Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Crime Alert 02.19.25 | DUI Driver Kills Two Amish Children In Buggy Crash

Episode Date: February 19, 2025

Woman's twin sister tries to take the blame when she slams into an Amish buggy high on meth. Georgia DUI drivers now must purchase a car seat for families in need to complete their sentences.  For more crime and justice news go to crimeonline.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to an iHeart Podcast. Crime Alert, I'm Nancy Grace. Breaking crime news now. A silver SUV slams into an Amish buggy on a quiet road, Fillmore County, Minnesota. Four children are inside. The crash is brutal. When the smell of burning rubber subsides,

two of the children, seven-year-old Wilma Miller, 11-year-old Irma Miller, are dead. The other two, 9 and 13, barely hanging on, rushed to St. Mary's Hospital with serious injuries. Not long after, a text from the alleged DUI driver goes out to her boss, quote, I effed up. I just killed two Amish people. They were kids. The sender, Samantha Jo Peterson. Nancy's Samantha Jo texted her boss looking for fellow employee and her twin sister, Sarah Beth. Samantha hysterically tells Sarah she's going to jail. She isn't sober. Sarah Beth immediately rushes to the scene and brings her sister a similar change of clothes, so by the

time cops arrive, the two women are nearly indistinguishable. Sarah Beth tells cops she was the driver, but cell phone data proves Samantha was the only one in the area at the time of the crash. Sarah Beth Peterson pleads guilty to two charges of criminal vehicular operation for her part in the cover-up. Somehow, Sarah avoids jail, but Samantha Jo Peterson faces trial on 17 counts, including vehicular homicide. Banks County, Georgia DUI offenders now face an unusual penalty. Before their sentence is complete, they must buy a new car seat for a family in need. The new policy applies to anyone convicted of DUI or reckless driving. Offenders must buy a brand new car seat, still in the box, and deliver it in person to the Banks County Probate Court. The Sheriff's Office will then distribute them to families who need them.

Judge Cameron Boswell says we found a way to provide the need without burdening the taxpayers. Sheriff Carlton Speed says it ensures child safety while enforcing personal responsibility. Officials believe the program will make a lasting impact, and I agree. More crime and justice news after this. Now with the latest crime and justice breaking news, Crime Online's John Limley. The Arizona Supreme Court has set a March 19th execution date for a man convicted of murder nearly two decades ago, marking the state's first use of capital punishment in over two years. Aaron Brian Gunches, sentenced in 2007 for the 2002 shooting of Ted Price near Mesa,

had recently told the court his execution was, quote, long overdue. Authorities say Gunches was linked to the crime after shell casings found near Price's body matched those from a separate 2003 shooting in which Gunches opened fire on a state trooper near the California border. The trooper survived thanks to a bulletproof vest. Gunches, now 53 and representing himself, had asked the court to speed up his execution, but justices denied that request.

A former high-ranking New York state official and her husband are now facing new charges related to allegations of acting as agents for the Chinese government. Our Sydney Sumner has details. Linda Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, appeared in Brooklyn federal court, pleading not guilty to additional charges in an ongoing case accusing them of operating as undisclosed agents for China. Sun, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in China, held several prominent positions in New York state government over a 15-year span, including serving as deputy

chief of staff under Governor Kathy Hochul and as deputy diversity officer during former Governor Andrew Cuomo's administration. Prosecutors allege that under the direction of Chinese officials, Sun advanced Beijing's interests within the state government. In return, it's alleged that her husband, Hu, received assistance for his business ventures in China. The couple now faces expanded money laundering charges, with Hu specifically indicted on three additional counts related to financial transactions totaling $1.5 million in 2020. Both have pleaded not guilty and remain free on bond, with their next court appearance scheduled for April 23rd. Defense attorneys argue that Sun is being unfairly targeted due to her wealth and ethnicity, asserting that the government's case is based on unfounded assumptions about her background. Prosecutors counter that Sun failed to register as a foreign agent

and actively concealed her actions on behalf of China, including misrepresenting the purpose of a trip to China during an FBI interview. This case is part of a broader initiative by the Justice Department to identify and prosecute individuals allegedly acting as covert agents for foreign governments within the United States. Thanks, John. Shamika Cozy, 16, spends the night at her aunt's house in Berkeley, Missouri, December 29. By morning, she's gone. Her things are still there except coat and purse. Police think she left voluntarily. Her mom agrees. Mom says Micah was

caught with a fake ID visiting nightclubs. She was also seen getting into a dark colored car with an older man. Years later, mom finds a note Shemika wrote to a friend months before she vanished, mentioning a boyfriend and possible pregnancy. Police don't know who the boyfriend is either. Shamika's mother fears she's a victim of sex trafficking. Mika, African American, brown hair, brown eyes, 5'5", 135 pounds. Anyone with info, please call Berkeley, Missouri PD 314-524-3311. For the latest crime and justice news, go to crimeonline.com and please join us for our daily podcast. It's called Crime

Stories and we do our very best to find missing people, especially children, and solved unsolved homicides. With this crime alert, I'm Nancy Grace. You're listening to an iHeart Podcast.