A police officer in Canton, Ohio, is lucky to be alive after an accused shoplifter pointed a gun in his face and pulled the trigger. The whole incident was captured on body cam video.The video is in the player above, however, viewer discretion advised Canton police were called to the Walmart on Thursday afternoon for two people shoplifting.Police took 23-year-old Katerina Jeffrey and 21-year-old Shane Newman into custody after being accused of shoplifting.Before the two sat down, Newman was patted down.”Nothing on you that’s going to poke me, stab me?” the police officer asked Newman.Newman replied no.Minutes passed as the officer asked the two people for their names.After giving the officer a fake name, video showed Newman pulling a gun out of a pouch he was hiding. He shot the gun, but it did not go off. He then tried to reload and pointed it at the officer again.The theft prevention officer then jumped on Newman, causing him to drop the gun.The officer brought Newman to the ground and called for backup.Officers later found two bullets in Jeffrey’s pocket, who also had two warrants out for her arrest.Newman had one warrant of his own and was holding onto several pills.Jeffrey is facing a robbery charge and Newman is facing several charges, including assaulting a peace officer and attempted murder.
A police officer in Canton, Ohio, is lucky to be alive after an accused shoplifter pointed a gun in his face and pulled the trigger.
The whole incident was captured on body cam video.
The video is in the player above, however, viewer discretion advised
Canton police were called to the Walmart on Thursday afternoon for two people shoplifting.
Police took 23-year-old Katerina Jeffrey and 21-year-old Shane Newman into custody after being accused of shoplifting.
Before the two sat down, Newman was patted down.
“Nothing on you that’s going to poke me, stab me?” the police officer asked Newman.
Newman replied no.
Minutes passed as the officer asked the two people for their names.
After giving the officer a fake name, video showed Newman pulling a gun out of a pouch he was hiding. He shot the gun, but it did not go off.
He then tried to reload and pointed it at the officer again.
The theft prevention officer then jumped on Newman, causing him to drop the gun.
The officer brought Newman to the ground and called for backup.
Officers later found two bullets in Jeffrey’s pocket, who also had two warrants out for her arrest.
Newman had one warrant of his own and was holding onto several pills.
Jeffrey is facing a robbery charge and Newman is facing several charges, including assaulting a peace officer and attempted murder.
Prosecutors said victims were shot, hacked with machetes, and dismembered as part of a racketeering operation that spanned years and terrified New Yorkers
On December 19th, a federal jury in Brooklyn convicted two national leaders of the violent MS-13 street gang and two other members on racketeering charges tied to a series of brutal murders in Queens and on Long Island. The four defendants (22 defendants were part of the original indictment) were found guilty following a 10-week trial in the US District Court before Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall. Each now faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison when sentenced. The streets of New York City and Long Island can breathe a small sigh of relief. “These verdicts send a clear message: The NYPD will stop at nothing to identify, dismantle, and hold accountable any street gang that terrorizes our neighborhoods with violence,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
A federal jury convicted national MS-13 leaders Edenilson Velasquez Larin, 36, of Colorado and Hugo Diaz Amaya, 37, of Kansas City, along with Fulton … https://t.co/FWDR6DbFKn@RaymondOrta
Federal officials said the defendants were responsible for orchestrating or carrying out four gruesome and violent murders between 2016 and 2022 as part of the gang’s racketeering enterprise; the killings involved machetes and firearms.
Brooklyn Federal CourthouseCredit: Lauren Conlin
Those convicted are Edenilson Velasquez Larin, Hugo Diaz Amaya, Jose Espinoza Sanchez, and Jose Arevalo Iraheta. The gang members have a multitude of nicknames listed in the indictment. Velasquez Larin and Diaz Amaya were identified as national leaders of MS-13, a transnational gang known for extreme violence. Prosecutors said the two “gang-authorized” murders across the United States (operating outside prison), made them among the highest-ranking MS-13 leaders active on the streets; thus marking this conviction a huge win.
Credit: U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York
Velasquez Larin was convicted of multiple counts including racketeering conspiracy, continuing criminal enterprise, drug trafficking conspiracies, money laundering conspiracy, firearms offenses, and murder in aid of racketeering tied to four killings: the 2016 machete murder of 18-year-old Kenny Reyes in Uniondale; the 2018 shooting death of 20-year-old Victor Alvarenga in Queens; the 2020 shooting death of 25-year-old Eric Monge in Queens; and the 2022 machete killing of 20-year-old Oswaldo Gutierrez Medrano in Nassau County.
Espinoza Sanchez, a clique leader on Long Island, was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, firearms offenses, and murder in aid of racketeering connected to three of the four killings, prosecutors said. Arevalo Iraheta was convicted on racketeering and murder charges tied to the Gutierrez Medrano killing, as well as firearms offenses.
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Federal prosecutors said the killing of Oswaldo Gutierrez Medrano was one of the most brutal, stemmed from internal MS-13 “discipline.” After an unauthorized double murder by a Sailors Locos Salvatruchas gang member in a Texas federal prison, gang leaders known as La Mesa ordered retaliation against the Sailors clique. Gutierrez Medrano, a Sailors member in New York, was lured to Nassau County on February 13, 2022, under the false pretense of receiving a routine gang “beating,” to prove himself, authorities said. Instead, he was attacked to death with machetes and a knife, dismembered, and buried in a wooded area.
Federal prosecutors said the crimes were carried out to increase the defendants’ standing within the gang, punish perceived rivals, and enforce MS-13 rules through violence.
“This verdict holds accountable four extremely dangerous MS-13 members who participated in heinous murders and now deservedly face mandatory life sentences,” said US Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. in a press statement. He credited the FBI, HSI, NYPD, plus Suffolk and Nassau County Police for their work on the investigation and dismantling of violent gang leadership operating in New York.
In the clip, posted to the Into The Weeds podcast YouTube channel, Gypsy seems to be talking to Nick ahead of his court date after being arrested. Now, this was before Dee Dee’s murder — this was a completely separate incident where Nick was arrested for allegedly watching porn and masturbating in McDonald’s for NINE hours back in 2013. He was charged with disorderly conduct and carrying a concealed weapon because he had a pocket knife on him.
But what raised eyebrows was in this video, Gypsy seems to be very knowledgeable about the court system and cross-state laws. She says in the clip:
“I want you to know that I don’t think that the judge will make you serve jail time for something as simple as carrying a pocket knife over here in redneck territory. That’s just normal. You don’t go to jail for that, but different state, different laws.”
She also gave her then-boyfriend some advice ahead of his hearing in the video:
“Remember to be respectable to the judge and remember your manners and do as they say, because … they’re a bit of a higher position than you are. And they have your fate in their hands.”
In a second video, Gypsy reiterated herself — but also told him about how “blue” would help him show his innocence in court:
“I want you to be respectful to the judge, like I was saying. I’d suggest wearing blue still, because it is a calming color. And you wanna show your innocence. And that’s really important.”
You can see a compilation of the videos for yourself (below):
Commenters once again had a lot to say — in fact, they were shocked with Gypsy’s intellect. In the past, she’s talked about how she was so sheltered she didn’t even really know how to work a smartphone when she left prison. Fans said:
“‘Wear blue because it’s a calming color – innocent’ more proof of how calculated and conniving she is”
“Listen to her talking about how to manipulate a judge by what colors to wear to purvey innocence.”
“To think, this information was under the care of law enforcement this entire time & she walked after 8 years”
“Yet she couldn’t call the police”
“And also: the fact that she said she needed to hide the computer – here she is filming and on fb in the living room all the time…”
“And she says she had no education….unbelievable…all you have to do is listen to her to realize there is nothing slow about her as far as her language, of course she’s nuts but it’s interesting how intelligent she is.”
“Helping to manipulate the judge ‘for the very first time’”
“what if she told him to do the McDonalds incident”
“She knows more than me & she was isolated ???”
“she didnt want him in jail bc them he couldn’t do the crime she wanted him to do”
Wild stuff…
In response to the videos, Gypsy has reminded folks about all the positive work she’s done on herself in the last few years after getting out of a toxic situation.
Filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife Michele died of “multiple sharp force injuries,” the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office reported Wednesday. This comes after authorities had previously confirmed that the couple were fatally stabbed.
Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 70, were found dead Sunday afternoon at their home in the upscale L.A. neighborhood of Brentwood, police said.
Their son, 32-year-old Nick Reiner, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances in their slayings, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Tuesday. The charges include “a special allegation that he personally used a dangerous and deadly weapon, a knife,” according to the DA’s office.
Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner attend a wedding ceremony and celebration in June 2014 at The Beverly Hilton.
Lester Cohen/Getty Images for Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Investigators believe Nick Reiner fatally stabbed his parents early Sunday morning before fleeing, prosecutors said.
The bodies of Rob and Michele Reiner were found at about 3:40 p.m. Sunday, police said, and Nick was found and arrested in the Exposition Park neighborhood of South L.A. at approximately 9:15 p.m. Sunday. Authorities have yet to provide a possible motive in the killings or what led them to arrest Nick Reiner.
Two sources who attended a party Saturday night at Conan O’Brien’s home, where Rob and Nick Reiner were also present, told CBS News on Monday that a brief but loud argument between the two took place.
Nick Reiner’s movements following the murders are under investigation. CBS News learned Wednesday that he checked into a hotel in Santa Monica early Sunday morning, which is about four miles away from his parents’ Brentwood home. Security video obtained Tuesday also showed him inside a gas station convenience store just before his arrest.
His first court hearing was Wednesday, and his arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 7.
Hochman said the charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole or the death penalty, but that his office hasn’t decided which to pursue.
Rob and Michele Reiner married in 1989 and had three children together. Their two other children, Jake and Romy Reiner, released a statement Wednesday calling the loss of their parents “horrific and devastating.”
“They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends,” the statement reads.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect Michele Singer Reiner’s age per the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Nick Reiner made his first court appearance Wednesday in Los Angeles on two counts of first-degree murder in the killing of his parents, actor-director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner, while the couple’s other two children made their first public statement on their crushing loss.Nick Reiner, 32, did not enter a plea as he appeared from behind glass in a custody area in the large Los Angeles courtroom where newly charged defendants are arraigned. He was in shackles and wearing a blue, padded suicide prevention smock used in jail.His arraignment was postponed until Jan. 7 at his attorney’s request. He spoke only to say “yes, your honor” to agree to the date. He is being held without bail.Jake and Romy Reiner talk about their ‘unimaginable pain’His older brother Jake Reiner and younger sister Romy Reiner released their statement through a family spokesperson.“Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day,” they said. “The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends.”The brother and sister said they are “grateful for the outpouring of condolences, kindness, and support we have received not only from family and friends but people from all walks of life. We now ask for respect and privacy, for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity, and for our parents to be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave.”Medical Examiner says ‘sharp force injuries’ killed coupleAlso Wednesday, the LA County Medical Examiner listed the primary cause of death for both Rob and Michele Reiner as “multiple sharp force injuries” as the office released its investigators’ initial findings.The office said more investigation is needed before further details will be revealed, but the bodies can now be released to the family.The cause of death was consistent with police describing the couple as having stab wounds.Nick Reiner’s attorney urges cautionAfter the court hearing, Nick Reiner’s attorney, Alan Jackson, called the case “a devastating tragedy that has befallen the Reiner family.” He said the proceedings will be very complex and asked that the circumstances be met “not with a rush to judgment, not with jumping to conclusions.”Jackson declined to answer shouted questions from dozens of reporters surrounding him and has not addressed the guilt or innocence of his client.Nick Reiner was charged Tuesday with killing Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 70.They were killed sometime in the early morning hours of Sunday, the District Attorney’s Office said. They were found dead late in the afternoon in their home in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood on the west side of Los Angeles, authorities said.Nick Reiner did not resist when he was arrested hours later in the Exposition Park area near the University of Southern California, about 14 miles from the crime scene, police said.The two counts of first-degree murder come with special circumstances of multiple murders and an allegation that the defendant used a dangerous weapon, a knife. The additions could mean a greater sentence.District Attorney Nathan Hochman said at a Tuesday news conference that his office has not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty.Meg Ryan and others remember the ReinersRob Reiner was the Emmy-winning star of the sitcom “All in the Family” who went on to direct films including “Stand by Me,” “The Princess Bride,” and “When Harry Met Sally …,” whose star Meg Ryan paid tribute to the Reiners on Wednesday.“Thank you, Rob and Michelle, for the way you believe in true love, in fairy tales, and in laughter. Thank you for your faith in the best in people, and for your profound love of our country,” Ryan said in an Instagram post. “I have to believe that their story will not end with this impossible tragedy.”Rob Reiner met Michele Singer Reiner during the shooting of the classic rom-com, and he said the meeting inspired him to change the film to have a happy ending.Ryan’s co-star Billy Crystal, a close friend of Rob Reiner for decades, was part of a group that also included Albert Brooks, Martin Short and Larry David that released a statement mourning and celebrating the couple Tuesday night.“They were a special force together — dynamic, unselfish and inspiring,” the statement said. “We were their friends, and we will miss them forever.”Rob Reiner has another daughter, Tracy Reiner, from his first marriage, to actor-director Penny Marshall.The lawyers on the Reiner caseNick Reiner’s attorney Jackson is a high-profile defense attorney and former LA County prosecutor who represented Harvey Weinstein at his Los Angeles trial and Karen Read at her intensely followed trials in Massachusetts. He was a central figure in the HBO documentary on the Read case.On the other side will be Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian, whose recent cases included the Menendez brothers’ attempt at resentencing and the trial of Robert Durst.Authorities have not said anything about a motive for the killings and would give few details when asked at the news conference.
LOS ANGELES —
Nick Reiner made his first court appearance Wednesday in Los Angeles on two counts of first-degree murder in the killing of his parents, actor-director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner, while the couple’s other two children made their first public statement on their crushing loss.
Nick Reiner, 32, did not enter a plea as he appeared from behind glass in a custody area in the large Los Angeles courtroom where newly charged defendants are arraigned. He was in shackles and wearing a blue, padded suicide prevention smock used in jail.
His arraignment was postponed until Jan. 7 at his attorney’s request. He spoke only to say “yes, your honor” to agree to the date. He is being held without bail.
Jake and Romy Reiner talk about their ‘unimaginable pain’
His older brother Jake Reiner and younger sister Romy Reiner released their statement through a family spokesperson.
“Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day,” they said. “The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends.”
The brother and sister said they are “grateful for the outpouring of condolences, kindness, and support we have received not only from family and friends but people from all walks of life. We now ask for respect and privacy, for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity, and for our parents to be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave.”
Medical Examiner says ‘sharp force injuries’ killed couple
Also Wednesday, the LA County Medical Examiner listed the primary cause of death for both Rob and Michele Reiner as “multiple sharp force injuries” as the office released its investigators’ initial findings.
The office said more investigation is needed before further details will be revealed, but the bodies can now be released to the family.
The cause of death was consistent with police describing the couple as having stab wounds.
Nick Reiner’s attorney urges caution
After the court hearing, Nick Reiner’s attorney, Alan Jackson, called the case “a devastating tragedy that has befallen the Reiner family.” He said the proceedings will be very complex and asked that the circumstances be met “not with a rush to judgment, not with jumping to conclusions.”
Jackson declined to answer shouted questions from dozens of reporters surrounding him and has not addressed the guilt or innocence of his client.
Nick Reiner was charged Tuesday with killing Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 70.
They were killed sometime in the early morning hours of Sunday, the District Attorney’s Office said. They were found dead late in the afternoon in their home in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood on the west side of Los Angeles, authorities said.
Nick Reiner did not resist when he was arrested hours later in the Exposition Park area near the University of Southern California, about 14 miles from the crime scene, police said.
The two counts of first-degree murder come with special circumstances of multiple murders and an allegation that the defendant used a dangerous weapon, a knife. The additions could mean a greater sentence.
District Attorney Nathan Hochman said at a Tuesday news conference that his office has not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty.
Meg Ryan and others remember the Reiners
Rob Reiner was the Emmy-winning star of the sitcom “All in the Family” who went on to direct films including “Stand by Me,” “The Princess Bride,” and “When Harry Met Sally …,” whose star Meg Ryan paid tribute to the Reiners on Wednesday.
“Thank you, Rob and Michelle, for the way you believe in true love, in fairy tales, and in laughter. Thank you for your faith in the best in people, and for your profound love of our country,” Ryan said in an Instagram post. “I have to believe that their story will not end with this impossible tragedy.”
Rob Reiner met Michele Singer Reiner during the shooting of the classic rom-com, and he said the meeting inspired him to change the film to have a happy ending.
Ryan’s co-star Billy Crystal, a close friend of Rob Reiner for decades, was part of a group that also included Albert Brooks, Martin Short and Larry David that released a statement mourning and celebrating the couple Tuesday night.
“They were a special force together — dynamic, unselfish and inspiring,” the statement said. “We were their friends, and we will miss them forever.”
Rob Reiner has another daughter, Tracy Reiner, from his first marriage, to actor-director Penny Marshall.
The lawyers on the Reiner case
Nick Reiner’s attorney Jackson is a high-profile defense attorney and former LA County prosecutor who represented Harvey Weinstein at his Los Angeles trial and Karen Read at her intensely followed trials in Massachusetts. He was a central figure in the HBO documentary on the Read case.
On the other side will be Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian, whose recent cases included the Menendez brothers’ attempt at resentencing and the trial of Robert Durst.
Authorities have not said anything about a motive for the killings and would give few details when asked at the news conference.
A picture is beginning to emerge about Nick Reiner’s movements before and after his parents were killed.
Hollywood legend Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead in their Brentwood home Sunday afternoon.
Nick Reiner, 32, was charged Tuesday with their murders. But authorities offered few details, including when or how the couple died, how investigators came to focus on Nick Reiner as a suspect and what a motive for the crime could be.
But a rough timeline is beginning to taking shape:
A Santa Monica hotel
A source familiar with the investigation told The Times that Nick Reiner was at the Pierside Santa Monica hotel Sunday.
That was hours after Nick and his parents got into some type of argument at a Saturday holiday party at talk show host Conan O’Brien’s home, according to several family friends.
Rob Reiner, left, and son Nick Reiner discuss their film “Being Charlie” at AOL Studios in New York on May 4.
(Adela Loconte / WireImage via Getty Images)
A hotel staff member told The Times police had been actively investigating at the hotel since Sunday and were still there on Tuesday afternoon. The management of the hotel did not respond to requests for comment. The worker spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to comment.
Authorities also declined to comment on the hotel and what role, if any, it plays in the case.
It is unclear when Nick Reiner checked in and when he left The Pierside Santa Monica, which sits a few blocks from the beach, with rooms that start at $220 a night.
When police got to the hotel, Nick Reiner was gone.
Law enforcement near the home of Rob Reiner on Sunday night following news of the killings.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
An arrest near USC
Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Gang and Narcotics Division, along with a U.S. Marshals task force that typically searches for fugitives, tracked Nick Reiner down in South L.A. on Sunday night, according to L.A. Police Chief Jim McDonnell. The arrest was without incident, the chief said.
Reiner was found near USC, around 15 miles from the scene of the stabbings, McDonnell said. He declined to provide details on how the suspect was found and apprehended.
Reiner was taken into custody around 9:15 p.m. Sunday and booked on suspicion of murder at 5:04 a.m. Monday.
KABC-TV obtained video purportedly showing video of Nick Reiner at a convenience store in South L.A. shortly before he was arrested.
A bouquet of roses and a candle sit outside the Brentwood home Rob Reiner
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Unanswered questions
Prosecutors filed two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances against Nick Reiner on Tuesday afternoon. He also faces a special allegation that he used a deadly weapon, a knife, in the crime, L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman said during a news conference Tuesday.
Still, officials have not offered a narrative about what happened.
One key question is when the Reiners were killed. Prosecutors have alleged Nick Reiner stabbed his parents in “approximately the early morning hours” on Sunday, according to a news release. But a specific time has not been disclosed.
“We don’t have that kind of specificity yet,” L.A. Police Chief Jim McDonnell said of the timeline of the couple’s deaths. “We’re waiting on the coroner to be able to try and determine as best they can at this point.”
On Sunday afternoon, a massage therapist showed up at the Reiner home for a weekly session with the couple. When there was no answer at the gate, the therapist called their daughter, Romy Reiner, who arrived at the home and discovered her father’s body, according to a source close to the Reiner family who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Reiners’ bodies were found in their bedroom in their Brentwood home, LAPD Assistant Chief Dominic Choi said at the department’s weekly commission meeting.
Pieces of a puzzle
With no official time of death, it’s unclear whether Nick Reiner checked in at the Santa Monica hotel before or after his parents were killed.
Nick Reiner was living in a guesthouse on his parents’ property and his mother had become increasingly concerned about his mental health in recent weeks, a family friend said.
Authorities on Tuesday also declined to offer a possible motive for the killings.
With prosecutors alleging a special circumstance — that Nick Reiner committed multiple homicides — he could face a death sentence or life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted at trial. Prosecutors have not made a decision on whether to seek capital punishment.
Rob Reiner’s son Nick Reiner is expected to make his first court appearance Wednesday on two counts of first-degree murder in the killing of his parents.Nick Reiner, 32, was charged Tuesday with killing the 78-year-old actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced at a news conference with LA Police Chief Jim McDonnell.“Their loss is beyond tragic and we will commit ourselves to bringing their murderer to justice,” Hochman said.Along with the two counts of first-degree murder, prosecutors added special circumstances of multiple murders and a special allegation that the defendant used a dangerous weapon, a knife. The additions could mean a greater sentence.Hochman said his office has not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty in the case.“This case is heartbreaking and deeply personal, not only for the Reiner family and their loved ones but for our entire city,” McDonnell said.The announcement came two days after the couple was found dead from apparent stab wounds in their home in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood on the west side of Los Angeles. Nick Reiner did not resist when he was arrested hours later in the Exposition Park area near the University of Southern California, about 14 miles (22.5 kilometers) from the crime scene, police said.Rob Reiner was the Emmy-winning star of the sitcom “All in the Family” who went on to direct films including “When Harry Met Sally…” and “The Princess Bride.” He was an outspoken liberal activist for decades. Michele Singer Reiner was a photographer, movie producer and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. They had been married for 36 years.Several of those closest to them, including actors Billy Crystal, Albert Brooks, Martin Short and Larry David, released a statement mourning and celebrating the couple on Tuesday night.“They were a special force together — dynamic, unselfish and inspiring,” the statement said. “We were their friends, and we will miss them forever.”Nick Reiner had been scheduled to make an initial court appearance earlier Tuesday, but his attorney Alan Jackson said he was not brought from the jail to the courthouse for medical reasons and the appearance was postponed.At Wednesday’s hearing, Reiner may enter a plea, a judge may schedule an arraignment for later or the same issue that prevented him from coming to court Tuesday could cause further postponement. He is being held without bail.Jackson is a high-profile defense attorney and former LA County prosecutor who represented Harvey Weinstein at his Los Angeles trial and Karen Read at her intensely followed trials in Massachusetts. He was a central figure in the HBO documentary on the Read case.On the other side will be Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian, whose recent cases included the Menendez brothers’ attempt at resentencing and the trial of Robert Durst.Authorities haven’t said anything about a motive for the killings and would give few details when asked at the news conference.
Nick Reiner, 32, was charged Tuesday with killing the 78-year-old actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced at a news conference with LA Police Chief Jim McDonnell.
“Their loss is beyond tragic and we will commit ourselves to bringing their murderer to justice,” Hochman said.
Along with the two counts of first-degree murder, prosecutors added special circumstances of multiple murders and a special allegation that the defendant used a dangerous weapon, a knife. The additions could mean a greater sentence.
Hochman said his office has not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty in the case.
“This case is heartbreaking and deeply personal, not only for the Reiner family and their loved ones but for our entire city,” McDonnell said.
The announcement came two days after the couple was found dead from apparent stab wounds in their home in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood on the west side of Los Angeles. Nick Reiner did not resist when he was arrested hours later in the Exposition Park area near the University of Southern California, about 14 miles (22.5 kilometers) from the crime scene, police said.
Rob Reiner was the Emmy-winning star of the sitcom “All in the Family” who went on to direct films including “When Harry Met Sally…” and “The Princess Bride.” He was an outspoken liberal activist for decades. Michele Singer Reiner was a photographer, movie producer and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. They had been married for 36 years.
Several of those closest to them, including actors Billy Crystal, Albert Brooks, Martin Short and Larry David, released a statement mourning and celebrating the couple on Tuesday night.
“They were a special force together — dynamic, unselfish and inspiring,” the statement said. “We were their friends, and we will miss them forever.”
Nick Reiner had been scheduled to make an initial court appearance earlier Tuesday, but his attorney Alan Jackson said he was not brought from the jail to the courthouse for medical reasons and the appearance was postponed.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Reiner may enter a plea, a judge may schedule an arraignment for later or the same issue that prevented him from coming to court Tuesday could cause further postponement. He is being held without bail.
Jackson is a high-profile defense attorney and former LA County prosecutor who represented Harvey Weinstein at his Los Angeles trial and Karen Read at her intensely followed trials in Massachusetts. He was a central figure in the HBO documentary on the Read case.
On the other side will be Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian, whose recent cases included the Menendez brothers’ attempt at resentencing and the trial of Robert Durst.
Authorities haven’t said anything about a motive for the killings and would give few details when asked at the news conference.
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A 25-year-old Edina man faces charges after neighbors reported seeing him “dragging a dead body” out of an apartment on Saturday morning.
According to the criminal complaint, police responded to an apartment complex on the 7600 block of Knox Avenue South in Richfield. The person who had called 911 said that she had seen a man carrying a woman — who already appeared dead — out of the building.
Police found the car that the man had left in, which had run a red light, the complaint says. The car came to a stop outside the emergency department at a hospital, and the 23-year-old woman was pronounced dead after she was unloaded from the back seat.
The man told police that the woman had shot herself. The autopsy showed that she had suffered a gunshot wound to the back of her left shoulder, charges say.
Another man who lived in the apartment building told police that he heard pounding on his door and saw a woman lying on the floor who did not respond to his questions, documents say. He then said he heard a man banging on the window and saw him drag her up the stairs and into a car.
While searching the area, police found a 9mm handgun in the snow on the balcony of the apartment that the man and the victim shared. They also found several hundred grams of marijuana and approximately 70 grams of cocaine in the apartment, the complaint says.
The man faces one count of second-degree murder and one count of first-degree possession of drugs.
For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.
Now, per LAPD chief Jim McDonnell on Monday, Nick is indeed facing major legal action related to the murders:
“We have our robbery/homicide division handling the investigation. They worked throughout the night on this case and were able to take into custody Nick Reiner, a suspect in this case. He was subsequently booked for murder and is being held on $4 million bail.”
While LAPD records had previously shown Nick was booked on a felony charge, no other details had officially been released regarding specifics. His bail is set at a whopping $4 million.
Such a devastating case. We’ll be sure to keep you updated as more information becomes available.
Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner have died in an apparent homicide. “It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner,” the family said in a statement. “We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”
Sunday evening, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported that two people had been found dead at the home of Rob Reiner. TMZ first reported that it was Reiner and Singer Reiner. TMZ also said the bodies had injuries consistent with a knife. Peopleclaim that Singer and Reiner were killed by their son, Nick. However LAPD chief of detectives Alan Hamilton said “we have not identified a suspect at this time,” and that there “was no person of interest,” per the Hollywood Reporter.
Reiner, the son of comedian Carl Reiner, first came to national attention as Archie Bunker’s “Meathead” son-in-law on All in the Family. He became a prolific director, making such films as This Is Spinal Tap and When Harry Met Sally. He founded production company Castle Rock, which produced Seinfeld among many other projects for film and television. Singer Reiner, a photographer, ironically shot Donald Trump’s cover phot for The Art of the Deal. She and Reiner would become vocal opponents of Trump as a political figure. The couple were also instrumental in overturning Proposition 8 in California.
Tracy Reiner, whom Rob Reiner adopted when married to Penny Marshall, told NBC News that she was at a loss for words. “I came from the greatest family ever,” she said. “I don’t know what to say, I’m in shock.”
Federal courthouse in downtown San Diego. (Photo by Chris Stone/Times of San Diego)
A man convicted in the kidnapping and killing of an 18-year-old U.S. citizen in Tijuana was sentenced in San Diego federal court Wednesday to life in prison.
Brian Alexis Patron Lopez, 24, was found guilty by a San Diego federal jury for the abduction and shooting death of Miguel Anthony Rendon, a San Diego resident who was kidnapped from a Tijuana hotel, then beaten and tortured while his captors demanded a ransom of money or drugs from his family.
Prosecutors say Rendon had initially agreed to transport just over two pounds of methamphetamine across the border, but stole the package, leading to the retaliatory kidnapping in May 2020 by Patron Lopez and others.
Following the abduction and torture, prosecutors say Patron Lopez took Rendon to a deserted hillside and shot him multiple times. Mexican authorities discovered his body on the hillside about a week later.
Four others were charged in the case for various roles in the abduction, pleaded guilty, and have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from five years to nearly a dozen years behind bars.
Patron Lopez was sentenced to two terms of life imprisonment for counts of hostage taking resulting in death and conspiracy to commit hostage taking resulting in death. Those counts carry mandatory minimum sentences of life in prison.
He also received a 35-year sentence for a count of intentional killing while engaged in drug trafficking.
All three prison terms will be served concurrently.
Defense attorney Meghan Blanco argued Wednesday that despite the mandatory life terms, such a sentence represented a violation of the Eighth Amendment’s provisions against cruel and unusual punishment.
Blanco said her client was 18 years old at the time of the killing with no prior criminal history, yet was facing a disproportionately higher sentence than his co-defendants. The attorney said that while prosecutors alleged Patron Lopez was the shooter, the jury’s verdict contained no special findings indicating their belief that he was the shooter.
U.S. District Judge William Hayes said that per his knowledge of the case as the judge who sat through the trial, he believed Patron Lopez was involved in the victim’s kidnapping and torture, and was also “the executioner.”
The judge also said per his review of other cases involving mandatory life sentences, it would not be unconstitutional to impose life sentences against Patron Lopez.
Wednesday’s sentencing hearing also included a statement from Emma Medrano, the victim’s mother.
“I want him to understand we are living a life sentence too, a life without Anthony’s voice, his smile, his future,” she said. “I want this man to carry the weight of what he did for the rest of his life.”
Two leaders of a group described as “cult-like” by authorities in the Inland Empire have been arrested along with a prominent member on suspicion of murder amid multiple investigations into the disappearance of two former members and the death of a 4-year-old boy many years ago.
Darryl Muzic Martin, 58, who identifies himself as the pastor of His Way Spirit Led Assemblies, and Shelley Bailey “Kat” Martin, 62, who refers to herself as a prophetess and a gifted oracle, have been arrested on suspicion of murder along with member Rudy Moreno, 43, according to Redlands police.
The leaders of the group have been under investigation in connection with the disappearance of former member Emilio Ghanem in May 2023 after visiting a Redlands Starbucks. Separately, Claremont police are investigating the disappearance of Moreno’s brother, Ruben, who was also a member, while Colton police have been probing the death of 4-year-old Timothy Thomas in 2010, who was in the Martins’ custody when he died after not receiving medical treatment.
Authorities have yet to explain whom they allege each person killed. But Darryl Martin’s booking records in the Riverside County jail show he was held on allegations of murder, possession of a machine gun, and explosives. His wife was booked in the San Bernardino County jail on suspicion of murder and possession of a machine gun. Moreno was booked on suspicion of second-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of a machine gun. The arrests occurred Thursday morning.
On Aug. 6, Redlands police, with help from the FBI, swarmed the current base of His Way Spirit Led Assemblies in Hemet as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Ghanem.
Emilio Ghanem was reported missing in May 2023.
(Redlands Police Department)
Four residents were briefly detained, with two booked on unrelated weapons charges, police said. Several illegal firearms — converted fully automatic rifles, short-barreled rifles and unserialized ghost guns, were recovered.
Police conducted a similar raid on Aug. 12 at a remote compound connected to the group in the Riverside County town of Anza, where they briefly detained eight people and recovered electronic devices and other digital evidence, according to Redlands Police Department spokesperson Carl Baker.
Officers at that time also detained the Martins at a motel in Laguna Hills but ultimately released them without seeking any criminal charges.
But the investigation did not stop.
Authorities began giving the group a closer look last year, after Ghanem had disappeared and investigators found the truck he’d been driving along with other evidence that led them to believe a homicide may have occurred.
Ghanem joined His Way Spirit Led Assemblies around 2000 and helped launch a pest control business run by the group, called Fullshield Inc., his sister, Jennifer Ghanem, said.
For many years, he lived in one of the group’s Colton homes.
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A California religious group that police describe as ‘cult-like’ has landed in the spotlight after a 4-year-old boy died and two members disappeared.
In April 2023, Ghanem left both the religious group and the company it operated, MaxGuard, behind and moved to Nashville to reunite with his family. Ghanem started his own pest control company, then returned to the Inland Empire to open a satellite office to win back some of his old clients before he disappeared.
While Redlands police were looking into Ghanem’s disappearance, over the summer Claremont police announced that another missing man, Ruben Moreno, had been affiliated with the group. Moreno was reported missing in 2019.
As word of the Redlands police investigation spread, Colton police renewed its investigation into the death of 4-year-old Timothy Thomas on Jan. 16, 2010 — after he died within an hour of the 911 call, according to the coroner’s report. He was in the custody of Darryl and Shelley Martin at the time.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the January 2010 death of Timothy Thomas.
(Colton Police Department)
Timothy’s cause of death was ruled to be septic shock due to a ruptured appendix, according to the coroner’s report. Detectives suspect neglect also played a role, according to Colton detectives.
Police recommended charges against the Martins in 2010, but the San Bernardino County district attorney’s office declined to prosecute.
Neither the Martins nor their attorney has responded to The Times’ inquiries.
Timothy Thomas was staying with members of His Way Spirit Led Assemblies in Colton when he suffered a medical emergency, authorities say.
(Daniel Flesher / LA Times Studios)
When Timothy died, group members were uncooperative with the investigation and gave conflicting testimony, making it challenging to prosecute the case, authorities said.
At the time, then-Det. Jack Morenberg, who was investigating, expressed concern over allegations of child abuse and said the home had the appearance of a possible “‘cult-like’ ministry,” according to the coroner’s investigative report.
As part of the probe, Darryl Martin told police that Timothy’s parents had given him and his wife temporary custody of their three children because their mother had problems and couldn’t provide a stable home, according to the report. One of Timothy’s aunts told police that the Martins would not allow the boy’s mother to see him, or her other children.
A second aunt felt that Darryl Martin was responsible for Timothy’s death and reported this to Colton police and child protective services in an effort to get the boy’s two remaining siblings removed from the house, according to the report. That aunt said that Martin had instructed Timothy not to vomit and “showed him how to place his hand over his mouth to stop the vomit from coming out,” the report states.
Since Timothy’s death, several members have parted ways with the group and recently revised their statements to Colton police, saying that their original testimony was made under duress from the group’s leaders, Colton police Sgt. Shawn McFarland told The Times recently.
In September, Colton police officials said they planned to resubmit the death investigation to prosecutors based on new evidence.
Because of the statute of limitations, McFarland said, the only charge available to pursue is child homicide or murder.
CASE UPDATE: In September 2025, the Austin Police Department identified Robert Eugene Brashers, a serial killer and rapist, as the suspect in the Yogurt Shop murders. Brashers, who is deceased, was tied to the murders through DNA testing. In December 2025, the Travis County D.A.’s office filed a motion to begin the process of exonerating the four men who were wrongfully accused of the murders.
This story previously aired on Aug. 27, 2022.
More than three decades ago, four teenage girls were brutally murdered in an I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt! shop in Austin, Texas. The horrific crime has haunted their families, the city, and the investigators who chased every lead in the case to a dead end. Could new information finally help solve the case?
“I can see them, I can still see the inside of that place,” John Jones, the first investigator on the case, tells “48 Hours” correspondent Erin Moriarty. “That stuff’s … indelibly burned in my mind.”
The story starts on Dec. 6, 1991, when Eliza Thomas, Sarah and Jennifer Harbison and Amy Ayers were tied up and shot. The yogurt shop was then set on fire. For decades, investigators worked to find suspects. There were eventually arrests and even convictions. But those convictions were overturned, leaving the case unsolved today.
“There is a kind of torture that continues by the fact that it’s unsolved and it’s ongoing,” says Sonora Thomas, who was 13 when her sister Eliza was killed.
“It’s always there,” says Jones.
There may be some positive news, however. A small sample of male DNA was found on one of the victims. With DNA research advancing, investigators hope there will be a match that solves the case.
“Do you believe that there is right now, some evidence that could lead to the killers?” Moriarty asks Texas defense attorney Joe James Sawyer.
“Yes,” Sawyer says.
“Is this the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end?” Jones asks.
THE SEARCH FOR ANSWERS
It’s been more than 30 years since John Jones began the painstaking search for the killers of four teenage girls in an Austin, Texas, yogurt shop.
He has long since retired from the Austin Police Department and moved out of Texas. But copies of some of the case files moved with him.
“Every year marks another year … you know, that there’s no closure,” retired Austin Detective John Jones told “48 Hours” correspondent Erin Moriarty. “I still have insomnia, 30 years after the fact.”
CBS News
Erin Moriarty [with Jones in his home office]: What is all of this here?
John Jones: These are my notes. … Oh, that’s the big book … this one is really from day 1 … hypnosis, polygraph, confessions.
Erin Moriarty: (picks up coffee mug) You know, I notice this sitting here.
John Jones: Yeah.
Erin Moriarty (reads coffee mug): “We will not forget.” You haven’t.
John Jones: Nope. I can’t.
The images of Dec. 6, 1991, remain all too vivid.
John Jones: I can definitely still see it.
It started with that call from dispatch to go to a scene of a fire, that would turn into something far worse:
JOHN JONES: What do you’ll got out there? I’m en route … airport 35.
DISPATCH: We’ve got a fire …
JOHN JONES (1991 on radio): OK. I’m copying the fire part, but you cut out on the first part of that though.
DISPATCH: … apparently a robbery and homicide. There’s, uh, three fatalities.
JOHN JONES: That’s 10-4, we’re en route (turns on siren).
John Jones: And then about halfway out there, they call again on the radio and said we found a fourth body.
A local TV news crew happened to be filming Jones on a ride along that night.
JOHN JONES (on radio): What place of business is this at?
DISPATCH: It’s the I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt.
JOHN JONES: OK.
John Jones: The fire department had just knocked down the fire. … there was still a lot of water in there … a lot of smoke still. … it was all muted grays, blacks there was no color in there with the exception of the girls.
The girls were quickly identified. Two had been working at the shop, closing up that night: Eliza Thomas and Jennifer Harbison were both 17 years old. Jennifer’s 15-year-old sister, Sarah, and their friend, 13-year-old Amy Ayers, had met them there to head home.
Inside the yogurt shop were the charred bodies of four teenage girls ranging from 13 to 17 years old. The victims clockwise from top left, Amy Ayers, Eliza Thomas, Sarah Harbison and Jennifer Harbison.
AP Images
The four girls had been gagged, tied up with their own clothing, and shot in the head. Investigators would learn at least one of the victims had been sexually assaulted. The yogurt shop had also been set on fire, destroying potential evidence.
John Jones: There was smoke and soot on every surface, kind of made fingerprinting kind of difficult.
This was a crime like none Austin had seen before. Jones knew he needed help, and from the scene, contacted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, The FBI, and Texas Department of Public Safety.
John Jones: As soon as we knew what type of guns we were looking for, that information went out nationwide.
Gunshot wounds showed that two different types of guns were used, leading investigators to believe there were at least two killers on the loose.
Erin Moriarty: What were the two guns?
John Jones: .380 and a .22. … And we recovered all of the rounds.
The weapons, though, were not found, and a task force worked to come up with potential suspects.
John Jones: They were from all spectrums. I mean, we looked at everybody from family members to drifters.
And while police tracked down leads, the families and the City of Austin grieved.
The Harbison family lost their only children: daughters Jennifer, a hard-working high school senior, and Sarah, who was enjoying sports and clubs as a high school freshman. Their mother, Barbara, spoke with “48 Hours” in 1992.
Barbara Harbison: My life was focused around them from here to eternity. Someone took eternity away from me.
Bob Ayers is the father of the youngest victim, Amy, a country girl with a love for animals.
Bob Ayers: I lost my daughter. I lost my first dance. … I won’t see her graduate. I won’t see her become a veterinarian. … She was a Daddy’s girl.
Sonora Thomas, 13 years old when her only sibling, Eliza, was murdered, had a hard time dealing with the loss of the sister she looked up to.
Sonora Thomas: I remember the shock … I remember fantasizing for days that my sister had somehow escaped and run away and … she was going to come back … And so that’s what I was kind of holding onto.
Her parents struggled as well.
Sonora Thomas: My family never talked about my sister after she died.
Erin Moriarty: Never?
Sonora Thomas:No. It’s too, it’s too painful.
Eliza Thomas, right, was 17 when she was murdered inside the yogurt shop. In this photo taken a few months before her death, Eliza is seen with her younger sister Sonora who was 13 when her sister died. In 2021, Sonora told “48 Hours, “I remember fantasizing for days that my sister had somehow escaped and ran away and was hiding … I was constantly fantasizing that she was going to come back.”
Sonora Thomas
Sonora did as best she could, picking up some pieces of her sister’s life. Eliza, an animal lover, had a pig she planned to enter in livestock show. Just a few months after the murders, Sonora took over those duties.
While Sonora may have seemed to be coping, the reality, she says, was far different.
Erin Moriarty: You had to grow up quickly.
Sonora Thomas: Very quickly … I would say I fell apart under that pressure.
John Jones: We knew they were hurting because, you know, we were hurting too.
Jones, a parent himself, felt the families’ grief. He promised to do all he could to help them.
John Jones: We told them what we could. And … I assured them that we would keep them apprised as to everything that was happening, and we did.
Jones also made a pledge to the families involving the shirt he wore on the night of the murders.
John Jones: I kind of made a promise to them … that the next time they saw me with that green and white shirt on that that was a signal to them that, you know, we knew who did it.
And Jones seemed assured they would find the killers.
John Jones: We stayed in constant contact with the behavioral science unit at the FBI in Quantico … they said that I should, as the face of the investigation, I should project an air of confidence … that would cause the bad guy to shiver in his boots. … So look in the camera and be confident.
And, when we followed him working the case in 1992, he did just that.
JOHN JONES: Let me just say this, whoever you are out there, you are going to be mine one of these days….
But trying to figure that out was daunting.
“48 Hours” correspondent Erin Moriarty and Detective John Jones in 1992.
CBS News
John Jones (at police station in 1992): 342 people that have been listed as suspects, but we’re looking at pages and pages of suspects here.
One of those early suspects was a teenager named Maurice Pierce. He was arrested eight days after the murders at a mall near the yogurt shop, carrying a .22 caliber gun, the type used in the murders.
John Jones: The .22s were unmatchable.
Erin Moriarty: So, you can’t say it wasn’t his gun? But there was no way to match it.
John Jones: No.
Erin Moriarty: But there was no way to match it.
John Jones: — to prove that it was his gun. He gave a statement, matter of fact, I took his statement. And he implicated three other boys.
Soon after the yogurt shop murders, detectives questioned four teenage boys. Maurice Pierce, top left, was arrested for having a gun at a local mall. Forrest Welborn, top right, Michael Scott, bottom left and Robert Springsteen were the friends Pierce was hanging out with that day. They were all questioned and released.
AP Photo
Jones says Maurice Pierce claimed he was driving a getaway car and that three acquaintances, Forrest Welborn, Michael Scott and Robert Springsteen, were involved in the murders. But Pierce’s story began to fall apart.
John Jones: It started to crater when we wired him up to go talk to Forest. And we were listening in on the wire, and it was pretty obvious Forest didn’t know what Maurice was talking about.
And when Welborn, Scott and Springsteen were brought in for questioning, they too denied any involvement. It was decided there was not enough evidence to charge them and the search for other suspects continued.
CHASING LEADS
Two months after the yogurt shop murders, with no viable suspects, police were chasing leads — no matter where it took them.
The task force became aware of a counter-culture type group of local residents known to be into the supernatural.
DET. MIKE HUCKABAY [at roundtable, 1992]: They’re into vampires, the occult, graveyard rites. … They go out and dance and take pictures on tombstones.
And investigators began to hear that this group might be connected to something far more serious.
John Jones (2021): The — the tips were that they were talking about the murders.
Erin Moriarty: Talking about the yogurtshop murders.
John Jones: The yogurt shop murders, yes.
There was one woman in particular whose name kept coming up in connection with these tips. The task force planned a raid on her home, hoping to see if any evidence might be found there.
John Jones: It was creepy in there.
John Jones: But as it turns out, a lot of that stuff was rat bones and theatrical parts. But … it was a good lead. … Till we finally figured out that, uh, they’re just living a make-believe life (shaking his head).
The raid may have been a bust, but it wasn’t long before the task force had its eyes on another person of interest.A police sketch shows a man that multiple eyewitnesses told police they saw sitting in a car outside the yogurt shop on the night of the murders.
John Jones: And it was somebody we really wanted to talk to. … So, we put it out there.
And the response they got came from an unexpected source.
John Jones: A couple of other investigators from the Sex Crimes Unit came up and go … “We have a sketch that looks just like that.”
Investigators say one of the suspects in a sexual assault, left, bore a striking resemblance to that man witnesses reported sitting in a car outside the yogurt shop the night of the murders.
Austin Police Department
Threeweeks before the yogurt shop murders, a young woman in Austin had been kidnapped and sexually assaulted. Police had released a sketch of three men wanted in connection with that crime.One of those suspects bore a striking resemblance to that man witnesses reported sitting in a car outside the yogurt shop.
John Jones: You know, I just kind of went zip when I saw the — the composite.
A tip came in that the men wanted in the kidnapping and sexual assault case had fled to Mexico. Two were caught and arrested; one who resembled the person of interest in the yogurt shop sketch. The development made national news.
In the fall of 1992, two men wanted for an unrelated kidnapping and sexual assault in Austin were arrested in Mexico. The man on the right bore a striking resemblance to someone witnesses reported seeing outside the yogurt shop on the night of the murders. When questioned by Austin investigators the men initially denied any involvement in the yogurt shop murders, but when interrogated by Mexican authorities they confessed. However, details they gave didn’t match the evidence found at the crime scene and when Austin detectives requestioned the men they recanted.
Austin Police Department
John Jones: When they got caught in Mexico, we went down there … to interview them. Jones’ team questioned the men. And so, too, did the Mexican authorities.
John Jones: But the Mexican government … announced to the whole world that … they confessed, and they were going to try them for the murders down there.
Erin Moriarty: They confessed to the yogurt shop murders?
John Jones: Yes, they did.
But Jones learned those confessions had details that didn’t match the crime scene. Even the caliber of guns they claimed to use was wrong.
John Jones: There were too many inconsistencies in the … confession.
So, Jones’ team reinterviewed the men, and he says this time they recanted just about everything. It made Jones and the other investigators wonder if those confessions were coerced by the Mexican authorities. The once promising lead fell apart .
John Jones: (exhales) It was depressing.
Over the following years, there would be other confessions, ones that were willingly given.
John Jones: You know, we faced six confessions.
Erin Moriarty: Six people who confessed?
John Jones: Yeah. Written.
Erin Moriarty: That confessed to this crime?
John Jones: Yes, they did.
Erin Moriarty: And they didn’tdo it?
John Jones:Nope.
In 1994, after nearly three years of leading the investigation, John Jones was moved out of the homicide division. He says it was a mutual decision. Austin Police wanted fresh eyes working the case, and Jones felt it was time to move on. Other detectives took over and, as time passed, the victims’ families were left wondering why no one had been arrested. Amy Ayers’ mother Pam spoke to “48 Hours” in 1996.
Pam Ayers [fighting back tears]: They’re probably out there leading a life as normal as they’ve ever had. And ours is never going to be the same.
That same year, Eliza Thomas’ mom moved away from Austin … and the painful reminders.
Maria Thomas (1996): Running into people who were constantly asking how the case was going was very hard on me, and especially my daughter Sonora.
Sonora’s life had taken a downward spiral.
Sonora Thomas: In my high school years, things really deteriorated. … Drugs, using alcohol, being hospitalized, going to a boarding school for, you know, disturbed teenagers, things like that.
The case seemed stalled, until October 1999.
RADIO NEWS REPORT: Some breaking news — Austin police have arrested four men in connection with the yogurt shop murders of 1991.
“The whole city was in shock … Everywhere we drove, you know, there were these billboards with a picture of my sister on it,” Sonora Thomas aid of her sister, Eliza.
CBS News
There were finally arrests, but would it answer the question on the billboard that had been haunting Austin for nearly a decade?
SUSPECTS ARRESTED
NEWS REPORT: After nearly eight years, Austinites are getting some answers in the case of the yogurt shop murders…
MAYOR KIRK WATSON (at 1999 press conference): I want to start off by thanking y’all for joining us here today. … For almost eight years, we’ve all waited to hear the words that our police department is close to a point of solving a crime that has haunted our very souls. … Today, we finally get to hear those words.
When four men were arrested in the fall of 1999 for the yogurt shop murders, relief was felt citywide.
MAYOR KIRK WATSON (at press conference): Sarah, Jennifer, Amy, Eliza, we did not forget.
The girls’ families struggled to take it all in.
Sonora Thomas: There had been so many false leads for such a long time. It was hard to know how to think about it and how to feel about it.
In October 1999, nearly eight years after the yogurt shop murders, Austin police announced the arrest of four suspects in the case: Maurice Pierce, Forrest Welborn, Robert Springsteen, and Michael Scott. All four men had been questioned within days of the murders, but the lack of any hard evidence connecting them to the crime meant that none of them were charged at the time.
CBS News/AP
But there were finally names and faces to blame: Maurice Pierce, Forrest Welborn, Michael Scott and Robert Springsteen. To the task force, they were familiar names and faces. They were the same young men that John Jones and his investigators questioned just eight days after the murders and ultimately released for lack of evidence.
John Jones: I was confident and remain confident to this day that we got as far with them as we could then. But that doesn’t mean that … there wasn’t something developed later that would cause them to actually go out and arrest them. So, I was going, “yes, good job.” … I was ready to dig out the hideous green and white shirt.
But before that shirt could come out of the closet—the one he promised the girls’ families he would wear when the case was solved — Jones wanted to know more about what led to the arrests.
Joe James Sawyer: There was no physical evidence. Nothing.
Joe James Sawyer was appointed as Robert Springsteen’s attorney.
Erin Moriarty: What made them go back and charge these guys?
Joe James Sawyer: Because the new officers, when they reopened the cold case, convinced themselves that “we let them slip through our fingers. We had to have had the murderers in the beginning.” In part, they decided that because they had nothing else.
There was no new physical evidence suddenly tying any of the four men to the crime, but what police did have were two newly obtained confessions— one from Michael Scott and another from Sawyer’s own client, Robert Springsteen. Michael Scott’s confession came first. He was questioned over four days:
Michael Scott, seated right, is pictured in 1999 being questioned by Austin Police. His 20-hour interrogation took place over the course of four days, during which Scott confessed to taking part in the yogurt shop murders. Days later, Robert Springsteen also confessed under questioning. Despite both men later claiming their confessions were coerced, they would eventually be convicted.
Austin Police Department
OFFICER (1999 interrogation): Come on Michael, you’re doing good. Tell us. Let’s do this today. Let’s do it.
MICHAEL SCOTT: I remember seeing girls. … I remember one girl screaming, terrified.
Scott told investigators that he and the others only intended a simple robbery. He said they cased the yogurt shop earlier that day. And then, after dark, he said, they came back armed with two guns.
MICHAEL SCOTT (interrogation): I hear the gun go off. I only pulled the trigger once…. I hear another gun go off.
Investigators claimed that Springsteen later corroborated much of what Scott said. But after intense questioning, he went further.
OFFICER (interrogation): You f——g know if you f——g raped her, just say it.
ROBERT SPRINGSTEEN: I stuck my d— in her p—- and I raped her.
Springsteen told them he shot one girl and raped her.
Joe James Sawyer: He was so tired of this. He’d already been questioned. He’d already been through that mill. He thought, you know what? I’ll tell you any damn thing you want.
Sawyer maintains his client is innocent and says the confession was coerced. In 2009, Robert Springsteen explained to “48 Hours” why he would admit to doing something so horrible—something he says he didn’t do.
Robert Springsteen speaks to Austin police in 1999. “Until they obtained what it was they wanted to hear, they were not going to allow me to leave. And I basically — they broke me down,” Springsteen told “48 Hours” correspondent Erin Moriarty.
Austin Police Department
Robert Springsteen: I was berated and berated and berated by the police officers. Until they obtained what it was they wanted to hear, they were not going to allow me to leave. And I basically— they broke me down.
Erin Moriarty: Let me just ask you, did you have anything to do—
Robert Springsteen: No. I did not.
Erin Moriarty: — with the murders at the yogurt shop?
Robert Springsteen: No. Never.
Even though Joe James Sawyer didn’t have Michael Scott as his client, he says he has serious concerns about his confession, too.
OFFICER (INTERROGATION): Is that the gun you shot somebody with, Mike? Is that the gun you walked up behind somebody with and shot in the head?
Joe James Sawyer: I frankly couldn’t believe it. … They terrorized him. And he was afraid to say no.
Forrest Welborn denied having anything to do with the murders, but police were convinced he was the lookout that night and Michael Scott placed him at the scene. Erin Moriarty spoke to Welborn in 1999 in jail shortly after his arrest.
Erin Moriarty: Were you there that night?
Forrest Welborn: No.
Erin Moriarty: Were you there as a lookout?
Forrest Welborn: No. I’m innocent.
Erin Moriarty: You had nothing to do with this?
Forrest Welborn: Nothing at all.
Forrest Welborn had been questioned multiple times by investigators over the years, and he never wavered. “Were you the lookout?” asked Erin Moriarity. “No. I’m innocent,” Welborn replied.
CBS News
Welborn had been questioned multiple times by investigators over the years, and he never wavered. He, like the others, first came on police radar when, in 1991, just days after the murders, Maurice Pierce had been caught with that .22 caliber gun at the mall near the yogurt shop. Pierce told the detectives back then that he had given the handgun to Welborn and that it had been used in the yogurt shop murders.
Erin Moriarty: Why would he say that?
Forrest Welborn: I don’t know.
Welborn has always maintained his innocence despite pressure from the police.
Forrest Welborn: They would get right in my face and, you know, tell me everything I said was a lie.
Remember, false confessions in this case were nothing new. Jones said that six written false confessions were obtained when he was in charge. So, when he learned that the two confessions were all the new investigators seemed to have, it gave him pause.
John Jones: I go, well, maybe I shouldn’t get that shirt out just yet.
It wasn’t long before the case against the men began crumbling. Charges against Forrest Welborn were dismissed after two grand juries failed to indict him. And later on, charges were dropped against Maurice Pierce for lack of evidence. Everything fell apart except the cases against Michael Scott and Robert Springsteen. And with Scott and Springsteen’s confessions, the victims’ families felt prosecutors had a strong case.
Barbara Ayres-Wilson (outside courthouse, 2010): These young men have been implicated and they have confessed. And they can withdraw it, but the truth is, they actually were there, and they actually did the murders.
A DNA BREAKTHROUGH?
In 2001, nearly 10 years after the murders of Eliza Thomas, Amy Ayers and Sarah and Jennifer Harbison, the yogurt shop murder trials began. Both defendants — Robert Springsteen and Michael Scott — faced the death penalty.
Joe James Sawyer: The only thing that ever tied Robert or Mike Scott to that crime scene were their confessions.
Confessions that both defendants said were coerced. The two were tried separately. Springsteen’s trial was first. Neither of the men would testify against one another. So instead, prosecutors used their confessions against one another, reading parts of the confessions to the juries. Springsteen’s lawyer, Joe James Sawyer, was frustrated that he couldn’t cross-examine Scott.
Joe James Sawyer: I thought the trial was massively unfair to my client and that it was being done systematically and with deliberation.
The trial lasted three weeks. The jury deliberated for 13 hours and then, reached a verdict.
JURY FOREPERSON: We the jury find the defendant Robert Springsteen IV guilty of the offense of capital murder …
Guilty. Springsteen was condemned to death row.
In 2002, Michael Scott went on trial. He was convicted as well. He was sentenced to life in prison. But the case didn’t end there. Fifteen years after the murders, came a shocking turn of events.
NEWS REPORT: In a 5-4 decision, the court behind me said that Michael Scott’s constitutional rights were violated during his trial and therefore should get a new one.
Both Scott and Springsteen’s convictions were overturned on constitutional grounds. The Sixth Amendment gives defendants the right to confront accusers — and remember, in Scott and Springsteen’s trials, their confessions were used against one another, but they weren’t allowed to question each other in court.
Joe James Sawyer: And the relief … the relief was incredible.
But that relief for the defendants came as a devastating blow to the victims’ families. We later spoke to Eliza Thomas’ mother, Maria, about that moment.
Maria Thomas: Every time I hear those words, “that their rights were violated,” I just feel like I’m going to go insane. … Their rights are violated. Our girls were murdered.
Sonora Thomas: It ruins your sense of fairness. It ruins your sense of — that we live in a just world.
Even though their convictions were overturned, Scott and Springsteen were not released. A new district attorney, Rosemary Lehmberg, was determined to retry them. In an effort to find more evidence, her office had ordered DNA tests on vaginal swabs taken from the victims at the time of the murders. It’s called Y-STR testing — and was fairly new in 2009 when “48 Hours” spoke with D.A. Lehmberg.
Rosemary Lehmberg: This technology searches for male DNA only
A partial male DNA profile was obtained from one of the victims believed to have been sexually assaulted. And no one expected what it would reveal.
Erin Moriarty: Does that DNA match any of the four young men who were originally accused and two of them who’ve been convicted?
Rosemary Lehmberg: It does not.
The DNA did not match any of the original four suspects, including Scott and Springsteen. And that’s significant because Springsteen, in that confession he said was coerced, told investigators he raped one the girls.
CeCe Moore is a DNA expert and genetic genealogist whom we asked about the case and the role of Y-STR DNA in criminal cases.
CeCe Moore: It is a tool that can eliminate almost everyone … It should eliminate everybody but the suspect.
Erin Moriarty: If their Y-STR does not match, they did not contribute that DNA?
CeCe Moore: Because of … where that DNA was found, yes, in this case, it’s very important.
The district attorney was focused on finding the source of that DNA — she wondered if Springsteen and Scott had another partner.
Rosemary Lehmberg: I remain really confident that … both Springsteen and Scott were responsible for killing those four girls.
In 2009, with no matches on that DNA, D.A. Lehmberg dropped charges against Robert Springsteen and Michael Scott. After nearly 10 years behind bars, they were released — but not exonerated,
AP Photos
But in 2009, with no matches on that DNA, Lehmberg dropped charges against Springsteen and Scott. After nearly 10 years behind bars, they were released — but not exonerated, leaving open the possibility they could be retried at a later time.
ROSEMARY LEHMBERG (at press conference): This was a difficult decision and one I’d rather not have to make.
The question remained though: whose DNA was it?
Amber Farrelly: I know who it is.
Joe James Sawyer: The killer’s.
Erin Moriarty: You’re convinced that that —
Amber Farrelly: That is a certain truth.
Amber Farrelly was part of both Scott and Springsteen’s defense teams. She came up with a theory that the mystery DNA might belong instead to two never-identified men who witnesses reported seeing sitting in the yogurt shop just before it closed.
Amber Farrelly: Those two men were described wearing fatigued-colored jackets. …They were very slouched over, whispering, like they were — it was a very close conversation in a booth.
Officials tried to track down those two men as well as the source of the DNA. And then, in 2017, an Austin police investigator searched a public online DNA database to see if he could get a hit. And, unbelievably, he did.
Michael McCaul: I thought, my God, we actually have a chance, a shot to solve this crime after so many years.
WHO KILLED THESE GIRLS?
Congressman Michael McCaul: I really thought this was it – I really thought we had a chance to solve it.
United States Congressman Michael McCaul, like so many others from Austin, hoped that the recently uncovered DNA in the Yogurt Shop murder case might finally bring answers to the victims’ families.
Congressman Michael McCaul: We’ll never forget that tragic day. It’s stained in my memory.
Twenty-five years after the murders, the Austin Police Department went searching for a match to the Y-STR DNA that had been found on the yogurt shop victim believed to have been sexually assaulted. And, in 2017, they got a break. On a public DNA database used for population studies, investigators thought they had found a match.
Congressman Michael McCaul: I’ve seen DNA … prove homicide cases. … the DNA evidence is really the key here.
But that sample from the crime scene was not a complete DNA profile, it was just Y-STR — the male portion of DNA. And, it was not a very detailed sample, having just 16 markers.
CeCe Moore: Sixteen STR’s is not a very powerful match … there could be millions of people with that same profile … So, in genetic genealogy … We usually use 67 or 111 markers, or maybe even more.
Erin Moriarty: But isn’t it a place to start?
CeCe Moore: It is … It’s not absolute, but if there’s nothing else to work with, it is certainly something to look into.
Still, it seemed to be the most promising lead in years. But there was a problem: the seemingly matching sample on the public database had been submitted anonymously by the FBI. It belonged to a federally convicted offender, arrestee, or detainee, but had no name attached to it. When Austin authorities tried to get a name, the FBI would not provide it, citing privacy laws.
Congressman Michael McCaul: There are some restrictions on privacy … And so, it gets into some very sort of, dicey issues.
Frustrated, officials reached out to Congressman McCaul for help.
Congressman Michael McCaul: And so, I pressed the FBI very hard.
Finally, in early 2020, the FBI agreed to work with the Austin Police Department to see if further testing could be done on that Y-STR DNA from the crime scene.
Congressman Michael McCaul: I was very excited about it. The idea that we could bring this case to closure for the families and bring those responsible to justice.
More advanced testing came up with additional markers: 25 instead of the original 16. But as so often happened in this case, what seemed so promising, turned into disappointment.
Some of the additional markers did not match the FBI sample. In other words, what seemed to be a match, was not. In a letter to Congressman McCaul, the FBI explained the new results “conclusively exclude the male donor of the FBI’s sample … as such, the FBI Y-STR profile is not an investigative lead.”
Congressman Michael McCaul: And that was the greatest disappointment because we really thought we had it.
Erin Moriarty: If it didn’t match that individual, doesn’t it still mean there’s somebody out there — this DNA belongs to somebody, right?
Congressman Michael McCaul: It does. It does. And that’s why we’re not going to rest till we find the match.
Erin Moriarty: How important then, is this DNA profile that exists … to solving this case?
Congressman Michael McCaul:I mean, it’s everything.
With DNA research advancing so quickly, there is real hope that one day, that sample of DNA obtained 31 years ago, may finally solve this case. Still, it will not erase the pain or loss of lives.
Sonora Thomas: Every year that goes by, I get farther and farther away from my sister, yeah. And I worry about losing memories.
“There is a kind of torture that continues by the fact that it’s unsolved and it’s ongoing,” says Sonora Thomas, who was 13 when her sister Eliza was killed.
CBS News
Sonora Thomas struggled for years with panic attacks and physical pain, until, with the help of therapy, she realized it was connected to the murder of her sister Eliza. With a unique understanding of what trauma victims experience, Sonora wanted to help others like her, and became a therapist.
Sonora Thomas: There’s so many moments, you know, when your heart is open, you know, you’re joyful. But there’s also this loss that’s always accompanying your life.
Sonora found it helpful to look for ways to remember Eliza.
Sonora Thomas: When we got married, we had a flower and an empty chair at our ceremony, and my sister was mentioned.
Compounding Sonora’s pain, her mother died in 2015. Maria Thomas passed away with so many unresolved questions about the murder of her daughter.
Sonora Thomas: There is a kind of torture that continues by the fact that it’s unsolved and it’s ongoing.
John Jones (shaking his head): It’s always there.
“I’ll always be associated with that case. There’s no getting away from that, said retired Austin Detective John Jones. “I just hope one of these days we can put this thing to bed.”
CBS News
John Jones is still haunted by the fact that the case is unsolved, and by what he saw that gruesome night. He has suffered from PTSD through the years.
John Jones: I had completely shut down to where all my energy was directed at the case.
Erin Moriarty: It took a toll on you, didn’t it John, even 30 years afterwards?
John Jones: Well, yeah. It would on anybody, I think — not as much as the families, you understand.
Erin Moriarty: I know.
John Jones: Whatever pain I’m having pales in comparison to what they’re going through.
These days, Jones finds solace singing in his church choir.
John Jones: I can relax when I’m in church.
Erin Moriarty: Leave the world behind? Leave outside?
John Jones: No, I know it’s just past the door.
And when he’s in that outside world, the families of Amy Ayers, Jennifer and Sarah Harbison and Eliza Thomas, are never far from his thoughts.
John Jones: I feel bad for them. That it’s still not solved.
But Jones has hope. He has kept that shirt he wore the night of the murders — the shirt he promised to never wear until the case was solved. More than 30 years later, it’s still sitting in there.
And sometime soon, John Jones looks forward to wearing it again.
John Jones: I just hope one of these days we can put this thing to bed, for the families’ sake.
If you have information about the Yogurt Shop Murders, call 512-472-TIPS.
Produced by Ruth Chenetz, Stephanie Slifer and Anthony Venditti. Michael McHugh is the producer-editor. Marlon Disla and Michelle Harris are the editors. Patti Aronofsky is the senior producer. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. Judy Tygard is the executive producer.
Lakewood police arrested a 41-year-old man and charged him with the burglary and murder of an elderly woman in her home this week, according to a news release from the department.
Arthur Joseph Maestas IV was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree arson, first-degree burglary and a parole violation.
Lakewood Police Make Arrest in Burglary / Homicide
12/11/25 LK25-036770
A man has been arrested following a burglary turned homicide over the weekend that killed an 83-year-old Lakewood woman.
On 12/6/25 at approximately 7:10 P.M., Lakewood Police were called to a home on the… pic.twitter.com/7KEyDhcV3E
On Dec. 6, one of 83-year-old Elizabeth Johnson’s children came to check on her and found her dead inside her home in the 300 block of South Kendall Street in eastern Lakewood. A window had been broken in and the home had been ransacked. It also appeared that a fire had been started, according to Lakewood police.
Maestas is held in the Jefferson County jail. The department didn’t provide further details on how they connected Maestas to the crime.
The 22-year-old Utah man charged with killing Charlie Kirk made his first in-person court appearance Thursday as his lawyers pushed to further limit media access in the high-profile criminal case.
A Utah judge is weighing the public’s right to know details in Tyler Robinson’s case against his attorneys’ concerns that the swarm of media attention could interfere with his right to a fair trial.
Robinson’s legal team and the Utah County Sheriff’s Office have asked Judge Tony Graf to ban cameras in the courtroom. Graf was also asked to clarify specifics of a previous order pertaining to publicity surrounding the case.
That order, in part, prohibited witnesses in the case from issuing “extrajudicial statements,” and required that lawyers for both the defense and prosecution inform witnesses about the order. But the state argued the term witness was too vague, noting there were some 3,000 potential lay witnesses. Graf clarified on Thursday that it refers to “all witnesses that are part of the prosecution and defense teams.”
“This includes any witness, including lay witnesses, whom the prosecution or defense has a good faith belief will be called to testify at a hearing or trial,” Graf said.
Graf said he would announce further rulings on Dec. 29.
Prosecutors have charged Robinson with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 shooting of the conservative activist on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem, just a few miles north of the Provo courthouse. They plan to seek the death penalty.
Robinson arrived in court with restraints on his wrists and ankles and wearing a dress shirt, tie and slacks. He smiled at family members sitting in the front row of the courtroom, where his mother teared up and wiped her eyes with a tissue. Robinson’s father and brother sat next to her. A coalition of national and local news organizations is fighting to preserve media access in the case.
Tyler Robinson appears in court for a hearing in Provo, Utah, on Dec. 11, 2025. Robinson is charged with murder in the shooting death of Charlie Kirk.
Pool
The judge has already made allowances to protect Robinson’s presumption of innocence before a trial, agreeing that the case has drawn “extraordinary” public attention. In a closed hearing on Oct. 24, he ruled that Robinson will be allowed to wear regular clothes at all pretrial hearings but must be physically restrained due to security concerns.
Graf also prohibited the media from filming or photographing Robinson’s restraints after his attorneys argued widespread images of him shackled and in jail clothing could prejudice future jurors.
The first part of Thursday’s hearing was closed to the press and public as they discussed issues from the Oct. 24 hearing, but when the open portion of the hearing began, attorneys for Robinson and the state noted the camera inside the courtroom had broadcast images of Robinson in shackles — and also broadcast private remarks from the defense’s counsel and filmed the lawyers’ documents and computers — violating the judge’s order. Robinson’s attorneys asked for the remainder of the hearing not to be broadcast, but Graf instead opted to relocate the camera to avoid further problems.
Michael Judd, an attorney for the media coalition, has urged Graf to let the news organizations weigh in on any future requests for closed hearings or other limitations.
The media presence at the hearings is already limited, with judges often designating one photographer and one videographer to document a hearing and share their images with other news organizations. Additional journalists can typically attend to listen and take notes, as can members of the public.
Judd wrote in recent filings that an open court “safeguards the integrity of the fact-finding process” while fostering public confidence in judicial proceedings. Criminal cases in the U.S. have long been open to the public, which he argued is proof that trials can be conducted fairly without restricting reporters as they work to keep the public informed.
Robinson’s legal team says his pretrial publicity reaches as far as the White House, with President Trump announcing soon after Robinson’s arrest: “With a high degree of certainty, we have him,” and “I hope he gets the death penalty.”
Attorney Kathy Nester has raised concerns that digitally altered versions of Robinson’s initial court photo have spread widely, creating misinformation about the case. Some altered images show Robinson crying or having an outburst in court, which did not happen.
Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, has called for full transparency, saying, “We deserve to have cameras in there.” Her husband was an ally of Mr. Trump who worked to steer young voters toward conservatism. Erika Kirk now leads the organization he founded, Turning Point USA.
In a town hall moderated by CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, airing Saturday, Erika Kirk talked about the rise of political violence and the conspiracy theories that swirled around her husband’s death. She also had a message for people who sought to justify the assassination: “You’re sick.”
“He’s a human being,” Kirk said in the town hall. “You think he deserved that? Tell that to my 3-year-old daughter.”
She continued: “You want to watch in high-res the video of my husband being murdered, and laugh, and say he deserves it? There’s something very sick in your soul, and I’m praying that God saves you,” she said.
The one-hour town hall event will be broadcast on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS television network and will stream later on Paramount+ and CBS News 24/7.
PROVO, Utah (AP) — The 22-year-old Utah man charged with killing Charlie Kirk made his first in-person court appearance Thursday as his attorneys push to further limit media access in the high-profile criminal case.
A Utah judge is weighing the public’s right to know details in the prosecution of Tyler Robinson against his attorneys’ concerns that the swarm of media attention could interfere with his right to a fair trial.
Robinson’s legal team and the Utah County Sheriff’s Office have asked Judge Tony Graf to ban cameras in the courtroom.
Prosecutors have charged Robinson with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 shooting of the conservative activist on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem, just a few miles north of the Provo courthouse. They plan to seek the death penalty.
Robinson arrived in court with restraints on his wrists and ankles and wearing a dress shirt, tie and slacks. He smiled at family members sitting in the front row of the courtroom, where his mother teared up and wiped her eyes with a tissue. Robinson’s father and brother sat next to her.
The defendant had previously appeared in court via video or audio feed from jail.
A coalition of national and local news organizations, including The Associated Press, is fighting to preserve media access in the case.
Graf has already made allowances to protect Robinson’s presumption of innocence before a trial, agreeing that the case has drawn “extraordinary” public attention.
Graf held a closed hearing on Oct. 24 in which attorneys discussed Robinson’s courtroom attire and security protocols. Under a subsequent ruling by the judge, Robinson is allowed to wear street clothes in court during his pretrial hearings but must be physically restrained due to security concerns. Graf also prohibited media from filming or photographing Robinson’s restraints after his attorneys argued widespread images of him shackled and in jail clothing could prejudice future jurors.
Several university students who witnessed Kirk’s assassination attended Thursday’s hearing.
Zack Reese, a Utah Valley University student and “big Charlie Kirk fan,” said he had skepticism about Robinson’s arrest and came to the hearing seeking answers. Reese has family in southwestern Utah, where the Robinsons are from, and said he believes they’re a good family.
Brigham Young University student William Brown, who said he was about 10 feet from Kirk when he was shot, said he felt overwhelmed seeing Robinson walk into the courtroom Thursday.
“I witnessed a huge event, and my brain is still trying to make sense of it,” Brown said. “I feel like being here helps it feel more real than surreal.”
Michael Judd, an attorney for the media coalition, has urged Graf to let the news organizations weigh in on any future requests for closed hearings or other limitations.
The media presence at Utah hearings is already limited, with judges often designating one photographer and one videographer to document a hearing and share their images with other news organizations. Additional journalists can typically attend to listen and take notes, as can members of the public.
Judd wrote in recent filings that an open court “safeguards the integrity of the fact-finding process” while fostering public confidence in judicial proceedings. Criminal cases in the U.S. have long been open to the public, which he argued is proof that trials can be conducted fairly without restricting reporters as they work to keep the public informed.
Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, has called for full transparency, saying, “We deserve to have cameras in there.” Her husband was an ally of President Donald Trump who worked to steer young voters toward conservatism.
Robinson’s legal team says his pretrial publicity reaches as far as the White House, with Trump announcing soon after Robinson’s arrest, “With a high degree of certainty, we have him,” and “I hope he gets the death penalty.”
Attorney Kathy Nester has raised concern that digitally altered versions of Robinson’s initial court photo have spread widely, creating misinformation about the case. Some altered images show Robinson crying or having an outburst in court, which did not happen.
When a man goes missing, his friends turn to social media to track his final hours. What they learn is horrific. “48 Hours” correspondent Erin Moriarty investigates.
