Jody Herring Trial
UPDATE: Herring pled guilty to murder on July 6, 2017. She faces a minimum of 55 years in prison. A sentencing hearing that could last up to five days may take place in October. (This was a tentative trial date for Herring, accused of murdering a social worker and three relatives in Vermont.)
Michelle Carter Sentencing
Michelle Carter is to be sentenced today. She faces up to 20 years. On June 16, 2017, a Massachusetts judge convicted 20-year-old Michelle Carter of involuntary manslaughter for encouraging her boyfriend, Conrad Roy III, to commit suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. The encouragement was via text messages. Carter waived her right to trial by jury and opted for the judge to decide.
PSU Hazing Death Preliminary Hearing Continued
The preliminary hearing against a Penn State University fraternity and 18 students for the hazing death of a student last February continues today and into tomorrow, if necessary. The hearing was begun in June and adjourned to today.
Angelika Graswald Trial (Death on the Hudson)
The second-degree murder trial of Angelika Graswald was scheduled to begin today. She was accused of letting her fiance drown in the Hudson River when his kayak took on water. Did she intentionally not assist him so he wouldn't drown? The State says she admitted to acts that created a risk to Vincent Viafore's life but the defense says she made false admissions. Viafore drowned on April 19, 2015. His body was found more than a month later in the Hudson River in update New York State. If convicted, Graswald faced 25 years to life in prison. UPDATE: On July 24, 2017, Graswald pled guilty to criminally negligent homicide, a low level felony that carried 1-1/3 to 4 years in prison. She should be out by December.
First Slenderman Trial
The trial of Anissa Weier, accused of attempted first degree murder, for stabbing a friend 19 times in order to please a fictional, online character known the "Slenderman" is scheduled to begin today. Co-defendant Morgan Geyser's trial is scheduled for October 2 in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Both girls were 12 when they stabbed Payton Leutner. Leutner has recovered from her injuries. The defendants are being tried as adults.
Shayna Hubers Retrial–Moved to Jan. 2018
Hubers is accused of fatally shooting her boyfriend Ryan Poston on Oct. 12, 2012 in Kentucky. She was convicted in 2015 but given a new trial when it was learned that one of the jurors was a felon. The retrial is originally set for today but is now rescheduled for January 2018.
Charles Merritt: McStay Family Murder Trial
A tentative date has been set for Charles "Chase' Merritt who is accused of murdering the McStay family of four in February 2010. He faces 4 counts of capital murder. The bodies were found in shallow graves in San Bernardino County in November 2013. Merritt had a business relationship with Joseph McStay.