"Moscow Mule Murderer's" Children Beg Judge to Put Mom Away for Life | Crime Alert 05.15.26

Newly revealed text messages between Shanann Watts and a friend reveal her heartbreak as her marriage falls apart.  Shanann canceled a gender reveal party planned for August 7, about a week before she was strangled by her husband.  She had splurged over $800 on a cake, cookies, party supplies and flowers Then texts between the husband and wife revealed the collapsing marriage. Shanann wrote “Chris told me last night he’s scared to death about this third baby and he’s happy with just Bella and Celeste and doesn’t want another baby."   She then said she thought Chris was having an affair.     Days later, Shanann and her two daughters were dead. Joining Nancy Grace today: Cheryln Cadle -  Author of a new book “Christopher Watts a Failed Life," “The Murders of Christopher Watts” and “The Many Faces of Christopher Watts: A 5-year Update”, website: www.cherylncadle.com  Dr. Geri-Lynn Utter - Clinical Psychologist, Author of “Mainlining Philly: Survival, Hope and Resisting Drug Addition,” and “Aftershock: How Past Event Shake Up Your Life Today”, and Producer of “Utter Nonsense,” a documentary of exploration of addition and severe mental illness, available to stream on Apple TV and Prime Video, website:drgerilynnutter.com, Instagram & Facebook: DrGeriLynnUtter Dr. Kendall Crowns  - Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County (Ft Worth), Host of Podcast "Mayhem in the Morgue”, Lecturer: Burnett School of Medicine at TCU (Texas Christian University)  Mark Peper – Criminal Defense Attorney, The Pepper Law Firm; X: @PeperLawFirm Dave Mack  - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories'  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

15- and 17-year-old boys in custody after shooting at "random" Austin targets Saturday and Sunday. Parents of rape victim begging University of California Santa Barbara to request assistance from larger law enforcement agencies to get attacker behind bars as quickly as possible. Sydney Silvagni reports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick Reiner, 32  pleads not guilty to the December 2025 murders of his parents, director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.    His preliminary hearing has been postponed to Sept. 15, 2026, as  the defense is still waiting for evidence. There is roughly 2 terabytes of discovery and autopsy results. Reiner is now represented by a public defender after his previous high-profile attorney Alan Jackson withdrew. Reports suggest Reiner is in a high-observation mental health unit in jail. Reiner has faced severe, long-term mental health challenges, including diagnoses of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, and was under a mental health conservatorship between 2020 and 2021. The murderders happened after Michele and Rob Reiner leave Conan’s party without their son after his off-putting behavior, like wearing a hoodie to a formal event and interrupting Bill Hader’s private conversation, leads to an embarrassing public row. Reiner, however, doesn’t make his own way to Brentwood. Instead, he pops up in Santa Monica at 4 a.m. Sunday morning, checking into The Pierside hotel. Desk staff don’t notice anything off about Reiner’s appearance, but the next morning, housekeepers find sheets covering the windows, and blood all over Reiner’s bedding and shower. The Reiners’ troubles with their middle child have been bubbling to a head for months. Every photo of the family from the September premiere of Rob’s latest film, "Spinal Tap: The End Continues," picture the 32-year-old sporting a deep scowl. By November, Nick Reiner moves back into his parents’ guest house, which he’s trashed on multiple occasions, leading up to a blowout fight the day after Thanksgiving that left Michele “at her wits’ end.”   Joining Nancy Grace: Philip Dubé - Court-Appointed Counsel, Los Angeles County Public Defenders: Criminal & Constitutional Law; Forensics & Mental Health Advocacy; X: PhilipCDube, IG: PhilipDube, YouTube: PhilipDube3922 Dr. Bethany Marshall -  Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker," and featured in hit show "Paris in Love" on Peacock; Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, X: @DrBethanyLivee  Scott Eicher - A founding member of the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team (C.A.S.T); Historical Cellular Analysis Expert; Former FBI agent of 22 years; Former Police Officer and Homicide Detective with Norfolk Virginia Police Dept. having served 12 years; Currently with Precision Cellular Analysis handling Criminal, Defense and Civil Cases Rob Shuter - Host: Naughty But Nice Podcast, Author of Newly-released Novel “It Started With A Whisper;" Former Publicist of Sean Combs; IG: @naughtygossip Dr. Kendall Crowns - Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County (Ft Worth), Host of Podcast, "Mayhem in the Morgue," and Lecturer: Burnett School of Medicine at TCU (Texas Christian University) Kayla Brantley - Reporter-At-Large for DailyMail.com and Host of DailyMail’s Podcast: 'The Trial of Diddy;' X: @_KaylaBrantley, Instagram: @KaylaBrantley Sydney Sumner - Investigative Reporter, ‘Crime Stories’  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to Mayhem in the Morgue on all podcast platforms: https://link.podtrac.com/MayhemMorgue In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns examines how forensic pathology, DNA evidence, and meticulous evidence preservation can revive years-long cold cases, specifically focusing on the 1990 Lover’s Lane murder and the 1993 Brown’s Chicken massacre. Dr. Crowns details the physiological realities of neck trauma and the four stages of hemorrhagic shock, and explains how tools like the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) allow investigators to match decades old DNA to identify potential suspects. The episode closes with Dr. Crowns sharing lessons learned from testifying in court and the importance of using precise language. Highlights (0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns (0:15) The Lover’s Lane murders, cold case questions, and Dr. Crowns’ follow-up to a recent Crime Stories with Nancy Grace discussion (1:15) Cheryl Henry and Andy Atkinson are reported missing before searchers discover their bodies in the woods (2:15) What incised wounds reveal about sharp force trauma to the neck (3:00) Why injuries to the carotid arteries and jugular veins can lead to hemorrhagic shock and rapid death (9:00) What Henry and Atkinson likely endured before losing consciousness (10:15) A 2026 tip, CODIS, and the DNA match that may move the Lover’s Lane case toward trial (12:00) How DNA and trace evidence are collected during autopsy and preserved for future testing (14:45) The Brown’s Chicken massacre and how discarded food evidence led to preserved DNA samples (21:30) Breakthrough in the case and the identification of the suspects (22:45) Why substitute medical examiners sometimes testify in older cases and the importance of using precise language in court (29:30) Smith v. Arizona, the confrontation clause, and legal changes affecting substitute testimony (31:15) Closing thoughts on how modern forensic science continues to solve cold cases 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, andKansas. 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 to the often misunderstood 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 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.

Shots ran out as Charlie Kirk sat on stage at a Utah Valley University event. The conservative activist reportedly hit near his neck and killed. According to reports, the shot was fired from the roof of a campus building about 200 yards away.  Social Video posts show Kirk in a familiar pose,  speaking into a handheld microphone, sitting under a white tent emblazoned with the slogans “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong.”  The single shot booms and  Kirk  reaches up with his right hand. Blood gush from underneath.  Now the accused shooter, Tyler Robinson’s defense team has called for the entire Utah County prosecutor’s office to be recused. The defense’s claims a potential conflict of interest as a lead prosecutor’s child was at the event where Kirk was assassinated. That, according to the defense, tainted the office’s decisions. A judge has ruled the teen's attendance “did not materially influence” prosecutors’ actions.        Joining Nancy Grace today: Franz Borghardt - Criminal Defense Attorney, Founder of Borghardt Law Firm, Former Prosecutor, and Adjust Professor at Louisiana State University Teaching Criminal Litigation; Instagram and Facebook: BorghardtLawFirm Dr. Bethany Marshall - Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker: When to work on a relationship and when to walk away,” and featured in hit show: "Paris in Love" on Peacock; Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, Twitter: @DrBethanyLive Koa Lorimor - Former Army Sniper Chris McDonough - Director at the Cold Case Foundation, Former Homicide Detective (worked over 300 homicides in 25-year career), Trained the First Native American Homicide Task Force; Host of YouTube Channel, "The Interview Room"  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 Victoria Churchill - U.S. Political Reporter for DailyMail.com; Instagram & Facebook: VictoriaSnitsarChurchill, Dan Murphy  - Former NYPD Detective-Sergeant,  Co-Host of "Gold Shields" Podcast, Author: “Workplace Safety: Establishing an Effective Violence Prevention Program" Sydney Sumner - 'Crime Stories'  Investigative Reporter Dave Mack -'Crime Stories'  Investigative Reporter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Josh Duggar hires a new attorney as he tries for a fourth bid at freedom. Attorney Beau B. Brindley is arguing Duggar’s original trial was unfair. At an appeal hearing last month, Duggar appeared virtually, regarding an appeal that prosecutors argue was filed after the deadline. The court is deciding whether this appeal can proceed.  The current motion alleges prosecutorial misconduct, misleading forensic evidence, and claims that evidence was withheld.   His previous attempts to vacate the conviction, including appeals to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court, have been denied.  The former reality television star was arrested by federal agents on child pornography charges,  “knowingly received child pornography.”   He also “knowingly possessed child pornography” during the same months by using the Internet to “download child sexual abuse material.” Duggar entered a rehabilitation center in 2015 after he confessed to inappropriately touching his younger sisters when he was a teenager. Duggar was also accused of creating a private, paid Ashley Madison account, a social site made for people wanting to cheat on their significant other. Attorneys for Duggar claim he was not responsible for the data on his computer, that he was hacked.   Joining Nancy Grace Today: Sara G. West, M.D., Forensic Psychiatrist, Specializing in Sexually Deviant Behavior, Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, forensicpsychiatryMD.com Glenn Bard - Retired Pennsylvania State Trooper First Class, Computer Crime Investigations, U.S. Veteran of Operation Desert Storm, PATCtech Digital Forensics patc tech dot com Jackie Howard - Crime Stories investigative reporter.    Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alex Murdaugh's murder conviction has been unanimously overturned by the South Carolina Supreme Court.  A new trial has been ordered for the disgraced attorney privously convicted for the murders of his wife and son.  The ruling was based on jury tampering accusations against court clerk Becky Hill, of improperly influencing jurors, depriving Murdaugh of a fair trial. The court also noted that the original trial judge erred by allowing extensive testimony on Murdaugh's financial crimes.   The two consecutive life sentences against Murdaugh have been vacated. Prosecutors now intend to retry the murder case by January 2027. Murdaugh will remain in prison, as he is still serving roughly 67 years for numerous financial crimes and fraud, to which he plead guilty.   Joining Nancy Grace today: Amie Williams - juror in Alex Murdaugh's murder trial / Author of "The Long Road to Justice: Unraveling Alex Murdaugh's Tangled Web"  John Mobley  - Trial attorney, John Mobley Law Firm, https://johnmobley.com/ Dr. Bethany Marshall -  Psychoanalyst, Host of a new podcast "On The Couch with Dr. Bethany Marshall,"  Author: "Deal Breaker,”  featured in hit show: "Paris in Love" on Peacock, www.drbethanymarshall.com , Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, Twitter: @DrBethanyLive   Dr. Michelle DuPre - forensic pathologist and former medical examiner,  former detective: Lexington County Sheriff's Department, Author: “Money, Mischief, and Murder: The Murdaugh Dynasty...the Rest of the Story,"  "Homicide Investigation Field Guide" & "Child Abuse Investigation Field Guide", rorensic consultant,  DMichelleDupreMD.com Jennifer Wood  - Journalist and Director of research at FITSNews.com, Twitter: @IndyJenn_, Dave Mack- Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories'  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Moscow Mule Murder Mom, Kouri Richins, gets maximum penalty for poisoning her husband. Pennsylvania adoptive mother points the finger at her husband for inflicting blows that left 5-year-old Landon Maloberti with fatal brain bleeding, massive swelling, and bruises all over his body. Arizona stabbing victim's girlfriend forced to help killer clean crime scene. Sydney Silvagni reports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The number of government scientists either missing or mysteriously dead is now 16.  The FBI and White House are reviewing the series of deaths and disappearances looking for connection between the individuals with ties to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Los Alamos National Laboratory, and defense-related fields. We have been able establish the fact that  several victims vanished while hiking or walking, often leaving behind essential items like phone or ID. Are these individual disappearances and deaths a strange coincidence or a wild conspiracy theory?  Joining Nancy Grace today:  Luis Elizondo - former U.S. Army Counterintelligence Special Agent, former employee of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, former Director Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) and UFO whistleblower  Franc Milburn  - Former British Intelligence Officer, friend of Amy Eskridge Brian Fitzgibbons  - Director of Operations for USPA Nationwide Security,  website: www.uspasecurity.com, Instagram: @uspa_nationwide_security Dr. Kendall Crowns - Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County (Ft Worth), Host of Podcast "Mayhem in the Morgue”, Lecturer: Burnett School of Medicine at TCU (Texas Christian University) Lauren Conlin- Reporter, Los Angeles Magazine - Podcaster/Reporter/ Co-Host of "PopCrimeTV" on YouTube, Website: www.popcrime.tv and primetimecrimeshow.com,             X- @Conlin_Lauren, Instagram: @LaurenEmilyConlin, YouTube: @PopCrimeTV  Dave Mack  - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories'   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.