Latest news with #manhunt
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Sick party to celebrate murderer Raoul Moat sparks concerns in manhunt village he left in terror
Twisted fans of Raoul Moat are feared to be planning to host a sick boozy party in the village he terrorised to mark the 15 year anniversary of the killer's death. Locals in Rothbury, Northumberland, have warned 'morons' to stay away who over the years have drunk cans of beer and blasted music at the spot where the murderer killed himself. Flowers which have been previously laid ended up being chucked in the river by furious villagers whose quiet lives have been upended by 'idiots' as they fumed: 'Leave us all in peace.' The seven-day hunt for the notorious murderer was the biggest manhunt in Britain's modern history. It ended in the village when former bouncer Moat shot himself in the head after a six-hour stand-off with armed police on July 10, 2010. The hunt for the fugitive took a bizarre twist when England legend Paul Gascoigne turned up to the police stand-off holding a loaf of tiger bread, lager, chicken and a fishing rod after convincing himself Moat was his 'brother' during a cocaine bender. Moat had become the centre of a mass manhunt after he shot and wounded his ex-girlfriend Sam Stobbart, then 22, and killed her lover Chris Brown, 29 in Birtley, Gateshead. The following day he shot and blinded PC David Rathband, 44, as he sat in his patrol car in Newcastle. The traffic officer took his life in February 2012 after struggling to cope with his disability and the breakdown of his marriage. On the first anniversary of Moat's death, friends and family drank a toast at 1.12am on July 10 - the exact time he shot himself following the armed stand-off. Ghoulish tourists also flocked to the spot where he shot himself - now a wildflower meadow - to take macabre selfies and pose for pictures. Previously, police stepped up patrols and threatened to use dispersal powers to prevent the gatherings. Some residents now fear droves of twisted Moat fans will meet at the site, which is on the banks of the River Coquet, to mark next month's grim milestone. Since his violent death, numerous TV series, documentaries, books and plays have been produced with another planned to be broadcast to coincide with this year's anniversary. Locals living in Rothbury fear the media coverage has spawned a new 'fan base' for Moat. One resident, who did not want to be named fearing reprisals, said: 'To some morons he's a hero like Robin Hood. Chris Brown (pictured) was gunned down and killed by Raoul Moat on July 3, 2010 'There are concerns these so-called fans will come down here for the anniversary. They did it before and it got quite wild. 'On the first few years, friends of his turned up with packs of beer and stood and sang songs and listened to music into the early hours. 'The next day beer cans and rubbish was left everywhere which a few local residents cleaned up. 'Flowers were laid at the spot where he shot himself but they were swiftly thrown in the river. 'The spot where it happened is a patch of wild grass and flowers, it's nothing to write home about.' Another local said: 'Rothbury has so much going on but it's unfortunately forever linked with some thug with a gun. 'Every time there's a new TV series or documentary made about Moat or the hunt for him, the village turns into a circus. 'It's been 15 years since it all happened and a lot has happened since then. Maybe it's time for everyone to let sleeping dogs lie. 'I just hope the few idiots who, for whatever misguided reason, seem to idolise him have some common sense and stay at home next month and leave us all in peace.' Councillor Steven Bridgett, who represents the village, has previously urged 'idiots' to stay away on the anniversary - saying locals 'want to move on'. Northumbria Police confirmed they 'would respond in the same way we would with any incident, with a fair and proportionate police response'.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
DNA taken from Travis Decker search area fails to match suspected killer as teams scour Washington mountains
Not a single piece of DNA collected during the manhunt for Travis Decker has been a match to the suspected killer, Washington authorities have admitted. Decker, 33, is accused of suffocating his three daughters - Paityn, nine, Evelyn, eight, and Olivia, five - at a remote campsite in the Cascades mountains in Washington state on May 30 before vanishing. Tactical teams have scoured the mountains near the city of Leavenworth for weeks, but the searches have found no evidence of Decker in the area, according to an update Friday from Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison. 'We do have some items that have come back from the scene, that have come back to match the DNA that we have for what we believe to be Travis's DNA,' he said, per KIRO7. 'But no other DNA that's come back to show anyone else was on scene. Nothing in the mountains.' It comes days after the Kittitas County Sherriff's Office (KCSO), which is also involved in the search alongside the FBI, raised the possibility that Decker may be dead. 'At this time, there is no certain evidence that Decker remains alive or in this area,' the sheriff's office announced earlier this week. Officials said that they have modified part of their search into a recovery effort, but warned the public that if Decker is alive, he remains extremely dangerous and may have access to firearms. In a statement from Kittitas County Sheriff Clay Myers this week, he said investigators have tracked dozens of tips and have received multiple reports of possible sightings of Decker. However, he said there remains no definitive evidence that the suspected family-slayer is alive. 'Deputies have maintained extra patrols in the areas in and around the Teanaway Valley, Blewett Pass, Liberty, and Lauderdale,' the statement read. 'Kittitas County Regional Tactical Response Team members have spent days and nights in remote terrain, working with K9 resources and experienced trackers to identify and follow any credible lead to Decker's location. '(Decker) could be deceased. He could have taken his own life. He could have succumbed to injuries. We recognize that's a possibility.' Sheriff Morrison added that despite the possibility that Decker is already dead, law enforcement will not stop their search until they either find a body or he is brought to justice. 'I respect Sheriff Myers, his agency, they certainly have taken on a huge lift over this last week,' he said. 'His people have come alongside us, so appreciative of their efforts and their resources they put into it. Either way, we haven't found him alive or dead, and the search still continues.' With an extensive combat background, authorities and locals are concerned about Decker still being on the loose. He joined the Army in 2013. He served in Afghanistan before transferring to the Washington National Guard in 2021, Karina Shagren, communications director for the Washington Military Department, confirmed to the Daily Mail. He was a full-time member of the Guard until 2023 or 2024, when he switched to part-time. Decker stopped attending mandatory monthly drills a little over a year ago, and the Guard was in the process of a disciplinary discharge. He likely has advanced combat training and was an airborne paratrooper who earned the elite rank of 'Ranger,' indicating he would have excellent wilderness and survival skills, Fox 13 Seattle reported, citing social media posts. Decker is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and kidnapping, but has been missing since May 30, when he failed to return the three little girls back to their mother, Whitney, after a visit. Whitney, who is divorced from the veteran, told police that he had picked the girls up around 5pm but had not returned them by 8pm, and his phone went straight to voicemail, court documents said. Detectives said she 'expressed concern because Decker reportedly has never done this before and … is currently experiencing some mental health issues.' She also told law enforcement officials that Decker was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and believes he did not take medication for the condition, according to court documents. On June 2, a search party led to the chilling discovery of the sisters' dead bodies near the Chelan County campsite along with Decker's truck. Deputies found the girls' bodies about 75 to 100 yards from Decker's truck. An autopsy revealed the girls died from suffocation and police reported their wrists were zip-tied when they were found, court documents said. Police collected 'a large amount of evidence' from the truck, including male blood and non-human blood. The alleged-killer's dog was found nearby as well and taken to an animal humane society, Fox 8 reported. The discovery of the children's corpses kicked off the massive search for Decker. State and federal authorities believe they may have spotted him hiking in a mountainous area. On June 10, a helicopter crew s aw someone running off a trail near Colchuck Lake. Police speculate it was Decker. The lake is roughly 12 miles from the campground the girls were left near.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Fugitive in NOLA jail break captured after six weeks on the lam
Authorities in Louisiana have captured one of the last two remaining fugitives still on the loose after a brazen jailbreak in New Orleans nearly six weeks earlier. Antoine Massey, 32, was arrested Friday at a home in New Orleans, according to the Louisiana State Police. He was among ten inmates being held at the New Orleans Justice Center when they broke out of jail on May 16, an escape that wasn't noticed until more than seven hours later. It prompted a manhunt that spanned multiple states. Eight of the ten were captured earlier, most in New Orleans and two in Texas. Earlier this month, Massey posted a social media video proclaiming his innocence. Massey, 33, who stood out for his face tattoos of chess pieces, was in jail on charges of domestic abuse involving strangulation and theft of a motor vehicle. Officials said new charges were forthcoming. His arrest means that only one escapee, Derrick Groves, remains on the lam. Groves, 27, was convicted of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder in connection with a shooting during Mardi Gras in 2018. "Great work by all our law enforcement partners who have been working so hard for this outcome. 1 more to go!' Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said on social media. New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick urged Groves to turn himself in. Either way, she said, 'You will be taken into custody.' The escapes, which sent several prosecutors and victims fleeing for safety, raised questions about the jail's operations and highlighted a facility that the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office said was overcrowded and in need of security upgrades. Sheriff Susan Hutson, whose department operates the jail and has faced intense scrutiny over the escapes, personally received the tip Friday morning that led to the arrest. "This is a major step forward in our efforts to restore order and accountability after this serious incident," she said at a news conference in New Orleans. Authorities had offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the fugitives' arrest. Massey had been hiding in a home in a New Orleans neighborhood that is less than two miles from the jail. He peacefully gave up when police surrounded it around 3:30 p.m. on Friday, authorities said. Police are still examining who might have been helping him. The captures come as Louisiana authorities continue to investigate how the men were able to create a hole in a cell wall by ripping out a toilet and to escape without being noticed by guards in the early hours of May 16. Their absences were not discovered until the next morning. Hutson has said the escapees appeared to have gotten help from the inside. One maintenance worker was already arrested. In addition, she said the jail suffered from underfunding and a shortage of staff. Her critics have blamed mismanagement. On Friday, she noted that the jail was already working to secure locks and add razor wire and other security measures as part of a larger effort to improve the facility. The Louisiana State Police said Massey would be transported to the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, the state's oldest and only maximum-security prison. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fugitive in NOLA jail break captured after six weeks on the lam
CNN
2 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
How authorities found a drug kingpin's luxurious hideout in Ecuador
Ecuadorian forces have revealed how they captured the country's most-wanted man, drug lord Adolfo 'Fito' Macías, more than a year after his brazen prison escape prompted the president to declare an internal armed conflict to crack down on the country's most violent gangs. After an almost 18-month manhunt for the leader of the criminal group Los Choneros, the Ecuadorian Security Bloc made a breakthrough on June 25. They obtained intelligence that alerted them to a luxurious home in the province of Manabí, the gang's longtime stronghold for drug operations. Authorities immediately traveled to the area and launched a 10-hour operation to try to find and capture the notorious gangster. To prevent the raid from being thwarted, the military and police shut down access within a 15-block radius so no one could enter or leave the site. Special teams from the armed forces eventually entered the property to gather more information and take control of the house. It was a fully equipped villa, featuring a pool, a gym, appliances, a game room, marble-like walls, and features that indicated the property was still under construction. In one area of the house, there was a perfectly camouflaged hole in the floor, containing a bunker with hidden access and air conditioning. 'Police and armed forces on the scene began conducting a search with instruments to see where alias 'Fito' was hiding,' Ecuador's Interior Minister John Reimberg said. A surveillance flight had identified an irregular crop field behind the house, so authorities requested the use of excavators to locate the drug lord. 'They started to excavate. As soon as this happened, Fito panicked because if we continued, the roof of his bunker would collapse. At that moment, he opened the hatch, where the military was already located, and climbed out of the hole where he was hiding. That's how we detained him,' Reimberg said. Soldiers pinned Macías to the ground, pointed weapons at him and ordered him to say his full name out loud. 'Adolfo Macías Villamar,' he said while lying on the floor with his hands behind his back, footage from the army showed. After the operation, authorities arrested Macías, along with four other men identified as part of his security detail. Macías was immediately transferred to the Manta Air Base and then to the Guayaquil Air Base. From there, he was taken to the maximum-security La Roca prison, located in the Guayaquil prison complex, behind La Regional prison, from where he escaped in January 2024. A photo later released by the interior ministry showed the drug lord locked inside his cell. President Daniel Noboa said Ecuador is working to extradite him to the United States – where he faces drugs and weapons charges – and is awaiting a response from American officials. Macías is one of Ecuador's most notorious gangsters and is the only founding member of Los Choneros believed to still be alive. In 2011 he was sentenced 'for a string of crimes, including homicides and narcotics trafficking,' according to think tank Insight Crime, but sprung out of jail in February 2013 before being recaptured months later. Little is known about his life prior to crime, but he gained a reputation for being the gang's money laundering expert while incarcerated for over a decade. Before he fled prison in 2024, the government was planning on moving Macías to a higher-security facility. Noboa's press secretary told a local channel that the news had likely reached Macías and prompted him to make his escape.
CNN
2 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
How authorities found a drug kingpin's luxurious hideout in Ecuador
Ecuadorian forces have revealed how they captured the country's most-wanted man, drug lord Adolfo 'Fito' Macías, more than a year after his brazen prison escape prompted the president to declare an internal armed conflict to crack down on the country's most violent gangs. After an almost 18-month manhunt for the leader of the criminal group Los Choneros, the Ecuadorian Security Bloc made a breakthrough on June 25. They obtained intelligence that alerted them to a luxurious home in the province of Manabí, the gang's longtime stronghold for drug operations. Authorities immediately traveled to the area and launched a 10-hour operation to try to find and capture the notorious gangster. To prevent the raid from being thwarted, the military and police shut down access within a 15-block radius so no one could enter or leave the site. Special teams from the armed forces eventually entered the property to gather more information and take control of the house. It was a fully equipped villa, featuring a pool, a gym, appliances, a game room, marble-like walls, and features that indicated the property was still under construction. In one area of the house, there was a perfectly camouflaged hole in the floor, containing a bunker with hidden access and air conditioning. 'Police and armed forces on the scene began conducting a search with instruments to see where alias 'Fito' was hiding,' Ecuador's Interior Minister John Reimberg said. A surveillance flight had identified an irregular crop field behind the house, so authorities requested the use of excavators to locate the drug lord. 'They started to excavate. As soon as this happened, Fito panicked because if we continued, the roof of his bunker would collapse. At that moment, he opened the hatch, where the military was already located, and climbed out of the hole where he was hiding. That's how we detained him,' Reimberg said. Soldiers pinned Macías to the ground, pointed weapons at him and ordered him to say his full name out loud. 'Adolfo Macías Villamar,' he said while lying on the floor with his hands behind his back, footage from the army showed. After the operation, authorities arrested Macías, along with four other men identified as part of his security detail. Macías was immediately transferred to the Manta Air Base and then to the Guayaquil Air Base. From there, he was taken to the maximum-security La Roca prison, located in the Guayaquil prison complex, behind La Regional prison, from where he escaped in January 2024. A photo later released by the interior ministry showed the drug lord locked inside his cell. President Daniel Noboa said Ecuador is working to extradite him to the United States – where he faces drugs and weapons charges – and is awaiting a response from American officials. Macías is one of Ecuador's most notorious gangsters and is the only founding member of Los Choneros believed to still be alive. In 2011 he was sentenced 'for a string of crimes, including homicides and narcotics trafficking,' according to think tank Insight Crime, but sprung out of jail in February 2013 before being recaptured months later. Little is known about his life prior to crime, but he gained a reputation for being the gang's money laundering expert while incarcerated for over a decade. Before he fled prison in 2024, the government was planning on moving Macías to a higher-security facility. Noboa's press secretary told a local channel that the news had likely reached Macías and prompted him to make his escape.
