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Tag: murder

  • Senior living facility killing in Montgomery County was a month in the making, authorities say – WTOP News

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    Authorities said that the man accused of shooting and killing an 87-year-old man inside a senior living facility in Montgomery County, Maryland, may have been planning it for a month.

    Authorities said that the man accused of shooting and killing an 87-year-old man inside a senior living facility in Montgomery County, Maryland, may have been planning it for a month.

    Maurquise James, 22, of Baltimore, was ordered held without bond on Thursday.

    James worked as a medication technician at the Cogir Potomac Senior Living facility. He’s been charged with first‑degree murder in the death of Robert Fuller Jr., who was found dead in his apartment with a gunshot wound to his head on Valentine’s Day.

    Fuller, a philanthropist and former lawyer from Maine, had helped establish a transitional housing facility in Maine for women who are veterans.

    In addition, James is charged with the attempted first-degree murder of a Maryland State Police trooper and other charges stemming from a Tuesday traffic stop.

    NBC Washington reporter Paul Wagner, who was in the courtroom early Thursday, joined WTOP anchors Anne Kramer and Shawn Anderson about further updates in the shocking case.

    Listen to or read the interview below:

    NBC News 4 Washington reporter Paul Wagner was in the courtroom Thursday where a Baltimore man is being charged for murdering a senior citizen

    The transcript below has been lightly edited for clarity.

    • Anne Kramer:

      To say this is a complicated case with a lot of moving parts, I think would be an understatement. Looking over these charging documents, it sounds like they really got a break in all of this through some witness testimony or witness accounts of what happened. Can you walk us through a little bit of what James is being accused of here?

    • Paul Wagner:

      It is a complicated case, and it’s hard to explain in a basic news story. I did a timeline on this today, to try and explain it in a better way, but very basically, police found surveillance video of Maurquise James coming and going from a side door at the Cogir facility at about a little after 5 o’clock in the morning on Valentine’s Day.

      Then they found Mr. Fuller shot in the head in his bed at 7:34 that morning. They then interviewed folks, and they learned that Maurquise James had been going into that room and handing out medication to Mr. Fuller and his roommate.

      Police questioned James, but nothing happened at that point. But as the investigation went on, the police found video of a suspect that was wearing, we now know, according to police, a wig and a mask, and they put that out to the public.

      Well, there were some employees at Cogir who thought that they had recognized that person — the way that person walked, and the coat that that person was wearing. And so the police were called, and this witness said, “Hey, this appears to be Maurquise James.”

      He then continued to come to work. And here’s the odd part of the story, is that on Feb. 23 after his shift, he showed up at the facility. And the staff became very suspicious of that, and they questioned him and challenged him. As he was being challenged, then he decided to leave the facility. Then, they discover that a side door had been propped open and the battery had been tampered with.

      At that point, the staff called the police, and then it was the next day, 3 o’clock in the morning, that police say that Maurquise James had shot at that trooper.

      You’re right, Anne, it is a lot of moving parts. It can be confusing, but basically, that’s how the police pieced this together.

    • Shawn Anderson:

      We know that Robert Fuller Jr. was a millionaire philanthropist. We know he wrote a murder mystery. Do we have any idea from investigators of why they believe Maurquise James may have targeted him?

    • Paul Wagner:

      They have no motive at this point. In fact, yesterday, Capt. Sean Gagan said we’re going to dig into this. We’re going to find out what happened here.

      And they’re going to go through his social media. They’re going to look at his computer, if he has one, and look at his searches to see if they could find anything. They’ll investigate his phone to try and find the motive.

      As they said today in court, they believe he had been planning this for about a month. And then, of course, with what happened the other night at Cogir, where the staffers found a side door propped open, just like they had found it on Valentine’s Day, there was a suspicion that perhaps they had stopped another crime from happening.

      So it’s an odd series of events. And one other note today, when the judge ordered a psychiatric evaluation for Mr. James, James said, “Good, I’m looking forward to speaking with the doctors.”

    • Anne Kramer:

      Paul, what is Cogir saying about this? Because I remember when the story broke on Valentine’s Day. Everything seemed to be quiet between police and even Cogir. What are they saying?

    • Paul Wagner:

      Well, News 4 has obtained some internal releases or emails that went out to people that lived in the facility. And in these emails, Cogir kept telling them that this was an isolated incident and that there was no ongoing threat.

      I sent an email today, I sent an email yesterday, and we’ve gotten no response. So right now, they’re not responding at all to what has happened.

    • Shawn Anderson:

      What will you be watching for next week as James appears in court for another hearing?

    • Paul Wagner:

      Well, we’ll want to see what the psychiatric evaluation comes back to, because once he speaks with the doctors, they’ll have to report in court what was discovered. We may find out that these doctors either view him as being competent or incompetent. So it’s going to be interesting to hear what they have to say.

    • Anne Kramer:

      Paul, you have been covering these kind of cases and crimes for a long time. Many of us haven’t that have been in the industry this long — it’s curious to me. I know they talked about being premeditated, might even have been planning this for a month.

      That’s the allegation against the suspect, but Fuller was shot in the head, that just seems like such an extreme thing. Do you think that will lend itself into piecing together of this puzzle by police, just the execution-style killing of this victim?

    • Paul Wagner:

      That’s a very personal crime, police might call it. Just like when there’s a very close stabbing or a fight where someone is very, very badly injured. Police call that a personal crime.

      Today they called it a cold-blooded murder, but to shoot an elderly man in the head while he’s in bed — that’s just brutal. And the police are going to dig into this and try and find out why.

    • Shawn Anderson:

      We also have him being accused of attempted murder for trying to shoot a state trooper in Baltimore. Are these two cases being handled separately? How is that working out legally?

    • Paul Wagner:

      He is being charged in Baltimore for that case, and so more than likely his murder case will stay here in Montgomery County, and it will be taken care of, and then his Baltimore case would be taken care of, because typically the most serious case gets handled first.

      So the judge did tell him today that he’s being charged with attempted first-degree murder of that trooper, but that case will have to be handled in Baltimore at some other time.

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    © 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Ciara Wells

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  • Fairfax Co. police arrest, charge man with stabbing woman to death at Hybla Valley bus stop – WTOP News

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    Fairfax County police have arrested and charged a man with second-degree murder in the fatal stabbing a woman at a bus stop in Hybla Valley, Virginia, on Monday night.

    Fairfax County, Virginia, police have arrested and charged a man with second-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of a woman at a bus stop in the Hybla Valley area on Monday night.

    Police said in a news release Wednesday they have charged 32-year-old Abdul Jalloh with stabbing and killing Stephanie Minter, 41, of Fredericksburg, at a bus stop shelter at Richmond Highway and Arlington Drive.

    During a news briefing Tuesday, police said a member of the community called 911 and when they responded to the scene around 7 p.m. Monday, they found the woman suffering from multiple stab wounds to her upper body.

    Fairfax County Police Capt. Chris Cosgriff said during a news conference that officers tried to provide aid, but Minter died at the scene.

    On Tuesday, police responded to a suspicious person call in Woodlawn, where an employee of a local business recognized Jalloh as a person of interest. Police also connected Jalloh to a larceny case that happened earlier in the day in Woodlawn. He was also charged with petit larceny.

    Jalloh is being held without bond, and is expected to appear in court April 8.

    Detectives are continuing to investigate the incident and are asking anyone with information to contact the Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 2.

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    © 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Ciara Wells

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  • Man killed by police after ‘butchering his family’ in Fairfax Co. identified – WTOP News

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    The man who police fatally shot Monday morning in Fairfax County, Virginia, after he stabbed his wife, daughter and son-in-law was named Chhatra Thapa, police said Wednesday.

    Bloodstained knife found at the scene of Monday’s deadly deadly domestic-related incident in Fairfax County, Virginia. (Courtesy Fairfax County Police Department)

    The man police fatally shot Monday morning in Fairfax County, Virginia, after he stabbed his wife, daughter and son-in-law has been identified as Chhatra Thapa, police said Wednesday.

    Chhatra, 54, fatally stabbed his 52-year-old wife Binda and 33-year-old daughter Mamta and was kneeling over his son-in-law stabbing him when a police officer intervened by shooting Chhatra. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

    Both women were taken to a hospital, where they were pronounced dead. The son-in-law remains in the hospital after he was transported with life-threatening injuries.

    Police also found a 1-year-old boy — the child of Mamta and the son-in-law — inside the apartment where the attack happened and took him into protective custody.

    ‘Butchering his family’

    Officers responded to the apartment in the 3900 block of Persimmon Drive in Mantua, around 5 a.m. Monday for a reported domestic-related assault. They found one of the women who had been stabbed outside the apartment, then went inside to find Chhatra attacking his son-in-law, Fairfax County police said in a news release.

    officers standing outside of apartment with crime tape and police crusiers
    Fairfax County officers say they encountered “a bloodbath of a scene” as the man, armed with a curved 10-inch knife, was stabbing his son-in-law.

    They also saw the other woman who was stabbed inside.

    According to police, one of the 911 calls came from the son-in-law, who was outside clearing snow and rushed back inside after hearing a disturbance.

    The son-in-law saw his wife had already been stabbed, and Chhatra was stabbing Binda, according to Police Chief Kevin Davis.

    “Then the father-in-law turned the knife on his son-in-law,” Davis said.

    Davis called it a case of a man “butchering his family.”

    The officer who then shot Chhatra is a 2.5-year veteran of the force assigned to the Mason Police District, the department said. He’s been placed on restricted duty pending the outcome of criminal and administrative investigations.

    The Major Crimes Bureau is conducting a criminal investigation into the use of force, and the Internal Affairs Bureau is conducting a separate administrative investigation, which will be subject to an independent review.

    Body camera footage from the response to the attack will be released within 30 days and the name of the officer who shot Chhatra will be released within 10 days, according to police.

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    © 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Thomas Robertson

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  • Man arrested for murder in fatal Denver Valentine’s Day shooting

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    A man accused of shooting and killing another man in Denver on Valentine’s Day and fleeing Colorado was arrested Friday in Kansas on suspicion of murder, police said.

    As of Tuesday afternoon, 20-year-old Yeanbraiker Yriarte-Valera was being held at the Wyandotte County Detention Center in Kansas on a Denver homicide warrant, according to jail records. He was booked into the jail on Friday.

    Yriarte-Valera is under investigation for first-degree murder, four counts of attempted first-degree murder, four counts of first-degree assault and a violent crime sentence enhancer, according to Denver court records.

    Denver police responded to the shooting in the 1500 block of West Maple Avenue at about 5:15 a.m. on Feb. 14. When officers arrived, they found a woman who had been shot in the ankle and a man who died from his injuries at the scene.

    Paramedics took the woman to the hospital, police said. The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner will identify the man killed in the shooting.

    Investigators believe a fight started at a party in the area that escalated into the shooting, according to a news release from the Denver Police Department. At least two people fired off shots, hitting the two victims, but the second suspect had not been publicly identified as of Tuesday.

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  • Mom who wrote children’s book on grief goes on trial for husband’s murder

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    A murder trial is underway for a Utah mother of three who published a children’s book about grief after her husband’s death and was later accused of killing him.Kouri Richins, 35, faces a slew of felony charges for allegedly killing her husband, Eric Richins, with fentanyl in March 2022 at their home just outside the ski town of Park City. The trial began Monday and is slated to run through March 26.Prosecutors say she slipped five times the lethal dose of the synthetic opioid into a Moscow mule cocktail that he drank.She is also accused of trying to poison him a month earlier on Valentine’s Day with a fentanyl-laced sandwich that made him break out in hives and black out, according to court documents.Prosecutors have argued that Richins killed her husband for financial gain while planning a future with another man she was seeing on the side. Richins has vehemently denied the allegations.She faces nearly three dozen counts, including aggravated murder, attempted murder, forgery, mortgage fraud and insurance fraud. The murder charge alone carries a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.Her defense attorneys, Wendy Lewis, Kathy Nester and Alex Ramos, said they are confident the jury will allow Richins to return home to her children after hearing her side of the story.“Kouri has waited nearly three years for this moment: the opportunity to have the facts of this case heard by a jury, free from the prosecution’s narrative that has dominated headlines since her arrest,” her legal team said in a statement, adding, “What the public has been told bears little resemblance to the truth.”As the trial began, Richins sat quietly with her defense team, wearing a black blazer and white blouse.In the months before her arrest in May 2023, Richins self-published the children’s book “Are You with Me?” about a father with angel wings watching over his young son after passing away. The book, which she promoted on a local television station, could play a key role for prosecutors in framing Eric Richins’ death as a calculated killing with an elaborate cover-up attempt.Years before her husband’s death, Richins opened numerous life insurance policies on Eric Richins without his knowledge, with benefits totaling nearly $2 million, prosecutors allege. Court documents also indicate she had a negative bank account balance, owed lenders more than $1.8 million and was being sued by a creditor.Among the witnesses who could be called to testify throughout the trial are a housekeeper who claims to have sold fentanyl to Richins on three occasions and the man with whom Richins was allegedly having an affair.The state’s key witness, housekeeper Carmen Lauber, told a detective she had sold Richins up to 90 blue-green fentanyl pills that she acquired from a dealer. Lauber is not charged with any crimes in connection with the case, and detectives said at an earlier hearing that she had been granted immunity.Defense attorneys are expected to argue that Lauber did not actually give Richins fentanyl and was motivated to lie for legal protection. None was ever found in her house, and the dealer has said he was in jail and detoxing from drug use when he told detectives in 2023 that he had sold fentanyl to Lauber. He later said in a sworn affidavit that he only sold her the opioid OxyContin.Other witnesses could include relatives of the defendant and her late husband, and friends of Eric Richins who have recounted phone conversations from the day prosecutors say he was first poisoned by his wife of nine years.One friend said in written testimony that they noticed fear in Eric Richins’ voice when he called on Valentine’s Day and said, “I think my wife tried to poison me.”

    PARK CITY, Utah —

    A murder trial is underway for a Utah mother of three who published a children’s book about grief after her husband’s death and was later accused of killing him.

    Kouri Richins, 35, faces a slew of felony charges for allegedly killing her husband, Eric Richins, with fentanyl in March 2022 at their home just outside the ski town of Park City. The trial began Monday and is slated to run through March 26.

    Prosecutors say she slipped five times the lethal dose of the synthetic opioid into a Moscow mule cocktail that he drank.

    She is also accused of trying to poison him a month earlier on Valentine’s Day with a fentanyl-laced sandwich that made him break out in hives and black out, according to court documents.

    Prosecutors have argued that Richins killed her husband for financial gain while planning a future with another man she was seeing on the side. Richins has vehemently denied the allegations.

    She faces nearly three dozen counts, including aggravated murder, attempted murder, forgery, mortgage fraud and insurance fraud. The murder charge alone carries a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

    Her defense attorneys, Wendy Lewis, Kathy Nester and Alex Ramos, said they are confident the jury will allow Richins to return home to her children after hearing her side of the story.

    “Kouri has waited nearly three years for this moment: the opportunity to have the facts of this case heard by a jury, free from the prosecution’s narrative that has dominated headlines since her arrest,” her legal team said in a statement, adding, “What the public has been told bears little resemblance to the truth.”

    As the trial began, Richins sat quietly with her defense team, wearing a black blazer and white blouse.

    In the months before her arrest in May 2023, Richins self-published the children’s book “Are You with Me?” about a father with angel wings watching over his young son after passing away. The book, which she promoted on a local television station, could play a key role for prosecutors in framing Eric Richins’ death as a calculated killing with an elaborate cover-up attempt.

    Years before her husband’s death, Richins opened numerous life insurance policies on Eric Richins without his knowledge, with benefits totaling nearly $2 million, prosecutors allege. Court documents also indicate she had a negative bank account balance, owed lenders more than $1.8 million and was being sued by a creditor.

    Among the witnesses who could be called to testify throughout the trial are a housekeeper who claims to have sold fentanyl to Richins on three occasions and the man with whom Richins was allegedly having an affair.

    The state’s key witness, housekeeper Carmen Lauber, told a detective she had sold Richins up to 90 blue-green fentanyl pills that she acquired from a dealer. Lauber is not charged with any crimes in connection with the case, and detectives said at an earlier hearing that she had been granted immunity.

    Defense attorneys are expected to argue that Lauber did not actually give Richins fentanyl and was motivated to lie for legal protection. None was ever found in her house, and the dealer has said he was in jail and detoxing from drug use when he told detectives in 2023 that he had sold fentanyl to Lauber. He later said in a sworn affidavit that he only sold her the opioid OxyContin.

    Other witnesses could include relatives of the defendant and her late husband, and friends of Eric Richins who have recounted phone conversations from the day prosecutors say he was first poisoned by his wife of nine years.

    One friend said in written testimony that they noticed fear in Eric Richins’ voice when he called on Valentine’s Day and said, “I think my wife tried to poison me.”

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  • Adams County jury convicts man of murder in Aurora apartment shooting

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    A man who shot two women in an Aurora apartment in 2024, killing one of them, was convicted this month of murder, according to court records.

    Kelynn Lewis, 34, was arrested and charged in February 2024 with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, witness tampering and four counts of child abuse in Adams County District Court.

    On Feb. 13, after a five-day trial, an Adams County jury convicted Lewis on lesser charges of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder, court records show.

    Lewis was also convicted on all four counts of child abuse and of tampering with a witness, according to a copy of the jury verdict sheet.

    Aurora police officers responded to reports of a shooting inside an apartment in the 1700 block of Paris Street, near the University of Colorado Hospital, at about 8:20 p.m. on Feb. 9, 2024.

    The person who called 911 told dispatchers that a woman, identified by police as 35-year-old Vatrice Lashae Little, had been shot in the face by a man, according to Lewis’ arrest affidavit. Little was taken to the hospital, where she was declared dead.

    Little was inside her cousin’s apartment on Paris Street when Lewis, the cousin’s ex-husband, entered with a gun, police wrote in the affidavit.

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    Lauren Penington

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  • Phan brothers seek chance at release amid fallout from State Police investigator’s fatal crash

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    LOWELL — The Phan brothers charged in the 2020 killing of Tyrone Phet are asking a Middlesex Superior Court judge to reconsider the bail orders that have kept them behind bars for nearly five and a half years, arguing that new allegations of misconduct by a State Police homicide detective have thrown the case off course.

    In a motion filed on Feb. 13, attorney Mark Wester — representing Billy Phan — argues that the recent disclosure that State Police Sgt. Scott Quigley’s alleged intoxication and speeding in a 2023 fatal crash qualifies as the kind of “changed circumstances” that Massachusetts law requires for bail reconsideration, writing that the revelations have “delayed the just resolution of this case.”

    In the motion, Wester asks Judge Chris Barry‑Smith to reconsider holding Phan without bail and “grant him a reasonable cash bail.”

    Attorneys Lorenzo Perez and William Dolan filed similar motions on behalf of Channa Phan and Billoeum Phan.

    The three brothers, all in their 30s, each face life in prison without the possibility of parole after being charged with first‑degree murder in the shooting of 22‑year‑old Phet outside his home at 50 Spring Ave. in Lowell during the early‑morning hours of Sept. 14, 2020.

    Phet — a 2016 Chelmsford High graduate and former high school football standout — was struck by gunfire eight times, with one bullet passing through both lungs and his heart and another entering and exiting his brain.

    Police recovered 21 spent shell casings at the scene, including ten 10mm casings and eleven .40‑caliber casings.

    The Phan brothers have been held without bail since their arrests in October 2020.

    Dolan said earlier this month that while defendants in first‑degree murder cases are typically held without bail, the circumstances surrounding Quigley’s alleged misconduct justify reconsideration.

    Quigley — a key investigator in the Phan case — is accused of being under the influence of alcohol and speeding while on duty in a State Police cruiser when he crossed into oncoming traffic and caused the December 2023 Woburn crash that killed 37‑year‑old Angelo Schettino, a paraplegic man with special needs.

    Dolan also pointed to the outcome of the brothers’ first trial in November 2024, which ended in a hung jury and a mistrial, forcing the case into a second trial cycle.

    “Because (the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office) didn’t meet their burden in their first trial and because of all the other things going on, they shouldn’t have to wait in jail,” Dolan said of the Phan brothers.

    The defense had asked that the bail review be taken up alongside an evidentiary hearing they are seeking into the handling of Quigley’s 2023 crash.

    The defense has argued that the evidentiary hearing is necessary because they believe the State Police and the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office covered up information about Quigley after the crash.

    Quigley, who was assigned as a homicide investigator to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and played a central role in the Phan investigation, has since been suspended without pay. His crash has been referred to the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office for possible criminal charges. Schettino’s mother, Lynn Schettino, is also pursuing a civil‑rights lawsuit against the State Police over her son’s death.

    Michael Mahoney, who represents Schettino’s mother in the civil‑rights case, said of Quigley, “It keeps coming for this guy.”

    In the motion requesting the evidentiary hearing, the Phan brothers’ defense team states testimony from Quigley and another 18 members of law enforcement is needed to determine whether there was an effort to shield him from scrutiny and to establish why his toxicology results were not disclosed to the Phan defense until jury selection in January.

    Prosecutors were originally ordered to respond to the evidentiary‑hearing motion by Friday, but the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office requested — and was granted — an extension until Monday.

    Dolan said on Friday that he and his client were frustrated to learn the extension had been granted to the DA’s office, calling it “just more of the same dragging their feet.”

    The requests for the bail and evidentiary hearings come as the brothers’ retrial remains frozen, with Barry‑Smith halting jury selection late last month and dismissing the 12 jurors who had already been seated.

    The judge paused the proceedings after the disclosures about Quigley surfaced during jury selection, prompting the court to order a full review before the case could continue.

    Defense attorneys have also moved to dismiss the charges against the Phan brothers entirely, stating the delayed disclosures and questions surrounding Quigley’s conduct have irreparably tainted the prosecution.

    In the meantime, a new retrial date is currently scheduled to begin on April 27.

    The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office was unavailable for comment on the status of its response to the evidentiary‑hearing motion.

    Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.

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    Aaron Curtis

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  • A soldier goes AWOL, on the run with his 17-year-old girlfriend, right after his wife’s murder. Is she in danger?

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    Hannah Thompson, 17, was on the run, heading out of Simpsonville, South Carolina with her boyfriend, U.S. Army soldier John Blauvelt. On Oct. 26, 2016, Cati Blauvelt, his wife of just a few months, had been found stabbed to death, her body left in a concrete box in an abandoned farmhouse. The knife blade broken off and left in her neck.

    “48 Hours” and correspondent Peter Van Sant reports on the case in an encore of “Cati Blauvelt: Death of A Soldier’s Wife,” now streaming on Paramount+.

    After investigators gave the news to John Blauvelt, he became their prime suspect. Investigator Keith Morecraft spoke with him and noted that he didn’t seem surprised, “didn’t ask normal questions … such as … where did you find her? How did she die?” And Investigator Cheryl Schofield was concerned for Thompson’s safety, stating “If he was willing to kill his own wife, there’s no telling what kind of danger Hannah Thompson would’ve been in by fleeing with him.”

    Cati Blauvelt was just 22. She loved animals and had many friends. Her mother Patti Piver described Cati as “a free spirit … 5’1″f … a teeny, little thing.” She had met John Blauvelt when she was 20 and he was 26. John Blauvelt was well-known and respected by many in the small city of 20,000. He was a recruiter for the U.S. Army. He loved being part of the U.S. military. The job put him in touch with many of the area’s young people.

    Cati Blauvelt

    Jennifer Piver


    At the time, Cati worked at a restaurant next door to the recruiting office. They started dating. Friends say that initially they seemed like a happy couple. But that changed fast, almost as soon as they got back from their honeymoon.

    The home John Blauvelt owned, and that Cati Blauvelt moved into, was turned into a party house. John Blauvelt invited underaged kids there, to smoke weed, drink, and do drugs. Cati Blauvelt had wanted to start a new life and build a family with John. Instead, she got a crash pad. One of the kids John Blauvelt welcomed was Hannah Thompson. Friend Aly Somerville would say that Hannah was “a 100%” in love with John Blauvelt. Schofield said Thompson was like “John’s puppy” and would do anything John Blauvelt wanted. And adds Schofield, Thompson hated Cati Blauvelt.

    A bad situation got much worse the night of Feb. 26, 2016, when police — alerted by Thompson’s father — showed up at John Blauvelt’s house. He would be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, his soldier’s image replaced with a mug shot. That same day, Cati Blauvelt told police that a month earlier, John Blauvelt had threatened her with a gun. For that he would be charged with domestic violence.

    John Blauvelt’s Army career was in tatters. The Department of the Army cut his pay and disciplined him, removing him from the recruiting duties that defined him. John Blauvelt reportedly blamed Cati Blauvert and told friends he intended to get revenge. Investigators say that was at the heart of why he murdered Cati. But before cops could build their case, John Blauvelt went on the run; with him was 17-year-old Hannah Thompson.

    Hannah Thompson and John Blauvelt

    Hannah Thompson and John Blauvelt are seen on security video shopping while on the run.

    U.S. Marshals Service


    They would head toward the Pacific Northwest, but after a month, Thompson had enough of life on the run. She headed back home to Simpsonville. Then, over several years, she began to slowly provide information to authorities as to where she thought John Blauvelt might be. Leads Thompson provided, in part, led them to a house in Medford, Oregon. 

    On July 20, 2022, six years after Cati Blauvelt’s murder, U.S. Marshals and other law enforcement arrested John Blauvelt. He was brought back to face a South Carolina jury.  Thompson would be a key witness against John Blauvelt. He would be convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Prosecutors and investigators agreed that Thompson’s testimony was critical to the case against him. He has appealed his conviction.

    Thompson was charged with five felony counts, including obstruction of justice and “accessory after-the-fact.” Thompson pleaded not guilty. Authorities do not believe that Thompson was present when John Blauvelt murdered Cati Blauvelt. 

    On Aug. 20, 2025, Thompson pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice and one count of misprision of a felony.  She was sentenced to three years of probation.

    Cati Blauvelt’s mother says she thinks of Cati’s violent death every day. And that it does not get easier for her. She told the jury that Cati was pure “sunshine.”

    In:

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  • Miami fugitive wanted for murder on the run, known to frequent Orlando, police say

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    A fugitive wanted for first-degree murder in Miami Gardens is on the run, according to the Miami Gardens Police Department. MGPD homicide detectives and agents from the U.S. Marshals Task Force have actively attempted to locate Yalanski Dawkins, 45, for a homicide that occurred on Jan. 5, 2025. MGPD said that Dawkins has been known to frequent the Orlando area.Dawkins should be considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Dawkins is asked to contact Miami Gardens Police Homicide Detective H. Baez at 305-474-2082 or at 305-474-6473 or Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477) >> This is a developing news story and will be updated as more information is released.

    ORLANDO, Fla. —

    A fugitive wanted for first-degree murder in Miami Gardens is on the run, according to the Miami Gardens Police Department.

    MGPD homicide detectives and agents from the U.S. Marshals Task Force have actively attempted to locate Yalanski Dawkins, 45, for a homicide that occurred on Jan. 5, 2025.

    MGPD said that Dawkins has been known to frequent the Orlando area.

    Dawkins should be considered armed and dangerous.

    Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Dawkins is asked to contact Miami Gardens Police Homicide Detective H. Baez at 305-474-2082 or at 305-474-6473 or Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477)

    >> This is a developing news story and will be updated as more information is released.

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  • Caltech astrophysicist fatally shot on porch in Antelope Valley; suspect charged with murder

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    An accomplished Caltech astrophysicist with more than four decades of research contributions in galactic astronomy and the study of distant planets was fatally shot in a rural area of Antelope Valley on Monday morning. A suspect in the shooting has been charged with murder.

    Deputies responded to a 911 call for assault with a deadly weapon in the unincorporated community of Llano at 6:10 a.m. and found a man suffering from a gunshot wound on the front porch of a home, according to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

    The victim was later identified as Carl Grillmair, 67, according to the L.A. County medical examiner. His death was ruled a homicide caused by a gunshot wound to the torso.

    While investigating the shooting, deputies arrested a suspect in a carjacking that took place nearby, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

    That suspect was later identified as Freddy Snyder, 29. He was charged Wednesday with the murder of Grillmair and carjacking. He was also charged with first degree burglary related to a Dec. 28 incident, according to court records.

    He is currently being held in lieu of $2 million. It is unclear what relation, if any, Snyder had with Grillmair.

    A spokesperson for Caltech confirmed that Grillmair was employed as a research scientist at the university.

    He worked at the university’s Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, known as IPAC, which partners with NASA, the U.S. National Science Foundation and researchers around the world to advance the exploration of the universe.

    His work has focused on uncovering the structure of the Milky Way and identifying faint stellar streams and substructures that make up the galactic halo surrounding our spiral galaxy, and helping reshape our understanding of how galaxies evolve, according to his website.

    He has been awarded substantial observation time as a principal investigator on the Hubble Space Telescope and the Spitzer Space Telescope, and his research has earned him numerous accolades including a NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal.

    His hobbies included cycling, hiking, helicopter skiing, general aviation with a specific interest in sailplanes and ultralights, waste reduction and clean energy and large dogs, according to his website.

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    Clara Harter

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  • Durham mayor sounds the alarm about ‘out of control’ youth violence

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    Durham — Seven people have been shot in the last seven days
    in Durham.

    Three of those seven were younger than  the age of 18. In total, 22 people have been shot in Durham this
    year.

    While the 2025 crime report, set to be presented
    to the Durham City Council at Thursday’s work session, shows overall crime is down in 2025 compared to 2024, it has
    been a violent week.

    Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams told WRAL News he is
    putting plans in action this week to address the issue.

    “I am working on pulling together an emergency
    task force that can help mitigate the engagement of non-profits in our
    community,” Williams said. “Crime is overall going down, I want to highlight
    that, but our youth violence is out of control.”

    One-on-one interview: Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams: Crime is decreasing, but city’s youth violence is ‘out of control’

    Williams argued the priority for everyone,
    including elected officials and community members, should be the issue of
    crime.

    “We have fare free busing. We have HEART. We have
    our CIP. we have Vision Zero for transit; why can’t we have a Vision Zero for
    our youth from killing each other? Why can’t we have more youth centers
    downtown?” Williams said. “If we’re going to shoot down anything that
    involves the police, we’re not going to keep people safe.”

    Williams said community members who want to be involved
    to attend community sessions for the joint City County Comprehensive Violence
    Reduction Plan    . He also encouraged people already working with youth to keep up
    their endeavors.

    “If you have an idea, go do it. Don’t come to the
    city for funding yet, because we operate on a fiscal year. I say to our
    corporate community, find a non-profit and invest in them,” Williams said.

    Williams pointed to the Bull City Future Fund as another way to get involved.

    Durham has employed various crime reduction
    technologies and initiatives in recent years. However, many have been removed.

    WRAL News asked Williams if he believed programs like the gunfire detection system ShotSpotter, or the discontinued anti-violence program Bull City United should return as possible solutions outlined in the recent City-County Plan. In February, the city council also opted not to move forward with the proposed Real Time Crime Center.  

    “I do think they [the programs] should come back, but we’re going
    to have to let the data tell us that,” Williams said. “What resources we
    have are going to be data led.” 

    When it comes
    to that long-term plan, the next community session you can participate in is
    virtual, on Feb. 24. There are two more in-person meetings
    scheduled for March 13 and March 20.

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  • Court: Durham mom accused of murdering child attempted suicide in jail

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    An already tragic situation involving the death of a child took another somber turn in Durham County court.

    On Monday, Andrea Faust was absent for her scheduled court appearance due to what was described as a medical emergency. On Tuesday, Durham County Assistant District Attorney Mary Jude Darrow said Faust was hospitalized because of a suicide attempt at Durham County Jail.

    Andrea Faust’s husband, Eric Faust, begged his wife not to harm herself for the sake of her family while speaking in court.

    The ADA requested that Andrea Faust be placed under suicide watch and that she be supervised in light of facing charges for murder and attempted murder.

    “Andrea, I’m begging you please, no more attempts to harm yourself,” Eric Faust said. “Take a moment to assess where you are and where your family is. Mental health is a very important thing. Just please make sure everyone is OK.”

    Andrea Faust is facing charges for first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder after her two children were found unresponsive on Thursday night. She was arrested on Friday morning after police found the two small children at a home on Chartwell Court. One of them died at the hospital, and the other
    is still there as of Tuesday. Although Durham police did not provide an update on the surviving child’s condition, the father said that he should make a complete recovery.

    “We still have Kenny Faust, who I am happy to announce is going to make a complete and full recovery,” said Eric Faust. “You are still his mother, and I promise you, if you do everything you can to address your mental health, I will keep you updated on his progress in life and hopefully, there will be a time when you can see him again.”

    Eric Faust poured his heart out in the hope of getting through to Andrea. He did mention she was a loving mother. There is no known motive for her decision.

    “I want to let the court know this was a complete mental health crisis,” Eric Faust said. “Anyone will tell you what a tremendous, tremendous mother Andrea was.”

    A neighbor of Andrea Faust’s said she was “the sweetest woman,” but had become more stressed since having a second child.

    “She was no longer working,”  Charlene Montford said. “She was staying home with both of the
    boys. There were health challenges with the boys. I think that took a
    toll on her.”

    Eric Faust also thanked Duke Hospital for providing care for his son.

    A public defender is representing Andrea Faust. Her next court date is scheduled for March 3.

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  • Boyfriend of Isadora Wengel, missing North Dakota woman, charged with murder

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    Police in North Dakota are investigating the suspected murder of 25-year-old Isadora Wengel and believe critical evidence in the case could be found in Minnesota. 

    Wengel was reported missing by her father on Jan. 7. He told investigators he hadn’t seen his daughter since Dec. 31. 

    Last week during a press conference, the chief of police said investigators believe Wengel was “heinously murdered” and announced the arrest of her 21-year-old boyfriend Joshua Hite. Hite is charged with murder, accused of killing and dismembering Wengel. 

    “This is a crime that’s hard to imagine someone could commit,” Police Chief David Zibolski said.

    Hite and Wengel had been dating since August, according to court documents, and he told authorities she had been staying with him since Jan. 1. He said they had an argument on Jan. 4 because he wanted to end their relationship, and that he brought her back to her home on Jan. 5. Hite told investigators she left her cellphone in his car, and he went back to her home later that day to return it. He said no one answered the door and he left the phone on the deck.

    Investigators described Hite as “emotionless” and “not forthcoming” during his interviews.

    According to court documents, investigators seized plastic sheeting, a bathroom mat, bloody gauze and a blade all containing DNA evidence from Hite’s residence. 

    Fargo police are now asking for the public’s help in finding a black storage box with a red lid. In a post on Facebook, the department said, “This tote is considered potentially missing evidence possibly related to the disposal of Wengel’s remains or other evidence critical to the investigation.”

    “In order to bring closure and justice to the family, we need to recover Isadora’s body,” Zibolski said. “And we’re going to ask again for the public’s assistance in doing so.”

    Police believe the 27-gallon container could be in Fargo, Moorhead or Otter Tail County in Minnesota, specifically pointing to Fergus Falls, Elizabeth, Underwood and Battle Lake. Investigators are asking homeowners in these areas to search their properties for anything suspicious. Zibolski said it’s possible the tote was buried under snow or placed in a low-lying area.

    “She’s loved, and she will continue to be loved,” said MaLeah Jiminez. “Every single person matters in searching for Izzy and bringing her home.”

    Jiminez lives in Fargo, says she shares mutual friends with Wengel and is spearheading the effort to search for her. Search efforts will continue on Sunday in Battle Lake around noon. 

    In an obituary posted online, Wengel is described as “witty, silly, sarcastic, insightful, and incredibly empathetic,” as well as ‘truly a bright light.” 

    If you have any information about Wengel, contact the Fargo Police Department. Anonymous tips can be submitted. 

    Domestic Violence Resources: For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.

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    Ashley Grams

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  • A Nebraska girl went looking for a date to a high school dance. One week later, she was murdered.

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    On March 25, 1969, 17-year-old Mary Kay Heese never returned home from school in Wahoo, Nebraska. Hours later, her body was found beaten and stabbed to death on the side of the road outside of town. 

    Investigators tried to retrace Mary Kay’s last known whereabouts. One witness saw Mary Kay get into a car with two men on a street corner near her home. But investigators at the time were unable to figure out who was in that car. Weeks turned into months with no arrests. Mary Kay’s murder would remain unsolved for decades.

    “48 Hours” correspondent Natalie Morales reports on how the murder was finally brought back into focus in “The Girl from Wahoo,” an all-new “48 Hours” airing Saturday, Feb. 14 at 10/9c on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

    Mary Kay Heese

    Kathy Tull


    In 2015, a new investigation was launched. Ted Green, a criminal investigator with the Saunders County Attorney’s Office, was assigned to the case.

    “Every criminal investigation is a puzzle,” Green told “48 Hours.” For Green, part of figuring out that puzzle was learning more about Mary Kay Heese.

    Mary Kay’s younger cousins, Mark Miller and Kathy Tull, remember Mary Kay as a happy person who always looked out for them. But they said that happiness was sometimes challenged by the struggles of adolescence.

    Green learned Mary Kay came from a strict home under the eyes of watchful parents. It was a different situation at high school. “There was a group of girls that would get her together and put makeup on her at the beginning of the day and change her clothes out,” Green said.

    “She wanted to fit in,” Miller told “48 Hours.”

    Part of that desire to fit in was Mary Kay’s wish to attend the local Sadie Hawkins dance — a popular event at that time where the girls ask the boys to attend.

    Tull told “48 Hours” that the shy Mary Kay struggled to find a date. Tull still has a letter from Mary Kay, written a week before her murder, asking her cousin Jerry to attend the dance with her.

    “If we come over to get you on Friday the 28th or Saturday the 29th, will you go to the Sadie Hawkins dance with me?” Mary Kay wrote in the letter. “You can wear sportswear (not a tuxedo or anything) because it’s not a formal dance […] Don’t bring any money to get in because the girls are to pay for it all including the tickets and food.”

    As Green learned more about Mary Kay, he came to one conclusion. “She wouldn’t get into a car with somebody that she didn’t know,” he said.

    The pieces of the puzzle were coming together for Green, who focused on two names that kept coming up in the old case files: Joseph Ambroz and Wayne Greaser, both interviewed in the days following Mary Kay’s murder.

    Joseph Ambroz, 22, was living in Wahoo and worked at a slaughterhouse at that time. He was also on parole after serving time for forgery and escaping custody.

    Joseph Ambroz in 1968.

    Joseph Ambroz in 1968.

    Greaser was friends with Ambroz. “He was just that wannabe kid who was just following around Ambroz,” said Deputy Saunders County Attorney Richard Register, who worked on the case. 

    Green and Register told “48 Hours” Ambroz knew Mary Kay. They both frequented the same café and had mutual friends. Green and Register also believe Mary Kay thought Ambroz was not a threat, but an opportunity to fit in with the crowd.

    Green believes Ambroz and Greaser took Mary Kay to a well-known party spot near town and at some point Mary Kay tried to flee the car. Green says he believes Ambroz went after her and eventually stabbed her to death.

    “She just wanted to get a boy to go to the dance with her. And unfortunately, the dance she went to was her death,” Register said.

    More than five decades after Mary Kay Heese was found dead, 77-year-old Joseph Ambroz was arrested for her murder.

    In July 2025, Ambroz took a plea deal and pleaded no contest to conspiracy to commit first- degree murder. He was sentenced to two years in prison.  Greaser, who had died by suicide in 1977, was named as the other person conspiring to kill Mary Kay.

    For Mary Kay’s cousins, the plea deal and sentence were an injustice. They say Ambroz stole Mary Kay’s future.

    “He got all these years to live, and Mary Kay never had the chance to live,” Miller told “48 Hours.”  

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  • 6 people killed in Sarasota and Fort Lauderdale; police say the murders are connected and a suspect also dead

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    Six people in Sarasota and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, are dead in what police say is a cross-state murder spree by the same suspect Wednesday morning. The suspect was also found dead, authorities said.

    Police say the murder spree began in the upscale Victoria Park neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale and ended in a gated community in Sarasota County, about 200 miles northwest of Fort Lauderdale.

    The Fort Lauderdale Police Department said it received a call for a well-being check on the 500 block of Northeast 15th Avenue, where they found two adults, identified as Larisa Blyudaya, 46, and Ben Azivov, 18, dead in the home. They were both residents of Fort Lauderdale. 

    The property manager for the home spoke with CBS News Miami, confirming Ben Azivov is the son of Larisa Blyudaya.

    “She was just a happy, happy woman,” said property manager Joe Askerberg. “Never an ounce of negative energy in all my time dealing with her.

    A neighbor told CBS News Miami that he saw someone go into the residence on Tuesday morning. 

    “[Y]esterday morning, I was loading my tools in my vehicle, and I saw a guy come running around here, and he went to the driveway and hit the keypad on the garage door, and the door went up, and I just didn’t think anything of it,” Mark Scinna said. “And then I got a call around 3 o’clock … what had happened. I started tying everything together and I was like, ‘Man, I hope that wasn’t the guy that I saw.”

    Across the state, Sarasota police were called after they say a man was shot at the front door of a home in a gated community in the Amberlea neighborhood near Proctor and McIntosh roads. There, the bodies of five victims were found, including the suspect, who police identified as Russell Kot, 51, of Fort Lauderdale. Police believe Kot died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds. 

    Askerberg said Blyudaya moved to South Florida from Chicago late last year. Her son and Kot lived with her, all residing in separate rooms, according to Askerberg. He said Kot kept to himself.

    “He was very quiet. I have been scratching my head, wondering where, how he would go through with this, and then also drive four hours and see red the whole time and commit more,” Askerberg said. 

    The other four victims ranged in age from 39 to 66. They were identified as Olga Greinert, 49, Florita Stolyar, 66, Anatoly Ioffe, 61, and Yaroslav Blyudoy, 39. 

    Matt Binkley of the Sarasota Sheriff’s Office said police have accounted for “all persons” in the incident and there’s no threat to the public.

    Regarding a motive in the Fort Lauderdale shooting, investigators say the gunman had a romantic relationship with one of the victims. The connection between the other victims in Sarasota County is still unknown. Fort Lauderdale police said homicide detectives are investigating.

    Sarasota Police said they are not aware of any mental health crises or history of violence related to Kot.   

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  • Man Sentenced To Life In Prison For 2024 Stabbing In Portland’s Old Town – KXL

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    PORTLAND, Ore. — A 35-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for the fatal stabbing of Deante Watts in Portland’s Old Town neighborhood last year.

    Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Christopher Marshall sentenced Jesse James Herold on Tuesday after convicting him of second-degree murder. Under Oregon law, Herold will be eligible for a parole board review after serving 25 years.

    Watts, 32, was killed on the morning of Jan. 12, 2024.

    According to prosecutors, Herold stalked Watts for several blocks after he left Blanchet House, a nonprofit that provides meals and services in Old Town. At approximately 7:45 a.m., Herold attacked Watts under the Steel Bridge on Southwest Naito Parkway, stabbing him multiple times.

    Herold was later arrested in Bellingham, Washington. Six weeks after the killing, a Portland detective interviewed him. During that interview, prosecutors said, Herold admitted to stalking and stabbing Watts and provided details that corroborated the investigation.

    According to court records, Herold told police he changed clothes after the attack, receiving free clothing from someone distributing items from a car. He also said he disposed of his bloody jacket in a portable toilet.

    Multnomah County Senior Deputy District Attorney Kevin Demer, who prosecuted the case along with Deputy District Attorney Sam Wilton, said the sentence brings a measure of accountability.

    “Mr. Watts was only 32 years old when he was murdered,” Demer said after the sentencing. “His family worried about him knowing that he was houseless and struggling while living on the streets. I hope the anguish and heartache that this family went through is softened by knowing that Mr. Herold received the maximum possible sentence.”

    The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office credited the Portland Police Bureau’s Homicide Detail for its work on the investigation, specifically Detectives Sean Macomber and Eric McDaniel. The office also recognized its victim advocates for providing support to Watts’ family throughout the case.

    Herold will remain in custody serving his life sentence under the supervision of the Oregon Department of Corrections.

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    Jordan Vawter

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  • Sneak peek: Kiss of Death and the Google Exec

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    Sneak peek: Kiss of Death and the Google Exec – CBS News









































    Watch CBS News



    The mysterious death of a Google executive and his last night with an exotic beauty captured on video — now a court decides her fate. “48 Hours” correspondent Maureen Maher reports Saturday, August 30 at 9/8c on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

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  • The Rx Defense

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    The Rx Defense – CBS News









































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    A Texas teenager shoots two of his friends. He says a popular acne medication made him do it. “48 Hours” correspondent Tracy Smith reports.

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  • Man Pleads Not Guilty to Casino Stabbing Death

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    Posted on: February 7, 2026, 12:28h. 

    Last updated on: February 6, 2026, 02:29h.

    • A North Dakota man says he did not stab a woman to death inside a tribal casino
    • Casino surveillance doesn’t show any person entering or exiting the hotel room
    • The suspect says he awoke to find a dead woman in his hotel room

    A North Dakota man accused of stabbing a woman to death inside a tribal casino hotel room has pleaded not guilty.

    stabbing death Sky Dancer Casino
    North Dakota’s Rolette County Sheriff’s Office alleges that Rigoberto Mendez Morales, 58, stabbed a woman to death inside his Sky Dancer Casino & Resort hotel room. Mendez Morales claims to have no recollection of the murder and has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in Indian country. (Image: Rolette County Sheriff’s Office)

    Last month, law enforcement officers with the Rolette County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Sky Dancer Casino & Resort in Belcourt, North Dakota, where 58-year-old Rigoberto Mendez Morales said he awoke to find a woman dead in his hotel room. The victim was identified as a Native woman enrolled with the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation.

    During a Zoom appearance in the North Dakota’s US District Court from the Ward County Jail, Mendez Morales, through his Spanish interpreter, pleaded not guilty to the charge of second-degree murder within Indian country.

    US Magistrate Judge Alice Senechal ordered that Mendez Morales remain in custody until his jury trial begins on April 14.

    Affidavit Shines Details 

    The criminal complaint details that at approximately 6:07 am on the morning of Jan. 10, 2026, the Rolette County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call stating there was a person dead at the Sky Dancer Casino & Resort. Police officers responded to the property, owned and operated by the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, where they found Mendez Morales sitting on the hotel room’s bed.

    A female, identified only by her initials BTM, was located on the floor. Investigators said Mendez Morales had blood on his clothing and face, and his right eye was swollen and bleeding. BTM was determined to have been stabbed to death.

    Video surveillance from the hotel hallway showed Mendez Morales and BTM enter the room shortly after midnight. No one else entered or exited the room until the police arrived.

    When law enforcement detained Mendez Morales, they found he was in possession of a multi-tool (Leatherman-type), which was covered in what appeared to be blood. The FBI later collected the Leatherman multi-tool as evidence pursuant to a search warrant. A substance that appeared to be blood was observed on the knife blade of the Leatherman as well as what appeared to be long black human hairs, which law enforcement observed to be consistent with BTM,” the charging complaint detailed.

    “Mendez Morales stated he consumed three alcoholic drinks while gambling. Mendez Morales did not recall returning to his room. Mendez Morales could not recall why he had blood on his pants, shirt, and multi-tool, and denied touching BTM when he saw she was on the floor and covered in blood. Mendez Morales stated he woke up on his bed and saw BTM was not moving,” the affidavit continued.

    Possible Sentence

    The US attorney alleges that Mendez Morales “did unlawfully kill a human being, namely, BTM, an Indian, with malice aforethought.” The federal crime is prosecuted under the Major Crimes Act.

    A person found guilty of second-degree murder in Indian country faces life in prison.

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    Devin O’Connor

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  • Teen gets 7 years for starting fire that killed Lakewood mom, daughter

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    A 15-year-old will serve seven years in Colorado’s Division of Youth Services after pleading guilty to setting a Lakewood apartment complex on fire, killing Kathleen Payton and her 10-year-old daughter, Jazmine Payton-Aguayo.

    The teen and an accomplice, who were 12 and 14 at the time, started the fire in the early hours of Oct. 31, 2022, after they were asked to leave a friend’s apartment at the Tiffany Square Apartments complex, according to the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

    Kathleen Payton and her 10-year-old daughter, Jazmine Payton-Aguayo in an undated photo. Payton and Jazmine were killed on Oct. 31, 2022, after two juveniles set their Lakewood apartment complex on fire. (Courtesy of the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office)

    Flames spread rapidly from bushes outside the complex at 935 Sheridan Blvd. to the wooden walkway above. Payton, 31, and Jazmine were trapped inside their apartment and died from carbon monoxide poisoning and smoke inhalation, the DA’s office said.

    Ten people were also injured in the fire, and everyone who lived at the 32-unit complex was displaced.

    Both teens, whose names were not made public under Colorado law, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder and arson, all felonies. The first teen was sentenced to seven years in the Division of Youth Services after pleading guilty in October 2023.

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