Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Teacher Accused of Molesting 11-Y-O Wants Charges Dropped |Crime Alert Sunday Recap 09.15.24

Episode Date: September 15, 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. �� Teacher Accused of Molesting 11-Y-O Wants Charges Dropped Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Crime Alert, hourly update, breaking crime news now. I'm Drew Nelson. Now an update on the case of Madison Bergman, a former teacher charged with sexual misconduct with an 11-year-old boy. She's asking to have charges against her dismissed, arguing that the text messages between her and a student were not explicit enough to warrant charges of sexual assault. Madison Bergman is 24 years old. She faces 10 charges, including first-degree child sexual assault and multiple

counts of sexual misconduct. Her lawyer argues that the messages from the 11-year-old boy did not specifically mention touching intimate parts of the body. Here's Bergman's attorney, Joseph Tamburino, in court. What are those parts? The breast, buttock, anus, groin, scrotum, penis, vagina, or pubic mound of a human being. The statute does not say that it's the chest or the chest area or the breast area. It doesn't say any of that or the sternum or the clavicle. It's very specific. The Wisconsin legislature said that in order for there to be sexual contact, it has to fall in one of the specific areas of the body. The defense is trying to get the charges dismissed on the grounds that the boy had referred to his chest rather than an intimate part. But the judge rejected this argument, saying, quote, it would be absurd to require a child to use the same language that the state legislature has chosen for our

statutes. Bergman is a former teacher at River Crest Elementary School in Hudson, Wisconsin. She was arrested after the victim's parents discovered the inappropriate messages between her and their son. According to the criminal complaint, the boy's mother overheard a conversation between him and Bergman, which led to her checking his phone. She found messages describing physical contact and making out between the teacher and student. The parents reported the incident to the school and Bergman was arrested. The text messages read aloud in court included one from Bergman that said, quote, I love having my hand on your chest. I could feel your heart beating so

much. Ha ha. In another, she writes, quote, when I grabbed your shirt and I pulled you into me, oh my goodness, I want to lick your abs. Ha ha. The boy responded by saying, quote, when I grabbed your shirt and I pulled you into me, oh, my goodness, I want to lick your abs. Ha ha. The boy responded by saying, quote, I loved it because you just kept kissing me. Bergman was originally charged with first degree child sexual assault. But since her arrest, nine additional charges have been added. Five counts of sexual misconduct by school staff, two counts of child enticement, and exposing a child to harmful descriptions. Investigators found over 50 handwritten notes between Bergman and the boy, with many discussing their romantic encounters. The two allegedly exchanged more than 35,000 text messages over several months. The alleged misconduct took place in Bergman's classroom during lunch or after

school hours. When police searched her classroom, they found a folder with the boy's name on it, containing letters that referenced kissing and other inappropriate interactions. Bergman's social media indicated her arrest came less than three months before her planned wedding. I'm Nicole Parton. In Fort Lauderdale, police have announced the arrest and charging of three family members, along with two others in connection to the tragic death of a seven-year-old boy, Deontay Atwell. Authorities revealed that the young boy passed away due to severe malnutrition, weighing only seven pounds at his death. The individuals facing charges include the boy's 37-year-old mother, Michelle Doe, who has been charged with first-degree murder, among other things.

Also arrested, the boy's 21-year-old brother, Tyreek Irvin. He faces first-degree murder charges and failure to report child abuse. Additionally, the child's 70-year-old grandfather, James Brown, charged with aggravated manslaughter and failure to report child abuse. Furthermore, a 47-year-old home health provider, Mirland Amita, is facing charges of third-degree manslaughter and Medicaid fraud. Lastly, the boy's home health nurse, 33-year-old Cassandra Lasig, has been charged with third-degree murder and Medicaid fraud. The authorities were alerted to a medical emergency involving a young boy at a residence in Fort Lauderdale. Despite being rushed to the Broward Medical Center, the boy was pronounced dead. Medical professionals noted that Atwell was likely deceased for an extended period of time.

Subsequent investigations uncovered that Atwell had underlying medical conditions, including spinal bifida and hydrocephalus, necessitating the need for around-the-clock home health medical care. Deontay had both a feeding tube and a breathing tube. An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was severe malnutrition with a distressing detail that his bones were visible through openings in his skin. Police say they found 264 unopened bottles of his feeding formula, suggesting a potential Medicaid fraud scheme and the fact that they didn't feed the young boy. Detective Jacqueline Sanchez fought back emotions as she spoke about the boy's tragic death. It was very disturbing. I can tell you I lost sleep more than once.

He had gaping holes from bed sores where his bones were protruding during the autopsy. It's sad to say that Deontay had suffered all the way through his death. The individuals facing charges appeared in court on Wednesday. All are being held without bond except the boy's grandfather, who was released on a $50,000 bond. The investigation is ongoing with the Fort Lauderdale Police collaborating with the Office of the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud and Control Unit, as well as Broward State Attorney's Office. Anyone with information relevant to the case is urged to contact the authorities. I'm Jennifer Gould. Court documents have revealed chilling new details about the brutal murders of two Kansas moms, Veronica Butler

and Jillian Kelly, who were killed by members of a radical anti-government cult. The women were last seen alive on March 30th, 2024, as they embarked on a road trip to Oklahoma to pick up Butler's children. Their car, though, was found abandoned close to the state border. The woman's bodies then were later discovered in a chest freezer that had been dumped in a cow pasture. They found it on April 14th. Five members of the cult known as, quote, God's misfits were arrested in connection with the killings. They are Tiffany Adams, 54, the grandmother of Butler's children, her boyfriend, Tad Cullum, 43, Cole and Cora Toombley, 50 and 54, and Paul Grice, 31 years old. LaDonna Thompson, Veronica Butler's aunt, spoke to News 4. How can you hate the mother of your grandchildren so much that you want to end her life?

According to court documents, the murders were the culmination of a plot hatched by the group due to a bitter custody dispute between Butler and Adams. The group allegedly believed that Butler was unfit to care for her children and sought to eliminate her. Wrangler Rickman, Adams' son, who had custody of the children, was confirmed to be in an Oklahoma rehabilitation facility at the time of the women's disappearance, but Butler was still allowed supervised visitation with her children every Saturday and was likely to be granted unsupervised visitation during an upcoming hearing, according to the court documents. The documents also paint a gruesome picture of the killings. Butler, it is alleged, was stabbed to death by Grice, who sustained a deep cut to his hand during the attack. Kelly, on the other hand, was allegedly suffocated after using a stun gun by Cullum. The bodies were then placed in a freezer

and transported to the burial site. To cover their tracks, the group allegedly disposed of evidence including clothing stained with the victim's blood and the murder weapon. The Toombley couple, according to court records, acted as lookouts during the killings. Adams, meanwhile, is accused of purchasing burner phones, stun guns, and other items used in the crime. The state is arguing that all five defendants face a joint preliminary hearing as all of them conspired and participated in the murders of Butler and Kelly. The suspects face a slew of charges, including first-degree murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit murder. If convicted, they could face life in prison or the death penalty. For the latest

crime and justice news, follow the Crime Alert hourly update on your favorite podcast app. With this Crime Alert, I'm Jennifer Gould. This is an iHeart Podcast.