VIP arrested in Ireland on suspicion of murdering American mother

A high-ranking official in Jordan has been detained in connection with the murder of Jamie Carney, an American mother from Westchester, New York. Carney was allegedly beaten and suffocated in Killarney, Ireland. This news was reported by Fox News journalist Lauren Green.

Meanwhile, in a separate case, a cold case that had puzzled investigators for over 30 years recently gained traction due to an anonymous confession. Christopher Popps, a 54-year-old from Michigan, was arrested following a tip-off that linked him to the murder of Patrick Orville Diaz, his former colleague. The investigation revealed that Popps shot Diaz and disposed of his body in a barrel along a secluded highway.

Diaz went missing in November 1993, prompting a report to the Fairbanks Police Department, but years passed with little progress until the recent confession surfaced. On January 22, 2025, Alaska State Troopers received an anonymous tip claiming responsibility for a murder that took place in Fairbanks over three decades ago.

After the Cold Case Unit took responsibility for the investigation, conditions like snowy weather and limited daylight hampered immediate searches. However, when the team was finally able to return in May 2025, they discovered human remains in a barrel at a steep embankment on the Steeds Highway. The remains were later identified as Diaz, and the cause of death was ruled a homicide.

Subsequent investigations traced the confession back to Popps, who reportedly contacted various law enforcement agencies to admit his involvement in Diaz’s death. It’s uncertain why he chose to confess more than thirty years later.

Authorities noted that Popps and Diaz had previously worked together and that a dispute in an auto shop escalated to the fatal shooting. McDaniel, a spokesperson for the troopers, mentioned, “Our investigation indicated there was an altercation that led to the shooting.” Following an indictment by a Fairbanks grand jury on June 25, 2026, a warrant was issued for Popps’ arrest.

He was captured near Kalamazoo on July 16 and remains in custody, pending extradition to Alaska. As of now, Popps does not appear to have legal representation in Alaska, and no upcoming hearings have been scheduled. Efforts to gather more details from Alaska State Police and Michigan State Police are ongoing.