Tag: Murder Case

Muslim Shoots Christian Woman to Death in Pakistan

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A married, 21-year-old Christian woman was shot dead inside her home in Rawalpindi last week by a Muslim neighbor whose advances she had rejected, reflecting an attitude among many Pakistan Muslims that crimes against Christians will go unpunished, sources said. Saba Mehboob, who separated from her husband a year ago, was shot in the forehead at about 9 p.m. on Thursday (Sept. 3), after the alleged assailant, Adnan Butt, entered the house in Dhoke Ratta locality with a pistol, according to her brother, Joshua Mehboob. The suspect then abducted her teenage stepbrother and pressured him to falsely confess to the killing, according to the victim’s family.

Joshua Mehboob, a member of a local Full Gospel Assemblies church, said Butt accused his sister of dishonoring him before shooting her in front of her 16-year-old stepbrother, Anoosh. “According to Anoosh, he and his paternal uncles, Michael and Nomi, were in a room when Butt suddenly entered with Saba, loudly abusing her,” Mehboob said. “He pointed his pistol at Michael and Nomi and ordered them to leave. He then slapped Saba repeatedly while shouting that she had dishonored him and been disloyal to him.” Butt then shot Saba in the forehead, killing her instantly, Mehboob said. Butt subsequently forced Anoosh outside at gunpoint, where another man was waiting on a motorcycle, according to Mehboob. The two men allegedly took the teenager to the home of Butt’s brother-in-law, where several other people were present.

Mehboob said the men threatened to kill Anoosh if he told police that Butt had killed his sister and pressured the adolescent to confess to the murder. “Anoosh was kept in their custody until about 5 p.m. on Sept. 4,” Mehboob said. “Meanwhile, Butt also threatened Anoosh’s father and other family members with death if they registered a case against him.” He said Anoosh was released after his father and uncles agreed not to file a police complaint. After his release, Anoosh went with relatives to the district headquarters hospital to receive his sister’s body, Mehboob said. Police arrived there to record his statement and, after hearing his account, asked him to become the complainant in the case, he said.

Police subsequently took Anoosh and his father into protective custody, according to Mehboob. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered, but Butt later obtained pre-arrest bail from a court, he said. Mehboob alleged that Butt had been harassing and threatening Saba Mehboob for some time. He said she twice had slapped him after he blocked her way in a market. “I think Saba’s rejection fueled his anger, leading him to murder her,” he said. Saba Mehboob’s killing prompted a protest in Dhoke Ratta, where Christian and Muslim residents reportedly called for Butt’s arrest. Rawalpindi-based journalist Tariq Chaman said members of Saba Mehboob’s family and local residents alleged that police were pressuring Anoosh to accept responsibility for his sister’s death. “Police have denied the allegations and said the teenage boy is being kept in custody for his protection,” Chaman said.

“His father has also been kept with him because the boy is a minor.” The family and local elders are demanding the release of Anoosh and his father and calling for the investigation to be transferred from Dhoke Ratta police station to a senior police officer, Chaman said. His sources indicated that additional circumstances surrounding the case could emerge as the investigation progresses and potentially affect the direction of the murder inquiry. “Local sources have claimed that Butt and his family have criminal histories, and it’s possible that the victim’s family may succumb to their pressure at some stage,” Chaman said. Human rights advocates have long raised concerns about the vulnerability of religious minorities in Pakistan, particularly in cases involving sexual violence, forced conversion and allegations of blasphemy.

Rights groups have also documented cases in which victims or their families face intimidation and pressure to settle disputes outside the formal justice system. Mehboob told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News that his sister was one of five children born to his mother from her first marriage to Mehboob Masih. After Masih died several years ago, their mother remarried Yaqoob Masih and had five more children with him, including Anoosh. Saba Mehboob married Zeeshan Mehmood about six years ago, but she separated from him more than a year ago because of his severe drug addiction and moved back to live with their mother in Dhoke Ratta with her two daughters, Joshua Mehboob said.

Open Doors, a Christian organization that monitors persecution, ranked Pakistan eighth in its 2026 World Watch List of countries where Christians face the greatest difficulty. The organization cited systemic discrimination, mob violence, forced conversion and weaknesses in law enforcement among the factors contributing to risks faced by Christians in Pakistan.

Source: Muslim Shoots Christian Woman to Death in Pakistan – Morningstar News

Judge not, that you be not judged.
Matthew 7:1

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Sacramento deputies had probable cause to arrest Panera gunman weeks before deadly shooting

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Symbolic scales showing security and justice balanced against legal knowledge outside a courthouse

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Friday the man who investigators say stalked a woman for months before executing her in a Panera Bread parking lot in Sacramento this week was in the country illegally. The victim was 38-year-old Shalini Thakur and her mother has said authorities failed to protect her. A spokesperson for DHS said Thakur’s killer, 22-year-old Rohit Rohit, was from India and entered the United States through Arizona in 2023.

He was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol and released by the Biden administration, according to the spokesperson. The exact details around his immigration status were not immediately clear as of Friday. Federal court records online showed his case was pending. The records showed no appeal had been received for his case and there were no hearings scheduled. Rohit killed himself amid a standoff with police on Highway 50 after the shooting. The scene left traffic at a standstill for hours.

“This illegal alien from India harassed, stalked, and then killed a 38-year-old woman in California, and then took his own life when police caught up to him,” said a DHS spokesperson. “This tragedy would have been completely avoided if it weren’t for the Biden Administration RELEASING this killer into our country. Sanctuary politicians must put an end to reckless policies that play Russian roulette with American lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and her family.” A spokesman for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office told KCRA 3 earlier this week that the local agency does not have access to immigration status information.

The sheriff’s office did not immediately provide a response to the DHS announcement Friday. California’s sanctuary state law, commonly referred to as SB 54, limits local law enforcement’s ability to cooperate with immigration officials when an undocumented immigrant is accused of a crime. “Trying to turn a horrific act of stalking and domestic violence into an indictment of California’s sanctuary policies is not supported by the evidence and distracts from the real issues this case raises — law enforcement preventing stalking and domestic violence, enforcing restraining orders, and keeping victims safe,” said Diana Crofts-Pelayo, a spokesperson for Gov. Newsom’s office.

Investigators said Rohit had no known, local criminal history. He had been stalking and harassing Thakur since at least January of this year, according to the sheriff’s department. That’s when she discovered an Apple AirTag under her car’s hood. The sheriff’s office said the harassment and stalking worsened, describing one instance in which Rohit deflated the woman’s vehicle and followed her to work so he could offer her help. Rohit also allegedly got a copy of the woman’s apartment key and entered her home while she was sleeping. When the woman learned of this the following morning, the sheriff’s office said Rohit claimed he entered her apartment out of concern that something had happened to her when she did not answer.

Despite these instances, the sheriff’s office said the woman initially declined to pursue charges or get a restraining order. Detectives stayed in contact with the woman for months. In May, the sheriff’s office said deputies spoke with the woman and urged her again to get a restraining order, which she did. On July 29, deputies got a report that Rohit dropped off random grocery store items at the woman’s front door, which would have violated the restraining order. The sheriff’s office said deputies tried to contact Rohit twice after this. The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday Rohit was waiting for Thakur outside the Panera Bread near Howe and Northrop avenues. Investigators said he confronted Thakur and chased her as she attempted to run before shooting her multiple times. Witnesses provided investigators with information about Rohit’s vehicle. Deputies located him within minutes on eastbound Highway 50 near Watt Avenue with assistance from the FLOCK camera system. In an emotional interview with KCRA 3 on Thursday night, Thakur’s mother said the system failed to protect her daughter. “Police did not protect my daughter,” she said.

Source: Sacramento deputies had probable cause to arrest Panera gunman weeks before deadly shooting

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.
Galatians 6:1

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Mother murdered young child after becoming ‘very invested’ in Lindsay Clancy trial

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A mother allegedly murdered her 2-year-old son just hours after discussing the Lindsay Clancy murder trial with her friends, which she had become “very invested” in. NBC Chicago reported that a neighbor called 911 on September 1 after discovering the 2-year-old victim hanging from a cord around his neck in the basement. The caller was reportedly performing CPR on the child as officers arrived, but he succumbed to his injuries shortly after being taken to a hospital.

His cause of death was listed as “asphyxia due to ligature compression of the neck.” The caller said that there was also an infant in the house and two school-aged children arrived shortly after she did, but none of them were harmed. Authorities walked upstairs and found the victim’s mother, 40-year-old Corie Walsh, fully clothed in her bathtub suffering from self-inflicted knife wounds, police reported. She was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Walsh’s husband was reportedly out of state when the incident occurred. During questioning Walsh allegedly told police she “did this to her baby because he was the ‘devil’ and the ‘anti-Christ’.”

She further confessed to murdering the child, per authorities. Witnesses reportedly told police that Walsh had recently become “very invested” in Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial. Clancy was accused of murdering her three children and then attempting to kill herself, with her defense claiming that the mother was suffering from postpartum psychosis. Walsh was reportedly “actively discussing the case via group text message with her friends” just hours prior to the child’s death.

Source: Mother murdered young child after becoming ‘very invested’ in Lindsay Clancy trial: police

This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.
1 John 4:13

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21-year-old kills man with hammer, leaves note: Florida cops

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Hammer on cracked alley concrete at night

A 21-year-old woman used a hammer to kill a 41-year-old man she accused of grooming her as a child, then she left an accusatory note on his chest, Florida authorities said. Journee McGrew is now charged with second-degree murder and tampering with evidence in a killing described by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office as a “domestic dispute.” McGrew’s father started driving to his daughter’s apartment to check on her after she reached out to his wife at 2 a.m. July 2, according to an arrest report filed in Duval County. On his way there, he spoke with her over the phone about what happened, officers said.

She told him the 41-year-old man came to her apartment and “demanded that she have sex with him,” but she turned him down, according to the sheriff’s office. She told her dad the man grabbed her, and she hit him with a hammer, officers said. The dad told investigators his daughter said, “I think he’s dead, Daddy,” according to the report. Her dad told her to hang up and call the police, then he called 911 himself, the sheriff’s office said. When officers arrived at her apartment, they reported finding the victim with blunt force injuries lying in a pool of blood outside McGrew’s unit. On his chest was a note written with a green highlighter that read “PEDO Touches Children,” the sheriff’s office said. Officers saw “copious amounts of blood” on the wall and the ground in front of the door, according to the report.

They interviewed McGrew, who told them the man had been sexually grooming her since she was 8 and had sexually assaulted her in the past, the sheriff’s office said. A few hours before the incident, she told investigators she sent him a sexual text message, saying she regretted how she had treated him, and invited him over to “spend time with him and have sex,” according to the report. She said he came over, and they went out for a while before going back to her apartment at 1 a.m., then they started to drink, officers said. McGrew told investigators the man brought up sex and pressured her when she turned him down, so she asked him to leave, according to officers. As she was walking him out, she grabbed a metal hammer from her closet and hid it behind her back, then he turned toward her at the door and wrapped his arms around her in an “aggressive” way, she told investigators, according to the report.

She pushed him away and there was a physical altercation during which he ended up the ground, and McGrew killed him, according to officers. When law enforcement got the warrant to search her apartment, they said they followed a trail of bloody footprints leading from the front door to the bathroom, where they found a bloody hammer in the sink. Investigators said they collected blood-stained clothes and other evidence from the bathroom. Officers asked McGrew if she invited the man to her apartment to kill him, but her response is redacted from the arrest report. She was arrested without incident. It appears no formal charges were ever brought against the man in Duval County in connection with the sexual grooming McGrew described.

Source: 21-year-old kills man with hammer, leaves note: Florida cops | Miami Herald

Thoughts to Ponder

This heartbreaking case serves as a reminder of the devastating and long-lasting effects that abuse, exploitation, and unresolved trauma can have on individuals and families. While the legal process must determine the facts surrounding the allegations and the killing, Scripture is clear that God condemns those who exploit or harm the vulnerable. Jesus gave strong warnings against causing harm to children (Matthew 18:6), and believers are called to protect the innocent, seek justice, and care for those who have been wounded. At the same time, the Bible teaches that vengeance belongs to the Lord (Romans 12:19) and that justice should be pursued through righteous means rather than personal retaliation whenever possible.

This tragedy also illustrates humanity’s deep need for healing, accountability, and redemption. Sin leaves scars that can affect generations, but the gospel offers hope for both those who have been deeply hurt and those who have committed grievous wrongs. Psalm 34:18 reminds us that “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted,” while Micah 6:8 calls God’s people to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly” with Him. Christians should pray for everyone affected by this case, including those grieving the loss of life, anyone who has experienced abuse, and those seeking justice, that truth would come to light, genuine healing would begin, and God’s mercy and righteousness would ultimately prevail.

Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.
1 Peter 4:1

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Judge in Charlie Kirk murder case finds prosecutor in contempt for public comments, but won’t take death penalty off the table

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A prosecutor has been found in civil contempt after making comments on the strength of the murder case against Tyler Robinson, the man accused of shooting and killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk.  Judge Tony Graf Jr. ruled in a virtual hearing on Friday that the prosecutor was in civil contempt for making comments to the media about a bullet fragment recovered from Kirk’s body.  The defense team asked that Graf block the death penalty in the case, claiming the prosecutors’ comments could sway potential jurors. Graf declined to do so, ruling that the prosecution could continue to pursue the death penalty. 

The defense team previously accused prosecutors, including Deputy Utah County Attorney Christopher Ballard, of going on a “media tour.”  At a May hearing, Ballard argued that he didn’t speak to the media about case specifics and that he had only remarked generally about how ballistics testing can be inconclusive.  There will be additional jury questionnaires and the jury pool may be expanded, Graf said.  Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder, and has not yet entered a plea. His preliminary hearing is set to begin on July 6. That hearing will determine if there is enough evidence to bring Robinson to trial.  Graf ruled earlier this week that a former roommate of Robinson’s will not have to testify in person during the preliminary hearing, which will be open to the public. 

Source: Judge in Charlie Kirk murder case finds prosecutor in contempt for public comments, but won’t take death penalty off the table – CBS News

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 2:5

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Inmate serving life sentence charged with 1996 cold case murder of Georgia pastor

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The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says they’ve charged a man in the cold case murder of a Jeff Davis County pastor decades after the killing. It’s been more than 30 years since 54-year-old James Hand was found shot to death on the roof of his church. Authorities say on June 1, 1996, deputies with the Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Office discovered Hand’s body. According to investigators, the pastor of the Full Gospel Church in Snipesville was repairing the building’s roof when someone opened fire, shooting Hand multiple times.

Hand’s killer remained a mystery until the GBI says new information led them to charge Zachary B. Harper, a 47-year-old Hazlehurst resident with felony murder and malice murder. James Hand was found shot multiple times of the roof of his Georgia church in 1996, authorities say. Georgia Bureau of Investigation Harper is also serving a life sentence at Jenkins Correction Facility on an unrelated charge murder charge. The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities are asking anyone with information to call the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Douglas at (912) 389-4103 or the agency’s tip line at 1-800-597-8477. Once the investigation is finished, the GBI will turn the case file over to the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.

Source: Inmate serving life sentence charged with 1996 cold case murder of Georgia pastor – CBS Atlanta

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9

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