'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
Four people associated with the Oath Keepers were convicted on Monday of conspiracy and obstruction charges stemming from the attack on the U.S. Capitol in the latest trial involving members of the far-right antigovernment extremist group.
A Washington D.C. jury found Sandra Parker, of Morrow, Ohio; Laura Steele, of Thomasville, North Carolina; William Isaacs, of Kissimmee, Florida and Connie Meggs, of Dunnellon, Florida guilty of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and other felony charges.
In a rare loss for prosecutors, Sandra Parker's husband, Bennie Parker, was acquitted of obstruction as well as one conspiracy charge, and a sixth defendant -- Michael Greene, of Indianapolis, Indiana -- was acquitted of two conspiracy charges.
Jurors said they couldn't reach a verdict on another conspiracy charge for Bennie Parker and the obstruction charge for Greene, so the judge instructed them to keep deliberating. All six defendants were convicted of a misdemeanor trespassing offense.
They were the third group of Oath Keepers members and associates to be tried on serious charges in the riot that temporarily halted the certification of President Joe Biden's victory and left dozens of police officers injured. Unlike other Oath Keepers, they were not charged with seditious conspiracy -- the most serious offense prosecutors have levied so far in the attack.
The verdict comes as the prosecution on Monday rested its case in another high-profile Capitol riot trial against former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and four lieutenants who are charged with seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors say was a plot to forcibly overturn Biden's election victory.
In November, Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes and Kelly Meggs -- who led the Oath Keepers' Florida chapter -- were convicted of seditious conspiracy. Three other Oath Keepers were cleared of the charge in that case but were found guilty of other serious crimes. After a second trial, four additional Oath Keepers were convicted of seditious conspiracy in January. None of the Oath Keepers have been sentenced yet.
Connie Meggs is the wife of Kelly Meggs.
Authorities alleged Oath Keepers prepared for weeks leading up to Jan. 6, attended training sessions and recruited others to come to Washington. Authorities have said the extremist group stashed weapons at a Virginia hotel in case they were needed, donned tactical vests and helmets and moved in an organized fashion as they advanced on the Capitol.
The Oath Keepers have denied there was any plot to storm the Capitol or stop the certification. Defense lawyers have argued that their clients came to Washington only to watch President Donald Trump speak or provide security for speakers at events prior to the riot, and that those who entered the Capitol did so spontaneously.
Greene took the witness stand for the defense at Rhodes' trial in November and told jurors that he never heard anyone discussing plans to storm the Capitol. Rhodes told jurors during that case that he tapped Greene as an "operation leader" for Jan. 6 after meeting Greene in 2017, when they helped with disaster relief after Hurricane Harvey.
Greene said he wasn't a dues-paying member of the Oath Keepers but worked essentially as a contractor, providing security services, and was asked to come to Washington to help with security operations for events around the Capitol before the riot.
Authorities said Sandra Parker, Connie Meggs, Issacs and Steele were part of the group of Oath Keepers who stormed into the Capitol after marching in military-style "stack" formation up the steps of the building.
Bennie Parker, who didn't go inside, told a reporter: "We had just had a presidential election and it's been stolen from us. . . . all of these people out here are patriots. And if we need to, it'll come to a civil war, and a lot of people are willing to take up their arms," according to the indictment.
Bennie Parker's attorney, Stephen Brennwald, said after the verdict that his client would rather have been convicted of the serious charges than his wife, saying "it's tearing him up."
More than half of the roughly 1,000 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes have pleaded guilty, including more than 130 who pleaded guilty to felony crimes. Of the 400 who have been sentenced, more than half have gotten terms of imprisonment ranging from seven days to 10 years, according to an Associated Press tally.
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.
English, history, entertainment, math and geography: high school trivia teams could be quizzed on any of it when they compete at the Reach for the Top Nationals in Ottawa in June.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.