Man Killed Confronting Line-Cutter at Convenience Store Toilet | Crime Alert 6AM 01.28.26

Summary

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Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: Man Killed Confronting Line-Cutter at Convenience Store Toilet | Crime Alert 6AM 01.28.26
Date: January 28, 2026
Host: Nancy Grace
Contributors: Drew Nelson, Ellen Gilland, Aaron Ruber

Episode Overview

In this daily Crime Alert episode, Nancy Grace spotlights several recent, emotionally gripping crimes across the U.S., focusing on everyday people affected by shocking violence and tragedy. The leading story details a fatal shooting at a Phoenix convenience store following a dispute over restroom access. The episode also covers the loss of a beloved Kansas teacher likely due to hypothermia and features an in-depth segment with a Florida woman convicted for the mercy killing of her terminally ill husband.

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Key Stories & Insights

1. Fatal Shooting Over Line-Cutting — Phoenix, Arizona

[00:00 – 01:47]

• Incident Recap:
  Dannielyn Castor, 52, was shot and killed at a Phoenix gas station after confronting DeAndre Franklin, 25, for cutting the restroom line. Castor suffered a gunshot wound to the head and died at the scene. Franklin was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.

• Family’s Perspective:

  • The Castor family is devastated, struggling with the suddenness and senselessness of the crime.
  • Castor is remembered as kind, generous, and quick-witted, devoted to his family, his pets, and his truck.
  • The family is resolute in seeking justice and plans to attend every court hearing.

• Notable Quotes:

  • “He was funny, told really great jokes. He always had a huge heart for animals.” — Drew Nelson, relaying family memories of Castor [01:00]
  • “Danny was literally the person that would give you the shirt off of his back.” — Nancy Grace [01:05]
  • “He left for work on Friday. Now he's never coming home.” — Nancy Grace [01:14]
  • “Just want to say to him that I really love him and that I'm sorry that he had to go through this and that he was probably scared.” — Nancy Grace, quoting Castor's niece, Shelby [01:20]

2. Death of Kansas Teacher — Emporia, Kansas

[02:24 – 04:25]

• Incident Recap:
  Rebecca Ruber, a 28-year-old second-grade teacher at Riverside Elementary, was found deceased in the woods after going missing post a night out. Authorities suspect hypothermia following a night of heavy snow, with no evidence of foul play.

• Community Reaction:

  • The Emporia community mourns Ruber’s loss, highlighting her warmth, joyfulness, and unconditional kindness.
  • Colleagues and students recall the loving atmosphere she created, referring to her students as "Ruber’s Goobers."
  • Plans are underway to plant a flower garden at her school in her honor.

• Notable Quotes:

  • “The most chill, fun and relaxed person I've ever been around.” — Ellen Gilland, quoting fellow teacher Brandi Taylor [03:06]
  • “Favorite color was yellow and everyone knew it.” — Ellen Gilland [03:08]
  • “Just a goofy individual who just brought joy to everybody's life. ... She was incredibly smart, kind, funny, loving.” — Aaron Ruber, Rebecca’s brother [04:00]
  • “Didn't matter whether you're a mean, bully person, she would love you the next day. I think we should pass that on. Especially now.” — Aaron Ruber [04:19]

3. Euthanasia and Legal Fallout — Daytona Beach, Florida

[04:25 – 06:42]

• Incident Recap:
  Ellen Gilland, 79, reflects on the aftermath of shooting her terminally ill husband in a hospital, an act she describes as a desperate measure after running out of options. She served a year in prison and is now advocating for legalized medically assisted death in Florida.

• Personal Toll:

  • Gilland discusses the emotional devastation of her husband’s terminal diagnosis and her subsequent actions.
  • She details her harsh experience in prison, compounded by health crises such as a heart attack.
  • Life post-prison is fraught with difficulties: finding stable housing, employment, and adhering to the constraints of probation.

• Advocacy:
  Gilland expresses her “acceptance of consequences” but urgently calls for laws to give families facing terminal illness better options.

• Notable Quotes:

  • “I knew how difficult it would be to be without him. Not just my best friend, but all of the things that we did for each other.” — Ellen Gilland [05:17]
  • “Most of them would help you if you cornered them and said I need help. There were a few...that were very rude and shouting and name calling.” — Ellen Gilland on life in prison [05:48]
  • “Trying to find housing, trying to find a job, having to make it to parole or your probation officer.” — Ellen Gilland on adjusting to life post-release [06:19]
  • Gilland advocates for “medically assistant death” to be legalized, stressing the need for compassionate legal solutions [06:27]

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Notable Moments & Quotes by Timestamp

• Confronting Violence with Everyday Courage

  • [01:05] Nancy Grace: “Danny was literally the person that would give you the shirt off of his back.”

• On Irreplaceable Loss

  • [01:14] Nancy Grace: “He left for work on Friday. Now he's never coming home.”

• A Teacher’s Unmatched Kindness

  • [03:06] Ellen Gilland: “The most chill, fun and relaxed person I've ever been around.”

• Family Forgiveness and Legacy

  • [04:19] Aaron Ruber: “Didn't matter whether you're a mean, bully person, she would love you the next day. I think we should pass that on.”

• The Dignity in Suffering

  • [05:17] Ellen Gilland: “I knew how difficult it would be to be without him. Not just my best friend, but all of the things that we did for each other.”

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Episode Timestamps

• [00:00 – 01:47]: Phoenix shooting incident and victim’s family tributes
• [02:24 – 04:25]: Kansas teacher’s mysterious death, community tributes
• [04:25 – 06:42]: Ellen Gilland’s story, prison experience, and call for legal change

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Summary & Takeaways

This Crime Alert episode from Nancy Grace delivers a raw, emotional snapshot of tragedies impacting ordinary Americans. Whether confronting violence, grieving senseless loss, or wrestling with the gray areas of end-of-life decisions, each story is handled with compassion and urgency. The use of personal anecdotes, family voices, and direct calls for justice turn headline crimes into deeply personal stories, extending the podcast’s mission to seek justice and keep victims’ memories alive.

Listeners are encouraged to support affected families, engage in community healing, and be part of the wider conversation on reform and compassion in the criminal justice system.

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Additional Information

• For the latest developments and ongoing cases, listeners are directed to CrimeOnline.com.
• The show continues daily, emphasizing finding missing persons and solving unsolved homicides.

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Transcript

[Nancy Grace]

Crime Alert. I'm Nancy Grace. Breaking crime news now. Dannielyn Castor, 52, stops at a Phoenix quick trip. As he's waiting in line to use the restroom, DeAndre Franklin, 25, tries to cut the line. Castor intervenes and is shot at least once in the head by Franklin. Danny Castor dead at the scene. Straight out to Drew Nelson for more.

[Drew Nelson]

That's right, Nancy. A senseless shooting all over a toilet. Phoenix, Arizona police say Castor was shot and killed inside the QT near East Oak street on the 20th. Family members say Castor is dead because he spoke up and was shot because of it. Castor was rushed to a hospital but did not survive. Police arrested 25 year old DeAndre Franklin the next day and charged him with second degree murder. He is being held on a $1 million bond. Castor Sister Delka Castor says the loss is overwhelming, speaking with our TV news partners at Fox 10 Phoenix along with her.

[Nancy Grace]

So, Aiden, we've been thicker than thieves since we were kids.

[Drew Nelson]

He was funny, told really great jokes.

[Commercial Voice/Announcer]

He always had a huge heart for animals.

[Nancy Grace]

Danny was literally the person that would give you the shirt off of his.

[Drew Nelson]

Back, delka says it felt like just any other day until we're all still honestly in shock.

[Nancy Grace]

He left for work on Friday. Now he's never coming home.

[Drew Nelson]

Castor's niece Shelby says the final moments are hard to think of.

[Nancy Grace]

Just want to say to him that I really love him and that I'm sorry that he had to go through this and that he was probably scared.

[Drew Nelson]

Relatives describe Caster as funny, kind and devoted to his dog, his truck and his family. They say he did nothing wrong and was not even looking for trouble. A memorial now sits outside the gas station. The family says they plan to attend every court hearing, hoping accountability will follow a moment they say should never have happened.

[Nancy Grace]

Thanks, Drew. More crime and justice news after this.

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[Drew Nelson]

A Kansas community is mourning the loss of a young teacher remembered for her warmth, her joy and a love so visible that radiated in the color yellow. Rebecca Ruber was 28 years old. She taught second grade at Riverside Elementary School in Emporia. On Monday evening, a somber prayer service filled the city as family, friends, co workers and students gathered to honor her life. Those who knew Ruber say she had a rare way of making people feel seen and accepted. Speaking with wibw, fellow second grade teacher Brandi Taylor described her as someone whose presence immediately put others at ease.

[Ellen Gilland]

The most chill, fun and relaxed person.

[Nancy Grace]

I've ever been around.

[Ellen Gilland]

Favorite color was yellow and everyone knew it.

[Drew Nelson]

Taylor says Ruber loved her students deeply and created a classroom built on kindness. She even had a nickname for them, calling them Ruber's Goobers. Taylor says Ruber never judged anyone and treated every person with the same care. Emporia police say Ruber was last seen late Friday night after leaving the Town Royal Bar following what investigators described as a minor verbal disagreement with a friend, so surveillance video showed her walking alone. Her body was later found in the woods about 300 yards from where she was last seen. Authorities say early indications suggest Ruber may have died from hypothermia during the heavy snow that moved through the area. Police say there are no signs of foul play. An autopsy is pending. At the prayer service, Ruber's brother, Aaron Ruber, spoke about the sister he grew up with.

[Aaron Ruber]

Just a goofy individual who just brought joy to everybody's life. And I know she loved her students more than anything else as well. And that's what I really respected about her. She was incredibly smart, kind, funny, loving.

[Drew Nelson]

Aaron Ruber says his sister's capacity for forgiveness and love was unmatched, even toward people who had treated her poorly.

[Aaron Ruber]

Didn't matter whether you're a mean, bully person, she would love you the next day. I think we should pass that on. Especially now.

[Drew Nelson]

At Riverside elementary, staff and students are finding ways to keep her memory alive, planning to plant a flower garden in her honor. A Florida woman convicted of killing her terminally ill husband inside a hospital room is now speaking publicly three years after the shooting that triggered a lockdown and an hours long standoff at the hospital. Ellen Gilland is 79. She served one year in prison after pleading no contest to manslaughter and multiple assault charges for shooting her husband, Jerry Gilland, in his hospital bed at Advent Health Daytona beach in January 2023. She is now out of custody and serving 12 years of probation. In an exclusive interview with our TV news partners at Fox 35 Orlando. Gillen said they believed they had run out of options as Jerry's condition worsened. She described the emotional toll of knowing what was coming.

[Ellen Gilland]

I knew how difficult it would be to be without him. Not just my best friend, but all of the things that we did for each other.

[Drew Nelson]

Police say Gillen brought a gun into the hospital, shot her husband once, then planned to take her own life but could not go through with it. When staff entered the room she pointed the gun at, leading to a prolonged standoff that ended after officers used a flashbang to take her into custody. Gillen told Fox 35 she had never been in trouble before that day and said prison was a shock.

[Ellen Gilland]

Most of them would help you if you cornered them and said I need help. There were a few of them that were very rude and shouting and name calling.

[Drew Nelson]

Gillen also revealed she suffered a heart attack about six weeks into her sentence, which she believes was caused by stress. She spent much of her incarceration in the infirmary with before being released early. Now back in the community, Gillen says life after prison has been difficult. She's required to report regularly and comply with strict conditions while trying to rebuild.

[Ellen Gilland]

Her life, trying to find housing, trying to find a job, having to make it to parole or your probation officer.

[Drew Nelson]

Gillen says she is accepting the consequences of her actions. She's now advocating for medically assistant death to be legalized in Florida, saying families facing terminal illness should have clearer options than the ones she believed she had at the time.

[Nancy Grace]

Thanks Drew. For the latest crime and justice news, go to crimeonline.com and please join us for our daily podcast Crime Stories, where we do our best to find missing people, especially children, and help solve unsolved homicides with this crime alert. I'm Nancy Grace. Hello.

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