Dabei handelt es sich um Kriminelle aus unserer Region, die in den letzten sieben Tagen eingesperrt wurden

Achtzehn Personen wurden diese Woche nach Anhörungen vor dem Liverpool Crown Court eingesperrt. Ein Mann wurde inhaftiert, weil er in einem Fall, der der erste seiner Art im Nordwesten war, schreckliche Videos von gefolterten Affenbabys geteilt hatte.

Ein weiterer Mann wurde inhaftiert, nachdem er als Nachtaufseher im Alder Hey Children’s Hospital auf abscheuliche Weise misshandelt wurde. Sieben Männer wurden zu insgesamt 91 Jahren Haft verurteilt, weil sie an einer groß angelegten Verschwörung zur Kokainversorgung im ganzen Land beteiligt gewesen waren.

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Ein LKW-Fahrer wurde ebenfalls inhaftiert, weil er eine schlafende Frau getötet hatte, die er fälschlicherweise für einen „Müllsack und eine gefaltete Bettdecke“ hielt. Hier sind die Gesichter von 18 Angeklagten aus unserer Region, die in den letzten sieben Tagen inhaftiert waren:

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Joel Hastings, Jake Howells und Daniel Howells

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Drei Männer wurden nach einer Schießerei Anfang des Jahres zu insgesamt 44 Jahren Haft verurteilt. Joel Hastings, 30, aus Andrew Street, Walton, wurde wegen Besitzes einer Schusswaffe mit der Absicht, Leben zu gefährden, und Verschwörung zur Begehung von GBH zu 16 Jahren Haft verurteilt.

Jake Howells, 24, aus Langham Street, Walton, und Daniel Howells, 24, aus Field Lane, Litherland, wurden wegen der Verschwörung zur Begehung schwerer Körperverletzung jeweils zu 14 Jahren Gefängnis verurteilt.

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Es geschah, nachdem ein 26-jähriger Mann am 5. Januar kurz nach Mittag in der Nähe einer Grundschule in Harrops Croft, Netherton, ins Bein geschossen wurde. Damals wurden mehrere Straßen und ein Bereich in der Nähe der Grange Primary School abgesperrt und die Eltern wurden aufgefordert, ihre Kinder umgehend abzuholen.

Alle drei Männer werden ihre Lizenz um vier Jahre verlängern. Sie wurden im August vor dem Liverpool Crown Court für schuldig befunden.

John Porter, James Cook, Paul Cook, Marco Riley, Matthew O’Keefe, Daniel O’Keefe und John O’Keefe

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Sieben Männer aus Merseyside wurden zu insgesamt 91 Jahren Haft verurteilt, weil sie an einer groß angelegten Verschwörung zur Kokainversorgung im ganzen Land beteiligt waren. Die folgenden Männer wurden alle am Donnerstag, dem 26. September, vor dem Liverpool Crown Court wegen Verschwörung zur Lieferung von Drogen der Klasse A und Verschwörung zur Verschleierung, Verschleierung, Umwandlung, Übertragung oder Entfernung von kriminellem Eigentum verurteilt:

• James Cook, 42, aus Mereview Crescent, Croxteth, wurde zu 14 Jahren und vier Monaten Gefängnis verurteilt
• Paul Cook, 39, aus Marford Road, Croxteth, wurde zu 14 Jahren und vier Monaten Gefängnis verurteilt
• Marco Riley, 47, aus Sonning Avenue, Litherland, wurde zu 13 Jahren und sechs Monaten Gefängnis verurteilt
• Matthew O’Keefe, 47, aus Kings Road, Bootle, wurde zu 12 Jahren und fünf Monaten Gefängnis verurteilt
• Daniel O’Keefe, 44, aus Lavender Way, Walton, wurde zu neun Jahren und fünf Monaten Gefängnis verurteilt
• John O’Keefe, 34, aus Oxford Road, Bootle, wurde zu sieben Jahren Gefängnis verurteilt
• John Porter, 44, aus Altcar Lane, Lydiate, wurde wegen Verschwörung zur Lieferung von Drogen der Klasse A und Verschwörung zur Brandstiftung zu 20 Jahren Haft verurteilt.

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John Lefevre

Ein Mann, der sich selbst per Livestream übertragen hat, als er vor einer Kirche eine abscheuliche Schimpferei ausführte, wurde inhaftiert. Am Montag, dem 5. August, veröffentlichte John Lefevre ein Facebook-Live-Video, in dem er einer Gruppe von Männern und Frauen gegenüberstand, die vor der Trinity Methodist Church in der Peel House Lane in Widnes standen, während dort ihre wöchentliche Unterstützungssitzung für Flüchtlinge und Asylsuchende stattfand.

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Der 35-Jährige aus Albert Road, Widnes, wurde wegen rassistisch motivierter vorsätzlicher Belästigung zu sechs Monaten Gefängnis verurteilt.

Alec Keiran

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Ein LKW-Fahrer, der mit seinem Lastwagen eine schlafende Frau angefahren und getötet hatte, sagte, er habe sie mit einem „Müllsack und einer gefalteten Bettdecke“ verwechselt. Nicole Cummings, 24, schlief am 10. August letzten Jahres draußen vor der Shell-Garage an der Scotland Road in Everton, als sie von Alec Keiran angefahren wurde, als er mit seinem Volvo-Truck über den Bordstein fuhr.

Der 52-Jährige aus Daisy Meadow in Bamber Bridge bekannte sich schuldig, durch unvorsichtiges Fahren den Tod herbeigeführt zu haben. Das Gericht hörte, dass Keirans Haus mit Kameras ausgestattet war und wenn er beim Umdrehen eine Anzeige eingeschaltet hätte, hätte dies ein klares Bild von Nicole gezeigt, die auf dem Boden schlief.

Außerdem hatte ihm sein Arbeitgeber eine Gefährdungsbeurteilung für die Gegend vorgelegt, in der er warnte: „Belebter Vorplatz mit Autos und Kunden in der Gegend. Steigen Sie im Zweifelsfall aus dem Fahrzeug und überprüfen Sie die Umgebung.“

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Keiran wurde heute zu 12 Monaten Gefängnis verurteilt, weil er durch fahrlässiges Fahren den Tod herbeigeführt hatte, und ihm wurde außerdem ein 12-monatiges Fahrverbot auferlegt, das mit seiner Freilassung beginnt.

Peter Stanley

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Ein Mann, der ins Gefängnis geschickt wurde, weil er Videos von gefolterten Affenbabys in einer abscheulichen privaten Facebook-Gruppe geteilt hatte, ist die erste Strafverfolgung dieser Art im Nordwesten. Für den Fall, der ebenso bizarr wie schrecklich ist, gab es nicht einmal eine Richtlinie zur Strafzumessung, die die einzelnen Anwälte und der vorsitzende Richter berücksichtigen konnten.

Peter Stanley, 42, war Teil einer widerlichen privaten Facebook-Gruppe namens „Monkey Sauce“, in der Mitglieder dazu ermutigt wurden, ihre eigenen verstörenden Videos anzusehen und zu posten. Der Angeklagte aus Dovecot Avenue, Dovecot, erschien letzten Monat vor dem Liverpool Magistrates’ Court, wo er in drei Fällen für schuldig befunden wurde, einen obszönen Artikel über Tierquälerei veröffentlicht zu haben.

Der Richter erklärte dem Angeklagten, dass eine sofortige Freiheitsstrafe „unumgänglich“ sei und verurteilte ihn zu einer Freiheitsstrafe von 20 Monaten.

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Michael Boulton

Ein Horror-Freund nannte seine Partnerin eine „Schlampe“ und unterstellte ihr, sie sei untreu gewesen, bevor sie nach einer betrunkenen Nacht ihre Wohnung in Brand steckte. Michael Boulton, 40, war mehrere Jahre mit seiner Partnerin zusammen, deren Name vor Gericht als Frau Douglas verlesen wurde, aber die Beziehung scheiterte 2023, nachdem er wegen Körperverletzung, bei der sie das Opfer war, zu einer Bewährungsstrafe verurteilt wurde.

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Nach seiner Entlassung aus der Untersuchungshaft entfachte ihre Beziehung einigermaßen wieder und am 19. April dieses Jahres war er in ihrer Wohnung in St. Helens. Boulton beschuldigte seine Partnerin des Betrugs, bevor er ihren Mantel an der Rückseite der Tür anzündete.

Das Gericht hörte, dass der Angeklagte, der früher im Kendal Drive in St. Helens wohnte, auch zwei weitere Brände in der Wohnung gelegt hatte – eines auf der Fensterbank, das den Fernseher beschädigte, und ein weiteres neben dem Bett, das die Matratze verbrannte. Nach dem jüngsten Vorfall verließ Frau Douglas die Wohnung und sah, wie der Angeklagte ein Messer dicht an seinen Hals hielt. Es gelang ihr, ihm das Messer zu entreißen, bevor er sich verletzen konnte.

Boulton wurde zu drei Jahren und drei Monaten Haft verurteilt.

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Jack Parkinson und Baylee Elliott

Zwei jugendliche Drogendealer wurden in die Falle gelockt, als die Polizei im Rahmen einer Untersuchung der Bezirksgrenzen ihr Grundstück stürmte. Jack Parkinson, 18, und Baylee Elliott, 19, waren an der Massenwerbung und dem Verkauf von Drogen auf einem Grundstück in Hunt’s Cross beteiligt.

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Das Paar erschien heute, am 24. September, per Videolink von HMP Altcourse vor dem Liverpool Crown Court, nachdem es sich einer Reihe von Straftaten schuldig bekannt hatte. Parkinson bekannte sich des Besitzes von Drogen der Klasse A (Heroin, Crack-Kokain) mit der Absicht, Drogen zu liefern, rassistisch motivierter Drohgebärden, tätlichen Angriffs auf einen Rettungsdienstmitarbeiter und Besitz von Ketamin schuldig.

Elliott aus Yew Tree Road, Halewood, bekannte sich schuldig, besorgt über die Lieferung von Ketamin, Cannabis und Kokain gewesen zu sein. Außerdem gab er am 5. Januar 2024 zwei weitere Fälle von Besitz mit der Absicht, Klasse A und drei Fälle von Klasse B zu liefern, und am 5. Mai zwei Fälle von Besitz mit der Absicht, Klasse A und zwei Fälle von Klasse B zu liefern, zu 2023.

Sie verurteilte Parkinson zu insgesamt drei Jahren und einem Monat Haft in einer Jugendstrafanstalt und Elliot zu drei Jahren und vier Monaten Gefängnis. Außerdem erließ sie gegen beide Männer eine fünfjährige Haftstrafe, was bedeutet, dass sie nur über ein Mobiltelefon und eine SIM-Karte verfügen dürfen, die sie bei der Polizei registrieren müssen. Luke Derby, 19, aus Halewood, bekannte sich des Besitzes mit der Absicht, Klasse A (Heroin, Crack-Kokain) zu liefern, schuldig und wird am 8. November verurteilt.

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Robert Collins

Ein in Ungnade gefallener Lehrer schickte Bilder seiner nackten Genitalien an Mädchen im Teenageralter und flehte sie um unanständige Fotos an, nachdem er sie online ins Visier genommen hatte. Robert Collins, 39, war Leiter der Kunstabteilung der Formby High School, als er über einen Zeitraum von vier Jahren perverse Nachrichten an mehrere junge Mädchen schickte.

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Seine Straftat wurde im Juni 2023 aufgedeckt, als Collins Online-Nachrichten an ein seiner Meinung nach 12-jähriges Mädchen schickte. Er erzählte dem Jugendlichen – der in Wirklichkeit ein Undercover-Polizist war –, dass er Lehrer sei und fragte sie: „Was ist das Schlimmste, was Sie je getan haben?“ Er fragte auch, ob sie mit ihm in Haft bleiben wolle.

Er bat sie wiederholt, ihm Bilder ihres Körpers zu schicken und sagte ihr: „Ich frage nur, weil ich dich sehr mag.“ Er schickte dem „Mädchen“ auch eine Nahaufnahme eines erigierten Penis und des Oberkörpers eines Mannes zusammen mit der Nachricht: „Hier ist mein D*** X“.

Er bekannte sich in vier Fällen der sexuellen Kommunikation mit einem Kind schuldig, in vier Fällen der Verursachung oder Anstiftung eines Kindes zu sexuellen Aktivitäten und in einem Fall des Besitzes unanständiger Bilder von Kindern (Kategorie C). Collins wurde zu insgesamt zwei Jahren und sechs Monaten Gefängnis verurteilt.

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Graham Goodchild

Ein ehemaliger Mitarbeiter des Alder-Hey-Kinderkrankenhauses missbrauchte seine vertraute Position, um die von ihm betreuten Jungen zu pflegen und sexuell zu belästigen. Der 81-jährige Graham Goodchild missbrauchte in den 1960er und 1970er Jahren während seiner Arbeit als Nachtaufseher im Krankenhaus vier Jungen sexuell und griff einen Jugendlichen an, der hilflos in seinem Krankenhausbett lag.

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Die meisten sexuellen Übergriffe ereigneten sich in den Häusern der Opfer oder im Haus von Goodchild in Merseyside oder auf Tagesausflügen in Parks, wobei ein Opfer im Krankenhaus misshandelt wurde. Goodchilds Straftat wurde erstmals 2012 von einem seiner Opfer angezeigt – das Opfer hatte jedoch geglaubt, Goodchild sei ein Arzt, und die Ermittlungen wurden von der Polizei von Merseyside eingestellt, nachdem bei Alder Hey keine Aufzeichnungen über einen Dr. Goodchild gefunden wurden.

Erst 2019, als das Opfer in lokalen Zeitungsarchiven einen Eintrag mit Goodchilds Namen fand, konnte der ehemalige Nachtkommissar endlich identifiziert werden. Goodchild aus Firtree Way, Southampton, hatte alle Vergehen bestritten. Nach einem Gerichtsverfahren Anfang des Jahres wurde er jedoch in 17 Fällen sexuellen Übergriffs und eines versuchten sexuellen Übergriffs für schuldig befunden.

Er verurteilte Goodchild zu mindestens 24 Jahren Gefängnis mit einer Verlängerung um ein Jahr.

The Baltimore Ravens may have started the season 0-2, but they are now on a roll after earning their second straight victory, 35-10, against the undefeated Buffalo Bills on Sunday night at M&T Bank Stadium.

The league’s best rushing attack was back as Derrick Henry had a monster game with 199 yards on 24 carries and an 87-yard touchdown that scored the Ravens’ first offensive play of the game.

Henry, getting a great block from fullback Patrick Ricard, saw the light and didn’t waste it as he hit the Jets down the right sideline for a franchise-best 87 yards for the score.

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The Bills simply had no answer for Henry all night as the runs confounded the Bills in all four quarters.

In addition to Henry’s dominance, quarterback Lamar Jackson also got the job done with his legs. He gained 54 yards rushing on six carries and hit the ground himself.

And although running back Justice Hill only had 14 yards rushing, he was a key factor in the passing game for Jackson, who caught him six times for a game-high 78 yards with a touchdown.

DERRICK HENRY’S STUNNING 87-YARD TOUCHDOWN RUN MAKES RAVENS HISTORY

Jackson was extremely efficient through the air, going 13 of 18 for 156 yards with two touchdowns, the first of which went through the air to Henry before finding Hill later in the game.

Meanwhile, coming into this high-octane Sunday night matchup on the road, Josh Allen and the Bills came back down to earth as John Harbaugh’s group started the real blitz that had him running all over the field.

Allen couldn’t reach the end zone with either his legs or his cannon arm, as he was just 16 of 29 for 180 yards passing while rushing for 21 yards on five attempts.

Buffalo never had the same success moving the ball quickly and effectively as it did in the first three games this season, as Allen had to fake three times and sprint to his right just to find Khalil Shakir (4 catches, 62 yards) on a drive in the third quarter for 52 yards to set up Buffalo’s only touchdown drive of the game.

It was Ty Johnson who scored for Buffalo from three yards out in a 21:10 game.

However, things got out of hand when Allen was sacked on the team’s next drive and Jackson led his rushing touchdown drive to pull away again.

Then, after Buffalo kicker Tyler Bass missed a field goal, Baltimore scored again when Ricard went down in the end zone on a Henry fumble at the goal line, making the score 35-10.

It was total dominance by the Ravens, who look more like the team that had the best weekly record in the NFL last season.

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Meanwhile, the Bills suffered a tough loss on the road that brings them back to reality, but is by no means a worrisome starting point heading into Week 5.

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In the fourth quarter, with less than eight minutes left in Game 1 of Sunday’s semifinal game between the Liberty and the Aces, Las Vegas’ Alysha Clark cheated far to the basket to help Breanna Stewart on defense and let Sabrina Ionescu pass open wing.

Stewart sent the ball to Ionescu, who made one of her two consecutive 3-pointers in the Liberty’s 87-77 win in front of a sellout crowd at Barclays Center.

After sinking the shot, Ionescu ran past Spike Lee and jubilantly pointed at the filmmaker and Brooklyn native.

Lee, wearing an Ionescu jersey, pointed back at the Liberty star with enthusiasm.

While the friendship was in the spotlight during the Liberty’s playoff run, the growing relationship between the two New York celebrities dates back to 2020, when Ionescu was the No. 1 overall pick in the draft out of Oregon.

“To be honest, I think he was the first person who called me when I got drafted here,” Ionescu said after the win. “I think that’s a story that I don’t know if I’ve ever said. But I think he was the first one to call me and just tell me how excited he was about New York becoming No. 1. Every time I saw him out and about, we’d just have a quick chat and I’d keep telling him he had to come to a game because this was different than anything else. To be able to see him here cheering us on loudly, he was over there chirping at the referees and talking to the players, which was really fun. But of course it’s exciting to see the support we get from all the New York fans.”

Ionescu and Lee also shared a high-five in Liberty’s Game 2 victory over the Dream in the first round of the playoffs.

Before he hit the ball downfield, Lee held out his hand to the three-time All-Star, and just seconds later Ionescu drove in for a layup.

She said she felt like New York had been injected into her veins at that moment.

Jonquel Jones called it the “Spiderwoman” touch.

Lee was seen on the sidelines at countless Knicks games and always singled out a specific player.

On Sunday, he brought that same energy to the start of the Liberty semifinals, choosing to attack Aces guard Kelsey Plum, who tweeted back and told Lee to “speak louder.”

It was all “fun” for Plum, she said after the game.

She also admitted that it was “cool” to have him there at the start of the best-of-five series.

Ionescu scored 21 points while shooting 50 percent from distance while also notching five assists, two steals, four rebounds and a block.

The Detroit Red Wings narrowly missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024. Detroit had its best season since 2015-16, when they last reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, they were eliminated on the final day of the regular season. The Philadelphia Flyers lost to the Washington Capitals, who eliminated Detroit from the playoffs.

Detroit had an interesting offseason. They added experienced talent to the NHL free agency roster. However, compared to previous years, there was a much more reserved free agency period. The Red Wings also signed Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider to long-term contracts. Both players entered NHL free agency as restricted free agents.

Whether Detroit did enough to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs remains to be seen. Luckily, we don’t have to wait long to see this team in action on the ice. Here’s a full Red Wings season preview, including a projected roster and a look at where they stand in the expected playoff picture.

A look at the Red Wings’ planned roster

The Red Wings have notable names all over the ice. Detroit’s forward group is the team’s strength. Dylan Larkin is the team’s captain and top center. At his side are Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat, two highly skilled young wingers. Additionally, experienced wingers Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko are expected to make an impact.

Defensively there are some question marks. However, the Red Wings still have some strong pieces. Moritz Seider is the team’s best defender and one of the best young defenders in the league. Veteran Erik Gustafsson signed a two-year contract this summer. Detroit expects him to play a role on the power play this year. They also expect Simon Edvinsson to be a regular in the squad in 2024/25.

The biggest question for the Red Wings is scoring. Detroit is expected to have three goaltenders to start the year. Ville Husso returns after missing most of last season due to injury. Alex Lyon hopes to build on an up-and-down 2023/24 season. And Cam Talbot is moving to Detroit after a successful time with the Los Angeles Kings. Here’s a complete look at the Red Wings’ projected roster:

Forward – Dylan Larkin, Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond, JT Compher, Patrick Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko, Andrew Copp, Michael Rasmussen, Jonatan Berggren, Joe Veleno, Christian Fischer, Carter Mazur, Tyler Motte

Defender – Moritz Seider, Ben Chiarot, Simon Edvinsson, Erik Gustafsson, Olli Maatta, Jeff Petry, Justin Holl

goalkeeper – Cam Talbot, Alex Lyon, Ville Husso

Detroit’s outlook for the 2024-25 season

The Red Wings are not playing abroad like they did last year. However, there are still some very interesting encounters on the program. Detroit opens its 2024-25 season on October 10 at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins. These teams met in the 2008 and 2009 Stanley Cup Finals.

The Red Wings will then host the Nashville Predators on October 12th. This game is significant because it is Steven Stamkos’ first road game against Nashville. Detroit was rumored as a potential landing spot for Stamkos during NHL free agency this summer. They had also shown interest in 2016 before he re-signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Last year, Detroit played in the NHL Global Series. This year the team is taking part in the NHL Stadium Series. On March 1, 2025, the Red Wings will face the Columbus Blue Jackets at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. This is Detroit’s first outdoor game since the 2017 Centennial Classic against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

If the Red Wings are in the playoff hunt, their final five games could be very important. Four of Detroit’s last five games are against Eastern Conference opponents. And three of them are against teams in the Atlantic Division. Detroit will conclude its 2024-25 regular season on April 17, 2025 on the road against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

What the Red Wings’ playoff picture looks like

The Red Wings are one of the more interesting teams to consider ahead of the 2024-25 season. On the one hand, Detroit has improved in the offseason despite the reluctance they had in free agency. However, it is difficult to estimate how much they have improved over the summer.

Detroit should be in the middle of the playoff race. They have to deal with difficult competition. Especially in the Atlantic Division. The Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabers and Ottawa Senators all made progress this summer. And it’s hard to imagine players like the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers taking significant steps backwards.

The Red Wings are a playoff bubble team at this point. Detroit has the talent to make the postseason this year. But they will need a significant improvement in their squad. And as the 2024-25 season progresses, they may need other teams to make a mistake.

LOS ANGELES — Kris Kristofferson, a Rhodes scholar with a deft writing style and rugged charisma who became a country music superstar and a high-profile Hollywood actor, has died.

Kristofferson died Saturday at his home in Maui, Hawaii, family spokeswoman Ebie McFarland said in an email. He was 88.

McFarland said Kristofferson died peacefully surrounded by his family. No reason was given.

Beginning in the late 1960s, the Brownsville native wrote country and rock ‘n’ roll standards such as “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” “Help Me Make it Through the Night,” “For the Good Times” and “Me “. and Bobby McGee. Kristofferson was a singer himself, but many of his songs became known primarily through being sung by others, be it Ray Price singing “For the Good Times” or Janis Joplin belting out “Me and Bobby McGee.”

He starred opposite Ellen Burstyn in Martin Scorsese’s 1974 film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, opposite Barbra Streisand in 1976’s A Star Is Born, and starred opposite Wesley Snipes in Marvel’s Blade in 1998 “.

Kristofferson, who could recite William Blake by heart, wove intricate folk lyrics about loneliness and tender romance into popular country music. With his long hair and bell-bottoms and counterculture songs influenced by Bob Dylan, he represented a new generation of country songwriters alongside colleagues like Willie Nelson, John Prine and Tom T. Hall.

“There is no better songwriter than Kris Kristofferson,” Nelson said at a BMI awards ceremony for Kristofferson in 2009. “Everything he writes is a standard, and we all have to live with that.”

Kristofferson retired from performing and recording in 2021 and only made occasional guest appearances on stage, including an appearance with Cash’s daughter Rosanne at Nelson’s 90th birthday party at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles in 2023. The two sang “Loving Her Was Easier ( Than Anything”)” I’ll Ever Do Again)”, a song that was a hit for Kristofferson and a long-time live hit for Nelson, another great interpreter of his works.

Nelson and Kristofferson joined forces with Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings to form the country supergroup The Highwaymen in the mid-1980s.

Kristofferson was a Golden Gloves boxer, rugby star and football player in college; received a master’s degree in English from Merton College, University of Oxford, England; and flew helicopters as a captain in the U.S. Army, but turned down a teaching position at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, to pursue songwriting in Nashville. Hoping to break into the industry, he worked as a part-time janitor at Columbia Records’ Music Row studio in 1966 when Dylan recorded tracks for the groundbreaking double album Blonde on Blonde.

At times, the legend of Kristofferson was larger than real life. Cash liked to tell a mostly exaggerated story about how Kristofferson landed a helicopter on Cash’s lawn, beer in hand, to give him a cassette of “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down.” Over the years, Kristofferson has said in interviews, with all due respect to Cash, that although he landed at Cash’s house in a helicopter, the Man in Black wasn’t even home at the time, the demo tape was a song that no one had really cut it yet, and He certainly couldn’t fly a helicopter with a beer.

In an interview with The Associated Press in 2006, he said that without Cash he might not have had a career.

“Shaking his hand backstage at the Grand Ole Opry when I was still in the Army was the moment I decided to come back,” Kristofferson said. “It was electric. He kind of took me under his wing before cutting one of my songs. He recorded my first record, which was record of the year. He brought me on stage for the first time.”

One of his most recorded songs, “Me and Bobby McGee,” was written at the recommendation of Monument Records founder Fred Foster. Foster had a song title in mind called “Me and Bobby McKee,” named after a secretary in his building. Kristofferson said in an interview in Performing Songwriter magazine that after watching the Frederico Fellini film “La Strada,” he was inspired to write the lyrics about a man and a woman traveling together.

Joplin, who had a close relationship with Kristofferson, changed the lyrics to make Bobby McGee a man and cut her version just days before she died of a drug overdose in 1970. The recording became a posthumous No. 1 hit for Joplin.

Hits Kristofferson recorded include “Watch Closely Now,” “Desperados Waiting for a Train,” “A Song I’d Like to Sing” and “Jesus Was a Capricorn.”

In 1973, he married fellow songwriter Rita Coolidge and together they had a successful duet career that earned them two Grammy awards. They divorced in 1980.

Forming the Highwaymen with Nelson, Cash and Jennings was another crucial point in his career as an artist.

“I think what made me different from the other guys was that I went in as a fan of all of them,” Kristofferson told the AP in 2005. “I had respect for them when I was in the army. When I went to Nashville, they were my big heroes to me because they were people who took music seriously. To not only be welcomed by them, but to be friends with them and work alongside them, was just a little surreal. It was like seeing his face on Mount Rushmore.”

The group only released three albums between 1985 and 1995. Jennings died in 2002 and Cash died a year later. Kristofferson said in 2005 that there had been talks about reforming the group with other artists such as George Jones or Hank Williams Jr., but Kristofferson said it wouldn’t have been the same.

“Looking back now, I know I hear Willie saying it was the best time of his life,” Kristofferson said in 2005. “I wish I was more aware of how short that time would be.” It lasted several years, but it was still like the blink of an eye. I wish I had enjoyed every moment.”

Of the four, only Nelson is still alive.

Kristofferson’s sharp-tongued political lyrics sometimes dented his popularity, particularly in the late 1980s. His 1989 album “Third World Warrior” focused on Central America and the impact of US politics there, but critics and fans were not enthusiastic about the overtly political songs.

During an interview with the AP in 1995, he said he remembered a woman complaining about one of the songs about killing babies in the name of freedom.

“And I said, ‘Well, what made you mad – the fact that I said it or the fact that we’re doing it?’ To me, they were angry at me for telling them what was going on.”

As the son of an Air Force general, he enlisted in the army in the 1960s because it was expected of him.

“I was in ROTC in college and it was just a given in my family that I would serve,” he said in a 2006 AP interview. “Because of my background and the generation I grew up in, honor and service to your country just came naturally. So when people later questioned some of the things that were done in his name, it was particularly painful.”

Hollywood may have saved his music career. He still gained notoriety through his film and television appearances, even though he couldn’t afford to tour with a full band.

Kristofferson’s first role was in Dennis Hopper’s “The Last Movie” in 1971.

He had a penchant for westerns and used his gravelly voice to play attractive, stoic leading men. He was Burstyn’s rugged, handsome lover in “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” and a tragic rock star in a rocky relationship with Streisand in “A Star Is Born,” a role Bradley Cooper reprized in the 2018 remake.

He was the young titular criminal in director Sam Peckinpah’s 1973 “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid,” a truck driver in the same director’s 1978 “Convoy,” and a corrupt sheriff in director John Sayles’ “Lone Star.” 1996. He also starred in one of Hollywood’s biggest financial flops, “Heaven’s Gate,” a 1980 western that went tens of millions of dollars over budget.

And in a rare appearance in a superhero film, he played the mentor of Snipes’ vampire hunter in Blade.

In a 2006 AP interview, he described how he got his first acting gigs while performing in Los Angeles.

“Coincidentally, my first professional gig was at the Troubadour in LA opening for Linda Rondstadt,” Kristofferson said. “Robert Hilburn (Los Angeles Times music critic) wrote a fantastic review and the concert was postponed for a week,” Kristofferson said. “A lot of film people came in and I started getting film offers without having any experience. Of course, I had no performance experience either.”

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Hall reported from Nashville. AP National Writer Hillel Italie contributed to this report.

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This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Rosanne Cash.

MINNEAPOLIS – Marina Mabrey scored 20 points and Alyssa Thomas added 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists and the Connecticut Sun defeated the Minnesota Lynx 73-70 in Game 1 of their semifinal series on Sunday night.

DiJonai Carrington had 13 points and DeWanna Bonner had 10 points and 11 boards for the Sun.

Napheesa Collierwho averaged 40 points first round of the playoffsled Minnesota with 19 points and nine rebounds. Bridget Carleton scored 17 and Kayla McBride added 12.

Game 2 of the best-of-5 series will be played on Tuesday in Minneapolis.

In their first-round win over Phoenix, the Lynx shot 50% from the floor and 40% from beyond the arc, reaching the 100-point mark in both games.

It was a different story against the Sun, who had the stingiest defense in the league this season. Minnesota shot just 41.5% from the field and made 5 of 20 3-point attempts.

Mabrey opened the fourth period with her sixth three-pointer of the night, and Carrington scored on a putback to tie the score at 62 with seven minutes to play. Bonner hit a third-down corner and added a transition layup as the Sun took a three-point lead.

After holding the Lynx without a basket for more than three minutes, Collier’s driving layup cut the Sun’s lead to 71-70 with 33.9 seconds left.

However, Thomas hit a 15-foot jumper with 11.7 seconds left and after a disjointed final possession, Collier’s desperate 3-pointer failed.

The Lynx trailed by four early in the third quarter when McBride hit a three-pointer and a long jumper on consecutive possessions to wipe out the deficit. With the score tied at 57 in the final minute of the quarter, Myisha Hines-Allen scored on a baseline charge, and after making a stop on the other side, Williams drained a 3 to put Minnesota up 62 after three quarters: 57 in the lead.

Connecticut used a 9-0 run late in the first quarter to take a 23-14 lead. Carrington sparked the rally by converting a turnover into a breakaway layup and hitting a corner 3 the next time he was on the court.

Minnesota fought back in the second quarter as Williams’ steal and fast-break assist to McBride sparked a 15-0 lead that gave the Lynx a 35-29 lead. Carleton hit a pair of 3-pointers and Alanna Smith converted a 3-pointer within four minutes, which Mabrey knocked down with a 3-pointer from the wing.

Mabrey’s throw sparked a 13-2 run that ended with another Mabrey three-pointer as the Sun took a 42-38 lead into halftime.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. –

The two astronauts, stuck on the International Space Station since June, welcomed their new journey home with the arrival of a SpaceX capsule on Sunday.

Related video above: Unmanned Boeing Starliner capsule undocks from the ISS

SpaceX launched the rescue mission on Saturday with a reduced crew of two astronauts and two empty spots reserved for Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who will return next year. The Dragon capsule docked in the dark as the two ships climbed 265 miles (426 kilometers) over Botswana.

NASA switched Wilmore and Williams to SpaceX after they had concerns about the safety of their Boeing Starliner capsule. It was the first crewed Starliner test flight, and NASA concluded that the engine failures and helium leaks that occurred after launch were too serious and poorly understood to jeopardize the test pilots’ return. So Starliner returned to Earth empty at the beginning of the month.

The Dragon, carrying Nick Hague of NASA and Alexander Gorbunov of the Russian Space Agency, will remain on the space station until February, turning what was supposed to be a week-long journey into a more than eight-month mission for Wilmore and Williams.

Two NASA astronauts were pulled from the mission to make room for Wilmore and Williams on the return flight.

NASA likes to rotate its station crews about every six months. SpaceX has provided the taxi service since the company’s first astronaut flight in 2020. NASA also hired Boeing for ferry flights after the space shuttles were retired, but faulty software and other Starliner problems led to years of delays and more than $1 billion in repairs.

Starliner inspections are underway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, with post-flight records review beginning this week.

“We’re a long way from saying, ‘Hey, we’re writing Boeing off,'” Jim Free, NASA’s associate administrator, said at a pre-launch briefing.

The arrival of two new astronauts means the four who have been up there since March can now return to Earth in just over a week in their own SpaceX capsule. Her stay was extended by a month because of the Starliner unrest.

Although Saturday’s launch went well, SpaceX said the rocket’s spent upper stage landed outside its target impact zone in the Pacific due to a faulty engine ignition. The company has halted all Falcon launches until it figures out what went wrong.

Statistically speaking, the first half was as bad as ever for the Buffalo Bills in their Sunday Night Football away duel against the Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens’ receivers could be opened up at will. Derrick Henry overran the defenders. Scat back Justice Hill took advantage of mismatches in pass coverage.

The Ravens dominated the Bills physically, and the numbers show it. Buffalo’s defense couldn’t do enough to get off the field in a timely manner as Baltimore controlled the tempo and time of possession. Reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson averaged 10.4 yards per play in the first two quarters, while the Bills were only able to muster 3.1 yards per offensive reception.

Baltimore moved the chains 14 times before halftime and went 3-for-3 on third down, including a stunning 15-yard screen pass to Justice Hill on 3rd-and-14.

It took a few weeks, but the Bills’ defensive injuries finally caught up with them. Baltimore was able to take advantage of the absences of linebackers Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard and nickel cornerback Taron Johnson.

The dominance began on the Ravens’ first offensive play, when Derrick Henry ran 87 yards on a perfectly blocked touchdown run.

RELATED: Bills lose fourth defensive starter to injury on Sunday Night Football

Baltimore outscored Buffalo 281-90 in the first 30 minutes. The Bills recorded just five first downs in the first half and were 1-for-8 on third down conversions.

The Bills appeared overwhelmed in almost every area as the home team took a 21-3 halftime lead.

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