State Attorney, St. Lucie Sheriff announce reopening of 2006 Florida's Turnpike murders case
State and local officials plan to begin proceedings to prosecute and seek the death penalty against Daniel "Homer" Troya, 42, and Ricardo 'Ricky' Sanchez, Jr., 41, whose federal death sentences for the 2006 drug-related slayings of a family on Florida's Turnpike in St. Lucie County were commuted by former President Joe Biden The federal death sentences of Daniel "Homer" Troya, 42, and Ricardo 'Ricky' Sanchez, Jr., 41, were commuted in December 2024."
"We're up to the task and we're going to do it," Bakkedahl said. "We will leave no stone unturned, no avenue unpursued. Our pursuit of justice for Damien and Julian."
The men were sentenced to death in 2009 for their involvement in the drug-related slaughter of the Escobedo family - Jose, 28, and Yessica Escobedo, 25, who were living in Greenacres in Palm Beach County with their two sons, Luis Damien, 3, and Luis Julian, 4.
"It is a pursuit of justice," Bakkedahl said. "This is not political."
This story will be updated.
Escobedo murders: Prosecutors to pursue death penalty
Editorial: Trump, Biden undermine justice with Florida Turnpike killers
Melissa E. Holsman is the legal affairs reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers and is writer and co-host of "Uncertain Terms," a true-crime podcast. Reach her at melissa.holsman@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: State death penalty sought in 2006 Escobedo turnpike murders in SLC
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Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Hamilton Spectator
'A Long-Standing Tradition': Stouffville Searches for New Town Crier
● Stouffville is recruiting a new town crier to serve as an official ambassador at local events and public celebrations. ● The ceremonial role dates back millennia and was last held locally by Marcel Bossi, who served from 1990 until his death in 2016. ● Applicants must submit a video by Aug. 15 demonstrating their ability to deliver a clear proclamation on the introduction of a new crier in Stouffville. ● Shortlisted candidates will undergo interviews and screening, with selected finalists possibly facing an in person audition later this year. ● The successful candidate will be fitted with a custom uniform and receive $200 per official Town event attended. ● Duties are expected to begin Jan. 1, 2026, and more information is available online . Do you have a booming voice, a flair for the dramatic, and a love of local tradition? The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville is looking for its next official town crier, who will serve as a bell-ringing ambassador at civic events. 'The reinstating of Stouffville's town crier will play an important part in our community, declaring official announcements, opening special events, and adding a touch of tradition to local celebrations,' the Town's website explains. 'As a proud ambassador of the Town, the crier helps spread civic pride and community spirit wherever they go.' Town criers date back to antiquity, long before mass literacy and the printing press. One of the earliest known references appears in Homer's Iliad, which describes Stentor, 'whose cry was as loud as that of fifty men together,' serving as a herald during the Trojan War. By medieval times, criers had become fixtures of civic life across Europe, responsible for delivering proclamations and public news aloud in town squares. While their role today is largely ceremonial, town criers remain as lasting symbols of public discourse. In Stouffville, that tradition was upheld by the late Marcel Bossi for 26 years, from 1990 until his death in 2016. 'He started appearing at Town events in an unofficial capacity in 1989, and his appointment became official by by-law on June 12, 1990,' Town communications coordinator Hayley Langdale said in comments to Bullet Point News. 'He continued to fulfill the role until his death in 2016, at which time he was the town crier for both Stouffville and the Village of Swansea in Toronto.' 'We haven't had a town crier since Marcel passed,' Mayor Iain Lovatt added. 'It was a long-standing tradition here in town, and we are trying to resurrect it.' Lovatt moved a motion in March directing Town Staff to explore the feasibility of reinstating a town crier, which led to the current open call. 'The reintroduction of a town crier could enhance community engagement, promote local events, and preserve the Town's historical traditions,' his motion stated. York Region's own John Webster briefly served as Stouffville's town crier prior to Bossi and was appointed as the official town crier for the City of Markham in 1987. Since then, he has taken on similar roles in Aurora, East Gwillimbury, and Cary, North Carolina. His international ties include being named the honorary town crier for the Town of Edlinton in England by Lord William Haydon Gordon-Smith. 'The town crier was the original information device,' Webster told us. 'Being town crier is a wonderful avocation. It combines the history of the community with where it's going into the future and where it is right now.' Webster noted that the town crier represents the mayor, whether in uniform or not, much like they used to represent the British monarch. 'The way I look at it: if the mayor wouldn't do it, I shouldn't,' he said. Those interested in the role must apply online by 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 15. Applicants are asked to submit a short video showcasing their ability to project loudly and clearly, using the theme of welcoming a town crier to Stouffville and highlighting what makes the community special. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews and an initial screening process, and finalists may be invited to audition in person. The selected crier will be custom-fitted with a uniform and paid $200 for each Town event they attend. Duties are expected to begin Jan. 1, 2026. Full application details and a description of the role and its responsibilities are available on the Town's website . Cover photograph of John Webster provided by and used with permission from Anna Lozyk Romeo Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Fast Company
5 days ago
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In many ways, the case that sent Daniel Elie Bouaziz to prison in 2023 for money laundering felt like just another chapter in Ronnie Walker's storied career. Over the course of his nearly 30 years working as an undercover agent with the FBI, Walker had taken part in countless stings like this: posing as a buyer or dealer, meeting suspects in art-scented lounges or dusty storage units, working to earn their trust. He caught Warhol counterfeiters slapping fake signatures over bogus canvases. He helped recover stolen Rembrandt paintings from a Seattle-area art thief. He spent months earning the trust of Earl Marshawn Washington, the now-infamous printmaker and forger who created and sold thousands of knockoffs. The Bouaziz case stood out only for how little effort it seemed to require. His Palm Beach gallery peddled fakes—Georgia O'Keeffe, Keith Haring, and Banksy among them— marketing inexpensive reproductions as originals, aided by bogus provenance documents and falsified signatures. His con worked well, for a while at least: Pieces could fetch prices into the tens or even hundreds of thousands. Walker knew how that line worked. As a founding member of the FBI's Art Crime Team, he'd gone undercover in dozens of operations. Formed in 2004 in response to the looting of Iraqi museums and growing international art trafficking, the Art Crime Team was designed as a specialized unit of agents trained in cultural property law, art history, and international smuggling.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Yahoo
Army vet's search for missing geologist son revived as new forensics may reveal truth in desert disappearance
A retired U.S. Army veteran is still piecing together the disappearance of his geologist son years after he vanished from an Arizona work site, with new investigators looking to break open the four-year-long cold case using new forensic evidence. 24-year-old Daniel Robinson vanished after leaving work at around 9 a.m. on June 23, 2021, according to the Buckeye Police Department. Daniel's father, David Robinson, subsequently reported him missing later that day after his coworkers reached out to tell his family Daniel did not return to work. "When I first called in, [authorities] made me hang the phone up, wait two hours and call back," the elder Robinson told Fox News Digital. Army Vet Says New Evidence Suggests Foul Play In Unsolved Disappearance Of Scientist Son After local law enforcement reportedly denied Robinson's request to begin searching for his son due to his age, the father took matters into his own hands by driving from his home in Columbia, South Carolina, to where Daniel had been seen last, 2,000 miles away in Arizona. "I kind of lost it," Robinson said. "That prompted me to grab everything I could, throw it in my car and start driving to go find Daniel myself." Read On The Fox News App Upon arriving in Arizona, Robinson grew frustrated with the reported lack of urgency from officials, ultimately choosing to hire a private investigator to help search for Daniel. Less than one month later, Daniel's 2017 Jeep Renegade was found rolled on its side in a ravine by a local rancher. The vehicle was still in drive, and had front-end impact damage and a broken driver's side window and was missing a piece of its roof. Father's Pursuit For Missing Daughter Heats Up With New Evidence In Case That's No Longer Cold Despite the damage, authorities ruled out foul play in Daniel's disappearance. "Law enforcement gave me an idea of what they said happened at that scene," Robinson said. "It was unacceptable to me. It didn't make sense." Robinson's private investigator determined that the damage to Daniel's vehicle did not match the nearby terrain, while also pointing to black box data indicating the car had driven 11 miles after the airbags had been deployed, signifying that the car may have been planted at the location where it was found. "So all of the information – plus more – signified to my investigator that some type of foul play happened," Robinson said. American Tourist Vanishes In Tropical Paradise After Early Morning Walk From Vacation Rental As Robinson continued the frantic search for his son, local law enforcement tried to provide explanations for where he may have gone, further frustrating the father as Daniel remained missing. "When [police] said, 'Hey, your son joined the monastery and became a monk,' I had to go look for monasteries," Robinson told Fox News Digital. "Can you imagine that? I had to go and check that out. [It was] a waste of a lot of money, a lot of energy." The case remains open within the Buckeye Police Department as authorities continue to look at evidence regarding Daniel's disappearance. "Buckeye police are committed to locating Daniel Robinson and getting answers for his loved ones and the many people who have become deeply invested in his case," the department said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Detectives continue to investigate every tip and lead and urge anyone with information on Daniel's whereabouts to contact us." Detectives' True Crime Podcast Helps Dig Up Breakthrough In Case That Haunted Family: 'Drew Audible Gasp' Four years later, Robinson hopes the introduction of new Buckeye Police Department detectives and police chief will yield more promising results in finding out what happened to his son, after what had been a rocky relationship between the father and local law enforcement. "It's given me the opportunity to get new leads in Daniel's case," Robinson said. "Hopefully that's what we'll find. Because I know forensic work will bring on some new answers, and we can go forward in another direction to find out exactly what happened to my family." Robinson hopes new forensics data from the clothing and vehicle found at the scene will help piece together his son's final moments. But in the meantime he is still searching on foot for clues in the desert. Missing California Mom's Family Digs For Homicide 'Cover-up Or Cleanup' As Police Eye Persons Of Interest "Me and the volunteers that come out, they are my extended family," Robinson said. "We're actually looking for Daniel." Throughout their efforts, Robinson and his team of volunteers have recovered seven sets of human remains to ultimately bring closure to other families with missing loved ones within the area, but his primary mission remains finding Daniel. In April, Robinson teamed up with another father who understands the pain of losing a child all too well: Joseph Petito. Petito's daughter, Gabby Petito, went missing just a few weeks after Daniel while on a cross-country road trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie. Her body was subsequently discovered in Wyoming on September 19, 2021. Investigators ruled her death a homicide, determining she had been strangled to death. Gabby Petito Told Her Ex She Was Scared To Leave Brian Laundrie But Wanted To, Just Before Murder: New Doc When the story regarding Gabby's disappearance first made national headlines, it "pulled Daniel's case along with it," according to Robinson. "The first thing I'm thinking is that somebody's family is going through exactly what I am," Robinson said. "I know the pain." GET REAL-TIME UPDATES AT THE FOX NEWS True Crime Hub The two men forged a bond through the disappearances of their children, with Petito ultimately traveling to Arizona in April of this year to help search for clues surrounding Daniel's disappearance. "He called me in January and said, 'Dave, I want to be a part of the search," Robinson told Fox News Digital. "He said 'I don't want it to be about Gabby. I just want to come in as a friend to come out here to help you.'" Petito is celebrating the resurrection of evidence in Robinson's case, telling Fox News Digital the addition of new investigators is "fantastic." "I really pray for him and his family," Petito said. Robinson continues to advocate for missing Americans throughout the country, and he is pushing for new legislation to create federal standards regarding law enforcement's response to missing-persons reports while running for a seat in South Carolina's Second Congressional District. "The only thing that kept me straight is my love for my son and my military training," Robinson said. "I had to rely on military training to look at my son as a mission, and I put the mission first." Original article source: Army vet's search for missing geologist son revived as new forensics may reveal truth in desert disappearance Solve the daily Crossword
