Latest news with #Leist


Metro
21-07-2025
- Metro
Bowling coach sent disturbing texts to teen before shooting her and himself dead
A 33-year-old bowling coach sent disturbing text messages to a teenage girl he groomed before shooting her dead and turning the gun on himself. Ryne Leist had been sending inappropriate texts to Gwendolyn Smith, 17, before killing her in her stepfather's home in a small Michigan town, claimed her father, Levi Smith. 'I've seen enough of the emails he sent my daughter before he killed her to know it's not speculation,' Levi wrote in a Facebook discussion group for Bedford Township. 'He deserves to rot in a special hell.' The grieving dad did not elaborate on the texts. Leist, who was a volunteer coach for the Bedford High School bowling club that Gwendolyn was a member of, is believed to have shot her several times. Gwendolyn's stepdad got home around 6pm on June 14 to find her and Leist wounded and dead. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office found that Gwendolyn died by and that Leist died by suicide. Beside the Leist's cryptic texts that Levi mentioned on Facebook, others have come forward with stories of alleged red flags they saw from him. Kara Thornton, who said she knew Leist when he was 20 years old and she was 15, said they never dated because she didn't want to, but that he still got her name tattooed on his arm. She claimed that he tried to sleep with her and her friends and would take them to remote places and bring alcohol. 'A few years back he was trying to be a 'photographer' to take nudes of women,' said Thornton. 'It's hard looking back and realizing how f***ed it all was; haven't thought about him in years.' Meanwhile, tributes have poured out for Gwendolyn. A GoFundMe page to remember Gwendolyn and support her family stated that she was a 'standout athlete' on the bowling team, a 'gifted student' academically and a passionate artist studying music. 'Gwen was an extraordinary young woman whose presence left an indelible mark on our school community,' states the fundraiser. 'Most of all, Gwen will be remembered for her kindness, her bright spirit, and the joy she brought to those around her.' The GoFundMe page had raised more than $21,000 as of Monday. More Trending 'This tragic and unnecessary loss cannot be explained,' the page states. 'It has shaken our entire Bedford community, and our hearts and prayers go out to Gwen's family and the many friends whose lives she touched so deeply.' Bedford Township is about 55 miles southwest of Detroit. The murder-suicide happened more than four years after 2012 Olympics team USA coach John Geddert fatally shot himself in Lansing, Michigan, after being charged with child sex assault and human trafficking Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Gang lures celebrity barber to London with honey trap to steal £500,000 in crypto MORE: Man guilty of murdering couple before dumping remains near Clifton Suspension Bridge MORE: Passenger plane forced to swerve in mid-air to avoid crashing into B-52 bomber


New York Post
21-06-2025
- New York Post
Bowling coach had been messaging 17-year-old victim before murder-suicide, her father said
A Michigan bowling coach who fatally shot a 17-year-old girl in her home had been sending the teen inappropriate messages before the killing, her father claimed. The tiny community of Bedford Township, Michigan, about an hour south of Detroit, has been reeling since news emerged that Ryne Leist shot and killed one of his young charges, 17-year-old Gwendolyn Smith, before authorities say he killed himself. As community discussion of the June 14 tragedy unfolded on Facebook, allegations of creepy behavior from Leist emerged before one resident urged others to not to jump to conclusions. Advertisement That's when Smith's father Levi jumped in. 'I've seen enough of the emails he sent my daughter before he killed her to know it's not speculation,' Levi Smith cryptically posted in a Facebook discussion group for Bedford Township. 4 Gwendolyn Smith had just graduated high school two weeks before. Matthew Kennerson/Facebook Advertisement 'He deserves to rot in a special hell,' Smith said of Leist, 33. Leist volunteered as the coach of the bowling club at Bedford High School, where Gwendolyn Smith was on the team. He is believed to have shot the girl multiple times in her stepfather's home, authorities said. Smith's stepfather returned home at around 6 p.m. to discover the mortally wounded teen and her alleged killer. Gwendolyn Smith, described as a 'kind,' 'talented' and 'extraordinary young woman,' had just graduated high school two weeks before. Advertisement 4 Levi Smith said he'd seen the emails Leist sent his daughter. Facebook/Heather Smith Former friends and classmates of the Leist meanwhile, told a different tale about the coach. 'I do remember him being a loner,' said Monica Mckenzie. 'Somehow he slipped through the cracks.' Kara Thornton said she knew Leist when she was 15 and he was 20. Advertisement 'He got my name tattooed on his arm. We never dated, I never wanted to,' said Thornton, who now lives in Hawaii. 4 Thornton said Leist got her name tatooed on his arm even though they never dated. 'He would try sleeping with me and my friends, he'd meet us at parks and then drive us to the middle of nowhere, giving us alcohol…he was always so gross, always trying to date underage girls,' she claimed. 'A few years back he was trying to be a 'photographer' to take nudes of women,' she added. 'It's hard looking back and realizing how f—d it all was, haven't thought about him in years.' 4 Leist was a volunteer bowling coach with the Bedford High School. WTOL 11 It's unclear if Leist broke into the victim's stepfather's home or was let in, said authorities, who didn't specify the nature of the relationship between the two. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office did clarify that 'Gwendolyn did not consider the relation between the two of them to be romantic.' Advertisement Smith's death was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner's office, and Leist died of suicide. Leist volunteered as a coach with the school's bowling club, a gig he'd obtained through his employment at the local bowling alley. He had recently resigned from that position. Levi Smith could not be reached for comment.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
NBC Plans ‘Today' Fan Festival With Events Scheduled for Fall
Every weekday at about 8:30 a.m., the various anchors at NBC's 'Today' step outside the show's Manhattan news studio to meet briefly with fans. In just a few months, they will get to have a longer visit. NBC News is planning a series of live 'Today' events, a sort of fan festival built around the program that will highlight many of its franchises, including Jenna Bush Hager's book recommendations, Willie Geist's in-depth celebrity interviews, and Hoda Kotb's wellness discussions. 'Today' has in recent months put a bigger spotlight on its food and recipe discussions and launched an app that spurs subscribers to think about fitness. The new concept would surface between October and early November, says Libby Leist, the NBC News executive vice president who oversees the morning franchise, and could include a series of ticketed events that would take place in New York City and a few other locations in the U.S. More from Variety Trump Military Parade May Not Get Much Coverage on CBS, NBC, ABC Welcome, Tom Llamas, to TV's Never-Ending Evening-News Battle Lester Holt Ends 10-Year Run as 'NBC Nightly News' Anchor With Hopeful Sign-Off: 'Facts Matter, Words Matter, Journalism Matters and You Matter' In an era dominated by social media, says Leist, 'experiences are kind of a differentiator,' and can bring people together. 'There is so much fragmentation out there, and our thought is we have this trusted brand in 'Today,' and an ability to energize our fandom in real life.' NBC has sought ways to make the events affordable for different audiences, she adds. 'Today' is the latest NBCUniversal property to test experiential waters. The Bravo cable network has for several years organized a 'BravoCon' fan event, and MSNBC last year held a one-day conference that gave attendees a sneak peek at a coming documentary as well as several panels managed by or featuring the network's anchors and hosts. :'Today' has already dispatched Bush Hager to book events and had Geist interview interesting people like Ina Garten and Nate Bargatze at special events in front of live audiences. The concepts typically generate revenue from tickets, but also through advertising partnerships that weave specific brands and promotional messages throughout the occasion. Like many other traditional media companies, NBCU is relying more heavily on programming that aims to gather large, live audiences. The NBC broadcast network will, next year, turn over two nights of its programming schedule to NBA telecasts as part of a new rights deal with the basketball league. NBCU will also telecast a new Winter Olympics in early 2026. NBC executives felt this year, which doesn't have an Olympics or an election race, would have more room to focus on creating a 'Today' fan festival, says Leist. The aim, she adds, is to keep things going beyond a first year. 'The more we do it, the more we hope to generate interest.' Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin, the two 'Today' news anchors, are likely to talk about the festival on air, says Leist, and may take part in a larger event tied to food. Other news outlets have experimented with meet-the-viewer ideas. CNN mounted a series of live 'Citizen' events in recent years that convened newsmakers and CNN anchors to discuss major issues of the day. Among those who took part were Jimmy Kimmel, Dr. Anthony Fauci and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Fox News Channel has organized its 'Patriot Awards' for the past few years; the event has even included a meet-and-greet and a whiskey tasting. But the concept has not been tested in such force by a broadcast morning program, Leist believes, and the hope is the concept brings 'Today' closer to its viewers in an era when A.M. news remains critical to the economics of the broadcast-network news divisions. ABC's 'Good Morning America' continues to win more viewers overall, but NBC's 'Today' leads in the critical category of people between 25 and 54 — the audience favored most by advertisers in news programs. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar