Tag: Americas

HARRAH, Okla. (TCD) — A 30-year-old man stands accused of killing his 59-year-old relative and dumping his body off a dead-end road in a rural area.

On Friday, Oct. 20, the Harrah Police Department notified the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) regarding the “suspicious disappearance” of Terry Hause.

According to KOCO-TV, on Thursday, Oct. 19, a family member went to Hause and Chuck White’s apartment building and noticed a pool of blood on the floor. Hause and his relative White allegedly argued often.

The family member questioned White about Hause’s whereabouts, to which he replied, “The problem is gone,” KOCO reports.

Harrah Police Chief Marty Burns told the news source that officers were unable to confirm what had happened in the apartment complex, but officials listed Hause as a “missing and endangered person.”

According to the affidavit, investigators determined based on evidence that someone tried to clean up the scene before officers got there.

Investigators reportedly tracked Hause and White’s phones to a dead-end road in rural Lincoln County, where state agents and Harrah Police officers located Hause’s body. The Office of the Oklahoma Chief Medical Examiner will determine his cause and manner of death.

According to OSBI, officials identified White as a person of interest and interviewed him “based on the evidence gathered during the investigation.” During questioning, White reportedly confessed to getting into a dispute with Hause and hitting him in the face with a baseball bat numerous times.

White was booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center on charges of first-degree murder and desecration of a human corpse.

In a statement obtained by KOCO, Hunter McKee, the public information officer at OSBI, said, “There’s still more pieces we’re trying to put together with this investigation.”

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HENLAWSON, W.Va. (TCD) — Officials arrested a 44-year-old Ohio man on suspicion of shooting and injuring his 67-year-old mother at a nursing home this week.

According to a news release from the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, on Monday, Oct. 23, at approximately 5:12 p.m., deputies responded to Trinity Healthcare Nursing Home at 135 Bills Branch Road to a report of a shooting. James Biddell had allegedly shot his mother, Tomalene Greene, before fleeing the scene in a silver Chevrolet truck.

Greene suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and was transported to Charleston Area Medical Center via helicopter. She is in stable condition but remains hospitalized as of Monday, Oct. 23.

As deputies were on their way to the nursing home, State Police Troopers located and stopped Biddell’s vehicle on US 119 near the Chapmanville exit. Troopers transported Biddell to the Logan Detachment.

According to WSAZ-TV, during an interview with officials, Biddell confessed to shooting his mother.

Logan County Sheriff’s Deputy Timothy Johnson told the news source, “The way that he explained it to us was that he just drove down, and she looked at him a certain way, and apparently he didn’t like it.”

Johnson continued, “He presented a firearm that he had concealed on his person and shot her in the chest.”

Biddell was booked into the Southwestern Regional Jail on charges of attempted murder, malicious wounding, and wanton endangerment. He remains held on $100,000 bond.

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WEST MELBOURNE, Fla. (TCD) — Police arrested a 33-year-old mother this week who allegedly left her two children unattended in a car so she could go to a bar.

According to a news release from the West Melbourne Police Department, on Oct. 22, a patrolling officer noticed a black SUV parked in the lot behind Penny Annie’s Bar on Minto Road even though the vehicle was unlocked and the engine was still running. The officer moved closer to the car and observed a 2-year-old child and an 8-month-old baby asleep in the back seat.

Jamie Gunn, the registered owner, was reportedly inside the bar with a friend.

According to police, Gunn had been inside the bar for at least 20 minutes “while having no regard for her children who were left unattended.”

Gunn reportedly learned police were outside with her car, and she was “more concerned about going to jail than the welfare of her children.”

Police arrested Gunn on a charge of child neglect, and she was booked into the Brevard County Jail with a $15,000 bond. She was released Oct. 23.

A family member reportedly took custody of the toddler and baby, and the Department of Children and Families will investigate the incident further.

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MARTINEZ, Calif. (TCD) — A 28-year-old nanny facing child pornography charges is now being accused of sexually abusing an 8-month-old girl in her care.

According to a news release from the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, on Sept. 21, a social media company notified the Contra Costa County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force about child sexual abuse materials being shared on their platform. The next day, officers arrested Michelle Hidalgo and executed a search warrant at her home.

The District Attorney’s Office said officers confiscated equipment at Hidalgo’s home that was used to produce and distribute child pornography.

According to KTVU-TV, Hidalgo reportedly offered to send sexually explicit photos of the baby to a social media user. The affidavit obtained by the news source alleges that Hidalgo also orally sexually abused the child.

During an interview with detectives, Hidalgo reportedly denied the allegations, but investigators reportedly found evidence of the crimes on her iCloud account. When confronted with the evidence, KTVU reports that Hidalgo confessed to taking sexually explicit photos of the baby and sharing them online.

According to the East Bay Times, Hidalgo described sending the images as a “stupid” one-time mistake. A male social media user allegedly urged her to do “worse and worse” things to the child while documenting the abuse.

Hidalgo was booked into the Contra Costa County Jail on an initial bond of $700,000, but according to records, it was increased to $3.4 million. She faces charges of molestation of a victim younger than 10, using a minor for sex acts, and distribution of child pornography, the East Bay Times reports. Hidalgo could spend 60 years to life in prison if convicted.

At the time of her arrest, Hidalgo had reportedly been working as a part-time nanny for the victim’s family for about a month.

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NORTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (TCD) — A 49-year-old former professional baseball player and a 33-year-old woman were arrested over the weekend in connection with a 2021 shooting that left one man dead and his wife seriously injured.

On June 5, 2021, Placer County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to a residence in the Homewood community of North Lake Tahoe, California, and found Robert Gary Spohr dead from a gunshot wound. Surveillance footage shared from day of the incident showed a person walking in the area wearing gray sweatpants, a black sweatshirt, and black hoodie. The man also had on a white neck gaiter. At one point, he runs up a driveway, tries to hide from a surveillance camera behind a large SUV, then moves off camera.

The Placer County Sheriff’s Office said Spohr’s wife, Wendy Wood, also sustained a gunshot wound the night of the incident and was transported to a nearby hospital, where she recovered. Wood died a year later.

On Oct. 20, Placer County detectives, U.S. Marshals, and other law enforcement officials apprehended Danny Serafini in Winnemucca and Samantha Scott in Las Vegas. They are awaiting extradition from Nevada back to Placer County.

According to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, Serafini was arrested on charges of murder, attempted murder, and child abuse/endangerment. He had reportedly been living and working part time in Winnemucca when he was arrested.

KTXL-TV reports Serafini is married to Spohr and Wood’s daughter.

Major League Baseball records show the Minnesota Twins drafted Serafini in 1992 in the first round as the 26th pick overall. As a pitcher, he played for several teams, including the Twins, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and Colorado Rockies.

Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo said following the arrests, “Today, justice was served. The apprehension of those responsible for the tragic events that unfolded in Homewood, North Lake Tahoe in 2021 stands as a testament to the unwavering dedication of our detectives, law enforcement partners, and the persistence of our pursuit of truth. Understand that my team’s commitment to unraveling the most complex of cases prevails, and those who inflict harm upon our community will be held accountable every time.”

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WALKER, La. (TCD) — Two men are in custody in connection with the disappearance and death of a 60-year-old woman whose body was found in a wooded area last week.

According to a news release from the Walker Police Department, Sarah Santini had been missing since Oct. 7. On Oct. 10, police received information suggesting that she had been slain inside her house.

Police searched Santini’s home but didn’t find her body, and her vehicle was also missing.

Officers issued a “be on the lookout” (BOLO) for Santini and her vehicle, and on Oct. 12, the car was discovered abandoned in LaPlace. Santini was not with the vehicle, but a search of it uncovered more evidence of foul play, along with information about various places the vehicle had visited since Santini went missing.

While investigating those locations, a Livingston Parish Sheriff’s deputy found Santini’s body near Louisiana Highway 63 on Oct. 19. According to WAFB-TV, her remains were discovered on a dirt road in the woods.

WAFB reports that Santini was stabbed and strangled to death following an argument at her home.

Upon further investigation, the Walker Police Department identified two suspects: 30-year-old Bobby Schneider and 56-year-old Gregory Baker.

Schneider faces charges of second-degree murder and unlawful disposal of human remains. He was already in jail on unrelated charges, and his bond was set at $275,000.

Baker was charged with accessory to second-degree murder and unlawful disposal of human remains. His bond was set at $50,000.

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THOMASTON, Ga. (TCD) — Police have arrested a man on suspicion of killing his missing girlfriend, whose body was found in a suitcase over the weekend.

According to a news release from the Thomaston Police Department, on Saturday, Oct. 21, at around 7:30 a.m., officers responded 109 W. County Road after family members called to report Margret Dubignon, who also went by “Mellow Yellow,” missing. The relatives told police they had not seen or heard from Dubignon since Thursday, Oct. 19.

Dubignon’s family members also told police her live-in boyfriend, Freddrick Durham, was not at their apartment, and Dubignon’s vehicle was missing.

Officers were called back to the apartment at approximately 9 a.m. after family members found a body in a large suitcase inside her apartment closet. Investigators positively identified the body as Dubignon’s.

According to police, investigators suspect Durham killed his girlfriend before taking her vehicle, and they issued a “be on the lookout” (BOLO) alert.

With the help of a Flock camera system, police tracked the car in Atlanta, and within around two hours, Atlanta Police Department units found Durham and took him into custody. Officials transported Durham back to the Thomaston Police Department for questioning.

Durham faces charges of felony murder, concealing a death, tampering with evidence, and theft by taking a motor vehicle. Additional charges are possible.

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GOULD, Ark. (TCD) — A 48-year-old man already serving time for fatally stabbing his wife is now accused of killing a 19-year-old woman in 1991 because he believed she was trying to extort him.

Arkansas State Police charged Rick Headley, an inmate at the Varner Maximum Security Unit, with the first-degree murder of Sabrina Underwood on Oct. 17.

Underwood’s mother informed police that she dropped her daughter off near Bear Creek in Boone County in January 1991, and she was planning to hitchhike from there to the North Central Unit prison in Calico Rock to visit an inmate. She was later reported missing to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office.

In April 1991, a hunter discovered some of Underwood’s personal belongings near the Gum Springs Cemetery in Fulton County. Deputies in the area reportedly located human remains nearby, and the Arkansas Medical Examiner positively identified them as Underwood’s.

More than three decades later, in July 2022, a fellow inmate reportedly told police Headley admitted to killing Underwood. During an interview with investigators, police said Headley provided details of Underwood’s death.

According to the affidavit obtained by KATV-TV, Headley informed investigators that he picked up Underwood in Bellefonte, Arkansas, while en route to Mountain Home. The affidavit said Headley believed Underwood tried to extort him for money, and he “knew he could not let her ruin his life.”

He allegedly stabbed Underwood to death, concealed her body, and he disposed of the knife he used. Headley reportedly told investigators he drove back to his apartment in Mountain Home, showered, and threw his clothes away behind a shopping mall.

According to KATV, investigators interviewed a second witness in August 2022, who confirmed that Headley admitted to killing Underwood and wanted to get it “off his chest.”

Headley, who is serving life in prison without the possibility of parole, previously pleaded guilty to capital murder for fatally stabbing his estranged wife Kristie Headley in March 2018.

He is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 13.

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CONCORD, N.H. (TCD) — A jury convicted a 27-year-old man this week of fatally shooting a couple who was out walking on a trail path near their home last year.

The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office announced Monday, Oct. 23, that Logan Clegg was found guilty of four counts of second-degree murder, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and four counts of falsifying physical evidence in connection with the killings of Stephen and Djeswende “Wendy” Reid. Clegg’s trial lasted about three weeks.

The four murder counts stem from two counts of knowingly causing Stephen and Wendy’s deaths and two counts of recklessly causing their deaths.

On April 18, 2022, at approximately 2:20 p.m., the Reids left their residence at the Alton Woods apartments and made their way to the Broken Ground Trails. The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office said the couple was not heard from after that. Their bodies were discovered three days later on April 21, 2022, in a wooded area near the Marsh Loop Trail.

An autopsy determined 67-year-old Stephen and 66-year-old Wendy both died from multiple gunshot wounds.

Six months after the Reids’ killings, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office and Concord Police Department announced an arrest warrant had been signed charging Clegg with murder. Clegg was taken into custody in Vermont on an unrelated charge, then extradited back to New Hampshire.

WMUR-TV reports prosecutor Josh Speicher said his team was “very happy” with the verdict.

Clegg’s defense attorney, Caroline Smith, said, “We said what we had to say in court and feel very sad.”

Stephen and Wendy Reid’s son, Brian Reid, also spoke after the verdict and said in a statement, “A liar, a thief, a murderer has been brought to justice today. The legacy of my parents’ humanitarian work, their kindness and their love for life will endure. Let today be a reminder of the value of human life and the strength of community. For myself, our families and everyone who carried and shared our pain, may the justice that has been served aid in the work of our healing.”

Both Stephen and Wendy worked in the humanitarian sector. According to a statement shared by WMUR, Stephen spent four years in the Peace Corps in West Africa, then met Wendy, who was from West Africa, in Washington, D.C. Wendy received a sports scholarship to attend college in D.C. The two “bonded over their mutual love of adventures and fitness.”

The couple moved back to Concord, New Hampshire, three years before they were killed so they could “enjoy a well-deserved retirement.” He spent over 30 years working in international development, while Wendy helped new refugees get adjusted to the United States.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (TCD) — A 44-year-old off-duty pilot was arrested on over 160 charges after he allegedly attempted to cut power to the plane’s engines midflight and was deemed a legitimate security risk.

According to a statement, the incident occurred Sunday, Oct. 22, on a Horizon Airlines flight operated by Alaska Airlines from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco. Officials “reported a credible security threat” about an off-duty pilot who was on the flight sitting in a flight deck jump seat.

The off-duty pilot, who KOIN-TV reports was identified as Joseph Emerson, allegedly “unsuccessfully attempted to disrupt the operation of the engines.” The flight’s captain and first officer thwarted Emerson’s plan, and Alaska Airlines said the plane never lost engine power and that “crew secured the aircraft without incident.”

Air traffic control rerouted the flight to make an emergency landing at the Portland International Airport, where Emerson was taken into custody. Multnomah County Jail records show Emerson was booked on 83 counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment, and one count of endangering aircraft.

Alaska Airlines noted all passengers were able to travel on a later flight.

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