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Large crowd bids farewell to mafia-linked greengrocer murdered in his driveway as his daughter tells mourners he ‘didn’t deserve’ to die that way

Albert Elence — Sat, 23 Mar 2024 05:09:54 +0000

The daughter of John Latorre, the Melbourne underworld figure who was gunned down in his driveway has shared tragic new details about the moments after he was shot.

At a packed funeral service, Latorre was remembered as “a man of honor, respect and generosity,” and his daughter said she did “all she could” to save him after his execution killing.

The family hugged and cried as they entered the church, dressed from head to toe in black for the somber occasion.

As hundreds of mourners filled the pews of St. Monica’s Catholic Church in Moonee Ponds, Latorre’s flower-filled casket was displayed at the front of the church, complete with a floral wreath and a framed photo of Latorre.

A heart-shaped floral tribute was also placed at the front, with ‘Nonno’ written in red letters, while hymns played in the background in both English and Italian.

Mourners gather outside St Monica’s Catholic Church in Moonee Ponds as relatives walk outside with a photo of Latorre following the service

Sources believe Melbourne fruiterer John Latorre (pictured) was shot by a fly-in fly-out killer on orders from high up in the mafia

Mourners dressed all in black as they said goodbye to Latorre, who was described as a ‘man of honour’ during the service

Mr Latorre is said to have been a discreet but influential member of the Australian branch of the ‘Ndrangheta’ – a powerful mafia organization from Calabria, southern Italy.

Latorre’s wife Maria and daughter Antoinette shared the role of the Catholic death rituals, which included sprinkling the coffin with water and lighting the memorial candle.

In delivering the eulogy, Antoinette said her father was a “pillar of strength.”

“Latorre means ‘the tower’ in Italian and daddy, you always will be,” she said.

‘My beautiful and wonderful father, I cannot believe that you are no longer here with us – it was not your time to go.

“I want you to know that I tried everything I could to help you that morning. I was close to you, just as you are to me.

Sources claim the successful greengrocer’s execution outside his home (pictured) as he left for work was highly planned

Shocked friends and family rushed to the scene where John Latorre was shot in his driveway in Greenvale last Tuesday morning

‘My courage and strength came from you that day – we will always remember you and say your name, you will never be forgotten.

‘You were a man of honor, respect and generosity. You taught us the importance of family. You told us that we are strong and to hold our heads high.”

Latorre’s other daughter, Melina, broke down in tears as she delivered her eulogy, saying she had “never felt so much pain” and that her heart was “irreparably broken.”

“You taught us from such a young age the value of respecting our family and friends, which I think has become part of who we are,” she said.

‘Deep down you were a big softie and would do anything for us.

‘Not a day goes by that we don’t look at your picture and talk to you.

“I am truly sorry that you left this earth so suddenly and not on your time or God’s time.

“You didn’t deserve this.”

The church was packed for the 64-year-old who ran a wholesale fruit business at the market

John Latorre, the Melbourne underworld figure gunned down in his driveway, is remembered by family at his funeral

Pallbearers carry Mr. Latorre’s ornate casket from the Cathedral of St. Monica

Father Joe Giacobbe introduced the Mass and said that in addition to formal tributes such as hymns, a clear tribute to Latorre was the large number of people who attended the funeral.

“If you want a tribute to the lord, look around,” he said.

“This is a pretty big church and it’s full, probably twice as big.”

A second introductory and opening prayer was also said in Italian, including a series of Ave Maria thanksgiving prayers.

Latorre was a fruiter who had been a fixture at the Melbourne Markets in Epping.

About 4:30 a.m. on March 12, he was shot in the driveway of his Greenvale home with gunshots to his upper body as he left for work.

He died instantly and his bloodied body was discovered shortly afterwards by a shocked relative.

John Latorre’s daughter Antoinette revealed she was the relative who found his body, telling mourners she did ‘everything I could’ to save him

A heart with the word Nonno was carried by younger relatives

Father Joe Giacobbe told attendees to “look around” to see how full the church was if they “wanted a tribute to the gentlemen.”

The Herald Sun previously reported that Latorre’s murder contract had required the green light from the top of the mafia, suggesting it may have been some kind of fly-in-fly-out job.

Multiple sources confirmed to the same masthead that there was no way the murder of someone as high-status as Latorre could have happened without sanctions from the Honored Society bosses.

Detectives are piecing together the circumstances surrounding the murder and continue to appeal for any information relating to the murder.

It is believed that a small motorcycle was the getaway vehicle for the killer, and police intelligence suggests that the bicycle that ‘made a loud noise’ was seen near Latorre’s home in Buchanan Place around the time of the murder.

Police continue to investigate possible links between organized crime and the shooting.

No one has been charged in connection with his death and police are still searching for his killer.

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Badaun double murder: Father of two murdered children says suspect demanded Rs 5,000, unaware of exact intention

Sabir Ansary — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 05:05:30 +0000

Bareilly Inspector General of Police Rakesh Kumar said the suspect is between 25 and 30 years old and he will reveal his details after further investigation.

According to police, the deceased’s family has also named the suspect’s brother, who is on the run.

Badaun (Uttar Pradesh): A day after two children were mercilessly hacked to death in Baba Colony of Badaun in Uttar Pradesh, the father of the deceased children said on Wednesday that the accused demanded Rs 5,000 and that he was not aware of the exact intentions of the people behind the had committed a crime.

“I was not aware of the meeting (of the suspect). He (the suspect) tried to run away, but the police caught him. There were two people. I live outside. We had no interaction with them before. We don’t know why this happened,” he said.

#WATCH | Budaun double murder case | The father of the deceased children says: “I was not aware of the meeting (of the suspect)… He (the suspect) tried to run away, but the police caught him. There were two people. I live outside… We had no interaction with them before. We are… pic.twitter.com/6ClSXlWCmC

— ANI (@ANI) March 20, 2024

One of the surviving brothers of the two deceased children and an eyewitness to the incident said, “The man from Salon had come here. He took my brothers upstairs, I don’t know why he killed them. He tried to attack me too, but I pushed his knife away, pushed him away and ran downstairs. I suffered injuries to my hand and head…Two people (suspect) had come here…’

Speaking to ANI, SSP Badaun said the deceased’s family has also named the suspect’s brother, who is on the run.

“The suspect Sajid entered the house yesterday around 7.30 pm and went to the terrace where the children were playing. He attacked and killed the two children. He then came downstairs where the crowd tried to stop him, but he escaped. Police teams swung into action when they learned that the suspect had escaped. The suspect shot at the police and was killed in retaliatory fire. The murder weapon and revolver have been recovered. In the FIR, the family of the deceased children have also named the accused’s brother, Javed. Teams are trying to find him and he will be arrested soon. According to the family, the suspect had demanded Rs 5,000 from the father of the deceased children,” he said.

Meanwhile, police officers and security personnel held a flag march this morning in the city where the incident took place.

Earlier, Bareilly Inspector General of Police Rakesh Kumar said the suspect is between 25 and 30 years old. After further investigation we will release their information.

Meanwhile, heavy police security was deployed at Baba Colony near Mandi Samiti outpost as locals protested against the gruesome double murder.

District Magistrate of Badaun (DM) Manoj Kumar said some people became agitated after the incident and they were asked to maintain peace. Talking about the victims, the DM said.

(With inputs from ANI)

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‘Devastated’ widow says MTA workers shared photos of murdered husband

Sabir Ansary — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 00:48:08 +0000

The morning after her husband was shot while trying to break up a fight on the subway, Jakeba Dockery was sitting at home in Brooklyn, still in shock, when she received a text from a family friend.

Did she know that photos of her husband’s crime scene had been posted online?

The photos showed Mrs Dockery’s husband, Richard Henderson, lying on the floor of the No. 3 train in a pool of his own blood. They were taken on January 14, after Mr Henderson was shot in the back and neck while waiting for emergency medical services to arrive.

The photos circulated on social media and were spread via text messages when an old neighbor of Mr. Henderson received them from his stepfather, who works for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and who did not know the two men were friends. That neighbor then texted Ms Dockery to tell her the photos were being shared widely.

Around the same time, Ms. Dockery’s son and daughter opened Instagram and saw their father’s photos.

“I was hurt, just devastated,” Ms. Dockery said in an interview. “Seeing that photo confirmed that he will never come home.”

The photos were taken and shared by MTA employees, Ms. Dockery and her lawyers said in a claim they filed against the authority, the City of New York and New York City Transit, the MTA subsidiary that operates the subway. The notice is the first step in filing a lawsuit against a city agency.

The claim involves six unidentified “John Does” who Ms. Dockery’s lawyers say are MTA employees who took or shared the photos. Kamika Henderson, Mr. Henderson’s sister, said in an interview that the family had a number of friends and relatives who worked at the MTA and referred them to the chain of custody of the photos.

An internal document written by Richard A. Davey, the president of New York City Transit, and included in part in the filing, acknowledged that “individuals may have shared images and videos on social media accounts of the aftermath” of the shooting.

The document also suggests that staff members may have shared or attempted to share footage of the aftermath of a teen who died while surfing on the subway and of an apparent suicide at Grand Central Terminal.

The MTA is conducting an internal investigation to determine whether employees took and shared Mr. Henderson’s photos, Janno Lieber, the authority’s chairman and CEO, said at a news conference Tuesday.

“If MTA personnel were involved in distributing a photo or taking a photo and sending it to others and posting it on the Internet, that is a heartless act,” Mr. Lieber said. “I just want to be clear: That is not something that MTA staffers should be doing.”

The person who shot Mr. Henderson remains at large two months later. Sanford Rubenstein, one of Ms. Dockery’s lawyers, said he hoped renewed public interest in the case would lead to an arrest.

Mr. Henderson was a beloved crossing guard at a private school in Manhattan for more than a decade. A fundraising page for his family said he loved his job because it reflected his desire to protect those around him.

The page described his life as “a mosaic of selflessness and dedication.” Donors fondly remembered a man they called “Richie,” who said he always greeted students and their parents with a smile.

“My husband was a hero,” Mrs Dockery said. “A photo like that should not be taken of him in that state.”

Ms. Dockery’s lawyers have modeled their case on a lawsuit filed in 2020 by Kobe Bryant’s widow, Vanessa Bryant. She received $28.85 million from Los Angeles County last year after authorities there were found guilty of taking and sharing photos of her husband and their daughter after they died in a helicopter crash. If Ms. Dockery’s lawsuit goes forward, her lawyers plan to seek the same amount of damages, Mr. Rubenstein said.

A lawyer for Chris Chester, whose wife and daughter died in the same helicopter crash and who filed the lawsuit with Ms. Bryant, said he thought Ms. Dockery had a strong case.

The attorney, Jerry Jackson, said that while the Los Angeles case was considered one of the first of its kind, similar cases have followed.

“With the overwhelming abundance of cell phones and the lustful interest everyone takes in the affairs of others, this is just the tip of the iceberg,” Mr. Jackson said.

Ms. Dockery’s attorneys allege that MTA officers, by taking photographs of Mr. Henderson, violated a right to privacy set forth in New York’s Civil Rights Law, which prohibits the use of the names and photographs of living people without their consent. The law appears to only apply to photos used for commercial gain, and it is not immediately clear whether those involved have profited from Mr. Henderson’s photos.

Mr. Henderson was on his way home when the fight broke out and was shot as the train approached the Rockaway Avenue stop in Brownsville, Brooklyn, police said. Mrs Dockery, who described her husband as “a peacemaker”, said she was told he had intervened out of concern for a mother and child sitting nearby.

“For 30 years I have been telling him not to intervene in certain situations, but his heart told him otherwise,” she said.

Ms Dockery said that since Mr Henderson’s death, she and her family have struggled to “maneuver around” with so much still unknown.

They fear Mr. Henderson’s killer is still out there somewhere. Her daughter Lavina, 20, who used to ride the No. 3 train every day, now avoids it.

They also want to know why the train continued to run for a number of stops after the shooting. Mr. Henderson’s sister noted that in the photo she saw of her brother, the blood around him is undisturbed, indicating that no one tried to help him before authorities responded.

“He shouldn’t have ridden the train six stops after being shot while lying in a pool of blood,” Ms Henderson said.

But worst of all, Mrs Dockery said, is the fact that her husband’s death certificate states he died in hospital, meaning he may have been aware the photos were being taken.

“He was still alive on the train,” she said. “That hurt, that no help was provided to my husband. There was no protocol. It was just: ‘lights, camera, action.’”

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‘Offensive’ mural of murdered couple Jesse Baird and Luke Davies removed from Potts Point wall after it was spotted by residents

Albert Elence — Sat, 09 Mar 2024 00:32:03 +0000

By Nathan Schmidt for Nca Newswire

Published: 6:51 PM EST, March 8, 2024 | Updated: 7:21 PM EST, March 8, 2024

An ‘offensive’ mural depicting murdered Sydney couple Luke Davies and Jesse Baird has been removed amid controversy over the graphic portrayal of their alleged murder by a NSW police officer.

The young couple were allegedly murdered by Beau Lamarre-Condon at Mr Baird’s home before being dumped in a remote property.

A graphic mural depicting the suspected murder by a figure in police uniform was spotted on an alley wall by Sydney residents this week.

The image, posted on Reddit, appears to show Mr Baird and Mr Davies shot while lying down, with an iridescent pattern resembling blood.

Luke Davies, left, and Jesse Baird are believed to have been murdered at Mr Baird’s Sydney home

In a statement, police said they were called to Earl Pl in Potts Point on Wednesday following reports from a member of the public of “offensive graffiti”.

“The graffiti has since been painted over by the City of Sydney Council,” police said.

‘Officers from Kings Cross Police Area Command are investigating the incident.’

A City of Sydney spokesperson confirmed the graffiti had been removed, adding that “the work depicted an act of violence.”

“We will remove such graffiti or posters as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson said.

The alleged double murder sparked an outpouring of grief within the city’s LGBTQI community, as well as a strong backlash against state police.

NSW Police were initially told they were no longer invited to attend last month’s Mardi Gras parade, before organizers agreed they could do so, but without uniforms.

The alleged double murder sparked an outpouring of grief within the city’s LGBTQI community, as well as a strong backlash against state police.

Users online were quick to condemn the mural as “very confrontational” and “in bad taste”, while some pointed out that the alleged killings were not linked to gay hate crimes.

“I would say in poor taste given the recency of the (deaths) and because family and loved ones are still very much in mourning,” one Reddit user said.

“However, I don’t think we should dismiss the suspect’s role as a police officer just because he is homosexual.

“I do think it’s relevant and something that shouldn’t be quickly dismissed.”

Another user said they were “glad it was removed” and opposed previous plans to ban police from the Mardi Gras parade.

Beau Lamarre-Condon is in pre-trial detention on suspicion of murder

“There are plenty of gay police officers and officers who think this is disgusting and should not be punished,” they said.

‘Just a step too far. It’s a tragedy, but far from a hate crime.”

Police have previously said they would argue in court that the killings were likely related to domestic violence and not related to the couple’s sexual identity.

Lamarre-Condon is currently in pre-trial detention. No pleas have been entered and he will appear in court again in April.

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Biden calls murdered jogger ‘LINCOLN Riley’: President, 81, holds up pin given to him by Marjorie Taylor Greene but gets her name wrong as boasts about the ‘toughest border security reform in years’

Albert Elence — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 03:43:04 +0000

President Joe Biden mispronounced jogger Laken Riley’s name when mentioned her at his State of the Union address, calling her ‘Lincoln’ as he held up a pin with her name given to him by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green.

Biden got into several back-and-forth with Republican lawmakers during his remarks, in which he repeatedly attacked his GOP presidential rival, Donald Trump.

But when he talked about a bill to increase border security that was killed by Republicans after Trump came out again, GOP lawmakers booed him. Greene, who was wearing a shirt with Riley’s name, shouted at Biden ‘say her name.’

‘Lincoln, Lincoln Riley,’ Biden said holding up the pin. ‘An innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal.’

‘But how many of thousands of people being killed by legals? To her parents I save my heart goes out to you having lost children myself, I understand,’ he said.

He flubbed the name of the Georgia nursing student, who was killed while out jogging, on the same day the House passed the Laken Riley Act, which would mandate that migrants who enter the country without authorization and are accused of theft be taken into federal custody.

President Joe Biden holds up a Laken Riley button

Greene gave the pin to Biden when he walked into the House chamber to give his remarks.

On his journey to the podium, one person shouted to him ‘look over here.’ Biden did and did a visible double take. Standing there was Greene, wearing a shirt and button showing slain Georgia college student Laken Riley, and a red MAGA hat.

‘Say her name,’ Greene said to Biden.

Biden then turned his comments on Riley to an attack on Trump, offering to work with him to pass a border security bill.

‘If my predecessor’s watching instead of paying politics and pressuring members of Congress to block the bill, join me in telling the Congress to pass it. We can do it together,’ he said.

He then added: ‘I will not demonize immigrants saying they are poisoned in the blood of our country. I will not separate families. I will not.’

Hammering Biden on the border has been a successful political issue for Trump. Two weeks ago, the men made dueling trips to the Southern border to examine the situation there. Biden went to Brownsville, Texas, where illegal crossings are down. Trump went to Eagle Pass, where it’s a huge problem.

‘We can fight about fixing the border, or we can fix it. I’m ready to fix it,’ he said. ‘Send me the border bill. Now.’

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) calls out to Biden to ‘say her name,’ referring to murdered nursing student Laken Riley

Greene spoke to Biden as he walked into the House chamber to give his State of the Union Address

Last year Greene yelled at Biden he was a ‘liar.’ This year, ahead of Biden’s remarks, she handed out pins paying tribute to Laken Riley, the Georgia nursing student who was murdered. An illegal immigrant was charged with the crime.

Greene also wore a t-shirt paying tribute to Riley.

The White House points out how well Biden handled himself at last year’s speech, when he quickly clapped back at Republicans’ booing him for his claim they wanted to cut Social Security and Medicare.

As GOP lawmakers started heckling him, Biden quickly pivoted to say: ‘As we all apparently agree, Social Security and Medicare is off the books now.’

In fact, House Republican Speaker Mike Johnson has asked his lawmakers to keep it reined in this year during the president’s remarks.

Johnson, at a closed-door GOP conference meeting Wednesday, called for decorum but Greene has said her district didn’t mind her call out to the president last year. Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert, who has heckled in the past, indicated she may dow the same this year.

Biden engaged in a vigorous back-and-forth with his GOP hecklers throughout the night.

When Biden accused Republicans of wanting to cut Social Security and give more tax breaks to the wealthy.

Republican lawmakers quickly booed him and yelled ‘liar.’

‘Oh, no?,’ Biden responded. ‘You guys don’t want another $2 trillion tax cut. I kind of thought that’s what your plan was. Well, that’s good to hear. You’re not going to cut another $2 trillion for the super wealthy. That’s good to hear.’

And, a few minutes later, Biden hit back at Republicans again.

He brought up the bipartisan border bill that Speaker Johnson has not brought to the House floor.

Biden called the ‘toughest set of border security reforms we’ve ever seen.

Republicans booed him.

‘Oh, you don’t think so? Oh, you don’t like that bill, that conservatives got together and said it was a good bill. I’ll be. Darn. That’s amazing,’ Biden told them.

President Joe Biden started off his State of the Union address by attacking Donald Trump

A protester yelled out at President Biden and was removed from the House Chamber

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) (left) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Massachussetts) (right) hold up signs supporting a ceasefire in the Middle East

Biden started off his State of the Union address with a joke before pivoting to an attack on his rival for the presidency, Donald Trump.

‘If I were smart I’d go home now,’ Biden quipped as the chamber of lawmakers welcomed him with a standing ovation.

Biden’s speech takes place under the shadow of the 2024 presidential election and he immediately went into politics. He did not mention Donald Trump by name but he talked about his ‘predecessor’ when he pushed for Congress to pass an aid package for Ukraine.

Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin is ‘on the march, invading Ukraine and sowing chaos throughout Europe and beyond. And if anybody in this room thinks Putin will stop at Ukraine, I assure you he will not.’

He then went on the attack.

‘Now, my predecessor, a former Republican president, tells Putin, quote, do whatever the hell you want. That’s a quote, a former president actually said that bowing down to a Russian leader, I think it’s outrageous. It’s dangerous, and it’s unacceptable,’ Biden said.

Speaker Mike Johnson has not brought up the bipartisan legislation, which the Senate approved, on the House floor. Trump opposes it. Johnson, sitting behind Biden, appeared to grimmace during Biden’s attack.

Biden spent the first 15 minutes of his speech attacking Trump.

‘You can’t love your country only when you win,’ he said, referring to Trump’s false claim he won the 2020 election.

Biden also implored Congress to act to help Ukraine.

‘I say this to Congress, we have to stand up to Putin,’ he noted. ‘We will not walk way. We will not bow down. I will not bow down.’

Biden’s goal with his speech is to present himself as an energetic choice worthy of a second term.

His speech offered a hopeful vision of the future, one he hopes voters will contrast with Trump’s talk of crime and witch hunts.

‘I say to the American people, when America gets knocked down, we get back up. We keep going,’ he said to a standing ovation from Democrats. ‘That’s America.’

‘That’s you, the American people is because of you. America is coming back. It’s because of you. Our future is brighter. It’s because of you that tonight we can proudly say the state of our union is strong.’

Democratic members of Congress cheer President Joe Biden during the State of the Union address – many Democratic women lawmakers wore white to show their support for reproductive rights

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and other Democrats wore scarves to show their support for Gaza

Democrats were rowdy during President Biden’s speech, cheering often

Democrats cheered and shouted ‘four more years.’

Democrats in the chamber were a rowdy bunch, clapping and cheering frequently, a constrast to what some were saying before Biden’s speech, when they fretted if he would make a mistake that could be politically fatal.

Biden walked into the House chamber to shouts of ‘Joe’ from Democrats and loud applause. Biden, a more than 30-year veteran of Capitol Hill, stopped to talk to several lawmakers as he walked down the aisle.

The president received good luck wishes and even shook hands with Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert, one of his frequent critics. ‘Four more years,’ Democrats shouted as he made his way to the dais. It took his eight minutes to make his way down the aisle to the podium.

In his remarks, Biden sought to show the stark differences between himself and his Republican rival. The speech will kick off his rematch with Trump and mark the start of the 2024 general election.

Biden’s aim is to appear young and energized and voters prepare to choose between him and Trump for a second term in the White House.

Departing the White House to head to Capitol Hill, Biden said he was ‘feeling good.’

He also joked to the staffers up on the portico watching him depart: ‘Don’t jump, I need you.’

Speaking to a nationwide, primetime audience, Biden, 81, will be combatting low approval ratings and questions about his fitness for office.

In his remarks, Biden directly confronted his and Trump’s ages, arguing he wants ‘honesty’ while his Republican rival wants ‘retribution.’

‘My lifetime has taught me to embrace freedom and democracy. A future based on the core values that have defined America: honesty, decency, dignity, equality. To respect everyone. To give everyone a fair shot. To give hate no safe harbor,’ Biden said.

‘Now some other people my age see a different story: an American story of resentment, revenge, and retribution. That’s not me.’

Biden has long called Trump, 77, a ‘threat to democracy’ – citing the former president’s actions during the January 6th insurrection.

Trump has hammered Biden on the age issue, calling him ‘Sleepy Joe.’ Even some Democrats have expressed concern about the 81-year-old president’s performance Thursday night, saying he needs to be energetic and not make any fumbles or stumbles.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden depart the White House to travel to Capitol Hill

President Biden waves from The Beast

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrive in the Capitol

Biden attacked Trump and his Republicans again later in the night when he defended the Affordable Care Act.

He announced a plan to cap prescription drug costs at $2,000 a year for everyone.

Then he went off script – and almost made a mistake, which he quickly recovered from.

‘Folks, I’m gonna get in trouble for saying that. But any of you want to get in Air Force One with me and fly to Toronto? Berlin? Moscow? I mean, excuse me. And, well, even Moscow, probably. And bring your prescription with you. And I promise you, I’ll get it for you. For 40% of the cost you’re paying now. Same company, same drug,’ he said.

He then noted ‘my predecessor’ – he has not mentioned Trump by name all night – and ‘many in this chamber want to by repealing the Affordable Care Act. I’m not going to let that happen. We stopped you 50 times before and will stop you again. In fact, I’m not only protecting it, I’m expanding it.’

Biden spoke in the House chamber on Capitol Hill. The audience will be filled with Republican lawmakers loyal to Trump. Expect them to try and throw Biden off his game as they did last year.

Millions of viewers are expected to tune into the prime time address, giving Biden a massive platform to make the case to voters to give him a second term instead of Trump.

Representative Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-Georgia) wears a shirt and button showing slain Georgia college student Laken Riley ahead of the State of the Union address

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (right) and Vice President Kamala Harris (left) stand in the House of Representatives

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators block a street during a protest ahead of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address

Former Rep. George Santos is in the House chamber for the State of the Union Address

Overall, the goal of the White House is to present Biden, 81, as energetic enough to do the job and turn questions about his age into an argument for his experience.

The White House has downplayed any fears.

‘There’s always, in these moments, a desire to focus on the distractions dujour,’ said deputy White House press secretary Olivia Dalton on CNN. ‘The president is focused on one thing and that’s communicating clearly his vision for the country to the American people.’

‘You’re going to see a very energized president,’ White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients told Politico. ‘This is a big moment. And this president rises to those big moments.’

The president heads into the speech with a 56% disapproval rating, per the Five Thirty-Eight polling average.

Biden has spent the past five days preparing for his State of the Union address, trying to cover all the possibilities: tea to keep his throat smooth, a print out of his remarks – with giant type – in case the teleprompter goes out, and hours of practice sessions.

Biden offered an otherwise positive view of the nation in his address, focusing on a unity agenda that contains overall popular items like dealing with the mental health epidemic, curbing opioid abuse, aiding veterans and improving cancer care.

In his remarks, the president portrayed the upcoming an election as a choice on personal freedoms such as reproductive rights. He vowed to restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land if Americans give him a Democratically-controlled Congress.

‘In its decision to overturn Roe v. Wade the Supreme Court majority wrote ‘Women are not without electoral or political power.’ No kidding. Clearly those bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade have no clue about the power of women in America,’ he said.

‘But they found out when reproductive freedom was on the ballot and won in 2022, 2023, and they will find out again in 2024. If Americans send me a Congress that supports the right to choose I promise you: I will restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land again.’

He then addressed the six Supreme Court justices who were in the audience.

‘With all due respect, justices, women are not without electoral power,’ he said.

Democrats are using the abortion issue to rally their voters after it proved successful motivation in getting their supporters to the polls in the 2022 midterm.

He also bragged about his own record as president, particularly on the economy, which voters give him low marks for when it comes to his stewardship.

‘I came to office determined to get us through one of the toughest periods in our nation’s history. And we have. It doesn’t make the news, but in thousands of cities and towns the American people are writing the greatest comeback story never told,’ he will say.

‘So let’s tell that story here and now. America’s comeback is building a future of American possibilities, building an economy from the middle out and the bottom up – not the top down, investing in all of America – in all Americans – to make sure everyone has a fair shot and we leave no one behind.’

He also noted the popularity of infrastructure act, noting Republicans may not have voted for it but were bragging about the money it brought to their districts.

‘If any of you doesn’t want that money in your district, let me know,’ Biden joked.

The U.S. Capitol is seen behind a security fence that was put in place for the State of the Union

Biden also asked Americans if they want lower health care costs, democratic freedoms and to keep Ukraine from being swallowed up by Russian leader Vladimir Putin? Or do they want to side with drug company profits, tax breaks for the wealthy and Putin?

The underlying argument will be that Biden is on the right side of these issues, as opposed to Trump.

Biden addressed the war between Israel and Hamas in his remarks.

He announced that he’s directing the military to build a port on the Gaza coast to bring relief to the population there.

That does not mean U.S. military personnel will be on the ground in the war torn region.

White House officials offered no time line for when the pier will be built or where exactly it will be located but said its construction will allow more shipments of food, medicine and other essential items to be delivered to the 2.2 million Palestinians.

They said the White House will coordinate with the Israelis regarding security on the ground and with the United Nations and humanitarian groups on getting aid delivered.

The temporary pier will allow for hundreds of additional truckloads of assistance each day, the officials said. It will be an additional route for humanitarian aid, which is currently limited to two land crossings into the southern part of Gaza.

Other countries will be involved in its construction but it’s unclear if Israel will be.

The project could take more than 30 to 60 days to construct and would involve hundreds or thousands of U.S. troops on ships just off shore. It will also require armed escorts and other protective measures.

The president has seen a concerning number of Democrats vote ‘uncommitted’ in primaries in key battleground states like Michigan and Minnesota, most of whom are unhappy with his treatment of Palestinians.

In Minnesota on Tuesday, nearly 20 percent of Democratic voters in the state voted uncommitted. The week before, more than 100,000 voters in Michigan voted the same.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, speaks with Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-California) prior to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address

Pro-Palestine protesters are in the street to block President Joe Biden’s motorcade between the White House and Capitol for his State of the Union address

Supplies are dropped out of an airplane down onto Gaza

Several hundred Pro-Palestinian protesters sat in the street to block Biden’s motorcade between the White House and Capitol before he headed to the Capitol to deliver his remarks.

A massive Palestinian flag was unfurled on the street with demonstrators sitting and standing around it and others held a banner with the message: ‘Biden’s legacy is genocide.’

The protesters held bullhorns, held ‘ceasefire’ signs, wore black shirts with messages demanding Biden get tough on Israel and were surrounded by law enforcement officials from all sidess.

But Biden’s motorcade did not go by the group in route to the Capitol, according to the pool of reporters traveling with him.

In his remarks, Biden also cracked down on private jets as part of his plan to hike the taxes on the super rich as he tries to win over voters upset with his stewardship of the economy.

Biden proposed that billionaires would need to pay a minimum of 25% in federal taxes on their income as he targets the super wealthy like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk.

Another person who will be affected by his plans is his 2024 rival Donald Trump, who relies on his private jet – Trump Force One – to campaign across the country. Biden uses the military jet Air Force One for his travel.

The sweeping tax increases are targeted at bringing down the U.S. deficit but also raising Biden’s poll numbers as he heads into the November election. Polls show Trump in the lead – by a narrow margin – with eight months until Election Day.

Voters give Biden low marks for his handling of the economy. And Trump has hammered Biden repeatedly on the high rate of inflation that has raised food and fuel prices for consumers.

The president’s proposals will also affect some of his allies: John Kerry, his former climate adviser, uses a private jet. So do celebrities like Taylor Swift and Leonardo DiCaprio, who support the president.

Biden proposed increasing the fuel tax on corporate and private jet travel and changing depreciation rules. The White House declined to say how much the fuel tax would be increased.

Biden’s new tax plan will affect his rival, Donald Trump (above), who uses his private jet Trump Force One for campaign travel

Biden’s plan will also affect his supporters, such as Taylor Swift (above) who uses a private jet

The president will also target corporations, proposing to raise the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 25 percent.

Most of Biden’s tax proposals have little chance of enactment. Even when Democrats controlled both chambers of Congress early in his presidency, Biden could not get the corporate tax rate raised.

The tax plans, however, are expected to form a core part of Biden’s re-election campaign, contrasting markedly with Trump whose 2017 ‘Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’ slashed taxes on companies and the wealthy.

Biden would use some of the revenue to pay for expansions of the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit, which would help lower-income families. And he is seeking to permanently make health insurance premiums lower for those who receive their medical coverage through the 2010 Affordable Care Act.

The increased tax rate also is intended to cut the deficit by $3 trillion over the next decade.

Additionally Biden pushed for a massive housing initiative as more and more young adults say they can’t afford to buy their first home.

Amid record-high inflation and rising mortgage interest rates, Biden will urge Congress to alleviate mortgage interest rates by offering first-time homebuyers a $5,000 credit each year for their first two years of home ownership to equate a total of $10,000.

The White House says this should equate to essentially knocking off 1.5 percent of homeowners’ interest rate for the medium home in the U.S.

Biden urged Congress to help free up some of the housing market by offering a one-year credit of up to $10,000 for families who sell their starter homes.

The average mortgage interest rate for a $300,000 loan is 7.9 percent for a 30-year fixed term. Meanwhile, the average cost of a home in the U.S. is upwards of $400,000.

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Mountain of flowers left at Alexei Navalny’s grave continues to grow as thousands of mourners pay their last respects to Putin’s ‘murdered’ rival two days after his funeral in Moscow

Albert Elence — Sun, 03 Mar 2024 18:32:49 +0000

The mountain of flowers left by thousands of mourners paying their respects to Alexei Navalny, the outspoken dissident who was allegedly murdered at the hands of the Russian state last month, has continued to grow two days after his funeral.

Navalny died in the IK-3 penal colony, also known as Polar Wolf, in the settlement of Kharp in the Yamal-Nenets Region of Russia, around 1,200 miles from Moscow, on February 16.

His funeral service took place on Friday in the Soothe My Sorrows Church in Moscow, where his family held an open casket funeral for his loved ones and his closest followers.

Under a heavy police presence, Mr Navalny’s mother Lyudmilla Navalnaya was accompanied by his mother-in-law, Alla Abrosimova, who joined other mourners to say a final goodbye to Mr Navalny

But more than 48 hours later, thousands are still taking to the streets of Moscow to pay their respects to the dead dissident.

Navalny died in the IK-3 penal colony, also known as Polar Wolf, in the settlement of Kharp in the Yamal-Nenets Region of Russia , around 1,200 miles from Moscow

Thousands are still taking to the streets of Moscow to pay their respects to the dead dissident

grave after dozens of supporters were detained for flocking to the Putin critic’s funeral Defiant mourners have braved the fury of the Russian state, which arrested nearly 70 people across Russia for daring to mourn the loss of the opposition figure

Later the cemetery was closed but a crowd of hundreds demanded to be let in to pass Navalny’s grave.

They chanted: ‘Let us in’ and ‘Open up’.

Others chanted: ‘Killed’.

Police retained a presence at the cemetery on Sunday, though it was lighter than in previous days and there were no signs of mass arrests.

Queues to enter the cemetery snaked alongside a major road for about half a kilometre on Sunday afternoon.

Mourners laid stacks of red, white and yellow roses and carnations on his grave. By Sunday afternoon the pile was almost two metres high, with an Orthodox cross at the head of the grave barely visible above the flowers.

Others tied them to the gates of the burial ground.

There was a mix of anger, grief, hope and despair among the crowds on Sunday.

‘I don’t even know what to say. I am very sorry that this is happening in our country right now, and that we are all mourning for the man he was. I hope someday everything will stop. Maybe the catastrophe will stop and we can finally live in peace and happiness,’ said Anastasia, a 28-year-old designer.

Almost all of Russia’s opposition figures have been jailed, have died or fled abroad during Putin’s 24-year rule.

Mourners laid stacks of red, white and yellow roses and carnations on his grave

There was a mix of anger, grief, hope and despair among the crowds on Sunday

Putin has not commented publicly on the death of his most vocal critic

Navalny’s allies have accused the Kremlin of ordering him killed and Western leaders have said Putin is ‘responsible’ for his death.

Putin has not commented publicly on the death of his most vocal critic.

Alexander, a 45-year-old audio engineer said the large crowds backing Navalny was its own form of voting – ahead of a March 15-17 presidential election, dismissed as neither free nor fair by rights groups and independent vote monitors.

‘Everybody is showing their opinion,’ he told AFP.

Authorities have scrubbed all genuine opposition candidates from the ballot, while the country’s most prominent Putin critics who are still alive are in prison or abroad.

Graphic designer Olga, 25, who also came to the cemetery on Friday, said she took encouragement from the large turnout.

‘It’s hard. But when I came here on the first day … and saw the people, somehow some kind of strength appeared,’ she told AFP.

‘I didn’t want to give up at all. So it’s hard, but it feels like something is being revived inside. I don’t want to give up and I won’t give up. Just like Alexei asked,’ she said.

The Borisovskoye cemetery closed at 5pm in Moscow.

It may not open until next weekend.

Defiant mourners have braved the fury of the Russian state, which arrested nearly 70 people across Russia for daring to mourn the loss of the opposition figure.

Arrests took place ‘in 16 towns’ across Russia, including six in Moscow where the funeral of Vladimir Putin’s most feared critic was held.

The ceremony took place under a huge police presence as thousands defied the president’s warnings and descended on the capital.

Some 18 people were detained in Siberian city Novosibirsk alone, according to OVD-Info.

It is believed that arrests were also made in the cities of Ekaterinburg and Novosibirsk in central Russia.

Mourners following the hearse in Moscow threw red carnations as it passed and could be heard shouting ‘Putin is a murderer’ and ‘Russia will be free’.

Arrests took place ‘in 16 towns’ across Russia, including six in Moscow

The ceremony took place under a huge police presence as thousands defied the president’s warnings and descended on the capital

Some 18 people were detained in Siberian city Novosibirsk alone

It is believed that arrests were also made in the cities of Ekaterinburg and Novosibirsk in central Russia

Mourners following the hearse in Moscow threw red carnations as it passed and could be heard shouting ‘Putin is a murderer’ and ‘Russia will be free’

There were also unconfirmed reports that Navalny’s supporters were arrested as they left their homes to attend the funeral.

It is thought that one of those detained during the ceremony was an opposition politician.

The Kremlin had warned that action would be taken against any ‘unauthorised protests’ on the day of Navalny’s funeral, with 400 having been arrested for laying flowers at memorial sites following the outspoken politician’s death two weeks ago.

Riot police, who wore balaclavas, lined the streets around the Russian Orthodox church and police snipers could be spotted on roofs near the scene.

Under the heavy police presence, a long queue could be seen forming near the church in the southeast of the capital, with reports saying thousands were in attendance.

One person said: ‘I feel this is a funeral for the Russia that might have been.’

There were also unconfirmed reports that Navalny’s supporters were arrested as they left their homes to attend the funeral

The Kremlin had warned that action would be taken against any ‘unauthorised protests’ on the day of Navalny’s funeral

It is thought that one of those detained during the ceremony was an opposition politician

As the coffin was carried out of a black hearse and into the church, loud chants of ‘Navalny, Navalny!’ rang out around the square outside.

While attendee details were not known, the French, German and US ambassadors were in the crowd, as were some of Russia’s last free independent politicians.

The international community swiftly condemned the death of Alexei Navalny, with many nations suspecting or even outright accusing Vladimir Putin of orchestrating his death.

Canada today announced a fresh round of sanctions against Russia on Sunday over the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

The latest sanctions will target six Russian officials, including senior officials and high-ranking employees of Russia’s prosecution, judicial and correctional services, Canada’s Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said in a statement.

The international community swiftly condemned the death of Alexei Navalny, with many nations suspecting or even outright accusing Vladimir Putin of orchestrating his death

Canada announced a fresh round of sanctions against Russia on Sunday over the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny

Canada’s sanctions follow the UK and the US, both of which targeted Russia with heavy sanctions.

The US announced more than 500 new sanctions against key parts of Russia’s economy, including its main card payment system, financial and military institutions and officials involved in Navalny’s imprisonment.

The UK, meanwhile, introduced more than 50 new sanctions that aim to take out Russia’s war machine, focusing on suppliers of rocket launchers, missiles and explosives.

The UK also sanctioned six Russian prison bosses in charge of the Polar Wolf penal colony.

The outpouring of affection for President Vladimir Putin’s staunchest opponent comes just two weeks before the Kremlin leader is set to secure another six-year term in an election where he will face no real competition.

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More than a thousand mourners pack the church in honor of the student murdered in Georgia

Sabir Ansary — Sat, 02 Mar 2024 01:37:22 +0000

More than a thousand mourners braved the rain and blustery cold outside to pack Woodstock City Church Friday for the funeral of Laken Riley, the 22-year-old nursing student who was killed last week on the University of Georgia campus 70 miles away beyond.

Laken Riley in a photo from a social media account.

Ms Riley was attacked while jogging on February 22. She studied nursing at Augusta University after attending the University of Georgia until May.

“When the world loses someone like Laken, whose light consistently shone so brightly, it seems much darker in their absence,” Samer Massad, the lead pastor of the nondenominational church where Ms. Riley and her family attended, said earlier in a statement . the funeral on Friday afternoon. He continued: “Laeken was special. She was a gift to all who knew her.”

Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, a migrant from Venezuela who entered the United States illegally in September 2022, was charged with her murder in a case that immediately entered the bitter national debate over immigration. He was staying at an apartment complex less than a mile from the University of Georgia intramural fields, where Ms. Riley’s body was found near a wooded running trail.

In lieu of flowers, Ms. Riley’s family requested donations that would be used to cover funeral costs, establish a scholarship in her name and establish a foundation that would focus on women’s safety and homicide awareness . Red rubber bracelets reading “Laken Hope Riley Foundation” were distributed to those attending the funeral service.

As of Friday afternoon, nearly $180,000 had been raised.

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Boy, 13, is murdered near his home in Brooklyn

Sabir Ansary — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 19:23:17 +0000

A 13-year-old boy was shot and killed late Thursday near his home in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood, a law enforcement official said.

Investigators believe the boy, Troy Gill, was returning from a Brooklyn Nets game when he was shot about four blocks from home, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release details.

The killing was the latest in a string of deadly shootings in Crown Heights this week.

Mortally injured, the boy made it nearly two blocks before collapsing at the Children’s Museum, near the corner of Brooklyn Avenue and St. Marks Street, the official said.

The boy was shot twice, once in the arm and once in the chest, the official said. Officers discovered him after receiving multiple 911 calls from people who heard the gunshots, the official said. According to police, the first call came in around 10:40 p.m.

The boy was pronounced dead at Kings County Hospital, police said. Investigators found six shell casings on New York Avenue and Bergen Street, the official said, adding that police were still trying to determine a motive early Friday. No arrests had been made and the murder was still under investigation.

On Friday, a few votive candles had been placed outside the six-story apartment building where the boy lived. Two men who refused to identify themselves blocked the entrance to the building and threatened journalists who sought entry.

The killing was at least the third fatal shooting this week in Crown Heights, a gentrifying neighborhood with a large Caribbean and Orthodox Jewish population.

A 37-year-old man died Monday after being shot during an argument at a Franklin Avenue bodega, police said. A 33-year-old man died Wednesday evening after he was shot in the head outside his home on McKeever Place, police said.

Wesley Parnell reporting contributed.

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Luke Davies, Jesse Baird: Inside the final farewell party for the ‘forgotten victim’ who was allegedly murdered along with his Channel Ten presenter boyfriend

Albert Elence — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 06:26:49 +0000

Luke Davies is photographed before his farewell in Brisbane in November

EXCLUSIVE

Luke Davies threw a farewell party before moving to Sydney to pursue his dream of becoming an international flight attendant, three months before he was allegedly murdered along with his new boyfriend.

Mr Davies, 29, lived in Brisbane and worked as a cabin crew member on domestic Qantas flights until November, when he was offered his dream job on international flights.

He threw a party with mimosas and margaritas to say goodbye to all his friends before flying south and excitedly moving into a house in Waterloo, on the outskirts of Sydney, to start the next chapter of his life.

One of his best friends, Dean Bailey, told Daily Mail Australia it was a bittersweet goodbye because they didn’t want him to move away, but they felt better knowing they would see him again in August for his 30th birthday on Bali.

“It was for selfish reasons that we didn’t want him to go,” he said.

“But then we looked at Instagram stories of him going to Chile or Tokyo – he loved to travel and he was living that dream.

“He started a new chapter, got his dream job and moved, which was huge for him.”

Davies didn’t tell his friends about his new boyfriend Jesse Baird, 26, because he was shy about revealing new relationships, but they assumed he was seeing someone when he uploaded a photo of them together on February 5.

Just two weeks after that message, Mr Davies and Mr Baird were dead.

Luke Davies posted this photo with his new boyfriend Jesse Baird on Instagram on February 5 – just two weeks before they died

Luke Davies is pictured right with friends at his farewell party in November before moving to Sydney

Luke Davies is seen front left with his friends at his farewell party in Brisbane

Mr Baird’s former lover, Beau Lamarre-Condon, who was a NSW police officer at the time, is alleged to have used his police-issued Glock pistol to shoot them both three times on a terrace in Paddington at 9.50am on Monday, February 19 o’clock.

Police allege Lamarre-Condon did not expect Davies to be at the house when he allegedly arrived to kill Mr Baird, but quickly changed his plans.

Mr Baird had previously decided to end his brief friends-with-benefits relationship with Lamarre-Condon via text message in November, asking the ex-cop never to contact him again.

The deaths have been widely reported in the media, partly because Mr Baird was a presenter for Channel Ten and his former colleagues paid heartfelt tributes to him on national television.

But while Mr Davies’ friends believe both men deserve the tribute they are receiving, Mr Bailey said they also feel his death has been overshadowed by Mr Baird’s.

“I think the general consensus is that he doesn’t get as much media attention as Jesse – we all kind of feel that way,” he said.

Mr Bailey has now organized a vigil for Mr Davies at a Brisbane park on Saturday, partly in response to the perceived imbalance.

Luke Davies is pictured with a friend at a farewell party in Brisbane in November

Dean Bailey is pictured left with Luke Davies. Mr Bailey organized a vigil on Saturday

He is overwhelmed by the number of people who responded to the invitation, including people he went to high school with.

When Davies’ death was announced last week, Bailey said a friend asked him if he had “seen what happened to Luke?”

“I thought it would be something lighthearted,” Mr. Bailey said.

‘And I thought, “What has Luke done now?” and then he tried to explain it to me but it didn’t make sense and I started calling friends to find out.

‘He was a lovely man, kind, loving, caring, he had a cheeky side – that made us instantly bond – he loved to laugh, and it was always as if he were floating in an atmosphere of happiness.’

Another friend, Tomas Mian, told Daily Mail Australia he remembered Davies as a “super adventurous” person who was genuine and friendly.

“It’s hard to find people like him, and I knew he had quite a few friends, but I didn’t know how many he had,” Mr Mian said.

He said his heart sank when a friend sent him a link about Mr Davies’ death on February 21.

“I read it and I thought, ‘No way, that’s not possible,’ and I remember getting goosebumps because it didn’t feel real,” he said.

Lamarre-Condon has been charged with two counts of murder and will appear in court at a later date.

In light of the allegations, NSW police chiefs have now begun the process of dismissing Lamarre-Condon from the force.

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Missing Sandrine Jourdan who ‘disappeared from the face of the earth’ was murdered according to her family, who received mysterious anonymous letters after she disappeared

Sabir Ansary — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 06:24:25 +0000

The family of a missing mother are haunted by anonymous letters sent six months after her disappearance.

When Sandrine Jourdan, 38, mysteriously disappeared from the small town of Caboolture, Queensland in 2012, police quickly ruled her disappearance a suicide.

However, her family believes something much more sinister is going on after they receive mysterious letters from an unknown person.

The mother-of-three’s loved ones also reveal how her Facebook account was hacked

The new evidence, revealed on 60 Minutes Australia’s Under Investigation with Liz Hayes, casts strong doubt on police’s theory that Sandrine committed suicide.

Sandrine Jourdan, 38, who mysteriously disappeared from the small town of Caboolture, Queensland in 2012

Speaking to the programme, her sister Christine Day said: ‘It’s actually quite scary when you think this was sent to where the children were living at the time. Who especially does that six months after their mother went missing?’

The letters, sent to Sandrine’s former partner and father of her children, are signed by Rosetta Bunton – a person who appears not to exist.

Clinical psychologist Tamara Cavenett examined the letters and revealed that they continually imply that Sandrine was promiscuous.

The mother was called ‘a man-eater’ and the cruel notes claimed she ‘jumped from one man to another’.

They also contained personal details that only a few people would know, leading the family to believe the writer was someone close to the family.

Worryingly, in the days before she disappeared, Sandrine told a few people she was receiving threats and wrote in her diary that she feared for her life.

Her daughter Nakita Bulla said her mother was scared before she went missing, and “that has been completely overlooked.

“They made her look like she was paranoid, but she disappeared off the face of the earth,” she said.

Tamara added: ‘Through her diaries she made a number of comments about being afraid someone would hack into her computer.’

Police quickly ruled her disappearance a suicide, but her family believe something much more sinister is going on after receiving mysterious letters from an unknown person.

The new evidence, revealed on 60 Minutes Australia’s Under Investigation with Liz Hayes, casts strong doubt on police’s theory that the mother committed suicide.

Her daughter Nakita Bulla revealed her mother was ‘scared for her life’ before she went missing on 60 Minutes Australia’s Under Investigation with Liz Hayes

The program asked private investigators to conduct a forensic analysis of the mother’s laptop, during which they found a “highly sophisticated encryption program” – technology commonly used by intelligence agencies.

Meanwhile, a second computer belonging to Sandrine also raised alarm bells after previously being used to visit a human trafficking website.

Elsewhere in the program, Christine revealed that her sister’s account has been taken over by someone they don’t know and her passwords have been changed.

“Her Facebook was hacked, someone changed the passwords, access codes and such, we no longer have access to it,” she said.

‘Why weren’t all these warning signs looked at? I shouldn’t have to go into what evidence was or wasn’t given to the police, but that’s what we’ve had from day one. It makes me furious, it’s still very painful.’

Nakita added: “I’m 23 and I’ve had to connect the dots myself about what happened to my mother and it’s not my responsibility or my role to do that, it’s the police’s responsibility.

The letters, sent to Sandrine’s former partner and father of her children, are signed by Rosetta Bunton, a person who appears not to exist

The mother was called ‘a man-eater’ and claimed in the cruel notes that she had ‘jumped from one man to another’

Speaking to the programme, Sandrine’s sister Christine Day said: ‘It’s actually quite scary when you think this was sent to where the children were living at the time’

Sandrine had been with a friend in Caboolture, just north of Brisbane, when she disappeared from the driveway on Friday, July 13, 2012, leaving only her coat on a fence post.

‘It feels like she’s been murdered. There’s someone who got away with something, it’s not fair and it’s not right. It’s disturbing, it’s exhausting and it makes me paranoid sometimes that it’s so easy for people to get away with things.

“Closure for me is finding my mother’s body, or just finding out what happened at a funeral and saying goodbye.”

The Queensland coroner’s office has decided to reopen the investigation into Sandrine’s disappearance.