Woman killed by gator was ‘fascinated,’ took pictures before attack

Cynthia Covert was waist deep in a pond behind her friend’s home on Kiawah Island clutching a rope as her friends tried to get her away from the alligator that dragged her into the water.

As her friends pulled, she calmly said, “I guess I won’t do this again,” according to a supplemental report released Tuesday by the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office.

Moments later, the alligator rolled. Covert, 58, went under. 

The supplemental report provides further details on South Carolina’s third deadly alligator attack in four years.

Covert, a Johns Island resident, was on Kiawah doing her friend’s nails, the report said. The friend told investigators that Covert was “very talkative and acting strange.”

The deputy asked what she meant by that and the friend replied, “that at the salon Covert acts very professional but today she was very relaxed and excited that her boyfriend was coming from Tennessee to visit.”

Covert had a glass of wine but her friend wasn’t sure if she had consumed any other intoxicants, the report said.

“When Covert was doing her nails on the porch she saw the alligator in the pond and was fascinated by the alligator,” the report said. ”(She) stated after Covert was finished with her nails she went outside of the porch and was taking pictures of the alligator.”

The friend was cleaning her porch when she saw Covert by the water, the report said. She started yelling for Covert to get back, but her cries were ignored. She yelled out that the alligator grabbed a deer from that spot “the other day.”

Covert replied, “I don’t look like a deer.”

Then she moved to touch the alligator, the report said.

At that point, the homeowner’s husband ran down the stairs and tried to get to Covert, but the reptile had already grabbed hold of her left leg and started to pull her into the water, the report said.

A neighbor, hearing the commotion, came to see what was going on and went back to his home to get a rope, which they threw to Covert to try to pull her out of the pond, the report said.

By the time the alligator had Covert in waist-deep water and rolled, it was too late.

Deputies and firefighters arrived at the scene on Salt Cedar Lane and saw no movement, the report said. After about 10 or 15 minutes, Covert’s body surfaced but the alligator still had hold of her leg and took her body back under.

The alligator and Covert’s body surfaced a few moments later and a deputy shot the reptile in the head with his 9 mm handgun, causing it to release Covert, the report said.

Via: https://www.postandcourier.com/news/woman-killed-by-gator-on-kiawah-island-was-fascinated-took-pictures-before-attack/article_fc45f728-8eeb-11ea-87c8-1f66d1bd551c.html

Pastor who defiantly held church service dies of coronavirus

An evangelical pastor died of COVID-19 just weeks after proudly showing off how packed his Virginia church was — and vowing to keep preaching “unless I’m in jail or the hospital.”

In his last known in-person service on March 22, Bishop Gerald O. Glenn got his congregation at Richmond’s New Deliverance Evangelistic Church to stand to prove how many were there despite warnings against gatherings of more than 10 people.

“I firmly believe that God is larger than this dreaded virus. You can quote me on that,” he said, repeating it a second time to claps, saying that “people are healed” in his church.

Enlarge ImageBishop Gerald Glenn
Bishop Gerald GlennThe New Deliverance Evangelistic Church
Happily announcing he was being “controversial” by being “in violation” of safety protocols — with “way more than 10 people” at the church — he vowed to keep his church open “unless I’m in jail or the hospital.”

“I am essential,” he said of remaining open, adding, “I’m a preacher — I talk to God!”

On Sunday, his church announced “with an exceedingly sorrowful and heavy heart” that the pastor had died a week after being diagnosed with COVID-19.

His wife, Marcietia Glenn, is also sick with the bug, with church members offering their prayers.

Their daughter, Mar-Gerie Crawley, told WTVR that her father initially dismissed his symptoms because he has a condition that often leads to fevers and infections.

She is now urging everyone to stay home.

“It becomes very real to you,” she told WTVR after her parents’ diagnoses.

“I just beg people to understand the severity and the seriousness of this, because people are saying it’s not just about us, it’s about everyone around us.”

Via: https://nypost.com/2020/04/13/virginia-pastor-who-held-packed-church-service-dies-of-coronavirus/

Man leads police on chase, dies after 100 mph, 330-foot jump over river

A California driver fleeing from police died after launching his Mercedes-Benz sedan over the San Joaquin River at nearly 100 miles per hour, according to multiple reports.

The car flew roughly 330 feet across the river, stunning local police. As the silver Mercedes descended, it took the tops off trees and then crashed and rolled into an upright position, witnesses said.

"In my 20 years, I've never seen a vehicle travel close to that distance," California Highway Patrol (CHP) spokesman Mike Salas told Fresno's KFSN-TV. He added that it traveled "approximately 337 feet."

David Callahan, 58, was killed on impact, the outlet said. He was the only person in the vehicle.

Before the fatal crash, Callahan was reportedly being pursued by Fresno police around 8:30 a.m., failing to pull over after they noticed his swerving car -- which almost struck a patrol car, the outlet said. CHP said an incident at his home may have prompted his agitated mental state.

"They were able to find that some issues were going on at the house that may have contributed to him leaving erratically from his residence," Salas told the station.

Last July, Fresno police were called to his family's residence after Callahan's wife said he was using drugs and pushed her, according to the outlet.

A witness near the incident said Callahan made a U-turn before sending his vehicle airborne.

“Like at 100 miles per hour, he cleared the whole damn river," Bryan Zollars told Fresno's KSEE-TV.

Friends of the victim told KFSN they were "confused as to why he did what he did," adding that Callahan was a generous person.

“What may have been going through his mind to drive this fast?” CHP Officer Matt Zulim asked, according to the outlet. “And to do what he did in his car today. ... He jumped the San Joaquin River. It’s an absolute tragedy. You never want to see someone die — especially in this fashion.”

Via: https://www.foxnews.com/us/man-dies-jumping-300-feet-california-river-mercedes

Man who killed stepdad with ‘atomic wedgie’ gets 30 years in prison

An Oklahoma man who killed his stepfather after delivering an "atomic wedgie" was sentenced to 30 years in prison Thursday.

Brad Davis, 35, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a deal with prosecutors in May after his 58-year-old stepdad was found dead at his McLoud home in December 2013.

The former Marine pulled Denver Lee St. Clair's underwear over his head during a fight, but the band got wrapped around his neck and strangled him, Davis told investigators.

Davis did not intend to kill St. Clair, who had bullied him throughout his life and had instigated the fight by insulting his mom, Davis' attorney said in May.

Prosecutors initially charged Davis with first-degree murder, saying he beat St. Clair with an object, before staging the crime scene to make it appear like a fight, the Oklahoman reported.

They later agreed to a deal with the defense, although could not agree about sentencing.

Pottawatomie County District Judge John G. Canavan Jr. sided with prosecutors' recommendations Thursday, rejecting the defense's attempt for a four-year sentence.

The judge found it disturbing that Davis took cellphone pictures of St. Clair as the man was unconscious and in distress.

Via: https://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/man-killed-stepdad-atomic-wedgie-30-years-article-1.2295419

Man Devoured By Alligator While Hiding from Police

This headline could have left out the location of this incident and you'd have known it took place in the World's Craziest Peninsula™ anyway. This is quintessential Florida Man: criminal activity, unconventional encounters with police, and an outrageous Floridian twist, usually involving drug use.

In this case, the twist is that would-be burglar Matthew Riggins attempted to hide from police and, in the process, was devoured by a swamp monster from the gates of hell. (Hell, here, is Brevard County, Florida.) "Riggins and an accomplice were spotted lurking behind homes by neighbors who called the police," the Daily Mail reports. A police chase ensued, complete with K-9 units, but both suspects managed to get away—from the cops, anyway.

"He probably went into the lake to hide from the officers and the dog, and came across that gator," said Major Tod Goodyear of the Brevard County sheriff's office.

It's unclear whether Riggins was near Barefoot Bay Pond or in it when he encountered the beast. His family reported him missing that night—November 13—but his body was not found floating in the lake until 10 days later. When divers attempted to retrieve it, they were repeatedly attacked by the alligator, which forced a trapper from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to put the animal down. An analysis of its stomach and an autopsy of Riggins' body confirmed that the alligator drowned Riggins and then ate some of the remains.

"To hide somewhere to try and get away, and then meeting up with an animal like that, no, I've never had that happen before," said Major Goodyear, which is almost surprising.

"I would say it's poetic justice, you want to sit there and steal from people," said local Florida Man Chuck Stotes.

Death-by-alligator seems like a harsh penalty for attempted burglary, but what do I know? At least the gator wasn't on bath salts.

Via: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3350360/He-hid-wrong-place-Florida-man-killed-eaten-ALLIGATOR-hiding-police-caught-robbing-homes.html?ito=social-twitter_dailymailus

Model falls from cliff taking selfie

A British model fell to her death from a popular selfie spot in Australia on Sunday morning.

Madalyn Davis, 21, died after plunging off a 98-foot-high cliff in Diamond Bay Reserve in Sydney at around 6:30am, according to police.

The tourist had been at a party in Vaucluse on Saturday night, before she and seven friends decided to head to the cliffs in the early hours on Sunday.

They are believed to have climbed a fence to sit on the edge of a cliff to watch the sunrise.

NSW Police said that emergency services, including Pol Air and the Marine Area Command, were called at 6.30am.

Madalyn’s body was found in the water four hours after the police were called.

Her death is not the first to have happened on the cliffs, which are a hotspot for tourists looking to take Instagram photos.

Last August, a 27-year-old fell to her death, with witnesses at the time telling police that she may have been taking photos.

Police said in a statement that they are currently investigating Madalyn’s death. “An investigation is underway. A report will be prepared for the coroner.”

Via: https://nypost.com/2020/01/13/british-backpacker-madalyn-davis-plunges-to-her-death-from-popular-selfie-spot-in-australia/