Secrecy shrouds probe into Sandy Hook shooting
HARTFORD, Conn. – A prosecutor is planning to release a report Monday on the investigation into the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, but the public will have to wait longer for the state police’s full accounting of the crime.
The decision to continue withholding the bulk of the evidence is stirring new criticism of the secrecy that has surrounded the probe since a gunman killed 20 children and six educators inside the school on Dec. 14.
While the gunman took his own life and authorities are not contemplating any prosecutions, the lead investigator, State’s Attorney Stephen Sedensky III, has gone to court to fight the release of 911 tapes, consulted privately with victims’ families on what might be included in the report and resisted calls from Connecticut’s governor to divulge more information sooner.
In defense of their handling of records, investigators have cited the scale of the criminal investigation – perhaps the most extensive in Connecticut’s history – and consideration for the victims’ families, some of whom have lobbied for tighter restrictions on public information and complained of being harassed by conspiracy theorists.
Vatican unveils bone pieces said to be St. Peter’s
VATICAN CITY – The Vatican publicly unveiled a handful of bone fragments purportedly belonging to St. Peter on Sunday, reviving the scientific debate and tantalizing mystery about whether the relics found in a shoe box truly belong to the first pope.
The nine pieces of bone sat nestled like rings in a jewel box inside a bronze display case on the side of the altar during a Mass commemorating the end of the Vatican’s yearlong celebration of the Christian faith. It was the first time they had ever been exhibited in public.
Pope Francis prayed before the fragments at the start of Sunday’s service and then clutched the case in his arms for several minutes after his homily.
No pope has ever definitively declared the fragments to belong to the Apostle Peter, but Pope Paul VI in 1968 said fragments found in the necropolis under St. Peter’s Basilica were “identified in a way that we can consider convincing.”
Some archaeologists dispute the finding.
Afghan president delays signing U.S. deal
KABUL, Afghanistan – President Hamid Karzai cast fresh doubt on the future presence of thousands of American and allied forces Sunday by rejecting a recommendation by an Afghan assembly of dignitaries to quickly sign a long-delayed security pact with the United States.
Although the mercurial leader did not fully spell out his reasons for deferring its signature until after the April 5 elections, the move was a slap in the face to U.S. officials who had asked repeatedly for a deal by the end of the year.
The U.S. administration has insisted the deal be finalized by the end of next month, warning that planning for a post-2014 military presence may be jeopardized if it is not approved.
Associated Press
