Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Residents of a small rural Idaho town of turn out in force to join authorities searching for a 5-year-old boy reported missing. He was last seen in a field near his family home. Ultimately, tips lead police to the home of a neighbor, Sarah Wondra. Police spent more than a week excavating the home's backyard. FPD Chief JD Huff says police believe Vaughan's body was buried in Wondra's backyard and then moved to another location. All the cadaver dogs used in the search "alerted" in the yard. Ground penetrating radar also detected "anomalies." Additional evidence was found in the home. Now Sarah Wondra's husband, Stacey, is charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, destruction of evidence and more. He pleaded not guilty to all counts. In the last days, the judge overseeing Wondra's preliminary hearing found probable cause that he kidnapped and killed Michael Vaughan, then destroyed evidence. During closing arguments the prosecution alleged Michael died by suffocation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sandra Birchmore, a 23-year-old teacher's aide and instructional assistant, was found dead in her Canton, Massachusetts, home in February 2021. Sandra was known to many officers of the Stoughton Police department due to her involvement with an Explorer program as a teen. Her death, initially ruled a suicide, became the focus of a federal homicide investigation, leading to the 2024 arrest of former Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell, who was charged with her murder. Turns out Sandra had been groomed since age 10. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack update the case with additional forensic evidence that is just now coming to light. Transcribe Highlights 00:06.64 Introduction - Basic Training 02:29.94 Murder of Sandra Birchmore 05:05.01 Explorer Post is extension of scouting 10:08.64 Sandra was a Teachers-Aide 15:09.02 Suicide investigations 20:16.88 Discovery of body 25:24.73 Sandra excited - 10 weeks pregnant 30:02.03 Death ruling changed after 3 plus years 35:25.69 Investigation revealed others involved 40:05.90 FBI investigation 41:53.69 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 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.

Court documents reveal disturbing new details of the gruesome murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. D4vd, David Anthony Burke, charged with first-degree murder, continuous sexual acts, lewd and lascivious sexual acts with an individual under 14 years old and mutilating the human remains of a body. He has pleaded not guilty. The documents reveal D4vd provided Celeste with a burner cellphone and the two discussed abortion, Plan B birthcontrol, and the fact that Celeste wanted more than just a sexual relationship. Court document alleges D4vd ordered two chainsaws from Amazon as well as a body bag, an inflatable pool and a burn cage via Amazon using a fake name. Investigators say fragments of that pool were found in cut wounds on Celeste's body. Joining Nancy Grace today: www.lovellfirm.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nancy Guthrie has been missing now for three months. The search continues for clues, even combing possibilities suggested by the Guthrie family. Daughter Annie Guthrie gave police early in the investigation, a hand drawn map of a possible route the kidnapper could have taken. Will businesses and traffic cameras along that route provide any help in finding Nancy? Joining Nancy Grace today: www.uspasecurity.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The search for Nancy Guthrie continues. It's been three months since the mother of TV host Savannah Guthrie and her two siblings has been seen. Early in the investigation, Annie Guthrie gave police a hand drawn map of the route she thought the kidnapper could have taken. Will surveillance from businesses or traffic cameras along that passage reveal any vehicle traveling that way the night Nancy went missing? Joining Nancy Grace today: www.uspasecurity.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7 NYPD Officers injured rescuing families from a Queens home that exploded the moment they tried to enter to apprehend a knife-wielding suspect. WHCA Dinner suspect back in court for detention hearing. Sydney Silvagni reports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Court documents reveal disturbing new details of the gruesome murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. D4vd, David Anthony Burke, charged with first-degree murder, continuous sexual acts, lewd and lascivious sexual acts with an individual under 14 years old and mutilating the human remains of a body. He has pleaded not guilty. The documents reveal D4vd was seen on camera driving in his Tesla with Celeste's body in the frunk. What's more, court document alleges D4vd ordered two chainsaws from Amazon as well as a body bag, an inflatable pool and a burn cage via Amazon using a fake name. Investigators say fragments of that pool were found in cut wounds on Celeste's body. Joining Nancy Grace today: www.lovellfirm.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It will be several weeks before we learn more about the state's case against singer D4vd, his preliminary hearing on the murder of Celeste Hernandez Rivas delayed to the end of the month. Sydney Silvagni reports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amy Hillyard, co-owner of Farley's Coffee with husband, Chris, 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 pounds, with blonde hair and hazel eyes, last seen wearing a white t-shirt, blue jeans, and white sneakers with a black stripe. Amy's family say they are not giving up. Anyone with information asked to call 911 or Oakland Police at 510-238-3641. Joining Nancy Grace today: Jo-Anna NievesBrian FitzgibbonsDr. Rachel TolesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick Reiner back in court today in the murder of his parents. The purpose, to set a date for his preliminary hearing. We have learned that the case will not proceed until September. This is due in part, to nearly two terabytes of discovery that must be provided to the defense. What's more, the autopsy reports of Rob and Michele Reiner, are still not complete more than four months after the murders. Reiner, 32, charged with killing his parents inside the master bedroom of the family home, is being held at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles. He has pleaded not guilty to the murder charges. Jake Reiner, the eldest sibling has finally spoken about losing his parents, describing them in an essay as "the most giving people I have ever known," and their murders as "a nightmare." Joining Nancy Grace Today www.carynstark.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Officer responding to an armed robbery taken along for a getaway ride, forced to shoot suspect to bring the car to a stop. Ohio semi-truck driver with fraudulent ID kills young family in fiery crash. Sydney Silvagni reports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Memphis Police investigating the discovery of skeletal remains of three children, aged 3 to 7. The remains where found a dog walker who initially found a skull. Days later police recover an 14 additional bones from a drainage pipe. Police believe the remains may have been in the area for several years. Investigators used cameras, and cadaver dogs conducting intense searches of drainage systems The investigation is ongoing with no suspect. Memphis officials urge anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH. Joining Nancy Grace Today: www.drbethanymarshall.comwww.wtol.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cole Tomas Allen facing life in prison for Saturday's assassination attempt. Second set of remains found in search for missing USF students. Sydney Silvagni reports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The U.S. Coast Guard opened a criminal investigation into the disappears of Michigan woman Lynette Hooker. The 55-year-old went missing while boating in the Bahamas. Police say Lynette and husband Brian Hooker were using an 8‑foot dinghy to travel from Hope Town to their yacht, Soulmate, moored near Elbow Cay in the Abaco Islands. Husband Brian says around 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Lynette "bounced out of the dinghy", along with the boat’s engine key, which caused the motor to stop. He says strong currents carried her away, but he saw her swimming toward shore before losing sight of her. Brian reportedly paddled the boat to Marsh Harbour and contacted police around 4 a.m. Now, the search for Lynette has turned inland. Royal Bahamian Police and the US Coast Guard say it's unlikely the Michigan mom fell overboard. Joining Nancy Grace Today www.KSFamilyLaw.comwww.drbethanymarshall.comwww.uspasecurity.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Authorities are desperately searching for a missing USF student after finding the remains of her friend, stabbed to death by his roommate. Washington sheriff's deputies bewildered by car thieves' attempts to halt police pursuit. Sydney Silvagni reports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A family vacation to Bali turns deadly. Sheila von Wiese-Mack found bludgeoned to death inside a suitcase. The socialite's 25-year-old daughter Heather Mack and her 21-year-old then-boyfriend, Tommy Schaefer charged and convicted by an Indonesian court. Police say Schaefer bludgeoned von Wiese-Mack with a bowl and then he and Mack stuffed her body into a suitcase and attempted to flee the scene. Heather Mack was pregnant at the time and gave birth to a daughter in prison. After serving seven years in Indonesia for her role in the 2014 murder, Mack was released from the Indonesian prison and returned to the United States, where she pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to kill a U.S. national and was sentenced to 26 years in prison in June 2023. Schaefer was sentenced in Indonesia to 18 years in prison, but after receiving time off for good behaviour, he has been released from a Bali jail. The 33-year-old still faces US federal charges. He has pled not guilty to conspiracy to kill someone in a foreign country, conspiracy to commit murder and obstruction of justice. He says, despite a judge's warning, he intends to represent himself. A trial date has been set for January 2027. If convicted, Schaefer faces a possible life sentence. Joining Nancy Grace Today: Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns examines how an ordinary day outdoors can turn deadly after an encounter with bees, wasps, hornets, or fire ants. Using real forensic cases, he explains the four stages of anaphylaxis, the aggressive nature of killer bees, and how forensic pathologists determine whether an insect attack caused, contributed to, or merely complicated a person’s death. Highlights: (0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns (0:15) Why stinging insects can turn an ordinary summer day into a fatal emergency (1:30) Dr. Crowns’ childhood story involving yellow jackets, his brother, and a very bad idea (5:30) How stinging insects are classified and the anatomy of stingers (6:15) The Schmidt sting pain index and the varying pain of insect stings (9:00) Sting frequency, allergic reactions, and seasonal danger patterns (11:00) Case one: a fatal bee swarm after a lawn mower disturbs a nest (13:30) The difference between bees, wasps, hornets, and the threat of killer bees (19:15) The four stages of anaphylaxis and autopsy findings that help confirm a fatal reaction (24:00) Case two: a woman found covered in fire ants, and what really caused her death About the Host: Dr. Kendall Crowns is the Chief Medical Examiner for Travis County, Texas, and a nationally recognized forensic pathologist. He has 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 sharp medical insight and dark humor 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 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 Listen to some of our top stories this week from Crime Stories investigative reporter Sydney Silvani Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The father of the teen boy responsible for a mass shooting at a Winder, Georgia high school is being held accountable for his son Colt Gray's actions. Colin Gray convicted of second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, cruelty to children, and reckless conduct after less than two hours of deliberation. The FBI first investigated Colt Gray in May 2023 after receiving a tip about a school shooting threat via Discord, a gaming chat platform. Colin Gray told investigators he had been teaching his son about "firearms and safety" and how to hunt. He stated that if his son had made any threats, he "would be mad as hell and then all the guns would be taken away." Colt denied making threats. After the investigation, Colin Gray purchased his son an AR-15-style rifle as a gift. Colin Gray will be sentenced in July facing up to 180 years in prison. Joining Nancy Grace today: Brian ClaypoolDr. Jillian PetersonChris GrollneckSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.