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Gilgo Beach ‘serial killer’ Rex Heuermann hit with murder charge for seventh victim Valerie Mack in new breakthrough

ACCUSED Long Island serial killer Rex Heuermann has been charged with the murder of a seventh victim.

Heuermann, 61, was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the killing of Valerie Mack, 24, according to a superseding indictment unsealed on Tuesday.

AP
Rex Heuermann, center, pictured in court during a hearing on June 6[/caption]
Suffolk County Police Department
Valerie Mack was a sex worker from Philadelphia when she vanished in 2000[/caption]

Suffolk County prosecutors had previously linked Heuermann to Mack’s death but, up until now, had never formally charged him with her murder.

Mack, a sex worker from Philadelphia who went by the alias “Melissa Taylor,” went missing in 2000.

She was last seen alive in the spring of 2000 in New Jersey, but her family did not report her missing.

Hikers first discovered parts of Mack’s remains in November 2000 in the Long Island Pine Barren in Manorville, but investigators were unable to identify her.

On April 4, 2011, the rest of Mack’s remains were uncovered near Gilgo Beach.

More to follow… For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.

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Diana used to ‘dread’ royal Christmas when things weren’t going well – she would leave before lunch

CHRISTMAS is the perfect opportunity for the royal family to gather together at Sandringham – but not everyone has been a fan of the celebrations.

Princess Diana would “dread” the royal Christmas, according to Editor-in-Chief of Majesty Magazine Ingrid Seward.

Prince Charles with his arm around Princess Diana during their honeymoon at Balmoral.
Princess Diana was said to ‘dread’ spending Christmas with the royal family
The Royal Family at a Christmas Day church service in Sandringham.
Ingrid Seward said sometimes Diana would just do church and skip lunch
Rex Features

Speaking on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show, legendary Sun photographer Arthur Edwards said: “For many years, our Queen Camilla, she would leave after [Christmas] lunch and go and spend time with her own family down in Wiltshire.”

Ingrid added: “Well Diana used to leave after lunch.

“When things were really not going at all well, she was to dread these royal family Christmases.

“And sometimes she escaped even before lunch and just did the church.” 

Arthur added: “Not always but a few times I remember yes, I remember her passing me on the motorway coming back once.”

According to Andrew Morton, the late Princess of Wales wasn’t fond of spending the festive period with her royal relatives.

Richard Dalton told Kitty Kelly for her book The Royals: “The princess just hated going to Sandringham for Christmas.”

As reported by PEOPLE, Richard claimed: “She told me it was freezing cold and dinner had to be over by 3 o’clock. 

“‘It’s 3 and time to watch me on TV,’ she’d say, imitating you-know-who.

“The Royal Family had to watch the Queen’s Christmas message on television. 

“Diana said it was a command performance.” 

Things then became more and more fraught as Diana’s marriage to Charles became increasingly strained as the years progressed.

Eventually, the couple shared their last Christmas together at Sandringham in December 1991 before formally separating on December 9 1992.

In a further blow, after her separation from Charles, Diana was forced to spend her first Christmas away from her sons Prince William, 42, and Prince Harry, 40.

Instead, the boys, who were just 11 and nine at the time, continued to follow the usual royal tradition of gathering at Sandringham alongside the Queen and other senior royals to mark the occasion.

The British Royal Family at the Sandringham Christmas Day service.
Alamy
Royal experts have claimed Diana sometimes left Christmas early at Sandringham[/caption]
Sandringham House, a royal residence in Norfolk.
Getty
Diana once left before Christmas dinner due to hating it so much, claims an expert[/caption]
Princess Diana with Princes William and Harry at a Remembrance Day service.
Getty
After her separation from Charles, Diana was forced to spend her first Christmas away from her sons William and Harry[/caption]

Present shame

Diana was reportedly also left mortified during her first Christmas at Sandringham in 1981 when it came to the present giving.

Despite suffering from severe morning sickness, Diana still took the time to “to buy her new family members thoughtful and expensive gifts,” Vanity Fair reported.

However, despite her careful planning to ensure heartfelt and personal gifts were selected, Diana soon found herself utterly “mortified” after discovering that this was not normal procedure for a royal Christmas.

Instead, contrary to what we might expect, it turns out that the Royal Family, who traditionally give their presents on Christmas Eve, prefer to give each other tongue-in-cheek ‘gag’ presents instead. 

Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles at Balmoral before their wedding.
Getty - Contributor
Diana and Charles shared their last Christmas together at Sandringham in December 1991 before formally separating in 1992[/caption]

Diana was unbeknown to this and was left blushing by the unusual tradition when she gifted her sister-in-law Princess Anne a beautiful cashmere sweater.

But in return, Diana was rewarded with a toilet roll holder.

Princess Diana told Andrew: “It was highly fraught. I know I gave, but I can’t remember being a receiver. 

“Isn’t that awful? I do all the presents, and Charles signs the cards. 

“[It was] terrifying and so disappointing. 

“No boisterous behaviour, lots of tension, silly behaviour, silly jokes that outsiders would find odd, but insiders understood.”

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‘World’s oldest cold case’ SOLVED as experts reveal tragic family’s cause of death 6 millennia ago in ‘Stone Age CSI’

DETECTIVES have solved the “world’s oldest cold case” as battered human bones give clues to seven brutal deaths almost 6,000 years ago.

Archaeologists discovered a scene of mass death in 2004 with nearly 100 pieces of human bone at the site of a prehistoric house.

Excavated Stone Age dwelling site.
Fuchs et al/CreativeCommons.org
The sit of the Stone Age house in ancient Kosenivka, Ukraine, that sparked a 5,700-year forensic investigation[/caption]
Close-up images of ancient human remains showing teeth and skull fragments.
Fuchs et al/CreativeCommons.org
Some of the bone fragments found at the site[/caption]

The dwelling had been in the ancient settlement of Kosenivka, about 115 miles south of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.

The bones from most of the Stone Age skeletons were charred and burned, and two of the skulls had been brutally caved in.

The skeletons belonged to at least seven people: two children, one teenager and four adults.

Interestingly, the only four skeletons inside the house were scorched, whilst the three found outside were not.

Initially, it had been presumed that the deaths were accidental – perhaps as a result of a house fire.

However, the realisation that two of the adults suffered violent head trauma just before their deaths sparked a 5,700-year forensic investigation.

The mystery thickened when radiocarbon dating determined that six of the people, possibly a family, died between 3690 and 3620 BC, whilst the seventh – an unburnt adult – died around 130 years later.

Only the skull of this mystery seventh person was present.

Researchers studied closely the fracture patterns and discolouration displayed by the bones to deduce all they could about the last moments of the Stone Age people.

The team concluded that the people inside had been burned to death, unable to escape the flames, whilst the others managed to stagger outside but later succumbed to smoke inhalation.

The brutal head injuries, however, remain the subject of speculation.

Katharina Fuchs, a researcher at Kiel University in Germany, suggested that the death scene involved someone “killing the people in the house, leaving their corpses, and setting the house on fire”.

The study paper also believes that the house and bodies were completely covered with soil soon after the tragedy, and then the skull of someone else was placed on top a century later.

The authors believe that the final skull could have been placed on top of the site as part of a deliberate ritual.

Jordan Karsten, an archeologist at the University of Wisconsin, told Live Science: “It seems reasonable that the individuals recovered from Kosenivka were killed during a raid and that their house was lit on fire during the conflict.”

“Previous explanations [for houses burned in this period] have focused on ritual house destruction through intentional burning, but these results suggest that intergroup conflict might better fit the data.”

The group who died was part of the “Cucutine-Trypillia” society, thought to be the oldest civilisation in Europe.

People who research this era know the people as the “missing dead”, due to the lack of graves, bodies and burials that have been unearthed.

The Kosenivka “mega-settlement” consisted of public buildings and family homes, many of which were deliberately burned down when people left.

It is unusual, however, to find bones in the burned-out houses, which is why this case surprised scientists so much.

a close up of a skull on a black background
Cambridge University Press
A close up of a skull[/caption]

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Pokémon TCG Pocket players praise Mythical Island with powerful Celebi EX deck that destroys the competition

TCG Pocket has just launched its latest expansion, Mythical Island, featuring 86 new types of cards.

Our Mythical Island full deck list shows that there are five new powerful EX cards, as well as 16 full-art cards, and a Mew EX immersive art.

Pokemon TCG: Mew EX card displayed on a phone screen.
Creatures Inc
Mythical Island is TCG Pocket’s latest booster expansion[/caption]
Celebi ex Pokémon card, 075/068, from the Mythical Island set.
Creatures Inc
Celebi EX is one of the most powerful Pokemon in the new set[/caption]
Serperior Pokémon card.
Creatures Inc
And it works well with Serperior’s Jungle Totem ability[/caption]

However, there is one new card from TCG Pocket Mythical Island that players have their eyes on, and they think will be strong in online battles.

Celebi EX has drawn the attention of fans as it has the potential to be the most powerful card in the game.

Celebi’s attack Powerful Bloom allows you to flip a coin for every Grass energy you have attached.

For every heads that you land, you deal 50 damage to your opponent, which has the chance to knock them out very quickly.

This can be difficult as you only get one energy per turn, but there are a number of ways to increase this.

Every time Lilligant attacks, it can add one energy to a Pokémon on the bench, already doubling your energy output.

When combined with Serperior’s Jungle Totem ability you get to attach two Grass energy instead of one to each Grass-type Pokémon.

The deck is also very flexible and you could replace Celebi for Venusaur EX if you want a more consistent deck.

Here’s the Celebi EX and Serperior deck list that we recommend:

  • Snivy x1
  • Servine x1
  • Serperior x1
  • Petilil x2 
  • Lilligant x2 
  • Celebi ex x2 
  • Erika x2 
  • Sabrina x2 
  • Leaf x2
  • Red Card x1
  • Poké Ball x2 
  • Professor’s Research x2

If you want to read more about the game, check out the latest TCG Pocket Premium rewards.

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How to get rid of condensation on car windows

MISTY windscreens can be a pain when you’re driving in the winter months.

As the temperatures plummet, it’s crucial for motorists to be aware of how to get rid of condensation on their car windows.

Inside car windshield with condensation on rainy day
Simple tricks can help get rid of condensation on your car windows and windscreen
Getty Images

Clear off

Most drivers know the importance of having a clear windscreen as well as windows before heading off in their car.

Driving with your vision obscured by mist could land you with a hefty fine – whether it’s foggy, icy or just plain dirty.

The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 and the Highway Code state that “windscreens and windows MUST be kept clean and free from obstructions to vision”.

Penalty

Motorists who attempt to get behind the wheel before checking that their windows are completely cleared of fog will be issued a £100 fine and up to three points on their driving licence. 

However, in the event of an accident, if a misted-up windscreen is considered to be part of the cause, road users will face a higher penalty.

Under these circumstances, road users can face fines of up to £2,500.

If the offence is committed within three years of a previous conviction it could even lead to disqualification.

Clean it

Unfortunately, colder temperatures and wetter weather through the winter months mean motorists have to spend more time cleaning their windscreens and windows.

Julian Hartley, insurance director at Tesco Bank, said: “In the colder months, windows are more susceptible to condensation, so make sure you leave time to fully demist all your windows.”

Condensation on cars occurs when the temperature inside the car is different from outside.

When it becomes colder overnight, and the temperature outside drops, the inside of your car stays slightly warmer.

This means that when the cold and warmer air meet, the water vapour in the air turns to water, causing condensation to form on your windows.

Turning the air-conditioning on can help to clear condensation – though this may not be ideal on a freezing cold morning.

If you do take this approach, make sure the air vents are aimed at the windows for the best result.

You can also use your windscreen and rear window heater and demister, if your car is fitted with one.

a person is pressing a button that says max on it
www.seat.co.uk
Using your windscreen and rear window heater can help keep your windows clear of mist[/caption]

Dust particles attract moisture so keeping your car clean can also help.

Some drivers choose to leave a micro-fibre cloth in the car and have a quick wipe down just before they get out.

Removing wet items can also help to reduce condensation so if you’ve got a wet coat, damp umbrella or muddy boots in the car, don’t leave them in the car overnight.

Anything that’s already wet will make the car damper, increasing the condensation build-up.

TikTok channel Upthrifted has shared another, more unusual, hack for preventing condensation in car windows.

The page suggests that leaving Silica gel packets on your car dashboard the night before can save you precious time every morning.

They claim that the packets prevent drivers from having to demist in the early hours, and can reduce the humidity in a closed area by up to 40 per cent.

Get you car winter ready

Winter driving can be more dangerous for motorists and the pedestrians around them.

According to Tesco Bank, road accidents jump eight per cent in the week after the clocks go back and the dark nights draw in.

This time of year makes it all the more vital that drivers follow practical measures to stay safe on the road.

You can get a winter car check to ensure your vehicle is safe for driving over the colder months, especially if the roads are going to be icy or snowy.

The assessment is available at more than 750 Halfords branches across the UK.

It only takes about half an hour to complete and includes checks of your lights, wipers, tyres and more.

De-icing your windscreen is another important factor for driving safely in the winter.

Simple tricks like putting a towel or blanket over the glass and using a homemade spray solution can help, but you should never use boiling water to de-ice because it can crack or shatter the glass.

When the temperature isn’t quite low enough for frost, it’s condensation that’ll affect your visibility on the road.

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NBC makes major NFL broadcast change with Football Night in America moved to new slot for live holiday game

NBC is set for a major broadcasting change starting this weekend.

The NFL schedule is about to get wacky as the NFL regular season comes to a close.

Getty
The Kansas City Chiefs are playing football on Saturday this week[/caption]
Getty
Football Night in America will air at noon on Saturday for the game[/caption]

The NFL is entering Week 16, and as the last three weeks of the season play out the games start to become more and more spread out.

Games will now be played on Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday up until the end of the regular season.

The first Saturday games of the season will be played this week in a matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans.

NBC will be hosting this game, switching up from their usual Sunday Night Football slot.

Due to this schedule change, their pregame show, Football Night in America will be broadcast at noon on Saturday.

The pregame show will also be held on Sunday before Sunday Night Football.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens are also playing on Saturday in a game that is hosted by Fox.

Fox likely won’t air a special episode of Fox NFL Sunday for the Saturday game.

On top of the NFL games, there are also three College Football Playoff games being played.

SMU is playing Penn State, Clemson is playing Texas, and Tennessee is playing Ohio State.

With five football games being played on Saturday, the schedule looks like this:

  • Noon – SMU at Penn State
  • 1:00 pm – Texans at Chiefs
  • 4:00 pm – Clemson at Texas
  • 4:30 pm – Steelers at Ravens
  • 8:00 pm – Tennessee at Ohio State

Football fans are extremely excited over the special schedule and shared their thoughts on social media.

“One hell of a Winter Solstice right here,” one fan said.

“What a glorious day. I can’t wait!” another fan said.

NFL important dates

August 1 - Hall of Fame Game - Houston Texans vs Chicago Bears

August 8 – Pre-season begins

August 27 – Deadline for 53-man rosters

September 1 – Final day of pre-season

September 5 – Season opener – Baltimore Ravens vs Kansas City Chiefs

November 5 – Trade deadline

January 5 – Week 18 of regular-season

January 11 – Playoffs begin

February 9 – Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Louisiana

“Football Solstice. Need new batteries for all my remotes,” a third fan said.

“I always prayed for times like these!” a fourth fan said.

“Definitely not leaving the house,” a fifth fan said.

Football fans will have trouble figuring out which screens to play which games on during the day.

There will likely be at least two games playing at all times on Saturday.

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