GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Lawyers representing the victim in the battery case involving Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs have filed a motion to seal evidence.
“The motion is consistent with our client’s desire to protect her privacy, particularly in light of Mr. Jacobs taking responsibility for his actions in the criminal proceeding,” Ramses Jalalpour and Amir Tahmassebi said Tuesday in a statement.
ESPN first reported the filing of the motion.
Jacobs pleaded no contest on Thursday to misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property stemming from a May altercation with his then-girlfriend.
The woman said Jacobs grabbed her and threw her to the ground as she was trying to exit a garage door, causing her to hit her head. Police said Jacobs also took a phone from her while she was on the ground.
According to a criminal complaint, the woman’s statement was corroborated by surveillance video from the camera system in the garage. That video hasn’t been released.
In a brief supporting the motion, the woman said she was seeking “to seal and restrict public disclosure of police and supplemental reports, dispatch and communications records, recordings, photographs, witness statements, investigative notes, forensic materials, medical or treatment-related information, digital evidence, and other documents or media.”
The brief indicated she wanted “only to prevent unnecessary public disclosure of information that identifies or locates (her), reveals intimate details of the victimization or creates a material risk of further harm to her.”
Jacobs was charged in late August and the NFL subsequently placed him on the commissioner’s exempt list, which prevents the three-time Pro Bowler from playing or practicing but allows him to keep receiving a paycheck. Players on the commissioner’s exempt list are allowed at team facilities for meetings, individual workouts, therapy and rehabilitation and other non-football activities.
Jacobs could face a league suspension.
After pleading no contest to the battery charge, Jacobs was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine plus court costs. Under an agreement with prosecutors, the criminal damage charge can be dismissed in a year if he fulfills terms that include staying out of trouble, avoiding the victim, submitting to supervision, completing counseling and paying restitution to the victim.
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FILE - Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs stands on the field before a NFL preseason football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Aug. 28, 2026, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr, File)
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A woman’s body was found on Tuesday in the same area east of Johannesburg in South Africa where the discovery of several other victims in the past two months has sparked fear of a potential serial killer at large and led to a public warning by the police.
According to South African authorities, the cases appear to be linked, though they did not confirm whether they are the work of the same killer.
The South African Police Services (SAPS) has issued a public warning for women to be cautious when doing activities like jogging in the area.
“While investigations are still underway and SAPS has not, at this stage, confirmed that the deaths are linked to a serial killer, the similarities are sufficiently concerning for the police to issue a public warning and intensify investigations,” said police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Tuesday that he had directed police authorities to prioritize the ongoing murder investigations.
“I have directed that these cases be prioritized and that no stone be left unturned in bringing those responsible to justice. Our law enforcement agencies are undertaking this work in partnership with citizens, on whom we depend for any information that may help end these attacks on women,” he said in a statement.
The police alert followed the discovery on Tuesday of a body in the Kwa-Thema area, about 34 kilometers (21 miles) from Kempton Park.
Police said the victim was found fully naked and in an advanced stage of decomposition.
On Monday, another body was found in Olifantsontein.
On Saturday, the body of a 38-year-old woman was after she went missing in Kempton Park last week while jogging. A frantic community and police search for Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo ended when her half-naked body was found.
The public warning has highlighted long-standing concerns over violent crime in South Africa, particularly against women and children.
The country recorded 5,427 murders between April and July — an average of 45 a day — according to the latest crime statistics.
Femicide rates in South Africa are among the highest in the world, according to the U.N.'s agency for gender equality.
A South African study in 2022 found that more than 35% of South African adult women had experienced physical or sexual violence at some point.
The Commission for Gender Equality has called for urgent preventive action, including a safety audit of the affected areas involving police, municipal officials, transport authorities and community safety structures.
It said the audit should assess lighting, surveillance, pedestrian and public transport routes, neglected spaces, police visibility and access to emergency assistance.
“Women should not have to be killed before an area receives heightened attention,” commission spokesperson Javu Baloyi said.
AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
A body, believed to be that of a woman, is found along a road in KwaThema, Springs, South Africa, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (AP Photo)
A forensic officer works at the scene where a sixth body, believed to be that of a woman, was found along a road in KwaThema, Springs, South Africa, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (AP Photo)
