UPDATE: Murder suspect arrested after six slayings in Tennessee and Alabama

Above: A booking photo of Jacob Shaffer

CNN reports that authorities have arrested 30-year-old Jacob Shaffer, in connection with the killing of six people - five in Tennessee and one in neighboring Alabama.

The Fayetteville, TN man was arrested Saturday after three people were found dead at a house in the town, 90 miles south of Nashville. Two other victims were found in another residence on the same street, South Lincoln Road, officials said. A sixth person was found dead at a business, about 30 miles away in Huntsville, Alabama.

Male suspect in custody for Tennessee and Alabama slayings

Lincoln County Tennessee Sherriff Murray Blackwelder speaks with the media about the slayings (AP Photo / The Huntsville Times, Bob Gathany)

Jacob Lee Shaffer was taken into custody and is being questioned by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) as a suspect for the six slayings in Tennessee and Alabama.

Though he is reported to have confessed to the homicides, Shaffer, who is from Fayetteville, TN, has not yet been charged.

North Alabama news station WAFF reported that the "Lincoln County, TN authorities confirmed that five people were found shot to death on South Lincoln Road on Saturday morning. They also confirmed that a sixth person related to the Lincoln County deaths was also found dead at a Huntsville business."

Kristin Helm of the TBI told CNN that "Five people, some of whom were related, were found dead in two nearby homes in Fayetteville, Tennessee." Helm said that "Investigators think the killings occurred either Friday night or early Saturday."

According to Lincoln County Sheriff Murray Blackwelder, a sixth person was found dead in Huntsville, about 30 miles from Fayetteville.

Broadcast journalism forefather Walter Cronkite passes

Walter Cronkite: 1916 - 2009

CBS' legendary news anchor Walter Cronkite has passed away in New York at the age of 92. His journalistic career covered historic events such as the coronation of Queen Elizabeth, the assassination of JFK and MLK, as well as the journey of the first man to the moon. Check out the CBS video obituary here.

The New York Times posted a video tribute in Cronkite's memory, showcasing some of Cronkite's most defining and memorable news reports throughout his iconic career.

I cannot recall a year (or a brief period of 2 months) in my short life, where so many friends, icons and celebrities passed away. 2010 can't come fast enough.

Infomercial King dead at 50

I never bought his products, but I sure do remember seeing his infomercials religiously at 4 in the morning.... R.I.P.

Just days after the death of the "King of Pop", Billy Mays, the well known pitchman was found dead at his Tampa, Florida home this morning. The body of the "king of infomercials" is now set to undergo an autopsy, according to a CNN report on the matter.

Yesterday, the 50 year old Mays was a passenger on the US Airways flight from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Tampa on Saturday that had a hard landing at Tampa International Airport when the plane's front tire blew out.

While there were no reported injuries on Flight 1241, Mays told a local Tampa station: "All of a sudden as we hit you know it was just the hardest hit, all the things from the ceiling started dropping. It hit me on the head, but I got a hard head." Below is video coverage of Mays' accounts of the incident.

Rather eerily, this was his final interview, and there has been no word as yet as to whether his death is related to the incident.

R.I.P. Jacko

Reports of Michael Jackson's passing sent millions around the world into mourning this evening. Jackson died with an album release and tour in the works, on the cusp of what many were anticipating as his resurgence..... It might be cliche to say this, but even though he may be gone, his music will live on. May he rest in peace.

I wouldn't be doing his legacy any justice without posting some of my favourite songs and videos from him.... *sigh* the nostalgia. What would we do without YouTube?

Unfortunately, the embedding is disabled for most of the videos/songs I love. It's a shame, but oh well. R.I.P.

Stanford pleads not guilty......

Above: From riches to rags.... Allen Stanford decked out in new attire on his way to a different kind of meeting

According to reports, Sir Allen Stanford made his first appearance in court today, where he pleaded not guilty to 21 charges of fraud, conspiracy and obstruction of justice. If found guilty, he will face up to 250 years in prison for what authorities described as Ponzi Scheme, which caused his investors to lose an estimated $7 billion..... Let's see if his crying will get him acquitted.

If that interview and the arrogant smile he is wearing above are anything to go by, Sir Allen will return to funding cricket matches for the people of the Caribbean in no time....... time will tell.