Mendocino County Sheriff Matthew Kendall said marijuana growing operations have expanded in the region over the years.

TJ Ward, a private investigator hired by Natalee Holloway's family in 2005 and again in 2010, does not believe Joran van der Sloot acted alone in killing the 18-year-old high school graduate on May 30, 2005.

TJ Ward, a private investigator hired by Natalee Holloway's family in 2005 and again in 2010, does not believe Joran van der Sloot acted alone in killing the 18-year-old high school graduate on May 30, 2005.

Trump White House Homeland Security advisor Stephen Miller weighs in on a judge halting President Donald Trump's Harvard visa block on 'The Ingraham Angle.'

Trump White House Homeland Security advisor Stephen Miller weighs in on a judge halting President Donald Trump's Harvard visa block on 'The Ingraham Angle.'

Former GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy discusses how the Left has lost credibility with the public on Jesse Watters Primetime.

Former GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy discusses how the Left has lost credibility with the public on Jesse Watters Primetime.

Karen Reads defense team of heavy-hitting attorneys is ready to begin tearing down the prosecutions murder case against her after the state rested its case this week.Read is accused of killing her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John OKeefe, outside an acquaintance's house party just after midnight on Jan. 29, 2022.The prosecution alleges that Read struck OKeefe with her 2021 Lexus SUV in a drunken ragme after an evening of fighting before leaving him to freeze to death in the front yard of 34 Fairview Road.KAREN READ DEFENSE GRILLS CRASH EXPERT OVER $400K PRICE TAG AND EXPERIMENTATION METHODSSpecial prosecutor Hank Brennan rested the state's case on Thursday, nearly two months after jury selection began. Brennans final witness, Aperture crash reconstructionist Dr. Judson Welcher spent three days on the stand providing testimony on his findings supporting the states allegations that Read fatally struck OKeefe with her vehicle.He pointed to his own experimentation using a Lexus taillight and wet paint to illustrate how OKeefe could have sustained the injuries to his arm, and he said that a "glancing" blow from the vehicle could explain why the victim didn't have typical car-strike injuries."If you impact the hand with a 1-inch narrow metal bar, that's a lot different than if you have a broad, plastic taillight or rear body panel," Welcher said. "So when you have distributed loads, you can take much more."Reads defense team is set to begin presenting their case on Friday as attorneys Alan Jackson, David Yannetti and Robert Alessi look to sow doubt around the states allegations, with Yannetti viewed as the strongest member of Reads team by experts.KAREN READ'S SUV REACHED '74% THROTTLE' MOMENTS BEFORE JOHN O'KEEFE'S FINAL MOVEMENTS, CRASH EXPERT TESTIFIES"David Yannetti is the best trial lawyer in the case,"retired Massachusetts Superior Court Judge and Boston College law professor Jack Lu told Fox News Digital, "with the possible exception of Brennan."Yannetti is a seasoned criminal defense attorney and has been with Read since before her first trial."He has the range that Mr. Brennan might lack," Lu said. "Brennan, with all his spectacular talent, mostly has one speed, well, two speeds.Yannetti, an award-winning advocate since law school, has seen it all and fights for a position from which the defense can possibly salvage things."KAREN READ JUDGE BLOCKS SANDRA BIRCHMORE MENTIONS; EXPERT SAYS CASES SHOULD BE WAKE-UP CALL FOR POLICEThe defense will look to dismantle the states case, which often pointed to Reads interviews with various news outlets, addressing the public in her own words."So I thought, Could I have run him over?" Read said in a 2024 interview with Investigation Discovery. "Did he try to get me as I was leaving and I didnt know it?"Reads legal team insists her vehicle never came in contact with OKeefe while pointing to the possibility that something or someone else was responsible for the police officers death.KAREN READ DEFENSE FLOATS THEORY THAT JEALOUS BRIAN HIGGINS FOUGHT JOHN O'KEEFE BEFORE DEATH"And then when I hired David Yannetti, I asked him those questions," Read said in the same clip. "The night of Jan. 29, David, what if I ran his foot over? Or what if I clipped him in the knee and he passed out or went to care for himself and threw up or passed out? And David said, Yeah, then you have some element of culpability.'"Lu believes the primary goal for the defense team should be to humanize Read in a way that paints her in a favorable light to the jurors while taking aim at an alleged cover-up scheme by the Massachusetts Police Department.FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X"The prosecutor has made her into a self-absorbed caricature," Lu told Fox News Digital, adding, "They must get into the hatred of her by [former investigator] Michael Proctor."Proctor is on the witness list, but it remains unclear whether the defense will put him on the stand. Prosecutors did not call him this time around after his testimony in the first trial saw jurors shaking their heads as they heard his inappropriate texts about Read in court. The case ended in a mistrial, and he lost his job days before the second trial kicked off.Read has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, she faces the possibility of life in prison for the most serious charge of second-degree murder."Right now Ms. Reads legal case is badly wounded," Lu said. "Mr. Yannetti has the ability to charm the jury, fight the judge as needed, present the defense witnesses some of whom are hostile and in closing, inspire the jury."

Karen Reads defense team of heavy-hitting attorneys is ready to begin tearing down the prosecutions murder case against her after the state rested its case this week.Read is accused of killing her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John OKeefe, outside an acquaintance's house party just after midnight on Jan. 29, 2022.The prosecution alleges that Read struck OKeefe with her 2021 Lexus SUV in a drunken ragme after an evening of fighting before leaving him to freeze to death in the front yard of 34 Fairview Road.KAREN READ DEFENSE GRILLS CRASH EXPERT OVER $400K PRICE TAG AND EXPERIMENTATION METHODSSpecial prosecutor Hank Brennan rested the state's case on Thursday, nearly two months after jury selection began. Brennans final witness, Aperture crash reconstructionist Dr. Judson Welcher spent three days on the stand providing testimony on his findings supporting the states allegations that Read fatally struck OKeefe with her vehicle.He pointed to his own experimentation using a Lexus taillight and wet paint to illustrate how OKeefe could have sustained the injuries to his arm, and he said that a "glancing" blow from the vehicle could explain why the victim didn't have typical car-strike injuries."If you impact the hand with a 1-inch narrow metal bar, that's a lot different than if you have a broad, plastic taillight or rear body panel," Welcher said. "So when you have distributed loads, you can take much more."Reads defense team is set to begin presenting their case on Friday as attorneys Alan Jackson, David Yannetti and Robert Alessi look to sow doubt around the states allegations, with Yannetti viewed as the strongest member of Reads team by experts.KAREN READ'S SUV REACHED '74% THROTTLE' MOMENTS BEFORE JOHN O'KEEFE'S FINAL MOVEMENTS, CRASH EXPERT TESTIFIES"David Yannetti is the best trial lawyer in the case,"retired Massachusetts Superior Court Judge and Boston College law professor Jack Lu told Fox News Digital, "with the possible exception of Brennan."Yannetti is a seasoned criminal defense attorney and has been with Read since before her first trial."He has the range that Mr. Brennan might lack," Lu said. "Brennan, with all his spectacular talent, mostly has one speed, well, two speeds.Yannetti, an award-winning advocate since law school, has seen it all and fights for a position from which the defense can possibly salvage things."KAREN READ JUDGE BLOCKS SANDRA BIRCHMORE MENTIONS; EXPERT SAYS CASES SHOULD BE WAKE-UP CALL FOR POLICEThe defense will look to dismantle the states case, which often pointed to Reads interviews with various news outlets, addressing the public in her own words."So I thought, Could I have run him over?" Read said in a 2024 interview with Investigation Discovery. "Did he try to get me as I was leaving and I didnt know it?"Reads legal team insists her vehicle never came in contact with OKeefe while pointing to the possibility that something or someone else was responsible for the police officers death.KAREN READ DEFENSE FLOATS THEORY THAT JEALOUS BRIAN HIGGINS FOUGHT JOHN O'KEEFE BEFORE DEATH"And then when I hired David Yannetti, I asked him those questions," Read said in the same clip. "The night of Jan. 29, David, what if I ran his foot over? Or what if I clipped him in the knee and he passed out or went to care for himself and threw up or passed out? And David said, Yeah, then you have some element of culpability.'"Lu believes the primary goal for the defense team should be to humanize Read in a way that paints her in a favorable light to the jurors while taking aim at an alleged cover-up scheme by the Massachusetts Police Department.FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X"The prosecutor has made her into a self-absorbed caricature," Lu told Fox News Digital, adding, "They must get into the hatred of her by [former investigator] Michael Proctor."Proctor is on the witness list, but it remains unclear whether the defense will put him on the stand. Prosecutors did not call him this time around after his testimony in the first trial saw jurors shaking their heads as they heard his inappropriate texts about Read in court. The case ended in a mistrial, and he lost his job days before the second trial kicked off.Read has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, she faces the possibility of life in prison for the most serious charge of second-degree murder."Right now Ms. Reads legal case is badly wounded," Lu said. "Mr. Yannetti has the ability to charm the jury, fight the judge as needed, present the defense witnesses some of whom are hostile and in closing, inspire the jury."

Rudy Giuliani, who served as mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001, mourned the death of former New York City Police Department Commissioner Bernard "Bernie" Kerik on Thursday, describing the grief of losing his "best friend" and a "true patriot" as "inexpressible."Kerik died at 69 years old "after a private battle with illness," according to FBI Director Kash Patel.Kerik and Giuliani were prominent figures during and after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City due to their leadership roles in the city, and they quickly became close friends."On September 11th, Bernie Kerik and I saved each other's lives. If we weren't already friends, that bound us together forever. He was my best friend, a true Patriot, and one of the bravest men I've ever known," Giuliani wrote in a statement.BERNARD KERIK, FORMER NEW YORK POLICE COMMISSIONER AND 9/11 FIGURE, DIES AT 69Giuliani said Kerik was at his side "within 20 minutes of the attack" on 9/11 and "never left."The first collapse trapped both of them in a building for what Giuliani thinks was 20 to 30 minutes, but they were able to escape safely with "substantial additional assistance" and "extraordinary bravery" an attitude that Giuliani said "permeated the way" for recovery over the next four months."Bernie's leadership helped guide the people of a very frightened city to draw from their inherent individual strength as Americans and children of God," Giuliani said on Thursday.He also praised Kerik's career in law enforcement, specifically pointing out his role as Commissioner of Rikers Island, where he was able to reduce violence in the prison by 90%, and his role as NYPD commissioner, where he reduced crime in the city."He was driven by an unwavering love of this country and a commitment to serving others. He was one of the most decorated New York City police officers of his time," he said.FORMER NYPD COMMISSIONER CALLS ON POLITICAL LEADERS TO 'GET OUT THERE' AND 'DEESCALATE' VIOLENCEKerik's 35-year career has been recognized with more than 100 awards for meritorious and heroic service, including a presidential commendation for heroism by President Ronald Reaganandtwo Distinguished Service Awards from the Department of Homeland Security.He was considered for the role of Homeland Security chief in 2004, but lied to the White House during vetting, which ultimately led to him pleading guilty to eight felonies, including tax fraud, in 2009. He spent about three years in prison, then moved to home confinement and, later, supervised release.President Donald Trump pardoned him of the convictions in 2020.Kerik worked with Giuliani again to investigate claims of election fraud following the 2020 presidential election.Giuliani expressed his condolences to Kerik's wife, his two daughters and his son who is also a police officer and said he believes all of Kerik's friends and admirers are "much better for knowing him."Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten and Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.