Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Will Alex Murdaugh get a new trial?  So far the possibility is up in the air, as allegations of jury tampering have been levied against Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca (Becky) Hill.  Hill has denied any wrongdoing. At the same time Hill's son, Jeff, has been arrested and is facing charges related to wiretapping.  SLED agents accuse Jeff Hill of illegally recording conversations of deputy county administrator Meagan Utse.  She served as a liaison between the county and the court during the Murdaugh murder trial. Jeffrey Hill is the technology director at Colleton County Administration. New information is also coming in on the death of Stephen Smith. The 19-year-old was found lying in the middle of the road.  His car was found three miles away. The coroner's office ruled the death a hit-and-run.  After having her son's body exhumed and a new autopsy performed, we learn Smith was killed by blunt force trauma. Forensic Pathologist Dr. Michelle Dupre, who oversaw the exhumation, reveals the findings Joining Nancy Grace Today: Sandy Smith - Stephen Smith’s Mother Ronnie Richter – Attorney for Sandy Smith, Satterfield family, and other victims of Alex Murdaugh; Partner, Bland Richter Law Firm; Twitter: @BlandRichterSC Caryn Stark – NYC Psychologist, Renowned TV and Radio Trauma Expert and Consultant; Twitter: @carynpsych, Instagram: carynpsych, and FB: Caryn Stark Private Practice Dr. Kenny Kinsey- Kenny Kinsey & Associates LLC, Forensic Expert in Murdaugh murder trial; Orangeburg County Chief Deputy, Crime Scene Reconstruction Expert, and Former SLED Special Agent; Twitter: @DrKennethKinsey Todd G. Shipley, CFE, CFCE – Cyber Crime Expert, and Author: “Investigating Internet Crimes: An Introduction to Solving Crimes in Cyberspace;” Twitter: @webcase Dr. Michelle Dupre – Forensic Pathologist and former Medical Examiner, Author: “Homicide Investigation Field Guide” & “Investigating Child Abuse Field Guide”, Ret. Police Detective Lexington County Sheriff’s Department Jennifer Wood - Director of Research at FITSNews; Twitter: @IndyJenn_  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Army veteran stops carjacker. Multi-million dollar psychedelic mushroom operation busted! For more crime and justice news go to crimeonline.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lured from bars in Tampa Bay, Florida, Jason Galehouse and Michael Wachholtz become victims of unthinkable acts of violence, torture, and ultimately murder at the hands of Steven Lorenzo and his roommate Scott Schweikert. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack dive into the harrowing details of these crimes, examining the evidence, psychology, and horrifying realities faced by the victims. As Morgan unpacks the forensic side—from GHB to blood spatter—Mack provides a chilling narrative that contextualizes the nightmare that unfolded. This episode is not just an exploration into the depths of human depravity, but also a tribute to the lives and stories of Jason Galehouse, Michael Waccholtz, Albert Perkins, and other unnamed victims of Loenzo and Schweikert. Subscribe to Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan : Apple Podcasts Spotify iHeart Time codes: 00:00:20 — Joseph Scott Morgan reveals a childhood fascination with a magnifying glass. This simple tale explains his eventual career in forensics. 01:40 — Steven Lorenzo, convicted of two murders but suspected of many more, is introduced.  00:03:20 — Dave Mack asks Joe Scott to break down the substance GHB.  00:03:40 — A chilling overview of Lorenzo's methods is described. Mack succinctly recounts how the criminal drugged and tortured his victims. 00:04:40 — Joseph Scott Morgan unveils the eerie nature of GHB, detailing its street names and effects. 00:08:19 — The online meeting between Lorenzo and Schweikert is discussed. Mack introduces how they connected over shared violent fantasies. 00:11:18 — The terrifying setting of the crimes, Lorenzo and Schweikert's home, is revealed. Joe Scott explains how the drug GHB renders victims compliant. 00:13:56 — Mack goes back to 2003 to bring us the stories of the victims, Jason Galehouse and Michael Wachholtz. 00:16:10 — A vivid picture of the crime scene emerges. Mack and Morgan explore how long blood lasts as evidence. 00:20:25 — Dave Mack retells the testimony of a survivor of Lorenzo and Schweikert's, Albert Perkins, emphasizing the cold-blooded nature of the criminals. 00:28:32 — Joseph Scott Morgan explains the crucial role of insects in forensics. 00:33:40 — Justice takes time. Dave Mack highlights the delay in Steven Lorenzo's trial and eventual sentence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carlee Russell calls 911, telling the operator that she sees a toddler walking down the side of an Alabama freeway.  When police arrive, there's no toddler and  Russell is gone. Her car, however, is still parked along the highway. The door is open and the car is running. Forty-nine hours later, Russell returns home, telling investigators in a brief interview that she was abducted by a man with orange hair and a woman.   As the investigation continues, police find some “really strange” internet searches in the hours before she vanished, such as the cut-off age for an AMBER Alert.   Now Russell admits via a statement from her lawyer that there was no toddler or abduction. The 26-year-old was found guilty of misdemeanor charges of false reporting to law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident. With the conviction,  Russell's attorneys agreed to "stipulate and appeal" the case. This legal move will transfer the case to circuit court the case will tried again. Joining Nancy Grace today: James Shelnutt – Attorney – The Shelnutt Law Firm, P.C.; 27-year Atlanta Metro Area Major Case Detective and Former S.W.A.T. Officer; Twitter: @ShelnuttLawFirm Caryn Stark – Psychologist- Trauma and Crime Expert; Twitter: @carnpsych Sheryl McCollum – Cold Case Investigative Research Institute Founder; Host of new podcast, “Zone 7;” Twitter: @149zone7 Lee Reiber – Mobile Device Forensic Expert, COO: Oxygen Forensics, Inc., Author: “Mobile Forensic Investigations: A Guide to Evidence Collection, Analysis, and Presentation” Mike Hadsell – President and Founder of Peace River K9 Search and Rescue; Twitter: @K9River Savannah Sapp – Multimedia Journalist and Reporter for WAFF48 in Alabama; Twitter: @Savannah Sapp/Instagram:@savannahsapp.tv/Facebook:SavannahSappWAFF48  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After high school,  Susan Leigh Vaughan marries David Smith. They have two sons, but the children don't keep the marriage together.  The Smiths separated several times. During one of these separations, Susan Smith begins dating Tom Findlay, the single son of a wealthy mill owner.  Smith is planning a future with her new beau when she gets a Dear John letter from Findley. He explains that he doesn't want an instant family. On the night of October 25, Susan Smith knocks on the door of a house near John D Long Lake. She is hysterical when the man answers the door and tells him to call the police. She says an armed black man just carjacked her at a red light. Her two boys, 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alex, are still in the car.  For days Susan Smith tells an ever-changing story of the carjacking. Then Susan Smith finally admits what she has done. There never was a hijacker. She went out for a drive with her sons buckled into their car seats in the back. Feeling desperate,  alone, and suicidal, she drove to John D. Long Lake and puts the car in neutral. She jumps out and watches the car sink. Scuba divers locate the vehicle with the boys in the back, still buckled into their seats. Since Susan Smith was convicted and jailed, tabloid news reports claim Smith told prison investigators that she had four sexual encounters with Lieutenant Houston Cagle, a supervisor at South Carolina's Women's Correctional Institution. Cagle admitted having sex with Smith and another prisoner. He was charged with the offenses in August 2000. The 50-year-old Cagle pleaded guilty and spent 3 months in jail. Captain Alfred Rowe also pleaded guilty to having sex with Smith and was sentenced to five years' probation.    Now Smith's relationship with men turns to pen pals. Several men have written to Smith over the years, with Smith looking to a life outside prison.   In March of 2022, People magazine gained access to letters Smith wrote to a long-distance boyfriend.  In one letter Smith wrote, "I can't wait to build a life with you, leave the past mistakes behind and start fresh, just you and me."  The Messenger has reportedly obtained transcripts of dozens of voice and text messages that Susan Smith traded with at least six men while serving her time in Prison. One man has gone so are as to build a fake life for Susan Smith and himself in the game the Sims also has a pet name for the convicted child killer, "Pookie."  Joining Nancy Grace Today: Tara Malek – Boise, ID, Attorney & Co-owner of Smith + Malek; Former State and Federal Prosecutor; Twitter: @smith_malek Dr. Bethany Marshall – Psychoanalyst (Beverly Hills, CA); Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall; Twitter: @DrBethanyLive  Chris McDonough – Director At the Cold Case Foundation, Former Homicide Detective; Host of YouTube channel: “The Interview Room” JoScott Morgan – Professor of Forensics: Jacksonville State University; Author, “Blood Beneath My Feet;” Host: “Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan;" Twitter: @JoScottForensic  Dave Mack - CrimeOnline Investigative Reporter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dad call for a ride home from a bar. Instead of picking him up, son runs over him, leaving him for dead.  A Kentucky man puts a whole new spin on "fishing for votes." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The search continues for a Washington state mom who disappeared after a frantic call to 911. That call is the last connection anyone has to missing Mikayla Standridge. The 25-year-old reportedly can be heard screaming for help on the call before the connection is lost. Standridge was last reportedly seen running out of a house in Concrete, Washington early in the morning.  Joining Nancy Grace Today: Mardi Martone -  Aunt of the victim Irv Miller- Criminal Defense Attorney: The Miller Firm, Legal Analyst: CBS2 Chicago WBBM-TV and Legal Technical Advisor to “THE GOOD WIFE” and “THE GOOD FIGHT”: CBS Productions Caryn Stark – Psychologist- Trauma and Crime Expert; Twitter: @carnpsych Jason Jensen – Private Investigator (Jensen Private Investigations), Cold Case Expert (Salt Lake City, UT), and Co-founder: “Cold Case Coalition;” Investigations; Twitter: @JasonJPI, Facebook/Instagram: “Jensen Investigations” Mike Hadsell - President and Founder of Peace River K9 Search and Rescue, PRSAR.org    Nicole Partin - CrimeOnline Investigative Reporter; Twitter: @nicolepartin (Naples, FL)  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Woman,  tortured by co-worker giving her a ride home, rescued by police.  Speeder tries to give cops the slip. Officers meet him in his driveway. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Arelie Garcia is the youngest of the six children in her family. After high school, Garcia trains in Automotive Mechanics Technology at the Center for Employment Training and works at My Chevrolet in Salinas as a service advisor. Co-worker Miguel Alvarez describes Arelie Garcia as the "happy one" of the group. Garcia maintains a close relationship with her sisters and texts Veronica almost daily. On September 22, Arelie Garcia sends Veronica a message at 6 a.m.,  a simple message of  ‘Good morning, I love you." At 6:30 a.m.,  Garcia is seen on surveillance video leaving her apartment and heading for work. She didn't show up at all. Her sisters begin texting and calling their sister's phone, getting no response.  Garcia's sister, Veronica, logs into Find My iPhone and is surprised to see Arelie Garcia's phone last pinged to a location in Big Sur, about an hour away from Salinas. Her car is found parked on the side of the road. Locked. Garcia was nowhere to be found. Joining Nancy Grace today: Ely Mendoza - Arelie’s Older sister, www.gofundme.com/f/help-find-arelie-garcia; Instagram: bringareliehome_    Wendy Patrick – California Prosecutor, Author of “Why Bad Looks Good” and “Red Flags,” and Host of “Today with Dr. Wendy” on KCBQ in San Diego; Twitter: @WendyPatrickPHD Dan Corsentino – Former Police Chief, Former Sheriff (served on US Homeland Security Senior Advisory Board), and Private Investigator; Expert witness certified in Federal and State courts in the area of Police Policy    Todd G. Shipley, CFE, CFCE – Cyber Crime Expert, and Author: “Investigating Internet Crimes: An Introduction to Solving Crimes in Cyberspace;” Twitter: @webcase Mike Hadsell – President and Founder of Peace River K9 Search and Rescue; Twitter: @K9River Ricardo Tovar - Journalist, Digital Content Manager for KION Newschannel 46; Twitter: @rtovarg13 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Possibly impaired driver causes fatal bus crash. Suspected porch pirate is a BEAR.  For more crime and justice news go to crimeonline.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.