Assistant principal at Alabama middle school charged with murder in connection with triple-homicide cold case



An assistant principal at a middle school in Alabama is behind bars and awaiting extradition to Georgia after he was charged with murder in connection with a savage triple homicide that occurred more than a decade ago.

Last week, Keante Harris — a 45-year-old assistant principal at McAdory Middle School in McCalla, Alabama, about 20 miles southwest of Birmingham — turned himself in to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office on a fugitive of justice warrant. A few days later, he signed the necessary paperwork so that he could be extradited to Georgia, where he awaits much more serious charges: three counts of malice murder.

'My brother didn’t deserve the death that was put on him.'

These murder charges relate to a case that occurred all the way back in January 2013. On the 13th of that month, police officers found the deceased bodies of three victims — Cheryl Colquitt-Thompson, Quinones King, and Rodney Cottrell, all of Alabama — in a vehicle abandoned on an I-85 exit ramp in Fulton County, Georgia.

Investigators believe the three victims were lured to a residence in Jonesboro, Georgia, forced inside at gunpoint, and then tortured before they were ultimately murdered and left in the abandoned vehicle. Two of the victims died of asphyxiation, and the other was found strangled.

Harris is one of four suspects arrested and charged with three counts of malice murder in connection with this case. The others are: Kenneth Thompson, Kevin Harris, and Darrell Harris. It is unclear whether any of the suspects are related or how they might have known the victims.

For now, law enforcement has remained tight-lipped about how investigators cracked the case after 11 and a half years. However, Tony Garrett with Central Alabama Crime Stoppers did hint that advancements in "technology" may have played a role.

"We are seeing DNA investigations, agencies combining more resources," Garrett said. "We are seeing that is a better solution or a better way to investigate. So, we are seeing technology catch up, and we are seeing better communication."

Garrett, who has been working with the victims' families since the murders occurred, cautioned that these arrests are only the beginning of yet another long legal process. "I have to tell them to be mindful because this is only just the start of it," Garrett said. "Now they have to still investigate and still take this to court, so it’s still a long process for the family. So my prayers and my heart go out to them."

Over the years, members of the victims' families have spoken out in hopes of bringing justice for their loved ones. "My brother didn’t deserve the death that was put on him," said Bridget Miller, Rodney Cottrell's sister. "He just left a lot of people who love him. It was personal because of the way they were killed, and it just hurts."

Lakita Lewis, who was related to two of the victims, is likewise tormented by the brutality of the crime and how callously the victims were dumped by the side of the road. "They were killed in one place, but the people who did it there, they put them in their cars," she said. "They put my uncle and Rodney in the backseat, and they put my sister in the trunk of her own car."

Harris is expected to be transferred to custody in Georgia by May 28. His fugitive of justice charge in Alabama will likely be dropped.

For now, Harris has been placed on administrative leave per district protocol.

"We have been made aware that Mr. Keante Harris was arrested [on May 8]," Jefferson County Schools said in a statement. "At this time we still are gathering facts about the specifics of this situation. However, early indications are that the charges are not related to this individual’s employment with Jefferson County Schools. Per standard procedure, Mr. Harris has been placed on paid administrative leave. As more facts become available, we will act according to our district’s policy."

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California grandfather shot dead in front of granddaughter after answering front door,  $30,000 reward offered to find killer



A California grandfather was gunned down after answering his front door. The beloved husband was murdered right in front of his granddaughter, according to police. After not being able to track down the killer for months, law enforcement is now offering a considerable reward to bring the murderer to justice.

Hector Ascencio Sr. was at his home with his granddaughter around 9 p.m. on Sept. 16, 2023, in the South Gate neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.

Ascencio heard a knock at the door while his 10-year-old granddaughter was sitting in the living room nearby, KABC-TV reported. When the 57-year-old grandfather answered the door, he was shot dead by the killer.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department noted that Ascencio's granddaughter "witnessed" her grandfather's murder.

The murder suspect immediately fled the crime scene, allegedly speeding off in a dark-colored 4-door vehicle. It is unknown whether there were any other people in the vehicle.

Law enforcement has yet to track down Ascencio's killer after months on the hunt.

Investigators do not have a motive for the senseless murder.

Hector's family said the grandfather didn't have any enemies and they are still shocked by the murder.

Los Angeles Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a statement, "Hector was in his own home with his family when someone savagely took his life. His granddaughter watched Hector die. We need to bring his killers to justice as soon as possible, and I ask for the public’s help."

On Thursday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the City of South Gate both authorized a $30,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect who killed the grandfather.

"If you saw something or you were with the person just speak up. It’s not right. Why did they shoot him? He just opened the door and just took him like that," said Andy Ascencio, one of Hector's sons.

Anyone with information regarding the murder is urged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-550 (Attention Detective Esteban Soliz or Detective Mike Rivas). Anonymous tips can be provided to Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (8477) or online at lacrimestoppers.org.

SoCal grandfather gunned down answering front door; reward offered www.youtube.com

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Ex-gang leader arrested, charged with the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur in long-awaited breakthrough



One of the last living witnesses to the notorious drive-by shooting death of Tupac Shakur has been arrested and charged with the 1996 murder of the iconic rapper.

Las Vegas law enforcement officials announced on Friday that 60-year-old Duane "Keffe D" Davis had been arrested and charged with one count of murder with the use of a deadly weapon with a gang enhancement in connection with the fatal shooting of Tupac.

A Clark County judge reportedly denied Davis bail during his court hearing Friday.

Clark County prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo said evidence was presented to the grand jury that Davis acted as the "on-ground, on-site commander" who "ordered the death" of Tupac "for the purpose of seeking retribution."

"Many people who did not believe the murder of Tupac Shakur was important to this police department, I am here to tell you: that was simply not the case," Sheriff Kevin McMahill said at a press conference on Friday afternoon.

"Our goal was always to hold those responsible for Tupac's violent murder accountable," McMahill added.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department homicide Lieutenant Jason Johansson explained, "This case has been reviewed by our homicide team and our homicide detectives for over two and a half decades, and our persistence in this investigation has paid off."

Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson told reporters, "It has often been said that justice delayed is justice denied. Not in this case. Today, justice will be served."

The long-awaited breakthrough in the cold case is decades in the making. Shakur was gunned down on the Las Vegas strip 27 years ago.

On the night of Sept. 7, 1996, Shakur and Death Row Records CEO Marion "Suge" Knight attended a Mike Tyson boxing match at the MGM Grand Arena. Following the fight, members of the Death Row Records entourage allegedly physically assaulted Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson – the nephew of Davis.

True Crime Daily reported, "Davis and other members of the Crips reportedly found out about the incident with Anderson, which prompted Davis to allegedly 'devise a plan to obtain a firearm and retaliate against Knight and Shakur for what occurred.'"

Shakur and Knight then drove in a black BMW to an afterparty.

Davis – a leader of the South Side Crips gang – was reportedly in a white Cadillac with three others, including Anderson. Davis allegedly handed a gun to someone in the backseat. When the BMW was stopped at a red light, the Cadillac pulled up beside the car and someone in the backseat executed a deadly drive-by shooting. Shakur was shot four times. The Cadillac sped off.

Tupac, 25, was taken to University Medical Center and died six days later on Sept. 13, 1996.

Anderson was reportedly a suspect in Shakur’s killing, but he was fatally shot two years after Tupac's death.

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Gilgo Beach murders: How a pizza crust, Tinder account, and 'sadistic' Google searches helped police locate Long Island serial killer suspect



After more than a decade, police have arrested a New York man believed to be responsible for the deaths of three sex workers and the prime suspect in the murder of a fourth woman. An avalanche of evidence – including a pizza crust, a Tinder account, and "sadistic" Google searches – led police to the Long Island serial killer suspect in the cold case murders.

Rex A. Heuermann, a 59-year-old Long Island architect and married father of two, was arrested at his Massapequa Park home on Thursday night.

Heuermann was charged with murder in connection to the killings of three women who are part of the “Gilgo Four.” He is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder in connection with the killings of 24-year-old Melissa Barthelemy in 2009, and 22-year-old Megan Waterman and 27-year-old Amber Costello in 2010.

Heuermann was held on no bail. His attorney entered a plea of not guilty on Friday.

Authorities named Heuermann as the "prime suspect" in the death of another victim found on Gilgo Beach. Maureen Brainard-Barnes went missing in 2007.

The New York Post reported, "Suffolk County investigators spent 18 months painstakingly building a case against suspect Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann – the married dad of two who allegedly left a trail of damning evidence behind linking him to the so-called 'Gilgo Four' slayings."

Witnesses say the last client seen with Costello drove "a dark-colored, first-generation Chevrolet Avalanche," according to Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney.

Coincidentally, a first-generation Chevrolet Avalanche was registered to Heuermann. His pickup truck has since been impounded for evidence.

The suspect reportedly used a different burner phone to book appointments with the sex workers. Tierney said that cell phone tower data showed all of the calls were made from Massapequa Park – where Heuermann lived.

Tierney told Fox News, "So we were able to use that technology, but we still had to develop a suspect. And that's where the phone evidence and the evidence with regard to the car and some of [Heuermann's] other activities came in."

"The FBI and other phone analysts are really skilled in what they can do," Tierney continued. "So they could really analyze phone records and really isolate location areas where suspicious activity occurs. And that really allows you to capture or identify suspects."

Investigators were motivated to arrested Heuermann because continued to use burner phones to make appointments with sex workers, according to officials.

Court documents say Heuermann signed up for Tinder accounts with fictitious names to search for "dates" or "hookups." He purportedly used an American Express credit card via Google Pay to purchase a subscription to Tinder.

"Records obtained from Tinder revealed a burner phone was linked to a fictitious Tinder account for 'Andrew Roberts' using an email that Heuermann also accessed from his personal cell phone," according to the New York Post.

A burner phone was reportedly found on Heuermann at the time of his arrest.

The suspect reportedly used a phone to call Barthelemy’s then-16-year-old sister to say her sibling is a "whore."

CNN reported, "The suspect made taunting phone calls to Barthelemy’s sister, 'some of which resulted in a conversation between the caller, who was a male, and a relative of Melissa Barthelemy, in which the male caller admitted killing and sexually assaulting Ms. Barthelemy,' according to the bail application."

Prosecutors said in the court documents, "Investigators could find no instance where Heuermann was in a separate location from these other cellphones when such a communication event occurred."

Investigators claimed that Heuermann's wife and children were traveling out of New York state on vacation during the time of the victims' disappearances.

Heuermann conducted "thousands" of explicit Google searches for child pornography, nearby sex workers, and other disturbing inquiries, according to court documents.

ABC News reported, "Internet search records from the burner phones showed that between March 2022 and June 2023 indicated the suspect searched for sites 'related to active and known serial killers, the specific disappearances and murders of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello, and the investigation into their murders,' as well as 'sex workers, sadistic, torture-related pornography and child pornography,' prosecutors alleged."

Tierney said, "And there was a lot of torture porn. And what you would consider depictions of women being abused, being raped, and being killed."

The district attorney said, "In a 14-month period, he had over 200 searches pertaining to the Gilgo investigation. Not only was he looking at investigative insight. He was looking, trying to figure out, how is the task force using cell phones to figure out what's happening."

The Google searches reportedly included: "Why could law enforcement not trace the calls made by the long island serial killer," "Why hasn’t the long island serial killer been caught," "In Long Island serial killer investigation, new phone technology may be key to break in case."

Investigators reportedly linked Heuermann to the death of Waterman via a pizza crust.

On Jan. 26, investigators witnessed Heuermann throw a pizza box into a trash can in Midtown Manhattan, authorities say. The leftover pizza crust in the box was sent to a crime lab. The DNA from the pizza crust matched a hair found in the burlap used to wrap Waterman's body, according to court docs.

The bodies of Barthelemy, Costello, and Waterman were all found wrapped in camouflaged burlap.

Tierney explained, "All the women were bound at the head, the midsection or chest, and the legs using camouflage burlap used in duck blinds, for hunting. So obviously, it was used to purposely hide the body."

By spring 2011, there were 10 bodies found in the Gilgo Beach area.

The investigation is still ongoing.

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Extra Time: Everything we know about the Gilgo Beach investigation www.youtube.com

'He's a serial killer': Texas man, previously convicted of rape and murder of 8-year-old girl, now a suspect in 10 murders after chilling confession to police



A Texas man is suspected of being a serial killer after police arrested him in connection to two murders and possible involvement in up to 10 cold cases. Previously, the suspect was convicted of the rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl.

Officials with the Austin Police Department said homicide detectives received a chilling phone call from Raul Meza Jr. on May 24. Meza allegedly confessed to killing his 80-year-old roommate, Jesse Fraga.

During the call, Meza also implicated himself in the 2019 strangulation killing of 66-year-old Gloria Lofton in Austin. Lofton's murder had been unsolved, but police say that the DNA from the crime scene matches Meza's.

Meza, 62, reportedly knew details about both murders that police had not disclosed.

"The caller stated, ‘My name is Raul Meza, and you are looking for me.' Meza then went on to detail his relationship with Jesse Fraga and detailed the manner in which he murdered Mr. Fraga, including details that had not yet been released to the public," said Det. Patrick Reed – who answered Meza's call to the police department.

“Mr. Meza said he was ready and prepared to kill again and he was looking forward to it,” Reed stated.

Following a five-day manhunt, Meza was arrested on Tuesday. Police said Meza had a backpack containing zip ties, a flashlight, duct tape, and a .22 caliber pistol with extra rounds.

He was charged with capital murder and is being held on $1 million bond, according to court records.

The Austin Police Department is investigating the possibility that Meza could be involved in several other homicides going back to 1996.

“Right now, we have between eight and 10 cases that kind of fit the similar circumstances that we’re looking at, but that could obviously grow,” Austin Police Det. Katy Conner said at a press conference.

Meza pleaded guilty in the sexual assault and strangulation slaying of a young girl in the 1980s.

In 1982, Meza pleaded guilty to raping and murdering 8-year-old Kendra Page. The girl's body was discovered behind an Austin elementary school.

At the time of the girl's murder, Meza was on parole for robbing a convenience store and shooting a man, leaving him with permanent injuries, according to police.

Meza was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his crimes. However, Meza was released after only serving 11 years.

CBS News reported, "After being released on parole in the girl's killing, residents of Texas cities large and small protested when he moved there. He was forced to move from El Paso, San Antonio, Wichita Falls, Mineral Wells, and Sweetwater. After moving to rural Uvalde County, west of San Antonio, to live with his grandparents, he was jailed again after his family said he had verbally abused them."

After being boycotted, Meza held a news conference to proclaim that he had changed his violent ways.

"There’s nothing I can do to change my past,” Meza told reporters, according to KVUE. “I can only tell you that in my heart, I know that I will not willfully bring harm to anyone again.”

Bruce Mills – who investigated Page's murder in 1982 and is now the interim assistant city manager of Austin – recalled the horrific case.

"I remember it like it was yesterday," Mills said of the 1982 murder investigation. "We were shocked, disappointed with no real explanation as to why this case didn’t go to trial. We never got solid answers to that."

Mills said of Meza, "Here’s a serial killer that justice was not served. It was a travesty of justice."

He added, "Commits capital murder, pleads to murder, is released 11 years later, and has killed how many people? We don’t know."

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North Texas city among several to run suspected serial killer out of town after prison release www.youtube.com

Arab billionaire's son admits to murder of 23-year-old student, writes it off as a 'sex accident.' Won't return to UK to face justice because he 'doesn't like the weather'



23-year-old Martine Vik Magnussen was raped and murdered in 2008. Her body was found under debris and garbage in a London basement. Her Yemeni killer managed to elude police and avoid addressing his guilt until slipping up recently in an interview with the BBC.

Farouk Abdulhak, the playboy son of an Arab billionaire who fled the United Kingdom to Yemen, admitted to killing the student, writing off her tragic rape and murder as "just a sex accident gone wrong."

Despite this admission of guilt, Abdulhak has made it clear he has no intention of returning to the U.K. to face justice, in part because he is not a fan of the weather.

The murder and getaway

Magnussen, a Norwegian student, was last seen alive on March 14, 2008. She had gone out to celebrate having aced an exam at Regent's Business School. Between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m., she was seen getting into a taxi with fellow student and friend Farouk Abdulhak, reported the Guardian.

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One of the victim's friends suggested the victim and her killer had a platonic relationship and that she had rebuked him in a prior instance where he had attempted to kiss her.

Magnussen's friends later noted that Abdulhak got angry that evening whenever anybody attempted to take a picture of him and his future victim together, reported the BBC.

Two days later, police found her naked body dumped in the basement of a central London flat where the unrepentant rapist had been living. Abdulhak had reportedly made a "token attempt" to disguise Magnussen's corpse.

The Guardian noted that Magnussen's body showed signs she had put up a significant fight against her rapist. She had suffered 43 cuts and grazes, "many of them typical of assault type injuries or those received in a struggle."

Abdulhak erased his Facebook profile and boarded a March 14 flight to Cairo. A Yemeni national, he then returned to his homeland on his father's private jet.

The rapist's father, whose wealth enabled this escape, was Shaher Abdulhak, the founder of Shaher Trading. Shaher died of cancer in 2020, at which time, his net worth was roughly $8.4 billion, reported the Daily Mail.

While Abdulhak was Scotland Yard's prime suspect, his powerful family protected him. Additionally, Yemen has no extradition treaty with the U.K., so British officials proved powerless to force him back to the island to face justice.

Additional efforts were made, largely by the victim's father, to pressure the British government to use its leverage over the Islamic-terrorist haven to compel Abdulhak's extradition, but these too proved to be in vain.

The admission of guilt

Abdulhak has previously ignored interview requests from Western journalists but agreed to speak to BBC News Arabic special correspondent Nawal Al-Maghafi — a fellow Yemeni.

Ten days into a series of text exchanges, the rapist told Al-Maghafi, "I did something when I was younger, it was a mistake."

The rapist expressed apprehension over speaking to Al-Maghafi, recognizing her to be a journalist, but pressed on with his admission, writing, "I deeply regret the unfortunate accident that happened. 2 regret coming here [to Yemen] should have stayed and paid the piper."

"It's all a blur," said the rapist, noting that he has recurring flashbacks of the murder and that the smell of certain perfumes still make him uncomfortable.

When Al-Maghafi pressed the rapist on whether he would come back to face penalties over Magnussen's rape and murder, Abdulhak said, "I don't think justice will be served. ... I find that the criminal justice system there [in the UK] is heavily biased. I find that they will want to make an example of me being a son of an Arab, being… a son of someone rich… it's way too late."

Having moved the body and left the country, Abdulhak said he is "legally [expletive]."

On another occasion where the two discussed Abdulhak's crimes, the rapist wrote of Magnussen's death as "just an accident. Nothing nefarious. ... Just a sex accident gone wrong."

He claimed that he had been on cocaine the evening of March 14.

Justice delayed but not impossible

After learning of Al-Maghafi's correspondence with Abdulhak, the victim's father, Odd Petter Magnussen, said, "He has no empathy, obviously, with our family, and he doesn't show any sort of remorse or anything."

The interview not only confirmed Odd Petter's suspicions about Abdulhak's character but that there was cause for hope.

"I'm optimistic we might have a solution in the longer term… because we can talk to him. I'm more than ever convinced that there will be a solution to this case. I just hope it will be on… my ethical terms," added Odd Petter.

Magnussen's father previously emphasized that Abdulhak is a coward but "cannot hide forever."

Metropolitan police maintain that they "continue to do everything in our power to have [Abdulhak] returned to the UK to stand trial."

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'Divine intervention': 100-year-old Bible helped police solve brutal cold case murder of 90-year-old farmer



The brutal murder of a 90-year-old farmer from Minnesota was solved thanks in part to a Bible.

The body of Earl Olander was found in his rural San Francisco Township home on April 11, 2015. The house was ransacked and Olander was found with his hands and his feet bound by tape.

Chris Wagner – the former lead investigator for the Carver County Sheriff's Office – told ABC's "20/20," "You could tell that the suspects had spent a significant amount of time in the house going through all the drawers and cupboards. Money has always been in a lot of crimes that you're looking into."

The only evidence investigators had were three different shoe prints. Forensic scientists with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension were able to determine exactly what brand of shoes the home invaders were wearing. The forensic scientists said the home intruders wore Crocs, Adidas, and Avia shoes. However, that evidence was not enough to find the suspects.

The case went cold.

\u201c\u201cDivine Intervention\u201d - the all-new #ABC2020 premieres Friday at 9/8c on @ABC. https://t.co/ZGewROXCaQ\u201d
— 20/20 (@20/20) 1668084360

Then, investigators received an important phone call on May 9, 2015. Barry Kyles from St. Paul notified police that he had found a Bible inside an apartment that he was paid to clean. The Bible had a $1,000 savings bond with Olander's name on it. Kyles did an internet search for Earl Olander and found out that there was a reward for information about his murder.

The tip was said to be "divine intervention." It was a Norwegian Bible that was more than 100 years old and had previously been in possession of the Olander family.

Police discovered that Edson Benitez had lived in the apartment. When questioned about the Bible, Benitez told authorities that a friend who moved to Mexico gave it to him. However, detectives pressed Benitez when the story didn't add up. He admitted that the Bible was stolen, and fingered his friend Reinol Vergara.

Vergara was a painter who worked at Olander's house and found out that the elderly man was wealthy.

Benitez said he waited in a vehicle outside of Olander's home as Vergara infiltrated the house. He went in with a black duffel bag that allegedly contained duct tape and a gun, according to police.

"Twenty minutes later, Benitez said Vergara returned to the car and asked him to come inside and help look for the money," ABC News reported. "Benitez said when he got inside, he saw a man with his face covered with a blanket and hands and feet tied with duct tape. The man was struggling on the ground when Vergara struck the man with the gun, Benitez told investigators."

Benitez said Vergara told the old man, "You're going to die."

Cell phone records tied the two men to the burglary and murder. Investigators found that the shoeprints matched the shoes of the two men.

Vergara and Benitez were both charged with four counts of murder. The men pleaded guilty to one of those charges and were sentenced to 37 years in prison in 2016.

The murder investigation is the subject of a "20/20" segment airing on Friday.

“We decided to focus on this story for a number of reasons, but what initially stood out to us was how many people loved Earl," "20/20" executive producer Janice Johnston told the Chaska Herald. "We spoke to his friends, his neighbors, his church community, and all of them echoed the same sentiment. When we found out that the key to solving his murder lay in a Bible miles away from the crime scene, we knew we had to delve deeper into this story and share it with our viewers."

Maria Awes – an award-winning investigative journalist – said, "Living in the community, knowing the beginning, the middle and the end of that case and how it was solved, what was involved — it stands out. In a landscape of true crime, it stands out in many ways because of the parallels between the victim Earl Olander’s spirituality and how the case ultimately is cracked.”

"To me, there are no coincidences. There are only 'God-incidences,'" Olander's neighbor, Bill Boecker, told "20/20."

\u201cWith no DNA or fingerprints at the scene, investigators working to solve Earl Olander\u2019s murder had only one piece of evidence to work with: shoe prints. \n\n@JohnQABC examines the case - Friday at 9/8c on #ABC2020 "Divine Intervention." https://t.co/pjStAgZskM\u201d
— 20/20 (@20/20) 1668102420

Suspect arrested in cold-case murder of Texas family, alleged killer upset over failed job promotion



Police arrested 58-year-old Feng Lu for the 2014 murder of a Texas family of four on Sunday. The court filings theorized that Lu allegedly committed the killings because he was upset about not receiving a job promotion, KTRK-TV reported.

In 2014, Maoye Sun and Mei Xie were shot and killed in their Cypress home, along with their two sons, 9-year-old Timothy and 7-year-old Titus. While authorities strongly suspected Feng Lu, they could not place him at the scene of the crime. As a result, leads ran dry for more than eight years.

Authorities believed that the family of four was attacked in their home on Friday, January 24, 2014. Their bodies were not discovered until Monday after Maoye Sun failed to show up to work.

Feng Lu, Maoye Sun's coworker, became a suspect early on in the case because he had purchased a firearm the day before the shooting. Police believed that the gun was the same weapon used in the murders.

New court documents disclosed Lu's possible motive for committing the murders. Investigators believed that he was disgruntled about not receiving a job promotion.

Lu told police that he had asked his coworker, Maoye Sun, to recommend him for a promotion. He reported hearing a rumor that Sun did not put in the recommendation. He called Sun to ask about it, and Sun informed him that he did recommend Lu.

The suspect told police that when he arrived at work the next day, he thought he was being "treated differently" by his coworkers. Lu assumed Sun had told coworkers about the phone call and talked badly about him. He blamed Sun because he did not receive the promotion.

Lu insisted that he did not know any other members of the Sun family or where they resided. Because authorities could not prove that Lu was inside the Sun home, family and friends remained unaware that he was a suspect.

Court documents revealed that new technology was able to place Lu at the scene. This year, investigators retested an old purse found inside the home using STRmix software. The software identified Lu's DNA by separating DNA strands from multiple individuals found on the purse.

With this new evidence, police had enough to issue a warrant for his arrest.

Feng Lu was arrested in San Francisco on Sunday after returning from a trip to China. He is currently being held in San Mateo County Jail and awaiting extradition to Texas. Lu is charged with capital murder for the deaths of the Sun family.


US Marshals credit 'mama bear' as 'driving force' in solving cold case murder, assisting in arrest of 'most wanted' fugitive 3,000 miles away



A determined mother assisted law enforcement in making the arrest of an elusive suspect accused of murdering her daughter.

In June 2016, Krystal Mitchell and her then-boyfriend Raymond McLeod went from Arizona to visit friends in San Diego. A friend found Mitchell brutally beaten and strangled to death in a bedroom of the apartment they were staying at, according to investigators.

McLeod, 37, was the prime suspect in the murder of the 20-year-old mother of two and a warrant for his arrest was issued, but he vanished.

The murder case went cold when law enforcement couldn't track down McLeod – a former Marine.

Frustrated with the progress in solving the murder of her daughter, Josephine Wentzel took it upon herself to hunt down Krystal's killer.

Wentzel – who worked in Guam as a former police detective – used her expertise to help authorities locate McLeod.

Wentzel – who has been raising her daughter's two children for the past six years – enrolled in classes to learn how to use the internet and social media to track down people online, according to ABC News.

The grieving, yet determined mother credits her inner "mama bear" for having the passion and persistence to solve her daughter's murder.

"It's not about being a former detective," Wentzel told "Good Morning America." "It's about being a mom. It's that mama bear. It's that mom determination that I gave birth to this child and, so help me God, I'm going to take care of this child until I die."

Authorities believed McLeod fled to Mexico, but couldn't locate him. Law enforcement said there were sightings of McLeod in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico, but nothing led to his apprehension. He was on the U.S. Marshals' list of the 15 most wanted fugitives.

Finally on Aug. 29, authorities arrested McLeod in El Salvador – roughly 3,000 miles away from the crime scene. He was reportedly teaching English to locals under an assumed name.

"He really laid low and didn't pop his head up a whole lot. He obviously had some training in clandestine operations and things like that that I'm sure he referred to," said Joseph O'Callaghan – chief deputy of the U.S. Marshals Service.

During a press conference on Friday, the U.S. Marshalls Office credited Wentzel for helping them track down McLeod. The U.S. Marshals Service proclaimed Wentzel as a "driving force" in the arrest of McLeod.

The San Diego County District Attorney's Office issued a statement declaring that Wentzel "has been instrumental in helping authorities search for McLeod."

"Wentzel has generated leads for law enforcement and helped spread word about the international manhunt on social media," the statement added.

Wentzel told "GMA," "It was years of hard work, and to be honest with you, I wasn't sure. The most important thing is to get their faces out in public."

Last week, McLeod appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. He was ordered to be held without bond.

Wentzel said, "This is one chapter closed. Now I have another chapter that I have to be involved in, and that's the justice system. I told the prosecutors that I hope they do their due diligence; I'm there to help make sure the case goes through ... and do whatever you can to make that happen because my family deserves that justice like that."

Mom helps police find Phoenix fugitive accused of strangling her daughter to death www.youtube.com

Tech CEO arrested in the 1992 murder of Bay Area computer engineer



John Kevin Woodward, the president and CEO of Readytech, has been charged with the 1992 murder of Laurie Houts, and this time, authorities are hoping to secure a conviction.

Back in 1992, Houts was found strangled to death in her car at a garbage dump in Mountain View, California, about a mile from Adobe Systems in San Jose, where she worked as a computer engineer. When police arrived at the scene, they found a rope still tied around her neck and her footprints on the interior of the windshield, evidence that she had struggled against her attacker. She was just 25 years old.

Woodward immediately became a suspect in the crime. At the time, he was the roommate of Houts' boyfriend, who has not been named in news reports. According to Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen, Woodward "was openly jealous of Houts, because he developed an unrequited romantic attachment to his roommate, her boyfriend."

Woodward had no alibi, and when the boyfriend confronted Woodward about whether he'd killed Houts, with police listening in on their conversation, Woodward dodged the question and instead asked how much investigators knew. Woodward was eventually arrested and charged with Houts' murder.

However, the first trial resulted in a hung jury. Woodward was then tried again, and once again, the jury could not agree on a verdict. Though police found Woodward's prints on the outside of Houts' vehicle, they had no forensic evidence at the time that placed him inside the vehicle. The judge in the second trial determined that prosecutors would need to uncover new evidence if they wanted to try Woodward a third time. Shortly thereafter, Woodward moved to the Netherlands, where he has been living since 1996.

Until now. Police arrested Woodward, now 58, at JFK airport in New York City last Saturday because they recently unearthed the "new evidence" required for a third trial. Using what Rosen called "new developments in forensic science technology," the county crime lab was able to find evidence in 2021 that linked Woodward to the rope used to strangle Houts. Rosen did not elaborate on the exact nature of the new evidence.

Whatever it is, it was enough to convince Dutch law enforcement agencies to cooperate in the investigation. In less than 24 hours, the Dutch Ministry of Justice and the U.S. Department of Justice obtained a warrant, allowing Dutch authorities to seize computers and USB drives from Woodward's residence. He is currently in custody in NYC, awaiting extradition to California.

"This case is the culmination of incredible determination by our detectives over the decades and with phenomenal teamwork with our agency partners here in Santa Clara County and in New York," said Mountain View Police Chief Chris Hsiung in a statement. "I am honored that our agency finally gets to give hope to Laurie's family that they can see a successful prosecution carried out. It bears repeating – we do not give up on justice for victims, no matter what."

Readytech offers online learning software and tools to corporate trainers and schools alike. It was founded in 1993, just one year after Houts' death.