Paradise News

Tag: Americas

  • New mom found dead almost a month after she went missing during birthday trip

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. (TCN) — A 22-year-old woman was found dead several weeks after she went missing during a birthday trip with her boyfriend after allegedly claiming she did not feel safe.

    Ta’Haley Payton’s family reported her missing to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department on Nov. 28. She was reportedly last seen Nov. 20 and her loved ones became concerned. According to WHNS-TV, Payton and her boyfriend, the father of their 6-month-old daughter, traveled from Greenville, South Carolina, to Charlotte for Payton’s birthday. On Nov. 20, Payton’s boyfriend reportedly called her mother and said he was coming back from Charlotte.

    The same day, Payton reportedly contacted her mother and said she did not feel safe. She said she was going to walk to a nearby Burger King, and her mother told her to call an Uber or Lyft. WHNS reports Payton later told her family a friend was picking her up, but that did not happen.

    WBTV-TV reports Payton and her boyfriend got into an argument, and he allegedly kicked her out of the car. After that, he reportedly returned to South Carolina without Payton. During the birthday trip, Payton reportedly went to the hospital for postpartum depression.

    Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police announced Payton’s body was found Dec. 9 on the 1100 block of Baxter Street. They did not say if they were investigating her death as a homicide or if foul play was involved.

    MORE:

    • Case Update: Death Investigation in the Central Division – Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department
    • Missing Greenville Co. mother’s body found in Charlotte, detectives report – WHNS
    • South Carolina mother who died in Charlotte told family she didn’t feel safe – WBTV

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  • Former corrections officer trainee sentenced to death for killing 5 women execution-style in bank

    SEBRING, Fla. (TCN) — A jury voted 9-3 to sentence a 27-year-old man to death for fatally shooting five women one by one at a bank in 2019.

    Highlands County court records show the jury handed Zephen Xaver his death sentence on Monday, Dec. 16, following a lengthy penalty phase. He pleaded guilty in March 2023 to first degree murder with a firearm for the deaths of Marisol Lopez, Debra Cook, Ana Williams, Jessica Montague, and Cynthia Watson.

    Sebring Police said on Jan. 23, 2019, at around noon, Xaver walked into the SunTrust Bank with a 9 mm handgun and “overtook the bank by force.” Court documents say he waved his gun and ordered Lopez to lock the door. He checked to make sure the women weren’t armed, then forced them to lie down on the ground. He shot Lopez first, and as Watson turned her head to look at Xaver, he shot her multiple times. Then, he “went back to shooting the other victims in the original left to right order.”

    Xaver reportedly had “a smirk on his face as he checked over his gun, taking his time as they waited lying face down.” Documents described the killings as a “tortuous murder” and being “especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel.”

    About two weeks before the killings, Xaver obtained his driver’s license, which is required to purchase a gun. The day after getting his license, he took money out of his bank account and purchased a firearm. He reportedly lied on his background check application to pass it. Days later, he “joined two online chat groups which focused on murder, and he asked a question of the members regarding what happens to the family of the murderer who himself is killed.” On Jan. 19, 2019, he bought a bulletproof vest.

    Xaver reportedly wrote a note on this phone that read, “My heart races as I crave the taste of blood and mayhem. I thrive on chaos and it makes me feel whole. Without it my chest pains as I try to fit in a puzzle I don’t belong. I can’t help what I love and I love seeing death destruction… wonder what it would be like to truly kill.”

    On the day of the shooting, he texted his ex-girlfriend about “what a great day” he would be having, then messaged her again that he would be “dying today.”

    In a third text, he said he was “not going out alone I’m taking a few people with me because I’ve always wanted to kill people so I’m going to try it and see how it goes. Watch for me on the news Sebring Florida.”

    Xaver “calmly” entered the bank after a male customer left “and within three minutes had killed five people without any pretense of moral or legal justification.”

    Police said an employee in the back break room heard the shots, escaped, and called police. At 12:36 p.m., Xaver dialed 911 and informed the dispatcher that he had “killed five people in the bank.” Dispatch stayed on the phone with Xaver until Highlands County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived at 12:40 p.m. and Sebring Police Officers got to the scene at 12:42 p.m.

    A standoff ensued and a SWAT team began negotiations with him. Sebring Police Chief Karl Hoglund said, “During negotiations, it appeared that the suspect was not going to allow us access to the victims in the bank, so I made the decision to have law enforcement personnel conduct a tactical entry in order to save victims and apprehend Zephen Xaver.”

    He was taken into custody at 2:28 p.m. Medics pronounced the five victims deceased at the scene.

    According to WTVT-TV, Xaver spent time at behavioral health centers throughout his childhood and said he had felt suicidal since he was 9 years old and homicidal since he was 12. He reportedly told a school nurse when he was 14 that he had a dream about being a school shooter and killing his classmates. He signed up for the military after lying about his mental health history but was discharged after he reportedly informed another recruit that he was homicidal.

    He began training as a corrections officer in November 2018 but quit his job two months later. He left his job at approximately the same time his mother took him to a gun store.

    The Associated Press reports Xaver’s attorney asked the jury to sentence him to life in prison rather than the death penalty to avoid a retrial and the appeals process.

    Lopez’s daughter said at the sentencing hearing, “You shattered me into a million pieces. I will celebrate the day you die, whenever that might be. Let it be known that you will always be a killer, a coward, a nobody and a waste of human life.”

     Judge Angela Cowden told Xaver, “May God have mercy on your soul.”

    MORE:

    • State of Florida vs. Zephen Xaver
    • Sentence and commitment packet
    • Investigation continues into shooting at Sebring bank, 1/24/2019 – Sebring Police Department
    • Sebring bank shooter formally sentenced to death for killing 5 women in 2019 – WTVT
    • Former prison guard trainee is sentenced to death for killing 5 women at a Florida bank – The Associated Press

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  • Michigan father who abused and starved his 2-year-old son to death learns his fate

    MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. (TCN) — A 26-year-old man will spend decades behind bars in connection with the abuse and starving death of his toddler son.

    In a news release posted Dec. 18, the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office said a judge sentenced Jonathon Cheek to 24 to 50 years for second-degree murder and 86 months to 10 years for second-degree child abuse after the defendant pleaded no contest to the charges.

    According to prosecutors, Sierra Zaitona allegedly discovered her 2-year-old son deceased in his crib on March 16, 2023. Cheek was visiting his mother at the time but returned home after the boy’s death. The medical examiner determined the child died of starvation.

    Prosecutors charged both Cheek and Zaitona with second-degree murder and second-degree child abuse. Per court records reviewed by the Detroit Free Press, Zaitona’s trial is set for April 1.

    Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said, “This is a heartbreaking and profoundly sad case. A 2-year-old child, full of potential and deserving of love and care, was failed in the most devastating way. No sentence can bring back this innocent life, but hopefully the family can begin to heal.”

    MORE:

    • Father Sentenced in the Starvation Death of His Two Year Old Son – Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office
    • Parents Bound Over to Macomb County Circuit Court for the Alleged Starvation Death of Their Two Year Old Son, 3/21/2024 – Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office
    • Father sentenced 24-50 years in state prison in starvation death of son, 2 – Detroit Free Press
    • Michigan couple charged in connection with starving death of 2-year-old son, 3/22/2024 – TCN

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  • New Jersey woman allegedly bludgeoned her mother to death

    WILLINGBORO, N.J. (TCN) — A 32-year-old woman faces charges after allegedly killing her mother in her home this week.

    According to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, on Dec. 16, Willingboro Township Police officers responded to a report of a possible assault and found the body of 57-year-old Kim Beacham-Hanson. Authorities determined she had been bludgeoned to death, and her death was ruled a homicide caused by blunt injuries.

    Investigators identified Breanna Beacham, the victim’s daughter, as the primary suspect. She was reportedly staying at the residence with her mother temporarily. Breanna Beacham faces charges of first-degree murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon.

    Beacham was booked into the Burlington County Jail. Her motive for the fatal incident remains under investigation.

    MORE:

    • Woman Killed by Daughter Inside Her Willingboro Residence – Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office

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  • S.D. man sentenced for killing woman with can of beans because she tore his football jersey

    RAPID CITY, S.D. (TCN) — A judge handed a 45-year-old man a prison sentence this week for killing a 40-year-old woman with a can of beans because he was upset that she ripped his football jersey.

    The Pennington County State’s Attorney’s Office announced Dec. 16 that Pedro Simental was ordered to spend 15 years behind bars following his guilty plea last month for the first-degree manslaughter of Edleigha Little.

    The presiding judge “highlighted the difficulty of the case, with the factors of the victim’s poor health contributing to the challenges faced in a trial.” Both prosecution and defense recommended a 15-year sentence for Simental, an amount the judge found “appropriate.”

    According to KOTA-TV, Little and Simental got into a physical confrontation in November 2023 and Simental responded by beating her over the head with a can of beans. Little reportedly had a blood alcohol content level of 0.474% on the day of the argument. KOTA reports Simental’s attorneys described Little as a “severe alcoholic” and noted that her drinking history could have caused the fatal hematoma in her brain.

    The state’s attorney’s office said the defense argued that Little had pre-existing health conditions, which led to her death more so than a “single, reckless blow” to the head. Prosecutors, on the other hand, said Simental “takes little to no responsibility for his role in her death.”

    Law and Crime reports Simental became upset with Little because she tore his Denver Broncos shirt.

    Little’s niece spoke at the sentencing hearing and described Little as “a caring, thoughtful person.” She also claimed Simental abused Little during their relationship. The niece requested the judge give Simental a long sentence so he would not be able to “do this to another woman and her family.”

    MORE:

    • Man Sentenced to 15 Years for First-Degree Manslaughter in Death of Edleigha Little – Pennington County State’s Attorney’s Office
    • Man accused of killing Rapid City woman with can of beans receives sentence – KOTA
    • Man accused of killing Rapid City woman with can of beans claims cause of death was ‘spontaneous,’ 7/22/2024 – KOTA
    • Man who used can of beans to bludgeon woman to death after she tore his Denver Broncos jersey learns his fate – Law and Crime

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  • Did Cornell student pull the trigger or take the fall in his dad's death?

    Charlie Tan’s businessman father, Jim Tan, was shot to death with a high-powered shotgun in his home office. Charlie Tan claimed he killed his father in order to protect his mother, but is that the truth?

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  • 8 shot, 1 dead following mass shooting and fiery car crash near Maryland funeral home

    TOWSON, Md. (TCN) — Police are searching for a suspect or suspects who fatally shot one victim and injured nine others in what investigators believe was a targeted act of violence.

    On Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 7:15 p.m., Baltimore County Police Department officers responded to a shots fired call on the 8500 block of Loch Raven Boulevard and found 10 victims. Chief Robert McCullough said at a press conference that a car had been “fully engulfed in flames” with 26-year-old Charles Graham Jr. deceased nearby. The rest of the victims were located outside of the vehicle. Nine people ranging in age from 14 to 27 years old suffered gunshot wounds, and a 24-year-old male sustained another type of injury. All were transported to local trauma centers. One victim has since been released from the hospital.

    Police said all 10 victims were traveling in the car prior to “some type of incident that led to the vehicle crashing and catching on fire.” The event reportedly spanned the length of several blocks.

    WDCW-TV reports the car crash occurred close to a funeral home.

    Due to the number of victims, Baltimore County Police classified the incident as a mass shooting.

    Police are also investigating whether this event had any connection to the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Andrew Blessing on Dec. 9, which occurred near Tuesday’s crime scene. It is possible the victims knew Blessing.

    McCollough said, “At this point, nothing has been ruled out,” adding, “We are considering the whole situation in terms of retaliation.”

    According to McCollough, investigators are looking into whether the incident was gang-related, saying there “appeared to be some rival individuals in this case.”

    MORE:

    • Detectives Investigating Fatal Shooting in Towson – Baltimore County Police Department
    • Press Conference – Baltimore County Police Department
    • Homicide Detectives Respond to Scene of Reported Shooting, 12/9/2024 – Baltimore County Police Department

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  • An Arizona mother drove to work. She was never seen again.


    Christine Mustafa left for work one day, but she left behind her precious belongings. She was on the verge of starting over by leaving her boyfriend. Then, she disappeared.

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  • Ohio dad who abused his 7 children for 18 years, forced them to eat dog food is sentenced

    DELAWARE COUNTY, Ohio (TCN) — A 44-year-old man will spend 17 1/2 years behind bars for abusing his seven children for almost two decades.

    The Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office announced Dec. 17 that Jason Fuller pleaded guilty to seven counts of endangering children for the physical, emotional, and psychological abuse he caused to his children over the span of 18 years.

    Fuller’s wife, identified by WSYX-TV as Kristelle Fuller, received probation for obstructing justice. If she violates the terms, she faces a possible sentence of nine to 36 months.

    The defendants reportedly abused their children with a belt, locked them in a shed, fed them dog food, and physically restrained them. One child allegedly passed out when forced to perform extreme physical exercise as punishment.

    According to WSYX, Kristelle Fuller told her children to lie to officials about the abuse, and she concealed the crimes from authorities for years.

    In a statement, Delaware County Prosecuting Attorney Melissa Schiffel said, “Jason Fuller’s sentence is almost one year in prison for every year he terrorized his family.”

    MORE:

    • Delaware Man Sentenced to 17.5 Years for Endangering Children – Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office
    • Delaware father sentenced to 17.5 years, mother receives probation in child abuse case – WSYX

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  • Judicial Watch Asks Court to Appoint Special Master in Fani Willis Open Records Lawsuit – Willis Previously Found in Default by Court

    (Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced that it filed a motion yesterday (December 17) asking the Superior Court in Fulton County to appoint a special master to oversee District Attorney Fani Willis’ search for records in Judicial Watch’s lawsuit for communications Willis had with Special Counsel Jack Smith and the House January 6 Committee. Judicial Watch also asks the court to conduct an in camera (private) inspection of any records found. 

    The March 2024 lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of Fulton County, GA, after Willis and the county denied having any records responsive to an August 2023 Georgia Open Records Act (ORA) request for communications with Special Counsel Jack Smiths office and/or the January 6 Committee (Judicial Watch Inc. v. Fani Willis et al. (No. 24-CV-002805)).

    Last week, Willis finally admitted to having records showing communications with the January 6 Committee but refused to release all but one document in response to the court order that found her in default. She cited a series of legal exemptions to justify the withholding of communications with the January 6 Committee. The only document she did release is one already public letter to January 6 Committee Chairman Benny Thompson (D-MS). With respect to communications with, and records related to, Jack Smith’s office, Willis continued to deny her office had any records related to the Special Counsel’s office.

    Judicial Watch states in the new motion that Willis’ response to the order “makes no showing that the search was diligent. Based on her previous searches in this matter, it probably was not diligent. Likewise, she provided no list or even a general description regarding any responsive records she has elected to withhold. Without a list or description, it is impossible to evaluate what, if any, exemptions or exceptions are applicable, as she now contends.”

    Willis “has now had three opportunities to search for the records requested,” Judicial Watch states. “A recent Fulton County Superior Court deposition of Willis’ official custodian, Dexter Bond, which covered her first two searches show Willis’ first two searches were woefully inadequate.”

    Regarding the appointment of a special master, Judicial Watch states:

    Willis by her own admission conducted at least three searches before finding any responsive records not already supplied by [Judicial Watch]. She did not even bother to conduct a search until the Complaint was filed. Her records custodian says he does not know the Cellebrite [digital investigations] equipment he apparently had a hand in ordering can be used to search cell phone texts and other data…. Moreover, the custodian had no standard practice for conducting searches and keeps no records of the methods used in a given search.

    The foregoing gives rise to grave suspicion that all responsive records have not been found. The Court should appoint a special master to supervise and monitor the record searches. The special master should have authority to audit searches and conduct searches herself. She also should have authority to hire such consultants and experts as may be needed to execute her commission. The special master should make a recommendation to the Court as to how her fees and expenses should be allocated among the parties, taking into consideration whether she finds responsive records that Willis should have found but did not.

    The court set a hearing on Judicial Watch’s attorneys’ fees award for Friday, December 20.

    “Fani Willis can’t be trusted, which is why Judicial Watch is asking the court to review of her secret anti-Trump collusion records and for a special master to handle the search for more records,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “The court should put an end to Willis’ shell games to hide her conspiracy with Pelosi’s January 6 committee and who knows who else to ‘get Trump.’”

    Judicial Watch is assisted in the case by John Monroe of John Monroe Law in Georgia.

    Judicial Watch has several Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits related to the prosecutorial abuse targeting Trump:

    In February 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice asked a federal court to allow the agency to keep secret the names of top staffers working in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office that is targeting former President Donald Trump and other Americans.

    (Before his appointment to investigate and prosecute Trump, Specia Counsel Jack Smith previously was at the center of several controversial issues, the IRS scandal among them. In 2014, a Judicial Watch investigation revealed that top IRS officials had been in communication with Jack Smith’s then-Public Integrity Section about a plan to launch criminal investigations into conservative tax-exempt groups. Read more here.)

    In January 2024, Judicial Watch filed lawsuit against Fulton County, Georgia, for records regarding the hiring of Nathan Wade as a special prosecutor by District Attorney Fani Willis. Wade was hired to pursue unprecedented criminal investigations and prosecutions against former President Trump and others over the 2020 election disputes.

    In October 2023, Judicial Watch sued the DOJ for records and communications between the Office of U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith and the Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney’s office regarding requests/receipt of federal funding/assistance in the investigation of former President Trump and his 18 codefendants in the Fulton County indictment of August 14, 2023. To date, the DOJ is refusing to confirm or deny the existence of records, claiming that to do so would interfere with enforcement proceedings. Judicial Watch’s litigation challenging this is continuing.

    Through the New York Freedom of Information Law, in July 2023, Judicial Watch received the engagement letter showing New York County District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg paid $900 per hour for partners and $500 per hour for associates to the Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher law firm for the purpose of suing Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) in an effort to shut down the House Judiciary Committee’s oversight investigation into Bragg’s unprecedented indictment of former President Donald Trump.

    In his new book Rights and Freedoms in Peril Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton details a long chain of abuses officials and politicians have made against the American people and calls readers to battle for “the soul and survival of America.”

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