Latest news with #Guinn
New York Post
02-07-2025
- New York Post
Why Bryan Kohberger's guilty plea means he may get the last laugh — and torment his victims further
When Bryan Kohberger pleads guilty to murdering four college students today, he wins control of the narrative and has the last laugh, a murder case expert tells The Post. With a trial averted and the death penalty taken off the table through a plea deal, Kohberger, 30, will go to prison the only person with firsthand knowledge of what he did in the bedrooms of 1122 King Road in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13, 2022, and why. 'With no trial, he gets to keep certain secrets. The air of mystery and in some ways that gives him the upper hand,' Jeff Guinn, author of crime books including 'The Life and Times of Charles Manson,' and 'Waco,' among others told The Post Tuesday. Advertisement Indeed, Guinn notes that the lack of a trial means the victims' families and the general public may never hear evidence of what motivated Kohberger to murder four University of Idaho students, which of them – if any – were the intended target or if he had ever met them. 5 Criminal trial experts tell The Post Kohberger will get the power to spin the story of the despicable crime to suit him from prison when he answers a guilty plea. 5 The University of Idaho victims (clockwise from bottom left): Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Ethan Chapin, 20, and Xana Kernodle, 20. Advertisement 'If he decides he wants to make a public statement he's taking control through this deal because he's still living, breathing and talking. As long he can talk, he's got some control,' Guinn said. However, the trauma of the despicable slaughter will continue to burden the grieving families of his victims: Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernoodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20. Furious family members of the murdered students have already said they will fight the plea deal offered by prosecutors, which puts Kohberger behind bars for life without the possibility of appeal or parole. 'Idaho has failed. They failed me. They failed my whole family,' Steve Goncalves, father of Kaylee, told NBC's 'Today' show. Advertisement Kohberger, who was a Criminology student at Washington State University, just a few miles from Moscow but over state lines, was arrested in December 2022. He was slated to go to trial in August after a protracted legal back and forth delayed proceedings. 5 'By not having a trial, he [Kohberger] gets to keep certain secrets, the air of mystery and in some ways that gives him the upper hand,' Jeff Guinn, author of crime books including 'Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson,' and 'Waco,' among others told The Post Tuesday. AP 5 Steve Goncalves, father of University of Idaho student Kaylee Goncalves, speaking during a vigil in 2022 James Keivom Now, Guinn says, it's most likely the majority of evidence amassed by prosecutors about Kohberger's crimes will remain sealed. Advertisement Guinn noted Kohberger's life behind bars could play out much like notorious career criminal Charles Manson, who died behind bars in 2017. Manson was handed the death penalty for murders carried out by his cult in 1971 in California, but the sentence was commuted to life in prison in 1972 when the state briefly abolished the death penalty. 5 Victim Xana Kernodle (middle) with her father Jeff and sister Jazzmin in Dec. 2021. AP '[Charles] Manson set the paradigm for how much notoriety you can get, for how much you can live off your bloody exploits by getting that life imprisonment. Periodically he would say or do something crazy and get his name back in the news,' Guinn told The Post. 'In [Kohberger's] case, if you commit this kind of crime you tend to think of yourself as sort of a God-like figure anyway. The plea gives him a further chance to exist in a way that will get more attention, and make him seem [to himself] more superhuman … I doubt he's taking this plea to quietly disappear into the penal system. 'The secondary thing is I'm surprised the prosecution would do this if they felt they had a slam dunk case.' Although Idaho has the death penalty, its last successful execution was in 2012. An attempt to execute prisoner Thomas Creech in February 2024 was aborted after an hour after the team could not establish a reliable IV line into his body.
New York Post
02-07-2025
- New York Post
Why Brian Kohberger's guilty plea means he may get the last laugh — and torment his victims further
When Bryan Kohberger pleads guilty to murdering four college students today, he wins control of the narrative and has the last laugh, a murder case expert tells The Post. With a trial averted and the death penalty taken off the table through a plea deal, Kohberger, 30, will go to prison the only person with firsthand knowledge of what he did in the bedrooms of 1122 King Road in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13, 2022, and why. 'With no trial, he gets to keep certain secrets. The air of mystery and in some ways that gives him the upper hand,' Jeff Guinn, author of crime books including 'The Life and Times of Charles Manson,' and 'Waco,' among others told The Post Tuesday. Indeed, Guinn notes that the lack of a trial means the victims' families and the general public may never hear evidence of what motivated Kohberger to murder four University of Idaho students, which of them – if any – were the intended target or if he had ever met them. 5 Criminal trial experts tell The Post Kohberger will get the power to spin the story of the despicable crime to suit him from prison when he answers a guilty plea. 5 The University of Idaho victims (clockwise from bottom left): Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Ethan Chapin, 20, and Xana Kernodle, 20. 'If he decides he wants to make a public statement he's taking control through this deal because he's still living, breathing and talking. As long he can talk, he's got some control,' Guinn said. However, the trauma of the despicable slaughter will continue to burden the grieving families of his victims: Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernoodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20. Furious family members of the murdered students have already said they will fight the plea deal offered by prosecutors, which puts Kohberger behind bars for life without the possibility of appeal or parole. 'Idaho has failed. They failed me. They failed my whole family,' Steve Goncalves, father of Kaylee, told NBC's 'Today' show. Kohberger, who was a Criminology student at Washington State University, just a few miles from Moscow but over state lines, was arrested in December 2022. He was slated to go to trial in August after a protracted legal back and forth delayed proceedings. 5 'By not having a trial, he [Kohberger] gets to keep certain secrets, the air of mystery and in some ways that gives him the upper hand,' Jeff Guinn, author of crime books including 'Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson,' and 'Waco,' among others told The Post Tuesday. AP 5 Steve Goncalves, father of University of Idaho student Kaylee Goncalves, speaking during a vigil in 2022 James Keivom Now, Guinn says, it's most likely the majority of evidence amassed by prosecutors about Kohberger's crimes will remain sealed. Guinn noted Kohberger's life behind bars could play out much like notorious career criminal Charles Manson, who died behind bars in 2017. Manson was handed the death penalty for murders carried out by his cult in 1971 in California, but the sentence was commuted to life in prison in 1972 when the state briefly abolished the death penalty. 5 Victim Xana Kernodle (middle) with her fahter Jeff and sister Jazzmin in Dec. 2021. AP '[Charles] Manson set the paradigm for how much notoriety you can get, for how much you can live off your bloody exploits by getting that life imprisonment. Periodically he would say or do something crazy and get his name back in the news,' Guinn told The Post. 'In [Kohberger's] case, if you commit this kind of crime you tend to think of yourself as sort of a God-like figure anyway. The plea gives him a further chance to exist in a way that will get more attention, and make him seem [to himself] more superhuman … I doubt he's taking this plea to quietly disappear into the penal system. 'The secondary thing is I'm surprised the prosecution would do this if they felt they had a slam dunk case.' Although Idaho has the death penalty, its last successful execution was in 2012. An attempt to execute prisoner Thomas Creech in February 2024 was aborted after an hour after the team could not establish a reliable IV line into his body.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Giant salamander fossil unearthed at Gray Fossil Site
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Researchers at the Gray Fossil Site have discovered the remains of a giant salamander that once called prehistoric Appalachia home. According to a news release from East Tennessee State University (ETSU), the giant plethodontid salamander was strong-jawed and possessed a powerful bite. New guidance on hemp-derived cannabinoid products: What will change on Jan. 1, 2026 The species, Dynamognathus robertsoni, was about 16 inches long, making it one of the largest salamanders to ever exist in the area. In the present day, Northeast Tennessee and all of Southern Appalachia are teeming with a wide variety of salamanders. Among those, researchers say, are dusky salamanders, a stream-dwelling species that measures about seven inches long at their largest. Dusky salamanders are related to Red Hills salamanders, a large species that lives underground with a worm-like body and small limbs. 'Finding something that looks like a Red Hills salamander here in East Tennessee was a bit of a surprise,' Assistant Collections Manager Davis Gunnin stated in the release. 'Today, they're only found in a few counties in southern Alabama, and researchers thought of them as a highly specialized dead-end lineage not particularly relevant to the evolution of the dusky salamanders. Discovery of Dynamognathus robertsoni here in Southern Appalachia shows that these types of relatively large, burrowing salamanders were once more widespread in eastern North America and may have had a profound impact on the evolution of Appalachian salamander communities.' Guinn described Dynamognathus robertsoni as 'the largest plethodontid salamander and one of the largest terrestrial salamanders in the world.' Assistant Collections Manager Shay Maden said the name of the newly discovered salamander comes from its bite and also pays homage to the volunteer who found the first specimen at Gray Fossil Site. 'This group of salamanders has unusual cranial anatomy that gives them a strong bite force, so the genus name – Dynamognathus – Greek for 'powerful jaw,' is given to highlight the great size and power of the salamander compared to its living relatives,' Maden said. As for 'robertsoni,' that name comes from Gray Fossil Site volunteer Wayne Robertson. According to ETSU, Robertson discovered the first specimen of the salamander and has sifted through more than 50 tons of soil containing fossils since 2000. Guinn, Maden and other researchers from the Gray Fossil Site and ETSU published their findings in the journal Historical Biology. The other authors included: Director and Professor of Geosciences Dr. Blaine Schubert Head Curator and Associate Professor of Geosciences Dr. Joshua Samuels Museum Specialist Keila Bredehoeft Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Trees May Be Able to Warn Us When a Volcano Is About to Erupt
The science of predicting volcanic eruptions can genuinely save lives – potentially, a lot of lives – and researchers have shown that tree leaf colors can act as warning signals around a volcano that's about to blow. As volcanoes get more active and closer to an eruption, they push magma up closer to the surface, releasing higher levels of carbon dioxide. That in turn can boost the health of the surrounding trees, making leaves greener. And those changes – specifically in the measurement known as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) – can be spotted by satellites in space. We could be looking at an early warning system for eruptions that doesn't require any local field work or ground sensors, so it could work in remote and difficult-to-access areas. "There are plenty of satellites we can use to do this kind of analysis," says volcanologist Nicole Guinn, from the University of Houston. Guinn was the first author of a recent study looking at carbon dioxide levels around Mount Etna in Italy. The study compared data from sensors around the volcano with satellite imagery, finding a strong relationship between more carbon dioxide and greener trees. Across the course of two years, the team found 16 clear spikes in carbon dioxide and the NDVI, matching magma movements underground. The patterns were even observed farther away from faults in the mountain. That study referenced earlier research from 2019, led by volcanologist Robert Bogue of McGill University, which showed that carbon dioxide emitted by two active volcanoes in Costa Rica had an impact on leaf color in tropical trees in the area. Now Guinn and Bogue, together with other researchers, are working on a project led by NASA and the Smithsonian Institution, analyzing changes in the color of plant life around volcanoes in Panama and Costa Rica. It's part of the collaborative Airborne Validation Unified Experiment: Land to Ocean (AVUELO) mission, which is looking to develop more ways in which we can measure the health of the planet from satellites. Current methods, like NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2, are only strong enough to pick up major eruptions. "A volcano emitting the modest amounts of carbon dioxide that might presage an eruption isn't going to show up in satellite imagery," says Bogue. "The whole idea is to find something that we could measure instead of carbon dioxide directly, to give us a proxy to detect changes in volcano emissions." There are multiple signals that can be interpreted to predict volcanic eruptions, including the rumble of seismic waves and changes in ground height. With the greening of leaves from carbon dioxide emissions, we now have another signal to measure – even if it won't be suitable for all sites. The AVUELO researchers are also interested in the broader effects of increased carbon dioxide on trees. As our world warms up due to human emissions of carbon dioxide, we could be increasingly reliant on vegetation to regulate this greenhouse gas. "We're interested not only in tree responses to volcanic carbon dioxide as an early warning of eruption, but also in how much the trees are able to take up, as a window into the future of the Earth when all of Earth's trees are exposed to high levels of carbon dioxide." says climate scientist Josh Fisher, from Chapman University in California and part of the AVUELO team. The Mount Etna research was published in Remote Sensing of Environment. 60% of The Ocean Floor Could Harbor 'Rare' Supergiant Crustacean Watch: 1,000-Foot Lava Jets Erupt From Hawaii's Kīlauea Volcano Giant Megalodon's Prey Finally Revealed, And It's Not What We Thought
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Hundreds of animals could be euthanized because of massive overcrowding at DeKalb shelter
Animal advocates gathered Friday for the second annual State of DeKalb Animals address as the county works to relieve chronic overcrowding at its shelter. DeKalb County Commissioner Michelle Long Spears organized the address at the Emory Conference Center Hotel. It's an opportunity to bring local animal experts together to discuss challenges facing animal services and how to meet them. 'Our intake last year was the highest it's been since 2005, and this year it's trending higher,' said Rebecca Guinn, founder and CEO of the Lifeline Animal Project, which runs the county's shelter. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Channel 2's Bryan Mims learned that in April, the DeKalb County Animal Shelter took in 757 animals, but its maximum capacity is 475. Through April, 212 animals have been euthanized at the shelter. 'Animals come into our care because of some human struggle or some human failure,' Guinn said. 'And I think people are struggling and there's always a collateral effect on their animals.' She says the state of the county's animals remains challenging. But she points to a so-called pet neighborhood under construction next the shelter that will house 120 animals, helping to ease overcrowding. It will have ten buildings with heating and air. TRENDING STORIES: DeKalb County pastor involved in $2.5 million legal battle over deal to sell church Missing father's kayak, paddle found in Lake Lanier cove Looking to buy a new home? Not in this neighborhood. The new trend hitting metro Atlanta This week, the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners passed an ordinance that targets uncontrollable breeding. It will limit a breeder to one litter per year and all breeders need a permit from the county. Andrea Siedl, a shelter volunteer, advocated for the new rules. 'Many of these backyard breeders are not vetting their animals,' she said. 'They're selling puppies younger than should be sold. They don't have vaccinations.' Guinn said the mission is to slow the tide of animals coming to the shelter and to save more animals' lives. 'Unfortunately, with these kinds of numbers we are looking at, because of the sheer lack of space, we have to make some tough decisions,' she said. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
