PHOENIX — The Giants are facing a challenging stretch as they will play without not just their starting shortstop but also their third baseman for at least the next ten days.

On Wednesday, third baseman Matt Chapman was placed on the 10-day injured list due to an abdominal strain. To fill the gap in the infield, the team has called up utility infielder Christian Koss from Triple-A, ensuring they meet the minimum requirement for infielders.

With Willy Adames sidelined for the third consecutive game because of back spasms, Koss immediately stepped into the starting lineup at shortstop. Casey Schmitt, who had been covering shortstop duties for the last two games, returned to his preferred position at third base.

Despite Adames being unavailable since Sunday’s game, the Giants initially chose not to adjust their roster. As a result, when Chapman exited Tuesday’s game in the seventh inning, they lacked a ready infielder to step in. Outfielder Jonah Cox, who hadn’t played infield since his college days, was pressed into service at second base, with Luis Arraez taking over third, a position he hadn’t played since 2022.

Chapman revealed he’d been experiencing intermittent discomfort around his hip flexor and lower midsection since early May. The pain became intolerable after making a barehanded grab to get Gabriel Moreno out at the end of the sixth inning.

Chapman attempted to stay in the game and took his next at-bat in the top of the seventh but was clearly in pain and was replaced on defense in the bottom half of the inning.

The timing is unfortunate given Adames’ current absence, but the Giants are hopeful the shortstop will be ready to return Friday when they begin a series against the Rockies at Coors Field.

Additionally, Chapman was already planning on missing three games sometime during what will now be an IL stint. His wife, Taylor, is expecting their first son, Jack, this weekend.

In a disturbing turn of events, a New York music educator stands accused of murdering his sister-in-law, a 25-year-old woman pursuing her Ph.D., following more than ten years of alleged obsession, prosecutors allege.

Joseph Horner, aged 27, faces charges of second-degree murder in connection with the death of Victoria Castle. Authorities from Nassau County discovered Castle, a Ph.D. candidate at Stony Brook University, unresponsive within a residence in North Massapequa on June 29.

A felony complaint lodged at the Nassau District Court accuses Horner of intentionally causing Castle’s death, although specifics of the accusations remain undisclosed.

The New York Post reported details from the arraignment, during which Nassau County prosecutors claimed that Horner had harbored an obsessive fixation on Castle for over a decade.

Prosecutors also alleged he lured the Stony Brook University Ph.D. student by asking her to help move a piano while his wife was away on a bachelorette trip before placing her in a chokehold, sexually assaulting her and strangling her.

The Post further reported prosecutors said Horner called 911 after the attack, remained at the home until police arrived and admitted to detectives that he committed the killing.

News Media has requested the arraignment transcript from Nassau County Court to independently review prosecutors’ statements. The Nassau County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment beyond the record made during the June 30 arraignment.

According to Nassau County police, officers responded at approximately 8:44 a.m. Monday to a North Oak Street residence after receiving a 911 call requesting an ambulance for a woman who was not breathing.

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Officers found Castle unconscious inside the home. She was transported to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Horner was arrested at the scene and charged with second-degree murder, police said.

Court records show Horner is scheduled to return to Nassau District Court in Mineola on Thursday morning.

According to information on her Facebook account, Castle was pursuing a Ph.D. at Stony Brook University and worked there as a research assistant.

Less than three years before her death, Castle shared a heartfelt message celebrating her sister’s marriage to Horner.

“My sister, my person, my partner in chaos, is now married to one of the most wonderful people in the world,” Castle wrote alongside a wedding photo. “I love you both forever!”

Horner is employed as a music teacher in the Oceanside School District. Following his arrest, the district announced he had been placed on administrative leave.

“We understand that this news is deeply disturbing,” Superintendent Dr. Phyllis Harrington said in a statement.

District officials said Nassau County authorities informed them the allegations “have no connection to the school district or its students.”

“This staff member has been placed on administrative leave effective immediately, pending further review,” the district said. “The Oceanside School District is committed to maintaining a safe, professional, and trustworthy environment for our students, staff, and community. We stand by that commitment at all times.”

Horner’s attorney, Gregory Grizopoulos, acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations but urged the public not to rush to judgment.

“These are very serious and disturbing allegations, and there’s a very stark contrast between the allegations and his beloved reputation that he had as a teacher, with both his students and his fellow teachers,” Grizopoulos told News12 Long Island.

“His family is devastated by the loss of their family member, Victoria, as well as the allegations against their son, Joe. We’ll continue to evaluate the evidence as more details are disclosed to us.”

If found guilty of second-degree murder, Horner could be sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison.

Horner’s attorney did not immediately respond to News Media’s request for comment.

Las Vegas officials are currently working to reconstruct the final steps of an Australian tourist whose disappearance from the city remains unsolved.

Sally Grace Contarino, aged 26, was last spotted on June 20 near Sky Canyon Drive on Las Vegas’s outskirts, leaving investigators searching for clues more than a week after her disappearance.

Embarking on a solo two-week journey in the United States, Contarino spent part of her vacation in Palm Springs, California, before heading to Las Vegas on June 15, where she checked in at the Bungalows Hostel situated along South Las Vegas Boulevard.

In an unusual turn of events, just two days later, she appeared in a live stream shot by a pickup artist outside a 7-Eleven on the city’s fringes, where he was seen asking for her contact information.

“Excuse me, I noticed your striking beauty and wondered if I might be able to get your number, by any chance?” he asked her.

Ms Contarino smiled politely and shrugged off his advance, telling him: ‘I have a boyfriend.’ There’s no suggestion of wrongdoing on the part of the pickup artist.

On June 19, Contarino sent a text message to a friend telling them she was ‘about to hike up Lone Mountain’, before preparing to fly back to Australia the next day. 

Surveillance video showed Contarino gambling at Timbers Bar and Grill from 8:30pm to 10:30pm that evening, before returning to the Bungalows Hostel in the early hours of June 20. 

Contarino checked out of the hostel on the morning of June 20 but left her luggage, and she had breakfast at a nearby cafe. 

In her last known location, she was seen on the outskirts of Las Vegas near a Starbucks on Sky Canyon Drive at 1pm on June 20. 

She was due to fly home to Melbourne from Los Angeles and purchased a Greyhound bus pass from Las Vegas to California, but the ticket was never used. 

She is believed to have boarded a bus to Mount Charleston, a hiking area in the north-west area of Red Rock Canyon National Park, before vanishing. 

Fears have been raised over what caused Contarino to vanish, with locals noting that the Bungalows Hostel is a one-star rated hotel in one of the seedier parts of the city. 

Staff at the Timbers Bar and Grill recalled that she was in ‘good spirits’ the night before her disappearance, and said she gambled a small amount before leaving around 10:30pm. 

However, staff also said the Bungalows Hostel was located in a neighborhood that is ‘not great for a girl alone.’  

The Las Vegas Metro Police Department has now declared her ‘missing and endangered’, and said it is urgently searching for any information as to her whereabouts. 

‘She might possibly be in severe emotional distress and in need of medical assistance,’ a police spokesman said. 

Contarino’s unusual movements around Las Vegas in the days before she vanished prompted fears among locals that she may be a victim of human trafficking.

The dark criminal industry is a significant problem in Nevada, where authorities have estimated there are as many as 58 victims per 100,000 people. 

Human trafficking expert Mike Bartel confirmed she matched the profile of victims, and a local told the Daily Mail of her fears when she saw Contarino’s movements were far from the usual tourist haunts on the Las Vegas casino strip.  

‘It seems she was getting all around town which is odd in itself and she may have already been trafficked,’ said the woman, whose high-school aged daughter had been targeted by traffickers.

‘The areas she was seen in… that’s not normal behavior or safety measures for someone who usually travels alone.’ 

Daily Mail understands Ms Contarino’s sister Amy travelled to the US several days ago, and her other sister Lauren, based in Queensland, has been raising awareness online.

She told US-based true crime forum Websleuths that her sister only had ‘a little bit of money’ and suffered from ‘mental health struggles’.

Another local, commenting on a true-crime forum, said: ‘I live in Las Vegas and know the area well. There’s absolutely no reason to be at a 7-Eleven in that part of town, unless she got lost, or got taken there by someone she met or knows.’

‘That’s a very bad area, heavy drug use and sex trafficking in that part of the city, arguably even worse than where she was staying,’ they said.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has now opened a missing persons case for Ms Contarino and is seeking public assistance to locate her.

Local hospitals have also been alerted and asked to review records in case she has been admitted.

Ms Contarino was last seen wearing a grey or blue sweatshirt, denim shorts, black and white shoes and a bag.

She has brown hair and brown eyes and a slim build.

It is understood police have recovered Ms Contarino’s luggage, used search dogs with her clothing and undertaken a grid search of the areas where she was last seen.

CHICAGO (WLS) — In the early hours of Wednesday, a deadly shooting occurred near a hotel in the River North neighborhood, resulting in one man’s death and injuring another, as reported by the Chicago police.

The incident unfolded around 3:20 a.m. in the 500 block of North State Street.

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According to police, the two men—aged 65 and 30—were outside when they suddenly heard gunshots and felt the impact of being shot.

The 30-year-old victim, who sustained multiple gunshot wounds, was transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

The 65-year-old victim suffered a foot injury. He was also taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and is currently listed in fair condition.

An employee at the Royal Sonesta Chicago River North said he heard multiple shots, but no guests or anyone from the hotel was involved.

Surveillance video showed to ABC7 by a hotel employee showed two people getting out of a light-colored sedan with large guns and quickly firing off shots before driving away.

Alderman Brendan Reilly said the shooting was gang-related.

“Gun violence downtown is totally unacceptable – just as should be unacceptable in any of Chicago’s neighborhoods,” Alderman Reilly said in a statement. “The brave women and men who serve in the Chicago Police Department are working hard to protect our communities. Like all downtown residents, I am grateful for their service and hard work. But we need a greater presence overnight.”

He said five hooded and masked gunmen got out of a gray Honda Accord, all armed, and fired at the 30-year-old man, whom Reilly said had an extensive criminal background. He said the attackers fled in the same vehicle, which was later found burned.

Kiley Cleckner lives in an apartment at the hotel.

SEE ALSO: Estranged husband charged in deadly shooting of mom of 5 heading to church on South Side