Omaha woman was acting 'erratic' before fatally stabbing 17-year-old with kitchen knife, detective testifies
- By cigaretteman
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- 5 Replies
An Omaha woman displayed erratic behavior, including chasing a man around her house with a Taser, before she fatally stabbed a teen girl with a kitchen knife earlier this year, a detective testified on Monday.
Kianna Opal, 18, appeared in court for a preliminary hearing Monday. She will stand trial on charges of first-degree murder and use of a weapon to commit a felony for the May stabbing death of 17-year-old Ezra Sinkiawic.
Opal
Witness interviews and doorbell camera footage revealed the following, according to Omaha Police Department Detective Cortes Clark:
On May 11, Opal and two friends went to the Cinco de Mayo festival in the early evening. After they found it to be too crowded, they decided to go back to Opal’s home to have a small get-together.
Opal shared the home near 53rd and Spaulding Streets with two roommates, both of whom were home at the time. Six other people — some friends of Opal and others who were friends of friends — showed up at the home at some point in the evening or early on the morning of May 12.
Among them was Sinkiawic, who Clark said met Opal a night or two prior to the gathering. Clark said he didn’t know exactly what time Sinkiawic arrived.
Throughout the evening, Opal and a male friend had been arguing because he described Opal as acting “erratic” and “like a child,” Clark said. The friend later told detectives Opal had been hitting and kicking him, and they got into a verbal disagreement about her behavior.
During this disagreement, according to Clark, Opal retrieved a Taser and began chasing the man around her home with the Taser. She was eventually tackled and disarmed.
Clark said Opal became more erratic after the Taser was taken from her, and began telling everyone to leave the house, to which they obliged. It was about 3 a.m. on May 12 when people began leaving the home.
Ezra Sinkiawic prepares to be baptized as a Catholic in Dowd Chapel at Boys Town last year. A funeral Mass for her will be held Monday at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church in Omaha.
Shortly after they left, Sinkiawic and others in her group realized they had left some of their belongings inside Opal’s home. Sinkiawic and two others went back to the door and were let in by Opal’s roommate.
Opal, who was in her basement bedroom, heard people reenter and came upstairs. Despite one of Opal’s roommates telling detectives they hid the kitchen knives from Opal after a previous incident, she found a knife and began threatening the group.
The two other people who reentered the house with Sinkiawic “immediately ran outside” upon seeing the knife, Clark said. Opal charged at Sinkiawic and stabbed her in the chest. The stabbing was witnessed by Opal’s roommate.
“(The roommate) immediately thinks (Sinkiawic) is likely going to die because of how vicious the stab was,” Clark said.
Despite her fatal injuries, Sinkiawic was able to walk out of the house before she collapsed near the curb. She was loaded into a friend’s car and taken to Nebraska Medical Center, where she died.
Opal, who followed Sinkiawic and the others outside of the house while still holding the knife and continuing to yell at them, returned to her home after they drove away and continued to threaten her roommates. The roommates called 911 at 3:08 a.m., and Opal was arrested at the scene.
Only about five minutes elapsed from the time Opal began chasing her friend with the Taser and Sinkiawic’s stabbing, Clark said. Opal appeared engaged during Clark’s testimony, taking notes and sometimes pausing to wipe her eyes.
Opal’s attorney, Ernest Addison, argued the case should be bound over on a lesser charge of second-degree murder or manslaughter, not first-degree murder.
Douglas County Court Judge Sheryl Lohaus found that argument unpersuasive. She found probable cause to believe Opal committed the crimes as charged and sent the case to district court for trial.
Opal will continue to be held in custody without bail.
omaha.com
Kianna Opal, 18, appeared in court for a preliminary hearing Monday. She will stand trial on charges of first-degree murder and use of a weapon to commit a felony for the May stabbing death of 17-year-old Ezra Sinkiawic.
Opal
Witness interviews and doorbell camera footage revealed the following, according to Omaha Police Department Detective Cortes Clark:
On May 11, Opal and two friends went to the Cinco de Mayo festival in the early evening. After they found it to be too crowded, they decided to go back to Opal’s home to have a small get-together.
Opal shared the home near 53rd and Spaulding Streets with two roommates, both of whom were home at the time. Six other people — some friends of Opal and others who were friends of friends — showed up at the home at some point in the evening or early on the morning of May 12.
Among them was Sinkiawic, who Clark said met Opal a night or two prior to the gathering. Clark said he didn’t know exactly what time Sinkiawic arrived.
Throughout the evening, Opal and a male friend had been arguing because he described Opal as acting “erratic” and “like a child,” Clark said. The friend later told detectives Opal had been hitting and kicking him, and they got into a verbal disagreement about her behavior.
During this disagreement, according to Clark, Opal retrieved a Taser and began chasing the man around her home with the Taser. She was eventually tackled and disarmed.
Clark said Opal became more erratic after the Taser was taken from her, and began telling everyone to leave the house, to which they obliged. It was about 3 a.m. on May 12 when people began leaving the home.
Ezra Sinkiawic prepares to be baptized as a Catholic in Dowd Chapel at Boys Town last year. A funeral Mass for her will be held Monday at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church in Omaha.
Shortly after they left, Sinkiawic and others in her group realized they had left some of their belongings inside Opal’s home. Sinkiawic and two others went back to the door and were let in by Opal’s roommate.
Opal, who was in her basement bedroom, heard people reenter and came upstairs. Despite one of Opal’s roommates telling detectives they hid the kitchen knives from Opal after a previous incident, she found a knife and began threatening the group.
The two other people who reentered the house with Sinkiawic “immediately ran outside” upon seeing the knife, Clark said. Opal charged at Sinkiawic and stabbed her in the chest. The stabbing was witnessed by Opal’s roommate.
“(The roommate) immediately thinks (Sinkiawic) is likely going to die because of how vicious the stab was,” Clark said.
Despite her fatal injuries, Sinkiawic was able to walk out of the house before she collapsed near the curb. She was loaded into a friend’s car and taken to Nebraska Medical Center, where she died.
Opal, who followed Sinkiawic and the others outside of the house while still holding the knife and continuing to yell at them, returned to her home after they drove away and continued to threaten her roommates. The roommates called 911 at 3:08 a.m., and Opal was arrested at the scene.
Only about five minutes elapsed from the time Opal began chasing her friend with the Taser and Sinkiawic’s stabbing, Clark said. Opal appeared engaged during Clark’s testimony, taking notes and sometimes pausing to wipe her eyes.
Opal’s attorney, Ernest Addison, argued the case should be bound over on a lesser charge of second-degree murder or manslaughter, not first-degree murder.
Douglas County Court Judge Sheryl Lohaus found that argument unpersuasive. She found probable cause to believe Opal committed the crimes as charged and sent the case to district court for trial.
Opal will continue to be held in custody without bail.
Omaha woman was acting 'erratic' before fatally stabbing 17-year-old with kitchen knife, detective testifies
An Omaha woman displayed erratic behavior, including chasing a man around her house with a taser, before she fatally stabbed a teen girl with a kitchen knife earlier this year,
Deadbeat Donald cannot travel to the UK.
If elected President Donald Trump could not legally enter the UK unless a special exemption is granted. Trump owes hundreds of thousands in legal fees and has refused to abide by a court order to pay them. As a convicted felon Trump would be unable to travel to dozens of countries.
www.yahoo.com
Trump in Even More Legal Trouble—This Time, in the U.K.
Donald Trump is facing enforcement after a legal breach in the Steele dossier trial.
Chicago shootings: At least 71 shot, 9 fatally, from Friday to Monday across city, police say!
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The shooting victims from over the weekend range in age from 13 to 57, representing various parts of the city, and the violence has some seeking new solutions.
South Lawndale residents met with police on Monday following a staggering number of weekend shootings.
At least 71 people were shot, nine of them killed, across the city from Friday evening to Monday morning, police said.
"Seventy people being shot is 70 too many. The fact is, we've got work to do. While we're making progress, we've got so much more to do," said 22nd Ward Ald. Mike Rodriguez.
At least two-dozen people were shot during a five-hour period from midnight to 5 a.m. Monday.
abc7chicago.com
South Lawndale residents met with police on Monday following a staggering number of weekend shootings.
At least 71 people were shot, nine of them killed, across the city from Friday evening to Monday morning, police said.
"Seventy people being shot is 70 too many. The fact is, we've got work to do. While we're making progress, we've got so much more to do," said 22nd Ward Ald. Mike Rodriguez.
At least two-dozen people were shot during a five-hour period from midnight to 5 a.m. Monday.
Chicago shootings: At least 71 shot, 9 fatally, from Friday to Monday across city, police say
At least 71 people were shot, nine fatally, in gun violence across Chicago from Friday evening to Monday morning, CPD said.
Summit, ethanol and King Corn win, again
- By cigaretteman
- Off Topic
- 5 Replies
It’s heartwarming to see a team of ragtag underdogs win the big game.
That’s what happened Tuesday when the Iowa Utilities Board approved an application by Summit Carbon Solutions to build a nearly 700-mile carbon pipeline in the state. The pipeline will carry liquified carbon dioxide generated by ethanol plants to deep storage under North Dakota.
The board also gave Summit permission to use eminent domain authority to obtain more than 800 remaining land parcels owned by people who won’t sell.
Summit’s team is led by Bruce “Republican megadonor” Rastetter. It includes former governor and U.S. ambassador to China Terry Branstad, former Branstad aide and Reynolds chief of staff Jake Ketzner and Jess Vilsack, son of the former governor and current U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.
All three members of the utilities board were appointed by Gov. Kim Reynolds, who clearly supports the project but didn’t admit that publicly.
Nobody thought they could do it. OK, I’m being snarky.
Everyone thought they would do it.
ADVERTISING
After all, according to Inside Climate News, the project could be eligible for $18 billion in federal tax credits over 12 years. The credits are part of the Biden administration’s effort to fight climate change.
“Summit does not take a position on climate change,” said Summit Carbon COO Jimmy Powell, during hearings on the company’s application.
OK, well, at least the sequestered carbon won’t be used for Enhanced Oil Recovery, where more oil is squeezed out of wells using carbon. That would not be climate friendly.
"Today, we don’t have any shippers who want to ship CO2 for EOR. When that changes, we will likely move it for that purpose," said Wade Boeshans, Summit's executive vice president, at a December 20 event held by Friends of Ag and Energy in Bismarck, North Dakota, according to reporting by Reuters back in March.
But of course, the main thrust of all this is saving the ethanol industry, again. By sequestering carbon from plants, ethanol can be marketed as a low-carbon fuel. That allows it to sustain its market and possibly expand into aviation fuel and other uses.
It’s good for ethanol producers and pipeline investors. But boy is it costly for Iowans.
More than half the corn grown in Iowa goes for fuel, meaning we’re vastly overproducing corn to meet that demand. More corn means more nitrogen fertilizer. And more fertilizer means more nitrates end up in our waterways.
Ethanol might be more palatable if farmers agreed to meet even minimum requirements to keep nitrates out of our water. Nope. No regulations ever, is the reply.
According to an analysis from the Sierra Club, the Summit pipeline would require 3.36 billion gallons of water each year, drawn from our aquifers. The renewable fuel industry disputes that estimate.
Our political leaders fight common-sense technologies such as electric vehicles because they would hurt ethanol demand. We must keep the future from coming.
The utilities board is just one more example of a regulator structure in Iowa that just can’t say no, leaving us in a terrible fix. The common good is no match for what’s good for King Corn in Iowa.
Yes, it’s not over. Summit’s permit isn’t valid until it gets permits in Nebraska and South Dakota. An appeal is coming. There will no doubt be legal action. Public opposition will continue.
Can Summit’s team overcome those obstacles? What do you think?
www.thegazette.com
That’s what happened Tuesday when the Iowa Utilities Board approved an application by Summit Carbon Solutions to build a nearly 700-mile carbon pipeline in the state. The pipeline will carry liquified carbon dioxide generated by ethanol plants to deep storage under North Dakota.
The board also gave Summit permission to use eminent domain authority to obtain more than 800 remaining land parcels owned by people who won’t sell.
Summit’s team is led by Bruce “Republican megadonor” Rastetter. It includes former governor and U.S. ambassador to China Terry Branstad, former Branstad aide and Reynolds chief of staff Jake Ketzner and Jess Vilsack, son of the former governor and current U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.
All three members of the utilities board were appointed by Gov. Kim Reynolds, who clearly supports the project but didn’t admit that publicly.
Nobody thought they could do it. OK, I’m being snarky.
Everyone thought they would do it.
ADVERTISING
After all, according to Inside Climate News, the project could be eligible for $18 billion in federal tax credits over 12 years. The credits are part of the Biden administration’s effort to fight climate change.
“Summit does not take a position on climate change,” said Summit Carbon COO Jimmy Powell, during hearings on the company’s application.
OK, well, at least the sequestered carbon won’t be used for Enhanced Oil Recovery, where more oil is squeezed out of wells using carbon. That would not be climate friendly.
"Today, we don’t have any shippers who want to ship CO2 for EOR. When that changes, we will likely move it for that purpose," said Wade Boeshans, Summit's executive vice president, at a December 20 event held by Friends of Ag and Energy in Bismarck, North Dakota, according to reporting by Reuters back in March.
But of course, the main thrust of all this is saving the ethanol industry, again. By sequestering carbon from plants, ethanol can be marketed as a low-carbon fuel. That allows it to sustain its market and possibly expand into aviation fuel and other uses.
It’s good for ethanol producers and pipeline investors. But boy is it costly for Iowans.
More than half the corn grown in Iowa goes for fuel, meaning we’re vastly overproducing corn to meet that demand. More corn means more nitrogen fertilizer. And more fertilizer means more nitrates end up in our waterways.
Ethanol might be more palatable if farmers agreed to meet even minimum requirements to keep nitrates out of our water. Nope. No regulations ever, is the reply.
According to an analysis from the Sierra Club, the Summit pipeline would require 3.36 billion gallons of water each year, drawn from our aquifers. The renewable fuel industry disputes that estimate.
Our political leaders fight common-sense technologies such as electric vehicles because they would hurt ethanol demand. We must keep the future from coming.
The utilities board is just one more example of a regulator structure in Iowa that just can’t say no, leaving us in a terrible fix. The common good is no match for what’s good for King Corn in Iowa.
Yes, it’s not over. Summit’s permit isn’t valid until it gets permits in Nebraska and South Dakota. An appeal is coming. There will no doubt be legal action. Public opposition will continue.
Can Summit’s team overcome those obstacles? What do you think?
Opinion: Summit, ethanol and King Corn win, again
Summit gets permission to use eminent domain
www.thegazette.com