Town cars and taxis are viewed in the Financial District in the early hours of the morning on June 4, 2015 in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — A 56-year-old Westchester County woman plunged to her death after stepping out of her car into an open manhole in Midtown Manhattan on Monday, sources told ABC News.
The woman, identified as Donike Gocaj of Briarcliff Manor, New York, parked her car at West 52 Street and Fifth Avenue just before 11:20 p.m. Monday, the sources said.
She stepped out of her Mercedes-Benz SUV and into an uncovered manhole, falling about 10 feet, sources said.
The woman was rushed to New York Presbyterian Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, sources said.
No construction was ongoing, and the manhole cover was discovered about 15 feet away from the opening, according to sources.
Con Edison said it is “actively investigating” the incident.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm that a member of the public has died after falling into an open manhole. We are actively investigating how this occurred. Our thoughts are with the individual’s family, and safety remains our top priority,” Con Edison said in a statement Tuesday.
The seal of the US Department of Justice on a podium prior to a news conference at the Department of Justice in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The Justice Department’s internal watchdog announced Thursday it is launching an audit into the DOJ’s compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act that mandated the release of the department’s files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to a statement from deputy inspector general William Blier.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
The Carnival Horizon cruise ship sits docked in the Caribbean Sea at the Aruba Cruise Terminal, November 11, 2025, in Oranjestad, Aruba. Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
The teenager was due in court in Miami on Wednesday morning for his arraignment, though he waived his appearance, according to a filing from his attorney.
Prosecutors alleged that the stepbrother “sexually assaulted and intentionally killed” Kepner. The Florida high school senior died from mechanical asphyxiation, officials said.
Anna Kepner’s father, Chris Kepner, is married to the suspect’s mother, Shauntel Kepner.
Chris and Shauntel Kepner said in a statement last week, “Our family is devastated by the loss of Anna and continues to grieve this unimaginable tragedy.”
“This situation is deeply painful and complex for our entire family,” the Kepners said. “Anna was deeply loved, and we remain committed to honoring her life and memory every day.”
ABC News’ Sasha Pezenik contributed to this report.
Retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. William N. McCasland (U.S. Air Force)
(ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.) — The search is intensifying for a missing retired Air Force general weeks after he mysteriously disappeared in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Retired Maj. Gen. William N. “Neil” McCasland, 68, was last seen at his Albuquerque home on Feb. 27, according to the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office.
At 10 a.m. that day, a repairman was at McCasland’s home and interacted with him, Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen said at a news conference on Monday. At 11:10 a.m., McCasland’s wife left the house for a medical appointment, and when she returned home at 12:04 p.m., he wasn’t there, the sheriff said. She reported him missing at 3:07 p.m., the sheriff said.
McCasland “did state that he was experiencing a mental fog” and was looking into it, Allen said.
“That was his statement about what he was experiencing, that was cited as reasons for stepping down from some groups that he was working with,” Lt. Kyle Woods added.
“There’s no indication … that Mr. McCasland was disoriented, confused,” Woods continued. “Arguably, he would still be the most intelligent person in the room.”
There have been no confirmed videos or sightings showing McCasland’s direction of travel, Allen said.
His phone was left behind at the house, which is out of the norm, authorities said.
Everyone in the area has been interviewed, Woods said, adding, “we have absolutely nothing that would suggest anything nefarious has occurred.”
Hundreds of homes in the area were canvassed as authorities looked for surveillance footage, the sheriff said, and drones, helicopters and canines have been used in the search.
A gray U.S. Air Force sweatshirt was found about 1.25 miles east of McCasland’s house, but family and friends have not confirmed that the sweatshirt is associated with McCasland, Allen said. No blood was detected in the initial processing, the sheriff added.
McCasland held a number of “space research, acquisition and operations roles within the Air Force and the National Reconnaissance Office” while enlisted, according to the Air Force. The roles included director-level positions at the Pentagon, as well as commanding the Phillips Research Site of Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, and the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, according to the Air Force.
Still unaccounted for is McCasland’s wallet, a .38 caliber revolver and leather holster, and a red backpack, the sheriff said.
The sheriff asked residents to check their surveillance videos, with the priority focused on Feb. 27 between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Tips can be submitted at 505-468-7070, the sheriff said.
