Short and sweet this week, I’d never heard of any of the celebrities who died over the last few days, which probably makes it impossible to predict their passing. 

A reminder that I’ll be opening the gates for 2026 submissions on 1st December, so get your thinking caps on!  

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Rebecca Heineman, 62, American video game designer and programmer (The Bard’s Tale III: Thief of Fate, Dragon Wars), co-founder of Interplay Entertainment, adenocarcinoma.
• Alice Kessler and Ellen Kessler, 89, German singer (Kessler Twins) and actress (Love and the Frenchwoman, Dead Woman from Beverly Hills), assisted suicide. 
• Spencer Lofranco, 33, Canadian actor (Gotti, Unbroken, Jamesy Boy). 
• Mani, 63, English rock bassist (The Stone Roses, Primal Scream). 
• Tommy Recco, 91, French convicted serial killer. 
• Carl Ciarfalio, 72, American actor & stuntman (The Fantastic Four, Casino, In the Line of Fire). 

In Other News

A vulnerable British woman was found buried in a shallow grave after reportedly asking for ‘a violent death’ Sonia Exelby, 32, flew to Florida after arranging to meet ‘online individuals who would be willing to kill her violently’, according to a police affidavit. Dwain Hall, 53, was arrested on charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping after the victim’s remains were found in a shallow grave in Marion County, Florida. Fears for the well-being of Ms Exelby were heightened after she missed her flight home. Her body was discovered on Friday October 17th by officers. Despite declaring her wish to be killed, police fear she was being threatened and ‘controlled’ before being stabbed to death. According to police, she sent a message to a friend about Hall, seemingly having second thoughts. She wrote: ‘He made it clear there was no way out unless I shoot him. I was questioning it last night. I can’t kill anyone.’ The police affidavit said this message showed ‘Hall was controlling her, that she was afraid, and had made a mistake’ ‘The remains were determined to be those of the missing woman from England and further examination revealed that her death was ruled a homicide,’ the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) said. The affidavit said Exelby made contact with Americans in the hope of travelling to the US and being killed last year — but was prevented. Evidence allegedly left on her laptop showed she became suicidal again and wanted to travel ‘to be possibly sexually abused, tortured, and murdered by unknown individuals living in the United States.’ Police said Hall and Exelby met at an Airbnb property on October 10th and had sex. Hall then allegedly made a video of Ms Exelby in which she was covered in bruises and made to answer disclaimer questions about her wish to be killed. It was deleted but police managed to retrieve it. ‘Throughout the conversation Exelby is subdued, rarely looks up towards the camera where Hall would be positioned, becomes visibly upset with tears in her eyes, exhales deeply, swallows hard, and very hesitant to answer Hall’s questions,’ the affidavit says. The police affidavit said this message showed ‘Hall was controlling her, that she was afraid, and had made a mistake.’ Her boyfriend, Stevie Hunt, had shared a desperate plea for information last month, saying Sonia was ‘vulnerable’ and struggling with mental health. He believed she flew to Florida to meet someone, putting herself in an ‘extremely vulnerable situation.’ Hall was identified as a suspect after police traced him to a bank account that allegedly attempted to transfer money from Ms Exelby’s bank several times since her death. In a voluntary interview Hall claimed that an unknown woman was begging for help by the roadside when her cards were declined. He insisted he didn’t know Ms Exelby before admitting that he had sex with her several times and debated her desire to have someone kill her, according to the document. ‘Hall knew Exelby suffered from severe mental illness and was suicidal. He claimed that he wanted to help Exelby and did not want her to die but his actions show differently,’ the police affidavit said. ‘This type of violent crime and disregard for human life will not be tolerated in our state — those who commit such heinous crimes will be held fully accountable,’ FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass said in a statement.

A Miss Universe contestant is still in hospital days after suffering a fall during the pageant, with her family saying she “isn’t doing as well” as hoped. Miss Jamaica, Gabrielle Henry, had to be carried away in a stretcher after she fell off the stage on Wednesday during the preliminary evening gown round of the international major beauty pageant held in Thailand. In an update from the Miss Universe Jamaica Organisation released on her Instagram Story on Friday, it was explained that Henry’s sister, Dr Phylicia Henry-Samuels, is currently with Henry and their mother, Maureen Henry, at the hospital where she is being treated. According to Dr Henry Samuels, however, “Gabby isn’t doing as well as we would have hoped, but the hospital continues to treat her accordingly”. The pageant star will be remain in the intensive care unit for a minimum of seven days as “doctors continue their close monitoring and specialised care”, reads the statement. Elsewhere in the update, the organisation asked for “Jamaicans at home and across the diaspora to continue keeping Gabrielle in their prayers” during this “profoundly difficult time”. “We respectfully ask the public and social media users to avoid sharing negative comments, misinformation, or speculation that may cause further distress to the family,” the statement continued. “Our primary focus remains on Gabrielle’s recovery and the well-being of her loved ones. We kindly request continued compassion, sensitivity, and privacy as the family navigates this challenging period.” In footage of the incident circulated online, Henry could be seen posing at the front of the stage in an orange bejewelled gown and high heels when she abruptly falls to the ground. Hours later, the Miss Universe Jamaica Organisation issued a statement on Instagram informing fans that she had been rushed to Paolo Rangsit hospital near Bangkok where “medical professionals are attending to her care and have advised that she is not suffering from any life-threatening injuries”.

On This Day

• 1910 – Johan Alfred Ander becomes the last person to be executed in Sweden.
• 1921 – Warren G. Harding, 29th President of the United States, signs the Willis–Campbell Act into law, prohibiting doctors from prescribing beer or liquor for medicinal purposes.
• 1924 – Edwin Hubble’s discovery, that the Andromeda “nebula” is actually another  galaxy far outside our own Milky Way.
• 1963 – The first episode of Doctor Who (An Unearthly Child) is broadcast by the BBC, which is now the world’s longest running science fiction drama.
• 1991 – Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury announces in a statement that he is HIV-positive. He dies the following day.

Deaths

• 1910 – Hawley Harvey Crippen, American physician and murderer (born 1862).
• 1990 – Roald Dahl, British novelist, poet, and screenwriter (born 1916).
• 2001 – Mary Whitehouse, English educator and activist (born 1910).
• 2012 – Larry Hagman, American actor, director, and producer (born 1931).
• 2016 – Andrew Sachs, German-born British actor (born 1930).

Last Week’s Birthdays

Kelly Brook (46), Miley Cyrus (33), Michelle Gomez (59), Scarlett Johansson (41), Mark Ruffalo (58), Jamie Lee Curtis (67), Mads Mikkelsen (60), Terry Gilliam (85), Goldie Hawn (80), Alexander Siddig (60), Björk (60), Ming-Na Wen (62), Sean Young (66), Bo Derek (69), Jodie Foster (63), Adam Driver (42), Meg Ryan (64), Terry Farrell (62), Robert Beltran (72), Owen Wilson (57), Chloë Sevigny (51), Delroy Lindo (73), Linda Evans (83), Martin Scorsese (83), Tom Ellis (47), Rachel McAdams (47), Babou Ceesay (47), Danny DeVito (81), Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio ( 67), Kerry Godliman (52), and RuPaul (65). 

Sadly no points this week, we all missed Spain’s oldest person too, although at 112 she wouldn’t have scored you much. Again we have a Death Row inmate listed, perhaps Trump’s policies are of use to us at least! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Richard Darbyshire, 65, English singer (Living in a Box) & songwriter (“Room in Your Heart“). 
• Betty Harford, 98, American actress (Dynasty, The Paper Chase, Inside Daisy Clover).
• Jeanna Fine, 61, American pornographic actress. 
• Angelina Torres Vallbona, 112, Spanish supercentenarian, country’s oldest woman. 
• Sally Kirkland, 84, American actress (Anna, Days of Our Lives, Coming Apart). 
• Stephen Corey Bryant, 44, American convicted spree killer, execution by firing squad. 
• Dan McGrath, 61, U.S. television writer (The Simpsons, King of the Hill, SNL), stroke. 
• Hilly Michaels, 77, American musician (Sparks). 

In Other News

James Pickens Jr, the 73-year-old actor best known for his role as Dr. Richard Webber on Grey’s Anatomy, has been diagnosed with a “rare variant” of prostate cancer. The star, who has appeared in all 22 seasons of the hit medical drama, was diagnosed earlier this year and chose to have a prostatectomy, a surgical procedure to remove the prostate gland. Speaking to the Flying Monkeys, he said: “I started getting my annual physical 34 years ago, and I started my PSA testing when I was 41. I’m 73 now. My urologist said, ‘Because you were so diligent in that piece of your health, it was to your advantage. We were able to catch it so early because you were being tested.’” He added: “We caught it really early, and so they thought surgery would be the best route to take. I do have a rare variant that you don’t see very often. They wanted to err on the side of caution and keep an eye on it. It was rare enough that they wanted to make sure that they were crossing all the T’s and dotting all their I’s, but they hadn’t seen one that was detected as early as mine.” James admitted that the diagnosis wasn’t a huge surprise given his family history with the disease. He explained: “It’s not the kind of news anyone wants to hear, but to be honest, prostate cancer has run through my family. My father had it. He had a lot of brothers; several of them had it. I would have been surprised if I hadn’t gotten it. I’ve got a 90 year old first cousin, who’s still alive, actually, and he had it. His son has it, a couple of his brothers had it. No one, as far as I know, has succumbed to it.”  

James Van Der Beek is auctioning off some of his treasured TV memorabilia to help raise money for his cancer treatment. The 48-year-old, who has six children with wife Kimberly, revealed he had been diagnosed with stage three colorectal (bowel) cancer last year. In a bid to pay for his expensive treatment, the actor – who is most famous for starring in the beloved teen drama from 1998 to 2003 – has teamed up with Propstore to sell off some of the cherished items from his personal collection. Dawson’s Creek fans will have the chance to own the outfit he wore in the very first episode, which is expected to sell for up to £3,000. They can also get their hands on the necklace Dawson gave on-screen girlfriend Joey (played by Katie Holmes) for prom, which could raise as much as £40,000. Other items up for sale include the shoes and West Caana Coyotes Hat that James wore when he starred in the hit 1999 teen comedy Varsity Blues. Fans will get chance to bid on the items at the Winter Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction, which will be held in London. James told the Flying Monkeys: “I’ve been storing these treasures for years, waiting for the right time to do something with them. With all of the recent unexpected twists and turns life has presented recently, it’s clear that the time is now.” He added: “While I have some nostalgia tugging at me as I part with these items, it feels good to be able to offer them through Propstore’s auction to share with those who have supported my work over the years.” Just over a year ago, the actor shared the devastating news he had been diagnosed with cancer. Though he received his diagnosis in 2023, he didn’t share the news straight away, instead preferring to deal with it privately. At the time he shared: “I have colorectal cancer. I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family.” Sharing his upbeat approach to his health, he added: “There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good.” In March this year, James reflected on how it had been “the hardest year of my life”. In a heartfelt post on Instagram, he expressed his confrontation with mortality as he said: “I had to come nose to nose with death. And all those definitions that I cared so deeply about were stripped from me.”  

Jackie Chan is alive and well – amid a death hoax circulating about him online. The Hong Kong-born film star, 71, was at the centre of online speculation Monday evening as posts on Facebook and other platforms falsely indicated he had passed away. A computer generated AI image of an ailing Chan in a hospital bed was circulating alongside opposed designated birth and death years. The fake AI post read: ‘Today, the most beloved person in the world cinema, all of our hearts, has passed away, especially our generation, a worthy actor, a great Kung Fu player, the man with a funny laugh, Jackie Chan, has passed away.’ Hoax-fueled searches such as ‘did jackie chan die;’ ‘jackie chan death’ were among the most searched phrases on Google Trends Monday evening. Ironically, the AI application Grok provided clarity to social media users seeking more information on the fraudulent death announcement. An answer to a user asking if the Rush Hour star had actually died read, ‘No, it’s a hoax Jackie Chan is alive and well as of November 11, 2025.’ Chan was at the centre of a separate false rumour about his mortality this past August.  The phoney death notice in that case falsely claimed that his spouse Joan Lin had confirmed the death. An accompanying image showed ‘the hallmarks of artificially created visuals,’ the outlet reported, and later ‘was confirmed to be AI-generated.’ 

On This Day

• 1938 – LSD is first synthesised by Albert Hofmann. 
• 1965 – The Soviet Union launches the Venera 3 space probe toward Venus, which will be the first spacecraft to reach the surface of another planet.
• 1990 – Pop group Milli Vanilli are stripped of their Grammy Award because the duo did not sing at all on the Girl You Know It’s True album. Session musicians had provided all the vocals.

Deaths

• 1960 – Clark Gable, American actor (born 1901).
• 2008 – Reg Varney, English actor and screenwriter (born 1916).
• 2009 – Edward Woodward, English actor (born 1930).

Last Meals

Stephen Corey Bryant was an American spree killer convicted of the 2004 fatal shootings of three people in Sumter County, South Carolina. Throughout an eight-day period in October 2004, Bryant shot each of his victims in four separate incidents, killing three of them and leaving a fourth seriously injured. 

Beginning on October 8th 2004, a then 23 year old Bryant conducted a burglary where Bryant stole a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun. Later on that day, Bryant shot a man in the back who was fishing near a local river, but the man, 56-year-old Clinton Brown, survived his injuries. Brown was reportedly able to drive himself to a hospital to seek treatment.

On October 9th, Bryant went out with his friend and colleague, 36-year-old Clifton Gainey, to buy beer. According to sources, Bryant shared a close friendship with Gainey, and they often went out for fishing trips together and spent time with each other’s families. On that day, Bryant used the gun to shoot Gainey in the head, killing him, and left his body behind on a rural road. After the shooting, Bryant headed to Gainey’s rented trailer and stole electronics and an aquarium, also setting fire to the trailer. At the time of his death, Gainey was survived by his two sons, mother and brother.

On October 11th, Bryant entered the home of 62-year-old Willard Tietjen, who was shot nine times by Bryant. After Tietjen, a retired U.S. Air Force sergeant, died from the shooting, Bryant stole a ring by taking it off the finger of Tietjen, and also used a cigarette to burn the victim’s face and eyes. Bryant additionally burglarised the house, stealing valuables and power tools. While Bryant was ransacking the house, Tietjen’s wife and daughter called the victim, and Bryant picked up the phone to inform them separately that Tietjen was dead. Before he fled the house, Bryant used the victim’s blood to write a message, “Victem 4 in 2 weeks. Catch me if u can”. 

On October 13th, two days after murdering Tietjen, 35-year-old Christopher Burgess encountered Bryant outside a local convenience store. After the pair left the store, Bryant shot Burgess twice, once in the head and another in the chest. Less than two hours after the murder, a hunter discovered Burgess’s corpse lying on a road bed in a rural area. 

By October 13th, Bryant was finally arrested at his girlfriend’s home for the murders. Bryant was charged with three counts of murder, two counts of burglary, two counts of weapons possession, and one count each of armed robbery and arson. 

The spree murders committed by Bryant shocked the whole community, and according to Bryant’s landlord and workplace supervisor, they described him as a nice person and were shocked to hear he was arrested for the murders. 

On August 8th 2008, Bryant pled guilty to all three counts of murder and nine other lesser charges. Sumter County Prosecutor Kelly Jackson stated that there was no plea deal reached with the defence, and he would seek the death penalty for Bryant pertaining to the robbery-murder of Willard Tietjen. 

During the sentencing phase, the defence submitted that Bryant should not face the death penalty, given that he himself was a victim of sexual abuse in his childhood, and that he struggled with drug addiction, which contributed to brain damage in his case. The lawyers also stated that in the months before the killings, Bryant turned to drugs to forget about the lingering trauma he suffered from his past childhood sexual assaults. However, the prosecution argued that the killings were premeditated and Bryant had mercilessly killed the victims, which were factors they relied on in seeking the death sentence for Bryant. 

However, Circuit Judge Thomas Russo sentenced 27-year-old Stephen Bryant to death for the murder of Willard Tietjen, in addition to two life sentences for the murders of Clifton Gainey and Christopher Burgess.  

On October 17th 2025, the South Carolina Supreme Court signed a death warrant for Stephen Bryant, setting his execution date for November 14th 2025. Under South Carolina state law, prisoners facing execution were allowed to choose their preferred execution method: execution by firing squad, lethal injection or the electric chair. Should the prisoner in question fail to choose a method by their given deadline, he or she by default would be executed in the electric chair. Bryant was issued a deadline of October 31st 2025. 

Bryant chose to be put to death by firing squad. He became the third inmate in South Carolina to choose this method since the state resumed executions in 2024, following the executions of convicted murderers Brad Sigmon and Mikal Mahdi. 

Bryant was executed by firing squad at the Broad River Correctional Institution. The execution process began at 18.02, with a doctor announcing his death at 18.05. 

Prior to his execution, Bryant was granted a last meal of spicy mixed seafood stir-fry, fried fish over rice, egg rolls, stuffed shrimp, two candy bars, German chocolate cake, and two Pepsi. 

Last Week’s Birthdays

Maggie Gyllenhaal (48), Martha Plimpton (55), Pete Davidson (32), Missi Pyle (53), Lisa Bonet (58), Gigi Edgley (48), Gwynyth Walsh (69), Jonny Lee Miller (53), Beverly D’Angelo (74), Olga Kurylenko (46), Russell Tovey (44), Paul McGann (66), Sandahl Bergman (74), Gerard Butler (56), Jimmy Kimmel (58), Whoopi Goldberg (70), Ryan Gosling (45), Anne Hathaway (43), Wallace Shawn (82), Max Grodénchik (73), Neil Young (80), Walton Goggins (54), Taron Egerton (36), Hugh Bonneville (62), Ellen Pompeo (56), Clare Higgins (70), and Neil Gaiman (65).

Quite a few famous deaths this week, alas no points though. 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• George Emil Banks, 83, American mass murderer (1982 Wilkes-Barre shootings), kidney cancer.  
• Donna Jean Godchaux, 78, American singer (Grateful Dead, Donna Jean Godchaux Band), cancer. 
• Gopichand Hinduja, 85, Indian conglomerate industry executive, chairman of Hinduja Group. Britain’s richest man. 
• Dick Cheney, 84, American politician, vice president (2001–2009), secretary of defence (1989–1993), pneumonia and heart disease. 
• Diane Ladd, 89, American actress (Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Wild at Heart, Rambling Rose), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. 
• Pauline Collins, 85, British actress (Shirley Valentine, Upstairs, Downstairs, City of Joy), complications from Parkinson’s disease. 
• Gilson Lavis, 74, English drummer (Squeeze, Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra). 
• James Watson, 97, American molecular biologist (nucleic acid double helix), Nobel Prize laureate (1962), complications from an infection. 
• Lee Tamahori, 75, New Zealand film director (Once Were Warriors, Die Another Day, Along Came a Spider), complications from Parkinson’s disease. 
• Quentin Willson, 68, English television presenter (Britain’s Worst Driver, Top Gear, Fifth Gear) and motoring journalist, lung cancer.

In Other News

An American teacher and his teenage son were killed by a swarm of hundreds of hornets while on a zip-lining holiday in Laos. Daniel Owen, 47, and his 15-year-old son Cooper died on 15th October while visiting an eco-adventure resort near the northern city of Luang Prabang, the US embassy in Laos. Hundreds of what are believed to have been Asian giant hornets attacked the pair while they were trying to descend from a tree, a source close to two US diplomats in Laos told The Flying Monkeys. After the incident, the father and son arrived conscious at the Phanak clinic, showing no signs of anaphylactic shock – allergic reactions that can kill people who have been stung by bees, wasps and hornets. However they died just hours later after they were taken to the Luang Prabang provincial hospital. Their bodies were “covered in red spots” after the “very, very painful” attack, said Phanomsay Phakan, a doctor at the Phakan Arocavet Clinic where the father and son were taken. “A lot of stings, more than 100, over the whole body. I thought already that it’s a very dangerous situation because I had never seen it as bad as that,” he said. Green Jungle Park, where the incident occurred, extended its “deepest condolences” and said it has reviewed all existing procedures in a statement. Asian giant hornets are the world’s largest hornet, and are native to tropical parts of East Asia, South Asia, mainland Southeast Asia, and parts of the Russian east. In recent years they have spread to countries in western Europe, including the UK. They are responsible for dozens of deaths every year owing to the power of their 6mm stinger which emits a particularly potent venom containing mastoparan-M – a toxin commonly found in wasp venom. Last month in Spain, a man died after accidentally stepping on a hornet’s nest in the Galicia region. Two others died the same month.  

Television presenter Davina McCall has revealed she underwent surgery for breast cancer nearly three weeks ago. In a video posted to her Instagram account, McCall said she was “very angry” by the discovery but feels in a “much more positive place”. McCall, 58, said she found a lump in her breast after checking herself and got it examined, adding: “It was very, very small, so I got it very, very early which is incredibly lucky. But I am so relieved to have had it removed and to know that it hasn’t spread.” The former Big Brother presenter thanked medical staff at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, where she had the lumpectomy, and urged women to get their breasts checked. It comes nearly two years after McCall underwent surgery to remove a rare brain tumour. A colloid cyst was found during a health check-up as part of her menopause advocacy work and McCall later said she was given the all clear after MRI scans. McCall started her Instagram post by telling her 2.1m followers: “I’m talking about this because I think it might help someone. And this is what I always do.” She said she found a lump a few weeks ago which “came and went” but was encouraged to get it examined after seeing posters telling women to “check your breasts” while working on ITV’s The Masked Singer and Lorraine show. She said presenter Lorraine Kelly had put signs on the backs of all the doors saying “check your breasts” and “every time I went for a wee I did that. It  was still there, and then one morning I saw myself in the mirror and thought “I’m going to get that looked at”. I had a biopsy. I found out it was indeed breast cancer.” McCall said she was going to have five days of radiotherapy in January “as kind of an insurance policy” and then will be on a “journey to try and stop it ever coming back”. She added: “I think my message is: get checked if you’re worried. Check yourself regularly. If you are due a mammogram, then get it done.”

An influencer who underwent 27 operations to look like a Barbie doll has died at the age of 31. Barbara Jankavski was found dead at a townhouse in Sao Paolo, Brazil, and the police are said to be  investigating the death. They have registered the influencer’s death as ‘suspicious’ and are waiting for a full autopsy. The emergency services had been called to the property over the weekend, where they found Jankavski, but they were unable to revive her. This comes only days after the emergency services in Lago Verde had to confirm to death of another Brazilian influencer, Fernanda Oliveira da Silva. A friend of the influencer had been at the house that same day and left before she died. The friend told the police that Jankavski had injured her eye earlier that day. Just weeks ago, the influencer had shocked fans with a selfie that showed she had gotten black eyes after a surgery. The injuries were part of the healing process for a facelift she had gotten. In the caption of the video where the black eyes were prominent, she said: “Day 3 of the facelift by @dr.aurilioluis @asanasal_dedivas improving way too fast! Almost invisible scar!” She also told her followers that the injuries looked more scary than they were. The influencer spent an estimated £42k to look more like a real-life Barbie. She became famous on social media after she started documenting her surgery journey. She had over 55k followers on Instagram and over 344k on TikTok, where she was known as Boneca Desumana, which is the Brazilian Portuguese for Inhuman Barbie. She also appeared in multiple TV shows and ad campaigns in Brazil.

On This Day

• 1888 – Jack the Ripper murders Mary Jane Kelly, his final victim in the Whitechapel murders. 
• 1963 – At a coal mine in Miike, Japan, an explosion kills 458 and hospitalises 839 with carbon monoxide poisoning.
• 1998 – Capital punishment in the United Kingdom, already abolished for murder, is completely abolished for all remaining capital offences.

Deaths

• 1937 – Ramsay MacDonald, Scottish politician, Prime Minister of the U.K. (born 1866).
• 1940 – Neville Chamberlain, English politician, Prime Minister of the U.K. (born 1869).
• 1953 – Dylan Thomas, Welsh poet and author (born 1914).
• 1970 – Charles de Gaulle, French general & politician, President of France (born 1890).
• 2004 – Emlyn Hughes, English footballer and manager (born 1947).

The Wilkes-Barre Shootings

On the morning of September 25th 1982, 40-year-old George Emil Banks roamed his Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, neighbourhood on a mission of destruction. On that fateful morning, with his mental health declining, Banks’ actions would forever affect the lives of so many people and traumatise a community.

Fuelled by a twisted sense of hopelessness, Banks methodically targeted family members, acquaintances, and even strangers, resulting in the death of 13 individuals across various locations, including four of his own children. 

Who was George Emil Banks, and what drove him to commit such horrific acts? Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Banks worked as a prison guard – a job often associated with high stress and exposure to trauma. Colleagues described him as troubled and prone to emotional outbursts, though many dismissed it as a result of the job’s strain.

Banks’s relationships were often tumultuous and complicated as he had children with several partners, which led to a web of connections that only fuelled his paranoia and instability further, according to interviews with family members and neighbours.

He saw himself as a protector and feared the racial and social obstacles his children could encounter in the future. His mind was tormented by worries about discrimination and environmental decline, which he feared would negatively impact his children’s lives. 

Having grown up as a mixed-race child during the 1940’s and 50’s, George was keenly aware of prejudice and discrimination.

This obsession would ultimately lead to his violent actions.

Prior to his stint as a corrections officer, Banks had served time in prison himself for his role in a robbery, which resulted in a shooting. Despite his record, Banks was hired as a correctional officer at Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, in 1980.

In early September 1982, just weeks before the shootings, Banks had locked himself in a guard tower while threatening suicide. He was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation at a local hospital. 

On the morning of September 25th 1982, after a night of drinking and using pills, George Emil Banks shot and killed seven people in his Schoolhouse Lane home. These included three former girlfriends and four of his children, including two sons, a daughter, and a stepdaughter. 

Banks then dressed in military fatigues and carried his semi-automatic rifle as he hunted his next victims. The next two people shot just happened to be leaving a neighbour’s house when Banks saw them and opened fire.

24-year-old Ray Hall Jr. died at the scene, while 22-year-old Jimmy Olsen survived his wounds.

Banks then drove to the home of Sharon Mazzillo, a former flame and the mother of three of his children. Banks intruded into her residence that fatal day, shooting her to death. After murdering Sharon, Banks then shot and killed their son Kissamayu.

He also murdered Sharon’s mother, who was trying to use the phone to call for help. Also killed was Sharon’s 7-year-old nephew. The only survivor was Sharon’s brother, who managed to hide in a closet during the attack.

After the murders, Banks abandoned his car and carjacked another vehicle. 

After resting for a while, Banks went to his mother’s house and confessed what he had done. He then asked her to take him to a friend’s house. Though horrified by what she had just learned, she did as George asked.

At the same time, the police were looking for Banks after connecting him with the shootings.

Shortly after dropping George off, Banks’s mother returned home and was met by authorities looking for her son. They then drove to the location, and Banks’s mother attempted to convince him to surrender.

As the standoff progressed, police tried various tactics to convince Banks to give himself up. Nothing worked.

Finally, a former co-worker of Banks arrived at the scene, and convinced him to surrender. 

George Banks’s trial began in June 1983. He faced a litany of charges, including murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, grand theft auto, and numerous other charges. If convicted, Banks faced a possible death sentence.

Banks insisted on testifying at trial, and though his rambling and, at times, incoherent defence did not win his acquittal, it may have spared his life. Because even though the jury recommended the death penalty, Banks’s attorneys continued to appeal his case, and in 2010, he was found mentally incompetent for execution, with psychiatrists having previously labeled him as “psychotic, delusional, and irrational.” 

George Emil Banks served 43 years of his sentence at State Correctional Institution Phoenix in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, where he died at the age of 83. 

Last Week’s Birthdays

Eric Dane (53), Lou Ferrigno (74), Robert Duncan McNeill (61), Parker Posey (57), Matthew Rhys (51), Tara Reid (50), Gretchen Mol (53), Richard Curtis (69), Gordon Ramsay (59), Adam Devine (42), Ethan Hawke (55), Emma Stone (37), Thandiwe Newton (53), Rebecca Romijn (53), Sally Field (79), Nigel Havers (74), Robert Patrick (67), Sam Rockwell (57), Tilda Swinton (65), Famke Janssen (61), Tamzin Outhwaite (55), Armin Shimerman (76), Matthew McConaughey (56), Ralph Macchio (64), Olivia Taylor Dudley (40), Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs (56), Dolph Lundgren (68), Kate Capshaw (72), Roseanne Barr (73), and Lulu (77).

We have a few points to award this week, so let’s dole them out. 50 points to Ceri and Mazurn for guessing that June Lockhart would die this year. Also we need to award 57 points to Neil, Mark, Nicki H, Paul G, Abi, Shân and Julia on the passing of Prunella Scales; however both Nickie O’H and Rachel McG get 157 points for listing her as their Woman. 

I’ve also had time to go through the points, there were a few anomalies which I have adjusted. Abi is the one to beat this year, she’s doing extremely well with 538 points! Well done everyone! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• June Lockhart, 100, American actress (Lost in Space, Lassie, Petticoat Junction). 
• Tony Adams, 84, Welsh actor (Crossroads, Doctor Who, General Hospital). 
• Björn Andrésen, 70, Swedish actor (Death in Venice, Midsommar, Shelley) and musician.
• Prunella Scales, 93, English actress (Fawlty Towers, A Question of Attribution, Howards End). 
• Maria Riva, 100, German-born American actress (The Scarlet Empress, The Burning Glass, Scrooged). The only child of Marlene Dietrich. 
• Adam Greenberg, 88, Israeli-American cinematographer (The Terminator, Ghost, Rush Hour). 
• Scott Sorry, 47, American rock musician and songwriter (The Wildhearts, Sorry and the Sinatras, Amen), brain cancer. 
• Peter Watkins, 90, English filmmaker (The War Game, Punishment Park, Resan). 
• Tchéky Karyo, 72, Turkish-born French actor (The Missing, La Femme Nikita, La Balance), cancer. 
• Willie Young, 73, Scottish footballer (Aberdeen, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest). 
• Faruk Fatih Özer, 31, Turkish cryptocurrency trader and convicted fraudster, founder of Thodex, suicide by hanging. 

In Other News

A 31-year-old bodybuilder has died of a stroke following the passing of his beloved cat, his heartbroken mother has revealed. Ricardo Nolasco dos Santos died last week in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The strongman, better known as Kadu Santos, was an 11-times bodybuilding champion and two-times overall champion of a prestigious regional Muscle Contest competition. Known for his punishing gym routines, he also showed off his bulging biceps to his 13,000 followers on Instagram where he also offered advice on how to keep in shape. Santos’ mother, Iva Nolasco, said the stroke he suffered led to a lung infection, adding that the strongman’s health problems were complicated by a congenital defect. He was filmed in July going down on one knee on stage to propose to his partner Sabrina Wollman after a four-year romance, who he started dating in August 2021. Lifting the veil of mystery that had been hanging over the death of Santos, Iva told followers in a social media post he had experienced a week of ’emotional distress’ following Baku’s death. Saying he fell ill on October 4th, sparking a two-week fight for life in hospital, she added: ‘His blood pressure rose and he decided to go out for dinner with his partner and friends to try to relax a bit. He complained of a headache, started having seizures and then suffered the stroke. In hospital he was diagnosed with a brain lesion where the haemorrhage had occurred.’ Revealing Santos also aspirated fluid during the seizure, which caused a lung infection, Iva, who is herself a regular gym user, added: ‘He was born with a bicuspid heart valve instead of a tricuspid one. With the effort for the lungs, the heart became insufficient.’ Santos’ family announced his death on social media but had not previously disclosed any details about his two-week fight for life and the reasons for his passing.  

The racing world has been plunged into mourning following the tragic death of 19-year-old jockey Tommie Jakes at his home near Newmarket. Widely considered one of the most promising young riders around, Jakes got his first winner at 16 on board a horse four years his junior.  The apprentice rider was also a much-loved member of the weighing room, and rode for top trainer George Boughey. An IJF/PJA joint-statement read: ‘It is with deep sadness that we report the death of licensed apprentice jockey Tommie Jakes, 19, who tragically died at home this morning near Newmarket. Tommie was a much-loved son and brother, and a popular member of George Boughey’s racing team. His parents Jeremy and Tonie ask that their privacy is respected at this terrible time.’ Jakes’ final race was only on Wednesday afternoon at Nottingham, when he partnered the Ismail Mohammed-trained Guarantee to finish seventh of nine runners as a 125-1 outsider. Jose Santos, assistant to Mohammed, said: ‘We’re really shocked. It’s hard to believe. I feel completely empty as he rode out for us twice a week and always seemed happy and positive. He never showed any signs of having any kind of problems. I know he didn’t smoke, I know he didn’t do drugs or drink, and for everyone in the yard it’s a massive shock.’ In his first full season, Jakes rode 11 winners, backing that up with 29 in 2024. This year he was once again enjoying another wonderful season on the track, recording 19 wins from 188 runs to bring owners nearly £200,000 in prize money.  

Radio 2 DJ Bob Harris has shared an update on Instagram on his ongoing prostate treatment. The 79-year-old presenter said in a social media post this week that he was feeling “very low” due to the side effects of his treatment. He has lived with the disease since he was diagnosed in 2007. The star has been being supported by his fellow BBC colleagues including Dermot O’Leary and Zoe Ball. His friends and colleagues have been leaving supportive comments alongside his social media posts. Bob shared a selfie while he wrote: “I am so grateful for my cancer treatment but there are times when the side effects are really tough. Feeling very low tonight. Tomorrow I go again…” Bob told his fans back in 2023 that he counts “every day as a blessing” as he has routine top-up treatments for the disease. He said: “I occasionally have to go through moments of intensive top-up treatments, and I have to take some pretty hefty daily medication to keep my cancer under control, the difficult side effects of which can often bring my emotions far too close to the surface! But my cancer was detected early and I count every day as a blessing. My massive advice to any male over 50 reading this is GET YOURSELF CHECKED if you haven’t already. The blood test only takes seconds and it could save your life!” Bob first became well known when he co-founded Time Out magazine in 1968. He then went on to join the BBC in 1970 and has had several roles across its radio channels over the last 50 years. He was the host of the award-winning BBC TV music show Old Grey Whistle Test throughout the 1970s where he would interview iconic musicians. Back in 2019 Harris took a break from presenting after rupturing his aorta. He underwent emergency surgery, which he said he was “lucky to survive”. He said at the time: “Ten days ago, while out walking, I suffered a tear to my aorta known as an aortic dissection. The aorta is basically the M1 of the body and any damage is regarded as extremely serious. For the past few years, I have been walking an average of five miles a day and I am convinced that the level of fitness I have achieved during that time helped save my life.” 

On This Day

• 1936 – The BBC Television Service, the world’s first regular, “high-definition” (then defined as at least 200 lines) service begins. 
• 1982 – Channel 4, the British free-to-air public broadcast television channel funded by its commercial activities, starts broadcasting.
• 1984 – Velma Barfield becomes the first woman executed in the United States since 1962.

Deaths

• 1950 – George Bernard Shaw, Irish author, playwright, and critic (born 1856). 
• 1996 – Eva Cassidy, American singer (born 1963).
• 2014 – Acker Bilk, English singer and clarinet player (born 1929).
• 2024 – Janey Godley, Scottish actor, writer and comedian (born 1961).

Last Meals

A death row inmate made a very clear statement ahead of his execution last week.

On October 23rd, Anthony Todd Boyd became the state of Alabama’s seventh inmate to be put to death this year.

Boyd received the death sentence for the 1993 murder of Gregory Huguley. 

Huguley was taped up and burned alive over a $200 cocaine debt. Boyd was just 21 years old at the time of the murder. While Boyd did not set the man alight, he’s said to have helped bind Huguley to a park bench before others doused him in fuel.

Boyd has always maintained his innocence, which is something he doubled down on in the moments leading up to his death last week.

He told prison staff: “I just wanna say again, I didn’t kill anybody, I didn’t participate in killing anybody. I just want everyone to know, there is no justice in this state.”

Noting that his numerous appeals were turned down, the convicted criminal went on, ”It’s all political, it’s all revenge-motivated. There is no justice in the state, there can be no justice in the state.” He closed his poignant statement with: “I want all my people to keep fighting, you all matter. Let’s get it.”

Ahead of his death, Boyd is said to have requested to die by firing squad, but he died by Nitrogen gas instead. The execution method has long sparked debates over how long it takes for the inmate to die, with some branding it as ‘intense psychological torment’.

Boyd had his spiritual advisor, Rev. Jeff Hood, with him when he died. He said that the way the inmate was killed was ‘torture’.

“We shouldn’t do this to anybody,” Hood said, adding: “We are better than this. We are better than suffocating people to death.” 

According to Hood, Boyd was fighting for his life for almost 20 minutes before he was eventually pronounced dead.

Last year, Alabama became the first state to use nitrogen gas as a means of killing inmates. The likes of Louisiana and Arkansas have since followed suit.

In the hours leading up to Boyd’s execution, the Supreme Court’s three liberal justices  condemned the use of nitrogen gas and described it as ‘intense psychological torment’.

Addressing the majority decision on Boyd’s request to postpone his death and to die by firing squad, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said: “Boyd asks for the barest form of mercy: to die by firing squad, which would kill him in seconds, rather than by a torturous suffocation lasting up to four minutes. The Constitution would grant him that grace. My colleagues do not.” 

Boyd refused a last meal before his execution. 

Last Week’s Birthdays

David Schwimmer (59), Stefanie Powers (83), Toni Collette (53), Anthony Kiedis (63), Peter Jackson (64), Sanjeev Bhaskar (62), Stephen Rea (79), Fiona Dourif (44), Clémence Poésy (43), Henry Winkler (80), Juliet Stevenson (69), Winona Ryder (54), Rufus Sewell (58), Ben Foster (45), Richard Dreyfuss (78), Dan Castellaneta (68), Lee Child (71), Julia Roberts (58), Gwendoline Christie (47), Joaquin Phoenix (51), Matt Smith (43), Annie Potts (73), John Cleese (86), Robert Picardo (72), and Kelly Osbourne (41). 

A very quiet week, you will be forgiven for not knowing this week’s dead celebrities. I’m afraid we will have to release a few extra Flying Monkeys to harvest a few famous souls so we can score a few points! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Sam Rivers, 48, American bassist (Limp Bizkit), cardiac arrest. 
• Daniel Naroditsky, 29, American chess grandmaster, writer and commentator. 
• David Ball, 66, English musician (Soft Cell, The Grid). 
• Sirikit, 93, Thai queen consort, blood infection. 

In Other News

Martin Kemp has given a health update after he was taken to hospital following a horror chainsaw accident. The musician and actor, 64, injured his hand after picking up the tool by the blade to cut a piece of wood. He took to Instagram on Friday, sharing a video update to let fans know how he’s doing after receiving a wave of messages from concerned fans. In the clip, he said: ‘Hey guys, just a little message. You might have seen in the papers that I had a terrible accident with a chainsaw, which I did, but it was last week. I’m a lot better now. And just to let you know, if you were worried and you are going to Lincoln Cathedral tonight for the DJ gig, it is still on. But I appreciate your concerns. And listen, it’s getting better by the minute. I will explain how it happened another time, but just to reassure you, I am alright.’ Martin concluded his message with: ‘Lots of love, bye.’ It comes after his son Roman revealed the accident took place on his You About podcast. He said his father had sent his family a photograph of his bandaged hand alongside a message saying ‘Yep…Chainsaw!!!’. His podcast co-host Tom Grennan asked Roman: ‘What the hell has happened to your dad’s fingers? Because that looks like a horror film.’ Roman revealed he received the text from his father on Friday night. He said: ‘I have just finished work, I look at my phone and my dad has sent a picture of his hand. All his fingers are heavily strapped up and all he writes underneath in the family WhatsApp group is “Yep…Chainsaw!!!”.’ Roman and his sister Harley texted his father back asking for more information and received no replies from their father. Eventually his father said: ‘Oh there was a bit of a branch that we wanted chopping down, so I went and got a chainsaw. So that is my first issue. Why are you handling a chainsaw? He is 65. He has got more than enough dough, get a professional in.’ According to Roman, his dad said: ‘I picked it up from the blade.’ Roman said his father is lucky he is ‘not fingerless and handless,’ adding: ‘I know a mate who lost a finger through that.’ Singer Tom Grennan then joked: ‘Your mum would be fuming.’ ‘Yes because then he couldn’t play guitar,’ Roman joked.  Roman went on to say Martin ‘screamed’ and ran to wife Shirlie with blood pouring everywhere. He also revealed Martin then had to get a Tetanus shot after the injury.

Ever since King Charles announced he had cancer, it has felt like the deadline for succession has been moved up. And considering he was the oldest person to ascend the throne in the first place, it was always clear he would not be King nearly as long as his mother was Queen. But what does that mean for Prince William, and what preparations have taken place? According to the Flying Monkeys the King is “dying” and his health has forced Prince William to take on more royal duties. Charles is “seriously unwell but determined to carry on.” Not just that, the source added, “He’s exhausted, but he won’t stop. “Every morning he insists on reading his red boxes. He believes his service to the country is his calling — and he’ll keep going as long as he can.” But William’s influence is reportedly already being felt, as he was instrumental in getting Prince Andrew to renounce his royal titles amid renewed scandals about his connections to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Reportedly, Charles and William were in full agreement in demanding the move from William. And Andrew’s statement leaves no doubt that this was not fully his decision. In a statement released by Buckingham Palace on Friday, October 17th Prince Andrew said, “In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family. I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life. With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me,” he added. King Charles was allegedly reluctant to take this step for a long time. The King, who has been receiving treatment for his cancer since the announcement he was sick in February of last year, has allegedly had several setbacks. “They’re quietly preparing William to step up — fast,” one courtier revealed. “The illusion of perfect health is collapsing. What we’re seeing is the reality behind the crown — a monarch in decline.” Prince William has recently talked about how hard the past year has been, especially as he talked with actor Eugene Levy on his Apple TV+ series The Reluctant Traveler. “I’d say 2024 was the hardest year I’ve ever had,” he revealed, referring not just to his father’s cancer diagnosis but that of his wife, Kate Middleton. Unlike King Charles, Middleton is now in remission and has taken the slow and steady approach to returning to public life. “You know, life is sent to test us, as well. And being able to overcome that is what makes us who we are.” 

French film star Brigitte Bardot has become the latest celebrity to declare that rumours of her demise have been greatly exaggerated. A terse post on the 91-year-old’s Twitter account last week shut down claims made by an influencer on social media that she had died. “I don’t know which idiot started this ‘fake news’ about my disappearance this evening but know that I’m fine and I have no intention of bowing out. A word to the wise,” said the post, written in French. The “idiot” was a 27-year-old influencer named Aqababe, whose since-deleted post claimed they had “exclusive information” that Bardot had died. “Her coffin was ordered in Saint-Paul-de-Jarrat in the 09 (Ariège) department,” stated Aqababe (real name Aniss Zitouni). “An icon has passed away, leaving behind an unforgettable legacy and an internal imprint on the hearts of the French.” Bardot reportedly returned to her home in the French Riviera town of Saint-Tropez last week after a three-week stay in a private hospital after undergoing minor surgery for an unspecified condition. While French media has suggested the star had suffered a “serious illness”, the Flying Monkeys reported a spokesperson as saying: “Madame Bardot has returned home and is now resting. She’s fine.” Bardot is the latest of several celebrities who have taken to social media recently to downplay concerns about their health. “Ain’t dead yet”, 79-year-old country music star Dolly Parton said in a video posted on Instagram earlier this month after her younger sister Freida sparked alarm by asking fans to pray for her as she dealt with a number of health challenges. While Dolly had been forced to postpone upcoming live performances at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, she reassured fans: “I’m not ready to die yet. I don’t think God is through with me. And I ain’t done working.” Last month, Star Trek star William Shatner similarly scotched suggestions he was seriously unwell after photos of a Los Angeles City Fire Department ambulance outside his home with the headline: “Medical scare sends Captain Kirk to hospital”. The report said he had experienced issues with his blood sugar levels. Shatner, best known for commanding the USS Enterprise as Captain Kirk in the original series of Star Trek, downplayed the concerns with a post on Twitter featuring a photograph of himself playing Mark Twain in the television drama Murdoch Mysteries and the caption: “Rumours of my demise have been greatly exaggerated”. “I over indulged,” the 94-year-old wrote. “I thank you all for caring but I’m perfectly fine. I keep telling you all: don’t trust tabloids or AI!” Bardot’s post declaring she is fine hasn’t completely silenced the influencer who this week claimed she was dead, with Aqababe suggesting it is not the former actress who runs her account. “I deleted my exclusive tweet about Brigitte Bardot’s death,” they wrote. “It’s not her who manages her Twitter, you’ll see when AFP officially announces the death.”

On This Day

• 1881 – Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday participate in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. 
• 1977 – Ali Maow Maalin, the last natural case of smallpox, develops a rash in Somalia. The WHO and the CDC consider this date to be the anniversary of the eradication of smallpox, the most spectacular success of vaccination. 
• 2002 – Approximately 50 Chechen terrorists and 150 hostages die when Russian special forces troops storm a theatre building in Moscow, which had been occupied by the terrorists during a musical performance three days before.

Deaths

• 899 – Alfred the Great, English king (born 849). 
• 1764 – William Hogarth, English painter and engraver (born 1697). 
• 1952 – Hattie McDaniel, American actress and singer (born 1895).

Last Week’s Birthdays

Cary Elwes (63), Seth MacFarlane (52), Jon Heder (48), Mia Goth (32), Nancy Cartwright (68), Glynis Barber (70), Katy Perry (41), F. Murray Abraham (86), Kevin Kline (78), Ryan Reynolds (49), Emilia Clarke (39), ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic (66), Christopher Lloyd (87), Bob Odenkirk (63), Jeff Goldblum (73), Derek Jacobi (87), Catherine Deneuve (82), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (50), Glen Powell (37), Kim Kardashian (45), Ken Watanabe (66), Everett McGill (80), Doja Cat (30), Viggo Mortensen (67), John Krasinski (46), Snoop Dogg (54), and Kamala Harris (61).