that's how that's going to play. >> reporter: bonita jacks, charged with killing her four daughters, five to 17. she says they were possessed by demons and they died in their sleep. jacks continued to live in her house for several months as the bodies of her girls decomposed and mummified. is this insane? overruling her defense attorneys, jacks chose not to mount an insanity defense. >> well if she goes to trial on guilt and innocence, and on insanity, over objection or not, with a judge period, but with that judge, with that getting him all upset? no chance. and those lawyers know that. so she's a tough client. she's controlling what they do. >> reporter: in court today, bonita jacks' ighbor, try lynn l sdounaid ininpr sg 2007, jacks' daughters seemed to disappear one by one. in summer 2007, she noticed a foul odor near the jacks' house. fall, 2007, she says jacks told her, the girls are fine. they're staying in north carolina. by the fall of 2007, bonita jacks' daughters were dead. inside her house. i'm pat collins, news4 washington. >>> the chief supplier for a heroin wing has lea

the united states versus bonita jacks.boxes of evidence at superior court as the prosecution prepares to begin the trial on these quadruple murder charges. it was january 9th, 2008 that marshals came to evict jacks from her home. inside that home they found the bodies of her daughters, ages, 5, 6, 11 and 17. they say the girls had been dead for at least six months. watching the proceedings in court today, bonita jacks mother and grandmother of the victims. >> reporter: anything you want to say, ma'am? >> no. absolutely not. >> reporter: have you talked to your daughter? >> no. that's it. >> reporter: should bonita jacks statement be considered evidence in this case is up to the judge. by the way, this is not a trial by jury. it's a trial by judge. and the judge is the judge in this case. now coming up at 6:00, a homicide detective sets the murder scene. i'll see you at 6:00. >> pat, thank you, sir. >>> nasa endeavors to launch shuttle "endeavour" for the fifth time but faces a prospect of more stormy weather. this is a liv

the united states versus bonita jacks. boxes of evidence at superior court as the prosecution prepares to begin the trial on these quadruple murder charges. it was january 9th, 2008, that marshals came to evict jacks from her home on 6th street southeast. inside that home they found the bodies of her daughters, ages 5, 6, 11, and 17. they say the girls had been dead for at least six months. in court today homicide detective darryl richmond described the scene. he said the house smelled like death. the bodies of the girls mummified. he said three gls were in a room lined up on the floor by size. their heads all turned in the same direction. and in another room, a teenager with a knife by her side. the door of that room was sealed with duct tape to prevent the odor from seeping out. watching the proceedings in court today, bonita jacks mother and grandmother of the victims. anything you want to say, ma'am? >> no. no. no. absolutely not. >> reporter: have you talked to your daughter? >> no. that's it. >> reporter: by the way,

we have not seen any emotion from bonita jacks at all during this trial; however, that changed today as you sd. she became very emotional when her mother took the stand. jacks started tory and in fact, the judge had to stop the proceedings to give her a chance to compose herself. bonita jacks' mother left the courthouse without saying a word to the media. she had a lot to tell the judge. she testified that her daughter was a good mother. she said that for bonita to do anything to harm the children would be, quote, way out of character. maimy jacks said bonita and the kid his lived with her in charles county, maryland, for awhile in 2005 and by 2007, she had lost touch with them. when the prosecutor asked what she would have done if bonita told her she needed food for the which were, mamie jacks testified i would have been there. i would have given her money, i would have let them live with me. the grandmother testified also that the last timeshe saw the four girls, quote, they were happy. they looked healthy, everyone looked fine to me. another grandmother, jesse fogle testified her s

loudoun said she asked bonita jacks about the which were and jacks responded oh, they're fine. they're in north carolina neighbors say in the spring of 2007, they started to notice changes. they noticed all the girls were dressing a like, wearing the same outfit, jeans, a white t- shirt and looked like a t- shirt, cut up and wrapped around their heads, a rag. several neighbors told us they gave bonita jacks food, water and cigarettes on a number of, ocean -- occasions and she said her utilities were shut off. at that point, the neighbors hospital sign the kids in months. live in d.c. superior cure. -- court. back to you. >> thank you for the update. bonita jacks' trial resumes on monday. the judge will ultimate decide her fate because there is no jury. >>> an accountant for bernie madoff. the only other person charged pleaded not guilty today. he appeared in federal court in new york on charges of security fraud. while working for madoff, he rubber stamped the books for years. without accuracy. >>> today, a federal judge dismissed a civil insider trading lawsuit against dallas

bonita jacks may have lived in that home for 7 months before the remains of her four daughters were found. jacks is on trial for the murders of her daughters. >>> suspend the nfl star vick's sentence is done. his client's confinement is now over his his attorney and that clears the way for a possible return to pro football. . >>> tonight a report from hero central with amazing video of residents risking their lives to get to a child trapped inside a burning car. it shows neighbors using clubs and their bare hands to break through the windshield. eric rucker has the frantic rescue from milwaukee. >> reporter: a mother and her two children trapped inside a vehicle inferno. >> there's a baby in there! >> reporter: residents pour into the streets knowing every second inside the car could be deadly. the mom and her 2-year-old are first out but the 4-year-old is still trapped and time is ticking. >> whoa! >> reporter: finally those on the scene including an offduty officer and firefighter get the child out with second and third degree burns, but alive. >> if people wouldn't have came out and he

the individual who was sent there to bonita -- evect bonita jacks. when the door was open, the smell was so strong, it was overwhelming. he's a veteran law enforcement officer and he had to just ver his face. live outside of d.c. superior court, i'm beth parker, laura back to you. >> hard to fathom, thank you. >>> police in vienna on the hunt for a man who attacked a jogger in broad daylight, happened about 2:00 this afternoon on the washington and old dominion park trail. the victim told police she was running on the trail when a man in a cruiser-style bike approached her. she said he exposed himself and started shouting at her. the woman was able to break free and get the help. the suspect took off. anyone with information in the case is asked to call police. >>> police uncovered a card- skimming scam at a bank in annapolis. look at these photos -- photographs from bank of america. these two men installed a skimmer device on the atm. the device showed bank account information from four people between june 25th and july 5th. the police say the men u

prosecutors believe bonita jacks, killed her first and the three other children after. today in court, items in these boxes, including the tiny little t-shirts the girls were wearing and other evidence gathered at the scene, was presented at part of the case. the scent of death on them was so overwhelming the judge had to take a break to decide if the other items would be taken out in open court. jacks didn't seem bothered by that, but as prosecutors showed, crime scene photos of brittany medical examiner, she looked away, put her hands on her face and refused to look at them. more autopsy results expected tomorrow on brittany jacks' three little sisters, ages 5, 6, and 11. >>> at least four dui cases have been tossed out bought after new u.s. supreme court ruling. fred and kay cooke lost their 19-year-old daughter morgan in a drunk driving crash in 2007. the driver of the car she was in was drunk, speeding, and hit a tree. he's serving three years behind bars. but the cooks worry other drives will go through because of this ruling. >> the more the court system, all the

bonita jacks broke down as her mother took the sand in the trial. so told the judge her daughter was a good mother. u.s. marshal's deputy testified describing what happened when he discovered the bodies during a routine eviction notice. bonita jacks faces life in prison if convicted. >>> the confirmation hearings for judge sonia sotomayor moved into new territory. the real draw, the firefighters affected by her ruling in the new haven fire department case. almost no minorities passed the promotions test. she ruled the results should be thrown out. the firefighters today testified in front of congress about why that was a mistake. >> do you think that her members of the fore department, had they studied as hard as you, and mastered the subject matter as well as you did, could have passed the test, more of them would have passed if they studied as hard as you? >> absolutely. >> do you think -- . >> absolutely. i studied with a group of them and they all supported me what was doing. they knew the effort that i put in and they were right there. we were

detectives interviewing bonita jacks o. that tape, she's dressed in a white tapered jumpsuit, eats mcdonald's and smokes two cigarettes -- cigarettes. at times she crisis, at times she whispers. the one constant, she denies killing her kids saying they died quietly in her sleep. she said after the youngest two daughters were already dead, the oldest, britney, who was kept in another room, told her, quote, i know what is going o. i know what you're doing, i'm going get you for it, we're all going get you. in that introduce recorded the day the children were found in the rowhouse on sixth street southeast, the detectives trite tried repeatedly to get jacks to tell them exactly what happened. one detective who had seen the girl's dead bodies told jacks, quote, it's time to let your four beautiful daughters rest in peace. does that mean anything to you? peace? i have never seen anything like that in my whole life since i have been a detective. jacks told police she believes her longtime boyfriend nathanial fogle was jesus chris

the mother of the best friend of bonita jacks' oldest daughter took the stand.heard bonita jacks call brittany demeaning names. >>> pittsburgh steelers quarterback ben roethlisberger face something serious allegations as a woman has filed a lawsuit accusing roethlisberger of raping her last summer in tahoe. she alleges that the hotel where she worked at the time refused to investigate her complaint and went to great lengths to cover up the allegation. >>> routine surgery went horribly wrong for a member of the u.s. air force. airman colton read is from texas. he went to thehospital for gallbladder surgery last week at david grant medical center at travis air force base be near sacramento, california. t her husband's e surgeon he husband's aortic valve anwaited hours to transport him i ta state ospital inform that time, he ststo much blood hatmoc tors ended up amputating his legs. gentleman we were told that, had it been within a six hour period the limbs could have been saved. he might have had muscle damage or damage but nothing to this degree. why did it take

walmart. >>> we are learning more about the state of bonita jacks after u.s.e shawls found her four daughters dead in her ome. she was onvicted of killing all four girls. police say she lived with their bodies for months. yesterday, the u.s. attorney's office released the video recording of jacks' six-hour interview with police. she told investigators she did not kill the girls. they just didn't wake up. >> i wake them up and they weren't responding. i did not, have i could not. i have never hurt a child in my life. i would not. >> bonita jacks faces life in prison when she is sentenced in october. her lawyers plan to appeal. >>> we now know that michael jackson's mother katherine is going to take guardianship of his thee children. in a custody agreement, deborah roe, the biological mother two of the children, will have visitation rights. meantime, the king of pop's father now claims michael had another child. in an on-line interview, i don't jackson claims that a 25- year-old norwegian performer is michael jackson's son. he has denied that claim. at jackson's

according to testimony, this is the neighborhood store where bonita jacks did a lot of her shopping.y that, according to the debit card records, her spending had dropped way off by the fall of 2007. they say that is because all her children were already dead. she was shopping for one. >> it was like nothing was going on. >> reporter: observe ores say this is how she has looked in court, like nothing is going on. a judge is trying to decide if jacks is guilty of first degree murder. neighbors say they aren't sure a judge is the best person. >> i would say put it in god's hands. >> beth parker, fox 5 news. >>> also making headline being a new warning for stores in new york. violating state laws by selling toy guns that look too much like a real thing. the attorney general's office is sending letters to hundreds of stores, manufacturer and trbtdors telling them to stop selling them or face penalties. state laws reque guns be made from materials that do not look like real benefit weapons or have colorful markings. >>> a fily says the tsa went too far when it confiscated the boy's toys at

bonita jacks never asked. she'll be sentenced october 16th. >> such a tough case. >> it was a tough case. you know, i think the sights and the sounds and even the smells are something that those of us who sat in that courtroom will never forget. in fact the judge after he read his 90-minute verdict, he sat there quietly with his head in his hands. he had no reaction. he just could not move. i think the only one in the courtroom who did react was bonita jacks. >> audrey, thank you for that. >>> a federal grand jury indicted the white supremacist accused in the deadly shooting at the holocaust museum here in d.c. the seven-count indictment charges james von brunn in first degree murder in the death of stephen johns. hate crimes charges have now been added to the case. he remains in the hospital. a court hearing is scheduled for tomorrow. we have posted the entire indictment on our website, wusa9.com. >>> a messy morning rush hour on the beltway in northern virginia caused big delays today. but it was a much diff

prosecutors say bonita jacks lived with the girls' bodies had her house for months. ay being a judge found jacks guilty of four counts of felony murder plus four counts of child cruelty and three counts of premedicated murder. she was found not guilty on one count of premeditated murder in the death of her oldest daughter. defense attorneys say they will appeal. >> we gnt get the result we wanted for vrtion we didn't get the result we wanted for our client. >> what happened to those children were maltreatment. they were atrocities inflicted on four small children, her own children. >>> the suspected holocaust museum shooter will be in court today for a hearing. 89-year-old james von brunn indicted by a grand jury yesterday. police say he fatally shot security guard steven johns in june. hate crime charges have now been added to that case. von brunn faces the death penalty. >>> the president is buying a round of drinks icfor what is dubbed the beer summit at the white house he will sit down with jarjent james crowley and professor henry louis gates. their story dominat

trouble she has had in two years since chase been there. >>> today, the defense gets its turn in the bonita jacks friday, the prosecution rested its case. jacks' lawyers acknowledge their case will be a short one with just a handful of witnesses. >>> also in court this week, there is an initial hearing for the white supremacist accused in the holocaust museum shooting. james von brunn is facing a first degree murder charge. police say he fatally shot a security guard last month. his attorney said he wasn't well enough to appear in court. the hearing is scheduled for thursday. >>> new research showing that the global opinion of the united states is changing for the better. coming up, a big reason behind the shift. >>> also the octomom's babies are bringing home the big bucks. the reality tv deal and wait until you hear how much they will get per episode. there are moments in time when the paths we take do determine our future. today we are communicating with each other as never before - and that requires a seamless network that is constantly growing better, smarter, and mo secure. that's why our s

. >>> we could receive a verdict in the bonita jacks trial any moment now. however, the judge presiding over the case is not happyit wh the defense. bonita jacks's attorneys made a last-minute effort to mount an insanity defense, and they presented the motion at the bench out of the hearing of the prosecution that angered the judge. the motion could be a way to preserve the rig of appeal. the judge said his verdict should not be influenced by anything in that motion. jacks was charged with murdering her four daughters, and leaving their bodies in the house for months before they were found. >>> now to the latest on the investigation surrounding the death of michael jackson. fbi agents raided the home and medical office belonging to the singer's personal physician. it's the second time authorities have targeted the doctor's proper in less than a week. >> reporter: this is the first look at dr. conrad murray since jackson's death. he is casually walking around the country club just after the raid. >> this is the residence -- >> reporter: federal agents and the

>> making headlines, the defense could begin making its case as early as today in the trial of bonita jacks, the mother accused of killing her four daughters andiving with their bodies for months. yesterday, the court heard arguments regarding how long the girl had been dead. an expert said there was no question that brittany jacks had been stbbed. >>> we now know how the former director of virginia's counting center ended up with the gunman's health records. investigators could for the find the mental health records actually lawyer for the doctor said they accidentally got packed in a box of personal documents in february of 2006 more than a year before the shootings. dr.miller found them last week when he said he opened the box for the first time. his lawyer said he took them back to the cook counseling center the next day. >>> good-bye hotel room and finally hello china. some d.c. area students quarantined can now get on with their trip. all of the children will be released today. hundreds of american students travel to beijing if a cultural he can change program. eight d.c. area student

. >>> well, one more dramatic effort in the bonita jacks trial.her lawyers tried to mount an insanity plea for jacks saying she may not have been coherent when she made the strategy. the judge said he would not reasonably report until after the verdict was saying no one should be influenced by the motion. >>> with his political clout on the line, president obama is taking his plate right to the people. this time the president is traveling to two politically important state that is he, he won them last fall. we are joined from the studio with more on what's happening today. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, barbara. you get an idea to what the town halls will sound like. the president is going to meet with customers at a kroeger in bristol. on the 44th anniversary of medicare, he went to the powerful aarp that has now joined him in lobbying for universal coverage. president obamaens answered callers' questions in washington, d.c. the members could e-mail or call in questions and the white house is expecting as many as 100,000 people on the c

they never saw or heard bonita jacks hurt her girls. both grandmothers say jacks never asked for help. all four of their granddaughters were dead. prosecutors called jacks' more to the stand to testify. on cross-examination she may have actually helped defense attorneys. jacks was an excellent mother she said. for her to harm the girls would have been way out of character. the children's other grandmother said she never had any run ins with bonita until her son died. he and bonita had two girls together. after leaving the house on 6th street in march of 2007 one grandmother said bonita threatened to kill her if she ever came to the house again. prosecutors believe jacks may have lived in the house for up to seven months with the bodies of her dead daughters in upstairs bedrooms. the judge had to call a recess after jacks broke into tears while her mother pointed out and named each of the four girls in the photos. later, nurses were called in after she complained about feeling ill. it will likely get much worse for her. four medical expe

. >>> closing arguments began in the case of bonita jacks, the woman accused of killing her four daughters and living with the bodies for months. prosecutors said jacks create and prison of torture in her home. the prosecutor is asking the judge to find her gel tie of four counts of felony murder and four counts of premeditated murder. >>> the latest on the professor and the police officers. the professor and the sergeant who arrested him are expected to be guests of president obama as they trito patch things up. tonight for the first time we hear the phone call it brought them face to face. >> reporter: police sergeant james crowley returned to work monday after a tumultuous week after he was scolded by the president for arresting the professor. it became public to silence create techs. >> i noticed two suitcases, so i'm not sure if these two individuals who actually work there, who actually live there. >> you think they meet be breaking in? >> i don't know. >> reporter: the call are doesn't mention the race, only when asked by the dispatcher does she speculate this one of the men might b

yesterday bonita jacks told jurors her daughters were composed by demons. a judge will decide the case instead of a jury. >>> today judge sotomayor returns for a second full day of questioning by the senate judiciary committee. during the first day yesterday, she pushed back against republican accusations so bring bias and a liberal ageneral day to the supreme court. the confirmation hearings could continue through tomorrow. >>> and nasa hopes to launch the space shuttle "endeavour" today. showers and thunderstorms forced them to scrub the liftoff five times. tonight's launch window for the mission opens at 6:03 p.m. forecasters are calling for a 40% chance of bad weather at the florida kennedy space center. >>> "harry pter and the half blood prince"fficially opens in theaters today. the seventh installment is expected to be a blockbuster. >> the film has sold out at many theaters across the country. leanne gregg reports. >> reporter: the sometimes strange and wonderful world of harry potter comes to life again in theaters across the country. lines were lon

bonita jacks is on trial for the murders. one neighbor testified he heard a fight through the then house. later, the family noticed a peculiar smell months before the girls' bodies were found. >>> the fox 5 storm force keeping an eye to the sky tonight. some of you have seen storms pretty much cloudy for everybody. all day long and what is going on out there? gary mcgrady with more details. >> reporter: it's getting quieter out there now, brian. i'm not ready to guarantee that we're going to be storm-free all evening long. as we progress throught eving, things wilbeev geg tintin better. 's etl gane etu yo idea what is taking place. we have a stationary frontal rou ssy, laying out d.c. and the middle part of our region here and along tha for the next few hours, i think pl re is a chance for a c of orows er s rsthdeuntorms to re-form that. that is the trend and we have seen that. the strongest of the ivdeact ity do ubupte henort ast of us and just across the bay from baltimore and that is moving . a stesngof the activities toda

bonita jacks told police that her girls were possessed by demons when they arrested her in january of 2008. a d.c. judge listened to a recording of that interrogation today. he is deciding if it can be admitted as evidence. defense attorneys want to exclude it. in the interview, jacks said she had to help contain the demons that lived in her daughters' bodies. >>> an odenton woman is still in shock after a pit bull attacked several animals at her farm. it happened at the sheryl rescue ranch in odenton. wendy cazone says she checked on her animals on sunday morning and saw a neighbor's pit bull attacking a herd of goats and sheep in her yard. she managed to wrestle the dog off the animals and lock it in a shed, but not before it killed two sheep and injure in order than a dozen animals. >> ten, 12, 13 have bites. not all require medication. they were neosporin. but most of them are really bad. like the sheep that has her throat, her skin ripped, and little leroy and little julie with her face wrapped out there. >> dog's owner voluntarily turned it over to animal control and the dog was

. >>> new unsight into the mind of bonita jacks, the d.c. mom accused of living for months in rowhouse with her four dead daughters. a videotape played of when jacks talked to police in january of 2008. the bodies were discovered. she repeatedly told authorities she didn't kill the children, claiming they died quietly in their sleep. jacks told police she thought her boyfriend was jesus christ and that her daughters were possessed. there is a battle over whether or not that tape should be admitd into evidence. >>> we're a waiting autopsy results in the death of a sailor in fort meyer yesterday morning. they discovered a woman's body in the henderson hall barracks, inside a closet or wall locker. a defense official said the circumstances don't necessarily suggest murder but homicide has not been ruled out. >>> michael jackson's memorial service cost a fortune. not just for the production but for the security on the streets of l.a. and tonight, the mayor has strong words who is going pay for this thing and why. >>> bernie madoff paying his deb

the judge is called bonita jacks' trial long overdue. so it started today. the bodies were found in january of 2008 while she was being evicted. jacks is going before a judge, not a jury. >>> tonight police in anne arundel county are investigating a body found flowing in a marina in deal. they found the body of 62-year- old david alan cany floating in the marina on herring bay road just after 4:00 yesterday afternoon. cany lived on one of the boats at the marina. an autopsy is being done to determine the cause of death. >>> baltimore city police are looking into a suspicious death in hampden. they say a man's body was found on the porch of a vacant house on falls road just about four blocks from the 56 just afternoon yesterday. >>> in florida tonight, police say three arrests in the brutal murder of a married couple have not ended their work. they're now looking at business ties in the crime they first thought was just a home invasion. whatever the motive, the attack has taken away a mother and father from 17 children, most of them disabled. abc 2 news' dian

a witness says bonita jacks and her boyfriend let two of her young daughters smoke marijuana. the witness says she saw jacks and her boyfriend laugh as her two daughters smoked the drug. the girls were 4 and 3 years old at the time. u.s. marshals found dead girls decomposing bodies when they evicted jacks from her d.c. home in january of 2008. >>> a maryland manny is charged with showing pornography to the children she cared for and then asking them to pose nude. 22-year-old aza hrnjic faces several charges, including child abuse. hyattsville police say the nanny showed pornographic websites to a 5-year-old boy as well as the 10 and 12-year-old girl. she is also accused of telling the boy to stand nude in front of a computer web camera, and having explicit sexual conversations with the children. the children's mother says the nanny was recommend bade relative. >> it was totally unexpected. i would have never, ever thought something like that would happen. i guess you can't judge somebody by what they look like. she just didn't seem like that type of person. >> it just serves a

taking a break, the judge in the bonita jacks trial stops the testimony as dramatic testimony is given. thrown out, drunk driving cases in virginia. >>> i'm peggy fox in fairfax county where three dui cases have been thrown out because after u.s. supreme court ruling. >> if everyone can understand the pain of a family when

bonita jacks became emotional during her mother's testimony, and the judge called a recession so she could regain her composure. >>> and a funeral was held today for byrd and melanie. pamela wiggins is charged with being an accessory after the murder of byrd and melanie billings. and six men and a teenager also face charges in the case. and police say robbery was a likely motive. >>> and now a case of murder on the high seas. and there was a passenger that was arrested for murdering his wife on the ship. robert mcgill killed his wife after a domestic shoot. and it happened on the last leg of the five-night crews to baja, california. the ship returned to san diego yesterday. >>> now are the latest on the death of michael jackson. new images have surfaced of his children with a previously unreleased song. this is what really happened during the pepsi commercial in 1984. >> this is the first look at the kids in more than a week. 11-year-old paris, and 12-year-old prince, and 7-year-old blanket. they are at a jehovah's witness church. and the kids former thanny, grace, is with the childr

. >>> to the district now, bonita jacks has been convicted of killing her four daughters. she lived with the bodies for months. yesterday a judge found jacks guilty of four counts of felony murder and child cruelty and three counts of premeditated murder. jacks was found not guilty on won one count of premeditated murder in the death of her older daughter brittney. sentencing is scheduled for october 16th. she faces life in prison. >>> turning to the economy now, with a look at wall street, the dow is up 172 points. this is after the release of mixed earnings reports today. exxon mobile, waste management and eastman kodak are among companies that saw a fall in profit. the labor department reports new jobless claims rose more than expected to 584,000 while continuing claims dropped. >>> a number of states are having a hard time making ends meet. that includes maryland. it's looking at a budget shortfall of $780 million. governor martin o'malley joins with us a look at the state of the state and where the cuts will come from. >> we are going to feel the pain. the first round

. >>> the judge is deciding whether to include statements bonita jacks made to police. authorities found the bodies badly decomposed. one girl had been stabbed, one strangled and beaten. the other two strangled. they believe the bodies were in the house for seven months. jacks requested a bench trial, so there is no jury in the case. >>> two members of a baltimore cult still don't have lawyers today, a year after being charged in the starvation death of a 1-year-old boy. the trial for queen antoinette, an trevia williams is scheduled for tuesday. and baltimore judge has appointed lawyers for the two. members of the cult including the mother are accused of denying him food or water because he failed to say "amen" after meals. >>> police believe a suicide in washington, d.c. may be connected to the murder of two marylanders. firefighters were called to a home for reports of smoke. what they found was not a fire. instead they found two people stabbed to death. officials say the smoke was coming from a stove that was left on. the same morning, a 53-year-old man jumped to hi

. >>> pretrial motions are under way in th bonita jacks trial. there's a unique insight into the accused killer. the judge must decide if the tape can be admitted as evidence. last january authorities discovered the bodies of jacks' four daughters decomposing. a medical examiner said they were murdered. jacks claim they died in their sleep. the case will be decided in a bench trial rather than by a jury. >>> two more breaking news stories. powell was scheduled to be put to death tomorrow. the supreme court is considering whether to hear his argument that he was unconstitutionally tried twice for the crime. if the high court decides not to hear his appeal, he'll face execution again. >>> bernie madoff is on the move. madoff has been released from the corrections center in new york city and is now headed to an undisclosed prison where he will continue serving his 150-year sentence. there was word the prison is located in upstate new york. madoff was sentenced june 29th for masterminding the largest ponzi scheme in history. last week he told his law

. >>> the fate of bonita jacks is in the hands of a superior court judge. she is accused of killing her four daughters. and she lived in the home for several months after the children had died. jacks said that her daughters we possessed by demons, and they died in their sleep. the case is being decided by a judge instead of a jury. >>> a man who was beaten is speaken out since the attack. it was december 24th, and wayne williams just dropped his wife out for choir practice. and shawnen washington attacked him with a baseball bat. he was severely beaten. >> i will not be able to see out of my right eye. i will have to deal with problems with my teeth. i have seven plates in my face. so on. >> glad he can laugh about it, an attestment to his recovery. washington faced up to 28 years in prison. >>> now on the latest that sparked a national debate. the arrest of a black scholar in his own home. and white house spokesman, gibbs, says obama will sit down with lewis gates and his arresting officer this thursday. the three will reportedly have a beer. and released

bonita jacks has opinion convicted on three counts of first degree murder but not the fourth. the bodies of the four girls from five to 16 were found in january of 2008 when marshals arrived to evict the woman. she could face life at her sentencing. dog owners and baltimore city parkgoers will meet to begin discussions on possible off-leash hours. the meeting to discuss allowing pets to run free at designated morning and evening periods will begin at 7:00 at general wolf middle school. patterson park is the main focus of the meeting but three other parks are under consideration. they are riverside, herring return and wyman park. >> bonding over beer at the white house is what the president will do today with harvard professor henry gates and sergeant james crowley after crowley arrested gates sparking a national debate over race. nikole killion has the preview. >> the beer will be flowing but so will be dialogue as the president aims to improve race relations. beer and blunt talk about race today at the white house. >> my hope is as a consequence of this event, this ends up be

emotional testimony was heard today at the bonita jacks murder trial overcome and helped by a rs nuase two grandmothe oasf the dead children testified about the disappearance of jacks' daughters. >>> investigators checking a blind curve on the redline today where that deadly accident happened june 22nd. while that investigation continues the federal railroad administration issued an order for new rules that require equipment that automatically picks up any rail line trouble. >>> on monday it will be 40 years since human kind took its first steps on another celestial body but only in the last few years has nasa gone in search of the original tape of neil armstrong stepping foot on the moon. nasa came up with something good for the anniversary anyway. >> very, very fine grained. >> reporter: who could forget those fuzzy pictures from another world. >> on the planet earth. wrst step upon thmoon. t hayou didn't hear was the anguish of the guy who designed the video camera that was beaming back the pictures. >> when i first saw the image i turned to my counterparts at nasa and said what hap

. >>> the murder trial continues today for bonita jacks. the d.c.r accused of killing her four daughters. emotions were running high in the courtroom yesterday. jacks broke down in tears as her mother took the stand testifying that her daughter was i good mother and harming her children wou be out of character. the children's other grandmother on the father appear side said she tried to see the kids but was threatened by jacks. deputies who discovered the bodies also took the stand yesterday. >>> in other headlines, the space shuttle endeavour docked at the international space station today but for the before doing some more damage control. shuttle will turn over so the space station crew can take pictures of the entire undersurface. nasa wants to see if it suffered significant damage during launch. an unusually large chunk of foam came off during ltoff hitting the shuttle solve the ate no skews, a sense of responsibility an education. three things the president mentioned during his seech at the naacp's annual convention. the organization turned 100

. >>> prosecutors will rest their case in the bonita jacks trial. today it played out about a sad script from a novel about kids slipping through the cracks. audrey barnes now with the latest. >> reporter: the signs were there that 16-year-old britney jacks needed help. her grades dropped from as to fs the next quarter. then her attendance plummeted. it is a case one homicide detective said he found so disturbing he told his supervisors he couldn't do it any more. a social worker noticed that britney jacks stopped coming to school in march. when phone calls and letters to home went unanswered she went to the home on 6th street with the special education coordinator and dc police officers. she said jacks was hostile andd agitated. there were two other girls in the home. that visit triggered a barrage of phone calls to police, court, dc child and family service agency to try and get someone to check on the welfare of the kids. a sergeant did go to the house three days later. he says he never asked about britney unaware that jacks even had a teenager.

coleing up next, hear what i social work who came face to face with bonita jacks said on the witness>>> still ahead, some undercover video we have to warn d disturb you. circus animals allegedly being abused. you are watching fox 5 morning news. experience the sound of dazzling white teeth... with listerine® whitening vibrant white™ rinse. who else could give you extra whitening power, kill bad breath germs, and even prevent stains? listerine® whitening® vibrant white™. rinse your way to whiter teeth™. (announcer) neutrogena tone correcting concentrated night serum... evens skin tone... and speeds cell turn over. vibly fades brown spots in 14 nights. and in the morning... my skin looks younger, flawless (announcer) neutrogena tone correcting >>> the trl of the d.c. mother accused of murdering her four daughters and living with the bodies for four months picks back up today. the social worker testified that she was extremely concerned that oldest daughter brittany stopped showning up for school. she said she saw several small unkempt children at the home. they made several repeated ca

otanibo of bonita jacks. the f she's the district's mother accused of killing her four daughter us and lying with their bods for month. ifnitestthied that he found ay teified th he founounds on the torso of the eldest daughter, britney jacks, and that led him to believe that her death was a homicide and believes that her boyfriend was jesus christ and that her children were possessed by deem opposite. >>> police are asking for your help tracking down a man who attacked the jog or the washington and old dominion trail. this is a composite sketch. a 25-year-old woman was jogging on the trail when the man exposed himself and threw her to the ground. it happened last wednesday around 2 in the afternoon and that suspect was riding a tan or brown cruiser-style vehicle. >>> a virginia woman shot last week died. she was shot last tuesday on lyle avenue in falls church and barricaded himself with another woman and child for more than 24 hours. the standoff ended after he shot himself and later died at the hospital. th

. >>> the defense could begin making its case in the trial of bonita jacks. on how long the girls had been dead. the forensic expert testified 16-year-old brittany jacks had been stabbed and he estimates she had been dead for six months or more before the girls' bodies were discovered. >>> a local gang-related killing will be featured on america's most wanted this weekend up next. >> cops say droopy ways low level member of the violent ms- 13 gang with big dreams. >> place police say it was a gang murder to boost one man's street cred. michelle sigona will join us live in the studio to talk about the case. >>> local troops return home from the battlefield but it could be a while before their lives return to normal. >> you come home. it is a little awkward if a while because someone is now back into your space after they've been gone for so long. >>> a grim case from stafford county, virginia will be featured on america's most wanted this weekend. police say an alleged gang member killed an acquaintance to boost his status within his crew. murder left three yo

bonita jacks is expected to be in court if a been. iantrea ming a eaudjge will decide her fate without a jury. yesterday, the judge reviewed a videotaped interview of jacks talking to police shortly after her january 2008 arrest. she couldn't plain why the decomposed bodies of her daughterrer were found in her southeast d.c. apartment. if convicted, she could spend life in prison. >>> supreme court nominee sonia sotomayor is making her case on capitol hill. she will be back in the hot seat before a senate panel. yesterday, trying to explain a speech she had given, she clarified that the law, not her personal and professional experience has driven her rulings as a judge. >>> president obama names another nominee. the president tapped dr. regina benjamin for surgeon general. dr.benjamin is seen here on the left. she is a family physician from alabama who has a history of public health service. doctor would still have to be confirmed by the senate. >>> there are new serious allegations against d.c. councilman marion barry. >> council gra

. >>> prosecution in the bonita jacks trial will presentts case today.terday th prosecution and defense presented opening statements to the judge who will weigh the evidence in the trial. jacks who is accused of killing her four daughters waived her right to a trial by jury. the judge is also allowed into evidence a six-hour video interview of jacks made by police investigators. the bodies of jax' four daughters were found inside her southeast d.c. home in january of 2008. >>> new details coming out this morning about that slaying of a florida couple. police in pensacola say that they have arrested an eighth person now in connection with the murders of melanie and byrd billgs. they were shot to death in their home a week ago today. another suspect is charged with an accessory after the fact to felony murder, arrested after being questioned by police. the billings had become well known for opening their home to care for disabled children in the panhandle area of florida. >>> now to the latest on the death of michael jackson. for the first time, we are see

bonita jacks has been convicted of killing heric four daughters and living with the decomposing bodies for months. she was found guilty on four counts of felony murder yesterday, and also found guilty hr teeon counts of first degree murder and she was convicted of four counts of cruelty to children. her daughter's bodies were discovered in january of 2008 inside her home in southeast d.c. >>> investigators believe the girls had been dead for seven months. prosecutors say there are no winners in this case. >> nobody comes out of this house happy. can't bring these kids back and you can't undo what the last moments of their c- last moments of their lives. >> jacks' lawyers says he will appeal. >>> happening today at the white house, the president will share a beer and conversation with the two men at the center of the controversial arrest in cambridge, massachusetts. the president will meet with harvard scholar henry louis gates jr. and police sergeant james crowley at the white house tonight. he's invited the two for a picnic table beer summit in an act of diplomacy. cr y d dy d chaharg

. >>> today, the defense will begin making its case in the bonita jacks trial. she is the d.c. mother accused of killing her four children and living with their decomposed bodies for several months. the defense is now going to take over. jacks' lawyer acknowledge their case will be a short one with just a handful of witnesses. >>> also, in court, the white supremacist accused in the holocaust museum shooting. an initial hearing is set for james von brunn would faces a first degree murder charge. police say i fatally shot a -- he fatally shot a security guard last month. earlier this month, his lawyers said he wasn't well enough to appear in court. >>> an american university student is now officially challenging murder charges in hong kong. 2 #-year-old kelsey mudd is accused of driving a taxicab and crashing into three oncoming cars last month killing a driver. >>> prosecutors say that mudd's blood alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit. mudd attends american university but is from australia. >>> the cash for clunkers program officially kicks off today. it is a

. >>> the trial of of bonita jacks is expected to started today. during pretrial proceedings, tapes were played in court. the defense did not want them used as evidence. on the tapes, jacks repeatedly denied killing her kids saying that demons possessed them and they died in their sleep. >>> crews will be back out looking for a swimmer missing from the potomac river since yesterday afternoon. montgomery county fire and rescue says that two men were attempting to swim across the river when the current swept one of those men away. rescue ares spent the rest of the afternoon and part of the evening searching by air and by boat for that swimmer. >>> something to think about the next time you are looking through your luggage. maybe you did not forget to pack what you're looking for. >>> what caused a football- sized hole it open up in midair. what problems inspectors had about that plane. ( sighs ) ( music throughout ) hey bets, can i borrow a quarter? sure, still not dry? i'trying to shrink them. i lost weight and now some clothes are too big. how did

bonita jacks is on trial for murdering the girls ages 5 to 17. their decomposing bodies were discovered in january of 2008 when u.s. marshals came to evict jacks. she told authorities the girls died in their sleep. authorities say the oldest daughter was stabbed. the others were strangled. the judge is trying to decide whether to admit an interrogation of jacks as evidence. her attorney wants it excluded. >> tonight federal investigators are trying to pinpoint the problem that forced a southwest airlines passenger jet bound for baltimore to make an emergency landing. that plane left nashville last evening but made an emergency landing in charleston, west virginia. john jane is live at b.w.i.-thurgood marshall with the latest tonight. >> passengers on that plane finally got to b.w.i. late last night with a vivid memory of the problem that diverted flight 2298. >> this is the real deal. >> that was alvin kibbles first thought as the plane he was on yesterday suddenly popped a foot-long hole in the top of the fuselage at 30,000 feet. >> i started fee

. >>> bonita jacks is accused much murdering her four dollars and living with their corporations for seven months. the southeast woman's trial started today at spar court with a woman turning down defense request for delay. -- bruce leshan is live from the courthouse where he got a look at the videotaped statement that jacques gave to police the day they found the bodies. >> reporter: if you were hoping this tape would offer a window into the mind of a mother who allegedly killed all of her daughters, you're probably as frustrated as the detectives here at the courthouse. police brought out boxes and boxes of evidence, that tape nay -- may be the most important piece of evidence and the defense is trying desperately to keep it out of evidence. the tape goes on and on for about six hours. jackson a soft, slow raspy voice tiptoes right up to the edge of explaining what happened to her girls and then backs away. saying the detectives wouldn't understand. at one point, she says that her oldest daughter was, quote, possessed. she says she went to sleep with her youngest daughter, 4-year-

. >> now, in other news, this morning, we are hearing convicted murderer bonita jacks, on wednesday, was convicted of torturing and murdering her four daughters inside her southeast washington home. police have released interest video that shows her in a police interview room and told the police her daughters were possessed by demons and they died in their sleep. >> i could not. i could never hurt a child. i would not. that's not what happened. >> jacks could get life from prison without parole. her sentencing is scheduled for october 16th. >>> no one was injured when a vacant apartment went up in flames in northeast washington. it happened yesterday afternoon. the fire began on the fifth floor and eventually the roof collapsed. nearby row houses were evacuated as a precaution. a huge fire burned a home to e ground in northwest washington. it happened on wednesday night on cambridge road. the nearest working fire hydrant was several blocks away. neighbors say they had been complaining about low water pressure, wasa, however, says there was sufficient flow to fight the fire. workers s

two witnesses testified in the trial of bonita jacks after u.s.marshals found the decomposing daughters of her four daughters in her southeast d.c. home. a forensic anthropologist testified that jack's teenage daughter was stabbed three times in the stomach. he said the younger daughters were probably strangled. also an insect expert testified that based on t bugs found in jack's home, the girls were dead at least two months, perhaps even longer. >>> the wife of a former prince george's county police corporal convicted of killing a furniture delivery man wants a new trial for her husband. keith washington is serving 45 years for killing furniture delivery man brandon clark and wounding his co-worker. the shooting happened at washington's home in january 2007. his wife says new evidence that surfaced during a cil trial cast doubt on the credibility of the shooting survivor, robert white. >> he admits himself that much of his testimony in the criminal trial, statements that he made in the criminal trial were not true. i and my daughter are both down