Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

New reports say the FBI determined ransom notes related to Nancy Guthrie were fake.   TMZ's Harvey Levin pushed back on the claim, having received several of the notes. Less than 24 hours later, FBI bosses say they've not made a ruling either way.   Investigators continue to treat her disappearance as an active case, with DNA and video evidence still under forensic review.  Now, who to believe?

Joining  Nancy Grace today :

Caryn Stark- NY-  Forensic Psychologist, renowned TV and Radio trauma expert and consultant, www.carynstark.com, Instagram: carynpsych, FB: Caryn Stark Private Practice

Michael Harrigan...

Philadelphia police are hunting two 16-year-old boys accused of shooting a college student for his phone. Wisconsin man sentenced after years-long sexual abuse of an unconscious victim unearthed in online brag group. Texas woman tries to conceal murdered boyfriend's remains in concrete. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mackenzie Shirilla is serving 15 years to life at the Ohio Reformatory for Women, convicted on 12 counts, including murder and aggravated vehicular homicide.  Police say Shirilla deliberately crashing her car into a brick building at 100 mph. Two passengers were killed, Shirilla's boyfriend, Dominic Russo, and their friend, Davion Flanagan. Data from the car's black box showed Shirilla floored the gas pedal and never used the brakes, making calculated steering and gear adjustments before impact.  She was 17 at the time. 

The Ohio Supreme Court has declined to review Mackenzie Shirilla’s post-conviction appeals, ruling the petition was filed late and t...

Alex Murdaugh's second murder trial in the deaths of his wife and son is now scheduled for April of 2027.  His 2023 convictions were overturned by the South Carolina Supreme Court which ruled  former Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca “Becky” Hill improperly influenced the jury.  Murdaugh remains incarcerated  for 22 state financial crimes and 14 federal charges serving both sentences concurrently, unaffected by the murder retrial.  

 A status hearing is set for August for Judge Debra McCaslin  to decide pending motions on a change of venue and allowing independent DNA testing of samples from under Maggie Murdaugh’s fingernails, among others.   

Postal worker kidnapped and killed by man who previously threatened her months after husband's fatal car crash, leaving her children orphaned. California dog rescue accused of fraud after more than 100 dogs found in mass grave, many of them shot. New York mother downs a bottle of Vodka while her 18-month-old son chokes to death on popcorn kernels. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Caroline “Caro” Peña, 32, dies after being stabbed multiple times. According to police, the mom of five, was attacked in broad daylight by a female trio made up by two sisters and a friend.   Kitty Mia Diaz (21) and Amaya "Cookie" Diaz (19), along with their friend Kyandra Renee Faz (21) have been charged with first degree murder.  Surveillance footage, physical evidence, and witness interviews led to police identification of the attackers. Officers say as Pena and he suspects knew each other, the attack was not random.  

A video shows Cookie leave the passenger seat of the black Chrysler 300 to confront P...

Tentative Murdaugh trial date contingent on time to complete advanced DNA testing. Parents indicted in death of their 255 pound non-verbal 7-year-old. 'Scorned' husband gets 40 years for setting his wife's married "affair partner" on fire. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

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New in the Nancy Guthrie case, another email to TMZ by a person claiming to have video of Nancy and her kidnapper. The anonymous emails demand one Bitcoin in exchange for information on the abduction of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie. The email claims the anonymous sender has hidden cellphone in a secure location that contains a short video of one of the kidnappers with Guthrie. Reportedly that video was taken on the day Nancy allegedly died.   The email also reportedly contains names, ages, and addresses of the alleged suspects.

TMZ  forwarded the emails directly to the FBI. Pima Count...

Marly Kinney, 19, disappeared June 24, 2026 while on a rented pontoon boat with a group of friends at Grayson Lake. Investigators say she was last seen around 4 p.m, getting off the pontoon for a bathroom break. The group boarded again to move to another location. After realizing Marly was not on board, they returned.  Authorities were later notified, prompting a large search.

Drones, sonar, boats, helicopters, K-9 teams, and underwater search equipment were used as more than 50 community volunteers searched the shoreline. Five days after she went missing, Marly Kinney's body was recovered from Grayson Lake.  The cause an...

Utah prosecutor is held in contempt of court for comments to the media, but Judge refuses to remove death penalty. TMZ receives new ransom request for "evidence" in Nancy Guthrie kidnapping. Jury cannot determine alleged Palisades arsonist's guilt or innocence. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A  new investigator has been brought in to investigate the disappearance of Amy Hillyard. The  co-owner of Farley's Coffee has not been seen since Wednesday, March 25th, the Oakland community praying for her safe return. 

Oakland, California police initially release information that Amy last seen near her home in the Cleveland Heights neighborhood around 2 pm, but surveillance footage places her near Dimond Park, about two miles away, at 4:30 pm that afternoon. Searches of the park have not revealed new leads.

Amy is considered "at-risk" due to an undisclosed medical condition. She is described as 5'4", 120 pou...

In 2012, 19-year-old Stevie Bates vanished after calling her mother from a Greyhound bus during a layover in Pittsburgh; she made it back to New York but never made it home. Eight years later, her skeletal remains were discovered wrapped in a blanket at an abandoned house in Queens, the same property where her boyfriend had reportedly been squatting. In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum welcomes Stevie’s cousin, Isis Jannierre, to discuss who Stevie was, what her family believed from the beginning, and why the case still raises questions about the timeline, suspect behavior, lost investigative time, lost evidence...

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 Sydney Silvagni with some of our top stories this week. 

Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.”

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh, who's murder conviction has been overturned,  is suing former Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill.  He alleging she violated his civil rights by tampering with the jury during his 2023 double-murder trial. Hill previously pleaded guilty to state charges of perjury, obstruction of justice, and misconduct in office. Comments Hill made to jurors was considered as improperly influencing the verdict.  

The complaint claims Hill wanted a guilty verdict to help sell her upcoming book about the trial.  Murdaugh's team is seeking more than $600,000 in compensatory damages—mostly tied to the costs of the origina...

After more than 13 hours of deliberation, the jury foreman in Jonathan Rinderknech's arson trial tells the judge the jury was split,  10 in favor of not guilty, two in favor of guilty. 

In 2025, after dropping off an Uber passenger in Pacific Palisades, 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknech parked his car, tries but failes to contact a former friend. He gets out of the car, walks up a nearby trail, takes iPhone videos, and listens to a rap song. Its music video includes objects being lit on fire.

Then, twelve minutes into the new year, a fire is started. Wi...

Luigi Mangione is facing both state and federal charge, pleading not guilty.   In the New York state murder case, his attorneys announced plans for a psychiatric defense,  but abruptly withdrew plans to pursue the "extreme emotional disturbance" defense just a day after it was announced. The change in strategy has led to speculation that a plea deal may be in the works.   

Joining Nancy Grace today: 

Oscar Sanchez-Munoz's family finds his body among debris from a house fire after several unsuccessful searches by investigators and K9s. Pennsylvania mother's footage while armed fugitive uses her two-year-old daughter as a human shield helps convict him at trial. Boyfriend behind bars after Massachusetts woman's "fall down the stairs" ruled a homicide. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 16, 2008: the last day 2-year-old Caylee Anthony is seen alive.

One month later, her grandmother Cindy Anthony franticly calls 911 to report her granddaughter is missing. Casey Anthony claims that a babysitter kidnapped her daughter. By October, when nothing Casey tells police turns out to be true, she is arrested and charged with Caylee's death, even though Caylee is still missing.

On December 11, Caylee's remains are found in a garbage bag, dumped in a wooded area near the Anthony home. Eight days later, Caylee's death is ruled a homicide. Prosecutors announce they will seek the death...

Woman tied to cult-like group behind a border patrol agent's shooting is now charged in her parents' execution-style murders. Parents sentenced for death of toddler due to untreated lice infestation. A simple hit-and-run investigation in Virginia uncovers a murder plot. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do any of the ransom notes or emails indicate Nancy Guthrie is dead? The first ransom note went to Tucson TV stations and TMZ shortly after Nancy disappeared. It demanded $4 million of dollars in Bitcoin to be paid by two deadlines. The entire contents of this note has not been made public, but we do know it included details about a broken floodlight at Nancy's home, information about her Apple Watch, and what she had been wearing. 

The second ransom note arrived February 6, sent to KOLD. In it were claims that Nancy had died shortly after the ab...

New information surrounding the death of former Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) employee Melissa Casias spurs new questions of whether or not she committed suicide. The last know image of Melissa shows her carrying what appears to be a full backpack. Her skeletonized body was found sitting upright with a bullet wound, and weapon near the body. However, an initial CT scan reportedly found no bullets or projectiles in her skull.  Also it was thought that Melissa took nothing with her from her home and her phones were reset to factory setting.  We now know that she took her to...

Savannah Guthrie makes an emotional plea for help as co-workers cover a grim update in her mother's case. Teen kills two in attempted mass shooting at public library. Florida officers find teenager stuffed inside of dryer while responding to 911 call. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Presbyter...

Judge Graf rules a recorded statement from Tyler Robinson's former roommate will suffice at preliminary hearing next month. AG Blanche suggests investigators believe the at-large Kansas City shooter is dead. 12-year-old gunned down in Nashville as brawl erupts in the street. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The active search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie moves into Nogales, Sonora,  Mexico. Authorities and volunteer organizations have conducted multiple searches in remote areas roughly after receiving tips.  The group, Buscando Corazones de Nogales Sonora,  announced it received a phone call on May 10, Mother’s Day, that Guthrie was buried in an unmarked shallow grave near Nogales.  Up to 15 volunteers took part in the search Guthrie with no recovery. A second search too place a little more than four miles from the border. The nonprofit plans more searches.  Authorities continue to process over 30,000 tips and analyze evidence.

Joining Nancy G...

A second suspect in a Toledo shootout awaiting extradition from Columbus. Two arrested in 'jealousy fueled' shooting of Tennessee college basketball star. Father strangles, threatens to kill infant's mother, then takes off with the baby sans car seat. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A jury finds Sean "Diddy" Combs guilty of two counts relating to transporting individuals for prostitution, but the rap mogul is acquitted of the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.   After the verdict, Combs' attorneys ask for bail. He doesn't get it, instead getting a 50-month prison sentence. Now  Combs is scheduled to be released from federal prison on February 23, 2028.This date has been adjusted or changed at least four times.  

Everyday household products can be used to get high.   Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns explains how substances like spray paint, canned air, Freon, and other chemicals affect the nervous system, limit oxygen, and sometimes trigger fatal heart rhythms. Through cases involving whipped cream canisters, dental nitrous oxide, hairspray, and jenkem, Dr. Crowns shows why these deaths can be difficult to diagnose, often leaving few obvious autopsy findings and relying heavily on scene investigation and toxicology.

Episodes Mentioned:

Mayhem in the Morgue | Foraging Misadventures 

Mayhem in the Morgue | Minty Fresh

...

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 Sydney Silvagni with some of our top stories this week:

Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.”

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard Allen,  convicted in the 2017 murders of Abigail Williams and Liberty German in Delphi, Indiana, has filed an appeal to overturn his conviction. Oral arguments will be heard September 21, 2026.   

The jury took two minutes from entering the courtroom to announce the verdict: Richard Allen, guilty on all charges.

Allen was convicted of felony murder for Abby Williams and Libby German, as well as for knowingly and intentionally killing both girls. Judge Gull maintained order in the courtroom, where there were no outbursts, but outside on the streets of Delphi, shouts of "Guilty on all charges" ech...

Ted Bundy, one of America's most notorious serial killers, was also a kidnapper, rapist, burglar, and necrophile who attacked dozens of young women and girls across the US in the 1970s. Bundy's killing spree was interrupted in 1977 when he was arrested for a Colorado murder, but he escaped while being transported to a court hearing. He was caught again in Florida in 1978, but only after a brutal raid on a Florida State University sorority house. Bundy confessed to 30 homicides, although it suspected his death toll was much higher.  He has now been tied to the death of Laura Ann A...

Mackenzie Shirilla is serving 15 years to life at the Ohio Reformatory for Women, convicted on 12 counts, including murder and aggravated vehicular homicide.  Police say Shirilla deliberately crashing her car into a brick building at 100 mph. Two passengers were killed, Shirilla's boyfriend, Dominic Russo, and their friend, Davion Flanagan. Data from the car's black box showed Shirilla floored the gas pedal and never used the brakes, making calculated steering and gear adjustments before impact.  She was 17 at the time.  

Now jailhouse recordings and prison records reveal that convicted double-murderer is making    demand behind bars  Recordings from her time at the...

Kansas City authorities "hot on the trail" of fugitive gunman who shot five, killing one. Four teenagers behind bars after their attempt to evade police results in a deadly crash. North Carolina woman threatens her boyfriend at knifepoint while he holds their infant over household chore divide. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Melissa Casias' remains were found by a hiker May 28 in Carson National Forest in New Mexico, nearly a year after she disappeared.   Casias worked at Los Alamos as an administrative assistant, and her death now linked to the 17 other missing or dead scientists.  Authorities found a handgun nearby the remains.   

The remains were skeletonized when found by a hiker in the McGaffey Ridge area of the Carson National Forest.  Reports indicate a gunshot wound to the head, but no bullet was found.  

Joining Nancy Grace today:

Luigi Mangione's defense forced to reveal details of long-shot psychiatric defense. Hospital shooter ID'd, as victim dies of their injuries. 'LISK' Rex Heuermann sentenced for 8 admitted stranglings. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just weeks after a judge said says Rex Heuerman  "will go to trial come hell or high water," the accused serial killer pleads guilty to all seven murders for which he's charged, and an additional murder. We learned details of what police found on Heuermann's phones.  Yes, multiple phones.  Rex Heuermann used a series of burner phones to lure sex workers, contacting them hundreds of times over two years, according to court documents. These "untraceable" phones, along with his personal phone, traced to a "tight cluster" of cell towers near his Massapequa Park home, linking him to the victims and...

D4vd, David Anthony Burke, has not publicly admitted to Celeste Rivas Hernandez being pregnant. Prosecutors, though,  have revealed that D4vd and Celeste exchanged text messages regarding sex, pregnancy, and abortion while he was 18 and she was 13.  The teenager's death certificate was amended to state it is unclear if she was pregnant, as authorities continue to investigate. There are also text circulation in which Burke says he is going to be a dad. 

Meanwhile photos of D4vd with cuts on his lips brings speculation of how and when he got them. 

Joining Nancy Grac...

Concerned parents report their teenage son's participation in a plot to attack attendees at the White House UFC event over the weekend. Six injured in New Jersey acid attack. 14-year-old suspect in armed lemonade stand robbery apprehended. Sydney Silvagni reports. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elena Katherine Moore, a 39‑year‑old personal trainer from Lexington, South Carolina, has been missing since Thursday, June 11, 2026. She was last seen leaving a Lexington Planet Fitness  and walking toward a wooded area behind a nearby Lowe’s store. Police searches,  including drone and ground operations, have found no trace of her.  Moore is  5'7inches,  120 lbs, with brown eyes and hair.  She was wearing an olive‑green zip‑up hoodie and black athletic pants.   

Anyone with information is urged to contact:

Detective Santoro: 803‑358‑7271 or asantoro@lexsc.gov lexsc.gov

Midlands Crimestoppers: 1‑888‑CRIME‑SC (888‑274‑6372) lexsc.gov

During a track meet between Memorial High School and Centennial High School in Frisco, Texas, light rain begins to fall, and athletes take cover under tents with their respective teams at Kuykendall Stadium.

Memorial High School athlete Austin Metcalf finds Centennial High School athlete Karmelo Anthony under the Memorial High School tent and tells him he needs to move from under his team's tent.

When Anthony refuses, words are exchanged, and Anthony tells Metcalf, "Touch me and see what happens."

Centennial High School's Karmelo Anthony allegedly reaches inside his bag, grabs a knife...