Murder In America - EP. 124 NEW YORK - The Nanny From Hell: The Murders Of 6 & 2 Year Old Lucia and Leo Krim

Episode Date: September 8, 2023

In 2012, a disturbing crime ROCKED the New York City neighborhood of Manhattan. On that day, a deranged woman took the lives of the two children she had been hired to look after... and what she did to them was horrific. This is the story of the murders of 6 & 2 year old Lucia and Leo Krim, and you're listening to MURDER IN AMERICA. - Sign up for HELLOFRESH today using our custom code to get 50% off your first order and 15% off your first two months!! Just head to https://www.hellofresh.com/state50 and use our code "STATE50"! - Stay Connected: Join the Murder in America fam in our free Facebook Community for a behind-the-scenes look, more insights and current events in the true crime world: https://www.facebook.com/groups/4365229996855701 If you want even more Murder in America bonus content, including ad-free episodes, come join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/murderinamerica Instagram: http://instagram.com/murderinamerica/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/people/Murder-in-America-Podcast/100086268848682/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MurderInAmerica TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theparanormalfiles and https://www.tiktok.com/@courtneybrowen Feeling spooky? Follow Colin as he travels state to state (and even country to country!) investigating claims of extreme paranormal activity and visiting famous haunted locations on The Paranormal Files Official Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheParanormalFilesOfficialChannel - (c) BLOOD IN THE SINK PRODUCTIONS 2023 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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a ton of different outfits with it. And I could not believe the price of it. I actually had to go back and double check it because it is such good quality. I could not believe how affordable it was. But that's been my experience with everything I've gotten from Quince. They're so affordable and their items are amazing, and I know you will love them too. So refresh your every day with luxury that you'll actually use. Head to quince.com slash America for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com slash America for free shipping and 365-day returns. Quince.com slash America. The following podcast is not suitable for all audiences. We go

into great detail with every case that we cover and do our best to bring viewers even deeper into the stories by utilizing disturbing audio and sound effects. Trigger warnings from the stories we cover may include violence, rape, murder, and offenses against children. This podcast is not for everyone. You have been warned. On October 25, 2012, 37-year-old Kevin Krem was on a plane from California to New York. The Harvard graduate had recently started a job at C. and BC, and that week he had been in California for a work conference. But Kevin's heart was in New York City, where his wife and three young children were. The family had moved there two years prior, and life was going really well for them. They had money, a luxurious New York City apartment,

job security, and more importantly, a very happy life. So that day, after a long week, Kevin was excited to go home and spend some time with his family. However, as soon as his plane landed at the JFK airport, Kevin turned on his cell phone and suddenly had dozens of text and phone calls coming in. And everyone was asking if he was okay. Kevin was confused. But before he could figure out what was going on, the captain of the airplane announced over the intercom that a certain passenger needed to be escorted off. Soon enough, a flight attendant tapped him on the shoulder and said, follow me.

At that moment, Kevin felt a knot in his stomach. What was going on? As he followed the flight attendant to the front of the airplane, Kevin got another phone call, this time from his brother-in-law, who regrettably informed him that something horrible had happened to his children. From here, two police officers approvals, approached Kevin, placed him into the back of a car, and escorted him to St. Luke's Hospital.

In the entire ride, Kevin sat in silence, trying to comprehend what was going on. Were they in a car crash? Was this a tragic accident? Once at the hospital, Kevin was met by a doctor who informed him that two of his three children, six-year-old Lucia and two-year-old Leo, were dead, and that their nanny, a woman they had trusted to come into their home and care for them, was responsible. So this is the story of Lucia and Leo Crem. I'm Courtney Brown. And I'm Colin Brown. And you're listening to Murder in America.

This tragedy occurred. Kevin and Marina had the ideal life. They both grew up in California. Kevin was from Thousand Oaks, where he was a star football player in school, and Marina was from Manhattan Beach. At the time, Kevin was working at McKinsey and Company in Los Angeles, and Marina was working for a wholesale provider who sold powders made from exotic fruits. And by fate, in the year 2000, the two would cross paths, having no idea what their future held. Kevin ended up asking Marina out, and they spent their first date at an Italian restaurant on Venice Beach. And from there, their romance blossomed.

Now, we weren't able to figure out exactly when they got married, but I believe it was around the year 2003. It was also at around this time when Kevin got a job working with Yahoo and San Francisco, and that's the city where Kevin and Marina would start their family. On May 25, 2006, at 3.48 a.m., Marina would give birth to their daughter, Lucia Ursula Crim. She weighed 7 pounds, 9 ounces, was 20 inches long, and as soon as they laid eyes on her, their entire world's changed forever. They often called their little family of 3 Team Crim.

And soon enough, in 2008, they became a team of 4 with the birth of their second daughter, Nessie. Life was going really well for the Krim family and would only get better from here. Shortly after the birth of their daughter Nessie, Kevin was offered a job as CNBC's digital media executive out of New York City. It was a very exciting opportunity for them, and soon enough they were uprooting their lives and moving their family to the East Coast. They ended up settling down in a beautiful apartment called La Rochelle that was located in Manhattan's Upper West Side. They chose that area because it was very family-friendly and they had good public schools for when their children grew up. And after moving in, the crims really were living out the American

dream. Their apartment had oak wood floors, high ceilings, and these huge windows that overlooked Central Park. And if you know anything about New York City Apart, Even little closet-sized apartments are very pricey, so clearly the Crems were making a lot of money to be able to afford this lifestyle. And that's because they worked very hard. Upon moving to New York City, Kevin started his job at CNBC, and he worked very long days. So Marina decided to be a stay-at-home mom for her two girls. She also worked as a part-time art teacher in the city and as a little peasant. passion project, she started a blog titled Life with the Little Crim Kids. The blog documented

their lives in New York City. In it, Marina wrote about her girls ice skating in the winter, gingerbread decorating contests, and family trips out to the Blackberry patches. This blog was able to give us a little window into their lives. And after reading it, it's clear that the Crims were a very happy family. Here is a video of Lucia and Nessie reciting a poem for their mom. When I shall be proud and great, out of the and boys not to meddle with my talk. Under this video, Marina wrote, for special occasions, I would work with our kids to memorize poems or songs to recite. It was always a good bonding for us as we stumbled over the lines of the current verses we were learning. I love to watch their confidence grow when we'd video them performing their

poem, which was always a hit with their grandparents. We would spend the month of December learning traditional Spanish songs to perform on Christmas Eve. Here's Lucia singing at Christmas for her family. Okay, remember sing it very loud. Okay, ready? One, two, three. Crims were very proud of their children, and on September 30th, 2010, they would welcome another baby into their lives, their son, Leo Hildago Crim, and with his birth, their family was complete. They had everything they had ever wanted in this world, and as their children grew up, they developed their own little personalities. Marina would later write on her blog, quote,

And the world's easiest child goes to Little Leo Lido Crim. Yes, the two-year-old boy. One of the best parts of my day is after I drop off both girls at school, I have three precious hours with Little Lido all to myself. Okay, I'm getting near cheesy. I adore this boy so much. He is obsessed with collecting acorns he finds on the floor. He loves riding the school bus,

and he happily plays by himself for long periods of time. Here he is set up in the kitchen in the living room and is making bacon, not sure where he learned the word bacon. Kevin Krimm would later write in an article from Medium.com about Lucia and Leo, writing, quote, Lulu, our firstborn, was a star in everything she did. She was an intuitive and expressive artist, who loved her art classes at the Met,

and who was always painting at home. She also naturally nurtured and helped her siblings and the other children around her. Leo was a keen observer of the world around him, an always present collector of acorns. He didn't miss a thing. Like most little brothers, Leo loved unconventional play with his sisters.

Of course, they were only six and two years old, but Lulu and Leo had old souls and taught us so much about how to see creative opportunities in every moment. End quote. Watching their children grow up was one of Kevin and Marina's greatest joys in life, and they were really proud that their children loved each other and always stuck together. Here is Kevin Krimm describing his children's relationship.

And they were a real team. It was one of our top priorities as parents that our kids learned to take care of each other, that they become best friends for each other, that they realize that no one would ever be more loyal to them than they were to each other. And they were a team. Fikes always ended in a sorry and a real hug. A funny thing was how Leo, even when he wasn't involved,

would say, sorry Lulu, sorry Nessie, and give them a hug as well. They were team cringed in the apartment on Playground, at parties, Marina and I always marveled how easy it was to track them on the playground because they were usually playing together. It was comical to us that we'd take them to some birthday party with a ton of kids and lots of activities, and they'd end up near each other and not far from us. We loved them so much, and they loved each other.

Yet we also tried to raise three little kids that were uniquely interesting little people. They were so different. Each had completely different colored eyes. Their complexions were dramatically different from pale to deep brown. And of course they had these very different personalities. Perhaps that was one of the secrets to their strong bond. Now, back in 2010, when Marina was pregnant with Leo, she was still working a part-time job as an art teacher in the city.

And soon enough, she had her hands full, With Kevin's busy work schedule and trying to balance the children's dance and swim lessons, on top of being pregnant, they quickly realized that they needed some extra help. So it's around this time when they start looking into hiring a nanny, which is very common, especially in places like New York City's Upper West Side. And they wouldn't even have to search very long. On an afternoon in 2010, Marina took Lulu to her ballet class at the, the Jewish Community Center.

And while she was there, she was approached by a woman named Celia Ortega. Now Celia noticed that Marina was pregnant and she looked like she had her hands full. So she walked up to Marina and started talking about how her sister Yosselin was an amazing nanny if she ever needed one. Celia told Marina that she had a sister who was great with kids, who had worked as a nanny previously and who could definitely help out when Marina had the third child. Celia recommended that Marina hire her sister, the defendant, when she had the baby. It almost seemed like fate. With her third child Leo on the way, the Crims were wanting to

hire a nanny, and here she was basically placed right into their hands. Now obviously, Kevin and Marina were amazing parents who weren't just going to bring a random person into their house, So they both did a lot of research and compiled the list of questions they wanted to ask Yosselin during their interview. They also looked into her professional references to make sure she was indeed a good nanny. According to her resume, Yosselin had been a nanny for two other families. In 2006, she watched her nephew's three children in Dallas, and then she nannied the child of another woman named Yaclin Severino. Now, according to the New York Times, the Crims never got a response from her nephew's family, but they did speak with Yaclin, who had nothing but amazing things to say about her.

She told the crims that Yosselin had worked for her for two years and that she was a wonderful asset to their family and that she really helped out with her son Adrian. So with this, the crims felt like Yoslin was a good match for them. In addition, during her job interview with the family, they really liked her. There was nothing that raised any red flags and she seemed to be very pleasant to work with. So in the spring of 2010, a couple months before Leo's birth, the family hired her as their new nanny. Now, Marina was still staying at home, so she mostly just needed to be. Yoslin to work in the afternoons to help her with pickups and drop-offs at their school and different activities that they had like dance, art, and swim lessons. Yosselin usually worked

about 25 hours a week at $18 an hour, so she was earning about $500 a week from the Krim family. And both Kevin and Marina were very good employers. They knew that Yoslin needed the money, so if there were ever any slow weeks, they would find other tasks for her so that she would get a full paycheck that week. And I used to be a nanny before I started this podcast, and from what I could tell, they seemed like an ideal family to work for.

The Crems would take Yosselin with them on family vacations, and on the trips where Yosselin wouldn't come with them, they would call around to their friends trying to find other work for her so that she could get paid that week. Kevin would later say, quote, I wanted to make sure there was no miscommunication, that we weren't pawning her off to other people,

that we weren't trying to get rid of her, end quote. They truly just wanted to help Yosselin out in any way they could. In addition, when Yosselin needed to return home to her native country to visit family, the Crims would often fund her entire trip just so that she could enjoy herself there and not have to worry about finances. And after years of working with the family, the Crems thought they knew Yosselin pretty well. But as we've seen time and time again, we often don't really know people. And sometimes, the people we welcome into our lives will in turn destroy them,

which is a horrifying reality that Kevin and Marina Crem would soon come to terms with. So who was Yosselin Ortega? And now we're going to take our ad, break. We have talked about Hello Fresh a lot on this show, and if there's one meal service that Courtney and I recommend you all to sign up for, Hello Fresh is definitely the one. With Hello Fresh, you get Farm Fresh pre-Portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. You can skip your trips to the grocery store and count on Hello Fresh to make your home cooking easy, fun, and affordable. That's why it's America's number one

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when you visit Nutraful.com and enter promo code M-I-A. That's Nutraful.com spelled N-U-T-R-A-F-O-L dot com, promo code M-I-A. Now let's get back to today's story. Yostin was born on May 1st, 1962 in Santiago de Caballeros,

a city in the Dominican Republic. Growing up, her father owned a Bodegu, and their family didn't have a lot of money. When Yoslin was 16 years old, her younger sister, 12-year-old Rosa, died unexpectedly from a brain aneurysm, which is something you don't typically see in teenagers, and her sister's death sent her into a deep depression. According to Yoslin's other siblings, she refused to leave her home for an entire year after her death, and it wasn't until her parents stepped in and took her to a local doctor

when she finally began to recover. A few years later, in 1985, Yossin would graduate with an accounting degree from a local university, but she always dreamed of leaving the Dominican Republic. Her goal was to move to the United States and live the American dream, and she had her eyes set on New York City. The young and adventurous Yoslin would end up following those dreams, moving into an apartment on Riverside Drive in Manhattan, and when she first moved there, she was working at a printing company, and in 1995, she would get married and give birth to her son named Jesus Alberto Freis. Yosselin's marriage, however, wouldn't last. By 1999, she and her husband would divorce, and following their

separation, she sent her then four-year-old son to the Dominican Republic to live with her sister. Yosselin came back to New York and continued on with her life. Over the next few years, Yoslind did what she could to make ends meet in New York City, but it wasn't easy. New York is notorious for being an expensive place to live, so she struggled. Prior to her becoming a nanny for the Krim family, Yosselin had worked a few factory jobs throughout the city. But as the cost of living continued to rise, she always found herself financially strapped, which made it difficult for her to send money to her son in the Dominican Republic. She also didn't have a place of her own and often jumped around to different family members' apartments. Now in 2008, Yosselin would go back

to the Dominican Republic for an extended stay. And while she was there, a close friend of hers shot himself in the head on the balcony of her childhood home. After the suicide, her son, Jesus, would claim that his mother became very paranoid, and she wouldn't ever let him leave the house, even to attend his baseball practices. Jesus claimed that if their dog started barking, Yosselin would force them to hide under the bed in their home. And soon enough, Yosselin started complaining about frequent headaches. And there is some speculation as to whether or not this is true, but some family members said

that it's around this time when she started complaining about hearing voices. At trial, her sister would say, quote, she would step outside and she would hear someone say, go back, go back. She heard voices speaking to her, end quote. Now, by August of 2008, Yosson returned back to New York City, and a year and a half later, she was hired as the part-time nanny for the Krim family. And again, during her time working with them, everything seemed to go really well. According to Yoslin's friend Maria, quote,

She really loved them, the family. She loved the kids. She would take them to the park, and she said the mom was a really good person. End quote. And the children really loved her as well. Lulu was known to always draw pictures for Yosselin and then sent her home with them

so she could put them on her fridge. When you're around a nanny all day, every day, they become a part of your family in a sense. No, by 2012, Yoslin was finally making enough money to rent her own apartment in the Bronx. And she was really happy around this time because Jesus had finally moved to New York City as well. Yosselin had always wanted him to go to high school in New York because she believed getting an education in the U.S. would give him more opportunities. So once he got here, she actually,

enrolled him into a private Catholic school in the Bronx called Mount St. Michael's Academy. And this was pretty shocking because private schools in New York are extremely expensive, and they're also very competitive. To put it in perspective, the Crem children didn't even go to private schools, and they were very well off. So everyone was very confused as to why Yosselin made this decision. Maybe it was to make up for her absence. throughout Jesus' life. But in June of 2012, just months before tragedy would strike, Yosselin had to take $7,500 out of her savings to cover his tuition.

And it's around that time when she started complaining to people about her financial struggles. To make extra money, Yosselin even started a side hustle selling makeup and jewelry. But according to her, a woman that she was doing this business with, ended up stealing about $100 from her, and she would never get that money back. So even though on the outside, everything appeared to be going well, Yosselin was facing a lot of inner turmoil. Not to mention, she was working for a family who had it all. The Crems had a ton of money, a great family.

They lived a luxurious lifestyle. All the while, she was struggling to make ends meet. Every day, Yosselin went into work and watched as Marina got to spend quality time with her children, while she practically missed out on her son's entire childhood. And then now that Jesus was finally in the city, she couldn't even see him as much because she had to work. So over time, Yosselin began to resent the crims. In her mind, they had the life she always wanted, the life that she would never be able to have. In the summer of 2012, Yosselin was forced to move out of her apartment in the Bronx.

She was actually sub-leasing it from a family and they returned home so she couldn't stay there anymore, which really upset her. According to Fernando Mercado, the superintendent of the building, she spent a lot of money on the Bronx apartment. So from here, Yosselin and Jesus had to move into her sister's apartment on Riverside Drive, the very apartment she had moved out of years earlier. That living situation was very overcrowded and now she was back, this time with her teenage son, making it even more crowded. At some point, Marina Crim found out that Yoslin was

struggling, so she offered to give her more work around the house so she could make more money. She offered her money to clean their apartment, and she also had Jesus dog sit for them while they were out of town. In addition, Marina found friends of hers who also needed babysitting services, and she recommended Yosselin so that she could make some extra money doing that. But instead of being grateful for the help, Yosselin found this insulting. As the weeks progressed, and anger inside of Yosselin grew, it started to have an effect on her physical appearance. Her neighbors at the Riverside apartment started to notice that she looked skinnier, older, and more anxious. One neighbor even described her as kind of devastated. It's clear that Yoslin

was angry at the privileged life that the Crims lived, and she was furious that Marina would offer her more work, instead of just giving her more money. In her mind, she felt that she already did enough for the Crim family, but she never voiced these concerns. Another neighbor, 25-year-old Kenia Gallo, recalled seeing Yoslin in the elevator and remarked that she looked exhausted. When she asked Yoslin what was going on, she replied, I am tired. Work. In early October 2012, Yoslind was working a lot more than she usually did. But again, Marina was giving her more work because she thought she needed the money. And it's here where Yoslind began complaining to her sister about her job dissatisfaction. She told her that ever since Mariana,

had changed her schedule. She barely had any time to spend with her son. And according to her family's testimony at trial, this is when her mental health really took a decline. Now again, I do want to add that many people don't believe this next part. But at trial, Yosselin's sister claimed that in the weeks before the murders, she woke up to Yoslin banging her head against a wall. When she went in the room to check on her, Yosselin was pulling her hair out saying, quote, I want to go back to the way I was before. Her sister would later say that every night, Yosselin would light candles, kneel beside her bed, and pray to a painting of baby Jesus that God would, quote, take away all the things she was feeling in her body and mind. Now allegedly, Yoslind also told her sister that she had been hearing voices

and having hallucinations. When asked what she was seeing and hearing, she said that an imaginary black man was coming up to her and threatening to take her away from her family. So on October 22nd, 2012, just three days before the murders, Yosselin made an appointment with a psychologist named Dr. Thomas Caffrey who was located in New York City's Upper West Side. Dr. Caffrey had a great reputation around New York City.

He had a doctorate in clinical psychology, a specialty in forensic psychology, and had been practicing for over 40 years. He also worked within the prison system and had once held the title of President of the New York State Psychological Association's Forensic Division, so he was very qualified. Now, Yoslin found Dr. Caffrey through her insurance company and called his office to schedule an appointment, but he was all booked up and wouldn't be able to see her for a few weeks, which was very upsetting to Yosselin. In fact, she even talked the receptionist into fitting her in because it was an emergency.

So they ended up shifting his schedule around so that he could see her during one of his lunch breaks. In the day of the session, Yosselin arrived early with a friend of hers and stepped into his office at 12.20 p.m. And from there, they talked about everything she had been experiencing. In his notes, Dr. Caffrey wrote that Yosselin had pressured speech and seemed to have the world on her shoulders. Yosselin talked about her financial instability. how unhappy she was in her crowded apartment and how she felt like a failure to her son, but never once mentioned anything about hearing voices or wanting to harm herself or others. The meeting was only about 40 minutes long since Dr. Caffrey had a tight schedule that day,

but he was able to diagnose her with generalized anxiety disorder and dystimic disorder, a mild but reoccurring form of depression. In his notes, he wrote, prognosis, good, and from here their session was over. Yostin was charged $200 for the visit, and although she did not schedule a follow-up, up appointment. Dr. Caffrey expected her to return. Now, something important to note is that the Krems had no idea that their nanny was going through such a hard time. Of course, they knew she was struggling financially after paying for her son's private school, which is why they offered her more work. But Yosselin never once asked them for more money, nor did she ever show any

signs of mental illness. And the Krems actually had family members that, suffered from schizophrenia, so they were very understanding of how difficult it was to suffer with that sort of mental illness. And if they had ever known what she was going through, they clearly would have done everything in their power to help her out. But that's not how this story would end. In late October of 2012, Kevin Crim had been in San Francisco for a business trip. So that week, Marina needed a little extra help with the three kids. October 25th specifically was a very busy day for the Krim family. Kevin's flight was getting back later that day.

The kids had to be dropped off, then picked up from school. And then later that afternoon, three-year-old Nessie had swim class and six-year-old Lulu had a dance lesson. And many of these activities kind of overlapped each other. So Marina scheduled the day accordingly and split the different tasks for her and Yossel. So let us walk you through that day. At 3.15 p.m., Yosselin picked up Lulu from school,

and shortly after, Glenn Ludi, who was the doorman at La Rochelle, saw her return to the apartment with both Lulu and Leo by her side. Glenn was very familiar with all of the families and their nannies in the building, so when he saw Yoslin and the kids, he greeted her. But instead of a warm welcome, Yosselin quickly asks, is the mom home? Glenn informs her that Marina had just left with Nessie, as we know Nessie had swim lessons. So from here, Yosselin takes Lulu and Leo upstairs, and they are never seen alive again. Now, the only other task Yosselin had that day was to take Leo to her dance lesson,

and Marina would pick her up once it was over. So at around 5 p.m., Marina shows up to Lulu's dance studio, but Lulu wasn't there. The dance instructors informed her that Yosselin never dropped her off. And immediately upon hearing this, Marina knew deep down that something was wrong. It was just about 5 p.m. when Marina learned that Lulu never made it to dance class. In the two years that the defendant had been working,

with the Krim family, she had never not been where she was supposed to be. She was reliable, and it's why the Krims worked with her for two years and trusted her with their children. From here, Marina rushed back to their apartment on West 75th Street, with millions of thoughts running through her mind. Is Yosselin okay? Did she have a medical emergency that prevented her from driving? A number of different scenarios went through her. head, but none were even close to what actually happened. As she rushed back to her apartment, Marina texted and called Yosselin over and over, but they all went unanswered. At around 5.20, she and Nessie finally arrived home and sprinted up the stairs to their apartment. And usually,

when she walked through the doors, she could hear the sounds of her children laughing and playing, But not this time. As Marina walked inside, everything was eerily dark and quiet. All of the lights had been turned off. And Leo's stroller was just sitting there in the middle of the main room unattended. And on the ground next to it was Lulu's dance bag.

However, there was no sign of Lulu, Leo, or a Yosselin. So from here, Marina runs downstairs to speak with the doorman. surely he must have seen them leave and this was all a big misunderstanding but he didn't see anything so marina returns back to the apartment holding her little three-year-old's hand and together they walk room to room calling out lulu and leo's name now like we mentioned the apartment was dark all of the lights had been turned off except for the light in the bathroom the door to it was closed So while Marina held Nessie's hand, she cautiously opened it. And from that moment on, her life would never be the same.

Standing in front of her was her nanny, Yosselin Ortega. She was covered in blood with a knife in her hands. And behind her, in the bathtub, was six-year-old Lucia and two-year-old Leo. Their tiny little bodies were stacked on top of one another. and covered in blood. Both of their eyes were open, but they were staring blankly ahead, lifeless,

an image that would be forever ingrained in Marina's mind. Now, before Marina could even react, she watched as Yosselin gripped the knife that killed her two children and she stabbed it into her own throat. From here, Marina grabbed Nessie and quickly ran out of the apartment.

She knew with just, just one glance that her children were dead. And as soon as she stepped out into the hallway, Marina collapsed on the ground and began screaming uncontrollably. The screams were heard by many neighbors, including one named Herbert Klein. Here he is speaking with the media. She's crying out, what am I going to do with the rest of my life? My life is ruined. I have no children.

I have no children. Many people heard Marina's blood-curling screams that day, including the doorman, Glenn Lutie. So he placed a call to 911. Hearing Marina screams, the doorman, Mr. Luby, called 911. You will hear that 911 call. You will hear Marina Crin's anguished and painful cries

as she's on that landing, sobbing while he is making that call. You will learn that the super of the building, Mr. Michael Minnehan, while Mr. Luby was making the call to 911, Mr. Minnahan went to the Krimm apartment to try to understand what had happened. And when he opened that bathroom door, he understood. He understood that what he had seen was pure evil. And not knowing what else to do in that situation,

Mr. Minnahan ran to the front door of the apartment, held it shut with both hands using his foot against the wall as leverage to keep inside what he had just seen. Soon enough, a number of police vehicles surrounded the La Rochelle apartment complex and with their guns drawn they made their way up to the Crimm's unit,

2FG. There, the super Michael Minnehan was still holding the door shut and he told the officers, whatever's behind that door is pure evil. Soon enough, the officers made their way inside clearing every room along the way until they finally made it to the bathroom

where Yostin Ortega was bleeding out on the floor. The stab wound to her neck was deep, but she was still alive. John the defendant in the bathtub were the bloody and lifeless bodies of Lucia and Leo Kramer. Despite the fact that everything in that bathroom indicated that Lulu and Leo were dead, the officers did what they were trained to do, and they attempted to revive them. They tried to save them. But neither Lulu nor Leo had a pulse, and Leo's body was alive. already pulled the first responders had truly never seen anything like this before in their entire lives one

said it was the worst thing he had seen since 9-11 even though these were small children this was the bloodiest crime scene any of them had ever responded to as one of them lifted leo out of the bath the officer said that he was so bloody he felt like leo might slip through his arms as he picked him up at this point EMTs finally arrived at the apartment and upon entering the bathroom they saw yoslin on the ground but she was steadily breathing so they turned their attention to the victims, Lulu and Leo. And so the EMTs and emergency services detectives like the first responding officers on the scene, ignoring the hopelessness of the situation,

immediately responded to the children and attempted life-saving measures. The children were taken out of bathtub one at a time and placed on one adult-sized backboard, where CPR and chest compressions were attempted. But as you know, those chest impressions and that CPR did not do anything. Lucia and Leo Crimm were pronounced dead at the scene, murdered by their family's nanny. 50-year-old Yossin Ortega was still alive, but in critical condition. She was quickly taken to the hospital to treat the wound in her neck, but she would go on to make a full recovery.

As night fell upon New York City, the Upper West Side 75th Street was still lined with red and blue lights, of the first responders. Soon enough, Marina Crem and three-year-old Nessie emerged from the apartment complex. Officers had placed a white sheet over their heads to shield them from the media. And from here, they were taken to the hospital to be evaluated just from the trauma they had faced. But outside of the Crem's apartment, New York City's police commissioner Ray Kelly addressed the media. I can tell you that about... to 5.30 this evening, a mother returned with her three-year-old child from swimming lessons.

She answers her apartment. The apartment is dark. The apartment is dark, and she comes a time when she goes looking for her children, enters the bathroom, and finds her six-year-old daughter and her two-year-old son. stabbed to death or in the tub. On the floor of the bathroom is a nanny. Apparently had inflicted wounds in her throat. And she has been removed to St. Louis Hospital. She's in critical but stable condition. Soon enough, Kevin Crims Plain would land in New York City, having no idea that while he was thousands of miles up in the sky. His children were being murdered by a woman they trusted.

That night, Kevin would be reunited with his wife, an only surviving child. Hoping to hold tight to the last family she had left, Marina told him, quote, Kevin, we are not going to get divorced over this. Oprah always said people get divorced after they lose kids. end quote. Kevin would later tell the doctors that he wanted to see his children. And from here, he and Marina were escorted into a small examination room. Lulu and Leo were both on a gurney, with a sheet wrapped tightly around their bodies, up to their chin. Nurses had attempted to clean the children, but Kevin noted that their coloring was off. He would later say, quote, they were beautiful,

and strange. They were the wrong color. They didn't have any blood left in them, so they were bluish. But they had this perfect skin and their long eyelashes. They had this like sandy brown hair. You could see they tried really hard to wash the blood out, but it still kind of had an Auburn tent to it that I remember to this day. But I got down on my knees and I said, I'm sorry. I said I love you. Pissed them and said goodbye, end quote. From that day on, the crim's lives would never be the same. How could it?

This is a woman that had been by their side and their home nearly every single day for the last two years. The betrayal they felt was insurmountable. So what exactly happened with Yosselin Ortega? What caused her to murder the children she vowed to protect? Well, as it turns out, this wasn't a spur of the moment decision. She didn't snap, as we often hear in murder cases. She had planned this out. On the morning of October 25th, 2012, Yawson got up at 9 a.m. and sent her son off to school.

From here, she gathered her insurance papers, bank account information, cash, and other legal documents, and place them in an envelope. Along with a suicide note. Then she left it out so that her sister would find it when she got home from work. That morning, she also asked her sister to make sure Jesus had a good meal that night. And then shortly before 3 p.m., she left her apartment to go to work, as she did every day. Now, along the way, Yosselin disposed of her phone and investigators were actually never able to recover it. Ladies and gentlemen, the defendant was putting her affairs in order. She put her affairs in order because she knew when she left her work on October 25, 2012, she would not be coming home.

Her plan on October 25th, 2012, was to kill the Krim children and then to kill herself. Once Yosselin arrived at the Krem's apartment, she made it seem. like everything was okay, like it was an average day. She even grabbed Lulu's dance bag before she went to pick her up from school, even though she knew Lulu would never make it to dance class. But after driving to Lulu school and picking her up, Yosselin double checked with the doorman to make sure that Marina wasn't home. And she wasn't. So far, everything was going according to plan. In the elevator ride up to their unit, a neighbor said she noticed six-year-old Lulu smiling, so she leaned down and asked her, do you know how beautiful you are? To which Lulu

thanked her while flashing a big smile. The last few moments of happiness before their nightmare unfolded. Once they made it inside of the apartment, Jocelyn grabbed a knife from their kitchen and walked the children over to the bathroom, where she then shut the door. From here, she approached two-year-old Leo and slit his throat. The cut was with enough force that the knife hit his spinal cord. Six-year-old Lulu watched in horror as the woman she loved murdered her brother right in front of her. Scared for her life Lulu tried to run, but she wouldn't make it far. The defendant brutally butchered both children, slitting their throats.

The forensic evidence will prove to you that although Leo, two years old, was too small to struggle, Lulu was six years old and she fought back. She knew what was happening, she understood what the defendant was doing, and she fought to live. Lulu did everything she could to defend herself against Yosselin, but in return, she would be stabbed nearly 30 times. Most of the stab wounds were to her torso and neck, but some were in her hands. Evidence that Lulu had lifted them up in the air to protect herself against her nanny. The wounds to both of their throats were so severe. Many of the first responders would initially think that they had been decapitated, and it was later determined that Lulu and Leo Crem both died

from exanguination, a term used to describe significant blood loss. This process is not quick, and it can often take several minutes for a person to die. Medical examiner Dr. Susan Ely said, quote, only some of the knife wounds were fatal. That takes an order of minutes, not seconds. Leading to death takes minutes. End quote. But after murdering them, Yosselin placed their bodies in the bathtub and then just waited there, waiting for Marina to come home. Now, Yosselin had plenty of time to kill herself before Marina arrived at the apartment. But according to the prosecution, she specifically waited because she wanted to see Marina's reaction to her murdered children lying in the bathtub. She wanted to see the look and arise as the reality settled in.

After all, Marina Crem had the life she always wanted, the life she would never get to have. And soon enough, Marina would walk in to the devastating scene. And it wasn't until that moment when Yosselin finally plunged the knife into her neck. Once first responders arrived, they rushed her to the hospital where she was admitted under a different name due to the publicity surrounding the case. She arrived in critical but stable condition. There were two bones broken in her neck, and she had damaged her vocal cords.

And over the next few days, she remained incapacitated and unable to speak while police officers guarded her hospital room. But once Yosselin was alert enough, she quickly asked for a pen and paper so she could write out her side of the story, and as if she couldn't be more of a mom The first thing she wrote about was how much she disliked Marina Crimm.

In her first note, she wrote, quote, I had to do everything and take care of the kids. I worked as a babysitter only, and she wanted me to do everything. She wanted five hours of cleaning every week. End quote. Now, when I first read this, I was so disgusted, because not only is she pretty much blaming the murder. on Marina, but cleaning is a huge part of being a nanny.

I worked as a nanny for many years. It was actually the job I had right when I started this podcast, and I was constantly cleaning. Children make a lot of mess, so that's just a part of the territory when you sign up for child care. Plus, Yosselin said she was cleaning about five hours of the 25-hour work week, and that's pretty normal. I too would clean for about an hour a day for five days a week. So the fact that she was using this as an excuse

as to why she murdered two children is pretty pathetic. Plus, Yosselin's complaining about how much work she had to do, but Marina was giving her all of this work to help her out. She knew she was struggling financially, so she was doing everything she could so that Yoslin would have more money. She was being a good employer, and Yosselin never once voiced any of these concerns to Marina. So how was she even supposed to know that Yoslin was overwhelmed? But like we mentioned, when Marina offered Yoslind more work, it infuriated her.

She didn't want more work. She wanted the life Marina had as a wealthy stay-at-home mom. Now, due to her inability to speak with investigators, they made a yes and no card for her to answer their questions. Former Manhattan prosecutor Gregory B. Lodon said, She admitted that she had killed the kids and that she had used at least two knives. She indicated she was mad at the mom. New York Police Department Sergeant Yol Hidalgo was present during Yosselin's interrogation at the hospital, and he stated that she became angry if he didn't understand what she was trying to say,

saying, She was arrested in charge with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder for the brutal slaying of Lulu and Leo Crimm. And to everyone's surprise, she pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. And because of that, her trial wouldn't start until 2018, a grueling five years after the murders. Here's Kevin Crim speaking about the upcoming trial. Hi, everyone. We're here to give you an update and to ask for your help. After five long years, the criminal trial in our case is getting started.

And over the next few months, the story of Lulu and Leo and our whole family will be painfully in the news again. This trial will be very hard for us and for a lot of you. We feel like this community, all of you have been with us

all along through this whole experience. Even if you never met Lulu and Leo, you feel like you know them, you love them, and you're inspired by them like we are. And Kevin was right. The murders of Lulu and Leo had gripped the nation and everyone was ready for justice to be served. Yossin Ortega's trial would start on March 1st, 2018. And since it was such a high-profile

case, reporters surrounded the courthouse every single day informing the community of the gruesome details that were coming to light. At the trial, Yoslin sat at the defense table with a large scar on her neck from her failed suicide attempt. It was healed now, but it was also a grim reminder of that horrible day back in 2012. Now, her defense team claimed that Yoslin murdered Lulu and Leo because she was insane, and that the, quote, devil made her do it. Yosselin spoke with forensic psychiatrist Karen Rosenbaum and told her, I felt like the devil was possessing me, wanting me to be his. The devil wanted me for himself. Yosselin's family also took the stand in her defense and talked about how she had been complaining of hearing voices and seeing black shadows in the weeks before the murders,

but many people believed that they lied under oath to cover for her. Yosselin's son even took the stand and behaved very inappropriately, at some points even winking at the jury. In the end, they were confident that this devil made me do-it story would stick. Here's her defense attorney. The evidence will show and the defense will prove by a preponderance of evidence that on October 25th, 12, Yassal and Ortega at her about 5 p.m., as a result of mental disease or defect, lacked substantial capacity to know or appreciate the nature and consequences of her acts, of her conduct.

The evidence will show that Ms. Ortega suffered on that date at that time and before that date, October 25th, 12, from a chronic mental illness. The evidence will show that she has a corroborated history of hearing voices and dissociating from reality since the age of 16. The defense will show that she suffered from three discrete episodes of major depression disorder, psychotic things. dissociation, auditory, visual, and command hallucinations, and tactile hallucinations, the most recent episode occurring in the months leading to and on October 25th, 12. Other than for a brief period around her age of 16 years, Ms. Ortega has not been treated for her symptoms of psychosis and depression until she was hospitalized and diagnosed at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

The defense will focus on the role that untreated mental illness played in the alleged killing of the two children, Leo and Lulu. The evidence will show that what was, in fact, the condition of my client's mind at the time she allegedly committed the charged acts. The evidence will show her mind's reactions to various stimuli during the 50 years of her existence until October 25th, 12. His Honor will instruct you to use your common sense when evaluating the adduced evidence. You will know a diseased mind when you see it. Do listen to the medical experts, their definitions, their explanations, their explanations of my client's conditions, their reading of my client's medical records, weigh what they say, see if it makes sense to each of you.

See and determine whether in the weeks and months, leading up to October 25th, 12, my client was not sleeping, was not eating, was losing weight. See whether Ms. Ortega was constantly crying, suffering from visual hallucinations, causing her to see shadows, suffering from delusions, causing her to feel as though the devil were penitenti,

penetrating her body and trying to separate her from her family. And Yosselin was definitely struggling with mental illness prior to the murders, which is why she sought out counseling just days before. And like we mentioned earlier, there were several people that came forward and said that Yosselin was not her normal self in the weeks leading up to everything. But the prosecution would make a pretty good argument against her insanity plea. point they brought up was that Yosselin saw the psychologist before the murders, but she never once mentioned anything about hearing voices, being possessed by the devil, or anything about harming

herself or others. During the session, she mostly talked about how she was really overwhelmed with her circumstances. Even further, when Yoslin woke up in the hospital after the murders, She didn't say anything about how the devil made her do it. Instead, she immediately started complaining about Marina and how much she made her clean. What didn't the defendant do when she woke up? She didn't mention the devil. She didn't ask, where am I? She didn't ask, why am I here?

She didn't ask, why am I shackle to the bed? And why are you, Officer Hidalgo, a uniform police officer. officer assigned to be here with me. She did not ask, where are Lulu and Leo? Upon waking up in the hospital, the defendant did not ask one question about where she was, why she was there, or the well-being of the children. Before she had time to think it through, come up with the defense, the defendant attempted to justify her actions, to explain the inexplicable.

and her explanation in those honest, raw moments when she woke up in that hospital bed on October 27, 2012, did not involve the devil. Instead, she complained about her work and she complained about Marina Crim. So if Yosselin really was insane and her actions that day were influenced by the devil, why not say that right when you wake up? Another point the prosecution made against the insanity. plea was that Yosselin carefully planned out this crime. On the morning of the murders, she gathered all of her important documents, left cash, and wrote a suicide note so that

everything would be in order for when she killed herself that day. She also got rid of her cell phone, likely so that she wouldn't be interrupted by Marina's phone calls while she was murdering her children. The prosecution noted that Yosselin could have killed herself earlier in the evening, but she specifically waited until Marina opened that bathroom door just so she could see her reaction. The bodies of the dead children were carefully laid in the bathtub facing the same direction next to each other. They were not have-cazorily discarded or left on the bathroom floor. The defendant waited until after Marina Crimm came home. so that she could see Marina's reaction to the carnage in that bathroom before she attempts to kill herself.

So with all of this, the prosecution claimed that Yosselin Ortega knew what she was doing, and that it wasn't the devil that made her do it, but her own jealousy and resentment for Marina Crimm. Why did this defendant commit these heinous and vicious crimes against these two innocent and defenseless children? Unfortunately, you may never have a satisfactory answer to that question. What the defendant did was not only inexcusable, it's inexplicable. So although there may not be an acceptable answer to the question, the evidence presented in this case, the evidence that will be presented in this case, does suggest impossibilities. You will hear evidence that suggests that the defendant resented Marina Crimp for being the

that the defendant could not be, for being able to provide for her children what the defendant could not provide for her own son. But she resented Marina Crim for everything she was and everything she had. You will learn that Marina Crim, aware that Jesus had come to New York to live with the defendant, aware that the defendant was under increased financial pressures, went out of her way to try and help the defendant to make additional income, offering her the opportunity to earn more money by doing some house cleaning at the CRIMS apartment and suggesting the defendant to her friends who needed additional

babysitting help. The evidence will show that Marina's offers of assistance enraged the defendant and that although the defendant maintained a professional and cordial demeanor when dealing directly with Marina, internally she seethe. She seethed at the very idea that that Marina would think that she could do additional work. Sees that the idea that Marina would even consider asking her to do additional work. While the defendant's feelings of inadequacy

about what she could and could not provide for her son increased. And as the defendant's feelings of anxiety and stress increased, so did her resentment toward Marina. The reason, the evidence will prove that the defendant was in control of her actions before, during, and after the murders, and that the defendant meticulously planned the murders of Lulu and Leo Frim,

which she executed on October 25th, 2012. The evidence will prove to you that she knew what she was doing when she killed them and that she knew that killing them was wrong. Throughout the trial, the 12 jurors had to sit and listen to all of the horrifying details surrounding the murders. They also had to look at pictures

of 6-year-old Lulu and 2-year-old Leo's lifeless body, face up in the bathtub, which made a few of them weep. One juror named Chloe Beck would later say, I really think that in cases like this, there needs to be an on-call therapist for the jurors because we're not allowed to talk about this. I've had to sit in my apartment and just cry. I go through the motions of how did this happen? Who's to blame? Why did this happen? After seeing the gruesome photos, one juror even had to be dismissed from the case. He told the judge that after seeing those pictures, he would be biased towards the defendant. That's how horrifying those photos were. But following this, Judge Caro had to remind the jury to leave their emotions and biases out of it, saying,

Remember when we started selecting a jury and in the beginning of this case, I gave you certain instructions, and I told you what your duties were as jurors. Essentially, your job as a jury is to evaluate the evidence, and after that, you determine what the facts are and apply the law. But you recall I said things like prejudice, bias, and most certainly sympathy have to play no part in the fact finding. You all know there was going to be some emotional testimony in this case. And that's why we empathized. You're going to feel sympathy and emotions. It's natural, but you've got to set those aside. Only find facts in your evaluation of the evidence.

During one day of the trial, after six hours of testimony, Marina Krem exploded and screamed out at Yoslin, you're evil. You're evil and you like this. You're getting pleasure. From here, Marina was escorted out of the courtroom, and Judge Caro had to remind the judge. jurors that Marina's emotional outburst should not sway their judgment. So as you can see,

this was a very emotional trial for everyone, everyone except Yosselin Ortega. Throughout the eight-week trial, she sat completely unfazed throughout it all, emotionless. The only time you really saw anything from her were the darting look she would give the prosecutors when they said something she didn't agree with. But at the end of it all, the jury was faced with two possible situations. Was Yosselin jealous of Marina Crim? Did she kill her children out of jealousy and resentment?

Or was this the case of a psychotic episode? Was Yosselin Ortega hearing voices, telling her to murder Lulu and Leo? When it came time for deliberations, everyone was on the edge of their seats. This wasn't what they call a slam-dunk case, but in April of 2018, the jury would ultimately side with the prosecution,

finding Yosselin Ortega guilty of first-degree and second-degree murder charges against Lulu and Leo Crem. A verdict that many people around New York City were very pleased with. But there were still a very unsettling feeling about this entire story. If this could have,

happen to a wealthy family on the Upper West Side, it could happen to anyone. Many families in New York City hire nannies for their children, and it made everyone a little on edge about the people they were bringing into their homes. During the trial, it came out that Yoslin had actually lied on her resume. If you remember, she claimed she had worked for a woman named Yachlan Severino, and that she nannied her son for years. Well, as it turns out, Yaklin didn't have any children. She was Yosselin's relative,

and she lied to the Krems so that Yosselin could secure a job with them, which is yet another disturbing part of this story. Moving forward, how could families trust anyone? How could they differentiate who is telling the truth and who isn't? So in 2018, the governor signed a new law called Lulu and Leo's Law, which made it illegal for someone to represent the applicant, the same way Yaclin Severino had done for Yosselin Ortega. The governor would later state the following. As the father of three daughters, I cannot imagine the horror and the heartbreak experienced by the Krim family.

And while nothing can erase that, I'm proud to sign this law that will help protect New York children and provide some peace of mind to their parents and love them. ones. Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hachell added, quote, I know how important it is to be able to trust individuals with caring for your children. Caregivers are supposed to protect our children from harm. And no parent should ever have to experience any misrepresentation or mistrust by those who are tasked to keep them safe. This legislation will help ensure that caregivers are honest about their background and assure parents that their children are in good hands." And there were many nannies all over America that were very affected by this case. And many of them just couldn't ever imagine a scenario where you would ever harm the child

that you're watching. I know for the boy I nannied, he was my favorite little boy on earth. I was obsessed with him. I would have done anything for him. And same with their family. You really feel like a part of their family. You're going there every day. You're essentially helping them raise their children,

which is a huge, huge responsibility. And it's an honor that these families are trusting you to come into their home and to be such a huge part of their kids' lives. So there was a lot of mistrust going on and a lot of people that were just very cautious about the people they were bringing into their home. The fact that someone could vow to love and protect your children and then murder them was pretty unbelievable. But luckily with this law, families felt a little bit more safe, knowing that people can't lie just to get the job,

which is pretty wild that they didn't already have that in place. At Yosselin Ortega's sentencing, Marina Crim had a lot to say, not just to Yoslin, but also to her family who continuously lied to everyone. Here's a clip of that. But I'm here once again to finish this horrible chapter of my and my family's life. I wrote this statement knowing that in the future, Nessie will read this. When she does, I want her to know that this crime was not just committed by one evil person. It was a conspiracy by an entire family of bad, unethical people. Nes O'Lydia Crim, the girl who lives.

We call her Nessie. She's nine now. Happy, funny, confident, hard worker, love school, amazing athlete. Can it doubt to any situation you put her in with ease. She's badass. Her third grade teacher emailed me the other day and told me that they're doing a unit on realistic fiction and they get to create a human and believable character. Nessie told me about hers.

Her characters in fifth grade has brown curly hair and she's a mathematician. And her name is Lulu. Her Lulu character has many siblings, including a brother named Leo. Most of her character, Lulu's traits, lights, and dislikes are similar to those of Nessie's. Because Nessie will never

know what her sister and brother were like. Each time she makes a wish, it's always for Lulu and Leo to come back to be with us. As Nessie grows up, she will be asking Kevin and me deep, unanswerable questions about life that most parents avoid talking about with their kids. But we will try and answer her questions with sensitivity the best we can. I have no doubt, it's a lot of that she will now gain herself through this complicated life with her authentic Nessie's funk. Nessie knows for an experience that life is not fair. But she is inspired by the little Leo every day. And way up the stars, they are inspired by her.

The defendant robbed Nessie. Her family robbed Nessie. Fuck, we're all, her too. I learned so much, you passed five and a half years about myself, about people, and about human behavior. My family and I, we create and build. The defendant and her family, they destroyed and ruined. The defendant set out to destroy what Kevin and I

have created and built. An inspired, happy, thriving family. But she failed. It's the defendant destroyed her own family. He's destroyed the pride of her family once felt. She's destroyed any sense of peace they'll ever. have. We have seen the true colors occur in her family members because of this. There's a terrible pattern of terrible judgment. And lying in deceiving people is a way of life for

this family. Any shred of dignity the defendant's family had after the murders has been destroyed. Over the past five and a half years, the defendant has shown not announced remorse. Not a single one of her family members have has ever reached out to my family to say, I'm sorry for your loss. Communication between people has never been easier, yet we had heard nothing from this family. Not a letter, no email, nothing. Not a single one of them has said, I'm sorry.

The defendant's son, Jesus, Free Us, sat in front of the traumatized jury, winking and grinning at the jury members as if it were some kind of reality TV show he wants to win. And under oath, referred to the defendant's actions as an accident, just to clarify for Jesus, disposing of a cell phone, packing two suicide bags the morning up, lurking around the neighborhood for 405 minutes to avoid crossing paths with me. And finally, asking the door man whether I was home so she could carry out her plan and slaughtering my two children. That is NOT what an accident is. That's delusional.

In an accident when I'm cutting carrots with a sharp knife and it slips and I cut my finger. Jesus Friads showed terrible judgment and their consequences for making grossly irresponsible statements like this. Jesus says he applies to 20 medical schools. Hesuz Friads has it shown he even knows right to the right of the right. him wrong and he's going to be making decisions about other people's lives, that's his pregnant. The defendant's son, he suits free as his general judgment and is a phony.

The idea that this was an accident is a big problem for me because this was not an accident. And that word shows that this family still, after five and a half years, has still not taken responsibility for their roles in these murder. roles in these murders. They're still trying to cover up for her and themselves. The terrible judgment of the defendant's family doesn't stop with Jesus. They just can't seem to do the right thing. Sister Celia Ortega, she's the liar who started this whole nightmare, seeking me out, looking me in the eyes, telling me that the defendant wasn't experienced nanny. Neese, Jackie Severino Vargas followed this lie up with a fake recommendation written from her legit work email address.

This detailed recommendation convinced us that the defendant had good experience. These unethical women deceive me from the very first moments are paths crossed. Delci Ortega, she made up absurd stories about the defendant. that came out only after she meets their ridiculous defense attorney. Melades Sartagia and feds phone calls about massed canines and blames me for not sending the defendant on a vacation. This entire family continues to lie and deceive their way through this. And look at the so-called lawyers and experts that they surround themselves with,

discussing people who seem to have fallen for their lives, or perhaps even added to them. What is wrong with them? The defendant's family can see out this deep, dark family secret from employers, acquaintances, people in their community, people they interact with every single day. They've lost jobs and ruined reputations because of their lives. The defendant, her family, they destroy and ruin. My family and I, we created and built.

We've shown Nessie and Theolus and Linus, how do the same? We built a deeper bond with each other and have a stronger marriage than ever. We've built stronger friendships. Patiently and with great determination, we've rebuilt our lives. My family and I, we create and build. The defendant may think she destroyed Lulu and Leo, but she is a failure on this too. Lulu and Leo are powerful forces. two stars now that will always lead us forward. Thank you. Next to speak was Kevin Krim.

He went on to talk about his children and the way they touched so many people's lives and how they often called themselves Team Krim. I can't talk about Team Krim about our three wonderful children about talking about our enormous, devastating, overwhelming grief. Marina and I are heartbroken and we know all of you share very deeply in our rock games. We are distraught because Lulu and Leo these beautiful and innocent souls were only with us for six and two years, respectfully, blink of an eye. We are certainly distraught over how they die, over the terrible violence, the lack of any sense of adult. We miss them so, so much. Marina and I already missed the little things the most.

We miss picking Leo out of his crib with a happy mom of her husband. data from him and always a big hug. We miss watching Lulu pick out our own clothes, helping her with a button or a skirt. We miss holding their hands as we walked down the sidewalk. We miss attempting to argue them out of a Mr. Softy Cone and losing most of the time. We miss taking little walks through the Ramble in Central Park that became Great Acorn or Leaf Collecting Expedition. We miss hearing them call out my name and run to

hug me when I got home from work. We missed feeling their soft skin in our arms. How did we not miss Lulu everywhere we turned? She was a city girl, a beach girl, a country girl, a mountain girl. And how do we not miss Leo everywhere we look? He who loved learning the name of everything he saw. Here we were in bustling New York City, the center of the world, with excuses to be out every night, and all Marina and I wanted to do was be at home making dinner with the kids. We just wanted to hang out with our kids. They were such cool kids. We are confident we made the most of every minute with our kids. I hope all of you do too with yours. We have no regrets. But Marina and Nessie and I, and I believe all of us are most

distraught that we won't have Lulu and Leo with us for the rest of our lives. We are so sad that we won't get to see them throw up. I had simple fantasies. proudly cheering Lulu and Leo on as they became these great people. I didn't care what they did. I knew they'd be great. It is so unfair that they are not. Unfair to them, unfair to us, unfair to the world. Judge Karra, this defendant and her defense rejected two plea barring offers from the agreement. Marina and I were against these offers as you know. But we also knew she would undoubtedly rejects.

them because being the malignant narcissist that she is she would never accept responsibility and say aloud in front of this court that she was guilty we also knew she wanted to put Marina and the rest of us through the pain of this trial and it was awful awful and wrong that the jury had to go through that that everyone in this court every day had to go through that and let's be sure sure everyone listening today acknowledges and never forgets this. It was a disorderly, callous, fiendal, crass, manipulative, indecent, ignorant, self-engrossed, pointless, shameless, and at its core, an utterly dishonest and brutally cruel defense.

It's hard to know which parts came from whom, the defendant or her defense. defense attorneys, but it was all of a peace. We were against the plea bargains because we didn't want to have to tell Nessie that the evil monster that killed her sister and brother would have a chance someday of going free and seeing her sister and son again, her sisters and son again. Nessie does not deserve to have that hanging over her. So, Judge Karo, I trust that you do not need this request from the Aluminio's dad, after all you've heard and seen, but I will make it anyway. In your sentencing decision, please

follow the law as you always have, and feed the unanimous opinion of the jury, and that of the good people of the city and state of New York and with Lulu and Leo's family and friends around the world by ensuring that the defendant can never leave prison alive. The defendant knows nothing of responsibility or remorse, she should also know nothing of hope. The defendant is an evil and utterly dangerous narcissist and a complete failure. It is right that she should live and rot and die in a concrete and metal cage, like the ugly dark shadow of Lulu and Leo's bright, shining lights. And more importantly, it is right that she will go for being being hated by the world to being forgotten by the world before she's going to dead.

Following this, Yosselin Ortega was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Judge Caro described her actions as pure evil and agreed with the juror's findings that she should be held responsible despite her defense of insanity. Here is Judge Caro speaking directly to Yoslin at her sentencing. There's no doubt that your untreated mental illness play a significant role in your fatal decisions for those children. But, you know, as I say, untreated, not because in New York State doesn't have facilities or services for anyone suffering mental illness to seek no treatment. But you failed and your family failed in their responsibility and your responsibility to seek treatment for your medical illness. And your attorney just said that you're not on medication, you're just, whatever belief you

had, you don't think you needed, and you don't think you never would ill. That's not what we told probation. Told probation that we don't feel guilty. Too many doctors see you and you are very sick that you suffer from depression. It's pretty clear you suffer from major depression, anxiety disorders, that's pretty clear. And normally someone who suffers of mental illness commits a crime that they're responsible for, but it's an intentional fine. knew was wrong, you knew the nature and consequences of your act, but that still is some mitigation

to the crime that someone may admit because of the suffer, mental illness. But your failure to see all these years treat for your mental evidence nullifies that mitigation. And I should say there's no evidence whatsoever that this jury did anything but follow my instructions on the law and decide this case based upon the facts that they found in the rules of law that I set out. I really can't sum up this case, this tragic case, any better than the witness, Mr. Minahan, pure what he said. So it is a sense of this court that on the two counts of murdering the second degree that

we've been found in the other than you be sentenced to the maximum level of the law on each one of those counts, minimum 25 years, a maximum of the rest of your life, those sentences to run consecutively for a total of 50 years to the rest of your life. And there's virtually, in this case, Paul, cries out for consecutive sentences. So any sentence that I will pose on you is virtually the rest of the life. So on your conviction for murder in the first degree, two counts, your sentence to the maximum penalty of the rest of your life and stay in prison, no possibility of parole.

That is the sentence. After Judge Carl's sentencing, Yosson Ortega spoke openly for the first time. She also showed a motion for the first time since the trial started. She spoke in Spanish, but an interpreter was there to relay her message. I'm very sorry to her everything I had. They're all that can't hurt here, but I hope that no one. What goes to what I'm concerned in continuing? And even what's similar?

Also, many people were she all the worse. Oh, we did that thing. My life was aimed at all the worst. My life was aimed at the names of God. Your daughter? I am Gilles Michelle. But perhaps there are many more there are more places than I am. But perhaps there are many more places than I am.

You have a little of good belief? I'll ask for Gabriel for Gile. God? Amarina? To Marina. To Mary. Together. Children is the only for me here?

I wish my family. I told my family that I did not feel well. At one time when I was walking, I had poodles. I don't feel good. I told her to do-do-do-i-do-i-do-i-do. I didn't feel good. And she would say what's wrong?

I have to go to the back trip. I went to about her. I went to about it. I went to the about it. In the real, some poor me. He gave his other appointment. You need 16-do-day-in-he said, if you don't come, if you don't come,

you'd want to get me a problem. It's a piece. I don't know. They're going to charge you $10. With the money, they know, I guess that a gentleman to give, and maybe the word, it didn't want.

I told her that it was a disaster, but I had an appointment. But she had another appointment. But she had another appointment. I was not able to call. So she's going to me. I really feel it feeds on my soul. Many jurors from this trial have spoken out about the emotional toll this case took on them.

One juror stated that she even fears taking a bath after seeing the images of Lulu and Leo in the bathtub. Others said they have issues sleeping. 52-year-old juror David Curtis said, quote, It was gut-wrenching. I had nightmares related to losing something important to me or not being able to find my family. It truly affected me. Unquote.

57-year-old juror, Edgaro Chacon said, it was the face of Lulu that he sees almost every night, saying, quote, I was there for 33 days, and every night I think about Lulu. I don't know why it was on my mind, but it was not fair.

It's not fair what she did to those kids." End quote. But the people affected the most by this tragedy are obviously Kevin and Marina Crem. Picking up the pieces of their lives after this devastating loss is something no parent ever prepares for, but they have dedicated their lives to finding meaning amongst tragedy. Marina Crem said that since her children passed, she has found a deeper spiritual connection to them,

Right after the murders, she was walking through New York City and she saw a piece of street art of a young boy holding a sign with all of these colorful hearts. And she thought of Leo and all the hearts he touched during his short life. Marina said, quote, I felt that maybe the universe was trying to tell me something. Unquote. Another time, she was walking along the beach

and she passed a house that was playing the Peanuts theme song. a song she often played for Lulu and Leo. So as their lives went on, little reminders of their children were everywhere. During her first Mother's Day without Lulu and Leo, Marina had a moment of clarity about what she wanted to do going forward. She said, On the first Mother's Day after their death, I had an idea.

On our last vacation together, Lulu and I had collected dozens of large sand dollars from the beach. I spent this Mother's Day hanging up those sand dollars for display on an empty wall in our apartment. It was a simple way to express myself, feel present, and connect with Lulu and Leo on a really tough day. It was a little moment of creativity, a way she could honor her own children. And in that moment, Marina and Kevin realized how important creativity is, not only in the lives of children, but for everyone. They would later write, as the parents of Lulu and Leo, we know that art and nature played a critical role in their short, beautiful lives. And in the life of our surviving daughter, Nessie, we believe that every child on this planet deserves a deep, engagement with art, nature, and creativity that our children had.

So they use this idea to create the Lulu and Leo Fund. So a lot of people have been asking us how they can help, how they can support us during this really horrible time. And we thought about it and we realized that we're going to handle this the way we've handled everything. We're going to focus on the positive and the goodness that's come out of all this. When you hear about us on the news or we come up in conversation, we want you to tell people about the Lou and Leo Fund and the Choose Creativity Initiative and the 10 Principles of Creativity. This is the legacy of Lou and Leo and this is what matters. So this is how you can help us.

So Nessie, Felix and Linus are here to tell you what the LULO Fund and Choose Creativity are all about. The Lulu and Leo Fund is a nonprofit that supports creative education. It was inspired by my sister and brother Lulu and Leo. They loved being creative. Choose Creativity is our flagship initiative that empowers kids and adults through a curriculum to engage with the 10 principles of creativity to build resilience, creative confidence, and social emotional skills. I have a question. I have a question. Who knows the choose creativity message. Felix. See if I'm a little bit and that we're going to be.

Yeah, high five. That was awesome. I want everybody to know that they're creative and creativity is inside them forever. Practice creativity like it to sport. The more practice, the better you get. That's what the 10 principals are for, to remind you how to live your life with creativity.

Kids and teachers in every school in our country can be engaging. with the principles and using the Choose Creativity curriculum to ensure that this generation of kids and the adults in their lives have the creative confidence to face whatever life throws at them. That is how we honor Louvo and Leo. And remember, Choose Creativity is equal parts, Choose and Creativity. In the face of destructive things like violence, anger, and fear, creativity is a positive act of defiance. You can use this in your lives.

You can be inspired by this and you can help us by sharing, choose creativity with everyone you know. In the years after the murders, Kevin and Marina would go on to have two more children. One is Felix, who was born in 2013, and the other is Linus, who is born in 2016. It's hard for Marina and Kevin to come to terms with the fact that their two youngest sons will never know their siblings. but every day when they look into their eyes, they can see Lulu and Leo living through them. Marina would later say that Felix will often cry during sad parts in movies, just like his older sister Lulu used to do. He's sensitive, just like her.

In Linus, their other son, is the spitting image of his older brother Leo. In fact, when he sees pictures of Leo, he will often say, me. Marina herself says that she even has a hard time telling them apart in pictures. But throughout it all, Marina and Kevin say that their role model, from the very beginning, has been Nessie. She walked through that horrible day with them, and she too had to see her little brother and sister murdered. But despite everything, Nessie was the one that helped their family stay strong. Marina would later write, quote,

I remember looking at our daughter Nessie in the darkest days, and I so admired her ability to just live in the present, seeing the world just as one should. To me, it seemed like she had all the answers. Though she missed her siblings, she was laughing and enjoying herself and making every heart person in the room smile. Unquote.

So from here, Marina and Kevin gave themselves permission to live their life like Nessie does. And everything they would do from here forward would be to honor Lulu and Leo and help other children along the way. Marina and Kevin would later write, quote, When we lose someone we love, we should remember that the person has not become nothing. Something cannot become nothing,

and nothing cannot become something. Science can help us understand this because matter cannot be destroyed. It can become energy. An energy can become matter, but it cannot be destroyed. In the same way, our loved one was not destroyed. They've just taken on another form. That form may be a cloud, a child, or the breeze. We can see our loved one and everything.

Hey, everybody, it's Colin here. Thank you so much for tuning in for another week of murder in America. Now, this story is incredibly disturbing. I could not believe the details of this case when Courtney first shared them with me. And I mean, just wow, this is a shocking, shocking story. It's just terrible for everybody involved. But I want to thank our new patrons this week. Dominic Bowers, Jody Brown, Sarah Hatfield, Rich, Gina Iadanza, Julie Torres, Tanya Jones,

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