Month: February 2024

Two men have been charged with murder after one person was killed and multiple people were injured at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade. Two juveniles were previously detained near Union Station on gun-related and resisting arrest charges shortly after the incident took place, with authorities saying on Tuesday, February 20 that more charges are possible.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced on Tuesday that Lyndell Mays of Raytown, Mo., and Dominic Miller of Kansas City have been charged with second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon. Baker said that the shooting occurred after one of the suspects had an argument with another person, which led to the suspect pulling out a handgun and others — including the second man charged — escalating the situation. Miller is suspected to be the one who pulled the trigger on the gun that killed 43-year-old Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a married mother of two and Kansas City-area radio personality.

The shooting occurred shortly after the Kansas City Chiefs celebrated their Super Bowl victory with a parade and rally on Wednesday, February 14. As the parade came to an end, Kansas City Missouri Police Department confirmed that there was a shooting near the event. One woman, identified as Lopez-Galvan, was killed and more than 20 people ranging in age from age 8 to 47 years old were injured during the incident. Children’s Mercy Kansas City confirmed that nine children were treated for gunshot wounds, but have since all been released.

According to The New York Times, they have been hospitalized since the shooting and are each being held on a one million dollar bond.

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On Tuesday, former YouTube family vlogger Ruby Franke was sentenced to four, one-to-15 year terms in prison by an Utah district court in the child abuse case brought against her. Franke’s business partner Jodi Hildebrandt was also sentenced to four, one-to-15 year prison terms. Both women will serve their sentences consecutively.

Franke and Hildebrandt were arrested in August 2023 after police found one of Franke’s sons emaciated with open wounds and bound with duct tape, having escaped Hildebrandt’s home to a neighbor’s house, as well as one of Franke’s daughters was found in a similar malnourished condition in Hildebrandt’s home. After being charged with six counts of felony child abuse, Franke and Hildebrandt pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree aggravated child abuse in December. Franke previously agreed to testify against Hildebrandt in exchange for the county attorney’s neutrality in future hearings with the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole.

During the sentencing hearing, Franke teared up while apologizing to her kids, saying in part: “I … believed dark was light and right was wrong. I would do anything in this world for you. I took from you all that was soft, and safe and good.” The mother of six also addressed Judge John Walton and the courtroom: “For the past four years, I’ve chosen to follow counsel and guidance that has led me into a dark delusion. My distorted version of reality went largely unchecked as I would isolate from anyone who challenged me.” 

Hildebrandt also gave a brief statement to the court on Tuesday: “I desire for [the children] to heal physically and emotionally. One of the reasons I did not go to trial is because I did not want them to emotionally relive the experience which would have been detrimental to them. My hope and prayer is that they will heal and move forward to have beautiful lives.”

Franke, her husband, Kevin Franke, and their six children rose to prominence on YouTube, where they had amassed 2.3 million subscribers to their now-defunct channel 8 Passengers. Franke also frequently collaborated on controversial parenting and relationship advice videos with Hildebrandt.

According to Utah law, the maximum aggregate sentence for consecutive terms is 30 years. The Utah Board of Pardons and Parole will determine how long Franke and Hildebrandt will spend incarcerated.

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