NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Monday, November 11, 2024

Episode Date: November 12, 2024

Jury finds Richard Allen guilty in slayings of two teens in Delphi; U.S. airlines cancel flights to Haiti after plane is hit by gunfire; Growing toll from wildfires on both coasts; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the verdict handed down on a double murder case that stunned the nation. Nearly eight years after two teenage girls were murdered in Delphi, Indiana, the former CVS clerk found guilty on all counts. The case going cold for five years before he was finally arrested. The key piece of evidence, video from one of the victim's phones, and the defendant's alleged confessions. Also tonight, the Spirit Airlines flight from Florida to Haiti hit by bullets after gangs opened fire at the plane.

A flight attendant injured. The images of bullet holes in the cabin, what the airline is saying. President-elect Donald Trump announcing his first cabinet picks for U.N. ambassador and EPA chief, plus who he has named as his new border czar, and the high-powered role expected for the architect of family separations at the border, Stephen Miller. The dangerous wildfires burning on both coasts, the deadly inferno raging near New York City, and in California, the fire that destroyed nearly 200 homes and structures, the record

drought across the country. Caught on camera how a Disney cruise ship rescued four people from a sinking boat, the Coast Guard speaking out to us. And on this Veterans Day, the daughter who never gave up, her 50-year-long battle to bring home her fallen Marine father. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. A verdict announced today in a double murder case that gripped an Indiana community and remained unsolved for years. The suspect, a husband, father and pharmacy employee, now convicted of murdering two young teenage girls, Libby German and Abigail Williams, back in 2017

after forcing them off a trail in Delphi, Indiana. The teen's body is found a day later with her throats cut. Some of the prosecution's most key pieces of evidence coming from the victims themselves, perhaps none more important than video clips of a man discovered on Libby's cell phone that the prosecution believes was in fact Allen. Separately recorded audio believed to have captured their abductor's voice as he led them off the trail. His lawyers maintain Allen was not guilty, but Allen's own confession undermining his defense. Maggie Vespa with more on the case and the verdict. After more than seven years, a stunning verdict in the Delphi double murder trial, with a jury finding Richard Allen guilty in the 2017 slayings of 13-year-old Abby Williams and her 14-year-old best friend Libby German.

Indiana prosecutors in closing arguments saying Allen slit their throats. He stole the youth and life away from Abby and Libby. Telling jurors the local husband, father, and pharmacy tech is the so-called bridge guy seen in video taken on Libby's cell phone the day the girls went missing and heard in this audio recording as prosecutors said he forced them off a walking trail at gunpoint. The prosecution arguing Allen left their bodies by a creek, Libby naked, saying he left a cartridge from his gun at the scene, owned a Blackford Focus captured on surveillance video nearby, and made multiple confessions behind bars, playing a recorded call of Allen telling his wife, I did it, adding, I killed Abby and Libby. His wife pushing back,

saying, no, you didn't. Amid a back and forth, Allen softening, saying, maybe I did. I think I did. His wife later crying, saying, no, you didn't. They're screwing with you to get you to say things. The defense calling those false confessions, saying Allen was suffering from psychosis after being held in solitary confinement for 13 months. They argued there's no DNA evidence tying Allen to the scene, said tests comparing that bullet to his gun were inconclusive, and blasted the state's desperation after the murders went unsolved for five years. The jury not buying it and tonight convicting a killer in a case that's consumed this tight-knit town.

Do you think this case will stick with this town, is sticking with this town? Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. If not just because of the court case, it's just because the two little girls have died here and that's just awful. Yeah. That will always be in our hearts. Yeah.

It's a permanent scar. Yeah. Now, Maggie, families and attorneys in the case have been barred from speaking out about this verdict. Yeah, Lester, that's right. They've been under a gag order, which the judge is leaving in place until Richard Allen's sentencing. That's set for December 20th, and he faces up to 130 years in prison. That being said, our affiliate WTHR today publishing this video of, they say, Allen's wife exiting the courthouse in which you can hear her saying, quote, this isn't over at all.

And in court today, as the verdict was being read, we're told family members of Abby and Libby held hands and cried while Allen sat emotionless. Lester. All right, Maggie Vespa, thank you. U.S. airlines have canceled flights into and out of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, after a Spirit Airlines flight was hit by gunfire today, injuring a flight attendant on board. Here's Tom Costello. Goes from here to here.

Video and photos from inside the Spirit Airlines plane show the bullet holes from the gunfire that tore into the passenger cabin. While no passengers were hit, one flight attendant did suffer a minor injury. Spirit Flight 951 was arriving from Fort Lauderdale when it was hit by gunfire from the ground as it approached Port-au-Prince. The pilots quickly abandoned plans to land in Haiti and averted to Santiago in the Dominican Republic, where Spirit says an inspection revealed evidence of damage to the aircraft consistent with gunfire. The Port-au-Prince airport quickly shut down with Spirit, JetBlue and American all suspending flights into Haiti. The gunfire could have brought the airplane down. I mean, if it hit the hydraulic systems, the pilots are going to begin to lose control of the airplane.

With a barely functioning government, Haiti has been wracked by brutal gang violence for years. Last month, a UN helicopter was shot at. In September, the State Department issued a Do Not Travel advisory for Haiti, warning of robbery, carjackings, sexual assault, and kidnappings for ransom, and noting the airport can be a focal point for armed activity. Despite the warning, U.S. airlines have averaged four flights a day into Haiti. Today, the embassy warned armed gangs are trying to block access to the city. Before airlines resume service, they'll need assurances that flying into Haiti is safe. Yeah, very disturbing. Tom, thanks very much for that. Six days after his election win, President-elect Trump tonight tapping some familiar names for key roles in his administration,

including overseeing his tougher immigration policies, one of his controversial pledges during the campaign. Garrett Haig has late details for us. Tonight, President-elect Trump making his first cabinet pick, tapping top ally New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik as his ambassador to the United Nations, and also announcing he'll name former Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin as EPA administrator. We have the opportunity to roll back regulations that are forcing businesses to be able to struggle. Environmental groups criticizing the pick.

And late tonight, naming Florida Republican Congressman Mike Waltz as national security advisor. It comes as the scope of Trump's victory last week grows. NBC News now projecting he'll win Arizona, meaning Trump swept all seven battleground states and leads Vice President Harris in the popular vote as counting continues. Today, the vice president appearing with President Biden at a Veterans Day event, their first joint appearance since her defeat, while Trump has begun filling out his White House staff

after campaigning on beefing up border security, including mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. On day one, I will launch the largest deportation program of criminals in American history. He's expected to name longtime advisor Stephen Miller as deputy chief of staff for policy and announced Tom Homan, a former acting director of ICE, will report to him as border czar. Both men played key roles in the hardline immigration policies of Trump's first term, including the controversial separations of thousands of migrant children from their families in 2018. Homan was recently asked if there's a way to carry out deportations without separating families. Of course there is.

Families can be deported together. The first migrants likely to be targeted for deportation include convicted criminals, those with final deportation orders already, and people considered potential national security threats, including Chinese men of military age living illegally in the U.S., multiple sources involved in the planning tell NBC News. The Trump campaign not commenting. Meanwhile, NBC News has learned new details about the growing influence of billionaire Trump supporter Elon Musk. Two sources say he's been a regular presence at Mar-a-Lago since Election Day. Musk described as an informal advisor and friend with no specific portfolio in the transition or administration yet. And Garrett, we also have new reporting tonight about the potential for the FBI director to be replaced. That's right, Lester. President-elect Trump has regularly attacked Christopher Wray, who he appointed to lead the FBI back in 2017. Now both Wray and the

Trump team are planning for the possibility that Trump could move to replace Wray. Three people familiar with the matter tell NBC News. Two other sources say controversial Trump advisor Cass Patel is under consideration for that job. Lester. All right, Garrett Haig, thanks. Tonight, the growing toll from wildfires destroying almost 200 homes in Southern California and burning through parts of New York and New Jersey, all of it made worse by a nationwide drought. Here's Emily Akeda. Tonight, wildfires wreaking havoc coast to coast. Firefighters up against dangerous conditions in New York and New Jersey working to douse the Jennings Creek fire. You know we're getting tired

we're getting tired so don't create any new fires. This photo showing the last moments before 18 year old volunteer firefighter Daryl Vasquez was killed by a fallen tree while fighting the fire fueled by whipping winds and bone dry conditions. Daryl Vasquez was killed by a fallen tree while fighting the fire, fueled by whipping winds and bone-dry conditions. Stephen Lee can smell smoke from his cranberry farm in Chatsworth, New Jersey, where there are more signs of the region's unrelenting drought. So we shouldn't even be able to be standing here right now. No, we're standing well below a normal water level. A first for the

five-generation farm that typically uses this reservoir to flood its colorful cranberry bogs every fall for harvesting. We had to run the pump 24-7 to do our harvest. That required roughly $800 a day of diesel fuel over a three-week period. So another $20,000 just for harvest water. Parts of southern New Jersey have seen less than a quarter inch of rain since September. That's just 5% of its average precipitation. And the Garden State is not alone. More than half of the continental U.S. is experiencing moderate drought. Thousands of people evacuating near Reno, Nevada today, where billowing smoke can be seen for miles. While in Southern California, nearly 200 homes have already

been destroyed and officials are bracing for another round of Santa Ana winds. NBC's Dana Griffin is on the ground. It's like trying to put a blowtorch out with a squirt gun. The global temperature now on track to set a record high for a second year in a row, leaving farmers like Lee fearing for the future of their businesses. It's concern. We're all concerned that we need rain for a lot of reasons, not just to flood cranberry box. Burn scars like this are typically seen out of the West Coast, but here in New Jersey, firefighters have responded to more than 530 wildfires since October. That's about 500 more than what's typical

for this time of year. And to make matters worse, red flag warnings were just issued for parts of the Northeast tomorrow. Lester. All right, Emily Akeda, thank you. There is more fallout tonight from what Dutch and Israeli leaders are describing as clashes and attacks on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam late last week. Raf Sanchez is in Tel Aviv. Raf, what's the latest? Lester, police say there is more unrest in Amsterdam tonight, though there's no sign that Israelis are being targeted. Meanwhile, prosecutors are still piecing together what happened last week and say more

arrests are expected. We know that tensions in the city were high before the attack. Amsterdam's mayor says there was talk on social media of a, quote, Jew hunt and that assailants use scooters for hit and run attacks. But footage also allegedly shows Israeli fans attacking people, ripping down Palestinian flags and chanting anti-Arab slurs. Israel is now warning its citizens to stay away from sporting events because of the threat of violence, including the Israeli national soccer team's game in Paris on Thursday. Lester. Raf Sanchez tonight. Thank you. We'll take a break right here. And in 60 seconds, the dramatic rescue at sea, how a cruise ship came to the aid of a sinking catamaran, saving all those on board right after this. Back now with the dramatic rescue at sea,

a boat sinking in the Atlantic, sending out a distress call, and the closest vessel just happened to be a brand new Disney cruise ship. Let's get more from Jesse Kirsch. Tragedy avoided at sea thanks to a Disney cruise liner turned rescue ship. On Sunday, the Serenity, a 50-foot catamaran, sprung a leak in its emergency hatch more than 200 miles off the Bermuda coast. The captain telling NBC News the four-person crew was barely keeping up with the water pouring in. Waves were 8 to 12 feet. The boat was rocking. I think they did the right thing that recognizing their capabilities and their limitations and they called for help early before things got even worse. Coast Guard says the closest vessel was roughly 80 miles away,

a four-hour journey by sea. That ship was the Disney Treasure, a brand new cruise liner which the Coast Guard says headed toward the Serenity and launched a lifeboat. The catamaran's captain says everyone escaped uninjured. He and his wife, their daughter, and a cousin all had to jump about two feet into that rescue craft. The Coast Guard says the Serenity's crew took important precautions. They were very prepared professional mariners, and they had all the right stuff to keep them safe. Tonight, the Serenity's fate is unclear, but the captain says we're pretty sure she sank. While the Disney treasure still has not taken its official maiden voyage for paying customers, this weekend's journey might be more memorable than any pleasure cruise.

Jesse Kirsch, NBC News. That was quite a save. And up next tonight on this Veterans Day, the good news about a daughter's mission to find her father after he was lost in Vietnam when she was just two years old. That's why when you were asking, I never told you. President Biden laying a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier at Arlington National Cemetery today, marking his final Veterans Day as commander in chief. And on this day, for honoring those who serve, there's good news tonight about the daughter of a fallen Marine who never stopped fighting to bring him home.

Here's Courtney Kuby. On a clear day at Arlington National Cemetery, Captain Ronald Forrester was laid to rest, ending his daughter's 51-year journey to find her father after his plane disappeared over Vietnam when she was just two years old. When daddy was shot down, we were told not to give up hope. But after years of waiting, Kareni's hope was shattered when all servicemen missing in action in Southeast Asia were declared presumed dead. I remember being so confused because nobody could tell me what happened to my dad. Captain Forrester's name was engraved on the walls at the National Cemetery of the Pacific, and a tormented Kareni began her own mission. This kid wanted to know where her dad was.

But she wasn't the only one looking. The Defense POW MIA Accounting Agency, or DPAA, was created to find and identify those lost in battle. Their scientists travel around the world interviewing witnesses, excavating sites, and gathering any remains left behind. Pocket knife, a key, toothbrush, some different things that may have been on the individual when they went missing. All carefully transported back to their lab in Hawaii and tested against DNA samples, usually from next of kin. There are over 80,000 unresolved cases from our past conflicts.

Dr. Deborah Prinzini is deputy director of the lab. It's really humbling and it's a really wonderful mission to be a part of. In 1991, DPAA teams started searching a rice paddy where a U.S. plane may have crashed in 1972. The investigation continued for over 30 years until last December. So you were able to identify both of the individuals who were lost in that crash? We were. Kereny was about to learn they finally found her father. We got a match. Her dad identified by a gas card with his name on it

and a single bone fragment that matched his DNA. It might be just one little bone, but it sure is a huge long-sought-after answer. Captain Ronald W. Forrester. Karine attended a ceremony in Hawaii, tapping a small rosette next to her dad's name on the memorial wall, signifying he'd been found. And thanking the men and women from DPAA who never stopped searching. Thank you so much.

Your work changed my life. After a journey spanning five decades and crossing the world, Kereny brought her dad to his final resting place. Closure for a daughter who vowed never to give up. Courtney Kuby, NBC News, Honolulu, Hawaii. And that is nightly news for this Monday. Thank you for watching, everyone. I'm Lester Holt.

Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.