One Of Worst Killing Sprees In State History

One Of Worst Killing Sprees In State History

Nearly four years after a summer killing rampage, a three judge panel sentenced Nikko Jenkins to death four times for four murders. Additionally, he received up to 500 years in prison for his remaining counts.

Jenkins, 30, was convicted of killing three men and a young mother -- Juan Uribe-Pena, Jorge C. Cajiga-Ruiz, Curtis Bradford and Andrea Kruger -- in 2013.

The families of two of the four victims sat quietly in the courtroom and listened intently as Judge Peter Battalion explained the process and how the three-judge panel reached its decision. 

The murders, which occurred over a 10-day span, were planned and deliberate, Battalion said. "This is one of the worst killing sprees in the history of this state," he added.

Six aggravating factors were weighed, Battalion said, such as Jenkins' previous history of violent crimes, against mitigating factors, such as his mental health diagnosis. 

Surrounded by six deputies, Jenkins sat quietly Tuesday, which surprised prosecutors, who noted his tendency for outbursts in the courtroom. In total, he was convicted of 12 counts: four counts of first-degree murder, four counts of use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, and four counts of possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person.

The parents of Andrea Kruger said they feel a sense of relief.

"We're just glad it's over with. It's been a long time. Too long," Kent Roberts, Andrea's father said. "It's ridiculous (the length of the process) but that's the way the court system works."

Bradford's mother, said Jenkins has had control over her life for four years and now she can be free.

"I don't want to hear his name. I don't have to anymore. He don't (sic) get the glory today. I get the glory. My family gets the glory and God gets the glory," Velita Glasgow said.

She wore a t-shirt with the last picture taken of her son wrapped in angel's wings on it.

"I'll never forget him and I'll love him forever but it's time for me to heal and I'm ready. I'm ready for peace," Glasgow said.

Following the sentencing, Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said he thought the judges followed the law appropriately.

"I think the court looked at all the evidence and there wasn't any question as to what the appropriate sentence would be in these circumstances," Kleine said.

Jenkins will be Nebraska's 11th man on death row, but Kleine said it could be years before he's executed. 

In Nebraska, a death penalty sentence is automatically appealed.

Man pleads guilty to killing 7 in South Carolina

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — A South Carolina man who admitted killing seven people over nearly 13 years while running a successful real estate business pleaded guilty Friday to seven counts of murder and a number of other charges.

Todd Kohlhepp admitted his role in the deaths of seven people less than seven months after he was arrested when investigators checking on a missing couple rescued a woman chained inside a shipping container on Kohlhepp's Spartanburg County property.

The woman had been raped and locked inside the container for more than two months after Kohlhepp shot and killed her boyfriend, authorities said. Charles David Carter, 32, was the last of the seven murder victims.

According to the plea agreement signed by the 44-year-old Kohlhepp, he will serve seven consecutive life terms plus 60 years on kidnapping, sexual assault and other charges. He will not be eligible for parole, and he also agreed not to appeal the sentence.

Kohlhepp admitted Friday that he killed four workers at Superbike Motorsports motorcycle store in Chesnee in 2003 after the manager made him angry. The victims were the owner, Scott Ponder, 30; Beverly Guy, 52; Brian Lucas, 30; and Chris Sherbert, 26. Guy was Ponder's mother and worked as a bookkeeper. Lucas was a service manager, and Sherbert was a mechanic at the shop.

Kohlhepp also admitted guilt in the deaths of a husband and wife who disappeared in December 2015. The bodies of 29-year-old Johnny Joe Coxie and 26-year-old Meagan Leigh McCraw-Coxie were found on Kohlhepp's land after his arrest. The couple had been hired to do work on Kohlhepp's property.

Kohlhepp was eligible for the death penalty, but the plea deal took that off the table.

No one has been executed in South Carolina in more than six years because the state lacks the drugs needed for lethal injections.

Kohlhepp moved to South Carolina in 2001 shortly after 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to kidnapping in Arizona. Authorities there said the then 15-year-old forced a 14-year-old neighbor back to his home at gunpoint, tied her up and raped her.

Kohlhepp had to register on South Carolina's sex offender registry, but told people it was a trumped up charge after a girl's father was angry about a joyride. Kohlhepp also lied about the felony conviction so he could get his real estate license in the state.

Friends and co-workers at Kohlhepp's real estate business said he was a hard worker with some strange habits. He would watch pornographic videos during work and joked on his firm's website that he motivated workers by not feeding them.

Article Source: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/man-pleads-guilty-to-killing-7-in-south-carolina/ar-BBByhwb

Police: Man Stabs Wife to Death, Drives Self to Jail

An 81-year-old Dayton man is in the Montgomery County jail charged with murder for allegedly stabbing his 70-year-old wife to death following an argument in their home on Delmar Ave.

Donald Cleaver was booked in to jail early Friday morning after he showed up at the police department to turn himself in for allegedly killing his wife, Mary Cleaver.

It was a neighbor that called 911 to alert police to the crime.  “He says he just killed his wife,” the 911 caller said.  “He’s getting ready to head to the jail he says.”

According to Dayton homicide detectives, the investigation shows the Cleaver’s apparently argued last night and after Mary Cleaver went to bed, Donald Cleaver fatally stabbed her. 

The case will be presented to the Montgomery Count Prosecutor’s office for formal charges.

According to a Dayton police report, officers responded to Cleaver’s home in the 200 block of North Delmar Avenue around 1 a.m. Friday.

The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office said Mary Cleaver, 70, was killed at the same address officers responded to.

“He did not say how he did it,” the 911 caller said.

A knife is listed in the police report as a possible weapon used.

Cleaver is not yet officially charged.

Article Source: http://www.whio.com/news/crime--law/police-man-stabs-wife-death-drives-self-jail/LifJN2ZFW94wQo45Ns6nDP/

4 Dead in Topeka Shooting

(CNN) Four people were killed and another injured in a shooting Sunday afternoon in Topeka, Kansas, police said.

The suspected shooter was among the dead.

The killings happened at a home that is part of a business that provides in-home care to people with special needs. All the victims were male.

The survivor was taken to a local hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

The shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police told CNN affiliate WIBW.

Lt. Colleen Stuart of the Topeka Police Department said the home was a "private business providing residential services."

She said the alleged shooter was "associated" with the home but would not elaborate.

Article Source: http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/01/us/topeka-fatal-shooting/index.html

San Diego Gunman

San Diego (CNN)Despondent over the end of a relationship, a gunman entered the pool area of his San Diego apartment complex Sunday and began shooting randomly at people gathered for a birthday party, authorities said.

At some point during the shooting, 49-year-old Peter Selis took a seat in a lounge chair, pulled out his cell phone and called his ex-girlfriend to tell her he shot two people, San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman said in a news conference Monday.

Selis kept her on the phone as he continued shooting, killing one woman and injuring six before police fatally shot him, Zimmerman said. Another person was injured while fleeing the La Jolla Crossroads apartment complex.

On Wednesday, a source with knowledge of the investigation identified the woman who died as Monique Clark. 

A cell-phone video appears to show the gunman reclining in a chair beneath an umbrella, legs crossed as he reloads the gun in his lap, takes aim and pulls the trigger.

Though Selis was white and some of the victims were people of color, Zimmerman said there was "zero information" to suggest the rampage was racially motivated. 

"The victims were targeted for no reason other than their mere presence," Zimmerman said. "What started as a celebration of a friend's birthday turned into a tragedy of epic proportions for all those in attendance."

'He didn't say a single word'

The first 911 call came in at 6:08 p.m., reporting two people had been shot, Zimmerman said. The second caller described hearing five to six gunshots and seeing someone outside with a gun.

As police responded to the calls, officers in a helicopter above the complex directed ground units to the suspect, she said. Three officers confronted the shooter, Zimmerman said. He pointed his weapon at them, prompting an exchange of gunfire that killed Selis at the scene.

Six survivors were sent to area hospitals with gunshot wounds. Another person suffered a broken wrist, a broken hand and a concussion from climbing a fence during the shooting. All are expected to recover. Authorities initially identified the shooting victims as four black women, two black men and a Hispanic male. Investigators learned that one of the victims initially reported to be a black female was actually white.

The party started about three hours before the gunman showed up around 5:30 p.m., guest Demetrius Griffin wrote on a fundraising site, where the victims are accepting donations for medical expenses.

Something about him was "strange," Griffin said in the post -- all he had was backpack, no book or anything else to suggest "a day at the pool." 

The "birthday boy" approached the man to invite him into the party, Griffin said. The conversation did not last long. The man pulled out a gun and shot Griffin's friend in the chest before turning his weapon on the crowd.

"He was very docile. In his facial expression, no smiling, laughing, talking," Griffin told CNN Monday. "He let off eight rounds, reloaded, let off another eight, reloaded again."

As people began scrambling and screaming, the shooter "didn't say a single word," he said.

Partygoer Haley Thames said she and her friend Lauren Chapman were among those who ran for cover. As they ran, they noticed two women who had been shot and were lying in a pool of blood. One of them was Thames' cousin. 

"I turn around and saw family on the ground, and it became all about that," Thames said.

Chapman said they helped lead the women out of the pool area to safety. When they reached the street, Chapman flagged down an SUV. The driver cleared out his car and drove the women and another victim to the hospital, Chapman said.

San Diego Fire Chief Brian Fennessy later identified the driver as a security guard for the apartment building. 

At a news conference Monday afternoon, survivor Thomas Blea thanked the driver and the first responders who came to his aid.

"It was a terrible experience that we went through, but I'm glad that I'm all right, and I'm glad that most of my friends are all right," he said.

What we know about the shooter

Selis broke up with his girlfriend days before the shooting, Zimmerman said. Family members described him as depressed, but said nothing in his behavior suggested this kind of violence.

"It is very clear that he was despondent over the breakup," the police chief said. "It is apparent that he wanted his girlfriend to listen in as he carried out his rampage."

Detectives are still looking into Selis' background, she said. He has no criminal history and one handgun registered in his name.

Facing significant debts, he filed for bankruptcy in 2015. He listed his occupation as car mechanic, according to a petition filed in US Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of California.

"This was a truly horrific and disturbing act. We pray for the victims and thank our first responders. Our city rejects this senseless violence," San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said at a news conference.

Shots ring out in placid neighborhood

The apartment complex, La Jolla Crossroads, is located near the University of California San Diego campus. Residents described the complex as typically quiet, a place that college students, physicians and military families, among others, call home.

In a span of about 30 minutes, apartment residents heard gunfire, sirens and the screams of those near the main pool, said resident Susan Berry, who was at the property but did not witness the shooting. 

"People are shocked because it's an affluent neighborhood," Berry said.

When asked how he would characterize what happened, Griffin said he would not call it a terrorist act. "But it's terror," he said. 

Chapman agreed that the most appropriate word to describe what happened was "terror." A junior grade lieutenant in the US Navy, she said she expects to come under attack in war zones abroad, not at home.

"I dedicate my life serving my country understanding that my life is on the line when I'm out there. But at no point in time would I think an act of terror would take place at home in the way that it did."

Article Source: http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/01/us/san-diego-shooting/index.html

Baltimore asks FBI for help: 'Murder is out of control'

(CNN)The number of homicides in Baltimore this year is soaring -- reaching 100 before the end of April for the first time in nearly two decades -- and the mayor is asking the FBI for more help.

"Murder is out of control," said Mayor Catherine Pugh, at her weekly news briefing Wednesday. "There are too many guns on the streets. We're looking for all the help we can get."

The mayor met recently with the special agent in charge of the FBI's Baltimore office and asked for additional agents to help local police battle violent crime in the city, according to the mayor's spokesman, Anthony McCarthy. He said that could either mean bringing in more FBI agents from other field offices across the country or reassigning agents already in Baltimore to work with local police investigating violent crime.

Three people were killed in the city Monday -- raising the number of homicides this year to 101, according to police. And with the warmer months approaching, it's only expected to get worse. 

"The summers in Baltimore tend to be very violent," McCarthy said. "And the mayor wants to get a handle on all the murders, the flood of guns on the streets and the gang activity."

The mayor is also asking the FBI to share its newest crime-fighting technologies with Baltimore Police, according to McCarthy. He said Mayor Pugh is hoping to make an announcement about additional federal resources sometime next week.

Article Source: http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/26/politics/baltimore-crime-fbi-help/index.html

Hoarding Can Be a Deadly Business

Stuff, stuff and more stuff. Many of us love to buy and keep things, even when the items are not useful. About 70 percent of children amass collections of favored objects, such as coins, dolls or baseball cards; many adults do the same. People often regard possessions as extensions of themselves and become attached to them accordingly.

Yet in rare cases, the habit of gathering and retaining things reaches unhealthy extremes, culminating in hoarding disorder, a condition that is poorly understood. Many laypeople believe that clinical hoarders are too lazy to discard their junk or that they enjoy living with it. Neither of those assumptions appears to be true. Moreover, most experts have long assumed that extreme hoarding is a variant of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), even though most recent research suggests otherwise. Instead the ailment may stem from an exaggerated version of a basically adaptive tendency to accumulate materials that are important to us.

Distinct Pathology

Nikolai Gogol's 1842 novel, Dead Souls, featured a character named Plyushkin, a landowner who saved almost everything he found. Sigmund Freud regarded hoarding as a symptom of what he termed the “anal character,” purportedly stemming from overly harsh toilet training. (Few psychologists today share this view.) In the early and mid-1990s, however, hoarding increasingly came to be recognized as a serious clinical problem. Systematic research criteria for pathological hoarding, introduced in 1993 by psychologist Randy O. Frost of Smith College, spread awareness of the malady, as did a parade of television documentaries and reality shows, such as Hoarders, Clean House and Hoarding: Buried Alive.

Until recently, most mental health professionals regarded pathological hoarding as a subtype of OCD. Hoarding was considered a compulsion—a repeated, ritualized action intended to ward off anxiety, such as checking the stove repeatedly to make sure that it is turned off. According to a 2010 review by psychologist David Mataix-Cols of King's College London, however, 80 percent or more of people who engage in extreme hoarding do not meet criteria for OCD. For example, many do not experience the obsessions—recurrent or intrusive thoughts, images or impulses—that are widespread in OCD. Moreover, hoarders tend to be poorer, older, and more prone to mood and anxiety disorders than those with OCD; they are also less likely than OCD sufferers to be aware that they are disordered.

In recognition of these differences, the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's diagnostic manual (DSM-5), published this past May, for the first time included pathological hoarding as a distinct condition. According to this volume, “hoarding disorder” is characterized by extreme and enduring difficulties parting with possessions, even if they have no tangible value. The afflicted have powerful urges to retain items or become very upset about tossing them out. Their home or workplace is filled with so much clutter that the space is unusable—and their problems seriously impair their everyday functioning or cause distress. Before diagnosing hoarding disorder, clinicians must rule out medical conditions that can lead to hoarding. For instance, in a 1998 study psychiatrist Jen-Ping Hwang of the Veterans Administration of Taipei and his colleagues found that 23 percent of patients with dementia displayed clinically significant hoarding behavior.

Hoarding disorder appears to be present in between 2 and 5 percent of the population, making it more prevalent than schizophrenia. It afflicts men and women in about equal numbers. People most often hoard books, magazines, newspapers and clothes; in some cases, they accrue scores of shirts, pants and dresses that have never been removed from their packaging. More rarely, individuals stockpile animals. In one case in 2010 authorities found more than 150 cats living in a home in Powell, Wyo. Animal hoarders tend to be more psychologically impaired than other hoarders and live in more squalid conditions, according to a 2011 article by Frost and his colleagues.

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Deadly Business

Hoarding can be a serious, even deadly, business. The clutter may reach such proportions that living spaces become essentially uninhabitable, and patients may need to construct narrow tunnels or “goat paths” to get from one location to another. In a 2008 study psychologist David Tolin of the Institute of Living in Hartford, Conn., and his co-workers reported that 2 percent of hoarders had been evicted because of their mess. In a 2009 investigation, psychology student Gregory Lucini and his colleagues at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Project Center in Melbourne, Australia, revealed that hoarding contributed to 24 percent of preventable deaths in house fires. In other cases, hoarders have been smothered to death by their clutter; this past April a 68-year-old New Jersey woman was found dead underneath piles of rotting garbage, clothing, tote bags and other possessions.

No one knows for sure why hoarders hoard. One clue to the condition, however, is that they often report a powerful emotional attachment to objects; some may imbue them with humanlike qualities, such as feelings, while recognizing that doing so is irrational. In other cases, hoarders insist on maintaining old items, such as clothing, “just in case.” Hoarding runs in families; in a 1993 study by Frost and psychology student Rachel C. Gross, now a professor at American University, 85 percent of pathological hoarders described one or more first-degree relatives (parents, children, siblings) as “pack rats”; this percentage significantly exceeded that of nonhoarders. In a 2009 study of more than 5,000 twin pairs, psychologist Alessandra C. Iervolino of King's College London and her collaborators found that this family pattern is genetically influenced; they estimated the heritability of severe hoarding at 50 percent.

Hoarding may have evolutionary origins. The behavior is present in a host of species, including honeybees, crows, rodents and monkeys, as psychologist Jennifer G. Andrews-McClymont, now at Morehouse College, and her colleagues pointed out in a 2013 review. This observation raises the possibility that the condition reflects a naturally selected urge to stockpile resources for times of scarcity.

Help for Hoarders

Hoarding disorder is challenging to treat, but some types of cognitive-behavior therapy can reduce its severity, according to a 2007 literature review by Tolin and his colleagues. The treatment focuses on altering irrational beliefs about the value of objects and providing supervised practice with organizing and discarding things. This intervention is not a panacea, however, given that many people with hoarding disorder do not complete their “homework,” which typically involves rearranging and tossing out clutter.

The limited treatment options for hoarders partly reflect our relatively poor understanding of this serious ailment. With the formal recognition of hoarding disorder in DSM-5, however, research into the causes of pathological hoarding will likely increase and, along with it, the promise of more effective therapies.

Article Source: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hoarding-can-be-deadly-business/