Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Death Row Inmate Wants to be Executed | Crime Alert Recap Saturday 05.24.25

Episode Date: May 25, 2025

Breaking crime news as it happens throughout the day! Follow "Crime Alert Hourly Update" now on your favorite podcast app: https://link.chtbl.com/Crime_Alert Here's some of our top stories this week:  A South Carolina death row inmate asks the court to let him act as his own lawyer so he can speed up his execution.  A father faces a life sentence for strangling his 5yo daughter on a video call as his girlfriend watched. A 26-year-old man is dead in Florida after his stepfather shot him during an argument that started with a child playing Fortnite. Authorities reported that Steve Dewitt killed 40-year-old Julie Minogue with an axe in her home in December 2022, while her three-year-old and 17-year-old children were inside. Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crime alert hourly update. Breaking crime news now. I'm Jackie Howard, a South Carolina death row inmate featured in the Netflix series. I am a killer. Ask the court to let him act as his own lawyer so he can speed up his

execution. James Robertson 51 has spent over two decades on death row, just days before the states. The fifth execution in th Robertson sent a letter t says he and his attorney and adds no ethical attor an appeal that will result

execution. So he asks to lawyer says he is still r of five fellow inmates, including his best friend who was executed in January. The judge orders Robertson undergo a psychiatric evaluation. More crime and justice news after this.

I'm Jennifer Gould, an Indianapolis father faces life without parole after allegedly brutally murdering his five-year-old daughter Zara Arnold with parts of the horror reportedly witnessed by his girlfriend during a prolonged video call. Zachary Arnold, 41, is now charged with murder and neglect in a crime so heinous prosecutors are vowing to cage him for good. The girl's grandmother, Otania Glasgow, spoke to Fox 59 News. She shouldn't have never been with him from the get go. They shouldn't have never gave him custody. This is the

ongoing thing since she's been born. I am PD officers raced to a North LaSalle street home after Arnold called 911 claiming Zara died from a fall downstairs. But the little girl's body told a far darker story. She was found cold, stiff, and covered in bruises with unmistakable ligature marks on her neck. Confronted by detectives, Arnold confessed to strangling Zara multiple times

the previous night during a heated argument with his ex-girlfriend. He chillingly admitted to additional abuse, including smacking Zara with an open palm and holding her down while choking her. But the horror does not stop there. Andrea Lopez Figueroa, his girlfriend now also faces charges of assisting a criminal and failure to make a report after investigators found damning videos on her phone. Over several horrifying hours, Lopez Figueroa allegedly watched on FaceTime calls as Arnold assaulted Zara. She told police she tried to tell him to stop when he held Zara down by her legs and choked her, picked Zara up by her throat and pulled the little girl by her hair.

She even took screenshots of all the abuse in a truly sickening revelation videos dating back to April 10th on her phone showed Arnold strangling Zara and one from May 18th showing him swinging Zara around by a noose, throwing her over his shoulder while hanging her behind his back. Lopez Figueroa told police she did not call 911 because she was afraid of Arnold, despite him allegedly ordering her to call for help

because he was going to kill Zara. She claimed, though, she thought he was, quote unquote, just playing as he choked the child more than 10 times. In their final call, she saw Zara motionless and bloodied but thought she was still breathing. Arnold texted her at 1107 a.m. that Zara had died. Court records expose a disturbing history. Seven Indiana Department of Child Services reports since Zara was just nine months old, including meth use and visible bruising. Shockingly, Arnold had a rape charge dismissed in a 2020 plea deal and he reportedly violated protective orders from Zara's mom. Also, just days before Zara's death,

he pleaded guilty to invasion of privacy, but a judge even suspended his jail sentence, allowing him to return home. Arnold disgustingly blames his actions on his girlfriend, claiming, quote, she did this to him, end quote, and that she is, quote, making him out to be a monster, end quote. Arnold is now being held at the adult detention center without bond. The IMPD says more charges could be filed and more arrests made as the investigation is ongoing. I'm Drew Nelson. A 26-year-old man is dead in Florida after his stepfather shoots him during an argument

that started with a child playing Fortnite. The shooting happened Wednesday night inside a home in Davenport. Police say a nine-year-old boy was caught playing Fortnite. He was on restriction from the game. His mother, Adrienne Daza, punished him by taking away his phone. The boy got angry and went to her bedroom. He opened a drawer and pulled out a 9mm Smith & Wesson. Daza and her husband, Kelly Garcia, struggled with the boy,

but managed to take the gun away. Moments later, the boy's elder brother, 26-year-old Azaril Martinez, walked in and saw the child visibly upset. Garcia still with the gun in his hand was a disciplinarian. He was a very disciplined child. The 26 year-old's older brother, 26-year-old as a real Martinez, walked in and saw the child visibly upset

Garcia, still with the gun in his hand. Police chief Steve Parker. Kelly Garcia was very much a disciplinarian and he ruled the household as such.

And the 26-year-old didn't particularly care for the way he was disciplining the young children and running the household. Garcia and Martinez began to argue. Police say Garcia shot Martinez several times in the stomach and chest.

As Martinez tried to leave the room, Garcia followed and shot him two more times in the back. Martinez collapsed, he was taken to the hospital, but died there. Chief Parker says they don't believe Azaril was physically aggressive towards Garcia. Police say they considered the possibility of self-defense, but ruled it out based on the

evidence and witness accounts. Garcia has been charged with second degree murder and unlawful storage of a firearm accessible to a minor. A nine year old that knows where dad stepdad keeps his gun and goes to it. I truly believe that if that child

did not know that where that gun was, none is what happened today. None of it. Officers had previously been called to the home in 2022 after a referral from Child Services, though police did not release details of that incident. Garcia remains in the Polk County Jail. I'm Nicole Parton.

A man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, a mother of three, in her Milford, Connecticut residence, while two of her children were present. During the sentencing hearing on Thursday, family members of Julie Minogue, including her sister, mother, and eldest son Nicholas, shared their emotional testimonies for the first time

since the tragic event, looking the accused killer in the eye, telling him he had changed everything. Allison Minogue's sister looked Steven DeWitt in the eye and was the first to speak in court, saying, the evening of December 6, 2022 will forever haunt our family. I wish I could express the profound heartbreak we endure every day. I often lie awake at night imagining my sister's final moments, the unimaginable fear she must have felt. He robbed us of the chance to say goodbye to her.

He robbed us of the chance to say goodbye to a sister, to a daughter, because he mutilated her before we could even see her. Our lives have been irreversibly changed because of you. You're a monster. Nicholas, Julie's eldest son, delivered the third victim impact statement saying you are a coward. You took our mother's life. She was a strong, beautiful woman who raised three boys alone.

You are a hollow excuse of a man. You are not a man. In fact, are you even human? I don't know, but may you rot in hell. The final family member to speak was Gerald Minogue, Julie's father, who had attended every court hearing related to his daughter's case. He said, quote, while I find some relief in the conclusion of these proceedings, I will carry the burden of knowing the fear and pain you caused my daughter to endure. I will carry that forever. You are a monster.

May you rot in hell. Dewitt's attorney, Claude Chung attempted to provide context for Dewitt's actions, citing a combination of alcohol, drug use, depression and PTSD as factors that led him to lose control. Just in that moment, the attorney said. However, state attorneys, Margaret Kelly quickly countered, clarifying that Dewitt's actions were not impulsive, but premeditated, which led to an outburst from the killer in the courtroom. This was

cold, cold, calculated, well thought out to the extent that we Uber things out of my head. that we can go over. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down.

Sit down. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down.

Sit down. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down. right. This is an orderly place. It's outbursts like that. I'm left with no other choice but to ask you to remove you from the courtroom. That's great. The sentencing will continue.

I'm not going to do that. The judge had to intervene, reminding DeWitt of the courtroom's decorum. Mr DeWitt, I understand what you're feeling, but this is an orderly environment. If this continues, I will have you removed, the judge warned. Dewitt responded with sarcasm. That'd be great. Take me out of here. The judge continued with the sentencing, urging Dewitt to remain calm. Authorities reported that Dewitt killed 40-year-old Julie Minogue with an axe in her home in December,

while her three children, a 3-year-old, 17-year-old, and 15-year-old were inside. Just days before the murder, a restraining order had been placed against the man. In November, DeWitt had been arrested for suspected assault against Minogue, leading to a protective order. Following a series of harassing text messages, Minogue was granted a full no-contact restraining order on December 1. Tragically, just five days later, she was found dead.

DeWitt faced multiple charges, including murder, risk of injury to a child, home invasion, and violation of a protective order. He pleaded guilty to two of the charges, resulting in a 40-year sentence for murder and a concurrent 10-year sentence for the risk of injury to a child. For the latest crime and justice news, follow Crime Alert Hourly Update on your favorite podcasting app. With this crime alert, I'm Nicole Parton.