EXCLUSIVE: James P. Hoffa on his father's disappearance and legacy

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Family appeal for information on murder of mother-of-three 20 years on
The family of a mother who was shot in her home has appealed for anyone with information to come forward, 20 years on from her murder. Lucy Hargreaves, 22, was asleep on the sofa when three men burst into her home in Walton, Liverpool, on August 3 2005 and fatally injured her. The killers then set fire to the home on Lambourne Road, where her partner and two-year-old daughter were upstairs, and they had to escape through a window. Two decades on, her family released a previously unshared photograph of the mother-of-three, taken at college. They said: 'Over the past 20 years, people will have talked with family and friends. 'A number of people were contacted by males using a phone that was stolen, along with a vehicle used in Lucy's murder. 'The people who received those calls, along with others, could have information which could be crucial in achieving justice for Lucy, her parents, sister, children and all her extended family and friends. 'We appeal directly to them to please come forward. Now is the time.' Police arrested 21 people as part of their investigations, but no-one has been convicted. A comprehensive review into her murder was launched by Merseyside Police two years ago and remains ongoing. Howard Rubbery, head of the serious case review unit, said: 'It is now 20 years since Lucy was taken from her family in the most brutal of circumstances. 'After carrying out the killing, the offenders ignored the cries of a toddler upstairs as they poured petrol around the house and set fire to it. 'Their callous and reckless actions could have claimed the lives of two more people that night, had they not escaped the flames by jumping from a window upstairs. 'We are as determined as ever to get justice for Lucy, whose death robbed her family of a loving mother and daughter. 'As with any unsolved murder, time is no barrier to our pursuit of justice for Lucy and we appeal to anyone with any information, no matter how small it may seem, to contact us.' Ms Hargreaves' family, who said they 'miss her every single day', welcomed a focus on tackling violence against women and girls in recent years. They praised the families of other victims of gun crime, including the mothers of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt Korbel and Ashley Dale, 28, who were shot in their homes in separate incidents in Liverpool in August 2022. The family said: 'We greatly admire the determination and guts of the families of those who have more recently been killed as a result of gun crime here in Merseyside. 'The mums of both Ashley Dale and Olivia Pratt Korbel have led a real and powerful community challenge to men of violence.' The family added: 'We consider ourselves to be an ordinary local family with strong roots in the Walton, Norris Green, Croxteth and Dovecot areas of Liverpool. 'Lucy's nanny Joyce was a strong mother of eight who had to cope with the loss of three granddaughters in her lifetime – including Lucy. 'Her nanny Betty, left a widow aged 35 with six children to bring up, was awarded the British Empire Medal for her services to nursing as an auxiliary nurse in the Royal Liverpool Hospital. 'They were two strong local women typical of their generation, and Lucy too was a strong woman who could have achieved so much had she only been given the opportunity.' Detectives are continuing to appeal for anyone with information about a gold Lexus car, believed to have been dumped shortly after the shooting on Richard Kelly Drive, Clubmoor, by a number of men who then ran in the direction of Normandale Road. Police previously said they wanted to speak to Kevin Thomas Parle in connection with Ms Hargreaves' murder. Parle, who was believed to be living abroad, was also wanted in connection with the murder of Liam Kelly, 16, who was shot in the early hours of June 19 2004 in Dingle, Liverpool. Anyone with information should contact the Merseyside Police social media desk via X @MerPolCC, on Facebook at Merseyside Police Contact Centre or through the website Information can also be reported anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Family of murdered mother make emotional appeal for ‘justice for Lucy'
The family of a mother shot dead in her Liverpool home 20 years ago has made a fresh appeal for information on her murder. Lucy Hargreaves, 22, was asleep on her sofa when three men burst into her Walton home on 3 August 2005. They fatally injured her, then set fire to the Lambourne Road property, forcing her partner and two-year-old daughter to escape through an upstairs window. Two decades later, her family is urging anyone with details to come forward to help to achieve 'justice for Lucy'. They have also released a previously unshared college photograph of the mother-of-three. Following Ms Hargreaves' death, 'a number of people were contacted by males using a phone that was stolen, along with a vehicle used in Lucy's murder', the family said. The people who received the calls could have information which could be 'crucial in achieving justice for Lucy' and her loved ones, they said. 'We appeal directly to them to please come forward. Now is the time.' Police arrested 21 people as part of their investigation into the murder, but no one has been convicted. A comprehensive review into Ms Hargreaves' death was launched by Merseyside Police two years ago and remains ongoing. Howard Rubbery, head of the serious case review unit, said: 'It is now 20 years since Lucy was taken from her family in the most brutal of circumstances. 'After carrying out the killing, the offenders ignored the cries of a toddler upstairs as they poured petrol around the house and set fire to it. 'Their callous and reckless actions could have claimed the lives of two more people that night, had they not escaped the flames by jumping from a window upstairs.' Merseyside Police are 'as determined as ever' to get justice for Ms Hargreaves, Mr Rubbery said. Her death 'robbed her family of a loving mother and daughter', he said. 'As with any unsolved murder, time is no barrier to our pursuit of justice for Lucy and we appeal to anyone with any information, no matter how small it may seem, to contact us.' Ms Hargreaves' family, who said they 'miss her every single day', welcomed a focus on tackling violence against women and girls in recent years. They praised the families of other victims of gun crime, including the mothers of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt Korbel and 28-year-old Ashley Dale, who were shot in their homes in separate incidents in Liverpool in August 2022. 'The mums of both Ashley Dale and Olivia Pratt Korbel have led a real and powerful community challenge to men of violence.' The family remembered Ms Hargreaves as 'a strong woman who could have achieved so much had she only been given the opportunity'. Detectives are appealing for anyone with information about a gold Lexus car, believed to have been dumped shortly after the shooting on Richard Kelly Drive, Clubmoor, by a number of men who then ran in the direction of Normandale Road. Police previously said they wanted to speak to Kevin Thomas Parle in connection with Ms Hargreaves' murder. Parle, who was believed to be living abroad, was also wanted in connection with the murder of Liam Kelly, 16, who was shot in the early hours of 19 June 2004 in Dingle, Liverpool. Anyone with information should contact the Merseyside Police social media desk via X @MerPolCC, on Facebook at Merseyside Police Contact Centre or through the Merseyside Police website. Information can also be reported anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Construction Worker and 'Loving' Father of 3 Dies After Being Buried Under Dirt at a Building Site
"No one goes to work expecting not to come home that night," police said of the tragic incident that claimed the life of Ronald Andrew Baquera TO KNOW A construction worker in Arizona has died after being buried under dirt in an open trench Emergency crews were called to a construction site in Goodyear, Ariz., on July 28, after 44-year-old Ronald Andrew Baquera Jr. became trapped six feet underground and was buried by the dirt 'The problem was, as they pulled dirt out more dirt was collapsing in, which really made this rescue almost impossible,' Goodyear Police Deputy Chief Jose Gonzalez said of the tragic incidentA construction worker in Arizona has died after being buried under dirt in an open trench. According to reports from the Arizona Republic, AZFamily and ABC 15, emergency crews were called to a construction site in Goodyear — a suburb of Phoenix located about 20 miles west of the city — on Monday, July 28, at around 1 p.m. local time. Ruben Real, a spokesperson for the Goodyear Fire Department, told ABC 15 that police, fire officials and Southwest Gas workers arrived at the site, located near Citrus and Lower Buckeye Roads, to find 44-year-old Ronald Andrew Baquera Jr., a father of three, stuck in the hole, about six feet underground. Fire crews began attempting to dig Baquera out from underneath the dirt. 'The problem was, as they pulled dirt out, more dirt was collapsing in, which really made this rescue almost impossible,' Goodyear Police Deputy Chief Jose Gonzalez told AZFamily. 'Our hearts go out to the family of the individual who's trapped, as well as to the partners who are here working with this individual." "No one goes to work expecting not to come home that night," Gonzalez added. The rescue operation was also slowed down due to crews coming close to nearby gas lines, and police said that the operation was eventually transitioned to a recovery effort. Rubicon Companies, which did not employ the worker, told the outlets that its crews assisted in the rescue operation. Crews continued digging overnight, and Baquera's body was recovered at around 2 a.m. on Tuesday, July 29. Baquera's friends and family have opened up about the loss of their loved one. Speaking with ABC 15, Melissa Prado, the mother of two of his children, described Baquera as a great father whose "hobby was his children." "My daughter is really torn up. She spends almost every day with him. She's a little distraught, and my son's angry,' Prado said. "They're not really coping too well." Nate Costly, Baquera's childhood friend who organized a vigil to honor him on Friday, Aug. 1, affectionately called the father-of-three "Ronnie," per the Republic. In an invitation to the vigil, Costly described Baquera as a "loving father and a loyal friend" who was "brutally honest, endlessly caring and unforgettable." Costly wrote that Baquera was survived by his two sons and a daughter, and his vigil was attended by more than 80 people in the local Arizona community. "He will be deeply missed," Costly said. Renisha Williams, a close family friend who said Baquera was like a brother, remembered him as a someone who lived for helping others and was 'always ready to lend a helping hand,' per the Republic. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Arizona's worker-safety agency, Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH), told ABC 15 and the Republic that it is investigating whether there were safety violations at the construction site. The agency declined to name the company that was employing the construction workers and said that the safety report could take four to five months to be completed. After the report is finished, ADOSH typically recommends citations and penalties to the state board. Prado said she and her children still have questions about what led to Baquera's accident. 'I'm sure it will come out,' she told ABC 15. 'But I don't care to know right now." Read the original article on People