List of All Articles with Tag 'us crime news'

A Vermont man has died in custody while awaiting trial on charges of killing his mother at sea, federal authorities said on Thursday. Nathan Carman, 29, was accused of the first-degree murder of his mother Linda Carman during a 2016 boating trip in what prosecutors alleged was a plot to inherit millions of dollars. Carman pleaded not guilty last year to fraud and first-degree murder and had been due to go on trial in October. The cause of his death was not immediately known. In September 2016, Carman arranged a fishing trip from a Rhode Island marina with his mother, during which his boat reportedly sank and his mother disappeared. Carman was found floating in an inflatable raft eight days later, while his mother has never been found. Prosecutors allege that Carman made alterations to the boat to make it more likely to sink. He was also accused of killing his grandfather, John Chakalos, who was shot dead in his home in Windsor, Connecticut, in 2013. Chakalos’s killing was part of a scheme by Carman to obtain millions of dollars from his grandfather’s estate, according to an eight-count indictment. He had not been charged in that case. Chakalos had made a fortune of tens of millions of dollars by building and renting nursing homes. Last May, Carman was arrested and charged with his mother’s murder. Prosecutors urged him to be held in custody pending trial as he was a flight risk. Carman was being held by US Marshalls at the time of his death. His attorney Martin Minnella told the Associated Press that he had been in good spirits when they spoke on Wednesday, and they had been due to meet again on Thursday. “We were meeting with some experts today over Zoom at 12 o’clock. We were prepared to start picking a jury on October 10 and we were confident we were going to win,” he said. “It’s just a tragedy, a tragedy.” According to prosecutors, Carman’s inheritance scheme began nearly a decade ago when he purchased a rifle in New Hampshire and used it to shoot Chakalos while he was asleep in his Connecticut home on 20 December 2013. Carman then discarded his own computer hard drive and the GPS unit that had been in his truck, according to the indictment. After his grandfather’s death, Carman received $550,000. He moved from Bloomfield, Connecticut, to Vernon, Vermont, in 2014, was unemployed, and by 2016 had squandered most of his inheritance, they alleged. He then organised the fatal boating trip with his mother Linda, of Middletown, Connecticut. In 2019, Chakalos’ three surviving daughters filed a lawsuit in New Hampshire seeking to block Carman from receiving any more of his grandfather’s inheritance. The case was dismissed after a judge ruled that Chakalos was not a New Hampshire resident. It was later refiled in Connecticut and was still pending. The three sisters issued a statement to the AP saying they were “deeply saddened” by Carman’s death. “While we process this shocking news and its impact on the tragic events surrounding the last several years we ask for your understanding and respect relative to our privacy,” they said through a lawyer. Read More Man charged with murdering mother on fishing boat to inherit grandfather’s riches Man found on raft after mother's mystery death at sea was suspect in grandfather's killing Treat Williams death: Everwood and Hair star dies aged 71 following motorcycle accident

A Harvard Medical School morgue manager and his wife are among five people who have been charged with stealing and selling human remains. Cedric Lodge, who was fired on 6 May, allegedly stole “heads, brains, skin and bones” from cadavers that were donated to the school, federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania said on Wednesday. He and his wife Denise sold the body parts to buyers in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, sending them in the post, according to the indictment. In one case, the buyer allegedly intended to tan skin into leather. The scheme, which is part of a larger black market, is alleged to have gone on from 2018 to 2022. Mr Lodge, who was hired by Harvard in Boston, Massachusetts in 1995, allegedly sometimes allowed potential buyers into the morgue to choose which body parts they wanted. After the horrifying allegations emerged, family members who donated their loved ones’ bodies to medical research spoke of their horror. “We were just disgusted,” Paula Peltonovich, whose father’s remains were donated to the school, told the Boston Globe on Thursday. “Sick, like we were going to throw up.” Read More ‘Disgusted’: Woman speaks out after father’s remains trafficked by Harvard morgue manager ‘Heads, brains, skin and bones’: Everything we know about the Harvard morgue body parts case Niece says she feels ‘sick’ after learning Harvard morgue worker accused of selling human remains Harvard morgue manager ‘sold body parts and human skin that was made into leather’ Harvard Medical School morgue manager, 4 others indicted in theft, sale of human remains

“Suitcase killer” Heather Mack is facing up to 28 years in US prison after she pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder her socialite mother Sheila von Wiese-Mack at a luxury 5-star resort in Bali back in 2014. Mack, now 27, reached a plea deal with prosecutors in federal court in Illinois on Friday morning, pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to kill a US national and finally bringing some sort of conclusion to a horror case that has rumbled on for almost eight years. “I plead guilty, your honor,” she told US District Judge Matthew Kelley during the short hearing. Under the terms of the agreement, prosecutors recommend that she faces a maximum sentence of 28 years in prison, with consideration given to the seven years that she’s already served in Indonesian jail. If she is sentenced to 28 years, she could be eligible for release in 2042 – taking into account the time served in Indonesia and behind bars in the US. She would be 46 years old. The daughter – Stella – that she gave birth to in Bali prison would be an adult. However, Judge Kelley warned that he could ignore the sentencing guidelines, with the charge carrying a maximum penalty of life in prison. “I have to make up my own mind,” he said. A sentencing date was set for 18 December. Under the deal, Mack is unable to file any appeals in her case. Earlier in the hearing, Mack told the judge that she had been hospitalised “a few times” with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder while growing up. Mack has spend almost every day of her life behind bars since she was arrested in August 2014 in Bali. On 12 August 2014, Mack, then 18, and her then-boyfriend Tommy Schaefer, 21, bludgeoned von Wiese-Mack to death with the metal handle of a fruit stand at the luxury 5-star St. Regis resort in Bali. They then stuffed her body into a suitcase, hailed down a taxi and loaded it into the trunk of the car. When they were unable to check out of the luxury resort – using her mother’s credit card – the couple fled the scene, leaving the bloodstained suitcase behind. They were soon tracked down to a budget motel and arrested on suspicion of murder. At the time of the murder, Mack – the daughter of socialite von Wiese-Mack and famed musician James L Mack – was pregnant with Schaefer’s child. Prosecutors revealed that she had flown her lover out on a $12,000 business-class ticket just hours earlier charged to her mother’s credit card. Surveillance footage later captured the trio arguing in the hotel lobby after he arrived. Less than 12 hours after Schaefer flew in, Mack was dead. Chilling text messages later surfaced showing how the couple likened themselves to the notorious duo Bonnie & Clyde and plotted methods of murder. They were both convicted of premeditated murder in Indonesia and narrowly avoided facing the firing squad. Mack was released from prison in Bali in October 2021 after serving seven years – three years early due to good behaviour – and was briefly reunited with her daughter Stella, then six, who she planned to begin a new life with. But her newfound freedom was short-lived. Five days later, the then 26-year-old was deported from the Indonesian island back to the US and was arrested by FBI agents as soon as she touched down on American soil at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. She was indicted on two counts of conspiring to commit murder in a foreign country and one count of obstruction of justice. The indictment, which was filed in 2017 but remained sealed while she remained in Indonesian prison, also charged Schaefer with the same counts. Since then, she has been behind bars in Illinois awaiting trial and had been fighting against the charges, insisting that she had served her time for her crime in Indonesia. The case was set to go to trial on 1 August in Chicago before Mack revealed her intentions to change her plea earlier this month. Speaking to The New York Post last week, Mack said: “I have served nearly 10 years in prison. I felt that I had done my time, so I was gung-ho for trial,” she said. “Now, after sitting for so long, I know what I have to do. I’m going to be a felon in America, and that is fine. I understand from [the US government’s] perspective that, if I don’t plead guilty and they didn’t indict me, I wouldn’t be a felon.” She added: “I could become a police officer and work for the government… I could carry a firearm on the street.” Schaefer is still serving his 18-year sentence in Indonesia before he too will face charges on US soil. Read More Heather Mack plea hearing – live: ‘Suitcase killer’ to plead guilty in US over Bali murder of socialite mom A body in a suitcase, Bonnie and Clyde fantasy and baby born in Bali prison: The chilling case of Heather Mack Heather Mack, convicted in Bali of killing mother, set to plead guilty in US

Representatives of Conor McGregor have denied allegations the former UFC champion sexually assaulted a woman at a basketball match last week. The Irish mixed martial arts star has been accused of the assault in a bathroom at game four of the NBA Finals in Miami on June 9. A statement from McGregor’s lawyer Barbara Llanes said: “The allegations are false. Mr McGregor will not be intimidated.” The NBA and Miami Heat said they were investigating the allegations that Mr McGregor assaulted a woman in a bathroom after the match. A statement from the Miami Heat, who were facing the Denver Nuggets in the finals, said: “We are aware of the allegations and are conducting a full investigation. Pending the outcome of the investigation, we will withhold further comment.” UFC said it would “allow the legal process to play out” before making any additional comments. In a statement, the mixed martial arts organisation said: “The organisation is aware of the recent allegations regarding Conor McGregor and will continue to gather additional details regarding the incident.” The complainant’s lawyer said her client had provided Miami police with the clothes she was wearing at the time. The incident is alleged to have happened on the same night Mr McGregor injured a mascot in a promotional stunt. A Heat employee inside the costume of the team’s mascot Burnie required medical attention after two punches from the fighter during a stoppage during the third quarter. The team said he received pain medication and was recovering. Mr McGregor, who was booed by many in the crowd, was at the match to perform the promotional piece for a pain-relief spray and hit the mascot with left hook, punching him again after he had hit the floor. He then tried to apply the spray while Heat staff dragged the mascot off the court. Mr McGregor has not fought since injuring his left leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. His last win came in January 2020.

A Utah mother of three on trial for allegedly murdering her husband in 2022 with a poisoned cocktail said she had normal explanations for taking so-called “exotic vacations” after the death, according to court documents. A month before she was arrested, Kouri Richins emailed officials in Summit County to explain a series of trips to Salt Lake City, Spain and Mexico, according to the documents obtained by the New York Post. “You asked about any exotic vacations I have taken since Eric’s passing. I went on two trips last year. One, my kids tried out at a soccer camp in SLC [Salt Lake City] to qualify to play in Spain in June and both my kids made it. So yes, I took them to Spain in October 2022. I have attached their invitation letters,” read one message. “I took my kids and my mom came with us in August of 2022 to Mexico. As I hope you understand, the months prior to this since Eric’s death have been hard to deal with,” she said elsewhere. “Eric and I went to Mexico every year, sometimes twice. We traveled A LOT. We have taken the boys to Mexico a few times,” she continued. Ms Richins was arrested on 8 May and charged with first-degree murder and possession of a controlled substance, with prosecutors alleging she killed her husband by spiking a Moscow mule cocktail with a lethal dose of fentanyl. The Utah woman wrote a children’s book about dealing with grief and went on local television to promote its release weeks before she got arrested. “It was right up until the end that she was carrying on as though nothing had happened, and that she was a victim, and she was a martyr and promoting her book,” lawyer and Richins family spokesman Greg Skordas told The Independent. Her defence has argued in court that she is not guilty and there is “no substantial evidence to support the charges,” Fox 13 reported. Ms Richins was denied bond by a Utah court as her trial progresses. Eric Richins was remembered as a dedicated father, local businessman and coach of youth sports. “He spent countless hours coaching and teaching the boys to ‘play aggressive’ and ‘give it their all!’” according to an obituary. “Eric truly cared about every single child he coached and wanted the absolute best for all of them.” Both members of the marriage have suggested, directly or through their representatives, that the other was having an affair. In the months before Richins’s death, the couple appeared to be manoeuvring for control of the family finances, with Eric changing his will and life insurance policies, while Kouri allegedly attempted to alter Eric’s life insurance partner and benefits related to his stone masonry business. Read More Author charged with husband’s poisoning murder sobs in court as she’s denied bail How Kouri Richins turned from grieving widow to accused killer by poison: ‘It wasn’t necessarily unexpected’ Utah mother charged with poisoning husband was more than $2m in debt, new documents reveal

Two Americans who were on vacation in Mexico were found dead in their hotel room on Tuesday, 13 June after apparently being “poisoned” by an unknown substance. The couple, identified as 28-year-old Abby Lutz and 41-year-old John Heathco were staying at the luxury hotel Rancho Pescadero in Baja California Sur. Paramedics were called to the couple’s hotel room after receiving a report that they were unconscious, according to ABC News. However, once paramedics checked they determined Lutz and Heathco were unresponsive and did not have vital signs. Now, Lutz’s family is speaking out, believing the two suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning. Here’s everything we know so far. What happened Lutz and Heathco were on vacation together in Baja California Sur, according to a statement in a GoFundMe started by one of Lutz’s family members. The two were staying at the Rancho Pescadero, a luxury hotel and Hyatt property located in El Pescader, approximately 40 miles north of Cabo San Lucas. Lutz and Heathco began to experience symptoms they thought were consistent with food poisoning and went to the hospital for treatment during the trip, according to Lutz’s GoFundMe. The couple started feeling “much better” several days later. However, their families received a phone call later saying Lutz and her boyfriend had “passed away peacefully” in their hotel room in their sleep. Paramedics in the area responded to a report of two unconscious people in the hotel and arrived around 9pm on Tuesday 13 June. The Baja California Sur attorney general’s office said in a statement that the two died of poisoning by an unknown substance and had no signs of physical violence. They said the two had been dead between 10 and 11 hours by the time they arrived. Lutz’s family said they were told the deaths were “due to improper venting of the resort and could be carbon monoxide poisoning”. Henar Gil, the general manager of Rancho Pescadero said in a statement provided to The Independent: “We are truly heartbroken by this terrible tragedy. Our hearts are with the impacted families and loved ones during this unimaginable loss.” “Local authorities are still actively investigating the situation, and the safety and security of our guests and colleagues remains a top priority, as always. We can confirm there was no evidence of violence related to this situation, and we are not aware of any threat to guests’ safety or wellbeing,” Ms Gil said. She added “We are working to care for those who have been impacted and we are working closely with authorities as they conduct their investigation to understand the cause of death. Further inquiries should be directed to local authorities.” Who are the victims? The victims are Abby Lutz and John Heathco. According to the GoFundMe description, they were dating at the time of their deaths. Lutz, 28, was from Newport Beach, California but grew up in Idaho, her aunt, Karen Lutz, told The Daily Beast. According to Karen, Lutz loved travelling and had previously visited Europe, Asia and Mexico. “Abby was supposed to meet up with her dad this week for Father’s Day,” the GoFundMe description for Lutz says. “Abby was the most beautiful soul and we will miss her so much.” Her family is asking for assistance in bringing her home so they give her a funeral. Heathco owned a health supplement company in Newport Beach, according to his LinkedIn profile. It is unclear where he is from originally. Read More Two Americans found dead in luxurious Baja California Sur hotel as family suspects carbon monoxide poisoning Hero 12-year-old honoured for saving family from carbon monoxide poisoning Mexico authorities find 45 bags filled with body parts in search for seven missing call centre workers

A prosecutor has issued a public plea urging Missouri Governor Mike Parson not to pardon a former police detective over the fatal shooting of a Black man. Eric DeValkenaere was convicted in 2021 of involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action in the December 2019 death of 26-year-old Cameron Lamb. DeValkenaere, a former Kansas City police officer, was sentenced in 2022 to six years in prison but has remained free on bond as his appeal is reviewed. After reports emerged earlier this week that Gov Parson is considering a pardon in the case, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker warned in a public letter that the greater long-term effect of the potential pardon would be the “erosion of our public safety system as fair and just.” “Pardons are political actions by design, not devised for the innocent but for the guilty,” wrote Ms Peters Baker in the letter addressed to Gov Parson. “I imagine you might view a pardon as a way to support police. But I expect this extreme action for the only KCPD officer convicted of fatally shooting a black man will ignite distrust, protests, and public safety concerns for citizens and police.” Ms Peters Baker accused Gov Parson of “being lobbied” into the decision and of “using a political action to subvert the rule of law.” According to the prosecutor, no one from the governor’s office has reached out to the family members of the victim. Lamb family members and loved ones also gathered on the steps of the Jackson County Courthouse on Tuesday, asking the governor to speak with them before making a final call. “Governor, if you pardon DeValkenaere, you will create more tension in the city and we will be left to pick up the pieces,” Reverend Emmanuel Cleaver said during the Tuesday rally, according to KCTV. In a statement to KCTV, the governor’s office accused Ms Peter Baker of “political games ... for her re-election bid.” “Governor Parson is grounded in his faith and believes in second chances,” spokesperson Kelli Jones said, noting the 538 the governor has issued. “He has created more workforce training opportunities for offenders, brought the landmark Reentry 2030 program to assist offenders, and started the first law enforcement academy at a historically black college.” During a bench trial in 2021, a judge said DeValkenaere and his partner violated Lamb’s constitutional rights because they had no probable cause to believe he had committed a crime, had no warrant for Lamb’s arrest and had no search warrant or consent to be on the property. The convicted officer shot Lamb as the victim was backing up a truck into a garage and within seconds of arriving where Lamb lived. The officers had followed him after reports of several traffic violations. DeValkenaere testified that he shot Lamb because he believed his partner’s life was in danger. Meanwhile, Lamb’s family has said he was not armed and that a gun found at the scene was planted. In a motion filed last year with the Missouri Court of Appeals, DeValkenaere’s attorneys argued that DeValkenaere and his partner had probable cause to be on Lamb’s property and to arrest him for the traffic violations, The Kansas City Star reported. Read More Daniel Penny indicted in Jordan Neely subway death as ex-marine’s arraignment set for 28 June How Republicans and right-wing media turned Jordan Neely’s killer into a hero Grand jury votes to indict Daniel Penny in subway killing of Jordan Neely

A Colorado plastic surgeon has been convicted in the death of a 19-year-old female patient whom he performed breast augmentation on. A jury in Arapahoe County cleared Dr Geoffrey Kim of negligent homicide, the most serious charge he faced, but did find him guilty of attempted reckless manslaughter and obstructing a telephone service following a week-long trial, The Denver Post reported. Throughout the proceedings, prosecutors argued that Kim did not immediately call 911 after then-18-year-old Emmalyn Nguyen went into cardiac arrest while she underwent surgery at his clinic in August 2019. The doctor only called emergency responders five hours later, but Nguyen had fallen into a coma and died a year later. “We understand medical procedures don’t always go as planned, but this defendant showed a shocking and extreme lack of judgment and humanity by failing to call for an ambulance and denying his patient appropriate treatment in a hospital setting,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Gary Dawson told the newspaper in a statement. “…This defendant made decisions based on what was best for his business, and not for his patient.” Meanwhile, Kim’s defence argued that the large dose of fentanyl and other drugs administered by anaesthetist Rex Meeker were to blame for Nguyen’s complications. Mr Meeker was initially charged in the investigation but the case against him was dropped last year. He testified during the trial that Kim performed CPR on Nguyen but ordered staff at Colorado Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery not to call emergency services. Mr Meeker surrendered his nursing license in 2021, while Kim’s license was briefly suspended in 2020 before it was reinstated on a probationary condition for three years. Kim is now facing up to more than three years in prison, according to the Post. His sentencing is scheduled for September. Read More U.S. attorney general to visit Minneapolis for 'civil rights matter' announcement How Republicans and right-wing media turned Jordan Neely’s killer into a hero Mother and ‘sadistic’ stepfather ‘who enjoyed inflicting pain’ jailed for killing her son

Nathan Carman’s rescue from an inflatable life raft 200 kms off the coast of Cape Cod in 2016 after spending eight days adrift in the North Atlantic Ocean was hailed as a miracle. The then 22-year-old and his mother Linda Carman had set off for an overnight fishing trip from Rhode Island on 17 September that year to try to mend their fractured relationship. She was never heard from again, and authorities quickly realised something about his extraordinary tale of survival wasn’t adding up. It would take prosecutors nearly six years to charge Nathan with her murder, and also name him as a prime suspect in the 2013 murder of his grandfather John Chakalos. The 29-year-old was arrested last May and pleaded not guilty to murder and fraud charges. He had been due to stand trial in October. Prosecutors alleged he had been plotting for more than a decade to claim his grandfather’s $40m estate, and stood to inherit millions with both elder family members dead. On Thursday morning, he was found “unresponsive” in his cell in Cheshire County Jail in Keene, New Hampshire. He was pronounced dead about 40 minutes later, an official said. Who was Nathan Carman? Nathan Carman grew up in Connecticut, the only child of Clark and Linda Carman. The family had a web of “strenuous and often combative relationships”, according to a 2018 New York article. Linda Carman had suffered from depression, and reportedly had struggled with a gambling addiction. Nathan was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, and underwent years of psychiatriac analysis and pharmaceutical treatment, according to a 2022 investigation by Air Mail. He was described by those close to him as an “angry, wayward, unpredictable” child, who “matured without empathy, or recognition of the reality of anyone” other then himself, according to the article. His mother, the second of four daughters, separated from Clark Carman and struggled to maintain a harmonious relationship with Nathan. Prosecutors said they would go on fishing trips to try to mend the fractured bond. In spite of this, he had a good relationship with his grandfather, who he considered his “best friend”, Nathan’s lawyers have said. After finishing high school in 2012, Nathan Carman enrolled in community college but failed to complete most of his courses. He then began showing an interest in his grandfather’s businesses and attended several meetings with him in 2012 and 2013, according to prosecutors. During this period, his grandfather convinced Linda Carman to designate her son as a beneficiary of her trust. Chakalos also paid for his grandson’s personal expenses, funding the purchase of a truck and an apartment, and a white Irish Sport horse named Cruise. Killing of John Chakalos John Chakalos was found dead at the age of 87 from gunshot wounds in his home in Windsor, Connecticut, on 20 December 2013, one month after his wife of 59 years Rita had passed away from cancer. Chakalos had made an estimated $40m fortune in real estate, primarily from building and renting luxury nursing homes, and continued to work right up until the day he died, according to an obituary. Even after amassing enormous wealth, he and his wife continued to live in the modest home where they had raised their daughters and lived for much of their married lives. The obituary stated that Chakalos had “showered his grandchildren, nieces and nephews with paternal love”. His motto was “without family you’ve got nothing”. However, prosecutors believed his then 19-year-old grandson was secretly plotting to murder him and claim his fortune. Carman was never charged over his grandfather’s death. But authorities laid out in detail in a 2022 indictment how they believed he had carried out the killing. Authorities said that Nathan purchased a Sig Sauer rifle about a year before the shooting. They alleged that he drove from his apartment in Bloomfield, Connecticut, to his grandfather’s home at about 3am and shot him twice in the head while he slept. Carman then discarded his computer hard drive and a GPS unit in his truck, they stated, preventing them from tracing his movements and plans. He received $550,000 after his grandfather’s death. In 2014, he moved to Vernon, Vermont, and by 2016, had allegedly squandered most of his inheritance. Linda Carman’s mysterious death In 2015, Nathan Carman purchased a 31-foot fishing boat, the Chicken Pox, using his newfound wealth from his grandfather’s death. Prosecutors stated that fishing had been a way for Nathan and Linda Carman to get together, and put aside their differences. In September 2016, Nathan arranged to go on a fishing trip with his mother around Block Island, off the coast of Rhode Island. They left from Ram Point Marina in South Kingston, Rhode Island, late on the evening of 17 September, and Linda told friends they would return by noon the next day. Prosecutors say that prior to the departure, Nathan removed parts of the engine and a part of the hull that stabilises the boat. At some point soon after departing, he murdered his mother and deliberately sank the boat, prosecutors alleged. The US Coastguard was notified that the boat was missing on 18 September, and mounted an extensive search and rescue effort. On 25 September, Nathan Carman was found floating on an inflatable life raft by the Orient Lucky commercial boat 200kms off the coast of Cape Cod. The then 22-year-old would later tell investigators that he had noticed the engine making unusual noises on the day he had set off, and the Chicken Pox started taking on water. He said he saw his mother in the cockpit, and grabbed three bags containing food, flares and life jackets. But when he looked back, his mother was no longer there. The unlikely survival tale set off a media frenzy as outlets tried to secure interviews with the survivor and the ship’s captain. “I was yelling, ‘Mom! Mom!” Nathan Carman said in an interview with the Associated Press describing the sinking. “I loved my mother and my mother loved me.” The Hartford Courant reported at the time that police were investigating Nathan Carman for knowingly operating an unsafe vessel and putting his mother's life in danger. Police obtained a search warrant for his Vermont home, and found Nathan had removed his computer prior to leaving. When asked about the police search, he told the AP: “I don’t know what to make of people being suspicious. I have enough to deal with.” Arrest and death In 2019, Chakalos’ three surviving daughters filed a lawsuit in New Hampshire seeking to block Carman from receiving any more of his grandfather’s inheritance. They publicly accused him of involvement in his mother’s death. The case was dismissed after a judge ruled that Chakalos was not a New Hampshire resident. It was later refiled in Connecticut and was still pending at the time of his death. In May 2022, Carman was charged with “murder on the high seas” by US attorneys in Vermont. He was also charged with insurance fraud, relating to an attempt to claim $85,000 for the loss of the Chicken Pox. Authorities said his arrest was the culmination of a multi-year investigation conducted by the FBI, the US Coast Guard, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Connecticut State Police, the Windsor Police Department in Connecticut, and the South Kingstown Police Department in Rhode Island. Carman denied the charges and was ordered to be held in custody pending the trial. On Thursday morning, he was found “unresponsive” in his cell at the Cheshire County Jail and was pronounced dead soon after, according to the CT Insider. A cause of death has not yet been released, and police are investigating. Carman’s attorney Martin Minnella told the Associated Press that he had been in good spirits when they spoke on Wednesday, and they had been due to meet again on Thursday. “It’s just a tragedy, a tragedy.” Carman’s three aunts issued a statement to the AP saying they were “deeply saddened” by his death. “While we process this shocking news and its impact on the tragic events surrounding the last several years we ask for your understanding and respect relative to our privacy,” they said through a lawyer. Read More Man, 28, accused of killing mother on fishing trip when he was 22 years old dies awaiting trial Youth environmentalists bring Montana climate case to trial after 12 years, seeking to set precedent Treat Williams death: Everwood and Hair star dies aged 71 following motorcycle accident

UFC star Conor McGregor has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a bathroom during a Miami Heat game in the NBA Finals. Miami Police Department has confirmed that an investigation has been launched by its Special Victims Unit after the claims were made against the Irish fighter. Ariel Mitchell, the lawyer for the alleged victim, told The Independent that her client had turned over the clothes she was wearing during the alleged incident for investigators to carry out forensic tests. “My client went to the police on Sunday, but was instead turned away and encouraged to seek legal counsel before pursuing the matter further. She then consulted with me and we filed a report on Wednesday,” she said in a statement. “My client seeks only one thing and that is justice it and that is what she sent out to do and that’s what I will make sure she gets.” McGregor’s lawyer, Barbara Llanes, told The Independent in a statement: “The allegations are false. Mr McGregor will not be intimidated.” Ms Mitchell claims that the alleged victim was separated from her friend by NBA and Heat security and ended up in a men’s toilet at the arena. she claims that McGregor kissed her and forced her to perform a sex act. She alleges that McGregor then forced her up against the wall and tried to have sex with her. The lawyer says that her client finally elbowed McGregor and escaped the bathroom. In a statement, the Miami Heat said, “We are aware of the allegations and are conducting a full investigation. Pending the outcome of the investigation, we will withhold further comment.” The alleged incident happened on the same night that McGregor was involved in a stunt with the Miami Heat mascot that saw the person wearing the costume go to hospital after being punched in the face by the professional fighter. Read More Miami Heat, NBA investigating allegation that Conor McGregor assaulted a woman at Finals game Conor McGregor announces fiancee Dee Devlin is pregnant with couple’s fourth child Conor McGregor offers update on Miami Heat mascot after punching incident Conor McGregor pays young action-figure artist $1,200 for figurines Calls for Conor McGregor to be investigated after violent punch hospitalised Miami Heat mascot

Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on Thursday for allegedly leaking highly classified materials on social media, according to the Justice Department. “The unauthorized removal, retention and transmission of classified information jeopardizes our nation’s security,” Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy said in a statement announcing the indictment. “Individuals granted access to classified materials have a fundamental duty to safeguard the information for the safety of the United States, our active service members, its citizens and its allies.” Mr Teixeira is charged with retention and transmission of national defense information and unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or materials. The Massachusetts man, 21, could face a sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 if convicted. Mr Teixeira, who allegedly posted defence documents on a server within the gamer-focused chat app Discord, has pleaded not guilty. According to prosecutors, the guardsman was warned multiple times by superiors about his “concerning actions” regarding viewing and handling classified information. “The Defendant even continued to share information with his online associates, defying these admonishments and taking further efforts to conceal his unlawful conduct,” officials wrote in a May filing. The guardsman had top-secret security clearance. Armed FBI officials raided Mr Teixeira’s home in April and arrested him. Officials found a collection of weapons including hanguns, bolt-action rifles, shotguns, and an “AK-style high-capacity weapon” in his room. Mr Teixeira was allegedly behind one of the largest intelligence leaks of the decade, and the materials he shared online contained sensitive information about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine’s air defences, and the ways the US spies on its partners and allies, according to The Washington Post. On Discord, Mr Teixeira, a cyber transport systems journeyman responsible for communications networks in the Air Force, posted under the screen names “jackthedripper” and “excalibureffect.” One member of the “Thug Shaker Central” Discord server at the centre of the leaks told the Post Mr Teixeira once shared a video of himself shouting racist and antisemitic slurs before firing a rifle. Read More How was a 21-year-old gamer able to leak a mountain of major Pentagon secrets? Guardsman indicted on charges of disclosing classified national defense information Documents leak suspect had been warned about handling of classified information, prosecutors say

A Pennsylvania woman has been accused of bullying her former partner into suicide by sending “heinous and graphic” text messages to him for a year. Thirty-five-year-old Mandie Reush is facing charges of aiding suicide over the June 2021 death of Kevin Metzger, 37. Metzger, who shared a daughter with Ms Reusch, died by suicide while he was away at military training after receiving a slew of vicious messages from Ms Reusch. According to a criminal complaint obtained by 11 News, Ms Reusch told Metzger in one of those messages that she, “actually wanted him to kill himself” because she thought “he was the worst person on this planet.” The messages were sent from June 2020 until the days leading up to Metzger’s death just days before Father’s Day in 2021. “I hope you burn in hell and my daughter will dance on your grave with her real dad. Never talk to us again. Die slow and suffer,” Ms Reusch allegedly wrote in a text, calling her current partner her daughter’s “real dad.” “I will make it my dying wish to make sure you don’t see your daughter and that she knows who you really are.” Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said in a statement that Metzger described “a trail of torment” both in his suicide letter and Facebook posts that were later reviewed by investigators. Ms Ziccarelli went on to describe the texts as unrelenting, noting that the level of bullying was criminal. “Mr Metzger may still be here today if those messages did not influence and encourage him to take his own life,” Ms Ziccarelli said. “We extend our condolences to the Metzger family for their loss and the grief they have experienced since his death. We will not allow or tolerate this kind of egregious behavior.” Ms Reusch was first charged with harassment in May 2021 when Metzger forwarded some of the text messages to Pennsylvania State Police. But following his death, the charges were dropped and a new investigation was launched by state police and the DA office. “This is the next level, most extreme amount of bullying I’ve seen, read about, heard about anywhere where someone is constantly telling someone to end their life,” Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Steve Limani told 11 News. Ms Reusch was arraigned on Tuesday before she was released on bond. Her attorney told 11 News that while the rhetoric in the text messages was “nasty”, prosecutors didn’t have enough to build a criminal case. “There are some nasty things that are said,” DiLucente told the network. “Some folks may say it’s immoral, some might say it’s harsh, but my God, if we’re going to start prosecuting people for sending harsh texts to one another instead of it being verbally communicated, then we’re on a different path in our legal system.” Ms Reusch’s next court appearance is scheduled for 27 June 2023. If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you. Read More Sister of headteacher who killed herself after Ofsted report says watchdog’s reforms aren’t enough Federal judge hearing arguments over Indiana's ban on gender-affirming care for minors Tributes flood in for students and school caretaker killed in city rampage