Remains identified nearly 13 years after Molly Miller and Colt Haynes vanished

CNN Newsource on April 7, 2026

By Jason Burger

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    LOVE COUNTY, Oklahoma (KOCO) — After nearly 13 years, two Oklahoma families received some sense of closure.

The Chickasaw Lighthorse Police Department and the Bureau of Indian Affairs announced that human remains found earlier this year have been positively identified as Molly Miller, who was 17 at the time, and Colt Haynes, who was 21.

Miller and Haynes disappeared after a police chase in July 2013 in southern Oklahoma, but it wasn’t until February 2026 that human remains were found near where the chase ended.

“We never quite ruled it out, and we wanted to make sure we didn’t leave any stone unturned,” said William Horton, regional agent in charge of the BIA Missing and Murdered Unit.

This summer will mark 13 years since Miller and Haynes went missing. Miller is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation.

Their remains were found in Love County near the intersection of Oswalt Road and Long Hollow Road, northwest of Marietta.

“Back in 2013, this is the area that was associated with where the vehicle had crashed that Molly and Colt were last seen in,” Horton said.

While further location details weren’t disclosed, Horton said the two sets of remains were found in relatively close proximity.

“The area itself is very dense in vegetation, so it’s hard to traverse, and that’s one of the biggest difficulties we had, and I’m sure it’s the biggest difficulty they had in 2013 also,” Horton said.

Miller and Haynes were both passengers in a vehicle driven by a third man, James “Conn” Nipp, who was charged in connection to the chase. No one was ever charged for the disappearances of Miller and Haynes.

“The Chickasaw Nation, the FBI, Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Oklahoma Highway Patrol and Texas Search and Rescue,” Horton said.

In 2016, an investigation unfolded into the Love County Sheriff at the time, Joe Russell, who was Nipp’s uncle. Russell faced corruption allegations and later pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor after two felony counts against him were dismissed.

Russell resigned from his position as Love County sheriff when he was charged with two felonies, and Miller and Haynes were still missing.

“Any suspects or anything of that nature, I’m not able to comment on because of the open investigation,” Horton said.

In a statement, District Attorney Melissa Handke said in part, “I have been in contact with the Attorney General’s Office, and will be moving forward with this case. Once the investigation has been concluded, and the final report submitted to my office, I will present the case to the Multi-County Grand Jury for formal charges.”

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.

Teacher accused in child sex abuse case denied request to lower his bond

CNN Newsource on April 7, 2026

By Erin Lowrey

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    NEW ORLEANS (WDSU) — A former Isidore Newman School teacher who has been arrested multiple times in connection with an investigation linked to child sexual abuse material has had his bond denied.

Benoit Cransac has a total $8 million bond in connection with the case. He is facing 60 counts of unlawful deepfakes, 22 counts of child sex abuse material, and 17 counts of video voyeurism of a child under 17.

The judge said even if Cransac was released on bond, there would be no way to monitor his use of AI software. The judge said the only way to prevent his access is by holding him in jail.

The state also argued that Cransac has been trying to contact teachers at Isidore Newman.

Cransac’s attorney argued that he is diabetic and should have a lower bond, but the state argued that there are jail call recordings proving he is getting great treatment and is checked twice a day for his diabetes.

He was arrested earlier this year by Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigation agents on the Isidore Newman School campus.

Cransac, a French national with legal residence in the United States, remains in custody at the Orleans Justice Center.

Dale Smith, the Head of School for Isidore Newman, issued the following statement regarding the new charges:

“Dear Newman Families, The authorities have informed us that new charges have been filed against former employee, Benoit Cransac. In addition to the charges shared in our last communication, the authorities have added 60 counts of unlawful deepfakes from photos of teenage girls found on social media. We are unaware of the identities of the teenage girls in the deepfakes. We continue to cooperate fully with the authorities and have an open line of communication with the agents managing the investigation. Given the ongoing criminal investigation, there are limitations to our communication. If you have relevant information or questions, please contact the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation directly at (225) 326-6100. We continue to monitor and address the situation with the seriousness it deserves. We understand the unsettling nature of this development. If you or your children need support, please reach out directly to a school leader or one of our counselors.”

Earlier reports: Court records show that an investigation began into Cransac’s activity in August 2025 after agents received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that led to the arrest.

Records show Google identified 12 files associated with Cransac online. The images, which depicted inappropriate pictures of girls, were dated March 2025.

Google provided the user information associated with the files, which was Cransac’s email.

Investigators were able to trace the IP address to his wife’s Cox Communications account.

Court records show images of Cransac described as “selfies” were found in his Google account, which were then compared to his French passport and his marriage license to confirm his identity.

Investigators also found an additional 14 images and one video in his account that were not included in the original tip.

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Man charged with killing wife: ‘That man took everything from everybody’

CNN Newsource on April 7, 2026

By James Stratton

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    KENOSHA, Wisconsin (WISN) — Prosecutors filed new charges against 33-year-0ld Marckus Plaza, accused of killing his estranged wife, Makayla Plaza, in Kenosha on April 1.

Plaza faces a first-degree intentional homicide charge and two felony counts of causing mental harm to a child. Prosecutors also charged him with misdemeanor counts of entry into a building and resisting or obstructing an officer.

All of it, related to the killing of Makayla, on April 1. Police said he led them on a 30-hour manhunt after the killing. Police arrested him after they said they found him in the basement of a salon near 75th Street and 23rd Avenue in Kenosha.

Residents had been asked to shelter in place during the search.

Police found Plaza’s estranged wife stabbed to death inside a home near 75th Street and 22nd Avenue. Police say they responded to the home on the morning of April 1, and he wouldn’t let them in. A criminal complaint said officers then went to the back of the home and saw him dragging a body in the basement.

On Monday, a court commissioner ruled Plaza be held on a $2 million bond.

“He should never be able to get out on bond and never see his children again. I can’t believe you,” Makayla’s mother said in court Monday.

“I tried so hard to help her escape his clutches, his abuse, his mistreatment,” said Makayla’s boyfriend, Korey Williams. “Everything that man put her through, I want him to feel the same fear she did that night.”

Prosecutors say a friend got a call from Makayla on the morning of April 1. That friend, according to the criminal complaint, called police fearing Makayla was in danger. In a recorded phone call with the friend, prosecutors say they can hear Makayla screaming “help,” and saying “let go of me” and “I’m sorry.” Prosecutors say Marckus can be heard saying, “Nope. It’s too late for that.”

Prosecutors say they interviewed one of the kids the pair shared, who told them “she got dead,” referring to his mother. Prosecutors say the kid had blood splatter on his clothing and “my dad do it” saying he used a knife.

Documents obtained by WISN 12 News show a Kenosha County court commissioner denied Makayla Plaza a temporary restraining order against her estranged husband in February.

Prosecutors also filed misdemeanor charges against Plaza in a separate case from February. In that case, according to a criminal complaint, Plaza shared private photos of Makayla’s boyfriend on his Snapchat and then fought him. Plaza faces misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct, battery and publishing private representation without consent. A commissioner set his bail at $2,500 in that case.

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Live mortar round dug up in yard, bomb squad responds

CNN Newsource on April 7, 2026

By Cecilio Padilla

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    SACRAMENTO, California (KOVR) — Bomb squad crews and the U.S. Air Force responded to a Sacramento County home after an apparent unexploded ordnance was found in the yard over the weekend.

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office says North Patrol deputies responded Sunday after a homeowner’s son uncovered what appeared to be a mortar round while digging in the yard.

Residents in the immediate area were evacuated, and the sheriff’s office’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal team was called to the scene.

Deputies say the U.S. Air Force was also called in after the item’s legitimacy was confirmed.

The item was indeed a live 81 mm mortar, the sheriff’s office says. Crews were able to remove and safely destroy it.

Authorities did not speculate where the live mortar came from, but residents say unexploded ordnance has turned up in the area for years following the 1973 Roseville yard disaster.

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Florida college student accused of burying her newborn baby turns herself in

CNN Newsource on April 7, 2026

By Madilyn Destefano

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    FLAGLER COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — Anne Mae Demegillo, accused of giving birth at home, watching the baby die and burying it in the backyard of her family’s home, surrendered herself to jail on Monday, said her attorney Michael Politis.

According to Politis, Demegillo was originally charged with aggravated manslaughter but has now been indicted on first-degree murder charges, and her previous bond was revoked.

Demegillo is scheduled to appear in court at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

She is also charged with aggravated child abuse and failure to report a death with the intent to conceal it or alter the circumstances surrounding such death, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said.

This all comes after a newborn was found dead in a shallow grave after deputies said the 20-year-old college student delivered the baby at home before watching it die.

According to FCSO, Demegillo then allegedly put the baby in a duffel bag in her closet to attend a theater performance at her college.

Another person called 911 and said the woman had told them she was secretly pregnant, gave birth, and did something to the baby.

Deputies went to the home near the intersection of Florida Park Drive and Forest Hill Drive for a welfare check early Friday morning, where they found the woman and located the baby.

Chief Deputy Joe Barile of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said, “It baffles me, to be completely honest. Sometimes, you can’t explain everything.”

The State Attorney’s Office released the following statement Monday shortly after Demegillo’s arrest:

“The Flagler County Grand Jury heard the case of Anne Mae Demegillo today. The defendant is accused of giving birth to a baby and leaving her in the toilet to die on March 5, 2026.

The indictment was handed down this afternoon. The defendant was charged with First-Degree Murder, Aggravated Child Abuse, and Failure to Report Death of a Person with Intent to Conceal the Death or Alter the Evidence or Circumstances Surrounding Such Death.

The case was investigated by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant State Attorney Andrew Urbanak is the prosecutor assigned to the case.”

Not long after, FCSO issued another release, which included the following:

“On April 6, a grand jury handed down a ‘true bill’ of first-degree premeditated murder, aggravated child abuse, and failure to report the death of a person with intent to conceal the death or alter the evidence or circumstances surrounding such death following the death of Demegillo’s newborn girl on March 6.

In the month-long investigation, detectives uncovered additional facts, including searches on Demegillo’s phone for “newborn premature babies,” “Palm Coast OBGYN,” and “foods to decrease fertility.” Also located on her phone were images of Casey Anthony and newborn babies, which suggest searches on the death of a child and subsequent investigation…

Demegillo turned herself in at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and will be held on no bond pending a court hearing.”

>> This is a developing story and will be updated as new information is released.

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Court docs detail stalking, child sexual exploitation accusations against ex-Bonner Springs detective

CNN Newsource on April 7, 2026

By Chloe Godding

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    Kansas (KMBC) — Newly released court documents shed new light on the stalking and exploitation allegations against a former Bonner Springs Police Department detective.

Kyle Rector, 39, was arrested by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and charged in March. He was charged with 18 offenses, including multiple counts of sexual exploitation of a child, stalking, breach of privacy, official misconduct and unlawful computer acts.

Authorities said he was suspected of using department resources to stalk his spouse.

Rector’s employment was terminated Jan. 26.

Court documents released April 6 detailed the allegations and evidence uncovered by special agents.

The KBI investigation began shortly after Rector was terminated. Police officials contacted the KBI, notifying them he had been let go after they discovered he used law enforcement technology and equipment to stalk his wife and two men.

Court documents said Rector used license plate readers, information databases, remote computer access and “numerous” other internet resources to gain personal information about his wife and the two others. His wife told agents that she had been separated from Rector since November 2025.

In a previous incident in January, his wife noticed something strange about her bedroom light switch. Police came to look and discovered a handmade video recording device, court documents said. She applied for and received a Protection from Stalking Order the next day.

Rector also allegedly used his department-issued Ford Explorer to track the three victims on days when he was working as well as on days off. Court documents said he made dozens of searches on databases and used license plate reader technology “unlawfully,” using his department-issued cellphone and computer.

A search warrant of Rector’s police bag was executed on Feb. 6. Inside, agents discovered laptops, more than a dozen flash drives, multiple phones and recording devices, according to court documents. Some of the flash-drive-like items looked like regular flash drives, but when plugged in, they had the ability to access passwords and data.

During the investigation, agents spoke with Rector’s wife, who told them she noticed a “suspicious icon” on her and her daughter’s computer, which she recognized as a program for remote access. The Secret Service was able to confirm that her computer had been remotely accessed when she was asleep, according to court documents.

On Feb. 12, a search warrant was executed to review the contents of the devices found in Rector’s bag. Multiple images of child sexual abuse material were discovered, court documents said. Videos and photos were found of his spouse from various occasions, including several instances where he “appears to be hiding.”

Also discovered were inappropriate videos of himself, including one of him in uniform from 2017, when he was not with the Bonner Springs Police Department.

On March 17, Rector’s wife contacted KBI, saying her neighbors had seen Rector in the area, repeatedly driving past her residence. This was while the protection order was in effect. When neighbors tried to confront Rector, he reportedly drove away.

Rector appeared in court for the first time on March 31. He is due back in court in May.

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$8K worth of supplies stolen from boy scout troop

CNN Newsource on April 7, 2026

By Rachel Whelan

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    FAIRFIELD, Ohio (WLWT) — An Ohio Boy Scout troop is working to rebuild after thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment was stolen.

Roger Noe, the scoutmaster of Troop 902, said he got the call last Wednesday that the troop’s trailer had been broken into outside the Optimist Club building in Fairfield.

“At first, I was hoping it was an April Fool’s joke,” Noe said.

But when he arrived, it was clear it wasn’t.

The troop’s trailer had been forced open, and nearly everything inside was gone — about $7,500 worth of camping and cooking equipment, including tents, lanterns and stoves.

The loss hits especially hard because of how the gear was purchased.

“They fundraised for a year and a half to buy these new tents, and now they’re all gone,” Noe said.

The equipment supports everything the troop does — from fish fry fundraisers to camping trips and backpacking adventures for kids ages 10 to 17.

“It’s all to teach kids,” Noe said. “Camping, being outdoors, working together — those are life lessons.”

Noe said breaking the news to the scouts wasn’t easy.

“Kind of broke my heart,” he said.

The troop had just moved into the Optimist Club building in Fairfield weeks earlier, hoping to grow their program and reach more kids in the community.

Instead, they’re now starting over.

But just days after the theft, the community stepped in.

Members of the Fairfield Optimist Club presented the troop with a donation of more than $3,000.

Club president Dennis Tingley said the decision came quickly after members learned what happened.

“We had a brief discussion, passed the hat, and were able to raise the funds,” Tingley said.

Tingley said many members felt a personal connection to the cause.

“A lot of us were scouts too, myself included,” he said.

While the donation doesn’t cover the full loss, it’s a major step toward getting the troop back on track.

For Noe, the goal goes far beyond replacing equipment.

“Growing up is camping … hanging out with your buddies … sleeping under the stars,” he said. “That’s the memories I want to create for these kids.”

The troop has set up a GoFundMe to help replace the remaining equipment ahead of their summer camping plans.

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Property manager wanted, accused of stealing thousands of dollars for trips, plastic surgery

CNN Newsource on April 7, 2026

By Tyler Watkins

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    MARTIN COUNTY, Florida (WBBH) — A Martin County property manager is wanted after she was accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the county’s homeowners’ associations.

The Martin County Sheriff’s Office said Alexandra Delacaridad Gonzalez was employed by Avant-Garde Property Management.

Deputies said she wrote checks to herself from HOA accounts that she managed and concealed the thefts by creating fake invoices and false ledger entries.

Gonzalez also reportedly forged the signatures of authorized account holders.

According to MCSO, she used the stolen funds for expenses such as shopping, plastic surgery, and vacations.

The HOAs identified the suspected fraud and reported it to the sheriff’s office. MCSO said the identified victims include the Whitemarsh Reserve Homeowners Association and The Dunes of Hutchinson Island.

Gonzalez has warrants for two counts of fraud exceeding $50,000, two counts of grand theft, 61 counts of uttering false instruments, and 59 counts of embezzlement. Her total bond has been set at $1,350,000.

Deputies believe Gonzalez may currently be in the Miramar or Vero Beach area.

MCSO asked anyone with information on Gonzalez’s whereabouts, or if you believe your HOA might have been a victim of similar activity, to contact the sheriff’s office at (772)220-7000.

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School buses stocked with lifesaving kits

CNN Newsource on April 7, 2026

By Olivia Tyler

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    MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (KCCI) — All Marshalltown School District buses and vans are now equipped with Stop the Bleed kits, thanks to the Marshall County Public Health Department.

The kits include a tourniquet, pressure bandage, gauze, nitrile gloves, trauma shears, marker and a step-by-step instruction card.

The kits are portable first-aid kits designed to treat injuries from car accidents, stabbings, and even gunshot wounds.

There are 86 bus drivers and assistants in the school district. All of them are getting mandatory training on how to use the kits from Marshall County Emergency Management.

“Our buses are out on the roads, in town, out of town, and come across a lot of things, accidents, and we’re trying to prepare them for any emergency. And we’re fortunate enough to have a great partner in the city and the county,” said Rex Kozak, Transportation Director for Marshalltown School District.

Through grants from the federal government, the county’s public health department received $30,000 to put toward the kits.

“It’s important for our rural counties to have these as well. They transport a lot of kids. They have to travel at least an hour to an hour and a half to a lot of sporting events. So, to have those in the event of an emergency is pertinent,” said Sydney Grewell, Marshall County Public Health Director.

Grewell says they’ll be using the grant money to equip two other school districts in the next few months.

The Marshalltown School District says it hopes it never has to use the kits, but in case it does, now all drivers will be prepared.

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Michigan man charged with kidnapping following Amber Alert for 12-year-old Iowa girl

CNN Newsource on April 7, 2026

By KCCI staff

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    WATERLOO, Iowa (KCCI) — A 23-year-old Michigan man is facing multiple felony charges after a missing 12-year-old from Iowa was safely located within an hour of an Amber Alert being issued, authorities said.

The Waterloo Police Department requested the statewide Amber Alert on Sunday after the child was reported missing in Waterloo. According to police, the case developed rapidly when investigators were notified that the suspect’s vehicle had been found in Coloma Township, Michigan.

Law enforcement officers located the child in the vehicle and confirmed the child was safe.

Following an investigation, Waterloo police charged Daniyal Khan, 23, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, in connection with the incident. He faces charges of second-degree kidnapping, indecent contact with a child and sexual exploitation of a minor.

Khan was taken into custody and booked into the Berrien County Jail, where he remains held.

Authorities said no additional details are being released at this time as the investigation remains ongoing.

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