Southeast
Top five true crime documentaries of 2023
Docu-mania has taken over online streaming services, pushing filmmakers to give insight into nation-gripping criminal cases and uncover new details in infamous cases in what may be the golden age of the true crime genre.
These five Fox Nation documentaries, all released in 2023, may not be for the faint of heart, but they will have you at the edge of your seat following the detectives, journalists and family members who lived through the most enthralling mysteries, murders and scandals of our time.
Bloodline: DNA Dsetectives and the Moscow Murders
Released in October, this documentary takes a deep dive into Moscow Police Department detectives’ process of identifying Bryan Kohberger as their suspect in the brutal killing of four Idaho college students.
University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were found fatally stabbed in an off-campus home in November 2022.
WATCH IT HERE
Bryan Kohberger appears in court in Moscow, Idaho, Oct. 26, 2023, in an attempt to overturn his grand jury indictment for the 2022 murders of four college students in their home. (Kai Eiselein/Pool)
DNA from the crime scene was compared with samples from genealogical testing websites, leading investigators to one of Kohberger’s relatives and the Washington State University student’s subsequent arrest in January.
IDAHO STUDENT MURDERS HOUSE DEMOLISHED YEAR AFTER QUADRUPLE STABBING
The Fall of the House of Murdaugh
This three-part series, first aired in November, dissects Alex Murdaugh’s litany of convictions, from the murders of his wife and son to his alleged rampant financial fraud.
The disgraced legal scion’s only surviving son, Buster Murdaugh, sat down with Fox News for his only interview since his father was convicted of shooting Maggie and Paul Murdaugh at their family hunting lodge in June 2021.
WATCH IT HERE
Buster Murdaugh, left, arrives at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, S.C., Feb. 10, 2023. Alex Murdaugh, right, was convicted for the double slaying of his son, Paul, and wife, Maggie, in June 2021. (Fox News)
Never-before-heard prison audio and archival photos and footage provided by the South Carolina family give viewers an exclusive new look at the epic downfall that captivated the nation.
ALEX MURDAUGH SENTENCED FOR SOUTH CAROLINA FINANCIAL CRIMES
Architect of Death: The Long Island Serial Killer
Aired in September, this documentary guides viewers through the decades of police investigation that led to the arrest of suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann – and the missteps that delayed his capture.
Heuermann was arrested outside his Manhattan architectural firm in July 2023 and charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy in 2009 and Megan Waterman and Amber Costello in 2010.
WATCH IT HERE
Rex Heuermann is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder in Suffolk County, N.Y., July 13, 2023. (Fox News)
A tip about Heuermann’s pickup truck, burner phones, threats to victims’ families and, finally, DNA evidence from the women’s graves matched to samples from a pizza crust led investigators to his arrest. His next court date is scheduled for Feb. 6.
50 CENT PRODUCING GILGO BEACH DOCUMENTARY WITH REX HEUERMANN’S WIFE
My Son Jeffrey: The Dahmer Family Tapes
Never-before heard jailhouse conversations between infamous Milwaukee serial killer and cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer and his father Lionel were debuted in this September Fox Nation release.
Even after Dahmer was sentenced to 15 consecutive life sentences in 1992 for the deaths of 17 boys and men — and the gruesome manipulation and preservation of their corpses — his father always stood by his side.
WATCH IT HERE
Lionel Dahmer is pictured outside Wisconsin’s Columbia Correctional Institution at left. His son, infamous Milwaukee serial killer and cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer, is pictured in court at right. (Steve Kagan/Curt Borgwardt/Sygma/Sygma)
Dahmer’s upbringing and his relationship with Lionel, who famously dissected roadkill with his son at a young age, are explored in this four-part series. Dahmer was killed by another inmate in 1994, while Lionel died in hospice care this year after decades of running from his son’s spotlight.
But the conversations between the father and son after the horrible truth was revealed, in which Lionel strives to understand what made his son carry out the string of killings, offer new insight into the killer’s world.
JEFFREY DAHMER’S FATHER DEAD AT AGE 87
Riddle: The Search for James R. Hoffa
Released on Fox Nation in June, this 16-episode docuseries follows journalist Eric Shawn through his two-decade investigation into the mysterious disappearance of James “Jimmy” Riddle Hoffa.
The legendary Teamsters leader vanished July 30, 1975, after attempting to regain his position as the head of the union following his release from prison on bribery and fraud charges.
WATCH IT HERE
As leader of the powerful Teamsters Union, Hoffa was rumored to have connections to organized crime and served four years in prison for various offenses. He disappeared in 1975 after going to a meeting with Teamster bosses and reputed Mafia figures Tony Provenzano and Anthony Giacalone in a Michigan restaurant. (MPI/Getty Images)
Before he disappeared, his plans were opposed by several members of the Mafia.
JIMMY HOFFA MAY BE BURIED AT SITE OF DEMOLISHED MLB STADIUM: COLD CASE GROUP
After hearing the groundbreaking deathbed confession of Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran, Shawn began methodically tracking down clues in his quest for the truth.
Read the full article from Here
Southeast
High school teacher arrested in alleged sex case involving student
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A Georgia high school teacher was arrested Wednesday after allegations of inappropriate contact between a teacher and a minor student surfaced at Lee County High School.
Danielle Weaver, 29, of Leesburg, is charged with child molestation and improper sexual contact by an employee, agent or foster parent, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI).
Lee County High School requested the Leesburg Police Department investigate the allegations on Feb. 3, and the GBI was called to assist the following day.
Danielle Weaver, 29, of Leesburg, Ga., is charged with child molestation and improper sexual contact by an employee. (Lee County Sheriff’s Office)
Investigators identified Weaver as the “subject,” and identified the victim as a student under 18 years old at Lee County High School, according to officials.
GBI agents continued the investigation along with the Leesburg Police Department, and arrest warrants were obtained for Weaver on Tuesday.
A Google Maps street view photo of Lee County High School in Leesburg, Ga. (Google Maps)
NEBRASKA TEACHER ALLEGEDLY OFFERED TO ‘SHARE’ BOYFRIEND WITH STUDENT IN SEX TRAFFICKING CASE
Weaver turned herself in to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, and was later released on bond, according to a report from WALB News.
This investigation is active and ongoing, according to the GBI.
The incident allegedly happened at a high school in Georgia. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Once complete, the case file will be given to the Southwestern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
Leesburg is located in South Georgia, and is about an hour and a half north of Tallahassee, Florida.
Lee County High School’s communications team did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Read the full article from Here
Southeast
Federal court clears way for Ten Commandments to be displayed in Louisiana public school classrooms
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A federal appeals court cleared the way Friday for a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms, lifting a lower court block and reigniting debate over religion in public education.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit voted 12-6 to lift a block first imposed in 2024, finding it was too early to determine the constitutionality of the law. Critics argue the requirement violates the separation of church and state, while supporters say the Ten Commandments are historical and foundational to U.S. law.
The court said in the majority opinion that it was unclear how schools would display the poster-sized materials, noting that the law allows additional content, like the Mayflower Compact or the Declaration of Independence, to appear alongside the Ten Commandments.
The majority wrote that there were not enough facts to “permit judicial judgment rather than speculation” when evaluating potential First Amendment concerns.
A federal appeals court on Friday lifted a lower court block on Louisiana’s Ten Commandments classroom law, bringing the measure closer to taking effect. (John Bazemore/AP)
In a concurring opinion, Circuit Judge James Ho, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, wrote that the law was constitutional and “consistent with our founding traditions.”
“It is fully consistent with the Constitution, and what’s more, it reinforces our Founders’ firm belief that the children of America should be educated about the religious foundations and traditions of our country,” Ho said, adding that the law “affirms our Nation’s highest and most noble traditions.”
Circuit Judge James L. Dennis, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, wrote in a dissenting opinion that displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms would amount to “exposing children to government‑endorsed religion in a setting of compulsory attendance.”
VIRGINIA BOYS NOTCH COURT WIN AFTER BEING LABELED ‘SEXUAL HARASSERS’ OVER TRANSGENDER LOCKER ROOM COMPLAINT
A federal appeals court ruling on Feb. 20 allows Louisiana’s Ten Commandments classroom mandate to proceed for now. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images)
“That is precisely the kind of establishment the Framers anticipated and sought to prevent,” he added.
The ACLU of Louisiana and other groups representing the plaintiffs said they would pursue additional legal challenges to block the law.
“Today’s ruling is extremely disappointing and would unnecessarily force Louisiana’s public school families into a game of constitutional whack-a-mole in every school district,” the groups wrote in a joint-statement. “Longstanding judicial precedent makes clear that our clients need not submit to the very harms they are seeking to prevent before taking legal action to protect their rights.”
WASHINGTON SCHOOL DISTRICT FORCES STUDENTS TO HIDE BIBLES IN BACKPACKS, LAWSUIT ALLEGES
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry praised the appeals court decision on Feb. 20 allowing the Ten Commandments classroom law to move forward. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, file)
Republican Gov. Jeff Landry on Friday praised the court’s decision, writing on Facebook, “Common sense is making a comeback!”
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill issued a statement following the ruling, saying schools “should follow the law.”
“Don’t kill or steal shouldn’t be controversial. My office has issued clear guidance to our public schools on how to comply with the law, and we have created multiple examples of posters demonstrating how it can be applied constitutionally,” she said.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said schools should follow the Ten Commandments display law after a federal appeals court lifted a lower court block on Feb. 20. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Joseph Davis, an attorney representing Louisiana in the case, celebrated the court’s decision.
“If the ACLU had its way, every trace of religion would be scrubbed from the fabric of our public life,” he said in a statement. “That position is at odds with our nation’s traditions and our Constitution. We’re glad the Fifth Circuit has allowed Louisiana to display the Ten Commandments in its public school classrooms.”
Friday’s ruling came after the full court agreed to reconsider the case, months after a three-judge panel ruled the Louisiana law unconstitutional.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
A similar law in Arkansas faces a federal court challenge, while Texas implemented its own Ten Commandments classroom requirement last year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Read the full article from Here
Southeast
Guy Fieri once had ‘nothing else to sign’ on the beach but postcards; now, he’s built a food TV empire
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
MIAMI BEACH – Twenty years ago, a contestant named Guy Fieri on the second season of what was then “The Next Food Network Star” showed up at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival with little more than spiked hair and ambition.
“He came to that festival that year and was walking around signing postcards because he had nothing else to sign,” recalled Lee Brian Schrager, founder of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival and its New York City counterpart.
Today, Fieri is one of the most recognizable faces in food on television. But, in 2006, he was just another up-and-comer working a crowd on the sand.
Speaking to “Fox & Friends” from Miami Beach, Florida, Friday morning, Fieri said he wasn’t chasing TV fame.
“I was doing what I wanted to do,” he told Steve Doocy while walking the beach. “I wanted to be a great dad. I wanted to be a great husband. I wanted to be a chef. I wanted to own my own restaurant. So, I had accomplished the things I wanted in life and never really saw the other side of it.”
South Beach Wine & Food Festival founder Lee Brian Schrager and celebrity chef Guy Fieri pose for a photograph back in 2009. (South Beach Wine & Food Festival)
Two decades later, Fieri still comes back.
“He’s been part of our festival every year since he won ‘Food Network Star,’” Schrager told Fox News Digital.
The knack for spotting and elevating talent is part of the festival’s legacy as it marks its 25th year in Miami Beach.
GORDON RAMSAY SLAMS ‘STUPID’ OZEMPIC-INSPIRED RESTAURANT MENU TREND
Schrager recalled a similar instinct with Giada De Laurentiis. When her agent suggested she might be ready the following year, Schrager pushed back.
“I said, ‘I don’t want her next year. I want her this year so she’ll remember where she got her big start,’” Schrager said.
Giada De Laurentiis, pictured here in 2015, was another celebrity chef who got her start at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. (Manny Hernandez/Getty Images)
Yet the festival doesn’t claim to have created celebrity chefs.
“We don’t take responsibility for turning anyone into a superstar,” Schrager told Fox News Digital. “We do take some credit for giving them a platform and putting them in front of their fans.”
“Rock stars became chefs and chefs became rock stars.”
Over the past 20 years, the platform has grown alongside the broader transformation of food culture.
“Rock stars became chefs and chefs became rock stars,” Schrager said.
OZEMPIC BOOM COLLIDES WITH AMERICA’S EATING HABITS AS RESTAURANTS SHRINK PORTIONS
What began as a one-day wine event on the campus of Florida International University evolved after Schrager was tasked with reimagining it. His directive was to “make it better — not bigger, but better.”
Schrager had a solution.
The South Beach Wine & Food Festival is where chefs like Fieri “became rock stars,” said Schrager, founder of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. (Jason Koerner/Getty Images)
“Move it to the beach, partner with the Food Network, get all their celebrities and make it more than just local,” Schrager said.
Today, the festival draws marquee names from the culinary world as well as from music and entertainment. Among those who showed up for Thursday night’s Burger Bash event were comedian Bert Kreischer and Cloud 23 hot sauce founder Brooklyn Peltz Beckham.
Chefs don’t get paid for appearances at the festival.
“If it’s somebody new, the first question out of their agent’s mouth is, ‘Oh, what’s the honorarium? What’s the fee?’ I’m like, ‘Zero,’” Schrager said.
Brooklyn Peltz Beckham is among the celebrities to attend the food festival for free. (Scott Roth/Invision/AP)
The model works, Schrager said, because the festival operates as a nonprofit benefiting FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management.
“Everyone’s doing it to support the cause, or they’re doing it because they want to do it,” Schrager said. “It’s not a bad place to be in the middle of winter.”
Schrager, left, appears along with Rachael Ray and Brooklyn Peltz Beckham onstage at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival’s Burger Bash. (Scott Roth/Invision/AP)
The festival has raised more than $50 million for student scholarships.
“To me, that’s why we do it,” Schrager said.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES
Along the way, the festival has outlasted many imitators and weathered shifting food trends by staying nimble.
“We listened to the consumers,” Schrager said.
Fieri, left, and a shirtless Bert Kreischer share a moment onstage at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. (Jason Koerner/Getty Images)
“There was never any ego involved in this festival.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
He added, “Our goal was never to be the biggest.”
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
“It happens that we turned out to be the biggest, but being the best, or at least doing our best, has always been the most important to me.”
Read the full article from Here
-
World1 day agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts2 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Montana1 week ago2026 MHSA Montana Wrestling State Championship Brackets And Results – FloWrestling
-
Oklahoma1 week agoWildfires rage in Oklahoma as thousands urged to evacuate a small city
-
Louisiana4 days agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Technology6 days agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Denver, CO2 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Technology6 days agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making