Latest news with #Review-Journal
Daily Mirror
28-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Man brands his flatmate a 'disgusting slob' - and then is found dead days later
When police in Las Vegas responded to a report "of a foul-smelling odour" coming from a storage container, they eventually discovered Matthew Kelemen's rotting body A man branded his flatmate "a disgusting slob" - and was discovered dead just days later Police responding to a report "of a foul-smelling odour" coming from a storage container found Matthew Kelemen's decomposing corpse. It was wrapped in a sheet inside a locked plastic bin on a residential street in Downtown South, Las Vegas, last Tuesday. It has since emerged the 56-year-old man, who was a freelance journalist, told his family his flatmate was a "disgusting slob" and he felt "really uneasy living there". The flatmate became prime suspect in the murder investigation in Las Vegas but he died days later in a high-speed police chase. He topped speeds of 140mph before hitting spike strips, losing control, and being ejected from the car on a highway in Utah, a pursuit police say was unconnected to the murder probe. Mr Kelemen, who spent most of his career at Las Vegas Magazine, likely died as a result of blunt force trauma, it is understood. His sister, Mikki Zaferatos told local media the Review-Journal investigators believe he was struck from behind with a hammer. Speaking to the outlet, Ms Zaferatos said: "He'd only lived there for about six months, but he kept telling my brother what a strange guy [the flatmate] was. He said he was really uneasy living there. 'The guy was a disgusting slob,' were his words." Mr Kelemen, a keen musician, had told his sister he intended to "confront" the flatmate about his behaviour, an admission which helped identify the man as the prime murder suspect. But the 63-year-old suspect died following the crash in Utah, police confirmed. Utah Highway Patrol did not give reporters further details about the chase, except stressing it was not linked to the murder probe in the neighbouring state. Ms Zaferatos described her family's heartbreak as "horror movie stuff". She added: "I'm barely holding it together... I could not process what was going through my brain." She said police told her her brother's rotting body was found in what they described as a large crate. Ms Zaferatos believes this was one of the writer's amplifier boxes as he liked to play the guitar. Mr Keleman had worked as a reporter in the Las Vegas area since he moved there in 2003, and was a staff writer at now-defunct 944 and City Life magazines. At the time of his death, he also freelanced for Las Vegas Weekly and Vegas magazine. His last pieces published before his death were pieces about Janet Jackson and a preview of Memorial Day Weekend in Sin City, respectively.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Las Vegas Journalist Feared Confronting His 'Disgusting Slob' Roommate. Days Later, They Both Were Dead
A Las Vegas journalist's fears about his roommate turned out to be tragically well-founded: He was found murdered inside a storage container — and the roommate, who was the suspect, died days later in a high-speed police Vegas Metro Police discovered the body of Matthew Kelemen, 56, decomposing and wrapped in a tarp inside a locked plastic bin near Fremont Street on May 20 after responding to reports of a foul odor, the department wrote in a press a longtime writer who most recently worked for Las Vegas Magazine, likely died as a result of blunt force trauma, according to documents reviewed by KLAS and the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The victim's sister Mikki Zaferatos told the Review-Journal that investigators believe he was struck from behind with a hammer. A witness told police the container had been dropped off four days earlier. Investigators quickly determined it had been rented using the Bounce storage app by Kelemen's roommate, Joseph Del Rivo, per the documents obtained by KLAS and the Review-Journal. The following day, Del Rivo was killed in Utah during a high-speed police pursuit, according to Utah Highway Patrol. Authorities say Del Rivo was clocked driving more than 90 mph behind a trooper's vehicle on I-70. When the trooper activated his lights and sirens, Del Rivo fled — reaching speeds of up to 140 mph before hitting spike strips, losing control, and being ejected from the the days before his death, Kelemen had told his family he planned to move out, Zaferatos told the Review-Journal. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. 'He'd only lived there for about six months, but he kept telling my brother what a strange guy [Del Rivo] was,' Zaferatos told the outlet. 'He said he was really uneasy living there. 'The guy was a disgusting slob,' were his words.'She said Kelemen had planned to confront his roommate — but told family he was 'worried about how [Del Rivo's] going to act.' Police told Zaferatos that her brother was shoved into what they described as a large crate. 'We believe that might have been one of my brother's amplifier boxes,' Zaferatos told the Review-Journal. 'Matt played the guitar and he had amplifiers, and it was a big black box.' Zaferatos said her family has had a "rough couple of days" after the discovery of her brother's body, which she described as "horror movie stuff." "I'm barely holding it together," she told the outlet two days after Keleman's body was found. "I could not process what was going through my brain." Keleman had worked as a reporter in the Las Vegas area since he moved there in 2003, and was a staff writer at now-defunct 944 and City Life magazines. At the time of his death, he also freelanced for Las Vegas Weekly and Vegas magazine. His last pieces published before his death were pieces about Janet Jackson and a preview of Memorial Day Weekend in Sin City, respectively. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Yahoo
High School Senior Dies After Being Struck by Vehicle Weeks Before Her Graduation: 'A Beautiful Girl with a Bright Smile'
Police in Las Vegas arrested and charged a man they say struck and killed an 18-year-old high school senior with his vehicle near her school, just weeks before her graduation, on May 2 Friends and family have since identified the student as McKenzie Scott of Arbor View High School, per local outlets 'Every person she came in contact with, they were happier in her presence," one student told local media during a vigil for the teen A Las Vegas man has been arrested and charged after police say he fatally struck a high school student with his car near her school campus — only weeks away from her graduation. On Friday, May 2, at around 11:25 a.m. local time, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) learned of a crash involving a pedestrian at the intersection of North Buffalo Drive and Grand Teton Drive, just outside of the main entrance of Arbor View High School, authorities announced on Facebook. The pedestrian died after being transported to a local hospital, while the driver of the vehicle was "arrested on scene," per the LVMPD. 'Unfortunately today, we have a senior in this high school who is not going to be able to put on her cap and gown and walk down to receive her diploma,' Metro Lt. Anthony Cavaricci said in his department's Facebook video, adding that the student's death marked the 59th traffic-related fatality in the jurisdiction this year. 'It's extremely sad. Slow down, Las Vegas." During a May 2 vigil, students and family identified the victim as 18-year-old McKenzie Scott, a senior at Arbor View, who was set to graduate 25 days after the fatal crash, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Her family also confirmed her identity to NBC affiliate KSNV, calling her a promising student with a full-ride scholarship and hopes of becoming a crime scene investigator. A spokesperson for the LVMPD did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Saturday, May 3. Per the Review-Journal, police have since identified the driver in the fatal incident as 37-year-old Las Vegas resident Keenan Jackson, whom they say 'failed to yield the right of way' while driving a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu before he allegedly hit the student. According to the outlet, Jackson 'showed signs of impairment during field sobriety testing' and was booked at the Clark County Detention Center. He has since been charged with DUI resulting in death, reckless driving resulting in death or serious bodily harm, and driving without a valid license, per the jail's website. On May 3, Las Vegas Justice Court Judge Daniel Westmeyer set Jackson's bail at $500,000, the Review-Journal reported. Outside of court, Brayden Boulter, a senior at Arbor View, said the school community decided to come together to mourn Scott. 'It's the beginning of May and it's that month where we're looking at new beginnings for our lives,' Boulter said, per the Review-Journal. "We were all on cloud nine [on Friday]. During fifth period, we heard that our grad walk got canceled out of nowhere, then the rumors started getting around about what happened. The energy we had did a complete 180.' Boulter also described the section of the road where Scott was struck as an "awful" area. 'That's a hard street to pass as a pedestrian," he told the Review-Journal. "You have to be very careful in that crosswalk because there's a U-turn spot there, and there just needs to be better enforcement and better lights there. There needs to be some sort of signal or something there.' In response to the loss, students helped put together a makeshift memorial for Scott on May 2, featuring candles, flowers, signs and stuffed animals left by students and loved ones outside of campus. Adrianna Ornelas, a fellow senior, told reporters that Scott 'was a beautiful girl with a bright smile.' 'She was a bright sun on a very dark road,' Ornelas said, according to the Review-Journal. 'Every person she came in contact with, they were happier in her presence.' Arbor View Principal Duane Bickmore wrote in a letter to the school community that the school was "mourning the loss of this young life," per the Review-Journal, while Clark County School District Superintendent Jhone Ebert wrote in an X statement that Scott's death was an "unimaginable loss." "She was a senior — full of promise, nearing graduation and looking forward to a bright future," the statement read. "In this time of sorrow, I urge our community to come together. Please remain vigilant and cautious, especially in areas near our schools. The safety of our students is a shared responsibility, and we must continue working together to protect and support them." Scott's mother has since launched a GoFundMe, describing her daughter as someone who was "full of light, hope and kindness." She is survived by her younger brother Kasen and her mother Tiffany, per the fundraiser. Her community has since raised more than $15,000 as of May 3. "Donations will go to funeral and burial costs and helping her family," the GoFundMe states. "Please pray to give them the strength they need to get through this. Our hearts are broken, and we are all absolutely devastated." Read the original article on People
The Guardian
26-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trump mega-donor's paper savages his pardon of Las Vegas Republican
A Nevada newspaper owned by a Donald Trump mega-donor has savaged the US president's decision to pardon a Republican councilwoman who was convicted of using donations intended to fund a statue of a police officer to pay for cosmetic surgery. The Las Vegas Review-Journal, owned by the billionaire Miriam Adelson, described the decision as a 'debasement of presidential pardon power' in a scathing editorial published after Trump granted clemency to Michele Fiore, a former Las Vegas councilwoman and Nevada state lawmaker. Fiore was convicted of fraud last year. Federal prosecutors said at trial that she had raised more than $70,000 for the statue of a Las Vegas police officer who was fatally shot in 2014 in the line of duty, but had instead spent it on cosmetic surgery, rent and her daughter's wedding. Adelson, who is worth $35bn, spent $100m on re-electing Trump in 2024, but apparently decided not to intervene when the Review-Journal, Nevada's largest newspaper, attacked him on Friday. The newspaper's editorial criticized Trump's pardon of Fiore, who was due to be sentenced next month, in no uncertain terms. 'The pardon, which was brief and contained no explanation, is an affront to the federal jury that heard her case and sends precisely the wrong message to public officials tempted to enrich themselves through their sinecures,' the Review-Journal wrote. 'In addition, pardons are typically reserved for those who were wrongly convicted or the victim of some other miscarriage of justice. There is no evidence that either occurred in this case. Instead, it's difficult to argue that political considerations weren't the primary motivation for granting relief to Ms Fiore.' Trump quietly pardoned Fiore, a firm supporter of his, on Wednesday, and the move only came to light after Fiore wrote about the clemency in a Facebook post. The White House confirmed the pardon, but did not elaborate further. Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion In January, Trump was criticized after he issued 'full, complete and unconditional' presidential pardons to about 1,500 people who were involved in the January 6 attack on Congress, including some convicted of violent acts.
Fox Sports
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox Sports
Norm Clarke, a Las Vegas celebrity columnist and former AP sports writer, dies at 82
Associated Press Norm Clarke, a colorful journalist who covered the back-to-back World Series champion Cincinnati Reds of the 1970s as an Associated Press sports writer and then became a popular entertainment columnist in Las Vegas, has died after a long battle with prostate cancer. Clarke, 82, died on Thursday at a Las Vegas hospice center, said his brother, Jeff Scheid. Instantly recognizable with his signature eye patch — he lost his right eye in a childhood accident — Clarke had a big hit with his 'Vegas Confidential' column for the Las Vegas Review-Journal beginning in 1999. He covered what he called 'the world's greatest buffet of entertainment news' in a 2024 interview with 'Vegas Revealed' podcast co-host Dayna Roselli. His celebrity sightings and reports of 'celebrities behaving badly' included scoops on Britney Spears' 55-hour Vegas marriage in 2004, Michael Jackson's surprise return to the city in 2006 after nearly three years in Europe, and Elton John getting booed after losing his temper and throwing a stool and glass of water during a show. 'Norm's Review-Journal column was so popular he became a celebrity in his own right,' Review-Journal Executive Editor Glenn Cook said by email. 'He was a gentleman. Readers loved him. I consistently heard from subscribers who said Norm was the first thing they read every day.' A 2010 Forbes magazine profile described his role this way: 'Writing up gossip in Sin City is the Wild West of entertainment beats. Norm Clarke is the sheriff.' Donald Trump and 'Playboy' founder Hugh Hefner were among those offering blurbs for Clarke's 2009 book 'Sinsational Celebrity Tales.' Clarke, who retired in 2016, credited his AP training with helping develop the aggressive reporting and interviewing style that made his Vegas column a long-running hit. 'Being remembered as a reporter was always my hope. I would not want to be known as a gossip columnist,' Clarke said in a Review-Journal interview last week. 'With all the time I put in with The Associated Press, wearing the mantle of AP reporter meant everything to me. A lot of pride goes into working for the AP.' Clarke left the Helena, Montana, Independent Record in 1973 and joined AP in Cincinnati, where he covered the emergence of the dominating Big Red Machine that won baseball world championships in 1975-76 led by Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Tony Perez. That was the beginning of a long, sometimes contentious relationship with Rose. Clarke broke news on his contract squabbles with the Reds, subsequent signing with the Philadelphia Phillies, and his retirement. Decades later, Rose, who stayed in Las Vegas for much of the year to sell his autograph, slapped Clarke in the face after Clarke listed him among Vegas' worst tippers. However, Clarke said he and Rose shook hands in their final meeting. Major League Baseball's all-time hits leader died in Las Vegas on Sept. 30, 2024, at age 83. Clarke also led AP coverage of the devastating 1977 fire at the popular Beverly Hills Supper Club entertainment spot just across the river from Cincinnati in Southgate, Kentucky. As Clarke tried to get to the scene, he found traffic was at a standstill, so he pulled over and ran a mile (1.61 kilometers) to the club. He was the first to interview Walter Bailey, the busser who interrupted a dinner show and warned people to evacuate, likely saving many lives from the blaze that killed 165. Andy Lippman, AP's retired assistant chief of bureau in Los Angeles who first worked with Clarke as the correspondent in the Cincinnati AP office, recalled Clarke's tireless coverage of the fire. 'In those pre-cellphone days, he ran up and down the hill where the club was located, found phones and dictated, for about 16 hours,' Lippman said, adding that Clarke later called him and said he had dreamed of seeing the charred bodies around him. Clarke moved on to San Diego with the AP. He was sent to Las Vegas in 1980 to help cover the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino fire that claimed 85 lives. He also helped coordinate coverage of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. He then joined the Rocky Mountain News as a sports reporter, producing an award-winning series on illegal sports betting and chronicling Denver's successful pursuit of a baseball expansion franchise that became the Rockies in 1993. Highlights of his reporting became his 1993 book, 'High Hard Ones.' Clarke was 'the best pure news reporter I knew in more than 50 years in newspapers. He had a special ear for quotes, and the ability to get people to talk to him,' said Denny Dressman, a former Rocky Mountain News editor who helped complete Clarke's recent memoir and edited 'High Hard Ones.' Among his personal adventures was twice running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, then getting stomped by a bull in the inaugural running in Tecate, Mexico. A native of Terry, Montana, Clarke was 10 when he lost his father, Charlie, to cancer and then his right eye months later. His father was 'a huge sports fan' who in 1951 drove from Montana to New York City for the all-New York Giants-Yankees World Series, Clarke said. His mother, Dorothy, was reluctant to let Norm play football, fearing he would damage his other eye, but she finally relented, and he became a starting defensive lineman. He was working in a grocery store when the editor of the local weekly newspaper offered him $5 to cover a three-day basketball tournament. His hometown team won the tournament on a buzzer-beating half-court shot. 'It was the best payday of my life,' he recalled, 'because in that moment, I realized I could do what I loved — and get paid for it,' he said. 'Covering sports lifted me out of a dark place and changed my life.' Clarke's memoir, 'Power of the Patch,' was published this month. He wanted the book distributed free of charge in schools and libraries in Montana and in the cities where he worked. Besides Scheid, Clarke is survived by a sister, Nancy Morast of Kalispell, Montana; another brother, Newell Clarke of Terry; and his wife, Cara Roberts Clarke, whom he married in 2012. Clarke was godfather to Marine Sgt. David Kreuter of Cincinnati, who was killed at age 26 on Aug. 3, 2005, by a bombing in Iraq that claimed 15 lives. Scheid said a memorial service will be scheduled later. —— Sewell, a retired AP journalist, first worked with Clarke as an intern in AP's Cincinnati office in 1977. recommended
