Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Nancy Grace speaks with Danikka Harrell, close friend of Cristen and Clinton Brinks. The couple was stabbed to death while hiking with their children in Devil's Den State Park. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Secret documents, including never-before-seen photos of Kohberger's victims, may be made public in the near future. The process for unsealing the records is a lengthy process, and Kohberger's lawyers and the prosecutors will have two weeks to argue whether the items should be released or kept sealed. There are 43 items in the first batch, including photos of each of the deceased victims and a photograph of the six victims together. It is not clear if the pictures were taken before the attacks or after their deaths. The release of documents will not be random, as the judge says he is reviewing items for unsealing by taking the newest ones first and working backwards. Many documents on the first list are motions about what evidence jurors could be shown at trial, including what witnesses should testify and whether Kohberger could put forth his alternate suspect defense. Other records pertain to whether items should be kept confidential or are rulings on what would be sealed. The process is expected to take months, as each batch must be reviewed before release. One of the remaining mysteries is why Kaylee's dog didn't sound an alarm. According to reports, Murphy started acting strangely in the months leading up to Kaylee's murder. Surviving roommate Bethany Funke and Kaylee's ex-boyfriend told similar stories to police about Kaylee seeing a shadowy figure behind the house when she walked Murphy. Murphy started running away from home and would run to the bushes behind the house and not return when called. Some speculate that Kohberger was secretly befriending Murphy so he would not bark when he entered the home. Joining Nancy Grace today: Dr. Bethany MarshallChris McDonoughSheryl McCollum See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A family trip to Florida took a dark turn for one British family when the father figure was accused of attempting to drown his daughter-in-law, as reported by authorities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The public was already skeptical of the DOJ’s claims the footage from the SHU where Jeffrey Epstein was housed “clearly shows” Epstein is the only person who entered his cellblock the night of his death, a mysterious orange blob climbing the steps to L block has eviscerated all trust in their review. The Inspector General says the movement on the staircase around 10:40 pm is C.O. Tova Noel carrying inmate linens up to the L Block, but video analysis experts say it's more likely the figure was wearing orange, not carrying orange material. According to independent reviews of the “raw” footage released by the DOJ, the video isn’t “raw” at all. At one point, a computer cursor flies across the screen, indicating the original file is a screen recording, not a DVR export. Metadata also reveals the footage was created from two different clips and edited in Adobe Premiere Pro on May 23 from 4:48 p.m. to 8:16 p.m. One of those clips was cut down 2 minutes and 53 seconds shorter than its original form, the cut coinciding with the beginning of the “missing minute,” at 11:58:58. When the footage resumes at midnight after the alleged “nightly reset,” the aspect ratio is also slightly different. The footage released from the MCC offers a limited view of the SHU common area and just a sliver of the staircase to Jeffrey Epstein’s cell block. Off camera, to the right of the staircase, is another entrance into the SHU. The correctional officers on duty report that a second locked door blocks that entrance. One of those doors is controlled remotely, while the other requires a key kept on the C.O.’s person. However, multiple people are seen entering and exiting while Tova Noel and Michael Thomas are nowhere near the door or not in the unit at all. While correctional officers admitted that Epstein was allowed to make an unmonitored phone call in the showers before he was returned to his cell at 7:40 p.m., C.O. Tova Noel claimed she left Epstein in the showers alone to use the restroom, and by the time she returned, someone else had already escorted Epstein back to his cell. However, it appears that Noel remains in the unit during the call and does personally walk Epstein back toward the staircase to cellblock L. Another female staffer left the unit shortly before Noel gave the escort and returned shortly after Epstein was allegedly safely returned to his cell. Senator Ron Wyden, the Democratic ranking member on the Senate Finance Committee, claims there is plenty to investigate from the Epstein files, including thousands of lines of Epstein’s wire transfers. Wyden points out that Epstein had to fund his sex-trafficking ring somehow and says that over the last three years, the Treasury Department has discovered 4,725 wire transfers totaling over a billion dollars flowing through just one of Epstein’s banks. They also found that Epstein had frequent dealings with a sanctioned Russian bank. Wyden claims the DOJ has financial records for Epstein and calls for them to be released to the SFC for further investigation. Joining Nancy Grace today: Dr. Bethany MarshallTodd Shipley,Dr. DeWayne HendrixLynn ShawSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Authorities in western Montana are continuing their manhunt for a former U.S. Army soldier suspected in a deadly mass shooting at a small-town bar. Authorities in Tennessee are intensifying the search for 28-year-old Austin Robert Drummond, the man accused of killing four members of the same family before abandoning an infant in a remote area. A Maryland mother, once declared mentally unfit to stand trial, is now facing murder charges in the 2014 disappearance of her two young children. In Milwaukee, a man convicted of murdering and dismembering a college student he met on a first date has been sentenced to life in prison without parole. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parents of Andrew McGann's students at schools in Oklahoma and Texas say the 28-year-old suspect was a "sick pervert" and his "behavior was unusual." There were girls McGann would "tickle" at Donald Elementary School in Flower Mound, Texas. McGann would invite special girls to have lunch in his classroom while other students ate in the cafeteria. One student says McGann told her "he wished she could be his girlfriend." Parents reported McGann's behavior to Lewisville ISD and Donald Elementary staff. but "everything got swept under the rug." Parents complaints led to McGann being placed on administrative leave before his resignation letter. Parent Lindsay Polyak suggests if McGann had been terminated instead of beingt able o resign, the termination would have been on his record and might have raised some red flags for other teaching jobs. However, since he was allowed to resign, he was hired by at least two other school districts and was getting ready to start the new school year in Arkansas. McGann taught at Sand Springs until May of this year. Former student Shaelynn Brown says the black backpack shown in a picture was the same bag McGann had while he taught at Sand Springs. McGann began teaching in the 2022-2023 school year at Donald Elementary School in the Lewisville, Texas, Independent School District. The next school year, 23-24, he taught at Spring Creek Elementary with the Broken Arrow Public Schools, and then for the last school year, fall 24 to spring 25, he taught 5th grade at Spring Creek Elementary in the Sand Springs school district. For the upcoming school year, he moved schools again, this time to Arkansas, where he was preparing to begin his school year. Joining Nancy Grace today: Mircha KingDr. Janie LacySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Investigators stated that Clinton Brink, 43, was the initial victim of the attack. His wife, Cristen, 41, managed to lead their two daughters to safety before bravely heading back to support her husband. Now, their accused killer makes his first court appearance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ricky Johnson, David Harrington, and Clayton McGeeney were last seen alive on January 7, 2024, watching the final regular-season Kansas City Chiefs game at the home of their friend, Jordan Willis. Two days later, authorities found their frozen bodies outside the house. After a yearlong investigation, prosecutors charged Jordan Willis and Ivory Carson in connection with the deaths, which gained national attention. Both men face three counts of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of delivering a controlled substance. Police say Carson, known as "Blade Brown," supplied and sold cocaine to Willis and the victims. Investigators found Carson's DNA on a bag of fentanyl inside Willis' home. During the investigation, law enforcement initially said they did not suspect foul play. A toxicology report later confirmed that the men had cocaine, THC, and fentanyl in their systems. Police have since ruled the deaths as caused by "fentanyl and cocaine toxicity." As the case progressed, Willis moved out of the home and checked into rehab. A forensic analysis of Harrington’s phone uncovered text messages between Willis, McGeeney, Johnson, and others, linking Carson to the cocaine supply. DNA evidence identified Willis as a major contributor, and a second bag contained DNA matching Carson, confirming his role as the drug supplier. Now, as the two suspects face each other in court, they don't even look at each other. Joining Nancy Grace today: Derek SmithDr. Heidi GreenBarry HutchisonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack discuss Forensic Anthropology, starting with the two questions usually asked of Forensic Anthropologists: Joseph Scott Morgan explains what is Forensic Anthropology and how experts in the field are able to figure out what happened in cases where only a minimum of remains are left to investigate. Transcribe Highlights 00:10.88 Introduction- Forensic Anthropology 05:05.90 Thinking neighbor was "the" Margaret Mead 10:26.47 Forensic Anthropologists - The Body Farm 14:56.66 Training is very intense 20:01.55 Terminator the liquid guy 25:03.32 Bones that make up the human skull 30:18.10 Swampy area - what happens to bones? 35:08.07 Study of human skeletal remains 40:42.60 Suture lines in floor of skull 44:34.54 Working case of genocide 50:36.76 Gunshot wound 55:22.21 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: Devil's Den Murderer Captured getting a haircut. Teen Girls Busted for Hate Crimes Diddy Asks for Release Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In his 2022 memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big, Terrible Thing," Matthew Perry claimed to have been to rehab 15 times, detoxed 65 times, and spent about $7 to $9 million trying to get sober. Two years after his near-death experience, Matthew Perry goes to a Rehab facility in Switzerland. He admitted to faking pain symptoms to get Oxycontin during COVID. He was also getting daily Ketamine infusions. Ultimately it was Ketamine that killed him. On October 28, Matthew Perry went to his country club to play a game of Pickleball with friends. Perry returned to his home after the game and was seen by his assistant, who was leaving the house to run errands. At 4 p.m., the assistant returned home and found Perry floating face down in the heated end of the pool. Paramedics pulled Perry out of the pool and pronounced him dead at the scene. Jasveen Sangha, known as the "Ketamine Queen," sold the drug involved in Matthew Perry's death. She remains in custody. Court documents reveal the close ties between Sangha, drug dealer Eric Fleming, and Perry's assistant Kenneth Iwamasa. Iwamasa told Fleming he "cleaned up the scene" by disposing of ketamine vials and syringes and "deleted everything." Fleming then informed Sangha that he believed they were protected since he never dealt with Perry directly, only through Iwamasa, who would be considered Perry's "enabler." In their communications, Sangha and Fleming refer to Perry using the code name "Chandler," Now the doctor who called Perry a moron, who's directly implicated in Perry’s ketamine overdose, Dr. Salvador Plasencia, admits his guilt in Perry's death. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.