New York man convicted of fatally stabbing EMS worker as she walked to a store to get food
The victim, Lt. Alison Russo-Elling, 61, was ambushed while heading to a corner store in her uniform to get something to eat. One of the first responders to the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, she was months away from a planned retirement when she died.
Peter Zisopoulos, 37, was convicted on charges of second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. He's scheduled to be sentenced on June 30 and faces 25 years to life in prison, according to prosecutors.
There was no indication Russo-Elling knew Zisopoulos, who fled to his apartment and was arrested after locking himself inside. Zisopoulos' lawyer previously said his client 'has a past psychiatric history going back to 2018.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Cambodian officials report 12 new deaths in its fighting with Thailand, bringing death toll on both sides to 32
SURIN, Thailand (AP) — Cambodian officials report 12 new deaths in its fighting with Thailand, bringing death toll on both sides to 32.
USA Today
7 hours ago
- USA Today
Victor Wembanyama may want the NBA to distance itself from Karl Malone
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama made a very noteworthy decision on social media Friday afternoon and it could make waves around the NBA. Wembanyama, who is currently recovering from a blood clot that sidelined him for the second half of last season, was recently cleared to return from his injury. He caught some attention based on some of his social media activity this week. The NBA made a post wishing a happy birthday to former NBA star Karl Malone. Here is what we wrote in 2023 regarding allegations that Malone impregnated his 13-year-old neighbor when he was 20: Blood tests showed a 99.3 percent probability Malone was the father of Demetress Bell, per AP. The family could have filed criminal charges against Malone for impregnating a minor because, in Louisiana, an individual could not consent to sex until the age of 17. While statutory rape could have carried a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, Malone was a 'neighborhood kid', so they didn't press charges. His actions are absolutely heinous and should make it hard for the NBA to look themselves in the mirror after honoring this man two years in a row. But the story doesn't stop there for Malone and his awful shortcomings. When the child's grandparents filed a lawsuit in 1985 requesting $200 a week to help their daughter raise their son, Malone did not respond, despite his career earnings topping $104 million. He was ordered to pay $125 per week in child support, but he appealed, eventually reaching a settlement that did not require him to acknowledge that he was the father. It seems more than possible that Wembanyama is aware of the history surrounding Malone. More: The NBA should be ashamed for honoring Karl Malone during All-Star Weekend He reposted DJ J. Strand reacting to the birthday wishes with a meme video of content creator Lil Rodney Son saying "Oh no, see, that's what we not about to do." Also in the video responding to the post about Malone, Lil Rodney Son is on camera saying someone belongs "under the jail" for their actions. To be fair, we don't know exactly why Wembanyama chose to repost this. Remember: Reposts do not equal endorsements (which is now officially the case, as decided by a judge) so unless Wembanyama directly says something about the matter, we do not know his feelings. But many, including Complex, are speculating that Wemby would like the league to distance itself from Malone. Even this, though, is more than most (if not all) prominent basketball players have said about this difficult topic. So perhaps just the speculation that the rising star wants no part of Malone is enough for the NBA to listen.
Hamilton Spectator
8 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Disgraced former US Rep. George Santos reports to NJ federal prison to serve 7-year fraud sentence
NEW YORK (AP) — Disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos reported to a federal prison in New Jersey on Friday to begin serving a seven-year sentence for the fraud charges that got him ousted from Congress. The federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed that the New York Republican was in custody at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, in southern New Jersey. Santos pleaded guilty last summer to federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges for deceiving donors and stealing people's identities in order to fund his congressional campaign. Lawyers for Santos didn't respond to phone and email messages seeking comment. The ever-online Santos, who turned 37 years old on Tuesday, hosted a farewell party for himself on the social media platform X on Thursday night. 'Well, darlings … The curtain falls, the spotlight dims, and the rhinestones are packed,' he wrote in a post afterwards. 'From the halls of Congress to the chaos of cable news what a ride it's been! Was it messy? Always. Glamorous? Occasionally. Honest? I tried … most days.' Santos will serve his time in a minimum security camp at the all-male facility, which also includes a larger medium security prison, according to the Bureau of Prisons. In a Thursday interview , he didn't name the prison where he was serving in sentence, but described the camp setting as a 'big upgrade' from the medium-security lockup he was initially assigned to. Among the other notable inmates serving time at Fairton is Lamor Miller-Whitehead. The Brooklyn preacher, known for his flashy lifestyle and friendship with New York City' Mayor Eric Adams, was sentenced to nine years in prison last year for fraud . In April, a federal judge declined to give Santos a lighter two-year sentence that he sought, saying she was unconvinced he was truly remorseful. In the weeks before his sentencing, Santos said he was 'profoundly sorry' for his crimes, but he also complained frequently that he was a victim of a political witch hunt and prosecutorial overreach . Santos was elected in 2022, flipping a wealthy district representing parts of Queens and Long Island for the GOP. But he served for less than a year and became just the sixth member of the House to be ousted by colleagues after it was revealed he had fabricated much of his life story. During his winning campaign, Santos painted himself as a successful business owner who worked at prestigious Wall Street firms when, in reality, he was struggling financially. He also falsely claimed to have been a volleyball star at a college he never attended and referred to himself as 'a proud American Jew' before insisting he meant that he was 'Jew-ish' because his Brazilian mother's family had a Jewish background. The cascade of lies eventually led to congressional and criminal inquiries into how Santos funded his campaign and, ultimately, his political downfall. Since his ouster from Congress, Santos has been making a living hosting a podcast called 'Pants on Fire with George Santos' and hawking personalized video messages on Cameo. He has also been holding out hope that his unwavering support for President Donald Trump might help him win a last-minute reprieve. The White House said this week that it 'will not comment on the existence or nonexistence' of any clemency request. In media appearances this month, the former lawmaker wasn't shy about sharing his morbid fears about life behind bars. 'I'm not trying to be overdramatic here. I'm just being honest with you. I look at this as practically a death sentence,' Santos told Tucker Carlson during an interview . 'I'm not built for this.' On social media, his recent musings have sometimes taken a dark turn. 'I'm heading to prison, folks and I need you to hear this loud and clear: I'm not suicidal. I'm not depressed. I have no intentions of harming myself, and I will not willingly engage in any sexual activity while I'm in there,' Santos said on X . 'If anything comes out suggesting otherwise, consider it a lie … full stop.' ___ Follow Philip Marcelo at . 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 .
