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St. Charles Parish sheriff owes public answers, watchdog says [Video]

A criminal watchdog says the St. Charles Parish sheriff owes the public an explanation after three former top deputies pleaded guilty to payroll fraud and other charges.Records show ex-Chief Deputy Rodney Madere was allowed to retire before he was arrested and will receive an estimated $200,000 a year in his pension. “The sheriff’s image with his employees has been tainted by the way this was handled,” Rafael Goyeneche with the Metropolitan Crime Commission said. Goyeneche said St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne’s silence is deafening. “It’s eroded the employees’ confidence in the sheriff,” Goyeneche said. “That’s devastating for an elected official not to have the confidence of their employees.”Madere, former Capt. Derek Pertuis and former Sgt. Zain Stillingner pleaded guilty to theft and payroll fraud charges last week. “The sheriff has issued a press release, but what remains unanswered is what he knew, when he knew it and why it …

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Neighbors react to Plattsburgh man charged in the deaths of missing mother and daughter [Video]

TONIGHT... A NORTHERN NEW YORK MAN IS IN JAIL. ACCUSED OF MURDERING TWO WOMEN. IN A PLATTSBURGH NEIGHBORHOO D. 50-YEAR-OLD JOE HEWETT IS ACCUSED OF KILLING THE MOTHER AND DAUGHTER WHO WERE REPORTED MISSING LAST THURSDAY. POLICE SAY HE'S THE BOYFRIEND OF ONE OF THE VICTIMS. THEIR DEATHS ARE BOTH BEING RULED AS HOMICIDES. NBC 5'S BENNY NEZAJ HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THIS CASE FOR DAYS. HE JOINS US FROM OUR PLATTSBURGH STUDIO WITH THE VERY LATEST. BENNY... BRIAN AND LIZ - JOE HEWETT WAS ARRAIGNED LAST NIGHT FOR HIS ALLEGED INVOLVEMENT IN THE DEATHS OF 42-YEAR-OLD MIRANDA WADE AND 62-YEAR-OLD KAREN LINDSAY. BUT NEIGHBORS OF THE VICTIMS ARE STILL FEELING THE IMPACT OF THIS TRAGEDY. BARBARA BLAKE NEIGHBOR 06;19;40;27 - 06;19;43;23 "I'm very shocked. Very surprised." BARBARA BLAKE LIVES ACROSS THE STREET FROM 2 BIRCH STREET - where KAREN LINDSAY AND and her daughter MIRANDA WADE lived. BLAKE SAYS SHE GAVE WADE A RIDE ONE TIME THROUGH HER TAXI BUSINESS. WHILE THEIR INTERACTIONS WERE LIMITED, SHE PROMISED TO ALWAYS BE THERE FOR HER BARBARA BLAKE/ NEIGHBOR 06;24;23;18 - 06;24;35;18 "You're sweet person. If you ever need anything, come to my house. You ever need a ride? Call me. I'll be there within a few minutes. It takes me 5 to 10 minutes to get to any person that calls me. I said I'll help you any which way." the two women had not been seen since early December when loved ones reported them missing on December 12th. state police learned there was a fire at Wade and Lindsay's mobile home on Sunday. THEIR REMAINS were FOUND ON MONDAY IN THE SURROUNDING AREA. CLINTON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY ANDREW WYLIE SAYS INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE BOTH WOMEN DIED ON DECEMBER 5TH. Wylie CALLS THE NATURE OF THEIR DEATHS UNPRECEDENTED. ANDREW WYLIE/ DISTRICT ATTORNEY, CLINTON COUNTY 19;58;14;13- 19;58;23;13 wylie an autopsy report says WADE died from BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA AND LINDSAY was strangled TO DEATH. authorities found their BODIES IN BLACK GARBAGE BAGS. ANDREW WYLIE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, CLINTON COUNTY 19;51;55;23 - 19;52;10;27 "A lot of times in these cases, it's domestic related. We haven't been able to finalize domestic related." BUT AS THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES TO UNFOLD, BLAKE'S THOUGHTS ARE WITH THE VICTIM'S FAMILIES. BARBARA BLAKE NEIGHBOR 06;26;58;01 - 06;27;10;28 "I want the family to have all the healing and the right that they need help. Reach out to somebody. Don't go doing something stupid yourself because you're depressed because of this. Please go get help. There's help out there." Hewett is expected to appear in COURT again ON JANUARY 7TH. the case is expected to be handed over to a grand jury next month. LIVE IN THE PLATTSBURGH STUDIO. BENNY NEZAJ. NBC5 NEWS THERE WILL BE A COMMUNITY GATHERING AND VIGIL THIS FRIDAY. AT THE WILLSBORO TOWN HALL. TO HONOR WADE AND LINDSA