Florida man kills wife, son with crossbow in murder-suicide

 Using a crossbow and arrows, a Florida man shot his wife and teenage son dead in their Miami-area home and drove hundreds of miles north to Tallahassee and wounded his elder son. He then slit his own throat in a hotel room, police said. Officials are trying to piece together the three-day murder-suicide that began when Pedro Maldonado shot his 47-year-old wife, Monica, and his 17-year-old son, Pedro, with a "hand-held crossbow that shoots small arrows" on Monday in Weston, a suburb outside Fort Lauderdale, Broward Sheriff's Office said in a statement. The 53-year-old man then drove some 450 miles to Tallahassee, in the state's panhandle, and turned the crossbow on his 21-year-old son, Jose, shortly after 7 a.m. on Tuesday. "He tried to shoot him with the small crossbow, but Jose turned, and the arrow hit his ear," the Broward Sheriff's Office said. "Then his father began to choke him, but Jose struggled and managed to get away from his dad, who fled." The Florida State University student did not report the attack, the statement said. A friend who Maldonado called late on Tuesday afternoon alerted officials, who tracked his Volvo to the hotel room he rented on Monday in Lake City, about 100 miles east of Tallahassee. A Columbia County SWAT team found the man in the bathroom just before 2 a.m. on Wednesday. He had slit his throat. Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Star quarterback for top-ranked Florida State to learn fate in sexual assault probe

  Sam Greenwood / Getty Images fileJameis Winston during Florida State's win over Florida last Saturday.By Erin McClam, Staff Writer, NBC NewsJameis Winston, the sensational quarterback of the top-ranked Florida State University football team and the leading candidate to win the Heisman Trophy, was cleared Thursday in a sexual assault investigation.A state prosecutor in Tallahassee, Willie Meggs, made the announcement. He stressed that the decision was not driven “by any Heisman demands or football schedule.”Under school policy, Winston almost certainly would have been suspended from the team had he been charged. Florida State plays Duke on Saturday for the Atlantic Coast Conference title and can secure a spot in the national championship game with a win.Heisman Trophy voters have until Monday to turn in their ballots, and some were said to be waiting to see whether Winston is charged with a crime.Read more at College Football Talk from NBCSports.comA lawyer for Winston has suggested that he and the accuser had consensual sex. Her family has said that it was rape. The case, which arose from an encounter a year ago in Tallahassee, has hovered over Winston and the Seminoles throughout the football season.“We came to the decision that it was not a case that we could bring forward,” the prosecutor said. “We would not have the burden of proof, the probable cause and the reasonable likelihood of a conviction.”Meggs said that no charges would be filed against anyone, and that the case was closed.“We need to handle each case equally and fairly, and it’s a search or the truth,” he said. “We did so in this case.”A DNA sample from Winston matched a sample from the woman’s underwear, Meggs said. But he said that DNA from a second man was found, and had the case gone to trial, “having an unknown DNA in a sexual assault kit would be a problem.” He said that the second man was not a Florida State football player.Meggs said that the woman’s memory of the night of the alleged assault had been “moving around a good bit.” He said that there were not inconsistencies in her story, just memory lapses. He also said that there was no evidence of “major impairment or use of drugs.”Timothy Jansen, a lawyer for Winston, said that the quarterback was happy — “not relieved, because he didn’t do anything.”“This was a consensual act. We believed it then. We believe it now,” he said. “Jameis is satisfied.”He said that Winston might address reporters later in the day.The woman’s family has sharply criticized the Tallahassee police for their handling of the investigation, particularly for taking 11 months to refer the case to prosecutors.The family has said that Carroll, the lawyer for the accuser, was warned by police that Tallahassee is a “big football town” and that the woman needed to think hard about pressing charges because “she will be raked over the coals.”Winston’s star power is unquestioned: He has led Florida State to a 12-0 record, was named ACC player of the year and set conference freshman records with 3,490 passing yards and 35 touchdowns.The police have defended their handling of the investigation, and said that it was classified as inactive in February because police were told that the woman wanted to drop it. The family disputes that point.Patricia Carroll, a lawyer for the woman, said in a short statement Thursday: “The victim in this case had the courage to immediately report her rape to the police and she relied upon them to seek justice.” She criticized the Tallahassee police for “an inordinate delay.”The statement said that the woman “has grave concerns that her experience, as it unfolded in the public eye and through social media, will discourage other victims of rape from coming forward and reporting.”Tallahassee police said in a statement Thursday that the department “took the case seriously, processed evidence and conducted an investigation based on information available at that time.”The assault was reported to the police Dec. 7, 2012. The accuser identified Winston as a suspect more than a month later, on Jan. 10. Tallahassee police have said that the woman’s lawyer canceled a planned meeting with investigators the next day.According to an incident report released Thursday by Tallahassee police, the woman said that she had been out drinking and could not recall how she met the suspect. She said that she “possibly got into a cab” and was driven to an unfamiliar apartment complex.She told police that the suspect assaulted her in his room, that he pinned her arms down, and that she tried to kick him off her but could not, according to the report.She told police that the assault continued in a bathroom and that she did not remember dressing herself, the report said. She recalled being driven on a scooter to an intersection on campus, and said that she walked back to her dorm from there and called the police, according to the report.Asked how such an allegation might tarnish the reputation of a star athlete, even if a charge was never brought, Jansen, the quarterback’s lawyer, said: “These athletes are on campus. Sometimes there are people that target these athletes. Maybe they believe there’s more of a relationship than what there really was.”He said that he did not know whether that was the case with Winston and the woman, but “it’s certainly something you need to consider.”He also said that he did not know how the episode would affect the Heisman voting, but “I hope the voters realize that he’s never been charged.”The university president, Eric J. Barron, said in a statement that education was the school’s primary purpose.“Recent weeks have provided a painful lesson, as we have witnessed harmful speculation and inappropriate conjecture about this situation and the individuals involved,” he said. “As a result, we have all been hurt.”The Associated Press contributed to this report.This story was originally published on Thu Dec 5, 2013 12:26 PM EST

Whale rescue continues in Florida Everglades

A race to save a group of pilot whales stranded in a remote part of Florida Everglades continues on Thursday. Mark Potter, NBC reports.Most of the 40 pilot whales stranded in the shallow waters of the Florida Everglades National Park is in motion, but their hopes of survival remain weak, officials said Thursday.Rescue efforts took a turn the Thursday morning when the surviving whales moved from its original location on the side of the Gulf of Mexico from the Park. The whales had been stranded in a remote area of nearby Highland Beach Park, more than 20 miles of water deep enough to support them."They have moved yesterday, it is a very fluid situation," said Blair Mase, fishing Southeast Marine Mammal stranding Coordinator for the national administration Oceanic and atmospheric, in a conference call.By late Thursday, three pods separated by a total of 30-35 whales were seen abroad and into deeper waters. Earlier in the day, the U.S. Coast Guard had seen two herds of whales significantly "to the North" of 12 feet of water swimming in high seas near point of Seminole, Mase, it said.The movement was a "rare" and an encouraging sign, Mase said. He said the Organization was prepared for the worst as mass strandings are often difficult to reverse."They are still outside its normal range of House," he said, adding that the whales may be suffering from dehydration and malnutrition.Citing a similar mass stranding in the mid-1990s, Mase said, "we have animals in the area of the Park of the filament and separated groups were more to the South, but all eventually ended up stranding".As part of the new efforts of rescue teams of NOAA, national parks and state wildlife organizations service would be using techniques of sound, including aluminum tubes and engines, in an attempt to direct the whales in the shallow waters."This area in particular is extremely unique, that it not is pastor of a lagoon," he said. "We are raising the miles and miles." It is very difficult".Mase said that teams had both uploaded his personal assets to about 15 vessels 35 staff and divided into different teams. The teams focus on necropsies, assessing live animals and grazing to deeper waters.Everglades National Park and staff specialists in marine mammals with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been desperately working to move the whales once they were discovered on Tuesday afternoon by a fishing guide. With the possibility that the whales have been in shallow waters even more, the capacity of the teams the whales into deeper waters is essential for their survival.On Wednesday, six whales had been found dead and four more had to be euthanasia."They need to be in deep waters to feed. If we fail to remove them, could begin to be themselves, dying of hunger,"said Linda Friar, a spokeswoman for Everglades National Park.It was not clear whether some more whales had died during the night or the condition of the missing members of the pods as the Coast Guard continued to assess the situation, said Friar.Lynne Sladký / APOfficials in boats monitor the scene where dozens of pilot whales are stranded in waters some deep in a remote area of the Florida Everglades National Park, Wednesday, December 04, 2013.Rescue efforts is the highly social nature of the whales."Part of the problem is that animals are cohesive type of group," added Friar. "They are really resistant to any member of his sheath back."He said that it is unknown by the whales ended up in these shallow waters, said Liz Stratton, a specialist in biodiversity marina and Assistant Coordinator of the marine mammal stranding network."Sometimes, the whales strand because you are sick." Sometimes they strand because they run out of water [or] pests or other problems, "Stratton told NBC News on Wednesday."He added that the challenge: the presence of sharks."There are sharks everywhere," said Mase, adding that sharks were reported to feed dead whales, but not in life.Tissue samples from some of the whales were collected and sent to a laboratory to help determine the cause of the rupture.Mase said that the rescue teams will continue to work to save the remaining whales and learn what he could about the nature of the stranding of those who died."We are doing our best to do what we can but ultimately knowing what happens with these whales, they are probably committed and the result may not be good," said Mase.This story was originally posted on Thu 05 December 2013 8:48 AM EST

Star quarterback for top-ranked Florida State cleared in sex assault probe

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Jameis Winston during Florida State's win over Florida last Saturday.

By Erin McClam, Staff Writer, NBC News

Jameis Winston, the sensational quarterback of the top-ranked Florida State University football team and the leading candidate to win the Heisman Trophy, was cleared Thursday in a sexual assault investigation.

A state prosecutor in Tallahassee, Willie Meggs, made the announcement. He stressed that the decision was not driven “by any Heisman demands or football schedule.”

Under school policy, Winston almost certainly would have been suspended from the team had he been charged. Florida State plays Duke on Saturday for the Atlantic Coast Conference title and can secure a spot in the national championship game with a win.

Heisman Trophy voters have until Monday to turn in their ballots, and some were said to be waiting to see whether Winston is charged with a crime.

Read more at College Football Talk from NBCSports.com

A lawyer for Winston has suggested that he and the accuser had consensual sex. Her family has said that it was rape. The case, which arose from an encounter a year ago in Tallahassee, has hovered over Winston and the Seminoles throughout the football season.

“We came to the decision that it was not a case that we could bring forward,” the prosecutor said. “We would not have the burden of proof, the probable cause and the reasonable likelihood of a conviction.”

Meggs said that no charges would be filed against anyone, and that the case was closed.

“We need to handle each case equally and fairly, and it’s a search or the truth,” he said. “We did so in this case.”

A DNA sample from Winston matched a sample from the woman’s underwear, Meggs said. But he said that DNA from a second man was found, and had the case gone to trial, “having an unknown DNA in a sexual assault kit would be a problem.” He said that the second man was not a Florida State football player.

Meggs said that the woman’s memory of the night of the alleged assault had been “moving around a good bit.” He said that there were not inconsistencies in her story, just memory lapses. He also said that there was no evidence of “major impairment or use of drugs.

The woman’s family has sharply criticized the Tallahassee police for their handling of the investigation, particularly for taking 11 months to refer the case to prosecutors.

The family has said that Carroll, the lawyer for the accuser, was warned by police that Tallahassee is a “big football town” and that the woman needed to think hard about pressing charges because “she will be raked over the coals.”

Winston’s star power is unquestioned: He has led Florida State to a 12-0 record, was named ACC player of the year and set conference freshman records with 3,490 passing yards and 35 touchdowns.

The police have defended their handling of the investigation, and said that it was classified as inactive in February because police were told that the woman wanted to drop it. The family disputes that point.

Patricia Carroll, a lawyer for the woman, said in a short statement Thursday: “The victim in this case had the courage to immediately report her rape to the police and she relied upon them to seek justice.” She criticized the Tallahassee police for “an inordinate delay.”

The statement said that the woman “has grave concerns that her experience, as it unfolded in the public eye and through social media, will discourage other victims of rape from coming forward and reporting.”

Tallahassee police said in a statement Thursday that the department “took the case seriously, processed evidence and conducted an investigation based on information available at that time.”

The assault was reported to the police Dec. 7, 2012. The accuser identified Winston as a suspect more than a month later, on Jan. 10. Tallahassee police have said that the woman’s lawyer canceled a planned meeting with investigators the next day.

According to an incident report released Thursday by Tallahassee police, the woman said that she had been out drinking and could not recall how she met the suspect. She said that she “possibly got into a cab” and was driven to an unfamiliar apartment complex.

She told police that the suspect assaulted her in his room, that he pinned her arms down, and that she tried to kick him off her but could not, according to the report.

She told police that the assault continued in a bathroom and that she did not remember dressing herself, the report said. She recalled being driven on a scooter to an intersection on campus, and said that she walked back to her dorm from there and called the police, according to the report.

Winston, 19, planned to address reporters at 3:30 p.m. in Tallahassee, before the Seminoles leave for the conference championship game. His lawyer, Timothy Jansen, told The Associated Press earlier, speaking of the prosecutor: “If he looked at the evidence we did, we feel confident he will find that Mr. Winston did nothing wrong.”

The university president, Eric J. Barron, said in a statement that education was the school’s primary purpose.

“Recent weeks have provided a painful lesson, as we have witnessed harmful speculation and inappropriate conjecture about this situation and the individuals involved,” he said. “As a result, we have all been hurt.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This story was originally published on Thu Dec 5, 2013 12:26 PM EST