Category: True crime
5th-grade teacher — accused of having ‘sexual conversation’ with child under 12 — now slapped with far more shocking charges
A Kentucky school teacher — who is accused of having a “sexual conversation” with a child under the age of 12 — has been hit with more severe additional charges, according to authorities.
Sydne Graf is a 36-year-old 5th-grade math teacher at Smyrna Elementary School in Louisville.
‘Graf is now facing serious and shocking child sex abuse charges.’
The arrest citation obtained by Blaze News said that police determined that a “5th-grade math teacher engaged in sexual conversations with a 5th-grade student.”
WDRB-TV reported that the Jefferson County Public Schools Police informed the Louisville Metro Police Department that Graf “engaged in sexual conversations” with the student during a “nontraditional instruction day” with remote learning.
“Detectives were able to review conversations between the juvenile victim and suspect,” the arrest citation states.
“Screenshots and video recordings of the conversations depict images of the suspect as well as her name, Sydne Graf, displayed in the top left corner,” the arrest citation notes.
According to WDRB, “LMPD detectives reviewed the conversations between Graf and the student, which included discussions of oral sodomy with the student.”
Police said Graf was arrested when she attempted to pick up the young student near his home on Dec. 15, 2025.
The arrest citation stated that Graf confessed to having the “previous mentioned conversations” with the minor when questioned by police.
Graf was initially charged with procuring or promoting the use of a minor by electronic means.
However Graf is now facing serious and shocking child sex abuse charges.
Citing court documents, WLKY-TV reported that Graf was indicted on charges of first-degree rape of a victim under 12 years of age, first-degree sodomy of a victim under 12 years of age, unlawful transaction with a minor, and possession of a controlled substance on Jan. 20.
WHAS-TV referenced the arrest citation, which said officers searched Graf’s vehicle and discovered hydrocodone and Adderall pills.
The Louisville Courier-Journal reported that Graf pleaded not guilty to all of the charges on Jan. 21.
Graf is on house arrest with a cash bond set at $500,000.
A judge ordered Graf to have no contact with minors unless supervised by another adult and to have no internet access except on her phone.
According to WAVE-TV, Smyrna Elementary Principal Amanda Cooper sent a letter to parents regarding the situation.
“We have been made aware that the Crimes Against Children’s Unit (CACU), JCPS PD, and LMPD are investigating an allegation involving one of our staff members,” Cooper told parents.
Cooper said Graf has since been reassigned by the school, and she will not have any contact with students during the investigation.
Cooper noted that she “cannot disclose anything more at this time” because it is an active investigation.
Cooper urged any students with anxiety about the arrest to utilize the school’s mental health practitioner or counselor.
According to the alleged X social media account of Smyrna Elementary School, Graf was previously involved with the school’s wrestling team.
A spokesperson for the Louisville Metro Police Department informed Blaze News that there are no further updates at this time.
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What was to be fun Florida trip ends in ‘cold-blooded’ triple murder: Elderly tourists dead, suspect earlier beat murder rap
A Florida man is accused of going on a killing spree and gunning down three elderly tourists during their vacation near Disney World. The suspect previously beat an attempted murder charge with an insanity defense, according to court records.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said in a recent statement that officers responded to reports of a shooting near a residence in Kissimmee around 12:13 p.m. Jan. 17.
‘It was cold-blooded, it was premeditated … absolutely no issues.’
Police said they “discovered three adult males deceased in front of the home” and that “all three victims suffered from apparent gunshot wounds.”
Deputies quickly located and arrested the suspect — 29-year-old Ahmad Jihad Bojeh.
Bojeh is facing three counts of premeditated murder and one count of resisting arrest without violence, according to Osceola County Jail records. Bojeh is being detained at the Osceola County Jail without bond.
“There is no threat to the community, as the suspect responsible for these horrific and senseless murders has been apprehended by Osceola County deputies,” said Osceola County Sheriff Christopher Blackmon.
Blackmon told the Tampa Bay Times that Bojeh lived next door to the rental property where the tourists were staying.
“It was cold-blooded, it was premeditated … absolutely no issues,” Blackmon told Fox News. “There was no conflict between these people. This was just random. And this happened to be the person who lived next door.”
After securing a warrant, deputies searched Bojeh’s residence and recovered two firearms, police said. Police noted that the firearms were being examined to see if they were used in the fatal shootings.
Sheriff Blackmon described Bojeh as a “frequent flyer” with police and added to Fox News that he is “a threat to the neighborhood all the time,” citing repeated calls for service involving the suspect.
Blackmon said the motive for the shooting is unclear; the investigation into the killings remains ongoing.
Fox News reported that the three friends — 68-year-old Douglas Kraft of Columbus, Ohio, 70-year-old Robert Kraft of Holland, Michigan, and 68-year-old James Puchan of Galena, Ohio — attended a car show together. Two of the slain tourists were brothers.
Families and friends of the slain victims released a joint statement to WKMG-TV: “With heavy hearts, we confirm the deaths of our beloved husbands, fathers, grandfathers, uncles, brothers, and friends.”
The statement added that the tourists visited the Mecum Car Show in Kissimmee and were staying at a local Airbnb rental property.
“While waiting for assistance after rental car trouble and preparing to travel home, they were being observed from a distance by an unknown individual who was well-known to local law enforcement,” the statement read.
The tourists were “approached and senselessly murdered” in a “random, tragic act,” the families stated.
“Our families are left with an unexpected, unimaginable loss that cannot be put into words,” the statement said.
“We ask for privacy, prayers, and respect as we mourn and begin to process this tragedy,” the families concluded.
Previously, Bojeh reportedly was arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder but was released back on the streets on the grounds of insanity.
WOFL-TV reported that deputies with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office arrested Bojeh in 2021 for attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery, and two counts of criminal mischief in connection with an alleged shooting at a Wawa convenience store and gas station.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier wrote on the X social media platform, “Prior to State Atty [Monique H.] Worrell’s suspension, Ahmad Jihad Bojeh was acquitted of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm and aggravated battery.”
Uthmeier continued, “It appears she didn’t put up a fight to Bojeh’s use of the insanity defense, and he was allowed to go free.” The attorney general added, “This guy, literally named Ahmad ‘Jihad’ Bojeh, shoots three tourists after being acquitted of multiple violent crimes on grounds of insanity.”
Uthmeier also declared, “This is why I’ve proposed Florida’s legislature narrow the insanity defense. Violent criminals should not be set free to hurt others!”
He also told WOFL, “If there’s a risk of them harming others, we need to ensure they’re locked up.”
Law enforcement sources told the New York Post that Bojeh was banned from owning firearms as part of his insanity plea.
WOFL reported that Bojeh was arrested in 2019 for retail theft.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Blaze News‘ request for comment.
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Wife suspects her church deacon husband of cheating — then she uncovers secret bathroom videos that trigger police search
A Tennessee husband and now-former church deacon has been criminally charged after his wife, who was holding his phone during a medical procedure, allegedly discovered videos of an underage babysitter in their bathroom, police said.
Christopher Thomas Collins, 42, was arrested Jan. 14 after police reportedly found explicit content on his cell phone. Collins is being detained on a $50,000 bond, according to Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office records.
‘Through the course of a marriage counseling session, Chris Collins’ wife revealed that she had found videos on her husband’s phone of a minor.’
Citing the police affidavit, WTVC-TV reported that Collins handed his phone over to his wife while he was undergoing a medical procedure.
Collins’ wife suspected her husband of cheating, so she searched his phone for evidence of infidelity, according to the affidavit.
But the wife found explicit videos and a photo of the couple’s former babysitter inside a hidden folder in the photo gallery, the affidavit said.
The wife informed investigators that the videos appeared to be recorded from small cameras placed inside a downstairs bathroom at Collins’ home in Hixson, which is about an hour and a half southeast of Nashville. Investigators found the secret cameras, and they seemed to be positioned toward the shower and toilet, court documents said.
The wife told deputies that Collins told her he installed the cameras to spot rats, according to court docs.
The police affidavit said the wife told investigators she deleted the files but then took screenshots from the “recently deleted” folder.
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Photo by wbritten via iStock / Getty Images Plus
The wife sought guidance from Abba’s House church, where her husband had been a deacon.
The affidavit revealed that staff members of the church encouraged the wife to contact police. Shortly afterward, officers arrived to interview Collins’ wife, court docs said.
Police were concerned that Collins would delete the evidence, so officers were dispatched to confront him, according to the affidavit.
Officers conducted a traffic stop to detain Collins, where they obtained his cell phone, and he gave police authorization to conduct a search of his home in Hixson, according to court documents.
Officers seized two SD cards from small cameras and an older cell phone, police said.
According to the affidavit, a camera was positioned near a water heater in the bathroom and aimed toward the shower and toilet.
Court documents stated Collins admitted to investigators that he knew about the cameras in the bathroom and confessed to using a mobile application to view images on his cell phone.
Collins admitted to police that he saw a naked image a camera captured and kept it for a while before deleting it, according to the affidavit.
A forensic examination of Collins’ cell phone revealed nine video files from the bathroom cameras, time-stamped in 2025, according to the court documents.
The court documents stated investigators said the videos show a girl changing clothes, using the toilet, and entering and exiting the shower.
Police determined that recordings were made without the girl’s knowledge or consent and in a place where she had a reasonable expectation of privacy, according to the affidavit.
Authorities determined the files were child sexual abuse material, court documents state.
Collins was arrested and charged with nine counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor for each file found on the phone.
The offense of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor in Tennessee makes it unlawful for a “person to knowingly promote, employ, use, assist, transport, or permit a minor to participate in the performance of, or in the production of, acts or material that includes the minor engaging in sexual activity; or simulated sexual activity that is patently offensive.”
On Thursday, a spokesman for Abba’s House said Collins was stripped of his church deacon title upon his arrest.
The church issued the following statement to WDEF-TV:
Through the course of a marriage counseling session, Chris Collins’ wife revealed that she had found videos on her husband’s phone of a minor. We immediately reported it to the police, and they are handling the situation. We are caring for his wife and kids during this tragic time. Chris Collins had been a member of the church for four years and served as a deacon. He has been removed from that role.
Collins is no longer listed on the church’s website.
Abba’s House pastor Ronnie Phillips Jr. told the Chattanooga Times Free Press that the church paid for a hotel for Collins’ wife and will pay for counseling and cover her bills until she can get back on her feet.
Collins appeared in court on Tuesday morning, according to WCTV.
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Blaze News‘ request for comment.
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Brazilian au pair turns on former lover during murder trial, says he plotted wife’s death by luring stranger from fetish site
The trial of a Virginia man accused of orchestrating a scheme to have his wife killed began Tuesday. The man’s former au pair, who prosecutors say was having an affair with him, testified that another man was lured to the crime scene through a fetish website.
As Blaze News previously reported, 40-year-old Brendan Banfield was arrested in September 2024 and indicted in connection with the February 2023 double murder that occurred in his home in Herndon — which is approximately 20 miles west of Washington, D.C.
‘He mentioned his plan to get rid of [Christine].’
Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis and Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano announced in a statement that officers “descended upon an appalling scene” on Feb. 24, 2023.
Officers discovered Christine Banfield — Brendan Banfield’s 37-year-old wife — in an upstairs bedroom suffering from stab wounds to her upper body. She was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Police said 39-year-old Joseph Ryan was found dead in the home from apparent gunshot wounds to his upper body.
Investigators soon set their sights on Brendan Banfield and Juliana Peres Magalhaes — the family’s Brazilian au pair, who was 21 when she began working for the family in October 2021.
Chief Davis stated, “We know Brendan Banfield and Juliana Magalhaes, the family au pair, were involved in a romantic relationship at the time of the murders.”
According to WJLA-TV, Magalhaes claimed she began an affair with Banfield in August 2022.
When Magalhaes asked Banfield about the possibility of him divorcing Christine, WJLA reported that he allegedly told the au pair that a divorce would cost too much money and that he didn’t want to split child custody.
“He mentioned his plan to get rid of [Christine],” Magalhaes told prosecutors, according to the New York Post. “Initially, he didn’t know what he would do. He just mentioned that he would think about it [and] let me know when he thought about it.”
Citing prosecutors, WTOP-TV reported that two months before the murders, Magalhaes and Banfield went to a shooting range; Banfield then returned to the range on Jan. 28, 2023, and bought a Glock from the range.
WJLA added that Magalhaes claimed Banfield instructed her to get a new phone and Apple ID and ordered her to park in a different location on the day of the murders.
Citing prosecutors, Fox News noted that Banfield — a former IRS special agent — was impersonating his wife on a fetish website for a month. Ryan was then “summoned to the couple’s million-dollar Herndon home” through the site, according to the New York Post.
Court documents also show Magalhaes told investigators that Ryan was framed as a home intruder.
‘There’s somebody here; I shot him. But he stabbed her. She’s bleeding. She’s got several marks on her neck. What do I do?’
Court TV reported that Ryan went by the username “TacoSupreme7000” on the site and responded to the messages, believing he was talking to Christine Banfield. Court TV added that Magalhaes read messages aloud to the jury, saying that she and Brendan asked Ryan to bring restraints and a knife to the Banfield home.
Magalhaes on Tuesday testified that “Christine … yelled back at Brendan, saying, ‘Brendan, he has a knife.’ That’s when Brendan first shot Joe.”
According to NBC News, lead prosecutor Jenna Sands told the courtroom this week, “Brendan enters the bedroom, first shooting Joe in the head, picks up the knife that Joe had brought and stabs Christine repeatedly in the neck. He directs Juliana to shoot Joe a second time with her gun. This time the bullet enters Joe’s chest with Christine dead or dying.”
Magalhaes was arrested in October 2023 in connection with Ryan’s alleged murder.
Magalhaes was originally charged with second-degree murder but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter in October 2024. She will be sentenced after Banfield’s trial.
According to CNN, Banfield was heard identifying himself as a federal agent in the 911 call to report the stabbing and shooting.
Banfield reportedly told the emergency dispatcher, “There’s somebody here; I shot him. But he stabbed her. She’s bleeding. She’s got several marks on her neck. What do I do?”
Banfield’s attorney, John Carroll, questioned Magalhaes’ motivation for taking a plea deal after nearly a year of protesting her innocence.
“The whole reason she was arrested was to flip her against my client,” Carroll claimed.
WDCW-TV reported that Brendan Banfield was charged with aggravated murder in connection with his wife’s death, plus child abuse and endangerment charges, since the Banfields’ 4-year-old daughter was at home at the time of the deadly shooting and stabbing.
If convicted on all of the charges, Banfield faces a maximum punishment of life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 13 additional years of incarceration, a judge said on Monday, WDCW reported.
Banfield pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Fairfax County Police Department and Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Blaze News.
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Career criminal with over 20-year-long rap sheet reportedly gets sweetheart plea deal — now a beloved teacher is dead
A career criminal killed a beloved North Carolina teacher in a horrific home invasion, according to police — and new reports suggest the suspect previously received a sweetheart plea deal that allowed him back on the streets.
The Raleigh Police Department said in a statement that officers responded to a report of a burglary just after 6:30 a.m. Jan. 3.
‘It was like a horror movie.’
Police said the victim — 57-year-old Zoe Welsh — indicated a man was inside her home.
“While still on the phone with dispatch, the suspect began to assault her,” police stated.
Police said Welsh was suffering from life-threatening injuries when officers arrived at her home. However, Welsh later died at a hospital.
Officers arrested 36-year-old Ryan Camacho, and he was taken into custody without incident.
Camacho was charged with murder and felony burglary. He was denied bond and is being detained at the Wake County Detention Center.
Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce said of Welsh, “I am deeply heartbroken for this mother, friend, and mentor to many in our community, and for the unimaginable trauma her family must endure.”
Boyce added, “The arrest of the suspect sends a strong message that criminal acts will not be tolerated in the city of Raleigh.”
This investigation remains ongoing.
Welsh had taught AP biology and forensic science at Ravenscroft School in Raleigh since 2006, a school spokesperson told WTVD-TV.
“Her loss is deeply felt by all of us who had the privilege of working with her and learning in her classroom,” the school spokesperson said.
Calysa Sauls, one of Welsh’s former students, told WRAL-TV, “She really cared for her students. She definitely was one of those teachers who was passionate about the subject that she taught.”
Olivia Alvarez — Welsh’s house cleaner for years — added to WTVD, “I’ll remember her smile; she was always happy.”
Alvarez added, “I love you, Zoe, so much, you are now with God, and this man is going to pay, he’s going to pay.”
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (D) wrote, “Zoe Welsh, by all accounts, was a special teacher and person. My heart goes out to her family and students, who have suffered a traumatic loss from another senseless act of violence.”
Camacho reportedly has a lengthy criminal history spanning over 20 years but allegedly has benefited from generous plea deals.
In December, a judge dismissed breaking-and-entering charges against Camacho after a mental competency examination, WRAL noted in a separate story.
Prosecutors recommended that Camacho be involuntarily committed to a mental hospital, but that request was denied by Judge Louis Meyer, according to District Attorney Lorrin Freeman.
Freeman told WRAL, “Based on the evidence that was available to the court at the time, the court did not find that he met the threshold for involuntary commitment. For involuntary commitment, the judge has to make a finding that they are a danger to themselves or others.”
Meyer did not immediately respond to Blaze News‘ request for comment.
WRAL reported that Camacho’s lengthy rap sheet includes charges of assault with a deadly weapon, breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering, malicious conduct by a prisoner, injury to personal property, injury to real property, trespassing, stalking, and probation violations.
In 2025, Camacho reportedly got a sweetheart plea deal that allowed him back on the streets.
Citing public records, WRAL reported that Camacho faced up to a four-year prison sentence for four felony charges — but all the felonies were reduced to a single misdemeanor.
What’s more, Camacho in 2021 attempted to escape from the Piedmont Correctional Institution in Salisbury, according to the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.
Freeman on Monday said “he has spent a lot of time bouncing between the prison system and the local jails over the last few years and has really been in custody all but maybe a total of 12 months within the past six years.”
Wes Phillips — a long-time Raleigh resident — claimed he was forced to move after Camacho, his former neighbor, allegedly harassed and stalked his family nearly a decade ago.
In the spring of 2016, Phillips said he discovered two tires on his car were slashed and a mirror was torn off while a mirror on his wife’s car also was torn off.
According to the Raleigh News and Observer, Phillips questioned Camacho about the vandalization of the cars, “The lightbulb sort of went on for me at that point, and I asked him, ‘Did you touch my [expletive] car?'”
Phillips alleged that Camacho walked toward him and “cocked his fists into a fighting position.” Phillips’ wife reportedly broke things up.
In October 2016, as Hurricane Matthew hit North Carolina, Phillips noticed Camacho outside his home.
“It was like a horror movie, like he was standing there in a black jacket, staring at us in front of our house during a hurricane,” Phillips told WRAL-TV. “Not talking, like making sure that we knew who he was.”
Just days later, Phillips alleged that after he entered his vehicle and locked the doors, Camacho “was pulling on the door, trying to get in.”
WRAL reported, “Security video from that day showed a man throw a rock into the windshield of Phillips’ car and then through the sunroof, before punching and kicking the vehicle.”
Phillips’ landlord let him end the lease early so he and his family could move away from Camacho, but the suspect allegedly showed up at Phillips’ new townhome with a gun.
Phillips explained, “He shot into our building where he thought that we lived. That’s something that stays with us.”
Citing court documents, WRAL reported that no one was injured in the shooting, but Camacho was arrested and spent two years in prison.
In fear of violence from Camacho, the Phillips family armed themselves with “lethal and non-lethal protection measures.”
Phillips noted, “It’s not like there weren’t signs. We were really adamant about the danger that we felt we were in, and perhaps other people were in, and it just wasn’t taken seriously.”
Phillips said that there was a complete failure that led to a “woman being killed.”
Phillips continued, “My wife and I are asking ourselves right now as we think about what happened this past week, how close did we come to being that person, and could that have been prevented?”
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Pregnant woman found dead; now sordid family-affair accusations and mystery of her baby’s grisly fate emerge: Court docs
The mother of a slain pregnant woman found in a Michigan forest has confessed to committing grisly acts against her daughter and her unborn grandson, according to new court documents. The case also has taken a shocking twist as sordid accusations of illicit family affairs have emerged.
As Blaze News reported earlier this month, 22-year-old Rebecca Park — who was approximately 38 weeks pregnant — was reported missing Nov. 4, according to the Wexford County Sheriff’s Office.
‘Your baby is gonna die.’
Following weeks of intense searches for the missing pregnant woman, Park’s body was found in the Manistee National Forest on Nov. 25 — just three days after she was due to give birth. However, Park’s child was no longer in her womb.
The Michigan Department of Attorney General stated that 40-year-old Cortney Bartholomew and 47-year-old Bradly Bartholomew “lured” Park to their home in Wexford County. Cortney Bartholomew is Park’s biological mother, who gave up her daughter for adoption as a young child; Bradly Bartholomew is her stepfather.
“The couple then allegedly tortured Park in an attempt to remove the unborn infant, resulting in the death of both,” the attorney general said.
According to MLive, Wexford County Prosecutor Johanna Carey said, “Mr. Bartholomew brought Rebecca to their home, forced her into another vehicle, and took her into the woods, where they stabbed her, forced her to lie on the ground while they cut her baby out, ultimately causing her death and the death of the baby.”
Cortney initially denied any involvement in the murder of her daughter, according to police.
However, Cortney later confessed to cops that Park was still conscious when she cut the baby out of her daughter while Bradly held a knife to her throat, according to court documents.
Cortney claimed she cut the baby out of Rebecca in an attempt to save the child so she could then take him to his father, court documents allege.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by UpNorthLive, “When she cut the baby out, Cortney said that Rebecca was still conscious, and Bradly was holding the knife to her throat.”
Court docs added that Cortney told Rebecca to lie back and said, “Your baby is gonna die.”
The affidavit said Bradly told law enforcement that the baby was not alive when the child was cut out of the womb. Cortney informed investigators that the baby was not breathing or crying when the child was removed from the womb, court documents state.
Court docs also indicate that Bradly told detectives that after Cortney couldn’t revive the baby, she said, “The bitch killed my baby.”
According to the affidavit, Bradly accused Cortney of killing her daughter because she wanted another child, but the couple couldn’t adopt because he’s a convicted sex offender.
“Bradly agreed that he believes that Cortney is capable of slicing open her own flesh and blood and taking a baby out,” the affidavit reads. “He agreed that Cortney is obsessed with wanting another baby in her care and custody.”
When Cortney asked about her grandson, who had just been cut from his mother’s womb, Bradly replied, “Oh, I stuck him in a cooler, stuck him in a trash bag, threw him in the trash,” the affidavit states.
“I slit her f**king throat, bitch deserved it,” Cortney claimed her husband told her, according to Law & Crime.
In a strange twist, Cortney allegedly admitted to having a romantic relationship with her daughter Rebecca’s fiancé — 43-year-old Richard Falor — who also is the father of Rebecca’s unborn child.
“Cortney then reports how Rebecca and Richard Falor were initially dating, and [when] they broke up, a relationship between herself and Richard then commences,” the affidavit indicates.
Court documents claim Cortney rejected Falor and that he then resumed his relationship with Rebecca.
“Cortney also reported that Richard had returned to her residence and raped her, forcefully, causing her to have a miscarriage of the baby she was carrying,” the affidavit states, adding that “a report of this incident was made with the sheriff’s office, however, Cortney said Richard was not charged.”
Cortney claimed that Falor had been abusive and aggressive with Park, and she encouraged Rebecca to leave him.
The affidavit reads, “[Cortney] again claimed that this was a revenge plot because she had a sexual relationship with Richard and because Richard got Bradly put in jail. She claimed that Bradly wanted to hurt Richard.”
The 18-page probable cause affidavit alleges that Falor turned in Bradly last year on a sex offender registration violation.
Bradly received a 180-day jail sentence for an unspecified violation related to his being on the sex offender registry, according to court records obtained by People magazine.
Court documents indicate that Cortney told authorities that Bradly said Falor also deserved what’s coming to him, and it “just happened to be your daughter that’s going to pay for it.”
Cortney claimed Bradly told her that he planned to cut the baby out of Rebecca right in front of Falor after doing an internet search about C-sections, court docs say.
The stepfather asserted that Rebecca’s sister — 21-year-old Kimberly Park — also had a “relationship” with Falor.
“Bradly reported that Kimberly is jealous of Rebecca, and that he is aware that Kimberly has had a relationship with Richard in the past,” the affidavit states.
Over the last two weeks, Rebecca’s mother, stepfather, sister, and fiancé have been arrested.
People magazine reported that Kimberly has been charged with tampering with evidence, lying to a police officer, and filing a false report. She is on house arrest after her bail was reduced from $750,000 to $5,000.
Falor was charged with distributing methamphetamine, according to the New York Post. He pleaded not guilty Dec. 2.
Cortney and Bradly each were charged with one felony count of first-degree premeditated murder, one felony count of murder, one felony count of torture in a place of confinement, one felony count of conspiracy to commit torture, one felony count of assault of a pregnant woman with the intention to cause miscarriage or stillbirth, one felony count of conspiracy to commit assault on a pregnant woman with the intention to cause miscarriage or stillbirth, and one misdemeanor count of removal of a dead body.
If convicted of any of the felonies, the pair faces up to life in prison.
Court records identify Bradly Bartholomew as a habitual offender, which could result in harsher penalties.
The Bartholomews were jailed without the possibility of bond.
Court appearances by Cortney and Bradly have been postponed until Jan. 13, 2026, WWTV-TV and WWUP-TV reported.
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Thanksgiving nightmare: Woman gives chilling ‘independence day’ confession about slashing boyfriend’s throat, police say
An Arizona woman allegedly admitted to trying to murder her sleeping boyfriend on Thanksgiving, according to court documents. What’s more, authorities said the woman told her boyfriend, “Today is my independence day.”
Tamala Rudeseal — a 52-year-old from Mesa — was arrested on Thanksgiving night and booked into the Maricopa County Jail on attempted murder and aggravated assault charges. Her bond was set at $1 million.
‘God, I hope he is dead; it’d be a favor to me, his wife, and his children.’
Police said Rudeseal called 911 around 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving and reportedly made several alarming remarks.
Citing court records, KPNX-TV reported that Rudeseal was heard saying during the 911 call, “I’m sick of what you do to me, today is independence day.”
Court documents also claim Rudeseal was heard saying, “Yes … I did just try to murder you,” and “I’m ready to go to prison.”
Police said when officers arrived at the residence, they found Rudeseal’s boyfriend with a cut running from his left ear to the center of his neck.
The wounded man was rushed to a local hospital and underwent emergency surgery for a neck laceration, according to KSAZ-TV. Officials told the news outlet that the man is expected to survive.
The boyfriend informed investigators that the couple had argued earlier in the day, court docs stated.
Arizona Family, citing court documents, reported that the man told detectives he was asleep when he woke to a sharp pain in his neck. Court records also state that he told investigators that he thought he was going to die but controlled the bleeding with his shirt until police arrived.
The boyfriend said he’d been in a relationship with Rudeseal for 11 years and that she is often depressed around the holidays, according to court records.
According to court docs, Rudeseal informed police that she told her boyfriend, “I’m going to slice your (expletive) throat.”
According to court docs, when asked by investigators if she was attempting to kill her boyfriend, Rudeseal responded, “Yes. God, I hope he is dead; it’d be a favor to me, his wife, and his children.”
According to court records, Rudeseal also told authorities, “I planned on doing the other side and then stabbing him in the heart.”
Records show Rudeseal complained to officers that her boyfriend “does not do anything around the house” except sit, smoke, and drink.
Police detained Rudeseal at the crime scene and recovered a large folding hunting knife close to where she was found, authorities said.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office told People magazine that the case is “currently under review by our office.”
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday afternoon told Blaze News that Rudeseal “is still in custody.”
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Cop torches career after home invasion, physical attack on former lover — and his girlfriend — plus threat to burn down house
A New Jersey police officer has lost her law enforcement career in the state following a home invasion, physical attack, and threats to burn down a former lover’s residence.
Rebecca Sayegh, 32 — formerly with the Toms River Police Department — pleaded guilty to burglary, criminal mischief, and simple assault on Nov. 17.
‘I’m going to f**king burn your house down next, you piece of s**t.’
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced in a statement that his office wants Sayegh to serve 180 days in jail when she’s sentenced on Jan. 26. As part of her probation, prosecutors also want her to have no contact with the victims and to pay restitution.
Sayegh — who had been suspended without pay since her April arrest — was required to forfeit her position with the police department effective Nov. 17; she’s also barred from any future employment with the state of New Jersey, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Sayegh’s guilty plea stems from a violent home invasion of her ex-boyfriend’s home in Berkeley Township.
As Blaze News previously reported, Sayegh used her baton to smash through the front door of her ex-boyfriend’s home around 11:20 p.m. on April 25.
But the violent incident didn’t stop there.
Sayegh — who was off-duty at the time — engaged in a verbal confrontation with her former lover and his new girlfriend that quickly escalated into a physical attack, according to court documents NJ.com obtained.
Citing Assistant Prosecutor Isabella Young, NJ.com reported that the girlfriend suffered swelling to the eye when Sayegh poked her with her fingernail.
The couple was able to restrain Sayegh before she “broke free” and smashed items in the house and knocked photos off a wall, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
Billhimer said Sayegh damaged the hood of a vehicle belonging to one of the victims that was parked in the home’s driveway.
The New York Post reported, “As Sayegh continued on her chaotic rampage, the new girlfriend retreated into the backyard, where she called 911.”
The prosecutor’s office stated: “Sayegh was taken into custody at the scene — after having resisted efforts to peacefully place her under arrest.”
Citing police bodycam video, the Daily Mail reported that Sayegh appeared to tell her ex-boyfriend: “I’m going to f**king burn your house down next, you piece of s**t.”
Sayegh caused $2,000 in damage to the house and another $500 to a vehicle, Young said.
Just months before the violent home invasion, Sayegh sued the Toms River Police Department, alleging sexual harassment, being passed over for promotions due to her gender, and a “boys club” culture.
Sayegh’s lawsuit alleges that she “has been victimized by a campaign of disparaging, degrading, harassing, and discriminatory conduct by defendants and the de facto ‘boys club’ culture cultivated and maintained in the department,” the Asbury Park Press reported.
The October 2024 suit also claims that fellow officers “spread false and defamatory rumors throughout the department that [the] plaintiff was sleeping with various male co-workers, commented on [the] plaintiff’s appearance, and insinuated that [the] plaintiff could not complete the responsibilities of her position simply because she is a woman.”
The defendants’ attorneys have described the lawsuit as “frivolous and without legal basis” and “baseless and/or meritless.”
Sayegh — who joined the department in 2017 — claimed that her former captain, Shaun O’Keefe, “shamelessly” pursued a sexual relationship with her.
Sayegh’s lawsuit alleges that O’Keefe followed her into the women’s restroom, took out his penis, and told her to perform oral sex on him during a Toms River Police Foundation event at the Bey Lea Golf Course in June 2022.
O’Keefe retired from the police department in 2021.
In April 2025, Superior Court Judge Robert E. Brenner dismissed the claims against O’Keefe without prejudice, ruling that the lawsuit was filed after the two-year statute of limitations had expired, according to the Asbury Park Press.
Sayegh’s lawsuit against the police department is still pending, according to the Daily Mail.
Sayegh previously had been commended and received an award for her “bravery” after rescuing a woman and her pets from a Toms River house fire in January 2021.
“Officer Sayegh went to the front door and made entry, locating Ms. Nicolo and her pets. Officer Sayegh was able to escort Ms. Nicolo and her pets across the street to safety. Officer Sayegh is commended for her swift action, bravery, and lifesaving actions,” the department stated.
The Toms River Police Department and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office did not immediately respond to Blaze News‘ requests for comment.
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Stunned judge reveals fate of woman involved in deadly kidnapping of 2 young sisters found in a pit — 1 did not survive
Earlier this year, 34-year-old Victoria Cox — a mother of three — pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and kidnapping after admitting to helping a friend abduct two children.
The friend in question is 38-year-old Daniel Callihan, a resident of Amite, Louisiana.
‘These acts you committed, do you understand how awful these acts were? You understand how innocent these two little girls were?’
On June 12, 2024, Callihan fatally stabbed a mother of two — Callie Brunett — more than 50 times in her home in Loranger, Louisiana, and then kidnapped Brunett’s two daughters, ages 4 and 6, according to court documents.
Indeed, Callihan stole the stabbing victim’s 2012 Chrysler vehicle, placed Brunett’s two daughters inside it, and eventually drove to Amite, court documents show. That’s where he picked up Cox.
Law enforcement tracked down the missing girls to a property in Jackson, Mississippi, where they made a ghastly discovery. Authorities on June 13, 2024, found the body of the 4-year-old girl in a “pit,” according to a statement last month from the United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana.
Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade described the crime scene as “sickening” and revealed that he “observed small cages” and “small wired enclosures,” which “led us to believe that it was a location where human trafficking probably could have happened,” People magazine reported.
The 6-year-old sister was found alive and immediately transported to a hospital; she has since been reunited with relatives.
After Callihan was arrested, he admitted to investigators that he stabbed to death the mother of the two girls and kidnapped them, the U.S. Attorney’s office stated. Callihan also confessed that he “smothered” the 4-year-old girl to death “by holding [her] closely against his chest,” according to People magazine.
‘At any point in your mind were you thinking about your children when you did this? And that didn’t cause you to stop?’
United States District Judge Lance M. Africk handed Callihan consecutive life sentences for kidnapping resulting in death and transporting a minor in interstate commerce with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Authorities also determined that Cox was Callihan’s co-conspirator in the disturbing crimes.
While Callihan and Cox engaged in sexual battery against the 6-year-old girl, court docs said, the sexual battery charge was dropped.
Cox has three children of her own — ages 6, 8, and 9 — and during her sentencing hearing, a stunned Hinds County Circuit Judge Winston Kidd asked her how she, as a mother, could participate in such a vile act against young children, according to WLBT-TV.
“At any point in your mind were you thinking about your children when you did this? And that didn’t cause you to stop?” Kidd asked Cox.
Cox replied, “I tried, but I couldn’t.”
Cox added to the judge that Callihan had forced her to get high on drugs on the day of the kidnapping, according to WLBT, and that she had been out of rehab for just two days before the kidnapping.
Cox also claimed she “didn’t know” Callihan didn’t have “permission” to have the children, WLBT reported.
Cox told the courtroom, “If I could change it all, I would, but I can’t.”
The station added that Cox released a handwritten note in court requesting to plead guilty as quickly as possible.
Cox wrote, “I’ve been trying to get my attorney to come go over my plea deal with me, but he has failed to do so. I would like to accept it. Can you put me on the court docket?”
According to Court TV, Hinds County District Attorney Jody E. Owens II noted that his office had never witnessed that happen before — and said of Cox, “She realized, I believe, that this crime was so horrific that the atonement level has to start today.”
Indeed, Kidd told Cox, “These acts you committed, do you understand how awful these acts were? You understand how innocent these two little girls were? This is something you’re going to have a lot of time to think about.”
Kidd last week sentenced Cox to a pair of concurrent sentences: 40 years in prison on the murder charge and 25 years on the kidnapping charge, according to WWL-TV.
Cox had faced the possibility of a death sentence.
The Jackson Police Department did not immediately respond to Blaze News‘ request for comment.
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Teacher accused of trafficking for alleged Soros-linked, sex ‘dungeon’ financier loses certification: ‘Not a one-man show’
A Texas woman accused of sex trafficking women for her former financier boss has temporarily lost her teacher certification, according to a new report.
As Blaze News noted in September, a former famed Wall Street financier with money ties to George Soros is accused of torturing women at a secret BDSM sex “dungeon,” according to authorities.
‘During many of these encounters, Rubin brutalized women’s bodies, causing them to fear for their safety and/or resulting in significant pain and injuries.’
On Sept. 26, FBI agents arrested 70-year-old Howard Rubin at his home in Fairfield, Connecticut. On the same day, FBI agents also arrested Rubin’s alleged personal assistant — 46-year-old Jennifer Powers — at her home in Southlake, Texas.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York said in a statement released in September, “A 10-count indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging retired New York-based financier, Howard Rubin, also known as ‘Howie’ and ‘H,’ along with his personal assistant, Jennifer Powers, with sex trafficking and transporting women in interstate commerce for sex acts with Rubin.”
Rubin — a former high-profile money manager at Salomon Brothers, Bear Stearns, and Merrill Lynch — was also charged with bank fraud in “connection with misrepresentations made to a bank in the course of financing Powers’ mortgage for the Texas home of Powers and her husband.”
If convicted of sex trafficking, Rubin and Powers each face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years behind bars. Rubin and Powers face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if convicted of transporting women to engage in commercial sex acts. Rubin faces a maximum prison sentence of 30 years if he’s convicted of bank fraud.
Rubin and Powers have pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Federal officials said Powers became Rubin’s personal assistant around 2011 and “managed the logistical aspects of their commercial sex operation.”
Federal prosecutors said the alleged sexual abuse crimes occurred between 2009 and 2019 when Rubin and Powers “recruited multiple women to travel to New York City to engage in commercial sex acts with Rubin involving bondage, discipline, dominance, submission, and sadomasochism, referred to as ‘BDSM’ sex, and some of the women were trafficked.”
According to the Associated Press, Rubin “lured dozens of women, including former Playboy models, to be sexually and physically assaulted during encounters in his Central Park penthouse in a soundproofed room described in court papers as ‘The Dungeon.'”
Federal authorities said the purported sexual encounters happened at luxury hotels and at Rubin’s two-bedroom penthouse apartment in midtown Manhattan, where one of the bedrooms was converted into “what they referred to as a sex ‘dungeon’ that was painted red, soundproofed, and furnished with BDSM equipment and devices, including a device to shock or electrocute the women.”
The federal prosecutor’s office stated in the news release, “During many of these encounters, Rubin brutalized women’s bodies, causing them to fear for their safety and/or resulting in significant pain and injuries.”
Federal officials said Rubin and Powers also forced the women to sign nondisclosure agreements, which would “require the women to assume the risk of the hazards and injury of the BDSM encounters with Rubin, prohibit the disclosure of information about the BDSM sex with Rubin, and require the payment of damages in the event of a breach.”
Special agent Harry Chavis said Powers was quite involved in the alleged sexual abuse, and it was “not a one-man show.”
Chavis stated, “While Rubin dehumanized these women with abhorrent sexual acts, Powers is alleged to have run the day-to-day operations of the enterprise and got paid generously for her efforts.”
The Dallas Morning News, citing online records from the Texas Education Agency, reported Friday that Powers temporarily lost her state teacher certification. The paper added that Powers worked as a long-term substitute teacher for Old Union Elementary in Southlake.
A TEA spokesperson added to the Morning News that the State Board of Educator Certification is required to temporarily suspend a teacher’s certification or permit following an arrest. The paper added that in such cases, a hearing on the temporary suspension “must take place within about two months of the final outcome of the legal case.”
CBS News in September reported that the Carroll Independent School District confirmed Powers had been a substitute teacher but was dismissed.
Cameron Bryan — president of the board of trustees for the Carroll Independent School District — said the district followed all TEA hiring requirements, including fingerprint-based criminal background checks.
An attorney for Powers did not immediately respond to the Morning News’ request for comment.
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