Richard Wade Cooey was an American murderer. He was executed in Ohio on October 14, 2008, for the 1986 murders of 21-year-old Wendy Offredo and 20-year-old Dawn McCreery in Akron, Ohio.

Cooey, along with an accomplice, Clinton Dickens, was responsible for the abduction, rape, torture, and murder of the two University of Akron students. The crime began when a chunk of concrete thrown from a bridge struck the women's car, forcing them to stop. Cooey and Dickens then kidnapped the women, took them to a field, and brutally murdered them.

His case gained significant attention in the years leading up to his execution due to his argument that his obesity (over 275 pounds) would make lethal injection an inhumane form of execution, as he claimed his veins were too difficult to access. This argument was ultimately rejected by the courts, and he was executed by lethal injection.

Valentina Trespalacios, a vibrant 21-year-old Colombian DJ whose promising life was brutally cut short. Her body was discovered in a suitcase in a dumpster in Bogotá in January 2023, drawing significant attention to the ongoing issue of femicide in Colombia.

The person identified and arrested was John Poulos, a U.S. citizen and Trespalacios's boyfriend, who was apprehended in Panama while attempting to flee the country.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SUPPORT:

If you or someone you know is in need of support please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline for free, confidential help. Available 24/7, their trained advocates offer guidance, resources, and a listening ear. You can also call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), or chat. You don’t have to face this alone—support is just a call or click away.Sources:

https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/05/americas/american-john-poulos-sentenced-valentina-trespalacios-intl-latam

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/criminal-justice/2024/06/06/489863/texas-man-sentenced-to-42-years-in-colombia-for-murder-of-dj-girlfriend/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ESG9VuTyJk

The Bever family murders — one of the most shocking familial crimes. On a quiet summer night in 2015, the Tulsa suburb of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, was shattered when emergency responders discovered a grisly crime scene: five members of the Bever family brutally murdered in their own home. The killers? Two of the family's own sons — 18-year-old Robert and 16-year-old Michael Bever.

MENTAL HEALTH:

If you or someone you know is in need of mental health support/resources, please reach out to SAMHSA at 800-662-HELP. Or contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. There are supportive people who love you and will help you through this.