Anatomy of Murder: "The Windshield Murder (Gregory Biggs)"

Release Date: September 16, 2025
Hosts: Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi & Scott Weinberger
Podcast by: audiochuck

Overview

This episode delves into a deeply layered and disturbing case from Fort Worth, Texas, known as the "Windshield Murder." The story centers on Gregory Biggs, a homeless man found dead in a park under grisly circumstances, and Shantae Mallard, the woman whose actions—and more crucially, inactions—after a fatal accident resulted in murder charges. Through interviews with prosecutors, in-depth investigation, and courtroom drama, the episode explores not just the crime itself but the aftermath, ethical dilemmas, and the justice system's response to a case where doing nothing became the most lethal act.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Discovery of the Crime Scene

• [03:00–07:02]
  • In October 2001, two men discover Gregory Biggs' body in Cobb Park, Fort Worth—an area notorious for criminal activity at the time.
  • Injuries suggest a vehicular collision: massive lower extremity trauma, glass fragments in his face and sweatshirt, and missing shoes/socks (common in high-impact pedestrian crashes).
• [05:55–06:24]
  • The scene raised questions: the body was far from any roadway, with drag marks indicating it had been moved post-mortem. Biggs’ wallet was left untouched, affirming investigators' suspicion that the motive was not robbery.
  • Biggs is identified; despite being homeless, he was described as hardworking and trying to get back on his feet.

2. Initial Investigation and Dead Ends

• [07:56–11:09]
  • Police struggle to retrace Biggs's steps due to his transient lifestyle.
  • Investigative hurdles:
    • Lack of forensic evidence linking a crash site or vehicle.
    • No witnesses or security footage.
    • The autopsy confirms death from traumatic injuries in a vehicular collision; unable to rule accident vs. homicide at this stage.

3. The Case Goes Cold

• [11:09–12:03]
  • "It's really not surprising that the case went cold the way it did, because... there was no usable physical evidence on the body that would connect us to a location or even to the vehicle at that time that struck him." — Prosecutor Richard Alpert (11:09)

4. The Shocking Break: A 911 Call

• [12:03–13:03]
  • Four months later, a woman named Miranda calls 911, relaying that she overheard Shantae Mallard describe hitting a man, driving home with him stuck in her windshield, and leaving him to die in her garage.
• [15:11–16:00]
  • Miranda, traumatized, reports Mallard's story after agonizing over it and speaking to her mother.

Notable Quote:

"It really traumatized her, just this kind of, just the description of driving somebody home stuck in your car."
— Prosecutor Richard Alpert (16:00)

5. Shantae Mallard: From Nurse’s Aide to Prime Suspect

• [16:26–17:46]
  • Mallard is revealed to be a nurse’s aide, compounding the shock over her lack of aid.
  • Upon serving a warrant at her home, police find:
    • The car with a massive hole in the windshield, blood, hair, and flesh still present (18:22–18:35).
    • Burned seats in the backyard and residue of attempted evidence destruction.

Notable Quote:

"I didn't mean to kill him..."
— Shantae Mallard, upon police arrival (17:35)

6. Mallard’s Account and the Investigation Deepens

• [19:34–22:27]
  • Mallard claims she was unknowingly drugged at a bar, struck Biggs while driving home, panicked, and drove with his body lodged half-in/half-out of her windshield.
  • She confesses to being unable to move him, hearing his moans of pain in the garage, and then—doing nothing.
  • Mallard asserts her friends later moved Biggs's body; she attempted to destroy evidence out of fear.

7. Legal Strategy and Escalating Charges

• [23:32–24:14]
  • Initially charged with "failure to stop and render aid"—a hit-and-run. Prosecutors realize more evidence could support graver charges.

8. Breaking Down the Night's Chain of Events

• [27:34–30:25]
  • Investigators use the grand jury and witness testimony (especially coerced with the threat of perjury) to reconstruct the night:
    • Mallard and her friend T partied, used drugs, and drank heavily.
    • T drives Mallard to her apartment, but Mallard later drives home herself—under the influence.

Notable Quote:

"A fateful night which could have ended there... But instead, she got behind the wheel to drive herself home."
— Scott Weinberger (29:56)

9. Felony Murder Charges

• [30:47–32:17]
  • With corroborated evidence, prosecutors upgrade charges to tampering with evidence and felony murder—arguing that Biggs died because Mallard failed to seek lifesaving help, not from the initial impact.
• [31:13–32:17]
  • Prosecutors lay out the legal logic: The murder weapon here was "her passiveness in the face of medical emergency."

Memorable Analysis:

"Her murder weapon was not the gun or knife, but it was her passiveness in the face of medical emergency..."
— Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi (31:13)

10. The Coverup: Friends and Accomplices

• [33:18–35:42]
  • Mallard’s claims about the body’s disposal are debunked; police identify "Vaughn" as Clete Jackson, a man with a criminal background, and his cousin Tyrone Cleveland—all of whom get plea deals for testifying.
  • Details of how the body was removed and dumped in Cobb Park corroborated by forensic evidence (blood in the transport car).

11. The Trial: Prosecution’s Case

• [36:00–41:42]
  • The state’s theory: Mallard protected herself instead of saving a life.
  • Star witnesses include the ME, who emphasizes how Greg probably survived for two hours in agony in the garage (41:56).
  • Evidence: A bloody fingerprint of Greg’s on the inside door handle and proof he aspirated blood—showing he was alive for a significant period.

Crucial Forensic Detail:

"Gregory Biggs did not have to die... We're going to tell the story about how Greg could have lived."
— Richard Alpert (42:22)

12. The Verdict and Sentencing

• [43:07–44:33]
  • Jury deliberates for less than an hour—Mallard is guilty of felony murder.
  • She is sentenced to 50 years (murder) and 10 years (tampering), to run concurrently.
  • Testimony during sentencing reveals her lack of true remorse, as she went clubbing a week after the incident.

Memorable Moment:

"You're going to say you're remorseful and you've got to back it up with actions. And Shantae just did not do that... I think that was devastating to her."
— Richard Alpert (44:03)

13. Reflection and Victim Remembrance

• [44:44–46:56]
  • Scott reflects on the moral disengagement at the heart of Mallard’s inaction.
  • Anna-Sigga notes how even victims on the fringes of society—like Greg Biggs—deserve and receive justice; his legacy continues in his family.

Notable Quote:

"We will leave by remembering Greg as a hardworking person who pulls through his struggles as best he could. He was a dad who loved his son and at the time of his death was working to try to get his life back on a better track."
— Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi (45:56)

Timestamps for Noteworthy Segments

• Scene Discovery & Body Details: 03:00–06:24
• Case Goes Cold: 11:09
• Miranda's 911 Call: 12:03–13:03
• Mallard’s Arrest and Search: 16:58–18:35
• Mallard's Confession: 19:34–22:27
• Explanation of Felony Murder Law: 31:13–32:17
• Prosecution’s Forensic Evidence: 38:57–41:42
• How Long Biggs Lived: 41:56–42:03
• Verdict and Sentencing: 43:07–44:33
• Victim Remembrance: 45:56–46:56

Notable Quotes & Speaker Attribution

• "It really traumatized her, just this kind of, just the description of driving somebody home stuck in your car."
  — Richard Alpert (16:00)

• "I didn't mean to kill him..."
  — Shantae Mallard (17:35)

• "Her murder weapon was not the gun or knife, but it was her passiveness in the face of medical emergency..."
  — Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi (31:13)

• "Gregory Biggs did not have to die... We're going to tell the story about how Greg could have lived."
  — Richard Alpert (42:22)

• "You're going to say you're remorseful and you've got to back it up with actions. And Shantae just did not do that... I think that was devastating to her."
  — Richard Alpert (44:03)

• "We will leave by remembering Greg as a hardworking person who pulls through his struggles as best he could. He was a dad who loved his son."
  — Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi (45:56)

Tone & Style

• Compassionate toward the victim and his family
• Analytical and explanatory regarding legal and forensic details
• Unflinching but respectful when describing graphic or disturbing elements
• Engaged, sometimes incredulous, at the callousness of Mallard’s actions

Conclusion

This episode masterfully combines forensic analysis, legal strategy, and human emotion to reveal the harrowing reality of the "Windshield Murder." Beyond the brutal facts, the case probes questions of morality, responsibility, and justice. The conviction of Shantae Mallard serves not only as closure for Greg Biggs’ family but as a chilling reminder of how unimaginable cruelty can sometimes stem less from violence, and more from willful indifference.