Portfolio

McClatchy

Selected reporting from my time as a senior reporter on McClatchy’s National Real-Time team.

Courts

Surgeon removed wrong organ, killing man — and a cover-up followed, Florida suit says

A family’s lawsuit over a surgical procedure that resulted in a man’s death after Florida’s Surgeon General found the surgeon wrongly removed his liver instead of his spleen.

Pregnant US citizen arrested by ICE went into labor prematurely in CA, claim says

A legal claim filed by attorneys representing a Los Angeles woman argue she went into labor prematurely after she was wrongly detained and assaulted by immigration authorities.

Atheist worker fired after refusing to attend company’s Christian prayer in NC, feds say

An atheist man filed a religious discrimination lawsuit against a home repair company, arguing the company illegally fired him.

Can schools turn away ICE officials? Agents need specific warrant to enter, experts say

An explainer on whether ICE officials can enter schools after the Trump Administration rolled back regulations that prevented immigration officials from entering “sensitive” areas.

Criminal Justice

Detainee held in jail ‘freezer’ died of hypothermia, suit says. Death ruled homicide

An Alabama man’s death was ruled a homicide after a federal lawsuit alleged he endured extreme neglect inside the facility.

Dad of 6 found dead in snow had hit put on him by CA business partner, feds say

A California businessman faced a mandatory life sentence after federal prosecutors accused him of orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot against his business partner.

Officers ignored dying man at VA prison, feds say. Has family gotten justice?

A prison lieutenant was the second to be sentenced in a man’s death after she and three other employees were charged.

Military & National Security

Trump wants to send troops to border. Here’s 10 times the military was deployed in US

An overview of 10 different occasions the military was deployed inside the U.S. after President Donald Trump expressed his intent to send troops to the southern border.

Marine veteran fakes deployment, defrauds airline by taking 130 free flights, feds say

A federal case involving a military veteran facing federal charges after he was accused of faking deployments to take free flights at the expense of an airline.

Man landed private plane at Navy base twice, causing CA island lockdown, feds say

A man pleaded guilty after federal prosecutors said he landed a private plane on an island operated by the U.S. military.

Health & Science

Kratom is sold in many states — but is the herb safe for pain relief? What experts say

An explainer on the use of Kratom within in the U.S. and the unregulated market in which it is sold following reports of deaths said to be associated with the plant.

Sharks may be able to protect us from coronavirus, research suggests. Here’s how

A study found that sharks have antibody-like proteins that could help protect against the virus that causes COVID-19.

Us Weekly

Selected reporting from my work published for Us Weekly’s crime vertical.

Navy Reservist Wanted in Wife’s Murder Is Caught Abroad After Body Found in Freezer, Says FBI

An U.S. Navy reservist was apprehended in connection with the death of his wife whose body was discovered inside their Virginia home.

New York School Confined Non-Verbal Autistic Child Inside Wooden ‘Calming Box,’ Mom Says (Exclusive)

A New York mother pursued legal action against her son’s school district following allegations that special needs students were confined to a wooden “calming box” in an elementary classroom.

FBI Searching for Retired Air Force General Who Went Missing, Authorities ‘Concerned for His Safety

The FBI joined the search for a retired Air Force general who disappeared in New Mexico.

Newsweek

Selected reporting from my time as a breaking news reporter for Newsweek.