Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Crime Alert 04.10.24

Episode Date: April 10, 2024

New renter kills homeowner, buries his body in the backyard. D.C. visitor tries to set Union Station's Freedom bell on fire.  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. Catherine Roush moves out of a rental property after getting an uneasy feeling about a new renter, Elvin Baca. Roush warns the owner, Lawrence Grabka, 69. Days later, Roush swings by to check on the owner and finds his door unlocked. In the backyard, she can see a shallow grave. North Carolina cops find Lawrence Grabka's body buried. Nancy Roosh describes a chilling moment with Baca outside Grabka's home. Roosh stopped by earlier when Grabka was not answering

his phone and ran into Baca in his car outside. Baca told Roosh Grabka wasn't home, but he would let Grabka know she stopped by. Roosh now believes Baca told Roosh Grabka wasn't home, but he would let Grabka know she stopped by. Roosh now believes Baca had already killed Grabka when they spoke that evening. Elvin Baca, 34, charged with murder. A visitor to Union Station, Washington, D.C., is there for more than sightseeing. The man inspects the Freedom Bell, a bronze sculpture based on Philly's Liberty Bell, and tries to set it on fire. When the D.C. Fire Service tweets about the incident, people ask, how do you set a metal bell on fire? The suspect now facing criminal mischief and attempted arson charges.

More crime and justice news after this. Now with the latest crime and justice breaking news, Crime Online's John Limley. Five counts of vehicular murder have been leveled against a Denver truck driver for the June 2022 crash that killed all five members of a Wyoming family when the man's semi-tractor trailer crashed into a sport utility vehicle. For more, we turn to Sydney Sumner with Crime Online. We're learning from our friends at KUSA-TV that Jesus Puebla was also found guilty on five other counts by a Weld County jury, including careless driving and driving without a valid commercial driver's license. All of this is in connection to the collision that occurred on Interstate 25 north of Denver. Police say that Puebla's truck was

traveling at 76 miles per hour when he struck an SUV that was moving at roughly 6 miles per hour due to traffic that was backing up on the interstate. Another individual was hurt when the truck collided with additional vehicles. According to court documents, Puebla was unharmed. Puebla's lawyer contended that the truck's owner was at fault. In his testimony, Puebla said that the truck he was driving was not slowing down even though he attempted to downshift. The Colorado State Patrol later discovered that the brakes on the semi were not operating at the time of the crash.

The prosecution claimed Puebla was driving carelessly for miles prior to the collision and was unaware that traffic had slowed down. Prosecutors claim that he shouldn't have been operating a vehicle with a suspended license and that the truck shouldn't have passed an inspection before the trip. Aaron Godines and Haley Everts of Gillette, Wyoming were killed in the collision, as was their three-month-old daughter, Tesley Godines. Aaron's parents, Emiliano and Christina Godines, were also killed. The date of Puebla's sentencing is set for June 21st. The New Hampshire House of Representatives has voted to make it mandatory for people facing major crimes to be present when they are informed of their fate. Once again, Crime Online's Sidney Sumner with how this move was prompted by a recent murder case.

In non-capital cases, defendants are free to leave the courtroom at any time following the start of the trial, this according to federal rules of criminal procedure. Following his conviction in February for the murder of his five-year-old daughter Harmony, Adam Montgomery exercised that option. Nothing in the current law requires him to attend for sentencing, even if the prosecution requests it. A bill the New Hampshire House has now sent to the Senate would change that for cases in the future. When the bill was first drafted, it mandated that defendants facing charges that carried a minimum 15-year prison sentence attend in court for both their entire trial and their sentencing hearings. Opponents countered that the only people who ought to be made to appear are those who have been found guilty. In the bill's revised form, defendants

would have to show up for sentencing hearings and verdict readings. Deerfield Republican Representative Terry Roy stated that, quote, if the jury spends the time to hear this case, the defendant should take the time to go in to respect that jury and hear their verdict, and he darn sure should show up for his sentencing. Rep. Steve Shurtleff, a Democrat from Pennacook who discussed the Montgomery issue at a public meeting earlier this month, co-sponsored the proposal with Roy. Montgomery was accused of killing Harmony in 2019 and then concealing and moving her body for several months. Montgomery was found guilty of second-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, and other offenses. The girl's remains

have yet to be found. According to Representative Shurtleff, prosecutors have requested that Adam Montgomery appear in person before the girl's family and loved ones during his sentencing hearing in May. Thanks, John. Destin Henderson's catching up with his mom by phone, and he says he'll call her back later because a friend stopped by. He doesn't call back, and his mom can't reach him the next day. The friend who last saw Destin also can't reach him and reports Destin Henderson missing. At Destin's Houston apartment, most of his casual clothes are missing and the comforter from his bed is found in an outside storage container. His phone last pinged in the Aldine neighborhood, 10 miles from his apartment. Searches turn up nothing. If you have information on Destin Henderson, contact Harris County, Texas Sheriff's 713-221-6000.

For the latest crime and justice news, go to crimeonline.com. With this crime alert, I'm Nancy Grace. This is an iHeart Podcast.