Idaho
Idaho judge enters not guilty plea for prisoner charged with killing a man when he escaped custody
LEWISTON, Idaho — An Idaho judge has entered a not guilty plea on behalf of an escaped prisoner charged with killing a man while he was on the lam for 36 hours.
Prosecutors have said they intend to seek the death penalty if Skylar Meade, 32, is convicted of the murder charge in connection with the shooting death of James Mauney. Meade was arraigned on the charge in Nez Perce County on Thursday. When 2nd District Judge Michelle Evans asked if he was ready to enter a plea, Meade’s defense attorney Anne Taylor said, “your honor, he intends to stand silent.”
Declining to enter a plea is a right that is protected by the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and Idaho court rules state that when defendants exercise that right, a judge will enter a not guilty plea on their behalf.
Meade has already been sentenced to life in prison in a separate court case after pleading guilty to the March escape from a Boise hospital, where prison officials had taken him for treatment of self-inflicted injuries March 20.
Prosecutors say that as correctional officers prepared to take Meade back to the prison around 2 a.m. that day, an accomplice outside the hospital began shooting.
Two of the officers were shot by the accomplice, and a third was shot when a police officer mistook him for the shooter and opened fire, according to police. All three survived.
Meade and the other man then fled, investigators said, first driving several hours to north-central Idaho.
Mauney, an 83-year-old Juliaetta resident, didn’t return home from walking his dogs on a local trail later that morning, and his body was found miles away.
Police say that soon after, the two men headed back to southern Idaho. They were arrested in Twin Falls.
— Associated Press
Idaho
An Idaho mother who said her toddler twins died after vaccinations has been charged with murder
An Idaho woman who said her toddler twins died last year after being vaccinated faces murder charges connected to their deaths, authorities said.
A grand jury indicted Andrea Shaw, who is accused of suffocating her 18-month-old twins in May 2025, on two counts of first-degree murder on June 29, according to court records and a news release from the Payette Police Department.
While appearing last year on an internet show produced by Children’s Health Defense — an anti-vaccine group founded by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — Shaw said her twins died after getting vaccinated. Kennedy has not been affiliated with the group since December 2024, when he formally resigned as chairman to join President Donald Trump’s administration.
Shaw, 23, was arrested by Boise police officers Tuesday and arraigned Thursday. She is being held on a $2 million bond and could face life in prison or the death penalty if convicted or if she pleads guilty to first-degree murder. Her next court appearance is July 14.
An attorney representing Shaw did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Payette Police Department and the Payette County prosecutor declined to comment Monday.
During her May 2025 appearance on the Children’s Health Defense show, Shaw said she found her twins dead in their room days after they got vaccinated for the flu and other diseases.
“They had got their shots at the same time by two nurses at the same time,” Shaw said. “And they got sick.”
Medical experts point out that the childhood vaccines at issue — hepatitis A, influenza and DTaP — are safe and effective for kids and recommended by various medical groups.
Shaw is also a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit brought by Children’s Health Defense and others against the American Academy of Pediatrics. The lawsuit, which was filed in January in federal court in Washington, accuses the American Academy of Pediatrics of racketeering for its “central role in an enterprise that has defrauded American families about the safety of the childhood vaccine schedule for several decades.” In the lawsuit, Shaw is described as a mother “whose children died following routine vaccinations administered according to AAP guidelines.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics has asked the court to dismiss the suit, asserting in an April court filing that it is the “latest missive in a campaign targeting” the academy and its “use of science-backed evidence in vaccine policy.”
In January, pediatricians and other experts became alarmed when U.S. health officials made broad changes to childhood vaccine guidance, dropping several universal recommendations. Kennedy, who helped lead the anti-vaccine movement for years, said the changes better align the U.S. with peer nations “while strengthening transparency and informed consent.”
In March, a federal judge blocked the changes and said Kennedy likely violated federal procedures in revamping a key vaccine advisory committee. But the judge’s order is not the final word; the blocks are temporary, pending either a trial or a decision for summary judgment.
Idaho
ATV Crash in Pine Takes Life of Gooding Man
A Gooding man is dead after an ATV crash in Elmore County. Idaho State Police say it happened near Pine on Friday night and not long after 10:00. There were three people riding the vehicle, and all were wearing their straps. Somehow, the ATV went off the road at the intersection of Bombs Away Lane and Lester Creek Road. The vehicle left the shoulder and smacked into a tree. The 47-year-old driver died on the spot. The two passengers were airlifted to hospitals. Troopers say the crash remains under investigation.
The intersection was closed for four hours as evidence was collected and the area was cleared of debris. Pine is a popular spot for Independence Day celebrations and camping.
State Police had an all-hands-on-deck response. Elmore County Deputies, Mountain Home EMS, Mountain Home Rescue, Pine EMS, and Pine Rescue assisted troopers.
Idaho State Police Save Horned Owl
Idaho State Police saved an adorable owl on I-84 in Nampa just a few weeks ago!
Idaho
Residents displaced after Boise home found fully engulfed in flames, fire officials say
SOUTHEAST BOISE, Idaho — Boise Fire Department officials say that residents have been displaced after crews responded to reports of a structure fire in the 4000 block of S. Northbridge Way in Boise on Sunday morning.
Crews arrived at the scene shortly after 1 a.m. on July 5 and found the home fully engulfed in flames, BFD said.
Engine 15, Engine 3, Engine 7, Engine 8, Truck 7, Ladder 5, Battalion 1, Battalion 3 and Ada County Paramedics responded to the scene.
Fortunately, everyone in the home had safely evacuated, BFD said.
Firefighters then worked to quickly attack the fire and control the blaze. Crews remained on scene for several hours, ensuring the fire had not extended into the walls of the residence and that all remaining hot spots were fully extinguished.
BFD said that the Burnout Fund was called to assist the residents displaced.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Send tips to neighborhood reporter Brady Caskey
Have a story idea from South Boise, West Boise or Kuna? Share it with Brady below —
-
Hawaii2 minutes ago$5 deal for National Fried Chicken Day
-
Idaho9 minutes ago
An Idaho mother who said her toddler twins died after vaccinations has been charged with murder
-
Illinois12 minutes agoSevered arm in Illinois lake: Court records say body parts found in freezer, half-brother claimed self-defense
-
Indiana17 minutes agoIndiana Black Expo to present award to Mathew Knowles for health advocacy
-
Iowa24 minutes agoIowa Democrats and Republicans gain voters, independent voters decrease
-
Kansas27 minutes agoVeterans Community Project opens expanded outreach center in Kansas City, expands nationally
-
Kentucky32 minutes agoWhere Kentucky Basketball recruits stand in the latest round of 2027 recruiting rankings
-
Louisiana39 minutes agoTrump administration plans to open new Louisiana ICE facility