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Police Arrest 6 in Murder of Bisexual Teen Who Told Mom, ‘Somebody Is Trying to Kill Me’

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Was It a Hate Crime? Police Won’t Say

In a case with possible markings of an anti-LGBT hate crime, authorities in rural Alabama have arrested six people in connection with the murder of a 19-year-old bisexual man last month. 

Representatives from the sheriff’s department in Walker County, northwest of Birmingham, say they know the motive for the murder of Nicholas Hawkins, who was found shot to death and wrapped in a blanket, buried under brush and debris, on Feb. 16. 

However, they also say they’re “not at liberty to discuss any motive” publicly, according to a report from AL.com. 

Although authorities haven’t released any evidence to suggest that Hawkins’ sexual orientation was the motive for his murder, it’s not uncommon for law enforcement officials to avoid labeling incidents hate crimes in the media because they fear negative publicity for their jurisdictions, especially in cases of extreme violence.

Some LGBT advocates have argued that the murder of a young, openly LGBT person in a rural, conservative area should be considered a hate crime until indicated otherwise. Furthermore, Alabama has in many ways been ground zero for backlash against the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of same-sex marriage, undoubtedly creating an even more hostile environment for LGBT people. 

Hawkins, an aspiring cosmetologist, was returning from a beauty pageant when he phoned his mother at about 8 p.m. on Feb. 13 and said Joshua Adam Reese was trying to kill him, but gave no further details before the call cut off, AL.com reported. 

At the time, the 21-year-old Reese was free on bond on an attempted murder charge from 2013, and police arrested him on an outstanding warrant Feb. 16, labeling him a person of interest in Hawkins’ death. Hours later, after a three-day search, they discovered the body of Hawkins, who’d come out as bisexual in high school but later dropped out due to bullying. 

Notably, none of the recent local news reports about the investigation into Hawkins’ death have indicated that he was bisexual. In a recent post about Hawkins’ murder, bisexual advocacy group BiNet USA said it is important to refer to the bisexual identities of people lost to violence. 

“Although not enough information has been released to know if this was an act of violence due to his sexual orientation, it is important to note statistics show biphobia plays a big part in bullying and violence,” the group wrote. “It’s equally important to note the bisexual erasure in several articles reporting on Nick, that don’t include his orientation. … Nick’s orientation mattered to him, and his loss is certainly a headline for our entire community.”

Hawkins was weeks away from obtaining his GED, and at a vigil for the slain teen, his brother described him as “fragile, innocent and sweet.” 

“I hope we get swift, severe justice,” Jacob Hawkins said. “From what I was told it was a horrible, horrible death.”

On Feb. 26, police announced they’d charged Reese with murder in the case.

“We feel like our investigation shows that Joshua Reese is the person who shot and murdered Nicholas Hawkins,” Walker County Sheriff Jim Underwood said at a news conference. 

Two other men — Danny Lee Jarvis, 22, and Cory Daniel Conner, 28 — have also been charged with murder in Hawkins’ death. 

“I can’t go into what role they played in this case,” Underwood said. 

Like Reese, both Jarvis and Conner had prior criminal records. 

The sheriff’s office has also charged three people with hindering prosecution in Hawkins’ murder: Colton Stephen Echols, 20, of Sumiton; Tessa Jean Wise, 23, of Dora; Lawanda Marie Reese, 39, of Quinton.

Lawanda Reese is Joshua Reese’s mother, and police say she lied to investigators to aid her son. 

“It’s said that there were so many people involved, young people, for a senseless act,” said Hawkins’ uncle, Dan Frederick.

Sheriff Underwood could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday morning. 

 

This is a developing story. Details may change. This story may be updated, and NCRM will likely publish follow-up stories on this news. Stay tuned.

 

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Fox News Host Suggests Trump ‘Force’ Court to Throw Him in Jail – by Quoting Him

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April 19, 2024

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The Fox News host who targeted a juror serving on Donald Trump’s criminal New York trial is now suggesting the ex-president should violate his gag order and “force” the court to throw him in jail, by quoting the Fox News host.

Jesse Watters came under fire earlier this week for profiling juror number two, sharing possibly identifying information published by a myriad of reporters but then using that information to pass judgment on her ability to serve.

“I’m not so sure about juror number two,” Watters concluded on Fox News.

Jurors, at the judge’s direction, were to remain anonymous, for their protection and the protection of the trial.

The judge excused her, after she said she felt she was not able to be impartial because friends and family were calling her asking if she had been chosen to serve on the Trump trial, after the media blitz.

New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan admonished the press for reporting the information, but some news outlets appeared to ignore his warning.

Watters on Wednesday “did a segment with a jury consultant, revealing details about people who had been seated on the jury and questioning whether some were ‘stealth liberals’ who would be out to convict Trump,” the Associated Press reported.

READ MORE: Gaetz: ‘Corrupt’ Republicans Could ‘Take a Bribe’ and Throw House to Dems, Blocking Trump Run

Trump later posted Watters’ quote on his Truth Social platform, leading some, including New York prosecutors, to ask the judge to cite him for allegedly breaking his gag order.

Judge Merchan ordered Trump to not mention witnesses, jurors, prosecutors, court staff, or the family members of prosecutors and court staff, CNN has reported.

New York prosecutors told Juge Merchan Trump has violated the gag order at least ten times.

“Prosecutor Christopher Conroy described the ‘most disturbing’ example as a social media message Trump posted on Wednesday evening quoting a Fox News host as saying, ‘They are catching undercover Liberal Activists lying to the Judge in order to get on the Trump Jury,'” Politico reports.

That host was Jesse Watters.

RELATED: ‘Afraid and Intimidated’: Trump Trial Juror Targeted by Fox News Dismissed

Friday afternoon, Watters appeared to egg Trump on, urging the ex-president to violate the gag order.

“I would make them put me in jail,” Watters said on Fox News. “I would have a tweet about something perhaps I said on ‘The Five’ or ‘Jesse Watters Primetime,’ and I would force them to throw me in jail.”

Watch Watters’ remark below or at this link.

 

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Gaetz: ‘Corrupt’ Republicans Could ‘Take a Bribe’ and Throw House to Dems, Blocking Trump Run

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11 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) says some of his fellow House Republicans would “take a bribe” to throw the razor-thin GOP majority to the Democrats if a far-right faction calls up a motion to oust Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, allowing Democrats to hand the gavel to the Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries. he warned if that happens, Democrats would immediately declare Trump ineligible to be President, pack the U.S. Supreme Court, and pass numerous laws like the American Rescue Plan.

“I do believe in a one seat majority there could be one or two or three of my colleagues who would take a bribe in one form or another in order to deprive the Republicans of a majority at all,” Gaetz said Friday on his podcast (video below.)

He added, “the risk that one or two of my corrupt Republican colleagues might take a bribe, take a walk, feign an ailment and flip this thing to the Democrats is a risk that is too high for me at this time.”

Gaetz’s fellow far-right Florida Republican member of Congress, Anna Paulina Luna, told listeners, “I heard that when, if and when the motion vacate is introduced, that there will be immediate resignations of a couple of more moderate members of Congress. And in the event that that happens, that ultimately means it does go to a Democrat speaker.”

RELATED: Jeffries Vows Democrats Will Ensure Ukraine Aid Passes as Johnson Defectors Grow

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) last month filed a “motion to vacate,” which she can use at any time to force a vote to oust the GOP Speaker, Mike Johnson. U.S. Rep. Tim Massie (R-KY) and just today, U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) has signed on as co-sponsors.

Congressman Gaetz told listeners if Democrats do take the House through a force vote to remove Johnson, Democrats would “be declaring Donald Trump an insurrectionist and setting up a barrier to him being able to become the president United States.”

“That’ll be their leadoff hitter, and then the chaser to that shot will be a massive spending package that looks a lot more like the American Rescue Plan. They will blow past every concept of every cap ever imagined. You’ll be looking at Universal Basic Income, you could be looking at packing the Supreme Court.”

Watch a short clip of Gaetz’s remarks below or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘Stop Bringing Up Nazis and Hitler’: Marjorie Taylor Greene Smacked Down by Democrats

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Jeffries Vows Democrats Will Ensure Ukraine Aid Passes as Johnson Defectors Grow

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13 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries vowed Friday the majority of Democrats will support Republicans’ Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and Gaza foreign aid legislation as Republican Speaker Mike Johnson lost support of another member of his conference to a faction determined to oust him.

“Democrats will provide a majority of our majority as it relates to funding Israel, humanitarian assistance, Ukraine, and our allies in the Indo Pacific,” Minority Leader Jeffries said. “It remains to be seen what Republicans will do in terms of meeting the national security needs of the American people, but it was important for House Democrats to ensure that the national security bills are going to be considered.”

Despite Republicans having a one-vote majority, more Democrats on Friday voted to move the critical and long-awaited foreign aid bills forward than did Republicans.

READ MORE: ‘Stop Bringing Up Nazis and Hitler’: Marjorie Taylor Greene Smacked Down by Democrats

The 316-94 vote included 165 Democrats and 151 Republicans voting yes, and 55 Republicans and 39 Democrats voting no.

Axios’ Juliegrace Brufke posted the list of Republicans voting against their party’s legislation.

Calling it a “rare” moment in modern congressional history to have to rely on opposition party votes to pass legislation, BBC News reports Speaker Johnson’s “hold on power is tenuous, and the legislators who oppose him – and his bid to provide aid to Ukraine – occupy some key positions within the House’s power structure.”

Amid the procedural vote to move the foreign aid funding bills forward, U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar, a far-right Republican of Arizona, announced he is joining Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and Congressman Tim Massie (R-KY) in formally announcing their will vote to oust Speaker Johnson.

Gosar, like Greene, is reportedly a Christian nationalist. In 2022 CNN reported his “lengthy ties to White nationalists, [a] pro-Nazi blogger and far-right fringe received little pushback for years.”

RELATED: ‘Repercussions’: Democrats and Republicans Stand Against ‘Pro-Putin’ House GOP Faction

“We’ve been very honest in our assessment of the situation from the beginning,” Jeffries on Friday also declared. “At the appropriate time as House Democrats, we will have a conversation about how to deal with any hypothetical motion to vacate.”

“Moscow Marjorie Taylor Greene, Massie, and Gosar are quite a group. But central to our conversation is to make sure that the national security legislation in totality is passed by the House of Representatives.”

Watch the videos above or at this link.

 

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