Florida news stories on Newser

Killer Florida Mom Shot Her 4 Kids 18 Times

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 21 May 2012 11:40:38 CDT

Tonya Thomas shot her four children 18 times in Tuesday's massacre , and two of them were shot as the gun pressed against their chests, according to the medical examiner's report. She used jacketed, hollow-point bullets, which cause more damage than full-metal jacket rounds, and used a single Taurus .38-caliber revolver,...

Cops: Florida Mom Kills Her 4 Kids, Herself

John Johnson — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:31:12 CDT

A 33-year-old mother shot and killed her four kids, ages 12 to 17, before killing herself as police closed in on her home today, reports MSNBC . Police say they don't have a motive, but they say Tonya Thomas sent a text to a friend about 3am declaring that she wanted...

Skulls Buried in Florida Backyard Date to 1200 AD

Rob Quinn — Tue, 15 May 2012 04:40:06 CDT

Police in Florida investigating two skulls found in a backyard say that while they definitely have a mystery on their hands, they're not looking for a killer. That's because investigators have determined that the skulls belong to a man and a 10-year-old boy who died in Peru as far back...

236K Lose Jobless Benefits

Kevin Spak — Mon, 14 May 2012 09:53:54 CDT

Unemployment benefits abruptly dried up for 236,300 people this weekend, as federal support for the long-term unemployed expired in some of the country's hardest-hit states. Thanks to a law Congress passed in February, long-term benefits are being scaled back from 99 weeks to 79 weeks, the Hill explains. So...

Woman Gets 20 Years for Firing Warning Shot

Dustin Lushing — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:42:02 CDT

A Florida woman was sentenced to 20 years in prison today for firing what she says was a warning shot to scare away her attacking husband. In the intensely controversial case, Marissa Alexander claims she was fleeing from her abusive husband when she fired a gun into the wall of...

Child Porn Suspect Wields Samurai Sword on Computer

John Johnson — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:21:05 CDT

Yesterday's line of the day from the crime blotter involved a disassembled gun hidden inside a bunny, a bear, and Mickey Mouse. The Miami Herald may have topped it today with a lede spotted by BoingBoing . "A Florida man stabbed his computer with a Samurai sword after being accused of...

Florida Teacher Made Teens Wear 'Cone of Shame'

Kate Schwartz — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:33:53 CDT

Some teachers work their students like dogs—but in Florida, one science teacher apparently treated her students like canines. Laurie Bailey-Cutkomp, 47, made at least eight of her ninth-graders wear a "cone of shame" last month, reports the Tampa Bay Times . And this particular cone isn't a dunce cap, but...

Obama Has a Gay-Marriage Headache in 7 States

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 10 May 2012 08:37:43 CDT

President Obama’s official embrace of gay marriage will certainly energize some of his supporters, but it’s also sure to give him grief in these seven states, as rounded up by Politico : North Carolina : As evidenced by the recently-passed constitutional amendment banning it, gay marriage is not very popular with voters...

White Supremacists Busted Near Disney World

John Johnson — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:09:42 CDT

Ten hard-core white supremacists have been arrested in Florida, where they were training for a race war in America, reports Reuters . Those arrested were members of the American Front neo-Nazi group, and the suspects include local leader Marcus Faella, 39. They trained on his property in St. Cloud—about 10...