Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Father Convicted for Girlfriend's Bludgeoning: Her Daughter Still Missing | Crime Alert 05.27.25

Episode Date: May 27, 2025

Man convicted for beating his daughter's mother to death, but their child is still missing. Man caught with stolen live chicken surrenders to protect 'Polly.'  For more crime and justice news go to crimeonline.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Crime alert, hourly update, breaking crime news now. I'm Sydney Sumner. Jose Morales, high on PCP, strikes his girlfriend and the mother of his child, Christine Holloway, in the head, repeatedly brutally killing her. Morales spends more than a day disposing of the evidence, dumping a blood-stained diaper genie and a towel in a clothing donation bin.

The couple's 14-month-old daughter, Vanessa, was last seen two days before authorities find Christine's body in the bathtub of their Milford, Connecticut apartment. Morales insists he is not responsible for Christine's murder, claiming two burglars broke in, attacked Christine, and kidnapped Vanessa. Prosecutors argue that Morales may have no memory of the murder due to his drug use, but the only logical explanation is that Morales killed Christine. Morales is found guilty of murder by a jury and faces up to 65 years in prison for killing Christine.

The father is still a suspect in Vanessa's disappearance, and legal experts say it's not likely he will receive any kind of sentence reduction in exchange for help finding his daughter due to his lack of memory regarding the incident. The Holloway family became emotional when they learned Morales was found guilty, saying they can now focus on bringing Vanessa home. The little girl would be almost six today. A woman frantically calls 911 to report her ex-boyfriend has kicked open her door and stolen her pet chicken while screaming, I've got poly. She tells

officers her ex just got out of prison and seems extremely fragile. When police catch up with the unnamed 50-year-old, he's crying and hiding in a wooded area on the side of the road in Kitsap County, Washington, still clutching the chicken. Bodycam footage shows deputies approaching the man in the woods. Hey! Show us your hands! Stand up! Show me your hands.

That's fine. Just hold your chicken. I'm not going to hurt your chicken. Hey, relax a little. I'm going to have you put the chicken in here for a second. The officers allow the man to safely place the chicken in a patrol vehicle before he's placed in cuffs for residential burglary and violating an order of protection. More crime and justice news after this.

Now with the latest crime and justice breaking news, crime aligns John Lemley. We began with an update on this month's deadly shooting at a Las Vegas fitness center. Police have identified the victim as 31-year-old Edgar Quiones, a longtime employee at the Las Vegas Athletic Club. Investigators now say Quiones had no known connection to the gunman. According to Assistant Sheriff Jamie Prosser of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, the shooter, 34-year-old Daniel Ortega, was a gym member who entered the facility armed with a rifle. He briefly interacted with a staff member before opening fire on Quiñones, who tried to run.

Police say Ortega fired 24 rounds as he moved through the building. Three others were injured, one critically. Ortega was shot by officers as he exited the gym and later died at a hospital. Authorities say the motive remains unclear. The investigation continues. Authorities say the May 16th escape of 10 inmates from a New Orleans jail wasn't just a case of faulty locks and staffing shortages. Now, a jail employee faces criminal charges.

Crime Online correspondent Sydney Sumner has the latest on what investigators say was a carefully aided breakout. A 33-year-old maintenance worker at the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office has been arrested for allegedly helping 10 inmates escape from jail. Sterling Williams is accused of turning off water to a jail cell at the Orleans Justice Center at the request of one of the inmates. That move, according to the Louisiana Attorney General's Office, allowed the men to slip through a hole behind a toilet.

Investigators say the decision wasn't a mistake. In a statement, the AG's office said, quote, instead of reporting the inmate, Williams turned the water off as directed, allowing the inmates to carry out their scheme. Williams now faces 10 counts of principal to simple escape and malfeasance in office. The breakout happened in the early morning hours of May 16th, while the only guard on duty left to get food. The inmates, some charged or convicted of violent crimes including murder, shed their jail uniforms, changed clothes, and vanished.

According to the Sheriff's Office, at least one steel bar protecting the plumbing had been deliberately cut with a tool. Sheriff Susan Hudson has repeatedly called the escape an inside job. She suspended three employees and pointed to ongoing issues like broken locks and staffing gaps, but many state and local officials are pointing the blame back at her. The New Orleans City Council met with jail and law enforcement officials in recent days to question how 10 men were able to walk out of a locked facility. It's been more than two months since Irene Webster Fry walked away from her home in Shelby,

North Carolina, on foot. She was last seen walking on Burke Road toward Cleveland Avenue. Police say Irene, who suffers from a cognitive impairment, may be en route to Morristown, Tennessee. It's not known what she was wearing. Irene, 65, is Caucasian, about 200 pounds, and 5 feet 7 inches tall. Irene has dentures but does not always wear them. She sometimes walks with a cane. Anyone with information about Irene Webster Fry's whereabouts is urged to contact the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office at 704-484-4822. For the latest crime and justice news, be sure to follow the Crime Alert hourly update

on your favorite podcast app. With this Crime Alert, I'm Sydney Sumner.