Erin Maxwell's stepbrother is sentenced to 25 years to life

9wsyr.com is reporting that Erin Maxwell’s stepbrother has been sentenced by an Oswego County judge for murdering her in August of 2008.

Alan Jones was convicted for the murder of Maxwell last September but his sentencing had been delayed when a juror said he believed the conviction was an error.

Jones’s defense had claimed that Maxwell had hanged herself while playing a game. Jones was found guilty of strangulating her.

My Take: This is a known case in the Syracuse area and people are interested in knowing the outcome. It is an emotional story that touches many because an innocent child was murdered.

N.C. girl found dead

MSNBC.com is reporting that North Carolina authorities found the body of a 5-year-old that was reported missing a week ago.

Police say they found Shaniya Davis’s body on Monday off a road in the central part of the state.

Davis’s mother is charged with human trafficking and felony child abuse and police say she offered the child for prostitution.

My Take: This story pulls a chord because there are accusations that suggest this little girl might have been used for prostitution by her own mother. Readers are looking for updates on this case.

Alleged farm cruelty at pig farm

FoxNews.com released a video provided by the animals rights group Mercy for Animals (MFA) that shows supposed abuses at one of United States’s largest pig farms.

The video shows employees of Country View Family Farms in Pennsylvania tossing baby pigs and euthanizing them in carbon dioxide.

MFA hopes this investigation will help create laws that will ensure better treatment for animals before they are slaughtered.

MFA director says that what is shown in the video is behavior accepted by the pork industry but that it is the society’s responsibility to ensure that animals don’t endure unnecessary abuses.

My Take: I chose this story as my pick because the video captures the attention of the viewers and it is interesting to know what is going inside these farms.