For years, the grim rhythm of Houston's bayous was almost predictable. A jogger, a fisherman, a maintenance crew — someone would spot a body tangled in reeds or lodged against a drainage grate, and within hours patrol officers would be stringing tape along another stretch of waterway. Since 2017, more than 200 bodies have been pulled from the city's bayou system, a number that turned "bayou deaths" into a recurring headline and a source of quiet dread for people who live or w

The criminal case against Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City, has become one of the most closely watched criminal prosecutions in the United States. The case sits at the intersection of violent crime, public frustration with the healthcare industry, and complex legal questions surrounding mental state and criminal responsibility. By David Johnston Reporting from Huntsville, Texas, USA July 5, 2026 Updated 6:43 p.m.

The call came shortly after sunrise. A jogger along a narrow stretch of White Oak Bayou spotted what appeared to be a mannequin tangled in reeds near the water's edge. Within minutes, patrol officers sealed off the trail. Crime scene technicians arrived carrying cameras and evidence markers. By noon, another body had joined a list that has continued to grow year after year. Police officers search a Houston bayou beneath a busy freeway interchange. By Alexa Bickerwood Reportin

For years, the Pearland case sat in a dusty evidence room—a triple homicide so brutal and puzzling that veteran detectives still referred to it simply as "the house." Police officers secure the crime scene outside of the Pearland-area residence. By Alexa Bickerwood Reporting from Huntsville, Texas, USA June 26, 2026 Updated 1:43 a.m. ET On the morning of September 14, 2017, Pearland police officers responded to a welfare check at a modest two-story home near the city's weste

For years, the murky waterways winding through Houston have fueled whispers of something far darker than tragic accidents. Bodies continue to surface in Buffalo Bayou, Greens Bayou, White Oak Bayou, and the maze of drainage canals cutting through the nation’s fourth-largest city. Since 2017, nearly 200 bodies have reportedly been recovered from Houston-area waterways, according to local reporting and records reviewed by investigators. Crime scene investigators process a bod

Ukraine has intensified its campaign against Russia's energy infrastructure, launching a major drone attack on a key oil refinery near Moscow in one of the most significant strikes of the war. By James Lawson Reporting from Austin, Texas, USA June 19, 2026 Updated 1:55 p.m. ET According to Russian officials, Ukrainian drones penetrated multiple layers of air defenses and struck the Moscow Oil Refinery, a facility that supplies a substantial portion of the capital's fuel. The

The controversy surrounding Karmelo Anthony did not end when a jury convicted him and a judge sentenced him to 35 years in prison. Instead, a new debate has emerged: what happened to the hundreds of thousands of dollars that supporters donated for his defense? Across social media, critics have questioned whether the money raised in Anthony's name was used in a way that truly served his legal interests. Those critics argue that regardless of how the funds were spent, the outco

For years, investors asked the same question: When will SpaceX finally go public? In June 2026, they got their answer. By Brent Cassity Reporting from Austin, Texas, USA June 13, 2026 Updated 9:31 p.m. ET Elon Musk’s space and satellite giant made history with the largest initial public offering ever recorded, raising approximately $75 billion and debuting on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol SPCX. The offering valued the company at roughly $1.75 trillion before trading

A routine day of adventure turned into tragedy when a skydiving aircraft crashed in Missouri, killing the pilot and several skydivers aboard. The devastating accident has drawn national attention as federal investigators work to determine what caused the aircraft to fall from the sky. By David Johnston Reporting from Austin, Texas, USA June 12, 2026 Updated 5:33 p.m. ET According to preliminary reports, the aircraft was carrying a group of skydivers preparing for what sho

Ireland has long enjoyed a reputation as one of Europe’s most stable and prosperous nations. In recent years, however, a combination of immigration concerns, housing shortages, rising living costs, and political polarization has fueled a wave of public unrest across both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The issue dominating public debate is immigration. Ireland has experienced significant population growth through migration, placing additional pressure on an alre

When a fisherman spotted a body floating in Greens Bayou near Interstate 10 on Houston's east side in mid-May, it marked another grim chapter in a story that has increasingly captured the attention of residents, amateur sleuths, and true crime followers across Texas. The discovery, reported to Houston police on May 16, added yet another victim to a growing list of bodies recovered from the city's sprawling bayou system. By Alexa Brickerwood Reporting from Huntsville, Texas, U

For decades, conspiracy researchers have pointed to a strange pattern: scientists working on advanced aerospace projects, nuclear technology, and cutting-edge physics who died under mysterious circumstances or disappeared altogether. One of the most frequently cited examples involves a series of British scientists connected to defense and aerospace programs during the 1980s. Several researchers associated with military contractors and advanced technology projects died in unus

The strange thing about Joey Merlino's life is not that he survived. It's that he kept finding new acts. For decades, Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino occupied a role that seemed destined for a violent conclusion. He was a central figure in Philadelphia's last great Mafia war, a man whose name appeared in FBI affidavits, courtroom transcripts, and newspaper headlines with such frequency that he became inseparable from the mythology of organized crime in the city. By James Lawson

Federal prosecutors say they have disrupted an alleged assassination plot targeting Ivanka Trump, daughter of President Donald Trump, in what investigators describe as a politically motivated retaliation scheme linked to the 2020 killing of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani. Following the alleged plot of President Trump's daughter, the Secret Service beefs up security around the White House as well as other potential high profile target By Christopher Todd Reporting

The Texas prison system continues to face mounting challenges as state officials grapple with severe staffing shortages, aging facilities, and concerns about inmate safety. Operated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the nation's largest state prison system houses more than 120,000 inmates across dozens of correctional facilities, but critics say long-standing problems are straining operations. By Brent Cassity Reporting from Austin, Texas, USA May 15, 2026 Upda

The discovery of dozens of bodies in Houston-area bayous over the past two years has triggered growing public fear, online speculation, and demands for answers from community advocates who believe authorities may be overlooking the possibility of a serial predator operating in the city. Bodies found in and along Houston's bayou system in raising alarm in the community By Alexa Bickerwood Reporting from Huntsville, Texas, USA May 5, 2026 Updated 9:09 p.m. ET Houston officials,

On Sept. 11, 2025, 20-year-old University of Houston student Jade McKissic vanished after leaving a downtown Houston nightclub. Surveillance footage later showed McKissic stopping at a gas station before walking toward Brays Bayou during the early morning hours. Four days later, on Sept. 15, 2025, her body was recovered from the bayou near Telephone Road — approximately two-and-a-half miles from where she was last seen. The bayou system stretches throughout the city's dark un