Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Woman attacks her wife and mother-in-law with a samurai sword! Woman makes it easy for cops with excessive labels! For more crime and justice news go to crimeonline.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The full autopsy reports on Veronica Butler and Jillian Kelley have been released. Both reports identify the cause of death as multiple sharp force trauma. The reports list a total of 30 wounds on each victim, including 9 stab wounds and 21 cuts. Many of Butler's wounds were consistent with defensive injuries. A police affidavit states that Tifany Adams allegedly made statements implicating herself in the deaths of Butler and Kelley. Investigators believe Butler and Kelley were lured to the location, arriving around 9:40 a.m. Officers found pools of blood, Butler’s glasses on the ground, and a broken hammer at the scene. Police believe the women were then forced into another vehicle. The probable cause affidavit contains extensive details, but the women’s causes of death were not initially disclosed. Their bodies were discovered in a cattle pasture leased by Tad Bert Cullum, the boyfriend of Tifany Adams. Cellphone data from three burner phones purchased by Adams helped narrow down the location. The phones first pinged near Butler's abandoned car, and the data later led police to the pasture. Officers found signs of digging. A hole, which had been refilled, contained the bodies of the two women. Investigators cite a custody battle over Butler’s two children as the motive. The custody dispute had lasted more than five years. Butler’s ex-partner, Wrangler Rickman, who is Adams’ son, had custody of the children. However, Rickman was confirmed to be in a rehabilitation facility in Oklahoma City at the time. Butler was allowed supervised visitation with her children every Saturday. According to her attorney, she was likely to gain unsupervised visitation in an upcoming hearing. The affidavit states, “Adams vehemently opposed this and went to great lengths to plan and purchase items used in Butler and Kelley’s murders.” It continues, “Adams, Cullum, Cole, and Cora were willing to kidnap and murder two victims to limit visitation for Butler.” Court documents also allege that Adams and her accomplices attempted to kill Butler in February. Adams, her boyfriend, and another couple reportedly drove to Butler’s home near Hugoton, Kansas, intending to kill her. A witness told investigators the plan was to throw an anvil through Butler’s windshield to make it appear as an accident, but Butler did not leave her home. State investigators retrieved data from Adams’ phone showing searches for terms such as “taser pain level,” “gun shops,” “prepaid cellular phones,” and “how to get someone out of their house.” According to the documents, Adams purchased five stun guns before the women disappeared. She also bought three prepaid burner phones from a nearby Walmart. All the burner phones stopped transmitting on the morning of the women’s disappearance. After the attack, the bodies were reportedly stored in a sealed freezer before being buried 4 to 8 feet underground. Joining Nancy Grace Today:   Kelly Hyman- Trial & Civil Attorney, TV Legal Analyst, Podcast Host: "Once Upon a Crime In Hollywood", Twitter: @kellyhyman1, TikTok: @kelly.hyman, Instagram: @Kelly_Hyman1 Sheryl McCollum  – Forensics Expert & Cold Case Investigative Research Institute Founder; Host of Podcast: “Zone 7;” X: @149Zone7Irv Brandt – Senior Inspector, US Marshals Service International Investigations Branch; Chief Inspector, DOJ Office of International Affairs, US Embassy Kingston, Jamaica; Author: “SOLO SHOT: CURSE OF THE BLUE STONE” – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON IN JANUARY; ALSO “FLYING SOLO: Top of the World;” Twitter: @JackSoloAuthorDr. Kendall Crowns – Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County (Ft Worth) and Lecturer: University of Texas Austin and Texas Christian University Medical SchoolLauren Conlin – Investigative Journalist, Host of The Outlier Podcast, and also Host of “Corruption: What Happened to Grant Solomon; X- @Conlin_Lauren/ Instagram- @LaurenEmilyConlin/YouTube- @LaurenConlin4  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The body of Melody Hoffman is discovered on a cold February morning. The person who finds her body calls 911 and describes her beautiful skin, she has all kinds of marks on her back, "like slashes" and her hands are curled in a way they shouldn't have been. She has been left in the freezing cold with nothing on but her underwear. Joseph Scott Morgan will explain how it is possible that the 20-year-p; has slashes across her back and has lost a lot of blood, but that isn't what killed her. Dave Mack digs into the different relationships that led to the murder of a 20-year-old woman who just wanted a boyfriend to care about her.           Transcript Highlights 00:01.16  Introduction 04:29.89 Melody Hoffman is missing 09:45.20 Melody might have been pregnant 14:30.41 Buy killing supplies 19:19.24 Picture on phone of Melody beaten, crying, tape over mouth 25:49.51 Murder happened February 18th, very cold 30:46.08 Does weather impact dead body 35:26.44 How much abuse had boyfriend put her through 39:39.14 Melody was strangled to death 47:58.86 Why was body left where it would be found ConclusionSee 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 three of our top stories this week:  The man accused of killing CEO Brian Thompson screams to reporters on his way into court.   Missing Susanne Simpson tells banker,  'look for her in a lake' if she disappeared. A pair of brothers, real estate tycoons charged with sex assault.  Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lori Vallow Daybell, convicted in the deaths of her children, JJ and Tylee, as well as conspiracy in the death of Tammy Daybell, now faces trial in Arizona for the shooting death of her husband Charles Vallow. Ahead of that trial, Vallow asked for a competency hearing, which was granted. Two doctors concluded that Vallow was competent, and a judge ruled Vallow will stand trial for conspiring in the fatal shooting of fourth husband, Charles, and the attempted murder of her niece's ex-husband, Brandon Boudreaux. After the competency hearing, Vallow tells the judge she will represent herself, saying she has been studying law.  Joining Nancy Grace Today:  Mark Tate -Trial Lawyer at TateLawGroup  Dr. Angela Arnold - Psychiatrist, Atlanta GA; Expert in the Treatment of Pregnant/Postpartum Women Chris McDonough - Director At the Cold Case Foundation, Former Homicide Detective, & Host of YouTube channel- ‘The Interview Room’ Lauren Matthias - Journalist and Host of ‘Hidden True Crime’ Podcast and YouTube Channel; @HiddenTrueCrime on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, and InstagramSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and follow Zone 7 - available on all audio platforms: https://link.podtrac.com/Zone7 Today Nancy Grace and Sheryl McCollum discuss the latest on the Luigi Mangione case. They explain the legal nuances of the charges against him, the premeditation and intent behind his actions, and the implications of his crimes on victims and society. Nancy and Sheryl also examine broader issues, such as the public's controversial support of Mangione, the legal distinctions between murder charges, and the growing concern over ghost guns. Listen and follow Zone 7 - available on all audio platforms: https://link.podtrac.com/Zone7 Show Notes: ● (0:00) Welcome! Nancy and Sheryl introduce this week’s crime roundup ● (0:10) Sheryl introduces the updates on the Luigi Mangione case ● (1:00) Public reaction and outrage ● (3:00) Legal breakdown of murder 1 vs. murder 2 ● (8:00) Human trafficking and poaching routes ● (9:30) Evidence and investigation details ● (14:00) Connection to past infamous cases ● (17:00) Family impact and emotional toll ● (23:30) Ghost guns and legal implications ● (30:00) Personal reflections and closing thoughts   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ryan Borgwardt is back in the USA after months of living in the country of Georgia. After searching Green Lake for almost two months, a change in the investigation strategy gets results right away, when it is discovered that Borgwart has his passport checked by Canadian authorities one day after he is reported missing.  Since local law enforcement found his Passport in his house when he disappeared, a simple investigation finds that Ryan Borgwardt claims his passport was lost and he is issued a new one three months before he vanishes.  Before returning, Borgwardt records a video saying he is safe and secure, wrapping up the video saying, "hope this works".  Borgwardt does not give exact details about where he is located.   The video is then sent to the sheriff's office.   Ryan Borgwardt tells authorities how he was able to fake his death and make his escape. First, he says he travels about 50 miles from his home in Watertown to Green lake. On the lake, he overturns his kayak, dumps his phone in the lake and paddles to shore using an inflatable boat for children.  Borgwardt tells investigators he chose Green lake because it is the deepest lake in Wisconsin, nearly 240 feet deep.  Now Borgwardt's wife has filed for a separation.    Joining Nancy Grace today:  Gregory Morse - Partner at the law firm of King Morse, PLLC. Current CJA counsel, Former West Palm Beach Public Defender's Office. Author: "The Untested" found on Amazon, website: kingmorselaw.com Dr. Judy Ho - Clinical and Forensic Neuropsychologist, Author of The New Rules of Attachment; www.drjudyho.com; IG & X: @drjudyho; FB: doctorjudyho; Irv Brandt - Former Senior Inspector, US Marshals Service International Investigations Branch, Chief Inspector, DOJ Office of International Affairs; Country Attache, US Embassy Kingston, Jamaica, Author: “SOLO SHOT: CURSE OF THE BLUE STONE" AVAILBLE ON AMAZON, Twitter: @JackSoloAuthorBen Dobrin - Emergency Medical Services Marine Dive Team and EMS Police Search and Rescue, Dean of the D. Henry Watts School of Professional Studies and Professor of Social Work: Virginia Wesleyan UniversityJoseph Scott Morgan - Professor of Forensics: Jacksonville State University, Author, "Blood Beneath My Feet", Host: "Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan", @JoScottForensicChristina Aguayo - National News Anchor, Salem News Channel, website: www.ChristinaAguayoNews.Com, Facebook: @ChristinaAguayoNews, Instagram: @Christina.AguayoNews See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Landlord claims parents killed their children, then attacked him, so why did he burn their bodies? Moose calf rescued from icy lake. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another shocking revelation in the scandalous Sean Diddy Combs case, now officially including Jay-Z. In a civil lawsuit Sean "Diddy" Combs and Jay-Z stand accused of raping a teen girl at an afterparty for the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. The 13-year-old at the time, says she had been trying to get into the VMAs by standing outside of Radio City Music Hall and walking up to limousines that were bringing guests into the venue. It works as she is invited to an afterparty by a limo driver who claimed to work for Combs, he tells her she "fit what Diddy was looking for, he likes young girls Reportedly, the Jane Doe is handed a non-disclosure agreement to sign, and a drink she believes is spiked. In minutes she hears Diddy utter words she can still hear to this day. The plaintiff claims Combs approached her with a "crazed look in his eyes" telling her, "You are ready to party!”  She accuses Combs of throwing her toward a wall causing her to fall. She gets up , stumbling, Combs grabs her, throws her on the bed, then Jay-Z holds her down and vaginally rapes her while Cobs and another A-list celebrity watch.   The unnamed Jane Doe is seeking unspecified damages, and attorney Tony Buzbee previously announced that he was representing more than 100 people accusing Combs of misconduct.  Joining Nancy Grace today:  Joshua Ritter  -  Criminal Defense Attorney, Former Prosecutor,  Host of Courtroom Confidential on YouTube; website: joshuaritter.com; Twitter, Instagram & TikTok: @joshuaritteresq, YouTube: CRConfidential,Dr. Bethany Marshall -  Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker," featured in hit show: "Paris in Love" on Peacock https://www.drbethanymarshall.com/ , Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, Twitter: @DrBethanyLiveRobert Crispin - Private Investigator “Crispin Special Investigations”, Former Federal Task Force Officer for the United States Department of Justice, DEA and Miami Field Division. Former Homicide and Crimes against children investigator. CrispinInvestigations.com, Facebook: Crispin Special Investigations IncDr. DeWayne Hendrix  - Former Associate Warden at the MDC in Brooklyn, and former Senior Warden with the US Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Founder and President of A New Daylight Foundation, Author: "Who Are You?  See it Say it and Seize it" , website: newdaylightfoundation.com , @anewdaylight (IG)  @drdewaynehendrix (LinkedIn)  @anewdaylight (X-Twitter) Lynn Shaw  -  Founder and Executive Director of Lynn's WarriorsRob Shuter -  Host: Naughty But Nice Podcast, Diddy Former Publicist, Author : "The 4 Word Answer", radaronline.com; IG: @naughtygossip Kayla Brantley - Reporter, DailyMail.com, Twitter: @_KaylaBrantley, Instagram: @KaylaBrantley  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A man tells women he's an extremely talented mixologist, then drugs and assaults his victims. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Arraigned in Pennsylvania for five crimes, Luigi Mangione is charged with Forgery, carrying a gun without a license, falsely identifying himself to law enforcement, tampering with records or identification, and possessing instruments of crime.   Luigi Mangione has a 262-word, handwritten manifesto on him when he was arrested, and in it he mentions a "spiral notebook". CNN is reporting that in the spiral notebook, Mangione was keeping a to-do-list leading up the the murder of CEO Brian Thompson, he is thinking about using a bomb to kill Thompson instead of shooting him in public. Mangione allegedly decides against bombing the building because 'it could kill innocents' and decides to shoot Thompson.  Decked out in a bright orange County department of corrections jumpsuit, Luigi Mangione comes unglued as he struggles with deputies as he gets out of the patrol car screaming  toward a group of media gathered to watch him arrive at the courthouse, "it's completely out of touch and an insult to the intelligence of the American people and their lived experience". Flanked by six deputies, the suspect is then pushed inside the courthouse.  Mangione is shacked at the waist and ankles for his court appearance. At one point, Mangione tries to interject while his attorney Thomas Dickey is arguing for bail, addressing the $8,000 US dollars and $2,000 in foreign currency found with Mangione at his arrest. Dickey turn to his client, instructing,  his client, "Don't say a word."     JOINING NANCY GRACE TODAY: Guy D’Andrea  -  Former Prosecutor,  Attorney at Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & RyanDr. Bethany Marshall  - Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker,"   featured in hit show: "Paris in Love" on Peacock www.drbethanymarshall.com/ , Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, Twitter: @DrBethanyLiveTom Ruskin  - Private Investigator, President of the CMP Protective and Investigative Group, Inc., Former New York City Police Detective Investigator, cmp-group.com, @tomruskinSheryl McCollum  - Cold Case Investigative Research Institute Founder, ColdCaseCrimes.org, Host: Zone 7, Twitter: @ColdCaseTipsJoseph Scott Morgan - Professor of Forensics: Jacksonville State University, Author, "Blood Beneath My Feet", Host: "Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan", @JoScottForensicChristina Aguayo - National News Anchor, Salem News Channel, website: www.ChristinaAguayoNews.Com, Facebook: @ChristinaAguayoNews, Instagram: @Christina.AguayoNews,Dave Mack  - Crime Online Investigative Reporter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Marietta, Georgia, teen now charged with murder after officers find Leticia Rodriguez's newborn baby dead on the ground. Rodriquez is digging a hole to bury the infant.  Rodriguez, had given birth just hours earlier, alone.  Police say they are investigating whether her family even knew about her pregnancy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just hours after Luigi Mangione was taken into custody in Pennsylvania, he faced a murder charge. The second-degree murder charge joined charges of forgery, carrying firearms without a license, tampering with records or identification, possessing instruments of crime, and providing false identification to law enforcement authorities. The initial charges were local to Pennsylvania. However, the NYPD also charged Mangione with possession of a loaded firearm, possession of a forged instrument, and criminal possession of a weapon. Mangione will be extradited to New York, but that transfer likely will not happen for several days. Mangione was arrested while sitting in the back of an Altoona McDonald's. He was wearing a mask, eating breakfast, and looking at his laptop when an employee suspected he was the subject of a manhunt out of New York. Altoona police arrived, and Mangione began to shake when officers asked him to lower his mask and confirm if he had been in New York recently. A search of Mangione revealed a ghost gun, a silencer, and multiple fake IDs. Officers arrested the 26-year-old on several charges but not for the murder of Brian Thomas. Mangione faces charges of forgery, carrying a firearm without a license, tampering with records or identification, possession of instruments of crime, and providing false identification to law enforcement. When asked if he needed a public defender, Mangione replied that he would "answer that at a future date.  JOINING NANCY GRACE TODAY:  Jason Oshins  - NY Defense AttorneyDr. Bethany Marshall – Psychoanalyst (Beverly Hills); X: @DrBethanyLive/ Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall; Appearing in “Paris in Love” on Peacock; BOOK: “Deal Breaker: When to work on a relationship and when to walk away” Tara Malek – Boise, ID, Attorney & Co-owner of Smith + Malek; Former State and Federal Prosecutor; Twitter: @smith_malekSheryl McCollum  – Forensics Expert & Cold Case Investigative Research Institute Founder; Host of Podcast: “Zone 7;” X: @149Zone7Joe Scott Morgan – Professor of Forensics: Jacksonville State University, Author, “Blood Beneath My Feet,” and Host: “Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan;” Twitter/X: @JoScottForensicGermania Rodriguez  – Chief US Reporter at Daily Mail (DailyMail has a podcast out now called “The Trial of Diddy”}Dave Mack  - Crime Online Investigative ReporterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Washington state first responders answer a call about a child overdosing. When EMTs arrive, the child’s mother refuses to let them inside to treat the toddler and cops have to force their way in. Thankfully, the child’s grandmother had already administered two doses of Narcan. The child is rushed to the hospital, and expected to survive.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A person of interest in custody in Altoona, Pennsylvania, in connection with the fatal shooting of of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week.  New York police announced the 26-year-old suspect , Luigi Mangione, is being held in Pennsylvania awaiting extradition to New York. NYPD officer are on their way to Altoona. The suspect was reportedly apprehended at a McDonald's, where an employee believed he resembled the man who shot Thompson and called the police. Police say the man had a gun with a suppressor and fake IDs — including one for New Jersey which reportedly was used at the hostel in New York, and a hand-written manifesto. Reportedly, it outlined complaints about the healthcare industry. Mangione has been arrested on gun charges.     JOINING NANCY GRACE TODAY: Jason Oshins - NY Defense AttorneyDr. Bethany Marshall - Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker,”  featured in hit show: "Paris in Love" on Peacock www.drbethanymarshall.com/ , Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, Twitter: @DrBethanyLiveTom Smith - Former NYPD Detective,     Co-Host of the GOLD SHIELDS Podcast, https://thegoldshieldshow.com, FB & Instagram: @thegoldshieldshowSheryl McCullom - Cold Case Investigative Research Institute Founder, ColdCaseCrimes.org, Host of new podcast: Zone 7, Twitter: @ColdCaseTips Ben Dobrin  - Virginia Beach Emergency Medical Services EMS Marine Dive Team and EMS Search and Rescue, Professor of Social Work: Virginia Wesleyan University Joseph Scott Morgan - Professor of Forensics: Jacksonville State University, Author, "Blood Beneath My Feet", Host: "Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan", @JoScottForensic  Lauren Conlin - Podcaster/Reporter/Host- Co-Host of Primetime Crime on YouTube. Website: www.popcrime.tv & primetimecrimeshow.com X- @Conlin_Lauren, Instagram- @LaurenEmilyConlin, YouTube: @PopCrimeTV See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Harris County, Texas, 22-year-old Antonino Guzman allegedly shoots his uncle, Jose Torres, claiming he felt unloved and unwelcome in his uncle’s home. Torres, 37, raises Guzman for six years, but tension reportedly simmers between them. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the summer of 1989, a construction crew working in the basement of a building at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta stumbled across thousands of human bones. The acquisition and disposal of the remains has been kept secret.  It happens again in 1994, a crew discovered an old well containing human remains while constructing a new medical sciences building on the campus of the Medical College of Virginia (MCV) at Virginia Commonwealth University. The well is called the Limb Pit.  It happened one more time at Harvard in 1999. During renovations at Harvard’s Holden Chapel in 1999, a worker operating a mini bulldozer stumbled across human remains when his machine broke through a wall into an old well. Joseph Scott Morgan explains how it's possible to find human bones that have been hacked, cut with a saw, chisel, or knife, and then hidden so the law can't find them.....and it isn't a crime.      Transcript Highlight00:00.01 Introduction 04:35.58 Resurrection - Grave Robbing 09:40.88 Studying medicine, finding bones14:08.17 Doctors who have never dissected a body 19:18.35 Bones used by medical schools23:17.45 Medical college paying grave robbers28:16.99 Getting rid of bones without getting caught 32:11.18 Doctors had no opportunity to study the human body38:59.35 The Limb Pit - Chris Baker MCV40:17.79 Harvard had name for club that dug up bodies44:00.58 Mass burial of bones, no names 47:27.15 ConclusionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thirty years after Susan Smith drove her car into a lake with her two sons strapped in their car seats, she sought parole. A parole board denied her request, and a suitor later revealed that Smith had dreamed of appearing on “Dancing with the Stars.” She is reportedly “devastated” that her bid for parole failed. After high school, Susan Leigh Vaughan married David Smith. They had two sons, but the marriage faltered despite the children. The couple separated multiple times. During one separation, Susan began dating Tom Findlay, the single son of a wealthy mill owner. Smith imagined a future with Findlay until she received a "Dear John" letter from him, stating he did not want an instant family. On the night of October 25, Susan Smith knocked on the door of a house near John D. Long Lake. Hysterical, she told the man who answered to call the police. She claimed an armed Black man had carjacked her at a red light, with her two boys—3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alex—still in the car. For days, Susan repeated increasingly inconsistent versions of the carjacking story. Eventually, Smith confessed. There had been no carjacker. Feeling desperate, alone, and suicidal, she had taken her sons for a drive. At John D. Long Lake, she put the car in neutral, jumped out, and watched as the car sank. Scuba divers later found the vehicle with the boys still strapped in their seats. Since her conviction and incarceration, tabloid reports have alleged that Smith told prison investigators about four sexual encounters with Lieutenant Houston Cagle, a supervisor at South Carolina’s Women’s Correctional Institution. C Cagle admitted to having sex with Smith and another inmate. In August 2000, he was charged with the offenses, pleaded guilty, and served three months in jail. Captain Alfred Rowe also pleaded guilty to having sex with Smith and received five years of probation. Over the years, several men have written to Smith, fueling her hopes for a life beyond prison. In March 2022, People Magazine published excerpts from letters Smith wrote to a long-distance boyfriend. In one letter, she wrote, "I can't wait to build a life with you, leave the past mistakes behind, and start fresh, just you and me." Joining Nancy Grace Today: Tara Malek – Boise, ID, Attorney & Co-owner of Smith + Malek; Former State and Federal Prosecutor; Twitter: @smith_malekDr. 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 ReporterSee 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.   Search continues for an assassin who murdered the United Heathcare CEO on a NY sidewalk.  The search for missing Hannah Kobayashi's take an unusual twist.  Manhunt ongoing for a man who murdered and burying his girlfriend.  Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ballerina and aspiring model Ashley Benefield stood trial for shooting her then-husband, Doug Benefield, to death. After her self-defense claim failed, a court sentenced her to 20 years in prison. The couple married just 13 days after meeting. They had one child, but their relationship was tumultuous, with frequent arguments reported between Ashley and Doug. Ashley Benefield alleged that Doug was abusive and volatile. As her pregnancy progressed, she moved in with her mother, denying Doug access to information about the baby, including the child's birth. Ashley planned to move out. Doug arrived at Ashley's home with a U-Haul truck to help pack for a move to Maryland. He believed he would move with the family but intended to live in a separate home. Ashley claimed that Doug became angry while loading the truck, "body-checked" her twice, struck her hip with the corner of a box, and caused her head to hit a wall. Fearing for her safety, she ran to her bedroom and retrieved a gun. She alleged that Doug was standing in the doorway and lunged at her. Ashley fired the gun, hitting him twice—once in the leg and once in the chest. The chest wound caused lung damage and severe bleeding. Investigators determined that Doug was not directly facing Ashley at the time of the shooting. JOINING NANCY GRACE TODAY Brian Foley –  Board-certified Criminal Defense Attorney, Former Chief Prosecutor in Harris County, (Houston) Texas; Author: “What Prosecutors Don’t Tell You”; Instagram @brianfoleylawpllc/ YouTube – @brianfoleylawyer/X: @brianpllcDr. Chloe Carmichael – Clinical Psychologist, Women’s Health Magazine Advisory Board;’ Author: ‘Nervous Energy: Harness The Power of Your Anxiety;’ X: @DrChloeChris Byers – Former Police Chief -Johns Creek Georgia, Private Investigator and Polygraph ExaminerJoe Scott Morgan – Professor of Forensics: Jacksonville State University, Author, “Blood Beneath My Feet,” and Host: “Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan;” Twitter/X: @JoScottForensicSophia Vitello – Reporter WWSB - ABC 7 News Sarasota, Florida Insta - @sophiavitellotv; FB - Sophia Vitello  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.