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Crime House 24/7
First Watch: Daughter Kills Mother After Warnings & Cop Fights For His Innocence
00:29:00
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- [00:02]
Katie Ring
Hi, it's Katie. I'm excited to let you know that you can watch video episodes of Crime House daily Night Watch on Spotify. It's the same gripping true crime stories you've been getting here now with added videos and photos that give you even more depth and detail into each case. Search Night Watch on Spotify and Hit follow so you never miss an episode.
- [00:37]
Narrator/Reporter
This is Crime House.
- [00:39]
Katie Ring
What happens when we can't trust the systems that are supposed to protect us? Our two cases today have led many people to ask themselves this exact question. First, we'll look at the Spores family who watched as their daughter's mental illness escalated, repeatedly begging for help that the courts refused to provide. And in October 2025, it all culminated in a single tragic question. When the system fails to commit, who pays the ultimate price? Then, after almost three decades in prison for a murder he swears he didn't commit, a former police officer has gained a second chance at freedom. With the help of a hit book and a bombshell witness, a judge has agreed to hear arguments that could finally clear Michael Chappell's name. Let's get into it.
- [01:32]
Narrator/Reporter
This didn't happen overnight. This wasn't something that came out of nowhere. A grieving son opens up to TMJ4 about his mother, Carrie Zettle. Her 29 year old daughter, Lauren Spores is charged with beating that 64 year old to death with a rock. Alex Spohrs is one of Zettel's three children. He tells Mary Jo Ola there were chances to prevent this.
- [01:55]
Katie Ring
Spores is charged with first degree intentional homicide. Records show that Spohrs has a long history of mental health issues and Zettel was afraid that her daughter would end up hurting her. Welcome, I'm your host Katie Ring, and if you're not familiar with our show quite yet, we do daily deep dives on all of the breaking cases, from the ones dominating headlines now to lesser known cases that we want to shine a light on. Each Crime House daily episode is only 20 minutes, so if you're looking for a new show to keep you up to date on everything true crime, we welcome you to join the fam. If you enjoy the episode, hitting the subscribe button below makes a world of a difference. Quick Disclaimer this episode discusses active criminal cases and breaking news. The information we share is based on what's publicly available at the time of recording and may change as new evidence comes to light. We aim to inform, not to decide guilt or innocence. So everyone mentioned is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
- [03:08]
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- [03:11]
Katie Ring
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- [03:26]
Advertiser/Commercial Voice
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- [03:29]
Katie Ring
Find a shoe for every you from brands you love like Birkenstock, Nike, Adidas and more at your DSW store or dsw. Our first story of the day revolves around a family tragically torn apart by mental illness. 29 year old Lauren Spor suffered from schizoaffective disorder for years. Her family repeatedly asked for help from the courts, but authorities didn't act until it was too late. Lauren's surviving family members believed she was responsible for her father's death in 2018. And on October 12, 2025, Lauren was arrested for the murder of her mother, 64 year old Carrie Zettle. Now she's being ordered to undergo a forensic mental exam. The results of that exam will be shared at Lauren's next court date on November 21st. In the 1990s, Carrie and her husband Jeffrey Sports settled down in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They bought a cozy standalone home and had two children, Alex and Lauren. They seemed like your typical American family, but their quaint, happy life came to an abrupt halt one day when Lauren pulled her brother aside to tell him something disturbing. She said she saw a person on the ceiling. After this, Lauren's family knew she needed help and they took her to a specialist where she was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, which can cause delusions, mania and depression from her teenage years into early adulthood. Her symptoms got worse and they started to pose a threat to not only her, but those around her. Lauren's parents loved her dearly and tried desperately to get her the help she needed. So over the years, she was in and out of psychiatric treatment. However, once Lauren turned 18, things got a little more complicated. The state of Wisconsin has a very high legal bar when it comes to involuntarily committing an adult into psychiatric treatment. So if Lauren doesn't want to go on her own, there isn't much her parents can do to be admitted. She would have to seek treatment on her own. But like many people with the same condition, Lauren often experienced disorientation and paranoia, which can make treatment extremely difficult for a number of reasons. Many times, people with schizophrenic disorder believe that people trying to help them are actually trying to harm them, whether that be family Members or staff members at treatment facilities. The paranoia can prevent patients from seeking care or adhering to their medication. Other factors are not fully believing or recognizing that they're ill. Not out of denial, but because the illness itself can affect self awareness. Schizophrenia can impair memory, attention and organization, making it easy to forget doses or follow complicated medication schedules. Homelessness, unstable housing, financial struggles or lack of family support can make consistent medication access almost impossible. And co occurring drug or alcohol use, which is common, can interfere with medication routines or effectiveness. Although Lauren was prescribed medication, she often missed doses and her symptoms would re emerge quickly and aggressively. These backslides caused a series of disturbing violent incidents that often resulted in legal action. From 2018 to 2021, Lauren was charged for striking a coffee shop manager and for breaking a window with a brick at her family's home while trying to get inside. But the most alarming incident, the one that changes her family forever, occurred on January 27, 2018, when Lauren was 22 years old. Lauren had started acting aggressively towards her father, 57 year old Jeffrey, regularly attacking him, biting him and stomping on his head. But on that cold winter day in 2018, Lauren's violence reached a new level when she smashed two heavy glass decorative bottles onto her father's head. Jeffrey was rushed to the hospital where doctors had to staple the wounds. Once the procedure was done, doctors thought he would be okay and they would be able to discharge him. But for the next two days, Jeffrey experienced confusion and an altered mental state. Jeffrey had dealt with chronic pain for years and took painkillers to manage it. But the pain from the head injury was so excruciating that his usual medication wasn't helping. So on January 29, two days after the attack, he asked his wife Carrie for more pain pills. But Carrie refused, likely because of the high risk associated with certain pain medications. However, Jeffrey's mental state started to worsen and he ended up leaving the house without Carrie noticing. She couldn't find him anywhere and she started to panic, which only got worse with every passing hour that Jeffrey was gone. But unfortunately, her panic quickly turned into grief when the police discovered him dead at a park about 15 minutes away from their home. The family was devastated. But as they processed the tragedy, they also couldn't help but think that Lauren's attack was the reason for his death. The idea comes with mixed feelings now. The family hoped that Jeffrey's tragic death would finally persuade the courts to intervene and help Lauren get the care she needed. But any hope of that was quickly squashed when the medical examiner made a shocking determination. The Emmys report listed Jeffrey's cause of death as an overdose from pain medication. Kerry was completely stunned. And on top of that, there was no mention anywhere in the report about the head wounds caused by Lauren's attack. Carrie even went so far as to call the ME's office herself to to dispute the findings, telling them that her late husband had taken the same medication every day for years. But this didn't change anything. Jeffrey's cause of death remained the same, which meant there were no legal grounds to institutionalize Lauren against her will. Carrie knew this could become a disaster. And those fears were confirmed shortly after Jeffrey's death when Lauren made repeated threats involving a knife. And this is when Carrie decided that she couldn't just sit around and wait for something awful to happen. So she took matters into her own hands. Two days after Jeffrey's death, Carrie files a restraining order against her daughter. I can't even imagine how heartbreaking it must have been to lose your husband and also have to get a restraining order against your daughter. But this didn't mean she was giving up on her daughter. Kerry still wanted to help Lauren. After Kerry filed the protection order, she sat Lauren down when she seemed to be in a good enough mental state to understand what was happening, and asked her to write a letter to the court explaining her motivation and state of mind when she attacked her father and immediately afterward. But there's just one problem. Lauren had no memory of the incident. She said that if she was responsible, she would die of a broken heart. Lauren clearly understood the severity of the situation. So while she couldn't provide the details her mother was asking for, she made a different plea to the courts. In her letter, Lauren described her condition as torture. She said she knows that her loved ones and even strangers are afraid of her. She also explained her memory loss and feelings of deep despair surrounding her father's death. Lauren's letter is clear. She does not want to go on like this. She needs help. Unfortunately, the letter didn't have the intended effect. Lauren still wasn't required to be admitted into a care facility. And soon her mental state spirals once again. For the next seven years, Lauren violated her mother's restraining order three times. Each time, legal action ensued. But the court hearings didn't result in any long term changes. In the first two violations, a judge found Lauren incompetent to stand trial. And the third time in 2025, a judge converted her criminal case into proceedings for involuntary commitment, meaning there is finally a chance that Laurence Bors will get the care she needs and her family will get the peace of mind they deserve. However, the legal system doesn't move fast enough and before Lauren can be placed in a safe environment, tragedy strikes again.
- [12:22]
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- [12:55]
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- [12:58]
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- [13:27]
Katie Ring
In 2025, Lawrence Bores was ordered to be admitted into a mental health care facility after violating her mother Carrie's protective order against her. But as the Spores family waited for the court system to get all of its ducks in a row, Lauren was walking free and unsupervised, even as her mental health state plummeted even further. And on October 7, 2025, Lauren's latest series of troubling behavior began. That day, Lauren visited Grand park in South Milwaukee. While there, she screamed and threatened bystanders and eventually the police showed up as well. As her mom, Lauren left in an ambulance and Carrie left in tears. Lauren spent the night in the hospital before being transferred into a mental health facility and police visited her twice but refused to intervene. They see the situation as a mental health crisis and not a matter for law enforcement. However, this was far from their last encounter with Lauren. Lauren Three days later, on October 11, Lauren is discharged from the hospital, but she refuses to leave. Hospital staff called the police, who arrived and ushered Lauren into their cruiser. Sources don't say where Lauren was at the time. However, the officers dropped her off on the street corner in South Milwaukee, not far from where her mother lived. Unfortunately, Lauren was nowhere close to safety and later that evening she ventured into a grocery store in town. She stole a bottle of juice and then locked herself in the woman's restroom. And when employees tried to get her to leave, she refused. And on top of that she was hearing voices. Employees quickly called the police who arrived around 8pm but once they got there and assessed the situation, they refused to take Lauren into custody. Instead, they convinced her to leave the bathroom, then loaded her into their cruiser and dropped her off on a street corner just like before. This not only failed to help anyone, it actively put people in danger. After the police picked her up and dropped her on a random corner, she wandered and then eventually made her way to her mother's house. Around 4am on October 12, Kerry was woken up by Lauren banging on the doors and windows and called 911. When officers arrived, they found Lauren outside of the house and once again they refused to take her into custody. Although Carrie was afraid of her daughter, she still loved her and didn't want her sleeping outside in the cold. She was going to try and get Lauren a hotel room, but with how early in the morning it was, she would have had to pay a full night's rate for just a few hours. So she decided to let Lauren sleep in her car and she would take her to a hotel the next day. But unfortunately, the well intentioned plan ended in tragedy. At 12:33 the next afternoon, the police received a call for a welfare check at Carrie's house. However, when they arrived, they didn't see Lauren so they just left. Which turned out to be a grave and extremely careless mistake. Because the purpose of a welfare check is to make sure that the person who lives at the house is alive and well. Around 2pm, Kerry's neighbor walked into her house and when she glanced out of the kitchen window, she saw something terrifying. Lauren and Kerry were both in Kerry's backyard and Lauren was standing over Carrie who was lying on the ground. She watched as Lauren lifted a large object in her hands and smashed it down on Carrie repeatedly. The neighbor called 911 immediately and police rushed to Cari's home. But when they got there they were too late. They found Carrie dead in her backyard and she had been so badly beaten that parts of her brain were visible and laying next to her body was a four pound rock that was covered in blood. When they arrived, Lauren wasn't outside, so they entered the house to look for her and fortunately they found her inside. And the sight was haunting. Lauren's hands, face and feet were all covered in blood. It is immediately clear that she was the one who killed her mom. Police finally took her into custody and she was charged with one count of first degree murder and one count of threats of domestic abuse. Her bond was set at $100,000, and on top of that, she was ordered to undergo a forensic mental exam. The findings of that exam will be presented at Lauren's next hearing on November 21st. This story is so incredibly heartbreaking and tragic. As someone who had an uncle with schizophrenia, I know how much a diagnosis like this can affect a family. My uncle was voted most likely to be successful his senior year. But his freshman year in college, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and his life and the life of everyone in my mom's family changed that day. Our justice system completely failed this family. And if they had just listened to the family's cries for help, two innocent people would still be alive and a young woman would be getting the care she needed. In the meantime, we'll be sure to bring you all of the updates on this developing story. Next, we're going to dive into the new developments in the story of Michael Chappell, a former police officer from Georgia who's looking to finally clear his name in a murder case from 1993. A hit book and podcast have sparked so much renewed interest in Michael's story that a judge has agreed to hear arguments in a habeas corpus filing. Corporate things are still underway and at least one witness has come forward with a new testimony that is a bombshell. So how did Michael Chappell end up on this path in the first place? Let's get into it. In the early 1990s, Gwinnett County, Georgia, was rapidly developing, but it still had a small town feel. It was the kind of town where people just knew each other and even grew up together. So on April 3, 1993, when 53 year old Emma Jean Thompson called the police to report a robbery, Officer Michael Chappell was happy to respond to the call. In his eyes, he was helping out a neighbor. When he arrived, Emma Jean told him that she had $14,000 stashed inside her trailer home. But now half of it was missing. Emma Jean also told Michael that her son was the only other person who lived with her. This led Michael to believe Emma Jean's son had stolen her money, and Emma Jeane agreed. However, she didn't want to press charges. She just wanted her money back. Michael understood and the two of them formed A plan. Michael offered to speak with Emma Jean's son to try and get her money back, then said he and Emma Jean could compare the serial numbers on the bills from her son to the ones still in her possession to confirm whether or not Imogene's son stole from her. They both felt confident in the plan. But when Michael left her home, it was the last time he saw her. Because on April 15, Emma Jeane Thompson was fatally shot in the head outside of a muffler shop on an industrial boulevard. Her body was discovered the next morning, still seated in her parked car. When police looked into the matter, they spoke to multiple eyewitnesses who claimed that they saw a squad car at the muffler shop around the time of the murder. That night, despite the fact that it had been raining heavily, investigators believed the witness statements. As they investigated further, they received some even more concerning news. Apparently, Emma Jean had told a few of her friends about the plan she hatched with Michael. And after hearing this, Michael's own colleagues were eyeing him as the suspect. And their suspicions only grew when they started looking into Michael more and discovered that he was having serious financial problems at this time. Apparently, he owed $4,000 to the IRS and another $1,400 to a friend. Investigators started to wonder if Michael targeted Emean after he learned how much cash she had. But when they questioned him, Michael says he wasn't even in the vicinity of where Emma Jean was killed. He said he was waiting out the storm at a local fire station at the time. But this alibi wasn't enough for investigators, especially when they started searching for clues and found a single damning piece of evidence. There was one drop of Imogene's blood in his cruiser. Things moved quickly from there, and Michael was charged with Emma Jean's murder, and he pleaded not guilty. In the blink of an eye, his whole life had changed, and all he could do now was bide his time in prison until his lawyers presented his case to a jury. The trial took place a few years later, and when the jury heard Michael's side of the story, they didn't believe him. So on September 8, 1995, Michael was found guilty. The state had asked for the death penalty, but Michael was instead sentenced to life in prison. However, Michael maintained his innocence, and over the next three decades, he made several attempts to appeal his conviction, but they were all unsuccessful. It seemed like his fate was sealed until 2021, when an amateur detective named Henry Ball published a true crime book with the simple title Michael Chappell. In his book. Henry slams the Gwinnett police department and DA's office for railroading chapel in the 90s and claims to have unearthed new evidence that proves his innocence. The story picks up momentum from there, inspiring public interest and even a true crime podcast called in the Land of Lies. Finally, the momentum reaches critical mass in March 2023, when his lawyer files a petition that could finally set Michael free. Hi.
- [23:51]
Advertiser/Commercial Voice
I'm here to pick up my son, Milo.
- [23:53]
Katie Ring
There's no Milo here who picked up my son from school.
- [23:57]
Narrator/Reporter
Streaming only on Peacock.
- [24:01]
Katie Ring
I'm gonna need the name of everyone.
- [24:02]
Narrator/Reporter
That could have a connection.
- [24:04]
Katie Ring
You don't understand. It was just the five of us. So this was all planned? What are you gonna do? I will do whatever it takes to get my son back. I honestly didn't see this coming. These nice people killing each other.
- [24:16]
Narrator/Reporter
All her fault. A new series, streaming now only on Peacock. Una silla de masajes puerto Extravagante Ocho configuraciones differentes intensidad justable ademases. Bien and conunauto se vuelben bastante practicas El Volkswagen teguan confucientos del anteros con masaje di solo parese extravagante.
- [24:51]
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- [25:41]
Katie Ring
Michael Chappell has been in prison for almost 30 years for a 1993 murder he swears he didn't commit. Thanks to Henry Ball's book documenting his case, Michael got a second chance at freedom in March of 2023 and quickly retained a new lawyer, Billy Rennie. Rennie filed a habeas corpus petition claiming new evidence has come to light that fully exonerates his client. The new evidence was testimony from a man named Jermaine Rogers, who had an explosive allegation. Rogers says he witnessed a different police officer kill Emma Jean Thompson. Rogers was not a member of law enforcement himself, but his involvement in the case was complicated because during Michael's original trial 30 years earlier, he testified for the prosecution. In the original trial, Rogers said that he and Michael were tied up in some shady dealings together. But now Rogers claims he only said that because the police threatened him. He also said authorities offered to drop some unrelated drug charges he was facing in exchange for his testimony. Armed with Rogers new testimony, Rennie believed he could get Michael's conviction thrown out. However, the habeas was delayed by a series of motions until the court finally convened again in 2025. And during a hearing in March, Rogers made another bombshell claim. He said that not only was he forced to lie before, but that he witnessed an officer named JP Morgan kill Emma Jean. And yes, this is actually not just made up. There was a man on the force named J.P. morgan. Roger said that Morgan was in cahoots with Imogene Thompson's son and that both of them were involved with drugs back in the 90s. He went on to claim that the infamous murder and robbery that night were related to their ongoing crimes. Morgan was never properly investigated as a possible lead during the original trial, and it's unfortunately impossible to put him on the stand now because he committed suicide shortly after Emma Jean Thompson's murder. Afterward, the prosecutor contested that Roger's new testimony was untrustworthy. They think that if he lied before, he could be lying now. However, Rogers is so confident in his claims that he submitted himself to a polygraph test. During that session, he was asked a series of questions, including whether he saw Michael Chappell at the murder scene, to which his response is no. And when asked if he had witnessed another officer commit the murder, Rogers said yes. Both times, the polygraph technician registered no intention to deceive. We should keep in mind that polygraph results are not 100% accurate, and it's unlikely the results of this session will be admissible in Michael's habeas corpus hearing. But it has given a morale boost to his defense team, who are going into this latest legal battle confident in their client's innocence and their ability to prove it. Court proceedings are expected to continue in November, and as always, we will be keeping you updated on whether Michael Chappell will return to prison or finally walk away after 30 years as a free man. What did you think of today's cases? Drop your thoughts and theories in the comments. See you next time. If you haven't already. Subscribe to our YouTube channel Rimehouse Daily and follow us on social media Rimehouse 247 for real time updates. Because the pursuit of justice never stops. Looking for your next crime house? Listen, don't miss Crimes of With Sabrina Diana Roga and Corinne Vian. Crimes of. Is a weekly series that explores a new theme each season from Crimes of the Paranormal, unsolved murders, mysterious disappearances, and more. Their first season is Crimes of Infamy, the true stories behind Hollywood's most iconic horror villains. And coming up next is Crimes of the Paranormal, real life cases where the line between the living and the dead gets seriously blurry. Listen to Crimes of every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.