National Roundup

North Dakota Man charged in stabbing death of friend in Lincoln LINCOLN, N.D. (AP) -- A Lincoln man has been accused in the stabbing death of his friend in an alcohol-fueled dispute over the weekend, authorities said. John Unruh, 27, is charged with murder in the death of Randall Albaugh, 23, of the Bismarck-Mandan area on Saturday, according to The Bismarck Tribune. Unruh also has been charged with preventing arrest after police said he struggled with the officer who took him into custody. Preliminary autopsy results indicate Albaugh died of a stab wound to the shoulder, Burleigh County Assistant State's Attorney Lloyd Suhr said. Authorities believe Unruh and Albaugh, who were friends, were drinking at Unruh's home and began arguing about the presence of a third person, whom Suhr would not identify. Unruh eventually asked Albaugh to leave, which sparked an argument that escalated, the prosecutor said. Suhr said in court Monday that Unruh has a history of misdemeanor and alcohol-related offenses. Unruh pleaded guilty in February to criminal mischief and theft of property for hitching a portable toilet to a snowmobile and dragging it around Lincoln last fall. Pennsylvania Death penalty revisited in waitress slaying PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals says a federal court judge in Pittsburgh must hear arguments on whether a man deserves the death penalty for murdering a waitress in 1987. Mark Breakiron, who is now 50 years old, never denied killing Saundra Marie Martin at Shenanigan's Bar in German Township. But he's contesting the robbery conviction that was cited as an aggravating circumstance by Fayette County prosecutors as the reason he deserved the death penalty. Breakiron contends he didn't steal money from the bar until he returned later to dispose of Martin's body -- which would make that crime a theft, not a robbery. U.S. District Judge Nora Barry Fischer in 2007 upheld Breakiron's first-degree murder conviction in Fayette County in 1988. Now the appeals court wants Fischer reconsider whether Breakiron should instead spend life in prison. New Hampshire Suspect in 41-year-old murder faces hearing SALEM, N.H. (AP) -- One of the three men charged in connection with the slaying of a 15-year-old Tewksbury boy 41 years ago is fighting his return to Massachusetts to face charges. Michael Ferreira, of Salem, N.H., is scheduled to appear in a New Hampshire court Tuesday after refusing to waive extradition last week. The Sun of Lowell reports that at the hearing, prosecutors are expected to outline the criminal case against Ferreira, before a judge decides whether there is enough probable cause to force Ferreira to return to Massachusetts. The 57-year-old Ferreira is facing a murder charge in juvenile court and a perjury charge in adult court in connection with the September 1941 death of John Joseph McCabe. Ferreira was 16 and a juvenile at the time of the slaying. Massachusetts Attorney general proposes updating wiretapping laws BOSTON (AP) -- Attorney General Martha Coakley says the state's wiretapping laws are outdated and need to be revised to make fighting street gangs easier. Coakley's comments Monday were in response to statements from two Supreme Judicial Court justices who said the state's wiretapping laws that date the 1960s limit the reach of law enforcement. Justice Ralph Gants says the current law limits wiretapping to investigating organized crime," meaning electronic surveillance in unavailable to investigate violent street gangs. Coakley tells The Boston Globe that the current law was written mainly to battle the Mafia, which had a corporate structure. She says modern gangs that also deal in human trafficking and shoplifting are often loose alliances in place for a short time. She says her proposal addresses concerns over excessive government intrusion. California Parole hearing ordered for NorCal husband killer SAN LEANDRO, Calif. (AP) -- A new parole hearing has been ordered for a 71-year-old San Leandro woman who ordered her husband's murder nearly three decades ago. The San Francisco Chronicle says a state appeals court ruled last week that Marylinn Cassidy has been a model prisoner. The panel also said that the parole board lacked evidence to support its 2009 conclusion that she would be dangerous if released. It was the 10th time she'd been denied parole. Cassidy's estranged husband, Jack Simmons, was shot to death in 1983 in his bail bond office. Prosecutors say Cassidy paid a friend $20,000 to kill him. Cassidy said she only complained to Jeff Grey that her husband had cut off her financial support and never arranged the killing. Indiana Girl, 16, to be tried as adult in sexual attack VALPARAISO, Ind. (AP) -- A 16-year-old northern Indiana girl will be tried as an adult on charges she handcuffed, confined and sexually assaulted a 17-year-old boy with special needs. The Porter County Prosecutor's office filed felony charges of criminal deviate conduct, criminal confinement, sexual battery and intimidation and a misdemeanor battery count Monday against the Valparaiso girl. She is being held without bond in the Porter County Jail. Police have said she and 14-year-old girl lured the boy to a home April 9, threatened him with a knife, then handcuffed him and sexually battered him. The 14-year-old has been charged with the juvenile equivalents of felony confinement, felony intimidation and misdemeanor battery. Court records indicate the older girl has told police she and the other girl were just messing around with the boy. Virginia Lynchburg settles police wrongful death suit LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) -- Lynchburg has settled a wrongful death lawsuit stemming from the 2006 death of a man who was in police custody. Circuit Court Clerk Eugene Winfield tells the News & Advance that the two sides agreed to the settlement Monday. Details of the settlement weren't released. The family of Clarence Beard Jr. filed the $12.5 million lawsuit against seven police officers. Beard died on Sept. 24, 2006, after fighting with officers who came to his home looking for a woman with outstanding warrants. The autopsy report listed heart disease as a contributing factor in his death. An investigation by the commonwealth's attorney's office cleared the officers of criminal wrongdoing. Published: Wed, Apr 20, 2011