Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Crime Alert 12.25.23

Episode Date: December 25, 2023

School bus aide chokes child. Abandoned newborn adopted just in time for the holidays.  For more crime and justice news go to crimeonline.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Los Angeles is famous for the always captivating entertainment industry, some of the most famous sports teams, and incredibly expensive smoothies. But beneath the glamour, it's also a breeding ground for bizarre, historic, and unforgettable crimes. My name is Madison McGee. You might know me from my podcast Ice Cold Case, where for the last three years I've been investigating my father's murder. But now I've embedded myself into the LA Times crime beat to bring you not only some of the juiciest cases, but what it takes to be a gritty crime reporter in a giant metropolis.

From LA Times Studios comes its latest series, LA Crimes. From deep dives into the Menendez brothers to conversations about why Bravo TV seems to be a hotbed of white-collar criminals will cover it all. The solved, the unsolved, the love triangles gone wrong, you get the idea. Tune in every Wednesday starting May 21st, wherever you stream your podcasts. You can also watch the episodes on YouTube and Spotify. You don't want to miss this. Crime Alert, I'm Nancy Grace. Breaking crime news a pennsylvania six-year-old gets off the school bus very upset with red marks on his neck he tells his parents that the bus aid macarthur wilson choked him wilson's been asked to sit with the boy as the bus nears his stop surveillance

footage shows wilson struggling with the boy's seatbelt and putting his hands around the boy's neck until the driver yelled at him. Nancy, aides on school buses transporting young children typically help students get ready to get off the bus at the correct stop. Wilson was choking the boy just about a minute before the bus reached his stop. Neither the bus driver or Wilson informed the boy's parents of the incident. Wilson, 72, now charged with strangulation, reckless endangerment, and assault on the little boy. A Florida woman calls cops convinced she hears a baby crying in the woods. Cops find a newborn, placenta still attached, alone in 50-degree weather. They named the baby Angel Grace for surviving the cold and crying loudly enough to be heard. Ten months later, just in time for Christmas, a Florida family officially

adopts Angel. The family fostered the baby while cops tried to locate the birth mom, and the parents say welcoming Angel to the family is the best Christmas ever. Wow, so miracles do still happen. More crime and justice news after this. What do you love in life? A relaxing getaway? Spending time with friends? Whatever life looks like, vaccinations keep you healthy so everyone can keep doing what they love. Vaccinate and protect yourself and others. Visit health.nsw.gov.au forward slash vaccination info. Now with the latest crime and justice breaking news, Crime Online's Jackie Howard. The Idaho home where four college students were stabbed to death

will be demolished in just a few days. And now both the prosecution and defense have been inside before it happens. The prosecution team was granted access last week, but no specific reason was given as to why or what was done. The defense was given access to collect photos and measurements and other relevant material. Families of three of the victims, however, have expressed their preference for the house to be preserved. Here with more, Sydney Sumner with Crime Online. Brian Koberger stands charged with four counts of murder in last November's killings at the rental house about a block from

the university campus in Moscow, Idaho. Earlier this year, a court filed a not guilty plea on Koberger's behalf. Prosecutor Bill Thompson of Ladda County has stated that he plans to pursue the death penalty, although a trial date has not yet been scheduled. According to the university, Koberger's defense team had access to the house on two subsequent days. University officials say they intend to start destruction on December 28. The residents that claim the lives of students Ethan Chapin, Zanna Kurnodal, Madison Mogan, and Kaylee Gonsalves was donated to the university earlier this year. In order to lessen the impact that the fatalities have had on the several students who live nearby, the university plans to demolish the house. Koberger was a graduate student at Washington State University, located just over the state

line from the location of the killings where he was studying criminology. The unusual facts of the case have sparked a great deal of interest since Koberger was taken into custody at his parents' Pennsylvania home. Researchers have assembled DNA evidence, cell phone records, and security footage to establish a connection between Coburger and the killings. After demolition, university representatives will collaborate with students to create a memorial garden to replace the home. In the meantime, prosecutors in Brian Coburger's murder trial have asked that the trial take place over six weeks this summer. Prosecutors want the trial scheduled while local high schools and the university are out. Prosecutors say that a summer trial would alleviate parking concerns and increase pedestrian safety around the courthouse.

The high school is located right next door. A western Michigan mother has been found guilty of murder and child abuse by a jury in connection with the starvation death of her 15-year-old disabled son. The boy weighed just 69 pounds at the time of his death. After deliberating for a little over an hour, the jury in Muskegon County Circuit Court found 44-year-old Shanda Van Ark of Norton Shores guilty of Timothy Ferguson's death on July 6, 2022. The teen died from hypothermia and malnourishment, according to an autopsy. His death was determined to be homicide by the medical examiner. In his most recent bankruptcy plan, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has proposed to pay Sandy Hook families at least $55 million over a 10-year period. Once again, Crime Online's Sydney Sumner.

The amount proposed by Jones is just a small portion of the $1.5 billion that the relatives of those killed in the 2012 Newtown school tragedy were granted in litigation against Jones. Meanwhile, the families have submitted their own plan in which they want to sell almost all of Jones' possessions, including his media company Free Speech Systems, and distribute the money to themselves and other creditors. A final ruling dictating Jones' required payment amount will be issued following two months of discussion and challenges to the competing proposals, which were filed in Houston's U.S. bankruptcy court. Hearings are set for February. Following the family's awards of more than $1.4 billion in a Connecticut lawsuit and an additional $50 million in a Texas action,

Jones and Free Speech Systems, both located in Austin, Texas, filed for bankruptcy last year. In a related case concerning Jones' hoax conspiracy, the parents of a different child slain in the school massacre have filed a third trial, which is currently underway in Texas. The latest round of bankruptcy filings occurred a day after the 11th anniversary of a gunman's killing of 20 first graders and six educators on December 14, 2012, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Thanks, Jackie. Austin Tice, a Texas Marine veteran who served two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan,

becomes a war reporter, traveling to Syria 2012 to cover the Civil War. September 2012, all communication with Tice stops. Weeks later, a video surfaces of him blindfolded and bound. It's believed he was kidnapped by the Syrian government. 2018, U.S. officials confirm Tice is alive. Negotiations for release underway. 2022, the president reiterates the belief Tice is still being held by the Syrian government. Negotiations for his return ongoing. The U.S. government offering a reward of up to $1 million for info leading directly to Austin Tice's safe location, recovery, and return. If you have info concerning Austin Tice, Contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or find Austin Tice at fbi.gov. You can also contact your local FBI or the nearest American embassy or consulate. Let's bring Austin Tice home.

For the latest crime and justice news, go to crimeonline.com. With this crime alert, I'm Nancy Grace. Los Angeles is famous for the always captivating entertainment industry, some of the most famous sports teams, and incredibly expensive smoothies. But beneath the glamour, it's also a breeding ground for bizarre, historic, and unforgettable crimes. My name is Madison McGee. You might know me from my podcast Ice Cold Case, where for the last three years I've been investigating my father's murder. But now I've embedded myself into the LA Times crime beat to bring you not only some of the juiciest cases, but what it takes to be a gritty crime reporter in a giant metropolis.

From LA Times Studios comes its latest series, LA Crimes. From deep dives into the Menendez brothers to conversations about why Bravo TV seems to be a hotbed of white-collar criminals, we'll cover it all. The solved, the unsolved, the love triangles gone wrong, you get the idea. Tune in

every Wednesday starting May 21st wherever you stream your podcasts. You can also watch the episodes on YouTube and Spotify. You don't want to miss this. This is an iHeart Podcast.