'You need to die': Male strangles mom with American flag, beats up her boyfriend, leads police on drunken car chase, cops say



An Iowa man used an American flag to strangle his own mother, then beat up her boyfriend, fled the scene, and led police on a car chase, according to a criminal complaint.

According to Johnson County Jail records, Adam Sotzen of Cedar Rapids was booked at 3:35 a.m. Monday and charged with assault with intent to cause pain or injury, first-degree harassment, operating while intoxicated, and eluding while exceeding the speed limit by 25 mph or more. Sotzen is being held on a $30,000 bond.

'You need to die.'

According to the criminal complaint, Sotzen went to his victim’s home in North Liberty early Monday morning upset over a prior dispute. The 39-year-old allegedly got into a verbal altercation and then began destroying property.

The Daily Iowan reported that Sotzen shoved his mother to the ground. He allegedly stole an American flag from a nearby home, twisted it into a rope, and then strangled her.

According to KCRG-TV, Sotzen told her multiple times, “You need to die.”

The criminal complaint said his mother fell from her chair, but Sotzen continued to choke her as she lay face down. His mother allegedly told police she feared for her life because she believed Sotzen was capable of killing her.

The mother’s boyfriend reportedly intervened and pulled Sotzen off the woman. Sotzen then allegedly attacked his mother's boyfriend, punching him in the face and the ribcage.

Following the reported strangulation and assault, Sotzen fled the scene in his vehicle before police could respond.

A police officer identified Sotzen's vehicle by the license plate after reports of the assault circulated. The officer turned on the cruiser's emergency lights and attempted to pull over the suspect, but Sotzen allegedly ignored the cop and led police on a drunken police car chase.

Cops said Sotzen sped 55 mph in a 30 mph zone during the chase.

Sotzen finally pulled over, exited his vehicle, and dropped to his knees in the middle of the road, according to the complaint.

Police described Sotzen as being uncooperative and combative with law enforcement. Authorities also noted that Sotzen appeared unbalanced and smelled strongly of alcohol. The complaint said Sotzen continued to be physically aggressive while being transported to jail and reportedly struck the partition inside the police cruiser.

According to state prison records, Sotzen was incarcerated in 2013 for committing a “serious misdemeanor.”

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Woman spills cocaine at elementary school, beats staffer who tries reporting — even strangles victim with his own tie: Police



An Illinois woman was arrested after she reportedly attacked a staff member of an elementary school Wednesday — and baggies of cocaine spilled upon the floor sparked the alleged assault, according to authorities.

Officers with the Rockford Police Department arrested Shakeda Barfield, 33, on Wednesday after accusations that she battered an elementary school employee.

The elementary school visitor reportedly became violent and subsequently attacked, punched, scratched, and bit the victim.

According to WREX, the Winnebago County State’s Attorney’s Office filed the following charges against Barfield: possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, aggravated battery/strangulation, aggravated battery to a school employee, and disorderly conduct.

Police were summoned to the Welsh Elementary School around 9:35 a.m. after a 911 call about a “disruptive visitor” who was battering a staff member, according to WTVO.

The news outlet reported that Barfield was at a morning meeting with a school staff member when baggies of cocaine fell from her clothing to the floor. The elementary school employee noticed the baggies of cocaine before Barfield scooped them up, according to court documents.

The school staff member allegedly attempted to call police to report the illegal drugs, but Barfield reportedly became violent and subsequently attacked, punched, scratched, and bit the victim.

During the physical altercation, Barfield purportedly attempted to strangle the male victim with his own tie, court docs said.

Police said the elementary school employee suffered multiple injuries and was bleeding when officers arrived. Medics arrived at the Welsh Elementary School to tend to the staff member's injuries, which were considered non-life-threatening.

The alleged violent confrontation caused a lockdown at the school. Classes reportedly continued after the lockdown was lifted.

Officers arrested Barfield and took her to the Winnebago County Jail.

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Strangling For Sexual Sport Is Exactly The Kind Of Thing We Should ‘Kink-Shame’

If sexual liberation can’t even provide good sex, then what possible reason is there to keep pursuing it?

Illinois man who lured girl with Disney cups then murdered her sent to prison: 'There's a girl inside, and I strangled her'



An Illinois man was sentenced to 50 years in prison for the brutal killing of a 17-year-old girl whom he lured to his home by offering her Disney cups.

Arthur Jensen, 53, was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in March. On Monday in Iroquois County Circuit Court, Judge Michael Sabol sentenced Jensen to 50 years in prison for the strangulation murder of Adara Bunn on Aug. 5, 2019. Jensen was given credit for the three years that he already served in jail.

Three days before her murder, Bunn reportedly went to a garage sale at Jensen's trailer home with her mother. Bunn, an avid collector of Disney memorabilia, purchased some cups with themes from the Disney animated movie "Pocahontas."

Bunn returned to Jensen's house the day before her murder to see if his wife had any more Disney memorabilia available for sale.

Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Quinlan told People magazine that Jensen's wife was out of town at her high school reunion. Jensen – who was packing up items with a friend – told Bunn to come back to his house "tomorrow" to purchase similar Disney cups, according to the Daily Journal.

Bunn showed up at Jensen's home the next day to buy Disney glasses, and Jensen strangled her to death. Neighbors heard female screams coming from Jensen's home and notified police, according to WCIA.

Responding officers arrived at the home, where Jensen reportedly gave a chilling confession, "There's a girl inside, and I strangled her." Police discovered Bunn's lifeless body inside the home, and officers arrested Jensen on the spot.

Quinlan stated, "This is one of the worst murder cases I have ever seen."

"Adara was a young girl with a bright future. This was a young girl about to enter her junior year in a couple of weeks," Quinlan added. "She was a straight-A student who was hoping to become a veterinarian."

Bunn, nicknamed "Sissy," "enjoyed reading, fishing, [and] school amongst other things," according to her obituary.

In the aftermath of her tragic passing, Milford Area Public School said the "community is grieving after hearing of the death of one of our high school students yesterday."

"We are suffering as a staff, student body, and community for this loss," the school said in a statement. "Please keep the family of our student in your thoughts and prayers during this terrible time.”

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Pennsylvania mother said she strangled 11-year-old son to death so boy wouldn't face family's financial problems: Authorities



A Pennsylvania mother said she strangled her 11-year-old son to death so that the boy wouldn't face the family's financial problems, according to authorities.

Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead, 50, was arrested last week and charged with first-degree and third-degree murder, according to CBS News. DiRienzo-Whitehead was also charged with possessing an instrument of a crime, NBC News reported.

Authorities claim DiRienzo-Whitehead strangled her 11-year-old son to death at the family's home in Horsham Township, Pennsylvania. Police found 11-year-old Matthew Whitehead dead inside the master bedroom of the family's house on Tuesday.

Investigators believe the boy was strangled to death with his father's belt. Police suspect that the boy fell asleep near his mother, and then she strangled him to death.

Authorities say that the mother murdered her son because she didn't want the boy to face the family's financial issues.

The complaint reads, "DiRienzo-Whitehead explained that she did not want Matthew to grow up with these struggles so she strangled him with her husband’s belt."

An autopsy ruled that Matthew's cause of death was "ligature strangulation."

Law & Crime reported, "Authorities reportedly said they found ligature marks on the front and back of Matthew Whitehead’s neck. He showed facial swelling and petechiae on his eyes, Montgomery County DA Kevin Steele said."

The boy's father, Daniel Whitehead, told investigators that he woke up around 7 a.m. on Tuesday and noticed that the bedroom door was locked. He found his dead son in the locked room and also noted that the family's black Toyota Highlander was missing from the garage. He contacted the police, according to the district attorney for Montgomery County.

Around 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday, police found the missing SUV partially submerged in the Atlantic Ocean in Cape May, New Jersey – more than 120 miles from the family's Horsham home. Police say they found a black dress belt on the floor of the Highlander.

DiRienzo-Whitehead ditched the car in the ocean and then walked to the nearby town of Wildwood Crest, according to the prosecutor's office.

A police officer spotted DiRienzo-Whitehead walking down the street wearing "tattered" pajamas and appearing disheveled and confused, according to an affidavit.

She allegedly said, "I know what I did."

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