Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Laken Snelling Withdraws From School|Crime Alert Recap Saturday

Episode Date: September 6, 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: Laken Snelling withdraws from school. A dad hunts down & shoots his teen daughter's accused rapist in a roadside clash...after the family says he kidnapped her. A YouTube comment threatening to “shoot up” and “skin” Black preschoolers leads to federal charges against a North Carolina man. Former Alaskan Airlines pilot; Joseph Emerson is accused of trying to stop the engines of an aircraft that was travelling with over 80 passengers on board.  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. Lakeon Snelling, the University of Kentucky student charged in the death of her newborn is out of jail on a $100,000 bond. She pleaded not guilty in the case and is now on house arrest with her parents, but community outrage is apparent because of it. Snelling is not on an ankle monitor and has some freedom of movement. Police say they found Snelling's newborn baby boy dead and wrapped. in a towel inside a black trash bag hidden in a closet. In court records, Snelling admitted to giving birth and cleaning up the evidence. She's now facing charges of concealing the birth of an infant, tampering with physical evidence

and abuse of a corpse. Snelling, a senior and a member of the school's stunt team has now withdrawn from school and the stunt team. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 26th. The coroner's report found the cause of death. was inconclusive and an extensive microscopic analysis is necessary to determine the cause and manner of death. For more on this progressing story, tune in to crime stories with Nancy Grace on Box One, our YouTube channel, and on your favorite podcast app. More crime and justice news

after this. I'm Jennifer Gould. In a terrifying clash of a father's rage and a monster's depravity, an Arkansas man is accused of shooting and killing his 14-year-old daughter's alleged rapist after finding the teen in the suspect's car. The lethal encounter followed a relentless pursuit on a rural highway, ending with a violent roadside execution that has sparked debate over vigilanteism and justice. The father, Aaron Spencer 37, a former Army soldier, faces second-degree murder charges, even as his wife insists he was acting as any parent would to save their child. Low Note County Sheriff Jay Staley posted this on the department's Facebook page. I have not, nor will I advocate for any specific charge. This is a tragic situation

and my thoughts and prayers are with all those involved. The harrowing ordeal began in July of 24 when the teen was allegedly targeted, groomed, and raped by 67-year-old Michael Fossler, a boyfriend of a family friend. Fossler was charged and arrested for rape and internet stalking. And despite the charges, he was released on a $50,000 bond with a no contact order. Months later, though, at midnight on October 8th, the parents found that their daughter was gone. After a frantic 9-1-1 call, they took matters into their own hands, driving through the night until they spotted Fossler's vehicle with their daughter in the passenger seat. According to court documents, Aaron Spencer, made a U-turn and relentlessly pursued Fossler,

eventually rear-ending his car and forcing it off the road. The father told police he saw his daughter trying to exit the car, but Fossler grabbed her. He yelled for Fossler to get out, but the old. soldier man allegedly lunged towards him with something in his hand while screaming an expletive. In that moment, the former soldier emptied his gun into Fossler until he ran out of bullets. Then in a savage frenzy, he jumped on the man and pistol whipped him. Immediately after a breathless Aaron Spencer called 911, telling the dispatcher, the kidnapper was, quote, dead on the side of the road, and quote, adding that he, quote, had no choice, end quote,

but to shoot him. He was initially charged with first-degree murder, but Lono County prosecutors later reduced the charge to second. His wife, Heather, has staunchly defended her husband. She insists, Aaron is a peaceful person who does not deserve to be treated as a criminal and says he is, in fact, a hero. The Spencer's case has captured the nation's attention with some praising Aaron's actions, while others argue the parents should have let,

police handle the situation. Various petitions demanding charges against Aaron be dropped have been signed by over 35,000 people. Aaron Spencer's trial is set for January of 26. I'm Drew Nelson. A YouTube comment threatening to shoot up and skin black preschoolers leads to federal charges against a North Carolina man. Zachary Charles Newell, age 25 of Newport,

is in custody after the FBI and, and Carteret County deputies trace the online posts to him. Prosecutors say Newell used the screen name commentators, hate me, posting racist threats under a YouTube video on August 27th. In one message, he wrote about murdering 20 black children, quote, like the animals they are. The next day, he posted another threat filled with racial slurs. Google flagged the comments and reported them to the FBI's National Threat Operations Center.

FBI director Cash Patel told our partners at Fox News Digital, quote, threats of violence against children are beyond unacceptable acts of cowardice. The FBI worked quickly with our partners in Carteret County to ensure this individual was taken into custody before he could act in Carteret County. These situations are always, once the information comes into our office, we always immediately begin conducting investigations and charging these individuals where appropriate. That's Sheriff Asin Newell on WCTI. Court records show deputies went to Newell's home. on August 31st. They confronted him about the YouTube threats, and he admitted making the posts. Police served a search warrant, and he was first charged in state court with communicating a threat of

mass violence on educational property. A magistrate set bond at $30,000, which he posted. That same night, deputies worked with the FBI to take him into federal custody on an interstate threat charge. FBI North Carolina's special agent in charge, James C. Barnacle told Fox News Digital, quote, your FBI will work with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to investigate threats directed at schools. This federal charge should be a warning to anyone who believes they can sit anonymously behind a keyboard and make violent threats. Officials stressed that Newell did not name a specific preschool and said there is no active threat to schools in Carteret County. But Sheriff Buck tells the TV station this isn't your typical school threat. Past most of the time they've been communicated by juveniles on either a student or a former student of a particular school.

If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison. I'm Nicole Parton, a former pilot for Alaska Airlines, Joseph Emerson, has reached a plea deal with both state and federal prosecutors regarding allegations that he attempted to disable the engines of a passenger flight while off duty in the cockpit in 2023. This according to his attorney, Noah Horst, who spoke on Thursday. Hors did not provide specifics about the plea agreement ahead of the scheduled change of plea hearing set for Friday in Oregon State and federal courts. He mentioned that Emerson chose to enter these agreements to take accountability for his actions and to minimize the potential for further incarceration. The incident occurred on October 22, 2023, when Emerson seated in an extra cockpit. seat on a horizon air flight from Everett, Washington to San Francisco, attempted to cut the engines. The aircraft was diverted to Portland, landing safely with over 80 passengers on board

after the crew restrained the man. Emerson informed authorities that he was struggling with grief following a friend's death and had consumed psychedelic mushrooms two days prior and had been awake for more than 40 hours. He claimed he was under the impression that he was dreaming and that his intention was to wake himself by reaching for the two red handles, which would have activated the fire suppression mechanism and shut off the fuel to the engines. He faces a federal charge for interfering with a flight crew and in a separate state indictment has been charged with 83 counts of endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft. Initially, Emerson pleaded not guilty to all charges, but is now anticipated to plead guilty to a federal charge and no contest to a state charge, which equates to a guilty plea in legal terms.

Release from custody in December 2023 while awaiting trial, Emerson is required to engage in mental health treatment, abstain from drugs and alcohol, and avoid proximity to aircraft. In the interim, he has established a nonprofit organization dedicated to address. mental health issues among pilots. This incident has sparked renewed discussions regarding cockpit safety and the mental wellness of individuals permitted to such critical roles. 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 I-Heart podcast.