Court Reporter
Appearances
Dateline NBC
A "no body" murder trial in Mississippi. A Wisconsin dad fakes his death. Plus, keeping your home safe during the holidays.
Yeah, so this week, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office announced that the latest victim is a woman named Valerie Mack, and this happened in 2000. Previously, Heuermann, who was an architectural consultant, he had been accused of six murders in the Gilgo Beach, Long Island area.
Dateline NBC
A "no body" murder trial in Mississippi. A Wisconsin dad fakes his death. Plus, keeping your home safe during the holidays.
And over the years, they've found that there are other unidentified human remains that they've not linked to him until this one.
Dateline NBC
A "no body" murder trial in Mississippi. A Wisconsin dad fakes his death. Plus, keeping your home safe during the holidays.
Really what it came down to was there was a hair found on Valerie Mack's left wrist that was linked to Heuermann's wife or daughter. And neither of them are suspected in this case, but that is definitely a big tie. Also, they found a planning document on Heuermann's computer, which in that document, it lists alleged dump sites.
Dateline NBC
A "no body" murder trial in Mississippi. A Wisconsin dad fakes his death. Plus, keeping your home safe during the holidays.
And one of the things listed was a place called Mill Road, which is actually where Valerie Mack's remains were found.
Dateline NBC
A "no body" murder trial in Mississippi. A Wisconsin dad fakes his death. Plus, keeping your home safe during the holidays.
Yeah, so he was found guilty in November of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder after the prosecution laid out the argument that he strangled Maddie and dumped her body near his parents' home. And this week at sentencing, her sister Megan gave a really powerful victim impact statement.
Dateline NBC
A "no body" murder trial in Mississippi. A Wisconsin dad fakes his death. Plus, keeping your home safe during the holidays.
She focused on how it's been really difficult not just for them, but for Maddie and Adam's two children as well. Our affiliate KTTC was actually in the courtroom and captured some of the sentencing.
Dateline NBC
A "no body" murder trial in Mississippi. A Wisconsin dad fakes his death. Plus, keeping your home safe during the holidays.
So he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, which is the mandatory sentence for first-degree murder in Minnesota.
Dateline NBC
A "no body" murder trial in Mississippi. A Wisconsin dad fakes his death. Plus, keeping your home safe during the holidays.
So he was originally charged with first-degree murder, and... After seven days of deliberating, the jury acquitted him of that charge. They did, however, find him guilty of a lesser charge, which was second-degree murder with enhancement, and that's the use of a deadly weapon. One of our Dateline producers, Brittany Tom, she was actually on the podcast a couple times talking about this case.
Dateline NBC
A "no body" murder trial in Mississippi. A Wisconsin dad fakes his death. Plus, keeping your home safe during the holidays.
She was in the courtroom when the verdict was read, and she said that there was actually a slight gasp when he was found not guilty of first-degree murder, and then when the guilty charge was read later. For second-degree murder, it was silent. According to the sketch artist, Momeni wiped away a few tears after the verdict was read.
Dateline NBC
A "no body" murder trial in Mississippi. A Wisconsin dad fakes his death. Plus, keeping your home safe during the holidays.
So there's a hearing in January. It's on the 10th to set his sentencing date. And he faces anywhere from 16 years to life in prison. All right.
Dateline NBC
A "no body" murder trial in Mississippi. A Wisconsin dad fakes his death. Plus, keeping your home safe during the holidays.
Yeah, absolutely. Thank you.
Dateline NBC
A "no body" murder trial in Mississippi. A Wisconsin dad fakes his death. Plus, keeping your home safe during the holidays.
And I said, what? I was like, there's a mistake. This is not real. This is not right. This is not accurate. My whole world is flipped.
Dateline NBC
A "no body" murder trial in Mississippi. A Wisconsin dad fakes his death. Plus, keeping your home safe during the holidays.
According to the sketch artist, Momeni wiped away a few tears after the verdict was read.
Sea of Lies from Uncover
S32 E7: Plausible, Intelligent and Ruthless | Sea of Lies
The prosecution's cross-examination of Albert Walker was relentless. Prosecutor Charles Barton portrayed Walker as a pathological liar. The lies are tumbling out, aren't they, Mr. Walker, Barton said, as quickly as you can think of them. No, Walker said, there's no lies there at all.
Sea of Lies from Uncover
S32 E7: Plausible, Intelligent and Ruthless | Sea of Lies
In a highly charged exchange this afternoon, Barton pressed right to the heart of his argument. Did you not foresee the risk that he might expose you in this country, Barton asked Walker? No, Walker said. And jeopardize your money and your liberty? No. Then Barton snapped, you took the opportunity on the boat to render him unconscious, didn't you? No, I didn't, Walker said.
Sea of Lies from Uncover
S32 E7: Plausible, Intelligent and Ruthless | Sea of Lies
Then quietly, Barton said, the plan took longer, but it was the work of a moment to consign him to the deep. Walker replied, I did not murder Ron Platt. He was a friend of mine.
Sea of Lies from Uncover
S32 E7: Plausible, Intelligent and Ruthless | Sea of Lies
Platt's former girlfriend, Elaine Boyce, could not contain her delight at the verdict.
Sea of Lies from Uncover
S32 E7: Plausible, Intelligent and Ruthless | Sea of Lies
Albert Walker's eyes were fixed on his daughter throughout her testimony, but the young woman who once masqueraded as her father's wife never even looked in his direction.
Sea of Lies from Uncover
S32 E7: Plausible, Intelligent and Ruthless | Sea of Lies
Tomorrow, Sheena Walker will take the stand once more, this time to answer questions put by her father's defence team.
Sea of Lies from Uncover
S32 E7: Plausible, Intelligent and Ruthless | Sea of Lies
Walker talked without any obvious embarrassment about the process of taking Platt's identity.