AUDIO: ALASKA SERIAL KILLER WANTED EXECUTION DATE: ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Even before he was charged in the slaying of a young barista, Israel Keyes bluntly told authorities in Alaska he would talk about other victims, but only on his terms.
Among the demands issued by the confessed serial killer: He wanted an execution date, not to languish in a maximum security federal prison. During an April 6, 2012, interview, Keyes made his wish known after federal prosecutor Kevin Feldis asked him to specify what his demands were.
"Tell me what you want," the prosecutor said. "I don't know what you want."
Keyes said he wanted everything wrapped up one year from that date.
"If I went to trial on these and got convicted, no jury in the U.S. would not vote for the death penalty for me," Keyes said. "I already know that."
His driving motivation for his execution appeared to be protecting his daughter.
"I'll tell you about everything, I'll plead guilty to whatever, I'll give you every single gory detail you want, but that's what I want, because I want my kid to have a chance to grow up," he said.
"She's in a safe place now, she's not going to see any of this. I want her to have a chance to grow up and not have all this hanging over her head," he said.
KENNEDY NY DEFENSE SAYS TREAT HER LIKE ANYONE ELSE: WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) — Kerry Kennedy's lawyer in her New York drugged-driving case is complaining that prosecutors want the court to be tougher on her than on ordinary defendants.
Attorney Gerald Lefcourt is trying to get the case dismissed. He filed papers Tuesday claiming the district attorney's office is holding Kennedy to a higher standard because of her famous surname.
Kennedy is the daughter of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and the ex-wife of Gov. Andrew Cuomo
She was arrested in July after her Lexus swerved into a tractor-trailer near her home in Bedford, 35 miles north of New York City. She says she accidentally took a sleeping pill instead of her thyroid medication.
The prosecution has argued a dismissal would make it seem people of wealth and privilege are treated differently.
EXXON MOBIL MUST PAY $236M IN NH POLLUTION CASE: CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Exxon Mobil Corp. was found liable Tuesday in a long-running lawsuit over groundwater contamination caused by the gasoline additive MTBE, and the jury ordered the oil giant to pay $236 million to New Hampshire to clean it up.
The jurors reached their verdicts in less than 90 minutes, after sitting through nearly three months of testimony. Lawyers on both sides were stunned by the speed with which they reached the verdict on liability and even more stunned when the jurors took barely 20 minutes more to fill out the damages verdict.
Juror Dawn Booker of Pembroke told The Associated Press that all 12 felt "very, very confident about our decision."
"We've been sitting there for three months listening," Booker said. "It was just cut and dry. We all pretty much had our own decision before we went in there.
"Honest to God, we put a lot of heartfelt thought into it," Booker said. Although the state's burden of proof was a preponderance of the evidence — or 51 percent as the judge explained — Booker said "it was way more than 51 percent for New Hampshire."
CIRCUS ELEPHANT SHOT IN DRIVE-BY SHOT IN MISS.:TUPELO, Miss. (AP) — Authorities say a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus elephant was hit by a bullet in a drive-by shooting in Tupelo, Miss.
Circus spokeswoman Melinda Hartline says the elephant was not seriously hurt Tuesday. She says no other animals were harmed.
The elephant, Carol, is part of a circus in town for a series of performances. The Asian elephant was in an outside area of the Tupelo BancorpSouth Arena.
Police Chief Tony Carleton says a vehicle drove past the arena about 2 a.m. and fired into the area. Police are investigating.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says in a news release that it is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of those responsible. A $250 reward had already been offered.
NY KITTEN SURVIVES BEING THROWN FROM 3RD FLOOR: YONKERS, N.Y. (AP) — A 5-week-old kitten named Precious has survived being tossed out a suburban New York third-floor window during a domestic argument.
Westchester County SPCA enforcement director Ernest Lungaro says the 1-pound female kitten suffered a mouth injury but no broken bones. He says the kitten apparently landed on all fours.
He says the kitten was thrown from the window in a Yonkers apartment building on Sunday and hit the sidewalk. At the time, the kitten's owner was having a dispute with her ex-boyfriend.
Lungaro says the man fled and a warrant has been issued for him, alleging assault and animal abuse.
Lungaro said Tuesday he has seen many instances of animal cruelty during domestic violence.
The fuzzy, white kitten with brown and black markings is now back with her owner.
AMERICAN EAGLE PILOT CHARGED IN ALCOHOL INCIDENT : MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — An American Eagle pilot was charged Tuesday with three gross misdemeanors after authorities said he failed a blood-alcohol test as he was preparing to fly a plane from Minneapolis to New York City in January.
Kolbjorn Jarle Kristiansen, 48, was arrested at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Jan. 4 after airport police and a Transportation Security Administration officer said they smelled alcohol as they walked past a group of four pilots around 5:30 a.m. Authorities said a preliminary test revealed Kristiansen's blood-alcohol content was 0.107, more than double the legal limit for pilots.
Kristiansen, of Raleigh, N.C., was charged in Minnesota's Hennepin County District Court with three counts related to attempting to operate an aircraft under the influence of alcohol. Each count carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a fine of $3,000.
