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Susan Smith eligible for parole again after being denied release for drowning her 2 sons in 1994

Tue, 05 May 2026 19:40:26 -0400

South Carolina killer mom Susan Smith is back up for parole once again after she was convicted of drowning her two young children.

The 53-year-old, who is serving a life sentence for drowning her two young sons in a lake in 1994, was denied parole in November 2024, after spending 30 years incarcerated.

Now, Smith is once again eligible for release as she continues to serve a 30-years-to-life sentence.

Smith strapped her sons, 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alexander Smith, into the back seat of her car and let it roll down a ramp into John D. Long Lake in Union, South Carolina, on Oct. 25, 1994.

KILLER MOM SUSAN SMITH'S PAROLE BID INSPIRES 360 CORRESPONDENCES—SEE HOW MANY FAVOR HER FREEDOM

Smith, 22 at the time, watched as it took six minutes for water to fill the car, drown her boys and sink the car to the bottom of the lake.

She was convicted of the murders of her two children on July 22, 1995, and though prosecutors argued that Smith should receive the death penalty, she was ultimately sentenced to life in prison.

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In 2024, she was up for parole for the first time and was ultimately denied, with the board citing the nature and seriousness of the crime and Smith's institutional record of offenses.

KILLER MOM SUSAN SMITH IS NOW 'COMPLETE NIGHTMARE' AFTER PAROLE WAS DENIED: REPORT

"I know that what I did was horrible…I’m sorry that I put them through that...I wish I could take that back, I really do...I was just scared," she said during the hearing.

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Smith's disciplinary record during her stint in prison was one of the reasons why she was denied a parole hearing in 2025.

In August 2025, Smith was charged with communicating with a victim and/or witness of a crime for speaking with a documentary filmmaker, which was against prison rules, less than two weeks after she had told an unknown male over the phone that she "wouldn't talk" to the media.

This was Smith's first disciplinary action in almost 10 years, and she was convicted of the charge on Oct. 3, 2025, Chrysti Shain, director of communications with the South Carolina Department of Corrections, previously told Fox News Digital.

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If her application for parole is denied this year, she can apply again in two years.

Her latest hearing is set for Nov. 19, 2026.

Tanner Horner sentenced to death for kidnapping and killing 7-year-old girl during FedEx delivery

Tue, 05 May 2026 15:49:01 -0400

A former FedEx driver who admitted to killing 7-year-old Athena Strand has been sentenced to death by a Texas jury.

Tanner Horner, 34, a former delivery driver accused of kidnapping and strangling the 7-year-old after hitting her with his delivery van in 2022, was sentenced Tuesday to death by a Tarrant County jury.

The decision came after 19 days of testimony and about two and a half hours of jury deliberations, with both sides resting their cases on Monday and delivering closing remarks on Tuesday morning.

"Punishment for the offense of capital murder is confined by imprisonment in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for life or by death," said Judge George Gallagher. "Each of you must decide the case for yourself, but only after an impartial consideration of the evidence with your fellow jurors."

Horner sat stone-faced as the judge delivered his death sentence, and simply said "yes" when asked about the appointment of counsel for his appeal.

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On Tuesday, jurors heard closing arguments as Wise County District Attorney James Stainton told the jurors that criminals like Horner are the reason Texas still has the death penalty.

During the defense team's closing arguments, attorney Susan Anderson encouraged jurors to be merciful as they decided Horner's fate.

"You hold a man’s life in your hands and your decision will define who you are," she said. "Are you going to be merciful? Or are you going to be vengeful? I want you to vote for life. Sentence Tanner to life in prison without the possibility of parole."

"Was Tanner merciful? Was Tanner vengeful? Did he show remorse?" Stainton asked. "No, and I think that’s important."

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Jacob Strand, Athena's uncle, spoke directly to Horner after the verdict was read.

"You did not just take a life, you destroyed a family," he said, according to Fox News affiliate, KDFW-TV. "You will be judged. You will face the wrath of God. And I want you to know that you are nothing. You are a footnote in Athena's story. Her name will forever be celebrated and everyone will forget you."

The rest of her family told reporters that they were not yet ready to comment on the outcome of the trial.

Throughout the trial, which was moved from Wise County to Tarrant County due to extensive local media coverage, the jury listened to extensive evidence including audio from the FedEx truck of the murder, pictures of her clothing, and testimony from DNA and crime scene experts.

One haunting photo shown to jurors, captures the young girl moments before prosecutors say she was driven to her death by the FedEx driver who abducted and killed her while delivering her Christmas present.

The image, released by prosecutors, shows the young girl standing behind Horner on the day she was strangled in Texas in November 2022.

In the black-and-white photo, Athena appears visibly uneasy as Horner focuses on the road ahead.

In 2023, Horner admitted to abducting Strand while delivering a package to her father’s home in Paradise, a town of fewer than 500 people about 60 miles northwest of Dallas.

Her body was found on Dec. 2, 2022, two days after she was reported missing less than 10 miles away from the property.

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Horner, authorities said, was delivering a package of Barbie dolls intended to be Strand’s Christmas present.

Athena was set to return to Oklahoma with her mother after the holidays and had been staying with her father, Jacob Strand, and stepmother, Ashley Strand, in Wise County.

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According to the arrest warrant, Horner told investigators that he strangled the 7-year-old after accidentally hitting her with his van while making a delivery at her father’s home. He said Strand wasn't seriously hurt after he hit her while backing up, but he panicked and put her in his van.

Father of teen allegedly killed by stepbrother on cruise says he can't 'relive' trauma at murder trial

Fri, 01 May 2026 21:30:11 -0400

The father of a teen allegedly slaughtered by her stepbrother on a cruise is skipping the June murder trial, saying he simply cannot "relive" the trauma of discovering the girl's body in her cabin.

"Unless they ask for me to be there, neither my wife or I will be attending," Christopher Kepner, 41, told the Daily Mail.

"I’ve heard all the evidence. I saw it for myself. They have everything they need. It’s going to be too painful to relive it all again."

Kepner’s 16-year-old stepson, Timothy Hudson, is headed to trial June 1 in Miami federal court on first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse charges in the Nov. 7 slaying. Timothy has pleaded not guilty.

CHEERLEADER WHO DIED ON CRUISE SHIP 'FOUGHT FOR HER LIFE' AS FEDS WEIGH POSSIBLE CHARGES FOR STEPBROTHER

In a harrowing account, Kepner described the moment his family vacation became a living nightmare.

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"I checked her pulse. I pulled her out from under the bed," Kepner said. "I knew my daughter was dead long before the medical examiner got there. I don’t want to be back in that room."

TEEN FOUND DEAD ON CARNIVAL CRUISE SHIP DIED FROM MECHANICAL ASPHYXIATION, RULED HOMICIDE: REPORT

Authorities later ruled her death a homicide caused by "mechanical asphyxiation," caused by "mechanical asphyxiation," according to documents previously reviewed by Fox News Digital.

According to investigators, she was found under the bed in her cabin, wrapped in a blanket and covered with life jackets. The cabin was shared with her stepbrother.

ANNA KEPNER’S STEPBROTHER CHARGED AS ADULT WITH MURDER, SEXUAL ABUSE IN FLORIDA TEEN’S CRUISE SHIP DEATH

Now, the family is working to remember the 18-year-old cheerleader from Central Florida affectionately called "Anna Banana."

"We are celebrating Anna by keeping it all about her and doing the things she liked," Kepner said. "We want to remember Anna how she lived — and not how she died."

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If convicted, the teen faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.

"I want to see him in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs. He does not need to be free. He does not need to be in the general public, around any kids or women in general," Kepner previously said.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Timothy Hudson's attorney for comment.

"Our hearts go out to the victim’s family during this unimaginable loss," U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida said. "A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging serious offenses that allegedly occurred aboard a vessel in international waters. We will present the evidence in court and pursue this case with professionalism and care. As in every case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt."

Former colleagues detail CHP captain’s spiral before alleged murder-for-hire plot against husband

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 22:03:11 -0400

Former colleagues of a once-rising California Highway Patrol captain say they watched her spiral before her estranged husband was killed by an alleged hitman.

Retired Sgt. Brian Wittmer testified Wednesday at the Kentucky trial of alleged Napa hitman Thomas O’Donnell that Capt. Julie Harding, 49, began acting differently toward the end of their 3 1/2 year working relationship.

Prosecutors allege O’Donnell fatally shot Michael Harding, 53, in a murder-for-hire plot orchestrated by Harding, a former CHP commander. O’Donnell has pleaded not guilty to capital murder charges.

Wittmer testified, according to KCRA, that Harding got thinner, acted erratically and began sharing more about her personal life.

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In September 2022, Wittmer said, Harding called to tell him her husband was dead. He testified that the call felt exaggerated.

"When I hung up the phone, I thought she wanted me to remember this moment in time," Wittmer said, according to KCRA.

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Then-Assistant Chief Doug Lyons later took the stand and described receiving a similar phone call from Harding. Lyons said he had just taken on a new role at CHP and had become her supervisor.

"It was 35 minutes of rambling, and I didn’t even know Julie. So that was the strange part. I never met her," Lyons said.

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Asked whether he believed Harding might be a suspect in Michael Harding’s killing based on that conversation, Lyons responded, "Absolutely."

FBI Agent Wayne Johnson testified that he found no evidence of a payment between Harding and O’Donnell and no forensic evidence tying O’Donnell to a murder weapon.

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Harding later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after O’Donnell was arrested at Sacramento International Airport in connection with Michael Harding’s death, KCRA reported.

Investigators said phone data eventually led them to O’Donnell after repeated calls between the two surfaced in Harding’s phone records.

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"There was this number that she was calling and talking to almost every single day, sometimes more than once a day," Kentucky State Police Det. B.J. Burton said.

The California Highway Patrol said in a statement that Harding was on leave at the time of her death. She had worked at the department since 1999 and had been commander of the Yuba Sutter area office since 2018.

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After the couple separated, she remained in California while Michael Harding moved to the couple’s home in Celina, Tennessee. According to CourtTV, on September 22, 2022, Michael, who owned a HVAC business, traveled from Tennessee to Burkesville, Kentucky, for what he believed was an emergency service call. Prosecutors allege that the call was a setup, and he was killed at the vacant Kentucky house.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Florida man kills 2, wounds deputy and 1 other in vehicular attack, shooting spree: sheriff

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 13:57:14 -0500

A chaotic series of shootings and a deliberate vehicular attack in Pahokee, Florida, left three people dead, including the suspect, and a Palm Beach County sheriff's deputy hospitalized late Wednesday night.

"The deputy is very, very fortunate that the initial strike with the vehicle didn't kill him, but he showed a great deal of courage, a great deal of stamina to be able to get his gun out and neutralize this guy," Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said in a video posted to X, noting the deputy was knocked back "about 40 feet."

Bradshaw identified the dead suspect as Charles McCloud Jr.

MISSOURI SUSPECT TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AFTER DEPUTY FATALLY SHOT, ENDING MANHUNT

The unnamed deputy was knocked to the ground and "was able to get his firearm out and shoot the individual before that guy shot him," Bradshaw told reporters.

Deputies first received a call at 10:05 p.m. reporting two people shot near Doveland Villas. At 10:14 p.m., another call came in reporting gunfire at a nearby residence involving someone in a dark SUV. Minutes later, at 10:18 p.m., McCloud allegedly drove about half a mile to a convenience store and shot another person.

"That guy is still alive," Bradshaw said.

Shortly after the double homicide, a deputy was putting up crime scene tape when McCloud returned to the area, accelerated off the roadway and struck the deputy with his vehicle, knocking him back 40 feet, according to Bradshaw.

"The suspect got out of his vehicle with a handgun and was going toward the deputy that was on the ground," Bradshaw said.

FLORIDA DEPUTY WITH 25 YEARS ON FORCE KILLED SERVING EVICTION NOTICE; SUSPECT, LOCKSMITH ALSO SHOT: SHERIFF

The injured deputy was able to draw his gun and shoot McCloud before McCloud could fire at him. A nearby detective also fired several rounds, but McCloud was already down, according to the sheriff.

McCloud was pronounced dead at the scene.

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The deputy and the convenience store shooting victim were airlifted to St. Mary’s Hospital. The deputy sustained a compound ankle fracture and other minor injuries. As of Thursday morning, both were expected to survive.

Authorities have not yet released the names of the two people killed in the initial shooting or the identity of the deputy. The investigation remains ongoing.

SEE THE PHOTOS: Armed Man at Nancy's Guthrie's Home

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 16:00:02 -0500

FBI images of armed individual at Nancy Guthrie's front door the morning of her disappearance in Tuscon, Arizona

Who is Melanie McGuire? What to know about the ‘Suitcase Killer’ convicted of killing her husband

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 14:00:12 -0500

A passerby’s horrifying discovery of a blood-soaked suitcase along the Chesapeake Bay cracked open one of the most disturbing murder cases of the early 2000s — a crime now back in the spotlight decades later.

The case is drawing renewed attention after "Suitcase Killer: The Melanie McGuire Story," a 2022 Lifetime movie dramatizing the crime, began streaming on Netflix, introducing a new audience to the shocking killing of William "Bill" McGuire and the conviction of his wife, Melanie McGuire.

Suitcases wash ashore

In May 2004, authorities were alerted after fishermen spotted a suitcase floating in the Chesapeake Bay. Inside were human remains. Two more suitcases later surfaced along the Virginia shoreline, each containing additional body parts.

According to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, the victim was identified as William McGuire, a 39-year-old computer programmer, whose severed remains had been placed inside three matching suitcases and dumped into the Chesapeake Bay. The luggage later washed ashore near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel in Virginia.

ACCUSED SURGEON MICHAEL MCKEE ALLEGEDLY LURKED AT EX-WIFE'S HOME WEEKS BEFORE DOUBLE MURDER: REPORT

Attention quickly turned to McGuire’s wife, Melanie McGuire, a nurse and mother of two from Woodbridge, New Jersey.

Prosecutors allege a calculated killing

During a six-week trial, prosecutors argued that McGuire used her medical training as a nurse to carefully plot her husband’s murder so she could start a new life with her lover — a doctor who worked with her at a fertility clinic.

The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office said evidence showed McGuire purchased a .38-caliber handgun and ammunition in Pennsylvania just days before her husband disappeared. Prosecutors said William McGuire was shot twice — once in the head and once in the chest — after he was likely drugged with a powerful sedative.

Authorities also alleged McGuire forged a prescription for chloral hydrate, a sedative, using the name of a fertility clinic patient. Investigators said she purchased the drug at a Walgreens on the morning of the killing, shortly after dropping her children off at daycare.

UTAH CHILDREN’S AUTHOR KOURI RICHINS SAYS STATE THREATENED WITNESSES AHEAD OF TRIAL IN HUSBAND’S POISONING

Internet searches recovered from the couple’s home computer included queries such as "how to commit murder," "undetectable poisons" and how to illegally obtain firearms, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

Forensic evidence and cover-up claims

Prosecutors told jurors that McGuire shot her husband inside the couple’s Woodbridge apartment, dismembered his body, and wrapped the remains in black trash bags before placing them into suitcases.

Forensic experts testified that tiny fragments of flesh found inside William McGuire’s abandoned Nissan Maxima belonged to the victim and were not consistent with material shed by a living person. The vehicle had been left at a motel in Atlantic City, authorities said.

Investigators also linked the trash bags used to dispose of the body to bags found in the McGuires’ apartment. Tape recovered from the bags contained razor stubble with DNA from both Melanie and William McGuire, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

Defense disputes the case

McGuire’s attorney, Joseph Tacopina, argued that the petite nurse was physically incapable of killing her 6-foot-3-inch, 210-pound husband, let alone dismembering his body.

GRANDSON CHARGED WITH MURDERING RETIRED GRANDPARENTS FOUND DEAD IN THEIR SOUTH CAROLINA HOME

Tacopina also told jurors it would have been impossible to carry out such a violent crime inside the apartment without neighbors hearing something or investigators finding clearer physical evidence.

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The defense suggested William McGuire, who prosecutors said had gambling debts, may have been killed by someone else.

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McGuire did not testify. Jurors instead heard secretly recorded conversations between McGuire and two men close to her — her lover, Dr. Bradley Miller, and a friend — in which she repeatedly denied any involvement in her husband’s death.

Jury reaches verdict

In April 2007, a Middlesex County jury convicted McGuire of first-degree murder, desecration of a corpse, perjury, and possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

She was acquitted on several additional counts tied to anonymous communications sent to law enforcement.

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Prosecutors acknowledged that some questions remained, including whether McGuire had an accomplice, but said the evidence against the mother of two was overwhelming. No accomplice has ever been named or charged.

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"Melanie McGuire went to extraordinary lengths to cover up her crime," then–Attorney General Stuart Rabner said following the verdict. "The state also went to great lengths to expose and convict her."

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McGuire was sentenced to life in prison, where she remains incarcerated at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in New Jersey. She has repeatedly appealed her conviction, but courts have denied those efforts.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Scott Peterson asks for murder conviction to be tossed, citing 'substantial new evidence'

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 19:14:27 -0400

Lawyers for Scott Peterson filed a petition on Monday which they say contains evidence showing the 52-year-old didn't murder his unborn son and wife in 2002.

The Los Angeles Innocence Project, which has taken on Peterson's case, filed a writ of habeas corpus on Monday which the group claimed in a press release contains "substantial new evidence." Peterson's lawyers claimed in the petition Peterson's rights to due process and a fair trial were denied during his 2004 trial, arguing his conviction should be overturned.

"This …Writ of Habeas Corpus presents new evidence that was not available at the time of trial, supports Petitioner’s claim of innocence, and shows he was wrongfully convicted," the petition filed on Monday states. "This new evidence undermines the prosecution's entire circumstantial case against Petitioner, and shows that the jury relied on false evidence, including false scientific evidence, to convict him."

Peterson's lawyers argued in the filing that the case against him was "entirely circumstantial," adding that "no direct, physical or forensic evidence was found supporting any part of the prosecution’s theory, or otherwise implicating Petitioner."

WHAT SCOTT PETERSON'S RECENT COURT WIN COULD MEAN FOR HIS YEARSLONG QUEST FOR FREEDOM

Peterson was found guilty in 2004 of murdering his wife, Laci, and of second-degree murder in the death of the couple's unborn son, Conner. Laci Peterson disappeared from the couple's Modesto, California home on Christmas Eve in late 2002. A pedestrian found her unborn son's body, decomposed at the time, in the San Francisco Bay in April 2003.

Lawyers argued in Monday's filing that jurors didn't hear evidence which they think would have impacted the trial's outcome and accused prosecutors of potentially destroying evidence.

SCOTT PETERSON FEELS RENEWED ‘HOPE’ AMID PRISON TRANSFER, CASE'S RESURGENCE: FAMILY

"Every aspect of the prosecution’s theory as to how the crimes in this case were committed has now been shown to be false," the petition states. "The new evidence set forth in this Amended Petition shows that the prosecution’s entire theory of the case was wrong...In some cases, no one individual error is prejudicial enough to warrant relief, but when there are a number of constitutional or statutory violations, the court will conclude that the errors, cumulatively, undermine confidence in the conviction and warrant relief. That is certainly the case here…All of this new evidence is more than sufficient to state a prima facie showing of Petitioner’s innocence."

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The Los Angeles Innocence Project picked up Peterson's case in January. The group's mission is to defend individuals it believes were wrongly convicted.

Fox News' Michael Lundin and Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.

'Gone Girl' kidnapper charged in California home invasion cases from 2009

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 19:49:27 -0500

Prosecutors announced new charges against a man who kidnapped and sexually assaulted a Northern California woman, which was originally thought to be a hoax, and has become known as the "Gone Girl" kidnapping.

Matthew Muller, 47, the man who abducted Denise Huskins in Vallejo in 2015, is now being charged in two home invasion cases from 15 years ago.

Muller broke into women's homes in Palo Alto and Mountain View in 2009, with the intent to rape them, according to the Santa Clara District Attorney's Office.

Thanks to a new lead and advances in forensic DNA testing, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, along with Palo Alto and Mountain View Police, were able to ID Muller in the cases.

CALIFORNIA COUPLE IN 'GONE GIRL' CASE VINDICATED AFTER ACCUSATIONS OF STAGED KIDNAPPING

Muller's DNA was found on straps he used to bind one of the victims in one of the 2009 cases, the DA's office said.

Muller now faces two felony counts of committing sexual assault during a home invasion for the 2009 crimes. If convicted, he faces life in prison, officials said.

"The details of this person’s violent crime spree seem scripted for Hollywood, but they are tragically real," District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. "Our goal is to make sure this defendant is held accountable and will never hurt or terrorize anyone ever again. Our hope is that this nightmare is over."

In the early hours of Sept. 29, 2009, officials said Muller broke into a woman’s Mountain View home, attacked her, tied her up, made her drink a concoction of medications, and said he was going to rape her. After the victim, who officials said was in her 30s, persuaded him against it, he suggested the victim get a dog, then fled.

Less than a month later, on Oct. 18, officials said Muller broke into a Palo Alto home, where he performed the same routine and bound and gagged a woman in her 30s. He then made her drink Nyquil and began to assault her, before being persuaded to stop. Muller gave the victim crime prevention advice, then fled.

DR. PHIL CALLS OUT 'GONE GIRL' FAKE ABDUCTEE FOR 'GIGGLING' AS SHE LIED ABOUT IMPRISONMENT

Both cases were investigated at the time and went unsolved.

Muller gained national attention six years later as the subject of "American Nightmare," a Netflix documentary series that chronicles his 2015 "Gone Girl Hoax" kidnapping of Denise Huskins from Vallejo and her harrowing 48 hours in captivity.

On March 23, 2015, Muller broke into a Vallejo home, where he drugged, and tied up Huskins and her boyfriend. He kidnapped Huskins, brought her to a cabin in South Lake Tahoe, and sexually assaulted her. Two days later, Muller drove his victim to Southern California and released her.

The Vallejo Police initially believed the invasion and kidnapping were a hoax orchestrated by her boyfriend, Aaron Quinn, a twist that the media deemed a "real-life 'Gone Girl'," referring to the hit Ben Affleck thriller and novel "Gone Girl," in which a small-town wife stages her own murder to get back at her cheating husband.

TEXAS COUPLE CHARGED AFTER ALLEGEDLY ATTEMPTING TO KIDNAP, KILL MAN WIFE WAS HAVING AFFAIR WITH

Although they said in a press conference that they were treating the case as a kidnapping, KRON4 reported, the Vallejo Police Department suspected Quinn of murdering his girlfriend and fabricating his account. He endured 18 hours of questioning, according to the docuseries.

The couple sued the Vallejo Police Department for $2.5 million, but not before enduring months of public scrutiny.

Huskins and Quinn told filmmakers Misty Carausu, a rookie detective who solved the case, was their hero. On June 5, 2015, a couple woke in the middle of the night to a near-identical home invasion.

After reaching out to police departments in the Bay Area, NBC Bay Area reported, Carausu learned that Muller had been a suspect in a 2009 Palo Alto home invasion. Also at the scene were a pair of swimming goggles blacked out with duct tape that had a blonde hair attached.

While the wife hid in a bathroom and called police, her husband managed to fight off the attacker. But he left crucial evidence behind: zip-ties, duct tape, a glove and a cellphone.

Carausu traced the phone to the stepfather of a man named Matthew Muller, a Harvard-educated immigration attorney and Marine veteran.

At that point, Carausu contacted the FBI, and Muller was arrested for the Dublin, California, home invasion on June 8.

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF CHARLEY ROSS, THE FIRST KNOWN VICTIM OF KIDNAPPING FOR RANSOM IN US

Evidence in his home, including Quinn's laptop, finally linked him to Huskins' kidnapping. Muller's confession matched Quinn and Huskins' stories perfectly, down to the audio recordings, blacked-out goggles and liquid sedatives.

Muller pleaded guilty to one count of federal kidnapping in September 2016 and was sentenced to 40 years behind bars. Muller also faced state charges for burglary, robbery, kidnapping and two counts of rape by force.

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But he was deemed incompetent to stand trial for those charges in November 2020, according to the documentary. Muller allegedly suffered from "Gulf War illness" after his military service, and his attorney claimed he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, NBC News reported.

Muller was then sentenced in 2022 to 31 years in state prison after pleading no contest to two counts of forcible rape of Huskins.

He is currently incarcerated in federal prison in Tucson, Arizona.

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Huskins and Quinn previously told People magazine they have no idea why Muller targeted them.

"Like many victims, or many people who have gone through tragedy, you don't get all the answers," Quinn told the magazine. "And that can be a sticking point to recovery. So, for us, we don't rely on finding those answers, but what we have to do is move forward in the unknown and focus on things that matter the most to us, like our family, our kids, our work. Those are sustainable things. And having the answers of why they targeted us doesn't change what we do as far as moving forward."

The pair married in 2018, released a book on their ordeal in 2021 and welcomed daughters in 2020 and 2022.

Fox News Digital's Christina Coulter and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Search ramps up for 8-year-old who disappeared after crash, authorities considering new possibilities

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:57:36 -0500

Texas authorities are expanding the search for an 8-year-old girl who vanished after a crash Christmas Eve morning, now considering other "targeted areas of interest."

Officials in Sherman, Texas said an SUV carrying six people from Durant, Oklahoma was swept away by floodwater on Highway 75 and crashed into a drainage ditch at about 9:30 a.m.

Four days later, Sherman Chief of Police Jason Jeffcoat said an 8-year-old girl, Clara Robinson, remains missing.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL COACH DEAD, 8-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER MISSING AFTER CHRISTMAS EVE TRAGEDY

"Search teams are continuing efforts to search Post Oak Creek, near the site where the initial rescue efforts took place," Jeffcoat said. "There are also teams searching a 10-mile stretch of Post Oak Creek and Choctaw Creek."

On Friday, the police department used K9 teams, dive teams, drone teams and helicopters to continue to search for Robinson.

The teams include personnel from Sherman Fire Department, Sherman Police Department, Sherman Fire Rescue, Grayson County Sheriff's Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Texas Task Force Two, Texas Division of Emergency Management, Grayson County Office of Emergency Management, Public Works, and Brady Baskin, a local rescue diver.

Texas Task Force Two split their team for the search, focusing on both the creeks and other "targeted areas of interest," which were not specified.

Sherman officials said they will continue to search for Clara until she is found.

A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS: HOW A MARINE MOM FOUND HERSELF FALSELY IMPRISONED FOR THE HOLIDAY

Will Robinson, father of four - including Clara, died during the crash while attempting to rescue a 5-year-old girl who was unresponsive when rescuers arrived.

The girl was later reunited with her family in what fire officials called "a great blessing in this tragedy."

"The father [had] the little girl in his arms at one time during the event, and later they weren't together, so it looked like he was trying to save her - definitely," said Bart Bowman of Sherman Fire Rescue.

"One of our guys was able to find the little girl underwater, pulled her out, and handed her off to one of our paramedics who was with him," Bowman said. "That paramedic took her to the ambulance, and they performed CPR on the way to the hospital. … With a near drowning like that, it's absolutely remarkable that she was released the next day with no issues. That's a great blessing in this tragedy."

Community members told Fox 4 Will Robinson was a girls' basketball coach at Durant High School in Oklahoma.

"He would always bring C.J. [his daughter, Clara] to practice, and she would always play with us," said Kinlee Hill.

The players noted Robinson was an understanding coach and said he went out of his way to keep them in a positive mindset.

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"He was so patient with us girls," said player Emeri Morse. "I honestly don't think I can recall a time he ever raised his voice at us in anger. … [He and C.J] were absolutely two peas in a pod. They were at practice, always together, and C.J. would just run up to him or ask for snacks."

Fox Texas Digital, and Fox 4's Dan Godwin and David Sentendrey contributed to this story.

Parents of Jennifer Gledhill — who was charged with allegedly murdering her husband — have been arrested

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 08:38:51 -0400

The parents of Jennifer Gledhill — a woman charged for allegedly murdering her husband Matthew Johnson — have been arrested.

They face obstruction of justice charges, records indicate.

Police booking affidavits for the parents, Thomas and Rosalie Gledhill, allege that they lied to authorities, took part in cleanup of the man's death and disposed evidence, according to ksl.com.

Johnson was part of the Utah National Guard, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill noted in a statement included in a press release from earlier this month about the charging of Jennifer Gledhill.

UTAH MOM SHOT MISSING NATIONAL GUARD HUSBAND IN HIS SLEEP, SUGGESTED LOVER ‘TAKE IT TO THE GRAVE’: POLICE

An informant notified police he had an affair with Gledhill, according to that press release.

Gledhill allegedly told the informant that she shot her husband.

"The defendant told the informant that she shot Mr. Johnson on September 21, 2024, as he slept in their bed. She told the informant that she put Mr. Johnson's body into a rooftop storage container, slid him down the stairs of their home, and loaded his body into the back of their minivan," the press release stated.

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"The defendant said she smashed Mr. Johnson's phone and hid his truck in a nearby neighborhood. The defendant said she then took her husband's body north, dug a hole, and buried him in a shallow grave. The informant said that he noticed bruises all over the defendant's body, and when asked about them, the defendant said they were from moving Mr. Johnson's body and cleaning their house," the release indicated.

The press release stated that a neighbor informed police she saw Gledhill's parents cleaning.

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"A neighbor told police that on September 24, 2024, she saw the defendant’s parents in the defendant’s house cleaning; they did not leave the house until 11 p.m. When police confronted the defendants' parents about them being at the defendant’s home on September 24, 2024, her mother said she was only there for an hour," the press release stated. "The defendant’s father said he didn’t remember details of the day except that he had been at the defendant’s house for a short period of time."

Man suspected of killing his wife later found hanging from a tree in Texas

Sat, 19 Oct 2024 05:46:10 -0400

The prime suspect in a Houston-area murder case was found dead by law enforcement officials on Friday.

Jhon Venegas Romero, 24, was found in the town of Needville after deputies from the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call regarding a person seen hanging.

Romero was suspected in the stabbing death of his wife, 23-year-old Anyi Tatiana Montealegre Izquierdo, on Oct. 14 in the couple’s home in nearby Richmond. The location Romero was found is about two miles from where he was believed to last be seen alive, deputies said.

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He was identified based on clothing, tattoos and a passport that was found. Investigators said that Romero’s clothes he was wearing when last spotted alive on surveillance footage from Oct. 14 matched what was on his body.

"While a thorough investigation is underway to ensure all protocols are followed, this appears to be a suicide," said Sheriff Eric Fagan, according to Fox 26 in Houston. "Our deepest condolences go out to all families affected by this tragedy."

While the manhunt ensued, Izquierdo’s family told KHOU that Romero grew up and spent his entire life in a jungle in Colombia and probably knew survival skills to stay on the run in rural areas like the one southwest of the greater Houston area.

The family was worried Romero would hurt someone else if he wasn’t captured.

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Cousins of Izquierdo said they often had to intervene when Izquierdo and Romero fought constantly after they moved to the U.S. They added that Romero tried to kill her when they lived in Colombia.

They said Izquierdo moved to the U.S. with Romero so they could raise money for their family and child left behind in Colombia.

Colombian Consulate General Andres Diaz told Fox 26 that he wishes things turned out differently.

"I regret to hear the news of Romero's death, like I would any Colombian native. However, I would have liked him to turn himself over to the authorities and face the law," Diaz said.

Izquierdo’s family said they wished for her body to be repatriated to Colombia. Diaz said that could take several weeks as the case remains under investigation.

"We take them step by step the process it’s not a short process, unfortunately. It will probably take 4–6 weeks to repatriate the body," Diaz said.

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In addition to helping repatriate Izquierdo’s body, the consulate is also paying for funeral services.

"Unfortunately this American dream ended really bad for this girl, and we are very apologetic," Diaz said.

Planned Parenthood offering free abortions, vasectomies at DNC

Sat, 17 Aug 2024 22:02:49 -0400

Planned Parenthood is offering more than a free T-shirt or sticker at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) this coming week — the organization will offer free vasectomies, medication abortion, and emergency contraception.

Planned Parenthood Great Rivers of St. Louis announced in a X post that a bus is headed to the DNC in Chicago on Aug. 19-20 to offer free services.

"Here we come, Chicago! Our mobile health clinic will be in the West Loop with @ChiAbortionFund & @TheWienerCircle Aug 19-20, providing FREE vasectomies & medication abortion," the post said. "EC will also be available for free without an appointment."

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The Planned Parenthood location noted that there is a waiting list for vasectomies duirng their time at the convention.

"We currently have a waitlist for free vasectomies," a follow-up X post said. "Repost to spread the word!"

Democrats have made the issue of abortion a central theme in their campaigns across the country this election year, including warning that a Republican control of Congress, in tandem with another four years in the White House for former President Trump, would mean a nationwide ban.

Since the reversal of Roe v. Wade and Vice President Kamala Harris stepping in to replace President Biden, the Democratic Party has doubled down on rhetoric surrounding a "woman's right to choose."

A Quinnipiac University poll released in April revealed information about Americans' views on abortion that could surprise voters.

According to the poll, a record number of Americans (66%) now support legal abortion in some or all cases, the highest level of support ever recorded by the poll in its two-decade history.

A plurality of 34% said abortion should be legal in all cases, while 32% said it should be legal in most cases.

The emphasis of abortion in the upcoming elections has led Trump to soften his stance on the hot-button issue.

Prior to the Republican National Convention, Trump met in a closed-door meeting to draft the Republican Party platform and slimmed down the party's once staunch opposition to abortion.

"We believe that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees that no person can be denied life or liberty without due process and that the states are, therefore, free to pass laws protecting those rights," the draft reads.

NEW POLL REVEALS HOW VOTERS' VIEW ON ABORTION HAVE CHANGED AS DEMS SEEK TO MAKE ISSUE A CENTRAL 2024 THEME

However, for the first time in 40 years, the document makes no mention of a federal abortion ban, which the presumptive GOP presidential nominee has emphasized that he opposes.

Instead, the new platform stresses, "We will oppose late-term abortion while supporting mothers and policies that advance prenatal care, access to birth control, and IVF (fertility treatments)."

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The party's stance drew flak from some pro-life groups, including the Family Research Council, whose president Tony Perkins expressed his concern that the party was moving away from "protecting children from the moment of conception."

"I am concerned the Republican Party is moving away from its strong, definitive goal of protecting children from the moment of conception," Perkins wrote in a social media post.

Planned Parenthood, the DNC, and the Harris campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser and Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Falcons' Raheem Morris defends decision to sit Michael Penix in preseason game: 'Saw enough last week'

Sat, 17 Aug 2024 21:12:23 -0400

The Atlanta Falcons dropped to 0-2 in the preseason after the team lost 13-12 to the Baltimore Ravens Saturday. While preseason records are insignificant, a key Falcons coaching decision sparked some questions.

The Falcons' prized free-agent acquisition, Kirk Cousins, is not expected to take the field for any of the three exhibition games, which some believed opened the door for rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to see significant playing time.

But Penix, the No. 8 selection in this year's NFL Draft, never took a snap Saturday in Baltimore.

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Taylor Heinicke started the game against the Ravens before John Paddock relieved him. After the game, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris was asked about his decision to sit the rookie.

"It was all about that. Last week we wanted to get him out there and get a feel for what he was in a live game, which we kind of already knew," Morris said via the Falcons' official website.

Morris was referring to Penix's performance against the Miami Dolphins in Week 1 of the preseason. He expressed the coaching staff's belief it "saw enough last week" from the rookie signal-caller and wanted to "mitigate" injury risks.

"We wanted to see him be able to answer questions, talk about it on the sideline, go out there and execute, make mistakes and know what to do. ... We saw enough last week of Michael Penix in the live stuff, and now we had the chance to mitigate him, and in practice, you know, we give him a bunch of live stuff in practice that you do everything that you would do in a game other than get hit."

Penix finished last week's game with 104 passing yards.

The Falcons' decision to keep Penix out of preseason action comes just days after the Minnesota Vikings announced J.J. McCarthy would undergo season-ending surgery. McCarthy played last week in the Vikings' preseason win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Falcons shocked the NFL when the team made the surprising decision to use a top-10 draft pick on a quarterback shortly after signing Cousins to a four-year deal. Cousins appeared to be initially stunned by the move.

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During the NFL Network's broadcast of the draft, Daniel Jeremiah said he contacted the four-time Pro Bowler's agent, Mike McCartney. Jeremiah said McCartney suggested the Falcons' front office did not give Cousins a "heads-up" about their draft plan.

"Kirk Cousins was not given really a heads-up on this whole thing," Jeremiah said.

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Fox News True Crime Newsletter: Scott Peterson breaks silence, Bryan Kohberger's defense ploy, cult kidnapping

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 16:45:23 -0400

KILLER'S CONFESSION: Scott Peterson breaks his silence on his extramarital affair with Amber Frey.

LAST CHANCE: Scott Peterson’s most outrageous defense claims debunked amid new appeal, documentaries.

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IDAHO MURDERS: Prosecutors poke holes in Bryan Kohberger defense team ploy.

SOUTH CAROLINA SAGA: Alex Murdaugh scores another chance to show jury tampering at murder trial.

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DEADLY MATCH: Police seek public’s help identifying suspected serial killer.

SIN CITY KILLING: Murder trial begins for Las Vegas-area Democrat politician accused in journalist's slaying.

CULT KIDNAPPING: Mom accused of keeping missing daughter, 5, hidden in "compound" for months with help from adult sons.

YUPPIE DON FINDS GOD: Former mob boss becomes born-again Christian behind bars.

LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? FIND MORE ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB