Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk speaks out on the decision sending accused killer Tyler Robinson before a jury. She say the  judge’s decision marks “an important step” for her grieving family. The judge also ruled prosecutors can seek the death penalty at trial.  23-year-old Robinson has pleaded not guilty.   

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The official cause of death for Hayden Panettiere is still pending as local and federal authorities continue to investigate.  The initial autopsy showed no signs of physical trauma and officials are waiting on toxicology reports. Pills and Narcan were found near her body, leading to supposition that Hayden died of a drug overdose. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has joined the investigation. Hayden's California home was search after her death. 

On/off boyfriend Brian Hickerson, who was present when Hayden was found, released a statement through his attorney asking the public to allow the investigation to proceed without premature conclusions.

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Jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict in Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial after spending parts of more than seven days deliberating.  The presiding judge formally declared a mistrial. He relayed the details of a note from the jury which stated, “With a heavy heart, we report we are unable to come to a unanimous decision. We will not be able to.”   Soon after, at the request of Clancy’s defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, Sullivan gave the defense an hour to pursued an emergency stay from the Supreme Judicial Court. The  emergency request was denied.  

Ahosis at the time.

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Pennsylvania Police Corporal Sean Farrell faces voluntary manslaughter charges after fatally shooting 22-year-old unarmed college student Glenwood 'Bubba' Pysher IV on a home's back patio. In South Carolina, parents John and Geordyn Hayes were arrested after their nonverbal autistic 5-year-old daughter Saylor was found drowned following the intentional removal of her tracking transponder. In Texas, 63-year-old Ronny Medford has been indicted for murder after his 84-year-old father was found dead inside a burn barrel on his property. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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After six days of deliberating, the Lindsay Clancy jury remains deadlocked.   After lunch on Thursday, the jury submitted a question,  but the judge did not read it aloud. He did reiterate the legal definition of reasonable doubt, sending jurors back to deliberate.

Defense attorney Kevin Reddington told the court one juror “refuses to listen to the law” and moved to remove that juror. Judge  William  Sullivan declined.  

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A Utah judge has ruled that 23-year-old Tyler Robinson will stand trial for the fatal rooftop shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton rejects defamation threats as federal authorities prosecute four out-of-state individuals for making violent threats during the investigation into Nolan Wells' mysterious death. In Pennsylvania, 29-year-old Jakob Korber faces criminal homicide charges after home security camera footage caught him surrendering to police following the brutal beating death of his mother. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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Singer D4vd has new representation in court, now being represented by a public defender. Prosecutors claim D4vd had a financial motive to murder Celeste Rivas.  David Anthony Burke has been declared broke despite earning millions from his music career.  Attorneys for Celeste's family disputes indigent clams says D4vd has 3 companies under his name. 

There are accusations that he may have transferred assets or hidden money through corporations and his mother or manager. Public records also show his father selling property and taking out loans during the legal fallout. 

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A random and horrific knife attack in Times Square leaves a 32-year-old attorney dead and another bystander wounded before NYPD officers fatally shoot the attacker. Nearly three decades after the drive-by shooting death of rap icon Tupac Shakur, a Nevada jury finds Duane "Keffe D" Davis guilty of first-degree murder. A North Carolina teenager faces murder charges for allegedly aiding a deadly California mosque attack by broadcasting the gunmen's livestream and spreading their white-supremacist manifesto. Sydney Silvagni. 

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Ghislaine Maxwell's most recent bid to overturn her 2021 sex‑trafficking conviction and 20‑year sentence, has been denied. The only path to freedom no is a presidential pardon.     

Maxwell is serving her sentence at Federal Prison Camp Bryan in Bryan, Texas. She was moved to the minimum‑security facility last year. Several "scandals" have followed Jeffrey Epstein's closest confidante, claims that she is not eligible to be at Camp Bryan, claims that she is getting special treatment, including claims she has unlimited access to toilet paper. That is uncommon behind bars. 

There is also the reported secret thumb drive Maxwell sent to the DOJ. Are there names of men connected to the Epstein scandal on it or just motions in a bid for release?  

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Singer D4vd has fired his high-profile legal team and pleaded not guilty during his Los Angeles arraignment for the gruesome murder and dismemberment of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. In Oklahoma, extraction facility owner Ryan Bassham faces first-degree murder charges following a massive, illegal THC lab explosion that killed two workers and damaged over twenty neighboring businesses. An 81-year-old California mother who had both of her legs amputated after an alleged impaired driver plowed into a sidewalk dining area is maintaining a positive outlook as her recovery continues. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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We are in verdict watch in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse accused of strangling her three young children: Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and eight-month-old Callan. Clancy wrapped exercise bands around the children's necks in their home's basement before slitting her wrists and jumping from a second-story window. 

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Former pastor John-Paul "JP" Miller is awaiting a federal trial on cyberstalking and lying charges. Public scrutiny again focused on the suicide death of Mica Miller after the release of a three-part Netflix documentary.  Miller has pleaded not guilty to charges.  Authorities have not charged Miller criminally in connection Mica's death.   

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A standoff in Nashville ends in a fatal police shooting after a sword-wielding man holds a woman hostage inside a car. Bryan Kohberger’s new attorney files motions to disqualify the judge and move his post-conviction proceedings back to Latah County. A South Carolina judge denies bond for a woman accused of stabbing her Lyft driver eleven times during an alleged mental health crisis. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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Courtney Clenney pleads guilty to manslaughter and receives a six-year prison sentence for the 2022 fatal stabbing of her boyfriend, Christian Obumseli.  She was originally charged with second-degree murder and faced up to life in prison. Clenney argued she acted in self-defense because of an abusive relationship.

The judge sentenced her to six years in state prison, followed by five years of reporting probation. Because she spent four years in jail awaiting trial, that time counts toward her sentence. She has about two years left to serve and could be released even sooner with good behavior.

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Sheryl McCollum is joined by human trafficking survivor and advocate Tina Dixon, who ran away as a young teenager before being trafficked through the Dixie Mafia’s network of brothels and organized prostitution across the South. Together, they discuss the grooming, manipulation, violence, and addiction traffickers use to control their victims and how organized trafficking operations adapt to changing technology as recruitment expands through social media and other online platforms. Tina also explains what finally helped her break free after decades of exploitation and why she has made it her mission to help others escape trafficking and rebuild their lives.

Highlights:

(0:00) Sheryl explains the Dixie Mafia’s ties to human trafficking and the importance of understanding victimology in investigations

(2:00) Why investigators distinguish between different forms of commercial sexual exploitation and how those differences shape an investigation

(3:45) Tina runs away at 14, arrives on Bourbon Street, and becomes involved with an outlaw motorcycle club

(8:30) The differences between a “Cassanova pimp” and a “gorilla pimp” and how traffickers use manipulation before violence

(10:15) Inside Louisiana's prostitution “circuit” of roadside bars, gambling rooms, and brothels hidden throughout the bayous

(11:45) How traffickers groom children online using social media, emotional manipulation, and false promises

(15:00) Childhood abuse, addiction, and the vulnerabilities traffickers intentionally exploit

(17:15) Inside a rural brothel: how victims are trained, controlled, and punished

(23:15) Why traffickers profit while victims are left with addiction, trauma, and nothing to show for years of exploitation

(24:15) How online predators continue using the same grooming tactics to recruit children today

(26:45) The confrontation that led to Tina being shot twice

(30:00) Why Destiny House, Hookers for Jesus, and EMDR finally succeeded after 17 rehab attempts

Enjoying Zone 7? Leave a rating and review where you listen to podcasts. Your feedback helps others find the show and supports the mission to educate, engage, and inspire.

---

Tina Dixon is the founder and executive director of Queens Arise, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping survivors of human trafficking build independent futures through education, career training, mentorship, and long-term recovery support. After surviving decades of trafficking herself, Tina now helps survivors create lasting stability while advocating for survivor-led solutions.

Learn more about Tina and sign up for updates on her upcoming memoir, Going to the Country:https://queensarise.org/tina-dixon/

Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an active crime scene investigator for a metro Atlanta police department and the director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, which partners with colleges and universities nationwide. With more than four decades of experience, she has worked on thousands of cold cases using her investigative system, The Last 24/361, which integrates evidence, media, and advanced forensic testing.

Her work on high-profile cases, including The Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, Tupac Shakur and the Moore’s Ford Bridge lynching, led to her Emmy Award for CSI: Atlanta and induction into the National Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2023.

Social Links:

Email:coldcase2004@gmail.com

X: @ColdCaseTips

Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

Instagram:@officialzone7podcast●

TikTok:@Sheryl.McCollum

Sheryl’s new book,Swans Don’t Swim in a Sewer: Solving the Cold Case of the FlintRiver Killer’s Daughter,is available now wherever books are sold.

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A Florida jury has convicted Mario Fernandez Saldana of first-degree murder and solicitation in the 2022 ambush slaying of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan. In Texas, former high school teacher Holly Adams was arrested following a year-long investigation into allegations of inappropriate relationships with students. Meanwhile, a reckless Florida driver fleeing a traffic stop slammed head-on into a school bus carrying 19 children before deputies apprehended him on foot. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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The United Cajun Navy has been instrumental in the investigation into 18‑year‑old Nolan Wells' death.  Nolan went missing July 4, after a boat trip to Horn Island, Mississippi. He was found  dead two days later. Nancy speaks with Josh Gill,  United Cajun Navy Incident Commander. He was involved in the search for Nolan from the very beginning, and had early contact with Nolan's mom. He details that contact for Nancy, including accompanying her for a meeting with the coroner.  

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Karmelo Anthony’s motion for a new trial in the stabbing death of  Austin Metcalf,17,  has been denied.   Anthony, 19, was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison after a jury rejected his self-defense claim.  

In the motion for a new trial, Anthony's defense team claimed  the trial was unfair due to:

Restrictions on public access to proceedings, citing security concerns, a  “gentleman’s agreement” between prosecutors and defense to suppress potentially damaging character evidence about both Anthony and Metcalf, claims Anthony was coerced into waiving his right to testify because of the agreement, alleged jury instructions that self-defense did not apply if Anthony provoked the altercation.  

New allegations and evidence put before the court as prosecutors revealed that Anthony’s ex-girlfriend reported him to school for stalking and sent texts saying he was “lowkey on the verge” and wanted to “stab someone” and “lick the blood off the blade.”   Defense attorneys presented school and phone records showing Metcalf spray-painted racial slurs and phrases like “KKK” and “Heil Hitler.”  

 The Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas will review the denial.  Anthony’s attorneys,  say they will continue the appeal and pursue all legal remedies.

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The investigation into Nolan Wells' death continues. Today, a local resident and frequent visitor to Horn Island joins Nancy Grace and her panel today to explain what he saw that day.

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A Massachusetts jury begins deliberations in the murder trial of former nurse Lindsay Clancy, accused of strangling her three children amid defense claims of postpartum psychosis. In Pennsylvania, college baseball player Glenwood "Bubba" Pysher IV is fatally shot by police after accidentally knocking on the wrong home's door following a night out. In Utah, a 17-year-old is arrested and charged with double murder 17 months after his mother and young half-brother were found shot in their home. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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Hayden Panettiere’s West Hollywood home raided by more than six federal agents this week.  Agents entering Panettiere's building were seen by a witness. We now know that entry was supported by a warrant to search the premises.

Panettiere, 36, was found in a Greenville  Airbnb  where she had traveled with on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson.  

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A 22-year-old man accused of donning a Chucky Halloween mask to terrorize pedestrians and threaten a woman in Philadelphia has been captured in Las Vegas following a multi-state flight. In Montana, a devastating mass shooting leaves eight family members dead—including four young children—after a gunman opened fire during a family dinner before taking his own life. A California married couple has been extradited from Mexico after an eight-month investigation into the fatal beating of the wife's secret boyfriend. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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A New York City mother survives a violent slash-and-stab attack on an Arizona hiking trail when her desperate screams alert a nearby resident to open her door. A Milwaukee teenager faces up to 65 years in prison after allegedly shooting a mother of two dead following a road rage argument she blamed on a bad day. A former television news anchor in Kansas pleads guilty to the Halloween murder of her elderly mother after suffering severe mental health delusions. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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As Hayden Panttierre's death investigation continue, the focus falls on her romance with boyfriend Brian Hickerson. Hickerson admitted in an interview that he had battered Hayden in the past. Neighbors have come forward saying they heard crying and screaming in the time for her death, some saything they had called 911 multiple times. 

Hayden's mom said that Hickerson had pawned some of Hayden's property including a vingtage guitar 

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The husband of murdered New Jersey psychotherapist Brooke Hanlon is addressing rumors surrounding her death after breaking his silence nearly three months later. In Missouri, a former assistant fire chief faces second-degree murder charges after a hidden cellphone video exposed his lie that his wife committed suicide. A North Carolina mother has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the horrific 2015 child abuse death of her two-year-old daughter. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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Eugene Horsch's arrest after a traffic stop leads to an extensive investigation into missing women.  When he was taken into custody, police found him with fake Drug Enforcement Administration credentials, a switchblade, and two firearms with altered serial numbers.  His passenger was carrying a fake ID with the name of a missing woman, Blair Tonzelli. that is what lead the searches of his home.

 Police and federal agents have recovered:

Over 600,000 images and 70,000 videos thought  that appear to show the bodies of two missing women — Maribel Fresses (last seen 2018) and Gabrielle Amarando (missing since 2012) 

Five urns believed to contain cremated remains, a home lab in the basement, and containers of unknown oily substances  

120 pieces of ballistic evidence, marijuana growing materials, and other suspicious items  

Authorities have not recovered the women’s bodies, but the medical examiner has stated that if the images and evidence are authentic, the women are deceased 

Horsch has been charged with:

Firearms offenses

False federal credentials

Possession and possession with intent to deliver drugs

He is not charged with the women's disappearances.   

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Former University of Kentucky cheerleader Laken Snelling enters a guilty plea after her newborn infant was discovered deceased in a trash bag inside a closet. In Pennsylvania, an incoming college soccer player is brutally stabbed to death by her boyfriend, whose mother allegedly helped clean the crime scene and conceal evidence. A Colorado husband faces first-degree murder charges after claiming his wife committed suicide, as investigators uncover defensive fingernail wounds and an undisclosed extramarital affair. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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Billy Schmidt, a 22-year-old Penn State student, ambushed as he headed home from a local bar after watching the NBA finals. Two individuals allegedly stole his phone, Surveillance footage shows Schmidt confronting the men, saying, “Give me back my phone.”  One of the men shot him in the chest, killing him.  

The shooting occurred around 1:30 a.m. on Durfor Street, just steps from Schmidt’s home. Witnesses and video footage indicate that Schmidt pursued the suspects after the theft. One suspect threw the phone, while another turned and fired the fatal shot. Schmidt was rushed to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center but was pronounced dead shortly after.   

Authorities recovered the phone and a single spent shell casing from the scene. Surveillance footage from neighbors has been collected to help identify the suspects. 

Now, 19-year-old Kadafi Fleming and his 16-year-old brother, Azubayer have been arrested.  Colorado weeks ago.  

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Retired Pastor John Bridges has been married 5 times. His first four wives all died, and police are now investigating the deaths of his first two wives, Joyce Bridges and Astrid Bridges, who died 21 years apart. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack discuss the cases and how after decades, these two deaths, that were originally ruled "accidental", are now ruled "homicides".

Highlights

00:01.360  Everybody's Got a Story

00:33.800  The Five-Times Married Pastor

02:06.400  The Exhumation Process

04:57.560  Mabel's Mysterious Death in 1972

12:27.400  Astrid's Fatal Fall in 1993

13:35.640  Reopening the Cases After 20 Years

25:12.840  The Role of Water in Forensic Analysis

32:45.840  Investigating Husbands with Multiple Wives

44:25.640  Closing Thoughts and Call for Information

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Authorities in Minneapolis are investigating a baffling series of unexplained deaths after multiple bodies were discovered along local waterways and shorelines within days of each other. In Massachusetts, a multi-agency manhunt is underway for an award-winning first responder advocate sought for questioning following the death of her police officer husband. Meanwhile, a South Florida woman accused of posing as a bank representative to scam an elderly resident allegedly smuggled thousands of dollars in cash inside her body while being processed at jail. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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Are wedding bells are ringing for family annihilator Chris Watts? Lizzie Henderson,
39, is reportedly waiting for approval of her application to marry Watts within the
walls of the Dodge Correctional Institution, but according to family members, she’s
already embodying the role of Watts’ wife. She’s sporting a wedding ring and
initiating the process of changing her last name. Last year, the realtor moved with
her elderly mother from Cleveland to Waupun to be closer to Watts.  Other jail visitors claim the couple takes advantage of all 10 seconds they are
allowed to embrace at the end of visits. 

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It's been 73 days since Brooke Hanlon was found murdered in the master bedroom of her home. No suspect has been named, nor has an arrest been made. 

Brooke, a 35-year-old psychotherapist and mother, found stabbed to death inside her New Jersey  home.  Her death has been ruled a homicide, caused by multiple sharp force injuries 

Husband James 'Conor' Hanlon calls 911 around 4:30 PM after finding his wife bloddied and unconscious on the second floor of the home. He described a major laceration to her chest area to the operator saying "there's blood everywhere". No suspects have been publicly named. 

TIPLINE: Chester Police at 908-879-5100Crimestoppers at 973-267-2255.  $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest

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Philadelphia police have issued an arrest warrant for a suspect accused of wearing a horror mask and terrorizing Center City pedestrians. In South Florida, a mother faces severe felony charges after allegedly setting a kitchen fire and pouring hot candle wax on her young daughters. Meanwhile, California cold case investigators have utilized forensic genetic genealogy to identify the fifty-year-old desert remains of a teenager missing since 1973. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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Is there a mysterious witness coming forward online to what happened to Nolan Wells, or is it just malicious trolls?  New social postings seen to threaten to out someone as having a fight with Nolan on Horn Island. Shortly after that post, someone else claimed to have been hacked and that posting under her name were not real. What's the truth about Nolan Wells? 

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A Massachusetts judge rules that a former psychiatric hospital worker who posted a viral TikTok will not be permitted to testify at Lindsay Clancy's trial. A California chiropractor receives a six-year prison sentence following his conviction for sexually abusing patients during treatment sessions. Minnesota authorities investigate a horrific murder-suicide at a daycare facility that left a mother, child, and the suspect's mother dead. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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Actress and singer Hayden Panettiere was found unresponsive at a home in Greenville, South Carolina, around 1:50 p.m. . Emergency personnel administered medical assistance, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. The preliminary investigation by Greenville police and the county coroner’s office indicated no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. A NARCAN pen was found nearby. The exact cause of death has not been publicly disclosed, though reports suggest an apparent overdose may have been involved. Will this play out as the Matthew Perry investigation did with those who provided drugs being charged? 

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Lindsey Clancy's trial continue as the prosecution rest and the defense opens their case. Today Massachusetts State Police investigator Kyle Pavao,  who examined Clancy's Microsoft Surface Pro discussed internet searches related to suicide methods.   Testimony focuses on evidence related to Clancy’s actions and her mental health. The jury heard testimony about Clancy saying she hear a male voice telling her to kill her children. 

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Wedding bells are ringing for convicted murderer Chris Watts as his realtor partner files paperwork to officially become "Mrs. Lizzie Watts." Disturbing video footage and delayed emergency calls lead to second-degree murder charges against a Missouri man after his girlfriend was found beaten to death in a motel room. Pennsylvania authorities dismantle a massive Penn State cocaine ring after fraternity members allegedly used drug packaging as a pledge initiation ritual. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges for the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and faces a potential life sentence  The status of his state murder trial is still pending. 

On August 14, 2026, Luigi Mangione, 28, admitted in Manhattan federal court that he stalked and shot Brian Thompson outside a Hilton hotel. He pleaded guilty to two federal counts of interstate stalking resulting in death, which carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. Mangione explained that his actions were motivated by years of severe back pain and frustration with the U.S. health insurance system.  

Despite the federal guilty plea, Mangione still faces eight state charges in New York, including second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. His state trial is scheduled to begin on September 8, 2026. His defense has filed a motion to dismiss the state charges under New York’s double jeopardy law, arguing that his federal guilty plea should prevent prosecution for the same conduct. However, prosecutors maintain that the state charges are distinct and are prepared to proceed with the trial.

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An Atlanta babysitter with a history of child abduction is arrested after allegedly kidnapping two young sisters while their mother was out for dinner. In Texas, a Plano man faces murder charges after police discover his estranged wife's body stuffed inside a vehicle trunk during a welfare check. Meanwhile in Massachusetts, a teenager is held without bail after allegedly using ChatGPT to research family murder scenarios before carrying out a violent attack against his mother and brother. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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Police respond to a 911 call in the high society area of the Hamptons at the Montauk Yacht Club shortly after midnight.

Martha Nolan-O'Slattarra, a fashion designer from Ireland, is found unresponsive on a boat named "Ripple." The yacht is reportedly owned by insurance mogul Christopher Durnan, 60, who was present at the scene and allegedly ran down the dock screaming for help.

The wealthy yacht owner was once accused of fighting and biting a former New York firefighter during a tribute concert, commemorating 20 years after the 9/11 terror attacks.

CPR is attempted by a good Samaritan, but first responders pronounce Martha dead at the scene. Initial autopsy results showed no signs of violence. As rumors swirl of drug overdose, Martha's family strongly denies those claims and rumors of brain cancer by hiring attorney Arthur Aidala to ensure a thorough investigation is performed. 

The official cause of death is inconclusive. Still no charges in the case, but the yacht owner has been hit with a multimillion dollar wrongful death suit. 

Joining Nancy Grace Tonight:

Jo-Anna Nieves  - Criminal defense attorney and Founder of The Nieves Law Firm, website: thenieveslawfirm.com, Instagram, Facebook and X: nieveslawfirm, YouTube and TikTok: thenieveslawfirm 

Dr. Chloe Carmichael  -  Clinical Psychologist, Author: ‘Nervous Energy: Harness The Power of Your Anxiety”, Twitter: @DrChloe, drchloe.com 
Dan Murphy - Former NYPD Detective-Sergeant, Joint Terrorism Task Force, Former Chief Security Officer, US Bancorp, Co-Host of "Gold Shields" Podcast, Author: “Workplace Safety: Establishing an Effective Violence Prevention Program” 
Jeff Gentry  -  Forensics-Certified Bloodstain Pattern Analyst, Senior Crime Scene Analyst and Death investigator, Former Toxicology Lab Analyst, Author: "Forensic Science: Applications to Death and Crime Scene Investigations" ; TikTok: @jeffreygentryBPA, FB: Jeff Gentry Bloodstain Pattern Analyst, Website: Evidenceoverassumption.com  
Brian Harmon  - Executive editor, Greaterlongisland.com,  former Daily News assistant metro editor and NY Press Association Writer of the Year 

Dave Mack - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories'

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MK Confidential opens on the morning the biggest missing-persons story in America is supposed to peak. It is September 11th, 2001. Bob and Susan Levy are flying to Chicago to tell their daughter's story on Oprah. The congressman's son is booked on The View. For four months the country has asked two questions about a 24-year-old intern named Chandra Levy. Where is she, and was a sitting congressman involved? At 8:46 a.m., Flight 11 hits the north tower. The interviews never happen. By nightfall, the story that consumed America is gone.

Search The Megyn Kelly Show wherever you get your podcasts to hear the full series.

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Police arrest a nineteen-year-old suspect hiding inside a campus dorm closet following a late-night mass shooting at Virginia State University that left five people wounded. In Kentucky, one person was killed and four others injured in an outdoor concert shooting. A Louisiana man faces murder charges after allegedly shooting his wife and driving her body across state lines in the passenger seat of his car. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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Madi Brooks, 19, leaves Reggie’s Bar with four young men who offer to give her a ride home.

A few blocks from the bar, the driver pulls over and starts to video as the two men in the backseat ‘have sex’ with an extremely intoxicated Brooks. Afterward, Brooks cannot tell the men her address and, according to them, insists on getting out of the car. Just before 3 a.m., a Lyft driver strikes something in the road. It’s Madi Brooks. She dies of her injuries at a hospital.

The four men have been charged in this case, three of them with third-degree rape, and one is charged as a principal to third-degree rape, which means he was present for the alleged crime, but did nothing to stop it. 

Reportedly,  there are concerns that District Judge Gail Horne Ray will not remain neutral while presiding over the trial of Madison Brooks’ four alleged rapists. Last year, Judge Ray reduced an accused rapist’s bail without allowing prosecutors to argue against the decision.

Just last month, Ray moved to overturn a 1972 rape conviction when asked to consider allowing the convict parole. Her son, Nelson Taylor Jr., is also a convicted serial rapist.   

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A man got a great deal on a home in Connecticut at a home foreclosure auction. There was one catch - the home was sold "As-Is", none of the bidders were allowed to see the inside of the home before bidding. Edward A. Marchion of Newington, Connecticut, purchased the home at 7 Stanwich lane, Burlington, Connecticut, by bidding $525,000 at a court ordered foreclosure auction on June 6, 2026. On June 14, the new homeowner opened the doors to his new home, and new nightmares for the rest of his life! Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack take a look at how a great deal on a house turned out to be a great big nightmare when the new owner finds the home still occupied - by three skeletons!

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Nick Reiner indicted in the killings of his parents Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner. He's facing two counts of first-degree murder. The indictment, which will replace the original murder case filed against him in 2025, includes a new special circumstance allegation of lying in wait

Here's why.

Michele and Rob Reiner leave Conan’s party without their son after his off-putting behavior, like wearing a hoodie to a formal event and interrupting Bill Hader’s private conversation, leads to an embarrassing public row.

Reiner, however, doesn’t make his own way to Brentwood. Instead, he pops up in Santa Monica at 4 a.m. Sunday morning, checking into The Pierside hotel. Desk staff don’t notice anything off about Reiner’s appearance, but the next morning, housekeepers find sheets covering the windows, and blood all over Reiner’s bedding and shower.

The Reiners’ troubles with their middle child have been bubbling to a head for months. Every photo of the family from the September premiere of Rob’s latest film, "Spinal Tap: The End Continues," picture the 32-year-old sporting a deep scowl.

By November, Nick Reiner moves back into his parents’ guest house, which he’s trashed on multiple occasions, leading up to a blowout fight the day after Thanksgiving that left Michele “at her wits’ end.”

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Nolan Wells’ and his phone were separated  on Horn Island. It was later recovered by his family from one of his friends’ homes on the mainland. 

Attorneys representing the family, including Ben Crump, note that Nolan had demanded his phone back during an argument with his friends on the island, indicating he wanted to maintain control over it. 

The phone’s separation and whether any messages were deleted  have become central points in the ongoing investigation. The family and civil rights attorneys are questioning the timeline and circumstances surrounding Nolan’s disappearance, emphasizing that the phone’s handling may hold critical information about his final hours.

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Roughly seven days Celeste Rivas was killed, according to prosecutors, D4vd posted a single word to social media, "decay."   It's sparked social commentary as many are linking it back to Celeste's death at the hands of David Anthony Burke.  No official court source has identified the tweet as evidence, and so far authorities have not connected it to the case. 

During Burke's  preliminary hearing, prosecutors revealed the last text messages between D4vd  and Celeste the day before prosecutors say he dismembered the teen.  Prosecutors allege Burke fatally stabbed her, after an argument over another woman. Rivas reportedly said she would “end your career and your life” and threatened to “leak all of the s–t” if she saw him with her. According to the state, Celeste was killed the next day.    

D4vd has pleaded not guilty to charges including first‑degree murder, continual sexual abuse of a child under 14, and mutilation of human remains.   

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An Oklahoma teenager convicted of sexually assaulting and strangling two high school classmates sees case dismissed with 19th birthday, having never served prison time. Florida decorated sheriff's deputy shoots and kills his former girlfriend before taking his own life following a domestic dispute over a television set. An Arizona man is believed to have fled the country after human remains presumed to be his parents are found buried in their backyard. Sydney Silvagni reports.  

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Prosecutors and defense attorneys in the federal case against alleged CEO killer Luigi Mangione are rumored to discuss a potential plea deal that could reignite double jeopardy arguments in state court. Convicted Colorado murderer Chris Watts has applied to marry a 39-year-old Cleveland realtor from behind bars at a maximum-security prison in Wisconsin. In Florida, a father was shot and killed after intervening in a violent roadside dispute shortly after dropping his daughter off for her first day of school. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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Nolan Wells’ friends — Warren Hudson, Jax Pitalo, and Morgan Seymour are adamant. They had nothing to do with Nolan's death. Their public statements express regret over the Fourth of July Horn Island trip, denial of wrongdoing, and criticism of the media’s coverage.  

They describe the harassment, threats, and defamation they’ve faced since Nolan's death. Today their attorney's speak with Nancy Grace.  

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Samantha Miller and her fiancé Aric Hutchinson spend the night celebrating their wedding.

When the newlyweds leave the reception, the golf cart in which they are riding is plowed over by a speeding car. Police say Jamie Komoroski was driving 65 mph in a 25 mph zone. Bride Samantha Miller is killed.

Komoroski admitted to police that she had been drinking that night, but refused to take a breathalyzer test. Three other people in the golf cart, including the groom are injured.

Jamie Lee Komoroski is charged with three counts of DUI with great bodily injury or death and reckless homicide. Ultimately, Komoroski  pleaded guilty to felony DUI, two counts of DUI causing great bodily injury or death and reckless homicide. She was sentenced to 25 years.

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A viral Tik Tok from a former employee at the mental health facility where accused child murderer Lindsay Clancy received inpatient treatment sparks an intense courtroom debate over hospital care standards. Philadelphia authorities expand manhunt for a nineteen-year-old robbery suspect tied to a student's killing after he allegedly exchanges gunfire with an off-duty police officer. Sydney Silvagni reports.  

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Alex Murdaugh is asking a South Carolina judge to dismiss his murder indictments, alleging the lead state investigator gave perjurious testimony and presented fabricated physical evidence to the grand jury. In Ohio, a mother and her two co-parents face murder charges after a seven-year-old boy was found bound and dead inside a closet following months of severe abuse uncovered by a private investigator. An international manhunt ended in Berlin after a former exchange student was captured for the alleged breakup-related strangulation murder of a University of Arizona student in her apartment. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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OnlyFans model and Instagram influencer Courtney Clenney arrested on charges that she stabbed her boyfriend, Christian Obumseli, 27, to death at their Miami high-rise home.  

An attorney for Clenney says that the 25-year-old “was a victim of physical, emotional, and mental abuse at the hands of Obumseli” and killed him in self-defense. The two had been dating for about two years and lived at the apartment building for several months.

Police responded to multiple calls to the apartment, and apartment staff  also noted multiple domestic incidents and tried to evict them. 

Friends of the couple said it was unimaginable that Obumseli could have been violent toward Clenney, saying while they had seen Clenney hit Obumseli, they had never seen him hit her.

Now, Clenney, pleaded guilty to manslaughter with a deadly weapon in Christian's death.  An autopsy found a single three‑inch‑deep stab wound to the chest that punctured his subclavian artery.  Clenney initially claimed self‑defense, saying she threw a kitchen knife at him from about 10 feet away  Miami police body‑camera footage showed Clenney covered in blood after the attack. Clenney was sentenced to six years in prison and five years of probation, with credit for roughly four years already served.   It's possible she will be released in less than 2 years.  

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OnlyFans model Courtney Clenney accepts sweetheart deal for six-year prison sentence in the fatal Miami stabbing of her boyfriend, Christian Obumseli. Two Arizona men face multiple felony charges after allegedly driving hours to rendezvous with a minor they met on a dating app. Washington state Costco employee runs down co-worker he caught hugging a female associate he had a crush on. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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Testimony in Lindsey Clancy's murder trial is focusing on her mental state and her psychiatric care. Statements attributed to Lindsay Clancy in court  include suicidal remarks, intrusive thoughts about harming her children, and descriptions of severe postpartum psychosis. Ex-husband Patrick Clancy testified that Lindsay made suicidal statements and told him she had thoughts of hurting her children, though her behavior fluctuated between alarming comments and normal caregiving.  

Statements read from Clancy's journal detail her frame of mind. 

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 Jury selection begins in Las Vegas for Duane "Keffe D" Davis as prosecutors attempt to prove his involvement in Tupac Shakur's murder using his own incriminating public statements. 22-year-old North Dakota mother attacks her three young children with a knife, her 1-year-old the only survivor. Two Florida men face off with a machete and hatchet in a parking lot duel over a shared love interest. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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Nancy Grace and her expert panel examine the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse accused of strangling her three young children: Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and eight-month-old Callan. Clancy wrapped exercise bands around the children's necks in their home's basement before slitting her wrists and jumping from a second-story window. The team analyzes the prosecution's argument that Clancy meticulously planned the killings after searching ways to kill online and sending her husband out for takeout food and pharmacy prescriptions, contrasting it with defense claims that she suffered a severe psychotic break triggered by postpartum psychosis and a cocktail of psychiatric medications. Nancy breaks down what happened in court, reviewing testimony from a lifelong friend, distressing autopsy findings, emergency dispatch recordings, and the details of a jury walkthrough at the Duxbury crime scene.

Joining Nancy Grace today: 

Eric Faddis (Denver, CO) -Founder of The Law Offices of Eric Faddis, known as “The Mile High Lion,”  former felony prosecutor and current criminal defense and civil litigation attorney

Brian Bennett (SC) -Former Police Officer at Columbia, South Carolina Police Deptartment, Owner of Clearview Justice Training & Consulting - Specializing in strangulation assaults, domestic violence

Dr. Catherine Birndorf,MD (New York, NY) -Reproductive Psychiatrist and Postpartum Expert. Co-founder, CEO, Medical Director at The Motherhood Center of New York. Former board member at Postpartum Support International. Founding Director of the Payne Whitney Women’s Program at Weill Cornell Medicine – New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Author: "What No One Tells You: A Guide to Your Emotions from Pregnancy to Motherhood" and "The Nine Rooms of Happiness: Loving Your Life, Finding Your Purpose, and Getting Over Life’s Little Imperfections."

Dr. Kendall Crowns (Fort Worth, TX)  – Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County, Host of podcast "Mayhem in the Morgue", Lecturer: Burnett School of Medicine at Texas Christian University (TCU)

Shannon Hill – Host, Shannon Hill News on Instagram, Tiktok and YouTube

Kristina Rex (Boston, MA) -WBZ Reporter, Instagram & Tik Tok: @kristinarextv, X: @kristinarex, Facebook: Kristina Rex

Dave Mack – Crime Stories investigative reporter

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In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum is joined by retired Police Chief Frank Frederickson and Michelle Linn for a case that began with a violent 1988 Cape Cod assault and, years later, became something neither of them could have imagined. Frederickson, then a newly assigned detective, recalls a summer of escalating attacks across Hyannis and Barnstable, Massachusetts, and the unconventional decision to bring Michelle along into the nightclubs to search for the man who attacked her. Michelle shares what finally convinced her to report the assault, how she knew her attacker the instant she saw him, and how one of the most traumatic experiences of her life led to justice, healing, and an unexpected love story.

Highlights:

(0:00) Sheryl McCollum introduces retired Police Chief Frank Frederickson and details his decades of law enforcement service

(1:00) Frank describes the 1988 Cape Cod case and “sets the stage” before cell phones, DNA testing, cameras, and modern investigative tools

(2:00) A young woman is attacked while trying to retrieve a motel key; a passerby intervenes as the attacker tries to drag her across the road

(3:45) Similar assaults begin happening weekly in Barnstable and Hyannis, Massachusetts, growing more violent as the summer goes on

(4:45) Michelle tells Frank she believes she will know the assailant if she sees him again

(7:15) Michelle spots the man outside a Hyannis nightclub

(8:00) Frank describes following the suspect until a liquor store stop gives police a reason to approach him

(11:15) Michelle joins the conversation and shares how she recognized her attacker and what she remembered from the attack

(15:30) Michelle recalls not wanting to report the assault, and the moment her friend convinced her that staying silent could put someone else at risk

(21:30) Frank and Michelle share the unexpected turn their lives took years later

Enjoying Zone 7? Leave a rating and review where you listen to podcasts. Your feedback helps others find the show and supports the mission to educate, engage, and inspire.

Frank Frederickson is a retired chief of police with more than 45 years in law enforcement, beginning with the Yarmouth Police Department in 1977 and retiring in 2022. He has served as director of government affairs for the Massachusetts Fraternal Order of Police and as executive director of the New England Association of Chiefs of Police.

Michelle Linn is a survivor whose courage helped investigators identify and arrest the man responsible for a series of sexual assaults on Cape Cod in 1988. Her decision to report, stay involved, and trust what she recognized helped bring justice for multiple victims.

Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an active crime scene investigator for a metro Atlanta police department and the director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, which partners with colleges and universities nationwide. With more than four decades of experience, she has worked on thousands of cold cases using her investigative system, The Last 24/361, which integrates evidence, media, and advanced forensic testing.

Her work on high-profile cases, including The Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, Tupac Shakur and the Moore’s Ford Bridge lynching, led to her Emmy Award for CSI: Atlanta and induction into the National Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2023.

Social Links:

Email:coldcase2004@gmail.com

X: @ColdCaseTips

Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

Instagram:@officialzone7podcast●

TikTok:@Sheryl.McCollum

Sheryl’s new book,Swans Don’t Swim in a Sewer: Solving the Cold Case of the FlintRiver Killer’s Daughter,is available now wherever books are sold.

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A Louisiana judge faces intense scrutiny and recusal demands after her son's conviction as a rapist surfaces alongside damming text messages from a suspect in the gang-rape of LSU student Madison Brooks. In Missouri, new emergency audio details how a teen hid in a closet while a neighbor executed a mother and her daughter before turning the gun on himself. A Washington man accused of setting the catastrophic Old Trails Fire sees his bail raised to two million dollars after admitting to igniting dozens of blazes across the region. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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Sandra Rzucek, murder victim Shanann Watts' mother, hasn't minced word on her opinion of her killer former son-in-law. She has used the term "the devil" and "the work of the devil"  following the 2018 murders of her pregnant daughter and young granddaughters.  In an interview Rzucek spoke about the  stated, “ The devil comes to you in any shape, size and form and can be transformed into anything.”  Sandra openly referred to Chris as the Antichrist, pointing to the cold, calculated way he discarded his family. 

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Five people were arrested in the death of actor Mathew Perry. Federal Prosecutors alleged Perry first obtains ketamine from an unscrupulous doctor aiming to take advantage of the actor’s addiction issues. Dr. Salvador Plasencia teaches Perry’s live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa how to administer the drug, and provides ketamine to both Perry and Iwamasa at exorbitant prices. When the drugs become too expensive, Perry and Iwamasa turn to street dealers   Assistant Kenneth Iwamasa reaches out to several street dealers. Eric Fleming agrees to a deal, and turns to his supplier Jasveen Sangha, dubbed “The Ketamine Queen.”  Fleming pays Sangha for the drugs with cash from Iwamasa. 

In two weeks, Sangha provides Fleming and Iwamasa 50 vials of ketamine to distribute to Perry for $11,000. When news of Perry’s death begins to circulate, Sangha texts Fleming, “Delete all of our messages.”

Now, Matthew Perry’s sisters, Caitlin and Madeline Morrison, speak out accusing assistant, Kenneth “Kenny” Iwamasa, accusing him of directly causing his death. The sisters described Iwamasa as someone Perry trusted and considered family. Madeline Morrison wrote that Iwamasa “had injected my brother with a lethal dose of ketamine and left him in a hot tub to die”, calling the betrayal “something I never could have conceived.”  Caitlin Morrison echoed the sentiments, stating she could not determine if the lethal ketamine dose was accidental, but she knew Iwamasa was either “escaping from something he knew he had done” or “willfully abandoning a vulnerable person in a dangerous situation” when he left Perry.    

Kenneth “Kenny” Iwamasa  was sentenced on May 27, 2026 to 3 years and 5 months in federal prison and received a $10,000 fine. He was ordered to serve two years of supervised release after his prison term.

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What happens when the children of serial killers get together? The book, "The Death Row Club," hits bookstores.  This dark, psychological thriller by V.A. Vazquez mixes the mystery, horror and true crime genres.  

The story follows Nicola Fischer, daughter of a man convicted of murdering five women, including Nicoa's best friend. Nicola's life changes overnight.  One day, she receives a cryptic invitation a secret annual retreat for the adult children of serial killers,  the Death Row Club.  When a death happens within the club, the question rises. Is one of the members taking after their serial killer sire? 

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Two gang members have been arrested in Peru in connection with the drugging, robbery, and killing of an American Airlines flight attendant in Medellín, Colombia. Hawaii congressional candidate Kirill Basin faces felony terroristic threatening charges after a violent confrontation captured on video. In Maryland, an innocent driver was killed and seven teenagers were injured after they crashed a stolen Kia Optima in Germantown. 

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Sean “Diddy” Combs  placed in solitary confinement at  Fort Dix Correctional Institute after a fight with another inmate. Reportedly, Diddy was insulted and the two shoved each other and exchanged punches before prison staff  broke them apart. The Federal Bureau of Prisons has not publicly confirmed the details of the incident.  

Combs, 56, is serving a 50‑month federal sentence for two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, following his 2025 conviction. He was acquitted of more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.  An additional month has been tacked onto Diddy's release date.   He is currently assigned as a chaplain’s assistant and enrolled in a drug treatment program that could help reduce his sentence. 

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One of three men accused of sexually assaulting LSU student Madison Brooks before her death wants to ban supporters from wearing pink in the courtroom. Alarming body-cam captures driver dragging a Florida officer over 300 feet during a violent traffic stop. Indiana teenager brutally bites a nine-month-old, telling police the child looked like a "busted up egg." Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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A 22‑page report from the United Cajun Navy  compiles publicly available data, GPS logs, photos, social media posts, and tips to reconstruct the final hours before Nolan Wells disappeared on July 4, 2026.

According to the report, Wells and friends arrived on Horn Island   around 11 a.m. The last time Nolans was seen alive is between 3:23 p.m. and 4:27 p.m. As the boats left the island, the Triton, Nolan's initial transport left  at 4:31 p.m.  

The report highlights a critical 60‑minute gap between Wells’ last sighting and the Triton’s departure.   Nolan's state autopsy remains sealed.  

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A grieving Bronx mother demands systemic change after her twelve-year-old son, out riding his bicycle, was shot and killed by a career criminal. Lindsay Clancy Defense attorneys score key concessions after psychiatrist explains how severe psychosis impacts rational behavior. 81-year-old Missouri man faces first-degree murder charges after allegedly shooting his ex-wife with dementia during an argument over healthcare costs. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos continues to say he believes the Nancy Guthrie investigation is moving forward.  Speaking to reporters, Nanos says while things are not where they need to be, but progress is being made. Is it?   On Thursday, Nanos responded to a question of whether Nancy was still alive with, 'I have nothing to indicate she's dead. I don't have a body. I don't have a burial site. I don't have any note.'

The next day, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office released two ransom notes that we have been discussing for six months. In the second note, the write reveals Nancy has died and "was in nature."  

Many are questioning mistakes made in the investigation and whether the outcome of this case would have been different, had it been handled appropriately. 

Anyone with information on the abduction of Nancy Guthrie is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or 88-CRIME. 

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A Southern California real estate dispute turns fatal when two men allegedly kidnap an associate, and execute him in a car trunk before deputies intervene. Atlanta Instacart driver's car stolen with her two-year-old daughter inside, leading to a rapid response and rescue. Authorities credit Flock cameras for Alabama arrest of Florida fugitive wanted for kidnapping a child under ten. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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Nolan Wells’ official autopsy is now complete, but remains under seal. It's headed to a secret Grand Jury.  We do know the results of the Wells family's independent autopsy. It concluded the cause and manner of death are undetermined pending further investigation. The pathologist noted advanced decomposition, removal of key organs during the state autopsy, and an inconclusive red discoloration on the back of Wells’ head. No fractures or deep tissue injuries were identified.   

A newly enhanced recording of a July 4 emergency call from Wells’ friends reportedly includes phrases like “Is he dead?” and “Wake up.”  It's not known if that those word apply to Nolan.

As the investigation continues, many connected to it are getting death threats and the FBI is investigating.   

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When Lindsay Clancy’s third child is born, her recovery seems to be different.  

The 32-year-old reaches out to her parents and her in-laws to help her manage the children and things around the home. Her husband, Patrick Clancy sets up a home office in the basement to work remotely, so he can be on hand to help. When Lindsay starts to have thoughts of suicide, and worse, hurting the children, she checks herself into the McLean Psychiatric Hospital, 

Five days after checking into a psychiatric hospital Lindsay Clancy is reportedly told she doesn't have postpartum depression. Husband Patrick Clancy tells friends that after her hospital stay, Lindsay seems to be getting better. She is sleeping better, interacting with friends and family, and going out in public without any difficulty. When Patrick Clancy asks his wife if she is having any suicidal thoughts, Lindsay Clancy says "No."   

Later on in the year, with his wife having been prescribed at least 13 different medications, Patrick Clancy texts a friend saying he’s concerned that Lindsey has been prescribed too many medications. Patrick allegedly told friends that he worried she was suffering “the worst side effects possible” from one of her prescriptions. He says he thinks she is going through benzodiazepine withdrawal.   

On a Tuesday afternoon Lindsay Clancy sends a text to her husband to pick up takeout.  As Patrick Clancy leaves to pick up dinner, Lindsay sends him a text to stop off by the drugstore and pick up some medicine for the children.  

Patrick Clancy stops by the drug store to pick up the medication but gets confused as to exactly which medicine to buy. He calls Lindsay Clancy on the phone, but she doesn't answer. She calls back a minute later.

Patrick says she sounded like she was in the middle of something. Lindsay answers his question about the medication and Patrick picks it up and heads to  3V to get their dinner.  When Patrick Clancy comes home, he’s met with silence.

He finds his wife in the backyard. She had jumped out of a second-floor window after slitting her wrists. The children are in the basement,  strangled, an exercise band still wound around their necks.  

Investigators revealed in court papers that Lindsay Clancy allegedly researched "ways to kill" before the deaths of her three children.    Now Lindsay Clancy,  paralyzed after her second-floor fall, is on trial for three counts each of murder and strangulation. 

The trial has been emotional so far. Ex-husband, Patrick Clancy, served as the state's first witness. He details her deteriorating mental health leading up to the tragedy but noted that she appeared to be having "one of her best days" just hours before the event.   The court played the emotional, impounded 911 audio recorded when Patrick returned home to discover his wife on the ground outside and his children strangled in the basement.  Police officers, firefighters, and emergency room doctors gave gut-wrenching testimony.  The jurors then completed a rare site visit to the former family home in Duxbury, as well as the local CVS and restaurant Patrick visited on the evening of the killings.

The trial continues this week.

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Twin Falls authorities commend off-duty state trooper and armed citizen who confronted 24-year-old gunman who opened fire at a newly opened Twin Falls In-N-Out Burger. Six months after 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Tucson home, investigators release two purported ransom notes in hopes that the public will recognize the author's distinctive phrasing. Intoxicated Georgia man faces child abuse charges after attacking two young children playing tag aboard a Carnival cruise ship. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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Karen and Dusty Spencer were married and jointly owned a successful home painting business, A-Plus Painting. Two years into the marriage and business, the relationship sours and disputes about finances become more frequent, turning violent. On December 10 during an argument, Dusty hit and choked Karen, threatening to kill her. Police were called and Dusty Spencer was arrested. Spencer called Karen from jail and told her he was going to "finish what he started" when he got out. Authorities were aware of the threat but no effective action was taken and Bail for Dusty Ray Spencer was just $5,000. Spencer bailed out.  Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack discuss what happened to Karen Spencer after her husband and business partner made bail...then made good on his promise to finish what he started.

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The family of Mississippi teenager Nolan Wells demands answers alongside civil rights leaders as rewards in his suspicious death case reach $175,000. New Mexico Supreme Court rules hospital body camera footage and a teenage cheerleader's confession cannot be used in murder trial for her newborn baby. California man facing murder charges after allegedly shooting his mother outside a police department and hiding her body inside her car.

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Rebecca Grossman,  convicted in the 2020 hit-and-run deaths of brothers Mark and Jacob Iskander, is fighting the court ordered payout to the boys' parents. She was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. Through a wrongful death civil lawsuit,  Grossman was ordered to pay $21 million in punitive damages and $176 million in compensatory damages, totaling $197 million.  Will the Isakander family ever see the money? 

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Colt Gray, 14, opens fire at his Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. He fatally shot four people and injured several others. 

The FBI first investigated Colt Gray in May 2023 after receiving a tip about a school shooting threat via Discord, a gaming chat platform.

Father Colin Gray told investigators he had been teaching his son about "firearms and safety" and how to hunt. He stated that if his son had made any threats, he "would be mad as hell and then all the guns would be taken away."

Colt denied making threats. After the investigation, Colin Gray purchased his son an AR-15-style rifle as a gift.    Colt Gray smuggled the rifle into school inside his backpack and opened fire in a math classroom and a hallway.   

There were four  fatalities: two 14-year-old-students,- Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo alongside teachers Richard Aspinwall  and Cristina Irimie. Eleven people were injured.  

Evidence presented during h trial revealed that Gray deliberately planned the attack for months to achieve internet notoriety. Prosecutors showed that he was heavily active in an online "true crime community" and deeply obsessed with previous mass murderers, specifically Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz. His electronic devices contained thousands of photos of Cruz.    Gray pleaded guilty to all 55 criminal charges against him, including four counts of malice murder.  

During his sentencing hearing, Gray laughed out loud during on of his surviving victim's impact statements. 

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Bryan Kohberger says he is innocent in the murders of four University of Idaho students, and wants to withdraw his guilty plea to go to trial.  Kohberger is serving four consecutive life sentences.  In a written statement,  Kohberger declared: “My actual innocence is my truth, and the plea, hinged on by false promises and blatant disinformation, MUST be withdrawn.”  He has filed a petition for post‑conviction relief  to have his guilty plea rescinded. 

Kohberger claims that he was coerced into pleading guilty, misled about the consequences of the plea, told false promises about life in prison and death row conditions.      

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Jurors in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial visit the Duxbury home where the Massachusetts mother allegedly strangled her three young children before attempting to take her own life. Nineteen-year-old Amish man pleads guilty to aggravated murder after smothering a woman and offering to help her family prepare for her funeral. Testimony begins in New York trial of a father accused of drowning his nine-year-old daughter during a vacation, then reporting her kidnapp

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Christine Wonsley's legal team has issued subpoenas to several major social media and technology companies. It's  in an effort to get records of her son's accounts as the investigation into her 18-year-old son's death continues.  

The court documents show information is being sought from  Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat, TikTok and  Life360.

The petition, asks for messages, photos and videos sent and received through Wells' accounts. They also want any GPS data location and timestamps. Nolan Wells's body was found on Horn Island two days after he went missing. 

The companies have 21 days to comply. 

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Savannah Guthrie makes an emotional, direct appeal to her missing mother's captor as Sherriff Chris Nanos also gives his first public statement in some time. In a new Instagram,  Savannah Guthrie urges the kidnappers to "make the right choice" and tell the family where to look for her.

She says her family is in agony. She also pointed out, "We will never stop looking for her." 

Just after Savannah's mention went live, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said he's "still positive" the  case will be resolved.  Investigators continue to dig through evidence. Nanos says,  "We have so much DNA to sort through."

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Six years after her tragic disappearance from Spring, Texas, human remains found near a Missouri City jogging trail have been positively identified as 15-year-old trafficking victim Kristen Galvan. California authorities launch an urgent search for 9-year-old twins after they were abducted by their father. 25-year-old Utah bride-to-be faces arson charges after setting fire to church venue the day before her wedding. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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Bryan Kohberger says he is innocent in the murders of four University of Idaho students, and wants to withdraw his guilty plea to go to trial.  Kohberger is serving four consecutive life sentences.  In a written statement,  Kohberger declared: “My actual innocence is my truth, and the plea, hinged on by false promises and blatant disinformation, MUST be withdrawn.”  He has filed a petition for post‑conviction relief  to have his guilty plea rescinded. 

 Kohberger claims that  he was coerced into pleading guilty, misled about the con  consequences of the plea, told false promises about life in prison and death row conditions, and  exculpatory evidence was withheld.  Despite his early agreement to forego appeals, under Idaho law Kohberger  can still seek post‑conviction relief if ineffective assistance of counsel or other constitutional violations can be proven.    

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When Lindsay Clancy’s third child is born, her recovery seems to be different.  

The 32-year-old reaches out to her parents and her in-laws to help her manage the children and things around the home. Her husband, Patrick Clancy sets up a home office in the basement to work remotely, so he can be on hand to help. When Lindsay starts to have thoughts of suicide, and worse, hurting the children, she checks herself into the McLean Psychiatric Hospital, 

Five days after checking into a psychiatric hospital Lindsay Clancy is reportedly told she doesn't have postpartum depression. Husband Patrick Clancy tells friends that after her hospital stay, Lindsay seems to be getting better. She is sleeping better, interacting with friends and family, and going out in public without any difficulty. When Patrick Clancy asks his wife if she is having any suicidal thoughts, Lindsay Clancy says "No."   

Later on in the year, with his wife having been prescribed at least 13 different medications, Patrick Clancy texts a friend saying he’s concerned that Lindsey has been prescribed too many medications. Patrick allegedly told friends that he worried she was suffering “the worst side effects possible” from one of her prescriptions. He says he thinks she is going through benzodiazepine withdrawal.   

On a Tuesday afternoon Lindsay Clancy sends a text to her husband to pick up takeout.  As Patrick Clancy leaves to pick up dinner, Lindsay sends him a text to stop off by the drugstore and pick up some medicine for the children.  

Patrick Clancy stops by the drug store to pick up the medication but gets confused as to exactly which medicine to buy. He calls Lindsay Clancy on the phone, but she doesn't answer. She calls back a minute later.

Patrick says she sounded like she was in the middle of something. Lindsay answers his question about the medication and Patrick picks it up and heads to the 3V to get their dinner.  When Patrick Clancy comes home, he’s met with silence.

He finds his wife in the backyard. She had jumped out of a second-floor window after slitting her wrists. The children are in the basement,  strangled, an exercise band still wound around their necks.  

Investigators revealed in court papers that Lindsay Clancy allegedly researched "ways to kill" before the deaths of her three children.    Now Lindsay Clancy,  paralyzed after her second-floor fall, is on trial for three counts each of murder and strangulation. 

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Admitted Idaho student murderer Bryan Kohberger is seeking to withdraw his guilty plea and face a full trial, claiming he lied about his guilt after he was misled by legal counsel. Three people killed and five others injured when two suspects engage in a gunfight during the annual Bite of Seattle food festival. Months after 15-year-old Louisville boy stabbed while heroically protecting a young girl has been tragically shot and killed. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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MDMR releases the call audio from the boat in Nolan Wells case and it's raising lots of questions. You can hear what sounds like someone in the background might be saying, "Is he dead?"    The audio also sounds like  someone is saying "Nolan."  

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Details of the terrifying ransom notes have surfaced in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the investigation ongoing nearly six months later. Dispute over a sixty-five-dollar garage parking fee escalates into a deadly shooting spree at Saint Paul apartment complex leasing office. Wisconsin mother shot and killed during a child custody exchange, hours after filing a restraining order against her child's father. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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Karmelo Anthony convicted in just three hours for the shocking murder of 17-year-old standout student and football star Austin Metcalf at what was supposed to be an ordinary track meet in Frisco, Texas. It escalated into a horrific tragedy when a simple dispute over a team tent during a rain delay ended with Metcalf being stabbed in the chest.

Now, hearings are set for August, just six weeks after Anthony was sentenced to prison. He has a new team of lawyers filing motions for a new trial.  Among the issues, attorney say the original trial was effectively closed to the public,  jury instructions were misleading regarding self-defense, Judge John Roach publicly defended the verdict to reporters, and prosecutors did not honor an off-the-record evidentiary agreement. The off-the-record deal prevented the teen from testifying in his own defense.  

The attorneys have also asked for Judge John Roach to be removed from post-trial hearings because of bias. 

A different Collin County judge will hold a hearing on Aug. 19 to on the motion to replace Judge Roach. 

The next day, the defense team will argue their motion for a new trial. 

Joining Nancy Grace Today:

Randy Kessler – Defense attorney based out of Atlanta, Georgia.

Lisa Herrick – Trial lawyer, partner at Varghese Summersett, and former juvenile prosecutor.

Barry Hutchinson – Former 26-year Law Enforcement Veteran and Detective, Owner & Chief Investigator for Barry & Associates Investigative Services located in Kansas & Missouri

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Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns examines the rare phenomenon known as the Lazarus effect, or autoresuscitation, where signs of life return after a person has been declared dead. He starts with the case that’s been making headlines: 18-month-old Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino, pronounced dead after a drowning, then found alive hours later in a hospital morgue. Dr. Crowns explains how death is actually determined, what might cause circulation to kick back in after resuscitation has already stopped, and the safeguards hospitals use to prevent a person from being declared dead prematurely. He also shares other reported cases of people showing signs of life at funeral homes and explains how he knows the person on his autopsy table is, in fact, actually dead.

Highlights

(0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns

(00:30) The case of 18-month-old Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino, who was found alive in a hospital morgue

(1:15) Childhood drowning risks and why crowded gatherings around swimming pools can become dangerous

(2:45) What happens to the body during drowning and the five stages that can lead to death

(6:15) Vincent’s resuscitation, declaration of death, and the signs of life reportedly noticed by his family and first responders

(7:15) What agonal breathing looks like and why it can be mistaken for signs of recovery

(8:30) A medical examiner transporter discovers Vincent alive more than five hours after he was pronounced dead

(9:45) The Lazarus effect, or autoresuscitation, and where the term comes from

(10:45) Other reported cases of people showing signs of life after being declared dead

(12:45) How medical professionals determine death and the additional criteria used to establish brain death

(15:15) What the Lazarus effect looks like when it occurs

(16:00) The theories behind why circulation can sometimes return after CPR has stopped

(17:15) Why patients should be monitored after CPR ends before death is declared

(18:00) How Dr. Crowns knows someone is dead before beginning an autopsy

(19:15) Dr. Crowns’ grandmother, a family fear of being buried alive, and a needle that may have been involved in confirming a death

About the Host

Dr. Kendall Crowns is the chief medical examiner for Travis County, Texas, and a nationally recognized forensic pathologist. He has led death investigations in Travis County, Fort Worth, Chicago, and Kansas. Over his career, he has performed thousands of autopsies and testified in court hundreds of times as an expert witness. A frequent contributor to Crime Stories with NancyGrace, Dr. Crowns brings sharp medical insight and dark humor to the often-misunderstood realities of forensic pathology.

About the Show

Mayhem in the Morgue takes listeners inside the bloody, bizarre, and often unbelievable world of forensic pathology. Hosted by Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns, each episode delivers real-life cases from the morgue, the crime scene, and the courtroom. Expect gallows humor, hard truths, and unforgettable investigations.

Connect and Learn More

Learn more about Dr. Kendall Crowns on LinkedIn and follow Mayhem in the Morgue on TikTok at @mayheminthemorgue. Catch him regularly on Crime Stories with Nancy Grace and be sure to follow Mayhem in the Morgue wherever you get your podcasts.

If you like this episode, don’t keep it to yourself; follow the show, share it with a friend,and leave a review.

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When Katherine “Kat” Torbick's co-workers can’t reach the registered nurse, they call police. Schaumburg police force entry into Katherine’s home, and find her lying on the couch, dead,
with clear signs of trauma. In the garage, investigators find Katherine’s ex-boyfriend, Kevin
Motykie tying a noose. Motykie, 56, is unsteady and slurs his words while admitting he took
lorazepam and hydrocodone. As Motykie is placed in handcuffs, officers discover a recording
device in his pocket with a 7-hour tape between the hours of 2:00 and 9:00 a.m. that morning.
 
The seven-hour audio recording captures Motykie interrogating Katherine about infidelity, hitting her, and sex assaulting her while she begs him to stop.  In the final four minutes of audio Motykie is heard strangling Katherine, repeatedly telling her to "think of somewhere happy." 

Motykie has a history of domestic violence allegations in three prior orders of protection. In
fact, Motykie attacks Katherine just weeks prior to her murder. Motykie allegedly chokes
Katherine, tries to gauge her eyes out, and threatens her at knifepoint. Katherine manages to
escape to a neighbor’s home and call 911. Investigators document her injuries, and in a
videotaped statement, Katherine says she’s afraid Motykie will eventually kill her. Police issue
a warrant for Motykie’s arrest, but are unable to locate him.

Kevin Motykie is now behind bars, charged with first-degree murder and three counts of aggravated sex assault.  He's scheduled to appear in court again May 29th.
 

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Questions of how Nolan Wells dies multiple as the results of an independent autopsy are  revealed. The pathologist who conducted the second autopsy rules Nolan Wells’ cause and manner of death are “undetermined,” pending investigation. 

The FBI has joined the investigation as family lawyer, Ben Crump,  says foul play could not be ruled out.  What do Nolan's friends, with him on the island say? 

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Olivia Mae Marie Smith, 12,  died not far from her home, in an incident that has left her family and investigators with unanswered questions. 

According to initial reports, Olivia was at a friend’s house  when a 911 call came in around 9:21 p.m. At first, the claim was she had run face‑first into a tree and was unconscious.  Then ring camera footage from the friend’s porch showed her sitting outside.  She walked toward some trees before the call was made.  Fourteen minutes later, an ambulance arrived to rush Olivia to the hospital.  She did not survive. 

Olivia's family says they do not believe the girl  “ran into a tree.”  Olivia reportedly had a heart condition, but it is unclear whether that played a role in her death. Some accounts have said the girl was being chase by others in the neighborhood.

Officials have not announced a final cause or manner of death.  

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Prosecutors present horrifying crime scene photos during the preliminary hearing for singer D4vd in the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Tennessee father arrested for first-degree murder after leading Memphis police to toddler son's body in suitcase. Silicon Valley driver faces murder charges seven months after an extreme high-speed crash killed a mother and her toddler daughter. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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The preliminary hearing for D4vd (David Anthony Burke) continues in the death 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. D4vd faces multiple serious charges, including:

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.    

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Independent autopsy in Mississippi college football player Nolan Wells cannot rule out foul play. Washington man faces first-degree assault charges after prosecutors say he intentionally rammed an SUV into his wife’s alleged lover. Two Utah teenagers allegedly lure a young man into a knifepoint, robbery. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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Results of an independent autopsy has been revealed. The pathologist who conducted the second autopy rules Nolan Wells’ cause and manner of death are   “undetermined,” pending investigation.

The pathologist found red discoloration on the back of Nolan's head. But due to the fact that body parts were missing  and some procedure were incomplete hindered a final ruling. Typically in an autopsy internal organs are removed and examined, but placed back inside the body for burial or cremation. Some of Nolan's neck tissue was missing. 

According to family lawyer, Ben Crump,  foul play could not be ruled out. 

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Leticia Stauch's murder conviction has been overturned by the Colorado Court of Appeals. Stauch was found guilty of murder in the death of her 11-year-old stepson, Gannon. Now, a three-judge panel agrees that a biased juror deliberated on the case. In the 54 page ruling, the panel noted the juror said his son-in-law worked as a deputy district attorney in the District Attorney's office which prosecuted the case. The juror should have been dismissed automatically.   This now means a retrial. 

 Stauch, step mother to Gannon Stauch, reported the 11-year-old boy as missing. In reality,Stauch was stabbed, beat, shot, and killed inside the family’s Fountain home. Letetcia Stauch then tried to cover up her crimes, by blaming numerous imaginary people and driving to Florida to dispose of the boy's body. Gannon Stauch was stuffed inside a suitcase, which was then tossed over a bridge in Pace, Florida.  

Prosecutors said that Letecia Stauch was upset that she was left taking care of her stepchildren. Internet searched shows her distain while Gannon’s father was away at work with the US National Guard.  

The Colorado Department of Law filed an appeal  June 29, with the Supreme Court. It's now a waiting game to find out if court will review the case.

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Two young women missing in separate incidents: Brooke Farthing and Cieha Taylor.

Brookelyn Farthing was 18 years old when she vanished in 2013. She was last seen leaving a party with two guys she knew.  She had texted her sister asking for a ride, but later texted again saying she had found one. She was never seen again. 

Cieha Taylor, 28,  has been missing for more than four years.  Her abandoned car was found near  railroads tracks.  The car was running, door open. Her purse was inside. Her cell phone found discarded not far away.  

What happened to Brooke and Cieha?

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