11th victim found days after deadly crash on I-75

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The body of an eleventh person has been found in a pickup truck days after a deadly pileup on Interstate 75, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The victim was inside a Dodge pickup truck that crashed into a tractor trailer as it traveled south early Sunday, authorities determined Tuesday. The driver and another passenger in the pickup had not been identified early Wednesday.

The Highway Patrol on Tuesday released the name of an eighth person killed in the crash. Vontavia Kiara Robinson, 22, of Williston, was the driver of a Pontiac Grand Prix that was involved in the southbound crash around 4 a.m. Sunday. The name of a passenger who died in her car has not been released.

Authorities closed the busy six-lane highway just after midnight Sunday because a mix of fog and smoke from a nearby brush fire made visibility difficult. The road was reopened about three hours later after the Highway Patrol determined conditions had improved. The first pileup occurred a short time later.

At least a dozen cars, six tractor trailers and a motorhome collided. Some cars were crushed under the bellies of big rigs. Others burst into flames, making it difficult to identify victims.

The crash sent another 18 people to the hospital.

While Florida officials said they are willing to review their protocols in determining when to shut down — and reopen — a major highway. The Highway Patrol was also quick to point out that motorists must be prepared to quickly make good decisions because road conditions can change quickly.

Officials said the decision to close a road is made by a Highway Patrol supervisor, who relies on feedback from troopers who assess road conditions. They use information and forecasts from the National Weather Service. A key piece of information is an index estimating the humidity and smoke dispersion on a scale of 1 to 10. If the score is 7 or higher, the Highway Patrol's protocol is to close the road.

The index score for early Sunday had been forecast to be a 6 in the four-county region that includes the crash site, according to the National Weather Service.

Investigators continued piecing together details from Sunday's crash. The remaining bodies were so badly burned that dental records and vehicle identification numbers may have to be used to get positive identifications.

The dead included Georgia pastor Jose Carmo, his wife Adriana and their teenage daughter Leticia. Another daughter remained in the hospital with serious injuries.

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Continue Reading... Labels: After, Crash, Deadly, found, victim

Prisoner on run after gun threat

25 January 2012 Last updated at 16:51 ET

Detective Chief Inspector Nick Bennett said the public should not approach Andrew Farndon

A prisoner is on the run after two officers were threatened at gunpoint on his arrival at hospital in Suffolk.

A man pointed a gun at the officers at West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds at 18:50 GMT. They were forced to release the prisoner, believed to be Andrew Farndon, 26.

Police said they had begun a manhunt for both men, who ran off.

Officers were alerted by hospital staff who could see a man with a gun outside the accident and emergency department.

They said the man was pointing the weapon at two prison officers.

Run away

Moments later, police received a second call from the prison officers, from HMP Highpoint, who said they had a gun pulled on them by a man who had confronted them as they arrived.

Both the prisoner and the man with the gun had then run away across the car park. No-one was hurt in the incident.

Farndon is described as white with a shaved head, and was wearing a dark blue baseball cap and a light-coloured jumper that was padded on the right side due to an injury to the shoulder.

He is a Category C prisoner, a security classification which means he is unlikely to make a determined escape attempt.

The man with the gun is described as white, in his mid 40s, around 5ft 8in, of stocky build, possibly with a Scottish accent. He was wearing a white top and blue jeans.

It is thought they may have escaped in a dark-coloured car.

Do not approach

Police said they had begun a comprehensive search of the area, including the use of the force helicopter, and are liaising with other agencies and talking to witnesses.

Officers are asking anyone with information about the incident or where Farndon is now to call Suffolk Police as soon as possible - using 999 if necessary for sightings, or 101 to pass on information.

Police are advising members of the public not to approach either of the men but to call officers straight away.

A Prison Service spokeswoman said it was a matter for the police, but a full Prison Service inquiry would follow.

Police are not linking the incident with the escape of category A prisoner John Anslow, who was sprung from a prison van after it left Hewell Prison in Worcestershire on Monday.

Three masked men ambushed the van, smashing its windows with sledgehammers and punching the driver.

The van was taking inmates from the prison near Redditch to Stafford Crown Court.

Are you in Bury St Edmunds? Have you got any information about this story that you're happy to share with the BBC? Send us your comments using the form below.

Continue Reading... Labels: After, Prisoner, threat

Perry loses key SC backer after attack on Romney

BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. (AP) — Presidential candidate Rick Perry's criticism of Mitt Romney's business past had a boomerang effect Thursday, costing him the support of a prominent Republican in South Carolina.

Investment fund executive and top GOP donor Barry Wynn told The Associated Press he was leaving the Perry fold to endorse Romney, the former Massachusetts governor. Wynn said Perry's attacks on Romney's time at the helm of the private equity firm Bain Capital had crossed the line in a political party that values free-market capitalism.

"I've been fighting for this cause most of my life," Wynn said. "It's like fingernails on the chalkboard. It just kind of irritated you to hear those kind of attacks."

Perry, the Texas governor, swung hard this week at Romney's work at Bain Capital. The firm sometimes turned big profits even as companies it invested in went under, including some in South Carolina, and people lost jobs. Perry called Romney a "vulture capitalist" who put profits ahead of jobs.

By late Wednesday, Perry had backed away from the attack line and didn't mention in during remarks to crowds at campaign stops.

Perry is desperate for a strong showing in South Carolina, where the primary is Jan. 21, to keep his presidential hopes alive. He finished near the bottom of the pack in the voting in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Katon Dawson, a top Perry adviser in South Carolina, tried to minimize the effect of Wynn's decision.

"It's unfortunate and disappointing. But at the end of the day we are marching on," Dawson said. "It won't have any impact. The only impact it will have is on the media trying to report it."

Continue Reading... Labels: After, attack, backer, Loses, Perry, Romney

Judge Halts Mississippi Pardons After Uproar

Comme les proches des victimes demandent pourquoi assassins et les violeurs got graciés par l'ancien Gouverneur du Mississippi Haley Barbour au cours de ses dernières heures au bureau, un juge d'État de Mississippi a temporairement interrompu la libération de 21 des 200-plus détenus réhabilitées.

Mississippi procureur général Jim Hood avait demandé l'injonction contre les rejets des détenus, racontant les journalistes il croit que certains des réhabilitations de Barbour pourraient avoir violé la constitution de l'État en omettant de donner un avis public suffisant que les condamnés cherchaient la clémence.

La constitution de l'État exige un avis public sur l'intention d'un détenu de demander pardon publié pendant 30 jours avant que le gouverneur peut accorder un.

Cinq anciens détenus, quatre d'entre eux a été reconnu coupable de meurtre et servant à perpétuité, ont déjà été libérés. Avocat haut l'État demande à la Cour pour signifier les anciens détenus avis soulignant que leur libération peut être contestée.

(ABC News)

La nouvelle vient comme familles de proches tués, violées ou volé par les hommes et les femmes libérées sont dénoncer des actions de Barbour, disant qu'ils souhaitent qu'avoir parlé à leur première.

« J'ai beaucoup de sentiments, » dit Betty Ellis, dont la fille a été tuée par son ex-conjoint, David Gatlin, en 1993.

Gatlin a reçu un de la réhabilitation de dernière minute 210 - près de deux fois le nombre émis depuis 1988. Certains les réhabilitations étaient détenus affectés à cuire et nettoyer au manoir du gouverneur. Quatre de ces détenus ont été condamnés meurtriers.

« J'ai été folle. Je ne comprends pas comment un homme qui a des enfants de son propre pouvait le faire,"dit Ellis, qui marcha vers la capitale de l'État, Jackson, Miss, recherchant Barbour.

Barbour, un républicain, a publié une déclaration mercredi soir disant que 189 du 215 peuple gracié étaient déjà sorti de prison.

« Ma décision concernant la clémence reposait sur la recommandation de la Commission des libérations conditionnelles dans plus de 90 % des cas, » la déclaration dit, selon WTVA-TV.

Treize sur les 26 détenus remis en liberté étaient onéreux à l'État en raison de frais médicaux et peuvent être réincarcéré s'ils commettent un autre crime.

Un autre trois détenus réhabilitée ont été répertoriés comme recevant une peine avec sursis, selon la déclaration tous les 16 dit sont encore sous la supervision du Ministère des services correctionnels de Mississippi.  Information sur les 10 restants des détenus réhabilitées n'était pas incluse dans l'instruction.

La même nuit, fille de Ellis a été tuée en 1993, Gatlin Randy Walker une balle dans la tête et laissé pour mort. Walker dit déménagement de Barbour a donné à l'Etat « un œil noir ».

« Cela va faire national news », dit-il.

Il voyagea trop à Jackson, où il s'est entretenu avec le gouverneur Phil Bryant, qui avait été assermenté en quelques heures seulement avant Barbour avait délivré les réhabilitations et quitté ses fonctions.

Bien que Bryant a dit Walker qu'il ne serait pas pardon reconnu coupable meurtriers, il a dit: « la constitution confère au gouverneur ce pouvoir et c'est sa décision de faire ».

C'est peu de confort pour femme de Walker, Crystal Walker, qui dit Clarion grand livre de Jackson qu'elle et son mari qui craignent pour leur vie.

« Sur la libération conditionnelle, il aurait au moins à archiver et ont une supervision, » elle a dit dimanche. « Maintenant il pouvait vivre à côté de nous, ou nous pourrions exécuter en lui à Wal-Mart. Vous êtes toujours à la recherche par-dessus votre épaule. »

Barbour reste un leader populaire dans l'État. Il est crédité pour accélérer la récupération de l'état de l'ouragan Katrina. Barbour maintenue que libérer ceux qui travaillaient à la mansion est une tradition de Mississippi pour leur montrer la miséricorde.

Mais Mark Mayfield, un avocat, a déclaré que le public juste n'obtenir il et aucun n'est que lui.

Mayfield « Haley a fait beaucoup de grandes choses, » dit aujourd'hui, « mais je crains que dans la grande mesure cela sera ternir son image car il va vers l'avant ».

Enjoli Francis et Sarah Amos et Associated Press, ABC News a contribué à ce rapport.

Lire aussi

Continue Reading... Labels: After, Halts, judge, Mississippi, Pardons, Uproar

Anthony says she became pregnant after party

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Casey Anthony told a psychiatrist that she became pregnant with her daughter, Caylee, after passing out at a party when she was 18 years old, according to depositions in which the doctor said tests gave no indication that Anthony was mentally ill as she faced her murder trial.

The 25-year-old Anthony was acquitted last July of killing her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, in a trial that captured the nation's attention. Anthony didn't know who fathered Caylee, the psychiatrist, Jeff Danziger, recounted in a deposition that was unsealed by a Florida judge and released Wednesday. Danziger interviewed Anthony five times over two years but never testified at her murder trial.

[Related: Can Casey Anthony find redemption?]

"Two beers, possibly given another drug. Woke up passed out," said Danziger, reading from notes he took during an interview with Anthony in November 2010. "Don't remember anything at a party, age 18. This is how she said she got pregnant."

Anthony is serving a year of probation at an undisclosed location in Florida on a check fraud charge.

Anthony showed no evidence of mental illness and had normal results on a psychological test, Danziger said in the deposition. He described that as surprising, given her circumstances in the Orange County Jail as a suspect in her daughter's slaying. Her temperament was calm, cooperative and pleasant, he said.

"You would expect that would provoke some measure of distress, whether someone genuinely did it, whether someone was falsely accused," Danziger said. "If my child was missing and I was in jail being accused of it, I probably wouldn't eat and wouldn't be cheerful and wouldn't be able to read."

Danziger said he was reluctant to recount all the information Anthony told him during his interviews with her, especially allegations that she had been sexually abused and her contention that her father played a role in covering up Caylee's death. Anthony told the psychiatrist that her father had found Caylee's drowned body in the family's swimming pool, helped disposed of it and then covered it up. During the trial, George Anthony denied playing any role in Caylee's disappearance or death.

Defense attorneys said during the trial that Anthony's father molested her when she was young, and Anthony told Danziger the same thing. George Anthony vehemently denied the allegation on the witness stand and defense attorneys provided no evidence to support it.

"As he has repeatedly said prior to the trial, during the trial and after the trial he never molested any member of his family including Casey Anthony," George Anthony's attorney, Mark Lippman, said Wednesday. "He had nothing to do with the death of Caylee Marie Anthony including what happened to her remains after she allegedly drowned."

Danziger didn't want to become "a vector" of her allegations of crimes against individuals who may not have done anything wrong, he said.

Caylee Anthony went missing in summer 2008, and her disappearance wasn't reported to authorities until a month later. Hundreds of volunteers searched for the missing girl. Anthony lied repeatedly to detectives, claiming a babysitter had kidnapped the toddler.

Transcripts of the depositions had been sealed. But the Orlando Sentinel asked the court to make them public and Judge Belvin Perry agreed.

 

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Continue Reading... Labels: After, Anthony, became, party, pregnant

Australian survives terrifying fall after bungee snaps

SYDNEY (Reuters) - An Australian woman has survived a terrifying fall after her bungee cord snapped during a 111-metre (364-feet) leap off Africa's Victoria Falls Bridge, plunging her into the crocodile-infested Zambezi River below.

Erin Langworthy, who suffered only cuts and bruises in the fall on New Year's Eve, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, said it was a "miracle" that she had survived the plunge into the rapids below the bridge, which borders Zambia and Zimbabwe.

"It felt like I had been slapped all over," the 22-year-old from Perth told Australia's Channel Nine television.

Video footage showed the moment towards the end of the fall that the cord snapped and hurled her into the river.

Langworthy had to dive under the water to unravel the rope bound around her feet as she entered the rapids.

"I actually had to swim down and yank the bungee cord out of whatever it was caught on to make it to the surface," she said.

After unbinding her feet she managed to swim to the river bank on the Zimbabwe side to await assistance.

"Yes, I think it's definitely a miracle that I survived," she said.

Langworthy was treated at a nearby clinic before being evacuated to South Africa.

A Zambian minister sought to reassure tourists about bungee safety but said the issue would be discussed with the operator.

"The bungee has proven to be a very viable operation considering that more than 50,000 tourists jump on it every year. It has been in operation for 10 years.

This is the first time I am hearing of an incident. The probability of an incident is one in 500,000 jumps," Information Minister Given Lubinda was quoted as saying in a report published on the Lusakatimes.com web site.

Continue Reading... Labels: After, Australian, bungee, snaps, survives, terrifying

In final New Hampshire debate, candidates go after Romney–very briefly

Republican presidential candidates debate in Concord, New Hampshire. (Getty Images)

CONCORD, N.H. -- They had to be poked, prodded and nudged to do it, but the Republican presidential candidates finally went on the offense against front-runner Mitt Romney during a Sunday morning debate--if only for a few minutes.

Going down the line, NBC News moderator David Gregory gave the candidates an opportunity to explain in front of the former Massachusetts governor why they thought Romney should not be the GOP nominee.

"There's a huge difference between a Reagan conservative and somebody who comes out of a Massachusetts culture with an essentially moderate record," said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who has been on the blunt end of Romney's media attack apparatus for weeks. "I think he'll have a very hard time getting elected."

Visibly frustrated after being slammed by Romney as a "lifetime politician," Gingrich hit back on stage, labeling Romney's claims about being a man of the private sector "pious baloney." (Watch the clip below.)

"You've been running consistently for years and years and years," Gingrich said. "So this idea that suddenly, citizenship showed up in your mind—just level with the American people, you've been running since the 1990s."

The debate began just 10 hours after the ABC/Yahoo! debate ended in Manchester. During that event, candidates largely failed to chip away effectively at Romney's record.

During the "Meet the Press" debate, Romney defended himself as a "solid conservative who brought important change to Massachusetts," and touted his long list of endorsements, including those from several New Hampshire officials. "I'm very proud of the conservative record I have," he said.

That's when Santorum jumped in.

"If his record was so great," he said, turning to Romney, "why didn't you run for re-election?" (Romney served one term as governor of Massachusetts.) Santorum, facing tough re-election odds in 2006, ran anyway and was trounced by double digits. "Why did you bail out?" Santorum said.When asked how conservatives could trust him to promote their agenda, Romney replied: "They've got my record as governor." That answer may come back to haunt him, offering an easy opening for attack over his support for a state-sponsored health care program.

Later in the debate, the focus shifted away from Romney, and moved toward discussions over how the candidates would promote policies that lower heating bills and whether they would champion gay rights. (Watch video of Mitt Romney championing gay rights below.) The banter during this time stayed relatively friendly, but the debate picked up again near the end when  moderators asked about ads run by "super PACs" that support Romney and Gingrich. This election cycle has seen an influx of non-campaign money spent on attack ads that have allowed the campaigns to essentially outsource their mud-slinging to outside groups. When pressed about the content of the ads his Super PAC ran against Gingrich, Romney said that if the ads were wrong or misleading, then they should be taken down.

Interestingly, both candidates said they had not seen the ads produced by the Super PACs that employ many of their former staffers, but then had no trouble listing the specific attacks within them.

"The rhetoric is a little over the top," Romney said of Gingrich's Super PAC ads.

"You think my rhetoric is over the top but your ads are totally reasonable?" Gingrich replied.

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Continue Reading... Labels: After, briefly, candidates, debate, final, Hampshire, Romney–very

Soldier dies 18 months after bomb

3 January 2012 Last updated at 12:09 ET

The number of UK soldiers killed in Afghanistan since 2001 is 395

A British soldier from the 1st Battalion the Royal Gurkha Rifles who was injured in Afghanistan in June 2010 has died in hospital in Birmingham, the Ministry of Defence has said.

The soldier died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on Monday, following wounds sustained after he was caught in a bomb blast.

His next of kin have been informed.

The deaths bring the total number of UK military personnel killed in operations in Afghanistan since 2001 to 395.

Lieutenant Colonel David Robinson, Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion, the Royal Gurkha Rifles, said: "It is with great sadness that I must confirm the death of a Gurkha soldier from 1st Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles, who had previously been seriously injured in Afghanistan.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this very difficult time."

The soldier's next of kin have requested the customary period of grace before further information is released.

Continue Reading... Labels: After, months, Soldier

Woman found dead after abduction

2 January 2012 Last updated at 09:25 ET

A 20-year-old woman has been found dead after she was abducted from an address in east London where two other people had been stabbed.

Police said they believe the woman was called Kirsty Treloar.

She was taken from Brownlow Road, Hackney, at 07:10 GMT on Monday, and was later found stabbed in a car on Ryder Mews in Homerton, police said.

Just before she was kidnapped, a man aged 22 and a 24-year-old woman were attacked at the same address.

The man is in stable condition, while the woman suffered a minor injury.

Suspect 'fled'

A month old baby girl was also taken from the address to hospital as a precaution. She remains in hospital under observation.

Scotland Yard said it had launched a murder investigation.

A spokesman said officers were called to a row on Brownlow Road but, before they arrived, a suspect had fled in a grey Fiat Stilo car with the 20-year-old woman.

This vehicle was found abandoned in Ryder Mews, just off Homerton High Street, at about 08:30 GMT, and the woman's body was inside.

Police said they believe she is the same person who was kidnapped, although they said they were awaiting formal identification.

No further details of the suspect or any of the victims have been released.

Continue Reading... Labels: abduction, After, found, Woman

Man arrested after death of baby

30 December 2011 Last updated at 06:19 ET

A man has been arrested following the unexplained death of a baby girl in Devon, police said.

The 10-month-old was taken to the Royal Devon Exeter Hospital from Ottery St Mary on Monday.

The girl, who was brought to hospital unconscious, was transferred to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol but died on Thursday.

A 28 year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm, police said.

He was released on bail until February.

The girl has not been formally identified but her next of kin were with her at the time of her death, police said.

Continue Reading... Labels: After, arrested, Death

Murder inquiry after bodies found

12 December 2011 Last updated at 10:56 ET

BBC's Ed Thomas: 'Police are not looking for anyone else in connection with these deaths'

A murder investigation has started after the discovery of the bodies of a couple and their two young sons at a house in Leeds.

The bodies were found in a fire-damaged bedroom at a detached house in Sheridan Way, Pudsey, on Sunday evening.

Richard Smith, 37, and Clair Smith, 36, were found along with Ben Smith, nine, and one-year-old Aron Smith.

It is understood that West Yorkshire Police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths.

Det Supt Paul Taylor, from West Yorkshire's Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said: "Initially, we had concerns regarding the release of harmful chemicals or gases.

"Following testing, we no longer have any concerns with regards to those working at the scene and we will continue our investigations today.

"Inquiries are at an early stage and I would ask anyone with information about the incident to contact the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team."

'Beautiful boys'

Post-mortem examinations are due to be carried out later.

Dean Turnbull, a friend of the Smith family who had known them for about 15 years, said he was "in shock" over their deaths.

He said the Smiths were "a lovely family with lovely kids".

Friends of the family brought floral tributes to the scene of the tragedy

Mr Turnbull's wife, Sara, was in tears as she left flowers at the police cordon.

The message on her bouquet said: "You were such a beautiful family. All our love to you. We can't believe you are all gone."

Mr Smith's cousin, Gary Tempest, said: "It is so unbelievable this has happened.

"They were the perfect family."

Family friend Sarah Wilson was in tears as she laid flowers.

She said she once held Aron in her arms as her sister was a neighbour, and added: "Such beautiful little boys. Both of them."

Continue Reading... Labels: After, bodies, found, inquiry, Murder

Safeway Security Guard Fired After Interrogating Girl; Company Faced Criticism for Similar Incident

ABC

ABC News’ Suzan Clarke and Alyssa Newcomb report:

Safeway has fired the security guard who interrogated a 4-year-old girl for alleged shoplifting after he saw her eat from a bag of apricots and put the bag back on the shelf.

The girl’s father apparently hadn’t noticed what his daughter had done and was taken aback when he was stopped by security on his way out of the Everett, Wash., store.

The guard then interrogated Savannah Harp, 4.

The girl’s mother, Alissa Jones, said the guard proceeded to tell Harp’s father that the tot was banned from the store and that it would be pressing charges.

“He told them, ‘Your daughter stole and she’s banned from the store, and we’re pressing charges. And she needs to sign this form saying she understands she can’t come into any Safeways,’” Jones said, according to ABC News Seattle affiliate KOMO 4 News.

Savannah, who can’t read or write yet, was forced to scribble on the piece of paper.

“It’s pretty troubling. It’s not like she even knows what she was doing,” Jones said.

Safeway officials expressed outrage over the guard’s treatment of the little girl and issued a formal apology to her family. The division president offered to take the little girl around the bakery to show her that the store was not a scary place.

“In this case, neither our policy nor commonsense seems to have been followed,” Safeway said in a statement.

The California-based supermarket chain recently came under fire in a similar situation. A pregnant woman who was shopping with her husband and 2-year-old daughter in a Safeway in Beretainia, near Honolulu, was arrested and charged with theft after she ordered two sandwiches for a total of $5, ate one while she shopped and forgot to pay for them  at checkout on Oct. 31.

Nicole Leszczynski, 28, and her husband Marcin, 33, were new to the state and had gotten lost on their way to the grocery store. When they came upon the Safeway, she was famished, the Associated Press reported.

The pregnant woman, a former Air Force staff sergeant, said she was embarrassed about the lapse and offered to pay for the sandwiches, but managers wouldn’t allow it.

Instead, the couple were handcuffed, searched then released on $50 bail each, and their daughter was temporarily taken away by the state Child Welfare Services, the AP said.

The incident caused furor across the nation.  Safeway dropped the charges and apologized to the woman.  The company also said it would re-examine its worker training polices, the AP reported.

Continue Reading... Labels: After, Company, Criticism, Faced, Fired, Girl;, Guard, incident, Interrogating, Safeway, security, Similar

Man rescued from quicksand in Utah after 8 hours

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Continue Reading... Labels: After, hours, quicksand, rescued

Michelle Parker: Woman Goes Missing After 'The People's Court' Episode Airs

Authorities are continuing to search for a missing Orlando mom who vanished last week following the airing of "The People's Court" episode she appeared on.

Michelle Parker disappeared Thursday afternoon, the same day a previously taped episode of the court show aired featuring her and her ex-fiancée, Dale Smith.

The couple appeared in court to settle over a $5,000 engagement ring.

Parker was last seen dropping off the couple's twins at Smith's home.

Her abandoned truck was found a day later.

Police gathered items from Smith's home and searched the nearby woods, but have not gone so far as to call him a suspect or a person of interest.

Parker's parents said they don't think that Smith is not involved in their daughter's disappearance, according to ABC News affiliate WFTV.

"He (Smith) has fully cooperated," said Yvonne Stewart, Parker's mother. "They have found absolutely no evidence that there's any foul play on his part."

Parker's parents told WFTV Saturday that believe their daughter was a "victim of a random crime."

Her family is making desperate pleas for her return.

Parker's mother, Yvonne Stewart, is frantic.

"If anybody has her and are holding her hostage, please let her go. Let her come home so she can raise her babies," she said.

Rocky Relationship

In their argument on "The People's Court," Parker revealed deeper conflicts in their relationship.

"He shouldn't have put his hands on me and he shouldn't have put his hands on me prior. He shouldn't have left me three or four times over the past year and a half that we we've been together," she said on the show.

The show could provide clues for investigators.

"You know it's always possible that anytime you have a public display of animosity between two individuals in a relationship, it's going to exacerbate the problems between those two individuals," said Rod Wheeler, former Washington D.C. homicide investigator and current homicide consultant.

It's not the first time daytime TV has shared the headlines with a case.

Back in 1996, a man was convicted of murdering an acquaintance, after he claimed the "Jenny Jones Show" ambushed him with a gay crush confessional.

And for this case, a private dispute that played out for television audiences could be linked to this family's nightmare.

Parker's father, Brad Parker said family members, friends, volunteers and Texas Equusearch members are searching for his daughter.

"So let's hope we find her and bring her home…," he said.

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Continue Reading... Labels: After, Court', Episode, Michelle, Missing, Parker:, People's, Woman