espite those comments, her lawyer in court told the judge she plans to plead guilty at the next hearing set on monday. she is currently living in a halfway house. police interviewed her and she said she kept her son locked up because she was ashamed of him. we will have more on this story coming up on abc 7 news at 5:00. reporting from southeast washington, sam ford, abc 7 news . >> thank you. start a new details about the copilot believed to have purposely crashed a german flight into the french alps. investigators say they have found evidence he had an illness from his bosses. >> in the germantown road andrew slavitt's, his friends refused to believe the reports he purposely crashed the plane with 149 other people on board. >> nobody can say differently.

>> investigators combing through his appointment -- apartment in düsseldorf said they found a letter in a we spent that declared him unfit by a doctor. because of privacy rules doctors will not say if it was a physical or mental health issue. prosecutors believe he purposely hit the onus from the concept -- did the onus from lufthansa. it has already led to calls for the industry to change how the health of pilots is monitored. >> everything is on the table after this accident and we have to look at everything we can do to prevent recurrence. >> professionals say that some changes could be difficult to implement. >> pilots with mental health issues will be reluctant to say i'm having a mental health issue. once they are tagged with that label, they have to fight their way back into the cockpit. >> analysts say it is a necessary step, as the airline

industry looks at ways to prevent crashes like this. in washington, ryan nobles reporting. autria: fairfax county police are looking for four people in the shooting death of the fairfax county man. police arrived to find the 64-year-old suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. he was flown to the hospital where he later died. police are investigating the possibility the shooting was not random. they are looking for suspects between the ages of 16 and 25. jeff goldberg spoke with his son and daughter. you can see those interviews right here at 5:00. leon: we are trying to get answers for local businesses. they say they gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to a frederick abel company for taxes that were never paid. joce sterman tracked down the owner and his live in frederick with what he had to say. joce: at this point, the answer

is not much. that is not good enough for the many businesses that want answers. we are trying to get them from the owner of period payroll david richardson. the business is based to miles out of town right here. we went to get answers. he was silent. that may not be an option for much longer because the i.r.s. and the maryland comptroller have been informed about allegations against him. we are talking about more than just the eight lawsuits we are now aware of related to this company and its owner, david richardson. local businesses in d.c. maryland, virginia, and west virginia claiming in court they gave the company thousands to handle taxes but the payments were never made. as a result, they will have to pay twice. some already have. today, we spoke with another frederick payroll company that informed authorities after taking and what they called an explosion of clients with similar claims of unpaid taxes.

they want to know what happened to the thousands they gave richardson, and so do we so we went to ask him. where talking about a lot of missing money, hundreds of thousands. can you tell us what happened to it? did you spend it? are you concerned? at 6:00 and we will hear the rest of our conversation with david richardson. and we will let you know how many additional companies we are talking about making allegations of wrongdoing. joce sterman, abc 7 news. leon: pentagon city mall is reopened after bomb threats turned up nothing harmful. the threat was called in around 12:30 this afternoon. the mall was evacuated and several streets were closed as police investigated. the all clear was given a little more than an hour ago. autria: turning to the weather. things are finally drying out. leon: let's look to the weekend. could be chilly around here. doug hill in the stormwatch weather center. what should we expect? doug: chilly for sure.

maybe a flurry. it will be cold even though it is the last week in march. a little sunshine finally. the rain has been slowly moving away from the area. slowly it shall move. it will take a while. we don't expect long periods of sunshine until sunday. look at the numbers. we should be close to 60 right now. most areas are only in the 40's. 50 at reagan national airport. these numbers are impressive. 25 degrees colder than this time yesterday. washington, 27 degrees colder. 30 degrees colder in fredericksburg. it will be a chilly night. we will see temperatures drop through the 40's with mostly cloudy skies. overnight, near freezing and breezy to make it feel even more uncomfortable. the weekend has some flurries to start but will improve by sunday. we will share details in a few minutes. autria: federal prosecutors say there is plenty of evidence to

support former virginia governor bob mcdonnell's public corruption conventions. in court filings yesterday prosecutors said it is clear he took steps to benefit from the c.e.o.. williams lavished mcdonnell and his wife with lavish gifts and low interest loans. mcdonnell is appealing his conviction. leon: a major shakeup on the hill. senate majority leader harry reid announced he is retiring next year instead of running for reelection. he is already voicing support for his successor. scott thuman is live with more. a bit of a surprise. scott: a tiny bit. i think some people thought this would happen eventually. put the timing through some of us off. he is an institution. he is a five-termer. harry reid has been minority and majority leader on the hill. he is also 75 years old. there are a lot of considerations in these decisions. he faced a tough reelection last

time in nevada. he might have had some difficulty in this next campaign were he to run again. he also had a serious injury while exercising over the holidays, even though he says that is not why he will call it quits. it might truly be the right time for a changing of the guard in his home state and as majority leader. harry reid: i have had time to ponder. we've got to be more concerned about the country, the senate, the state of nevada, and us. as a result of that, i am not going to run for reelection. my friend, senator mcconnell, i will be here for 22 months. scott: that is how long he still has in his position on the hill. he takes that little jab at his republican counterpart. this is washington. one man's resignation is another's opportunity. already a lot of elbowing for position.

we will talk more about the players and where this may sort out coming up tonight at 6:00. leon: thank you scott. autria: a bethesda woman's $2000 on kidnapped and held for ransom. following a four-month investigation, police say they have nabbed the suspect that allegedly traveled from new york to commit the crime. kevin lewis is live to explain why money may have spurred this squabble. kevin: this is a case of estranged friends at odds over a hefty loan. the dispute climaxed with a break in at the $1.5 million bethesda home behind me. sources tell us the 44-year-old seen in this facebook photo went her bethesda friend $7,000. after a number of years, reddy was still trying to collect $4000. police say she journeyed from the big apple to bethesda with a plan to burglarize her friend in

an attempt to get even. once inside the home, she allegedly stole a chanel purse had a mercedes-benz repossessed and snatched a $3000 yorkshire terrier. days later, she received an anonymous call saying your dog is dead at 11:00 tomorrow. police say they used cellphone g.p.s. tracking data to link reddy to the dog kidnapping. >> absolutely not. no way is this a way to resolve this sort of thing. we have a court system. yes, it takes time. you can go down to the court. you can file charges civilly. you can speak with us to find out if there are criminal charges that can be pursued. but taking matters like this into your own hands does not usually end in any sort of positive result. kevin: we did speak with reddy on the telephone today.

she told us this was a silly disagreement between friends. leon: that was kevin lewis reporting. we will have more on that story later. the metro will get more dedicated bus lanes this summer. they will add another mile of transit lanes. the bus stops connect crystal city and the potomac yard region along route one. the new lanes will open in arlington county between south lee road and crystal drive. the service started last august. officials say ridership is an better than anticipated. coming up, new details in the case against the woman accused of cutting a baby out of a pregnant woman's body. which charge will not be filed against the accused attacker. autria: new questions the latest and the with the secret service. conflicting reports on agents suspected of being drunk when they hit a barrier near the white house. >> they have shamed a lot of military personnel. leon: it was a haircut meant to

honor the military. how it got one c

leon: were the secret

service agents that drove into the white house really drunk? there are differences in the stores of top officials. karen travers has the story. karen: it seemed to be another black mark on the agency. new documents reveal conflicting accounts by top officials at the agency and suggest the two agents were not actually intoxicated. that now infamous march for incident turned out to be not all that dramatic. the video shows two agents in a government car driving slowly, eventually nudging a temporary barrier. >> there was no crash. karen: even before the facts were known, lawmakers used the incident to bless the agency and new director. jason chaffetz of utah was livid over how the agency responded to a potential bomb threat that night, the reason there was a crime senior the white house in the first place. >> it took you 30 minutes to be

on the lookout for a woman who dropped a package at the white house and said this is a bomb. i want her taken down! i want a net over that city! i want her in custody immediately! karen: this week, the secret service announced a new policy. agents are prohibited from driving government cars within 10 hours of driving alcohol. >> we have changed the policy. within 10 hours, you cannot enter a government owned or leased vehicle. karen: there is an ongoing investigation into the march incident. the process could take several weeks. karen travers, abc 7 news. autria: checking news around the nation, colorado prosecutors say a woman accused of cutting a baby from a pregnant woman's body will not be charged with murder. dynel lane is in jail accused of attacking wilkins.

wilkins survived but her baby did not. the coroner's office said an autopsy performed on the fetus showed no signs of life outside the womb, so it is not considered a live birth. prosecutors said last week it would be hard to bring a murder charge in colorado because state law does not recognize a fetus as a person unless it is capable of surviving outside the womb. the fiancée of a former new england patriots, and hernandez took the stand today in his murder case. up until now, it was unclear if they would call jenkins to testify. she has already pleaded not guilty to perjury. hernandez is accused in the shooting death of odin lloyd in 2013 and has pleaded not guilty. leon: two people are missing in new york city following an explosion and fire that leveled three links and damaged a fourth -- three buildings and damaged a fourth. officials say about an hour before the explosion utility inspectors decided the work they

had done was faulty. but there were no reports of a gas smell. >> all of a sudden i hear a huge boom and look up. the building just went straight across. leon: the family says they believe he was having lunch at the souci restaurant -- sushi restaurant on the ground floor of the building. investigators are still searching for answers. autria: a seven-year-old boy's military style haircut heard him a trip to the principal's office. adam stinnett got his hair cut to him elite his stepbrother who served in afghanistan. but bobby ray memorial elementary school in tennessee said it was distracting and sent him home with a note saying he cannot come back until it was cut. >>mother: it crushed the seven-year-old's dream. he looks up to justin. he wants to be like him. her cut was a way to show his appreciation and love for his stepbrother.

adam: i want to be in the army and help the world. autria: the school district says it does not have a policy against military haircuts and it is up to each school to determine if a haircut is distracting. we want to know what you think of the decision. you can join the conversation by going to our facebook page to leave your response. we will share some later right here. leon: let's get a check on the traffic situation for this evening's commute. jamie sullivan here with details. jamie: it is going to be a slow one. we don't have many accidents. i want to focus on the top side of the beltway. 22 miles per hour is what you drop down to getting into college park. as far as the baltimore-washington parkway that is congested. we are almost in the single digits. that is the stretch between the baltimore beltway continuing to the capital beltway. as far as volume, we are light on 270. typical commute in virginia.

i want to focus on the d.c. area. tomorrow, they have the 5k. we will have closures starting tomorrow morning around 8:00. everything should be wrapped up around 12:30. in the area of 16th military road, the bridge project started today so you are down to one lane. i want to show you the area to give you a better idea. this is 16th street. this is military road. in this area is where we are seeing one lane. closer to silver springs will be the problem spot. 66 volume, not much else needs to be said. trying to get out of the city, it is slow. that is a look at traffic. back to you. autria: at least we don't have the ring to worry about anymore. leon: here we go again. doug: i have learned in my old age to get simple about it. it is the weekend. we will be fine.

yes, a couple of snow showers possible with cold air tomorrow. we have cold air right now. this is located in congressional country club in bethesda. u.c. patches of lou -- you can see patches of blue. it does not have a spring-like look. many spots will be colder than that tomorrow. 50 at reagan national, warm spot. 43 in richmond. 30 in columbus. below freezing afternoon temperature, which is unusual. the cold air mass is stuck in place. it is a large one. we will not see changes in the temperature pattern until monday. you will notice it with a warming trend. this indicates how much colder it is now than it was at 4:20 yesterday afternoon. 25 degrees colder in washington. 31 degrees colder in richmond. a definite chill in the air. last weekend of march coming.

we will look for temperatures to drop through the 30's tonight. perhaps close to freezing in some areas by tomorrow morning. tomorrow morning as high pressure builds in, we will get gusty breezes. instability over the lakes. we have the possibility of flurries, may be a snow shower, maybe sprinkles with highs struggling to get into the 40's tomorrow afternoon. the next seven days does bring hope of warmer temperatures. flurries, sprinkles, breezy cold, 45 at best tomorrow. 50 with sunshine on sunday. monday and tuesday, we will get to near 60. through the middle of the week we could hit 65 with sunshine wednesday. thursday and friday looks like another frontal system coming in, a warm front. temperatures will be nice in the mid to upper 60's by increasing chances of rain for thursday and friday. still waiting for the forecast of 75 degrees and sunshine for the weekend. it is coming, but not yet. autria: coming up on abc 7 news at 4:00, there is a new test to

help people with thyroid problems get the right treatment. leon: how the wizards made a teenager's dream come true today.

autria: it has been a special day for a 13-year-old wizards

fan battling a rare form of brain cancer. leon: the wizards teamed up with the make-a-wish foundation to make the dream come true. >> this is one of the stories that is special. he loves the wizards. he loves john wall. today was his dream come true. he signed a one-day contract to be a member of the washington wizards and a teammate of john wall. got his own locker and gear and took part in the morning shoot around as they prepare for the hornets tonight. not only that, but he and his family will be at the arena tonight. he will personally rebound for john wall pregame. and then be introduced with the starting lineup. a great day during tough times and his wish has come true. >> always keeping a positive attitude. i try to have the times i am not feeling great, it helps me get through it. my parents say to keep a positive attitude. it will help you get through it. times like these will help me

get through it because i can look back on how much fun i had. >> way to go. you can tell he is brilliant smart. loves it. went after it. negotiated it. i asked if i could negotiate it. he said not right now. [laughter] what a great story. autria: that is awesome. leon: i wish he could hit a three. they could use them tonight. way to go. seven is on your side with a consumer alert about payday loans. how they landed a former t.v. talkshow host in trouble with the government. autria: new information in the case of the maryland mother

announcer: you are watching abc 7 news 4:00, on your side. leon: new information on the maryland mother whose son was found dead in ohio. autria: rebecca cooper is in the newsroom with details. rebecca: there had long been signs there were two sites to denise stephens. she frequently posted photos of her daughter and son on social media calling the loss of her life. but she also goes to regret saying she wished she could go back to the days when she was a kid and did not have so many worries. today in ohio, the 25-year-old maryland mother of two pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence in the brutal beating death of her one-year-old son,

cameron. the body was found in a backpack in an ohio creek last new year's eve. prosecutors say stevens' boyfriend brutally beat the boys saying he was possessed. cameron's mother agreed to a plea deal in exchange for prosecutors recommending 12 years in prison. sentencing is set for july. her daughter is back in frederick county with the child's father. rebecca cooper, abc 7. autria: we want to get to the weather. get ready for a chilly weekend. leon: let's get ready for doug hill to tell us more. doug: chilly it shall be. temperatures remaining well below average. sunshine tomorrow, not so much. let's give you a look at what we are looking at the final weekend of march. definitely chilly. maybe some flurries and sprinkles. but sunshine returns on sunday. a little sun trying to struggle

through at reagan national. north-northeasterly winds at six. 46 in gators for -- gaithersburg. 43 in annapolis. 50 at reagan national airport. all day, the rain has been slowly moving east and southeast. it is out of the metro area. still to pass across southern maryland in the next few hours. just behind, we have seen a few breaks. if you look at the top left, that is coming across lake erie. cold winds tomorrow may bring snow showers and flurries to the metro area. tonight, it will be cold with clearing skies. lows near 32 degrees. if you are looking for signs of spring, steve rudin has found another. had to go to southeast to find it. that is where he reports now with cherry blossom starting to make an appearance.

steve: we are at congressional cemetery. when i first heard the assignment of going to a cemetery, i thought there was something different. it is not your typical cemetery. typical in many ways. a lot of cherry blossoms to enjoy. it is also a dog park. penny is enjoying herself. yesterday, we hit 77 for a high. you can see how the cherry blossoms are beginning to pop out. give it another few days even with the cold weather this weekend, it will look spectacular around here. if your allergies are bothering you, pollen count is high for trees. it will stay high for the next couple of weeks. no relief for the scratching sneezing, allergy symptoms. but it is going to look beautiful out here as we move through the next couple of weeks. let's head back to the studio with doug. autria: thanks, steve.

i will take it from here. if you are feeling tired all the time or having trouble losing weight, a new test could help you get the right treatment. liz explains how it works. liz: angie montgomery recently decided to take the test. it starts with a comprehensive questionnaire. the is put into a computerized machine. >> the machine measures the functionality of your thyroid. liz: he is a pharmacist who administers the test. it is approved by the fda. >> we are measuring thyroid rate in the body. liz: part of what made angie feel like an ideal candidate for additional testing is she already had a blood test. that did show her levels of thyroid were within normal ranges. she said she was still feeling some symptoms associated with lower thyroid. fatigue, lack of concentration

feeling cold all the time. angie: i am cold all the time. my nose is cold, my fingers are cold. losing weight is difficult. you know, when you fill out the questionnaire, there are all of these symptoms. are you clumsy? is math and issue? yes. [laughter] liz: a small hammer is connected to a computer. it measures the rate and caliber of the reflex response to determine thyroid function. generally, the longer it takes for a reflex response, the more thyroid a person needs. protests came up within normal ranges. right now, she will continue fighting men and mineral supplements until follow-up with her health care provider. she says in the meantime when it comes to thyroid information -- angie: it is nice to know there is something more comprehensive. autria: that was liz bonus

reporting. the test is generally not covered by insurance. it will cost about $60. you do need a visit with a health care provider which may create additional cost. leon: the virginia board of education approved expanded testing. this spring, students who fail by a narrow margin or because of extenuating circumstances can retake exams before the end of the year. the expedited retakes have been allowed since 2000 for high school students. autria: you probably run from these. scientists at the university of mallet are urging people to collect and donate stink bugs. researchers want to study them and how to eradicate it. extension -- the extension specialist and his colleagues are offering to pick up collections of at least 50 stink bugs or more. you might see more in the warmer coming days. leon: you will be able to smell it coming. autria: don't expect to see the

duchess of cambridge in public anytime soon. her final public appearances before giving birth. leon: a wild scene at a diner. the story behind

leon: a diner in florida is serving up h.u.d. and justice. autria: this story is great. deputies arrested a bank robbery suspect as he was having breakfast. >> no problem, we can handle that. >> at the flamingo diner, the food is served hot. talk about the man who robbed the bank down the street is even hotter. >> this is the most amazing thing to happen in the area. >> he knew where to come for a last good meal. >> martin county deputies have been looking for this man since he robbed a bank wednesday. >> we started looking at information, confidential informants, jill record pictures. we narrowed it down to navarro as our suspect. >> sheriff says michael navarro lives in the area and his no -- and is known to writing my sickle everywhere he --is known to ride a bicycle everywhere he goes. >> florida diner is a place he

likes to frequent. we found his bicycle at the restaurant. he was inside having breakfast. a couple of detectives with inside and sat down with him. when they were closer, they could tell it was him. he was dining on bacon, eggs and potatoes. >> the cops came in at a table. they let him have a couple more bites and reached over and told them what they were there for. they handcuffed him and walked him out. >> we had a full house. it was very quiet. they handled it well. autria: sheriff's deputies say michael navarro eight at another restaurant before the bank robbery and left without paying the bill. also, he did not pay the tab at the diner where he was arrested. the deputies covered that. you give us the guy, we will cover the bill. leon: next at 4:00, 7 is on your side with a consumer alert about payday loans. how it has led to trouble for a

former t.v. talkshow host. autria: a grand gesture by apple's c.e.o. what i'm brian vickers, nascar® dririver. i'm kevin nealon comedian. and i'm arnold palmer, professional golfer. know what we have in common? we talked to our doctors about treatment with xarelto®. me, when i had a blood clot in my leg that could have

traveled to my lungs. that's why i took xarelto®, too. xarelto® is proven to treat and help reduce the risk of dvt and pe blood clots. i took xarelto® for afib... an irregular heartbeat that can lead to a stroke from a blood clot. xarelto® is proven to reduce the risk of stroke in people with afib, not caused by a heart valve problem. hey, well i'm glad we got together. for people with afib currently wellll managed on warfarin there is limited information on how xarelto® and warfarin compare in reducing the risk of stroke. i tried warfarin before, but the blood testing routine and dietary restrictions had me off my game. tell me about it. let's see, golf clinic, or blood clinic? ooh, that's a tough one. not this time. not with xarelto®. anything else? i'll have another arnold palmer. ok. make mine a kevin nealon. really, brian? hey, safety first. like all blood thinners, don't stop taking xarelto® without talking to your doctor as this may increase your risk

of a blood clot or stroke. while taking xarelto® you may bruise more easily and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. xarelto® may increase your risk of bleeding if you take certain medicines. xarelto® can cause serious bleeding and in rare cases may be fatal. get help right away if you develop unexpected bleeding unusual bruising, or tingling. if you have had spinal anesthesia while on xarelto® watch for back pain or any nerve or muscle-related signs or symptoms. do not take xarelto® if you have an artificial heart valve, or abnormal bleeding. tell your doctor before all planned medical or dental procedures. before starting xarelto® tell your doctor about any conditions such as kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. xarelto® has been prescribed more than 11 million times in the u.s.

autria: the california woman's whose disagreements -- disappearance is being investigated as a possible hoax is not cooperating. her boyfriend told police she had been affected and held for ransom. police say there was no proof of a kidnapping. both spoke out against the allegations. >> she has fully cooperated with law enforcement in the hope of clearing her name. autria: her boyfriends that it took him 10 hours to report the incident because the abductors bound and dragged him. his lawyers say he has submitted a drug --blood test as proof. leon: there is mccrery -- the actor known for his role as eddy winslow appeared before a judge in winslow where he was given the option to pay $5,500 in back

support or remain in jail for two weeks. he chose to be the money and was released. forward to the talkshow host montel williams is in trouble with consumer protection laws -- former t.v. talkshow host montel williams is in trouble with consumer protection laws. >> we are all familiar with montel williams, the most popular t.v. talkshow host recently turned pitch man. his company has to pay $2 million fine after one state ruled a lending company he represents is asking too much of consumers. if you watch much late-night t.v., you're probably familiar with montel williams' latest gig. montel: go to moneymutual. john: since leaving his talk show, he has become the face of moneymutual, a payday loan company that gives instant cash to help people with poor credit. >> i figured it was safe and secure. john: a couple of years ago, she

turned to moneymutual. she told me before she even locked in on a loan, she started getting charged. >> he charged me a membership of $149 to kick out of my checking account. at that time, i had $8. john: now they are finding moneymutual $2 million for not disclosing the lenders they send people to can charge interest rates as high as 1000% a year. it is now banned from offering loans in new york state. a montoya williams spokesman said he did not -- a montel williams spokesman said he did not violate any laws. moneymutual points out it is not a lender. in connection with lenders. despite the fine, williams' reassuring face in the ads will continue to be seen. the cash comes at a high cost. experts say it is best to ask family members first so you don't waste money. leon: the duchess of cambridge

has carried out her last public engagements before the birth of her second child. earlier today, they took part in several events including visiting a charity working with youth. the duchess is excited to give birth in mid to late april. autria: tim cook is donating most of his money to charity. "fortune" magazine reports he plans to pay for his nephew's college education and donate the rest of his wealth of philanthropic projects. each took the reins at apple in 2011 and has made more than $9 million last year. he also received more than $140 million in stock awards. must be nice. google's new chief financial officer is making big bucks and her new job. she received a $70 million cash and stock deal for signing on with google. her salary is $680,000, but she will get millions in bonuses and stock grants. leon: let's get back to our

question of the day about a child in tennessee got his hair cut high and tight to honor his stepfather, a soldier who served in afghanistan. his school sent the haircut was distracting and made him cut it before returning to class. autria: we asked what you thought of the school's decision. debra wrote schools are becoming too involved in how we raise our children and need to back off. robin responded there was nothing wrong with the haircut. the conversation is still going on. you can join in by going to our abc 7 facebook page. leon: let's look at what is coming up at 5:00. we are learning the origin of the racist chant by an oklahoma fraternity. autria: we know it did not work. but how much money did maryland waste on its first shot at the health exchange? the results of the first audit at 5:00. leon: now to the weather. more chilly stuff in time for the weekend. doug: at least the rain has

ended, so we will take that as a positive. it is going to be chilly. even when we get sunshine on sunday, it will be below average. the seven-day has better news. let's start off with a look around the region. this is a time-lapse. look how rainy it was this morning. but slowly moved across the area. this afternoon, things brightened up. the wet roads dried up. they are ok. it is just chilling temperatures in the 40's in most locations. waldorf reports 44. they have had over one inch of rain. 44 in chevy chase. not excessive rain, but one inch is impressive. things will dry out. i know we mentioned the chance of a snow shower tomorrow. it will not add much. it will be light and intermittent. the cold temperatures will persist.

50 at reagan national. 40 in gaithersburg. 40 in lexington park. that is mild compared to what is happening north and west. detroit metro airport, 27. saint marie only 14. winter is hanging tough and spreading south. we will turn it around slowly early next week. on the left, you will see temperatures are much colder today. far west in the high plains temperatures are warmer than yesterday. that warming trend will slowly spread east. it will take until monday and tuesday for that to happen. that is part of our 70 outlook. 45 tomorrow with a flurry or sprinkle. may be snow shower in higher elevations. 50 sunday. monday and tuesday look nice. we will warm up to 60 with sunshine. mid 60's wednesday.

temperatures will eventually make the upper 60's by the end of the week. leon: it looks like we are on the on-ramp. doug: the right direction slowly. autria: thank you. let's check on the traffic situation. jamie sullivan is here with details. jamie: i want to begin in this area. it is very heavy. you get a good idea because of how much yellow and red we are seeing in the top stretch in maryland. this is the off-ramp. the crash is on the outer loop of the beltway near 95 and maryland. most of the congestion we see on the interlude. we are ok as far as traffic in the d.c. area. we have a crash at east capitol street. we have slowing in both directions. i want to move to a look at 270 near montgomery village avenue to show you the congestion out

of the city. you see volume here. he does continue working closer towards clarksburg. 66, this is a crash. police just showed up on scene. this is 66 at cedar lane. police did just show up. they have this car possibly dropping -- blocking two or three lanes. we will keep you updated because traffic is blocking up. we are only using one lane. not good. they may have more crews show up and block off some lanes. we will keep you updated. that is a look at traffic. back to you. leon: thank you. we are awaiting the decision from the a tying quarter about whether it will overturn amanda knox's murder conviction.

autria: all lanes of a major

interstate in texas reopened this morning after an oversized tractor-trailer crashed into a bridge. it slammed into the overpass yesterday causing two concrete beams to fall onto the highway. one fell on top of a pickup truck killing one man and injuring three others. authorities are investigating why the driver seemed to ignore the signs. leon: the clock is ticking for amanda knox. judges in italian court are deliberating whether to overturn her 2009 murder conviction. autria: it could raise questions about extraditing her. >> amanda knox is on pins and needles waiting for italy's supreme court to give a verdict in her case, a decision could finally into her nearly eight-your legal battle. the panel of judges could overturn her conviction, sending this controversial case to be retried for the fourth time. or they could uphold the conviction and 28-your sentence, a decision that might lead to have extradition to italy.

>> the american government is obligated to extradite amended knox. it is hard to believe they will. >> through the years prosecutors have shifted their theory on motive. they argue she did not like her former roommate because she was serious and puritanical. that seems the most logical excavation for the murder. but knox's attorneys argue there is no evidence she was the crime scene. knox has been living freely in seattle writing theater reviews for a newspaper and going to therapy. she is also newly engaged. today's verdict could put wedding plans on hold. amanda: i will never go willingly back. i will fight this until the end. >> amanda knox is in seattle waiting for the verdict with her fiancé and family. her freedom again hanging in the balance. >> why did he do it?

clues found in the home of the germanwings copilot what investigators say he was hiding. a lesson in racism. where the oklahoma fraternity first learned the words to the offensive chant. why a new york woman traveled to bethesda to allegedly steal her friend's handbag and pricey dog. announcer: abc 7 news at 5:00, on your side. >> embassies around the district are flying flags at half staff in honor of the 150 people killed. french police say they found remains but nobody intact after the tuesday crash in the alps. rebecca cooper with new information about the copilot. tell us about that. rebecca: without a suicide note or overt sign of why the copilot deliberately brought down the plane, prosecutors now believe

notes found in his home in germany may offer the only clues he was suffering from mental illness. inside the copilot's home in germany, prosecutors think they found the clues in a trashcan. lubitz had prescriptions and documents from doctors saying he had a mental illness but he had torn them up and thrown them away. lufthansa officials insist they saw no signs he was troubled. >> he was flying without restrictions. rebecca: she is a former safety and structure -- instructor and pilot. >> when he was going to make his move. he did have to change the flight management system to direct the aircraft. rebecca: if the court decides lufthansa was not at fault relatives can only sue for up to $157,000 in damages. if the court decides the airlines is to blame for letting

the pilot fly, experts say there is no limit to how much a court can order them to pay each of the victims' families. for now, the families just want answers why. what they most a hospital confirms he was a patient there for the last two months. the hospital is not commenting on what treatment he was receiving other than to say he checked in on march 10 for a diagnostic evaluation and his records have been turned over to investigators. rebecca cooper, abc 7 news. anchor: the european union's aviation safety agency recommended all airlines have two people in the cockpit at all times. closer to home, a cloudy and chilly finish to the work week. anchor 2: chief meteorologist do