Latest news with #DavidBarber
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Yahoo
High-Speed RV chase ends in deadly crash after police attempt to end pursuit; New Mexico Crime Files
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – This week on New Mexico Crime Files, David Barber had been on the run for over a month when he decided to take things too far. After leading police on a high-speed chase in 2017 through a large swath of Albuquerque, APD attempted to put a stop to the getaway. When police clipped the back of the stolen RV, the RV veered into oncoming traffic and crashed into a car. The driver of that car, Tito Pacheco, died. Then, in 2008, when photos of a masked and yet unidentified man in crutches robbing a bank in Albuquerque began circling in the nationwide media, it wasn't long before someone recognized Khoa Luong. The unlikely source that led to the identification of this out-of-state bank robber. Finally, KRQE News anchors, Dean Staley and Jessica Garate, also discuss a suspected drunk driver in 2008 who fled from police when they attempted to stop him for swerving in and out of traffic. After coming to a stop, the chase ends with Roy Aguilar falling out of his van and getting run over by it. About New Mexico Crime Files This is New Mexico Crime Files – Taking it from the streets, then to the courtroom, to finally answering 'where are they now?'. Each week, KRQE News 13 anchors Dean Staley and Jessica Garate bring you the notorious, the unforgettable, and the unbelievable crime stories from the Land of Enchantment. New Mexico Crime Files is sponsored by MedradoStruck Law Firm. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
'Find out who will miss her and when': New documents released in Titusville murder
Earlier this week, Eyewitness News told you about the State Attorney's Office's intent to seek the death penalty in the case against a former Brevard County corrections deputy. David Barber is charged with the kidnapping and murder of 72-year-old Jessie Kirk. Barber was the ex-boyfriend of Kirk's niece. Now, new documents from the State Attorney's Office provide new insight into the crime. Investigators said they located a notepad during their investigation of Barber. According to investigators, the notes begin with investment plans and include a buy-and-gather list. Among the items on that buy list were a costume, trash bags, gloves, bleach and a sprayer, a plastic box with a lid, big zip ties, a hat, and wigs. The notes also included a timeline with instructions like: 'plan route, go to local bank, park across the street, observe, put on a disguise, and find out who will miss her and when.' One line read, 'Access finances if possible'. And at the end of that timeline, 'When leaving after sweeping house after bleaching place K's fingerprint on the toilet lid.' 72-year-old Kirk was reported missing on March 4. A friend helped Titusville Police locate Kirk's Lincoln SUV across the street from her Somerset Riverfront Condo at the Apollo Landings Apartments. By the time Kirk's niece arrived, Kirk's Lincoln was gone, but her niece recognized Barber's vehicle, and police were called again. They set up surveillance in the area, and when Barber arrived, police say he had a large injury on his right arm consistent with a burn from high heat, his hair appeared to be singed, and his shirt appeared to be partially burned. When police located Kirk's remains near the Haulover Canal, they were burned. The medical examiner's office listed Kirk's death as homicidal asphyxiation with terminal immolation. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Yahoo
Community honors Titusville philanthropist Jessie Kirk as her accused killer sits in jail
The Brief A memorial was held for 72-year-old Jessie Kirk, who was found murdered after being reported missing in Titusville. Her accused killer, 35-year-old David Barber, is in jail awaiting trial. Friends and family honored Kirk's legacy of community service and generosity. TITUSVILLE, Fla. - A memorial was held for 72-year-old Jessie Kirk, who was found murdered after being reported missing in Titusville. What we know Jessie Kirk, a 72-year-old woman from Titusville, was reported missing on March 2 after not showing up for a scheduled walk with a friend. Her body was discovered two days later, and 35-year-old David Barber has been arrested and charged with her murder. What we don't know The circumstances leading to Jessie Kirk's death, including the details of how she was killed and the motive behind the crime, remain unclear. The case is still under investigation, and Barber is awaiting trial. The backstory Jessie Kirk was known for her deep community involvement, serving with local organizations, including the hospital, and was remembered as a leader and a force for good in Titusville. Her tragic death has left the community in shock. The murder has shaken the Titusville community, where many knew Jessie Kirk as a friendly and selfless figure. Her death is a stark reminder of the dark side that can emerge in small towns, as local residents express disbelief that such a crime could occur there. What they're saying "She was more than a leader, she was a force of good in our community," said Melissa Lugo, of the Jess Parrish Medical Foundation. "Her warmth, her generosity, and her unwavering dedication to serving others left an impact on everyone in this community." "I just can't believe a crime as heinous as this could take place here in our small town of Titusville," said friend Herman Cole, who serves as Vice Mayor of Titusville. "I miss her smile and her effervescence. She was always out there. I don't think she ever met a stranger." "She kept giving back," said friend John Herring. "She worked with the hospital. She worked with lots of different organizations. She was here to serve her community." "She would want you to open your arms to the world, to chase new horizons with the same fearless heart that she did," another friend said. "For she's not truly gone, she's in the winds that call us forward." STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source This story was written based on information shared by friends of Jessie Kirk and the Titusville Police Department.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary ends its 90th anniversary season with record bald eagle count
Last fall, the 90th anniversary migration season at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary set another record for the bald eagle with 668 of the magnificent raptors counted soaring past the North Lookout. This record starkly contrasts with the low 50 years ago of a mere 13 of the large, dark birds with the diagnostic white head and tail that passed the lookout in the fall of 1974. Now, that many can be seen in an hour or two on a good migration day at the mountain. 'It's just an incredible success story,' said David Barber, senior biologist at the sanctuary who compiles and analyzes the migration data. 'The bald eagle coming back from the DDT era when we weren't getting hardly any juveniles at all to where we are today is incredible.' Dr. Laurie Goodrich calls out passing raptors to hawk watchers at the North Lookout of Hawk Mountain Sanctuary during the 90th anniversary year. (Courtesy of Amber Wiewel/Hawk Moutain Sanctuary) Raptor species at the top of the food chain such as bald eagles, peregrine falcons and ospreys were decimated by the effects of DDT, which was banned in 1972. The pesticide weakened the birds' egg shells, allowing them to be crushed by the weight of the brooding raptors. Rachel Carson, whose work in 'Silent Spring' sounded the alarm about the dangers of persistent, organochloride pesticides such as DDT, used data from Hawk Mountain migration records to help make her case. The bald eagle has been such a conservation success story that a bald eagle can be seen pretty much any day of the migration season, which runs annually from Aug. 15 to Dec. 15, Barber said. 'Almost any day you go up there, you can see a bald eagle, whether it's a migrating bald eagle or resident bald eagle,' Barber said. 'And people love to see bald eagles.' That fact has made environmental education much more real to those who are drawn to the rocky outcrop each fall along the Kittatinny Ridge in northern Berks County. 'It's become an ambassador species for us,' Barber said. 'It really draws people in. We can tell them the value of raptors, what raptors mean to the environment and their role in the environment.' Other raptors, though, haven't fared as well as the bald eagle. 'The overall count was 21% below average with 12 of 16 species having below 10-year average counts,' Barber said. 'American goshawk, 67% below average; osprey, 32% below average; broad-winged hawk, 31% below average; golden eagle, 24% below average.' Hawk Mountain Sanctuary senior biologist David Barber compiles and analyzes the seasonal hawk counts. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE) The American goshawk in particular has been a species of special concern and has recently been placed on the state endangered species list. 'Those goshawk numbers were way down this year,' Barber said. 'We average nine per year now, and we saw only three. And declining numbers of goshawks are being seen throughout all watch sites in Pennsylvania.' The irony of the goshawk decline is that it is the species that first alerted conservationists to the hawk shooting along the Kittatinny Ridge in the early 20th century. The Pennsylvania Game Commission had offered a $5 bounty on each goshawk sent to them in an effort to eradicate what they believed at the time to be a destructive species. The state ornithologist was curious about the large numbers of goshawks shot near Eckville and submitted to the game commission for the bounty. He paid a visit to the site and found raptors of many species shot along the ridge. The extent and timing of the migration wasn't fully known until local ornithologist and Reading Public Museum assistant director Earl L. Poole visited the mountain from 1929 to 1933 to record the pulse of the migration. When New York conservationist Rosalie Edge leased the mountain in 1934 and brought on ornithologists Maurice and Irma Broun to act as stewards, Hawk Mountain as a raptor sanctuary was born. Broun began counting the raptors that flew by the North Lookout, starting the world's longest continuing hawk migration database. Broun also counted other non-raptor bird species that flew by, a scientific tradition that continues today. 'One encouraging note, the blue jay numbers were incredible this year,' Barber said. 'What's really cool about blue jays that migrate past North Lookout is they don't call,' he said. 'They're silent, which is really weird. You can see a flock with 300 blue jays, which you expect would be making raucous noise, and they're just completely quiet. We had 11,527 for the year with a single-day high count of 4,359 on Sept. 30.' The sanctuary staff has also been keeping count of monarch butterflies, which had the lowest number in the last 20 years at 288. In all, 12,546 raptors were counted this fall along with 63,923 non-raptors of 146 species. The bald eagle was the definite highlight of the season, particularly since then-President Joe Biden on Christmas Eve signed legislation designating the bald eagle as the official national bird. 'I've been here 25 years,' Barber said. 'The total my first year was like 140, and this year we had 668. 'It's just an incredible success story.'
