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First Watch: Florida Husband Convicted of Murder & Daniel Hanna’s Upcoming Trial
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Crime House has the perfect new show for spooky season Twisted Tales. Hosted by Heidi Wong, each episode of Twisted Tales is perfect for late night scares and daytime frights, revealing the disturbing real life events that inspired the world's most terrifying blockbusters and the ones too twisted to make it to screen. Twisted Tales is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. Listen wherever you get your podcasts New episodes out every Monday. This is Crime House.
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This morning the spotlight is on the dosed and choked murder trial out of the state of Florida. Defendant Herbert Swilley is accused of drugging and then strangling his husband. On the morning of March 25, Marion County Sheriff's deputies found Timothy's body in his home in the Citrus park neighborhood. His friends and his husband, Herbert Swilley had been searching for him the night before. In the days after, Candy had grown suspicious of Herbert because of his behavior and some of the things he'd say.
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The husband that morning I went there, I said, did you sleep? And he said, I slept like a baby. When Timothy Smith was found dead in his Florida apartment, his husband Herbert made a very public show of grief. He set up a GoFundMe, wrote heartfelt Facebook posts, and played the role of a devastated widower. But detectives uncovered a very different story, one that pointed straight back to Herbert. Hi, I'm Katie Ring, a true crime analyst, self defense instructor, and fierce advocate for victims. And this is Crime House Daily, your essential true crime companion. Every weekday morning and night here at Crime House Daily, we dig into the true crime stories making headlines right now, where justice is unfolding, arrests are happening, and new evidence is emerging. Every morning, First Watch gets you up to speed on the biggest cases. Every night, Night Watch takes you deeper. If you want to follow a case from the first 911 call to the final verdict, this is the place for you. Follow Crime House Daily wherever you get your podcasts, leave a review and for ad free listening. Subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. For video, check out our YouTube channel Rimehouse Daily. 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. Today we're covering two major cases in the news. The first case brings us to Florida, where a man who once played the role of a grieving husband has now been sentenced to life in prison for his spouse's murder. We'll walk through how investigators unraveled Herbert Swilley's lies and what ultimately led to his conviction. The second case is also in Florida, where Daniel Hanna is preparing to face a federal jury at the end of October. Investigators say they uncovered thousands of horrifying videos linked to his online accounts. So we'll unpack how they tracked him down and what's at stake in his upcoming trial. Foreign before we get into our cases today, I wanted to bring attention to a case that enrages me and sheds light on one of the biggest failures in our justice system. In New Jersey, what first looked like a tragic bike crash is now being called murder. On September 29, 17 year olds Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas were riding an E bike when they were struck and killed by a vehicle. At first it appeared to be a devastating accident, but prosecutors now say the driver, also only 17, deliberately targeted them. Investigators allege that the teen suspect had been stalking one of the girls for months, sending unwanted messages and following her. Before the attack, she had taken out a restraining order. And a neighbor said that the killer parked outside the girl's house for three months leading up to the alleged murder. And of course, like almost all stalkers, he faced no repercussions until the victim was murdered. He's now facing two counts of first degree murder among other charges and is being held in custody. Right now. The case is moving quickly with prosecutors preparing for trial in the coming weeks. So we'll be sure to keep you posted with any updates as they come in. We're starting out with a case in Ocala, Florida, where a man who made a very public show of mourning his husband's murder turned out to be the one with blood on his hands. And just last month he was sentenced to life in prison for his crimes. Let's get into it. On March 25, 2023, 55 year old Herbert Swilley called the Marion County Sheriff's Office claiming he couldn't get in touch with his husband, 59 year old Timothy Smith. According to those who knew Tim, he had a great sense of humor and always had a joke ready. He was a beloved, compassionate friend who always took care of others, even total strangers. Which made his sudden disappearance all the more shocking. After Herbert reports to missing officers gain access to an additional apartment that the couple rented. And that's where they found Tim dead. He was discovered in the bedroom and had injuries to his face and genitals. He also had marks around his neck that indicated he had been Strangled. An autopsy would later reveal that Tim had a drug in his system that is one of the main ingredients of Benadryl, and not just the normal amount. To clear up those pesky seasonal allergies, it was over 30 times the proper dose. Officers notified Herbert that they just found his husband of eight years dead in their apartment. Of course, everyone processes grief in different ways, but Herbert's reaction stands out, mostly because he doesn't have much of a reaction at all. Not exactly what you'd expect from someone just finding out their husband was brutally murdered. And here's the thing. Tim's friends weren't really fans of Herbert. Tim was outgoing and loved, but Herbert was very cold and had a rough personality. They say that if it weren't for Tim, they wouldn't be friends with Herbert at all. But for now, the police are just focused on figuring out what happened to Tim. Herbert tells the officers that the last time he saw his husband was two nights earlier. They had watched TV together in their primary residence and then went to bed. Herbert says that the next day he went to the gym, and when he got back home, Tim wasn't there. Herbert assumed that he had gone to work, but Tim never showed up. And that's when Herbert realized Tim was actually missing and called the police. But that's not really what happened. Herbert Swilley and Tim Smith had been married for eight years, but they had both agreed to an open relationship. To avoid things from getting too complicated, they had a second apartment where they would bring their respective hookups. They would typically meet these people on social media or on apps like Grindr and Adam4Adam. And although they're both comfortable with the arrangement, not everything in the relationship is so harmonious, namely, when it comes to money. Herbert owns a handyman service company, while Tim is the executive director of a senior living community. By March 2023, Tim is making a lot more money than Herbert, and they're relying on his income to maintain the comfortable lifestyle they enjoy. But there's a catch. Tim is thinking about taking a new job in another county, and Herbert thinks Tim might use it as a reason to leave him. So he is desperate to make sure that doesn't happen. Before Tim's murder, Herbert allegedly said this to a friend. If Tim thinks he's leaving me and taking a new job in DeLand, and he's got another thing coming. And it seems like he was ready to back up those words with action. On March 23, 2023, Herbert Drugs Smith with the obscene amount of allergy meds that Are later found in his system. Once Tim is incapacitated, Herbert strangles his husband and breaks his neck. This all takes place in their primary residence, where they usually live. But after killing Tim, Herbert takes his body to the second apartment, where they'd each bring men they'd met online. Herbert's plan is to make it look like one of these guys killed tim. When he gets to the apartment, he puts Tim's body in the bedroom, Then starts to stage a fake crime scene and a fake cleanup attempt. So he sprays a bunch of bleach and other cleaners around the apartment and all over the body. He even leaves a bunch of towels out to really sell it. Once Herbert is done setting up the scene, he heads home and drives Tim's car to the second apartment to sell the scene even more. To cover his tracks, he walks back home and deletes data from their ring camera system that might have recorded what he'd just done. And then herbert waits. After two days, he finally calls the police and reports Tim missing. Once the authorities discover Herbert's manufactured crime scene, the next part of his plan begins, where he plays the part of a grieving husband. He sets up a gofundme to cover funeral costs and raises about $2,200. Then Herbert starts posting about Tim's death on facebook. He writes, my dearest friend and partner Tim smith Passed away unexpectedly. Then it's hard not having you to talk to, but I still talk to you. But he is not backing his words up with action. According to Tim's friend, less than a day after his body is discovered, Herbert and his adult daughter From a previous marriage who lives with them get rid of Tim's personal possessions. And this includes family photos again one day after he's discovered. Meanwhile, Herbert keeps up the public display of mourning on his facebook form for months. But a lot of people see right through him. This includes Tim's family. His sister Sandy claims that Herbert never even called her to say Tim was dead and that she didn't find out Until Herbert posted about it on facebook. Then, when she asked him about what happened, Herbert's story kept changing. For example, at first he says that Tim had taken away his key to their second apartment. But then he says, no, Tim had just given it back. Sandy says his story changed about three or four times, and that's just about the keys to the apartment. Sandy's so suspicious, she brings her concerns to the police. They talk to Herbert, and they find him cooperative at first, but his attitude changes when they determine his statement was false, self serving, or contradicted by other evidence. All of the sudden, Herbert stops cooperating. And through his lawyer, he tells the police that he'll only keep talking to them if he gets immunity from being prosecuted for Tim's murder. As you can imagine, this raises some red flags. And then investigators find out that Herbert has allegedly been abusing Tim. Not only that, but Tim had a life insurance policy totaling $333,000, and Herbert was the beneficiary.
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On August 8, 2023, a little over four months after Tim Smith's murder, his husband, Herbert Swilley is officially named a suspect. His 20 year old daughter Jordan is also named a person of interest. Meanwhile, Herbert is still acting like a devastated husband online. That same day, he leaves a heartfelt message on what would have been their ninth wedding anniversary. Herbert writes, I miss your smile and your loving spirit to let you know it's a very hard day. As the investigation into him intensifies, detectives find surveillance footage from the night of the murder that shows the Herbert's white pickup leaving their apartment and arriving at their secondary apartment. Not only that, but the GPS data from Tim's phone shows that it travels the same path at the same time. And about seven months after Tim's death on November 3, 2023, the authorities had everything they needed and arrested Herbert Swilley. His charges include premeditated first degree murder and tampering with evidence. He's denied bond, with the judge deeming him a potential danger to the community. Herbert spends the next 10 months in custody as each side prepares its case and his trial begins on September 15, 2025. During the week long proceedings, the prosecution lays out the evidence against him. They present a lot of information, including surveillance footage, phone data, their strained marriage, the life insurance policy, and that Herbert had allegedly staged the second apartment to look Like a crime scene. They also describe an alleged conversation between Herbert and his daughter Jordan, where Herbert asked her if she had heard anything the night before. When Jordan said that she thought she might have heard a door. Herbert says, you didn't hear anything. That's all you need to remember. As for the defense, they argue that there's no physical proof Herbert was at the scene when Tim died. They also raised the possibility of a second suspect, a guy named James. True James DNA was found at their second apartment, and according to his ex wife, he had a history of violence. Another witness testifies that they saw a person with yellowish dyed hair walking around the complex regularly before Tim's murder, but she didn't see them afterward. After a week of hearing evidence and testimony and two hours of deliberation, the jury returned with a verdict for Herbert Swilley on September 19, 2025. Guilty. Before sentencing, Tim Smith's family and friends give impact statements. Tim's cousin Valerie Smith tearfully speaks about how close she and Tim had been growing up. That he was the kind of person who made you feel like you were the only person in the room when he spoke to you. And that Tim lived his life openly and honestly, inspiring her to do the same. For Herbert Swilley's crimes. He's sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. And that's where this case ends for now. And as always, we will keep you updated if there are any major developments or appeals. Today's second case is an extremely heavy one. We're covering alleged crimes of Daniel Hanna, and they are horrific. Daniel was arrested in the state of Florida in April of 2025. He was charged with 14 felony counts, including possession of CSAM, which stands for child sexual abuse material, Animal Cruelty content, and Animal sexual abuse. These videos allegedly showed the sexual abuse and torture of infants, toddlers and animals. On September 10, 2025, Daniel was also indicted on multiple federal charges, and his trial is scheduled to begin a few weeks from now on October 29, 2025. In crimes like this, there could be hundreds of victims, and for their privacy, they have remained anonymous. But we want to honor them and make sure that their story is told. But before we get to where things stand now, we are going to go back to the beginning. On May 23, 2024, a little less than a year before Daniel's arrest, the national center for Missing and Exploited Children gets a cyber tip. That tip reports that a Dropbox user account named John Weir was uploading videos depicting child sexual abuse. The tip reveals that from December 2014 to October 2015, 163 videos had been uploaded to the Dropbox for John Weir. But then on May 23, 2024, John Weir tried to share one of those videos, indicating the account was still active the same day the tip was called in. Using an IP tracking service, investigators are able to trace John Weir's IP address to Verizon Wireless and Cox Communications. Then they subpoena records from Cox, Verizon and Yahoo, the email service connected to John Weir's account. They also present a warrant to Dropbox who provides them with access to the account in question. And they find 244 videos of child sexual abuse along with 37 other videos that had age questionable content. Yahoo then reveals that the email connected to the account doesn't belong to someone named John. Weird. As they suspected, it's an alias. The person who actually owns the account is allegedly named Reggie Hanna. And Yahoo also provides his city, state and zip code which are located in Gainesville, Florida. But Reggie Hanna also isn't exactly who they're looking for. Verizon reveals that the phone that's connected to one of the IP addresses is billed to a Daniel R. Hannah. And this is the person they're looking for.
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Once the investigators discover that the Dropbox account full of CSAM belongs to a man named Daniel Hannah, they link up to Gainesville PD and find Daniel in the driver's license database which gives them his physical address. On March 13, 2025, after nearly a year long investigation into Daniel, a search warrant was executed on his residence. Daniel tells police that he lives there by himself but that his neighbor lets him use their wi fi. But the investigators keep looking and trigger warning. What they find is hard to hear. The search of Daniel's home turns up multiple electronic devices that contain images or videos depicting child sexual abuse. One Device has over 2,500 videos and 548 of them involve toddlers or even infants. 269 of those videos involved objects and sex toys. 108 videos showed BDSM, or violence against a child. And two files contain videos or images of a woman engaged in a sex act with a dog. It's truly sickening. Along with the videos, investigators also find a childlike sex doll torso with a pair of girl's underwear on it. They also find other pairs of children's underwear. About a month later, on April 10, 2025, Daniel is arrested and his bail is set at $1.4 million. The investigation continues from there, and the case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative formed to fight against child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in 2006, it combines federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. And on September 10th, Daniel was officially indicted in federal court on one count of attempted distribution of child pornography, one count of receiving child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. If he's convicted, he could be looking at up to 20 years in prison for each charge. His trial is scheduled to begin on October 29, 2025. This is one we'll definitely be watching closely as the case against Daniel Hanna proceeds. And as always, we'll be bringing them to you here. What did you think of today's case? Drop your thoughts and theories in the comments. See you next time. If you haven't already, subscribe to our YouTube channel @Crime House daily and follow us on social media at Crime House 247 for real time updates. Because the pursuit of justice never stops.