A 63-year-old woman in the US has been arrested and charged with killing two of her adopted children after their bodies were discovered inside a burn barrel. According to the Independent, two of Avantae Deven’s adopted children, Blake and London Deven, hadn’t been seen for years. London was last seen in 2019, but her mother never reported her missing. Blake hasn’t been seen since 2022, but Deven didn’t report him missing until earlier this year. 

Authorities in Fayetteville, North Carolina were alerted of the situation in 2023 after one of her surviving foster children made a mental health call to police. When cops investigated the multiple homes the family had lived in, they found remains at multiple residences. Detectives found a burn barrel with partial human remains inside it. Forensic tests revealed that they belonged to a female aged 15 to 19 and a male aged 7 to 10. 

Investigators believe that Deven abused the children and ultimately killed and dismembered them. As per NBC affiliate WRAL, London died of starvation and neglect while testing continues on the boy’s remains.

More chilling details released by the authorities this week revealed that the siblings, along with three other adopted children, had lived in brutal conditions while in the care of Deven. Blake and London were adopted by Deven in 2013 and 2011 respectively, according to court documents obtained by ABC11.

They were kept in a small, dark room and given little to no food. They were allegedly able to “earn” food by writing hundreds of paragraphs to apologise for their behaviour. The children told social workers that they were also beaten at times to the point where they would have needed medical assistance.

During a press conference, police said they have the forensic evidence to support allegations of torture, starvation, and isolation. 

”We believe he (Blake) was mentally abused and starved. His body could not sustain the inhumane treatment. Then, Avantae developed a plan to hide Blake’s remains. She forced another person in the household to participate,” Sgt. Locklear said. London Deven died ”in the same painful way that Blake died, starvation and neglect,” Mr Locklear added. 

Deven is now facing two counts of first-degree murder, concealment of death, kidnapping and felony child abuse, according to the Fayetteville Police Department.  She is being held at the Cumberland County Detention Center with no bond.

“All of us have soft spots for children and cases with children are the most difficult that we deal with. The fact that this involves allegations of the abuse in the death of children was certainly the thing that grabbed my attention first, particularly how the allegations suggest the way they died,” Cumberland County District Attorney Billy West said. 

New Delhi:

A Nashville police officer, Sean Herman, has been arrested following a scandal involving his appearance in an explicit video posted on OnlyFans while on duty. The arrest comes after a month-long investigation into the incident, which led to his termination from the force and subsequent criminal charges.

According to authorities, Herman, 33, was caught at his residence in Sumner County and now faces two counts of official misconduct related to his participation in the production of an adult video. The investigation revealed that the video, which featured Herman in uniform, was filmed on April 26 in a warehouse parking lot in Madison while he was on duty as a patrol officer.

The video, described as a mock traffic stop skit on OnlyFans, depicted Herman engaging in inappropriate conduct. Reportedly, he groped the exposed breast of a woman identified as an OnlyFans content creator, Jordin, during the staged scenario. Although Herman’s face was not visible in the video, his police patch was briefly exposed, confirming his affiliation with the Metro Nashville Police Department.

Chief John Drake of the Metro Nashville Police Department took swift action upon discovering the video, terminating Herman’s employment on May 9, just one day after its discovery. The subsequent investigation by the Specialized Investigations Division further substantiated Herman’s involvement, leading to his indictment and arrest.

In court proceedings, a judge set Herman’s bond at $3,000. Before his dismissal, Herman had served with the Metro Nashville Police Department for three years.

The Metro Nashville police department has condemned Herman’s actions as “totally outrageous”.

An 81-year-old Ohio man has been charged with murder after he shot an Uber driver, thinking she was trying to rob him. The victim, identified as Loletha Hall, was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds near the home of 81-year-old William Brock in South Charleston on March 25.

As per BBC, the incident happened when Ms Hall was sent via the Uber app to the elderly man’s house to pick up a package for delivery. When she arrived, Mr Brock threatened her with a gun and asked who she was working for. He took her cell phone and prevented her from getting in her vehicle and driving away.

”When she tried to get away, he shot her once, and then there was more exchange between them. Mr Brock was at some point injured to his head, and he shot Ms Hall a second time. There was more conversation, and then he shot her a third time. Only after he shot her a third time did he then make contact with authorities to report the incident, ” Lt. Kristopher Shultz of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office said.

NEW: 81-year-old Ohio man William Brock charged with murder after shooting and killing an Uber driver who he thought was trying to scam him.

61-year-old Loletha Hall is dead after Brock thought she was a phone scammer.

According to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Brock had… pic.twitter.com/Fq0sr9OUje

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 15, 2024

Mr Brock then called 911 to say he had shot someone at his home, claiming Hall had tried to rob him.  She was taken to a hospital but later died there from her wounds. She is survived by her 33-year-old son, Mario.

According to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, both the elderly man and the driver appeared to have fallen victim to scam phone calls. Mr Brock had received scam calls from someone pretending to be an officer who eventually began making threats and demanding money, authorities said. Ms Hall, according to officials, was also sent to Mr Brock’s house by a scammer and instructed to pick up a package. She did not know the calls made to Mr Brock, authorities said.

”Mr. Brock received some scam call by a person purporting to be someone from our courts who informed him a family member was incarcerated and that he had a bond of a significant amount of money. The calls turned from ‘I’m an officer in the court’ to ‘We have this subject hostage, this is a ransom demand,” Mr Shultz added. 

Mr Brock faces charges of murder, carrying a potential sentence of 15 years to life imprisonment. He was released from the Clark County Jail after posting US$200,000 bail. 

Uber on Wednesday said it was in touch with law enforcement and committed to supporting the investigation.

“This is a horrific tragedy, and our hearts continue to be with Loletha’s loved ones as they grieve. We have been in contact with law enforcement and remain committed to supporting their investigation,” an Uber spokesperson told USA TODAY on Monday.