George Rivas, leader of “Texas 7″ prison-break gang executed

Rivas was executed this evening at 6:22pm.

George Rivas, the leader of the “Texas 7″, a group of prisoners who escaped from a Texas maximum security prison in 2000, was executed tonight in Huntsville, Texas.

The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles voted unanimously to reject clemency for George Rivas.

Before his execution Rivas made a final statement; ”For Aubrey Hawkins’ family, I apologized for everything that happened.”

Rivas was executed by lethal injection.

Jury selection begins in Tori Stafford murder trial

Victoria "Tori" Stafford disappeared in April 2009.

Jury selection continued today in London, Ont., in the trial of Michael Rafferty, 31, who is charged with first-degree murder, sexual assault and kidnapping in the death of eight-year-old Victoria “Tori” Stafford.

Raffery’s alleged accomplice, Terri-Lynn McClintic, has already been convicted of first-degree-murder in Stafford’s death.

447 possible jurors were brought to the courthouse Monday but most have been excused for various reasons. As of today only 116 potential jurors remain.

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Bartee gets stay of execution

Anthony Bartee was scheduled to be executed last night in Huntsville, Texas.

Anthony Bartee, who was scheduled to be executed Tuesday night, received a stay after a Texas judge agreed to further forensic tests.

Bartee, 54, was on parole after a 12 year sentence for rape, when an acquaintance, David Cook, 37 was found murdered. When police questioned Bartee they found Cook’s prized Harley-Davidson motorcycle in his possession. Witnesses claim that after the murder Bartee had claimed the motorcycle was his.

Bartee’s lawyers had argued that two strands of hair found in the victim’s hands were not Bartee’s and that they should be tested for DNA. The prosecution has argued that there is insufficient material for a meaningful test to take place.

The test will be carried out as quickly as possible.

Jury recommends 26 years for Huguely

Late Wednesday the jury that convicted George Huguely of second degree murder in the death of his girlfriend Yeardly Love, recommended to the judge that he should receive a 26 year sentence.

The judge may or may not accept the recommendation when he delivers the sentence to Huguely on April 14th.

Remains found in Manorville, NY – Long Island serial killer?

Five sets of human remains have been found in the Central Pine Barrens in Long Island - is it the work of the Long Island serial killer?

Human remains were discovered by a man walking his dog in Manorville, NY on Friday evening. Manorville is on the east end of Long Island, close to where four other sets of human remains have been discovered in the past few years.

“I probably walked by it a hundred times before, and I saw it kind of sticking out of the ground, and it looked unusual. I looked a little closer and from there discovered that it was human remains,” he said, adding that it looked like the body had decomposed many years ago. “It was wrapped in bed sheets and a plastic bag, It was a whole body, but just the bones, there was trees growing up through it, so it has been there a long time.” said Matt Samuel, the resident who discovered the remains.

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