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Alleged Penn State Cocaine Ringleader Gets Bail, Tiger Woods Takes DUI Plea Deal: AM Update 9/3

16m 49s

Alleged Penn State Cocaine Ringleader Gets Bail, Tiger Woods Takes DUI Plea Deal: AM Update 9/3

The AM Update covers a series of high-profile legal and public safety developments. In a major trial, the jury tasked with deciding Lindsay Clancy’s fate remains deadlocked twice, prompting a final judicial instruction known as the "dynamite charge" to force a verdict. The judge confirms the jury’s impartiality after an incident involving a woman allegedly filming jurors, and continues to allow deliberations. In a separate case tied to Penn State fraternities, Agostino Abatiello, accused of running a cocaine ring, is granted bail with strict conditions after testimony from former students detailing drug trafficking. Paul Robinson, a non-student father, faces felony charges for allegedly hiding narcotics in a safe, with the judge ruling there is enough evidence to proceed. The update also highlights the tragic death of five-year-old Sailor Hayes, whose parents are now arrested after investigators allege they failed to protect her and directed search efforts away from the water where she was found. Her body was recovered with no signs of trauma, and her parents are charged with child endangerment and abandonment. Additionally, Tiger Woods avoids jail in a DUI case by pleading no contest to reckless driving, losing his license for five years despite lack of alcohol in his system; prosecutors argue he had developed tolerance to pain medication, making impairment unprovable. The segment also promotes two products—Cozy Earth bamboo pajamas and Lean weight loss supplements—with discount codes. Each case underscores legal, ethical, and public safety concerns.

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Good morning, everyone. I'm Emily Drushinsky, host of After Party and the Megyn Kelly Wrap-Up Show on SiriusXM Channel 111. It's Thursday, September 3rd, 2026. This is your AM Update. The Lindsay Clancy jury deadlocked again, the judge making one final push for a verdict. The alleged Penn State fraternity cocaine ringleader back in court yesterday, as former frat brothers testify about kilos of cocaine and alleged pleas to stay silent. I need help. My little four-year-old, five-year-old girl is very autistic, just escaped. The parents of a five-year-old now under arrest after her death, accused of sending parts of the massive search in the wrong direction. If I can't prove DUI, guess what? I better come up with another plan. And Tiger Woods striking a deal on his DUI case, losing his license for five years. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM Update. I have got to talk to you about Cozy Earth's Bamboo Stretch Knit Pajamas. I love mine. They are silky smooth and buttery soft, and you can feel it the second you put them on. They are naturally temperature regulating and breathable, so they keep you completely cool without ever waking up hot or clammy. They are crafted from viscose, from bamboo, with just the right amount of easy stretch. The fit's relaxed, so you look completely put together, even while sipping your morning coffee or answering the front door or doing some small in-home errands. Plus, there is no real risk in trying them out because they offer an easy return and exchange window if the fit is not right and everything is backed by a warranty. Head to CozyEarth.com and use my code MEGANAM for up to 20% off home and sleepwear. That's code MEGANAM for up to 20% off on home, and sleepwear. And if you see a post-purchase survey, please be sure to mention that you heard about Cozy Earth right here. The jury tasked with deciding Lindsay Clancy's fate remaining deadlocked after nearly 30 hours of deliberations, prompting the judge to use a last resort instruction meant to push the panel toward a verdict. Yesterday's proceedings beginning with fallout from an incident outside the courthouse one day earlier. Judge William Sullivan questioning all 12 jurors under oath, making sure none had seen, or heard anything that could compromise their impartiality. The questioning following the arrest of a 56-year-old woman accused of filming jurors as they left the courthouse Tuesday afternoon. The woman, Dawn Light, pleading not guilty Wednesday to a felony jury intimidation charge. Her attorney reportedly calling the incident a misunderstanding, saying Light only wanted a picture of Lindsay Clancy. Judge Sullivan apparently satisfied the jury could remain fair, sending the panel back to continue deliberating. Shortly after 2pm, another note. The jurors telling the court, quote, after much deliberation, we are still unable to come to a unanimous decision. Their second declaration of a deadlock triggering what Massachusetts calls the Tui Rodriguez charge, more commonly known as, quote, dynamite charge. The nickname reflecting what the instruction is designed to do, break through a deeply entrenched disagreement, giving the jury one final chance to reach a unanimous verdict. The instruction pressing jurors on both sides to, reconsider their positions. At the same time, Judge Sullivan stressing that no juror should surrender an honest conviction simply to agree with the others or produce a verdict. The charge bringing the trial closer to a possible mistrial, while stopping short of making one inevitable. Under Massachusetts law, once a jury returns a second time without a verdict, the judge cannot send it back again without the juror's consent, unless the panel asks for another explanation of the law. Now, if the jury reports another deadlock, the judge cannot send it back again without the juror's consent, unless the panel asks for another explanation of the law. Jurors could agree to keep trying, or Judge Sullivan could declare a mistrial. A mistrial would not amount to an acquittal. Prosecutors would instead have to decide whether to try Clancy again. The jury set to resume deliberations this morning. The man accused of running a cocaine ring through two fraternities tied to Penn State now granted bail, following testimony from several former students. 24-year-old Agostino Abatiello, among 14 people charged in the alleged operation. which authorities say supplied cocaine largely to Penn State students in 2023 and 2024. Prosecutors alleging Abatiello and former student Thomas Robinson served as the operation's main suppliers, obtaining cocaine from New York and Philadelphia. Fraternity pledges allegedly helping cut and package the drugs inside the off-campus Sigma Chi and Delta Epsilon houses. Several other defendants also appearing for court proceedings Wednesday, with some waiving their own preliminary hearings, and allowing for a second trial. Former student Thomas Robinson, described by authorities as second only to Abatiello in the alleged operation, among those still taking the stand during Abatiello's hearing. Robinson testifying that he began selling cocaine in 2023, stored the drugs inside the Delta Epsilon house, and later purchased increasingly large quantities directly from Abatiello. Former Delta Epsilon member Mohamed Houraibi also testifying that he and Robinson bought cocaine from Abatiello. Abatiello claiming Abatiello would only sell to people who had been introduced to him, according to WJAC. Former Sigma Chi member Lars Zapfatt himself charged in the case, testifying that he also sold cocaine for Abatiello. Zapfatt describing it as his personal opinion that Abatiello was the biggest drug dealer at Penn State, and testifying that Abatiello pleaded with him not to cooperate with investigators. After Zapfatt was later directed to appear before a grand jury, he says Abatiello. Abatiello repeatedly told him, quote, Following that testimony, the judge ruling there is enough evidence for Abatiello's charges to proceed toward trial. The judge also granting Abatiello secured bail set at $250,000. Abatiello required to surrender his passport, live with his parents, avoid drugs and alcohol, and have no contact with witnesses, according to ABC News. A separate preliminary hearing focusing on Paul Robinson, The only non-student charged in the case. The 59-year-old Pittsburgh attorney and father of Thomas Robinson facing felony charges of tampering with evidence and hindering apprehension. Former Delta Upsilon member Ryan Mattson, who has not been charged, testifying that he stored Thomas Robinson's safe beneath a desk in his apartment. Following Thomas Robinson's December 2024 arrest, Mattson saying he and another student drove the safe into the woods and covered it with leaves, dirt and sticks. Two days after Thomas posted bail. Mattson testifying that Paul Robinson drove with him to retrieve the safe, covered it with a blanket, and placed it in his car. Mattson saying Paul Robinson later asked him not to tell anyone about retrieving it. A state prosecutor telling the judge that Thomas Robinson previously testified before the grand jury that he placed roughly 100 grams of cocaine and between $5,000 and $10,000 in cash inside the safe. Paul Robinson's attorney arguing there is no evidence his client knew what the safe contained. Pointing out that text messages between Paul Robinson and Mattson never mentioned drugs or money. Mattson also acknowledging that Paul Robinson never offered him anything in exchange for his help. The judge ultimately ruling there is enough evidence for the charges against Paul Robinson to move forward as well. The eight remaining defendants, all facing misdemeanor drug charges, scheduled to appear for preliminary hearings October 14th. Coming up. A five-year-old girl found dead after a massive overnight. Her parents now accused of steering crews away from the water where she was found. Tiger Woods avoiding jail in his DUI case, but now barred from driving for five years. Everyone's talking about weight loss injections because the results can be so dramatic. They work by lowering blood sugar and reducing appetite. But what if you're looking to lose weight but are not interested in painful weekly injections? Especially when you hear about some of those. That's why doctors created a weight loss supplement called Lean. And the results could be remarkable. Lean says the studied ingredients in their product have been shown to lower your blood sugar, burn fat by converting it into energy, and to curb your appetite and cravings so you are not as hungry. But listen, Lean is not for the casual dieter with only a few pounds to lose. The doctors at Brickhouse Nutrition created Lean for frustrated dieters with 10 or more pounds to lose. You could get started with 20% off and free rush shipping. Adding Lean to your healthy diet and exercise plan. Visit TakeLean.com and enter MK for your discount. That's promo code MK at TakeLean.com. The parents of five-year-old Sailor Hayes now under arrest following her disappearance and death in South Carolina, with investigators accusing them of failing to protect their severely nonverbal autistic daughter, then allegedly sending her to the hospital. Parts of the massive search in the wrong direction. 70-year-old John Herb Hayes III and 31-year-old Jordan Nicole Hayes arrested Tuesday evening in Carter County, Tennessee, each now facing a South Carolina charge of unlawfully placing a child at risk or willfully abandoning a child. The arrest warrants alleging the parents left Sailor unsupervised roughly 50 feet from the water, despite her history of wandering, and what investigators describe as her known attraction to water. Agents with the State Department of Natural resources, recovering sailors' bodies at about 9.45 Monday morning, finding her in the water near the place she was last seen. The coroner reporting no visible signs of trauma. Saylor's cause and manner of death remaining undetermined, with an autopsy scheduled for tomorrow. Saylor reportedly missing beginning on Sunday morning, allegedly wandering away from the family's vacation rental on Pauley's Island. Her father, John, sounding increasingly frantic in a 911 call. I need help. I'm at 76 Walkamall Drive. She's took off. I need help finding her, please. 76 Walkamall Drive, as soon as possible. I don't see her anywhere. She's autistic. She's very autistic. She's bad. She's real bad. That call setting off an enormous search lasting through the day and overnight. Sheriff's deputies, firefighters, and K-9 teams combing the neighborhood while boats and divers searching the surrounding shoreline and docks. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division sending a helicopter and an underwater drone. The Coast Guard deploying a vessel, while a Charleston County Sheriff's Office helicopter joining the search with special tracking equipment. Hundreds of local residents also searching properties and guarding docks. A major part of that operation relying on Project Lifesaver, a program providing wearable radio transmitters for people with cognitive conditions who may be prone to wandering. Sailor enrolled in the program in June of 2024, wearing a transmitter secured around her ankle. South Carolina searchers trying repeatedly to detect sailors' assigned frequency from the ground and the air without getting a signal. Authorities then contacting the Washington County Sheriff's Office back in Virginia, asking deputies to check the family's home. Those deputies detecting sailors' frequency there, following it to a vehicle on the property and finding the transmitter inside. The tracking device never making the trip to South Carolina. Washington County Sheriff Blake Andis saying the band had been working on Sailor's ankle as recently as August 11th, with investigators determining it was removed before the family left Virginia. The band designed for continuous wear with a one-way closure, meaning it cannot simply be unclasped or taken off by the child. Authorities saying it must be physically cut to remove it. Officials not yet saying who cut off the bracelet or exactly when. Investigators alleging the parents knew Sailor was not wearing her tracking device, and that she was not wearing her tracking device. Yet encouraged searchers to keep trying to locate its signal. The warrants further accusing them of directing search efforts away from the nearby water. Both parents arrested Tuesday in Tennessee, and booked on one count each of being a fugitive from justice for a crime in another state. They are being held without bond. An extradition hearing set for later this morning. Tiger Woods striking a plea deal in his Florida DUI case, avoiding jail but losing his driver's license for five years. The family said, a 50-year-old golfer appearing yesterday in Martin County Circuit Court in Florida, accompanied by his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump. Woods saying little during the hearing, speaking only to confirm that he had read and understood the agreement. Woods pleading no contest to a reduced charge of reckless driving, along with refusing to submit to a lawful test. A no-contest plea not formally admitting guilt, while allowing the court to treat the case as a conviction. The court also finding Woods guilty of careless driving, a separate traffic violation. The agreement was not accepted, requiring Woods to pay roughly $1,500 in fines, with two five-year license suspensions running at the same time, according to Fox 29. Judge Darren Steele issuing Woods a warning during yesterday's proceedings. The original DUI case ultimately turning on whether prosecutors could prove Woods was impaired by medication. The March for Justice case, the March 27th crash occurred when Woods' SUV allegedly struck a trailer and rolled onto its side. Neither driver suffering injuries, according to the Associated Press. Authorities finding no alcohol in Woods' breath sample. A deputy allegedly discovering two hydrocodone pills in his pocket. Woods declining additional testing that could have shown whether drugs were in his system. Investigators still documenting what they considered possible signs of impairment. Martin County Sheriff's Deputy Tatiana Levinar writing that Woods was, sweating profusely, describing his movements as, quote, lethargic and slow. Woods reportedly offering distraction as the explanation for the crash, telling investigators his attention had shifted to his phone and the radio as the truck ahead of him slowed. The deal prompting some criticism that Woods may have received favorable treatment because of his fame. Martin County State Attorney Thomas Bacadal addressing that criticism yesterday during a press conference. As it relates to our ability to prove, A, that he was under the influence of hydrocodone, and, B, that he was impaired. Both toxicologists reviewing the information and evidence provided to them were of the opinion that there was insufficient proof. The defense expert indicated, as a conclusion of his report, indicated that Mr. Woods, as a result of his use of this particular type of substance, had built up what they called a pharmacological tolerance. So, what the doctors indicated as a result of Mr. Woods' long-term use, he had built up a tolerance. If he has a tolerance, then guess what? It doesn't impair him. So, and if he's not impaired, guess what? I can't prove DUI. And if I can't prove DUI, guess what? I'd better come up with another plan. This is how cases progress. After his arrest, Woods announcing that he would step away from the case, for a, quote, Woods later spending several weeks at an inpatient treatment facility in Switzerland, according to ESPN. This marking Woods' second DUI-related case in Florida, after police found him asleep behind the wheel in 2017, following what he described as a bad mix of pain medications. Woods later pleading guilty to reckless driving and seeking treatment for prescription drug use. In 2021, Woods suffering serious leg injuries when his SUV rolled several times in a separate crash, outside Los Angeles. That'll do it for your AM update. I'm Emily Drushinsky, host of After Party. Go and check out more at AfterPartyEmily.com. Catch The Megyn Kelly Show later today, live on SiriusXM's The Megyn Kelly Channel, 111 at Noon East, on YouTube.com slash Megyn Kelly, and all podcast platforms.

Podcast Summary

Key Points:

  1. The jury in Lindsay Clancy’s trial remains deadlocked after nearly 30 hours of deliberation, prompting Judge William Sullivan to issue a "dynamite charge" — a final instruction designed to break the stalemate and force a unanimous verdict.
  2. A 56-year-old woman, Dawn Light, is charged with jury intimidation after allegedly filming jurors as they left the courthouse; her attorney claims it was a misunderstanding, and the judge found the jury impartial, allowing deliberations to continue.
  3. In a Penn State fraternity cocaine case, Agostino Abatiello is granted bail of $250,000 after testimony from former students confirming his role as a key supplier, while Paul Robinson, a non-student father, faces charges for allegedly hiding drugs in a safe, with the judge finding sufficient evidence to proceed.

Summary:

The AM Update covers a series of high-profile legal and public safety developments. In a major trial, the jury tasked with deciding Lindsay Clancy’s fate remains deadlocked twice, prompting a final judicial instruction known as the "dynamite charge" to force a verdict. The judge confirms the jury’s impartiality after an incident involving a woman allegedly filming jurors, and continues to allow deliberations.

In a separate case tied to Penn State fraternities, Agostino Abatiello, accused of running a cocaine ring, is granted bail with strict conditions after testimony from former students detailing drug trafficking. Paul Robinson, a non-student father, faces felony charges for allegedly hiding narcotics in a safe, with the judge ruling there is enough evidence to proceed. The update also highlights the tragic death of five-year-old Sailor Hayes, whose parents are now arrested after investigators allege they failed to protect her and directed search efforts away from the water where she was found.

Her body was recovered with no signs of trauma, and her parents are charged with child endangerment and abandonment. Additionally, Tiger Woods avoids jail in a DUI case by pleading no contest to reckless driving, losing his license for five years despite lack of alcohol in his system; prosecutors argue he had developed tolerance to pain medication, making impairment unprovable. The segment also promotes two products—Cozy Earth bamboo pajamas and Lean weight loss supplements—with discount codes.

Each case underscores legal, ethical, and public safety concerns.

FAQs

The jury remains deadlocked after nearly 30 hours of deliberation, prompting the judge to issue a final instruction known as the 'dynamite charge' to push the panel toward a verdict.

Former fraternity members testified about a cocaine distribution network, with Agostino Abatiello and Thomas Robinson named as key suppliers. Abatiello was granted bail with conditions, including passport surrender and no contact with witnesses.

Yes, the parents are under arrest and facing charges of unlawfully placing a child at risk and willfully abandoning a child, accused of removing her tracking device and directing search efforts away from the water where she was found.

He entered a plea deal resulting in a no-contest to reckless driving and a guilty finding on careless driving, avoiding jail but losing his driver's license for five years.

A final instruction given to a jury that remains deadlocked, designed to pressure jurors to reconsider their positions and reach a unanimous verdict, though it does not guarantee a verdict.

The device was found inside a vehicle at the family's home in Virginia, where it had been removed prior to their move to South Carolina, indicating the parents may have removed it deliberately.

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