Crime Alert 10.22.24 | Grandmother Found Bludgeoned Dead with Hammer

Texas teacher Chelsea Spillers, 33, is found dead inside her home, and her half-naked husband is nabbed hours later for her murder. The sister of a Houston, Texas man found hanging and burned under a freeway overpass says her brother was murdered—and she’s begging for justice. A South Carolina death row inmate who once taunted investigators with messages written in his victim’s blood has chosen to die by firing squad. Drew Nelson reports.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shortly after 7:40 a.m., Alyssa Castro and her boyfriend are in their car in their south Wichita neighborhood when a neighbor waves them down. As the woman approaches, they see what appears to be blood on the woman's hands. The woman asks to borrow a phone to call 911, then takes off with the phone back into a house. 911 dispatch is called about a possible stabbing and relays a message to first responders that a woman says there has been a stabbing in her home. Dispatch relays information that the person calling says the stabbing was in self-defense. She was trying to save herself from her mother. Arriving at the home at 7:52 a.m., Wichita police find a woman outside the home with cuts on her hands and blood on her clothing. Inside the house, they find 81-year-old Anita Avers unresponsive in her bed with multiple stab wounds. Both women are taken to the hospital. Joining Nancy Grace today: Jim Elliott - Attorney with Butler Snow, Legal Counsel for Various Georgia Municipalities and Other Governmental Entities Caryn Stark -  Forensic Psychologist, renowned TV and Radio Trauma Expert and Consultant; Instagram: carynpsych, FB: Caryn Stark Private Practice Dan Murphy - Former NYPD Detective-Sergeant, Joint Terrorism Task Force, Former Chief Security Officer, US Bancorp, Co-Host of "Gold Shields" Podcast, and Author: “Workplace Safety: Establishing an Effective Violence Prevention Program” Dr. Priya Banerjee - Board-certified Forensic Pathologist and Anatomic Pathologist, Anchor Forensic Pathology Consulting Melissa McCarty-Reporter & Host of the “Killer Genes” podcast, Author of “The Making of a Crime Reporter;" TikTok: McCarty143, Instagram: MelissaMcCarty1 Dave Mack - Investigative Reporter, ‘Crime Stories’ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the fatal stabbing of a three-year-old boy outside a grocery store.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few months after Epstein walked free, Prince Andrew corresponds with the convicted sex offender, promising to make plans for a trip to New York, as “it would be good to catch up in person.” Andrew claims his December trip to Epstein’s New York mansion was planned solely to break the news he must cut contact with the financier. However, in a January email to Epstein, Andrew writes, “Keep in close touch, and we’ll play some more soon!!!!” The Met Police investigate claims Prince Andrew tried to involve his tax-funded Met Protection Officer and Queen Elizabeth’s deputy press secretary in a smear campaign against Virginia Giuffre. Metropolitan Police are told to re-investigate Virginia Giuffre’s sex abuse allegations against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor following removal of his royal titles. But Scotland Yard claims they will not pursue a criminal investigation after Giuffre's initial allegations or her civil case. Prince Andrew may face more than just eviction! Republic, a pressure group that pushes to see the monarchy abolished, instructed lawyers to begin an investigation into the prince. Anonymous plaintiffs file lawsuits against Bank of America and Bank of New York Mellon, claiming the institutions illicitly enabled Epstein’s trafficking activities. Both banks are accused of ignoring the illegal activity, with Bank of America turning a blind eye to Epstein’s use of a victim’s account to pay her and other victims off, and Mellon failed to flag nearly $378 million in victim payments as suspicious. Joining Nancy Grace: Lynn Shaw - She is in DC right now lobbying congress to release the Epstein files; She's the Founder and Executive Director of Lynn's Warriors (an organization committed to ending human trafficking and sexual exploitation,  Host of Lynn's Warriors on YouTube;  X: @lynns_warriors, YouTube: @LynnsWarriors Greg Morse - Criminal Defense Attorney of Morse Legal, Author of “The Untested,” found on Amazon Dr. Bethany Marshall -  Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker," and featured in hit show "Paris in Love" on Peacock; Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, X: @DrBethanyLive Robert Crispin - Private Investigator “Crispin Special Investigations," Former Federal Task Force Officer for the United States Department of Justice (DEA and Miami Field Division) and Former Homicide and Crimes Against Children Investigator; FB: Crispin Special Investigations Inc. Barry Levine - Author of “The Spider: Inside the Tangled Web of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell,” and Veteran Investigative and Editor in Print and Television Harriet Alexander -  Senior Features Writer at DailyMail.com Sydney Sumner- Investigative Reporter, ‘Crime Stories’ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A heartbreaking story out of Georgia, where a local church became the scene of a tragic and deeply disturbing crime. Former news anchor arrested after elderly mother’s murder.  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 the death penalty.   Attorney General Pam Bondi directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty, which marks the first such directive by the Trump administration. New York, where the murder occurred, has abolished the death penalty, and Mangione's lawyers are attempting to block the federal death penalty pursuit, arguing the move is a political stunt.  JOINING NANCY GRACE TODAY: Matthew Mangino - Attorney, Former District Attorney (Lawrence County); Author: "The Executioner's Toll: The Crimes, Arrests, Trials, Appeals, Last Meals, Final Words and Executions of 46 Persons in the United States" Dr. Bethany Marshall -  Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker," and featured in hit show "Paris in Love" on Peacock; Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, X: @DrBethanyLive Tom Smith - Former NYPD Detective, Former Member of FBI/NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force, and Co-Host of the GOLD SHIELDS Podcast; FB & Instagram: @thegoldshieldshow Sheryl McCollum - Cold Case Investigative Research Institute Founder, and Host of "Zone 7;" X: @149zone7 Joseph Scott Morgan - Professor of Forensics: Jacksonville State University, Author of "Blood Beneath My Feet," and Host: "Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan;" X:@JoScottForensic Christina Aguayo - National News Anchor, Salem News Channel; Facebook: @ChristinaAguayoNews, Instagram: @Christina.AguayoNew See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kada Scott, 23, a recent graduate of Penn State working an overnight job at an assisted living facility, vanishes shortly after arriving for her shift on October 4.  A massive search effort takes place until police get a very specific anonymous tip that leads them to Kada's body on October 18. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack break down the clues that helped police collar a suspect and what investigators really discovered when the remains of Kada Scott were found in a shallow grave. Keon King, a 21-year-old man whom police allege was the last person in contact with Scott, has since been arrested and charged with murder, arson, and tampering with evidence in connection with the case.           Transcribe Highlights 00:00.03 Introduction - College Professor 02:18.15 Kada Scott, Penn State Graduate 05:11.97 Working in assisted living facility from 10pm-6am 09:15.54 Kada met someone in the parking lot 14:56.56 Working overnight makes your really tired  19:26.79 Police don't always share everything they know 24:44.66 Cell phones connect to towers, place us in certain places 30:04.26 Suspect will focus on the abandoned building 35:33.89 Before cell phones, you had to find a phone booth 40:33.21 Kada had gunshot wound to the head 46:02.73 Kidnapped October 4, body found October 18 51:06.81 We will do follow-up, ConclusionSee 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: Husband rejects divorce, kills wife.  Sean "Diddy" Combs Prison Release Date Revealed A neighbor’s quick action stops a toddler's kidnapping attempt in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. A Michigan dad is cuffed for threatening to shoot up his son's school, the meltdown all over a missed snack.   Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christian Brückner, the main suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, has been released from a German prison. He served a seven-year sentence for a separate and unrelated rape conviction. He  is now under strict supervision, including an electronic ankle monitor, having had his passport surrendered. Although he is free from prison, German prosecutors still consider him the prime suspect in the McCann disappearance and will continue investigating the case. German national Christian Brueckner was named a suspect in the 2007 disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann. Brueckner, 44, had been is currently serving a 7-year prison sentence in Germany for raping an elderly American woman in 2005.  Three-year-old Maddie went missing from a vacation rental while on a family holiday in Portugal.  A Portuguese prosecutor in Braunschweig, Germany, has been pursuing a case against Brueckner since June 2020.     Joining Nancy Grace Today: Darryl Cohen - Former Assistant District Attorney, Fulton County, Georgia, Defense Attorney, Cohen, Cooper, Estep, & Allen, LLC, www.ccealaw.com Dr. Angela Arnold - Psychiatrist, Atlanta GA www.angelaarnoldmd.com, Expert in the Treatment of Pregnant/Postpartum Women, Former Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Obstetrics and Gynecology: Emory University, Former Medical Director of The Psychiatric Ob-Gyn Clinic at Grady Memorial Hospital Greg Smith - Special Deputy Sheriff, Johnson County Sheriff's Office (Kansas),  Executive Director of the Kelsey Smith Foundation, www.kelseysarmy.com  Charlie Lankston - FeMail Editor, DailyMail.com; X/Instagram:@charlielanks  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A beautiful and brilliant medical doctor, Dr. Teresa Sievers, takes her family on a vacation trip to visit extended relatives with her husband and her two little girls.  Teresa comes home early, leaving family behind in Connecticut so she can go to work the next morning. Mark Sievers calls a co-worker of his wife to go to the home and check on her when she doesn't show up.  Dr. Teresa Sievers was found brutally bludgeoned, still wearing the outfit, complete with high-heeled shoes, she wore home from the airport Sunday night. The kitchen is covered in blood, a hammer by her side.  Husband Mark Sievers is ultimately charged with murder, accused of arranging for his childhood friend, Curtis Wayne Wright, to murder his wife. Wright pleaded guilty to 2nd-degree murder, cooperating with prosecutors in Mark Sievers's trial.  Sievers is convicted and now is appealing his death sentence.   Joining Nancy Grace to discuss the case: Ashley Willcott: Judge and trial attorney, Anchor on Court TV, www.ashleywillcott.com  James Shelnutt: Attorney, served 27 years as Atlanta Metro Major Case Detective, SWAT Officer Bethany Marshall: Psychologist  Dr. Tim Gallagher: Medical Examiner   Amanda Hall: Reporter, WINK TV, Ft Myers, Florida   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.