List of All Articles with Tag 'us crime news'

“Doomsday cult mom” Lori Vallow has been pictured with a slight smirk on her face in a new mugshot after she was convicted of murdering her two children and conspiring to murder her new husband Chad Daybell’s first wife. Vallow, 49, was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and grand theft over the deaths of daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, son Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, and conspiracy to murder Tammy Daybell, 49, in Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho. Tylee and JJ were last seen in September 2019. In June 2020, their remains were found buried on the Daybell property. Tammy died one month after their disappearance in October 2019. Over six weeks, prosecutors argued that Vallow conspired with Mr Daybell and her brother Alex Cox to kill the three victims, motivated by greed and their doomsday cult beliefs. On Friday 12 May, jurors convicted her on all charges. She will be sentenced within 90 days’ time where she faces life in prison. Judge Steven Boyce has now ordered a pre-sentence investigation to look into Vallow’s background including prior criminal record, social history, health, education and employment records. Read More Lori Vallow’s nephew-in-law says she’s not ‘inherently evil’ as she faces new charges for his attempted murder ‘Cult mom’ Lori Vallow appears to smirk in new mugshot after murder conviction Lori Vallow had two alleged accomplices in her children’s murders. One will never face justice Who is Lori Vallow? Mom-of-three, beauty queen – and now convicted killer

A Colorado man attempted to switch places with his dog to convince law enforcement officials that the pet was behind the wheel to avoid a ticket, police said. The driver, who was not named, was pulled over for speeding on Saturday before the man “attempted to switch places with his dog, who was in the passenger seat”, the Springfield police department said. The man, who was driving from Las Animas to Pueblo, got lost in Springfield and was stopped by the police around 11.30pm on Saturday night. An officer watched the entire episode of the driver maneuvering inside the car to swap places with the dog before the man himself got out from the passenger side. “The male party then exited the passenger side of the vehicle and claimed he was not driving,” the police said. The police said that the man showed clear signs of intoxication and when asked about his alcohol consumption then he ran from the officer before being nabbed again. “The male party was apprehended quickly within about 20 yards of the vehicle,” police said. The man was found to have two active warrants for his arrest out of Pueblo and was booked for his warrants and charged with drinking and driving, speeding and resisting arrest. “The dog was given to an acquaintance of the driver to take care of while the party was in jail,” the police said. “The dog does not face any charges and was let go with just a warning,” they added. In January, the Wyandotte Police Department (WPD) of Michigan took to Facebook to share that a police dog was under investigation for allegedly stealing lunch from one of its colleagues. Sharing the mugshot of the dog named Officer Ice, the police department said the canine is “not cooperating with the investigation” and had a history of rummaging through trash cans. The cheeky post went viral on social media and was followed by other similar posts by the department. Read More World's oldest dog celebrates 31st birthday, according to Guinness World Records Puppy found with swastikas ‘drawn all over her body’ 40 monkeys killed in suspected case of ‘mass poisoning’ in India

The San Francisco district attorney has released the surveillance footage that showed the fatal shooting of a 24-year-old transgender activist accused of shoplifting by a Walgreens security guard. The video was released on Monday following a public outcry after it was announced that the district attorney won't file charges against the guard, identified as Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony. The footage shows the guard assaulting unarmed Banko Brown on 27 April before fatally shooting him outside a downtown Walgreens. Brown was a budding community organiser known for helping Black transgender youth and reportedly struggled with homelessness. Last week, the board of supervisors unanimously approved a resolution urging district attorney Brooke Jenkins's office to release more evidence. She cited self-defence in her decision not to charge the guard. The video, which does not have sound, shows Brown heading for the door with a bag in his hand when he is intercepted by the guard. He then pushes and repeatedly punches Brown in the head before pinning him to the ground. The scuffle continues when after a point, the guard lifts Brown into the air. When Mr Anthony lets Brown go, he picks up the bag and moves to exit the store. He turns around and appears to step toward Mr Anthony, at which point the guard lifts his gun and shoots once, sending Brown falling back onto the ground. Mr Anthony, who was initially arrested and later released, told the police that he asked Brown to put the items back, but Brown was aggressive and fought to keep them. He said he told Brown he would let him go if he calmed down, and that Brown kept saying he was going to stab him. However, a knife was not found on Brown. Mr Anthony argued that he let Brown go, but he drew his gun and kept it pointed at the ground just in case Brown attacked. He said he shot when Brown advanced. The case was discharged by the district attorney on 1 May. The guard in interviews also misgendered Brown, referring to him as “she” and “her”. San Francisco supervisor Shamann Walton said in a statement that the video does not show justification for the shooting. Mr Walton said he plans to join board president Aaron Peskin in calling on the state attorney general for an independent review of the prosecutor’s decision. But Ms Jenkins, who has been criticised for handling the case, said that even after seeking more evidence, there was nothing to rebut the guard’s claim of self-defense. She pleaded with viewers to review all the evidence, including witness and police reports, given that the video footage lacks sound. "There will be a temptation, as human beings, to only view the video footage of this incident and nothing else," Ms Jenkins said. "We are accustomed to seeing videos online, and that often is what captures our attention rather than going the extra step to look deeper." Community members on Monday afternoon gathered outside Walgreens to protest against Ms Jenkins's decision to not file charges. Activists, politicians and others who reviewed the released footage of Brown’s death alleged that the video proves the security guard did not act in self-defence as suggested by the district attorney. Demonstrators with banners that read ”Justice for Banko Brown” demanded that Ms Jenkins press charges against the guard. "I was sad, but now I'm mad. I'm so mad. He was on the way to the centre the day he died," Tumani Drew, a friend of Brown's, told The San Francisco Standard. "All we know is that Banko was leaving the store. Anthony had no right to take his life." Brown worked as a community organiser for the Young Women’s Freedom Center – a nonprofit that provides support for young women and trans youths. "We do not need to see the video to know that Banko Brown’s killing was unjustified. Armed force is not a justified response to poverty,” said Julia Arroyo, the centre’s co-executive director. "We must live with the sobering reality that he was killed for no other cause but $14." Read More Transgender woman jailed for rape sent to male prison Payback? Project funds axed after Kansas lawmaker defies governor on abortion, trans rights Wave of anti-transgender bills in Republican-led states divides US faith leaders

“Doomsday cult mom” Lori Vallow has been found guilty of the murders of her two children and conspiracy to murder her new husband’s first wife in a case that has horrified the nation for the last three years. Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 8, vanished without a trace in September 2019, sparking a multi-state search while their mother jetted off to Hawaii to marry her fifth husband Chad Daybell. The children’s bodies were finally discovered nine months later buried in a pet cemetery on Mr Daybell’s property in Idaho. One month after the children disappeared, Mr Daybell’s wife Tammy was also murdered in her home. At the time, her sudden death –aged 49 – was ruled natural causes until an exhumation and autopsy revealed she died by asphyxiation. Vallow and Mr Daybell were ultimately charged over their murders, with prosecutors alleging that the couple conspired with Vallow’s brother Alex Cox to kill the victims – for both money, lust and to follow their own cult beliefs. Cox mysteriously died three months after the children’s disappearance. After a six-week trial, Vallow was convicted on Friday (12 May) on all charges over the deaths of Tylee, JJ and Tammy. The verdict may mark the culmination of a chilling case that spans bizarre cult beliefs, missing children, murder and mystery deaths, but the saga is still far from over. Here’s what’s coming next in the shocking case: Sentencing Vallow is facing life in prison at her sentencing. The 49-year-old had been facing the death penalty before a last-minute ruling by the judge just weeks before the trial took it off the table. Judge Steven Boyce said that the sentencing will take place within the next 90 days. Chad Daybell’s trial Vallow’s lover, fellow cult leader and alleged accomplice Mr Daybell is yet to stand trial for the three murders of Tylee, JJ and Tammy. He is facing the same charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy and grand theft in connection with the deaths of JJ and Tylee and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of Tammy. Mr Daybell is also charged with an additional count of the first-degree murder of Tammy. Mr Daybell is facing the death penalty on the charges. The doomsday cult couple were due to stand trial together before the judge ruled in March – just weeks before the trial was due to begin – that the cases would be severed. While Vallow’s trial began as planned in early April, this pushed Mr Daybell’s case back to a later date. In a scheduling conference in early May, the court set a rough date of June 2024 for his trial. Vallow’s trial over fourth husband’s murder Separate to her trial in Idaho, Vallow is also awaiting trial in Arizona in connection to the murder of her fourth husband Charles Vallow. On 11 July 2019 – two months before JJ and Tylee were murdered – Vallow’s brother Alex Cox shot and killed Charles at her home in Chandler, Arizona. Charles and Vallow had been married since 2006 and had together adopted JJ – who was the biological grandson of Vallow’s sister. In early 2019, they became estranged with Charles filing for divorce, saying that he feared for the safety of himself and the children and that Ms Vallow had threatened to kill him. That February, he had pleaded with authorities to stage a mental health intervention for his wife, warning that she believed she was a god preparing for a second coming. Court documents reveal that he had also learned about Vallow’s relationship with Mr Daybell that June and had emailed Tammy with the information. He and one of Ms Vallow’s other brothers were planning an intervention over her cult beliefs at the time of his death – an intervention she is believed to have been tipped off about. That morning, Charles had gone to Vallow’s home to pick up JJ when he was shot dead by Cox. Cox initially claimed self-defence, saying that Charles attacked him with a baseball bat. However, Cox did not perform CPR on Vallow and waited 43 minutes to call 911. Investigators say that Charles was also already down on the ground when Cox shot him a second time. At the time, Charles’ death was ruled self-defence. Almost two years later, a Maricopa County grand jury charged Vallow with conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree. She is accused of conspiring with Cox to murder Charles. The Maricopa County Attorney’s office announced that it did not charge Mr Daybell over Charles’ murder – but only because there was “no reasonable likelihood of conviction”. Read More Lori Vallow trial – live: ‘Cult mom’ turns on Chad Daybell in closing argument as murder verdict looms Lori Vallow is facing life in prison for her children’s murders. We only know one side of the story Lori Vallow turns on ‘nutty’ Chad Daybell in final bid to avoid murder conviction

“Cult mom” Lori Vallow has been convicted of murdering her two youngest children and conspiring to murder her new husband Chad Daybell’s first wife in a shocking doomsday plot that has horrified the nation for the last three years. The 49-year-old mother-of-three was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and grand theft over the deaths of her daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, and son Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, in Ada County Court in Boise, Idaho, on Friday. She was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of Mr Daybell’s first wife Tammy Daybell, 49. Dressed in a black suit, with her blonde hair down in waves around her shoulders, Vallow stood between her two attorneys as the verdict was read out. She showed no reaction as she learned that the jury had returned a verdict of guilty on all charges. JJ and Tylee vanished without a trace back in September 2019, with their mother refusing to reveal their whereabouts to both authorities and the children’s desperate family members. One month later, Tammy – an otherwise healthy 49-year-old – also died suddenly. Her death was initially ruled natural causes. This bizarre spate of disappearances and death came just months after Vallow’s fourth husband Charles Vallow was shot dead by Vallow’s brother Alex Cox in Arizona in July 2019. With Vallow’s children and both of their spouses then out of the way, she and Mr Daybell embarked on a new life together – flying to Hawaii to get married in a fairytale wedding on the beach. But, with months passing since the last signs of life of Vallow’s children, concerns continued to grow, prompting authorities to exhume Tammy’s body. A subsequent autopsy revealed that she had died by asphyxiation. In June 2020 – nine months after they were last seen alive – Tylee and JJ’s remains were found buried on the grounds of Mr Daybell’s property in Rexburg, Idaho. JJ, who had autism, had been smothered with a plastic bag taped over his face, his little body still dressed in a pair of red pyjamas. Tylee’s cause of death meanwhile has been impossible to establish as the teenager’s dismembered, charred bones and body parts were found scattered in the ground on Mr Daybell’s pet cemetery. Jurors in Ada County Court in Boise, Idaho, took almost seven hours to find Vallow guilty on all charges over the three murders after a grueling 27-day trial where the panel heard harrowing details about the doomsday mom’s path of deadly destruction and were shown graphic images of the murdered children’s remains. The state called over 60 witnesses to lay out its case that Vallow was motivated by both her doomsday cult beliefs but also lust for Mr Daybell and financial greed when she conspired with him and her brother Cox to kill the three victims. In a bombshell move – that may now have proven fatal – the defence shocked the court on Tuesday when Vallow’s attorneys announced that they would not present any defence case or call any witnesses, paving the way for closing arguments to begin earlier than anticipated. During closing arguments on Thursday, prosecutors argued that Ms Vallow had been driven by “money, power and sex” to kill the three victims. Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell met at a religious conference in October 2018 when they were both married and began an affair. As their romance grew, so too did their cult beliefs and conspiracy to kill. Jurors heard how the doomsday couple believed that they were on a religious mission to gather the 144,000 and that there was a “rating system of light and dark” for the spirits of the people around them. In the weeks and months before the murders, Ms Vallow allegedly told friends that JJ and Tylee had become “demons”. Prosecutors said that Ms Vallow used these beliefs to “justify” the murders of her children and love rival. The state argued that the murders were “premeditated” and “planned” – pointing to evidence including the stash of burner phones the three alleged accomplices had, Cox’s practice at a shooting range prior to a botched attempt on Tammy’s life and a deliberate plan for Ms Vallow to be in Hawaii at the time of Tammy’s murder. Days before each child was killed, Ms Vallow then allegedly altered their Social Security payments so that the money would be paid directly into her account. Prosecutor Rob Wood told jurors that Ms Vallow was the ringleader of the murderous plot, and that she “groomed” and “manipulated” both Mr Daybell and Cox to commit the murders. “They used religion as a tool to manipulate others. Lori manipulated Alex Cox through religion,” he said. “She manipulated Chad through emotional and sexual control.” Ms Vallow was the “one common thread” tying all the suspects and killings together, he said. Meanwhile, in the defence’s closing statement, Ms Vallow’s attorneys flipped the narrative, arguing that – instead of being the leader – Ms Vallow was the “follower” of her new lover Mr Daybell. In what marked the first time Ms Vallow has turned on her lover in the almost three years for the case to go to trial, her attorney Jim Archibald sought to paint her as a hardworking “good mom” whose life suddenly unraveled when she met Mr Daybell. “One year after meeting Chad, four people are dead,” said Mr Archibald. The defence attorney argued that Ms Vallow was “under the control” of the doomsday author, under the spell of the “craziness” of his cult beliefs. The defence attorney went on to blame the murders of Tylee and JJ squarely on Mr Daybell and Cox saying that there was no evidence placing Ms Vallow on the scene of the three murders or on Mr Daybell’s property when the children were buried there. Ultimately, the panel of 12 jurors disagreed and found the evidence showed, beyond reasonable doubt, that Vallow murdered her children and conspired to murder her love rival. Vallow’s alleged co-conspirators are yet to face justice over the killings. Mr Daybell was due to stand trial with Vallow but the cases were severed weeks before her day in court. He is now due to stand trial in 2024 over the three murders. Meanwhile, the third person accused by state prosecutors as a co-conspirator in the case won’t ever be have his day in court. On 11 December 2019 – hours after Tammy’s body was exhumed – Cox died suddenly at the age of 51. His death was also ruled natural causes, with indications of a blood clot wedged in the arteries of his lungs. However the overdose drug Narcan was also found in his system. Vallow’s own legal troubles are also far from over as she is still facing trial in Arizona on charges of conspiring with Cox to murder Charles Vallow. Read More Lori Vallow trial – live: ‘Cult mom’ refuses to give defence after court sees poolside video following murders Cult beliefs, hazmat suits and charred remains: Key revelations from Lori Vallow’s murder trial What we know about the Lori Vallow Daybell ‘doomsday cult’ murder trial

The siblings of slain University of Idaho student Kaylee Goncalves will receive her posthumous degree on the sixth-month anniversary of her murder. Kaylee, her best friend Madison Mogen, and fellow students Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were stabbed to death in a vicious attack on the night of 13 November inside the young women’s off-campus home. Bryan Kohberger, then a PhD student at the neighbouring Washington State University, has been charged with their murders. On Saturday, the grieving families plan to attend the University of Idaho’s 2023 graduation ceremony, where their late loved ones will be celebrated for their achievements. Goncalves and Mogen were set to graduate this semester, while the families of juniors Kernodle and Chapin will receive certificates for the semesters they completed. During an interview with Good Morning Americaaired on Friday, Goncalves’ parents talked about the many emotions they’ve experienced on the days leading up to their daughter’s posthumous graduation. Their other children, they said, will walk across the stage to honour the milestone their sister had envisioned before her life was cut short. “It’s still an out-of-body [experience],” Kristi Goncalves said about grieving her daughter. “I never would have thought a year ago, or even six months ago, that there was going to be a reason that Kaylee wouldn’t be able to accept her own degree. That she wouldn’t be here.” “I think it shows respect for Kaylee and her hard work ... It’s important for somebody to walk for her.” Meanwhile, Goncalves’ father Steve Goncalves told ABC News that he is looking forward to Mr Kohberger’s next appearance in court on 26 June, for a preliminary hearing in the quadruple murder case. “I can’t wait to see the evidence. ... And then I’m gonna bring it,” Mr Goncalves said. “And he’s gonna realise that this ... is the family that’s gonna make sure he doesn’t get away with it.” The Goncalves family said they don’t believe Mr Kohberger ever met Kaylee in person, let alone attended one of her parties, as online speculation suggested. “You’re not having just some random stranger at your party,” Kaylee’s brother told ABC. “There’s plenty of things that would have quickly [been] noticed and [he’d be] removed from the party.” Ms Goncalves also recounted the moment she first saw Mr Kohberger in court, noting she was overwhelmed by the situation. She said while she can’t wait to get justice for her daughter, she will not be present in the courtroom when graphic evidence on the case is presented. “I was completely overwhelmed. I actually almost thought I was gonna pass out,” she said. “My daughter saw him face-to-face and in a very different light than we saw him, sitting there [in court], looking very meek.” She added: “I think a big thing is for us to go in strong, united as a family ... I’ve never been to a preliminary trial before. ... I have no idea what to expect, I have no idea what we’re going to hear. ... But I know that I’ve got my son, and my daughter will be there, and my sister, and my husband.” Mr Kohberger has not entered a plea but said earlier this year through a public defender that he “was eager to be exonerated.” The former criminology PhD student was linked to the crime thanks to DNA found at the scene, cellphone data and surveillance video of what prosecutors believe to be his white Hyundai Elantra leaving the scene after the slayings, according to the affidavit for his arrest. One of the victims’ surviving roommates was also able to partially describe the killer to investigators after she came face to face with him in the aftermath of the murders. The murder weapon – a fixed-blade knife – was not recovered during the searches and it is still unclear where it may be. Two warrants made public in April and obtained by The Independent show that investigators collected a Glock .40 calibre gun, empty gun magazines, a knife, a pocket knife, black face masks, black gloves, electronic devices, and more clothing items from the home of Mr Kohberger’s parents in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested. Mr Kohberger’s family home was raided on the same day as another search was carried out at his apartment in Pullman, Washington, which was a 15-minute drive from the crime scene in Moscow. The warrant from the Washington search was made public in January, revealing investigators seized a “collection of dark red” spotting and a pillow with a “reddish/brown stain” at Mr Kohberger’s Pullman apartment. At least two items seized from the Pullman search tested positive for blood. Read More Lori Vallow trial verdict – live: Jury to decide fate as ‘cult mom’ turns on Chad Daybell in closing arguments Daniel Penny: Everything we know about ex-Marine filmed choking Jordan Neely in fatal subway incident Ex-Marine surrenders to New York authorities to face charge over Jordan Neely death

The fate of “doomsday cult mom” Lori Vallow is in the hands of the jury as her dramatic murder trial draws to a close. Closing arguments concluded in Ada County Courthouse, Boise, Idaho, and the jury of seven men and five women began deliberations on Thursday afternoon before concluding four hours later. The jury resumed deliberations on Friday morning. While the judge banned cameras from the courtroom, the hotly-anticipated verdict will be livestreamed. Ms Vallow, 49, is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, and grand theft over the deaths of her daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, son Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, and her new husband Chad Daybell’s first wife Tammy Daybell, 49. Tylee and JJ were last seen in September 2019. In June 2020, their remains were found buried on the Daybell property. Tammy died one month after their disappearance in October 2019. Over six weeks, prosecutors argued that Ms Vallow conspired with Mr Daybell and her brother Alex Cox to kill the three victims – as part of their doomsday cult beliefs and greed. Ms Vallow, meanwhile, declined to offer any defence in the trial – instead turning on Mr Daybell via her attorney during closing arguments. Read More Lori Vallow is facing life in prison for her children’s murders. We only know one side of the story Lori Vallow ‘groomed’ and ‘manipulated’ Chad Daybell and Alex Cox to kill, prosecutor says in closing argument Who is Lori Vallow? ‘Doomsday cult mom’ on trial for the murders of her two children

“Cult mom” Lori Vallow “groomed” and “manipulated” her new lover Chad Daybell and brother Alex Cox to murder her two children and Mr Daybell’s first wife, according to the prosecution’s dramatic closing statement. In Ada County Court in Boise, Idaho, on Thursday, prosecutor Rob Wood laid out the state’s case against the mother-of-three, placing her firmly front and centre of a plot to kill her son JJ Vallow, 7, daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, and 49-year-old Tammy Daybell – and then steal their money. “Lori Vallow is the one that ties this all together,” he said. The prosecutor argued that Ms Vallow was driven by “money, power and sex” – and that she used all of those things to manipulate her alleged accomplices to do her bidding. “They used religion as a tool to manipulate others. Lori manipulated Alex Cox through religion,” he said. “She manipulated Chad through emotional and sexual control. They manipulated their friends.” Mr Wood pointed to text messages showing how Ms Vallow was “grooming” her brother Cox, including one message where she praised his silence with the phrase: “Good boy.” “Lori Vallow is telling Alex Cox what to do. You never see Alex tell her what to do. She is always telling him what to do,” he told jurors. In the prosecution’s rebuttal, Mr Wood hammered the point home, arguing that Ms Vallow was the “one common thread” tying all the suspects and killings together. “The evidence in this case points to one common thread and that thread is Lori Vallow,” he said. “The defence says she’s not a killer. She is a killer. Lori is the connection to the deaths. “What connection does Chad Daybell have to Charles Vallow? Lori. Why did we talk about Charles Vallow? The motive.” Ms Vallow is facing life in prison on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy and grand theft over the deaths of JJ and Tylee as well as conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of Tammy. JJ and Tylee were last seen alive in September 2019 and for months Ms Vallow refused to reveal their whereabouts. One month later, Tammy died suddenly aged 49 and Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell flew to Hawaii and married on a beach. In June 2020, JJ and Tylee’s remains were discovered buried in Mr Daybell’s backyard. After a grueling month-long trial, Mr Wood walked jurors through the state’s case against Ms Vallow and what they say led to the deaths of the three victims. “Money, power, and sex. Beginning in October 2018, Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell set in motion events,” Mr Wood began, echoing the state’s opening statement. “Along the way, they included her brother Alex Cox to participate in a conspiracy unencumbered and free of obstacles. “This plan was driven by Lori Vallow’s desire for and use of money, power and sex. And this plan must end today in the verdicts you render in this trial.” On the first driver of money, the prosecutor pointed to evidence showing that Ms Vallow was receiving the children’s Social Security payments directly to her accounts, and continued to receive and spend them after they had both been murdered. “Lori learned a lesson with Charles Vallow,” he said – referring to Ms Vallow’s fourth husband who was shot dead by Cox in July 2019. This lesson, he said, was to secure the money before the victim is killed. Jurors were shown evidence that Ms Vallow altered Tylee and JJ’s Social Security payments so that they would go directly to her – just days before the respective child would wind up dead. “Get the money and then commit the murder,” he said. As well as the power Ms Vallow held over Cox, the prosecutor argued that she also used sex to hold power over Mr Daybell and get him to do what she wanted. Mr Wood pointed to texts where the doomsday couple moved between steamy, sexual messages to messages which he said were about the deaths of their spouses and her children. Pointing to the cult beliefs which were also allegedly a driver in the case, Mr Wood said that Ms Vallow used “religious beliefs to justify murder”. Jurors have heard how Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell believed that they were on a religious mission to gather the 144,000 and they believed in a “rating system of light and dark” for how they ranked the spirits of the people around them. Over time, this evolved into the belief that some people – including the children – were “zombies” and the only way to get rid of the zombies was for the human body to be destroyed. Mr Wood said that the beliefs themselves are not a crime, but the way they used these beliefs to “justify” murdering three people are. “It does not matter what they believed. It matters what they did,” he said. “They can believe whatever they want. But when they use that to justify homicide, that changes.” The prosecutor laid out evidence that the murders were “premeditated” and “planned” – from the stash of burner phones the three alleged accomplices had, Cox’s practice at a shooting range prior to a botched attempt on Tammy’s life and what he said was a deliberate plan for Ms Vallow to be in Hawaii at the time of Tammy’s murder. Tammy “was murdered in her own home” after the three plotted to kill her, he said – and Ms Vallow then wasted no time benefitting from the $400,000 life insurance Mr Daybell got from her death. The prosecutor reminded jurors about the harrowing details of the children’s murders and the way the three alleged accomplices disposed of their bodies after – showing the court graphic images of Tylee and JJ’s remains. JJ died by asphyxiation with multiple layers of plastic bags wrapped around the little boy’s head and duct tape over his mouth. Tylee’s cause of death was impossible to determine because her remains were so badly burned and mutilated. “She was burned and buried in Chad Daybell’s backyard. What was left of her body they dumped in a green bucket and buried in a pet cemetery on top of a piece of her skull,” Mr Wood described of Tylee’s remains. Speaking about JJ, he said that the little boy was “silenced forever by a strip of duct tape placed across his mouth”. “A white plastic bag was placed over his head where it was secured tightly with duct tape wrapped around and around from his forehead to his neck,” he said. “The evidence says he struggled and we’ll never know how long he fought before they wrapped tape around his wrists and ankles. He stopped breathing, his heart stopped beating and he died. It was a brutal, horrific murder of a seven-year old boy with special needs.” Following the children’s murders, Ms Vallow continued collecting their social security payments, he said. She never reported them missing or dead and lied to multiple people about their whereabouts as she needed to keep the “bodies hidden so she could keep getting the money”. Ms Vallow faces life in prison on the charges. Mr Daybell is also charged over the murders but is due to stand trial separately at a later date. Cox, meanwhile, died before he could face charges. On 11 December 2019, Cox died suddenly at the age of 51. His death was also ruled natural causes, with indications of a blood clot wedged in the arteries of his lungs. However the overdose drug Narcan was also found in his system. Ms Vallow is also facing charges in Arizona of conspiring with Cox to murder her fourth husband Charles Vallow. Read More Lori Vallow trial – live: Verdict looms as closing arguments get underway in cult mom’s murder case Cult beliefs, hazmat suits and charred remains: Key revelations from Lori Vallow’s murder trial What we know about the Lori Vallow Daybell ‘doomsday cult’ murder trial

The former Marine who held Jordan Neely in a fatal chokehold on a Manhattansubway earlier this month has surrendered to New York authorities to face criminal charges over his death. Daniel Penny, 24, turned himself in to New York police early on Friday morning to be arrested on a second-degree manslaughter charge. He was seen arriving at the NYPD’s 5th Precinct in lower Manhattan just after 8am local time, where he did not respond to any questions from waiting journalists. Following his arrest, he will be arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court later today. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. Attorneys for Mr Penny said in a statement that they are “confident” he will be “fully absolved of any wrongdoing” when all the “facts and circumstances” come to light as they claimed that the former Marine “risked his own life” when he confronted Neely that day. “When Mr Penny, a decorated Marine veteran, stepped in to protect himself and his fellow New Yorkers, his well-being was not assured. He risked his own life and safety, for the good of his fellow passengers,” said the statement from Raiser and Kenniff, shared with The Independent. “The unfortunate result was the unintended and unforeseen death of Mr Neely. We are confident that once all the facts and circumstances surrounding this tragic incident are brought to bear, Mr Penny will be fully absolved of any wrongdoing.” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office confirmed on Thursday that Mr Penny was facing a manslaughter charge over Neely’s death, which led to widespread protests across New York City. “We can confirm that Daniel Penny will be arrested on a charge of Manslaughter in the Second Degree,” a spokesperson for the DA’s office confirmed in a statement to The Independent. “We cannot provide any additional information until he has been arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court, which we expect to take place tomorrow.” On 1 May, a man identified as Mr Penny placed the 30-year-old homeless former street performer in a fatal chokehold for several minutes until he died on the floor of an F train on the Broadway-Lafayette platform in Manhattan. The city’s medical examiner determined Neely’s cause of death was homicide. Neely – who was experiencing a mental health crisis in the days leading up to his death – was known among social work teams involved in outreach to New York’s homeless community. He had numerous interactions with law enforcement and health responders over the years. When he walked into the F train on 1 May, Neely complained of hunger and thirst, according to witnesses and journalist Juan Alberto Vazquez, who posted a video of part of the incident on his Facebook page. Mr Vazquez said Neely threw his jacket to the floor of the train car before another passenger grabbed him from behind in a headlock. Others grabbed at his arms. The widely shared video footage shows Mr Penny and two other men holding Neely to the floor of a train car for several minutes, while Mr Penny grabs Neely in a chokehold. Another passenger can be heard in the video telling the men that his wife was in the military and warned them that placing Neely in a chokehold could kill him. “You don’t have to catch a murder charge,” he said. “You got a hell of a chokehold, man.” A statement from attorneys for Mr Penny on 5 May said Mr Penny “was involved in a tragic incident ... which ended in the death of Jordan Neely.” “When Mr Neely began aggressively threatening Daniel Penny and the other passengers, Daniel, with the help of others, acted to protect themselves, until help arrived. Daniel never intended to harm Mr Neely and could not have foreseen his untimely death,” according to the statement. Attorneys for Neely’s family said the statement from Mr Penny’s legal team was neither “an apology nor an expression of regret” but “character assassination and a clear example of why he believed he was entitled to take Jordan’s life.” Neely’s death has sparked widespread demands for support for homeless and mentally ill New Yorkers, as advocates and lawmakers condemned what they characterised as an act of vigilantism in a city that has marginalised and targeted its most vulnerable residents with violence. Within the week after his death, NYPD officers have arrested at least 24 people – including a photojournalist, targeted by a high-ranking police official – at protests and vigils demanding an arrest. In his remarks on 10 May, more than one week after Neely’s death, Mayor Eric Adams did not mention how Neely died or discuss the events surrounding his death, but issued his strongest statements yet in the wake of the incident, in contrast to his initial remarks in its aftermath. “Jordan Neely did not deserve to die,” he said. “A New Yorker who struggled with tragedy, trauma and mental illness, a man whose last words were crying for help.” Mr Adams outlined his administration’s response to people experiencing homelessness and mental health distress, including legislation proposed to lawmakers in Albany, the creation of outreach teams, and a controversial policy that allows authorities to involuntarily hospitalise people who are considered too mentally ill to care for themselves. Read More Jordan Neely – latest: Daniel Penny to surrender in New York today on second-degree manslaughter charge Daniel Penny: Everything we know about ex-Marine filmed choking Jordan Neely in fatal subway incident ‘Jordan Neely did not deserve to die’: Eric Adams addresses death of homeless New Yorker after fatal chokehold

The former Marine who held Jordan Neely in a fatal chokehold on a Manhattan subway earlier this month is expected to surrender to New York authorities today to face criminal charges over his death. Daniel Penny, 24, will be arrested on a second-degree manslaughter charge on Friday morning before being arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court. “We can confirm that Daniel Penny will be arrested on a charge of Manslaughter in the Second Degree,” a spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office confirmed in a statement to The Independent. “We cannot provide any additional information until he has been arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court, which we expect to take place tomorrow.” Mr Penny was filmed wrapping his arm around Neely’s neck on the floor of a train carriage after the 30-year-old homeless man apparently suffered a mental health episode. The death of Neely, known to New Yorkers for his impersonations of Michael Jackson on the city’s streets and subway, has led to widespread criticism and protest. But despite the tragedy placing the city’s treatment of homeless people under renewed scrutiny, Mayor Eric Adams has weakened New York’s longstanding shelter mandate in anticipation of an increase in immigration. Read More Man who fatally choked another NYC subway rider to surrender on manslaughter charge Daniel Penny: Everything we know about ex-Marine filmed choking Jordan Neely in fatal subway incident Daniel Penny to be charged with manslaughter in Jordan Neely subway chokehold death ‘Jordan Neely did not deserve to die’: Eric Adams addresses death of homeless New Yorker after fatal chokehold

The author of a grief book who is now accused of murdering her husband allegedly fought with him over a deal to buy a new home, fresh documents have revealed. Kouri Richins, 33, reportedly used a fentanyl-spiked cocktail to kill her 39-year-old husband Eric Richins last year. KPCW got hold of search warrants that suggested Ms Richins wanted to flip a 20,000 sq ft mansion, something her late husband thought was too expensive. The documents revealed that the property was a source of disagreement in their marriage. “The couple was under contract at the time of Eric’s death in March 2022. Public search warrants say it was going to cost them nearly $2m and that Eric thought it was too expensive,” said the KPCW report. The documents stated the husband’s family members thought he planned to tell Ms Richins they weren’t buying the mansion. A day after her husband died, on 5 March 2022, the author closed the deal. The documents also revealed that the family planned to tell her that she was being cut out of his will, “making her financially unstable”. Two weeks after Richins’ death, the wife put the home back up online with an asking price of about $4.8m. Court documents stated that Richins believed his wife had tried to poison him before, and that she attempted to change his life insurance policy just before his death, according to FOX13. Richins came from a prominent Mormon family in Kamas, Utah, while his wife wrote a children’s grief book called Are You With Me? Her arrest warrant stated she allegedly spent $1,800 for 60 fentanyl pills which investigators said she described to a drug dealer as “the Michael Jackson stuff”. Phone records allegedly showed she claimed to be buying the painkillers for an “investor” who had a back injury, and initially asked for hydrocodone, before later demanding “something stronger”. Police claimed she first spent $900 on 30 pills. While her husband became “very ill” after a meal on Valentine’s Day, he survived. “Eric told a friend that he thought his wife was trying to poison him,” the documents read. The arrest warrant claimed she went back to the dealer and bought another 30 pills for $900 and allegedly used them to murder her husband on 4 March by putting them in a Moscow Mule drink. Officials determined the cause of death was a fentanyl overdose with five times the lethal dosage found in his body. Court records showed that, over the past few months, Ms Richins has been attempting to have her husband’s sister removed as a trustee for his estate, which is valued at $3.6m. She was arrested on Monday and booked into Summit County Jail where she has been held without bond. She has been charged with murder and drug possession and is set for a detention hearing on 19 May. Read More Author of grief book who is now accused of murder allegedly used fentanyl spiked cocktail to kill husband Author promoted grief book for children on TV before arrest for husband’s murder Kouri Richins wrote a kids book to help her sons cope with their dad’s death. Now she’s accused of his murder

The fate of “doomsday cult mom” Lori Vallow is in the hands of the jury as her dramatic murder trial draws to a close. Closing arguments concluded in Ada County Courthouse, Boise, Idaho, and the jury of seven men and five women began deliberations on Thursday afternoon before concluding four hours later. While the judge banned cameras from the courtroom, the hotly-anticipated verdict will be livestreamed. Ms Vallow, 49, is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, and grand theft over the deaths of her daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, son Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, and her new husband Chad Daybell’s first wife Tammy Daybell, 49. Tylee and JJ were last seen in September 2019. In June 2020, their remains were found buried on the Daybell property. Tammy died one month after their disappearance in October 2019. Over the last six weeks, prosecutors laid out their case that Ms Vallow conspired with Mr Daybell and her brother Alex Cox to kill the three victims – as part of their doomsday cult beliefs and greed. Ms Vallow, meanwhile, made the shock decision not to offer any defence in the trial. Instead, turning on Mr Daybell via her attorney during closing arguments. Read More Cult beliefs, hazmat suits and charred remains: Key revelations from Lori Vallow’s murder trial What we know about the Lori Vallow Daybell ‘doomsday cult’ murder trial Lori Vallow trial verdict will be livestreamed, judge rules after banning video of testimony