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Brandi Churchwell
If you haven't had time to keep up with everything happening in true crime this week, don't worry, I've got you covered. We've got major verdicts, new murder charges, one trial that everyone is watching, new filings in the Alex Murdaugh case, and a big update in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. Let's jump in. This is the 13Zero podcast where we explore the trials, investigations and true crime stories that everyone is talking about. I'm your host, Brandi Churchwell, and this is Court Report, your weekly roundup of the biggest courtroom headlines, breaking stories, and the legal developments shaping the nation's most talked about cases. Before we jump in, I wanted to tell y' all about something new. For those of you who've been with 13th Juror since the very beginning, you know that we jurors tend to keep a pretty close eye on all of the big cases happening around the country. And while my regular episodes are deep dives where we spend an hour or so really digging into one case, the truth is there's so much happening every single week that never makes it into those episodes. There are verdicts coming down, new arrests, indictments, trials getting underway, appeals being filed, cases that we've been following for years suddenly have major developments. And I kept thinking, I wish there was a way to keep everyone caught up on all of it. So that's exactly why I created Court Report. Every week, Court Report is going to be your quick rundown of everything happening in the true crime world. We'll cover the biggest verdicts, new charges, the trials everyone is watching, major case updates, appeals, and all the courtroom headlines that I think the jurors should know about Think of it as the weekly supplement to 13th juror. The regular episodes will still be the in depth deep dives that you've come to expect. But Court Report is where we'll stay caught up on everything happening in between. So with that, let's get into this week's Court Report. All right, let's start with the verdicts that came down this week. Now, the first one is out of South Florida, where a jury found real estate developer George Pino not guilty in that fatal boating crash that killed 17 year old Lucy Fernandez. Now, if you don't remember this case, it goes back to labor day weekend of 2022. Pino had taken his wife, his daughter, and several of his daughter's friends out on Biscayne Bay to celebrate her 18 birthday. Now, as they were heading back in, the boat actually slammed into a channel marker near Boca Cheetah Key, y'. All. It was a horrific crash and everyone on board was thrown into the water. Now, Lucy Fernandez became trapped underneath the boat and she was pulled out. But sadly, she died from her injuries. Another teenager named Katarina survived, but she suffered life changing injuries. So it was, it was terrible. Now, the entire trial really came down to one question. Was this a tragic accident or was it criminal? Now, prosecutors argued that Pino was driving recklessly. They said that he sped through a narrow channel on the wrong side of the markers. And they also questioned whether alcohol played a role, pointing to dozens of empty alcohol containers that were found on the boat afterward. But one thing the defense really hammered home was that investigators never gave Pino a sobriety test that night. So the defense's position was pretty simple. They said that this was an accident and nothing more. And if y' all saw any of the court coverage of this case, you might remember during, I think it was opening statements like it showed Pino and he is like bawling his eyes out, he's crying, he's very emotional. So it was obvious that this is, you know, not easy for him. It's not like a criminal case, as in there was criminal intent here. Now, witnesses who were actually on the boat testified that they didn't think that Pino was impaired or driving recklessly. And they also told jurors that after the crash, he immediately jumped into like rescue mode, like he went into rescue mode trying to help the teenagers who had been thrown into the water. Now, after a little more than a week of testimony, it only took the jury about an hour to reach a verdict. They found George Pino was not guilty of both manslaughter. And vessel homicide. Now, as you can imagine, there were different reactions depending on which side of the courtroom you were sitting on here. Pino and his family were relieved, while Lucy Fernandez's family left, you know, devastated, saying that they felt that no one had been held criminally responsible for her death. Now, another big verdict this week came out of Alaska, where jurors reached a decision in the murder trial of 24 year old Zarus Hildebrand. Now, this case started almost three years ago when Hildebrand's 21 year old wife Saria suddenly disappeared. The two had met while serving in the military and got married less than a year later. The night before Saria vanished, they had been out celebrating Zarius's 21st birthday with friends. Now, according to prosecutors, after they got home, Hildebrand shot Saria, hid her body inside a storm drain behind their apartment complex, and then spent the next day telling family investigators that she had simply left for work and never came back. Now, her body was eventually found hidden inside that drain, but the defense didn't deny that Hildebrand obviously, obviously made some terrible decisions. Afterward. They admitted that he hid the body and lied to investigators, but they argued that's because he panicked after Saria took her own life, not because he murdered her. Now, prosecutors obviously saw it much differently. They argued the physical evidence, along with everything that Hildbrand did after his wife's death, showed that this was not panic. They said that it showed guilt. Now, after about nine days of testimony, the jury came back with what's called a split verdict. So they found Hildebrand not guilty of first degree murder, but guilty of second degree murder and guilty of tampering with physical evidence. So what does that actually mean? Basically, the jury was not convinced that prosecutors had proved that this was a premeditated planned killing, but they were convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that Hildebrand was responsible for Saria's death. And they also found that he tried to cover it up by hiding her body. Now, it's a good reminder that juries don't always buy every part of the prosecution's case or every part of the defenses. Sometimes they land somewhere in the middle, and that's exactly what happened here. All right, so let's move on to some of the new cases that were filed this week. The first one comes out of Utah, and honestly, this one is really hard to wrap my head around. A 32 year old father named Micah Smith is now facing multiple felony charges, including child torture and aggravated child abuse. Prosecutors say that he took his three young children, and they were only 2, 4 and 8 years old. He took them on a backcountry hike that turned into a nightmare. According to investigators, Smith took the kids up Broads Fork Trail in Big Cottonwood Canyon, even though a storm was moving into the area. And prosecutors say that the children repeatedly told him that they were cold, they were tired, they were scared, and they wanted to turn around. But instead, they alleged that he kept pushing toward the summit, telling them that it was a once in a lifetime experience. Now, again, I want to remind you, 2 years old, 4 years old and 8 years old. So by the time they started heading back down, the weather had completely changed. Snow and hail had moved in. Temperatures dropped. And instead of making it off the mountain, investigators say that the family ended up spending the night outside in freezing conditions. So the next morning, search and rescue teams finally found them. And according to prosecutors, the 4 year old had stopped breathing and had to be revived. Now, that child later suffered severe hypothermia, a stroke, and had to undergo emergency brain surgery. Investigators also say that one of the older children told them that their father had taught her CPR during the ordeal so that she could help keep her little brother alive while they waited to be rescued. So now Smith has pleaded not guilty. And that's going to be the big issue in this case. Was this simply a terrible mistake made by an inexperienced parent, or did he knowingly ignore so many warning signs that it crossed into the line of criminal child abuse? And that's ultimately what the jury may end up having to decide here. We'll be right back.
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Brandi Churchwell
This next case is one that actually hits especially close to home for me because it happened in Walton County, Georgia. This is where I was born and raised, where I grew up. It's one of those places where everybody knows everybody or at least knows someone who knows them. So when something like this happens, it shakes the entire community. And my phone has already been ringing about this one. So this week, 57 year old Ralph Edward Mincey was arrested and charged with two counts of murder after investigators say that he shot and killed his wife and adult daughter. Now, according to the Walton County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded Wednesday night to reports of a shooting at a home near Oxford. When they got there, they found Amanda Mincy Mcbryer dead at the scene. And Jennifer Lynn Mincy was rushed to the hospital, but she later died from her injuries. So investigators alleged the shootings happened during a domestic dispute. According to the arrest warrant, Mincey walked out to his truck, got a 9 millimeter handgun, came back inside and shot both women in the head. Authorities also say that there was another person inside the home who witnessed what happened and that Mincy later admitted during recorded interview that he had used the gun. Now, right now Mincy is facing two counts of murder along with firearm related charges. And as of today, investigators still haven't said what led up to the shootings. So there are a lot of unanswered questions in this case and it's still very early, and I'm sure we'll learn much more as it moves through the court system. Like I said, this one really hit home for me. Walton county is a tight knit community, and cases like this don't just affect one family, they ripple through an entire town. So it's definitely one that I will be following closely as more information comes out. All right, let's talk about one of the biggest trials happening right now because this is definitely one that I'm also keeping a close eye on. The murder trial of former Tennessee Titans scout Blaze Taylor is officially underway in Nashville. Now, if you haven't been following this case, Taylor is accused of murdering his 25 year old girlfriend, Jade Benning, along with her unborn daughter. Daughter. Now prosecutors say that this wasn't an accident. They alleged that Taylor secretly mixed a fatal amount of cocaine into Jade's pink lemonade because he didn't want her to continue the pregnancy, which investigators believe was his child. So that Same night, Taylor called 91 1, telling dispatchers he thought Jade was having an allergic reaction. She was rushed to the hospital, but her unborn daughter died a few days later. And Jade died on her 25th birthday after being taken off life. Taylor has pleaded not guilty, and his defense team says that prosecutors have it all wrong. They're arguing that there's no evidence that he poisoned Jade at all. Instead, they say that her death was caused by her own cocaine use. And they've spent the trial attacking the investigation itself. They point out investigators never recovered the cup that prosecutors believe contained the poisoned drink. And they've also questioned how the apartment was processed after Jade was taken to the hospital. Now, one of the most emotional moments came from Jade's best friend. So she testified that during one of the last phone calls they ever had, she overheard Jade saying to Taylor, I know you put something in my drink. My drink tasted funny. And she said that she couldn't even walk straight. And she overheard her saying, you did this to do something to the baby. Now, prosecutors say that that's some of the strongest evidence in the entire case. So jurors have also heard Taylor's 911 call and testimony from investigators as they try to piece together exactly what happened. But this is far from over. It's kind of shaping up to be a really interesting trial because the prosecution and the defense are telling two completely different stories about how Jade died. Now, I'll definitely be following this one closely. So if there are any major developments or a verdict next week, then you will hear about it on the next COURT report. All right. Let's move on to some cases making headlines. The first one is Alex Murdock. This is like the case that never goes away. So as most of you probably know, Murdoch was convicted of murdering his wife Maggie and son Paul back in 2023. Now, I just did a couple of episodes on all of this on 13th juror. But earlier this year, those convictions were thrown out after the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled that he should get a new trial because of jury tampering by former Colleton County Clerk Becky Hill. Now his attorneys are starting to show us kind of where they're going with this new trial. It looks like it's going to be totally different than the first one. One of the biggest motions that they filed this week focuses on DNA that was collected underneath Maggie Murdoch's fingernails. Now, according to the defense, that DNA belongs to an unknown male who is not related to the Murdoch family. Now, this was kind of brought up before, but I think during the first trial it was brought up, but it was never really made a big deal in the trial. And we know that Maggie had gone to get her nails done. And so there were things like that that, you know, were kind of possible reasons that there could be this DNA, but we don't know who it belongs to. So there's no way to say what's accurate and what's not at this point. So they're arguing that investigators never fully analyzed that sample and now they want it tested by Othram. Now, that's the same lab that has become well known for using genetic genealogy to solve cold cases. And they also played a role in the Kohberger investigation. Now, the defense believes today's technology could potentially identify who that DNA belongs to. And they're asking the court to approve that testing as quickly as possible. They're also asking for the retrial to be moved out of Colleton County. Basically, their argument is that after years of non stop media coverage, documentaries, books, podcasts and everything else, finding an impartial jury there is going to be nearly impossible. There was also a little back and forth this week over whether Murdoch should be allowed to appear in court wearing regular clothes instead of prison clothing and without shackles. Prosecutors pushed back on that pretty hard, arguing that there were security concerns. But rather than fight over it, Murdoch's attorneys decided to withdraw that request altogether. So one thing I think that's important to remember is that even though he's getting a new murder trial, Alex Murdaugh is not getting out of prison anytime soon. He's still serving decades behind bars for all of his financial crimes. So regardless of what happens with the murder retrial, he is going to remain incarcerated. Now, another case making headlines this week is the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. Now, if you've been following this one, and I think almost everybody has, Nancy, the 84 year old mother of Today show co anchor Savannah Guthrie, vanished from her Tucson home back in February. Now, almost immediately, investigators said they believed she'd been kidnapped. There was blood found outside her home. Surveillance video showed a masked person in the area. And since then, investigators have spent months trying to figure out what happened. This week, though, we learned something investigators had actually been keeping quiet for months. According to cnn, a ransom note sent shortly after Nancy disappeared claimed that she had died not long after the kidnapping. The note reportedly said that her captors never intended to kill her, but that she died shortly after they took her. Now, it's really important to point out that law enforcement has not confirmed that that is true. Nancy's body has never been found and investigators have not publicly verified the claims made in the note, at least not at the time of this recording. Now, the reason that we're only hearing about it now is because investigators had asked news organizations not to report what was in the letters. They wanted to keep those details private, so if additional messages came in later, they'd have a way to determine whether they were actually coming from the real kidnapper. So following those reports, Savannah Guthrie made another emotional public plea, saying the family still needs answers and asking anyone with information to come forward. As of today, at the time of this recording, there have been no arrests, no publicly identified suspects, and investigators continue to treat this as an active abduction investigation. So this is definitely yet another case that I will be watching closely because it feels like there are still so many unanswered questions and hopefully, we'll have more to report on next week's court report. All right, before I let you go, there's one case that I will be paying really close attention to over the next week, and that's Luigi Mangion. Now, as most of you know, Mangione is accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel back in December of 2024. Now, the case has obviously gotten a ton of attention, and not just because of the allegations themselves, but because it sparked a much bigger conversation about the healthcare industry and because Mangione has developed a surprisingly vocal group of supporters. So this week, there were reports that prosecutors and Mangione's defense team had had discussions about the possibility of a plea agreement ahead of an upcoming court hearing. Now, according to several news outlets citing sources familiar with the discussions, those conversations did not result in a deal. Now, neither side has publicly confirmed exactly what was discussed, so we'll have to wait and see whether those reports lead anywhere or if this case is still full speed ahead toward trial. And there was another interesting development, too. Mangioni's attorneys have apparently backed away from pursuing what's known as an extreme emotional disturbance defense. And that is a legal defense that in some cases can reduce a murder charge to manslaughter. The defense hasn't really explained why they changed course, so naturally, that's led to a lot of speculation about what their strategy is going to be moving forward. But Mangione has pleaded not guilty, and his next federal court hearing is scheduled for Monday. So this is definitely one that I'll be watching next week. If we get any major developments, whether that's movement on a possible plea deal, new court filings, or anything else that changes where this case is headed, you can count on me to break it all down next week. And honestly, I have a feeling that this won't be the last time that we're talking about this case. So that's your court report for this week. The stories continue, the evidence keeps coming, and the legal process is far from over. I'll be back next week with the latest developments. Until then, keep asking questions, keep looking at the evidence, and decide for yourself what you believe. My name is Brandi Churchwell, creator and host of the 13th Juror podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow the show on your favorite podcast platform and leave a rating or review. It helps more listeners discover the podcast. And if you know someone who would find this case as fascinating as you did, share this episode with them for additional episodes. Case updates and more information about the podcast, visit our website@13jurorpodcast.com the evidence has been presented, the arguments have been made, and now comes the same question faced by every juror. What do you believe? Leave. Thank you for listening.