Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: FEDS: Chicago Man Who Lit Blue Line Traveler on Fire a Terrorist | Crime Alert 12.12.25
Date: December 12, 2025
Host: Sydney Sumner (for Crime Alert section, with Nancy Grace as the titular host)

Episode Overview

This Crime Alert episode delivers an intense, fast-paced update on some of the week’s most shocking and disturbing crime stories. The headline topic is the brutal and apparently random attack on a woman aboard Chicago’s Blue Line train, which federal authorities are now prosecuting as a terrorist act. Additional coverage includes harrowing tales of neglect, concealed death, and vehicular homicide.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Terror Attack on Chicago Blue Line ([00:35])

• Incident Overview:

  • Lawrence Reed, 50, is charged federally with terrorism after dousing a woman in gasoline and setting her on fire aboard a downtown train.
  • The attack occurred just before 9:30pm at Clark Lake station.
  • The victim, 26, remains in critical condition with severe burns to her body and head.
  • Surveillance video captured the horrifying attack, showing the victim desperately fleeing before being set alight.

• Attack Details:

  • The suspect and victim reportedly argued before the incident.
  • Reed poured gasoline from a plastic bottle onto the woman and tried to ignite it while she resisted.
  • Reed fled the scene, but bystanders extinguished the flames, likely saving the woman’s life.

• Investigation & Charges:

  • Reed was apprehended with burns on his hand and made incriminating statements.
  • He acted erratically in court, claiming guilt, asserting Chinese nationality, and asking to represent himself.
  • Authorities highlight his extensive violent history and pending criminal cases, expressing frustration that Reed was free at all.

• Memorable Quotes:

  • ATF Special Agent Christopher Aman:
    “Reed had plenty of second chances by the criminal justice system and as a result you have an innocent victim in the hospital fighting for her life.” ([01:55])
  • U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutro:
    “If the victim dies, Reed would be eligible for the death penalty because he's been charged in federal court.” ([02:14])

2. Oregon Child Neglect Case ([02:20])

• Incident Overview:

  • Ruby Itzayana Gadina Velledor, 32, arrested after her 11-year-old son (low functioning, non-verbal) is found unsupervised in unsanitary conditions.
  • Home contained excrement, garbage, and pervasive filth; the boy was naked and watching videos, alone.

• Investigation Timeline:

  • Police responded after truancy and a missed sibling pick-up; a family member and later a neighbor raised alarms.
  • Officers forced entry and found the overwhelmed boy and mother in neglectful and bizarre circumstances.

• Child Welfare:

  • Authorities have not disclosed the children’s current whereabouts.

3. Illinois Woman's Death Concealed for Two Years ([03:18])

• Incident Overview:

  • Nancy Corbin, 65, found dead, wrapped in plastic in a backyard garbage bin nearly two years after her passing.
  • Her husband, Adam Corbin, 59, charged with concealment and abuse of a corpse after a convoluted attempt to mislead police.

• Key Facts:

  • Family in Texas requested a welfare check after two years of silence.
  • Adam Corbin first claimed his wife was elsewhere, then produced another woman to impersonate her.
  • Eventually, police found Nancy's remains and learned Adam had collected caregiver payments long after her death.

• Memorable Moments:

  • Officers found multiple firearms (Corbin, a convicted felon, was not permitted to possess them); seven were seized.
  • Charges include weapons violations in addition to corpse abuse and fraud.

4. Deadly Las Vegas Car Crash ([04:36])

• Incident Overview:

  • Jose Gutierrez, 19, allegedly intentionally caused a 12-car pileup, killing his pregnant girlfriend and another driver.
  • Prosecutors, citing video and witness accounts, state there was no evidence of intoxication—rather, his actions were purposeful.

• Investigation Highlights:

  • Gutierrez sped through a red light at approximately 100 mph, failed to brake, and did not have a restricted view.
  • Faces two counts of murder, attempted murder, reckless driving, and battery.

• Memorable Quotes:

  • Clark County District Attorney Steve Wilson:
    “We believe he was not impaired by alcohol or drugs...including a very descriptive video, that his actions were intentional which gives rise to a charge of murder.” ([05:09])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• ATF Special Agent Christopher Aman (re: Chicago attack):
  “Reed had plenty of second chances by the criminal justice system and as a result you have an innocent victim in the hospital fighting for her life.” ([01:55])

• U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutro:
  “If the victim dies, Reed would be eligible for the death penalty because he's been charged in federal court.” ([02:14])

• Clark County DA Steve Wilson (re: Las Vegas crash):
  “We believe ... that his actions were intentional which gives rise to a charge of murder.” ([05:09])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:35] – Main segment: Blue Line terrorist attack
• [02:20] – Oregon child neglect arrest
• [03:18] – Illinois woman’s body found after two years
• [04:36] – Las Vegas intentional car crash/murder charges

Tone and Style

The coverage is brisk and unflinching, sticking to facts but highlighting the raw gravity, outrage, and urgency of these cases. Host Sydney Sumner relays news in a direct and somber manner, true to Nancy Grace’s signature style: relentless focus on victims, justice, and the failures of the criminal system.

Summary

This episode of Crime Stories with Nancy Grace (Crime Alert) offers a sobering look at violent crime in America—spotlighting systemic failures, heinous acts, and the law’s pursuit of justice. Through vivid reporting and unvarnished details, listeners are taken into unfolding investigations, left with the chilling reality behind the headlines and the urgent hunt for accountability.