(NEW YORK) — The attorney for Gilgo Beach, New York, murder suspect Rex Heuermann on Wednesday denied that his client is a “monster of a person” and maintained Heuermann’s innocence.
Heuermann returned to court Wednesday following his July arrest for the murders of three sex workers — Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello — whose bodies were found on Long Island in 2010. He has pleaded not guilty.
Heuermann is also the prime suspect in the death of a fourth woman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, who vanished in 2007, though he has not been charged in that case. Prosecutors said the investigation into Brainard-Barnes’ murder is ongoing.
The sisters of Barthelemy and Brainard-Barnes were among the relatives at Wednesday’s hearing.
Male hair was recovered from the burlap used to wrap Waterman’s body, and that DNA was found to be a match to leftover pizza crust Heuermann threw into a Manhattan garbage can in January 2023, according to court documents. Prosecutors on Wednesday confirmed that the pizza crust DNA was consistent with the DNA swab provided by Heuermann after his arrest.
Defense attorney Michael Brown said he’s been given very little discovery and hasn’t received any DNA evidence, but noted that he received a flash drive of materials Wednesday morning that include an additional 5,000 pages of discovery and 10,000 photos.
Brown said the five hard drives he received in August included over a year’s worth of video surveillance of Heuermann outside his Long Island home capturing the New York City architect “heading to work, spending time with family, chopping wood and hanging out on his porch.”
Heuermann told the judge that he’s allowed to view up to four hours of discovery materials a day, but has been viewing two to three hours of material each day.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney told reporters the case will “be a lengthy process.”
“There is a lot of material that [the prosecutors] have to provide to the defense,” he said. “You don’t take a 13-year investigation and turn it over in a day or two.”
Brown said he hopes to have all of the discovery by Heuermann’s next court date, which was set for Nov. 15.
(NEW YORK) — A student was shot and killed on Tuesday just blocks from his high school, according to police. The student’s death marks the 200th homicide in the District of Columbia this year, according to police statistics.
The number of homicides in the nation’s capital has risen 28% since 2002, according to police. The city has recorded more than 200 homicides every year since 2021.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith called the shooting “senseless.”
“We have too many guns on our streets and as a community we need to do everything we can to stop this violence from plaguing our city,” she said.
The victims were all members of the D.C. community and died of gunshot wounds, according to Smith.
MPD has lost 1,400 officers since 2020. The police union has blamed the city council’s actions for the rise in crime.
(NEW YORK) — Attorneys for former President Donald Trump and the other defendants in the New York attorney general’s $250 million civil fraud case return to court Wednesday for a final conference ahead of a trial that’s scheduled to begin as early as Monday.
In a scathing order issued Tuesday, Justice Arthur Engoron ordering the cancelation of the Trump Organization’s business certificates in New York after finding that Trump and his co-defendants engaged in “persistent fraud” by inflating the value of his assets.
But the judge wrote in Tuesday’s ruling that a trial was still required to decide six remaining causes of action alleged by the attorney general, as well as the scope of the penalty, which could include barring Trump from making real estate acquisitions and applying for loans in New York.
Wednesday’s final pre-trial conference is also likely to address the outstanding motions filed by the defense to limit testimony and evidence before the scheduled start of trial on Monday.
Tuesday’s order, granting partial summary judgment, severely restricts Trump’s ability to conduct business in New York going forward.
Engoron wrote in the order that Trump, his adult sons, Eric and Don Jr., and the other defendants fraudulently inflated the value of properties including Trump’s Mar-A-Lago estate in Florida and his own triplex apartment in New York City, as well as 40 Wall Street, Trump Park Avenue, multiple golf courses, and an estate in upstate New York.
Responding to the order, Eric Trump, who runs the Trump Organization’s day-to-day operations, said on X, previously known as Twitter, “We have run an exceptional company — never missing a loan payment, making banks hundreds of millions of dollars, developing some of the most iconic assets in the world. Yet today, the persecution of our family continues…”
Defense counsel filed multiple motions in the lead-up to trial, including requests to exclude the testimony of six expert witnesses proposed by the government, motions to prevent evidence they argue is outside the statute of limitations, and requests to limit potential surprise witnesses during trial.
During a pre-trial conference last week, Engoron expressed frustration at defense counsel for rehashing flawed arguments he had already ruled against, leading the judge on Tuesday to sanction five defense lawyers $7,500 each for reiterating “frivolous arguments.”
Trump attorney Alina Habba said her client plans to immediately appeal what she called the judge’s “fundamentally flawed” decision Tuesday.
“We look forward to presenting the rest of our case at trial,” Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.
(PHILADELPHIA) — Large groups of teenagers stormed into shops in the heart of downtown Philadelphia on Tuesday night and looted handfuls of merchandise before fleeing, police and witnesses said.
The stores that were ransacked in Center City included Foot Locker, Lululemon and Apple, happening in “quick succession” at around 8 p.m. ET, according to a press release from the Philadelphia Police Department.
A total of about 15 to 20 arrests were made and two firearms were recovered that night as officers responded to the reports of looting, police said.
Police described the looting at the Foot Locker on Chestnut Street as a “coordinated attack” by a “group of males dressed in black attire and wearing masks.” A number of juveniles fled the scene, police said, but at least one adult was arrested.
Officers also “successfully apprehended multiple individuals” involved in the looting at the Lululemon on Walnut Street, police said.
One witness, who only gave her first name, Dolly, said she saw “30 plus people” flee from police at the Lululemon. Her friend, another witness who also only gave her first name, Lisa, said there were “clothes everywhere.”
“I’ve never seen anything like that before,” Lisa told ABC News’ Philadelphia station WPVI-TV.
No arrests have been made yet in connection with the looting at the Apple Store on Walnut Street, where mobile phones and tablets were snatched. Though numerous stolen items have since been recovered, according to police.
“The Apple store looks pretty cleaned out,” Dolly told WPVI. “Except for like computer monitors, but like all the Apple watches, iPhones.”
Police said they are also investigating other reports of property damage and thefts throughout the city that night, vowing to maintain “public safety and order.”
“We are actively investigating these incidents and working diligently to identify and apprehend those responsible for these unlawful acts,” the Philadelphia Police Department said in the press release.
The incidents occurred after peaceful protests over a judge’s decision to dismiss murder and other charges against a Philadelphia police officer who fatally shot the driver of a car — identified as 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry — through a rolled-up window. However, police said the looting was not connected to the earlier demonstrations.
(NEW YORK) — The mother of a young sheriff’s deputy who was gunned down on duty is devastated that the district attorney isn’t pursuing the death penalty.
“It just seems that the district attorney wants to spare a life, when [the suspect] didn’t spare my son’s life — he executed my son,” Kim Clinkunbroomer, the mother of slain Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, told ABC News in an exclusive interview.
“You can’t do this to families. We need to defend our law enforcement officers, and that’s not — that’s a disgrace,” she said.
Ryan Clinkunbroomer, 30, was in uniform and in his patrol car when he was shot while stopped at a red light outside the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station. Sheriff Robert Luna called the Sept. 16 slaying an ambush and a suspect was arrested two days later.
LA County District Attorney George Gascón repeated his opposition to the death penalty during a news conference last week alongside sheriff’s officials and the Clinkunbroomer family.
“The death penalty doesn’t serve as a deterrent,” Gascón said, according to ABC Los Angeles station KABC-TV.
“If I thought that seeking the death penalty was gonna bring Ryan back to us, I will seek it without any reservation,” he said. “But it won’t.”
Kim Clinkunbroomer said that the press conference last week was when she learned prosecutors wouldn’t be pursuing the death penalty.
“How dare you, on national TV, tell me you’re not seeking the death penalty because it won’t bring my son back? My son’s not coming back, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do your job,” she said.
“I truly hope the people of Los Angeles realize what this district attorney is not doing for us. And I hope when the election comes next, they really think hard about that bubble they fill in,” she said.
And as for California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s moratorium on the death penalty, Kim Clinkunbroomer said, “Things need to change.”
“People need to be punished for the crimes they commit,” she said.
The LA County District Attorney’s Office told ABC News in a statement Tuesday, “We have nothing but compassion for the family of Deputy Clinkunbroomer. They are experiencing an unthinkable loss. Nothing that can happen in the criminal justice system will ever repair the harm of losing someone so beloved. He is a fallen hero who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. May his memory be a guiding light, reminding us of the profound sacrifices made by those who wear the badge.”
The suspected killer, 29-year-old Kevin Salazar, is charged with murder with special circumstances. If convicted he’ll face life in prison without the possibility of parole, prosecutors said.
Salazar’s attorney has entered a plea of not guilty and a dual plea of not guilty by reason of insanity on his behalf.
As the case moves forward, the Clinkunbroomer family is trying to cope with their overwhelming grief.
Ryan Clinkunbroomer was an eight-year veteran of the sheriff’s office. His father, grandfather and great-grandfather also served with the LA County sheriff’s department.
His mother called it his calling.
“He went out to patrol as soon as he could. A couple of times he was offered a job inside, and he thought the schedule would be better with his fiancee. And he said, ‘Mom, I can’t do it. I need to be out in that car. I need to be out doing what policemen do,'” his mother said. “He loved it every day and he did it with pride every day.”
The 30-year-old proposed to his fiancee, pediatric ICU nurse Brittany Lindsey, just four days before he was killed.
“He was just the most thoughtful, most respectful, loving, caring person I’ve ever met in my life,” Lindsey told ABC News. “I’m just so grateful to have met and loved him.”
“I know he would have made a great husband and father one day,” she added.
“Every day that he went to work, I prayed for him. I prayed that he’d just come home safe,” Lindsey said. “A lot of nights I couldn’t sleep. I would just watch the clock waiting for him to come home.”
Kim Clinkunbroomer said she wants the public to “back law enforcement more.”
“These guys risk their lives every single day for us,” she said.
She also showed her appreciation for the LA sheriff’s department, who she said has “been nothing short of spectacular” in their shared time of mourning.
“I wish I could sit down with each and every one of them and thank them,” she said.
Just 11 days after her son’s slaying, Kim Clinkunbroomer said, “These are hard days, and our feet feel like they’re in mud.”
“But we’ll get out of that mud. We’ll get out of that mud for him and for the legacy that he’s going to continue to live on, because we won’t let his legacy die,” she added.
(PHILADELPHIA) — A female American Airlines flight attendant has been found dead with a sock in her mouth in a hotel room near Philadelphia’s Airport, according to ABC News’ Philadelphia station WPVI-TV.
Cleaning staffers discovered the unnamed 66-year-old victim late Monday evening at approximately 10:45 p.m. at the Philadelphia Airport Marriott directly adjacent to Philadelphia International Airport.
Investigators told ABC News’ Philadelphia station WPVI that the woman worked for American Airlines and was supposed to have checked out of her room two days earlier.
It is unclear why her body went undiscovered during that period, but authorities were immediately notified after cleaning staff made the discovery.
“It’s very strange,” Tracee Quinn of Ferris Hills, Pennsylvania, told WPVI in an interview. “And it seems like [there are] a lot of unanswered questions. But it is very sad.”
Several sealed bottles of prescription drugs were found in the room, according to WPVI, but police also reported that there were no signs of forced entry, struggle or any weapons recovered during their investigation.
An autopsy is now pending to determine the cause of the flight attendant’s death.
Police said the case is suspicious and that the Homicide Detectives Division is now investigating, according to WPVI.
(NEW YORK) — A Virginia man was arrested at a church after allegedly being found inside with a loaded semi-automatic pistol with an additional magazine, a folding knife and a folding “credit card”-style knife, according to police.
Fairfax County police arrested 35-year-old Rui Jiang after becoming tipped off by a Maryland woman who called Anne Arundel Police to report that Jiang allegedly made suspicious posts that included “vague threats” on Instagram, according to the police report.
Fairfax Police Chief Kevin Davis said, “This was a thwarted diabolical plot to kill churchgoers in Haymarket, Virginia, and local law enforcement stopped it.”
Anne Arundel Police alerted Fairfax Couty police that Jiang allegedly made threats against the Park Valley Church in Haymarket, Virginia.
“In the postings, vague threats of violence were made, some of which included images of a location later determined to be Park Valley Church,” Prince William County police said.
Police were able to quickly locate Jiang’s assumed residence in Falls Church, Virginia, but found he wasn’t home, according to the police report.
As the investigation continued, Fairfax County police contacted Prince William County police and an off-duty, uniformed Prince William County police officer who was working an assignment at the Park Valley Church located the car outside, police said.
Police at the church identified a suspicious person who they later identified as Jiang. He was detained after entering the building through a separate door.
No one was injured during the incident, however, Fairfax County Police say they later discovered Jiang’s “disturbing” “kill manifesto,” at his home. Police did not describe what was found in the alleged document.
Jiang was charged with threats of bodily harm and carrying a dangerous weapon in a place of religious worship.
Jiang’s bond hearing is scheduled for Wednesday morning, it wasn’t immediately clear if he had an attorney who could comment.
Prince William County police have asked anyone with information leading up to this incident, please call 703-792-7000.
(TROY, Ill.) — Police are looking for a young boy — estimated to be about 6 years old — who is thought to be at the center of a pizza scam by selling fake gift cards as a fundraiser for his baseball team, authorities said.
The Troy Police Department in Troy, Illinois, located some 20 miles east of St. Louis, Missouri, said they have been made aware that members of the public are being sold fake “buy one get one free” Dominos Pizza gift cards in Troy and the surrounding area, police said in a statement posted to social media on Sunday evening.
“The cards are being sold by a young juvenile white male, about six years old, who was last described wearing a dirty pink baseball uniform with a southern accent,” said the Troy Police Department. “The juvenile is likely accompanied by an adult, and he tells victims he’s selling the cards as a fundraiser for his baseball team.”
Authorities are concerned for the boy’s wellbeing and have asked the public to contact the Troy Police Department at (618) 667-6731 if they see the juvenile, the adult who is accompanying him or suspect any else of selling fake promotional cards.
Authorities also took the opportunity to remind consumers not to buy things without properly checking them out and verifying their validity first.
“It’s always a good idea to call the fundraiser businesses to see if gift cards are valid if you suspect any suspicious activity,” police said.
(FLINT, Mich.) — Police in Michigan are looking for an auto plant employee who they say struck a group of picketing auto workers with their vehicle outside a plant Tuesday afternoon.
Chief Matthew Bade of the Metro Police Authority of Genesee County told ABC affiliate WJRT that the employee was leaving the Flint Processing Center on Bristol Road in Swartz Creek when he struck the crowd that was picketing around 4 p.m.
The picketers were allegedly blocking a driveway to the plant as the employee was exiting the facility, Bade said.
At least five people were injured in the incident with minor injuries, according to Bade. No one was hospitalized.
The driver wasn’t immediately identified or found, police said.
Jack Crawley, a spokesman for General Motors, which operates the plant, said in a statement, “Plant leadership is working closely with local authorities to investigate and understand what happened.”
(BATON ROUGE, La.) — When Baton Rouge Police Department (BRPD) leadership found out about the allegations of the “brave cave,” the police chief immediately went to the FBI in August, according to a source familiar with the investigation.
The police department faces several lawsuits over the treatment of detainees, including at a now-shuttered police warehouse that officers allegedly called the “brave cave,” according to the complaints.
It is exceedingly rare for a police chief to go to the FBI and ask for an investigation into their own department.
The FBI announced over the weekend, they are investigating the Baton Rouge Police Department following allegations that some officers “abused their authority.”
The New Orleans FBI Field Office, the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana have opened the probe, with investigators “reviewing the matter for potential federal violations,” FBI New Orleans said in a statement on Friday, while urging anyone with information on the case to contact them.
Additionally, according to the source, the Baton Rouge Police Department has both an administrative and criminal investigation into the allegations ongoing.
In a statement to ABC News, the Baton Rouge Police Department said they are “committed to addressing these troubling accusations and have initiated administrative and criminal investigations.”
In 2021, following allegations of misconduct within the BRPD’s narcotics division, the police chief fired the officers involved and they were ultimately arrested according to court records.
