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Drunk Drivers Who Kill Will Owe Child Support Under Proposed New Law | Crime Alert 6AM 03.11.26
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CRIME ALERT HOURLY UPDATE BREAKING crime NEWS now. I'm Drew Nelson. A proposed law in Missouri would require convicted drunk drivers to pay child support to children whose parents were killed in impaired driving crashes. Lawmakers in Jefferson City are considering two similar bills. House Bill 1910 and Senate Bill 1135 would require drivers convicted of killing a parent while driving under the influence to pay child support to surviving children if the offender is sentenced to prison. Payments would begin no later than one year after release. A judge would determine the amount using the same guidelines used in divorce and custody cases. Judges would consider the caregiver's financial resources. They would also look at the child's health and education needs and the child's standard of living. Payments would continue until the child turns 18, and some cases could continue until 21 if the child attends college or has a qualifying disability. The proposal grew out of a deadly crash in Jefferson County, Missouri, on April 13, 2021. A crash killed Cordell Sean Michael Williams, 30. His wife, Lace Casey Newton, 25, also died. Their four month old son, Cordell Sean Michael Williams II, was killed as well. Investigators say a drunk driver caused the crash. That driver, David Thurby, was 26. He was charged with three counts of driving while intoxicated resulting in the death of a person. A jury convicted him of three counts of second degree involuntary manslaughter on January 11, 2023. Two boys survived the crash but lost their parents and baby brother. Their grandmother, Cecilia Williams, now raises Mason and Bentley. She traveled to the Missouri State Capitol many times since the crash while urging state lawmakers to pass the bill and I wanted to bring something to help families who need it when they find theirself in a situation of raising kids again. State Senator Mike Henderson has carried the proposal since the crash. The legislation is named Bentley and Mason's Law, after the two boys. Supporters say the measure would hold drunk drivers accountable long after the criminal case ends. Mothers Against Drunk Driving has also voiced support of the proposal. Versions of Bentley's law have already passed in several states, including Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas, Maine, South Dakota and Utah. A family in Tennessee became the first to receive child support payments under a similar law. Missouri lawmakers continue debating the proposal. Some have raised questions about how payments could be enforced if an offender does not have the financial means. If one of the bills passes both chambers and the governor signs it. The law would take effect in August. More crime and justice news after this. A mother in Alabama now faces capital murder charges in the death of her missing toddler after investigators say the child was killed months before she was reported missing. Authorities in Enterprise say 33 year old Adrian Reed is charged with capital murder and abuse of a corpse and the death of her daughter, 2 year old Genesis Reed. The charges were announced the day the child would have turned three. Police say Reed reported Genesis missing around 3 o' clock in the morning, February 16th from their apartment on Apache Drive in Enterprise. She told officers the toddler had walked out of the home overnight and the front door had been left ajar. Officers searched the area but found no sign of the child. As detectives continued investigating, they began to find inconsistencies in the story. Reed was later arrested and charged with false reporting to law enforcement. Investigators now say Genesis has not been seen since Christmas Day. Police say surveillance video from a neighboring home showed Reed walking toward the apartment complex dumpster around 11:30 that night while pulling a rolling duffel b. Two days later, investigators say another video showed her returning to the dumpster carrying toys and other items believed to belong to the young child. Authorities believe the child was killed on Christmas Day and placed in the bag before being thrown away. Investigators have not yet located Genesis body. Enterprise Police Chief Michael Moore spoke about the impact of the case on the community.
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Today's especially heartbreaking day for our community, March 9th would have been Genesis 3rd birthday. The loss of a child, the most precious and innocent members of our society, is something that cannot be ignored and will not be forgotten. The investigation is far from over. Our focus now turns to bringing Genesis home to the community that loved her.
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Authorities say search efforts are now focused on the Coffee county landfill. Investigators used truck schedules and GPS data from landfill equipment to narrow the potential search area after the dumpster contents were collected and transported. Officials warn the search will be difficult because the trash was compacted multiple times and processed by heavy equipment before reaching the landfill. Coffee County District Attorney James Tarbox states prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty in the case. Reed is expected to appear in court later this week as the investigation continues. A Georgia family now supports dropping the charges against five teenagers accused in a prom season prank that ended with a beloved teacher's death. Jason Hughes was a 40 year old math teacher and golf coach at North Hall High School in Gainesville and a father of two boys. Investigators say the incident happened late on March 6 outside his Gainesville home where five students had come to toilet paper the yard, part of a prom tradition known as junior senior wars. The Hall County Sheriff's Office says the students rolled trees at Hughes home, then ran to two vehicles when he came outside. It had been raining, and deputies say Hughes slipped and fell in the road as the students were leaving. 18 year old Jaden Ryan Wallace was driving a pickup and is accused of running over Hughes. Wallace and the others stopped and tried to responders arrived but Hughes later died at the hospital. Wallace is charged with first degree vehicular homicide, reckless driving, criminal trespass and littering on private property. Four others, 18 year olds, Elijah Tate Owens, Aiden Hux, Anna Catherine Luque and Ariana Cruz were all arrested and charged with criminal trespass and littering on private property, court records show. All five has since been released on bond. Hughes family says they do not want the case to destroy the students lives In a statement reported by the New York the family said, quote, this is a terrible tragedy and our family is determined to prevent a separate tragedy from occurring ruining the lives of these students. This would be counter to Jason's lifelong dedication of investing in the lives of those children. The family has also made clear that they do not believe the prank was driven by cruelty. Matt Williams, friend of the Hughes family, told wsb, Jason was actually looking forward to it. That the family wants to make really clear is that they knew these kids, that they loved them and these kids loved the Hughes's. This was not a malicious act. Hughes knew the students were coming and was excited to catch them in the act. That detail fits with what friends and relatives has said since the death, that this was a familiar school tradition and not an angry confrontation. The prank itself was tied to the Junior Senior wars game where students scored points for hitting certain targets. A rule sheet posted on Instagram listed one point for students, two for teachers and coaches and three for administrators. It banned car eggs, paint, weapons and damage to mailboxes. The Hall County School District had warned students earlier that same day that some prom season pranks had gone too far in previous years. In a message to parents and students, the district urged them to avoid any activity that could damage school or personal property and warn that criminal charges could follow. The community response has been huge. A GoFundMe created for Hughes family to help with funeral costs, bills and a future college fund for his children has raised $408,260 $66 over a $75,000 goal. The page shows more than 4,400 donations. The top donation listed at $6,785. The Hall County Sheriff's Office says the investigation is continuing. Any decision on whether the charges will move forward will ultimately rest with the Hall County District Attorney, Lee Darragh. For the latest crime and justice news, follow Crime Alert's hourly update on your favorite podcast app. Find us@crimeonline.com and remember to catch Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, 6pm Eastern on Sirius XM Triumph, channel 111, streaming exclusively on Fox One for the first 24 hours and wherever you get your podcasts with this crime alert, I'm Drew Nelson.