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Maine detective honored by South Korean consulate for solving 11-year-old cold case

By WTOP Staff

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    PORTLAND, Maine (WMTW) — A Portland police detective has been recognized by the Republic of Korea for helping solve an 11-year-old cold case involving the death of a South Korean citizen in Portland.

Detective Andjelko Napijalo received a Letter of Appreciation this week during a ceremony at the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in New York. Consul General Kim Sang-ho presented the award, recognizing Napijalo’s work in resolving the case after it had remained unsolved for more than a decade.

According to Portland Police, Napijalo’s investigation brought long-awaited answers to the victim’s family. Letters from the family thanking the detective were also read during the ceremony.

“This recognition is a testament to Detective Napijalo’s determination and the unwavering commitment of our detectives to seek justice for victims, regardless of how much time has passed,” Portland Police Chief Mark Dubois said in a statement.

Kim said the case highlights the success of international cooperation between U.S. and South Korean agencies, including the Portland Police Department, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Korean Consulate General in New York, and the Korean National Police Agency.

Detective Lt. Nick Goodman, who attended the ceremony with Napijalo and his wife, Sanela, praised the detective’s persistence.

“Andjelko embodies the qualities of an exceptional investigator,” Goodman said.

The case was previously announced by Portland police on June 2, when investigators identified a woman found dead in Portland in 2015, bringing the investigation to a close.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Senate passes bill to fund government in bid to avert shutdown ahead of midterm elections

By CNN
(CNN) — The Senate passed a bill on Saturday that would extend government funding to December 11 in a bid to avert a shutdown ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.The chamber moved to tackle the funding deadline over a month in advance of the September 30 deadline. It’s not yet clear though if lawmakers will manage to stave off a funding fight next month.The bill passed by the Senate would next have to be taken up by the House, where it’s fate is uncertain as that chamber has already passed an alternative measure.The Senate measure differs from a funding extension passed by the House in several ways, including a lack of funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, which have already been funded through the end of President Donald Trump’s term, and a temporary block on a proposed administration rule that critics warn would further politicize federal grants.Senate leaves for August recessThe Senate vote to pass the funding bill came in the early hours of Saturday morning, as senators attempted to wrap up a number of legislative items before departing Washington to return to their home states for the August recess.Ultimately, in addition to adopting the measure to extend government funding into December, the Senate also confirmed acting attorney general Todd Blanche as the permanent head of the Department of Justice, and, separately, rejected a voter ID measure.However, Senate Republicans chose to delay for now a vote on their budget resolution, which was meant to be a party-line package containing defense funding and parts of a controversial elections bill, after President Donald Trump called into a late meeting at the Capitol with several senators on Friday night to discuss their options, those senators said.Trump had demanded that the Senate pass the budget resolution before leaving town for their recess, and GOP Sen. Mike Lee had said he would object to any effort to speed up consideration and leave if the budget resolution did not pass. Both Trump and Lee have been pushing for the president’s elections package, known as the “SAVE America Act,” for months.However, Sen. Ron Johnson, who chairs the Senate budget committee, told reporters that during a meeting in Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s office on Friday night, the president called in and there was unanimous agreement that the GOP senators will go back to the drawing board for a “better” budget resolution, including more defense funding, that they can pursue when they return in September, rather than face a failed vote to advance a budget resolution this week.Republican leadership had also hoped to at least take a preliminary procedural vote on a bill focused on regulating name, image, and likeness deals in college sports, but senators were unable to reach a deal on the package.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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