Father, Son Lead Police On Crime Spree: A traffic stop in West Virginia resulted in a shootout with police and two suspects in custody charged with murder after officers found the bodies of two in the bed of their truck.  Jonathan Mattise and Mitch Weiss of the Associated Press report that a father and son duo from Texas allegedly shot and killed an elderly couple in North Carolina before setting their home on fire and stealing their vehicle.  When police pulled the men over for a traffic stop in West Virginia, they began shooting at officers.  Police are still uncertain about the motive for the killings, but believe the pair would have continued on with their crime spree if they hadn't been caught.

Murder Rate Drops In Several US Cities: Major cities across the U.S. experienced lower murder and violent crime rates in 2014, and while no one is certain on the exact cause, law enforcement officers are celebrating the trend.   Reid Wilson of the Washington Post reports that violent crime rates have been declining since 2006, something experts credit to longer prison sentences and improved community policing strategies.  Not every major city was able to celebrate a decrease in violent crime. Los Angeles, Indianapolis, and Miami all saw rates increase. 

Jury Recommends Death For Killer: A California jury has recommended that the man convicted of murdering a mother and her three daughters in 2008 should be put to death for his crimes.  The Associated Press reports that 24-year-old Corey King stabbed the woman and her daughters dozens of times before setting their home on fire.  Prosecutors never determined the motive, but believe the young girls were killed because they witnessed the killing of their mother.  King is scheduled to be formally sentenced on February 20.