Husband of Suzanne Morphew to appear in court to face murder charge a second time
Barry Morphew was arrested June 20 in Arizona after being newly indicted in the death of Suzanne Morphew, three years after the initial case against him was dropped because of prosecutorial issues with evidence.
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Winnipeg Free Press
37 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs acquitted of most serious charges, convicted of prostitution-related offenses
NEW YORK (AP) — Sean 'Diddy' Combs was convicted of prostitution-related offenses but acquitted Wednesday of sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have put one of hip-hop's most celebrated figures behind bars for life. The mixed result still could send Combs, 55, to prison for as long as a decade, and is likely to end his career as a hitmaking music executive, fashion entrepreneur, brand ambassador and reality TV star. After hearing the verdict, Combs held his hands up in a prayer motion, looking at jury and hugged defense lawyer Teny Geragos. Combs' relatives and supporters in the audience could barely contain their relief, despite the judge's admonition to avoid outbursts: When the first 'not guilty' was read aloud, someone shouted, 'Yeah!' Combs later continued to pump his right fist subtly, seemingly satisfied that he was acquitted on the most serious charges. Combs was convicted of flying people around the country, including his girlfriends and paid male sex workers, to engage in sexual encounters, a felony violation of the federal Mann Act. But the jury of eight men and four women acquitted Combs of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges, related to allegations that he used his money, power and frightening physical force to manipulate his girlfriends into hundreds of drug-fueled sex marathons with the men. Combs' defense team argued that the women were willing participants and that none of his violence justified the severity of the charges. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian was weighing whether to free Combs on bail in the wake of the verdict. The judge adjourned the court while he considers the matter. Combs appeared overwhelmed as court adjourned for at least a few hours. He wiped his face, turning and kneeling at his chair, his head bowed in prayer. In the audience, his relatives stood and applauded as he faced them. 'I'll be home soon,' he said, and 'I love you, baby.' 'I love you, Mom,' he added. His relatives applauded him and his lawyers as he was led out of court. Combs has been behind bars since his arrest in September. His lawyers argued that the acquittal on the most serious counts changed the legal landscape enough that he should get bail. Verdict follows weeks of harrowing testimony Jurors deliberated for about 13 hours over three days before announcing their verdict. It came after they said late Tuesday that they had decided on four counts but were stuck on the racketeering one. At that point, the judge told them to keep deliberating and keep the partial verdict under wraps. Combs did not testify at his trialtria, which featured 34 witnesses as well as video of the rapper attacking his former girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie. Her lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, said in a statement after the verdict that 'by coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice.' Cassie testified for four days about her turbulent 11-year relationship with Combs, which began after she signed with his Bad Boy record label. Cassie said Combs became obsessed with voyeuristic encounters, arranged with the help of his staff, that involved sex workers and copious amounts of baby oil. During the sex events, called 'freak-offs' or 'hotel nights,' Combs would order Cassie to do things with other men that she found humiliating, she testified. When things didn't go Combs' way, he would beat her, she said. 'I'm not a rag doll. I'm somebody's child,' Cassie told Combs after he dragged her down a hotel hallway in 2016. Another ex-girlfriend, testifying under the pseudonym 'Jane,' told the jury she repeatedly told Combs she didn't want to have sex with the men hired for their trysts. 'I'm not an animal. I need a break,' she told him. Nevertheless, she said she felt 'obligated' to comply with his demands, in part because he paid her rent. Defense calls case an invasion of privacy The trial's most famous witness, rapper Kid Cudi, said Combs broke into his home in late 2011 after learning he and Cassie were dating. After his car was firebombed a few weeks later, Cudi — whose real name is Scott Mescudi — said he knew Combs 'had something to do' with it. Combs denied it. Combs' defense team acknowledged that he could be violent but argued that prosecutors were intruding in his personal life. In his closing remarks to the jury, defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo said it wasn't illegal for Combs to make 'homemade porn' with his girlfriends. 'They go into the man's bedroom. They go into the man's most private life. Where is the crime scene?' Agnifilo said. While Jane described violence — like a night when Combs choked her, punched her face, leaving welts and a black eye, when she resisted an encounter with a sex worker — she also acknowledged on the witness stand that her feelings are complicated. She testified that she still loves Combs and had planned to meet him in New York for one last 'hotel night' when he was arrested last September. The AP does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as Cassie has. Rapper, entrepreneur and criminal defendant Combs was at the center of the East Coast-West Coast hip-hop battles of the 1990s and became one of the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades, diversifying his interests with the Sean John fashion label, Ciroc vodka, a cable TV channel and a film and TV studio. Along with his protege Biggie Smalls — the Notorious B.I.G., who was shot and killed in 1997 — Combs worked with artists including Mary J. Blige, Usher and Lil Kim. In 2001, Combs was at the center of one of the biggest hip-hop trials of its era, stemming from a Manhattan nightclub shooting that injured three people in 1999. Combs was acquitted of charges that he took an illegal gun into the club and tried to bribe his driver to take the fall. His career recovered quickly that time. Combs' reputation may have suffered irreparable damage, though, after Cassie sued him in November 2023, alleging years of sexual and physical abuse. He settled the next day for $20 million, but more lawsuits by other women and men followed. Most are still pending. ___ Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz contributed to this report.
Toronto Sun
2 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Sean 'Diddy' Combs acquitted of most serious charges, convicted of a prostitution-related offence
Published Jul 02, 2025 • Last updated 3 minutes ago • 4 minute read Sean Combs arrives at the Pre-Grammy Gala And Salute To Industry Icons at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 25, 2020, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Photo by Mark Von Holden / Invision/AP Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. NEW YORK (AP) — Sean 'Diddy Combs was convicted of a prostitution-related offence but acquitted Wednesday of sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have put one of hip-hop's most celebrated figures behind bars for life. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The mixed result came on the third day of deliberations. It could still send Combs, 55, to prison for as long as a decade, and is likely to end his career as a hitmaking music executive, fashion entrepreneur, brand ambassador and reality TV star. The foreperson confirmed the verdict reached was unanimous. After they read the verdict, Combs held his hands up in a prayer motion, looking at jury and hugged his defense lawyer Teny Geragos. Combs was convicted of flying people around the country, including his girlfriends and paid male sex workers, to engage in sexual encounters, a felony violation of the federal Mann Act. But the jury of eight men and four women acquitted Combs of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges, related to allegations that he used his money, power and frightening physical force to manipulate his girlfriends into hundreds of drug-fueled sex marathons with the men. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Combs and his defence team argued that the women were willing participants and that none of his violence justified the severity of the charges. After the verdict was read, the judge gave the jury guidance on speaking about the case to the media, to the public, and more. Combs continuing to pump his right fist subtly, seemingly satisfied that he was acquitted on the most serious charges. Combs seemed buoyant arriving in the courtroom earlier Wednesday morning, a contrast to his mood a day earlier after he learned that the jury at his sex trafficking trial had reached a yet-to-be-disclosed verdict on all but one of the five charges the hip-hop mogul faces. Combs smiled and clasped his hands together in the air toward his family and supporters before hugging several of his lawyers and sitting down to await the outcome of the jury's third day of deliberations. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. A short while later, Combs, his head bowed, stood several feet from his family for less than a minute as they sat with their heads bowed in prayer. As they did on Monday, Combs and family members then applauded before he was led from the courtroom by U.S. marshals. The family later got in a van and left the courthouse. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian ordered the jury to continue its closed-door discussions for a third day after the panel of eight men and four women said it was unable to reach consensus on the top count: racketeering conspiracy. The judge agreed with prosecutors and Combs' defence team that less than 13 hours of deliberations was too soon to give up on reaching a verdict on all counts. The jury's decision on the other charges — two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution — remains under wraps for now. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In a note to the court late Tuesday, the jury said 'unpersuadable opinions on both sides' among some jurors had prevented the group from reaching a unanimous verdict on the racketeering conspiracy charge. Racketeering conspiracy is the most complicated charge in the trial and carries a potential maximum sentence of life in prison. The sex trafficking charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life. Transportation to engage in prostitution carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The disclosure of the jury note about the partial verdict seemed to put defence attorneys and their client in a dour mood even before it was read in open court by the judge. Eight defence lawyers formed a half-circle behind Combs as the smiles and lighthearted mood that accompanied the arrival of other jury notes over two days seemed absent as the attorneys contemplated the possibility that jurors had reached agreement on counts that carry the heaviest sentencing penalties. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Combs appeared morose as his lawyers spoke with him. At one point, the hip-hop mogul solemnly read a piece of paper that attorney Marc Agnifilo handed to him. After the jury came in for instructions and then exited the room, a subdued Combs sat in his chair for a few minutes. As he stood to leave, he faced his relatives and supporters in the audience, blew a kiss and tapped his heart, as he frequently has done at the start and end of each day. Then he paused before his mother and exchanged a few words, telling her, 'Love you' and 'I'll be all right.' Marshals then led him from the room. Earlier in their deliberations the jury asked to review testimony from Cassie, the R&B singer who was Diddy's former longtime girlfriend, as well as from Daniel Phillip, a male stripper Diddy is accused of paying to have sex with Cassie. Prosecutors say Combs coerced two girlfriends into drug-fueled sex marathons with male sex workers. Lawyers for the Bad Boy Records founder contend prosecutors are trying to criminalize Combs' swinger lifestyle. They say his conduct, if anything, amounted to domestic violence, not federal felonies. Combs, who chose not to testify. Read More Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs Ontario Weird Relationships
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
A look at the charges and potential sentencing Sean ‘Diddy' Combs faces in his sex trafficking trial
NEW YORK (AP) — The jury in Sean 'Diddy' Combs sex trafficking trial reached a verdict on all but the most complicated counts – racketeering conspiracy – against the hip-hop star. Jurors are continuing their deliberations Wednesday after saying they couldn't reach a consensus on that top count. Here's what we know about the charges and potential sentencing: What are the charges against Sean 'Diddy' Combs? The three-time Grammy Award winner has pleaded not guilty to five felony charges: one count of racketeering conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Prosecutors say Combs coerced women into abusive sex parties involving hired male sex workers, ensured their compliance with drugs like cocaine and threats to their careers, and silenced victims through blackmail and violence that included kidnapping, arson and beatings. Combs' lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, portrayed the Bad Boys Records founder as the victim of overzealous prosecutors who exaggerated elements of his lifestyle and recreational drug use to bring charges that resulted in what he called a 'fake trial.' What is racketeering conspiracy? The most serious charge in this case, it alleges that Combs ran a criminal enterprise for two decades that relied on bodyguards, household staff, personal assistants and others in his orbit to facilitate and cover up crimes. It's commonly used to tackle organized crime, with prosecutors using the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations act, or RICO, to take on the Mafia in the 1970s. To prove the charge, prosecutors must show that an enterprise existed and was involved in a pattern of racketeering activity. In this case, the alleged activity includes kidnapping, arson, bribery and sex trafficking. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. What is a partial verdict? The panel of eight men and four women said in a note that 'unpersuadable' views on both sides kept them from reaching a unanimous verdict on the racketeering charge. The jury has made a decision on the other charges, however that remains under wraps. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian agreed with prosecutors and Combs' defense team that it was too soon to give up on reaching a verdict on all counts after less than 13 hours of deliberations. What sentence could Combs face? Racketeering conspiracy carries a potential maximum sentence of life in prison. The sex trafficking charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life. Transportation to engage in prostitution carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
