Cincinnati man convicted in 1997 Lenawee County cold case murder
Richardo Sepulveda, 53, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was found guilty Friday of one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, one count of assault with intent to maim, one count of conspiracy to commit assault with intent to maim, one count of tampering with evidence and one count of conspiracy to commit tampering with evidence.
On Nov. 19, 1997, police responded to Blissfield Township after human remains were discovered in a cornfield that was owned by the caller. When police arrived, they found the body of an unknown, unclothed man who was missing his head and both hands. Police say the hands appeared to be cut above the wrist and noted saw striations on the ends of the bones.
Officials believe the homicide is connected to international drug trafficking.
In January 2023, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel charged Richardo Sepulveda and his co-defendant, Michael Sepulveda, 51, of Toledo, Ohio, in connection with the murder. Michael Sepulveda pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in August 2024.
The identity of "John Doe" remains unknown; however, officials believe he is a 32-year-old Hispanic man from the Corpus Christi/McAllen, Texas area.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Michigan State Police D/Sgt. Larry Rothman at 313-407-9379.
"Because of the relentless efforts of the Michigan State Police, the multiple local and federal law enforcement agencies who never gave up, and the dedicated prosecutors in my office, we have brought a measure of accountability in this tragic case," said Nessel in a statement. "I am grateful to the jury for their careful consideration of the evidence. This verdict serves as a reminder that every crime victim deserves justice, no matter how much time has passed."
Michael Sepulveda will be sentenced on May 15. Richardo Sepulveda is scheduled to be sentenced on June 13.
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Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Michigan State Police director defends leadership amid calls for his resignation
Michigan State Police Director Col. James Grady speaks to reporters following a joint meeting of the Michigan House Oversight Committee and the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Michigan State Police. July 1, 2025 | Photo by Ben Solis/Michigan Advance Michigan State Police Director Col. James Grady said Tuesday that a no confidence vote from troopers and command officers didn't represent the full scope of his department, and that he was working to address issues of low morale that began before his time as the head of the agency. Grady's comments came during a joint hearing of the Michigan House Oversight Committee and the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Michigan State Police. Some members of the Republican-led House of Representatives and the GOP members of the Senate have called for Grady's resignation due to complaints from troopers and command officers who have claimed they are fearful of speaking up about department policies under Grady and have faced retaliation when they have. Grady said that the vote of no confidence from the Michigan State Police Troopers Association and the Michigan State Police Command Officers Association in June was not an MSP-sanctioned survey nor was it reflective of employee surveys issued by the department. Overall, Grady highlighted his years of service to the department and the discretion that comes with his position to make leadership and command changes if needed. 'I'm doing the work, representative,' Grady said in response to questions from Republican state Reps. Mike Mueller and Jay DeBoyer, the respective chairs of the joint committees. 'I'm doing everything that I can to ensure that the morale increases, because I, again, respect all of the members of our agency, and I want them to be well. I want them to be in a good place. I want them to want to come to work, because when they're in a good place, they can come and do the work effectively and efficiently every day. And that's something that I support as a leader of this department.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX That was how Grady responded to most of the questions lobbed at him from Republicans and Democrats alike on the joint panel, much of which were fastballs and somewhat critical of Grady and his handling of the department. Grady further noted multiple worksite visits, feedback missions and an open door policy as ways he was trying hard to boost morale. Grady was appointed in Sept. 2023 as director of the department by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, following the departure of former director Joseph Gasper. Over the last few years, troopers and command officers have complained that Grady was out of line when he came out with a statement that did not initially support former trooper Brian Keely when he was charged in May 2024 in the death of Samuel Sterling. The charges against Keely have since been dropped by a U.S. District Court judge, but the Michigan Department of Attorney General has said it would appeal the dismissal. Troopers and command officers also took issue with Grady promoting Chief Deputy Director Aimee Brimacombe as his second-in-command because of her alleged lack of experience and multiple complaints made against her before she was elevated several ranks. Other grievances include Grady's decision to not keep existing command or leadership staff and replacing them with a new team, which Grady said Tuesday was a means to better serve the department and bring commanders on board with unique strengths. Troopers filed an ethics complaint against Grady and Brimacombe in January. A handful of troopers also filed lawsuits against Brimacombe questioning her leadership, and questioned performance bonuses Grady and Brimacombe received after only a short time in their roles. The morass culminated in the vote of no confidence, which Grady said was a first, but later noted that similar questions have been posed to trooper and command officer unions in the past questioning the leadership of previous directors, dating back to 2018. Some have questioned whether the complaints have an undertone of racial or gender bias, seeing as troopers have in the past complained or sued over the department's diversity recruitment policies that emerged under Gasper, but before Grady's ascension to his current role. Although Grady is not the first Black officer to be promoted to colonel, some have called into question the deluge of complaints against the combo of Grady and Brimacombe as the department's leaders. That said, DeBoyer, Mueller and others noted that although they have great respect for the department and Grady's years of service in law enforcement, maybe he wasn't the right leader for the agency despite his commitment to the department and its troopers. 'I appreciate that, and I don't have any reason to believe that that is not who you are, but the results of the survey, unfortunately, and with all due respect, says otherwise,' DeBoyer said. 'You made the statement that the Michigan State Police is one of the most respected agencies in the entire country, frankly, and it has been for decades. So, when you see that level of lack of confidence, that's very concerning to us as legislators.' Mueller, a former law enforcement officer, also said that it appeared to him Grady wasn't a bad person, but sometimes good people aren't great leaders. 'It's not anything about your character at all. It's about the men and women, 98% of the men and women, that drive around those police cars [who] fear retaliation,' Mueller said. The gloves were off, however, after that first bit of cordial opening statements. DeBoyer noted that the House Oversight Committee, which he chairs, has deposed several members of Michigan State Police in the matter of his leadership and had several say that there was a culture of fear in the department for either saying the wrong things, sharing their opinions or speaking up on leadership matters. The depositions, which were not shared in full during the committee nor made public elsewhere, also showed troopers and command officers experienced retaliation for doing so, resulting in work assignment loss or other reprimands. State Rep. Jamie Greene (R-Richmond) read some of the commentary from MSP's 2024 employment engagement survey. One response noted that it was allegedly well known within the department that Grady and Brimacombe didn't take kindly to criticism on their leadership decisions, and if they do, they pay the price. 'This is incredibly disturbing,' Greene added. 'This department seems to be fostering a culture of fear and isolation, which is extremely harmful in such a high stress career.' Greene asked Grady why retaliation was the running theme in some of the responses if he was working to mend bridges and communicating with his troopers about their concerns. Grady again leaned on his commitment to hearing officers out and said again that he believed those comments did not represent that majority of the department. The director also defended Brimacombe and his decision to elevate her, noting that she has 25 years of experience with the department and a law degree. Greene asked him if she thought the results of the surveys were fabricated. Grady did not directly respond, but did say there appeared to be copycat or repeated similar responses. State Rep. Will Snyder (D-Muskegon) said it was his understanding that there were approximately 700 vacant positions within the department and that 500 of them are at the trooper level. Snyder worked that out to be a 20% vacancy rate, which he said was exceedingly high. Grady said the department had over the last 10 years hired nearly 1,000 troopers, leading the nation in hiring among state police organizations. He also noted that the department has an aggressive recruiting plan. But DeBoyer later countered by saying that morale continues to dip and then turned to question Grady about reports of doxing within the department. The names of some of the troopers and command officers who were deposed during recent closed-door hearings of the House Oversight Committee were reported by the Detroit Free Press ahead of Tuesday's hearing. DeBoyer said that revelation was appalling, and grilled Grady about how and why someone within the department who was familiar with those discussions leaked that information to the press. The chair as 'That is doxing people within your organization, people who we have asked to communicate with us in private … in fairness and openness and transparency with others members of our committee,' DeBoyer said. 'And this morning, in the media, we read three names that only your agency had. That's inexcusable. … The fact that someone in your agency would dox their own members, Colonel, that is a clear demonstration of why there's a lack of confidence in leadership at Michigan State Police, because at all costs, they will protect themselves and they will sacrifice their members.' While DeBoyer called for an investigation, Grady said he wasn't aware of that leak and would look into it. Following testimony, Grady spoke to reporters and said he thought the committee hearing was generally unfair and that he was proud of the job that he was doing. 'I'm not the type of Colonel that doesn't make himself available or accessible. I'll talk to anybody, and so I have those conversations, and they're positive,' Grady said of his outreach to troopers. 'People enjoy working for the State Police. That's why, when we do have vacancies, they don't last long. They don't remain vacant, because people apply to the positions they want to work here in this department. People want to be state troopers.'
Axios
a day ago
- Axios
July 4th events across LA area canceled over ICE raid fears
A number of Fourth of July celebrations across the Los Angeles area have been canceled amid fears of federal immigration enforcement raids. The big picture: Los Angeles area protests last month put the city at the center of nationwide unrest around the Trump administration's aggressive deportation push. The administration has continued to target LA — and other parts of California — suing the city this week, alleging that its sanctuary policies led to "lawlessness, rioting, looting, and vandalism." State of play: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have carried out deportation operations in Los Angeles County communities with large immigrant populations. For one, there have been raids targeting day laborers near Home Depot locations throughout the county. Protesters have also tried to access locations like Dodger Stadium (which ICE has denied), during a game with large Mexican American fan bases. Now, out of caution, various city leaders and organizers have decided to cancel Independence Day celebrations and other summer events for the public, particularly in communities with large Hispanic populations. Case in point: The L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation canceled its East Los Angeles Rock'in 4th of July celebration, along with other summer events. "Out of caution, and in response to recent ICE enforcement activity impacting our communities, we are prioritizing safety and well-being of our residents, visitors, and staff," the department said. Celebrations in the cities of Bell Gardens, Boyle Heights, Cudahy, El Sereno, Huntington Park, Lincoln Heights and Whittier were also cancelled or postponed. Organizers canceled Los Angeles County's Gloria Molina Grand Park Summer Block Party, "out of an abundance of caution and in light of ongoing events across L.A. county."
CBS News
2 days ago
- CBS News
8-year-old girl struck by SUV on Interstate 94 during domestic altercation
A physical altercation inside a vehicle on Interstate 94 in Metro Detroit got the attention of passersby, who called 911, the Michigan State Police reported. Three people were injured in the aftermath of what troopers described as a domestic assault: two men and an 8-year-old girl. The altercation happened about 9 p.m. Monday on westbound I-94. Multiple 911 calls were made, initially reporting an assault was taking place among people who were in a brown Ford sport utility vehicle and then that a man was walking down the highway while the SUV involved exited at Vining Road, exit 197, in Wayne County. When troopers arrived on scene, they found a man walking who had exited the SUV, a 51-year-old Dearborn man. He had a serious injury to his eye. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Officers then learned that he and a 36-year-old man from Dearborn started arguing in the vehicle and a physical altercation resulted. As the victim pulled over onto the shoulder, the suspect started to get out. Another passenger, an 8-year-old girl, also tried to get out. In the aftermath, the girl fell out of the vehicle and her arm was run over by the SUV, the report said. The suspect then drove away with the girl inside. Officers later learned that the suspect and the girl were at a local hospital, seeking medical treatment. The girl was turned over to the care of another adult, pending her treatment at Children's Hospital of Michigan in Detroit. The suspect was taken into custody. "Troopers are continuing their investigation into this assault and will submit an investigators report to the prosecutor," MSP First Lt. Mike Shaw said about the case.
