Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Crime Alert 11.26.24 | Mom Confronts Predator Targeting Daughter, 13

Episode Date: November 26, 2024

A Florida mom doesn't wait for law enforcement to confront a predator. Homeowner forgets he's involved in criminal activity before calling police! 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. Florida mom finds text messages on her 13-year-old girl's phone from an adult male, takes matters into her own hands. Mom continues to text the man, pretending to be the daughter, and plans to meet him at a restaurant. Sure enough, Cary Bank shows up, but when confronted with his predatory behavior, he flashes a gun. Mom calls 911, and when cops arrive, he's still in the parking lot. He takes off running and pulls the pistol. Cops order him to drop the weapon. He refuses. Officers shoot him.

Banks continues to run, but eventually found bleeding from gunshot wounds. Nancy, when Banks flashed the gun, he told the mom, quote, When you hear the shots tonight, you'll know what's up. The canine officer found Banks hiding in a drainage culvert in need of medical assistance. At a press conference after the incident, Sheriff T.K. Waters encouraged parents to reach out to law enforcement if they ever find their child in this situation, but commented that he couldn't blame the mom for attempting to confront Banks. Kerry Banks, 18, charged with ag assault, lewd and lascivious conduct, and using an electronic device to solicit a child.

If you call the cops, you might make sure you're not committing a crime. Everett Brown says he's frequently harassed by teens in his neighborhood and calls 911 after a boy kicks open his front door and hits him with a broomstick. When cops arrive, one officer notices what looks to be cocaine in a plastic bag sitting on Brown's counter. When asked, Brown admits it's cocaine. He's cuffed right alongside the team that broke in the door. More crime and justice news after this. Now with the latest crime and justice breaking news, Crime Online's John Limley. We begin in Texas where efforts to overturn the

conviction of Melissa Lucio, a death row inmate, gained momentum after a judge declared her, quote, actually innocent of capital murder. 56-year-old Lucio was sentenced to die for the 2007 death of her two-year-old daughter, Mariah, who Lucio insists died from a fall down a staircase. Senior State District Judge Arturo Nelson found that prosecutors used false testimony, suppressed evidence, and relied on outdated science during Lucio's 2008 trial. He concluded that this undermined the case against her. Nelson's findings, including a recommendation to overturn Lucio's conviction and death sentence, now go to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals for a final decision. Lucio's execution was delayed in 2022 as new evidence raised doubts about her guilt.

The case has drawn widespread attention with support from high-profile advocates and lawmakers. Lucio's legal team argues that she was wrongly convicted for a crime that didn't occur. The Cameron County District Attorney's Office has not commented. A timeline for the appeals court ruling remains unclear. In South Georgia, an investigation is unfolding at a funeral home where disturbing discoveries have left families searching for answers. As Crime Online's Sydney Sumner tells us, officials have now identified 12 remains found at the facility, but many questions remain unanswered.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation continues to unravel a troubling case in Douglas, Georgia, where authorities found 18 bodies in various stages of decomposition at Johnson Funeral and Cremation Services. Officials have now confirmed that 12 of the remains have been identified. Meanwhile, efforts to identify the other six bodies and determine whether families received the correct cremated remains, or if those ashes are even human, are ongoing. The investigation began last month when deputies arrived to serve an eviction notice at the funeral home located about 200 miles southeast of Atlanta. Inside, they made the grim discovery leading to the arrest of 39-year-old

Chris Lee Johnson, the funeral home's owner. Johnson now faces 17 counts of abuse of a dead body, with investigators saying improper storage caused severe disfigurement of the remains. A judge has denied Johnson bond, citing the severity of the charges and the possibility of additional charges being filed. The case has raised broader concerns. According to local reports, Johnson operated the funeral home without valid licenses for embalming, directing, or even running the establishment. Despite this, state inspections cleared the facility, and earlier complaints about Johnson's services were reportedly not investigated. Some families told reporters they suspect the ashes they received might not belong to their loved ones. Others are grappling with uncertainty about the fate of their relatives'

remains. Investigators describe the case as complex, requiring collaboration among agents, scientists, and analysts from multiple state agencies. Investigators describe the case as complex, requiring collaboration among agents, scientists, and analysts from multiple state agencies. Thanks, John. Federico Granado Sanchez learns, in addition to medical conditions he's already got, he has early-onset dementia.

He continues to work, but his routine changes on the 4th of July when he gets off. Frederico plans to meet with his family but doesn't show up. A neighbor reports seeing him leave his Carroll Stream, Illinois home on foot 10 a.m. He left his cell phone wallet and meds behind. Someone reports a person matching his description riding a bike in Carroll Stream, July 5. The sighting not confirmed. Federico, 59, 5'10", 210 pounds, a mole near the tip of his nose, walks with a limp. Last seen wearing black pants, black t-shirt, black shoes, black baseball cap. If you have info on Federico Granada Sanchez, please call Carroll Stream, Illinois PD, 630-668-2167.

For the latest crime and justice news, go to CrimeOnline.com. And please join us for our daily podcast, Crime Stories. With this crime alert, I'm Nancy Grace. This is an iHeart Podcast.