Rachel White
Appearances
Dateline NBC
Details emerge in a grisly Kentucky murder. Young Thug is free. And how to detect deception.
He started stabbing her. I think Brennan shot him, and he asked me how I shot him, too.
Dateline NBC
Details emerge in a grisly Kentucky murder. Young Thug is free. And how to detect deception.
He started stabbing her. I think Brenna shot him.
Dateline NBC
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
Sure. So back in 2015, Crystal Rogers, the mom of five, was reported missing by her family. Three months went by, and even though her body still to this day has never been found, the local sheriff announced that Crystal was likely dead and that her boyfriend at the time, a man by the name of Brooks Houck, was a suspect in her disappearance.
Dateline NBC
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
So Steve Lawson was charged with conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with evidence. And if you remember, just days after Crystal's disappearance, her car was found abandoned on the side of the Bluegrass Parkway. Prosecutors allege that Steve's son, Joseph Lawson, was responsible for driving her car to the parkway and that Steve picked him up.
Dateline NBC
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
He admitted to the tampering with physical evidence charge. He said that he did move Crystal's car at the request of her boyfriend, Brooks Houck. But he said he had nothing to do with her disappearance or her murder and that he didn't know anything about it.
Dateline NBC
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
Yeah, it went really fast. Steve Lawson was found guilty on both charges.
Dateline NBC
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
So just like you've said, I mean, they've been really pursuing justice for Crystal for 10 years at this point. So I think they felt that this was a long time coming. And it was an emotional, you know, moment. Crystal's daughter spoke about the fact that her mom was going to miss her upcoming wedding. She's getting married this summer and, you know. Crystal won't be there to see that happen.
Dateline NBC
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
So it's very sad.
Dateline NBC
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
Yeah. So Joey Lawson and Brooks Houck are being tried together, and that's scheduled to start at the end of June on Tuesday, June 24th. So it's coming up. We'll look for updates on that.
Dateline NBC
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
What's happening there? So the prosecution is still laying out their case. This week was focused on digital evidence, specifically texts and emails sent between Serafini, his wife Erin, and his in-laws in the run-up to the shootings.
Dateline NBC
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
An investigator read some of the messages to the jury, and the big takeaway was that there appeared to be a lot of conflict between the couple and Aaron's parents, mainly over money. So the language in these text messages is quite heated. Yes. So Gary Spohr and Wendy call Serafini, quote, belligerent and vicious and call him out for being violent and say he has a temper problem.
Dateline NBC
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
Yes, the investigator looked at the messages Serafini sent from his phone in the month before and the month after his in-laws were attacked. And the only day his phone had zero outgoing messages was the day of the homicide. Interesting. Interesting.
Dateline NBC
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
Lori Vallow-Daybell's trial was set to begin jury selection last Friday, but Lori told the judge she was unwell, and so the judge had the 60 potential jurors return on Monday morning. But on Monday, it appeared Lori's illness had only gotten worse, and she arrived to court in a wheelchair and reported that she was too sick to proceed with the jury selection.
Dateline NBC
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
You're welcome to come over to the jail, come to my cell and see how I'm doing in there.
Dateline NBC
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
It would be interesting to know how the potential jurors are taking all of this. Judge Boreski brought them in and apologized for the delay and said that if they were seated for the jury later this week, he'd buy them donuts. A potential juror replied, that'll work, before the group was dismissed.
Dateline NBC
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
He was offering him $4,000 for this. He only gives him $70 in the end. I don't know what her story is going to be.
Dateline NBC
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
All right. Thanks very much. Bye.
Dateline NBC
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
Good morning.
Dateline NBC
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Dateline NBC
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
Yeah, so Crystal wasn't responding to text messages, and she was a very devoted mom. She had five kids, and she was always, you know, very responsive and there for them.
Dateline NBC
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
They got together back in 2012. Brooks Houck owned a construction company and a rental house company. And Crystal eventually went to work for him and helped manage some of those rental properties. So not only were they romantically involved, but they also became, you know, intertwined with their working relationship. Brooks was the father of Crystal's youngest child.
Dateline NBC
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
But just before she disappeared, Crystal told her sister that their relationship was going downhill, that it was at a breaking point.
Dateline NBC
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
There was surveillance video of Crystal at Walmart at 4.30 p.m. on Friday, July 3rd, and that's the last time that she's seen on video. Two days later, her car was found on the side of Bluegrass Parkway. Her credit cards hadn't been used. Her cell phone, purse, and the keys were found in her car. So there were a lot of red flags for investigators right away.
Dateline NBC
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
So Stephen Lawson is the father. Joseph Lawson is his son. Brooks and Steve Lawson and Joseph Lawson fit together because Brooks worked in construction, and so he would hire contractors often to do work, and that's how he met the Lawsons. They both did work on and off for Brooks Houck over the years.
Dateline NBC
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
Yeah, so that's exactly what they're doing. Steve Lawson is facing a conspiracy to commit murder charge as well as tampering with physical evidence. So they are alleging that he was involved in the planning of the murder as well as cleaning up after the fact.
Dateline NBC
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
Prosecutors alleged that Joseph Lawson was the one driving Crystal Rogers' car to the spot where it was found on the side of Bluegrass Parkway. They also said that Steve Lawson is the one who picked up Joseph Lawson from that spot where the car was left. And investigators say that Steve Lawson placed a phone call to Brooks Houck around midnight the night that Crystal disappeared.
Dateline NBC
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
Steve Lawson doesn't dispute that he picked up his son from the parkway or that he called Brooks Houck that night. He does, however, deny having anything to do with Crystal's murder.
Dateline NBC
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
It was super emotional. I mean, she, you know, was tearing up before she was even asked the first question. And then, you know, it just really your heart breaks for her.
Dateline NBC
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
So Sherry was the person who ultimately reported Crystal missing. And what I learned is that when Sherry was on her way to the police department to report Crystal missing, she actually passed Brooks. And so she met up with him at a gas station on her way there. And, you know, all he said to her was that it was a good idea to report her missing, that he thought that she should.
Dateline NBC
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
And she said what stuck out to her about that interaction with Brooks was that Crystal and Brooks' son was in the backseat of his truck. And she said knowing her daughter, that baby was always with her. So it really stuck out to her that something was wrong because she didn't have her son.
Dateline NBC
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
Yeah, the attorneys have said they estimate the case will be in the jury's hands by the end of this week or Monday latest, so we'll see what they decide.
Dateline NBC
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
Thank you.
Dateline NBC
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
This is a curtain raiser for that other child.
Dateline NBC
12 Minutes on Elm Street
I think that's probably one of the hardest parts about all of it. I would have loved to see my brother hold her. He would have been Uncle Nick. Uncle Nickle, baby.
Dateline NBC
12 Minutes on Elm Street
I think that's probably one of the hardest parts about all of it.
Dateline NBC
12 Minutes on Elm Street
Basically, why? I guess we all just couldn't believe it was both at one time so suddenly.
Dateline NBC
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
Sure. So Linda was accused of killing her husband, Todd Stermer, by setting him on fire and then running him over with a van back in 2007. And as you mentioned, this was her second trial and now her second conviction.
Dateline NBC
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
That's right. And Todd's family was there. His mother, sister, and brother all gave victim impact statements.
Dateline NBC
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
Definitely. Todd's sister told the court that one of the biggest heartbreaks in all of this for her is that there's no question that he suffered an excruciating and painful death. So she didn't mince words when she addressed Linda in court.
Dateline NBC
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
She didn't apologize and gave no words of comfort for the family. She maintained that she's innocent and, you know, said that she was prepared for the battle ahead to clear her name.
Dateline NBC
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
Yeah, and ultimately, the judge sentenced Stermer to life without the possibility of parole, adding that only this sentence could, quote, protect others from Linda and deter others from committing similar conduct. Mm-hmm.
Dateline NBC
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
So according to investigators out of Gilbert, Arizona, someone parked a Jeep Wrangler outside of Brandon's home and fired a shot at him back in October 2019. Brandon wasn't hurt, but the bullet shattered the driver's side window of his car. Investigators believe that Lori's brother, Alex Cox, was the shooter, but he was never charged because he died before charges were even filed.
Dateline NBC
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
Investigators did, however, charge Lori, who has pleaded not guilty...
Dateline NBC
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
And Andrea, this back and forth went on for a few more minutes. The judge said that he had ruled on Lori's motions as required by law and refused to recuse himself.
Dateline NBC
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
Opening statements are scheduled for June 2nd, and the trial is expected to last until June 13th.
Dateline NBC
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
The Menendez brothers were set to go before the parole board at a hearing on June 13th. That's the next big step in their quest for freedom. But this week, a spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said the brothers' parole hearing has been delayed to August 21st and August 22nd.
Dateline NBC
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
The June 13th hearing wasn't initially supposed to be a parole hearing. It was a separate hearing for their efforts seeking clemency from California Governor Gavin Newsom. But when the brothers were resentenced last week, the parole board asked to convert that clemency hearing into a parole hearing.
Dateline NBC
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
But when the parole board informed key parties involved in the case, including victims' families, of the June date, some parties raised objections. So the parole hearing got moved to August. Any idea what those objections were?
Dateline NBC
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
We don't know as of right now, but the brothers' cousin, Anna Maria Baralt, who's been very vocal in supporting them, spoke out on TikTok, and she said this actually isn't a bad thing.
Dateline NBC
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
It's unclear, but their clemency application is still active.
Dateline NBC
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
Thank you for having me.
Dateline NBC
Lori Vallow Daybell's phone calls. Karen Read's retrial set to start. And Houston's "lost boys".
So they deliberated for about eight hours and 45 minutes, and that was spread out over three days.
Dateline NBC
Lori Vallow Daybell's phone calls. Karen Read's retrial set to start. And Houston's "lost boys".
We, the jury, in the above entitled action, find the defendant, Monica Sementilli, guilty of the crime of murder in violation of penal code section 187A. Monica was very emotional in court, put her face in her hands and sobbed, but Sementilli's sister said justice had been served and Fabio could now rest in peace. So what's next for Monica now?
Dateline NBC
Lori Vallow Daybell's phone calls. Karen Read's retrial set to start. And Houston's "lost boys".
She's going to be sentenced in June and she faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Dateline NBC
Lori Vallow Daybell's phone calls. Karen Read's retrial set to start. And Houston's "lost boys".
This was Linda's second trial on these charges, right? That's right, Blaine. And listeners might remember that 15 years ago, Linda was convicted and got a life sentence for this crime. But after just eight years behind bars, a federal appeals court said she should get a new trial, citing ineffective counsel and prosecutorial misconduct. So this is her second go-round now facing a jury.
Dateline NBC
Lori Vallow Daybell's phone calls. Karen Read's retrial set to start. And Houston's "lost boys".
Yeah, so they came back guilty on two counts of murder, and her bond was revoked, and she was immediately taken into custody. So her sentencing will be in May.
Dateline NBC
Lori Vallow Daybell's phone calls. Karen Read's retrial set to start. And Houston's "lost boys".
The hearing was something called a Fry hearing. So this is when a judge hears arguments to decide whether scientific evidence that the prosecution or the defense wants to present to a jury is based on established science and therefore would be admissible. What's under discussion in this case is the prosecution's use of nuclear DNA. Okay, so let's talk about nuclear DNA.
Dateline NBC
Lori Vallow Daybell's phone calls. Karen Read's retrial set to start. And Houston's "lost boys".
How does that come up in this case? According to prosecutors, investigators found hair fibers on or around six of the seven bodies that they say Hurman dumped on Gilgo Beach. Prosecutors hired a private lab to analyze those hair fibers using nuclear DNA, which is a cutting-edge DNA analysis.
Dateline NBC
Lori Vallow Daybell's phone calls. Karen Read's retrial set to start. And Houston's "lost boys".
Ellerup's attorney said it's important for the family to be here to obtain whatever type of closure they're going to get out of this case, unquote. He went on to say that Asa and Victoria's DNA was allegedly found on some of the victims' bodies, but emphasized that the prosecutor has said neither have been charged or are considered suspects.
Dateline NBC
Lori Vallow Daybell's phone calls. Karen Read's retrial set to start. And Houston's "lost boys".
Prosecutors hired a private lab to analyze those hair fibers using nuclear DNA.
Dateline NBC
Lori Vallow Daybell's phone calls. Karen Read's retrial set to start. And Houston's "lost boys".
Absolutely. So Monica Sementelli was accused of masterminding a plot to have her husband killed. Even though her lover, former porn star and sex offender Rob Baker, and his lifelong friend Christopher Austin confessed to carrying out the murder itself, a jury still had to decide just how involved Monica was with the plan. That was a long trial, a very long trial, about 10 weeks.
Dateline NBC
An accused killer's surprising defense. A pharmacist on trial for poisoning. And a medical examiner's strategy for cracking cold cases.
Sure. So Baldwin was holding a prop gun rehearsing for a scene when somehow the gun fired and it happened to contain live ammo. And that bullet killed the film's cinematographer, Helena Hutchins. In 2024, Baldwin ended up standing trial on charges of involuntary manslaughter.
Dateline NBC
An accused killer's surprising defense. A pharmacist on trial for poisoning. And a medical examiner's strategy for cracking cold cases.
That's right. And the prosecution said that the evidence was unimportant, but the judge found otherwise and dismissed the case with prejudice.
Dateline NBC
An accused killer's surprising defense. A pharmacist on trial for poisoning. And a medical examiner's strategy for cracking cold cases.
He's taken action. Yeah. Last week, he filed a 73-page civil lawsuit against several members of the prosecution team, accusing them of conspiring to cause his, quote, malicious prosecution and violating his civil rights. He says the defendants were driven by ill motives, including to, quote, harass or humble him. Baldwin has asked for damages and a jury trial. Right.
Dateline NBC
An accused killer's surprising defense. A pharmacist on trial for poisoning. And a medical examiner's strategy for cracking cold cases.
And we should just quickly note here that the defendants have yet to file a response in court. But one of the prosecutors, Carrie Morrissey, told NBC News that they look forward to their day in court. We will keep you posted on that one.
Dateline NBC
An accused killer's surprising defense. A pharmacist on trial for poisoning. And a medical examiner's strategy for cracking cold cases.
Yeah, and it was really something to watch. If you remember back in 2023, Daybell was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of her two children, J.J. and Tylee, and for her involvement in the death of Tammy Daybell. who was her husband's wife. So that meant that she was arguing her case before the judge, but she was wearing an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs while doing so.
Dateline NBC
An accused killer's surprising defense. A pharmacist on trial for poisoning. And a medical examiner's strategy for cracking cold cases.
And why is she back in court? So these court proceedings are for murder charges that she's facing in Arizona. So she's charged with the murder of her fourth husband, a man named Charles Vallow, and for the attempted murder of the ex-husband of her niece. I'm so curious. How did she do representing herself? Well, she was definitely confident.
Dateline NBC
An accused killer's surprising defense. A pharmacist on trial for poisoning. And a medical examiner's strategy for cracking cold cases.
She claimed prosecutors might be withholding evidence.
Dateline NBC
An accused killer's surprising defense. A pharmacist on trial for poisoning. And a medical examiner's strategy for cracking cold cases.
And she asked for all the discovery related to her extradition from Idaho to Arizona. How was her request received by the judge? The judge was pretty firm with Lori, asking her why her extradition documents have anything to do with the underlying charges against her in Arizona. And he ultimately denied this motion.
Dateline NBC
An accused killer's surprising defense. A pharmacist on trial for poisoning. And a medical examiner's strategy for cracking cold cases.
That's right. They were only 12 years old when they lured their friend Peyton Lightner into the woods and attacked her. Lightner just barely survived, and she was able to tell investigators that her friends Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser had tried to stab her to death.
Dateline NBC
An accused killer's surprising defense. A pharmacist on trial for poisoning. And a medical examiner's strategy for cracking cold cases.
They told investigators they were trying to become servants of Slenderman. And Slenderman apparently is a fictional character that's become somewhat of an urban legend. They allegedly learned about this character on a horror story website. So disturbing.
Dateline NBC
An accused killer's surprising defense. A pharmacist on trial for poisoning. And a medical examiner's strategy for cracking cold cases.
That's right. In last week's hearing, psychologists who have been working with Geiser testified about the significant progress made. Even Geiser's attorney was emotional after the ruling.
Dateline NBC
An accused killer's surprising defense. A pharmacist on trial for poisoning. And a medical examiner's strategy for cracking cold cases.
Has Peyton Lightner or her family said anything about Geiser's release? Peyton Lightner's mother listened in on last week's hearing and has opposed Geiser's several attempts to be released. Rachel, thank you so much for these updates. Thank you for having me.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Details emerge in a grisly Kentucky murder. Young Thug is free. And how to detect deception.
The allegation? He intentionally killed Spradlin by repeatedly stabbing her inside his father's home on June 18th, 2023.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Details emerge in a grisly Kentucky murder. Young Thug is free. And how to detect deception.
M.K. McKinney wants out of jail, and his lawyer argued why his $5 million bond should be lowered.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Details emerge in a grisly Kentucky murder. Young Thug is free. And how to detect deception.
I never thought I'd see the day. Young Thug is free. Young Thug is free.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
Sure. So back in 2015, Crystal Rogers, the mom of five, was reported missing by her family. Three months went by, and even though her body still to this day has never been found, the local sheriff announced that Crystal was likely dead and that her boyfriend at the time, a man by the name of Brooks Houck, was a suspect in her disappearance.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
So Steve Lawson was charged with conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with evidence. And if you remember, just days after Crystal's disappearance, her car was found abandoned on the side of the Bluegrass Parkway. Prosecutors allege that Steve's son, Joseph Lawson, was responsible for driving her car to the parkway and that Steve picked him up.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
He admitted to the tampering with physical evidence charge. He said that he did move Crystal's car at the request of her boyfriend, Brooks Houck. But he said he had nothing to do with her disappearance or her murder and that he didn't know anything about it.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
Yeah, it went really fast. Steve Lawson was found guilty on both charges.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
So just like you've said, I mean, they've been really pursuing justice for Crystal for 10 years at this point. So I think they felt that this was a long time coming. And it was an emotional, you know, moment. Crystal's daughter spoke about the fact that her mom was going to miss her upcoming wedding. She's getting married this summer and, you know. Crystal won't be there to see that happen.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
So it's very sad.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
Yeah. So Joey Lawson and Brooks Houck are being tried together, and that's scheduled to start at the end of June on Tuesday, June 24th. So it's coming up. We'll look for updates on that.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
What's happening there? So the prosecution is still laying out their case. This week was focused on digital evidence, specifically texts and emails sent between Serafini, his wife Erin, and his in-laws in the run-up to the shootings.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
An investigator read some of the messages to the jury, and the big takeaway was that there appeared to be a lot of conflict between the couple and Aaron's parents, mainly over money. So the language in these text messages is quite heated. Yes. So Gary Spohr and Wendy call Serafini, quote, belligerent and vicious and call him out for being violent and say he has a temper problem.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
Yes, the investigator looked at the messages Serafini sent from his phone in the month before and the month after his in-laws were attacked. And the only day his phone had zero outgoing messages was the day of the homicide. Interesting. Interesting.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
Lori Vallow-Daybell's trial was set to begin jury selection last Friday, but Lori told the judge she was unwell, and so the judge had the 60 potential jurors return on Monday morning. But on Monday, it appeared Lori's illness had only gotten worse, and she arrived to court in a wheelchair and reported that she was too sick to proceed with the jury selection.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
You're welcome to come over to the jail, come to my cell and see how I'm doing in there.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
It would be interesting to know how the potential jurors are taking all of this. Judge Boreski brought them in and apologized for the delay and said that if they were seated for the jury later this week, he'd buy them donuts. A potential juror replied, that'll work, before the group was dismissed.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
He was offering him $4,000 for this. He only gives him $70 in the end. I don't know what her story is going to be.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Round two of Karen Read's defense. Josh Mankiewicz on Dee Warner. Plus, a courtroom sketch artist.
All right. Thanks very much. Bye.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
Good morning.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
Yeah, so Crystal wasn't responding to text messages, and she was a very devoted mom. She had five kids, and she was always, you know, very responsive and there for them.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
They got together back in 2012. Brooks Houck owned a construction company and a rental house company. And Crystal eventually went to work for him and helped manage some of those rental properties. So not only were they romantically involved, but they also became, you know, intertwined with their working relationship. Brooks was the father of Crystal's youngest child.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
But just before she disappeared, Crystal told her sister that their relationship was going downhill, that it was at a breaking point.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
There was surveillance video of Crystal at Walmart at 4.30 p.m. on Friday, July 3rd, and that's the last time that she's seen on video. Two days later, her car was found on the side of Bluegrass Parkway. Her credit cards hadn't been used. Her cell phone, purse, and the keys were found in her car. So there were a lot of red flags for investigators right away.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
So Stephen Lawson is the father. Joseph Lawson is his son. Brooks and Steve Lawson and Joseph Lawson fit together because Brooks worked in construction, and so he would hire contractors often to do work, and that's how he met the Lawsons. They both did work on and off for Brooks Houck over the years.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
Yeah, so that's exactly what they're doing. Steve Lawson is facing a conspiracy to commit murder charge as well as tampering with physical evidence. So they are alleging that he was involved in the planning of the murder as well as cleaning up after the fact.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
Prosecutors alleged that Joseph Lawson was the one driving Crystal Rogers' car to the spot where it was found on the side of Bluegrass Parkway. They also said that Steve Lawson is the one who picked up Joseph Lawson from that spot where the car was left. And investigators say that Steve Lawson placed a phone call to Brooks Houck around midnight the night that Crystal disappeared.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
Steve Lawson doesn't dispute that he picked up his son from the parkway or that he called Brooks Houck that night. He does, however, deny having anything to do with Crystal's murder.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
It was super emotional. I mean, she, you know, was tearing up before she was even asked the first question. And then, you know, it just really your heart breaks for her.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
So Sherry was the person who ultimately reported Crystal missing. And what I learned is that when Sherry was on her way to the police department to report Crystal missing, she actually passed Brooks. And so she met up with him at a gas station on her way there. And, you know, all he said to her was that it was a good idea to report her missing, that he thought that she should.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
And she said what stuck out to her about that interaction with Brooks was that Crystal and Brooks' son was in the backseat of his truck. And she said knowing her daughter, that baby was always with her. So it really stuck out to her that something was wrong because she didn't have her son.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
Yeah, the attorneys have said they estimate the case will be in the jury's hands by the end of this week or Monday latest, so we'll see what they decide.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
Thank you.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
The Crystal Rogers case at trial. Karen Read prosecution wrapping up. And a lawyer on objections.
This is a curtain raiser for that other child.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
Sure. So Linda was accused of killing her husband, Todd Stermer, by setting him on fire and then running him over with a van back in 2007. And as you mentioned, this was her second trial and now her second conviction.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
That's right. And Todd's family was there. His mother, sister, and brother all gave victim impact statements.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
Definitely. Todd's sister told the court that one of the biggest heartbreaks in all of this for her is that there's no question that he suffered an excruciating and painful death. So she didn't mince words when she addressed Linda in court.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
She didn't apologize and gave no words of comfort for the family. She maintained that she's innocent and, you know, said that she was prepared for the battle ahead to clear her name.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
Yeah, and ultimately, the judge sentenced Stermer to life without the possibility of parole, adding that only this sentence could, quote, protect others from Linda and deter others from committing similar conduct. Mm-hmm.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
So according to investigators out of Gilbert, Arizona, someone parked a Jeep Wrangler outside of Brandon's home and fired a shot at him back in October 2019. Brandon wasn't hurt, but the bullet shattered the driver's side window of his car. Investigators believe that Lori's brother, Alex Cox, was the shooter, but he was never charged because he died before charges were even filed.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
Investigators did, however, charge Lori, who has pleaded not guilty...
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
And Andrea, this back and forth went on for a few more minutes. The judge said that he had ruled on Lori's motions as required by law and refused to recuse himself.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
Opening statements are scheduled for June 2nd, and the trial is expected to last until June 13th.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
The Menendez brothers were set to go before the parole board at a hearing on June 13th. That's the next big step in their quest for freedom. But this week, a spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said the brothers' parole hearing has been delayed to August 21st and August 22nd.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
The June 13th hearing wasn't initially supposed to be a parole hearing. It was a separate hearing for their efforts seeking clemency from California Governor Gavin Newsom. But when the brothers were resentenced last week, the parole board asked to convert that clemency hearing into a parole hearing.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
But when the parole board informed key parties involved in the case, including victims' families, of the June date, some parties raised objections. So the parole hearing got moved to August. Any idea what those objections were?
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
We don't know as of right now, but the brothers' cousin, Anna Maria Baralt, who's been very vocal in supporting them, spoke out on TikTok, and she said this actually isn't a bad thing.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
It's unclear, but their clemency application is still active.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Former MLB pitcher on trial for murder. New evidence in Karen Read. Plus, testifying anonymously.
Thank you for having me.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Cases to watch in 2025: Sean "Diddy" Combs and Bryan Kohberger. Plus, safety tips for AI scams.
Sure. So investigators say that Brendan Banfield plotted with the family's au pair, a woman named Juliana Perez Magales, to kill his wife, Christine, and a man named Joseph Ryan, who who they allegedly lured to the Banfield family home through a fetish website.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Cases to watch in 2025: Sean "Diddy" Combs and Bryan Kohberger. Plus, safety tips for AI scams.
Juliana was charged with second-degree murder of that man, and Brendan was charged with the aggravated murder of both his wife and Joseph Ryan.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Cases to watch in 2025: Sean "Diddy" Combs and Bryan Kohberger. Plus, safety tips for AI scams.
That's right. So Juliana took a plea deal. She pled guilty to manslaughter in the shooting of Joseph Ryan. And as a part of this deal, she's agreed to cooperate with prosecutors ahead of Brendan's trial.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Cases to watch in 2025: Sean "Diddy" Combs and Bryan Kohberger. Plus, safety tips for AI scams.
So right now, Brendan's trial is on the docket for October 20th. And we don't know for sure if Juliana will take the stand, but it sounds like that's likely to happen.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Cases to watch in 2025: Sean "Diddy" Combs and Bryan Kohberger. Plus, safety tips for AI scams.
For starters, there will be a new prosecutor that's leading the case. And Karen Reed's defense team is also going to be a little bit different this time. They've added a new lawyer, and this is all according to a motion that was filed late in November.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Cases to watch in 2025: Sean "Diddy" Combs and Bryan Kohberger. Plus, safety tips for AI scams.
Yes, he's going to be back. Her first high-powered defense team, they will all return for this second trial. This trial is set to start on April 1st. Certainly one to watch.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Cases to watch in 2025: Sean "Diddy" Combs and Bryan Kohberger. Plus, safety tips for AI scams.
So this all kicked off back when Brian and Ana's colleagues reported her missing in January of 2023. Police said that Brian Walsh was cooperative initially and that they did a search of the home where they found knives and they also found blood in the basement.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Cases to watch in 2025: Sean "Diddy" Combs and Bryan Kohberger. Plus, safety tips for AI scams.
Right, and they found those on Ana and Brian's six-year-old son's iPad.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Cases to watch in 2025: Sean "Diddy" Combs and Bryan Kohberger. Plus, safety tips for AI scams.
Ultimately, after more investigation, Brian was charged with first-degree murder, misleading the police, and improper transport of a human body. He's pleaded not guilty to all of those charges, and he's set to go to trial on October 20th, 2025.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Cases to watch in 2025: Sean "Diddy" Combs and Bryan Kohberger. Plus, safety tips for AI scams.
Is it going to be a long one? It's looking like it's going to be pretty long. It's currently scheduled to begin on April 28th, and it's expected to go through May 22nd.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Cases to watch in 2025: Sean "Diddy" Combs and Bryan Kohberger. Plus, safety tips for AI scams.
There are so many trials set to start in 2025. Nicholas Rossi, we have a trial date. It's April 22nd, the Anna Walsh case. That's going to be a four-week trial in October.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Cases to watch in 2025: Sean "Diddy" Combs and Bryan Kohberger. Plus, safety tips for AI scams.
This is, you know, her high-powered defense team. They will all return for this second trial.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Lori Vallow Daybell's phone calls. Karen Read's retrial set to start. And Houston's "lost boys".
So they deliberated for about eight hours and 45 minutes, and that was spread out over three days.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Lori Vallow Daybell's phone calls. Karen Read's retrial set to start. And Houston's "lost boys".
We, the jury, in the above entitled action, find the defendant, Monica Sementilli, guilty of the crime of murder in violation of penal code section 187A. Monica was very emotional in court, put her face in her hands and sobbed, but Sementilli's sister said justice had been served and Fabio could now rest in peace. So what's next for Monica now?
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Lori Vallow Daybell's phone calls. Karen Read's retrial set to start. And Houston's "lost boys".
She's going to be sentenced in June and she faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Lori Vallow Daybell's phone calls. Karen Read's retrial set to start. And Houston's "lost boys".
This was Linda's second trial on these charges, right? That's right, Blaine. And listeners might remember that 15 years ago, Linda was convicted and got a life sentence for this crime. But after just eight years behind bars, a federal appeals court said she should get a new trial, citing ineffective counsel and prosecutorial misconduct. So this is her second go-round now facing a jury.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Lori Vallow Daybell's phone calls. Karen Read's retrial set to start. And Houston's "lost boys".
Yeah, so they came back guilty on two counts of murder, and her bond was revoked, and she was immediately taken into custody. So her sentencing will be in May.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Lori Vallow Daybell's phone calls. Karen Read's retrial set to start. And Houston's "lost boys".
The hearing was something called a Fry hearing. So this is when a judge hears arguments to decide whether scientific evidence that the prosecution or the defense wants to present to a jury is based on established science and therefore would be admissible. What's under discussion in this case is the prosecution's use of nuclear DNA. Okay, so let's talk about nuclear DNA.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Lori Vallow Daybell's phone calls. Karen Read's retrial set to start. And Houston's "lost boys".
How does that come up in this case? According to prosecutors, investigators found hair fibers on or around six of the seven bodies that they say Hurman dumped on Gilgo Beach. Prosecutors hired a private lab to analyze those hair fibers using nuclear DNA, which is a cutting-edge DNA analysis.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Lori Vallow Daybell's phone calls. Karen Read's retrial set to start. And Houston's "lost boys".
Ellerup's attorney said it's important for the family to be here to obtain whatever type of closure they're going to get out of this case, unquote. He went on to say that Asa and Victoria's DNA was allegedly found on some of the victims' bodies, but emphasized that the prosecutor has said neither have been charged or are considered suspects.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Lori Vallow Daybell's phone calls. Karen Read's retrial set to start. And Houston's "lost boys".
Okay.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Lori Vallow Daybell's phone calls. Karen Read's retrial set to start. And Houston's "lost boys".
Okay.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Lori Vallow Daybell's phone calls. Karen Read's retrial set to start. And Houston's "lost boys".
Prosecutors hired a private lab to analyze those hair fibers using nuclear DNA.
Dateline: True Crime Weekly
Lori Vallow Daybell's phone calls. Karen Read's retrial set to start. And Houston's "lost boys".
Absolutely. So Monica Sementelli was accused of masterminding a plot to have her husband killed. Even though her lover, former porn star and sex offender Rob Baker, and his lifelong friend Christopher Austin confessed to carrying out the murder itself, a jury still had to decide just how involved Monica was with the plan. That was a long trial, a very long trial, about 10 weeks.