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Obituaries
Maryland Teen Athlete, Junior Firefighter Liam Madison, 16, Remembered For Kindness, Smile Maryland Teen Athlete, Junior Firefighter Liam Madison, 16, Remembered For Kindness, Smile
Maryland Teen Athlete, Junior Firefighter Liam Madison, 16, Remembered For Kindness, Smile A tight-knit Maryland community is grieving the loss of a teenager whose energy, kindness, and larger-than-life smile left a lasting mark on teammates, firefighters, classmates, and friends across the Eastern Shore. Liam James Madison, a 16-year-old student-athlete from Centreville, died on Thursday, Feb. 27, leaving behind a family, school, and hockey community struggling to come to terms with the loss of a young man who seemed to be everywhere at once. Born at Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, Madison moved to Centreville with his family in 2009 and quickly grew into a familiar fa…

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by Zak Failla
Obituaries
Tragedy In Maryland: Young Mom Dies From Aneurysm, Husband Now Sole Parent To Two Boys Tragedy In Maryland: Young Mom Dies From Aneurysm, Husband Now Sole Parent To Two Boys
Tragedy In Maryland: Young Mom Dies From Aneurysm, Husband Now Sole Parent To Two Boys A Maryland father is now raising his two young sons alone after his wife died in her sleep from an aneurysm. Tragedy struck for Jay Duong in Silver Spring, when his 39-year-old wife unexpectedly passed away, leaving him alone to care for their children and her mother. “Recently, Jay’s beloved wife passed away unexpectedly from an aneurysm in her sleep, leaving him, their two sons, and her mother heartbroken and struggling to adjust to this sudden loss,” Mytu and Tony Nguyen, who have been friends with the family for decades, said. "He is someone who has always been there for his friends an…

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by Zak Failla
Obituaries
'Her Struggles Didn't Define Her:' Mom Stabbed Dead At VA Bus Stop Mourned 'Her Struggles Didn't Define Her:' Mom Stabbed Dead At VA Bus Stop Mourned
'Her Struggles Didn't Define Her:' Mom Stabbed Dead At VA Bus Stop Mourned Shock and sadness spread in the wake of the death of 41-year-old Stephanie Minter, a Fredericksburg mother stabbed dead at a bus stop in Fairfax County last week. Born on Oct. 22, 1984, in Fredericksburg to Louis Ashton Minter and Cheryl (Sealy) Minter, “Stephanie's passing is a lost felt throughout an entire family and a whole host of friends,” her obituary reads. “Stephanie can best be described as a happy, jolly individual, filled with love and adoration for her loved ones. A beam of light in dark places.” She is survived by her grandmother, Mary Louise Smith; her mother, Cheryl Sea…

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by Cecilia Levine
Obituaries
Neil Sedaka Dies After Sudden Medical Emergency: Celebrated Singer-Songwriter Neil Sedaka Dies After Sudden Medical Emergency: Celebrated Singer-Songwriter
Neil Sedaka Dies After Sudden Medical Emergency: Celebrated Singer-Songwriter Neil Sedaka, the legendary singer-songwriter behind timeless hits like "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" and "Calendar Girl," has died.  According to Variety, the 86-year-old Sedaka's death on Friday, Feb. 27, came after a sudden medical emergency  “Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Neil Sedaka,” his family said in a statement according to Variety. “A true rock and roll legend, an inspiration to millions, but most importantly, at least to those of us who were lucky enough to know him, an incredible human being who will be deep…

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by Joe Lombardi
Obituaries
Teen Gearing Up For High School Graduation Killed In Crossfire Of Illegal Gun Deal In Virginia Teen Gearing Up For High School Graduation Killed In Crossfire Of Illegal Gun Deal In Virginia
Teen Gearing Up For High School Graduation Killed In Crossfire Of Illegal Gun Deal In Virginia Andrew Wayne "A.J." Mitts, Jr. was weeks from graduating when he was killed in the crossfire of an illegal handgun deal in Virginia.  Now, the 18-year-old high school senior's family's lives have been changed forever. Mitts was taking out the trash in Staunton when he was struck five times during a suspected robbery that landed two people in jail. The Buffalo Gap High School senior was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders. Two people later surrendered to investigators in connection with the deadly shooting that also left another teen with critical injuries. Both me…

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by Zak Failla
Obituaries
Virginia Family Grieves Loss Of Mom-To-Be, Unborn Son Killed In Head-On Crash Virginia Family Grieves Loss Of Mom-To-Be, Unborn Son Killed In Head-On Crash
Virginia Family Grieves Loss Of Mom-To-Be, Unborn Son Killed In Head-On Crash A Virginia family is grieving not one life — but two. Marissa Marie Gonzalez, 21, of Hampton, was killed in a head-on crash on US-460 in Southampton County near the Sussex County line.  She was five months pregnant with a baby boy. Sheriff’s deputies and Virginia State Police responded to the crash at 4:40 p.m. on the highway near Drews Avenue, where two sedans collided head-on, according to the Southampton County Sheriff’s Office.  Three people were involved.  Two were airlifted to the hospital, and another was transported by ambulance. Gonzalez, who was a passenger in on…

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by Zak Failla
Obituaries
Maryland Sheriff’s Office Mourns Death Of Longtime Corrections Corporal Ralph Butler Maryland Sheriff’s Office Mourns Death Of Longtime Corrections Corporal Ralph Butler
Maryland Sheriff’s Office Mourns Death Of Longtime Corrections Corporal Ralph Butler The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the loss of one of its own. Ralph Jerome Butler, a Civilian Security Specialist and retired Corrections Corporal, died at his home in St. Mary’s County early Tuesday morning, Feb. 24, officials confirmed. The sheriff’s office announced Butler’s passing, calling him a treasured member of the department known for his steady presence and professionalism. Butler served as a Correctional Officer at the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center for more than 23 years before retiring in March 2022 as a Corporal. He returned just mont…

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by Zak Failla
Obituaries
Maryland Mother Killed By Fallen Tree During Winter Storm, Partner In Critical Condition Maryland Mother Killed By Fallen Tree During Winter Storm, Partner In Critical Condition
Maryland Mother Killed By Fallen Tree During Winter Storm, Partner In Critical Condition Virginia Marie Queensberry was more than a name in a crash report. She was “Ginny” to the people who loved her — a mother, a partner, a friend whose laughter and warmth filled rooms long before Sunday’s tragedy on Route 2. Shortly before 4:45 p.m. on Feb. 22, deputies from the Calvert County Sheriff's Office were called to North Solomons Island Road near Aspen Wood Drive in Sunderland after a tree fell into the roadway and struck a northbound vehicle. Inside the vehicle were three Southern Maryland residents. Queensberry, 43, of Chesapeake Beach, was seated in the front passenger sea…

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by Zak Failla
Obituaries
Unimaginable Pain: Maryland Man Killed By Roommate Remembered As ‘Loving Son, Brother, Friend' Unimaginable Pain: Maryland Man Killed By Roommate Remembered As ‘Loving Son, Brother, Friend'
Unimaginable Pain: Maryland Man Killed By Roommate Remembered As ‘Loving Son, Brother, Friend' A 25-year-old Maryland man was stabbed to death by his roommate during a dispute over money — now his family is left grieving what they call a “sudden and senseless act of violence.” On Sunday, Feb. 22, Jaelon Minor was found by members of the Howard County Police Department suffering from fatal stab wounds in his Columbia home following a domestic incident involving 26-year-old Donovan Townsend.  Officers were called around 1:40 a.m. on Sunday to the 7600 block of Woodpark Lane, where they found Minor critically injured. First responders rendered first aid, but he was pronounced dead …

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by Zak Failla
Obituaries
'Devoted' Father, Grandfather Killed In Crash Remembered As Family Man 'Devoted' Father, Grandfather Killed In Crash Remembered As Family Man
'Devoted' Father, Grandfather Killed In Crash Remembered As Family Man Julio Carlos Cruz Merino was more than the tragic crash that ended his life. He was a father. A grandfather. A husband. A steady presence in the lives of those who loved him. The 70-year-old Woodbridge resident died after being struck by a vehicle on Tuesday evening, Feb. 17, near Richmond Highway and Opitz Boulevard during the height of rush hour. But in the days since his passing, family and friends have focused on remembering the man they call kind, generous, and deeply devoted to those around him. “With deep sorrow, we share the unexpected passing of Julio Carlos Cruz Merino, age 7…

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by Zak Failla
Obituaries
Maryland Mother Of Five Killed By Estranged Husband Remembered For Love, Strength, Laughter Maryland Mother Of Five Killed By Estranged Husband Remembered For Love, Strength, Laughter
Maryland Mother Of Five Killed By Estranged Husband Remembered For Love, Strength, Laughter Amethyst Stephenson was more than the headline that followed her name. She was a mother of five in a blended family. A colleague who showed up every day with energy and humor. A woman who recently went back to school full-time to keep building a future she believed in. On Sunday morning, Feb. 8, 2026, her life ended inside her Maryland home. She was 47. Police were called shortly before 8:15 a.m. to the 3400 block of Huntsman Run in Ellicott City for a reported stabbing involving her estranged husband, who had recently been released from custody.  She was pronounced dead at the scen…

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by Zak Failla
Obituaries
'Devoted' Maryland Dad Of Four Dies After DC Parkway Crash Sends Car Into Oncoming Traffic 'Devoted' Maryland Dad Of Four Dies After DC Parkway Crash Sends Car Into Oncoming Traffic
'Devoted' Maryland Dad Of Four Dies After DC Parkway Crash Sends Car Into Oncoming Traffic Darwin Marquette Thomas left home on a Friday afternoon and never came back. The 53-year-old Waldorf father of four was killed in a violent crash shortly before 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 6, on Suitland Parkway in Southeast DC, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. Thomas was a passenger in a 2006 Acura TL involved in a two-vehicle collision in the eastbound lanes of Suitland Parkway east of Stanton Road. According to detectives with the department's Major Crash Investigations Unit, the Acura was traveling westbound when it mounted the center median and struck a traffic pole.  …

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by Zak Failla