Latest news with #murders
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Erik Menendez taken to hospital with unknown medical condition, US media reports
Erik Menendez has been diagnosed with a "serious medical condition", his lawyer has told multiple US news outlets. The news comes weeks before he and his brother, Lyle, are set to appear at a parole hearing after spending decades in prison for the murders of their parents. The lawyer did not provide further details about the medical condition. The BBC has asked for was taken from a San Diego prison, in which he has been held for years, to an outside medical facility on Friday. The California state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation told local outlet CBS 8 that Menendez was in a "fair condition", but that it could not give further brothers, who have been behind bars for 35 years, were resentenced in May to 50 years to life in prison for the killings of Kitty and José Menendez, in 1989. They were previously serving life without the possibility of parole. But earlier this year, a Los Angeles judge determined Erik, 54, and Lyle, 57, did not pose an "unreasonable risk" if they were released. The judge added that the brothers had "done enough" while in prison to merit a change of pair's new sentence made them eligible for parole consideration due to their young ages when their crimes were brothers' lawyer Mark Geragos called for Erik Menendez's release in a TMZ interview, making reference to his client's health."I just think he should be parole furloughed, I think is the proper term, and he could be medically furloughed in advance of the hearing so that he can work with the parole attorney and get up to speed and be ready and do it and give it his best shot," Mr Geragos said. "I think that it's the only fair and equitable thing to do."The brothers' parole hearing is scheduled for 21 pair went through two trials before being convicted in the 1990s. They have claimed the murders were in self-defence. Prosecutors contended that the brothers were spoilt young men who killed their parents for financial gain.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bryan Kohberger will spend life in solitary confinement: Bondsman
(NewsNation) — As Bryan Kohberger awaits sentencing Wednesday for the murders of four University of Idaho students in 2022, his life could become even more solitary. NewsNation spoke with Kevin Corson, the owner of Idaho Bonding Company, regarding the treatment Bryan Kohberger may face should he be sent to the Idaho Maximum Security Institution, the state's only super-max prison. According to Corson, it houses the most dangerous criminals in Idaho, and Kohberger should expect an extremely restricted lifestyle. 'Life is going to be a little more harsh than what it was in the Ada County Jail when he was there,' Corson said. Inside prison where Bryan Kohberger could spend rest of his life 'He's going to have to be segregated; as you may know, people in prison don't like people who hurt women or children, and he's hurt women. 'And that's not something that the inmates there take lightly. It's something that is definitely going to put a target on his back.' Should Kohberger be sent to the super-max prison, he could end up in long-term, restricted housing and what's known as closed and protective custody. This type of housing is meant for prisoners who could be hurt by inmates in general population, or who could hurt others. Those inmates spend 23 hours a day inside their cells, with food and water fed through doors into their cells. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Trump intervenes in Bryan Kohberger case
Donald Trump has intervened in the Idaho murders case and said that quadruple killer Bryan Kohberger should be forced to explain why he committed the atrocities. The 30-year-old killer finally confessed to the murders in a stunning turn of events earlier this month, but has not offered a motive or explanation for his crimes. Trump demanded that the judge require Kohberger to give an explanation for his heinous crimes during his sentencing hearing later this week. 'Bryan Kohberger, who was responsible, in Idaho, for the deaths of four wonderful young souls, has made a plea bargain deal in order to avoid the Death Penalty. These were vicious murders, with so many questions left unanswered,' the president said on Truth Social Monday. 'While Life Imprisonment is tough, it's certainly better than receiving the Death Penalty but, before Sentencing, I hope the Judge makes Kohberger, at a minimum, explain why he did these horrible murders. 'There are no explanations, there is no NOTHING. People were shocked that he was able to plea bargain, but the Judge should make him explain what happened. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' Kohberger is set to be sentenced on July 23 for the murders of 21-year-old Kaylee Goncalves, her 21-year-old best friend Madison Mogen and 20-year-old couple Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin . Kohberger broke into a student home in Moscow, Idaho, in the dead of the night on November 13, 2022, and stabbed the four victims to death. He was arrested around six weeks later but spent more than two years fighting the charges. Just weeks before his trial was slated to begin in August, Kohberger struck a controversial deal with prosecutors, changing his plea to guilty on all four counts of murder and one count of burglary. Under the terms of the deal, he will be spared from the death penalty and will be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, while waiving all rights to appeal. The Goncalves family vehemently opposed the plea deal, with father Steve protesting outside the change of plea hearing in Ada County Courthouse in Boise on July 2. With Kohberger no longer facing trial, Judge Steven Hippler lifted a sweeping gag order, but refused to immediately unseal all records related to the case. To this day, the parents said they still don't know what the motive for the murders was. Kohberger has not revealed a motive for the attack and there is no known connection between him and his victims. During the change of plea hearing, it was revealed that Kohberger bought a Ka-Bar knife and sheath from Amazon in March 2022 - months before the killings. In June 2022, he moved from his parents' home in Pennsylvania to Pullman, Washington, where he enrolled on the criminal justice PhD program at Washington State University. From the following month onwards, his cell phone pinged close to the victims' home at 1122 King Road - indicating that he likely stalked or surveilled at least one of the women who lived there. At around 4am on November 13, 2022, Kohberger broke into the three-story home and went straight up to Mogen's room on the third floor, where he murdered Mogen and Goncalves. On his way back downstairs or on leaving the property, the prosecutor said he encountered Kernodle on the second floor, who had just received a DoorDash food order. He attacked her with the knife and then also murdered Chapin, who was sleeping in her bed. Kohberger then left through the back sliding door on the second story of the property, passing roommate Dylan Mortensen, who had been woken by the noise and peeked around her bedroom door. Mortensen and roommate Bethany Funke - whose bedroom was on the first floor - were the only survivors. Prosecutors believe Kohberger did not intend to kill all four victims that night - but did enter the home intending to kill and had planned his attack for some time. He was tracked down, after he left a Ka-Bar leather knife sheath next to Mogen's body at the scene. Through Investigative Genetic Genealogy, the FBI managed to trace DNA on the sheath to Kohberger. Kohberger will return to Ada County Court for his sentencing on July 23, where the families of the victims will be given the opportunity to deliver impact statements.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump weighs in on Bryan Kohberger's plea deal ahead of crucial Idaho murders sentencing
President Donald Trump waded into the "vicious" Idaho student murders case Monday with a post on Truth Social about Bryan Kohberger's upcoming sentencing, saying he hopes the judge requires some kind of explanation at Wednesday's hearing for the slayings of "four wonderful young souls." When Kohberger pleaded guilty earlier this month, he gave no motive or explanation while admitting to the home invasion stabbing deaths of four college students. "While Life Imprisonment is tough, it's certainly better than receiving the Death Penalty but, before Sentencing, I hope the Judge makes Kohberger, at a minimum, explain why he did these horrible murders," Trump wrote. "There are no explanations, there is no NOTHING." Trump echoed public surprise about the unexpected plea deal, which spares Kohberger from the potential death penalty in exchange for admitting to the crimes. He is expected to receive four consecutive terms of life imprisonment with no chance of parole, plus another 10 years, and has waived his right to appeal and to seek a sentence reduction. Critics have questioned why the deal didn't require him to explain himself. And the appeal waiver does not mean he won't have any chance to appeal, according to Judge Steven Hippler, who cited a Supreme Court case, Garza v. Idaho, that found defendants who waive their rights to appeal may still have a right to appeal. "People were shocked that he was able to plea bargain, but the Judge should make him explain what happened," Trump added. "Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Kohberger pleaded guilty to all charges on July 2, about two months before he would have gone to trial in Boise, Idaho. At the hearing, he admitted to sneaking into the off-campus home at 1122 King Road in Moscow, Idaho, and killing four University of Idaho students inside, some of whom were asleep. The victims were 21-year-olds Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, as well as 20-year-olds Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. They were all killed around 4 a.m. on Nov. 13, 2022. Kohberger was studying for a Ph.D. in criminology at Washington State University, about 10 miles away over the state line. He could have faced capital punishment, and Idaho had recently taken steps to bring back the firing squad as a result of difficulties with lethal injection as a viable option. The victims' families were split over the plea deal, with some welcoming a chance to move past the murders. Goncalves' family, notably, had been hoping for the most severe punishment and pleaded with the judge to at least require an explanation before accepting the deal. According to court documents, DNA from a knife sheath left at the crime scene matched Kohberger's, and cellphone data placed him near the victims' house multiple times before the killings. Surveillance footage also captured a white Hyundai Elantra in the area. Kohberger's official sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday morning.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
NM town mayor and police chief caught smuggling guns to Mexican cartels; NM Crime Files
LUNA COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) – This week on New Mexico Crime Files, KRQE anchors Dean Staley and Jessica Garate recap a story that shook the Village of Columbus, N.M., to the core. In 2011, then-Mayor Eddie Espinoza, Columbus Police Chief Angelo Vega, and a board trustee were accused of smuggling over 200 guns across the border to Mexican Cartels. ATF investigators even noted the guns were used for murders in Mexico. Learn more about the fallout of the gun smuggling ring and where the culprits are now. About New Mexico Crime Files This is New Mexico Crime Files – Taking it from the streets, then to the courtroom, to finally answering 'where are they now?'. Each week, KRQE News 13 anchors Dean Staley and Jessica Garate bring you the notorious, the unforgettable, and the unbelievable crime stories from the Land of Enchantment. New Mexico Crime Files is sponsored by MedradoStruck Law Firm. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
