True Crime with Kendall Rae
Life360 App Helps Police Find Missing 13 Yr. Old: Justice for Savannah Copeland
Thu, 27 Feb 2025
In 2024, 13-year-old middle schooler Savannah Copeland was stabbed to death by a local 15-year-old boy. Using the tracking app Life360, her parents were able to track her phone which helped in leading them towards her location on a trail in the woods. Instead of a regular memorial on the spot where Savannah was found, her parents wanted to turn the area into a peaceful place in nature for people to enjoy or go to pay their respects. Please consider contributing towards the Copeland's GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-savan... -- This episode is sponsored by: HelloFresh Check out my foundation: Higher Hope Foundation: https://www.higherhope.org/ Watch my documentaries: 530 Days: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjUWkmOjNLk Apartment 801: https://bit.ly/2RJ9XXr True Crime with Kendall Rae podcast: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3rks84o Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3jC66pr Shop my Merch! https://kendallrae.shop Check out my other podcasts: Mile Higher (True Crime) @milehigherpod YouTube: https://bit.ly/2ROzJcw Instagram: http://instagram.com/milehigherpod The Sesh (Current events, a little true crime, pop culture, and commentary) https://bit.ly/3Mtoz4X @the_seshpodcast Instagram: https://bit.ly/3a9t6Xr *Follow My Social!* @KendallRaeOnyt Instagram: http://instagram.com/kendallraeonyt Facebook: https://bit.ly/3kar4NK True Crime TikTok: https://bit.ly/3VDbc77 Personal TikTok: https://bit.ly/41hmRKg REQUESTS: General case suggestion form: https://zfrmz.com/yg9cuiWjUe2QY3hSC2V0 Form for people directly related/ close to the victim: https://zfrmz.com/HGu2hZso42aHxARt1i67 Join my discord to chat with other viewers about this video, it’s free! https://discord.com/invite/an4stY9BCN C O N T A C T: For Business Inquiries - kendallrae@night.co Send me mail: Kendall Rae 8547 E Arapahoe Rd Ste J #233 Greenwood Village, CO 80112
Chapter 1: Who was Savannah Copeland?
So with that being said, let's get into her case. Are you tired of figuring out what's for dinner night after night, especially on those busy weekdays? Well, get dinner done the easy way, thanks to HelloFresh. It's easy to find time to eat well with 50 wholesome, hassle-free meals to choose from each week delivered right to your door.
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I want to start out by telling you about the amazing little girl that Savannah was. Savannah Grace Copeland, or Van as her family called her, was born in Knoxville, Tennessee on September 3rd, 2011 alongside her twin brother Casey. And that's another reason why this case is just that much more heartbreaking. The fact that she has a twin brother, I mean...
I'm sure many of you know out there that the twin bond is just so special. It's hard to even put into words the connection that twins often, in most cases, develop. And I am just heartbroken for her twin brother. And of course, for their entire family as well. She also has an older brother named Britton and her incredibly active and involved, loving parents, Michael and Amanda.
And one thing that I found to be so beautiful when learning about Savannah was her relationship with her father. Her and her father, out of anyone in their family, were just so similar. I mean, they were, like, she was a carbon copy of him in a lot of ways as far as her personality went. Her dad has explained that he's a bit on the introverted side, and so was she.
Savannah was always pretty shy and didn't mind spending time alone. She was very independent, and I guess the two of them would be able to spend time together without saying anything. and I think that just shows how special of a connection the two of them had, how well they understood each other.
And I mean, obviously, the two of them talked to each other as well, but the fact that they could just be in each other's company and that was enough without saying much, it's very special. Now, as for the things that Savannah really enjoyed in life, there are quite a few, including music, art, and scary movies.
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Chapter 2: How did Savannah Copeland go missing?
But this was a nightmare that they didn't wake up from. Their beautiful 13-year-old daughter, who they were just cheering for in the stands of a basketball game literally the night before, was gone. And it turns out that the person responsible was someone that they knew. 15-year-old Malachiya Lamar Harris was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.
At around 4.45 this afternoon through dispatch, we received a call on a possible... deceased body on a trail over in Broadacre subdivision. Our officers responded to that, did find a body. And tonight, just around 9 p.m., detectives identified a person of interest and arrested a 15-year-old male and is being charged with second-degree murder in the death of a 13-year-old young lady.
And like I mentioned earlier, at this point in time, there's very little information available about him and about the circumstances that led to Savannah's murder, but I'll share what we know as of this point in time. According to Michael, Malachi was not only someone that they were familiar with, but also someone that they had welcomed into their home.
He was someone that they had sympathy for, someone that they even cared for. Now, the extent of that care is not something that has been too reported on at this point in time.
I did learn that he was living with his grandfather and his siblings at the time of the murder, so part of me wonders if their family, Savannah's family, had tried to step up and show him support because maybe he wasn't getting that at home or was going through... you know, emotional struggles, family structural problems, things like that.
And I don't know, that's just kind of the vibe I'm sensing. Either way, though, it doesn't really matter. I mean, he was someone that they knew, someone that they cared about, and he was now someone who was responsible for the murder of their child. And that has understandably come with a lot of conflicting emotions for their family.
Within hours, detectives named a suspect, 15-year-old Malachi Harris. He was a friend of Savannah's and her family.
There's a lot of conflicting emotions. Of course, the natural one to move toward is anger and rage toward him. But this is someone we cared about.
Do you have any indication why? No.
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Chapter 3: What role did the Life360 app play in the investigation?
Yeah, Brittany, that's right. It was another status hearing for Harris and police say Harris killed Savannah Copeland in October with a pocket knife on a trail near Powell High School. Right now, he is in juvenile court because of his age. However, today the state announced it wants to move this case to adult court.
The judge says there are several legal steps he'll have to go through before the teen can be transferred. The first one, the state has to prove there is probable cause that Harris committed the crime. It's basically like a mini trial. The state will bring the key evidence they have against Harris. The second step, checking his mental health status.
He'll likely go through psych evaluations, which could take weeks or up to months. Now, the third, the judge must determine by law if it's in society's best interest to keep him in juvenile court or transfer him to adult court.
And like I said, the decision to attempt to try him as an adult is something that the Copeland family fully supports and I do too. If this 15-year-old boy is really guilty of what he is accused of, which, may I remind you, is stabbing a 13-year-old girl with a pocket knife and then leaving her there to die, then I believe he should have adult-like consequences.
Now, this is a very complex and controversial topic that people feel different ways about. And, you know, I think it really depends on the situation. And ultimately, the purpose of the juvenile system is that there's hope for rehabilitation, of course.
And there are cases where kids get into trouble, do some pretty bad things, but are able to turn it around and turn into wonderful, productive members of society. But there are also cases... where kids get into trouble and they continue to go on to be serious offenders and dangers to society.
I don't think it's something that you can make a generalization on when it comes to the juvenile system as a whole and how each case can be conducted. It's really... a case-by-case basis, but I really agree with the family that the consequences just need to match the severity of the crime that he committed.
And the problem with him going through just the juvenile court is he would likely be released in just a couple of years. On the other hand, if this goes to adult court, he will be facing 15 to 25 years for the charge of second-degree murder, and that would be served primarily in an adult detention center. And
And I'm sure most of you know this, but if an adolescent is tried in adult court, that doesn't necessarily mean that they're going to go right into adult prison if they are found guilty. I mean, in some cases that does happen. And I'm not explaining this fully. It's a very complicated topic.
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Chapter 4: Who is the suspect in Savannah's case?
After devastation, the world keeps spinning, and two weeks after Savannah's death, Palmac CHEER team had to compete. The team honored Savannah in their clothes.
Went out and bought blue Def Leppard t-shirts. She loved music and hair bands and her dad loves Def Leppard. But the girls also knew they wanted to leave space for her on the mat. They immediately, we don't want somebody to take her place. Nobody else wants to do the megaphone. Can we do a recording? Does anybody have it on video? After some searching, they found the audio.
So she was still able to keep her place and her position in the program. And it all started out with her yelling out loud, it's touchdown time.
Through her love of cheer and the love for her teammates, Savannah's voice will always live on. And another beautiful thing that these young girls have done to honor Savannah is host a donation drive to raise money for their local animal shelter because Savannah just absolutely loved animals. She's described as loving all living creatures, even something as small as a spider.
So this was just another way for them to give back in her memory. And not only that, they've also created an award in her name that will be given out to someone on the cheer team every year. It'll go to the person who most embodies Savannah's character, which they described as spunky and eager. And it wasn't just her team that has showed this family support, because...
Not long after Savannah was murdered, her family went to a basketball game to support the cheerleaders because like her dad said, once a cheer dad, always a cheer dad. He's such a real one. I just, oh my gosh, Michael is so awesome. But when they were there, the opposing team's cheer squad actually brought their family flowers.
It's just, it's, I love hearing young people being so in touch with their emotions and caring for others in this way. It's just so beautiful. Then there's the church, which has also been outspoken in their support for the family. In fact, the pastor's husband actually built this beautiful cross for Savannah, which now sits along the trail where her life was taken from her.
And it's blue because blue is Savannah's colors. And that's actually why I have set my background to blue today to honor her in a small way. And I love what they have done with this spot because it's really become a memorial where people will, you know, drop flowers and candy and other things that remind them of Savannah.
And the sentiment around this memorial is another huge reason that I felt compelled to tell you about this case. Because oftentimes memorial sites just feel really dark and sad, understandably so. But... their family has spoken about, especially Michael, how he wanted this to be seen as a beautiful place.
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Chapter 5: What legal actions are being taken against the suspect?
Twice outside, almost every house in the Powell community are blue. It's a tribute to a 13-year-old girl. Volunteers with a local business walked around to deliver those lights this morning. It's a way to honor the life of Savannah Copeland.
We care about our community and the people in it. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
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