Heather holmes in alameda county. Jury finding 42 year old Joseph Roberts guilty of Second Degree murder. Our Crime Reporter henry lee was in the courtroom as that verdict was read earlier today. And he joins us now live from the newsroom. After talking with the victims family and the district attorney. Henry. Alex and heather, this has been absolutely traumatic for the family because the victim had a tumultuous relationship with the man now convicted of killing her. They say police failed to take action before she died. Today means that i can breathe a little bit easier, but i know its not over. As Jamila Buckner is filled with a mix of emotion. On monday in alameda county, jury convicted Joseph Roberts of Second Degree murder for killing her daughter, Rachel Elizabeth imani buckner. Authorities say roberts killed his 27 year old girlfriend in their pleasanton apartment. Her remains washed up on the alameda shoreline near the Bay Farm Island bridge on july 20th. She was wrapped in tape and her head, hands and feet were missing when todays verdict means for me is that i dont have to look over my shoulder for right now. Ive lived in trauma, in terror. Authorities say roberts never reported buckner missing and instead began talking with three other women. Buckner was two months shy from earning her degree from Golden Gate University law school. There was sufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt based on the dna evidence and other circumstantial evidence, da pamela price, who has made it a priority not to let cases languish, noted that this murder trial moved very quickly through the criminal justice system. We appreciate that the case was speedily disposed of relative to the way the normal course of cases in our system, and we believe that justice has been served. Family and friends say Pleasanton Police missed warning signs about roberts during earlier visits. They should have arrested him on the spot, regardless of what she said. We watched body cam footage of them chatting it up as he was beating her down 17 times. The police came out and did barely anything. This is an injustice that should never have happened. Now, the Defense Attorneys declined to comment today. Roberts is expected to be sentenced on june 14th to 15 years to life in prison for Second Degree murder. The da did ask for a Second Degree murder conviction, and i have reached out to Pleasanton Police for a response to those allegations and have not heard back. Guys all right, henry lee, live in the newsroom. Henry. Thank you. Well, now we go to new york and a significant day in the criminal hush money trial of former president donald trump. The states star witness, former trump attorney Michael Cohen, took the stand today testifying against his one time boss, janet katsuyama was monitoring the courtroom proceedings today and joins us now with more jana. Well, and he had a long day. He was on that witness stand until they finished. The prosecutions star witness answered questions about his actions while he was trumps attorney from 2006 through 2018. In court monday, cohen testified that trump had direct knowledge of the hush money payments and the cover up, saying, quote, what was i was doing was really at the direction of and benefit of mr. Trump. He later went on to testify on the stand that, quote, everything required mr. Trumps sign off. Cohen testified that in the months before the 2016 president ial election, trump directed him to handle secret hush money payments to former playmate Karen Mcdougal and also star Stormy Daniels, who both alleged they had Sexual Affairs with trump, who which he denies. Now, cohen testified about a secret recording where he said trump asked about paying david pecker, the National Enquirer publisher, in cash, to buy and suppress mcdougals story. So im im all over that. And i spoke to alan about it. When it comes time for the financing, which will be what financing well have to pay you. So no no no no no no no, i got cohen sent. Trump was very worried that the stories would sink his campaign. Prosecutors presented jurors with other evidence, including First RepublicBank Documents showing a business account, which cohen testified was created under a false name to provide the hush money payments. Now, a key factor here is whether the jury will see cohen as a reliable witness. He did serve prison time after pleading guilty to charges related to the payments, and interestingly, the defense did not raise many objections to the testimony. Heather and alex. And thats something which some legal experts are curious about because they were rather quiet. He is expected to take the stand again tomorrow to continue testimony. Okay, in jana, this was a significant day, kind of what everyone was sort of waiting for. And it led to the arrival today of some republican elected officials in the courtroom. There were there were at least three republicans who were there, obviously, mr. Trump has been told that he cant say anything, but they were very vocal. And one of them, interestingly, was senator jd vance of ohio. He is been seen as a possible running mate for mr. Trump in this coming november. So well see what happens. But they were very vocal in their support of him okay. Trump allies speaking out on his behalf. All right jana, thank you for that. And as jana just mentioned, Michael Cohen has been convicted for his role in two hush money payments, including the one made to Stormy Daniels back in 2018. Cohen pleaded guilty to a variety of federal crimes, including Campaign Finance violations, and in a separate case, he pleaded guilty to lying to congress. Cohen was sentenced to a total of three years in prison for all of those charges, but he was released on furlough in 2020. Okay, so for more about todays proceedings, were joined live by jessica levinson, law professor at Loyola Marymount university. Thank you so much, professor, for joining us once again. Cohen, as we mentioned, is a man who carries some significant baggage here. Do you think the jurors will buy his story . Well, thats obviously one of the big questions. I think the prosecution, frankly, has done a good job of laying the foundation for cohens testimony in the sense that i think many of the witnesses and much of the documentary evidence really has led up to this moment, so that what cohen is saying should be predictable, should make sense, should feel consistent with the prosecutions overall narrative. I think what the prosecution really wants to do is obviously acknowledge he is, i think, use the word baggage. He is a witness who has a lot of baggage. He is a convicted felon. He has, in fact, been convicted of lying. And so the question here for the prosecution is, can they convince the jury . Yes, he is somebody who has credibility problems, but why would he lie here . And do you really think hes lying when everything youve heard up to this point is really leading to what hes told you . Yeah, theyre trying to have cohen sort of connect all the dots from those previous witnesses. Obviously trumps defense team now gearing up for the crossexamination of cohen. They have already told jurors during Opening Statements hes an admitted liar. He has an ax to grind with the former president. What are your expectations about how this crossexamination of Michael Cohen will unfold . Well, i think just that. So were going to hear about two things. One is his credibility problems over and over and over again. And two, i think more to the point and potentially more harmful is the idea that he really hates trump, that he holds a grudge against trump, and he has been so vocal for so many years in so many different mediums about saying what a grudge that he does hold against the former president. So its not just that hes a liar. Its, i think for the defense they will try and say, and who would he be most likely to lie about, now again, i think that the prosecution can respond to that. But when it comes to the crossexamination, i would expect that it would be somewhat brutal for Michael Cohen and he needs to recognize that the jury will be watching him, will be watching how he behaves, not just what he says, but how he says it in making their determination, which is a very human determination about is this somebody i can trust . And jessica, back to what alex was mentioning about cohen sort of job here, which is to connect all of the dots. Do you think that he was able to make the case today, that the payment to Stormy Daniels was, in fact, all about the campaign . So that certainly what he testified to, what i would say is i dont think that that was his case to make, in the sense that what weve heard from other witnesses from david pecker, what weve heard in terms of the timing of the payments, is that this was about the campaign that it wasnt about trying to make sure that Melania Trump or trumps Business Partners didnt hear the story of Stormy Daniels having an alleged affair with trump, but that it was about the voters right after the access hollywood tape, right before the voting began. Its not just Michael Cohen, although clearly thats one of the key things that he said, but its everybody else also saying there was chaos. This was about election interference. It wasnt about trying to ensure that people in general didnt hear this story. All right. So it sounds as though we are obviously, you know, reaching the final sort of days of this, of this case, the prosecution potentially might wrap things up by the end of this week. What what else do you see unfolding here between now and the end of this trial . And ill sort of pose the question again that weve been sort of wondering all along. Do you see any scenario in which former President Trump actually does take the stand in this trial, as he has suggested hes willing to do . I dont i mean, i could be wrong. This is unpredictable in the sense that we do have a very unique defendant here. But lets remember, the baseline here is that most defendants dont take the witness stand. If a defendant takes the witness stand, it really means, i think, two things. One, that they think theyre going to lose and two, well, i should say most of the time that they think theyre going to lose, but also two, that they think taking the stand could change that. When it comes to the former president. We talked about Michael Cohen having baggage. So does former President Trump. And you can expect that on crossexamination. Cohen theres a lot that would go into trying to undermine his credibility. And there were a lot of painful questions that i think trump would not want to answer. So at this point, im actually not sure that the defense will put on a separate case. And as is absolutely their right, i think what we could see is the prosecution resting and the defense really putting their case on through crossexamination. Because of course, lets all remember prosecution has to get a unanimous verdict, proof beyond a reasonable doubt. All 12 agreeing for the defense, putting doubt in one juror is really a victory. Yeah, a tall order. As we mentioned. Michael cohen set to resume his testimony tomorrow. Jessica levinson, as always, appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. Coming up here on the four this afternoon, a new new state Department Report is accusing israel of International Humanitarian law violations in gaza. The details on the allegations as Israeli Forces push deeper into the city of rafah, a minor cooldown felt across the bay area this afternoon and the clouds already working back into the bay. Ill have a look at the current cond ns and a slow network is no network for business. Thats why more choose comcast business. And now, were introducing ultimate speed for business our fastest plans yet. Were up to 12 times faster than verizon, at t, and tmobile. And existing customers could even get up to triple the speeds. At no additional cost. Its ultimate speed for ultimate business. Dont miss out on our fastest speed plans yet switch to comcast business and get started for 49. 99 a month. Plus, ask how to get up to an 800 prepaid card. Call today the operation is prompting some 360,000 people now to leave that area while adding new challenges to aid workers there. As foxs anna iliopoulos reports here in the u. S, state Department Officials are commenting on a new report which takes a closer look at israels use of u. S. Provided weapons. A state Department Report says israel likely violated International Humanitarian law in their fight against hamas, but wartime conditions prevented u. S. Officials from making that determination for certain and specific airstrikes. There is a moral and strategic imperative to take every possible step to minimize civilian casualties, steps that we know that the idf has, the tools and the capability to undertake, but simultaneously, that this is also a belligerent, that is using civilians as human shields. Secretary of state antony blinken, looking ahead, israel is on the trajectory potentially to inherit an insurgency with many armed hamas left. Meanwhile hamas armed wing releasing a statement saying it has lost contact with militants guarding four israeli hostages in gaza, including 24 year old american israeli hirsh goldberg. Poland even before this news, his mother speaking to fox news. I am a mother who is horribly, miserably worried about her only son, who has been in an active war zone for 219 days, goldberg, poland, was kidnaped at the supernova Music Festival. Mourners gathered at the site of that rave party that was brutally cut short. I hope they will bring the hostages out and they will stop the terrorism just for themselves, two aid workers say they are struggling to distribute dwindling food and other supplies to displaced palestinians in rafah in new york. Anna iliopoulos, fox news. Back here in the bay area in the south bay, a special groundbreaking ceremony was held today for a project years in the making to honor members of san joses Vietnamese Community. The thank you america statue is being built at the vietnamese Heritage Garden there on roberts avenue. The monument will depict a south vietnamese soldier standing alongside an american soldier. City Officials Say the Heritage Garden is a space that honors the past, paying tribute to the sacrifices that were made while looking ahead to the future and celebrating the spirit of san joses vibrant Vietnamese Community. It is a sanctuary of remembrance, a beacon of hope, a testament of indomito able spirit of our community. San jose has the largest Vietnamese Community in any single city outside of vietnam. More than 100,000 people of vietnamese descent call san jose home. All right. Over the weekend, people all across the bay area were treated to a spectacular show in the night sky, all courtesy of the Northern Lights. While saturday may have been overcast, people flocked to more rural areas to catch a glimpse of the rare aurora over our region. And we want to thank our viewers for sending us all of these incredible photos. We got so many of them, just an incredible treat. I missed out on it, but seeing the pictures that were posted, they were amazing were pretty cool. Rosemary oh amazing. I went Northern Lights hunting. Okay, you did okay. Saw a very faint pink in the sky and that was about it. Yeah, but its still pretty cool. Yeah very. Yeah. Very impressive and very cool, as you said. All right. For today, temperatures fell a little bit as we get into a bit of a cool down for today. And then back up a little bit for tomorrow. All in all little to complain about. A little bit of a sea breeze out there for some. And that made it a little bit cool. The morning clouds will also come along with a little bit of patchy drizzle for the next few days, as we kind of settle into this seasonable pattern. A ridge hanging over the west. But we do have this low right off the coastline here and that is what is helping to provide us with the low clouds. A little bit of a localized sea breeze. And again, that patchy drizzle means enough instability. Instability, i should say up over the sierra to create those pop up showers as well as thunderstorms right now south of highway 50, you can see just lit up there with lightning and the thunder are going along with it. For us here at home, a weak onshore breeze. Fairfield reporting a 16mph northwest at concord and oakland in the north bay. We have a southerly breeze about 13mph over napa. And with that napa, you are just a smidge cooler compared to yesterday. Inner east bay livermore. You are down by eight degrees, so feeling a difference for you there. Meanwhile around the bay within a few degrees, so it feels a lot like yesterday upper 50s in San Francisco right now, upper 60s in novato, low 70s in walnut creek, and 71 over at san jose. Shifting to the inner east bay where we d