Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Man Repays Kindness w Murder Says "God Told Him To" | Crime Alert Recap Sunday 02.02.25

Episode Date: February 2, 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 three of our top stories this week:  An elderly couple who opened their doors to help get a man 'back on his feet' repays their generosity by killing one of them, saying "God told him to"... Morgan Creel is facing murder charges after police say she burned her infant son to death with a hairdryer after she passed out.  Susan Smith, the South Carolina mother who drowned her two young sons in 1994 is now a "complete nightmare" in prison after being denied parole. Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to an iHeart Podcast. Crime Alert, hourly update, breaking crime news now. I'm Jennifer Gould. A horrifying act of betrayal in Florida. A man who was welcomed into the home of a generous elderly couple to help him get back on his feet, repays them by brutally murdering one of them. The vicious attack happened while the couple was simply watching TV in their home on the 5200 block of Old Oak Road in Milton near Mobile, Alabama.

31-year-old Toby White stabbed Lucy Reed multiple times with a butcher knife in front of her horrified husband. Santa Rosa Sheriff Bob Johnson spoke to ABC3 News. A husband of the victim said that when he asked him why did he do that, he said God told him to. That was his answer. The crime scene was gruesome. Reed suffered several stab wounds primarily to her chest and abdomen, which were fatal. The butcher knife used in the murder was found at the scene, still bearing traces of her blood. In a desperate attempt to save his wife, the husband wrapped the 77-year-old in a blanket and drove her to Santa Rosa Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. The suspect had been living in a camper on the couple's property for several months, having met them through a mutual

friend. He was granted access to their home under the condition that one of the couple was present. Following the murder, White fled, initiating a high-stakes manhunt. He was first spotted driving a stolen vehicle, leading to a police chase that spanned multiple counties. Unbeknownst to the initial pursuing officers, White was not only a suspect in a car theft, but also in Reed's murder. The chase ended when White crashed the car after which he tried to escape on foot. The foot chase took officers through wooded areas and residential neighborhoods, but law enforcement, utilizing canine units and aerial support,

managed to corner him in a wooded area behind a residential property. White was arrested after a brief struggle, still wearing the bloodstained clothes from the crime. White's criminal history is extensive. He had been arrested seven times in Santa Rosa County since 2011, with a recent arrest in August of 2023 for grand theft of a vehicle, weapons offenses, and possession by a convicted felon. He was sentenced to one year in jail with time served credited, followed by two years of probation. Released from jail less than two weeks before the murder, White was on probation when he allegedly killed Reed. Currently, he awaits extradition back to Santa Rosa County

to face murder charges and more. I'm Nicole Parton. A mother from Georgia is facing second degree murder charges after her baby tragically died from burns caused by a hairdryer, allegedly while the mother was under the influence of drugs. In November 2023, 32-year-old Morgan Allison Creel contacted emergency services in Coweta County when she discovered her infant son unresponsive after waking up from a nap. Creel informed authorities that she had been using a hair dryer to warm her baby and then fell asleep during the process. When responders arrived, they found the child with severe burns, particularly on his right side, and despite their attempts to revive him through CPR,

he was pronounced dead at the scene. During their investigation, authorities noticed a marijuana-smoking device on Creel's back porch, leading them to suspect she was impaired at the time of the incident. She was initially charged with second-degree cruelty to children and later released on bond. Almost a year later, while still on bond, Creel was arrested for DUI after allegedly driving erratically. Fox 6 shares the body cam footage. So, why were you swerving back there real bad?

Fox started sneezing real bad so you are being placed under arrest recently a grand jury has added a charge of second degree murder against her claiming she inflicted quote cruel and excessive physical and mental pain by leaving the blow dryer on the baby while she was unconscious and intoxicated. As of January 24, Creel was taken into custody and booked into the Coweta County Jail. I'm Drew Nelson, a South Carolina mother who drowned her two young sons in 1994 is now a complete nightmare in prison after being denied parole.

That's according to a corrections officer who spoke to the New York Post. Susan Smith, now 53 years old, has served 30 years of a life sentence for the murders of 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alexander. She was denied parole on November 20th after a hearing where she pleaded for mercy.

I know that what I did was so horrible. And I would give anything if I could go back and change it. That was then. This is now. A prison worker at Leith Correctional Facility tells the New York Post, Smith's behavior changed immediately after the decision. Quote, last year, when she had a chance of getting out, she was really cooperative, helpful, even pleasant. But now she's the complete opposite, just rude and all the time. Overnight, she went from being a model prisoner to a complete

nightmare. Smith gained national attention in 1994 when she rolled her car into John D. Long Lake in Union, South Carolina, with her two sons strapped inside. The vehicle took six minutes to sink. Smith initially told police a black man had carjacked her, sparking a nationwide search. Nine days later, she admitted to the murders. Investigators revealed she wanted to be with a man who did not want children. She was convicted in 1995 and sentenced to life with a chance of

parole after 30 years. Her ex-husband, David Smith, opposed her release, wearing a pin with pictures of their sons. Quote, God gives us free choice, and she made free choice that night to end their life. This wasn't a tragic mistake. She purposefully meant to end their life. Smith will have another chance at parole next year, but David has vowed to fight against her release every time. For the latest crime and justice news, follow Crime Alert hourly update on your favorite podcast app. With this Crime Alert, I'm Drew Nelson. You're listening to an iHeart Podcast.