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A6 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 24 February 2018
California couple charged with torture of kids due in court

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — A ed last month after their side the home. Those who attorney's office has draft- News, however, that the
California couple charged 17-year-old daughter es- saw the children recalled ed an amended complaint seven are living at Corona
with torturing their children caped from the family's them as skinny, pale and but it has yet to be filed in Medical Center, where
by starving, beating and home in Perris, California, reserved. court, officials said. they have an outdoor area
shackling them is due in and called 911. Authori- Authorities said the abuse The children, who range in for sports and exercise, and
court on Friday. ties said the home reeked was so long-running the age from 2 to 29, were hos- are making decisions on
David and Louse Turpin are of human waste and evi- children's growth was stunt- pitalized immediately after their own for the first time.
scheduled to appear in dence of starvation was ed. They said the couple their rescue and since then "That in itself is a new experi-
a Riverside courtroom for obvious, with the oldest shackled the children to Riverside County authori- ence for them, understand-
a conference about their sibling weighing only 82 furniture as punishment ties, who obtained tempo- ing that they do have rights
case. pounds. and had them live a noc- rary conservatorship over and they do have a voice,"
They have pleaded not The case drew interna- turnal lifestyle. the adults, have declined attorney Jack Osborn said.
guilty to torture and other tional media attention and The courtroom conference to discuss their where- He said that making
charges and each is held shocked neighbors who is expected to focus on abouts or condition. daily decisions such as
on $12 million bail. said they rarely saw the date-setting and other pro- Attorneys representing what to read or wear is
The couple was arrest- couple's 13 children out- cedural issues. The district the adult siblings told CBS empowering.q
Florida man yells 'murderers!' as he's put to death

By JASON DEAREN had been confirmed by
Associated Press the Florida Department of
STARKE, Fla. (AP) — As the Law Enforcement.
execution drugs were be- Branch was convicted of
ing administered, inmate raping and fatally beat-
Eric Scott Branch let out ing University of West Flor-
a blood-curdling scream. ida student Susan Morris,
Then he yelled "murderers! 21. Her naked body was
murderers! murderers!" as found buried in a shallow
he thrashed on a gurney as grave — a crime whose
he was being put to death brutality was noted by the
for the 1993 rape and slay- Florida Supreme Court in
ing of a college student. denying one of Branch's
The drugs included a pow- appeals."She had been
erful sedative Thursday beaten, stomped, sexually
evening and the 47-year- assaulted and strangled.
old inmate, following the She bore numerous bruises
outburst, gave a last gut- and lacerations, both eyes
tural groan and turned were swollen shut," the jus-
silent. Minutes earlier, he tices wrote.
had just been addressing “Twenty-five years ago, Su-
corrections officers, saying san’s life was suddenly and
it should fall to Florida Gov. brutally extinguished. We
Rick Scott and his attorney The family of Susan Morris makes a statement after the execution of Eric Scott Branch in Gaines- have grieved for her longer
general to carry out the ville, Fla., Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018. (Lauren Bacho/The Gainesville Sun via AP) that she was with us. Yet
death sentence — not to because of who she was ...
those workers present. Branch was pronounced ment. spokeswoman Michelle she will never be forgotten
"Let them come down here dead at 7:05 p.m. Thursday Asked later whether Glady said "there was no in- by those who love her,” said
and do it," Branch said. "I've after receiving the injec- Branch's scream could dication" that the inmate's the statement, read out by
learned that you're good tion at Florida State Prison have been caused by last actions were a result her sister Wendy Morris Hill
people and this is not what in Starke. The governor's of- the execution drugs, De- of the injection procedure. shortly after Branch was put
you should be doing." fice made the announce- partment of Corrections She said that conclusion to death.q

Fire damages or destroys over 25 school buses; no classes

By M. RUBINKAM neighbors who said they Johnson said 16 buses in- hours later as firefighters “I’m hopeful that we can
SOUTH WHITEHALL, Pa. (AP) also heard explosions. side the building were de- dragged away metal sid- patch something together
— A fire tore through a When firefighters showed stroyed, and a dozen out- ing. for Monday,” he said.
school bus garage early Fri- up a few minutes later, side the building received As firefighters worked to North Whitehall resident
day, destroying or damag- “there were flames com- damage that ranged from bring the fire under control, Chrissi Kent, who lives near
ing more than two dozen ing out of all four sides plus blistered paint to broken schools Superintendent the garage, told The Morn-
buses as tires exploded off the roof,” said Jeff Johnson, windshields. Rich Sniscak sent email ing Call she heard “pop-
their rims, forcing firefighters chief of the Tri-Clover Fire The 25 destroyed or dam- and text alerts to parents ping” from the scene for at
to back away, fire officials Co. aged buses represent and students saying classes least 45 minutes.
said. Classes in the district Firefighters had to retreat about 25 percent of the dis- were canceled. He said he “Around 3 a.m. or a few
were cancelled. as tires exploded off their trict’s fleet. No injuries were hoped to have school re- minutes after, I heard a
The fast-moving blaze at rims and flew through the reported, and the cause of open on Monday, with a loud bang,” Kent said.
a Parkland School District walls of the building, tak- the fire remained under in- few other districts offering “Then it was quiet for a few
garage in South Whitehall, ing metal siding with them, vestigation. to help get Parkland stu- minutes. Then I heard an-
near Allentown, was re- Johnson said. It took about Some of the burned-out dents to school with their other bang. Shortly after-
ported around 3 a.m. by an hour to put out the fire. buses were still smoking bus fleets. wards, I heard sirens. q