Across the southeast

Police say notes could solve childrens' deaths

DE QUEEN, ARK. - A mother accused of smothering her three young children left notes that officials say could help determine what led to the killings, and her priest said Sunday that she had expressed "tremendous remorse."

Paula Eleazar Mendez, 43, was in a county jail Sunday after being treated at a hospital for swallowing a toxic substance. She had collapsed as officers arrived at her home Saturday in response to a call from the children's father in New York.

Inside the home, the officers found the bodies of the children, ages 6 to 8, side by side on a bed, said Chris Brackett, an investigator with the Sevier County Sheriff's Office.

"I do not believe there is any dispute as to who killed these three children, and therefore who will be charged," prosecutor Tom Cooper said. "However, we have not determined at this time the particular homicide charge or punishment we will be seeking."

Texas man makes plea in murder case

LEXINGTON, KY. - A Texas man has entered an Alford plea to accusations that he facilitated the deaths of three men found floating in the Kentucky River.

Friday's plea means Arturo Leal, 48, of Fabens, Texas, maintains his innocence while acknowledging that sufficient evidence exists for a conviction.

The charges stem from the deaths of Juan Manuel Moreno, 29, of Fabens; Cruz Rincon Alarcon, 37, of San Elizario, Texas; and Manuel Armendariz, 49, of El Paso, Texas. The three men were found wrapped in tarps in the Kentucky River in April 2003.