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Criminal Trial

Alex Murdaugh Convictions For Murders Of Wife, Son Overturned In Stunning Court Ruling Alex Murdaugh Convictions For Murders Of Wife, Son Overturned In Stunning Court Ruling
Alex Murdaugh Convictions For Murders Of Wife, Son Overturned In Stunning Court Ruling One of the country's most-watched criminal cases has been thrown back into uncertainty. The South Carolina Supreme Court unanimously overturned Alex Murdaugh's murder convictions on Wednesday, May 13, in the deaths of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul. The ruling vacates his life sentences and sends the case back for a new trial. Murdaugh, 57, was convicted in March 2023 of killing Maggie and Paul at the family's hunting estate in June 2021. He has denied killing them. The justices cited misconduct by former Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill, who improperly influenced jurors by sugg…
Maryland Double Murder Retrial Ends Same Way With Guilty Verdict Again For Man Facing Life Maryland Double Murder Retrial Ends Same Way With Guilty Verdict Again For Man Facing Life
Maryland Double Murder Retrial Ends Same Way With Guilty Verdict Again For Man Facing Life Gregory Jones was convicted again in a Maryland double murder retrial — same verdict, same outcome. A Montgomery County jury delivered a decisive verdict Friday afternoon, finding Jones, 32, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, guilty on a host of charges.  Again. Specifically, Jones was convicted of:  Two counts of first-degree murder; Conspiracy to commit first-degree murder; Two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The charges stem from the February 2018 execution-style shooting deaths of Ashley Dickinson and Joshua Frazier, who were found shot inside a vehicl…
‘I Deserve Justice’: Girl’s Courtroom Words Help Put King Of Prussia Rapist Behind Bars ‘I Deserve Justice’: Girl’s Courtroom Words Help Put King Of Prussia Rapist Behind Bars
‘I Deserve Justice’: Girl’s Courtroom Words Help Put King Of Prussia Rapist Behind Bars A girl who was repeatedly raped by a family acquaintance from the age of 9 told a Bucks County courtroom, “I am not here for pity. I am here because I deserve justice,” as her abuser was sentenced to up to 36 years in prison, authorities said Wednesday, Aug. 6. Powerful Victim Statement Charles J. Sylvester, 39, of King of Prussia, was sentenced to 18 to 36 years in state prison for raping and sexually assaulting the girl over a three-year period in Bristol Township, the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office announced. The girl, who is now a teenager, delivered a powerful impact statement…
Woman Found Injured, Whitehall Man Caught With Zipper Down After Bar Ride: DA Woman Found Injured, Whitehall Man Caught With Zipper Down After Bar Ride: DA
Woman Found Injured, Whitehall Man Caught With Zipper Down After Bar Ride: DA A Lehigh County man accused of raping and kidnapping a woman after a night at a bar is headed to trial, District Attorney Gavin Holihan announced on Monday, July 21. Erik Contes, 42, of Whitehall Township, is charged with: Felony Rape. Felony Kidnapping To Facilitate A Felony. Felony Sexual Assault. Misdemeanor Indecent Assault. His preliminary hearing was held before District Judge Jacob Hammond earlier in the day, and all charges were held for court. Contes is currently free after posting $100,000 bail. The incident occurred just after 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 2, 2024, when a South Whi…
Child Abused By Mom's Live-In BF Lands NJ Man Decades In PA Prison: Lehigh DA Child Abused By Mom's Live-In BF Lands NJ Man Decades In PA Prison: Lehigh DA
Child Abused By Mom's Live-In BF Lands NJ Man Decades In PA Prison: Lehigh DA A New Jersey man who sexually abused a 13-year-old Pennsylvania girl while living with her mother in Lehigh County has been sentenced to decades in state prison, authorities announced on Monday, April 22. Spartak A. Fedorovich, 38, of Phillipsburg, began sexually abusing the girl in Upper Saucon Township when she was 12, according to the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office. At the time, he was living in the same household as the victim. Police were dispatched to the home for a report of suspicious activity on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, and the girl later disclosed she had been in a sexua…
NJ 'Hot Shot' Murderess Found Dead In PA Prison Cell 3 Days After Probation Violation Arrest NJ 'Hot Shot' Murderess Found Dead In PA Prison Cell 3 Days After Probation Violation Arrest
NJ 'Hot Shot' Murderess Found Dead In PA Prison Cell 3 Days After Probation Violation Arrest A New Jersey woman convicted of murder, who admitted to injecting a man with a fatal mix of cocaine and bleach, was found dead in her cell at the State Correctional Institution at Muncy, officials announced. Lisa Marie Stavish, 41, a Passaic, NJ native, was discovered unresponsive in her cell on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, according to Wendy Nicholas, superintendent of SCI Muncy. Prison staff attempted life-saving measures until emergency responders arrived, but Stavish was pronounced dead at 6:07 a.m. Stavish was serving a 7-to-20-year sentence for third-degree murder in the death of David…
Alec Baldwin's 'Rust' Film Sets Premiere Date 3 Years After Fatal On-Set Shooting Alec Baldwin's 'Rust' Film Sets Premiere Date 3 Years After Fatal On-Set Shooting
Alec Baldwin's 'Rust' Film Sets Premiere Date 3 Years After Fatal On-Set Shooting Three years after a cinematographer was shot and killed during the making of Alec Baldwin’s next movie, the film has finally set a release date. “Rust,” a Western drama that Baldwin wrote, directed, and stars in, will premiere at the Camerimage International Film Festival in Poland on Saturday, Nov. 16, according to its IMDB page. It comes just months after a New Mexico judge dismissed involuntary manslaughter charges against the 66-year-old Baldwin stemming from the death of Halyna Hutchins. Earlier Report - Courtroom Stunner: Judge Tosses Manslaughter Case Against Alec Baldwin In On-Se…
Columbia Convict Sentenced For Fatally Shooting Mississippi Man At Manheim Night: DA Columbia Convict Sentenced For Fatally Shooting Mississippi Man At Manheim Night: DA
Columbia Convict Sentenced For Fatally Shooting Mississippi Man At Manheim Night: DA Club23 may have closed nearly a year ago, but a deadly shooting at the Lancaster County nightclub will never be forgotten by a Mississippi family.  Jatavis Devonte Scott, 25 of Mound Bayou, MS, died at Lancaster General Hospital on March 19 not long after he was shot by Tyler Jamel Wilson, now 29 of Columbia, PA, the Lancaster County District Attorney's office announced. Wilson was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, according to the Lancaster DA's office.  Wilson "was found guilty by [a] jury of third-degree murder, persons not to possess a firearm, carrying a …
Trump Trial Witness David Pecker Has New Rochelle Ties Trump Trial Witness David Pecker Has New Rochelle Ties
Trump Trial Witness David Pecker Has New Rochelle Ties A key witness in former President Donald Trump's criminal trial who allegedly helped bury negative stories involving him has close ties to Westchester, including a university in the county from which he graduated.  Former media executive David Pecker, the former CEO of the National Enquirer's parent company, American Media, Inc., became the first witness to testify in Trump's criminal trial on Monday, April 22, and Tuesday, April 23,  The 72-year-old Pecker testified that he had used "catch and kill" tactics to buy rights to stories casting Trump in a negative light and then decl…
Long Island Man Sexually Abused 10-Year-Old Stepdaughter Who Texted 911 For Help, Jury Finds Long Island Man Sexually Abused 10-Year-Old Stepdaughter Who Texted 911 For Help, Jury Finds
Long Island Man Sexually Abused 10-Year-Old Stepdaughter Who Texted 911 For Help, Jury Finds A Long Island man could spend decades in prison for sexually abusing his underage stepdaughter. The 45-year-old Bay Shore man, who prosecutors are not naming to protect the child’s identity, was found guilty of multiple sex crimes by a Suffolk County jury on Thursday, Feb. 22. Prosecutors said the man abused the girl on three different occasions between August and October 2021 while her mother was at work. At the time, she was 10 and 11 years old. The abuse ended when the girl sent a text message to 911 reporting that her stepfather was trying to have sex with her, and that he had sexually…
Long Island Man Admits Gunning Down, Killing 25-Year-Old, DA Says Long Island Man Admits Gunning Down, Killing 25-Year-Old, DA Says
Long Island Man Admits Gunning Down, Killing 25-Year-Old, DA Says A Long Island man man has pleaded guilty to murder for the shooting death of a 25-year-old during an argument. Ryan Hamilton, age 24, of Hempstead, admitted to the murder of Trendabi Reid in May 2021, on Thursday, Feb. 15, said Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly. Hamilton, age 24, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. He is expected to be sentenced to 19 years to life in prison, the DA's Office said. “This defendant brutally gunned down Trendabi Reid during an altercation at a backyard gathering in Hempstead,” said Donnelly. “Gun vio…
Elizabeth Man Convicted Of Multiple Weapons Offenses: Prosecutors Elizabeth Man Convicted Of Multiple Weapons Offenses: Prosecutors
Elizabeth Man Convicted Of Multiple Weapons Offenses: Prosecutors A 38-year-old Elizabeth man was convicted of possessing a metal baton and a loaded handgun on Thursday, Jan. 18, authorities said. In May 2022, Yasin Villafana was arrested in Elizabeth on an outstanding warrant, Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel, Elizabeth Police Chief Giacomo Sacca, and Elizabeth Police Chief Earl Graves said. Upon his arrest, Villafana was found to be in possession of the weapons, as well as a large capacity magazine, authorities said. It took a jury two hours to convict Villafana of unlawful possession of a weapon possession of a large capacity ma…
'Things Will Get Ugly': Gambling Debt Collector From Long Island Convicted, USAO Says 'Things Will Get Ugly': Gambling Debt Collector From Long Island Convicted, USAO Says
'Things Will Get Ugly': Gambling Debt Collector From Long Island Convicted, Usao Says Two men, including one 86-year-old Long Islander, have been convicted for extorting money from someone who owed them a gambling debt, authorities have announced. Anthony Romanello, age 86 of Franklin Square, was convicted alongside his co-conspirator Joseph Celso, 50 of Queens on Monday, Dec. 11, according to the United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York, Romanello and Celso, along with another Queens resident named Luan Bexheti, conspired from March to June 2017 to collect a gambling debt from an unnamed victim and a family member (named John Doe 1 and John Doe 2…
Hudson Valley Child Rapist Heading To Prison After Jury Trial Hudson Valley Child Rapist Heading To Prison After Jury Trial
Hudson Valley Child Rapist Heading To Prison After Jury Trial A 32-year-old man from the region will spend 56 years in prison after being found guilty of child rape. Ulster County resident Charles Burgher, of Highland, was sentenced Friday, Dec. 9 to state prison followed by 15 years post-release supervision. According to the Ulster County District Attorney's Office, Burgher was convicted of five counts of rape and three counts of criminal sexual act following a four-day jury trial in October. The conviction stems from incidents between August 2022 and Nov. 2022, when Burgher was arrested after a 5-and-a-half-hour standoff with law enforcement a…
Ex-Con Stabbed Long Island Nurse 25 Times, Left Her For Dead In Woods, Jury Finds Ex-Con Stabbed Long Island Nurse 25 Times, Left Her For Dead In Woods, Jury Finds
Ex-Con Stabbed Long Island Nurse 25 Times, Left Her For Dead In Woods, Jury Finds Sandra McIntosh died at the same hospital where she spent her days caring for others. The Stony Brook University Hospital nurse and Medford resident was found with multiple stab wounds on the night of July 22, 2021 in a wooded area of Holtsville. On Thursday, Dec. 7, a Suffolk County jury found her ex-boyfriend, 51-year-old Wayne Chambers, guilty of her murder. According to prosecutors, Chambers picked McIntosh up in her car at around 7:45 p.m. that evening following her nursing shift at the hospital. The two had previously dated for six years but were broken up at the time. Nearly 20 m…
Rapist Dead-Bolted Facebook Date Inside Her Own Maryland Apartment - Now He's Locked Away Rapist Dead-Bolted Facebook Date Inside Her Own Maryland Apartment - Now He's Locked Away
Rapist Dead-Bolted Facebook Date Inside Her Own Maryland Apartment - Now He's Locked Away A man who preyed on a woman he met through social media will spend decades in prison after raping his would-be date, the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office announced on Wednesday. Silver Spring resident Rome Hill, 32, was sentenced on Tuesday to life in prison with all but 30 years suspended after persuading his victim to meet him after just two days, then assaulting her at gunpoint in September 2020. At the time Hill reached out to his future victim, she was a stranger to him, prosecutors said. According to court documents, on Sept. 9, 2020, "CC," the victim, and Hill were comple…
15-Year-Old PA Girl Assaulted, Filmed After 'Pattern Of Grooming Behavior' By Neighbor, DA Says 15-Year-Old PA Girl Assaulted, Filmed After 'Pattern Of Grooming Behavior' By Neighbor, DA Says
15-Year-Old PA Girl Assaulted, Filmed After 'Pattern Of Grooming Behavior' By Neighbor, DA Says A 39-year-old man has been convicted on several charges for raping a 15-year-old girl on multiple occasions and filming it, authorities announced on Friday. William Bradford Ross of Newville was 30 years old when he began to pursue his neighbor's 15-year-old daughter in 2015. **WARNING THE FOLLOWING DETAILS ARE DISTURBING** During the two-day trial, "testimony revealed that Ross had moved into the Shippensburg area" after getting close with the neighbors, he "demonstrated a pattern of grooming behaviors, which culminated in him subjecting the 15-year-old child to frequent oral, anal, and v…
'Meet Me Outside': Heated Phone Call Led Long Island Man To Gun Down 37-Year-Old, Jury Finds 'Meet Me Outside': Heated Phone Call Led Long Island Man To Gun Down 37-Year-Old, Jury Finds
'Meet Me Outside': Heated Phone Call Led Long Island Man To Gun Down 37-Year-Old, Jury Finds What began as an argument over the phone ended with a 37-year-old Long Island man shot to death, and now, two years later, his killer is facing decades in prison. A Suffolk County jury found Michael Gilbert, age 29, of Riverhead, guilty of murder and related charges Tuesday, Sept. 26, in the shooting death of Tyrell Durham in Moriches. According to prosecutors, on Nov. 26, 2021, Gilbert overheard a phone call in which his girlfriend, Lashonda Coles, asked Durham’s girlfriend why she was with “the guy that knocked her teeth out.” The conversation was also overheard by Durham, who began yel…
Courtroom Shenanigans: Accused Drug Dealer In Capital Region Tries Bribing Juror, Police Say Courtroom Shenanigans: Accused Drug Dealer In Capital Region Tries Bribing Juror, Police Say
Courtroom Shenanigans: Accused Drug Dealer In Capital Region Tries Bribing Juror, Police Say An accused drug dealer from the region is facing more charges after allegedly attempting to bribe a juror in his ongoing criminal trial. Schoharie County resident Michael Bell, age 37, was arrested Wednesday, Sept. 13, on a felony charge of bribing a juror, according to New York State Police. Troopers said Bell, of the village of Schoharie, approached a juror in the town of Amsterdam in Montgomery County earlier in the day and offered them money in an attempt to influence their jury decision. The juror refused his offer and was ultimately dismissed from the trial. Bell’s trial, which bega…
Hammer Attack: Man Brutally Beat Woman Locked Inside His Capital Region Home, Jury Finds Hammer Attack: Man Brutally Beat Woman Locked Inside His Capital Region Home, Jury Finds
Hammer Attack: Man Brutally Beat Woman Locked Inside His Capital Region Home, Jury Finds A man accused of brutally attacking a woman with a hammer inside his home in the region, leaving her with a cracked skull and broken bones, has been convicted by a jury. Demar Reinfurt, age 43, was found guilty of multiple felonies by a Schenectady County jury on Thursday, July 6, in connection with the March 2020 attack inside his Schenectady apartment. The victim managed to call 911 at around 2 a.m. on March 27, 2020 and dispatchers heard her say, “unlock the door” 14 times. Schenectady Police officers were initially unable to locate the victim, but showed up to Reinfurt’s door after the…
Man Gets Over Decade In Jail For Using Pellet Gun In Armed Robbery In Yonkers Man Gets Over Decade In Jail For Using Pellet Gun In Armed Robbery In Yonkers
Man Gets Over Decade In Jail For Using Pellet Gun In Armed Robbery In Yonkers A man will spend more than a decade in prison for committing an armed robbery in Westchester during which he held a victim at gunpoint with a loaded pellet gun. Yonkers resident Shawn Lucas, age 37, was sentenced on Friday, June 16 to 12 years in state prison for taking part in a 2021 armed robbery in the city, according to the Westchester County District Attorney's Office.  On the day of the robbery, Dec. 27, 2021, just before 8 p.m., Lucas followed the victim as he was entering an apartment building in Yonkers, brandished a loaded pellet gun that looked like a firearm, and …
Mechanicsville Man Facing Prison Time For Sexually Abusing Minor Mechanicsville Man Facing Prison Time For Sexually Abusing Minor
Mechanicsville Man Facing Prison Time For Sexually Abusing Minor The months-long sexual abuse of a child in St. Mary’s County will land a predator in prison after he was convicted by a jury for assaulting a minor, the state’s attorney’s office announced. Randy Thomas Dindlebeck, 27, of Mechanicsville, was convicted of all counts, including sex abuse of a minor and third-degree sex offense stemming from several reported incidents involving a child between July and September 2021. Dindlebeck is being held without bond pending his sentencing later this summer. He was arrested in March 2022 on the charges. “No child should ever undergo this horror, and I s…
Rapist Who Assaulted Sleeping Girl Faces Life In Prison: State's Attorney Rapist Who Assaulted Sleeping Girl Faces Life In Prison: State's Attorney
Rapist Who Assaulted Sleeping Girl Faces Life In Prison: State's Attorney A predator from Washington, DC who preyed upon a sleeping child during a home invasion in Maryland may spend the rest of his life in prison. Joshua Grice, 30, was convicted by a jury of first-degree rape and first-degree burglary for breaking into a home and sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl who was asleep in her bedroom, according to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office on Tuesday, April 25. According to court records, on Nov. 29, 2021, investigators were called to a Browning Avenue home in Takoma Park to investigate a reported sexual assault involving a child that had just…
Brutal Murderer Of Bergen County Woman Sent To Prison For 55 Years Brutal Murderer Of Bergen County Woman Sent To Prison For 55 Years
Brutal Murderer Of Bergen County Woman Sent To Prison For 55 Years UPDATE:  An East Rutherford man was sentenced to 55 years in state prison for brutally kidnapping, stabbing and strangling a female neighbor. Francis "Frank" Tattoli, 30, won't be eligible for parole for nearly 48 years for the Christmastime 2016 slaying of Mone’t Thomas, 25, in the Summer Street apartment building where both lived. Thomas, who was born in Teaneck, worked as a manager of group sales for the Holiday Inn in Secaucus. She lived in the building with her boyfriend and bulldog. She'd just taken the dog for a walk when she was attacked in the hallway. Surveillance…
'Savage' Man Convicted Of Gouging Unconscious Victim's Eyes Out Causing Forever Blindness In VA 'Savage' Man Convicted Of Gouging Unconscious Victim's Eyes Out Causing Forever Blindness In VA
'Savage' Man Convicted Of Gouging Unconscious Victim's Eyes Out Causing Forever Blindness In VA A Prince William County man was convicted of a "savage" attack on a victim in 2021 in which he gouged her eyes out while they were unconscious, leaving them permanently blind, authorities announced. The jury deliberated for approximately 10 minutes on April 7 before finding Cody Dale Davis guilty of one count of aggravated malicious wounding, in connection with the Feb. 2, 2021 assault, the Commonwealth's attorney Amy Ashworth announced. Responders dispatched to a home in Dumfries found the victim inside, laying in a pool of blood suffering facial lacerations and blunt force …
'Evil' Stepmom Gets 25 Years For Freezing Death Of NY 8-Year-Old 'Evil' Stepmom Gets 25 Years For Freezing Death Of NY 8-Year-Old
'Evil' Stepmom Gets 25 Years For Freezing Death Of NY 8-Year-Old More than three years after an 8-year-old boy froze to death inside the garage of his New York home, a second adult is heading to prison for his murder. Long Island resident Angela Pollina, age 45, of Center Moriches, received the maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison in Suffolk County Court on Tuesday, April 11.  It followed her jury conviction for second-degree murder and other charges for her role in the death of Thomas Valva, her stepson.  Earlier Report: Center Moriches Father's Ex-GF Convicted For Murder Of Boy Forced To Stay In Freezing Garage Valva died of …
Getaway Driver In Fairview Drug Killing Convicted Of Felony Murder, Conspiracy, More Getaway Driver In Fairview Drug Killing Convicted Of Felony Murder, Conspiracy, More
Getaway Driver In Fairview Drug Killing Convicted Of Felony Murder, Conspiracy, More UPDATE: The getaway driver in an armed robbery turned cold-blooded killing in Fairview was convicted this week of felony murder, among other counts, following a trial in Hackensack. David Martinez of North Bergen will get a minimum 30-year state prison sentence, at the very least, for the June 2019 shooting death of David Duque-Soto at his Fourth Street apartment. Superior Court Judge Margaret M. Foti, who presided over the four-week trial, scheduled sentencing for April 21. Assistant Bergen County Prosecutors Suzanne Cevasco and Matthew Fitzpatrick presented 16 witnesses to prove that Ma…
Guilty: Hudson Valley Man Convicted Of Raping Child Guilty: Hudson Valley Man Convicted Of Raping Child
Guilty: Hudson Valley Man Convicted Of Raping Child A man from the region is facing decades behind bars after being convicted of raping a child. Orange County resident Cecilio Navarro, age 35, of Middletown, was found guilty of multiple sex crimes by a jury on Tuesday, March 14. Prosecutors had argued that Navarro sexually abused a child beginning in December 2016, when the victim was under the age of 13. The abuse continued on and off through 2021.  Navarro was arrested by the Orange County Child Investigation Unit in June 2022, and the trial began on Tuesday, March 7. Jurors convicted him of the following crimes: Predatory sexual…
Ocean Township Man Gets Life In Prison For Murder, Arson Ocean Township Man Gets Life In Prison For Murder, Arson
Ocean Township Man Gets Life In Prison For Murder, Arson A Monmouth County man who murdered a family friend in 2019 and then set her home on fire has been sentenced to life in prison, authorities said. Ronald J. Teschner, 53, was sentenced Tuesday, Feb. 7 in connection with the death of 65-year-old Jacqueline C. Terrulli. Shortly after 7:30 a.m. on the morning of Sept. 12, 2019, firefighters and other first responders rushed to a home on Wickapecko Drive in Ocean Township that was engulfed in flames.  Once the fire was put out, a joint investigation by members of the Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Bureau and Foren…
Asbury Park Man Convicted Of Sex Crimes Against 2 Teenagers: Prosecutor Asbury Park Man Convicted Of Sex Crimes Against 2 Teenagers: Prosecutor
Asbury Park Man Convicted Of Sex Crimes Against 2 Teenagers: Prosecutor A Monmouth County Jury has returned guilty verdicts against an Asbury Park man who sexually abused two teenage siblings on multiple occasions over the course of several years, authorities said. Walter Orlando Perez-Ramos, 35, was convicted Friday, Nov. 4 on two counts of sexual assault, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, and a single count of criminal sexual contact, according to Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago. On May 3, 2021, members of the Asbury Park Police Department first received information regarding the abuse of the…
Yonkers Gang Member Found Guilty Of Street Assault, Faces Sentencing: DA Yonkers Gang Member Found Guilty Of Street Assault, Faces Sentencing: DA
Yonkers Gang Member Found Guilty Of Street Assault, Faces Sentencing: DA A member of the 300 Bloodhound Brims street gang has been found guilty of a violent street assault in Westchester County.  On June 17, 2021, around 9 p.m., 20-year-old Devin Coates, hit a 33-year-old victim in the head with a glass bottle and knocked them unconscious in Yonkers at North Broadway (Route 22), according to Westchester District Attorney Miriam Rocah.  After this, the attack on the victim continued as numerous gang members and associates hit and kicked the victim, who was taken to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla and suffered a traumatic brain injury along w…