Tag: Americas

RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. (TCN) — A 29-year-old man is behind bars for allegedly fatally stabbing a stranger at random with a barbecue fork after the man tried but failed to attack his own mother with the same instrument.

According to a probable cause affidavit, on Monday, Dec. 9, just before 6 p.m., Riviera Beach Police Department officers received a call that Roosevelt Johnson “attempted to attack his mother and had left the apartment with a knife.” While the responding officer went to Johnson’s mother’s apartment, several other people called 911 to report a stabbing and that bystanders were rendering aid.

Additional police officers went to the scene and found a Hispanic male bleeding on the ground next to his bike. Paramedics arrived shortly thereafter and transported the man to a hospital, but he died from his injuries. The affidavit identified the victim as John Doe because he had not been positively identified. Riviera Beach Police said the victim was a male between 40 and 50 years old, 5-foot-5 with black hair and brown eyes.

One of the witnesses reportedly told police that they saw the suspect walk to the bus stop nearby. Officers reportedly located Johnson at the stop smoking a cigarette and detained him. When he stood up, police found a bloody barbecue fork on the bench and blood on Johnson’s hands.

Investigators interviewed several witnesses who were at the scene, including one person who allegedly said he saw Johnson stab the victim, then cross the street to the bus stop. Another person was in a car and allegedly saw a man matching Johnson’s description “stab the other male with an unknown object in the head and neck area.” That witness allegedly heard Johnson yell, “DIE! DIE! DIE!” as he attacked the victim. Afterwards, he “calmly” walked away.

Johnson’s mother told detectives Johnson tried to stab her “prior to storming out of the apartment.” The barbecue fork reportedly got stuck in her sweater, and Johnson “pulled back as if he missed.” Then, he allegedly turned his attention to his cousin. Johnson reportedly chased the cousin, but she managed to hide in a bathroom. Johnson’s mother said she could not tell what implement he used in the attack, but she believed it was a barbecue fork because she previously removed all knives from her home.

According to the affidavit, Johnson told a detective he used “a fork” in the stabbing. He admitted he did not know the victim, adding, “I just hit him. I just started hitting him. He was just riding on his bike, drinking beer.”

Palm Beach County Jail records show Johnson was booked on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

MORE:

• State of Florida vs. Roosevelt Johnson
• Palm Beach County Jail inmate information

Source

GREEN LAKE, Wis. (TCN) — The 45-year-old man who faked his own kayaking death and ran away to Europe returned to the United States this week and turned himself in to law enforcement.

Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll announced in a press conference that Ryan Borgwardt “willingly” came back to Wisconsin on Tuesday, Dec. 10, after several months abroad. Borgwardt faces a “number of charges,” including obstruction. Podoll did not reveal where Borgwardt traveled from or at which airport he landed.

Podoll said, “He has cooperated with us. He came back to the United States.”

The sheriff appeared emotional and got choked up while discussing Borgwardt’s decision to come home and reunite with his family, sharing, “We brought a dad back on his own accord.”

Borgwardt and officials from the sheriff’s office had been in contact for several weeks prior to his flight home. On Nov. 21, Podoll said Borgwardt was traced to Eastern Europe after a woman reached out to law enforcement because she recognized his photo. Borgwardt shared a video with the sheriff’s office saying he was “safe, secure” in an apartment in an undisclosed location.

Podoll said at the time, “Great news, we know that he’s alive and well. The bad news is we do not know where Ryan exactly is.”

The search for Borgwardt began Aug. 12 when his wife contacted the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office and said he had not returned home from his day on the lake. Green Lake County officials got involved and immediately began searching for Borgwardt. Boaters on the lake found his capsized kayak and a tackle box with his wallet, keys, and license in it. Divers scoured Green Lake for 54 days before calling it off. Investigators determined Borgwardt’s body was not in the lake, so they took a new direction.

Officials obtained a warrant and seized Borgwardt’s computer. They learned he wiped the hard drive, cleared his search history, took out a $375,000 life insurance policy, and opened an overseas bank account. He had reportedly been communicating with a woman in Uzbekistan prior to his disappearance.

Borgwardt told law enforcement he hid an e-bike near the Green Lake boat launch and paddled out on his kayak with a child-size inflatable boat. After overturning the kayak and dropping his phone in the water, Borgwardt paddled the boat to shore, got on his bike, and spent the rest of the night riding to Madison, Wisconsin. Once there, he boarded a bus to Detroit that crossed into Canada.

Podoll said in his Nov. 21 press conference that Borgwardt “did his research” in choosing Green Lake because it’s the deepest in Wisconsin. Borgwardt reportedly relayed his concerns about “how the community will react” if he returned to home. He also said he did not think law enforcement would continue to search for him after two weeks.

Podoll said, “I hate to tell you, he picked the wrong sheriff and the wrong department.”

MORE:

• Press Conference – Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office
• Wis. man who faked his death on kayaking trip reveals how he escaped and fled to Europe, 11/22/2024 – TCN
• Officials believe missing kayaker faked his own death and fled to Europe, 11/13/2024 – TCN

Source

LOS ANGELES (TCN) — The attorney for the family of Hannah Kobayashi announced Wednesday that the 30-year-old woman was found safe one month after she disappeared.

On Wednesday, Dec. 11, Sara Azari released a statement on behalf of the family that read, “We are incredibly relieved and grateful that Hannah has been found safe. This past month has been an unimaginable ordeal for our family, and we kindly ask for privacy as we take the time to heal and process everything we have been through.”

The statement continued, “We want to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported us during this difficult time. Your kindness and concern have meant the world to us.”

According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Kobayashi flew from Maui to Los Angeles on Nov. 8 and was seen on surveillance footage at different spots around the city until Nov. 11. She had plans to fly to New York, but she never made it on the flight. She requested her bag be sent back to Los Angeles, and she retrieved it at the airport on Nov. 11. LAPD said Kobayashi “knowingly departed Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Nov. 11, 2024, with her luggage and traveled to Union Station.”

At Union Station, she reportedly bought a bus ticket and traveled to San Ysidro, California, which is close to the U.S.-Mexico border. Once she arrived in San Ysidro, she crossed into Mexico.

LAPD announced on Dec. 2 that they were classifying her as a “voluntary missing person” because video footage “clearly shows 30-year-old Hannah Kobayashi crossing the United States border on foot into Mexico. She was alone, with her luggage.”

Her loved ones flew to Los Angeles to search for the Hawaii native. Her father was found dead from apparent suicide in a parking lot near LAX several days later.

Los Angeles Magazine reported Kobayashi’s family became concerned that she became involved in a green card marriage scam involving her ex and a new Argentinian husband. Azari said in a statement on Dec. 4 that the family “has not publicly announced any information regarding an alleged marriage because we did not have the facts or the necessary documents to verify the legitimacy of this information.”

Be sure to watch the “True Crime News” segment below for more information about the case.

MORE:

• Statement On Behalf Of The Family Of Hannah Kobayashi – Sara Azari
• Statement from the Los Angeles Police Department Regarding Hannah Kobayashi, 12/2/2024- LAPD
• Did Hannah Kobayashi Secretly Marry for Money?, 12/4/2024 – Los Angeles Magazine
• Statement on Behalf of Hannah Kobayashi’s Family Re Alleged Marriage – Sara Azari

Source

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (TCN) — A 29-year-old mother will spend decades behind bars for killing her two infant daughters just two years apart.

The Alaska Department of Law announced that on Dec. 9, a judge sentenced Stephany Bilecki to 130 years with 85 years suspended after she pleaded guilty in August to two counts of second-degree murder.

According to the department of law, in 2015, Bilecki called her boyfriend and mother and informed them her 4-month-old daughter, Chyanne, had died. Shortly before her mother’s arrival, the defendant called the Fairbanks Emergency Communications Center. Fire department and emergency medical services personnel responded and transported the child to a hospital. She was pronounced deceased on Sept. 15, 2015. The department of law said the infant was “otherwise healthy,” and officials initially determined she died of SIDS.

Approximately two years later, on Nov. 20, 2017, Bilecki tried calling her deployed husband and her then in-laws because her 13-month-old daughter, Jasmine, was unresponsive. Shortly before her in-laws arrived, Bilecki called authorities.

According to police, the infant was transported to a hospital and later pronounced deceased on Nov. 24, 2017. While investigating Jasmine’s death, police said detectives opened the 2015 incident.

Around an hour before reporting Jasmine being unresponsive, Bilecki reportedly searched “Ways to suffocate,” “Best ways to suffocate,” “Ways to kill human with no proof,” “Can drowning show in an autopsy report,” “16 steps to kill someone and not get caught,” “How to commit the perfect murder,” “Drowning and Forensics,” and “Suffocating and Smothering.”

An autopsy showed Jasmine died of complications of anoxia, which is a lack of oxygen to the brain. Chyanne’s cause of death was undetermined, but she reportedly suffered injuries consistent with suffocation.

Fairbanks District Attorney Joe Dallaire said, “The conduct forming the basis of defendant Bilecki’s convictions shocks the conscience. Although we cannot pretend that anything will ever make up for the losses suffered by the fathers of these babies or their other family members, I do hope the convictions and the sentences imposed affords some measure of justice to the families of Jasmine and Chyanne and to the Fairbanks community at large.”

MORE:

• Stephany Bilecki Sentenced to 130 Years for Murdering Her Two Infants Years Apart – Alaska Department of Law
• Press Release, 8/30/2018 – Fairbanks Police Department

Source

This Week on True Crime News The Podcast: A man nearing trial for his wife’s poisoning death is now facing additional charges after disturbing allegations of his attempts to meddle in the case from behind bars came to light.

Joshua Ritter joins host Ana Garcia.

Source

This Week on True Crime News The Podcast: A man nearing trial for his wife’s poisoning death is now facing additional charges after disturbing allegations of his attempts to meddle in the case from behind bars came to light.

Joshua Ritter joins host Ana Garcia.

YouTube: Dentist in jail for wife’s poisoning death allegedly hires inmate to kill detective in the case

Source

LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (TCN) — A 25-year-old woman will spend the next several years in a mental health facility for killing her grandmother because she wouldn’t let her eat a hamburger.

The Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office announced Dec. 5 that a judge ordered Shasta Marie Sigman to five years of probation after she pleaded guilty but mentally ill to pushing her grandmother, leading her to her death. Sigman will spend the first six months of her sentence in the Lancaster County Prison. Court records show she entered the plea on Nov. 27 for a change of involuntary manslaughter. Sigman was originally charged with third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter.

The plea deal reportedly came together following “extensive input” from the family and noted it was the “best outcome” for everyone involved.

According to the district attorney’s office, in August 2023, Sigman told her grandmother she wanted a hamburger for lunch, but the grandmother said no. Sigman “shoved her 82-year-old grandmother in the chest, causing her to fall to the floor and strike her head against the wall.” The victim stopped breathing due to the fall.

Paramedics transported the grandmother to a nearby hospital, where she died. The autopsy determined her cause of death was a traumatic neck injury. Her death was ruled a homicide.

Sigman, who described herself as a “strong person,” reportedly told detectives she pushed the 82-year-old using her “full force” after she refused to give Sigman a hamburger.

The district attorney’ office said Sigman admitted she does not know “the concept of ‘no’ and that’s the whole problem. It’s hard for me.”

After pushing her grandmother, Sigman reportedly sat down and said she will “be OK; she’s fine,” rather than helping her.

Lancaster Online reports Sigman has developmental problems and was diagnosed with autism.

The judge told Sigman that if she injures anyone in her treatment facility, she could be sent to prison. Sigman said at her sentencing hearing that she wants to “try to focus on myself.”

MORE:

• Pequea Township Woman Sentenced After Pleading Guilty but Mentally Ill for Killing Grandmother in 2023 – Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office
• Willow Street woman pleads guilty but mentally ill in grandmother’s death [update] – Lancaster Online

Source

CAMDEN COUNTY, Ga. (TCN) — Officials recently arrested and charged a 61-year-old man in connection with the 1985 deaths of a couple at a church after another man was wrongly imprisoned for almost two decades.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) announced the arrest of Erik Sparre on Dec. 9 on two counts of murder and two counts of aggravated assault for allegedly killing Harold Swain and Thelma Swain nearly 39 years ago. He was arrested in Waynesville Georgia and booked into the Camden County Jail.

According to the Georgia Innocence Project, in the spring of 1985, a man entered the Rising Daughter Baptist Church in Waverly, where he shot the deacon, identified by the GBI as Harold Swain, and his wife, Thelma Swain. Per an initial release reviewed by WTLV-TV, the shooter cut off the church’s phone lines and fled in a battered brown vehicle.

Authorities reportedly found a pair of glasses at the church that didn’t belong to anyone there that night, and women from the nearby room “gave wildly different descriptions of the perpetrator, though it seems only one had spoken with him or seen his face clearly.”

The Georgia Innocence Project said four sketches of the shooter were combined into one composite. In 1988, an anonymous tipster reported Dennis Perry as a match to the sketch, and investigators identified him as a possible suspect. However, Perry reportedly worked hundreds of miles away from the crime scene on the day of the shooting, and a woman at the church who spoke with the killer did not identify him in a photo lineup. The Georgia Innocence Project said Perry also did not wear glasses.

Despite his alibi, Perry was arrested in 2000 and convicted three years later. Investigators reportedly tested the DNA on the glasses in 2003, and it did not match Perry, but he remained convicted. The Georgia Innocence Project alleges an informant was seeking reward money, and the information provided led to the arrest.

To avoid the death penalty, Perry entered a deal to give up his right to appeal and received two consecutive sentences. In 2020, the Georgia Innocence Project and Perry’s attorneys presented new DNA evidence in court. The Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney at the time did not allow for a new trial, but a judge overturned the conviction and granted a new trial in July 2020. Perry’s charges were dropped in July 2021.

Due to possible new evidence, the investigation into Harold Swain and Thelma Swain’s shooting deaths was officially reopened in May 2020, the GBI said. Investigators searched the home of Erik Sparre and his late mother in August 2020, several years before Erik Sparre’s arrest.

MORE:

• Harold and Thelma Swain Murder Investigation – Georgia Bureau of Investigation
• Arrest made in 1985 Georgia cold case another man was wrongfully imprisoned for – WTLV
• Dennis Perry – Georgia Innocence Project

Source

PHOENIX (TCN) — A judge sentenced a polygamist sect leader with 20 wives to several decades in prison for committing sex acts with underage girls and exploiting them.

The Associated Press reports Samuel Rappylee Bateman must serve 50 years for conspiracy to commit transportation of a minor for sexual activity and 50 years conspiracy to commit kidnapping. The terms will run concurrently. Prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona indicted Bateman and 10 of his followers in May 2023 for tampering with an official proceeding, conspiracy to tamper with an official proceeding, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, conspiracy to travel across state lines to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, and other charges. He was first arrested in September 2022 on a charge of obstruction of justice when law enforcement found three girls between the ages of 11 and 14 in a trailer attached to his car.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Bateman was the “self-proclaimed leader of a polygamist sect” who “began amassing ‘wives’” from several states. Ten of those wives were underage and he reportedly frequently had sex with the minors. The Associated Press reports many of the minors ran away from foster car in Arizona but were located in Washington.

Bateman was a member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FDLS), which was run by Warren Jeffs, who is in prison for sexual assault. FDLS split from the Mormon church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, when they banned polygamy.

The Arizona Republic reports several of Bateman’s underage victims spoke at his sentencing hearing about the trauma he caused them.

One said, “It’s not daring to feel the pain because you don’t know if you can stand it. It’s lying in your bed, and I wonder if you even matter to anyone. It’s endless therapy sessions full of tears that seem to solve nothing. It’s not daring to trust anyone because you don’t want to be hurt again. It’s a heart that’s shattered into a billion pieces that seem impossible to put back together.”

Another told him, “Sam, you have no power over me. I hope you feel the pain you caused me as you sit rotting in your cell.”

Judge Susan Brnovich addressed Bateman and said the harm he caused the victims “is nothing short of unmeasurable.”

According to The Associated Press, Brnovich said, “You should not have the opportunity to be free and never have the opportunity to be around young women.”

She continued, “You took them from their homes, from their families and made them into sex slaves. You stripped them of their innocence and childhood.”

MORE:

• Polygamous sect leader gets 50 years in prison in scheme to orchestrate sex involving children – The Associated Press
• FLDS sect leader Samuel Bateman sentenced to 50 years in child sex case – Arizona Republic
• Colorado City Man and 10 Members of Polygamist Sect Charged with Illicit Sexual Conduct with Minors, and Related Crimes, 5/24/2023 – U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona
• Polygamous group leader allegedly caught hauling young girls in enclosed trailer, 9/16/2022 – TCN
• Ariz. polygamist leader allegedly had 20 wives, including 9-year-old, and wanted to marry daughter, 12/6/2022 – TCN

Source