YouTube homicide confession leads to indictment
Twenty-two-year-old Matthew Cordle was indicted Monday on a felony charge of aggravated vehicular homicide after he confessed in a YouTube video, according to CNN. Cordle’s confession, which drew more than 1.2 million views, showed him admitting to driving while intoxicated when his car hit Vincent Canzani’s Jeep and killed him this past June. Cordle said that attorneys tried to persuade him to lie in court, but he did not want to dishonor Canzani’s memory. He was also indicted on one misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs. A prosecutor said that Cordle’s blood-alcohol level was more than two times higher than the legal limit. He was scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday.
George Zimmerman held for domestic violence
George Zimmerman was detained by Florida police on Monday after his estranged wife told 911 that he had a gun and was threatening her family. Shellie Zimmerman, who filed for divorce last week, also told police that Zimmerman battered her father. Although Zimmerman was not taken to police headquarters, he was questioned near his house and was under police custody. No formal charges were filed, according to ABC News. Zimmerman was acquitted for the murder of Trayvon Martin in July.
Hamden teen dies in Dixwell Ave. crash
Tyseem Troutman died last Thursday when two vehicles collided near 1384 Dixwell Ave, as reported by the New Haven Register. Troutman, 15, was in the passenger seat when the car crossed over the double lines and hit an oncoming vehicle. Both drivers were also seriously injured in the accident. Troutman, who had recently moved to the area from North Carolina, was the second Hamden High School student to die that week as a result of a car crash.
Syria agrees to turn over chemical weapons
Syria accepted a Russian proposal to stop producing chemical weapons and show their facilities to Russia, the United Nations and other states yesterday, according to CNN. This came after Secretary of State John Kerry said this could be the only way for Syria to avoid the United States using military force against them. President Barack Obama asked Senate Democrats to delay voting for a military strike against Syria. If the Syria’s agreement is real, Obama said, the United States may not use military force at all. Last month, Syria was accused of using chemical weapons on its citizens.
Kenyan leaders on trial
Kenya’s Deputy Leader William Ruto and radio personality Joshua arap Sang went on trial at the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands on Tuesday for crimes against humanity. Ruto and Sang are charged with leading attacks that killed more than 1,000 people six years ago. President Uhuru Kenyatta was charged with similar crimes and will be tried in November. Both Ruto and Sang denied committing these crimes.
