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Man Hit, Killed by Roller Coaster

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A man died Thursday after being hit by a roller coaster at Cedar Point, an amusement park in Ohio. 

The man had hopped a fence into a restricted area at the Sandusky amusement park in an attempt to retrieve a cellphone that had fallen below the Raptor roller coaster before he was struck, according to Erie County Coroner Dr. Brian Baxter.

“He apparently jumped over the fence and then when he stood up he was hit by the Raptor, that’s what we think,” Baxter said.

When asked about the possibility of a suicide attempt, Baxter said, “No, not at all. From what we saw we have no reason to believe it was anything but accidental.”

After waiting until the victim’s family was notified of the accident, police identified the man as 45-year-old James A. Young, of East Canton, Ohio, NBC 5's affiliate station WKYC reports. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Baxter said the investigation into the incident is ongoing. The Coroner’s Office is working with park officials and the Sandusky Police Department to review surveillance footage of the accident.

The Raptor reaches speeds up to 57 mph, according to the theme park’s website.

Cedar Point officials released the following statement after the man's passing:

"At approximately 5 p.m., a guest entered a restricted, fenced area of the Raptor roller coaster and was struck by the ride. Park safety officials responded immediately to the situation. Unfortunately the guest has passed away. Local authorities are on the scene conducting an investigation ... Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family at this time."



Photo Credit: Ryan Haidet, WKYC-TV

WATCH: Fire Truck, Ambulance Crash

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A traffic camera video shows the dramatic crash involving a Miami-Dade fire truck and ambulance that left seven firefighters and five civilians injured. 

The video shows the fire truck hitting the ambulance about to enter an intersection near the Jackson Memorial Hospital. Not seen in the video is the fire truck rolling over from the impact after the collision. The ambulance was left with front end damage. 

The seven firefigthers were in the rolled over engine truck while a grandmother and two children were in the ambulance. A third vehicle carrying two passengers was also involved.

No serious injuries were reported after all were taken to the hospital and released Wednesday morning. 

The collision remains under investigation by Miami Police.

 



Photo Credit: ATS
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Life Jacket Link to Missing Fla. Teen Boaters Questioned

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The family of two teenage boys who went missing off the Florida coast in July says they do not consider a search dog’s findings, linking two life jackets found along the Georgia coast to their boat, to be conclusive.

In a joint statement released Thursday, the families of Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen, both 14, said even though a dog did match the scent, the items did not have identifiable markings like tags or stenciling that would confirm a link to the boat.

“The canine field evaluation was made by a single dog and its handler. We do not consider the results to be conclusive,” the statement read.

According to Dr. Robert Bowie with DEEMI Search and Rescue, a search and rescue dog positively matched the orange life vests retrieved from a sandbar near Savannah to Stephanos and Cohen.

However, Bowie was quick to point out that the discovery is only a preliminary indicator. Further testing will need to be done to confirm a positive match, he said.

The teens were last seen July 24 after heading out on a fishing trip in the Jupiter Inlet.

The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for the young fishermen on July 31 after an eight-day search spanning from Jupiter to Wilmington, North Carolina. The boys’ families called off their privately-led search on Aug. 8.

The teens’ capsized boat was found about 65 miles east of Daytona Beach on July 26, two days after they disappeared. The boat went missing when a marine salvage company the Coast Guard hired to bring it to shore didn’t secure the vessel.



Photo Credit: U.S. Coast Guard

2 Killed, 1 Hurt in SUV Crash on SR-125

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Two women, one of whom was celebrating her birthday, were killed and a man was seriously injured when two SUVs crashed head-on Thursday on State Route 125 in Chula Vista.

California Highway Patrol (CHP) officials said the vehicles collided just before 10:15 a.m. on southbound SR-125 at San Miguel Ranch Road.

The CHP said a 27-year-old man in a blue GMC Yukon was driving north when, for unknown reasons, he veered right, hit a guardrail, lost control and crossed left over the dirt center divide, slamming into a blue Chevrolet Suburban heading southbound.

Two women in the Suburban, a 63-year-old and 29-year-old, were killed in the crash, CHP officials confirmed. The Yukon driver, a Spring Valley resident, suffered minor injuries and was transported to a hospital via ambulance. A Chula Vista Fire battalion chief said the man is expected to survive.

The Suburban's female passenger who died was celebrating her 29th birthday, officials say.

"Now we have two ladies that have lost their lives," said CHP Officer Sean Lowery. "That's going to be a tremendous impact on loved ones. It's definitely a tragedy."

Chula Vista Fire Department crews had to free the victims trapped in the wreckage.

Aerial footage showed one of the SUVs rolled over on its roof off the side of the freeway. The other SUV was in the middle of the lanes, completely mangled, with only its rear tires and trunk intact. Glass and debris was scattered all over the road.

Several fire engines, ambulances and CHP vehicles remained on scene as of 11 a.m. working to clear the scene and collect evidence.

Traffic on southbound SR-125 was shut down immediately following the deadly crash from eastbound and westbound SR-54, officials said.

As of 11:30 a.m., drivers stuck in traffic were being allowed to cross over into northbound SR-125 lanes in rotations under the supervision of CHP officials.

By the afternoon, northbound lanes were open, but all southbound lanes were still closed.

The accident is under investigation. The names of the victims were not immediately released.

Ed. Note: Video reports previously attached to this article reflected information provided by CHP that was later corrected. We have removed the video clips to avoid confusion.



Photo Credit: Elena Gomez

WATCH: Bystanders Tackle Attempted Carjacker

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A crowd of bystanders tackled a Washington state man suspected of driving under the influence Thursday after he rammed seven cars, jumped out of his vehicle and tried to carjack another one in a Seattle suburb, NBC News reported.

Video captured by a surveillance camera near a Bellevue intersection shows the man crashing into several cars, then running from car to car, grabbing at door handles and punching and kicking windows.

Eventually, other people get out of their cars and begin surrounding the man, who police say was being restrained by four people when they arrived.

Bellevue police said the 32-year-old, who has not been identified, was previously known to law enforcement.



Photo Credit: Bellevue Police
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Alleged Gangster Who Shot Firefighter Dead After Standoff: Sources

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The alleged gang member who shot a firefighter in a Staten Island home Friday morning, sparking a tense six-hour standoff that culminated with loud blasts and gunfire, is dead, law enforcement sources tell NBC 4 New York.

Garland Tyree, 38, was found dead in the home on Destiny Court in Mariners Harbor after a shootout at about 11:45 a.m., the sources say. It's not clear if he was killed by police as they traded fire, or if he took his own life.  

Tyree, an alleged member of the Nine Trey Gangsters chapter of the Bloods street gang, had barricaded himself in the home after shooting FDNY Lt. Jim Hayes, 54, who had responded to the residence after U.S. Marshals tried to execute a warrant for the 38-year-old at about 6 a.m.

 

Marshals had gone into the Tyree's basement apartment and found it full of smoke, so they called in the FDNY, police say. Hayes, a 31-year veteran with the force, went inside to look for people inside and found Tyree hiding in the shower. That's when the man allegedly opened fire, hitting Hayes in the buttocks and ankle.

Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said that Hayes ran from the apartment and didn't realize that he had been shot until he was outside. Police then moved to set up a perimeter, and Tyree fired a few more shots.

Heavily armed tactical teams and uniformed officers alike then swarmed the house, which was relatively quiet for more than 6 hours. They set up a line of communication with Tyree at about 7:40 a.m. and negotiators worked with the man, who was thought to be armed with an assault rifle.

Then, shortly before noon, four loud blasts and heavy gunfire could be heard as the standoff came to a head. 

A post on a Facebook page thought to belong to Tyree included the message "Today I die." The message was posted at about 6 a.m. Friday.

Homes around the scene were evacuated. One neighbor, Maria Quinones, described the scene through an interpreter.

"She heard the shots, then they came and took her out," the interpreter said. "She was scared but then she saw all the police action and she felt a little safer."

Nigro visited Hayes at the hospital after the shooting. He said the man is "as comfortable as you can be" and is with his family. Nigro said Hayes, a 31-year FDNY veteran, is one of four brothers to join the force and is a Sept. 11 first responder.

"He's lucky that he will survive this incident," Nigro said. "He acted heroically."

-- Brynn Gingras contributed to this report.

Woman Convicted in Fatal Distracted Driving Crash

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A San Diego woman was distracted by her phone when she slammed into another car killing a popular high school softball coach, jurors said Thursday.

Jorene Nicolas of San Diego was convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter in the death of 23-year-old Deanna Mauer in April 2011.

Nicolas, then 28, was traveling at least 80 mph when she crashed her Toyota Prius into the back of Mauer's Hyundai sedan on the 405 Freeway, according to crash investigators.

Traffic was at a near-standstill, but Nicolas was distracted by her cellphone and failed to notice, prosecutors argued.

She did not brake or slow before slamming into Mauer's vehicle, which was pushed into a Porsche in front of it, according to the district attorney's office. Nicolas then hit the freeway's center divider before coming to a stop, facing south in the northbound lanes.

Nicolas' attorney called the prosecutors' arguments flawed, referring to the crash as an accident.

Mauer, a star former softball player at Fountain Valley High School and coach at San Juan Hills High School, died at a hospital. She was wearing a seat belt.

Nicolas' first trial ended in the spring of 2014 with a deadlocked jury. 

Nicolas faces of up to six years in prison. She had the option of taking a plea deal that would have resulted in one year in prison.



Photo Credit: KNBC-TV

Man Leaves Sprinklers Running, Urinates on Property

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Deputies have arrested a man tied to an odd vandalism case in which he’s accused of urinating on a business park property and leaving the sprinklers running for 12 hours.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said Joseph Paul Jackson, 53, was arrested Wednesday as he scavenged in a dumpster on Mission Gorge Road in Santee.

Investigators had a search warrant out for his arrest in connection with a vandalism case that happened between July 3 and July 6 at a business park at 10227 Prospect Ave.

According to the sheriff’s department, a surveillance camera captured footage of Jackson allegedly urinating on the property and turning on the water sprinklers before leaving.

Investigators said the sprinklers ran for about 12 hours before landscape damage was discovered and the water was turned off. A significant amount of water was wasted during this time, officials said.

The same property had been vandalized before this act as well, but it was not caught on video.

Detectives linked Jackson to the vandalism and obtained a warrant for his arrest on July 31, the sheriff’s department said. He was booked into San Diego Central Jail on the warrant.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information should contact the sheriff’s department non-emergency line at (858) 565-5200.
 


Navy Sailor Accused of Manslaughter in Hit-and-Run

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A man who Oceanside police say hit and killed a bicyclist in September and then left the scene was arrested this week on manslaughter and hit-and-run charges.

Christopher Noah, an active duty member of the Navy, was booked in the Vista Detention Facility on Monday.

Police say Noah was the driver of a green Kia Soul that hit and killed Philip White, 28, in the 3900 block of North River Road in Oceanside. The collision happened just before 1:30 a.m. Sept. 21, 2014, but police say White's body wasn't discovered on the side of the road until four hours later.

"All we had was car parts," said Oceanside Police Sgt. Richard Schickel. "We had nothing more. In this case, it was a Kia Soul. How many Kia Souls are out there?"

Camp Pendleton personnel told police they suspected Noah was involved in the collision after noticing damage to his Kia Soul.

Staffers encouraged him to talk to police, according to a news release from the Oceanside Police Department.

Noah admitted to being the driver of the vehicle, but told investigators he didn’t know he had hit anyone.

"He said he was driving home, he hit something, he thought was a light pole," said Schickel. "He didn't see a downed pole, he didn't see any damage and left."

But investigators say evidence at the scene, such as DNA and the things he was wearing, contradicted his account; notably, the fact that they say the body appeared to have been moved.

A warrant for one count of felony hit and run and vehicular manslaughter was issued on July 30 and Noah was subsequently arrested by Oceanside police with the cooperation of NCIS agents. He has since been released on bond.



Photo Credit: DMV

Temporary Fire Station Opens in Skyline Hills

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One of the biggest gaps in San Diego's fire response coverage is finally on verge of being filled – with a temporary, modular fire station in Skyline Hills, the base for the city’s new Engine 51.

That'll mean firefighters and paramedic crews will show up much sooner than residents there and in surrounding communities have had to get used to waiting.

"Fire Station 32 and Fire Station 12, which are the nearest stations to this area, are very busy stations -- among the busiest in our city,” said San Diego Fire-Rescue Chief Javier Mainair. “They are often occupied when a call for service comes in here. And for them to come out this way is a long run for the other fire stations that cover it."

Officials say Station 51 is expected to be fully staffed and engine ready to roll on calls by Tuesday.

According to city-commissioned consulting studies,18 more temporary stations are needed to fill coverage gaps throughout San Diego -- many of them in older, “underserved” communities south of Interstate 8.

The Fire-Rescue department has found that two-man crews in small “quick strike” rigs are effective for only about 20 percent of the fire calls they respond to, and then have to give way to backup responders.

"Now that we have (Station 51) up temporarily, the hard work begins to find the funding to get a full station,” said Ken Malbrough, who chairs the Encanto Community Planning Council. “And it will happen -- I have faith in that."

While $1 million already has been earmarked for architectural and engineering design work on a permanent station, another $12 million will be needed to build the facility.

Odds are that funding for that project as well as three more in the vicinity would have to come from an “infrastructure” bond issue that city officials hope to take to the ballot in the November 2016 election cycle.

“We know where our vulnerabilities are – many of them are right here, in this general neighborhood,” said Marti Emerald, who chairs the city council’s Public Safety & Livable Neighborhoods Committee.

“Hopefully, within the next couple years, we’re going to have enough money to build a full-scale fire station here,” Emerald told community activists gathered for Thursday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony at Station 51.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

SD Explained: Solar Panels at Schools

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In the last few years, San Diego Unified has installed solar panels at almost 40 school sites. Last year, that meant $618,000 in savings for the district. Now it wants to dream a little bigger.

San Diego Unified is ready to invest tens of millions of dollars on solar panels for school campuses over the next six years. District officials plan to tap into school bond money from a 2012 measure to pull that off. All told, the district's projecting about $4.3 million in savings on electricity bills. Ideally, it'll spend that money on supporting student needs.

But as NBC 7's Catherine Garcia and the Voice of San Diego's Lisa Halvertstadt tell us, it hasn't always been smooth sailing for San Diego Unified's solar impulses. That's on this week's San Diego Explained.

1300-Acre Fire Burns on Camp Pendleton

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A vegetation fire has burned at least 1,300 acres at the center of Camp Pendleton, clouding the skies about San Diego's North County with a smoky haze.

The blaze, dubbed the Horno Fire, started at about 1 p.m. off Horno Canyon Road, base fire officials say.

As of 5:20 p.m., no structures were threatened, and no injuries have been reported.

A few Cal Fire crews and a helicopter have been called in to assist Camp Pendleton firefighters.

Officials say crews have been doing backfiring operations to contain the fire.

The cause is still unknown.

Lawsuit Alleges Assault Cover-Up at Elementary School

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After the San Diego Unified School District paid $105,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging sexual assault in a boy's bathroom, a new suit has been filed relating to the case.

Former district investigator Michael Gurrieri is suing top SDUSD officials, claiming his First Amendment rights were violated when he tried to report an alleged “cover-up” of student-on-student assaults.

“Mr. Gurrieri alleges he was retaliated against for speaking out on important matters of public concern,” Gurrieri’s attorney Mark Radi told NBC 7 by phone from New York.

A former South Carolina sheriff's deputy, Gurrieri was hired by the district in March 2014 as a probationary internal investigator.

He was assigned to look into an allegation at Green Elementary School in San Carlos. In May 2013, parents of a kindergartener said their son was sexually assaulted by another kindergarten student in the boy's bathroom at Green Elementary.

The parents were awarded $105,000 in the case, and the district did not admit guilt.

But as he investigated the issue, Gurrieri found the problem of student-on-student sexual assault was not limited to one case, according to his lawsuit.

“We allege he uncovered allegations of incidents of abuse in the school that the principal was aware of and didn't do anything about,” said Radi.

Radi said Gurrieri was asked to remove those allegations from his report.

“He objected to removing the allegations, but they ended up being removed anyway by his supervisors,” Radi said.

Guerrier was terminated from his job because he objected to the district's “cover- up,” according to his attorney.

The lawsuit names Superintendent Cindy Marten, Executive Director of the Quality Assurance Office Carmina Duran and the district's General Counsel Andra Donovan as defendants.

They are named individually because the district cannot be sued in federal court under the claims of First Amendment violations, Radi said.

The school district said it cannot comment on pending litigation, but a spokesman emphasized that lawsuits are made up of allegations, not facts.
 

In Rare Attack, Hammerhead Shark Bites Diver

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A diver was injured in a shark attack about 100 miles off the coast of San Diego, U.S. Coast Guard officials confirmed.

The 58-year-old man was underwater Monday just after 8 a.m. when he was bitten in the right hand by a hammerhead shark, Coast Guard officials said.

The unidentified man was diving from a passenger vessel called "Peace" at the time of the attack. According to Peace Dive Boat's website, the Ventura-based boat is part of a chartered trip to the Cortes Bank, a popular diving area about 100 miles off the coast.

An EMT on board gave the man basic first aid help, but the Coast Guard's flight surgeon recommended that the patient be airlifted from the boat.

Officials sent an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew to the boat, where they lowered a rescuer, strapped the patient to a stretcher and lifted him into the chopper.

He was taken to the UCSD Medical Center in Hillcrest in stable condition.

Coast Guard officials say it’s the only shark bite report it has received this summer.

Mike Price, an assistant curator of fishes at SeaWorld, said hammerhead shark attacks are extremely rare because humans are not on their prey list.

Since scientists started keeping records in the 1950s, there have only been 32 documented hammerhead shark attacks, according to Price. If verified, Monday's would be the first one on the West Coast.

He said the shark was likely a scalloped hammerhead that can grow up to seven feet long. They are typically found off Southern Mexico and Central America.

"It's very possible because of the warm water and the fact that Cortes Bank is a type of sea mountain, that you would have scalloped heads that have just followed the warm water and are just aggregating like they would normally do, around the Cortes Bank," said Price.

He told NBC 7 hammerheads are not scary sea monsters that are coming to bite people.

The Shark Research Institute reports that hammerhead sharks are typically nonaggressive when approached by divers. However, they will defend themselves if threatened.

"And sharks that defend, really defend with one way, and that's sharp teeth and strong jaws," Price said.

It's unclear why the hammerhead bit the diver, and the charter boat company did not return NBC 7's calls or emails.



Photo Credit: Coast Guard

Fire Damages Cars Inside Auto Repair Shop

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Three cars were destroyed in a fire at a National City auto repair shop, officials said Friday.

Firefighters from National City, Chula Vista and San Diego responded to the fire on Highland Ave at 18th Street at 3:15 a.m.

Smoke filled the garage and flames were contained to the left side of the building, officials said.

Battalion Chief Mark Beveradge told NBC 7 every commercial fire gets four fire engines, two trucks and two battalion chiefs.

When it's a business like an auto repair shop, the firefighting efforts are intensified.

Crews have a heightened awareness to fires in gas stations and auto repair shops because of all the flammables and hazardous materials often found inside these businesses, he explained.

But Beveradge said the design of the building helped firefighters in this case.

“With a concrete building, it buys you a little bit more time with extension of the fire going to another property or building,” he said.

Fire investigators are looking into the cause of the fire. 



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Gore Not Considering 2016 Run, Source Says

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Former presidential candidate Al Gore will not seek a presidential run in 2016 despite rumors to the contrary, a top Democratic Party source told NBC News. 

A BuzzFeed report Thursday claimed that Gore's supporters have begun trying to figure out whether there is a path for the former vice president in the race. But the top Democratic source told NBC News there was nothing substantive happening along those lines. 

Gore has faced speculation about a second presidential run since he lost the election to George W. Bush in 2000. 
 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Michigan Woman Kept Disabled Sister in Closet for 7 Years

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A Michigan woman kept her disabled sister locked in a closet for six or seven years with only a bucket to urinate in, authorities said Friday. 

Cindy Lawson, 44, is charged with unlawful imprisonment, vulnerable adult abuse, and embezzlement from a vulnerable adult, Shiawasee County's chief assistant prosecutor said. Lawson has entered a not guilty plea. 

Corunna police Chief Nick Chiros said a handyman reported finding the woman locked up. Police visited Lawson's home on July 9 for a welfare check following the tip and found the 42-year-old sister, who has "cognitve and physical impairments," locked in a closet suffering from malnourishment and dehydration. 

After 80 Years Social Security is America's Favorite Gov't Program

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Social Security, which turned 80 years old on Friday, is American's favorite government program.

Two-thirds of Americans view Social Security as one of the most important government programs, according to a new AARP survey. This view has remained consistent in AARP polling since 1995 and 82 percent of Americans say it is important to contribute to Social Security for the common good. 

Social Security retirement benefits represent about 38 percent of the income for seniors, who mostly depend on these checks. 

But Americans have doubts that Social Security will be there for them when they retire. Only 43 percent express confidence in the future of Social Security, according to AARP.



Photo Credit: Getty Images/File

Autopsy Report Unsealed in Marine Wife's 2012 Slaying

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An autopsy report has been unsealed in the bizarre 2012 killing of a north San Diego Marine wife in what investigators believe was a sex game turned deadly.

Brittany Killgore, 22, of Fallbrook, was last seen alive on April 13, 2012.

She was in the process of moving and, on that same day, had gotten help packing from acquaintance Sgt. Louis Perez, now 49. That night, she agreed to go on a dinner cruise in San Diego with Perez.

Shortly after being picked up by Perez, a friend received a text message from Killgore’s cellphone that read, “Help.” That message was followed by others that did not appear to have been written by her.

Killgore was reported missing on April 15, 2012, and a search ensued. Two days later, her body was found nude and mutilated in a remote, dirt field off Borel Road near Lake Skinner in Winchester, Calif.

Perez and suspects Jessica Lynn Lopez, and Dorothy Maraglino and Sgt. Louis Perez were arrested and charged with Killgore’s murder.

Investigators said the suspects were involved in a bondage, discipline and sadomasochistic lifestyle. They were also charged with torture, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit a crime and attempted sexual battery in Killgore’s slaying.

Killgore’s autopsy report, unsealed for the first time Wednesday, determines the Marine wife’s cause of death as “homicidal violence.”

A toxicology report says Killgore had no drugs in her system at the time of her homicide. Testing detected an alcohol level of 0.06 percent, though the autopsy says a low level of alcohol “can be produced by fermentation occurring in decomposition” and may have been due to postmortem changes in Killgore’s body.

The autopsy report says Killgore had a black tattoo on her left wrist that read “Eileen,” which was used by officials to confirm her identity.

The report says Killgore had strangulation marks on her neck, as well as wounds on her left wrist consistent with handcuff use.

Her face and neck had two small, brown marks suggestive of “use of an electrical weapon,” and her wrist and left knee had a large wound “suggestive of attempted dismemberment,” the autopsy states.

In warrants unsealed in August 2012, investigators also stated Killgore had sustained injuries indicating she was strangled, as well as wounds “consistent with someone using a tool such as a saw [sic] in an attempt at dismembering her.”

The warrants from 2012 said a search of the home on East Fallbrook Street shared by the three suspects led investigators to a room that was set up to be an apparent sex dungeon.

Items removed from the home included plastic and wooden whips and crops, leather restraints, a ball gag, a leather collar, zip ties, various ropes and cords, swords, a machete, black spiked gloves and a black knife labeled “The Black Defender.”

A stun baton was also found during the investigation, the warrants said in 2012.

Those documents said the three defendants had told investigators they were involved in sexual activities that included master, servant and slave role-playing.

Days after Killgore’s body was discovered, Lopez, Perez and Maraglino were arrested and charged
with her murder.

When Lopez was arrested, investigators found a suicide note that included graphic details describing how she had tried to dispose of Killgore’s body like “Dexter,” the serial killer character on the TV series by the same name, warrants said.

More than three years later, the suspects remain in custody in San Diego-area jails.

At a readiness conference in December 2014, a deputy district attorney announced the death penalty had been taken off the table in the case, and the suspects would face life in prison without parole if convicted.

Lopez, Maraglino and Perez are all scheduled to appear in court for further proceedings on Aug. 25 in Vista.

NBC 7 reached out to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Thursday to ask why Killgore’s autopsy report was released now, after all this time.

“Once a suspect is in custody, we typically try to unseal the autopsy,” said Lt. John Maryon. “We periodically review our cases to see if any autopsies that are sealed can be unsealed.”
 

Killer's Brother: End to Executions in Connecticut 'Does Not Bring Peace'

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The brother of one of the two men who killed a mother and two children during a home invasion in Cheshire in 2007 says the Connecticut Supreme Court’s ruling on Thursday that the state’s death penalty is unconstitutional brings no peace to those who’ve suffered at the hands of the 11 men on death row.

Steven Hayes was convicted of killing Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her two daughters, Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11, in a crime that shook the community of Cheshire, the entire state and beyond.

Matthew Hayes, the brother of Steven Hayes, released the following statement in reaction to the court’s decision yesterday:

"Thursday's ruling by the CT Supreme Court does not bring peace to any family or victim who has suffered at the hands of any of Connecticut's 11 CT Death Row inmates. Nobody is restored by the decision. While the death penalty has been a highly charged topic since the events of July 2007 in Cheshire, it has been highly politicized as well, but to what end.

As an educated society, we grapple with the profound question of any state taking life as reparation for a crime, even crimes as heinous as Cheshire. If the state has the penalty available, and has ethical issues imposing it, erring on the side of life is the wise choice, regardless of the justification for death.

When it comes to my brother's sentence, I, like many, am troubled. A hollow sentence ending in the eventual repeal of the death sentence leaves many wondering why the state charted a course they knew wouldn't stand review. For the many that were impacted by the events of Cheshire, I find peace knowing that Dr. Petit will never have to face the two men in court again; his healing can continue, without the barriers of endless appeals.

While we may not agree on the death penalty as an appropriate sentence, or whether Thursday's ruling is a step forward, I'm confident that moving this case, and the two individuals responsible into the history books, is in everyone's best interest."

Matthew Hayes
Seattle, WA

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