Amazon workers authorize strike at company’s first-ever unionized warehouse

Amazon workers authorize strike at company’s first-ever unionized warehouse
Amazon workers authorize strike at company’s first-ever unionized warehouse
Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — Thousands of Amazon workers at the company’s first-ever unionized warehouse voted to authorize a strike on Friday, claiming the tech giant has refused to recognize the union and negotiate a contract at the New York City facility.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the union representing roughly 5,500 workers at the warehouse, said Amazon risks a strike if it does not begin negotiations by Sunday.

“Amazon is pushing its workers closer to the picket line by failing to show them the respect they have earned,” Teamsters President Sean O’Brien told ABC News in a statement. “If these white-collar criminals want to keep breaking the law, they better get ready for a fight.”

A strike authorization vote affords union leadership the ability to declare a work stoppage if deemed appropriate. But the vote does not guarantee that a strike will take place.

The headline-grabbing union victory at the Amazon facility in Staten Island, New York, in 2022, accelerated an upsurge of labor organizing that took hold nationwide during the pandemic.

After the union victory, however, Amazon filed objections with the National Labor Relations Board, or NLRB, seeking to overturn the outcome, including allegations that NLRB officials showed a favorable bias toward the workers and that union leaders bribed colleagues in an effort to win their support.

So far, those legal challenges by Amazon have failed to overturn the union win. Months after the victory, a hearing officer for the NLRB recommended that the vote should stand. Soon afterward, the NLRB officially certified the union representing workers at the facility, putting Amazon under a legal obligation to bargain in good faith. Amazon appealed the ruling.

Workers have alleged that the company’s legal challenge amounts to an illegal effort to delay contract negotiations.

Amazon did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment. In a previous statement to ABC News, Amazon Spokesperson Eileen Hards said the company respects workers’ right to unionize but it contests the results of the election at the Staten Island warehouse, also known as JFK8.

“Our employees have the choice of whether or not to join a union,” Hards said. “They always have.”

“We strongly disagree with the outcome, and as we showed throughout the JFK8 Objections Hearing with dozens of witnesses and hundreds of pages of documents, both the NLRB and the ALU improperly influenced the outcome of the election and we don’t believe it represents what the majority of our team wants,” she added.

Workers at the facility previously said a union contract should include minimum pay of $30 per hour and bolstered safety protections.

A delay is typical for a first union contract, but the passage of time in this case has extended beyond the norm.

The average length of time before a new union signs its first contract is 465 days, according to a Bloomberg Law analysis in 2022. Nearly 990 days have passed since Amazon workers in New York City voted to unionize the facility.

On Friday, the Teamsters said workers at a second facility in Queens had also voted to authorize a strike.

“Driving for Amazon is tough,” Luc Rene, a worker at the Queens facility, said in a statement. “What’s even tougher is fighting a mega-corporation that constantly breaks the law and games the system. But we won’t give up.”

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‘Multiple’ drones entered airspace at New Jersey naval station: Official

‘Multiple’ drones entered airspace at New Jersey naval station: Official
‘Multiple’ drones entered airspace at New Jersey naval station: Official
Richard Newstead/Getty Images

(Colts Neck, N.J.) — There have been “multiple” instances of drones entering the airspace at a Navy weapons station in New Jersey, officials there said Friday, as the concern continues to grow over widespread drone sightings in the region.

Naval Weapons Station Earle, which is located in Colts Neck, New Jersey, said it was “aware” of the sightings in the region and “continues to closely coordinate with federal and state agencies to ensure the safety of our personnel and operations.”

“While no direct threats to the installation have been identified, we can confirm multiple instances of unidentified drones entering the airspace above Naval Weapons Station Earle,” Bill Addison, public affairs officer for the naval station, said in a statement to ABC News. “The base remains prepared to respond to any potential risks, leveraging robust security measures and advanced detection capabilities.”

The base did not say when the incidents happened.

Residents in northern New Jersey — especially in Morris and Somerset counties — have shared many videos and stories about drones larger than those used by hobbyists flying overheard at night since mid-November. Colts Neck is located in Monmouth County, in the eastern part of the state.

Sen. Andy Kim, who was sworn into office just this week, spent Thursday night in Hunterdon County, which neighbors Somerset, where he said he saw dozens of drones in a two-hour period.

“People deserve answers,” Kim told reporters after his visit to the county. “We don’t need conspiracy theories or conjecture, we need assurances that the people charged with keeping us safe are on top of this issue, and a line of communication so that people feel like their government is taking this seriously.”

He again reiterated his calls for a federal investigation by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security. Kim was one of the four senators in New York and New Jersey — along with fellow Democrats Sens. Chuck Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand and Cory Booker — who wrote a letter to federal officials Wednesday calling for action.

“We write with urgent concern regarding the unmanned aerial system (UAS) activity that has affected communities across New York and New Jersey in recent days,” the letter said.

While the letter did not specifically mention Naval Weapons Station Earle, it included a note that the drones have been observed near “critical infrastructure and sensitive locations, including reservoirs and military installations.”

The White House downplayed some of the concerns of residents in a press briefing Thursday with national security communications adviser John Kirby saying “many” of the reported drone sightings appear to be lawfully operated manned aircraft.

“We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus,” Kirby added. “The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI are investigating these sightings, and they’re working closely with state and local law enforcement to provide resources using numerous detection methods to better understand their origin.”

Kim, after seeing the drones with his own eyes late Thursday, said the comments were not necessarily reassuring for residents.

“It’s hard for people to feel secure when there are unexplained drones flying overhead and they’re not getting answers they need from the federal investigation,” Kim said. “This has been going on for weeks and I’m just as frustrated as everyone else in not getting more information and details. That’s why I came out to see for myself, and I’m grateful for local police for taking me around.”

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McKinsey to pay $650 million over role in OxyContin epidemic

McKinsey to pay 0 million over role in OxyContin epidemic
McKinsey to pay $650 million over role in OxyContin epidemic
Liz O. Baylen/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — International consulting firm McKinsey & Company agreed Friday to resolve criminal charges with federal prosecutors in two states for its role in helping Purdue Pharma boost sales of OxyContin and other opioid painkillers, fueling an addiction epidemic.

McKinsey agreed to pay $650 million as part of a deferred prosecution agreement, according to court documents filed Friday.

As part of the agreement, McKinsey will “not do any work related to the marketing, sale, promotion or distribution of controlled substances” and will not contest the facts of the government’s criminal charges.

Those agreed-upon facts said McKinsey “knew the risks and dangers associated with OxyContin” but “designed strategies to help Purdue Pharma” to “turbocharge” OxyContin prescriptions.

“This included a strategy to identify which current OxyContin prescribers would likely generate the greatest number of additional prescriptions if called on by Purdue Pharma’s sales force,” court records said.

During a six year period from 2012-2018, McKinsey “knowingly and intentionally conspired with Purdue Pharma L.P. and others to aid and abet the misbranding of prescription drugs, held for sale after shipment in interstate commerce, without valid prescriptions,” according to the charging document that had been filed jointly by the United States Attorney’s offices for the District of Massachusetts and the Western District of Virginia.

McKinsey was charged with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and with destroying documents.

In 2019, McKinsey said it would no longer advise clients on opioid-related businesses.

The company reached a $573 million agreement in 2021 with attorneys general in 47 states who said the company worked to drive sales of opioids, contributing to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans.

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

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New Jersey drone mystery: What to know and what can be done

New Jersey drone mystery: What to know and what can be done
New Jersey drone mystery: What to know and what can be done
In this screen grab from a video, a drone is shown near Bedminster, New Jersey, on Dec. 3, 2024./Obtained by ABC News

(NEW YORK) —  Since mid-November, what are believed by many to be large aerial drones have been spotted at night throughout central and northern New Jersey, causing concern for residents who have been posting videos of the aircraft on their social media accounts and prompting increasing demands from local and state officials for answers.

Lawmakers from New York and New Jersey this week sent a letter to the heads of the FBI, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), requesting that the agencies brief them on the issue.

“We write with urgent concern regarding the unmanned aerial system (UAS) activity that has affected communities across New York and New Jersey in recent days,” the letter from New York Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and New Jersey Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim stated. They asked to be briefed “as soon as possible on how your agencies are working with federal and local law enforcement to identify and address the source of these incursions.”

While lawmakers and citizens alike await answers, here’s what to know about the purported drone sightings.

Who’s operating the drones, and why?

According to a DHS handout, “it is unclear who is operating the drones,” but “the State of New Jersey and its agencies are not involved in the operation of these reported drones.” The statement noted that determining the operators is “an aspect of the ongoing federal investigation.”

Similarly, the DHS said there is as yet no “specific details about the drones,” such as their manufacturer or model, and that while “drones are generally required to have tracking capabilities … not all drones comply, and investigations are ongoing to identify the operators.”

Are the drones dangerous?

“At this time, according to the FBI, there are no known specific or credible threats related to these sightings,” the DHS handout states.

During a press briefing Thursday, White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby echoed the DHS statement, and said there was “no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat.” He added that “upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully.”

Could the drones actually be something else?

It is possible that some people may be mistaking general aviation, commercial or military aircraft for drones. “Drone activity can sometimes be mistaken for general aviation aircraft, such as planes or smaller helicopters, due to several overlapping characteristics,” according to the DHS, including “advanced capabilities that allow them to mimic the flight patterns of helicopters or small planes, such as hovering or making rapid directional changes.”

During his briefing Thursday, Kirby also said that federal authorities and state and local law enforcement “have not been able to … corroborate any of the reported visual sightings. To the contrary, upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully.”

Mine Hill, New Jersey Mayor Sam Morris called Kirby’s claim “ridiculous,” telling ABC News it was “really insulting to all the people here who are living through this.”

“Come on out, Mr. Kirby. And let’s go out one night about 9:30, 10:00,” Morris said. “I’ll go out behind my town hall. And you can count them with me all night.”

Can someone shoot down, capture or disable the drones?

Drones generally can’t be shot down or captured, for both legal and safety reasons, according to the DHS: “Shooting down a drone can pose safety risks to people and property on the ground. Debris from a downed drone can cause injury or damage, especially in populated areas.

Additionally, the small size and maneuverability of drones make them difficult targets, even if there should be a reason to shoot them down. And while “non-kinetic methods such as jamming or hacking can be used” to disable drones, “they require sophisticated technology and expertise,” the DHS says.

It’s also not a good idea to shoot them down yourself. Doing so in New Jersey, for example, is illegal and violates federal law, since drones are regulated by the FAA. According to the DHS, any person who shoots down a drone could be fined up to $250,000 and sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.

State and local authorities also have little to no say legally regarding drone activity, since drones are FAA regulated.

What should you do if you see a drone?

The DHS recommends that anyone who sees what they consider to be suspicious drone activity should report it to their local police. If you live in New Jersey, you can also report it to the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness Counter-Threat Watch Unit at 866-4-SAFE-NJ (1-866-472-3365) or tips@njohsp.gov.

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Friday weather: Ice storm warnings cover Midwest, as arctic blast slams East Coast

Friday weather: Ice storm warnings cover Midwest, as arctic blast slams East Coast
Friday weather: Ice storm warnings cover Midwest, as arctic blast slams East Coast
An ABC News graphic shows weather in the United States on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. Via ABC News

(NEW YORK) — The eastern half of the United States is enduring the latest arctic blast from Minnesota down to northern Florida and up to New England.

Lake-effect snow brought 3.5 feet of snow to western NY and up to 20 inches to northern Lower Michigan. Winds gusted to near 40 mph, creating whiteout conditions in heaviest lake-effect snow bands.

A Lake-Effect Snow Warning continued Friday morning for Ohio, Pennsylvania and western New York, where some areas could get additional 6 inches to 12 inches of snow.

The wind chills early Friday are below zero in Minneapolis, near zero in Chicago and in the teens and single digits above zero in the Northeast.

The temperature is near freezing in northern Florida and southern Georgia, where a Frost Advisory is posted.

Ice storm warning for Midwest

A new storm system is moving into the Plains and the Midwest on Friday evening into Saturday morning, with an Ice Storm Warning issued for Iowa and Icy Alerts issued from Kansas to Minnesota.

Freezing rain could glaze roads to more than a half an inch creating treacherous driving conditions.

Des Moines, Iowa, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Omaha, Nebraska, are all under alerts later today and into Saturday morning. It will be raining with temperatures below freezing, and travel is strongly discouraged in the region through early Saturday.

West Coast flooding and heavy snow threat

A serious of storms will move into the West Coast through this weekend into next week, producing feet of snow in the mountains and several inches of rain along the coast.

Already, first storm brought up to half a foot of snow to I-80 in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, creating a mess, with lots of accidents and major backups.

A new storm, even stronger, will move into the West Coast later today into Saturday from Washington to California, with heavy rain and mountain snow.

Locally 4 feet of snow is possible for California mountains, where Winter Storm Warning has been issued.

Heavy rain with up to 5 inches possible for northern California, where Flood Watch has been issued.

Areas north of the San Francisco Bay Area could see 2 inches to 3 inches of rain.

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Florida woman echoes suspected CEO shooter in threats to insurance company

Florida woman echoes suspected CEO shooter in threats to insurance company
Florida woman echoes suspected CEO shooter in threats to insurance company
Douglas Sacha/Getty Images/STOCK

(LAKELAND, Fla.) — A Florida woman was arrested and charged this week for ending a phone call with her health insurance provider with threats that mimicked wording associated with the suspected UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter.

The incident occurred Tuesday when Briana Boston, a 42-year-old woman from Lakeland, was speaking with a representative from Blue Cross Blue Shield after she had been told that her medical claim was denied.

In an arrest affidavit obtained by ABC News, police said that near the end of the recorded conversation with the insurance provider, Boston can be heard saying, “Delay, deny, depose. You people are next.”

Boston’s apparent threats nearly echo the words that were engraved on the bullet shell casings that authorities recovered from the scene where UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot earlier this month.

Those engraved words were “deny,” “defend” and “depose.”

However, Boston’s words do match the title of a 2010 book “Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.”

The book was written by legal scholar and insurance expert Jay Feinman, a professor emeritus at Rutgers Law School in New Jersey. It explores abuses of auto and homeowners insurance to “avoid paying justified claims,” according to its summary.

Luigi Mangione is a suspect in the killing, which has catapulted the nation’s health care industry into the spotlight. Mangione faces second-degree murder and a slew of other charges in both Pennsylvania and New York.

When Lakeland Police confronted Boston about the perceived threats, she apologized and said that she “used those words because it’s what is in the news right now,” according to the arrest affidavit.

Boston told authorities she does not own any guns and is not a threat, but went on to say that health care companies “deserve karma” and that they are “evil,” according to the document.

“Boston further stated the health care companies played games and deserved karma from the world because they are evil,” police said in the affidavit.

ABC News has reached out to Blue Cross Blue Shield for comment.

Following the investigation, Boston was charged with threats to conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism and booked at a jail in Polk County, according to police.

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UnitedHealthcare CEO killing latest: Suspect not member of UnitedHealthcare, company says

UnitedHealthcare CEO killing latest: Suspect not member of UnitedHealthcare, company says
UnitedHealthcare CEO killing latest: Suspect not member of UnitedHealthcare, company says
Luigi Mangione is seen inside the police station in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Dec. 9, 2024/Obtained by ABC News

(NEW YORK) — Luigi Mangione, the suspect accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson wasn’t a member of the insurer, a company spokesperson said.

“Brian Thompson’s killer was not a member of UnitedHealthcare,” the company told ABC News.

Prosecutors at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office have begun presenting evidence to a grand jury as they work to secure an indictment against Mangione for the killing of Thompson, sources told ABC News.

The DA’s office declined to comment due to the secrecy surrounding grand jury matters.

An indictment could strengthen the case for extradition, which Mangione is fighting.

The 26-year-old Ivy League graduate remains in custody at a Pennsylvania state prison after a judge denied bail on Tuesday. His next court date in Pennsylvania is Dec. 30.

“He has constitutional rights and that’s what he’s doing” in challenging the interstate transfer, defense attorney Thomas Dickey told reporters on Tuesday.

Authorities are still looking to access a phone recovered by police in an alley following the shooting that is believed to be linked to the suspect, sources said Thursday. Police have obtained a search warrant for the phone, sources said.

At least two other search warrants have been issued so far in the New York case. They include to search the hostel where the suspect stayed in New York City, as well as the backpack containing Monopoly money and a jacket that was found in Central Park and is believed to belong to him, sources said.

Mangione was apprehended in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday after nearly one week on the run following the Dec. 4 slaying.

Three shell casings recovered outside the Midtown Manhattan hotel where Thompson was fatally shot match the gun allegedly found on Mangione when he was arrested, police announced Wednesday.

Fingerprints recovered from a water bottle and a Kind bar near the crime scene have also been matched to Mangione, police said.

In Pennsylvania, Mangione faces charges including allegedly possessing an untraceable ghost gun.

In New York, he faces charges including second-degree murder.

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American Airlines flight diverts to JFK after apparent bird strike damages engine

American Airlines flight diverts to JFK after apparent bird strike damages engine
American Airlines flight diverts to JFK after apparent bird strike damages engine
DuKai photographer/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — An American Airlines flight departing New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Thursday evening had to divert to nearby John F. Kennedy International shortly after takeoff after a reported bird strike caused damage to one of the aircraft’s engines.

The aircraft, powered by its second engine, landed safely and without incident shortly after 8 p.m., the Port Authority New York and New Jersey said. There were no reported injuries.

“The aircraft landed safely at JFK where it will be inspected by our maintenance team,” American said in a statement. “We are grateful to our crew for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for the inconvenience this may have caused.”

Charlotte, North Carolina-bound flight 1722 had 190 passengers and six crew members on board. The aircraft was an Airbus A321. Passengers were expected to board another flight to Charlotte on Friday morning.

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JonBenét Ramsey case gets renewed attention 28 years after her murder

JonBenét Ramsey case gets renewed attention 28 years after her murder
JonBenét Ramsey case gets renewed attention 28 years after her murder
Who killed JonBenét Ramsey? The all-new ABC News interview with JonBenét’s father, John Ramsey, airs during 20/20 – premiering Friday, Nov. 13th on ABC Network.

(NEW YORK) — Advancements in DNA technology and a surge of public interest are rekindling hope for breakthroughs in the long-unsolved murder of 6-year-old JonBenét Ramsey, a case that has remained a haunting mystery for nearly 28 years.

As new techniques emerge and fresh attention is drawn to the evidence, many are eager for answers that could finally bring closure to this tragic story.

JonBenét, who was found dead in the basement of her Boulder, Colorado, home in 1996, remains frozen in time. Her father, John Ramsey, has endured nearly three decades without justice, answers or his daughter.

“JonBenét’s still my 6-year-old blond-headed daughter who I love dearly,” Ramsey told ABC News. “I did run into one of her little friends on the street who is now, you know, 30 and an adult. And it was, it was a little bit of a shock. This little girl played with JonBenét at our house all the time. And that was a little bit of a jolt to think, wow, that could have been JonBenét.”

Ramsey, now 81 years old, has renewed hope that his daughter’s killer can finally be found. He is confident that advances in DNA technology, including genetic genealogy that has helped to solve several high-profile cold case, are the key to solving this mystery.

“Let’s do a reverse family tree and see if he had a relative living in Boulder in 1996. The interesting thing about these cold cases,” Ramsey said. “The ultimate first arrest came out of nowhere. They were on no one’s radar. They’ve done this horrible crime and nobody said that that guy’s a suspect. That’s what we’re asking the police to do.”

Over the years, Ramsey expressed frustration with the police for not solving his daughter’s case. He was unhappy with being a prime suspect for 12 years and that the department rejected offers of help to find viable evidence. He recently took part in a new Netflix docuseries, “Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey?” The series dives into lingering mysteries surrounding the tragic case, exploring evidence, interviews and theories that have emerged over the years.

Ramsey collaborated with director Joe Berlinger, who aimed to illuminate what he described as one of the most victimized families in American history.

“Obviously, he wasn’t legally wrongfully convicted, but he was wrongfully convicted,” Berlinger said. “And his wife Patsy — the family were wrongfully convicted in the court of public opinion.”

The popular docuseries ignited a new wave of interest among viewers.

Ramsey is hopeful that recent changes in the Boulder Police Department’s leadership and better communication with his family may lead to a resolution in the case.

The Boulder police department has addressed the recent scrutiny. Last month, the current police chief released a video statement.

“So much of how law enforcement works has changed in the last 30 years,” Stephen Redfearn said. “There are a number of things that people have pointed to throughout the years that could have been done better and we acknowledge that as true. However, it is important to emphasize that while we cannot go back to that horrible day in 1996, our goal is to find JonBenét Ramsey’s killer.”

That tragic day in 1996 began in the picturesque Boulder neighborhood where the Ramsey family lived. On Dec. 26, John and Patsy Ramsey woke up to find that JonBenét, a child beauty queen, was missing.

A handwritten ransom note demanding $118,000 — the exact sum of John’s bonus that year — was discovered on the kitchen stairs. Seven hours later, John found his daughter’s lifeless body in a small basement room.

An autopsy determined JonBenét was sexually assaulted and strangled, and her skull was fractured. Unknown DNA was found under her fingernails and in her underwear.

The Ramseys quickly became suspects, even though no evidence connected them to the crime.

The family has always denied any involvement in JonBenét’s murder. However, the Boulder District Attorney’s Office took 12 years to fully exonerate the Ramseys and their son Burke, who was 9 years old when his sister died.

As weeks went by without any arrests in the case, a media frenzy began to build, fueled by relentless tabloid images of JonBenét participating in beauty pageants.

A number of leads emerged, including a man named John Mark Karr, who confessed to the killing in 2006. However, his DNA did not match the evidence and he was not in Boulder at the time of the murder, so he was eliminated as a suspect. The case remained unsolved.

John Ramsey believes that a cloud still hangs over his family, as he thinks there are people in the country who think he and his late wife, Patsy, who died in 2006, are responsible for JonBenét’s murder.

Investigator Lou Smit, who was initially brought into the case by Boulder County District Attorney Alex Hunter, came to believe early in his investigation that the Ramseys were innocent. He thought that the police should be looking at the possibility of an intruder.“I’m not saying parents don’t kill their kids … parents do kill their children,” Smit said in his tapes. “But [the police] are trying to say Patsy did it. … Their actions before, during and after [JonBenét’s death] are all consistent with innocent people. … They didn’t do it.”

As the investigation progressed Smit became increasingly concerned that authorities had completely ruled out the chance of an intruder being responsible for JonBenét’s death. As a result, they weren’t searching for evidence that might support this possibility.Smit continued to maintain that an unidentified intruder was responsible for JonBenét’s murder. However, he was running out of time due to his colon cancer diagnosis in 2010.

Before Smit died on Aug. 11 of that year, he diligently compiled a detailed list of persons of interest, hoping that his years of investigative work would eventually pay off. Smit passed his files to his surviving children, including a spreadsheet with 887 names of potential suspects to be investigated.That list is extensive, but Smit’s family is determined to continue their search. Since his death, the team has cleared several individuals from that list, according to Smit’s granddaughter Jessa Van Der Woerd. However, the process is slow due to the time and costs involved in locating each person, obtaining their DNA and testing it.

“We’ve let the killer walk for more than 28 years,” John Ramsey said. “I think it’s imperative that we investigate every credible suspect that’s been provided.”

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Idaho college killings: Prosecutors push back against Kohberger requests to exclude key evidence

Idaho college killings: Prosecutors push back against Kohberger requests to exclude key evidence
Idaho college killings: Prosecutors push back against Kohberger requests to exclude key evidence
ftwitty/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — Prosecutors leading the case against Bryan Kohberger are pushing back against his attorneys’ claims that investigators improperly obtained potentially key evidence — and are asking the judge to deny requests to exclude that evidence from trial.

In a series of highly-technical filings posted late Thursday, prosecutors said that the searches of Kohberger’s person and belongings, including his car, phone records, Apple accounts and homes, were appropriate. They noted the “burden of proof is on the defendant to show that the search was invalid.”

Kohberger, a former criminology Ph.D. student at Washington State University, was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary, in connection with the fatal stabbing of four University of Idaho students — Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20 — in an off-campus house in the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022.

A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf. The trial is scheduled for August 2025.

Lawyers for Kohberger have accused investigators of an overbroad attempt to build their case, arguing their search warrants cast too wide a net. But prosecutors, responding on Thursday to the defense’s lengthy series of motions posted Nov. 15, contend that taken together with other elements of the case, their probe for evidence was “sufficiently particular and valid” and “considering the information available” at the time, the Moscow detective seeking the information “could not reasonably narrow the scope further.”

The “warrant must allow the searcher to reasonably ascertain and identify the things which are authorized to be seized,” wrote Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Ashley Jennings, citing legal precedent. She added, “broad language may be permissible where the warrant constrains the search to evidence of a specific crime.”

“The rationale is that ‘criminals don’t advertise where they keep evidence,'” prosecutors wrote. And since the potential evidence they sought “could be located in multiple formats and areas,” particularly electronic data, prosecutors here said, a wide enough investigative aperture is necessary.

“Applied to electronic devices ‘criminals can — and often do — hide, mislabel, or manipulate files to conceal criminal activity [such that] a broad, expansive search of the [device] may be required,'” prosecutors wrote, again citing legal precedent.

Jennings said the “seizure of items was limited to” the crime Kohberger is accused of committing — the killings of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin in their off-campus home.

And though Kohberger has a right to privacy, that right does not shield criminal conduct, prosecutors said. In fact, it is because he had that right that they sought, and obtained, search warrants, they said.

Though the man accused of stabbing to death four college students in Nov. 2022 indeed “had a reasonable expectation of privacy in his vehicle located at his parents’ residence,” there was “substantial probable cause” to search it, prosecutors said. And Kohberger also had a “privacy interest” in his AT&T account and phone records — and “as such, the State sought and was granted a search warrant to review those records.”

The Thursday filings were accompanied by a series of requests to seal corresponding exhibits meant to bolster prosecutors’ argument.

Prosecutors didn’t include in Thursday’s filings an extensive address of Kohberger’s challenge to DNA evidence, or the search of his Amazon account.

Judge Steven Hippler, who is now overseeing the case in Boise, has not yet scheduled a public hearing on the matter.

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