Discarded Straw DNA Leads to Arrest in 41-Year-Old Murder Case | Crime Alert 6AM 12.02.25

After four decades of unanswered questions, new DNA testing has led prosecutors to a suspect they say is responsible for a teenager’s 1984 rape and murder. In San Antonio, Texas, police say a twenty-one-year-old man shot and killed three co-workers before taking his own life. In North Carolina, a police officer assigned to a hospital campus was killed during an encounter in the emergency department lobby. Finally, in a widening federal counter-terrorism investigation, two additional young men have been charged with attempting to aid the Islamic State group.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anna Kepner’s death on board a Carnival cruise ship is now ruled a homicide, according to her autopsy report, stating she was “mechanically asphyxiated by another person or persons.” The medical examiner also finds two bruises on the side of Anna’s neck, writing she may have been held in a ‘bar hold,’ meaning her attacker held an arm across her neck. Anna’s stepbrother may be a suspect in the teen’s murder; the FBI remains silent. Anna Kepner’s cruise to the Caribbean is a family trip. She’s joined by her grandparents, who took her on her first cruise; her father, Chris Kepner; her stepmother, Shauntel Hudson; and her two siblings and two step-siblings. Anna’s parents share a room with the two youngest girls, and by their own decision, Anna, her brother, 14, and stepbrother, 16, split a second room. Grandparents Barbara and Jeffrey Kepner remind the teens they have a spare bed in their room if anyone decides they need more space. During dinner, Anna excuses herself early; sources allege her braces hurt. Surveillance footage shows Anna walking back to and entering the room she shares with her brothers. After eating, the teen boys come to the room before the youngest sibling ventures out again to explore, leaving Anna and their stepbrother alone. When he returns, he notes Anna isn’t in bed but assumes she got a second wind and is spending more time with the adults. He goes to sleep with no idea his sister’s body is shoved under the bed just a few feet away. Though family members released the details of Anna’s autopsy, and court records from stepmom Shauntel Hudson’s divorce proceedings indicate her 16-year-old son, Anna’s stepbrother, may be a suspect in the teen’s murder, the FBI has remained silent on the progress of their investigation. No charges have been filed. Anna’s stepmom, Shauntel Hudson, files a motion for a gag order in her divorce proceedings, claiming the public exposure and reporting on the case and subsequent filings could lead to "possible irreversible harm" to the children and family or could jeopardize the investigation and her son’s presumed defense. The documents request future hearings be closed to the public in the event the 16-year-old is charged in Anna’s death. Joining Nancy Grace today: Spencer Aronfeld - Trial Lawyer and Founder of Aronfeld Trial Lawyers, Author of illustrated children's book "Sara Rose, Kid Lawyer;" Facebook: Aronfeld Law, Instagram: Aronfeld_Trial_Lawyers Dr. Janie Lacy - Licensed Psychotherapist and CEO of Life Counseling Solutions, Author of "How To Heal From A Toxic Relationship: A Guide To Reclaiming Your Mental Health and Happiness," Host of “The Resilient Professional” Podcast on YouTube; Instagram & Facebook: @JanieLacy 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; Facebook: Crispin Special Investigations Inc. Dr. Kendall Crowns -  Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County (Ft Worth), NEW Podcast, "Mayhem in the Morgue," and Lecturer: Burnett School of Medicine at TCU (Texas Christian University) Shannon Butler (FL) Investigative Reporter at WFTV Channel 9 in Florida, Sydney Sumner - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rebecca Kay Park was reported missing on Nov. 4 after she was last seen the day before getting into a vehicle outside her mother’s home in Boon Township, Michigan.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.

Listen to Mayhem in the Morgue on all podcast platforms: https://link.podtrac.com/MayhemMorgue Content Warning: This episode contains disturbing descriptions of the death of an individual. If you’re sensitive to this topic, this episode may not be for you. It started with a song lyric: “She was a winner that became a doggie’s dinner.” But behind that darkly humorous line lies a story stranger (and sadder) than the myth it inspired. In this episode of Mayhem in the Morgue, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns investigates the real story behind the tragic death of silent film star Marie Prevost, separating rumor from forensic reality. Through real cases and forensic insight, Dr. Crowns shows how devotion, biology, and the harsh realities of animal scavenging can collide in the aftermath of death. Highlights • (0:00) Welcome to Mayhem in the Morgue with Dr. Kendall Crowns • (0:30) A song lyric leads Dr. Crowns down an unexpected rabbit hole • (1:00) The real story of Marie Prevost, her silent film fame, heartbreak, and decline • (2:15) The 1937 discovery, the truth behind the rumor, and how the book Hollywood Babylon distorted the facts • (4:30) From myth to morgue: the forensic reality of postmortem pet scavenging • (6:00) How hunger, instinct, and biology drive behavior in dogs, cats, and even rodents • (7:45) The Chihuahua pack case and the nightmare scene investigators walked into • (9:15) When pet hoarding turns horrific: 20 cats, one body, and the survival instinct at work • (11:15) Displacement behavior and the Memphis case involving a loyal dog, a group of raccoons, and the forensic clue that revealed the truthAbout the Host: Dr. Kendall Crowns Dr. Crowns is the Chief Medical Examiner for Travis County, Texas, and a nationally recognized forensic pathologist. He las 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 unparalleled insight 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 us 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 some of our top stories this week: A body matching the description of Rebecca Kay Park is discovered on Tuesday. Rebecca, 22, had not been seen since just before midnight of Nov. 3, and a massive search effort had been underway to locate her, because she was 38 weeks pregnant at the time she went missing. Officials decline to say if the remains of a newborn were also discovered or if the victim was or had been pregnant  Federal investigations into John Wilson Bennett and Mark Booth Bennett began on November 17, following an off-duty police officer in Norfolk, Virginia, who reportedly heard them planning to "kill police officers and ICE agents.” A Utah father now sits in jail without bail after prosecutors charged him with child torture and abuse tied to a dangerous mountain hike that nearly killed his three children.  The LAPD says Celeste Rivas body was not frozen when found in frunk of Tesla registered to D4VD. LAPD Captain and commanding officer of Robbery Homicide Division, Scot Williams, says "the whole frozen thing doesn't make sense, her body was in the car for weeks."  Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.”      See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New details emerging after a  21-year-old college student and cheerleader from the University of Kentucky is accused of hiding her newborn inside her college apartment closet. Laken Snelling is arrested after her infant is found dead in a trash bag inside the closet. An autopsy report only deepens the mystery surrounding the infant's death because the results are found to be inconclusive. Snelling posted baby bump pics before her infant was found dead.  Authorities allege Snelling gave birth in secret, wrapped her baby in a towel, placed him in a trash bag, and left him in her closet. According to an arrest report, Lexington police were called to a home on Park Avenue for an unresponsive infant on Wednesday. Police said they found a baby's body in a closet, wrapped in a towel inside a black trash bag. The UK cheerleader is now charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant. Court records show Snelling took selfies during birth. Joining Nancy Grace today, Josh Kolsrud - Criminal Defense Attorney and Former Assistant U.S. Attorney, Founder of Kolsrud Law Offices, kolsrudlawoffices.com, Facebook and YouTube @KohlsrudLawOffices   Dr. Bethany Marshall - Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker,” featured in hit show: "Paris in Love" on Peacock, www.drbethanymarshall.com , Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, Twitter: @DrBethanyLive    Dr. Kendall Crowns - Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County (Ft Worth), Host of NEW Podcast "Mayhem in the Morgue”, Lecturer: Burnett School of Medicine at TCU (Texas Christian University)    Chris Byers - Private investigator and owner of Byers Investigative Services, Former Police Chief Johns Creek Georgia, 25 years Police Officer, website: byersinvestigative.com  Germania Rodriguez - Chief US Reporter, DailyMail.com   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The estranged wife of former financier and accused depraved sex trafficker Howard Rubin says he should be allowed bond. Mary Henry, in a letter to the court, say Rubin is actually a loving grandfather who should should be allowed to spend time with his three young grandchildren until trial.   Former Wall Street money manager Howard Rubin busted by the feds at his Fairfield, Connecticut, home for a decade-long Manhattan sex-trafficking scheme. With the help of his assistant, Jennifer Powers, “Howie” Rubin is accused of luring women into BDSM sex sessions in exchange for cash, then exceeding their consent and torturing and raping his victims. Rubin accused of luring victims to BDSM sex sessions, first in luxury Manhattan hotels and later in his $18,000-per-month penthouse apartment, equipped with a soundproof “sex dungeon.” Women were bound on a bed or a cross, beaten, and electrocuted. The pleas of those who weren’t gagged went ignored, and the torture often continued even when a woman fell unconscious.  Rubin allegedly paid the women several thousand dollars afterward, including for injuries that required medical attention, like a flipped breast implant.   10 Jane Does are listed as victims in the indictment, but prosecutors from the Eastern District of New York say there are dozens more and are asking the public for tips. Rubin is charged with 2 counts of sex trafficking, 6 counts of transporting women to engage in prostitution, and bank fraud.   Howard Rubin’s name becomes a Wall Street commodity in the 1980s while trading bonds at Salomon Brothers. Rubin is profiled in Michael Lewis’ 1989 book Liar’s Poker for his contributions to the development of a collateralized mortgage obligation market.  Rubin goes on to hold senior positions at Merrill Lynch, Bear Stearns, and Soros Fund Management.  Rubin's successful life doesn't stop him from getting married to fellow financier, Mary Henry. After three children and 36 years of marriage, Henry divorces her husband when he is accused of sexual violence in a civil suit.   Rubin tasked Jennifer Powers, his “personal assistant,” with recruiting victims. Powers is arrested at her home in a Dallas-Fort Worth suburb, accused of running the “day-to-day” operations of Rubin’s sex-trafficking scheme and being paid handsomely. Powers arranged the victims’ travel and coerced them into signing NDAs. This evil empire these two created by victimizing so many is crumbling, and more victims are expected to speak out.  Joining Nancy Grace today: Danny Rubin - Criminal Defense Lawyer and Founder of Rubin Law, PC. website: rubinlawpc.com Dr. Bethany Marshall -  Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker," and featured in hit show "Paris in Love" on Peacock; Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, X: @DrBethanyLive Dan Murphy - Former NYPD Detective-Sergeant, Joint Terrorism Task Force, Former Chief Security Officer, US Bancorp, andCo-Host of "Gold Shields" Podcast; Author: “Workplace Safety: Establishing an Effective Violence Prevention Program” 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 Megan Palin - Senior Journalist, The New York Post; X: @megan_palin Sydney Sumner - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sarm Heslop has a restless sense of adventure and works various jobs to fund her passion for travel and sailing. Working as a flight attendant for Flybe in the UK, a waitress in Gibraltar and Malta, and even working in a call center to fund her exotic adventures. Sarm meets Ryan Bane on Tinder and becomes close enough that she moves to the Virgin Islands and joins Bane onboard his 47-foot luxury catamaran, Siren Song, as a chef. The "Siren Song" is a working charter yacht available for private charge and is moored in a bay off the western coast of Saint John, US Virgin Islands. Living on board the Siren Song, called the Virgin Islands Premier Luxury Sailing Charter, Sarm is living her best life. On the evening of March 7, Sarm and Bane go to the Island of Saint John for dinner. Leaving the restaurant, they board a small dinghy for the 200-foot hop to where Siren Song is moored offshore. Bane says Sarm is asleep by 10pm. Around 2:30am, Bane awakens but can't find Sarm. He takes a dinghy to the shore to report her missing to island police, suggesting she may have fallen overboard. Police tell him to call the Coast Guard. Bane does not notify the coast guard immediately. For reasons unknown, he waits until 11:45 a.m. to notify the Coast Guard that Sarm is missing. When coast guard officials arrive, an intoxicated Bane refuses to allow them to board the catamaran to conduct a search. Police not being allowed to search the boat leads them to issue citations to Bane on account of not being allowed to search the boat, not having registration documentation, and safety equipment violations. The nine-hour time gap between when Bane contacts Island Police and the time he calls the coast guard has been questioned by Sarm's family and even a fellow skipper on a boat moored nearby the Siren Song. The skipper says he heard no shouts from the catamaran, nobody hollering for someone who might have fallen overboard. Sarm's phone, wallet, and passport are left behind on the boat and are turned over to the police. An intensive search of the coastline begins with dogs on shore, divers in the water, and drones overhead. As word spreads of the missing woman, a local dog walker on Saint John says they heard a scream out at sea, in the direction of where the catamaran is anchored, around the time of Sarm's disappearance. Jeff Jones, ASAR/Disaster Area Response Team A volunteer, tells Nancy Grace he spoke to the captain there the night she went missing. He actually comes on base Sunday morning and drops anchor about one hundred twenty feet away from the Siren Song, and he is there overnight on the vessel. He's also a term charter captain with another catamaran for hire, and he saw nothing, heard nothing, and was unaware of any unusual foul play until the next day when the coast guard showed up. Joining Nancy Grace Today: Andrew Baldwin - Sarm Heslop's Friend of 25 years; 'Best Man' at his Wedding Kate Vernalls - Former Roommate of Sarm Heslop    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A beautiful late summer morning in Odessa, Texas, and Jaylin Schwarz is outside jumping on the trampoline. It's not unusual to see an 8-year-old girl outside playing, jumping on a trampoline, but this isn't fun for Jaylin. She is being punished, forced to jump on a trampoline in over 100-degree temps. If she stops jumping, she loses her water break. However, she gets tired and thirsty and needs to stop, but the punishment continues, without getting a drink of water. The temperature on the trampoline is 110 degrees; an adult will need water at this point. Alysha Anderton has two beautiful little girls, sisters born just one year apart. As much as she loves her little ones, Alysha has been fighting a losing battle with addiction, and trying to make a decision in the best interest of her daughters. She relinquishes her parental rights and allows her stepsister, Ashley Schwarz, and her husband, Daniel, to take over custody of the girls while she works on getting healthy. Alysha believes this will only be temporary, and she will be able to see the girls often until she is able to be their full-time mom again. Promising to reunite as a family again soon, Ashley is thankful Jaylin and Jayde have a safe and loving home until she is better. Jumping on a trampoline is something Jaylin Schwarz does for fun. But the activity has been used by her guardians, Ashley and Daniel Schwarz, as a form of punishment. Other innocent activities, such as writing lines to improve her handwriting skills, carrying weights in a hallway, or picking up dog feces, were also used by Jaylin's guardians. As a punishment, Jaylin is forced to write lines over and over again until she is told to stop, she is forced to carry weights from one end of the hall to the other and back again, or she picks up dog feces with her bare hands. When the chore is not a punishment, she gets to use gloves. On August 29, this life-threatening punishment of non-stop jumping on the trampoline takes a deadly turn for Jaylin because the door to the house is locked, there is no access to water, and she has been jumping for hours in the hot summer heat. After three hours of jumping on the trampoline with temperatures hovering around 110 degrees, Jaylin passes out. Joining Nancy Grace today: Kenneth “Tray” Gober - Managing Partner of Lee, Gober & Reyna; Instagram & Facebook: LeeGoberReynaLawFirm Caryn Stark -  Forensic Psychologist, renowned TV and Radio Trauma Expert and Consultant; Instagram: carynpsych, FB: Caryn Stark Private Practice  Tom Green - Former Chief Deputy Washoe County Sheriff’s Office; Homicide Detective & Cold Case Squad Burglary/Fraud Detective (high-tech surveillance & covert surveillance); Currently, a Private Investigator & Owner: Nevada Investigative Services LLC Lynn Warriors - 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 Dr. Eric Eason - Board-certified Forensic Pathologist, Consultant; Instagram: @eric_a_eason, Facebook: Eric August Eason, LinkedIn: Eric Eason, MD Erica Miller - Digital Content Manager / Digital Executive Producer at KMID Big 2 News; Instagram: @erica_miller_writes See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.