DecadesOld

Decades-Old Cold Case Heats Up: Jury Selection Begins in 1988 Lake Charles Rape Trial

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Lake Charles, LA – Jury selection has commenced in the trial of a man accused in a decades-old case that shocked the local community. The suspect is charged with a 1988 assault in which he allegedly raped a woman in Lake Charles. The case has lingered in the public memory as a haunting unsolved mystery, with recent breakthroughs in DNA technology finally leading to an arrest last year. After years of dead ends, the DNA sample from the crime scene was reanalyzed, pointing investigators in the direction of the current defendant, whose identity has been … Read more

Michigan Lifts Decades-Old Ban on Paid Surrogacy, Opening New Doors for Family Growth

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Lansing, Michigan – A landmark shift in family planning arrived in Michigan this week as the state repealed a 38-year-old law that prohibited paid surrogacy agreements, aligning with the practice in the majority of U.S. states. The change was informed by decades of evolving attitudes toward reproductive technologies and surrogacy, which has shifted from a niche and controversial option to a more accepted and understood means of family formation. Originally banned in the 1980s, the prohibition on surrogacy contracts took root after a high-profile case involving a Dearborn attorney who orchestrated such agreements, sparking nationwide … Read more

Justice at Last: Town to Pay Millions After Overturned Murder Convictions Expose Decades-Old Police Misconduct

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New Milford, Conn. — After decades of legal battles and a hefty settlement, the town of New Milford finds itself grappling with the financial implications of a wrongful conviction case dating back to 1985. Shawn Henning and Ralph Birch were wrongfully convicted in the brutal murder of Everett Carr and have since fought to clear their names, resulting in a monumental financial and reputational cost to the town. In separate trials, Henning and Birch were found guilty, but suspicions regarding the handling of their case, particularly around the collection and presentation of forensic evidence, emerged … Read more

Decades-Old Mystery Heads to Court: Lancaster Man Faces Trial for 1984 Disappearance of Estranged Wife

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Lancaster County, Pa. — After nearly four decades, the trial of Jere Bagenstose, a Lancaster County man accused of murdering his estranged wife in 1984, is set to commence. The long-awaited trial follows the disappearance and presumed death of Maryann Bagenstose, sparking a case that has lingered in the community’s memory. On Thursday, the final phase of jury selection concluded with 12 jurors and three alternates being chosen, setting the stage for the trial to begin tomorrow morning. Bagenstose, now 70, faces charges of homicide linked to the mysterious vanishing of his wife, at a … Read more