Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Kidnapper Locks Woman in Cinder Block Cell| Crime Alert Recap Sunday 10.13.24

Episode Date: October 13, 2024

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 one of our top stories this week.   A woman escaped repeated sex assault after she is kidnapped and locked in a cinder block cell in man's home.  Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. her to his home in Klamath Falls and imprisoning her in July of 2023. His trial, which began this week with jury selection, marks the latest development in a disturbing case that has captured national attention. The victim's focus, actions, and her will to survive triggered a law enforcement response that may have actually saved many other women from a similar nightmare. The federal prosecution there, they say Zuberi posed as an undercover officer when he approached the woman in Seattle. He allegedly restrained her with handcuffs, transported her 450 miles across state lines, and held her captive in the cell he built in his garage. After hours in captivity, the woman escaped by breaking the cell's door with her hands.

She managed to flee the property and found help from a passerby who called police. Zuberi was arrested the next day in Reno, Nevada, where police officers found him with one of his children in the Walmart parking lot. The trial also includes charges linked to another kidnapping in May of 2023, where Zuberi is accused of abducting a woman in Klamath Falls. Prosecutors say he used a taser to control the victim, then restrained and assaulted her during the drive. Evidence collected by investigators includes video footage of Zuberi purchasing cinder blocks, handwritten notes outlining plans to kidnap multiple women, and a list of quote-unquote ideal victims. According to the FBI, he allegedly sought to create a quote, underground army by holding women captive and forcing them to bear his

children. Jury selection in Medford's U.S. District Court has drawn considerable attention. Prosecutors have compiled over 500 exhibits and are expected to call at least 70 witnesses. Witnesses include FBI agents, local law enforcement, and medical personnel who treated the victims. Zuberi has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He's set to face eight federal counts, including kidnapping, illegal possession of firearms, and attempted escape. His trial is expected to last three weeks, with a detailed look into what authorities describe as a calculated and premeditated plan to capture and control vulnerable women. I'm Jennifer Gould. A Florida woman accused of killing her boyfriend by zipping him up in a suitcase has rejected a plea deal and is now facing a trial that's been delayed multiple times, most recently due to Hurricane Milton. Sarah Boone, 46, is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of her boyfriend, George Torres, 42, in February of 2020.

Torres was found dead inside a suitcase at the couple's Winter Park apartment. Boone initially claimed that she and Torres were playing a drunken game of hide-and-seek when she accidentally zipped him up in the suitcase. She says she fell asleep and didn't realize he was trapped until the next morning. However, prosecutors believe

that Boone intentionally killed Torres. A video discovered on Boone's phone after her arrest has recently gone viral. It shows Boone laughing and taunting Torres as he struggles to escape the suitcase. Here's part of that video. For everything you've done to me. For everything you've done to me. For everything you've done to me. Sarah. For everything you've done to me. Sarah. F*** you.

Sarah. F*** you. Sarah. Stupid. Sarah. That's my name. Don't wear it up. In the meantime, Boone has now rejected a plea deal that would have resulted in a 15 year prison sentence delay in the case, which has been plagued by

numerous issues, including the withdrawal of eight defense attorneys. The suitcase video also adds another layer of complexity to this case. Boone's defense attorney, James Owens, has indicated that he plans to use the battered spouse syndrome as a defense strategy. He argues that Boone was a victim of abuse and that her actions were the result of that trauma. In addition to the trial delays and the viral video, Boone has also faced other legal challenges. Just last week, a judge denied her request for professional hairstyling and makeup for her trial due to security reasons. Boone's legal team argued that the denial was unfair and would prejudice her case. Despite the numerous setbacks, Boone remains confident in her defense. Her attorney has stated he believes she's innocent and he will prove it at trial. I'm Nicole Parton. New details have emerged from court records in Jasper County, Indiana, shedding light on a death investigation that has been ongoing since September.

Police began looking into the activities of Steve Vallee, 31, and Samantha Sabella, 25, after receiving a report on September 20. Vallee was allegedly reported to have confessed to killing his two young children, burying them in a fire pit. It was also suggested that he smothered his firstborn and drowned his secondborn child. Authorities visit a property in Wheatfield where Vallee was said to have buried his children, but he no longer lived there. The current property owner allowed a search leading to the discovery of bone fragments near a fire pit and in the garage. The materials were sent for analysis, which confirmed they were bone fragments but could not determine their origin. A neighbor who wishes to remain anonymous spoke to Fox 59. I was hoping that it wasn't real.

When they started digging around, I was hoping that they wouldn't find anything, that this was just going to be a bad rumor, but I'm starting to feel like it wasn't. And it just makes me feel very, very uneasy and sad and sick. Further investigation revealed messages on Sabella's phone indicating Valet had killed and burned multiple children. Valet later admitted to burying two children in his backyard after they were prematurely born and died. He claimed to have saved some of their ashes to make a necklace. Police revealed that Valet told them the children were buried for three to five years before he dug them up and burned them

in his fire pit. Vale added that he saved some of those ashes. Vale and Sabella were both arrested and charged with murder and abuse of corpse, obstruction of justice, and failure to report a dead body. It was also noted that the deceased children may have been undocumented as authorities could not find any official records of their existence. Another child currently in their care has been removed. No additional information is available, but police say this is an ongoing investigation. 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. This is an iHeart Podcast.