Crime Stories with Nancy Grace – Detailed Episode Summary

Episode Title: Father's Fury: Dad Sues Ex for Son's Road Rage Execution; Claims Her Middle Finger Doomed 6yo
Date: January 15, 2026
Host: Jennifer Gould (guest hosting for Nancy Grace)
Podcast: Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Main Theme Overview

This episode delves into the harrowing aftermath of a 2021 road rage shooting in California, where a mother watched her six-year-old son die in her arms after an encounter on the freeway escalated to lethal violence. The tragedy has sparked a new wave of legal and emotional battles as the child’s father launches a wrongful death lawsuit against the boy’s mother, alleging her actions provoked the shooting. The episode also covers other recent high-profile crime stories, including a chilling family murder case in Arkansas and a violent altercation at a Texas gym.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Road Rage Tragedy and Civil Suit

Background of the Case

• On May 21, 2021, Joanna Clooney was driving her son, Aiden Leos, to kindergarten in Yorba Linda, California.
• After being cut off by a white Volkswagen on the 55 Freeway, Clooney retaliated by extending her middle finger at the occupants (00:59).
• Marcus Aries, the car’s passenger, responded by firing a gun into Clooney’s vehicle. The bullet struck and killed Aiden (01:20).

Wrongful Death Lawsuit

• Aiden’s father, Jose Leos Jr., has filed a wrongful death suit in Orange County Superior Court.
• The suit alleges that Clooney’s provocative gesture (“flipping the bird”) was the “catalyst” for the shooting and that her actions made the shooter’s retaliation “reasonably foreseeable” (00:03).
• Defendants include Joanna Clooney, shooter Marcus Aries and his girlfriend Winnie Lee, as well as Clooney’s own mother.

Criminal Outcomes

• Marcus Aries was convicted of second-degree murder in 2024 and sentenced to 40 years to life.
• Winnie Lee pleaded guilty to accessory charges and received a lighter sentence (01:20).

Civil Allegations Beyond Road Rage

• The lawsuit also accuses Clooney of “unjust enrichment,” claiming she kept around $500,000 raised through GoFundMe, originally intended for Aiden’s burial and parental support.

History of Family Violence

• The parents’ history is fraught; Clooney previously filed a restraining order against Leos in 2019 for domestic violence.
• Clooney has labeled the suit as “torture,” and her attorney condemned it as an “outrageous abuse of the system” (02:40).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the mother’s regret:

  "She gave the middle finger to the vehicle, to the male passenger out of anger, something she would come to regret beyond comprehension."
  — Prosecutor in court during the gunman’s trial (00:59)

• On civil liability:

  "…insists Clooney bears civil responsibility for the, quote, 'reasonably foreseeable retaliation'..."
  — Jennifer Gould summarizing the father’s lawsuit (01:50)

• On the lawsuit’s impact:

  "Her attorney described the suit as a, quote, 'outrageous abuse of the system.'"
  — Jennifer Gould (02:40)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:03] – Announcement of the wrongful death lawsuit & details of the shooting
• [00:59] – Prosecutor’s trial statement on Clooney’s actions
• [01:20] – Detailed description of the shooting and aftermath
• [02:40] – Details of lawsuit accusations and past family violence
• [03:05] – Anticipation of the upcoming hearing

2. Additional Crime Stories Covered

a. Arkansas Family Murder Case (06:20)

• A convicted wife-beating doctor, Dr. Randall Bialis, was granted sole control over the remains of his murdered six-year-old twins, separating them from their mother, Charity Bialis, who was laid to rest elsewhere.
• The triple homicide scene was discovered after a custody hearing in which Charity fought to keep her children away from her abusive ex-husband.
• Dr. Bialis was previously convicted of strangling Charity; he has not been named a suspect but has a suspicious family history, as his second wife also met a violent end in 2012.

• “There was nobody else in the world that had any reason to harm her or those babies.”
  — Randy Powell, Charity’s devastated father (07:29)

• Ominous details: personal family items were found discarded 15 miles fromDr. Bialis’ residence.
• Investigations continue with no suspects named as of the episode’s recording.

b. Violent Incident at Texas 24 Hour Fitness (09:30)

• Erilyn Martinez, 24, threw a 25-pound weight plate at a woman she suspected was involved with her partner after spotting her at the gym.
• Alcohol was cited as a factor; Martinez was arrested for aggravated assault.

• “That’s a heavy metal meltdown. … It’s a weighted lesson in romance—when you try to crush the competition, the law will always do the heavy lifting.”
  — Jennifer Gould (09:55)

Conclusion & Tone

The episode is delivered with a brisk, factual yet dramatic tone, emphasizing both the shocking details of each crime and the emotional devastation left in their wake. The wrongful death suit in the California road rage case is seized as a particularly wrenching example of family tragedy turning into an ongoing legal and personal nightmare. The episode spotlights complications at the intersection of criminal and civil law, domestic violence histories, and the ripple effect of trauma through families.

Final Thoughts

Those listening to the episode will walk away with a clearer understanding of the legal and emotional complexities in high-profile crime stories, the ways previous family violence can reverberate in tragedy, and the controversy over civil liability in unpredictable moments of violence. Through direct quotes and sharp commentary, the episode highlights the difficult questions at the heart of contemporary crime and justice.

For more crime updates or to follow ongoing developments, listeners are encouraged to subscribe to the podcast.