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(NEW YORK) — Authorities have identified another victim in the Gilgo Beach, New York, murders investigation, officials announced Friday, though police have not said if this new victim is linked to suspect Rex Heuermann.

Jane Doe No. 7, whose remains were found on Long Island’s Fire Island on April 20, 1996, has now been identified as 34-year-old Karen Vergata, thanks to genealogical DNA, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said at a news conference Friday.

Vergata went missing in February 1996, and authorities believe she worked as an escort at the time, Tierney said.

More of her remains were found on April 11, 2011, on Long Island’s Tobay Beach, he said.

There are no charges at this time in Vergata’s case, Tierney said.

“We are going to continue to work this particular case,” Tierney said. “We’re going to have no comment on what, if any, suspects we’ve developed at this time.”

Tierney told Newsday that authorities believe they will soon be able to identify the remains of three more unidentified victims in the larger Gilgo Beach investigation.

Tierney said the identifications would be made by the FBI using genetic genealogy, “among other things.” The FBI used genetic genealogy in 2020 to positively identify Valerie Mack, another of the 10 victims tied to Gilgo Beach.

“We’re honing in on that, and I think we’ll have information on that — on some of the identifications — shortly,” Tierney said.

Those victims — a man as well as a woman and a toddler who were found together — have remained unidentified.

Heuermann, a New York City architect and father of two from Massapequa Park, Long Island, was arrested on July 13 for the murders of three of the Gilgo Beach victims: sex workers Megan Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello. The young women disappeared in 2009 and 2010 and their bodies were found on Long Island in 2010.

Heuermann’s attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.

Heuermann is also the prime suspect in the death of a fourth victim, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, who vanished in 2007. Though he has not been charged in that case, according to sources, the investigation is “expected to be resolved soon.”

Tierney told Newsday that a distinctive belt with the initials “WH” or “HM” was used to bound Brainard-Barnes’ remains. WH are the initials of Heuermann’s father.

Meanwhile, Suffolk County prosecutors are asking a judge to order Heuermann to submit a DNA sample as they work to determine whether he is connected to other Gilgo Beach killings or other murders across the country. The mitochondrial DNA and the discarded pizza box sample used to tie him to the three murders he’s charged with are ineligible to be submitted to databases circulated to law enforcement agencies nationally and statewide.

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(NEW YORK) — The Parkland, Florida, high school massacre will be reenacted in the same building on Friday as a part of a lawsuit against former school officer Scot Peterson, who is accused of retreating while students were being shot.

Peterson has said he couldn’t decipher where the gunfire was coming from because of echoes.

Seventeen students and staff were killed in the Feb. 14, 2018, mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Since then, the 1200 building has sat untouched like a time capsule, with dried blood on furniture and students’ strewn papers on the floor.

Last month, victims’ families were permitted to go inside the building for the first time, since the criminal trials had concluded for Peterson, who was acquitted on all charges including child neglect, and gunman Nikolas Cruz, who was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

Max Schachter, whose 14-year-old son, Alex, was among the 17 killed, told ABC News that Alex’s classroom looked “like a horror scene from a war zone.”

“It was grotesque,” he said. “There was so much blood everywhere, especially around Alex’s desk.”

But Schachter needed to be there, he said, because “that was the last place he took his last breath.”

Schachter was among the families who returned to the building on Friday morning to tour the site with several members of Congress ahead of the ballistics reenactment.

While some families want the 1200 building torn down, Schachter said he wants it to remain until every legislator walks through. As difficult as it is to face the harrowing site, politicians must “understand the failures before and during the shooting” to “hopefully ensure safer schools tomorrow,” he tweeted.

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(NEW YORK) — FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, confirmed Friday that it is investigating alleged misconduct involving the women’s national team of Zambia during the World Cup.

“FIFA takes any allegation of misconduct extremely seriously and has a clear process in place for anyone in football who wants to report an incident,” a FIFA spokesperson told ABC News in a statement. “We can confirm that a complaint has been received in relation to the Zambian Women’s National team and this is currently being investigated. We cannot provide further details regarding an ongoing investigation for obvious confidentiality reasons.”

The spokesperson added: “Anyone who wishes to report allegations or information related to abuse in football can do so via FIFA’s confidential reporting platform, with all information that is submitted to FIFA handled in the strictest of confidence. In addition, FIFA offers support and assistance to ensure the safety of those who report a safeguarding issue, including witnesses who come forward and give testimony in FIFA Judicial cases. Where guilt is established, FIFA takes the strongest possible sanctions, including removing people from the game for life. Our track record demonstrates this.”

The Guardian reported Thursday that Zambian coach Bruce Mwape has been accused of rubbing his hands over the chest of one of his players days before the team’s historic victory over Costa Rica in their final match at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The article cited “a source close to the squad” who said several players witnessed the incident after training on July 28.

In response to The Guardian’s article, the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) released a statement on Friday saying it “has not received any such complaint from any of the players or officials in the delegation that travelled to the World Cup.”

“It has therefore come as a surprise for us to hear of such alleged misconduct by the coach as reported in the said online publication,” FAZ General Secretary Reuben Kamanga said. “As a matter of fact, all the training sessions for the Copper Queens were filmed by the FAZ media team and offers no such footage as envisioned by The Guardian. Additionally, a FIFA film crew attached to the Zambian team at the World Cup was present at all training sessions.”

He continued: “We however wish to reassure the public that FAZ maintains the highest standards of integrity and transparency and always demands unwavering ethical conduct of the players and officials on and off the field of play. We therefore would not hesitate to take disciplinary measures and act on any misconduct once we are in receipt of an official complaint or when presented with evidence pertaining to an alleged incident.”

Monday’s win marked the first-ever victory at the finals for the Zambian women’s team, which qualified for and participated in the tournament for the first time. Zambia had already been eliminated after 5-0 defeats by Japan and Spain, but the team finished third in the group stage after beating Costa Rica 3-1.

FAZ appointed Mwape to coach the women’s team of the southern African nation in May 2018.

In September 2022, FAZ announced it had referred a probe into sexual abuse allegations in the women’s game to FIFA. Mwape was believed to be among the FAZ employees who were investigated, according to The Guardian.

“If he [Mwape] wants to sleep with someone, you have to say yes,” one player who did not want to be named told The Guardian last month. “It’s normal that the coach sleeps with the players in our team.”

The 63-year-old coach has previously denied the accusations.

“It has taken about a year now. You are still talking about the same allegations,” Mwape told reporters in New Zealand on July 22, before his team’s first match at the World Cup. “As far as I’m concerned, they are fake allegations.”

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(NEW YORK) — Former Columbus, Ohio, police officer Ricky Anderson has been indicted on charges of murder and reckless homicide for the shooting of an unarmed man last year.

Anderson shot and killed 20-year-old Donovan Lewis in August 2022 during a search warrant while he was unarmed and in bed.

Body camera footage was released of the encounter last September and Anderson, a 30-year veteran of the Columbus Police Department, appears to open fire almost immediately after police open the bedroom door to where Lewis was sleeping. He later died at a hospital.

Anderson retired in bad standing months after the shooting.

“We are relieved that a grand jury concluded what we’ve known all along: Officer Ricky Anderson broke the law when he shot and killed an unarmed Donovan Lewis as he laid in his bed,” the attorneys for Rebecca Duran, Lewis’ mother, said in a statement Friday. “CPD bodycam video showed this clearly and nothing has changed in almost a year. Although Mr. Lewis’ family is pleased that his killer will soon face a jury of his peers, they are incredibly disappointed that it took so long to come to this conclusion in the first place.”

Police officers were executing a warrant on Lewis’ home to arrest him on three separate charges: domestic violence, assault and improper handling of a firearm.

Mark Collins, the attorney for Anderson, said in a statement last September, “When we analyze police-involved shootings, we must look to the totality of the circumstances, and we are expressly forbidden from using 20/20 hindsight, because unlike all of us, officers are not afforded the luxury of armchair reflection when they are faced with rapidly evolving, volatile encounters in dangerous situations.”

Lewis’ family filed a civil suit against Anderson, as well as four other officers involved in the raid, in February.

According to the complaint, Anderson had a total of 58 complaints against him over the years, including use of force complaints, and has also been reprimanded for sexual harassment while on the job.

“As prosecutors pursue Mr. Anderson in the criminal case, we will continue to fight for justice and accountability in our civil case,” the lawyers for Duran said Friday. “Our hope is that no other parent has to bury their child as the result of a reckless act by a member of law enforcement.”

ABC News’ Nakylah Carter and Erica Y. King contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) — Flash flood emergencies have been issued for parts of western Kentucky and Union City, Tennessee, with residents advised to seek higher ground as half a foot of rain or more is expected in the area.

There are reports of numerous roads flooded and evacuations in Hickman, Kentucky, and numerous roads closed by flash flooding across Fulton County. Between 4 to 7 inches of rain have already fallen and 1 to 3 inches of rain are possible, according to the National Weather Service. Flash flooding is already occurring.

A flash flood warning is in effect for Tennessee residents in central Obion and west central Weakley counties. Evacuations are taking place in Green Acres Mobile Home Park, NWS reported. Between 9 to 11 inches of rain have fallen and an additional 2 to 4 inches are possible. Flash flooding is already occurring.

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

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(NEW YORK) — Suffolk County authorities have identified another victim in the decade-long Gilgo Beach investigation, which they are expected to reveal at a 10:30 a.m. news conference in Hauppauge, sources familiar with the case have told ABC News.

The authorities are expected to identify Jane Doe No. 7, whose remains were found on Fire Island in 1996, the sources said. They were later linked by DNA to other human remains found along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach in 2011.

Additionally, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney told Newsday that authorities believe they will soon be able to identify the remains of three more unidentified victims in the larger Gilgo Beach investigation.

Tierney said the identifications would be made by the FBI using genetic genealogy, “among other things.”

The FBI used genetic genealogy to positively identify another of the 10 victims tied to Gilgo Beach — Valerie Mack — in 2020.

“We’re honing in on that, and I think we’ll have information on that — on some of the identifications shortly,” Tierney said.

Asked when, Tierney replied: “Real shortly.”

Those victims — a woman who investigators have nicknamed “Peaches” because of a tattoo she had, a toddler that was found with her and the remains of a man who was found separately — have remained unidentified.

Tierney also told Newsday that the previously revealed distinctive belt with the initials “WH” or “HM” was used to bound Gilgo Beach serial killing victim Maureen Brainard-Barnes’ remains. WH are the initials of Heuermann’s father.

Separately, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office submitted a court request to obtain a swab of DNA from Heuermann even though they already recovered DNA from him during their investigation via pizza crust but are looking for more samples.

Heuermann was charged with three of the Gilgo Beach murders and is a prime suspect in a fourth.

While he has not yet been charged in that fourth homicide, the investigation “is expected to be resolved soon,” the document says, according to sources.

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(LOS ANGELES) — Three women were injured, with one woman needing to be airlifted to hospital, after an otter attacked them while they floated down a river on inner tubes.

The incident occurred on Wednesday evening at approximately 8:15 p.m. when the three friends were floating on inner tubes about three miles upstream from the Sappington Bridge in Montana, some 75 miles south of the state capital city of Helena, according to a statement released by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks on Thursday afternoon.

The women say they observed one or two otters while they floated down the river when one of them suddenly approached and attacked, causing the women to flee the water and the otter to swim away, authorities said.

“The women then called 911, and several agencies responded, including Montana Highway Patrol, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson Valley Ambulance, and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Life Flight and a local landowner,” Montana FWP said.

All three women were injured in the sudden attack and received medical treatment in Bozeman, Montana — approximately 45 miles east from where the incident took place.

One of the women was injured so seriously that she was airlifted by helicopter for emergency treatment after the animal attack, Montana FWP confirmed.

“While attacks from otters are rare, otters can be protective of themselves and their young, especially at close distances,” authorities said. “They give birth to their young in April and can later be seen with their young in the water during the summer. They may also be protective of food resources, especially when those resources are scarce.”

FWP staff have posted signs at several access sites to the river advising people in the region of otter activity. No further management action is planned at this time, authorities said.

“FWP advises recreationists to keep a wide distance, giving all wildlife plenty of space,” Montana FWP said. “In drought conditions, low water levels can bring recreationists closer to water-dwelling wildlife. Being aware and keeping your distance can help avoid dangerous encounters, reduce stress for wildlife, and promote healthy animal behavior.”

Said Montana FWP in a final warning to the public: “If you are attacked by an otter, fight back, get away and out of the water, and seek medical attention.”

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(EAGLE PASS, Texas) — Two people have been found dead in the southern part of the Rio Grande river, officials said.

One body was found stuck in the lines of orange buoys installed by Texas authorities near the U.S.-Mexico border. A second body was discovered separately in the area of the buoys by the Beta Group of Piedras Negras, according to a statement from Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Secretary and Mexico’s Migration Institute.

The Texas Department of Public Safety notified the Mexican Consulate in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Wednesday afternoon that a person was found dead in the southern part of the floating barriers. Members of the Mexican National Institute of Migration’s assistance unit are spearheading efforts to recover the body, according to the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“So far, the cause of death and nationality of the person is unknown,” the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

On Thursday, however, a source close to the investigation told ABC News that both of the people found were men. The man found by the buoys was from Mexico and is believed to have been dead for some time. The other man, who was found further away, was from Honduras. He is believed to have died more recently, the source said.

A cause of death has not been determined.

A spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) said a “possible drowning victim” was first spotted floating upstream from the buoys. The spokesperson said DPS notified CBP and the Mexican Consulate.

“Later that day a body was discovered at the marine barrier,” the spokesperson said.

Added DPS Director Steven McCraw: “Preliminary information suggests this individual drowned upstream from the marine barrier and floated into the buoys. There are personnel posted at the marine barrier at all times in case any migrants try to cross.”

The Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs repeated its condemnation of the buoys, calling them a “violation of our sovereignty.”

“We express our concern about the impact on the human rights and personal safety of migrants that these state policies will have, which go in the opposite direction to the close collaboration between our country and the federal government of the United States,” the ministry added. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to follow up on the case promptly through the Mexican Consulate in Eagle Pass, maintaining contact with the corresponding authorities in Mexico and the United States to obtain more information on what happened and to request that the necessary investigations be carried out.”

The Texas Department of Public Safety, at the direction of Gov. Greg Abbott, began installing the floating barriers along portions of the Rio Grande river this summer in an effort to deter migrants from illegally crossing into the United States from Mexico.

The U.S. Department of Justice has sued Abbott over the use of the buoys.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that one body was found near the buoys.

ABC News’ Matt Rivers, Jim Scholz, Mireya Villarreal and William Gretsky contributed to this report.

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(THE VILLAGES, Fla.) — A man’s five minutes of fame at a Florida golf course is what allegedly helped officers arrest and charge him in connection with a deadly assault that took place in the course’s parking lot.

The Sumter County Sheriff’s arrested Robert Moore, 75, of the Villages, on July 27 and charged him with aggravated manslaughter on an elderly person in connection with the June 28 incident that took place at the Glenview Country Club, court documents say.

Dean Zook, 87, allegedly was heading to the club that day with his wife for dinner when his car bumped into another car parked in the lot, court documents said. A man came out asking what Zook did to his car and after Zook allegedly took responsibility and asked for insurance information, police said.

The other man allegedly punched Zook several times, according to court documents.

“The victim attempted to put his hands up to protect himself, but was unable to protect himself from the continuing punches,” court documents said.

The suspect later discovered that his car was not the one struck by Zook, but left the scene, court documents said.

Zook stumbled when police arrived on the scene and he was rushed to a hospital with bleeding in the brain, police said. He succumbed to his injuries on July 16, according to court documents.

Investigators interviewed several witnesses, looked at credit card records and reviewed surveillance footage to find the suspect, police said.

Detectives were able to allegedly match credit card purchases made at the club the day of the assault to Moore, court documents said.

They also received an anonymous tip that the suspect was named “Bob” and the tipster provided a photo from that day at another club where Moore allegedly wore the same clothes seen in surveillance footage of the incident, according to court documents.

Detectives used a Google image search on Moore and allegedly found an image of Moore from a Villages-News.com article on Nov. 8 in which he allegedly posed after making an ace at Tarpon Boil Executive Golf Course. Moore allegedly wore the same clothes that witnesses and surveillance footage captured the suspect wearing during the alleged assault, according to court documents.

On July 26, detectives went to Moore’s home to arrest him for the manslaughter incident, court documents said.

Moore allegedly told detectives that Zook tried to reverse out of the parking lot and allegedly Zook placed his hands on him, the court document alleged. Moore, who is 6-foot, 2-inches tall and approximately 210 pounds, alleged that he was defending himself against the victim, who was 5-feet, 8-inches tall and roughly 160 pounds, according to the court documents.

Attorney information for Moore was not immediately available. He was released on $30,000 bond on July 27, court documents said.

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(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — The Florida Department of Education has effectively banned AP Psychology in the state by instructing Florida superintendents “that teaching foundational content on sexual orientation and gender identity is illegal under state law,” College Board announced Thursday.

In June, the College Board reported that it was asked by the Florida Department of Education Office of Articulation to potentially modify its courses to suit Florida law and exclude topics of gender and sexual orientation. College Board refused, saying it cannot modify courses in ways “that would censor college-level standards for credit, placement, and career readiness.”

According to College Board, the AP course asks students to “describe how sex and gender influence socialization and other aspects of development.” College Board said that sexual orientation and gender have been an element of the coursework since the AP course was launched 30 years ago.

Florida officials allegedly told state school districts that the course could be taught, but only without these topics, according to College Board. But without this required course content, the organization said the course cannot be labeled “AP” or “Advanced Placement” and the “AP Psychology” designation can’t be used on school transcripts.

The American Psychological Association and the American Council of Education stood by College Board’s policy and decision in a June statement.

“Understanding human sexuality is fundamental to psychology, and an advanced placement course that excludes the decades of science studying sexual orientation and gender identity would deprive students of knowledge they will need to succeed in their studies, in high school and beyond,” said APA CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr., in the statement.

“It strains credulity to believe that our reviewers would certify for college credit a psychology course that didn’t include gender identity,” said American Council of Education president Ted Mitchell in the College Board statement.

The Florida Department of Education denied it banned the course in a statement to ABC News.

“The Department didn’t “ban” the course. The course remains listed in Florida’s Course Code Directory for the 2023-24 school year. We encourage the College Board to stop playing games with Florida students and continue to offer the course and allow teachers to operate accordingly,” Cassie Palelis, Deputy Director of Communications for the Florida Department of Education, said in a statement.

“The other advanced course providers (including the International Baccalaureate program) had no issue providing the college credit psychology course,” she added.

Several state policies have impacted the teaching of certain topics in Florida public schools.

The Florida Department of Education passed a rule in April which states that in grades 4 through 12, instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity is prohibited “unless such instruction is either expressly required by state academic standards … or is part of a reproductive health course or health lesson for which a student’s parent has the option to have his or her student not attend,” according to the amendment.

The “Stop WOKE” Act restricts race-related curriculum and programs in workplaces and schools. College Board’s AP African American studies course was rejected by the state education department and called “inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value” by a Florida DOE official.

This is the latest effort from Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration in its war on “woke”-ness, or marginalized identities, in education.

“We seek normalcy, not philosophical lunacy, we will not allow reality, facts and truth to become optional. We will never surrender to the woke mob. Florida is where woke goes to die,” DeSantis said during his Jan. 3 inauguration.

More than 28,000 Florida students took AP Psychology in the 2022-23 academic year, according to College Board. Tens of thousands of students will be impacted by the state’s decision, the organization states.

“The AP Program will do all we can do to support schools in their plans for responding to this late change,” the announcement read.

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