Latest news with #FordFairmont
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Man charged with murder, rape in 1989 Licking County cold case
NEWARK, Ohio (WCMH) – A 67-year-old man is facing murder and rape charges in connection with a 1989 Licking County homicide. On Thursday, Delbert Saunders Jr. was indicted by a grand jury on charges of aggravated murder, murder, aggravated robbery, kidnapping and rape in relation to a homicide that occurred 'on or about' April 20, 1989, according to Licking County court records. Saunders would have been 31 years old at the time. While the indictment does not state who the victim was, on Thursday, Newark police announced that the department will be holding a news conference on Monday to share 'recent developments' in the homicide of 71-year-old Helen Stuart. A Facebook page dedicated to Stuart run by her family also made a post Friday stating an arrest has been made in her case. 'Helen was a beloved mother, grandmother, and woman of deep faith,' the post reads. 'She was taken from us in 1989, and for decades, her case remained unsolved. This page was created with hope—hope that someone, somewhere, knew something that could help us find the truth. And now, that day has come.' An Ohio Attorney General unsolved homicide database states on April 21, 1989, Stuart was found dead in the back of her silver 1981 Ford Fairmont on State Route 16 near State Route 668 in Licking County. An investigation revealed that the homicide possibly occurred at Stuart's residence before she was transported to where her remains were found. Stuart was sexually assaulted and strangled to death, according to the attorney general's office. Saunders is currently in prison at the Noble Correctional Institution, as he was found guilty of separate rape and kidnapping charges in 2003, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. His eligible parole date is currently listed as Oct. 1, 2026. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
Graduates to tackle Mongol Rally
Would you like your name plastered on the side of a beat-up old limousine bashing through central Asian rivers and traversing Tajikistan's many snow-capped mountains? A group of six former University of Otago students taking on the infamous Mongol Rally would like to hear from you. Next month, the group are hopping in a Ford Fairmont limousine and attempting to drive from London to Oskemen in Kazakhstan to raise money for the Life Matters charity. Crew member Liam Bartlett said they would be starting in London before attempting an unplanned route through France, Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan before crossing the finish line in Kazakhstan. "We chose to raise money for mental health because, unfortunately, all of us have someone in our lives who is affected by mental health, and a few of us have had someone close to us who have taken their own life," Mr Bartlett said. The boys were a group of six, and "obviously can't usually fit in one car". Their solution was to buy an old beaten-up limousine from London. "We'll use that to head over the deserts, the plains, the mountains and get to Kazakhstan — hopefully. "We don't really have a real plan, we don't have any idea which roads we'll take, or where we'll sleep — we have no idea of really anything — but that's all part of the fun," Mr Bartlett said. The six would be heading to London about a week early to get cracking on some modifications on the limo. "Might put a snorkel on it, maybe some racing stripes on the side." Driving across the world to support mental health in Aotearoa! - Givealittle Mr Bartlett said he would be very surprised if nothing went wrong. One person in the group fancied themselves "a bit of a mechanic" so at least somebody "thinks they know what they are doing", he said. The six were also looking for sponsors, and have pledged to print off a custom sticker with any design their perspective sponsors wanted. They said the sticker would go straight on the side of their limo. Traditionally, the Mongol Rally crosses through Russia to get to Mongolia, but due to a couple of geopolitical reasons, this route was not possible this year. As a result, there was no suitable land crossing into Mongolia and the finish line had to be shifted to Kazakhstan.
NZ Herald
11-05-2025
- NZ Herald
Coroner releases findings into death of Hemi James Rapaea in Hawke's Bay car crash
It's been nearly a decade since the crash on State Highway 2 and until now, it was unclear who was driving the Ford Fairmont when it flipped, south of Hastings. Now, Coroner Bruce Hesketh has named who he believes was driving, as well as the man he believes helped the driver flee the scene, on March 10, 2016. The coroner was satisfied that, on the balance of probabilities, Thomas Albert McKinnon was driving and Maurice Tareha assisted him. He found the actions of the two men, known to be Black Power members at the time, reflected 'unfavourably' on them, and gave them a chance to respond to his findings. They did not respond. Hesketh found Rapaea, who had been hitchhiking to Hastings after visiting a relative in Palmerston North, died from neck and chest injuries. He said the most likely reason the vehicle left the road was because McKinnon was fatigued and fell asleep. The coroner found Rapaea was still alive and responsive when McKinnon left the scene with Tareha, and they had failed to attempt CPR, nor did they call an ambulance. 'It is unknown if the outcome would have been different if Mr McKinnon had rendered assistance to Mr Rapaea after the crash and called emergency services,' the coroner said. A forensic pathologist believed Rapaea would have needed 'rescue breathing', rather than regular CPR, and this would have required McKinnon to be a trained first-aider or paramedic. Police conducted an inquiry at the time into who was driving the car, even featuring the case on Police Ten 7 seeking more information. However, charges were never laid. The coroner suggested police did not consider there was sufficient evidence to 'successfully identify the driver and succeed with a criminal prosecution'. The coroner further explained that while a criminal prosecution requires facts to be proved 'beyond reasonable doubt', a coroner needs only to be satisfied of the facts 'on the balance of probabilities', or 'more likely than not'. What happened that night CCTV footage showed Rapaea at the Dannevirke Caltex shortly before midnight on March 9, 2016. McKinnon and Tareha started their night in Wellington, having travelled from Hawke's Bay to purchase the Ford Fairmont. It's still unknown when or where Rapaea got into the Ford. While Tareha was arranging the change of ownership in Wellington, McKinnon had left in the newly-purchased Ford, leaving the Caldina behind for Tareha. Part of the evidence referred to by the coroner included a pie wrapper, Powerade bottle, and cellphone which were all found in the crashed Ford, and all of which were linked to McKinnon. McKinnon accepted he'd taken the Ford to a petrol station in Wellington where he'd bought a pie and Powerade, but said after that he'd been travelling in the Caldina. He had no explanation for what happened to the Ford after that. The coroner found neither Tareha nor McKinnon had been truthful in their statements that denied McKinnon had driven the car up to Hawke's Bay. Advertise with NZME. At 3.22am, police received the first call from a witness who'd come upon the crash. When the first car arrived on the scene, the driver saw another car stopped in the northbound lane with lights on full beam. The coroner was satisfied that car was the Caldina and as the driver of the other car didn't see anyone walking around, it meant at this point McKinnon was either still inside the Ford, or already in the Caldina. A truck arriving on the scene then saw the Caldina driving away at speed. The police accessed text messages sent to and from Tareha's phone later in the morning of the crash. An unknown number had sent a message saying, 'Bro as you read dis rng me 'important' bout car'. Tareha's phone was later used to send a message to a senior Black Power member: 'Yo lose wheel on car flipped it'. Accidental, 'but preventable' Coroner Hesketh found Rapaea's death was accidental, but preventable. The crash analysis supported a finding that driver fatigue was likely to be the major contributing factor. He accepted while it was perhaps unlikely that McKinnon or Tareha would have had the skills to give the necessary assistance to Rapaea, neither man tried, nor did they call an ambulance. There was no way to know if an earlier call would have led to paramedics getting there sooner, and in time to save Rapaea. The coroner issued warnings about driving while fatigued, including avoiding driving during hours of sleep, getting a good night's sleep before driving, and sharing the driving. If a driver starts to feel sleepy, they're advised to stop driving and pull off the road to take a short nap in the passenger seat. A police spokesperson told NZME the case remained open. 'Police has taken the investigation as far as we can at the moment, however there is currently insufficient evidence to file a charge in court. 'If further information is forthcoming, police will assess it and, if required, reassess any next steps.' Hannah Bartlett is a Tauranga-based Open Justice reporter at NZME. She previously covered court and local government for the Nelson Mail, and before that was a radio reporter at Newstalk ZB.
