Latest news with #unsolved
CTV News
2 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Suspect arrested, charged 7 years after Vancouver nightclub homicide
From 2019: The death of Kris Thind remains unsolved a year later. His loved ones are calling for justice, and for dozens of witnesses to come forward.
Sky News
22-05-2025
- Sky News
Marian Beattie: Fresh appeal over 1973 murder of 18-year-old
Police have issued a fresh appeal for information around the unsolved murder of a teenager in Northern Ireland more than 50 years ago. The body of Marian Beattie, 18, was discovered at the bottom of a quarry. She had attended a charity dance at Hadden's Garage in Aughnacloy, County Tyrone, on Friday 30 March 1973 to listen to her brother playing in the band. The teenager, who had attended with a girlfriend, was last seen leaving with a young man just after 1am on the Saturday and walking in the direction of a nearby car park at the top of Hadden's Quarry. Her body was found at the bottom of the quarry - around 80-100ft below the car park - shortly after 6am on Saturday 31 March. Detectives from Police Service of Northern Ireland's (PSNI) Legacy Investigation Branch have issued a fresh appeal for information amid a review into the death. Detective Inspector Thompson said: "I appreciate this murder took place over 50 years ago, but we would like to talk to anyone who was at the dance. "Marian went there with a girlfriend to listen to her brother's band. Did you see who she was dancing with or speaking with? "Did you see her leave the dance with a man? Do you know who he was? Did you see her in the car park at the quarry any time after 1.15am on the Saturday morning? "Additionally, do you remember anyone who was at the dance returning home distressed or with dirt on their clothes? Has anyone ever talked about the events of that night?" The detective urged all those with information to come forward in a bid to help give the Beattie family "some closure".
Daily Mail
18-05-2025
- Daily Mail
DNA unravels cold murder case of graduate student found brutally stabbed in her apartment
A Tennessee graduate student was brutally stabbed to death in her Knoxville apartment in 2004, in a harrowing case that remained unsolved for years. Johnia Berry, a 21-year-old University of Tennessee graduate student, was found on December 6, 2004, with over 20 stab wounds to her neck, head, face, chest, back, and legs. More than two decades later, the case has been thrust back into the spotlight by a compelling '20/20' special titled 'Blood on the Door,' which aired May 16 and reignited public interest in the chilling crime. Berry had moved to the Tri-Cities area to pursue a master's degree, and was set to graduate with honors from East Tennessee State University, just six weeks before the fatal attack, WATE reported. But in the early hours of December 6, everything changed. Around 4 am, Berry was stabbed repeatedly in her sleep by an intruder. Her roommate, Jason Aymami, was also attacked when he emerged from his bedroom but managed to escape and call 911 from a nearby convenience store. Despite efforts to save her, Berry - found clinging to life in the apartment entryway - died before reaching the hospital. The investigation that followed was lengthy and complicated. Police were struck by the amount of blood at the scene - spattered across the doorknob, floor, and bedroom door. Investigators also recovered the murder weapon, a bent and broken steak knife, in the hallway outside Berry's room. 'What stood out to me the most about the weapon is how damaged it was,' Knox County Sheriff's Detective AmyLynn Delgado said on '20/20.' 'It was a small steak knife, but the handle was broken. The blade was bent... it was very violent, just given the force to break the handle.' Because of the sheer number of stab wounds, investigators suspected a personal motive and focused first on those closest to Berry, including her fiancé and her roommate. 'We really focused mostly on her closest circle,' Delgado said. Berry's fiancé was eventually cleared after cell phone records placed him in Michigan at the time of the murder. Attention then turned to Aymami, who told police he had been watching TV when Berry went to bed and claimed to have seen the intruder face-to-face. His description - of a man about 5'8", 150 pounds - led to a composite sketch and a billboard campaign by May 2005. By the end of that year, with no solid leads, Governor Phil Bredesen doubled the reward for information to $60,000, WATE reported. Investigators had conducted over 300 interviews and tested 80 DNA samples, but still had no motive. Then, in May 2006, tragedy struck the investigation itself as lead investigator Assistant Chief Keith Lyon was killed in a car crash while on duty. His death devastated Berry's family who said that they spoke with Lyon nearly every day. 'We called every day,' her mother, Joan Berry, told '20/20.' 'There was that feeling that detectives and the sheriff's office weren't doing enough, when in reality they were working this every day. There just weren't any answers.' For the next year, the family continued to plead for information. Then, in April 2007, came the breakthrough when someone who recognized the composite sketch on a billboard contacted police. That tip led police to Taylor Lee Olson, a man in his early 20s with a history of petty crimes. Months later, on September 24, the Knox County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of Olson, 21, in connection with Berry's murder. Olson initially denied involvement before admitting to entering Berry's apartment through an unlocked back door, saying he was looking for car keys during an attempted theft, according to officials. Despite being 6'3' - much taller than the original suspect description - Berry's father, Michael Berry, told WATE there was still a resemblance and pointed out the sketch was 'given by someone that was getting stabbed at 4 o'clock in the morning.' The arrest came after Olson voluntarily submitted DNA during an unrelated arrest in July. He became a person of interest shortly after, and was taken into custody at West Town Mall on September 21. He was indicted on seven counts, including first-degree murder, attempted murder, and aggravated burglary. But, before his trial could begin in March 2008, Olson was found dead in his jail cell by apparent suicide. The '20/20' special revisits Berry's grisly murder, the stalled investigation and the dogged determination of her family - especially her mother - to keep the case alive and find justice for a life taken far too soon.
CTV News
09-05-2025
- CTV News
Halifax police continue to investigate 2009 murder of Tanya Jean Brooks
Halifax police are continuing to investigate the murder of Tanya Jean Brooks, 16 years after her death. Brooks's body was found beside the former St. Patrick's-Alexandra School on Maitland Street the afternoon of May 11, 2009. Investigators were able to trace her movements up until 9 p.m. the night before. Police say they believe the 36-year-old Brooks knew her assailant or assailants and that someone may have information that could help solver her murder. They ask anyone who witnessed anything in the area of the school between 9 p.m. on May 10 and 2:20 p.m. on May 11, 2009 to contact police at 902-490-5020. Brooks' case is part of the Nova Scotia Department of Justice Rewards for Major Unsolved Crimes Program, which offers cash rewards of up to $150,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible in certain cases. 'Callers must contact the Rewards Program at 1-888-710-9090, must provide their name and contact information, and may be called to testify in court. All calls will be recorded. The amount of the award will be based on the investigative value of the information provided,' reads a news release from the Halifax Regional Police.
Forbes
06-05-2025
- Forbes
Was Evelyn Hernandez's Killer Ever Found? The Latest On The ‘Other Laci Peterson' Case
Evelyn Hernandez and her son Alex. Courtesy of the San Francisco Police Department. America is well-versed in the Laci Peterson case. In 2002, the 27-year-old pregnant woman was murdered by her husband, Scott Peterson, who was having an affair. The case went viral and has been the subject of many documentaries over the years. But Evelyn Hernandez – another pregnant woman who was killed around the same time – didn't receive the same attention. Decades later, authorities are still looking for answers. Evelyn was just days away from giving birth when she mysteriously disappeared along with her 5-year-old-son. Her remains were discovered in the San Francisco bay, just like in Peterson's case. While Laci's husband Scott was convicted and sentenced (twice) for her murder (despite maintaing his innocence to this day), finding Hernandez' killer has not been as straightforward. Forbes Where Is Scott Peterson Now? Netflix's 'American Murder: Laci Peterson' Revisits Chilling True Crime Case By Monica Mercuri Her case is the focus of ABC News Studio's new docuseries, Murder Has Two Faces , now streaming on Hulu. Hosted by Good Morning America's Robin Roberts, the docuseries sheds light on lesser-known true-crime cases that were overshadowed in the media by more notorious murders. Keep scrolling to learn what happened to Evelyn Hernandez, including the lead up to her disappearance, where her body was found, and the latest developments in the case. Evelyn Hernandez was a legal immigrant from El Salvador who came to San Francisco to live with her mother. Her high school friend, Mayra Escobar, said in the docuseries that Evelyn had a light around her. "Evelyn was such a charismatic person. She wanted to feel that she was important,' she said. They both lived in San Francisco's mission district, which was plagued with crime at the time. Her sister Reina Solis, who is deaf and uses ASL, said in Murder Has Two Faces through an interpreter that Evelyn learned sign language to communicate with her. Growing up, she recalled her mother being strict with her sister, causing Evelyn to leave home at 16 years old. After she left home, Evelyn found out she was pregnant when she was about 16 or 17. 'She was afraid. She was very much afraid. But she was so happy,' Escobar recalled. Evelyn gave birth to a son named Alex. 'The moment that she had Alex, her whole world changed," Escobar added. Evelyn loved being a mom, and her son became the most important thing in her life. But as a single mother, she also faced the daily struggle of juggling multiple jobs to make ends meet. What Happened To Evelyn Hernandez? In Murder Has Two Faces, Escobar said that she saw Evelyn a few weeks before her friend went missing. Evelyn was in a new relationship with a man named Herman Aguilera. She was pregnant again and excited to introduce Herman, who had a stable job and was older, to her family. Reina threw a baby shower for Evelyn, but when her sister didn't show up, her family and friends grew concerned. They thought maybe she had given birth early. But when her sister went to the hospital, Evelyn wasn't there. Her 5-year-old son Alex was also missing. It was difficult for Reina to speak with the police because of her language barrier. When the authorities arrived at their home, Reina showed them pictures of Evelyn and Alex, and showed them that she was pregnant. Evelyn, who was 24 at the time, was just days away from giving birth to her second child. She was last heard from on May 1, 2002, at her residence in San Francisco. On May 7, 2002, Evelyn and Alex were reported missing. Holly Pera, an inspector with the San Francisco Police Department who was assigned to Evelyn's case, recalled in the docuseries that she grew concerned about the circumstances around Evelyn's case. Pera said that they interviewed Evelyn's boyfriend Herman, who said he was driving for the limousine company that evening. He told authorities that he spoke to Evelyn a couple of times earlier that day. From that point on, he said he didn't see her again. When the police went to investigate Evelyn's apartment, everything looked normal. 'It didn't look like there had been any kind of struggle of any kind,' Pera said. 'It looked to me like she was expecting to come back.' Then, ten miles from where Evelyn lived, her wallet was found in a gutter in South San Francisco. Inside the wallet was two $20 bills and a check made out to Evelyn. Police didn't detect any activity in her bank account or phone. After they found the wallet, police decided to turn the case over to homicide. The police department called in cadaver dogs to search the canal, which led directly into the San Francisco bay. Her wallet was found not far from where Aguilera worked at a limousine company and as a mechanic for United Airlines at San Francisco International Airport, according to SFGate . Evelyn's friends recalled that although she seemed happy about being pregnant again, she began distancing herself from her loved ones. Then, she dropped a bombshell. Evelyn told one of her friends that Herman was married. Pera interviewed Herman's wife to find out what he told her about the day she went mising. She said that Herman was driving for the limousine company that evening, and when he got home, they watched TV and then went to bed. 'She was not going to say anything negative about Herman,' Pera concluded. Where Was Evelyn Hernandez' Body Found? On July 24, 2002, two months after she was reported missing, Evelyn's partial remains were discovered floating in the Bay, according to bulletin from the San Francisco Police Department. 'Her body was in an advanced stage of decomposition,' said Bobby Chacon, a member of the FBI Dive Team, in the docuseries. 'Her legs were there, but both her arms were missing and her head was missing.' Evelyn's sons, Alex and Fernando, have never been found. When Laci's remains were also found in the Bay months later – with her head, hands and feet missing — the media started drawing comparisons to her case and Evelyn's. Theories started circulating about a 'satanic' serial killer on the loose targeting pregnant women, a claim that was debunked by police. Evelyn's case remains active in the San Francisco Police Department's Cold Case Unit. Detectives are hoping that advances in DNA technology can help solve her case. Anyone with information is urged to call 1-415-575-4444. Where Is Herman Aguilera Now? Aguilera has never been declared a suspect or person of interest in Hernandez's death. He eventually hired an attorney and stopped cooperating with the police. He was last interviewed by the SFPD in August 2002, according to Murder Has Two Faces. It's currently unknown where Aguilera is now and whether he's still with his wife. Producers for the docuseries 'attempted to contact Herman Aguilera for comment, but were unable to reach him,' a disclaimer reads. Murder Has Two Faces is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+. Watch the official trailer below.
