>> we've been waiting for this day a long time of the. >> reporter: kirby was killed in november, lodato in february and nancy dunning 11 years ago. >> over these nearly 11 years while nothing can bring her back we're hopeful today's indictment is the beginning of a process that will offer our family and the other affected families some small amount of closure. we ask for privacy at this time and we have no further comment. >>> police chief earl cook says over the last 11 years police never allowed dunning's murder to become a cold case, but it wasn't until kirby's murder last year and lodato's murder seven months ago when the investigation gained momentum. >> the most recent homicides of mr. kirby and mrs. lodato obviously started another extensive investigation, a heightened sense of need to catch this killer. >> reporter: in march police acknowledged similarities in the three murders. chief cook said early on in the investigation of the seemingly connected killings police believed severance had some connection to all three victims but did not know how significant those connections wer

the shock and grief of ruth an lodato's murder in february is still very fresh here. john kelly is a neighbor who serves as family spokesman. >> for the family, i think it's another painful reminder of the loss of ruthanne. and they miss her every day in so many ways. it's also now a painful reminder for other families in our community, and i know the lodatos' thoughts and players go out to the kirby and dunning families. >> reporter: the three murders span a decade of time. many believe the prominence of the victims was no coincidence. all were part of the fabric of alexandria. >> it's hard to overstate how this has changed all of our lives. just the loss and knowing that this has happened in our community. but, you know, we think we try to take time to mourn and miss ruthanne, but we also take time to celebrate her life, and her legacy, which is living on through her music programs that continue to this day. >> reporter: many here have long suspended that these crimes had to be connected. live in alexandria, jackie bensen, news4. >> outside on the roads tonight, rai

killing real estate agent nancy dunning in 2003, ronald kirby last year and music teacher ruth ann lodato back in february. the warrant says police got surveillance video showing a red 199 oz ford es -- 1990s fort escort speeding away from -- ford escort speeding away from lodato's home around the time she was shot. it is the same vehicle severance drove to the embassy when he was denied asylum. >>> police have confirmed a body found in a park in chillum is former d.c. treasurer lasana mack. investigators say there are no signs of foul play and it appears the 51-year-old committed suicide. >>> a former south carolina state trooper is now charged with felony assault and battery after shooting a man during a traffic stop. a warning now. we are about to show you the moment that trooper fired. here's the video. >> may i have your license, please. get out of the car. [ shots fired ] >> get on the ground. >> that's the trooper making a traffic stop september 4. he proceeded to handcuff the driver and that's when he asked if he had been hit. the man he had stopped then shot, 35-year-old lavar jo

today we spoke with a neighbor of the lodato family. >> it's a long legal process and they know that. but for the family just serves as a painful reminder of the loss of ruthanne. now we know it's a painful reminder for two other families in our community. >> a friend of nancy dunning told us after 11 years she finally is feeling some closure and a sense of justice. >>> a former georgetown university student pleaded guilty to possessing the deadly poison ricin. prosecutors say 19-year-old daniel millsman who is from bethesda cooked the ricin up in his dorm room after doing research on the internet and watching episode of breaking bad. millsman will be sentenced in november. under a plea agreement he face between one to two years in prison. >>> tonight it appears the majority of lawmakers do support arming and training modern syrian rebels in the fight against isis, congress rushing to pass the measure before their two month recess the end of this week. the vote would likely be included as an amendment to a spending bill congress has to pass in order to keep the government open until m

alexandria this year so far, about average for the city, but the high profile killings of cross and lodato there's an increased identification of mental illness and that is something else that not only we as a community but a nation must address. >> reporter: the mayor says in some ways alexandria is still a small town with these types of killings still rare. three judges reduced themselves in the severance case. he is expected to appear in court in alexandria tuesday by closed circuit tv. >>> coming up there's an increased urgency in the u.s. and britain to take the fight to isis after video evidence of yet another execution. >> also ahead marking 200 years to the day that francis scott key penned the star spangled banner. >> i'm meteorologist erica grow on the weather terrace where it is cool but pleasant. we'll hold onto the cool temperature overnight tonight. look at the wakeup weather forecast. down into the 50s, even upper 40s in some of the suburbs again, but warmer weather lies ahead as we head into the afternoon, details coming up in the first alert seven-day forecast.

prosecutor charged severance with the murders of nancy dunning, ron kirby and ruthann lodato. >>> tuesday marks one year since a gunman shot and killed 12 people at the navy yard. there will be a remembrance ceremony at 8:00 tuesday morning. police ot a kill the gunman, 34-year-old military contractor aar alexis during the attack. >>> this week the state of maryland is focusing on your child's lunch. the seventh annual maryland home grown school lunch week kicks off tomorrow. it's a statewide celebration of healthy food grown by local farmers. state officials want to teach kids where the food comes from, how it's produced and the benefits of a healthy diet. there will be activities at schools all we long. >>> public opinion and isis. this morning how americans feel about the u.s. leading a charge about the terror group. we'll talk about this next with "meet the prs" moderator chuck todd. >>> it's n your average summer camp. how extreme events are giving kids benefits asa kids benefits asa lif i'm sure she knows couples in our situation... i just hope she has good coffee. at least we're ta

ruth ann lodato was murdered in february. nancy dunning was shot at her front door 11 years ago and ron kirby was murdered in november. police say they've been investigating dunning's murder for more this afternoon a decade and the case never went cold but they say it picked up momentum when lodato and kirby were shot. police found sip harassments in -- similarities in all three murders. severance was held on an unrelated gun charge. gunning's family spoke briefly after the charges were announced. >> i don't know if it was targeted or not because i can't get into the mentality of mr. severance. >> police say they haven't found a murder weapon. they do say tests show game gun was used in all three crimes. the commonwealth doesn't plan to seek the death penalty which may point to severance's mental state. back to you. >> vanessa, thank you. >>> it's 6:06. the eye of the tech world are all on apple. the company is just hours away from a major announcement. >> the experts expect not one but two iphones and a wearable device for y

possession of a firearm, and wounding,of malicious and this involved nancy ruthanneron kirby, and lodato, and this was at 3:00 this afternoon, and family members of the free victims -- three victims sitting in court, the chief, again, not giving evidence, but certainly implying that the witness to the murder odato gavee l information, leading to an arrest, and then there was the situation in west virginia in march, and the chief would not say that the crimes were random or targeted, and they will further establish information on that front. severance became part of the investigation, and evidence and information that came forward, it has led to the charges brought today. >> our family is grateful to the police and investigators to continue to pursue our mother's case over the years, and while nothing can bring her back, we hope that today's indictment is the beginning of a process that will offer our family and the other affected families and some measure of closure. >> we have the ability today to say we have this particular person arrested. >> and one big admission we heard from the ch

ruthanne lodato was killed last november, ron kirby in february and nancy dunning 11 years ago. they were all shot in their homes which are within 2-mile of each other. the family is grateful for the progress in the case. >> the reality is it's a long legal process and they know that, but for the family just serves as a painful reminder of the loss of ruthanne. i know that now we know it's a painful reminder for two other families in our community. >> reporter: this morning with ankles shackled wearing a white and orange jumpsuit severance appeared in court in loudoun county where he's been held five months on a weapons violations charge. that gun found at his girl friend's home was the the murder weapon which police say has not been phone. because of the charges against him, the judge said he would not prosecute the gun charge. some people say these charges were trumped up so that alexandria could move on and continue its investigation. >> some might say that. there's no trumping up evidence of facts. magistrate found probable cause. >> reporter: theup released severance from l

news4's jackie bensen joins us from the community where ruthanne lodato was killed just off braddock road. jackie? >> reporter: this news confirms what many here long believed and it spreading like wild fire, as people find out these three shocking murders, three very upstanding, respected members of the community murdered over a decade time period are now officially believed by alexandria police to be connected. now short time ago, we spoke to john telly. he is a family friend, a spokesman for the lodato family. >> it's hard to overstate the -- how this has changed all of our lives. just the loss and knowing that this has happened in our community. but, you know, we think we try to take time to mourn and miss ruthan ruthanne. but we also ta tim to celebrate life and her legacy, which is moving on through her music programs that continue to this day. >> reporter: and the people we spoke to did say there has not been an overwhelming sense of fear about more of these attacks, more of these murders happening. when people heard the slow drip of information over the past several months le

he's accused in the murders of nancy dunning, ron kirby and ruth ann lodato, murders that spanned more than a decade. a trial date is expected to be set later this month. the virginia supreme court will have to name a trial judge for the case, because several judges in alexandria have already recused themselves. >>> some anxious moments today for parents in the same neighborhood where ruth ann lodato was killed. some kids at an elementary in alexandria saw a man with a gun and now security there is being increased. this happened at matthew maury elementary off russell road. no one was allowed in or out of any schools in the city of alexandria today for hours. news4s kristen wright joins us live with an update. >> reporter: wendy, police say he was standing on the other side of a fence and called to the children to get their attention. when several of them looked up, he showed them what appeared to be a long gun. so police say they will have at least one officer at the school tomorrow. police let parents into maury elementary school by groups to reunite with their children after student

and the murder of music deutste ruthann lodato last february. all were shot at close range with a small caliber weapon. police have not found the gun. in court papers, police say surveillance video shows a 1990s red ford escort speeding away from ruthann lodato's home shortly after she was shot and killed. police say severance drove a 1999 red ford escort. police say they also found a troubling comment on the internet posted by someone using the same internet nickname as severance used. the message? political power comes out of the barrel of a gun. vive le terror. detectives say they located a website that appeared to be operated by charles severance. the name of that site? mental disorder.com. severance is being held without bond pending further court action in the case. live in alexandria, pat collins, news4. >>> we are following breaking news out of chicago, where firefighters are battling a massive blaze. scott macfarlane is at the live desk. >> pat, let's go right to that video out of illinois right now. fire burning at a large commercial b

ruthanne lodato and ron kirby were killed in the last year.ncy dunning was killed in 2003 . >> nothing can bring her back, but we hope this is the beginning of the process that will offer our family and the other families a small amount of closure. >> the police did not say much about evidence beyond what we are ready no. eight previously said -- they had previously said they believe the same gun was used in all three murders. if there is one gun, they say they have not found it and this is far from over. >> everybody hopes to get closure. >> tonight, severance is in jail, but not in alexandria. he is still in loudoun county, held on a gun charge on related to these murders. in alexandria, the commonwealth's attorney announced he will not seek the death penalty in these murders. that means the maximum that severance could face is life in prison. tom roussey, abc 7 news. >> thank you, tom. ,eveloping news from cheverly where there is an active investigation into the actions of a mother accused of murdering two children. they say that she suffoc

and the murder of music teacher ruthann lodato last february. police say all three victims were shot in the doorway of their homes at close range with a small caliber weapon. police have not found the gun. in court papers, police say surveillance video shows a 1990s red ford escort speeding away from ruthann lodato's home shortly after she was shot and killed. police say severance drove a 1999 red ford escort. police say they also found a troubling comment on the internet posted by someone using the same internet nickname as severance used. the message, political power comes out of the barrel of a gun. vive le terror. severance is being held without bond, pending further court action in this triple murder case. live in alexandria, pat collins, news4. >>> what's next for the officer. >>> rumors of a fight club at a local high school. officials say it's a hoax. but police aren't taking any chances. i'm mark segraves. i'll have that story coming up. >>> prince george's county has come up with a way to help students who are immigrants in communities

last week severance was charged with three alexandria murders, ruthanne lodato, ron occur kirby -- kirby and nancy dunning. the families are grateful for the progress in the case. >> the reality is it's a long legal process and they know that, but for the family it just serve as a painful reminder. >> reporter: this morning with ankles shackled wearing a white and orange jump suit severance appeared in loudoun county county where he's been held for five months on a weapons violations charge. some people have said these charges were trumped up in loudoun so that alexandria could move on and continue its investigation. >> some might say that. i mean there's no trumping up evidence and facts. >> reporter: theup released severance from lao county -- the judge released severance from loudoun county custody and he was transferred immediately to alexandria. >>> it has been more than a week since two clarkbsurg toddlers wednesday missing and police reached the sad conclusion that many of us thought they may and feared that those children just aren't alive anymore and now montgomery county police

and the more recent killings of two other alexandria residents, ruth ann lodato and ron kirby. rich was friends both with nancy and her husband. then sheriff jim dunning. >> i think it's a relief for the community to know for sure they have a person they think did all three crimes. >> reporter: but rich says there is relief too that finally a cloud that has hung over the dunning family, the adult children, liz and chris, has been lifted. for years, some in the community viewed the former sheriff as a possible suspect. he eventually left alexandria and died two years ago. >> it was a burden. i mean, it was a burden knowing there were people in the community who believed or thought that jimmie have been involved. >> reporter: nancy dunning's close friends and former colleagues at the real estate company where she was a star say they too are encouraged to learn of charges after such a long wait. >> there is some relief. there is some, you know, possible closure. i mean, it's going to be a long trial, i think. and you know, to get to the end. so i do hope that they have found the r

helped build a case against the man charged with the murders of nancy duning, ronald kirby and ruth lodato. the indictment, a relief to the edge.dria county, on >> i'm just glad they took their time on it, i hope, and i hope fair job. >> the documents show investigators put together the months,ver a series of using surveillance footage to eventually tie severance to the crimes. red ford escort station wagon wased leaving the vicinity later operated by severance when he went to the russian d.c.ation in washington, and requested asylum, claiming he'd been persecuted by the city alexandria. severance's distaste for the government also made clear in the documents which show he created a website called which mockser.com, our government for how it handles mental illness and its control. gun now, those records show that detectives found a haunting severance posted online related to a shooting earlier this year. said political power comes out the barrel of a gun. >> all right. you. >> coming up next on abc 7 news at 5:00 -- that --t my dad to know how much we love him. >> how this local college jo

tran planner ron kirby and ruth ann lodato in february cot ae tomorrow g at 9:00 a.m. he wl n be brought over to e courte for that. he'll appear instead via closed cit tv. it's expected the commonweah atto wil ask he continue to be held wit bond. the big question as the case moves beyond tomorrow's hear who will the judge be for this case? all three alexandria circu cour jud have recused them. mea the virginia supreme t wil, but i checked with them late toy and that decision still had not been made. we'll > metro is about to begin a major p that could have an impa on your commute. e metro system.escalators in e busiest ss being urse, one of repl. tran reporter adam tuss outside the bethesda stn now with more on this proj adam? jim, you may not know this, but the bethesda main entr escalators are second lot in western hemi abo that. thiss not going to be an easy proj it will not be qu it takes two-and-af minutes to ride the bethesd station en escalators from top to bott. imagine how long it tas to walk them. >> rush hour is going to be an ab nightmare. james and father

and music teacher, ruth ann lodato in february. severae will make his first alex court appearance tomorr mor at 9:00 a.m., but will not be brought to the cour there. he'll appear via closed circuit tv and we will be there. > a police offir in prince county is out of jail but suspended from the force r being charged with demos pr abuse. his is themis speis. the victim took out peace order to keep him away. invests said it happened at t victim's workplace. the victim went to the hospital. speis hasn with the county polit for just over a year. >>> new at 5:00 tonight, a george university student pleang guilty today to making ricin is good morning room. miltsman faces two years in prison. police arrested the 19-year-old march after finding the potey deadly toxin in his desk drawer. prosecs had argued that milt planned to use the ricin to harm other people or take his own life. > this looks like a backyard tiki torch. it ford people out of a couple .ozen homes in montgome this came after a construction accidentally hit an undergd propan

nancy dunning in 2003, ron kirby in november of 2013, and ruthanne lodato in february of this year. the families have learned that a suspect is finally in jail. it's the man they have been investigating since six months ago. 53-year-old charles severance is charged in the murders. in each case the victim was shot after receiving a knock at the door. a sketch from a woman who witnessed one of the murders was the break police needed. >> i'm grateful to the police and investigators who continued to pursue our mother's case over the nearly 11 years. while nothing can bring her back, we are hopeful today's indictment is the beginning of the process to honor our family and the other affected families and bring a small amount of closure. >> police refuse to detail the information against severance but he's in jail on and unrelated gun charge. >>> the montgomery county police commission is looking to ban styrofoam in the district. this measure comes up at today's council meeting. >>> for the first time in more than two decades, a congressional panel will hold a hearing in d.c.'s statehood.

also being charged with capital murder in the more recent shooting deaths of ron kirby and ruth ann lodato. friends and family have worked to keep a spotlight on the murders. public awareness campaigns. but friends also tried to make sure unning's many contributions to the community are remembered. jen walker is another fellow realtor and close dunning friend. >> people always say to me, you were friends with that lady who got murdered and i heard about it on tv. and, you know are that's not really who she was. >> reporter: walker says although dunning was the sheriff's wife, she was perhaps better known as a top realtor and community leader, focused on pneumonia reduce charities, and revitalizing the delray area. she started an endowment to send kids to a ymca camp and donated this bench. >> delray would not be what it is today if nancy did not have that rear gift of liaisoning between the city of alexandria and small business. >> reporter: friends say there is some relief knowing charles severance will be charged. but she doesn't expect the trial will bring much consolation or real answe

. >> charles severance is charged with the deaths of nancy dunning, ron kirby and ruth ann lodato.erance was transferred if leesburg to alexandria yesterday as loudoun county prosecutors dropped a gun charge against him. >>> some key decisions still need to be made before a new medical marijuana law can go into effect in maryland. >> the head of the state's medical marijuana commission says the panel still needs to decide just how many dispensaries will be allowed. commissioners plan to meet again next tuesday. >>> we've seen a few showers on doppler radar. here's a look outside right now. in the middle of morning rush hour, there we go. >> nello. >> reporter: a panoramic view of the city and the beautiful skyline shot. >> we know these are the witching hours and witching minutes. beverly farmer has a look at area roads. >> reporter: good morning. we started off with sort of the witching hour around the area. no big deals now as far as the interstates are concerned. i'm talking typical volume on the outer loop into silver spring. inner loop oxon hill starting to building heading to

accused in the 2003 murder of nancy dunning, 2013 killing of ron kirby, and the 2014 murder of ruth ann lodato police say he was well known in government circles in alexandria, and he even ran for mayor at one point. right now he's being healed in a loudoun county jail on unrelated weapons charges. >>> police are searching for the driver of a car which struck and killed a pedestrian early sunday morning in northwest. 26-year-old bareket haile was killed just after 3:00 a.m. police are looking for a four- door chrysler sedan. the vehicle may have damage to its driver's side. >>> d.c. mayoral candidate david cantania plans to released a 126-page book of plans for running the city today. >> the city councilman is running as an independent against democrat muriel bowser and independent carol schwartz. he calls his platform a vision to secure our city's future. his goal is to show his campaign has more substoons than his competitors -- substance than his competitors. >>> there is word from the muriel bowser campaign that she plans to take part in your debates. a final debate will be at anacostia hi

he is charged, however, in the shooting deaths of nancy dunning, ron kirby and lute ann lodato and is due in court tomorrow morning. it's obviously why he was kept locked up in loudoun county for a relatively minor offense. peggy fox has that story at 6:00. >>> this morning a judge sentenced the 14-year-old who opened fire outside the national zoo the day after easter. two people were hurt in the incident. the teen gunman will be sent to a treatment facility in pennsylvania for about a year and then a group home. he will receive services in the community until he turns 18. >>> secretary of state john kerry was in france this morning trying to build an international coalition to take on isis. kerry met with representatives from 26 countries who signed on to help battle the islamic militant group holding territory in syria and iraq. several arab countries have joined this coalition and andrew tabler, a fellow at washington institute's neary poly says they perceive them as a threat. president obama has asked congress for the authority to arm and train moderate syrian rebels fighting isis

of first degree murder in the death of these three people, nancy dunning, ron kirby and ruthanne lodato, all killed in their homes and all three living within blocks of each other in alexandria. and their murders have spanned a decade. and there are still a lot of unanswered questions. so we have two crews working on this story and we hope to have some family reaction coming up for you at the top of the hour at 5:00. >>> let's get to the other big story today. breaking right now. a big talker. the baltimore ravens firing running back ray rice after some new video shows him punching his then fiancee inside a hotel elevat elevator. before we show th video, we want to warn you, it's a bit violent. here we see rice and the woman walking towards the elevator. when they get inside, they begin to argue. and then we see him there, he punches her. she hits her head on the railing as she is falling to the ground. and the video we saw before of him dragging her body out of the elevator and kind of moving her aside with his foot. and that is someone standing on the other side. the video from the ot

close friends with a retired judge, who is the brother of another victim, music teacher, ruth ann lodatotati planner, ronald kirby, the third victim. the court is asked to aremove funding for a private investigator to help the case. >>> bedbugs shut down the d.c. office of tax and revenue friday in southwest d.c. the tax office on 4th street southwest closed down at and sent hundreds o workers home because of an infestation of bedbugs in some of the offices. a spokesman for the tax office says exterminators came in over the weekend and brought bedbug sniffing dogs to search the building. all is back to normal now. >>> doctors in bethesda say people should not be alarmed after that physician exposed to the ebola virus arrived at the national institutes of health for observation. doreen gentzler has more on what researchers are learning from these recent cases. >> health officials aren't releasing a lot of information about the individual who was admitted to nih's clinical center yesterday. but they say so far he's not being treated for an ebola infection. just exposure to the virus. the p