STORIES ON THIS BEAT
They Slept Curled Up in One Bunk for 6 Years: Inside Florida’s Horrifying “Rolling Dungeon” Child Abuse Case
Four children allegedly spent more than six years trapped inside the sleeper cab of a commercial semi-truck traveling between Atlanta and Miami, rarely allowed outside and denied school, showers and medical care. Florida prosecutors say the girls were sexually abused, the boys were beaten when they tried to intervene, and two children were left permanently scarred by untreated burns. Now Keysha Monique Epps and Tamra Marshon Stewart face 22 criminal charges in a case Florida’s attorney general calls one of the worst his office has ever seen.
“You Are His Trauma”: Married NJ Teacher Sentenced to 12 Years After 25,000 Messages Exposed Abuse of 8th-Grade Student
Allison Havemann-Niedrach appeared online to be a devoted wife, mother and special-education teacher. Behind that public image, prosecutors say she spent months grooming and sexually abusing a 15-year-old eighth grader, exchanging more than 25,000 messages with him. At sentencing, the teenager said he once blamed himself for what happened—and then stunned the courtroom by telling his former teacher he forgave her.
She Had Just Returned From Maternity Leave: Bank of America VP Killed in Random Times Square Knife Attack
Erin Piacenti had just celebrated her second wedding anniversary, baptized her baby daughter and returned to work after maternity leave when a stranger allegedly stabbed her to death in the middle of Times Square. Minutes later, NYPD officers shot and killed the knife-wielding suspect, Pamela Cisneros, after Tasers failed to stop her. Now two families are asking how an ordinary Monday afternoon ended in such unimaginable tragedy.
“I’m Getting Harassed”: Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra’s Final Texts Surface Before Her Mysterious Death on a Montauk Yacht
Days before 33-year-old fashion entrepreneur Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra was found dead aboard a yacht in Montauk, newly revealed text messages show her complaining that investor Christopher Durnan would not stop contacting her. She agreed to meet him to discuss a growing business dispute. Hours after that meeting began, Martha was dead, and one year later her family is suing Durnan for $50 million while investigators have still not publicly revealed her final cause of death.
Shot Four Times, She Still Called 911: Inside Chad Hickman’s Michigan Shooting Spree That Left 5 Dead
Excerpt: A 13-year-old girl survived being shot multiple times and still managed to call 911 as a deadly rampage unfolded across rural Missaukee County, Michigan. Police say 39-year-old Chad Hickman killed five people before he was later found dead near Whitlock Lake. Now court records revealing his child abuse conviction and a volatile divorce are raising disturbing questions about what happened before the bloodshed.
“We’re Going to Beat Up the Haole Boys”: California Family Says Maui Vacation Ended in a 30-Person Resort Attack
A California family says its luxury Maui vacation turned into a nightmare when a confrontation near a resort pool erupted into a violent brawl involving about 30 people. Relatives claim they were threatened as “haole boys” before chairs were used as weapons, leaving one man with a head wound requiring 13 staples.
He Warned That Bad Cops Had “Tainted the Badge”—While Under Investigation for an On-Duty Affair Inside a Middle School
Months after Nashville police launched an internal investigation into Sgt. Stephen Holland and school resource officer Lisa Vidrios, Holland appeared on a podcast condemning officers who dishonor the profession. The public did not yet know investigators had obtained videos and messages documenting the married officers’ sexual encounters inside a middle school and police vehicle.
“Miracle or Manipulation?” Viral Videos of Worshippers Convulsing Put Pastor Kathryn Krick Under Fire Again
Worshippers collapsed, trembled and appeared to convulse as pastor Kathryn Krick prayed during a Houston book signing. Supporters called it a powerful move of God, but Christian critics say the viral scenes raise troubling questions about spiritual authority, faith healing and the devotion surrounding the self-described apostle.
“She Was Terrified to Leave”: Wife’s Reddit Posts Reveal Marriage Turmoil Before Husband Killed Her and Their Six Children
Years before Amanda “Mandy” Karolkiewicz and her six children were killed inside their Michigan home, an online account linked to the mother described alleged infidelity, ignored warning signs and her fear of ending the marriage. Investigators have now ruled the family’s deaths a murder-suicide, but the question of what drove her husband to destroy their entire family remains unanswered.
A Tattoo, A Phone, And A 14-Second Video: How A New Jersey Babysitter Was Allegedly Exposed
A New Jersey babysitter is accused of sexually abusing a toddler and saving the alleged footage to Snapchat. Prosecutors say the case unraveled after a woman discovered a disturbing video on a phone she had given the babysitter, then identified her by her voice, bathroom, and distinctive tattoos.