Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Breaking crime news as it happens throughout the day! Follow "Crime Alert Hourly Update" now on your favorite podcast app: https://link.chtbl.com/Crime_Alert The Utah parents of an 18-month-old found dead in March have now been arrested in connection with the death of their daughter, Ruby. In the crib where Ruby is found dead, investigators find several sippy cups and waffles. The infant’s mother, Carrie, makes a chilling comment to authorities. Here's some of our top stories this week: A mother & stepfather are accused of stabbing their pregnant daughter to death & then ripping the unborn baby from her womb. The DA called the chilling, premeditated act "Evil personified."  A woman is pulled from a burning row house in Massachusetts by a good Samaritan utility worker with a bucket truck moments before flames would overtake the very spot she evacuated. When Sheriff Stines allegedly shoots and kills Judge Kevin Mullins in his chambers, the event is recorded and caught on video, which is presented during Stines’ preliminary hearing and shown to the grand jury. Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.”  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6-year-old Darius MacDougal is on a family camping trip with his dad, grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, cousins, as well as his dad's girlfriend, Buffy, and her daughter, Kya. The family gathers to celebrate multiple family birthdays at the same time while camping in the Crowsnest Pass, an area of great natural beauty with rivers, creeks, hiking areas, and small islands close to shore where the children love to play.  As the family's are packing up the camping gear to head home, Darius, Kya, and a cousin are on a small island directly across from the camping area, in clear view of all the adults. In the blink of an eye, Darius is gone. The children tell the adults they were all together, turned their back for a second and Darius is gone. Darius' father and grandfather immediately begin searching, each going different directions on the small island to cover the entire area, planning to find Darius before they meet in the middle.  Searching the island and screaming his name, Darius seems to have vanished into thin air. 911 is called and within 20 minutes a command post is set-up and organized searches by the RCMP Search and Rescue begins. Joining Nancy Grace today: Anne Bremner - Trial lawyer, Legal Analyst, and Author: “Justice in the Age of Judgment;" X: @annembremner, Instagram: @Anne_Bremner Caryn Stark - Forensic Psychologist, Renowned TV and Radio Trauma expert and Consultant; Instagram: carynpsych, FB: Caryn Stark Private Practice Dr. Trace Sargent - Search, Rescue & Recovery Expert, PhD in Psychology (with a focus on victimology - criminal profiling - predator behaviors - crime scene analysis); Director of Forensic Investigations and Analysis Brian Fitzgibbons - Former Marine and Iraq War Veteran, Director of Operations for USPA Nationwide Security (leads a team of investigators specializing in locating missing persons); Instagram: @uspa_nationwide_security Stephen Tipper - Southern Alberta Reporter for Postmedia Dave Mack - Crime Stories Investigative Reporter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rex Heuermann has been cleared in the strangulation death of Colleen McNamee. The 20 year old was beaten strangled and dumped near the William Floyd Parkway in 1994. DNA testing confirmed Heuermann was not connected with the murder.     The DNA test was conducted following a request by convicted killer John Bittrolff. He was convicted in 2017 of killing McNamee and Rita Tangredi. Her battered body was found in  in 1993. Bittrolff tried to pin McNamee’s murder on Heuermann. DNA proved the claim incorrect. Police arrest prominent New York architect Rex Heuerman in connection with the Gilgo Beach serial killings. Rex Heuerman,59, is charged in multiple deaths of women whose bodies were found buried. These include Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello.    The women's remains were found along Gilgo Beach in Long Island within 500 feet of each other. However, investigators have found a total of  eleven bodies but Heuerman is not charged in all. Seven so far.    Heuermann claims he is innocent.  Now a judge rules that evidence collected through cutting-edge DNA technology will be admissible at his trial. Prosecutors say the DNA points directly at Rex Heuermann. The technology specializes in extracting nuclear DNA from damaged or hard-to-get samples, such as rootless hair, like those found on six of the victims.     Joining Nancy Grace Today: John Ray - Attorney for family of Shannan Gilbert Dr. Bethany Marshall - Psychoanalyst (Beverly Hills): Twitter: @DrBethanyLive    Deputy Police Commissioner Anthony M. Carter - Suffolk County Police Department Joe Scott Morgan - Professor of Forensics: Jacksonville State University; Author, "Blood Beneath My Feet" and Host: "Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan;" Twitter: @JoScottForensic Todd G. Shipley, CFE, CFCE - Cyber crime expert, Author: “Investigating Internet Crimes: An Introduction to Solving Crimes in Cyberspace;" Twitter: @webcase Toby Wolson - Forensic Consultant Specializing in DNA, Serology and Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Kristin Thorne- Investigative Reporter for WABC Channel 7 Eyewitness News in New York, and Host of Hulu’s true-crime show, “Missing;" @KristinThorne on Facebook, Twitter, Insta, Threads, & LinkedIn  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luigi Mangione's defense team describes his "beautiful, promising life" as "derailed" by the murder charges against him. This phrasing is not highlighted as a saying from Mangione's groupies, but as a phrase coming from Mangione's attorney as part of a legal motion filed to dismiss the federal case or get the death penalty tossed. As part of an evidence suppression hearing in the upcoming trial of Luigi Mangione, prosecutors play a 911 call placed by the manager of a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The McDonald's manager is not identified, and the hearing is the first time the 911 call is played in public.  The manager is apologetic as she tells the 911 operator she tried the non-emergency line first and continues taking orders as she tells the operator, "I have a customer here some other customers were suspicious of because he looks like the CEO shooter in New York. And they're just really upset and come to me, and I'm like, I can't approach him." The 911 operator, Emily States, testifies and is heard asking for a description of the individual, with the manager replying, "The only thing you can see is the eyebrows." Mangione's defense attorney, Marc Agnifilo, objects to the 911 call being played, but the judge says he is allowing the call for this hearing.  Mangione enters the courtroom in shackles, but the judge allows Mangione to sit unshackled and take notes at the defense table.  Long lines outside the courthouse filled with women and men supporters trying to enter the hearing, hoping to get a glimpse of the alleged CEO murderer. Mangione's defense team is trying to prevent several key pieces of evidence from being allowed at trial, like the comment about the 3-D printed pistol. Angifilo claims conversations with correction officers were illegally coerced and should not be allowed. The defense claims Mangione is questioned for 20 minutes by Altoona Police Officer Joseph Detwiler without being read his Miranda rights.  Therefore, prosecutors should not be allowed to introduce any testimony about statements made by Mangione to police. Joining Nancy Grace: Skye Lazaro - Criminal Defense Attorney - with experience in both federal and state cases, Law Firm: Ray, Quinney & Nebeker; Facebook: SkyeBeth, Instagram: SkyeBeth1 Dr. Judy Ho - Clinical and Forensic Neuropsychologist, Author of 'The New Rules of Attachment'; and 'Stop Self-Sabatoge;' IG & X: @drjudyho; FB: doctorjudyho Dr. Angela Arnold - Psychiatrist, Atlanta GA. Expert in the Treatment of Pregnant/Postpartum Women, Former Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Obstetrics and Gynecology: Emory University, Former Medical Director of The Psychiatric Ob-Gyn Clinic at Grady Memorial Hospital Sheryl McCollum - Forensics Expert & Cold Case Investigative Research Institute Founder, Host of "Zone 7;" X: @149zone7 Tom Smith - Former NYPD Detective for 30 years - Narcotics, Robbery Squad, Gang Investigations - was also assigned to the FBI/NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force. Co-Host of the GOLD SHIELDS Podcast; FB & Instagram: @thegoldshieldshow Joseph Scott Morgan - Professor of Forensics: Jacksonville State University, Author of "Blood Beneath My Feet," and Host: "Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan;" X @JoScottForensic Kayla Brantley -  Reporter-At-Large for DailyMail.com; X: @_KaylaBrantley, Instagram: @KaylaBrantley Dave Mack - Crime Online Investigative Reporter  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two 'Teachers of the Year' arrested for crimes against children.  A Florida man is behind bars for murdering a woman who allegedly flew from the United Kingdom to be killed. Sydney Sumner reports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian Walshe pleads guilty to misleading police and improperly disposing of a body, leaving only themurder charge for the trial. Prosecutors believe Walshe is motivated to murder by an affair and a $2.7 million life insurance policy with Brian Walshe as the beneficiary. The state says unhappy marriage, sick internet searches, and DNA evidence all point to Brian Walshe as his wife Ana’s killer. Three days before Ana Walshe is last seen alive, a PornHub video is viewed on Brian Walshe’s laptop about a “cheating wife,” tying in to prosecutors’ theory Walshe knew Ana was having an affair. On cross-examination, an investigator admits the viewer did not specifically search for ‘cheating’ or ‘cuckold’ materials and may have stumbled on the video from an unrelated search for a particular actress. Prosecutors paint the picture of the Walshe marriage as a crumbling house, and Ana befriends and becomes romantically involved with another man, William Fastow, and Brian is looking for a way out. Ana is with Fastow on Christmas Eve and misses her flight back to Cohasset, ending up driving back home and missing most of Christmas with her family. Less than 48 hours later, Brian Walshe is online looking for favorable states for men to get a divorce. On December 27, Brian Walshe makes several divorce-related searches, including “best strategies to divorce for a man” and “What’s the best state to divorce for a man?” Walshe claims he discussed divorce with Ana several times due to his ongoing Andy Warhol fraud case, concerned about protecting their assets and children. Walshe tells police Ana left home between 6 and 7 a.m. on January first for a "work emergency," and tells officers he did not question her because he didn't want to have another argument about missing a holiday. Investigators begin looking at Walshe's internet activity and find out he searches for the name of his wife's lover, William Fastow, on Christmas Day. On January 1, at 4:54 a.m., Walshe searches, "Best Way to Dispose of a Body." Joining Nancy Grace: Matthew Morrise - Attorney and Digital Forensic Investigator at Morrise Thompson Foresta Dr. Cheryl Arutt - Licensed Clinical and Forensic Psychologist specializing in Trauma Recovery, PTSD and EMDR,  website: CreativeEMDR.com; IG: @askdrcheryl Brian Fitzgibbons - VP of Operations for USPA Nationwide Security; Instagram: @uspa_nationwide_security, Kingsman Philanthropic's 2022 rescue missions of women and children in Ukraine, Iraq War Veteranide_security Dr. Thomas Coyne - Chief Medical Examiner, District 2 Medical Examiner's Office, State of Florida; Forensic Pathologist, Neuropathologist, Toxicologist; X: @DrTMCoyne Anne Emerson - Senior Investigative Reporter, WCIV ABC News 4 (Charleston, SC); Host of Award-Winning Podcast: "Unsolved South Carolina: The Murdaugh Murders, Money and Mystery; X: @AnneTEmerson David Mack - Crime Stories Investigative Reporter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dancer Gunned Down by Ex in Botched Murder-Suicide After Breakup| Crime Alert 6AM 12.04.2025Puppy love ends in lead -when an angry ex opens fire on his high school sweetheart. He then turns the gun on himself but survives. A Florida man who frantically reported his GF missing is now facing a murder charge, after her body is found floating in a canal. Plus, don't "Walk this, Way!" Jennifer Gould reports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brianna Aguilera is a huge Texas football fan. Growing up in Laredo, ‘Brie’ cheers for the United High School Longhorns. As she heads to college, Brie trades burnt orange for maroon and white at Texas A&M. Brianna spends most of her time at the Bush School in pursuit of a political science degree. She’s looking forward to ordering her Aggie ring and prepping for the LSAT next year. Brie’s planning to head straight to law school after graduation and is well on her way with a 4.0 GPA. At 12:47 a.m., Austin Police respond to a good Samaritan’s report of an unconscious woman outside the 21 Rio high-rise. The woman is pronounced dead at 12:57 a.m., with officers believing she fell from the building. Meanwhile, a mother's intuition leads Stephanie to be suspicious as soon as her daughter's phone goes to "do not disturb," especially after she communicates with her daughter that she made it ok to the tailgate party and to keep her phone and location on for safety. Repeated calls to her daughter's phone, the police, and surrounding hospitals continue to turn up no word on her daughter's whereabouts. This is unlike the behavior the honor student has always shown her family; that is why the family starts to panic. It’s not until 4 p.m. that afternoon that Stephanie Rodriguez is told her 19-year-old daughter, Brianna Aguilera, is dead. Officers first tell her Brie jumped, then say her friends don’t know how Brie ended up 17 stories below them. Austin PD recovers Brianna’s phone, though they haven’t said where, returning the device to her grieving mother. Stephanie says her daughter’s texts indicate she got in a fight with one of the other girls staying at the Rio 21 apartment Friday night. When she highlights the texts to an officer, he tells her they are not investigating Brianna’s death as a homicide, and the texts does not change the course of the investigation. Stephanie Rodriguez does not accept Austin PD’s assumption. Brianna committed suicide. Stephanie, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, insists Brianna was excited to attend the tailgate and had a long list of future plans. Her daughter was also so afraid of heights, she wouldn’t ride roller coasters on her cheer team’s senior trip to Disney World. Stephanie believes one of the 14 “friends” Brianna was with that night knows what happened to her daughter. Joining Nancy Grace today: Stephanie Rodriguez - Brianna Aguilera's Mother Josephine Nava - Grandmother of Brianna Aguilera Kenneth “Tray” Gober - Managing Partner of Lee, Gober & Reyna, Instagram & Facebook: LeeGoberReynaLawFirm Dr. Bethany Marshall -  Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker," and featured in hit show "Paris in Love" on Peacock; Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, X: @DrBethanyLive Fil Waters - Former Homicide Detective for the Houston Police Department, President & CEO of Kindred Spirits Investigations & Security, Inc. Joseph Scott Morgan - Professor of Forensics: Jacksonville State University, Author of "Blood Beneath My Feet," and Host: "Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan;" X @JoScottForensicc Alex Cano - Assistant News Director at KGNS-TV in Laredo, Texas; Facebook: Alex Cano News Sydney Sumner - Investigative Reporter, "Crime Stories" See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rebecca Park, a northern Michigander who was thirty-eight weeks pregnant when she disappeared, is now at the center of a homicide case as new charges are filed following the discovery of her body and the continued search for her missing baby. A Georgia couple now faces criminal charges after investigators say they abandoned their dog just before leaving the state for a Hawaiian vacation. The grinch who stole Thanksgiving dinner takes an 80-year-old volunteer’s car while she serves meals to the homeless in Portland. Drew Nelson reports.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United States Marshals Service joins the hunt for Coach Travis Turner, who is listed as a "Missing Person" last seen November 20. The Marshals Service is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of Turner. Turner's disappearance days before his undefeated football team's playoff game is now even more shocking; the coach is wanted on charges of possessing child pornography and using a computer to solicit a minor. Virginia State Police say Turner is wanted on warrants for five counts of possessing child pornography and five counts of using a computer to solicit a minor. Police say additional charges are pending. In the early stages of an investigation into allegations involving the coach, police head to the family home to interview Travis Turner. While on the way, investigators receive a tip that Turner is no longer at the home. In a shocking update for fugitive Coach Travis Turner, the family says the last contact they had with the husband and father was as he left the family home on foot, walking into the woods with a firearm. Turner goes into an area described as heavily wooded and mountainous, as investigators are on the way to his house to interview him about recent allegations. There is no word on if the former coach was contacted ahead of time and fled the scene, but no charges had been filed against him at the time he left the family home. Turner was gone when investigators arrived. Travis Turner is a former high school football star quarterback who captured three state titles as a player in the mid-90s, and who is now the head football coach at Union High School in Wise County, Virginia. Turner has been the football coach since 2011, and this year the team is undefeated heading into the state playoffs. Turner and his paralegal wife, Leslie, have been married for going on 25 years and have three children, two boys and a girl. The recent accusations swirling around football coach Travis Turner are not the first time Union High School has had to deal with allegations involving a coach/teacher. Timothy Lee Meador, a teacher and coach at Union High School, was arrested on one count of child solicitation and two counts of indecent liberties. Meador pleaded guilty to two felony charges of taking indecent liberties with a minor by a person in a custodial or supervisory relationship, and was sentenced to one year and three months in prison. The same lawyer who represented Meador is also representing the Turner family. Joining Nancy Grace today: Mark Tate - Trial Lawyer, The Tate Law Group Dr. Bethany Marshall - Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker: When to work on a relationship and when to walk away” Also featured in hit show: "Paris in Love" on Peacock, www.drbethanymarshall.com , Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, Twitter: @DrBethanyLive  Brian Fitzgibbons- Director of Operations for USPA Nationwide Security, Leads a team of investigators specializing in locating missing persons, website: www.uspasecurity.com, Instagram: @uspa_nationwide_security, former Marine and Iraq war veteran  Irv Brandt - Former Senior Inspector, US Marshals Service International Investigations Branch, Chief Inspector, DOJ Office of International Affairs; Country Attache, US Embassy Kingston, Jamaica.  *Author of a new book: "Riding Solo: Remember the Alamo" Available on Amazon.  Also “SOLO SHOT: CURSE OF THE BLUE STONE” also “Forever Solo: Knight of the Dragon” also “Flying Solo: Top of the World”, “Solo Journey: Buddha Knights a Jack Solo Mystery Novel:, “Going Solo: The Gospel of Luke” Twitter: @JackSoloAuthor” Samantha Allen - Multimedia Journalist from WCYB, website: www.wcyb.com, Instagram: SamAllenSports, Facebook: SamanthaAllen WCYB Dave Mack - Investigative Reporter, "Crime Stories" See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After four decades of unanswered questions, new DNA testing has led prosecutors to a suspect they say is responsible for a teenager’s 1984 rape and murder. In San Antonio, Texas, police say a twenty-one-year-old man shot and killed three co-workers before taking his own life. In North Carolina, a police officer assigned to a hospital campus was killed during an encounter in the emergency department lobby. Finally, in a widening federal counter-terrorism investigation, two additional young men have been charged with attempting to aid the Islamic State group.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anna Kepner’s death on board a Carnival cruise ship is now ruled a homicide, according to her autopsy report, stating she was “mechanically asphyxiated by another person or persons.” The medical examiner also finds two bruises on the side of Anna’s neck, writing she may have been held in a ‘bar hold,’ meaning her attacker held an arm across her neck. Anna’s stepbrother may be a suspect in the teen’s murder; the FBI remains silent. Anna Kepner’s cruise to the Caribbean is a family trip. She’s joined by her grandparents, who took her on her first cruise; her father, Chris Kepner; her stepmother, Shauntel Hudson; and her two siblings and two step-siblings. Anna’s parents share a room with the two youngest girls, and by their own decision, Anna, her brother, 14, and stepbrother, 16, split a second room. Grandparents Barbara and Jeffrey Kepner remind the teens they have a spare bed in their room if anyone decides they need more space. During dinner, Anna excuses herself early; sources allege her braces hurt. Surveillance footage shows Anna walking back to and entering the room she shares with her brothers. After eating, the teen boys come to the room before the youngest sibling ventures out again to explore, leaving Anna and their stepbrother alone. When he returns, he notes Anna isn’t in bed but assumes she got a second wind and is spending more time with the adults. He goes to sleep with no idea his sister’s body is shoved under the bed just a few feet away. Though family members released the details of Anna’s autopsy, and court records from stepmom Shauntel Hudson’s divorce proceedings indicate her 16-year-old son, Anna’s stepbrother, may be a suspect in the teen’s murder, the FBI has remained silent on the progress of their investigation. No charges have been filed. Anna’s stepmom, Shauntel Hudson, files a motion for a gag order in her divorce proceedings, claiming the public exposure and reporting on the case and subsequent filings could lead to "possible irreversible harm" to the children and family or could jeopardize the investigation and her son’s presumed defense. The documents request future hearings be closed to the public in the event the 16-year-old is charged in Anna’s death. Joining Nancy Grace today: Spencer Aronfeld - Trial Lawyer and Founder of Aronfeld Trial Lawyers, Author of illustrated children's book "Sara Rose, Kid Lawyer;" Facebook: Aronfeld Law, Instagram: Aronfeld_Trial_Lawyers Dr. Janie Lacy - Licensed Psychotherapist and CEO of Life Counseling Solutions, Author of "How To Heal From A Toxic Relationship: A Guide To Reclaiming Your Mental Health and Happiness," Host of “The Resilient Professional” Podcast on YouTube; Instagram & Facebook: @JanieLacy Robert Crispin - Private Investigator “Crispin Special Investigations," Former Federal Task Force Officer for the United States Department of Justice, DEA and Miami Field Division, and Former Homicide and Crimes Against Children Investigator; Facebook: Crispin Special Investigations Inc. Dr. Kendall Crowns -  Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County (Ft Worth), NEW Podcast, "Mayhem in the Morgue," and Lecturer: Burnett School of Medicine at TCU (Texas Christian University) Shannon Butler (FL) Investigative Reporter at WFTV Channel 9 in Florida, Sydney Sumner - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rebecca Kay Park was reported missing on Nov. 4 after she was last seen the day before getting into a vehicle outside her mother’s home in Boon Township, Michigan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A New York judge has dismissed two state-level terrorism-related murder charges against Luigi Mangione.  The dismissed charges were first-degree murder in furtherance of an act of terrorism and second-degree murder as a crime of terrorism. The judge ruled that state prosecutors did not present sufficient evidence to the grand jury to support the claim that Mangione intended to "intimidate and coerce a civilian population" or influence government policy. That is the legal threshold for state terrorism charges. Mangione still faces several other serious charges, including a second-degree murder charge and federal charges that could carry the death penalty.   Attorney General Pam Bondi directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty, which marks the first such directive by the Trump administration. New York, where the murder occurred, has abolished the death penalty, and Mangione's lawyers are attempting to block the federal death penalty pursuit, arguing the move is a political stunt.  JOINING NANCY GRACE TODAY: Matthew Mangino - Attorney, Former District Attorney (Lawrence County); Author: "The Executioner's Toll: The Crimes, Arrests, Trials, Appeals, Last Meals, Final Words and Executions of 46 Persons in the United States" Dr. Bethany Marshall -  Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker," and featured in hit show "Paris in Love" on Peacock; Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, X: @DrBethanyLive Tom Smith - Former NYPD Detective, Former Member of FBI/NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force, and Co-Host of the GOLD SHIELDS Podcast; FB & Instagram: @thegoldshieldshow Sheryl McCollum - Cold Case Investigative Research Institute Founder, and Host of "Zone 7;" X: @149zone7 Joseph Scott Morgan - Professor of Forensics: Jacksonville State University, Author of "Blood Beneath My Feet," and Host: "Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan;" X:@JoScottForensic Christina Aguayo - National News Anchor, Salem News Channel; Facebook: @ChristinaAguayoNews, Instagram: @Christina.AguayoNew See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to Mayhem in the Morgue on all podcast platforms: https://link.podtrac.com/MayhemMorgue Content Warning: This episode contains disturbing descriptions of the death of an individual. If you’re sensitive to this topic, this episode may not be for you. It started with a song lyric: “She was a winner that became a doggie’s dinner.” But behind that darkly humorous line lies a story stranger (and sadder) than the myth it inspired. In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns investigates the real story behind the tragic death of silent film star Marie Prevost, separating rumor from forensic reality. Through real cases and forensic insight, Dr. Crowns shows how devotion, biology, and the harsh realities of animal scavenging can collide in the aftermath of death. Highlights • (0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns • (0:30) A song lyric leads Dr. Crowns down an unexpected rabbit hole • (1:00) The real story of Marie Prevost, her silent film fame, heartbreak, and decline • (2:15) The 1937 discovery, the truth behind the rumor, and how the book Hollywood Babylon distorted the facts • (4:30) From myth to morgue: the forensic reality of postmortem pet scavenging • (6:00) How hunger, instinct, and biology drive behavior in dogs, cats, and even rodents • (7:45) The Chihuahua pack case and the nightmare scene investigators walked into • (9:15) When pet hoarding turns horrific: 20 cats, one body, and the survival instinct at work • (11:15) Displacement behavior and the Memphis case involving a loyal dog, a group of raccoons, and the forensic clue that revealed the truthAbout the Host: Dr. Kendall Crowns Dr. Crowns is the Chief Medical Examiner for Travis County, Texas, and a nationally recognized forensic pathologist. He las 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 Nancy Grace, Dr. Crowns brings unparalleled insight into the strange, grisly, and sometimes absurd 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. Catch him regularly on Crime Stories with Nancy Grace and follow Mayhem in the Morgue where you get your podcasts. If you liked this episode, don’t keep it to yourself—follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave us a review.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Breaking crime news as it happens throughout the day! Follow "Crime Alert Hourly Update" now on your favorite podcast app: https://link.chtbl.com/Crime_Alert Here's some of our top stories this week: A body matching the description of Rebecca Kay Park is discovered on Tuesday. Rebecca, 22, had not been seen since just before midnight of Nov. 3, and a massive search effort had been underway to locate her, because she was 38 weeks pregnant at the time she went missing. Officials decline to say if the remains of a newborn were also discovered or if the victim was or had been pregnant  Federal investigations into John Wilson Bennett and Mark Booth Bennett began on November 17, following an off-duty police officer in Norfolk, Virginia, who reportedly heard them planning to "kill police officers and ICE agents.” A Utah father now sits in jail without bail after prosecutors charged him with child torture and abuse tied to a dangerous mountain hike that nearly killed his three children.  The LAPD says Celeste Rivas body was not frozen when found in frunk of Tesla registered to D4VD. LAPD Captain and commanding officer of Robbery Homicide Division, Scot Williams, says "the whole frozen thing doesn't make sense, her body was in the car for weeks."  Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.”      See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New details emerging after a  21-year-old college student and cheerleader from the University of Kentucky is accused of hiding her newborn inside her college apartment closet. Laken Snelling is arrested after her infant is found dead in a trash bag inside the closet. An autopsy report only deepens the mystery surrounding the infant's death because the results are found to be inconclusive. Snelling posted baby bump pics before her infant was found dead.  Authorities allege Snelling gave birth in secret, wrapped her baby in a towel, placed him in a trash bag, and left him in her closet. According to an arrest report, Lexington police were called to a home on Park Avenue for an unresponsive infant on Wednesday. Police said they found a baby's body in a closet, wrapped in a towel inside a black trash bag. The UK cheerleader is now charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant. Court records show Snelling took selfies during birth. Joining Nancy Grace today, Josh Kolsrud - Criminal Defense Attorney and Former Assistant U.S. Attorney, Founder of Kolsrud Law Offices, kolsrudlawoffices.com, Facebook and YouTube @KohlsrudLawOffices   Dr. Bethany Marshall - Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker,” featured in hit show: "Paris in Love" on Peacock, www.drbethanymarshall.com , Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, Twitter: @DrBethanyLive    Dr. Kendall Crowns - Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County (Ft Worth), Host of NEW Podcast "Mayhem in the Morgue”, Lecturer: Burnett School of Medicine at TCU (Texas Christian University)    Chris Byers - Private investigator and owner of Byers Investigative Services, Former Police Chief Johns Creek Georgia, 25 years Police Officer, website: byersinvestigative.com  Germania Rodriguez - Chief US Reporter, DailyMail.com   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The estranged wife of former financier and accused depraved sex trafficker Howard Rubin says he should be allowed bond. Mary Henry, in a letter to the court, say Rubin is actually a loving grandfather who should should be allowed to spend time with his three young grandchildren until trial.   Former Wall Street money manager Howard Rubin busted by the feds at his Fairfield, Connecticut, home for a decade-long Manhattan sex-trafficking scheme. With the help of his assistant, Jennifer Powers, “Howie” Rubin is accused of luring women into BDSM sex sessions in exchange for cash, then exceeding their consent and torturing and raping his victims. Rubin accused of luring victims to BDSM sex sessions, first in luxury Manhattan hotels and later in his $18,000-per-month penthouse apartment, equipped with a soundproof “sex dungeon.” Women were bound on a bed or a cross, beaten, and electrocuted. The pleas of those who weren’t gagged went ignored, and the torture often continued even when a woman fell unconscious.  Rubin allegedly paid the women several thousand dollars afterward, including for injuries that required medical attention, like a flipped breast implant.   10 Jane Does are listed as victims in the indictment, but prosecutors from the Eastern District of New York say there are dozens more and are asking the public for tips. Rubin is charged with 2 counts of sex trafficking, 6 counts of transporting women to engage in prostitution, and bank fraud.   Howard Rubin’s name becomes a Wall Street commodity in the 1980s while trading bonds at Salomon Brothers. Rubin is profiled in Michael Lewis’ 1989 book Liar’s Poker for his contributions to the development of a collateralized mortgage obligation market.  Rubin goes on to hold senior positions at Merrill Lynch, Bear Stearns, and Soros Fund Management.  Rubin's successful life doesn't stop him from getting married to fellow financier, Mary Henry. After three children and 36 years of marriage, Henry divorces her husband when he is accused of sexual violence in a civil suit.   Rubin tasked Jennifer Powers, his “personal assistant,” with recruiting victims. Powers is arrested at her home in a Dallas-Fort Worth suburb, accused of running the “day-to-day” operations of Rubin’s sex-trafficking scheme and being paid handsomely. Powers arranged the victims’ travel and coerced them into signing NDAs. This evil empire these two created by victimizing so many is crumbling, and more victims are expected to speak out.  Joining Nancy Grace today: Danny Rubin - Criminal Defense Lawyer and Founder of Rubin Law, PC. website: rubinlawpc.com Dr. Bethany Marshall -  Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker," and featured in hit show "Paris in Love" on Peacock; Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, X: @DrBethanyLive Dan Murphy - Former NYPD Detective-Sergeant, Joint Terrorism Task Force, Former Chief Security Officer, US Bancorp, andCo-Host of "Gold Shields" Podcast; Author: “Workplace Safety: Establishing an Effective Violence Prevention Program” Lynn Shaw - Founder and Executive Director of Lynn's Warriors - An Organization Committed to Ending Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation,  Host of Lynn's Warriors on YouTube;  X: @lynns_warriors, YouTube: @LynnsWarriors Megan Palin - Senior Journalist, The New York Post; X: @megan_palin Sydney Sumner - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sarm Heslop has a restless sense of adventure and works various jobs to fund her passion for travel and sailing. Working as a flight attendant for Flybe in the UK, a waitress in Gibraltar and Malta, and even working in a call center to fund her exotic adventures. Sarm meets Ryan Bane on Tinder and becomes close enough that she moves to the Virgin Islands and joins Bane onboard his 47-foot luxury catamaran, Siren Song, as a chef. The "Siren Song" is a working charter yacht available for private charge and is moored in a bay off the western coast of Saint John, US Virgin Islands. Living on board the Siren Song, called the Virgin Islands Premier Luxury Sailing Charter, Sarm is living her best life. On the evening of March 7, Sarm and Bane go to the Island of Saint John for dinner. Leaving the restaurant, they board a small dinghy for the 200-foot hop to where Siren Song is moored offshore. Bane says Sarm is asleep by 10pm. Around 2:30am, Bane awakens but can't find Sarm. He takes a dinghy to the shore to report her missing to island police, suggesting she may have fallen overboard. Police tell him to call the Coast Guard. Bane does not notify the coast guard immediately. For reasons unknown, he waits until 11:45 a.m. to notify the Coast Guard that Sarm is missing. When coast guard officials arrive, an intoxicated Bane refuses to allow them to board the catamaran to conduct a search. Police not being allowed to search the boat leads them to issue citations to Bane on account of not being allowed to search the boat, not having registration documentation, and safety equipment violations. The nine-hour time gap between when Bane contacts Island Police and the time he calls the coast guard has been questioned by Sarm's family and even a fellow skipper on a boat moored nearby the Siren Song. The skipper says he heard no shouts from the catamaran, nobody hollering for someone who might have fallen overboard. Sarm's phone, wallet, and passport are left behind on the boat and are turned over to the police. An intensive search of the coastline begins with dogs on shore, divers in the water, and drones overhead. As word spreads of the missing woman, a local dog walker on Saint John says they heard a scream out at sea, in the direction of where the catamaran is anchored, around the time of Sarm's disappearance. Jeff Jones, ASAR/Disaster Area Response Team A volunteer, tells Nancy Grace he spoke to the captain there the night she went missing. He actually comes on base Sunday morning and drops anchor about one hundred twenty feet away from the Siren Song, and he is there overnight on the vessel. He's also a term charter captain with another catamaran for hire, and he saw nothing, heard nothing, and was unaware of any unusual foul play until the next day when the coast guard showed up. Joining Nancy Grace Today: Andrew Baldwin - Sarm Heslop's Friend of 25 years; 'Best Man' at his Wedding Kate Vernalls - Former Roommate of Sarm Heslop    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A beautiful late summer morning in Odessa, Texas, and Jaylin Schwarz is outside jumping on the trampoline. It's not unusual to see an 8-year-old girl outside playing, jumping on a trampoline, but this isn't fun for Jaylin. She is being punished, forced to jump on a trampoline in over 100-degree temps. If she stops jumping, she loses her water break. However, she gets tired and thirsty and needs to stop, but the punishment continues, without getting a drink of water. The temperature on the trampoline is 110 degrees; an adult will need water at this point. Alysha Anderton has two beautiful little girls, sisters born just one year apart. As much as she loves her little ones, Alysha has been fighting a losing battle with addiction, and trying to make a decision in the best interest of her daughters. She relinquishes her parental rights and allows her stepsister, Ashley Schwarz, and her husband, Daniel, to take over custody of the girls while she works on getting healthy. Alysha believes this will only be temporary, and she will be able to see the girls often until she is able to be their full-time mom again. Promising to reunite as a family again soon, Ashley is thankful Jaylin and Jayde have a safe and loving home until she is better. Jumping on a trampoline is something Jaylin Schwarz does for fun. But the activity has been used by her guardians, Ashley and Daniel Schwarz, as a form of punishment. Other innocent activities, such as writing lines to improve her handwriting skills, carrying weights in a hallway, or picking up dog feces, were also used by Jaylin's guardians. As a punishment, Jaylin is forced to write lines over and over again until she is told to stop, she is forced to carry weights from one end of the hall to the other and back again, or she picks up dog feces with her bare hands. When the chore is not a punishment, she gets to use gloves. On August 29, this life-threatening punishment of non-stop jumping on the trampoline takes a deadly turn for Jaylin because the door to the house is locked, there is no access to water, and she has been jumping for hours in the hot summer heat. After three hours of jumping on the trampoline with temperatures hovering around 110 degrees, Jaylin passes out. Joining Nancy Grace today: Kenneth “Tray” Gober - Managing Partner of Lee, Gober & Reyna; Instagram & Facebook: LeeGoberReynaLawFirm Caryn Stark -  Forensic Psychologist, renowned TV and Radio Trauma Expert and Consultant; Instagram: carynpsych, FB: Caryn Stark Private Practice  Tom Green - Former Chief Deputy Washoe County Sheriff’s Office; Homicide Detective & Cold Case Squad Burglary/Fraud Detective (high-tech surveillance & covert surveillance); Currently, a Private Investigator & Owner: Nevada Investigative Services LLC Lynn Warriors - Founder and Executive Director of Lynn's Warriors- an organization committed to ending human trafficking and sexual exploitation, & Host of Lynn's Warriors on YouTube;  X: @lynns_warriors YouTube: @LynnsWarriors Dr. Eric Eason - Board-certified Forensic Pathologist, Consultant; Instagram: @eric_a_eason, Facebook: Eric August Eason, LinkedIn: Eric Eason, MD Erica Miller - Digital Content Manager / Digital Executive Producer at KMID Big 2 News; Instagram: @erica_miller_writes See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.