GAINESVILLE, Fla. – With Florida making it easier for juries to impose the death sentence, two formerly condemned inmates who are still behind bars are warning that the change gives too much power over life and death to elected prosecutors. Their concerns are at odds with some families of murder …
Read More »Putnam County Sheriff’s Office says cold case solved after 7 years
On Monday, a grand jury indicted Lorenzo Hudson on first-degree murder charges for the death of a pregnant woman, Shaquierra Pickney, the Putnam County sheriff said during a press conference on Tuesday. Pickney’s body was discovered in a Gethsemane Baptist Church Cemetery in East Palatka on Sept. 3, 2015, and …
Read More »Retired cop never forgot unsolved case, helped convict rapist decades later
Nick VanderWal was a retired cop in Florida who couldn’t let go of his unsolved cases even decades later – especially a 1992 rape by an armed burglar who tied up his victim and placed duct tape over her eyes during an attack so awful that judges later called it …
Read More »The Point, Feb. 15, 2023: Mayor Ward gives State of the City Address
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward delivers 2023 State of the City Address. “During this annual keynote, Ward reflected on accomplishments in 2022 related to housing programs, the local economy, sustainability efforts, …
Read More »Former elected official gets pretrial diversion in burglary case
A former member of the Alachua County Soil and Water Conservation Board agreed to a pretrial diversion Wednesday morning. Daniel “Danny” Gordon, 41, held the District Four seat on the board and was charged with felony burglary and misdemeanor larceny in September. He was caught on surveillance video in July …
Read More »Vigil held at Bo Diddley Plaza following man’s death at Alachua County Jail
One hundred people gathered Thursday night at Bo Diddley Plaza for a moment of silence in the wake of an inmate’s death at the Alachua County Jail in late January. The vigil began Thursday at 7 p.m. in Downtown Gainesville to remember Marcus Goodman, a man who spent more than …
Read More »Data do not account for families experiencing homelessness in Alachua and surrounding counties
An accurate record of the number of families experiencing homelessness in Alachua County and surrounding areas is nonexistent. According to Patrick Dodds, the director of Continuum of Care in Gainesville, there are currently about 10 homeless families in the coordinated entry system in need of housing assistance. “I think the number’s probably 10 times that,” Dodds said. “Families are often kind of the invisible homeless.”
Read More »Race to the bench: Sean Brewer and AuBroncee Martin go head-to-head for open 8th Circuit judge slot
In August, four candidates sought to become the next Eighth Circuit Judge. Sean Brewer led with 38% of votes and AuBroncee Martin with 25%. Dan Weisman finished third and Nathan Skop, fourth. Now, two candidates are left vying for the position: Brewer and Martin. Brewer Graduated from Seminole Highschool in …
Read More »Elected official accused by police of carving gay slur in SUV; he denies it
An Alachua County elected official running for reelection next month is accused by police of carving a gay slur into an SUV parked across the street from his family’s former home. Daniel "Danny" Taylor Gordon, 41, of Gainesville is formally accused in Alachua County Circuit Court of misdemeanor property damage and criminal mischief, according to court records filed Tuesday. Police said Gordon was caught on video by a nearby surveillance camera, which he then stole. He denies it.
Read More »Former Florida congressional nominee using drugs again, ex-wife says
The convicted felon who lost a congressional special election earlier this year as the Republican nominee in South Florida has relapsed into using illegal drugs, and his behavior is threatening the safety of his two young sons, his ex-wife said in a new court pleading.
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