. She is in critical condition but is expected to survive. “I think one of the most frightening things [is that it was a random attack],” Chief Barnes said at a press conference on Wednesday. “...This case will not be complete until this cowardly attacker receives the justice he deserves.” Investigators were able to link Mr Thompson to the scene thanks to surveillance video submitted by residents of the area that captured Mr Thompson’s license plate and that he was walking right behind the victim before the attack unfolded. Chief Barnes said that approximately two hours before the attack, Mr Thompson was pulled over by Fitchburg police officers over a registration violation. The neighbouring police department provided bodycam footage from the traffic stop that showed Mr Thompson’s clothing matched what he was wearing during the Madison attack. “As a result of this video, detectives were able to read a license plate that directly led to the identification of Brandon Thompson as the perpetrator of this assault,” Assistant Chief Paige Valenta of the Madison Police Department said. Ms Valenta said that DNA evidence had been collected from the scene and sent to a state crime lab. “Her life is forever changed,” Ms Valenta added. “Her family’s life is forever changed. We will continue to work hard to ensure that Mr Thompson is held fully accountable in a court of law for the heinous act he perpetrated.” The suspect’s attorneys said in a statement to TMJ4 that he is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee and has a degree in criminal justice and psychology. He reportedly works for a biotech company in Madison. Madison police said Mr Thompson appeared to have no connection with the victim. He was arrested on Wednesday morning and is now awaiting official charges. Read More Famed tech journalist deletes X account with epic rant at Elon Musk and his ‘cesspool’ site The president of a Japanese boy band company resigns and apologizes for late uncle's sex abuse MLB places Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías on administrative leave after arrest
2023-09-07 23:19
Ukrainian adoptee accused of stabbing his missionary parents to death in family’s Florida home
A Ukrainian man has been charged with the stabbing murders of his adoptive parents in Florida. Dima Tower, 21, allegedly killed his adoptive parents, Robbie and Jennifer Tower, aged 49 and 51, in their home in North Port on Friday evening (1 September). Police were called to the scene by a neighbour who reported hearing screaming and banging on her door shortly before midnight. The neighbour said she opened the door and no one was there, but there was a smear of blood spatters on the ground. Responding officers found Dima Tower with blood on his clothes, closing the trunk of his car. He allegedly disregarded police orders to freeze, got in his car and fled the scene. Officers chased the car at high speed, deploying other units to sting the car with spike strips on Interstate 75. While they managed the puncture the tires, the suspect then fled on foot into a wooded area. After eight hours of searching, police finally found Dima Tower on Saturday morning near Interstate 75 and Laurel Road in Sarasota County and arrested him. “Our hearts and prayers go out to them and the family members. We are trying to provide justice for them as best we can. We now have one person in custody after a pretty significant search in the night through some highly wooded and wet areas, we just had storms, so it was pretty tough sliding. The Sarasota County Office in Venice were leading the charge to find this individual. Certainly, we were helping, we had K-9s, helicopters, SWAT teams looking for this individual, “Josh Taylor from the North Port Police Department told WinkNews. The couple were found deceased, their bodies positioned lying head-to-head with blood seeping into their living room floor, reported WinkNews. Investigators say they believe the attack may have gone on for some time, as they found horrifying amounts of spatters and pools of blood throughout their home, such as in the master bedroom, living room, inside the front door and the kitchen, local reports said. Robbie and Jennifer Tower were a devout Christian missionary couple, who worked as real estate agents. They would often visit Ukraine on Christian missions. They adopted their son, who was 14 at the time, seven years ago from an orphanage. Robbie Tower’s uncle, Warren Rines, said that the orphanage treated the then-teen in an inhumane manner. “He would have bruises on him in the orphanage. When they went out to eat, he would have like six hot dogs. He wasn’t getting a lot to eat. These orphanages are like prison for kids,” he told the New York Post. The Ukrainian-born suspect had a turbulent childhood; his mother died as a child and his father, who was an alcoholic abandoned him. After they adopted their son, he allegedly displayed a lot of violent behaviour way before he stabbed and killed his parents, according to Mr Rines. He was often starting fights at school and once left Robbie Tower with a black eye, leading him to be sent to stay with relatives of theirs for a while. Court records show that Dima Tower was arrested in 2020 after a physical fight with someone inside the victim’s home. The state attorney decided not prosecute the case, according to WinkNews. “I think the boy just had a lot of hate in him already before he came here. And I guess you take it out on the ones closest to you,” Mr Rines added. Mr Rines described the couple, who could not have their own biological children, as “two really good, caring people” and would often buy their son whatever he wanted, including the car he was allegedly chased in by police. “It just makes no sense, none of us understand the hate. They were the only two people in his life who ever tried to help him. They treated him like their own son,” Mr Rines added. Debbie Tower, Robbie’s mother, wrote a tribute to the couple on Facebook. She said: "They spent their entire life savings to adopt him and this is how he repays them… I don’t really know how I am going to get through this... Rob and Jen were not just my kids, they were my best friends and we did everything together." Police have yet to reveal the motive for the murders. Read More Danelo Cavalcante update: New video shows prison escape as Pennsylvania police track more sightings Another person dies after being found unresponsive at Fulton County Jail in Atlanta Mother of six-year-old who shot teacher fails drug tests while on bond awaiting sentencing
2023-09-07 20:16
‘That ‘70s Show’ actor Danny Masterson faces 30 years to life at sentencing for rapes
“That ’70s Show” star Danny Masterson could get as much as 30 years to life in prison at his sentencing Thursday for the rapes of two women two decades ago. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo is set to sentence the 47-year-old actor after ruling on a defense motion for a new trial that she’s very likely to reject, and after hearing impact statements from the victims. A jury of seven women and five men found Masterson guilty of two counts on May 31 after seven days of deliberations. Both attacks took place in Masterson’s Hollywood-area home in 2003, when he was at the height of his fame on the Fox network sitcom “That ’70s Show.” The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on a third count, an allegation that Masterson also raped a longtime girlfriend. The verdict came in a second trial after a jury failed to reach verdicts on three counts of forcible rape in December and a mistrial was declared. Prosecutors alleged that Masterson used his prominence in the Church of Scientology — where all three women were also members at the time — to avoid consequences for decades after the attacks. The women blamed the church for their hesitancy in going to police about Masterson. They testified that when they reported him to Scientology officials, they were told they were not raped, were put through ethics programs themselves, and were warned against going to law enforcement to report a member of such high standing. “They were raped, they were punished for it, and they were retaliated against,” Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller told jurors at the trial. “Scientology told them there’s no justice for them.” The church said in a statement after the verdict that the “testimony and descriptions of Scientology beliefs” during the trial were “uniformly false.” “The Church has no policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct of anyone — Scientologists or not — to law enforcement,” the statement said. Masterson did not testify, and his lawyers called no witnesses. The defense argued that the acts were consensual, and attempted to discredit the women’s stories by highlighting changes and inconsistencies over time, which they said showed signs of coordination between them. The women whose testimony led to Masterson’s conviction said that in 2003, he gave them drinks and that they then became woozy or passed out before he violently raped them. Olmedo allowed prosecutors and accusers to say directly in the second trial that Masterson drugged the women, while only allowing the women to describe their condition in the first. Masterson was not charged with any counts of drugging, and there was no toxicology evidence to back up the assertion. The issue could be a factor in a planned appeal from the defense of Masterson’s conviction. The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they’ve been sexually abused. Masterson starred with Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis and Topher Grace in “That ’70s Show” from 1998 until 2006. He had reunited with Kutcher on the 2016 Netflix comedy “The Ranch,” but was written off the show when an LAPD investigation was revealed the following year. While that investigation began before a wave of women shook Hollywood with stories about Harvey Weinstein in October 2017, the conviction and sentencing of Masterson still represents a major #MeToo era success for Los Angeles prosecutors, along with the conviction of Weinstein himself last year.
2023-09-07 19:57
Mystery as parents ‘kidnapped’ from Texas home with five children left behind alone
A bizarre mystery is unfolding in Texas after five children were found alone in their home after their parents were allegedly kidnapped. San Antonio police officers were called to the home in the city’s Southwest Side neighbourhood at around 6am on Wednesday. The children, all under the age of 17, were inside and unharmed. The children reportedly told police that unknown suspects had broke into their house and “forcefully” taken the parents, who are both in their late 30s. The two male suspects reportedly showed up to the house with guns. “Suspects kicked down the door, entered the home, took the adults and fled the scene,” Ricardo Guzman, from the San Antonio Police Department, told KSAT. “We located about five juveniles all inside the home, no injuries, they were unharmed.” The house, located in the 3100 block of Mission Bell, has been taped off while they search and investigate around the property. The police are currently calling the crime a “kidnapping”. Texas law states this is a third-degree felony which could see the suspects in state prison between two to ten years and/or a fine of up to $10,000. The police say they still have a lot of unanswered questions such as why this kidnapping happened and where the couple is right now. According to KSAT, the police said in an earlier statement that the suspects were driving a white SUV. The motive of the suspects is still unknown, police said. Read More Eleven-year-old girl charged with felony for reporting friend missing in YouTube challenge prank Carlee Russell’s ex speaks out about kidnapping hoax: ‘I was mad, I was sad’ Andrea Vazquez – latest: Murder suspect Gabriel Esparza’s attorney says he’s scared as DA vows to seek justice
2023-09-07 19:52
Danelo Cavalcante update: New video shows prison escape as Pennsylvania police track more sightings
The manhunt for convicted killer Danelo Cavalcante has now entered its eighth day with details beginning to emerge about how he managed to escape from prison in Pennsylvania. Cavalcante, 34, escaped from Chester County Prison days after he was sentenced to life without parole for stabbing his ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandao, 31, to death in front of her two small children. He is also wanted for a 2017 murder in Brazil. Authorities said during a press conference on Wednesday that he broke out by climbing onto a prison building roof from one of the exercise yards. Newly released surveillance video shows Cavalcante crawling up a wall at the prison before he disappears from the frame. Police said that he later managed to jump down to an area of the prison that had less surveillance. A tower officer tasked with observing the site failed to report the incident and Cavalcante’s escape was only noticed later during a head count. He was last spotted near Chandler Road, Pennsbury Township, on Tuesday evening. Local and federal law enforcement searched the area for hours but did not locate the fugitive. Members of the public are urged to secure their homes from the dangerous killer. Read More Danelo Cavalcante’s escape from Pennsylvania prison captured in newly released video How did Danelo Cavalcante manage to slip past Pennsylvania authorities twice? Father reveals terrifying moment escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante broke into his home Danelo Cavalcante killed his girlfriend in front of her children. Now he’s on the run after a prison break
2023-09-07 18:54
'More and more on the move'. Record number of migrant children in Latin America and Caribbean, UN warns
Children are migrating through Latin America and the Caribbean in record numbers, driven by gang violence, poverty, instability and climate change, the United Nations reported Wednesday.
2023-09-07 15:23
Watchdog group sues to block Trump from Colorado ballot, citing 14th Amendment's disqualification clause
A Washington-based advocacy group filed a lawsuit on Wednesday to block former President Donald Trump from the 2024 Republican primary ballot in Colorado, citing the 14th Amendment's ban on insurrectionists holding public office.
2023-09-07 11:56
Another person dies after being found unresponsive at Fulton County Jail in Atlanta
A 24-year-old man died at an Atlanta hospital after being found unresponsive at a jail that is already being investigated by federal authorities for potential civil rights violations. A Fulton County Jail officer found Shawndre Delmore during a routine check just before 8.30pm on 31 August, the county sheriff's office said in a news release Wednesday. Jail staff attempted to revive Delmore until medical staff arrived, and he was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he died on 3 September, the release says. Delmore is the sixth person to die in Fulton County custody since the end of July. He was arrested on 1 April by Atlanta police and was being held on $2,500 bond on a second-degree burglary charge. Atlanta police will investigate his death, and the county medical examiner will do an autopsy, the sheriff's office said. The US Department of Justice in July opened a civil rights investigation into jail conditions in the county, citing violence, filthy conditions and the death last year of a man whose body was found covered in insects. Lashawn Thompson, 35, died last September in a bedbug-infested cell in the Fulton County Jail’s psychiatric wing. An independent autopsy done at his family’s request found he died from severe neglect. His family has since reached a settlement with the county. Dayvion Blake, 23, was stabbed to death and four others were stabbed an injured during a fight at the jail on 31 August. Samuel Lawrence, 34, died Saturday at Grady Memorial Hospital after he was found unresponsive in his cell at the jail. The other three people who died in the last month include 66-year-old Alexander Hawkins, 34-year-old Christopher Smith and 40-year-old Montay Stinson. Read More Georgia prosecutors predict four-month trial and 150 witnesses for Trump’s election interference case Inside the notorious Fulton County Jail where Trump and 18 allies were booked over Georgia election plot Wisconsin Republicans want to impeach a liberal state Supreme Court justice before she has even heard a case
2023-09-07 11:52
Investigative genetic genealogy leads police to a suspect in series of California kidnappings and sexual assaults
A man suspected of a series of suspected sexual assaults in Sacramento, California, over a decade ago, was identified and arrested through the use of investigative genetic genealogy, officials announced Tuesday.
2023-09-07 10:18
Alex Murdaugh is getting the Hollywood treatment - in a new Lifetime movie starring Bill Pullman
Six months after former attorney Alex Murdaugh was convicted of murder, the Lifetime Network announced a new movie about the once prominent South Carolina dynasty that came crashing down following a fatal boating accident, a slew of financial crimes and the brutal slayings of his wife and son. Lifetime’s 500th original movie Murdaugh Murders: The Movie is set to air in a two-night event next month and stepping into the role of the convicted killer is 69-year-old actor Bill Pullman. First-look images from the movie obtained by Entertainment Weekly - and posted to social media by Lifetime - show a chilling Pullman, his reddish-blonde slicked back, violently grabbing actor Curtis Tweedie, who is portraying his slain son Paul Murdaugh. Lauren Robek plays his wife Maggie. Another eerie image shows Pullman decked out in a black tux and red bowtie, similar to what Murdaugh was pictured wearing in one of the well-known photos of the family prior to the June 2021 killings. The images from the Lifetime movie also show Mr Pullman as Murdaugh speaking at a press conference and later being led away in tan jail scrubs and handcuffs. The two-part film chronicles the series of events that led to Murdaugh to kill his 52-year-old wife Maggie Murdaugh and his younger son 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh, at the family’s hunting property on 7 June 2021. Murdaugh was found guilty in March 2023 and is now serving two life sentences. “Even with all of Alex’s influence, he couldn’t prevent the Murdaugh Family’s legacy from being tarnished after Paul was involved in a boating accident that left a young girl dead,” according to a Lifetime Network release. “While Maggie was consumed with what was happening with Paul, Alex was hiding his addiction to opioids and stealing insurance settlements from his own clients to fund his habit and the family’s lavish lifestyle. Then in June 2021, Maggie and Paul were found murdered, and eyes began to turn to Alex.” The timely announcement of the film comes just a day after Murdaugh’s defence attorneys filed a motion requesting a new trial on the grounds that the Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill tampered with the jury because she was driven by fame and a desire to secure a book deal. The bombshell allegations come one week after the convicted killer lost some of his inmate privileges after he fed information to Fox Nation documentary “The Fall of the House of Murdaugh” without permission from prison officials. In the documentary, his only surviving son Buster broke his silence as he insisted that he still believes his father is innocent but admitted that he may be a psychopath. Murdaugh Murders: The Movie will air at 8pm on 14 October and 15 October on Lifetime. A second season of Netflix’s docuseries Murdaugh Murders:: A Southern Scandal will drop on 22 September. Read More Alex Murdaugh juror back in spotlight as killer accuses clerk of court of tampering in trial – latest An Alex Murdaugh juror gained infamy over a dozen eggs. Now she’s at the heart of his bid for a new trial Court clerk’s co-author responds to Alex Murdaugh’s claims of jury tampering as she lawyers up
2023-09-07 08:52