Jury in Sean ‘Diddy' Combs sex trial asks to review Cassie's evidence
Jurors requested the evidence about 75 minutes into their second day of weighing charges that Combs used his fame, wealth and violence to force two girlfriends into drug-fuelled sex marathons with male sex workers known as 'freak-offs' or 'hotel nights'.
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The panel of eight men and four women asked for Cassie's account of Combs beating, kicking and dragging her at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016 — an assault captured on security camera footage.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
They also asked to see Cassie's evidence about an incident in which she said Combs accused her of taking drugs from him and kicked her off their yacht at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013. On their way back to the US, she said, he threatened to release explicit videos of her having sex.
In addition, the jury asked for Cassie and stripper Daniel Phillip's evidence about her jumping into his lap at a New York City hotel after, as Mr Phillip testified, he suspected Combs had been slapping and slamming her around an adjacent room.
'Her whole entire body was shaking, like she was terrified,' said Mr Phillip, who was at the hotel for a sexual encounter with Cassie some time between 2012 and 2014.
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He told the court that he asked Cassie, the R&B singer whose real name is Casandra Ventura, why she was with Combs if he was hitting her and beating her. He said he told her she was in real danger.
He added that Cassie 'basically tried to convince me that it was OK, 'it's OK. I'm fine, I'll be OK''.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs (centre) in court (Elizabeth Williams/AP
The jury's evidence request came soon after Combs' lawyers and prosecutors began the day haggling with Judge Arun Subramanian over a jury question left over from the end of the first day of deliberations on Monday.
Jurors wanted clarification about what qualifies as drug distribution, an aspect of the racketeering conspiracy charge that will help determine whether Combs can be convicted or exonerated on the count.
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Judge Subramanian said he would remind jurors of the instructions he gave them on that part of the case before they started deliberating on Monday. Combs' lawyers had pushed for a more expansive response, but prosecutors argued — and Judge Subramanian agreed — that doing so could end up confusing jurors more.
On Monday, the panel deliberated for more than five hours without reaching a verdict.
Defence lawyers say prosecutors are trying to criminalise Combs' swinger lifestyle. If anything, they say, his conduct amounted to domestic violence not federal felonies.
The 55-year-old could face 15 years in prison to life behind bars if he is convicted of all charges.
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Daily Mail
18 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Bryan Kohberger's professor reveals moment she knew he was guilty and offers to study his 'dark side'
A professor who taught accused Idaho killer Bryan Kohberger college classes that took him inside the mind of serial killers reveals his vague alibi made her believe her student was guilty. Dr. Katherine Ramsland, who has long been an expert in the field of serial killers and once wrote a book with the BTK strangler, taught four different undergraduate and graduate courses to Kohberger at DeSales University in Pennsylvania. Ahead of Kohberger's scheduled appearance in court today where he's likely to accept a deal he would plead guilty in exchange for life in prison and no death penalty, Ramsland is finally speaking out on her pupil. Ramsland - who called Kohberger 'a promising student who could have made a mark' on the field of forensic psychology - refused to believe he could be capable of killing, even after his arrest. 'His demeanor was that he was confident that he was going to prove his innocence,' she told NewsNation. 'I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.' However, in March, when Kohberger revealed his excuse was that he was being framed by a real killer who planted evidence at the scene of the crime, Ramsland had to realize what he'd done. 'When he said his alibi - and it was clearly not an alibi and he would've known that through his classes and undergraduate work - that was when I was floored that this is my student who has done these things.' Kohberger's apparent willingness to admit to these crimes has left his ex-advisor Ramsland stunned despite all her years working in this field. 'I really thought Bryan was a promising student who really could have made a mark in this career in a very positive way,' she said. She added that 'he was polite, he was respectful, intense and curious. There was no reason for me to think that he was anyone other than someone interested in this potential career.' Ramsland expressed sympathy for the families of Kohberger's four victims. 'I'm disappointed, angry and shocked that this is who he turned out to be and horrified for the victims and their families.' Despite her disgust, Ramsland - who wrote the literal book on BTK killer, Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer - admits she's interested in potentially studying Kohberger to help better understand how he got away with it. 'This is my work. If he wanted to do that, I would,' she said, adding that the study would be to try and learn 'developmental trajectories' and 'red flags' so killers can be sussed out faster. 'If he wanted to do that, I know that he's got the intellectual capacity to do it, to be self-reflective. I would definitely do it if he were willing. It would be hard but I think because I have so much material for him, I have questions for him that I think nobody but me could ask.' Ramsland, who taught Kohberger courses ranging from an intro to forensic psychology to one titled 'Dangerous Minds: the psychology of anti-social behavior,' stunningly admitted she questions whether she may have influenced him. 'I have to look at the framework of what I taught and wonder: Did I inspire him?' She said that as she continues her studies, she must avoid looking at things like that but that 'unfortunately, in this field, that's what we live with.' Ramsland admitted that given her research into the minds of the most vile of people, she knows a rare few of her students may turn out this way. 'We know that there's always a risk that we're attracting somebody that's going to do something terrible. 'I know, everyone in this field know that we could have students who might become offenders but we also know the vast majority of our students will not and will go into a field like law enforcement that will make the world better,' she added. Kohberger, 30, was due to face a capital murder trial in August for the deaths of Kaylee Goncalves, 21; her best friend Madison Mogen, 21; as well as their housemate Xana Kernodle, 20; and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, 20, in November 2022. But it was revealed on Monday that Latah County prosecutors have offered the former criminology graduate student a deal in which he would plead guilty to the murders and a burglary charge, in exchange for a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Kohberger is now expected to appear in court on Wednesday to have the deal signed off by a judge. The family of Kaylee Goncalves was quick to condemn the agreement, declaring on Facebook that the State of Idaho 'failed us' as they hit out at prosecutors for failing to notify them that a plea deal was going through. 'We weren't even called about the plea; we received an email with a letter attached,' family members said in a statement. 'That's how Latah County's Prosecutor's Office treats murder victims' families. 'Adding insult to injury, they're rushing the plea, giving families just one day to coordinate and appear at the courthouse for a plea on July 2.' Steven Goncalves, Kaylee's father, is urging the judge overseeing the case to reject the plea deal. 'If anyone knows Judge [Steven] Hippler... reach out to him and ask him to put his foot down and not accept this offer,' the grieving father begged members of NewsNation's Ashleigh Banfield's audience Monday night. 'This is not justice,' he continued, declaring that it goes against what the victims' families want. 'This isn't the will of the victims' [families]. This is just one person making a decision, and it doesn't reflect what we're calling for,' Goncalves said of Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson, whom he claimed, 'decided to play God and decide what this man's decision should be and not a jury, not his peers.' He then called for 'no plea deal,' saying, 'Let's go for this guy 100 percent. Let's do it,' as he argued that Thompson didn't 'have the courage to hold [Kohberger] accountable.' Kaylee's sister, Aubrie, also called the last-minute plea deal 'shocking and cruel,' saying it 'feels less like an act of justice and more like an afterthought.' The family explained that they met with prosecutors on Friday, when the attorneys 'vaguely mentioned a possible plea.' They claim prosecutors then moved forward with the deal without seeking any input from the victims' families and presented the arrangement on Sunday. At that point, the victims' families received an email from prosecutors explaining why they decided to stop pursuing the death penalty against their wishes. 'We cannot fathom the toll that this case has taken on your family,' the letter, seen by the Idaho Statesman, reads. 'This resolution is our sincere attempt to seek justice for your family,' prosecutors continued, noting that they, 'weighed the right path forward and made a formal offer' to the murder suspect, according to ABC News. 'This agreement ensures that the defendant will be convicted, will spend the rest of his life in prison, and will not be able to put you and the other families through the uncertainty of decades of post-conviction, appeals. 'Your viewpoints weighed heavily in our decision-making process, and we hope that you may come to appreciate why we believe this resolution is in the best interest of justice.' It was signed by Thompson and his deputy Ashley Jennings, and noted that Kohberger would be sentenced to life in prison in late July should he accept the plea deal on Wednesday. But if he does not plead as expected, the scheduled trial will continue as planned. After receiving the letter, the Goncalves family said they were left 'scrambling'. 'We immediately jumped into panic mode and started making phone calls and sending emails,' they said in a statement. 'We met with prosecution today to reiterate our views on pushing for the death penalty. 'Unfortunately all of our efforts did not matter,' the family lamented, claiming they had been 'branded adversaries' after they questioned the police investigation into the students' stabbing deaths. 'The Latah County Prosecutor's Office's treatment of our family during this process is something I wouldn't wish on anyone,' the Goncalves family concluded, arguing that county residents 'should be ashamed of its Prosecutor's Office'. 'After more than two years, this is how it concludes, with a secretive deal and a hurried effort to close the case without any input from the victims' families on the pleas details,' they wrote. 'Our family is frustrated right now and that will subside and we will come together as always and deal with the reality that we face moving forward.' The Goncalves family was not the only one upset by the news of the plea deal, however, as Xana Kernodle's aunt was reportedly so enraged that she was brought to tears. Kim Kernodle explained to TMZ that prosecutors told her Kohberger's defense team approached them with a plea deal and prosecutors agreed to go along with it to 'spare the families' the pain of a trial. She claimed the prosecutors were especially concerned that the families would have to see gruesome crime scene photos of their loved ones - though Kernodle said, 'We know the graphics. They were not trying to spare us.' Kernodle also claimed that prosecutors did not mention they were taking death penalty off the table when they met on Friday, when she said prosecutors acknowledged they have enough evidence to secure a guilty verdict. The State has previously laid out how Kohberger purchased a balaclava from Dick's Sporting Goods store months before the savage murders inside the victims' off-campus home. Surviving housemate Dylan Mortensen later told police she saw a man wearing 'the same kind of mask' during the crime spree. She also described seeing a man with 'bushy eyebrows' - which fit Kohberger's appearance. The murder suspect also bought a Ka-Bar knife, sheath and sharpener from Amazon back in March 2022, according to a prosecution filing, and was ultimately linked to the murder of the four students by DNA found on the sheath of a knife found at the scene of their off-campus home. Data from Kohberger's cellphone also showed it connected to a cellphone tower near the victims' off-campus house a total of 23 times over the course of four months leading up to the grisly murders, according to court documents. Then, on the night of the November 13, 2022, prosecutors say Kohberger broke into the University of Idaho students' home on King Road shortly after they had gone to bed from a night of partying and stabbed them all to death. His white Hyundai Elantra was allegedly caught on a neighbor's home security footage at around 3.30am, and was seen circling around the block multiple times over the next half hour. By 4.07am, the vehicle came back drove by once again - then didn't come back into view until 4.20am, when it was seen speeding off. During that 13-minute window, sources close to the investigation told NBC's Dateline that Kohberger went directly upstairs to Mogen's bedroom, where he allegedly killed her and Goncalves. He is accused of the turning his attention to Kernodle on his way back out the house, killing her as she was up ordering food, and then targeting her boyfriend, Chapin, whom Kohberger allegedly 'carved'. Meanwhile, data from Kohberger's phone indicate he turned it off before 3am that morning, and when he apparently turned it back on at around 4.48am, it connected with a cellphone tower south of Moscow. But the phone also appeared to be briefly back in the city shortly after 9am, when Kohberger reportedly returned to his apartment in Pullman, Washington, where he took a chilling selfie, giving the thumbs up pose in a bathroom mirror. In the aftermath, Kohberger allegedly searched to buy a replacement knife and sheath. He was ultimately arrested nearly six weeks after the students were found dead at his parents' home in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania where he had returned for the holidays. Kohberger has remained behind bars ever since, and has been desperately trying to get the death penalty off the table over the past few months - even arguing at one point that his autism diagnosis precludes him from facing the ultimate punishment. In more recent efforts, Kohberger's defense attorneys tried to get his purchase of the balaclava deemed inadmissible to the upcoming trial, but prosecutors argued it was crucial to their case. It now appears that the defense moved to reach a plea deal after Judge Hippler slapped down their efforts to point the finger at four alternate suspects - blasting his legal team's evidence as 'entirely irrelevant' and 'wild speculation.' 'Nothing links these individuals to the homicides or otherwise gives rise to reasonable inference that they committed the crime; indeed, it would take nothing short of rank speculation by the jury to make such a finding,' the judge wrote in his decision last week.
Daily Mail
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Female cop is shot in wild encounter with fellow officers who turned up at her home to serve restraining order
A female police officer was shot by a fellow officer during a dramatic confrontation inside her own home while being served with a restraining order filed by her fiancé over safety concerns for their four-month-old baby. Kelsey Fitzsimmons, 28, an off-duty officer with the North Andover Police Department, was shot once on Monday evening after three fellow officers, including a supervisor, arrived at her home to serve a court-approved protection order. Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker confirmed on Tuesday that as Fitzsimmons was being 'escorted' in the home and being served the order, an 'armed confrontation' erupted. 'As a result of that armed confrontation, one of the responding officers discharged their weapon, which struck Ms. Fitzsimmons once,' Tucker told reporters. The wounded officer had to be airlifted by medical helicopter to a Boston hospital, where she remains in stable condition. The district attorney would not comment on where she had been shot nor confirm details about her mental health. Fitzsimmons, who had been with the department about 18 months, was already on administrative leave and had filed to have her service weapon returned during her leave, according to police. Her leave will now be extended. Court documents obtained by WBZ-TV shed light on why officers had arrived to serve the restraining order. Fitzsimmons, who has been with the department about 18 months, was already on administrative leave and had filed to have her service weapon returned during her leave Fitzsimmons' fiancé told authorities she allegedly struck him, threatened to take their baby away, and that he feared for their child's safety. In March, police and emergency medical responders were called to Fitzsimmons's home for what was described as a 'female having a mental health episode,' records show. She was hospitalized for 12 hours and diagnosed with postpartum depression. At that time, she turned in her service weapon. After being medically cleared in June, Fitzsimmons was reinstated to active duty, along with her license to carry a firearm. But on Monday, things took a grim turn. The fiancé obtained a restraining order and a bid for sole custody of their infant. The confrontation that followed inside Fitzsimmons's own home then turned violent. Officers had arrived to serve the standard '209A' abuse prevention order, which includes retrieval of any firearms as a routine safety measure. 'Pursuant to the court order, one of the standard boxes to check is retrieval of any firearms in the home,' Tucker explained, adding that the restraining order process can be 'some of the most dangerous duties that police officers can cover, no matter who the object of that order is.' A note in the court paperwork had warned officers that serving Fitzsimmons could carry additional risk. 'Defendant is an officer with a license to carry. Plaintiff expressed concerns regarding Defendant's reaction to being served.' When asked if Fitzsimmons was armed during the encounter, Tucker said investigators were still gathering statements from the officers involved. 'The very granular details, we're waiting to speak on until we get the interviews back from our state police detectives,' he told reporters. North Andover Police Chief Charles Gray, appearing visibly shaken, declined to comment on whether the restraining order was linked directly to her service weapon, calling it a 'personnel matter.' He added, 'We're concerned for all the officers, on-duty and off-duty, and we're just going to monitor and hopefully get some results.' The officer who fired the shot, whose name has not yet been released, is a veteran with more than 20 years of experience, Tucker confirmed. Mental health clinician Jeff Zeizel, who works with first responders, told CBS Boston that resources for officers in crisis are critical. 'The more people process their feelings and deal with the trauma, the healthier they become,' Zeizel said. The department does not use body cameras, so there is no video of the shooting, according to Chief Gray. District Attorney Tucker acknowledged the many unanswered questions surrounding the incident. 'There are lots of interviews to be done. There are lots of pieces to be put together. There is lots of things that remain unanswered,' he said. The incident is under investigation by Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to Tucker's office, while Fitzsimmons recovers in the hospital. 'We want to make sure that the people of North Andover and across the Commonwealth know as much as we can give out at this time, being as transparent as we can,' Tucker said.
Daily Mail
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Rex Heuermann 'murderabilia' sale hits a snag as Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect's ex-wife offloads his trash
'Murderabilia' owned by suspected Long Island serial killer Rex Heuermann has been pulled from eBay for breaching the site's sale policies. Heuermann's ex-wife Asa Ellerup was allegedly trying to sell the accused killer's 1972 Jeep and trailer to the highest bidder through an anonymous family representative. The 61-year-old Heuermann is accused of murdering seven women - many of them sex workers - in a crime spree that gripped the nation for almost two decades between 1993 and 2010. He pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial. But eBay pulled the listing for 'violating eBay policies.' A spokesperson told Newsweek 'eBay's Violence and Violent Criminal Policy prohibits listings that glorify violence or violent acts.' The listing stated the jeep and trailer were 'owned by ''LISK'' Rex Heuermann'. By 5.30pm, the listing had been viewed more than 1,640 times and received 35 bids. The bidding started at $1,000 and was as high as $7,600 by the time it was taken down. The item was described as 'vintage' and a 'unique model design and impeccable make.' It was being sold with all the features, including both soft and hard tops, and soft and hard doors. The listing stated the jeep and trailer were 'owned by ''LISK'' Rex Heuermann'. By 5.30pm, the listing had been viewed more than 1,640 times and received 35 bids 'The 1972 Jeep offers a nostalgic experience and is sure to turn heads on the road with its cool design and, if you are a true crime buff, this Jeep and trailer have quite a history,' the description read. 'The owner was none other than, The Long Island Serial Killer, Rex Heuermann.' The accountholder was allegedly selling on behalf of Ellerup and would have transferred the funds to her bank account. It is understood they are working with eBay to try to bring the advert in line with the website's terms and conditions. Heuermann owned the car during the period he allegedly committed six murders, but after a thorough investigation, the car was returned to the family as it was ruled it was never used in any of the alleged crimes. Separately, Heuermann's 1977 yearbook from McKenna Junior High School has been listed on eBay for $995. Heuermann's alleged crimes began in 1993. He is last accused of murdering a woman in 2010. Fears that a serial killer or killers were at large on Long Island began back in May 2010, after Shannan Gilbert vanished in bizarre circumstances. The 24-year-old, who was a sex worker, had gone to see a client in the Oak Beach Association community when she made a terrifying 911 call, saying that someone was trying to kill her. During a search for Gilbert in December 2010, officers came across the body of Melissa Barthelemy in the marshes by Gilgo Beach. Within days, three more women's bodies - Amber Costello, Maureen Brainard-Barnes and Megan Waterman - had been found. Prosecutors allege in court documents that Heuermann lured victims to his house when his wife and children were away. It was during Ellerup's July 2009 visit to Iceland - and Heuermann's sudden surprise bathroom makeover - when Barthelemy went missing. The 24-year-old told a friend she was going to meet a client and was never seen alive again. In the days following her disappearance, Barthelemy's teenage sister received taunting calls from her sibling's phone. The male caller branded Barthelemy a 'whore' and gloated he had 'killed her'. The calls stopped when Heuermann flew out to join his family in Iceland. Victims' bodies were all found dumped along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach as well as other remote spots on Long Island. Some of the victims had been bound, while others had been dismembered and their remains discarded across multiple locations. Gilbert's body was found last. Investigators maintain that she was not a victim, but died by accidental drowning after she fled into the dense thicket that night. The Gilgo Beach serial killer case went unsolved for more than a decade - hampered by a corrupt police chief, James Burke, who was ultimately jailed for beating a man who stole porn from his police cruiser. In July 2023 - following the launch of a new taskforce - Heuermann was dramatically arrested as he left his office in midtown Manhattan. He was initially charged with the murders of three women: Amber Costello, Melissa Barthelemy and Megan Waterman. Since then, he has been charged with the murders of four more victims: Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Sandra Costilla, Jessica Taylor and Valerie Mack. Since Heuermann's arrest, prosecutors have unveiled a trove of evidence against him, including hairs belonging to him and his family members found on some of the victims, cellphone data placing him in contact with some victims, and a chilling 'planning document' where he allegedly intricately detailed his kills. Ellerup is standing by Heuermann despite filing for divorce days after his arrest. The proceedings were finalized in March, but the family admits this was purely to protect their assets. Since then, Ellerup has continued to attend Heuermann's court hearings where the defense is trying to toss critical DNA evidence in the case. Heuermann's legal team is also trying to break up his upcoming trial into five separate trials.
