Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 4 November 2017
Man found guilty in death of gender-fluid Iowa teenager

KEOKUK, Iowa (AP) — A rie Johnson of Burlington, in an apparent attempt to relatives. The teen alter- eral hate crimes charges
man was found guilty Fri- the Des Moines Register re- destroy DNA evidence. nately used his birth name is pending, but the pros-
day of first-degree murder ported . The killing stunned the east- and the female persona ecutor assigned by Sessions
in the fatal shooting of a Johnson’s body was found ern Iowa city of 25,000 and “Kandicee.” indicated in court docu-
gender-fluid Iowa teenag- March 2, 2016, in an alley raised fears that the popu- U.S. Attorney General Jeff ments that Johnson’s gen-
er that drew the attention behind a Burlington home, lar Burlington High School Sessions brought nation- der identity played a role,
of the U.S. Justice Depart- a plastic garbage bag student was the victim of al attention to the case with the cousins attacking
ment. wrapped around the teen’s a hate crime because the when he sent a federal the teen after discovering
A jury convicted Jorge head. Investigators say teen was gender-fluid, hate crimes prosecutor to during a sexual encounter
Sanders-Galvez, 23, in the bleach had been poured identifying both as male assist state and local au- that Johnson was gender
death of 16-year-old Keda- on the bullet-riddled body and female, according to thorities. A decision on fed- nonconforming.q
Walmart shooting suspect could face multiple charges

Ostrem is accused of walk- jumpsuit until he or she is
ing into the Walmart in placed in an appropriate
Thornton, a large blue-col- housing unit at the jail, Kai-
lar suburb about 10 miles ser said.
(16 kilometers) north of The courtroom with a
Denver, and fatally shoot- 90-person capacity was
ing two men and a wom- full.
an. He was arrested Thurs- At least three people iden-
day after a brief car chase tified themselves as family
near his apartment, which members of shooting vic-
is located about 5 miles (8 tims to court staff. They de-
kilometers) from the store. clined to speak with report-
Authorities have not said ers after the hearing.
what kind of gun or guns Young said he met with
Ostrum fired and have de- some of those family mem-
clined comment on wheth- bers and described them
er they recovered any as “shattered.”
weapons in their investiga- “They’re a mess,” he said.
tion. “They probably listened to
At Friday’s hearing, Ostrem about half the things I told
wore a light blue paper them because they’re still
jumpsuit, zipped up the in shock.”
Scott Ostrem, 47, center, leaves a hearing in Adams County, Colo., court Friday, Nov. 3, 2017, in front, and plastic orange Killed were Pamela
Brighton, Colo. Ostrem is being held for investigation of first-degree murder as the suspect in the slides on his feet. Marques, 52, a mother and
killing of three shoppers inside a Thornton, Colo., Walmart store Wednesday. His hands were chained grandmother from Denver;
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski) together at his waist, with Carlos Moreno, 66, a grand-
By P. SOLOMON BANDA ence of dozens of people without bond on suspicion a thick chain wrapped father and maintenance
KATHLEEN FOODY inside the suburban Denver of first-degree murder, a around his back. He ap- worker from Thornton; and
Associated Press store when Scott Ostrem charge that can lead to peared to listen closely to Victor Vasquez, 26, of Den-
BRIGHTON, Colo. (AP) — allegedly walked in and life without parole or a the judge, leaning slightly ver, who had two young
A Colorado sheet metal opened fire Wednesday. death sentence. Young forward in his chair placed daughters and a third child
worker could face mul- “There’s going to be sev- declined to say whether he between two public de- on the way, according to a
tiple charges, including eral counts of attempted will seek the death penalty fenders and responding GoFundMe page set up to
attempted murder, in ad- murder and we’re talking in the case. Prosecutors are “yes” in a clear voice when collect donations.
dition to first-degree mur- about many, many peo- expected to formally file asked if he understood his Adams County District
der charges related to the ple,” Young said after Os- charges on Monday. rights. Judge Ted C. Tow III denied
shooting deaths of three trem made his first court Young also declined to Deputy Mike Kaiser, a a request by public de-
people inside a Walmart, a appearance since the comment when asked by spokesman for the Adams fender Emily Fleischmann
prosecutor said Friday. shootings. reporters about a motive County sheriff, said the to have police reassert
Adams County District At- “We’re not talking 3 or 4 for the shooting and wheth- paper jumpsuits are part control of the Walmart
torney Dave Young said people. And we’ve got to er authorities were consid- of the jail’s mental health store’s interior so that Os-
the additional possible identify those individuals. ering hate crime charges. policies to prevent suicide. trem’s defense team could
charges are being consid- They’re victims of a crime.” The three victims were La- Any inmate who faces ho- conduct its own investiga-
ered because of the pres- Ostrem, 47, is being held tino. Ostrem is white. micide charges wears the tion of the crime scene. q
Ill inmate suggests firing squad as execution alternative

By ANDREW HUGGINS Ohio lawmakers could to his veins, which is impor- ily implemented and avail- ing Campbell didn’t offer
Associated Press quickly approve legislation tant given that last month able alternative execution evidence in support of the
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) allowing the firing squad to a prison nurse failed to find method and procedure” method during a recent
— A condemned inmate be used as an alternative veins suitable for inserting that substantially reduc- weeklong hearing.
scheduled to die this month execution method for the an IV on either of his arms. es the risk that Campbell He also questioned wheth-
for the slaying of a teenage first time in the state, attor- Campbell also indicated would suffer serious harm er lawmakers would pass a
boy said officials should ex- neys for death row inmate an allergy to the first drug by injection, his lawyers law allowing it.
ecute him by firing squad Alva Campbell said in a used in the state’s three- said.
because his breathing court filing late last month. drug injection process, his Federal Judge Michael In 2015, Republican Gov.
problems and poor veins Campbell’s attorneys ar- attorneys said. Merz rejected the argu- John Kasich ruled out the
make him too ill to be killed gued that the method Death by firing squad is ment for a firing squad ex- firing squad as an option in
by lethal injection. would not require access a “known, feasible, read- ecution on Tuesday, not- Ohio.q