Mothers Day Massacre | Gruesome Murder of Girlfriend and Her Kids | Edward Covington Part 3

On May 12, 2008, 

Freiberg opened the door to her daughter Lisa's mobile home in Lutz and encountered a blood-soaked crime scene. Lisa Freiberg, 26, and her two children, Zachary Freiberg, 7, and Heather Savannah Freiberg, 2, had been beaten, choked and stabbed. Authorities said Covington had attacked the family with a hammer and knife. After killing the children, he dismembered their bodies.

Sheriff's deputies found Covington, a former prison guard, cowering in a closet, wearing nothing but underwear and covered in scratches and traces of blood.

Charged with three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of abuse of a dead body and one count of animal abuse for killing the family's dog, Covington sat in prison for years, waiting for his day in court. But when his trial began last fall, he stunned everyone, including the public defenders representing him, by abruptly firing them and announcing that he would plead guilty.

"I expect you to sentence me to death," he told Hillsborough Circuit Judge William Fuente, adding that this was the sentence he would choose for himself. "I feel it's warranted. The Freibergs feel it's warranted. The state feels it's warranted. I have no problem with this."

Covington's decision to forgo a jury trial left his fate entirely with the judge and prompted Fuente to issue a stern warning. He had encountered a similar situation only once before in his career, he told Covington, and he sentenced that defendant to death.

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Mothers Day Massacre | Gruesome Murder of Girlfriend and Her Kids | Edward Covington Part 2/3

On May 12, 2008, Freiberg opened the door to her daughter Lisa's mobile home in Lutz and encountered a blood-soaked crime scene. Lisa Freiberg, 26, and her two children, Zachary Freiberg, 7, and Heather Savannah Freiberg, 2, had been beaten, choked and stabbed. Authorities said Covington had attacked the family with a hammer and knife. After killing the children, he dismembered their bodies.

Sheriff's deputies found Covington, a former prison guard, cowering in a closet, wearing nothing but underwear and covered in scratches and traces of blood.

Charged with three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of abuse of a dead body and one count of animal abuse for killing the family's dog, Covington sat in prison for years, waiting for his day in court. But when his trial began last fall, he stunned everyone, including the public defenders representing him, by abruptly firing them and announcing that he would plead guilty.

"I expect you to sentence me to death," he told Hillsborough Circuit Judge William Fuente, adding that this was the sentence he would choose for himself. "I feel it's warranted. The Freibergs feel it's warranted. The state feels it's warranted. I have no problem with this."

Covington's decision to forgo a jury trial left his fate entirely with the judge and prompted Fuente to issue a stern warning. He had encountered a similar situation only once before in his career, he told Covington, and he sentenced that defendant to death.

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Mothers Day Massacre | Gruesome Murder of Girlfriend and Her Kids | Edward Covington Interrogation

Edward Covington, who killed his girlfriend and her two children, sentenced to death
TAMPA — Seven years after a triple homicide that Hillsborough County's sheriff called the grisliest he had ever seen, a judge on Friday sentenced Edward Covington to death for the murder of his girlfriend and her two children.

In a rejection of defense attorneys' arguments that Covington is mentally ill and should be spared the death penalty, the judge found that death was the appropriate punishment for one of the goriest homicide cases in Hillsborough's history. Covington, 42, absorbed the sentence impassively, surrounded by stone-faced lawyers.

Outside the courtroom, Barbara Freiberg, the victims' mother and grandmother, said she approved of the judge's ruling, though she acknowledged it would likely entail years, if not decades, of appeals.

"There's a relief knowing that he's going to get what he gave my children," she said.
On May 12, 2008, Freiberg opened the door to her daughter Lisa's mobile home in Lutz and encountered a blood-soaked crime scene. Lisa Freiberg, 26, and her two children, Zachary Freiberg, 7, and Heather Savannah Freiberg, 2, had been beaten, choked and stabbed. Authorities said Covington had attacked the family with a hammer and knife. After killing the children, he dismembered their bodies.

Sheriff's deputies found Covington, a former prison guard, cowering in a closet, wearing nothing but underwear and covered in scratches and traces of blood.

Charged with three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of abuse of a dead body and one count of animal abuse for killing the family's dog, Covington sat in prison for years, waiting for his day in court. But when his trial began last fall, he stunned everyone, including the public defenders representing him, by abruptly firing them and announcing that he would plead guilty.

"I expect you to sentence me to death," he told Hillsborough Circuit Judge William Fuente, adding that this was the sentence he would choose for himself. "I feel it's warranted. The Freibergs feel it's warranted. The state feels it's warranted. I have no problem with this."

Covington's decision to forgo a jury trial left his fate entirely with the judge and prompted Fuente to issue a stern warning. He had encountered a similar situation only once before in his career, he told Covington, and he sentenced that defendant to death.

On Friday, after more than six months of reviewing court transcripts and medical records, Fuente said the horrifying manner in which the three victims were killed outweighed the defense argument that Covington was driven by mental illness.

From the outset of the case, Covington's lawyers portrayed him as a deeply disturbed man who, at the time of the murders, was not taking prescribed medications to control his bipolar disorder.
Medical records showed that by age 15, he was taking the mood stabilizer lithium. His mother testified that throughout his teenage years and into adulthood, he swung wildly between periods of high energy and deep depression, was repeatedly hospitalized and tried to commit suicide multiple times. By the time his case went to trial, he was taking four different medications — Depakote, Seroquel, Zoloft and Klonopin.

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Israel Keyes is the most terrifying serial killer you’ve probably never heard of - Serial Killer Documentary

Israel Keyes is all of your worst fears personified into one of the most terrifying serial killers of the 21st century.

February 1, 2012, began like any other day at work for 18-year-old Samantha Koenig, but it ended in unspeakable tragedy.

Finishing up her shift at the Common Grounds coffee stand in downtown Anchorage, Alaska, the young barista was approached by a man wearing a ski mask who ordered coffee – a man who would later be named as Israel Keyes.

After Samantha handed him the order, Keyes pulled out a gun and demanded money, and the terrified teen quickly complied.

Forcing himself inside the stand, Keyes tied the young woman’s hands together with zip ties before forcing her into his white Ford Focus, where she tried – and failed – to escape the abductor, who held a gun to her head and said he would kill her if she tried again.
Driving around town with Samantha still bound in the vehicle, Keyes explained to the terrified teen that this was simply a kidnapping for ransom and that if she cooperated, she’d be returned to her family unharmed.

Keyes kept Samantha alive for several hours and even drove back to her coffee stand to retrieve her mobile phone. He then used it to send a fake text message to her boyfriend, who was due to pick her up after her shift.

The text read: “Hey, I’m spending a couple of days with friends, let me dad know.”
Keyes took Samantha to his property, where he tied her up in a shed. He turned his radio up so no one could hear her screams and pleas for help.
After demanding Samantha’s address, Keyes made his way to retrieve her ATM card from her boyfriend’s truck.

In a gut-wrenching twist, while stealing the debit card, Keyes was confronted by Samantha’s boyfriend – who was already on edge after discovering Koenig was not at work when he arrived to pick her up as well as having received the strange text message from her phone earlier, which had, in fact, been sent by Keyes.

Thinking he was a random burglar attempting to break into his car, Samantha’s boyfriend ran inside to get help, while Keyes fled. Returning to his property, Keyes poured himself a glass of wine as he returned to his shed and raped a sobbing Samantha. He then strangled her to death.
Keyes returned inside, packed for a pre-planned cruise in New Orleans, woke his daughter for school, and left for the airport.

Returning to Anchorage on February 17, 2012, Keyes began preparing a ransom note, but first, he decided to remove Samantha’s body from the cupboard.
He applied makeup to Samantha’s face – frozen and lifeless – before unsettlingly sewing her eyes open with fishing line to give her the appearance of being alive. He then took a Polaroid of her “holding” up that day’s newspaper.

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True Crime: The Court of Public Opinion - Gabby Petito - Social Media and Justice

In this episode of True Crime: The Court of Public Opinion, we revisit the tragic case of Gabby Petito, exploring the pressures of social media, the challenges of justice in the digital age, and the powerful role of public perception.

Why does this case still resonate so deeply, and what does it teach us about the blurred lines between awareness and intrusion? Join us as we uncover the layers of this heartbreaking story and the lingering questions that remain.


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True Crime: The Court of Public Opinion – Breaking News: Tragedy at Magdeburg Christmas Market

In this special breaking news episode of True Crime: The Court of Public Opinion, Alexis Knight dives into the unfolding tragedy at the Magdeburg Christmas market in Germany. Just hours ago, a car plowed through a festive crowd, leaving devastation in its wake. At least ten lives have been lost, and dozens more are injured.

Join Alexis as she unpacks the details of this deliberate attack, explores the investigation into the suspect, and examines the impact on a shaken community. This is a story that demands our attention, not just for what has happened, but for the questions it raises about safety, resilience, and the fight against fear. Stay tuned for updates as they come.

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True Crime: The Court of Public Opinion - Alexis Knight Investigates - Why Are the Menendez Brothers Still in Prison?

In this special episode of Alexis Knight Investigates, we delve into the stalled progress in the Menendez Brothers’ case. Despite public support, a previous DA’s recommendation for resentencing, and growing awareness of the abuse they endured, Lyle and Erik Menendez remain behind bars.

What’s causing these delays? Is the new DA intentionally stalling? And what role does the media play in keeping the public in the dark? Join Alexis as she uncovers the roadblocks, the questions, and the truths that demand answers.


DON'T MISS THE FIRST EPISODE!

MENENDEZ - EP. 1

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Serial Killer Levi Bellfield Documentary

Levi Bellfield is an English serial killer, sex offender, rapist, kidnapper and burglar. He was found guilty on 25 February 2008 of the murders of Marsha McDonnell and Amélie Delagrange and the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy, and sentenced to life imprisonment.

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Drunk Driver Thinks She Can Drive Wherever She Wants

On May 27, 2023 in Florida, deputies responded to calls of a woman driving at a high rate of speed down a crowded beach. Following tire tracks in the sand, the deputies soon came upon a blue SUV in the water. Multiple people advised the deputies that the SUV had nearly struck numerous people, including children. 

#bodycam #cops #police #policebodycam

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Steven Murray | Locked Priest In Trunk then Murdered Him | Police Interrogation

The motive for the killing isn't entirely clear.

Murray told the St. Augustine Record for a story published in July 2016 that he had Robert in the trunk of the car in South Carolina and realized he could get in big trouble if Robert ever reported him.

"I just (expletive) freaked out and I killed him," Murray told the newspaper in an interview from jail.
Speaking more generally, Murray has told AP that he suffers from mental health issues and wanted to cause pain because of hurt he had suffered in his life.

Authorities have said Murray has twice attempted to kill himself in jail since his arrest.
Murray expressed both sorrow and defiance in public statements as he was taken from the courthouse after hearings last year. In postcards and calls to AP from jail, he has repeatedly said he cries over Robert's death and that he is sorry.

"My apologies go out to the family and friends of Father Rene," he said Tuesday. "I hope with time they can get some closure."

Murray has said that his father abused him badly while he was growing up in South Carolina. His sister, Bobbie Jean Murray, told AP that the abuse led Murray to drugs and crime at an early age.
He met Robert through a girlfriend, Ashley Shreve. The couple did drugs together, and Robert often gave them money, against their families' wishes.

Robert's colleagues have said he was devoted to helping the poor, often scraping leftovers from plates into baggies to give to the homeless. He also had great compassion for addicts, sometimes going so far as to lend them his car while he walked home alone through dangerous neighborhoods.

Because he devoted his life to helping society's most troubled, he was also aware that he could become a victim of violence. More than two decades before his death, he signed a "Declaration of Life," calling for his killer to be spared execution in the event of his murder.
That did not sway prosecutors, who have said their decision to seek the death penalty was based on the aggravated nature of the slaying.

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