Author: CNN Newsource

By Joe Holden

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    OLNEY, Pennsylvania (KYW) — Raymond “R.C.” Horsch, who lived at the so-called “house of horrors” in Philadelphia’s Olney neighborhood until he died in 2025, was as intelligent as he was a monster and preyed on vulnerable women, many of whom struggled with addiction, law enforcement sources said.

Dr. Geri-Lynn Utter, a licensed clinical psychologist who grew up in Kensington, said her review of the case reveals Horsch was a predator with a pattern of sadistic sexual behavior and violence.

“He is an individual that has a history of anger, a seething anger that brews in the background all the time,” Utter said. “He is also someone who likes to be in control.”

On Wednesday, Philadelphia police announced that seven women in total have been linked to the home Horsch lived in at 417 West Chew Ave.

Five of them, including Gabrielle Amarando, are feared dead based on video evidence reviewed by police. In one video, police allege Horsch strangled a woman with a zip tie.

A photo of Amarando now lies on the top step at 417 West Chew Avenue with a message: “Gabby, your family loves you so much. We are always here for you.”

Outside the Olney home, the mood was filled with sadness and distress.

Diane Maddox brought the flowers meant for her own mother’s grave and placed them instead beneath crime scene tape at the Olney home.

Diane Maddox brought the flowers meant for her own mother’s grave and placed them instead beneath crime scene tape at the Olney home.

“Unfortunately, this is a preying ground for people who are sociopaths, generally speaking, and want to hurt women,” Utter said.

It’s unclear when Philadelphia police will provide another update. An attorney for Eugene Horsch has declined to comment.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Jennifer McLogan

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    LONG ISLAND, New York (WCBS) — The ground beneath a Long Island woman opened up, swallowing her into the earth below.

Danielle Tammone spent several terrifying minutes in a hole in her quiet residential Bohemia backyard Thursday.

Tammone said she suddenly found herself 8 feet underground in her backyard. Her dog Daisy anxiously looked on.

She screamed for help, asking if anyone was there.

“People suffocate and they die, so I thought that at first,” she said.

It happened on her 47th birthday. Tammone thinks she was trapped for about 30 minutes.

“It’s my birthday. This might be my death date,” Tammone said. “I couldn’t breathe well, because I was gasping, and scared and crying.”

Tammone said she wasn’t sure if she had been swallowed into a water well, cesspool or sump.

“I was trying to put my legs up to get out, but the stone was crumbling down,” she said.

Fortunately, her screams and cries for help were heard by neighbors. One neighbor happened to walk onto her porch as another was getting into her car. They both heard the screams and came running.

“The two women, Maggie and Christine,” Tammone said.

“At first, we thought she was in the shed or something. We were not looking on the ground,” Christine Chanowsky said.

Initially, they couldn’t figure out where her cries for help were coming from.

“And they said keep screaming, don’t stop screaming,” Tammone said.

Their discovery of Tammone was caught on video.

“Oh my God, she fell into the ground,” one said. “We are on the phone with 911.”

“You’re going to be fine, Danielle. They are on their way,” said the other.

Emergency responders used a ladder to get through mud, water and roots to rescue Tammone.

“Firemen, cops, ambulance, special unit, EMTs – they were wonderful,” she said. “I was tearing up. I was crying. As soon as she got out of the hole, just gave her the biggest hug,” Chanowsky said.

Tammone, a licensed physical therapist, is now working on her own recovery. Despite whiplash and pulled muscles, Tammone said she is overcome with gratitude.

“And they all sang happy birthday to me. It was great,” Tammone said.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Paul Burton

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — Former Methuen, Massachusetts, police chief Joseph Solomon pleaded guilty to the 17 charges read against him including perjury and fraud on Friday inside Essex Superior Court. The 65-year-old was sentenced to two and a half years in the House of Corrections, 30 days to serve, and the balance suspended for three years.

“This gives certainty and finality for the cloud that has hung over not only the Methuen Police Department, but the entire community,” said Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker. “That ends today.”

Prosecutors say he misused his position as chief to appoint unqualified police officers and tried to cover up the lack of qualifications. Solomon, whose salary was $183,000 a year, will also forfeit his city pension, his license to carry a firearm, and his private investigator’s license.

“This notion of 30 days served in my opinion is an outrage. However, we are at a place where we are achieving accountability for the crimes that have been committed,” said Methuen Mayor D.J. Beauregard. “I will say, regarding the pension, as I stated previously, this is anticipated to save the city millions of dollars.”

This all dates back to 2015, when Solomon was Methuen’s police chief. Prosecutors say he repeatedly used his position to undermine the law for his own benefit including hiring six part-time officers and then appointing them to full-time department roles.

“The defendant gave these full-time intermittent positions to persons with family and political connections, to employees of the defendant’s personal business,” a prosecutor said.

Solomon pleaded guilty to two counts of perjury by written affidavit, seven counts of obtaining unwarranted privileges in violation of civil service laws, six counts of civil service law violations, uttering a forged document, and procurement fraud.

Solomon was police chief from 2002 to 2021. On Friday, his family left the courthouse without saying a word.

“This closes a very dark chapter in the history of the Methuen Police Department,” said acting Methuen Police Chief James Moore.

The city plans to use every legal avenue possible to try and recover the $1 million in funds already paid out to Solomon from his pension, but gave no indication how long that would take.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Christa Delcamp

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    MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (WMUR) — As students head back to school, artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the educational environment they’re encountering, but some teachers are pushing back against the technology.

Like much of higher education, the University of New Hampshire is navigating the shifting academic landscape in the age of AI.

“AI papers have no grammatical errors, no argument and no soul,” said history professor Kurk Dorsey.

“When I read the paper, it’s a little bit like looking at a Van Gogh that also has some Rembrandt in it,” said history chair Molly Dorsey. “It doesn’t fit.”

The professors said AI writing as a substitute for student work has been easy to spot, so far. But it’s getting tougher to call out.

“AI would hallucinate citations. But AI is getting better,” Kurk Dorsey said. “And we understand that AI is getting to a place where it can imitate the kind of mistakes students make, which makes it increasingly hard to both be sure that the student has used AI, but also to do something about it. If the student denies it, it’s hard to prove.”

They’ve both increasingly turned to old-school assessments, such as one-to-one oral exams and writing tests with no screens and no keyboards.

“Work on your handwriting, because at the freshman level, we have decided – most of my colleagues have decided – that assigning papers is a challenge,” Kurk Dorsey said. “It’s almost impossible to use AI to write a blue book exam. And so, this is the way we want to test our students, have them write in class.”

“The mechanical effort of writing for that long is hard,” Molly Dorsey said.

“I would actually have one-on-one conversations instead of a written test with children, because if they can explain it to me, then I knew they knew it,” said Megan Tuttle, president of the NEA-New Hampshire.

The president of New Hampshire’s largest teachers union said she’s getting similar feedback from K-12 educators.

“There’s districts in New Hampshire who have already gone back to turning in assignments not on the Chromebook,” she said. “And I’ve been told that the turn-in rate has actually increased.”

This summer, the Department of Education launched a broader, statewide school screen time task force to help assess the benefits and drawbacks of their use in class.

“We are being flooded with edtech companies saying, ‘We have this amazing tool for you,’ and I’m just not ready to trust that yet,” said Concord High School English teacher Heidi Crumrine.

Crumrine, a former state educator of the year, said she sees parallels with artificial intelligence.

“I think that we will grow to regret it if we don’t develop thoughtful policy,” she said. “If we don’t jump on every AI train that comes in front of us the way that edtech companies are really loving to do right now. I even read an article called ‘Students are consumers,’ where a particular company said you’re not helping your consumers if you don’t teach them AI. And I push back on that. They’re not consumers. They’re children. They’re young people. They’re learning.”

Shawn Powers, senior director of AI policy at SNHU, is working with Phil Magnuszewski of the New Hampshire Tech Alliance AI task force. They said educators are calling for consistent AI standards.

“New Hampshire has a very interesting approach, in terms of more of a hands-off approach, in terms of what they’re dictating from a state level,” Magnuszewski said.

He said while employers demand AI literacy, critical thinking and curiosity come first.

At UNH, the Dorseys said that’s their ultimate goal.

“There are times when they’re going to need to be the value-added human to keep their jobs, to be a good citizen, to do anything else,” Molly Dorsey said. “They’re not going to turn to AI if their boss says, ‘Walk with me down the hall and tell me what you think about this project.'”

“They’re going to have to make a decision themselves. Make an argument, think of reasons right then. They have to be able to develop these skills, not just to use AI in a better way, but because they are still going to need to make `these decisions in their jobs, in their decisions about who should they vote for, when they read a newspaper article, when they have a conversation.”

The Tech Alliance AI Task Force hopes to present its findings at its innovation summit on Oct. 6.

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By Jay Motiwala

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    WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina (WXII) — Aidan Byrd, a Winston-Salem resident and former pediatric oncology patient, is volunteering at the same hospital where he received treatment 15 years ago, helping children facing cancer just as he once did.

“I couldn’t fathom the things I would accomplish in fifteen years as a survivor,” Byrd said.

In August 2011, Byrd was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, at just seven years old. The diagnosis turned his world upside down and required him to undergo chemotherapy.

“You’re being poisoned, just the nausea and the pain of the treatment itself,” Byrd said.

Byrd spent weekends and holidays in the hospital, enduring numerous procedures and undergoing about 20 surgeries to reach where he is today.

While undergoing treatment, Byrd developed a curiosity about the science and medicine behind his care.

“He offered his time to sit down with me and we looked at samples under the microscope,” Byrd said, referring to Dr. Thomas McLean, a pediatric oncologist at Atrium Health Levine Children’s Brenner Children’s Hospital. Byrd credits Dr. McLean with saving his life and inspiring his passion for medicine.

“Patients like Aidan are the reason why I do what I do, because we want these children to survive and thrive,” Dr. McLean said.

The relationship between doctor and patient has since grown into a mentorship.

“He told me he was studying science – (and was in) graduate school and thinking about medical school, it just warmed my heart,” Dr. McLean said.

While studying for his Medical College Admission Test, Byrd is volunteering at the hospital, helping children process their experiences through art and open conversations. He shared drawings he created during his treatment and others he made while helping kids years later.

“I can think of no better way, no better career, to give my life to than helping people,” Byrd said.

Byrd also treasures beads given to him by the hospital, each representing a day in the hospital, a surgery, or a procedure. The bead he received on his last day of chemotherapy holds the most meaning for him – which says ‘survivor.’

“I think it will be the most important title for me, for the rest of my life is survivor,” Byrd said.

Byrd’s story is especially significant during September, which is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, a time to spread awareness and support research for pediatric cancer.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Andrew Adams

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    WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (KSL) — Police on Thursday said they had reached a resolution in a 2005 cold case homicide and pointed to a longtime suspect who died in 2013.

Det. John Wells with West Valley City police said investigators had sufficient evidence and probable cause to believe Carl Swanigan was the primary suspect in the strangling death of Sheree Allen, and three separate reviews of the police investigation supported the department’s findings.

“It’s awesome to be able to say, ‘Hey, we have a resolution; we’ve had other people look at it that agree this is the information that we have,” Wells said during an interview with KSL.

The news was met with a positive response from Allen’s mother, who thanked detectives for their efforts.

“I feel happy, joyful, grateful,” the mother, Lillie Allen, said. “It’s been a long, hard journey, but it’s finally come to a close.”

Jan. 24, 2005 and the Investigation

Allen’s body was discovered in a dumpster on Jan. 24, 2005, by a man who was hunting for valuables.

Wells said Swanigan was Allen’s boyfriend and he was considered a prime suspect since early in the investigation.

“He was the last person to be with her, in addition to DNA evidence that tied into her as well,” Wells said.

Wells said investigators believed domestic violence abuse played a role in what happened.

“One of the witnesses spoken to back then talked about Sheree having injuries to her face that were caused by Carl,” Wells said. “There were specific threats made as well.”

Despite significant investigative efforts after the homicide was discovered, Wells said the case ultimately went cold.

He was assigned to pick up the case in 2023 and worked to eliminate other possible suspects while ensuring the forensic evidence was in order.

According to Wells, the detective met with the Sherry Black Foundation during a conference in 2024, and the organization connected him with two different experts to independently review the department’s findings.

Those reviewers concurred with police’s conclusions.

Wells said in recent weeks, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office also reviewed the case and supported the department’s findings.

“Based on the evidence presented to our office by the West Valley City Police Department, there is probable cause to believe Carl Swanigan is the primary suspect in the murder of Sheree Allen on January 24, 2005,” stated a letter from the DA’s office dated Sept. 4, 2026. “However, because Mr. Swanigan is now deceased, our office will not be filing charges against him for this alleged conduct.”

While prosecutors could not file charges, Wells said it was enough to close the case.

“It’s unfortunate it took so long, but I feel a tremendous sense of pride in both West Valley City Police Department, looking back at the many detectives who have worked on this case that we’re able to build on,” Wells said.

Sheree Allen family

Allen’s mother said 21 years after the homicide, she regularly pulls out pictures of Sheree and reflects.

“Oh, that was a little feisty, little girl,” Lillie Allen said. “She was a good lady. She would have given the shirt off of her back — she would have helped anybody.”

Lillie Allen said she and her family knew Swanigan well.

“I don’t understand it — I mean, we went to church together,” Allen said. “I don’t understand why he did what he did to her, my baby girl.”

Lillie Allen said she wasn’t aware of troubles at the time.

“If I had of known, I would have stepped in immediately and talked to her and talked to him, too, but I didn’t know,” the mother said. “From my understanding, she was getting ready to leave him, and he didn’t want that to happen.”

The mother lamented the fact that Swanigan passed before he faced justice.

“I have to live with it,” she said. “I’m not happy about it, but I’m happy that the closure came to the end, that I know that he did it, and I don’t have to look, wait for more years to find out who did it. It’s done, and it’s a sad, hurting thing.”

Lillie Allen said she was grateful to the efforts of detectives to finally reach a resolution in her daughter’s case.

“Twenty-one years waiting and hoping and praying and fussing and calling detectives, saying a few things I shouldn’t have said, but it got it done,” Allen said. “I appreciate them for doing that.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.