Crime Alert 09.26.23

Sean “Diddy” Combs' sex-trafficking trial kicks off with jury selection. This week, Combs listened intently as potential jurors answered questions after completing their written questionnaires. During the proceedings, Combs asked the judge for a bathroom break. When he returned, he apologized to Judge Subramanian, saying, “I’m sorry, Your Honor, I’m a little nervous today.” Final jury selection continues Friday. Several potential jurors have been dismissed. One called the Cassie Ventura beating video “damning evidence.” Another said he believes the rap mogul can “buy his way out of jail.” Yet another attended Sean Combs’ high school. One person, a producer for HBO who did not work on the Diddy documentary, admitted to hearing “water cooler” talk about it. For more on the issues ahead, stay tuned for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace Joining Nancy Grace today : Eric Faddis - Partner at Varner Faddis Elite Legal, Former Felony Prosecutor and Current Criminal Defense and Civil Litigation Attorney; Instagram: @e_fad @varnerfaddis; TikTok: @varnerfaddis 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 at “Crispin Special Investigations," Former Federal Task Force Officer for the United States Department of Justice [DEA and Miami Field Division], Former Homicide and Crimes Against Children Investigator; Facebook: Crispin Special Investigations Inc. Dr. DeWayne Hendrix - Former Associate Warden at the MDC in Brooklyn, Former Senior Warden with the US Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Founder and President of A New Daylight Foundation, Author: "Who Are You?  See it Say it and Seize it;" @anewdaylight (IG)  @drdewaynehendrix (LinkedIn)  @anewdaylight (X) Lynn Shaw - Founder and Executive Director of Lynn's Warriors,  Host of Lynn's Warriors on YouTube;  X: @lynns_warriors/ YouTube: @LynnsWarriors Lauren Conlin - Podcaster/Reporter/Host- Co-Host of Primetime Crime on YouTube; X- @Conlin_Lauren, Instagram- @LaurenEmilyConlin, YouTube: @PopCrimeTV Sydney Sumner - CrimeOnline Investigative Reporter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Teen son accidentally kills his father in a drunken fight. Memphis food truck customers don't react after witnessing a shooting.  For more crime and justice news go to crimeonline.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Sanford Sherman and his wife of three decades, Aliza Sherman, are going through a contentious divorce from accusations of infidelity to money changing accounts. Aliza Sherman receives another blow when she learns her attorney is suspended and she needs to hire another attorney.  Gregory Moore of the Stafford Law Company takes over her case, and Aliza notices red flags from the start. Moore does not prepare for each court appearance, and he continues to ask for continuances,  until the judge finally says there will be no more continuances.  The day before their first day of trial, Attorney Gregory Moore texts Aliza Sherman  to come to his downtown Cleveland office to discuss the case. Standing outside the Stafford Law Company in downtown Cleveland, Aliza Sherman tells   Moore she is going back to wait in her car because it is too cold.  As Aliza Sherman walks back towards her car, she is confronted by a masked individual wearing dark clothing and gloves, the assailant circles behind Aliza then chases the 53-year-old and stabs her over 10 times. She is stabbed her face, neck, right ear, and eight times in her back. As the masked assailant leaves the scene, the mortally wounded nurse calls 911. A bystander also calls 911 and an ambulance gets Aliza to the hospital where she is pronounced dead from he injuries   Joining Nancy Grace today: Jan Lash -  Aliza’s Best Friend Derek Smith - Criminal Defense Attorney, Acquaintance of Greg Moore Dr. John Delatorre - Licensed Psychologist and Mediator [specializing in forensic psychology], Psychological consultant to Project Absents: a non-profit organization that searches for missing persons; X, IG, and TikTok: @drjohndelatorre Fil Waters - Former Homicide Detective for the Houston Police Department, President & CEO of Kindred Spirits Investigations & Security, Inc. Josh Lowe - Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal. Northern District of Ohio Dr. Kendall Crowns - Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County (Ft Worth), NEW Podcast: "Mayhem in the Morgue" [launching soon], Lecturer: Burnett School of Medicine at TCU (Texas Christian University) Tiffani Tucker - Anchor 19 News WOIO, Contributor to the Podcast “Dark Side of the Land” by 19 News, Facebook: @TiffaniTuckerTV, IG: @TiffaniTuckerNews See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Alabama woman sentenced to life for purposes running down her boyfriend. 87-year-old man charged with battery on his wife while fighting over thermostat! For more crime and justice news go to crimeonline.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Columbia, Missouri, father receives a call from his teenage daughter’s high school, reporting she is absent after missing all her classes. He calls his 15-year-old several times. After receiving no answer, he rushes home from work to check on her. He hopes she simply overslept or missed the bus. But she isn’t there, and some of her belongings, including her phone, are also missing. The teen is immediately reported missing. Police believe she intentionally prepared to leave home. After searches turn up nothing and her phone remains unused since the day she vanished, investigators begin interviewing her friends. Fellow students say she may have been talking to someone online. More than four months later, police find the girl cowering naked in a closet in a Fort Collins, Colorado, home, where she had been forced to work in a snow shoveling business. Joining Nancy Grace today: Greg Morse - Criminal Defense Attorney of Morse Legal, Author of “The Untested” [found on Amazon] Caryn Stark - Forensic Psychologist, Renowned TV and Radio Trauma Expert and Consultant; Instagram: carynpsych, FB: Caryn Stark Private Practice   Todd Shipley - Digital Cyber-Crime expert, Former Detective Sergeant with the Reno, Nevada Police Dept. [25 year in law enforcement], Author of: "Surviving a Cyberattack: Securing Social Media and Protecting Your Home," and “Investigating Internet Crimes: An Introduction to solving Crimes in Cyberspace;" X Twitter: @webcase Titania Jordan - Chief Parent Officer of Bark Parental Controls, and Author: "Parenting In A Tech World;"Instagram/X: @TitaniaJordan  Gigi McKelvey - Journalist, Host of Podcast “Pretty Lies and Alibis;"Facebook, IG, TikTok: @PrettyLiesAndAlibis, X: @PrettiesLiesAlibi  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EMT dies after patient stabs him in the back of an ambulance, just days after she attacked a police officer. It's unclear why this bank robber needed money! For more crime and justice news go to crimeonline.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sean “Diddy” Combs lost his bid to delay trial, and jury selection begins today as celebrities he once partied with gather for the Met Gala. Combs appeared in court wearing glasses and a pullover after Judge Arun Subramanian allowed him to avoid prison attire during the proceedings. The judge also approved a written jury questionnaire but limited it to 30 questions. The defense seeks insight into potential jurors’ views on topics including multiple sex partners, cheating, intimate partner violence, drug use, rap, and illegal firearm ownership. Prosecutors may call Jennifer Lopez to testify as they attempt to introduce evidence related to the 1999 Club NY shooting. Lopez and Combs fled the club after gunfire wounded three people. Combs’ defense team denies all rape allegations and argues that he lives a consensual swinger lifestyle. Attorney Marc Agnifilo told the court that Combs’ behavior is legal and misunderstood. Prosecutors intend to show that Combs used his businesses to host “Freak Offs” involving male prostitutes and women allegedly coerced into sex acts. At Combs’ last pretrial hearing, prosecutors said he rejected a plea deal. Federal prosecutor Madison Smyser confirmed the offer but declined to disclose the terms. Opening statements are scheduled for May 12. Joining Nancy Grace today: Eric Faddis - Partner at Varner Faddis Elite Legal, Former Felony Prosecutor and Current Criminal Defense and Civil Litigation Attorney; Instagram: @e_fad @varnerfaddis; TikTok: @varnerfaddis 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], Former Homicide and Crimes Against Children Investigator; Facebook: Crispin Special Investigations Inc. Lynn Shaw - 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  Lauren Conlin - Investigative Journalist, Host of The Outlier Podcast, and also Host of "Corruption: What Happened to Grant Solomon; X- @Conlin_Lauren/ Instagram- @LaurenEmilyConlin/YouTube- @LaurenConlin4   Sydney Sumner - CrimeOnline Investigative Reporter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elementary school mom brings jello shots to the class party! Someone missing an alpaca?  For more crime and justice news go to crimeonline.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shari Franke's book, The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom, details her discovery of the relationship between her mother, Ruby Franke, and business partner Jodi Hildebrandt. In her memoir, Shari says that after her mother’s arrest, she found messages on her laptop confirming the true nature of their relationship. The abuse the children endured came to light when a 12-year-old boy climbed out of a window and ran to neighbors, begging for food and water. The boy is the son of Ruby Franke, a popular blogger known for the YouTube channel 8 Passengers. The home belonged to Franke’s business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt. Neighbors called police. Officers said the boy appeared emaciated and malnourished. They also noted he had “deep lacerations from being tied up with rope” and duct tape around his wrists and ankles. After searching Hildebrandt’s home, police found Franke’s 10-year-old daughter in a similar condition. Both children were taken to a hospital. Franke’s parenting channel, 8 Passengers, which once had over 2 million followers, offered parenting advice. In one video, she admitted to withholding food as a form of punishment. Both women were convicted of aggravated child abuse. Joining Nancy Grace Today: Donna Kelly – Former Utah Senior Deputy District Attorney and Attorney for Crime Victims Legal Clinic; Helped form the Utah County Sex Crimes Task Force Dr. Dana Anderson – Forensic Psychologist and consultant, court appointed expert witness, Twitter: @psychologydrcom, TikTok: @psychologydr Jason Jensen – Private Investigator (Jensen Private Investigations), Cold Case Expert (Salt Lake City, UT), and Co-founder: “Cold Case Coalition;” Investigations; Twitter: @JasonJPI, Facebook/Instagram: “Jensen Investigations”  Dr. Free N. Hess – Pediatrician/Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Child Safety Expert & Consultant, Founder of www.PediMom.com Emily Ashcraft- Reporter for KSL.com in Utah; Twitter: @emilyjaneen3  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrea Eilber is 20-years-old and dating a guy, KC Grondin,  she met while work working at the local grocery store.  Andrea and KC are in a very special place in their relationship, described by friends as very "lovey-dovey" with one another. When Andrea is asked to house-sit for her Aunt and Uncle she invites her boyfriend to come over for a movie night. When KC arrives at the house, Andrea's car is not in the driveway and nobody answers the door. KC goes home and gets a text from Andrea cancelling their plans and telling him they will talk tomorrow. KC goes home crestfallen thinking Andrea is breaking up with him. The next day when nobody can get Andrea by phone or text, her father organizes a search party. Andrea Eilber's car is found abandoned on a nearby road.  When the house is searched, Andrea is found in the basement, tied to a chair, shot in the back of the head.  Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack discuss how police found their suspect, arrested, tried, convicted, and sent him to prison, while the real killer was walking around free. Scientists at Othram helped catch the real killer, another success for Othram and DNASolves.com   Transcribe Highlights 00:29.41 Introduction  00:40.49 Working in grocery store 04:39.77 Andrea Eilber and KC Grondin are infatuated with one another 09:06.09 Andrea is housesitting for relatives, but she is missing 15:10.13 Andrea Eilber is found tied to chair, shot in back of head 20:18.20 Police question everyone about boyfriend/girlfriend relationship, boyfriend identified as suspect, arrested, convicted 25:06.43 Why police give suspects water to drink 30:56.96 KC Grondin, released but under house arrest 35:21.31 Othram case - DNA Solves 40:05.10 Police follow new suspect and find sample to get DNA - Chadwick Mobley pleads no-contest 45:06.35 Prosecutors may charge KC Grondin again  48:46.43 ConclusionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.