Murder

Dramatic Sentencing Unfolds as Convicted Joliet Man Seeks New Trial, Points to Alternative Suspect in Double Murder Case

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JOLIET, Ill. – In a Will County courtroom, Michael Clancy, the defense attorney for Anthony Maggio, fervently requested a new trial during the sentencing for the double homicide of Ashtin Eaton and her infant daughter, Hazel Bryant. The request followed Maggio’s conviction of first-degree murder by a 12-person jury on Oct. 11. Maggio, who had a romantic relationship with Eaton after meeting her at an Amazon warehouse in Joliet where they both worked, was sentenced on charges tied to their deaths. Clancy based his plea on the exclusion of crucial defense evidence that he claimed … Read more

Lori Vallow Challenges Prosecution’s Evidence Handling, Asserts Self-Representation in Phoenix Murder Conspiracy Case

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PHOENIX — In a recent court appearance in Phoenix, Lori Vallow stood before the judge during a status conference on Friday, underscoring her plea for more specific evidence in the case against her. Vallow faces serious allegations including conspiracy to commit murder in relation to her ex-husband Charles Vallow’s death and the attempted murder of her niece’s ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux. Representing herself, Vallow is preparing for her trial, set to commence on March 31. During the proceedings, she expressed concerns about the voluminous evidence presented by the prosecution, consisting of over 100,000 pages, and challenged … Read more

Jury Foreperson Advocates for Clemency in High-Profile Indiana Murder Case

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — After serving more than three decades behind bars for a crime he claims he didn’t commit, Kofi Modibo Ajabu’s chances at freedom seemed bleak. The former college student was handed a staggering 240-year sentence for his involvement in the 1994 deaths of two Indiana teenagers and their friend during an alleged robbery gone wrong. Recently, however, a surprising advocate emerged: the jury foreperson who played a role in convicting him. Orvan Mabie Jr., now 76, penned a letter to Ajabu expressing a change of heart nearly three decades after the trial. This … Read more

Final Sentencing Concludes in 2020 Missouri Kidnapping and Murder Case

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OZARK, Mo. — A Missouri judge has handed down a 40-year prison sentence to Steven C. Calverley of Republic, Missouri, marking the conclusion of a series of trials connected to the 2020 kidnapping and killing of Sarah Pasco in Lawrence County. Calverley is the last of nine individuals convicted in a case that has stirred significant local and national interest. In August 2020, Pasco, a 28-year-old resident of Aurora, Missouri, and another woman were abducted and shot. The incident occurred on the evening of August 16. Pasco succumbed to her injuries, while the surviving woman … Read more