Mysterious death of Mississippi Black teen. Doctor's ex-wife allegedly plots his murder. Plus, geofencing.

Summary

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Dateline NBC Podcast Summary

Episode Date: July 16, 2026
Host: Andrea Canning (NBC News)
Main Topics:

• Mysterious death of a Mississippi Black teen
• Doctor's ex-wife & alleged murder-for-hire plot
• Texas man’s international flight before murder trial
• Navy optician murder verdict
• Supreme Court rules on "geofencing" as investigative tool

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Episode Overview

This episode of Dateline NBC delivers a true crime roundup with in-depth focus on several prominent cases currently making headlines. The main segments include the mysterious Fourth of July death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells in Mississippi and its racial undertones, the murder-for-hire case against Dr. Hamid Mirshoge’s ex-wife in Los Angeles, updates on headline-grabbing murder trials, and a primer on the controversial practice of geofencing, newly addressed by the U.S. Supreme Court.

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1. The Mysterious Death of Nolan Wells in Mississippi

Segment starts at [02:08]

Key Discussion Points

• Incident Summary:
  On July 4th, 18-year-old Nolan Wells went missing after boating to Horn Island, MS, to celebrate with friends; his body was found floating two days later.
• Family’s Search for Answers:
  Initial police assessment pointed to accidental drowning, but Nolan’s family suspects foul play, influenced by Nolan’s athleticism, swimming ability, and the absence of personal effects like his phone and photos.
• Race and Historical Context:
  The Wells family and their attorney (Ben Crump) highlighted the racial dynamics of the area (predominantly white Mississippi Gulf Coast) as a possible factor in both his death and the investigation’s rigor.
• Community and Misinformation:
  Intense online scrutiny and media coverage have both helped and complicated the investigation, with misidentification and rumors swirling on social platforms.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Erin Gilchrist, on Nolan's character:

  "He was universally loved, that he was the guy who made a friend every time he walked into a room... would have turned 19 next month."
  [03:43]

• Nolan’s mother (as paraphrased):

  "We just want to know what happened and why our baby didn't come home."
  [02:23]

• Ben Crump (family attorney):

  "We are going to make sure that we get to the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, because Nolan deserves it."
  [08:37]

• Sheriff (via Erin Gilchrist):

  "Our investigators are working around the clock, working diligently to get the facts out, mainly to get the facts to the family, because that's what they deserve."
  [09:30]

Timeline & Community

• Independent and state autopsies are underway; the DA has promised grand jury review when the investigation concludes. The Wells family continues to seek clarity and justice as they prepare for Nolan’s funeral.
  [11:08-12:22]

---

2. California Doctor’s Ex-Wife and Murder-for-Hire Plot

Segment starts at [14:01]

Key Discussion Points

• The Crime:
  Dr. Hamid Mirshoge, an addiction physician, was shot dead in the parking lot of his Woodland Hills clinic in August 2024. Surveillance captured the masked shooter; a shell casing was found.
• Suspects and Motive:
  Ex-wife Ahong Mirshoge, embroiled in personal and business disputes with Hamid, was charged with orchestrating his murder alongside three co-defendants (alleged gunman, getaway driver, accomplice).
• Investigative Breakthrough:
  Testimony at preliminary hearing revealed Ahong allegedly blackmailed the security guard (Evan Hardman) before recruiting him first for thuggish errands and then for the murder itself, allegedly offering him $400,000.
• Legal Proceedings:
  High-profile defense attorney Mark Geragos challenged the prosecution’s narrative, emphasizing that the gunman never used Ahong’s real name in interrogation, and questioned if police might have steered the story.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the alleged hire:

  "She told him she had surveillance video… and she'd go to police if he didn't come and work for her."
  – Rachel Ligon (Associate Producer), [17:01]

• Defense strategy:

  "He called her 'boss lady,' and Geragos suggested the detectives might have fed Evan the story."
  – Rachel Ligon, [18:35]

• Emotional fallout:

  "(Ashley Sweeting) was very emotional in court and even mouthed 'I’m so sorry' to Hamid’s widow."
  – Rachel Ligon, [19:12]

Case Status

• Charges against two co-defendants dismissed due to insufficient evidence; Ahong and Evan Hardman remain in jail awaiting trial. Hearing scheduled for July 23.
  [19:58-20:11]

---

3. Dateline Roundup

Segment starts at [22:39]

A. Navy Optician Larry Miliette Murder Verdict

• Background:
  Larry Miliette found guilty (first-degree murder) of killing his wife, Maya, despite her body never being found.
  [23:19]
• Trial Highlights:
  The trial featured testimony from a "spellcaster" (claimed Larry paid for spells to keep Maya with him).
  [23:19-23:47]
• Jury Verdict and Reactions:
  Jury delivered guilty verdict after only five hours of deliberation; emotional scenes from Maya’s family, contrasting silence from Larry’s relatives.
• Quote:

  "No verdict can erase the pain of losing May or the years of uncertainty that [family has] endured. But we hope today’s outcome provides a measure of justice and accountability."
  – Prosecutor Christy Bowles, [24:41-25:00]

B. Texas Man Lee Gilley Flees Before Trial

• Summary:
  Houston entrepreneur Lee Gilley, accused of killing his pregnant wife, cut off his ankle monitor and fled to Italy using fake documents.
  [26:20-27:11]
• Legal:
  • Italian court considering U.S. extradition—contingent on assurances the death penalty will not be pursued.
• Twist:
  After Gilley fled, someone attempted to transfer ownership of the murder scene house by filing a deed.
  [28:23-28:36]

---

4. Supreme Court Ruling on Geofencing

Segment starts at [29:05]

Key Discussion Points

• What is Geofencing?
  Law enforcement requests tech companies (e.g., Google) for data on all mobile devices near a crime scene at a specified time.
  [29:49-30:59]
• Privacy & Fourth Amendment:
  Concerns raised about innocent bystanders swept up and even wrongly arrested due to proximity data.
• Supreme Court Ruling:
  Supreme Court determined geofence searches require a warrant under the Fourth Amendment—acknowledging private location data is protected.
• Ongoing Questions:
  • How specific must a geofence warrant be?
  • Lower court will determine if warrant in the discussed case was valid.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• "There have been some examples of people even being arrested, you know, falsely, despite being completely innocent, because they, for example, rode their bicycle near a house that was being burgled."
  – Matthew Toxen (Law Professor), [32:24]

• "The Supreme Court ruled that you do need a warrant to do geofences. And the Fourth Amendment did protect location, history, information."
  – Matthew Toxen, [34:04]

• "As long as you don't commit a crime, you probably don't have much to worry about from geofence searches."
  – Matthew Toxen, [35:07]

---

Notable Quotes at a Glance

• Ben Crump on Mississippi’s Racial History:

  "The history of Mississippi is something that they don't just read about in books, but it's a lived experience for many Black Americans."
  [08:37]

• Nolan’s mother, via Erin Gilchrist:

  "We just want to know what happened and why our baby didn't come home."
  [02:23]

• Prosecutor Bowles after Maya’s verdict:

  "No verdict can erase the pain of losing May... but we hope today’s outcome provides a measure of justice."
  [24:41]

• Matthew Toxen on geofencing:

  "The Supreme Court ruled that you do need a warrant to do geofences. And the Fourth Amendment did protect location, history, information."
  [34:04]

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:08] Mississippi teen’s mysterious death
• [14:01] California doctor murder-for-hire plot
• [22:39] Dateline Roundup – Miliette verdict, Gilley extradition
• [29:05] Supreme Court rules on geofencing

---

Tone & Takeaways

• The investigative tone is balanced, combining empathetic focus on victims and their families with rigorous legal and procedural breakdowns.
• Throughout, the hosts and correspondents emphasize the complexity—both emotional and legal—of unresolved cases, the consequences of digital evidence, and the persistent need for transparency in investigations.

---

This summary covers the episode’s main points, key discussions, significant quotes, and important timeline moments, providing a comprehensive guide for listeners and true crime followers alike.

Transcript

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[Caitlyn Cut (Booking Producer)]

Good morning.

[Rachel Ligon (Associate Producer)]

Good morning.

[Jay Uso (WWE Personality)]

Good morning.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

You're listening to the DATELINE story meeting. They suspect that the boyfriend is involved. Our producers are catching up on breaking crime news. It's a fascinating and interesting twist.

[Erin Gilchrist (NBC News Correspondent)]

Everything seems to be kind of pointing the husband's direction.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

I think we should pay attention to this one. Welcome to Dateline, True Crime Weekly. I'm Andrea Canning. It's July 16th and here's what's on our docket. In a wealthy Los Angeles suburb, new details in the prosecution's case against a woman accused of masterminding a hit on her ex husband.

[Rachel Ligon (Associate Producer)]

It was no secret that there was bad blood between the two of them

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

in DATELINE Roundup, an update on the Texas man who fled to Italy right before he was to stand trial for the murder of his pregnant wife and a verdict in the murder trial of Navy optician Larry Miliette.

[Caitlyn Cut (Booking Producer)]

They were hugging each other a lot. It was emotional. There was a catharsis.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Plus geofencing. The powerful tool allows investigators to identify people in the vicinity of a crime scene. But it's coming under fire in the courtroom. We'll explain why.

[Matthew Toxen (Law Professor)]

There have been some examples of people even being arrested, you know, falsely, despite being completely innocent.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

But before all that, we're heading to southern Mississippi where the mysterious death of a young black man over the July 4th weekend is making headlines across the country. On the morning of Saturday, July 4th, 18 year old Nolan Wells took a boat with some friends to Horn island, seven miles off the Mississippi coast. They met up with other teens to party on the beach and celebrate the holiday. But when Nolan's friends returned to the mainland that afternoon, Nolan was not with them. And later that night, his mother, Christine, got a panicked call from one of his friends. He here she is talking to NBC News senior national correspondent Kate Snow. What did he say? He said, hey, Ms. Christine, have you seen Nolan or talked to Nolan? I said, no. I thought he was with you guys. You know, he's like, no, nobody's talked to him. Two days later, Nolen's body was found floating in the water off Horn Island. The Jackson County Sheriff's office launched an investigation, but said it didn't look like there were any signs of foul play. Nolan's family didn't buy it, raising questions about whether his race had something to do with why he ended up dead. We just want to know what happened and why our baby didn't come home. NBC News national correspondent Erin Gilchrist has been covering the story from day one and is here now to bring us the latest on this developing story. Aaron, thank you so much for being here.

[Erin Gilchrist (NBC News Correspondent)]

Absolutely, Andrea, Glad to be here.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Yeah. So, Erin, before we get into the case, tell us about Nolan Wells. He sounds like he was a charismatic, popular kid just out having fun on the holiday.

[Erin Gilchrist (NBC News Correspondent)]

Yeah, you're right. By all accounts, everything that we've heard about this young man is that he was universally loved, that he was the guy who made a friend every time he walked into a room, that people looked forward to having him around. He was a student at a community college there in Mississippi, was about to start his second year there, would have turned 19 next month. And his dad said that on the Monday that his body was found, he was supposed to be returning to school to start training for the next football season.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

This is truly an awful story. So we know that Nolan and his friends set off for horn island on July 4, set the scene for us. You know why Horn Island?

[Erin Gilchrist (NBC News Correspondent)]

Our understanding is that Horn island is a destination that people went to regularly. It is an uninhabited beach that apparently is just gorgeous. Nolan had been there before, and we've seen this in some of the video that's been circulating out there. There were tons of people either on the island in the water or on boats around horn island on July 4th.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Aaron, what did Nolan's friends tell his mom, Christine, about why he didn't come back to the mainland with them?

[Erin Gilchrist (NBC News Correspondent)]

The understanding that we have from the mother of one of the young men who was in the group apparently with Nolan was that he opted not to return back to the mainland with his friends because he had met a girl in this gathering of people on the island and wanted to stay behind to talk to her and said that he was going to return with a different group of friends on a later boat. Nolan's parents have pointed to that story as one of the things that just doesn't make sense to them about this whole thing that he had been taught that you return with the people you left with, and that was something that he knew.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

So after she got the first call, his mom reported Nolan missing to the police. He was finally found on Monday, July 6th. So tell us, you know, what condition his body was in.

[Erin Gilchrist (NBC News Correspondent)]

We heard early on that there were no immediate signs of physical injury to Nolan's body when it was recovered. The sheriff's office said that they, at that time, believed it was likely to be an accidental drowning. But they did say that they were going to continue to investigate this death and to try to get an understanding of exactly what happened before they would make any definitive statements.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

What has made Nolen's parents suspicious that this could be more than an accidental drowning?

[Erin Gilchrist (NBC News Correspondent)]

Well, their position is that this was a young man who was athletic, who knew how to swim, and again, who would have been surrounded by people. And so the idea that he drowned and no one saw anything, no one heard him screaming for help, no one attempted to help, just doesn't make sense. And then there's this element of his cell phone that's caused his family to sort of question things. Right. His phone did not stay with him on the island. They were able to get his phone from a friend. So the thinking is the phone stayed on the boat and made it back to the mainland and into the home of one of his friends. Now, we've heard some accounts that that island is so isolated that cell service is very unlikely there.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

That makes sense, then, why you might leave it in a boat.

[Caitlyn Cut (Booking Producer)]

Right.

[Erin Gilchrist (NBC News Correspondent)]

And so if you were getting into the water, a friend of his said apparently it would not have been totally unusual for people to leave their phones on a boat so that they could swim.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Nolan's parents said that they were surprised that on the phone he didn't take any, you know, there were no photos. Kind of unusual for a young person, maybe on a holiday like that, to not take any photos, at least to post later.

[Narrator/Commercial Announcer]

Right.

[Erin Gilchrist (NBC News Correspondent)]

His mother said that this is a young man who was the prolific user of apps like Snapchat. And when she was able to get into his phone, there were no photos that had been saved, nothing that was waiting to be sent or uploaded to the app. And that caused some concern for her as well. She is suspicious that something could have been deleted from his phone.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Yeah. And the parents have brought up race in this, that they say there is concern for them that he was with kids who were white. Just tell us more about that whole element of this, of this case.

[Erin Gilchrist (NBC News Correspondent)]

Yeah, I think their concern is sort of historic in nature. Right. I mean, we're talking about the deep South. Nolan lived in a community that is largely white. I think almost 80% white, single digit, percent black population in that area. His friends have said in some of the interviews that have been done with Rolling Stone, for example, that race wasn't a big issue in this friend group. At the same time, this family says you cannot ignore the fact that this is a place that has a racist history in some instances. They held a news conference on Friday with Ben Crump, their attorney.

[Jay Uso (WWE Personality)]

The history of Mississippi is something that they don't just read about in books, but it's a lived experience for many black Americans. We are going to make sure that, that we get to the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, because Nolan deserves it.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Nolan's parents have sent their son's body off for an independent autopsy. Do we know when we could expect results from that?

[Erin Gilchrist (NBC News Correspondent)]

We don't know exactly when we may hear details about that independent autopsy. At the same time, the state medical examiner is performing an autopsy as well. And our understanding is that they're still waiting for some toxicology results.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Aaron, you spoke to the Jackson county sheriff. He told you the investigation will be fair and accurate. Let's take a listen.

[Narrator/Commercial Announcer]

Our investigators are working around the clock, working diligently to get the facts out, mainly to get the facts to the family, because that's what they deserve.

[Erin Gilchrist (NBC News Correspondent)]

Do you feel like you're getting useful information that's been helpful to figuring out what happened?

[Narrator/Commercial Announcer]

Yes, sir, we're getting very useful information.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

All this pressure and publicity can't hurt, right? In trying to draw out information and the case, as we know, is just getting a ton of attention. There's a lot of things swirling around online which can be good and bad, I guess.

[Erin Gilchrist (NBC News Correspondent)]

Yeah, I think you're right. The Internet, really paying attention to this story can be helpful in sort of making sure that it doesn't get swept under the rug. At the same time, there's this very real concern about misinformation. We know that this video was floating around out there early on. A young woman told NBC News that she had shot this video and that it was really just a wide sweep of that area on the island where you could see people on boats and you could see people in the water and you could see people standing on the island and the speculation that had been out there. And Ben Crump had suggested as well that Nolan was in that video, that he was heard arguing with someone. And since then we have heard from a friend of Nolan saying it was him. The friend was in that video yelling, Nolan was in no way connected to that video. And so there you have people trying to, I don't know, sometimes I suppose people are trying to be helpful, but sometimes it's just sort of fueling the misinformation out there. It just creates another layer of frustration when this family is having to deal with a very real moment of the loss of a child.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

On Wednesday morning, Nolan's parents and their attorney, Ben Crump met with the local district attorney for an update on how the case was going Afterwards. Crump said that the DA promised a grand jury will meet once the investigation is complete. The DA told NBC News that a grand jury presentation after an investigation is over is standard procedure for cases dealing with unknown causes of death. Meanwhile, Aaron Nolan's mom, Christine said she still has questions, but it's time now to think about Nolan. His funeral is on Monday. To the community, thank you so much. Just the outpouring of love, support and to his friends, stay strong and please just take care of your mental health because I know this is a lot. It's a lot for us and I know you guys are feeling some of that too. Do you know what's next, Aaron, in all of this?

[Erin Gilchrist (NBC News Correspondent)]

So we are very much in a wait and see position at this point. Right. We're continuing daily to press for any new information about what may have happened to Nolan, who his family is still going to have to bury here.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Aaron, thank you for filling us in on this very tragic story. I really hope that the family gets answers soon.

[Erin Gilchrist (NBC News Correspondent)]

We all do, for sure. Thank you, Andrea.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Coming up, California prosecutors outlined their case against a doctor's ex wife and the people who allegedly helped her kill him.

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[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Let's Jumble only available in permitted states. No purchase necessary. See Terms and conditions for details. BGW Group would be prohibited by Law21 sponsored by Chumba Casino. For our next story, we're heading to Woodland Hills, California, an affluent suburb of Los Angeles. On the evening of August 23, 2024, Dr. Hamid Mirshoge was walking to his car in the parking lot of his Woodland Hills clinic when he was shot dead by a masked gunman. Days later, friends and family members gathered just steps from where he died for a memorial. His ex wife, Ahong, was there, along with their children.

[Matthew Toxen (Law Professor)]

Thank you so much for coming here

[Erin Gilchrist (NBC News Correspondent)]

to remember my father.

[Matthew Toxen (Law Professor)]

I know he touched a lot of

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

people's lives in a lot of different ways. But then months later, Ahong was arrested and charged with masterminding Hamid's murder. Three other people were charged in connection to the crime. All of them have pleaded not guilty. Now, in a recent series of pretrial hearings, we're getting our first glimpse of the prosecution's case against Ahong and her co conspirators. Here to walk us through it all is DATELINE associate producer Rachel Ligon. Rachel, welcome to the podcast.

[Rachel Ligon (Associate Producer)]

Hi, Andrea.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Rachel, before we get into the case, let's start with Hamid himself. Give us a quick snapshot of who he was.

[Rachel Ligon (Associate Producer)]

So Hamid was an emergency care physician. He specialized in addiction medicine and was known for the relationships he built with his patients.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

We mentioned that Hamid and Ahong were divorced, but Hamid had actually remarried, right?

[Rachel Ligon (Associate Producer)]

Yes. So he and ahong divorced in 2010, and then in 2022 he remarried and at the time of his death, he had a six month Old daughter with his new wife, Ghazal.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Take us through the scene of Hamid's murder. What happened? What did investigators have to work with?

[Rachel Ligon (Associate Producer)]

Detectives were able to find surveillance footage from cameras in the plaza. And you see a man run up to the doctor as he walks to his car, shoots him in the head, and then runs off. But he's wearing a mask, so he's not easy to identify. The shooter also left a shell casing behind.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

And, Rachel, this was not the first time Hamid had been targeted.

[Narrator/Commercial Announcer]

No.

[Rachel Ligon (Associate Producer)]

Back in May. So just three months before the murder, he'd been beaten by two men with a baseball bat, and they got away.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Okay, so then how do detectives then make this turn where they start looking at Ahong as possibly connected to all of this?

[Rachel Ligon (Associate Producer)]

It was no secret that there was bad blood between the two of them. It turns out that Ahang and Hamid were embroiled in litigation. They had mutual business interests that had gone sour. For one thing, Ahang owned that shopping plaza where Hamid had his clinic. And six months or so before the murder, Hamid sued Ahong, saying she owed him $270,000 that she'd failed to pay him.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

According to the indictment, the other people charged alongside Ahong included the alleged gunman, a getaway driver. How do prosecutors allege that Ahong met these alleged co conspirators?

[Rachel Ligon (Associate Producer)]

This is what we found out at a recent preliminary hearing, mainly through the testimony of the two lead detectives. They testified that the alleged gunman, a man by the name of Evan Hardman, worked security at a hookah lounge in the shopping plaza. The detectives revealed that Ahong ended up calling Evan. She told him she had surveillance video of Evan breaking into another business in the plaza, and she'd go to the police if he didn't come and work for her.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Work for her. What do police say they think she meant by that?

[Rachel Ligon (Associate Producer)]

According to the detectives, it was things like evicting tenants from an apartment building she owned. But then she came up with another task for him. Rob her ex husband, Hamid, and beat him up. And this is the incident we were talking about earlier. Prosecutors say Ahong and Evan were the ones behind the incident where Hamid got beaten up.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Okay, so, Rachel, prosecutors are saying that Ahong asked Evan to murder her ex husband, and she promised to pay him a lot of money. 400,000.

[Rachel Ligon (Associate Producer)]

That's right. According to the detectives, she provided Evan with the gun, a getaway vehicle, and even gave him a deadline to carry out the killing.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

How did the detectives get all of this information?

[Rachel Ligon (Associate Producer)]

This was something I had no idea about until the prelim. It turns out Evan, the alleged gunman, spoke to detectives at length in recorded interviews not long after his arrest.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Ahong and Evan have pleaded not guilty. And Ahong's defense attorney at the prelim hearing was Mark Garagos. He is a very famous celebrity defense attorney. He represented Sean Combs and a slew of other high profile defendants. What did he have to say about the prosecution's theory?

[Rachel Ligon (Associate Producer)]

Garagos questioned the credibility of Evan's alleged story. He said that it was noteworthy that during the interview, Evan hadn't talked about Ahung by name. He called her boss lady, and Garagos suggested the detectives might have fed Evan the story. He also raised questions about Nick Ahong's son. Garagos asked how hard investigators had looked into him as a possible suspect. And the detectives said they did look into Nick and came up with no evidence linking him to Hamid's murder, but conceded he was fighting with his dad over money, too.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Okay, so you did say there were multiple alleged co conspirators. What do we know about the other defendants in this case?

[Rachel Ligon (Associate Producer)]

The alleged getaway driver, a woman by the name of Ashley Sweeting, admitted she picked up Evan after the murder, but said she didn't know what he was planning or that a murder had even happened. Ashley was very emotional in court and even mouthed I'm so sorry to Hamid's widow. The other co defendant, Sarala Jawed, said he was never told there was going to be a murder.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

After listening to the prosecution make its case over three days at this preliminary hearing, the judge made a big decision. Rachel?

[Rachel Ligon (Associate Producer)]

Yes. The judge dismissed the murder charges against both Ashley and Sarala Jawed, saying the prosecution didn't have enough evidence against them, leaving them to face lesser charges. And then at a hearing last week, the prosecution decided not to file any charges against Ashley Sweeting at all, meaning she is no longer part of the case.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

What about Ahong and the alleged gunman?

[Rachel Ligon (Associate Producer)]

Ahong and Evan Hardman remain in custody and are heading to trial. And in an interesting development, Ahong decided not to retain Mark Garago. So she's asked for time to get a new attorney.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Okay, and the next hearing is set for July 23rd. Rachel, thank you so much for joining us.

[Rachel Ligon (Associate Producer)]

Thanks for having me, Andrea.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Up next, it's time for Dateline Roundup, an update on the Texas man who fled to Italy right before his murder trial. And a verdict in the trial of the Navy optician accused of murdering his wife. Maya will take you inside the courthouse. Plus, the Supreme Court weighs in on geofencing, a tool investigators use to identify potential suspects at a crime scene. Why is it so controversial?

[Narrator/Commercial Announcer]

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[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

CTNC's 21+ sponsored by Jumba Casino. Welcome back. Joining us for this week's roundup is DATELINE booking producer Caitlyn Cut. Hey, Caitlyn.

[Caitlyn Cut (Booking Producer)]

Hi.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

So, Caitlyn, first we are heading to your neck of the woods. We're heading to San Diego county, where a verdict has been reached in the murder trial of Navy optician Larry Miliette, a man prosecutors say killed his wife Maya back in 2021 and hid her Body somewhere that's never been found. Caitlin, before we get to the verdict, just give us a quick recap.

[Caitlyn Cut (Booking Producer)]

Absolutely. So for seven weeks, prosecutors portrayed Larry as a man spiraling out of control as it became clear his wife was planning to leave him. Now, obviously, one of the standout witnesses from this trial was a man who called himself a spellcaster, who said Larry paid him to cast spells on Maya to keep her close to him. Then the defense countered that investigators had no physical evidence proving Maya was even dead, let alone that Larry had murdered her.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Yeah, so, I mean, this is. This trial has been a wild ride. The jury finally got the case last Thursday. What happened next?

[Caitlyn Cut (Booking Producer)]

They came back after only five hours of deliberation.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

What did they decide?

[Caitlyn Cut (Booking Producer)]

They found Larry Miette guilty of first degree murder despite the lack of a body.

[Jay Uso (WWE Personality)]

Wow.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Caitlin, how did people respond in the courtroom when the verdict came in?

[Caitlyn Cut (Booking Producer)]

It.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

It's been so emotional for a lot of people.

[Caitlyn Cut (Booking Producer)]

Oh, absolutely. There were lots of sniffles and tears coming from Maya's family. They were hugging each other a lot, consoling each other. It almost just. It was emotional. There was a catharsis.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Okay, so that's Maya's side. What about Larry and his family?

[Caitlyn Cut (Booking Producer)]

Well, Larry's family sat still in silence as the verdict was read. After hearing the guilty verdict, his attorneys whispered something to Larry, and Larry leaned over and appeared to thank them. And his eyes looked pretty red.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

After the verdict, Caitlyn, the prosecutors held a brief press conference with Maya's family. Let's take a listen to prosecutor Christy Bowles. No verdict can erase the pain of

[Caitlyn Cut (Booking Producer)]

losing May or the years of uncertainty that have endured.

[Rachel Ligon (Associate Producer)]

But we hope today's outcome provides a

[Caitlyn Cut (Booking Producer)]

measure of justice and accountability. It's clear that Bowles felt strongly about this case. I mean, if you remember, she got emotional during her closing arguments.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Maya's sister Mary Chris thanked Christy Bowles and her team, but she made it clear that closure will be hard because Maya's body has never been found. Justice probably have been served today, but we still have to bring my sister.

[Caitlyn Cut (Booking Producer)]

I would still ask the public for help.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Maybe, you know, one of these days we can bring her home. That certainly isn't the end of the family's journey or Larry's. He's got another trial coming up, right?

[Caitlyn Cut (Booking Producer)]

Yeah, that's right. He's facing another criminal trial for a gun charge. In 2021, after Maya disappeared, the police confiscated multiple unregistered firearms from his home. So he's facing trial for that. He pled not guilty and opted for A bench trial, and that means a judge will hear both sides and then decide his fate. He's due back in the courtroom on July 20 for a status hearing for that. Now, as for the murder conviction, we're not sure when sentencing will be, but he's facing 25 years to life.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Next, we are heading overseas. On Wednesday, Leigh Gilley, the Houston entrepreneur accused of murder who fled before his trial, appeared in court in in Italy. Caitlyn, remind us about that case.

[Caitlyn Cut (Booking Producer)]

Okay, sure. So in 2024, Gilly was accused of murdering his pregnant wife, Krista. He pled not guilty. Then he was released on a $1 million bond with an ankle monitor. But then a few weeks before he was set to go to trial, he cut that ankle monitor off and fled the country.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Prosecutors, Caitlyn, say that Gilly traveled from Houston to Canada before catching a flight to Italy, where he was finally stopped. How did he get caught?

[Caitlyn Cut (Booking Producer)]

Well, according to a federal criminal complaint, border police stopped Gilly after he showed them fake Belgian travel documents. And while awaiting deportation, according to prosecutors, Gilley admitted his real identity and told the Italian border police that he was seeking asylum. He said the only reason he fled was to avoid facing the death penalty.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Yeah, because this is a capital murder trial. And had prosecutors in the United States confirmed that they were seeking the death penalty?

[Caitlyn Cut (Booking Producer)]

It's not clear if they were. But, you know, remember, Italy and the entire EU does not allow the death penalty. And Italy might not agree to extradite Gilly back to the United States unless the US Promises not to seek the death penalty.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Yep. I had another story where they needed to know about the prison conditions before they would extradite a defendant. So they take that very seriously overseas. Gilly has been in Italy since May. His June trial date came and went, and an extradition hearing finally got underway on Wednesday. What happened?

[Caitlyn Cut (Booking Producer)]

Lee appeared in the Turin Court of Appeal Wednesday morning. Once again, Gilly asked not to be extradited, and he got emotional. He said, I'm here seeking protection in Italy, and they want to punish me, and I'm asking for protection for myself and my children. Now, presumably, he's referencing his two young children who he had with Christa, and they're currently in temporary custody with Krista's parents.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

What did the Italian judge decide, Caitlin?

[Caitlyn Cut (Booking Producer)]

Well, the Turin Court of Appeal reserved its decision for now, but they have to rule within six months. So we're going to be keeping an eye on what happens next.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Okay. There's one more strange new detail in this case. According to reporting by our NBC affiliate KPRC2 in Houston. While Gilley has been overseas, someone is claiming ownership of his house in Texas.

[Caitlyn Cut (Booking Producer)]

Andrea? That is correct. A week after Gilly fled to Italy, a man claimed the home where Krista was murdered was his. He filed a deed in Harris county, and property records show a transfer of the home. This happened days after investigators executed a search warrant on that house after Gilly fled the country.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Caitlin, so many twists in this. Thank you for bringing us the latest on all these cases.

[Caitlyn Cut (Booking Producer)]

Thanks for having me.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

A few weeks ago, before the US Supreme Court justices broke for summer recess, they released an opinion about a powerful but controversial investigative tool. It's called geofencing. Detectives ask tech companies to give them a list of all the devices that were at or around a crime scene. It's essentially a digital dragnet that can lead them to their suspect. Defense attorneys and privacy advocates, however, are concerned that innocent bystanders are getting caught up in investigations they have nothing to do with. Here to tell us more about how geofencing works is Matthew Toxen, professor of law at the University of Utah. Welcome to the podcast, Matthew.

[Matthew Toxen (Law Professor)]

Thank you for having me.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Okay, so first of all, tell us what geofencing is.

[Matthew Toxen (Law Professor)]

It's basically a way that the police can track where someone has been with their phone in the past. When you sign up for an app like Google Maps or something like that, you typically give permission for them to collect your location information, and the police can use it to retrace your steps.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Okay, so our location history is, of course, I think most people know this. You know by now that it's stored in their phones and it can be available to the police, which can get people in trouble.

[Matthew Toxen (Law Professor)]

Yeah, that's right. It's used in a lot of cases these days. If there's a murder or a bank robbery, geofences are sort of drawn around the area, and Google can provide investigators with all the phones, at least using Google apps in that area. So you can narrow it down to 20 people who are in the area of the bank at the time of the bank robbery.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

So these are like virtual fences?

[Jay Uso (WWE Personality)]

Yeah, a bit.

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[Matthew Toxen (Law Professor)]

They sort of draw a fence. It's a circle in practice, but it's basically like a fenced in area. And everyone who's inside that fenced in area is at least susceptible to being identified to the police. It's usually anonymous at first, and they go through the sort of process to whittle it down.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

And what do you mean by it's anonymous at first?

[Matthew Toxen (Law Professor)]

Yeah, it's usually a three Step process where Google initially gives them a bunch of just serial numbers of the people who are there. And then the police try to narrow it down and request a little more information about certain numbers. You know, they'll say, oh, tell us where this person was an hour before we started the geofence in an hour after. And then once they've really sort of drilled down to a few suspects, they'll say, okay, give us their names and, you know, their actual phone numbers.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Yeah, because I mean, if you're a bank teller and your numbers popping up, obviously you're going to be ruled out pretty quickly that you're not the person. And I guess it's process of elimination, right?

[Matthew Toxen (Law Professor)]

Yeah, right. At least. Hopefully someone who has been at the bank for six hours and clearly works there would be ruled out. Someone who goes, you know, who travels out of state immediately after the bank robbery that might be more suspicious.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Wow, that's so interesting because like, you know, we, we hear about these things on Dayline all the time, but we don't always think about, well, what went into obtaining this data and using geofencing. So is, is some of the argument then that innocent people who, you know, have nothing to do with a crime are sort of getting caught up in this digital dragnet, if you will, before investigators get to their prime suspect. You know that they're, they're on investigators radar when they haven't done anything wrong.

[Matthew Toxen (Law Professor)]

Yeah, that, that is one concern with geofences, that it sweeps up a whole bunch of people, only usually one or two of which have anything to do with the crime. There have been some examples of people even being arrested, you know, falsely, despite being completely innocent, because they, for example, rode their bicycle near a house that was being burgled at the time. There's a definite concern about innocent people's privacy rights and innocent people potentially getting arrested.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

How did this issue make its way to the Supreme Court?

[Matthew Toxen (Law Professor)]

It started off in a case of a bank robbery. Okelo Chatri allegedly robbed a bank in Virginia, went to trial and trial court allowed geofence evidence to come in. He was convicted. He then appealed it to the intermediate appeals court in the Baltimore region. They also said, yep, this evidence can come in. He petitioned the Supreme Court and so that's how it ended up at the Supreme Court.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Chatri's defense attorney argued that his client's fourth amendment right was violated. Just remind everyone what the fourth Amendment says and how does it relate to Chatri's phone data?

[Matthew Toxen (Law Professor)]

The fourth Amendment says that people have the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures, which typically means that the police need to get a warrant before engaging in search or a seizure. That's covered by the Fourth Amendment. And the big issue in this Chatri case was is this covered by the Fourth Amendment?

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Yeah, I mean, you need a search warrant for pretty much everything else, you know, when you think about it.

[Matthew Toxen (Law Professor)]

Yeah, for a great many things. Certainly to search someone's house or to, you know, go into someone's phone or something like that.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

The prosecutor in the bank robbers case said that when he logged onto Google, he gave up his right to privacy. It's a, you know, it's a third party. So what did the Supreme Court decide?

[Matthew Toxen (Law Professor)]

The Supreme Court ruled that you do need a warrant to do geofences. And the Fourth Amendment did protect location, history, information. Before some other courts had said, you don't even need a warrant. You can sort of do them whenever you want. The Supreme Court has now declared that you do need a warrant. And what's still to be determined is how exactly should you write that warrant? How specific does it have to be in order to be valid?

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

We should say the Supreme Court didn't weigh in on whether the warrant used to get Chatri's data was valid or not. The justices left that to a lower court to decide. So we'll need to wait and see what happens in that particular case. Matthew, is there anything the average person needs to know about this ruling?

[Matthew Toxen (Law Professor)]

Well, you might want to be careful about the information that you disclose to your phone apps and things. But for the most part, the Supreme Court seems to be taking account of modern technologies and the realities of modern life. And so I think they're going to protect people's information from abusive searches and

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

things like that, and also just don't commit a crime. How about that?

[Matthew Toxen (Law Professor)]

Exactly. As long as you don't commit a crime, you probably don't have much to worry about from geofence searches.

[Jay Uso (WWE Personality)]

Right.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

Matthew, this has been fascinating. Thank you.

[Matthew Toxen (Law Professor)]

My pleasure. Thank you.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

That's it for this episode of Dateline, True Crime Weekly. To get ad free listening for all our podcasts, subscribe to Dateline Premium. Coming up this Friday on Dateline. It's a story we've been following closely here on the podcast. So if you've been tuning in, you might remember it. It's about a man who committed one of the most diabolical crimes I've covered here at Dateline. And now we're giving you the full picture. Our town lost a family of really good people.

[Caitlyn Cut (Booking Producer)]

And they were.

[Andrea Canning (Host/Lead Reporter)]

They were really good people. Watch Slow Burn on Friday at 10, 9 Central. Thanks for listening. Dateline True Crime Weekly is produced by Carson Cummins, Caroline Casey and Keani Reed. Our associate producers are Ellery Gladstone Groth and Aria Young. Our senior producer is Liz Brown. Kuriloff. Production and fact checking help by Yana Johnson. Veronica Mazeka is our digital producer. Rick Kwan is our sound designer. Original Music by Jesse McGinty. Paul Ryan is executive producer and Liz Cole is senior executive producer of dateline. So that's it for us.

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