US Journalist Killed, Body Found In Container, Suspect Dies In Car Crash
A Las Vegas freelance journalist was allegedly killed and his body was packed in a container by his flatmate, police said. Days after Matthew Kelemen's body was discovered at a downtown establishment after police checked into a foul odour, his suspected murderer, Joseph Del Rivo, was also killed in a car crash in Utah.
The Las Vegas Metro police found Kelemen's remains on Tuesday after receiving a report of a stench at a store on North 3rd Street in Downtown Las Vegas, roughly a week after the murder.
Police said Del Rivo, 63, was killed in a high-speed pursuit which had nothing to do with the investigation.
On Monday, Del Rivo himself dropped off the container, saying he or someone would pick it up in about a week.
The following day, he allegedly hired a logistics firm to retrieve the container. Employees noticed a bad smell when the package was taken out and informed the authorities.
Advertisement
According to the Las Vegas coroner's office, the reason and cause for Kelemen's death are still under investigation. Detectives reportedly believe Kelemen most likely died from blunt force injuries.
According to multiple accounts, Kelemen was a freelance journalist who contributed to Las Vegas Magazine. Mikki Zaferatos, Kelemen's sister, described the dramatic events unfolding "like horror-movie stuff."
Advertisement
Ms Zaferatos told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that her brother was preparing to vacate the room he rented in a house where the suspect, Del Rivo, also resided.
According to her, Kelemen had only been there for roughly six months, but "he kept telling, my brother, what a strange guy this was."
Advertisement
Kelemen reportedly claimed that living there made him extremely uncomfortable. "The guy was a disgusting slob,' were his words," she added.
Ms Zaferatos said she received a call from the Clark County coroner's office from her home in Apopka, Florida, at approximately 3 pm Eastern time on Wednesday.
Advertisement
Two days after discovering her brother's horrific murder, she told the publication, "I could not process what was going through my brain."
According to Kelemen's Muck Rack page, his work has been published in magazines like The Daily Beast, Las Vegas Sun, and Las Vegas Weekly. He reviewed Janet Jackson's residency in his most recent piece, published after his death. He worked as a staff writer for the now-defunct publications City Life and 944 for several years.
Advertisement
Kelemen, who was unmarried, is survived by his older brothers, Steven and Vincent, and his younger sister, Mikki. The entire collection of Kelemen's writing from Las Vegas, which dates back to 2003, is preserved by the family.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
20 hours ago
- Time of India
As Trump-Musk feud escalates, Katie Miller reportedly torn between husband Stephen Miller and Tesla CEO
Katie Miller finds herself caught in the midst of the rising tensions between Elon Musk and Donald Trump . She is the wife of Trump supporter Stephen Miller , but she has also been a longtime aide to Musk. She is caught between her husband and her current boss, Elon Musk, as Musk and Trump's feud intensifies. Following his departure from government, Musk took Miller with him to work in the private sector after she rose through the White House ranks to become a top DOGE aide. However, he quickly destroyed his relationship with Trump and his supporters, as per a report by the Daily Mail. Why are insiders calling her situation 'untenable'? Friends say she's currently struggling to balance both worlds as things spiral publicly and personally. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Join new Free to Play WWII MMO War Thunder War Thunder Play Now Undo With accusations, unfollows, and heated backroom drama, friends say she's currently struggling to balance both worlds as things spiral publicly and personally. According to her friends, Katie Miller is in a "tricky situation" as a result of the two men's terrible split, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. Recently, Stephen Miller has been one of the people who have criticized Musk. According to the Daily Beast, their feud has become more personal than just political. Elon Musk unfollowed Miller's husband at some point during the conflict. Live Events Since Thursday, Musk and Trump have been attacking each other. In response to Musk's claim that government records on sexual offender Jeffrey Epstein implicated him, Trump said that Musk's drug use may be to blame for his actions. How did Katie Miller end up between Musk and Trump? Miller's friends told the Journal that she has "conflicting interests," which has made the split particularly difficult for her. Miller has been caught between Trump and Musk on previous occasions. The Journal was informed by insiders that there were times when senior White House staff felt Miller wasn't doing enough to encourage Musk to follow the rest of the administration's lead. Is Katie Miller being blamed inside the White House? Although Miller served as Musk and his team's primary point of contact for many White House aides, the Journal noted that they still believed she was not providing enough details about the tech billionaire's activities. As Musk dismantled agencies and cut funding, Miller admitted to some that she was finding it difficult to keep up with his bizarre behaviour. ALSO READ: Donald Trump to sue Elon Musk for defamation? Here's what could happen What role did she play in the DOGE drama? She was accused by some White House aides of delivering DOGE updates that contained false information, such as the suggestion that the government had sent $50 million worth of condoms to Gaza, which Trump later repeated. Nonetheless, she proved to be a successful point of contact between Musk and the Trump campaign last summer. Miller had developed a reputation as a tough, feisty, and outspoken supporter of Trump's agenda prior to his second term. FAQs Why is Katie Miller at the centre of the Musk-Trump drama? She is married to Trump adviser Stephen Miller but works for Elon Musk, both of whom are feuding. Does Katie Miller still work with Elon Musk? Yes, reports indicate she is still aligned with Musk, despite tensions with Trump and her husband's public criticism.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Nigeria: The true cost of separatist sit-at-home protests
Nigeria: The true cost of separatist sit-at-home protests Monday mornings in Onitsha, one of West Africa's busiest commercial cities, used to be the most chaotic day of the week. But these days, they unfold in eerie silence. The familiar blare of traders haggling prices has faded — replaced by an unsettling stillness as many residents of southeastern Nigeria live in fear. The outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) movement — which is pushing for the independence of Nigeria's southeast — regularly calls for stay-at-home protests to demand the release of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu. Kanu is on trial on terrorism charges in the Nigerian capital, Abuja. While the IPOB claimed it had suspended the stay-at-home order, locals continued to comply due to the fear of armed groups known to attack those who defy the measure, using enforcement tactics like arson, looting and targeted killings. "Mondays now feel so empty," said Gift Chigo, a resident in Imo, one of the hardest-hit states in the region. "Businesses are shut down and shops locked down. And to be honest, we don't necessarily sit at home because we support the IPOB, but out of fear. It's not about solidarity, it's about [protecting] ourselves. What can we do? Nothing," she told DW. Nigeria labels IPOB a terrorist organization Formed in 2012 by two UK-based Nigerians, Nnamdi Kanu and Uche Mefor, the IPOB has been at the forefront of the renewed call for an independent state of Biafra. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo Former Eastern region governor and military officer, Emeka Ojukwu, had declared the defunct state of Biafra in the 1960s following the killing of Igbos in northern Nigeria. However, that attempt to secede from the country ended with a bloody three-year civil war that led to the death of millions of people. The agitations still persist with groups like IPOB. In 2020, the IPOB launched its armed wing called the Eastern Security Network aimed at protecting the Igbos, but residents told DW it has instead inflicted more suffering on them. Since Kanu's arrest, the group has split into factions — some of which are more violent, exerting considerable influence and power, especially in rural communities, and targeting government facilities. Although IPOB has repeatedly dissociated itself from the region's violence, authorities have continued to accuse the group of several violent incidents in the area. The Nigerian government has labelled the group a terrorist organization. The cost of a sit-at-home order Apart from the sit-at-home protest every Monday, the region also observes the order on days Kanu appears in court. And, it has not only upended livelihoods and disrupted the economy of the region, but it has also led to the death of more than 700 people over the past four years. A recent report by SBM intelligence, a Lagos-based think tank, shows that the protest has resulted in economic losses of over $4.79 billion (€4.20 billion) with key sectors like transportation, trade, and micro businesses taking the biggest hit. In about 332 violent incidents, the protest's epicenter has been Imo state, where 332 people were killed, followed closely by neighboring Anambra with 202 deaths. Many of the victims were civilians who defied the weekly order or became caught up in clashes between the group and Nigerian security forces. Public institutions like schools and hospitals have also been disrupted by the protest. "I go to class three times a week even though I teach mathematics which was supposed to be taught every single day. We're seriously lagging behind due to the IPOB's order," King David, a teacher in Owerri, told DW. Schools suffer, economy stalls Dengiyefa Angalapu, a research analyst at the Centre for Democracy and Development, a think tank, shared David's concern. He noted that the educational sector has borne the most profound brunt of the sit-ins in the region. "Students preparing for exams often miss critical academic days or are even forced to travel under risky conditions," said Angalapu. "Beyond that, students missing out on school every Monday means they only have four days to learn, and I think that's really a very critical gap compared to other regions in the country." While there was a high rate of compliance with the order in 2021, representing about 83%, actual support is much lower now — about 29%. Nigeria's southeast is inhabited predominantly by the Igbo ethnic group who are known for their entrepreneurial skills. The impact of the sit-ins has been substantial, and these losses are not just contained in the southeast, said Ikemesit Effiong, head of research at the Lagos-based think tank. "People from the Niger Delta and the South South region who are looking to transit through the South East to get to other parts of the country are also materially affected because their goods cannot move over land through the region." Effiong mentioned that the loss in productivity has weakened economic competitiveness and discouraged external investments. "The economic loss in terms of reduced investability climate in the region is worrisome. Many projects that would have been greenlit have actually been held back or rerouted to other parts of the country because the cost of doing business has increased in the South East," he said. What's the way out? Dengiyefa said that, beyond economic loss, deepening unemployment and poverty, what lies ahead is even more staggering. "It's quite sad that a generation of youth are being raised in the southeast in a climate of fear and ideological extremism," Dengiyefa noted. Dengiyefa added that "with the intergenerational transfer of trauma, we're at a very big risk if this continues because we've a whole generation that has been radicalised and that's a very fundamental challenge." Dengiyefa suggested that the Nigerian government should invest in countering secessionist narratives, including engaging local leaders. "We need a non-military security presence such as community policing rather than having solely the armed forces which often escalate tensions" that would eventually lead to a peaceful dialogue for any political demands. Both analysts argued that the heavy-handedness of Kanu's prosecution could be softened through government transparency and fair judicial process. "People may not approve of Nnamdi Kanu's tactics within the region, but his message still has deep resonance. Many people see his treatment as emblematic of how Nigeria has generally treated the Southeast. So, changing that paradigm and changing that perception will be critical," Effiong added.
NDTV
6 days ago
- NDTV
Green Card Holders Banned From Buying Land? What Ohio's New Bill Means
Ohio lawmakers have proposed two bills that could ban foreign nationals and some green card holders from owning land in large parts of the state. The proposed laws, House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 88, if passed, would restrict land purchases within 40 km of military bases and key infrastructure like water plants, gas lines, and power stations. The bills are part of a national push to curb foreign land ownership over security concerns. If passed, they would prevent people from so-called "foreign adversary" countries, including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela, from buying property near sensitive sites. The ban would also apply to foreign-owned companies and, in some cases, lawful permanent residents. "We owe it to our citizens to be vigilant & until federal legislation passes, it's up to states to keep our power stations, water treatment, facilities, gas pipelines, rails & military installations safe from foreign espionage & surveillance," said Representative Angela King, who co-sponsored the bill with Rep Roy Klopfenstein. We owe it to our citizens to be vigilant & until federal legislation passes, it's up to states to keep our power stations,water treatment, facilities, gas pipelines, rails & militarily installations safe from foreign espionage & surveillance. — Angie King (@AngieNadineKing) May 23, 2025 Green card holders who already own property in these zones would be allowed to keep it. Earlier versions of the Senate bill would have required them to sell within two years, a provision that was later dropped. Senator Terry Johnson, who sponsored the Senate version, said the goal was to shield American land from those who "seek to destroy the American way of life," The Ohio Capital-Journal reported. The legislation tasks the Ohio Secretary of State with maintaining a list of restricted entities and updating it every six months. Critics argue the bills are overly broad and could discriminate against immigrants, especially from Asia. "They are targeting all of civilisation," said Vincent Wang, chair of the Asian American Coalition of Ohio, as per State News. "We must call out this (as) a racist agenda." Opponents, including lawmakers, civil rights groups, and community members, packed a Senate committee hearing last Tuesday. Over 230 people submitted testimony against the bill, calling it unconstitutional and xenophobic. "Imagine somebody who risked their life, escaped North Korea and ended up in Ohio," said Xu Lu, a US citizen and professor from Findlay. "This bill will tell them they do not belong here." "You are telling people they are not American enough, no matter how hard they try," said 14-year-old Melody Miao of Oxford, testifying that she grew up pledging allegiance to the US flag and memorising the Bill of Rights. Democrats like Rep Munira Abdullahi (D-Columbus) warned the bills may hurt immigrants trying to build a life in the state. "This is not addressing a national security concern," Abdullahi said. "This is a bill that is signifying hate." Legal experts from the ACLU also warned of swift lawsuits if the bills become law. "It is fundamentally wrong, it is profoundly unfair, and it is fueled by racial animus," said ACLU lobbyist Gary Daniels. The bills are modelled on similar laws passed in states like Florida and Texas. In 2023, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine vetoed similar land ownership restrictions, although he did approve a measure banning foreign adversaries from buying agricultural land. As of now, neither HB 1 nor SB 88 has been scheduled for a vote.
