Investigator: DNA could identify 2 Tulsa massacre victims
Investigators seeking to identify victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre have found enough usable DNA for testing on two of the 14 sets of remains removed from a local cemetery a year ago
ByKen Miller Associated Press
June 23, 2022, 1:09 AM
Investigators seeking to identify victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre have found enough usable DNA for testing on two of the 14 sets of remains removed from a local cemetery a year ago, a forensic scientist said Wednesday.
Danny Hellwig with Intermountain Forensics in Salt Lake City, which is examining the remains, told The Associated Press that it's a promising step toward identifying the people whose remains were removed from Oaklawn Cemetery.
“We have two (sets) that we’re very excited about,” Hellwig said. “It doesn’t guarantee us a result, but it gives us hope” for learning the names.
The key, Hellwig said, is having descendants of those individuals provide DNA to a database so a match can be made when DNA sequencing is complete.
The sequencing is expected to begin in July or August, Hellwig said. A match to a family member could be made within days if the descendant is in Intermountain Forensics' DNA database.
4 inmates who escaped federal prison camp back in custody
The U.S. Marshals Service and Federal Bureau of Prisons say all four inmates who escaped a minimum-security prison satellite camp in Virginia over the weekend are now back in custody
ByThe Associated Press
June 23, 2022, 12:52 AM
HOPEWELL, Va. -- All four inmates who escaped a minimum-security prison satellite camp in Virginia over the weekend are now back in custody, the U.S. Marshals Service and Federal Bureau of Prisons announced Wednesday.
The inmates were discovered missing from the satellite camp of the Federal Correctional Complex Petersburg in Hopewell, Virginia, around 1:45 a.m. Saturday, the bureau said in a news release Saturday.
Tavaraes Lajuane Graham, Corey Branch, Lamonte Rashawn Willis and Kareem Allen Shaw left the minimum security camp around 10 p.m. Friday and it was a couple of hours before their absence was detected, Senior Inspector Kevin Connolly of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force said.
Graham returned to the camp and surrendered early Sunday and Branch and Shaw surrendered Tuesday, officials said. Willis surrendered at Petersburg’s medium security facility on Wednesday, officials said.
Bureau officials did not release any details about the escape but said Saturday that an internal investigation has been initiated. According to the bureau's website, its minimum-security satellite camps have dormitory housing and limited or no perimeter fencing. They provide inmate labor to the main institution and to off-site work programs.
The U.S. Marshals Service and the bureau continue to investigate and will relay findings to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Richmond, Connolly said in a statement.
Graham, 44, was sentenced in the Eastern District of North Carolina to 10 years for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and 28 grams or more of cocaine base, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Branch, 41, was sentenced in the Eastern District of Virginia to more than 13 years for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and felon in possession of a firearm.
Willis, 30, was sentenced in the Eastern District of Virginia to 18 years for possessing and concealing a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Shaw, 46, was sentenced in the Western District of Virginia to more than 16 years for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a measurable quantity of heroin.
Jury: Construction company retaliated against immigrant
A federal jury has awarded $650,000 in damages to a Massachusetts construction worker who said his employer retaliated against him after he was injured on the job by sparking an immigration investigation that led to his arrest
ByThe Associated Press
June 23, 2022, 1:12 AM
BOSTON -- A federal jury has awarded $650,000 in damages to a Massachusetts construction worker who said his employer retaliated against him after he was injured on the job by sparking an immigrationinvestigation that led to his arrest.
The jury on Tuesday ordered Tara Construction to pay $50,000 in compensatory damages for emotional distress and the company and its owner to pay a total of $600,000 in punitive damages to José Martin Paz Flores, who is referred to as Paz in court documents.
The U.S. Department of Labor sued on behalf of Paz in March 2019, alleging the company and owner Pedro Pirez retaliated against him in violation of federal law.
Even though Paz was allegedly in the U.S. illegally, federal labor law prohibits retaliation against employees for exercising their workplace rights, regardless of immigration status, the agency said.
Paz, a drywall taper, broke his leg when he fell off a ladder in March 2017, according to court records.
Pirez contacted Boston police, who with the help of federal immigration officials, initiated an investigation into Paz. About two months after the injury, Pirez asked Paz to come to his office to pick up some money, where he was arrested, according to court records.
Pirez was concerned because there was some confusion over Paz's name and didn't envision the arrest, his lawyer said Wednesday, noting that his client is also a Latino immigrant who “cares deeply for people in Mr. Paz’s situation.”
“He needed to know Paz’s real name because the hospital was pressing for information, and he never foresaw what would ensue,” Daniel Dwyer said in a statement. “Later, ICE discovered information on its own that led to its decision to arrest.”
Pirez feels he was “misjudged” by the jury and is considering an appeal, Dwyer said.
GARY, Ind. -- Two people were killed and four others were wounded in a shooting at an Indiana nightclub early Sunday, police said.
Officers responding to reports of shots fired around 2 a.m. in Gary, southeast of Chicago, said they found two people who had been shot and were unresponsive. A 34-year-old man was near the entrance to Playo's NightClub and a 26-year-old woman was found inside, police said. Both were declared dead after being taken to a local hospital.
Four other people were also wounded, including one who was in critical condition, police said.
Authorities did not release the victims' names or information about what may have led up to the shooting. They said multiple law enforcement agencies responded due to a large crowd that needed to be evacuated and the large number of victims.
Tundra wildfire creeps closer toward Alaska Native community
A tundra wildfire has moved closer to an Alaska Native community in southwest Alaska, but mandatory evacuations have not been ordered
ByMark Thiessen Associated Press
June 13, 2022, 1:42 AM
A tundra wildfire continued to creep closer to an Alaska Native community in southwest Alaska, but mandatory evacuations have not been ordered, fire officials said Sunday.
The East Fork fire was within 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) of St. Mary’s, a statement from Alaska Wildland Fire Information said.
Even though it had moved 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) closer to the Yup’ik community since Saturday, fire managers said the progress has slowed somewhat because of favorable weather conditions. The temperatures were slightly cooler with rising humidity, which could help moderate fire conditions. However, winds are expected to remain steady out of the north, helping move the fire toward populated areas.
The fire is burning in dry grass and shrubs like alder and willow in the mostly treeless tundra in southwest Alaska. The fire was started by lightning May 31.
Firefighters are working to strengthen primary and secondary fire lines protecting St. Mary’s and the nearby communities of Pitkas Point and Mountain Village and properties, including cabins, between them. No structures have been lost in the fire.
The fire is also 10 miles (16 kilometers) from another community, Pilot Station. Firefighters were expected to evaluate options of opening a preexisting fire line around that community.
Another fire northwest of the East Fork fire is growing, but it still about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Mountain Village.
There are 204 personnel working the East Fork fire, which has grown to 190 square miles (492 square kilometers). Additional personnel are expected to arrive Monday, when even more favorable weather conditions are also expected, including increased cloud cover, higher humidity and cooler temperatures. Officials also said the front may switch the wind direction to the southwest, which would help push the fire away from villages.
Even though there are no mandatory evacuations, the combined 700 residents of St. Mary’s and Pitkas Point, located about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south, have been on alert since Friday to prepare for possible evacuation.
Nearly 150 residents from the affected communities have already temporarily relocated to the southwest Alaska hub community of Bethel.
St. Mary’s is located about 450 miles (724 kilometers) west of Anchorage.
Texas prisons resume inmate transport with tougher security
Texas prison system officials say they're resuming inmate transportation with tougher security after a convicted murderer escaped a prison van and killed five people
ByThe Associated Press
June 13, 2022, 4:00 AM
HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- Texas prison system officials will resume inmate transportation Monday with tougher security after a convicted murderer escaped a prison van and killed five people, officials said.
In a statement, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said inmate transportation would resume with three corrections officers for each transport instead of the previous two and other new security measures.
Prison officials had suspended non-emergency trips after Gonzalo Lopez slipped his restraints and cage, stabbed the driver, and escaped a prison van last month. He went on to kill five members of a Houston-area family before law enforcement officers killed him in South Texas, authorities said.
Other new security measures for transporting inmates from prisons include enhanced searches of inmates before they board prison vans. Inmates had previously been strip-searched before they boarded prison vehicles, prison system spokesman Jason Clark said Sunday. He declined to say what form the enhanced searches would take.
Prison officials would install new video surveillance equipment in transport vehicles, transport inmates determined to pose the highest risk by themselves and enhance onsite medical capabilities to reduce the need for offsite transport.
Meanwhile, a previously announced independent security review of what allowed Lopez to escape would continue by an outside party, according to the TDCJ statement.
Hate crime probe after group disrupts Drag Queen Story Hour
Authorities are investigating a possible hate crime after a group of men allegedly shouted homophobic and anti-LGBTQ slurs during a weekend Drag Queen Story Hour at a San Francisco Bay Area library
ByThe Associated Press
June 13, 2022, 4:54 AM
SAN LORENZO, Calif. -- Authorities were investigating a possible hate crime after a group of men allegedly shouted homophobic and anti-LGBTQ slurs during a Drag Queen Story Hour at a San Francisco Bay Area library, a sheriff's official said.
Deputies responded to the San Lorenzo Library Saturday afternoon following reports of a disturbance during the reading for preschool-aged children in celebration of Pride Month, said Lt. Ray Kelly with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.
The host of the children’s story program, Bay Area drag queen Panda Dulce, said on Instagram that the group disrupted the event, shouting “tranny” and “pedophile." The disruption “totally freaked out all of the kids” and the group “attempted to escalate to violence," he wrote.
No arrests have been made, no one was physically harmed, and sheriff's officials are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime and harassment of children, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
“It appears the group of men may be affiliated with the Proud Boys organization,” said Kelly, adding that the five men involved were wearing the black and yellow colors associated with the far-right group.
Kelly said the sheriff’s office plans to post deputies at future story-hour events at the library “to deal with any disruptors."
The incident was first reported by KQED.
In Idaho, more than two dozen members of a white supremacist group were arrested near a pride event. Police say the 31 Patriot Front members had riot gear and were seen loading people into a U-Haul at a hotel parking lot in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Among those arrested was Thomas Rousseau of Grapevine, Texas, who has been identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as the 23-year-old who founded the group.
Authorities say firefighters are responding to a wildfire about six miles north of Flagstaff, Arizona, that has forced evacuations
ByFelicia Fonseca Associated Press
June 13, 2022, 9:16 AM
Darren King watches as smoke from a wildfire rises above the trees Sunday, June 12, 2022, on the outskirts of Flagstaff, Ariz. Evacuations are in effect in parts of northern Arizona as a wildfire about 6 miles (9 kilometers) north of Flagstaff st...
The Associated Press
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- Evacuations are in effect in parts of northern Arizona as a wildfire about 6 miles (9 kilometers) north of Flagstaff steadily grew Sunday, authorities said.
Coconino National Forest officials said the Pipeline Fire was reported at 10:15 a.m. by a fire lookout and had burned approximately 4,000-5,000 acres by late Sunday, pushing about 15 miles (24 kilometers).
In connection with the fire, Forest Service law enforcement said they have arrested and charged a 57-year-old man with natural resource violations. The cause of the wildfire wasn’t immediately known.
Coconino County Sheriff’s officials said the Arizona Snowbowl ski resort and people living in the area of the west Schultz Pass Road must evacuate. People living in Doney Park and the area near Mt. Elden should be prepared.
Euelda King and her family evacuated their home for the second time this year because of wildfires. She hadn’t settled back in from a springtime blaze before leaving again Sunday, this time able to grab photographs and clothing she didn’t get earlier.
“Here we go again,” she said.
The family of 11 is planning to stay at the Navajo Nation casino, which is offering assistance to tribal members who evacuated.
The family was waiting in a parking lot ahead of road closure signs, watching smoke billow through the air and aircraft flying overhead.
“The winds are high, and I think they’re going to have a little bit of a battle with it,” King said.
Wind gusts were sweeping the smoke through Schultz Pass toward Doney Park and authorities said recreationists were being told to leave immediately, especially those in the Schultz Pass area.
The American Red Cross Arizona opened a shelter at Sinagua Middle School for residents who evacuated.
“With this thing going as fast as it is, it could get much closer, of course hoping it doesn’t,” King said.
Authorities said 13 engines, nine crews, six prevention patrol units, three bulldozers and one water tender were involved in the fighting the fire. An Incident Management Team is scheduled to arrive Monday.
The Arizona Department of Transportation has closed U.S. Route 89. The department said in a Twitter post that there is no estimated time to reopen the road.
Ukraine establishes two routes through Poland and Romania to export grain
AIR Pics
Ukraine's deputy foreign minister Dmytro Senik yesterday said the country has established two routes through Poland and Romania to export grain and avert a global food crisis although bottlenecks have slowed the supply chain.
He further added global food security was at risk because Russia's military action in Ukraine had halted Kyiv's Black Sea grain exports, causing widespread shortages and soaring prices.
Ukraine is the world's fourth-largest grain exporter.
There are some 30 million tonnes of grain stored in Ukrainian-held territory out of capacity of around 55 million tonnes, the country told an International Grains Council IGC conference in London, adding there were 13-15 million tonnes of storage capacity in Russian-occupied areas.
Without access to its Black Sea ports, Ukraine would at best be able to export 20 million tonnes of grains next year, it said, adding these would likely be more sunflower seeds than corn and wheat.
Man who killed 11 relatives in Easter shooting dies at 88
An Ohio man serving a life sentence for the shooting deaths of 11 family members in 1975 has died
ByThe Associated Press
June 07, 2022, 11:20 PM
FILE - Mass murderer James Ruppert, center, is taken back to jail after his arraignment in Hamilton, Ohio, on eleven counts of aggravated murder, April 8, 1975. Ruppert, 88, who was serving a life sentence for the shooting deaths of 11 famil...
The Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- An Ohio man serving a life sentence for the shooting deaths of 11 family members, including eight children, on Easter in 1975 has died.
James Ruppert, 88, died Saturday at the prison system’s Franklin Medical Center in Columbus. The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction announced his death Monday, saying that Ruppert apparently died of natural causes but that the official cause of death is pending.
At the time of the shootings, Ruppert lived with his mother at her home in Hamilton. He reportedly struggled with alcohol and was unemployed.
Ruppert’s brother, sister-in-law and their eight children were visiting for the holiday when his brother asked him about his car, a remark Ruppert took as an insult because he thought his brother — a successful engineer — was judging him.
Authorities said Ruppert used three pistols and a rifle to fire 44 shots, with 40 hitting his victims. The bodies of the eight children — who ranged in age from 4 to 16 — were found strewn across the two first-floor rooms of the house:
A psychiatrist would testify that Ruppert lay on a couch for two hours after the shootings and contemplated suicide, but that it would have been a mortal sin and that Ruppert didn't want that to be his last act, so he instead called police.
After three trials, Ruppert was convicted in 1982 of two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of his mother and brother but was found not guilty by reason of insanity of the other killings. He was serving two consecutive life sentences and had been denied parole several times.
