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Brittney Griner Prisoner Exchange With Viktor Bout The Merchant of Death

brittney griner Viktor Bout The Merchant of Death'

Brittney Griner the WNBA star who was arrested and convicted for bring Marijuana into Russia has been released after a prisoner exchange that sets Viktor Bout The Merchant of Death free. Viktor Bout who was arrested back in 2008 for trying to sell missiles that were intended to be used against US troops. Viktor Bout who was sentenced to twenty five years in prison served around ten years Brittney Griner who was sentenced to nine years in prison for bringing hashish oil into Russia has been in custody since her arrest in February 2022.

Brittney Griner of course is a celebrity which is the only reason her case attracted public attention. Yes her sentence was harsh but until recently the US Government sentenced people to decades in prison for the same amount of drugs. Viktor Bout is a dangerous individual who will probably pick up right where he left off

Brittney Griner More News

Brittney Griner, the American basketball star imprisoned in Russia, was released in an exchange for the convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, President Biden announced on Thursday. The trade ended 10 months of captivity for Ms. Griner, whose conviction on drug smuggling charges became an international cause, entangled in Russia’s deteriorating relations with the United States since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking from the White House with Ms. Griner’s wife Cherelle by his side, Mr. Biden said that he had spoken with Brittney Griner and that she would be back in the United States within 24 hours. “Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones — and she should have been there all along,” he said.

Here is what to know:

Russian officials refused to free another jailed American, Paul Whelan, despite “ceaseless efforts” by U.S. diplomats to include him in an exchange, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said. “While we celebrate Brittney’s release, Paul Whelan and his family continue to suffer needlessly,” Mr. Blinken said.
The trade freed Viktor Bout, one of the most notorious arms dealers of modern times, who earned the nickname “Merchant of Death” as he evaded capture for years. He was convicted in 2011 by a New York jury on four counts that included conspiring to kill Americans and sentenced to 25 years.
U.S. officials said Brittney. Griner, 32, was flown from Russia to the United Arab Emirates, and there boarded a plane to the United States. Arrested in February at an airport outside Moscow for carrying vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage, she had been convicted of drug smuggling and been transferred to one of Russia’s most feared penal colonies, where former inmates have described torture, harsh beatings and slave labor conditions.
The swap may have been an effort by President Vladimir V. Putin government to divert attention from Russia’s flailing war effort in Ukraine. In recent days, Ukrainian forces have struck military bases inside Russian territory with long-range drones, demonstrating their intent to bring the conflict closer to Moscow. On Wednesday, Mr. Putin acknowledged in a televised speech that Russians should expect a protracted war.

Brittney Griner, the W.N.B.A. star who was released from Russian custody on Thursday through a prisoner swap, had been found guilty of trying to smuggle illegal narcotics into Russia and sentenced to nine years in a penal colony. The Biden administration had been trying to strike a deal with Russia to free her for months.

Here is a look at the 10-month-saga that followed Ms. Griner’s February arrest at a Moscow area airport.

The Russian Federal Customs Service said that a sniffer dog had prompted it to search Griner’s carry-on luggage at Sheremetyevo airport on Feb. 17, when she traveled there to rejoin here Russian pro tem, UMMC Yekaterinburg, and that it had found vape cartridges containing hashish oil.

Hashish oil is a marijuana concentrate that has a high concentration of the psychoactive chemical THC, and it is commonly sold in cartridges that are used in vape pens. The Russian Federal Customs Service said that customs officers had noticed vapes after scanning Griner’s bag.

Brittney Griner, 32, who has played for the W.N.B.A.’s Phoenix Mercury since 2013, was convicted on a charge of attempting to smuggle narcotics into Russia in August and was sentenced to a penal colony for nine years, near the 10-year maximum. Her appeal of her conviction was denied on Oct. 25, and she was moved to a penal colony in Mordovia in November.

Brittney. Griner played for the Russian team UMMC Yekaterinburg for several years during the W.N.B.A. off-season. Many American female players competed with high-paying Russian teams before the war with Ukraine. A W.N.B.A. spokeswoman said that all the others besides Griner had left Russia and Ukraine by March 5 with the war underway.

The financial incentives to play in Russia were compelling. W.N.B.A. players make a fraction of what their male counterparts do in the N.B.A. International women’s teams, which tend to have more government and corporate financial support than those in the W.N.B.A., can pay hundreds of thousands of dollars a season, and sometimes more than $1 million.

Cherelle Griner, the wife of basketball star Brittney Griner, stood next to President Biden at the White House during his announcement about her wife’s release on Thursday and said she had endured some of the “darkest moments” of her life since her partner’s arrest in Moscow in February.

Over the months, she had steadily put public pressure on the White House not to forget about her wife and she said that “today my family is whole.”

“The most important emotion I have right now is sincere gratitude for President Biden and his entire administration. He just mentioned that this work is not easy, and it hasn’t been,” she said, adding that she also remembered the family of Paul Whelan, another American who remains imprisoned in Russia.

Cherelle Griner said in October that she had spoken to her wife just twice by phone since her detention. She said at the time that the W.N.B.A. star was afraid of being “left and forgotten.”

In her brief address, she also thanked other W.N.B.A. players for their support. The players had led social media campaigns and charity drives to support Brittney Griner, who has played for the Phoenix Mercury since 2013.

Brittney Griner was stopped in February at an airport near Moscow. Customs officials accused her of carrying vape cartridges with hashish oil in her luggage. She had been returning to Russia to play for UMMC Yekaterinburg, a powerhouse professional women’s basketball team, during the W.N.B.A. off season.

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/12/08/world/brittney-griner-russia-ukraine-news

Ewen DeWitt Murders Julie Minogue With An Ax

Ewen Dewitt is a man from Connecticut who allegedly murdered his ex girlfriend Julie Minogue with an ax in front of her children. According to police reports Julie Minogue had obtained a restraining order against Ewen DeWitt just days before she was murdered with an ax in front of her three year old and seventeen year old children. Now Ewen DeWitt has been charged with murder. It amazes me the number of murders that I cover on My Crime Library where a restraining order was issued yet failed to protect the victim

Ewen Dewitt More News

40-year-old Milford mother Julie Minogue was found dead in her home on Salem Walk Tuesday night. The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said her cause of death was ‘Chop Wounds and Blunt Impact Injuries of Head, Torso, and Extremities (homicide).’

According to a GoFundMe created by her sister, Minogue was a mother to three boys.

Her ex-boyfriend 42-year-old Ewen DeWitt, Roxbury, is accused of killing her with an axe. In court documents obtained by FOX61, it details what happened that day and the relationship between the two.

Police said Minogue’s 17-year-old son called 9-1-1 around 9 p.m. after being woken up by screams. He told police he didn’t wake up to the first noise but continued to hear a man screaming. He then heard his mother scream. The teen went downstairs and thought he heard DeWitt yelling, “You didn’t believe me.” The child said DeWitt was holding an axe and his mother was on the floor, covered in blood.

The teen then ran upstairs and locked the door. He opened his window and punched a hole in the screen. He called 9-1-1 to report his mother was being assaulted with an axe and put a chair behind the locked door. Officers responded within minutes, but the teen jumped out the window out of fear the “Milford PD” screams he heard were Ewen DeWitt imitating police. Police eventually picked up the teen.

Police found Minogue in a large pool of blood on the kitchen floor with “multiple critical lacerations to her face and skull.” A large axe was found on the stove near the victim with evidence on it.

Minogue’s 3-year-old son was on the living room couch in shock, police said, not crying nor responding to police presence. Police stayed with the child until additional officers arrived on the scene.

A ring camera provided by a neighbor shows a man walking with an axe in his hand, matching the description police detailed in the video in the probable cause statement.

The mother of Ewen DeWitt called the police to report a phone call she received from her son. According to the probable cause statement, the mother said, “My son just called us and he said he killed his girlfriend.” She continues to say her son was looking to kill himself. Police made contact with DeWitt over the phone, but he did not want to talk and hung up.

The statement said police started canvassing and went to Dive Bar on Ocean Avenue in West Haven, about a mile away from the Milford home, to inform people to notify police if they spotted DeWitt. Two men later flagged down police after seeing a person matching the description. FOX61 made contact with one of those men who did not want to be interviewed. He said he saw a person matching the suspect’s description wandering around the parking lot for a couple of minutes. The suspect later went into a food truck in the parking lot. The witness told police he went in there. That’s where Ewen DeWitt was taken into custody without incident.

Minogue had protective orders again Ewen DeWitt for previous domestic violence incidents. One was entered in November 2019 and issued in January 2021. It also protected children present at the time of the incident. The victim’s teen told police, in 2019, DeWitt was drunk and got into a fight with his mother. According to the probable cause statement, the child told police Ewen DeWitt threw a playpen at her head and she began bleeding. His mom filed a restraining order while he was in rehab, the teen said. He continued to say DeWitt got visitation for a sibling, who was redacted in the statement.

In November of this year, Minogue provided an affidavit regarding Ewen DeWitt contacting her, regardless of her restraining order. The mother wrote she brought her phone to the police for “harassing” texts. Police counted 220 texts, she wrote.

“I don’t feel I should be subjected to this abuse any longer. I am scared for the safety of my children and I. Ewen has got himself into a lot of trouble with drugs and alcohol, and I’m scared he’s going to kill me,” she wrote.

Another full no-contact protective order was entered on Dec. 1.

The two children home at the time of the murder are under the care of family members.

DeWitt is being held on a $5 million bond. He’s charged with murder, reckless endangerment, risk of injury to a child, violation of a restraining order, and violation of a protective order. Attorneys on both sides in court Wednesday cited mental health concerns with DeWitt. He’s been placed on suicide watch. His next hearing date is Dec. 14

https://www.fox61.com/article/news/local/new-haven-county/milford/scared-hes-going-kill-me-details-revealed-inmurder-milford-mother/520-a80a75ea-37ea-430c-93ea-ee3d662a2988

Juan David Ortiz Convicted Of 4 Murders

Juan David Ortiz a former Border Patrol agent has been convicted of four murders in Texas. According to court documents Juan David Ortiz in September 2018 would murder Guiselda Alicia Hernandez, 35, Claudine Anne Luera, 42, Melissa Ramirez, 29, and Janelle Ortiz (aka Nikki Enriquez), 28. Juan David Ortiz who would tell others that he was attempting to clean up the streets would initially confess to the murders however his lawyer claimed it was a false confession due to PTSD and taking pills. The jury did not buy it and convicted Juan David Ortiz of four murders. This serial killer who attempted to murder a fifth victim was sentenced to life without parole.

Juan David Ortiz More News

A former Border Patrol agent who confessed to killing four sex workers in 2018 was convicted Wednesday of capital murder, after jurors heard recordings of him telling investigators he was trying to “clean up the streets” of his South Texas hometown.

Juan David Ortiz, 39, receives an automatic sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole because prosecutors decided not to seek the death penalty.

Ortiz, a Border Patrol intel supervisor at the time of his arrest, was accused of killing Melissa Ramirez, 29, Claudine Anne Luera, 42, Guiselda Alicia Cantu, 35, and Janelle Ortiz, 28. Their bodies were found along roads on the outskirts of Laredo in September 2018.

During the trial that began last week, jurors heard Ortiz’s confession during a lengthy taped interview with investigators.

Ortiz told investigators he had been a customer of most of the women, but he also expressed disdain for sex workers, referring to them as “trash” and “so dirty” and insisting he wanted to “clean up the streets.”

He said “the monster would come out” as he drove along a stretch of street in Laredo frequented by the women.

Following the verdict, family members of the victims faced Ortiz to give their statements. Ramirez’s sister-in-law, Gracie Perez, said she was “a loving, kind and funny person.” She told Ortiz that the hearts of Ramirez’s children are now broken

“Do you know how much pain you have caused this family?” Perez said. “My heart is torn apart knowing that I won’t be able to see her but to visit her in the cemetery,” she said.

Defense attorneys said Ortiz was improperly induced to make the confession and that it should not be considered. Defense attorney Joel Perez argued that Ortiz, a Navy veteran who had been deployed to Iraq, was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, had been suffering from insomnia, nightmares and headaches, and was medicated and had been drinking that night.

Prosecutors told jurors it was a legal confession provided by an educated senior law enforcement official who was not having a mental breakdown.

Erika Pena testified that Ortiz picked her up on the evening of Sept. 14, 2018, and that she got a bad feeling when he told her he was the “next to last person” to have sex with Ramirez, whose body had been found a week earlier. She testified that he told her he was worried investigators would find his DNA on the body.

“It made me think that he was the one who might have been murdering,” Pena, 31, told the jury.

Pena escaped from his truck at a gas station after he pointed a gun at her, and she ran straight to a state trooper who was refueling his vehicle. Ortiz fled.

Authorities tracked Ortiz to a hotel parking garage in the early hours of Sept. 15, 2018, and he was arrested.

Capt. Federico Calderon of the Webb County Sheriff’s Department testified that officers who arrested Ortiz knew about the slayings of Ramirez and Luera, and while chasing him after Pena’s escape learned that a third body — later identified as Cantu’s — had been found. But Calderon said it wasn’t until Ortiz’s confession that they learned Janelle Ortiz had been slain.

Webb County Medical Examiner Corinne Stern testified that Ramirez, Luera and Janelle Ortiz were fatally shot while Cantu, who was shot in the neck, died of blunt force trauma to the head.

The bullets collected from the crime scenes came from the same gun, and matched the weapon found in Juan David Ortiz’s pickup, a ballistics expert testified.

Ortiz served in the U.S. Navy for nearly eight years, until 2009, holding a variety of medical posts and served a three-year detachment with the Marines

https://apnews.com/article/laredo-2cdf4f583beafec7d550ceb8abddd7b8

Jayveyon Burley Throws 1 Year Old Daughter Off Bridge

Jayveyon Burley is a man from California who has been charged with murder after throwing his one year old daughter off of a bridge. According to police reports Jayveyon Burley was arrested after the body of his one year old daughter Leilani Dream Burley was found dead in a river.

The chain of events started when Leilani mother phoned police to tell them that her daughter was missing. apparently Jayveyon Burley had picked up his two children earlier in the night to go to his mother’s residence however only arrived with one child. A police search would find the body of the little girl below the Ocean Boulevard Bridge in the LA River. Jayveyon Burley has been charged with murder and child endangerment.

Jayveyon Burley More News

A man is in police custody after his daughter was found dead in the Los Angeles River.

The Inglewood Police Department began an investigation late Sunday night after a woman called to report a missing person.

Around 10:45 p.m., police arrived at the woman’s home on the 300 block of N. Market Street where they contacted the grandmother of a 1-year-old girl who was missing.

The woman told police that her 22-year-old son, Jayveyon Burley, went to Long Beach to pick up his two children from their mother. When he returned to their home in Inglewood, only one of the children was with him.

On Monday, Inglewood police, working alongside the Long Beach Police Department, recovered the remains Leilani Dream Burley from the Los Angeles River, just below the Ocean Boulevard Bridge in Long Beach.

Jayveon Burley was immediately arrested and booked into the Inglewood Police Department Jail where awaits charges of murder and child endangerment.

His bail is set at $215,000, according to inmate records. Officials say he is due in court on Wednesday.

Lynisha Hull is the mother of Leilani. She said that Jayveyon Burley had never hurt either of their children and was always very overprotective of them. She said his actions have left her shocked and confused.

“She was so full of life,” Hull said Tuesday. “She loved music, books, she loved to dance, she loved giving high fives.”

Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact Inglewood homicide detectives at 310-412-5246. Anonymous tips can be made through the 24-hour tip line at 888-412-7463

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/father-arrested-after-1-year-olds-body-found-in-los-angeles-river/

Jayveyon Burley Other News

A 22-year-old father in California is behind bars this week after his 1-year-old daughter was found dead in the Los Angeles River. Jayveyon Burley was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged with one count of murder and one count of child endangerment in the death of Leilani Dream Burley, records reviewed by Law&Crime show.

According to a report from Los Angeles ABC affiliate KABC-TV, a woman later identified as Burley’s mother on Sunday evening called 911 at approximately 10:45 p.m. to report a possible missing child. She reportedly told the emergency dispatcher that the father, Burley, went to Long Beach to pick up his two children from their mother and bring them to the residence he shared with his mother in Inglewood. When he arrived home, however, he was reportedly only accompanied by one child

Officers with the Inglewood Police Department (IPD) responded to the residence, located in the 300 block of N. Market Street where they made contact with the victim’s grandmother and began searching for the missing child.

The IPD, working alongside officers with the Long Beach Police Department, discovered the little girl’s remains in the area shallow water just below the Ocean Boulevard Bridge in the LA River, according to a report from San Diego Fox affiliate KSWB-TV.

While authorities have not released details regarding the manner in which they believe Burley killed his daughter, Lynisha Hull, the child’s mother, provided additional information about the circumstances of Leilani’s death in an interview with KABC. Hull said that Burley appeared upset when he picked up their children, but that his behavior wasn’t anything she found concerning.

“He came to my home to pick up my kids,” an emotional Hull said through tears. “He was angry at the time but normal though. He was normal. He didn’t look like he was panicked or anything at all.”

She reportedly said that Jayveon Burley failed to put the 1-year-old in her carseat when loading the kids into the car. Hull reportedly said she then strapped the child into her carseat and watched as Burley drove off “erratically,” stopping and starting the vehicle several times.

Hull further claimed that her daughter’s body was found in the LA River because Burley tossed her off of a bridge.

“My daughter was murdered by her father. He threw her off the bridge,” Hull told the station. “I don’t understand. Why would he do this to my daughter? I don’t understand. How can a father do this to their own child?”

Hull’s 3-year-old son was unharmed. The distraught mother reportedly said that the little boy keeps asking where his sister is, a question she said she has no answer for.

Inglewood PD urged anyone with information relevant to the case to contact investigators at 310-412-5246.

Burley is no stranger to run-ins with the law. He was arrested in 2018 after he and two accomplices allegedly robbed a Domino’s Pizza delivery driver at gunpoint, according to a report from the Daily Press.

Lola Luna Guilty Of Syanna Puryear-Tucker Murder

Lola Luna was sixteen years old from Washington state when she fatally stabbed Syanna Puryear-Tucker. According to court documents Lola Luna and Syanna Puryear-Tucker were involved in a fight when Luna (photo above) used a knife to stab Syanna multiple times. Lola Luna attempted to use self defence for the murder however the fight was caught on tape and clearly showed Luna armed with a knife. Lola Luna was charged with first degree murder however the jury decided to convict the teen killer of second degree murder among other charges. Lola Luna is due to be sentenced in January 2023

Lola Luna More News

Andrew Binion, Kitsap Sun

Tue, December 6, 2022 at 8:50 PM·6 min read

A teenager who stabbed to death another teen during a fight last year was found guilty Tuesday of second-degree murder.

Lola Luna, 17, was taken into custody after the Kitsap County Superior Court jury’s verdict was read.

In convicting Luna of murder, jurors rejected her contention that she was defending herself when she stabbed 16-year-old Syanna Puryear-Tucker 24 times during a fight in Luna’s front yard on Jan. 30, 2021. Video taken by Luna’s boyfriend of the fight showed Luna holding an open knife behind her back when Puryear-Tucker threw the first punch. The two girls exchanged blows, with Puryear-Tucker punching and Luna stabbing.

Lola Luna, who had been out of custody and on house arrest on $100,000 bail, is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 30, two years to the day since Puryear-Tucker was killed. Judge Bill Houser ordered her held without bail. She did not appear to react when the verdict was read.

The jury of 12 white men took about a day to reach their verdict – half a day Monday and half a day Tuesday.

Sheryl Tucker, Puryear-Tucker’s mother, said she was disappointed that jurors exonerated Luna of first-degree murder but said she was satisfied with the verdict and happy that the trial was over.

“I feel like we can sleep a little bit better,” Tucker said.

She thanked jurors for their work, knowing that it was hard on them.

“I’m satisfied that they didn’t let her go,” Tucker said. “There was always that possibility, but that they actually took her right then and there. That made me feel a lot better.”

After sentencing, Tucker said she expects her loved ones will be able to grieve the way they have needed to grieve.

Further, Tucker was exploring the possibility of pushing for a law to prevent people from filming crimes and not intervening.

“This is not OK to stand by and videotape any kind of crime,” Tucker said. “It’s not OK.”

Jurors found Lola Luna not guilty of first-degree murder, the most serious count, but convicted her on two different types of second-degree murder. Prosecutors will vacate one of the counts prior to sentencing.

The Zoom feed showing the verdict maxed out at 500 and spectators packed the courtroom where the jury was delivered. Twice Houser admonished spectators to control their emotions, and when somebody called after Luna as officers led her away, Houser said: “Anyone want to admit to just saying that? I didn’t think so.”

Lola Luna was tried as an adult and turns 18 this month. If she receives a sentence keeping her in custody beyond her 25th birthday she will begin serving her time with the state’s juvenile justice authority until she turns 25. After that, she would be transferred to the state Department of Corrections prisons for the remainder of her sentence.

The maximum sentence Luna will face is 18 years, but jurors found that Luna committed the murder with a deadly weapon, which will add two years to her sentence.

Barbara Dennis, the lead prosecutor on the case, said the jury did the right thing and that it was fitting that Luna would be sentenced on the two-year anniversary of Puryear-Tucker’s death.

“It’s not over yet, but it’s nice to have this portion behind us,” Dennis said. “I think it’s a huge relief for the family of Syanna and a huge blessing for them.”

Dennis said the verdict sends a message that when using force in self-defense, it has to be proportional to the threat.

“Don’t bring a gun to a fist fight, don’t bring a knife to a fist fight, that’s not fair,” she said.

Luna’s attorney, John Kannin, said he wasn’t surprised by the verdict, saying the government has the upper hand in criminal trials and defendants are on an unequal playing field. He was grateful jurors acquitted Luna of first-degree murder but said the finding does not bode well for people in Kitsap County who try to defend themselves from violence.

“I would be afraid,” Kannin said of living in Kitsap County. “I think that’s taking away people’s right to defend themselves in their own home, and that’s what this jury verdict means.”

Lola Luna has a right to appeal the verdict, but Kannin said he did not yet know if she would. He praised Luna’s strength and said she felt bad that Puryear-Tucker died.

“Lola is a strong little girl, she understands what this verdict means, she is certainly disappointed,” Kannin said, adding that she testified because she wanted jurors to know what she was thinking in the moment and told the truth. “She is remorseful, she didn’t want to kill anybody. She’s not a killer, she’s a cheerleader.”

In their final pitch to jurors, prosecutors said that for some, fights are a part of growing up, but even when making those “dumb choices there are still rules.” Fear of losing a fight, especially in front of one’s social media followers, is not the same as fear of being killed.

“When you walk away with bumps and bruises and your opponent, who was unarmed, walked away with 24 stab wounds and dies, that’s no longer a fight, that’s a murder,” Deputy Prosecutor Joe Lombardi said.

Arguing that Lola Luna had no choice but to defend herself, Kannin told jurors that prosecutors should have never filed charges against Luna. Further, saying police and prosecutors were blaming the survivor when Puryear-Tucker’s choices caused her own death, Kannin called the state’s case a classic example of gaslighting.

“They are trying to get you to believe something is true when it really isn’t true,” Kannin said, emphasizing that Puryear-Tucker hit Lola Luna in the head 33 times. “If (Luna) didn’t do what she did, she could be in some assisted living facility sucking soup out of a straw.”

The testimony highlighted the conflicts between the teenage girls, who didn’t know each other personally save for social media, but whose disagreements ended up in real-life fights and extreme violence.

It also showed the delay in getting a critically-injured Puryear-Tucker to adequate medical attention, which required she be flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Instead, the friend that drove Puryear-Tucker and her newborn baby to fight Luna drove her to the old St. Michael Medical Center in Bremerton, which was in the process of shutting down and moving to Silverdale.

Testimony found the conflict between the two girls started over the summer when Luna beat up another girl at the Kitsap Mall. Puryear-Tucker had that girl contact Luna and challenge her to another fight so that Puryear-Tucker could instead go to Luna’s house to fight. Luna expected the other girl to show up for a rematch but instead was confronted by Puryear-Tucker.

https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/local/2022/12/06/lola-luna-guilty-murder-stabbing-death-syanna-puryear-tucker/69707055007/