TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — The federal government on Tuesday carried out its first execution in almost two decades, killing by lethal injection a man convicted of murdering an Arkansas family in a 1990s plot to build a whites-only nation in the Pacific Northwest.
The execution of Daniel Lewis Lee came over the objection of the victims’ relatives and following days of legal wrangling and delays.
Lee, 47, of Yukon, Oklahoma, professed his innocence just before he was executed at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana.
“I didn’t do it,” Lee said. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but I’m not a murderer.”
His final words were: “You’re killing an innocent man.”
The execution of Lee, who died at 8:07 a.m. EDT, went off after a series of legal volleys that ended when the Supreme Court stepped in early Tuesday in a 5-4 ruling and allowed it to move forward.
But relatives of those killed by Lee in 1996 strongly opposed that idea and long argued that Lee deserved a sentence of life in prison. They wanted to be present to counter any contention that the execution was being done on their behalf.
“For us it is a matter of being there and saying, ‘This is not being done in our name; we do not want this,’” relative Monica Veillette said.
They noted that Lee’s co-defendant and the reputed ringleader, Chevie Kehoe, received a life sentence.
Kehoe, of Colville, Washington, recruited Lee in 1995 to join his white supremacist orgaization, known as the Aryan Peoples’ Republic. Two years later, they were arrested for the killings of gun dealer William Mueller, his wife, Nancy, and her 8-year-old daughter, Sarah Powell, in Tilly, Arkansas, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) northwest of Little Rock.
At their 1999 trial, prosecutors said Kehoe and Lee stole guns and $50,000 in cash from the Muellers as part of their plan to establish a whites-only nation.
Prosecutors said Lee and Kehoe incapacitated the Muellers and questioned Sarah about where they could find money and ammunition. Then, they used stun guns on the victims, sealed trash bags with duct tape on their heads to suffocate them, taped rocks to their bodies and dumped them in a nearby bayou.
Directed and Animated by KDC Visions/ @kdcvisions Additional animation by Dario Ricciotti/ @drew94100 and JF Arts/ @jf_arts_vfx Executive Produced By: Brandon “Bibby” Dickinson, George “G Money” Dickinson, Peter "Pete" Jideonwo
Two young men and two teenage boys were charged Monday with killing rap artist Pop Smoke during a robbery at a Hollywood Hills home nearly five months ago.
Corey Walker, 19, and Keandre Rodgers, 18, were expected to be arraigned Monday afternoon on capital murder charges stemming from the Feb. 19 killing of the 20-year-old, New York-based rapper, whose real name was Bashar Jackson.
A special circumstance allegation that the murder was committed during the commission of a robbery and burglary means that, if convicted as charged, Walker and Rodgers would be eligible for a death sentence. Prosecutors will decide later whether to pursue the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole for the defendants, who are also facing gang and gun allegations.
Two boys aged 15 and 17 were charged with murder and robbery in juvenile court, according to the District Attorney's office. Their names were withheld because they are underage.
Officers went to 2033 Hercules Drive in the Hollywood Hills about 4 a.m. in response to a 911 call and found the mortally injured rapper, who was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Los Angeles police said last week, when making five arrests in the case, that investigators believed the men and boys entered Jackson's short-term rental home and shot and robbed him inside. Investigators believe the suspects are "members of a Los Angeles street gang,'' according to police.
Walker, Rodgers and Jaquan Murphy, 21, were arrested Thursday and held on $1 million bail.
Online jail records show that Murphy remains in custody, but shows no pending court date and does not indicate where he is being held.
WAYNESBORO — A game of “cops and robbers” turned deadly Wednesday morning when a 13-year-old boy allegedly pulled a loaded gun from a living-room couch and shot his younger brother in the head in their Waynesboro home.
The defendant, Brayden Leroy Wright, is charged as an adult with criminal homicide and aggravated assault in the death of his 9-year-old brother, according to court records. The teen is in Franklin County Jail, denied bail.
The brothers were hanging out in the living room of their Cleveland Avenue home early Wednesday when Wright decided he wanted to play “cops and robbers,” according to the affidavit of probable cause.
The teen said he got a handgun from the couch that he knew his father kept there, and he knew it was loaded. Wright’s father told police he keeps two loaded 9mm handguns in an unlocked compartment in the couch in the living room, for home protection.
Wright told police he was angry that his brother was not listening to him, so he put the muzzle of the gun to the back left side of his brother’s head and pulled the trigger, according to court documents.
The teen said he put the gun back inside the couch after the shooting. He described it as a black and silver handgun, which matched the Smith & Wesson SD-9VE handgun that police found inside the couch compartment while executing a search warrant.
Wright called 911 to report that his brother was injured and needed help. Waynesboro police officers responded shortly after 6 a.m. State police arrived about an hour later.
Police found the 9-year-old bleeding from the head and in cardiac arrest. He was taken to Waynesboro Hospital, where he died.
Medical personnel determined the boy had been shot in the head.
During his interview with police, Wright said he has “some knowledge” about handling a handgun, and that his father told him to never point a gun at another person. He also admitted that he had handled firearms at the home without his parents’ knowledge, likening it to “practicing,” according to police.
Wright is scheduled to appear at a preliminary hearing at 8:15 a.m. Monday in Franklin County Central Court.
Chicago’s top cop is again calling for community partnerships and additional investments in South and West Side neighborhoods after yet another violent weekend that saw 11 homicides and more than 60 people shot.
Chicago police Superintendent David Brown on Monday said he’s already planning to expand a new community policing initiative launched just last week to help grow relationships between police and residents, as gun violence continued to spike over the weekend.
“We should not be seen as an occupying force only there for enforcement,” Brown said during a press conference Monday morning. “So I would say standby. You’ll see community policing on steroids in this department.”
Between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday, 11 people were murdered and 53 others were wounded in 50 separate shooting incidents, according to Brown. Of those 64 total victims, six were children.
Among the weekend violence was a shooting in Englewood that left a 45-year-old man dead and three others injured Sunday night. A 20-year-old man was also killed and two teens were injured in a shooting late Sunday at a West Englewood gas station.
The violence continued into early Monday morning with at least two additional homicides: a 26-year-old man was shot and killed in North Lawndale at around 12:30 a.m., and a 27-year-old man was fatally shot in Woodlawn around 1:45 a.m.
Chicago police have recovered 5,100 illegal guns so far this year, Brown said, including 98 in the past week.
Brown’s press conferences have become a grim weekly occurrence as of late following spikes in gun violence weekend after weekend. At least 17 people were killed over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Fourteen people, including three children, were killed the weekend prior to that, and through June, Chicago had matched it’s 2016 homicide pace – a year that finished with more than 760 murders citywide.
The CPD launched a new initiative Saturday with its Summer Mobile Patrol beginning to participate in community service projects every week across Chicago in what the department said is an effort to both tackle serious crimes and address the root causes of violence.
On Monday, Brown said he now wants that patrol to engage in service projects not just once a week, but every single day.
The superintendent has spoken repeatedly in recent weeks about the “open air drug markets” that he said are a main driver of violence and a “pipeline” into the criminal justice system. Brown said policing alone cannot solve these problems, and has called for additional investments and job opportunities in needy neighborhoods.
“If the biggest employer on the West Side for these young people is the drug market, the challenge and the answer is much more than policing,” he said.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot echoed those comments at a separate press conference Monday, but said the city has already begun investing in mental health, affordable housing and street outreach and intervention at “historic” levels.
“You look at the root causes of violence, this is generations of lack of investment. Generations where we really haven’t created real opportunities, particularly for young men of color, and they believe their destiny is on a (street) corner,” she said.
“We’re not gonna change that around in a few weeks, but I think the efforts that we are doing both on the short-term interventions, also the longer term strategy, we’re starting to see some difference. Is anybody satisfied with where we are? Of course not. So we’ve got to redouble our efforts.”
Naya Rivera's body has been recovered from Lake Piru ... TMZ has learned.
Ventura County officials said Monday that a body had been found at the lake, and our law enforcement sources have confirmed it is, in fact, her. A press conference sharing the news publicly is forthcoming.
As we reported ... Naya and her 4-year-old son, Josey Hollis Dorsey, were swimming in Lake Piru when something terrible happened Wednesday. Josey got back in the boat and when authorities arrived for a check, he told them he and his mom were swimming and he didn't know what happened to her.
Naya made a name for herself as a child actress and model, who appeared in various national TV commercials. She landed the role of Hillary Winston on "The Royal Family" at just 4 years old. She received a nomination for a Young Artist Award.
Naya's big break came in 2009 when she landed the role of Santana Lopez on the FOX hit series, "Glee." She was a talented singer ... signing with Columbia Records in 2011. That same year ... she was part of the "Glee" ensemble nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Don't Stop Believin'."
In 2013, she released a single, "Sorry," featuring Big Sean, whom she dated and was briefly engaged to in 2013, before ending the relationship in 2014.
Naya later dated Josey's father, actor Ryan Dorsey, marrying him in Cabo San Lucas in July 2014. They divorced in 2018 and had been sharing custody of Josey.
She was also no stranger to the big screen ... making her debut in 2014 in the horror film "At the Devil's Door." She also appeared on Lifetime's "Devious Maids."
Last time we saw her was in October 2018 at LAX, ... where we talked to her about doing her own lobbying for a part in Steven Spielberg's flick, "West Side Story."
For years, there was no way to hang ten if there were no waves. Well, no more! Join 2 Chainz as he checks out the JetSurf board, a motorized surfboard that completely removes the need for waves.
(CNN) YouTube star Nicole Thea has died at the age of 24, along with her unborn baby.
The London-based influencer's family confirmed the news on Sunday in an Instagram post, stating that Thea's unborn son had also died.
"To all Nicole's friends and supporters it is with great sadness that I have to inform you that Nicole and her son she and Boga named Reign sadly passed away on Saturday morning," the statement read. The message explained that Thea had pre-scheduled "a few YouTube videos" to upload on her channel before her death, and her boyfriend, Boga, had "made the decision to allow them to be aired."
The family asked for privacy, saying "our hearts are truly broken and we are struggling to cope with what has happened."
The cause of Thea's death is not yet known. The former dancer was around eight months pregnant.
Thea had amassed more than 80,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel, where she often discussed her pregnancy journey and posted content featuring boyfriend Global Boga -- real name Jeffery Frimpong -- who is a street dancer.
Her most recent video, titled "GOT IN A BATH FULL OF MILK! *BTS PREGNANCY SHOOT," was uploaded on Sunday.
In the 14-minute footage, Thea can be seen getting ready for her milk bath, while talking her followers through the process. She also showcased special moments from her maternity photoshoot.
In this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with comedian, actor, and radio host -- Donnell 'I'm Rich Biaaaaatch!' Rawlings. The hilarity ensues from the jump as Donnell calls out Talib for disrespecting him during a recent comedy event they attended with Dave Chappelle. They go on to discuss Donnell's stand-up philosophy of challenging himself to the fullest with every performance, they dig into the elements that went into creating sketches on Chappelle Show like the all-time classic "Player Hater's Ball," he talks about some of his first appearances on TV with the "Ricki Lake Show," and sneaking onto the the People's Court street camera on the daily. Donnell also reflects on his early days doing stand-up in D.C. where he was born and raised, and what brought him to Brooklyn, New York where he would seek out gigs anywhere he could, until eventually landing a spot on Def Comedy Jam. He gives his thoughts on his stint in the military and then expands on his "go hard or go home" hustler mentality that he's maintained over the years which he credits to his success.
Donnell reflects on how "Chappelle's Show" came to an unforeseen and abrupt ending, coming together with Charlie Murphy and Bill Burr to go on tour afterwards, doing the Lost Episodes without Dave, and his close friendship with Charlie and how much he is missed. Donnell aka "Ashy Larry" also gives his take on Michael Rapaport's comments of Kenya Moore's having ashy ankles, he names his top 5 "Chappelle's Show" sketches, speaks on Wayne Brady's reluctance to say "b*tch" during his sketch, and talks on school kids getting suspended for doing Rick James impersonations. Donnell goes on to explain why it feels like he's going to war when appearing on the Breakfast Club, how he feels about the current state of comedy during COVID, his time working on HBO's "The Wire," his perspective on the notion to defund police, and what he thinks is needed for lasting reform. In closing Talib asks Donnell what he has in store for his fans.
TIMESTAMPS:
2:14 -- Donnell does a mic-check and drops some potent bars on his introduction, then calls out Talib for being disrespectful, which segways into them both reflecting on the "Dave Chappelle & Friends" social distance comedy event in Yellow Springs, Ohio which they both performed at. Talib accuses Donnell of forcing him on stage, and Donnell explains what really went down.
7:40 -- Talib brings up Donnell's quote of "If someone has too many pairs of glasses they're becoming an a*shole". Donnell speaks on elements of his stand-up philosophy in welcoming the challenge of going on after an act that slayed it, and the importance of going all-in during every performance. Donnell also goes into his time spent in the Air-Force, and explains why he joined.
14:11 -- Donnell talks about the classic "Player Hater's Ball" sketch from Chappelle Show, and details what went into naming and building his character for the clip, including a jheri curl wig, a spray can of activator and a mirror. He also responds to the question often asked of if he ever gets tired of talking about his time on the Chappelle Show, he speaks on his appearances on the Ricki Lake Show, and sneaking in TV appearances on People's court every chance he got.
21:54 -- Donnell reflects on his early days doing stand-up in Washington D.C. where he was born and raised. He details why he decided to move to New York, what it was like performing for the first time there, and how he got put on to Def Comedy Jam. Talib also asks about Donnell's closeness with Brooklyn claiming it his second home, Donnell speaks on infiltrating the Brooklyn Moon Cafe by telling them he was a poet to get stage time, and goes on to explain "protest-head".
28:28 -- Jasmin asks Donnell to expand on his hustler mentality of "go hard or go home" and manifesting his own opportunities. He explains by referencing a backstage moment auditioning for Chappelle Show, details a very important component of what it takes to reach success in show business, and speaks to his thoughts of fame before reaching fame.
34:00 -- Donnell is asked what it was like for the cast of Chappelle Show when they knew it was ending. He digs into being in the middle of shooting one of the last sketches and what Dave said that let them know what might be coming. Donnell also digs into getting together with Charlie Murphy and Bill Burr to put on the "I'm Rich Biatch" tour and host the Chappelle Show Lost Episodes in the aftermath of Dave leaving. He goes on to speak on his close friendship with Charlie, and expands on his incredible story-telling and roasting skills, and how much of an all-around great guy he really was.
41:20 -- Talib brings up the "Ashy Ankles" moment of Michael Rappaport's appearance on People's Party, and asks Donnell aka "Ashy Larry" for his take on white people using the term. Jasmin also asks Donnell to list his personal top 5 Chappelle Show sketches, they talk about how long it took for Wayne Brady to say the word "Bitch", and how kids were getting suspended from school for imitating Dave's Rick James interpretation.
48:21 -- Donnell speaks on his multiple appearances on the Breakfast Club, and explains why everytime he gets on it feels like he's going to war with three people. Donnell also expands on the backstory to a part of his stand-up when he talks about being forced to read in class, how most of his material is based on real-life experiences, Jasmin asks how Donnell feels about the current state of stand-up with online comedy taking hold especially during COVID, and Donnell expands on how essential comedy is during times like these.
58:38 -- Donnell gets asked about his experience working on HBO's iconic series "The Wire". He talks about how he and Michael K. Williams were both up for the role of Omar, how he didn't realize how successful the show was going to be so early-on, and how his character Damien "Day-Day" Price was originally scripted to have more development. Isiah Whitlock also gets a solid mention, and Donnell tells what his father had to say about the character of Omar.
1:03:36 -- Donnell gives his take on the "Defund The Police" chant during protests, as someone that has spent time in the military and even considered becoming a cop himself at one point in time. He talks about how he feels more hopeful this time around with so many white people showing up for the cause, they discuss the difficulties in getting the good cops to speak up when they see wrong-doing, the disdain that many black cops are subjected to from their own communities, they point out reasons why some police should consider a different profession, and Donnell notes how accountability is the only thing that will give lasting change.
1:15:43 -- Talib asks Donnell to outline what he has coming down the line for his fans. He talks about his pod-cast, his "Black Ash" candle line and other irons he has on the fire.
Over the weekend 50 Cent got into a chair and table throwing scuffle with a New Jersey rapper who he had previously had problems with. The rapper now claims he had given Jack Thriller $5,000 to squash the beef with 50, but he never told the G-Unit boss.
Nearly six months after the original acclaimed series came to an end, Starz has unveiled a slew of images and the premiere date for the upcoming sequel series "Power Book II: Ghost."
Created once again by original showrunner Courtney A. Kemp, the series picks up shortly after the original series as Tariq St. Patrick finds himself on his own for the first time in his life as his father is dead and his mother, Tasha, is facing charges for the murder Tariq committed, all while attending an Ivy League to earn his inheritance. Tariq finds himself splitting his time between school and hustling to pay for his mother’s defense attorney Davis McLean, turning to the drug game and becoming intertwined with a cutthroat family headed by Monet Stewart Tejada.
The series for the cast sees the returns of Michael Rainey Jr. as Tariq and Naturi Naughton as Tasha, as well as Mary J. Blige ( The Umbrella Academy ) as Monet, Shane Johnson returning as Cooper Saxe, Gani Paolo ( The Fosters ), Quincy Tyler Bernstine ( Ray Donovan ), Daniel Bellomy, Paige Hurd ( Hawaii Five-O ), Cliff “Method Man” Smith ( The Deuce ) and Melanie Liburd ( This is Us ).
Kemp acts as creator, showrunner and executive producer via her banner End of Episode alongside Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson via his G-Unit Film and Television company, with Mark Canton executive producing for Atmosphere Entertainment MM and End of Episode’s Chris Selak and Danielle De Jesus also attached.
Power Book II: Ghost is set to premiere on Starz this September.
Amy Cooper -- AKA Central Park "Karen" -- isn't off the hook for making a false report against a man who asked her to leash her dog, despite the fact he doesn't want her prosecuted ... TMZ has learned.
As we reported ... the Manhattan D.A. announced this week his office initiated a prosecution against Cooper for Falsely Reporting an Incident in the Third Degree ... this, for the May 25 incident in which she called police claiming, "There's an African-American man threatening my life."
That man -- Christian Cooper (no relation), a birdwatcher -- made headlines shortly afterward when he said ... "She's already paid a steep price. That's not enough of a deterrent to others? Bringing her more misery just seems like piling on."
Amy was fired from her job and briefly lost custody of her dog after the video of her incident with Christian went viral.
So, Christian says if the Manhattan D.A. wants to pursue charges against Amy, that's his right ... but he will not be involved in the prosecution.
Well, TMZ's learned ... that's exactly what will happen. We're told the D.A.'s Office would like Christian to cooperate, but in this case, it's not necessary -- because he's technically not the victim ... it's the city. Besides, there's a smoking gun -- the video.
We reached out to the D.A.'s office ... it had no comment, other than to confirm Amy's scheduled to appear in court in October for her arraignment.
If convicted, she faces a max sentence of 1 year in jail.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kelly Preston, who played dramatic and comic foil to actors ranging from Tom Cruise in “Jerry Maguire” to Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Twins,” died Sunday, husband John Travolta said. She was 57.
Travolta said in an Instagram post that his wife of 28 years died after a two-year battle with breast cancer.
“It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my beautiful wife Kelly has lost her two-year battle with breast cancer,” Travolta said. “She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many.”
The couple had three children together.
“Shocked by this sad news,” Maria Shriver said on Twitter. “Kelly was such a bright loving soul, a talented actress, and a loving mom and wife. My heart breaks for her family who have already known such sadness and grief.”
Preston had a lengthy acting career in movies and television, starring opposite Kevin Costner in the 1999 film “For the Love of the Game.” In 2003, she starred in “What a Girl Wants” and as the mom in the live-action adaptation of “The Cat in the Hat.” The following year she appeared in the music video for Maroon 5′s “She Will Be Loved.”
Russell Crowe tweeted that he met Preston “first in late ’92 I think,” adding, “In 1995 we auditioned together for Breaking Up, Salma Hayek got that gig.” Crowe said he hadn’t seen Preston much, “but when I did, she was always the same sparkly eyed gem.”
She occasionally appeared in films with her husband, as they did in the box-office bomb “Battlefield Earth” in 2000.
Preston and Travolta were married at a midnight ceremony in Paris in 1991 while the couple were expecting their first son, Jett.
(CNN) The National Football League's Washington Redskins will officially announce Monday that the team will be changing its name, according to multiple reports.
Although the team is expected to announce the change of name, the new name will not be announced until a later date due to trademark issues, according to Sports Business Daily. Head coach Ron Rivera told The Washington Post in an interview he was working with team owner Daniel Snyder on a name that would honor both the military and Native Americans.
Following weeks of protests denouncing racism and as the country continues to confront systems of oppression more directly in recent weeks, the Washington Redskins could be the first team to announce a name change. The Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians have also pledged to reexamine their name. The team's manager recently said he believes it's time to change the name and "it's time to move forward."
On July 3, the Washington Redskins announced that a "thorough review" of the team's name would be conducted. The name has long been denounced by Native American groups as an ethnic slur.
"In light of recent events around our country and feedback from our community, the Washington Redskins are announcing the team will undergo a thorough review of (its) name," the team had said in a statement. "This review formalizes the initial discussions the team has been having with the league in recent weeks."
The decision to re-examine the name also came amid mounting pressure from several corporate sponsors, including FedEx, who have the naming rights to the team's stadium.
Other brands, including Nike and Amazon, have removed the team's merchandise from their online stores.
"Temper, Temper" is a classic song and video from the late, great Stack Bundles. You can find it on his "Library of a Rockstar: Chapter 22 – Hip Hop’s Savior" mixtape.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – A Texas hospital says a patient who was a healthy young man died from coronavirus after attending a “COVID” party.
The unidentified 30-year-old man died at Methodist Hospital in San Antonio, according to the hospital’s top doctor, Jane Appleby.
“This is a party held by somebody diagnosed with the COVID virus, and the thought is people get together to see if the virus is real and if anyone gets infected,” Appleby said, NBC 4 San Antonio reported Friday.
“Just before the person died they looked at the nurse and they said, ‘I think I made a mistake. I thought it was a hoax but it’s not,” she said, according to the station.
“This is just one example of an avoidable death in a young member of our community,” she said. “I can’t imagine the loss of the family.”
Appleby said the hospital is treating other COVID-19 patients in their 20s and 30s who are “severely ill,” the station reported.
Earlier this month reports out of Tuscaloosa in Alabama quoted government officials as saying college students there were holding COVID parties with cash prizes being offered. Attendees put money in a pot that was awarded to the person who became infected first.
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