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 Sydney Silvagni with some of our top stories this week. 

  

 

Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.”

Breaking crime news as it happens throughout the day! Follow "Crime Alert Hourly Update" now on your favorite podcast app: <a href="https://link.chtbl.com/Crime_Alert" aria-label="Link https://link.chtbl.com/Crime_Alert">https://link.chtbl.com/Crime_Alert</a>
Here's Sydney Silvagni with some of our top stories this week.&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.&rdquo;

Nancy Grace dives deep into the day’s most shocking crimes and asks the tough questions in her new daily podcast – Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Nancy Grace had a perfect conviction record during her decade as a prosecutor and used her TV show to find missing people, fugitives on the run and unseen clues. Now, she will use the power of her huge social media following and the immediacy of the internet to deliver daily bombshells!

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Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Nancy Grace dives deep into the day’s most shocking crimes and asks the tough questions in her new daily podcast – Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Nancy Grace had a perfect conviction record during her decade as a prosecutor and used her TV show to find missing people, fugitives on the run and unseen clues. Now, she will use the power of her huge social media following and the immediacy of the internet to deliver daily bombshells!

Theme Music: Audio Network

Crime Alert Recap Saturday 06.26.26

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/491d0f81-c34d-4e94-bd31-b47200c0b3ee/transcript

In 2012, 19-year-old Stevie Bates vanished after calling her mother from a Greyhound bus during a layover in Pittsburgh; she made it back to New York but never made it home. Eight years later, her skeletal remains were discovered wrapped in a blanket at an abandoned house in Queens, the same property where her boyfriend had reportedly been squatting. In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum welcomes Stevie’s cousin, Isis Jannierre, to discuss who Stevie was, what her family believed from the beginning, and why the case still raises questions about the timeline, suspect behavior, lost investigative time, lost evidence, and the people who may still know what happened.



Highlights:

(0:00) Sheryl McCollum opens Zone 7 with Stevie Bates’ 2012 disappearance, her final call home, and the Port Authority sighting that confirmed she made it back to New York

(1:15) Isis Jannierre joins Zone 7 to establish Stevie’s victimology through the eyes of her family

(2:30) Who Stevie was: a gifted student, creative thinker, devoted daughter, and young woman with aspirations

(5:15) Hunter College, Occupy Wall Street, and the independent life Stevie was building before she vanished

(6:45) Eight years later, Stevie’s skeletal remains are found wrapped in a blanket at an abandoned property in Glendale, Queens

(7:30) Why Stevie’s family never believed she intentionally disappeared

(11:45) Decomposition, lost evidence, and the unresolved questions of how Stevie died

(12:30) Isis pushes back on the drug-use theory and explains Stevie’s role in Brandon Klosterman’s life

(15:30) Stevie’s plan to collect her belongings, the end of the relationship, and the family’s working theory

(16:45) Deleted messages, squatting, and behavior that raised questions around Brandon Klosterman

(25:00) The location of Stevie’s remains raises new questions about missing crime scenes, lost witnesses, and who may still know the truth

(28:30) Sheryl presses for the answers Stevie’s family deserves: a clearer timeline, a confirmed alibi, and an explanation for the deleted messages



Enjoying Zone 7? Leave a rating and review where you listen to podcasts. Your feedback helps others find the show and supports the mission to educate, engage, and inspire.



Isis Jannierre is the cousin of Stevie Bates and joins Zone 7 to help bring renewed attention to Stevie’s unresolved case and encourage anyone with information to come forward.



Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an active crime scene investigator for a metro Atlanta police department and the director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, which partners with colleges and universities nationwide. With more than four decades of experience, she has worked on thousands of cold cases using her investigative system, The Last 24/361, which integrates evidence, media, and advanced forensic testing.

Her work on high-profile cases, including The Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, Tupac Shakur and the Moore’s Ford Bridge lynching, led to her Emmy Award for CSI: Atlanta and induction into the National Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2023.



Social Links:

Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com●

X: @ColdCaseTips

Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

Instagram:@officialzone7podcast

TikTok: @Sheryl.McCollum



Sheryl’s new book, Swans Don’t Swim in a Sewer: Solving the Cold Case of the Flint River Killer’s Daughter, is available now wherever books are sold.

In 2012, 19-year-old Stevie Bates vanished after calling her mother from a Greyhound bus&nbsp;during a layover in Pittsburgh; she made it back to New York but never made it home. Eight&nbsp;years later, her skeletal remains were discovered wrapped in a blanket at an abandoned house&nbsp;in Queens, the same property where her boyfriend had reportedly been squatting. In this&nbsp;episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum welcomes Stevie&rsquo;s cousin, Isis Jannierre, to discuss who&nbsp;Stevie was, what her family believed from the beginning, and why the case still raises questions&nbsp;about the timeline, suspect behavior, lost investigative time, lost evidence, and the people who&nbsp;may still know what happened. 
Highlights:
(0:00) Sheryl McCollum opens Zone 7 with Stevie Bates&rsquo; 2012 disappearance, her&nbsp;final call home, and the Port Authority sighting that confirmed she made it back to&nbsp;New York
(1:15) Isis Jannierre joins Zone 7 to establish Stevie&rsquo;s victimology through the eyes&nbsp;of her family
(2:30) Who Stevie was: a gifted student, creative thinker, devoted daughter, and&nbsp;young woman with aspirations
(5:15) Hunter College, Occupy Wall Street, and the independent life Stevie was&nbsp;building before she vanished
(6:45) Eight years later, Stevie&rsquo;s skeletal remains are found wrapped in a blanket at&nbsp;an abandoned property in Glendale, Queens
(7:30) Why Stevie&rsquo;s family never believed she intentionally disappeared
(11:45) Decomposition, lost evidence, and the unresolved questions of how Stevie&nbsp;died
(12:30) Isis pushes back on the drug-use theory and explains Stevie&rsquo;s role in&nbsp;Brandon Klosterman&rsquo;s life
(15:30) Stevie&rsquo;s plan to collect her belongings, the end of the relationship, and the&nbsp;family&rsquo;s working theory
(16:45) Deleted messages, squatting, and behavior that raised questions around&nbsp;Brandon Klosterman
(25:00) The location of Stevie&rsquo;s remains raises new questions about missing crime&nbsp;scenes, lost witnesses, and who may still know the truth
(28:30) Sheryl presses for the answers Stevie&rsquo;s family deserves: a clearer timeline, a&nbsp;confirmed alibi, and an explanation for the deleted messages 
Enjoying Zone 7? Leave a rating and review where you listen to podcasts. Your feedback helps&nbsp;others find the show and supports the mission to educate, engage, and inspire. 
Isis Jannierre is the cousin of Stevie Bates and joins Zone 7 to help bring renewed attention to&nbsp;Stevie&rsquo;s unresolved case and encourage anyone with information to come forward. 
Sheryl &ldquo;Mac&rdquo; McCollum is an active crime scene investigator for a metro Atlanta police&nbsp;department and the director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, which partners&nbsp;with colleges and universities nationwide. With more than four decades of experience, she has&nbsp;worked on thousands of cold cases using her investigative system, The Last 24/361, which&nbsp;integrates evidence, media, and advanced forensic testing.
Her work on high-profile cases, including The Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, Tupac Shakur&nbsp;and the Moore&rsquo;s Ford Bridge lynching, led to her Emmy Award for CSI: Atlanta and induction&nbsp;into the National Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2023. 
Social Links:
Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com●
X: @ColdCaseTips
Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum
Instagram: @officialzone7podcast
TikTok: @Sheryl.McCollum 
Sheryl&rsquo;s new book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Swans-Dont-Swim-Sewer-Daughter/dp/B0FWZY5YFP">Swans Don&rsquo;t Swim in a Sewer: Solving the Cold Case of the Flint </a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Swans-Dont-Swim-Sewer-Daughter/dp/B0FWZY5YFP">River Killer&rsquo;s Daughter</a>, is available now wherever books are sold.

ZONE 7: Stevie Bates Made It Back to New York,  Then She Vanished

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/a844c84f-77d5-42be-8f73-b47200c0ddeb/transcript

Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh, who's murder conviction has been overturned,  is suing former Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill.  He alleging she violated his civil rights by tampering with the jury during his 2023 double-murder trial. Hill previously pleaded guilty to state charges of perjury, obstruction of justice, and misconduct in office. Comments Hill made to jurors was considered as improperly influencing the verdict.  

The complaint claims Hill wanted a guilty verdict to help sell her upcoming book about the trial.  Murdaugh's team is seeking more than $600,000 in compensatory damages—mostly tied to the costs of the original trial—along with punitive damages. His attorneys have stated that any recovered money will not go to Murdaugh personally, but is intended to hold Hill accountable.

Joining Nancy Grace Today:
Mark Peper  - Criminal defense attorney The Peper Law Firm, PeperLawFirm.com, Twitter: @PeperLawFirm
Chris Mcdonough - Director At the Cold Case Foundation, Former Homicide Detective, https://www.coldcasefoundation.org/chris-mcdonough---law-enforcement-relations.html, Host of YouTube channel, The Interview Room.
Dr. Kendal Crowns - Ft. Worth, TX Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County (Ft Worth),  Podcast "Mayhem in the Morgue", Lecturer: Burnett School of Medicine at TCU (Texas Christian University)
GiGi McKelvey - Journalist, Host of the podcast “Pretty Lies And Alibis,” prettyliesandalibis.org , Facebook, IG, TikTok: @PrettyLies And Alibis, Twitter: @PrettyLiesAlibi
Blanca Turrubiate-Simpson -   Alex Murdaugh's former housekeeper 
Dave Mack- Crime Stories investigative reporter 

Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh, who's murder conviction has been overturned,&nbsp; is suing former Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill.&nbsp; He alleging she violated his civil rights by tampering with the jury during his 2023 double-murder trial. Hill previously pleaded guilty to state charges of perjury, obstruction of justice, and misconduct in office. Comments Hill made to jurors was considered as improperly influencing the verdict.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<strong data-sfc-root="c" data-sfc-cb="" data-processed="true" data-copy-service-computed-style="font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);">The complaint claims Hill wanted a guilty verdict to help sell her upcoming book about the trial.&nbsp; Murdaugh's team is seeking more than $600,000 in compensatory damages&mdash;mostly tied to the costs of the original trial&mdash;along with punitive damages. His attorneys have stated that any recovered money will not go to Murdaugh personally, but is intended to hold Hill accountable.
Joining Nancy Grace Today:
<ul>
<li>Mark Peper&nbsp; -&nbsp;Criminal defense attorney The Peper Law Firm, PeperLawFirm.com, Twitter: @PeperLawFirm</li>
<li>Chris Mcdonough - Director At the Cold Case Foundation, Former Homicide Detective,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coldcasefoundation.org/chris-mcdonough---law-enforcement-relations.html" data-linkindex="1">https://www.coldcasefoundation.org/chris-mcdonough---law-enforcement-relations.html,</a> Host of YouTube channel, The Interview Room.</li>
<li>Dr. Kendal Crowns - Ft. Worth, TX&nbsp;Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County (Ft Worth),&nbsp; Podcast "Mayhem in the Morgue", Lecturer: Burnett School of Medicine at TCU (Texas Christian University)</li>
<li>GiGi McKelvey - Journalist, Host of the podcast &ldquo;Pretty Lies And Alibis,&rdquo; prettyliesandalibis.org , Facebook, IG, TikTok: @PrettyLies And Alibis, Twitter: @PrettyLiesAlibi</li>
<li>Blanca Turrubiate-Simpson -&nbsp; &nbsp;Alex Murdaugh's former housekeeper&nbsp;</li>
<li>Dave Mack- Crime Stories investigative reporter&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

BIZARRE EXCUSE FROM CLERK WHO DESTROYED ALEX MURDAUGH'S MURDER CONVICTION 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/77be5233-96a4-4c19-b9c9-b47200c07c11/transcript

After more than 13 hours of deliberation, the jury foreman in Jonathan Rinderknech's arson trial tells the judge the jury was split,  10 in favor of not guilty, two in favor of guilty. 

In 2025, after dropping off an Uber passenger in Pacific Palisades, 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknech parked his car, tries but failes to contact a former friend. He gets out of the car, walks up a nearby trail, takes iPhone videos, and listens to a rap song. Its music video includes objects being lit on fire.

Then, twelve minutes into the new year, a fire is started. With weak cell service, Rinderknecht walks back down the trail, continually calling 911 until he finally connects, only to find out other residents already reported the fire.  

As Rinderknecht drives away, he passes firefighters and turns back to watch them on the scene. He records while firefighters quickly extinguish the blaze, or so they thought.

The dense underbrush makes it difficult to see, and the roots underground continue to smolder. A week after the 911 calls reporting the Lachman fire, the Santa Ana Winds create an explosion of deadly fire, spreading the remains of the Lachman fire across LA, freshly named the Palisades fire.  

Investigators question Rinderknecht as he repeatedly called 911 about the January 1st fire.During those calls, Rinderknecht asked ChatGPT, "Are you at fault if a fire is lit because of your cigarettes?" 

Rinderknecht gives conflicting statements about whether he smoked near the trail that night and where he was when he called. Rinderknecht claims he was at the bottom of the trail, but location data shows while speaking with 911, he’s just 30 feet from the fire’s origin. 

Ultimately, Rinderknecht is charged.    U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang polled the jury panel, asking if more deliberations could thaw the deadlock. Each juror answered no. How will the judge rule? 

The Palisades fire killed 12 people, destroying more than 6,800 structures, both homes and businesses, and damaging over 1,000 more buildings.

Joining Nancy Grace today: 
Stephanie Lydecker - Executive Producer & Host of True Crime Tonight; Founder & CEO of KT-Studios.com   
Alexandra Pfeifer - Victim  
Dr. Bethany Marshall -  Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker," and featured in hit show "Paris in Love" on Peacock; Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, X: @DrBethanyLive
Dina Doll - Attorney, Trial Consultant, Mediator & Legal Analyst, Doll Amir Eley, LLP
Moses Castillo - Private Investigator for the Dordulian Law Group, Former Supervisor Detective from The Los Angeles Police Department
Nicholle Brock -  Firefighter, EMT, and Arson Expert  
Dr. Kendall Crowns  -  Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County (Ft Worth), Lecturer: Burnett School of Medicine at TCU (Texas Christian University)  
Shannon Butler - Investigative Reporter at WFTV Channel 9, Florida
Sydney Sumner - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories'  

After more than 13 hours of deliberation, the jury foreman in Jonathan Rinderknech's arson trial tells the judge the jury was split,&nbsp; 10 in favor of not guilty, two in favor of guilty.&nbsp;
In 2025, after dropping off an Uber passenger in Pacific Palisades, 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknech parked his car, tries but failes to contact a former friend. He gets out of the car, walks up a nearby trail, takes iPhone videos, and listens to a rap song. Its music video includes objects being lit on fire.
Then, twelve minutes into the new year, a fire is started. With weak cell service, Rinderknecht walks back down the trail, continually calling 911 until he finally connects, only to find out other residents already reported the fire. &nbsp;
As Rinderknecht drives away, he passes firefighters and turns back to watch them on the scene. He records while firefighters quickly extinguish the blaze, or so they thought.
The dense underbrush makes it difficult to see, and the roots underground continue to smolder. A week after the 911 calls reporting the Lachman fire, the Santa Ana Winds create an explosion of deadly fire, spreading the remains of the Lachman fire across LA, freshly named the Palisades fire.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Investigators question Rinderknecht as he repeatedly called 911 about the January 1st fire.During those calls, Rinderknecht asked ChatGPT, "Are you at fault if a fire is lit because of your cigarettes?"&nbsp;
Rinderknecht gives conflicting statements about whether he smoked near the trail that night and where he was when he called. Rinderknecht claims he was at the bottom of the trail, but location data shows while speaking with 911, he&rsquo;s just 30 feet from the fire&rsquo;s origin.&nbsp;
Ultimately, Rinderknecht is charged.&nbsp; &nbsp; U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang polled the jury panel, asking if more deliberations could thaw the deadlock. Each juror answered no. How will the judge rule?&nbsp;
The Palisades fire killed 12 people, destroying more than 6,800 structures, both homes and businesses, and damaging over 1,000 more buildings.
Joining Nancy Grace today:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Stephanie Lydecker - Executive Producer &amp; Host of True Crime Tonight; Founder &amp; CEO of KT-Studios.com &nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
<li>Alexandra Pfeifer - Victim&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
<li><a href="http://www.drbethanymarshall.com">Dr. Bethany Marshall</a> -&nbsp; Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker," and featured in hit show "Paris in Love" on Peacock; Instagram &amp; TikTok: drbethanymarshall, X: @DrBethanyLive</li>
<li><a href="http://www.dollamir.com">Dina Doll</a> - Attorney, Trial Consultant, Mediator &amp; Legal Analyst, Doll Amir Eley, LLP</li>
<li><a href="http://MosesCastilloInvestigations.com">Moses Castillo</a> - Private Investigator for the Dordulian Law Group, Former Supervisor Detective from The Los Angeles Police Department</li>
<li>Nicholle Brock -&nbsp; Firefighter, EMT, and Arson Expert &nbsp;</li>
<li>Dr. Kendall Crowns&nbsp; -&nbsp; Chief Medical Examiner Tarrant County (Ft Worth), Lecturer: Burnett School of Medicine at TCU (Texas Christian University)&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
<li>Shannon Butler - Investigative Reporter at WFTV Channel 9, Florida</li>
<li>Sydney Sumner - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories'&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

BURN NOTICE: JURY HANGS IN DEADLY PACIFIC PALISADES FIRE, BODY COUNT 12

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/b7d9d960-1ee6-4821-93bd-b47200c06c90/transcript

Crime Alert Recap Saturday 06.26.26

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