National

(NEW YORK) — A wind-whipped wildfire in the Texas Panhandle, one of multiple major blazes to hit the region this month, has destroyed more than 50 homes, authorities said.

The Stinky Fire, burning in Potter County, just north of Amarillo, is among multiple wildfires ravaging the West, including five major blazes that have also destroyed homes in Southern California.

During a news conference on Wednesday afternoon, Max Dunlap, director of the Amarillo Area Office of Emergency Management, said that at least 52 homes have been destroyed by the fire and another 25 were damaged.

The Stinky Fire ignited in a landfill on Sunday, and wind gusts over 30 mph rapidly spread flames past containment lines and into populated neighborhoods, officials said.

“It is extremely heart-sinking … this damage. But there were numerous that were saved,” said Dunlap, crediting the quick work of the local firefighters battling the blaze.

There were no reports of deaths or injuries.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the fire had burned 2,335 acres and was 85% contained, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The blaze is among five major wildfires that have hit the Texas panhandle since May 14. The largest fire was the Hunggate Fire in Randall County that burned 34,124 acres and destroyed several homes before it was fully contained on Tuesday night, officials said.

The other wildfires in the area have also been 100% contained, officials said.

As Texas firefighters continued to battle the Stinky Fire, firefighters in Southern California were also fighting a series of wildfires.

Fueled by gusting winds and warm temperatures, multiple large wildfires continued to menace Southern California, prompting thousands of residents to evacuate, authorities said.

As of Thursday morning, the five largest wildfires had burned nearly 22,000 acres from Santa Barbara County to the U.S.-Mexico border, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

The Sandy Fire

The most evacuations were being prompted by the Sandy Fire, which ignited on Monday in the foothills above Semi Valley. At one point on Tuesday evening, more than 43,700 people were under mandatory evacuation orders or evacuation warnings, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.

The wildfire had grown to 2,115 acres by Thursday morning and was 30% contained, according to Cal Fire.

Firefighters quickly attacked the blaze from the ground and the air as flames raced downhill in the direction of populated neighborhoods, officials said. As of Wednesday morning, only one structure had been destroyed by the fire, but many evacuation orders remained in place, according to officials.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The Bain Fire

In Southern California’s Riverside County, the Bain Fire was threatening homes in the Santa Ana River bottom in Jurupa Valley, according to Cal Fire.

The Bain Fire was reported around 12:20 p.m. local time on Tuesday and, driven by gusting wind, rapidly spread in the direction of homes, prompting evacuations, Cal Fire said.

Overnight, the Bain Fire grew to 1,456 acres and was 39% contained, Cal Fire said in an update on Thursday morning.

While no structures were reported lost, Los Angeles ABC station KABC reported that three people suffered smoke inhalation and a fourth was taken to a hospital with traumatic injuries.

The Verona Fire

As firefighters were responding to the Bain Fire, another wildfire ignited nearby in Riverside County, prompting more evacuation orders and warnings, according to Cal Fire.

The Verona Fire in the unincorporated communities of Green Acres and Homeland had grown to 600 acres as of Thursday morning and was 38% contained, Cal Fire reported.

Residents in the area told KABC that three to four homes had been destroyed by the blaze.

Cal Fire posted a video on social media on Wednesday of a towering “smokenado,” or a smoke tornado, that formed as firefighters battled the Verona Fire.

The Santa Rosa Island Fire

The largest fire burning in Southern California is the Santa Rosa Island Fire in the Channel Islands off the coast of Santa Barbara County.

While the fire remains under investigation, the U.S. Coast Guard said it was likely ignited by emergency flares fired by a 67-year-old shipwrecked mariner on the island.

The Coast Guard posted a photo on social media showing the stranded sailor standing near a patch of blackened brush in which he had scratched “SOS” in the dirt.

The wildfire at last word was 44% contained after growing to nearly 17,554 acres, according to Cal Fire.

The Tusil Fire

The Tusil Fire, burning in San Diego County, had spread to over 800 acres and had also forced evacuations on the Campo Reservation, according to Cal Fire.

The wildfire, which started on Tuesday, was 73% contained on Thursday.

“Fire activity moderated overnight, allowing firefighters to strengthen containment lines and continue making progress toward full containment,” Cal Fire said in an update on Wednesday.

At least one structure was damaged by the fire, which also shut down the Interstate 8 freeway in both directions in the fire zone on Wednesday, according to Cal Fire. The California Highway Patrol said on Wednesday morning that one lane in each direction of the freeway had been reopened.

One structure was damaged by the fire and some evacuation orders remain in effect, according to Cal Fire.

ABC News’ Amanda Morris, Jenna Harrison and Vanessa Navarete contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — A wind-whipped wildfire in the Texas Panhandle, one of multiple major blazes to hit the region this month, has destroyed more than 50 homes, authorities said.

The Stinky Fire, burning in Potter County, just north of Amarillo, is among multiple wildfires ravaging the West, including five major blazes that have also destroyed homes in Southern California.

During a news conference on Wednesday afternoon, Max Dunlap, director of the Amarillo Area Office of Emergency Management, said that at least 52 homes have been destroyed by the fire and another 25 were damaged.

The Stinky Fire ignited in a landfill on Sunday, and wind gusts over 30 mph rapidly spread flames past containment lines and into populated neighborhoods, officials said.

“It is extremely heart-sinking … this damage. But there were numerous that were saved,” said Dunlap, crediting the quick work of the local firefighters battling the blaze.

There were no reports of deaths or injuries.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the fire had burned 2,335 acres and was 85% contained, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The blaze is among five major wildfires that have hit the Texas panhandle since May 14. The largest fire was the Hunggate Fire in Randall County that burned 34,124 acres and destroyed several homes before it was fully contained on Tuesday night, officials said.

The other wildfires in the area have also been 100% contained, officials said.

As Texas firefighters continued to battle the Stinky Fire, firefighters in Southern California were also fighting a series of wildfires.

Fueled by gusting winds and warm temperatures, multiple large wildfires continued to menace Southern California, prompting thousands of residents to evacuate, authorities said.

As of Thursday morning, the five largest wildfires had burned nearly 22,000 acres from Santa Barbara County to the U.S.-Mexico border, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

The Sandy Fire

The most evacuations were being prompted by the Sandy Fire, which ignited on Monday in the foothills above Semi Valley. At one point on Tuesday evening, more than 43,700 people were under mandatory evacuation orders or evacuation warnings, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.

The wildfire had grown to 2,115 acres by Thursday morning and was 30% contained, according to Cal Fire.

Firefighters quickly attacked the blaze from the ground and the air as flames raced downhill in the direction of populated neighborhoods, officials said. As of Wednesday morning, only one structure had been destroyed by the fire, but many evacuation orders remained in place, according to officials.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The Bain Fire

In Southern California’s Riverside County, the Bain Fire was threatening homes in the Santa Ana River bottom in Jurupa Valley, according to Cal Fire.

The Bain Fire was reported around 12:20 p.m. local time on Tuesday and, driven by gusting wind, rapidly spread in the direction of homes, prompting evacuations, Cal Fire said.

Overnight, the Bain Fire grew to 1,456 acres and was 39% contained, Cal Fire said in an update on Thursday morning.

While no structures were reported lost, Los Angeles ABC station KABC reported that three people suffered smoke inhalation and a fourth was taken to a hospital with traumatic injuries.

The Verona Fire

As firefighters were responding to the Bain Fire, another wildfire ignited nearby in Riverside County, prompting more evacuation orders and warnings, according to Cal Fire.

The Verona Fire in the unincorporated communities of Green Acres and Homeland had grown to 600 acres as of Thursday morning and was 38% contained, Cal Fire reported.

Residents in the area told KABC that three to four homes had been destroyed by the blaze.

Cal Fire posted a video on social media on Wednesday of a towering “smokenado,” or a smoke tornado, that formed as firefighters battled the Verona Fire.

The Santa Rosa Island Fire

The largest fire burning in Southern California is the Santa Rosa Island Fire in the Channel Islands off the coast of Santa Barbara County.

While the fire remains under investigation, the U.S. Coast Guard said it was likely ignited by emergency flares fired by a 67-year-old shipwrecked mariner on the island.

The Coast Guard posted a photo on social media showing the stranded sailor standing near a patch of blackened brush in which he had scratched “SOS” in the dirt.

The wildfire at last word was 44% contained after growing to nearly 17,554 acres, according to Cal Fire.

The Tusil Fire

The Tusil Fire, burning in San Diego County, had spread to over 800 acres and had also forced evacuations on the Campo Reservation, according to Cal Fire.

The wildfire, which started on Tuesday, was 73% contained on Thursday.

“Fire activity moderated overnight, allowing firefighters to strengthen containment lines and continue making progress toward full containment,” Cal Fire said in an update on Wednesday.

At least one structure was damaged by the fire, which also shut down the Interstate 8 freeway in both directions in the fire zone on Wednesday, according to Cal Fire. The California Highway Patrol said on Wednesday morning that one lane in each direction of the freeway had been reopened.

One structure was damaged by the fire and some evacuation orders remain in effect, according to Cal Fire.

ABC News’ Amanda Morris, Jenna Harrison and Vanessa Navarete contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Sarah Kellen, a longtime personal assistant to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, told the House Oversight Committee on Thursday that she was “sexually and psychologically abused” by the late financier for over a decade, according to a copy of her prepared opening statement obtained by ABC News.

“He groomed me, sexually and psychologically abused me, controlled me, manipulated me, dominated me, and gaslit me, until I could no longer tell which thoughts were mine, and which were his,” the statement said.

The closed-door session was part of the panel’s ongoing inquiry into the federal government’s handling of investigations into the late sex offender.

Kellen, 47, was previously a subject of criminal investigations but has never been charged — due, in part, to her own allegations of persistent sexual abuse at the hands of the disgraced financier, according to court documents and records released earlier this year by the Justice Department.

Kellen, in her statement, said she was recruited for the job as Epstein’s assistant by a co-worker at a hotel in Hawaii, where she had gone to live after getting married at 17 years old. She claimed that after a divorce and ex-communication from her church, she was completely alone and “a perfect target” for Epstein.

“I was 21 years old, far from where I grew up, stuck on an island in the middle of nowhere, with no college degree, no family, no friends, no money, and nowhere to live,” she said.

Her job with Epstein, she said, began as a period of training where she traveled with him on his private jet to his homes in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Florida and New York, where she says she was “surrounded by unimaginable luxury.”

“After months of unpaid labor, he instructed me to draw him a bath on his island, then ordered me to undress and get in with him, and he said, ‘The job is yours. Now you just have to keep it,'” she said in the statement. “He then pulled me onto his bed and made clear what ‘keeping the job’ required. Only after I submitted to his sexual abuse did the paychecks begin.”

Kellen told the committee that Epstein’s abuse happened on a “weekly basis” and was at times violent, including an incident in Palm Beach where she says he violently choked and raped her.

“I was being paid in part to be raped. I was on call to him every hour of every day,” her statement said.

Kellen said she continues to suffer from depression, anxiety and PTSD as a result of Epstein’s abuse. 

Kellen was one of four women named as potential co-conspirators in the non-prosecution agreement reached in 2007 between Epstein and federal prosecutors in Miami.. She told the committee that she was completely in the dark about the agreement and had no idea her name was in it until it became public a few years later.

“No one from law enforcement ever spoke with me, ever heard my side, ever asked me a single question. I did not even know my name was in that agreement until after it had been signed and released to the public. The federal government of the United States branded me a criminal in a secret deal with my own abuser, without ever once speaking to me,” the statement said.  

Anticipating questioning from committee members about why she stayed with Epstein — even after he went to jail for a crime involving an underage girl — she explained that she felt she had “nowhere else to go.”

“I had no money, no family, no education, and no sense that I deserved any better,” her statement said.

She also noted that Epstein’s connections to the “highest echelons” of society made her fearful of defying him.

“He knew everyone in the fashion industry, academics, finance, government, powerful world leaders, dictators, and everyone in between,” her statement said. “From the beginning, he showed me that he was more powerful than basically anyone in the world.”

“Jeffrey was able to fool and manipulate the brightest minds in the world; us victims didn’t stand a chance,” the statement said. “I was a high school dropout from North Carolina. I was a silent body in a chair beside men who started and ended wars. I understood, completely, that if Jeffrey could walk into those rooms, he could walk into any room in the entire world. He could find me anywhere on earth.”

Kellen’s appearance at the Capitol comes as the committee ramps up for a busy stretch of its investigation, which was officially launched in February of last year. Other notable witnesses scheduled in the coming months include Epstein’s longtime executive assistant Leslie Groff, former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, former Goldman Sachs chief counsel Kathryn Ruemmler, and billionaires Bill Gates and Leon Black.

The committee’s chairman, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), has indicated that a report on its findings will be produced before the end of the year. 

Following Epstein’s death in custody in July 2019, federal prosecutors in New York investigating possible collaborators engaged in discussions with Kellen and her attorneys that spanned more than a year. Documents released by the DOJ earlier this year included prosecutors’ internal assessments of a potential case against Kellen and emails from her attorneys trying to dissuade the government from filing charges.

“We feel that given [Kellen’s] abuse, and given the fact that we see her basically as a cog in Epstein’s wheel, acting entirely at his direction and doing what she did at a time that she herself was a very vulnerable victim, a [non-prosecution] would be the appropriate disposition,” an attorney for Kellen wrote in the spring of 2020. 

According to DOJ records, the government did not dispute that Kellen “was herself a victim of abuse by Epstein,” noting that her account was consistent with others who worked for Epstein and allegedly experienced sexual exploitation.

Prosecutors detailed in a proposed “statement of facts” sent to Kellen’s attorneys in late 2020 that several “minor victims reported to federal agents that Epstein paid them for sexualized massages while they were underage girls, including during massages that [Kellen] scheduled.”

Kellen conceded that Epstein directed her to schedule his daily massages in the early 2000s when he was staying in his Palm Beach, Florida, residence, according to the DOJ records. She claimed she was provided a directory of names and instructed on who to call, and denied having knowledge that some who came to the house were underage. 

She told prosecutors she viewed the “masseuses as her peers — i.e. young adults in their early 20s — and it never [crossed] her mind that any of them were minors,” government lawyers wrote in a December 2019 memo summarizing their investigation for Geoffrey Berman, then the top federal prosecutor in New York.

Kellen said she “only learned that Epstein was sexually abusing minors when news articles started coming out about it” in the mid-2000s, according to the records. “She recalled being shocked, angry, and disappointed. She was particularly angry with Epstein for manipulating her to help orchestrate the abuse of other women,” the records said.

Federal prosecutors ultimately decided against charging Kellen, though the internal deliberations that led to that outcome are unclear. Much of the legal analysis in the prosecution memos remains redacted in the publicly available versions of the DOJ records.  

Epstein’s former associate Ghislaine Maxwell remains the only other person charged in connection with Epstein’s crimes. She is serving a 20-year sentence in a federal prison camp in Texas. Maxwell is presently seeking to have her conviction vacated or her sentence reduced.

Kellen — who has largely avoided public comment surrounding the Epstein investigation — told a reporter from a British paper who approached her on the street in New York in 2020 that she was “raped and abused weekly.”

“I have been made out to be such a monster — but it’s not true. I’m a victim of Jeffrey Epstein,” Kellen said, according to the U.K. Sun report.

An attorney who represented Kellen during discussions with federal prosecutors did not immediately respond to a request for comment ahead of Kellen’s appearance in Washington, D.C.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEWPORT NEWS, Va.) — A Virginia judge has granted a defense motion to dismiss the criminal charges against a former assistant principal stemming from the 2023 shooting of a teacher by a 6-year-old student.

Ebony Parker was charged with eight counts of felony child abuse with disregard for life in connection with the January 2023 shooting at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News — one count for each bullet that was unspent in the gun, according to the Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.

“The court is of the legal opinion that this is not a crime,” Circuit Court Judge Rebecca Robinson said Thursday, following two days of testimony in the criminal trial.

“What happened that day was awful, that’s agreed upon by all,” the judge later said.

Parker had her head bent over and appeared to be sobbing after the judge dismissed the case.

Prosecutors in the criminal trial alleged that Parker failed to respond and follow school protocol after several staffers raised concerns that the student, identified in the trial as JT, had a gun. The Commonwealth rested on Wednesday after two days of calling witnesses.

Defense attorney Curtis Rogers argued before the judge Thursday morning that Parker may have had a “lapse of judgment” that day, but she didn’t act criminally and there was “no willful admission on her part to put these children in harm.”

“Nobody acted as if there was an actual firearm. Not following school policy doesn’t result in a criminal allegation,” Rogers said. “There are acts that should have been done, definitely in hindsight.”

Deputy Commonwealth Attorney Josh Jenkins argued that Parker knew of the danger in the school that day.

“There were multiple warnings she received from multiple people that there was an armed student,” he said.

“Just the mere fact that a possible weapon is on campus should have triggered the response defined in the crisis management plan, yet it did not,” he said.

Parker pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The dismissal of the criminal trial comes after a jury in a civil trial found that Parker acted with gross negligence in the shooting and awarded the injured teacher, Abby Zwerner, $10 million in damages.

Zwerner’s attorneys said Thursday’s decision by the judge means Newport News can no longer use the criminal charges against Parker to “deny insurance coverage” in her civil case.

“One of the many obstacles the City of Newport News placed in Abby Zwerner’s path to justice was their argument they could deny insurance coverage in our civil case because of possible criminal conduct,” Zwerner’s attorneys said in a joint statement Thursday. “Today that is no longer an excuse that the City can hide behind.”

“This was always the Commonwealth’s criminal case — not Abby’s civil case. Abby complied with the subpoena requiring her testimony once again, despite the emotional toll of repeatedly reliving this tragedy,” the statement continued. “From the beginning, our focus has remained on obtaining justice in civil court for the preventable failures that led to Abby being shot. A Newport News jury has already spoken, returning a $10 million verdict in Abby’s favor.”

Zwerner, the first witness in the trial, testified that she had told Parker prior to the shooting in her classroom that JT “seemed to be off” that day and “in a violent mood.” She said another staffer, reading specialist Amy Kovac, alerted her that JT told other students he had brought a gun to school, and that Kovac reported that to the administration.

Zwerner said that in hindsight, she could have separated JT from the other students and confirmed that she was responsible for the safety of her students. Though she said her understanding that a crisis or emergency needed to be brought to the attention of the administration, and that she trusted her colleagues.

The bullet went through Zwerner’s left hand, which she had lifted, and then into her chest. She was initially hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, police said.

Zwerner and Parker both resigned following the shooting.  

The student brought the gun from home, police said. His mother, Deja Taylor, was sentenced to two years in state prison after pleading guilty to child neglect in connection with the shooting. She also pleaded guilty to using marijuana while in possession of a firearm and making a false statement about her drug use during the purchase of the firearm used in the shooting and was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison.

She was released from state custody on May 13 and transitioned to community supervision, according to online Virginia Department of Corrections records.

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(NEW YORK) — The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday announced new arrival restrictions for flights carrying people who were recently in Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan amid the Ebola outbreak in the region.

All flights — excluding those operated by the Pentagon — departing after 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday carrying passengers that were in the named nations within 21 days of attempted entry into the U.S. will be ordered to land at Washington-Dulles Airport in Virginia, the notice said, where “enhanced public health measures are being implemented.”

The Ebola outbreak in the eastern DRC had caused 139 suspected deaths with nearly 600 suspected cases as of Wednesday, according to an update from World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Tedros said cases of Ebola have been reported in several urban areas of the eastern DRC amid the ongoing outbreak, including the major cities of Goma and Bunia, and that at least two cases and one death have been recorded in neighboring Uganda’s capital, Kampala. Cases have also been reported among health workers, according to Ghebreyesus.

At least 51 cases have so far been confirmed in the ongoing outbreak.

The DHS flight restriction notice said that while South Sudan has not reported any confirmed cases in the current outbreak, “It is considered at high risk because of its close border with affected areas in eastern DRC and Uganda, limited healthcare infrastructure and cross-border population movement.”

The outbreak was first detected in the DRC’s northeastern province of Ituri, with cases officially confirmed by the health ministry on May 15. It marked the 17th outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the DRC, which is Africa’s second-largest country and its fourth-most populous nation.

The WHO convened an emergency committee on Tuesday night, following Tedros’ declaration of a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday — one level below a pandemic in the United Nations agency’s alert system.

It was the first time a WHO chief had declared such an emergency before convening the emergency committee. After the meeting, the committee agreed that the outbreak did not meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency, which was applied to the global COVID-19 outbreak.

Anais Legand, the WHO’s technical officer for viral hemorrhagic fevers, said on Wednesday that the Ebola outbreak may have started a couple of months ago and that investigations are ongoing.

“Our priority is really to cut the transmission chain by implementing contact tracing, isolating and caring for all suspects and confirmed cases,” she said.

The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare variant of Ebola for which there are no approved vaccines or therapeutics and which requires different diagnostics than other variants. Case fatality rates for previous Bundibugyo outbreaks have ranged from 30% to 50%, according to the WHO.

Among the confirmed cases is an American, Dr. Peter Stafford, who contracted the disease while working in the DRC. Stafford was flown out of the DRC and is now hospitalized in Berlin’s Charité University Hospital.

Matt Allison — the executive director of Serge, the Christian missionary group Stafford works for — told ABC News on Wednesday that the doctor has been receiving monoclonal antibodies during his hospitalization and is “responding quickly.”

Dr. Satish K. Pillai, incident manager for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Ebola response, confirmed at a CDC press conference on Tuesday that genetic testing from this outbreak shows it is similar to the “genetic fingerprints” from outbreaks in 2007 and 2012, meaning there are diagnostic tools available that can detect this strain of Ebola.

Pillai said on Monday that the agency had activated its Emergency Operations Center through its country offices in the DRC and in Uganda, and is deploying technical experts that have been requested from Atlanta headquarters.

The risk to the U.S. general public remains low, Pillai said.

Also on Monday, the CDC introduced entry restrictions on non-U.S. passport holders that had been in Uganda, the DRC or South Sudan in the previous 21 days before attempted entry into the U.S.

ABC News’ Eric M. Strauss, Mary Kekatos and Morgan Winsor contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — The House Oversight Committee on Thursday is scheduled to conduct a closed-door interview with Sarah Kellen, a former personal assistant to Jeffrey Epstein, as part of the panel’s ongoing inquiry into the federal government’s handling of investigations into the late sex offender.

Kellen, 46, was previously a subject of criminal investigations but has never been charged — due, in part, to her own allegations of persistent sexual abuse at the hands of the disgraced financier, according to court documents and records released earlier this year by the Justice Department.

“Every aspect of her life was controlled by Epstein. He dominated her psychologically. [Kellen] was constantly emotionally bullied and coerced by Epstein, including being required to submit to his constant sexual abuse,” her attorneys wrote in a civil complaint against Epstein’s estate in 2020.

Kellen’s appearance at the Capitol comes as the committee ramps up for a busy stretch of its investigation, which was officially launched in February of last year. Other notable witnesses scheduled in the coming months include Epstein’s longtime executive assistant Leslie Groff, former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, former Goldman Sachs chief counsel Kathryn Ruemmler, and billionaires Bill Gates and Leon Black.

The committee’s chairman, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), has indicated that a report on its findings will be produced before the end of the year.

Following Epstein’s death in custody in July 2019, federal prosecutors in New York investigating possible collaborators engaged in discussions with Kellen and her attorneys that spanned more than a year. Documents released by the DOJ earlier this year included prosecutors’ internal assessments of a potential case against Kellen and emails from her attorneys trying to dissuade the government from filing charges.

“We feel that given [Kellen’s] abuse, and given the fact that we see her basically as a cog in Epstein’s wheel, acting entirely at his direction and doing what she did at a time that she herself was a very vulnerable victim, a [non-prosecution] would be the appropriate disposition,” an attorney for Kellen wrote in the spring of 2020.

According to DOJ records, the government did not dispute that Kellen “was herself a victim of abuse by Epstein,” noting that her account was consistent with others who worked for Epstein and allegedly experienced sexual exploitation.

Prosecutors detailed in a proposed “statement of facts” sent to Kellen’s attorneys in late 2020 that several “minor victims reported to federal agents that Epstein paid them for sexualized massages while they were underage girls, including during massages that [Kellen] scheduled.”

Kellen conceded that Epstein directed her to schedule his daily massages in the early 2000s when he was staying in his Palm Beach, Florida, residence, according to the DOJ records. She claimed she was provided a directory of names and instructed on who to call, and denied having knowledge that some who came to the house were underage.

She told prosecutors she viewed the “masseuses as her peers — i.e. young adults in their early 20s — and it never [crossed] her mind that any of them were minors,” government lawyers wrote in a December 2019 memo summarizing their investigation for Geoffrey Berman, then the top federal prosecutor in New York.

Kellen said she “only learned that Epstein was sexually abusing minors when news articles started coming out about it” in the mid-2000s, according to the records. “She recalled being shocked, angry, and disappointed. She was particularly angry with Epstein for manipulating her to help orchestrate the abuse of other women,” the records said.

Federal prosecutors ultimately decided against charging Kellen, though the internal deliberations that led to that outcome are unclear. Much of the legal analysis in the prosecution memos remains redacted in the publicly available versions of the DOJ records. 

Epstein’s former associate Ghislaine Maxwell remains the only other person charged in connection with Epstein’s crimes. She is serving a 20-year sentence in a federal prison camp in Texas. Maxwell is presently seeking to have her conviction vacated or her sentence reduced.

Kellen — who has largely avoided public comment surrounding the Epstein investigation — told a reporter from a British paper who approached her on the street in New York in 2020 that she was “raped and abused weekly.”

“I have been made out to be such a monster — but it’s not true. I’m a victim of Jeffrey Epstein,” Kellen said, according to the U.K. Sun report.

An attorney who represented Kellen during discussions with federal prosecutors did not immediately respond to a request for comment ahead of Kellen’s appearance in Washington, D.C.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.) — Four decades after a young woman was raped and murdered, a man has been linked to the crime through DNA and is under arrest, according to Virginia Beach, Virginia, police.

“It’s incredibly scary for the community to think that someone who would rape and brutally murder someone 40 years ago was out in society,” Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate said at a news conference on Wednesday.

On May 15, 1986, the body of 22-year-old Roberta Walls was discovered in a field behind an elementary school, police said.

Walls “was a loving daughter, a big sister, a friend to those who knew her and someone that could be counted on in her circle of friends,” Virginia Beach Police Deputy Chief Jeffery Wilkerson said.

Her murder was investigated for decades, police said.

In 2001, a male DNA profile was developed and it was entered into the national DNA databank, but there was no match, police Capt. Michele Wyatt said.

“During the course of the investigation, the DNA of more than 30 males was compared with the offender’s DNA, and all were eliminated,” Wyatt said.

In 2023, the Virginia Beach Police Department received grant funding that allowed investigators to pursue forensic genealogy leads, Wyatt said.

Police went on to identify a “possible suspect who had strong ties to the area during the relevant time period,” Wyatt said, and a “direct DNA comparison ultimately identified Charles Berry as the source of the DNA profile.”

Investigators discovered that Berry was in the U.S. Navy during the time of the murder and was stationed in the Virginia Beach area, Wyatt said.

It appears Berry did not know Walls before the murder, police said, adding that Berry had never been on the police’s radar.

Berry, 66, of Newington, Connecticut, was arrested on Monday, the Newington Police Department said. He’s charged with rape and capital murder in the commission of a rape, the chief said.

“This breakthrough stands as a powerful testament to the relentless persistence of our detectives, who refused to let Roberta be forgotten,” the Virginia Beach Police Department said in a statement. “We hope this closure brings a measure of peace to the Walls family and sends a clear message: no matter how much time passes, we will never stop searching for the truth.”

Berry is in custody in Connecticut and it is not clear if he has an attorney, according to court records.

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(LOS ANGELES) — A social media influencer is accused of plotting to kill a pop singer in an alleged murder-for-hire conspiracy that prosecutors say stemmed from a “bitter custody dispute” over their daughter. 

The influencer, 24-year-old Gabriela Gonzalez, allegedly conspired with her father and then-boyfriend to hire a hitman to kill Jack Avery, the father of her 7-year-old daughter, several years ago, prosecutors in Los Angeles County said in a press release this week.

Avery, 26, is a former member of the boy band Why Don’t We, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office confirmed in a press release.

Sometime between 2020 and 2021, Gabriela Gonzalez allegedly sought the help of her boyfriend at the time, 26-year-old Kai Cordrey, to hire someone on the dark web to kill Avery, prosecutors said.

She allegedly repeatedly told one witness that she wanted Avery dead and discussed hiring a hitman and that the “intended killing was discussed as occurring in Los Angeles and being made to look like a car accident,” the warrant for her father’s arrest stated.

Her father, 59-year-old Francisco Gonzalez, was “deeply involved in the custody conflict” and was the alleged source of the funds for the murder-for-hire plot, according to his arrest warrant.

Francisco Gonzalez allegedly sent Cordrey $10,000 back in April 2021 “as front money to use in locating, hiring and paying someone to kill Avery,” the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a press release on Tuesday.

Two months later, Francisco Gonzalez allegedly sent Cordrey another $4,000 “after the alleged hit man asked for the additional funds,” the office said.

“Several days later, Cordrey allegedly requested that Avery be killed within a couple of days,” prosecutors said.

Cordrey spoke to an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a hitman about the alleged murder-for-hire plot in September 2021, during which he allegedly said Avery was the target and “discussed payment and proof of death,” prosecutors said.

“In a subsequent conversation, Cordrey allegedly told the purported hitman that Gabriela Gonzalez wanted the murder to happen and Francisco Gonzalez could pay for the expense,” prosecutors said.

Gabriela Gonzalez, her father and Cordrey have been charged with one count each of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation of murder.

Gabriela Gonzalez was arrested on Monday and is being held on no bail, online jail records show. She was arraigned on Tuesday. Attorney information was not immediately available. 

Her father was arrested in Florida and is awaiting extradition to Los Angeles County. Court records show he is being represented by a public defender. ABC News has reached out to the public defender’s office for comment.

It is unclear if Cordrey is in custody at this time.

If convicted as charged, all three face 25 years to life in state prison.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the FBI began the “lengthy investigation” before the case was turned over to his office.

“This is a case where the defendants are accused of going to great lengths to find someone to commit murder,” Hochman said in a statement. “Most fathers raise their children to respect the law, but here we have a dad who allegedly helped his daughter and her boyfriend break the law in the most sinister way imaginable.”

Gabrielle Gonzalez has nearly 1 million followers between her Instagram and TikTok accounts. 

Her father has a law practice in Seminole County. His firm had no comment on his charges.

ABC News has reached out to Avery for comment.

In an interview on “The Zach Sang Show” last year, Avery said two FBI agents showed up at his residence and that “someone hired someone to kill me.” He did not publicly identify any suspects.

He said he was “traumatized.”

“I stayed in my house for like a month straight. I didn’t leave,” Avery said during the interview. “I was so scared. I was looking out my window every night.”

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(CALIFORNIA) — Fueled by gusting winds and warm temperatures, multiple large wildfires continued to menace Southern California on Wednesday, prompting thousands of residents to evacuate, authorities said.

As of Wednesday morning, the five largest wildfires had burned nearly 22,000 acres from Santa Barbara County to the U.S.-Mexico border, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

The Sandy Fire

The most evacuations were being prompted by the Sandy Fire, which ignited on Monday in the foothills above Semi Valley. At one point on Tuesday evening, more than 43,700 people were under mandatory evacuation orders or evacuation warnings, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.

The wildfire had grown to 1,698 acres by Wednesday morning and was 15% contained, according to Cal Fire.

Firefighters quickly attacked the blaze from the ground and the air as flames raced downhill in the direction of populated neighborhoods, officials said. As of Wednesday morning, only one structure had been destroyed by the fire, but many evacuation orders remained in place, according to officials.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

While winds were moderate overnight, Andrew Dowd, a Ventura County Fire Department spokesperson, said that the winds were expected to pick up on Wednesday afternoon.

“We’re anticipating right now seeing northeasterly winds in the morning and then early afternoon, from what I have got so far, shifting to the west,” Dowd said during a news conference Wednesday morning. “But we’ll continue to monitor the weather and kind of use that as our guide for where we put our resources and our priorities.”

The Bain Fire

In Southern California’s Riverside County, the Bain Fire was threatening homes in the Santa Ana River bottom in Jurupa Valley, according to Cal Fire.

The Bain Fire was reported around 12:20 p.m. local time on Tuesday and, driven by gusting wind, rapidly spread in the direction of homes, prompting evacuations, Cal Fire said.

Overnight, the Bain Fire grew to 1,375 acres and was 25% contained, Cal Fire said in an update on Wednesday morning.

While no structures were reported lost, Los Angeles ABC station KABC reported that three people suffered smoke inhalation and a fourth was taken to a hospital with traumatic injuries.

The Verona Fire

As firefighters were responding to the Bain Fire, another wildfire ignited nearby in Riverside County, prompting more evacuation orders and warnings, according to Cal Fire.

The Verona Fire in the unincorporated communities of Green Acres and Homeland had grown to 500 acres on Wednesday morning and was 5% contained, Cal Fire reported.

Residents in the area told KABC that three to four homes had been destroyed by the blaze.

Cal Fire posted a video on social media on Wednesday of a towering “smokenado,” or a smoke tornado, that formed as firefighters battled the Verona Fire.

The Santa Rosa Island Fire

The largest fire burning in Southern California is the Santa Rosa Island Fire in the Channel Islands off the coast of Santa Barbara County.

While the fire remains under investigation, the U.S. Coast Guard said it was likely ignited by emergency flares fired by a 67-year-old shipwrecked mariner on the island.

The Coast Guard posted a photo on social media showing the stranded sailor standing near a patch of blackened brush in which he had scratched “SOS” in the dirt.

The wildfire at last word was 26% contained after growing to nearly 17,000 acres, according to Cal Fire.

The Tusil Fire

The Tusil Fire, burning in San Diego County, had spread to 1,000 acres and had also forced evacuations on the Campo Reservation, according to Cal Fire.

The wildfire, which started on Tuesday, was 25% contained as of Wednesday.

“Fire activity moderated overnight, allowing firefighters to strengthen containment lines and continue making progress toward full containment,” Cal Fire said in an update on Wednesday.

At least one structure was damaged by the fire, which also shut down the Interstate 8 freeway in both directions in the fire zone on Wednesday, according to Cal Fire. The California Highway Patrol said on Wednesday morning that one lane in each direction of the freeway had been reopened.

One structure was damaged by the fire and some evacuation orders remain in effect, according to Cal Fire.

ABC News’ Amanda Morris, Jenna Harrison and Vanessa Navarete contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) — A sinkhole has shut down one of the runways at LaGuardia International Airport in New York City, prompting cancellations and delays, according to officials.

Crews found the sinkhole around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, while conducting a daily morning inspection of the airport’s airfield, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The sinkhole was located near Runway 4/22, one of the airport’s two runways, according to the Port Authority.

Runway 4/22 was “immediately” shut down, and emergency construction and engineering crews are on site to make repairs, the Port Authority said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it is slowing flights into LaGuardia “due to weather and a sinkhole on Runway 4/22.”

“Travelers should expect delays and cancellations, particularly with forecast thunderstorms expected later today, and are strongly encouraged to check directly with their airlines for the latest flight status information,” the Port Authority said.

The airport is currently under a ground delay, with flights departing to LaGuardia delayed an average of 98 minutes.

According to FlightAware, there are currently 197 cancellations into and out of LGA, and 168 delays.  

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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