I am a road trip mom. I love packing a bunch of kids and bags in my car and driving somewhere fun. We go to parks, beaches, carnivals and amusement parks.

The snacks are everywhere, someone always needs to stop to pee, somebody has likely puked in a bag, and the kids are talking about their favorite part of the day—or fighting with each other because they’ve spent way too many hours together. Eventually, the excitement fades, the car gets quieter and maybe one or all of them falls asleep in the back seat.

Then you pull into the driveway, unload everybody and all their crap, and get them into the house and tucked into bed.

Another family adventure survived.

That’s how Saturday, August 29, should have ended for Amanda Wertman and the four children riding in her minivan.

Amanda, 41, was driving the kids home from a Pike County Girl Scout trip to Holiday World in Indiana. According to Indiana State Police, they were traveling along State Road 64 near Stendal when a Toyota Camry coming from the opposite direction crossed the centerline and crashed head-on into Amanda’s Toyota Sienna.

Amanda died at the scene.

Her 8-year-old daughter, Michaela, was rushed to a hospital in Louisville, where she later died.

The other three children survived, including Amanda’s 5-year-old son, Theodore.

They Had Absolutely Nothing to Do With Any of This

According to Indiana State Police, shortly before the crash, a Pike County sheriff’s deputy had been responding to an active domestic-violence call at a nearby gas station.

Police say a red Toyota Camry believed to be involved in the domestic incident drove away as the deputy approached. Investigators allege the Camry ran another driver off the road, failed to stop at a flashing red light and later crossed into the deputy’s lane in what police described as an apparent attempt to strike the deputy’s vehicle.

The deputy managed to avoid being hit, turned around and began pursuing the Camry.

A short time later, according to police, the Camry crossed the centerline again.

This time, Amanda’s minivan was coming the other way.

Amanda and those kids had nothing to do with the domestic incident or the chase.

They were simply coming home from a Girl Scout trip after spending the day at an amusement park. Just a completely normal ride home from a wild day with multiple kids.

Maybe the kids were talking about their favorite rides. Maybe they were asking how much longer until they got home. Maybe they were asleep in the back seat after a long day at Holiday World.

But every parent who has driven a car full of exhausted kids home after a long day knows that ride. There is absolutely nothing remarkable about it.

Until, in a matter of seconds, everything changed.

The Camry struck Amanda’s minivan head-on. The driver of the Camry died at the scene, as did Amanda. Michaela was transported to the hospital but could not be saved.

Four children had climbed into that minivan expecting to go home that night.

Only three survived.

Theodore Is Five Years Old

As stated above, Amanda’s 5-year-old son, Theodore, was one of those survivors.

According to 14 News, Theodore was hospitalized after the crash and his father, Simon, stepped away from work so he could remain with his son while he recovered.

And out of everything in this story, I think Theodore is the part that breaks my heart the most.

He’s five.

At five years old, your mom is still such an enormous part of your entire world. She’s the person you yell for when you wake up from a nightmare, the person you want when you fall and hurt yourself and the person who somehow knows exactly which cup you wanted even though you have twelve identical cups in the cabinet.

At five, you’re still little enough to fall asleep in the back seat and expect somebody else to get you safely where you’re going.

Theodore survived a crash serious enough to send him to the hospital, but his mom isn’t sitting beside his bed while he recovers.

His big sister isn’t coming to visit him either.

They’re both gone.

I don’t know what Theodore knows right now. I don’t know what Simon has told him, when he told him or what a five-year-old can possibly understand about something this enormous.

All we really know is that at some point Theodore will leave that hospital and go back into a world that looks completely different from the one he knew when he climbed into his mom’s minivan for a Girl Scout trip.

And somehow Simon has to navigate all of that while grieving his wife and daughter, caring for his injured son, dealing with doctors, funeral arrangements and bills, and figuring out what life is supposed to look like now. The enormity of that is unimaginable.

Michaela Was Only Eight

Michaela Wertman was eight years old.

My youngest son will be eight next month. Eight is so young. My son still thinks you can’t see him if he covers his eyes. My son’s world is made up entirely of his family, home and school.

Eight is Girl Scouts and amusement parks. It’s school projects and best friends and birthday parties. It’s being old enough to want independence but still young enough to need your parents for practically everything that actually matters.

Michaela should have gone back to school after her Girl Scout trip and told her friends about Holiday World.

Instead, her school is now helping children process the death of their 8-year-old classmate.

There should have been another Girl Scout trip for Michaela. Another school year. Another birthday. Another Christmas morning. There should have been arguments with her little brother and family vacations and embarrassing pictures her parents pulled out when she got older.

There should have been so much more life.

Instead, Michaela died on the same night her mother did because their minivan happened to be traveling down the road at the exact moment another vehicle crossed into their lane.

There Were Other Little Girls in That Minivan

The Wertmans aren’t the only family whose life changed that night.

Eight-year-old Oaklie Disney was also riding in Amanda’s minivan.

According to 14 News, Oaklie was airlifted to a children’s hospital in Louisville after suffering brain bleeds in the crash. Her school, Otwell Miller Academy, described her as a sweet and spunky third grader.

Blue is Oaklie’s favorite color, so on Monday, children and teachers showed up to school wearing blue for her. Students made cards to send to her while she recovered in the hospital.

An 8-year-old girl is lying in a hospital after surviving a crash that killed her friend and her friend’s mother, and back at school, a bunch of little kids are doing one of the only things they can think of to help.

Another child in the minivan, Amelia, was also airlifted to Kentucky for treatment.

And thankfully, there is finally some good news in this story.

According to the latest Indiana State Police update, Theodore, Oaklie and Amelia are all expected to recover.

Three children survived.

Now three families have to help them heal.

So, How Can You Help?

This time, there are several ways to help.

14 News has independently identified fundraisers for Theodore, Oaklie and Amelia, which is important because I don’t want to send anyone to a random GoFundMe just because somebody attached a victim’s name to it.

Theodore’s cousin, Genny Rowe, created a fundraiser for Theodore and his father, Simon. According to the fundraiser, the money will help with Theodore’s hospital bills and give Simon some financial breathing room while he remains away from work to be with his son.

And maybe that’s what donating does here.

It obviously can’t fix this.

But money can buy time.

It can mean Simon doesn’t have to rush back to work while his 5-year-old is recovering. It can pay a hospital bill. It can cover groceries, gas or whatever completely mundane expense still shows up even when your entire life has just fallen apart.

Oaklie’s family also has a verified fundraiser to help with medical and travel expenses while she recovers, and Amelia’s family has established one following her hospitalization.

If you can afford to donate, there are three families who could use the help.

If you can’t donate, you can share their fundraisers.

Support Theodore Wertman, age 5: Organized by his cousin Genny Rowe to help with Theodore’s hospital bills and support his father Simon while he is out of work.

Support Oaklie Disney, age 8: Organized by Jordynn Neese and co-organized by Oaklie’s mother, Elizabeth Disney. It is intended to help with medical bills, travel, lodging and lost income while her family remains with her.

Support Amelia: Organized by her aunt Cierrah Freeland on behalf of beneficiary Tasha Freeland. The campaign says funds go directly to Amelia’s family for medical expenses, travel, lodging and other recovery costs.

And if you want to do something ridiculously simple, wear blue.

Tell somebody why you’re wearing it so that her family may learn that there are strangers out there hoping she gets better.

Amanda was supposed to bring four tired kids home from a Girl Scout trip. They were supposed to pull into a driveway, gather up whatever crap they had accumulated during the day and go inside.

I’m guessing I’m not the only parent who has driven a car full of kids down the highway and suddenly imagined all the horrible things that could go wrong. A tire flying off another car. Someone crossing the centerline. One person making one terrible decision that you have absolutely no control over.

So far, I’ve been lucky.

After all of those road trips, I’ve gotten to pull into my driveway. I’ve gotten to wake up the sleeping kid, gather the trash and bags and half-empty water bottles, and complain that nobody is helping me carry anything inside.

Amanda and those kids didn’t get to pull into the driveway.

So maybe today’s Good Deed is helping the families of this poor little crew deal with everything that came after the ride home they never got to finish.

When I think of summer, I think of swimming. Lounging by the pool or reading a great book on the beach. When I had kids, these things became so much more stressful. I still love them, but no longer is there relaxation. It’s constant undivided attention.

I worry about whether they’re strong enough swimmers, rip currents, sharks, or diving into water that is not deep enough.

But I don’t think I’ve ever worried that a microscopic organism would go up their nose, travel up to their brain and kill them.

Because not only is it a horrifying thought, it’s also incredibly rare.

But according to Louisiana health officials, that’s likely what happened to 8-year-old Lillian Smart.

Lillian, from the Ruston, Louisiana, area, became ill after swimming in Lake Claiborne in northern Louisiana.

The Louisiana Department of Health believes Lillian likely contracted Naegleria fowleri during that swim, according to reporting from the Associated Press.

It’s commonly—and terrifyingly—known as the “brain-eating amoeba.”

Lillian was hospitalized on August 15. A week later she turned eight years old. The following day, August 22, she died.

What the Hell Is a Brain-Eating Amoeba?

Naegleria fowleri is a microscopic amoeba that lives in warm freshwater.

The wildest thing about this is you don’t get infected by drinking contaminated water.

The Associated Press explains that infection occurs when contaminated water enters the nose, allowing the amoeba to travel to the brain, where it causes an infection called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, or PAM.

It cannot spread from one person to another and the chances of this occurring are extraordinary rare.

According to AP’s reporting based on CDC data, there were about 180 known infections in the United States between 1937 and 2025.

However, unfortunately when infection does occur, it is almost always fatal.

The rarity of this occurrence makes Lillian’s story even more tragic.

Millions upon millions of people swim in lakes.

Lillian was the incredibly unlucky child for whom an ordinary summer swim became catastrophic.

She Turned 8 in the Hospital

My son turns 8 next month. He’s just a baby. He’s still writing some of his letters and numbers backward. This world is still so incredibly new to him. There’s still so much more for him to see and experience. I cannot imagine his life being cut short by something so innocent as a day at the lake.

There is no good news for Lillian's family in this story. But there is evidence everywhere that they are surrounded by people who love them. While Lillian was fighting the infection, her community was showing up for her back at home.

Local businesses in Ruston organized a “Love for Lillian” fundraiser for August 21—Lillian’s eighth birthday.

Businesses throughout the community pledged portions of their sales to help her family. People wore shirts supporting Lillian. A local business owner described her as a child who seemed to carry happiness with her wherever she went.

Imagine that for a second.

Your eighth birthday.

There should be cake.

Presents.

Friends.

Somebody singing Happy Birthday while you sit there awkwardly waiting to blow out the candles.

Instead, Lillian was in the hospital fighting an infection almost nobody has ever heard of while an entire community tried to help her family.

She died the next day.

According to Lillian’s published obituary, she was born August 21, 2018.

She died August 22, 2026.

Eight years and one day apart.

So How Do You Protect Yourself From Something This Rare?

I don’t think the lesson from Lillian’s death should be don’t swim in lakes.

The infection is simply too rare for that to be a reasonable takeaway.

But knowing how it happens gives us something useful we can actually do with this horrible story.

Because the important part is the nose.

When swimming in warm freshwater, health authorities recommend taking steps to reduce the chance of water being forced up your nose, particularly when water temperatures are high.

According to CDC prevention guidance, that can include holding your nose or using nose clips when jumping or diving into warm freshwater, keeping your head above water, and avoiding digging in or stirring up sediment in shallow warm freshwater.

And again:

Swallowing the water isn’t what causes this infection.

The dangerous route is contaminated water entering the nose and reaching the brain.

That is a distinction I didn’t know before reading about Lillian.

Maybe Today’s Good Deed Can Be Done a Few Ways

If you’re able, help Lillian’s family with the expenses they’re facing, there’s a GoFundMe.

If donating isn’t an option, learn the name Naegleria fowleri and remember one thing from this story:

The nose matters.

Tell another parent.

Buy the nose clips.

And if you’d like to honor Lillian in the way her family has requested, her memorial information says contributions may also be made to the First Baptist Church Ruston Building Fund in lieu of flowers.

None of those things changes what happened to Lillian.

But maybe eight years and one day of life can still teach the rest of us something that keeps another child a little safer.

I come across a lot of sad and frightening news. However, sometimes I come across a headline that is so insanely bizarre that I have to read it a few times to even comprehend what it’s trying to convey.

Here is one of those.

When I read that a 26-year-old man had been killed while he and a coworker were allegedly “playing shadows” while tree trimming, I had one immediate question:

What the hell is “playing shadows,” and how do you even do that?

Unfortunately, there is an answer.

And it’s somehow worse than I imagined.

On August 20, Tyler Anthony Lynch, 26, of Royalton, Minnesota, was working at a tree-trimming job in Apple Valley.

His coworker, 34-year-old Christopher Boone Crimmins, was operating a hydraulic grapple attached to the crew’s truck while Tyler worked on the ground picking up branches.

It was around 7 p.m., and the evening sun was apparently casting the shadows of Tyler and the grapple onto the street.

According to the Dakota County Attorney’s Office, the two men noticed the shadows.

That’s when things took an almost incomprehensible turn.

Prosecutors say Crimmins began maneuvering the actual hydraulic grapple so that its shadow appeared to grab Tyler’s shadow.

Just think about that for a second.

There’s Tyler’s shadow on the pavement and the shadow of this enormous piece of machinery.

And allegedly, they’re making the machine’s shadow “grab” the person’s shadow.

But Crimmins isn’t moving a shadow. He’s moving an actual hydraulic grapple.

And according to prosecutors, he wasn’t watching where the real grapple was in relation to Tyler. He was only watching the shadows.

Prosecutors allege Crimmins then opened and closed the grapple, crushing Tyler’s head.

Tyler died at the scene.

He was only 26 years old.

It’s So Heartbreaking Because It’s So Stupid

According to KSTP’s reporting on the criminal complaint, Crimmins told investigators that he and Tyler were “f—ing around” when they noticed the shadows. Crimmins also allegedly was the only person on the crew licensed to even operate the boom.

Crimmins was arrested and has been charged with second-degree manslaughter involving culpable negligence creating an unreasonable risk.

He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine if convicted.

His next court appearance is scheduled for September 10.

Everything describing Crimmins’ conduct comes from allegations in a criminal complaint. He has been charged, not convicted, and is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

But assuming prosecutors’ account of what happened is accurate, I genuinely cannot get over the absurdity of the chain of events.

Two coworkers see their shadows and begin screwing around.

One man is dead.

The other is facing a felony charge.

That’s it.

That’s the story.

At least two lives destroyed.

And this is the kind of story I used to bring to the work meeting each morning that led to my friends suggesting I dump these on someone else instead…so here you go.

Today’s Good Deed Might Be Really Simple

I haven’t found a verified fundraiser for Tyler’s family, and I’m not going to attach some random charity to his name just so this story has somewhere to send money.

But this story does have something useful to say.

Take workplace safety seriously.

This good deed doesn’t cost anything.

If you’re working around something capable of killing somebody, don’t screw around with it.

If your coworker is doing something stupid around dangerous equipment, tell them to stop. Be the Debbie Downer that shares this story.

Be the annoying one.

Be the killjoy.

Be the person everybody rolls their eyes at.

Because the alternative might be becoming the subject of one of these stories.

You don’t want me finding your name this way.

Sources

Dakota County Attorney’s Office — Primary source for the charge against Christopher Boone Crimmins, Tyler Lynch’s identity, the prosecutor’s description of the shadow incident, bail information and the next scheduled court appearance.

KSTP / 5 Eyewitness News — Local reporting based on the criminal complaint, including Crimmins’ alleged description of the two men “f—ing around,” the allegation that he was the only crew member licensed to operate the boom, and potential penalties if convicted.

NBC News — National reporting and corroboration of the criminal case.

Fox News — Additional national reporting on the charge and allegations.

I remember being young and loving when the carnival came to town. I was never a thrill seeker and always hated roller coasters, but the carnival rides always seemed a little less scary because they were smaller than the rides at the big amusement parks. As I got older and thought about how many issues could come from these being constantly taken down and put up…they became less appealing. Later, as a parent, I have been so relieved that my children were born without the desire to scare themselves and only seem to like rides like the teacups.

We were at one of these temporary carnivals last week with the kids and just looking at the Zipper or the swings was cringeworthy.

While there, we noticed that on the Dumbo ride, three elephants were taped off with “Out of Service” signs attached.

The next morning I saw this headline.

I know that for many people, that fear and the thrill is the whole point and the fun of it all.

You not only willingly allow a machine to spin you, drop you or send you flying through the air, you actually pay for it.

Your head and your stomach might tell you this is a terrible idea.

But somewhere in the back of your mind, you trust that the people who run the operation and those operating the ride have made sure you’re going to come back down safely.

On June 7, thirteen-year-old Clayton Phillips got on a carnival ride and didn’t get off safely.

He was riding the Yo-Yo, a swing-style carnival ride operating at a temporary carnival outside the Butte Civic Center in Montana, when he fell from the moving ride.

He suffered catastrophic injuries and was airlifted to a hospital in Kalispell.

Two weeks later, on June 21, he died from his injuries.

Now, nearly two months later, a lawsuit filed by Clayton’s family is raising disturbing questions about whether his death could have been prevented.

His Family Says Some Seats Were Missing Restraint Components

A wrongful-death and negligence lawsuit filed on behalf of Clayton’s estate alleges that at least 10 seats on the Yo-Yo had missing or nonfunctioning restraint components.

According to the complaint, those alleged deficiencies included problems with crotch belts, clips, connectors or related restraint equipment.

The lawsuit alleges that the carnival operator, Midway West Amusements, knew some of the seats were deficient but failed to install an effective physical barrier that would prevent passengers from sitting in them.

The complaint alleges Clayton was allowed to occupy a deficient seat and that failures in the restraint system resulted in him being thrown, ejected or falling from the moving ride.

Those claims are allegations in a civil lawsuit. They have not been established as fact in court.

The lawsuit names Midway West Amusements, ride inspection company Shady Acres Safety Services, Butte-Silver Bow County and others, alleging failures related to the inspection, maintenance and operation of the ride.

There is also an important distinction between the civil lawsuit and an earlier criminal investigation.

Following Clayton’s death, authorities conducted a month-long criminal investigation that included interviews, inspection of the ride and review of photographs and video.

That investigation did not find evidence of criminal culpability on the part of Midway West Amusements.

Clayton’s family is now pursuing its claims through civil court.

But lawsuits and investigations only tell us how Clayton died.

They don’t tell us who he was.

Clayton Was Only 13

Clayton James Phillips had just graduated from eighth grade at Butte Central Elementary and Junior High School a few weeks before the accident.

He liked Legos.

He listened to Eminem.

He watched YouTube, played Minecraft, read Harry Potter, traveled with his family and hung out with his friends.

And for six years of his short life, Clayton did theater.

He was part of Orphan Girl Children’s Theatre in Butte, where he performed both onstage and worked behind the scenes.

According to the theater, Clayton appeared in productions including Ghosts of Butte, Finding Nemo KIDS, Santa Versus the Martians, Alice in Wonderland and Something Rotten!

He also worked tech crew for Matilda.

His theater family remembered a boy who brought humor, curiosity and character to the stage.

They remembered him as kind.

Thoughtful.

Funny.

And loved.

After Clayton died, his castmates began a memorial outside the theater where people could leave flowers, drawings, photographs, notes and other small reminders of the boy who had spent so much of his childhood there.

Orphan Girl Children’s Theatre has now announced that its entire 2026-27 season will be dedicated to Clayton’s memory.

Here’s How We Can Do Something Good

Nothing we donate can change what happened to Clayton.

It can’t give his family another birthday with him.

And it can’t put him back on the stage with the kids who spent six years growing up alongside him.

But maybe we can help make sure there are still kids standing on that stage.

Clayton’s obituary specifically asks that, in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to Orphan Girl Children’s Theatre or the Clayton James Phillips Scholarship Fund at Butte Central.

Orphan Girl Children’s Theatre is a nonprofit organization that has provided performing-arts opportunities to young people in southwest Montana since 1997.

The theater says memorial gifts made in Clayton’s honor will help keep its stage open and welcoming to young performers—the same place where Clayton spent six years finding his own place under the lights.

There is also something especially fitting about helping a children’s theater in memory of a child who gave so much of himself to it.

Because Clayton’s life shouldn’t be reduced to the terrible way it ended. The theater said it beautifully: “The spotlight remembers.” Maybe we can help make sure that spotlight keeps shining.

While supporting the theater is a very personal way to honor Clayton, there is another way we can respond to a tragedy like this: supporting amusement-ride safety.

The National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials (NAARSO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing amusement-ride and device safety through education, training and certification of inspectors and operators.

NAARSO is not being presented as having any connection to Clayton’s accident, the ride involved or its inspection. I’m including the organization because its mission addresses the larger safety issue this tragedy raises.

Sources

KRTV/MTN News: Local reporting on Clayton’s death, the investigation and the wrongful-death lawsuit.

PEOPLE: Reporting on the allegations contained in the family’s civil complaint, including alleged deficiencies involving restraints on multiple Yo-Yo seats.

Clayton James Phillips’ obituary — Duggan Dolan Mortuary: Biographical information about Clayton, his interests, schooling and six years with Orphan Girl Children’s Theatre. The obituary also identifies Orphan Girl Children’s Theatre and the Clayton James Phillips Scholarship Fund as suggested recipients for memorial donations.

Orphan Girl Children’s Theatre: Statement remembering Clayton, his productions and theater work, the memorial created by castmates, dedication of the 2026-27 season in his memory and invitation to make memorial donations in his honor.

Orphan Girl Children’s Theatre official website: Information about the nonprofit organization’s mission and work in the Butte community.

Anthony Sones and Miranda Wormuth had been together for 14 years. Police say a driver’s split-second reaction to a bug ended both of their lives.

If you’ve ever had a bee fly through your car window, you may know the reaction. I certainly do.

You duck. You swat. Maybe scream and yell.

For a second, your brain seems to forget that you’re driving a several-thousand-pound piece of machinery because there is suddenly a tiny flying intruder six inches from your face.

Usually, it ends with your heart racing and a feeling of disbelief that a tiny insect could elicit such an intense response.

On August 12, police say one of those incredibly ordinary moments ended with two people dead.

Anthony Sones, 34, and Miranda Wormuth, 30, were riding a Harley-Davidson in Brady Township, Pennsylvania, shortly before 5 p.m. when an SUV crossed into their lane and struck their motorcycle head-on.

Anthony and Miranda both died.

According to Pennsylvania State Police, the woman driving the SUV, 55-year-old Bernadette Cobb of Brick, New Jersey, told investigators that a bug had flown through an open window of her vehicle.

Police say Cobb told them she “freaked out,” put her head down and attempted to swat the bug away.

In those few seconds, investigators say, the SUV moved into the opposing lane.

According to reporting based on the probable-cause affidavit, Cobb’s passenger tried to help steer the vehicle back into the correct lane.

There wasn’t enough time.

The SUV collided head-on with Anthony and Miranda’s motorcycle near the crest of a hill. Police said the location of the collision prevented the couple from being able to avoid the approaching SUV.

Investigators reported no evidence that Cobb was impaired at the time of the crash.

Cobb now faces a number of charges including two counts of homicide by vehicle and two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

Those charges are allegations, and Cobb has not been convicted. Her attorney has characterized what happened as a tragic accident and said she will be vigorously defended.

But whatever happens in a courtroom cannot change what happened on that road.

Anthony and Miranda are gone and Cobb’s life will never be the same.

According to a fundraiser created by Miranda’s family, she and Anthony were soulmates who had been together for 14 years.

Anthony was also part of the local racing community. Hidden Valley Speedway remembered him as a competitor in its Four-Cylinder division and said he would be missed by fellow drivers, friends and family.

For many people, being startled by a bug is painfully easy to understand.

And that’s what makes what happened to Anthony and Miranda so awful and so frightening. Many of us can recognize the instinct behind Cobb’s split-second reaction—even if the consequences here were unimaginable

And although we can’t change what happened on that road, I’ve found a few ways we can help the people left behind—or perhaps help prevent another tragedy like this one.

We can help Miranda’s family.

Heather Hoover created a GoFundMe following the crash to help pay for Miranda’s cremation services. According to the fundraiser, any money remaining after those expenses will be put toward a scholarship in Miranda’s honor.

We can also help by promoting awareness.

Forever Friends Motorcycle Awareness is a nonprofit dedicated to educating both riders and drivers about motorcycle awareness.

The organization encourages drivers to put down distractions, pay attention and look more than once before pulling out or changing lanes.

Forever Friends also says it has used funds to assist families of fallen and injured riders, support local volunteer fire and EMS departments, provide scholarships and educate young drivers about motorcycle awareness.

Forever Friends is not being presented here as affiliated with Anthony or Miranda’s family. I’m including the organization because its mission addresses something this tragedy makes impossible to ignore.

A distraction doesn’t have to last a minute.

Sometimes it doesn’t even have to last ten seconds.

So maybe the good deed today is donating a few dollars to Miranda’s family.

Maybe it’s supporting motorcycle-awareness education.

Or maybe it costs absolutely nothing.

The next time something falls on the floor of your car, your phone goes off, your kid needs something in the backseat—or a bug comes flying through your window—try to remember Anthony and Miranda.

Keep your eyes on the road.

Those few seconds might matter more than you could ever imagine.

Sources

Crash and police investigation:
WJAC — PSP: Driver charged in deadly Brady Twp. crash claims bug flew into her SUV

Additional reporting / court records:
Patch — Brick Woman Swatting At Bug Hits Motorcycle Head-On, Killing 2, Authorities, Reports Say

Anthony and Miranda / community reaction:
KYW Newsradio — Police: Driver ‘freaked out’ by bug in car, veers head-on into motorcycle

Family fundraiser:
GoFundMe — Support for Miranda and Anthony’s Families

Motorcycle-awareness organization:
Forever Friends Motorcycle Awareness — Official website

Sources: WAFB, Wide Open Country, PEOPLE, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office

This may be one of the most senseless murder cases I’ve ever read.

According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, 38-year-old Jessica Lashly and her 17-year-old daughter, Jersey Greer, had just arrived home to their House Springs, Missouri residence on July 25 when a 73-year-old neighbor, Robert Winkelman, walked over to confront them about noise and activity at the home.

Authorities say the conversation lasted only moments.

Investigators allege that after Jessica made a comment during the exchange, Winkelman pulled out a handgun and shot her in the head.

As horrifying as that is, what happened next is even harder to comprehend.

Rather than running away, Jersey immediately rushed toward her mother to help her.

Authorities say she was then shot in the head by Winkelman as she tried to save her.

Investigators also say the gunman chased a third person before deputies arrived. When law enforcement attempted to take Winkelman into custody outside his home, he turned the gun on himself. He later died from his injuries.

Jessica and Jersey were both transported to the hospital in critical condition.

Tragically neither survived.

I keep thinking about how unreal this must have been for Jersey's twin sister Justice, who was at work when the shootings happened.

She later shared: “Jersey’s last moments, she was trying to save my mom.”

Instead of remembering your sister’s final moments as peaceful, you know she was terrified and her last instinct was to protect someone she loved.

That kind of courage should never be asked of a 17-year-old.

Police say that Winkelman had ongoing frustrations with activity at the family’s home.

A noise complaint.

That’s what allegedly set all of this into motion.

I’ve had noisy neighbors. I’ve been a noisy neighbor.

I don’t think any of us hear the words “noise complaint” and imagine that leading to the murder of a mother and her daughter.

That’s what makes this story so difficult to process. It was so senseless.

According to family members, Jersey was a talented lacrosse player with dreams of continuing the sport after high school alongside her twin sister. Even after everything that happened, her family chose to honor her generous spirit by donating her organs, helping save six lives.

I don’t know if there’s a greater contrast than that.

One person’s final act was violence.

Another’s became the gift of life for complete strangers.

For this story, I’m linking the family’s verified GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses and the difficult road ahead.

Because this story isn’t really about a noise complaint.

It’s about a mother who never made it inside.

A daughter whose final act was trying to save her.

And a family now left trying to imagine a future without either of them.

Sources: Fox News, NBC 6 South Florida, Martin County Sheriff’s Office

I came across this story and, before I even got to the allegations, I read that this 77 year old woman was still delivering mail.

I thought, Good for her.

Walking a mail route at 77? That’s crazy impressive. Especially in Florida.

Then I kept reading.

And, as tends to happen with the stories that find me, what seemed to start as a story of resilience quickly took a sharp turn into something awful and sad.

This is one of those stories that just hurts the heart.

According to Fox News, NBC 6 South Florida, and the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, 77-year-old Florida mail carrier Gail Giustino was arrested after investigators discovered what Sheriff John Budensiek described as the worst animal hoarding case he has encountered in his career.

Authorities initially responded after receiving reports that a mail carrier was allegedly collecting cats along her postal route.

They expected to find perhaps a few dozen animals.

Instead, they found more than 100 cats and dogs living inside what investigators described as unimaginable conditions.

According to authorities, the home had no working air conditioning or ventilation despite Florida’s summer heat. Sheriff Budensiek estimated temperatures inside reached approximately 110 degrees. Responders described encountering an overwhelming smell of urine, feces, and ammonia so severe that Hazmat crews were called to assist.

“There was probably a foot of animal feces in parts of the house,” the sheriff said.

Some of the cats were reportedly trapped in cages so caked with hardened feces that rescue workers had to break the waste away before the animals could move. Authorities say many of the animals had spent years confined indoors without ever being taken outside.

The dogs were found flea-infested, underweight, suffering from hair loss and advanced dental disease. Shelter staff said some of the cats appeared almost catatonic from the trauma, refusing to even lift their heads.

One of the most heartbreaking aspects of this case is that investigators don’t believe Gail intended to harm the animals.

Sheriff Budensiek repeatedly stated that he believes she genuinely thought she was rescuing them. “She thinks she’s doing the right thing,” he said. “She’s just doing it the wrong way.”

To make matters worse, authorities say the number of animals involved is continuing to grow, as friends of Giustino have been surrendering additional cats and dogs they had been caring for on her behalf.

According to NBC 6, animal control had issued approximately 65 civil citations involving the property since 2014. Officials had previously worked with Giustino to improve conditions, even helping install window air-conditioning units. But investigators say those units were no longer functioning when the animals were rescued, and it had been more than a decade since authorities had last checked on the home.

The sheriff said the criminal charges were necessary in order to legally remove the animals, save their lives, and hopefully connect Giustino with mental health treatment. Although investigators said they could have pursued dozens—even more than 100—animal cruelty charges, she was ultimately charged with two misdemeanor counts related to animal cruelty and confinement.

Thankfully, amid all of the heartbreak, there has also been hope.

According to Fox News, several missing pets have already been reunited with families who believed they were gone forever. It’s anticipated that more reunions will follow.

One woman searched for her missing cat, Patchy, for seven months. She offered a reward, hung flyers throughout the community, and prayed every day that he would somehow come home.

After seeing news coverage of the rescue, she visited the Humane Society of Treasure Coast.

Before she even saw him, she recognized his meow.

Other families have experienced similar reunions, while many of the rescued animals continue receiving medical treatment and rehabilitation.

Shelter staff say cats that initially wouldn’t even raise their heads are now beginning to seek affection, while the rescued dogs have quickly started wagging their tails and trusting people again.

“They know they’re safe,” one shelter employee said.

This story is a painful reminder that untreated mental illness doesn't always destroy just one life. Sometimes it engulfs every innocent life caught in its path. Compassion without the ability to provide proper care can still end in unimaginable suffering.

For this story, I’m highlighting the Humane Society of Treasure Coast, the organization now caring for these animals as they recover physically and emotionally.

Rescuing more than one hundred neglected animals requires an incredible amount of veterinary care, food, medication, shelter, and countless hours of work.

If this story broke your heart too, donating to the people helping these animals heal is one way to turn that sadness into something good. Hopefully these animals can have a future far less painful than their past.

I think about Sandra Birchmore often because I see so much of my younger self in her.

I was the kid who looked up to police officers as if they were superheroes. I wanted to be noticed, encouraged, and accepted by the adults I admired.

Every child deserves mentors worthy of that trust.

As an adult, I can’t begin to imagine taking advantage of a child who looked up to me. That’s what makes Sandra’s story so heartbreaking. According to federal prosecutors, she placed her trust in adults who allegedly exploited it in the worst way imaginable.

Sandra Birchmore was just 12 years old when she joined the Stoughton Police Explorers program, a youth program designed to introduce young people to careers in law enforcement. According to federal prosecutors, it was there that she met Matthew Farwell, who would later become a Stoughton police officer and an instructor with the program.

Federal prosecutors allege that what began as a mentorship evolved into years of grooming and sexual exploitation. According to the indictment, Farwell used his authority and access as a police officer to begin sexually abusing Birchmore when she was 15 years old, and the relationship continued into adulthood. Prosecutors further allege that some of the sexual encounters occurred while Farwell was on duty as a police officer. Farwell has denied the charges and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

In late 2020, Birchmore learned she was pregnant. According to court documents, Sandra believed Matthew Farwell was the father of her unborn child. Prosecutors allege Farwell also believed he was the father, and that this belief became part of the motive for the alleged murder. Prosecutors allege that as word of their relationship began to spread and a report was made to the Stoughton Police Department, Farwell feared his years of alleged criminal conduct would be exposed. They allege that this became the motive for her murder.

On February 4, 2021, Birchmore was found dead inside her apartment in Canton, Massachusetts. Her death was initially ruled a suicide by the Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Her family, however, never accepted that conclusion and continued pushing for answers, including filing a wrongful death lawsuit and obtaining an independent forensic review that challenged the original finding.

As federal investigators revisited the case, they uncovered evidence that painted a very different picture—one they say was inconsistent with suicide and instead supported a homicide investigation..

According to prosecutors, surveillance footage showed Farwell entering and later leaving Birchmore’s apartment building around the time investigators believe she was killed. They also recovered digital evidence that allegedly showed Farwell instructing Birchmore to delete communications between them.

Perhaps some of the most heartbreaking evidence came from Sandra herself.

Rather than planning to end her life, investigators say she appeared to be preparing for motherhood. According to federal court documents, Birchmore had been communicating with a photographer about scheduling newborn photos, searching online for children’s furniture, asking friends about baby clothes, purchasing baby supplies, and making future plans. Family members also found laundry in progress, unopened baby items, and a handmade pregnancy announcement inside her apartment after her death. Prosecutors argue these actions were inconsistent with someone planning to die that day.

Less than 13 hours after the alleged killing, Farwell’s wife gave birth to their third child. The timing is almost impossible to comprehend. According to prosecutors, Farwell moved between those two moments as if nothing had happened.

In August 2024, a federal grand jury indicted Farwell on one count of killing a witness or victim, alleging he strangled Birchmore and staged the scene to resemble a suicide in order to prevent law enforcement from learning about his alleged sexual exploitation of her. In October 2025, prosecutors filed a superseding indictment adding a charge alleging that Birchmore’s unborn child also died as a result of the killing. Farwell has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The federal trial is currently scheduled to begin in October 2026. Federal prosecutors have announced they will not seek the death penalty. If convicted, Farwell faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison.

For anyone looking to stay informed about the case and support Sandra's family, they have a Facebook group dedicated to support for Birchmore.

Sandra's story is a reminder that child grooming rarely begins with obvious violence. It often begins with trust, access, and an adult willing to abuse a position of authority. That's why I'm highlighting Darkness to Light, an organization dedicated to preventing child sexual abuse through education, training, and empowering adults to recognize the warning signs of grooming before abuse escalates.

Sources

• U.S. Department of Justice – August 28, 2024 indictment announcement

• U.S. Department of Justice – October 28, 2025 superseding indictment announcement

• Federal indictment and court filings (U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts)

• FBI Boston investigation materials referenced in federal filings

• NBC Boston

• WBUR

This is the story that made me start thinking about starting Bad News Burgo in the first place.

I remember reading about Sam Nordquist’s torture and murder when the news first broke and really questioning if it was a real story or some sort of AI-Generated insanity.

It felt impossible that something this horrific had actually happened. The details were so disturbing that it seemed more like a work of fiction than a real news story.

As the person who earned the nickname, Bad News Burgo, I’m well aware that some people really are purely evil and capable of unimaginable cruelty. The stories that cross my path remind me of that every day. However, this was so insanely cruel that I felt I must have curated a feed filled with made-up stories designed to shock people. Surely this couldn’t be real.

Unfortunately, it was.

This story may be the most horrific one I’ve ever read.

According to MPR News, Sam Nordquist was a 24-year-old transgender man from Minnesota who met a woman online and traveled to New York in September 2024 to visit her.

Sam was just a young guy. A son. A brother. Just another person trying to grow up and build a life of their own.

His mother, Linda Nordquist, didn’t want him to go on the trip.

“You don’t know anybody there,” she remembered telling him.

Sam’s response was simple.

“You have to let me grow up and spread my wings.”

So she drove him to the airport, kissed him goodbye, and told him to be safe.

She never saw him alive again.

What happened in New York is almost impossible to comprehend.

According to NBC, Sam was held captive in a motel room for approximately a month.

Court documents allege he was beaten, kicked, punched, sexually assaulted, starved, denied proper food and water, physically restrained, duct taped, and forced to obey commands “like a dog.”

Prosecutors allege that he was forced to consume urine, feces, and tobacco spit, had bleach poured on him, and was subjected to repeated sexual, physical and psychological abuse.

Authorities have also alleged that two young children were forced to witness—and in some instances participate in—the abuse.

One prosecutor involved in the case said the indictment represented only a portion of what investigators currently know happened inside Room 22 of Patty’s Lodge.

Another described it as one of the worst homicide investigations their office had ever encountered. I certainly hope they don’t see worse than this.

Authorities say seven people, excluding those poor two children, participated in the abuse.

One prosecutor stated that the evidence supports allegations that Sam was tortured for the enjoyment of those harming him.

The only people who called police were Nordquist’s mother and sister back home, who pleaded for authorities to check in on him when he stopped responding to their messages. But Nordquist’s body had already been dumped, wrapped in plastic bags, in an empty field.

That literally makes me ill. I cannot begin to imagine how his family has managed to process the reality that someone they loved endured that level of cruelty.

And this week, according to WROC, Jennifer Quijano became the third defendant to plead guilty in connection with the kidnapping, torture, sexual abuse, and murder of Sam Nordquist.

After another defendant accepted responsibility, Kayla Nordquist said:

“There’s just no amount of justice.”

And of course there isn’t.

Because no sentence can give a mother back her son.

No guilty plea can give a sister back her brother.

No conviction can undo what happened.

The strength this family has to have in order to hear the details relayed over and over again…because there are so many trials because so many awful people hurt him.

Absolutely nothing could make that any less painful.

If you’d like to help, I’m linking directly to the Nordquist family’s GoFundMe.

Since Sam’s death, his family has been forced to navigate not only unimaginable grief, but also the financial burden of traveling from Minnesota to New York for hearings and trials, legal expenses, and lost wages while fighting to make sure Sam’s voice continues to be heard.

In their own words, “We will never stop fighting until Sam has the justice he deserves.”

No amount of money can undo what happened to Sam. But it can help support the family as they continue showing up, speaking out, and ensuring that his story—and his memory—are never forgotten.

Say his name.

Sam Nordquist.

Sources: KSL News, PEOPLE, KUTV

There are stories that make you question how something like this could happen at the hands of one person, let alone several.

This is one of them.

According to KSL News, PEOPLE, and KUTV, Mitchell and Carrie Murray have pleaded guilty to child abuse homicide in the death of their 18-month-old daughter, Ruby Marie Murray.

Investigators say Ruby died from complications of malnutrition and dehydration after enduring what they described as a severe pattern of neglect.

The details are almost impossible to wrap your head around.

According to court documents, Ruby spent just over six hours out of her crib during the final four days of her life.

Detectives say another human being was physically present with her for only 49 minutes and 15 seconds during that entire period.

Her father reportedly referred to them as “crib days,” explaining that Ruby would remain in her crib while he worked from home.

March 18 was allegedly one of those days.

According to investigators, Ruby was never taken out of her crib.

Her diaper wasn’t changed.

The total interaction she had with her parents and sibling that day lasted just 49 seconds.

Investigators also say Ruby’s room was noticeably hotter than the rest of the home because of a nearby space heater. Her crib, which had been covered with mesh to keep her from climbing out, reportedly contained old scraps of food.

Throughout her final night, security footage allegedly captured Ruby crying, whimpering, and gasping.

She weighed approximately 17 pounds when she died.

One of the most difficult details to process is that Ruby's mother was a nurse. People enter that profession to care for the sick and vulnerable, which makes the allegations in this case even harder to comprehend.

According to court records cited by PEOPLE, she called 911 to report that Ruby was “beyond help” and allegedly refused to perform lifesaving measures before first responders arrived.

I can’t even begin to imagine that level of apathy.

As a parent, I keep coming back to one thing.

Forty-nine minutes.

That’s less time than it takes to watch a show.

During the last four days of her life, Ruby spent more time alone than she did being held, comforted, talked to, or cared for.

I don’t know how anyone reads that without feeling physically ill.

For this story, I wanted to highlight Childhelp, which operates the National Child Abuse Hotline.

One of the hardest truths about child abuse and neglect is that children often cannot save themselves. They depend entirely on adults to notice something is wrong and step in before it’s too late.

If you ever suspect a child is being abused or neglected, trust your instincts and say something. Childhelp’s hotline is available 24 hours a day for anyone who needs guidance, wants to report concerns, or simply isn’t sure what to do.

Ruby deserved adults who would protect her.

Every child does.

Sources: WKRC Local 12 and WLWT Cincinnati

This was a tough one to read...especially as a caretaker for my own mother and my children’s grandmother.

According to WKRC and WLWT, 19-year-old Wyatt Testerman was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty but mentally ill to beating his 74-year-old grandmother, Cheri Oliver, to death.

Cheri wasn’t just another victim in a headline.

She was the grandmother who had welcomed Wyatt into her home after he was released from the hospital following an LSD overdose. According to family members, she was thrilled he was staying with her. He helped around the house, ran errands, and drove his grandparents to doctor’s appointments.

Then everything changed.

According to prosecutors, Testerman texted his mother that he intended to kill his grandmother before the attack. They say he positioned Cheri in front of a cell phone camera, propped the phone on a tumbler, moved the coffee table and rug out of the way, closed the blinds, and announced his intentions before carrying out the assault.

Prosecutors said the recording showed Testerman pausing to look at the blood on his knuckles, checking whether his grandmother was still alive, and then continuing the attack.

The Commonwealth’s Attorney described it as the most premeditated murder he had seen in his career.

Despite those horrific details, Testerman’s family described a completely different person.

His aunt told the court she could not reconcile the grandson she knew with the young man sitting before the judge.

“I don’t believe Wyatt is just evil,” she said. “I can only assume that he started back on the drugs, had a mental break, or something.”

Testerman’s attorney argued he was experiencing a drug-induced psychosis, and Testerman himself said he genuinely believed his grandmother posed a threat because of the way drugs had altered his mind.

As someone who’s been in recovery for many years, I’ve heard stories like this before and even witnessed drug-induced psychosis firsthand—but nothing anywhere close to this.

I once had a friend break into an elderly woman’s home because he genuinely believed he was saving her from an alien invasion he was hallucinating. He was fortunate that nobody got hurt and he celebrated 20 years sober this year.

This story though, this is on an entirely different level.

Cheri Oliver lost her life.

A family lost a beloved mother and grandmother.

And another young life will likely be spent behind prison walls.

Reading this story sent me down a rabbit hole about drug-induced psychosis because, although I knew it existed, I didn’t realize there were organizations dedicated to educating people about it.

Instead of linking to a general addiction charity, I chose to feature Made of Millions, which provides education and resources about mental health conditions, including drug-induced psychosis.

I’m of the belief that severe mental illness and substance-related psychiatric conditions don’t excuse people from the consequences of their actions. At the same time, there’s tremendous value in understanding these conditions, recognizing warning signs, encouraging treatment, and hopefully preventing another family from experiencing a tragedy like this one.

The first link explains drug-induced psychosis in plain language.

This second link is Made of Millions’ donation page if you’d like to support their work improving mental health education and reducing the stigma surrounding serious mental illness.

There are stories that make you angry.

Then there are stories that make you so angry that it physically hurts.

This is one of those stories.

According to reporting by freelance journalist Sarah Boyles and court documents cited by KLAS 8 News Now, 8-year-old Cruzito Ruiz began choking on a piece of pineapple while eating lunch at John Bass Elementary School in Las Vegas on February 25, 2025.

What makes this story especially heartbreaking is that Cruzito reportedly knew exactly what was happening and repeatedly tried to get help. He did exactly what most of us have been taught to do when we’re choking. He signaled. He pointed to his mouth and chest. He patted his back. He sought out an adult.

Surveillance footage and court documents allege that Cruzito approached a teacher’s assistant for help. One of his classmates reportedly also attempted to alert the aide that something was wrong.

According to the lawsuit, Cruzito had previously suffered a traumatic brain injury at age three and was enrolled in an Individual Education Program (IEP) because of resulting disabilities. While every article about this case mentions that fact, I struggle to understand why it would matter in this moment. Choking is choking. A child desperately signaling that he cannot breathe is a child desperately signaling that he cannot breathe.

Despite his repeated attempts to communicate that he was in distress, the lawsuit alleges the aide directed Cruzito to the boys’ restroom instead of rendering aid.

There, he collapsed alone.

According to court documents, staff were not alerted to Cruzito’s condition until approximately five to six minutes later, when other students discovered him. Emergency responders reportedly arrived about fifteen minutes after the choking episode began.

By then, Cruzito had been deprived of oxygen for too long.

He was transported to the hospital and later diagnosed with a severe brain injury caused by lack of oxygen. Cruzito never regained consciousness and was declared brain dead on March 2, just two weeks before his ninth birthday.

As a parent, what makes me so incredibly angry about this story is that Cruzito wasn’t suffering silently.

He wasn’t hiding in a corner.

He wasn’t unable to communicate.

He was desperately trying to tell the adults around him that something was wrong.

He pointed.

He gestured.

He sought help.

And according to the lawsuit, that help never came.

The family has since filed a federal lawsuit against the Clark County School District alleging failures in both response and training.

No matter how that lawsuit ultimately plays out, one thing is certain: a little boy who should have been worrying about recess, homework, and his upcoming birthday never made it home from school.

Even people with no formal medical training generally know that choking is an emergency. The idea that a child could repeatedly signal that he cannot breathe, in a cafeteria of all places, and still fail to receive immediate help is almost impossible for me to comprehend.

This story made me furious.

So if you’re sitting here feeling as angry as I am, maybe channel some of that rage into something useful.

I chose the American Heart Association because they provide CPR and first-aid education that teaches people how to recognize and respond to emergencies like choking. While no organization can change what happened to Cruzito, helping more adults know what to do when a child can’t breathe seems like a worthwhile place to start.

Source: The Independent

A close friend of mine is an ICU nurse, and over the years she has told me some absolute horror stories. Not about blood or trauma or the things most people associate with nursing, but about the anger, frustration, and sometimes outright aggression directed at her and her coworkers by patients and families.

Before she got into this profession, I don’t think I had ever really considered the danger that can come with being a nurse. I thought about the stress, the long hours, and the emotional toll. I didn’t think about the fact that simply showing up to care for people could sometimes put your own safety—or even your life—at risk.

Then I came across this story.

According to a lawsuit filed by her husband, 27-year-old Alabama nurse Ada Doss was on the phone discussing her workday, dinner plans, and the evening routine for her two little girls when everything changed.

Her husband, Drew, says he heard Ada suddenly plead, “Please don’t. I have babies.”

Seconds later, she was dead.

The lawsuit alleges that the man accused of killing Ada had been exhibiting erratic behavior for hours before the shooting. It further claims that security personnel had been made aware of concerns about his behavior but failed to locate or monitor him before the encounter.

Ada wasn’t walking through a dark alley at midnight. She wasn’t taking some enormous risk. She was leaving work. She was talking to her husband. She was thinking about getting home to her babies.

That is the part of this story that haunts me.

One second you’re discussing dinner plans. The next second your children no longer have a mother.

Drew later described Ada as the best person he had ever known and said she made sure their daughters knew every day how important they were to her.

Ada left behind a husband, a six-month-old daughter, and a two-year-old daughter.

For this story, I’m not linking to a charity.

I’m linking directly to the verified GoFundMe established for Drew and the girls.

Sometimes the most important thing we can do—the thing that helps us feel like we’re adding a little good back into the world—is help a family, left behind by something unimaginably bad, to pick up the pieces.

Read Full Reporting from BBC News

Sometimes the stories are so horrific that I feel the need to share them simply to lessen the burden of knowing people capable of this kind of cruelty exist.

That is, honestly, how this site was born. Too many people in my real life didn’t want to hear the stories that kept me up at night, so I created a place for anyone willing to carry a little of that burden with me.

According to BBC News, 13-month-old Preston Davey died in July 2023. Prosecutors said he was repeatedly abused, sexually assaulted, physically injured, and photographed during the short time he spent with his adoptive parents.

This innocent child suffered 40 traumatic injuries.

Jamie Varley, 37, was found guilty of sexually abusing and murdering Preston after initially claiming the child had accidentally drowned in a bath. A post-mortem examination later revealed that Preston had suffered dozens of injuries during the short time he was in the couple’s care.

Varley’s partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, was found guilty of sexual assault, child cruelty, and allowing the death of a child.

BBC reported that Preston had been taken to the hospital multiple times before his death with suspicious bruising that was ultimately explained away. He had also been seen by several social workers.

Varley rushed Preston to hospital for a final time on 27 July, unresponsive. He claimed to have left the child in the bath for a couple of minutes and returned to find him submerged.

But the trial heard Preston’s hair was dry, he had a nappy on and he did not appear to have swallowed any water.

A Home Office post-mortem examination ruled out drowning as the cause of death, with the cause found to be acute upper airways obstruction by an object or objects inserted into his mouth.

Due to the severity of the case, jurors were told, "bearing in mind what we have called upon you to do", they would be exempt from jury service for life.

Cases like this inevitably raise questions about how vulnerable children fall through the cracks despite contact with multiple agencies and professionals.

While no organization can undo what happened to Preston, there are charities working every day to protect children from abuse, strengthen safeguarding systems, and support vulnerable families before tragedy strikes.

I’ve linked to Childhelp, an organization dedicated to meeting the physical, emotional, educational, and spiritual needs of abused, neglected, and at-risk children.

Photo Credit

According to News with Jahlen and Brazilian media outlets, authorities have officially charged three men after having questioned six people in relation to this tragedy. The men face charges of homicide with implied malice, a legal standard prosecutors say applies when individuals knowingly disregard obvious risks that could lead to death.

Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, a 21-year-old woman, fell approximately 130 feet to her death during what she believed was a guided rope-jumping excursion. Just before the jump, she posted to social media: "Who was the crazy one who let me jump off a bridge?"

She had signed up for a tour and adventure activity, allegedly unaware that investigators would later determine the organizers lacked authorization to operate at the site and were not following proper safety regulations.

Authorities allege the event organizers were operating without the necessary permits or oversight. An attorney representing the accused has disputed claims of negligence, stating the group was "highly experienced" and that this was their first fatal incident.

Maria had recently graduated with a degree in physical education and sports management.

Reports indicate her boyfriend, who witnessed the incident, was so distraught that he required medical attention.

According to witnesses, screams erupted moments after Maria fell as onlookers realized the safety rope had not been attached.

The mayor of Limeira has questioned whether local officials could have done more to prevent the tragedy, citing longstanding concerns about unauthorized activities at the location.

I searched extensively for a verified fundraiser benefiting Maria’s family but have not yet found one. Until an official campaign emerges, I wanted to highlight an organization that supports people coping with traumatic experiences.

For witnesses, loved ones, and first responders, the emotional impact of witnessing a traumatic death can last long after headlines fade.

Trauma Survivors Network

Witnessing a sudden or violent death can leave lasting emotional scars. The Trauma Survivors Network provides education, peer support, and recovery resources for people coping with the aftermath of traumatic events. By connecting survivors with others who understand their experiences, the organization helps individuals and families navigate the difficult road toward healing.

According to the New York Post, 28-year-old Vitor Francisco Gomes stands accused of carrying out a horrifying double murder that left two young men dead in Fall River, Massachusetts. Prosecutors allege Gomes killed Eduardo Cardosa DaSilva, 19, and Pablo Henrique Rocha-Dasilva, 20, following a dispute that began after an informal boxing match among friends.

Witnesses told investigators that Eduardo had knocked Gomes unconscious during the backyard sparring session. Humiliated and enraged, Gomes allegedly demanded a rematch, but Eduardo refused.

Hours later, tensions boiled over. Prosecutors say Gomes confronted the pair as they sat inside a vehicle preparing to leave the area. During a heated argument, Gomes allegedly pulled out a firearm and fired multiple shots through the driver’s side window, striking Pablo.

The violence didn’t stop there.

Authorities allege Eduardo fled toward the rear of the property in a desperate attempt to escape. He was later discovered face-down, dead from a gunshot wound, with a pitchfork embedded in the back of his skull — a gruesome scene that investigators described as one of shocking brutality.

Prosecutors say Gomes then turned his attention back to Pablo. After allegedly dragging the wounded 20-year-old from the vehicle by his collar, Gomes is accused of repeatedly striking him in the head with the firearm. When that wasn’t enough, investigators allege he grabbed a loose cobblestone from the driveway and continued the attack, bludgeoning Pablo until he succumbed to his injuries.

Gomes was arrested nearby and has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

This scene must have been so surreal and traumatizing. Although there are a ton of people hurting due to this crime, I’m going to just focus on the EMTs and first responders who had to come upon this scene and handle it. This sounds like something out of a horror movie.

So, I found The Code Green Campaign, which is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization focused on mental health advocacy and education for first responders. It works to reduce stigma surrounding mental illness and suicide among professionals such as firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, police officers, dispatchers, and others in emergency services.

sourceLocal 10 News

Sometimes the stories are just almost too insanely brutal to fathom. This is certainly one of those. This man, Juan Lopez, is accused of not only not seeking medical attention for his 23 year old girlfriend who was burned over 80%-90% of her body, but also finding multiple illegal drugs to give her all while filming himself engaging in sexual battery with her lifeless burned body. She would later be pronounced dead, and his cell phone search history and videos taken, would be discovered. This is so brutal. Lopez claims that his girlfriend was cleaning cat urine with rubbing alcohol when a lit candle ignited the fumes, causing the burns.

You can find further details of the story here on NBC Miami.

Honestly, this story is so awful that I don’t even know which charitable route to take here. Sadly this woman suffered from domestic violence, deadly burns and sexual assault all within this one incident. I’m sure their relationship involved further horrors.

What I do know is that there are people who spend their lives helping victims of sexual violence navigate the aftermath of trauma and abuse. Organizations like RAINN provide support, resources, and advocacy for survivors when they need it most.

No charity can change what happened in this case, but they can help ensure that people facing sexual violence scenarios don’t have to go through it alone. I've linked directly to their donation page for anyone who would like to support their work.

Police allege that when rescuers finally reached a pair of 13-month-old twins who had been left alone for days, the surviving child was so malnourished that he attempted to eat a paramedic’s stethoscope, mistaking it for food.

His twin sister, Mazouri Jones, was already dead and decomposing.

According to Fox 5 DC, 25-year-old Valencia Duke has been charged with first-degree felony murder and two counts of first-degree cruelty to children in connection with the death of her daughter.

Duke appeared in Superior Court on June 4, where Judge Heidi Hermann found probable cause and ordered that she be held without bond pending trial. During the hearing, Duke’s attorney revealed that she is currently pregnant. Court records also indicate Duke does not have custody of an older daughter.

The charges stem from an incident on January 18, when Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to an apartment on Southern Avenue Southeast for a report of an unconscious child.

Inside the residence, officers discovered 13-month-old twins. Mazouri Jones was pronounced dead at the scene. Her twin brother was found alive but suffering from severe dehydration and malnourishment. He was transported to a hospital, where he received treatment for several days.

According to court documents, investigators believe the children were left completely alone inside the apartment for more than 72 hours between January 14 and January 18.

An autopsy later determined that Mazouri died from dehydration and malnutrition caused by neglect. The Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide.

Photos released from the scene allegedly show cluttered and unsanitary living conditions inside the apartment. Investigators say the surviving twin’s condition reflected the extent of the neglect he endured during the days he was left alone.

Cases like this inevitably leave people asking how something so catastrophic could happen and whether there were warning signs long before authorities became involved.

While no charity can undo what happened to Mazouri Jones, there are organizations working every day to protect vulnerable children and support families before neglect and abuse become tragedies.

One such charity is Childhelp. Childhelp exists to meet the physical, emotional, educational and spiritual needs of abused, neglected and at-risk children. They help find foster placements for those in need.

According to MyFox8, Destiny Wilson, 34, doused herself in gasoline before setting herself on fire. Wilson reportedly had a history of mental illness, suicidal ideation, and previous psychiatric hospitalizations.

While Wilson’s mother attempted to get her into the shower, Wilson’s three-year-old daughter, Jamie Lee, was in a front room of the home that became engulfed in flames. Jamie Lee was pronounced dead at the scene, while Wilson later died at the hospital.

Wilson’s mother stated that they had been staying with her for the weekend. She also shared that Wilson faced significant challenges raising Jamie Lee, who had cerebral palsy, autism, and a disorder involving self-harm.

There were six other family members in the home at the time, including a 10-year-old child. The Fire Marshal continues to investigate the cause of the fire.

Stories like this are difficult because they involve multiple realities at once. Reports indicate that Wilson struggled with serious mental health issues, while also navigating the demands of caring for a child with significant disabilities. While it would be unfair to reduce this tragedy to any single cause, it is also true that many families caring for children with complex needs face enormous emotional, physical, and financial pressures.

That led me to look into organizations that support individuals and families facing similar challenges.

Organizations like The Arc work to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families through advocacy, resources, community programs, and support services. Their mission is rooted in the belief that every person deserves dignity, opportunity, and a strong network of support.

While no organization can undo a tragedy like this one, ensuring that families have access to resources, community, and assistance can help reduce isolation and provide support before a family reaches a point of crisis.

Learn more or support their work at thearc.org.

One of the most uncomfortable realities about crimes against children is that they are rarely committed by the strangers parents fear most.

They are often committed by people who appear trustworthy. People with careers, families, responsibilities, and good reputations. People who blend in so well that no one suspects them until the unthinkable comes to light.

According to WMC, 33-year-old Cameron Sanders, a Tennessee nurse, was arrested following a months-long investigation by the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities say the investigation began after deputies responded to a report involving the unlawful filming of a minor.

Sanders now faces charges including aggravated unlawful photographing of a minor, unlawful photography, solicitation of a minor by electronic means, possession of narcotics, and unlawful possession of a firearm. His bond has been set at $250,000.

According to Fox13, Tipton County’s Shannon Beasley didn’t hold any words back describing the seriousness of the crimes Cameron Sanders is accused of.

According to Beasley, the investigation began in late December after deputies received a report that hidden cameras had been discovered in a juvenile's bedroom and bathroom.

Investigators located multiple videos of the juvenile in the shower, inside the home and thousands more photos and videos of other unsuspecting females.

Investigators also reported discovering more than one hundred thousand suspected child sexual abuse images.

Sanders is a nurse with an active license according to state records.

“And what makes these allegations, even more troubling is that, the profession that he’s in is built upon trust, to care for others,” Beasley said.

The allegations are particularly jarring given that his public persona, as seen on his public Facebook page, emphasized caregiving and helping others.

Looking through it, you don’t see a caricature of a monster. You see someone presenting himself the way countless other people do online — sharing pieces of his life, interests, and identity.

And that may be the most unsettling part of all.

Stories like this are a reminder that the greatest threats to children are not always the strangers parents worry about. More often, they are people who have earned the trust of families, schools, communities, and employers.

That is why prevention and education matter so much.

Organizations like Darkness to Light work to prevent child sexual abuse by teaching adults how to recognize warning signs, respond appropriately, and create safer environments for children.

While no organization can undo the harm already caused, increased awareness and education can help protect children from becoming future victims.

Learn more or support their work at d2l.org.