Thousands of innocent motorists have been clocked for speeding due to a fault with EVERY speed camera on smart motorways across the UK, the Mail can reveal.

In a scandal which could cost the Government millions in compensation, a glitch has existed within the variable speed camera system on all smart motorways and some A-roads for four years.

Police have secretly switched off the cameras across the UK as the speeding data can no longer be relied on.

More than 36,000 speeding cases have been axed so far, with court cases and speed awareness courses cancelled by 22 police forces.

Over the weekend, ministers and police chiefs agreed a temporary fix which will enable forces to switch the variable speed cameras back on in the coming days.

The malfunction only emerged after motorists were able to show the courts dashcam footage proving their vehicle was travelling below the speed limit when they were caught.

An investigation revealed a critical time delay between a new speed limit being displayed on an electronic speed camera sign and the motorway cameras reacting to the change.

As a result of the delay, the mandatory speed limit signs and cameras are out of sync for 10 seconds.

The Mail can reveal a glitch has existed within the camera system on all smart motorways meaning speed limit signs and cameras are out of sync

This means a motorist may see a 50mph speed limit displayed on an overhead gantry, but the cameras recording the vehicle are still operating under a previous 40mph speed limit.

The ‘anomaly’ has resulted in over 2,600 innocent drivers being detected as speeding when they were travelling below the legal limit.

Astonishingly, the camera fault has been catching out motorists since January 2021 when a National Highways software update introduced a time lag in the interaction between the sign and the camera.

But no one managed to prove that there was an issue with the cameras until a series of similar court cases in the summer started to raise concerns within National Highways and the Department of Transport.

Analysis by the National Highways suggests that around 2,656 motorists have been wrongly clocked as speeding in 22 police force areas as a result of the error.

In total 154 cameras are affected, which comprises all of the smart motorway cameras and a small number of variable speed cameras on A-roads around the country such as the A14 Huntingdon to Cambridge.

That represents 38 per cent of the speed cameras in Britain on the country’s motorways and major A-roads.

National Highways calculate that the fault impacts around 10 per cent of 4,500 miles of motorways and major A-roads that make up the Strategic Road Network, which accounts for around 2 per cent of the total road network in England.

Around 38 per cent of the speed cameras on motorways and major A-roads in Britain are thought to be affected by the glitch

On average, the impacted roads have 1.5 million camera activations – or flashes – a year, with the issue affected fewer than 0.1 per cent of activations during the time period, according to officials.

A compensation scheme is now being set up for those drivers who have been wrongly fined anything between £100-£2,500, made to go on unnecessary speed awareness courses or banned from driving.

In some instances, drivers who rightly challenged the fixed penalty notice believing they were not speeding may have received a criminal conviction at court which could have affected their employment.

The error has been found to occur on smart motorway variable speed cameras known as HADECS 3, which are mounted on poles at the side monitoring up to five lanes of a motorway.

The camera units are supposed to automatically adjust to changes in the speed limit displayed on variable speed limit gantry signs in red circles.

Under the law, motorists are supposed to have a 10 second grace period to allow them to slow down when the speed limit changes.

But an investigation revealed that motorists were being given no grace period after a speed limit change and drivers were being clocked because the update had not been recognised by the camera.

On Friday night, ministers held urgent talks to try to find a long-term fix for the problem after secretly switching off the cameras nationwide.

More than 2,600 innocent drivers have been detected as speeding when they were travelling below the legal limit

 In the meantime, National Highways are working with police on a ‘data check’ which will identify an estimated two cases a day affected by the glitch once the cameras are switched back on.

What can YOU do next?

If you have an ‘active’ prosecution for a variable speed limit offence from the HADECS camera system, police will be getting in contact to cancel this.

This will affect motorists waiting to attend court, who may have already elected to go on a speed awareness course or elected to pay a fine and accept penalty points after being caught on a variable speed camera.

Drivers will likely already have been contacted by a police force to advise that this has been cancelled.

If you have not yet been contacted and you are affected, you do not need to do anything, police will send out correspondence in due course.

If you have historically received a variable speed limit offence from the HADECS camera system since January 2021 and you have been wrongfully prosecuted, police will be contacting those affected in due course.

Policing is working with National Highways to identify and contact those affected.

The cameras are still capable of enforcing the national 70mph speed limit on the affected motorways and police are stepping up patrols in the interim.

A spokesman said: ‘National Highways apologises to anyone affected. They will be reimbursed and have points removed from their licence where relevant. Steps will be taken to remedy any incorrect enforcement action, and anybody affected will be contacted directly.

‘National Highways has developed a data check to ensure nobody will now be prosecuted incorrectly, and are liaising with police on its implementation this week.

‘Enforcement remains in place and anybody breaking the law could face prosecution. National Highways will also be increasing other safety measures, and policing will continue to enforce speeding and other offences on our road network.’

There has been a dramatic rise in speeding cases since 2021, which experts have atttributed to the increase in cameras on smart motorways.

Official figures show there has been a 10 per cent increase in people being convicted of speeding offences and the numbers going on speed awareness courses have risen by a third from 1.39million to 1.84 million drivers in 2024.

The number of fixed penalty notices being handed out has also risen.

According to figures from the Home Office, 96 per cent of the 2.71 million drivers caught speeding in England and Wales in 2023 were detected by speed cameras. 

The scandal will yet again raise concerns about the safety of smart motorways, which are stretches of road where variable speed camera technology is used to manage traffic flow and reduce congestion.

The Daily Mail has campaigned for better safety on the controversial roads as studies have shown almost 400 miles of smart motorways in the UK which have no hard shoulder are three times more lethal to break down on than those that retain the safety lane.

National Highways Chief Executive, Nick Harris, said: ‘Safety is our number one priority and we have developed a fix for this technical anomaly to maintain the highest levels of safety on these roads and make sure no one is wrongly prosecuted.

‘All drivers should continue observing the posted speed limits as normal. Anyone who has been impacted will be contacted by the relevant police force.’

A National Police Chiefs Council spokesman said: ‘Policing is working with National Highways to identify and contact a very limited number of motorists who may have incorrectly received a speeding penalty due to an anomaly impacting the way some National Highways cameras interact with their signs and signals on some A-roads and motorways. This issue affects a limited number of motorists.

‘Policing enforces a range of offences, including speeding, on the strategic road network through a number of tactics including mobile camera deployments, roads policing patrols and average speed sites. This remains unchanged.’

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Snow is set to move across Europe towards the UK on Christmas Day, weather maps show, with more freezing conditions on the way – and some areas could be blanketed

20:19, 15 Dec 2025Updated 20:21, 15 Dec 2025

Some parts of the UK could be hit by snow on Christmas Day(Image: WXCharts)

Brits could be in for a freezing Christmas this year, with unsettling conditions set to continue over the next few days.

The latest weather maps from WXCharts, which uses MetDesk data, show snow moving across Europe over the UK from the east on Christmas Day. Based on the latest predictions, some mountainous areas across Scotland, northern England and Wales, could be blanketed on December 25.

The maps show snowfall spreading around the country from the south towards the north throughout the day, arriving in Scotland in the late afternoon. The weather front could bring back memories of the famous Beast From The East in 2018, when an air mass from Siberia caused unusually heavy snowfall and bitterly cold air, with some areas dropping as low as -14C.

READ MORE: UK snow forecast for Christmas as BBC and Met Office reveal latest predictionsWeather maps snow snow moving in across the UK from Europe(Image: WXCharts)

The Met Office hasn’t confirmed yet whether they expect snow on Christmas Day, but their long-range forecast says unsettled conditions are set to continue for a few more days. From Saturday, December 20 to Monday, December 29, rain or showers, accompanied by windy conditions, could hit the UK. The Met Office said that in the run-up to Christmas, there is “a greater chance of high pressure developing in the vicinity of the UK compared to the previous few weeks.”

The forecast reads: “Whilst the chance of impactful rain or strong winds should reduce, there may be an increasing incidence of overnight frost and fog, the latter perhaps taking its time to clear, given the time of year. A gradual reduction in temperatures seems likely, falling closer to average overall. Some cold days are possible, if or where any fog persists.”

Towards the end of December and beginning of January, Brits are likely to experience dry, settled weather, with low temperatures on the cards, forecasters said. The Met Office’s long-range forecast from Tuesday, December 30 to Tuesday, January 13 reads: “High pressure will probably be close by to the UK at the start of this period, which would maintain a fair amount of dry, settled weather.

“With this comes the potential for fog and frost, and lower temperatures overall, though nothing unusually cold is currently signalled. Towards mid-January, perhaps a greater chance of more changeable conditions re-asserting themselves, though this is rather uncertain at present.”

Later in the day, snow could spread towards the north of the country(Image: WXCharts)

It comes after several weather warnings, including an amber rain warning for parts of Wales, were issued across the UK today. Heavy rain is expected in south and south-west Wales, with 50mm to 80mm forecast widely and nearly 100mm in some areas, the Met Office said.

Homes and businesses are likely to be flooded and some communities could be cut off, according to the amber warning that started at 3am and runs until 9pm on Monday. Yellow rain warnings are in place for parts of north-east, north-west and south-west England, the East Midlands, the West Midlands and Wales.

The Environment Agency (EA) has posted seven warnings saying flooding is expected, including for parts of the Lake District. There are also 79 active EA alerts saying flooding is possible.

The Met Office said in its amber warning: “Power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses (is) likely. Fast-flowing or deep floodwater is likely, causing danger to life.” It added: “Given the recent wet weather and saturated ground, the likelihood of impacts is higher.”

A yellow rain warning is active for the East Midlands, the West Midlands, north-east and north-west England and parts of Wales until 11.59pm on Monday. Fast-flowing or deep floodwater is possible in those areas and could cause a danger to life, the Met Office said.

Snowfall could continue in the early hours of December 26(Image: WXCharts)

Forecasters warned that heavy rain could cause travel disruption, cut off communities and bring power cuts. The Met Office posted a yellow rain warning for the South West, including Devon and Plymouth, until 11.59pm on Monday.

Another is in place from 6am on Monday to 3am on Tuesday for north-east England and Yorkshire. A yellow warning is in force until 3pm on Monday for parts of north-west Wales.

The Met Office said in its amber warning: “Keep yourself and others safe; prepare to avoid travelling by road during potentially dangerous road conditions. If you must travel, ensure you watch for possible danger and drive cautiously.”

Stephen Dixon, a spokesman for the forecaster, said the rain will ease for many on Tuesday and bring fairly clear skies, sunshine, and a chill. However, there’s another transition for the UK’s weather on Wednesday, as we return to more widely wet and windy conditions, initially in the west but spreading over much of the country through the day.

“This is likely to once again top up rainfall totals in already sensitive areas in south Wales and the south west of England. Further unsettled weather is likely on Thursday and in the latter part of the week, with low pressure continuing to influence the weather into the weekend.”

UK 5 day weather forecast

This Evening and Tonight:

The rain will continue across parts of England and Wales this evening, edging slowly eastwards overnight, gradually easing as it does so. Dry elsewhere, with clear spells. A patchy frost forming across Scotland and Northern Ireland. Milder in the southeast.

Tuesday:

Patchy rain gradually clearing eastern England through the morning. A dry and bright day for many, with a few blustery showers across northwest Scotland. Feeling colder than of late.

Outlook for Wednesday to Friday:

Turning wet and windy once again through Wednesday, lingering into Thursday. Drier and brighter for Friday, though with a scattering of showers. Near average temperatures, mild in the far south.

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The decision comes amid mounting international pressure over the humanitarian toll of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

Published On 15 Dec 202515 Dec 2025

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The appeals chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has rejected one of Israel’s legal challenges seeking to block an investigation into its actions in the genocidal war against the Palestinian people in Gaza, dealing a blow to Israel’s efforts to derail the case.

In their decision issued on Monday, judges refused to overturn a lower court decision allowing the ICC prosecutor to investigate alleged crimes in Israel’s war on Gaza following the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

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The decision clears the way for the continuation of the court’s Palestine investigation, which led to the issuance of arrest warrants in November last year for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Israel does not recognise the jurisdiction of the Hague-based court and has repeatedly denied committing war crimes in Gaza.

The ICC had also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas leader Ibrahim al-Masri, but later withdrew it after credible reports of his death.

The appeal focused on whether the ICC prosecutor was required to issue a fresh notification to Israel before investigating events that took place after October 7, 2023. Israel argued that the post-October 7 assault on Gaza constituted a new situation, triggered by additional referrals submitted to the court by seven other countries since November 2023, including South Africa, Chile and Mexico.

Judges rejected that argument, ruling that the original notification issued in 2021 – when the ICC formally opened its investigation into alleged crimes in occupied Palestine – already covered later events.

They said no new notification was required, meaning the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant remain valid.

The ruling comes as Israel’s assault on Gaza continues to exact a devastating toll. Since a ceasefire took effect on October 11, 2025, at least 391 Palestinians have been killed and 1,063 wounded, and 632 bodies recovered, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.

Since October 7, 2023, the ministry says, at least 70,663 Palestinians have been killed and 171,139 injured.

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Celebrities and lawmakers from both of the US’s major political parties are condemning Donald Trump after the president blamed the death of Rob Reiner on what he described as the acclaimed Hollywood director’s dislike of him.

After the apparent killings of Reiner, 78, and his 68-year-old wife, Michele, who were found dead at their home Sunday in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles, Trump took to social media to call the director “tortured and struggling”. Trump also claimed Reiner died “due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind-crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME”.

Trump then pivoted to praising his own accomplishments, asserting that Reiner’s alleged “raging obsession” and “obvious paranoia” toward him stood in contrast to his administration. Trump also maintained that he had “surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness … with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before”.

Los Angeles police on Monday confirmed the Reiners’ 32-year-old son, Nick, had been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the deaths of his parents. His bail was set at $4m.

Celebrities and lawmakers, meanwhile, were swift to lambast Trump over what they described as “petty” and “disgusting” comments.

“What a disgusting and vile statement,” actor Patrick Schwarzenegger wrote on X.

Similarly, television host Whoopi Goldberg, who described Reiner as her friend and “quite an amazing man,” condemned Trump.

Referencing Trump’s own attacks on critics of the far-right political activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead in September. That killing prompted reprisals from the White House against those who cited Kirk’s history of hostile rhetoric toward immigrants, women and other marginalized groups. And Goldberg said: “I don’t understand the man in the White House. He spoke at length about Charlie Kirk and about caring, and then this is what he puts out. Have you no shame? No shame at all? Can you get any lower? I don’t think so.”

Meanwhile, California’s Democratic governor Gavin Newsom wrote on X: “This is a sick man.”

Echoing Newsom, US House member Maxwell Alejandro Frost, a Florida Democrat, said: “What a despicable piece of garbage.”

US senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, similarly said of Trump: “He’s just lost it. Now saying Rob and Michele Reiner caused their own murder because they didn’t support him. So sick.”

US House member Zoe Lofgren, another California Democrat, called Trump’s comments “a new low for this petty, hateful man”. Lofgren added: “His party needs to condemn this.”

Similarly, US House member Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, wrote: “This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies.”

Greene also seemingly alluded to Nick Reiner’s past experiences with addiction and homelessness, writing, “Many families deal with a family member with drug addiction and mental health issues. It’s incredibly difficult and should be met with empathy especially when it ends in murder.”

Greene’s fellow Republican US House member Thomas Massie struck a similar chord. The Kentucky representative said: “Regardless of how you felt about Rob Reiner, this is inappropriate and disrespectful discourse about a man who was just brutally murdered.”

Massie also said he challenged anyone in his party – including vice-president JD Vance and White House staff – to defend Trump’s commentary.

Reiner had long been a vocal critic of Trump. In a 2017 interview with Variety, he said Trump was “mentally unfit” to be president. And Reiner warned the Guardian that the US could slide into autocracy if Trump successfully ran for a second presidency in 2024 – which he did.

“We see autocracy making its move around the world,” Reiner said at the time. “If we [the US] crumble, there’s a danger that democracy crumbles around the world.”

Despite his criticisms of Trump and far-right Christian nationalist movements, Reiner expressed “absolute horror” and unequivocally condemned political violence after Kirk was shot.

“It’s beyond belief what happened to him,” Reiner said at the time. “That should never happen to anybody. I don’t care what your political beliefs are. That’s not acceptable. That’s not a solution to solving problems.”

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Eleven minutes of video capture the moment Australia’s Bondi Beach turns into a scene of horror.

BBC Verify has analysed dozens of videos from the attack and its aftermath, matching them up to map out the movements of the two gunmen, a heroic bystander and the victims.

What began as a joyous event for the Jewish community celebrating the beginning of Hanukkah at Sydney’s most iconic beach quickly turned into a horrific attack.

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The Spanish government has imposed a fine of €64 million ($75 million) on short-term rental giant Airbnb due to rentals not having the relevant license, officials said Monday. 

This comes as Madrid tries to act against the country’s housing affordability problem, with the issue worsening in the centers of Spain’s big cities.

The country’s leftist government, and many locals, see short-term rentals and the tech giants behind them as bearing some of the responsibility for the rise in housing prices, resulting in the most recent crackdown against Airbnb.

According to Spain’s consumer rights ministry, the rentals did not include the license numbers required by the many regions in the country or listed numbers that differed from those of the authorities, with some providing incorrect information about hosts.

Locals in Spain have been protesting against over tourism due to its effects on their cities (FILE: April 27, 2025)Image: Nacho Doce/REUTERS

Cities, government fight housing prices

Pablo Bustinduy, Spain’s consumer rights minister, said in a statement that while many families are struggling to make ends meet, “a few enrich themselves with business models that evict people from their homes.”

According to the ministry, the fine equals six times Airbnb’s profit from the illegal listings.

It is the second largest fine the ministry has ever imposed for breaching consumer rights.

Bustinduy’s office already acted against Airbnb in May, as it ordered to remove some 65,000 listings due to rule violations.

Authorities in Barcelona plan to take action against the some 10,000 listings in the Catalan city with a view of phasing them all out by 2028.

Other companies affected

Airbnb said it will take the Spanish government to court over the fine, and that it is working with the authorities to comply with local laws. Seventy thousand rentals had added a license number since January, the company said, adding it is “confident” the move is against regulations in Spain.

Spain is one of the world’s most visited countries for tourists, with the country’s cities struggling to make sure the effects on local residents and their housing costs remain low.

Other companies, such as Booking.com and Ryanair, also faced large fines by the Spanish government in 2024.

Spain: Tourism boom worsens housing crisis

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Edited by: Wesley Dockery

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Ahmed al Ahmed, the Australian immigrant who heroically wrested a gun away from one of the shooters involved in the deadly antisemitic terror attack on Sunday in Australia, said he would do it all over again, his migration lawyer Sam Issa, said, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

“He doesn’t regret what he did. He said he’d do it again. But the pain has started to take a toll on him,” Sam Issa noted Monday night after visiting the wounded man, the outlet reported. “He’s not well at all. He’s riddled with bullets. Our hero is struggling at the moment.”

The wounded Muslim father, 44, has daughters who are five and six-years-old, according to the outlet, which reported that he came to Australia from Syria in 2006 and later received citizenship in 2022.

‘WE WARNED THEM’ JEWISH LEADER SAYS AFTER BONDI BEACH TERROR ATTACK THAT KILLS 15

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns visits Ahmed Al Ahmed, 43, at a hospital in Sydney, Australia, on Dec. 15, 2025. (NSW premier Chris Minns Account / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“Ahmed’s a humble man, he’s not interested in coverage, he just did what he was compelled to do as a human being on that day,” Issa noted, according to the outlet. “He gets that gratitude from being in Australia. This is his way of conveying his gratitude for staying in Australia, for being granted citizenship.

“He has really appreciated this community, and he felt that as a member of the community, he had to act that way and contribute.”

RABBI SLAMS AUSTRALIA OVER BONDI MURDER OF TWO JEWISH LEADERS, ONE WITH ‘DEEP US TIES’

At least 15 people were killed in the shooting.

ISRAELI KNESSET MEMBER SAYS AUSTRALIAN OFFICIALS ‘DID NOTHING’ AMID RISE OF ANTISEMITISM BEFORE SYDNEY ATTACK

Anthony Albanese, Australia’s prime minister, during a news conference in Sydney, Australia, on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025.  (Brent Lewin/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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The attack “was an act of pure evil,” “antisemitism,” and “terrorism” that was “deliberately targeted at the Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said.

Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.

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Two Iowa National Guard members who were killed in an ambush in Syria have been identified.

Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, died in the attack Saturday, which the U.S. military blamed on the Islamic State group.

The Pentagon’s chief spokesman, Sean Parnell, has said a civilian working as a U.S. interpreter also was killed. Three other Guard members were wounded in the attack, the Iowa National Guard said Monday, with two of them in stable condition and the other in good condition.

President Donald Trump promised “serious retaliation” against ISIS after the attack, writing. “This was an ISIS attack against the U.S., and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria, that is not fully controlled by [ISIS].

“The President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is extremely angry and disturbed by this attack. There will be very serious retaliation.”

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This undated photo released by the Iowa National Guard shows Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard (Iowa National Guard)

Trump welcomed al-Sharaa, who led the lightning insurgency that toppled Assad’s rule, to the White House for a historic meeting last month.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has ordered all flags in Iowa to fly at half-staff in the soldiers’ honor, saying, “We are grateful for their service and deeply mourn their loss.”

The ambush was a major test for the rapprochement between the United States and Syria since the ouster of autocratic leader Bashar Assad a year ago, coming as the U.S. military is expanding its cooperation with Syrian security forces. Hundreds of American troops are deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting IS.

The shooting Saturday in the Syrian desert near the historic city of Palmyra also wounded members of the country’s security forces and killed the gunman. The assailant had joined Syria’s internal security forces as a base security guard two months ago and recently was reassigned amid suspicions that he might be affiliated with IS, a Syrian official said.

The man stormed a meeting between U.S. and Syrian security officials who were having lunch together and opened fire after clashing with Syrian guards, Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba said Sunday.

Al-Baba acknowledged that the incident was “a major security breach” but said that in the year since Assad’s fall, “there have been many more successes than failures” by security forces.

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This undated photo released by the Iowa National Guard shows Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar (Iowa National Guard)

The Army said Monday that the incident is under investigation, but military officials have blamed the attack on an IS member.

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NEED TO KNOW

• Hollywood is mourning the loss of both Anthony Geary and Rob Reiner following their deaths on Dec. 14
• Fans of Reiner’s legendary sitcom All in the Family may remember the two once appeared in an episode of the show together
• Geary appeared in a 1971 episode of as Roger, an offbeat friend of Rob Reiner’s Meathead who Archie Bunker initially believes to be gay

As Hollywood mourns the loss of both Anthony Geary and Rob Reiner, fans of Reiner’s legendary sitcom All in the Family may remember the two once appeared in an episode of the show together.

Reiner became famous for his role as Mike — a.k.a. Meathead — on the 1970s classic Norman Lear sitcom, a groundbreaking show that revolved around the working-class Bunker family in Queens, New York. The show centered on bigoted patriarch Archie Bunker, who consistently clashed with his Mike and others over race, social and political issues.

Geary appeared in a 1971 episode of as Roger, an offbeat friend of Rob Reiner’s Meathead who Archie Bunker initially believes to be gay. After Archie becomes irritated at Roger, he soon learns instead that one of his own best friends is gay.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

All In The Family episode: ‘Judging Books by Covers’, featuring (from left) Anthony Geary as Roger, Rob Reiner as Michael Stivic and Carroll O’Connor (seated) as Archie Bunker. Image dated January 12, 1971.

CBS via Getty

Reiner died at the age of 78 on Dec. 14. He and his wife, Michele, were found dead by apparent homicide inside their Brentwood, Calif. home, TMZ first reported. According to multiple sources, the couple were killed by their son Nick, and their bodies were discovered by their daughter Romy.

Around 3:30 p.m., the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call to provide medical aid, the LAFD told PEOPLE. When they arrived, they found a man, 78, and a woman, 68. Both were dead at the scene. Family has since confirmed that the deceased were Rob and Michele.

The son of legendary comedian Carl Reiner, Rob broke into Hollywood on All in the Family. After leaving the series, he became a successful director, with iconic movies including This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally… and A Few Good Men.

“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner,” the Reiner family said in a statement to Variety. “We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”

Geary, meanwhile, was best known for his role as Luke Spencer on General Hospital. He also died on Dec. 14 and at the age of 78.

The actor died following complications from an operation three days prior, TV Insider reported. “It was a shock for me and our families and our friends,” Geary’s husband, Claudio Gama, told the outlet in a statement. “For more than 30 years, Tony has been my friend, my companion, my husband.”

Geary originated the role of Luke Spencer in 1978. Luke was ultimately paired with Genie Francis’s Laura, and together they became daytime’s biggest supercouple. Their 1981 wedding was watched by 30 million people, the most-watched episode in soap opera history. Geary left the series in 2015.

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Brian Walshe has been found guilty of the first-degree murder of his wife, Ana Walshe, who vanished from their Massachusetts home on New Year’s Day 2023.

Walshe, 50, was accused of killing Ana, a 39-year-old successful realtor and mother of his three children, at their home in Cohasset, before dismembering her remains and disposing of them in multiple dumpsters.

At the time, Walshe was facing jail for selling fake Andy Warhol paintings and Ana was allegedly having an affair with another man out of state. 

Walshe was charged with first-degree murder, willfully conveying a human body in violation of state law, and misleading police in the death of his wife. 

Days before the trial began, he pleaded guilty to the two lesser charges but denied murdering Ana.

During closing arguments last week, prosecutors told the jury Walshe killed and dismembered his wife because their marriage was falling apart and he needed the money from her $2.7 million life insurance policy.

His defense, meanwhile, claimed Walshe found Ana dead in bed. They alleged she suffered a sudden and unexplained death, and Walshe disposed of her body in fear of being blamed.

Stone-faced Brian Walshe stood emotionless as he was found guilty of murder in the first degree

Walshe, 50, was accused of killing Ana, a successful realtor and mother of his three children, at their home in Cohasset

The defense rested its case without calling a single witness to the stand. Walshe had planned to testify but backed out at the last minute.

Judge Diane Freniere informed the jury on Friday that they could choose to convict on lesser second-degree murder charges, or the first-degree murder charge prosecutors had argued for, which includes the element of premeditation. 

The state argued that Walshe premeditatedly murdered and dismembered his wife because she was having an affair, and then disposed of her remains in various dumpsters across the Boston area.

Walshe’s internet activity on January 1, 2023, included searches such as: ‘best way to dispose of a body’ and ‘how long for someone to be missing to inherit.’

The jury of six men and six women deliberated for around six hours before returning Monday’s verdict.

In a texted statement, one of Ana’s friends, Natasha Babuskina, voiced her elation at the verdict, saying she was ‘relieved’ Walshe was found guilty in the first-degree.

Walshe stood stone-faced, offering little emotion when his fate was revealed. 

He remained silent as he was handcuffed and led out of the courtroom.

Walshe is now facing a mandatory penalty of life in prison without the possibility of parole, with sentencing set for Wednesday.

He also faces an additional 20 years for lying to police and three additional years for disposing of a body.

Ana was allegedly having an affair with another man out of state – which prosecutors claim was the breaking point for Walshe in their already strained marriage

Ana’s remains have not been found. 

She was killed hours after she and Walshe hosted a New Year’s Eve party for friends at their Cohasset home. 

Walshe carried out a series of disturbing web searches in the hours that followed, which included queries for how long DNA lasts and instructions for how to dismember a body.

He then visited a series of local stores, including Home Depot, Lowe’s, and a Walmart, where he purchased hundreds of dollars’ worth of tools and cleaning supplies that prosecutors said were used to dismantle his wife’s body.

The jury was shown footage of Walshe walking with a bag toward a dumpster outside of a local liquor store. 

A second clip showed Walshe wearing latex gloves as he piled his cart at Lowe’s with a hammer, a utility knife, multiple five-gallon buckets and a mop.

Then, on January 4, 2023 – the day Walshe reported Ana missing – he returned to Lowes and was captured on a self-checkout machine smiling into the camera and fixing his hair. 

That day, he purchased a hacksaw and handheld shears, court testimony revealed. 

Police recovered a hacksaw, a hatchet, bloody towels and rags, gloves, and a protective suit from inside the Walshe family home during the early stages of their investigation into Ana’s disappearance.

Traces of blood and a blood-stained knife were also found in the basement of the property. 

In the hours of Ana’s death, Walshe visited a series of local stores, including Lowe’s, where he purchased hundreds of dollars’ worth of tools and cleaning supplies

Then, on January 4, 2023 – the day Walshe reported Ana missing – he returned to Lowes and was captured on a self-checkout machine smiling into the camera

Ten trash bags filled with bloodied items were later recovered from a dumpster near Walshe’s mother’s home in Swampscott, Massachusetts. 

Data from Walshe’s phone showed he made several stops at other locations to dispose of evidence in dumpsters, but the trash was incinerated before investigators could obtain it.

At the time, Walshe was awaiting sentencing on federal charges over an art fraud scheme after he sold two counterfeit Andy Warhol paintings online for $80,000.

He was ultimately sentenced to 37 months in prison in February 2024 on three federal fraud charges over the scam. He was also ordered to pay $400,000 in restitution. 

Prosecutors claimed that Walshe’s discovery that Ana was having an affair was the final breaking point in their already-strained marriage. 

Walshe would have landed a $2.7 million life insurance windfall in the event of his wife’s death, prosecutors noted. 

His attorneys rejected those allegations, calling him a loving husband and father who didn’t know about the affair and wasn’t the ‘jealous type.’

During the two-week trial, the jury heard from William Fastow, the man with whom Ana was having an affair.

Fastow told the court he met in 2022 when he sold her a townhouse in Washington DC. Ana had to travel to Washington DC regularly for work and ended up splitting her time between the capital and Cohasset.  

He said the relationship quickly intensified as they became close friends and eventually had an ‘intimate relationship.’ 

At the time of Ana’s disappearance, Walshe was awaiting sentencing on federal charges over an art fraud scheme after he sold two counterfeit Andy Warhol paintings for $80k

They would go out to dinner and to bars together, he said, and she would spend time on his sailboat and stay overnight at his home. They also took a Thanksgiving trip to Ireland.

Fastow testified that he never tried to keep their relationship secret. He and Ana also discussed telling Walshe, Fastow said. 

‘Ana felt it was really important that when Brian found out about the relationship, he would hear it from her,’ Fastow said. 

‘She had expressed great concern and I think she felt it would be a strike against her integrity if he found out a different way.’

Fastow last spoke with Ana on New Year’s Eve over text. A message sent the following day went unanswered, and did several calls on January 2.

Then, on January 4, he got a call from Brian Walshe, but let it go to voicemail.

‘I had not heard from her in several days and, frankly, I was concerned maybe he had found out and was calling to confront me,’ Fastow testified.

Surveillance footage played in court showed the suspect filling his cart with cleaning supplies at a Lowe’s that day

Prosecutors have said they found a bloody hacksaw at Walshe’s home. He had earlier been seen buying a hacksaw from Lowe’s 

Walshe later left a second message, saying he ‘hoped all was going well,’ before adding he was reaching out to everyone he could because Ana, ‘hadn’t been in touch for a few days.’ 

Ana was reported missing on Jan. 4 after she failed to turn up for work in DC. Walshe filed the missing persons report at the insistence of Ana’s coworkers.

She and Fastow had plans to reunite later that day. 

Walshe’s defense team asserted that he ‘is not a killer’ but a loving husband who simply panicked when he found his wife dead in their bed.

Fearful of what would happen to their three children with both their parents gone, Walshe staged her death as a disappearance, they claimed.

After four hours of deliberation on Friday and two hours on Monday, the jury found Walshe guilty of murder in the first degree.  

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