A New Jersey jury has found Christopher Gregor guilty of manslaughter in the death of his six-year-old son, Corey. Gregor forced his son to run on a treadmill at high speeds, leading to the child’s death. The jury rejected the murder charge against Gregor, and he now faces 10 to 30 years in jail.
Dustin Walker-Hammond was sentenced to two years in prison and two years of probation for manslaughter in the August 2022 stabbing death of Justin Breau in Saint John, New Brunswick. Walker-Hammond, who originally faced a first-degree murder charge, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and has already served 427 days in jail. Justice Kathryn Gregory considered Walker-Hammond’s mental health issues and childhood trauma when sentencing him. He has been ordered to complete his education, stay away from the victim’s family and co-accused, and is prohibited from possessing firearms or weapons.
Roger Bilodeau and his son Anthony have lost their appeals of convictions in the fatal shooting of two Metis hunters, Jacob Sansom and Maurice Cardinal, in 2020. The Bilodeaus confronted the victims on a road near Glendon, northeast of Edmonton, after becoming concerned about a parked truck on their property. Anthony fired the fatal shots, and both men fled the scene without seeking assistance. Roger was convicted of manslaughter on the basis of being a willing party to the crime, while Anthony was convicted of manslaughter and second-degree murder. The appeal courts dismissed arguments that the trial judge erred in instructions to the jury and concluded that no substantial miscarriage of justice occurred.
A tragic discovery was made more than 12 weeks after a fire destroyed an apartment building in Edmonton’s Old Strathcona area: a man’s body was found in the rubble, leading to manslaughter charges against a suspect already accused of arson. Ricardo Olivares, 70, had been reported missing by his family after the fire on January 26, 2024, but his remains were only discovered during a further search of the wreckage on April 22. The cause of death has been determined to be smoke inhalation, and the manner of death has been ruled a homicide. The accused, 44-year-old Jason Murray Zabos, was initially charged with arson and other offenses and is now facing additional charges in connection with Olivares’ death.
A 22-year-old man in Massachusetts has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter after drowning his father during an exorcism-style baptism. The incident occurred in June 2021, when the son, Jack Callahan, believed he was baptizing his father by submerging him multiple times in a pond.
Cardell Hayes, who fatally shot retired NFL star Will Smith in 2016, is set to be sentenced on Thursday in a New Orleans courtroom. Hayes was initially convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 25 years but later released on bond after the conviction was overturned due to a non-unanimous jury vote. At a retrial in January, Hayes was found guilty of manslaughter again, with the jury reaching a unanimous verdict. Hayes has maintained that he shot in self-defense, claiming he believed Smith had retrieved a gun from his SUV. However, there was no evidence to support Hayes’ claim.
A Brisbane Supreme Court hearing has heard the tragic story of a baby’s drowning in February 2021. The Crown prosecutor described how the mother of the seven-month-old girl, Lavinia Alison Murray, left her unattended in a bathtub, resulting in the child’s death. Murray pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, suspended after serving 12 months in custody. Victim impact statements from Trinity’s father and paternal grandmother spoke of the devastating loss and impact on their lives.
Angel Echevarria-Rivera, 33, of Harrisburg, has been sentenced to a minimum of three and a half years and a maximum of 10 years in state prison for the stabbing death of Edwin Torres-Martinez, 53. The incident occurred on November 12, 2022, outside Torres-Martinez’s home in Harrisburg’s Hall Manor neighborhood. Echevarria-Rivera stabbed Torres-Martinez 18 times in the neck after Torres-Martinez stabbed Echevarria-Rivera’s relative on his leg. Echevarria-Rivera pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was not charged with murder, as he believed Torres-Martinez was going to kill his relative with a knife. The maximum sentence for voluntary manslaughter is 20 years in prison.
The final jurors have been selected in the trial of Karen Read, a woman accused of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend in 2022. The jury selection process, which began on April 16th, took five days to complete, with 19 jurors ultimately being chosen. Opening statements in the trial are scheduled for Monday, and the trial is expected to last six to eight weeks.
Nurse Michelle Wolff was tragically killed in a head-on collision on the D’Aguilar Hwy in December 2021. The perpetrator, Jacob Paul Johnston, deliberately drove across the center line of the road, crashing into Wolff’s vehicle. Following a lengthy investigation, Johnston pleaded guilty in court, admitting to killing Wolff in an attempt to take his own life. The victim’s family and friends expressed their devastation and anger, highlighting the selfish and callous nature of Johnston’s actions.
