MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN — A Wisconsin appeals court has dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by a former teacher against Scarlett Johnson, the Ozaukee County Chair of Moms for Liberty, ruling that her controversial social media comments were protected opinions under the First Amendment. The case stemmed from a 2022 Facebook post in which Johnson criticized the…
MARINETTE, WISCONSIN — Chelsea O’Donnell, the daughter of comedian and actress Rosie O’Donnell, has been sentenced to prison after her probation was revoked in connection with multiple drug-related charges in Wisconsin, according to state court records. Court filings show that O’Donnell’s probation was officially revoked on October 22, resulting in her being ordered to serve…
BUFFALO, MISSOURI — A Missouri technical instructor was taken into custody this week after authorities discovered he was wanted in West Virginia on charges involving child sex crimes. Jonathan Whatley, who was employed at the Dallas County R-1 School District’s technical center, was arrested Wednesday after a school resource officer received a tip about a…
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN — Eight people accused of taking part in a major drug trafficking ring with ties to the Mexican cartel faced a Brown County judge Thursday, following a sweeping 14-month investigation that led to multiple arrests and the seizure of cocaine, marijuana, cash, and firearms across Northeast Wisconsin. Officials say the organization was…
RIB MOUNTAIN, WISCONSIN — Authorities are asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect involved in a string of overnight vehicle break-ins earlier this month in the Rib Mountain area, where cash and valuable jewelry were stolen from unlocked cars. The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office and Crime Stoppers said the incidents occurred between October…
LAKE DELTON, WISCONSIN — A Wisconsin man accused of shooting and killing his roommate on the Fourth of July has formally pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree intentional homicide, court records show. Brandon Bent appeared before a Sauk County judge Thursday, where he entered the plea stemming from the fatal shooting inside a…
POINCIANA, FLORIDA — A Florida father has been convicted of manslaughter after allowing his unlicensed 15-year-old son to take the wheel of his car, leading to a high-speed crash that killed a grandmother and her three young grandchildren in 2023. 68-year-old Richard Seymour Ferguson was found guilty by an Osceola County jury on four counts…
NEW CANAAN, CONNECTICUT — A 20-year-old Connecticut man is accused of brutally killing his mother with a hammer, knife, and his own fists before calling 911 in tears and telling dispatchers he didn’t know why he did it, police said. Sebastian Van Stockum faces murder charges after police say he attacked his 55-year-old mother inside…
NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT — A Connecticut mother and her boyfriend face murder charges after investigators say they abused, starved, and killed a 12-year-old girl, then hid her body in a 40-gallon plastic tote that they later tried to dump at a cemetery. The child, Jacqueline “Mimi” Torres-Garcia, had been homeschooled and isolated, leaving her disappearance…
TAMPA, FLORIDA — A Florida judge delivered a life sentence without parole to five men convicted of killing 4-year-old Suni Bell during a drive-by shooting in Tampa, calling their actions a “hunt” that destroyed two families. Andrew Thompson (26), James Denson (28), Jaylin Bedward (26), Quandarious Hammond (32), and Zvante Sampson (34) were found guilty…