An Alabama man, Anthony Boyd, was executed by nitrogen gas on Thursday for his role in the 1993 murder of Gregory Huguley. Boyd, who maintained his innocence, was convicted of setting Huguley on fire over a $200 drug debt. The execution process appeared to take longer than previous nitrogen gas executions, drawing criticism from Boyd’s spiritual advisor and sparking conflicting accounts from officials. The U.S. Supreme Court denied a stay of execution and a request for an alternative method, though Justice Sotomayor dissented, citing concerns about the method’s constitutionality.
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Two men, Rashid Gedel and Samuel Dodsworth, have been charged with the murder of Ian Watkins, the former Lostprophets singer, while he was incarcerated. Both men appeared in Leeds magistrates court and were remanded in custody. Watkins, serving a lengthy sentence for child sexual abuse offenses at HMP Wakefield, was previously attacked in the prison in 2023. HMP Wakefield has seen a significant increase in serious assaults.
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Authorities in Vallejo, California, have located the body of 28-year-old Renia Lewis, who was reported missing. Douglas Irwin Shaw, 41, has been arrested and charged with murder. The body was found in the attic of a home, behind a concealed entry, after officers executed a search warrant. Shaw was taken into custody without incident and is alleged to have admitted to the killing; the motive remains under investigation.
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Varun Suresh, a 29-year-old Fremont resident, has been charged with murder for the fatal stabbing of 71-year-old David Brimmer, a registered sex offender. Police responded to a report of a violent altercation and found Brimmer with severe stab wounds; he was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators determined Suresh used the Megan’s Law database to target Brimmer, posing as an accountant before pursuing him into a neighbor’s home. Suresh allegedly admitted to the killing, stating his motive was to punish a sex offender, and has been charged with murder with additional enhancements for residential burglary and being armed with a deadly weapon causing great bodily injury.
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A California man, Jonathan Renteria, has been charged with murder after his wife’s dismembered body was discovered in their Los Feliz apartment. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office set bail at $4 million. Investigators found a suicide note from Renteria, where he admitted to killing his wife on September 4th. Friends identified the victim as June Bunyan, a Scottish immigrant who came to the U.S. with the goal of becoming a defense attorney, though she was reportedly in an abusive relationship.
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In a shocking turn of events, Lorenz Kraus admitted during a television interview to killing his parents eight years prior and burying them in their backyard. The confession came after police recovered the bodies and launched an investigation into financial crimes involving Kraus’s parents’ Social Security benefits. Kraus described the deaths as mercy killings for his aging parents, although he did not state they had terminal illnesses. Following the interview, Kraus was arrested and charged with two counts of murder, with a public defender raising questions about the interview’s legality due to the media’s involvement.
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Tabitha Bundrick has been indicted on multiple counts of murder, robbery, burglary, and assault for allegedly drugging and robbing four men, three of whom died. According to prosecutors, Bundrick lured the men with the pretense of sex and then offered them fentanyl-laced drugs, leading to the deaths. Bundrick allegedly targeted her victims in various locations between 2023 and 2024, stealing cash, phones, and other belongings. Bundrick has pleaded not guilty to the new charges, despite previously pleading guilty to federal drug-related charges for the same incidents and receiving a 156-month prison sentence.
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The death of Robert Redford has brought renewed focus to the unsolved murder of his daughter’s boyfriend, Sid Wells, who was killed in 1983. While Wells’ roommate, Thayne Alan Smika, was initially arrested but not charged due to lack of evidence, a warrant for his arrest was issued in 2010 following new DNA tests. Redford personally contacted the district attorney to express his gratitude for the ongoing efforts to solve the case. The FBI is now offering a reward for information leading to Smika’s arrest.
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Months after the murder of his three daughters, authorities believe they have located the remains of the suspect, Travis Decker, near the crime scene in the Washington Cascades. Investigators found bone fragments, clothing, and personal items consistent with Decker’s description on Grindstone Mountain, an area inaccessible by foot. The discovery was made after a drone detected unusual materials on the mountainside, and detectives rappelled from a helicopter. DNA testing will be conducted to confirm the identity of the remains, as Decker had been on the run since May 30th after failing to return his daughters from a custody visit.
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John Q. Hosedrinker