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Gaza Journalist Who Met Mamdani Admits Hiding Israeli Hostage Video

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Motaz Azaiza, a Gaza-based journalist who has met New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, received a Nobel Peace Prize nomination and was named to the TIME100 list, says he chose not to publish footage showing Israeli hostages being beaten by a Palestinian crowd because he feared exposing those involved to deadly reprisals.

The photographer also alleged that Hamas controls Gaza’s media through a single WhatsApp group and that journalists who publish criticism of the group risk being targeted.

Azaiza, one of the best-known journalists to emerge from Gaza during the war, was in the territory on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas brought hostages captured in Israel through the streets. He said he witnessed crowds surrounding and attacking them.

“People came out, watched them, beat them and struck them. I followed them and filmed,” Azaiza told the Taqarrab podcast.

“But I did not release those videos.”

He explained that he wanted to protect the people visible in the footage rather than expose them publicly.

“I knew Israel could use the videos to identify everyone who was there and eliminate them,” the photographer said.

“I did not want to bear even indirect responsibility for their deaths just for a few likes and views online,” he added.

Azaiza said “every journalist in Gaza” belongs to a Hamas-operated WhatsApp group called “Smart,” which is used to coordinate media coverage across the territory. According to his account, the group was managed by a Hamas media director stationed near the Rafah crossing.

He said Hamas-aligned media outlets also turned against him after he shared video of a Gaza resident openly cursing Hamas.

“Photographers in Gaza have learned to lower their cameras as soon as someone says anything critical of Hamas,” he said, adding that journalists who show what is happening on the ground face relentless persecution.

Azaiza said he ultimately had to leave Gaza after publishing footage of residents criticizing Hamas. He now lives in Qatar.

Although Azaiza withheld his own footage of the hostage abuse, several survivors who were paraded through Gaza on Oct. 7 later described what they endured.

Itay Regev, who survived the Nova Music Festival massacre, said Hamas transported him and other hostages through Gaza and displayed them to hostile crowds as human “trophies.”

Further outrage followed reports that the body of slain hostage Shani Louk was desecrated, while crowds in Gaza allegedly celebrated and spat on her remains.

Azaiza also condemned Hamas for helping plunge Gaza into a war that has devastated large areas of the enclave and, according to estimates, claimed roughly 73,000 lives.

He criticized the group’s treatment of local journalists who documented the humanitarian crisis, saying the pressure and threats forced many reporters—including himself—to leave Gaza during the opening months of the war.

“You took us back to the Middle Ages,” Azaiza said of Hamas. “You left women in Gaza urinating into plastic buckets. That does not trouble you, but the moment someone criticizes you, that becomes the problem?”

Azaiza was named among Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2024 for his nearly four month coverage of the war, where he highlighted civilian deaths and the destruction caused by the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

He has also met with with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and even attended his election night watch party last November.

Despite the acclaim, he said he is haunted by what he saw in the Gaza Strip during the war.

“Gaza is the most toxic place in the world. You love it, but at the same time you hate it. You love it, but it hurts you and destroys you,” he said.

“The reality there forced things upon me that I never wanted — the price we pay to satisfy leaders who do not count us is simply unimaginable.”

Former Fox News Producer Jennifer Eckhart Dies by Suicide at 36

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Jennifer Eckhart, a former Fox News producer who accused one of the network’s former anchors of rape, has died by suicide at her Florida home, six years after filing the lawsuit.

Eckhart, 36, was found at her home in Hobe Sound on Saturday, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Monday.

Law enforcement sources told TMZ that the former producer and podcaster took her own life.

Officers were seen outside the residence on Saturday morning, according to TMZ.

An incident report obtained by the outlet said Eckhart’s mother made the discovery after arriving at the home and finding her daughter in the bathtub of the main bedroom, with a knife nearby.

Eckhart was pronounced dead at 11:57 a.m., according to the report.

The Daily Mail has contacted the Martin County Sheriff’s Office for additional information.

Eckhart accused former Fox anchor Ed Henry of raping her in 2020. An outside investigation commissioned by the network subsequently led to Henry’s dismissal.

Former Fox News producer Jennifer Eckhart has died by suicide, TMZ reported on Monday. The 36-year-old was found dead Saturday in her Florida home

Former Fox News producer Jennifer Eckhart has died by suicide, TMZ reported Monday. The 36-year-old was found dead at her Florida home on Saturday.

Eckhart previously accused then-Fox anchor Ed Henry of raping her in a 2020 lawsuit. The suit was settled last year

Eckhart accused then-Fox anchor Ed Henry of rape in a 2020 lawsuit. The case was settled last year.

The lawsuit alleged that Henry restrained and raped Eckhart at a Manhattan hotel in 2017. Henry has maintained that their relationship was consensual.

The case was settled in June 2025, one day before it was scheduled to proceed to federal court.

Henry now works for Newsmax as the network’s head anchor.

Eckhart launched a podcast in 2021, describing the move as her “second act” in an August 2021 interview with Variety, days before the show’s debut.

“I did not have an immediate desire to run back into the arms of corporate media… I’m not beholden to any investor or network,” she said at the time.

The last recorded episode was uploaded in March, weeks after a federal appeals court declined to consider a follow-up filing from Eckhart seeking to revive a dismissed portion of her lawsuit.

In that filing, Eckhart alleged that Fox had known about Henry’s behavior for years and failed to discipline him properly or protect her.

A panel of three 2nd Circuit judges ruled against her, stating that Eckhart had not shown that “Fox knew of Henry’s conduct towards her” or failed to take “appropriate corrective action” before her lawsuit was filed in June 2020.

Eckhart had been operating a podcast in the years since she left Fox, though the most recent episode came in March

Eckhart hosted a podcast after leaving Fox, although the most recent episode was released in March.

Henry currently works for Newsmax as the network's head anchor. He is seen here with then-wife Shirley Hung in 2014. The pair split in 2016 before divorcing in 2024

Henry now works as Newsmax’s head anchor. He is pictured with his then-wife, Shirley Hung, in 2014. The couple separated in 2016 and divorced in 2024.

‘Eckhart undisputedly never told anyone at Fox about any of her sexual encounters with Henry while she was an employee. 

‘And it is undisputed that Henry never told any Fox employees about their encounters until he was interviewed after Eckhart lodged her sexual harassment complaint,’ the 13-page ruling read.

Eckhart’s podcast was called REINVENTED with Jen Eckhart.

Others interviewed included Sean Paul, wrestler Chris Jericho, TV host Melissa Rivers, actress, Patricia Heaton, and former Fox anchor Gretchen Carlson.

‘Reinventing yourself, whether personally or professionally, is something so many of us can relate to,’ she told the Hollywood trade paper of the show’s premise.

 ‘My hope is that this show will inspire anyone who wants to reinvent themselves to take that first step… to let every person out there know it is never too late to reinvent your life.’ 

If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or actions, please call the National Suicide Hotline at 988. 

Patrick Clancy Admits Suicidal Ideation After Children’s Deaths

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Patrick Clancy has revealed that he experienced suicidal thoughts after the deaths of his three children.

“There was a time where I—I didn’t think I would live to see my 35th birthday,” Patrick, now 36, told 60 Minutes in an interview that aired Sept. 20. “And I was completely fine with it.”

During the emotional interview, Patrick described the devastating impact of the 2023 deaths of his children—Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months. He also spoke about the early signs of his then-wife Lindsay Clancy’s mental-health struggles, the ways he keeps his children’s memory alive and his decision to move to New York with his wife, Rachel Danis, to begin again.

Patrick Clancy Describes Holding Son Callan As He Died

Patrick recalled returning from errands on Jan. 24, 2023, and finding Lindsay bleeding and partially paralyzed on the lawn. She had cut her neck and wrists before jumping from a second-story window in an apparent suicide attempt.

“I just saw blood everywhere,” he later testified, according to ABC 13. “And the window was open.”

Inside the home, he discovered that Cora and Dawson had been strangled.

First responders found a heartbeat for Callan and rushed the infant to a hospital.

“I really thought there was a chance that Callan would live,” Patrick said on 60 Minutes. “I remember just thinking, ‘Just gimme one. Just gimme one kid, and I would raise him as best I could, and I would give him the best life I possibly could. I’d tell him about his brother and sister.’ And I was holding out hope for that.”

At the hospital, however, Patrick said he recognized from the doctor’s expression that Callan’s prognosis was not good.

Callan survived for four days before ultimately dying from his injuries.

“I’m so grateful for those four days that I had with him,” Patrick said. “And I’m so grateful he hung on.”

Asked what he said to his son, Patrick replied: “I said, ‘I’m so sorry.’ And I got to—I got to hold him. I got to lay down next to him. And he died in my arms.”

Patrick, who has publicly said he forgives Lindsay, also asked her whether she remembered killing the children.

“She said it was like a dream,” he recalled. “She remembered it much in the way you would remember a dream after waking up.”

Patrick Clancy Described Having Suicidal Ideation in Months After His Children’s Deaths

As Lindsay faced murder charges, Patrick returned to their once-familiar but now painfully empty life in Duxbury, Massachusetts.

“Everything just came to a screeching halt,” he told 60 Minutes. “Really without thinking, I drove by their school. And it was at the exact time that all of their friends were getting dropped off. And I just—I couldn’t be there anymore.”

Patrick acknowledged that he considered ending his life. Instead, he moved to New York City, where he could mourn away from the public attention surrounding the tragedy.

In May 2023, he marked Callan’s first birthday by lighting a candle at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

“I say, ‘I love you, buddy.’ And I walk out on Fifth Avenue and start crying my eyes out,” he remembered. “And nobody cared.”

How Did Patrick Clancy and Rachel Danis Meet?

Patrick met fertility specialist Rachel Danis at a running club in January 2024. The two quickly connected.

Patrick said Rachel helped him navigate his grief, telling 60 Minutes, “my life has changed since I met Rachel in such a positive way.”

The couple got married in April 2026 and shared with 60 Minutes that they are now starting a family together.

Patrick honored the memory of his three children with a specially designed playground in Duxbury, Mass. and has incorporated their favorite toys and mementos of their life into his Manhattan apartment. 

He admitted to still dreaming of the children he shared with Lindsay and told 60 Minutes they will never be far from his mind.

What Is Lindsay Clancy Accused Of?

Lindsay’s defense team has not denied that she killed the children, but has argued that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and is therefore not guilty by reason of insanity. Her first trial ended in a mistrial Sept. 4.

Lindsay—now facing a possible retrial—is slated to be back in court for a new hearing on Sept. 29.

Melania Trump Grants CNN Reporter Access Despite Husband’s Ban

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First Lady Melania Trump has extended a conciliatory gesture to CNN as the network remains locked in a bitter dispute with her husband.

President Donald Trump barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House last Friday, accusing the outlets of producing “fake news.”

The decision prompted Secret Service agents to confiscate journalists’ press passes, while the affected news organizations abandoned their planned coverage of Trump’s trip to the United Nations General Assembly this week.

CNN had been scheduled to send a reporter and camera crew to the UN event, but the network was removed from the White House traveling press pool on Sunday.

Despite the ban, the First Lady’s Office approved CNN’s request to cover Melania Trump in Manhattan this week, according to Betsy Klein, the network’s senior White House reporter.

“Interestingly, we do have one new data point, which is that my credential to cover an event with the First Lady, on the sidelines of the United Nations tomorrow, has been approved,” Klein said Monday.

CNN received credentials to cover an announcement Melania is expected to make Tuesday at the St. Regis hotel, a source familiar with the matter told the Daily Mail.

The announcement is connected to her “Fostering the Future Together” initiative, which the First Lady is expected to discuss several times during her visit to New York for the UN.

Melania Trump's team approved credentials for CNN to cover an event with the First Lady on Tuesday despite the White House ban on the outlet

Melania Trump’s team approved CNN’s credentials to cover a Tuesday event with the First Lady, despite the White House ban on the network

CNN senior White House reporter Betsy Klein said that she was approved for an event with the First Lady on the sidelines of the UN. She was escorted out of the White House on Saturday after Trump's ban on CNN went into effect

CNN senior White House reporter Betsy Klein said she had been approved to cover a First Lady event on the sidelines of the UN. She was escorted from the White House on Saturday after Trump’s ban on CNN took effect

'I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW (who recently changed their name from MSNBC due to lack of viewership and credibility!), and Politico,' Trump wrote on Friday, announcing the ban

“I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW (who recently changed their name from MSNBC due to lack of viewership and credibility!), and Politico,” Trump wrote on Friday in announcing the ban

The First Lady’s decision to allow CNN access sharply contrasts with her husband’s treatment of the network.

“I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW (who recently changed their name from MSNBC due to lack of viewership and credibility!), and Politico,” Trump wrote Friday as he announced the restrictions.

“Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report fiction and lies when they’re covering the President of the United States,” he added.

The next day, reporters working for the banned outlets were refused entry when they arrived at the White House.

Secret Service agents also confiscated the press passes of some journalists.

Trump reinforced the ban Monday, arguing that his move did not amount to “an assault on the free press.”

Instead, he wrote that he was “instituting an assault on the fake news, some that has grown like cancer in our beloved United States of America.”

Following the ban, the five major US broadcast networks—Fox News, CNN, CBS, NBC and ABC—issued a joint statement. The organizations, which make up the television pool, said they would not send a camera crew to cover Trump at the UN after the White House removed CNN from the trip.

White House broadcast tents are seen empty on Monday after Trump's ban

White House broadcast tents stood empty Monday following Trump’s ban

The three media outlets Trump targeted, CNN, MS NOW and Politico, announced they would combat the administration in court over the ban.

‘This morning, we notified the government that we are filing a lawsuit today to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes,’ they said in a statement released on Monday.

‘Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists’ credentials because it objected to our reporting,’ the statement continued.

‘Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference.’

US District Judge Timothy Kelly, who Trump appointed in his first term, is presiding over the case and is on familiar legal ground.

In 2018, he ordered the White House to restore CNN journalist Jim Acosta’s credentials after his press pass was pulled following a heated clash with Trump.

Carrot Top Health Update: Comedian Breathing on His Own

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The comedian was hospitalized Friday night while receiving treatment for an undisclosed health issue.

LAS VEGAS — Carrot Top’s representative offered an encouraging update Monday, saying the longtime Las Vegas performer is recovering after being hospitalized over the weekend.

Carrot Top, whose real name is Scott Christopher Thompson, was reportedly hospitalized Friday night, Sept. 18, for an undisclosed health issue. The 61-year-old comedian has been a headliner at the Luxor Hotel and Casino, owned by MGM Resorts.

His publicist, Jami Schlicher, said Monday, Sept. 21, that Thompson was “breathing on his own and continuing to improve.”

“Scott remains hospitalized and under close medical care. He is now awake, breathing on his own and continuing to improve, surrounded by his family and those closest to him,” Schlicher told USA Today and Page Six.

Schlicher did not disclose what caused Thompson’s hospitalization.

Thompson was scheduled to perform at the Luxor on Monday, but that show was canceled. His next performance is set for Wednesday, Sept. 23. As of Monday afternoon, tickets remained available through the Luxor and MGM Resorts websites.

Before his hospitalization, Thompson appeared to remain active on social media.

The website did not appear to publicly list the canceled performances or indicate whether any upcoming shows could also be called off.

MGM Resorts released a statement about Thompson’s hospitalization that was published in a Las Vegas newspaper.

“Scott is a beloved member of the Luxor and MGM Resorts family, and we are relieved to hear that he is recovering,” the statement read. “We are thinking of him and wish him strength as he receives the care and support he needs.”

Thompson has performed his residency comedy show at the Luxor Hotel and Casino since 2005. He is widely known for building props into his performances.

Wendy’s Franchise Operator of 314 U.S. Locations Files for Bankruptcy

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Meritage Hospitality Group, one of Wendy’s biggest U.S. franchise operators, has sought bankruptcy protection after the fast-food chain moved to end its franchise agreement with the company.

The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based company runs 314 Wendy’s restaurants across 15 states. In a statement issued last week, Meritage said its restaurants would remain open and that it planned to continue paying roughly 9,000 employees throughout the bankruptcy proceedings.

Meritage filed its petition Sept. 17 in federal bankruptcy court in western Michigan. Court records show Wendy’s delivered notice the previous day that it was terminating the franchise agreement “effective immediately.”

According to court filings, Wendy’s says Meritage owes $27.4 million in royalties and other fees, along with $119.5 million in continuous operations fees. Those charges can be assessed when franchisees shut down restaurants. Meritage closed 60 underperforming Wendy’s locations late last year as part of a broader restructuring effort.

Asked Monday about the bankruptcy filing, Wendy’s said it is focused on “strengthening the long-term health of the brand.”

The company added that it works closely with struggling franchisees, reviewing each situation individually while seeking what it considers the most sustainable path forward.

Michigan is Meritage’s largest operating market, with 54 Wendy’s restaurants, along with five Morning Belle and Blue Porch Bar & Grill locations. The franchisee also operates 44 Wendy’s restaurants in Georgia and Florida, 29 in Connecticut, 24 in Tennessee and 23 in Oklahoma. It has fewer than 20 locations in each of Arkansas, Indiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and Virginia.

Wendy’s, based in Dublin, Ohio, has faced mounting pressure from aging restaurants, elevated beef costs and intense competition. The chain closed 240 locations in 2024 and said earlier this year that it could shut as many as 358 more restaurants during the current year.

U.S. same-store sales at Wendy’s dropped 7% in the company’s most recent quarter.

“Wendy’s is an iconic brand with exceptional assets. Today we are clearly not performing at our potential,” President and CEO Bob Wright said in a statement last month. Wright took over at Wendy’s in May after previously serving as CEO of Potbelly.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Beau Lamarre-Condon: Inside the Mind of an Accused Killer

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A clear “disconnect” emerged early in Beau Lamarre-Condon’s brief relationship with Jesse Baird, with the two men apparently wanting very different things.

Lamarre-Condon, a senior constable with the NSW Police, told friends he believed Baird was “the one”. Baird, however, did not share those feelings, the court heard.

Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC outlined that assessment to jurors on Monday, as Lamarre-Condon’s double-murder trial began in the NSW Supreme Court.

Lamarre-Condon is accused of using his service pistol to kill Baird and Baird’s Qantas flight attendant boyfriend, Luke Davies, at Paddington in Sydney’s eastern suburbs in February 2024.

The 31-year-old has pleaded not guilty to two charges of domestic-violence-related murder, as well as aggravated break and enter.

The break-and-enter charge concerns an alleged August 2023 incident, when Lamarre-Condon is accused of entering Baird’s home six months before the killings and taking his wallet and phone.

Mr Hatfield presented Lamarre-Condon as a jealous former partner who became infatuated with Baird. Following their separation, the prosecutor said, he was “devastated” and allegedly grew increasingly fixated on him.

Jurors will hear evidence of what Mr Hatfield described as Lamarre-Condon’s “melodramatic” behaviour, including allegations that he pretended to have cancer and fabricated hospital visits.

From early on in Beau Lamarre-Condon's short-lived relationship with Jesse Baird, there was a distinct 'disconnect' between the pair. Lamarre-Condon is pictured outside court on Monday

A “disconnect” was evident from the early stages of Beau Lamarre-Condon’s brief relationship with Jesse Baird, the court heard. Lamarre-Condon is pictured outside court on Monday

Lamarre-Condon is accused of shooting dead Baird (left) and his Qantas flight attendant boyfriend Luke Davies (right) at Paddington, in Sydney's eastern suburbs, in February 2024

Lamarre-Condon is accused of killing Jesse Baird (left) and his Qantas flight attendant boyfriend Luke Davies (right) in Paddington, Sydney’s eastern suburbs, in February 2024

Lamarre-Condon and Baird met in late 2022, and the police officer soon became “infatuated” and “in love”, the court was told.

Baird, by contrast, had recently ended a long-term relationship, moved to Sydney and was enjoying dating within the city’s lively gay community.

At the time, Lamarre-Condon worked in the police youth command at Sutherland in Sydney’s south and had served as a police officer for about six and a half years.

Baird grew up in Victoria before relocating to Queensland. He began working in television at 19 and appeared on Network Ten programs including Totally Wild and Studio 10.

Mr Hatfield alleged that Lamarre-Condon was jealous of Baird’s other relationships and secretly accessed his phone to track his conversations with other men.

He also allegedly erased messages from Baird’s phone and blocked several of his friends.

That pattern of alleged conduct would be “a theme throughout the trial”, Mr Hatfield told the jury.

The couple initially separated amicably in April 2023, after Baird sent Lamarre-Condon a “sympathetic” message ending their relationship.

Lamarre-Condon (above on Monday) has pleaded not guilty to two counts of domestic-violence related murder and one of aggravated break and enter

Lamarre-Condon, pictured outside court on Monday, has pleaded not guilty to two domestic-violence-related murder charges and one count of aggravated break and enter

Lamarre-Condon allegedly used a copied or stolen key to enter Baird's home armed with his .40 Glock 22, shot dead Baird (right) then turned the gun on Davies (left)

Lamarre-Condon allegedly entered Baird’s home with a copied or stolen key while carrying his .40 Glock 22, shot Baird (right) and then turned the weapon on Davies (left)

‘After a lot of reflection, I really want to message you and tell you how I feel…,’ he wrote.

‘Something I have been nervous about since meeting you was one of us getting hurt. And despite my best efforts, it happened. Please forgive me.’

Baird wrote that part of him was ‘hoping that you’ll understand where I’m at in my life right now’. He was also ‘afraid that this would happen, getting to a point where we have to stop seeing each other’.

‘But I don’t regret a single thing because the last few months have been amazing,’ he said. ‘I hope you feel the same. I wish I was ready for a relationship because it’s not every day a guy like you comes around.’

Mr Hatfield said Lamarre-Condon gave friends various explanations for the relationship ending. One was discovering Baird had a Tinder account, another that Baird was moving to Brisbane.

From that point, the court heard, Lamarre-Condon’s jealousy intensified. He allegedly admitted to friends following Baird around the eastern suburbs, ‘bumping into’ him at gyms and supermarkets.

Lamarre-Condon allegedly used his power as a police officer to obtain CCTV of Baird on a date and watched him through the front window of his Paddington home having sex with other men.

In August 2023, he allegedly used a stolen or copied key to enter the terrace and steal Baird’s phone but also took his wallet and left a bobby pin in the front door lock to make it look like a real burglary. 

Lamarre-Condon and Baird met in late 2022 and the policeman was quickly 'infatuated' and 'in love', the court heart. Baird's parents Helen and Gary are pictured on Monday outside court

Lamarre-Condon and Baird met in late 2022 and the policeman was quickly ‘infatuated’ and ‘in love’, the court heart. Baird’s parents Helen and Gary are pictured on Monday outside court

Baird had chased the intruder from his house but did not recognise his former boyfriend.

In September that year, Lamarre-Condon and Baird resumed their relationship to some degree. 

Lamarre-Condon asked Baird to holiday with him in Bali but that did not happen. Mr Hatfield said Baird saw things between the pair as mostly ‘physical’.

The final break-up came in mid-November 2023 after Baird allegedly found out Lamarre-Condon had accessed his phone and deleted messages.

Lamarre-Condon had also allegedly posted a picture of a ‘rather large floral arrangement’ to social media using the Instagram feature ‘Close Friends’.

Mr Hatfield said the picture of the flowers was captioned ‘When he’s in Melbourne but still sends you these’, at a time when Baird was in Melbourne but hadn’t sent them.

Lamarre-Condon had allegedly ensured Baird and his close friends could not see the picture – which had been downloaded from the internet – but people Lamarre-Condon chose could.

When Baird confronted Lamarre-Condon about the post he allegedly said it was all a misunderstanding and the flowers had been a gift from his stepfather to his mother.

Lamarre-Condon was working in the police youth command at Sutherland, in Sydney's south, and had been a cop for about six-and-a-half years when Baird and Davies were killed

Lamarre-Condon was working in the police youth command at Sutherland, in Sydney’s south, and had been a cop for about six-and-a-half years when Baird and Davies were killed

Mr Hatfield said Lamarre-Condon then rushed to a florist and ordered a bouquet matching the floral arrangement in the photograph and wrote a fake note to fit his story.

Baird sent Lamarre a text on November 16 which began: ‘Beau, I’m not going to get into an argument with you.’

‘I’m so exhausted,’ he wrote. ‘On top of that, I feel hurt and feel like I’m being lied to. This afternoon, I gave you the chance to tell me the truth and I don’t think you did.

‘There have been a number of examples since we met that show you behaved in a way that’s completely inappropriate. I’m not going to stand for it anymore.

‘I think it’s best if we focus on ourselves and stop seeing each other. I have thought long and hard about this, and know that it’s the right decision for me.

‘I would appreciate if you could refrain from contacting me.’

Lamarre-Condon responded, in part: ‘Jesse, I’m literally sitting here in tears, trying to piece this all together… ‘

On November 22, Lamarre-Condon allegedly persuaded a friend to let him use her Instagram account to write a message to Baird, who had blocked him. 

Baird and Davies met on New Year's Eve 2023 and a solid relationship developed quickly. Davies's mother Sandra and brother Brock are pictured on Monday outside court

Baird and Davies met on New Year’s Eve 2023 and a solid relationship developed quickly. Davies’s mother Sandra and brother Brock are pictured on Monday outside court

Mr Hatfield said that message – which ran to more than 1,600 words – was intended to blame Lamarre-Condon’s behaviour on him receiving treatment for cancer.

‘About a month ago, Beau asked me to go with him to Westmead Hospital where he was told he had cancer in his shoulder,’ it said.

‘Worst case is he has to get his arm amputated. He was then prescribed medications to prepare for chemotherapy and radiation before his cancer removal surgery.’

The message said those medications were ‘among the strongest you can be prescribed which can impact how a person reacts’.

Mr Hatfield told the jury: ‘The accused did not have cancer, nor was he being treated for cancer.’

Baird and Davies met about a month later on New Year’s Eve and a solid relationship soon developed. 

Shortly after they got together, Baird took Davies to Victoria to meet his mother and within a month or so both were posting photos with each other on Instagram.

Mr Hatfield said: ‘I’m told that’s called going Insta official.’

Lamarre-Condon is pictured leaving court on Monday. His trial has been set down to run for three months

Lamarre-Condon is pictured leaving court on Monday. His trial has been set down to run for three months 

Lamarre-Condon became aware of this new romance and allegedly complained to friends that Baird was taking Davies to places they had been together.

Mr Hatfield said in late 2023 and early 2024 Lamarre-Condon ‘began to interfere with Jesse Baird’s life in other ways’.

He allegedly claimed to have cut Baird’s car tyres, watched his house and poured water into his new diesel ute.

According to the Crown case, Lamarre-Condon drove to Baird’s home on February 19, 2024, arriving about 6am.

He was allegedly seen at 9.10am wearing a motorcycle helmet and hi-vis clothing and carrying an Uber Eats paper bag, disguising himself as a delivery rider.

Lamarre-Condon allegedly used a copied or stolen key to enter Baird’s home armed with his .40 Glock 22, went to the kitchen and shot 26-year-old Baird twice.

Mr Hatfield said one bullet went through the right base of Baird’s neck near his shoulder and exited through his jaw. Another shot went in Baird’s right temple and exited through the left.

‘The Crown case is that this second shot was an execution-style shot and went through the floor,’ Mr Hatfield said.

The court heard 29-year-old Davies was in Baird’s bedroom and attempted to call Triple Zero. 

‘In order to prevent Davies from calling for help and exposing his crime,’ Mr Hatfield said, Lamarre-Condon shot Davies in the head through the bedroom door.

Lamarre-Condon presented himself to Bondi police station four days later. Four days after that, Davies and Baird’s bodies were found about 185km south-west of Sydney at Bungonia.

The trial continues.

Grandmother of 4 Upstate New York Children Killed by Their Mother Sickened by ‘Unimaginable’ Deaths

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The father of four children killed by their mother and grandmother in a horrific upstate New York murder-suicide said it was “sickening” to learn that the children endured “such unimaginable” suffering.

Brady Harmon spoke out after police released an update indicating that his children — Harper, 13, Hudson, 11, and 10-year-old twins Gavin and Gracelynn Harmon — were poisoned with a combination of allergy medication and mitragynine, a key compound in so-called gas-station heroin.

“I will never understand how two people who claimed to love and care about these children could deliberately cause them such unimaginable harm,” Harmon said of his former wife, Sarah Myers, 44, and her mother, Amy Steadman, 64. Police said the women killed the children before taking their own lives.

“The pain is still as raw as if it happened yesterday,” Harmon wrote on Facebook three months after the shocking murder-suicide in Mechanicville, New York, on June 10.

“Reading today’s official toxicology findings makes it even more sickening to understand what was done to them.”

The toxicology report found that the four children were killed with diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Benadryl, and mitragynine, a primary compound in kratom. Kratom is a psychoactive plant-based extract with opioid-like effects that is commonly sold over the counter at convenience stores and gas stations.

The Mechanicville Police Department said diphenhydramine “was present at fatal or lethal levels in all six individuals” discovered at the scene. Mitragynine was detected in four of the six.

“Harper, Hudson, Gavin, and Gracelynn were innocent. They deserved to feel safe. They deserved to grow up, chase their dreams, celebrate birthdays, reach milestones, and live the lives that were stolen from them,” wrote Harmon, who now lives in Utah.

“I still miss them every second. And I will continue speaking their names and fighting to make sure their lives — and what happened to them — are never forgotten.”

Harmon previously told News10 that the people responsible for his children’s deaths deserved “a special place in hell.”

He has since moved to sue New York authorities for more than $400 million, alleging that his children died after years of abuse continued despite multiple warning signs that officials failed to address.

Harmon filed a legal notice indicating his intention to sue the City of Mechanicville, Ballston Spa Central School District, Mechanicville City School District, Saratoga County, and the Mechanicville Housing Authority.

In the 17-page filing, Harmon alleges that his former wife and mother-in-law suffered from Munchausen syndrome by proxy — a mental health condition in which a caregiver, most often a parent, deliberately makes a child sick or harms them, or falsely portrays the child as ill.

The filing further claims that Myers and Steadman were “regularly drugging” the children “to control them and make them sick,” allegedly using substances such as Benadryl and kratom — the same drugs identified in the toxicology report following their deaths.

Lindsay Clancy’s Lawyer Seeks Review of Holdout Juror’s Phone

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Lindsay Clancy’s defense attorney has asked a judge to investigate the phone records of the only juror who opposed acquitting her in the case, which ended in a mistrial this month.

Eleven of the 12 jurors were prepared last Friday to find Clancy not criminally responsible. But their inability to reach a unanimous decision left the judge with no choice but to declare a mistrial, keeping the case unresolved.

Neither the prosecution nor the defense disputed that Clancy strangled her children—five-year-old Cora, three-year-old Dawson and eight-month-old Callan—in the family’s Massachusetts home in January 2023 before attempting to take her own life.

Defense lawyer Kevin Reddington portrayed Clancy as a devoted mother suffering from the rare psychiatric condition postpartum psychosis. Prosecutors, however, maintained that she understood her actions.

The lone holdout, 48-year-old Michael P. Desronvil, sided with prosecutors and said he had no doubt that Clancy was guilty—directly contradicting the conclusion reached by the other jurors.

Reddington is now asking Judge William Sullivan to review Desronvil’s mobile-phone metadata from the period when the jury was deliberating, according to a motion obtained by the New York Times.

The filing also seeks to question Desronvil about whether he was truthful during jury selection and whether he used his phone or accessed outside information while jurors were considering the case.

Reddington wants the questioning recorded and conducted with attorneys for both sides present.

Lindsay Clancy's lawyer has asked a judge to probe the phone data of the sole juror who voted against acquitting the killer mom in her case which ended this month

Lindsay Clancy’s attorney wants a judge to examine the phone data of the sole juror who opposed acquitting her in the case, which ended in a mistrial this month

The sole holdout juror, Michael P. Desronvil (pictured), said last week that he had no doubts about Clancy's guilt, in opposition to the verdict reached by the other jurors

Michael P. Desronvil, the lone holdout juror, said last week that he had no doubts about Clancy’s guilt, rejecting the position taken by the other jurors

“The inquiry will not touch the substance of deliberations,” the motion states.

It remains uncertain whether the jury’s decision—or the circumstances surrounding the deadlock—could ultimately be challenged.

Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, acknowledged killing her three children but argued that she should be found not guilty by reason of insanity because she was experiencing postpartum psychosis at the time.

Eleven jurors accepted that explanation for the killings. Desronvil did not.

After the mistrial was declared, several jurors publicly accused Desronvil of refusing to seriously engage with their arguments. Some characterized his conduct as “arrogant.”

Paula Devlin, 65, told the Daily Mail that Desronvil’s explanations for his guilty vote “made no sense” when jurors challenged him. She also said he remained “quiet” for much of the weeklong deliberations.

According to Devlin, he appeared more concerned with controlling the tone of the group’s conversations than explaining why he remained convinced that Clancy was guilty.

Clancy admitted killing her three children but argued that postpartum psychosis left her legally insane at the time of the attacks

Fellow juror Paula Devlin, 65, told the Daily Mail that the holdout juror made 'no sense' when pressed on his reasons for his vote and was 'quiet' for most of the week-long deliberations.

Juror Paula Devlin, 65, said Desronvil’s reasoning “made no sense” when questioned and that he remained “quiet” through much of the weeklong deliberations

“The main thing he focused on was that sometimes we would all want to talk at once, and that was very upsetting to him.

‘He would get upset and say, ”Listen to what she’s saying, listen to what he’s saying, be respectful’.”

‘We were trying to say to him, that sometimes somebody says something and they get lost in their thought or they can’t find the right word, and somebody else puts that word in there for them or finishes their thought, that’s how normal conversation works.

‘But when that would happen, he would get upset and just take all this time lecturing us about not being respectful.’

Devlin also claimed the holdout rarely fraternized with the group during the trial, instead preferring to speak to his wife or watch videos on his phone.

She said the 11 jurors who decided Clancy was not guilty of murder or manslaughter in the deaths of her kids felt ‘defeat’ and ‘anger’ when the mistrial was declared.

Meanwhile, the father of the three slain children, Patrick Clancy, revealed on Sunday that he suffered a panic attack and ended up needing medical treatment while giving grueling testimony at his ex-wife’s trial.

The grieving father sat down with 60 Minutes to share his heartbreak over the deaths of his three children Cora, five, Dawson, three and Callan, eight months old, as well as the toll that their mother’s trial took on him.

Cora, five; Dawson, three; and Callan, eight months, were found strangled to death at their home in Duxbury, Massachusetts on January 24, 2023

Cora, five; Dawson, three; and Callan, eight months, were found strangled to death at their home in Duxbury, Massachusetts on January 24, 2023 

Patrick was one of the key witnesses in the case, testifying to Clancy’s spiraling mental health and describing the moment that he returned home to find his children dead.

Throughout his hours-long testimony, the Daily Mail saw the 38-year-old struggling to contain his emotions, physically trembling, taking deep breaths and wiping away tears as he relived the painful memories from that day in January 2023.

Speaking about the ordeal to 60 Minutes, Patrick shared that he had experienced a ‘massive, traumatic panic attack’ during a recess in proceedings inside Plymouth County Superior Court, Massachusetts.

‘We did take a break right before they played the 911 call, which I knew was going to be just horrific,’ he said.

‘And I went to a back room, and I started having this massive, traumatic panic attack. My heart was pounding.’

Patrick said he was put in an ambulance and offered medication, but turned it down, insisting he wanted to resume testifying.

‘I said “I don’t want it because I want to go back and I want to finish this so I can be done with this,”‘ he said of that moment. ‘And I went back and I finished the testimony.’

Haiti President Jovenel Moïse Assassination Suspects Transferred to Miami Over Alleged COVID Fraud Funding Scheme

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Eighteen people accused of playing a role in the brazen 2021 killing of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse arrived in the United States Sunday to face federal prosecution. Fox News cameras captured their landing in Miami.

Exclusive video showed the defendants leaving a U.S. military aircraft in shackles as FBI and Department of Homeland Security agents escorted them across the tarmac. Their transfer represents a significant development in the international investigation into the plot that ended with Moïse being shot inside his private residence.

“Today, the FBI and our interagency partners executed the largest foreign transfer of custody in FBI history,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement to News Media. He described the operation as the latest step in an 18-month effort to locate high-value suspects around the world and bring them to the United States to face justice.

FBI agents escort 18 assassination plot suspects

FBI and Department of Homeland Security agents escort 18 suspects accused in the assassination plot on the Miami tarmac Sunday. (Fox News Channel)

Moïse, who was 53, was fatally shot in July 2021 at his home in the hills overlooking Port-au-Prince. His death created a deep political vacuum in Haiti and further strengthened the position of powerful armed groups operating across the country.

FBI Miami said the defendants, who include Haitian and Colombian nationals, were transferred from Haitian custody to face charges in the U.S. Prosecutors claim American jurisdiction because much of the alleged conspiracy was planned and funded in South Florida.

According to federal prosecutors, fraudulent COVID-19 PPP loans helped finance the deadly scheme. A five-year investigation involving 30 people charged with related offenses found that businesses in Florida allegedly obtained taxpayer-backed funds and used them to acquire firearms, tactical gear and Colombian fighters involved in the attack on Moïse.

The federal case includes allegations of conspiracy to kill or kidnap someone abroad and wire fraud. Prosecutors also say some members of the operation impersonated U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents to gain entry to the Haitian president’s residence.

MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO STEALING OVER $1M IN PPP LOANS FOR SUPPOSED AMATEUR BASKETBALL LEAGUE

he arrival of 18 suspects in the 2021 killing of Haitian President Jovenel Moise

Fox News cameras recorded the arrival in Miami of 18 suspects accused in the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. (Fox News Channel)

As the suspects reached Miami, Department of Justice prosecutors unsealed an indictment describing an extensive conspiracy. The court filing says the operation was initially intended to overthrow Moïse by force but eventually turned into a plan to assassinate him.

“This was really about greed,” Brett Skiles, the FBI’s special agent in charge in Miami, told Fox News. He said the suspects had business interests in the United States and believed regime change in Haiti would help them secure profitable government contracts.

The defendants were scheduled to appear for the first time in federal court in Miami on Monday morning. Since cameras are not allowed inside federal courtrooms, the footage from the airport provides the only public images of the suspects entering U.S. custody.

“This assassination plot was planned, financed, conspired, here in Miami,” Jason Reding Quiñones, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, told Fox News. He said the prosecution seeks accountability not only for the alleged murder plot but also for the use of government funds to support it through fraud.

exclusive tarmac video serves as the only visual of the suspects entering U.S. custody

The defendants were expected to make their first federal court appearance in Miami Monday at 10 a.m. ET. Because cameras are prohibited inside federal courtrooms, the exclusive tarmac footage is the only visual record of their arrival in U.S. custody. (Fox News Channel)

Four alleged leaders of the 2021 assassination conspiracy were convicted in Miami in May and could receive life sentences.

During a nine-week federal trial, prosecutors argued that the men recruited roughly two dozen former Colombian soldiers and provided them with financing, firearms, ammunition and tactical vests.

“When you pick up the phone and engage with foreign partners at a historic level, as we’ve done — a 400% increase these last 18 months — this is what happens,” Patel said in his statement.

He also thanked FBI Miami for leading the investigation and praised the law enforcement agencies that carried out the transfer.

Haitian Justice Minister Patrick ​Pelissier confirmed in a statement that suspects had been transferred from Haiti to the US, adding that Haitian judicial proceedings had been delayed.

“While the American procedure has recorded significant progress, notably arrests, prosecutions, and ​convictions, the Haitian procedure remains confronted with major difficulties and has not, to date, resulted ​in a trial being held, after five years of proceedings,” Pelissier said.

In ⁠Haiti, prominent human rights activist Pierre Espérance said that the slow pace of the Haitian case and the transfer of the 18 suspects to the U.S. was a “disgrace for the Haitian ⁠justice system.”

He ​argued for strengthening the country’s justice system to allow ​for such complex cases to be tried inside Haiti, rather than sending them to the U.S. for prosecution.