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

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

Brothers Charged in Connection with Murder of Missouri Woman Monica Sykes

A man has been charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Missouri woman Monica Sykes. 

Ray Ellis, 27, is being held on a $1 million bond on charges of second-degree murder, armed criminal action, and two counts of tampering with physical evidence in connection to Monica's disappearance and death. 

Ellis, who family members say was involved in a relationship with Monica, is believed to have been the last person to see her before she disappeared in October. Her remains were found in February and positively identified last week.

According to court documents, Ellis confessed to shooting Monica and dragging her body into a field. Documents also reveal Ellis asked a witness how to burn up a vehicle. His white 2003 Cadillac Deville was found burning several days after Monica was last seen. 

Ellis's brother, Jermaine Benjamin, 21, has also been charged in connection with the case for helping set fire to the vehicle, according to NBC affiliate KSDK. The station reports that authorities found a glove containing Benjamin's DNA near the torched car. 

Monica was last seen by one of her nephews the morning of October 28, 2016. The 25-year-old, who lived with her sister and nephews in Berkeley, Missouri, reportedly came home that morning, changed clothes, and headed back out. The young boy told her family and police that he saw her get into a white vehicle with an unknown person. That person is now believed to have been Ellis. 

Monica was featured in Dateline's Missing in America online article series shortly after she disappeared. 

Article Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/missing-in-america/brothers-charged-connection-murder-missouri-woman-monica-sykes-n742826

Bodies of missing Indiana girls found; police say they were killed

(CNN)The bodies of two missing Indiana girls found in the woods near a creek have been identified, and their deaths are being investigated as a double homicide, authorities said Wednesday.

Autopsy results confirmed the victims as Liberty "Libby" German, 14, and Abigail "Abby" Williams, 13. 

The bodies were discovered by search volunteers Tuesday along a railroad bridge near Dear Creek in Delphi, about 70 miles northwest of Indianapolis, the Carroll County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

Missing since Monday

On Monday, the teens were dropped off to go hiking, but when they did not show up to be picked up by family members, police were notified. Soon after, a search party was formed of community volunteers and several law enforcement agencies, police said. 

This is believed to be the first double-homicide investigation in Carroll County's recent history, State Trooper Sgt. Kim Riley said at a news conference. 

Police are not releasing the cause and manner of death of the teens at this time.

The investigation 

Police provided a photograph of a man who was on the Delphi Historic Trails about the timeAbigail and Liberty were walking. They are asking help from the public to identify him so he can be contacted regarding what he might have seen.

Investigators are proceeding with caution and not calling the individual in the photograph a suspect. There is no suspect(s) in custody at this time, police said. 

"There is someone out there that did this crime and we're going to track them down," Sheriff Tobe Leazenby told CNN affiliate WXIN. "Folks should continue with business as usual but be more mindful and watch your surroundings a little closer."

Police are asking anyone who has any information on the case to call the Carroll County Sheriff's Office at 765-564-2413, the Delphi Police Department at 765-564-2345 or Indiana State Police at 765-567-2125. 

Callers can remain anonymous, police said. 

Article Source: http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/16/us/indiana-missing-girls-bodies-identified/index.html

Trial set for ex-New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez in 2012 killings

(CNN)While his former team prepares for yet another Super Bowl appearance on Sunday, former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez and his lawyers are instead gearing up for their next courtroom battle.

Hernandez already is serving a life sentence for a 2013 murder, and next month he will be tried in the 2012 killings of two men in Boston. Jury selection will begin on February 13, with testimony scheduled to start on March 1. 

Hernandez, 27, has pleaded not guilty to two charges of first-degree murder.

As Hernandez's case gets underway, here's what you need to know about his football career, his past conviction and what to expect at the trial.

From star athlete to convicted murderer

Once the pride of Bristol, Connecticut, Hernandez now spends his days in a maximum security prison 40 miles outside of Boston.

Aaron Hernandez was a star tight end for the New England Patriots.

After leaving high school midway through his senior year, Hernandez played three seasons for the University of Florida before the Patriots selected him in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Playing tight end, Hernandez emerged as one of the Patriots' bright young stars and parlayed his success into a $40 million contract extension, signed just weeks after the 2012 slayings in which he is accused.

The killing of Odin Lloyd

In April 2015, Hernandez was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder of his friend Odin Lloyd. Lloyd was a semi-professional football player, but his connection to Hernandez went beyond sports -- Lloyd dated the sister of Hernandez's fiancee.

During the trial, prosecutors said Hernandez orchestrated and tried to cover up the death of Lloyd, whose body was found in an industrial park just a mile from Hernandez's home.

"They got it wrong," Hernandez said as he was being transported from the courthouse to a state prison, according to a law enforcement source close to the case. "I didn't do it."

Hernandez has since appealed his conviction.

A piece of evidence during investigation

The men that Hernandez is accused of killing in 2012 -- Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado -- did not know Lloyd, but the investigations into their deaths are connected.

While searching for evidence in Lloyd's death, investigators discovered an SUV at Hernandez's uncle's house -- the vehicle prosecutors say Hernandez was driving when he shot and killed de Abreu and Furtado. 

Did a spilled drink lead to shootings?

Prosecutors say the victims were unknown to Hernandez and had no interaction with him before de Abreu accidentally bumped Hernandez near the dance floor at Boston's Cure Lounge, spilling some of the football player's drink. 

This angered Hernandez, leading him to follow de Abreu, Furtado and three friends when they left the club in a car.

At a stoplight, Hernandez pulled alongside the victims' car and opened fire, according to prosecutors.

What to expect at trial

Hernandez has enlisted Jose Baez, the lawyer who successfully defended Casey Anthony in her 2011 murder trial, as his defense attorney, and already Baez has scored some pretrial victories for the defense.

Baez successfully argued to ban prosecutors from mentioning Hernandez's prior conviction. Also, testimony from the three survivors of the shooting who were in the car with de Abreu and Furtado will be limited, and they will not be allowed to identify Hernandez as the shooter. 

However, the prosecution will be able to show jurors two of Hernandez's tattoos featuring guns and shell casings, which they claim represent the two murders, and an admission of guilt.

Article Source: http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/03/us/aaron-hernandez-boston-double-murder-trial/index.html

Gary man sentenced to 110 years for killing couple

Gary man sentenced to 110 years for killing couple

Family members of Leviticus and Toshiba Dupree said they considered the couple's killer, Mark Anthony Williams, a part of the family, but they still pleaded with the judge for justice.

Williams, who pleaded guilty but mentally ill to two counts of murder in perpetration of a robbery in September, made no statement when he had the opportunity Thursday.

After a lengthy sentencing hearing, Lake Superior Court Judge Diane Ross Boswell sentenced him to 110 years, His attorney, Arlington Foley Sr. said he would appeal.

Yushonda Dupree, whose father and stepmother were murdered, said her father was the youngest of 12 children and raised six children of his own, all of whom learned there were consequences for bad behavior and illegal acts.

"I ask for justice and ask the court to hold Mr. Williams fully, fully responsible for his actions," Dupree said.

Williams, 47, admitted in court that he and co-defendant Anthony Wilson on Nov. 1, 2013, were at the Dupree residence in the 2500 block of Delaware Street in Gary with the couple. Williams took a shotgun belonging to Leviticus Dupree, wielded a knife and stabbed both Leviticus, 62, and Toshiba, 54, multiple times.

Deputy prosecutor Maureen Koonce noted that Williams had been paroled after about 16 years in prison for the voluntary manslaughter of Victoria Brown in 1996 when he killed the Duprees. In both cases, Koonce said Williams told police he heard voices that told him 

Koonce said the Duprees welcomed Williams into their home and trusted him. "We have two lives violently cut short over a shotgun," Koonce said.

Foley presented testimony from Dr. George Parker, a forensic psychiatrist who met with Williams in November 2014 and May 2015, and reviewed his school, Lake County Jail and mental health records. Parker said Williams has schizophrenia, borderline intellectual functioning and addictions to alcohol and cocaine.

Boswell imposed a 55-year sentence on each count, the maximum outlined in the plea agreement, which will be served consecutively to Williams' parole violation.

Meanwhile, co-defendant Anthony Wilson, 49, who pleaded guilty to a charge of assisting a criminal and being an habitual offender in exchange for a 16-year sentence, said he was present when Williams asked Leviticus Dupree for money and he refused, and then admitted he saw Williams pull out a large kitchen knife and kill Dupree.

Wilson also said he saw Williams walk toward a bedroom of the home where Toshiba Dupree was. Wilson said he used the car keys Williams took to drive Williams from the scene in Leviticus Dupree's car and went with Williams so he could change out of his blood-stained clothes. Wilson's sentencing hearing is Jan. 24.

Article Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/crime/ct-ptb-williams-110-years-st-0120-20170119-story.html

Ex-NFL Running Back Joe McKnight Shot and Killed

by ALEX JOHNSON  and CAROLINA GONZALEZ

Former NFL player Joe McKnight was shot and killed during a road rage incident Thursday outside of New Orleans, authorities told NBC News. 

The shooter, identified as 54-year-old Ronald Gasser, remained at the scene in the Mississippi River suburb of Terrytown before he was taken into custody, said Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand. 

Joe McKnight in a team photo with the New York Jets in 2013. AP

Gasser was released overnight but no charges were filed. He could not be immediately reached for comment. 

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said it would consult with local prosecutors to decide whether a grand jury would be convened to review possible charges. 

In the aftermath of the shooting, deputies administered CPR, but McKnight, a 28-year-old Louisiana native, "ultimately expired," Normand told reporters at the scene. 

"Mr. McKnight did not have a gun in his possession," he said. 

A sheriff's spokesman told NBC News that the shooting stemmed from a "road rage" confrontation but could provide no further details. 

McKnight was a highly recruited New Orleans football star when he graduated from high school in 2007 and enrolled at the University of Southern California, which was just one year removed from winning the national championship.

The Trojans won 11 of their 13 games that season, including the Rose Bowl, in which McKnight ran for 125 yards on only 10 carries as USC defeated Illinois 49-17. 

Joe McKnight in 2014 as a running back for the Kansas City Chiefs. AP

The rest of McKnight's college career was marred by injury and investigations of improper gifts allegedly provided to him. McKnight was banned from playing in the 2009 Emerald Bowl, and he soon went pro. 

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, McKnight's coach at USC, called McKnight's death a "terrible tragedy," saying on Twitter: "Everyone loved Joe and we are going to really miss him." 

McKnight played parts of four seasons in the NFL for the New York Jets and the Kansas City Chiefs as a running back and on special teams. He was named to the Pro Bowl, the NFL's all-star game, as a kick returner after the 2011 season. 

McKnight made a comeback this year in the Canadian Football League, rushing for 354 yards in seven games with the Edmonton Eskimos and the Saskatchewan Rough Riders. 

The Rough Riders tweeted that it was a "sad day."

Article Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ex-nfl-running-back-joe-mcknight-shot-killed-new-orleans-n690961

'This is not the New Orleans way,' Mayor says of Deadly Shootout

(CNN)Gunshots interrupted a weekend of holiday celebrations in New Orleans' French Quarter early Sunday, leaving one person dead and nine injured, city officials said.

An argument between two men on Bourbon Street escalated into a shootout, police Chief Michael Harrison said at a news conference Sunday. Authorities are searching for the two men, who are believed to be from outside of New Orleans.

"We believe they ran into each other in the street, and an argument ensued at that time, that stemmed from an argument that they had already from another place," Harrison said. 

Two women and eight men between the ages of 20 and 37 were shot, the chief said. Five have been released from hospitals and the four who remain hospitalized are expected to make a full recovery, Harrison said. 

"We don't believe any of those shot were the intended targets," Harrison said. 

The deceased was identified as 25-year-old Demontris Toliver of Lafayette, Louisiana, a man with a "promising life," Mayor Mitch Landrieu said Sunday. 

The shooting took place during Bayou Classic Weekend, four days of festivities that include a Thanksgiving parade, a Saturday college football game between Grambling State and Southern University and a Saints game on Sunday. 

The popular tourist area was more crowded than usual when the shooting happened because the college game had ended some six hours earlier in the nearby Superdome. 

"Until the middle of last night it was a glorious vacation and wonderful holiday by all measures," Landrieu said. "This is not the New Orleans way." 

'Those people made a choice to endanger lives'

Police received a call just before 1:30 a.m. reporting shots at the intersection of Bourbon and Iberville streets, near the western edge of the French Quarter. 

About 40 police stationed in the neighborhood for Bayou Classic special events responded to the call on foot and horseback, Harrison said. 

The shooting appears to have stemmed from an argument between the two men that started elsewhere, Harrison said without elaborating. When they encountered each other again on Bourbon Street the dispute turned into a shootout, after which the suspects fled the scene.

A mounted sheriff's patrol blocks off a crime scene after Sunday's fatal shooting.

Police have "strong information" leading to the suspects' identities, Harrison said without providing names. 

"This is an active, fast-moving investigation," he said. "We will pursue every lead."

Police arrested two men at the scene for illegally carrying weapons, one of whom was a victim of the shooting, Harrison said. They were among 11 people arrested over the weekend for illegally carrying firearms, in what Harrison described as a sign that despite the shooting, police were otherwise vigilant and prepared.

"Everything we could do we did," he said. "Those people made a choice to endanger lives."

Article Source: http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/27/us/louisiana-new-orleans-shooting/index.html

Todd Kohlhepp: The short fuse of a suspected serial killer

Moore, South Carolina (CNN) They were poking fun at Todd Kohlhepp, but he wasn't enjoying the joke.

Kohlhepp had traveled to Superbike Motorsports in Chesnee, South Carolina, and spoke with the shop owner and another employee.

"He wanted to learn how to ride a motorcycle and they laughed at him when he fell over on the bike," said Kohlhepp's mother, Regina Kohlhepp. "You know, this is all why people tell kids not to bully. This is what can happen."

What happened was the November 2003 killing of four employees -- including the owner -- at the motorcycle shop.

Kohlhepp, who authorities say may be responsible for seven killings, confessed to the quadruple homicide and he's been charged in the cold case.

"Todd was bullied and embarrassed and I think he just held it in long enough," his mother said Thursday.

It's not clear whether the four died on the same day as the incident with Kohlhepp, or if he returned another time.

A widow wonders why incident led to violence

Melissa Brackman, widow of shop owner Scott Ponder, has a different version of the events.

"I was told he was a disgruntled customer. He bought a motorcycle from Scott previously. His motorcycle was stolen, he went to get another one," Brackman told CNN sister network HLN earlier this week.

"My husband and the service manager were poking fun at him saying, 'Hey, (is) the second motorcycle going to get stolen, too? Didn't you have enough already?' They were kidding ... and he said that made him angry."

"That is the kind of thing that a normal everyday person wouldn't go crazy over," said Brackman.

The bodies of the shop victims -- Ponder, along with his mother, Beverly Guy, and service manager Brian Lucas and employee Chris Sherbert -- were found inside the business.

Authorities also have found three bodies on Kohlhepp's property near Woodruff. They first went on November 3 to search for Kala Brown, 30, who had been missing since August with her boyfriend.

Investigators found her chained by the ankle and neck and screaming for help inside a shipping container.

Kohlhepp, 45, didn't cooperate at first, but on November 5 he went back to the property with investigators and led them to the bodies of Brown's boyfriend, Charles Carver, 32, and a couple, said Lt. Kevin Bobo, Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office spokesman.

Bobo said Kohlhepp cooperated after he was allowed to see his mother and deliver a photo to her and to transfer money to the bank account of a friend's child.

'I'm going through hell right now'

It's not clear when Todd Kohlhepp first told his mother about the Chesnee slayings. Kohlhepp has not entered a plea and is being held pending a bail hearing. 

Todd Kohlhepp is a registered sex offender who has been working as a real estate agent in the area. He bought the Woodruff farm in May 2014 for $305,000.

S. Boyd Young of the state's public defender's office said his office will represent Kohlhepp. Young declined comment on what Regina Kohlhepp said about the 2003 Chesnee case.

CNN was able to speak only briefly by phone with the mother who, like her son, lives in Moore.

"I'm going through hell right now, said Regina Kohlhepp. 

She also spoke about her son's imprisonment for the 1987 kidnapping of a 14-year-old girl in Tempe, Arizona.

Originally, he was charged with kidnapping, sexual assault and committing a dangerous crime against children. The other charges were dropped after he pleaded guilty to kidnapping and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, according to court records obtained by CNN affiliates KPHO and KTVK.

"Todd was not a child you left alone," Regina Kohlhepp said. She said Todd's father had an emergency with his own father and they left Todd alone for three days.

"We left him home and then he was jealous of this girl's boyfriend, so he went and took her away to the house."

While authorities continue their investigation, relatives of the motorcycle shop victims are left to continue their mourning -- but with new questions. Brackman spoke with HLN's "Primetime Justice with Ashleigh Banfield."

Brackman was pregnant when her husband was killed. Scott Ponder Jr. is now 12.

"He looks a lot like him now. He has always known what happened, he has always known the truth," she told HLN. "He wanted to see (Kohlhepp's) face and I showed his face. He said, 'Mom, I wanted to see what (the killer) looked like.' "

She's not sure whether the family will go to any court hearings.

Brackman said the investigation and Kohlhepp's confession is the "beginning of a mess of things. I think he was been wreaking havoc for years. Part of me wants to know every last part. I go back and forth between wanting to know everything and nothing. ... Mixed emotions there."

Article Source: http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/10/us/south-carolina-kohlhepp-cold-case-killings/index.html