Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

New details are emerging in the case of a 21-year-old college student and cheerleader from the University of Kentucky accused of hiding her newborn inside her college apartment closet. Laken Snelling's case is on its way to a grand jury. The panel is expected to hear evidence in late January. The grand jury will likely be asked to indict Snelling on the three charges she initially pleaded not guilty to, and there’s possibly a count of murder or manslaughter depending on the newborn's autopsy results. Laken Snelling is arrested after her infant is found dead in a trash bag inside the closet. An autopsy report only deepens the mystery surrounding the infant's death because the results are found to be inconclusive. Snelling posted baby bump pics before her infant was found dead. Authorities allege Snelling gave birth in secret, wrapped her baby in a towel, placed him in a trash bag, and left him in her closet. According to an arrest report, Lexington police were called to a home on Park Avenue for an unresponsive infant on Wednesday. Police said they found a baby's body in a closet, wrapped in a towel inside a black trash bag. The UK cheerleader is now charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant. Court records show Snelling took selfies during the birth. Joining Nancy Grace today: Josh Kolsrud - Criminal Defense Attorney and Former Assistant U.S. Attorney, Founder of Kolsrud Law Offices; Facebook and YouTube @KohlsrudLawOffices Dr. Bethany Marshall - Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker,” featured in hit show: "Paris in Love" on Peacock; Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, Twitter: @DrBethanyLive Dr. Kendall Crowns - Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County (Ft Worth), Host of Podcast, "Mayhem in the Morgue," and Lecturer: Burnett School of Medicine at TCU (Texas Christian University) Chris Byers - Private Investigator and Owner of Byers Investigative Services, Former Police Chief in Johns Creek, Georgia (25 years as police officer) Germania Rodriguez - Chief US Reporter, DailyMail.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sarah Grace Patrick is accused of murdering her mother and stepfather while they were asleep in their bed, leaving their bodies to be discovered by the couple's five-year-old daughter. The trial was schedule to begin yesterday, January 5, 2026, but has now been delayed until August awaiting a report from a forensic neuropsychologist who evaluated the teen over several visits in August 2025. Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack break down the scene of the crime, trajectory of bullets and sound...is it possible shots were fired in the home but not heard by a 16-year-old? Also, the long, "crying without tears" eulogy of the now accused teen. Transcribe Highlights 00:00.03 Introduction - Sarah Grace Patrick 00:53.56 Rural Geography - Double homicide 04:12.36 Blended Family with a past 07:11.46 A person's past follows them around 09:57.18 James Brock - Victim had a VLAD 15:08.86 5-year-old finds parents bodies in their bed, sister Sarah Grace Patrick calls 911 16:52.09 Sarah tells 911 bodies cold to the touch, no need for CPR 20:34.55 House is small 25:01.27 Weapon used in small house, but Sarah says she didn't hear anything 30:02.20 16-year-old accused of the murders 35:12.47 Cause of death will state which gun shot wound was fatal 39:57.98 Months between murders and arrest of Sarah Grace Patrick 45:04.02 LVAD would show when heart stopped beating 50:11.23 Gunshot residue and trajectory of bullets 51:46.78 Conclusion See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Breaking crime news as it happens throughout the day! Follow "Crime Alert Hourly Update" now on your favorite podcast app: https://link.chtbl.com/Crime_Alert Here's some of our top stories this week: Chaos in the courtroom as Nick Reiner's legal eagle abandons him on arraignment day. Alan Jackson says he's dropping out due to circumstances beyond "his & Nick's control." The son of film icon Rob Reiner will go from being repped by a celeb lawyer to public defender. Harvey Weinstein is considering a guilty plea to address an unresolved rape charge and potentially avoid a third trial in New York, as mentioned by a judge on Thursday. A father in Tennessee is speaking out after investigators say a mother killed her two young sons and their grandmother before taking her own life. A Florida jury is now deciding whether a man convicted in a decades-old child murder case should again be sentenced to death Two eerie calls, One Mystery: Chilling 911 records reveal a "domestic blowout" & an attempted break-in months/days before an Ohio dentist and his wife were executed in their home. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been more than two months since Anna Kepner’s death aboard a Carnival cruise ship, and still, there has been no arrest. Her death is now ruled a homicide, and according to her autopsy report, she was “mechanically asphyxiated by another person or persons.” The medical examiner also found two bruises on the side of Anna’s neck, writing she may have been held in a ‘bar hold,’ meaning her attacker held an arm across her neck. Anna’s stepbrother may be a suspect in the teen’s murder; the FBI remains silent. Anna Kepner’s cruise to the Caribbean is a family trip. She’s joined by her grandparents, who took her on her first cruise; her father, Chris Kepner; her stepmother, Shauntel Hudson; and her two siblings and two step-siblings. Anna’s parents share a room with the two youngest girls, and by their own decision, Anna, her brother, 14, and stepbrother, 16, split a second room. Grandparents Barbara and Jeffrey Kepner remind the teens they have a spare bed in their room if anyone decides they need more space. During dinner, Anna excuses herself early; sources allege her braces hurt. Surveillance footage shows Anna walking back to and entering the room she shares with her brothers. After eating, the teen boys come to the room before the youngest sibling ventures out again to explore, leaving Anna and their stepbrother alone. When he returns, he notes Anna isn’t in bed but assumes she got a second wind and is spending more time with the adults. He goes to sleep with no idea his sister’s body is shoved under the bed just a few feet away. Though family members released the details of Anna’s autopsy, and court records from stepmom Shauntel Hudson’s divorce proceedings indicate her 16-year-old son, Anna’s stepbrother, may be a suspect in the teen’s murder, the FBI has remained silent on the progress of their investigation. No charges have been filed. Anna’s stepmom, Shauntel Hudson, files a motion for a gag order in her divorce proceedings, claiming the public exposure and reporting on the case and subsequent filings could lead to "possible irreversible harm" to the children and family or could jeopardize the investigation and her son’s presumed defense. The documents request that future hearings be closed to the public in the event the 16-year-old is charged in Anna’s death. Joining Nancy Grace today: Spencer Aronfeld - Trial Lawyer and Founder of Aronfeld Trial Lawyers, Author of illustrated children's book "Sara Rose, Kid Lawyer;" Facebook: Aronfeld Law, Instagram: Aronfeld_Trial_Lawyers Dr. Janie Lacy - Licensed Psychotherapist and CEO of Life Counseling Solutions, Author of "How To Heal From A Toxic Relationship: A Guide To Reclaiming Your Mental Health and Happiness," Host of “The Resilient Professional” Podcast on YouTube; Instagram & Facebook: @JanieLacy Robert Crispin - Private Investigator “Crispin Special Investigations," Former Federal Task Force Officer for the United States Department of Justice, DEA and Miami Field Division, and Former Homicide and Crimes Against Children Investigator; Facebook: Crispin Special Investigations Inc. Dr. Kendall Crowns - Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County (Ft Worth), NEW Podcast, "Mayhem in the Morgue," and Lecturer: Burnett School of Medicine at TCU (Texas Christian University) Shannon Butler (FL) Investigative Reporter at WFTV Channel 9 in Florida, Sydney Sumner - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The suspected mastermind in the deaths of moms Veronica Butler and Jillian Kelley, has pleaded no contest to the murders. Grandmother Tiffany Adams made the plea to murder, removal of a body, and desecration of a corpse charges. The full autopsy reports on Veronica Butler and Jillian Kelley identified their cause of death as multiple sharp force trauma. The reports list a total of 30 wounds on each victim, including 9 stab wounds and 21 cuts. Many of Butler's wounds were consistent with defensive injuries. A police affidavit states that Tifany Adams allegedly made statements implicating herself in the deaths of Butler and Kelley. Investigators believe Butler and Kelley were lured to the location, arriving around 9:40 a.m. Officers found pools of blood, Butler’s glasses on the ground, and a broken hammer at the scene. Police believe the women were then forced into another vehicle. The probable cause affidavit contains extensive details, but the women’s causes of death were not initially disclosed. Their bodies were discovered in a cattle pasture leased by Tad Bert Cullum, the boyfriend of Tifany Adams. Cellphone data from three burner phones purchased by Adams helped narrow down the location. The phones first pinged near Butler's abandoned car, and the data later led police to the pasture. Officers found signs of digging. A hole, which had been refilled, contained the bodies of the two women. Investigators cite a custody battle over Butler’s two children as the motive. The custody dispute had lasted more than five years. Butler’s ex-partner, Wrangler Rickman, who is Adams’ son, had custody of the children. However, Rickman was confirmed to be in a rehabilitation facility in Oklahoma City at the time. Butler was allowed supervised visitation with her children every Saturday. According to her attorney, she was likely to gain unsupervised visitation in an upcoming hearing. The affidavit states, “Adams vehemently opposed this and went to great lengths to plan and purchase items used in Butler and Kelley’s murders.” It continues, “Adams, Cullum, Cole, and Cora were willing to kidnap and murder two victims to limit visitation for Butler.” Court documents also allege that Adams and her accomplices attempted to kill Butler in February. Adams, her boyfriend, and another couple reportedly drove to Butler’s home near Hugoton, Kansas, intending to kill her. A witness told investigators the plan was to throw an anvil through Butler’s windshield to make it appear as an accident, but Butler did not leave her home. State investigators retrieved data from Adams’ phone showing searches for terms such as “taser pain level,” “gun shops,” “prepaid cellular phones,” and “how to get someone out of their house.” According to the documents, Adams purchased five stun guns before the women disappeared. She also bought three prepaid burner phones from a nearby Walmart. All the burner phones stopped transmitting on the morning of the women’s disappearance. After the attack, the bodies were reportedly stored in a sealed freezer before being buried 4 to 8 feet underground. Joining Nancy Grace Today: Kelly Hyman- Trial & Civil Attorney, TV Legal Analyst, Podcast Host: "Once Upon a Crime In Hollywood", Twitter: @kellyhyman1, TikTok: @kelly.hyman, Instagram: @Kelly_Hyman1 Sheryl McCollum – Forensics Expert & Cold Case Investigative Research Institute Founder; Host of Podcast: “Zone 7;” X: @149Zone7 Irv Brandt – Senior Inspector, US Marshals Service International Investigations Branch; Chief Inspector, DOJ Office of International Affairs, US Embassy Kingston, Jamaica; Author: “SOLO SHOT: CURSE OF THE BLUE STONE” – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON IN JANUARY; ALSO “FLYING SOLO: Top of the World;” Twitter: @JackSoloAuthor Dr. Kendall Crowns – Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County (Ft Worth) and Lecturer: University of Texas Austin and Texas Christian University Medical School Lauren Conlin – Investigative Journalist, Host of The Outlier Podcast, and also Host of “Corruption: What Happened to Grant Solomon; X- @Conlin_Lauren/ Instagram- @LaurenEmilyConlin/YouTube- @LaurenConlin4 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.