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At the end of our interview about her new show, CSI: Vegas, actor Paula Newsome let out a whoop of joy when the publicist interrupted to say the series had just been renewed for a second season.

Her excitement is understandable. The Barry and How To Get Away With Murder actor is loving her latest role as Maxine Max Roby, the head of the crime lab once overseen by the original CSIs Gil Grissom.

Newsome who also appears in the Marvel movie Spider-Man: No Way Home still cant believe how she came to be starring in the sequel to one of this centurys most popular crime dramas.

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Paula Newsome plays Maxine Roby in CSI: Vegas.

It was a lovely surprise. I had no idea it was in the works, she says, adding she didnt even have to audition. I was going to pilates when I got a text from one agent and a call from another one. When they double team you like that, you know somethings up. Then they told me I would be getting an offer. A straight offer like that is fabulous.

Newsome says she must have been living under a rock because she had never seen the original CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

After doing a lot of research and just getting to know the characters and the actors, its amazing. I feel very grateful very grateful and very responsible, she says of being chosen to spearhead the popular series sequel. I was nervous. Its a new approach to an old series that people loved a lot.

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Keen to learn as much as she could about the science, she turned to legendary Los Angeles criminologist Liz Devine for a crash course in crime scene investigation.

Devine shared everything from the tools of the trade she keeps in the boot of her car to how long she expects to spend at a scene.

After we had gotten together about three or four times, I said, Come to my house. I want you to treat my home like a crime scene, Newsome says. We decided that the body was in the middle of the living room.

The pair went on to process the scene as if a real murder had taken place.

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Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox, right) has returned to help Maxine Roby (Paula Newsome) in CSI: Vegas.

The original series turned William Petersen, Marg Helgenberger and Jorja Fox and their screen alter egos Gil Grissom, Catherine Willows and Sara Sidle into household names around the world.

It bowed out in 2015 after15 seasons, having launched a US$1 billion franchise that included spin-offs CSI: Miami, CSI: New York and CSI: Cyber.

Now comes the sequel, CSI: Vegas, which made its US debut on October 6, the 21st anniversary of the debut of the original series.

Newsome isnt the only new face in the lab which features technology many real-life forensic scientists can only dream about. Her team is rounded out by newcomers Matt Lauria (Friday Night Lights, Parenthood) and After Lifes Mandeep Dhillon as investigators Josh Folsom and Allie Rajan and Mel Rodriguez (Better Call Saul) as quirky chief medical examiner Dr Hugo Ramirez.

Episode one begins with the now visually impaired former Detective Jim Brass (Wallace Langham) killing an intruder in his home. Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox) last seen heading off into the sunset with Grissom returns to help her old friend and workmate through the subsequent investigation.

When the investigation implicates former CSI officer David Hodges (Paul Guilfoyle) as being crooked, Grissom also rides to the rescue.

Newsome might be the shows lead but she was initially apprehensive about working with Petersen who has been the face of the show for years.

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Max is kind of this amazing amalgam of a bunch of people, says Paula Newsome.

Im a woman whos very comfortable in what I do but, with him in the beginning, it was hard.

I was nervous and then, finally, I got to the point I was like, Eff this. Its too hard doing this nervous. Theyre going to have to deal with me as I come.

Gil Grissom and Max Roby are very different animals. She is a scientist but also a mum to an almost grown-up son.

Newsome says Max shares traits with some of her past characters.

Janice Moss in Barry is a little tightly wound but shes as keen as Max.

Doctors that Ive played have been a little softer around the edges, she says, but Max is kind of this amazing amalgam of a bunch of people.

Firstly, shes very smart, secondly, shes very empathetic and, thirdly, shes not to be effed with.

CSI:Vegas, TVNZ 2, Tuesday, February 15

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Another spin of the wheel for the CSI franchise with Vegas-based show - Stuff.co.nz

MANCHESTER UNITED striker Mason Greenwood has been banished by England.

He will not be considered for Three Lions selection until any potential legal proceedings against him are completed.

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Greenwood was released from custody on bail 'pending further investigation' by Greater Manchester Police yesterday after being arrested on suspicion of rape.

Police also announced further investigations into allegations of assault, sexual assault and making threats to kill.

United have suspended the 20-year-old, while sponsors including Nike have distanced themselves from him.

SunSport understands England boss Gareth Southgate has no interest in even considering selecting the striker until legal proceedings end.

Greenwood has not featured for England since being sent home from the Nations League squad in Iceland in September 2020.

After making his debut in Reykjavik, he was told to leave - alongside Manchester Citys Phil Foden - after they broke Covid quarantine guidelines to meet two women in the team hotel.

The FA will respect both Uniteds stance and the criminal process but there are no plans for Wembley chiefs to get involved yet.

Greenwood was suspended indefinitely from United hours after the allegations surfaced on social media.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed on Wednesday that the 75,000-a-week star has now been bailed.

A statement said: "A 20-year-old man arrested (on Sunday 30 January 2022) on suspicion of the rape and assault of a woman has been released on bail pending further investigation."

Police crime scene investigation vans were seen parked outside the footballers house after the claims were made on Sunday.

Security staff, thought to have been provided by his club, were present at a second home he owns nearby and they confirmed that his parents were inside.

In a statement, Man Utd said: "Manchester United reiterates its strong condemnation of violence of any kind.

"As previously communicated, Mason Greenwood will not train with, or play for, the club until further notice."

The Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) tweeted: The club has now confirmed that Mason Greenwood will not return to training or play matches until further notice.

"MUST fully support the decision of the club in this regard."

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Mason Greenwood banished by England amid rape probe as Gareth Southgate rules out selecting suspended Man... - The US Sun

A loud explosion shook the neighborhood around 28 Poppy Lane in Palm Coast early this morning, drawing a response from the Flagler County Sheriffs Office, a road closure and the summoning of the St. Johns County Sheriffs bomb squad.

School buses were redirected from the area, and students asked to avoid it. Poppy lane is a relatively short street that connects to two ends of Poplar Drive, which branch off of Ponce de Leon in the citys P Section. The sheriffs Crime Scene Investigation unit was also at the scene, as was the Palm Coast Fire Department. The state fire marshal was also dispatched, as was a K-9 unit.

We did respond to a report of a loud explosion this morning, and when we arrived we found some evidence that thered been something occur, Palm Coast Acting Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill said. There was no active hazard. The scene was cleared to enable the sheriffs investigation to continue. The state fire marshal aside, the local fire department is not involved in the investigation.

The explosion, heard as far south as the areas of Royal Palms Parkway and Point Pleasant Drive, was reported shortly after 5 a.m. It wasnt initially clear whether it came from within the house or outside of it. Residents reported it smelled like fireworks. Transformers explode atop utility poles from time to time, with bright flashes and explosive bangs that can be heard throughout a neighborhood. In this case, however, a hole in the ground was reported in the propertys yard, and there were early indications that a makeshift device was the source of the explosion.

We saw nothing to indicate that it would be a transformer, Berryhill said. Were not in the determination business per se, once it gets in the investigation level.

Eric Robinson, 30, the resident at the Poppy Lane address, has been on community control, or house arrest, after failing to successfully complete a three-year drug-offender probation term for cocaine possession and tampering with evidence. Last July his probation officer filed a probation-violation report charging that hed not been making his required paymentshe was $360 in arrears, according to the reporteven though hed been working at a boat manufacturers in Volusia County. His probation was revoked on Aug. 5.

The property at 28 Poppy is adjacent to that of Carol Bacha, known as Mother Elizabeth, the former candidate for Flagler County School Board in 2020 and for Palm Coast mayor last July.

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Explosion Rocks Neighborhood Around 28 Poppy Lane in Palm Coast; Investigation Ongoing - FlaglerLive.com

The Bridgeport, Conn. police officer who was a supervisor on the case of Lauren Smith-Fields has retired amid a national controversy over the departments investigation into the 23-year-old Black womans death.

Detective Angel Llanos of Bridgeport Police Department retired on Friday,a representative for the department tells Rolling Stone, following Mayor Joe Ganims announcement on Sunday that Llanos and another officer, Detective Kevin Cronin, had been put on administrative leave. These suspensions came amid an internal investigation into the cases of Smith-Fields as well as Brenda Lee Rawls, both of whom died in December. Both of their families have said that they were not properly informed of the deaths, and alleged that adequate care was not put into the investigations. Llanos was the supervising officer in both cases regarding death notifications, the spokesperson said. When asked if Officer Llanos would still be eligible for retirement benefits, the spokesperson said that would be up to the Office of Internal Affairs and the detectives union.

Both officers are now subject of the Bridgeport Police Departments Internal Affairs investigation and disciplinary action for their alleged lack of sensitivity to the public and failure to follow police procedure for both cases.

I want to express my condolences to the families of Lauren Smith-Fields and Brenda Lee Rawls, said Ganim. It is an unaccepted failure if policies were not followed. To the families, friends, and all who care about human decency that should be shown in these situations in this case, by members of the police department Im very sorry. The officer who was in charge of overseeing these matters has retired from the department as of this past Friday.

Smith-Fields, 23, was found unresponsive in her home after meeting up for a date with a man she met on the dating app Bumble. Smith-Fields was reportedly found bleeding from her nose when the man called police. (The man has not been charged with any crimes, and is not considered a suspect in the case.) Smith-Fields family who learned of her death days later, after finding a note from the landlord on the door found a used condom with semen and an unidentified pill in her apartment when cleaning up her apartment over a week after her death. According to the family, detectives were unresponsive and did not conduct a proper crime scene investigation until over a week after Smith-Fields death. (After she was found to have been killed by an overdose of alcohol and fentanyl, among other substances, the states vice task-force and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration opened a criminal investigation into her death.)

That same day Rawls, 53, died also after visiting a male acquaintance who lived near her. After not hearing from her for approximately two days, her family went to her home and then to the home of the man who she said she was visiting last. It was then and through the acquaintance that they learned of her death. When Rawls family called the police they had no information, it wasnt until they called the Connecticut Medical Examiner that they were able to confirm Rawls death and locate her body.

In both cases, the families accuse the detectives of not responding to phone calls and providing information regarding their deceased loved one. In the case of the Smith-Fields family, they say they were told by their detective to stop calling.

Insensitivity, disrespect in action or deviation from policy will not be tolerated by me or others in this administration, Ganim concluded on Sunday. Ganim noted that both Smith-Fields and Rawls investigations are actively open and have been reassigned to personnel in the department.

The Mayors statement yesterday is a step in the right direction, Darnell Crosland, family attorney representing both Smith-Fields Rawls, wrote to Rolling Stone. The city is liable for the behavior of its police department and its officers. I am pleased that the Mayor has accepted that liability publicly and has apologized to the families for the suffering they have endured.

While the Mayors sentiments may show progress, Crosland says, he is still pursuing a lawsuit on behalf of Smith-Fields family for punitive damages. As of now, Rawls family has not confirmed whether or not they are filing a lawsuit. The family has had to grieve and advocate for justice at the same time. That is unfair and unacceptable.

See the article here:
Supervising Detective on Lauren Smith-Fields Case Retires Amid Suspension, Internal Affairs Investigation - Rolling Stone

On July 31, 2015, the Pensacola Sheriffs Office made a welfare check at the home of Richard Smith, a 49-year-old IT specialist for the Department of Homeland Security.

His boss had reached out to officials when Richard failed to come to work for three days. No one answered the door of the home Richard shared with his mother, Voncile, 77, who was widowed and retired, and his brother, John Smith, 47, who worked at Walmart.

Police contacted Richards half-brother, Donald Wayne Hartung, who gave them permission to enter the house. Inside, authorities found Voncile, Richard, and John dead.Each one was buried separately under a mountain of clothing and blankets, investigators told Family Massacre, airing Fridays at 9/8c on Oxygen.

Once the medical examiner investigators arrived on scene, we pulled the blankets off, and you could tell that they had been there for at least a couple of days, said Wayne Wright, an investigator with the State Attorneys Office.

John and Voncile both had injuries to their heads and gashes in their necks. She also had defensive cuts on her hands and part of her pinky finger was missing. Richard had been beaten, stabbed, and shot in his right ear.

A bloody hammer and paper towels, as well as cigarette butts, were collected at the scene. Hartung was transported to the Sheriffs Office, where Escambia County Homicide Detective Matt Infinger hoped he could shed light on the brutal triple homicide.

Hartung, Vonciles son from a previous marriage, said he last saw his mother and John three days earlier when he cooked dinner for them at their house. He was their caretaker. Voncile had trouble walking and John had special needs. Hed left a plate of food in the oven for Richard, he said.

Donald agreed to give us a DNA sample, said Infinger, adding that he had no criminal record and was being cooperative. We had no reason not to believe him. He was not a suspect.

Because the bodies were covered the medical examiner couldnt pinpoint when the murders happened. It was estimated that the family was killed at least two days before their discovery.

An internet search turned up the idea that during cult or ritualistic slaying, blankets and clothes are heaped on bodies to warm them. A blue moon, used by pagan and Wiccan followers to guide rituals, occurred around the time of the murders, which added heft to this theory.

There was some speculation that maybe the bodies were to be kept warm until the actual blue moon occurred, which would have been in a few days, said Wright.

At a press conference outlining the crime, a sheriff stated that the method of the murder positions of bodies led us to believe that there's a potential that was a ritualistic killing.

The leader of a local Wiccan group, however, said the victims were not associated with any of the area's pagan or Wiccan organizations,reported the Associated Press.

But at the press conference, the murders were called the Blue Moon Killings. Suddenly this was making headlines not just in Pensacola, Florida, but throughout the world, said journalist Mollye Barrows.

Investigators dug deeper into the background of the Smiths, who, sources said, stuck to themselves.Detectives considered the possibility that Richards hush-hush work with Homeland Security could be tied to the crime, but a thorough investigation cleared this as a line of investigation.

We conducted another interview with Donald Hartung and during the interviews with Donald I learned that he practiced Wicca, said Infinger. This was a red flag.

Police obtained a warrant to search Hartungs home. They found a prayer room and some books about witchcraft but no weapons or anything connected to the triple murder.

Just because somebody has an alternative belief system doesn't necessarily mean that they're doing anything wrong, said Wright.

But Hartung remained a suspect and investigators explored his background. A coworker told them that Hartung bragged of his familys wealth and that he stood to inherit that fortune.

An interview with a relative of the Smith family suggested that Hartung, whod been portrayed as a caretaker, had another side.

He was mean, said Faye Haas, Hartungs cousin. If he saw a weakness in you as a child or something, it would pick on that weakness. People also said he was jealous of Richards success and had regularly sought financial help from his mother.

Investigators found that Voncile Smiths estate was worth close to $1 million. Although Hartung had been excluded from the will, he would be the sole heir if his half-brothers were deceased.

Investigators interviewed the Smiths neighbors to check Hartungs account about his comings and goings before the bodies were found. He said that hed left the home before sundown. Neighbors recalled seeing his car there later than that and added that when he drove away, he kept his headlights off.

Detectives hoped that DNA evidence collected from the crime scene could move their case forward. Hartungs DNA was found on cigarette butts mixed in with paper towels covered in Vonciles blood.

On October 27, 2015, Hartung was arrested by the Escambia County Sheriff's Department on three counts of first-degree murder.

Evidence against Hartung was mostly circumstantial, though. But as the trial approached, investigators received a letter from a jailhouse informant.

Hartung had talked to the cellmate because hed expressed interest in the Wiccan religion, investigators said. The informant claimed that Hartung told him he piled blankets and clothes on top of his family to make it harder to determine when they died.

The informant also volunteered shocking information about Vonciles missing fingertip. Donald told him he had to torture his mother to get the combination of the safe in the home, said Infinger. We never even found it during the crime scene investigation.

Investigators concluded the murders werent part of a ritual but were motivated by money. Hartung had been written out of his mother's will and believed he would never get the money nearly $900,000 unless his family members died, prosecutors said, nbcmiami.com reported.

During Hartungs trial, the cellmate testified to the gruesome way he killed his family: beating them with a claw hammer, torturing his mother, slitting their throats, all while after making dinner for them, said Barrows.

Hartung, 63, was found guilty of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison in February 2020 without the chance of parole.

He is currently serving his sentence at the Graceville Correctional Facility in Jackson County, Florida.

For more on the case and others like it, watch Family Massacre, airing Fridays at 9/8c on Oxygen, or stream episodes here.

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Blue Moon Killer Tortured Mom And Murdered His Own Family After Making Them Dinner - Oxygen