Utah authorities on Monday arrested Kouri Richins, a mother of three and the author of a children's book about grief, in her husband's fentanyl death.

Prosecutors are accusing Richins, 33, of poisoning her husband Eric Richins, 39, with fentanyl last year at their home in Kamas, just outside of Park City, while their three young sons were sleeping.

"Life is just so damn hard without you here!" Richins recently captioned a May 4 video with photos of her family posted to Facebook. "The cards I have been dealt just seems like a game that can't be played."

Kouri Richins called 911 on the evening of March 4, 2022, to report her husband was "cold to the touch." 

CALIFORNIA MAN DRIVES TO UTAH TO SHOOT, KILL ESTRANGED BROTHER

Prosecutors in Utah are accusing Kouri Richins, 33, of poisoning her husband Eric Richins, 39, with fentanyl last year at their home in Kamas, outside of Park City, while their sons were sleeping. (Facebook/ Kouri Richins)

She told authorities at the time that she had served her husband of nine years a cocktail to celebrate a home sale that evening. She left him briefly to check on one of her three sleeping children, and when she returned, she allegedly found Eric Richins unresponsive.

LORI VALLOW TRIAL: HEAR ‘CULT MOM’ AND HER SISTER SPEAK AFTER VALLOW'S CHILDREN FOUND DEAD

Eric Richins had five times the lethal dosage of fentanyl — an opioid that is already about 50 to 100 times more potent than morphon — in his blood, according to the medical examiner.

Eric Richins had five times the lethal dosage of fentanyl — an opioid that is already about 50 to 100 times more potent than morphon — in his blood. (Facebook/ Kouri RIchins)

Kouri Richins is also facing charges of possession of GHB, commonly known as the "date rape drug."

UTAH STUDENT AT ‘WORLD CLASS’ BOARDING SCHOOL DIED OF SEPSIS AFTER COMPLAINTS WERE IGNORED: LAWYER

Her charges are based on officers' interactions with Richins and an unnamed acquaintance who apparently told Summit County authorities that she sold fentanyl to the mother of three. 

Charges filed against Kouri Richins are based on officers' interactions with Kouri Richins and an unnamed acquaintance who apparently told authorities that she sold fentanyl to the mother of three. (Facebook/ Kouri Richins)

Richins' arrest also comes two months after she appeared on TV to promote her children's book about grief, "Are You With Me?"

UTAH HIKER, 70, FIGHTS OFF MOUNTAIN LION WITH A ROCK AFTER HE'S AMBUSEHD IN CANYON

A description for the book, which sells for $14.99 on Amazon, states that "Are You With Me?" is "a must-read for any child who has experienced the pain of loss, and for parents who want to provide their children with the emotional support they need to heal and grow."

This photo provided by KPCW.org shows Kouri Richins at the KPCW studio in Park City, Utah, April 12, 2023. (KPCW.org via WHD)

Richins told "Good Things Utah" the book is about explaining to her children that just because their father is "not present here with us physically," that "doesn't mean his presence isn't here with us."

On March 19, Richins shared a link to her book in a Facebook group called "grieving mothers," writing, "I lost my husband unexpectedly last year and we have 3 amazing young boys! As I was trying to find books that would help comfort them at nights, I really couldn’t find anything! So I wrote my own and it just came out this week on Amazon."

An obituary for Eric Richins describes him as an "avid outdoorsman and dedicated hunter." He enjoyed helping his family's cattle ranch and growing his "successful" masonry business. The obituary also describes him as a dedicated family man. (Facebook/ Kouri Richins)

An obituary for Eric Richins describes him as an "avid outdoorsman and dedicated hunter." He enjoyed helping his family's cattle ranch and growing his "successful" masonry business. The obituary also describes him as a dedicated family man.

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"Eric did absolutely everything in his power to provide his family with every possible opportunity to learn, grow, and have fun," his family wrote.

The contributed to this report.

A Colorado woman whose defense blamed the savage murder of her 11-year-old stepson and the dumping of his body off a Florida bridge on a "major psychotic crack" was sentenced to life in prison Monday, as the judge rejected her claim that she was insane and one of her other personalities killed him.

Earlier in the day, jurors found Letecia Stauch guilty of first-degree murder after deliberation, first-degree murder of a child by a person in a position of trust, tampering with a deceased human body, and tampering with physical evidence in the killing of 11-year-old Gannon Stauch more than three years ago.

Stauch is said to have attacked the boy in his El Paso County, Colorado, bedroom, in January 2020, stabbing him 18 times as he tried to fight her off before hitting him in the head and then shooting him once. Just a few hours later, she reported him missing, claiming her stepson had not come home from playing with friends. 

Prosecutors said Stauch killed the boy because she hated him and wanted to hurt his father, Al Stauch, who was away on a National Guard deployment at the time. They said she then put his body in a suitcase and drove over 1,300 miles with it in a rented van. Fourth Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen cited internet searches suggesting Stauch was unhappy in her marriage and resentful of being treated like an unpaid babysitter of Gannon and his young sister. The searches included, "I hate my stepson," KMGH-TV reported. 

‘PSYCHOTIC CRACK’ TO BLAME FOR 11-YEAR-OLD STEPSON SAVAGE MURDER, DUMPING OF BODY, WOMAN'S DEFENSE ARGUES 

Letecia Stauch convicted of the gruesome murder of her 11-year-old stepson. (El Paso County Sheriff's Office via WHD, File)

Judge Gregory Werner said Stauch was also motivated by "hatred and jealousy" of Gannon’s mother, Landen Bullard. Unlike other defendants with mental health problems, Werner said Stauch was never surprised by what her alleged other personality did but instead took conscious steps to cover up her actions. "There is no time during the minutes, hours, and days following the murder where Letecia came out and wondered, 'Gee, why am I carrying a body around in my luggage?' That just isn't credible," he said.

The judge described Stauch's actions as "the most horrific I have ever seen," giving the woman two life sentences without parole on the two murder charges. She was also sentenced to an additional 12 years for tampering with a deceased human body and 18 months for tampering with physical evidence, to be served consecutively.

Al Stauch broke down in court while addressing Gannon, saying he never would have thought he was leaving him with his "murderer." Both he and Bullard recalled how their severely premature son weighed about a pound and a half when he was born, able to fit into the palms of his dad’s hands, but proved to be a survivor.

"You came into this world fighting. Unfortunately, you left this world fighting," Bullard said.

Gannon Stauch was killed by his stepmother in February 2020. (El Paso County Sheriff's Office)

After he was reported missing, dozens of volunteers helped search for the boy in the area around where the family lived near Colorado Springs. Investigators, however, later revealed that Stauch concocted a variety of stories to mislead them, including that a man she hired to repair a carpet raped her and then abducted Gannon.

CLOSING ARGUMENTS NEAR IN GRUESOME COLORADO MURDER TRIAL OF STEPMOM WHO ALLEGEDLY STABBED 11-YEAR-OLD STEPSON

After Al Stauch became suspicious of his wife, he allowed the FBI to listen in on his phone calls with Stauch, trying to draw out more information from her about where Gannon was. Hours of audio from those calls, along with video recordings of interviews with Stauch about her mental health, were a prominent part of the evidence offered during the five-week trial.

Gannon’s body was found in a suitcase below a bridge on the Florida Pandhandle during an inspection done twice a year in what prosecutors called "divine intervention."

Stauch did not deny killing Gannon, but she pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. The defense argued that she killed Gannon during a "major psychotic crack" caused by trauma from being physically, emotionally and sexually abused during her childhood.

Authorities spent weeks searching for 11-year-old Gannon Stauch before his stepmother was arrested, and his body was found in Florida. (El Paso County Sheriff's Office)

Experts at the state mental hospital concluded that Stauch had a personality disorder with borderline and narcissistic features but was sane at the time Gannon was killed. Under Colorado law, that means understanding the difference between right and wrong and being able to form the intent to commit a crime.

The main defense witness, Dr. Dorothy Lewis, author of the book "Crazy, Not Insane" and featured in an HBO documentary with the same title, concluded Stauch suffered from dissociative identity disorder – when someone has two or more personalities as the result of trauma – and was not sane at the time Gannon was killed.

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In the weeks leading up to Gannon's killing, Stauch was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder after she was referred to a psychologist while being treated at a military health clinic. Therapist Ronda Niederhauser testified that Stauch did not show any signs of being a threat to herself or others and was aware of her surroundings.

The contributed to this report. 

A Tennessee woman is facing attempted murder charges after driving a pickup truck through a Family Dollar store in Nashville on Monday following a fight with her boyfriend, authorities said.

Tasha Marie Bradley, 33, got into an argument with her boyfriend in the parking lot of the shop on Clifton Avenue before plowing the truck into the store, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said.

Bradley was "attempting to locate the victim" when she rammed into the building and drove around the store, police said.

Police said Bradley fled from the scene after the crash, WSMV-TV reported. Officers caught up with Bradley a short time later and took her into custody.

TENNESSEE HOMEOWNER KILLS INTRUDER, WOUND SECOND AFTER THEY ALLEGEDLY HELD TEEN AT GUNPOINT, TASED DOG

Tasha Marie Bradley, 33, faces multiple charges including attempted murder, aggravated assault, and felony vandalism. Bradley is accused of ramming her pickup truck through a Family Dollar store in Nashville after an argument with her boyfriend on Monday. (Metropolitan Nashville Police Department )

Police released photos of the store's interior showing broken glass, damaged shelving and merchandise strewn about the floor. The cost of the damages was not immediately known.

No estimate on the damages to the Family Dollar store was immediately provided. (Metropolitan Nashville Police Department )

The circumstances leading to the argument between Bradley and her boyfriend were unclear.

Tasha Marie Bradley allegedly tried to locate the victim when she drove the pickup truck through the building on Clifton Avenue in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday. (Metropolitan Nashville Police Department )

TWO PHILADELPHIA INMATES ESCAPE PRISON WITHOUT NOTICE FOR NEARLY 19 HOURS; ONE CONSIDERED ‘DANGEROUS’

No injuries were immediately reported.

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Bradley was also charged with aggravated assault and felony vandalism.

Aerial and limited ground searches were underway Monday in Alaska for two overdue mountain climbers whose last known tracks disappeared at the site of an avalanche, officials said.

Eli Michel, 34, of Columbia City, Indiana, and Nafiun Awal, 32, of Seattle, were last known to be near Moose’s Tooth, a 10,300-foot mountain in Ruth Gorge, about 12 miles southeast of Denali, North America’s tallest mountain, officials said in a statement.

The two last checked with friends via a satellite communication device on Friday morning, when they said they were planning to climb the West Ridge route along Moose’s Tooth.

JUDGE RULING MAY END SOUTHEAST ALASKA’S COMMERCIAL KING SALMON TROLLING

Their friends contacted park mountaineering rangers in nearby Talkeetna on Sunday when they hadn’t heard again from the climbers.

The highest mountain peak in North America, the Denali mountain range, is seen from inside Denali National Park, Alaska, on Sept. 22, 2022. Two overdue climbers remain missing after their last tracks disappeared at the site of an avalanche, about 12 miles southeast of Denali. (PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Rangers on Sunday found the climbers' unattended tent and ski tracks heading to the base of the route. There, they found the climbers’ skis, left behind when they apparently switched to crampons for the climb.

ARMY HELICOPTER COLLISION IN ALASKA THAT KILLED 3 SOLDIERS OCCURRED IN MOUNTAINS, CAUSE UNDER INVESTIGATION

Rangers then followed boot tracks continuing up the West Ridge into a recent small slab avalanche. "The tracks do disappear at the avalanche," park spokesperson Maureen Gualtieri said in an email.

No other tracks were found Sunday.

The aerial search Monday was focusing on the avalanche’s runout zone, or the lower portion of the slide path. The area also is marked by many crevasses.

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The ground search would be limited due to crevasses and overhead dangers such as falling rock, ice and any additional avalanches, Gualtieri said.

An effort by a Republican faction in Ohio to make it harder to change the state constitution faces a critical juncture this week, with action needed in the politically fractured Ohio House where the undertaking has so far stalled.

Wednesday is the last day to get the job done if lawmakers mean to put a related ballot measure before voters on Aug. 8, according to the timeline determined by Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, the state’s elections chief. However, scenarios could emerge among the plan's anxious GOP backers to blow past the cutoff without the plan's proponents relenting.

The conflict comes amid similar Republican efforts to restrict direct democracy in Missouri, North Dakota and Mississippi, according to Fairness Project, a Washington-based group that pushes ballot measures across the U.S.

In Ohio, a pressure campaign of intense lobbying and attack ads is being led by the anti-abortion Ohio Right to Life, while opposition from high-profile Ohio political figures and public outcry escalate.

Potentially at stake are the future of abortion access in the state, as well as the legality of marijuana, the minimum wage, reform of Ohio's political map-making system and possibly limits on future vaccine mandates. All are subjects of burgeoning constitutional amendment campaigns.

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All eyes are on the House, which has yet to vote on a proposal to require 60% of the Ohio electorate to pass all future constitutional changes. Passage of the proposal, ironically, would require merely the same 50%-plus-one simple majority that has been in place since 1912.

Abortion is legal in Ohio up to 20 weeks’ gestation because a court has blocked a near-ban on the procedure while a lawsuit unfolds. Abortion rights groups are working to put forward a ballot measure in November that would permanently enshrine a right to abortion in the state constitution.

Certain GOP lawmakers are working to set a special election in August where voters could choose to curtail their own rights to bypass lawmakers on that and other subjects. Its backers argue publicly that the supermajority requirement will prevent deep-pocketed interest groups from targeting Ohio's founding document, but documents and other evidence have made clear that the push is aimed at tanking the abortion measure. WHD VoteCast, an expansive survey of over 90,000 midterm election voters across the country, found 59% of Ohio voters say abortion should generally be legal.

Members of the Ohio House Constitutional Resolutions Committee hear opponent testimony on May 2, 2023, at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio, on a resolution that would seek voter approval for requiring a 60% majority vote on all future amendments to the state's Constitution. (WHD Photo/Julie Carr Smyth)

So excruciating, convoluted and time-consuming has been the fight over the issue that it's begun to exhaust the state's ruling Republicans. GOP Gov. Mike DeWine even pledged to sign a bill creating an August election, despite acknowledging "it's inconsistent" with provisions of an election bill he just signed in January — if lawmakers would just get it to his desk.

"This just needs to move forward and be over with," he recently told reporters, "so we can be more focused on the state."

OHIO CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT REFORM EFFORT HITS ANOTHER ROADBLOCK

Every day seems to bring another round of gamesmanship so complex that even those well versed in legislative rules are challenged to keep up. Can a chair really participate in an effort to defy his own committee? (Answer: The chair got the boot.) How many House votes are actually needed to send the 60% question to voters, given one lawmaker has died since the last election and another left for a new job? (Answer: Depends who you ask.)

The latest example was a proposal to cut $20 million in funding for local election boards from legislation setting the August special election. For arcane procedural reasons, stripping the funding would have simplified the bill's trip to the House floor — though it also might have left already stressed local election offices without money to pay for the extra election. After days of behind-the-scenes wrangling, two committee hearings were canceled and the bill went nowhere.

Without the money, the legislation technically may not be needed. Both the House and Senate resolutions advancing the 60% question to the ballot have the Aug. 8 election embedded in their wording. Such lawmaker-initiated ballot issues bypass the governor and go straight to the ballot.

Some of the state's most powerful anti-abortion and pro-gun rights groups — including Ohio Right to Life and the Buckeye Firearms Association — have tried to push the two measures through by linking the complicated web of related votes to their election-season scorecards. That means voting "no" on either measure threatens a Republican lawmaker's important "pro-life" and "pro-gun" voting records. Gun groups are involved because they fear a future constitutional amendment on gun control.

Besides that effort, the newly formed Save Our Constitution PAC is running attack ads against Republican House Speaker Jason Stephens and allied GOP lawmakers who have balked at one or both elements of the plan. The political action committee received $1.1 million from billionaire Richard Uihlein, a GOP megadonor from Illinois, an heir to the Schlitz Brewing Co. fortune and the PAC's only donor so far, The Columbus Dispatch reported. News of the donation raised eyebrows among opponents of the 60% measure, because a key argument among its proponents has been to keep "out-of-state special interests" from accessing Ohio's founding document.

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The campaign against raising the constitutional amendment threshold has grown to include every living ex-governor of Ohio, five Republican and Democratic former state attorneys general and the Ohio Libertarian Party. A large bipartisan coalition of grassroots voting rights, labor, police, faith, civil rights and community organizations staged a protest last week, featuring hundreds of protesters marching around the Statehouse. They plan to return Wednesday.

LaRose, the highest-profile supporter of the supermajority threshold and a potential 2024 U.S. Senate candidate, says Wednesday is the deadline for legislative action. That's once state legal and constitutional requirements are applied to the envisioned August 8 election date, his spokesperson said.

Even Republican Senate President Matt Huffman, who also supports raising the threshold and spearheaded the August election idea, said last week that he cannot predict the House. "I really don't know what's going to happen," he told reporters.

WASHINGTON – COVID-19's lasting impact on education can be seen in students from high school to grade school. Learning loss, social and emotional development and college acceptance standards have all changed since the early days of 2020.

Just this past weekend, students across the country sat for the SAT exams, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools that went test-optional decided to keep it. Some experts said this has created inequity in the admissions process.

"You'll see that like 87% of the freshman class submitted test scores," said Colleen Paparella, the president of D.C. College Counseling. "What that means is probably not that 87% of the applicants just happened to have them. It means that the school is not taking many kids that don't have test scores."

For students seeing their SAT score as the main piece of their application, it has become tougher to stand out.

"You look at some of these schools and what their new test ranges are, and it's just not in line with reality," said Paparella, "because it's not reality. It's not the reality of the situation in terms of who is applying. It's this very select group."

During the pandemic, about 1,600 colleges and universities went test-optional when students were unable to sit for the exams. All SATs were canceled in the spring of 2020, and some resumed in August of that year. Many testing centers, however, operated at reduced capacity and in select states making it harder for students to register for an exam.
 

The lasting impact of school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic is becoming clearer. (iStock, File)

Schools like William & Mary in Virginia went test-optional during the pandemic and recently announced they decided to keep that policy.

"As we found through our test-optional pilot program over the last few years, we continue to enroll highly qualified students – with or without a standardized test score – capable of succeeding academically and in contributing to the William & Mary community," said Associate Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admission Tim Wolfe in a statement to WHD News. "We’ve also seen – both here and nationally – that this flexibility increases our ability to recruit talented students who may not otherwise envision themselves at the university, including those who may be the first in their family to attend college."

Harry Feder, the executive director of Fair Test, said test-optional policies have benefited students.

"I think that COVID expedited the trend," Feder said. "I would hope that the test-optional movement is part of a larger realization in our education system that these kind of standardized tests... are a poor substitute and a very poor incentive structure for how we should view education as a whole."

His group has long held that standardized tests are not a good snapshot to assess a student's ability to succeed in college.

"These are not really good proxies for what we want in our workforce, in our citizens," said Feder. 

Some schools, however, have decided to require SATs once again. One of them is MIT.

In a blog post on its admissions page, the school named equity as part of the reason it wanted to reinstate the test requirement.

SCHOOLS ACROSS U.S. CONSIDER PUSHING BACK STARTING TIMES TO COMBAT GROWING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE AMONG STUDENTS

"Our research shows standardized tests help us better assess the academic preparedness of all applicants, and also help us identify socioeconomically disadvantaged students who lack access to advanced coursework or other enrichment opportunities that would otherwise demonstrate their readiness for MIT," according to the post. "We believe a requirement is more equitable and transparent than a test-optional policy."

Scores in 2022 dropped to the lowest level since the test scoring was reformatted in 2016, according to data analysis from BestColleges. The SAT average was 1050 in 2022, down from 1060 in 2021 and down from 1068 -- the all-time high -- in 2018.

However, it is not just older students struggling with the new standards in post-COVID learning.

Younger students, many of whom did not go to school normally for years, continue to struggle with social and emotional development.

In Alexandria, Virginia, public schools added a lesson at the start of the day called SEAL, which stands for Social Emotional Academic Learning. WHD News observed a SEAL lesson in a third-grade classroom where the teacher said even today, her students said they have felt alienated and isolated.

FIGHTING ‘WOKENESS’ IN SCHOOLS A TOP PRIORITY FOR GOP HEADING INTO 2024

"When kids don't have that structure, when they don't know what's coming next, it creates a lot of anxiety," said Lauren Cummings, who teaches third grade at William Ramsay Elementary School. "And I think anxiety was an emotion that was really difficult for them to explain. So it came out a lot as like hopeless, isolated, because those were more tangible."

Cummings looped with her class -- meaning she taught them as second-graders last year and third-graders this year -- and said when students first came back emotional learning was a primary concern.

"We definitely saw a lot of social and emotional needs that were atypical for grade levels," she said.

When it comes to academic learning, students are still playing catchup.

William Ramsay Principal Michael Routhouska said students who started their academic careers in virtual learning had more catching up to do compared to students who had been in the classroom prior to the pandemic. 
 

"Those that had a foundation and reading that maybe slowed their growth slowed down during the pandemic – we've been able to catch them up," he said.

However, success in catching up depends on the subject. For reading and math, Routhouska said the school did well keeping students largely on track. Other areas, however, were more of a challenge virtually.

BIDEN ENDORSED BY NATION'S LARGEST TEACHERS' UNIONS, WHICH BACKED COVID SCHOOL CLOSURES

"Reading and math, you know, we all stayed pedal to the metal on to that during COVID," he said. "I would say, other skills, like social studies and science and writing, those things really are ramping up now the way they didn't get attention during COVID." 

Cummings said the challenge for teachers during COVID was staying connected to the students.

"We get our joy from the kids. From seeing the kids and interacting with the kids. That's why we got into this profession," she said.

COVID-related school closures came under fire at a hearing on Capitol Hill last month, when teachers' unions – who have received much of the public blame for extended school closures – defended their position.

FAUCI, WEINGARTEN TRY TO REWRITE HISTORY ON DISASTROUS COVID-19 LOCKDOWNS: ‘SHOW ME A SCHOOL THAT I SHUT DOWN’

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said before the House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Pandemic that her group put the needs of students first.

"We know that kids learn best in person, so opening schools safely—even as the pandemic surged—guided the AFT’s every action," she said.

Republicans, however, pushed back, saying that it was unions that pressured the federal government to keep schools closed.

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"The Biden White House and the CDC should have completely disregarded any suggestions from your politically motivated and corrupt organization in mind," said Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, during the hearing.

The subcommittee is investigating the school closures and the union's role in prolonged closures.

A Catholic elementary school is changing its name to remove the name of a bishop who led the Vermont diocese during a time of "unthinkable abuse of children by priests," the school announced on Monday.

The principal of the John A. Marshall School in Morrisville told students on Monday that on July 1 the school will become known as All Saints Catholic Academy.

"While we did not discuss this with the students, we would be remiss not to acknowledge that part of our motivation to rename the school relates to the unthinkable abuse of children by priests who were under the leadership of the school’s namesake, Bishop John Marshall," the letter says.

"While our school is not responsible for what transpired – nor can we change what happened years before the school was even built – we can take steps to assure our current and future students that we are committed to the process of healing," the letter said. "We now know better, so we must do better."

VERMONT LEGISLATURE PASSES 3-DAY GUN BUY WAITING PERIOD, BUT GOV. SCOTT APPREHENSIVE

According to the diocese, Marshall was bishop of Vermont from 1971 to 1991.

The diocese said in an email that the while the school participates in church programs, it has its own board and is free to change its name.

John A Marshall School in Morrisville, Vermont, is changing its name. Bishop John. A Marshall, who the school is named after, led the diocese during a time of "unthinkable abuse of children." (WHD News)

In 2019, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, which covers the entire state, released a report saying there had been sexual abuse of minors against 40 priests in the state since 1950.

VERMONT GOV. PHIL SCOTT VETOES CLEAN HEAT STANDARD BILL

On Monday, Maura LaBelle, 65, of Colchester, said she was overjoyed when she heard that the school's trustees had decided to change the name. She lived for a short time as a small child at an orphanage in Burlington run by the Vermont diocese that has been linked to the abuse of the children who lived there.

While there is no connection between the Morrisville Catholic school and the abuse at the orphanage or elsewhere in the state, LaBelle said she was dismayed to learn relatively recently that the school had been named after Marshall. She ended up calling Wilson expecting to be hung up on.

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"She was all ears and she heard me out," LaBelle said. "And she said that they were working on changing the name."

What is now known as the Bishop Marshall School, which runs from pre-kindergarten through grade 8, first opened in 1988. It now has about 125 students.

Alex Murdaugh blamed his family's dogs for Gloria Satterfield's death in a recorded interview five years before he retracted the claim in a federal lawsuit, a recording released Monday revealed.

During a press conference on Monday, lawyers Ronnie Richter and Eric Bland, who are representing the Satterfield estate, criticized Murdaugh for what they described as a "misinformation campaign."

They released an internal report and a recorded interview that directly contradicted the convicted murderer's most recent version of events surrounding the death of the housekeeper.

She tumbled down the brick steps of the family's former residence in South Carolina on Feb. 2, 2018, and died three weeks later.

The attorneys' scathing criticisms of Murdaugh came in response to the felon claiming for the first time in a federal civil lawsuit last week that he lied when he told his insurance companies that the family's four dogs caused the 67-year-old housekeeper's trip and fall.

ALEX MURDAUGH CLAIMS HE LIED ABOUT DOGS CAUSING HOUSEKEEPER GLORIA SATTERFIELD'S FATAL TRIP AND FALL

Alex Murdaugh, right, testifying at his double murder trial, stole a $4.3 million insurance settlement intended for the children of his longtime housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, left. (Brice Herndon Funeral Home / File | Joshua Boucher / The State via WHD / File)

"No dogs were involved in the fall of Gloria Satterfield," Murdaugh’s lawyers wrote in his reply to Nautilus Insurance Company’s fraud lawsuit against him. "After Ms. Satterfield's death, defendant invented Ms. Satterfield's purported statement that dogs caused her fall to force his insurers to make a settlement payment."

ALEX MURDAUGH SAYS PRISON CONDITIONS MAKE IT HARD TO DEFEND AGAINST SATTERFIELD LAWSUIT

The document in question was a response to a fraud lawsuit filed by Nautilus Insurance Company against Murdaugh and his alleged accomplices. The lawsuit accuses him of persuading the Satterfield sons to sue him, then pocketing the $4.3 payouts without giving them a penny.

Nautilus paid out $3.8 million – the bulk of the settlement – and is seeking to claw back that amount from Murdaugh.

Alex Murdaugh's family dog, Bourbon, whom Murdaugh originally said knocked down Gloria Satterfield, causing a fatal trip and fall. (Bland Richter law firm)

In the document, Murdaugh also encouraged the insurance company to pursue the Satterfield sons for the stolen money.

The lawyers for the Satterfield estate obtained a total of $7.5 million in judgments for the theft by Murdaugh – none of which was paid by Nautilus.

In the 13-minute recording from 2018, Murdaugh told the investigator that he rushed home and found Satterfield sitting up with a lot of blood around her and on the side of her face.

HEAR AUDIO RECORDING OF ALEX MURDAUGH BLAMING HIS DOGS FOR GLORIA SATTERFIELD'S DEATH

"She indicated the dogs caused her to fall," he said. "What I’m assuming happened is when Gloria pulled up, the dogs were rushing her for affection."

At the time, the Murdaughs had Bubba, a yellow Lab, Bourbon, a chocolate Lab; Blue, a Labradoodle; and Sassy, a German shorthaired pointer.

MURDAUGH FALLOUT: HOUSEKEEPER GLORIA SATTERFIELD'S SONS ‘WANT JUSTICE’ IN LAWYER'S ALLEGED FINANCIAL CRIMES

Bourbon, who was 1 at the time, had just returned from obedience school.

"The problem is, and why we sent Bourbon to obedience school, as I told you earlier, she’s so hyper. All the dogs get stirred up and compete to get petted and to get attention," he said.

Alex Murdaugh seen walking beside the family dog, Bubba, on the stairs where Gloria Satterfield fell Feb. 2, 2018, and later died.

If the dogs hadn't caused the slip and fall, Murdaugh's insurance wouldn't have been on the hook for Satterfield's death, Bland said at the press conference.

"While not parties to the lawsuit," Richter said, "the continued attacks on the Satterfields cannot and will not be ignored."

He added that Murdaugh is a "well-documented liar."

Gloria Satterfield's son, Tony Satterfield, prepares to take the stand during Alex Murdaugh’s trial for murder at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, on Feb. 9, 2023. (Joshua Boucher/The State/Pool)

Murdaugh was sentenced in March to two life terms for fatally shooting his 22-year-old son, Paul, and his wife, Maggie, 52, in June 2021.

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His legal woes are far from over. He's facing more than 100 counts of financial crimes for stealing nearly $9 million over more than a decade from his former law firm, vulnerable clients and the IRS.

Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report.

FBI agents raided the apartment of a Virginia man suspected of providing monetary support to members of ISIS in Syria.

Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa, 33, was arrested for his alleged involvement with the terrorist organization after a yearslong investigation, according to FOX 5 DC. He was born in India, but had since become a U.S. citizen.

The FBI and Fairfax County police blocked off Kingsford Road in Springfield for hours as Chhipa was taken into custody.

In a cell phone video captured by a neighbor and shared with the outlet, an agent was heard repeatedly yelling, "Hands behind your back!"

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FBI agents raided the apartment of a Virginia man suspected of providing money to members of ISIS. (Getty Images)

The investigation into Chhipa's alleged involvement with ISIS began in August 2021.

Chhipa was arrested for providing and attempting to provide material support to ISIS in the form of monetary instruments, according to court documents obtained by FOX 5. The crimes reportedly took place from August 2021 until January 2022.

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The investigation into Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa's involvement with ISIS began in August 2021. (WHD Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

According to the court documents, financial records indicate Chhipa purchased more than $172,000 in virtual currency between November 2019 and July 2022 and that he received an additional $15,000 in virtual currency from other individuals.

An analysis of the records shows more than $18,000 of those funds were sent to wallets known to be used by ISIS women held in a refugee camp in Syria. More funds went to other wallets believed to be accessed by ISIS members.

The FBI said $61,000 went to cryptocurrency wallets in Turkey and more than $60,000 remains unaccounted for.

Search warrant data showed that the virtual currency was converted back to cash and secretly passed to the intended recipients.

Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa was arrested for allegedly providing and attempting to provide material support to ISIS in the form of monetary instruments. (iStock)

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The agency also found through its investigation that Chhipa's social media accounts, books, videos and search histories confirm an ideological alignment with ISIS. The content included extremist ideology, Jihad and violent propaganda.

If convicted of the crimes, Chhipa could face up to 20 years in prison.

The Catholic Diocese of Oakland announced on Monday that it filed for bankruptcy amid 330 sex abuse lawsuits in an effort to stabilize its finances, the group said. 

Most of the claims center on sex abuse crimes that occurred in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s by priests who are no longer active in ministry or are deceased, the diocese said. 

In a letter to parishioners, Bishop Michael C. Barber said the diocese believes "this process is the best way to ensure a fair and equitable outcome for survivors."

The Cathedral of Christ The Light and Catholic Diocese of Oakland building in Oakland, California. The Diocese has filed for bankruptcy as it faces 33 lawsuits alleging sex abuse.  (Google Maps)

"It is important we take responsibility for the damage done so we can all move beyond this moment and provide survivors with some measure of peace. Sadly, for many, the pain caused by these horrific sins, no matter when they occurred, will never wash away, which is why we offer support to survivors and pray for their continued healing," he wrote. 

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The bankruptcy will allow the diocese to "stabilize its finances and continue the sacred mission entrusted to us by Christ and the Church," Barber added. 

All Catholic schools that operate in the diocese will not be impacted, as they are separate legal entities and are not included in the filing. Vendors will also be paid for all goods and services delivered after the filing, the diocese said.

California had allowed time-barred and expired cases to be filed by alleged survivors, spurring the lawsuits. The filing comes as attendance for Catholic mass dropped 42% in 2021 and as the church deals with an aging clergy, the diocese said. 

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California Assembly Bill 218 temporarily lifted the statute of limitations on civil lawsuits against any institution accused of enabling abuse. Barber said the church "could not shoulder" the burden of litigating the hundreds of cases. 

The Survivors Network, known as SNAP, said the bankruptcy is an attempt to deny justice and transparency to survivors. 

"Everything about this bankruptcy strikes us as wrong," the group said in a statement. "It is all about keeping money and secrets. From one coast to the other, the same ruse is being used by Catholic bishops. Minimize and cover-up child sex crimes, while keeping abusers in ministry."

It called the diocese a "morally bankrupt" organization that doesn't deserve to be declared financially bankrupt. 

The Catholic church has come under heavy scrutiny over allegations of sex abuse by priests dating back decades and alleged efforts by the church to cover it up. 

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"We know the pain inflicted against our children and young people decades ago continues to cause great suffering," Barber said. "I am deeply sorrowful about this reality and pray daily for all impacted. As Pope Benedict XVI reminds us, there is sin and evil in the world, even in our Church. But there is also virtue and mercy in abundance. We must address the sin and move forward as instruments of God’s mercy and holiness."

The Diocese of Oakland serves two counties in the East Bay region, Alameda and Contra Costa counties and includes around 550,000 Catholics in 82 parishes.

Multiple people were arrested Monday during another day of protests in New York City as demonstrators called for justice in the chokehold death of Jordan Neely. 

Chaos erupted outside the Broadway-Lafayette subway station where Neely was killed by another passenger, Daniel Penny, a Marine veteran, a week ago. Arrests were made at a 7 p.m. vigil inside the station, the New York Post reported. 

At the start of the event, those in attendance began chanting "Jordan Neely" in memory of the 30-year-old homeless man. 

Earlier in the day, the New York Police Department said it was looking for six people accused of storming the subway tracks over the weekend amid a weekend that saw protestors calling for Penny to be arrested and charged with Neely's death.

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Six protestors who disrupted train service during a weekend protest against the killing of Jordan Neely are being sought by authorities, the New York Police Department said. (NYPD)

The NYPD made several arrests Saturday night and is looking for six others related to protests inside the Lexington Avenue and 63rd Street subway station. Protestors were seen on camera jumping on the tracks, which disrupted train service at the busy subway station. 

The city has seen several protests since the death of Neely last week on an "F" train. Video footage of the encounter between him and Penny shows Neely in a choke hold as he was being held down by two other people.

According to a freelance journalist who recorded the incident, the deadly confrontation unfolded after Neely entered the train acting erratically and threatening passengers. Penny was captured on video dragging Neely to the ground and placing him in a headlock, leading to Neely losing consciousness and dying.

Protesters stand on the train tracks at the Lexington Ave/63rd Street subway station during a "Justice for Jordan Neely" protest that began outside the Broadway-Lafayette station on May 06, 2023 in New York City.  (Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

Neely's death has been ruled a homicide caused by compression on the neck. Penny has not been charged. 

Lawyers for Penny said Neely "had a documented history of violent and erratic behavior, the apparent result of ongoing and untreated mental illness." 

The killing has sparked widespread protests across the city, with protestors calling for Penny to be charged. Others fed up with rampant crime on the subway, had voiced support for the Marine veteran. 

Neely, 30, a homeless Michael Jackson impersonator, had a lengthy criminal record, which included dozens of arrests. In 2019, he attacked Filemon Castillo Baltazar, 68, on the platform of the W. 4th St. Station in Greenwich Village, according to the New York Daily News. 

Screenshot from bystander video showing Jordan Neely being held in a chokehold on the New York City subway.  (Luces de Nueva York/Juan Alberto Vazquez via Storyful)

Neely was arrested again in 2021 for a subway assault on a 67-year-old woman, whom he allegedly hit in the face as she exited an East Village subway station, according to court papers.

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The woman suffered a broken nose and orbital bone. Neely pleaded guilty and received an alternative-to-incarceration program that let him dodge jail.

WHD News' Rebecca Rosenberg contributed to this report. 

The mayor of Washington, D.C. is turning to the public for a solution on how to solve the rising crime problem, which may include hiring more police officers, according to reports.

According to DC News Now, Mayor Muriel Bowser will be hosting a Public Safety Summit at 9 a.m. on Wednesday to give the public a chance to weigh in on how to fix crime in the district.

Violent crime in the nation’s capital is up 10% from the same time last year, which includes a 15% rise in homicides.

Also on the rise in Washington, D.C. are violent crimes committed by juveniles, which has sparked concern by some residents who want to see juveniles prosecuted as rigorously as adults.

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District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks during a news conference Nov. 9, 2022, in Washington.  (WHD Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

As of May 8, the latest statistics from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) also show sex abuse cases up 48% and robberies up 12%.

The mayor, according to DC News Now, said one solution could be to hire more police officers.

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"MPD is at a historic low in terms of staffing," Bowser said, according to the outlet. "We continue to do everything possible as it relates to recruiting the best of the best to serve at MPD."

Currently, MPD has 3,350 police officers, outgoing chief Robert Contee told the news outlet. He also said another 200 plan to leave by the end of fiscal year ‘24.

A Metropolitan Police Department police cruiser blocks a street leading to the White House. Mayor Bowser is reportedly considering adding officers to the force to combat crime. (iStock)

Last month, Salvador Sauceda-Guzman, ANC Commissioner in Ward 5, spoke to his constituents about the crime increase and prosecuting children as rigorously as adults.

"It’s a major concern, and it hurts," he said. "It hurts, if anything, because these kids shouldn't’ be doing these things. We should be finding different routes for them to express themselves to handle the anger that a majority of the time this stems from."

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Sauceda-Guzman also said poverty is real in D.C., and he tries to do his best when it comes to finding better ways to help youth navigate out of it.

Andrew Mark Miller of WHD News contributed to this report.