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Two men charged with murder in ‘horrific’ quadruple homicide case in New York

December 31, 2017 by  
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Two men were arrested and charged with murder in a quadruple homicide in Upstate New York that police have called “an act of savagery.”

James W. White and Justin C. Mann each face one count of murder in the first degree, which carries a maximum penalty of life without the possibility of parole, and four counts of murder in the second degree. Both suspects, from Schenectady, N.Y., were arraigned in Troy City Court on Saturday, with the next court appearance scheduled for Jan. 4.

The day after Christmas, police found the bodies of 36-year-old Shanta Myers; two of her children, Shanise Myers, 5, and Jeremiah “JJ” Myers, 11; and her partner, 22-year-old Brandi Mells, inside a basement apartment in Troy, N.Y.

The four were killed Dec. 21, and one of the defendants was acquainted with one of the victims, Troy Police Chief John Tedesco said at a news conference Saturday.

From the beginning, police, who have not provided details about the deaths, described the case as a horrific crime.

“After being in this business for almost 42 years, I can’t describe the savagery of this,” Tedesco told reporters Wednesday.

“Nobody that’s been involved in this case is going to ever forget this, I can tell you that,” he added.

The killings had left Myers’s relatives and her 15-year-old son broken and desperate for answers.

Myers’s sister, Shakera Symes, had implored any potential witnesses to speak with authorities to find “the person who has destroyed us, emotionally, mentally,” according to the Times Union.

“It feels like somebody has ripped us to shreds,” Symes told the Albany newspaper.

Myers’s son, Isaiah Smith, was away when he heard what happened to his mother, brother and sister — and said he feared for his own life.

“I’m scared to go to the corner store,” he told reporters, according to the Times Union. “I’m not sure if they’re coming for me next.”

On Saturday, Tedesco said the police do not have a motive for the killings but are confident that there will not be any additional arrests, even though the investigation continues. Police said autopsies would be conducted Wednesday, but results have not been released.

The apartment building’s property manager discovered the bodies Tuesday afternoon after being contacted by concerned family members who said the victims were not answering phone calls. Police responded to the building on Second Avenue in Troy, a city eight miles northeast of Albany, about 12:50 p.m.

Though police had said they didn’t believe there was an imminent danger to the community, the crime shook the neighborhood.

Jackie Robinson Sr., a pastor at Oak Grove Baptist Church in Troy, told the Times Union that there are “certainly reasons to be fearful.”

“We don’t know who did it,” Robinson said. “Until we find out, it certainly makes sense to be vigilant and keep your doors locked.”

Family members told reporters at the Boys Girls Club on Thursday that Myers was mild-mannered and always willing to help someone, usually by offering to cook a tasty meal. Her 5-year-old daughter loved cooking, too, so the family agreed to let her cook spaghetti as part of their Christmas meal.

“That girl was like a grown woman in a little body,” her cousin, Khalif Coleman, told reporters, according to the Times Union.

Jeremiah, the family said, dreamed of playing for the Boston Celtics.

“He was a quintessential ‘Club Kid’ who impacted the lives of so many staff, children and teens, parents and volunteers,” the Boys Girls Club said in a statement posted on a GoFundMe page that is raising money to cover the funeral and memorial costs. “We are shocked and deeply saddened by this tragedy. It will be deeply felt by all his friends at the Club and throughout the community.”

The Troy City School District, where the two children attended classes, will be offering grief counseling to students, Superintendent John Carmello wrote in a letter to parents.

“Our hearts are broken and our thoughts and deepest condolences are with their family and loved ones during this terribly troubling time,” Carmello wrote.

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Trump drops challenge to transgender troops in military, opening door to Jan. 1 recruits

December 31, 2017 by  
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Transgender individuals can openly sign up for military service for the first time starting Jan. 1 after the Trump administration announced Friday it will no longer challenge the enlistments. 

Two federal appeals courts last week rejected the administration’s request to put on hold orders by lower court judges that would require the military to begin accepting transgender recruits on Jan. 1. The administration will not challenge those rulings, Reuters reported that a Justice Department official said. 

The administration plans to wait for the Defense Department’s independent study on transgender in the military, which is expected out soon, Reuters said. 

More:

Pentagon to begin accepting transgender troops Jan 1. after court order

ROTC student takes on transgender military ban: ‘I still want to fight for my country

Court blocks Trump’s ban on transgender troops

“This is a major victory in the litigation and great news for transgender troops, transgender military academy and ROTC students, and transgender people who have been waiting to enlist,” said Shannon Minter, legal director at the National Center for Lesbian Rights. “There is no reason to exclude transgender people from military service, especially when they have already proved their ability to serve.”

There are more than 15,000 transgender people serving in the military today, according to the National Center for Transgender Equality, and about 134,000 U.S. veterans are transgender.  

On Dec. 22, the D.C. Court of Appeals denied an administration request for an emergency stay that would delay transgender enlistment. The opinion noted the Defense Department issued guidance for processing transgender enlistees on Dec. 8, and criticized the administration for not properly informing the court of this.

About 50 retired military and national security officials submitted a brief noting the military began taking the necessary steps to prepare for enlistment by transgender individuals nearly a year and a half ago, and refuting the need for further delay.

The Palm Center released a report that countered administration claims the military would not be ready to process transgender enlistees by Jan. 1. Former military Surgeons General said in the report that training military medical examiners and recruiters to process these candidates would not be complicated or time-consuming and was nearly completed a year ago.

The Palm Center is a think tank based at the University of California, Santa Barbara, that studies topics including gender, sexuality and the military. 

“We know this fight is not over,” said Jennifer Levi, project director at GLBTQ Legal Advocates Defenders (GLAD) Transgender Rights. “But having transgender people be allowed to openly enlist in the military marks a huge development and hopefully the beginning of the end of this baseless ban.”  

 

 

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