National Roundup

New Hampshire
Missing-woman case linked to steel drum bodies
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire authorities say the case of a woman who disappeared more than 35 years ago is connected to one involving four bodies found in two steel drums between 1985 and 2000 in a state park.

Authorities also say those cases are connected to a California murder case. They’ve scheduled a news briefing for Thursday in Concord.

Police recently searched a Manchester home where Denise Beaudin last lived. She disappeared in 1981 at age 23.

In the other cases, investigators have used scientific testing to try to identify a woman and three girls found in the drums in a state park in Allenstown. A hunter discovered the first two bodies in 1985. An investigator found the others 15 years later.

Pennsylvania
Man sues police over repeated Tasering, alleged false arrest
GETTYSBURG, Pa. (AP) — A man has sued a former Pennsylvania police officer and his department for repeatedly using a Taser on him after allegedly falsely arresting him for violating a protective order.

Derek Twyman is suing former Gettysburg officer Christopher Folster, various supervisors, and the borough’s police chief and former mayor alleging Folster was poorly trained and wrongly “escalated” the May 2015 arrest.

The underlying charge that the 29-year-old Twyman allegedly contacted a woman in violation of a protection-from-abuse order was dropped for lack of evidence, and Twyman was later found not guilty of resisted the arrest captured by Folster’s body cam. The Gettysburg Times obtained the video and posted it on YouTube after Twyman’s acquittal.

The borough says it can’t comment on “unproven allegations” and will respond in court filings. Folster couldn’t immediately be located for comment.

West Virginia
Former teacher faces 40 charges of sexual abuse
WELCH, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia State Police say a former McDowell County teacher has been charged with 40 counts of sex abuse involving children.

Police tell the Bluefield Daily Telegraph that 60-year-old Anthony Harris, of Northfork faces charges from abuse involving one victim in 1985 and another in 2006.

Harris was a longtime teacher in elementary and middle schools, and the children were between the ages of 12 and 15.

Trooper M.D. Brooks says the abuse occurred on school grounds. He says the investigation began after the first victim came forward and led to the second victim. Brooks said he believes there could be more victims.
According to the prosecutor’s office, bond was set at $200,000 Tuesday and no defense lawyer was immediately assigned.

New York
Criminal charge dropped against Fiat scion in NYC
NEW YORK (AP) — Prosecutors dropped a criminal charge against the playboy grandson of the Italian founder of Fiat Automobiles accused of falsely claiming he was being held against his will by an escort in New York City.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office said Wednesday that it had declined to prosecute Lapo Elkann and had no further comment. The 39-year-old scion was arrested outside a public housing project in December after his family contacted police, telling them Elkann had demanded $10,000 from them to “guarantee his safety,” officials said.

But investigators believe Elkann concocted the whole story and made up the false imprisonment tale after he ran out of money following a two-day drinking and drug binge with the escort.

His attorney, Randy Zelin, said he presented information to prosecutors, who did an exhaustive review before determining no crime had been committed.

“We are very fortunate the district attorney listened to us, and conducted a thorough investigation,” said Zelin.

Elkann, who was born in New York City, is the grandson of Gianni Agnelli, who for decades ran Turin-based Fiat Automobiles SpA and its affiliated companies. He is part of the shareholding family but has no role in the company.

Elkann made headlines in Italy in 2005 after he was hospitalized for a drug overdose in the Italian city of Turin. He told an Italian TV interviewer two years later that his past cocaine use had been a “mistake.”

In recent years he has focused on design, with his Italia Independent company most famous for carbon fiber sunglasses. He also has designed furniture and collaborated on a Gucci design for the new Fiat 500.


Florida
Report: Girl live streamed suicide in foster home
MIAMI (AP) — A 14-year-old girl broadcast her death live from the bathroom of her Miami area foster home as she made a noose from her scarf and attached it to the shower door frame to hang herself, authorities said.

The Florida Department of Children and Families offered few details Tuesday about the weekend death of Nakia Venant, whom police found hanging in the bathroom.

One of the girl’s friends told the Miami Herald she saw the livestream and called Miami-Dade police, who showed up at her house. She then gave them an address in Miami. When police showed up there, residents gave them the foster home address. Officers found the girl hanging and tried to revive her. She was declared dead a short time later at a hospital.

“We are absolutely horrified and devastated by the news of this young girl’s death,” Mike Carroll, secretary of the Department of Children and Families, said in a statement. He promised a “comprehensive” review to examine the child’s history.
Carroll said his agency is working with Miami Gardens police on the investigation.

Florida
Suspect in police officer’s killing curses judge
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A suspect charged with murder in the deaths of his pregnant ex-girlfriend and an Orlando police officer cursed at a judge during a brief first appearance for a misdemeanor charge.

Markeith Loyd uttered the expletive after the judge set a bond of $500 for the charge of resisting arrest without violence during a Wednesday morning hearing.

The 41-year-old Loyd won’t be bonding out since another Florida judge set no bond for two first-degree murder counts.

During two court appearances last week for those charges, Loyd also cursed and interrupted the judge.

Loyd, said “I’m here for what?” after the judge read the charge and set the bond during Wednesday’s hearing, which lasted about a minute.

The misdemeanor charge stems from Loyd’s Jan. 17 arrest after a manhunt that lasted more than a week.