David Jackson

David Jackson is an investigative reporter at Injustice Watch, where his work focuses on the courts. He earned a Pulitzer Prize at The Washington Post, and was a four-time Pulitzer finalist during his 29 years at the Chicago Tribune, from 1991 through 2020.

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Newsweek

a day ago

• Newsweek

Barry Morphew Indicted in Murder of Wife: What to Know

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Colorado grand jury indicted Barry Morphew earlier this week on a first-degree murder charge in connection with the 2020 disappearance and death of his wife, Suzanne Morphew, according to court records reviewed by Newsweek. Barry Morphew, 57, was arrested in Arizona just days after the indictment and is being held on a $3 million cash-only bail as prosecutors seek his extradition to the San Luis Valley, court records show. Suzanne Morphew, 49, disappeared from the couple's Chaffee County home in May 2020, and her remains were not discovered until September 2023, Newsweek previously reported. Why It Matters This case has drawn nationwide attention, fueled by multiple failed prosecutions, the unusual circumstances of Suzanne's disappearance, and renewed debate over law enforcement accountability. The saga underscores the challenges of investigating and prosecuting cold cases in the United States, especially when initial proceedings are marred by procedural errors as seen in this case. What To Know Suzanne disappeared on May 10, 2020, from her family home in Colorado's Rocky Mountains. Her remains were ultimately found in a shallow grave near Moffat, Colorado, in September 2023 while officials investigated an unrelated matter. The autopsy concluded her death was a homicide "by undetermined means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine [BAM] intoxication," The Washington Post reported. Barry was initially charged in 2021, before his wife's remains had been found, but the case was dismissed in 2022. A judge found significant prosecutorial misconduct, including failure to release potentially exculpatory evidence—such as unknown male DNA discovered in Suzanne's SUV—resulting in the disbarment of former District Attorney Linda Stanley, according to the Associated Press. After charges were dropped, Barry sued police and prosecutors for $15 million for wrongful prosecution, as previously reported by Newsweek. That lawsuit was dismissed in 2024 and Barry, along with his legal team, have maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings. The new indictment draws on forensic evidence from Suzanne's remains, location data, and prescription records. According to prosecutors, no one apart from Barry purchased BAM in the relevant region of Colorado for years leading up to Suzanne's disappearance. Investigators found a tranquilizer dart gun and associated paraphernalia at the Morphew home, according to The Denver Post. The Washington Post reported that phone records cited in the indictment suggest that after sending a selfie to her extramarital partner on May 9, 2020, Suzanne did not use her phone further, and Barry placed his own phone in airplane mode around the same time. Surveillance and cellphone data reportedly tracked Barry disposing items in multiple trash containers on the morning following his wife's disappearance. This photo provided by Chaffee County Sheriff's Office shows Barry Morphew when he was arrested in connection with the 2020 disappearance of his wife, Suzanne Morphew, on May 5, 2021. This photo provided by Chaffee County Sheriff's Office shows Barry Morphew when he was arrested in connection with the 2020 disappearance of his wife, Suzanne Morphew, on May 5, 2021. Chaffee County Sheriff's Office via AP What People Are Saying Anne Kelly, the district attorney in Colorado's 12th Judicial District, said during a Friday press conference: "Law enforcement, the Chaffee County community and Colorado as a whole has never stopped fighting for justice for Suzanne." David Beller, Barry Morphew's attorney, told The Denver Post in a statement: "Yet again, the government allows their predetermined conclusion to lead their search for evidence. Barry maintains his innocence. The case has not changed, and the outcome will not either." What Happens Next Barry is expected to be extradited from Arizona to Colorado to face trial on the new charges. If convicted, he could face life imprisonment without parole. Proceedings, meanwhile, will continue in the San Luis Valley. Further hearings and motions are anticipated as both prosecution and defense prepare for trial.

Miami Herald

2 days ago

• Miami Herald

Elian González breaks silence 25 years later: ‘I'm going through difficult times'

Elian González had some surprising things to say on state television as the Cuban government commemorates the 25th anniversary of his return to the island from Miami. The story of Elian González made international headlines in the early 2000s, heightening tensions between the Cuban exile community and the regime in Havana. González praised the pivotal role of the late revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, who ordered mass rallies across the island. What did Elian González say? González said he has no regrets about remaining in Cuba, although he hinted that, like other Cubans, he may be enduring hardship due to the severe economic crisis gripping the country. 'What has never crossed my mind is regretting being in Cuba and growing up with my family. I may be going through difficult times, whatever the problem may be, but Fidel taught me to fight, to push forward,' he said Thursday on state television during an event at the Fidel Castro Ruz Center in Havana. González also expressed his 'gratitude' to the late revolutionary leader 'for giving me a place in the hearts of Cubans.' He added, 'What can never be in doubt is my commitment to the people of Cuba.' According to Cuban state news, González criticized the Cuban Adjustment Act, claiming it was the reason his mother left the island on a perilous sea journey. A victory for Castro's regime? The Cuban government celebrates June 28 each year as the anniversary of Elian González's return, describing him as a child 'kidnapped in Miami by distant relatives in collusion with the Cuban-American mafia.' When he was 6, González was rescued off the coast of the United States after his mother died during a shipwreck of the boat they had taken to flee Cuba. The child survived by clinging to an inner tube. His case drew global attention as a bitter legal and political battle unfolded. In the end, U.S. federal agents raided the Miami home of González's relatives and forcibly removed him under orders from the Department of Justice to return him to his father in Cuba — a move that the Cuban government has since celebrated as a symbolic victory. The Associated Press photo capturing the moment agents found the boy in a closet in his relatives' home became world famous and earned a Pulitzer Prize. The photographer, Alan Diaz, died in 2018. Since his return to Cuba, González's life has been periodically covered by the state-run media, often to highlight Fidel Castro's legacy. In 2023, the 'raft boy' was elected to Cuba's National Assembly as a representative for Cárdenas, the municipality in Matanzas province where he lives. Around that time, González told CNN he hoped to help improve relations between Havana and Washington. 'I think I could be a visible face for the American people and help the people of Cuba and the people of the United States become closer,' he said. 'And not just the people, but that our governments reach an understanding, and remove all the barriers that exist between us.'

Yahoo

3 days ago

• Yahoo

Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial recap: Ex-assistant Brendan Paul testifies he bought drugs for Combs — but he was no 'drug mule'

The trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs resumed Friday in Manhattan federal court, with Brendan Paul, a former assistant described in multiple civil lawsuits as Combs's 'drug mule,' testifying against him in the high-profile sex trafficking case. Federal prosecutors say that for decades, Combs abused, threatened and coerced women to participate in drug-fueled marathon sexual encounters called "freak offs" and used his business empire, along with guns, kidnapping and arson, to conceal his crimes. The defense has argued that the encounters were consensual, and Combs has denied any wrongdoing. The 55-year-old hip-hop mogul is facing five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. If convicted, he could face life in prison. Here are some key takeaways from Friday's testimony culled from various reporters and news organizations in the courtroom, including CNN, NBC News, and the Washington Post. Paul testified after invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Judge Arun Subramanian signed an immunity order compelling Paul's testimony. He told the court that he worked for Combs from 2022 until 2024, describing the grueling 80-to-100-hour weeks he spent helping coordinate the mogul's travel, fitness workouts, meal plans and assorted other needs, including setting up hotel rooms for "freak offs" — or what he knew as "wild king nights" — ahead of Combs's arrival. Like other former assistants, Paul said he would stock the rooms with supplies, including candles, condoms, Astroglide and a Gucci pouch that contained drugs. He also sometimes cleaned the rooms after the sex parties, he said. Paul testified that he would sometimes go days without sleep working for Combs, taking prescription Adderall and occasionally cocaine to stay awake. According to Paul, Combs likened his staff of assistants to SEAL Team 6, demanding they operate with no failures. Paul said that Combs 'fired' him numerous times, including once for forgetting to bring his boss's Lululemon fanny pack. The firings would always blow over within a day or two and he would continue working, he said. Paul testified that he was also tasked with buying drugs — including marijuana, cocaine, ketamine and ecstasy — for Combs. Combs or one of his other assistants would instruct him to obtain the drugs, which involved meeting with drug dealers with such nicknames as Guido, Baby Girl and One Stop, Paul said. Paul told the court that he would also pick up prescription drugs for Combs at pharmacies under Combs's real name or the alias "Frank Black." Once he procured the drugs, Paul said he would give them directly to Combs or put them in Combs's Gucci bag, where they were often stored. But under cross-examination by the defense, Paul testified that handling drugs was only a minor part of his work for Combs, and that it was his understanding that the drugs were for the mogul's personal use. 'You were not some drug mule, right?' defense attorney Brian Steel asked. 'Absolutely not,' Paul replied. Paul was arrested for possession of cocaine at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport in March 2024, around the same time federal agents raided Combs's homes. The charges were later dropped. He told the court that he got the cocaine while he was "sweeping" Combs's room and put it in his own bag, but then forgot to remove it before leaving for a family trip. 'I was sweeping his room and put it in my bag and forgot it while I was packing,' he explained. Paul said he told law enforcement that everything in the bag, including the cocaine, was his, and did not say where he got it out of "loyalty" to Combs. Big picture: Prosecutors hope to convince jurors that Combs used his business empire, including assistants like Paul, to procure drugs and help him set up "freak offs" as part of their racketeering conspiracy charge. But under cross-examination, Paul acknowledged that Combs did not ask him to travel with the cocaine, and that he had left it in his bag by mistake. While Joseph Cerciello, a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations, was on the stand, prosecutors entered into evidence text messages between Combs and Cassie Ventura, his former girlfriend and a star witness for the government's case. The messages were from March 2017, a year after Combs was captured on surveillance video assaulting Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel. "That's not love, that's possession," Ventura wrote to Combs in one of the messages, which was shown in court. At one point, Combs asked Ventura if she was "flipping" on him. She said she 'aint flipping' but that she also did not want to subject herself to another 'beat down.' Later in the exchange, Ventura told Combs, 'You treat me like a hooker to be honest. You always want to call one and you have one. This hooker has been here for 10 years.' Prosecutors had hoped to rest their case this week, but the court was adjourned without testimony Wednesday because a juror was sick with vertigo, delaying the proceedings. Court was not in session Thursday for the Juneteenth holiday. The government said it now expects to wrap up its case Monday. Combs's lead attorney, Marc Agnifilo, estimated it would take less than two days to present his defense, and likely rest on Tuesday or Wednesday. (The defense had already hinted that Combs probably won't testify.) Under that timeline, Subramanian said jury deliberations could begin Thursday after closing arguments, and asked both sides to prepare modifications to the proposed instructions that will be given to the jury when it gets the case.