
This briefing includes two U.S. mass killings, a Tucson recruit homicide, and a Massachusetts insanity-trial day. Names below are those officially released in this window. Billings victims are still unnamed here. Forest Grove names were released by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office on Monday, August 24.
Daily Breaking True Crime Briefing
As of: Tuesday, August 25, 2026, evening ET
Scope: Verified charges, court moves, and major homicides from August 23–25. Historical freeze — later IDs, verdicts, and charging upgrades are not imported. Lawandcrime.com and People.com/crime were reviewed. The New Yorker had no matching breaking-crime piece in the window.
Washington County detectives laid out a premeditated timeline in the Forest Grove quintuple, with the boyfriend found dead in Enumclaw. Investigators in Billings confirmed eight dead, including four children, in Sunday’s shooting and house fire, still without official names. In Tucson, Alex James Barnett was ordered held without bond. In Plymouth, the Clancy rebuttal put its last psychiatrist on the stand. Charging desks in London, Toronto, Nairobi, and Mdantsane closed files that had sat open for days — or years.
Forest Grove Killings Called Premeditated
Washington County detectives used Tuesday’s Hillsboro briefing to put a sequence on Saturday’s Otis Lane quintuple. Lead detective Mark Povolny said Benjamin Charles Parker, 36, murdered his girlfriend Stella Jade Kimsey, 26, first, after a “horrible fight” in which she told him to leave, then killed as others arrived to check on her. Dead with her: her mother Rowan Karla Kimsey, 60; grandmother Mary Elizabeth Kimsey, 85; Stella’s closest friend Linsey Mae Haraldsen, 26; and Haraldsen’s partner Alvin Raymond Chu, 27. The sheriff’s office had identified all five on Monday. Bodies were found Saturday after a neighbor called in a vehicle fire around 5 a.m. Parker told his mother Saturday night the killings were planned, that he meant to kill three and two more died, then shot himself in a Tacoma registered to Rowan Kimsey. Enumclaw police found him Sunday. A .22 was recovered. Five animals were shot. Motive is still unstated. Washington County Sheriff’s Office; Forest Grove Fire & Rescue; Enumclaw Police; Oregon State Police Forensics.
A domestic fight, five dead, a confession to his mother, and a suicide in a stolen truck. The lab work will run for months. There is no one left to try.
Sources:
- KATU — Officials provide timeline of murders of 5 people outside Forest Grove
- Washington County Sheriff’s Office — Victims of quintuple homicide identified
- Forest Grove News-Times — Victims identified in quintuple homicide near Forest Grove
- NBC News — 5 people and multiple animals killed on rural Oregon property
Billings Fire-and-Gunfire Leaves Eight Dead
Investigators confirmed Tuesday that eight people, four of them children, died in Sunday evening’s shooting and house fire on White Star Circle, just outside Billings city limits. Police and the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office have not released names, ages, or relationships. The call came at 6:01 p.m. Sunday as a family disturbance with gunfire on the line. Officers arriving about eleven minutes later heard more shots, took a man from the backyard with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, and lost the house to fire in a subdivision with no hydrants. He died at the hospital. Firefighters worked into Monday morning. Recovery is still a complex process in an unstable shell. There is no ongoing public threat. Motive is not out. Billings Police Department; Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office; Billings Fire Department.
Eight dead, four of them children, a burned house, and a dead suspect. Official IDs stay off this card until the sheriff puts them out.
Sources:
- Billings Gazette — Multiple children, adults dead in shooting, fire on Billings West End
- USA TODAY — 8 dead, including 4 children, after shooting and house fire in Montana
Tucson Recruit-Killing Suspect Held Without Bond
Alex James Barnett, 33, appeared Tuesday in Pima County and was ordered held without bond on first-degree murder, armed robbery, and aggravated assault in the Aug. 19 killing of Tucson police recruit Carlos Ramirez, 23, and the wounding of Ramirez’s pregnant fiancée, a Pima County corrections officer. Barnett surrendered about 9 p.m. Monday after a three-hour SWAT standoff at Desert Atrium. Sheriff Chris Nanos spent Tuesday knocking down online rumor — no affair, no drug-dealing by the couple, a “drug-rip” at the wrong house. Co-defendant Santiago Jorge Rogers, 39, is already no-bond. A third man who dumped the Acura has been located, given a statement, and is not charged. A no-bond hearing is set Aug. 31. Pima County Sheriff’s Department; Tucson Police Department.
The manhunt is over. The rumor mill is not. Nanos’s version is a botched rip on the wrong house. The third man is still unnamed.
Sources:
- KOLD — Final suspect in fatal shooting of Tucson Police recruit appears in court
- FOX 10 Phoenix — Suspect arrested in connection with murder of Tucson police recruit
Clancy Rebuttal Heads Toward Closings
Day 20 in Plymouth Superior Court put the Commonwealth’s last experts in front of the jury. Forensic psychologist Kirk Heilbrun told jurors Lindsay Clancy retained control the night she strangled Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months, and should be held criminally responsible. FBI behavioral psychiatrist Gregory Saathoff, the prosecution’s final witness, said her account of a one-time command voice that stopped when the baby died was “unusual,” and that her timelines do not match the crime scene or her husband’s testimony. He returns Wednesday. Judge William F. Sullivan told the panel closings are expected Thursday. Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office; defense, Kevin Reddington.
Five weeks of evidence, one psychiatrist left, and closings on the board for Thursday. The insanity question is now the whole case.
Sources:
- Patriot Ledger — Clancy trial Day 20: psychiatrist and psychologist on the stand
- Boston Globe — Prosecution witness describes Lindsay Clancy’s account of killings
- USA TODAY — Lindsay Clancy trial: mental health experts testify
- Boston.com — Lindsay Clancy murder trial livestream, Tuesday August 25
Bowie Mother Dies After Domestic Shooting
Shawanda Alston, 38, was declared dead Tuesday afternoon at a local hospital, five days after she was shot in the 8500 block of Myrtle Avenue. Bowie police say officers found her in a bedroom Aug. 20 with gunshot wounds. Kimball Alton Hinton Jr., 41, was arrested in the front yard. Charging papers described an argument over school supplies, a child calling 911, and Hinton telling dispatchers he had shot her and left the gun in the mailbox. He is held without bond on attempted first-degree murder and related counts. An upgrade is expected now that the case is a homicide. He is presumed innocent. Bowie Police Department; Prince George’s County Police Homicide Unit.
She died Tuesday. The charge sheet has not caught up. Treat the upgrade as expected, not filed.
Sources:
- WJLA — 38-year-old Bowie woman dies 5 days after domestic shooting
- Bowie Police Department — Victim succumbs to injuries sustained in Myrtle Avenue shooting
- FOX 5 DC — Maryland mother dies days after being shot during argument with boyfriend
Hit-Team Charged in Tete Killing
Four men stood together Tuesday in Mdantsane Magistrate’s Court on the Friday-night killing of boxing champion Zolani Tete, 38, shot at his own gate in NU17 as he waited for it to open. His girlfriend, 27, was hit several times and remains in hospital. The National Prosecuting Authority says Uzuzole Goqwana, 22, is the alleged mastermind; Sinebongo Qase, 28, the middleman; Siphesihle Kolisa, 28, and Athandwa Gangala, 27, the alleged hitmen. The state calls it premeditated and Schedule 6. Kolisa and Gangala have abandoned bail. Goqwana and Qase return Sept. 1. Firearms were recovered at Scenery Park. All four are presumed innocent. South African Police Service; National Prosecuting Authority, Eastern Cape.
A world champion killed at his gate, four men in the dock, and Schedule 6 bail. That is still an allegation.
Sources:
- TimesLIVE — Four suspects in court in connection with murder of boxer Zolani Tete
- IOL — Mastermind hired middleman to recruit hitmen for Zolani Tete murder, state says
- Daily News — 22-year-old charged with murder of boxing champion Zolani Tete
London Fall Death Charged as Murder
Mohammed Sherif, 54, of Rowcross Street, Southwark, appeared Tuesday at Croydon Magistrates’ Court charged with the murder of Kerry Ann Goodbrand, 31, found fatally injured in that street shortly before 3 p.m. Friday and pronounced dead at the scene. He confirmed his name and was remanded. Next listing: the Old Bailey, Thursday. Detective Chief Superintendent Emma Bond said officers are still establishing the full circumstances. He is presumed innocent. Metropolitan Police.
A fall from height is now a murder charge. Circumstance is still being built. Do not import later window-and-shoe detail from Thursday’s Old Bailey mention.
Sources:
- BBC News — Man charged with murder after woman falls from height
- The Independent — Man charged with murder after woman, 31, dies in fall from height in Southwark
Toronto Charges 2022 Plaza Killing
Homicide investigators announced Tuesday that Justin Longshaw, 39, is charged with first-degree murder in the Nov. 12, 2022, shooting of Ding Ping Wang, 31, killed in his car in a Scarborough plaza at Midland and Passmore. Detectives had gone public in July and August with video, a left-handed shooter re-enactment, and a composite of a man they said went by “Jay.” Global News reported Longshaw was already in custody on a 2023 firearms case when he was arrested Monday. A possible link to a March 2023 attempted murder in the same plaza is still being worked. He is presumed innocent. Toronto Police Service, Homicide and Missing Persons Unit.
Four years, a composite, and a man already sitting in jail. Motive is still not public.
Sources:
- CityNews Toronto — Arrest made in 2022 killing of Ding Ping Wang
- Global News — Toronto police arrest man in 2022 homicide after appealing to the public
Windsor Arrest Closes Etobicoke Double Homicide
Toronto Police said Tuesday that Darriel Thompson, 25, of Mississauga, is charged with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of attempted murder in the Jan. 3, 2022, studio shooting at 150 Thirtieth Street. Minyali Wur, 24, and Chudier Reat, 20, both of Mississauga, died. A woman survived. Windsor Police took Thompson into custody Saturday during a disturbance. He was due in a Toronto court Tuesday. Two other men in the file — Phillip Grant and Camarr Brown — were already charged in earlier years. He is presumed innocent. Toronto Police Service; Windsor Police Service.
A 2022 studio shooting, a Saturday pickup in Windsor, and charges read in Toronto on Tuesday. The file is not empty of co-accused.
Sources:
- INsauga — 2 murder charges laid against Mississauga man in Toronto shooting deaths
- Toronto Sun — Mississauga man arrested in 2022 Etobicoke shooting
- Windsor Star — Windsor police arrest suspect wanted by Toronto police for murder
Beltline Stabbing Suspect Charged With Murder
Johnathan Hamby, 54, is charged with murder, aggravated assault, terroristic threats, and possession of a knife during a felony in Sunday’s killing of Ramon Harris, 29, on the Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Trail near the Ponce de Leon Kroger. Atlanta police say a verbal argument escalated. A warrant alleges Hamby stabbed Harris in the neck. Two knives were recovered. Hamby was booked Monday, a felon on active probation with what Chief Darin Schierbaum put at 30 arrest cycles. Mayor Andre Dickens ordered a review of Beltline patrols and cameras. He is presumed innocent. Atlanta Police Department; Fulton County.
A public trail, a neck wound, and a probationer with a long sheet. That is still a charged case, not a verdict.
Sources:
- Fox News — Atlanta Beltline trail stabbing suspect charged with murder
- FOX 5 Atlanta — Atlanta Beltline stabbing: a look at the fatal stabbing victim
- Atlanta News First — Suspect in fatal Beltline stabbing has history of mental illness, arrests
Colorado Troopers Ambushed; Suspect Killed
A driver opened fire at 7:15 a.m. Tuesday on a Colorado State Patrol trooper who had stopped a blue Subaru without plates at Piney Point Lane and West Highway 24 in Woodland Park, then ambushed a second trooper on a dirt road into Westwood Lakes. Both troopers drove themselves to UCHealth Pikes Peak Regional Hospital. The first remained hospitalized Tuesday afternoon with serious wounds. The second was treated and released. Four rounds hit the hospital. A community tip at 9:24 a.m. put Teller County deputies at a house in Woodland West. The suspect fired, a deputy returned fire, and the man died at the hospital. His name was not released in this window. Trooper names had not been released by Tuesday evening. Colorado Bureau of Investigation will handle both scenes for the Fourth Judicial District. Colorado State Patrol; Teller County Sheriff’s Office.
Two troopers down, a dead suspect, and names still held. Later IDs stay off this card.
Sources:
- Colorado Springs Gazette — 2 Colorado State troopers shot near Woodland Park; suspect killed
Pennsylvania Student Shot at Wrong House
Glenwood “Bubba” Pysher IV, 22, a Saint Elizabeth University senior and baseball player, was fatally shot by an Upper Pottsgrove Township officer about 12:30 a.m. Sunday behind a Snyder Road house his mother says he mistook for a friend’s after a birthday bar crawl. Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele said police answered a 911 call of a possible break-in, found Pysher at the rear, and an encounter ended with shots. The officer is on administrative leave. Family say he was unarmed, on the phone with friends who were driving over to collect him. County detectives have the backyard video. No charging decision as of Tuesday evening. Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office; Upper Pottsgrove Township Police.
A wrong house, a 911 burglary call, and a dead college student. The DA has the tape. There is no charging decision on this edition’s clock.
Sources:
- ABC News — College student fatally shot by Pennsylvania police was at the wrong house, mother says
- Fox News — College baseball player fatally shot trying to enter wrong house, mom says
Jury Convicts Palmdale Deputy’s Killer
A Los Angeles County jury on Monday convicted Kevin Eduardo Cataneo Salazar, 32, of first-degree murder in the Sept. 16, 2023, ambush of Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, 30, shot in his patrol car at a red light less than a block from Palmdale Station. Deliberations ran about two and a half hours. Jurors found true special circumstances of murder of a peace officer, lying in wait, and firing from a vehicle, plus personal use of a .22 revolver. Salazar pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. The sanity phase is set to open Wednesday in Department 101 at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office; Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Guilt is in. Sanity is not. Wednesday decides prison or hospital.
Sources:
- Los Angeles County District Attorney — Man convicted of 2023 murder of Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer
- County of Los Angeles — Man convicted of 2023 murder of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer in Palmdale
Nairobi Lawyer Faces Mutiso Murder Charge
The DPP on Monday registered a murder file at Nairobi High Court against politician Rose Mbithe Mulwa, also known as Ndetei, and her children, advocates Angela Mulwa and Chris Mulwa, in the July 29 shooting of psychiatrist Dr. Victoria Thunya Mutiso on Mawensi Road, Kilimani. Angela Mulwa was re-arrested at Milimani Law Courts on Monday after a judge refused a further detention application. Arraignment with her mother and brother was expected Tuesday. Investigators have tied the killing to a Machakos land dispute and say serving officers are among other suspects, including a fleeing inspector alleged to have supplied the pistol. All are presumed innocent. Directorate of Criminal Investigations; Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
A psychiatrist shot in Kilimani, a political family on a charge sheet, and a police-gun allegation. That is still a charging decision, not a trial.
Sources:
Leicester Cyclist Killers Sent to Crown Court
Chae Smith, 31, and Joshua Cook, 24, both of no fixed address, were further remanded Monday after a magistrates’ appearance on murder and robbery in the death of George Glover, 27, punched while cycling on Narborough Road about 6:30 a.m. Aug. 17 and dead in hospital Thursday. Smith also faces a bladed-article count. Louise O’Connor, 39, of Noel Street, is charged with robbery. All three are due at Leicester Crown Court on Oct. 12. They are presumed innocent. Leicestershire Police.
A morning punch, a Thursday death, and a Crown Court date in October.
Sources:
Ramsgate Harbour Stabbing Becomes Murder
Kent Police opened a murder investigation Sunday after a 52-year-old man stabbed near Ramsgate Harbour died in hospital. Officers were called about 4:45 a.m. to a man with a knife. Two victims were found, one in Harbour Street and one in Harbour Parade. The second man, 48, was later released. A 21-year-old local man was arrested shortly after and remained in custody as of Sunday’s force statement. Police said they were not looking for anyone else. The dead man’s name had not been released in Sunday’s BBC report and is withheld here. Kent Police.
A harbour knife job, one dead, one arrested. CPS charging authority had not posted by this freeze. Later naming stays off.
Sources:
Clovis Teacher-Killing Suspects Jailed in Fresno
Misty Gomez, 32, and Antonio Garcia, 40, were booked into Fresno County Jail Monday evening on a complaint alleging they murdered Geoffrey Scott Bernardi, a Clovis Unified career-technical educator attacked last December. U.S. Marshals took them south of the border last week. They came through Santa Rita Jail in Alameda County on Saturday before the downtown Fresno move. Gomez’s daughters, 9 and 12, remain in DIF custody in Michoacán after families reported them missing in April. Arraignment was expected Tuesday. Both are presumed innocent. Clovis Police Department; Fresno County District Attorney; U.S. Marshals Service.
Two defendants back in California, two children still in Mexico. The murder complaint is an allegation.
Sources:
Also watching
Jeremy Perrien, the Scott County, Missouri, fire chief charged Friday with second-degree murder in his wife Shelby’s 2025 Interstate 55 death, was listed for a Tuesday arraignment. Court records as of this freeze did not confirm a plea. ABC News.
Salazar’s sanity phase opens Wednesday at Foltz. Saathoff finishes Wednesday in Plymouth; closings are penciled Thursday. The third man in the Ramirez home invasion has been located and is not charged. Hunter James Anderson, 21, of Gravette, is held on capital murder in the Aug. 13 shooting of Triton King, 20, in Sulphur Springs, Arkansas. KTLO.
Watch Billings for official victim identifications. Watch Forest Grove for the firearms trace and toxicology. Watch Bowie for the expected upgrade on Hinton. Watch Woodland Park for trooper and suspect names.
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