John Nightbridge – The Daily Horn

Mother and Two Children Found Dead in Hotel

Police said evidence indicated the 40-year-old woman fatally shot the two 4-year-olds before dying by suicide. HOUSTON — A woman and her two 4-year-old children were found dead from gunshot wounds inside a southwest Houston hotel room July 3 in what police said appeared to be a murder-suicide. The Houston Police Department identified the victims only as a 40-year-old woman, a juvenile girl and a juvenile boy. Their names had not been released pending verification …

Cop Charged With Murder After Roommate Found Dead

Investigators said Caitlynn Girkin gave changing accounts after Adolfo Cazares was found shot inside their shared Creve Coeur home. PEKIN, Ill. — A former Creve Coeur police officer faces three counts of first-degree murder after authorities accused her of fatally shooting her roommate in March and changing her account of the shooting during interviews with investigators. Caitlynn J. Girkin was arrested July 7 in connection with the death of 29-year-old Adolfo Cazares, according to court …

Teen Dies After Viral Benadryl Challenge

Her father said the 15-year-old suffered seizures and lost brain function after taking excessive doses of the allergy medicine. ENID, Okla. — A 15-year-old Oklahoma girl died after reportedly taking part in the so-called Benadryl challenge, a dangerous social media trend involving excessive doses of an over-the-counter allergy medicine, according to her father. Richard Presson confirmed his daughter Leah Presson’s death on June 26, two weeks after he first spoke publicly about her condition. He …

Mom Found Dead After Traveling to Meet Gaming Friend

Amber Graham’s 8-year-old daughter was found safe at a Cleveland fire station before police located Graham’s body behind a home. CLEVELAND, Ohio — A Tennessee mother who traveled to Cleveland to meet a man she knew through online gaming was found dead July 3 behind a home, days after her 8-year-old daughter walked alone into a nearby fire station. Amber Graham, 37, of Spring Hill, Tennessee, remains the focus of an ongoing investigation by Cleveland …

Horrifying Details Revealed in Death of 4-Year-Old Boy

Joseph and Jodi Wilson pleaded guilty in Surry County to murder and child abuse charges tied to Skyler Wilson’s 2023 death. SURRY COUNTY, N.C. — A Mount Airy couple was sentenced Wednesday to decades in prison after pleading guilty in the 2023 death of their 4-year-old adopted son, who prosecutors said was restrained face down for hours. Joseph Paul Wilson, 45, and Jodi Ann Wilson, 42, pleaded guilty in Surry County Superior Court to second-degree …

Father Brutally Murdered His 9-Month-Old Daughter

The child’s mother rejected his courtroom apology and said the sentence was too lenient. LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Kentucky man was sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to murder in the 2023 death of his 9-month-old daughter, whose fatal brain injury became the focus of an emotional Fayette County courtroom hearing. Syied Malik-Kawon Epps, 31, pleaded guilty in May to murder involving domestic violence in the death of his daughter, Sy’Kia Epps. …

Pregnant Woman Killed by Homeless Man

The lawsuit alleges workers failed to act on warnings before the 2023 Belltown shooting. SEATTLE, Wash. — The husband of a pregnant Seattle woman killed in a random downtown shooting has sued the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, alleging the agency ignored warning signs before the attack. Sung Kwon filed the wrongful death lawsuit more than three years after his wife, Eina Kwon, was shot while sitting in traffic in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood. The complaint …

Explosive Diarrhea Outbreak Spreads Rapidly, Leaving More Than 1,200 Ill

Health officials have not identified a source as cases rise sharply in southeast Michigan and nearby Ohio. LANSING, Mich. — Michigan health officials are investigating the state’s largest known cyclosporiasis outbreak after more than 1,200 people were diagnosed with the intestinal illness, including dozens who were hospitalized. The outbreak has grown quickly since late June, when the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services first reported more than 170 cases in seven counties. State officials …

Woman Sews Roommate’s Lips Shut

Police in Ibaraki Prefecture said the injured woman escaped to a nearby shop with a written plea for help. KOGA, Japan — A 49-year-old woman was arrested in Ibaraki Prefecture after police said she sewed her housemate’s lips together with a needle and thread during an alleged assault in late June. Masae Sakurai, a part-time worker in Koga, was arrested Monday on suspicion of assault after the 42-year-old woman fled the home and sought help …

“Total Eclipse of the Heart” Iconic Rock Singer Dies at 75

The singer became a global star with “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and “Holding Out for a Hero.” FARO, Portugal — Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh singer whose raspy voice powered “Total Eclipse of the Heart” into one of the defining pop ballads of the 1980s, has died in Portugal, her family said Thursday. She was 75. Tyler died Wednesday in a hospital in Portugal, where she had been treated after an illness that led to …