Latest news with #Witness
USA Today
4 days ago
- USA Today
Karen Read trial live updates: Defense ready to present its case
Karen Read trial live updates: Defense ready to present its case Show Caption Hide Caption Karen Read's second murder trial begins with new jury Karen Read is starting her second trial after being prosecuted for the 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe, last year. Testimony is expected to resume Friday in Karen Read's second murder trial, as the Massachusetts woman's defense team prepares to present its case to the jury. On Thursday, prosecutors finished highlighting evidence they believe showed that Read, 45, struck her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe, with her SUV and left him for dead in the snow outside another cop's home after a night of heavy drinking with friends in 2022. The former finance professor has been charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter and leaving the scene of a crime. Like true crime? Check out Witness: A library of true crime stories But her defense team alleges the car crash at the center of the prosecutor's case never even happened. More: Karen Read claims police bungled the investigation. What did they supposedly do wrong? They say Read was framed for O'Keefe's murder in a conspiracy theory developed by Massachusetts police officers, who they say beat O'Keefe, set a ravenous dog on him and then dropped his battered body on a pile of snow during a burgeoning blizzard. So far, Read's lawyers have built their case by fiercely questioning the prosecution's witnesses, often sewing doubt into the reliability of evidence they've presented. Now, they will begin trying to convince jurors of their own version of the events that led up to O'Keefe's death on January 29, 2022. The strategy is nearly identical to that used by the defense team in Read's first trial, which ended in a hung jury in 2024. CourtTV has been covering the case against Read and the criminal investigation since early 2022, when O'Keefe's body was found outside a Massachusetts home. You can watch CourtTV's live feed of the Read trial proceedings from Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Massachusetts. Proceedings began at 10 a.m. ET.
USA Today
5 days ago
- USA Today
What to know about 'Devil in the Ozarks', Arkansas prison escape, as search enters 5th day
What to know about 'Devil in the Ozarks', Arkansas prison escape, as search enters 5th day Show Caption Hide Caption Ex-Arkansas police chief imprisoned for murder escapes prison Grant Hardin, a former Gateway, Arkansas, police chief serving time for murder and rape, escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock on May 25. unbranded - Newsworthy The search for ex-Arkansas police chief and convicted murderer Grant Hardin, known as the "Devil in the Ozarks," entered its fifth day after he disguised himself as a corrections officer and slipped away from state prison, authorities said. Hardin, 56, escaped from the North Central Unit on May 25 while wearing a "makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement," the Arkansas Department of Corrections said. He was convicted of the 2017 murder of James Appleton and the 1997 rape of a school teacher. Hardin served as police chief in Gateway, Arkansas, and had previous law enforcement experience, officials said. His case was put in the spotlight with the 2023 documentary "Devil in the Ozarks." The search for Hardin includes local, state and federal authorities, but has been hampered by weather that prevented the use of drones and helicopters, corrections department spokesperson Rand Champion said at a May 28 news conference. The prison escape comes as authorities in Louisiana are also searching for escaped inmates. Two of 10 inmates who escaped a New Orleans jail on May 16 by ripping a toilet away from a wall and climbing through a hole are still on the run. More: Arkansas mayor, murder victim's sister reacts to Grant Hardin's escape How did the Arkansas prisoner escape? Hardin escaped at about 2:55 p.m. on May 25, the Arkansas Department of Corrections said in a news release. He was wearing a makeshift outfit that looked like one worn by corrections officers, officials said. "Inmate Hardin impersonated a corrections officer in dress and manner causing the Corrections Officer operating a secure gate to open the gate and allow Inmate Hardin to walk away from the North Central Unit," Special Agent Dennis Simons of the Izard County Sheriff's Office wrote in an arrest affidavit. Like true crime? Check out Witness, a library of true crime stories Officials haven't given further details about how he obtained the clothing or made it as far as the gate. A photo from surveillance footage shows Hardin wearing the outfit and pushing a loaded cart as he escaped. Champion said Hardin was gone for about 20 minutes when an officer noticed he was missing. What were Grant Hardin's crimes? Who is James Appleton? Hardin pleaded guilty to the Feb. 23, 2017 murder of James Appleton. Appleton's brother-in-law and the mayor of Gateway at the time, Andrew Tillman, told police he was on the phone with Appleton while Appleton was driving his truck after filing a report with the sheriff's office. Appleton worked for the local water department and was reporting vandalization of a water tower. Appleton pulled over so he wouldn't lose signal while on the phone with Tillman, Tillman told investigators. Tillman heard what sounded like a car door slamming shut, then nothing. A witness also told police they saw someone pulled over behind the truck in a car and heard a gunshot, and identified the driver as Hardin. Appleton was found dead in his truck with a gunshot to the side of his head and face. Hardin was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder. After his conviction, his DNA was matched with that from an unsolved rape case in 1997, in which a teacher said she was attacked while at school by a man who held her at gunpoint, according to court records. Hardin pleaded guilty to the rape and was given a 25-year sentence in 2019. Hardin was the chief of police in Gateway for about four months in 2016, the Associated Press reported. He was also terminated from roles at other police departments, local outlets have reported. Where can I watch 'Devil in the Ozarks?' The documentary "Devil in the Ozarks" is about a "brazen sexual assault shocks a small town, but goes unsolved for 20 years, until a nearby murder produces a suspect with matching DNA," its IMDB page says. "Two years ago, we made a documentary about Hardin's horrific crimes with Max/Investigation Discovery," Ari Mark, co-founder of AMPLE Entertainment, an award-winning production company, said in a statement. "We've since been in touch with the subjects of that film and law enforcement and are praying for Hardin's immediate capture in the name of justice and the victims and their families' peace of mind." "Devil in the Ozarks" can be streamed on Max or Hulu, through the "Live TV" or "Max" add-ons. You can also watch it on the Investigation Discovery (ID) GO app by inputting your TV provider credentials. More on how to watch: Documentary about Grant Hardin details rape case Contributing: N'dea Yancey-Bragg, Michael Loria, James Powell, Jorge L. Ortiz and Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY
USA Today
5 days ago
- USA Today
Karen Read trial live updates: Crash expert takes stand for third day
Karen Read trial live updates: Crash expert takes stand for third day Judson Welcher's testimony is considered critical to the prosecution's case against Karen Read. Show Caption Hide Caption Karen Read's second murder trial begins with new jury Karen Read is starting her second trial after being prosecuted for the 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe, last year. Key prosecution witness Judson Welcher returned to the stand Thursday for a third day of testimony in Karen Read's second murder trial, after a dizzying day of cross-examination. Welcher, a crash reconstruction expert, began testifying Tuesday about his analysis of the events that led up to Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe's death in January 2022. His cross-examination by defense attorney Robert Alessi on Wednesday turned contentious when Welcher began questioning the basis of the questions he was being asked, at one point telling Alessi 'your question doesn't make any sense.' Like true crime? Check out Witness: A library of true crime stories More: Karen Read claims police bungled the investigation. What did they supposedly do wrong? Welcher's testimony is considered critical to the prosecution's case against Read, the 45-year-old Massachusetts woman they say rammed into O'Keefe, her boyfriend of about 2 years, with her SUV and left him to die in the snow in January 2022. Read has long said she was framed for the murder. Her first trial ended in a hung jury in 2024. Thursday's testimony is expected to last until 1:30 p.m., rather than 4 p.m., because of a juror's scheduling conflict. CourtTV has been covering the case against Read and the criminal investigation since early 2022, when O'Keefe's body was found outside a Massachusetts home. You can watch CourtTV's live feed of the Read trial proceedings from Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Massachusetts. Proceedings began at 10 a.m. ET.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
FBI joins search for prison escapee known as 'Devil in the Ozarks'
USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change. Law enforcement officers in Arkansas were on the hunt Wednesday for a former police chief who broke out of a state facility where he was imprisoned for rape and murder. Grant Hardin, 56, escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock, Arkansas, on Sunday, wearing a "makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement," according to the Arkansas Department of Corrections. Hardin, the former police chief in Gateway, Arkansas, was serving decadeslong prison sentences for the 2017 murder of James Appleton and the 1997 rape of a school teacher, according to the Arkansas Department of Corrections. The rape became the subject of a 2023 documentary titled "Devil in the Ozarks," according to the documentary's IMDB page. "We've since been in touch with the subjects of that film and law enforcement and are praying for Hardin's immediate capture in the name of justice and the victims and their families' peace of mind," Ari Mark, one of the executive producers of the documentary, told USA TODAY. The FBI, Department of Corrections, Arkansas State Police and local police were working to find Hardin, officials said. Rand Champion, a spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Corrections, said in a Wednesday press briefing that the search area has expanded but rainy and overcast conditions have limited the use of drones and helicopters, in addition to curtailing the effectiveness of tracking dogs. Who is Grant Hardin? A closer look at the 'Devil in the Ozarks' Like true crime? Check out Witness: A library of true crime stories In 2017, Hardin was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder of Appleton, according to a plea agreement. Appleton's brother-in-law, who was the mayor of Gateway at the time, told investigators that he was on the phone with Appleton during the shooting, according to a probable cause affidavit. A witness told investigators he saw a white car parked behind Appleton's truck, heard a loud bang and saw the white car speed away. The witness checked the truck and found Appleton dead, according to the affidavit. A DNA test conducted following the murder conviction connected Hardin to the 1997 rape of a school teacher in Rogers, Arkansas, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in the case. She was attacked at gunpoint after leaving her classroom to go to a restroom near the teacher's lounge, according to the affidavit. Hardin pleaded guilty to two counts of rape in 2019 and was sentenced to serve 25 years in prison for each count consecutively, according to the plea agreement. Before becoming the police chief in Gateway, Hardin worked at the Fayetteville Police Department from Aug. 6, 1990, to May 22, 1991, KHBS/KHOG reported. The department's chief of police at the time said he terminated Hardin because his efforts "fall short of the average probationary officer" and he had a "tendency to not accept constructive criticism along with indecisiveness under stressful situations." Hardin then moved to the Eureka Springs Police Department, where he worked from April 1993 to October 1996. The department's former police chief said Hardin made poor decisions on the job and used excessive force, according to KHBS/KHOG. In 2016, Hardin served as the chief of police for Gateway for about four months, the Associated Press reported. Hardin escaped from a facility located about 130 miles north of Little Rock, Arkansas, at 2:55 p.m. local time on May 25, according to the Department of Corrections. Champion said about 20 minutes passed before an officer discovered Hardin was missing. Hardin escaped through a secure entryway wearing "an ADC type uniform," the Stone County Sheriff's Office said. A photo shared by the sheriff's office shows Hardin pushing a loaded cart. Officials are investigating the events that led to the escape. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Search intensifies for 'Devil in the Ozarks' who fled Arkansas prison
The Citizen
6 days ago
- The Citizen
KZN bus shooting: Driver dead, pregnant passenger wounded
A bus driver was killed, and his conductor and a five-month pregnant woman were injured in a shooting in Redcliffe, near Verulam in KZN, last night. The Witness reports that Prem Balram, the spokesperson for Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa), said members of Rusa and the Verulam SAPS Crime Prevention Unit arrived on the scene shortly after 18:00. 'First responders were informed that two suspects boarded the bus on the corner of Orchid and Redcliffe Drive. The gunmen thereafter produced firearms and randomly opened fire before they fled on foot. They did not steal anything of value.' Balram said the driver and conductor were taken to hospital before the arrival of reaction officers and police. 'The driver was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival at the medical facility. The extent of his colleague's injuries are unknown. The 26-year-old pregnant female was seated on the side of the road. 'She was shot through her right thigh. She was stabilised on scene before being transported to hospital in a stable condition,' he said. Balram added that the motive for the shooting is unknown. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
