Tag Archive for: missing person

 

 

In October 2022, a young Black man went missing after calling to telling his mother white men were chasing him in three trucks. When his body was later found, authorities said they didn’t suspect foul play. His family disagrees. What really happened in Taylorsville, MS?

 

NATIONAL NEWS

Black man who said he was chased by whites later found decapitated; Sheriff says ‘no foul play’

Rasheem Carter, 25, a welder from Fayette in Jefferson County, MS, went missing on Oct. 2, 2022, near Taylorsville, MS, in Smith County, where he had undertaken contract work. Carter had previously texted his mother, Tiffany Carter, saying he’d had an altercation with someone at work. The text named a person and said “if anything happens… he’s responsible for it. … He got these guys wanting to kill me”.

On Oct. 1, Rasheem called his mother, telling her that a group of white men hurling racial slurs were chasing him in three trucks. Tiffany told her son to go to the police, believing they would protect him. But that was the last she heard from him.

Rasheem’s skull was found detached from his body. The dome of the skull was removed during autopsy. Photos were released by the family. 

When Rasheem’s remains were found on Nov. 2, dismembered and decapitated, in a wooded area near Taylorsville, Tiffany was in no doubt what happened to her son. But a day later, Smith County Sheriff Joel Houston posted on Facebook that there was “no reason to believe foul play was involved”.  

Rasheem’s remains were found scattered over two acres, and parts of him are still missing. The delay in finding his remains complicates the picture significantly, as there was evidence of animal predation. When a body lies undiscovered for months, animal activity can scatter remains over a wide area. 

An autopsy report by the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office noted injuries. However the report states that the condition of the remains when they were recovered make it difficult to determine when and in what sequence those injuries occurred. For this reason, the examiner was unable to establish a cause and manner of death with any confidence. 

Ben Crump calls for federal investigation

What we have is a Mississippi lynching,” famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump told reporters on Tuesday. Crump, representing the Carter family, is calling for a federal probe into Rasheem’s death. During the press conference, Crump said, “This doesn’t seem like the act of just one individual. It kind of lines up with what Tiffany said. There was a lynch mob of three trucks chasing her son before he went missing.”

“One thing is for certain … This was not a natural killing. This was not a natural death,” Crump said. “This represents a young man who was killed”. Crump and the Carter family believe that the Sheriff’s conclusion that there was no foul play doesn’t stand up to scrutiny, given the other circumstances surrounding the case.

“This was a nefarious act. This was an evil act,” Crump said. “Somebody murdered Rasheem Carter, and we cannot let them get away with this.”

“Nothing to hide” says Sheriff

Carter was in Taylorsville for short-term contracting work. His mother Tiffany says Rasheem was saving money to reopen his seafood restaurant. The restaurant, named for Rasheem’s 7-year-old daughter Cali, had closed during the pandemic. But at the work site, Carter had a disagreement with at least one of his co-workers and fled.

Rasheem had twice visited the Taylorsville Police Department in the lead up to his disappearance. It was around that time Carter texted his mother indicating he was being targeted by at least one individual.

Despite this, Sheriff Houston initially stood by his department’s conclusion that there was no foul play. Earlier evidence “didn’t suggest anything,” he said. However, Houston has since backtracked following a backlash, saying foul play hadn’t been ruled out. “Nothing is being swept under the rug,” Houston said. “There’s nothing to hide.”

“Running for his life”

Carter’s family has also shared an image from a deer trail camera from the day Rasheem went missing. Carter’s mother says she believes her son was hiding from someone, and “running for his life”. Sheriff Houston said the department had reviewed trail camera footage and didn’t find evidence of anyone else in the area.

After months of refusing to share any details of his department’s investigation, either with the public or apparently with the family, Houston gave an interview to NBC. During the interview, he shared details of leads that had been followed and other information about the investigation.

Houston said the department had interviewed “everybody involved” with Carter’s last job. This includes four to five people Carter had mentioned to his mother. These individuals were “ruled out” as suspects in Carter’s death, Houston said, by phone records and GPS coordinates showing that they were at another job site nearly 100 miles away from Taylorsville when Carter was last seen alive.

“His whole demeanor had changed”

A trail camera captured an image of Rasheem on the afternoon of Oct. 2, 2022.

According to Houston, Carter’s colleagues and supervisor said in interviews that Carter “had not been himself” during the week before he went missing. “They said his whole demeanor had changed, they weren’t sure what was going on,” Houston said. “They just said he kept to himself more. He usually joked around, and in the last week or so they weren’t able to do that”.

Houston confirmed that Carter had “a couple of verbal altercations” with at least one co-worker. However, the Sheriff didn’t say what led to the altercation or whether the conflict might have prompted Carter’s change in behavior.

Having ruled out the prime suspects, Houston submitted search warrants to Google, starting in mid-November. Houston hoped this might reveal whether any devices pinged in the area where Carter’s remains were found around the time he went missing. “It’s a last-straw-type deal to determine if anyone else was with him or not,” he said. “It’s not uncommon to use this tool.” But the department has had to revise and resubmit this request several times, most recently last week.

The sheriff also said he would welcome the Justice Department’s involvement, saying he wants justice for Carter’s family “just as much as the family does.”

Carter’s family has dismissed any suggestion that Rasheem was under the influence of any substances at the time of his disappearance. Tiffany Carter also says her son had no history of mental illness that could account for the change in behavior. “I just know what my son told me,” Tiffany said. “I don’t believe anything [police] say. It’s lies after lies.”

 

Please share any thoughts, comments or questions in the Comments section below!

 

One year later, search continues for missing Oklahoma mom and son. Former Trump Chief-of-Staff ordered to testify in Georgia election interference probe. US sanctions Iran over hijab protest crackdowns.

 

NATIONAL NEWS

One year later, search continues for missing OK mom and son

It’s been a year since Glenda “Cookie” Parton, 80, her son Dwayne Selby, 59, and Dwayne’s friend Jack Grimes, 76 vanished from Turley, OK, near Tulsa. Selby and Grimes were last seen on Oct. 25, 2021, on their way to a horse show in Texas. When they never arrived, Parton went searching for them and also vanished. Selby and Grimes’ vehicle and the vehicle belonging to Parton were soon both found abandoned in the Tulsa area.

On Oct. 31, 2021, hunters found human remains in a wooded area. Police later identified them as belonging to Grimes and said that his cause of death was homicide. Grimes’ remains were found only about a mile from his home. Investigators now believe that none of the three ever left the area. 

There has since been no sign of either Parton or Grimes, but police believe they also met with foul play. Back in March, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant at the home of Jack Grimes in search of clues. Authorities never revealed whether or not they found anything of interest. Investigators also sought information from people in the regional show horse scene. Grimes, Selby and Parton were loved and respected horse breeders and were partners in a business. However, authorities haven’t indicated that the trio’s fate had any connection to the horse world.

Person of interest?

Last week, TCSO spokeswoman Casey Roebuck told reporters that searches around the county, “resulted in some evidence that is pointing us toward a person of interest”. However, investigators aren’t yet ready to name or charge this person. “We are working with the Tulsa County DA’s office to try and build a case, but we’re not there quite yet,” said Roebuck.

“We have reason to believe the same person is most likely responsible for all three of their deaths,” Roebuck said. “It would help us exponentially if we could locate Dwayne and Cookie. But at this point, we haven’t”.

Bizarrely, a 4th person disappeared from Turley, a town of about 2500 people, about a week before Grimes, Selby and Parton. Shannon Miller, 39, was later found deceased as well. However there’s no indication to date that Miller’s disappearance and death has any connection to the others.

 

Former Trump Chief-of-Staff ordered to testify in Georgia election interference probe

A judge has ordered Mark Meadows to testify before a Fulton County grand jury probing attempts by former President Trump to interfere in the 2020 election. In late 2020, Meadows was Trump’s White House Chief-of-Staff. Meadows was part of an infamous Jan. 2, 2021, phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. During that call, Trump called on Raffensperger to “find” the 11,000-odd votes that Trump needed to overturn his loss to Biden in Georgia. Trump also implied that Raffensperger and his attorney might face legal consequences if they refused.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis convened a grand jury earlier this year over this call and other attempts by Trump surrogates to pressure Georgia state officials to overturn the election results. The grand jury has already heard from Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, who is also a target of the probe.

Like Meadows and others, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R- SC) has been fighting subpoenas to testify in Fulton County. Graham also made phone calls to Raffensperger and other Georgia election officials and lawmakers following the election. Raffensperger says Graham pressed him about the legal authority to toss out certain ballots. Graham asserted his calls were simply “fact-finding” and that his status as a US Senator shielded him under the Speech-and-Debate clause. Court after court rejected this argument, until Graham appealed to the Supreme Court. Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas temporarily blocked the subpoena. It’s worth pointing out that Thomas may have his own reasons for wanting to slow the investigation.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

US sanctions Iran over hijab protest crackdowns

The US has announced new sanctions on Iranian intelligence officials, prison officials, leaders of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, and an Iranian firm engaged in online censorship. The new sanctions come 40 days after Mahsa (or Zhina) Amini died in the custody of Iran’s morality police. Amini was arrested for improperly wearing her hijab.

Amini’s death has sparked weeks of protests all over Iran against the country’s theocratic leadership and oppression of women and free speech. While Iran’s leadership has continually played down the significance and size of the protests, they’ve gone to extraordinary lengths to try to suppress them. Human rights groups in the country say over 200 protesters have been killed in the crackdown and over 12,000 arrested. Just today, clashes occurred between police and protesters marking 40 days after Amini’s death. In Islam, family and loved ones observe a special day of remembrance 40 days after a death.

The sanctions come at a difficult moment for US-Iran relations. Since Biden took office, his administration has been attempting to renew the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, from which Trump unilaterally withdrew. Progress in the negotiations has been slow and prospects for a new treaty look increasingly unlikely. At the same time, activists supporting the protesters in Iran have been calling on the US to pause the negotiation. They say that a new treaty and sanctions relief would strengthen the current Iranian regime and undermine the protesters.

Click here for the full story (opens in new tab).

 

Please share any thoughts, comments or questions in the Comments section below!

 

 

 

Quinton Simon update: Police believe toddler deceased; mom prime suspect. Lawyers: Bankruptcy won’t shield Alex Jones from $1 billion Sandy Hook judgement. Parkland school shooter gets life sentence. US answers Haiti’s call for help quelling violence.

 

NATIONAL NEWS

Quinton Simon update: Police believe Savannah toddler is deceased; mom prime suspect

The Chatham County Police have announced on social media that they believe that Quinton Simon, the 20-month-old toddler that went missing from his Savannah Georgia home last week, is dead. Police have named Quinton’s mom, Leilani Simon, 22, as the prime suspect in his death and disappearance. As of the time of this writing, police have not located Quinton’s remains. However, the police department held a news conference a short while ago.

Leilani’s boyfriend Daniel Youngkin claims to have last seen Quinton around 6am last Wednesday morning in his playpen. His mother then reported him missing around 9:40am. She reportedly told dispatchers she thought someone had taken him from the home. Police appear to have been immediately skeptical of this once they arrived at the home. Police didn’t even issue an Amber alert for Quinton, which is standard in cases of child abduction.

Immediate suspicions

Other strange details emerged. Quinton’s usual babysitter said publicly that she had received a text message around 5:30 am, saying that Quinton’s parents would not be bringing Quinton or his 3-year-old brother to her home as was usual.

Leilani’s mother Billy Jo Howell, then made statements publicly indicating she doubted her daughter’s version of events. Howell has had legal custody of both Quinton and his brother for several months, and had trying to evict her daughter and Youngkin from the home. Leilani and Youngking also have a 4-month-old daughter who was still in their custody until last week. It’s not clear where the other children are now, whether they are with their grandmother or if child protective services has them.

A court recently ordered Leilani to pay child support to her mother for Quinton and his brother, starting next month.

Where is Quinton?

Yesterday, Chatham County Police said they’d seized evidence from the home that they believed would move the investigation forward. They did not elaborate on what that evidence was. Search dogs also returned to the home yesterday for about an hour.

Other than saying they believe Quinton was dead, police have not said publicly where they believed his remains were. However, Howell told local reporters that police believed Quinton was in a landfill. It’s not clear which landfill they believed he was in or whether that landfill had been searched. There haven’t as yet been any details as to when or how police believe Quinton’s body might have arrived at the landfill.

Police have not confirmed reporting about the landfill.

Mother not yet charged, arrested

In a press conference today, Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley told reporters that although Leilani Simon is the prime suspect, she has not yet been charged or arrested. Investigators are still gathering evidence in the case. Hadley said he does not believe Simon is a flight risk. When reporters asked why Simon was not yet in custody, Hadley said, “We will only do that when we feel we have everything we need to. We only get one shot at this, right? We’re gonna do it right”.

Click here for the full story (opens in new tab).

You can see today’s full (7-minute) press conference by clicking here (opens in new tab).

You can check the Chatham County Police Facebook page here for further updates as they become available (opens in new tab).

 

Lawyers: Bankruptcy won’t shield Alex Jones from $1 billion payout to Sandy Hook families

Yesterday, a Connecticut jury awarded $965 million to families of Sandy Hook victims who had claimed defamation by right-wing conspiracy pundit Alex Jones. In 2012, gunman Adam Lanza gunned down 27 people (20 children and 7 adults) at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT. Immediately thereafter, Jones used his InfoWars platform to call the tragedy a “hoax” by gun control advocates. Family members of the victims then endured years of harassment and death threats from followers of Jones. All the while, Jones was raking in millions from his coverage of the “hoax” and sales of health supplements on his channel.

As the verdict was being read out, Jones was broadcasting imploring his audience to donate to his defense fund and asking them to buy his health supplements. Jones vowed to appeal the case and defiantly stated that the plaintiffs would never get the money. He also professed a belief that his bankruptcy filing would protect him.

Not so fast, say bankruptcy lawyers.

Multiple lawyers who spoke to Business Insider said Jones confidence was misplaced. Even though Jones and Infowars have filed for bankruptcy, this will not shield him from having to pay out this judgement or any of the previous defamation judgements against him. The attorneys for the plaintiffs in the various cases will have the opportunity to investigate his finances and uncover any hidden assets. They will also be able to file claims as creditors of Jones with the bankruptcy court stating Jones must pay the money as it is compensation for “willful injury”.

The attorneys Insider spoke to agreed it was unlikely that the families would ever collect the full amount. Jones exact net worth isn’t known, and he has taken a lot of trouble to hide assets in various shell companies. However, one attorney said, “We’re talking about such outsized numbers that even if [Jones] is able to bob and weave some, I just don’t see how he winds up anything but basically broke now for the rest of his life”. 

Click here for the full story (opens in new tab).

 

Florida jury gives Parkland school shooter life sentence

In a quick update to a story we covered yesterday, a jury has spared school shooter Nikolas Cruz the death penalty, instead sentencing him to life without parole. Cruz gunned down 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, in 2018. Prosecutors had argued Cruz deserved the death penalty for his pre-meditated attack while his defense pleaded for leniency due to his mental disorders and difficult upbringing.

Numerous victims’ family members expressed their disappointment at the verdict on social media. They will have the opportunity to express their views at the formal sentencing hearing on November 1.

Click here for the full story (opens in new tab).

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

US to answer Haiti’s call for assistance in quelling violence

The State Department will be invalidating the visas of current and former Haitian government officials residing in the US who are connected with the gang violence ravaging Haiti. The order will also apply to the officials’ immediate family members.

Haiti’s interim President Ariel Henry recently called for international assistance to restore order in the country. Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse last year, a political vacuum has allowed gangs to seize control of much of the country. The gangs are blockading fuel depots and have a stranglehold over much of Haiti’s supply routes. The disruption has seriously compromised the response to a cholera outbreak that has recently emerged. 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the US will “increase “security assistance” to Haiti’s National Police “to strengthen their capacity to counter gangs and reestablish a stable security environment”. The US will also be bringing much needed humanitarian assistance including water and rehydration salts.

Click here for the full story (opens in new tab).

 

Please share any thoughts, comments or questions in the Comments section below!

 

Savannah police, FBI search for toddler, missing 5 days. Pentagon struggles to address rising suicide rates. Russia strikes Kyiv in retaliation for Crimea bridge explosion.

 

NATIONAL NEWS

Savannah police, FBI searching for toddler, missing 5 days

Quinton Simon, 20-months-old, was last seen in his playpen by his mother’s boyfriend, Daniel Youngkin, around 6am on Wednesday morning. Quinton’s mother, Leilani Simon, 20, reported him missing a little after 9:40am that day, shortly after she awoke. A call from the dispatcher to local police said Leilani believed her son could not have opened the door on his own and that someone must have come in and taken him. Police have since exhaustively searched the home and the surrounding area, including a swimming pool and nearby pond and woods.

Because police could not rule out the possibility of an abduction, the FBI has joined the investigation. Police have said they don’t suspect foul play at this time and have not named any suspects or persons of interest in the case. Quinton’s biological father was not in the area at the time of his disappearance, and police do not suspect a custody dispute. The boy’s parents, the mother’s boyfriend, and the child’s grandmother are all cooperating with detectives.

Disturbing details

There are several oddities in the case that have garnered media attention and rampant speculation on social media. Quinton, his 3-year-old brother Zayne, his mother and his mother’s boyfriend all apparently live with Leilani’s mother, Billie Jo Howell. Howell and her husband now have custody of both Quinton and Zayne. Court records show that in September, Howell had attempted to have her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend evicted from the home. Last week, Howell said of her daughter, “I don’t know if I can trust her or I don’t. I just know I’m hurting and I want this baby home. He’s my baby”.

Quinton and Zayne’s babysitter Diana McCarta normally watches the boys at her home during the day and told reporters she was supposed to watch the boys that day. However, McCarta told reporters she’d received a text at 5:29 am Wednesday morning stating that she wouldn’t be babysitting that day. This was “kind of odd,” McCarta said, “because I have them even when [Leilani] doesn’t work”.

Although, Howell usually keeps the boys, Leiliani had been caring for them while Howell was away on a business trip. While Leilani was taking care of the boys, McCarta said, “I started seeing things that weren’t quite right”. McCarta claims, for example, that she’d seen the boys outside unsupervised while in their mother’s care.

Despite these ominous circumstances, police say they don’t yet have any reason to believe Quinton is dead and remain hopeful of finding him alive.

Click here for the full story (opens in new tab).

 

Pentagon struggles to address rising suicide rates

Since 9/11, four times as many veterans and active-duty military personnel have died by suicide as have died in combat, according to a 2021 study by the Cost of War Project. Between 2015 and 2020, suicides among active-duty service members have increased by 40%. In some postings, the number nearly doubled. 

The Cost of War study attributed the high suicide rates to service members’ “high exposure to trauma — mental, physical, moral, and sexual — stress and burnout, the influence of the military’s hegemonic masculine culture, continued access to guns, and the difficulty of reintegrating into civilian life”. In recent years, active service members are also increasingly contending with added stressors such as food insecurity and housing insecurity.

Although Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has acknowledged the problem and issued directives for mental health resources and quality of life improvements, service members still face many barriers when trying to get the help they need. The culture of self-sufficiency in the military means that service members fear stigma and consequences for their career if they seek help for their mental health. Even when they do request help, resources are stretched thin, and service members may have to wait weeks for their first appointment.

Click here for the full story (opens in new tab).

If you’re experiencing depression or thoughts suicide, help is available by calling or texting 988. You can also access an online chat at 988lifeline.org.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Russia retaliates for Crimea bridge explosion with missile launches missiles at Kyiv, other Ukrainian cities

On Saturday, an explosion destroyed part of the Kerch bridge which connects the Crimean Peninsula with Russia. Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014, and the Kerch bridge served as both a physical and symbolic reunification of Crimea with the Russian motherland. President Vladimir Putin personally attended its dedication. Since the invasion begin, the bridge has also been a major military supply artery for the Russian military.

It’s not clear as yet what caused the explosion. Russian authorities have blamed a truck bomb, but independent analysts have disputed the evidence for this. Some have speculated the Ukrainians may have used a special “drone boat” to attack the bridge. Whatever the case, Putin has branded the attack on the bridge an “act of terror” by Ukraine, and ordered today’s wide-ranging missile campaign across the country in retaliation.

Part of this relation included several missile strikes against the capital in Kyiv, the first in several months. In the early days of the invasion, Russia tried and failed to occupy Kyiv. For four hours, air raid sirens rang out in every region of Ukraine, apart from Crimea. Dozens of missile strikes targeted civilian and energy infrastructure in various cities, possibly signaling a major escalation in hostilities.

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Please share any thoughts, comments or questions in the Comments section below!

 

 

Girl missing since 2019 found alive in secret room. In a first, Sandy Hook families announce $73M settlement with gunmaker Remington. Russia says it’s withdrawing Ukraine troops; U.S., Ukraine skeptical. 

 

 

NATIONAL NEWS

New York State: Girl missing since 2019 found alive in secret room

Police in Ulster County, NY, have recovered Paislee Shultis, 6, who had been missing since 2019. Paislee’s birth parents Kimberly Cooper, 33, and Kirk Shultis Jr., 32, who do not have legal custody of her, had been hiding her in a house in Saugerties, NY. The house belonged to Kirk Shultis’ father, who claimed not to know where Paislee was. 

Though police had reason to believe that Paislee’s parents were behind her disappearance, numerous previous searches of this property had yielded nothing. On Monday, police once again responded to an anonymous tip that Paislee could be found at the house. When police arrived, they again initially found nothing. But one of the detectives noticed that the stairs leading to the basement were oddly constructed.

The officers removed several boards, revealing Paislee and Ms. Cooper hiding in a “small, cold, and wet” enclosure. Despite the ordeal, Paislee was in good health. Neighbors had no idea that the little girl was at the residence.

While police were taking Paislee to the station, they passed a McDonald’s. Paislee said she had not had McDonald’s in a long time, so officers turned around and bought her a happy meal.

Ms. Cooper, Kirk Shultis Jr. and Kirk Shultis Sr. were arrested and charged with custodial interference and child endangerment. Paislee was returned to her legal guardians, where she was reunited with her older sister. The reasons that Paislee’s parents lost custody of her have not been made public.

Click here for the full story (opens in new tab).

 

In a first, Sandy Hook families announce $73M settlement with gunmaker Remington

It’s been nearly a decade since Adam Lanza, 20, gunned down 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary with a Bushmaster AR-15 rifle. Twenty of Lanza’s victims were children between 6 and 7 years old; the other 6 were adult school staff members.

Since 2014, nine families of the 26 victims have been fighting a protracted legal battle to hold Remington Arms, makers of the Bushmaster rifle, accountable. The plaintiffs faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles, not least of which was the 2005 Federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA). PLCAA gives gunmakers broad legal immunity in the event that their guns are used in a violent crime.

The families argued that Remington’s marketing of the military-style assault weapons to insecure, at-risk young men like Lanza (with slogans like “Consider Your Man Card Reissued”) demonstrated a desire to amp sales with no regard for the consequences. A judge agreed that these reckless marketing tactics are not protected by PLCAA and allowed the families’ suit to go ahead.

Yesterday, the families announced that they had agreed to a $73 million settlement with Remington. Since Remington has filed twice for bankruptcy, the payout will come from Remington’s insurers. This is the first time a gun manufacturer has been held legally responsible for a mass shooting.

Click here for the full story (opens in new tab).

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Russia says it is withdrawing troops from Ukraine border; Ukraine, U.S. and NATO skeptical

Yesterday, Vladimir Putin announced a partial withdrawal of Russian troops from the Ukrainian border. A day later, Ukrainian, U.S., and NATO officials say they have yet to see any evidence of this on the ground. Western intelligence sources say Russia has positioned as many as 150,000 troops around Ukraine’s borders. As many as 30,000 of those are in Belarus where Russia says it is conducting pre-planned joint drills with Belorussian troops. Those drills are scheduled to end Feb. 20, and observers are waiting to see whether the Russian troops will in fact leave that day.

Meanwhile, Russia continues to engage in cyber warfare, targeting Ukrainian banks and government infrastructure. Some speculate that Russia’s objective with both the troop presence and cyber attacks is simply to wear down the Ukrainian populace and undermine its government.

President Biden also warned yesterday that if Putin does decide to invade Ukraine, Americans may see yet another jump in oil prices at home.

Click here for the full story (opens in new tab).

 

Please share any thoughts, comments or questions in the Comments section below!

NEMiss.News Sheriff's Dept. Vehicle

UPDATED: 8:00 p.m.  January 24, 2022

The body of a man missing from his Union County home since Saturday, Jan. 24, was found early Monday evening, Jan. 24.

The body of David Michael McGill, age 44, was found by members of the Union County Search and Rescue Team. Union County Sheriff Jimmy Edwards said, “Foul play is not suspected at this time. There will, of course, be an autopsy to determine the cause of death.”

Sheriff Edwards said Mr. McGill’s body was found less than a mile from where his motor vehicle was located earlier Monday.

Original Post: https://newalbanyunionco.com/missing-man-sought-in-union-county-concerns-for-his-health-and-well-being/

NEMiss.News David Michael McGill

 

 

Union County Sheriff Jimmy Edwards is asking for help from the public in the search for David Michael McGill, age 44.

McGill, who suffers from cancer, has been missing from his Union County home since Saturday, Jan. 22. He does not have his medications with him. A “Silver Alert” has been issued for Mr. McGill. A Silver Alert designates any person who may be in urgent need of medical care or other assistance.

A Union County deputy found McGill’s motor vehicle today, Monday, Jan. 24, on County Road 14 near Porter’s Lake. Local public safety officials are conducting a ground search in that area now looking for David McGill.

If you have seen this man or know anything solid that could assist in the search, please call the Union County Sheriff’s office at 662-534-1941.

 

UPDATED:  8:00 p.mp 1-24-2022

McGill’s body located: https://newalbanyunionco.com/missing-union-county-mans-body-found-early-monday-evening/

NEMiss.News Marc Lynn Cobb

 

Correction: Cobb had been missing since January 2020, not January 2021, as in original post.

 

Human remains found Monday night, Oct. 4 along Highway 25 in the Tilden community of Itawamba County have been identified as those of Marc Lynn Cobb.

Cobb had been reported missing in January, 2020, and was last seen alive at American Inn in Fulton, MS, on January 12, 2020.

Fulton Police Chief Mitch Nabors confirmed Friday afternoon, Oct 22, that the remains discovered Oct. 4 were those of Cobb.

He was 27 years old.

He was reported missing after he did not show up for work at his job and had not contacted his family.

The cause of death has not been determined

 

Obituary link:  https://newalbanyunionco.com/marc-lynn-cobb-27/

 

 

 

Body found in Wyoming believed to be missing Youtuber. ICE deports 1000s of migrants sheltering under TX bridge. AUKUS: N. Korea, UN warn of Cold War.

 

NATIONAL NEWS

Body found in Wyoming believed to be missing YouTuber Gabby Petito

Police believe that a body found in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park is that of missing YouTuber Gabby Petito, 22. FBI investigator Charles Jones says the remains are “consistent with [Petito’s] description”, but police are still awaiting confirmation through forensic testing. Police have not released a cause of death but have notified Petito’s family.

For anyone who hasn’t been following the still-unfolding drama, Petito and her fiancé Brian Laundrie, 23, set off on a cross-country trek in Petito’s Ford Transit van in mid-July. Petito posted updates of their journey on social media, which gathered a small following.

On Aug. 12, police in Moab, Utah, pulled the van over for speeding. Police body cameras captured a lengthy exchange between the officers and the couple, who detail a physical altercation that had taken place between them. The police filed no charges against Petito or Laundrie, but separated them for the night.

Gabby goes missing

On Aug. 24, Petito’s family received their last text from Gabby. However, her mother is unsure whether it was really Gabby who sent the text. 

On Sept. 1, Brian Laundrie showed up at the home he shares with his parents in North Port, FL, in Gabby’s van. Gabby was not with him. Laundrie refused to say where Gabby was and has not spoken to law enforcement. Gabby’s family says they have heard nothing from either Laundrie or his family despite reaching out multiple times. The Petito family officially reported Gabby missing on Sept. 11.

Then this past Friday, Sept. 17, Laundrie’s family reported that Brian was missing. They said he had left Tuesday for the Carlton Nature Reserve in Sarasota County, FL, and had not been seen or heard from since. Laundrie’s family also claim Brian left in his own vehicle with nothing but a backpack. This is odd since police found said vehicle at the Laundrie residence. Nevertheless, authorities are combing the 24,000-acre nature reserve searching for Laundrie.

Following the news of Laundrie’s disappearance, Petito’s family released a statement insisting that Laundrie was not “missing” but “hiding”. Police have not filed any charges against Laundrie but have labeled him a “person of interest” in Gabby’s disappearance.

Authorities have already received several tips from members of the public who claim to have encountered the couple around the time of Gabby’s disappearance: Jones, the FBI agent, said: “We continue to seek information from anyone who utilized the Spread Creek dispersed camping area [in Grand Teton] between the dates of 27 August and 30 August; anyone that may have had contact with Gabby or [Brian]; or who may have seen their vehicle in that area. Please share any new information with the FBI.”

Click here for the full story (opens in new tab).

 

ICE to deport thousands of migrants sheltering under Texas bridge

Depending what reports you believe, between 13,000 and 14,000 migrants have set up a makeshift encampment under a Texas bridge near the Mexican border. Most of the migrants are originally from Haiti, but others hail from Cuba, Brazil and other Latin American countries. Many of the Haitians most recently resided and worked in South America. They made the perilous journey north on foot after work opportunities dried up in their host countries and they were no longer able to support themselves. 

The bridge connects Del Rio, TX, to Ciudad Acuña in Mexico. The migrants have taken shelter underneath it with temperatures averaging around 100 degrees. Many already on the Texas side have to cross back to Acuña to get water and food to bring back to their families. Conditions are already overcrowded, dangerous and unsanitary, and thousands more migrants may still be on the way.

Biden continues Trump-era deportation policy

Several deportation flights have already taken off from nearby airports transporting Haitians back to Haiti. Given the current humanitarian crisis in Haiti following last month’s massive earthquake, it’s not clear why the Haitians are returning to Haiti and not to their previous host countries. 

The deportations are authorized under Title 42, a public health measure which Trump enacted and Biden had promised to discontinue.

Senate parliamentarian rules out immigration reform in budget bill

The Senate parliamentarian has ruled that Democrats cannot include sweeping immigration reform measures in the $3.5 trillion budget bill. The parliamentarian says the reforms are not admissible in a reconciliation bill since it has little bearing on the budget. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says the party will submit alternative proposals in hopes of swaying the parliamentarian.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

AUKUS deal: North Korea, UN warn of nuclear arms race, Cold War

Last week’s announcement of a new defense pact between Australia, the UK and the US (AUKUS) has set the international fur flying. First to react following the news was France, who lost out on a $90 billion submarine deal with Australia. French officials claim Australia “blindsided” them with its decision to take a better offer of nuclear-powered sub technology from the US. France is now in the throes of a full-blown hissy fit, announcing its withdrawal from a defense pact with the UK. Analysts see this as an impotent show of France’s indignation at being sidelined.

China was also quick to react, saying that the defense deal reflects a “Cold War mentality”. The AUKUS deal is most pointedly, if not explicitly, aimed at countering China’s influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

Now, North Korea says the deal could “upset the strategic balance in the Asia-Pacific region” and trigger a “nuclear arms race”. And UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is urging both China and the US to back down from a Cold War posture.

 

 

NEMiss.news Tallahatchie River at Co Rd 46

 

Two months ago today – New Year’s Day – Jessica Stacks, age 28, of the Harmony Community in western Union County, was reported missing.

Stacks was said to have gotten into a boat on the flooded Tallahatchie River with Jerry Wayne Baggett, age 45, early that morning.

Baggett told law enforcement authorities that he and Stacks had put the motorless boat in the river at the County Road 46 bridge, about a mile south of Mississippi Highway 30.

Union County Sheriff Jimmy Edwards said he was told that Willie Stinson, a Union County resident, helped Baggett and Stacks put the boat into the river.

According to Baggett, he and Stacks had been floating downstream only a short while when Stacks said she wanted to get out of the boat and walk out of the river bottom to Highway 30. Baggett said he let Stacks out of the boat on the right (north) bank of the river.

Tallahatchie River boat ramp NEMiss.News

Authorities say this is the ramp Jerry Wayne Baggett used to launch his motorless boat.

The river bottom was flooded at the time, and Stacks would have had to wade through flood waters to get to Highway 30.

Baggett said after letting Stacks out of the boat, he went on downstream some distance and got out of the river on the left bank.

Although Baggett said Stacks got out of the boat sometime Friday morning, it was 10:15 p.m. that night before she was reported missing.

The Union Sheriff’s Office and the 25-member Union County Search and Rescue Team started searching for her immediately.

During the two months since New Year’s Day, the search for Jessica Stacks has included not only Union County law enforcement and emergency personnel but many other resources:

  • Drones with heat seeking cameras have searched the Tallahatchie River and nearby river bottom.
  • Teams of trained divers and cadaver dogs from Mississippi and two other states have searched the river.
  • A helicopter from the Mississippi Highway Patrol was used.
  • Searchers have criss-crossed the river bottom with all terrain vehicles (ATVs).

Law enforcement efforts have been hindered more than helped by extensive speculation on social media, specifically Facebook. Individuals claiming to know something about what happened to Jessica Stacks have posted their theories and speculations on Facebook, sending law enforcement officials on wild goose chases, following fruitless “leads.”

Union County Sheriff Jimmy Edwards told NEMiss.News yesterday that someone posted something on Facebook on Saturday, Feb. 20, saying they “knew where Jessica Stacks was buried.”

Deputies checked on the person who “knew were Jessica was buried,” but no usable information resulted.
Then on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 21, someone called saying they were riding an ATV and saw a body under the Rocky Ford bridge.

Tallahatchie River out of banks 2-27-28

The Tallahatchie slightly out of its banks this past weekend.

The caller was told to stay at the scene, and county deputies raced to the scene on dangerous blacktop roads. However, when deputies got to the Rocky Ford bridge, nobody was there and officers found no footprints or ATV tracks in the snow that would indicate anyone had actually been there.

Sheriff Edwards said an attempt will be made to trace the call with a subpoena of telephone records, but, he said, even if law enforcement turns up the telephone that made the call, “I’m not sure we can prove who was holding the phone when the call was made.”

The case of the missing Jessica Stacks has drawn extraordinary interest, not just locally but from other states as well. The growth of the Internet and social media, especially Facebook, has given rise to a swarm of wanna-be detectives, “psychics,” people who have visions and see things in dreams, etc. A great many such self-anointed experts have contacted and “advised” local law enforcement with their opinions and criticisms about where Jessica Stacks might be. None have produced useful information but dealing with them has taken up a great deal of the time and energy of local law enforcement officers.

Two months have gone by. Many hundreds of man hours and many thousands of dollars worth of resources have been used, but Jessica Stacks is still missing.

“It is still an active case,” Edwards told NEMiss.News yesterday. “We will continue to follow every lead we get in our efforts to find Jessica Stacks.”

 

NEMiss.News social media hindering search

 

As the search for missing Jessica Stacks goes into its 12th day, the work of law enforcement officers is increasingly frustrated by activity on so-called “social media.”

Tens of thousands of northeast Mississippians have followed the news about Stacks and her mysterious disappearance New Year’s Day on NEMiss.News, WTVA, WLBT, etc.

Interest in the story about what happened to Stacks has triggered a huge babble of discussion on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

Concerned people, including several wannabe detectives, have flooded social media with theories, assumptions, “facts” and speculation about what may have happened to the 28-year-old woman. She is said to have disappeared from a boat in which she was riding with Jerry Wayne Baggett.

NEMiss.News Divers on Tallahatchie

Divers search the Tallahatchie River in missing person recovery attempt.

Scores of law enforcement and emergency management people have put in thousands of man hours searching for Stacks. Their work has been handicapped by loose talk on social media. The people whose duty it is to try to find out what happened to Stacks, have wasted countless hours and resources running down rumors and alleged “facts” circulated on Facebook, private messaging, etc.

Union County Sheriff Jimmy Edwards makes this simple request:

“If you have real information that may help us find out what happened to Jessica Stacks, call us. Call 662-534-1941. That number is answered by a trained dispatcher 24/7.

“The dispatchers will quickly contact me. I or one of my deputies, will interview you as soon as possible on the telephone or face-to-face to find out what you know and how you know it.

“We have too many people hiding behind their damned computer keyboards, spreading unreliable speculation, and it’s making our work much, much harder. If you really know something, call us. Again, the number is 662-534-1941.

NEMiss.News 4-wheeler stuck

During search a four wheeler was stuck, winched from mud of Tallahatchie River bottom area.

“We are more determined than ever to find out what happened to Jessica Stacks, but we need you to tell us directly if you actually know anything. Stop wasting our time and yours kicking it around on Facebook, text messages and so on.

“We need hard facts, not gossip.

“This idle gossip and speculation on social media is not only hindering our investigation, it is adding to the pain of those who have lost her.”

“Call us 24/7 at 662-534-1941 if you actually know anything about what may have happened. We thank you for any hard facts you can give us,” Edwards concluded.

 

Who has searched for Stacks, and how: https://newalbanyunionco.com/stacks-missing-ten-days-sheriff-not-ready-to-quit-looking/

NEMiss.News Sardis Lake

 

Sheriff Jimmy Edwards reported still no success Thursday after another full day’s search for Jessica Stacks, reported missing almost a week ago.

The Union County Sheriff’s Department learned she was missing about 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 1, and has conducted searches beginning that night and continuing daily since then.

Stacks, 28, of the Harmony community, and companion Jerry Wayne Baggett were said to be floating down the river in a boat without a motor. They were said to have put the boat into the water from County Road 46 early Friday. Baggett told the sheriff that Stacks got out of the boat with the intention of walking out of the river bottom. Much of the river bottom was flooded when Stacks is said to have left the boat. It was reported that Baggett continued down the river and was picked up later.

Officers from various agencies along with some volunteers have put in hundreds of hours searching for Stacks every day, at times using high-tech mapping and surveillance equipment to make sure all areas were covered.

Specially-equipped drones and even a Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol search helicopter were brought in and some night searches were performed, at times in rain and near-freezing weather. Although they found evidence of where Stacks got out of the river, there was no sign of her on land.

Edwards said they have also conducted several water searches and they tried using a diver. “The water was just too cold for a diver,” he said. Edwards says they have searched as far as Graham near the headwaters of Sardis Lake.

“I rode it myself yesterday from Graham down to Rocky Ford and back but didn’t see anything,” he said.

The river bottom area is rough terrain, cut up with serpentine natural ditches, filled with brush. There are also deep man-made ditches dug to drain water from crop fields.

“We’re going to try to stay hopeful,” he said Tuesday, “ but after this many days it doesn’t look good.

The incident has drawn a great deal of social media speculation, but Edwards said they had no evidence to contradict what they were told and could not act on speculation.