Human remains ‘in various states of decomposition’ found on public hiking trail
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(Washington City, UT) — Human remains that had been decomposing “for an extended period of time” have been discovered just off of a public hiking trail in Utah, police said.
The Washington City Police Department announced the discovery of human remains near the Bone Wash Trail and Elephant Arch hiking area in Washington City in southern Utah — some 125 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada — according to a statement released by the authorities on Tuesday.
“On January 12, 2025, a hiker reported what appeared to be human remains near the Elephant Arch hike,” the Washington City Police Department said in their press release. “Officers from Washington City Police and Deputies from Washington County Sheriff’s Office responded promptly to the scene and confirmed the presence of human remains in various forms of decomposition, indicating they had been there for an extended period of time.”
Detectives immediately began processing the area and were able to identify the remains as belonging to a man, police said.
“The remains have been transported to the Medical Examiner’s office for a thorough investigation to determine the cause of death,” authorities said. “At this time, foul play does not appear to be a factor.”
The identity of the deceased man was subsequently confirmed by authorities and his family was notified of his death, though he has yet to be publicly identified.
“Out of respect for the family, the identity will not be disclosed at this time,” police said. “The case remains active pending the completion of all reports, including finds from the Medical Examiner’s office.”
Officials did not say how they were able to identify the remains or when they plan on disclosing more information on the case.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the deceased,” authorities said. “We also express our sincere gratitude to the various agencies that have assisted in the investigation.”
(NEW YORK) — A Manhattan jury found Daniel Penny not guilty in the chokehold death of Jordan Neely, following nearly a week of deliberations.
Penny, a former Marine and architecture student, was initially charged with manslaughter and negligent homicide. Prosecutors alleged that Penny killed Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man who had previously been a Michael Jackson impersonator, when he placed him in a six-minute-long chokehold on a subway car in May 2023, holding Neely for at least 51 seconds after his body went limp. The city’s medical examiner concluded Penny’s chokehold killed Neely.
The defense told jurors that Penny “acted to save” subway passengers from a “violent and desperate” Neely, who was acting erratically, and that Penny continued to hold on because he feared Neely would break free, though he didn’t intend to kill Neely. The defense argued Neely died from a genetic condition and the synthetic marijuana found in his system.
The jury deliberated for more than 24 hours across five days before acquitting Penny of criminally negligent homicide on Monday. They were previously deadlocked on the more serious charge of second-degree manslaughter, which Judge Maxwell Wiley dismissed on Friday at the request of prosecutors.
Penny pleaded not guilty to both charges.
The jury submitted several questions to the court during the course of their deliberations, giving some insight into their thinking.
Day 1
A little more than an hour after beginning deliberations, the jury on Tuesday asked for a readback of a portion of the judge’s instructions on the law. The jury was interested in the part about justified use of force.
Day 2
The jury asked to see key videos shown during the trial — police body camera footage, Penny’s interrogation video and a bystander’s video on Wednesday.
Later that day, the jury asked for a readback of testimony. The jury wanted to hear part of the cross-examination of the city medical examiner who concluded Penny’s chokehold killed Neely. Dr. Cynthia Harris, who was the final witness for the prosecution during the trial, determined that Neely died from compression to the neck.
During an intense cross-examination, Harris had pushed back against the defense suggestion that the public sentiment surrounding the trial influenced her conclusion that “there are no alternative reasonable explanations” for Neely’s death other than Penny’s chokehold.
“No toxicological result imaginable was going to change my opinion,” she testified.
Day 3
The jury heard more testimony read back from the cross-examination of Harris.
The jury subsequently requested to see two bystander videos capturing the moments when Penny placed Neely in a chokehold. The jury had already requested one of the two bystander videos the previous day.
Wiley allowed the jury to access a laptop with the videos so they could watch the requested videos as many times as they’d like.
Later that day, the jury requested the definitions of criminal negligence and recklessness.
“We the jury request that Judge Wiley read the definition of recklessness and negligence. Please read it more than once,” the note read. “Could the jury have the definitions in writing?”
The jury was considering two counts – second-degree manslaughter, which carries a maximum 15-year sentence, and criminally negligent homicide, which has a four-year maximum. To convict Penny of manslaughter, the jury must be convinced Penny acted recklessly and grossly deviated from how a reasonable person would behave knowing the risk his conduct posed.
Day 4
The jury told the judge on Friday they were “unable to come to a unanimous vote” on whether Penny committed manslaughter.
“We the jury request instructions from Judge Wiley. At this time, we are unable to come to a unanimous vote on court one,” the note said.
The verdict form asked the jury to decide the first count — second-degree manslaughter — before potentially moving to the second count of criminally negligent homicide. Only if they found Penny not guilty on the first count could they consider the second count.
About 20 minutes after the judge encouraged them to continue deliberating despite their deadlock, the jury sent back another note requesting more information about the term “reasonable person” in their instructions.
“Ultimately what a reasonable person is up to you to decide,” Wiley told the jury in response to their note, referring them to a two-part test in jury instruction.
“Would a reasonable person have had the same honestly held belief as the defendant given the circumstances and what the defendant knew at that time?” Wiley asked, referring to the second part of the test.
Several hours later, Wiley dismissed the top charge of second-degree manslaughter at the request of prosecutors.
The judge encouraged the jury to continue deliberating on Monday the lesser charge of whether Penny committed criminally negligent homicide.
Day 5
The jury announced Monday morning they had reached a unanimous decision on count two — finding Penny not guilty of criminally negligent homicide.
The courtroom broke out in a mix of cheers, clapping, and jeers as soon as the verdict was read.
Neely’s father cursed in anger shortly after the verdict and was forcibly removed from the courtroom by a court officer. Others in the gallery shouted, and one woman broke down in tears.
Penny, walking out of the courtroom, flashed a brief smile before returning to his stone-faced demeanor. His lawyers embraced one another while seated at the counsel table.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office prosecuted the case, thanked the jury and vowed to respect their verdict.
“The jury has now spoken. At the Manhattan D.A.’s Office we deeply respect the jury process and we respect their verdict,” he said in a statement.
Shenghua Wen was allegedly moving items to North Korea by concealing them in shipping containers; FBI
(LONG BEACH, Calif.) — An undocumented Chinese national living in the U.S. has been charged with procuring and shipping guns, ammunition and electronics to North Korea, according to federal prosecutors.
Prosecutors say Shenghua Wen was allegedly moving items to North Korea by concealing them in shipping containers from Long Beach, California, through Hong Kong and then to North Korea.
Federal agents in August seized two devices from Wen’s home that he had allegedly planned to send to North Korea for its military use — a chemical threat identification device and a handheld broadband receiver, according to a criminal complaint.
In September, over 50,000 rounds of ammo were found in Wen’s vehicle that he allegedly admitted were heading to North Korea, the complaint says.
Wen entered the United States on a student visa in 2012 and never left, according to the complaint.
He allegedly met North Korean officials in China before he came to the U.S., the complaint alleges. He was then directed to procure goods on behalf of North Korea.
Being in the U.S. illegally, Wen knew he could not buy the goods so he allegedly used other people to purchase the guns through straw purchases, prosecutors say.
United States Geological Survey/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
(HAWAII ISLAND, Hawaii) — The National Park Service is cautioning people to heed warnings and safety precautions while watching volcanic activity since the latest eruption of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano, one of the most active in the world.
Kilauea began erupting on Monday, marking its third eruption of 2024 and its eighth since 2020, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Since then, there was another distinctive eruptive episode on Wednesday, and the eruption resumed Thursday evening, the agency said.
The volcanic activity has drawn visitors to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island to watch the lava glow, with one “shocking scene” prompting the National Park Service to issue a safety advisory.
A toddler wandered off from his family Wednesday night into a closed area at Kilauea Overlook and “in a split second, ran straight toward the 400-foot cliff edge,” the National Park Service said in a news release on Thursday.
“His mother, screaming, managed to grab him in the nick of time just a foot or so away from a fatal fall,” the agency said. “Disaster was averted, and the shaken family departed.”
Park officials are now reminding visitors to remain on trails, stay out of closed areas and keep their children close, especially those watching Kilauea along the Crater Rim Trail.
“The hazards that coincide with an eruption are dangerous, and we have safety measures in place including closed areas, barriers, closure signs, and traffic management,” Park Superintendent Rhonda Loh said in a statement. “Your safety is our utmost concern, but we rely on everyone to recreate responsibility. National parks showcase nature’s splendor but they are not playgrounds.”
Kilauea’s eruptive activity could continue to pause and resume in the coming days or weeks, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
“The eruption could restart at any time, and toxic gas emissions are still high,” the National Park Service said.
Visitors to the park are advised to check the air quality before and during their trip.
