Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Diddy Closing Arguments are Next | Crime Alert 6AM 06.25.25

Episode Date: June 25, 2025

The Diddy prosecution rests. Then, after just 23 minutes, the defense rests, in the ongoing federal racketeering/sex trafficking trial. Closing arguments are set to begin Thursday. A man convicted of a brutal rape and murder in Florida has been executed, ending a case that haunted Orlando for over 30 years. Lori Paige’s dad dies in jail before facing trial for the rape and murder of his 12-year-old daughter. An Irvine, California dog trainer is arrested after at least 11 dogs in his care die, many secretly cremated without their owners’ consent. Drew Nelson reports.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crime Alert! Hourly update. Breaking crime news now. I'm Drew Nelson. That was quick. The prosecution rests, then the defense rests, in the trial of Sean Diddy Combs. On Tuesday in New York, the government ended its case, the defense then resting after just 23 minutes.

No witnesses, only text messages and written evidence were submitted. Combs told the judge he would not testify. Quote, That is my decision, your honor. It is solely my decision. It is my decision with my lawyers. When asked how he was feeling, Combs replied, quote, I'm doing great, your honor. I wanted to tell you you're doing an excellent job. Hmm. After the defense rested, prosecutors said they would not present a rebuttal. The jury was dismissed and told to return Thursday for closing arguments. Both sides agreed to hold court all day Thursday and Friday. Prosecutors said they do not expect deliberations to begin until Monday.

Defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro argues there was no proof of conspiracy in the racketeering charge. She said Combs' employees were not part of a criminal enterprise, only helping with travel or errands and, quote, didn't know much, if anything, about what went on between Mr. Combs and his girlfriends in the hotel rooms. She said the sex trafficking charges related to Cassie Ventura and Jane should be dismissed. Quote, there's no evidence he used coercion. Domestic violence is not sex trafficking. Shapiro said Ventura left when Combs became violent and that there were no texts showing

she objected to freak-offs. The defense focused on showing that Combs girlfriends were willing. In court, they read texts from Cassie to Combs. In one exchange, Combs asked, quote, You think you can F-O without getting high? LOL. And she replied, quote, Yeah, I'll just have to be at my level and what's good for me? Other messages showed Combs and ex-girlfriend Jane setting up hotel meetings with escorts. In one text, Jane said, quote, baby is all set. In a stipulation read into the record, the defense highlighted that several key witnesses

did not initially report threats or sexual contact by Sean Combs during early interviews with law enforcement. For example, Mia did not say in her first three meetings that Combs initiated sexual contact. Dawn Richard, the Danny DeKane singer, did not tell investigators in four of her seven meetings that Combs had threatened her by saying, quote, where he comes from, people go missing if they say things. Ventura's friend Brianna Bongolin did not report before trial that Combs said he could

kill her at a photo shoot. Combs' fate could be decided as early as next week in the racketeering and sex trafficking trial. He faces life in prison. For more on the trial of Sean Diddy Combs, join Nancy tonight at her new time, 7 p.m. and 12 midnight eastern on Merritt Street Media. Check your local listings for channel assignment or follow Crime Stories with Nancy Grace on your favorite podcast app.

More crime and justice news after this. A man convicted of a brutal rape and murder in Florida has been executed, ending a case that haunted Orlando for over 30 years. Thomas Lee Godenas, age 51, was put to death by lethal injection on Tuesday at Florida State Prison in Stark. He'd been on death row since 1995 for the killing of Michelle McGrath, a 27-year-old former homecoming queen. McGrath was attacked in the early morning hours of May 24, 1994, after leaving a downtown

Orlando nightclub called Barbarella. She had spent the evening out with a friend. Around 2.45 a.m. she walked alone to her car. Godinus, who had also been in the club that night, followed her into the parking lot. He dragged her into an alley, raped her, and beat her to death. Her nude body was found hours later by a school employee at a private girl's school. Witnesses placed Godinus at the scene. A school worker saw him fleeing the alley. A second woman testified that he had chased her to her car

the same night and threatened to attack her. For decades, Gudinus argued that he suffered from mental illness and was not fit to be executed. He is the seventh person executed in Florida in 2025. A grieving mother speaks for the first time after the loss of her three young daughters in Washington state where the girl's father remains on the run charged with their murders. In an unplanned moment before a crowd of thousands at a memorial at Rocky Reach Park, Whitney Decker stepped up to the mic speaking

of Peyton, Evelyn, and Olivia weeks after their bodies were found. Thank you everyone for being here tonight and the outpouring of love that you have shown me and my family over the past few weeks. I truly hope that the legacy of the girls' lives lives in everyone's heart forever. They were incredible. Meanwhile, the manhunt continues for their father, Travis Decker. He has now been charged with their murders, and this is the fourth week of the search for the outdoorsman with Army Ranger training. Police have not confirmed any sightings since early this month.

The girls were found with their hands bound and plastic bags over their heads. Lori Page's dad dies in jail before facing trial for the rape and murder of his 12-year-old daughter whose body was found nearly two years after she went missing. Andrew Wiley, 36, suffered a medical emergency at the Leon County Jail. Preliminary autopsy found he died from a pulmonary embolism. He had been behind bars since April, charged with second-degree murder in the death of his daughter. Prosecutors believe she may have been pregnant at the time of her disappearance and that

Wiley was the father. They said Wiley had bought the emergency contraceptive Plan B and was being treated for STD around the same time. Lori vanished in June of 2023. In April, during a prescribed burn in the woods in Thomas County, Georgia, search crews were led to Lori's body. Because of the condition of the remains, the cause of death could not be determined. Wiley was arrested shortly after. At the time Wiley bought Plan B, his girlfriend was away for National Guard training. Investigators believe the pill and STD treatments he received from his own medical appointments were meant for Lori.

An Irvine, California dog trainer is arrested after at least 11 dogs in his care die, many secretly cremated without their owner's consent. Police arrested 53-year-old Kwong Chun Sit, who went by Tony, and his 23-year-old girlfriend Ting Feng Lu. The case began when a pet owner questioned why their dog had been cremated without permission. Detectives soon linked Sit to 11 dead dogs. They believed nine of the deaths happened on the same day. Some remains were found at local crematoriums, others already reduced to ash.

In several cases, Sit and Lu dropped the bodies off while pretending to be the owners. Many families received only brief messages letting them know, like, quote, Luna passed away peacefully during the owners. Many families received only brief messages letting them know like, quote, Luna passed away peacefully during the night. Luna has been lovingly cremated. Investigators believe cremation was used to cover up what really happened. Three necropsies have been completed. Two died from heat stroke. One died from blunt force trauma. Sit, yes, that's his real name, Sit. He owned a business called Happy Canine Academy. He faces nearly 14 years. His girlfriend is charged as an accessory and could face up to four years. For the latest crime and justice news, follow Crime Alert's hourly update on your favorite

podcast app. With this Crime Alert, I'm Drew Nelson.