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Escaped Tennessee murderer Jacob Allen Morley is back behind bars after leading multiple state and federal agencies on an intensive multi-state manhunt into Missouri. In Colorado, eighteen-year-old Omar Perez faces first-degree murder charges following a deadly weekend shooting near the University of Colorado-Boulder campus that left nineteen-year-old student Luca Hanlon dead and another hospitalized. In Oregon, thirty-five-year-old Vince Edgar Chavez is held without bail on ten felony charges after violently invading a Canby home, assaulting a twelve-year-old girl with a hammer, and abducting her ten-year-old sister before tactical teams executed a dramatic raid. Sydney Silvagni reports.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laken Snelling,  22-year-old former University of Kentucky cheerleader,  now serving a 10 year prison sentence in the death of her newborn son.  Snelling pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant Snelling received 415 days of credit for time spent on house arrest. Prison records indicate a potential parole date of February 21, 2034. Snelling must serve 85% of her sentence  Joining Nancy Grace today:  David Otunga -  Attorney, YouTube and socials: @DavidOtunga, website: davidotunga.com, legal commentary platform: Otunga Law, Former WWE Superstar and commentator Caryn Stark - Forensic Psychologist, renowned TV and Radio trauma expert and consultant, www.carynstark.com, Instagram: carynpsych, FB: Caryn Stark Private Practice Dr. DeWayne Hendrix  - Former Senior Warden with the Federal Bureau of Prisons,   Author of "Who Are You? See It, Say It, and Seize It" (IG) @drdewaynehendrix (LinkedIn)  @anewdaylight (X-Twitter)   Dr. Kendall Crowns - Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County (Ft Worth), Host of Podcast "Mayhem in the Morgue”, Lecturer: Burnett School of Medicine at TCU (Texas Christian University) Vanessa Walsh -  Host of the podcast, Unmasked True Crime, Facebook and YouTube: UnmaskedTrueCrime, X: CrimeUnmasked Dave Mack  - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A college Halloween party in Illinois ends in tragedy when a mass shooting leaves a 19-year-old cheerleader dead and eight others wounded. In Oklahoma, a mother receives seven life sentences after her 11-year-old daughter gives birth to her stepfather's child in a home without running water. Finally, a missing Utah teenager is found safe in Oregon after more than 500 days, ending a nationwide search connected to online exploitation networks. Sydney Silvagni reports.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christa Pike remains on death row as her legal team fights for clemency while the state considers another execution attempt. She has been moved into a high‑security pod, but her attorneys have filed an emergency motion requesting she be transferred to general population due to safety concerns.  In her declaration, Pike alleges she has witnessed multiple assaults in her unit, is in “debilitating pain. Pike’s received  two doses of pentobarbital, but the drugs went into her arms instead of her veins. The execution doctor, Dr. Mark Fowler, admitted the misplaced IV and said the team should have stopped when she complained of severe arm pain.   Pike’s death sentence has not been overturned, and Tennessee has not yet scheduled a new execution.  Joining Nancy Grace today:  Mike Jaafar -  Trial Attorney Dr. Bethany Marshall - Psychoanalyst, featured on the hit show: "Paris in Love" on Peacock and "The Valley, Persian Style" on Bravo.    Host of "The Dr. Bethany Marshall Podcast"," Website: drbethanymarshall.com, Instagram FB & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, Twitter:@DrBethanyLive Phil Keith - Former Chief of Police for Knoxville Police Dept.    Dr William Morrone - Medical Examiner, Toxicologist, Pathologist, opioid treatment expert, Author: “American Narcan”   Tori Gessner, Reporter WKRN, Witnessed Botched Execution   Dave Mack  - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike files an emergency court declaration detailing squalid conditions and isolation following her botched lethal injection. Atlanta authorities arrest two women on murder charges after four-year-old Cobee Cooks is discovered beaten to death beneath a pile of laundry. A former West Point cadet faces a civil lawsuit after confessing in federal court to poisoning his pregnant classmate with abortion medication. Sydney Silvagni reports.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There will be a retrial for Lindsay Clancy in the murder of her three children. What it will look like isn't yet known. Another hearing is set for November 16, 2026.  In court today, attorney Kevin Reddington took the offensive, lasting out at the holdout juror, calling him by name. Judge William Sullivan interjected to stop Reddington, who declared the judge would not stop him.  In raised voices, the two spoke over each other as Reddington pushed back.    Reddington also wants clarity on charges before proceeding and has urged the trial to be held under Judge Sullivan before his retirement.   He also seeks to dismiss the case on double jeopardy grounds. The court is also addressing a gag order request and other procedural motions Joining Nancy Grace today:  Randy Kessler - Trial Lawyer, Emory Law School Professor, Past Chair ABA Family Law Section, Author: "Divorce, Protect Yourself, Your Kids and Your Future", www.KSFamilyLaw.com, Instagram: @rkessler23, Twitter: @GADivorce  Dr. Janie Lacy  - Licensed Psychotherapist and CEO of Life Counseling Solutions, Author of "How To Heal From A Toxic Relationship: A Guide To Reclaiming Your Mental Health and Happiness", Host of "Let's Talk About It with Janie Lacy” Podcast on YouTube, janielacy.com, Instagram & Facebook: @JanieLacy  Dr. Kendall Crowns  - Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County (Ft Worth), Host of Podcast "Mayhem in the Morgue”, Lecturer: Burnett School of Medicine at TCU (Texas Christian University)  Robbie Harvey - Journalist, Host of 'The Robbie Harvey' show on Youtube.Website: THEROBBIEHARVEY.COM   FB/Insta/TikTock: @TheRobbieHarvey, [email protected]   Dave Mack  -  Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories' Lauren Conlin - Reporter, Los Angeles Magazine , Podcaster/Reporter/Host- Co-Host of "PopCrimeTV" on YouTube, Website: www.popcrime.tv and primetimecrimeshow.com,  X- @Conlin_Lauren, Instagram: @LaurenEmilyConlin, YouTube: @PopCrimeTV  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Arizona woman narrowly survives after her fiancé allegedly stabs her in the neck and claims to be a divine prophet just weeks before their wedding. In Florida, a mother and family photographer faces felony child neglect charges after allegedly leaving her four young children unattended to take a work trip to Las Vegas amid a contentious divorce. A historic DNA breakthrough in Utah officially closes the fifty-two-year-old murder of a former police chief's teenage daughter, definitively tying the cold case to notorious serial killer Ted Bundy. Sydney Silvagni reports.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

High-profile cases don’t stay behind the scenes anymore. Lawyers are hired before investigations are complete, advocates and private experts release their own findings, witnesses speak on podcasts, and online accusations spread long before anyone is charged with a crime. In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum welcomes back criminal defense attorney Joshua Schiffer to discuss how that shift is changing the criminal justice system and putting new pressure on prosecutors, investigations, witnesses, families, and potential jurors. Using the Nolan Wells investigation as an example, Sheryl and Joshua talk about outside experts, secondary autopsies, media coverage, death threats, doxing, and what can happen when people outside an investigation become involved before law enforcement has finished its work. They also explain how public statements, podcasts, and social media posts can complicate a case and potentially create reasonable doubt if it eventually reaches court. Highlights: (0:00) “Crazy town”: the troubling trend in high-profile cases that brings Joshua Schiffer back to Zone7 (1:00) How lawyers, GoFundMe campaigns, protests, and public pressure can begin before an investigation is complete (6:00) The personal toll of high-profile cases on prosecutors, public defenders, investigators, and their families (8:30) From theories accusing Lindsay Clancy’s husband to lawsuits against influencers: where true crime interest crosses into harassment and civil liability (12:15) The Nolan Wells investigation and the outside force already influencing the case before any criminal charges are filed (14:30) Private reports, outside experts, nonprofits, and public advocacy: when well-meaning help complicates an active investigation (18:15) Why following police procedures matters when a defense attorney begins challenging an investigation (20:00) Hiring a lawyer or remaining silent is a constitutional right, not an admission of guilt (22:15) No blunt force trauma or signs of a fight: what the secondary autopsy does and does not show (27:30) Death threats, doxing, disputed audio, and why Sheryl and Joshua question the theory of a violent death (34:30) How podcasts, books, interviews, and social media posts can introduce reasonable doubt before a case ever reaches trial Enjoying Zone 7? Leave a rating and review where you listen to podcasts. Your feedback helps others find the show and supports the mission to educate, engage, and inspire. --- Joshua Schiffer is an Atlanta-based criminal defense attorney and longtime Zone 7 contributor. He represents clients in criminal matters and frequently provides legal analysis on high-profile cases, courtroom strategy, constitutional rights, and the realities of the criminal justice system. Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an active crime scene investigator for a metro Atlanta police department and the director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, which partners with colleges and universities nationwide. With more than four decades of experience, she has worked on thousands of cold cases using her investigative system, The Last 24/361, which integrates evidence, media, and advanced forensic testing. Her work on high-profile cases, including The Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, Tupac Shakur and the Moore’s Ford Bridge lynching, led to her Emmy Award for CSI: Atlanta and induction into the National Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2023. Social Links: Email: [email protected] X: @ColdCaseTips Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum Instagram: @officialzone7podcast TikTok: @Sheryl.McCollum   Sheryl’s new book, Swans Don’t Swim in a Sewer: Solving the Cold Case of the Flint River Killer’s Daughter, is available now wherever books are sold. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 10-year-old Oregon girl is safe after being abducted from her bed and discovered bound inside a duffel bag, leading to the arrest of a suspect who assaulted her older sister with a hammer. In Oklahoma and Texas, authorities confirm four-year-old Andres "Harry" Furley was fatally shot in the head by his father in a tragic murder-suicide following a missed custody exchange. An Idaho man accused of violently sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in his Tesla avoids immediate prison time after a judge sentences him to a one-year rider rehabilitation program. Sydney Silvagni reports.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In January 2023, Duxbury, Massachusetts mother Lindsay Clancy allegedly used exercise bands to strangle her three children—five-year-old Cora, three-year-old Dawson, and eight-month-old Callan—in the basement of their home before jumping out of a second-story window in an attempt to take her own life, claiming postpartum psychosis and command auditory hallucinations. Following a recent criminal trial that ended in a hung jury and a mistrial—with reports that 11 of the 12 jurors favored finding her not guilty by reason of insanity—defense attorney Kevin Reddington has stunned observers by filing a Rule 25 motion for a required finding of not guilty, asserting that the Commonwealth presented insufficient evidence to prove Clancy committed the homicides at all. Nancy Grace and an all-star panel dissect this dramatic legal shift against the backdrop of Clancy’s newly filed multimillion-dollar civil lawsuit against her treating physicians and hospitals, examining how the detailed admissions embedded in her own civil pleadings completely dismantle her defense team’s latest claims. Joining Nancy Grace today:  Josh Kolsrud (Phoenix, AZ) - Criminal Defense Attorney and Former Assistant U.S. Attorney, Founder of Kolsrud Law Offices, New Book: The Criminal Lawyer's Guide to Immigration Law, Facebook and YouTube @KolsrudLawOffices Dr. Bethany Marshall (Beverly Hills, CA) - Psychoanalyst, Watch Dr. Marshall on hit shows "Paris in Love" on Peacock and "The Valley, Persian Style" on Bravo. You can also catch her on Netflix and Hulu as well. Host of "The Dr. Bethany Marshall Podcast", Instagram, Facebook & TikTok: @drbethanymarshall, X: @DrBethanyLive Dr. Jessica Dwyer (Dallas, TX) - Director and Chief Medical Examiner, Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences (SWIFS), Social Media: @jessbdwyer Penny Kmitt (Boston, MA) - Reporter WBZ / CBS Boston, Instagram, TikTok, X: @Pennylikeacoin Dave Mack (AL) - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Five-year-old Summer Wells vanished without a trace from her rural Hawkins County, Tennessee home in June 2021 after heading inside to play, leaving investigators puzzled by a squalid, makeshift home and dead-end searches across the Appalachian terrain. Now, the case is back in the headlines after deputies rushed to the Wells residence late at night following a panicked text to 911 from Summer's mother, Candace, who reported that her husband, Donald "Don" Wells, had assaulted her during an alcohol-fueled rage and threatened to "get rid of her." Nancy Grace and her panel of investigative and forensic experts break down Don Wells' latest arrest, his violent criminal history, the couple’s decision to sign away custody of their remaining children, and his shifting excuses as Summer remains missing. Joining Nancy Grace Today: Jo-Anna Nieves (Oakland, CA) - Criminal defense attorney and Founder of The Nieves Law Firm, Instagram, Facebook and X: nieveslawfirm, YouTube and TikTok: thenieveslawfirm Dr. John Delatorre (TX) - Licensed psychologist and mediator, specializing in forensic psychology, psychological consultant to Project Absentis, a non-profit organization that searches for missing persons, Twitter, IG, and TikTok: @drjohndelatorre Chris McDonough (UT) - Director at the Cold Case Foundation, Former Homicide Detective, worked over 300 Homicides in 25-year career, Trained the first Native American Homicide Task Force; & Host of YouTube channel, "The Interview Room” Kristen Quon (Bristol, VA) - News Anchor at News 5 WCYB, website: WCYB.com, X: KristenQuon, Facebook: Kristen Quon WCYB Dave Mack (AL) - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Florida, a husband is indicted for first-degree murder in his missing wife's presumed death after allegedly orchestrating an elaborate international scheme to fake her digital footprint overseas. In Southern California, an Anaheim man faces murder charges after allegedly stabbing a man to death upon discovering him in bed with his wife and two young children. In New York, tactical officers arrest a mother's ex-boyfriend after her body was discovered buried in a shallow grave near a Queens beach. Sydney Silvagni reports.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When 19-year-old LSU sophomore Madison "Madi" Brooks was heavily overserved at a Baton Rouge bar in January 2023, she left with a group of young men only to be allegedly sexually assaulted in the back of an SUV before being dropped on a dark roadway, where she was fatally struck by oncoming traffic. As the long-awaited criminal trial approaches, the courtroom has erupted into a bitter legal battle: defense attorneys have filed motions attempting to ban Madi’s grieving family and supporters from wearing the color pink—Madi's favorite color and the hallmark of her memorial foundation—alleging it could prejudice the jury. Nancy Grace investigates the shocking courtroom drama, dissects incriminating text messages the defense wants buried, and exposes explosive conflict-of-interest questions surrounding the presiding judge, whose own son is a convicted serial rapist. Joining Nancy Grace Today:  Ashley Baustert - Mother of Madison Brooks, Founder of the Madison Brooks Foundation Eric Faddis (Denver, CO) - Founder of The Law Offices of Eric Faddis, known as “The Mile High Lion,” former felony prosecutor and current criminal defense and civil litigation attorney Dr. Bethany Marshall (Beverly Hills, CA) - Psychoanalyst, Watch Dr. Marshall on hit shows "Paris in Love" on Peacock and "The Valley, Persian Style" on Bravo. You can also catch her on Netflix and Hulu as well. Host of "On the Couch with Dr. Bethany Marshall" podcast, Instagram, Facebook & TikTok: @drbethanymarshall, X: @DrBethanyLive Dr. Kendall Crowns (Ft Worth, TX) - Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County, Host of "Mayhem in the Morgue”, Lecturer: Burnett School of Medicine at Texas Christian University (TCU) Dave Mack (AL) - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former luxury real estate brokers Oren, Tal, and Alon Alexander each receive 30-year federal prison sentences following their convictions for orchestrating a violent sex trafficking operation. In Florida, a mother stands accused of leaving four young children home alone to travel to Las Vegas. In Southern California, a rabbi intentionally drives into a worker painting lines in a Camarillo Costco parking lot. Sydney Silvagni reports.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1995, 18-year-old Job Corps student Christa Pike carried out one of the most savage murders in Tennessee history, luring 19-year-old classmate Colleen Slemmer into the Knoxville woods before stabbing her, carving a pentagram into her chest, and smashing her skull with an asphalt paving brick—keeping a fragment of Colleen's bone as a trophy to dance with at her dorm. Pike became the youngest woman sentenced to death in modern U.S. history, but tonight, justice remains stalled after an execution attempt went catastrophically wrong. Executioners spent over an hour sticking Pike with at least ten needles without establishing venous access due to severely collapsed veins. Now, Pike's defense attorneys have taken the unprecedented step of filing legal challenges demanding the hangman's noose or a surgical central line, while citing new cognitive damage and past trauma to block a second execution. Nancy Grace and her panel of medical, legal, and investigative experts—joined by Colleen's close friend Rita Morris—break down the botched lethal injection, the gruesome reality of alternate execution methods, and the ongoing anguish of Colleen’s mother, May Martinez, as Tennessee Governor Bill Lee refuses to act.  Joining Nancy Grace Today:  Rita Morris - Friend of Colleen Slemmer Marie Pereira (Los Angeles, CA) - Criminal Defense Attorney, Domestic Violence Expert (Domestic violence expert certified advocate, batterers prevention), Registered Nurse Dr. Bethany Marshall (Beverly Hills, CA) - Psychoanalyst, Watch Dr. Marshall on hit shows "Paris in Love" on Peacock and "The Valley, Persian Style" on Bravo. You can also catch her on Netflix and Hulu as well. Host of "On the Couch with Dr. Bethany Marshall" podcast, Instagram, Facebook & TikTok: @drbethanymarshall, X: @DrBethanyLive Dr William Morrone (Michigan) - Medical Examiner, Toxicologist, Pathologist, opioid treatment expert, Author: “American Narcan”  Keith Sharon (Nashville, TN) - Reporter, "The Tennessean", Host of the “Murder on Music Row” podcast, Social Media: @kssharontn Dave Mack (AL) - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.