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Hi listeners, it's Vanessa Richardson. Real quick, before today's episode, I want to tell you about another show from Crime House that I know you'll love. America's Most Infamous Crimes, hosted by Katie Ring. Each week Katie takes on one of the most notorious criminal cases in American history. Serial killers who terrorized cities, unsolved mysteries that keep detectives up at night, and investigations that change the way we think about justice. Listen to and follow America's Most Infamous crimes Tuesday through Thursday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to podcasts. This is Crime House. 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. She was days away from announcing a run for Congress. Instead, Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy Mateer Bowen was found dead inside her home and her husband is now charged with her murder. 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. On April 2nd, 40 year old Steven Bowen made a brief first appearance in Broward County Bond court where a judge found probable cause and ordered him held without bond. He's charged with premeditated first degree murder and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence in the death of his wife, Coral springs Vice Mayor 38 year old Nancy Mateer Bowen, who was found dead inside their home on April April 1st. The case started coming together the morning of April 1st when city officials in Coral Springs began to notice something was wrong. Mateer Bowen was conspicuously absent from a scheduled City Commission meeting, which was unusual for an elected official known for her consistency and dedication to public service. Colleagues tried repeatedly to reach her by phone and a friend who couldn't get through to her contacted her husband Steven directly. He allegedly sounded suspicious on the call, which prompted the friend to call the police. Officers Preferred performed a welfare check at the couple's home in the 800 block of Northwest 127th Avenue just after 10am what they found inside was devastating. Police entered the home and discovered Mateer Bowen's body in a second floor bedroom. According to a probable cause arrest affidavit released April 2 by Coral Springs police. Her body had been wrapped in blankets and placed inside garbage bags. Spent shotgun shells were found near her body. A pillow was removed from the bed with burn marks, consistent investigator said, with it having been used as a makeshift silencer Stephen Bowen was not at home when officers arrived. He had already left and what he did next became critical to the investigation. According to the affidavit, sometime around 10am the morning of April 1, Stephen went to the home of his uncle, Owen Small and gave him a shotgun, asking him to hold it for a couple of weeks. Small asked Steven if he had shot someone. Steven confirmed it, telling his uncle he had shot his wife three times with a shotgun the night before on March 31 and then slept downstairs. When asked why, Steven said he, quote, couldn't take it anymore, end quote. Small then called 911 and reported what his nephew had told him. While that call was being processed, police were also independently tracking Steven's movements through surveillance cameras and license plate readers. By early afternoon, officers had located his black Ford F150 in a parking lot and began surveilling him. There. They observed him handing a bag consistent with a firearm carrying case to another man, later identified as Leslie Washington Jr. Bowen and Washington were both members of the Freemasons, a centuries old fraternal organization known for its brotherhood and community service, and Bowen had contacted him under the pretense of discussing an upcoming lodge meeting. Washington told investigators he had no knowledge of any crime. As both men were being taken into custody, Washington told police he heard Bowen say, quote, oh, they're here for me, end quote. He was arrested shortly afterward at the Landmark Towers apartment complex in Plantation, a town about 12 miles south of Coral Springs. With the assistance of the Broward Sheriff's Office. He later invoked his right to an attorney. Investigators also say Steven attempted to remove identifying information from his vehicle, which is an additional detail that factors into the evidence tampering charge. The loss of Nancy Mate Bowen has sent shock waves through Coral Springs and far beyond. She was the first black and Haitian American woman elected to the Coral Springs City Commission, first elected in 2020 and re elected unopposed in 2024. She was an environmental scientist by training with a master's degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and she had led environmental justice efforts across Florida for years. During the 2024 election cycle, she served as Florida Caribbean Vote director for both the and Harris presidential campaigns. In March 2025, the Florida Democratic Party named her its Vice Chair of Haitian American Voter Engagement. She was by all accounts, a rising political star. U.S. rep. Jared Moskowitz said she had been preparing to announce a run for congress for the 20th congressional district. A friend said April 2 was supposed to be a day of excitement the day she was going to announce her campaign Instead, it became a day of mourning. Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said she'd hugged Matteo Bowen at a leadership summit just two weeks before her death, quote, never imagining it would be one of our last moments together, end quote. The Mateer family has already faced profound personal grief in recent months. In December, Mateo Bowen's 26 year old brother Joshua died by suicide after a years long battle with schizophrenia. He'd been a survivor of the Valentine's Day mass shooting at at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School. Steven Bowen, who was a licensed radiology technician and had previously listed himself on Instagram with the description, quote, God, husband armed, end quote, has not entered a plea. The investigation remains ongoing. From Coral Springs, we head to Massachusetts where a woman who poisoned her longtime boyfriend with antifreeze has been sentenced. And the details of how she did it and what she filmed while it was happening make this case impossible to look away from. On April 2nd, 67 year old Judy Church of Salisbury, Massachusetts was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the first degree murder of her boyfriend, 55 year old Leroy Fowler. The jury had convicted her just days earlier on March 30 after deliberating for more than eight hours. Judge James Lang, who sentenced Church on Thursday, noted that under Massachusetts law he was mandated to issue a life sentence, but added that it was also, quote, the exact sentence I would impose if I did have discretion, end quote. The case dates back to November 2022. Fowler was living with Church at her home in Salisbury when on November 11, Church called 911 to report that her boyfriend had, quote, ingested something, end quote, and was in obvious distress. When first responders arrived, they found Fowler unable to stand. He was transported to Beth Israel Hospital in Bost, where he died two days later on November 13, when he was removed from life support, doctors determined he had suffered significant organ damage from ethylene glycol poisoning, the toxic compound found in automotive antifreeze. A search of the home uncovered a red Powerade bottle with a peculiar residue at the bottom. Testing confirmed the residue was antifreeze and Church's DNA was found on the bottle. Fowler had previously told relatives he believed Church was poisoning him. But one of the most chilling pieces of evidence came from Church's own phone. Prosecutors presented a cell phone video that Church had recorded of Fowler in agony, lying on the floor, suffering, unable to speak, while she asked him in her own words, quote, are you having fun? End quote. Judge Lang noted at sentencing that Church had, quote, callously and heartlessly videotaped Mr. Fowler's suffering, end quote. Prosecutors also ARG argued she'd only called 911 after Fowler himself asked her to. The motive, according to prosecutors, was jealousy. Fowler had been openly involved with another woman, Barbara Randall, for years. Both women knew about the arrangement and neither was happy about it. During the trial, prosecutors showed the jury diary entries and notes on Church's phone expressing her hatred toward Fowler over the relationship. They also showed the jury a photo of what Fowler's son described as a voodoo doll Church had made bearing other woman's name, which witnesses said she would stick with pins and throw around. Randall had a written victim impact statement read on her behalf in Court on April 2nd. The statement said, quote, When Judy Church took Leroy's life, she didn't just take him from me. She took him away from his children and grandchildren. Leroy's final days were filled with confusion, pain and fear. He was left struggling, not understanding what was happening to his own body, fighting for his life as it was slowly being taken from him. No one deserves to suffer like that. End quote. Church had spent more than three decades as a fourth grade teacher in Middleton before she was charged. She pleaded not guilty and maintained her innocence throughout. She did not speak at the sentencing. Her attorney said he advised her not to as they planned to appeal. She showed no visible emotion as the sentence was handed down. Fowler's sister Tammy Carbone also spoke in court. She said, quote, losing a loved one is painful no matter what, but when it happens at the hands of someone else, it brings a pain like you've never felt before, end quote. From a sentence handed down in Massachusetts, we move to a guilty plea entered in the same state, this one in a case that began with a social media feud. On April 1, 33 year old Alyssa Parch of Dorchester, Massachusetts pleaded guilty to manslaughter in Suffolk County Superior Court and was sentenced to 15 to 20 years in state prison for the July 2023 stabbing death of 21 year old Jasrianna Shepherd, a young South Boston mother described by her family as a deeply loved human being. Parch had originally been charged with second degree murder and a jury trial had been scheduled to begin later this month. The two women had never met in person before the night of July 20, 2023. What brought them together was a running social media feud, a series of messages in which Partch had threatened shepherd repeatedly and worked to entice her into a physical fight. At approximately 11:30pm that night, Shepard was near the Brewer foundation on Boston Common with a friend when the two women crossed paths for first Time. As shepherd and her friend began walking toward the Park Street MBTA station, Parch approached while holding a knife, as seen on surveillance video. What followed was violent and swift. Prosecutors said shepherd was unarmed. When the two women began to fight, Parch stabbed her multiple times in the face, head and torso. Shepherd was rushed to a hospital where she later died. Her death was ruled a homicide caused by sharp force injuries, including a stab wound to the heart. Parch fled the scene through the subway system and was arrested approximately three and a half months later. On November 4, 2023. Shepherd's family filled the courtroom. On April 1, her mother broke down in tears on the witness stand as she tried to speak. Clutching a poster board with a photo of her daughter, she said, quote, this is the worst nightmare ever to bury my baby and my only daughter, end quote. Shepard's brother told the court he doesn't know how he will ever rec. Shepherd also left behind a young son. Judge Mary Ames spoke directly to Parch before handing down the sentence. She said, quote, I hope now that you see the consequences of what you've done to this family, a child who will not grow up knowing his mother, except through this beautiful family who will keep her memory alive, end quote. Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden called the killing, quote, a senseless, impossible to understand moment of violence, end quote. From the streets of Boston, we go to Maryland, where a story out of the music world has left fans of one of rock's most celebrated bands completely stunned. On April 1st, 33 year old Brady Ebert, a founding member and former guitarist of the Grammy winning Baltimore rock band Turnstile, was arrested and charged with attempted second degree murder and first degree assault. He's accused of intentionally driving his 2001 Buick into William Yates, the 79 year old father of Turnstile's lead singer and co founder Brendan Yates. Outside his home in Silver Spring, Maryland, William Yates suffered serious trauma to his lower extremities, including a broken leg with a bone visibly protruding, and underwent surgery. Thankfully, he survived. According to Montgomery county police, the incident occurred on the afternoon of March 29. Ebert allegedly arrived at the Yates family home on Timberlake Drive, honking his horn and yelling obscenities. He initially drove away, but returned and surveillance footage captured what followed as William Yates attempted to retreat in his driveway. Ebert allegedly struck him with the car and left the scene without calling 911 or providing any aid. Investigators say Ebert returned to the scene a second time and told Yates he, quote, deserved it, end quote, before leaving again. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 1st in Montgomery County District Court. Ebert and Brendan Yates had known each other since childhood in Montgomery county and co founded Turnstile in Baltimore in 2010. Ebert played on the band's first three albums before the group cut ties with him in 2022, citing a consistent pattern of harmful behavior affecting himself, the band and the community. The band said in a statement this week that Ebert had been threatening violence at the time of his 2022 departure and that his behavior had escalated further in the months leading up to this incident. Turnstile won two Grammy Awards in February for Best Rock Album and Best Metal Performance. Ebert is being held without bond, with a preliminary hearing set for May 1st. The band's statement this week said it all quote, we have no language left for Brady. Hi listeners, it's Vanessa Richardson. I wanted to take a brief moment to tell you about another show from Crime House that I know you'll love, America's Most Infamous Crimes, hosted by Katie Ring. Each week, Katie takes on a notorious crime, whether unfolding now or etched into American history, revealing not just what happened, but how it forever changed our society. Serial killers who terrorized cities, unsolved mysteries that keep detectives up at night, and investigations that change the way we think about justice. Each case unfolds across multiple episodes, released every Tuesday through Thursday, from the first sign that something was wrong to the moment the truth came out or didn't. These are the stories behind the headlines. Listen to and follow America's Most Infamous Crimes Tuesday through Thursday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to podcasts. Lastly, let me tell you about what else is happening at Crime House today. Serial Killers and Murderous Minds is covering one of the most infamous unsolved murders in American history, the Black Dahlia. Most people know the name. Far fewer know the woman behind it. Elizabeth Short was 22 years old when she was found in Los Angeles in January of 1947. Her murder has never been solved. But in the days and weeks that followed, something unfolded alongside the investigation, something that may have helped ensure it would stay that way. The press got involved and they didn't leave. Before you head over to Serial Killers and Murderous Minds for the full story, I want to pull back and look at something bigger than one case. The Black Dahlia didn't just attract tabloid coverage. It became one of the earliest and most extreme examples of what happens when media and murder collide at full speed. Reporters contaminated scenes, editors ran headlines before investigators had answers. Newsrooms published details that should never have been public. And in case after case, the investigation suffered for it. That pattern didn't start in 1947 and it didn't end there. Here are five times the tabloid press didn't just cover a murder investigation. It damaged one. Number one, Sam Shepard. On July 4, 1954, Marilyn shepherd was beaten to death in her home in Bay Village, Ohio. Her husband, Dr. Sam Shepard, reported an intruder. Within days, the Cleveland Press had already decided what happened. The paper ran front page editorials with headlines like why isn't Sam Shepard in jail? And quit stalling, bring him in. Before charges had been filed, before a jury had been seated, and before any trial had taken place. Coverage was relentless opinion and openly hostile to the defendant. Reporters attended private meetings between investigators. The courtroom atmosphere was by most accounts closer to a spectacle than a proceeding. Sam Shepard was convicted of second degree murder in 1954. Twelve years later, the United States Supreme Court overturned that conviction in Shepard v. Maxwell. The court ruled that the trial had been fundamentally compromised by prejudicial press coverage. A landmark decision that directly shaped how courts managed manage media access. Today the case also took another turn. Decades later. DNA evidence pointed toward a new suspect, a man with connections to the shepherd home. Sam Sheppard had been dead for years by then, never fully exonerated in his lifetime. The Cleveland press didn't solve a murder. It may have helped the real killer stay hidden. Number two, Richard Jewell. On July 27, 1996, a pipe bomb exploded in Centennial Olympic park during the Summer Olympics. Two people were killed and more than a hundred were injured. Richard Jewell, a security guard who had spotted the suspicious backpack and helped move people away from it, was initially praised as a hero. Within days, the Atlanta Journal Constitution published a story identifying Jewel as a suspect based on a law enforcement source. The story spread instantly. Television cameras camped outside his apartment. Tabloids ran speculation, innuendo and details from his personal life. The FBI was still investigating, but in the public mind, the case was already closed. Jewel was never charged. The real bomber, Eric Rudolph, remained free for seven more years, during which he carried out three additional attacks that killed two more people and injured over a hundred others. The damage to Jewel was permanent. He spent the rest of his life in the shadow of a story that had named him a terrorist before a single charge was filed. He died in 2007 at 44 years old. The headline came came first. The facts came later. And in the gap between them, a real killer had time to disappear. Number three, JonBenet Ramsey. The murder of six year old JonBenet Ramsey in December 1996 was from the beginning a media event as much as a Criminal investigation. The combination of the victim's age, the pageant photographs, the prominent family, and the Boulder setting created a story that tabloids couldn't and and didn't resist. Coverage moved faster than the investigation. Speculation about the parents was everywhere. Before any evidence had been formally assessed, details from the crime scene leaked into the press with regularity. The sheer volume and intensity of that coverage made it extraordinarily difficult to manage witnesses, build a prosecutable case, or ensure that anyone who eventually faced charges could receive a fair trial. The tabloid framing also had a human cost. Beyond the investigation, the Ramsey's lived the rest of their lives under a media verdict that was never a legal one. JonBenet's mother, Patsy, died of cancer in 2006. Never charged, never cleared in the court of public opinion. No one has ever been convicted of JonBenet Ramsey's murder. And when investigators have spoken candidly, the chaos of the early days, driven in part by press pressure, is consistently cited as a reason reason resolution became so difficult. Number four, Amanda Knox. When British student Meredith Kercher was murdered in Perugia, Italy, in November 2007, the tabloid press quickly built a narrative around her American roommate, Amanda Knox. They gave her a nickname. They ran stories about her personal life and her behavior in the days after the murder. Those stories weren't just sensational. They became the framework within which the entire case was publicly understood should Knox was convicted in 2009. That conviction was later overturned, reinstated, and then definitively overturned by Italy's highest court in 2015. The judicial reasoning cited, among other things, a profound lack of reliable physical evidence. But by the time the acquittal was final, the tabloid version had circled the globe many times over. The narrative, built on character judgment rather than forensic evidence, had already shaped how investigators, jurors, and the public public processed everything that followed. What the press decided in the first week took nearly a decade to legally unravel. Meredith Kercher's name in the meantime, was rarely the headline number five. The Zodiac Killer. The Zodiac Killer sent letters to the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Francisco examiner, and other outlets throughout his active period in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He included coded ciphers, taunts directed at police, and explicit threats to kill again. If his letters were not published, the papers published them. In doing so, they gave a serial killer something deeply dangerous. A guaranteed audience. The Zodiac chose his own name, shaped his own mythology, and used the press as a direct line to the public and to law enforcement. Investigators later acknowledged that the letters, while sometimes useful, also muddied the picture and created pressure to respond public rather than strategically. And then there's the harder question. If a killer writes to newspapers because it gives him power and attention, and newspapers publish those letters because it sells papers, who is actually being served? The investigation or the story? The Zodiac has never been identified. His letters are still being analyzed today. And the feedback loop between a killer and the press that amplified him remains one of the most uncomfortable chapters in the history of crime journals journalism. In 1947, you needed a printing press to shape a narrative. In 1969, you needed a newspaper willing to run your letters. The barrier to reaching millions of people was high enough that a relatively small number of institutions controlled what the public knew and when they knew it. That's no longer true. Today, a detail from an active investigation can be screenshot, shared, and seen by thousands of people before a detective has finished writing up their notes. A theory about a suspect, unverified, incomplete, sometimes entirely wrong, can travel faster than any correction ever will. The same instinct that drove readers to snap up a tabloid in 1947 is still very much alive. It's just running on different infrastructure now, and it has a lot more participants. None of that means following a case closely is wrong. Curiosity about crime is human, and public attention has genuinely helped solve cases that might otherwise have gone cold. But there's a difference between staying informed and actively spreading something you can't verify. When a detail feels too compelling not to share, that feeling is worth pausing on, because that's exactly the feeling tabloid editors were counting on 70 years ago. The press didn't ruin these investigations alone. Readers bought the papers. Viewers watched the coverage. Audiences rewarded the speculation with attention. That part of the equation hasn't changed either. The Black Dahlia case had a new name, one a newspaper gave her. It had mythology, one newsrooms built detail by detail, edition by edition. And it had millions of readers who knew Elizabeth Short as a headline long before they knew her as a person. For the full story behind the Black Dahlia, head over to our Crime House feed for the latest episode of Serial Killers and Murderous Minds. 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 developing stories. Stay safe, and thanks for listening.