Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - BEAUTIFUL GRADUATE, 19, ENJOYS FIRST APARTMENT TIL PHANTOM CREEPS IN

Episode Date: April 10, 2025

Aaliyah Kyles rented her first apartment in January, securing a unit at The Boulevard in the Hickory Hills neighborhood of Memphis. The complex features smart locks on every unit, off-street parking, and regular patrols. Amenities include a gym, pool, basketball court, playground, and a spacious clubhouse. The location sits just minutes from Hickory Ridge Mall, the Memphis Coliseum, and Memphis International Airport. Around 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 9, a resident at The Boulevard heard gunshots and saw a man dressed in all black running from a nearby apartment. She called 911 to report the shooting but could not provide details about the suspect. Memphis police responded and found the door to Aaliyah Kyles’ apartment wide open. Nothing inside appeared immediately out of place, but officers discovered a gruesome scene in the bathroom. Kyles was lying dead in the bathtub. She was naked and had multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators determined the suspect entered through a window with a broken lock. The medical examiner later confirmed Kyles had been raped. Joining Nancy Grace today  Anthony Kyles  -  Father Montina Kyles - Mother Esperonza King  -  Kyles Family Attorney / Founder of EA KING LAW / Wrongful Death Attorney Dr. Jorey Krawczyn - Police Psychologist, Adjunct Faculty with Saint Leo University; Research Consultant with Blue Wall Institute, Author: Operation S.O.S. - Practical Recommendations to Help “Stop Officer Suicide” Chris McDonough - Director At the Cold Case Foundation, Former Homicide Detective, and Host of YouTube channel, "The Interview Room," Dr. Thomas Coyne - Chief Medical Examiner, District 2 Medical Examiner's Office, State of Florida; Forensic Pathologist, Neuropathologist, Toxicologist; X: @DrTMCoyne Sydney Sumner -  CrimeOnline Investigative Reporte See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. She's beautiful. She's brilliant. She is a hard-working graduate and she's just 19. This beautiful grad, 19 years old, enjoying her very first apartment. She's so proud. She enjoys it until a monster creeps in. Good evening. I'm Nancy Grace.

This is Crime Stories. I want to thank you for being with us. Aaliyah Kiles, a 19-year-old recent high school grad with a promising future ahead of her, wishing to follow in her sister's footsteps. Aaliyah is an ROTC hopeful and dedicated employee, but things take a sinister turn when neighbors report a disturbance at Aaliyah's apartment.

Can you imagine this little girl all proud of her very first apartment until a figure clad entirely in black sneaks into the garden? Joining me right now are two very special guests. Let me introduce to you Anthony and Montina Kiles. They are joining us from Memphis. Mr. and Mrs. Kiles, thank you for being with us tonight. Yes, and thank you for having us. I really don't know exactly where to start because when I first heard about your girl and I saw her picture, my heart nearly broke. How proud were you, Mrs. Kiles, on her graduation day? I was so proud of her because she, it was, she's my baby. I have four girls and she was the baby and I was so proud

that we was attending her graduation. She was so ready to get out of school and she was looking forward to moving through her sister's footsteps and going to the army. Now the sister was in the military, correct? She was considering following in her sister's footsteps. Now, I'm looking at that graduation photo, and I've just got to tell you that it was the proudest day of my parents' life when I graduated. I mean, we, my brother, sister and I were first generation college grads.

My dad worked on the railroad, Norfolk Southern. My mother worked her way up from being a bank teller. And I remember my father full on crying when I graduated. He was so proud. When I saw that picture of your girl, Mr. Kiles, do you remember that moment she graduated? Yes, I was so proud of my daughter. She was looking forward to doing a lot and she loved to work.

She loved to work and she wanted to go to the service that's that was her next move but i just hated i allowed her which i didn't allow her to move she did it behind my back but getting our apartment i wasn't ready and i just you know, I didn't want to say no. I wanted to give her a space just so she can see a little bit what's going on in life. I think that was the worst mistake. mean, Mr. Kiles, you're right, because if you don't let them go a little bit, then they rebel and they could leave forever or they could have a bad reaction and everything goes sideways. I mean, you can't hold them. And I'm having a hard time with that right now because my twins are about to turn 18 and they want to do things. And I think of all the

dangers involved, but I have to bite the bullet and, and, and let them do things. You did the right thing. I hope you're not blaming yourself because everything that ever went wrong with me, my mom and dad thought, oh, we should have fill in the blank. So this little girl, you said she wanted to go into the military. That was her dream? She was going. She was on her way. I was talking to her. I was trying to get her to come back home. And she was, okay, dad, I'm gonna come on back home. This was a month before. Now, what is this picture? It was of her in, like, a beautiful red sequined dress,

and she's wearing a crown. What is that? Yes. That was her graduation. No, the red dress. I mean, that was her crown. The red dress is, she was 2023 queen of Wooddale. Look at her now. She was the queen of Wooddale. Look at her now.

She was the queen of what? Wooddale, class of 23. She's gorgeous. Where did she get that dress? I think we got it made, right? Yeah, she got it made. That was her prom dress. I thought I was the only one that did that, Mr. and Mrs. Kiles, where I grew up in rural Bibb County.

Yes, ma'am. Hey, we couldn't afford a prom dress like that. We had to get it, go to Cloth World and get the material and make the dress. That is amazing. Amazing. You know, I'm looking behind you at, it looks like a cutout of her. What, what is that behind you? Is that her? It's her. It's a cutout that I got done. When she passed. When she passed and I had to bury her in the room.

What did you say about burying her? That was a cut-off that we did, and I had it at her barrier in front of them. When we got ready to bury her, I put it up.

Ms. Kiles, when did you learn that something horrible had happened to your baby girl? I was at work. I got a couple of phone calls from my oldest daughter, and the phone kept hanging up maybe two, three times. At the time, I was working with chick fillet I just have to be working five so she kept calling and the phone kept hanging up so when I finally got her on the phone she was crying and she was like mom Lily is day I said said, what? She was like, my Lily dead. I was like, short saying to come out. So I screamed real loud, started shaking, and went to my car, got my stuff, went to my car but I couldn't crank my car up it just I just couldn't move and

I cried I cried for maybe 30 minutes before I could put that car in drive from that point I called her dad called her other siblings and my aunt and just call them. And so we went out to our house on the same. Once we get there, of course, crime scenes there, police. And what did us go towards her apartment. So, in that morning, it was raining very, very hard. So we had to sit out there maybe four hours before they brought her body out. In the bag. And, um. in the bag. There was the worst feeling to saw her being rolled out.

Her apartment, she really loved being there, but to see her rolled out on this stretcher, it took up, it just, my life has not been the same. It just took all of my, the life I have on the inside out is not the same. It's the way of life, the feeling, the wake up, the pain, the hurt, the missing her. And she was my kid that always Mom, what you cooking? I'm going to go get some. I want some chicken.

I want spaghetti. I want some dressing. I'm going to come help you do it. And so this holiday after she was murdered in July so when Thanksgiving came it was hard Christmas it was hard because around those days are the times

she will come I'm going to cut up the onion and bell pepper dressing and spaghetti she's always in the kitchen to help she loves to eat and she'll tell you did you make special things for her to eat as a way to get her to come over? I didn't have to.

All I had to do was say, I'm cooking. And they all come. They be like, Mom, what you doing? I said, no, I just got through cooking. What you cook? Once I say what I cook, they on their way. All of them. I do the same exact thing.

When my children leave for school in the morning, I tell them, we're making whatever I'm making. Chicken and dressing or whatever I'm making. Things that I know they're going to like. I'm like, now come home straight from school now because the house is going to smell good.

And they do. Mr. Kiles, when did you learn? What were you doing? When did you learn about what happened? And when you first learned that she had passed,

could you imagine someone had actually broke in her little apartment and killed her? Did that possibility cross your mind at the beginning? Well, I wasn't for sure what happened. But when I first heard, my mom gave me a call. And I could hear it just like it happened yesterday. Her crying and telling me, I really don't want to repeat what she said,

but just in words, it really just hurt me to my heart to even think about my baby being gone. I was devastated I've never been hurt but that's the only thing that really broke me down I never I don't think I'll ever be the same again. That was my baby girl. She was my everything, you know. And from the time that we separated and she stayed with me, It's just hard to deal with her being gone and trying to keep my life going. And it scares me right now.

Around 3 a.m. on Tuesday morning, July 9th, a resident at the boulevard hears gunshots and sees a man dressed in all black running from an apartment next door. She calls 911 to report the shooting, but can't give the operator any more details about the suspected shooter. How could a beautiful young first grade teacher be stabbed 20 times, including in the back, allegedly die of suicide? Yes, that was the medical examiner's official ruling. After a closed door meeting, he first named it a homicide. Why? What happened to Ellen Greenberg? A huge American miscarriage of justice for an in depth look at the facts, see What Happened to Ellen on Amazon.

All proceeds to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Aaliyah Kiles is a 19-year-old teen from Memphis and recent high school grad. But police are called to the scene when a worrying disturbance is reported at Aaliyah's apartment and a man clad in all black is spotted fleeing from the scene. I mean, right there, a man clad in all black. Chris McDonough joining me, director of Cold Case Foundation. But for my purposes, former homicide detective has worked hundreds, literally hundreds of homicides. You can find him on his YouTube channel, The Interview Room. Chris McDonough, much like the case you and I have been investigating of Brian Koberger charged in the slay of four Idaho students. When you have a perp show up in a clad in all black, sneaking around the

outside of someone's apartment, it clearly shows premeditation. Don't you agree? It's not like this just happened. He entered this apartment complex, which by the way, has a horrible track record. Hold on. Let me pull this up, Chris. But, uh, between 19 and 24, five homicides, 85 ag assaults, 224 assaults, arsons, burglaries, vandalism. It just, it's too long for me to read. But when you look at the apartments, when you look at them, they are the Boulevard Apartments on Bald Eagle Drive. They look beautiful. There is, if we could pull up the pictures of the apartments beautiful manicured lawns they've gone to trouble to have it landscaped with gorgeous vegetation parking lot perfect there is their security lights outside everybody gets to pass our own spot to

park so they can go straight into their apartment. I guess they didn't say anything to this little girl, Aaliyah Kiles, when she rented her very first apartment there about the crime record, but I'll get three inches up their tailpipe in a moment. I want to deal with someone coming to the scene, allegedly like Brian Koberger, sneaking around, skulking around, clad in all black. In his case, even wearing a balaclava over his face like a ski mask. I mean, it shows premeditation. Absolutely, Nancy. I mean, this is every parent's worst nightmare that the Kyles are experiencing a wolf in sheep's clothing, i.e. the den, the apartment complex. And this is an apex predator. This guy came to that apartment with one intent, and that was to victimize this sweet child and then ultimately take her life.

It's disgusting. Joining me, Sidney Sumner, Crime Stories investigative reporter. Sidney, what do we know about the night that this little girl was murdered in her own apartment? And see, what we know about that night is that Aaliyah was minding her own business. She was in her apartment doing her thing. It was just after 3 a.m. She was probably asleep when someone broke into her apartment through a broken window. Somebody entered her apartment through that broken window. You hear multiple gunshots. A neighbor overheard the gunshots, called 911, and watches as possibly the shooter runs out of her front door. Guys, we learn more from Memphis police. Listen.

Memphis police arrive and find the door to Aaliyah Kyle's apartment thrown open. Inside, nothing immediately seems out of place, but officers discover a gruesome scene in the bathroom. Aaliyah Kiles is lying dead in her bathtub. Aaliyah is naked and has multiple gunshot wounds. Police determined her killer gained access to her apartment through a window with a broken lock. The medical examiner later determines Aaliyah had been raped. She should have had more time. She was only 19. From our friends at WREG3, Mr. Kiles, when did you learn the extent of the injuries to your daughter? We found out about it when we were able to. We already knew it was a gunshot.

We knew she had got shot, but not knowing where she got shot at until we had a chance to get to see her. And the autopsy also told us a lot about what went on. What did you learn from the autopsy, Mr. Kyles? I learned that my baby had been shot in the chest and the head. So I doubt that he raped my baby. Who did this thing to this beautiful young girl? Why did her parents have to get a call that their daughter was found unclothed, bleeding out in the bathtub of her very first apartment. Then to add insult to injury, to learn that this girl had been raped. Why? Why did this happen? Sidney Sumner joining us. Explain to me how this, I don't even know what to call him other than a monster, dressed all in black, sneaks into her apartment, clearly with the intent to rape her.

How did he get in? What happened? For instance, Sidney Sumner, did Aaliyah live on a ground floor? Yes, she did, Nancy. She lived on the ground floor. And was there something wrong with her window, probably unbeknownst to her? Yes, that window was broken. That's what police found when they searched her apartment that night. So all it would have required is someone going up to that ground floor window and just basically climbing in. That's exactly what happened. Was there video surveillance? Are police, security guards walking the apartment complex, Sydney Sumner? I guess not. No, no surveillance footage of this incident.

And the apartment complex claims they have patrol units, but apparently no one was around that night. Aaliyah Kiles is found shot dead and naked in the bathtub of her new apartment. Authorities are on the hunt for her killer who shot and assaulted the 19-year-old Memphis girl. We want justice for this teen girl. Joining me with an all-star panel, her parents and the family lawyer, high-profile lawyer joining us, Esperanza King. Ms. King, thank you for being with us. Ms. King, I'm very curious what you have learned. I've read your massive civil lawsuit against the apartment complex. But what have you learned after careful reading of the autopsy report? Yes, Nancy, thank you again for having us and for sharing

Aaliyah's story with the world. So this is still an ongoing investigation. And within the last couple of weeks, we've learned new information. But when we did receive the autopsy report we did learn that alia was shot twice once in the chest and once in the head and we also learned that she put up a fight um that this was not something that you know went down easily she she put up a fight there was evidence of some bruising. And then we also learned recently that she was raped by the assailant. Joining me as a special guest to support the Kyles is Esperanza King. She's a high profile lawyer and founder of EA King Law there in Memphis. Let me go to Dr. Thomas Coyne joining us, Chief Medical Examiner, District 2 Medical Examiner's Office in the state of Florida. Forensic pathologist, neuropathologist, toxicologist,

it goes on. Dr. Coyne, thank you for being with us. Dr. Coyne, you have performed literally literally thousands, thousands of autopsies. Now, depending on the timing of the gunshot wounds, it is very possible we've got a shot to the chest and a shot to the head on this teen girl. Isn't it true, Dr. Coyne, that if she was shot in the chest first, she would have lied in that bathtub knowing what was happening to her. We know she put up a fight, a fight for her life. When you hear attorney Esperanza King describing defensive wounds and bruising, what does that mean? That means she's very likely got wounds to the outside of her arms and hands. Maybe her nails are torn off. Uh, there is probably bruising on her arms where she was grabbed. She was unclothed. Dr. Coyne. That wasn't done easily. You don't think this girl fought back to some intruder clad in solid black trying to take her clothes off? Oh,

H-E-L-L-N-O. This girl fought. She knew what was happening to her. And if she was shot in the chest first, she very likely knew she was dying, Dr. Coyne. If the wound to the chest came first and it did not strike the heart, but did strike a major arterial structure, she could have lost a significant amount of blood and probably had upwards of a few minutes or perhaps even a minute of consciousness before a significant amount of blood to her head was lost. But with regards to defensive wounds and such, the autopsy report or the autopsy physician would have described all of the wounds, bruises, injuries to her body, to her extremities. Defensive wounds are those which we see on the backs of the hands, on the forearms,

which indicate that a person is trying to parry a blow while being attacked. Of course, obviously, the head wound would have been the fatal wound. I don't know when that occurred with regards to the order of injuries. Dr. Thomas Coyne, wouldn't you agree that shooting someone in the head is what we call execution style? Would you agree with that? Yes, it's a fatal wound. And what do you mean, Dr. Coyne, when you use the phraseology execution style? Well, generally any wound that is intended to be a fatal wound.

And so, of course, any gunshot wound to the head will be immediately fatal. Dr. Coyne, would it matter to you if you found stippling or gunshot residue around the gunshot wound to the head? Yes, that is how we determine a range of fire. And so when we are examining a gunshot wound, first and foremost, we have to make the determination, is this an entrance wound versus an exit wound? But there are certain features of a wound that allow us to determine whether a wound was perhaps contact distance or whether it was within close range. And so as a bullet exits the muzzle of the gun, with it comes gunpowder residue and soot. And that is traveling at a high velocity, will strike the skin, producing very punctate or tiny abrasions,

which we call stippling or tattooing. Tattooing because that carbon will actually get deposited in the skin, much like a tattoo. And when we see that, that indicates to us that the person shooting the victim was within three feet of distance. Dr. Coyne, gunshot residue alone, which is like a fine powder, can be left behind 36 inches or less if the gun is 36 inches away from the body or less. Isn't that true? That's correct. Okay. Stippling, as you described, a tattooing on the skin. That comes from the gun being much closer to the victim, doesn't it?

Yes, we can see stippling up to three feet from the skin surface. The pattern of stippling indicates also how close, right? So if the stippling is much close together, you know, or densely populated around the actual entrance wound, it will suggest to us that the gun was much closer to the skin, let's say a foot or less. As you get further from the skin up to a distance of three feet, that stippling will be more widespread. Dr. Coyne, when you refer to a gunshot wound as a contact wound, how do you identify a contact wound and what does that mean? Sure. A contact wound indicates that the gun was held against the skin when it was fired. And you will see telltale features of a contact wound, especially that on the head, because the skin is directly against the skull. And so as the bullet exits the gun, all of that gas, that soot goes underneath the skin and will

expand outward and it can create a large stellate or star-like wound pattern on the actual skin. You will also see all of that soot deposited immediately within the tissues, allowing us to say this was a contact wound. And you may also see features like a muzzle imprint if the gun was pressed very hardly against the skin when fired. Police initially do not have any suspects, asking the public for tips to help solve the case. Aaliyah's heartbroken family calls for answers and justice. Devastated that Aaliyah's life has been ripped away from her just as it began. The family begins to speculate as to who could do this to their loving, outgoing, and happy-go-lucky Aaliyah. Aaliyah's family wants justice after their 19-year-old daughter is shot dead in her own apartment. A lawsuit filed shows Aaliyah's apartment complex reported five homicides, 224 assaults, two kidnappings, over 150 burglaries, thefts and robberies and many other crimes in the span of just five years.

Straight out to Mr. and Mrs. Kiles, Anthony Kiles and Montina Kiles. I'm very curious when you began to speculate as to who could have done this to Aaliyah, what went through your mind? What were you thinking? A lot of things were going through my head. At the time, I couldn't trust nobody. I just stayed to myself a lot, had a lot of things going through my head. What could have happened? Who done it? And what for? What did you think, Montina? Mrs. Kiles, what went through your mind as you tried to figure out who would have done this? What went

through my mind? The only thing that kept going through my mind when it happened was who did it. And my prayers from the day she got killed, murdered, up until maybe two, three weeks ago, my prayers to God was always, God, let me know. I want to know who did this to my baby. I want to know. I didn't want it to take so long and to go years. I always prayed every night. I just want to know who did this to my baby.

Joining me is Dr. Jory L. Krausen, renowned psychologist, faculty, St. Leo University. Dr. Jory, thank you for being with us. You've heard Aaliyah's father say, what could I have done? Was this my fault? Did I do the wrong thing? That's a type of survivor guilt where you blame yourself because the one you love the most has been killed. And the interminable wondering what happened, just having a few pieces of the puzzle, trying to put it together and figure out what happened that night. It's awful for crime victims, Dr. Jory. Yes, that's the, I won't say normal reaction, but that is the reaction of a parent, especially a father.

I lost my son. It was the same thing. I failed there to protect them. And even though the circumstances, once they come out, you see that this was just a pure act of evil. And there was nothing there really that could have been prevented from the parental perspective as protecting her. You know, you train your child how to secure the house and all of that. But those were overcome by this evil individual that broke in and killed her. And then a break in the case. A week after the shooting, Memphis police question a 17-year-old suspect about his whereabouts the night of Aaliyah Kyle's murder. Initially reluctant to answer, he eventually confesses he raped and killed Aaliyah.

He biked to Aaliyah's apartment complex, had no trouble breaking into her apartment through a window, what led police to this 17 year old, now almost 18 year old man? months since Aaliyah passed, and we just learned that they were able to catch this juvenile. So we are waiting to hear more about this. We hope to learn more in the coming weeks as more information comes from the police. Ms. King, before I went on to Superior Court trying adults, I did a stint in juvie court. Isn't it true that juvenile felony records are kept a secret? Isn't that true? Yes. Ms. King, isn't it true that we have learned this suspect has been charged with sex assault, specifically rape in the past? Isn't that true? We're still learning. So we're still waiting to hear all the information about this juvenile. Sydney Summer joining us, Crime Stories reporter. Isn't it true that there

are several arrests and charges of a sex nature, a predatory sex nature, in this suspect's past? According to several sources, yes, that is true. We do not have official record of this as the perp, the suspect is a minor, but that's what several sources have revealed, Nancy. So if that's true, and of course his name is being kept a secret, his record is being kept a secret. What about her? What about Aaliyah? What about your daughter, Ms. Kiles? If this is true, if these allegations are true, it means that this predator dressed in black had already gotten out on multiple sex attacks. If this is true, it was skulking around outside your girl's window. He went straight to it. That tells me that he had already cased it, had already seen it. He had probably seen her. How did he know she was in there? It was three o'clock in the morning.

You know, she had her blinds and curtains pulled. How did he know? Unless he had not been watching her before that. He went straight to her place, dressed in all black and broke in. He sex assaulted her and shot her multiple times, including in her forehead, right here in the forehead, execution style. This perp had been let go before that is wrong miss kyle's i agree i'm very it's like all of we went to court yesterday and it's like all they're saying protecting him because he's a minor everything Everything about protecting him.

He a monster. Was out. Can I tell you something, Ms. Kiles? At 17 years old, my father had already lied to the Navy and was halfway around the world on a fighter ship. Okay?

So I don't even want to hear this. Minors under our Constitution can be treated as an adult. No, we don't throw them behind bars with adult males. They stay in GV jail until they're 18 to 21. Then they go into the system. But this is not his first time as a felon, as a predator, if these reports are true. This is not some baby at the ice cream shop. Did you see him in court? Did you see him? Yes, ma'am.

I did. What does he look like? Is he tall? Is he skinny? Is he pitiful looking? What does he look like? Is he tall? Is he skinny? Is he pitiful looking? What does he look like? Little guy. Little guy.

Net, net, net. Just don't look groomed up at all. Looks like somebody just out here don't mind about taking people's lives. Young girl lives. Did he look at you? Did he look at you in court? No, ma'am. No, ma'am. He wouldn't look. He would not. When he came into that courtroom, did he even look over at y'all? He wouldn't look. He wouldn't look. No, ma'am. You are bringing back a very bad memory for me. My first, first exposure to a court of law was as a witness in my fiance's murder case.

And when I came down off that witness stand, I didn't even know what was going on. I walked by the defendant and he looked down and I looked at his lawyers. They all looked down. They wouldn't even look at me. Is that what he did in court? Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. Aaliyah Lele Kiles, 19, is born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. She's the baby of the family with three older sisters. Aaliyah is full of dreams and has a bright future ahead, just graduating from Wooddale High School. While Aaliyah is considering following in her sister's footsteps and joining the military,

for now she's focused on striking out on her own. Aaliyah takes a job at a restaurant while also working on a small business selling handmade candles. Aaliyah is also living on her own for the first time, settling into her new apartment at the Boulevard. Straight out to veteran homicide detective, now star of the interview room on YouTube, my longtime friend and colleague, Chris McDonough. Chris, do you ever just get weary? I mean, bone weary. When I hear the Kyles tell me he wouldn't even look at them in the courtroom and his mother wouldn't even look at them in the courtroom. I know why but Chris according to these reports he's done this over and over and over in multiple ways whether it's breaking in sex attacks you name it

it just it's exhausting and now the Kyles are paying the price. Yeah, absolutely, Nancy. It's disgusting. I mean, here we have a young girl who's about ready to take on the world and become a military veteran at the same time. And yet she's completely unaware that there's a hunter, a predatorial hunter for sexual desire, hunting her down. And the fact that he broke into her house, rapes her, maybe in one room, and then does he move her into the bathtub for the coup de grace. I mean, this is a moral problem that we're having in society, and no parent should ever experience this, ever. Dr. Coyne, you have read the autopsy report, as have I, and I would like to direct your attention to the perforating gunshot wound in the victim's head. Look at her picture and imagine a gunshot entrance wound to the left of her forehead,

one half inch to the left of the center above her nose. Notice the angle, Dr. Coyne, the trajectory path. What did you learn from that? Well, it's front to back and downward. So it tells me that, number one, the perpetrator was facing the victim at the time and he more than likely standing above her, giving that downward trajectory as a projectile passed through the head. McDonough, do you hear what Coyne just said? Do you know what that means? This little girl lying in the tub wearing nothing but a little orange T-shirt. By his own admission, he raped her. That's why she doesn't have on underwear or pants.

After shooting her in the chest, stood over her and shot this girl, this beautiful girl in the head. Did you hear what Dr. Coyne said? Absolutely. And does this not even confirm for us that this individual has no feeling for humanity? The fact that this young girl is looking up at that gun, pointing at her and for sure saw the flash of that muzzle. Mr. and Mrs. Kiles, these are the facts that must be presented to a jury. This cannot result in a cheap plea. According to these reports, he's had many, many chances to turn his life around.

I feel horrible going through these facts with you listening. I would never let parents sit in the courtroom unless they insisted on it. When I discuss autopsy reports. But I know autopsy reports. But I know it's nothing you haven't already dreamed about, had nightmares about. Ms. Kiles, ma'am, sorry that every time you talk about this, you have to relive what happened to Aaliyah. What is your message for the justice system and to other parents tonight? I wouldn't want any parent to feel this hurt because this was very simple.

My daughter worked hard. She was loving her apartment, worked two jobs. She loved her nieces and nephews. She's just the life of the family. I will never get to see her coming through the door with that lovely smile.

What y'all doing? What y'all finna eat? What we gonna eat? Who cook it? Just want... Everything about her she was a sweet, that was my sweet little girl. That was my baby of them all.

It hurts. I be trying to be so strong but sometimes a lot of times when I get home from work and I just sit here and I think about my baby I talk to God I give extra for strength but I am so sad and hurt it's like my life is not the time anymore I'm a change my life is not I don't life's not the time. It's my everyday insight on life and how I feel, just the hurt that I have to walk around and, you know, try to act like everything's fine.

It's not. It's not fine at all. Mr. Kiles, Mr. Kiles, what is your message for the justice system and for other parents tonight? We do want justice. And it couldn't have come no quicker. Our daughter was a delight, life by life. And it's just been real from us. But one thing I do like to thank God

for giving us the justice. And we can't do nothing but continue to pray and try to come together as a family until we get healed. Joining me Anthony and Montina Kiles, seeking justice for their daughter, Aaliyah.

We wait as justice unfolds. If you know or think you know anything about the brutal death of this beautiful teen girl, Aaliyah, please dial 901-528-2274. Repeat, 901-528-2274. Nancy Grace signing off. Good night. This is an iHeart Podcast.