Trump Abandoning His Iran War?! & What Everyone Got Wrong About Charlie Kirk Bullet Report
PDS Published 03/31/2026
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Because we just got some updates on the investigation, specifically about bullet fragments found during the autopsy, and whether or not they match the weapon that suspect Tyler Robinson is accused of using.
But depending on what outlets you are reading, you might have different ideas of what happened here.
The news really took off when the Daily Mail ran a headline titled: “Bullet used to kill Charlie Kirk did NOT match rifle allegedly used by suspect.”
And that narrative spread like wildfire, TMZ ended up running a very similar headline, and people like Candace Owens reacted to the report by writing:
“Where are all my neocons who have been “overwhelmed” by the non existent evidence against Tyler Robinson? You should all be ashamed of yourselves. Hope the money was worth your soul.” []
Because if you didn’t know, for months Candace has been claiming that Charlie was not actually murdered by Tyler Robinson, at least not alone, and that the assassination was part of a much broader conspiracy.
She has implicated foreign governments and even Charlie’s own Turning Point organization, and she has gotten a ton of attention for this.
So it was not surprising to see a ton of other people sharing this Daily Mail headline far and wide, thinking it proves Candace right, that if the bullet was not from the rifle found, there is no case against Robinson.[][][]
But if you even read the first sentence of the actual article, the Daily Mail said that the bullet “may not match the rifle” that was allegedly used. []
So it is already sounding a hell of a lot less definitive than the headline they attached to the piece.
And the more traditional, less tabloidy, news outlets that covered this, like the Associated Press and NBC News, were not as definitive about it either.
The news about the bullet fragment stems from a filing Robinson’s defense team made asking to delay a hearing set for May so they could keep reviewing evidence. []
NBC obtained that filing, and the attorneys claimed that a summary report from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was “unable to identify the bullet recovered at autopsy to the rifle allegedly tied" to Robinson.
Or as the AP phrased it, the report was inconclusive. []
With the outlet further explaining that:
“The success of a forensic ballistics analysis largely depends on the size and condition of the bullet fragments. Experts are looking for unique, microscopic markings that are left on a bullet as it passes through the gun’s barrel. The scratches are like fingerprints in that no two firearms make identical markings.”
So far, Robinson’s team has not even been able to review the case file associated with the ATF report, and the FBI is conducting its own bullet analysis that is not completed yet. []
But the defense said they might try to use the reports to clear Robinson, even though prosecutors insist they have enough evidence to go to trial. []
Prosecutors say that DNA consistent with Robinson’s was found on the rifle that was allegedly used, though his defense has pushed back and claimed multiple people’s DNA was found, so more analysis needs to ble done.
And that is why they want to delay the May hearing, right, they need more time to prepare and analyze all kinds of evidence.[]
Because on top of the DNA and gun analysis, attorneys also say they just received a hard drive with tons of audio, video, and data files that need to be reviewed.
So maybe this ATF report turns into something Robinson’s defense can really use, but right now it looks like nothing is set in stone.
So you have people slamming the Daily Mail, saying:
“The ATF said it was unable to identify the bullet; that’s quite different than being able to identify it as a non-match.”[]
Others accusing the outlet of running “clickbait trash,” adding:[]
“They’re purely leaning into this because they know there are a bunch of rabid conspiracy theorists who will not take the time to understand this.”
But the thing is, fodder for Charlie Kirk conspiracies doesn’t stop there today.
Because the sheriff for Washington County Utah, the county where Robinson was arrested, just abruptly resigned from his job.
He reportedly had a 30-year-long career in law enforcement and just announced his retirement on Friday.
But the Salt Lake City Tribune added the news comes:
“after the county received complaints ‘from individuals who were concerned with operations at the sheriff’s office.’”
We do not know the details of the complaints.
But as you can imagine, it is something people like Candace Owens are paying attention to, with her saying on her show yesterday:
“My instinct is that there is some corruption. He has gotten involved in something and he has to quietly resign. If you are in the middle of an election, they are usually digging up dirt on you, they may have found something. I am wondering if this might have something to do with Tyler Robinson and the Charlie Kirk case. I don’t know for certain, but I am interested.” (29:09-29:28)
You also had Marjorie Taylor Greene tying it back to the filing in the Robinson case, saying that:
“The ATF could not match the bullet to Tyler Robinson’s gun and when the news breaks the sheriff resigns.”[]
Though, that is kind of a mischaracterization, right, reports say the sheriff resigned on Friday, and reports about the bullet were just from yesterday.
As far as what comes next, Robinson is actually due in court in just over two weeks for a hearing about whether or not cameras will be allowed in the courtroom.[]
So far, he has not actually entered a plea, so we still have a ton to see in this case, it will likely be quite a long one.
But this does come as we just got a final verdict on another high profile legal battle. (Transitions into Lili’s story)
Go to Factor and use code defranco50off to get 50% off and free breakfast for a year!
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Right, because the Supreme Court just made it a lot easier for parents to force their gay and transgender children into dangerous and widely discredited conversion therapies.
But this broad decision goes beyond just controversial conversion therapies — it also has sweeping implications for the ability of states to regulate their own medical care and protect their residents against harmful medical practices.
Right, and specifically, the case in question here centers around a law Colorado enacted in 2019 that banned physicians and mental health professionals from trying to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of minors.
But, of course, Colorado isn’t alone here: almost half of all states have banned conversion therapy for minors or implemented some kind of restrictions over the last decade as more and more evidence emerged that the practice was harmful.[]
With major medical groups also discrediting the practice as an increasing number of studies linked it to depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and higher rates of suicide among gay and transgender people.
And under Colorado’s law, practitioners were subject to a $5,000 fine for each violation and suspension or loss of a counseling license.
Though, very notably here, Colorado officials say that no one has ever actually been disciplined.
But back in 2022, an evangelical Christian therapist named Kaley Chiles sued, arguing that the law violated her First Amendment rights by preventing her from offering voluntary, faith-based counseling for religious minors who were questioning their sexual orientation or dealing with gender dysphoria.
And in her court filings, Chiles argued she wasn’t trying to “cure” patients or “change” their sexual orientation — she said she just wanted to help patients with their own efforts to live consistently with their faith.
Goals she that she said sometimes included “seeking to reduce or eliminate unwanted sexual attractions.”
With her also claiming that the law makes it hard for parents to find therapists who will discuss gender identity with kids unless the counseling directly affirms transition.
But, on the other side, you had Colorado defending the law, arguing that it still allows for broad conversations about gender identity and sexual orientation within the context of religious guidance.
Noting that the law literally exempts religious ministries entirely, and claiming that the measure is only meant to block therapy that tries to “convert” LGBTQ+ minors to heterosexuality or traditional gender norms.
With the state attorney general arguing that the law doesn’t violate Free Speech protections because therapy is a form of healthcare, which makes it different from other kinds of speech.
Noting that states have long had the power to regulate medical treatments carried out through speech in order to protect patients from substandard care.
And, very notably here, the state AG also warned that if the Supreme Court ruled against Colorado, it would undermine the ability of ALL states to protect their residents from bad medical practices and make it harder for people to sue providers when they give bad advice.
And that argument was upheld by two separate lower courts, with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit ruling that talk therapy isn’t a form of pure speech, but rather a medical treatment that can be regulated by the state.
Right, and that decision appeared to align with past precedent set by the Supreme Court, which has allowed certain restrictions that govern a person's conduct even if those restrictions unintentionally butt up against free speech.
But today, the high court ruled that that wasn’t the case when it came to Colorado’s law, with the justices striking down the lower court decisions and ruling in favor of Chiles.
And, very notably here, it wasn’t your typical conservatives vs. liberals split — the decision was 8-1.
With Justice Neil Gorsucharguing in the majority opinion that “Colorado may regard its policy as essential to public health and safety,” but the law ultimately “censors speech” in violation of the First Amendment.
And that was also echoed by some of the liberal justices as well, with Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor filing a concurring opinion arguing that the law regulates viewpoints on one side of the debate over conversion therapy for minors but not the other.
But, on the other side, you had Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson — the sole dissenter — arguing that this ruling could have a “catastrophic” impact on health care across the nation if states can’t regulate some kinds of speech by licensed professionals, writing:
“This decision might make speech-only therapies and other medical treatments involving practitioner speech effectively unregulatable.”
Adding that it “opens a dangerous can of worms” that “threatens to impair states’ ability to regulate the provision of medical care in any respect” and “ultimately risks grave harm to Americans’ health and wellbeing.”
Right, so not only does this decision undermine the conversion therapy bans and restrictions that are currently in place in almost half of all states, but it could also have an untold impact on the ability of ALL state governments to regulate ANY kind of medical care that poses a threat to ALL Americans.
I mean, I really can’t understate how MASSIVELY consequential this decision could be — but for now, we’ll have to wait and see how sweeping the long-term impacts here are.
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Trump is telling US allies to “get their own oil” as he’s thinking about wiping his hands clean of this war and leaving Iran in control of the Strait of Hormuz.
That, even though he’s repeatedly claimed a deal to end the war and reopen the strait is close;
while he’s also threatened to obliterate civilian infrastructure in what experts say would be a war crime;
and he’s refused to rule out ground operations that would risk American lives and might not even work.
With all this coming as, whatever he does, thousands have been killed, millions have been displaced and are at risk of hunger and being pushed into poverty, and the Americans he supposedly serves are paying more at the pump than in years.
But let’s start with this situation between the US and its traditional European allies.
Spain has probably been the continent’s most vocal opponent of the war—denying the US use of military bases in its territory from the very beginning.
But the UK and France also declined to support what they would consider “offensive” military operations.
And everyone has pretty much flat-out refused Trump’s call for them to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz while the conflict is ongoing.
And despite the fact that he started this war without consulting them—and has previously vowed to take their territory, among other threats and insults—he has repeatedly complained about a lack of support from American allies in the war.
Even as he has repeatedly insisted that he does not need it.
And that strategy has apparently not been working on, with allies only making it clear that they don’t see this as their war.
Right, Spain, for example, went even further this week, closing its airspace to American aircraft involved in the war.
There are reports that Italy also restricted the use of a base in Sicily by American planes.
And Trump claimed on social media this morning that France “wouldn’t let planes headed to Israel, loaded up with military supplies, fly over French territory.”
With him writing in a separate post:
“All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz…which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT.”
“You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated.”
And you also had Defense Secretary Hegseth echoing Trump’s words in a Pentagon press briefing this morning—the first one in almost two weeks:
“A lot has been shown to the world about what our allies would be willing to do for the United States of America when we undertake an effort of this scope on behalf of the free world. These are missiles that don't even range the United States of America. They range allies and others and yet when we ask for additional assistance or simple access basing overflight, we get questions or roadblocks or hesitations. And the president's pointing out, you don't have much of an alliance if you have countries that are not willing to stand with you and you need them.” (48:43-49:15).
But then, when asked about Russia, which is believed to be providing Iran intelligence to target US forces, and may soon even start sending weapons to the country, as well as China, which has also been quietly supporting Iran in some ways, he had not a word of criticism.
“As far as Russia and China, we know exactly what they're doing, what they are or are not doing. We don't have to air publicly what all of that is, but where necessary, we're addressing it. We're mitigating it. We’re confronting it.” (37:09-37:22)
And with that, Hegseth really gave a lot of vague answers—arguing it was necessary to protect the mission:
“Don’t tell your enemy what you’re willing to do or not do, and don’t tell your enemy when you’re willing to stop.” (44:42-44:46)
And with that, he wouldn’t refuse to rule out boots on the ground, and he repeated his stance that the choice to end the war is Trump’s alone.
Although he also claimed "the upcoming days will be decisive" and argued the US was “...closer than ever before to winning”—even though Trump declared more than a week ago the war had already been won.
And actually, according to a count by Axios, Trump has suggested the war was about to end at least twelve times already.
WIth him most recently suggesting that was the case as he has insisted the US is negotiating successfully with Iran’s leaders, who he says are part of a new and more reasonable regime, even though:
1) they say they’re not negotiating with the US;
and 2) even if they are, they’re part of the same regime Trump claims to have destroyed.
Right, the new supreme leader is the son of the last one and is believed to be even more hardline.
And the guy Trump has claimed the US is dealing with is a former Revolutionary Guard commander who’s been serving as speaker of parliament since 2020.
But with all that, Hegseth insisted negotiations between the US and Iran are "very real” and “gaining strength”—repeating Trump’s claim that regime change has been accomplished:
“Presidnt Trump doesn’t bluff and he does not back down.” (22:49-22:53)
“This new regime, because regime change has occurred, should be wiser than the last. President Trump will make a deal. He is willing…If Iran is not willing, then the United States War Department will continue with even more intensity.” (23:00-23:09, 23:13-23:20)
And with that, the military has reportedly begun flying B-52 bomber missions over land for the first time—which is a sign that Iran’s air defenses have been significantly degraded.
And so the military is now reportedly focused on destroying supply chains that feed Iran’s missile, drone and naval ship building facilities
With the aim being to prevent the country from being able to replace munitions that have been destroyed in thousands of American attacks up until now.
But despite all that, of course, Iranian strikes have kept up across the region—with the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait all among the countries responding to drone and missile attacks in the past day.
And one attack that made it through hit a massive oil tanker belonging to Kuwait and anchored off the coast of Dubai—just reinforcing Iran’s stranglehold over the Strait.
And the whole situation may be getting even more complicated with the Houthis in Yemen now having joined the war.
Because they control territory along key Red Sea shipping routes and have previously targeted vessels there, this could potentially be another way for Iran to put pressure on the global economy.
And while Trump has threatened to resolve the situation in some way with ground operations or strikes on power plants and even desalination facilities, there’s no guarantee any of those options would work.
And regarding attacks on civilian infrastructure, you’re talking about possible war crimes, with the potential humanitarian fallout being absolutely massive.
Although there’s another option Trump is considering—which is following through on his threat to just abandon this whole project and leave it to allies.
With the Wall Street Journal saying today that he’s actually told aides willing to end the war even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed.
With this apparently coming after they told him that a mission to open the Strait would push the conflict beyond his timeline of four to six weeks.
But according to an Iran expert at the Brookings Institution walking away now would be “unbelievably irresponsible”— with her arguing:
“The U.S. and Israel started the war together and can’t walk away from the fallout.”
“Energy markets are inherently global, and there is no possibility of insulating the U.S. from the economic damage that is already occurring and will become exponentially worse if the closure of the strait continues.”
And of course, she’s right, even though the US isn’t dependent on oil exports from the Middle East, it isn’t immune.
Right , global oil prices have been hanging out at around $114 a barrel—up from around $72 before the war began.
And the average cost of gas in the US has jumped 35 percent since the war began—today passing four dollars a gallon for the first time since 202.
With diesel hitting $5.42 a gallon—up from $3.76 a gallon before the war.
And you had White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt arguing it’s just temporary—saying in a statement today:
“...gas prices will plummet back to the multi-year lows American drivers enjoyed before these short-term disruptions" when the Iran war is over.
And she’s kind of right, in the sense that experts say prices won’t meaningfully drop until supplies can again flow freely out of the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz.
But every day that doesn’t happen a quick recovery becomes more difficult.
And whatever happens, the effects are being experienced right now.
Americans are already struggling with the costs and some families are reportedly being pushed to the brink.
Globally, we’ve already talked about the World Food Programme saying tens of millions are at risk of being pushed into hunger.
And adding to that, today, you had the UN Development Program reporting that the war may push four million people across the Arab world into poverty.
With the head of the program’s regional bureau for Arab states noting that the projections were based on just four weeks of war—which we’ve now passed.
And on top of all that, of course, there are all the lives lost.
The American death toll stands at 13 service members, at least 17 have been killed in Israel, and at least 50 people have been reported killed in other nations across the region—and those numbers are dwarfed by the death tolls in Iran Lebanon.
Right, at least 1,574 civilians, including 236 children, have been killed in Iran since the war began—according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency. []
And more than 1,230 people in Lebanon have been killed since the latest fighting between Israel and Hezbollah began—according to the Lebanese health ministry.
And that’s a place where you have some increasingly worried that what happened in Gaza may be playing out once again.
Especially as Israel has more clearly outlined its plan for the invasion, occupation, and destruction of homes in the southern part of the country.
But also, the country is coming under criticism for its latest moves targeting Palestinians.
And that’s because Israeli lawmakers are wearing nooses on their lapels to show support for a new law that other countries are saying will be used to hang Palestinians while Israeli attackers go free.
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…that’s because Israeli lawmakers are wearing nooses on their lapels to show support for a new law that other countries are saying will be used to hang Palestinians while Israeli attackers go free. []
The law allows them to hang people for homicides they say are intended to undermine the State of Israel. [] []
Once convicted, the verdict only requires a simple majority vote, and the accused have to be killed within 180 days, which limits their chance for a retrial.
Why hanging instead of something like lethal injection?
Well, Israel’s national doctors’ union has refused to carry out lethal injections, with the chairman of the Israeli Medical Association’s Ethics Committee saying, “Using medical knowledge for purposes other than promoting health and well-being undermines the ethical foundations of medicine.” []
But setting the barbaric nature of this law aside, judges will apparently be able to make exceptions for those convicted.
However, the circumstances there are unspecified, and reports say “the legislation will leave those convicted in military courts with no clear path to receiving a pardon.” [] []
Not to mention, Palestinians tried in military courts specifically have fewer civil rights protections and less due process than if they were tried in Israel’s civilian courts. []
Maybe the only small relief here is that the law won’t be applied to Palestinians who have already been jailed.
These hangings would technically apply to both Israeli and Palestinian crimes.
However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition seemed to specifically argue that the law would discourage future Palestinian attacks on the Israeli people.
And far-right Israeli lawmakers see this as a win, but it’s a definite sign of the aggressive front the country is pursuing against Palestinians, which has been growing since the Hamas attacks back in 2023. []
That year, Hamas seized more than 250 people, eventually exchanging surviving captives and the remains of those killed for some 3500 Palestinian prisoners held by Israeli forces. [] []
Right-wing lawmakers like Moshe Saada (Mo-shay Sah-dah pronunciation :17) have said, “Each time we don’t use the death penalty, we are encouraging the next attempt to take hostages.”
But the only problem here, of course, is that not all Palestinians are Hamas. In fact, the vast majority of them are not. []
People are also calling out a double standard here.
When asked about Jewish extremists like Baruch Goldstein (Bar-rock pronunciation :19), who murdered 29 Palestinians in 1994, Sah-dah only said they should be imprisoned.
He said, “One cannot make the comparison. There’s a society here that is supporting and encouraging their actions,” referring to Palestinian extremists. []
But critics have made the same comments about Israeli extremists on the other side.
The caveat of the law targeting attacks that negate the existence of Israel seems to completely ignore any attacks that have been made in the name of the Israeli state. []
Reports are saying that by this standard, “it would effectively be impossible to execute Jewish extremists.” []
Former head of Israel’s public defender’s office, Yoav Sapir (Yov Sop-eer pronunciation :18), says, “The intent is clearly for the law to apply to Palestinians and not to Jewish terrorism at all.” []
Suhad Bishara (Soo-hod Bish-ah-rah pronunciation 2:15), a lawyer with a Palestinian rights group, told the Times, “By design, this legislation exclusively targets Palestinians, violating the fundamental principle of equality and prohibition on racial discrimination.” []
The law also struck other fears that, as Palestinians wait for potential death sentences, extremists could be inspired to take more hostages to demand their release, creating this sort of cycle of violence that could exacerbate the problem even further. []
But Israel didn’t seem moved by these types of issues before this was put in place, as Israeli justice officials, liberal groups, and countries like Britain, Germany, Italy and France all warned against it as well.
They said, “We are particularly worried about the de facto discriminatory character of the bill. The adoption of this bill would risk undermining Israel’s commitments with regard to democratic principles.” []
For context here, Israel has only used the death penalty twice in its history – once for a man who was publicly exonerated after his death and another for a leading Nazi official.
It’s also worth noting that many Western countries outside of the US have moved away from the death penalty. []
So much so that reports say “Israeli lawmakers frequently invoked the American practice of capital punishment when justifying the legislation.” []
However, legal experts are raising alarms that this new law ignores the guardrails we use in the US, which are meant to minimize the death penalty’s inherent risks. []
So the targeted language surrounding the new law leaves a lot of room for concern.
On religious grounds, more conservative Orthodox lawmakers, even those in Netanyahu’s coalition, were against the law based on a rabbinical ruling.
Rabbi Benny Lau of Jerusalem said that although capital punishment exists in Jewish legal tradition, it’s almost impossible to carry out.
Jewish legal texts even say these death sentences should only be ordered “once in 70 years.”
But with this sudden pressure, Rabbi Lau said, “It’s clear that this is all about revenge. It’s a circus of violence pretending to be about security.” []
And that’s the concern here.
We’re seeing medieval violence being signed into law, all because of the politics of hateful, extremist leaders who have done their best to keep tensions rising.
And as our government gets involved in every other foreign issue, we won’t see them speak up against this because apparently we were the blueprint for it in the first place.
All the while, this grossly targeted law is sure to leave innocent lives in danger, carrying on this gross assault on a whole culture of people and potentially inspiring more extremist attacks that will only keep the cycle going.
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And for our final story of the day - thanks to shoddy police work and artificial intelligence, this woman spent 5 months in jail for a crime committed in a state she’d never even been to!
Right, this is Angela Lipps - she’s a 50 year old grandmother of 5 from Tennessee.
In fact, she’s spent nearly her entire life in northern Tennessee - with the full extent of her traveling being going to surrounding states. []
So it definitely caught her by surprise when she was arrested and extradited for bank fraud in North Dakota.
But let’s back up - last summer, police in Fargo, North Dakota were investigating a string of bank frauds that took place in April and May. []
In at least 4 of those, the same woman showed a fake military ID card with stolen personal information and withdrew money from a bank account or a home-equity line of credit.
The West Fargo Police Department took the surveillance footage from these frauds and decided to ask its intelligence unit to identify a person of interest using an AI-powered facial recognition app called Clearview AI. [B Roll 2:11-2:17]
Now, Clearview AI works by scraping billions of photos from social media sites and is used by hundreds of local police departments, the Department of Homeland Security, and the FBI. []
Though they pointedly said it’s not meant to be used on its own but as a tool within the broader investigation process.
With the company saying,
“It generates leads; it does not make identifications, draw conclusions, or recommend arrests. When using Clearview AI’s platform, independent corroboration by trained law enforcement professionals is required.” []
And, as I’m sure you’ve picked up by this point, that’s not what happened here.
The West Fargo police said that Clearview AI, quote, “identified a potential suspect with similar features to Angela Lipps,” and they passed that information onto the Fargo police. []
Who then tracked down Angela’s Facebook and Instagram and her Tennessee driver’s license - with the Fargo police detective determining that Angela matched the suspect Clearview AI offered.
Which was enough probable cause for the Cass County state’s attorney’s office to charge Angela with 8 felonies - four counts of unauthorized use of personal identifying information and four counts of property theft. []
Then in July, a judge signed an arrest warrant authorizing nationwide extradition of Angela to Fargo.
Within 2 weeks, US Marshals arrested Angela Lipps in Tennessee at gunpoint while she was babysitting 4 young kids. []
She was booked in the jail in Tennessee as a fugitive from justice from North Dakota and stayed there for more than 3 months.
Despite repeatedly saying she’d never even been to North Dakota.
But she was told that if she wanted to fight the charges, she’d have to allow herself to be extradited.
And come October, that’s exactly what happened - with Angela writing in a GoFundMe,
“It was the first time I had ever been on an airplane. I was terrified and exhausted and humiliated.” []
And this is where the real kicker is - after meeting with her, Angela’s attorney Jay Greenwood did some pretty standard-level digging into the case.
He spoke with her family and friends who sent over some bank records showing she had been making deposits and withdrawals in Tennessee at the same time the frauds in North Dakota were happening. []
With her attorney saying the authorities blindly trusted the AI and, quote,
“made zero other efforts to corroborate that identification,”
“Nor did they do any interviews with her or people in her orbit to determine whether they had the right person.” []
And as a result of that, Angela spent a grand total of more than 5 months in jail.
It wasn’t until just before Christmas that the charges were dismissed and then, on Christmas Eve, Angela was finally released from custody in North Dakota.
But she didn’t have any way to get home.
["I had my summer clothes on, no coat, it was so cold outside, snow on the ground, scared, I wanted out but I didn't know what I was going to do, how I was going to get home.” 4:31-4:50]
The Fargo police didn’t even pay for any expenses - in fact, local defense attorneys put her up in a hotel room and got her money for food for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
And from there, she was driven to Chicago so she could get back to Tennessee. []
And because of her lengthy stay in jail, she wasn't able to pay her bills at home.
So when she did get back to Tennessee, she had lost everything - her house, her car, and even her dog. []
But the reason we’re talking about this now is because the police in North Dakota have recently come out to admit their, quote, “missteps” in handling the case. []
Pointing to West Fargo and saying they weren’t aware their neighbor had used a new AI system and they have since prohibited its use going forward.
Along with a complete overhaul of their use of AI, as well.
With the Fargo police chief, David Zibolski, saying,
“We’re happy to acknowledge when we make errors, and we’ve made a few in this case, for sure. We certainly apologize for any effect, or adverse effect, that this has had on trust in the community.” []
Though he notably stopped short of apologizing to Angela directly.
And when he was called out about that, he responded by saying they are still investigating the Fargo bank frauds and that it must have been carried out by a large criminal organization. []
Saying,
“So I think that’s an appropriate question and response at the right time. But we do not know definitively who’s involved and who’s not at this juncture.” []
Though Angela’s attorneys were quick to mention there is no evidence connecting her to the bank frauds. []
And we know that they’re planning on filing a lawsuit and they’re specifically looking into why she was held for so long.
Especially when the bank records to exonerate her were readily available.
With her attorneys saying,
“We believe that Angela’s lengthy detention was unnecessary and should have been avoided with a proper investigation by law enforcement.” []
And it’s also worth noting that the same police chief who stopped short of apologizing to Angela has also, conveniently, just retired. []
He even shot down questions about Angela at his retirement press conference.
So from here, it’s just a matter of seeing how things shake out - whether there will actually be a lawsuit or any measure of accountability.
But I would love to know your thoughts about this or anything else we’ve talked about today in those comments down below.
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