New species of ancient shark discovered at Mammoth Cave National Park
Benji Paysnoe
(NEW YORK) — A new species of ancient shark has been discovered at Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, officials said.
Named Macadens olsoni, the fossils were found in the Ste. Genevieve Formation, dating back approximately 340 to 335 million years to when Mammoth Cave was submerged in a warm, shallow sea teeming with life including crinoids and corals, according to the National Park Service.
“This discovery is a remarkable addition to our understanding of ancient marine life and underscores the importance of preserving and studying our natural history,” said Superintendent Barclay Trimble.
Growing to less than a foot in length and most likely feasting on mollusks and worms, the new shark species is notable for its unique curved row of teeth designed for crushing small sea creatures.
“The name Macadens olsoni pays tribute to both Mammoth Cave and Rickard Olson, a retired park scientist who played a crucial role in documenting shark fossils in the park as part of a recent Paleontological Resource Inventory (PRI),” officials said. “The research was conducted by a team of scientists from the National Park Service Paleontology Program, Mammoth Cave National Park, and the Smithsonian Paleobiology Department. In addition to Macadens olsoni, researchers studied another ancient shark, Helodus coxanus, now renamed Rotuladens, meaning “Wheel Tooth.” This species shares similarities with Macadens olsoni and highlights the diversity of ancient marine life.”
More than 40 different species of fossil sharks and relatives have been identified from Mammoth Cave specimens in the past 10 months, officials said.
“This finding not only enhances our knowledge of ancient marine ecosystems but also emphasizes the critical role of paleontological research in our national parks,” Trimble added. “Every discovery connects the past with the present and offers invaluable educational opportunities for students and the public.”
(JACKSON, Tenn.) — A manhunt for the suspect in the Tennessee killings of four people and the kidnapping of a baby ended Tuesday when he was taken into custody, police said.
Austin Robert Drummond, 28, was taken into custody in Jackson by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation after a weeklong manhunt, according to the Jackson, Tennessee, Police Department.
During a news conference Tuesday afternoon, law enforcement officials said Drummond was captured after multiple community residents spotted him and called 911.
“This is a perfect example of police and community cooperation,” David Rausch, director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Drummond, who had been considered armed and dangerous, is the prime suspect in the July 29 killings of 38-year-old Cortney Rose; Rose’s children, 20-year-old Adrianna Williams and 15-year-old Braydon Williams; and Adrianna Williams’ boyfriend, 21-year-old James “Michael” Wilson, according to authorities and family.
The victims were found along a road in Lake County, in northwest Tennessee, authorities said. The same day, Wilson and Williams’ baby was left in a car seat in a “random individual’s front yard” in nearby Dyer County, according to the Dyer County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities said Drummond knew the victims through his girlfriend, who was the daughter of Rose and sister of Adrianna and Braydon Williams.
A motive for the killings remain under investigation.
During a news conference Tuesday afternoon, law enforcement officials said Drummond was captured after multiple community residents spotted him in Jackson around 8 a.m. and called 911.
“This is a perfect example of police and community cooperation,” said David Rausch, director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Jackson Police Chief Thom Corley said residents spotted Drummond around 8 a.m. Tuesday near a vacant building investigators believe the suspect had been hiding in. He said officers rushed to the area as more 911 calls came in, including one at 8:57 a.m. that helped officers pinpoint Drummond’s location in the woods near the vacant building.
Corley said officers surrounded the area and took Drummond into custody at 9:05 a.m.
“Today we find some peace in knowing that the suspect is no longer a threat,” Corley said.
Corley introduced the three officers at the news conference who captured Drummond, saying, “They were at the right spot and acted immediately and apprehended Drummond.”
“It was really the community that really broke this for us,” Rausch said.
Rausch said Drummond was unarmed at the time of his arrest, but police have since recovered several firearms. Rausch said police will analyze the guns to determine if they were used in the homicides.
Drummond was captured in a wooded area of Jackson just a day after police released an image of him taken Sunday by a home security camera, police said.
At the time he was taken into custody, a reward of up to $30,000 was being offered for information leading to Drummond’s arrest.
Rausch said the reward money will likely be shared by those whose 911 calls led to Drummond’s capture.
Drummond is facing four counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated kidnapping, four counts of felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
During the search for Drummond, police arrested four people accused of being accessories after the fact to the homicides.
(NEW YORK) — Three men, including a 19-year-old, were killed and nine other people were injured early Sunday when a dispute inside a crowded New York City nightclub erupted into a shooting incident that police said appeared to have involved multiple gunmen firing dozens of shots.
No one has been arrested in the deadly incident, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a noon news conference on Sunday, which followed an initial press conference she gave earlier in the morning. Police are examining security footage and interviewing witnesses in an effort to identify the shooters, Tisch also said.
Tisch said the shooting appears to be gang related but declined to elaborate, citing the ongoing investigation. She said that up to four gunmen opened fire inside the nightclub, hitting numerous bystanders.
The shooting unfolded around 3:27 a.m. Sunday inside the Taste of the City Lounge in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, which Tisch said was packed with patrons at the time of the incident.
The commissioner said officers arrived at the lounge on Franklin Avenue within minutes of the first 911 calls reporting the shooting and found a chaotic scene, with multiple victims ranging in age from 19 to 61 inside the nightclub suffering from gunshot wounds.
Tisch said two of the victims — a 27-year-old man and a 35-year-old man, were taken to hospitals, where they were pronounced dead. She said the third fatality was a 19-year-old man, who died at the scene. She said the surviving victims, three women and six men, were taken to hospitals with what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries.
“What we know preliminarily is there was a dispute inside a crowded club that led to the shooting,” said Tisch. “We have multiple shooters involved in this shooting.”
Tisch said investigators had collected at least 42 shell casings from inside the lounge that came 9mm and .45-caliber weapons.
A firearm was recovered nearby in the vicinity of Bedford Avenue and Eastern Parkway, Tisch said, adding that police were investigating whether it was involved in the shooting.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams asked for the public’s help in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
“If you were inside the club, if you heard individuals talking about this shooting, if you witnessed someone fleeing the location, every piece of information would allow us to put the puzzle together to solve this crime,” Adams said.
The shooting occurred as the NYPD has recorded the lowest number of shootings on record for the first seven months of the year, Tisch said. According to NYPD citywide crime statistics as of Aug. 10, the number of shooting victims had fallen nearly 22% this year compared to the same period last year, and the number of shooting incidents had declined 20.5% compared to the same period.
“Something like this is, of course, thank God, an anomaly and it’s a terrible thing that happened this morning,” Tisch said. “But we’re going to investigate it and get to the bottom of what went down.”
(MOSCOW, Idaho) — Bryan Kohberger admitted to the killings of four University of Idaho students at his change of plea hearing on Wednesday, pleading guilty to all five counts, despite the former criminology student’s initial eagerness to be exonerated in the high-profile case.
At the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho, Judge Steven Hippler asked Kohberger how he pleads for each count. Kohberger quickly said “guilty” each time, showing no emotion.
Kohberger — who was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary in connection with the 2022 killings of the four students — will be spared the death penalty as a part of the plea, according to a letter sent to victims’ relatives. He’ll be sentenced to four consecutive life sentences on the murder counts and the maximum penalty of 10 years on the burglary count, according to the agreement.
At the start of the hearing, Kohberger briefly answered questions from Hippler with “yes” and “no,” marking the first time since his arrest that Kohberger spoke during court proceedings.
He was asked if he was thinking clearly, and Kohberger responded, “yes.” When asked if he was promised anything in exchange for the plea, Kohberger responded, “no.” Asked if he was pleading guilty because he is guilty, Kohberger responded, “yes.”
Hippler asked Kohberger if he “killed and murdered” each victim, naming the four students: Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Kernodle’s boyfriend, Ethan Chapin. Kohberger responded “yes” each time, showing no emotion.
Kohberger’s father shook his head as the victims’ names were read.
Prosecutor Bill Thompson outlined for the judge the state’s evidence against Kohberger, including Kohberger’s DNA matching the male DNA on a knife sheath left by Mogen’s body.
Kohberger also waives his right to appeal as a part of the agreement.
The plea comes just weeks before Kohberger’s trial was to get underway. Jury selection was set to start on Aug. 4 and opening arguments were scheduled for Aug 18.
Prosecutors — who met with victims’ families last week — called the plea a “sincere attempt to seek justice” for the families.
But the dad of 21-year-old victim Kaylee Goncalves blasted the move, accusing the prosecutors of mishandling and rushing the plea deal.
Steve Goncalves said outside court on Wednesday that the prosecution “made a deal with the devil.”
The Goncalves family told ABC News they contacted prosecutors on Tuesday asking for the terms of Kohberger’s deal be amended to include additional requirements: they asked for a full confession and for the location of the alleged murder weapon — described by authorities as a KA-BAR-style hunting knife — which has never been found.
The family said prosecutors turned down the request, explaining that an offer already accepted by the defendant could not ethically be changed. The family said the prosecutors indicated they’re asking the court to allow the prosecution to include a factual summary of the evidence against Kohberger at Wednesday’s hearing, and that more information about Kohberger’s actions would be presented at his sentencing hearing.
The family of 20-year-old victim Ethan Chapin said in a brief statement that they’re at the hearing “in support of the plea bargain.” This is the Chapins’ first appearance at court since their son was killed.
Idaho law requires the state to afford violent crime victims or their families an opportunity to communicate with prosecutors and to be advised of any proposed plea offer before entering into an agreement, but the ultimate decision lies solely with the prosecution.
Kohberger’s parents also attended Wednesday’s hearing, their first time in court with their son since his arrest in Pennsylvania more than two years ago. Attorneys for the Kohberger family said in a statement on Tuesday, “The Kohbergers are asking members of the media for privacy, respect, and responsible judgment during this time. We will continue to allow the legal process to unfold with respect to all parties.”
Prosecutors allege Kohberger fatally stabbed Goncalves, Mogen, Kernodle and Chapin in the students’ off-campus house in the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022.
Two roommates in the house survived, including one roommate who told authorities in the middle of the night she saw a man walking past her in the house, according to court documents. The roommate described the intruder as “not very muscular, but athletically built with bushy eyebrows,” according to the documents.
Kohberger, who was studying for a Ph.D. in criminology at nearby Washington State University at the time of the crime, was arrested at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania in December 2022.
