Man pleads guilty to killing 2 random people in front of their kids

CNN Newsource on September 30, 2025

By Adam Bartow

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    WESTBROOK, Maine (WMTW) — Marcel Lagrange pleaded guilty Monday to murdering two people in front of their children in downtown Westbrook in 2023, reversing a previous not criminally responsible plea.

Lagrange pleaded guilty to all six counts against him Monday, including two counts of intentional or knowing murder, one count of aggravated attempted murder, one count of aggravated assault, one count of criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon and one count of reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon.

Westbrook Police were called to the intersection of Main Street and Bridge Street around 8:30 p.m. on June 19, 2023. When they arrived, authorities say they saw Lagrange shoot and kill Brittney Cockrell outside of a car.

Inside the car, emergency responders later found 41-year-old Michael Hayter dead and two children, ages 7 and 11, who witnessed the shooting.

Court papers reveal that 11-year-old Mason told police that LaGrange shot at him but missed because the boy ducked.

Investigators say Lagrange did not know the victims.

On Aug. 31, 2023, when a judge asked how he was going plead, LeGrange said “I’m not guilty. Not guilty by reason of insanity.” His attorney also added at the time, “not criminally responsible.”

On Monday, Jeff McKinney, grandfather of the two children, was in the courtroom.

“I can’t imagine not being here. Brittany would want me to be here. Mike would want me to be here,” he said.

He told Maine’s Total Coverage that Lagrange should serve life in prison.

“Not that we are not capable of forgiving, but, you have to look at the level of crime committed here. There’s nothing less that will suffice,” said McKinney. “We trust in the truth and the light. And that’s the only reason I’m able to stand here and talk.”

Lagrange will be sentenced during another hearing later this year. The exact date was not set Monday.

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Teen becomes one of only two people in the nation to survive rare heart surgery and leave hospital

CNN Newsource on September 30, 2025

By Tia Maggio

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    SAVANNAH, Georgia (WJCL) — A Savannah teenager is making national medical history after surviving a surgery so rare that only one other person in the country has ever recovered well enough to leave the hospital.

18-year-old Andrew Miles, a recent high school graduate, was born with acute systolic heart failure — a condition that leaves the heart too weak to pump blood.

For years, doctors told his family a transplant wasn’t possible. Many turned him away. That changed when he met Dr. Mani Daneshmand, one of the inventors of the HeartMate 6 LVAD, a mechanical pump designed to replace the function of the failing heart.

“He took Andrew when nobody else would,” Amy Miles, Andrew’s mom, said, “It was our last resort – and he gave him a chance to live.”

Dr. Daneshmand explained how the breakthrough device worked in Andrew’s case.

“We used two pumps – one acting as the left ventricle, and one as the right – to provide him with all the blood flow he needed,” Dr. Daneshmand said.

The procedure is so complex that only a handful of hospitals in the country can perform it. Out of all the patients who have undergone the surgery, just two — including Andrew — have survived and been discharged from the hospital.

“I give Andrew most of the credit,” Dr. Daneshmand said, “He’s an incredibly strong young man who fought hard.”

For Miles, it’s more than a medical milestone — it’s a second chance at life.

“Nothing’s impossible,” Miles said, “At the end of the day, everything is going to work out. No matter the odds, just keep going.”

Andrew’s only limitation now is that he can’t swim. But he says he’s focused on moving forward — planning to get a service dog and making up for lost time with friends.

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After losing family home to Helene, couple finds wedding photo preserved in Bible

CNN Newsource on September 30, 2025

By Justin Berger

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    FAIRVIEW, North Carolina (WLOS) — A Fairview couple is counting their blessings despite losing a home to flooding along the Swannanoa River during Hurricane Helene.

“That’s sobering, to watch your house float away,” Stephen Todd said.

Before the Swannanoa River lifted the home located at 27 Driftwood Court off its foundation, it belonged to Todd’s father. When he died in the 1990s, Todd stayed, and a few years later, he met his wife, Theresa.

“After a three-week courtship, we got engaged, and in an additional five weeks, we were married,” Stephen Todd said.

Their first child was born in that home before the Todds moved to Fairview in the mid-90s. His stepmom remained in the home until shortly before Hurricane Hlene, but when the river rose, luckily, their home was vacant.

“I don’t know if I fully understand why it makes me sad because I haven’t lived there in a long time, we haven’t been there, but there are significant events,” Stephen Todd said. “We have pictures of our wedding rehearsal and the house that my father died in.”

Eleven houses were lost on Driftwood Court, and one man, Lyn McFarland, lost his life.

When the water settled, it was a mess of mud, trees and debris, but memories survived.

“I had a car down there, an old 1969 Mercedes and I ended up giving that to one of the people that helped us and in the process of cleaning the mud out of it he found a Bible that we had in there that had two pictures of us, one from our wedding day and one, we think, was at the one-year mark when we were eating the top of the wedding cake,” Todd said.

The Todds gave the car to the two volunteers from Calvary Chapel in Philadelphia.

“They opened the pages of the Bible and dried each page out very carefully and extracted these and carefully preserved them for us,” Theresa Todd said.

It turned out the pictures weren’t just inside the Bible, but “they have become part of the Bible itself.”

Their wedding photo is clearly visible behind the text.

“It’s from the Book of John. Chapters 12 and 13. Jesus washing the Disciples’ feet,” Theresa Todd said. “To me, that was a representation and confirmation of God’s protection over our marriage.”

Today, the scars of Hurricane Helene are still visible on the pine trees from where homes collided into them.

Stephen said he isn’t sure what they’ll do on his father’s property, but after 34 years of marriage, the Todds are treasuring every memory.

They’ll preserve this one in a frame and Bible verse.

“We’re not sure which one of us put the picture in the Bible, and it’s really irrelevant; we’re thankful to have found them,” Stephen said.

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Maryland high school senior and her mom shocked by surprise $40,000 scholarship

CNN Newsource on September 29, 2025

By Mary Eber

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    ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Maryland (WJZ) — Northeast High School seniors, in Anne Arundel County, thought Monday morning’s assembly was for them to learn about the college scholarship tool BigFuture, which they did, but the main purpose was to announce a $40,000 scholarship for one lucky senior.

That senior was Zhane Wiggins, and she was already on stage along with her fellow cheerleaders when the news that she was awarded $40,000 was announced.

BigFuture rewards Anne Arundel County student:

They kicked off the assembly with a cheer, and then the College Board of Maryland’s State and Strategic Partnerships Director, Joi Jones, gave a presentation about BigFuture. She shared how it’s a tool students can use to explore careers, plan for college, and search for scholarships.

Jones went on to tell seniors in the crowd that since 2019, hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of scholarships have been given away to students across the country.

In fact, students can earn entries to win $500 and $40,000 scholarships just by making an account and using the site, BigFuture.

“You won a $40,000 scholarship”

Jones said $500 scholarships had already gone to eight students in Anne Arundel County, but she said they’ve never had a winner from Northeast High School, until Monday.

“Is Zhane Wiggins, I think she’s on the stage, right? Jones asked. “Zhane, why don’t you walk up and join us?”

“She said my name and I was like, like I just completely froze,” Wiggins told WJZ after the assembly.

Jones announced, “Unfortunately, I’m not going to tell you, you won $500. You did not win $500. You won a $40,000 scholarship from BigFuture.”

Overjoyed mother:

The crowd erupted in cheers, and teens started chanting, “MVP, MVP, MVP!”

The most shocked in the crowd was Wiggins’ mom, Lakeshia Major, who, just like her daughter, had no clue this announcement was coming. She could be seen wiping tears away from her eyes after the news was shared.

“The audience heard me, I was like *gasps*, and then they said the amount,” said Major. “I just said, ‘Oh my God, oh my God.’ I started crying.”

Major was asked to come to the high school to provide feedback on the cheerleading program. She was told she’d be joined by other cheer parents, and while she was there, she could also attend the assembly to see her daughter perform.

By using BigFuture, Wiggins gained entries for the lottery to win scholarships in the monthly drawings. She had recently used the site to build a scholarship list after her teacher, Ms. Parker, showed her students during class.

“I was thinking that we have to start applying for scholarships,” Major said. “It’s senior year, we need to start looking at them. [I] didn’t know Ms. Parker was doing it for us. Much easier, but definitely, definitely amazing. What a blessing.”

“I was so shocked”

When Wiggins heard her name, she said she just froze. “I was so shocked, I was not expecting it at all,” she said.

She’s thinking about studying to become a physical therapist.

“It goes to show how much hard work pays off for students,” said Jones. “She did what she was supposed to do and she got the reward as a result.”

BigFuture has $4 billion worth of scholarships on the platform, along with their lottery scholarship drawings.

Any high school sophomore, junior or senior is eligible to win scholarship money through BigFuture during monthly drawings just for using the platform. You can learn more about BigFuture and start using it by visiting their website.

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Kevin Harrington
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Tortoise makes a break for it, found under peach tree enjoying a snack

CNN Newsource on September 29, 2025

By Sara Tenenbaum

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    Illinois (WBBM) — A quick response from Arlington Heights police helped catch as slow-moving culprit.

The owners of a 60-pound tortoise initially posted to a Palatine Facebook page that their pet had gone missing Saturday afternoon. The owner said he was last seen near Wilkie and Oakton.

Arlington Heights police posted a day later they had received a report of a large tortoise on the loose. They were able to respond quickly and found the runaway reptile near a peach tree, chowing down on peaches.

After he was done enjoying his snack, the officers captured him and reunited him with his owners.

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Elusive pig named Petey finds new home at farm sanctuary

CNN Newsource on September 29, 2025

By Jessica MacAulay

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    Pennsylvania (KYW) — A stray pig that’s been on the lam in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, for a month now has finally been brought to safety thanks to some hardworking community members.

The pig, who goes by the name Petey, was captured Saturday and brought to the Lancaster Farm Sanctuary in Mount Joy, where he’s currently decompressing and getting to know his new digs.

“He is exhausted and still not sure of his new life. He was captured near a very busy road and we can’t imagine how much time he has spent on high alert these past many weeks,” a social media post by the Lancaster Farm Sanctuary from Saturday read in part.

Lancaster County neighbors spotted Petey multiple times over the last several weeks, but were unable to secure him and get him to safety, despite their efforts. In a video capturing the highs and lows of Petey’s time on the run, the pig can be seen walking through neighbors’ yards, interacting with pets outside and running down paved paths.

Neighbors in the Bent Creek neighborhood set up a pen for Petey and trail cams to try to keep track of him, but the stray pig took off after a few weeks and was next found a couple of miles away in East Petersburg, Lancaster County.

The farm sanctuary said it took a patient resident named Karen, who spent time earning the pig’s trust by feeding and familiarizing herself with him, to get the ball rolling. Another East Petersburg resident, named Tom, helped set up a pen for Petey in Karen’s yard, where they ultimately contained the pig — the first step into his new life.

Members of the farm sanctuary then went to the Karen’s to transport Petey to his new home Saturday morning. Petey still needed to be neutered and given his vaccines, the farm sanctuary said.

“The first minute he arrived [at the Lancaster Farm Sanctuary] he went right to his bed and went to sleep. He just seemed so exhausted,” a post from the farm sanctuary on Sunday read in part. “But after getting about 24 hours of rest he started perking up.”

In this latest Petey update from Sunday, the pig is happily munching on some cookies being hand-fed to him.

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Fan who fell out of PNC Park stands appears in court to support friend accused of giving him alcohol

CNN Newsource on September 29, 2025

By Megan Shinn

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    PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — During the Pirates Cubs game on April 30th, Kavan Markwood fell 21 feet over the Clemente Wall in right field. Shortly after, his friend Ethan Kirkwood faced charges for allegedly giving the 20-year-old two beers at the time.

Markwood’s fall over the wall at PNC Park made national news, and this morning, inside Pittsburgh city court, Ethan Kirkwood appeared for a preliminary hearing.

Remarkably, Markwood was walking by his side, nearly five months after he fell two stories down to the field. Doctors told KDKA that Markwood sustained serious injuries to his skull, brain, spine, both sides of his ribs, and his lungs.

During an interview with Inside Edition earlier this month, Markwood said he wakes up with pain every day and can’t feel two of his fingers.

Kirkwood faced two misdemeanor counts of selling or furnishing alcohol to a minor. Now, after today’s court appearance, Kirkwood’s lawyer said one charge was waived, leaving only one misdemeanor.

Kirkwood faced these charges after police said he told them he bought drinks for Markwood while the two were at the game together. Kirkwood’s lawyer, William Stockey, said the two young men are like brothers, living together at times, since Markwood’s parents passed.

Neither man wanted to do an interview until the court proceedings were done.

In the meantime, seeing them side by side is a show of support amid a charge for giving alcohol to a minor who fell 21 feet and lived to tell the tale.

Kirkwood’s docket shows the next time he’s scheduled to be in court is November 13th.

Pirates say 20-year-old had 2 beers, did not buy them When Markwood fell from the Clemente Wall onto the field at PNC Park on a Wednesday night in April, a Pirates spokesperson told KDKA-TV that he showed no known signs of intoxication, but later learned through credit card receipts that one of the people in his group had legally purchased drinks four times.

With the purchase, the limit of two drinks at a time, the other fan bought four beers and three Surfsides, the club spokesperson said.

Aramark, the food service provider at PNC Park, said in a statement provided to CBS Pittsburgh, “We are committed to creating a fan experience that is both enjoyable and safe, and our long-standing alcohol compliance program is fundamental to that commitment. Our thoughts remain with the fan and his friends and family.”

Markwood’s road to recovery following fall Days after his fall, Markwood’s family posted an update to social media saying that he was “awake, alert, and able to speak.”

While they hailed his progress he made in a short time as “miraculous,” he still faced a long road.

That long road to recovery got shorter just days later when he took his first steps.

“Kav took his first steps today! It’s a slow, slow process, but seeing him up and moving was a huge win and definitely lifted everyone’s spirits,” Jennifer Phillips wrote in an update just days after the fall.

Markwood’s progress seemed to go from slow to fast quickly, according to his doctors.

“I’m happy to say that he’s progressed really, really well. He’s at a point now where he’s off the breathing machine, he’s out of the intensive care unit, and he’s preparing to move to the next step, which will be physical therapy rehab,” said Allegheny General Hospital Chief Medical Officer Dr. Al Philp. “Seeing him recover so quickly has really been gratifying, frankly, ahead of schedule from what we would have anticipated given the real severity of his injuries.”

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Police officers pull over Waymo robotaxi during DUI operation

CNN Newsource on September 29, 2025

By Tim Fang

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    California (KPIX) — A police department in the Bay Area said over the weekend that they dealt with an unusual circumstance, pulling over a driverless vehicle for a moving violation.

The San Bruno Police Department said they were conducting a grant-funded DUI enforcement operation when officers spotted a Waymo robotaxi making an illegal U-turn in front of them at a light. Officers pulled over the vehicle, which had no human driver behind the wheel.

“That’s right… no driver, no hands, no clue,” the department posted on social media on Saturday.

Police said since there was no human driver, a ticket could not be issued, saying their citation books “don’t have a box for ‘robot’.” Waymo, a subsidiary of Google parent company Alphabet, was contacted by officers.

In a statement to CBS News Bay Area on Sunday, a Waymo spokesperson said the autonomous driving system “is designed to respect the rules of the road.”

“We are looking into this situation and are committed to improving road safety through our ongoing learnings and experience,” the company added.

Police said there is legislation in the works that will allow officers to issue notices to driverless car companies.

San Bruno is among several communities along the Peninsula where Waymo operates. The self-driving robotaxis are also in operation in San Francisco and in parts of Silicon Valley.

Waymo plans to launch service to both San Francisco International Airport and San Jose Mineta International Airport in the coming months.

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Man tries using stolen credit card in police department lobby to pay for tow fees, police say

CNN Newsource on September 29, 2025

By Carlos E. Castañeda

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    California (KPIX) — A man was arrested at the Brentwood Police Department last week after allegedly trying to use a stolen credit card in the department lobby, police said.

The incident happened on Sept. 25 at about 11:30 a.m. at the department’s headquarters on Brentwood Boulevard and Guthrie Lane. Police said on a social media post that 36-year-old Pittsburg resident Adam Lew entered the lobby to pay for towing fees.

“To our surprise, Lew attempted to pay using a credit card that didn’t belong to him,” the caption on the post read.

Officers were quickly notified and immediately responded to the front lobby, placing Lew under arrest for allegedly using placed under arrest for alleged use of a stolen credit card.

Lew was also found to be in possession of drugs and burglary tools, police said. He was booked at the Martinez Detention Facility on a charge of felony petty theft with prior conviction, along with misdemeanor charges of fraudulent use of a credit card, drug possession, and possession of burglary tools.

Jail records show he is currently being held at the West County Detention Facility in Richmond on $20,000 bail.

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How rescued owls help Troy Nature Center teach about habitat conservation

CNN Newsource on September 29, 2025

By Meghan Daniels

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    TROY, Michigan (WXYZ) — Michigan is home to several species of owls, but their future depends on having the right habitats. From old trees with nesting cavities to quiet wooded areas, experts say these raptors rely on spaces that are disappearing across the state.

The Troy Nature Center is educating visitors about why protecting owl habitats is crucial to our ecosystem through hands-on encounters with rescued owls.

When you walk through the trails at the Troy Nature Center, you might not expect to come face-to-face with a great horned or screech owl. But staff say these raptors aren’t just crowd-pleasers—they’re teaching visitors why owls are so important to Michigan’s ecosystem.

“This is Rito. He is an eastern screech owl, and this is one of the most common species that you’re going to see living around your neighborhoods,” said Christina Funk, lead naturalist for the Stage Nature Center in Troy.

Rito and his fellow owl Sam each have their own story.

“Sam was rescued when she was a baby. She was a nestling. She had fallen out of the nest and been attacked by a dog,” Funk said.

“She’s what we call an imprint, which means that she relates more to other people than they do their own species,” Funk said.

The center uses these raptors as ambassadors to explain to visitors the crucial role owls play in the environment.

“Mice are a pretty good meal for them,” Funk said.

“They can also eat little types of bugs … out in the wild, they’ll eat little insects, sometimes things like moths, beetles,” Funk said.

But while they’re good hunters, the biggest threat to their survival isn’t prey—it’s people.

“Screech owls like to have their nests inside of cavities and trees. And if we’re cutting down those kind of trees, especially since those are oftentimes the trees that don’t look as nice, then they’re losing their homes and they don’t have a place to nest,” Funk said.

An even bigger danger is rat poison. Funk says there are safer ways we can keep rodent populations in check.

“Putting up a screech owl house is a great thing to do because if you attract screech owls, they will eat the rodents,” Funk said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WXYZ’s editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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