Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Crime Alert 01.31.25 | Hit and Run Driver Stabs Off-Duty Cop

Episode Date: January 31, 2025

Driver stabs off-duty cop after hit-and-run crash. Bag labelled 'definitely not drugs' definitely is drugs! For more crime and justice news go to crimeonline.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Crime Alert, I'm Nancy Grace. Breaking crime news now. An off-duty Atlanta cop drives down I-20 when he's hit by a driver in a Dodge Charger who speeds off. The cop car, still functional, he follows the driver, trying to get a tag number. The cop pulls into a parking lot behind the Charger. The driver, Justin Hurst, gets out and starts arguing with the officer, then pulls a knife and stabs the cop multiple times before fleeing. Nancy, the officer managed to call 911 and makes it to Grady Memorial Hospital awake, alert, and in stable condition, with doctors calling him lucky that Hurst missed vital organs. Officers spend a week trying to

track Hurst down, believing he has ties to the Alpharetta area and is driving another vehicle registered to him, a white Volkswagen Passat. Hurst eventually turns himself in to the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office before anyone can collect the $2,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. Justin Hurst, 37, now charged with hit and run and ag assault. Florida cops pull over a U-Haul truck for erratic driving and notice a needle on the floor in the front seat. Officers conduct a thorough search and find digital scales, plastic baggies, and a bag with, quote, definitely not a bag of drugs printed on the side. Well, it definitely is a bag of drugs stuffed full of methamphetamine. Passenger

Taryn Acree, 31, admits the bag belongs to her. Now charged with possession with intent to sell. More crime and justice news after this. Now with the latest crime and justice breaking news, Crime Online's John Limley. A major legal battle is unfolding in the case of accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann. His defense team is challenging key DNA evidence and pushing for separate trials. Heuermann, a New York architect, is charged in the murders of at least seven women dating as far back as 1993. Prosecutors say DNA from hair strands found at crime scenes links him to the killings. But his lawyers argue the forensic technique used,

whole genome sequencing, isn't widely accepted and should be thrown out. They're also calling for separate trials, saying the alleged murders span different years, methods, and locations. Huerman's attorney, Michael Brown, warns that trying all cases together could unfairly influence jurors. Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney strongly disagrees. In a court filing, prosecutors say the DNA method is well-established in forensic science and widely accepted by experts.

They also claim Hureman kept a digital blueprint of his alleged crimes, checklists detailing steps before, during, and after each killing. Prosecutors will formally respond to the trial request later. Meanwhile, Huerman remains in custody, maintaining his innocence. His next court date is February 18. A deadly block party shooting in Arkansas left one person dead and several others injured last April. Now, one of the four men charged in the case has pleaded guilty. Crime Online correspondent Sydney Sumner has the latest. It was supposed to be a night of celebration in the small city of Wynn, Arkansas, but on April 15, 2024, gunfire tore through a community gathering, leaving one person dead and nine others wounded. Now, 19-year-old

Tommy Frost has admitted his role in the shooting. In a courtroom this week, Frost pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and an additional firearm possession charge. A judge sentenced him to 20 years behind bars for the murder charge and 10 years for the firearm offense, though he'll serve both sentences at the same time. Wynn, a city of about 8,000 people, sits roughly 45 miles west of Memphis, Tennessee. Prosecutors say the shooting happened during an annual block party. The gunfire struck multiple people, and in the chaos, two others were hit by vehicles. The victim, who lost his life, was just 27 years old. Originally, Frost and three other men faced first-degree murder charges, as well as multiple

counts of battery and violent criminal group activity. The remaining three suspects are still awaiting trial. Prosecutors have not indicated whether additional plea deals could be on the table. Thanks, John. Lori Boffman, 45, wins $1,000 in the Ohio lottery and decides to treat her family to a big picnic in celebration of her daughter's college graduation. She orders nearly $500 in groceries for the picnic and never picks them up. She acts oddly at the 5 p.m. picnic. Just an hour into the party, she says she needs to get something from home. A friend offers to go with. 6 30 on their way back, she drives erratically. Her friend asks to be let out. She tears off after letting the friend out of the car. Never returns to the party. 3 a.m. Cops get a call about a car

crash. They find Lori's still running car crashed into a stranger's garage. Neighbors say the car drove through two yards before the crash. The driver got out and ran. Searches turned up nothing. Lori left behind her phone, purse, and meds. Lori Boffman, African-American, 5'8", 160 pounds, shoulder-length locks, glasses, scar on abdomen. If you have info on Lori Boffman, please call Liberty Township, Ohio, PD, 330-759-1315. For the latest crime and justice news, go to CrimeOnline.com. And please join us for our daily podcast, Crime Stories, where we do our very best, along with you, to find missing people, especially children, and solve unsolved homicides. With this Prime Alert, I'm Nancy Grace. This is an iHeart Podcast.