Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Husband Beats Wife, Dog to Death with Clothing Iron | Crime Alert 04.09.25

Episode Date: April 9, 2025

Kristen Chavez beaten so horribly, she has to be identified through DNA analysis. Family pet manages to accidentally shoot their owner! For more crime and justice news go to crimeonline.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to an iHeart Podcast. Crime Alert, I'm Nancy Grace. Breaking crime news now. Early morning, Houston, Texas, driver's spot, three dogs frolicking along the Katy Freeway. The fate of their owner, 32-year-old Kristen Chavez, much darker. Police call to her home when they arrive. Her husband, 34-year-old Chance Zane Chavez, stands in the doorway covered in blood, hands up. He surrenders without incident inside. They find Kristen unresponsive in a bedroom. She suffered blunt force trauma.

A broken clothing iron lies nearby. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene. The fourth dog, a dachshund named Peaches, also dead on the roadside. Nancy, Kristen was so badly beaten she had to be identified through DNA analysis. Kristen's mother, Laura Bell, says the Chavez's marriage deteriorated and it was not a good situation, but Kristen remained by her husband's side, hoping things would improve. Chavez is charged with murder and his bond initially set at $250,000. However, at a second hearing on bail arguments, Chavez refused to leave his cell for the appearance,

delaying the hearing for several hours. Ultimately, a judge agreed to raise the bond amount. Bond $500,000. Prosecutors say animal cruelty charges to follow. 4 a.m. Memphis. Gunshots ring out. Jerking, Gerald Kirkwood and his female friend awake in bed. Kirkwood, 33, looks down to find his one-year-old pit bull Oreo with a paw caught in the trigger guard of a gun. In what he calls a freak accident, the gun goes off, grazing Kirkwood's thigh. Police respond.

Paramedics treat Kirkwood at the scene, then transport him in non-critical condition. Companion leaves before officers arrive, reportedly taking the gun with her. Police haven't said if the firearm or the woman was located. A reporter doesn't find Kirkwood home, but gets a chance to meet Oreo, state's witness. More crime and justice news after this. Now with the latest crime and justice breaking news, Crime Online's John Limley. We begin in New York as a Brooklyn mother and her two young daughters are dead, struck and killed while out for a walk by a driver police say had no business being behind the wheel. A four-year-old boy also

hit is now fighting for his life. The crash has devastated a community and sent shockwaves across the city. Authorities say Miriam Urimi was driving on a suspended license when she sped through a red light at a busy intersection, rear-ended another car, and then careened into the family in the crosswalk. The impact was so violent that her Audi flipped over. New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch called it a horrific tragedy, adding that Urimi should never have been on the road. Mayor Eric Adams described the loss as extremely painful and said the entire city mourns for the victims. Urimi, who was among those injured in the crash now faces multiple charges, including manslaughter and

criminally negligent homicide. In a significant development on the Las Vegas Strip, Resorts World faces a hefty penalty over allegations tied to illegal gaming activities. Our Sydney Sumner delves into the details surrounding this landmark case. Resorts World Las Vegas, a prominent fixture on the strip, has been fined $10.5 million by Nevada gaming regulators. This marks the second largest fine ever imposed by the Nevada Gaming Commission. The penalty addresses allegations that the casino engaged with individuals linked to illegal bookmaking and those with prior gambling-related felony convictions. Central to these allegations is Matthew Boyer, a Southern California bookmaker. Boyer accepted thousands of sport bets from Ipe Mizuhara, the former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Otani. Mizuhara was convicted of

bank fraud and tax evasion after embezzling nearly $17 million from Otani to cover gambling debts. He was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution. The Nevada Gaming Control Board's complaint highlighted that Resorts World permitted Boger to gamble over an 80-day span across approximately 15 months. During this period, Boger incurred losses exceeding $6.6 million. Despite these substantial losses, the casino extended various incentives to Boger, including complimentary gifts, discounts, and private jet flights. In response to the settlement, Resorts World and its parent company neither admitted nor denied the allegations. Meanwhile, Resorts World has

agreed to implement leadership changes and enforce stricter anti-money laundering protocols. Thanks, John. Rice still cooking on the stove, the first sign something's wrong. December 16, 44-year-old Chinsook Kim, a.k.a. Gina Beshears, vanishes from her Homewood, Alabama home. She lives in the basement of her hair salon, Shear Exposed, which police say is also a front for a brothel. Just one week before she disappears, the business is raided. When police check her living area, they find no signs of struggle, but it doesn't look like she leaves willingly. Her ID, personal items, and both of her cars left behind. Beshears has black hair, brown eyes, facial scars from chicken pox, a circular scar on her upper arm or shoulder. Gina Beshears, Asian, 5'2", 115 pounds. If you have info,

please contact Homewood PD, 205-332-6200. For the latest crime and justice news, go to CrimeOnline.com and please join us for our daily podcast, Crime Stories. We do our best to find missing people, especially children, and solve unsolved homicides. With this crime alert, I'm Nancy Grace. You're listening to an iHeart Podcast.