Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Crime Alert 03.04.24

Episode Date: March 4, 2024

Ohio cops bust predator at a pro bowling tournament. Perp taken to the hospital after a failed carjacking carjacks an ambulance! 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. After a lengthy investigation, Ohio police interrupt the U.S. Open Bowling Tournament to arrest pro Brandon Novak. Novak allegedly purchased child porn on several occasions. Despite his claim he was, quote,

unaware the subjects were minors. Nancy Chili Cothe Police received a complaint about Novak through Facebook and began an investigation of the pro bowler. Police executed a search warrant and interviewed Novak, who admitted to buying explicit photos and videos, not realizing that some of the targets were minors. Novak later admitted he bought the materials because he knew some of the targets were minors. Brandon Novak, 35, now facing 15 felony child porn charges. Ricky Lowe, Xavius Marlowe, and two of their buddies lead cops on a chase through Manassas, Virginia in a stolen car. When Marlo crashes, all four men are taken to the hospital. Next stop, jail. Ricky Lowe, 32, has other ideas. With an IV still in his arm and wearing a hospital gown, you know what that means,

no backside, Lowe jacks an ambulance from the ER and takes off. Five days later, cops pick him up again near his home, and he's returned to the hospital, hopefully with better surveillance this time before he's going to be booked on grand larceny. More crime and justice news after this. Now with the latest crime and justice breaking news, Crime Online's John Limley. A man already serving a life sentence for the 2014 death of an Arizona teen has now been found guilty of first-degree murder in connection with the death of another Tucson girl, a killing which took place years earlier. For more, we turn to Sydney Sumner with Crime Online. Jury in Pima County Superior Court also found 42-year-old Christopher Clements guilty of kidnapping along with breaking and entering in relation to the 2012 disappearance of 6-year-old Isabel Sellis from her parents' home. Clements' retrial started on February 7. The mistrial resulted from the juror's inability to reach a decision last year in the first trial. After telling FBI investigators he could take them to Sellis' remains in 2017 while denying any involvement in her killing, Clements became a suspect in

the girl's death, this according to Tucson police. In exchange, Clements' charges in a separate burglary case were dropped. Our friends with the Arizona Daily Star say Deputy County Attorney Tracy Miller informed jurors during closing arguments that it was not pure coincidence that no one else except Clements had come across Sellis' body during the five-year period of time she was missing. The newspaper also reported that Clements' lawyer, Eric Kessler, told the jury that there was no evidence connecting Clements to the crime and that the police were unable to establish that he had entered the victim's house. Clements was arrested in 2018 for the deaths of both Celis and 13-year-old Maribel Gonzalez,

who vanished in June of 2014 while walking to the home of a friend. Days later, Gonzalez's body was discovered in a secluded location to the north of Tucson. Years later, in the same general area, Celis's remains were also found. In 2022, Clements was handed a sentence of natural life behind bars for the kidnapping and murder of Gonzalez. The jury in Clements' retrial was not made aware of this conviction or his prior record of convictions dating to the age of 16 for sexual offenses in several states. The jury in Clements' retrial was not made aware of this conviction or his prior

record of convictions dating to the age of 16 of her sexual offenses in several states. According to our friends with Tucson TV station KOLD, Salas' mother and brother were present in the courtroom but departed after the jury's decision was announced. Clements is expected to be sentenced on March 25th. After serving nearly 30 years behind bars, a man who had been given the death penalty for his role in a fatal apartment fire in Philadelphia, a crime he long denied committing, has been freed from prison. Once again, Crime Online's Sydney Sumner. 54-year-old Daniel Gwynn was released from the Montgomery County State Prison one day after his first-degree murder, arson, and aggravated assault charges were dropped by

Common Pleas Court Judge Barbara McDermott. In issuing the release, the judge did not rule on Gwynn's guilt or innocence. The City District Attorney's Office had urged the exoneration, capping a protracted campaign by Gwynn's attorneys. They have always maintained that during his drug addiction, he provided Philadelphia police with a false confession. They also objected to how the police department handled the process of identifying witnesses. The charges against Gwynn were in connection with the November 1994 fire that ravaged a three-story deserted building in Philadelphia. One woman was killed in the fire while several others were able to escape the structure by jumping through a window.

It was 10 days after the blaze that Gwen was arrested and eventually sentenced to death. Thanks, John. Jerry Streg, a corrections officer at the jail in Walpin, Wisconsin, has a normal day at work before he takes the rest of the week off to go to a golf tournament. Then Jerry doesn't show up on Saturday and he also misses work on Monday. His dad asked for a welfare check the next day because he can't reach his son. Police find Jerry's car and motorcycle parked in the garage, his apartment unlocked, the lights and TV still on to the golf channel. They also find his phone, wallet, and keys. The only item missing is Jerry's gun. Jerry Streg, now missing over 20 years. If you have info on Jerry Streg, contact Whelpen, Wisconsin PD, 920-324-7911. For the latest crime and justice news, go to crimeonline.com. With this crime alert, I'm Nancy Grace. You're listening to an iHeart Podcast.