Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Former "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett convicted of staging a hate crime attack against himself on a cold Chicago night. Then the Illinois Supreme Court overturned Smollett's conviction. The court did not consider where the actor committed the crime, only that his constitutional rights were violated when he was prosecuted again after the original charges were dropped. Smollett then settled with the city. Now a new Netflix documentary suggest Smollett was telling the truth. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The death penalty criminal trial was approaching for the man accused of killing four Idaho college students in the middle of the night, Ethan Chapin (20), Kaylee Goncalves (21), Xana Kernodle (20), and Madison Mogen (21), when the state offered Bryan Kohberger a plea deal in exchange for the death penalty. The plea left some family members of the Idaho college murder victims divided. Under the plea agreement, 30-year-old Kohberger agrees to plead guilty to all counts against him in the November 2022 fatal stabbings, and the death penalty would be removed. After the agreement is reached, the injuries of the victims are made known because the gag order is lifted, and the extent of their injuries left some family and members of the public outraged at the brutality of the crime. Allegedly, some family and friends now say if they had known the viciousness of the attacks, they would not have agreed with the state on giving him a plea. Joining Nancy Grace today: Greg MorseChris McDonoughSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A North Carolina man has been charged with first degree murder after he beat his roommate to death for asking him for a cigarette. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Teacher is arrested for the cruel double murder of a mom and dad trying to save their two young daughters from a vicious attack during a family hike on a trail in Arkansas, known as Devil’s Den State Park, ending a five-day manhunt for the alleged predator. Clinton David Brink, 43, and his wife, Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, were hiking Saturday with their 7 and 9, year old daughters through Devil’s Den State Park when a man attacks them on the trail around 2:30 p.m., officials say. The two young girls ran to safety as they hear their mother's screams echoing, currently both girls are with family members and suffered no physical injuries. The parents are being hailed heroes for saving their daughters from the vicious fatal attack. James Andrew McGann, 28, arrested in Springdale, Arkansas, around 30 miles from the crime scene at a hair salon. getting his hair cut, possibly shaved. McGann is charged with two counts of capital murder, according to a release from the Arkansas State Police. Motive is still unclear for the brutal attack, killing both parents. Joining Nancy Grace today, See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Killer's fanatics target a victim's mom in court with death threats during Idaho butcher Brian Kohberger's sentencing, while a survivor continues to fight to heal. Roommate Dylan Mortensen has launched a GoFundMe to help repair her shattered life. Parents abandon their baby at the courthouse after a failed drug test, the dad claims "they were going to take him anyway." Plus, a teen's primal scream stops a kidnapper and earns her a "hero" award! Jennifer Gould reports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs asks a judge to free him on $50m bond pending sentencing. The disgraced Music mogul to be sentenced in October on prostitution related offenses after acquittal on more serious charges, attorney tell courts no other "John" would still be in jail. Prosecutors insist Combs' remains a flight risk. Combs, 55, faces up to a decade in prison on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution for flying people around the country, including his girlfriends and male sex workers. After Combs was acquitted, lead attorney Marc Agnifilo, ask that 'Diddy' be released on bond, however Judge Arun Subramanian denies his request, saying Combs has not shown clear evidence he is not a “danger to any person or the community”. Joining Nancy Grace today: Dr. DeWayne HendrixRob ShuterLynn ShawSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The gunman who killed four people in a Midtown Manhattan office tower left a suicide note that said, “study my brain please” and ended with “I’m sorry.” Sean "Diddy" Combs is asking a federal judge to let him out of jail before his October 3 sentencing, arguing that no other "john" has ever been treated like this. A violent offender is on the run in New Orleans after jail staff mistakenly released him from the same facility where ten inmates escaped in May. Drew Nelson reports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Manhunt underway in Arkansas after a mom and dad were killed at Devil's Den State Park in front of their young daughters in broad daylight. Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, were hiking with their two daughters, ages 7 and 9, on Saturday when the attack occurred. The parents are being hailed as heroes for protecting their little girls. According to police in a statement on Sunday, the Brinks' daughters were not injured and are "safe with family members." Police have not given further details on how the couple died, but are asking for help in locating the killer. Police issued a statement urging local residents and park visitors to check personal devices for any cell phone videos, photos, security footage, or other materials from the day of the killings. DESCRIPTION: Police describe the killer as a white man of medium build, wearing dark pants, a dark baseball cap, and sunglasses, as well as a black backpack and fingerless gloves. A composite sketch released Monday evening showed a man with dark eyes, stubble, and thin lips. The man was seen driving toward a park exit in a black vehicle, which might be a Mazda with a license plate covered by electrical or duct tape, police added. Please do not approach anyone with this description. Call 911 or the Arkansas State Police at 479-751-6663. Joining Nancy Grace today: Ron BatemanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police in northwest Arkansas are searching for a suspect after a couple was found dead on a hiking trail over the weekend — their two young daughters nearby but unharmed. Authorities in Los Angeles are searching for answers—and a missing grenade—after a deadly explosion at a Sheriff’s Department training facility claimed the lives of three veteran deputies. A state judge in Alabama has paused the scheduled execution of a death row inmate to determine whether he’s mentally competent to be put to death. A former sheriff’s deputy in Georgia has been sentenced to 16 months in federal prison for using excessive force against a Black detainee in a jailhouse beating caught on video. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will Ghislaine Maxwell meet a similar fate as her deceased jet-setting on-and-off lover, Jeffrey Epstein, whose 2019 death was not caught on camera or the footage was not released? Epstein was found dead with a noose around his neck in a Manhattan jail cell while facing federal charges for sex-trafficking underage girls. During Maxwell's trial, she was portrayed as a "sophisticated predator" who served as Epstein's right hand from at least 1994 to 2004. Maxwell was found guilty of running a sex-trafficking ring of minors and is currently serving her prison sentence. Maxwell, the disgraced British socialite, is now willing to talk, but can she be believed, and will her testimony calm the storm that's recently emerging in the Trump Administration over the handling of Epstein files? The disgraced socialite Maxwell allegedly is willing to testify before Congress about Epstein's apparent full client list. According to published reports, President Trump's name is in the Epstein files; however, this does not mean he did anything wrong. But promising to release files and then not doing so leads some to believe there is a potential cover-up. Joining Nancy Grace today: Robert CrispinLauren ConlinSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A violent stabbing incident occurred at a Walmart in Traverse City, Michigan, leaving multiple individuals injured. According to a statement from the Grand Traverse Sheriff's Office (GTSO) shared on social media, at least 11 people have been hospitalized following the attack. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Convicted socialite Rebecca Grossman demands a venue change in a wrongful death suit trial filed against her. The parents of two young boys killed when a drunk Grossman plowed into them is civilly suing Grossman and her former MLB star lover Scott Erickson for wrongful death. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Huey Cotton threw out a motion to fast-track. The judge’s decision means that trial won't start until the original December 1 date. Just after 7 pm, on a September evening, Jacob and Mark Iskander, their siblings, and parents go for an evening stroll to a nearby lake. The 6 member family is crossing in a crosswalk at a three-way intersection when mother Nancy hears a speeding car barreling their way. The mom says her husband and daughter were father away from the street. She tries to signal to the two SUVs to slow down. She tries to pull the children back, only managing to grab 1 of them and dive out of the way. Jacob and Mark are hit. Mark Iskander dies at the scene. Jacob dies later at the hospital. According to police, Mark was thrown 254 feet. Nancy Iskander tells police that two SUVs were "zig-zagging with each other as if they were playing or racing.” She says the drivers didn’t stop, at the intersection, not even when the 11-year-old was on the hood of the car. Deputies reportedly catch up with a white Mercedes with significant front-end damage a third of a mile from the scene. Behind the wheel is Rebecca Grossman. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's department says they believe that vehicle was traveling over 80 miles an hour. Grossman’s breathalyzer test after the crash showed a blood-alcohol content of 0.076% according to local news reports. The legal limit in California is 0.08%. A blood sample taken three hours after the crash registered at the 0.08% mark. Rebecca Grossman was charged and convicted of two felony counts each of second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, and one felony count of hit-and-run driving resulting in death. Grossman was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. Joining Nancy Grace today: MADD TIPLINE: Mothers Against Drunk Driving 24-Hour Victim Help Line: 877.MADD.HELP or 1-877-623-3435 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Update on the decapitation of Baby Isaiah during his birth. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack discuss what happened and how the family is still having to fight for justice. The parents, Jessica Ross and Traveon Taylor Sr. have filed lawsuits against the hospital and the doctor but the first suit is about the damage done to the family by the doctor hired to do the autopsy of baby Isaiah, Dr. Jackson Gates. Dr. Gates posted pictures and video of the autopsy without the parents knowledge or permission and a jury awards the parents $2 million in damages. Transcript Highlights 00:04.96 Introduction 00:48.33 Parental grief with loss of a child 04:45.27 Use of forceps during childbirth 06:37.45 The death of baby Isaiah 10:04.56 Explanation of child birth options 14:28.88 Doctor applied enough force to decapitate baby 20:30.53 Baby Isaiah head placed on body so it wouldn't fall off 25:19.76 Funeral home reported decapitation 30:06.68 Head removed during delivery 35:09.52 Paying for autopsy 39:42.33 Lawsuit filed when autopsy doctor placed images of autopsy on social media 44:59.93 Conclusion 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: 'Unrecognizable:' The Grisly Injuries of Idaho Murder Victims Revealed in Shocking New Docs Dealing with the Devil: DOJ Turns to Ghislaine Maxwell for Answers State Contractor Leaves Toddler Strapped in Car Seat to Die after Five Hours in Extreme Heat Miami Cop Recorded Sex with Teen, Then Threatened to Kill Her After Breakup Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New assault claims again the Tate brothers. Lauren Southern, a right-wing Canadian political influencer, writes in her Substack that she met Andrew Tate on a trip to Bucharest. Then 22, Southern approached Tate with a business proposition. She says on that 2018 trip, Tate choked and assaulted her while she was intoxicated. The self-published memoir is titled “This Is Not Real Life,” Kickboxer and media influencer Andrew Tate charged with rape, human trafficking and more. He's now facing three sex abuse legal battles in two countries. Tate and his brother were taken into custody in Romania, where they live. Prosecutors say the Tates and two associates formed an organized criminal group to groom and sexually traffick women in the United States, the United Kingdom, as well as Romania. The indictment names seven women who say the Tate brothers recruited them with false promises, including love and marriage, but instead took them to buildings where they intimidated them, watched over them constantly, forcing them into debt and pornography. Joining Nancy Grace Today: Greg AhlgrenInternational Law FirmDr. Joni JohnstonSheryl McCollum Lee ReiberDawn SchillerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 7-year-old girl is found locked in a closet, now the search is on for her 9-year-old sister, Ava Marie Gonzales. Austin police respond to a home in Del Valle after receiving a 911 call about a 7-year-old girl is discovered starved and locked inside a bedroom closet. Six other children are also found in the home, but police say it appears they are physically healthy. According to reports, the child was soiled and barricaded in a closet with heavy boxes blocking the door. An arrest affidavit reveals Virginia Marie Gonzales is accused of locking the 7-year-old girl in a closet for “weeks at a time.” The affidavit further states the girl’s grandmother told police that the child had trouble controlling her bladder and often ate things she shouldn’t. This allegedly led to her siblings being instructed to keep her locked in the closet. The 7-year-old was hospitalized and is now recovering. During the investigation, detectives learn about another child, Ava, who has been missing for years. Virginia Marie Gonzales, Ava ‘s mother, was arrested on a charge of serious injury to a child in connection with the 7-year-old’s case. According to police, the missing now 9-year-old child was last seen when she was just 2 years old and in the custody of her mother, Virginia Marie Gonzales. In court Gonzales says she is willing to do whatever necessary to regain custody of her children. Joining Nancy Grace today, www.ChristinaAguayoNews.ComSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Appalling new details of a 25-year-old son's disassembly body is discovered by his own mom. Shad Thyrion, 25, was killed and dismembered in his mother's basement. Authorities allege, Taylor Schabusiness, took advantage of Shad during rough sex and violated his body afterwards during a drug fueled state. Schabusiness later allegedly brags to police she enjoyed the entire ordeal. She leaves Thyrion’s mutilated head in a bucket for his mother to find and law enforcement later discovered the victim’s dismembered torso, penis and carved-out organs in the basement. Joining Nancy Grace today, www.panthermitigation.comCrimeOnline.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While the FBI maintains there is nothing else of public interest to release in the Epstein case, government officials are pursuing other avenues to the late financier's secrets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fury erupts as families confront silent killer Brian Kohberger in court; he's now caged for life for the brutal quadruple murder in Moscow, Idaho that left 4 students butchered, almost 3 years ago. Five youngsters are rescued from a house of horrors - officials say the kids were starved and caged up to 20hrs a day! Plus, a killer's conviction is tossed, because his buddy caught some Zzzz's. Jennifer Gould reports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holly Bobo, a beautiful young nursing student disappears from her family home in Darden Tennessee. Holly is last seen by her brother, Clint, walking into the woods by the back of their property with a man wearing camouflage who looks familiar. Holly Bobo murder case returns to court, years after a Tennessee man’s conviction, a legal filing emerges asking for a new trial based on statements made by a key trial witness who says he is now recanting his testimony that helped convict his friend. Holly's case has already been met with several setbacks over the years; will this be another one. At the time of her disappearance, Holly Bobo was a 20-year-old nursing student at the University of Tennessee at Martin at The Parsons Center and lived with her parents and brother. Clint, Holly's brother, is awaken by noise outside of the home and Clint believes he hears and sees his sister talking with her boyfriend, however when Clint talks with his mom, she knew immediately something was wrong and frantically calls 911. On the morning Holly vanishes, she awoke at 4:30 a.m. to study for an exam and around 7:30 a.m., she answers a call from her boyfriend, Drew Scott, who's turkey hunting. Bobo's parents had left for work by this point, and her brother, Clint, was still asleep. Twelve minutes later, Bobo made her last cell phone call. Joining Nancy Grace today, legalpowers.comwww.darkintel.infoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.