Crime & JusticeBreakingUpdated 3 hr ago

Illinois woman charged with murder after crash into semi-truck killed passenger

Coverage spectrum

Covered by 3 outlets, all right-leaning.

4 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

New York Post, Breitbart News and TheBlaze report that Jamie Rhode, 47, of Griggsville, Illinois, was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder. According to the Pike County Sheriff’s Office, Rhode drove her car head-on into a semi-truck on US Route 54 near Atlas on July 24 with her mother and teenage son inside. Her mother, Cherie Wells, 73, died of her injuries, and her son survived. The sheriff’s office said Rhode intended to kill everyone in the vehicle. Sheriff David Greenwood told People that she was afraid of dying alone, the outlets say. The reports say her motive was not immediately clear.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

New to Mantle? It shows who is covering each story across the political spectrum, and highlights loaded words. How to read a storyHide the guide

The coverage spectrum counts the outlets covering a story at each of five points. A short or missing segment means that part of the spectrum is mostly quiet.

Governor Loaded verb“slams”It adds drama to what was said. The governor criticized the lawmakers; “slams” makes it sound like a fight.More neutral: criticizes lawmakers over budget delay

Highlights mark words that carry a judgement. Tap one to see why, and what a neutral writer would say. Here it is “criticizes”.

The 5-point spectrum

Far Left
Voices that strongly advocate for progressive policies and systemic change.
Left
Mainstream liberal perspectives focusing on social equality and regulation.
Center
Sources that prioritize neutral reporting and balanced viewpoints.
Right
Mainstream conservative perspectives focusing on market freedom and tradition.
Far Right
Voices that strongly advocate for conservative values and limited government.

How we measure bias

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

Jamie Rhode, 47, of Griggsville, Illinois, was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder, according to the Pike County Sheriff’s Office.
One side only: the rightReported byRight1Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
Right
New York Post
Far Right
Breitbart News, TheBlaze
Rhode’s car struck a semi-truck head-on on US Route 54 near Atlas on July 24.
One side only: the rightReported byRight1Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
Right
New York Post
Far Right
Breitbart News, TheBlaze
Rhode’s mother, Cherie Wells, 73, died of her injuries from the crash.
One side only: the rightReported byRight1Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
Right
New York Post
Far Right
Breitbart News, TheBlaze
Rhode’s teenage son was injured but survived.
One side only: the rightReported byRight1Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
Right
New York Post
Far Right
Breitbart News, TheBlaze
Authorities said Rhode intended to kill all occupants of the vehicle.
One side only: the rightReported byRight1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
Right
New York Post
Far Right
TheBlaze
Sheriff David Greenwood said, “Her plan was to kill all three of them.”
One side only: the rightReported byRight1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
Right
New York Post
Far Right
TheBlaze

How each side tells it

Compare views

The right-side outlets tell it as a deliberate murder-suicide plot, leading with the sheriff’s line that the driver was afraid of dying alone and with the death of her mother.

the left
No coverage yet
No left-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.
the center
No coverage yet
No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.
the right
3 outlets
Headlines lead with the alleged plot to kill occupants; the far-right outlets add the suicide motive and the sheriff’s line about dying alone.
Illinois woman intentionally drove car head-on into tractor-trailer with mom and son in plot to kill ‘all occupants’: cops
New York PostRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

Left
Has not covered this story.
Center
Has not covered this story.
Right4
derangedsmashedderangedFailed Suicidal Car Crash

In the outlets’ own words

Loaded modifier
derangedMore neutral: Illinois driver
The word labels the driver as mentally unhinged before the facts are established in court.
A deranged Illinois driver deliberately smashed her car head-on into a semi-truck, killing one…
Used byNew York Post (Right)
Loaded verb
smashedMore neutral: drove
The verb adds force and drama beyond the reported fact that the car struck the truck head-on.
A deranged Illinois driver deliberately smashed her car head-on into a semi-truck, killing one of her two passengers in a planned…
Used byNew York Post (Right)
Sensational language
derangedMore neutral: (omit) and quote the statement
Diagnoses the speaker instead of quoting them.
A deranged Illinois driver deliberately smashed her car head-on into a semi-truck, killing one…
Used byNew York Post (Right)
Loaded modifier
Failed Suicidal Car CrashMore neutral: Car Crash Allegedly Meant as Suicide
Calling the crash failed and suicidal presents an alleged motive as settled and judges the outcome.
Sheriff: Woman Faces Murder Charges After Failed Suicidal Car Crash with Mother and Son as Passengers Because 'She Was Afraid of Dying Alone'
Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

0 outlets

No left-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the center

0 outlets

No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the right

3 outlets

Leads with

alleged plot to kill all occupants
suicide motive and fear of dying alone
death of the driver’s mother

See the 3 headlines from the rightHide the headlines

TheBlazeFar Right
Woman 'afraid of dying alone' drove head-on into semitruck with 2 passengers, police say
A 47-year-old woman was arrested on murder and attempted murder charges after she intentionally caused a car accident, police say. On Tuesday, the Pike County Sheriff's Office said in a statement on Facebook that officers responded to a vehicle collision on U.S. …
3 hr agoRead at TheBlaze (opens in a new tab)
Breitbart NewsFar Right
Sheriff: Woman Faces Murder Charges After Loaded modifier“Failed Suicidal Car Crash”Calling the crash failed and suicidal presents an alleged motive as settled and judges the outcome.More neutral: Car Crash Allegedly Meant as SuicideDisagree with this highlight? with Mother and Son as Passengers Because 'She Was Afraid of Dying Alone'
A woman who reportedly was “afraid of dying alone” drove head-on into a semitruck with her mother and son in the car and now faces murder charges.
20 hr agoRead at Breitbart News (opens in a new tab)
New York PostRight
Illinois woman intentionally drove car head-on into tractor-trailer with mom and son in plot to kill ‘all occupants’: cops
“Her plan was to kill all three of them,” Pike County Sheriff David Greenwood said. “Her plan was to kill herself, and she was afraid of dying alone.”
1 day agoRead at New York Post (opens in a new tab)
1 more from New York Post
- Driver crashed head-on into truck in planned murder-suicide that killed one of her passengers: cops

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

Left
No report yet
From the outlets Mantle follows
Center
No report yet
From the outlets Mantle follows
Right
First to report
New York Post, Oct 21, 1:08 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order

New York PostRightOct 21, 1:08 PM EDT
Breitbart NewsFar RightOct 23, 12:30 PM EDT
TheBlazeFar RightOct 24, 5:30 AM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

Illinois woman charged with murder after crash into semi-truck killed passenger

Coverage spectrum

Key points

Compare views

the left

the center

the right

Language to notice

In the outlets’ own words

Side by side

From the left

From the center

From the right

Woman 'afraid of dying alone' drove head-on into semitruck with 2 passengers, police say

Illinois woman intentionally drove car head-on into tractor-trailer with mom and son in plot to kill ‘all occupants’: cops

How the coverage built up

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