Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - UHC CEO Murder: Traces of DNA Found on Shell Casings and Water Bottle | Crime Alert Hourly Update Bonus Podcast

Episode Date: December 6, 2024

Today we'd like to direct your attention to another podcast - the new Crime Alert Hourly Update. The CrimeOnline team delivers hourly updates on breaking crime news as it happens throughout the day! Follow now on your favorite podcast app: https://link.podtrac.com/CrimeAlertHourlyUpdate In the case of UHC CEO Brian Thompson's slaying, police have collected at least two DNA samples linked to the suspect. A jury in Manhattan remains deadlocked in the high-profile homicide case of former Marine Daniel Penny for the chokehold death of a mentally ill street performer on a subway train in 2023. Drew Nelson reports.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Crime Alert Hourly Update. Breaking crime news now. I'm Drew Nelson. Here's the latest on the manhunt for the killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City. Police have collected a DNA sample linked to the suspect, and a recent photo shows the man smiling at the front desk of the hostel where he stayed. The investigation, now in its third day, continues as authorities chase new leads in search for more evidence. Detectives have recovered a DNA sample related to the case and sent it to the Office of the Chief Medical

Examiner for testing. They say there may be DNA that pinpoints the suspect from a bottle of water from a Starbucks where the suspect was seen and also from shell casings recovered at the scene. Authorities also released security footage from the hostel showing the suspect briefly removing his mask upon checking in. Philip Klein, a former bodyguard for Brian Thompson, expressed shock that the CEO had no security detail with him. Klein, whose firm Klein Investigations provided security for Thompson in the past, told TMZ, quote, he was a high-profile figure in a hostile industry. He should have had protection. Klein also noted that Thompson was not wearing a protective vest, as recommended.

The suspect's resemblance to celebrities like Timothee Chalamet and Jake Gyllenhaal has sparked online chatter. Still, law enforcement remains focused on gathering more evidence, including more surveillance images of the suspect's face. The investigation has also turned to Minneapolis, where Thompson lived. Investigators are looking into recent threats against him, which may be linked to his work with UnitedHealthcare and ongoing disputes over denied insurance claims. Investigators are offering a $10,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest. Stay with Crime Alert as we bring you the latest on the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson with updates as soon as we get them.

More crime and justice news after this. A jury in Manhattan remains deadlocked in a high-profile homicide case. Former Marine Daniel Penny is on trial for the chokehold death of Jordan Neely on a subway train in 2023. Judge Maxwell Wiley has instructed the jury to just keep on deliberating. The jury said earlier today that they were unable to reach a unanimous decision on a manslaughter charge. Penny's attorneys are arguing for a mistrial, saying the jury is hopelessly deadlocked, but Judge Wiley denied the request. The jury has only been deliberating for 20 hours over four days. Penny, age 26, faces one count of second-degree manslaughter and one count of criminally negligent homicide.

Jurors must consider manslaughter first. If they find Penny not guilty on that charge, then they can decide on the lesser charge. Penny faces up to 15 years in prison for the manslaughter charge. Neely, age 30, was a homeless street performer struggling with mental illness. On May 1st of last year, he boarded a subway train in Manhattan. Witnesses say he was yelling, throwing down his jacket, and even talking about not caring if he died. Penny put Neely in a chokehold and held him down for several minutes. When police arrived, Neely was unresponsive. Prosecutors say Penny acted recklessly by holding Neely for too long, even after he stopped moving. Prosecutor Daphna

Uran argued, quote, we are here today because the defendant used way too much force for way too long. Penny testified that he did not intend to harm Neely, telling police, quote, I wasn't trying to injure him. I'm just trying to keep him from hurting anybody else. The jury will continue their deliberations after receiving an Allen charge from the judge, also known as a dynamite charge. That's an instruction given by the judge to a deadlocked jury to encourage them to keep deliberating and try to reach a unanimous verdict. The charge aims to prevent a mistrial by asking jurors to reevaluate their positions, consider each other's arguments, and try to reach a unanimous verdict. The charge aims to prevent a mistrial by asking jurors to re-evaluate their positions, consider each other's arguments,

and work towards a consensus without compromising their honest beliefs. In addition to the criminal trial, Jordan Neely's father, Andre Zachary, has filed a lawsuit against Daniel Penny. The lawsuit accuses Penny of negligence and assault and battery leading to Neely's death. Zachary is seeking damages. Penny's lawyer is dismissing the suit as a distraction and arguing that it was intended to apply pressure during the ongoing criminal proceedings. The case has divided New Yorkers, some seeing Penny as a protector who stepped in to prevent harm, others viewing his actions as reckless, especially giving Neely's mental health struggles. A teenage girl in Texas remains missing

after disappearing near the border in 2017. Jaslyn Elisa Chavez Ramirez, age 17, was last seen August 19th of 2017 in Aguileres, Texas. She was traveling with a group of migrants after crossing the border from Mexico. Jaslyn had separated from her group to rest while others moved ahead. The rest of the group walked for about an hour, reaching the road where they were arrested. Jaslyn was not with them. She has not been seen since. Authorities believe she may have died in the desert. Jaslyn Chavez is Guatemalan. She has sandy brown hair, brown eyes, and a large mole on the back of her left thigh. She's somewhere between 5 feet and 5 feet 5, weighing between 120 and 135 pounds. Last seen wearing a black t-shirt with white lettering and light brown Timberland boots,

carrying a Samsung J7 phone in a white case. Anyone with information on the case of Jaslyn Chavez should contact the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office at 953-383-8114. 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. This is an iHeart Podcast.