Killer lawyer Alex Murdaugh, who murdered his wife and son, has now admitted that he lied about the mysterious death of his housekeeper.

The 54-year-old patriarch, the scion of a powerful legal dynasty, fatally shot his wife Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and their 22-year-old son Paul Murdaugh in June 2021, at their home in Colleton County.

He is currently appealing the convictions that saw him sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars, but questions are now being asked about three other deaths of people close to the Murdaughs—including two friends of his children, and the family’s long-time housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, who died following an incident at their other home in Moselle in 2018.

The 57-year-old, a mom-of-two who had worked for the family for around 20 years, was reportedly discovered in the grounds by Maggie Murdaugh suffering from serious injuries. The family said their employee had fallen down some steps outside the house.

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Alex Murdaugh is accused of stealing almost $4 million in insurance money that was meant to go to Satterfield’s sons after her death.

Nautilus Insurance Group has launched a federal lawsuit against Murdaugh in a bid to recover the money, after $3.8 million was paid to him in a wrongful death judgement.

A recording of Murdaugh discussing the tragedy with insurance adjuster Bryant McGowan before the payout showed he had claimed to have had a conversation with the dying woman before she was taken to hospital. “She indicated that the dogs had caused her to fall [down the stairs],” he said.

That conversation was a lie, Murdaugh admitted this week.

In documents relating to the case, obtained by NBC News on Monday, Murdaugh now says “no dogs were involved” in the incident. He said he “invented” the scenario “to force his insurers to make a settlement payment.”

He even suggested that the bereaved Satterfield family should be included in the lawsuit with him, according to local news channel WYFF 4—a ploy one of the family’s lawyers, Ronnie Richter, dismissed as part of his “continued attacks on the Satterfield family.”

The family’s other lawyer, Eric Bland, went further.

“It’s just more spin by him,” Bland told WYFF 4. “He doesn’t tell you where the money went—the $3.8 million. He doesn’t tell you how Gloria died. It’s just almost a perversion of the justice system to suggest that the Satterfield family be victimized again… It’s very convenient that the three people who could support or contradict Alex are all dead; Paul, Maggie and Gloria.”

Initially dismissed as a tragic accident, Satterfield’s case has now been reopened after the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division began looking into her death in 2021.

The renewed interest came after Hampton County coroner Angela Topper asked law enforcement officials to investigate because she discovered that Satterfield’s death was not reported to the coroner and she did not undergo an autopsy.

She was also concerned that the death was described as “natural” on the death certificate, which is unusual for an accident.

Authorities announced they had received permission from Satterfield’s family to exhume her body for testing, should it prove necessary.

The investigation into Satterfield’s death continues but no charges have been brought against anyone.

Alex Murdaugh is facing a string of other fraud charges after being accused of stealing more than $6million from his clients.

Original Article

A mom-of-two who survived the Texas mall shooting has emotionally recalled how a sales associate hid her and 12 others inside a store bathroom – but later lost her life in the bloodbath.

Raquel Lee said she decided to go shopping Saturday at the Allen Premium Outlets in Allen and parked outside of the H&M store shortly before Mauricio Garcia, 33, drove up and opened fire with an AR-15-style rifle, killing eight people and wounding seven others, CBS News Texas reported.

“It sounded like a war zone,” Lee told the news outlet. “It was horrifying and it felt like you were in a dream. Like, just shock.”

Lee shared chilling video of the group sheltering in place inside the storage room, where they are seen making frantic phone calls and sitting on the floor.

“We were in a bathroom closet, and we were just in the closet trying not be heard, crying, praying — people were trying to call 911. We couldn’t dial out,” the visibly emotional woman said.

“I just remember thinking, ‘Oh god! He’s coming in here next.’ I was crouching down like ‘I hope we don’t get hit by a bullet,” Lee told the outlet about the harrowing experience.

“The store associate saved our lives,” she added.

The footage she captured shows the group finally being led out of the room with their hands up after police cleared the bloody scene.

Lee said one of the bodies she saw was that of the heroic store employee.

WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW (Warning Distresing Content):

Two of the dead victims have been identified as 20-year-old security guard Christian LaCour and Aishwarya Thatikonda, an engineer from India who was living and working in Texas.

The feds are investigating whether Garcia, who was shot dead by a police officer, held neo-Nazi views.

During the rampage, Garcia wore a patch on his chest with the acronym “RWDS” which stands for “Right Wing Death Squad” – a popular phrase among white-supremacy groups, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.

Original Article

A52-year-old has been accused of murder after allegedly killing his mother-in-law in a violent attack with a large sword.

The alleged incident happened on April 28 in Puna, a town situated near the eastern edge of Hawaii’s largest island. Around 1:40 p.m. local time, officers from the Hawaii Police Department were called to a home in an Orchidland Estates neighborhood following reports of a disturbance.

Upon arriving at the residence, police reportedly found Christopher Roy Howlind in need of medical attention with injured hands and a bloodied shirt. A large sword was found near Howlind covered in blood.

While medical assistance was being called for Howlind, the continued search of the residence turned up the dead body of 58-year-old Teri Lynn Apple, who had “severe knife wounds to her neck, upper body, arms, and hands,” according to the police report. Following this discovery, Howlind was arrested and charged with the murder of Apple, later determined to be his mother-in-law. An autopsy completed on Tuesday confirmed that she had died as a result of the wounds and ruled her death a homicide.

Howlind was booked into a cellblock at the nearby Hilo Police Station but was later rushed to the Hilo Medical Center Emergency Room after vomiting and becoming unresponsive. According to a report, the medical incident at the cellblock was the result of the suspect drinking a liquid chemical substance prior to police arriving at this residence.

Due to the need for medical treatment, Howlind was temporarily released from police custody on Sunday but was later taken back in on Thursday. He currently faces a charge of second-degree murder, with his bail being set at $1 million. The charge carries the potential for a life sentence with the possibility of parole. A statement from Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen confirmed that the suspect made his first appearance in court on Friday.

The details about what sort of situation may have led Howlind to allegedly assault his mother-in-law with a deadly weapon have not been disclosed at this time. Newsweek reached out to the Hawaii Police Department via email for comment.

A similar incident occurred last summer in the resort neighborhood of Waikiki, when 46-year-old 7-Eleven worker Jason Walker allegedly attacked a 51-year-old man outside the convenience store with a sword, cutting off the victim’s left hand in the process. Walker was later charged with second-degree attempted murder, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Several anti-monarchy protesters were arrested in central London ahead of the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday, their group has said, as the Metropolitan Police force faces scrutiny for its approach toward demonstrators at the historic event.

Thousands gathered in central London on Saturday to celebrate the once-in-a-generation event. But it also drew demonstrators, with protesters wearing yellow T-shirts booing and shouting “Not My King” throughout the morning.

Republic, Britain’s largest anti-monarchy group, told reporters that police – without providing any reason – arrested organizers of the anti-monarchy protest.

At around 7 a.m. (2 a.m. ET) police stopped six of Republic’s organizers and told them they were detaining and searching them, Republic director Harry Stratton told reporters at the protest.

Graham Smith, the chief executive of Republic, was among those detained, according to a video shared by the Alliance of European Republican Movements.

The organisers of the #notmyking protest have been arrested – police won’t say what for pic.twitter.com/qu5JgNhCgF

— Alliance of European Republican Movements (@AERMorg) May 6, 2023

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Stratton said that when the organizers asked police why they were being detained, they were told officers “would figure it out” after they had searched the anti-monarchy protesters. After searching them, police told the six organizers they were arresting and seizing hundreds of their placards carrying the slogan “Not My King.”

“They didn’t say why they were arresting them. They didn’t tell them or us where they were taking them. It really is like something out of a police state,” Stratton said.

“I think people are quite perturbed by the police reaction. But the crowd reaction to us has been overwhelmingly friendly,” he added.

The group posted on Twitter Saturday, commenting: “So much for the right to peaceful protest.”

Members of environmental activist group Just Stop Oil also appeared to have been arrested on The Mall outside Buckingham Palace, the UK’s PA Media news agency reported, adding that a large group of the protesters were seen in handcuffs.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed several arrests had been made in central London.

“Earlier today we arrested four people in the area of St Martin’s Lane. They were held on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance,” the force tweeted.

“We have made a number of arrests in the area of Carlton House Terrace. The individuals have been held on suspicion of breaching the peace,” the Met continued. “A further three people were arrested in the area of Wellington Arch. They were held on suspicion of possessing articles to cause criminal damage.”

Human Rights Watch, a non-profit campaign group, said the coronation arrests were “something you would expect to see in Moscow not London,” according to a statement obtained by PA Media..

Republic claimed it was expecting between 1,500 and 2,000 people to join the group at its protest in Trafalgar Square, just south of the royal procession route.

“Instead of a coronation we want an election. Instead of Charles we want a choice. It’s that simple,” the group tweeted on Saturday.

Growing police powers

The Metropolitan Police, the UK’s largest police force, has been scrutinized for its tough approach toward protests around the coronation.

“Our tolerance for any disruption, whether through protest or otherwise, will be low,” the force wrote on Twitter this week. “We will deal robustly with anyone intent on undermining this celebration.”

Ahead of the event, the Met said that morpe than 11,500 police officers would be deployed in London on Saturday, making the coronation the largest one-day deployment in decades.

The operation – labeled Golden Orb – saw officers line the processional route, manage crowds and road closures, protect high-profile individuals and carry out searches with specialist teams.

There are also plans for facial recognition technology to be used in central London, which has sparked criticism from human rights groups.

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“We all have the right to go about our lives without being watched and monitored, but everyone at the coronation is at risk of having their faces scanned by oppressive facial recognition technology,” Emmanuelle Andrews of human rights group Liberty, said on Twitter.

The operation comes amid growing concern over the increase in the police’s power to stifle dissent in Britain, following the recent introduction of controversial pieces of legislation.

Last year, the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 significantly “broaden[ed] the range of circumstances in which police may impose conditions on a protest.” Under the new Act, it is an offense for protesters to “intentionally or recklessly caus[e] public nuisance” – including causing “serious annoyance.”

In a statement, Liberty said this Act “has made it much harder for people to stand up for what they believe without facing the risk of criminalization.”

On Tuesday, a new law called the Public Order Act received royal assent from King Charles, which is a formality and the final hurdle before a bill becomes law.

It will “give police the powers to prevent disruption at major sporting and cultural events taking place this summer in England and Wales,” the UK Home Office said in a statement.

Specific measures in the Act were introduced from Wednesday.

Under this law, long-standing protest tactics such as locking on – where protesters physically attach themselves to things like buildings – could lead to a six-month prison sentence or “unlimited fine,” said the Home Office.

Original Article

A 30-year-old man who regularly danced in the Times Square transit hub was killed on Monday by a rider who put him in a chokehold on the New York City subway.

The confrontation took place as an F train traveling north reached the Broadway-Lafayette station in SoHo. Witnesses say Jordan Neely, recognizable to some New Yorkers as a Michael Jackson impersonator, was behaving erratically at the time. Video footage captured by Juan Alberto Vazquez, a freelance journalist, and shared on Facebook, showed Neely kicking as he was held down by passengers.

The man who pinned down Neely has not been identified but has been described in local reports as a 24-year-old former US marine. The man held Neely in a chokehold with his legs wrapped around his body; Neely lost consciousness during the struggle and later died in the hospital.

WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW:

Neely died from compression of the neck, the city’s medical examiner determined on Wednesday, classifying his death as a homicide. The office noted that any determination about criminal culpability would be left to the legal system.

As news of Neely’s death spread online, video of the encounter evoked strong reactions from New Yorkers and officials. Some described the act as a lethal overreaction to a person in the throes of mental illness and others defended the marine veteran’s actions.

A group of protesters gathered on Wednesday afternoon in the station where Neely died to call for an arrest. Kyle Ishmael, a 38-year-old Harlem resident, said the video of the incident left him feeling “disgusted.”

“I couldn’t believe this was happening on my subway in my city that I grew up in,” he said.Jordan Neely: crowds protest in New York after death of man on subway train – video

In video footage of the incident, a voice could be heard calling for police while Neely attempted to shove away another rider who held his arms, saying the rider holding his neck was not squeezing.

As seen on the video, the hold lasted two minutes and 55 seconds before Neely was released.

Crime rates on the New York subway, a subject of concern following high-profile incidents and killings, have fallen in recent months. The city’s mayor, Eric Adams, and the state governor, Kathy Hochul, claim heightened police presence as a contributing factor.

Vazquez, who wrote on Facebook that he was on his way to a date in Yonkers when he saw the incident, told the New York Times Neely began yelling at passengers as he boarded the train.

Vasquez described a “very tense situation”, in which it was unclear how Neely would act.

“‘I don’t have food, I don’t have a drink, I’m fed up,’” Vasquez said the man yelled. “‘I don’t mind going to jail and getting life in prison. I’m ready to die.’”

Police took the rider who put Neely in a chokehold into custody. He was released without charges.

On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the New York police department told the Guardian the investigation was “ongoing”. The veteran, who appeared to be white, was taken into custody and released without charges. His name has not been released publicly.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office has also said it is investigating. “As part of our rigorous ongoing investigation, we will review the medical examiner’s report, assess all available video and photo footage, identify and interview as many witnesses as possible, and obtain additional medical records,” a spokesperson for the DA told the Associated Press.

Dave Giffen, the executive director at Coalition for the Homeless, blamed city and state officials for an inadequate response to the mental health crisis – and questioned why the veteran was not facing criminal charges.

“The fact that someone who took the life of a distressed, mentally ill human being on a subway could be set free without facing any consequences is shocking,” he said. “This is an absolute travesty that must be investigated immediately.”

Original Article