IDAHO FALLS — A brutal double homicide that took place in Idaho during the 1980’s is now getting national attention. In 1989, William Gray killed his wife and another woman outside of Idaho Falls. Now the lead investigator on the case is telling the story for a new crime documentary.

“Out of all the homicides I’ve done this one was (the most difficult) because we had to try to figure out different loopholes,” said Victor Rodriguez, a retired homicide detective.

On July 24th, 1989, Reeda Ronda and Betty Gray were gunned down inside a home outside of Idaho Falls. Victor says this crime was all about deception. Inside the home, police found signs of a satanic ritual killing, But Victor knew the chilling scene was just a smoke screen. Turns out, Betty’s husband, William Gray killed them over infidelity and insurance money.

“At the crime scene within 4 hours we already figured out who the suspect was, however, it took almost 4 years to bring that case to the criminal court,” explained Rodriguez.

It wouldn’t be until after William Gray’s own children filed a wrongful death lawsuit against their dad that police were able to get a conviction. Gray died in prison in 2010. Twenty-eight years have passed since Rodriguez was dispatched to the scene, but soon he’ll tell the story for a Discovery Channel crime documentary. He says he’s doing it all to not only let the world know but so the victims’ families can find more closure.

“I thought my law enforcement career was over that’s what I wanted to retire from, but (these opportunities) keep popping up and I guess I’m just honored,” said Rodriguez.

The documentary will air on the Discovery Channel’s show “On The Case With Paula Zahn” No word yet on an official air date. Victor Rodriguez has also appeared in two other true crime TV shows.

This story was originally published by fellow CNN affiliate KIVI. It is used here with permission.

The post Idaho double homicide to be featured in Discovery Channel TV Show appeared first on East Idaho News.

East Idaho courts are dealing with a total of 12 murder cases.

In October 2016 an unparalleled seven murder cases were being prosecuted the region, and since that time four addition homicide cases have been filed.

Two of the murder cases resulted in convictions in federal court in Pocatello, five murder trials are still pending in Bannock County, two people are awaiting trial on second-degree murder charges in Bonnevillle County and one of two first degree murder cases in Bingham County was forwarded to the trial court this week.

Bingham County

Melonie Smith

Melonie Smith

Bingham County Magistrate James Barrett ruled that 48-year-old Melonie Smith of Pingree will stand trial for first-degree murder in the shooting death of David Lee Davis in February.

Davis, 30, was allegedly shot once in each leg by Kevin Day, who is charged with aggravated battery and use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony in the case.

Day testified during Smith’s preliminary hearing Thursday as part of a plea agreement.

However, a forensic expert said Davis died after being shot in the back of the head with a high-powered rifle and during the preliminary hearing, witnesses testified that Smith admitted to firing the fatal shot.

Jesus Adan Castillo

Jesus Adan Castillo

In a separate case in Bingham County, Jesus Adan Castillo, 22, is charged with first-degree murder in connection to the death of 18-month-old Zachary Seth Alxzander Tendoy.

On March 23, Blackfoot police responded to a home on the 1600 block of Camas Street at about 4 a.m. to a report of an unresponsive child.

Zachary was transported to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center where died two days later.

Castillo is accused of inflicting the injuries that lead to the toddler’s death.

A preliminary hearing in that case was continued until April 30.

Bonneville County

Jeremy White

Jeremy White

Jeremy White, 40, of Idaho Falls is charged with second-degree murder in the strangulation death of his long-time girlfriend, Christine Dawn Caldwell, in November 2016.

According to court reports, Caldwell learned of a six-month-long affair between White and Deena Aday on Nov. 7, 2016. Aday’s husband became aware of the relationship that same day.

Caldwell’s family reported her and White missing and video surveillance obtained from security cameras installed in the home that Caldwell and White shared led police to obtain a search warrant for the property.

During that search Caldwell was found dead and buried in the basement of the two-story farmhouse. Her body was placed in a crude coffin, wrapped in a white cloth and resting in the fetal position on a pad and fleece blanket. The only obvious sign of injury were ligature marks on her neck.

White will stand trial for the killing on July 10.

White and Aday avoided capture for 16 days before they were arrested in Nevada on Nov. 25, 2016.

Aday, 49, is charged as an accessory to a felony in the case and a preliminary hearing is set for April 14.

Justin C. Sarbaum

Justin C. Sarbaum

Justin C. Sarbaum is facing a second-degree murder charge in Bonneville County in connection to the shooting death of 32-year-old Tyson Tew in January.

Tew was shot twice in the back following a fight between him and Sarbaum at an apartment on St. Clair Road.

A preliminary hearing in that case is set for May 12.

Bannock County

In Bannock County, five murder cases are pending, including two cold cases.

Martin Edmo Ish

Martin Edmo Ish

Martin Edmo Ish, 59, the father of Anthony Ish, is set to stand trial on April 17 for the 2009 murder of Eugene Lorne Red Elk.

Martin Ish was arrested in June 2015 and charged with second-degree murder shortly after he was released by the Idaho Department of Correction for a 2010 drug charge and an enhancement as a persistent violator.

Red Elk was found severely beaten outside Duffy’s Tavern in Pocatello on June 14, 2009. He was transported to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center where he died three days later.

Due to media coverage of that case and the federal murder case involving Anthony Ish, a jury will be selected from Twin Falls and brought to Bannock County for the trial.

Brad Scott Compher

Brad Scott Compher

Brad Scott Compher, 42, of Pocatello, is charged with first degree murder in the 2004 stabbing death of Nori Jones inside her Pole Road home in Pocatello.

That trial was also delayed and a status conference in that case is set for June 30.

Jones’ murder was featured on the TNT crime series “Cold Justice,” and a crew from California-based Magic Elves Production worked with Pocatello police to speed up DNA processing in the case.

Bannock County Prosecutor Steve Herzog said prosecution in the murder case could cost taxpayers $500,000. That cost is being paid from a reserve fund set aside by the Bannock County Commission.

Michael Angelo Miera

Michael Angelo Miera

Michael Angelo Miera, 26, is charged with first first-degree murder in connection to the shooting death of 36-year-old Brandon James Lenker of Pocatello. A trial date in that case is set for Oct 31.

Miera’s first cousin and girlfriend, Janeal Miera, 20, is charged with being a principal to murder in that case, that charge carries the same penalty as first degree murder.

Lenker was shot twice in the head. His body was found on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in northern Bannock County on May 26.

Lenker was a suspect in the theft of a stolen vehicle on April 27 in Pocatello.

During a taped interview with detectives, Michael Miera confessed to shooting Lenker twice in the head on May 5, while he and his girlfriend were riding with Lenker in the stolen SUV.

Michael Miera claimed during the interview that he feared for his life and the life of his girlfriend when he shot Lenker.

He threw Lenker’s body over an embankment near Ross Fork Creek, and Michael and Janeal Miera attempted to submerge the stolen SUV in the Portneuf River.

Michael and Janeal Miera were arrested May 6, following a police pursuit that crossed onto the Fort Hall Indian Reservation and ended when Bannock County sheriff’s deputies performed a PIT maneuver that caused Michael Miera to crash the pick-up truck he was driving.

Timothy Blaney

Timothy Blaney

On May 25, 2016, Timothy Blaney, 21, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder for allegedly beating 22-year-old Skylar T. Huffield to death inside a Pocatello residence.

According to police reports, Blaney entered a home at 3942 Hawthorne Road where his estranged wife, Diana Shaeffer, and Huffield were sleeping.

Shaeffer awoke and found Blaney standing in the bedroom seconds before he began beating the victim in the head with a two-by-four.

Further proceedings in that case are set for May 19.

Kristina May Juarez

Kristina May Juarez

Kristina May Juarez, 42, was charged with second-degree murder in the stabbing death of her brother, 32-year-old Ronald Michael Christensen on July 21, 2016. A trial in that case is set for June 13.

During a preliminary hearing in August 2016, witnesses testified that Christensen was stabbed during a fight between him, the defendant and her boyfriend at a residence on Jefferson Street.

Christensen sustained a single stab wound that penetrated his back and perforated his lung.

Teton County

Erik Ohlson

Erik Ohlson

Erik Ohlson, 40, of Jackson, Wyoming, is accused of shooting his girlfriend, Jennifer Nalley, of Driggs, and her unborn child last July. He is facing two counts of first-degree murder.

Teton County sheriff’s deputies arrested Ohlson early July 5 for driving his truck into a power pole.

He was later taken to Madison County Jail, where Idaho State Police questioned him as part of their investigation into the teacher’s death. There Ohlson admitted to shooting Nalley in her front door “until his gun ran out of bullets.”

However, earlier this month, District Judge Bruce Pickett ordered that the confession be thrown out as evidence because Ohlson’s request for a lawyer had not been honored at the time he made his statements to police.

A jury trial is scheduled for July 31.

Federal convictions

Two murder cases were resolved in federal court in Pocatello earlier this year.

Anthony Ish

Anthony Ish

Anthony Ish, 33, of Fort Hall, was convicted of second degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon in the shooting death of Darrell Auck on Oct. 14, 2014.

During the four-day murder trial in February, witnesses told the federal jury that they saw Ish shoot Auck during a birthday party at a residence on East Agency Road that was owned by his grandmother, Bonnie Ish.

Anthony Ish’s uncle, Frank Ish, testified that he saw Anthony drag the body to the side of the trailer home and load it into a pick-up truck, and one jailhouse witness claimed that Anthony asked him to move the body from a buried location to a canal bed.

Auck’s body has never been recovered.

The federal jury deliberated for about one hour before returning the guilty verdict.

Sentencing in that case is set for May 10.

Demetrius Gomez

Demetrius Gomez

In a separate trial in the U.S. Court in January, Demetrius Gomez, also of Fort Hall, was convicted of second-degree murder in the shooting death of his cousin, Tyrone Diaz, at a residence in Fort Hall.

Gomez, 29, was indicted May 24, 2016.

Diaz died from a fatal shotgun blast to the face at close range.

A witness reported hearing Gomez threaten to shoot Diaz and then hearing the shotgun blast.

Gomez directed the witness to drive her truck to the east side of the house. But the witness instead drove to a relative’s home and they reported the shooting.

Police found the mobile home empty and after gaining entrance to the residence, officers followed a blood trail from the house to a shed where Diaz’s body was found rolled up inside of a rug.

Sentencing in that case is set for June 1.

The post 13 lives lost: A look at east Idaho’s recent murder cases appeared first on East Idaho News.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story contains violent descriptions and a photo of injuries sustained during an alleged attack. Discretion is advised.

MADISON COUNTY — A 29-year-old Sugar City man pleaded not guilty to charges alleging he attacked and choked a woman while she was driving a car with two young children in the back seat.

Devin Kadrlik was arrested March 14 on felony charges of attempted strangulation and injury to a child.

According to a court probable cause document, Kadrlik had been drinking alcohol in Idaho Falls and was given a ride to Rexburg by a woman he is in a relationship with. A 5-year-old and 4-year-old child were also in the vehicle.

At one point during the ride, documents state Kadrlik and the woman got into an argument. Court records do not indicate where the incident took place.

“(She) said Devin’s face was within about a foot of her face and when he yelled something at her, he spit on her,” documents state. “She said she swung her right hand up towards him and told him to get back.”

The victim said Kadrlik then “flipped out” and shoved her head against the driver’s side window while pinning her head against the door.

“(She) said she slammed on the brakes and tried to put the car in park but only got it into neutral,” according to court documents. “She said she tried to use her arm as leverage to fight back and then he reached over with his other hand and grabbed her throat. (She) said she could hear a crunching sound in her neck as he began to squeeze her neck.”

The victim lost consciousness and “went limp,” according to documents. When she came to, she told detectives she was “dazed” and the engine was revving because her foot was on the gas pedal as the car remained in neutral.

“She tried to drive but her legs just felt like dead weight. She couldn’t function her feet to drive the vehicle … and it took her a few minutes before she was able to function again to drive to the house,” court documents state.

The next day, the victim went to a doctor’s office in Rexburg, and medical personnel called the Madison County Sheriff’s Office after noticing obvious bruising on her hands and neck.

Kadrlik was later arrested and charged with one felony count of attempted strangulation and one felony count of injury to a child.

Kadrlik was arraigned in Madison County District Court on Monday, where he pleaded not guilty. A no-contact order had been issued, but the victim asked Judge Greg Moeller to remove the order. He denied the request.

Kadrlik is scheduled to appear in court again in July.

The post Documents: Man attacked, choked woman while driving with kids in the car appeared first on East Idaho News.

REXBURG – A Firth man has been charged with a second sex crime after allegedly molesting a then-11-year-old girl he met during play practice seven years ago.

A new case was filed this week against Jared Reid, 38, alleging sexual abuse of a child. The new charge comes nearly a year after Reid was first arrested on a lewd and lascivious conduct charge in June.

The more recent charge involved the same then-11-year-old victim, according to court records, just is a different situation. Court records show about seven years ago Reid produced and choreographed a community play in Blackfoot. It was during the production of that play that Reid came to know the victim.

The girl told investigators Reid was very “touchy” with her and several of the other girls in the play.

Eventually Reid began to text and call the victim and their communication evolved to the point of sending nude photos to one another. During the summer of 2010, Reid is said to have showed up at the home of the victim’s mother in Salem. The victim told investigators she and Reid talked and he then kissed her without permission, court records show.

“Over time, Mr. Reid began to drive up to (the victim’s) father’s house in Sugar City. She said he would park out back in a field and text her to meet him in his car,” A police report shows. ” (The victim) said Mr. Reid would touch her (inappropriately) and they would perform oral sex on each other,” court documents state.

The victim told investigators this activity happened “at least 20 to 25 times” and that she felt they were in a relationship.

According to court documents, investigators made contact with Reid at the end of May 2016 and he “made several admissions or incriminating statements that collaborated what (the victim) said.”

Court documents did not elaborate on why the victim reported the alleged inappropriate behavior six years later.

The new charge against Reid was filed April 12. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing later this month.

The post Play choreographer receives second charge for allegedly molesting 11-year-old girl appeared first on East Idaho News.

UPDATE:

The following is a news release from the Pocatello Police Department Office.

POCATELLO — At approximately 10:50 a.m., 28-year-old Tyler Blair broke into his uncle’s home located in the 4700 block of Navajo Street. A 14-year-old male was home at the time. While in the home, the suspect accessed guns inside the home and stated that someone was after him. The juvenile left the home, called his parents, who then notified police.

Officers arrived on the scene and established a perimeter. A reverse 911 call was initiated, telling residents to stay inside, lock their doors, and proceed to a basement if possible. Officers contacted staff at Indian Hills Elementary and an officer was sent to the school. Local middle schools as well as high schools were also notified of the situation.

At approximately 12:50 p.m., officers made contact with the suspect. Police were able to negotiate with the suspect and have him peacefully exit the residence. The suspect damaged the home but the extent of the damage is unknown at this time.

Blair has been charged with aggravated assault and felon in possession of a firearm. Other charges in regards to the incident are pending. Blair also has outstanding warrants.

No further information will be released Friday.

PREVIOUS STORY:

POCATELLO — Pocatello police are asking people to stay away from Navajo Street. If you live there and are home, stay inside, lock your doors and stay away from windows. Try to get in the basement of your house if possible.

A “police incident” is occurring, authorities said.

EastIdahoNews.com is looking into this story and will bring you more information as it becomes available.

The post UPDATE: One in custody after incident on Navajo Street in Pocatello appeared first on East Idaho News.

TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (KSL) — A man accused of grabbing a woman in the locker room at Salt Lake Community College also left ransom notes demanding sex in various lockers and later threw a chair at an investigator, police say.

Timothy Alan Wyatt, 33, of Salt Lake City, was charged Friday in 3rd District Court with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault, first-degree felonies; burglary, assault by a prisoner and drug possession with prior convictions, third-degree felonies.

On Apirl 7, an 18-year-old student walked into the women’s locker room at the campus’ Lifetime Activities Center at SLCC, 4600 S. Redwood Road, about 7:45 a.m.

“She noticed that a shower was running but it stayed dark and the lights did not activate and would not come on,” according to charging documents.

As the woman turned around to walk out, Wyatt grabbed her from behind, holding both arms, the charges state. The woman screamed and he allegedly tried to cover her mouth. Police say the woman then “ducked down” to try and get away from Wyatt and bit his arm when he attempted to grab her again.

The woman ran back to her class, and her classmates went back to the locker room where they saw Wyatt run out a door and to a pickup truck, according to the charges. The students were able to get a license plate number, which later led to the arrest of Wyatt at 7-Eleven, 3510 S. Redwood Road, about 2 ½ hours later.

While he was being interviewed at the Utah Department of Public Safety headquarters, Wyatt “picked up a chair and threw it” at the investigators just as he was leaving the interview room, charging documents state.

Investigators learned that Wyatt had been at the SLCC campus the night before and was at the Lifetime Activities Center after it had closed for the evening. He is accused of putting tape over the motion sensors to prevent the lights in the locker room from coming on. He also took clothes from several lockers and left “ransom notes” in their place, the charges state.

“The notes demanded sex for return of their property,” police wrote in the charges.

In Wyatt’s truck, detectives reported finding clothes, shoes, athletic equipment, a medical kit and athletic tape.

Wyatt is well-known to police. He has been charged numerous times over the past 15 years, according to court records. Most recently, he was charged with misdemeanor theft on March 17 and intoxication on March 28.

He pleaded guilty to attempted possession of a firearm by a restricted person in June 2016 in exchange for charges of stalking and trespassing being dismissed.

Wyatt was convicted of drug distribution and unlawful possession of a weapon in 2015 in one case, and theft by receiving stolen property and drug possession in another. He was also convicted of drug-related charges in 2014, 2013 and 2008.

Wyatt has several charges and convictions related to stalking and other domestic violence-related crimes, according to court records, as well as other assault and weapons-related convictions.

This article was originally published by KSL.com. It is used here with permission.

The post Man charged in Utah locker room attack also left ransom notes appeared first on East Idaho News.

UPDATE:

Idaho Falls Police report 34-year-old Nicholas Olsen and 32-year-old Chanel Bistodeau were arrested at the FairBridge Inn & Suites Saturday on felony warrants and for drugs.

Olsen, of Ammon, was arrested on a U.S. Marshals warrant, a Bingham County warrant, felony possession of a controlled substance and resisting and obstructing law enforcement. Bistodeau of Blackfoot was arrested for a Bingham County Warrant, felony possession of a controlled substance and resisting and obstructing law enforcement.

Police reports show around 10:45 a.m. the U.S. Marshal’s Office, the Idaho Falls Police Department, IFPD SWAT, Idaho State Police and the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Fairbridge Inn & Suites. They had received information that Olsen, a wanted fugitive, was at the hotel, according to a news release.

Olsen and Bistodeau were both located and arrested at the hotel. During their arrest, officers seized methamphetamine and Heroin from their room. Both were booked into the Bonneville County Jail.

Hotel management tells EastIdahoNews.com authorities asked them to put the building on lock down for several hours, but did not give them any details about what they were doing.

Idaho Falls Police, Idaho State Police and the U.S. Marshal’s office had cleared the scene by 2:45 p.m.

ORIGINAL STORY

IDAHO FALLS — Multiple police officers are on the scene of an incident at a hotel on Lindsay Blvd.

Witnesses say police and the SWAT team have surrounded the FairBridge Inn & Suites at 850 Lindsay Blvd. and the hotel was evacuated.

We have reached out to the Idaho Falls Police Dept. for information on what’s happening. We will update this story with new details as we receive them.

The post UPDATE: Two arrested after police search for fugitive at I.F. hotel appeared first on East Idaho News.

IDAHO FALLS — In what was his last evening behind bars, Christopher Tapp spoke exclusively with EastIdahoNews.com on March 21 – just hours before he walked to freedom.

In the interview from the Bonneville County Jail, Tapp told EastIdahoNews.com reporter Stephan Rockefeller what was going through his mind and his emotions about his pending release.

When he was released, Tapp’s murder conviction stood, but he no longer has a rape conviction on his record.

“I’m innocent, and I’m going to continue to raise that flag. I’ll do as much as I can to prove my innocence,” Tapp said in the interview. “As the years go on, I’ll continue to hold a banner up for Carol (Angie Dodge’s mother) and Angie. I don’t want the city of Idaho Falls or anyone to stop looking for the true killer.”

CLICK ON THE VIDEO BOX ABOVE TO WATCH OUR ENTIRE INTERVIEW WITH CHRISTOPHER TAPP.

The post FLASHBACK: Chris Tapp’s final interview before being released from prison appeared first on East Idaho News.

The following is a news release from the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office. Mugshot: IDOC

NEWDALE — On April 15, Fremont County Sheriff officials received multiple 911 calls about a possible fight along U.S. 33 in Newdale.

Deputies from Fremont County as well as officers from the St. Anthony Police Department responded to the reported fight.

Upon further investigation, it was determined that the suspect, 23-year-old Austin Mitchell, an Idaho Department of Corrections St. Anthony work camp inmate on work detail, had escaped his place of employment and had stolen a pickup truck.

Mitchell then crashed the truck and attempted to carjack another vehicle but was unsuccessful.

Law enforcement arrived and took Mitchell into custody where he is being held in the Fremont county Jail on multiple charges.

Mitchell could face new charges including escape, grand theft and driving under the influence.

He was serving time for possession of a controlled substance out of Bingham County.

The post POLICE: Inmate escapes work detail, crashes stolen truck, attempts to hijack vehicle appeared first on East Idaho News.

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Fourth District Court Judge Thomas Low had glowing praise for a man who was convicted of molesting two female relatives while they stayed at his home three years ago.

“The court had no doubt that Mr. Vallejo is an extraordinarily good man,” Low said just moments before sentencing Keith Vallejo to prison for sexually abusing the two females. “But great men, sometimes do bad things,” Low continued.

During the sentencing, Low appeared to be emotional as he read the sentence. His praise came as at least one of the victims, Julia Kirby, sat in the court room.

“For him to say that in a court room in front the victim who was abused and raped by this man, that he is a great person, to me was unacceptable and unprofessional,” she told 2News by phone.

Turner Bitton, with The Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault, said when a person in a position like Low’s praises the predator, he essentially blames the victim.

“At the end of the day, we’re still going to tell you that your perpetrator was a good person, they made mistake and somehow it was still your responsibility,” Bitton said.

Vallejo, who maintained his innocence throughout the trial, was convicted in February of one first-degree felony of object rape and 10 second-degree felonies of forcible sexual abuse.

For the object rape conviction, Vallejo was given a sentence of five-years-to-life. He was also given concurrent one-to-15 year sentences for all 10 forcible sexual abuse convictions.

Kirby said the judge had an opportunity to confront Vallejo about his refusal to take responsibility but didn’t do it.

“He never once said to Keith, who he had an opportunity to address that ‘You are guilty, and you need to own up to these crimes.’ He said, ‘You’re a great man, and I believe that you’re this wonderful person,” Kirby said.

This is the second time Low has given Vallejo unusual treatment in this case. In February, Vallejo was convicted in a jury trial, but in an unexpected twist, Low allowed the former bishop to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to remain out of custody until his sentencing two months later.

Kirby did have praise for the jury in the case.

“Despite the fact that Judge Low may not have truly heard me out, they (the jury) did, and I’ve been wanting to find a way to thank them for that,” Kirby said. “They heard me and they heard the other victim and they believed us, I feel that they at least should receive credit for that.”

Low did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

This article was originally published by fellow CNN affiliate KUTV. It is used here with permission.

The post Judge calls rapist a ‘good man’ at sentencing, while victim listens appeared first on East Idaho News.

BLACKFOOT — The case of a 48-year-old woman accused of killing a man at her Pingree home will go to jury trial.

Melonie Smith appeared in district court before Judge Darren B. Simpson in Bingham County on Monday for an arraignment hearing on two felony charges alleging her involvement the mid-February death of David Lee Davis.

According to an autopsy report,30-year-old Davis was brutally killed by a gunshot to the back of the head. Prosecutors say Smith pulled the trigger.

A witnesses testified during Smith’s preliminary hearing that Smith recounted to him the events that lead to Davis’ death.

“(Smith) said he was on his knees by the couch and he was telling her that he didn’t want to die, that he wanted to see his kids again and that he needed a doctor,” Lopez said. “(Smith) said she gave him two (hydrocodone) for the pain and a glass of water and when he reached to set the water down, she shot him in the head with an armor piercing .45-70 … she said it was like putting a dog out of its misery.”

Magistrate Judge James Barrett forwarded the case to 7th District Court following a daylong preliminary hearing earlier this month.

The trial is scheduled for August.

If convicted, Smith faces up to life in prison.

The post Bingham County murder suspect pleads not guilty appeared first on East Idaho News.

CLEVELAND (CNN) — [Breaking news update at 9:52 a.m.]

Steve Stephens, the Cleveland murder suspect accused of posting video of the killing on Facebook, was found Tuesday in Erie County, Pennsylvania, state police said on Twitter.

“After a brief pursuit, Stephens shot and killed himself,” Pennsylvania State Police said.

[Previous story, published at 9:31 a.m. 9]

The nationwide manhunt for Steve Stephens has led to a spate of dead ends, forcing authorities to scour abandoned buildings and plead for the public’s help in turning in the murder suspect.

Stephens, 37, is wanted for the death of Robert Godwin — a self-taught mechanic and grandfather of 14 who was shot while walking home from an Easter meal in Cleveland. Video of the killing was posted on Facebook.

More than 400 tips have funneled in from as far away as Texas, Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said Tuesday. Many were reported sightings that turned out to be false.

So authorities have embarked on the dangerous task of searching Cleveland’s abandoned buildings while hoping a $50,000 reward will spur anyone with information about Stephens’ location to come forward.

Victim’s family wants to hug suspect

Through their tears, several of Godwin’s children said they hold no animosity against the suspect.

“Each one of us forgives the killer, the murderer,” Godwin’s daughter Tonya Godwin Baines said. “We want to wrap our arms around him.”

Godwin taught his children the value of hard work. He taught them how to love God and fear God, and how to forgive, his children said.

“They don’t make men like him anymore. He was definitely one in a million,” said another daughter, Debbie Godwin.

Suspect cited anger with his girlfriend

The police chief said Stephens apparently chose Godwin at random.

Stephens’ mother, Maggie Green, said her son stopped by her house Saturday and gave her a cryptic message.

“He said this (was) the last time I was going to see him,” Green said.

They spoke briefly the next day, his mother said. Before Green’s phone died, Stephens told her he was “shooting people” because he was “mad with his girlfriend” of about three years, his mother said.

Later Sunday, Stephens uploaded a video to his Facebook page showing a gun pointed at a man’s head.

Seconds before the shooting, Stephens asked the victim to say the name of a woman believed to associated with the suspect.

“She’s the reason why this is about to happen to you,” Stephens said.

Then, the gunman fires the weapon. The victim recoils and falls to the ground.

Stephens is a black male who is 6-foot-1 and weighs 244 pounds. He was last seen wearing a dark blue and gray or black striped polo shirt. He was driving a white Ford Fusion with temporary license plates, Cleveland police said.

Stephens claimed on Facebook that he had committed multiple homicides, but police said they had no knowledge of other victims. He has many traffic violations but no criminal record, Williams said.

“Obviously, he’s got deep, deep issues,” the police chief said.

Woman cited by suspect is ‘overwhelmed’

The woman believed to be associated with the suspect has told multiple news agencies that she was “overwhelmed” by the tragedy.

“Steve really is a nice guy… He is generous with everyone he knows. He was kind and loving to me and my children,” she told CBS News.

Williams said police have spoken to the woman, and she is safe and cooperating with the investigation. The woman’s neighbors told CNN that Stephens often stayed at her Twinsburg home with her three young girls. One resident said Stephens was there two days ago, fixing the home’s garage.

Suspect worked with children

Stephens was employed at Beech Brook, a behavioral health agency in northeastern Ohio that serves children, teenagers and families, according to a spokeswoman for the facility.

“We are shocked and horrified like everyone else,” said Nancy Kortemeyer. “To think that one of our employees could do this is awful.”

She said Stephens was a vocational specialist who worked with youth and young adults. He had previously worked as a youth mentor, she said.

Victim was celebrating Easter

Robert Godwin was walking home from a holiday meal with his family when he encountered the gunman on a sidewalk.

Brenda Haymon, Godwin’s youngest child from his first marriage, said he was the father of 10.

“He lived a good life. He’s a man people should model themselves after,” she said.

CNN’s Gary Tuchman reported from Cleveland, with Darran Simon and Holly Yan writing from Atlanta. CNN’s Sara Ganim, Lawrence Crook, Eliott C. McLaughlin, Kwegyirba Croffie, Brynn Gingras and Chris Boyette also contributed to this report.

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(CNN) — Convicted murderer and former NFL star Aaron Hernandez was found hanged in his Massachusetts prison cell Wednesday morning, officials said, just days after his acquittal in a double murder case.

The 27-year-old former tight end for the New England Patriots hanged himself with a bedsheet attached to a window in his cell at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, the Massachusetts Department of Correction said. His body was discovered at 3:05 a.m.

“Lifesaving techniques were attempted on Mr. Hernandez, and he was transported to UMass Leominster, where he was pronounced dead at 4:07 a.m.,” the correction department’s statement reads.

Hernandez, who was alone in his cell in a general population wing, hanged himself and had “attempted to block his door from the inside by jamming the door with various items,” the statement reads.

The Massachusetts State Police are investigating his death. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is conducting an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death, the Worcester County district attorney’s office said.

Hernandez’s death marks one of the most dramatic falls from grace by an athlete in recent memory, and comes the same day that many of his former teammates visit the White House as Super Bowl champions.

Serving life sentence

Hernandez was serving a life sentence after being convicted of first-degree murder in the 2013 killing of Odin Lloyd, a semipro football player who was dating the sister of Hernandez’s fiancée.

A jogger found Lloyd’s gunshot-riddled body in a Massachusetts industrial park less than a mile from Hernandez’s home on June 17, 2013. Hernandez was charged with murder nine days later, and the Patriots released him.

He was found guilty in April 2015 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

“This is a shocking and sad end to a very tragic series of events that has negatively impacted a number of families,” said Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn, who prosecuted the Lloyd case.

In May 2014, prosecutors charged Hernandez with two murder counts in the July 2012 deaths of Safiro Furtado and Daniel de Abreu, two men who were killed in a drive-by shooting outside a Boston nightclub.

Hernandez was found not guilty Friday of two counts of murder in that case, though he was convicted of illegal possession of a firearm.

Hernandez was visibly emotional when Friday’s verdicts were read, embracing his attorneys with tears in his eyes.

“You could tell that he was relieved as well,” Ronald Sullivan Jr., his defense attorney, said after the verdict. “He was charged for something somebody else did, and that is a weighty burden for anyone to shoulder.”

With the acquittal, Hernandez’s attorneys had turned their attention toward appealing for a new trial in the Lloyd case. As recently as Tuesday, attorney Jose Baez said he was optimistic about getting that case overturned.

“Knowing what I know about Aaron, and knowing Aaron, there’s a good chance that perhaps we can get that reversed,” Baez told CNN.

Football career dogged by allegations

Hernandez’s arrest cut short what had been a promising football career burgeoning on stardom, beginning in his roots in Bristol, Connecticut.

From there, he caught passes from Tim Tebow at the University of Florida and was a key contributor to that team’s 2008 national championship. Hernandez then became the first Gator to win the John Mackey Award, given annually to the NCAA’s best tight end.

But Hernandez was dogged by allegations of failed drug tests and was picked by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft.

Still, with future Hall of Famer Tom Brady throwing to him, Hernandez shined for New England. The Patriots rewarded him in 2012 with a five-year contract extension worth up to $40 million.

In all, Hernandez spent more time in prison than on the field with the Patriots.

Stacey James, a spokesman for the Patriots, said the team was aware of the news but did not anticipate any comment.

Mike Pouncey, a teammate at Florida, posted a photo of Hernandez on Instagram and said they had just talked to each other the day before.

“To my friend my brother! Through thick and thin right or wrong we never left each other’s side,” Pouncey wrote. “Today my heart hurts as I got the worse news I could have imagined. It was just a day ago we shared our last convo. I will forever miss you and love you bro.”

Hernandez is survived by his fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez, and their 4-year-old daughter.

As Hernandez waited last week during jury deliberations, he waved and blew kisses to his daughter in the courtroom.

CNN’s Tony Marco contributed to this report.

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The following is a news release from the Idaho Attorney General’s Office.

BOISE — Attorney General Lawrence Wasden has announced investigators with his Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit arrested a Meridian man Tuesday for alleged sexual exploitation of a child.

31-year-old Brian A. Orcutt was booked into the Ada County Jail following his arrest.

The ICAC Unit was assisted by the by the Meridian Police Department, Boise Police Department, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Ada County Prosecutor’s Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Air National Guard.

Anyone with information regarding the exploitation of children is encouraged to contact local police, the Attorney General’s ICAC Unit at 208-334-4527 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.

The Attorney General’s ICAC Unit works with the Idaho ICAC Task Force, a coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, to investigate and prosecute individuals who use the internet to criminally exploit children.

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POCATELLO – The trial for the Fort Hall man charged in connection to the 2009 beating death of a well-known local bouncer got underway Monday.

Martin Edmo Ish, 59, is charged with second-degree murder in the case.

Lorne Red Elk was found beaten outside the bar on June 14, 2009. He was transported to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, and he died three days later.

During the first day of trial, the jury heard opening arguments in the case as well as testimony from witnesses who said the night that Red Elk was attacked, Ish was angry after being rejected from two separate Old Town taverns.

Trouble at a bar

She raised the club to defend herself.

Linda Loveday Wood told the jury that she was tending the bar at the Bourbon Barrel on Pocatello’s west side the night that Red Elk was attacked.

Wood said Ish came to the bar with four other men and one woman. Wood easily identified the defendant and said she had not seen him before or since that night.

When Ish went behind the bar and attempted to steal cigarettes, Wood said she told him to leave, but Ish refused. Wood said that Jennie Hill, co-owner of the Bourbon Bar, asked her for a club that was kept behind the bar for self-defense, and she complied.

Wood said Ish was angry and yelling at her.

Hill said she told Ish to get out from behind the bar and leave, or she would call the police. When he turned toward her, Hill said she raised the club to defend herself.

The group of people that accompanied Ish took him out of the bar, and when three of the group’s members returned about 15 minutes later, they told Wood that they had dropped Ish off at Duffy’s.

Wood said she immediately called Duffy’s and gave the bartender a head’s up about Ish.

Hill told the court that it was common practice for the bar to alert other pubs in the Old Town neighborhood about problem patrons.

Prosecution: Ish was angry

“Ish was mad about being removed from the bar.”

Bannock County Prosecutor Steve Herzog told the jury — four men and 10 women selected from Twin Falls last week — the murder case was about pride.

Herzog said the state intends to present evidence to show that Ish was angry after being reject from Duffy’s.

“This case is about hurt pride,” Herzog said. “Ish was mad about being removed from the bar.”

Red Elk escorted Ish, who did not have personal identification or money, out of Duffy’s shortly after the bartender received Woods’ call. Herzog said witnesses would testify that they saw the defendant pacing back and forth in the parking lot after he was asked to leave.

Minutes later a patron who was returning to Duffy’s found Red Elk bleeding and injured outside the bar.

Herzog told the court that Heather Davis, who lived across the street from the pub, will testify she saw a man matching Ish’s description attacking Red Elk in the parking lot.

The prosecutor also told jurors that Charles Tademy will testify that he and Ish are old friends and that when Ish turned up at his home on the night of June 14 and needed a ride home he obliged. And after arriving at his residence in Fort Hall, Ish asked Tademy to drive by Duffy’s Tavern and see if anything was going on.

Herzog said that Ish’s cousin, Jennifer Teton, will testify that the next morning, the defendant confessed to attacking Red Elk.

“At the end of this trial, I think that you will find sufficient evidence to find Ish guilty,” Herzog said.

Police were originally called to the bar to a report of pedestrian-versus-vehicle incident. Investigators secured the scene, interviewed witnesses and followed up leads following the murder, but the case went cold.

Defense: Insufficient evidence

The VHS tape has since been destroyed.

Ish was arrested in Boise in 2015 shortly after being released from prison on a 2010 charge for possession of methamphetamine. He is being represented by public defenders Randy Schulthies and Scott Andrew.

Andrew told jurors the description of the attacker provided by Davis does not necessarily match the defendant, and he noted that Davis was unable to pick Ish out of a lineup.

He also told the court Teton did to come forward in the case until 2015 when her daughter was called as a witness in the federal murder case filed against Ish’s son, Anthony Ish, that year.

The public defender told the jury that portions of a surveillance video captured inside the bar the night that Red Elk was beaten was not copied in its entirety, and the VHS tape has since been destroyed.

“We’re asking you to use the tools you use every day to determine if you believe something or not,” Andrew said.

Sixth District Judge David C. Nye told the jury to consider all of the evidence before determining their verdict.

“It is extremely important that you not make any decision until you have heard all the evidence,” Nye said.

The trial continues Wednesday and Deputy Prosecutor Ashley Graham said the trial is expected to continue through April 27.

Second-degree murder carries a penalty of 10 years to life in prison.

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(CNN) — Tennessee teacher Tad Cummins has been arrested and 15-year-old Elizabeth Thomas has been found safe in northern California, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation tweeted Thursday.

Cummins, 50, fled with Elizabeth, his student, from their small town of Culleoka, Tennessee, on March 13. Authorities released surveillance video from March 15 that showed the pair at a Walmart in Oklahoma City. But then the trail went cold.

The two disappeared a few weeks after a student reported seeing Cummins and Elizabeth kissing in a classroom.

Cummins faces charges of sexual contact with a minor and aggravated kidnapping, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said. He was added to the state’s Most Wanted list.

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SUGAR CITY — Sugar-Salem High and Central Elementary schools are on lockdown.

High school officials are tightlipped on the details but told EastIdahoNews.com around 12:15 p.m. that everyone is fine at the high school but they are in lockdown.

Sugar-Salem School District officials said they didn’t know the reason for the lockdown but said the elementary is also in lock down.

We’re working on this story and will have more information as it becomes available.

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BLACKFOOT — A 22-year-old man will now go to trial on a first-degree murder charge in connection with the death of a young child.

Jesus Adan Castillo appeared before Magistrate Judge James Barrett in Bingham County on Thursday morning for a preliminary hearing on charges alleging he is responsible for the death of then-18-month-old Zachary Seth Alxzander Tendoy.

Barrett found probable cause to bind Castillo over to district court. He will be arraigned before Judge Darren Simpson on May 1.

RELATED: FAMILY WILL DONATE ORGANS OF SLAIN TODDLER TO 8 OTHER CHILDREN

Castillo could spend life in prison if found guilty. Bingham County Prosecutor Cleve Colson tells EastIdahoNews.com he has filed a motion to not seek the death penalty in this case.

According to court records, on March 23, around 4 a.m., Blackfoot Police officers responded to a home on the 1600 block of Camas Street to assist with an ambulance call for an unresponsive child under 2 years old.

The child was rushed to Bingham Memorial Hospital and then taken to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in critical condition, according to police. The child later died.

The City of Blackfoot/Bingham County Detective Division investigated the incident and later arrested Castillo on felony charges of aggravated battery and felony injury to child.

Prosecutors then amended those charges to first-degree murder. Castillo remains in the Bingham County Jail on a $1 million bond.

According to Idaho Code, aggravated battery on a child under 12 years old that results in the child death is considered murder in the first degree.

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The following is a news release from Idaho State Police.

IDAHO FALLS — On April 20, at approximately 7:38 p.m., the Idaho State Police conducted a traffic stop northbound Interstate 15 at milepost 124, north of Idaho Falls.

The driver, Aaron Bruce, 24, of Burley, fled the vehicle on foot.

The Idaho State Police, with assistance from the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office and the Idaho Falls Police Department, were able to located Bruce a short time later in a nearby potato cellar a mile from the stop. Bruce was arrested and charged with resisting and obstructing as well as a felony warrant.

His passenger, Taylor Lynch, 24, of Burley, was arrested and charged with obstruct and delay as well as possession of drug paraphernalia.

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POCATELLO — Two Idaho Department of Correction offenders were allegedly found in possession of illegal drugs during random home visits.

Yvette G. Bays, 40, and Ridge A. Parsons, 26, were booked into the Bannock County Jail Thursday evening on felony possession of a controlled substance charge and probation violations charges.

During a random home visit by probation and parole officers, Bays is said to have been in possession of methamphetamine paraphernalia which also contained meth residue, according to the Pocatello Police Department.

In Parsons home, police say he was in possession of prescription medications that did not belong to him.

Court records show Bays is supervised by the Idaho Department of Corrections due to a 2010 conviction of grand theft. Bays was released on probation in 2012.

Parsons is supervised due to a 2015 conviction of possession of a controlled substance. He was sent on a RIDER program but failed to successfully complete the retained jurisdictional treatment, according to court records. The court imposed a prison sentence of one year fixed and three years indeterminate. He was given credit for time served.

Parsons was released on parole in December 2016.

Probationers and parolees in Idaho waive their rights to search and seizure as part of their agreement to participate in community supervision.

Probation and parole officers, with the assistance of local law enforcement, contact offenders in their home as a means of monitoring the offender’s compliance with their release conditions.

If illegal substances are found, local law enforcement typically handles the case while the Department of Corrections handles any violations of the offenders supervision agreement. If the offender is on probation, they could face their sentencing judge while a parolee could be referred back to the parole board.

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