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Missing Utah soldier’s wife tells informant she shot husband in his sleep and buried his body, police say
A Utah woman has been arrested for investigation of murder after she told a confidential informant that she shot her estranged husband in his sleep and buried him in a shallow grave but did not disclose the location, police said.
Jennifer Gledhill, 41 of Cottonwood Heights, was arrested Wednesday and is jailed in Salt Lake County without bond, according to court records.
The body of Matthew Johnson, 51, had not been found as of Thursday, police said. The Utah National Guard member was reportedly shot late Sept. 20 or early Sept. 21, the informant told police Sept. 28 – six days after Gledhill “openly admitted” to killing Johnson, police records said.
Gledhill said she shot Johnson on the bed, buried his body and removed items from the house and destroyed them to cover up the crime, the informant said.
A search of the house found a bloodstain on the carpet under the bed and blood on the bed frame.
According to CBS affiliate KUTV, the reporting officer added: “Evidence also supports that significant clean up had taken place after this crime had occurred, including bleaching walls, and using carpet cleaning supplies.”
Johnson has had no contact with anyone since Sept. 20, and he did not report to work Sept. 23, officials said. Investigators believe he is dead.
Other court records indicate the couple was going through a contentious divorce and a custody dispute involving their three children. Gledhill had obtained a temporary protective order against Johnson in late August, but a permanent order was denied Sept. 16 – just days before the shooting – after the court commissioner watched videos that Gledhill had taken of arguments and reviewed text message exchanges between the two.
One such video apparently showed Johnson “rather calmly” cleaning up glass from a broken family photo, KUTV reported.
“(Gledhill) presents as eager to record the incident, demonstrating no fear of (Johnson) whatsoever,” Commissioner Russell Minas wrote.
Minas determined that no abuse had occurred. Glehill was equally confrontational, Minas said, and seeking a restraining order appeared to be “a litigation tactic” in their pending divorce, which had been filed in July.
“The conduct of the parties over the past several months is representative of a highly dysfunctional marriage bringing out the worst in the parties – clearly suggestive that an action for divorce should have been filed long before reaching the current state of affairs,” Minas wrote.
Gledhill’s attorneys in the restraining order and divorce cases declined to comment Thursday. No attorney is listed for her in court records.
Johnson and Gledhill had been scheduled to appear in court for divorce proceedings at the end of this month, KUTV reported.
CBS News
Hurricane Helene satellite images show major devastation in North Carolina as death toll continues to rise
A week after Hurricane Helene tore through the U.S. Southeast and devasated western North Carolina with heavy rains and severe flooding, satellite images are showing the extent of the damage.
Officials have previously said hundreds of roads in western North Carolina have been inaccessible because of the storm’s effects, hindering rescue efforts. Residents reported seeing water as high as the roofs of some homes.
At least 219 people have been confirmed dead, and officials say they expect the death toll to continue to rise as recovery efforts continue.
Satellite images show washed-out streets and buildings. One image shows mud and debris near Old Fort Elementary School in Old Fort, North Carolina.
Old Fort is one of the hardest-hit areas, CBS affiliate WNCN-TV reported. Cars, homes and more were pushed along by strong floodwaters. Power, water and other essential services are still yet to be fully restored.
Another satellite image from the town shows empty space where homes once were, and downed trees and power lines.
In the town of Spruce Pine, the local North Toe River overflowed, flooding the region that is also the source of quartz used in microchips, according to NPR.
The town received over two feet of rain, according to the National Weather Service, and images show muddy roads, wrecked homes and more devastation.
President Joe Biden viewed the damage and cleanup efforts in Florida and Georgia on Thursday, and said that the work to rebuild will cost “billions of dollars.” On Wednesday, he visited the Carolinas and surveyed damage by air.
Mr. Biden said then that the federal government will cover 100% of all debris removal and emergency protective measure costs in North Carolina for six months, and will do the same for Florida and Georgia for the next 90 days.
“In moments like this, it’s time to put politics aside,” the president said against the backdrop of a damaged Ray City, Georgia. “There are no Democrats or Republicans out here.”
CBS News
Child dies from rabies after bat found in room, Canada officials say
A child in Canada has died from rabies after being exposed to a bat in their room, health officials said this week.
Dr. Malcolm Lock, the chief medical officer from Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit in Ontario, said Wednesday the child was exposed to the virus in their room from a bat.
“They woke up with a bat in their room,” Lock said, as quoted by Canadian media. “The parents looked, didn’t see any signs of a bite or scratches or saliva, and didn’t seek getting a rabies vaccine, so unfortunately, that child is now deceased.”
The child was hospitalized in early September, according to a statement by Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer, confirming the first domestically acquired case of human rabies in the province since 1967.
“Brant County Health Unit has received laboratory confirmation of a human case of rabies in a resident of Brantford-Brant. The illness is suspected to have been acquired from direct contact with a bat in Ontario.” Dr. Moore said.
No other details, including the child’s age and gender, have been released.
“Due to reasons of personal health information and patient confidentiality, I cannot comment further on the case mentioned,” a spokesperson from Health Ontario told CBS News in an email.
How is rabies spread and what are the symptoms?
Rabies is a deadly viral infection that attacks the nervous system in humans and animals, causing brain and spinal cord inflammation. It is typically spread to humans through direct contact with the saliva of an infected animal through scratching or biting.
Rabies is commonly found in bats, raccoons, foxes, skunks and some household pets. Without proper and prompt treatment after symptoms appear, rabies is nearly 100 percent fatal in both animals and humans, according to Haldimand and Norfolk Health Services, where the child was admitted. Bats pose a unique risk because their scratches can be hard to notice due to their small teeth, and bats cannot be vaccinated through provincial programs, health officials said.
If bitten by an animal suspected of carrying the virus, health officials advise washing the wound thoroughly with soap and water for 15 minutes and immediately seeking medical attention.
According to the CDC, the incubation period of rabies may last from weeks to months, depending on the location of exposure, severity of exposure and age.
“The first symptoms of rabies, called prodrome, maybe like the flu, including weakness, discomfort, fever, or headache. There also may be discomfort, prickling, or an itching sensation at the site of the bite. These symptoms may last for several days,” the CDC says.
In Canada, there have been 28 known cases of rabies in humans since reporting began in 1924, according to the federal government’s data. All the cases were fatal.
Just last week, a U.S. citizen died due to rabies exposure after being exposed to a bat in western Minnesota in July.
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