Tag: Americas

BAILEY’S CROSSROADS, Va. (TCD) — A 25-year-old man will likely spend the rest of his life in prison for fatally stabbing and bludgeoning his co-worker in a Target parking lot over stolen lunch in 2021.

According to a Jan. 30 news release from Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano, a judge sentenced Bazen Berhe to 100 years in prison with 30 years suspended for the first-degree murder of 58-year-old Hernan Leiva.

Berhe pleaded guilty to the charge in October 2023.

On April 17, 2021, at approximately 3:30 a.m., Fairfax County Police responded to the 5100 block of Leesburg Pike, where they found Leiva suffering from apparent stab wounds and blunt force injuries to his upper body. Officials pronounced him dead at the scene.

According to Descano, on April 14, 2021, Berhe became angry with his co-worker, Leiva, who worked as a janitor at Target, because he allegedly stole his lunch from the office refrigerator. Berhe reportedly bought a hammer and two knives as he was leaving work the next day, and he began “training for the murder” on April 16.

Descano said Berhe went to the Target parking lot in the early hours of April 17 and waited for Leiva to arrive. Once he showed up, Berhe “stabbed and bludgeoned him to death before fleeing.”

Berhe reportedly returned to the parking lot soon after and turned himself into police. He was initially charged with second-degree murder.

Descano noted that at the sentencing hearing, Berhe “threatened to kill or hurt other people if he was not given the harshest possible sentence.”

In a statement, Descano said “Mr. Leiva’s unnecessary and tragic death leaves behind a grieving family and community, one that will never be the same after such a senseless act of violence.”

MORE:

• Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano Announces Bazen Berhe Sentenced to 100 Years for 2021 Murder – Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano
• Homicide Suspect in Custody After Man Found Dead in Bailey’s Crossroads, 4/17/2021 – Fairfax County Police Department

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BOSTON (TCD) — A 41-year-old man who has been wanted since November for allegedly killing his girlfriend and leaving her body in an airport garage was arrested at a nightclub in Kenya this week.

Massachusetts State Police announced Kevin Kangethe was apprehended Monday, Jan. 29, following an “intensive investigation,” and he will be extradited to Boston to face charges in connection with Margaret Mbitu’s death.

Mbitu was found deceased inside a car parked in a lot at Boston’s Logan International Airport on Nov. 1, 2023. Her family reported her missing a few days prior because she had not been seen since Oct. 30, 2023.

Investigators identified Kangethe, Mbitu’s boyfriend, as the suspect and learned he flew to Kenya. Massachusetts State Police issued a warrant for his arrest for homicide.

According to court documents cited by WCVB-TV, investigators found a “large amount of blood inside the vehicle.” Mbitu reportedly sustained lacerations on her face and neck and a puncture wound on the side of her body.

Massachusetts State Police worked with Kenyan police, Interpol, and other law enforcement agencies in the search for Kangethe. He was located and arrested at a nightclub in Nairobi.

The U.S. Embassy in Kenya released a statement following the arrest, which reads, “Embassy Nairobi commends the efforts of Kenyan law enforcement for apprehending Kenyan fugitive Kevin Kangethe, suspected to have murdered Margaret Mbitu in Massachusetts. … United States law enforcement, the Kenyan Directorate of Criminal Investigations, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions have been working side by side to locate and capture the fugitive.”

It continued, “The United States and Kenya are committed to strengthening law enforcement cooperation to apprehend criminal offenders, eliminate criminal activities, and advance justice.”

Officials have already started the process to extradite Kangethe back to the United States.

MORE:

• Suspect in Killing of Woman Found in Airport Garage is Captured in Kenya – Massachusetts State Police
• United States and Kenya Collaborate to Apprehend Fugitive – U.S. Embassy in Kenya
• Woman’s body found in Boston airport parking garage; murder suspect believed to be in Kenya, 11/3/2023 – WCVB
• Man allegedly flew to Kenya after killing Mass. woman whose body was found in airport garage, 11/2/2023 – TCD

TRUE CRIME DAILY: THE PODCAST covers high-profile and under-the-radar cases every week. Subscribe to our YouTube page and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can also subscribe to our True Crime Daily newsletter.

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LENOX TOWNSHIP, Mich. (TCD) — Officials have charged a 24-year-old man on suspicion of fatally stabbing his 19-year-old brother following a dispute over the weekend.

On Sunday, Jan. 28, shortly after 10:20 p.m., the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 57300 block of Millstone Pond Boulevard, where a witness was administering CPR to a stabbing victim. Fire and emergency services personnel also arrived on scene and took over the efforts to try to save the victim, but the victim was soon pronounced deceased.

Deputies took a 24-year-old male into custody and booked him into the Macomb County Jail.

The sheriff’s office said the suspect, Nathan Land, was arraigned Wednesday, Jan. 31, on a charge of homicide — manslaughter.

According to the Macomb County District Attorney’s Office, Land allegedly “stabbed his brother once after an altercation.”

A judge set Land’s bond at $100,000 cash and ordered him not to have any contact with the witness. If released, Land will be required to wear a GPS tether. He will also not be allowed to leave the state, consume drugs or alcohol, and use weapons.

Land is scheduled to appear in court for a probable cause hearing on Thursday, Feb. 8.

Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido stated, “This incident is a reminder that the cycle of abuse within families can escalate to unimaginable tragedies.”

MORE:

• Suspect Held in Lenox Township Stabbing – Macomb County Sheriff’s Office 
• Update – Suspect Held in Lenox Township Stabbing – Macomb County Sheriff’s Office 
• New Haven Man Allegedly Stabs Brother to Death – Macomb County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office
• Macomb County Jail Records

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RENO, Nev. (TCD) — A man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for intentionally running into three women with a vehicle outside a homeless shelter in 2023, killing one and critically injuring a mother and her daughter.

The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office announced Jan. 29 that a judge sentenced David Turner to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the first-degree murder of 55-year-old Michelle Jardine. He was also given 20 years with parole eligibility after eight years for the attempted murders of 47-year-old Christina Roman and 22-year-old Clarissa Roman, as well as 20 years with parole eligibility after eight years for three deadly weapon enhancements.

Turner pleaded guilty to the charges in September 2023, according to the district attorney’s office.

On April 3, 2023, Reno Police officers responded to the Cares Campus, a shelter for “vulnerable residents,” in reference to a hit-and-run of three pedestrians. Prosecutors said officers at the scene learned Turner plowed his Jeep into a group of people and killed Jardine, while seriously injuring Christina and Clarissa Roman.

According to the Reno Gazette Journal, Turner was driving 50 mph when he hit the victims.

Clarissa Roman and her mother, Christina Roman, were reportedly giving out donations to homeless community members when Turner drove into them. As a result, Christina Roman broke her back in two places. Her daughter sustained two broken clavicles, a broken ankle, broken ribs, collapsed lungs, and severe road rash, the district attorney’s office said. Clarissa also suffered a brain bleed that later caused a stroke.

Jardine, who was reportedly homeless, died upon impact due to multiple blunt force injuries.

According to the district attorney’s office, Turner told law enforcement officials he intentionally drove into the victims and wanted to kill as many people as possible so he “could return to prison.” The Reno Gazette Journal reports he also said he didn’t have a place to go and was turned away from the shelter.

Jardine’s daughter addressed the defendant during sentencing, stating his “actions had destroyed her entire world and had caused ongoing ripple effects for her family,” according to the district attorney’s office.

She reportedly added, “I hope you look at my face, my face that looks exactly like my mother’s, and you remember that for the rest of your life, whatever that entails.”

Clarissa and Christina Roman also made impact statements at the hearing.

Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks commented, “The physical, mental, and emotional impacts of Mr. Turner’s actions will be felt by Clarissa, Christina, and the loved ones of Michelle for the rest of their lives.”

MORE:

• Man Given Life Without Parole in After Killing One, Injuring Two Others – Washoe County District Attorney’s Office
• WCDA Secures Guilty Pleas in Two Homicide Cases, 9/15/2023 – Washoe County District Attorney’s Office
• Survivors give powerful impact statements in murder sentencing for man who ran down 3 women – Reno Gazette Journal

TRUE CRIME DAILY: THE PODCAST covers high-profile and under-the-radar cases every week. Subscribe to our YouTube page and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can also subscribe to our True Crime Daily newsletter.

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EUDORA, Ark. (TCD) — A police chief is being charged with felony kidnapping for allegedly handcuffing a man who had previously caused a disturbance, beating him, then leaving him stranded on a road.

Arkansas State Police announced Eudora Police Chief Michael Pitts turned himself in to the Chicot County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday, Jan. 30, for his arrest on one count of kidnapping.

On Oct. 26, 2023, Pitts was called to a local gas station to “remove a man who was causing a disruption at the business.” According to the probable cause affidavit, Pitts went to the gas station and arrested the man, John Hill Jr., for criminal trespass, public intoxication, and terroristic threatening. Pitts was getting ready to put him in his patrol vehicle but “faced an unforeseen challenge” because there was a car bumper in the back seat. Pitts reportedly took the bumper out, put Hill in, and attempted to fit the car part into the back, but it “became apparent that it would not fit.”

Pitts released Hill even though there was another Eudora Police Department officer at the scene.

Hill reportedly told investigators that he was walking down the street when Pitts “intercepted” him. Pitts allegedly handcuffed Hill, put him in the patrol car, and drove him to another location. The affidavit alleges Pitts “conveyed to Mr. Hill his intent to physically assault him, stating that he was going to ‘beat his a–.’”

When they arrived at County Road 86, Pitts allegedly “forcibly removed him from the patrol unit and subjected him to a brutal assault, resulting in significant injuries to his face and head.”

After the purported beating, Pitts left Hill on the road and drove away.

Hill reportedly told investigators he had been holding onto a crack pipe but dropped it when Pitts hit him. Investigators later located the crack pipe in the same area.

Cellular data allegedly placed Pitts at the location where he reportedly assaulted Pitts. Surveillance footage reportedly showed Pitts driving a Dodge Charger near the Southern Sips Too grocery store. Hill said he left his hat in the vehicle, but on Oct. 27, he reportedly found it near the Southern Sips Too dumpster.

The 10th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney’s Office reached out to the Arkansas State Police in November and asked the Special Investigations Unit to conduct a probe into Hill’s allegations.

Pitts has been chief of the Eudora Police Department since April 2022.

MORE:

• ASP Arrests Eudora Police Chief for Felony Kidnapping – Arkansas State Police
• Michael Pitts arrest affidavit 

TRUE CRIME DAILY: THE PODCAST covers high-profile and under-the-radar cases every week. Subscribe to our YouTube page and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can also subscribe to our True Crime Daily newsletter.

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LEVITTOWN, Pa. (TCD) — A 32-year-old man was arrested on a National Guard base this week after he allegedly killed his father, cut off his head, and posted a lengthy video on YouTube about the beheading.

According to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, on Tuesday, Jan. 30, at 7 p.m., officers from the Middletown Township Police Department responded to a residence on Upper Orchard Drive regarding a deceased male. When they arrived, they learned the victim, who was identified as Michael Mohn, was “in the downstairs bathroom with a large amount of blood around him and that he had been decapitated.”

Officers reportedly found a machete and large knife in the bathtub near the body. Mohn’s head was wrapped in a plastic bag and placed in a cooking pot in a bedroom next to the bathroom. There were several bloody rubber gloves in another bedroom and in a trash can in the same room.

The district attorney’s office said Mohn lived in the house with his wife and their son, Justin Mohn. The wife said she left the home at around 2 p.m. that day and Michael and Justin Mohn were the only ones there. When she returned, Michael Mohn’s Toyota Corolla and Justin Mohn were both missing.

According to the criminal complaint, detectives learned Justin Mohn had published a video over 14 minutes long on YouTube and titled it “Mohn’s Militia — Call to Arms for American Patriots.” In the video, he is reportedly seen wearing the same type of rubber gloves found at the scene. Police said Justin Mohn “picks up the decapitated head of his father Michael Mohn, identifying him by his name and as his father, stating, ‘He is now in hell for eternity.’”

The Lebanon Daily News reports Justin Mohn spoke at length about “deep state” conspiracy theories and how the far left, Black Lives Matter activists, and other groups are ruining the country.

He also allegedly said, “All federal agents, U.S. Marshals, federal judges, and border patrol are to be killed or captured, tortured for information, and publicly executed for betraying their country. Earn your place in heaven by sending a traitor to hell early.”

Mohn was captured several hours later at Fort Indiantown Gap, a National Guard training base. He was arrested and is being charged with first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, and possession of an instrument of crime.

Angela Watson with the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs told the Lebanon Daily News, “We were contacted again with another ping on his cellphone that was inside the installation. He had jumped one of the fences and was apprehended on foot here at the installation without incident.”

He was booked into the Bucks County Correctional Facility and is being held without bail.

According to the Lebanon Daily News, Mohn refers to himself as a music producer, author, president of the United States, and the Messiah, among other titles.

MORE:

• Man Charged with Killing Father in Middletown Township Home – Bucks County District Attorney’s Office
• Commonwealth of Pennsylvania vs. Justin Mohn
• Armed Bucks County man accused of beheading father jumped Ft. Indiantown Gap fence: police – Lebanon Daily News
• Who is Justin Mohn? Levittown man in YouTube beheading video sued government, made music – Lebanon Daily News

TRUE CRIME DAILY: THE PODCAST covers high-profile and under-the-radar cases every week. Subscribe to our YouTube page and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can also subscribe to our True Crime Daily newsletter.

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ELLIS COUNTY, Texas (TCD) — A 31-year-old man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for tying up, strangling, and fatally beating his friend with a hammer before hiding his remains in a trash can.

Ellis County and District Attorney Ann Montgomery announced Jan. 29 that a jury convicted Trenton Adams of the capital murder of Jordan Von Hoffman, and a judge subsequently sentenced him to life in prison without parole.

On March 24, 2021, Von Hoffman failed to show up to work and didn’t return home, so his sister and friends became concerned. They knew, however, that he had recently met up with Adams to return a truck. Prosecutors said the victim’s sister and friends went to the location where they believed Adams had been staying on Ensign Road outside of Ennis, and while searching the area, they noticed the truck.

According to Montgomery, the sister and friends got permission from the property owner to search further. They went inside a shed and discovered a body in a trash can that had been wrapped in contractor plastic and a tarp and covered in paint. Additionally, prosecutors said they found another trash can that appeared to be hidden, and they called 911.

The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the remains in the trash can were those of Von Hoffman, and an autopsy determined he died due to compression of his neck and “blunt force trauma consistent with being hit in the head with a hammer.”

Von Hoffman sustained severe trauma to his head and body. According to Montgomery, he had also been “‘hog-tied’ with his arms and legs bound behind his body.”

Inside the other trash can, investigators reportedly located a hammer believed to have been used on the victim, as well as bloody gloves and other related items.

The Ellis County Sheriff’s Office located products bought at Home Depot, and investigators recovered surveillance video from the store showing Adams and another individual buying items the day before and the morning of the slaying, such as trash cans, paint, contractor plastic, and gloves.

Montgomery said Adams’ DNA was found on the gloves and hammer at the scene. Investigators examined phone and Facebook records, confirming that Adams and the other individual messaged and called Von Hoffman to get him to come over around the same time they went to Home Depot.

Officials obtained a warrant for Adams’ arrest, but he had fled the area. The Ellis County Sheriff’s Office eventually located him in an apartment complex in Houston and took him into custody nearly two weeks after the slaying, on April 8, 2021.

According to prosecutors, as officials searched for Adams, he had called dispatch numerous times and admitted to killing his friend. Additionally, he reportedly confessed on Facebook, posting that he carried out the slaying because he believed Von Hoffman hurt a child. However, Montgomery said the allegations against Von Hoffman have not been substantiated.

Following his arrest, Von Hoffman reportedly told investigators that he didn’t kill the victim, but that a South American cartel was responsible, and they made him move the body. In a letter, Adams later admitted again that he killed his friend. He reportedly wrote he “‘worships death’ and that he carries out ‘’rites and rituals of Satanic worship, including blood sacrifices.’”

Further investigation revealed the defendant allegedly believed Von Hoffman and Adams’ girlfriend had engaged in a “sexual encounter” prior to the victim’s death.

Montgomery called Von Hoffman’s killing an “extraordinarily brutal crime.”

MORE:

• Man Convicted of Capital Murder for Killing Friend with Hammer – Ellis County District Attorney’s Office
• News Release, 4/8/2021 – Ellis County Sheriff’s Office

TRUE CRIME DAILY: THE PODCAST covers high-profile and under-the-radar cases every week. Subscribe to our YouTube page and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can also subscribe to our True Crime Daily newsletter.

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COON RAPIDS, Minn. (TCD) — A man is in custody for allegedly killing a married couple and their 20-year-old son at their house while two young children were present.

According to the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, on Jan. 26 at 12:24 p.m., county dispatch received a call with “sounds of a disturbance in the background.” Several law enforcement agencies responded to the call near the 200 block of 94th Avenue Northwest. When they arrived, they located two adult males and one adult female deceased. The sheriff’s office said two young children were also inside at the time of the incident, but they were not injured.

On Monday, Jan. 29, the sheriff’s office identified the victims as 42-year-old Shannon Patricia Jungwirth, her husband, 39-year-old Mario Alberto Trejo Estrada, and her son, Jorge Alexander Reyes-Jungwirth. Alonzo Mingo was taken into custody and is being charged with three counts of second-degree murder.

According to court documents cited by the Star Tribune, on the day of the shooting, Mingo and one other person reportedly wore clothing that looked similar to that of a UPS delivery driver, while a third accomplice carried a cardboard box. Mingo worked for UPS until January.

Surveillance from the inside of the house reportedly shows Mingo and Trejo Estrada walk into a bedroom where Jungwirth and the two young children were. The Star Tribune reports Mingo held a gun to the couple and ordered them to give him money. He allegedly shot Jungwirth in the head with the children in the room. Trejo Estrada and Reyes-Jungwirth were found with gunshot wounds to the head in other parts of the residence.

Trejo Estrada is allegedly connected to drug trafficking in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and was known to deal cocaine, fentanyl, and meth. The court documents said he transferred money “numerous times to various individuals in Mexico.”

Investigators reportedly looked through a storage unit Trejo Estrada rented and discovered psilocybin mushrooms, meth, and other drugs inside.

When he spoke with investigators, Mingo reportedly said he was at home at the time of the incident and never worked for UPS.

MORE:

• Coon Rapids Homicide Investigation – Anoka County Sheriff’s Office
• Coon Rapids Homicide Investigation – Update – Anoka County Sheriff’s Office
• Coon Rapids Homicide Investigation – Identification – Anoka County Sheriff’s Office
• Court filings: Gunman demanded money from drug dealer, then fatally shot 3 in Coon Rapids home – Minneapolis Star Tribune

TRUE CRIME DAILY: THE PODCAST covers high-profile and under-the-radar cases every week. Subscribe to our YouTube page and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can also subscribe to our True Crime Daily newsletter.

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In this episode of True Crime Daily The Sidebar Podcast: Brian Buckmire joins host Joshua Ritter to break down the biggest cases making headlines across the nation. They discuss a mother charged with failing to intervene in the actions of her school shooter son, a wealthy socialite facing trial for the hit-and-run deaths of two young boys, and prosecutors again charging Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter, months after initially dropping the charges.

YouTube: Socialite charged with deaths of two young boys; Mother of school shooter faces trial – TCD Sidebar

TRUE CRIME DAILY: THE PODCAST covers high-profile and under-the-radar cases every week. Subscribe to our YouTube page and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can also subscribe to our True Crime Daily newsletter.

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CLEARWATER, Fla. (TCD) — Police located a 34-year-old father and his young daughter this week after he allegedly killed the child’s mother and took off with the girl.

In a press conference, Largo Police Chief Mike Loux said officers received a call from the Clearwater Police Department on Jan. 29 at approximately 3 a.m. regarding a possible felony domestic battery case in their jurisdiction. Largo Police officers responded to Bayside Court Apartments at 1760 Clearwater Largo Road North, where they tried to make contact with the battery suspect, Renato Muhaj.

According to Loux, officers found evidence that a crime occurred, entered the home, and discovered Renato Muhaj’s ex, Suela Saliaj, deceased. Police said she died of homicidal violence, but the medical examiner will confirm the exact cause of death.

Their daughter, 8-year-old Alessia Muhaj, was reportedly missing, and Clearwater Police posted an Amber Alert. In the bulletin, authorities said the young girl was last seen near the 1700 block of Clearwater Largo Road North, and investigators suspected she was with her father, traveling in a gold Kia Sportage.

According to Loux, investigators used cellphone coverage in an attempt to locate the missing girl and Muhaj. At around 8:30 a.m., a Clearwater sergeant reportedly spotted the Kia, and a Largo Police detective closed in on the vehicle and observed Renato and Alessia Muhaj inside, both unharmed.

The girl was placed in the custody of other family members.

Officers arrested Muhaj and booked him into the Pinellas County Jail on multiple charges, including domestic battery, felony battery, first-degree murder, aggravated assault, tampering with a witness, kidnapping, child abuse, and false imprisonment.

MORE:

• Press Conference – Largo Police Department
• Amber Alert and Update – Clearwater Police Department
• Pinellas County Jail Records

TRUE CRIME DAILY: THE PODCAST covers high-profile and under-the-radar cases every week. Subscribe to our YouTube page and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can also subscribe to our True Crime Daily newsletter.

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