Latest news with #NebraskaStatePatrol
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Wisconsin woman killed, man charged after Nebraska arrest
The Brief A Wisconsin man is accused of killing a woman and leaving the state with her body. The 23-year-old was arrested in Nebraska after a police chase and crash. The victim's body was found inside the vehicle. IOWA COUNTY, Wis. - A Wisconsin man, arrested after a Nebraska police chase this week, is now charged with killing a woman who was found dead inside the vehicle. In Court Court records show prosecutors charged 23-year-old Gavin Thompson with first-degree intentional homicide, burglary, hiding a corpse, and taking and driving a vehicle without the owner's consent. He is currently jailed in Nebraksa. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android What they're saying Prosecutors accuse Thompson of killing 67-year-old Dorinda Segebrecht of Dodgeville. According to a report from WMTV-TV, he entered her unlocked home and demanded her car keys. Evidence showed there was a struggle. Thompson allegedly admitted to stabbing Segebrecht, according to the report. Investigators said he tried to clean up the home before he put her body in her SUV and driving away. Investigators later discovered that Segebrecht's vehicle may have been in Nebraska, and information about the investigation was relayed to Nebraska State Patrol. A trooper there spotted the SUV on I-80 early Wednesday morning. After a police chase and crash, the report said Thompson was arrested and allegedly admitted he needed money and a car because he recently lost his job. Segebrecht's body was found in the back of the vehicle. As of right now, officials are not aware of any connection between Thompson and Segebrecht. The Source FOX6 News referenced information from WMTV-TV, including a criminal complaint filed by the Iowa County District Attorney's Office and public Wisconsin Circuit Court records.

Associated Press
16-06-2025
- Associated Press
Top Omaha Drug Lawyer Spotlights Alarming Warrantless Surveillance On I-80 After Drug Possession Bust
Omaha, NE Criminal Defense Lawyer Exposes Dangerous Warrantless Surveillance On I-80 Revealed After 30-Pound Carfentanil Drug Bust 'If a cop can run your plate through a national network and see your movements without a warrant, that's a dangerous precedent. It doesn't just affect suspected drug traffickers. It affects everyone.'— Criminal Defense Attorney Daniel Stockmann OMAHA, NE, UNITED STATES, June 16, 2025 / / -- After the recent seizure in Omaha, NE of 30 pounds of carfentanil, a synthetic opioid estimated to be 100 times stronger than fentanyl, Omaha-based drug charges lawyer, Daniel Stockmann, is sounding the alarm about the basis on which this arrest may have been made. While officials are touting the bust as a major success, Stockmann is urging the public to pay closer attention to the surveillance technologies being used behind the scenes by law enforcement. As reported by KETV NewsWatch 7 on May 21, 2025, Nebraska State Patrol officers, along with local and federal partners, stopped a vehicle near Seward, NE and uncovered the unprecedented carfentanil stash during what they claimed was a routine traffic stop. Authorities said the amount of the confiscated drug could potentially harm millions of people. Top Omaha, NE, interstate drug trafficking lawyer Daniel Stockmann, argues that the benefits of such a drug possession bust do not outweigh the growing threat of law enforcement's pervasive and rapidly-expanding omnipotence through the use of new technological advancements. Instead, he's raising alarms over potential Constitutional rights infringements leading to such arrests, particularly regarding the increasing use of Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs). These scanners quietly track vehicles' movements, compiling massive amounts of data, often without a warrant and with little public scrutiny. 'ALPRs make everyone a suspect by default,' Stockmann said. 'They collect where you go in your car, when you go, and how often. That's continual public surveillance without consent - and without judicial oversight.' The concern is growing nationwide. A recent investigation by 404 Media uncovered that a law enforcement official utilized a nationwide license plate scanner network to track a woman's vehicle as she crossed state lines while seeking medical treatment. While that case dealt with a controversial medical procedure, Stockmann stresses that the implications of the incident are much more dire. 'This Automated License Plate Readers technology is being framed as a tool for crime prevention, but in practice, it's enabling widespread government surveillance which could then be used to initiate unlawful drug arrests on I-80,' he said. He added that these tools are being quietly integrated into drug interdiction efforts along key corridors like Interstate 80, often without drivers knowing their data is being collected, or how it might be used. 'If a cop can run your plate through a national network and see your movements without a warrant, that's a dangerous precedent,' Stockmann warned. 'It doesn't just affect suspected drug traffickers. It affects everyone.' These concerns are not new for well-known Omaha drug defense attorney Stockmann. For years, he has urged a closer look at how traffic stops are conducted along I-80. He's pointed to patterns that suggest out-of-state drivers are being targeted, particularly near areas like Lincoln and Seward. Stockmann has spent over 15 years challenging drug-related traffic stops on I-80 and has long maintained that out-of-state drivers and minority motorists are disproportionately targeted. He previously issued statements highlighting racial profiling and vague reasons for initiating vehicle searches. 'This isn't just about one drug bust. It's about the bigger picture; where we're heading as a society if we don't draw a clear line between legitimate law enforcement and unconstitutional overreach,' Stockmann said. 'Constitutional rights still matter, even on the highway.' Daniel Stockmann Nebraska Interstate Drug Defense +1 402-884-1031 email us here Visit us on social media: LinkedIn Facebook YouTube X Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen announces reelection bid amid Herbster speculation
A screenshot from Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen's reelection campaign kickoff video. (Courtesy of Jim Pillen for Governor) LINCOLN — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, a day after passage of a bill he supported limiting participation in women's sports to a student athlete's sex at birth, kicked off his second campaign for governor with a red-meat appeal to his Republican base. The first-term governor's campaign video emphasized his role in signing 'the largest income tax cut in Nebraska history' and says he 'reduced property taxes,' done mainly by having the state absorb more of the costs of community colleges from property taxpayers. Pillen touted his rural roots as Nebraska's first active farmer as governor in at least a century. His family runs a massive hog operation based in Columbus, Pillen Family Farms. He is also a veterinarian and former University of Nebraska regent. He also vocally backs law enforcement, including pay raises for the Nebraska State Patrol. He plans to run again with Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly, a former top prosecutor in the Nebraska Attorney General's Office and Lancaster County. The kickoff video jumped back into controversies from his 2022 campaign for governor, including tough talk about illegal immigration and his willingness to keep spending state tax dollars deploying the Nebraska National Guard to the Texas-Mexico border. Some opponents have argued he says one thing and does another by attacking immigrants while running a major agricultural operation, many of which rely heavily on immigrant labor, including some who are not in the country legally. Pillen also highlighted culture war changes he supported, including his push to 'keep men out of girls' sports,' limiting gender-affirming care for minors and federal efforts to ban diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in schools, colleges and universities. 'Here in Nebraska, it's what you do, not how you look, that still determines how far you go,' he said in the announcement. 'If you learn anything growing up on the farm, there's always more work to do.' The message and its timing, as the Legislature closes Pillen's third regular session in charge, appear aimed at asserting himself to a GOP audience of two: President Donald Trump and Trump donor Charles Herbster, Pillen's top GOP primary election opponent from 2022. Herbster, a multi-state businessman with southeast Nebraska ties, has announced no timeline for deciding on a bid. His spokesman, Rod Edwards, said Thursday that Herbster has been 'hearing from a lot of Nebraskans wanting him to run.' Pillen's campaign had no immediate comment beyond a statement issued alongside the announcement. In it, the governor said he 'proudly advanced President Trump's agenda.' Pillen has made more first-term White House trips than recent predecessors. Some of that appears aimed at keeping Trump on the sidelines in a potential GOP primary rematch with Herbster, whom Trump endorsed in 2022 against Pillen. Pillen had the backing of departing Gov. Pete Ricketts, whom Pillen appointed to the U.S. Senate one week after becoming governor and won a special election in November to serve out the final two years of former GOP U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse's term. Several Republican operatives expect Pillen to draw one or more primary challengers, if not more. Among the criticisms he is likely to face are those about increased spending, the effectiveness of state investments in property tax relief and some of his budget decisions, including recent troubles turning in line-item vetoes to the right office at the right time. Nebraska Democrats have also been recruiting a potential challenger for Pillen but have not announced one yet. Some Democratic political observers have speculated that a state senator might run against him or Herbster. Jane Kleeb, chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, said the state deserves a leader who 'prioritizes our economic livelihoods, not Donald Trump's culture wars.' 'Governor Pillen will have to answer for why he is choosing slum lords and bed bugs over Nebraskans,' Kleeb said. 'Or why he has failed to lower property taxes. Or why he chooses to attack vulnerable kids and our public schools.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kearney police chief confirmed as new Nebraska State Patrol superintendent
LINCOLN, Neb. (KCAU) — The Nebraska legislature recently voted to confirm the appointment of Colonel Bryan D. Waugh as Superintendent of the State Patrol. He will be the Superintendent of Law Enforcement and Public Safety for the state of Nebraska. Colonel Waugh was appointed to be Nebraska State Patrol's 19th Superintendent earlier this month by Governor Jim Pillen. 'I'd like [to] thank the members of the Nebraska legislature for their confirmation vote today,' Colonel Waugh said in a press release. 'I believe that the future is bright for the Nebraska State Patrol and I'm eager to join this talented team of men and women serving our state. Together, we will serve with integrity, dedication, and a shared mission to keep Nebraska safe.' He was previously the Chief of the Kearney police department and has 32 years of experience in law enforcement. Colonel Waugh is set to start his new role on June 2nd. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
Family of 4, including a 7-month-old and a 6-year-old, dead in Montana murder-suicide
A couple and their two young children were found dead in a northwest Montana home after a man opened fire on his family, called 911 and died by suicide, authorities said Monday. Police in Kalispell, a city of just under 30,000 in the shadow of Glacier National Park, said the man had made disquieting statements to a 911 operator before officers responded to the home in the Silverbrook Estates community just before 6 a.m. Sunday. Officers discovered the family, including a 7-month-old and a 6-year-old, dead from gunshot wounds in the home, Kalispell Police Chief Jordan Venezio said. The mother was identified by police as Katie Olson-Hartley, 27; the father and suspected shooter was identified as Nicholas Olson-Hartley, 33. "After collecting evidence throughout the day and interviewing numerous people, we believe this tragic event to be the result of a murder-suicide," Venezio said. The chief said investigators believe Nicholas Olson-Hartley had killed his family before he dialed 911 and made unspecified statements officials described only as "concerning." "It appears Nicholas Olson-Hartley took the lives of his young family before calling 911," Venezio said. "After making the phone call to dispatch, he took his own life." The incidents remained under investigation, the chief said. The deaths were discovered a day after a husband, wife and their two teenage children were found dead inside their home in Nebraska in a suspected murder-suicide, according to Nebraska State Patrol. In Montana, court records show that Nicholas Olson-Hartley filed a marriage license application that includes his wife's name in 2018. Katie Olson-Hartley's Facebook page, which was verified by NBC News, proudly displays the children, both girls, in numerous photographs. In 2023, she characterized a photo featuring Nicholas Olson-Hartley and herself amid fall foliage as a loving portrait. "This is how people look at each other in movies when they're in love," Katie Olson-Hartley wrote in a comment. The neighborhood, a planned community called Silverbrook Estates adjacent to the Stillwater River, features homes built in the last five years, some listed for sale with asking prices of more than $1 million The community's developer, Westcraft Homes, said in a statement on Monday, "We are deeply saddened by the recent tragic loss of one of our Silverbrook families. Our thoughts, prayers, and heartfelt condolences go out to all who are grieving — especially the extended family, neighbors, and friends affected by this unimaginable tragedy." It urged neighbors to appreciate each other. "Let us honor the lives lost by fostering kindness, reaching out, and lifting one another up," it said. "Let us support, listen, and show compassion. Together, we can help by choosing compassion and knowledge." If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988, or go to to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, or visit This article was originally published on