1 of 1 Photo: Science Photo Library RF
1 Bryan Kohberger To Plead Guilty To Killing Four University Of Idaho Students
Bryan Kohberger has reportedly agreed to plead guilty to the 2022 stabbings that killed University of Idaho students Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves. Prosecutors told the victims’ families that Kohberger’s lawyers sought the talks and that a plea deal, life in prison with no death penalty, “best serves justice.” A change-of-plea hearing is set for tomorrow; the trial, moved to Boise for fairness, had been planned for August. Kohberger, then a criminal-justice graduate student at Washington State University, was arrested at his parents’ Pennsylvania home weeks after the attack. Investigators matched his DNA to a knife sheath left at the off-campus rental house where the four friends were found. Autopsies showed they were likely asleep; some had defensive wounds. Prosecutors say the agreement spares families years of appeals, but relatives of at least one victim called it a betrayal. Idaho judges may refuse plea bargains, though that is rare. A gag order still bars lawyers and police from speaking publicly as the case moves toward sentencing.
2 Suspect ID'd In Ambush Killing Of Two Idaho Firefighters
More details have been released about the ambush killings of two firefighters who were responding to a wildfire in Idaho Sunday. Sheriff Bob Norris identified the shooter as 20-year-old Wess Roley, a drifter who once told friends he hoped to be a firefighter. Investigators think he used a flint to start the blaze, climbed a tree for cover, and opened fire with a shotgun as engines and a water-drop helicopter arrived. Battalion Chief Frank Harwood, 42, of Kootenai County Fire & Rescue, and Battalion Chief John Morrison, 52, of the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department, were killed. Firefighter Dave Tysdal, 47, was shot once and is now stable at a local hospital. More than 300 police officers swarmed the wooded slope. Deputies shoved Roley’s parked vehicle over an embankment to keep him from escaping and later found him dead with the shotgun nearby; the sheriff believes he took his own life. Officials say Roley had only minor past run-ins with law enforcement and had been living out of that vehicle. A motive remains unclear. Roley’s family issued a statement saying they are “broken” for the victims and will cooperate fully.
3 Over 300 Charged In $14.6-Billion Health Care Fraud Schemes
The Justice Department and state partners have charged more than 320 people in what they call the biggest health-care-fraud sweep ever. Investigators say the schemes rang up $14.6 billion in false Medicare and Medicaid claims, more than double last year’s record. Nearly 100 medical pros, including 25 doctors, are among the accused. Cases span 190 federal indictments and 90 state actions; seized loot tops $245 million in cash, cars, crypto, and property. The largest sting, “Operation Gold Rush,” alleges a $10 billion catheter-billing scam that stole patient IDs from more than a million Americans. Officials warn transnational crime rings are turning U.S. health care into a rich target.