Latest / Crime Stories with Nancy Grace / DOES LA HAVE ANOTHER SERIAL KILLER?|Crime Alert Recap Saturday 02.07.26

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DOES LA HAVE ANOTHER SERIAL KILLER?|Crime Alert Recap Saturday 02.07.26 · Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

• 0:03
  Speaker 1: Does LA have another serial killer. Until the death of
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: former NFL star Kevin Johnson, nobody paid much attention to
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: a string of murders taking place in the Compton Creek
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: area of Los Angeles. The notorious camp along the La
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: River is known for being dangerous, but the homeless population
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  Speaker 1: being what it is around LA, many people will stay
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  Speaker 1: wherever they can, which is how fifty five year old
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  Speaker 1: Kevin Johnson found the camp. A fourth round draft pick
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: of the New England Patriots in nineteen ninety three, Johnson
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  Speaker 1: spent three years in the NFL in the mid nineties
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  Speaker 1: for the Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders, then four years
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  Speaker 1: in Arena Football before hanging up his cleats. Johnson's son, Brandon,
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  Speaker 1: is speaking out about his father's death, suggesting health issues
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  Speaker 1: have plugged the former athlete, possibly contributing to his housing instability.
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  Speaker 1: Brandon says his father found the homeless encampmen in the
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: Willowbrook area along the La River south of LA about
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: six months before his murder. Johnson was found dead in
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: the encampment on January twenty first, with stab wounds and
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: what the Sheriff's Department described as head trauma. The camp
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: is now tied to at least three other murders, and
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  Speaker 1: it's possible the same person is behind all four killings.
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: On October fifth, fifty two year old Michelle Steele, shot
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: in the head, dies a month later in the hospital,
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: Shortly after the death of Steel. On December fourth, Octavio Arius,
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  Speaker 1: also fifty two, beaten to death, and just last week,
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: Moro Alfaro, a man in his mid fifties, bludgeon to death.
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  Speaker 1: The medical examiner ruled the death of Kevin Johnson a
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: homicide from blunt head trauma and stab wounds. Johnson's son, Brandon,
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: helped investigators identify his father's body at the scene. Describing
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: his father as his best friend, Brandon says his dad
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: was a loving, gentle person. It's not clear why the
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: former defensive lineman, who once played at the elite level
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: of sport in the NFL, was out on the streets,
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: but friends suggested he was suffering from CTE, generative brain
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: disease associated with repeated head trauma. Johnson's ex wife, Chantel Hill,
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  Speaker 1: says of her former husband, he wasn't the type of
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: person that would touch a fly. He had no anger
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  Speaker 1: in his heart, no evil that just was not him.
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: Investigators are working to determine the motive behind the Gillings.
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: More crime and justice news. After this.
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  Speaker 3: Slight, graphic footage depicting the murder of conservative activist Charlie
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  Speaker 3: Kirk during his speech at a Utah college campus quickly
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  Speaker 3: gained widespread attention online, racking up millions of views.
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  Speaker 4: On Tuesday, screenshots from these videos were presented as evidence
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  Speaker 4: in the murder trial of Tyler Robinson, the man accused
• 2:50
  Speaker 4: of Kirk's death. However, the full video footage was not
• 2:53
  Speaker 4: displayed in court due to objections from defense attorneys who
• 2:57
  Speaker 4: argued that it could jeopardize Robinson's right to a fair trial.
• 3:02
  Speaker 4: Legal experts, including Valerie Hans of the Cornell Law School,
• 3:06
  Speaker 4: affirms that such concerns are valid. They noted that extensive
• 3:09
  Speaker 4: media coverage in high profile cases can create a significant
• 3:13
  Speaker 4: quote biasing effect on potential jurors. There's a plethora of
• 3:18
  Speaker 4: content related to the murder, including videos, images, and analysis
• 3:23
  Speaker 4: of how the defendant turned himself in, Hans explained, emphasizing
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  Speaker 4: that jurors exposed to such media narratives may interpret courtroom
• 3:32
  Speaker 4: evidence differently. The defense team is also advocating for the
• 3:36
  Speaker 4: exclusion of television and steal cameras from the courtroom, claiming
• 3:40
  Speaker 4: that quote highly biased news outlets could influence the case's integrity.
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  Speaker 4: In contrast, prosecutors, representatives for news organizations, and Kirk's widow
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  Speaker 4: are urging State District Judge Tony Graft to maintain an
• 3:54
  Speaker 4: open courtroom. Erica's attorney expressed concern in a court filing,
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  Speaker 4: saying with out transparency, there is a risk of speculation, misinformation,
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  Speaker 4: and conspiracy theories, which could undermine public trust in the
• 4:07
  Speaker 4: judicial system. Robinson, twenty two, faces aggravated murder charges in
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  Speaker 4: the shooting of Kirk on September ten at the Utah
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  Speaker 4: Valley University campus in Orum, with prosecutors planning to pursue
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  Speaker 4: the death penalty. He has yet to enter a plea.
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  Speaker 4: Approximately three thousand people were present at the outdoor rally,
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  Speaker 4: where Kirk, a co founder of Turning Point USA, encouraged
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  Speaker 4: young voters to support President Donald Trump in Utah. Securing
• 4:35
  Speaker 4: a death sentence requires prosecutors to prove aggravating factors, such
• 4:40
  Speaker 4: as the crime being particularly heinous or atrocious, criteria that
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  Speaker 4: graphic videos may help establish. Hans noted that viewing the
• 4:49
  Speaker 4: footage might lead people to conclude, yes, this was especially
• 4:53
  Speaker 4: atrocious or cruel. During the proceedings on Tuesday, Utah County
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  Speaker 4: Attorney Jeffrey Gray review that he considered pursuing the death
• 5:01
  Speaker 4: penalty even before an arrest was made. He could not
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  Speaker 4: recall the exact timing of when he informed the governor
• 5:08
  Speaker 4: and federal officials of his intention. When questioned about the
• 5:11
  Speaker 4: early announcement of his death penalty plans, Gray explained that
• 5:14
  Speaker 4: the case had already attracted a significant public interest and
• 5:19
  Speaker 4: he wanted to avoid prolonging uncertainty for the widow, Erica Kirk.
• 5:24
  Speaker 4: The judge has yet to make a ruling on these filings.
• 5:29
  Speaker 2: I Drew Nelson. Two people are under arrest as a
• 5:32
  Speaker 2: multi county search continues in eastern Nebraska for the bodies
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: of a missing couple believed to have been killed. Lincoln
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: police are searching rural areas of Saunders County near Melmo
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  Speaker 2: after digital evidence and witness statements led investigators to multiple
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: locations of interest. Authorities saved the site, near Highway twenty
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  Speaker 2: two and County Road. Are is just one of several
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: areas being examined in the homicide investigation. Involving Hannah Neville
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  Speaker 2: and Roberto Tanner. Investigators was thirty two weeks pregnant when
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: she was reported missing more than two weeks ago. Tanner
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  Speaker 2: was later reported missing in Lincoln. Police say they believe
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: the couple is dead. Investigators have not determined whether the
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: two victims are together. Lincoln Police say they have searched
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  Speaker 2: multiple locations across Lancaster and Saunders County since earlier this week.
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: Officers were seen walking tree lines, combing open fields, and
• 6:23
  Speaker 2: using a drone to survey the area. Police said. Twenty
• 6:26
  Speaker 2: four year old Sterling James, Tanner's half brother, is charged
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  Speaker 2: with two counts of first degree murder. His wife, Sadie Titus,
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  Speaker 2: faces two counts of aiding in a bedding. Lincoln Police
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  Speaker 2: Lieutenant Dustin Romsseek says the investigation is expanding as new
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  Speaker 2: information continues to come in.
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  Speaker 5: We're just analyzing a lot of digital evidence as well
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  Speaker 5: as a lot of people providing tips since the news briefing,
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  Speaker 5: and then individuals are just coming forward providing statements to us.
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  Speaker 5: So we have a lot of different areas and different
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  Speaker 5: areas of interest other than just here.
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  Speaker 2: Police say they are still working to determine a mode
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  Speaker 2: and the location of the initial shooting. Investigators continue to
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  Speaker 2: ask anyone with information to contact law enforcement as the
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  Speaker 2: search remains active.
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  Speaker 6: I'm Jennifer Gould, a North Carolina veterinary technicians. Act of
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  Speaker 6: mercy has been twisted into a criminal indictment after she
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  Speaker 6: rescued an abandoned labradoodle from a lethal snowstorm, only to
• 7:24
  Speaker 6: be arrested and fired for her compassion. Jason Garner, a
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  Speaker 6: groomer and single mom, is completely broken, she says, after
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  Speaker 6: the Wilson County Sheriff's Office hit her with a slew
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  Speaker 6: of charges, including keeping a stray animal, failure to surrender,
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  Speaker 6: and interfering with law enforcement. Garner spoke to WRL News.
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  Speaker 4: I'm baffled.
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  Speaker 2: I'm confused. I have a lot of heart feelings right
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  Speaker 2: now because unexpected court calls, unexpected lawyer fees.
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  Speaker 4: All of this adds up.
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  Speaker 6: The legal nightmare began on a frigid Saturday, when a
• 8:00
  Speaker 6: bomb cyclone buried Wilson, North Carolina, under eleven inches of
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  Speaker 6: snow and sent the temperatures plunging to a bone chilling
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  Speaker 6: twenty one degrees. The drama ignited when Garner spotted ring
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  Speaker 6: doorbell footage of a woman later I did as thirty
• 8:18
  Speaker 6: two year old Ashley Barker dumping a matted, terrified labradoodle
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  Speaker 6: on a stranger's porch before just scurrying away. Recognizing the
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  Speaker 6: sweet pup would not survive the night, Garner rushed to
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  Speaker 6: the rescue. While she reported the fine to animal control,
• 8:37
  Speaker 6: she refused their demand to surrender the pooch. As a
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  Speaker 6: professional vettech, Garner knew the neglected dog quote wouldn't stand
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  Speaker 6: a chance end quote in a cold shelter environment, and
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  Speaker 6: chose instead to provide expert care at home. Within twenty
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  Speaker 6: four hours, Garner bypassed the bureaucracy and reunited the pup
• 8:59
  Speaker 6: with its rightful owner, who revealed the dog had been
• 9:02
  Speaker 6: missing for two months. But while the alleged dumper, Barker,
• 9:08
  Speaker 6: was charged with animal abandonment, authorities turned their sights.
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  Speaker 4: On the rescuer too.
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  Speaker 6: Deputies claimed Garner repeatedly dodged calls and defied orders to
• 9:19
  Speaker 6: forfeit the dog, leading to her arrest. The fallout has
• 9:24
  Speaker 6: been devastating. Garner was fired from her animal clinic and
• 9:27
  Speaker 6: Rocky Mount and now faces crippling legal fees. Just as
• 9:32
  Speaker 6: she was returning to the workforce. However, despite all the
• 9:37
  Speaker 6: dog drama, Garner doesn't regret saving the dog, saying it
• 9:41
  Speaker 6: would have died otherwise. The original dog owner also expressed
• 9:45
  Speaker 6: deep gratitude for Garner's actions. Garner is due in court
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  Speaker 6: later in February. Her family started a GoFundMe to help
• 9:54
  Speaker 6: cover legal expenses, with a six thousand dollars goal. For
• 9:59
  Speaker 6: the latest crime I'm in Justice News. Follow the crime
• 10:02
  Speaker 6: Alert hourly update on your favorite podcast app with this
• 10:05
  Speaker 6: crime Alert. I'm Jennifer Gould.