Connect with us

Southwest

Fury erupts after accused teen sex predator dodges prison; families swarm courthouse demanding judge’s head

Published

on

Fury erupts after accused teen sex predator dodges prison; families swarm courthouse demanding judge’s head

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Backlash is intensifying in Oklahoma after a teenager accused in a series of violent sex assaults avoided prison time, prompting swarms of people to protest outside a courthouse amid renewed scrutiny of how the justice system handled the case.

Images show more than a hundred people gathering outside the Payne County Courthouse Wednesday carrying signs demanding justice after 18-year-old Jesse Butler avoided prison under Oklahoma’s youthful offender law, The Oklahoman reported.

“Ponca Tribal Victim Services is standing in solidarity with survivors demanding Justice!,” the organization wrote in a post on Facebook. “Jesse Butler needs to be held accountable! Payne county Judge Susan Worthington should be disbarred.”

The demonstrations followed days of anger online and in the community after Butler, who pleaded no contest to multiple sex assault charges, received a 78-year sentence that was suspended under Oklahoma’s youthful offender law, allowing him to remain free if he completes court-ordered rehabilitation.

Advertisement

NEWLY RELEASED VIDEO SHOWS COPS CUFFING TEEN LINKED TO VIOLENT SEX ASSAULT SCANDAL THAT HAS FAMILIES FUMING

Demonstrators gather to protest the Jesse Butler case outcome outside Payne County Courthouse in Stillwater, Okla., Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (Nathan J. Fish/The Oklahoman/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

A spokesperson for Stillwater Public Schools told Fox News Digital that staff had met with police last week to prepare for possible protests, designating areas for demonstrators and media and placing extra officers on campus “out of an abundance of caution.”

“We condemn sexual assault and violence in all its forms,” the school district shared in a statement. “Our thoughts, prayers and hopes for justice are with the victims in our community and everywhere.”

The Stillwater Police Department said in a release it is working with Stillwater Public Schools to investigate “recent phone calls and messages to the district regarding the enrollment of student Jesse Butler.”

Advertisement

“While the language used in the phone calls and messages are vague and not directed at specific school sites, students or staff, all concerning communications and any potential threats are taken seriously and investigated fully,” the department wrote.

FAMILIES OUTRAGED AFTER HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT IN VIOLENT SEX ASSAULT CASES AVOIDS PRISON AS YOUTHFUL OFFENDER

A protester raises a sign that says “Hold Jesse Responsible” during a demonstration outside the courthouse in Stillwater, Okla., Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (Nathan J. Fish/The Oklahoman/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

Authorities said additional patrols have been added out of an abundance of caution. Butler, who was previously a Stillwater student, does not attend in person and is barred from school property and events, police confirmed.

A newly released body camera video shows the moment Butler was arrested last year, part of an investigation that began after multiple girls accused him of brutal sexual assaults.

Advertisement

WATCH: Police bodycam shows arrest of Oklahoma teen Jesse Butler 

Then 17, Butler pleaded no contest to 10 rape-related charges and one count of violating a protective order. Although he received a 78-year sentence, the term was suspended under Oklahoma’s youthful offender law, allowing him to remain free if he meets strict rehabilitation terms.

KENTUCKY JUDGE KILLED IN CHAMBERS ACCUSED OF TRADING SEXUAL FAVORS FOR INFLUENCE AT WILD PARTIES

Victims’ families and community members have condemned the outcome. Some protesters on Wednesday held signs noting Butler’s connection to Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, where his father is the former director of football operations.

Opponents of Jesse Butler hold signs denouncing the court’s decision outside the Payne County Courthouse in Stillwater, Okla., Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (Nathan J. Fish/The Oklahoman/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

Advertisement

“As a mom, I never thought I’d have to watch my daughter fight this kind of battle, one where she had to prove she was the victim over and over again,” one mother told KOCO. “The justice system failed her.”

One victim said Butler strangled her, and a doctor warned that she could have died had it lasted “seconds longer,” according to a police affidavit reviewed by Fox News Digital.

Jesse Butler in a baseball uniform before the criminal allegations came to light. (Risin Baseball)

The Payne County District Attorney’s Office said the decision to pursue the case under the youthful offender law was based on Butler’s age at the time of the crimes. The office said the law allows supervision “until the defendant’s 19th birthday” and gives a chance for rehabilitation “while still holding him accountable.”

Rep. Justin “JJ” Humphrey, R-Okla., called the ruling “unacceptable” and said he plans to petition for a grand jury review.

Advertisement

“If that don’t set you on fire, your wood’s wet,” Humphrey previously told Fox News Digital. “You know what I mean? You’ve got a bad deal. That sets me on fire.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Court documents show Butler remains under Office of Juvenile Affairs supervision, required to complete therapy, counseling, more than 100 hours of community service, daily check-ins and weekly sessions. He’s banned from social media and subject to curfew restrictions.

If Butler violates any terms, the court could enforce his full 78-year sentence. His next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 8 in Payne County District Court.

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.

Advertisement

Read the full article from Here

Southwest

Savannah Guthrie spotted in NYC as search for missing mother enters sixth week with few answers

Published

on

Savannah Guthrie spotted in NYC as search for missing mother enters sixth week with few answers

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

TUCSON, Ariz. — “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie is back in New York City as the search for her missing mother enters its sixth week with little publicly known progress in her hometown of Tucson, Arizona.

Guthrie was photographed in public for the first time since her mother’s suspected abduction, alongside husband Mike Feldman and their young son in the Big Apple Sunday, days after an emotional reunion with her NBC colleagues and more than a month after her 84-year-old mother Nancy was last seen. 

Nancy’s disappearance shocked the country — especially when the FBI released disturbing surveillance video of a masked man on her doorstep.

Savannah Guthrie spent weeks in Tucson with her siblings as the investigation played out — before she and her older sister, Annie, added bouquets of yellow flowers to a growing display at the foot of their mother’s driveway. She quietly flew home to New York last week.

Advertisement

FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X

Savannah Guthrie is seen out in New York with her husband Michael Feldman as the “Today” show anchor makes her first public appearance more than five weeks after the suspected abduction of her mother, Nancy Guthrie. (ASPN / BACKGRID)

Sunday marked five weeks since the suspected kidnapping.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is leading the investigation, which is now being overseen by a task force consisting of local detectives and FBI agents.

SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER

Advertisement

Savannah Guthrie visits the Today show at Rockefeller Plaza in New York on Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

No suspects have been publicly identified.

A masked man who appeared on Nancy Guthrie’s Nest doorbell camera around the time authorities said she was taken is described as being of average height and build and carrying a black Ozark Trail backpack.

SEND US A TIP HERE

Savannah Guthrie and her mother, Nancy Guthrie, are pictured Thursday, June 15, 2023. (Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)

Advertisement

He appeared to be armed with a handgun as well. Law enforcement sources said he visited Nancy Guthrie’s home at least once in advance of her disappearance, wearing a similar disguise.

Other identifying details are scarce.

LISTEN TO THE NEW ‘CRIME & JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO’ PODCAST

The use of cadaver dogs is also on hold, according to authorities, who re-canvassed Nancy Guthrie’s neighborhood as recently as last week.

When asked if that meant they believed she is still alive, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos declined to discuss evidence in the case.

Advertisement

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? FIND MORE ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB

“Anything is possible,” he told Fox News Digital.

Authorities have said they won’t consider the case cold until they run out of viable leads to follow up on — and tens of thousands have come in so far.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

There’s a reward of more than $1.2 million in play for information that leads to Nancy’s recovery.

Advertisement

Savannah Guthrie has asked anyone with information to dial 1-800-CALL-FBI.



Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading

Southwest

FBI subpoenas 2020 Arizona voting docs as federal push into election administration widens

Published

on

FBI subpoenas 2020 Arizona voting docs as federal push into election administration widens

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

An Arizona state lawmaker revealed Monday that federal authorities subpoenaed him for records related to the 2020 election, marking the second publicly confirmed jurisdiction the Department of Justice is investigating over the matter.

Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, a Republican, said in a social media post he received the subpoena for material related to the state Senate’s 2020 audit last week and complied with it.

“Late last week I received and complied with a federal grand jury subpoena for records relating to the Arizona State Senate’s 2020 audit of Maricopa County,” Petersen wrote. “The FBI has the records. Any other report is fake news.”

The request represents an expansion of a federal probe tied to 2020 after the DOJ initially targeted Fulton County, Georgia. The development also comes as President Donald Trump has grown increasingly outspoken about election security in the lead-up to the 2026 midterms, renewing his attention on disputes stemming from the last presidential race.

Advertisement

FBI AGENTS SEARCH ELECTION HUB IN FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA

An election worker removes a ballot from an envelope to count and inspect the pages inside the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center (MCTEC) on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. (PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Petersen made the revelation after President Donald Trump shared a Just the News report about the subpoena on Truth Social, writing, “Great!!! FBI secretly seizes election records from Arizona’s largest county as voting probe expands.”

Multiple U.S. officials confirmed the election probe to Fox News, saying the DOJ is looking at a large tranche of Arizona data from 2020 and 2024.

President Donald Trump listens during an event about the Ratepayer Protection Pledge, in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex, Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Washington. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo)

Advertisement

The White House directed Fox News Digital to the FBI on Monday when asked for comment. The FBI declined to comment.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, an elected Democrat, said the new investigation was based on claims that courts and state investigators have proven wrong.

“What the Trump administration appears to be pursuing now is not a legitimate law enforcement inquiry,” Mayes said in a statement. “It is the weaponization of federal law enforcement in service of crackpots and lies.”

JUDGE DISMISSES 2020 ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE AGAINST TRUMP

Attendees listen as Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) speaks at an “Only Citizens Vote” bus tour rally advocating passage of the SAVE Act at Upper Senate Park outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on Sept. 10, 2025. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

Advertisement

The subpoena comes as the president increasingly focuses on election security ahead of the 2026 midterms, telling Congress in a social media post on Sunday that he will not sign any legislation into law until it passes the SAVE America Act.

The bill’s primary purpose is to require voters nationwide to show physical identification to prove citizenship to vote in federal elections. The version of the bill Trump is pushing would also ban mail-in ballots except for the military and in other extenuating circumstances.

Maricopa, Arizona’s most populous county, was a hotbed for accusations of voter fraud in 2020. Fulton County, Georgia, faced similar accusations, with the DOJ launching a separate investigation into the 2020 election earlier this year. 

Trump lost Arizona in 2020 by about 0.3 percentage points. The president refused to concede, and his legal team brought a series of lawsuits alleging vote-counting irregularities, but none were successful.

Advertisement

Fox News’ David Spunt and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.

Read the full article from Here

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Southwest

Wisconsin man who fled Border Patrol checkpoint in stolen car killed after shootout in Texas, police say

Published

on

Wisconsin man who fled Border Patrol checkpoint in stolen car killed after shootout in Texas, police say

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

FIRST ON FOX: A Wisconsin man driving a stolen vehicle was killed Wednesday after he fled through a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint and led authorities on a vehicle chase and shootout in Texas.

The incident happened at around 10:30 a.m. at the Sierra Blanca checkpoint in the Big Bend Sector between El Paso and Van Horn, a remote area. 

James Douglas McMillan, 33, of Greenfield, Wis., took off from the checkpoint after a Border Patrol drug K-9 alerted to the vehicle and agents directed McMillan to pull over for a secondary search, the Texas Department of Public Safety said. 

A migrant walks through the Rio Grande as he crosses the U.S.-Mexico border, March 13, 2024, in El Paso, Texas. On Wednesday, a man was shot and killed by authorities near El Paso after fleeing through a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint.  (John Moore/Getty Images)

Advertisement

During the car chase, McMillan opened fire out of his vehicle window at DPS troopers and other authorities from several law enforcement agencies and civilian vehicles, DPS said.  

“As law enforcement returned fire, DPS Troopers performed a precision immobilization technique (PIT) maneuver and successfully stopped the suspect vehicle,” a DPS statement said. 

McMillan barricaded himself in his vehicle and eventually pointed his weapon towards officers, prompting officers to open fire, authorities said. 

He was shot and killed. No law enforcement officers or civilians were hurt.  

Investigators determined McMillan was driving a vehicle reported stolen in Arizona. The shooting is being investigated by the Texas Rangers, with assistance from the FBI and USBP.

Advertisement

The shooting involved Border Patrol agents and DPS troopers.  (Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images)

In January, a man suspected of smuggling illegal immigrants was shot by federal officers during a gunfire exchange in Arizona. 

Patrick Gary Schlegel, 34, fled from authorities on foot and allegedly shot at a CBP helicopter and at agents, Heith Janke, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Phoenix Division, said at the time. 

A U.S. Border Patrol officer watches a USBP helicopter.  (Herika Martinez/AFP via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP 

Advertisement

Schlegal, a U.S. citizen from Arizona, underwent surgery and survived. No one else was harmed, authorities said. 

Related Article

Trump's Operation Metro Surge located 3,000 missing migrant children in Minneapolis, Emmer says

Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading

Trending