← Crime House 24/7
Crime House 24/7
First Watch: “Just a Party” in the Woods: The Night 18-Year-Old Kimber Mills Was Shot
00:26:17
Loading summary
Transcript17 lines
- [00:02]
A
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]
B
This is Crime House.
- [00:40]
A
In our first case, a night that should have ended with laughter and memories instead ended with gunfire and an 18 year old girl fighting for her life. What started as a small town party turned into chaos and and by the time it was over, one young woman was gone and no one could believe who pulled the trigger. In our second case, months of racist harassment escalated to murder and after his arrest he posted bail, cut off his ankle monitor, set his own house on fire and vanished. And when authorities found him, the truth of what he did was worse than anyone imagined. So let's get into it. A teenager only given days to live after she was shot during a party this weekend in Jefferson County. It is just awful news. 18 year old Kimber Mills family telling us right now they are quote, waiting on her body to do what it needs to do. But even in death, she's giving others a chance at life through the gift of organ donation.
- [01:42]
B
It was like a sigh of relief knowing she's not in pain anymore, but it just hurts.
- [01:51]
A
Foreign. 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 was 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.
- [02:54]
B
Thanks to TikTok ads, I was able to open up a business with my childhood friend and even hire employees. My name is Julian and I am one of the founders of the Snacks Lab. We are an exotic snack company. We import snacks from all over the world. We had over $100,000 in sales from our TikTok ads in the first month so our orders went from five a day to over 250 orders a day. You definitely have to use TikTok ads to TikTok for business is helping owners like you reach new customers every day. Head over to get started.TikTok.com TikTok ads.
- [03:26]
A
On October 18, 2025, what should have been a normal night out in a small Alabama town turned tragic and by the end of it, 18 year old Kimber Mills had lost her life. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, trying to do the right thing and ended up being shot while trying to break up a fight. Doctors did everything they could but unfortunately they weren't able to save her. Now her loved ones have found a way to honor her memory and keep her caring spirit alive. The man who fired the gun has been charged and his case hasn't gone before a grand jury yet. The two young men who thought they were protecting Kimber that night were also charged for their actions related to the event. So who was Kimber Mills and how did a night of music and laughter turn so deadly? Let's start from the beginning. In 2025, Kimber was 18 and a senior at Cleveland High School in Cleveland, Alabama. She was on the cheerleading squad, ran track, and loved being involved in her school and community. She had big dreams, planning to attend the University of Alabama in the fall of 2026 and she wanted to become a nurse. Kimber had always been known for her kindness and becoming a nurse fit perfectly with her caring personality. Outside of school, Kimber loved hanging out with friends, often at a local spot called the Pit. It was a clearing in the woods with a huge bonfire, music, dancing and a few drinks. Anyone was welcome and word spread through social media. Most of the crowd were teens and young adults from around Cleveland. For a lot of people, the Pit was one of the highlights of small town life. A place to relax, have fun and let loose with friends and neighbors. But around Midnight on Saturday, October 18, 2025, that sense of fun ended abruptly. The evening started like any other. People laughed, danced and grabbed drinks from the coolers. The bonfire roared while people danced along to their favorite songs. Most people planned on partying late into the night, but not everyone. Around 8pm, a male partygoer whose name and age have remained anonymous was heading out for the night. His girlfriend, an 18 year old who's also remained anonymous, walked with him to his truck. That's when 27 year old Steven Tyler Whitehead approached. The couple didn't know him and he immediately Creeped them out. They started to feel uneasy when Steven told the boyfriend he could steal his girlfriend. They tried to brush it off, thinking he was just drunk. But after the boyfriend left, Steven kept badgering the girl. He cracked open a beer and then started following her around to try and get her to drink it. Using her best judgment, the girl refused. But Steven kept pushing. Eventually, the girl just wanted to get Steven to leave her alone. So she told him that she would drink an unopened beer. But even after she did this, he still wouldn't leave her alone. Eventually, while she was standing near the bonfire, Steven walked up to her and wrapped his arm around her hip. She pushed him off immediately, but she still felt extremely violated. So she got away from Steven and texted her boyfriend. Once her boyfriend heard what was going on, he texted his friends who were still at the bonfire and asked them to confront Steven. One of those friends was 21 year old Silas McKay. Silas already knew about Steven because his ex girlfriend had said Steven had been harassing another girl that night. Kimber Mills. Silas and Kimber had known each other for years and he thought of her like a sister. So when he realized Steven was bothering multiple girls, he decided to intervene. He grabbed a few of his other guy friends and they approached Steven. They asked him what he was doing to the girls at the party, but they didn't get an answer. He because Steven simply walked away. Silas and the others were already heated and this set them off even more. The encounter quickly turned violent. Silas followed Steven and then hit him. Then he picked him up and slammed him onto the ground. Silas and his friends proceeded to punch and kick Steven repeatedly while a crowd formed around them. And that's when Kimber noticed what was going on. Even though Steven had harassed her, she didn't want things to go like this. So she ran over to Silas and his friends and tried to pull them off of Steven. But before Kimber could get them to calm down, Steven reached into the back of his waistband and pulled out a gun. Ladies, you know those sudden hot flashes that turn your bed into a furnace? You don't have to sleep in the heat. The Perfectly Snug Smart Topper is like air conditioning for your bed. It even has dual zones for you and your partner so you can both sleep at your perfect temperature. No more kicking off covers. Just consistent, comfortable sleep through every hormonal curveball. FSA HSA payment options available. Visit PerfectlySnug.com for our biggest sales event of the year. You can save up to $330.
- [08:34]
B
Just use code Black Friday today at Designer Shoe Warehouse. We believe that shoes are an important part of, well, everything.
- [08:43]
A
From first to first dates, from all nighters to all time personal bests, from.
- [08:49]
B
Building pillow forts to building a life.
- [08:52]
A
For all the big and small moments that make up your whole world. DSW is there and we've got just the shoes. Find a shoe for every you from brands you love at brag worthy prices at your DSW store or dsw.com in the early hours of October 19, 2025, 27 year old Steven Tyler Whitehead pulled out a gun after he was physically attacked for harassing young women at a bonfire party. 18 year old Kimber Mills tried to pull Stephen's attackers off of him, but his rage quickly consumed him. Stephen proceeded to fire 11 shots into the crowd, including two that hit Kimber, one in the leg and one in the head. Three other people were shot as well. 20 year old Raelyn Norris was shot in the arm, Silas was shot multiple times in the abdomen, and 18 year old Levi Sanders was also shot multiple times. But Stephen still wasn't done. When Kimber's sister Taylor dropped down to help her, Steven aimed at Taylor, called her a bitch and said you're next before firing two more shots near her head. He then got into his SUV and drove off. Fortunately, Taylor was okay, but Kimber was barely responsive. Her friends quickly loaded her and Raelynn into separate cars and raced towards the hospital while someone called 91 1. Shortly after midnight, first responders arrived at the pit and Silas and Levi were also taken to the hospital. Investigators recovered 13 shell casings from the scene. While they processed the scene, Raylan made it safely to the hospital and received treatment. Silas and Levi were also in stable condition, though Levi required two surgeries including one to remove part of his colon. But unfortunately, Kimber wasn't as lucky as the others. She was rushed to the hospital, but she'd suffered so much brain damage she likely only had days to live. There was a small chance they could keep her alive, but it would mean she'd be kept on a breathing machine and a feeding tube. Her family faced the impossible decision of whether to keep her alive with a very poor quality of life or let her pass peacefully. Knowing how much Kimber hated seeing others suffer, they made the heart wrenching choice to let her go and arrange for her organs to be donated. From there, doctors kept Kimber comfortable while they let her begin to pass naturally and peacefully. During her final hours, friends and loved ones visited. Silas, recovering from his own injuries, held her hand and felt it squeeze his one last time, a quiet gesture that felt like she was saying, I love you. Doctors prepared Kimber for the organ retrieval as she was taken to the operating room. Hundreds of people lined the hospital hallways in something known as an honor walk. It was a way for Kimber's family and friends and community members to pay their respects before the surgery that would not only end her life, but give life to others. Outside, throughout the town of Cleveland, people decorated their homes and businesses with pink ribbons in celebration of Kimber's Life. Then at 7:08pm Kimber was pronounced dead. But her heart lived on and was donated to a 7 year old. Kimber had performed her final act of kindness. However, she still deserved justice. And luckily justice came quickly. Stephen Whitehead turned himself in about 11 hours later and was charged with one count of murder and three counts of attempted murder with a bond set at $330,000. Prosecutors emphasized that only one other gun was at the scene and it was locked in a car, showing Stephen was not under threat and that he could have called 911 but didn't. However, Stephen's defense argued that investigators hadn't even gathered the full details of the incident, partly because so many people had left by the time the police arrived and also because they hadn't been able to obtain cell phone records of the person who texted Silas about Stephen in the first place. The defense also claimed that Silas and his friends had followed Stephen when he was trying to leave before overpowering him and that once he was being attacked, Stephen had to use his gun in self defense. These arguments spurred debate over whether Silas and the others had been pulled off of Stephen before he started shooting. To answer that question, lawyers will likely examine cell phone footage that was taken during the incident. Stephen's court date hasn't been announced, but there are plans for evidence to go before a grand jury. And that's not the end of the legal ramifications because on October 30, Silas and one of his friends who also attacked Stephen, 19 year old Hunter McCulloch were arrested and charged on third degree assault. They were both released on $6,000 bonds. But some people want Silas to face even more scrutiny. After that night at the Pit, someone created a petition urging authorities to file charges against him for his role in the incident. People who signed the petition commented that the shooting was might not have happened in the first place if it weren't for Silas instigating the attack. Although I'm tired of men like Steven creeping on younger girls and believing that they are entitled to their attention I do believe that he does need to learn a lesson that it's not okay to harass women. But on the other hand, you never know if someone may be armed and it's probably best to use your words. Also, I personally think that Steven's self defense claim went out the window when he shot the girl trying to break up the fight and then turned to her sister, called her a bitch, said she was next and shot next to her head. Court dates for Silas and Hunter haven't been made public yet, but we'll bring you all of the updates as soon as they come in. For now, the most important thing is to remember Kimber and all of the joy she brought to others during her lifetime. In our next story, we're diving into a brutal hate fueled murder murder out of Texas that resulted in two SWAT team standoffs, a house burnt to the ground, and a month long manhunt for the killer in Kaufman County. On May 1, 2023, 30 year old Trevor McEwen shot his neighbor, 35 year old Aaron Martinez, 32 times. Trevor had been harassing Aaron, his family and his employees for almost a year and making racist threats against them. Trevor was arrested and charged with murder, but he posted a $2 million bail, removed his ankle monitor, and then set his own house on fire before fleeing. Authorities searched for him for a month and finally found him in a bizarre circumstance, but he still refused to give up without a fight. In the end, justice caught up with him. In October 2025, Trevor was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life behind bars. Meanwhile, Aaron's family has been honoring his memory by cultivating the things his killer never had, joy and community. So who was Aaron Martinez, the man whose life was taken in such a horrific way? Aaron loved his family above all else. He enjoyed spending time with his kids, nieces and nephews, whether at gatherings or on vacations. He also used his skills as a builder to create memorable experiences like building a horse ranch and bringing family and friends to ride and enjoy the outdoors. And his work as a handyman was more than just a hobby. Aaron had a job at a hotel, but by 2023 he was able to launch his own business, JVC Electric. He was extremely proud of this, especially because he was a naturalized US Citizen. So being able to create his own legacy in this country he chose to call home was a huge deal. By all accounts, Aaron was living the American dream. But there's just one problem in his life. His neighbor, 30 year old Trevor McEwen. After Aaron built his horse ranch, he moved his wife and kids into a home that was closer to it so they could spend more time there. And as soon as they moved in, Trevor started harassing them. Trevor was white and he started telling Aaron and his family they weren't welcome in the neighborhood because they were Hispanic. The Martinez's did their best to ignore his hateful comments, but when Aaron started his business, Trevor's behavior escalated. Whenever he saw Aaron's workers going in and out of the home, he'd go outside and yell at them too. Eventually, Aaron did the most rational thing he could think of. He hired a few men to build a fence around his house. He hoped that having a physical barrier would discourage Trevor. Unfortunately, when Trevor saw that the fence was underway, it only set him off even more.
- [18:09]
B
Hey, Ryan Reynolds here wishing you a very happy half off holiday because right now Mint Mobile is offering you the gift of 50% off unlimited. To be clear, that's half price, not half the service. Mint is still premium unlimited wireless for a great price.
- [18:26]
A
So that means a half day.
- [18:29]
B
Yeah, give it a try@mintmobile.com switch upfront.
- [18:33]
A
Payment of 45 for three month plan equivalent to 15 per month required new customer offer for first three months only speed slow 135 gigabytes of networks busy taxes and fees extra see mint mobile.com.
- [18:39]
B
Avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start. Thumbtack knows homes so you don't have to. Don't know the difference between matte paint, finish and satin or what that clunking sound from your dryer is. With thumbtack, you don't have to be a home pro, you just have to hire one. You can hire top rated pros, see price estimates and read reviews all on the app download Today.
- [19:05]
A
In the spring of 2023, 30 year old Trevor McEwen wouldn't stop harassing his neighbor, 35 year old Aaron Martinez, or Aaron's family and employees. On April 26, 2023, one of Aaron's employees was pulling out of the driveway driving Aaron's black truck. All of the sudden, Trevor used his white truck to block them in. Then he got out of his truck, stormed to the other man's driver's side window and pointed a gun at him. However, Trevor seemed surprised to realize that it wasn't Aaron in the driver's seat. He lowered his gun, but then he demanded to see the man's identification. The man refused and eventually Trevor gave up, got back in his car and pulled out of Aaron's driveway. Over the next few days, Trevor's alarming behavior continued. As Aaron and his employees made progress on the fence, Trevor started climbing up onto his roof to yell at them. Despite his antics, everyone kept trying their best to ignore him. Then, on April 29, Trevor spotted the same worker as before and that man's wife leaving Aaron's house. He followed them on the main road in his truck, cut them off, then got out of his truck and demanded to see their papers. The man again refused before driving away. Then on May 1, 2023, Trevor's aggression reached a boiling point. That day, Aaron was working on the fence with a couple of his employees, and around 11am he went to purchase more supplies and lunch for the crew. However, Trevor had other plans. He saw Aaron leaving and he got into his truck and followed him. He quickly caught up with Aaron on the main road before ramming his truck into Aaron's. Before Aaron could even process what was happening, Trevor was approaching the side of his truck and he was carrying a semi automatic rifle. In an act of complete hatred, Trevor opened fire, shooting Aaron 32 times, including five shots to the head. Aaron was dead and Trevor still wasn't done. He got back into his truck and drove back to Aaron's house. There, his employees were hiding inside. After hearing the gunshots ring out, Trevor circled the property twice, then parked his truck in the yard and stayed there with his rifle in his hands. Aaron's employees watched Trevor from the window, afraid he would start shooting again. Meanwhile, someone else in the area had called 911, and police swarmed to the section of the road where Aaron's body was inside the truck. The truck's engine was idling when officers arrived and discovered multiple bullet holes on the side of the truck and through the windshield. They also found a bullet casing as well as some unused ammunition on the ground. From there, they assessed Aaron's body and could see that he'd been shot dozens of times. Officers quickly figured out where Aaron lived and sent another team to his house. That's when authorities discovered Trevor outside with his rifle. The police tried to get him to cooperate, but he wouldn't relent, so they called in the SWAT team for backup. Agents descended on the property, but Trevor still wouldn't stand down. They proceeded to negotiate with him for hours until he finally surrendered, a courtesy that Aaron probably wouldn't have received if he was the suspect in this situation. Once he was taken into custody, Trevor admitted to killing Aaron with a rifle and was charged with murder and five counts of aggravated assault. But shortly after his arrest, Trevor was allowed to leave Custody on a two million dollar bond as long as he wore an ankle monitor. And even after he received an additional indictment for capital murder In November of 2023, he was still allowed to remain free. The prosecutors on his case were trying to change that, though they successfully had his bond value raised in December 2024. But even then, Trevor was still able to pay. The prosecutors planned to discuss next steps at Trevor's next hearing on May 5, 2025. But Trevor didn't show up. Authorities checked the location of Trevor's ankle monitor which was at his house. Officers rushed there immediately and discovered that Trevor's house was on fire. A rescue team was quickly called in, but they didn't find Trevor or anyone else inside at the home. They did however, retrieve a cell phone and other evidence. And with only these clues at their disposal, authorities launched a full scale manhunt for Trevor. The search lasted for a month until authorities finally tracked Trevor down at his grandparents house in Grand Saline, roughly 40 miles from Kaufman County. When officers arrived there, Trevor was hiding in a hole in the floor, just like on the day he killed Aaron. Trevor refused to cooperate and the SWAT team had to be called in. Eventually, they apprehended Trevor and brought him back to jail where he stayed until his trial began four months later on October 19, 2025. At that time he pleaded not guilty. But the prosecution called multiple witnesses to the stand who described Trevor harassing and threatening Aaron, his family and his employees for almost a year. Trevor's ex girlfriend also testified describing him as abusive, violent and paranoid. Surprise, surprise survivor. She said Trevor always thought people were watching him and that he once aimed a gun at her and fired it near her. As for Trevor, he took the stand in his own defense, something I highly don't recommend, but I'm glad he did in this case. He said he was only trying to protect himself from Aaron, but the jury wasn't buying it and on October 24, 2025, the jury found Trevor guilty of capital murder. He was sentenced to life in state prison without parole. However, the story might not be over yet. As Trevor's lawyers have said, he'll most likely appeal. In the meantime, Aaron's father has said that the family is honoring his memory by building another ranch to train horses and enjoy time together. Just like Aaron loved doing. And as always, if there are any breaking updates, rest assured you'll find them here. 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. Foreign. Looking for your next crime house? Listen, don't miss Crimes of with Sabrina Diana Roga and Corinne Vien. 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 story is 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.