Southwest
High school basketball coach dead, 8-year-old daughter missing after Christmas Eve tragedy
An Oklahoma basketball coach and father of four was found dead, and his 8-year-old daughter remains missing after the family’s car was swept away by raging floodwaters in Texas on Christmas Eve.
Will Robinson, a high school coach from Durant, Oklahoma, and his family were reportedly driving in their SUV on Tuesday morning when the vehicle left the roadway, got caught in a drainage ditch in Sherman, Texas, and was carried away by strong currents, CBS News reported.
All six family members were trapped inside, according to the Sherman Police Department. Robinson did not survive, while four other family members were rescued. The family’s 8-year-old daughter has not been found.
“We are still unsuccessful in our efforts to locate the 8-year-old girl,” Lieutenant Samuel Boyle of the Sherman Police Department told Fox News Digital. “We have identified a 15-mile stretch of creek downstream from where the vehicle stopped, and we have targeted that with the multi-jurisdictional task force.” Sherman police have not yet confirmed the identity of Robinson or his family, Boyle told Fox News Digital.
HUSBAND CHARGED IN PREGNANT PHYSICAL THERAPIST WIFE’S MURDER AFTER GIVING POLICE A DIFFERENT STORY
Beloved high school coach and father Will Robinson and his family are pictured before their tragic accident on Christmas Eve. (Facebook/Will Robinson)
The search for the young girl, which authorities said had already covered seven miles of creek as of Wednesday, continues into its third day, as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott approved state search and rescue teams to assist in finding the child.
“We are shifting our focus into the county, targeting some possible locations where we have not looked to as yet,” the Sherman Police Department said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon, adding, “Our search will continue until dark today, then we will resume searching again before daylight.”
The cause of Tuesday’s accident was “a combination of a heavy downpour and accumulating of groundwater,” Boyle told Fox News Digital. “Somehow that caused the vehicle to leave the roadway and enter a drainage ditch… and the vehicle got caught in the flooding in the drainage ditch.”
“It’s a tragedy, it really is,” the lieutenant previously told KXII News 12.
SCOTT PETERSON ARREST MONTHS AFTER LACI DISAPPEARED CHRISTMAS EVE MAY HAVE BEEN STRATEGIC: FORMER HOMICIDE COP
High school basketball coach Will Robinson, who was found dead after floodwaters swept away his family’s SUV on Christmas Eve. (Facebook)
“This is just devastating, and happening on Christmas Eve makes it unbearable,” Robinson’s cousin wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday. “Will was one of the good ones—a devoted husband and father, a beloved basketball coach, and just a great person…please keep the entire Robinson family in your thoughts and prayers.”
Numerous local and state agencies, including Texas Task Force 2, are working together in the search, police said. Boyle told Fox News Digital that the active search teams are “including canines and boat or watercraft teams.”
“In crises like these, we are blessed to serve a community that so badly wants to help in any way they can. We have dozens of first responders involved in this search, many with extensive training in searching in hazardous conditions,” Sherman police continued in their statement, adding that they currently do not need any additional volunteers.
A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS: HOW A MARINE MOM FOUND HERSELF FALSELY IMPRISONED FOR THE HOLIDAY
Will Robinson and his family are pictured before their tragic accident on Christmas Eve. (Facebook/Will Robinson)
The Sherman Police Department asked anyone with noteworthy information about the case to call their non-emergency phone number at 903-892-7290.
“My recommendation is don’t try and drive through significant standing water. You never know how deep it is, and vehicles are not designed to do that,” Boyle told Fox News Digital in a message to all drivers in wet or flooding conditions. “Once you have lost control of your ability to drive your car, then you are simply at the mercy of the water. And it can be very, very dangerous for occupants of the vehicle.
“If you cannot continue down the roadway because of the large standing water that is going to cross it… stop and find another way around it. Call local police. Call local emergency services, and ask for recommendations if you aren’t familiar with the area.”
Read the full article from Here
Los Angeles, Ca
Watch Project Angel Food's 'Lead with Love' telethon on KTLA
The star-studded feel-good giveback event of the summer has returned. KTLA 5 is teaming up once again with Project Angel Food for the annual “Lead with Love: Going the Distance” telethon to raise critical funds for medically tailored meals delivered to people living with serious illnesses throughout Los Angeles County. The seventh annual telethon airs […]
Los Angeles, Ca
Woman ambushed, violently attacked by robber in downtown Long Beach
A woman was hospitalized with serious injuries after she was violently attacked by a robber in downtown Long Beach. On June 18, Jennifer Silva, 34, was attending a World Cup watch party at a Hooters restaurant at 90 Aquarium Way. After the game ended, she left the restaurant just before 11 p.m. As she walked […]
Los Angeles, Ca
Jury says it is deadlocked in trial of man accused in Palisades Fire
Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
-
Detroit, MI17 minutes agoNo. 23 overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft | Detroit Red Wings
-
San Francisco, CA27 minutes agoSan Francisco Pride kicks off with rainbow lasers, ValQueeries celebrate at Valkyries Pride Night
-
Dallas, TX32 minutes agoHow to buy Egypt vs. Australia World Cup soccer tickets
-
Miami, FL39 minutes agoHelping Venezuela: Miami search-and-rescue team prepares to deploy
-
Boston, MA42 minutes agoHow to buy Paraguay vs. Germany 2026 World Cup tickets in Boston
-
Denver, CO47 minutes agoDenver Broncos Roster Breakdown: Center—The Depth Question
-
Seattle, WA54 minutes agoIran-Egypt: Seattle World Cup Pride match updates
-
San Diego, CA57 minutes ago
PFL San Diego ‘McKee vs. Isbulaev’ play-by-play, results & round scoring

