Author: Edward Campbell

A one-month-old girl died at a Henrico County motel in June after investigators determined that cocaine toxicity was the cause of death, according to court records and the medical examiner’s findings. The baby’s death was ruled a homicide, and her parents are facing second-degree murder and child neglect charges. Derrick Dwayne Carter, 47, and Ashton Marie Leeper, 30, were arrested in July in connection with the death of their daughter, identified in court documents as L.C. Christina Ann Snead, 53, who was staying in the same motel room, faces a charge of accessory after the fact of murder. The investigation…

Newly unsealed court documents are providing more details about the events surrounding the fatal shooting of a woman in Aldie, Virginia, and investigators’ allegations that her husband had planned the killing before it happened. Roger Bradford, 60, is charged with first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in connection with the death of his wife, 54-year-old Lisa Bradford. Deputies found Lisa dead inside the couple’s home on the 24000 block of Quimby Oaks Place on September 22. According to the newly unsealed court filings, investigators believe the shooting was not an impulsive act. The…

A Florida father has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison after his 5-month-old twins were hospitalized in January with severe malnutrition and dehydration. Leroy Somersall III, 24, pleaded no contest to two counts of neglect of a child with great bodily harm. A judge sentenced him Thursday to 3½ years behind bars, followed by one year of probation. The case began on Jan. 6, when Somersall and the twins’ mother, Madison Smith, brought their infant son and daughter to Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando. The couple had sought medical attention after their…

A 47-year-old Texas man has been sentenced to life in prison for the 2019 killing of his girlfriend, Tiffany Lynette Garza, whose disappearance eventually led investigators to a backyard burn pit containing human remains. Jeffrey Lee Devorah was convicted of murder after a jury found him guilty in August. An Atascosa County judge later sentenced him to life in prison, with the possibility of parole after he has served 30 years. Garza, 37, was last seen in the Poteet area on March 25, 2019. Her mother, Lilly Morua, reported her missing about a month later after Garza had been dropped…

A Washington, D.C., man has pleaded guilty to killing 3-year-old Honesty Cheadle, who was sitting in a parked car with family members after they returned from Independence Day celebrations in Southeast D.C. Charles Rucker, 25, admitted in court on October 1, 2026, that he was responsible for the shooting that left the young girl fatally wounded. He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder while armed and three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. Under the plea agreement, he is expected to receive a 35-year prison sentence. His sentencing is scheduled for December 14, 2026. The shooting happened shortly after 3…

A Georgia woman has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to a series of charges stemming from years of severe abuse of her adopted son, who escaped from the home as an 11-year-old by breaking through a closet wall and jumping from a second-story window. Chloe Jackson-Jones, 42, was sentenced on September 30, 2026, to 40 years in a state correctional facility followed by 20 years of probation. She pleaded guilty to aggravated assault involving strangulation, two counts of false imprisonment and 17 counts of first-degree cruelty to children. The case came to light on July…

A mother says a routine request for her son’s medical records turned into an emotional ordeal after a Las Vegas hospital allegedly told her by email that he was a deceased patient — even though he was alive. Marlene Garbowski filed a lawsuit against Southern Hills Hospital and Medical Center and hospital employees, accusing them of negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress. The lawsuit was filed in Clark County District Court on Sept. 30, 2026. According to the complaint, Garbowski contacted Southern Hills on Nov. 1, 2024, while seeking medical records for her son, Geoffrey. The records were needed…

A North Carolina man wanted in connection with the death of a Nashville woman remains alive and hospitalized, despite social media posts from his family claiming he had died following a traffic crash, police said. Lewis Shamir Richardson Jr., 44, is wanted on a first-degree homicide warrant in connection with the death of 61-year-old Debbie Allen, whose body was discovered at the former W.L. Greene School in Nashville on Feb. 19. The case took months to develop. Police said officers initially found Allen during a patrol and detectives continued collecting evidence after the discovery. Investigators also worked with the North…

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Several students at Highland Park Elementary in Bloomington were sent threatening messages through social media, prompting an investigation by Monroe County law enforcement and additional security at the school. The messages were reportedly sent anonymously and included violent threats, racial slurs and other offensive language. At least four students are believed to have received the messages, according to information provided by families familiar with the incident. One Bloomington parent said her 12-year-old daughter, a sixth grader at Highland Park, received messages beginning over the weekend. What initially appeared to be an unknown or possibly fake account quickly…

A Hollywood man is facing new charges after detectives and probation officers searched a residence in the 800 block of North 19th Avenue and found a large quantity of cannabis and a firearm. Hollywood Police identified the man as Tavon Jones. Authorities said he was taken into custody after the search uncovered about three pounds of cannabis, which investigators said was a violation of his probation. The search began as a probation check at the residence. After the cannabis was discovered, detectives obtained a search warrant to continue examining the home, according to police. During the subsequent search, investigators found…