Dateline NBC: True Crime Weekly

Episode: A TikTok Teen Charged with Murder, Evidence Testing Requests, & Interrogation Tactics

Date: August 21, 2025
Host: Andrea Canning
Guests and Contributors: Rebecca Leftwich, Mike Nardi, Brad Davis, Kristen Barnett

Overview

This episode of Dateline NBC’s True Crime Weekly delivers a multi-part deep dive into headline-grabbing crime stories and investigative techniques:

• A TikTok teen, Sarah Grace Patrick, is charged with the double murder of her mother and stepfather in Georgia—a case made startling by her public grieving on social media.
• Renewed defense efforts in an infamous UNC Chapel Hill student murder, with questions around untested evidence possibly implicating others.
• A courtroom roundup: Updates on Donna Adelson’s murder-for-hire trial, MLB pitcher Dan Serafini’s quest for a new trial, and an appeal in the Jennifer Doulos case.
• Behind the scenes: Expert interrogation tactics explored with a law enforcement veteran.

The episode blends emotional family testimony, defense strategies, and powerful insights into how justice is pursued—even when answers remain elusive.

Segment 1: TikTok Teen Accused of Double Murder

[02:15 – 09:39]

Main Story

Sarah Grace Patrick, 17, is arrested and charged with murdering her mother, Kristen Brock, and stepfather, Jamie (James) Brock.

• In February 2025, Sarah Grace calls 911 after discovering both parents shot dead in their home.
• The investigation begins amid an outpouring of raw, highly public grief from Sarah Grace on TikTok and through direct messages to true crime influencers.

Key Discussion Points

• Unusual Public Grief:

  • Sarah Grace posts tearful videos (“I can't do this without my mom”) and a GoFundMe linked under a sentimental video featuring her late mother.
  • She reaches out to TikTokers, asking for help highlighting the case.
  • Quote: “About a month before Sarah Grace's arrest, she reached out to a TikToker...to ask for help investigating her parents' open case.” – Rebecca Leftwich [05:17]

• The Arrest & Reactions:

  • Her 5-year-old sister discovers the bodies; Sarah Grace makes the 911 call.
  • The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office says there’s a “mountain of evidence”—much of it digital.
  • Family reactions are sharply divided:
    • Her biological father and maternal grandfather publicly insist Sarah is innocent.
      • Quote: “I know 100% of my heart that Sarah's innocent. She would never do this.” – D.J. Patrick, her father [06:24]
      • Grandfather: “Nothing puts the gun in her hand. They don’t have the gun.” [06:26]
    • Step-family members express fear and plead for no bail, citing manipulative behavior and fearing further violence.
      • Quote: “They are afraid that she will hurt them if she gets out of jail. If the defendant can kill her own parents in such a violent manner, I fear for my own safety.” – Testimony via Rebecca Leftwich [07:06, 07:44]

• The Bond Hearing:

  • A courtroom showdown between two sides of the family; significant community and church support for Sarah Grace.
  • Defense presents character witnesses; supporters wear “I Stand With Sarah Grace” shirts.
  • Judge denies bail, citing risk of flight and witness manipulation.
    • Quote: “The judge denied bail...the prosecutors had proved that she was a flight risk because the…side of the family…had the means to theoretically get her out of town and not bring her back.” – Rebecca Leftwich [08:46]

• What Comes Next:

  • Trial set for January 5, 2026, unless postponed.
  • Defense raising questions about evidence and seeking to paint Sarah as a loved, ordinary teen.

Segment 2: UNC Chapel Hill Student Murder—Evidence Testing Dispute

[12:28 – 18:24]

Main Story

Thirteen years after Faith Hedgepeth’s murder, the accused’s defense seeks fresh forensic testing, suspecting untested bloodstains could exonerate their client.

Key Discussion Points

• Faith Hedgepeth, 19:
  • A biology major and member of the Hallowah Saponi Tribe, Faith was active, ambitious, and close with her roommate, Karina Rosario.
  • Faith is found beaten to death in her bedroom; police recover a cryptic note and unknown DNA.
• Initial Investigation:
  • Police suspect someone close to Faith, due to the note.
  • DNA from the crime scene does not match the main suspect, Karina’s ex-boyfriend, Eric Jones—despite his troubling history.
    • Quote, Eric Jones (after exoneration): “I felt a huge burden off my chest.” [16:18]
• Breakthrough & Current Defense Moves:
  • Eventually, using DNA databases, police arrest Miguel Salguero Olivaras, with no known connection to Faith.
  • The defense now challenges the investigation:
    • They note police never tested a 2-inch blood stain from the scene—could it contain DNA from someone other than Faith?
    • They focus on a critical witness, the friend who picked up Karina—he noticed blood on her finger the morning of the murder.
      • Quote: “The defense now wants to depose that friend, saying he’s a critical witness.” – Mike Nardi [17:05]
  • Defense raises alternative theories but does not accuse Karina directly.
    • Quote: “The defense hasn't said explicitly…that they think Karina was involved…but are calling the prosecution’s theory into question.” – Mike Nardi [17:41]
• Legal Status:
  • New hearings expected; the defense strategy hinges on untested evidence and unresolved questions.

Segment 3: Dateline Roundup—Courtroom Updates

[20:27 – 25:30]

Host Andrea Canning and producer Brad Davis bring listeners up to speed on high-profile cases:

Florida Grandmother Murder-for-Hire: Donna Adelson

• Trial begins for Donna Adelson, accused of orchestrating the killing of her former son-in-law, FSU professor Dan Markell.
• Key pretrial drama: Donna’s daughter Wendy Adelson, targeted by defense subpoena, wins a ruling excluding her as a defense witness—but will testify for the prosecution under immunity.
  • Quote: “She [Wendy] will be called by the state as a prosecution witness and…the defense can question her on cross examination.” – Brad Davis [21:25]

Former MLB Pitcher Dan Serafini

• Scheduled sentencing disrupted after new attorneys file for a new trial, citing juror misconduct based on post-trial interviews.
• Judge grants motion to pursue a new trial, pausing sentencing.
  • Quote: "We need to ensure for both sides to process." – Judge, via Brad Davis [23:18]

Jennifer Doulos Case Update

• Michelle Troconis, ex-girlfriend of Fotus Doulos and convicted conspirator, successfully petitions for a trial over claims her attorney failed her.
  • Quote: “A judge last week ruled that Troconis’ petition could move forward to a trial in January.” – Brad Davis [24:51]

Segment 4: Inside Police Interrogations—Expert Tactics

[25:32 – 29:52]

Guest: Kristen Barnett, former U.S. Air Force OSI agent

Key Insights

• The True Goal:
  • "The goal of an interrogation is actually not just to get a confession. You want to get to the facts of what happened. So what you're really doing is trying to find the truth for your entire case." – Kristen Barnett [26:07]
• Reading the Subject:
  • Start with a baseline interview to assess personality and behavior. Adjust approach based on their response.
• Rapport and Justification:
  • Offer suspects plausible motives to encourage openness (e.g., financial pressure as a reason for a crime).
• Evidence Strategy:
  • Hold back key evidence (“an ace in your pocket”) to confront suspects when needed.
  • Quote: “You may have an ace in your pocket, so to speak, with one piece of evidence…basically irrefutable evidence you’ll want to reveal.” – Kristen Barnett [27:49]
• Interview Environment:
  • Create ‘soft rooms’ for victim interviews; hard, direct setups for suspects to unsettle or disarm them.
• Dealing with Silence:
  • Use strategic breaks—leave the subject alone to increase discomfort and self-reflection.
• Getting Confessions:
  • Building a relationship is key: “Keep them talking.”
  • Quote: “That really comes back down to that relationship you’ve established with the person sitting across from you. Keep them talking.” – Kristen Barnett [29:21]
  • Reminder: Always have a lawyer present if you’re a suspect.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Family Division in the TikTok Teen Case:
  • “These people are genuinely scared of this girl. They are afraid that she will hurt them if she gets out of jail.” – Rebecca Leftwich [07:06]
• On DNA Evidence in the Hedgepeth Case:
  • “They were thinking, this is our killer. Find the owner of this DNA. Find who it is. That's our killer.” – Mike Nardi [14:19]
• On Interrogation Goals:
  • “The goal of an interrogation is actually not just to get a confession. You want to get to the facts of what happened.” – Kristen Barnett [26:07]

Key Timestamps

• 00:59 – 02:15: Case overviews & headlines
• 02:15 – 09:39: TikTok teen murder case deep-dive
• 12:28 – 18:24: Faith Hedgepeth case & evidence debate
• 20:27 – 25:30: Roundup: Adelson, Serafini, Doulos cases
• 25:32 – 29:52: Interrogation tactics with Kristen Barnett

Final Thoughts

This episode highlights the evolving intersection of social media and criminal investigations, the durable importance of forensic evidence and courtroom strategy, and the nuanced art of professional interrogation. Listeners gain fresh insights into how both the public and private faces of grief, suspicion, and advocacy shape the search for justice.

(For more court and crime reporting, keep following Dateline NBC’s True Crime Weekly.)