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Alon, Oren and Tal Alexander face life imprisonment after a tense Manhattan hearing saw their attorneys clash with the judge over sentencing calculations, victim statements and prison arrangements.
The Alexander brothers returned to Manhattan federal court Monday, October 19, for a heated final confrontation over their approaching sentences. Alon, Oren and Tal Alexander were convicted in March following a sex-trafficking trial featuring graphic testimony from 11 women. Federal prosecutors want all three imprisoned for life, while their attorneys are seeking 15-year sentences.
Judge Valerie Caproni repeatedly challenged the defense’s objections to sentencing enhancements, suggesting their attorneys were throwing arguments against the wall to see what would stick. Lawyers disputed allegations involving physical restraint, drugging a minor and using electronic communications to recruit women. Caproni rejected one objection concerning a vulnerable victim and indicated that several disputed calculations would have little influence on her final decision.
The defense also challenged victim impact statements from women whose allegations were not part of the indictment or trial. Caproni refused to remove their written accounts from the record, although she reserved judgment on some requests to speak at sentencing. Eleven women are expected to address the court, and the judge encouraged both sides to discuss possible restitution.
Perhaps the sharpest exchange concerned whether the brothers should serve their sentences together. Caproni suggested their history demonstrated they were terrible influences on one another and that separate prisons might better protect society. Defense attorneys warned that separation would damage their emotional well-being, but the judge appeared unmoved. All three brothers are scheduled to be sentenced October 27.
Hot Take: The Alexanders arrived with a stack of objections and a plea to stay together. The judge wasn’t buying much of either. Three brothers, one courtroom and a prison system preparing to make room.
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David Anthony Burke appeared before a Los Angeles judge as his new public defenders requested additional evidence ahead of his trial over the killing of Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
Singer David Anthony Burke, known professionally as D4vd, returned to a Los Angeles courtroom Monday for a status hearing lasting only a few minutes. The 21-year-old, charged with murdering 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, appeared clean-shaven with longer hair as his public defenders confirmed they were working with prosecutors to obtain additional evidence. Judge Charlaine Olmedo scheduled his next appearance for January 11, 2027.
Burke’s defense is now handled by deputy public defenders Walid Kandeel and Nicole Jones following the abrupt withdrawal of his three private attorneys in August. Celeste’s family has questioned his eligibility for publicly funded representation, citing his music earnings and business interests. The Public Defender’s Office maintains that Burke qualified following a financial assessment, while the reasons for his former attorneys’ departure remain undisclosed.
Prosecutors allege Burke sexually abused Celeste before killing her in April 2025 and dismembering her body, which was found inside his Tesla in Hollywood five months later. A July preliminary hearing examined messages, cellphone records, financial transactions and forensic evidence, resulting in a ruling that the charges should proceed to trial. Burke has pleaded not guilty, and prosecutors have not announced whether they will seek the death penalty.
Hot Take: A teenage girl ended up dismembered in a Tesla. The singer accused of killing her spent a few minutes in court and got another date in January. The calendar keeps moving. Celeste isn’t coming home.
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Christopher “Dudus” Coke once controlled a notorious Jamaican criminal organization before receiving a 23-year federal prison sentence. Now his name has surfaced in the mystery surrounding Diddy’s head injury.
The reported prison fight involving Sean “Diddy” Combs has drawn renewed attention to Christopher “Dudus” Coke, the convicted Jamaican drug lord allegedly responsible for the rapper’s recent head injury. Coke, 57, formerly led the Shower Posse, a criminal organization involved in international drug and weapons trafficking. He was serving a 23-year sentence at FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey when the alleged confrontation reportedly occurred.
Coke inherited leadership of the organization established by his father, Lester, and built an operation that American prosecutors described as relying on intimidation and violence. Despite his criminal activities, he developed considerable support in West Kingston through community programs and financial assistance to residents. His 2010 capture followed a major Jamaican security operation, and he pleaded guilty in Manhattan the following year to racketeering-related charges.
TMZ alleged that Coke confronted Combs after prison authorities confiscated a contraband cellphone during a crackdown following reports of privileged treatment for the music mogul. Earlier accounts blamed Combs’ injury on a collision with a bunk bed, while his family has denied any fight occurred. Federal prison officials have also disputed the confrontation, leaving the circumstances of Combs’ reported hospital visit unresolved.
Hot Take: Dudus once ran a criminal empire in Kingston. Now he’s been accused of knocking Diddy around over a confiscated phone. The prison says it never happened, which leaves the bunk bed back in the lineup.
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The Today host hopes to return to her mother’s ancestral homeland with her children while investigators continue searching for Nancy Guthrie.
Savannah Guthrie is planning a family trip to Ireland next summer as the search for her missing mother, Nancy, continues without an arrest. The Today presenter announced Monday that she hopes to return in June with her children, Vale and Charley, following a special broadcast from Ireland last week. Her mother’s family traced its roots to Galway, giving the visit a deeply personal connection.
Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her Arizona home in February in what investigators suspect was an abduction. Authorities have not publicly identified a suspect, and the family has offered a $1 million reward for information about her whereabouts. Reported ransom communications have claimed that Nancy died shortly after her disappearance, although investigators have not established what happened to her.
During Friday’s Irish broadcast, Savannah visited the Cliffs of Moher and explored the country’s western coastline, describing the scenery as extraordinary. Returning to the studio Monday, she told her colleagues she was already planning another visit with her children. The family continues appealing for information about Nancy while trying to preserve connections to the woman whose disappearance has overshadowed their year.
Hot Take: Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Arizona home, leaving a million-dollar reward and a family waiting for answers. Savannah is taking her children to the country their grandmother’s family came from. Some journeys begin with a plane ticket. Others begin with an empty chair.
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The Little House on the Prairie actress shared a cryptic message after a judge dismissed all four charges against her husband over misconduct during grand jury proceedings.
Melissa Gilbert has publicly responded to the dismissal of criminal sexual contact charges against her husband, actor Timothy Busfield, sharing a message about goodness prevailing after months of legal turmoil. The former Little House on the Prairie star posted an image featuring the words “So shines a good deed in a weary world” on Instagram Friday, October 16, without adding a caption.
The post followed a ruling by New Mexico Judge Joseph Montaño dismissing all four counts against Busfield, 69, after finding that prosecutors improperly restricted grand jurors’ access to additional witnesses. The allegations involved two 11-year-old boys who appeared on the television series The Cleaning Lady, where Busfield worked as a director and producer. He has consistently denied wrongdoing, and prosecutors are considering whether to present the case to another grand jury.
Gilbert, who married Busfield in 2013, previously described the investigation as devastating to their family and insisted her husband would never harm a child. During an April television interview, she said their careers, plans and reputation had been severely damaged by the allegations. Busfield’s attorney welcomed the dismissal as a victory, although the ruling addressed procedural violations rather than determining his innocence.
Hot Take: Busfield’s indictment is gone, and Melissa Gilbert has found her Shakespeare. The prosecutors still have the option of trying again. The curtain’s down, but somebody left the stage lights on.
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