A 54-year-old Augusta man will serve over 25 years in prison for a sexual assault that happened back in 2007.

Ted Foy’s first appearance (KSN Photo)

The case was finally solved in May 2023 when Wichita police made an arrest using DNA evidence collected during the initial investigation and genealogy websites where users had uploaded their DNA data to identify Ted Foy. It is the first time the Wichita Police Department has used this process to identify a suspect.

In March, Foy pled guilty to aggravated criminal sodomy, rape, aggravated sexual battery and attempted rape for the attack in southeast Wichita. As part of his plea agreement, Foy had to disclose how he chose his victim and knew where she lived.

District Judge Christopher Magana sentenced Foy to 310 months in prison.

In a remarkable discovery, researchers have uncovered a vast trove of indigenous Amazigh legal contracts, known as “arraten,” in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.

The documents, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, span a period of approximately 400 years and provide an unprecedented window into the social, economic, and legal landscape of Amazigh communities.

The discovery was made by antique dealer Hamza Elbahraoui and former professor Igor Kliakhandler during their exploration of the remote mountain range.

The researchers stumbled upon the arraten manuscripts in various states of preservation, scattered in abandoned chambers of ancient granary fortresses called “agadirs.”

Agadirs, which dot the Atlas Mountains, served as communal storage spaces for Amazigh families. Each agadir contains numerous chambers, with some housing up to 300 cellars.

The researchers estimate that the Atlas Mountains are home to between 25,000 and 100,000 such chambers, of which they explored a mere 1-2%.

The arraten documents were found recorded on both wood and paper. Wooden tablets, crafted from locally sourced argan trees, make up the majority of the discovered manuscripts.

The researchers conservatively estimate that at least 100,000 wooden arraten exist, with the number potentially reaching 500,000. Additionally, between 40,000 and 150,000 paper arraten were likely produced.

Analysis of the arraten texts revealed that they serve as legal contracts or deeds, covering a wide range of matters such as property transactions, marriage arrangements, loans, inheritance, and intertribal agreements.

The discovery is remarkable, as the documents provide valuable insights into the functioning of Amazigh society and the role of customary law.

Despite the cultural and historical significance of the arraten, the manuscripts have remained largely unknown and understudied.

You can read more in an article in the moroccoworldnews web site at: https://shorturl.at/cIHvl.

Russian forces have damaged several ancient burial mounds on the front line in southern Ukraine, potentially violating the Hague and Geneva Conventions, according to research from the Ukraine Conflict Observatory published on Sept. 4.

Ukraine is home to many of these ancient graves, known as kurgans or mohyly. The mounds can be up to 20 meters tall and date back to as far as 3,000 BC, containing archeological treasures relating to prehistoric life in Ukraine, including the Scythian era. 

The Conflict Observatory analyzed open geospatial data to find that the two sites in Vasylivka district in Zaporizhzhia Oblast have been damaged under occupation by the Russian Armed Forces.

"The damage includes the construction of military infrastructure at the archaeological sites and the creation of a large, lewd geoglyph in the shape of a phallus in an adjacent field," the report said. 

"The use of the sites for military purposes places heritage at risk of incurring additional damage from the conflict."

Damage incurred separately from the construction of military installations "may indicate looting or destruction of the mound's associated artifacts and ancient remains."

Since cultural heritage is entitled to protection under international law, the damage to the sites and potential looting may constitute a violation of international humanitarian law and the Hague and Geneva Conventions, the report said.

You can read more in an article by Elsa Court  in the kyivindependent web site at: https://kyivindependent.com/russian-forces-ancient-burial-mounds/. 

Google is testing a new display and user interface for forum content within its search results. “We’re testing a new display for forum content when it appears in search results, allowing people to quickly view top comments and related discussions to help them find useful information and dig deeper,” a Google spokesperson told us.

What is this new display. The new display will highlight the “top comments” on a specific discussion forum thread and then also highlight related discussions on that topic.

Google told us that searchers often want to learn from others’ experiences with a topic, and because of that, Google is trying new ways to highlight those experiences in Google Search. This is in addition to the “Discussions and Forums” feature and the Forums filter, previously named perspectives.

Google has shown “top answers” for years, a decade actually, but this new UI shows more to the searcher. Google told us also that in some cases, Google has agreements from a forum to show these additional details. I assume this is about the Reddit partnership. But Google added that it surfaces content from hundreds of forums and other communities across the web.

You can read more in an article by Barry Schwartz published in the searchengineland web site at: https://shorturl.at/Blbek.

A man has been arrested in the 1993 rape and murder of his 19-year-old neighbor in Indiana after he was linked to the case through genetic genealogy, authorities said.

On March 24, 1993, Carmen Van Huss' father went to her Indianapolis apartment to check on her after she didn't show up for work. He found his daughter dead on the floor, according to the probable cause affidavit.

She was naked and had multiple puncture wounds to her head, face and body, the document said.

PHOTO: An undated photo of Carmen Van Huss who was killed in Indianapolis in 1993 was released by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. (Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department)

"There were obvious signs of a struggle, including a knocked over table, clothing thrown on the floor, a large pooling of blood near the victim’s head, and blood spatter around the victim’s body," the probable cause affidavit said.

A resident in the apartment directly below Van Huss told police that, in the early hours of March 23, he heard screams, crying, slamming, banging and "noises and voices of a male arguing that lasted approximately 30 minutes," the probable cause affidavit said.

In the years that followed, police said they interviewed dozens of people and followed up on hundreds of leads. But the case went cold.

In 2013, the unknown suspect's DNA was uploaded to CODIS -- the nationwide law enforcement DNA database -- but there wasn't a match, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Then, in 2018, police said they submitted a DNA sample from the crime scene to Parabon NanoLabs to try to solve the case with forensic genetic genealogy -- a new investigative tool that takes unknown DNA and identifies it by comparing it to family members who voluntarily submitted their DNA samples to a database.

In 2023, police said "various investigative methods and lead information from the genetic genealogy analysis" led to a suspect's name: Dana Shepherd.

Police determined Shepherd was Van Huss' neighbor in 1993. Their apartment buildings were connected internally by a shared common area, according to the probable cause affidavit.

In February, police were granted a warrant to obtain DNA from Shepherd, who was now living in Missouri and working at the University of Missouri, the probable cause affidavit said.

When police showed Shepherd the warrant, he "was visibly shaking," the document said.

In June, testing determined that Shepherd’s DNA matched the DNA on Van Huss' body and at the crime scene, police said.

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Shepherd, 52, was arrested in Missouri last week on charges of murder, felony murder and rape, police said. He has not yet been extradited to Indiana, police said.

The following is a press release issued by the (U.S.) National Archives and Records Administration:

To celebrate Constitution Day (September 17), the National Archives is hosting a naturalization ceremony at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, September 17. The ceremony, held in the historic National Archives Rotunda, will see 25 people sworn in as new U.S. citizens in front of the Constitution and our nation’s other founding documents. Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan and special guest Gary Vaynerchuk, known as “GaryVee,” will provide remarks.

The press is invited to cover the ceremony. Accredited media representatives should use the Constitution Avenue special events entrance, at 7th Street, NW, and set up by 9:45 a.m., as the ceremony begins promptly at 10 a.m. RSVP by September 13, to public.affairs@nara.gov.

This year’s Constitution Day marks the 237th anniversary of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Learn more online about the U.S. Constitution through our public programs, family activities, and online resources.

The September 17 ceremony will be hosted by Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan.

“It is an honor to naturalize new citizens at the home of the United States’ founding documents,” said Dr. Shogan. “The National Archives serves as a resource for people to learn about our country, and therefore themselves. The naturalization papers from this ceremony will eventually become a part of our holdings. Welcoming these citizens into our nation adds their rich stories to our shared history.”

The Honorable Judge Randolph D. Moss, District Judge for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, will preside as the petitioners take the oath of citizenship. 

Gary Vaynerchuk and his family immigrated to the United States from Belarus in 1978. Known as “GaryVee,” he is a serial entrepreneur and serves as the Chairman of VaynerX,  the CEO of VaynerMedia, and the Creator & CEO of VeeFriends. He is considered one of the leading global minds on what’s next in culture, relevance, and the internet.

This program is presented in partnership with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The use of flash and additional lights is prohibited in the Rotunda.

On Sunday, the Johnson County Coroner’s Office (JCCO) said human remains that were found in Indiana in 1993 were identified as South Carolina native Michael Benjamin Davis.

JCCO says Davis’s remains, which were found near I-65 (what is now Otte Golf Course) in Greenwood, Indiana, were identified following months of DNA and genealogy work.

“This case had remained cold with no leads until our Coroner’s Office revisited it using updated DNA and genealogy procedures. Significant progress was made with the help of the Greenwood Police Department, The University of Indianapolis, and the Othram Forensic DNA Testing Laboratory.” JCCO said.

The office says after months of emails, phone calls, and assistance from other law enforcement agencies across the U.S. and Canada, they were able to locate potential family members who received DNA kits.

“The field was narrowed, and positive DNA results and genealogy tracking located immediate family members who reported losing track of their family member in the late 1980s,” said JCCO.

According to JCCO, although the case has long been suspected of having been a homicide, the cause and manner of death have been ruled undetermined unless more information is discovered.

The family will be going to Indiana to claim the remains of Davis, who was born in Richland County, South Carolina, according to JCCO. 

JCCO says Davis would have been in his mid-20s at the time of his death.

After Tennessee passed the ELVIS Act this past winter to protect an artist’s name, image and likeness from being used by digital replicas, other states are considering similar legislation.

While many states were focused this past legislative session on creating regulatory frameworks or guardrails around the development and use of artificial intelligence, Tennessee had a different focus when it passed the ELVIS Act in February. 

The first-in-the-nation law, which prohibits people from using AI to mimic a person’s voice without their permission, was aimed at protecting one of the Volunteer State’s biggest industries.

The music industry, Tennessee estimates, supports more than 60,000 jobs and contributes $5.8 billion to its gross domestic product. Given the importance of music to the state’s identity and economy, state leaders argued that it made sense to protect that sector first.

“While we support the responsible advancement of this technology, we must ensure we do not threaten the future livelihood of an entire industry,” House Majority Leader William Lamberth said at the bill signing ceremony. “This legislation is an important step in maintaining public trust and advancing ongoing efforts to protect and inform Tennessee consumers.” 

You can read more in an article by Chris Teale, published in the route-fifty web site at: https://shorturl.at/e3DJk.

The following is an announcement written by TheGenealogist: 

TheGenealogist is excited to announce the release of nearly 300,000 historic landowner records. The new additions consist of Feet of Fines, Index of Sasines, and the Scotland Record Office Index to Register of Deeds, offering a wealth of information for those delving into their ancestry.

Feet of Fines: These documents provide insights into land transactions, usually involving the transfer of property rights, and were commonly used in English legal proceedings from the 13th century onwards. The Feet of Fines contains detailed information about the parties involved in the transactions, property descriptions, and the dates of agreements, serving as a vital resource for researchers tracing their family land ownership or exploring the economic history of a region.

Index of Sasines: The release of the Index of Sasines marks a significant addition to TheGenealogist's Scottish records. Sasines are legal documents that confirm the possession of land and property, reflecting the transfer of ownership in Scotland from the 16th century onwards. This index allows users to quickly locate and access critical details surrounding property ownership, making it an essential tool for genealogists looking to understand their ancestral ties to land in Scotland.

Scotland Record Office Index to Register of Deeds: This comprehensive index opens the door to a vast array of legal documents relating to property and inheritance in Scotland. By providing easy access to this substantial resource, TheGenealogist allows users to uncover their family histories and gain a deeper understanding of the social and legal contexts in which their ancestors lived.

These new records are now available on TheGenealogist, providing an unparalleled opportunity for researchers to deepen their exploration of family histories and connect with their pasts.

In this release are: Berwick, Index to Register of Sasines Volume I. A-H 1617-1780; London and Middlesex, A Calendar to the Feet of Fines 1179 - 1485; Yorkshire Feet of Fines 1327-1614; Huntingdon Calendar of the Feet of Fines 1194-1603; Scotland, Index to Particular Register of Sasines for Sheriffdom of Dumfries and Stewaertries of Kirkcudbright and Annandale 1617 - 1732; 

Scotland Record Office, Index to Register of Deeds, 1661 - 1679

Read the feature article ‘The Scottish Rebel Who Defied the Crown: Andrew Fletcher's Fight for Independence’ at TheGenealogist here:

https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2024/the-scottish-rebel-who-defied-the-crown-7584/

To celebrate this release you can Save Over £50 on our Diamond Package here: https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/basket/?discount_code=MGBLWR824

About TheGenealogist

TheGenealogist is an award-winning online family history website, who put a wealth of information at the fingertips of family historians. Their approach is to bring hard to use physical records to life online with easy to use interfaces such as their Tithe and newly released Lloyd George Domesday collections. 

TheGenealogist’s innovative SmartSearch technology links records together to help you find your ancestors more easily. TheGenealogist is one of the leading providers of online family history records. Along with the standard Birth, Marriage, Death and Census records, they also have significant collections of Parish and Nonconformist records, PCC Will Records, Irish Records, Military records, Occupations, Newspaper record collections amongst many others.

TheGenealogist uses the latest technology to help you bring your family history to life. Use TheGenealogist to find your ancestors today!

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The following Plus Edition article is written by and copyright by Dick Eastman. 

What does a library look like anymore? 

When Egyptian King Ptolemy I built the Library of Alexandria nearly 2,300 years ago, the great library became the intellectual center of the ancient world. Ptolemy hoped to gather as much human knowledge as possible. Even ships anchored in the port were impounded until all the manuscripts they contained could be copied. World leaders lent their scrolls for duplication, and library officials traveled far and wide to purchase entire collections. Meanwhile, dutiful scribes hand-copied the library's awesome collection, which eventually grew to as many as 700,000 scrolls.

NOTE: Books with bindings and covers had not yet been invented. 2,300 years ago, “books” were available only as long scrolls of parchment. 

Brewster Kahle is a modern-day Ptolemy: he wants to ensure universal access to all human knowledge. And now he thinks that goal is within our grasp. In fact, his web site, called The Internet Archive, has already stored billions of web pages. Yes, that's BILLIONS of web pages. However, this online archive has a lot more than just web pages. It serves as an online library, the largest such library in the world. It also has 20 million books and texts, 4.5 million audio recordings (including 180,000 live concerts), 4 million videos (including 1.6 million Television News programs), 3 million images and 200,000 software programs, all available at no charge to you. In fact, this online library gets more visitors in a year than most other libraries do in a lifetime. 

Kahle is no stranger to the Internet. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1982. He studied artificial intelligence with Marvin Minsky and W. Daniel Hillis. In 1983, he helped start Thinking Machines, serving six years as a lead engineer for the parallel supercomputer maker. In the late 1980s, he pioneered the Internet's first publishing system, known as WAIS (Wide Area Information Server), which was sold to AOL in 1995. He then co-founded Alexa Internet, which was sold to Amazon.com in 1999. 

The Internet Archive is Kahle's most ambitious project. He founded it in 1996 as a non-profit organization based in San Francisco, California. It started as a few servers running in Kahle's attic. In late 1999, the organization started to grow to include more well-rounded collections. Today the Internet Archive includes texts (including complete books), audio, moving images, and software as well as archived web pages in its collections. It also provides specialized services for adaptive reading and information access for the blind and other persons with disabilities. 

The Internet Archive now includes several divisions: The Wayback Machine, Open Library, Audio Archive, and more. The web site proudly proclaims, “Our mission is to provide Universal Access to All Knowledge.” Web pages are normally found at http://www.archive.org while books and many other materials are found athttp://www.OpenLibrary.org. Both of those addresses link to different parts of the Internet Archive. 

Brewster Kahle latest organization is working on digitizing and storing the entire World Wide Web and making what has been digitized so far freely accessible at http://www.archive.org. If a bit of genealogy information was published on the web in the past but has since disappeared, there is an excellent chance that you can find an old copy of the information on Archive.org. Six hundred thousand people use the Internet Archive every day, conducting two thousand searches a second. 

The Internet Archive is physically located at 500 Funston Avenue in San Francisco. It looks like a Greek Revival temple. There is a good reason for the similarity: it was built in 1923 by the Fourth Church of Christ, Scientist, and remained a church until Brewster Kahle bought the building. He wanted to move the Internet Archive out of his attic and into a much larger facility that could hold rows and rows of servers and disk arrays containing petabytes of data. 

Brewster Kahle also is working on making all the stored material available in many different places. The information is available on desktop computers, laptops, tablets, eBook readers, cell phones, and most anyplace else there is a demand. Many libraries around the world also have “print on demand” printers that will download a book from The Internet Archive/Open Library, print it, bind it, and make it available to a patron whenever requested. These books are actual digital images of the original books.

The remainder of this article is reserved for Plus Edition subscribers only. If you have a Plus Edition subscription, you may read the full article at: https://eogn.com/(*)-Plus-Edition-News-Articles/13401000 (A Plus Edition password is required to access that article.)

If you are not yet a Plus Edition subscriber, you can learn more about such subscriptions and even upgrade to a Plus Edition subscription immediately at https://eogn.com/page-18077.