The Oklahoma Highway Patrol, working with ICE agents, arrested 120 illegal immigrants during an operation at a port of entry near the Texas border.
The plan, dubbed Operation Guardian, was a comprehensive deportation effort launched by Gov. Kevin Stitt in coordination with Oklahoma’s Department of Public Safety.
The sting took place along Interstate 40, where officials found most offenders with unverifiable licenses behind the wheels of 80,000-pound 18-wheelers.
During the operation, troopers encountered more than 500 people and turned 120 over to ICE, according to officials.
Gov. Kevin Stitt, in coordination with Oklahoma’s Department of Public Safety, arrested 120 illegal immigrants.(Deirdre Heavey/Fox News Digital)
Department of Public Safety Commissioner Tim Tipton said the findings were alarming, highlighting a serious safety risk. Many of the licenses were either expired by nearly a decade or listed under a single name, making identification impossible.
“You don’t have a minor collision with a commercial vehicle,” Tipton said. “An 80,000-pound truck at 70 miles an hour isn’t going to be a minor crash.”
Oklahoma’s Operation Guardian plan states that the state currently houses about 525 undocumented offenders in its prisons, costing $36,000 per day.
The plan alleges that 30% of those crimes are violent offenses against children, 20% violent assaults, 14% homicides or other violent deaths, and 7% sex crimes. It notes that most offenders are from Mexico (72%), followed by Guatemala, Honduras, and Vietnam.
Stitt said the operation is designed to move undocumented offenders directly from state and county custody into federal deportation proceedings, ending what he calls years of federal neglect.
“Former President Biden’s weak border policies allowed our country to become a safe haven for criminal illegal migrants — that ends in Oklahoma with Operation Guardian,” Stitt said. “These dangerous illegal aliens should not be walking our streets, and they soon won’t be. Oklahoma will continue to stand for law and order.”
ICE has not yet released the name of the suspect, who was pronounced dead at the hospital.(Getty Images)
The plan expands ICE agreements so some state and local officers can detain and transfer offenders. It also allows parole boards to send noncitizen inmates straight to federal custody if deportation orders are already in place.
It will implement a Rapid REPAT program as well, allowing eligible inmates to skip appeals and move directly into deportation.
Tipton emphasized the operation was about more than immigration policy — it was about protecting families on Oklahoma’s roads and in its communities.
“This plan ensures Oklahoma leads the nation in cracking down on illegal aliens who’ve committed crimes against our communities,” Tipton said. “Operation Guardian is a direct response to the threat these criminals pose to our citizens.”
A Texas Amber Alert was issued for 13-year-old Kaylin Rickards, last seen about 4:25 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 30, at the Grapevine Public Library at 1201 Municipal Way.
Texas Amber Alert
A Texas Amber Alert was issued Tuesday night for a missing 13-year-old girl from Grapevine.
Kaylin Rickards was last seen about 4:25 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 30, at the Grapevine Public Library at 1201 Municipal Way.
Rickards is 5 feet 1 inch tall and about 130 pounds. She has black hair with blue braids, and brown eyes.
She was last seen wearing a black hoodie with a black tank top underneath, black sweatpants and pink Crocs.
She is believed to have been in a white Ford F-150 pickup truck with a short bed and silver grill, police said.
Anyone with information can call 911 or the Grapevine Police Department at (817) 410-8127.
The peak of the 2025 hurricane season was nearly three weeks ago, and the tropics have responded, with three hurricanes — Gabrielle, Humberto and Imelda in just that time period. Two of those hurricanes even achieved Category 5 status, with winds of 155+ mph.
With two more months left in the typical hurricane season, how does the month of October play out with storms?
What You Need To Know
Tropical activity slightly decreases in October
The development regions shift to the Caribbean and eastern U.S. coastlines
Track patterns change, and most systems track toward the northeast
While activity decreases slightly in October, the month sees most of the storm formations closer to the U.S., particularly in the Gulf, Southeast Coast and Caribbean. These are locations where water temperatures remain well above the 79° threshold.
Most systems track toward the northeast, with it likely that many stay off the eastern coastlines. However, there have been landfalling systems in past October months.
Milton
Milton was one for the record books, even before ever making landfall. While it formed in the Bay of Campeche on Oct. 5, it quickly intensified into a hurricane. It underwent rapid intensification in the Gulf, going from a Category 3 hurricane to a Category 5 hurricane with maximum winds of 180 mph in less than 24 hours. It ties Hurricane Rita for the most intense Atlantic hurricane ever.
It made landfall near Siesta Key, Fla., as a Category 3 hurricane, with winds of 120 mph. Prior to landfall on Oct. 7, the outer rainbands spawned tornadoes in central and southern Florida. 126 tornado warnings were issued in Florida, the second most tornado warnings ever issued in one day, and the most ever in Florida or from a tropical system.
Parts of Hillsborough County saw flooding from hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton last year. Hillsborough County is hosting several meetings to gather information from residents and businesses about the flood impact of those storms. (Spectrum News)
As Milton moved inland, heavy rain created a flash flood emergency north of the center of circulation, including the cities of St. Petersburg, Tampa and Clearwater. St. Petersburg – Albert Whitted Airport reported 18.54 inches of rain from Milton.
Michael
Michael first became a tropical storm on Oct. 7 and quickly intensified into a hurricane a day later. It then became a major hurricane on Oct. 9 as it moved through the warm waters of the Gulf.
Michael made landfall near Panama City, Fla. on Oct. 10 as a Category 5 hurricane, making it the third-strongest landfalling hurricane in the U.S. on record and the strongest storm to strike the Florida Panhandle.
(Spectrum News)
It destroyed many houses in the Florida Panhandle, and storm surge flooded the coast. Farms suffered, leading to a loss in cattle and crops, and Michael caused $4.7 billion in damage to the Tyndall Air Force Base. As Michael weakened, it moved further into the southeast, bringing wind damage and flooding to Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina.
It total, we saw $25 billion in damage from Michael, and around 60 deaths.
Matthew
Hurricane Matthew in 2016 was one of the deadliest storms ever to strike the Atlantic, causing a humanitarian crisis in Haiti. It intensified into a hurricane on Sept. 29 before exploding into a Category 5 storm 24 hours later., the first Category 5 hurricane since Hurricane Felix in 2007.
Matthew made landfall in Haiti as a strong Category 4 storm on Oct. 4 and then in Cuba on Oct. 5.
Propane tanks sit in floodwaters from Hurricane Matthew in Lumberton, N.C., Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016. People were ordered to evacuate, and officials warned that some communities could be cut off by washed out roads or bridge closures. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Forecasts took it close to the Florida and Georgia coastlines as a Category 3, but the center of the storm did not make landfall. The western side and the inner eyewall remained just offshore. Matthew weakened to a Category 2 hurricane late on Oct. 7 and then to a Category 1 hurricane by Oct. 8.
It made landfall near McClellanville, S.C., making it the first hurricane to make landfall north of Florida in October since Hurricane Hazel in 1954.
Sandy
Developing in the Caribbean Sea on Oct. 22, Sandy made two landfalls before heading toward the U.S., one in Jamaica and one in eastern Cuba.
It continued through the Atlantic, parallel to the East Coast, and made a northwest turn, slamming into the Northeast. Even though winds were only at 80 mph at landfall in New Jersey, Sandy was a large storm that brought intense flooding.
Many cities in New Jersey flooded, and authorities had to evacuate towns. Sandy also flooded seven subway tunnels in NYC, the biggest disaster to happen to the subway system since it was built in the early 1900s.
In West Virginia, rain turned to 3 feet of snow for some areas, leading to downed trees and hundreds of thousands of power outages.
FILE – In this Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012 file photo, an ambulance is stuck in over a foot of snow off of Highway 33 West near Belington, W.Va. Superstorm Sandy was the first time the National Hurricane Center ever listed snow or blizzard in its warnings. Three feet of snow fell in West Virginia. (AP Photo/Robert Ray)
Overall, Sandy became one of the deadliest cyclones to hit the Northeast, killing 160 people, and the fifth costliest storm in recorded history with $65 billion in damage.
Wilma
2005 had numerous notable storms, and one of those storms was Hurricane Wilma. Wilma developed on Oct. 17 in the Caribbean Sea, and intensified quickly into a Category 5 hurricane before weakening to a Category 4 before its first landfall on Cozumel, Mexico.
Wilma had the lowest pressure ever recorded in a hurricane in the Western Hemisphere, going from 982 millibars to 882 millibars in just 24 hours. It then moved northeast, making its second landfall as a Category 3 hurricane at Cape Romano in southwestern Florida.
Over 3 million people lost power, including 98% of Miami’s metro area, and Wilma destroyed or damaged tens of thousands of homes and cars in southern Florida. Water from the storm surge submerged 60% of Key West, leaving many homes uninhabitable.
Homeowners cover their roofs in blue tarps to cover damage cause by Hurricane Wilma in Broward County, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2005. Frustration mounted on the third day of recovery from Hurricane Wilma, with the scramble for gas, ice, food and water causing long lines and traffic snarls, which prompted renewed criticism of storm planning and response. Miami-Dade County’s mayor called the relief effort “flawed.” (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Wilma caused $19 billion in damage and killed 30 people.
After Wilma, a major hurricane didn’t strike the U.S. until Hurricane Harvey in 2017, and a hurricane did not strike Florida until Hurricane Hermine in 2016.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
WASHINGTON — For the first time in four years, the federal government plans to begin processing initial applications for DACA, the Obama-era program that grants deportation protection and work permits to immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.
The move, outlined in a proposal Monday by the Justice Department, would reopen DACA to first-time applicants in every state except Texas. The proposal was filed in response to an ongoing lawsuit in U.S. district court in Brownsville, Tex.
According to the filing, Texas residents who already have DACA could continue receiving protection from deportation but would no longer qualify for employment authorization.
Lawsuits over DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, have been ongoing since President Trump moved to end the program during his first term.
Under the government’s proposal, DACA recipients who move into Texas would risk losing their legal ability to work, while moving out of Texas could allow them to resume qualifying for a two-year work permit.
The proposal is pending a final decision by U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen.
“These proposals do not limit DHS from undertaking any future lawful changes to DACA,” the filing states.
The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment.
Juliana Macedo do Nascimento, deputy director of federal advocacy for United We Dream, said misinformation was circulating Tuesday on social media.
“We’ve seen a lot of folks saying initial applications will start right away. That’s not true,” she said. “The status quo stays. If you are a DACA recipient right now, even in Texas, if you can renew you should renew as soon as possible because then you have another two years.”
Other advocacy groups, such as the nonprofit Dreamers2gether, urged DACA recipients and hopeful applicants to leave Texas and file a change of address form with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
More than 525,000 immigrants are currently enrolled in DACA. Texas follows California in the ranking of states with the highest number of program enrollees, according to USCIS.
To qualify, applicants must prove they came to the U.S. before they turned 16 and have graduated from high school or were honorably discharged from the military. Applicants also cannot have serious criminal records.
But for years the program has sat in a state of uncertainty, stoking anxiety for many recipients, amid court battles that stopped applications from being processed and left many younger people who would have aged into qualifying for DACA instead vulnerable to deportation.
In this first term, Trump attempted to shut down the program, but the Supreme Court concluded in 2020 that his administration had acted improperly. The court did not rule on the program’s legality.
Because of the court battle, the program has been closed to new applicants since 2021, though current recipients could still renew their work permits.
Los Angeles resident Atziri Peña, 27, runs a clothing company called Barrio Drive that donates proceeds toward helping DACA recipients renew their applications.
Peña, who also has DACA, said she knows many people in Texas who are thinking about moving out of state. The latest news is another example of how the immigration system breaks families apart, she said.
“A lot of us who are DACA recipients, we don’t necessarily know what it was like to be undocumented before DACA, so most of us have careers that we won’t be able to continue,” Peña said.
United We Dream has recorded at least 19 current DACA recipients detained by immigration agents in recent months. In one case in Texas, immigration authorities have kept Catalina “Xochitl” Santiago detained despite an immigration judge saying she cannot be deported.
“It’s a way of making sure she can’t renew her DACA and then she becomes deportable,” said Macedo do Nascimento. In her view, the Department of Homeland Security’s attitude toward DACA recipients lately has diminished the protections it offers.
“The bigger picture here is DHS is moving onto a new policy on DACA anyway — without having to go through the courts, the rulemaking process or taking DACA away altogether,” she said. “They’re really trying to end the program piece by piece, recipient by recipient.”
Even so, immigrants across the country are looking forward to applying for DACA for the first time.
“While we could still get detained, it’s a little bit of a sense of safety and hope,” Peña said. “I have heard of people who are just waiting for DACA to reopen. But let’s see what happens and let’s hope they don’t use this as a way to catch more of us.”
A second detainee has died after a shooter opened fire on a Dallas Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility last week, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed to Fox News.
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) identified the victim as Miguel Ángel García-Hernández, 32, who they said died after being removed from life support following the Sept. 24 sniper attack.
García-Hernández leaves behind four young children and his wife, who is expecting their fifth child.
Miguel Ángel García-Hernández, 32, shown via a family GoFundMe page, was identified as the second detainee killed in the Dallas ICE facility sniper attack on Sept. 24, 2025. On the left, emergency vehicles respond to the scene.(Aric Becker/AFP via Getty Images; GoFundMe)
“My husband Miguel was a good man, a loving father and the provider for our family,” his wife Stephany Gauffeny said in a statement. “We had just bought our first home together and he worked hard every single day to make sure our children had what they needed.”
“His death is a senseless tragedy that has left our family shattered. I do not know how to explain to our children that their father is gone,” she added.
García-Hernández was originally from Mexico and in the U.S. illegally. He was arrested by police in Arlington, Texas, on Aug. 8 and charged with driving while intoxicated, evading arrest with a vehicle and fleeing police. That same day, ICE officials filed an immigration detainer against him.
Records show García-Hernández had also been charged with failure to identify himself to law enforcement officers in 2011 and 2017. After the 2017 arrest, ICE lodged a detainer but he was released before immigration authorities could take custody.
The attack also killed detainee Norlan Guzmán-Fuentes, 37, of El Salvador and wounded Jose Andres Bordones-Molina, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela.
Law enforcement agents look around the roof of a building near the scene of a shooting at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Dallas, Texas, on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025.(Julio Cortez)
Officials said Joshua Jahn, 29, carried out the sniper assault and wanted to incite terror by killing federal agents. Jahn fatally shot himself following the attack.
The shooting happened while ICE officers were bringing detainees into the agency’s Dallas facility. ICE sources told Fox News the detainees were inside a law enforcement van when the gunfire erupted. Federal officials said anti-ICE messaging was engraved on rounds found near Jahn’s body.
FBI Director Kash Patel said Jahn downloaded a document before the attack titled “Dallas County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management,” which listed DHS facilities.
Between Aug. 19 and Aug. 24, Jahn also searched apps that tracked the presence of ICE agents, Patel said. In the hours before the shooting he looked up ballistics information and the “Charlie Kirk Shot Video.”
Joshua Jahn allegedly shot at an ICE facility in Dallas, Texas, on Wednesday and a bullet with “ANTI-ICE” on it was found at the scene.(FBI; Contributed to Fox News)
Investigators also recovered a handwritten note in which Jahn wrote: “Hopefully this will give ICE agents real terror, to think, ‘is there a sniper with AP rounds on that roof?’” Patel said evidence gathered so far indicates a “high degree of pre-attack planning.”
Fox News’ Adam Sabes and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
You can send tips to michael.dorgan@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.
DALLAS (AP) — A second detainee shot in an attack on a Dallas immigration field office last week has died, his family said Tuesday.
In a statement shared by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the family confirmed that Miguel Ángel García-Hernández, 32, succumbed to his injuries after being removed from life support.
The Mexican man was one of three detainees shot in the Sept. 24 attack on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas. That attack left one other man dead and two other detainees critically wounded. Officials previously identified the man who was killed in the attack as Norlan Guzman-Fuentes.
Authorities have said the gunman, 29-year-old Joshua Jahn, fired indiscriminately from a nearby rooftop. They said he hated the U.S. government and wanted to incite terror by killing federal agents. No ICE personnel were hurt in the shooting, and Jahn fatally shot himself following the assault.
The attack happened as heightened immigration enforcement has generated a backlash against ICE agents and stirred fear in immigrant communities across the country.
“My husband Miguel was a good man, a loving father, and the provider for our family,” Stephany Gauffeny said in the statement. “We had just bought our first home together, and he worked hard every single day to make sure our children had what they needed. His death is a senseless tragedy that has left our family shattered. I do not know how to explain to our children that their father is gone.”
Gauffeny is expecting their fifth child, LULAC said.
Hurricane Humberto continues to weaken quickly . It’s going to become post-tropical soon.
Humberto formed on Wednesday, Sept. 24. It’s the eighth named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season.
What You Need To Know
Humberto is becoming disorganized as it battles strong wind shear
No direct impacts to the U.S. are expected
It’s bringing gusty winds and heavy rain to Bermuda
Humberto is a Category 1 hurricane with maximum winds of 80 mph. It’s moving north-northwest at 18 mph across the western Atlantic.
It’s turning northeastward as it combats strong westerly wind shear, becoming more disorganized. It should weaken and turn post-tropical by Wednesday or Thursday.
It’s not a threat to the U.S. other than rough surf and dangerous rip currents along the east coast.
The cone of uncertainty displays where the center of a storm could be located. It does not predict which areas may feel the storm’s impact. Anyone outside but near the cone should be on alert and make storm preparations.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
Hurricanes Imelda and Humberto are churning in the western Atlantic. As of Tuesday morning, they are located a little over 400 miles from one another.
Initially, it could appear that the two storms will merge to generate a mega-hurricane, but this is not the case, due to the Fujiwhara Effect.
What You Need To Know
The Fujiwhara effect is when two storms orbit around a common point
It’s an unusual circumstance, especially among tropical systems
It usually takes place in the spacious Pacific Ocean, but can occur in any ocean
So why does this happen? In short, the two low pressure systems rotate around a common center point.
What is the Fujiwhara Effect?
Named for Sakuhei Fujiwhara, a Japanese meteorologist who first noticed storms’ interactions in the 1920s. He theorized that two storms could rotate around a common point and influence tracks of the storms. Fujiwhara was proven correct.
In some instances these storms look like they are “dancing” with one another.
Bay News 9’s Chief Meteorologist Mike Clay says we should not be concerned about these storms colliding and forming a mega-hurricane. “In the Atlantic, if two tropical systems are close enough, they can ruin the environment for both, just like we are seeing right now with Humberto and Imelda. There just isn’t enough ocean space.”
The smaller or weaker storm will usually circle around the bigger one, as the larger storm will eventually dominate or potentially even fully absorb the smaller system.
Imelda, in this case, is the larger storm and is expected to fully absorb Humberto over the next day or so. Wind shear, or the change in wind speed and direction with height, is usually created from the interaction, killing one or both storms.
2023 Atlantic Ocean Fujiwhara Effect
Clay says this effect is rare and commonly occurs in the Pacific Ocean because it is the larger ocean, but it can happen in any ocean.
Nearly two years ago, a similar occurrence was taking place in the Atlantic Ocean, albeit with weaker storms. Tropical Storms Philippe and Tropical Storm Rina were both located east of the Leeward Islands.
They began to do the “dance” of the Fujiwhara Effect and eventually, the stronger storm – Philippe weakened Rina.
On Sept. 28, 2023, Tropical Storms Philippe and Rina east of the Leeward Islands, began the Fujiwhara Effect “dance.” (NOAA)
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
Bruce Bochy will not return as the Texas Rangers manager next season, the organization announced Monday night.
The Rangers said in a news release that Bochy and the organization mutually agreed to conclude his time as the team’s skipper. Bochy, who turned 70 this season, has been offered a role in the front office and is expected to remain with the club in an advisory capacity.
“Bruce Bochy is one of the greatest managers in baseball history and he will forever hold a place in the hearts of Rangers fans after bringing home the first World Series title in franchise history in 2023,” Rangers President of Baseball Operations Chris Young said in a statement. “Boch brought class and respect to our club in his return to the dugout and we will always take pride in being part of his Hall of Fame career. We are grateful for everything he has given to the organization over the past few seasons and hopeful he can continue to impact the Rangers for many years to come.”
Bochy’s three-year span with the Rangers began with the franchise’s only World Series title. His 249 wins with the Rangers rank sixth in club history.
Bochy has a career record of 2,251-2,264 over his 28 seasons, with those wins ranking sixth among all managers — the five ahead of him are all in the Hall of Fame. No managers in the past 60 years have more than Bochy’s four World Series titles, and the only ones all-time with more are Joe McCarthy, Casey Stengel and Connie Mack.
S.E. Jenkins is a digital content producer for CBS Texas. She has also been a Digital Content Producer in Tallahassee and Myrtle Beach. S.E. graduated with journalism degrees from Texas State University, Aarhus Universitet and City, University of London.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Bruce Bochy will not return as manager of the Texas Rangers after a three-year stint that began with the franchise’s first World Series championship in 2023 before missing the playoffs and not having a winning record in both seasons since then.
The Rangers announced Monday night that the team and Bochy mutually agreed to end his managerial tenure in Texas. Bochy has been offered a front office role to stay in an advisory capacity.
The move came a day after the Rangers finished 81-81. That was the first .500 record ever for the franchise that began as the Washington Senators in 1961 before moving to Texas in 1972, and a first for Bochy in 28 seasons overall managing San Diego, San Francisco and Texas.
Bochy was at the end of the three-year contract he got when Chris Young, one of his former pitchers, hired him after the Rangers’ sixth consecutive losing season. Bochy went 249-237 with the Rangers.
“Bruce Bochy is one of the greatest managers in baseball history and he will forever hold a place in the hearts of Ranger fans after bringing home the first World Series title in franchise history in 2023,” said Young, then their general manager and now the Rangers’ president of baseball operations. “Boch brought class and respect to our club in his return to the dugout and we will always take pride in being part of his Hall of Fame career.”
After turning 70 this season as baseball’s winningest active manager, Bochy’s 2,252 wins rank sixth among all managers — all five ahead of him are in the Hall of Fame. No managers since Casey Stengel won his seventh with the New York Yankees in 1958 have more World Series titles than Bochy’s four, including three in San Francisco.
Bochy had been out of managing for three seasons when hired by Texas. He had stepped out of the Giants dugout at the end of 2019 after 13 seasons and three championships from 2010-14. That followed 12 seasons and another National League pennant with the Padres.
San Francisco, also 81-81 this season, fired second-year manager Bob Melvin on Monday after the Giants missed the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. The Minnesota Twins fired Rocco Baldelli, ending his seven-year tenure that included three AL Central titles, but only one playoff appearance, over his final five seasons.
The Giants’ president of baseball operations is Buster Posey, the 2012 National League MVP and seven-time All-Star catcher who played all but the last of his 12 MLB seasons with Bochy as his manager.
Bochy over the last week of the season wouldn’t answer questions about his future with the Rangers, saying that would have to wait until after the season. But he said he was having a great time and didn’t sound like he was ready to be done as a manager.
“It’s as much fun as I’ve had in the game,” Bochy said last week about managing again. “I said this when I came back, you have a deeper appreciation when you’re out, especially for three years and you realize what you have, how blessed you are to be doing what you’re doing. It’s been a lot of fun and I still love it, and enjoy it.”
And that was during a strange and frustrating season on the field for the Rangers, who for the first time had a pitching staff that led the majors with in ERA (3.47). They also set a single-season MLB record with their .99112 fielding percentage, bettering the 2013 Baltimore Orioles’ mark of .99104.
Among the potential replacements for Bochy in Texas is former Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker, who joined the Rangers last November as a senior adviser for baseball operations.
The 45-year-old Schumaker was the 2023 NL Manager of the Year after the Marlins went 84-78 and made the playoffs. They slipped to 62-100 in 2024 with a roster decimated by trades and injuries before the team and Schumaker mutually agreed that he would not return for this season. He was previously a bench coach for St. Louis, where he had played for the Cardinals during their 2011 World Series championship over Texas.
Young said Schumaker would be a candidate, but that there had not yet been any conversations within the organization about the search process.
The Rangers went more than a month at the end of the season without their half-billion dollar middle infield of two-time World Series MVP shortstop Corey Seager (appendectomy) and second baseman Marcus Semien (left foot), as well as 35-year-old right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, who was 11-3 with a career-best 1.73 ERA over his 14 MLB seasons before getting shut down because of a rotator cuff strain.
Even without those standouts, and several rookies filling in, the Rangers went on a 13-3 run to get within two games of the AL West lead on Sept. 13, and in the thick of the wild-card chase. They then lost their next eight games and were eliminated from playoff contention.
The only manager older than Bochy this season was 73-year-old Ron Washington, but he didn’t manage a game for the Los Angeles Angels after June 19 because of quadruple bypass heart surgery.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
New DNA and ballistics testing have linked a serial killer to the 1991 “Yogurt Shop Murders,” solving a case that has haunted Austin, Texas, for more than three decades.
During a news conference on Monday, the Austin Police Department announced that genetic evidence linked Robert Eugene Brashers to the killing of four teenage girls inside a North Austin yogurt shop.
“After 34 years, the Austin Police have made a significant breakthrough in one of the most devastating cases in our city’s history,” said Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis. “This unthinkable crime has weighed heavily on the hearts of our community, the families of the victims and our detectives who have tirelessly pursued justice.”
Photos of the “Yogurt Shop Murders” victims, who were killed in 1991.(FOX 7 Austin)
Investigators say a major breakthrough in the case came in recent weeks, when advanced testing revealed that DNA found beneath 13-year-old Amy Ayers’ fingernails matched that of Brashers — a man previously connected to homicides in both Missouri and South Carolina.
“I have never been so proud of my daughter in all of my life,” her father, Bob Ayers, told the Austin American-Statesman. Authorities believe Ayers managed to gather the DNA during a desperate struggle with her attacker.
“Our whole family knew there was something about Amy that would help solve this,” Ayers said.
Brashers, who died by suicide during a 1999 standoff with Missouri police, had already been tied to a string of violent crimes across the country.
In 2018, officials in Missouri announced that DNA evidence connected Brashers to the 1990 strangulation of a woman in South Carolina, as well as the 1998 shootings of a mother and daughter in Missouri. He was also linked to the 1997 rape of a 14-year-old girl in Tennessee.
Robert Brashers’ mugshot.(Missouri State Highway Patrol)
Then, in June, Jackson resubmitted ballistics data from a .380 caliber shell casing recovered at the yogurt shop to a federal database. The results matched an unsolved 1998 case in Kentucky. While Jackson declined to share details about the Kentucky case, he noted that it bore similarities to the Austin murders.
In August, South Carolina investigators informed Austin detectives that new DNA testing on a sample from under Amy Ayers’ fingernail matched Brashers — confirming his connection to the 1990 South Carolina murder.
“Amy’s final moments on this Earth were to solve this case for us,” Jackson told The Courier of Montgomery County. “It’s because of her fighting back.”
Police are still piecing together why Brashers was in Austin the night of the murders, but noted he was stopped near El Paso just two days later. He told police he was driving a stolen truck from Georgia to visit his father in Arizona.
A .380 caliber handgun found on Brashers during that stop was confiscated by police but later returned to his father — who may have given it back to him. Jackson said it was the same make and model Brashers used when he died by suicide during a 1999 standoff with Missouri police.
Authorities investigate suspects in the “Yogurt Shop Murders” case.(FOX 7 Austin)
On Dec. 6, 1991, firefighters responding to a fire at the I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt store made a horrifying discovery: the bodies of Eliza Thomas, 17; sisters Jennifer, 17, and Sarah Harbison, 15; and Sarah’s best friend Amy Ayers, 13.
All had been shot in the head. Authorities believe the girls were bound, that some were sexually assaulted, and that the fire was intentionally set to destroy evidence.
The investigation faced major hurdles early on, as fire and water damage compromised much of the physical evidence. Thousands of tips poured in, but most led nowhere and no suspect was ever conclusively tied to the crime. The case eventually went cold.
For the families, decades of uncertainty became its own form of torture. Pam Ayers, Amy’s mother, told the Statesman that she is still trying to process the new revelations.
Tributes lay on a memorial Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, for four teenage girls who were killed in a yogurt shop in 1991 in Austin, Texas.(AP Photo/Paul J. Weber)
“I can’t say I am happy,” she said. “I’m not there. I am kind of numb. Knowing it is a serial killer, I am not sure that makes it worse, but I would have never thought it would be a serial killer. That is hard for me to process.”
While Brashers is long deceased, police say the investigation is ongoing. Detectives are working with agencies in other states to trace his movements and determine whether he is connected to additional unsolved crimes.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said he hopes the breakthrough may help the city move forward.
“My hopefulness is that we can turn a page as a community and hopefully the final page on this horror that marked a very different time in Austin’s history,” Watson said. “We can take heart in our growth and progress and strength as a city. And we can go to sleep knowing that while the threat of this kind of evil may never pass in this world, we are far, far better able to prevent it before it happens and solve it when it does.”
Authorities are urging anyone with information about Brashers to come forward.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
Stepheny Price is a Writer at Fox News with a focus on West Coast and Midwest news, missing persons, national and international crime stories, homicide cases, and border security.
A retired U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent was among two victims killed in the deadly shooting at the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino on Sunday, Eagle Pass Aaron Valdez confirmed on social media.
Mayor Valdez described Marcus “Mark” Antley as a beloved member of the community and said he was remembered for his law enforcement career and impact on Eagle Pass.
“Mr. Antley dedicated much of his life to public service and law enforcement. He will be remembered not only for his career but also for his generosity, leadership, and the lasting friendships he built throughout Eagle Pass and the region. His passing leaves a deep void in the hearts of many,” Valdez wrote on Facebook.
Mayor Aaron Valdez took to social media to mourn the tragic loss of Marcus “Mark” Antley, a beloved community member and retired U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent killed Sunday morning at the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino.(Mayor Aaron Valdez via Facebook)
Valdez also pledged to support the grieving families of those who were injured in the attack and thanked law enforcement for their quick work capturing a suspect.
Dimmit County Judge Martha Alicia Gomez Ponce said the other victim in Sunday’s shooting was a Dimmit County resident.
“Let us come together in unity and support for the victims and their loved ones within our Dimmit County community,” Ponce wrote on Facebook. “My deepest condolences go out to the families impacted by this heartbreaking event.”
Authorities have since identified the suspect as Keryan Rashad Jones, 34, of San Antonio. Jones was arrested in Wilson County following a chase.
Police said Jones is currently in custody in Wilson County/Stockdale but will be extradited back to Eagle Pass, where the investigation is based.
Razor wire in Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas, an area along the Rio Grande. (Matt Finn)
Police say they were able to obtain confirmation through vehicle tracking and license plate recognition (LPR) systems, allowing the Texas Department of Public Safety to find the suspect. He now faces two counts of capital murder and five counts of assault with a deadly weapon.
Maverick County Judge Ramsey English Cantú praised law enforcement for their coordinated response.
“Together, our local, state and federal partners worked around the clock to bring this individual into custody,” he said. “Now, we must assure justice for the victims and their families. We will not tolerate violence in our community.”
The state flag of Texas flying in the sky.
The Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas Police Department is leading the investigation alongside state, local and federal agencies.
“This is a painful reminder of how fragile life is,” Valdez said. “In moments like these, our community’s greatest strength is our compassion and solidarity. Together, we will overcome this dark moment.”
A Texas man accused of threatening to commit a shooting at a local pride event has been arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to court documents obtained by CBS News.
Joshua Cole of Anson, Texas, allegedly commented on a Facebook post containing details of an upcoming gay pride event in nearby Abilene, “fk their parade” and said he wanted to “pay them back for taking out Charlie Kirk,” according to an affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas on Sept. 19 — nine days after the conservative activist was shot and killed in Utah.
Posting under the name “Jay Dubya,” Cole also allegedly wrote, “there’s only like 30 of em we can send a clear message to the rest of them.”
When the Abilene Police Department made a traffic stop on Cole, he admitted he runs a Facebook account under the name Jay Dubya, and that he was behind the comments, the criminal complaint alleged. He told officers that he did not believe that the gay pride event should be allowed, according to the court document, but denied that he was going to shoot parade participants.
Cole also admitted that he has a firearm. It wasn’t clear whether he legally owns it.
“The threats were not conditional. The threats were specific,” FBI Special Agent Samuel C. Venuti wrote in the affidavit. “The threats were also specific to a particular set of victims: people participating in the gay pride parade tomorrow. With this level of specificity, COLE’s comments were not mere idle or careless talk, exaggeration, or something said in only a joking manner.”
Venuti wrote that he visited Cole’s former employer who told him Cole had recently quit his job and “stormed out of the facility in anger.” He had worked for the employer for over a year, Venuti wrote, and was described by coworkers as a “hot head.”
“We want to reassure our community that the safety of everyone at Pride has always been, and will continue to be our top priority,” Abilene Pride Alliance posted on Facebook over a week after the incident. “The swift action and continued diligence of APD and federal partners reflect their commitment to protecting our city and ensuring that Pride remains a safe, inclusive and celebratory space for all.”
Abilene Pride Alliance said in the post that the organization asked for help to strengthen security at Pride and received over $4,000 in donations.
“We want to reassure our community that the safety of everyone at Pride has always been, and will continue to be our top priority,” the post reads. “The swift action and continued diligence of APD and federal partners reflect their commitment to protecting our city and ensuring that Pride remains a safe, inclusive and celebratory space for all.”
CBS News reached out to an attorney listed for Cole. He was booked into Taylor County Jail in Abilene on Sept. 19. He was previously arrested in 2019 on a terroristic threat charge, according to jail records.
Jail records show Cole was released from Taylor County Jail on Sept. 24. The next day, the court concluded that Cole must be detained pending trial for reasons including his prior criminal history, that the weight of evidence against him is strong and that his release poses “serious danger to any person or the community.”
It wasn’t immediately clear whether Cole had been released prior to the decision or whether he was transferred to another facility.
NEW YORK (AP) — About 58 million pounds of corn dogs and other sausage-on-a-stick products are being recalled across the U.S. because pieces of wood may be embedded in the batter, with several consumers reporting injuries to date.
According to a Saturday notice published by the Agriculture Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, the recall covers select “State Fair Corn Dogs on a Stick” and “Jimmy Dean Pancakes & Sausage on a Stick” products from Texas-based Hillshire Brands, which is a subsidiary of Tyson Foods.
The contamination problem was discovered after Hillshire received multiple consumer complaints, the service notes, five of which involved injuries. The company later determined that a “limited number” of these products included “extraneous pieces of wooden stick within the batter,” Tyson said in a corresponding announcement — adding that it opted to initiate a recall “out of an abundance of caution.”
The recalled corn dogs and sausage-on-a-stick goods were produced between March 17 and as recently Friday, per Saturday’s recall notices. Tyson, which is headquartered in Arkansas, says the issue was isolated to one facility located in Haltom City, Texas.
FSIS is worried that some of these recalled products may be in consumers’ refrigerators and freezers in households across the U.S. — as well as some schools and other institutions. In addition to being sold online and to retailers nationwide, the agency noted Saturday, these products were also sold to school districts and Defense Department facilities.
Consumers in possession of the now recalled “State Fair Corn Dogs on a Stick” and “Jimmy Dean Pancakes & Sausage on a Stick” are urged to throw them away or return them to their place of purchase.
To determine which corn dogs and other sausage goods are subject to this recall, consumers should check the product’s name, use by dates and other identifying information published online by the FSIS and Tyson. The products being recalled should also have an establishment number of “EST-582” or “P-894” printed on the packaging.
It’s unclear if consumers who purchased these now-recalled products will be eligible for a refund. The Associated Press reached out to contacts for Hillshire Brands and Tyson for further information Sunday.
Foreign object contamination is one of the top reasons for food recalls in the U.S. Beyond plastic, metal fragments, bits of bugs and more “extraneous” materials have prompted recalls by making their way into packaged goods.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A shooting broke out at the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino early Sunday morning
Police are still seeking to apprehend the shooter
Two people are dead, with more in critical condition
A brand new Mercedes E350 was given away at the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel in Eagle Pass, TX, late Saturday night. The “Mercedes September to Remember” promotion fun at the tribal casino along the Mexican border quickly ended moments later when a mass shooting broke out.
A person is dead on the ground outside the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel in Eagle Pass, TX. The shooting occurred early Sunday morning, Sept. 28, 2025, at the tribal casino in the Texas border town. (Image: X)
Local media reports that gunshots began just after midnight, around 12:15 am local time on early Sunday morning. Maverick County Judge Ramsey English Cantu said in a Facebook post that the shooting occurred in the parking lot, though commenters claiming to be there claimed the event began inside the casino. Photos on social media showed gaming machines with bullet holes.
Law enforcement says two people were killed, and at least seven were shot. One of the fatalities was pronounced dead on the scene. The other was reportedly pronounced dead while in transport to a nearby hospital.
A local NBC News affiliate reported that “at least two to four others” were airlifted in critical condition to San Antonio hospitals. The Lucky Eagle Casino is about 150 miles south of San Antonio in Eagle Pass along the Texas-Mexico border. The casino hotel is owned and operated by the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas.
Benz Promo Had Casino Bustling
The Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino is the largest gaming facility in Texas. The Class I and II Indian casino offers more than 3,300 slot-like electronic bingo-based gaming machines along with bingo and poker.
A gaming machine at the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel is seen with a bullet hole. (Image: X)
Only hours before the deadly shooting, a lucky winner, who opted to go only by the name “A.C.,” was the big winner of the Mercedes-Benz E350. The day-long promo began again at 1 pm with a $2,500 cash prize. Lucky Rewards members with their player’s card inserted in a machine had the chance to win $1,000 every hour from 2 pm until 9 pm. The Benz was given away at 10:30 pm, and a $3,500 cash grand finale was awarded at 11:45 pm.
The Mercedes and cash giveaways had the Lucky Eagle Casino even busier than normal for a Saturday night. The shooting suspect remained at large as of Sunday morning at 6:30 local time. The assailant reportedly made his getaway in a black Nissan Frontier truck.
I want to reassure our community that all law enforcement agencies are working jointly, in unison with our local, state, and federal partners, to carry out a non-stop investigation into this situation. Tribal Police, Maverick County Sheriff’s Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Eagle Pass Police Department, Texas Rangers, Border Patrol, and FBI Law Enforcement agencies are working round-the-clock to ensure the safety of our community, and above all, to bring justice against the individual responsible for this crime,” Cantu said.
“When is enough, enough? We must come together and put an end to the senseless gun violence that continues to plague our country and society. Maverick County deserves safety, peace, and unity — and we will keep fighting for it,” Cantu added.
Border Violence
Eagle Pass, the county seat of Maverick County, is a border city on the Rio Grande known for its military outpost and being a key port of entry between the US and Mexico. Eagle Pass has been at the center of recent migration challenges, including the 2024 standoff between the federal government and the State of Texas.
Despite its logistical challenges, Eagle Pass is considered a relatively safe place to live. Data shows that crime and homicide rates are lower than the national average.
TEXAS — Being selected as a NASA astronaut candidate was an “I made it” moment, even for Becky Lawler — an engineer, veteran and hurricane hunter.
With a fist pump and ear-to-ear grin, the Texas native joined 10 others on stage Monday morning for a ceremony announcing NASA’s newest class of astronaut candidates.
“It’s exciting, it’s a relief, it’s shocking to be here part of this amazing class during this exciting time for NASA,” Lawler told Spectrum News 1.
Lawler is from Little Elm, Texas, near Dallas. She didn’t always know she wanted to be an astronaut, but says she always knew she wanted to fly.
“I was one of those kids that was always looking at the sky. I still feel that way as an adult,” she said. “Seeing the sunrise, cloud formations, I was like, ‘I want to be up there.’”
She says that’s what led her to become a test pilot in the U.S. Navy. After 11 years there, she became a hurricane hunter with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Lawler has flown planes into the eyes of 32 hurricanes and 11 tropical storms.
Now, she’ll begin two years of astronaut training. While the crew has not been selected yet, Lawler could be on board Artemis III — which will land humans on the moon for the first time in more than 50 years.
“It’s such an honor to be representing my home state and where I came from,” she said. “We’re going further than ever. And we’re doing it with the people of the great state of Texas.”
On the morning of Sept. 29, 2021, 17-year-old Benjamin Elliott was in a Harris County Sheriff’s Office interrogation room in Houston, Texas.
DET. FREDER MUÑOZ (police interview): So, what happened, Benjamin?
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT: You ever have a really realistic nightmare? Where like just everything feels real, but also off at the same time?
Benjamin told Detective Freder Muñoz that he stabbed his twin sister once with a knife but had little memory of what had happened.
DET. FREDER MUÑOZ (police interview): So you go to sleep … what’s the next thing you remember?
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT: The next thing I remember is, like, the feeling of stabbing something … … I was in her room … and I turned on the light … and I was panicking. And I tried to stop bleeding with the – the — the pillow … So, I run in my room and I unplug my phone and I dial 911.
THE 911 CALL: SEPT. 29, 2021 | 4:41 A.M.
911 OPERATOR: Harris County 911, what’s the location of your emergency?
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT: I just killed my sister. … Oh my God …
911 OPERATOR: Tell me what your name is?
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT: Benjamin Elliott.
911 OPERATOR: OK, tell me exactly what happened.
Meghan and Benjamin Elliott
Kathy Elliott
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT: I thought it was a dream. I — I took my knife and I stabbed her … Please … I don’t want her to die. I’m so sorry …
911 OPERATOR: How old is she?
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT: 17. We’re twins…
911 OPERATOR: Is she awake?
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT: Yes … She’s like, barely alive …
911 OPERATOR: … is there anyone else there in the house with you?
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT: There is. It’s my parents, but they are asleep.
911 OPERATOR: OK. I need you to go wake them up …
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT: Mom! Dad!
911 OPERATOR: We’re gonna have to start CPR … right now…
911 OPERATOR: 1,2,3,4. 1,2 …
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT (police interview): I stabbed my sister.
DET. FREDER MUÑOZ: How many times did you stab her?
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT: Just once.
Michael Elliott: I heard the 911 call and I screamed.
911 CALL AUDIO:
MICHAEL ELLIOTT: What’s going on?
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT: I killed Meghan, I’m so sorry.
MICHAEL ELLIOTT: You what?
Michael Elliott:And I went to go move into the bedroom … as I moved I — I saw Meghan and she was, uh — (chokes back tears)
Kathy Elliott: It’s OK, babe.
Michael Elliott: It’s really not. Uh, she was, uh, gray, you know?
Michael Elliott remembers calling out to his wife Kathy.
Kathy Elliott: I heard Michael yell.
MICHAEL ELLIOTT (911 call audio): Oh my God!
Kathy Elliott:I was trying to figure out what’s going on … and Michael said the police are here … And I just —
Arriving paramedics took over CPR.
Michael Elliott: They took Benjamin out of the house … he was … shocked. He said … it was a dream.
911 CALL AUDIO:
MICHAEL ELLIOTT: What happened, son?
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT: It was a dream …
MICHAEL ELLIOTT: He said it was a dream, honey. What the f***!
Erin Moriarty: What did you make of that?
Michael Elliott: I don’t — I mean I just … I couldn’t believe it, I mean I couldn’t. …
Erin Moriarty: Not the Ben you knew. So it would have to have been that he was —
Kathy Elliott: Some — something would’ve had to happen …
Benjamin, his parents say, sat handcuffed in a police car for three hours while police, confronted with an apparent homicide, took control of the crime scene.
Michael and Kathy Elliott, left, seen on police bodycam video asking for information on the condition of their daughter, Meghan.
Harris County 182nd Criminal District Court
KATHY ELLIOTT (police bodycam): I just need to see her.
OFFICER: No — we can’t.
KATHY ELLIOTT: I need to see her.
Michael Elliott: … nobody would tell us if Meghan was OK and what was going on …
KATHY ELLIOTT (police bodycam): Take a picture for me. Let me see —
MICHAEL ELLIOTT: Yeah, can we see something?
OFFICER: No sir.
The Elliotts say they felt isolated by the police and eventually called a longtime friend who is also an attorney.
Kathy Elliott: He went and got some information … and he told us that Meghan had died.
It was news police didn’t share with Benjamin.
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT (police interview): Is she OK?
Benjamin asked Muñoz several times if his sister was alright.
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT (police interview): She is OK?
But the detective withheld the truth.
DET. FREDER MUÑOZ (police questioning):Yeah, last I know about, she was uh, being checked out by the EMS.
Authorities say this is a textbook police technique to keep a suspect talking and they wanted Benjamin talking about his feelings for his sister.
DET. FREDER MUÑOZ (police interview): So, how’s your relationship with Meghan?
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT Good. … she’s my twin sister. … I’d do anything for her.
DET. FREDER MUÑOZ: No rivalry there?
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT: No.
DET. FREDER MUÑOZ: You guys have any recent fights or anything like that?
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT: No … we’re pretty close for siblings. …
Benjamin, who spoke to police without a lawyer, said he loved his sister and described what he says he remembered before the stabbing. Phone records show he was scrolling the web, and Benjamin says he thinks he fell asleep somewhere around 2:30 or 3:30 in the morning.
DET. FREDER MUÑOZ (police interview): … where would that phone be at right now?
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT: … somewhere at the crime scene.
Benjamin provided Muñoz with his iPhone password and permission to search his phone.
DET. FREDER MUÑOZ: Have you ever been diagnosed with any mental illnesses?
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT: No.
Benjamin said there were no problems at home. And said that he was looking forward to college.
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT: I’m thinking about mechanical engineering. … I’m taking the SAT I think — Friday? No, Saturday.
DET. FREDER MUÑOZ: Let me ask you, the knife that you had in your hands … where’d you get it from?
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT: From my dad. He had given it to me that day. … it was like an Air Force survival knife. I was really enamored with it.
Benjamin and Meghan’s parents had a big collection of knives and gear. The family is big into camping. Kathy is senior manager with the Girl Scouts of America. Michael is a stay-at-home dad.
Michael Elliott: I know that if I had not given him that knife, this would not have happened. And uh —
After two hours in that interrogation room, at 11 a.m., Muñoz finally revealed that Meghan was dead.
DET. FREDER MUÑOZ (police interview): I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news … Meghan did not make it.
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT: Hmm.
Drue Whittecar: He and Meghan are so close, you could never picture anything bad happening between them.
Longtime friend Drue Whittecar was stunned to learn Benjamin was in police custody.
Drue Whittecar: He was very protective of her.
She says her family and the Elliott’s have been close since 2005.
Drue Whittecar: Ben was very engineering-focused.
Whittecar, herself an engineer, described Benjamin as soft-spoken, smart, funny and a bit nerdy, while Meghan was sensitive, wrote poetry and loved to draw. As a teenager Meghan had been diagnosed with autism.
Erin Moriarty: And how did she feel about Ben?
Drue Whittecar: She loved him. … she looked up to him. … you would see her walk up next to him when she would feel uncomfortable and just kinda stand by him. …
Erin Moriarty: Did he ever get tired of having to take care of Meghan?
Michael Elliott: I think he was proud of it.
Kathy Elliott: Yeah.
Michael Elliott: … he liked— he liked being a protector.
Benjamin and Meghan Elliott
Kathy Elliott
The Elliotts say the twins seemed happy in the weeks before the stabbing. With their eldest child, Elizabeth, already off at college, the twins toured separate universities.
Kathy Elliott: Meghan at this point had started coming out of her shell as well. … she was finding her voice.
Michael Elliott: Yeah.
Kathy Elliott: She had found friends online. … And … she had a YouTube channel where she was doing art.
The night before Meghan’s death, father and son spent hours playing popular video games, such as Survive the Nights. It was in that video game that Benjamin noticed a military-style knife that his father said resembled one that he owned. Michael offered to give it to Benjamin.
Michael Elliott: .. unfortunately … I went and got the knife out …
The Elliotts remember heading off to bed.
Erin Moriarty: Was there any, you know, any problem at all between the twins?
Michael Elliott: No. No.
The Elliotts, like police, couldn’t make sense of why Benjamin stabbed Meghan.
But police had the teenager’s confession, the bloody knife he used, along with a disturbing detail discovered at autopsy: Meghan hadn’t been stabbed just once — she had two stab wounds. Benjamin Elliott was charged with the murder of his twin sister.
WHY DID BENJAMIN ELLIOTT DO IT?
After several days on suicide watch, 17-year-old Benjamin Elliott was released on bail. His parents were there waiting for him.
Michael Elliott: I saw them put him out and he just kind of stood there on the sidewalk and I (cries, looks at his wife) — sorry.
Kathy Elliott: It’s OK.
Michael Elliott: I went up to him and — he seemed — I told him — I said, “Hey, Ben?” You know? And he seemed like — like he didn’t see me. He was surprised to see me …
Michael Elliott: We started driving and we were – we were asking if he was OK — and were getting very —
Kathy Elliott: Very quiet. Not —
Michael Elliott: Sort of quiet, like, you know — single word answers.
Kathy Elliott: So Michael … pulls the car over and stops and — and he gets out and comes around and takes his face in his hands. And he says, “hi.”
Michael Elliott: Just, yeah.
Kathy Elliott: Hi. “We love you. Hi.” And he just —
Michael Elliott: Yeah. And I saw him kind of, sort of wake. (cries)
Kathy Elliott: And then he just hugged us.
Michael Elliott: Yeah.
The Elliotts knew they could never sleep in their home again—and had already moved in with Kathy’s mother.
Kathy Elliott: Ben was worried that he might walk around, and he was worried he might do something, and he wanted to make sure everybody was safe.
The Elliotts were worried too.
Michael Elliott: The first two nights, I slept in a chair.
Kathy Elliott: Yeah.
Michael Elliott: In front of the door.
The couple even installed an alarm on Benjamin’s door.
Because his attorneys had asked them not to speak with their son about the night Meghan was killed, they couldn’t ask him the burning question: why?
MICHAEL ELLIOTT (police bodycam): There’s never been anything wrong with him at all.
Kathy Elliott: My bandwidth was — was a mental health something. Kathy’s father was schizophrenic.
She now feared her son might be. So did Benjamin’s lawyers Wes Rucker and Cary Hart.
Wes Rucker: So we had a psychiatrist sit down with him … I fully expected her to come back and say he’s got schizophrenia or he’s severely bipolar. And when she calls me up, she said, “Wes, he’s fine.” … it blew my mind.
They came to suspect Benjamin experienced something else entirely — he was actually sleepwalking when he killed his sister.
Erin Moriarty: Had you ever, either one of you, ever had a case quite like this?
Wes Rucker: Never.
Cary Hart: No.
Wes Rucker: You have a twin, um, causing the death of the other … and the last thing you think of … is this a sleepwalking case?
But Benjamin had told police the night he stabbed his sister it felt like a dream. And his lawyers say that sleepwalking defenses have been used successfully in the past.
In 1987, Canadian Kenneth Parks drove his car 14 miles to his mother-in-law’s home, beat her to death with a tire iron and stabbed her. He claimed he was asleep the whole time. And a jury believed him.
And in North Carolina in 2010, Joseph Mitchell strangled his 4-year-old son and attacked two of his other children all while sleepwalking. A jury also found him not guilty.
Erin Moriarty: The big question here is just whether … Ben Elliott, in fact, killed his sister while he was sleepwalking.
Cary Hart: Correct.
So Benjamin’s lawyers reached out to Dr. Jerald Simmons, a neurologist and sleep disorder expert.
Dr. Jerald Simmons: When I first was approached, I was very skeptical. … The next question was, did I even want to deal with this? … my first reaction to this is, you know, well, who else are they going to go to? I mean, within the field of sleep medicine, this is what I do.
Simmons wanted to do a sleep study with Benjamin to test if it’s possible Benjamin could experience something called a parasomnia.
Dr. Jerald Simmons: In general, think of a parasomnia as an abnormal behavior that occurs during sleep.
Erin Moriarty: Like sleepwalking.
Dr. Jerald Simmons: Sleepwalking would be a parasomnia.
The night this photo of Benjamin Elliott was taken during a sleepover, a friend found him sleeping on a couch, eating a donut.
Harris County 182nd Criminal District Court
Simmons asked if Benjamin had a history of sleepwalking and his lawyers say he did. When he was about 10 years old, Benjamin’s older sister, Elizabeth, found him sleepwalking by her bedroom door. There was also a sleepover with childhood friends when Benjamin was found asleep on a couch, eating a donut. When they woke him, he seemed surprised and confused. Simmons also learned that there were other members of the Elliott family who sleepwalked.
Dr. Jerald Simmons: … the likelihood genetically is higher to have a parasomnia, specifically non-REM parasomnias, if there are other family members that have had that.
Kathy Elliott: My uncle … apparently used to sleepwalk when he was a teenager. … he would go out into the garage and, you know, with tools. … And apparently he walked in on my mom one time when she was in the shower.
Kathy also had an aunt who once walked out of her house while she was asleep.
Kathy Elliott: Ran out into the woods in the middle of the night and, you know –
Michael Elliott: Just waking up in the middle of a thunderstorm outside …
Simmons conducted two sleep studies with Benjamin in his sleep lab six weeks apart. In each, Benjamin was hooked up to machines that monitored just about everything his body did as he slept.
Dr. Jerald Simmons: So we did the sleep study … I saw that … He had obstructive sleep apnea …
Obstructive sleep apnea, says Simmons, is where the airway becomes partially blocked, creating a disturbance in the sleep pattern.
Erin Moriarty: So, he’s sleeping, struggling a bit to get breath … and that could be the trigger.
Dr. Jerald Simmons: Yes. Yes. Yes.
A trigger that, Simmons says, could cause a sleepwalking episode. Particularly when Benjamin’s brain waves enter what is known as a non-REM slow-wave sleep.
Dr. Jerald Simmons: Now we’re seeing slow-wave sleep.
Erin Moriarty: This is slow-wave sleep.
Dr. Jerald Simmons: … sleepwalking will typically occur in non-REM … slow-wave sleep.
During the sleep studies, Benjamin did not sleepwalk but Simmons observed how quickly Benjamin entered that non-REM slow-wave sleep.
Dr. Jerald Simmons: So it was 11 minutes from the time we turned off the lights until he was in slow-wave sleep.
Benjamin Elliott
Kathy Elliott
This is important because on the night Benjamin stabbed Meghan, his phone activity stopped at 4:17 a.m. It was just 24 minutes later that he was on his phone calling 911.
Simmons says the fact that Benjamin is able to reach slow-wave sleep so quickly means it’s possible Benjamin was sleepwalking during that period of time his phone was inactive.
Erin Moriarty: Do you believe Ben killed his sister without even realizing he was doing it in his sleep?
Dr. Jerald Simmons: Yes. Ben definitely killed his sister. He did it. There’s no question, he’s the one that had the knife, and he stabbed her. But I believe it was part of a parasomnia. … He didn’t do this voluntarily. There was no motivation.
Dr. Simmons’ findings took Benjamin’s parents by surprise.
Kathy Elliott : … it’s scary as hell.
Michael Elliott: Yeah.
Kathy Elliott: If that can happen to us, then that could happen to anybody with — with a sleep problem.
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT INDICTED FOR MURDER
Dr. Jerald Simmons: … he realized he — he was sinking the knife into something or someone and then woke up … and realized it was his sister.
After sleep expert Dr. Jerald Simmons made his assessment that Benjamin was sleepwalking when he killed his twin sister, the Elliotts were hopeful prosecutors might drop the case.
Kathy Elliott: At that point … we thought it might not go to trial.
But in April 2023, a year-and-a-half after Meghan’s death, a grand jury indicted Benjamin Elliott, 19, of first-degree murder.
Megan Long: We just didn’t think that what we saw was sleepwalking.
Megan Long and Maroun Koutani would handle the prosecution. It wasn’t Long’s first sleepwalking case. In 2019, she successfully convicted a man who claimed he was sleepwalking when he shot and killed his wife.
And Long told “48 Hours” she herself was a sleepwalker, as were her children. Still, Long disputes the Elliotts’ claim of a family history since, she says, neither of Benjamin’s parents had been sleepwalkers.
Megan Long: From our conversations with our sleep expert … family history of sleepwalking is a factor, it’s more prevalent when it’s, um, like first-degree family members, so, your parents.
The prosecutors hired their own sleep consultant, psychologist Dr. Mark Pressman, who concluded Benjamin was not sleepwalking when he stabbed Meghan. He says sleepwalkers become aggressive only when someone physically interferes with them.
Dr. Mark Pressman: And they respond by hitting or kicking or throwing furniture … But that’s — that’s like a reflex, an instinctive reflex to protect themselves.
The military-style knife Benjamin Elliott used to stab his sister, Meghan
Harris County 182nd Criminal District Court
And he points out that Benjamin would have had to have unsheathed the knife before he used it in the stabbing, which Pressman believes is a complex conscious action, not an unconscious one.
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT (police interview): The next thing I remember is … the feeling of stabbing something …
He also says it’s unusual for a sleepwalker to recall details the way Benjamin did to authorities after he stabbed Meghan.
Dr. Mark Pressman: He remembered … the feeling of the knife going into the neck. That’s a memory. You shouldn’t be able to have that memory.
Erin Moriarty: Aren’t there sometimes pockets of memory?
Dr. Mark Pressman: Not in these cases. No.
Dr. Jerald Simmons: If he was trying to fabricate this or just use this as an alibi, it would’ve been just as easy for him to say I don’t remember anything … … Instead, he’s — I interpret it as he’s trying to be as honest as he can.
But Pressman felt he had enough information to make his determination.
Erin Moriarty: You didn’t think you needed to talk to Ben?
Dr. Mark Pressman: No.
Prosecutor Long knew she needed more than an expert’s assessment to convict Benjamin — especially because she couldn’t identify a motive for murder. No one had witnessed any problems between the twins.
Megan Long: Is there no motive because he was sleepwalking, or is there no motive just because no one’s willing to come forward and tell us?
And they think they can convince a jury that Benjamin’s actions were intentional that night — stabbing Meghan twice. One wound was four inches deep and severed her carotid artery and jugular vein.
Megan Long: So he’s saying that he stabbed her in the neck, removed the knife … with where she was stabbed … blood would be coming out of her neck, you should see some sort of blood spatter on the walls. And there isn’t any of that.
Benjamin had told police he used a pillow to stop the bleeding.
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT (police interview): And I tried to stop bleeding with … the pillow –
DET. FREDER MUÑOZ: Mm-hmm.
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT: — that was behind her. I like, did — did that.
Long doesn’t believe that.
Megan Long: I think he wanted to cover her face, I think maybe even muffle if she were to scream or anything like that. … The only way for there not to be that blood spatter is it had to be there when he took the knife out. … it wasn’t there for lifesaving measures.
Erin Moriarty: But he’s calling 911. So, he is not trying to hide what he had done, right?
Maroun Koutani: I think at that point when he’s making that 911 call, he realizes I can’t hide what I’ve just done.
Koutani claims Benjamin is whispering on the 911 call and is suspicious why he is not yelling to his parents for help.
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT (911 call): Please … I don’t want her to die, I’m so sorry. [gasps]
Maroun Koutani: I think he’s whispering because he doesn’t want his parents to come to the same reality that he’s now living in — that he took his sister’s life. I think that that’s why he doesn’t wake them before calling 911. I think that’s why he doesn’t scream in the house when he realizes what he’s done.
And they argue Meghan was already dead by the time Benjamin called 911.
Megan Long: … by the time EMS got there, she wasn’t breathing on her own. She had no heartbeat.
Megan Long: … our medical examiner said that with the wound that she suffered from, she would’ve been dead within minutes.
Benjamin’s interrogation raised even more questions, they say, especially when Benjamin described his house as a “crime scene.”
Maroun Koutani: Benjamin Elliott is asked by Deputy Muñoz, where’s your phone? Benjamin Elliott responds with, “it’s at the crime scene.” And to us that was significant. … not many 17-year-olds would … respond with, “at the crime scene.” Most people would say at my house, in my room …
And there is more, says Koutani.
Maroun Koutani: His demeanor and his behavior is very calm. … certainly not, uh, the type of behavior you would expect from somebody who comes to with a knife in their hand and their sister dead in the sleep of her own bedroom.
Erin Moriarty: Could he be in shock? I mean, realizing what he had done? Isn’t that possible?
Maroun Koutani: I think based on his response to Deputy Muñoz in a couple portions of the interview, we can tell that he’s not necessarily in shock with what the consequences of his actions were.
During the interview, Benjamin told police that his sister had struggled with her mental health.
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT (police interview): My sister had, um, a pretty severe depression for a while, Meghan.
The Elliott family, from left, Benjamin, Kathy, Meghan, Michael and Elizabeth.
Kathy Elliott
To prosecutors, that suggested maybe everything wasn’t so perfect in the Elliott family. A contention that Benjamin’s lawyers find ridiculous. They say investigators made virtually no effort to learn about the Elliotts or Benjamin.
Wes Rucker: They don’t have a clue about this kid. …
Wes Rucker: … they weren’t even curious.
Cary Hart: … he would know what was gonna happen to him if he killed his sister. … there was nothing for him to gain. There was everything for him to lose. There’s just no reason why he would’ve done that.
Before trial, prosecutors offered Benjamin a 30-year plea deal. He turned it down.
Wes Rucker: The tragedy is now the family lost their daughter, but they’re now losing their son. He’s on trial for his life.
A MURDER WITHOUT A MOTIVE?
Kathy Elliott: He’s a victim. … He went to sleep … he woke up and he — he found out he had killed his sister.
After struggling with Meghan’s loss, the Elliotts now faced the possibility they could lose Benjamin, too.
Kathy Elliott: It’s a nightmare that happened to all of us.
Benjamin’s first-degree murder trial began on Feb. 18, 2025.
Cary Hart: You tell your colleagues “I have a client who killed his twin sister, and we believe he was sleepwalking.” … And they think you’re crazy.
But with no evidence of any problems between the twins, Benjamin’s lawyers hope they can convince a jury that sleepwalking is the only explanation. Even prosecutors knew the lack of motive could be a problem.
Megan Long: I think our biggest hurdle going into this trial was the why.
Erin Moriarty: So you made sure you had jurors who’d at least be open to the idea – they may never know … why Meghan Elliott was stabbed.
Megan Long: Right.
In his opening remarks, Maroun Koutani made it clear, that while there was no motive, they had their murderer.
MAROUN KOUTANI (in court): He calls 911 at 4:41. “Hello? Hello?”
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT (to 911): I just killed my sister.
MAROUN KOUTANI (in court): “I stabbed her with a knife.”
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT (to 911): Oh my God.
MAROUN KOUTANI (in court): He’s whispering.
Prosecutors told jurors about Benjamin’s behavior during that interrogation.
MAROUN KOUTANI (in court): And you’ll see his demeanor in the interview.
Pointing to Benjamin’s reaction when the detective tells him Meghan is dead.
During police questioning, Benjamin Elliott reacts to hearing that his twin sister, Meghan, has died
Harris County 182nd Criminal District Court
MAROUN KOUTANI (in court): “Sorry to tell you this, but Megan has succumbed to her injuries.” … And the defendant says, “Hmm.”
Witnesses offer details about her wounds,the lack of blood spatter and the prosecution’s theory that Benjamin covered Meghan’s head with a pillow while he stabbed her. And Benjamin’s father was surprised to learn that prosecutors would ask him to identify Meghan’s body for the record.
MEGAN LONG (in court): This is a photo taken from an autopsy …
MICHAEL ELLIOTT: Sorry (cries). Yeah, that’s Meghan.
MEGAN LONG: No further questions, Your Honor.
After the prosecution rested, defense attorneys Cary Hart and Wes Rucker took over, making their case about sleepwalking.
WES RUCKER (in court): This is not a ruse. This is not some defense to get Ben off of a tragic, tragic set of circumstances … This is a real phenomenon …
And that call Benjamin made to 911? The defense says that’s evidence he was desperate to save Meghan.
WES RUCKER (in court): He’s saying things like, “oh my God.” “I thought it was a dream.” “I don’t want her to die.” He’s trying to do CPR.
Family friend Drue Whittecar told the jury about Benjamin’s devotion to Meghan.
Meghan and Benjamin Elliott
Kathy Elliott
WES RUCKER (in court): Ever notice that — that the sweet kid or the tender kid … change into somebody else?
DRUE WHITTECAR: Absolutely not.
Appearing by Zoom, childhood friend Anand Singh told the jury about that sleepover when he found Benjamin asleep and eating a donut.
ANAND SINGH (testifying): Just the sheer confusion on his face. Like he genuinely seemed baffled as to how that happened.
Benjamin’s great aunt, Martha Knight-Oakley, a psychologist, told the jury about her own sleepwalking history, including finding herself in the woods one night.
MARTHA KNIGHT-OAKLEY (in court): All I know is I came to in the bushes, clutching my dog.
But the defense team’s star witness was Dr. Jerald Simmons. He testified for four hours, detailing the science and sleep studies that convinced him of Benjamin’s innocence.
DR. JERALD SIMMONS (in court): … it totally fits in line with a process we call sleepwalking violent behaviors.
On rebuttal, prosecutors called their own sleepwalking expert Dr. Mark Pressman.
DR. MARK PRESSMAN (in court): I concluded, uh, he was not in a sleepwalking state.
MEGAN LONG: How did you come to that conclusion.
DR. MARK PRESSMAN: He had memory. He is said to have come out of the state much faster than any sleepwalker could ever do.
Benjamin Elliott at his trial for the murder of his twin sister, Meghan.
CBS News
In closing arguments, prosecutors described a deliberate murder.
MAROUN KOUTANI (in court): Benjamin Elliott walked into his sister’s room with this very knife and he stabbed her in the neck twice.
MAROUN KOUTANI: There is no blood spraying in the room. You know why? The only thing soaked in blood is the pillow that he muffled her screams with.
Benjamin’s defense attorneys pushed back.
CARY HART (in court): … if you’re trying to cover something up, you’re not calling 911. You’re not begging for someone to help your sister.
WES RUCKER (in court): You do not convict a young man, a 17-year-old, because of how he looks or because how he answers interrogation questions.
But prosecutor Megan Long had the final word. And she suggested the family was involved in a coverup that began with calling the friend who is a lawyer.
MEGAN LONG (in court): Look, I’m a mother. … I understand wanting to protect your children. I get it … But you … can’t let them get away with it. … They have been protecting him from the get-go.
Long didn’t leave it there.
MEGAN LONG (in court): They want to say that this family life was perfect. … But we don’t necessarily know what happens behind closed doors. …
And what she said next stunned the courtroom filled with the Elliott family and friends.
MEGAN LONG (in court): I want you to look in this courtroom. There are so many people here for Benjamin. There is not one person here for Meghan. (audible gasps from courtroom)
CARY HART: I’m going to object to that. That is pure speculation.
But the judge let the prosecution continue.
MEGAN LONG (in court): You have to be her hero … … he knew exactly what he was doing. … there has been no remorse shown here in this courtroom by him.
After four days of testimony, the case went to the jury.
Bill Price | Juror: We uh, took a vote immediately.
Jurors were divided.
Bill Price: It was split seven to five.
Could they reach a verdict?
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT SPEAKS OUT
Bill Price: I was sleepwalker … and one of my own children … used to sleepwalk too …
Several of the jurors who decided Benjamin’s fate knew a lot about sleepwalking.
Erin Moriarty: You know someone who was a — a sleepwalker?
Wesley Scott | Juror: Absolutely. Yes … had a family member, yes.
Carlos Fidalgo| Juror: On my mom’s side. My grandfather.
But even with their experience, they were deeply conflicted about Benjamin.
Bill Price: We spent a lot of time with … the interview by the detective … he talked about how he was gonna go take the SAT … he just seemed to not have a lot of remorse.
It didn’t take them long to come to a unanimous decision. After four hours of deliberations, jurors reached a verdict: guilty.
Benjamin Elliott: I remember hearing guilty, and I was completely shocked.
Benjamin Elliott—who did not testify at trial— later spoke to “48 Hours” inside the county jail.
Benjamin Elliott: I feel like this has been a I don’t know, a miscarriage of justice, I guess … I am not guilty of murder for my sister Meghan Elliott.
Benjamin, now 21 years old, said he and his family were appalled by the way prosecutor Megan Long ended her closing argument.
MEGAN LONG (in court): There are so many people here for Benjamin. There is not one person here for Meghan.
Benjamin Elliott: That was crazy to me.
Erin Moriarty: What do you mean?
Benjamin Elliott: Everyone in that courtroom was there for Meghan.
MEGAN LONG (in court): I understand wanting to protect your children
And his parents were outraged by the statements made by prosecutors hinting at problems within the family.
MEGAN LONG (in court): We don’t necessarily know what happens behind closed doors .
Kathy Elliott: … they were lying.
Michael Elliott: Yeah. It was horrible.
Kathy Elliott: They waited until the closing when they knew that nothing could be said afterwards to — to pull out these outlandish … Implications about you don’t know what happens behind closed doors.
Michael Elliott: Yeah. … she knows damn well, there’s … not a shred of evidence that anything untoward was happening in — in our house, in our family.
Benjamin and his parents had little time to let the guilty verdict sink in.
They were back in court for sentencing the following day.
MAROUN KOUTANI (in court): And he is the one that went into her room that night and snuffed the life out of her
Prosecutors asked for 40 years. But a member of the jury asked the judge for leniency because he worried about Benjamin’s family.
Judge Danilo Lacayo told the court he wanted a sentence that he could live with.
JUDGE DANILO LACAYO: I sentence you to 15 years in prison. …
The request for leniency, says Benjamin, makes him wonder if a few jurors had more doubts than they wanted to admit.
Benjamin Elliott: If you believe … that I crept into my sister’s bedroom and murdered her while she was asleep, why would you possibly want leniency for that person? That person is horrible.
Erin Moriarty: Are you that person?
Benjamin Elliott: No, I’m not. I’m not that person. I mean I’m – I —I try to be genuine. I try to be honest I’m — I’d like to think of myself as a good person.
Benjamin Elliott speaks to “48 Hours” correspondent Erin Moriarty.
CBS News
Benjamin says authorities misconstrued everything he did, starting with that 911 call.
Erin Moriarty: The prosecutors say you were whispering on the phone. Were you?
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT: No … That’s ridiculous. I wasn’t whispering … … I was panicked. … I wasn’t screaming into the phone cause I’m just not a — I don’t really yell.
And Benjamin insists that as soon as he realized what he had done, he was trying to help Meghan — using the pillow to try to stop the bleeding.
Erin Moriarty: The state says that you didn’t use the pillow to try to stop the bleeding.
Benjamin Elliott: No.
Erin Moriarty: You did it to keep her from screaming.
Benjamin Elliott: Yeah.
Erin Moriarty: What do you say to that?
Benjamin Elliott: … that’s crazy to me. And there’s absolutely, absolutely zero forensic evidence for that at all.
And what about his seemingly calm demeanor throughout the police interview?
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT (police interview): The plan is I’m taking the SAT …
Erin Moriarty: You’re talking to a deputy and you’re talking about SATs and colleges.
Benjamin Elliott: I’m trying to get my mind off of things.
BENJAMIN ELLIOTT (police interview): I’ve had some issues with school stuff sometimes …
Benjamin Elliott: I think you can see it in the conversation. I keep pretty much steering the conversation away from what happened. … I don’t want to think about it.
As for learning Meghan had died, Benjamin says he just shut down. And that he was desperately hoping she’d be OK.
Erin Moriarty: Do you feel you’re guilty of anything?
Benjamin Elliott: No.
Erin Moriarty: You don’t.
Benjamin Elliott: No. No. I — I don’t think this is my fault at all. … I used to blame myself for it cause it’s like, you know, I — I was the one holding the knife, right? But, I mean, I’ve come to realize that I’m not. You know. I couldn’t have done anything, any different than what I had done.
“… she would just see just beautiful things everywhere,” Benjamin Elliott said of his twin sister Meghan.
Kathy Elliott
And Benjamin says he misses his twin.
Benjamin Elliott: It’s really hard that she’s not here.
Erin Moriarty: Isn’t it hard to know that it’s because of you she’s not here?
Benjamin Elliott: Yeah. Yeah, it’s really hard. … We did everything together … Like, we were — we were very, very close. … She was a wonderful person … She was an artist … the way she looked at the world … she looked at it with like a creative mind, so she would just see just beautiful things everywhere.
Benjamin Elliott will be eligible for parole in 2032 when he is 28 years old. He is appealing his conviction.
Produced by Murray Weiss. Jenna Jackson is the development producer. Morgan Canty is the field producer. Doreen Schechter and Gary Winter are the producer-editors. Patti Aronofsky is the senior producer. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. Judy Tygard is the executive producer.
The shooter who attacked the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas was targeting ICE agents, federal officials said at a news conference Thursday.
Nancy Larson, the acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas, said a collection of notes found at Joshua Jahn’s residence showed an animus toward ICE agents and that he had been planning the attack for some time. Jahn legally purchased the 8mm bolt-action rifle used in the shooting last month, officials said.
Larson said that early Wednesday morning, Jahn was seen driving his car with a long ladder. Officials believe he used the ladder to access the roof of an office building near the Dallas ICE facility, from where he started firing at about 6:30 a.m.
Larson said he fired rounds the length of the building and intended to damage property, as well as hurt or kill ICE personnel.
The three victims were detainees inside one of the vans Jahn targeted, Larson said. One of them died, and the others are in critical condition. Officials did not provide any more specifics about the victims’ identities.
On Saturday, Sept. 27, the man fatally shot was identified as 37-year-old Norlan Guzman-Fuentes by the Dallas Medical Examiner.
Larson said law enforcement personnel from multiple federal agencies put themselves at risk to move other detainees who were in the vans to safety.
Dallas ICE shooting suspect worked alone, authorities say
Another note found at the suspect’s residence said, “Yes, it was just me,” Larson said.
She and Joseph Rothrock, the FBI special agent in charge of the Dallas field office, both said all of the evidence indicates that Jahn acted alone. Larson also said there was no indication that Jahn was a member of any group.
Rothrock said it was officers from the Dallas Police Department and Dallas County Sheriff’s Office who found Jahn on the rooftop. He was dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Gunman used apps that track ICE agents
Marcos Charles, the ICE executive associate director for enforcement and removal operations, blamed “wild rhetoric” for what he said was a 1,000% increase in assaults on ICE officers.
Charles also said that Jahn used apps that track ICE agents as part of his planning for the attack.
“Anyone who creates or distributes these apps that is designed to spot, track and locate ICE officers, are well aware of the dangers they are exposing to law enforcement,” Charles said.
Multiple apps have sprung up in recent months to warn migrants of potential ICE operations and help them avoid arrest as the Trump administration increased its crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
Steven Rosenbaum is a digital producer for CBS Texas. A versatile journalist, Steven writes, edits and produces content for the CBS Texas digital platforms.
Tropical Depression Nine is moving toward the Bahamas and expected to become a tropical storm soon. The next name on the list is Imelda.
What You Need To Know
Tropical Depression Nine is moving toward the Bahamas
It’s expected to strengthen into Tropical Storm Imelda
It will bring impacts to the southeastern U.S. early next week
Tropical Depression Nine has maximum winds of 35 mph. The storm is almost stationary, moving northwest at 2 mph toward the Bahamas. The depression this evening remains fairly disorganized, with convection mainly oriented in a north-south fashion with only a hint of banding on the northern side.
It’s expected to strengthen into Tropical Storm Imelda and then eventually into a hurricane as it heads north toward the southeastern coast. There is still above-average uncertainty in the details of the long-range forecast. It is notable to point out the system has been moving slower than anticipated over the last 12-24 hours, and this could have significant implications on its ultimate track.
In general, models agree that the presence of Hurricane Humberto to the east will result in a weakening of steering currents, causing the system to slow down and meander near the southeast U.S. coast on Tuesday. The offical NHC track now favors a slower storm and a track that turns sharper to the east, keeping it farther away from the U.S. coast. Fewer models are showing a landfalling tropical cyclone.
Even with a high degree of uncertainty, there is a threat of heavy rainfall early next week from portions of the east coast of Florida northward into the Carolinas, which could cause flash, urban, and river flooding.
Tropical Depression 9 is expected to be at or near hurricane intensity when it is closest to the southeast U.S. coast early next week, where there is a risk of storm surge and wind impacts. Although it is too soon to be specific about track and intensity, residents should closely monitor the latest forecast updates and ensure that they have their hurricane plan in place.
The cone of uncertainty displays where the center of a storm could be located. It does not predict which areas may feel the storm’s impact. Anyone outside but near the cone should be on alert and make storm preparations.
Models show the system approaching the coast of Georgia and South Carolina and slowing down. It could make landfall or turn back out into the Atlantic before moving inland.
Spaghetti models or plots show a series of individual computer forecast models together on one map. They are useful to give insight into whether multiple models are in agreement on the path of the storm but they do not address the storm’s forecast intensity, winds, flooding and storm surge potential or other data. Tap here for more details on how to best use these models.
Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect for the Bahamas. Tropical Storm Watches are in effect up Florida’s East Coast.
The threat for significant rainfall and flash flooding is expected across parts of the Southeast throughout early next week regardless of where Tropical Depression Nine goes.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
