(Photo : KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Minnesota man found guilty of first-degree murder for beheading his girlfriend in a vehicle, dumping her corpse, and fleeing has now been acquitted due to mental illness.
A dispute over money left one Alabama man dead and a woman facing capital murder for his attempted murder.
According to reports, 76-year-old Bessemer man Alverner Blanks was struck in the head using a space heater and was left for dead. A day after the incident, Blanks' neighbor saw him unresponsive at home and immediately called 911.
Blanks was transported to a nearby hospital by paramedics for several days. He was later transferred to an assisted living facility but only stayed there for three days before he passed away.
Woman arrested, charged with capital murder
Prior to his demise, 24-year-old Monyuett Catrice Hinson was arrested on attempted murder charges, robbery, and hindering prosecution. She was initially able to get out of prison after posting a $25,000 bond.
But after Blanks' demise, the Jefferson County Coroner's Office ruled his death a homicide, so they arrested Hinson again and changed her initial charges. They are now seeking capital murder after Hinson allegedly killed her neighbor after getting into an argument over money. She is currently being held without bond.
Authorities also revealed that Hinson stole some of Blanks' belongings.
Alabama homicides are on the rise
According to AL.com, Blanks' homicide is the 24th reported incident in Jefferson County in 2021 alone. In total, there have been 167 homicides in the area.
Earlier this week, a family's three-year struggle following the death of a 79-year-old Alabama woman came to an end. However, it wasn't necessarily the ending that the family was hoping for.
In 2018, Heather Christianson killed her elderly mother, Francis McDonald, in their home. On Nov. 1, Christianson's trial finally commenced, but it only lasted for three days,
After all, Circuit Judge Steven Perryman granted Christianson a directed verdict and found the defendant not guilty of the crime because of insanity.
"The court recessed the trial until the following day to fully consider the defendant's motion. After careful consideration of the demeanor of the defendant, the argument from counsel, and testimony before the court, the defendant's motion was granted," Perryman said via WHNT.
Two teenagers charged with capital murder
Also, this week, a 16-year-olds was charged with capital murder following the death of an Alabama couple.
According to CBS 42, the teen shot the unnamed couple in the head, and their bodies were dumped on someone else's property. More arrests are expected to occur this week since police officials believe that the teenager couldn't have committed the crime independently.
Last month, a woman's body was also found in an unused and parked police van at Alabama's Huntsville Public Safety Complex. The woman, who was later identified as Christina Nance, went missing from her home on Oct. 2.
Days after her body was found, authorities released video footage that showed Nance walking around the parking lot. At one point, the late woman sits on the hood of the police car before entering the van.
Authorities confirmed that Nance stayed inside the parked and unused van for a couple of days. And the last time that she was seen opening the van's window was on Sept. 28. Nance's family is still looking for answers following her untimely death.
Related Article: Woman's Body Found in an Unused Police Van Parked at the Huntsville Public Safety Complex in Alabama; No Foul Play, Bodily Trauma Detected
