Charles Westbrook, 28, of the West Side, was shot and killed in the shooting, which the Franklin County Sheriff's office took place around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday after an argument inside Buck's Platinum Club, located at 2830 Johnstown Road at Stygler Road, resulted in gunfire that struck Westbrook and four others. Jason T . You have permission to edit this article. The 2019 Columbus crime rate fell by 3% compared to 2018. Those (actions) show consciousness of guilt, said Allen, noting that toxicology tests taken on the defendant after the crime revealed the presence of synthetic marijuana, commonly known as K2. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Kummer has been charged with second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony. Local residents and employees have reported hearing ghostly laughter and seeing apparitions in period clothing wandering around the building. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. According to a 2011 Telegram article, Keener was convicted of burglary and attempting to sell stolen guns. Counselors were available for employees and also at a school one of the children attended. According to officials, the initial report was that the person had fallen and had a bump on his head. The apparition of the train has been both seen and heard, although the railroad tracks were removed from this spot years ago. Copyright 2022 KSNB. Officers responded to a call of a person who fell outside of 1305 8th Street at around 4:19 p.m. Apparitions have been reported to occur in winter near the creek. Although there have been no leads and no serious suspects, police are confident that it's just a matter of time before Kelcey's murderer is brought to justice. Your overall chance of being a victim of crime in Columbus, NE is 1 in 61. Upon arrival officers made contact with the person who fell, this person was identified as Michael J. COLUMBUS, Neb. Raw data sources: Season 4 Trailer: The disappearance of Sydney Loofe. to columbus, nebraska our police arrest aan m for the murder of a 77 year old officers booked 28 year old michael keener on suspicnio of first-degree murder and a weapons chaerg police say they . Henry chose not to testify during the trial. Violent Crime Comparison (per 1,000 residents), Property Crime Comparison (per 1,000 residents). Find museums in Columbus, NE, St. Patrick's Cemetery - Glowing Graveyard, TrailBlazers - Old Montgomery Ward Building. Lincoln man accused of sexually assaulting 3 young girls over years Officer Erin Spilker said. Reese's wife, Renee, 23, and children, Megan, 6, and Jeremy, 4, each were shot in the head, Kohl said. Platte County District Court Judge Robert Steinke sentenced the 31-year-old Henry to life for first-degree murder in the May 17, 2013, stabbing death of Steven Jorgensen during a savage attack that followed a robbery gone wrong. The release continues stating, officers found a 77-year-old male subject deceased at 268 16th Ave. in Columbus. Formerly dairy farm, and then a skating rink, the park is said to be haunted by a little boy killed long ago by a gang of bullies. In arguments before sentencing, Special Deputy County Attorney Sandra Allen sought a maximum sentence for Micklevitz after describing how Deanna Micklevitz suffered an agonizing death as the result of four stab wounds. 7,043,501 and 7,680,859. Wednesday, police said they had identified all three of the individuals, as well as determining that one of the three was a bystander and not involved in the shooting. Responding to a call about a shooting, deputies discovered Esther Kummer dead, as well as an injured adult man inside the residence at 20867 355th Ave. The ancient, isolated grave in the Aurora city cemetery, the "witchs grave," has a mossy tombstone and a protruding marker, said to be a warning to deter others from witchcraft. She has worked as a writer and editor since 2007. 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The Keystone Trail, near 90th and Fort streets, is believed by some locals to be visited by a phantom train on cold misty nights. Cold cases and unsolved crimes in Columbus, NE. Keener took officers to that location in the 200 block of 16th Ave. Also, an apparition of a crying woman has been seen walking down the hall. Thank you! This means that for comparably sized cities all across America, Columbus is actually safer than most according to NeighborhoodScout's exclusive analysis of FBI crime data. Henry sentenced to life without parole for 2013 murder. In 2011, Keener was one of three Columbus teens involved in burglary and attempting to sell stolen firearms. Aug 1, 2015 Updated May 2, 2017. Back in its heyday though, there were a number of places on campus said to be haunted. (AP) _ A mother, father and their two young children were found shot to death early today. There have been reports of the apparitions of a young man and an elderly former owner appearing on separate occasions in a rocking chair located in the parlour room, A ghostly woman in white was scene by occupants of the property adjacent to the cemetery in 1874. Anyone with information regarding this incident, is asked to call Columbus Police Homicide Unit at (614) 645-4730 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at (614) 461-TIPS (8477). Violent crimes that are tracked and included in this rate are armed robbery, aggravated assault, rape (not statutory), and murder and non-negligent manslaughter. The ghost that haunts the Columbus Hy-Vee is nicknamed Scooter. Copyright 2000-2023 Location Inc. Witnesses at Jewell Park have reported residual sounds from phantom rodeos, apparitions of people and objects, unexplained mist, footprints, strange noises and animal sounds. Authorities responded to the scene shortly after 7:00 p.m., where they discovered Esther Kummer . Fire and rescue crews in Kearney responded to reports of a fire in a trailer court on June 17, 2008. A Columbus, Nebraska, man who was fatally shot Friday by law enforcement officers first came to authorities' attention as a teenager in 1995 when he admitted to starting a deadly fire. Reports say that when the stock market crashed on October 23, 1929, William Hall lost his fortune and went insane. Sarah's mother said that the girl was troubled and may have made poor choices that got her involved with some unsavory people. The 1901 Hotel Cafe and Saloon, now operating as a restaurant, is believed to be haunted by victims of murders or suicides thought to have occurred in the building. Legend has it that Rodriguez, an electrician who was electrocuted in the 1940s during the building of the auditorium, haunts the area by flickering the lights and turning them off and on. Published: Jan. 17, 2022 at 1:22 PM PST. He then walked up to the register, demanded money, and then shot Leah Rowlands three times. Barnard Park was once a cemetery, and it is rumored that when the city moved the bodies and turned it into a park, some of the bodies were missed. Some say Lottie haunts the cemetery and that a curse will befall those who visit her gravesite. The search engine finds the neighborhoods that are the optimum fit to the set of criteria you choose. Another is Mary Mumford, who is buried here. Our nationwide meta-analysis overcomes the issues inherent in any crime database, including non-reporting and reporting errors. The investigation is ongoing. For the third straight year, the Northeast Side has been the deadliest area of the city. At O'Connor's Irish Pub, which opened in 2003, shadow figures and unexplained footsteps are seen and heard in the kitchen as well as in the second-floor bar area. Crime. Some had car trouble, one overslept, one was listening to a radio show, one just didn't want to go out in the coldthe circumstances were widely varied. The death was ruled a homicide because cement blocks weighed her body down in the sand pit where she was found. A 22-year-old man became Columbus' first homicide victim of 2023 when he was fatally shot Monday evening at a Northeast Side gas station. Robber's Cave, in southwest Lincoln near the intersection of 10th and High streets, was called Pahuk Bluff by the Pawnee Indians who came here to contact Tirawa, the god of all things. You can cancel at any time. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. The 2019 Columbus crime rate rose by 9% compared to 2018. 39.8 miles from Columbus, NE. Residents say sometimes a ghost bridge appears Neihardt Hall is said to be haunted by Cora, a young woman who committed suicide in the basement. He is said to make screeching sounds near the produce and dairy sections and has appeared to employees at around 2 a.m. The college library is believed to be haunted by a woman in a white dress who appears in the basement or in front of a window during the full moon. Chase Micklevitz is also awaiting sentencing for his conviction of attempted assault by a confined person in connection with an unrelated March 15 incident at the county jail when the defendant was accused of assaulting two corrections officers. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). As they extinguished the fire, they found the body of 21-year-old Kelcey Fike in the hallway. Columbus has an overall crime rate of 10 per 1,000 residents, making the crime rate here near the average for all cities and towns of all sizes in America. The 2019 crime rate in Columbus, NE is 128 (City-Data.com crime index), which is 2.1 times lower than the U.S. average. An account of the ghostly lady, who demanded to know the whereabouts of her children before walking back to her grave in the cemetery and vanishing, was published in the Omaha Daily One witness warns that the spirits may rise from the graves and attack visitors at night. 18,000 local law enforcement agencies in the U.S. On that night, however, every single one of the choir members ran late for different reasons. The man who killed her was caught clearly on security cameras entering the store, grabbing a soda, and waiting for other customers to leave. Some of the strange occurrences here have been unexplained footsteps, a ghostly baby's wails, and a man screaming, asking for help, and grabbing the legs of passersby. Sipple, who noted there wasnt much point in arguing about years Henry would serve in prison after hes dead, asked the judge to allow the conspiracy sentence to run concurrently with the other mandatory sentences. The train bridge used to cross the Logan Creek, and from this former trestle, the man was hanged. Close Modal Suggest a . Reeses wife, Renee, 23, and children, Megan, 6, and Jeremy, 4, each were shot in the head, Kohl said. (AP) Two women and a man were found dead inside a house Wednesday in what police described as an apparent . According to local legend, the ghost of a young girl who died in the basement can be seen here. During Tuesdays sentencing, Special Deputy County Attorney Sandra Allen told the judge Henry had a violent record dating back to his years as a juvenile when he was involved in several assault incidents. On Tuesday afternoon, city homicide detectives released photographs of three people they identified as "persons of interest.". Police determined that she had been murdered and the fire was set to eliminate evidence. Upon arrival officers made contact with the person who fell, this person was identified as 28-year-old Michael J. COLUMBUS Convicted murderer Eric Henry was called a brutal killer "devoid of conscience" for the 2013 slaying of a 51-year-old Columbus man before being sentenced Tuesday to life in . Name. On March 10, 1997, just one day after being promoted to manager of the Amoco gas station in Cozad, Leah Rowlands was robbed and murdered. Also, the Altman Hall is said to be haunted by namesake Clara Altman, who is said to act as Apparitions of an old man and a young girl have been seen at the John Rice Library. NeighborhoodScout provides exclusive crime risk analytics for every neighborhood in America with up to 98% predictive accuracy. No murder weapon, fingerprints, or other pieces of evidence were found to help police identify the killer. Michael J. A Rock Island Railroad train carrying . Crime, My Chances of Becoming a Victim of a According to our research of Nebraska and other state lists, there were 63 registered sex offenders living in Columbus, Nebraska as of March 01, 2023. 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