Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

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 too...

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 t...

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 deat...

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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...

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...

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 consen...

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...

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.<...

A monster uncle with a long rap sheet admits to raping & strangling his 14yo niece...with jumper cables. He tells his lover "I killed Kylie" in a chilling jailhouse call .A drunk granny kills her best friend in a crash, then berates cops for making her take a field sobriety test. Plus, an ex-con's risky repeat...leads to failure & a felony, again. Jennifer Gould reports. 

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In Minnesota, the Mall of America, is not just a place to shop, being the largest mall in the Western Hemisphere it is also a tourist attraction. Located on the spot where the NFL Vikings and Major League Baseball Twins play in Metropolitan stadium, in the mall's amusement park a seat from Metropolitan Stadium marks the exact spot Harmon Killabrew's 520th MLB homerun landed. Spanning four floors, locals come to shop, while tourists come to gawk at the sheer size of the mall. 

On a chilly April morning, snow still on the ground, Kari Hoffmann, her 5-year-old s...

Amber Czech is dead at 20 years old. Police in Minnesota say a coworker who said he didn’t like her, walked over to her workstation and bashed her with a sledgehammer at the manufacturing plant that employed them. A Georgia woman nearly dies after her ex-boyfriend shoots her ten times, kidnaps her, and drove around for hours. A traffic stop in Florida ends with a drunk-driving arrest and an unplanned DoorDash delivery by an officer after the driver passed out at a traffic light. Drew Nelson reports.

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Shanann Rzucek never expects to fall in love with a man who sent her a random friend request, but two years later, she marries Chris Watts, and moves from North Carolina to Colorado with her new husband. Just after celebrating their first anniversary, the couple welcomes baby Bella into the world, and she becomes a big sister to Celeste at two years old. Despite financial struggles, the family is incredibly happy to learn they are expecting a little boy, and break the news to Shanann’s parents on a summer vacation to North Carolina.

While Shanann Watts is...

The late Sheriff Buford Pusser, long celebrated as a fearless lawman and the inspiration for the film Walking Tall, is now believed to have murdered his wife nearly sixty years ago.

In Illinois, a jury has convicted former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson of second-degree murder in the death of Sonya Massey, a Springfield woman who called 911 to report a possible prowler.

In Nebraska, a man has pleaded guilty to the murder of a parish priest in a small town north of Omaha.

In northeast Ohio, a Cleveland woman has been se...

More than 31 years after O.J. Simpson is found liable for the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson
and Ron Goldman in a wrongful death civil trial, Simpson’s estate finally agrees to pay
damages awarded to Goldman’s family in 1997. While the jury granted the families $33.5
million, Simpson’s estate has agreed to pay Ron's father, Fred Goldman, $58 million plus
interest. It’s unclear what spurred the change of heart, executor Malcolm Lavergne previously
swearing to never pay Goldman a dollar.

Although the estate accepts the $58 million claim, the executor says he expects...

Police now say the remains of Celeste Rivas Hernandez were partially frozen when they were found in the trunk of a Tesla belonging to D4VD.  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Heading into the ninth month of her pregnancy, Emma Baum finds out on October 4th that she is already dilated one centimeter.

Six days later, knowing the baby will be here soon, Emma has her sister drive her to boyfriend and father-to-be Antwon Butler's house in Gary, Indiana, Thursday evening. Emma tells her sister she will see her tomorrow and goes inside.

On Friday, Emma Baum does not reach out to her family members even though they are expecting her to come home. After waiting all weekend, Emma's mother, Jamie Baum, calls Butler and asks...

Margaret Anselmo, 45, a floral designer, mother of two, left her apartment on the morning of January 3rd, 1997,  to cash a check. A delivery driver found her body, face down in a snowy alley later that day. She had been raped and beaten to death. Police believed she was the victim of an apparent random act of violence. Her cause of death was due to blunt force trauma to the head. Her killer, not identified. Until now. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack look at the life and brutal death of Margaret Anselmo as her very cold case from 1997 heats u...

A man in New York now faces four years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing the unlicensed revolver he fired during a deadly confrontation with a mugger in Queens. Pras from the rap group the Fugees is going to prison for 14 years after a federal judge in Washington, D.C., sentences him for a sweeping foreign influence scheme that moved millions of dollars into U.S. politics.

Her body was discovered hidden under a bed, wrapped in a blanket and covered with life vests. New Concerns for Brittany Spears as She's Seen Leaving Wine B...

As accused killer, Stephan Sterns,  adjusts to life in a jail cell, he complains to his brother via email about everything from the size of his cell, the noise, filth, and eating utensils.  Sterns complain his bed mat is flat with very little cushion left, his cell is small and filthy, and he claims there are spots on the wall that appear to be bloody fingerprints.  Now he will be dealing with this situation for the rest of his life. Stephan Sterns sentenced to multiple life sentences. 

After Sterns' arrest it is emails from Sterns' mothe...

In the weeks before and after the release of the Federline book, Britney Spears is regularly posting on X and Instagram. Recent reports detail incidents of Britney Spears filmed driving erratically after leaving restaurants, sparking concern for the pop star.

Paparazi follows Spears and a friend at a local restaurant documenting on video Spears seemingly unsteady on her feet and toasting the entire restaurant. The video of her dangerous driving - crossing the double yellow line, failing to maintain her lane and worse goes viral and friends and family in public and private share deep concerns about...

The mother of Danielle Staley, who vanished in California earlier this month, says her boyfriend of 13 years has been abusive. Two cases of parricide both result in quick arrests, one outside the U.S.! Sydney Sumner reports.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A relaxing Caribbean cruise turns into a waking nightmare when crew members discover a
passenger dead just hours before the Carnival Horizon returns to Miami. The FBI now
investigating 18-year-old Anna Kepner’s mysterious death, not commenting on whether foulplay
is suspected. Now, Titusville, Florida grieving the loss of the high school senior with a
bright future, and looking for answers.

Anna Kepner, 18, starts senior year at Temple Christian School excited about her future. Anna
paints her parking spot to match her favorite movie, Clueless, and is ecstatic to be back on th...

A Michigan father who was about to taste freedom is suddenly hit with murder charges & a $60mil bond...accused of killing his 3 kids after disastrous Thanksgiving custody visit. The boys vanished without a trace in 2010. 

A Tennessee tot is dead, tortured at the hands of his father's girlfriend. Plus, a thief tries to make money off mourning. Jennifer Gould reports. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shocking information uncovered by the LAPD has the investigation spotlight finally pointing on D4vd Anthony Burke. Investigators have developed new information leading to believe Celeste likely died in the spring of this year and the death is being tentatively treated as a possible homicide, but officials are waiting on an official cause of death from the Medical Examiner.

The LAPD has been working on a timeline of activity for Celeste Rivas Hernandez and Burke, and an insider with the police investigation says they have been able to determine in the spring of this year, Burke took...

A DoorDash delivery driver in upstate New York faces serious criminal charges after she recorded a naked customer inside his home and posted the video online, as she accuses him of sexual assault. A small Missouri city will pay $500,000 to settle a lawsuit after a blind and deaf Shih Tzu dog was shot by a police officer. Drew Nelson reports. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steve and Kristi Goncalves join Nancy Grace to share their heartfelt feelings of the recent controversial "Lifetime" movie depicting the brutal murders of their daughter Kaylee, along with three other Idaho college friends. They also touch on their journey of grief and the justice system.

On the third anniversary of the Moscow Murders, Judge Hippler rules Kohberger has to pay additional restitution to the families of Kaylee and Maddie of about $3,000, the cost of the urns now holding the remains of the best friends. Kohberger argued he didn't have the money to pay the restitution because he...

Austin police say new investigative work has advanced the long-unsolved 1991 “I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt” murder case, one of the city’s most enduring cold cases.

A former Illinois sheriff’s deputy has been convicted of second-degree murder for fatally shooting Sonya Massey after she called 911 seeking help.

In Nebraska, a man has pleaded guilty to murder and related charges for killing a Catholic priest during a 2023 break-in at the priest’s home.

A Cuyahoga County, Ohio jury has found Bionca Ellis guilty on all counts in the stabbing death of 3-year-old Juli...

The House Oversight Committee releases more than 20,000 documents subpoenaed from
Epstein’s estate, on the heels of a smaller release of emails implying President Trump knew
about Epstein’s abuse. The documents include thousands of emails with high profile contacts,
financial and property records, excerpts from James Patterson’s Filthy Rich, and records of
Epstein’s ‘fixers’ desperate attempts to improve his public image.

And Republican congressman Thomas Massie implies Donald Trump's ordering of a fresh investigation is making a “last-ditch effort” to keep the files on the late sex offender from becoming public.

P...

Nearly three decades after the civil judgment against O.J. Simpson, his estate is finally taking steps to pay Fred Goldman—father of Ron Goldman, who was killed alongside Nicole Brown Simpson in 1994.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Day after day, case after case, Tom Smith returned to the job with a clear sense of purpose: protect, respond, and stand with the people beside him. On this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum talks with the retired NYPD detective about the path that led him from patrol work to the Joint Terrorism Task Force and ultimately, to a lifetime of service recognized at the national level. Tom shares how his father shaped his calling, how partnership becomes its own lifeline, and how a series of events during one 12-hour shift in the Bronx has stayed with him ever...

Florida Man kills 2 kids after sexually assaulting 1, sets mobile home on fire 

Investigation underway in the death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner. 

Wisconsin investigators say they have uncovered one of the worst child-neglect cases the state has ever seen: a 14-year-old girl rescued from a trailer park home in the town of Oneida weighing just 35 pounds. The FBI continues the search for six people who vanished from a rental home in Missouri, in relation to an online cult. Drew Nelson reports.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anna Kepner, 18, starts senior year at Temple Christian School excited about her future. Anna
paints her parking spot to match her favorite movie, Clueless, and is ecstatic to be back on the
field, cheering for the Lions. Anna loves the water, licensed to boat and scuba certified. She
enjoys making Tik-Tok's with her friends and brother.

Anna plans on joining the military after high school, already in talks with recruiters. In fact, she’s waiting on the results of her ASVAB\ testing to determine which jobs will suit her best.

Anna Kepner,  was...

Florida prosecutors alleged that a 13-year-old boy who killed his mother in 2023 was inspired by the “Friday the 13th” horror franchise. Skelton brothers’ father charged with their murders nearly 15 years later. A convicted rapist and his girlfriend were sentenced Thursday after they pleaded guilty to a murder-for-hire plot against the prosecutor and judge in his rape case. Police in Ohio are searching for a 16-year-old girl who has not been seen since Sunday. Sydney Sumner reports. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Melodee Buzzard is first reported missing, school officials fear the little girl hasn’t been 
seen in more than a year. The school district discovers Melodee was actually seen much more 
recently, enrolling in another year of home schooling. Santa Barbara Sheriffs then find mom, 
Ashlee Buzzard, left Lompoc with Melodee on October 7th, spotted together at a car rental. 
Melodee’s caught on camera for the last time October 9th. Buzzard returns the next day, 
alone. Melodee now missing 35 days

Ashley's arrest was for false...

A Vet-Turned-Postal Worker is found crushed to death inside a giant mail sorting machine just days after his proposal. Fellow employees didn't find him until 8 hours later. 

A new lawsuit exposes an Army OBGYN's sick secret; it also states the military knew he was a "pervert in a uniform" and still allowed him to continue his alleged 'care.' Plus, a rollercoaster rider is KO'ed by a feathered foe...now, she's filed. Jennifer Gould reports. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could Britney Spears face charges after her most recent headline of bad driving, or possibly drunk driving, putting others lives in danger, not to mention her own safety. 

Britney Spears deletes her Instagram account, but within a week, Spears returns with lingerie pic and cryptic message within one week of deleting her account. 

Britney is no stranger to making headlines in tabloids, TMZ claims Spears is in danger of going broke, but Entertainment Tonight and Spears’ lawyer says she has multiple revenue streams and Radar Online reports Spears is partying hard after the break-up with Paul...

Smallville Actress Allison Mack Speaks the First Time About NXIVM in a CBC podcast. The founder of 1-800-411-PAIN is arrested after allegedly bringing a loaded gun onto a Miami-Dade high school campus. A Michigan mother accused of killing her 3-year-old son to “make room” for a baby with her boyfriend has admitted to the crime. Drew Nelson reports.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jesse Mack Butler, star baseball player for the Stillwater High School Pioneers, has been receiving offers at NCAA colleges.

Jesse’s family is deeply tied to Stillwater and Oklahoma State University. The father, Mack Butler, served as the Cowboy’s football director for 16 years, and now his wife and daughter also work for OK State’s football program.

Butler appears to be a typical All-American teenager, but his ex-girlfriends allege he’s extremely violent.

The star teenage athlete, serial rapist, who strangles his girlfriends for a laugh, got a slap on his hand by serving...

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/li...