LIVE: SC v. Alex Murdaugh | Alex Murdaugh Back in Court - Pretrial Hearing
10/16/2026 @ 10:00 AM
Alex Murdaugh is expected in court Friday for a pretrial hearing as prosecutors and defense attorneys clash over evidence ahead of his upcoming retrial for the murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul. The judge is expected to address disputes involving DNA testing, ammunition evidence, crime scene reconstructions and the handling of the missing murder weapons. Murdaugh’s original 2023 convictions were overturned by the South Carolina Supreme Court after it found jury tampering had denied him a fair trial, with jury selection for his retrial scheduled to begin April 5.
Timothy Hauschultz is facing trial on six charges connected to the 2018 death of his 7-year-old great-nephew, Ethan Hauschultz, who was found dead in a snowbank in Wisconsin. Prosecutors allege Timothy ordered Ethan to complete a punishment involving carrying a heavy log for hours, while the defense argues Timothy’s teenage son, Damian, acted beyond his father’s instructions. Damian was convicted in Ethan’s death and sentenced to 20 years in prison, while Timothy’s long-delayed trial will examine whether he bears criminal responsibility for the punishment that led to the child’s death.
Very disappointed in jurors not being able to follow directions!! Any recs for next case that recently started? Bonus points if you think the jury will follow directions! Thx!
For anyone who wants to at least nominally track along with this case, this may be a good channel to follow On YouTube. BBB Entertainment and Fame Under Fire. Currently on day 4.
I‘d really suggest watching this primer done prior to the trial. It explains the charges and also the laws in the UK as opposed to the US - very helpful to understand the trial landscape.
I just randomly thought about a youtube true crime reaction video i've watched a few years ago, but i can't remember the name of the victims or the murderers. Only info i recall from the case is that it happened in the US, the two killers were females, they assaulted their vicitim (a man) while or after he was showering, and they dismembered his body in a bath. The main thing i also remember is that one of the girl took a cops gun and shot herself when they both got arrested. If anyone knows which case i'm talking about please let me know.
Federal prosecutors allege that former Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell groomed and sexually abused Sandra Birchmore after meeting her through the department’s youth Police Explorers program. They say the relationship began when Birchmore was 15 and continued for years, including while Farwell was on duty. Prosecutors further allege that he concealed the encounters by falsifying work-hour records and that, after Birchmore became pregnant and told him he was the father, he had a motive to silence her.
The prosecution’s central claim is that Farwell strangled Birchmore on February 1, 2021, to prevent her from reporting conduct that could have exposed him to federal charges and then staged her apartment to make the death appear to be a suicide. The Massachusetts state authorities did not charge Farwell criminally after the state-police investigation, relying on the medical examiner’s initial suicide ruling and concluding that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute him. Federal investigators later revisited the case, and prosecutors now point to evidence including Farwell’s presence at Birchmore’s apartment, their history of sexual choking, and the medical examiner’s later change of the death classification from suicide to undetermined. Farwell has pleaded not guilty and maintains that Birchmore died by suicide.
⚠️\*Please be aware that some of these exhibits are) ***graphic in nature***. We have identified that the following photos show Sandra's body. Please proceed with caution:
Day 2, Exhibit 9: Notverygraphic, but shows body from behind, good for seeing angle of body position if you are unclear from testimony
Day 2, Exhibit 11: Shows body from front
Day 2, Exhibit 14: Shows body from front
Day 2, Exhibit 16: Shows body from front
Day 2, Exhibit 20: Close up from front
Day 2, Exhibit 21: Close up from top
Day 2, Exhibit 23: Close up from behind, good for seeing angle of body position
Bones were discovered outside the so-called house of horrors in the Olney section of Philadelphia, but it's unclear whether they are related to the ongoing investigation into Raymond "R.C." Horsch, a suspected serial killer who died last year, sources told CBS News Philadelphia on Thursday.
The Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office responded to the house at 417 West Chew Ave. on Thursday, sources close to the investigation confirmed.
The bones were found in the backyard, where agents and detectives have been painstakingly searching for any sign of human remains and any evidence of at least seven women connected to Horsch and the house, some of whom are feared dead, sources told CBS News Philadelphia.
It's not clear whether they were human or animal bones, sources stressed. More testing is needed to determine the bones' origin and whether they are connected to the investigation.
Richard Marx, a retired FBI supervisory agent who specialized in evidence collection, said the presence of the medical examiner is a significant development.
"If they find something related to the body, then that's when they would want to call the medical examiner, bring them aboard, have them collect it, and have them take it to their office for examination," Marx said.
Investigators have been methodically sifting through the soil in layers, going down about 3 feet.
Investigators found human DNA when they used luminol to search the home, police sources confirmed earlier this week.
A source also said investigators had found opossum carcasses near the house. The remnants of a brick outhouse were also uncovered in the yard.
The investigation at the house is expected to continue until at least the middle of next week, sources said. Investigators are set to dig up the front yard when they are finished in the back.
Investigators believe Horsch used a process known as alkaline hydrolysis to dispose of bodies, law enforcement sources said. He detailed the steps in one of his books in which he called himself an empathetic serial killer. Chemicals found in the home have been sent to laboratories for testing.
Before his death, Horsch lived in the house with his son, Eugene, whose arrest during a traffic stop in June kicked off this massive investigation.
The murder trial of Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares begins more than a decade after UNC-Chapel Hill student Faith Hedgepeth was found beaten to death in her off-campus apartment in September 2012. Hedgepeth, 19, suffered fatal blunt-force trauma to the head, and investigators recovered DNA evidence at the scene. Salguero-Olivares was arrested in 2021 after investigators said DNA evidence linked him to the case, and he now faces charges including first-degree murder, rape and burglary.
Surgery Center Nurse Accused of Sexually Assaulting Elderly Victim
Key Takeaways
Joel Vega, a nurse in Palm Beach County, faces charges for allegedly sexually assaulting patients at Palms Wellington Surgical Center.
Investigators believe more victims may exist.
Healthcare institutions have the legal and ethical duty to protect patients; failing to do so raises serious accountability concerns.
Nurse Arrested Following Patient Reports
A nurse in Palm Beach County is facing felony charges in several cases after patients reported sexual assaults during post-operative medical care.
Joel Antonio Vega, 34, of Lake Worth, worked as a nurse at Palms Wellington Surgical Center in Royal Palm Beach, Florida at the time of the alleged assaults, according to law enforcement records.
Court records show that following an investigation that included interviews with the patients and separate photo lineup identifications, Vega was arrested and booked into jail on Friday, February 20, 2026. He was charged with two counts of sexual battery and one count of misdemeanor battery. Vega appeared in court the following day, where bail was set at $25,000. He has since been released on bond, and conditions of his release require no contact with either alleged victim. His next scheduled court appearance is March 22.
Allegations Involving Knee Surgery Patient
One alleged incident involves a woman recovering from knee surgery on February 13, 2026, at the Palms Wellington Surgical Center.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the patient reported that while she was resting in a recovery bed after surgery with anesthesia, a nurse placed his hand inside her underwear and inside her dress and touched her inappropriately. She pushed his hand away.
The nurse allegedly assaulted her again, at which point she attempted to punch him. Authorities allege Vega then grabbed her hand and forced contact with his groin through his clothing.
The patient asked “to know the nurse’s name and age and she told him… that his behavior was unacceptable. She observed him making a facial expression that appeared unusual.”
Vega was charged with sexual battery and battery in this case.
Allegations Involving Wrist Surgery Patient
A second reported incident involved another elderly patient recovering from wrist surgery on February 5, 2026, at the same surgical facility.
According to a separate probable cause affidavit, the patient stated she was conscious but unable to move while recovering inside a curtained cubicle. The patient said that “he initially made her believe he was adjusting the sheets” when he was reaching across her. She then felt him reach beneath the hospital sheets and inside her underwear multiple times. The victim “stated she felt so shocked that she could not speak or react during the incident.”
According to the affidavit, the patient’s daughter expressed alarm and later, suspicion, after learning that the nurse had administered morphine during recovery despite the patient’s fear of medication and history of refusing even over-the-counter medications. She “asked the male nurse if her mother knew she had been given morphine, and the male nurse appeared to become uncomfortable and did not answer her. He stated it was standard procedure and then became quiet. [She] asked the male nurse if that information would be documented in the medical notes, and he did not respond.”
After leaving the facility, the patient disclosed the assault to her daughter. They later reported the assault during a follow-up appointment with the surgeon. Court records indicate the physician appeared shocked and distressed, which confirmed that the alleged conduct was not part of any standard medical procedure. According to court records, “[The victim] remained in disbelief that such an incident could occur during a medical procedure at her age. She stated that even when preparing to tell [the doctor], she was very upset and shocked about what the male nurse had done to her. She described what took place as, ‘Horrible’ and became visibly distraught.”
Vega’s Re-Arrest
After the original arrest of Vega, additional women came forward to report sexual assault at Palms Wellington. He was re-arrested on March 14, 2026, and charged with multiple felonies and misdemeanors.
If you or someone you know may have been a victim of Vega, please contact Detective L. Alvarez at [561 688-4147](tel: (561) 688-4147), [AlvarezL@pbso.org](mailto:AlvarezL@pbso.org). Tips may also be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-TIPS.
Palms Wellington Surgical Center Response
Palms Wellington Surgical Center has provided no public comment regarding the allegations and has not confirmed Vega’s current employment status.
Nursing License Suspended
Public records from the Florida Department of Health show that on April 7, 2026, the State Surgeon General ordered the emergency suspension of Vega’s nursing license, citing his first arrest.
Institutional Responsibility and Civil Accountability
For a medical professional to take advantage of a patient represents a particularly egregious breach of trust, as patients depend on healthcare providers for safety, care, and protection during some of their most vulnerable moments.
Criminal proceedings are designed to address individual conduct. They do not always examine whether broader institutional failures may have enabled abuse to occur.
Medical facilities have both a legal and ethical duty to protect patients.
Medical sexual abuse allegations raise serious concerns about oversight, supervision, and patient-safety protocols, particularly in environments where patients may be sedated, disoriented, or physically unable to protect themselves.
Civil investigations may examine whether warning signs were missed during hiring, whether vulnerable patients were left unsupervised, whether staff interactions were adequately monitored, and whether effective reporting and accountability procedures were in place.
Civil accountability can help uncover systemic failures, drive meaningful reform, and reduce the risk of future harm.
Marshall father arrested after leaving two young children inside hot car
MARSHALL, Texas (KSLA) — A father is facing charges after officials say two young children were found alone inside a parked car in a fire lane.
It happened around 10:22 a.m. Monday, Oct. 5, in the 200 block of N. East End Boulevard. Marshall Fire Marshal Scott Barmore was patrolling for fire lane violations as part of a city enforcement initiative when he stopped to cite a car parked in a fire lane.
While writing the citation, Barmore heard children and saw a toddler crawling inside the vehicle with no adult supervision. He unlocked the rear door and found a 2-year-old and a 3-year-old inside.
Despite the outside temperature being 74 degrees, officials say the children were hot to the touch. The windows were closed and the engine was off.
Barmore stayed with the children and called the Marshall Police Department for help. Surveillance video showed the children had been left alone for about 20 minutes before an adult returned.
The children’s father was arrested and charged with endangering a child and a related offense. The children’s mother arrived and took custody of them. Child Protective Services and other appropriate agencies were notified.
Officials remind residents that even a mild day can be deadly inside a vehicle.
The Marshall Fire Department urges everyone to:
Never leave a child or pet alone in a vehicle, even for “just a minute.”
Check the back seat every time you exit your vehicle.
Place a reminder, like a phone, purse, or work badge, in the back seat.
Lock vehicles and keep keys out of reach so children can’t climb in.
Call 911 immediately if you see a child or pet alone in a vehicle.
Keep fire lanes clear and park only in marked spaces, even for a quick stop.
Man arrested on murder charge after couple appeared on TV court show
There has been an arrest in the cold-case killing of Michelle Parker, a Florida mother who went missing not long after she appeared on "The People's Court" with her ex-fiancé in 2011.
Caylen Deller is set to stand trial in the September 2024 killing of her ex-boyfriend, Chad Mullen, a father of two. Prosecutors allege Deller shot Mullen near her former horse business, Stormy Stables, then used a horse to drag his body before burying it on a rural property in St. Johns County, Florida. Mullen’s remains were discovered on Oct. 28, 2024. Deller faces charges of first-degree murder with a firearm, tampering with physical evidence and failure to report a death.
Jury confirmed present in main courthouse; brought over.
Court addressed juror‑related stipulation:
Juror #9 removed prior to deliberations by agreement of State and Defense.
Juror #14 (alternate) also released.
Juror #13 (Melissa Haston) designated to deliberate.
Court reviewed stipulation regarding identity of deceased (Chad Mullen).
Final instructions prepared; verdict form withheld until deliberations.
Court instructed jury on conduct, devices, deliberation rules, and communication procedures.
Lunch provided for jury before deliberations.
Exhibits prepared for jury room.
II. CLOSING ARGUMENTS — STATE
Start: 11:16 a.m. Stop: 1:48 p.m.
State’s factual points presented to jury:
Review of barn photographs showing missing red hook; matching hook recovered with victim’s body.
Summary of Kenneth Waddell’s testimony:
Defendant contacted him around Sept. 13.
He traveled from Illinois to Florida due to concern.
Defendant confessed to shooting Chad Mullen twice behind her barn.
Defendant described gun jamming after first shot; second shot delivered while victim looked at her.
Defendant stated she used a 9mm firearm.
Defendant described using horse “Stormy” to drag body.
Defendant stated a friend helped conceal body.
Defendant claimed motive was belief of child abuse (unfounded).
Defendant never claimed self‑defense to Waddell.
Waddell’s prior statements to Lt. Fussell consistent; made before any reward existed.
Cell phone GPS and license plate reader evidence:
Defendant’s phone traveled to victim’s residence Sept. 9.
Both phones traveled to defendant’s farm.
Victim’s phone stopped moving at defendant’s farm around 9:30–9:42 p.m.
Defendant’s phone left property alone at 9:42 p.m.
Phones later traveled together with Ellis’s phone.
Phones traveled near Burns Farm between 3:04–5:00 a.m. on Sept. 10.
Phones returned to Burns Farm on Sept. 12 for ~3 hours (consistent with burial).
Evidence recovered at Burns Farm:
Body located under mound.
Straps, ropes, purple netting, red hook, cinder block attached.
Tattoos used for identification.
Medical examiner documented two gunshot wounds; projectile fragments recovered.
Google account photos showed netting inside defendant’s barn.
Text messages between Ellis and Burns showed Ellis used skid steer on Sept. 12.
ID and bank card belonging to victim found behind barn months later.
State argued defendant made 26 calls to victim between Sept. 2–9; none after shooting.
State argued defendant never reported alleged child abuse to police.
State argued defendant never told anyone she acted in self‑defense.
State argued defendant concealed evidence and body.
III. CLOSING ARGUMENTS — DEFENSE
Start: 2:15 p.m. Stop: 2:52 p.m.
Defense’s factual points presented to jury:
Defendant admitted tampering and failure to report death; accepted consequences.
Defense argued defendant acted in self‑defense during sudden violent encounter.
Defense emphasized defendant’s emotional state when speaking to Russo family.
Defense argued inconsistencies in Waddell’s recollection.
Defense argued defendant’s post‑incident actions were influenced by Ellis.
Defense argued defendant feared consequences and made poor decisions after the shooting.
Defense argued State’s theory relied on assumptions about defendant’s intent.
Defense argued defendant’s statements to Russo family were made while distressed.
Defense argued defendant’s failure to report was not proof of premeditation.
IV. STATE REBUTTAL
Start: 2:52 p.m. Stop: 3:06 p.m.
State’s factual rebuttal points:
State argued defendant’s account of self‑defense inconsistent with physical evidence.
State argued defendant’s description of gun jamming contradicted her testimony.
State emphasized Waddell’s consistent statements and early disclosure of “9mm” detail.
State argued defendant had prior firearm experience per Waddell.
State argued defendant lied repeatedly to family and investigators.
State argued defendant’s statements to Russo family indicated motive, not self‑defense.
State argued defendant never mentioned self‑defense to anyone before trial.
State argued evidence proved premeditation, tampering, and failure to report.
V. VERDICT
Time: 4:29 p.m.
Count 1 — First‑Degree Murder: Guilty as charged.
Count 2 — Tampering with or Fabricating Physical Evidence: Guilty as charged. Enhancement: Tampering related to investigation of a capital felony — YES.
Count 3 — Failure to Report Death with Intent to Conceal: Guilty as charged.
All jurors individually confirmed verdict.
VI. VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENTS
Start: 4:36 p.m.
Polly Mullen, daughter of victim, delivered prepared statement.
Statement from victim’s mother submitted; State prepared to read.
VII. SENTENCING — GRAND THEFT CASE (Separate Case)
(4:50:17–4:56:31)
Defendant enters no contest plea to Grand Theft Animal/Optical (3rd‑degree felony).
Court adjudicates guilty.
Sentence: Time served (1 day)
Costs:
$100 cost of prosecution
$100 cost of investigation
Standard court costs
Restitution reserved.
VIII. SENTENCING — MAIN CASE (Murder / Tampering / Failure to Report)
(5:01:32–5:03:47)
Count 1 — First‑Degree Murder
Life imprisonment
Count 2 — Tampering with Physical Evidence (Capital Felony Investigation)
15 years DOC
707 days credit time served
Count 3 — Failure to Report Death
5 years DOC
707 days credit time served
All sentences run concurrently.
Costs imposed:
$100 cost of prosecution
$100 cost of investigation
Standard felony court costs
PSI waived.
Defendant advised of appellate rights.
IX. END OF DAY ADMINISTRATIVE
Jury discharged with instructions regarding privacy of deliberations.
The murder trial of David Prevatte begins nearly nine years after his five-year-old niece, Paitin Fields, was found unresponsive in 2017. Paitin died three days later, and an autopsy found signs of sexual trauma and strangulation. Prevatte was identified as a suspect in 2018 and arrested in 2022 after a years-long investigation. He faces charges of first-degree murder and multiple sex offenses. Follow the latest testimony and courtroom developments live.
Juror #2 privately tells the bailiff that Juror #3 has been making statements suggesting outside knowledge about the defendant.
Reported statements included:
Defendant “is not a member of the KKK.”
Defendant was “marginalized in his community.”
Defendant was “not part of the KKK.”
Juror #2 also reported that Juror #3 said she “knew things” about the defendant.
B. Judge’s Concern
Two issues required inquiry:
Improper communication outside the jury room.
Juror #3 possibly possessing or introducing extraneous information.
II. INTERVIEW OF JUROR #3
Juror #3 denied telling Juror #2 that the defendant was not a member of the KKK.
Juror #3 denied saying she “knew things” about the defendant.
Juror #3 denied making any statements suggesting personal knowledge of the defendant’s background.
Multiple jurors (#2, #4, #5, #8, #9, #10, #11) later contradicted her denials, confirming that Juror #3 did make the KKK‑related statements and did say she “knew things.”
The court found Juror #3 not credible and excused her first for cause.
Judge instructs her not to discuss the questioning with other jurors.
III. INTERVIEW OF JUROR #2
Juror #2 confirms:
Juror #3 made the KKK‑related statements during deliberations.
Juror #3 said: “I know things about this.”
Additional statements by Juror #3 included:
Defendant “can’t be racist because his girlfriend is Black and he has a child with her.”
This was “the biggest case to hit Pender in a long time.”
Defendant was “blackballed by the town” after the incident and “had to move away.”
Juror #2 identifies other jurors who heard these comments:
#4
#10
Possibly #5
IV. COURT QUESTIONS ALL OTHER JURORS (1–12)
The judge individually questions every juror about whether they heard Juror #3’s statements and whether they can remain impartial.
Findings:
Jurors who heard most or all statements:
#2, #4, #5, #6, #8, #9, #10, #11
Jurors who heard none:
#1, #7
Juror #12 heard only one (“biggest case to hit Pender”).
All jurors affirm they can disregard the comments and remain impartial.
V. RESULT OF FIRST MISCONDUCT ISSUE
Juror #3 Removed for Cause
Reasons:
Conducted internet research.
Introduced extraneous information.
Was not truthful during voir dire and questioning.
Violated court orders.
Alternate juror substituted; jury instructed to begin deliberations anew.
VI. SECOND MISCONDUCT ISSUE (Afternoon Session)
A. New Report from Juror #7
After Juror #3 was removed, Juror #7 reports another misconduct issue:
Juror #2 said the defendant has “a rap sheet longer than the table.”
Juror #3 (before being excused) told Juror #2 to stop.
Juror #7 initially misidentified who stopped the comment, later correcting:
It was Juror #5, not #9.
B. Judge Questions Jurors Again (Targeted Inquiry)
The judge asks whether any juror heard discussion of:
Prior law‑enforcement interactions,
Criminal history,
“Rap sheet,”
“Larceny.”
Findings:
Juror #5 confirms hearing Juror #2 mention a “rap sheet.”
Juror #7 confirms the same.
Juror #9 reports Juror #4 said:“The authorities know him… he’s been around.” Interpreted as implying prior incarceration.
Juror #11 says she might have heard “he’s been around.”
Federal prosecutors allege that former Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell groomed and sexually abused Sandra Birchmore after meeting her through the department’s youth Police Explorers program. They say the relationship began when Birchmore was 15 and continued for years, including while Farwell was on duty. Prosecutors further allege that he concealed the encounters by falsifying work-hour records and that, after Birchmore became pregnant and told him he was the father, he had a motive to silence her.
The prosecution’s central claim is that Farwell strangled Birchmore on February 1, 2021, to prevent her from reporting conduct that could have exposed him to federal charges and then staged her apartment to make the death appear to be a suicide. The Massachusetts state authorities did not charge Farwell criminally after the state-police investigation, relying on the medical examiner’s initial suicide ruling and concluding that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute him. Federal investigators later revisited the case, and prosecutors now point to evidence including Farwell’s presence at Birchmore’s apartment, their history of sexual choking, and the medical examiner’s later change of the death classification from suicide to undetermined. Farwell has pleaded not guilty and maintains that Birchmore died by suicide.
⚠️\*Please be aware that some of these exhibits are) ***graphic in nature***. We have identified that the following photos show Sandra's body. Please proceed with caution:
Day 2, Exhibit 9: Notverygraphic, but shows body from behind, good for seeing angle of body position if you are unclear from testimony
Day 2, Exhibit 11: Shows body from front
Day 2, Exhibit 14: Shows body from front
Day 2, Exhibit 16: Shows body from front
Day 2, Exhibit 20: Close up from front
Day 2, Exhibit 21: Close up from top
Day 2, Exhibit 23: Close up from behind, good for seeing angle of body position
9:08 a.m. — Stoughton Sergeant Robert Kuhn testifies on his relationship with Birchmore, Farwell in the video
Stoughton Sergeant Robert Kuhn positively identified Matthew Farwell in the apartment video.
‘Best friend’ of Sandra Birchmore says she was ‘enamored’ with Farwell
10:03 a.m. — Sandra Birchmore’s best friend, Lesley Davis, testified on friendship
Lesley Davis, 30, of Attleboro, took the stand to testify on how she viewed her childhood best friend’s “relationship” with Matthew Farwell.
Davis said she was one year older than Birchmore and that the two were “best friends” who met in Davis’s last year of middle school, through a program at a Stoughton gym where the girls could babysit children to earn a free gym membership.
Despite attending different high schools, the two “spent a lot of time together” to get ice cream, go on walks or hikes at the Blue Hills Reservation, or hang out at any of Birchmore’s homes over the years, Davis said. They texted each other daily and called at least once a week. Davis described Birchmore as a “bubbly people person” and said she appreciated that Birchmore was always happy to reach out first.
10:10 a.m. — Davis and Birchmore talked through their sexual relationships
Davis and Birchmore would talk about everything in their lives together, including their sexual relationships, Davis testified.
Davis said Birchmore told her “almost immediately” about meeting Farwell when she was 15. Davis knew the two had met in the Stoughton Police Department’s Explorers program and said Birchmore viewed the officers in that program as “role models.”
Birchmore told Davis that she and Farwell would have sex inside his cruiser and in his personal truck, that their sex could be “rough” with “consensual choking,” Davis testified.
10:28 a.m. — Davis disapproves of Farwell’s relationship with Birchmore
Davis also knew Birchmore and Farwell communicated over Facebook and said he would help her with her homework. He “gave a lot of attention to her,” Davis said, and always wanted to know where she was.
“She was very enamored with Matthew Farwell,” Davis told the courtroom. “She thought about him a lot and also wanted to have his child,” Davis said.
Davis said she didn’t like Farwell and Birchmore’s relationship because she knew Farwell was over 10 years older and “thought there could have been a better choice” for Birchmore, but did not want to ruin their friendship by convincing Birchmore to end the relationship or tell an adult. She eventually told her mother, but nobody else, Davis said.
Davis said she knew about an incident that had happened between Birchmore and Farwell right before she died, where he shoved her to the ground knowing she was pregnant. This is what propelled her to go to Canton Police with her family, after she found out Birchmore was dead, and attempt to let them know her concerns.
Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara takes the stand to identify Farwell in video
12:08 p.m. — Chief identifies Farwell in the apartment video
Farwell was again identified by a member of the Stoughton Police Department as the man in the video shown to the jury Tuesday, which depicts a man in a mask and hood entering the foyer of Sandra Birchmore’s apartment complex in Canton.
McNamara said she knows it is him based on the fact she’d worked with him “for 10 years” and his “specific walk,” though she too noted the COVID mask was unusual for him to be wearing.
Before identifying Farwell, McNamara testified on the required work hours for the department and said in 2021, there were a total of 60 sworn officers.
12:16 p.m. — Police chief questioned on pepper spray in Explorers and program disbandment
During cross examination, McNamara testified the Explorers program that Birchmore was a part of was completely disbanded in 2022.
However, she was asked if children in the program had been pepper-sprayed, to which she replied she would “not approve” of such conduct if it did happen, but confirmed adult police cadets do go through pepper spray training.
McNamara testified Birchmore had indeed reached out to her “a couple of times,” including in 2018 when Birchmore asked about getting a license to carry a firearm. Daley tried to ask a question that began with, “The complication was a suicide notation —” to which the prosecution objected.
“Did you assist her in getting a license to carry?” Daley rephrased.
“No, I did not,” McNamara answered.
State police digital forensic analyst dons gloves to view cellphone data
12:42 p.m. — Massachusetts State Police Trooper Nicholas Guarino, digital forensic analyst, gloves up
Gloves were donned by State Police digital forensic analyst Nicholas Guarino, who was the trooper to go through cellphones involved in this case — including those belonging to Farwell and Birchmore.
Guarino testified he’d gone through five devices total in connection to the case and that he’d asked troopers at the scene to search for physical copies of passwords in Birchmore’s apartment.
2:11 p.m. — Trooper discusses an ‘immense number’ of texts gone through
After returning from lunch, Trooper Guarino again took the stand to testify on evidence found in both Birchmore and Farwell’s devices. This included laptops and cellphones — specifically, Birchmore’s MacBook and iPhone 12.
Detectives were able to view an “immense number of text messages” between Farwell and Birchmore on her laptop. The investigators had to use the physical laptop to read the synced messages instead of reports derived from the cellphones due to the sheer quantity of communications between them, which were making the trooper’s work computers “crash,” Guarino said.
2:35 p.m. — Trooper says data was ‘deleted’ from February 2021 search of Birchmore laptop
Guarino testified that data from an initial search in February 2021 of Birchmore’s MacBook computer was “deleted,” because her death had been ruled a suicide at the time — so there was “no reason to fill extra space” on the state police system servers with that data.
There was a second search of her MacBook conducted in December 2021, which Guarino testified would have yielded the “same” data on messages between Birchmore and Farwell despite the lapse in time.
Stoughton internal affairs investigation
3:29 p.m. — Former Stoughton deputy chief says Farwell taught ‘firearms’ classes at Explorers that Birchmore was in
Holmes said that in October 2012, Farwell was on the sheet to teach a firearms-related class for the Explorers police program.
Birchmore was in that class, the syllabus sheet showed, while Holmes himself would have been on the schedule to teach CPR. Holmes explained there would have been up to 20 children in one class and they engaged in activities like learning defensive tactics, about criminal and juvenile law, exposure to firearms, CPR and wore a uniform.
Holmes testified the internal affairs investigation into the nature of Farwell and Birchmore’s relationship began in 2021, before the release of its results that implicated officers Matthew Farwell, William Farwell and Robert Devine.
Matthew Farwell’s work phone was part of that investigation. Holmes testified that if he had prior knowledge of the relationship he had with Birchmore, he would have gone to have a conversation with the chief and believes there would have been an investigation.
3:48 p.m. — January 2021 call reporting the relationship
A call came in to the Stoughton Police Department on Jan. 20, 2021, from a person whom Holmes described as a “young woman” and prosecutors have previously called a friend of Birchmore’s. Holmes said that call, to date, no longer exists because the call was made on the business line and it was therefore “automatically purged.”
Timothy Hauschultz is facing trial on six charges connected to the 2018 death of his 7-year-old great-nephew, Ethan Hauschultz, who was found dead in a snowbank in Wisconsin. Prosecutors allege Timothy ordered Ethan to complete a punishment involving carrying a heavy log for hours, while the defense argues Timothy’s teenage son, Damian, acted beyond his father’s instructions. Damian was convicted in Ethan’s death and sentenced to 20 years in prison, while Timothy’s long-delayed trial will examine whether he bears criminal responsibility for the punishment that led to the child’s death.
Start time: (28:39) Jury returned; day begins. Court: Wisconsin Circuit Court. Judge: (multiple time stamps) presiding throughout. Case: State of Wisconsin v. Timothy Hauschultz. Scheduling / Notes:
Pre‑record discussion regarding doctor testimony and redactions.
Agreement that references to defendant’s spouse in doctor’s report will not be elicited.
Jury brought in; State ready with first witness.
Multiple breaks for logistics, video redactions, and lunch.
Court repeatedly instructs jury not to deliberate.
Court addresses video redaction procedures and timestamps.
Court confirms number of adjudications (14).
End‑of‑day scheduling discussion regarding Dr. Patzka.
End time: (8:57:45)
II. WITNESSES
1. Dr. Lori Frazier
Called by: State Start: (29:04) Stop: (1:12:25 approx., before cross continues later)
Direct Examination
Pediatrician and child abuse pediatrician.
Licensed in Pennsylvania and Utah.
Board certified in general pediatrics (1988) and child abuse pediatrics (2009).
Education and training detailed from 1977–2013.
Current role: Professor of Pediatrics, Penn State Hershey; runs Child Abuse Pediatrics Fellowship; works at Children’s Advocacy Center one day per week.
Reviewed materials: criminal complaint, autopsy report, sheriff’s summary, videos of interviews, hospital video, photos of scene and clothing.
The murder trial of Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares begins more than a decade after UNC-Chapel Hill student Faith Hedgepeth was found beaten to death in her off-campus apartment in September 2012. Hedgepeth, 19, suffered fatal blunt-force trauma to the head, and investigators recovered DNA evidence at the scene. Salguero-Olivares was arrested in 2021 after investigators said DNA evidence linked him to the case, and he now faces charges including first-degree murder, rape and burglary.
Disgruntled ex-JPMorgan banker Chirayu Rana, who made wild claims that a former co-worker forced him to become her “sex slave”, has been ditched by his lawyer for a third time in his bitter legal row with the Wall Street giant.
His latest legal eagle, Jon Norinsberg, quietly filed a motion to bail on the messy case on Wednesday over an unspecified row with their now-former client, court documents show, marking yet another attorney walkout that leaves Rana’s crusade in chaos.
In court papers filed in Manhattan federal court, Rana’s team asked US District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan for permission to quit.
The firm wrote that “irreconcilable differences have arisen that render it unreasonably difficult” for his lawyers to keep representing him effectively. Rather than air the details of the fallout publicly, the lawyers asked the judge for permission to explain their exit behind closed doors in a sealed filing to protect “privileged and confidential information.”
In the spring, Rana slapped the Jamie Dimon-led firm with a wild suit accusing senior executive Lorna Hajdini of sexual assault and misconduct that she strongly denies.
Keeping a lawyer on the payroll appears to be tougher than taking on the nation’s biggest bank for the fallen financier.
A source familiar with the matter called a sudden cleanup of the lawsuit’s language “telling,” noting that Rana’s outgoing attorneys are scrambling to exit the case while simultaneously distancing themselves from some of his more “outrageous claims” and alleged lies.
His second attorney, Daniel Kaiser, quit from repping the money man in May. Insiders said Rana had another legal team when he tried and failed to strike a settlement north of $20 million to walk away quietly.
While Rana plays musical chairs with an army of attorneys, JPMorgan isn’t breaking a sweat. “As we’ve said from the outset, we fully support Lorna, and do not believe the allegations against her or the firm have any merit,” a spokesperson told The Post following the latest courtroom exodus.
The updated filing before Norinsberg quit drops or softens several claims about Rana’s pay, career and personal life.
Lawyers cut his claim to be a top private credit dealmaker making over $2 million a year. They also added the word “potential” before his stated $2.5 million pay package at his next firm, Bregal Sagemount.
The filing also scrubs several claims about Rana’s bereavement leave and changes the description of his mother from “seriously ill” to “seriously injured.” It also deletes a line claiming he lived with a girlfriend he planned to marry.
The Post has sought comment from Rana.
The saga began in late April when he filed a bombshell $20 million lawsuit in New York state court under the pseudonym “John Doe”. He accused Hajdini, a 37-year-old executive director on JPMorgan’s leveraged finance team, of drugging him, hurling racial slurs, and forcing him to act as her “sex slave” to protect his bonus and career.
The Post first unmasked “John Doe” as Rana, 35, and exposed major holes in his story.
While Rana painted himself as a star banker, sources told The Post he was a poor performer who once lied about his father dying to get bereavement leave. A Post reporter later tracked down his father and proved he was alive.
JPMorgan and Hajdini both denied the claims as total fabrications. A months-long internal bank probe reviewed team phone records and emails but found zero evidence of misconduct.
Hajdini has since countersued Rana for defamation, saying the viral lies triggered a wave of vile online threats against her and her family.
Rana left JPMorgan in late 2025 for private equity firm Bregal Sagemount, which cut ties with him in April after less than six months on the job over performance concerns, company insiders previously told The Post.
NEW BALTIMORE, Mich. - Kim Mathers, the ex-wife of Detroit rapper Eminem, will be permitted to leave jail if she returns to in-patient treatment, a Macomb County judge ruled on Wednesday.
Mathers was at the 42-2 District Court via Zoom for a probable cause conference in connection with three separate drunken driving cases out of Macomb County.
Her appearance comes after 42-2 District Court Judge William Hackel III remanded her to the Macomb County Jail last week for leaving a court-ordered inpatient treatment without his authorization.
Mathers’ attorney, Camilla Barkovic, claimed on Oct. 7 that a magistrate of the court agreed to modify her client’s bond conditions, allowing her to leave treatment; however, Hackel ruled Friday that the magistrate “had no authority to make that decision.”
At Wednesday’s hearing, Barkovic requested that Hackel push the probable cause conference to a later date to provide sufficient time for her to file multiple motions on Mathers’ behalf, to which Hackel agreed.
However, the judge denied Barkovic’s request to modify the terms of Mathers’ release so that she would not be required to enter treatment.
“I set my bond a while ago, I thought it was a good bond; I thought it was a fair bond under the circumstances,” Hackel said on Wednesday. “I don’t need to rehash everything — the bond stays as is.”
Before Wednesday’s hearing adjourned, Barkovic asked the judge to specify whether Mathers could still have an opportunity to leave jail for in-patient treatment under the current bond conditions. Hackel confirmed that the offer still stands, and noted that her next court appearance would be scheduled for a future Friday.
Md. Paramedic Masturbated in Office Coffee Creamer and Peed in Ice Machine, Said He Wanted to Be ‘Porn Star’: Prosecutors
“Who does things like this?” a judge asked of 36-year-old Christopher M. Carroll
By Ben Brachfeld Published on October 14, 2026 04:10PM EDT
NEED TO KNOW
Christopher M. Carroll was sentenced to 25 years after pleading guilty to multiple charges
Investigators identified the former paramedic through videos posted to his subscription-based social media accounts
DNA evidence linked Carroll to contaminated coffee creamer and a coworker’s office keyboard, prosecutors say
A Maryland paramedic has learned his fate for masturbating and urinating on food and equipment at local fire stations.
Christopher M. Carroll, 36, was handed a 25-year sentence on Oct. 13 after pleading guilty to three misdemeanor counts of causing another to ingest bodily fluids, court records show. He was arrested in February.
Investigators linked Carroll, a Baltimore County Fire Department (BCFD) paramedic, to accounts under the name of “TattedVersDaddy” on X, OnlyFans and JustFor.Fans, according to a statement read in court by prosecutors during sentencing and obtained by PEOPLE. The accounts came to the attention of authorities after a colleague of Carroll’s tipped off law enforcement in November 2025, per prosecutors.
The accounts featured several disturbing videos, prosecutors said, adding that investigators identified Carroll as the person in some of the footage via his distinctive tattoos and selfies posted on the accounts.
According to the prosecutor’s description, in one video posted on X, a male can be seen with his penis exposed through his pants zipper walking up to an ice machine, with the caption “They always say, don’t drink the yellow snow…. But I’m just trying to make a slushy!” The caption then invited viewers to watch the full video on JustFor.Fans.
A BCFD employee recognized the icemaker as the same one in a local firehouse, prosecutors said. Out of concern for “personal health reasons,” the employee purchased a subscription to TattedVersDaddy’s JustFor.Fans account and watched the full video, which depicted the subject urinating in the ice machine, the statement continued.
The employee then turned over other clips from the JustFor.Fans account, which ultimately appeared to feature 64 videos and 5 photos accessible with a $7 monthly subscription fee.
In another video, a man can be seen masturbating and ejaculating onto a keyboard in another employee’s office located in Baltimore County’s Public Safety Building in Towson, prosecutors told the court in their statement.
In another video, a person can be seen masturbating and ejaculating into a container of coffee creamer, then putting the container back into a communal fridge in the Public Safety Building, prosecutors said.
Sixteen Fire Department employees interviewed by investigators said they had used the ice machine after it was contaminated, and several others said they had used the coffee creamer.
DNA collected from the coffee creamer and the keyboard matched samples collected from Carroll, prosecutors said.
At his sentencing, Carroll apologized for his actions and proffered an explanation, the Baltimore Bannerreports: “I wanted to be some sort of porn star.”
The exasperated judge handed down a sentence that exceeded the one sought by prosecutors, the Banner reported.
“This case begs the question,” Judge Dennis M. Robinson Jr. said, per the outlet. “Who does things like this?”
LONDON (AP) — Russell Brand behaved as a “ruthless” sexual predator when he assaulted six women over the course of a decade, a prosecutor said Wednesday, as she opened the rape and sexual assault case against the actor-comedian.
Brand, 51, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault. The charges involve six women and alleged offenses between 1999 and 2009.
Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones told jurors at Southwark Crown Court in London that the six women, who don’t know each other, were assaulted by Brand in “a hotel room, workplaces, a toilet cubicle in a bar and at his home address.”
She said Brand at the time had an “indiscriminate and voracious” desire for sexual contact, and “women were simply a means to an end.”
The prosecutor said Brand could be funny and charming, “a flirt with a huge sexual appetite — childlike in his expectation that his every desire should be met.”
“He was ruthless, he was calculating, he was manipulative. And, the prosecution say, he was a sexual predator,” Karmy-Jones said.
The jury will hear from Brand’s accusers later in the trial
Brand listened intently from the dock as the prosecutor described each of the alleged incidents, including the earliest, in which Brand allegedly raped a woman in a hotel room during the Labour Party’s annual conference in 1999. Brand, then a rising stand-up comedian, was performing in a cabaret on the fringe of the conference in the English coastal town of Bournemouth.
Two years later, another woman alleges, Brand tried to drag her into the men’s bathroom at the office building where she worked. “There can be little doubt as to what Mr. Brand’s intention was,” Karmy-Jones said.
A third woman alleges that Brand orally raped her in 2004 in the restroom of a London bar, telling her “Don’t be a spoilsport” when she asked him to stop.
The prosecutor said the other complainants include a woman who says Brand kissed and groped her at a London radio station in 2004 or 2005, leaving her feeling “dirty and disgusting”; and a then-21-year-old fan who says Brand anally raped her at his home after she met him at one of his shows in 2009.
She said the following year she exchanged text messages with Brand, telling him: “You treated me like an animal.” He replied: “I’m sorry.”
The final complainant says Brand demanded a massage and pressed his face into her groin during the recording of an advertisement in 2009.
Karmy-Jones told the jury that none of the alleged victims reported the alleged assaults at the time, due to guilt, shame and concern that they would be blamed. They individually went to police after a 2023 television program broadcast anonymous claims against Brand, she said.
The prosecutor said that jurors would hear from the women later in the trial, and “I have no doubt you will find their evidence compelling.”
The first witness to give evidence was Mark Pinheiro, a former friend of Brand who accompanied him on the 1999 trip to Bournemouth. He said that the day after the alleged rape, Brand made them leave town abruptly and seemed “incredibly alert and incredibly afraid.”
“Whenever a police siren passed the car, Russell would cower down behind the side window so he couldn’t be seen,” Pinheiro said.
Brand’s lawyer, Ian Winter, questioned Pinheiro’s recollection of events more than a quarter century ago.
Brand denies all the charges. In police interviews, he denied ever engaging in nonconsensual sexual activity.
Brand is on bail and arrived at court on Wednesday to a crowd of photographers and video journalists. He said he felt “blessed.”
“I feel, of course, concerned but hopeful that this process will lead to good outcomes for everybody involved,” Brand said. “That’s my prayer.”
Known for risque stand-up routines and battles with drugs and alcohol, Brand rose to prominence in the early 2000s, hosting television programs and his own BBC radio show. He appeared in Hollywood films including “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek” and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry.
In recent years he has moved away from mainstream media, relocated to Florida and built a large online following with videos mixing wellness, conspiracy theories and discussions of his religious devotion.
The Associated Press doesn’t name victims of alleged sexual violence, and British law protects their identities from the media for life.