Latest / Crime Stories with Nancy Grace / Mom Gets Life in Prison, Blames Son for Husband's Death | Crime Alert Recap Saturday 04.26.25

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Mom Gets Life in Prison, Blames Son for Husband's Death | Crime Alert Recap Saturday 04.26.25 · Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

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  Speaker 1: Crime Art hourly update, breaking crime news Now.
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  Speaker 2: I'm Jackie Howard. Prominent commercial real estate attorney. Gary Ferris's
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  Speaker 2: remains were found on a burn pile a bullet lodged
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  Speaker 2: in a rib bone. The discovery on the family's ten
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  Speaker 2: acre Cherokee County, Georgia property is where Ferris lived with
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  Speaker 2: his wife, Melody, and son Scott. As the investigation progressed,
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  Speaker 2: a second bullet is found in their homes basement. So
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  Speaker 2: how did the body end up in the burn pile
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  Speaker 2: fifty yards away? As police put that question to family members,
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  Speaker 2: they began pointing fingers at each other. Scott Ferris ran
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  Speaker 2: the farm's day to day operation, his work and personal
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  Speaker 2: expenses covered by his father.
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  Speaker 3: Mom.
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  Speaker 2: Melody says Scott was being pushed by his father to
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  Speaker 2: get another job. Scott Ferris denies the allegations, saying tension
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  Speaker 2: in the family is caused by Melody disappearing for weeks
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  Speaker 2: at a time and spending Gary Ferris's money. Investigators discover
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  Speaker 2: Melody is having an affair and her lover lives in Tennessee.
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  Speaker 2: After investigating for nearly a year, Melody Ferris is arrested
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  Speaker 2: for the murder of Gary Ferris at twyal. Melody's defense
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  Speaker 2: claims Scott, at about six feet eight inches tall two
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  Speaker 2: hundred and eighty pounds, is more capable of moving gary
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  Speaker 2: six foot four inch three hundred pound body than she was.
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  Speaker 2: But police and prosecutors believe Melody Ferris is the killer.
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  Speaker 2: She was the only one home at the time police
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  Speaker 2: believed Gary Ferris was killed. Then at trial, prosecutors called
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  Speaker 2: a witness, an analyst from Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Intelligence
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  Speaker 2: Division who analyzed phone records discovering Gary Ferris's cell phone
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  Speaker 2: moved from the house to the burn pile and back
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  Speaker 2: to the house after investigators believed the body was already
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  Speaker 2: on the burn pile. Melody Ferris was the only one
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  Speaker 2: home then as well. Also at trial, prosecutors call Roy
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  Speaker 2: Rusty Barron, Junior, Melody's lover. He testifies to a phone
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  Speaker 2: call with Melody.
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  Speaker 4: You told them that the defendant, probably the last minute
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  Speaker 4: of the last conversation, she said Gary is in the
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  Speaker 4: burn pile. No, she said he is in the burn pile.
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  Speaker 4: And I said what, And she said he's in the
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  Speaker 4: burn pile. And I said, do not say another word,
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  Speaker 4: and do not tell me anything.
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  Speaker 3: I do not need to note.
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  Speaker 4: Those were your words to law enforcement in July the
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  Speaker 4: twenty fourth of twenty eighteen.
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  Speaker 1: Is that true?
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  Speaker 5: Yes?
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  Speaker 2: Melody Ferris has found guilty of murdering her husband. At
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  Speaker 2: her sentencing, Melody maintained her innocence, then shocked the courtroom.
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  Speaker 6: Not only did adopt this?
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  Speaker 1: Oh?
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  Speaker 6: Did I know Scott killed his father?
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  Speaker 2: Melody Ferris tells forty eight hours that she saw Scott
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  Speaker 2: Ferris near the burn pile the day before Gary Ferris's
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  Speaker 2: body was discovered. She says she believes Scott Ferris used
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  Speaker 2: his pickup truck to move the body, then planted the
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  Speaker 2: bullet found in the basement to frame her and the motive,
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  Speaker 2: she says, is the farm Scott wanted it. Scott Ferris
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  Speaker 2: denies all allegations. Melody Ferris is sentenced to life in prison,
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  Speaker 2: with the possibility of parole after thirty years. More crime
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  Speaker 2: and justice nears after this.
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  Speaker 6: I'm Nicole pardon.
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  Speaker 5: On Thursday, a judge determined that prosecutors are permitted to
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  Speaker 5: seek the death penalty for Brian Colberger if he has
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  Speaker 5: found guilty of the twenty two murders for University of
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  Speaker 5: Idaho students despite his recent diagnosis of autism.
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  Speaker 6: Coburger, thirty, faces charges.
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  Speaker 5: In connection with the stabbing debts of Ethan Chapin, Zana Kernudle,
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  Speaker 5: Madison Mogan, and Kaylee Conglaves at a rental property in
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  Speaker 5: Idaho on November thirteenth, twenty twenty two. Prosecutors have indicated
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  Speaker 5: their intention to pursue the death penalty should Colberger be
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  Speaker 5: convicted during his trial, which is scheduled for August. However,
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  Speaker 5: Colberger's defense team urged Judge Stephen Hipler to dismiss the
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  Speaker 5: death penalty as a potential sentence, referencing his autism spectrum disorder.
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  Speaker 5: They have also submitted various motions contesting the death penalty,
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  Speaker 5: including claims of the state's failure to properly provide evidence
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  Speaker 5: in court documents, the defense argued, quote mister Colberger's autism
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  Speaker 5: spectrum disorder disminishes his culpability, it undermines the intented effects
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  Speaker 5: of capital punishment, and puts him at an unjust risk
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  Speaker 5: of wrongful conviction and execution. They claim that executing an
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  Speaker 5: individual with autism would violate the Eighth Amendments prohibition against
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  Speaker 5: cruel and unjust punishment. Prosecutors, however, countered that according to
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  Speaker 5: the U. S. Supreme Court rulings, the only mental condition
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  Speaker 5: that disqualifies a person facing death penalty is an intellectual disability.
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  Speaker 5: They noted that Coburger's autism was classified as mild and
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  Speaker 5: did not include any intellectual impairments. The judge sided with
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  Speaker 5: the prosecution, stating quote, the defendant has not established that
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  Speaker 5: ASD is comparable to an intellectual disability for the purposes
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  Speaker 5: of death penalty exemption, nor has he demonstrated a national
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  Speaker 5: consensus against executing individuals with ASD. He acknowledged that while
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  Speaker 5: Colberger's autism could be considered a mitigating factor in weighing
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  Speaker 5: the aggravated circumstances for a death sentence, it does not
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  Speaker 5: disqualify him from facing capital punishment. Here's Nancy Grace weighing
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  Speaker 5: in on the topic, speaking to Megan Kelly.
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  Speaker 1: Now, the judge has ruled that they may not bring
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  Speaker 1: in evidence of alleged autism on Coburger's behalf and the
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  Speaker 1: case in chief regarding autism, The defense wanted to bring
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  Speaker 1: in their theory that he has autism, although apparently none
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  Speaker 1: of the defense experts have stated thus far that he
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  Speaker 1: is autistic or under the spectrum. None of them have
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  Speaker 1: said that. They said they wanted to bring it in
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  Speaker 1: as you surmised because of his odd behavior. What odd behavior,
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  Speaker 1: the judge says, I don't see any odd behavior. He
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  Speaker 1: just sits there, so therefore that's irrelevant. If it becomes relevant,
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  Speaker 1: then I will review your motion again if you choose
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  Speaker 1: to renew it. But as of right now, the only
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  Speaker 1: way it would be relevant is if they noted quirky
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  Speaker 1: or odd behavior when he takes a stand.
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  Speaker 5: Following his arrest, Coburger was evaluated by a clinical neuropsychologist,
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  Speaker 5: doctor Rachel Orr, who diagnosed him with autism spectrum disorder
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  Speaker 5: level one without accompanying intellectual or language impairment.
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  Speaker 6: In a separate ruling on the same day.
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  Speaker 5: The judge allowed that jurors would likely hear much of
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  Speaker 5: the nine to one one call made by two surviving
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  Speaker 5: roommates approximately eight hours after the murders, as they discovered
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  Speaker 5: one of their housemates was unresponsive. However, statements from an
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  Speaker 5: unidentified woman during the call, who conveyed information she has
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  Speaker 5: not personally witnessed, would be excluded from the trial.
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  Speaker 6: According to the judge, Jurors will.
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  Speaker 5: Also have access to text messages sent by the two
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  Speaker 5: surviving roommates around the time of the attack after four am,
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  Speaker 5: when one reported seeing a mask individual in the residence,
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  Speaker 5: contingent on the prosecution establishing a proper foundation for the
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  Speaker 5: evidence's admission.
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  Speaker 6: Crime Alert hourly update will keep you posted as this
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  Speaker 6: trial unfold.
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  Speaker 7: I'm Drew Nelson. A shoplifting arrest in Minnesota prevents a
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  Speaker 7: possible mass shooting plan for the next day. Mohammed Adan Muhammad,
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  Speaker 7: age twenty four, was arrested a week ago Thursday in
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  Speaker 7: Mankato after he stole items from a sporting goods store.
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  Speaker 7: Mohammad was wearing a medical mask, gloves, a winter jacket,
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  Speaker 7: and a green cap. He grabbed body armor, bear spray,
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  Speaker 7: and magazines for a nine millimeter firearm, totaling over two
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  Speaker 7: one hundred and fifty dollars. Employees became suspicious when he
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  Speaker 7: took expensive items without checking the prices. Mohammad told shoppers
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  Speaker 7: he had an ar style rifle quote calibrated to nine millimeter.
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  Speaker 7: Then he ran from the store. Security tried to stop him,
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  Speaker 7: but Muhammad got into a Toyota Siena and sped off.
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  Speaker 7: He nearly ran over a bystander during his escape. Police
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  Speaker 7: found a list Mohammad left behind. The list labeled survival
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  Speaker 7: gear list with alternative It listed sleeping bags, knives, bows
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  Speaker 7: and arrows, lighters, pepper spray, and eight firearm magazines. Investigators
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  Speaker 7: believed Mohammed was planning a mass shooting within twenty four hours.
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  Speaker 7: An officer remembered Muhammad from a previous social media investigation.
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  Speaker 7: Saint Peter Police Chief Macrochow tells WCCO he met with
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  Speaker 7: Mohammed personally.
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  Speaker 3: It was cordial. He was an aggressive towards law enforcement.
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  Speaker 3: He was appropriate with us. We left with an understanding
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  Speaker 3: that at that moment he was safe. In that moment,
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  Speaker 3: the community was safe.
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  Speaker 7: Mohammed had posted pictures of himself aiming a rifle at
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  Speaker 7: the camera. The hashtag on his posts was death to
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  Speaker 7: American and Israeli imperialism all one word. Police search Mohammed's
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  Speaker 7: home in Saint Peter, Minnesota, finding the rifle he showed online,
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  Speaker 7: two three D printed guns, and they arrested him without incident.
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  Speaker 7: The neighborhood is shocked beyond belief, says one neighbor by
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  Speaker 7: the name of Dunia.
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  Speaker 3: He has a very beautiful heart. He's a really good guy.
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  Speaker 7: Is just he's not mentally physically there right now at
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  Speaker 7: the moment we start seeing Mohammed just start talking to himself,
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  Speaker 7: not socializing with us, with the kids. A judge said
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  Speaker 7: bail at half a million. Mohammed remains in custody, charged
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  Speaker 7: with felony, theft and violent threats. He is banned from
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  Speaker 7: owning guns for one year. He will appear in court
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  Speaker 7: again in May.
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  Speaker 8: I'm Jennifer Gould. A seemingly ordinary glass of milk turned
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  Speaker 8: into a potential death sentence for a seventy seven year
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  Speaker 8: old Florida woman, allegedly at the hands of her own
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  Speaker 8: teenage son. According to an arrest affidavit, the elderly woman
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  Speaker 8: poured herself the drink, only to be met with an
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  Speaker 8: alarming chemical smell and called.
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  Speaker 6: Nine to one one.
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  Speaker 8: When police arrived at the family's Deltona home, the victim's
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  Speaker 8: immediate and shocking accusation was captured on bodycam. Take a listen.
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  Speaker 7: He put the clorox in the milk.
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  Speaker 8: I think I just had a little bitter because I
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  Speaker 8: tasted it. The he, police alleged, was her own son,
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  Speaker 8: Eduardo Espiinal Raghwan. The seventeen year old was reportedly found
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  Speaker 8: by authorities quote hiding in the room with a dog
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  Speaker 8: end quote Amidst the aftermath, the elderly mom was swiftly
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  Speaker 8: taken to the hospital for evaluation, and disturbing details soon emerged,
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  Speaker 8: suggesting this was an isolated incident. Either authorities alleged a
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  Speaker 8: troubling history of battering of the victim by the teen.
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  Speaker 8: The affidavit says the mom's the only milk drinker too
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  Speaker 8: in the house, making her the obvious target. Cops on
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  Speaker 8: the scene even sniffed the milk and confirmed it reeked
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  Speaker 8: a bleach. Espinal Ramgowan allegedly admitted to taking the bleach
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  Speaker 8: from the laundry room pouring it into the milk container,
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  Speaker 8: knowing it could harm someone. He reportedly told police he
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  Speaker 8: was angry at the victim and wanted to make her
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  Speaker 8: sick because he no longer wanted to live in the home.
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  Speaker 8: Adding to the suspicion, the victim herself reportedly told police
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  Speaker 8: she suspected her son due to escalating quote unquote recent conflicts.
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  Speaker 8: The teen now faces a battery of charges, including poisoning
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  Speaker 8: by food or water, attempted felony murder and aggravated abuse
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  Speaker 8: of an elderly person. The investigation continues. For the latest
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  Speaker 8: crime and justice news, follow the crimel hourly update on
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  Speaker 8: your favorite podcast app with this crime alert. I'm Jennifer Gould.
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  Speaker 1: How could a beautiful, young first grade teacher be stabbed
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  Speaker 1: twenty times, including in the back, allegedly die of suicide? Yes,
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  Speaker 1: that was the medical examiner's official ruling after a closed
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  Speaker 1: door meeting. He first named it a homicide. Why what
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  Speaker 1: Happened to Ellen Greenberg? A huge American miscarriage of justice.
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  Speaker 1: For an in depth look at the facts, see What
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: Happened to Ellen on Amazon. All proceeds to the National
• 12:43
  Speaker 1: Center for Missing and Exploited Children.