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Vanessa Richardson
Hey there, we're Sabrina d' Anarroga and Corinne Vian, hosts of Crimes of.
Corinne Vian
Crimes of is a weekly true crime series with each season diving into a different theme, from unsolved murders to mysterious disappearances and the cases that haunt us most. And since it's Valentine's season, we are unpacking Crimes of Passion. When love turns into obsession, passion twists into paranoia, and jealousy drives people beyond the edge of reason.
Vanessa Richardson
Crimes of is a Crime House original. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube. New episodes every Tuesday.
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This is Crime House.
Vanessa Richardson
Good morning everyone. We have multiple breaking true crime cases this morning that you need to know about and we're starting with the biggest one. After a law student was found murdered in her apartment, a jury is finally hearing opening statements in a case that haunted a Georgia community for more than two decades. This is Crime House 24 7, your non stop source for the biggest crime cases developing right now. Make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Vanessa Richardson and we have quite a lineup for you today. Here's what you need to know. Foreign February 2, 2020 Six opening statements were delivered in the long awaited murder trial of Edric Lamont Faust, the man charged in the brutal 2001 killing of university of Georgia law student Tara Louise Baker. The trial unfolding this week comes more than 25 years after Baker's death and it marks the first time a jury will hear evidence in a homicide that went unsolved for decades. Authorities have described this as a cold case that has remained among the most persistent unsolved homicides in northeast Georgia. At 23 years old and just days away from her 24th birthday, Tara Baker was a promising first year law student at UGA in Athens who was last seen at the University's library on January 18, 2001. She was found dead the next day when firefighters responded to a fire inside her off campus apartment in Athens. Investigators determined the fire was intentionally set in an effort to cover up her murder. For more than two decades, Baker's death remained a painful mystery for her family and a tragic cold case for law Enforcement authorities searched for answers with no suspect identified and few promising leads, leaving the Athens community with unanswered questions. It wasn't until advances in DNA technology and a renewed focus on unsolved homicides that the investigation gained fresh momentum. In May 2024, authorities announced the arrest of Edric Lamont Faust, then 48 years old, charging him with multiple counts related to Baker's death, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, sexual assault, arson and related offenses. Investigators say forensic breakthroughs tied Foust to genetic evidence from the scene, a breakthrough made possible by a specialized cold case unit. Foust had never previously been publicly identified as a suspect in the case, despite living in the same neighborhood as Baker at the time of her death. But the reexamination of decades old evidence and the passage of the Coleman Baker Act, a 2023 Georgia law aimed at encouraging renewed focus on cold cases, ultimately led to his arrest. Opening statements on February 2nd began a trial that prosecutors say will provide a long overdue accounting of Baker's final Prosecutors told jurors they will prove that Baker was attacked inside her apartment by someone who evaded capture for years. The state's narrative, outlined in court filings and statements, suggests that Baker was beaten, strangled, stabbed and sexually assaulted before the perpetrator set the fire in an effort to destroy evidence, according to detailed court filings filed ahead of trial. The crime's last moments were remarkably brutal and have remained largely shielded from public view until now. Those filings describe a prolonged and savage attack, a behavior prosecutors plan to present as evidence of malice and intent. In contrast, Foust's defense attorneys have sought to challenge how evidence is framed, pushing court motions to exclude certain testimony and previously undisclosed details about the killing. At times, the defense has also worked to bar references to other incidents in F's past, including a 2001 aggravated assault conviction that saw him staff another man weeks after Baker's death. Before the trial formally began, there were procedural battles over judicial assignments and pre trial motions. Defense attorneys even argued that the presiding judge should be removed due to alleged bias, a request denied by the court, ensuring continuity in the trial judge's oversight. For Baker's family, the trial is an emotional moment of reckoning and remembrance. In statements released during the lead up to the start of the trial, they emphasized Baker's promise, her ambitions as a student and the years of uncertainty following her disappearance and death. Jury selection began in late January, and with opening statements now, complete testimony and the presentation of evidence are expected to continue throughout the week, possibly stretching into testimony from forensic experts, first responders from the original investigation and analysts who reexamined evidence in recent years. If convicted on the most severe charges, Faust could face the rest of his life behind bars. But for Baker's loved ones and a community that has waited more than two decades for accountability, the trial itself represents a measure of justice long sought. As this trial begins, authorities in another case involving a victim connected to a university are preparing court proceedings as attorneys for Charlie Adelen are scheduled to appear in court seeking a new trial in the murder of a former Florida State University professor in Florida. A murder conviction from a more than decade old case is now under appellate review. Attorneys for Charlie Adelen were back in court Tuesday morning challenging his conviction in the 2014 murder for hire of his former brother in law, Florida State University professor Dan Marel. Attorneys for Adelen, a former periodontist from South Florida, went before the First District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee asking judges to overturn his 2023 murder conviction and grant a new trial. Defense attorney Michael Offerman argues Adelson was denied a fair and impartial proceeding because of extensive media coverage spanning nearly a decade before the case went to trial in 2023. Offerman told Appellate judges that problems arose during jury selection, alleging some prospective jurors discussed the case throughout the day while others were not truthful about whether they'd already formed opinions about Adelen guilt. He also argued the trial court should have granted a change of venue. For this reason, Dan Marel, a tenured professor at Florida State University's College of Law, was shot outside his home in Tallahassee on July 18, 2014. Marel died the following day from his injuries. He was 41 years old. Investigators later determined the killing was carried out by hired gunmen and tied to an ongoing custody dispute between Marel and his ex wife. When Cindy Adelson, who is Charlie Adelen's sister, in time, five people would be convicted in this case, including Adelson's former girlfriend, two hitmen and Adelen's mother. Markell and Wendy Adelen were married in 2006, had two sons and divorced in 2013. They continued to share custody and a judge denied Wendy Adelson's request to relocate with their children to South Florida, a ruling that deepened disputes between the parents. The prosecutors have said the custody battle and related family tensions motivated the plot to kill Markel. Although Wendy Adelson has never been charged in connection with the murder and has maintained she had no part in planning it, investigators allege members of her family, including her brother Charlie Adelson and their mother became involved in a murder for hire conspiracy after the split, Charlie Adelen was convicted in November of 2023 on charges of first degree murder, solicitation to comm, first degree murder and conspiracy to commit first degree murder. For several years after the killing, the case remained open as investigators worked to identify those responsible. In 2016, two men, Luis Rivera and Sigfredo Garcia, were arrested and charged as the shooters. Both were later convicted, with Garcia receiving a life sentence and as part of a plea deal, Rivera receiving seven additional years in prison, bringing his total sentence to 19 years when combined with his existing 12 year federal sentence for unrelated crimes. As the investigation continued, prosecutors alleged the plot extended beyond the gunmen. In 2019, Charlie Adelen's former girlfriend Catherine Magbanua was charged for her role in facilitating the murder and later convicted of first degree murder and conspiracy. After a retrial in 2022, prosecutors argued that Magbanua acted as the intermediary between Adelson and the hired killers. Charlie Adelson's mother, 75 year old Donna Adelson, was also convicted of murder in connection to the case in September 2025 and was sentenced to life in prison. In October 2025, prosecutors alleged she played a role in planning and financing the killing. Meanwhile, Wendy Adelen has not been charged. She has testified in multiple trials related to and has consistently denied any involvement in the murder of her former husband. In 2023, nearly nine years after Markel's death, Charlie Adelen was arrested, tried and convicted. A jury found him guilty on all counts and he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Adelen's legal team has since pursued multiple post trial motions and appeals. In January of 2025, the First District Court of Appeal denied a request from Adelson's attorneys seeking to relinquish jurisdiction back to the trial court. That motion was tied to an effort to pursue additional post conviction relief, including arguments related to sentencing and trial procedure. A trial judge later denied Adelson's motion for re sentencing, finding no legal basis to alter the sentence imposed by the jury's verdict. The February 3rd hearing centers on Adelson's direct appeal of his conviction as his attorneys are asking the appellate court to grant a new trial. The First District Court of Appeal will take the case under advisement with a written decision expected weeks or months from now. Prosecutors have maintained the conviction was lawfully obtained and should stand for now. Charlie Adelen remains in state custody serving his life sentence. We will continue to follow developments as the appeal process moves forward. Now we turn to Arizona, where the search continues for Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie, in a case that has drawn national attention and raised troubling questions.
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Vanessa Richardson
On February 2, 2026, investigators publicly acknowledged a major and troubling shift in the search for Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today show co anchor Savannah Guthrie. The Pima County Sheriff's Office now says detectives believe a crime has occurred as the search for the 84 year old woman enters what authorities describe as a critical window. Sheriff Chris Nanos confirmed that assessment in interviews that aired Feb. 3, saying investigators are working against time as they try to determine what happened to Guthrie after she disappeared late last week. Nancy Guthrie was last seen on Friday night, January 31st at approximately 9:30pm near her home in Tucson, Arizona. When she did not return and could not be reached, family members contacted authorities, prompting an urgent missing person investigation. More than 48 hours passed with no confirmed sightings, a factor Sheriff Nanos said significantly raised concern. Nanos told reporters at NBC, quote, this is a race against time. I hope that window hasn't closed. As the search intensified, investigators revealed additional details that deepened the urgency. According to court records and law enforcement statements, blood was found inside Guthrie Guthrie's home, a discovery that prompted detectives to escalate the case beyond a standard missing persons inquiry. Authorities have not publicly said how much blood was found or whether it definitively belongs to Guthrie. However, Sheriff Nanos said the presence of blood is one of several factors leading investigators to believe foul play may be involved. Law enforcement has also disclosed that Guthrie had documented health issues, information that surfaced in emergency calls, and has been referenced by investigators as they assess the risks she may be facing. Officials have not detailed her medical condition, but say it underscores the urgency of locating her safely. Authorities have not identified any suspects, nor have they announced an arrest. In a news conference Tuesday, Sheriff Nanos said the department believes Guthrie was taken from her home against her will. Savannah Guthrie and her family have not made extensive public statements, but representatives have confirmed they are cooperating fully with law enforcement and are focused on Nancy Guthrie's safe return. As of this recording, Nancy Guthrie remains missing. The Pima County Sheriff's Office says the investigation is active and ongoing and they continue to urge anyone with information, no matter how small it may seem, to contact authorities immediately. And as investigators in Arizona race to find answers in the Nancy Guthrie case, we now turn to a case that is concluding in Ohio as a man prepares for sentencing in the killing of an Uber driver driver who was allegedly sent to his home by scammers. In a case we've been closely following here at crime house 24 7, a judge in Clark County, Ohio has now handed down a sentence. On Monday, February 2nd, William Brock was sentenced to 21 years to life in prison for the killing of an Uber driver who was sent to his home by scammers, bringing a measure of accountability in a tragic case that highlights the deadly consequences of modern fraud schemes. Brock was convicted in the March 2024 shooting death of 61 year old Lolitha hall, an Uber driver from the Daytona area. Prosecutors said hall was an unintended victim caught in the middle of an ongoing phone scam that left her dead and her family grieving. According to court records and trial testimony, Brock had been receiving repeated phone calls from individuals posing as government officials and companies, demanding money and threatening consequences if he did not comply. On the day of the shooting, prosecutors say scammers instructed Brock to expect someone at his home to collect funds. Instead, Uber driver Lolitha hall was dispatched to Brock's address, unaware of the situation unfolding on the other end of the call. When hall arrived at Brock's residence, prosecutors said Brock confronted her and fatally shot her. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators later determined hall had no connection to the scam and had simply been sent to the location as part of a routine ride request. At sentencing, the court heard emotional statements from Hall's family, who described her as a hardworking grandmother who loved driving and helping people. Prosecutors emphasized that regardless of Brock's fear or confusion, hall posed no threat and did not deserve to lose her life. The judge imposed a sentence of 21 years to life, citing the seriousness of the crime and the irreversible harm caused. While defense attorneys asked for leniency, pointing to Brock's age and mental state during the scam, the court ruled that accountability was necessary. With sentencing complete, the case closes with a clear message from the court that even in moments of deception and fear, violence against innocent people carries lasting consequences.
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Vanessa Richardson
This is your fix.
Stassi Schroeder
I am your host, Stassi Schroeder. Welcome to Tell Me Lies, the official podcast. What's the most unhinged thing of season three?
DailyLook Host
Steven because he's so evil, I do.
Vanessa Richardson
Think he is misunderstood.
DailyLook Host
You see everyone face consequences. It's intoxicating.
Stassi Schroeder
The writers just know how to trick. Yeah, there's always a twist in this show. Tell Me Lies the official podcast January 6th and stream the new season of Tell Me Lies January 13th on Hulu and Hulu on Disney.
Vanessa Richardson
Lastly, let me tell you about what else is happening at Crime House today. Clues has a great episode in store for you. Morgan and Kaelyn will be taking you through the twists and turns of the unsolved murder of Martha Moxley. This case is yet another tragedy tied to the Kennedys. So before you head over to Clues, I'm going to guide you through the ins and outs of what some say is a bona fide family curse. The phrase the Kennedy curse shows up anytime Heartbreak collides with this family's name. Assassinations, plane crashes, addiction, sudden losses, and cases that feel like they were swallowed by money and power. So let's talk about what the term actually points to. Three key things that keep coming up whenever the Kennedy curse is mentioned without losing sight of the real people at the center of these stories. Number one, the assassinations didn't just traumatize the US they sealed the myth forever. On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas during a motorcade. It's hard to overstate the scale of that moment. The shock, the images, the uncertainty, the feeling that the country's future had been ripped open in broad daylight. And then, less than five years later, history repeated itself. In 1968, JFK's brother, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, was a leading presidential candidate and a symbol of hope for many Americans during a volatile era. After winning the California Democratic primary, he was shot and died shortly after those two assassinations. Brothers, both in public service, both killed at pivotal moments are a huge reason the word curse sticks. Not because it explains anything, but because the human brain is wired to look for patterns when the randomness feels unbearable. And once the pattern feels real, every new tragedy becomes another sign. Number two, the tragedies didn't stop. They changed shape. Scandal, addiction, and accidents. After the assassinations, the Kennedy story didn't quiet down. It shifted into a different kind of darkness. One that involved accidents, public scandal and repeated grief. In July 1969, Senator Ted Kennedy drove off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island. His passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, died. The incident became a lasting national scandal, in part because of the delay in reporting it and because of what it suggested about privilege and accountability. And for true crime audiences especially, this is one of those moments that keeps coming up not just as a historical event, but as a case study in how power shapes consequences. Over the decades, addiction also appears in the family's public record, including the death of David Kennedy, Robert Kennedy's son, who died in 1984 from a drug overdose. In 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr. His wife Carolyn Bessette and her sister Lauren Bessette died in a plane crash off the coast of Massachusetts. The National Transportation Safety Board's finding cited loss of control during a descent over water at night, linked to spatial disorientation with factors including haze and dark night conditions. When you look closely, the story is less supernatural and more painfully human. Number three, Martha Moxley's case is where the curse narrative collides with something more disturbing. The question of justice. Now we get to the reason you're here and the case Morgan and Kaylin are covering. In 1975, Martha Moxley, a 15 year old girl in Greenwich, Connecticut was murdered. She was found the next day and investigators determined she'd been attacked with a golf club. The brutality of the crime, the youth of the victim and the setting one of the wealthiest communities in America made it a case that never really left the public imagination. But the Kennedy connection is what makes people folded into the curse conversation. Martha was last seen socializing in a neighborhood where the Skakel family lived. Relatives of the Kennedys threw Ethel Kennedy. Over time, suspicion and scrutiny centered on that circle and the case became a long, complicated legal saga. In 2002, Michael Skakel was convicted of Martha Moxley's murder. Years later, courts revisited the case through appeals and habeas proceedings. In 2018, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that Skakel was entitled to a new trial due to ineffective assistance of Counsel. And in 2020, prosecutors announced they would not retry him and the charge was Dr. Dropped. That's the legal reality and it's why this case is still described as unresolved by many people. Not because the story lacks headlines, but because Martha's death still sits at the center of decades of debate, grief and unanswered questions. And this is where sensitivity matters most. Martha Moxley is not a symbol. She was a teenage girl with a life, a family, friends, and a future that was stolen. So as you listen to clues, cover her story, keep Martha at the center, not the mythology. Before you head over to clues, here's the takeaway. The Kennedy curse is a phrase people use to bundle together a long history of real tragedies. Two major assassinations, scandals, addiction and repeated accidents. Plus cases like Martha Moxley's, where the Kennedys orbit intersects with a lingering question of justice. And if there's one thing to hold on to as you watch or listen, behind every headline is a person, a victim, a family, a community left living with the aftermath. You've been listening to Crime House 24 7, bringing you breaking crime news. I'm Vanessa Richardson. We'll be back tomorrow morning with more developed stories. Stay safe and thanks for listening.
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Episode: After 25 Years of Silence, Tara Baker’s Murder Case Goes to Trial
Host: Vanessa Richardson
Date: February 4, 2026
In this packed daytime edition, host Vanessa Richardson delivers a comprehensive update on four major crime stories currently commanding national attention. The episode’s chief focus is on the long-awaited trial for the murder of Tara Louise Baker, a 2001 cold case that haunted the University of Georgia and its surrounding community for decades. Other breaking segments include the ongoing appeal in the murder-for-hire case of FSU professor Dan Markel, the urgent search for Nancy Guthrie in Arizona, and the sentencing in an Ohio case illustrating tragic consequences of modern scams. The episode closes with a thoughtful look at the so-called “Kennedy curse” and the infamous unsolved murder of Martha Moxley.
Segment Start: [01:16]
Case Summary:
Breakthrough & Arrest:
Charges:
Prosecution & Defense Narratives:
Impact on Victim’s Family & Community:
Significance:
Segment Start: [09:29]
Background:
Charlie Adelson's Appeal:
Status:
Segment Start: [14:40]
Case Details:
Urgency & Law Enforcement Response:
Family Statement:
Segment Start: [18:45]
Incident Recap:
Court Outcome:
Broader Significance:
Segment Start: [22:10]
Context:
Key Points on the “Curse”:
Assassinations Cemented the Myth:
Tragedies Shifted in Nature:
Martha Moxley Case as a Symbol of Unfinished Justice:
Final Reflection:
On the Tara Baker Case:
On Nancy Guthrie’s Disappearance:
On the Kennedy Curse:
This episode expertly weaves together new developments in both cold cases and active investigations, highlighting the complicated, often personal impact of these crimes on families and communities. With clear-eyed reporting and empathetic storytelling, Vanessa Richardson keeps victims’ stories at the center, emphasizing the importance of justice, accountability, and remembering the human cost behind the headlines.