Bodies ID'd as missing Iowa cousins

NEW: Sheriff vows vigilance in pursuit of those responsible Lyric Cook, 10, and Elizabeth Collins, 8, had been missing since July Hunters found their bodies in a wooded area last week (CNN) -- Relatives of 10-year-old Lyric Cook and 8-year-old Elizabeth Collins got news Monday that no family wants. Authorities identified the bodies found by hunters in a wooded area last week as those of the two young Iowa cousins, missing since July. Their bodies were found in the Seven Bridges Wildlife Area in Bremer County. Chief Kent Smock of the Evansdale, Iowa, Police Department, confirmed the news and said that the girls' families had been notified, according to a statement from the Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office. The cause of the death in both cases is pending. Lyric and Elizabeth were last seen by their grandmother on July 13 when they left for a bike ride. The girls' bicycles and a purse were found near Meyers Lake hours after they were reported missing. A search of the 25-acre lake turned up nothing, and authorities eventually said they believed that the cousins had been abducted. "Our hearts and prayers go out to the families and friends of those precious little girls. The Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office pledges vigilance in our pursuit of those responsible and will extend every resource to concluding this case so that justice may prevail," said Sheriff Tony Thompson. Last week, when the bodies were found but authorities had not yet identified them as belonging to the girls, Elizabeth's mother, Heather Collins, posted a message on Facebook expressing gratitude for the prayers and outpouring of support amid the "gut-wrenching news." "We know that they are up in heaven with our savior," she wrote. "Lord we know that you have them in your loving arms and we are so blessed." CNN's Mark Morgenstein contributed to this report.

Highway deaths hit 62-year low, government data show

AP Photo / Clyde Mueller, The Santa Fe New Mexican Motorists make their way along an icy Old Las Vegas Highway in Santa Fe, N.M., on Monday. By Vignesh Ramachandran The number of people who died in vehicle crashes on U.S. highways hit a 62-year low in 2011, according to government data released Monday. There were 32,367 highway deaths last year — the lowest level since 1949 and a 26 percent decline since 2005, according to an analysis by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). "The latest numbers show how the tireless work of our safety agencies and partners, coupled with significant advances in technology and continued public education, can really make a difference on our roadways," U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement. Connecticut, North Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Michigan, respectively, led 36 states with lower overall traffic deaths in 2011. Related: 'Black boxes' required in new cars by 2014 The institute gave its "top safety pick" award to a whopping 66 vehicles for 2011. The award recognized automobiles that best protect motorists in front, side, rollover and rear crashes.  Increasingly, car manufacturers offer crash-avoidance features like electronic stability control. However this year, some luxury carmakers were under criticism for faring poorly in new crash tests. Related: Safety complaints plague many popular auto models While 2011's overall fatality numbers were the lowest in six decades, NHTSA noted that the number of people killed in distraction-affected crashes went up by nearly 2  percent. Additionally, there was a 20-percent jump in fatalities among large truck occupants and a 2.1 percent increase among motorcycle riders. Related: Conn. and Mass. using police spotters to catch people who text while driving Overall, the 2011 figures were positive, but early figures for 2012 aren't as promising. Cathy Chase, senior director for governmental affairs at Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, noted that crash data for the first half of the year showed the largest percentage increase in traffic fatalities since 1975. "We were startled by the 9 percent increase," she told NBC News. In a statement, NHTSA Administrator David Strickland stressed vigilance: "Even as we celebrate the progress we've made in recent years, we must remain focused on addressing the safety issues that are continuing to claim more than 30,000 lives each year." More content from NBCNews.com: Fewer homeless vets this year; 'alarming' trend in young Cops: 2 University of Colorado students fed pot brownies to classmates, professor 3 dead, 4 hurt in Central California shootings, chase Cyber-graciousness: Students set up Facebook sites for compliments Video: Senator: MTV series 'Buckwild' is 'a travesty' Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

Life sentence closes oldest cold case

Maria Ridulph of Sycamore, Illinois in a photo possibly taken at age 5. Man sentenced to life in 1957 kidnapping and murder of 7-year-old girl Case is believed to be the oldest cold case to go to trial and result in a conviction Jack Daniel McCullough, now 73, continues to assert his innocence Victim's brother: "This has been a nightmare" Sycamore, Illinois (CNN) -- Fifty-five years after Maria Ridulph vanished from a small-town street corner while playing in the snow, a former neighbor was sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping and killing the brown-eyed second grader. Jack Daniel McCullough, who was 17 and known as John Tessier back in 1957, was finally identified two years ago by Maria's childhood companion as "Johnny," the blond man with the ducktail haircut who offered the girls piggyback rides and carried Maria off into oblivion. Jack Daniel McCullough was charged with Maria Ridulph's murder 55 years after her death. McCullough, who worked as a police officer for a time in Washington state, was convicted of child abduction and murder after a two-week trial in September. He continues to assert his innocence. In court Monday, McCullough claimed he was framed by corrupt police and prosecutors. He pointed at a white box on the defense table which he said contained 4,000 pages of FBI reports from 1957. He said agents interviewed 1,800 people and cleared him. And then, pointing at the box, he urged the judge, "Your honor, in the name of justice and fairness open the box and view the truth." Judge James Hallock had ruled the documents inadmissible at McCullough's trial. The case is believed by investigators to be the oldest cold case to go to trial and result in a conviction. Read more: Suspect in 1957 cold case charged as fugitive McCullough was sentenced under laws that were in effect in 1957. On the courthouse steps, Ridulph's brother Charles and sister Patricia Quinn said they were relieved that their family had received justice. Quinn added that the crime, "changed Sycamore. People were afraid." Her brother Charles added, "This has been a nightmare." McCullough, now 73, was questioned during the first days of the investigation, but was never considered a suspect because he seemed to have the perfect alibi: He and his parents said he was miles away in Rockford, enlisting in the Air Force and taking a physical. He left Sycamore days after Maria's disappearance and served in the Air Force, and then the Army. He was stationed for a time in Vietnam and rose to the rank of captain. The murder case went cold, but Sycamore never forgot about Maria Ridulph. On the 40th anniversary of her disappearance, a monument was erected outside Sycamore's police station. It says, in part: "This is in memory of Maria Ridulph who on December 3, 1957, was kidnapped while playing near her home. She was found murdered in the spring of 1958. This also is in honor of the great people in our community that reached out in love and compassion." McCullough's youngest sister, a baby at the time of the crime, contacted an Illinois State Police tip line in 2008 and told investigators that her dying mother had pulled her close in her hospital room years earlier, and, referring to Ridulph's murder, said, "John did it. John did it, and you have to tell someone." Janet Tessier added that her mother was agitated and emotional at the time, and "expressed a great deal of guilt," according to a transcript obtained by CNN. After state police reopened the case, they interviewed a former girlfriend in Florida and eventually poked holes in McCullough's alibi. A government-issued train ticket fell out of the back of a photograph the woman mailed to police, and an expert authenticated the ticket and said it had not been used. Kathy Sigman Chapman, who was playing with Maria the night she was abducted, picked that photo of McCullough out of a police lineup in September 2010. Although she had viewed hundreds, if not thousands of photos before, it was the first time she'd been able to identify "Johnny." She testified that she was certain she had identified the right man. Read more: Illinois girl's body exhumed in 1957 slaying The girls had been excited as the first snowflakes of the season fell on the evening of December 3, 1957, Chapman recalled. They asked to go back outside after dinner. The Tessier family lived around the corner and two blocks down Center Cross Street from Archie Place, where the girls' families lived. Because he was older, Maria and Kathy did not know John Tessier, a high school dropout. "Johnny" asked the girls if they liked dolls and if they'd like to ride in a truck, bus or train. Maria ran home and returned with a favorite doll. Then Chapman left Maria alone with Johnny and went home to fetch her mittens. When she came back, they were both gone. She alerted Maria's brother, Charles. A massive search began, which continued throughout December. Maria's doll was found by a neighbor's garage. The missing child case drew dozens of FBI agents to this small farming community about 60 miles west of Chicago. FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover demanded daily updates, which were shared with President Dwight Eisenhower. The disappearance of the 7-year-old with the perfect Sunday school attendance was national news for a while as 1,000 volunteers scoured fields of corn stubble for clues. Maria's remains were found in the spring by a retired couple looking for mushrooms under the melting snow. She was 120 miles from home, in a field near the town of Galena and not far from a river campground where the Tessier family spent vacations.

Americans to feds: Keep your hands off our pot

Nick Adams / Reuters Russell Diercks smokes marijuana inside of Frankie Sports Bar and Grill in Olympia, Wash., Dec. 9, 2012. By Andrew Mach, NBC News A majority of Americans want the federal government to keep out of state marijuana laws, even as overall sentiment on whether marijuana should be legalized is split, according to a new poll. Sixty-four percent of adults responded "no" when asked whether they think the federal government should take steps to enforce federal anti-marijuana laws in states where marijuana is legal, according to the USA Today/Gallup poll released Monday.  "The significant majority of Americans would advise the federal government to focus on other issues," wrote Frank Newport of Gallup. In Washington and Colorado, where citizens last month voted to legalize marijuana possession, the issue of federal interference is especially salient as residents face a confusing mishmash of federal and state laws when it comes to whether and where they can get high. That's because the federal government still bans pot growing and possession, regardless of what state laws say, leaving many residents confused about what is legal. Some observers say it may take the Supreme Court to clear up the situation. Americans who personally believe that marijuana should be legal overwhelmingly say the federal government should not get involved at the state level; even four in 10 of those opposed to legalized marijuana don't think federal officials should intervene. Like Amsterdam: Washington bar owner lets patrons get stoned It's unclear at this point whether the Justice Department will try to stop the decriminalization of pot in Washington and Colorado, where adults 21 and older will be allowed to purchase a small amount of pot from state-licensed stores. The drug will be heavily taxed and potentially bring hundreds of millions of dollars a year for school, health care and government needs. Although support for legalizing marijuana has risen substantially over the last four decades, the poll, which also asked participants where they stand on the issue of legalization, revealed that the public remains largely divided. Six in 10 Americans aged 18 to 29 support legalizing marijuana, while about as many of those 65 and older are opposed. The bulk of middle-aged Americans – those aged 30 to 64 – are split on the issue of legalization. The poll also noted that Democrats were most in favor of legalization, while Republicans were most likely to be opposed. Lawmakers in four New England states, including Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and Rhode Island, have signaled that they plan to introduce proposals to legalize marijuana in the next year, according to the Marijuana Policy Project. Currently, 17 states and the District of Columbia already have laws allowing for the medical use of marijuana, according to the National Council of Legislatures.  More content from NBCNews.com: Storm pounds Upper Midwest with heavy snow, wind Cops: 2 University of Colorado students fed pot brownies to classmates, professor 3 dead, 4 hurt in Central California shootings, chase Cyber-graciousness: Students set up Facebook sites for compliments On gay marriage, Supreme Court could rule small, or big Video: Officers suspect high speed, alcohol in deadly NFL crash Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

Strauss-Kahn, NY accuser settle lawsuit

Gonzalo Fuentes / Reuters Former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn leaves his apartment in Paris, Monday. He was not required to appear at the hearing in New York. By Reuters A New York City hotel worker has settled a civil lawsuit she filed against Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former head of the International Monetary Fund, whom she accused of sexual assault, a New York judge said on Monday. The agreement ends a legal saga that began when Nafissatou Diallo, 33, told police that Strauss-Kahn attacked her in his suite at the Sofitel Hotel in Manhattan on May 14, 2011. Her suit alleged that a naked Strauss-Kahn emerged from the bathroom in his $3,000-a-night suite and forced her to perform oral sex. Bronx Supreme Court Justice Douglas McKeon announced the two sides had reached a deal to end the litigation, but said details of the settlement, including the amount of any damages to be paid to Diallo, will not be made public. The scandal forced Strauss-Kahn to resign his post as head of one of the world's most influential international finance organizations and wrecked his hopes of running for president in his native France. Prosecutors initially expressed confidence in the evidence, including DNA that showed a sexual encounter. But they dropped the criminal case in August 2011 after developing concerns about Diallo's credibility, including what they said were inconsistencies in her account of what happened immediately following the incident. Accusers in such cases often hide from the media glare, and many media outlets protect their identities by not revealing their names. But Diallo, the daughter of an imam from Guinea, broke her silence in July 2011, while the criminal investigation was still active, revealing her identity in interviews to Newsweek and ABC News. She filed her civil lawsuit just weeks before the charges were dismissed, claiming he forced her to perform oral sex and caused her physical and emotional damage. Strauss-Kahn, 63, filed a countersuit earlier this year against Diallo for defamation. He has said the sexual encounter was consensual but has admitted it was a "moral error." The resolution of the civil case brings Strauss-Kahn closer to ending his legal troubles, which have persisted since his return to France after the initial incident. Strauss-Kahn is awaiting a decision by a French court on his request to halt an inquiry to determine whether he should stand trial on pimping charges related to sex parties attended by him and by prostitutes. He has quietly begun to resume his career in recent months, delivering speeches at private conferences and setting up a consulting firm in Paris. Strauss-Kahn was not required to appear personally in court in New York, but the judge ordered Diallo to be present. More content from NBCNews.com: Storm pounds Upper Midwest with heavy snow, wind 3 dead, 4 hurt in Central California shootings, chase Cyber-graciousness: Students set up Facebook sites for compliments On gay marriage, Supreme Court could rule small, or big Video: Officers suspect high speed, alcohol in deadly NFL crash Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook Copyright 2012 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Strauss-Kahn, accuser settle civil suit

Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn pictured in 2011 near Paris. Former IMF head settles a lawsuit filed by his accuser The lawsuit sought unspecified damages She said Nafissatou Diallo tried to force himself on her in his luxury New York hotel suite Dominique Strauss-Kahn said the encounter was consensual New York (CNN) -- A New York hotel housekeeper and Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the international finance executive accused of sexually assaulting her, have reached a settlement in her civil lawsuit against him, Bronx County Supreme Court Justice Douglas McKeon said Monday. Nafissatou Diallo sued Strauss-Kahn, the former head of the International Monetary Fund, in August 2011, three months after she told police that he had attempted to sexually assault her in his hotel room. The scandal resulted in Strauss-Kahn's eventual resignation from the IMF and the implosion of his political career, including his shot at becoming president of France. Terms of the settlement were not released. Diallo was seeking unspecified monetary damages for physical, emotional and psychological harm and damage to her reputation, according to her lawsuit. Diallo told police that a naked Strauss-Kahn emerged from a room of his spacious luxury hotel suite and tried to force himself on her, at one point dragging her into the bathroom and trying to remove her underwear. Strauss-Kahn left the hotel and boarded an Air France flight set to leave New York. Police pulled him off the flight. Strauss-Kahn alleged the encounter was consensual. A grand jury indicted him on seven counts, including sexual abuse and attempted rape, but prosecutors later dropped the charges after concluding Diallo had lied about some details of the alleged attack. In her lawsuit, Diallo said she was suing Strauss-Kahn to "vindicate her rights, to assert her dignity as a woman, to hold Dominique Strauss-Kahn accountable for the violent and deplorable acts he committed ... to teach her young daughter that no man -- regardless of how much money, power and influence he may have -- should ever be allowed to violate her body, and to stand up for all women who have been raped ... but are too afraid to speak out." Strauss-Kahn's lawyers sought to have the lawsuit dismissed on the grounds that he carried diplomatic immunity, but a judge rejected the gambit in May. Later than month, he countersued Diallo for $1 million, calling her accusation a "malicious" fabrication that had cost him his career. That lawsuit is still pending. Diallo has also settled a libel lawsuit with the New York Post, McKeon said. After his New York arrest, a French woman accused him of rape. Those accusations were dropped. But in March, French authorities accused him of "aggravated pimping" for alleged participation in a prostitution ring. At the time, his attorneys called the allegations "unhealthy, sensationalist and not without a political agenda." A decision on whether he will face charges is expected next week. Strauss-Kahn is an economist, member of the French parliament and onetime French finance minister who until the scandal broke was widely considered to be the leading candidate to succeed Nicolas Sarkozy as president of France. He resigned his $500,000 a job with the IMF in May. CNN's Vivienne Foley reported from New York and Michael Pearson wrote this story in Atlanta.

Pentagon identifies SEAL killed during hostage rescue

The Pentagon released the name of the Navy SEAL who was killed during a daring rescue mission in Afghanistan. NBC's Jim Miklaszewski reports. By Jim Miklaszewski, NBC News The U.S. Navy SEAL killed on Sunday during a hostage rescue operation in Afghanistan is Petty Officer 1st Class Nicolas D. Checque, 28, a decorated combat veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Department of Defense announced Monday. Checque was a member of SEAL Team Six, the special operations unit that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan last year, though it was not immediately clear if he took part in that raid. Checque, who was from Monroeville, Pa., and stationed in Virginia Beach, Va., joined the military in 2002, and has been part of Naval Special Warfare Command since 2008, according to the DoD. He was awarded a Bronze Star and two other awards for combat valor. In a statement Sunday evening, President Barack Obama said: "Yesterday, our special operators in Afghanistan rescued an American citizen in a mission that was characteristic of the extraordinary courage, skill and patriotism that our troops show every day." "Tragically, we lost one of our special operators in this effort," he said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, just as we must always honor our troops and military families." Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta issues a statement on Sunday, prior to the release of Checque's identity, commending the team for rescuing Joseph and extending condolences to the family, teammates and friends of the soldier who died in the mission. "(The team) put the safety of another American ahead of their own, as so many of our brave warriors do every day and every night," Panetta said. "In this fallen hero, and all of our special operators, Americans see the highest ideals of citizenship, sacrifice and service upheld. The torch of freedom burns brighter because of them." The rescue operation was launched when coalition forces reported that American doctor Dilip Joseph, who had been abducted by the Taliban on Wednesday, was in imminent danger. A U.S .Navy SEAL is being praised as a fallen hero after he died during the rescue of an American doctor kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan. NBC's Atia Abawi reports. Joseph, who worked with the non-profit Morning Star Development of Colorado Springs, Colo., as a medical adviser, was kidnapped along with two Afghan staff members — one working on the medical team, the other a member of the support team. On Saturday evening, the other two men were released. They made their way out of the area and were taken to a police station.  Contact between the hostages, their captors and the non-profit's crisis management team started immediately, Morning Star said. "Our relief in the safe rescue of Mr. Joseph is now tempered by our deep grief over the loss of this true hero," the organization said in an additional statement on Monday. "We offer our deepest condolences to his family and to his fellow team members.  We want them to know that we will always be grateful for this sacrifice and that we will honor that sacrifice in any way we can." Morning Star did not release the names of the Afghan nationals because "these two men live and work in the general region of the event," the organization said in a statement on Saturday. At least six people were reported killed in the operation to rescue Joseph.  The abducted men were returning from a visit to one of Morning Star's rural medical clinics when the kidnappers stopped their vehicle in Kabul province, and were then taken to a mountainous area about 50 miles from the Pakistan border, the group said. NBC News' Kari Huus and Reuters contributed to this report More content from NBCNews.com: Storm pounds Upper Midwest with heavy snow, wind Cops: 2 University of Colorado students fed pot brownies to classmates, professor 3 dead, 4 hurt in Central California shootings, chase Cyber-graciousness: Students set up Facebook sites for compliments On gay marriage, Supreme Court could rule small, or big Video: Officers suspect high speed, alcohol in deadly NFL crash Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook