Cassadee Pope wins Season 3 of 'The Voice'
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Cassadee Pope was crowned the winner of the singing competition series "The Voice" in Los Angeles Tuesday night.
The 23-year-old singer from West Palm Beach, Fla., beat out Terry McDermott, who was this season's runner-up, and Nicholas David came in third.
Performing on the third season finale were professional singers Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson, Bruno Mars and the Killers.
Season 4 is to debut March 25.
Bodies of 'In Cold Blood' killers exhumed
KANSAS CITY, Kan., Dec. 19 (UPI) -- The remains of two killers who were the subject of the book "In Cold Blood" were exhumed in Kansas so officials can collect DNA for testing.
The Kansas City Star reported a search warrant was executed Tuesday by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to exhume the bodies of Perry Smith and Richard Hickock. The men were executed in 1965 for the Nov. 15, 1959, murders of Herb, Bonnie, Nancy and Kenyon Clutter in Holcomb, Kan.
DNA collected from the killers' remains will be used to determine whether Smith and Hickock were involved in the killings of the Walker family in Florida, also in 1959. Cliff and Christine Walker and their two children, ages 2 and 3, were killed on their ranch near Sarasota on the same day in December 1959 that the "In Cold Blood" killers checked out of a nearly motel, the newspaper said.
No one was arrested or charged in the Walker slayings.
Christine was raped and shot and law enforcement officials hoped to compare a recovered DNA sample with DNA from semen found in her underwear.
Author Truman Capote's best-selling book "In Cold Blood," the story of the notorious Clutter killings and investigation, has been the basis of three movies, a television miniseries and an opera.
Britain's Ricky Gervais to star in next Muppet movie
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- British actor-writer Rick Gervais has announced via Twitter he will star in the Europe-set next installment of the Muppet movie franchise.
"I have just signed up to play the lead in the next Muppet Movie. I have the biggest trailer but Kermit will spend some time in my sink," Gervais tweeted, referring to his famous frog co-star.
Gervais did not say what he will be playing in the family flick, which is due out next year.
"Modern Family" star Ty Burrell is also to appear as an Interpol inspector in the follow-up to 2011's "The Muppets."
'Red' still No. 1 on the U.S. album chart
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Taylor Swift's "Red" is No. 1 on the U.S. album chart for a second consecutive week, Billboard.com reported Wednesday.
Coming in at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 is Bruno Mars' "Unorthodox Jukebox," followed by Michael Buble's "Christmas" at No. 3, One Direction's "Take Me Home" at No. 4 and Rod Stewart's "Merry Christmas, Baby" at No. 5.
Rounding out the top tier are the Game's "Jesus Piece" at No. 6, Phillip Phillips' "The World From the Side of the Moon" at No. 7, Blake Shelton's "Cheers, It's Christmas" at No. 8, Alicia Keys' "Girl on Fire" at No. 9 and Lady Antebellum's "On This Winter's Night" at No. 10.
