Paradise News

Tag: Americas

  • Detroit Jewish community leader fatally stabbed outside her home

    DETROIT (TCD) — Police are investigating a homicide after a 40-year-old local synagogue president was found fatally stabbed outside her home over the weekend.

    Detroit Police Chief James E. White and other law enforcement officials spoke at a press conference Monday, Oct. 23, and shared details regarding Samantha Woll’s killing. On Saturday, Oct. 21, at approximately 6:30 a.m., someone called 911 to report finding an unresponsive woman on the 1300 block of Joliet Place. Police and EMS arrived at the scene and declared the victim, who they identified as Woll, deceased at the scene.

    According to White, investigators at the scene discovered a “trail of blood leading to the victim’s residence,” leading them to believe Woll was stabbed inside her home.

    Woll attended an event Friday night and returned home at approximately 12:30 a.m. Saturday. There were no signs of forced entry.

    White said blood spatter experts are being called in to investigate. Detectives believe Woll was stabbed inside her home, then “stumbled outside and collapsed in the yard.” She was most likely there for “quite a while.”

    He said he did not want to share some specific details due to the ongoing investigation and because there are “facts only known to our suspect and our detectives.” White confirmed detectives are speaking with multiple people.

    Woll served as board president at Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue in Detroit.

    The Detroit Police Department released a statement Sunday saying, “The investigation into the death of Ms. Woll remains ongoing. At this time, however, no evidence has surfaced suggesting that this crime was motivated by antisemitism.”

    White reiterated that in the press conference and said there weren’t any other groups at risk and that the suspect acted alone.

    Woll’s killing occurred about two weeks after Israel and Hamas went to war. On Oct. 14, one week after the war broke out, a 71-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of fatally stabbing a 6-year-old Muslim boy “due to [him] being Muslim and the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis.” Federal officials are investigating that as a hate crime.

    Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel told the Detroit Free Press in a statement, “I am shocked, saddened, and horrified to learn of Sam’s brutal murder. Sam was as kind a person as I’ve ever known. She was driven by her sincere love of her community, state, and country. Sam truly used her faith and activism to create a better place for everyone.”



    Source

  • HUD Launches Latino Task Force to Create Economic Opportunities, Bridge Disparities

    As part of President Joe Biden’s governmentwide initiative to advance equity and create special programs for minorities, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has launched an inaugural Latino Task Force dedicated to promoting economic opportunities for the Hispanic community. The new panel will also drive policy initiatives to advance equity for Latinos and create a “more inclusive Department through language access, procurement, and hiring,” according to an agency announcement issued this month. Career and political staff from all corners of the agency will be assembled to work on meeting the task force’s mission of “empowering the Hispanic community and bridging disparities.”

    HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge is quoted in the press release saying that she is “in awe of the work our Hispanic colleagues have done to create the inaugural Latino Task Force,” which she describes as a “group that will bring us closer to accomplishing our agency’s pledge to equity, inclusion, and diversity.” A former congresswoman from Ohio who served as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Fudge also said it is an “honor to serve alongside talented, unique, and hard-working public servants of all backgrounds, including the Latino community.” It is worth noting that shortly after being appointed HUD secretary, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel determined that Fudge violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits officials of the executive branch from conducting political campaigning in their official capacity. Among her goals as HUD chief is to put an end to discriminatory practices in the housing market.

    The new Latino Task Force will help meet that objective by lowering barriers to entry for procurement opportunities, highlighting and uplifting current HUD policies affecting the Latino community and identifying improvement opportunities in agency communications. The panel will also identify ways to bolster Latino hiring at HUD and increase access to agency programs by ensuring materials such as applications and policies are available in Spanish. “Research shows that Hispanics experience severely inadequate housing at double the rate of non-Hispanics,” HUD writes in this month’s announcement, which states that the U.S. Hispanic population is over 62 million, making it the “largest ethnic-racial minority group in the country.” The task force was created because nearly 25% of Hispanic households met HUD’s criteria for “worst needs” by either paying more than half its income toward housing costs, living in severely inadequate conditions or both. Hispanic representation in federal government jobs is still lacking, the agency reveals, adding that it is only 9% of its workforce.

    The Housing agency’s new Latino Task Force was inspired by the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics, launched by the president in the fall of 2021 to, among other things, help illegal immigrants—known as Dreamers—brought the U.S. as children. That project aims to understand the systemic causes of educational challenges faced by Latino and Hispanic students, address their inequitable treatment by eradicating disparities in disciplinary actions, ensure that they all have access to excellent teachers and school leaders, support equitable access to college-readiness courses and eliminate policies that lead to racial and socioeconomic segregation within schools. The program also works to advance racial equity and economic opportunity by connecting education to labor market needs and ensuring Hispanic and Latino communities have access to resources for economic success, such as in the areas of financial education, small business development, entrepreneurship, arts, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

    “It is important to ensure that from early childhood to higher education, Hispanic and Latino students, including Dreamers, can reach their highest potential,” the Biden executive order that inspired HUD’s Latino Task Force states, adding that although many are advancing at “Hispanic-Serving Institutions,” they face systemic inequitable barriers in accessing a high-quality education. “Due to systemic and historical inequities faced in the classroom, the high school graduation rate for Hispanic students is below the national average,” the order says, further revealing that Hispanic students are underrepresented in advanced courses in mathematics and science and can face language barriers in the classroom.

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  • N.M. teen accused of punching, choking, and kicking father to death during dispute

    ROSWELL, N.M. (TCD) — Police are searching for a 19-year-old man who allegedly beat his 44-year-old father to death during a dispute in August.

    According to a news release from the Roswell Police Department, on Aug. 27 at approximately 3:40 a.m., officers were called to a home in the 1200 block of West 13th Street, where they found the victim, Mario Gonzalez. He was transported to a hospital, where he later died.

    Upon further investigation, police learned the victim and his son, Ivan Gonzalez, were drinking in a pickup truck outside the home and began arguing about “various things.” Ivan Gonzalez became angry and allegedly punched his father, who then started walking back toward the residence. Ivan Gonzalez followed his father and reportedly choked him. Inside the house, he allegedly punched his father again and kicked him.

    Ivan Gonzalez was initially arrested on a charge of battery against a household member and was released on his own recognizance the next day.

    According to police, on Oct. 3, the medical examiner ruled Mario Gonzalez’s death a homicide due to blunt force injuries. They also noted that his existing medical conditions contributed to his death, and he sustained multiple internal injuries.

    Police said Ivan Gonzalez was not immediately charged with murder because investigators were waiting for the full autopsy results.

    On Friday, Oct. 13, Gonzalez was charged with second-degree murder, and officials obtained a warrant for his arrest. Police are continuing to search for Gonzalez to take him into custody.

    Source

  • S.C. man accused of fatally shooting his 3-year-old daughter during custody exchange

    BEAUFORT, S.C. (TCD) — A 27-year-old man was arrested on several charges after he reportedly shot and killed his young daughter during a custody exchange.

    On Sunday, Oct. 1, at 12:41 p.m., Beaufort Police Department officers responded to the Cross Creek Apartments regarding a shooting and found a 26-year-old woman suffering from serious gunshot wounds. Medics reportedly rendered aid to the woman at the scene, then transported her to a hospital once she was stabilized.

    Police soon learned about a 25-year-old male gunshot victim with non-life-threatening injuries and a 3-year-old who was seriously wounded, both of whom were already at the hospital. The 3-year-old later died from her injuries.

    According to Beaufort Police, investigators learned a domestic situation broke out during the exchange, which led to gunfire. Officers said they were searching for Jonathan Tyleke Fair in order to bring him in for questioning.

    On Oct. 16, Beaufort Police announced they located Fair and took him into custody. He was booked into the Beaufort County Jail for murder, two counts of attempted murder, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.

    Beaufort County Jail records show Fair is also charged with three counts of unlawful neglect of a child, aggravated breach of peace, probation and parole violation, and discharging a firearm by a prohibited person.

    WCSC-TV reports the 3-year-old girl was Fair’s daughter, Ariana.

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  • Ark. father named as suspect for 'brutally' murdering his 2 kids with butter knife 42 years ago

    TEXARKANA, Ark. (TCD) – Police have named a suspect in a 42-year-old cold case involving the grisly death of two siblings, as well as the sexual assault of one of the victims.

    On Oct. 12, Texarkana Arkansas Police Chief Michael Kramm announced in a press conference that investigators identified Weldon Alexander as the killer in the 1981 fatal stabbings of 14-year-old Karen Alexander and her 13-year-old brother, Gordon Alexander.

    The investigation began when Weldon Alexander returned home from work on April 8, 1981, at approximately 7:15 a.m., when he claimed he saw his screen and front doors slightly open. He said he walked inside and found Gordon deceased in the kitchen and “thought his daughter might still be alive on her bed near the living room area.”

    Weldon reportedly removed a butter knife from Karen’s body and put it on a shelf. A statement from the police department says officers arrived at the scene and declared Gordon deceased, but Karen remained alive. She sustained major sharp-force injuries to her body and was transported to a hospital for care. KTAL/KMSS-TV reports Karen was in a coma for three days before she died.

    Karen and Gordon’s mother was reportedly in the same hospital at the time as a patient for mental health issues.

    In 1993, serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, also known as the “Confession Killer,” reportedly claimed he killed the Alexander siblings. Police, however, did not arrest or charge him due to a lack of evidence.

    Capt. Calvin Seward worked on the case in the Criminal Investigations Division, but the case eventually went cold. He retired from the department in 2004, then again 18 years later from the U.S. Marshals. In February 2022, he reopened the case and submitted new DNA samples from people named in the case to the Combined DNA Indexing System (CODIS) to see if it could yield any results.

    Seward, Dr. Todd Steffy, a forensic criminologist, and Kelli Dixon, a DNA scientist at the Arkansas State Crime Lab, took DNA from Karen and Gordon’s fingernails and compared that to other DNA evidence at the scene. Samples taken from the siblings showed traces of copper, zinc, fibers, and other materials that were often used at Weldon’s workplace.

    According to Texarkana Police, investigators found Weldon’s semen on Karen’s bed covers. The investigation revealed Karen had been sexually assaulted 48 to 72 hours before her death.

    Seward said in the press conference Karen had most likely been assaulted for about six months leading up to her death.

    Investigators determined both children had been stabbed the night April 7 at around 11 p.m. before Weldon left for his work shift. The two teens were reportedly still wearing the same clothes they had on as of April 7. Police also said the “weapon used was considered a weapon of opportunity, a butter knife likely from the kitchen of the Alexander home.”

    There was no DNA from anyone outside the home.

    Seward and Steffy wrote a probable cause affidavit naming Weldon Alexander as the suspect and presented the case to Miller County Prosecuting Attorney Connie Mitchell. She asserts that “Weldon Alexander is the sole, viable suspect in the murders of Gordon and Karen Alexander, and that she believes probable cause exists for the issuance of an arrest warrant for two counts of Capital Murder.”

    Weldon, however, died in 2014.

    Kramm, the chief of police, said, “It is our hope that the friends and remaining family of Gordon and Karen Alexander may find some peace in knowing that scientific and circumstantial evidence has been revealed sufficient to resolve this 42-year-old case.”

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  • California man accused of intentionally driving into people listening to music outside Kohl’s

    HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (TCD) — A 54-year-old man faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for allegedly intentionally hitting a group of people and driving into a Kohl’s department store while under the influence of drugs.

    The Orange County District Attorney announced Oct. 20 that Tuan Miller faces six felony counts of attempted murder, one felony count of driving under the influence of a drug causing injury, one felony count of vandalism, and one felony count of evading a police officer.

    On the evening of Friday, Oct. 13, at around 8 p.m., Miller allegedly drove onto the sidewalk outside the Kohl’s department store at the Bella Terra shopping center. Several people were standing near the department listening to some singing when Miller struck two women, resulting in minor injuries, the District Attorney’s Office said. A bystander reportedly stepped in to pull one of the women from harm.

    According to the District Attorney’s Office, Miller then revved his engine and accelerated toward three other people, hitting one who “became lodged in the front of Miller’s car as it crashed through the store’s glass doors.”

    Miller reportedly fled the scene, but officials later apprehended him.

    The District Attorney’s Office noted that Miller caused $425,000 worth of damages to the store.

    In a statement, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said, “Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol has catastrophic and often deadly consequences. The decision to get behind the wheel while intoxicated by either drugs or alcohol is never the right decision.”

    Spitzer added, “Juries have become complacent when it comes to convicting defendants of driving under the influence of marijuana and other drugs and that has to stop. It’s not a matter of if; it’s a matter of when a repeat drugged or drunk driver finally seriously injured or kills someone.”

    Miller is due back in court on Nov. 3.

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  • Man allegedly shot St. Louis youth football coach because his son wasn’t in the starting lineup

    ST. LOUIS (TCD) — A 43-year-old man is currently in jail without bond after he allegedly shot a youth football coach multiple times because he was upset his son was not placed in a starting position.

    According to a probable cause affidavit, on Oct. 10, St. Louis Metropolitan Police officers responded to 1515 N. Kingshighway Blvd. after receiving a call about a man suffering from several gunshot wounds. Medics transported the victim, who KSDK-TV identified as Shaquille Latimore, to the hospital in serious condition.

    Police interviewed Latimore, who told investigators he coaches suspect Daryl Clemmons’ son on his youth football team. Clemmons allegedly became “upset” with him for “not starting his son.” The affidavit says Latimore approached Clemmons and “asked him what was up and pulled his gun out and gave it to someone to hold, and that the defendant subsequently shot him multiple times while he was unarmed.”

    A witness at the scene reportedly confirmed Latimore’s version of events.

    Police arrested Clemmons that day on charges of first-degree assault or attempt and armed criminal action.

    Latimore spoke with KSDK and said he was shot in his left arm, left forearm, leg, and lower back. The bullet that went through his back penetrated his liver as well.

    According to KSDK, Clemmons founded the football team and left the coaching job once his son became a player on the team. The two men reportedly got into an argument a few days before the incident.

    One parent told KSDK he believes Latimore “started this” and that he “should have stayed on the field.”

    The witness said, “Why aren’t you being a coach? You are supposed to be teaching me right from wrong, but you go and do wrong. Does that make sense? No, it don’t.”

    Jason Clemmons, Daryl’s brother, argued Daryl shot Latimore in self-defense.

    Latimore told KSDK in an interview he is “a miracle” and “beat the odds.”

    He said later, “I was hit four times and grazed once. I still have bullet fragments in my body, I can still feel it, but by the grace of God, man, I’m blessed and I’m still here.”

    Clemmons’ next court date is scheduled for Nov. 22.

    Source

  • Obama Chef Death Investigation Update

    Records Reveal Barack Obama Was at Emergency Scene of Family Chef Drowning
    Judicial Watch Releases New Documentary on Government, Social Media Censorship
    Judicial Watch Sues Director of National Intelligence over Social Media Censorship
    Judicial Watch Sues State Over Eligibility of Hungarians in Visa Waiver Program

     

    Records Reveal Barack Obama Was at Emergency Scene of Family Chef Drowning

    We’re learning much more about the tragic death at Obama’s home.

    We received 40 pages of records from the Massachusetts State Police that indicate the presence of Barack Obama for a witness interview in the death investigation of the Obamas’ personal chef Tafari Campbell.

    The records, which are heavily redacted, indicate Barack Obama arrived at the emergency response scene via motorcade. A short time later, a cold, wet woman, who was a witness, arrived. The next morning, the eyewitness was interviewed in the Obama residence, again with Barack Obama present.

    It is concerning that we had to push for several months to find out that Barack Obama was personally involved in the death investigation of his personal chef Tafari Campbell.

    The records also detail the existence of a Secret Service video of Campbell and his paddleboarding companion entering the water, and the Secret Service emergency response in the immediate aftermath of the drowning. The State Police records show they concluded “no foul play” in Campbell’s “accidental” death.

    We received the documents in response to a July 25, 2003, Massachusetts Public Records Law request for all records relating to the death of Campbell.

    The documents show Campbell’s family told police that he had taken swimming lessons in 2019 but described his ability as “not a great swimmer.” The drowning occurred in Edgartown Great Pond, which Massachusetts Environmental Police estimated “to be approximately seven to eight feet deep.”

    The records also show a female eyewitness, an Obama employee whose name is redacted, told state police that she saw Campbell “fall off his paddleboard, began splashing and became extremely panicked, yelling for help and subsequently went underwater very quickly.” By the time she reached his paddleboard, the witness said Campbell had “disappeared into the extremely murky” water.

    The records include a July 24, 2023, homicide/death report written by Mass. State Trooper Dustin Shaw that lists the details of the investigation into Campbell’s death. In the narrative portion Shaw writes:

    On Sunday, July 23, 2023, at approximately 7:58 PM, [he] … was notified by the Dukes County Regional Emergency Communications Center of a possible drowning incident that originated from a 911 call at [redacted] in the Town of Edgartown, on Martha’s Vineyard, at 7:46 PM. The 911 caller was identified as [redacted], who identified himself as a United States Secret Service Special Agent. I am aware that [redacted] in Edgartown is a residence owned by [redacted]. I was informed that two (2) people on paddleboards had entered the water at Edgartown Great Pond, from the shore of [redacted], and one person was unaccounted for after being witnessed in distress going under the water and never resurfacing.

    ***

    I located EFD [Edgartown Fire Dept.] Chief Schaeffer, and he informed me that two (2) paddleboarders launched two (2) separate paddleboards from the shoreline at [redacted] in Edgartown. Tafari CAMPBELL (DOB [redacted]) was identified as the missing paddleboarder and [redacted] (DOB [redacted]) was identified as the surviving paddleboarder. I was informed that CAMPBELL is the personal Chef of [redacted] and his family, and [redacted] is a staff member of [redacted], thus the reason they were both at the [redacted] residence prior to the incident.

    ***

    EFD [Edgartown Fire Dept.] Chief Schaeffer went on to explain that CAMPBELL and [redacted] were paddleboarding together when [redacted] observed CAMPBELL on the board, in the standing position and suddenly lose his balance and enter the water, and struggle to stay above water. Chief Schaeffer informed me that [redacted] observed CAMPBELL go under the water, and never resurface. [Redacted] reportedly subsequently paddled back to shore to [redacted] and alerted a member of the U.S. Secret Service at a nearby security post. I was informed that USSS Special Agent [redacted] called 911 and reported the incident to the Dukes County Sheriff’s Department Regional Communications Center. Simultaneously, U.S. Secret Service Rescue Swimmers immediately deployed from the shore at [redacted] and began searching the immediate area and underwater for CAMPBELL, subsequently not locating him.

    ***

    Campbell was … reported to be wearing a black tee-shirt, black shorts, and a black baseball cap at the time he entered the water…. I was informed that both CAMPBELL and [redacted] paddleboards had been recovered in separate locations along the shorelines on Turkeyland Cove, approximately several hundred yards from one another.

    ***

    At approximately 8:40PM [redacted]’s motorcade arrived at the ICP [incident command post] and I was introduced to [redacted]. I … along with EFD [Edgartown Fire Dept.] Chief Schaeffer briefed [redacted] on the situation thus far, as well as the search and rescue efforts currently underway. A short time later, [redacted] arrived at the ICP and I was introduced to her. I observed that [redacted] was visibly emotional and was shaking from being cold and wet…. In a preliminary conversation I had with [redacted] and [redacted] [she] informed me that when she initially observed CAMPBELL fall off his paddleboard, began splashing and became extremely panicked, yelling for help and subsequently went underwater very quickly. [Redacted] stated that she immediately discarded her paddleboard and swam over to CAMPBELL as fast as she could in [an] attempt to rescue him. [Redacted] explained that by the time she reached CAMPBELL’S paddleboard, she was “too late,” and he had disappeared into the murky, very low visibility water. [Redacted] stated that she then utilized CAMPBELL’S paddleboard and returned to the shore at [redacted] to alert the Secret Service and activate emergency help, as neither she nor CAMPBELL had cellular phones with them at the time of the incident. [Redacted] stated that she left CAMPBELL’S paddleboard on the shore and ran to the nearest U.S. Secret Service security post and reported the incident to the first USSS Special Agent she saw (Special Agent [redacted]).

    [Redacted] informed me that he and [redacted], [redacted] were not present at their residence ([redacted] Edgartown) at the time of the incident and had been out for dinner, therefore, CAMPBELL would not have been working for the evening. [Redacted] thanked us for our efforts and departed the ICP a short time later.

    ***

    At approximately 7:55 AM, we arrived at [redacted] accompanied by SAIC [special agent in charge] Murray and SAIC Murphy. Upon arrival at the residence, we were introduced to [reacted] invited us into his residence, and we were directed into the office of [redacted], which was to be utilized to conduct the interview.

    ***

    [Redacted] explained that on Sunday, July 23, 2023, she began her day at approximately 8:00AM helping CAMPBELL in the kitchen at [redacted] in Edgartown. Throughout the day, and into lunch time, [redacted] said it was a quiet day, and she was helping CAMPBELL design his Instagram page.

    ***

    [Redacted] explained that approximately 6:10 PM, on July 23. 2023, she asked CAMPBELL if he wanted to go paddleboarding in Edgartown Great Pond, to which he agreed…. CAMPBELL walked from the residence to the shoreline of Edgartown Great Pond and obtained two paddleboards and two paddles from the [redacted] property.

    [Redacted] explained to me that CAMPBELL was an inexperienced swimmer, and that CAMPBELL had been attempting to teach himself to swim at the pool at the residence over the years. [Redacted] also stated that CAMPBELL had told her in the past that he couldn’t swim.

    [Redacted] explained that when she and CAMPBELL began paddleboarding, they both remained on their knees while they paddled in Edgartown Great Pond. [Redacted] continued to say that at one point, she stood up on the paddleboard, and then saw CAMPBELL attempting to stand up on his board shortly thereafter. [Redacted] stated that after approximately 30 seconds of standing, she observed CAMPBELL lose his balance on the board and saw him fall into the water. [Redacted] stated that she yelled to CAMPBELL to grab onto the board in front of him, however, she observed he quickly begin to panic while yelling for help. [Redacted] stated that she left her board and attempted to swim to CAMPBELL to help him, however, she said by the time she reached CAMPBELLS board it was ‘too late’, and he went under the water…. [Redacted] stated that neither she, nor CAMPBELL consumed any alcohol or drugs prior to paddleboarding.

    ***

    At approximately 8:32 AM [redacted] agreed to again board a fire boat to assist with the recovery effort in [an] attempt to provide a more precise location as to where she last saw CAMPBELL in the water, now that it was daylight.

    ***

    [Redacted] directed the fire boat to a location that she provided, to the best of her recollection as where she saw CAMPBELL go underwater. This location was marked with a buoy.

    ***

    Upon our arrival back at the ICP [incident command post], we were informed that the Massachusetts Environmental Police (MEP) had arrived on scene and deployed Side Scan Sonar equipment to the area [redacted] identified and were searching that area, which was approximately 100-200 yards from the shore at [redacted]

    ***

    At approximately 9:45 AM, I was informed that an area of interest had been identified by the MEP Side Scan Sonar, directly in the vicinity of where [redacted] identified last observing CAMPBELL.

    At approximately 9:58 AM, we arrived on location as outlined by MEP [Massachusetts Environmental Police]. MSP [Mass. State Police] dive team members deployed into the water.

    At approximately 10:00 AM, within minutes of entering the water, MSP divers recovered the body of a black male, fully submerged in the water … Divers estimated the water depth to be approximately seven to eight feet deep. I observed the body of a black male removed from the water and placed onto the deck of the boat…. I observed the male to be wearing a black t-shirt, black workout style shorts, and an Apple Watch on his left wrist, and a wedding band style ring on his left ring finger.

    ***

    I met with CAMPBELL’S [redacted] and other family members and representatives on the CG [Coast Guard] dock in Menemsha. [Redacted] explained that CAMPBELL had taken swimming lessons in 2019 that consisted of one lesson a week for six weeks and described his swimming ability as “not a great swimmer.”

    ***

    On Friday, August 18, 2023, I (Tpr. Dustin Shaw) was notified that the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) determined that Tafari J. CAMPBELL’S cause of death was a result of a drowning (submersion in a body of water), and the manner of death is accidental, as determined by OCME Dr. Anand Shah.

    ***

    On Tuesday, September 12, 2023, at approximately 4:45 PM, I traveled to [redacted] in Edgartown and met with U.S. Secret Service SAIC Ben Murray for the purposes of viewing Secret Service surveillance footage of [redacted], Edgartown, from Sunday, July 23, 2023. My attention was drawn to a specific section of surveillance camera footage, beginning at approximately 6:54 PM on Sunday, July 23, 2023.

    ***

    The following is a summary of my observations of the video footage provided to me from this specific vantage point and is not intended to be an exact depiction of the overall entirety of the surveillance footage from [redacted] On Sunday, July 23, 2023, at approximately:

      • 6:54 PM; two (2) individuals identified as CAMPBELL and [redacted] are observed walking on the boardwalk from the area of the residence, toward the shoreline of Edgartown Great Pond. Both CAMPBELL’S and [redacted] appearance and clothing are consistent with prior descriptions. Once near the shoreline, it appears that CAMPBELL and [redacted] obtain paddleboards and paddles from a small alcove near the shoreline, and subsequently enter the water.
      • 7:40 PM; Secret Service Agent [redacted] (Rescue Swimmer) is observed running from his assigned post towards the shoreline of Edgartown Great Pond, utilizing his handheld radio.
      • 7:42 PM; Agent [redacted] observed running from the shoreline of Edgartown Great Pond, towards the area of the Command Post.
      • 7:43 PM; Agent [redacted] observed running back to shoreline of Edgartown Great Pond.
      • 7:50 PM; USSS boat launches
      • 7:57 PM; USSS vehicle/first responder vehicle arrives to the area of the shoreline of Edgartown Great Pond.
      • 7:58 PM; First Edgartown Police vehicle arrives to the area of the shoreline.
      • 7:59 PM; Second Edgartown Police vehicle arrives to the area of the shoreline.

    A request has been made to obtain a copy of the above-described video and is pending its

    release as of the time of this report.

    ***

    [I]t is my investigative opinion that the death of Tafari J. CAMPBELL is a result of an accidental drowning in Edgartown Great Pond, and is not criminal in nature, and foul play is not suspected. I respectfully request this case be classified as closed, pending any future information that would warrant it being re-opened.

    The homicide/death report lists as seized evidence under “Property #1” an “Under Armour Baseball Hat (Black)” and in the description notes: “West Tisbury Firefighter Stephen Serusa recovers a black, Under Armour baseball hat in Edgartown Great Pond, floating in the marsh area of Turkeyland Cove … during search for Tafari CAMPBELL. Hat matches the description of CAMPBELLS hat he was last seen wearing. Hat later confirmed by witnesses to be CAMPBELLS.”

    The report also notes that Property #2 is “1 USB flash drive containing two audio files (original 911 call and follow up call).” It was collected on August 9, 2023, and is described as “DCSO [Dukes County Sheriff’s Office] Original 911 Audio Recordings.”

    Property #3 is a computer/telecom flash drive described as “CSSS [Crime Scene Service] Victim/Scene Photo Disc #1-1,” including the comment “One paper envelope containing Digital Video Disk (DVD-R-RW) Victim/Scene Photos.”

    Property #4 is a flash drive containing autopsy photos.

    Property #5 is a U.S. Coast Guard Station Menemsha log dated July 24, 2023. The comment section notes: “Tpr. Shaw retrieves US Coast Guard Station Menemsha Log dated “24JUL23” (1 page/double sided). Log signed by USCG Station Menemsha Command Staff.”

    In a July 24 case master report, Shaw writes:

    • He was notified at 7:58 p.m. on July 23 of “a possible drowning in Edgartown Great Pond” by the Dukes County Regional Emergency Communications Center.
    • He was “briefed on situation by EFD [Edgartown Fire Department] Chief Alex Schaeffer” after Shaw arrived at the incident command post set up at Edgartown Great Pond, Wilsons Landing at 8:15 p.m. The report notes, “Chief Schaeffer identifies missing paddleboarder as Tafari CAMPBELL (DOB [redacted]).”
    • At 8:25 p.m., Shaw requested MSP Airwing assistance for a search of Edgartown Great Pond.
    • At 9:15 p.m., he boards a Secret Service boat, “along with USSS [Secret Service] Rescue Swimmers” to assist in searching for Campbell in Edgartown Great Pond.
    • At 11:30 p.m., Shaw disembarked from the USSS boat and returned to his command post, ended his duty that night and would return the following day at 5:00am.
    • At 7:55 a.m. on July 24, Shaw, along with Lt. Cosgrove, Capt. Benson and Major Farley of MSP arrived in Edgartown “for the interview of [redacted] (witness/survivor).” The entry notes, “Also present at the interview was USSS Special Agent Ben Murra [sic].”
    • At 10:00 a.m. Shaw was on board a Tisbury Fire Department boat along with a state police dive team, “at which time the body of a black male, matching the description of CAMPBELL was recovered from the Edgartown Great Pond…. Body was transported to CP [command post] at Wilsons Land[ing].”
    • At 10:25 a.m. “US Secret Service Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the [redacted] Protection Detail, [redacted], views and positively identified the body recovered from Edgartown Great Pond to be Tafari CAMPBELL (DOB [redacted]).”
    • At 11:21 a.m. “Chapman Funeral Home arrives at Wilsons Landing CP and transports the body of CAMPBELL, at the request of the OCME [Office of the Chief Medical Examiner], from CP to US Coast Guard Station Menemsha. Tpr. Shaw, DLT Cosgrove, DCAPT Benson, Major Farley and USSS SA [Special Agent] Murphy follow hearse to USCG [US Coast Guard].”
    • At 11:57 a.m. “The body of CAMPBELL arrives at U.S. Coast Guard Station Menemsha.”
    • At 1:57 p.m. Shaw goes to Coast Guard Station Menemsha to pick up its daily log from July 24, 2023 re: 2023-102-251 (the state police case number for Campbell’s death).
    • The final two entries indicate that at 4:45 p.m. Shaw arrives at a redacted location in Edgartown “re: meeting with US Secret Service SAIC [Special Agent in Charge] Ben Murray.” At 5:41pm they conclude their meeting and Shaw departs.”

    The State Police write in their cover letter to Judicial Watch: “The Department conducted a diligent search of its records and is unable to locate any body worn and cruiser mounted video recordings. The Department is in the process of reviewing responsive records and will supplement this response.

    A July 24, 2023, administrative log note lists the case as closed and includes the synopsis “US Secret Service Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge of the [redacted] Protection Detail [redacted], views and positively identified the body recovered from Edgartown Great Pond to be Tafari CAMPBELL (DOB [redacted]).”

    (In August 2023, we released records it received from the Edgarton, MA, Police Department that show the Secret Service reported Obama’s Personal Chef Tafari Campbell missing and that the body was found using sonar. The records also detail that clothing was found separate from the body and that he was not wearing a life vest.)

    Judicial Watch Releases New Documentary on Government, Social Media Censorship

    This week we released a four-part documentary that details the coordinated effort by the government and Big Tech to censor and suppress information on topics such as Hunter Biden’s laptop, COVID-19, and election debates.

    This series exposes how the censorship partnership between government and Big Tech is a dire threat to our First Amendment and other freedoms. We seek to hold the censors accountable – working with elected officials, journalists, and other leaders to protect free speech.

    The documentary premiered last week, on our website, X/Twitter, Rumble, YouTube Facebook and Instagram.  You can catch all episodes here. (A trailer for the documentary is available here.)

    The series features interviews with those who have taken leading roles in exposing the collusion between government and social media to control what Americans see and hear. Included in the lineup of experts is:

    • Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) who as attorney general of Missouri filed a lawsuit in 2020 against President Biden and other administration officials, alleging they were working with social media platforms to censor information related to COVID-19 and other topics.
    • Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH), who is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Jordan’s committee is leading the House investigation into government-led censorship on social media.
    • Journalist Matt Taibbi, one of the journalists who covered the release of the “Twitter Files,” which exposed government involvement in Twitter and other Big Tech censorship of Americans. Taibbi testified before Congress about what the “Twitter Files” revealed about the partnership between government and social media to censor information and opinions.
    • Chris Nelson, senior investigator at Judicial Watch, formerly a career counterintelligence officer with the U.S. Government.
    • And me as I led Judicial Watch in filing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits and other litigation concerning government and Big Tech censorship.

    The premiere episode, The Hearing, looks at Taibbi’s experience exposing the “Twitter Files:”

    Today, American taxpayers are unwittingly financing the growth and power of a censorship-industrial complex run by America’s scientific and technological elite, which endangers our liberties and democracy.

    What we found in the [Twitter] Files was a sweeping effort to reverse that promise and use machine learning and other tools to turn the internet into an instrument of censorship and social control. Unfortunately, our own government appears to be playing a lead role.

    The Twitter Files, state attorneys general lawsuits, and investigative reporters have revealed a large and growing network of government agencies, academic institutions, and nongovernmental organizations that are actively censoring American citizens, often without their knowledge, on a range of issues.

    Elon Musk took ownership of Twitter, now X, in October 2023. On December 2, 2023, the New York Post reported Taibbi posted the first Twitter thread containing what became known as the “Twitter Files.” This first installment contained documents related to Twitter’s internal discussions related to moderating content on the Hunter Biden laptop story which the Post broke shortly before the 2020 presidential election.

    Nineteen installments of the “Twitter Files” would be released through March 2023. These included internal communications related to the suspension of former President Donald Trump from the platform, exchanges between the FBI and Twitter’s Trust and Safety Team regarding suppressing election misinformation, and moderation of COVID-19 content.

    The second episode, The Hunter Biden Problem, addresses the pre-election censorship of the Hunter Biden laptop story. From the suppression of the initial and subsequent reporting on the laptop to the promotion of the letter signed by 51 intelligence officials calling the laptop “Russian disinformation,” the episode details the coordinated effort to suppress Americans’ access to stories exposing the contents of the laptop while promoting stories denying the authenticity of the laptop. Congressman Jordan responded to this coordination saying:

    The guy who put the whole letter together, Mike Morrell, former acting director of the CIA, said “we” did it because we wanted Joe Biden to have something to use against President Trump in the final debate on October 22nd, 2020. And we wanted that because we want Joe Biden to win.

    In The Censorship Industrial Complex, the third episode, Jordan, Taibbi, and I warn of the partnership among government, traditional and social media to control Americans’ access to information. Taibbi states:

    Civil society organizations are supposed to watch the government. The news media is supposed to watch both. The tech platforms are supposed to have different interests from the government. But what we see in the center in the censorship industrial complex is they’re all working together in what you know and what they call the shared endeavor. And, so it’s a consolidation of power.

    I add this:

    I think we just have to come to terms with the fact that the Big Tech companies or social media companies are partisan leftist ideologues, and they’ve been lying about the reasons they’ve been quote, “moderating content.” They’ve been censoring content, not following a set of rules, but following government dictates and their own ideological predilections and political biases.

    The series finale, COVID, Censorship and Consequences, examines the organized censorship of debate about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, mask mandates, and Dr. Anthony Fauci’s efforts to control the narrative surrounding the pandemic. Senator Eric Schmitt notes:

    [I]n the lead up to the 2020 election, we saw this massive effort by the federal government to work with big tech to suppress dissenting views. And that’s an un-American thing to do. And so, we filed the lawsuit, which was a landmark lawsuit. And what we uncovered in that lawsuit was a vast censorship enterprise, broader and bigger than anybody could have ever imagined.

    This documentary series was directed by Joe Weasel of Full Story Films LLC., and produced by me, Paul Orfanedes and Chris Farrell.

    We are  deeply involved in the investigation of censorship by government entities and Big Tech.

    In April 2023, we filed two FOIA lawsuits against the DOJ and other federal agencies for communications between the agencies and Facebook and Twitter regarding the government’s involvement in content moderation and censorship on the social media platforms.

    In June 2023, we sued DHS for all records of communications tied to the Election Integrity Partnership. Based on representations from the EIP (see here and here), the federal government, social media companies, the EIP, the Center for Internet Security (a non-profit organization funded partly by DHS and the Defense Department) and numerous other leftist groups communicated privately via the Jira software platform developed by Atlassian.

    In February 2023, we sued the U.S. Department Homeland Security (DHS) for records showing cooperation between the Cybersecurity and Information Security Agency (CISA) and social media platforms to censor and suppress free speech.

    In January 2023 we sued the DOJ for records of communications between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and social media sites regarding foreign influence in elections, as well as the Hunter Biden laptop story.

    In September 2022, we sued the Secretary of State of the State of California for having YouTube censor our election integrity video.

    In May 2022, YouTube censored a Judicial Watch video about Biden corruption and election integrity issues in the 2020 election. The video, titled “Impeach? Biden Corruption Threatens National Security,” was falsely determined to be “election misinformation” and removed by YouTube, and our YouTube account was suspended for a week. Judicial Watch continues to post its video content on its Rumble channel (

    In July 2021, we uncovered records from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which revealed that Facebook coordinated closely with the CDC to control the COVID narrative and “misinformation” and that over $3.5 million in free advertising given to the CDC by social media companies.

    In May 2021, we revealed documents showing that Iowa state officials pressured social media companies Twitter and Facebook to censor posts about the 2020 election.

    In April 2021, we published documents revealing how California state officials pressured social media companies (Twitter, Facebook, Google (YouTube)) to censor posts about the 2020 election.

    Judicial Watch Sues Director of National Intelligence over Social Media Censorship

    The Biden administration will not give up in its efforts to control what we write, say and think. It has weaponized the intelligence agencies against the American people.

    We filed a FOIA lawsuit against the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) for records and concerning censorship of social media users (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. Office of the Director of National Intelligence (No. 1:23-cv-02943)).

    We sued after the Office of the ODNI failed to respond to a May 2023 FOIA request for:

    Records and communications of the National Counterterrorism Center … regarding the Foreign Malign Influence Center, including:

    1. Organizational chart;
    2. Position description of full-time employees and contractors;
    3. Annual budget;
    4. Communications with Twitter @twitter.com [now known as X], Facebook @facebook.com, Meta @meta.com, TikTok @tiktok.com, Reddit @reddit.com, YouTube @YouTube.com, Instagram @instagram.com, concerning “foreign influence operations,” “misinformation,” “disinformation;” and
    5. Policies, procedures, standard operating procedures, and strategic plans 6. Working groups established with governmental, nongovernmental organizations, or private entities.
    6. Working groups established with governmental, nongovernmental organizations, or private entities.

    In April 2022, the Department of Homeland Security announced a new Disinformation Governance Board. The new agency quickly became a flashpoint of controversy, characterized by critics as a frontal assault on the First Amendment. In August 2022, it was disbanded.

    In September 2022, the Foreign Malign Influence Center was established under the Office of Director National Intelligence with essentially the same mission: “as the primary U.S. Government organization for analyzing and integrating all intelligence and other reporting possessed or acquired pertaining to foreign malign influence, including election security.” The Center has proposed a public-private initiative, calling for “significant monetary and resource investment by the government” for “enhancing information sharing with private sector entities.”

    The Biden administration apparently believes it could resurrect its domestic thought police deep inside the heart of America’s spy agencies, and no one would notice. Well, we noticed and will pursue the facts in spite of the Director of National Intelligence’s illegal stonewalling.

    Judicial Watch Sues CDC for Records about CDC Guidance on Male Breastfeeding

    Does the CDC have any credibility left when, with a straight face, it purports to advise men on breastfeeding infants? Has our country sunk this low?

    We filed a FOIA lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for records related to updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on breastfeeding by transgender biological males (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (No. 1:23-cv-03001)).

    We sued  after the CDC, a component of Health and Human Services, failed to respond to a July 6, 2023, FOIA request asking for:

    1. All records reviewed, referenced, or relied upon in the drafting and publishing of updated guidance pertaining to breastfeeding by transgender individuals on the CDC’s web site. For purposes of clarification, this guidance is published at and
    2. All records of communication between any official or employee of the CDC and any other individual or entity regarding the updated guidance described in part one of this request.

     The CDC posted on its website advice to “transgender parents who have had breast surgery” about breastfeeding or “chestfeeding” infants:

    Some transgender parents who have had breast/top surgery may wish to breastfeed, or chestfeed (a term used by some transgender and non-binary parents), their infants. Healthcare providers working with these families should be familiar with medical, emotional, and social aspects of gender transitions to provide optimal family-centered care and meet the nutritional needs of the infant.

    In an article dealing with “Health Equity Considerations” is a subsection titled “Here are some things your emergency preparedness and response team can do to help achieve health equity when working with families who have young children.” The CDC advises:

    Remember that:

    • If you have questions about infant nutrition or medications before and while breastfeeding, please consult with your healthcare provider….
    • Transgender and nonbinary-gendered individuals may give birth and breastfeed or feed at the chest (chestfeed). The gender identity or expression of transgender individuals is different from their sex at birth. The gender identity of nonbinary-gendered individuals does not fit neatly into either man or woman.
    • An individual does not need to have given birth to breastfeed or chestfeed.
    • Some families may have other preferred terminology for how they feed their babies, such as nursing, chestfeeding, or bodyfeeding.

    U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS) Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor and Pensions in July 2023 sent a letter to CDC Director Mandy Cohen, asking for information about the CDC’s guidance for transgender women (biological men) who wish to breastfeed:

    We are writing to you with serious concern about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) guidance for biological men who identify as women (transgender individual) who wish to breastfeed. CDC’s Pledge to the American People commits that the basis of all public health decisions will be made on the highest quality scientific data that is derived openly and objectively. This guidance, however, seems driven by political considerations rather than science, and the Agency has provided no explanation of the reasoning and data behind these recommendations.

    The senators ask for “information regarding the scientific basis” regarding its guidance, including:

    Did the CDC use any peer-reviewed studies to inform its guidance on transgender individuals breastfeeding? If so, please provide these studies with your response. If not, why not?

    What data did CDC rely on that compares the nutritional benefits of biological women’s breast milk with the breast milk produced by a transgender individual?

    What data did CDC rely on to evaluate the long-term effects or health risks to an infant from being breastfed by a transgender individual who has received hormonal therapy to transition genders?

    Why does the CDC recommend that health care providers help transgender individuals obtain a drug that is not approved for use in the U.S.?

    The Biden administration attacks the health and welfare of infants by encouraging biological men to pretend to nurse them. This dangerous transgender extremism is now the subject of a cover-up, as the CDC refuses to turn over any records under FOIA to us about its “advice” to help biological men attempt to “chestfeed” infants.

    Judicial Watch Sues State Over Eligibility of Hungarians in Visa Waiver Program

    The vindictive nature of the Biden administration is on full display in its treatment of Hungarian citizens because of the country’s conservative prime minister.

    We filed a FOIA lawsuit against the U.S. Department of State for communications and records regarding the eligibility of citizens of Hungary to participate in a visa waiver program (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:23-cv-02964)).

    We sued after the Department of State failed to respond to an August 8, 2023, FOIA request sent to its Office of the Information Programs and Services for:

    All records related to the modifications to the eligibility of citizens of Hungary to participate in the visa waiver program which went into effect on August 1, 2023 ( This request includes, but is not limited to, all records reviewed, referenced, or relied upon in making the determination to implement the modifications, as well as all related records of communication between any official or employee of the Department of State and any other individual or entity.

    On August 1, 2023, Reuters reported, “The United States imposed restrictions for Hungarian passport holders under its Visa Waiver Program on Tuesday … Relations between the two governments have been burdened recently with Budapest’s delay of a parliament vote on Sweden’s NATO accession and curbs on LGBTQ rights by Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s nationalist government.”

    Citing “vulnerabilities” because Hungary granted citizenship to “nearly one million people” over the nine-year period of 2011 to 2020, the State Department announced on its website:

    Today, we notified the Government of Hungary that the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) validity period for travel by Hungarian passport holders is reduced from two years to one year. Additionally, the validity of an ESTA for Hungarian passport holders will be limited to a single use.

    The Leftists running the Biden administration want to punish Hungary because they hate Viktor Oban, Hungary’s conservative prime minister. And, as they try to bully Hungary over immigration, the Biden administration continues to allow millions of illegal aliens to come unhindered into the U.S.

     

    Until next week,



    Source

  • Maryland man accused of fatally shooting judge presiding over his divorce

    HAGERSTOWN, Md. (TCD) — Law enforcement officials are searching for a man they allege shot and killed a circuit court judge the same day he awarded custody of the couple’s four minor children to the suspect’s estranged wife.

    According to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, on Thursday, Oct. 19, at approximately 8 p.m., deputies were called to the 19100 block of Olde Waterford Road regarding a shooting. When they arrived, they found an adult male in the driveway suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. Medics took him to Meritus Medical Center, where he died from his wounds.

    The Sheriff’s Office identified the victim as 52-year-old Washington County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson.

    In an updated news release, the Sheriff’s Office named the suspect as 49-year-old Pedro Argote. He is believed to be traveling in a 2009 Mercedes GL450.

    Sheriff Brian Albert held a press conference Friday, Oct. 20, and said Wilkinson was presiding over Argote’s divorce trial. According to The Associated Press, Argote reportedly did not show up to court Thursday when Wilkinson granted sole custody of their kids to Argote’s wife. The children are 12, 11, 5, and 3 years old.

    Court records show Argote filed for divorce in June 2022.

    Albert said Argote legally owned the gun used in the shooting. He reportedly does not have a criminal record in Washington County, but law enforcement had previously responded to two verbal and domestic calls over the last two years.

    Albert does not believe there are any threats to other local and state judges in the area.

    According to his judiciary bio, Wilkinson was sworn in as a circuit court judge Jan. 10, 2020. Prior to that, he worked as an assistant Washington County attorney. He attended the University of North Carolina as an undergraduate and Emory University for law school.

    Maryland State Bar President Jason Deloach said in a statement Wilkinson “will be remembered for his immense contributions to his local community and his unwavering pursuit of justice. Marylanders lost a dedicated public servant, and we offer our most heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.”

    Source

  • GameStop employee accused of fatally shooting alleged Pokémon card thief

    PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. (TCD) — A 33-year-old GameStop employee stands accused of fatally shooting an unarmed shoplifter this week.

    According to a news release from the Pembroke Pines Police Department, on Tuesday, Oct. 17, at approximately 8:16 p.m., officers responded to a shooting at a GameStop store located at 11069 Pines Blvd. The gunshot victim, identified by WFOR-TV as 21-year-old Chadrick Coats, was transported to a local hospital for critical injuries, where he later died.

    Upon further investigation, police determined the victim was shoplifting from the store, and employee Derrick Guerrero confronted him. The victim reportedly ran toward the door with $500 worth of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Ultra-Premium Collection trading cards in his possession. Guerrero allegedly pulled out a concealed firearm from his waistband and fired a single shot into the victim’s torso. WFOR reports Coats dropped the cards prior to being shot.

    Officers noted that “at no time did the victim threaten Guerrero or display any type of weapon.”

    WFOR reports that surveillance footage captured the incident. Guerrero reportedly purchased the gun after a robbery incident in the store months ago.

    Police apprehended Guerrero on a charge of manslaughter.

    According to WFOR, Guerrero, who worked as GameStop’s assistant manager, was released from jail after posting $25,000 bond.

    He reportedly addressed reporters, stating, “I want to say I’m sorry, very sorry to the family.”

    The store was reportedly closed as of Thursday, Oct. 19.

    Source