2024 Wheel of Horrors Thread (Earthquakes, Train Crashes and more...)

[China]

22-year-old landscaper dies after getting pulled into wood chipper

 

Edited March 18, 2022 by China

[China]

Man Who Played Video Games All Day, Lied About SpaceX Job, and Dismembered His Parents Heads to Prison for Life

 

A Wisconsin judge has sentenced a young man convicted of murdering both of his parents to life in prison without any opportunity for extended supervision.

 

A jury convicted Chandler Halderson, who just turned 24 a few days before the Thursday sentencing hearing, on two counts of first-degree intentional homicide, two counts of providing false information regarding a kidnapped or missing person, two counts of mutilating a corpse, and two counts of hiding a corpse.  That’s one count on each charge for each victim.

 

“I have to, for this sentencing, ensure that the only time Mr. Halderson comes back into the community is to have the privilege of the burial he denied his parents,” Judge John D. Hyland said while passing the sentence.

 

At trial, prosecutors said Halderson lied to his parents about working for a local insurance company and with a local rescue dive team while he was really living at home and playing video games during the day. He even told his girlfriend he secured a job with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, but authorities alleged that he tried to cover for that lie by lying about sustaining a head injury — which he said necessitated the cancellation of a planned move to Florida.

 

When his lies caught up with him, a jury agreed with prosecutors that Halderson shot his father, Bart Halderson, 50, in the back; he then killed his mother Krista Halderson, 53, when she returned home.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

Sleeping teen gets sickle lodged in head in freak accident

 

An Indian teen is lucky to be alive after tumbling out of bed and falling headfirst onto a sickle — which became lodged gruesomely in his noggin.

 

The freak accident occurred Wednesday after Bhuppu Sen, 16, left the agricultural implement used for harvesting crops on the floor, Jam Press reported. The Deori resident subsequently forgot it was there as his bedroom light wasn’t working.

 

Disaster struck that night after the sleeping youngster rolled out of bed and onto the reaping tool’s curved blade, which embedded itself one and a half inches into his skull.

 

Despite the graphic nature of the wound, Bhuppu reportedly didn’t experience any bleeding.

 

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

 

Unavailable for comment

[CousinsCowgirl84]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10636357/AI-came-thousands-chemical-weapons-just-hours-task-scientists.html?ito=social-twitter_mailonline

 

As part of a conference on potentially negative implications of new technology, biotech startup Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, from Raleigh, North Carolina, 'flipped a switch' in its AI algorithm, and had it find the most lethal compounds.

The team wanted to see just how quickly and easily an artificial intelligence algorithm could be abused, if it were set on a negative, rather than positive task. 

Once in 'bad mode' the AI was able to invent thousands of new chemical combinations, many of which resembled the most dangerous nerve agents in use today, according to a report by The Verge.

[China]

Man awarded $8M after being served chemicals instead of beer at Henderson bar

 

A jury awarded $8 million last week to a Clark County man who was served a chemical cleaning compound instead of beer at a Henderson bar and casino.

 

On Dec. 18, 2018, 38-year-old special education teacher Lon Enwright ingested a sample of Honey Blonde Ale that contained a “dangerous chemical cleaning solution” while watching a football came at Barley’s Casino & Brewing Company, 4500 E. Sunset Road, according to a news release from Enwright’s attorneys.

 

The sample of beer contained potassium hydroxide and nonylphenol polyethylene glycol ether, which are chemicals used in cleaning systems for bar taps, tanks and lines.

 

“After drinking the sample, Dr. Enwright experienced a sudden and intense burning in his mouth, on his tongue, and down his esophagus into his stomach,” the news release stated. “He soon began convulsing, hyperventilating, and violently vomiting before Henderson Fire Department arrived to the scene.”

 

Enwright suffered permanent nerve and tissue damage to his mouth, tongue and gastrointestinal system, according to the news release from attorneys Rahul Ravipudi, Ian Samson and Adam Ellis. Enwright also was represented by attorney Andre Lagomarsino, the news release said.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

Man dies parachuting from San Diego high-rise as daughter watches: Police

 

A man was killed after attempting to parachute from the top of a high-rise apartment building in San Diego as his 16-year-old daughter watched, police said.

 

The man died after BASE jumping at around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday in the University City neighborhood, police said.

 

The 48-year-old man was attempting to parachute from the 23-story Palisade UTC luxury apartment complex, near the UTC mall, police said.

 

“We’re unclear as to whether the parachute malfunctioned or if it just didn’t have enough time to open up properly and deploy,” Capt. Scott Wahl said.

 

“We believe that his daughter was up on the rooftop with him, and was able to view what happened,” Wahl said.

 

According to police radio traffic, a 911 caller heard a “loud pop” similar to a gunshot, looked over a balcony and saw the man bleeding on the ground, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported Wednesday.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

Texas Dad Admits the Skeleton in His Kitchen Is Son Who Died in 2018

 

Police carrying out a welfare check on a home in east Texas were horrified to find skeletal remains being kept casually in the kitchen of a home owned by David McMichael.

 

McMichael, 67, said the remains were those of his son Jason, who had died some four earlier in May 2018. Police did not say how old the son would have been when he died, if in fact the remains are proven to be his.

 

Police say they were carrying out the check after a neighbor expressed concern for the son. In a press release, they say when they asked the elder McMichael if he knew why they were there, he said it was because of the corpse.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[TradeTheBeal!]

I feel like this fits here.

 

 

[China]

Global mystery hepatitis outbreak spreads to Asia and Canada

 

A mysterious liver disease that has infected children in a dozen countries around the world has reached Asia, with a case reported in Japan.

 

The case in Japan of acute hepatitis – or inflammation of the liver – of unknown origin was flagged by local authorities on 21 April in a child who had tested negative for adenovirus – a possible cause being investigated worldwide – and Covid-19.

 

The patient had not had a liver transplant, the health ministry said on Monday, without giving further details.

 

Canada’s Public Health Agency said on Tuesday it was investigating reports of severe acute hepatitis of unknown origin in young children. It did not reveal the number of cases or their location.

 

So far across the world, 190 mystery cases of acute hepatitis in children have been reported, with 140 of them in Europe, mostly in the UK (110 cases). Further cases have been found in Israel and in the United States. Seventeen children became so sick they needed liver transplants.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

Girl, 4, 'died after grandmother forced her to drink whisky while mother watched'

 

A four-year-old girl died after allegedly being forced to drink an entire bottle of whisky as a punishment.

 

Police were called to an address in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at around 11am on Thursday (April, 21) after receiving reports of an unresponsive child.

 

When they arrived they found China Record, 4, dead at the scene from what appeared to be alcohol poisoning.

 

The little girl’s blood alcohol was measured at .680% – more than eight times the .08% legal driving limit for an adult in the state.

 

China’s siblings told officers that the little girl had found a bottle of 80% proof Canadian Mist whisky and taken a sip.

 

When her grandmother, Roxanne Record, 53, found out China had done it, she ordered to kneel on the floor and finish off the rest of the bottle.

 

China’s mother, Kadjah Record, 29, stood by and watched, according to a police report.

 

The bottle is thought to have been roughly half-full at the time.

 

When China became violently ill, the two women placed her in the bath, where she is believed to have died.

 

Neither woman sought medical care for China until after she had stopped breathing, the police report said.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

‘Dead’ woman bangs on coffin to say she’s alive during her own funeral

 

A funeral in Peru was dramatically interrupted after ‘knocking’ was heard from within a coffin.

 

The family of Rosa Isabel Cespedes Callaca had gathered in the city of Lambayeque to pay their final respects on April 26.

 

Rosa had been involved in a serious crash in the region’s Chiclayo-Picsi road.

 

The accident claimed the life of her brother-in-law and left her nephews with serious injuries.

 

She had been pronounced ‘dead’ following the horrific crash, and later loaded into a coffin ahead of her funeral.

 

But when her relatives hoisted the wooden structure onto their shoulders, they began to hear strange sounds.

 

They lowered the coffin and opened the lid to find a weak, but very much alive, Rosa peering up at them.

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

[China]

Man froze animals to death; 183 dead animals found in freezer, cops say

 

An Arizona man faces animal cruelty charges after 183 dead dogs, rabbits, birds and other animals were found in a freezer, including some that were apparently frozen while alive, officials said.

 

Mohave County deputies and animal control officers found the animals in a garage freezer April 3 after a woman reported that Michael Patrick Turland, 43, hadn't returned snakes she'd lent him for breeding, the Sheriff's Office said Thursday in a statement. The freezer was at a home that Turland previously rented in Golden Valley, a rural community in far western Arizona.

 

The frozen animals included dogs, turtles, lizards, birds, snakes, mice, rats and rabbits, the statement said. "Several of the animals appeared to have been frozen alive due to their body positioning." The Sheriff's Office said they were kept in a "large-sized chest freezer."

 

The home's owner reportedly discovered the frozen animals while cleaning after Turland and his wife vacated the property. The owner then contacted the woman who notified the Sheriff's Office, the statement said.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

5th earthquake in 24 hours shakes South Carolina towns

 

The fifth earthquake in 24 hours has been recorded near South Carolina's capital one day after a preliminary 3.3 magnitude.

 

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a 2.9 magnitude took place at 11:55 p.m. Monday about four miles east of Elgin.

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

[China]

World has 10-week supply of wheat, expert tells UN Security Council: ‘This is seismic’

 

Global food insecurity has reached levels not seen since the financial crisis of 2008, and it’s only going to get worse without aggressive intervention, a food insecurity expert told the United Nations Security Council this week.

 

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine "did not start a food security crisis," but it did add "fuel to a fire that was long burning," said Sara Menker, CEO of Gro Intelligence, a global company that uses artificial intelligence and public and private data to predict food supply trends.

 

"This isn’t cyclical. This is seismic," Menker said during a special meeting of the UN Security Council. "Even if the war were to end tomorrow, our food security problem isn’t going away anytime soon without concerted action."

 

Before the Russia-Ukraine conflict began, the two countries supplied a combined one third of the world’s wheat exports and were in the top five exporters of corn. Coupled with widespread fertilizer shortages, supply chain issues and record droughts, the world has about 10 weeks worth of wheat on hand, Menker said.

 

"Without aggressive global actions, we stand the risk of an extraordinary amount of human suffering and economic damage," Menker said.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[CousinsCowgirl84]

Looks like Russia plans to hold the worlds food supply hostage… 

[China]

47 cats found living in a car with their owner in Minnesota

 

 

Some 47 cats have been rescued from a car parked in sweltering heat, animal welfare workers have said.

 

The cats had been living in the vehicle with their owner, who had recently become homeless but did not want to leave the animals behind.

 

They were found in the car while it was parked at a rest area in the US state of Minnesota.

 

Temperatures in the area climbed to 32C (90F) on Tuesday - the day when the cats were rescued. Inside the car, it would have been much hotter.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

Ike Ekweremadu: Nigerian senator accused of organ-harvesting plot

 

A Nigerian senator has been charged with conspiring to transport a boy to the UK in order to harvest organs.

 

Ike Ekweremadu, 60, and his wife Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, 55, appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court in west London earlier on Thursday.

 

The 15-year-old alleged victim has been taken into care. The Met Police said agencies were working to support him.

 

The court heard that Mr Ekweremadu, who is both a politician and a barrister, was deputy president of the Senate.

 

The defendants live in Nigeria but have family in London, magistrates were told. Both are accused of conspiracy to arrange and/or facilitate the travel of another person with a view to exploitation.

 

The pair were asked by the clerk for their address, to which they both replied: "Nigeria".

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

Multiple dead, at least 50 injured after Amtrak train derails in Missouri

 

Multiple people have died and at least 50 injured after an Amtrak Southwest Chief train hit a dump truck at a public crossing and derailed near Mendon, north of Marshall.

 

The derailment happened about 100 miles northeast of Kansas City, or about two hours by car. The Missouri State Highway Patrol said at least eight cars in total derailed.

 

The Chariton County Ambulance Service could not confirm at this time how many people were killed.

 

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is supposed to give an update around 5 p.m. FOX4 will stream briefing from this page in the video player above.

 

Click on the link for the full article and video

[China]

A Florida county is quarantining after discovery of invasive Giant African land snail

 

A Florida county is under quarantine due to the discovery of a fast-growing population of invasive giant African land snails.

 

 

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) confirmed there were giant African land snails in the New Port Richey area of Pasco County on June 23, according to FDACS' website.

The snails pose a health risk to humans because they carry a parasite called rat lungworm, which can cause meningitis, Christina Chitty, a public information director at FDACS, told CNN.

They can produce up to 2,500 eggs per year, so the population is difficult to control.

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

 

[China]

Officials close 2 Long Island beaches after unprecedented shark attack

 

Officials in Long Island closed two beaches to swimming on Sunday after a lifeguard participating in a training exercise was attacked by a shark.

 

Suffolk County Executive Steven Bellone announced the temporary closure of Smith Point and Cupsogue beaches during a press conference in which he described the shark attack as unprecedented.

 

The attack comes after Nassau County authorities said a 57-year-old man swimming in the ocean at nearby Jones Beach sustained a laceration to his right foot that medics believe was the result of a "possible shark bite."

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

Smith Point and Cupsogue beaches expected to reopen July 4 after lifeguard nipped by shark

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile on Cape Cod....

 

Here's How Many Sharks Have Been Spotted Off Cape Cod Already This Year

 

 

 

WATCH: Great White Shark Spotted Off of Cape Cod

 

Eight white shark sightings have been officially reported so far this season, according to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy's Sharktivity app, which noted a "crystal clear" sighting of a shark with a large girth in the bay Monday from a lobster boat.

 

Click on the link for the full article and video

[China]

3 feet of rain sets up 4th round of flood misery for Sydney

 

 

More than 30,000 residents of Sydney and its surrounds were told to evacuate or prepare to abandon their homes Monday as Australia’s largest city faces its fourth, and possibly worst, round of flooding in less than a year and a half.

 

Days of torrential rain caused dams to overflow and waterways to break their banks, bringing a new flood emergency to parts of the city of 5 million people.

 

“The latest information we have is that there’s a very good chance that the flooding will be worse than any of the other three floods that those areas had in the last 18 months,” Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said.

 

The current flooding might affect areas that were spared during the previous floods in March last year, March this year and April, Watt added.

 

New South Wales state Premier Dominic Perrottet said 32,000 people were impacted by evacuation orders and warnings.

 

“You’d probably expect to see that number increase over the course of the week,” Perrottet said.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

Mentally ill man believed killing his landlord and eating his heart would end evil in the world, inquest hears

 

An Italian national who was diagnosed with schizophrenia believed killing his landlord and eating his victim’s heart would put an end to evil in the world, an inquest has heard.

 

The inquest into the death of Tom O’Gorman, who died at his family home in Dublin eight years ago, heard evidence that his killer, Saverio Bellante, was suffering delusions at the time, believing he was God and on “a special mission against the forces of evil in the world”.

 

Mr O’Gorman (39), a journalist and researcher with the Iona Institute, was killed by Bellante at his home on Beechpark Avenue, Castleknock, in the early hours of January 12, 2014, after a row developed between the pair over a game of chess.

 

Former State pathologist Marie Cassidy, who carried out a post-mortem on Mr O’Gorman’s body, said he died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head and stab wounds to the neck and chest.

 

The inquest heard DNA evidence was needed to formally identify the deceased.

 

She said most of Mr O’Gorman’s right lung had been removed from his body, while there was also extensive damage to his liver.

 

The pathologist said Mr O’Gorman had suffered three stab wounds to the face and one stab wound to the neck which had pierced his carotid artery and jugular vein.

 

Dr Cassidy said a series of blunt force injuries to the victim’s skull were consistent with him being struck with a dumbbell that was found near the scene.

 

“Any one of the blows could have rendered him unconscious almost immediately. Death would have been fairly swift,” Dr Cassidy said.

 

She said the evidence suggested that Mr O’Gorman had tried to defend himself against the stab wounds which would indicate those injuries preceded the injuries to his head.

 

While Prof Cassidy said she could not be conclusive, she said it was likely that the injuries to Mr O’Gorman’s chest areas occurred after he was dead.

 

The inquest heard evidence that a paramedic who arrived at the house found a garden shears covered in blood under a piano in the room where Mr O’Gorman was found.

The paramedic, Philip Kelly, said a lot of the victim’s internal organs were visible.

 

He also described finding body matter on a plate in the kitchen which he said looked like “a piece of liver”.

 

Several pieces of body tissue were also found in a nearby rubbish bag.

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

Was there a bottle of Chianti on the table?  Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[TradeTheBeal!]

 

[China]

Cthulu's pet rabbit has been spotted:

 

‘Very unusual’: Rabbit with tentacle-like growths found in South Dakota

 

What’s up, Doc? Whether it’s Bugs Bunny, Roger Rabbit or Peter Cottontail, you typically think of bunnies as cute. But for residents of one South Dakota neighborhood, cute’s not the word that comes to mind.

 

Neighbors in Sioux Falls have seen the poor rabbit: its head and face covered in growths that resembled tentacles. Resident Dennis Schorr walks his dog in the neighborhood and saw the animal on Thursday morning.

 

“I’ve never seen nothing like that before, I walk my dogs every day and I see lots of rabbits — but today was very unusual,” said Schorr.

 

Click on the link for the full article and video

[China]

Wisconsin Woman Pleads Not Guilty to Decapitating and Dismembering Her Sex Partner; Judge Sets October Trial Date

 

The Wisconsin woman charged with chopping off her sex partner’s head, putting it in a bucket, and directing the authorities where to look for the victim’s body parts pleaded not guilty in a Brown County courtroom on Tuesday.

 

Taylor Denise Schabusiness, 24, of Green Bay is charged with first-degree intentional homicide — Wisconsin’s highest murder charge — along with mutilating a corpse and third-degree sexual assault.

 

The charges stem from what’s alleged to have been a meth-fueled episode of sex and murder in late February. The romp ended with Shad Thyrion, 25, being killed and and cut to pieces by means of a serrated bread knife, the authorities have said.

 

Click on the link for the full article