Paradise News

Tag: Americas

  • N.Y. school employee allegedly fatally strangled her sister and dumped body in river

    MONROE COUNTY, N.Y. (TCN) — A 53-year-old woman is in custody on suspicion of fatally strangling her 62-year-old sister, who disappeared earlier this month.

    In a press conference, Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter said deputies first performed a welfare check on Penny Busch on Oct. 11 after a family member hadn’t heard from her for a while. According to Baxter, no one answered the door, and investigators searched her property. The sheriff noted that they found “suspicious” conditions, and he said authorities discovered “things out of the ordinary” but didn’t elaborate further.

    On Oct. 14, deputies searched the Genesee River in the town of Rush, where they located a deceased woman. Several days later, the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office positively identified the victim as Penny Busch.

    Per a redacted complaint posted by WHEC-TV, investigators allege that on Oct. 8, Penny Busch’s sister, Jamie Busch, fatally strangled the victim during a physical altercation. The following morning, Jamie Busch allegedly removed her sister’s three cellphones from her home and threw them away at a Dunkin’ Donuts. The complaint alleges that the suspect then dumped Penny Busch’s body in the Genesee River.

    Authorities arrested Jamie Busch on one count of second-degree murder and two counts of tampering with physical evidence.

    The sheriff’s office said Penny Busch leaves behind two children.

    Jamie Busch reportedly worked for Honeoye Falls-Lima School District but has been placed on leave. In a statement, the school’s superintendent said, “The recent arrest of a district employee on serious charges has deeply impacted all of us. We are shocked and saddened by the reports. As a school district that prioritizes the safety of our students, staff, and community, we placed the individual on leave and fully cooperated with law enforcement during their investigation.”

    MORE:

    • MCSO Arrests Sister for Murder of Missing Honeoye Falls Woman – Monroe County Sheriff’s Office
    • Sister strangled in Honeoye Falls home, court documents reveal – WHEC
    • Press Conference – Monroe County Sheriff’s Office
    • Important Message from the Superintendent – Honeoye Falls-Lima Middle School

    Source

  • Estranged husband accused of killing lieutenant wife after arguing about his affair

    ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (TCN) — Authorities recently arrested a former sergeant after he allegedly killed his estranged wife, a lieutenant, following a “bad night.”

    According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, on Oct. 14, deputies responded to a report of a suicide involving an Orange County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant, 39-year-old Eloilda “Ellie” Shea. Authorities said in an affidavit that the victim’s estranged husband, 49-year-old Anthony Shea, made the 911 call. Deputies did not find Ellie Shea’s body at the scene but later learned she was at AdventHealth East Hospital after suffering a single gunshot wound to the temple.

    Investigators reportedly searched the residence and determined Shea had been fatally shot in a bedroom on the second floor.

    According to the affidavit, officials interviewed Anthony Shea, and he said, “We had a bad night last night, arguing about my affair.” Anthony Shea allegedly had intercourse with another woman while on duty as a sergeant, and an internal investigation ensued. Shea resigned from his position on Aug. 16.

    Ellie Shea would allegedly “come home from work each day with new pieces of information that was uncovered during the investigation,” and she “would cry once she returned home.”

    According to court documents, on Oct. 13, Anthony Shea, Ellie Shea, and their children attended church and donated blood. Ellie Shea reportedly told the blood donation workers to get rid of her husband’s donation “due to his affair.” When they returned home, Anthony Shea and Ellie Shea allegedly argued about the blood donation, and they continued to fight until the early hours of the next day.

    The following morning, authorities said Ellie Shea called in sick for work. Anthony Shea allegedly claimed she wanted some space, so he left their home with their two children to go shopping at a Publix. Shea reportedly told investigators he returned home and found his wife on the bed in a pool of blood with a gun on her chest before calling 911. Investigators uncovered text messages between Shea and his wife, initially corroborating his claims.

    According to the affidavit, Shea said his wife had attempted to take her life in the past after being the victim of an alleged sexual battery before their relationship. Shea also purportedly claimed the victim had suicidal thoughts after her father died, and he said she “was afraid of the stigma of being in law enforcement and having depression.”

    Authorities said in the affidavit that they later determined Shea had sent text messages from his wife’s phone, “manufactured evidence,” and established an alibi and provided a motive for suicide in an attempt to conceal his crimes.

    Investigators allege his “actions were organized and premeditated” and that he fatally shot his wife. Deputies arrested him on a charge of first-degree murder, and he remains held in the Orange County Jail without bond.

    In a statement posted by the sheriff’s office, officials said Ellie Shea joined their department in 2011, “quickly making her mark as a compassionate law enforcement officer, rising star, and friend to so many she worked alongside.” She reportedly “lit up every room she entered with her infectiously, bubbly personality, beautiful spirit, and kind smile.”

    Deputies said Shea “was a mentor, teacher, advocate, protector, cheerleader, and an inspiration to women aspiring to be leaders. A loving mommy of two little girls, Ellie served her community with grace, integrity, and pride, and she will be profoundly missed.”

    MORE:

    • News Release – Orange County Sheriff’s Office
    • Statement – Orange County Sheriff’s Office
    • Affidavit for Arrest Warrant – Orange County Circuit Court

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  • Judicial Watch to Monitor Wisconsin Polls; Stands Up National Election Fraud Report Line For Voters to Report Voting Issues

    (Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that, as part of its ongoing election integrity efforts, its trained observers will monitor polling sites in Wisconsin on November 5. Separately, Judicial Watch will run an Internet hotline for voters in all states to report suspicions of election and voter fraud.

    Judicial Watch monitors elections to ensure compliance with state and federal laws. Judicial Watch’s election observers have monitored many state and national elections and have been certified and served as international election observers.

    Judicial Watch’s lead election law attorney Robert Popper established the organization’s election monitoring program. Popper is a former deputy chief of the Voting Section in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice and a veteran poll observer for the Department of Justice.

    Separately, Judicial Watch’s Election Integrity Hotline allows voters who witness any suspicious activity at their polling place, have issues with a voting machine, or witness voter fraud or intimidation to send a detailed email to Judicial Watch at: ElectionLaw@JudicialWatch.org.

    “Judicial Watch’s teams will monitor the election in Wisconsin to expose and deter any fraud,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

    Judicial Watch is a national leader in voting integrity and voting rights. As part of its work, Judicial Watch assembled a team of highly experienced voting rights attorneys who stopped discriminatory elections in Hawaii and cleaned up voter rolls across the country among other achievements.

    In July 2024, Judicial Watch announced it sent a notice letter to the Oregon secretary of state on behalf of itself, the Constitution Party of Oregon and an Oregon registered voter, notifying them of evident violations of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993, based on their failure to remove ineligible voters from their registration rolls. The letter to Oregon serves as a “pre-suit” notice.

    The NVRA requires states to “conduct a general program that makes a reasonable effort to remove” from the official voter rolls “the names of ineligible voters” who have died or changed residence. Among other things, the NVRA requires registrations to be cancelled when voters fail to respond to address confirmation notices and then fail to vote in the next two general federal elections. In 2018, the Supreme Court confirmed that such removals are mandatory (Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Inst., 138 S. Ct. 1833, 1841-42 (2018)).

    A hearing was recently held in another case filed by Judicial Watch that challenges a Mississippi election law permitting absentee ballots to be received as late as five business days after Election Day. 

    In May 2024, Judicial Watch sued California to clean up its voter rolls. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Judicial Watch and the Libertarian Party of California, asks the court to compel California to make “a reasonable effort to remove the registrations of ineligible registrants from the voter rolls” as required by federal law (Judicial Watch Inc. and the Libertarian Party of CA v. Shirley Weber et al. (No. 2:24-cv-3750)).

    In February 2023, Los Angeles County confirmed removal of 1,207,613 ineligible voters from its rolls since the year before, under the terms of a settlement agreement in a federal lawsuit Judicial Watch filed in 2017. (Legal pressure from Judicial Watch ultimately led to the removal of up to four million ineligible voters from voter rolls in New York, California, Pennsylvania, Colorado, North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio, and elsewhere.)

    Judicial Watch filed the latest lawsuit after uncovering a broad failure to clean up voter rolls in dozens of California counties.

    In December 2023, Judicial Watch sent three other notice letters to election officials in the District of Columbia, California, and Illinois, notifying them of evident violations of the NVRA, based on their failure to remove inactive voters from their registration rolls. In response to Judicial Watch’s inquiries, Washington, D.C., officials admitted that they had not complied with the NVRA, promptly removed 65,544 outdated names from the voting rolls, promised to remove 37,962 more, and designated another 73,522 registrations as “inactive.”

    In July 2023 Judicial Watch filed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief, supporting the decision of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, which struck down Maine’s policy restricting the use and distribution of the state’s voter registration list (Public Interest Legal Foundation v. Shenna Bellows (No. 23-1361). According to a national study conducted by Judicial Watch in 2020, Maine’s statewide registration rate was 101% of eligible voters.

    Judicial Watch in July 2023 also settled a federal election integrity lawsuit on behalf of the Illinois Conservative Union against the state of Illinois, the Illinois State Board of Elections, and its director, which now grants access to the current centralized statewide list of registered voters for the state for the past 15 elections.

    In April 2023, Pennsylvania settled with Judicial Watch and admitted in court filings that it removed 178,258 ineligible registrations in response to communications from Judicial Watch. The settlement commits Pennsylvania and five of its counties to extensive public reporting of statistics regarding their ongoing voter roll clean-up efforts for the next five years.

    In March 2023, Judicial Watch filed a federal lawsuit against the Illinois State Board of Elections and its Executive Director, Bernadette Matthews, over their failure to clean Illinois’ voter rolls and to produce election-related records as required by federal law.

    In March 2023, Colorado agreed to settle a Judicial Watch NVRA lawsuit alleging that Colorado failed to remove ineligible voters from its rolls. The settlement agreement requires Colorado to provide Judicial Watch with the most recent voter roll data for each Colorado county each year for six years.

    Judicial Watch settled a federal election integrity lawsuit against New York City after the city removed 441,083 ineligible names from the voter rolls and promised to take reasonable steps going forward to clean its voter registration lists.

    Kentucky also removed hundreds of thousands of old registrations after it entered into a consent decree to end another Judicial Watch lawsuit.

    In February 2022, Judicial Watch settled a voter roll clean-up lawsuit against North Carolina and two of its counties after North Carolina removed over 430,000 inactive registrations from its voter rolls.

    In March 2022, a Maryland court ruled in favor of Judicial Watch’s challenge to the Democratic state legislature’s “extreme” congressional-districts gerrymander.

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  • Woman caught on dash cam fatally injecting ex-husband with animal tranquilizer amid custody dispute – TCNPOD

    This Week on True Crime News The Podcast: A custody disagreement turns deadly when an estranged wife fatally poisons the father of her children with the help of her mother and the woman’s new lover.

    Rachel Fiset joins host Ana Garcia.

    YouTube: Woman caught on dash cam fatally injecting ex-husband with animal tranquilizer amid custody dispute



    Source

  • USDA’s $46 Mil Food Insecurity Project for Underserved Helps “Queer & Trans,” Migrants, BIPOC

    In addition to spending a record $112.8 billion on food stamps for the needy the Biden administration is dispensing another $46 million to tackle nutrition insecurity in underserved communities and a chunk of the money will go to strengthen the food system for “Queer & Trans (QT) and Black, Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC),” provide illegal immigrants from Latin America with “culturally responsible fresh food” and the black immigrant community with a special “African food access” project. The money will be disbursed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the agency that operates the nation’s fraud-infested food stamp program. “Through these investments, the Biden Harris Administration is investing in healthy food options for people no matter where they live and supporting stronger local and regional food systems,” according to USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small, a former New Mexico congresswoman.

    Twenty projects throughout the country—including in North Dakota, California, New York, Tennessee, Maryland, North Carolina, Indiana and Massachusetts—will receive taxpayer money to help curb food and nutrition insecurity in underserved communities. The QT and BIPOC project, stationed in New York, will get $361,872 to build a more resilient and equitable food system for that demographic that also prioritizes opportunities for low-income QT BIPOC. The project “ultimately seeks to build a community-based alternative that addresses racism, health disparities, food insecurity, and poverty,” according to the USDA grant announcement issued a few days ago. This will be accomplished by creating a more dignified experience to accessing nutritious, culturally relevant foods and strengthening the ecosystem of QT BIPOC farmers in New York City as well as the Hudson Valley. Among the government’s expected results is community empowerment and the strengthening of a vibrant network of QT BIPOC stakeholders across different sectors of the food system. Beneficiaries of this publicly funded endeavor include QT and BIPOC in the Hudson Valley and New York City, with a focus on the Bronx and Brooklyn boroughs. The USDA explains that “QT includes multitudes of identities – lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, intersex, transgender, gender non-conforming, non-binary, two-spirit, and more.”

    A community project catering to illegal immigrants is getting $374,420 to bring “culturally responsible fresh food and support services” to migrants in the New York area. “Almost 20,000 migrant and asylum-seeking students started at New York Public Schools in the 2023-24 academic year,” the USDA reveals. “Many of their families have unstable housing and employment, which subsequently increases food insecurity.” The money will fund programs at 10 public elementary schools across the Bronx and Queens school districts that aim to “reduce the language, informational, and financial barriers that migrant and asylum-seeking families face in accessing healthy food.” Dozens of nutrition education events will be hosted to share multilingual information about healthy eating and local resources in the school neighborhoods and a community needs assessment will be conducted to help create a special program for migrant and asylum-seeking adults. The goal, according to the USDA, is to “meet the immediate food needs of low-income migrant and asylum-seeking families while helping them build their knowledge and language capacity to navigate their new food system.”

    Black migrants will get $314,407 for their own program in Maryland under the multi-million-dollar initiative to combat nutrition insecurity in underserved communities. It is called the African Food Access Project and will fund “community-centric food system within the Essex/Middle River region, particularly serving low-income, immigrant populations.” This will be done through the promotion of regenerative agriculture, the establishment of a communal kitchen and cultural food hub and other services targeting the social determinants of health. The African Food Access Project “employs a comprehensive and multifaceted approach to address food insecurity, health disparities, and economic challenges faced by the Black immigrant community in Essex/Middle River, Baltimore County,” the USDA writes in its grant announcement.

    A “black-led, community-rooted nonprofit” in San Diego, California will receive $386,000 to lead an intergenerational project that addresses food and nutrition insecurity where redlining and structural racist policies and practices have resulted in inequitable access to healthy foods. A Chicago-based group that claims to empower residents to achieve equitable livelihood is also getting $386,000 to support bilingual local food ecosystems for low-income and illegal immigrant populations. A separate Chicago project is receiving $238,659 to conduct outreach programs that engage diverse groups, including formerly incarcerated individuals and LGBTQAI+. The complete list of projects with detailed descriptions can be viewed here.

    Source

  • Elijah Vue’s mother, her boyfriend face new charges a month after missing boy was found dead

    TWO RIVERS, Wis. (TCN) – Prosecutors have added new charges against a woman and her boyfriend in connection with the abuse and death of 3-year-old Elijah Vue, who was missing for eight months and was then found dead in a wooded area in September.

    Manitowoc County Prosecuting Attorney Jacalyn LaBre announced in an Oct. 17 press conference that Vue’s mother, Katrina Baur, is being charged with chronic neglect of a child — consequence is death, neglecting a child — specified harm did not occur and child has a disability, and two counts of obstructing an officer. Baur’s boyfriend, Jesse Vang, was indicted on physical abuse of a child — repeated acts causing death, hiding a corpse — repeater, and obstructing an officer — repeater.

    Vang reported Vue missing to the Two Rivers Police Department at approximately 11 a.m. on Feb. 20. Vang said the boy was last seen at around 8 a.m. that day. Investigators learned that Baur sent her son to stay with Vang because she wanted Vang to “correct [Vue’s] bad behaviors” and to show the boy “how to be a man.”

    According to the criminal complaint, Vang allegedly forced Vue to stand and pray for long periods of time and withheld food as punishments. Vang reportedly said he would not allow Vue to speak with Baur because the point was “to deprive [Vue] of what he has so he is appreciative of them.”

    While interviewing Baur, detectives reportedly showed her a photo of Vue wearing a blindfold with bruising on his face and arm. She allegedly initially claimed the bruises were shadows, then admitted to taking the picture. She also allegedly texted Baur during an interview with police at his apartment and said in messages, “Don’t say too much,” “Nooo,” “stop,” “Shhhh,” and “You let him.” She reportedly sent him Facebook messages that read, “Jesse, listen the way you word things is very important. I need you to call me.”

    Detectives obtained several videos and photos that Vang and Baur texted each other in the days leading up to Vue’s disappearance. In one message on Jan. 21, Vang reportedly said, “Yeah he’s a naughty one he’s in baby prison rn,” to which Baur replied, “Lmfao.”

    On Feb. 18, Vang reportedly wrote, “I told you to trust me… I’m a make sure he hates me and being here.”

    Baur said back, “Don’t want him to *hate* YOU. Just fear you.”

    Vang replied, “It’s okay. Some one has to be the bad person.”

    When Baur told him that Vue could “fear and respect you,” he said, “He did fear me. But he didn’t respect me. Now I’m making him respect me.”

    On Sept. 7, a homeowner preparing his property for hunting season called police after finding bones, including a skull, on his land. The complaint says there “appeared to be a sand or gravel mixture near the area where the remains were found that appeared to be foreign to the existing terrain.” Vue’s DNA was traced in a blanket left near his body and a suitcase that Vang donated to charity around the same time was reported Missing.

    The remains were positively identified as Vue’s. The forensic anthropologist determined Vue had trauma to his head. A child abuse pediatrician told investigators that Baur and Vang’s messages to each other are “consistent with torture” and that Vue “experienced multiple types of maltreatment.”

    Baur’s bail was set at $400,000 cash, while Vang’s is $500,000.

    MORE:

    • Press Conference – Two Rivers Police Department
    • State of Wisconsin vs. Katrina Baur, Jesse Vang
    • Human remains found in Wis. positively identified as missing 3-year-old Elijah Vue, 9/16/2024 – TCN
    • Missing 3-year-old boy’s mom allegedly told boyfriend to punish him and show him ‘how to be a man’, 3/7/2024 – TCN

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  • Florida woman allegedly told 10-year-old child on video game to kill 2-month-old baby, other adults

    ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. (TCN) — A 36-year-old woman is in custody after allegedly instructing a young child on the video game Roblox to kill an infant by dropping them onto a floor last week.

    On Oct. 17, the Gulf Coast Kids House, an advocacy center for child abuse victims, reached out to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office after a 10-year-old child allegedly dropped a 2-month-old infant on a kitchen floor, causing severe injuries. Investigators allege Tara Sykes spoke with the 10-year-old via Roblox and instructed the child “on various methods to kill the infant.”

    According to the sheriff’s office, Sykes allegedly told the child to drown the baby in a bathtub, burn the victim with hot water, and drop the 2-month-old onto a solid tile floor. The sheriff’s office said Sykes also messaged the child on how to kill the adults they were residing with “by cutting their throats with a knife while they slept and burning their house by dousing bed sheets with aerosol spray and setting them on fire.” Deputies allege the 10-year-old did pour aerosol spray onto the sheets but didn’t follow through with all of Sykes’ instructions.

    Authorities arrested Sykes on a charge of attempted murder while engaged in aggravated child abuse. She remains held in the Escambia County Jail without bond, and additional charges are possible. The sheriff’s office did not disclose the relationship between Sykes, the 10-year-old, and the baby.

    Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said, “I have been in law enforcement for over 40 years and have never seen anything quite like this. I am truly disturbed by the circumstances and the thought that anyone could think like this, let alone instruct these acts to be carried out. There is something really wrong with her.”

    MORE:

    • Disturbing Attempted Homicide Arrest – Escambia County Sheriff’s Office
    • Escambia County Jail

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  • Hallucinating man kills teen because she was a 'demon'

    Zoe Campos disappeared one evening and left her family searching for answers for five years. Her killer came forward and admitted to killing the missing 18-year-old because he started hallucinating and thought she was a “demon.”

    Source

  • 'Woman scorned' who killed renowned cyclist in love triangle wants new trial

    Kaitlyn Armstrong was convicted of murdering renowned cyclist Mo Wilson after Armstrong found out Wilson was having an affair with her boyfriend. Now, her attorneys are pushing for a retrial amid potential new evidence.

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  • Pa. woman who hanged her 2 kids with dog leash in her basement gets life

    READING, Pa. (TCN) — A judge sentenced a 41-year-old woman to two consecutive life sentences in prison for killing her two children by hanging them in her basement with a dog leash.

    The Berks County District Attorney’s Office announced Lisa Snyder’s sentence on Oct. 17, less than a month after she was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of endangering the welfare of children, and tampering with/fabricating physical evidence in connection with the deaths of 8-year-old Conner Snyder and 4-year-old Brinley Snyder. She will not have the possibility of parole for the murder conviction, and she must also spend eight to 17 years in prison for the other charges. Court records show Snyder had originally been additionally indicted on charges of third-degree murder, two counts of sexual intercourse with an animal, and cruelty to animals. Those charges were dismissed.

    According to District Attorney John T. Adams, on Sept. 23, 2019, at 4:30 p.m., Snyder called 911 and said she found her two children hanging and unresponsive in the basement. First responders arrived 11 minutes later and discovered the children hanging from a cable dog leash that had been wrapped around a support beam and two dining room chairs that were pushed over. The victims were in full cardiac arrest, so the paramedics worked the resuscitate them. Both children died three days later when they were taken off life support.

    Lisa Snyder reportedly ordered the leash, which was supposed to be used on dogs up to 250 pounds, on Sept. 22, 2019. She picked it up at a local Walmart on Sept. 23, 2019.

    Adams said Snyder claimed her kids went downstairs to the basement to play “fort,” which they did “all the time.” Another resident in the house, however, told investigators the kids “hardly ever” played in the basement.

    Snyder also said her son “was bullied and wanted to die,” but investigators spoke with multiple witnesses who said Conner Snyder never mentioned being bullied at school.

    According to Adams, “He never expressed that he was bullied or suicidal. The only person that ever indicated that someone was bullied was the defendant.”

    One witness reportedly informed investigators that Snyder told them she “is depressed and doesn’t care any more about her kids.”

    Detectives interviewed an occupational therapist who worked with Conner Snyder. Adams said the 8-year-old boy had disabilities that prevented him from doing things such as tying his shoes. The therapist said it would have been “extremely difficult for Conner to operate the clasp on the dog leash or manage to wrap it around the beam due to his poor dexterity.”

    Adams said, “I don’t know that there’s any explanation for her behavior. I don’t think anyone can explain the horrific loss of two innocent children’s lives.”

    MORE:

    • Press Release – Berks County District Attorney’s Office
    • Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Lisa Rachelle Snyder
    • News conference on mom’s arrest in deaths of 2 kids, 12/4/2019 – WFMZ-TV
    • Pennsylvania mother convicted of killing her 2 children who were found hanging in basement, 9/26/2024 – TCN

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