West
Lakefront family massacre suspect's defense demands apology for 'false' Clorox accusation
A 15-year-old suspect was charged with killing all but one member of his family members in their Washington state lakefront home in October, and his defense team recently denied accusations that they altered the crime scene during their search of the house.
Authorities discovered the deceased bodies of two adults and three children at the house in Lake Alice, Washington, on Oct. 21, and they immediately took the 15-year-old into custody, police said.
The King County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victims as Mark Humiston, 43, Sarah Humiston, 42, and their children, Benjamin, 13, Joshua, 9, and Katheryn, 7. A judge prohibited the media’s release of the teen suspect’s identity, though he is named in court records.
The suspect’s 11-year-old sister survived the attack after she “closed her eyes and held her breath and pretended to play dead” and then escaped through a “fire window” in her bedroom, according to court records.
LAKEFRONT FAMILY MASSACRE TEEN SUSPECT’S ATTORNEYS SHOW POSSIBLE DEFENSE, CLAIM FORENSICS SHOW INNOCENCE
Mark Humiston, 43, and Sarah Humiston, 42, were allegedly killed by their teenage son. (Facebook)
Several members of the suspect’s defense team were granted a 10-hour window on Oct. 29 to take pictures and conduct a 3D scan inside the Humiston home.
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Last month, prosecutors alleged there was evidence that the teen suspect’s defense team “search exceeded beyond what was permitted,” and they accused those involved in the Oct. 29 search of moving items at the crime scene and removing one item from the crime scene entirely, before ultimately retracting their claims, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
Prosecutors said the King County Sheriff’s Office documented the home before and after the defense team’s access, and they originally alleged that a bottle of Clorox wipes from the home was missing and backpacks belonging to the child victims were opened or moved.
TEEN SUSPECT IN LAKEFRONT FAMILY MASSACRE TOUCHED BODIES TO CHECK IF THEY WERE STILL ALIVE: SURVIVING SISTER
A few days after the Oct. 29 search of the crime scene, the suspect’s attorneys at the time – Amy Parker and Molly Campera – filed a notice to the court that they were withdrawing from the case. A new attorney, Kristen Gestaut, was appointed to represent the suspect “due to staffing shortages at all public defense divisions,” according to recent court records filed by the new defense.
Gestaut has since filed a 31-page brief denying the state’s accusations against the previous defense team, arguing that the state committed “prosecutorial misconduct” and asking the state to publicly apologize to the suspect and his former defense team.
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She claimed the prosecution made “false and defamatory allegations… irreparably damaging [the suspect’s] right to a fair trial.”
The state then responded to Gestaut’s claims, withdrawing the accusations against the former defense team, adding that a “series of photos” was “missed,” according to court records.
“The allegation made…that defense must have been responsible for moving the backpacks, and that the Clorox wipes were now out of sight, is therefore inaccurate and in fact contradicted by the available evidence,” the prosecution wrote in the response.
WEALTHY LAKEFRONT NEIGHBORHOOD ROCKED AFTER FAMILY BUTCHERED IN THEIR OWN HOME
In the early morning hours on Oct. 21, the suspect called 911, claiming his 13-year-old brother had killed his family. He sounded out of breath and said, “He just shot my whole family and committed suicide too,” according to an affidavit.
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Detectives and prosecutors allege the 15-year-old suspect staged the scene prior to the arrival of first responders to make it appear that his young brother had committed the murders and then killed himself, according to an affidavit. The 13-year-old, Benjamin, was found with a gunshot wound to the head and a Glock in his left hand on his chest.
During the suspect’s 911 call, police received another 911 call from a neighbor, who told authorities that the 11-year-old Humiston daughter had arrived at their home with gunshot wounds, telling them that her family members were all dead, and her 15-year-old brother was the one who shot them.
WASHINGTON STATE TEEN IN CUSTODY AFTER SHOOTING AT HOME LEAVES 5 OF 7 FAMILY MEMBERS DEAD
The shooting happened in the Lake Alice neighborhood of Fall City, Washington. (FOX13 Seattle KCPQ)
The suspect was charged with five counts of first-degree aggravated murder and one count of first-degree attempted murder with a firearm enhancement, all of which have a domestic violence designation, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said. He is being held in secure detention at the Clark Child and Family Justice Center.
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The 15-year-old did not enter a plea, pending the judge’s ruling on whether the case will be moved to adult court. The case will have a status conference on Jan. 8, 2025.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Gestaut did not have further comment.
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West
Republican Sen Cynthia Lummis will not seek re-election in 2026, citing the ‘energy required’
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Republican Cynthia Lummis will not be seeking re-election for her U.S. Senate seat in 2026, saying it’s been “an incredible honor to represent Wyoming” in a statement shared on X.
“It’s an incredible honor to represent Wyoming in the U.S. Senate, and throughout my time here, Wyoming has been my one-and-only priority,” Lummis posted to X. “Deciding not to run for reelection does represent a change of heart for me, but in the difficult, exhausting session weeks this fall I’ve come to accept that I do not have six more years left in me.
“I am a devout legislator, but I feel like a sprinter in a marathon,” the senator wrote. “The energy required doesn’t match up.”
SEN CYNTHIA LUMMIS: TRUMP IS ENDING BIDEN’S WAR ON ENERGY AND ONE STATE IS KEY TO THAT STRATEGY
Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., won’t be running for re-election. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The announcement comes as many legislators have announced resignations ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, which many political commentators have noted may be a referendum on President Donald Trump’s second administration.
Lummis has been a champion for cryptocurrency legislation in the Senate, penning the GENIUS Act. The Wyoming Republican has also been an advocate for American energy during her tenure, including coal, oil and gas.
Sworn in Jan. 3, 2021, Lummis is the first woman to serve as a senator for the Equality State.
“I am honored to have earned the support of President Trump and to have the opportunity to work side by side with him to fight for the people of Wyoming,” Lummis concluded. “Thank you, Wyoming!”
Lummis’ office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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San Francisco, CA
PG&E outage leaves 21,000 customers without power across San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO – About 21,000 homes and businesses in San Francisco were still without power Sunday morning, a day after a massive outage darkened much of the city during one of the busiest shopping weekends before Christmas, according to PG&E.
What we know:
The utility said the outage began shortly after noon Saturday in the western part of the city before spreading to several neighborhoods, including most of downtown.
At one point, PG&E estimated that roughly one-third of all San Francisco customers were without electricity.
Investigators are now working to determine whether the outage is connected to a fire Saturday at a PG&E substation near Eighth and Mission streets.
What they’re saying:
“We do not know exactly which happened first, meaning if the fire caused the outage or not,” said San Francisco Fire Department Lt. Mariano Elias. “It’s too early to tell at this time, but in order for us to work there in a safe operation, we need the power off.”
The outage created widespread transportation disruptions throughout the city. With traffic signals dark at major intersections, drivers faced significant congestion in multiple neighborhoods. BART also temporarily closed its Powell Street and Civic Center stations due to the power failure.
The blackout also affected autonomous vehicle service in San Francisco. Waymo temporarily suspended its robotaxi operations, citing safety concerns. Video recorded during the outage showed several of the company’s vehicles stalled in intersections, at times blocking traffic and nearly causing collisions.
In a statement, Waymo said it was “focused on keeping our riders safe and ensuring emergency personnel have the clear access they need to do their work,” adding that it plans to resume service in San Francisco “soon” but did not give a specific time.
The Source: Original reporting by Allie Rasmus of KTVU
Denver, CO
Broncos vs. Jags first quarter recap
The Denver Broncos won the opening coin toss and deferred to the second half to bring out Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars offense to start the game. Interestingly, the Jaguars only sent out former-Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick as their lone team captain on the coin toss.
Jonathon Cooper almost got a sack on the first play, but Lawrence was able to dump it off for an incompletion instead. Two plays later on third and four, Riley Moss chased Lawrence down for a sack to force a quick three-and-out. Denver wouldn’t do anything with their possession due to a dropped pass by RJ Harvey and a false start on Garett Bolles, so the Jaguars would get the ball right back.
The Broncos defense wasn’t playing to start the game. Talanoa Hufanga and Jonah Elliss made create open field tackles for minimal gains, then John Franklin-Myers broke through inside to sack Lawrence to force another three-and-out early in the first quarter.
On the first play of their next drive, Jaleel McLaughlin nearly broke one for an 80+ yarder but was caught by a shoestring tackle for just a 16-yard gain instead.
Two plays later, McLaughlin ripped off another nice gain of nine, then on third and one, Nix was stuffed on a quarterback keeper. They decided to go for it on fourth and inches where Harvey just barely dove forward to pick up the first down. The Jaguars would challenge the spot, but the call stood for the critical first down on their own side of the field.
Bo Nix then fired a sideline pass to Courtland Sutton who toe-tapped for a 17-yard gain into Jaguars territory. Nix went right back to Sutton for another quick pass for a 14-yard gain into field goal range.
They’d stall out from there, however, and had to settle for a 44-yard field goal attempt by Wil Lutz that doinked off the right upright to keep the game scoreless.
The defense seemed to keep the pressure going with Lawrence a bit skittish in the pocket and quickly found themselves in a third and nine. But he settled in on third down with a last second throw after having all day to find Parker Washington for a first down and a 21-yard gain.
After a nice pass breakup by Riley Moss on first down and a stuffed run, Lawrence was again in a third and long. The Broncos got another sack and fumble, but the play was blown dead. P.J. Locke was charged with a penalty because he didn’t hear the dead ball whistle to give the Jaguars another first down.
The crowd noise hurt the Broncos on that play to put Jacksonville into field goal range.
The first quarter wound down with the Jaguars scoring a touchdown on a Lawrence third down throw to Washington for 12 yards.
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